Things I Thank God (and You!) For

First, I'd like to thank everyone who helped either to spread the word or donate to my project.  We're now fully funded, and we can really get down to work!

I am always every day and every way thankful for my sister.  She's always the most wonderful person in my life, and I'm so delighted beyond words that I get to share my Malian experience with her soon!

Both my mother and my father are always so supportive of me, from packages to text messages to letters.  My whole extended family, in fact, is amazing. I love getting all of your facebook messages and emails.  My friends make this whole experience possible.  Doug's perceptive packages and cheery text messages, laughing conversations with Becky, cute cards from Sally, bracelets and other smile inducers from Lorie, long facebook-mail messages from Jessica, Dave's enabling of my facebook sillyness, and every other friend that reaches out to me in any medium; I love all of these.  I don't think that was grammatically correct, but it's at least in English, so I'll let it ride.

Peace Corps, and Mali are also on the list.  I've just had the most delightful week of Thanksgiving festivities (complete with pumpkin pie!) that one could imagine.  Plus dancing!  Sikasso folks went all the way with the hospitality and I really appreciated it.  My village is definitely my Home, and my heart goes there.  Even in the midst of overdue drunken revelry, I think fondly of the tranquility of my village.  My easy access to Koutiala enables me to get paperwork and reconnecting out of the way quickly and easily, but I'm safe in my cozy little village within 2 hours when I want.  I already raved about my energetic homologue and his loving family.  And my dear darling friend from village, despite being away teaching second graders in another village, makes her presence felt through her loving mother and charming nieces and nephews when I visit them.  I actually visited her, but the recounting of that visit belongs in a different post.

Simply put, I'm grateful.  I'm looking forward to another wonderful year, and I love you all!  Thank you.