five seven five

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suitcase plane travel
Ireland and Tanzania
cousins godmother home

Today's Think Kit blog post prompt:

Five Seven Five

Write a haiku (or...multiple haiku!) about the past – whether it's a year ago, a decade ago, or from childhood. If you want to, give some background information about your simple scene. And then – write one that paints a picture of the present, or predicts the future.

Some people can whip out a haiku at the drop of a lotus blossom. 

Not me. 

It took me all day and a lot of counting on my fingers to come up with this one. 

I think it sums up 2014 pretty darn well for me. 

See you next year! 

travel

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Selfie snapped immediately after landing I arrived in Dar es Salaam 

Today's Think Kit blog post prompt: 

A Single Word

What one word sums up the past year? Now: unpack, unfold, and uncover it. What does it represent? What events float to the top when you think about your word? And, okay, if you can't limit yourself to a single word...use a (select) few

This was the easiest prompt so far! With out a doubt my single word was TRAVEL. The sentence "Now: unpack, unfold, and uncover it" resonates - I literally unpacked my suitcase, unfolded my clothes, and uncovered new adventures all over the world. 

2014 was a grand year! 

the year of the selfie

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Musoma, Tanzania
July 2014

Today's Think Kit blog prompt post: 

Show & Tell

Time to show off your handiwork: what did you make this year? Share something personal, like a song or art. What inspired you? Was the finished work what you initially imagined? Or a work project – what was the process? The end result? Share your vision...and your work!

I always say that my artistic vision outweighs my ability. 

I'm very creative in my mind. 

I try not to be egotistical, but I'm convinced that the idea of "selfies" was created for me. Before the cell phone camera technology I had to take photos of my feet. 

I've had great fun over the year snapping selfies all over the world.  

My week with the Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa in Musoma, Tanzania was restful and quiet. I read and rested and took short walks while Sr. Janet taught a seminar to the young sisters and novices. 

The sisters and I were all fascinated with each other and found a common ground in laughter in photographs. 

Setting up this selfie was a feat in itself and it is my favorite one of the year, although the one I took with a monsieur in Ireland is a close second. 

kitchens and conversations

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Today's Think Kit blog post prompt: 

Goin' Places

What place stood out for you this year? Outdoors or indoors; a huge gathering or a tête-à-tête? Where were you? Who were you with? What feeling did you have when leaving? Were you inspired? Refreshed? Or...confused and glad to be gone? Whether it was exciting...or awkward: give us a hall pass out of our own room for a few minutes.

What? Choose just one one place that stood out this year? Yikkes! 

Actually there is one place that stands out - my godmother's kitchen in Morogoro, Tanzania. We had spent the day running errands and we were chatting as she prepared our dinner. 

Janet shared stories of her life as a young Sister and her Mom's visit to Tanzania and her childhood. I loved hearing about the journey the beautiful Ebony Crucifix she gave me years ago made from Tanzania to Indiana (with a tour of England in between) and seeing her beautiful face on the cover of a Maryknoll pamphlet from the 1960s. 

Spending that afternoon chatting with her was exactly what I'd come to Tanzania for -to be able to stand in her kitchen and have casual conversations and just soak in her life. 

See the corner of the rug on the right side of the photo above? I brought one just like it back with me and it is in front of my kitchen sink. Every time my toes touch that rug I am transported back to that glorious day. 

Merry Christmas

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Creche - Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church, Indianapolis
Midnight Mass, Christmas 2014

Today's Think Kit blog prompt: 

What's Your Tradition?

Today we'll keep it short and sweet. Share a photo from your year that highlights giving, thankfulness, traditions or finding peace. What does the photo represent to you?

I panicked when I first read this prompt - How could I choose one photograph that highlighted my whole year? I reread the prompt and the words "traditions" and "peace" resonated with me. 

I'm what some people call a "Cradle Catholic" - Catholic since birth. I really did grow up in the Church. My dear mother has worked at a Director of Religious Education in several parishes and it seemed like my handy father was always replacing roof tiles or building shelves at our home parish. They are both still very active in their parishes. 

I attended Catholic schools randomly - both the parish grade school and the -Girls Catholic High School I attended closed while I was a student - not my fault, I hope. 

Over the years I've come to realize that God isn't just in church, but truly in all of us.  And I was able to take time to witness that this year. In the faces of newly-met cousins in Ireland, in the volunteers at Second Helpings, in the good work of my godmother and the other Maryknoll sisters, in the love I felt at beach weddings, and the joy of the people of Tanzania. 

