Blog Tag!

You Alphabet Soup readers must be losing sleep over the suspenseful ending in the last post!!  Do not lose heart my friends!  I will resolve it.


But not right now.  Now is the time to play a bit of blog tag.  I was one of the lucky bloggers who got chosen by Miss Emily, over at http://astheroadbends.blogspot.com.  Since I don't feel like trying to paraphrase the way it works (that's for english class), and because she put it so well, I will quote her:

"Here's how it works: I'm going to post a list of questions, along with my answers. At the end, I'm going to "tag" two other bloggers, and if they "take the challenge" ( ;-), they'll post the questions with their answers, then tag someone else, and it goes on and on and on....."

Let's start!

1. What color are your socks right now?

None but the skin on my feet!

2. What are you listening to right now?

Mindy Gledhill's album called "Sum of All Grace."  It's a beautiful religious CD.  I'd definitely recommend it.  And while I'm advertising (I should get paid for this ;), I'd also recommend her album called "Anchor."  It's a really cute, happy CD.

3. What was the last thing you ate?

A fresh salad and yummy potato dish.  I ate the latter last so that would be the correct answer I s'pose...

4. Can you drive a stick?

No.  But I'd love to learn!

5. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

Mom I do believe

6. How old are you today?

16 years, 9 months, 14 days

(wooh--firing on all cylinders for a while there :P )

7. What is your favorite sport to watch?

I'd like to lump a whole lot of sports together, please, and answer with the Olympics!  But more specifically, Figure Skating and Gymnastics.  

Yeah, I'm a really "sporty" person, I know.

8. What is your favorite drink?

Starbuck's chocolate milk (yes, it can be embarrassing to order, especially when they assume it's for a child, and they hand you a kid's serving worth)

 Also Snapple's peach tea

9. Have you ever dyed your hair?

Nope

10. What is your favorite food?

Hmmm...I could probably fill a book...

Let's just say anything homemade, comforting, or bad for you.

Salads, too.

11. Do you sing in the shower?

All the time.

12. Favorite day of the year?

I agree with Emily:  Any day that is happy

13. What is one place you want to visit?

Well if I just had to narrow it down to one, I guess it would be...

the world.

14. What was your favorite toy as a child?

My dear stuffed penguins, the Puddies!  I was just revisiting the Puddy House today.  Growing up is definitely bittersweet...

15. What is your favorite season?

Right now, SUMMER!!!

But at the end of the summer it will most likely be fall, and at the end of fall it will most likely be winter, and at the end of winter it will most likely be spring, and...you get the picture.  :)

16. Cherries or Blueberries?

Cherries, although neither are "favorites"

17. Vanilla or Chocolate?

chocolatechocolatechocolatechocolatechocolate

18. What is (one of) your favorite song(s)?

Goodness sakes.  Can't even begin to decide.  

I love songs that make me feel peaceful or make me want to cry [smile],

and also songs with lyrics that hold truths that I believe in

19. Favorite activity?

Things that make me use me creative juices and things having to do with family and friends

20. Have you ever left the country you live in?

I'm so blessed because I can say yes!  I've been to Canada, Mexico, Peru, and Africa.

21. What is on the floor of your closet right now?

Well, since I don't actually have a closet in my room, I'll say what's underneath my bed.  There are storage boxes full of various things like...letters, stuffed animals that I'm not ready to say goodbye to just yet, posters...  

Sometimes a cat shows up too.

Moving on.

22. What did you do last night?

Had an awesome time at Burgerville with Mom, Emily, Rachel, and Ben.  I can't really remember what I did after that.  I guess we drove home and went to bed...

23. What are you afraid of most?

I'm not exactly afraid of this, but I scream without fail every time this happens (which seems to be frequently)...

Accidentally squishing a bug with my bare hand, even if the said bug is already dead.

24. If you had the option, would you choose a fun drink, or a yummy, eat-ible snack?

Eh, I'll just take them both, thanks.

25. Favorite day of the week?

Saturdays, Sundays, and Friday evenings.

26. Favorite breed of dog?

Golden Retriever!  

I would choose *cough* a cat over a dog any day, though *cough*...

27. Favorite genre of literature?

Historical Fiction / Children's :)

28. Diamonds or pearls?

Pearls

29. What is your favorite flower?

The best is a garden brimming with all sorts of different flowers, but who wouldn't agree with that?  

So I guess I'll say lilacs or roses or any that smell luscious.

30. An item on your bucket list?

Fly in a plane on the night of the 4th of July!

And there you have it.  

I am going to tag...

Miss Jessica, over at http://thesunnyloft.blogspot.com/

and 

Miss Sarah, over at http://lordslass.blogspot.com/

Now, try to get some sleep between now and when I settle this business about being kidnapped.  

