Sunday, February 28, 2010

Look what we found!

We got a special treat this week. Bagels! We found a shop near my house that makes bagels. Real bagels. Although there was no good Phili cream cheese for sale, they gave us some similar cheese for free with our purchase of six bagels. First morning with bagels - breakfast bagel sandwiches. Second morning with bagels - lightly toasted to perfection with (sort-of) cream cheese. The little things that excite the expat in Kenya... :)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

24 Days!

Dress fitted
Jewelry bought
Shoes ordered on-line
Venue set
Guests coming
One handsome husband
to be mine in 24 days!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Four weeks, but who's counting?

This week I went to get my wedding dress altered. In the States, people go to a quaint little shop, stand in front of mirrors while being pinned, and the seamstress gives her opinion about what would be best. In Africa, I went to a shop about the size of a walk-in closet where I changed into my dress in a bathroom filled with supplies and dirt. While stepping on a towel, I managed to get into my dress unscathed. Walking out of the bathroom, the three women in the shop carefully took me to a carpet (no mirrors available) to stand on while being pinned up, asking me exactly what I wanted. They were sweet as can be as Sara, my seamstress, repeated herself again and again, "We are so blessed to do your wedding dress!" I suspect that Wednesday, when I go for a fitting, there will still be no mirror to look in, but I'm thankful to find someone I trust to cut my dress up and sew it to fit and to see the joy on the faces of those women as they get to be a part of my big day. Truthfully, these ladies with their treadle machines and tiny work space will probably put more effort and care into altering my dress than the quaint little shop in America that sews dress after dress. And changing in the bathroom... makes getting married in Kenya all the more adventurous!

(This picture isn't my real dress. Just one of many I tried on in America. Not showing you yet!:)