EkiraboKyampaire

Mom & Liza Rodney & his Sara The lovely Sheila and our very own Siquo-Jeremiah The cake Slaughtering the cake Mom & the chin-less birthday boy Liza and her Paul The ka sweet couple...as if :) They were the youngest people on the table...you can tell, right? :) The group before departure the fat armed sisters :) Mom and her brood...the available ones the cool bouncing castle at Katomi kingdom resort An effort to capture the beautiful sunset The day had been long...yet, I tried to smile :) It's been a while since I shared some photographic evidence of my escapades...I am glad to do so today...

The news has been awash with death these last couple of weeks...In my own family, the darling daada passed on...he was old and he loved Jesus, so, he really did go home . His laughter and general good cheer will be missed dearly but he leaves behind fond memories which we will hold on to. In the US of A, many families, 26, to be precise had to deal with very difficult goodbyes after a guy walked into a kindergarten and sprayed bullets on children and their teachers before turning the gun on himself. USA should, honestly, deal with amending their gun laws a.s.a.p. The repeat gun massacres in different parts of the country year after year defeat all the talk about the 2nd amendment. This amendment was passed almost 200 years ago when there was some need for people to arm themselves as territories were captured taken and bandits were the norm if one had to travel more than 10km away from his home. How it continues to be the basis on which all and sundry can own whatever type of gun

I could not allow to be 'left behind' and not have a post on a day I am never going to experience as when it next comes around, I will be a certified angel; coming down to earth occasionally to lend women a helping hand when they need to punish errant husbands :) It was a particularly hot day. I had to say goodbye, at least for a month, to a friend, who has become pretty dear to me in the last few months. So, in that regard, it was a sad day. I was stoical, but it literally hurt to do the presidential wave- I didn't even get to bid farewell with a hug :( Anyway, I also, got home early- read, 9:00 pm- for the first time in a long time and in a few minutes I will be sound asleep...this I am thankful for. These last three months I have been operating in headless chicken mode. I have put on more weight than I think I am allowed to and today, I made a decision to go back to a proper exercise regime and a 'watch what I eat' programme. I have over 'lounged

This morning I am thinking of boundary lines. The kind you are thinking of, but also, another kind...a psalmist kind. But, first, the Psalmist kind; Psalm 16:5-6 New International Version (NIV) 5  Lord , you alone are my portion and my cup;      you make my lot secure. 6  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;      surely I have a delightful inheritance. I have been looking back at the years past (inevitable as this one comes to an end) and I am so grateful to God, who has been faithful to, especially in the last ten years, take care of us, the Turyatembas and lift us from glory to glory. He is so kind . The boundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places. I just heard some lovely news from Laura (nkutumiide! lol) and my heart overflows this morning. You have to agree, this is so not funny, yet you can't hold back the laughter! :) Onto the other boundary lines...Well, Bou articulated it clearly this morning, old fashioned love is &

the cartoon Me :) I am in love. How do I know? Well, firstly, as happens with me where these things are concerned, he does not feel the same way :( Secondly, I am listening to 'love songs', ballads (as we, the 80s people call them) and feeling like I relate to them- like the words make sense :) Usually, I am as unfeeling towards them as a door post. Everywhere I turn, there is a potential story to tell him, a gift I am certain he would like. I refresh my gmail every other hour just in case he finally decided to send me an endearing email declaring how he is nuts about me-blah, blah, blah :) This morning, desperate to hear his name mentioned within my 'airspace', I called a work colleague by his name. It was such an involuntary act that the guy had to ask, 'Who is ...?' You didn't seriously think I was going to give the name away, now, did you?!! ...Shame! :) I catch myself thinking of ways I can sincerely be a better person- the kind of

Clearly, it is not the 28th day-but, am certain, you, my dear reader, is accustomed to my chronic forgetfulness :( I am in Berlin as I type this- on a mission to write a book on understanding oil contracts - all this within five days! I wait to see how that actually happens :) (Am just as skeptical as the next gal, you see)... Adam Hyde, who is facilitating this, though, assures us that it is possible...especially as is evidenced by this website. The country is beautiful but cold so my walks/ excursions have only been tentative. Below, are pictures I have managed to take, despite :) the Berlin telecom tower...or at least a bit of it! Me and Susan...it doesn't look like it, what with all the smiles, but it was bitterly cold that evening! Schloss (pl. Schlösser) is a German word for a building similar to a château, palace or manor house :) the house/ castle without the fancy towers, at which we are doing the book sprint lovely leaves/ tree/ scenery :)

Apparently, I am a 'left-over woman' at least, so says this article :) In fact, I am two years into this status and that's not 'good news'. This morning two colleagues at work started the day off with a conversation about, 'what is the definition of a woman in African society?' The guy kept highlighting how in African traditional societies, a girl only became a woman when she was married off and had a child. The babe was livid. 'How can you be oblivious to how disrespectful, unkind and unfair that kind of thinking is?!' she retorted. 'What if the woman was simply unable to bear children? or was infertile?- does this mean she is not a woman?!' He was adamant. 'Those cases were few and far between and their rarity only went to show that such women were simply unlucky!' The babe almost had a heart attack! Thankfully, in walked the country manager and the uncomfortable conversation had to be halted. This exchange, coupled with the

The definition of independence in most dictionaries is as bland and vague as, the state of being independent. Thus, I had to look to synonyms of the word, instead, to glean its meaning... Synonyms: self–sufficiency , self-dependence , self-reliance , self-subsistence , self-support   So, while hundreds of Ugandans trooped to Kololo airstrip for the official Independence day (Jubilee) celebrations, I slept in. After all, weekday public holidays are scarce and should be duly utilized lest one seems ungrateful. My housemate is out of the country for work so I went to bed after a lone dinner eaten as I watched Battle in Seattle - classic spinster- style and woke, mid morning to a silent house and was only 'rescued' by my neighbour's daughters who never fail to regale me with all sorts of tales. I am a single, independent woman whose commitment extends only as far as my faith, my nuclear family i.e. mom & siblings and my work. My independence has not come easy

When in 2009, I made friends with a man who shared my love for Jazz to the extent that he knew some of the oft, least known, old skool type swing-jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines, I knew it was the kind of friendship that would last a longtime- a lifetime, if God allowed or I had anything to do with how my life turned out. See, I am persuaded that Jazz is music. It is real music, I dare say because to achieve the huge feat of making instruments 'talk to each other' in a language so harmonious, melodious is a talent that can only be God-given. Thus, to meet someone who loved this music like I did could only mean that he is a special person :) Anyway, last night, I had the singular privilege of being in the audience as Gerald Albright, Marion Meadows and Regina Belle performed at the fifth Nile Gold Jazz Safari. It was, in a word, s.p.e.c.t.a.c.u.l.a.r :) I screamed, I danced, I sang along, I even shed a few emotional- read, joyful - tears. The Diva

Rachel reminded me this morning that I owe a post. I am only finding a moment to type one out now. Where did September go???!! I am only left smh. Well, I have decided that it makes more sense if I hit two birds with one stone by telling my September story with pictures and adding to my eidetic memory archives that I have neglected for a long time. My friends and I sped off to the beach, after many moons and had an absolutely fantastic time...the pictures below captured some of the moments. I was buried in the sand as I have no worries about getting my hair in a mess seeing as I wash it every morning...That experience had me decided to dump my long held fantasy of getting down and dirty at the beach, allow sand in unmentionable places? no thanks. I started a brand *spanking* new job on my birthday...picture that! :)...I am Senior Programme Officer-Oil at International Alert- Uganda and boy! what a team! I finally feel like I 'fit'...like I was made for this job, this job