busy...

not me. lois.

on sunday, she went down to Pueblo to visit her sis and bro-in-law. you remember, they were here visiting for a few days on their way back to Alaska. well, they made it as far as Walsenburg when Ken started to feel poorly and had a tough time breathing.

a 911 call gets an ambulance, with which he ends up in Pueblo ICU. were going to perform an angioplasty on monday, but found out that he needs a bypass instead. so, two of Pauline's sons are coming up from Texas to drive the mobile home back. Ken's gonna hafta wait a couple more days to get his bypass procedure. luckily, he can go back home and have it done there. i think it'd be strange to have it done in different environs, unless it were totally pertinent and a matter of life and death.

lois did make it back in one piece, considering the rain was just pouring south of castle rock (on her way back). she made it back in time to go to a baptism party for our friend's baby son, who just turned three months about three weeks ago. it was in the back of an african grocery store in Aurora. and of the couple dozen or so people there, we (along w/ a Latino guy) were the only non-Ethiopians in the room.

the guests didn't seem to fazed by our presence. we just got our food (which was delish) and sat down. what i found most interesting was the custom of shaking someone's arm when introduced mid-meal. i know that many cultures adhere to the eating with only one hand custom (including Ethiopian). what i didn't know was that if someone is eating and is introduced to another, you shake his/her arm...not hand.

it's always fascinating to watch Ethiopian people eat. if you're familiar with their food, you know that 'injera', a sourdough bread made from teff wheat, is their main eating utensil. it's kinda spongy and rolled up like a tortilla. you basically tear off a piece and scoop up your food. the coolest thing is to observe them...scooping and tearing all in one swoop...with that right hand. it takes a special dexterity to hold with the first three fingers and tearing with the ring and pinky. what's even more remarkable is that their fingers stay totally clean AND they finish their meal in half the time it takes us to use both hands and napkins (sometimes multiple). i mentioned this to lois and she laughed because she remarked that the shoe'd be on the other foot if they had chopsticks and were eating with me :)

she's so wise...