“The color of springtime is in the flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination.”
Posted February 2, 2023 by katryCategories: Musings
Tags: Ghana, omesickness, Peace Corps, Peace Corps training, Winneba
The freeze is coming. We’ll go to single digits at night. 28° will be tomorrow’s high while the low will be -2. Saturday will be warm as the high will be 17° (Did you notice the tongue- in -cheek?). I could go to the dump today, but I’m waiting for Sunday and balmy weather, 40°.
I slept in this morning. Last night I went to bed around two. The dogs were asleep on the couch. They tend to crash earlier than I do, but they know the routine. Once I close my computer, they follow me up stairs. I spent almost an hour with Jack. The dogs by then had moved to my bed. Nala was under the covers while Henry was watching and hoping.
I went to my uke practice and my lesson this week. My finger is swollen and stiff which happens every time I do uke twice in a week even though I don’t use that finger. I’m going to start taping the offending digit as I have practice, a lesson and a show next week. The surgeon did tell me the finger would take a year to heal completely.
When I was in Ghana, most of each day during training was scheduled, and the down time was at night. We spent our first two weeks in Winneba. I can still picture that school and all of its buildings. I had a second floor room in the dorm. From there I could see palm trees and the rusted roofs of the compounds in the town. We went to greet the chief. I can only imagine the reaction of the Ghanaians. Here was a parade with 120+ of us trainees plus PC staff walking through town.
During those first two weeks, I was still amazed about being in Ghana. I was getting to know my fellow trainees. I had language two or three times a day. Sandwiched in with that were large group sessions. One was medical: what wonderful diseases we were hoping not to meet. Another was about Ghanaian customs and how not to offend. My language group went to see the market.
I got homesick every now and then during training. I remember in Winneba going to the female dorm, all of us in one room. I had had a trying day. I got to the dorm and starting spewing about everything and swore I was leaving. The other trainees all agreed they’d go with me. That gave us a laugh. Everything was good again.
I’m An Old Cowhand From The Rio Grande: Roy Rogers
Posted January 31, 2023 by katryCategories: Video
“Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.”
Posted January 31, 2023 by katryCategories: Musings
The snow lasted about 20 minutes this morning. It was wet and heavy and had started sticking to the ground just before it stopped. Real winter has reared its ugly head. We’ll have mid to low 30’s during the day and the twenties and lower at night until the weekend. That is when winter truly bursts onto the scene and freezes us all. At night, on Friday, it will get down to 10°, Saturday 6° and Sunday 15°. The weird day is Sunday. It will be in the 40’s during the day before it plummets to the teens. My plans for the weekend will be to stay home and stay warm. I may even have dinner delivered. I’m thinking Chinese.
Hooray! Today is graduation day. I had my last PT this morning, mostly measurements of the finger, sort of the final exam. I have been a bit frustrated by the slowness of the changes. The finger tip still dips and the finger periodically swells. My PT person kept telling me that the bite was horrific, and the finger was massively damaged so it will take time, up to a year my surgeon told me. My PT person is pleased with the progress. I expect I should be too. All this started 4 months ago.
When I was a young teen, my brother and I were in a car with friends. We drove by a policeman sitting in his car. My brother told me to bark out the window. I didn’t know why, but it seemed innocent enough, maybe be even a joke. It wasn’t. The cop chased our car with blue lights blinking. He wanted to know who barked. “I did.” I got a lecture about respect to police and how lucky I was not to be arrested. For barking out the window? Come to find out this policeman had killed a dog which he thought was attacking him. My brother knew it. He set me up.
When I was still working, I was driving home one night from a meeting. A police car was behind me. As I turned into the street, he turned his lights on and followed me home as it was just around the corner. I was flabbergasted. I hadn’t been speeding. He pulled behind me. I could see my neighbors peeking through their curtains. The police office got out and came to the car. I rolled down the window. “Hi, Miss Ryan.” It was one of my former students who thought he’d say hi.
Since I started writing this, the day has darkened. Nothing is moving, not even the smallest branch. It is really cold. I’m glad to be home.
