Dear children,
It has been just over two weeks since Helmy and I left your home and I really miss you. The morning we came to say goodbye was hard knowing that we had such a special time with all of you and it had to end. You made us both feel so very welcomed and loved. Thank you! Helmy and I had so much fun with you. We really loved being in small groups talking with each of you. Hearing your voices and having a better understanding of who you are was a highlight of our time at the shelter.
Here is one thing you can think about before I come back next time … what questions would you like to ask me and/or any volunteers who come with me to your home. Helmy and I loved the questions you asked us.
Everyone who donated money towards Julia’s Library of Love is absolutely thrilled to know that you have books to learn from, develop your imaginations, experience new ideas and thoughts and enjoy. I remember a very old lady told me one time, if you have a book, you will never be without a friend. She loved to read and always had a book that she was reading. She told me she would take her book with her wherever she would go and knew that if she was waiting for an appointment or waiting for someone, she could always read and she felt she was with a friend. I have many friends who read every day. Lisa, who is one of the volunteers you have met at the shelter and who writes you letters has already read over 60 books in 7 months!! That means she is reading about 2 books every week. One of the books she has read in the past 7 months was over 900 pages long!!
Have you started to borrow the books from the library? How often are you reading? What are your favourite books so far?
Since I have been home in Canada, whenever I see a children’s book I think “I wonder if the children would like this book?”.
Helmy still has her toenail polish on and I just put some on because seeing you with your nails polished inspired me to have my toenails polished. Have you put more nail polish on since we left? Kal said you would be able to buy nail polish remover there. The clear nail polish is a base coat and should be put on your nails first so your nails do not discolour from the coloured nail polish. It is important to allow each layer of nail polish to dry totally before you put another coat of polish on. I would wait for at least 10 minutes in-between the layers of nail polish. One more thing … make sure to shake the bottle of nail polish (the coloured nail polish) very well before you use it.
We brought a ring toss with us but I didn’t have time to show you how to use it. It is in a fabric bag with handles. You get points if your ring lands on the peg. Have you tried that game yet?
One day, I will spend more than one week with you and that will give us a lot of time to do everything we want to do together.
We are in the month of August now which is our summer. It was hot when I first got home from Ethiopia but now, the weather has cooled down and some people are wearing a sweater in the morning and at night. It will probably get hot again but for now, I am enjoying the cooler weather. Today is supposed to be only 21 degrees (at the warmest) and that is cool for August.
This time of year, many people love the fruits and vegetables that are growing and being harvested. Corn here is very sweet and I really like it boiled in a big pot of water and then spread butter (that melts very quickly) and sprinkle salt on the corn. When I was growing up, our mom would have a whole meal with just corn, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and cheese. Does that sound good to you to have for a whole meal?
Do you want to know something … I have never had a piece of corn in Ethiopia! I see the women roasting it on the sides of the street but I don’t walk on the streets very often and have not been able to buy one. Do you think I should do that the next time I am in Ethiopia? Do you like that corn?
I know you love watermelon and that is a fruit that is grown in our area and many really like it. I need to buy a watermelon this week because I really like it too. Julia loves a fruit called peaches. I don’t know if you can get peaches in Ethiopia. They have a soft fuzzy skin and a sweet inside. The colour on the inside of the fruit is a little bit like a mango. Some farmers grow strawberries for a few months in the summer and last week, Julia and I bought a couple of boxes. They were SO delicious! Remember we talked about our favourite colour and talked about why we love that colour? When I see the colour red of strawberries or the beautiful orange of a mango, they make me happy inside. Maybe I think about the delicious taste of that fruit and associate the colour with something wonderful.
We asked you what you liked to do when you are not in school. One of the things I like to do in the summer is to go to the beach. We have to drive about one hour to get to the beach we really like. We have many huge lakes within a couple of hours of where we live. I think that makes us very, very lucky because one of my favourite places to be is by the water.
Kal told me she had never been to a beach before, so I think you probably have never been to a beach either. You will see in my pictures the sand, water, birds, sunshine and me, Julia and our friends relaxing. When the sun hits the water, it looks like there are diamonds sparkling on the surface. To me … that is very beautiful. I really like to swim in the water, visit with my friends, share a picnic and stare at the water. I find this to be very relaxing, very peaceful and makes me feel very, very thankful for the beauty of our world.
Thank you for your July letter! The welcome to your shelter you gave me and Helmy and knowing how excited you were to see us will be something I will never forget! We asked you what was something that made you happy in the past year. One of my happiest moments this past year was when we arrived at the shelter, and I saw all of you. I thought my heart was going to burst open, it was so full with happiness and joy.
I love you all!! I miss you but knowing that I will see you again makes me very happy.
Grandma