Catching Up and the End of Our Adventure

Hi All. Sorry you haven't heard from us in a couple of days , but we have been BUSY! So I'll try to catch us up on the goings on. Friday was the eve of the wedding and here were so many things to do. We woke up fairly early and started going about the tasks that Miriam had in store for us. She was expecting about 40 for dinner after the rehearsal at the church and she really wanted to attend, so we all pitched into help. Of course we congregated as we did every morning for breakfast and had our pepper soup and boiled yam and fruit and coffee. Then it was off to the races. Miriam and Melinda took off for the open air food market to get supplies. Let's just say that being her "barrrow boy" (the young man that wheelbarrows your purchases to your vehicle) is a trip. She is like the energizer bunny on steroids. The woman can move and is a really tough bargainer. Within the space of 45 minutes we had purchased pineapples, cucumbers, tomatoes, papaya, huge mangoes, carrots, cabbages and some plastic containers to put food as well as other items. The market is still fascinating to us with its sights and sounds...a sensory explosion...fruits and vegetables, spices, dried fish and seafood, live chickens being carried upside down for sale, huge beef and lamb and pork carcasses being cut up for sale, and grocery items as well like cleaners and canned goods and such...acres of stalls...and then the other household items and clothes and appliances ...so many different things to see and hear and smell and touch.... and all the time vendors calling to us to come and purchase their wares...totally enveloping your senses. To others who do this on a daily basis, it is surely a chore, but to us it was a feast for the senses.

We headed back to the house and unloaded the goods. Meanwhile during that time Ilse had taken a group, including Matthew and John to the crafts market to make purchases that Melinda had requested. When they returned, Melinda was thrilled with the selections...the boys made great choices and Matthew really got some exceptional artwork and other gifts. Then it was down to the nitty gritty. Miriam's friend Ann had arrived with flowers and other flowers arrived from Lagos the night before and Ann started in on setting up an arrangement based on Tariye's instructions and prototype. She had purchased huge flowers like birds of paradise and delicate orchids and an assortment of other spectacular blooms and greens all native to Nigeria. She had us make a variety of arrangements from 3 foot tall glass containers filled with birds of paradise to smaller table top ones. All were incredibly striking and everyone pitched in...John, Mary Ann, Rebecca Thompson, Miriam, and we were led by Ann. Meanwhile, Dean Thompson was preparing the service while Tariye and her ladies were taking care of other business. Turner was making sure that all travel coordination was being attended to which was an intricate symphony of taxis, use of some large buses borrowed from the ministry of science and technology and private cars. We somehow managed to get everyone where they were supposed to be without losing anyone and all of these details were pretty well taken care of.

Along with Peace, Sarah, and Victoria ( the women that are employed by Miriam and Tariye) cooking preparations began in earnest for the evening. While the event was being catered, Miriam requested some side dishes like potato salad and fresh fruit and for good measure fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Because you are always worried about food safety, you really try to put the vegetables in boiled water for a bit to make sure to kill any organisms that might be on the skin, so that 's an added step that you have to take care of. Then dishes and silverware were collected from about the house to set up on the buffet. Meanwhile Matthews Larsen and Wentworth were cleaning tables and chairs and icing down the drinks for the party. At that point, Miriam's friend, Christine arrived in the nick of time to set up the tables and dress them up which was beautiful and good timing. The place looked lovely and festive and everyone went to get dressed and wait for the caterers and later the guests to arrive. The caterers provided the bulk of the dishes...one was in one corner of the lawn making akara, the fried hush puppy like concoction made from pounded black eyed peas, another was making suya, both over open fires. Then the other food arrived, rice and a corn and bean saald, cooked greens of two types, goat in a tomato sauce, pepper soup, and other assorted dishes that frankly in the flurry of activity that has gone on in the last few days, we have forgotten. It was all regional food and well presented. Meanwhile several of us, Jim John, both Matthews and Melinda manned the bar. The guests started arriving in earnest...Miriam's Niger wives--all friends that she has cultivated over the years from all over the world...Russia, Moldavia, Germany, Bavaria, and others married to Nigerian men, then family and friends of the couple on both sides. All told when everyone got there therer were upwards of 80 guests, about double than we predicted, and what a party! People were so much fun to talk to and hear where they live and what they are doing...so many well educated and beautifully dressed and interesting young and old people. We Americans felt somewhat lagging in terms of accomplishments and dress and purpose. To say that the party was hopping was an understatement...so much fun and lasted well past 10 pm...and there were things to get ready for the morning, so we all pitched in and between the many hands cleaned up the dishes and put away the food, collected the bottles and cans and left the rest for another time. We would all be getting up early for the big day so we retired around 11:30 or so...excited and in anticipation of the celebration that we came for. More about the wedding tonight when we will wrap up the trip.

Melinda, John, and Matthew