I loaded the last of the Egypt photos, but I’m too tired to put words to them so they’ll have to wait a little longer. We’ve been busy with paperwork and appointments — for new passports (we have special ones for here that expire in the fall), overseas medical clearance (yes, we have to do it again, even though we’re moving from a medically remote area to a base with Navy medical doctors. I’ve learned it’s better not to ask “Why?” because no one has an answer and it wouldn’t make sense even if they did), school registrations for next year, dental clearances for everyone . . .
On the bright side, (for me), our printer is broken so Josh has had to bear the brunt of most of the paperwork, since he’s the one that has been going to the embassy to print it all out. I told him I’d be happy to help him fill it out (it’s a lot of work when you have to do each form x6 — we really should have thought this through before we had all these kids), but he’s been doing it all on the spot (at the medical clinic, in the consular’s office, etc). Win. Win. Win. (for me.)
The bright spot in my week for the past month has been this class that I’ve been taking where they teach you to make Omani people. It’s 3 hours of fabric scraps, glue guns, ribbon, felt, yarn and beads — heaven on earth. You start with cereal box cardboard that has been glued to a thin layer of foam that has been cut out into standard forms of man, woman, girl, camel, etc. Or you can get adventurous and cut your own. You cover the pieces with fabric, decorate them, and then they are mounted on foam board to be framed.
I made a family portrait — The Chartiers, Omani style.
Close up of Josh and I — I’m especially proud of my purse (sequined ribbon that I layered over black fabric. I love the bit of chain for the handle).
Camille and Calvin
Carter (holding the flag) and Caleb
Our unnamed camel pet — the camel was especially fun to make. The “rug” is a piece of upholstery fabric that I rolled up and tied the ends with yarn and the burlap sack is filled with fabric scraps to fill it out.
It was so much fun that when the class was over, I signed up to do it again. I’m not sure what sort of picture I’ll be making this time, but I made 3 goats (the long haired scraggly kind like they have here — yarn makes perfect goat hair) and a camel already. There’s something very relaxing about sitting on the floor surrounded by a mountain of fabric scraps. If only my mom were here — we’d be in crazy quilt heaven.