tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037068842419119272024-03-13T19:20:39.422-07:00trifles & treasuresJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-59870154643081607772016-02-02T19:06:00.002-08:002016-02-02T19:09:15.675-08:00On family<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MoSj8UHVmZs/VrFdbd_n8dI/AAAAAAAAJGg/MAOx1ep1ZGM/s1600/Bangoura-Family-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MoSj8UHVmZs/VrFdbd_n8dI/AAAAAAAAJGg/MAOx1ep1ZGM/s640/Bangoura-Family-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All photos from <a href="http://www.thisradlove.com/">This Rad Love </a>during a November 2015 photo session</td></tr>
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It's the beginning of February, which next to October and November, is my favorite month of the year. Winter is melting away from our front yard. The blizzard temperatures of last week have given way to winds that don't bite my hands as I ride my scooter to work. </div>
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The beginning of this month also feels like the new year to me. In January, our little family returned from a trip to Guinea to visit Abdoulaye's family. It was my first time back since our visit in 2012 and so much has changed since then. Not only with our family - we got married, bought a house, had a baby, changed jobs, finished grad school (me), started grad school (Abdoulaye) - but also in Guinea. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzHnVoda-LI/VrFd7QjNiwI/AAAAAAAAJG8/KIxVhf0jFec/s1600/Bangoura-Family-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzHnVoda-LI/VrFd7QjNiwI/AAAAAAAAJG8/KIxVhf0jFec/s640/Bangoura-Family-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
When I was in <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/04/welcome-to-guinea.html">Guinea</a> <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/04/glimpse-of-guinea.html">in</a> <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/05/enchanted-by-guinea.html">2012</a>, Abdoulaye's family had electricity every other day for a few hours at a time. During this visit, the power only went out for no more than 15-30 minutes a couple times (thanks to the completion of <a href="http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2015/09/guinea-increases-generating-capacity-with-us-526-million-240-mw-kaleta-hydroelectric-facility.html">this hydro-electric dam</a>).<br />
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It's incredible what a difference consistent electricity makes (understatement, I know). It meant sleeping was better because we had fans on all night. It meant we had water for cooking and cleaning whenever we needed it because the pump that fills the cistern down the block was continually being filled. It meant our phones and cameras and computers were always charged. It meant Abodulaye's siblings could work on their homework after the sun went down without having to crowd around a lamp or, worse yet, not do it all. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-URd_FfpjX7o/VrFd4Ohj07I/AAAAAAAAJGs/zJQu2WEyc8E/s1600/Bangoura-Family-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-URd_FfpjX7o/VrFd4Ohj07I/AAAAAAAAJGs/zJQu2WEyc8E/s640/Bangoura-Family-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xSYZfko6-x4/VrFd3zWAosI/AAAAAAAAJGk/LFF0SsNWNy8/s1600/Bangoura-Family-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xSYZfko6-x4/VrFd3zWAosI/AAAAAAAAJGk/LFF0SsNWNy8/s640/Bangoura-Family-23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mx0qBaQc4hU/VrFd37WlG-I/AAAAAAAAJGo/Cx52RA2ybUE/s1600/Bangoura-Family-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mx0qBaQc4hU/VrFd37WlG-I/AAAAAAAAJGo/Cx52RA2ybUE/s640/Bangoura-Family-29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
We came back the first week of January and since then work and life has been on overdrive. It's only in the past couple days where I feel I've caught my breath and been able to have a few moments to reflect on 2015 and give thought to the year ahead. I am feeling so grateful for this life I'm living and the people in it who are making every day better than the one before. Can you tell someone has gotten some good sleep the past couple of nights??<br />
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I was rocking Lillie Foulé to sleep tonight, holding her close as she hummed herself to sleep. As I watched her chest rise and fall, her little fingers grasping at the thin skin of my hand, I started thinking, as I have many times before, about the groove in the top corner of our mattress. I've sat in that same corner so many nights over the past 14 months in the same position - the only thing changing being the size of my baby and the subtle sinking of the mattress. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3wdMFmB7PHo/VrFd6fONb4I/AAAAAAAAJG0/pzODnjaCBMg/s1600/Bangoura-Family-46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3wdMFmB7PHo/VrFd6fONb4I/AAAAAAAAJG0/pzODnjaCBMg/s640/Bangoura-Family-46.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ufkyvxsBuE4/VrFd64GhGHI/AAAAAAAAJG4/SPEGT_pc5pk/s1600/Bangoura-Family-59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ufkyvxsBuE4/VrFd64GhGHI/AAAAAAAAJG4/SPEGT_pc5pk/s640/Bangoura-Family-59.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm grateful for nights like tonight where LF falls asleep early enough for me to have a few moments to myself before I feel so tired that it's hard to find the strength to brush my teeth. I am grateful to have the time to actually download our family photos and look through them again. All I need is one more night like this to order prints and/or a photo book - something that's perpetually on my mental to-do list.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6YOSuv--YE/VrFei77G8iI/AAAAAAAAJHM/D0rr7GeCDzA/s1600/Bangoura-Family-86.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6YOSuv--YE/VrFei77G8iI/AAAAAAAAJHM/D0rr7GeCDzA/s640/Bangoura-Family-86.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6SgJraNNxsE/VrFei0C05lI/AAAAAAAAJHI/9wiT2M9S-2M/s1600/Bangoura-Family-91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6SgJraNNxsE/VrFei0C05lI/AAAAAAAAJHI/9wiT2M9S-2M/s640/Bangoura-Family-91.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gmUKejVMVw8/VrFei6qgiZI/AAAAAAAAJHE/dyPFw59IkSk/s1600/Bangoura-Family-97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gmUKejVMVw8/VrFei6qgiZI/AAAAAAAAJHE/dyPFw59IkSk/s640/Bangoura-Family-97.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>All photos by the marvelously talented Sarah Williams from <a href="http://www.thisradlove.com/">This Rad Love</a>.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654901997352444878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-43339908699305636992015-03-11T06:41:00.001-07:002015-03-11T06:42:50.931-07:00Peanut Butter Sauce à la Bangoura, Tigedegena cook-off!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aWu-FwAAdok/VQAvPzrokQI/AAAAAAAACOo/vrpspm9nyJM/s1600/P3081269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aWu-FwAAdok/VQAvPzrokQI/AAAAAAAACOo/vrpspm9nyJM/s1600/P3081269.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how we look after eating lots of peanut butter sauce - one happy family!</td></tr>
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March 1-7 was <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2015/03/hyattsville-md-and-mali-converge-once.html">Peace Corps Week</a> and our friend Veronique (Mali RPCV) hosted a peanut butter cook-off to celebrate! As I wrote last week, I'm still honing my West African cooking skills but after this sauce, Abdoulaye thinks I've graduated to be able to take on the sauce alone (almost!). This really is a delicious sauce that anyone who likes peanut butter would enjoy. </div>
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Since I'm a visual learner, here's our recipe in pictures (and words) below: </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SdE5cvSU2q0/VQAvCfSjvZI/AAAAAAAACNI/kuGIz5wdPME/s1600/P3081216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SdE5cvSU2q0/VQAvCfSjvZI/AAAAAAAACNI/kuGIz5wdPME/s1600/P3081216.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Ingredients (amounts are variable!) pictured above and below:</b><br />
<b>Serves 6-8</b><br />
Garlic (as you like)<br />
Onion (one will do)<br />
Green onions (three stalks)<br />
Eggplant (1/2 of a medium one)<br />
Potatoes (as many as you like)<br />
Carrots (heavy handful)<br />
Tomatoes (three works!)<br />
Peanut butter (freshly ground, about 1/3 pound here)<br />
Tomato paste (3 oz)<br />
Red pepper flakes to your liking.<br />
Chicken (5 or 6 drumsticks/meat of your choice)<br />
Mustard, salt & pepper - for seasoning chicken and veggies<br />
Vegetable oil (fill the bottom of the pot)<br />
Rice - as much as you need to feed your people!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEsbhg2Bt8w/VQAvE0GVGtI/AAAAAAAACNg/Ge0rUnMRIIo/s1600/P3081227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEsbhg2Bt8w/VQAvE0GVGtI/AAAAAAAACNg/Ge0rUnMRIIo/s1600/P3081227.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All your veggies chopped up. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_1vWoGIOe68/VQAvCNrTwlI/AAAAAAAACNA/PtAFmfryHSQ/s1600/P3081218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_1vWoGIOe68/VQAvCNrTwlI/AAAAAAAACNA/PtAFmfryHSQ/s1600/P3081218.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggplant thinly sliced for frying</td></tr>
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<ol>
<li>Chop all the veggies (except for eggplant!) and put in bowl. Add red pepper flakes to your liking. </li>
<li>Coat bottom of pot with vegetable oil. Make it hot! Slice eggplant for frying and get to it.</li>
<li>Season chicken with mustard, salt & pepper.</li>
<li>Fry eggplant and then purée, hold on the side.</li>
<li>Fry chicken.</li>
<li>Add in all the veggies (including puréed eggplant) & tomato paste and stir around. </li>
<li>Cover for 10 minutes to get the juices going. The veggies should provide enough liquid for things to not burn.</li>
<li>Add hot water to peanut butter (maybe two or three cups). Stir and let 'rest' so nubby pieces fall to the bottom. You don't want a grainy sauce!</li>
<li>Add in peanut butter water. Keep adding hot water to the peanut butter 'sediment' to shake out the real peanut butter while leaving the gritty parts on the bottom. Add enough water to the pot to cover your sauce ingredients. Cover and stir every now and again!</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3uPOXLsyeS0/VQAvCQG2EXI/AAAAAAAACNE/j5dUH6DYoSk/s1600/P3081219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3uPOXLsyeS0/VQAvCQG2EXI/AAAAAAAACNE/j5dUH6DYoSk/s1600/P3081219.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This much peanut butter</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zKJLXhiBN_8/VQAvEDofFiI/AAAAAAAACNY/h_imJU5hX5g/s1600/P3081221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zKJLXhiBN_8/VQAvEDofFiI/AAAAAAAACNY/h_imJU5hX5g/s1600/P3081221.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add hot water and let peanut butter 'rest'</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ts0QlykDt0/VQAvHgHDsaI/AAAAAAAACNw/jDvSkX9TLsI/s1600/P3081229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ts0QlykDt0/VQAvHgHDsaI/AAAAAAAACNw/jDvSkX9TLsI/s1600/P3081229.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stir to shake up the peanut butter. You want the little nubs in the middle (hypocotyls and radicles!) to sink to the bottom</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_kGshouF9gM/VQAvGxc0R4I/AAAAAAAACNo/QnXhlRBGk7Y/s1600/P3081237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_kGshouF9gM/VQAvGxc0R4I/AAAAAAAACNo/QnXhlRBGk7Y/s1600/P3081237.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken seasoned with mustard, salt and pepper. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uyGmAkfvU3U/VQAvKfAYt2I/AAAAAAAACN4/AbZKL-IZ8Pw/s1600/P3081238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uyGmAkfvU3U/VQAvKfAYt2I/AAAAAAAACN4/AbZKL-IZ8Pw/s1600/P3081238.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After frying eggplant, blend!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMv5QDgh_dU/VQAvMhW0qaI/AAAAAAAACOA/B70rZkB00bk/s1600/P3081242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMv5QDgh_dU/VQAvMhW0qaI/AAAAAAAACOA/B70rZkB00bk/s1600/P3081242.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm, pureed eggplant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJmCBPlF2_g/VQAvNsnquZI/AAAAAAAACOM/i7k5mwcw_AM/s1600/P3081243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJmCBPlF2_g/VQAvNsnquZI/AAAAAAAACOM/i7k5mwcw_AM/s1600/P3081243.