Wednesday.....published on Thursday....this didn't post yesterday sorry

Thankfully we woke up to another dry day, and some blue sky. What a relief. The grass is still swampy and to get from our house to the children's houses we have to slosh through mud but it is beginning to dry and because we are living at the highest point on campus, by lunch time nell and I were able to our out on some relatively dry ground.  The children still can't get out to play though as they would be ankle deep in mud so we have had more indoor play toda. 

I took a large bright pink flamingo  puppet out with methat we won from a fair when the children were small and that was a big hit in playgroup this morning. Me' Agatha the playgroup leader loved it and it was dancing along with the children. She let some have a go at it and some of them were terrified of it.

They had their morning lesson then the other playgroup leader said...ok me' Jenny.....you do what you want now so I got some toys out for the masses and took 2 children to do some painting. Iris the Dutch volunteer joined me and we took 4 at a time and created some rather splendid watercolour paintings that we have exhibited in the back room. I have taken some pictures of them because actually they would make some rather good fundraising postcards.

That done and cleared away we had snack time and then I got the lego out which is always enjoyed. We also got dome wheeled sit on blocks out so day me of the children were tearing round the room on them. The sun was on the porch so I took a couple of children out to do some colouring. Nell had been doing puzzles with dome on the porch earlier and it had looked rather pleasant.

While this was happening Fred had painted an amazing rhino in the last house so now all the houses have beautiful murals on them.

Nell has been feeling a bit sick today so she had a good rest this afternoon.most people who come out here have a day or two of feeling a it dodgy. It's just the water even though we purify it ourselves, it just has an effect on ones system. That and the heat combined although up until today heat has not been a problem. Today was actually too hot for me to sit out in at lunch time, and that is saying something.....

She and I had popped into preschool this morning to say hello and had been greeted warmly. I have to go back with some little letter tiles tomorrow that I had brought over.

We had chapel time this afternoon as it was Wednesday and all the children and adults gather in the chapel for a sing and a story before bath time and dinner. Fortunately my children were very well behaved tonight, when they are good they are very very good and just lovely but when they are feeling naughty there is absolutely nothing you can do. They don't listen to the volunteers but when a  house mother comes in and shouts, boy do they take notic.

We were due to be going out tonight to Bryan and Anita's for a games night with the other long term volunteers but with Nell feeling less than 100% we stayed at home and had a quiet evening in. Fred and I popped into town to buy a few urgent supplies and were treated to the most beautiful sunset. The sky is just so big out here and the sunset changes by the minute . We spent a long time outside our house taking photos and just gazing in awe at the colour changes.  I thought while we weredriving back that I take so much for granted now. We saw the factories turning out, people piling into taxis, buying their fruit and veg from the pavement shacks, so much colour, so much 'Africaness', women carrying their bags on their heads and men selling watermelons on roundabouts....sometimes I don't even stop to gaze and wonder yet it is all so beautiful and amazing.and so different to life back at home.  I think nothing now of popping into town, driving like the Basotho and finding my way around. That's why I love bring people out here because I see it through their eyes and I have delighted in having Nell sitting beside me in the car taking pictures and just saying 'wow'....it is 'wow'...it is special.

There were some pork steaks in the freezer from Ron and Karen which I defrosted for dinner tonight. The sort of thing you would never buy at home, more fat and bone than meat and I am not a big fan of pork, but it was a shame to let them go to waste  so I cooked them up tonight with a mushroom sauce, rice and vegetables and they were surprisingly pleasant. Fred and I sat outside under the evening sun and enjoyed them. 

We were having a quiet evening in playing Yahtzee when we heard hooting and a commotion outside. We looked out and found the security guard had gone AWOL and Anita was trying to bring the other volunteers back home. Fred ran round the campus looking for him to no avail and had to get the spare gate key from one of the children's houses.  We have no idea where he is as 2 hours later he has not returned but if we had gone out tonight, none of us would have been able to get in so it was just as well we stayed at home. Whilst out there trying to get the gate open, Fred kindly pointed out a frog jumping around not far from my feet....I was delighted. Luckily he didn't come in the house.

Anyway today is almost done. Steve is flying out tomorrow night...I put out an appeal for toy food and apparently he has a suitcase full. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends. He is also bringing an umbrella so that will ensure we have no more rain. It will be good to have him out here. The last 2 weeks have flown by but in some ways it seems we have been here forever and a new face will change our easy routine.

Another game of card with Fred is beckoning so I will sign off and say good night.

I hope if you are reading this, you are well and happy and thank you for doing so.

Much love.

Jenny x