a wild welcome

Sorting through hundreds of images is an arduous time consuming task (a good pinot noir helps ), but gratifying in the way that it allows you to relive every single moment of your adventure as you look, name and sort through each photo...


So, since pictures do really tell more than words, let me introduce more of the many friends we met on our safari to Zimbabwe and Botswana...

~ this little lilac-breasted Roller was spotted on our first game drive. Our guide had stopped to see a herd of lovely Impala, but my view was blocked by a bush. My husband said "Look honey" I whispered, "Okay, but the bush is kind of in the way". He nudged me softly and said "Not there (pointing out on the veld), there"(pointing to the bush). Right in front of my face, in the bush, was this little beauty here. And I remembered right then that if you can't see the forest for the trees, then look in the trees...thank you little Roller for helping me to see...

...Hwange Giraffe nodding hello...

...lovely big Ellie on the shores of Lake Kariba...

...umm... Large Corn Cricket (harmless!) waving hi!...

...little White-fronted Bee-eaters flying in...

...hippo welcoming committee on the Zambezi River...

...The intrepid travelers...ok, them anyway!

I had a couple moments that were not quiet fearless... :)

My sister Lindy, me & Chuck...

...fabulous Zebras came to meet us on a runway...

...Africas "Branch Managers" the Baboons saying Yebo!...

...Thank you for the Grand Welcome Everyone, We are SO Glad to be here!...

...Sunset on Lake Kariba...

There is really no way to show how exciting and moving it is to be on safari, I think it was Karen Blixen that said something about champagne and bubbles and that feeling. And I have to agree. The land and sky that go on forever, the animals wild and timeless in their natural surroundings, the smell when walking or driving through the bush, falling asleep in a tent to the sounds of hippos grunting or lions calling.

Anticipating what or who you will meet and see next...

If safari means to journey and life is one too, then i'm glad to do just that...

'till next time...

Love, Lori

Under the Same Sky

Meet David and Gift and Sibhekinkosi and Wadzanai, Sibanda and Maxwell and Efrahim and Mr. Chawora, everyone. And oh, don't forget the children, they want to meet you too! There is something they wanted to say and I listened and then I made a promise to do what they asked. It was simply this, to deliver a message to the world that said :

Zimbabwe is a safe place to come. And they are peace loving people. And they were happy we were there.

We were welcomed in Victoria Falls and Hwange, in Mabale rural area at an Ndebele home, to a small fishing village in Matusadona on Lake Kariba, and finally at Mana Pools, on the Zambezi River. We found out that sometimes we were the only ones staying at a lodge or camp. Sometimes the workers were sent home if no guests were expected, so that meant no pay and no lunch or dinner while at work. Sometimes this would continue for weeks.

One morning I woke before everyone and went for a cup of coffee, planning on catching up in my journal. I spent the time instead with a lovely young mother, one of the staff. She stood watching me write, so I put down my book and invited her over instead. It was so easy to talk with her. She had questions, she wondered why we weren't afraid to come here. She told me how during the worst of times people were starving and sometimes only had fireplace ash mixed with water to eat. Or, she described how poisonous fruit was boiled for 2 days and on the third day it was suitable to eat. The money that was being turned out in higher and higher notes was being burned for fuel. I found 50 Billion dollars in a firepit. This safari lodge we were at had 100 rooms, for one night we were the only ones there.

But she was not complaining. If anything, all we heard was how things were getting better. Since almost ten years ago when President Robert Mugabe told war veterans to invade white-owned farms, virtually destroying agriculture and the economy, ultimately taking down health care and education, the entire country. The people suffered. Last September Mugabe was forced to agree to share power with the opposition. Oh, we learned a new toast at one camp, "Death to Tyrants". Yes, cheers to that.

I want to tell everyone what I saw and heard from these people. They didn't complain or ask for anything. Only that it be known that Zimbabwe is a good place and that they were all concerned that the world viewed it differently. They all felt that things were getting better and we were even proudly shown one small shop in a village, with hardly twenty items for sale, but look! now there is hope.

If you look closely at the photos above you will see two people writing in my journal. I asked if there was anything I could give that would be helpful to their village. I wished I really did have fiftybilliondollars. Do you know what they asked for? One requested pens and the other was hoping for a dictionary because he said, it's good to read.

They both asked for the photos that I took of their families.

I'm about to find out how much postage is to Zimbabwe.

Class of 2009

This morning I drove my daughter to school for the last time.

Today was her last day of high school.