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uninterested baby still in her nightgown nearby helps keep the kitchen cute. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FwCUAMrz9YQ/VQAvNc28glI/AAAAAAAACOI/6F47bJwrwMI/s1600/P3081245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FwCUAMrz9YQ/VQAvNc28glI/AAAAAAAACOI/6F47bJwrwMI/s1600/P3081245.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those are some good names.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-drAAFdEfaHE/VQAvOVqr-pI/AAAAAAAACOY/5GRvPAv1bFU/s1600/P3081254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-drAAFdEfaHE/VQAvOVqr-pI/AAAAAAAACOY/5GRvPAv1bFU/s1600/P3081254.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make sure to add a room full of hungry RPCVs and partners! Everyone is excited to try all the sauces! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vpdMuQpJw20/VQAvPhgLyGI/AAAAAAAACOc/K7cLVvesKn0/s1600/P3081256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vpdMuQpJw20/VQAvPhgLyGI/AAAAAAAACOc/K7cLVvesKn0/s1600/P3081256.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's my plate with all the sauces and the voting mechanism behind (put a bean in the cup with your favorite sauce's name)</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> **If you're looking for another great recipe, Cassie has a </span><a href="http://onairinmali.blogspot.com/2009/12/peace-is-full-belly.html" style="text-align: left;">fantastic </a><span style="text-align: left;">how-to</span><span style="text-align: left;"> for peanut butter sauce</span><span style="text-align: left;"> on her blog from when she was in Mali.</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654901997352444878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-23174200803355042432015-03-06T06:09:00.003-08:002015-03-06T06:12:26.473-08:00Hyattsville, MD and Mali converge once again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xawUgURs6z8/VPhsbKzUnBI/AAAAAAAACD8/26BhT3NK3NI/s1600/P3041164%2B-%2BVersion%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xawUgURs6z8/VPhsbKzUnBI/AAAAAAAACD8/26BhT3NK3NI/s1600/P3041164%2B-%2BVersion%2B2.JPG" height="640" width="468" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mali RPCVs: me (2008-12) with Bill Gardiner (1985-87) and our daughters (future PCVs 2036-38)</td></tr>
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Just when I thought Mali <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2015/02/from-mali-to-maryland-shea-radiance-is.html">couldn't get any closer to Hyattsville,</a> MD, <a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov/media/forpress/press/2510/">Peace Corps Week 2015</a> proved me wrong. Inspired by a fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) who is hosting a Malian-food cooking competition later this week, I decided to reach out to my Hyattsville neighbors through the H.O.P.E in Hyattsville listserv (essential to join if you're moving to the city) to invite folks to try Abdoulaye's and my cooking (and to test out our recipe!). I sent out the email a week before and had about 15 people reach out to say they would like to come and try some peanut butter sauce - perfect! Many were RPCVs themselves (Ukraine, Honduras, Ecuador, Benin and Mali) but some just wanted to try Mali's cuisine from the comfort of their own neighborhood!<br />
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I served in Mali with the Peace Corps from 2008-2012 in both the education and environment sectors and lived in the Segou region and then in the capital, Bamako. You can read more about my time in Mali <a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/">on the blog </a>I kept while living, working and loving there! While I spent a lot of time eating Malian food as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I did not spend as much time learning to prepare it. Thankfully, Abdoulaye is a seasoned chef and under his direction we were able to put together a delicious sauce for our new friends. My friend Nicole (RPCV Benin, with her sleeping 2 month old baby boy nearby) was an excellent sous-chef as well chopping potatoes, carrots and tomatoes like a pro.<br />
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As our neighbors began to arrive, I could feel myself smiling from the inside. How wonderful that even from thousands of miles away I can still feel Mali so close to me? I think about West Africa on a close to daily basis since Abdoulaye is from Guinea and all of his family is still there, but it's still nice to get the chance to talk about my experience abroad with my neighbors here in the US!<br />
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I asked folks to come from 5-8 to test out our cooking and there was a nice flow of people arriving. I loved getting the chance to talk with some neighbors I've met before but haven't had a chance to chat with as much and then learning more about other neighbors I had never met at all.<br />
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One neighbor was Bill Gardiner, the first to reply to my call for guinea pigs for our taste-testing. He told me in his email that he was a Mali RPCV (1985-87) and had also had a little girl just a few weeks before <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2015/01/traveling-eastern-seaboard.html">Lillie Foulé</a>. How neat! When he arrived we started chatting and I learned more about where he served in Mali and that he was traveling in Burkina Faso following his service when <a href="http://thinkafricapress.com/burkina-faso/mixed-legacy-thomas-sankara-socialist-soldier-25-year-anniversary">Thomas Sankara</a> was overthrown in a coup d'état and killed. Yikes! As we were talking, our friend <a href="http://patch.com/maryland/hyattsville/haba-s-long-voyage-from-africa-to-hyattsville">Edouard Haba</a> asked how I knew Bill and I said I had just met him. Edouard (a Hyattsville city council member) told me <a href="http://www.gazette.net/article/20140116/NEWS/140119415/college-park-hires-former-hyattsville-mayor-as-assistant-city-manager&template=gazette">Bill is the former mayor of Hyattsville</a>. Incredible!<br />
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As Abdoulaye and I cleaned up, we talked about the conversations we had with our neighbors. I told him about Bill's background and we marveled at another conversation with a woman (Honduras RPCV) who works in research for <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/01/02/371945110/researchers-create-artificial-organs-on-microchips">synthetic organs</a>! When we moved to Hyattsville in 2013 we wanted to find a place, within our budget, that was close to Washington, DC for work and education opportunities. I tend to wax poetic but we truly have found so much more since moving here and settling in. Abdoulaye enjoyed learning about Bill's background and said how great it is that the former leader of our city had lived in West Africa and could relate to its <a href="http://www.hyattsville.org/206/City-Demographics">diverse population </a>from his own experience. I'm just tickled at how small the RPCV community is - and how Mali seems to find a way into my life no matter the situation!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lillie Foulé loved meeting her new neighbors - she was pooped afterwards and slept great! </td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654901997352444878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-47016468448622301552015-02-21T19:39:00.000-08:002015-02-21T19:40:45.975-08:00From Mali to Maryland: Shea Radiance is everywhere!<span id="docs-internal-guid-3d2eb376-af37-4c4d-6efb-48cf54017ada"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Global Shea Conference in 2010</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">In March 2010 I </span><a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2010/03/global-shea-2010.html" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">attended a global shea conference</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"> held in Bamako, Mali (hosted by the West Africa Trade Hub and the </span><a href="http://www.globalshea.com/" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Global Shea Alliance</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">). One woman I met during the conference was Funlayo Alabi who owns a shea butter business called </span><a href="http://www.shearadiance.com/" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shea Radiance</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I was excited to meet her because my host mom, Annie, and I spent a lot of time </span><a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/search?q=shea" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">talking about shea butter</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - from how to make it to how to sell it to how to use it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">After I learned more about her product line, Funlayo and I started talking about our origins and she told me she was from Nigeria. She asked me where I was from and I said Virginia Beach, VA. Now how many people do you think have heard of Virginia Beach outside of the United States? Or even outside of Virginia? Funlayo had not only heard of Virginia Beach, she had lived there! She told me that she received a degree from <a href="http://www.regent.edu/">Regent University</a> and that now she was based out of Maryland and traveling back and forth to West Africa for her shea business. I thought, wow, what are the odds that at this conference in Mali I would meet someone from Sub-Saharan Africa who had not only heard of my hometown, but had lived in it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Flash forward five years later. I <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/03/update-from-mali-coup-detat-and-my-etat.html">left Mali</a>. I <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-ye-furu-siri-were-married.html">got married</a> (<a href="http://www.justplainhonest.com/abdoulaye-jennifer-virginia-zoo-wedding-photographers/">twice!</a>). Abdoulaye and I <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2013/06/write-my-ticket.html">bought a house</a> in Hyattsville, Maryland and we <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/search/label/LFB">had a baby</a>! Our baby girl is what brings me to this blog post today. While Abdoulaye and I share many of our parenting ideals, there are a number of ways we're approaching this new adventure that are different simply because of where we grew up. And while I love shea butter as much as the next Returned (Environmental) Peace Corps Volunteer, I hadn't considered it as a staple for my baby's medicine cabinet.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping my baby's nose clean since 2015</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Abdoulaye, on the other hand, saw shea butter as a non-negotiable and so I began my search for some. But I didn't want just any shea butter - I wanted the good stuff. No additives. No perfumes. No chemicals. No words I couldn't pronounce. All those requirements led me to <a href="http://www.yesorganicmarket.com/">Yes! Organic Market</a> in downtown Hyattsville, a short walk from our home. While searching the aisles, I found what I was looking for and picked up a small tub. I looked at the label to make sure it was 100% shea butter and imagine my surprise when I saw the name of the brand, Shea Radiance, Funlaylo’s company! I made a noise to match my surprise and told a man who worked at the grocery store standing nearby the story of how I had met the owner of the company. He nodded and said, oh you know Funlayo? I said, do you know Funlayo?? He nodded his head and kept going on with his business - I kept standing there letting my head shake with my jaw dropped. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The face of a happy shea butter baby</td></tr>
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From Mali to Maryland - it looks like shea butter is here to stay in my life and I couldn't be happier!</div>
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Our little girl is just over 12 weeks and filling out her rolls a little bit more every day. We're still adjusting to our new sleep schedule (Lillie Foulé is, too, it seems) but a flexible work schedule for Abdoulaye and a long maternity leave for me are making it all doable. I'm thankful to be settled in Hyattsville for a spell after a number of trips along the East Coast and grateful for our warm home on snowy days like today.</div>
