Bugs and Spiders and Christmas Stockings

Sandra here and where do I start and what do I say? Two weeks have passed already and Christmas is only 4 days away!

We have been busy preparing stockings (thank you Yarmouth Wesleyan for all the beautiful gifts for stockings). Karen’s comment was “Wow, people certainly were very generous.” We have also prepared gift bags for all the children who attend church on 25th. A Christmas gift for each of the HATS children arrived with Shondi last night. (Liette sent them from Calgary to Ottawa) and Air Canada generously allowed her to travel with 4 extra suitcases at no charge!

We have been organizing and preparing costumes for the Nativity for Christmas Day. It is a lot harder here to get the clothes and props needed but we will get them outfitted. We had a costume fit and a short run through at the church yesterday and we go today to do another real practice.

We hear you are having great winter weather. Keep some for me! Temperatures are 34 in the days but cooler at nights, goes down to 23-27 most nights. I had to cover myself with a sheet last night, while last week when there was a full moon I needed a sheet and a thin blanket. We are sleeping on the roof (3rd level) in mosquito tents and the moon, stars and the night sounds are wonderful reminders of how wonderful God’s creation is.

Dickie has been working at everything imaginable and working hard in this heat. He has pulled a few pranks already and I am sure there are more to come.

I have been teacher to Ti Luc for a couple of weeks and am glad I won’t be here to see Joan’s reaction when she returns. We did have fun and got some things accomplished.

Karen, as always, is going in 10 directions at once. I am tired just watching her.

We enjoyed our week with Jocelyn. She was a trooper with everything and everyone. She turned a few male heads too!!

It is now cricket season and they all want in the house. You don’t see them by day BUT as soon as it is dark (6:00pm) and the lights come on they are squeezing under the doors and hopping everywhere. It is quite a jumping game to get them all. The first night they were out we had been planning to sleep in the 2nd floor bedroom and went up to bed and I screamed as one landed on my bed and Dickie was jumping on them and shone the light around everywhere and said “I got them all”. I got into bed and Dickie was reading on his iPad when I heard a scream and he jumped up in bed…..one had jumped on his face!!!! I was glad it was him and not me. We looked at each other and headed for the 3rd floor and our tents. Karen was downstairs hearing us and the screams and quite enjoying it all and then heard footsteps on the stairs and thought we were coming down for help or protection from her but we never showed and so she laughed and went to bed knowing we had gone up to our tents.

I have seen 2 tarantulas…..never saw one before and don’t care to see another.