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Daily Archives: April 17, 2012

A Funeral, A Baby Naming and Glass Art

1 It was a beautiful send-off for Mo this morning with a good number of laughs as her naughty sense of fun was remembered. Our singing of ‘You are my Sunshine’ was appreciated though the words have never seemed more poignant and we won’t ever sing it again without thinking of Mo. It was so good to have Claire Ingleheart with us returned specially from her work in London.

2 I spent the rest of the morning working on a Baby Naming Ceremony for Saturday – the welcoming into the world of another new life.The parents have chosen some lovely readings and their words are just beautiful.

3 I love these glass Agapanthus flowers which we bought in the Scillies a couple of years ago. Every time I see them, I remember our holiday. Unfortunately I don’t have the artist’s name.

Glass Agapanthus

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 17, 2012 in art, Cornwall, home, travel

Tags: "You are my Sunshine", Agapanthus, Baby Naming Ceremony, Camborne crematorium, Claire Ingleheart, funeral, London, Mo, Scillies, singing, St Mary's

Senegal 7th April – Weaver Birds, Newest Grandchild, Glasses of Tea and Sky on Fire

17 Apr

Yes, I know that’s four things. It’s so hard to keep to three from our trip to Senegal!

1 The garden, full of bamboo, bougainvillea and many other flowers, attracts lots of birds. The Weaver Birds love the bamboo which they tear off in strips for their nests, the Sunbirds come for the nectar and to spread their wings in sunny spots and the Bulbuls do their courting here! All the time there are Black Kites wheeling about overhead. Lucy, before we came, also saw Egrets and a flock of Pelicans!

Weaver Bird with Bamboo strip

Weaver Bird with Sunbird on left

Sunbird sunning her wings

Black Kite

2 Ndeye Marie was delighted with her chunky coloured crayons and paper and immediately started practising her letters.

Crayon Fun

I also read Eric Carle’s ‘The Very lonely Firefly’, translating it into French as I went along, to Ndeye Marie, our newest Grandchild – what joy!

Reading to Ndeye Marie

3 Mr S and I went down to Ami’s family home to see the hired chairs being hauled up onto the roof for the Wedding tomorrow. Some family were having tea outside and invited us to join them in true Senegalese fashion. The mint tea in tiny glasses was very hot, very sweet and beautifully minty.

Ousseynou making tea

4 The sky at sunset

The Sky over Pikine

Senegal 6th April – Learning Wolof, Shoes, Pap and a Full Moon

17 Apr

1 Breakfast in the salon outside with Daniel, Ami and Lucy, speaking French and learning Wolof! We gave Daniel and Ami the North American Wedding Jug, a small token of their marriage. If you want to know about the jug, look here: http://www.kachinahouse.com/c-61-wedding-vases.aspx

Learning French and Wolof in the salon

2 Shopping for wedding shoes!

The Shoe Shop

Success!

and a bag ........

Street view

3 Met the lovely Pap, Ami’s older brother who lives in Italy and who has come home for the Wedding. Delightful character, full of fun and humour and love for Daniel. They’ve been friends for 15 years!

Pap

4 and a full moon

Full Moon and Flowers

Senegal 5th April – Pikine Apartment, Pikine Market and Meeting our Senegalese family

17 Apr

1 Our apartment in Pikine is very close to Ami’s family home, has rooms all opening onto a central courtyard which is smothered in palm trees, huge cacti and beautiful bougainvillea in pinks and reds.

Sunlight through the leaves

2 Took a yellow taxi to Pikine market – bursting with bustle, noise, colour and smells – to buy fabric for me to have made up into a traditional boubou for the Wedding on Sunday. The most colourful bus took us to the tailor’s where I was measured up and chose a beautiful blue thread to go with the emerald green fabric. It will be ready tomorrow!

3 Met Ami’s lovely family at her home – her parents, her beautiful daughter, Ndeye Marie and some of her aunts and children. We managed to understand each other pretty well with some shared language (French), lots of body language and Daniel on hand to translate from Wolof when necessary. The family has known Daniel for 15 years and spoke of him with pride and warmth and welcomed us into their family. We were able to say how pleased and proud we are to welcome Ami into our family too.