Merry Christmas to All! 

sixty-five

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Midtown Indianapolis, Indiana, meets Musoma, Tanzania

Today's Think Kit blog post prompt: 

A Dash Of Thanks

What are you thankful for? Maybe it's from this year – or maybe it's something in your past that resonated with you recently. And – we hold people, places, and things in equal regard: a sense of gratefulness can take many forms.

My HUGE dash of thanks is for all of the amazing travel that I got to do this year. I was healthy enough, I had the financial wherewithal (thanks in part to a grant), and had a job (jobs actually) and generous co-workers that allowed me to be gone for so long. 

Here is a rundown of my travels: 

January/February - 16 days in Ireland.
May - 4 days in St. Pete's Beach, Florida for a cousin's wedding.
July - 28 days in Tanzania
October - 8 days in Colorado for a conference and visiting friends.
October - 3 days in St. Pete's Beach, Florida for a godson's wedding.
November - 6 days in Sanibel, Florida with my brother and his family. 

That's 65 days of travel!

How incredible is that? 

cheers!

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July 4, 2014
Morogoro, Tanzania

Today's Think Kit blog post prompt:

Chef's Choice

Today, we're keeping it wide open – we want you to write. Write the thought ringing in your head this morning. Write what you can't forget. Write what you want to remember about _____. Write the everyday and the extraordinary. Let Frank O'Hara be your guide.

This morning I was drinking Tanzanian tea out of my Irish mug and thinking of how damn amazing 2014 has been. 

Seriously amazing.

The juxtaposition of the African tea in the Irish mug made me think of celebrating Independence Day in Morogoro. I love being at home for July Fourth - click here for a little piece about my affection of the holiday - but my international celebration was memorable. 

Janet and Sue and I celebrated Independence Day by drinking an African beer while eating pizza in a Maurtius restaurant with Chinese decor while watching the German - French World Cup game. 

It was awesome.

ahhhh.....

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Fresh from a swim in the Indian Ocean
- wearing Sr. Jean's bathing suit.

Today's Think Kit blog prompt:

Ooh! Aah!

What surprised you this year? Was it a jump-out-of-your-seat shocking moment? Learning something new that really flipped your wig? A moment in time that left you speechless? A friend or stranger's actions that really blew your mind? Leave us slack-jawed and standing silent...or at least thoughtfully quiet for a few seconds!

This is a tough one. Mostly because I'm not easily flummoxed or left speechless, and the two things that shocked me this year are not my stories to tell.

So I'll tell you about a moment that was the opposite. The moment that I felt a boatload of stress wash away. The moment that I felt at total peace and realized that I didn't have a care in the world. The moment that I felt absolute joy.

And I was wearing a borrowed-from-a-nun-bathing-suit.

I had arrived in Tanzania the night before and between little sleep and the chaos of traveling and lost luggage and spending the morning in the largest and loudest city in Tanzania, I was frazzled. I'd also figured out that what little Swahili I knew was useless, the US dollars I brought were in the wrong denomination, and apparently lizards in the house were a good thing.

I'd had tears behind my eyes all day, wondering what in the heck I'd gotten myself into.

My godmother, Sr. Janet, and I were spending the night at the home of Sr. Jean.  We arrived to her beautiful home - like living in an art gallery - and Jean loaned me an outfit so I could rinse out my clothes and a bathing suit for swimming.

We drove to a beautiful beach right before sunset. 

I'm not much of a swim in natural water kind of person. There is fish and stuff in there.That you can't see.

I loitered on the beach watching Janet and Jean bob along in the water and finally took the plunge, casting my scardy-cat thoughts (what if cut my foot, what if I get a cramp, what if an exotic fish bites me... blah blah) out of the way.

I swam out to meet them and felt more buoyant than I ever had. It took no effort to float and I felt like I could glide in the water. 

Laying on the back, watching the sunset, I felt fabulous. I could feel all of my worries and fear and stress fly out of my body.

The trip was going to be wonderful.

And it was.

grant

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Today's Think Kit blog post prompt: 

+ / -

 
Have no fear – no numbers needed here. Who (or what) made a difference for you this year? Were they cognizant of their effect? Did it add to your life...or detract? Was it a momentary encounter? A year-long helping hand? Someone who took a chance on you, or vice versa? What would've changed if you'd had to go without, or go it alone? Imagine the alternative scenario.

There is no doubt about what made a difference for me this year: An $8,000 Human Services Renewal Grant from the Lilly Endowment (administered through the United Way of Central Indiana).