She's the last of my five. I counted the years, 24 it's been since my first child began kindergarten. When I began this journey of motherhood, it felt like it would go on forever. I would have all the days I wanted to cherish (or struggle through), but there would be no end.

When all five of my babies were in school, I made a chart, just for fun, but so i could see when each child would graduate from kindergarten, middle school and finally high school. There was no reality for me at the time when I wrote that Hannah (the youngest) would graduate in 2009.

But, here it is and oh. OH.

My role as a mother of all these children was so fulfilling,

it's something

I'd always wanted to be...

...I know I'm still mothering, that'll always be true, but my role is changing and just like when I first began and adapted, here I go again...


...learning how to mother grown children...moved out children,

away to University children, adults...


...I got a text message in the afternoon,


"Mama, I'm done!"







And so it is.

Congratulations my girl and thank you for helping me with the wings part,

Love and so much pride forever,

Mom

p.s. hasty convenient pics of pics

(if you've been here before you know me now, I'm oh so lazy, and usually in a hurry!)

Yebo!

Yebo! and Salibonani, Hello and Greetings!

We're back from our epic trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana.

I have so much to write about, where do I begin? I kept my journal, it's all filled up. It is a treasure to me, more than a personal account of a journey, but a record of people i've met, names, addresses, this time even a language lesson carefully printed by an Ndebele man ( i'd asked to learn the basics, hello, thank you, please, good morning... Sibhekinkosi filled up another entire page with words he thought I also ought to know, giraffe, crocodile, impala, frog...)

But today, i'll start at the beginning of our trip, I know that Val and Karen and Angela already talked about our meeting (and phone call!), I must go back and leave comments to you all (when I'm a little less foggy and without tears in my eyes!! thank you friends) so now here is what it was like for me...

We'd been in Africa less than 24 hours (after two days of traveling) and were already on our way to the Kazungula Children's Ark ~ and Karen! As our bus bounced along the road to Botswana (we were coming from Zimbabwe) my phone did it's little blipblip thing it does when it has a text message. Hmmm? i've had no service except for the airport (thanks Lola!), what's this? I wonder? oh my gosh. It's Val!! She said she was with Karen and was looking for me. At this time I am fading fast, going on day four of no sleep, jet~lag had me in its grip. Now I'm on the edge of my seat again. This is really going to happen. It was all just so much, I can't explain how I felt. But the combination of being in Africa again, meeting blog friends that I love and going to see the children, well, it was overwhelming.

When I look at this photo now, I remember thinking, "be in the moment". But the feeling was so surreal, I felt like I was watching everything from a window, like I was outside looking in. Karen and Val were exactly like I imagined. Karen, so witty and charming and kind(and soo pretty too!) Val felt like a friend i'd known all my life. With a calm dignity about her, she was just like her blog, full of warmth and beauty. I wished that we all didn't live so far apart.

And now the school, and the babies! They waited...

...and waited...while we were given a tour of the school...

...and teacher Emeldah demonstrated just how it goes day to day for these little ones...

...we were treated to circle dances and songs, and then finally it was time to get down on the floor with the children. Time to bring what we'd come all this way for. Luckily Karen was willing to help me in the distribution of the little hats, I felt so shy and nervous. I really hoped they'd like them. Thank you to my husband for capturing all these photos of the

babies + hats + love

...Karen told me about the hair treatment!...


....and we got a big Thank you and we Love you!...

~ The Kazungula Children's Ark ~

I learned that this center will be celebrating it's 3rd birthday on the 5th of June this year. Bless Emeldah, Sharon(sorry to have missed her) and everyone who supports this little place. The feeling we had was it is a place for learning, having fun and most of all, being loved.

Thank you Karen, Val and Emeldah for letting us share

in a little bit of the magic. Oh! those babies...*sigh*




now, for the rest of our trip... :)

...here is my journal, complete with lots of dust and crumply pages...

....and tiny little photos, I have the most amazing little printer that lets you make these 2x3 photo stickers. You can just plop them into your book or even better hand them out to lovely people...

...I wish I could just make a copy and send one to each of you, because I wrote over 90 pages...hmmm...how best to share?

...a few drawings, not much time for art...

....I'm up for some suggestions on what to share, maybe just

a few photos, stories...do you want to hear about Mr. Ngwenya or maybe the leopard in a tree we saw? :) :) :) :)

so...'till next time...

Salakuhle ~ stay well

love, lori

p.s. thank you all so much for the birthday wishes yesterday!