May 16, 2018

And now for an update...

Dental implant surgery is behind me.  The dentist did a superb job.  He managed to put in one big post even though there was bone loss and mushy bone as well.  He did it 8 days ago.  There is still a bit of swelling which is not surprising given that he had to drill down 12mm., but no infection and no pain.  So 3 or 4 months from now, I will have a new tooth.

My teaching has dwindled by one class.  One of my Ceylon Electricity Board classes has dropped off.  Still have 3 classes going.  I was having a bit of a time finding an assistant for the children's class.  There 2 distinct skill levels in that class which makes it difficult to manage it on my own.  After casting about and having no real success, I realized that I have a wonderful resource literally on my doorstep; my landlady's granddaughter who lives in the annex right beside me.  Her English is excellent and she helped her mother when she ran a Montessori school.  Meet my new assistant, Maryam.  Why I did not think of her sooner, I will never know.

We have been having heavy thunder storms every day.  Black clouds that make day into night, torrential rain accompanied by lightning that makes the night into day and huge claps of thunder.  My animals manage it quite well, but Tsweetie has been coming in for shelter as she is wet and scared.  Despite all the rain, we have a water cut today that started yesterday afternoon.  Go figure!

Sinhala/Tamil New Year was ushered in with the first breakfast of kiri baht (milk rice) and katha sambol also called lunnu miris made from tomato, chili, onion and salt (lunnu).

Auvrudu breakfast

The cocoa beans were fermented for almost a month, sun dried, peeled and ground to make lovely raw cacao powder that is a magnificent aubergine colour.

Veenitha crushing the beans so we can get the skin off.

Nibs and skins

The powder; more purple than brown.

All the rain is making the garden really beautiful.  The mango tree that has not brought fruit the last few years is full of fruit.  Too bad it is too high up to pick.  The Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum) which has been trained over the frame of the ill fated brick oven is thriving.  So too are the black ants that have invaded with a vengeance.  It has been all out war since January.  I win small skirmishes, but I think they are winning the war.  They have a much larger army.

Bleeding Heart Vine

The animals too are thriving.  The kittens are getting big and are as much a wonderful headache as ever.  

A snuggle of cats.  Baby with the cone of shame after her surgery, but still feeding her babies.

All five:  (from left to right) Nangi, Baby, Putha, Ayya, Buddy Boy

Nangi can't stand still for a minute

Tsweetie making a cameo appearance.  

Nangi using Buddy as a body pillow.

Having been catching up on Suits in preparation for the royal wedding on Saturday.  Going out to friends in Rambukhana to watch en masse.  We takes our entertainment where we can gets it.