The grant is available to folks who have worked in the nonprofit arena for at least eight years. [Click here for more details here, if you're interested]

I was lucky enough to receive it last year and it enabled me to travel to Ireland and Tanzania this year. I tossed in some of my own money to make it happen, but I wouldn't have dreamed of trying to do it without the grant.

Applying for the grant made me really plan the the trips and make a budget and allowed me to dream big.

Thanks Lilly Endowment! 

migration

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Today's Think Kit blog prompt: 

Let's Get Physical

 
Time to go through your (actual) desktop, junk drawer, or coat pockets and share an artifact from your past. A half-torn ticket stub, once-washed receipt, coffee-stained map, anything in a frame: it's all fair game. What springs to mind from your artifact? The smells, sights, and sounds? A specific feeling? Hold it in your hand, close your eyes, and go back in time to a moment.

Okay, these artifacts aren't from my pocket or past, but I love looking at them on the corner of my desk. I move them around a lot - right now they're heading south for migration. Not that I know if elephants migrate or anything.

And yes, I know that they're not to scale and that several of them would eat each other in a second, but I don't care. I love seeing them on my desk (the holiday candle isn't typically there), they are a great conversation piece, and a fun reminder of my beautiful time in Tanzania.

how do you say "mulligan" in swahili?

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Today's Think Kit blog post prompt:

Mulligan

 
We've put another quarter in the slot – free play! Hit the reset button on a moment this year: what would you do over? Whether or not you analyze your actions – how would you act differently? Would the outcomes shift, or stay the same? From a single sentence to a whole day (and everything in-between), feel free to explain your choice, from how you felt immediately after the moment passed, to any thoughts that ran through your mind beforehand. Take a mulligan!

This is an easy one - I would have done a better job of learning Swahili. I spent a few months casually learning some words and phrases. I read a book and downloaded a few apps and recorded myself saying some key phrases and thought I was good to go.

First of all, I was cocky. I didn't practice listening to Swahili phrases. I could say some stuff, but had no idea what people were trying to say to me.

Secondly, I didn't learn anything practical. Sure, I knew how to say "dress," but I had no idea how to bargain and I didn't have a good grasp of numbers, which is critical since there are no prices on anything.

I also didn't learn phrases like, "Oh no! The bus is pulling away from the market with my godmother on it and all is have with me are some coins and a roll of toilet paper!" My mistake.

Finally, all of the things I was confident is saying were the EXACT SAME THINGS that most Tanzanians could say in English. Once we got past hello and how are you, it was downhill.

If I could do it all again, I'd invest more time and effort into learning Swahili.

mtoto wa ubatizo

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Sister Janet, her student Saidi and his mother

Today's Think Kit blog post prompt:

Hi, I'm ______

 
Nametags and punchbowls aren't necessary (but we're okay with that!) – who did you meet this year? Was it awkward? Enlightening? Was your first impression correct? Was it accidental & meant to be, pre-arranged, or somewhere in-between? Whether you found a soulmate, held a new baby, or finally trusted someone to style your hair just so, write about a new person (or people) in your life.

The person that I met this year is someone that I've known my whole life.

I got to spend almost a month with my godmother, Sr. Janet, in Tanzania.

I'm sure Janet was at my 1961 baptism, but my first memories of her are from delightful airmail letters - those blue envelopes still make me smile - and her visits to Indianapolis with exotic gifts. I wore the elephant hair bracelet until it fell apart and it still has a place of honor in my jewelry box.

She joined the Maryknoll Sisters in 1962 and started her first assignment in Tanzania in 1966. She has served a few stints in the States over the years and did a fantastic job of keeping in touch.

Janet visited me at Purdue, came to Philadelphia when I worked there, has seen my house, has been to my St. Valentine's Day party, and has toured Second Helpings. I feel like she's been around for all of my major life events.

I visited the Maryknoll Sisters Motherhouse and had been to her family home in Indianapolis several times and was lucky enough to meet her parents.

But I'd never spent more than a day with her.

We basically went from zero to spending 28 days in a row with each other.

And it was fabulous!

There was no better way get to know someone than to immerse yourself in their life. In another country where you don't speak the language (no matter how many phrases you thought you learned).

I loved every second with Janet. It was wonderful to see her in action and witness how beloved she is in her adopted country. I always knew that Janet was smart and independent and kind- it was amazing to see it in person. She teaches at a university, she works with a group of women in the village working towards empowerment, and has a group of men in a prison that she prays and shares with. And I got to see it all in action!

Seeing strangers reactions when she spoke perfect Swahili was priceless. I soon recognized being introduced as her "mtoto wa ubatizo," child of baptism.

