Spiders, rice and my dad

I wash my hair in the kitchen sink every morning. I find that it's easier than in the tub, because there is only one faucet. This morning there was a big wall spider in the sink. I honestly don't mind these wall spiders on the wall - they're fairly calm and make for nice decoration. But I didn't particularly relish the thought of one climbing through my hair. So, I had to get my (very manly) husband to come rescue me from the insect. My hero...

Last night we had our first Zimbabwean dinner guests. We were expecting a whole family, but just the mother and father came. Our secret plan was to have everything ready when they came, so that I could simply serve the meal and give the illusion that I had cooked the entire feast. Things started to go wrong when they arrived early, and then became a bit disastrous when I burned 2 pounds of rice. Cooking stresses me out - and oh man, I was stressed out! So, I had a little cry in the washroom and then let John help me finish the meal. The meal turned out ok, and the fellowship was really nice. At the end, the amai (wife) said, "now John, I noticed that you were helping out in the kitchen. In our culture, men don't do that. But, you know, I liked it! Maybe you should teach my husband some things!" A sigh of relief. When you're new, there's a lot of pressure to fit in. I'm certainly not your typical African woman, but I'm praying for people here to show me grace and accept me as I am.

And finally - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD! I love you lots, and I'm sending hugs across the ocean. My dad is a good man, and the best dad I could ask for.