Mrs.O's writing room.

Last January I decided to lose weight.  Jeanette's advice; "Eat an apple, it boosts energy and ebbs hunger". I tried it but each time, I would swear I had an apple, I just didn't know where it had disappeared. Clare's advise; "Drink warm water, it is filling and it warms the tummy". Apart from several trips to the bathroom, this advice didn't make any sense, I was still hungry. Then I discovered the Daniel Fast . Quite apart from losing weight, I desired a more intimate walk with God. A fast without an agenda ends up being a diet plan. I liked the idea of seeking God while disciplining my body. No sugar, no meat, just vegetables and water. It sounds torturous but it's not so bad, just a little bit. I started the days in prayer. At every turn there was a temptation but having a reason to fast - things to pray over made it possible to get through the days. I felt extremely drained the first days, my head pounded, I visited the ba...

There was a time I thought British Airways was calling my name to board a plane back to Uganda. Things that were seemingly normal baffled me, the addiction to coffee for example, I didn't understand why it ruled the world. A cup or the lack thereof dictated whether one's day went well or not. While tea did a fantastic job keeping Ugandans calm (maybe too calm), here, life didn't begin until the "cup of coffee", then there were bursts of energy and sudden flat valleys or near zombie-ish states. Then the "I'm late" panic. Just like Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, there was no time to spare, no time to chat. Run here, run there, run everywhere, one needed a reminder just to breath.  Grim faces in the bus, snarls on the train. I made sure to keep to myself lest someone lashed out. I avoided eye contact and didn't smile unless I knew the person. There was hardly a support network to speak of especially when one needed help with child care. No ...

I stared at the news flash on my computer screen Friday morning. I remember thinking, the timing couldn't have been worse. Christmas will not be merry. Those kids could very well have been mine, Adam Lanza too. I picked my kids up that afternoon and hugged them tighter. It is easy to worry about their safety at the daycare and school. I pray for them constantly to avoid going kuku. This country is so big, there are vast numbers of people facing troubling issues of one kind or another. It is a "lonely society" - that doesn't help. The man across the road, the neighbor 2 blocks down, the woman in the grocery store.What do they do? What are they thinking? Do they have family? What trials are they facing? The official response is "I don't know and frankly, I don't care. I've got issues of my own". We need to reach out, to break down the barriers and remold the culture. God is calling us as believers to cross that line. He is calling us to care e...

As I write this blog post, a special woman is on my mind. I met her over 2 decades ago. Her name was Jennifer and she was my P4 English teacher. As we commemorate World Aids Day I think of her. Ms. Jennifer was one of the most beautiful women I met in my first 8 or 9 years on this planet. She was probably in her early twenties, young, graceful and energetic. When she walked into the classroom a pleasant aroma filled the air. Her clothes fit just right, gently hugging her tall slender frame. Her big Afro was smooth like a curved sponge. I remember how she'd use the tip of a pencil to sooth the itch on her scalp while I dug into mine with all five fingers. I was never afraid of her, mostly respectful. She didn't see reason to spank unless one clearly misbehaved  or failed English terribly but that was hardly ever the case. I loved to listen as she read excerpts from J.A.Bright's Junior English Composition and Grammar and The Nile English Course. She was a confident, Afri...

I like a good shoe. I feel confident in a good shoe. It keeps toes and heels free of  blisters. I stand tall and walk with a little bounce. But recently I made the most interesting discovery. A few weeks ago, I noticed that little Miss. A needed new shoes. She'd had three long serving pairs; Sandals, Snow boots and "Sunday best". With the cool temperatures setting in, sandals were impractical, besides, her toes nearly grabbed the front sole, not to mention that they were in shreds from summer escapades. The snow boots from last winter and the "Sunday best" faced a similar problem, they didn't fit any more. Usually Mr. O or I would make the trip to the store, roughly gauge the size and bring home our findings to be fitted. It had worked in the past.  This time I thought it brilliant to take her along. Once in the shoe store, we made our way to the kids section. I pulled out a shoe and she gladly tried it on. I saw another shoe that looked better and s...

It is official, Obama won reelection!  He has 4 more years to finish what he started and he had better because … Last night I hoped to be awoken by screams of elation from the winning “side” (left/right) but the neighborhood was as quiet as the Vatican (but maybe it's just my village). Eyes were glued to TV screens and fingers were hitting refresh buttons. Fine!  I have no problem with that but after the results, couldn’t people shout ko ? They got the news, turned off their TVs and went straight to bed quietly.  I flash back to Uganda and the buzz that would go on in the streets till morning. The cheering - as if in a football match. How the sounds carried a clear indication of who had won. Everybody would give their opinion or argue about who stole votes and so on. We didn’t even have a public holiday! People stood in winding lines, in the cold, for over 2 hours just waiting to cast their vote. It took another 15 or so minutes to finish the voting process - ...

Lately news events have read like scripts out of Hollywood. Murder in Manhattan.  My eyes nearly popped out when I read the story of 2 children killed by their nanny in Manhattan . A chill went through my body and I immediately sent out a prayer for the mother who came home only to find her babies drenched in blood in the bathtub. O good Lord!!! No body, no body should experience this heart break, but Ms. Krim has. I could only imagine her screams of horror, blood rushing out of her brain as she denied what she saw. She had 3 children.  Leo (Lito) - 2. Nessie - 3. Lulu - 6. Leo and Lulu are gone. Nessie lives to tell the story, to live a life scarred by the memory of her siblings soaked in blood and the horrific screams of her mother struggling to get to grips with this nightmare, her body releasing the tension, the only way it knew how. Ms. Krim kept a blog  . As I  looked at the lovely pictures and read her journals, I identified with a mother who cher...

GOD BE PRAISED!!!

It is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world. The Cathedral church of Saint. Peter and Saint. Paul, aka the Washington National Cathedral. It pierces through the air, tall and elegant, blending in but standing out at the same time. It looks like an ancient castle, like a mystery house. I was drawn to visit it because it's a house of prayer. Apart from the imprint it left on mind while driving by on a tour bus, I'd heard fascinating stories about the Gothic architecture. Front view of the Cathedral George Washington in his coat of many colors :-) All Catholics know this structure. Reminded me of "Christ the King" in Kampala Space window. The dot in the middle of the circle (up there) contains moon rock that  Apollo xi brought  back from his trip to the moon. South Rose. Depicting the Church triumphant, imagery from the book of Revelations Choir area View from the Pulpit Hall way The chair that qualifies the churc...

Fill in the missing letters. Friday evening found me bobbing my head, raising my hands and singing joyfully in the Patriot Center at a Israel Houghton concert. I was sitting at a strange angle with those poles at an unavoidable spot. I'm sure the m_stery l_tters will n_t tickle your brains much. God is the essence of my life but music has the effect of crowning it all. In moments of worship, I feel one with God. I feel like this is where I belong, everyday. Every moment. All the days of my life. It will be a full time occupation when I get to heaven but while I'm here on earth, I got stuff to attend to and some how worship should be woven into my daily routine. I try to be a good wife but I slip often and my Sam takes it in stride (bless his heart). Two Sunday's ago, I pulled out all the stops and made him a sumptuous breakfast (they are rare like that). It looked good and tasted great too. Mich exclaimed, "wow! mummy, this looks nice" (mind you, ...