Love isn't silly at all

 I suppose my lack of blogging has been due to the fact that certain things have become very 'everyday' ho-hum-ish... but nonetheless, I'm gonna try my best to make this entry worthy of your read :)

parked on our street
another 'ordinary' vehicle

outside our apt
'normal' clean up of tree debris

'just' some product labels
for your viewing pleasure

Cow Crossing:
my drive home from school 

So what has now become 'normal' around here for me??? I hardly even notice the blaring calls to prayer and the incessant car horns. And the fact that I don't understand any of the surrounding spoken languages nor know how to read any billboards/product labels/posters no longer fazes me. My students don't seem quite as loud anymore, things at school not so crazy chaotic, and worksheets are plastic water bottles are worksheets are plastic water bottles are worksheets. Nothing is ever dry and everything is always on the verge of mold, but I'm no longer sure what 'dry' would feel like against my skin. Me, I, am become to learn to me my students talking at times. Me, I, am losing to speak English. And I find myself putting little Arabic words into sentences, shweeah by shweeah. Perhaps, in the whole culture-transitioning-spectrum, I have reached the little oblivion-bubble of sorts. It's kinda nice :)

SO generally, January & February life has continued :) And along the way, Jesus has really blessed me with moments where I am completely awestruck by His Love:

An Art Supply Store!
An Art Supply Store!

My roommates 'introduced' me to this fabulous art store they were recently 'introduced' to by their language tutor! It has canvasses! Paints! Brushes! Paper! Just beautiful beautiful things :) Due to the prices and my current salary, I was only able to purchase a few very special select items to work on an initial project. Nonetheless, I'm excited for this great find and will probably visit the store every once in a while just to touch things... yes, I am tactile.

True friendship :)

Eating here in Morocco is not easy. I'm continually amazed at the efforts used to prepare a meal. My non-skills (now exponentially growing!) combined with the various ingredients of US recipes that cannot be found here, always makes for some lovely cooking adventures. Moreover, it is so touching when friends offer up special contraband that they have stored up for 'special occasions.' For example, after a recent sleepover with some wonderful women, one continued to blow me away with her kindness. After making our own syrup to go with the French toast (yes, MADE our own syrup! and all this time, I thought it just came from a bottle...), she brought out the crown jewel of the morning: sausage patties!

Lastly wanted to share "love" as seen from the eyes of babes... its such an incredible slap-in-the-face-stop-feeling-sorry-for-yourself-love-is-all-around-you reminder for me... enjoy! :)
ps- to my teacher friends, don't judge me on the caliber of my students' writing-non-skills.
pps- to my non-teacher friends, if you need translation of the kid writing, lemme know.