EXCITEMENT FILLS THE AIR!! Wow, the partitions for the boutique space in the neddy are completed, and are nearly just like I envisioned them to be. My son-in-law Paul did the drawings which we took to a business in Marrakech that appears to build a wide assortment of things. I told him I wanted to see them before they were transported out to our village, and today we went to take a look and was really pleased to see very sturdy dividers, with somewhat movable shelves. We will need to cover one side with fabric, but they will work well for our purpose. These are being paid for by the Peace Corps Partnership program funds. So things will start to really come together in a couple of weeks after...

My much anticipated vacation with five friends from the States: four from Montana and one from Washington state. I have planned a whirlwind trip that includes the ocean, mountains, and desert. It should be great fun. We've rented a van; my homestay host will chauffeur us in order for us to see as much as possible. What a joy it will be to do all this traveling in a private vehicle as opposed to the dreaded buses and taxis! Expect photos of yours truly and others atop a camel riding off into the sunset.

The weather has changed overnight, nearly. It has been very "spring like" here. Warm during the day, cool in the evening. Today was fairly hot and I'm betting spring is gone.

Have been unable to blog again from home, so doing this at a cyber again. More in May...

TOLERANCE reaches a new height! The past ten days have really pushed me to the limit. I have sat through a four-hour meeting (in Arabic) without a break, on a cramped bus seat for 5 1/2 hours without a stop; stood for hours on numerous crowded city buses, tromped around the city looking for various things. Whew. What is physically stressful and mentally frustrating sure leads to emotional exhaustion. The Serenity Prayer serves me well.

The efforts did result in some accomplishment, however. Other than coming to know my back and bladder can endure much more than I thought, we did secure the 25% participation funding for my neddy, I facilitated a meeting between another volunteer and a group of women who make beautiful product, got to see my good friend Margaret, discovered a tasty treat (amlou) made of ground almonds, argan oil, and honey...kind of has the consistency of runny peanut butter.

Since I last blogged, we've had a good rain following the high winds. I'm hopeful the climate stays moderate through the end of the month. I'm so excited to have five friends coming to visit soon!

Another great news note! One of the ladies who makes beaded necklaces was able to buy much needed heart medicine with the sale of product to a store in my hometown. Following that, it was discovered she actually needed surgery. With huge financial assistance enabled by a British/American couple who live here, she had surgery yesterday. I saw her off at the taxi stand before she left, and she gave me a big hug for such a tiny person. I'm so pleased that my church also made a substantial contribution. Events like this certainly overshadow the "challenging" days as previously described.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG...and summer is just around the corner. Is a very comfortable 74 degrees in my house right now, Sunday afternoon at 5:00. I've evolved from sleeping with two heavy blankets over 3 layers of fleece to one blanket and just regular one layer of normal sleeping attire. Nice.

No sooner than got my apartment totally clean than a big dirt storm hit, so guess I'll get to the new layer grime eventually. Wind also knocked power out for a couple of hours, and water has been off four about 4 hours.

Walked over to a friend's house last Friday and was struck by the difference in wheat crops on opposite sides of the road, as displayed here.