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I've been looking back at blogposts from my time in Mali - including ones from when Abdoulaye and I were dating - and I can't help but shake my head at all that's happened in the past few years. I wake up in the morning to this little cinnamon roll who is smiling at me with her gummy grin and I feel this swelling of my heart. Don't get me wrong, her fussy spells - and she definitely has them! - can be exhausting and draining. But when she snuggles her head into the crook of my left arm or sees me smiling at her and then smiles back at me and sometimes gives me a laugh, I get a boost and a little baby high. </div>
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In the past few days, Lillie Foulé has started to grab onto things with some real force - her little fingers curling tightly around toy rings or, when it's within reach, my poor hair. She's still sleeping in her bunny bed/co-sleeper and not loving the crib but at least she's sleeping! Bath times are a highlight of the day as Abdoulaye gets the lint out of her crevices and I smile on as he goes through the parts of the body in Susu. </div>
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As I write, LF is waking up from a long nap. Her little hands are stretching up and over her head and she's figuring out how to stick her fingers in her mouth with her eyes shut and little toes kicking out of the bottom of her blanket. If there's one thing EVERY parent says to me, it's that these moments don't last forever and to cherish them while they're here. I'm going to give my butterfly baby a snuggle and do just that.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sweet headband from Grandmother Shellnutt</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rolls for days</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654901997352444878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-53302899163642252952015-02-02T05:57:00.002-08:002015-02-02T06:00:59.215-08:009 states (and the District!) before turning 9 weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In between grabbing cloth inserts for her diapers and giving Abdoulaye kisses goodbye, we were able to snap a few eight week pictures. Our little bunny is growing! After returning from our trip <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2015/01/traveling-eastern-seaboard.html">down the Eastern Seaboard</a>, Lillie Foulé and I had a couple days to hang in Hyattsville before my mom drove up to our home and then flew with us to Memphis, TN en route to Tupelo, MS to see my cousin! </div>
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While it was a quick turnaround, I'm also aware that this is a unique time in our life - it won't be this easy to travel with her ever again! Of course, people have varying opinions when I tell them about our travels. Some say 'I could never do that!' and others say 'Do it while you can!' Thankfully (for me and the other passengers on the planes we've been on), Lillie Foulé is a great little traveler and snoozed through the take-off and landing for all of our plane trips thus far. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lillie Foulé loves Mississippi and maroon does look quite nice on her</td></tr>
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Waiting for us at the gate were my cousin, Martha, and her sweet husband, Matt. I'm lucky to have a cousin like her since we not only share blood & kin :) but also interests. She's got a pretty super sister, too - I loved reminiscing by checking out her <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/06/wedding-in-pittsburgh.html">wedding post </a>from 2012 (!!). Coincidentally, the last time I was in Mississippi was in 2008 for Matt & Martha's nuptials! Mom and I were way overdue for a visit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure if the sound hole is actually for a face but Lillie Foulé's fits perfectly!</td></tr>
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When we arrived, Matt & Martha were waiting for us at the gate and then drove us directly to their gorgeous home about an hour and some change away. After getting acquainted with their pups, we snuggled right into relaxing on their couches and that's where we stayed for the long weekend - delightful! While LF and I have been moving around a lot, we've also been relaxing once we get to where we're going - and that's been great. Martha spoiled us with homemade meals (including cinnamon rolls ohmahgoodnessss!) and is the ultimate hostess with bathrooms filled with all the products (full-size I might add) you may have forgotten at home. I felt like a queen with a double-sink vanity to myself!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all have the same nose! I love this picture even with the countertop in the foreground. </td></tr>
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When we ventured out of the house on Sunday, we went to <a href="http://www.bishopsbbqgrill.com/">Bishop's BBQ</a>, which was divine, and then (after some retail therapy) went to <a href="http://bopsfrozencustard.com/tupelo.html">Bop's Frozen Custard</a>. After getting my oreo malt, I attempted to engage the high school student manning the cash register in a conversation just to hear his sweet southern accent. Oh Mississippi.<br />
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Then we headed to <a href="http://www.elvispresleybirthplace.com/">Elvis' birthplace</a> and Martha took my new favorite picture of my mom, LF and me in front of the house he was born in that was built by his father. We got there too late to tour the museum but had fun wandering around outside before the cold sent us back into the car and home for more Gilmore Girls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you very much.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet, sweet photo taken by Martha. </td></tr>
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On our way to the airport we stopped in at <a href="http://lostpizza.com/tupelo/">Lost Pizza, Co</a>. for our last Tupelo meal of the trip - we weren't disappointed! Mom and I shared the Happy Hippie pizza (like a mediterranean) as we reminisced about our trip with our favorite Mississippians. With a direct flight to Memphis, I hope our next visit to Tupelo won't be so far away!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset in Memphis (trying to wear her out before the flight to avoid a fussy bedtime like she'd been having - it worked!) </td></tr>
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As for traveling with my little dumpling (at 8 weeks), the Ergo carrier was a must for us and I just needed to stay hydrated and fed so I could feed her. I also loved the snap n' go stroller for her car seat - it makes moving around the airport a breeze when I can't hold her!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Airport diaper change - Granne is so talented!</td></tr>
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More pictures from our trip <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jennifermorgandavis/media_set?set=a.10100208194882841.1073741871.26000487&type=3">here</a>!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654901997352444878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-58206986392421327012015-01-21T12:40:00.002-08:002015-01-21T13:09:41.985-08:00Traveling the Eastern Seaboard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today Lillie Foulé is two months old. Oh my! It's been a whirlwind since she came and at the same time one of the most relaxing times of my life. Today is the first day I've been alone with my girl since I had her - pretty incredible! Up until now I've either been with family on a trip or had family or a friend staying with me. Of course, Abdoulaye is always here and it's been marvelous seeing him in the role of dad (or Baba as he'll be called). For LF's two-month birthday present we opened her <a href="http://www.collegesavingsmd.org/">Maryland 529 college savings plan</a>. It's never too early!<br />
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Speaking of early - LF is my new alarm clock, of course, and she didn't fail in her mission during her first road trip from Virginia Beach to St. Augustine, Florida. My sister, Lindsay, was moving down to join her husband in the Sunshine State and so LF and I tagged along for the ride. Including Virginia we visited five states and ate our way through all of them. Our first stop was Fayetteville, NC where we just rested our heads. Then it was on to Charleston, South Carolina where we stayed at the stately <a href="http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/south-carolina/embassy-suites-charleston-historic-charleston-CHSESES/index.html">Embassy Suites Charleston</a>. What a treat! The hotel was right downtown and as you can see from the photo above, gorgeous.<br />
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Our first happy hour in Charleston was at <a href="http://socialwinebar.com/welcome-to-social/">Social Wine Bar</a>. We noshed on pizza, blue cheese chips, roasted cauliflower and mussels and loved every bite! We landed here around 5pm on a Friday night and enjoyed people watching and marveling at my sleeping baby while the crowd slowly picked up and the people came in.<br />
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Then, it was on to <a href="http://www.pearlzoysterbar.com/">Pearlz</a> for their oyster happy hour. Just down the street from Social, we cozied up to strangers at a long bar peninsula and Lindsay and Sheri dug into a few rounds of oysters (I don't care for the bivalves). Lillie Foulé continued to sleep and when she did want to nurse, we just cozied up on a bench in front of the restaurant before heading back inside.<br />
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On Saturday we wandered the streets of Charleston one more time before packing up and heading south. I loved these swinging benches on the boardwalk and soaking up the sunshine and stretching my legs before the next part of our journey. Thankfully all of our driving was around 3 hours per stretch so we weren't cooped up in the car too long - and perfectly spaced for my baby girl's feedings and naps!<br />
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Posing here before a wedding party took portraits in front of this fountain. The bride and bridesmaids were wearing platform stiletto glitter heels! Oh my!<br />
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Next we headed to Savannah, Georgia to see our dear family friend, Marty. Marty owns <a href="https://www.savannahsmilesduelingpianos.com/">Savannah Smiles Dueling Piano Bar</a> and played Lillie Foulé's first dueling piano bar song - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFlsXgw_SFE">A New York State of Mind</a>. The lyrics seem appropriate for our trip (even though we were headed in the opposite direction of NY). We were, after all, on a holiday from the neighborhood :)<br />
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Then it was on to St. Augustine where we headed straight for <a href="http://www.a1aaleworks.com/?pg=location&sub=loc&location_id=20">A1A</a>, recommended by a friend of Sheri's. She didn't lead us astray as the food was delicious and the view beautiful (if only it hadn't been raining it would have been even better!). Lillie Foulé slept on the seat next to me while I dug into a delicious salmon and rice dish.<br />
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On our last day of the trip, Lindsay and Sheri dropped Lillie Foulé and I off at the Jacksonville airport for a (direct!) flight home. It was her first flight at just six weeks and so I was of course nervous as to how she would do. Thankfully, the lift off and descent were fine - she slept the whole time and nursed just a little as we lifted off but didn't seem to be bothered by the change in pressure. Lucky me!<br />
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Unrelated to our trip but I just love the bracelet my friend Margaret from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BayandBees?ref=shop_name_search_sugg">Bay and Bee</a>'s made for LF. What a unique and precious gift that we'll treasure for always! I can't wait until her little wrist chunks up enough for her to wear it!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654901997352444878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-32660358518028391742014-11-28T07:23:00.001-08:002014-11-28T07:24:14.469-08:00baby Bangoura: 29 to 38 weeks <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For posterity's sake - here I am at 29 and then 38 weeks. I can't list cravings or pains I had because I didn't have either. Toward the end I would get short of breath but other than that - this little bunny made pregnancy easy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Lindsay's bachelorette from our Airbnb rooftop deck in Washington, DC</td></tr>
