Tabaski 2 and Cold season begins!

This year we once again celebrated the life of Abrahams son Isaac. I think. Well we killed three sheep and wore our fancy clothes. No pictures this year though :( It's too bad because my little sisters hair was so cute! The celebration was on the 7th, however we began preparing on the  6th. Meaning the late night drumming, high energy children, and dancing had already begun. This continued to the 9th. I wore Senegalese clothing all day the 7th and on the nights of the 8th and 9th. My clothes this year were hot pink :) My sister goes to a school in Dakar for design and she really like my outfit. My dad said he liked it but I thin khe was just being nice. My mom cane to me mid day on the 7th and put half a heart and part of a sheep leg in my hand and was like "cook this" then we'll have 2 more lunches! It was a lot of eating. The meat I cooked was delicious thanks to my knowledge of cooking deer meat, I was able to prepare myself a tasty treat in my hut. I didn't enjoy cutting off the fat and removing the bone, but it was nice for those things to not be in the final meal for once. Finally, the night of the 9th as I'm trying to study for my GRE my family announces there is going to be a few more days of celebration becasue my sister is getting married. This I found odd as she already has a kid, and claimed to have a husband in Dakar. Confusing, I think my dad was just really desperate to get her out of our house. I decided it was in my best interest not to tell her new mother inlaw even though the results could have been interesting.... Due to the importance of my exam I chose not to stay in village for another few nights of drum pounding into the morning hours. I know my sister will be mad, but there wasn't really any other option in my mind. Meantime, in Kaolack the new volunteerss have installed. It is a time for me to share my great knowledge of culture and technical work with them. It's so funny to hear people saying what I was thinking a year ago and how some of it hasn't really changed.It's cool enough I need to wear a shawl at night all the way down to 70! Still gets up to 100 in the afternoon though. This requires careful layer planning for going out. It reminds me a little of fall in Indiana. I bet I'll die of cold when I go back there! New season means new work. I plan on completing an insect guide for volunteers as well as doing some small trainings in my village and demonstrations with my master farmer. she is getting better all the time. This season she started her vegetable nursery all on her own and even used ash and manure to boost the soil, go Fatou! Hopefully I will get my camera fixed soon and have some pictures to put up here.