Well….I am a week past the dreaded bike wreck…and the cast on the ‘ol leg….gotta say…this is the first time I have ever had a cast – yep...first time…I’m not diggin it so much. There’s a shock!!!
The first few days, I only had one elbow type crutch….so I did a lot of hopping around…but Russell had to go down to Kigali for a meeting, so he went over to King Faisal Hospital (the largest in Kigali) and got me a real live pair of crutches….woo hoo!! NOW….it’s still sketchy getting around…NO surface here is even, so even with crutches, venturing farther than my front porch isn’t cool….and you’re just gonna have to take my word for it…I’m stubborn…I usually find these things out the hard way…fortunately, it wasn’t too hard….and for the record, everyone here is taking really, really good care of me.
But…all and all, the ankle is coming along…I am being a super good girl so that, hopefully, next week, I can get this sucker off…it still swells when I have it down, so I keep it up as much as possible…and wow wow wubbzy , you can’t believe the other bruises that have shown up all over my body…I have one on my left leg (where the bike actually fell ON me) that is seriously the size of a softball….not to mention the plethora of smaller ones….I (and my bike) did a number on myself…FOR SURE!!!
I would seriously like to be a fly on the wall listening to all the Rwandan kids that were witness to the “accident” and its aftermath….I mean, don’t you just KNOW they are talking about how that Muzungu lady just appeared to fall over OFF the bridge into the man-trap and proceed to cry and wail and writhe in pain….they were probably thinking…those Muzungu’s are such babies…get up…shake it off, lady…I mean really....you just FELL OVER while on that shiny new bike…you are not worthy….No really….I’m pretty sure that’s what they are saying!! I can’t wait to get this cast off and ride that road again…just to show THEM!! Get back on the horse, as it were!!
So…leg in cast…not getting out at all….so no, out and about in Musanze stories?... ha, that’s the beauty of this place…you don’t really have to venture far to have “Life in Africa” stories….
We have decided that there must be something wrong with Pete…I mean what rooster seriously crows ALL DAY, EVERY DAY….now I’ll grant you, I’m not a rooster expert…if any of you are…please, put in your 2 cents worth…I really do want to know if I’m just being hard on little Petey….now add to little Petey, the DOG…yes, you heard right, DOG, that has started barking, oh, bout midnight every night for hours on end. For the most part, Rwandans don’t really have dogs...you only see them in a “guard” dog situation and unless you are about to get eaten by one, you shouldn’t really hear them bark…so imagine our surprise when we started hearing a dog barking at all hours of the night…at first I thought maybe it was my pain meds…ya know…”working” …but no…the dog went on long after the pain meds quit “working”….we have yet to investigate, but no doubt, between Pete and the dog, which I have named Fifi (I mean if you are going to ruin my sleep, you are getting a little French poodle name, big boy)…that Ambien is coming in handy….I’m just sayin….
Me and my cohorts in crime, Christine and Beatrice, did get the tomatoes (all three types) and basil (both types) in the ground this morning….actually, Beatrice did all the work, Christine, helped, and I sat, leg up in chair, directing…I’ve decided I’m a very good director. I also had to have Ronald to translate because they were giving me a list of seeds (in Kinyarwanda) I needed to bring back with me when we come back in Sept….let’s just say, it’s going to be a VERY good month for Burpee this month…but between the food and flowers…oh my…the taste and beauty that will come from our home!!! We are still pampering the parsley and oregano in their cups, but hope those are ready to go in the ground later this week!! What I can say, is that 99 days out of 100 here are “Cheryl Rainey days”, which is a phrase coined by my bestest friend, Kathleen, and it represents 70-75 degree days, and 50 degree nights, with NO humidity. I can’t argue with the cutest boy in the world on this point…lots of others, but not this one!!
Yesterday, being the 4th was bittersweet for us here…I think this is only the second time in my life, I have not been on US soil on the 4th of July….gotta say…it was weird…they did have a big shindig down in Kigali at the US Embassy on Saturday, but with leg, cannot travel, so we missed the festivities. We do hope though, that y'all had a safe and fun 4th with family and friends…and lots of ice cold watermelon….yummy!!
And I also want to take this opportunity to ask for a couple of prayer requests:
First, for my friend, David Wardlaw, and his family. They lost their oldest son, Win, who was 20, in an accident 10 days ago, and I can only imagine how hard a loss like that must be. They have been in our prayers every single day, and would appreciate you keeping them in yours, as they navigate to a new “normal” of life without Win.
Secondly, for Betsy Parkinson. Her mom and dad, Bill and Ann Parkinson, are our dear friends, and Bill was one of the three greats that started Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock over 30 years ago. Betsy was in a car accident on Lookout Road in LR last week, and was quite severely injured. Bill and Ann happened to be in Mexico on vacation, so it took them a little while to get back to her. THAT, we can relate to. Betsy is doing much better, but does have a long road to recovery ahead. We know what the power of prayer can do, from our experience with Brittany and her accident, almost 4 years ago, and we are praying for the same, successful outcome for Betsy…full recovery, and strength!! So, prayers for her, and her family, would also be appreciated.
Lastly, today, being July 5th, would have been our Gauki’s 94th birthday. She was a woman of character and determination. She was so much more than an aunt…she was another mother and grandmother, too…to all four of us kids and the rest of her nieces and nephews!! She also served her country during WWII. She passed away just 4 months ago, and her loss is still hard to comprehend. Not a beautiful sight goes by that I don’t think to myself, “Gauki would LOVE this.” She would have loved the beauty of Rwanda, just as she loved Jackson Hole, the lake, the beach, my sister’s farm or simply sitting by the pool, surrounded by family, watching all us kids (and our kids) swim and have a good old time. She appreciated beauty in the simplest of things, and I hope I do the same! I have included, this week, a few pictures for Gauki… to show the beauty of Rwanda and its people.
Don’t miss the chance to tell those you love that you do…and enjoy the little things…for it is the little things that make up the big ones. Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you and thank God for such!! Till next week…we love you all!!
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