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Last week Abdoulaye and I got to simultaneously experience <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/">Airbnb</a> as both host and guests (learn more about Airbnb and <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/help/getting-started/how-it-works">how it works here</a>). Since we host on Airbnb nearly full-time and try to use it for travel as often as we can, I think about Airbnb a lots. I almost always have either an email reminder that a guest is arriving or that a trip of ours is coming up in my inbox. And that's wonderful! But it's rare that we're both traveling (separately) and hosting at the same time, which is what made last weekend special. Here's how our three simultaneous Airbnb experiences played out:</div>
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<b>The scenarios: </b>My sister's bachelorette crew (there were 11 of us!) came to Washington, DC and we rented an awesome condo in Petworth to celebrate her pending nuptials. While I set up bridal banners and snacks, Abdoulaye got on a bus to New York with two buddies to visit friends of his from Guinea that are living in Harlem. And as I put the finishing touches on decorations and Abdoulaye unloaded in Penn Station and set out to find his Airbnb, Anke, a German woman visiting the US after being an au pair in the area 20 years ago, arrived at our home in Hyattsville for a week-long stay.</div>
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While our three uses of Airbnb were all quite different, there were definitely some common threads that ran throughout them all, which I detail below.</div>
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1. <b>Communicate! </b>Each of us had some sort of difficulty in either getting into or finding our Airbnb. My complication came from the fact that the management company renting our condo had two Jennifers checking in on the same day and so the representative got confused and thought we had already spoken multiple times. Oops! Abdoulaye had a hard time finding their Airbnb in Harlem, which, at 11:30pm, is not exactly fun. Anke hadn't checked her email before leaving where I detailed how she could get the key to our house (no one was home at the time). In all of these instances clearer, earlier communication would have been helpful and likely prevented the misunderstandings. In the end, everything worked out fine but the paths could have been a little smoother.</div>
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2. <b>Location, location, location.</b> What's awesome about Airbnb is how local you can make your experience. Each of us was looking for an Airbnb that wasn't just close to what we wanted to see and do - but also offered a unique living experience. With our condo in Petworth, we got to see what a DC neighborhood was like and could easily hop on the metro, which was just two blocks away. Abdoulaye and his friends got to see what living in Harlem was like without intruding on their friend's apartment (he didn't have room to host them himself). Anke appreciated living in our calm, quiet neighborhood where she, too, wasn't too far from public transportation and could talk with us about things to see and do in the city (when we got back from our weekends away!). It's great if you're already familiar with a place so you know where you want to stay but if you're not sure about the area, check out the reviews listed below the profile of the place you'd like to go to learn more.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture from Abdoulaye's trip to Harlem</td></tr>
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3. <b>A local experience. </b>Whenever we get a request from someone who wants to stay at our place, I wonder what made them choose Airbnb over a traditional hotel experience. Of course, cost is probably (definitely?) the #1 factor but beyond that, it's that people are looking to connect with others while traveling or to experience a city from a more local perspective. Since I recognize that's an important factor for myself while traveling, I want to do more to make our guests feel at home and get to know not only Washington, DC but also Hyattsville, MD, which is a pretty awesome city itself. I plan to detail more things to do in the area in our home's online profile and maybe when folks come I could set out a list of things happening in the area during their stay that they wouldn't know about without living here.</div>
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4. <b>Enjoy! </b>Sometimes travel means going to a place, setting down your bags and spending not much time in your hotel room. Sometimes travel means hunkering down in a luxury location where it's important that where you're staying is nice because that's your experience. Last weekend, we got a taste of both of those perspectives. It was important to me, and my sister, that we stay at a nice place where we could lounge around with her girlfriends but also visit the city. Abdoulaye wasn't as interested in finding a really nice place as he was in finding somewhere that had a clean bed and a bathroom. Anke wanted somewhere in between the two. Thanks to Airbnb - we all got what we wanted!</div>
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I think it's unlikely we'll experience a similar trifecta of separate travel and hosting in the future but I'm thankful for the experience and what it taught me about Airbnb. Using Airbnb to travel makes me a better host and more in tune with what others are seeking in their own experience. We're already looking forward to a trip in October to the Eastern Shore - I wish we could bring a soothing water experience to our own backyard!</div>
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If you're interested in either hosting or traveling with Airbnb, consider <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/c/jbangoura">using my link</a> to sign up!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654901997352444878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-47774874289715526992014-09-15T05:06:00.001-07:002014-09-15T05:18:07.134-07:00Hyattsville Arts Festival 2014<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eastcityart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/hyattville_artfair_insert1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eastcityart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/hyattville_artfair_insert1.gif" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take a stroll in Hyattsville; <a href="http://www.eastcityart.com/2011/07/13/apply-now-for-a-booth-at-the-fourth-annual-hyattville-arts-festival-september-24-2011/">Image Source</a></td></tr>
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A couple of months ago I signed up on the <a href="http://www.pgparks.com/Things_To_Do/Volunteer_Opportunities.htm">Prince George's County Volunteer</a> website to find an organization in the area who needed some additional hands on deck. Lucky for me, the <a href="http://arts.pgparks.com/Our_Facilities/Brentwood_Arts_Exchange_Gateway_Arts_Center.htm">Brentwood Arts Exchange</a> (BAE) called a couple weeks ago to see if I could help out at their booth for the <a href="http://hyattsvilleartsfestival.com/">Hyattsville Arts Festival</a>, which took place this past weekend (September 13th from 11-5) in downtown Hyattsville. I toured the festival in the morning with Abdoulaye, Loretta (dear work friend) and her roommate before joining the BAE table in the afternoon. And even though it wasn't hot, I still got a key lime popsicle from <a href="http://www.picnicpops.com/">Picnic Pops </a>before getting a chai from <a href="http://vigilantecoffee.com/">Vigilante Coffee</a> - what a treat!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eastcityart.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/brentwood_summercall_insert.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eastcityart.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/brentwood_summercall_insert.gif" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brentwood Arts Exchange; <a href="http://www.eastcityart.com/2012/07/17/brentwood-arts-exchange-call-for-proposalsexhibition-applications/">Image Source</a></td></tr>
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The booths, which featured over 150 vendors, were fantastic and filled with local, Hyattsville-area artists and craftspeople. My first purchase was for my mom for her birthday (shh, don't tell her!) from <a href="http://bellaartmosaics.com/">Bella Art Mosaics</a>. I know you're reading, Mom, so I won't put up a picture or describe what awaits you but I think you're going to love it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jordanshackelford.com/blog/assets/0_0_0_0_341_228_csupload_51006681.jpg?u=634867699067718555" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.jordanshackelford.com/blog/assets/0_0_0_0_341_228_csupload_51006681.jpg?u=634867699067718555" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jay Durrah painting the original of the print I purchased; <a href="http://www.jordanshackelford.com/blog/2012/10/25/Jay-Durrah-the-Painter.aspx">Image Source</a></td></tr>
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I loved standing at the BAE booth and chatting with strangers and familiar faces alike. We've been in Hyattsville a year and I'm slowly starting to make neighbor friends/acquaintances, which makes our little city feel even smaller. The BAE booth was adjacent to <a href="http://jaydurrahsart.com/">Jay Durrah</a>'s booth and I absolutely loved his work. I debated getting one of his prints and finally called Abdoulaye to make sure it was OK before taking the (fabulous!) plunge. I hung it in our living room as soon as I got home and am already so thankful - the print is perfect.<br />
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Just a few booths down from Jay's booth was the <a href="http://hopehoney.com/">Hope Honey Farm</a> where I met Maggie who produces Certified Naturally Grown honey from her backyard in Hyattsville. As I purchased five bars of soap (lavender & lemon cake, frozen and pumpkin spice), we joked that her bees probably fed on my greenery and then I was coming back to buy the fruits of their labor! It was not only wonderful to make a great purchase (if I have self-control, I'll give most of them away as gifts and not hoard them!), but to also meet a neighbor. She even uses <a href="http://www.rspo.org/">Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil</a> (RSPO) certified palm oil; work would be proud!<br />
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My last purchase was from <a href="http://www.kmmsart.com/">Karla's Mixed Media Studio</a> - a gorgeous print of the silhouette of a woman in orange with a handwritten quote surrounding her body 'All I can do is all I can do and all I can do is enough.' As soon as I hung Jay's print, I found a frame for Karla's and hung it on the wall as well.<br />
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I was disappointed to miss the arts festival last year and even though it was a bit of a drizzy day this past Saturday, the festival was worth the year-long wait! I'm already looking forward to helping out at other events featuring BAE and going to the Hyattsville Arts Festival in 2015. If I plan better, I can stock up on gifts for the whole year in one go!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10654901997352444878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-40642158880504807512014-08-21T01:49:00.004-07:002014-08-21T01:49:42.053-07:00Wollersheim Time 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-COaWzgyeH04/U_WogxJ3grI/AAAAAAAAC7k/7ksxTR4HElE/s1600/4156_543370264731_4771980_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-COaWzgyeH04/U_WogxJ3grI/AAAAAAAAC7k/7ksxTR4HElE/s1600/4156_543370264731_4771980_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you taste the sweat and dust? In our taxi on the way to Guinea & Sierra Leone - April 2009</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">After living and loving in </span><a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2014/08/two-are-better-than-one-albuquerque.html" style="text-align: left;">Albuquerque, NM</a><span style="text-align: left;"> for Esther & Alaric's wedding</span><span style="text-align: left;">, I headed to Phoenix, AZ to see my buds Joe & Ashley - and their (now two!) babies, Mia & Tucker. I already waxed poetic about how I know Joe and Ashley </span><a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2011/12/got-moves-in-phoenix-arizona.html" style="text-align: left;">in this post</a><span style="text-align: left;"> when I s</span><a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2011/12/living-on-wollersheim-time.html" style="text-align: left;">pent ten days</a><span style="text-align: left;"> with the Wollersheims in 2011 (wowsas - y'all are some generous friends letting me crash that long!).</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_l9SoHPy0GA/U_WohjFD8OI/AAAAAAAAC7c/mths0A-LE9U/s1600/4156_543370619021_1393850_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_l9SoHPy0GA/U_WohjFD8OI/AAAAAAAAC7c/mths0A-LE9U/s1600/4156_543370619021_1393850_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just living the dream on Banana Island in Sierra Leone</td></tr>
