another week in my world...

Greetings from warm and dry Mzuzu!

Although you can maybe see from the picture of the sunrise that it is cool enough in the morning for there to be quite a lot of mist and it can take a little time to clear away, the cold season is coming. This morning there is a lot of singing and drumming close by to the Synod, I'm not sure why but it lovely!

This week I started back to work and as you can see my office table is filling up nicely with many new tasks. I am slowly beginning to make my way through the tasks that have been waiting for my return!

At the end of last week I helped Diane start to sort through at least some of the resources for ECD that had arrived with the last container. It is a big job! It is great to think that with the help of people who take the time to fill and send boxes that we can help the nurseries here to make a start.

Some of the filled small boxes that will be taken out to the nurseries around the presbyteries.

My neighbours are busy again and yesterday when I was coming home from work I spied them also finishing work for the day. They had been drying and packing their maize all day and they told me that they had about 3 more weeks of working with their harvest before it would be completed. It is hard work.

The other afternoon I spotted the postman arriving at the Synod. His lorry is a little bigger than my NI postie's bicycle and bag in Northern Ireland! I enjoyed the slogan on the lorry - 'Worth your Trust' - wonder what the slogan would be for Royal Mail?

There are many visitors to my home and they come at all times, I never quite know what I will find next. Yesterday morning at breakfast time I spotted a few legs poking out from the edge of my calendar so I decided to investigate...

They turned out to belong to a flat spider who moved fairly quickly after he spotted me. He is quite harmless but was not whom I expected to share my coffee with!

This small frog was resting on my bedroom chair.

I also found some hornets very busily making a new nest in the space at my front door hinge. Their nest is beautiful but I had to remove it as it is not a good thing to have around the house.

A praying mantis on my verandah roof watching me watching it!

One of the many geckos who help keep the numbers of mosquitos down. My home can be quite like a zoo!

I enjoyed a 'welcome back' vist from Reverend and Mrs Munthali.It was good to hear their news.

Finally a very special visitor to my home. This is Blessings, Busy's son. He was born last year shortly after Busy began working at the house. I was very privileged to be asked to give him his name and it was great to meet both him and his mum last week when they called to the house.

As you can see life is very varied and each day brings something new. I never know quite what to expect next!

I hope that you enjoy a good week.

Love and blessings

Fiona

Back to Mzuzu!

Hello everyone,

it is great to be updating my blog from Malawi where the sun is shining and it is quite warm today. The lovely blue skies and sunshine of April in Northern Ireland were good preparation!

I am now safely back in my house in Mzuzu and getting settled after my time in the UK. My journey was good and I made it along with all my bags and this time there were many!! It was lovely to be greeted in Lilongwe by one of the Synod drivers who brought me home to the North on Saturday.

I had been wondering what I might meet in home especially as it had been closed up for quite a few months... Let me introduce to the orb spider that had made its home in a large web in the rafters of my verandah. It pays to look up as well as down!! Part of the web was attached to the inside washing line and as I pegged up some cloths the line moved and disturbed this beastie. It moved very quickly... I may add so did I!

After being away there are many jobs that need to get done around the house. Some are quite obvious such as cleaning out cupboards but one that I did not expect was having to replace the poles of my washing line. They are wooden and had been chewed away around their bases by some kind of beastie and then they fell down. This is the best excuse I have ever had for not being able to hang out the clothes! Busy has been well, busy today first going to the wood market to buy the poles and then putting them up.

The other evening I had Sara and Matt, who are currently staying in Mzuzu, round for supper and we enjoyed a good game of Chinese Chequers by candlelight as there was a power cut!

I have had lots of visits from my small neighbour Pemphero who makes makes me smile lots as he tries many new ways to ask for biscuits from the biscuit box. Today he gave me a written request for a biscuit or maybe a sweet, it's hard to say no!

Here is Busy who helps me at the house. He was very glad to see me home again and wanted his photo taken with his bike. It now has a new tyre and a new saddle, another repair that needed some attention on my return!

Many of you have told me how you enjoy to see some of the sunsets I get here so here is the sun setting yesterday evening at about 5.45pm. The photo just doesn't do it justice.

And finally here's a special picture for all my Portrush friends - yes it's one of the BB tea towels on my washing line here! They have even made their way to the 'warm heart of Africa'. One day they will be in every continent, I believe there are actually still enough of them to make this happen!

I hope you enjoy a good week wherever you find yourself in the world.

love and blessings

Fiona

Hello & Goodbye!

Ballycastle beach, Co. Antrim

Just a very quick and short update before I return to Mzuzu at the end of the week.

I am glad to say that my suitcases are almost packed and the passport is sitting ready for action. I have enjoyed this time to be with my family and friends in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Thank you all for the coffee, cake and especially care.

I am looking forward to getting back but am maybe not just as excited about the long journey ahead.

Hope the sun is shining as I have got quite used to the blue skies and sunshine of Northern Ireland!

Will keep you posted, watch this space...

love

Fiona