New Years Eve

Well, I cannot believe it myself, finally internet access and yes I have been trying for 12 days now. Thanks for all of the birthday wishes and please do not forget that my birthday will be on December 28th again next year. Gifts (beautifully wrapped), cards, French food and a gorgeous celebration will be in order. It is quite painful I must admit to be numerically older than David for the next 6 months but I have learned to adjust on a yearly basis. We are mobile and loving it. Frequently we just get in the car and take long rides out into the rural areas, huge valleys and plains and cows and goats most everywhere. Occassionally we pass a stray monkey or warthog and even a giraffe and rhino the day before yesterday. It is nice to see another side of Swaziland, one that is quite peaceful and shielded from what may lie within. I guess that it is the same when you are doing any traveling or sightseeing.
My birthday was most divine. We celebrated the miracle that is me and what a special day it was. We sat around with our Peace Corps friends and Susan (she runs the TB program at Good Shepherd Hospital, she is from Britian) and she resembles my sister Susan, anyways we had a nice dinner, a home made cake from scratch (quite an accomplishment and very good and chocolatey, thanks Kristin) a few cocktails and good conversation. The conversation was focused on me, you know how I hate that but seeing how it was MY birthday I figured, why not.
Christmas, well it was like no other. Midnight mass started at 9pm, yes that is 3 hrs before midnight and get this...it lasted until 6am. David and I stayed until 1:00 am, yes four hours. The mass had its ups and downs, lots of kneeling I might add on solid pine kneelers with no cushion. These old knees had a rough time of it. Seeing how we were celebrating the birth of the Baby Jesus I figured that I would suffer in silence, up until now that is. The manger at the church was quite ecceletic. There was the ususal Joseph and Mary and of course the baby Jesus (who was nearly the size of the manger and at least 5 times as big as his parents) and many wise men, apparently there were a dozen or so here in Africa as opposed to the three that we are use to. Addtionally, there were several statues, some plastic, of saints and I believe a pope or two thrown in for good measure. It was really quite the display, very endearing I must say. Above the manger (I do not think that I am spelling that correctly) there was the only Charlie Brown tree, it was about 3 feet high with branches that stuck out about 4 feet on either side, and fake as well. There was only one string of lights with about 12 of the bulbs working and a silver piece of garland about 2 feet long strung from the top of the tree and swooping west as it cascaded down. Needlesss to say I have spent many hours just sitting and admiring the whole scene and finding it most enjoyable, remebering of course that it is the thought that counts.
We drove to South Africa on Christmas day (just across the boarder) past endless fields of sugar cane (now I know where all the water in Swaziland is going) and very small towns. It was a great ride and we topped it off by having Chrismas dinner at KFC. Believe it or not it was fantastic (going down that is and a bit difficult to digest after not having fast food for so long) certainly a day to remember.
Well I am out of time, hopefully I can sign in again later. Have a wonderful New Year! Know that I love and miss you.
Peace,
Scott