Acceptance versus Getting the Job Done

 I have discovered once again the downsides to being stoic. Especially when there is no need. I seem to excel in needless endurance.

Today I found shortly after 6 am when Jeffrey left, that the internet wasn't working, but then I discovered the washer wasn't working either, and looking around, neither was my picture frame showing pictures. But my AC and lights were working fine. Odd, I thought, very odd. So when I went to do a little sewing I found that all the outlets do not work, but everything on the top does work. I re-arranged what I wanted to get accomplished to designing what I wanted to get accomplished while waiting for whatever workers in the complex were working on to get done. I texted Jeffrey at quarter to 9 telling him about the problem and said if it wasn't on when he came home for lunch, I'd be happy for him to get things working again.

He writes back that I should go tell the lady at the front desk the problem to see if it could be fixed and then his complaint at noon would be more effective if nothing happened. 

Two minutes after I talked to the lady at the front desk, Solomon was up with another man who switched on the breaker. Problem solved. The construction going on had nothing to do with my electricity. 

I was very productive for the rest of the day. It did leave me time to wonder about my reactions.

Why do I always wait around for a problem to go away? Why don't I jump up and get in someone's face if they are irritating? Why do I listen to a sales person I am not going to buy from? Why do I think being stoic is better than just solving the problem?

I need to re-write my personality somewhat.

Tidbits on Tender Mercies

 I am sitting here waiting for Jeffrey who is about 40 minutes late for a dinner with the Calls tonight. He texted me about 5:30 pm and said there was some information that he was waiting for from a lawyer here in Accra, that is vital to get to OGC in Salt Lake City today (their beginning day).  He is still waiting.

But a really cool set of circumstances happened that has just left me thinking. First when I tried to call the Calls to tell them we might be late, my phone gave me a message with a British accent that I can't quite figure out. Something is exhausted and I need to recharge. Data? Whatever, this has never happened before. So I decided to email the Calls. But it is after the work day and what if they didn't look at their message? I emailed them the situation and then prayed that they would get it. Then I prayed that their night and time wouldn't be wasted and that one of their children would call. Then I texted Jeffrey back and asked him to call the Calls explaining what happened to my phone. He emailed back and said his phone was doing the same thing and he still didn't have information he needed. Now we are hitting close to 6 pm. 

Sister Call called a little after 6 pm apologizing that she hadn't sent me a reminder. (Notice I can get a call in), I told her about our little issues with phone and information that needed to get to Salt Lake City and that we had not forgotten her at all. She said we are having burritos tonight, nothing would get ruined, it's Friday night and they are winding down, and that their son had called them from Japan, so she would go jump on the call that they were going to cut short for our arrival, and have a good chat with their son. 

Now it is 6:50 pm. Thinking about it, that is what I call a tender mercy of the Lord. I know someone is listening to my prayers.

Healthy Pineapple, Lemon, Ginger drink

Recipe for Healthy Drink

Pineapple, Ginger, Lemon, honey is optional- something to pour it in

Peel and chop up ginger and blend - or use ginger paste

Wash and zest lemons, then juice or squeeze out lemon juice

Add lemon zest to water and simmer until lemon aroma is in the air

Wash and cut up pineapple, then blend

Using a fine sieve, put garlic in the bottom and pour lemon zest water over the top and press liquid out with a spoon. Throw fibers away. Add lemon juice to sieve and throw away seeds.

Add pineapple to the lemon juice, water, and ginger and stir until completely mixed together.

Sample and add filtered water as needed, add honey if added sweetness is desired.

Portions are a personal choice - more sweetness larger amount of pineapple, tartness more lemon, spicy hot add ginger. Honey makes it sweeter while staying organic, and adding water will make it thinner.

This is a drink that starts sweet, hits the the back of your jaw with tartness, and burns a little in the throat. It is really good!

Sister Grace shows how to make this Healthy Pineapple, Lemon, Ginger drink

Sister Grace is the Relief Society president of the North Ridge Ward in Accra, Ghana. When I was gone one week they made this drink in Relief Society at a Saturday meeting. I have been looking forward to Sister Grace coming to show me how it is made and was excited that today was the day!!

Sister Grace washing green lemons

Elder Dumevi went to the market and brought back pineapple, ginger, green lemons, and plastic bottles with caps.

Elder Dumevi washed all the ginger

Easy Steps: First wash the fruits and implements in filtered water. This is supposed to be a healthy drink and Sister Grace was very particular to make sure everything including the grater was washed.

