Things that make me happy

It is raining, incessantly, the kind of build-your-ark drenching that leaves us with a muddy floor, damp clothes draped over chairs, and a harrowing ride back from the airport last night as many cars stalled in the gushing rivers that flooded Nairobi's streets. ( You have to be in a foot or two of water on a major highway, being sprayed by trucks, slipping in the dark, to realize how important it is to think through where all the water which falls should go, and how important engineers are!). Rain does NOT make me happy. But it makes everyone else happy. Thankfulness for the rain is the first phrase out of everyone's prayer mouth this week, Kenyans, missionary kids. They get it, that we need this moisture to eat, to survive. I am cold, and would like to see the sun, and dreading standing in the rain to watch soccer all day and to cook pizza for Acacia's party tonight. But I dutifully put rain first because it makes Kenya happy. This is the spread of loot from Dr. Raymond, visiting paediatrician from Alabama who has been a voice of wisdom and stability working in our department this month; Dr. Lesley, Mardi's friend visiting from Australia for two weeks; and Dr. H who could not come this time but sent a suitcase with others from Europe! We now have some really important life-saving items like ambu-bags for infants and preemies, oxygen tubing, specialized IV lines. Some donated, some bought at these doctors' own expense. Mardi and I spread it all out and divided it up and delivered it, Christmas in October. One thing that REALLY makes me happy is that my dear friend Karen came to visit. A perk of holding her daughter hostage I guess. Yesterday she and I took a long walk, then later slipped into 7th period choir class to listen to Acacia (top left), Julia (a few girls down the back row) and Caleb (with the bass section in the middle of the back) rehearse Christmas music for their concert in late November. Glorious. This rug makes me happy. We had a disintegrating cheap mat in the bathroom, until I was craft shopping with my Mom on her way to the airport yesterday, and found this cheerful rag rug. It is heartening to see the colors with the blue bathroom walls, and step out of the shower onto it. And while I was buying gifts to send back to my sister, niece and nephews, my mom insisted on buying me this necklace. Note also the warm red hoodie, and three layers of clothes. Skyping with Luke was the most cheering part of our evening. We miss him so much. It makes me happy to just see his face in his dorm room, hear about his Gospel choir concert and organic chemistry and plan to meet his RVA friends in NYC this weekend. His news: winter arrived. New Haven is COLD. The seniors working together is another fun sight. I spent last evening with Julia's class, but snapped this as I looked for Caleb to hand him a sandwich because he missed dinner. The girls have given him a note of encouragement with his number (8) for the tournament today. He worked for about four hours after his game last night, then got up at 615 to work two more before the tournament today, all on the food that the seniors sell to raise money for their end-of-the-year class trip. Not sure when college apps fit into all this, he's exhausted. This bright knobs always make me happy, when the roaches are running off the kitchen counter I try to focus on this little spot of beauty. My mom sent these months ago, but these remind me to be thankful that she made it back safely to the USA after a month in Kenya.