Happy New Year!

Today feels just like a Monday, which is what happens after spending all of the real Monday riding in the car. Road trips are such interesting things. Regardless of how you really feel about them, they are hard to get around when you live here, considering anywhere you want to go outside of Francistown starts with a 5-hour road trip, at the very least. But I have always enjoyed road trips, and now embrace them with an iPod full of interesting and diverting podcasts. Once upon a time, I used to be able to read in the car, but that doesn't happen any more.

We're rather pathetic as we drive the last hour or two over the mountain to my brother's house. The road that was so straight and surrounded by scrub and normal African scenery suddenly begins to wind and turn and then go straight up the mountain. Thorn trees give way to evergreen and tropical flowers and if you watch closely, you see glimpses of monkeys, waterfalls, and beautiful farms tucked away on the mountainside. It's a rather treacherous, yet breathtaking trip over the mountains and through George's Valley. What makes us so pathetic is that we act like we haven't seen trees in years (and it usually feels like we haven't). It's a holiday for our eyes, so to speak. We roll down the windows and breathe deeply of the lovely scent of TREE. It smells so much like home that it always brings tears to my eyes when we first get there.

We spent a lovely week in South Africa, visiting with my brother, his family, and some other families that we know in the area. Sam and I took a day to visit Pretoria and pick up our new piano, so that was another 10 hour round trip road trip. A great portion of our week was spent sipping Turkish coffee, as that was the gift of choice this holiday season - Turkish coffee pots, cardamom, and Turkish ground coffee being assembled from various shops and the art of making it being perfected through internet searches. When we weren't sipping coffee, we were slurping smoothies, thanks to a smoothie bar that just opened up in Tzaneen. (Of all things, right?)

One of the highlights of the week in South Africa was a bit of cold snap they experienced in Limpopo, bringing the temperatures down in the balmy mid-70s most days. We all greatly enjoyed the treat, and celebrated by making things like apple cider. Baby, it's cold outside! I will confess that I actually wore a light sweater one day (and a scarf too!), but in my defense, we were out on a boat in the Blyde River Canyon and it was a little overcast at the time.

Back in Francistown with minimal trouble at the border, and we set up the piano only to realize the power supply was not supplied. Obviously a bit of a problem, so there the piano sits, looking beautiful in its new home, the music that was packed so long ago now gracing it, and yet no way to get a peep of sound from it. I'm desperately hoping that we find the needed power supply here in town, as it could take weeks for it to arrive if it must be shipped. Ah, well... I've waited this long. :)

And so we settle back into life in Botswana. I'm still dealing with immigration about my paperwork. A lot of people are still on holiday, but they will slowly trickle back into town throughout this week and next. I've been thinking about New Year's Resolutions, obviously, since it is that time of year, and I'm trying to set some personal goals for myself. Nothing too stupendous, just stretching myself a little spiritually and mentally this year... trying not to let myself stagnate in the routine of everyday life.

To celebrate our homecoming, I made some Coconut Banana Cashew ice cream, and I do believe it is calling my name. I really wanted to make some Salted Caramel Ice Cream, but the recipe I had in mind must be cooked and then chilled overnight... far too long to wait in my opinion. I opted to just make something else up so that I can consume it promptly. :)