Life's a Stitch

First let’s start with the definition of a dilemma according to the Cambridge Dictionary:

A challenging situation where you must choose between two or more options, all of which are equally difficult, undesirable, or unpleasant.

Tonight I find myself embroiled in a dilemma of the plastic kind. There are four locations on our property where an assortment of plastic food storage containers are stored: the kitchen, the downstairs suite, the camping trailer and a piece of furniture where we store items needing to be transferred to the camper. The issue at hand being there are maybe 100 pieces consisting of lids and bottoms and not all match.

The kitchen is easy as daughter Mari has gifted me high quality, easily nested sets over the years. Their drawer, however, has been invaded by prolific strangers requiring sorting. How and when do those lids and bottoms without matches multiply without my knowledge? Part has to do with a spouse that doesn’t follow food storage instructions. Accompanied by a lesson in container organization, that drawer now looks organized. For now, anyway.

Next comes the sorting: Rubbermaid, Ziplock, Glad, Betty Crocker (the Dollar Store brand), restaurant takeaway containers. This solves the chicken and egg question – which break first, the container or the lid? There are easily 50% more lids than bottoms, mostly of the restaurant variety with writing marked in Sharpie ink: eggplant, lamb, butter chicken…

Sorting done, it’s easy to keep sets of four or more of the same size. Here’s the dilemma. What do you do with individual containers and lids that don’t stack and take up too much storage space? Take them camping and hope they break? Recycle them? They aren’t good enough for the thrift store. A dilemma, indeed.

It was Chuck’s birthday, something that doesn’t thrill him these days. His only wish for his day doesn’t involve favourite food except for Pavlova, the lighter than air Aussie dessert named for ballerina, Anna Pavlova.

Here is the inside. When hearing that it’s meringue like, some assume it will be dry and crispy when in fact only the outside has a crust, the inside is soft and delicious.

Pavlova history: my best ever, back when I didn’t reduce the sugar to make it “healthier”:

Grandson Rye at 3:

And now at 14:

The recipe

Ingredients:

 6 egg whites (without one smidge of yolk!)

1¼ C sugar

3t cornstarch

1t white vinegar

1t vanilla

Whipped cream (made from 1-2 C of cream)

Fruit for top – bananas, berries, kiwi

Preheat oven to 290 degrees F (a fully preheated oven will assure that there is no moisture present). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Draw a 10-11” circle on parchment.

Place egg whites in a large, dry mixing bowl. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar beating thoroughly after each addition. Continue to beat for 4-10 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Fold in cornstarch, vanilla and vinegar.

Spread mixture onto circle marked on parchment. Shape evenly, running along edges and top with a flat bladed knife to achieve a smooth look. Run knife vertically up the edges all around (see photo). This is not only decorative but gives the Pavlova structure.

Bake 40 minutes until pale and crisp. Turn off oven and cool with oven door ajar. Top with whipped cream and fruit (recommendation – assemble and refrigerate just prior to meal at which it will be served).

More blossoms.

And a sweet spring bunny appreciating the flowers as much as I do.

My new garden elephant:

I wanted so much to bring back a metal garden sculpture from Tanzania, but there was no way to get it home. I found this, made by a family business in Indonesia, in a thrift store three blocks from home. Memories of two past trips: Africa and Indonesia.

They were late this year, but I made sure my walks passed some of the most impressive.

Today starts the time when you walk through drifts of petals:

I did a quick little painting using the paper and paints Elina gave me for my birthday:

I finished the self striping cardigan:

Pattern: Double Crochet All The Way by CroJennifer https://crochetjennifer.com/collections/cardigans/products/double-crochet-all-the-way-cardigan-crochet-pattern

Yarn: Sirdar Jewelspun – I really liked this yarn despite it being acrylic and I’m a yarn snob.

Colourway: Glacier

Yardage: bought three balls and used an over two and a half, a total of 513 grams/1282 meters.