I also learned that we're a bit alike. Our interests are varied and we're fascinated by people, we think that popcorn and beer is a perfectly acceptable dinner, and we're both a little scattered - let's just say that we both spend time tracking down our cell phones.

My favorite times with Janet were doing the everyday things - trips to the post office and market, car trips, and meals at her home.

I miss being with her. I wish it was easier to hop on a plane and spend a few days in Morogoro. I'm ready for an evening of watching the BBC and Castle snacking on chips and catching up on our lives.

me and my suitcase

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 My suitcase, Bagamoyo, Tanzania

Today's Think Kit prompt:

Third Place

Work, home, and _____. Where was your third place this year? Did you like it, love it, ...or was it out of obligation? What feeling, sense, or vibe did you get from your third place? If someone can't imagine the scene, give the lay of the land in words. Is there natural light? Is there a certain smell? Bring us inside.

When I read this prompt I knew exactly what I was going to write about. This suitcase was without a doubt my Third Place. 

I was lucky enough be be traveling 66 days of this year. That's almost 20% by my fuzzy math skills. And I've been hanging out with the suitcase even more than that. Today's writing prompt also prompted some housekeeping. I took the suitcase to its storage spot in the basement for the first time since January. When I wasn't traveling it pretty much stayed on the dining room floor, getting shoved under the table if company was coming.  

The photo was taken after I was reunited with the luggage three days after I arrived in Tanzania. I thought I was a smart traveler by packing an extra pair of undies, pjs, and my toothbrush in my messenger bag that I carried on the plane. 

After two full days of travel I took a little bird bath in the lavatory of the airplane and changed into my extra undies and made the rash decision to throw the panties I was wearing in the trash. Blame sleep deprivation, but as I started to tuck the ones I'd worn for 36 hours back into my bag next to my camera, it just seemed weird. 

Boy did I come to regret that decision. It ultimately resulted in me wearing borrowed (from a kind and generous nun) clothes commando. 

I arrived in Tanzania, but my suitcase didn't. The whole process of entering the country at the Dar es Salaam airport is a little chaotic. You land and hand your passport and $100 in US dollars to someone collecting passports and money by the handful. You then wait for your name to be called and to be handed back your passport and Tanzania visitor's visa. 

For some reason mine was the last one to be processed (I blame the name Spitznogle) so I was in a bit of a panic at that point. By the time I got my visa and got the official stamp all of the other folks from my flight were gone. I went through the doors to find two empty conveyer  belts and no luggage. And no area marked "lost luggage," or anyone that looked like they worked there.

I finally found someone to help and handed him the information from checking my luggage in Indianapolis. He magically figured out that they were still in Zurich and wouldn't arrive until the next night. 

In the meantime my godmother, Sr. Janet, was worried that she missed me somehow so she went looking around the airport to make sure that I wasn't somewhere else. 

When I finally burst through the doors of the arrivals door I was ready to cry. When I didn't see her I was a little freaked out. It was a happy moment when we saw each other. Not having any luggage didn't seem like such a big deal anymore. 

The first night we stayed at Tanzania Episcopal Conference center, the first of the underground of religious communities that we stayed at. I was happy for the nightgown and toothbrush and happily fell asleep under the mosquito net while my rinsed out undies dried by the window. 

The second day we visited with and stayed at Sr. Jean's house. She loaned me an outfit made of traditional African cloth so I could wash my clothes in the shower and I hung them to dry in her beautiful yard. Her house is full of fabulous art and I felt like staying in a gallery. She she also loaned me a bathing suit so I could swim with them in the Indian Ocean. What an amazing experience that was - floating along with Jean and Janet.

I should have brought my clothes in from the line when we got home that evening, but I left them on the line. The overnight moisture seemed to have made them damper than when I hung them up. 

Jean was nice enough to loan me the pants and top again for travel. Unfortunately my panties and tank top were still too damp to wear. It felt a little weird to be walking through Dar es Salaam - the largest city in Tanzania - with no underwear. 

The bag was delivered to us in Bagamoyo (70 km from the airport) on my third day in the country. After touring Bagamoyo, a major port in the slave trade, the idea of luggage seemed a little frivolous, but dang it, I was thrilled to see it! 

run, mzungu, run!

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Today's Think Kit prompt:

Deck the LOLs

Let's loosen up: share a side-splitting story from the last year. What made you laugh out loud until tears formed? What made you giggle every time it was referenced? Whether it's a story, an image, a video – we want to hear about the banana peel on the floor, your best practical joke, or gems from the mind of a three-year-old. Whether it's sassy, sarcastic, or just plain silly: make us laugh!