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Back in 2011 I wondered what it would be like to visit with the Wollersheims in the US - since all of our friendship initially revolved around Mali. Of course, I wonder no more and am so thankful to have such dear friends who knew me during such an impactful period of my life. I loved going down this rabbit hole of memories, too - so many good times.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1i2VCzNKwio/U_WoflmVMvI/AAAAAAAAC7Q/1GZiHGRkDxQ/s1600/26756_562263138261_8151915_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1i2VCzNKwio/U_WoflmVMvI/AAAAAAAAC7Q/1GZiHGRkDxQ/s1600/26756_562263138261_8151915_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That time Joe convinced us climbing Hombori was no big deal. </td></tr>
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This trip, I just spent two days in Phoenix but we still packed a lot in! We went to Mexican with Ashley's brother, Bubba, and his wife, Becky, to celebrate Ash's birthday and then spent the next day traveling to Sedona and soaking up the cliffs (while eating ice cream :) I loved getting to know Tucker (who was just three months old when he came to our wedding in 2013!) and seeing how much Mia has grown since I met her when she was just seven months old back in 2011. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wCdy4_ZbAWA/U_WogU0ushI/AAAAAAAAC7s/1_52KR5WW7w/s1600/26756_562263183171_2219309_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wCdy4_ZbAWA/U_WogU0ushI/AAAAAAAAC7s/1_52KR5WW7w/s1600/26756_562263183171_2219309_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the most epic pictures I've ever taken.</td></tr>
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While our lives have changed considerably since Mali (even since our visit in 2011!), and instead of eating stale bread and laughing cow cheese on the top of Hombori or in the back of a taxi on the way to Guinea we were eating cheese sticks and ginger ale in Joe & Ashley's pool - our friendship has been a true constant. It is such a blessing to have lifelong friends like Joe & Ashley and to be a part of their lives as their family grows. I'm already looking forward to our next visit!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--OdR1UwEs6U/U_Wm3SfBgPI/AAAAAAAAC6o/iWpviThzfVg/s1600/P8107619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--OdR1UwEs6U/U_Wm3SfBgPI/AAAAAAAAC6o/iWpviThzfVg/s1600/P8107619.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
And now here we are five years later - two Wollersheim babies out and one Bangoura baby on the way! My oh my how life changes in beautiful ways!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tFUigrEclZA/U_Wm3LybE8I/AAAAAAAAC6c/oMmaeaZ_U0M/s1600/P8107636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tFUigrEclZA/U_Wm3LybE8I/AAAAAAAAC6c/oMmaeaZ_U0M/s1600/P8107636.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beauties!</td></tr>
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Some of my favorite parts of the trip include: sharing a room with Tucker and him waking up in the morning in his crib, me rolling over to look at him and then him starting to grin like the little sweet pea that he is; Mia asking me if I was able to get ready quickly so we could go swimming (in nearly matching bathing suits no less!); and Mia asking on our way home from Sedona when Jenny (me) would be going home...hah!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n9WhLssimYA/U_Wm3qXkLKI/AAAAAAAAC6g/hqCJb-BhKho/s1600/P8117637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n9WhLssimYA/U_Wm3qXkLKI/AAAAAAAAC6g/hqCJb-BhKho/s1600/P8117637.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making cleaning out the dishwasher better since 2013</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4H5T8XaZb9s/U_Wm5EU2FvI/AAAAAAAAC6s/4_DVky_8BQU/s1600/P8117663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4H5T8XaZb9s/U_Wm5EU2FvI/AAAAAAAAC6s/4_DVky_8BQU/s1600/P8117663.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnP68KWsRfc/U_Wm6Q7tz7I/AAAAAAAAC68/FforORsCvHc/s1600/P8117693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnP68KWsRfc/U_Wm6Q7tz7I/AAAAAAAAC68/FforORsCvHc/s1600/P8117693.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sedona</td></tr>
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See more pictures from my trip <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100126602883861.1073741861.26000487&type=1&l=ba9b9be270">here</a>!<br /><br /></div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-80294837905774969342014-08-18T04:11:00.002-07:002014-08-18T06:10:05.399-07:00Two are better than one: An Albuquerque Wedding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albuquerque sunrise</td></tr>
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Last week I had the honor of attending, and participating in, Esther and Alaric's wedding in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Aside from placing part of my foot in New Mexico in the summer of 2000 (or was it '99?) at t<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Corners">he four corners</a>, I had never been to New Mexico before. I loved the chance to visit Esther and Alaric's new home together and to get to know, albeit briefly, some of their closest family and friends over the three days of wedding festivities.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ObIFcbcuy14/U_HNhbIvpfI/AAAAAAAAC6A/DQAaFjThl0s/s1600/1933842_552144431231_5758669_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ObIFcbcuy14/U_HNhbIvpfI/AAAAAAAAC6A/DQAaFjThl0s/s1600/1933842_552144431231_5758669_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">October 2009 - Mali</td></tr>
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But let me start from the beginning. I met Esther and Alaric in July 2008 when I joined the Peace Corps and moved to Mali. We not only spent two years in the same wonderful country, we also lived in the same region of Mali - San - and spent most of the American holidays - and quite a few volunteer house parties - together over our two years of service. I would love to recap all of our adventures here but I realized I already have in some old blog posts! <br />
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Esther, Cassie and I had a lot of good times together including <a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2009/10/give-or-gain.html">visiting Cassie's village</a> for Ramadan in 2009 and <a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2009/11/guinea-fowl-trot-and-treat-2009.html">riding our bikes</a> the 60 miles from Esther's site to San to celebrate Thanksgiving in November of the same year. We <a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2010/06/moringa-with-djelika.html">filmed a video </a>about Moringa in my village and <a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2010/06/house-of-friends.html">visited the nicest eco-tourism resort</a> in Mali. Of course our most epic creation was our <a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2010/06/we-took-philly-flight-headin-mali-bound.html">close-of-service video</a>. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhKo4gT59QE/U_HNixy0BRI/AAAAAAAAC6I/D82p1kvJeEU/s1600/1933842_552144311471_3801606_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhKo4gT59QE/U_HNixy0BRI/AAAAAAAAC6I/D82p1kvJeEU/s1600/1933842_552144311471_3801606_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">October 2009</td></tr>
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In Albuquerque, I had the chance to visit the downtown area and the <a href="http://www.sandiapeak.com/">Sandia Peak Tramway</a> with some of Esther's lovely friends before attending the <a href="http://www.culturalindia.net/weddings/wedding-rituals/mehndi-ceremony.html">Mehndi ceremony</a> on Thursday and the <a href="http://web.stanford.edu/~gopi/personal/wedding/faq/">Garba celebration </a>on Friday. On Saturday morning, vendors set up shop outside of our hotel (<a href="http://www.thehotelblue.com/">The Hotel Blue</a>, which was great) for their weekly <a href="http://downtowngrowers.com/">farmers market</a>. Some of my favorite vendors were <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/MissCharlieBean">Miss Charlie Bean </a>and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/babyblastoff">Baby Blastoff</a>. I highly recommend hitting up the market if you're visiting Albuquerque, it was definitely a highlight!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rehearsing</td></tr>
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The wedding took place on Saturday at the <a href="http://fumconline.org/default.aspx">First United Methodist Church</a> with a reception at the <a href="http://www.hotelandaluz.com/">Hotel Andaluz,</a> which took me back to <a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2009/08/rgizlaine-and-brahims-wedding-in.html">Rgizlaine's wedding</a> with all the intricate Moroccan-influenced architecture. Esther and Alaric asked Cassie and I to do a reading from Eccelesiastes 4: 9-12 during their ceremony - but to read it in Bambara - what an honor! A friend in Mali helped us out at the last minute with the following passage because while a friend here had a Bambara bible, we didn't know which chapter in Bambara corresponded to Ecclesiastes (it's Waajulikela if you're wondering :)<br />
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From Eccelesiastes 4: 9-12:<br />
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Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.</blockquote>
In Bambara:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mogo fila ka fisa ni mogo kelen ye, k'a ma soro u be tono gnuman soro u ka barra la. Ni u la kelen binna, do be se ka a lawuli. Nga ni mogo kelen binna, o ye bone ye sabu mogo si te yen k'a lawuli. O cogo la ni mogo fila be da nogon kerefe, u fila be nene bo nogon na nga nin kelen don, o be se ka nene bo a yere fari la cogodi? Ni bin kannikela binna mogo kelen te se. Jurukise saba melekelen nogon na o tige man di.</blockquote>
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I love any opportunity to go down the rabbit hole of my old Mali blog posts, pictures and memory lane and Esther and Alaric's wedding is one of the best excuses yet. We have so many wonderful memories together and it was such a blessing to witness their marriage. Just over six years ago we all got on the same flight headed to Mali - I don't think any of us could have predicted where that journey would take us six years later :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giving baby girl some love!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much love for my San-kaw!</td></tr>
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See more pictures from my trip to New Mexico <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100132839805021.1073741862.26000487&type=1&l=6c0d73db7c">here</a>!</div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-22806976746688730332014-07-11T11:38:00.001-07:002014-07-11T11:41:25.162-07:00baby Bangoura: 7-19 weeks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">telling Mom & John the news.</td></tr>
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When we found out we were expecting a baby back in March, I knew I wanted to take pictures every week with the corresponding fruit size of the baby (for all those who don't/didn't know - you can sign up for emails and each week they email you and let you know your baby has graduated from the size of a blueberry to a raspberry to a mango and so on). There are examples all over Pinterest but one of the photographers I follow <a href="http://rebekahhoytblog.com/alis-baby-belly/">put this post up</a> and I loved what she had done.<br />
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Not much happens in the beginning (in terms of the belly growing) and then all of a sudden you're showing so we skipped from week 7 to week 19 (OK, might have been some, oops, we forgot happening there, too) but just imagine me getting incrementally bigger from week 7 to 19 and you'll know what I looked like. <br />
