Last night we enjoyed our traditional mac and cheese (with tuna and dehydrated peas thrown in). Three times now, and it's a tradition! Hard to believe this is just our third time out here, it sure feels like home.
One of the first things we did today was check out our garden. The beans were almost finished, but I was able to harvest enough for a couple of batches for us to eat. The umalau is ready now, the obikola won't be ready until Christmas or later. The chinese cabbage is all gone, but we've heard it was beautiful, and Sarah Kiko told me that she was able to sell six heads at the market. I told her to keep the money. We have one pineapple that should be ready soon. When we had the big weeding day in April, the pineapple plants were uprooted because mosquitoes like to live near them. The tomatoes are finished, and all but one of the watermelons are gone. Many people have told us that they think boys came and stole the watermelon because we had lots of them that just disappeared. If we had come back in October according to the original plan, we could have enjoyed the food, but I'm thankful that our neighbors were able to enjoy it.
Felta is helping me this week with the house and the yard. She has such a sweet spirit and a perpetual smile, and she has been here since we first came in April. Her husband and oldest daughter (five years old) stay out West while Felta stays here in Marulaon with her baby, Doris, who is a year and a half old, and her mother. Our community is very matrilineal, so it's very common for a woman to be surrounded by her daughters and grandchildren. Men frequently "marry in" and move to the village of the wife. Land passes down through the women, too. I know lots of families where the husband and wife live in separate places, but it works here because families all work together to watch the children, cook, garden, clean, etc. I'm so thankful for the help that these ladies give me! It's nice to have in the house (especially when we first come back and have to wash every dish, dust every book, wash every sheet, etc.), but their work in the yard is invaluable! I have no idea !
what their idea of a nice yard should be. Felta worked a long time this morning tidying up our yard, picking up trash, and weeding. I imagine we'll tackle the garden when she comes back on Wednesday.
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