She washed all the lemons and then put the zest of the lemons in water.

Cut up ginger and green lemon zest in water

Since I had peeled all the ginger before Elder Dumevi brought Sister Grace to my house, I cut it up in a bowl.

Then she cut all the lemons in half and squeezed the juice out. I did not have a juicer - I'll need one if I make this drink very often.

Sister Grace wanted the lemon zest in water to simmer until the lemon zest flavored the water.

Lemon zest on to simmer 

She blended all the garlic up with a little water to make a paste.

Blended garlic

The next step was to peel, cut, and blend up the pineapple. Sister Grace took the lemon zest off the stove and poured it into a bowl. We needed to use the pan as it was the only container big enough to put all the blended juices in.

The next step was to prepare the pineapple: Peel, chop, and blend with a little filtered water.

Chopping up the peeled pineapple

She was very quick with the peel and chop

Blending the pineapple in little batches

Using the biggest pan (and container) I have, Sister Grace took a sieve and added the ginger paste and  the lemon zest water. She used a spoon to push as much liquid as possible out of the ginger fiber and lemon zest

Pushing all liquid out.

After dumping the fiber out of the sieve, she poured the lemon juice and then threw out the seeds.

Pineapple blended

Add all together and mix thoroughly! Sample, taste and adjust.

Sister Grace added about a liter and a half of water and a little honey also.

Pouring the drink into the serving size bottles

Finished and ready to go! We left a little room as we are going to freeze it and bring it on Sunday to Relief Society to give to the ladies

I had so much fun and learned a little about Sister Grace. She is young, talented, enthusiastic and concerned about her ladies.

Elder Dumevi has become very important to me as he is the go to and from man. He picks up ingredients, picks up people, and then drops them all off. I don't know how I'd plan any activity without him.  Sister Grace is really a cool, nice lady.

Juliet comes for dinner - after she makes it!

Dinner Invite

I asked Juliet and her family to come to dinner, but I told Juliet if she wanted something good to eat, she'd probably have to make it. She asked what my favorite things are so far and I answered Jollof Rice and Cabbage Stew. 

Juliet came over in the late morning and made the Rice and Stew in between getting a meal on for someone coming to the temple. It must have been a very stressful day as she had three or four commitments. I am glad she could fit us in!

Juliet with her beautiful smile!

 

After a little talking, I discovered the missionaries she expected were the missionaries from our ward, not hers. It was going to be her family and the missionaries. I asked Jeffrey if he could ask our missionaries to come over for dinner (five hours before) - mostly at the last minute. We expected Juliet, her husband, and two sons. At six o'clock the missionaries show up but no Akrong family. Her son called me and asked if his mother was there. I told him not yet and tried to tell him where we lived as he caught an uber driver. Juliet shows up and said her husband and other son couldn't make it. Juliet and I walk out to see if we can see her son Michael and when we look over the rail, there he is getting out of the car, so we yell hello and went to bring him up. The apartment building managers always have visitors sign in. I noted that was done in the Philippines also. I haven't visited many apartments in America that don't have a buzz in, so I don't know if people sign in a lot or not.

The dinner was delicious and the conversation started slow. Juliet was very tired from running around and one of the missionaries didn't say anything unless addressed personally. But after awhile the conversation flowed and we got to know each other a little bit. Michael is planning on going on a mission next year after school graduation. When we sat around talking, Jeffrey asked Michael what section of the Doctrine and Covenants he wanted to discuss. We had a good discussion and then Jeffrey opened it up to general questions. I was interested to note that women holding the priesthood and the length of mission service were questions that were raised.

Michael asked about ages and the difference between women and men's time frames. I told him my grandmother had gone on a mission for 2 years and my grandfather for 2 1/2 years. One of the early missionaries went for 5 years. Jeffrey explained that while he was out, the time span was cut from two years to a year and a half for everyone. But later the mission presidents said that they needed that last six months when the missionary was fully trained to be effective. So, the time was changed back to two years. The principle is to go on a mission, the time is discretionary. We had a good time and a good discussion.

You have to be talented to take good selfies

Our guests!

When it was time to go home, I had the missionaries and Michael pack up the banana bread, while Juliet and I made up a containers of Jollof rice, vegetables, and pineapple each for those going home. Jeffrey was a little sad to find all of the rice gone but agreed it went to people who would appreciate it. We are going to have to do this again soon.