This is one of those cases where the joke was on me. Months later my reaction has morphed from breaking into a cold sweat to laughter. I'm not sure I'm at the LOL stage yet.

I'm not one for bathroom humor, but this story is all about the potty.

Let me set the scene.

I'm in Tanzania visiting my godmother, Sr. Janet, and we're in the middle of a crazy-long bus ride. Unbelievably I had been looking forward to the bus trip. I pictured that the bus would be full of people, luggage, and live chickens.

My vision was right about the people -- folks were stacked on top of each other and kiddos were wedged on parent's laps and in the aisle. The boy pictured above was standing on a 50 pound bag of rice over my shoulder. What I didn't picture was the chaotic process of purchasing a ticket or getting on the bus. Arms were waving, people climbing over each other and boxes tied with twine and luggage and children bags of food were flying.

The bus was made for smaller people. I'm not tall by any means, but my knees were firmly in the back of the seat in front of me. And the seats were so tall that you couldn't see in front of you, it was quite claustrophobic.

We were on the bus for several hours before there was a bathroom stop. We pulled into a lot with stands and vendors and people holding stuff for sale up to the windows.

My godmother gave me a baggy with a roll of toilet paper and I jumped over the obstacle course in the aisle and tumbled down the steps of the bus. I was trying to find the toilet while making my way through the throng trying to sell me things. I must have said la asante (no thank you) a hundred times.

I finally found the bathroom, figured out that the man in front of the door asking me for money was for use of the facilities, found the right amount of shillings to give him, and walked into the women's room.

I should explain that toilets in Tanzania are not the toilets we're used to. They are "squat" toilets. Click here if you'd like further description.

Going to the bathroom is involved -  holding up my skirt, positioning my underwear so that it was out of the way, and balancing myself over the potty while holding my purse and a baggy with a roll of t.p.

You can laugh.

I got my clothes organized, poured some water in the bucket in the stall to flush and refilled the bucket and walked out pretty darn proud of myself for navigating the process and keeping my shoes dry.

That was short lived.

The bus was gone!

I saw it rolling towards the highway, a football field away. I took off in a sprint, waving the baggie of toilet paper as I ran. While I was running, my petite godmother was trying to navigate the blocked aisle to get the bus drivers attention.

At this point there are probably close to a hundred people watching the Nora show.

I was panicked and there were tears running down my face. I can only imagine how crazy I looked.

Then I heard the chant of "Run, *Mzungu, Run!" coming from the crowd.

I burst out laughing, the bus slowed down, and I fell on in a shaking pile of panic.


*Mzungu - Swahili for white person, someone of European decent.

a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

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under the mosquito net, Morogoro, Tanzania. 

I am a last-minute participant in the Think Kit blogging challenge. I tried to blog everyday last December, but it fell apart for various reasons....mostly because December is busy with work and play and obligations and holiday panic, blah, blah. 

But I really want to start writing again. I still write the music column for the Broad Ripple Gazette, but I've let other writing opportunities slide and I don't like it. 

And this year I have plenty to write about and need to capture those stories before they have totally left my brain. 

So here we go. Again. 

Day One prompt: 

Nothing like a strict word count to kick off our month of blogging...just kidding! Share your year in photos. Was there a moment of unrestrained happiness? An unexpected encounter? What role do photos play in your life – were you more selective with your phone (er...camera) this year? Or are you the King of Selfies? Dig into the deeper meaning of a moment frozen in time.

I'm all about the photos and think that the idea of selfies might just have been invented for me. In previous years I took an extraordinary amount of feet snapshots - so many that they have their own label on this blog. 

I moved away from photographing my feet when I discovered the whole selfie thing. Or maybe because I lost weight and figured out the right angle to tilt the phone to hide the double chin that I was born with. 

I embraced the foot photos again this summer when I spend most of July in Tanzania visiting my godmother. I started wrapping up my day with under-the-mosquito-net facebook posts. It was a great way to reflect on the adventures of the day and there is great comfort and safety in being  under a net. 

Tucking the net in makes going to bed intentional and marks a clear end to the day. Going to bed at Chez Pez is fluid. I get up to find the charger for my phone, up to get a glass of water, up to double check the lock on the door, up to start laundry, up to grab another book.....

I think I should add a mosquito net to my Christmas list, I think I'd sleep better. 

+++++

So what is old is new again....photos of toes, blogging, and hoping to make it through the month. 

I'll see you tomorrow.