Mrs.O's writing room.

I love it when I walk through the door and a little stray shoe lies in the corner. When I can't fit my toes into my slipper because someones tiny ball rolled into the dark space to play it's own hide and seek. It bounces into the living room. I love it when the dinning table is strewn with little toys, sometimes bent forward and other times backwards in a hap-hazard fashion. It's the little art pieces piling on the table, the pink crayon laying forsaken on the kitchen floor. It's beautiful chaos. I love this beautiful chaos, bursting with life. Little heart beats pump blood through little bodies. Learning, searching and exploring this vast universe without a care - sweet abandon. Thank you Lord, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Clock of leaves Winter-Spring Moon trapped in branches Bird sun bathing

Petticoats! Remember them? If you landed on this planet after the 90's you'll probably wonder what I refer to and no! it is not some fancy coat worn on top of a boob tube. Petticoats or half-slips are little nylon skirts worn as undergarments. Sound like the dark ages? Yeah, like who would wear extra clothes in the African heat? Probably explains why they were made of nylon and light cotton material. It was an essential item on every school girls shopping list next to Always and Vaseline. These skirts were everywhere; in suitcases, hanging up on a bathroom peg, sometimes they showed up on the clothes line outside; black and white - the two most preferred colors. We giggled when girls in primary six and seven begun to wear them - they were mature, things we studied in biology were taking place in their bodies.  Woe unto you if the elastic around the waist came loose or the lace on the hem came undone. It wasn't any of our business but when those little skirts pe...

Temperatures were in the 60's today. We thawed and busked directly under the sun's rays. Play grounds bustled with laughter and giggles of children previously deprived of their favorite activity. Thank you Lord for the sunshine.     But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Malachi 4:2

This morning I finally understood 1 Corinthians 1:25 "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength". As I sat in the auditorium I pondered how God placed a simple person like me among the brightest, most intelligent people in the world.  They moved swiftly. Suits and ties flying as they paced with purpose, making haste for an all important session. Having just returned from the dentist's office (a story for another day) and hungry as could be, I joined the pre-meeting lunch. Obviously not for matooke , rice and chicken but muzungu style nuggets: leaves, bread, cookies, water, soda ... you get the drift (and people wonder why we lose weight in "outside countries") kiri bubi bambi ! But you get with the program and eat with more passion than the owners, even looking for more salad dressing. So I was picking my leaves when this guy, his orientation clearly spelt out by his hairstyle rais...

Sun rise on the train tracks Evening moon A dash of moon in the evening blue sky Night sky

Looked like a painting Reminded me of tie and dye :-) Loved the bright spot of moon in a dark blue sky

Ah! Life can be complicated and other times it can be knotty. Last week life was knotty and complicated. Conversations were minefields, I had to put up my sensors to navigate away from explosions. So, President Museveni signed the anti-gay bill criminalizing homosexuality in Uganda.Then President Obama wrote him a letter saying the legislation complicates a valued relationship. The statement went on to say, "Now that this law has been enacted, we are beginning an internal review of our relationship with the government of Uganda to ensure that all dimensions of our engagement, including assistance programmes, uphold our anti-discrimination policies and principles, and reflect our values". A day later, Jim Kim, the President of the organisation I work for wrote a statement addressed to all staff condemning countries and people who discriminate against homosexuals.The barrel of the gun was pointed straight at me; my country of birth had taken a stand, my country of residence ...