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7 weeks and the size of a blueberry to 19 weeks an the size of a mango. </div>
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For posterity's sake, I want to remember here some of my favorite parts of the pregnancy so far:<br />
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<b>Finding out!</b> I took the test and it immediately made that little plus sign (much to my surprise though Abdoulaye said he already knew I was pregnant). Abdoulaye was making coffee and getting ready to leave for work when I peeked out of the bathroom with a big ol' grin on my face. I called the doctor that morning to set up a pre-natal appointment and I said, "I think I'm pregnant..." "Did you take a pregnancy test?" the nurse asked. "Yes!" "Was it positive?" "Yes!" "Did you miss a cycle?" "Yes!" "Then you're pregnant!" <br />
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<b>Telling family and friends.</b> Marija offered me a glass of wine and I said no and she said "You're pregnant!" This was quite early on so let it be known that if you want to conceal your pregnancy, don't hang around Marija. Cassie and I were at <a href="http://bigmenthemovie.com/">this movie </a>when I told her and we squealed over the news while sharing candy. Kate was in the baby section of Target when I called and was so, so happy. When we told Sheri, Lindsay & Dan, Abdoulaye said "We have some news." They nodded. "We're moving to Virginia!" They looked puzzled. "Just joking. Jennifer's pregnant." Heads cocked to the side. Mrs. Shellnutt was picking me up at the Tampa airport and said I was taking too long and costing her money on parking as I walked through the gate. Then she saw my belly!<br />
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<b>Going to pre-natal appointments with some of my favorite treasures.</b> <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2014/05/family-frolics-foundry.html">Mom & Memaw</a> came to my 9 week check-up and we saw the baby for the first time (sort of, it was still pretty murky); Marija came to my 12-week appointment and bawled/sobbed at little baby Bangoura when I had another sonogram and Cassie came to my 14-week and we got to hear the heartbeat (now the nurses/doctor wonder where my posse is when I come to appointments alone). Abdoulaye has come with me to my specialist ultrasound appointments where they take pictures of all the baby's parts. We found out we're having a girl on Wednesday (at my 20-week appointment) and were totally surprised. Lots of folks thought it was a boy!<br />
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<b>Enjoying the now and getting ready for what comes next.</b> Thankfully, so far I've felt great. No morning sickness. My back feels fine. I can get around OK. But I know it's just the beginning and summer isn't over yet and I'm getting bigger by the day. It's been such a blessing to be surrounded by loving family & friends for the beginning of this new chapter of our lives and to experience the support of colleagues and neighbors. Thank you!!<br />
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And since Abdoulaye finds the expression "<i>We're</i> pregnant" puzzling/humorous, and I take practice shots on him to get the lighting/position right for my photo shoot, here are some outtakes from my fruit shots with my handsome husband. </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">7 weeks and the size of a blueberry to 19 weeks an the size of a mango. Everyone tells him he looks fantastic.</span></div>
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Any and all baby/pregnancy suggestions are welcome - goodness knows folks let the advice pour in when that belly starts sticking out! :) :) </div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-84965858409450325712014-07-07T18:59:00.000-07:002014-07-07T19:14:28.931-07:00Happy 4th of July!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Our little sparkler.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-very-merry-fourth.html"> Last year</a>, Cassie and I spent the morning of the 4th of July making American & Guinean flag cakes (that American/Guinean children begrudgingly ate) for a Guinean 4th of July party. <br />
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This year, we spent the morning picking blueberries & beets at <a href="http://www.pickyourown.com/">Larriland Farms</a>, the afternoon watching the B<a href="http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/4/video/1932880?&ex_cid=espnapi_affiliate_Google_World_Cup_Video">razil vs Colombia World Cup match</a> and the evening watching the fireworks from the <a href="https://www.afrh.gov/afrh/wash/washcampus.htm">Armed Forces Retirement Home</a> (AFRH). I wouldn't have had it any other way.<br />
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I forgot my camera's memory card at home for our trip to the farm so I don't have any pictures but imagine lots of blueberries, raspberries & beets. And sunshine. And smiles. And then we got BBQ from <a href="http://www.lisbontowngrill.com/index.html">the Town Grill</a> - a must visit if you're headed out to Larriland Farms or Howard County.<br />
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The World Cup game was actually the first one I watched all the way through and it wasn't a disappointment (sorry, Colombia!). I always enjoy Africa is a Country's reviews and their summaries of the World Cup do not disappoint - especially <a href="http://africasacountry.com/brazilians-are-used-to-this/">this post</a> about racism in Brazil (sorry to read <a href="http://africasacountry.com/thank-you-associated-press/">this post</a> about the AP stealing their content).<br />
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The AFRH was such a treasure! Beautiful views of the DC skyline, food trucks, parking and views of fireworks on the Mall and in the neighborhood. It was also an appropriate location to remind me of the reason we celebrate the 4th of July and the men and women who serve our country. <br />
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Who knows what our next 4th of July will bring? There'll be one more of us along for the ride to celebrate - hopefully we can go berry picking and see the fireworks again from the AFRH.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cassie promised us she would spend every 4th of July with us so we could take the same couch picture (see 2013).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Come on, those smiles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peeks of the fireworks on the Mall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street fireworks going off nearby.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-very-merry-fourth.html">Fourth of July 2013</a><br />
<a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/07/fourth-in-review.html">Fourth of July 2012</a><br />
<a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-july-7th-and-belated-4th.html">Fourth of July 2011</a><br />
<a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2010/07/dolphin-fins.html">Fourth of July 2010 </a><br />
<a href="http://jenniferinmali.blogspot.com/2009/07/who-would-have-thought.html">Fourth of July 2009</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AFRH.</td></tr>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-39628745517973428942014-05-10T04:47:00.004-07:002014-05-10T04:49:28.077-07:00Family, Frolics & Foundry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A couple of weeks ago Mom and Memaw took the Amtrak up to DC to spend a weekend with Abdoulaye and me. Well, mostly me since Abdoulaye was hard at work fixing up our basement (hence the limited amount of photos, ahem, none, with my handsome husband). We visited a nearby lake, tidied house (Mom re-alphabatized our spice rack, among other handy putzing contributions), had dinner with friends and visited the church where Memaw grew up, was married and where my Mom was baptized. Whew. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.greenbeltmd.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Buddy-Attick-Lake-Park-7">Buddy Attick Lake Park</a> (Greenbelt, Maryland)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little babies (Marija, I think this is my new favorite picture of us, thank you!!)</td></tr>
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One of my favorite parts about Memaw coming to visit is seeing Washington, DC through her eyes. When she inevitably shares with a friend, new or old, that she grew up in DC, they always ask thoughtful questions about her time here and tease out stories I've heard over and over again but that truly never get old. <br />
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Having Mom and Memaw around is like having home come visit you. I don't have to work to entertain them and they are perfectly happy sitting on the loveseat in the sunroom reading their books with a glass of wine. They're also lovely mini-adventure companions - with Memaw interjecting stories of her time as a little girl, and then student at George Washington University, on the streets of our nation's capital. It's lovely, too, to be with two ladies who are as enamored with our little bungalow as I am and who gush just as much about Abdoulaye as I do :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three generations of matching little nubby noses</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting <a href="http://www.foundryumc.org/">Foundry United Methodist Church</a> where Memaw was raised (and where she was married)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Visiting Foundry UMC was a real treat -and not just because of the 200 years of history (this year!) that fill the sanctuary. <a href="http://www.royalafricansociety.org/blog/interview-robtel-pailey">Robtel Pailey</a>, a PhD candidate at the University of London, delivered the sermon, <a href="http://www.foundryumc.org/sermons/robtel-pailey-train-child-way">which you can listen to here</a>. Ms. Pailey attended Foundry with her family while growing up after she and her family came to the US from Liberia. After graduating from college in DC, she went on to "serve <span style="line-height: 20px;">as special assistant for communications to President Ellen Johnson Sirlea</span><span style="line-height: 20px;">f." (see more of her writing <a href="http://thinkafricapress.com/author/robtel-neajai-pailey">here</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/profile/robtel-neajai-pailey">here</a>). How neat! I loved learning about her path in life and her roots at Foundry and imagining her growing up as a little girl in the same church as my grandmother and how their lives, though incredibly different, had a similar base in a church that welcomes so many people from so many backgrounds. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abdoulaye is disappointed I asked them to take the bus. DC public transport adventure!</td></tr>
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I did get a little teary-eyed putting these two little nuggets on the train on Monday - it gets harder and harder to say goodbye! We had a lovely lunch together at Union Station and then I left them at the waiting area in the Amtrak station, paper-back novels in one hand and the other waving goodbye to me, cupped and flapping up and down. </div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-41652158598419667972014-03-18T05:19:00.003-07:002014-03-18T05:19:28.894-07:00Lucky in love: Virginia Beach Shamrock 8k <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While we're packed in close to 4 inches of snow here in DC, I'm warmed thinking of our weekend in Virginia Beach. Cassie, Abdoulaye and I loaded into our car on Friday evening to head down to VB for the Shamrock 8k (and to cheer on my sister-in-law, Courtney, who ran the 1/2 marathon).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abdoulaye wearing a medal before the race to get into the spirit!</td></tr>
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When we arrived at the starting corrals on Saturday morning, we scanned the crowd for familiar faces and where we could slip in with our starting group. As we looked around, I saw a man who looked like an elite, African runner (tiny frame, seemed freezing in the 70 degree temps). At the same time, his eyes landed on Abdoulaye and he bee-lined his way over to us. I wouldn't say he gave Abdoulaye elevator eyes to check him out but it was close. We all greeted one another and then Edward, as we later learned was his name, asked Abdoulaye "what is your time?" to which Abdoulaye replied, "not so fast." We all laughed as we realized Edward thought Abdoulaye was a fellow elite runner and wanted to know his mile time. He told us he was living in New Mexico (to train in high altitude) and here with three other Kenyans for the marathon the following day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a pontoon ride after the race with my treasures :)</td></tr>
