September

Okay, so it's not officially September yet, but it's getting close.

Last year, September was a wonderful month for me because I was spending the month in Mauritius with my fiance. We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed having all of that time together. We also were able to get civilly married here in Mauritius before our religious "real" wedding in December.

September is also the month of my husband's birthday. Funny enough, my father-in-law and my nephew also share birthdays in September and they all fall two days apart starting on the 8th.

Now last year, when I was here, I had only brought shorts and t-shirts with me. It is still winter here, but I only remember being cold a handful of days. This year, I am wearing jeans and a fleece pullover. It appears as though I have become a weenie in a very short time. Yikes...

Not much has been going on in this corner of the world, but I did find something at the South African grocery store yesterday that made me ridiculously happy. What was it you ask? Miracle Whip! I can't wait to whip up some tuna sandwiches... Ironically, I also found dill and sweet pickles there! Hurray!!!

Yep, that's it. It takes very little to excite me...

In other news. We are getting closer to starting our house. We are hoping to talk to the bank this week to get the wheels turning. Crazy stuff.

I guess I'm really out of things to say. So... I'll catch you later.

Spring???

As August melts away in September, I get the feeling that I am experiencing spring in Mauritius. The sun is rising earlier and staying out just a touch later. (In Mauritius the hours of daylight don't change drastically between the seasons) The air is warming a bit...

Last year I spent the month of September in Mauritius with my husband and his parents before heading back to the U.S. to prepare for our wedding. I remember the month was cool and damp. It made me happy because I realized that there were days when I would want to wear jeans and a sweatshirt, even in Mauritius. :-) I also remembered that because I was coming from summer time in England, all I brought with me were shorts and t-shirts...

I also remember knowing that summer was just around the corner...

This is where my concern comes. Summer. Ugh...

Don't get me wrong. I like the sun as much as anyone else, it's the heat and humidity that I am not looking forward to. I am not looking forward to being on mold patrol to keep everything from getting ruined. I am not looking forward to taking two showers a day just to stay fresh. I am not looking forward to leaving the doors and windows open all the time (especially since there are no screens on the windows). I am not looking forward to wearing jeans and socks at my in-laws house no matter how hot it is in an effort to not be eaten alive by bugs. But... there are a few things I am looking forward to, and I am going to focus on those until winter finds it's way to me again... So. These are the things I am looking forward to:

1. All of the good holidays happen in the summer here. Thanksgiving and Christmas included. I am looking forward to that. I am also looking forward to having my first "REAL" Christmas here. Last year, we had just moved in so we didn't have a tree or do any of the traditional Christmas things.

2. Fresh avacado... I can't wait to make guacamole!

3. The sound of the fan running at night. (It's really soothing to me)

4. Okay... so that's about all I have come up with so far, but I'm really trying!

For all of you in different hemispheres, I hope that you enjoy your autumn and pray that you will enjoy winter as much as I did.

Summer Holiday

I know it's been a while. I have been away on a summer holiday. Now I am back at home trying to fight the pile of laundry that is left...

This year my husband and I spent most of our vacation on the island of Rodrigues. Rodrigues is another island that is part of Mauritius although it is quite a distance away. The flight was one and half hours, which is not bad...

There is nothing not to love about Rodrigues. It is a beautiful island with lots of scenic views. You can see the ocean from almost everywhere. The mountains and valleys are awesome. The island is MUCH cleaner than Mauritius. You don't see polution everywhere and the air is cleaner too. There are fewer people there, fewer cars and just more peace and quiet.

Much of the island exists on agriculture so you see lots of goats, chickens and cows as you drive. The people are friendly and genuine. The food is really good! They make the most amazing sausages. Super Yum!

I'm not a huge fan of salted fish but am planning to taste the dried octopus we brought home sometime this week. I guess we'll see what I think of it...

I'd love to pack up and move to Rodrigues. Maybe someday we will. But for now, it will linger is my mind as the peaceful holiday getaway.