The Irony of "NEVER"

Covid has created a crisis for me in the hair department

Early Years in Austin, Texas

I went to Relief Society one night and was shown how to cut hair. This was back in the late 80's. I had two small children and decided I would try to cut Jeffrey and Nathaniel's hair. The first time I barely took anything off so it turned out ok. The second time I destroyed his hair and went in the other room and cried. I said I would never cut his hair again. Or Nathaniel's hair.

Well.....due to this Covid crisis there are not many places someone can get their hair cut. Jeffrey said he couldn't see the back of his hair and would I just trim it up? So much for never. He gave me these tiny scissors and off I go. Jeffrey told me how his barber in California did it - many, many months ago - I can not understand how combing the hair out and clipping it off the comb helps. He'll have to take what he gets this time.

Keeping it even is tricky

That's as good as its going to get

 I told him he would have to do the front and over his ears. After cajoling I trimmed over his ears too.

But that is it!! No more cutting hair.

Transportation - Hope you have hay and oats!

Throughout Senegal transportation is often live

Horses, donkey, and mules are in every city and village and used to haul and transport about everything

Cars and carts, wagons, and buggy are normal along with trucks

Elder Collette said he saw a caravan riding through the countryside. We saw lots of camels in fields.

 

Overloaded trucks and busses are always the normal

Cars and trucks just go around the horse and donkey driven wagons

Market where all the wagons converge

Even in Dakar, the capital city with highways and freeways, you will find horse, donkey, and mules carrying cargo and people.

Market - mostly brought in by live transport

Dressed up and ready to go

Such a fascinating, wonderful, colorful place to visit!

Salt from a Lake by the Ocean - Lake Retba

 How does salt get to your table? What kind of effort goes into getting it. In Senegal it is a tough process - for the salt miners. Here is are two places to read about it online, Here and Here.

Large wet salt mound

Small dried salt mound - I don't know if the bags came from this mound or not.

This is Ida, she is very quick to come say hello, gave me a 'free bracelet' and told me about her children, she said to take a picture of her and made sure the basket wouldn't fall of my head:)

We took off with Rebecca, Jeffrey and I in a boat called "Stress Free". 

The color of the water is actually blood red - just a little eerie to me.

The whole lake is very shallow

Salt miner works at breaking up the salt and clay so he can mine it.

Very still calm but red lake. Belnaps taking off for a short "cruise". The young man who signed the Senegal Church entity papers came with us.

Separating the clay from the salt with swirling motions

After swirling his sieve around he dumps the salt into his boat

Loading up with salt - one small basket full at a time

These workers can last for about 5 hours before it is too much

He uses the pole again to break up the salt bed, the green sieve is what he puts the salt in and swirls around to get the mud out of the salt.

Belnap's boat coming in for a closer look

Here is another basket sieve that is used to separate the clay soil from the salt

Ida, me and the boat oarsmen

Our trip to Lake Retba was educational, interesting, and just a little heartbreaking. We turned onto a very arid, dry road with mounds along the lake shore. I found they were mounds of salt drying in the sun. Some were large and some small. The minute the cars and trucks stopped, ladies and children sitting under umbrellas came to say hello. I had no intention of buying anything as I did not need any more stuff.

Ida immediately told me her name and slipped the black and white bracelet over my hand and told me about her children. She asked me about mine. I could tell she was very experienced and shrewd with the nicest smile you can give. I am not sure why people can tell at one glance that I am the sucker for any sells pitch. That grumble aside, I found she would answer any question I had. I am a curious person and it is nice to have people answer questions.

Brent and Lorinda hired boats to take us out on the lake to see the salt operations. The oarsmen pushed the boats along in the back of the boat steering and pushing us along in the still calm water. The water was red, blood red, you could not see down in it at all. 

We glided along the water for about 10 minutes till we came to about the middle of the lake and watched a man pound with a pole, then scoop up the salt and clay into a sieve, then swirl it around and dump it in his boat. Sounds simple but took about another 10 to 20 minutes.

The effort to get a basket full of salt was gut wrenching to watch. Knowing they get about $35 (US) for a ton made me think of how hard it is to build a mountain. My heart went out to Ida and all those trying to make a living in this brutal dry hot place. I knew I was going to get in an air-conditioned air and drive away. Probably with a better value on the salt I use. I asked Jeffrey for some French money to slip Ida when we got back to the shore.

She was very thankful and asked to take another picture, I drew the boat oarsmen in so I would not forget. She gave me a little bag of salt. I don't know if I can ever use it.