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While Abdoulaye didn't win the race - he did beat everyone in the family except Dan, my soon to be brother-in-law who is a serious athlete. I ran my best and was encouraged by Cassie who is a steady runner and didn't let me slow down :) Thankfully the wind wasn't too harsh and the day was as close to perfect for running as you can get.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cap'n Morgan and his trusty crew</td></tr>
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After the race we loaded into Dad & Sheri's new pontoon boat for a spin on Linkhorn Bay. Lisa and Louise joined us as well (they're running with us next year! - right, Lisa??) and loved soaking up the rays and checking out <a href="http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/first-landing.shtml">First Landing State Park</a> (though I'll never stop calling it Seashore State Park). <br />
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On our trip to Virginia Beach <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-little-bunny-three-weeks-old.html">last year</a>, Jarrett was just three weeks old - now he's 12 months and 3 weeks and looking at him feels like seeing the past year on fast forward. I'm already looking forward to next year's race!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lindsay and me with our nephew, Jarrett, in 2013 - less than a month old!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 :)</td></tr>
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See more pictures from this year's Shamrock race <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.973331119731.1073741849.26000487&type=1&l=eee199e014">here </a>and last year's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.832370401141.1073741829.26000487&type=1&l=9f7a5a8fda">here</a></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-44056395296781372022014-02-13T20:29:00.001-08:002014-02-13T20:29:12.042-08:00Days of love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Abdoulaye is with his family in Guinea until next week. Until then, I'm celebrating my favorite Valentine from afar and giving thanks for all the loves in my life. Every day is a day to celebrate love!</div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-81103260520588960542014-02-12T19:51:00.001-08:002014-02-12T19:54:10.033-08:00Trifles to Treasures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday I completed the requirements for my <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/02/talking-bout-people-sit-master-of-arts.html">Master of Arts in International Education</a> from the <a href="http://www.sit.edu/graduate/">SIT Graduate Institute</a>. Two years really did fly by and while I'm thankful to be done, I will miss the interactions with my cohort on our assignments. Of course, most of the folks in my cohort have gone from being acquaintances to friends so I look forward to keeping in touch!</div>
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You know what else I look forward to? More crafting and treasure-making (and blogging!). See below for my latest creations! I've been on the hunt for matching nightstands with drawers (not too big, not too small, not expensive) and finally found two nightstands (one red, one blue) in moderate condition at <a href="http://www.communityforklift.com/">Community Forklift</a>. Now is a great time to go there since it's the middle of winter and folks don't want to leave their cozy homes to buy home improvement supplies in a cold warehouse. Lucky for me these solid wood babies were 1/2 off and just needed a little sanding, priming and painting (I made that sound way faster than it was...these took me awhile to refinish :)<br />
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-25412181481759477552013-12-08T22:22:00.000-08:002013-12-08T22:25:23.130-08:00one year here!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear Abdoulaye,<br />
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We (or is it I?) stopped counting the days you have been in the US a long time ago. For awhile there, time was marked in the passing days, then weeks, then months and now, it's been a year that you've been here. You said today that when you stop counting time, it moves faster. I don't think the passing of time is different but this year has certainly been one on the move. <br />
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Early in the morning on December 8th, 2012 we got on a plane in Dakar, Senegal - your freshly minted fiancé visa in hand - and prepared for touch down in Washington, DC. I, of course, slept the whole way while you watched movies and tried to get some sleep here and there. <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/12/this-will-be-our-year.html">That morning</a> was a blur of family and snacks and moving into our apartment with Cassie and taking lots of pictures. I couldn't wait to share this part of me with you. I was nervous and excited and curious to see - what would our relationship be like 3,000 miles from where we first started? How do you prepare for something that you don't need to prepare for?<br />
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I love looking through the pictures on my blog - our outfits haven't changed much throughout the year but we sure do have some big ol' smiles. I know that if all of our moments were captured on camera, they wouldn't all be smiles. The harder times are just as important to remember as the good but they don't always photograph as well :)<br />
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When we have friends and family over for dinner or meet someone at a restaurant, I love watching you talk and tell stories and laugh - you have adapted to life here so well though it doesn't seem like you have to try; you just are. I sometimes try to think back and remember what your conversations with others were like before you spoke English so well but I'm drawing a blank; I can't remember.<br />
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It's late at night, or early in the morning, and the rain outside is washing away the first snow from our front yard of our<a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2013/06/write-my-ticket.html"> first home</a> together as I write. I remember when you first got here, from my memory and <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/12/i-am-with-you-kid-lets-go.html">my blog</a>, and how I would ask you so frequently "What do you think??" and how eager I was to hear your impressions of America - like when you saw your <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2013/01/abdoulayes-first-snow.html">first snow</a>. I can't remember the last time I asked you that, do you? Now when you share your experiences, they come as stories from work or the grocery store or the metro. They're just stories of your life - of our life - and I love hearing them.<br />
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Last night we shared the love seat in the tv room - you were watching videos of babies laughing hysterically at dogs and old Jimmy Kimmel episodes while I put the finishing touches on the final draft of my capstone thesis. I'm so looking forward to when I can snuggle up with you and watch goofy videos without feeling guilty that I should be working on school assignments. <br />
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This whole weekend I felt like your first year in the US needed to be marked with toasts at dinner or frequent mention of the date - but it's hard to celebrate an obscure date like this and I felt a little like I was grasping at straws. <br />
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I can hear the space heater going in our bedroom from where I'm sitting and I can picture you snuggled in bed, likely wearing one of your winter coats to add another protective layer from our sometimes drafty room. You'll wake up earlier than me to get to work - my words aren't enough to express how proud I am of you for working so hard for our family. You tackle situations on a daily basis that I wouldn't want to handle and I'm so thankful you do it all with such grace and a positive attitude.<br />
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When I remind friends, co-workers and family that it's been a year since you've been here, they tilt their head back, mentally counting the months or thinking about the passing time and then, inevitably, shake their heads and say - the time really flies, huh? 8,766 hours, 365 days, 12 months. I'm no longer counting all of those - but I will count the years. And with you, sweet Abdoulaye, the years really count.<br />
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All my love,<br />
Jennifer</div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-16581963804985553652013-11-29T08:20:00.000-08:002013-11-29T08:20:09.713-08:00thankful.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As we unpacked our groceries, Abdoulaye handed me the turkey and said, "It's our first turkey together!", which made me have this little heart-burst feeling inside and give him a look that is kind of like a wince/cry face but is intended to show my joy. Clearly I had succeeded in communicating how important Thanksgiving is to me to my precious husband. <br />
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Last week, we had to call my parents and let them know we wouldn't be coming home, as originally planned, to celebrate Thanksgiving because Abdoulaye had to work on Friday & Saturday (they have over 100 dogs at the vet hospital where he works!). I was disappointed we wouldn't be spending my favorite holiday of the year with them - especially when they're not so far away - but I also couldn't leave Abdoulaye for his first American Thanksgiving - and so we decided to celebrate at our home just outside of DC.<br />
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On Wednesday night I pulled up the Thanksgiving recipes I pinned on Pinterest and read them over - it was time to get cracking on the brine for the turkey! I prepared our little friend for consumption and got to making the rolls - Thanksgiving was shaping up to be delicious. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our West African (and Virginian/Marylandian) delegation.</td></tr>
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Thursday morning, with our guest list totaling 5, Abdoulaye and I changed our plans from having a little party at our place to joining Aaron and Elaina for their Thanksgiving festivities - our best move of the day! After getting in a great nap (me) and watching a movie with the boys (Abdoulaye), we headed over to our turkey day hosts' home.<br />
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It was such a treat to join our family traditions (I brought sherbet and cranberry juice!) and celebrate with dear friends for whom I am truly thankful. I looked back, just for kicks, to my Thanksgiving <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/11/no-day-that-wont-arrive.html">post </a>from last year and I can remember how anxious I was as I prepared to leave for Senegal and attend Abdoulaye's <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/12/operation-k-1-fiance-visa-part-one.html">fiancé</a> <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/2012/12/operation-k-1-fiance-visa-part-2.html">visa</a> interview. This year, Abdoulaye carved the turkey and we cut a pumpkin pie together after the meal was over.<br />
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This year, and every day, I'm thankful for a lot of things. I'm thankful for the men and women who serve our country (in so many capacities!) like my brother-in-law to be, Dan, and my best-friend-in law, Tony, and my friends in the foreign service. I'm thankful for my handsome husband who finds ways to make me feel special in remarkable and unremarkable ways. I'm thankful for our home and our dear friends who fill our life with love and joy and a family that wraps us up in love. I like to think I celebrate Thanksgiving all year long - and I am certainly a proponent of having an attitude of gratitude - but I appreciate Thanksgiving as a reminder to be truly thankful all year long. Hurrah for this day of thanks!<br />
