afternoon escapades

I don’t seem to have much to do in the afternoons. Not to say I don’t keep busy and have no idea where the time goes but nothing really planned or needing to really get done deadlines. Which after being at school all morning I don’t mind at all—I’m wiped out when I get home. Though it has been getting better all year…I’m getting into my stride or semi-knowing what I’m doing (that’s probably just in my mind). Then last week I got a text on Tuesday asking if I would consider driving to dedza the next afternoon. Of course, for many reasons
1. I love to drive here—such an adventure being on the wrong side of the road.
2. Dedza is about an hour away and has a pottery place that serves good desserts and has a pretty good market.
3. I don’t have anything else planned and would love to help someone (assuming that’s why I’m being asked.
Turns out a special ordered platter from the pottery place needed to be picked up before the weekend. It was Jan and Trudi’s 40th anniversary gift. Then at school on Wednesday Willeke asked me if I could go to Lilongwe that afternoon to drop of a car for a couple coming back on Thursday. So I checked to see that the Dedza errand could wait for Thursday afternoon and agreed. So Wednesday into Lilongwe where I got to run to the market for some fresh vegetables and to pick up one of the Ter Haar children from a friends house before catching a ride back with Reynier on his way back from a clinic in town…not a leisurely trip but it was nice and not rushed with many many errands.
Thursday rhona and I went to dedza. The platter was very pretty and then we enjoyed cheesecake and the market…fresh vegetables and different chitengi (cloth wraps) patterns to look at and of course purchase. There was lots of road construction going on and it always surprises me as to how long it takes to get to dedza. One of the construction workers flagged me to stop but then lowered his hand so I thought that meant I could go…until I started and he got upset. I backed up and waited my turn (good thing as there were quite a few semis coming).