We are so aggravated with the mason. When we laid out the bath houses we made it very clear that we did not want to have to walk up steps to get into the bath house. He said he understood. We even showed him one of the other rooms that were the perfect height! After they set the foundation and started building we told them that it was too tall and they had to adjust it or we would have to have a step to get in the building. He assured me that they would cut it down. They said that there would be no need for a step. When they put the gravel in for the floor we told them that it was too tall and they needed to remove some of the gravel. They said it would not be too tall. We told them that when they add the cement pad it would be too tall. They assured us that it would never need a step. We went to Tamale yesterday and could not supervise the flooring. Guess what? They had to add a step to get into the building! I told Dawda that I was not happy! Dawda said that he knew I would not be happy and he told the other workers that I would not be happy! I told him that I did not understand why when he knows what I want that he cannot give me what I ask for. He said that there are still 3 more bath houses and that he will make sure and make the others the way that I want them. Really! We will see how that goes! Another problem with making the floors so high is that it shortens the walls of the bath house. Now the walls are so short that you can look from one bath house into the other one. Dawda said that he would add another course of blocks to the bath house. Yes, he can do that but that will make the final cost of the bath houses more; more blocks, more cement, more day labor and re-plastering. Dawda said he won’t charge me more for setting the blocks and re-plastering but that does not take into account the day labors, cement and blocks! These building projects always throw us into culture shock!
Zorash and Meri forgot to tell us that we ran out of weaning mix last Thursday! This morning Zorash and I left the Child Center in Steve and Meri’s hands while we went to town and bought corn and soybeans to make the weaning mix. Steve checked and we only had one jar of PPP (peanut protein paste) left so while we were out we bought peanuts too. We actually went to the mill that removes the shells from the peanuts and bought them from a lady that was going to take them to the market to sell. She was happy because she did not have to transport the peanuts to the market.
Amama was going to wash the corn but she said that it was new corn and it was very clean and free of bugs so she did not have to wash it. She said the soybeans were clean too. All she did was winnow them. We will cook the grain tomorrow and grind it on Wednesday if it is not raining.
Take care and please keep us in your prayers.
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
I am so proud of myself! Today I climbed in the big mango tree all by myself; I hopped up on the little metal picket fence and jumped to a low hanging branch. Mom said that when she steps off the area from one side of the tree to the other it takes 30 paces which is around 90 feet. The tree is huge! I played around there for a while but I did not want to get too far away from Mom. Then Mom got up and started walking under the tree to the tree trunk. Oh! I was not a happy camper. I started chattering and fussing at her! I looked for a way to get down but I was too high up to jump to the ground. I had no choice but to follow her to the tree trunk and beyond. I ended up on the other side of the tree! Once I made the trip to the other side of the world I thought it was pretty cool! I have not yet made it to the top of the tree but I have been thinking about going up! I disturbed a couple birds while I was making my way across the tree. It was great fun to scare them!
This morning I saw a small butterfly; I tried to catch it but I missed. Mom says that they are good to eat but really how many butterflies has she eaten? Sometimes I wonder about her! She is a funny creature but very entertaining to watch!
I heard Dad talking this morning. He said that today is the day for my next dose of worm medicine. I am not looking forward to that, not one little bit. At least last time I ate it by myself and did not have to be held down to take it. We will see what type of mood I am in today! Maybe I will take it and maybe I won’t!
Around the world and back!
Love, Skeeter