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A conversation with Muhamed, a Guinean friend, pretty much sums up the day. He asked for a few clarifying points on Thanksgiving before we packed up our car to head over for dinner. <br />
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Muhamed:So, what happens when we finish eating? Is there a ceremony or...?<br />
Me: Nope, we just eat and then sit and talk and then eat dessert.<br />
Muhamed: Well, how would you compare it to a holiday in Guinea?<br />
Me: Um. Well, it's kind of like Tabaski? Except it's not a religious holiday and we just eat. <br />
Muhamed (to the group): Eh, Americans like their holidays!!<br />
Me: Yes, yes, we do.<br />
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More pictures from our day <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jennifermorgandavis/media_set?set=a.931550084261.1073741842.26000487&type=1">here</a>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One good-looking group of people.</td></tr>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-70425669272274165292013-11-10T06:01:00.001-08:002013-11-10T06:06:30.267-08:00An Amani Ya Juu Holiday Season!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Are you struggling as much as I am with what Christmas or holiday gifts to get for friends and family? I'm not only struggling with <i>what </i>to get folks but really from <i>where</i> to get them. On the one hand, I've been trying (key word: trying!) to adopt a <a href="http://bemorewithless.com/fightspending/">more minimalist</a> approach to life. Less clutter and tschokes around the house means less clutter and tschokes to clean or arrange. Do I really need more <i>stuff</i>?</div>
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And yet, I do want to share a little something with certain family and friends who I think might really appreciate a special gift. Cue <a href="http://www.amaniafrica.org/">Amani Ya Juu</a>. I stumbled across their shop in Mt. Pleasant in Washington, DC <a href="http://triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com/search?q=amani+ya+juu">last summer</a> while I was subletting a room in the neighborhood. The shop itself is quite compact and yet they've managed to stock it with quality, hand-crafted goods sourced from Sub-Saharan Africa and women's collectives, providing training and employment to women in need and desire of both.</div>
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From their <a href="http://www.amaniafrica.org/about-us">website</a>:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545252; font-family: Calibri, 'Droid Sans', Verdana, 'Arial sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.71875px; text-align: justify;">Amani began in 1996 with four women sewing placemats together in Nairobi. Since then, Amani has grown to over 100 women representing ethnic groups and experiences from all across Africa. As women return to their homelands, they carry Amani with them. Amani has established a presence of peace in five African nations (Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia, and Uganda) and two US cities (Washington, DC and Chattanooga, TN). Each Amani center is locally registered and independently managed with support from an international leadership team.</span></blockquote>
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This Sunday (November 17th) and again on November 24th, Abdoulaye and I will be hosting <a href="http://www.amaniafrica.org/volunteers">Amani Sales</a> in our home from 2-5. We'd love for you to join us for tea and some snacks and to hang out and peruse some of Amani's gorgeous offerings. Check out their website for some of what Amani <a href="http://www.amaniafrica.org/shop-fair-trade">has to offer</a>.</div>
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Is there anything you'd especially like to see offered at our sale? Let me know in the comments below! Disclaimer: this isn't a commissioned sale - so no pressure to buy anything! We're hosting because we like Amani's mission and way of doing business and want to do our part to help support their purpose:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545252; font-family: Calibri, 'Droid Sans', Verdana, 'Arial sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.71875px; text-align: justify;">Amani is committed to holistic development. Women gain experience in stitching, quality control, purchasing, bookkeeping, management and design. As new women enter the program they are mentored in quality workmanship with strong emphasis on ethical business practices and harmonious relationships with people of different backgrounds.</span></blockquote>
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Avoid the mall this holiday season and if you're inclined to purchase treasures, come on over and get them from the comfort of our home. Contact me at jennifermorgandavis [at] gmail [dot] com for our address and/or questions. I hope to see you soon!</div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-42898477485727029852013-10-18T09:46:00.001-07:002013-10-18T09:49:08.462-07:00going home where you are.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past (long) weekend I went to visit Kate, one of my oldest friends. She has known me since I got chased by bullies around our portable classroom in the 5th grade to when we chased boys in high school and now as we chase our dreams in cities far away from one another. <br />
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It's such a delightful feeling to go home to somebody. As we move around, our homes change and the people around us are different but there is that lovely feeling of familiarity with a friend who has known you through so much. <br />
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We spent the weekend watching TV shows, catching up on family stories, going on walks around the block and snuggling with her French bull dog, Cash. We did all this while drinking diet Dr. Pepper and eating cookies leftover from a care package for her husband, Tony, who is currently serving our country abroad.<br />
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Kate's mom, who is a surrogate mother to me, called while we were in the middle of one of our television marathons to check in on us. She said we sounded like a couple of old married ladies staying in on a Saturday night watching our shows. Kate, I love being an old married lady with you!<br />
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More pictures from our trip<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jennifermorgandavis/media_set?set=a.911420913281.1073741838.26000487&type=1"> here</a>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">just a couple of ol' married ladies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beauty.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dancing at the lost river cave.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesse James hid out with his bandits at the <a href="http://lostrivercave.com/" style="text-align: left;">Lost River Cave</a></td></tr>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-4817375230202783312013-09-25T05:27:00.000-07:002013-09-25T05:27:41.828-07:00Gad Elmaleh at The Birchmere<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last week Abdoulaye and I headed to <a href="http://www.birchmere.com/">The Birchmere</a> in Alexandria, VA after work to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0255362/">Gad Elmaleh</a>, my handsome hubby's favorite comedian. I wanted it to be a surprise but I got too excited and so I told him beforehand (try, a week or two after I bought the tickets three months ago) so there goes that one. </div>
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Surprise or not, the show was excellent and a fun way to process a foreigner's experience in America (the foundation of Elmaleh's schtick). The show was in French, peppered with English phrases for emphasis (Elmaleh is fluent), and kept the whole crowd rocking in their chairs.</div>
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Apparently Gad has been called the French Jerry Seinfeld and I like the comparison. His humor is thought provoking, based in everyday interactions and relatable - not vulgar or offensive. Here's a trailer below of Gad & Jerry in a car. I've never watched Seinfeld's clips of comedians in cars before - they're cute if not a little long :) There's also a clip below of the sketch Abdoulaye repeated a lot while learning English and with an English translation!</div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-18899588903849079302013-09-23T19:30:00.002-07:002013-09-23T19:30:35.735-07:00Falling for it<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Each morning and afternoon I think about my commute to and from work. Bus, bike, or metro? I ask myself. The weather usually dictates my reply since each mode of transportation takes approximately the same amount of time. As soon as I get on my bike, I always remember it's my favorite way to get around. Coming home yesterday afternoon, I snapped this picture and felt the thrill of Fall around me. </div>
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I love my rides to and from work because they allow me (nearly) uninterrupted opportunities to reflect on my day. I mentally comb through what I hope to achieve and the good and bad of the day before. Lately, I have also really tried to put into practice some of the methods I'm reading about <a href="http://www.becomingminimalist.com/">on this blog</a> about de-cluttering both my physical and mental surroundings. </div>
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As I kick off my final semester of graduate school, I am committing to giving my best to my studies to produce a piece of research useful to a broader community than my Mom, husband and close friends who are taking an interest in my work :) At the same time, it sometimes pains me to hear how busy we all are. I've tried to take the word out of my vocabulary because whenever I say it myself, I realize it doesn't make me feel good to be busy (or imagine myself to be) and it doesn't make the person with whom I'm speaking feel good either. When someone tells me they're busy I either feel like 1) I should be busy, too! or 2) What are they doing that I should be doing? or 3) Why is it such an automatic reply to say we're busy? </div>
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This is a bit of a rambling post but this idea of 'busyness' is often on my mind as I pedal through quiet streets unused by drivers on their commute and through trails on my way to and from home each day. I am striving to strike a balance between my family, my work and school - and somehow it's been easier in the past few weeks in large part because I've been mentally committing to making the balance. </div>
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What do you think? Is this a naive way to be thinking? </div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203706884241911927.post-33379856599686873462013-09-11T05:08:00.003-07:002013-09-11T05:08:46.360-07:00Friends, Mud & Unity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Jordan, a friend from grad school, and Jonathan came to visit this weekend - their first stop on an East Coast extravaganza (Florida to New Hampshire!). It was fun hosting our first out of town guests and hitting a few of the sites (Library of Congress & the Capitol) with them. <br />
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After I dropped them off, I headed to Loretta's place so we could go to the DMV - now she's a freshly minted, licensed driver! Hurrah! Then it was home again, home again before heading out to a Southern Africa picnic for a brief moment and then heading back home to get ready for a SIT dinner party. Debie and Dan came over to celebrate Jordan & Jonathan (seems couples only date folks with their same first initial!)'s arrival. I love love love when our home is filled to the brim with friends. Makes a house feel like a home.<br />
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Sunday I met up with Meredith, Rabayah & Cassie to visit the Mali exhibit at the Natural History museum. A bit disappointing (to me!) but wonderful to have a chance to get together with those ladies. Then we headed back to Cassie's and my old stomping grounds for the 9-11 unity walk. A filled-to-the brim weekend with real treasures. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rabayah fits right in (well, in that she smiles about Mali, too)!</td></tr>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994562049048418743noreply@blogger.com1