A full week later

Yesterday was the last day Regina Owino was with us. Her stay has been so rewarding and I'm feeling a bit tight chested today. She has moved to Linda W. house for a few days and then on to Emily Matthews. Emily will get her on the plane a week from this Sunday for a long trip home arriving in Niarobi Monday night and then to Eldoret Tuesday morning. How excited she will be to see family and friends, some of who said a trip to Indiana would be futile wishing her to live with a heart that might or might not result in sudden death. It's been weeks of great experiences from a trip to the north and a trip to the south to see a little of Indiana country...making corn porridge every morning which I ate as a child in the evening with the name of cornmeal mush. Different names...same thing. In Regina's case, lemon juice was always added to her cup. Then there was the yummy Kale dish. Yes...yummy cooked only to the first degree of doneness. Tomatoes, onions and cilantro and hot peppers along with bush meat (beef stew) were Regina's delight. Me trying to understand the queens English and trying not to say to many times...what did you say and the Regina trying her best but being defeated in talking like an American. We talked about Red Neck stuff...her children...two girls and a boy, one finishing law school, one a senior in highschool and her 8 year old son...my children...finding out that she was born in 1970 just as Eric was...hearing about her mother carrying for Gift...wanting to buy a motor bike and laughing when her late husband saying he would not wave if she drove by...ladies don't drive motor bikes in Kenya...being the first on the dance floor...making tea the Kenya way, it must be boiled...eating egg plant making it the American way...sleeping in till 11 one day and then back to sleep in the afternoon helping her newly repaired heart mend...her last meal with us included liver at her request and at my request a trip to Dairy Queen. Every day was packed with a little of this and a little of that. She is returning to Kenya with a huge photo album of nearly 300 pictures of places she has been and the miles she has traveled. So..Kenya came to me and I am all the better for clearing a room of unneeded things...borrowing a bed and making a place for a new friend to teach me more than I could have imagined. We have been blessed. In two days we are off to Michigan anticipating a wonderful two weeks camping with 5 grandsons as well as their parents. Now I would say that this summer has been especially eventful with not to much grass growing under our feet, not a whole lot of time to sit but more than imagined learned.

Just a bit of musing on the past month.

Exciting Day?

Today was Doctor Day for Regina. We arrived at Meth. Hospital around 10 and didn't leave until near 3pm. Long day. We met with Dr. Williams who is the doctor in charge. Surgeon was doing surgery so we skipped that doc. There is a significant problem with a heart murmur which was heard before surgery but with all the strange things that were going on in the impared heart chambers it was low on the radar but now it's at the top. It is significant according to Dr. W. We're waiting to hear how that will do to her leaving date on Sunday. Something tells me that's not going to happen. We were off to an x-ray and them echo and then having a monitor installed that will track what her heart is doing until 3pm Friday. So...what's happening...we'll see at some point. She was dissapointed to say the least but kept a firm upper lip. Good for Regina. Porriage continues to be the favorite morning meal along with banana or pineapple etc. I'm learning to cook some Kenyan dishes and that seems to fill the need. Tomorrow morning she is coming to Soup Kitchen to see all that happens to make that work. We shopped for a few unusual kitchen gadgets, unusual for her but not for us. Weather continues to be warm to HOT. Sleeping is not really comfortable but day time naps fix that somewhat. It is almost easier to stay in the hot environment instead of dropping in on air conditioning and then back to hot. Funny how that works.

Friday

Interesting and rewarding week. Regina came to my house Tuesday evening and is doing very well considering having had open heart surgery on the 7th. Her ability to eat and even ask for seconds is just wonderful. She is healing. We've taken a few trips out looking around visiting a farmers market and doing what ever she has energy for. I'm cooking porriage as she calls it...Mush and lemon juice to me (her favorite)as well as having bush meat last night for supper. That's a beef roast in a crock pot. And that's been ordered as well for today. These new names are very interesting. Some other events are planned for her before she leaves for Kenya on the 24th. It's been a lot of fun having her here with us.

Almost a week

Yes...it's almost a week since I wrote. Finished turning the computer room office into a computer room bedroom for Regina, my newest Kenyan friend. Regina was released from the hospital on Friday after a long and difficult heart surgery. She is staying with Linda Wilson until Tuesday evening and then it's my house for the rest of the recuperation time here in the states. We've done lots of visiting, laughing and just trying to keep everything going in the right direction. She is having some eating issues, even when eating Kenyan prepared food. So...that will probably be one of our bigger challenges. Garden continues to do well although the birds distroyed some of my favorite flowers. I think they are seeing the bloom as delicious seeds. But there are plenty of other flowers. Today I took two huge vases filled with flowers from the garden (white daisy,cone flowers, hosta flowers and leaves, day lillies, fennel, grasses, wild carrots) for the altar flowers. They are stunning. That happens once or twice a summer depending on need and ease of transportation. The morning hospitality time went well even though we were really short of help. I had to keep thinking about the little engine that could. Tonight I want to go to a session on Servant or Sucker at Lockerbi UMC. Our minister Brian Williams has had this series at church but I'm always working hospitality. Should be interesting. Tomorrow is an Umoja meeting...MK...sister is taking me out for birthday lunch which is really the 13th but I need to be with Regina on that day. That's about it for today. Might take another nap. Sunday afternoon is saved for a few if those. 20 days till camping starts!

It's the 4th

Cloudy gentle rainy morning. Hope to go to the Carmel parade this morning with the kids...should be fun. Later today I'm off to Methodist Hospital to see Regina. Her healing is slow but it continues. She still is in the cvcc unit but hopes to be moved out very soon. At one point we anticipated that she would be released from the hospital today but I think we missjudged. Weather has been in the 90's but should move back to the high 80's this week. Garden continues to do well. Beans are growing, melons are setting on, peas are coming on beets are growing. It's time to take a cup of coffee and walk through the garden. Funny things happen during the night. Wish I knew what was going on. Melon vines were moved all over the place Sat. night. Time to spray for the deer again.