It took me about three months as a couple of weeks in I realized I was going to need more yarn. Ordered from the UK, it took a wrong turn, sitting in the US for a month. So frustrating to view it in tracking trying the clear customs in the wrong country.

Very happy with the outcome, it fits perfectly. I had difficulty with the pattern in the beginning, but by the end had it memorized. Pattern designer is available for help and replies very quickly. She also has Youtube videos on customizing fit and assembling projects.

I deviated from the pattern by assembling it first, then adding a double crochet front and back rib all around, with five button holes and ribbing on the cuffs. Now waiting for custom wood buttons from Chuck’s workshop.

I’m delayed in posting this. Two days after our return I was hit with what was probably the flu. I’m reminded yearly flu shots don’t last forever. It’s been a slog that spanned a couple of weeks. The happy side of the delay was having our elder grandson here for a week during spring break:

and Mari and KC here for Easter:

Back to Africa:

We had to leave earlier than planned to get to the Kilimanjaro airport, a 1.25 hour drive. It was the day of a summit of the presidents of the eight countries of East Africa and the road was scheduled for closure for security reasons.

It was shopping day and we passed many displays of household goods and clothing.

Shoes:

Furniture:

An artist’s gallery:

We waited a long time for the check in gate to open, then found our way to lunch. Finally I had the opportunity to eat a delicious chipsi mayai, a popular Tanzanian street food made with fries and eggs, similar to Spanish Tortilla (potato omelet).

As we were waiting to board, one of the presidents was leaving, complete with honour guard.

When we took off we saw the top of Kilimanjaro:

Our first layover was in Nairobi, the place of our arrival. It was a bit of a disaster involving a phone left on the first plane and its recovery, and the breakage of two of three special bottles of wine from the duty free. The next two flights were 8.5 and 9 hours. Yup, it was a trying 28 hours.

We flew over Greenland, Canada’s soulmate when it comes to a threatened takeover by the US.

Finally home, we reflected on a wonderful experience despite the arduous travel time. With the exception of the Camino de Santiago, it was the best trip we’ve ever taken.

The view from home sweet home:

(March 5/6, 2026)

Leaving Tarangire the bus ride to Arusha was two hours in the pelting rain. We eventually turned off the highway and wound our way through questionable areas until we arrived at our gated compound far from downtown. It was called the Summit Lodge, but resembled a budget close-to-the highway hotel on the I-5 around Stockton, California.

It was gated as it was not a good area to walk on your own. The neighbourhood:

Our room:

Notice the tea kettle on the dresser where there were no electrical outlets. To boil water we had to pull out a bed and carefully balance it on the mattress.

Our local agent arrived for orientation time. She was aware of our opinions regarding the location and offered to arrange a ride in the morning for us to go downtown Arusha to the Masai Market… by tuk-tuk. Four of us and the driver all in one tuk-tuk for a 25 minute drive each way for a total of $8US. Rika volunteered to sit shotgun.

We arrived safely, really it wasn’t that bad. 

It was a typical local market with merchants needing business calling out to you. I had some specific gift items in mind, but had to run the gauntlet past those booths that didn’t interest me.

It’s a difficult feeling wanting to impossibly support everyone.

I have a hard time bargaining in developing countries.

In the middle of our expedition we walked into town for lunch and an ATM. That’s when the rain started. A woman ran after us offering us plastic bags to keep our heads dry. What a sight we were.

In the end we all came out not too soaked, with our intended items, and had a long wait for our driver to return. We found a spot to keep dry.

It was exhausting enough, but was compounded by Chuck not feeling well physically and otherwise. We were more than ready to board a plane tomorrow for our 28 hour trip home.

Tomorrow: the journey back.

(March 5, 2026)

Our lunch destination was the Tarangire Sopa Lodge. Our previous experience with the Sopa chain meant it will be a step up from our recent box lunches.

On our way we saw another new-to-us creature, a Rock Hyrax. They live in rock crevices in order to escape predators.

The wildlife became more colourful. We spotted a Lilac Breasted Roller.

