Catching Up

I've neglected my little blog lately.  It's been a whirlwind of PTA business, school activities, social functions, and of course - all of the time and work that goes into keeping this family fed!  This week's culinary adventures included homemade sour cream, lemon sorbet, and cappuccino fudge cheesecake.

This was a big hit!

1 cup cream, 1T lemon juice, 1T white vinegar - and then you have sour cream!

We had a 'roving dinner party' this weekend in the compound.  Each couple is assigned a course to host (appetizers, main course, or dessert) and when you're not hosting, you're split up and going around to other houses to eat and mingle.  So really, given my feelings on socializing, it was a night of torture!  But much like moving to Angola, I try to push myself to do things that will challenge me.

Speaking of challenges - I've made a goal for myself to work out five days per week, and for all of January, I succeeded!  Working out seems to be the best way for me to stay positive, and we all know that is a big key to living here.  It's the hottest part of the year in Angola, and workouts are outside....which means I'm sweating away each morning.  It's not pretty, but I'm going to stick with it.

We are essentially halfway through our three year tour in Angola, and I've been thinking a lot about what comes next.  This is pretty much a pointless exercise, since most expats don't know what's coming next until right before it happens....but we think about it anyway!  My best pal in Angola left in December, and I've been able to keep my chin up, despite missing her terribly.  Now I've found out that another good friend is likely leaving soon, followed by several other ladies that I have come to enjoy.  This has got to be one of the hardest parts of living this way - it seems like the moment you form a bond with someone, either they're leaving or you are.  I keep telling my kids that even if we lived in one place for their entire childhood, friends would still move....but I admit, it's hard for me to deal with.  I don't have any idea how the kids will look back on all of their experiences, but I sure hope that they aren't angry with us for all of the moving around.