Ta-Ta for now!

AFRICA: part one (The Journey)

Our journey to Africa began with packing, as most journeys do.

We packed all sorts of things from shampoo to cinnamon rolls to cameras to T-shirts.

We packed things such as little sweaters like this one, which were hand-knitted by a relative.  

Each one had an wearer-to-be at an infant home in Blantyre.

Even Mei Mei was packed...packed for the vet, that is.

Poor cat.

We packed so many things, in fact, that we filled all of these suitcases and duffels and bags and backpacks.

Then we packed our van with all the suitcases and and duffels and bags and backpacks

AND

we were off for the Seattle Airport!

It rained on the way, surprise surprise!

When we finally got to the right place in the right city, we parked our car and hitched a ride to the airport.  Jim was our bus driver who...

...took this picture of us.  

You say, "But you three already look tired."  

I say, "Just wait."

After Mr. Jim dropped us off at the airport, we checked our suitcases.

The checker lady...

...took this picture of us.

You say, "But you three are all out of focus."

I say, "That's why it's on my blog!"  ;)

To security...

...and through security.

And finally on our first flight!  

This plane would take us from Seattle to Charlotte (North Carolina).

A dear one.

Another dear one.

No-Jet-Lag pills!

They have Arnica Montana, Bellis Perennis, Chamomilla, Ipecacuanha, Lycopodium, and a lot of placebo effect. Dad says "Good things come to those who believe." But I'm not so sure...

Pretty colors out the window...

This picture represents the time from Seattle to Charlotte to Washington DC.

Whether or not it is from that time I don't know and don't care.

Alright now for the good stuff!  At Washington DC, we boarded an Ethiopian Airlines plane.

Oh how big and luxurious it was, even for coach class!

Just in case you can't see from this picture, there were 11 seats across and 2 aisles.

[jaw drops]

On the left you see the packets given to each passenger; they included socks, a sleeping mask, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.  

On the right, you see the screen that was in front of each passenger; they had movies and music and games to choose from.  

I watched "Horton Hears a Who" and was reminded why it was never my favorite.  ;)

Ah here we are, beginning our 12 hour flight!  

(12 hrs on the way to Africa; 14 hrs on the way back)

And there is the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean...

Glowing screens after dark...

And some Phase Ten, too.  It and Speed ended up being the games of our journey.

Beautiful sunset out the window.  I took this while waiting in line for the lavatory...

Next morning there is cotton candy out our window!

This picture makes me laugh.

Halfway there or so!

The map of our transatlantic flight...

And the stats.

Since DC, we've traveled 12 hours and 23 minutes, and 7095 miles.

I passed the time by learning how to cross-stitch.

For your information, I haven't picked it up once since we got back home.

I.  Am.  Sick.  Of.  Cross-stitching.

(but I have also decided that I am going to finish it, even if it kills me)

Our first view of the continent of Africa!!  We are descending...

Oh, the joys of customs.

Chilling in Ethiopia.  Contrary to what this picture suggests, we weren't actually contemplating the meaning of our luggage...or maybe we were.  We were really tired, so you never know.

Because our next flight was scheduled for the next day, 

the airport kindly put us up in the Riviera hotel.

So that bus...

...took us to this place.  Here is the inside...

...and the outside.

Here are two tired travelers.

Supper was exciting, especially because certain members of our party were literally falling asleep at the table.

And jetlag begins...

Next morning, we are back in the smoky airport!

Mom's excited because we have only one more flight (on shown plane) to go, and then a bus ride.  

The ground is getting greener out the window...

And ladies and gents, we have landed in the Warm Heart of Africa.

After locating all of our luggage, 

we caught a taxi ride from a driver who, later to find out, way overcharged us...

I guess to them,

Muzungos ("white as a ghost") = $$$$$$$$$$$$

Lots of African scenes (imagine that!) passed us as we zipped down the road.

We got off the taxi here...and got on the bus here.

On the bus we were...

1.  really tired

2.  really excited (only a bit more to go till Blantyre!)

3.  entertained by all the going-ons out the window as you shall see in the following pictures...

The cuties that waved to us from outside the bus.  When I raised my camera to take a picture of them, they started being shy and rolled around on the ground...  :D

*gasp*  Can you believe it?!

Another beautiful sunset...

but many miles to ride before we reach Blantyre,

and many miles to ride before we reach Blantyre...

Meanwhile, these questionable characters were hanging around the same gas station our bus would arrive at.

Well, they kidnapped us, and, since we were overcome with fatigue, we let them.

---TO BE CONTINUED---