And upon arriving at the lodge’s lush grounds there was a Rainbow Agama Lizard aka the Red-headed Rock Lizard, beautiful by either name:

We were escorted from the lobby

to the pool area for a delicious grilled lunch: burgers, chicken and fish.

Back on the road there were Masai Giraffes with their characteristic leafy shaped jagged spots. I could imagine one printed with Canadian maple leaves.

And an elephant family with a young new member.

We saw one using a tree to scratch an itch.

There was a Ground Hornbill standing in a tree:

Finally, a troop of baboons.

And that’s a wrap for the animals. This part of our trip was far above and beyond what we ever imagined!

Kenya and Tanzania in late February to early March worked out well for us, but note, a few days after we left there was massive flooding a month before the rainy season usually starts. Climate change?

Our tour agency couldn’t get us flights back tomorrow so we’ll have a free day in Arusha. The Masai Craft Market is on our agenda. Stay tuned.

(March 5, 2026)

We checked out of the Country Lodge early enough to fit in another visit to the Tanzanite Experience gallery. Again, I didn’t buy anything, but our group did the stop justice with their purchases of tanzanite earrings, t-shirts, carved wooden animals and table runners. I was taken with the metal garden sculptures, but there was no way they were fitting into the suitcase.

I particularly liked a warthog, but they were sold out of the small ones.

In the parking lot we watched the Weaver birds flitting about their hanging nests. It was interesting to see them entering and exiting through the bottom of the nests.

90 minutes later we arrived at Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania.

The park is known as an elephant paradise with herds up to 300.

After nine days in nature, we were surprised to see new animals and different vegetation. There were huge termite mounds:

and giant Baobab Trees, some 1000 years old:

We were greeted by a mama and baby waterbuck with their heart shaped noses:

followed by large warthogs:

The landscape was beautiful.

Besides the Baobabs, there were palms and we were introduced to the Sausage Trees:

They are known for large sausage-shaped fruit, which can reach up to 2 feet long and weigh over 15 lbs. Although the raw fruit is poisonous to people, they are a food source for baboons and monkeys. The large cats use sausage trees for shade.

We saw Dwarf Mongoose for the first time.

Where there are mongoose there are generally snakes, and we were fortunate to see none, although the parks we toured are home to deadly Black Mamba, Puff Adders, Pythons, Black Necked Spitting Cobra and many harmless varieties.

We drove over the Tarangire River, a reliable water source that attracts a quarter million animals during the dry season. This was the wetter season, bordering on the start of the long rains in March, and there was no shortage of animal sightings.

To be continued…

(March 4, 2026)

We continued our crater game drive.

Before our lunch break we spotted an elephant:

On the smaller end of the scale, a Rosy-throated Longclaw: 

And we did it! Steve spotted rhinos in the distance, but they are so large there was no mistaking them. Yes, those are birds on his back. The Red-billed Oxpeckers remove ticks and parasites from the rhino’s body and also serves as a warning system for poachers and predators that attack their calves.

There are two types of rhinoceros, Black and White. The difference has nothing to do with colour. White rhinos are larger, social grazers with wide, square lips. Black rhinos are smaller, solitary browsers with pointed, hooked lips used to eat branches and leaves.

These are the Black Rhinos of the big five, so now everyone in our group has completed all five. 

The rest of the afternoon seemed dedicated to birds.

A Grey Crowned Crane (the National Bird of Uganda)

The Spar-winged Goose

At our picnic spot on the lake there were thieving birds, Pelicans and Guinea Fowl.

It was a peaceful spot on the hippo area of the lake. 

The were also plenty of Weaver birds.

The weather was getting thicker and after a full day we headed up through the rain forest side of the crater,

back to the lookout with the geocache, eventually arriving at the Country Lodge in Keratu, where we had stayed three days ago. 

It was nice to get back to a basket of clean laundry at a reasonable price, $1US per item. 

Sadly tomorrow is the last game drive of the trip at the same time I’m so grateful that we have already been able to experience far more than we expected.