God is good!: A Bloggin' Miracle

Last night, after writing an email to one of my favorite people in the world, I thought I would take a quick trip to my blog and make a quick post.  There was nothing quick about the expereince and nothing came out if it.  I went to bed very frustrated.  Intenet is slow here but all I ask is to be able to blog and email.  I'm not even going to try Skyping.  Trina, let's start praying for a Skype miracle:). Trina is my super cute cousin who is organizing this year's family reunion in Charlotte, NC.  Since I won't be able to be there we've been taling about Skyping me in during the family dinner. How fun that will be.  But it will require another miracle:) So I am feeling very blessed and favored by God right now to be able to post to my dear friends and family.

So, voila. Today's post:

A satire of the situation in  Benin (shape of the patient)

Today was a wonderful artsy creative day. 

I hung out with an AID/State colleague, Noemy, who is super cool and saw two really inspiring beautiful exhibits, one by a Beninois caricature artist, Cari Cas Tonakpa. The 2nd was by an English collage artist, Bruce Clarke.

I just thought this was cute. Untrue, but cute.

Contemplating the caricatures artwork. He's quite a brilliant artist.

Tea time!  It was so much fun hanging
with one of my new fave people at post.

At the 2nd exhibit we had tea in the cutest little tea shop.  Sorry, no pictures of the 2nd exhibit.  I wasn't allowed to take pictures.

After the 2nd exhibit Noemy and I went on a short tour of Maison Rouge, a new boutique hotel owned by a French woman. I loved this picture, by a local Beninese artist and the table. I could totally see making somehting like this. (the tbale, not the picture).   The entire hotel was beautifully and creatively decorated. What an inspiring morning!

Then I came home and made a few of my own creations:

1) Eggs with basil, tomato, green pepper and onion for a breakfasty lunch.
2) A white sweet potato pie (from the veggies from the basket from Tuesday)
3) A mango and apple pie.

Random, I know. But I feel like every meal I make at home is such a satisfyingaccomplishment that I like to snap photos. It was delicious:) I'm kind of tired of having mostly vegetarian meals so one of my next excursions will be to the fish market. I've already talked about going with Francine another one of my new fave people.

In the afternoon, a coworker, Francine and her cousin who is in town from Nigeria for the weekend invited me to go to the market.  I'd gone there on Thursday (another post) so I didn't need to go but did need apples for my pie.  So they brought me the apples.  How kind!  While they were here the sweet potato pie finished cooking so of course I had to have them try it. It was their first time having a sweet potato pie and they loved it!!! This is a pic of them and her cousin showing this is their 2nd piece. 

Francine and Sylvester

Also happens her cousin is an amazing artist. He noticed my drawing book and supplies on the table in the living room. So while he was here he drew 2 drawings in my book.   What a treat!! God knows how much I love art and this day was brimming with it.

Sylvester a brilliant artist creating a masterpiece in minutes!

Could the day be any better? Yes!!! Tonight we're all going to a dance show my other new friend Svetlana's daughter is dancing in.   Gotta run and get ready.  This has truly been a fabulous day.