HAPPY TURKEY DAY! I'm at my friend's house and able to finally blog again. Something needs to be adjusted by the ISP with my modem so I'm not blocked from blogger. Don't know what the deal is. It didn't work at first, then it did, and now it doesn't. Such is life here. So my friend Rebecca has friends visiting from Chicago; the guy is Italian is cooking up a pasta dish for our dinner. I'm contributing the vegetable, olive, and fruit salad. So it will be a good afternoon with friends and good food.

We had a HUGE rain last night and this morning. My roof drain could not accomodate the downpour, so I was awakened at 3 a.m. by the sound of water rushing down my inside stairs and into the drain in the corner near my front door.

Today certainly gives me cause to acknowledge that I am SO thankful for everything I have...especially for my friends and family. I am so blessed.

Later today I am going to my counterpart's home to present a Berber woman with the money she got from making beaded jewelry which is now for sale in a Billings store. Her story is so sad...she is very sick, and has a very negative home situation. This will be a very heartwarming experience, and wish my readers could be here to know the whole story and understand what it means for some of these people to get a few dollars to improve their life. I know that the cultural exchange part of the Peace Corps mission is important, but it's pretty awesome to see the economic results of my efforts. It was a long time in coming, and there is much yet to be done. I am once again inspired and motivated.

Thanks for your support, kind thoughts and loving prayers. You just can't imagine how much it means to me.

A TRIP TO THE GROCERY STORE. I couldn't help but reflect last Saturday when I went to Kech how much time it took and what it cost to get a box a raisin bran. Now that may seem strange to you, but consider this. It took me about 4 hours and cost around $5 in transportation costs to perform that task. That being said, I can get what I need to live right here, but it's sure nice to occasionally get Sprite Light, and peanut butter (yes! I've found it here)and American type cereal...but it is a bit of a hassle. Compared to volunteers in other areas, though, I do have it "made!"

So back to the 8th deadly sin...thinking in generalities. What is it like for a Peace Corps volunteer to live in Morocco. Well, some have hot water heaters and satellite TV and flush toilets and of course, internet. But others do not have running water and some, not even electricity, much less all those other things. Just like the people of Morocco! But unlike the U. S., there are many fewer wealthy families and a lot more who live in pretty primitive conditions. Same thing in wondering, what does a Moroccan woman look like? I saw on the bus a young woman with skin tight jeans, snug top, but she wore the scarf. Now, even some Moroccans would ponder that. Next to her was a woman wearing a jellaba (the outer robe wear) and a veil. I met with my counterpart, Malika (the president of the women's association), in Kech. She took me to a craftsman to get a new price on the portable dividers for the boutique. If I understand correctly, the young welder here wasn't sure how to make it. I'm still hopeful we'll get all the project costs before the end of the month so I finish the app and get it sent in to P.C. for approval, then out to the website. What a long process this part has been! This is Malika and me on her roof.
There are finally trainers at the neddie again and new girls coming. The activity level is just now back to what it was last July before they closed. Four months of not much to do has been a bit much. But looks like now I'll be a bit active again with computer lessons, perhaps English classes, plus the project.

THEY'RE WHACKING TREES AGAIN! How times flies! As I was walking this morning, heard/saw several people whacking olives from the branches already! Prime harvest time isn't for another month, however. But it does remind me that in a few weeks, I will have completed my first entire year as a volunteer here in my little Berber village!

I amended my blog on construction. Added a photo and addressed a question from my hiker friend Tom re: block composition.

A special message to the WOM. Got the Halloween card and all the news! I love getting Marilyn's envelopes! Your thoughts and messages are always welcomed and brighten my day. Thanks so much!

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IN MOROCCO. There are many homes in the rural areas that are are "mud" houses,that is, made of clay bricks. The advantage is they are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Disadvantages include lack of windows/doors and therefore more insects/bugs, and after many years, they tend to crumble. They are just made of dirt and water, then sun-dried. You just don't see wooden homes. Trees are scarce and deforestation is a problem, so all wood is expensive...like wood for shelving for my neddy boutique project, or wooden furniture. However, they do use wooden forms when setting up "remodel" or addition projects as shown here.

I live above a sort of little hardware store that also makes bricks, which are really hollow concrete blocks. Here is Aziz after he has "sifted" gravel and is taking it to another area to begin his brick-making process. He probably weighs 120 pounds soaking wet and works very hard. I think he is an employee of the two brothers who own the business. A picture of the "form" he uses to make all the blocks. And, a photo of a truck delivering cement used in the process. The bricks are not real hard; I chipped the edge of my kitchen door trying to knock a piece of sugar cone apart. The point being...sugar cones (at least when dry) are harder than the bricks!

And here is a new house by the highway near my town. Very pretty and upscale for this area. Enlarge and you will see the satellite dish present on even mud houses.

EXPECTATIONS. I continue to discover that life is not easy here! I keep putting my/American expectations into my daily life, and onto their culture and just don't always get postive results! Some days/weeks it's two steps forward and three or four back. Dealing with internet service providers over bills, scheduling, plans, people leaving town, lack of communication, then add in lack of water and/or electricity some days, dog fights all night, donkeys braying loudly by my window. Yikes!

I felt very sad today when one of the girls said her sister, who is one of my best computer students, continues to be sick after a month of illness. I believe I understand correctly that she has bad tonsilitis but they don't have the money to take care of her medical needs. We forget how lucky we are.

And, I am also lucky to be able to vent to another volunteer who has been here a year longer, who reminds me that many of the seemingly, inconsequential little things we do likely have a much more profound effect than we realize. If we didn't believe that, it would be nearly impossible some days to maintain a positive outlook.

They told us that it could be very likely that our projects would not be able to be completed during our service, and that another volunteer might need to continue our work. I thought that rather preposterous. I mean, two years, after all!! But now I can understand why. Schwia b schwia. Little by little.

Weather is pretty great. Nice warm days, getting chilly at night but not bad yet. It's Friday night and a good time to watch an old American movie on my computer! Then a really good long walk tomorrow before brushing up on my Excel skills so I can teach some of the girls.