eat your heart out

our Valentine cookies-- inspired by candy conversation hearts

Valentine’s Day was somewhat anti-climactic this year… 

as I’d been sick for over a week previously and didn't have energy to be creative.

Sweet Sara, though, knowing my love of the heart-y day bought some adorable heart-shaped 

votive candles at Pep and also baked heart-shaped custard cookies 

(like a butter cookie, but ingredients include custard powder) to celebrate.

We had a lovely day, including fun times with our friend Grace and hours of stories from our guests, 

Dave and Jeannie, who came all the way from Minnesota to spend a day with us at Nahumba!

Grace cutting cookies

my Valentine sister called all the way from Michigan
so we could chat for a few minutes!

I know you want some too!
I made crust-less quiche for dinner, and these were the piles of yummy goodness I included in the dish.

Ford

It’s always interesting to see this four-letter Michigan word here in Zambia.

Aim, please.

I couldn't resist pulling my camera out when I found this sign at a toilet behind 

an auto lot in Lusaka a few weeks back.

i'll be back...

just taking an internet break (yes, that break is literal... who knows what's wrong with Zamtel this time...)

and a sick break.

(The internet went out shortly after I "went out" last week. Hopefully we'll both be repaired soon :)

Happy Thursday.

coming together

the couple's new kitchen and the head table

A couple weeks back, a friend invited Sara and I to his younger sister's "coming together" (a sort of traditional wedding celebration, but not actually a wedding).

There were dancers and DJ's, and I'm not sure which was a more intense in the music-- 

the beat or the decibels!

preparation for the celebration
waiting for the dancers to enter

enter the groom and bride (she's covered in a chitenge-- traditional fabric--
of the same print as her dress)

the groom and bride and one of their two attendants

We had a great time celebrating this coming together with friends.

Live Concert

local musicians opened the evening event

Eternity Focus came all the way from Kansas to perform in Choma last week!

Since the band was rooming at the guesthouse, we had personal invites to their local concerts. On Tuesday evening, we sneaked away from the kitchen and had the privilege of joining a couple hundred others in singing, dancing, and clapping at the Eternity Focus concert. The group--four sisters and their best friend--performed six or seven times throughout their one-week stay in Zambia. This was the band's first time to tour outside the States.

good times :)

Steam laundry or key cutting? Anyone? Anyone??

Unfortunately, Silwson didn't have the proper key blanks and so was unable to cut the keys we needed :(