Reality Bites!

Well this week has been a doozy, but compared to what? I guess its a good question.  I feel that in life I do my best to look at things on the bright side and to make the most of any situation...I think.  However, lately (or since I arrived in Zimbabwe), its been different.  I am not sure where the "off" part comes in, but something is completely "off".  This is our 7th move in almost 7 years of marriage, but I'm used to this stuff. I mean my Dad was in the Army, we moved around ALL the time.  I moved 9 times before I was 14, and then moved another three times during and after college. I suppose it gets in your blood, who knows? I did however say I would never marry anyone in the Army. Although Tom is not in the Army...Oops.  Ha Ha

Anyway, my point is...adjustments are difficult. I feel I can cope with them fairly well, but this time it has been harder than most.  Is it because I'm older? Because I spent so much time with my family last year? Because I spent a whole year away from Tom last year? Because living in Africa...is just different (to say the least).  Or maybe, the kids are just different, growing up, doing new and different things, and I'm just having a harder time with it all?? Who knows.

I decided this time to open up myself to what is actually happening around me, what these people are like, what they have been through and then...it started to get a little bit harder.  I can often do my best to try and look away at things or else I feel I might be crying all the time about what I have seen or what is close enough to me to see. I watched a documentary the other day on Zimbabwe...and it was really hard to watch. And yes, I was balling my eyes out empathizing with these people and all they have gone through...AND still are going through today.  I cant imagine. 

I grew up in a great home, with loving parents and was always given anything I needed. We were your basic, normal, middle class family (kind of). Ha  But, at the time...it was normal for me, I was never without. But then you come to these places and you see that everyone is...without, making ends meet- but barely. They are struglling day in and day out.  Its hard for them I know, and its hard to see.  I feel guilty at times, and especially now how lucky we are with our family.  We are given this beautiful home, we have plenty to eat, we ar healthy, we have all we need...and yet, I still feel at a loss.  I know many people that go through their own struggles, some are very close relatives and close friends.  One of my friends just recently got divorced and has a child with Autism.  Her attitude is something so admirable. And when I get down, I often think of her. Thanks Lisa!!  I think of the people around the world, losing their homes, or dealing with disasters...often. Am I just not able to shut it out? My heart seems to not be able to take so much these days. I have a really hard time separating it all.

This past Saturday my housekeeper, Elizabeth, had a Diabetic Coma.  After an hour of her husband trying  to get in touch with us as he did not have our number, Tom finally made it over to check on her.  She lives on our property.  I sat crying wondering if she was even alive as we had no idea what was going on, and I decided to go over and check. She was unresponsive, eyes wide open, could not move, nothing. I did my best to keep her calm as she was breathing such short breaths, but she was breathing. Again, we did not know what had happened and thought it could have been a stroke.  I stroked her head with a washcloth and talked to her calmly telling her it would be OK, when honestly...I had no idea.  She started groaning and actually moving a bit and then squeezed my hand. I felt there was hope. Finally the ambulance came, we told them her ailments, and then they checked her blood sugar. It was barely anything at that point.  They then injected her with sugar (or whatever it is you give for someone in this condition) and she began to slowly come out of it...and back to herself.  IT WAS SCARY!!!  I am not a nurse, I do not see things like this often, so for me...it was a bit intense for someone whom we have now known for only 6 months, but is of course now part of our family.  She is now doing much better and resting and I can hardly believe it even happened.  But, it did. For Tom, he has seen plenty in the last few years, but I think that was hard to see for him too. It was also, personal. 

Are these the things that throw me off a little? Is it that I have now seen three random dead people on the side of the road (the kids also seeing one which I hate)? That I have been chased down and cut off by a complete stranger after not using my turn signal? Or is that when I supposedly ran a light the other day, the police pulled me over and then said, I will let you go this time, but the next time...you will be arrested??? What?? Its different here to say the least, or maybe I have just opened my eyes and myself to it more. Who knows? 

All I can really say is sometimes ... Reality BITES!!!

Just can’t help but wonder…why?

Just when I thought things were going ok…I lose it. I’m freaking out over a minimum of 1000 pictures, everyone’s phone numbers and a tad bit of my sanity...lost. I finally went to plug in my iphone to the desktop so I could sync things up since I have been here for 6 months- pictures, music, videos, etc. And guess what… the computer did NOT like that! It synced it up all right, back to August 2011. So every picture, every video, every note and every phone number is now gone. Unless of course YOU, the person reading this, know anyway how to reverse this??? I have been trying to call apple since this morning, but of course they are not open yet…and this is when it leads me to a teeny tiny little breakdown. Why? Not a why me, just simply… why?

Why is it that every time I go to get on the internet on my laptop I get that little “x” in the corner which means - internet down. My frustration with this is …it’s the only place I can type. You might ask, well you have a desktop, right? Yes I do. I have a desktop and upon opening it when we arrived, the new wireless keyboard we just bought decided NOT to work. So although I can use the mouse to move around pages, I cannot type. So, when I want to send a message other than a short text type message which is shortened and has horribly abbreviated words, I have to get on my laptop. Which leads me to the current situation I am in and why I am now having to write this blog on WORD, instead of just writing it directly to my blog.

This and the LACK of internet drive me to drink at night! Ha
Why is it that every time I decide to download pictures to share them with the outside world, my power goes out? Therefore negating the 45 minutes I just waited for those 10 pictures to download. Why?

Why is that every time Chase wakes up early – Hannah sleeps in, and when Hannah wakes up early- Chase sleeps in? Why is it that I can’t find freaking cayenne pepper anywhere in Harare, Zimbabwe?? Why is that as soon as I sit down to write in my blog or to just “sit” I hear my name screamed down the hall….
M A M A…..M A M A. That answer is …I’m a Mom and as Hannah puts it, Chase NEEDS me.
I could probably sit and ponder this all day, but I know the answer. The answer is…life. Life, God, whomever it is or might be gives you challenges so you keep on trying. Throws you curves balls, to see which way you go. Its why we are here really, otherwise it might be a tad bit boring don’t you think? Now those of you who know me, know me well and know I have had a whole hell of a lot thrown my way, so I’m not complaining, just … venting. Deep Breath….Ahhhhh. Because sometimes, it’s just good to get out and just say…EErrrghhh!

Written at 3:36 pm Jan. 10th Zim time

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Sent at : 11:30 am Jan. 11th

So after two hours of actual phone time with the extremely nice Apple people as well as supervisors to "try" and find my pictures, there was no such luck. So, Im back at square one. Reevaluating why I take so many darn pictures in the first place, tyring hard not to think about all those precious moments and videos on the phone and maybe, for once- relax.  Maybe this time, I will take more mental pictures, as I try and do sometimes, and actually enjoy the moment. Who knows WHY things happen, but they do.

In the meantime...send me your numbers!!! :)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year !!

To our wonderful family and friends, both near and far, we wish you a beautiful and prosperous year filled with much love, great health and a world of happiness.

From Victoria Falls...

and from our first Elephant Rides at Imire Park in Zimbabwe.

With Much Love,

Tom, Heather, Hannah, Chase and Piper