Bits of My Weekend -- A Swazi Adventure & Other Tidbits

If you read my Sew & Tell entry on Friday, you already know that I lost my Grandma on Thursday. Having made all of her arrangements in advance, the service was quickly planned and executed two days later, and that's that. Here I am in Moçambique trying to process it all.

I'm not one to escape reality, but I'll admit that it was nice to have several diversions over the weekend. On Friday, we received a kind invitation to enjoy hospitality from friends. A couple of mothers, whose teens occasionally hang out at our house, decided to have us for mid-morning refreshments to show their gratitude for our welcoming their boys into our home. I really enjoyed getting to know these ladies, and of course, spend time with my children and their friends.

No game has ever caused me more stress than Risk, but the children love it. They can have it.

While running errands on Friday afternoon, we saw this in the bay. It was just something new and interesting to see. Kudos to Morgan for capturing it while enduring my crazy Moz driving.

On Saturday morning we headed to Swaziland. A brief incident at the border caused us a bit of angst, but we got past it. I was afraid that Craig was going to practice some of what he learned in the military, but he's a patient man -- even when provoked by a fool.

The scenery in Swazi is so beautiful, but of our four visits to that country, only one brought sunshine. This was not the one.

One of our favorite places to visit in Swazi is near Manzini. The Sambane Coffee Shop hasn't let us down yet, and it's a popular spot for ex-pats. Also included in the little plaza is the Swazi Candles shop, as well as various other places for souvenirs and crafts by local artisans. Just outside is a crafts market, where I went slap-happy buying jewelry. I was in that kind of mood. (But really, is a mood necessary to buy accessories? I'm a girl. It's what we do.)

We weren't prepared for how cool it was -- it is nearly winter in this hemisphere -- so my sweet husband bought me this scarf to wrap around my shoulders. I love that guy for so many reasons.

The bracelet in this photo is one long strand, but some of the beads are magnetic, which keeps it wound around my wrist. Nice, eh? I was afraid this big, chunky necklace might make me look a bit like someone's favorite great-aunt (which, in fact, I aspire to be; but I don't necessarily want to look the part). Still, it is a perfect match for a particular dress that I bought in South Africa, so I couldn't pass it up. I like the flag bracelet, and in fact, wore it today with jeans and a white shirt. The earrings are self-explanatory. Who could resist?

For me, this Butternut & Feta Quiche was the pinnacle of the entire trip. The filo crust just did it for me. My quiches may never be the same again. And you simply must love a restaurant that adds avocado to the salad.

On our return trip to Moz, we stopped at Hlane Game Park so that our friends, Sheri and Kenyon, could have a small sampling of safari adventure. We arrived just before closing time, but we still had enough time to let them at least see a few animals. It ended up being quite the adventure, as we had a dangerously close encounter with a pachyderm matriarch who mistook us for potential baby snatchers. Have you ever had a mother elephant count to three before? We did. And we were glad to make it out of the park unscathed. (I'm pretty sure that my mother never remembers to read my blog, so it's probably safe to share this information.) If you'd like to see photos of our visit, click here. (Previous safari photos can be viewed here and here.)

On Sunday morning, I woke up motivated to bless my family. I needed to make bread, so I added cinnamon swirl to the batch, as well as some buns for dinner. (Thanks for the Black Bean Burgers, Caelyn and Morgan!) It brought me great satisfaction to see family members trickle down the stairs in search of the source of the aroma that finally tempted them from their beds. They came. They saw. They devoured. It was such a welcome treat.

Craig and the boys had a little testosterone moment. They're such fun guys! Before long, Dad won't be able to hang with his young warriors.

I added this for fun. Sunday was an upside-down day for me, as it was the first time in YEARS that I've spent the entire day in my pajamas. (And wouldn't you know: I received unexpected company. Remember Murphy?) Craig Grayson took this photo of me -- no make-up, hair undone, wearing a sleep cami. Upside-down seemed the best way to display it.

How was your weekend? Stop over at Michelle's and read about the adventures of others who play along.