Surfacing

Hi gang just got in from a jaunting vehicular hopscotch around california. Santa Cruz, Sabastopol, San Francisco, Oakland, for starters. The days long but the journey rich with new experiances and oppertunities laying in wait.

Spent a dew filled night slumbering under a kiwi grove after farming for a day, and playing music by night.

Since the fall, my trip has been entirely benficial to my healing and an incredibly rewarding time spent putting my ball in play for post Peace Corps.

good night be well,

I am exhausted!
but happy

wanderer

Well

where in the world

Indeed. Where in the world?

Hi guys in Tacoma Park Maryland (DC Area) with some fellow wayfarers who drifted back early from the blistering climate of Niger.

Just chillin.

Tuesday I spread my wings and fly to Oakland then later to the northern side of sunny california where a multitude of tasks will burden my load as I drift about and visit UC Santa Cruz for a horticulture program, meeting my good friend cecilia from old mexico in SF, and catching up with our long lost militantly sloppy farmer Matt Mccue "the iraq soldier guy"

Getting into the stretch of this last inning in the DC area I have been enjoying myself thouroghly. Its been interesting new territory, but none the less I'm strumm'n like a fat cat wandering between the many worlds crossed between on this terribly fascinating trip home.

So I have started writing and working in my mind what to journal from this trip so have patience. Its been terribly exciting.

Don't want to give it away but its been one magic sack full of handling spells and meeting monsters of all shapes and sizes, many of which can carry a tune pretty darn well too!

Start expecting stuff about the first of the month I should have some things set up by then after I return from Cali'forn'i'a.

be well and remember to check all hammock straps to prevent falling, you never know what kind of trip might become of it.

Peacefully trodding.

Joshua.

Oh my back!!

Today was my first session of physical therapy and so far after only doing breathing and relearning how to use my internal muscles that do all the work instead of the bigger bulky ones that have hindered all the rest I am tired.

Never thought breathing, tightening my stomach and simply raising my legs a few inches off the table would be so laboring but they are. I know baby steps, baby steps.

One session down, and two per week from here on out.

I am still waiting anxiously on the Peace Corps to decide whether I will be able to take a couple vacation weeks to supplement my time here instead of them going ahead and medically terminating my service, which will be undoubtedly more painful than the actual back injury.

Just a different type of hurt is all.

Often I think back of Niger, what are they doing, how is the rainfall, are the crops all in, are they missing me, has my time served there as an agriculturalist made any impact?

I think positively of my service and still see this current predicament of not belonging anywhere as just another few steps on my journey's.

On the domestic home front the devastating rains have left many farmers without crops for the year and many more close to home have lost investments not only in their fields, time, and operating costs but also in ruined equipment stemming from the levee's breaking or the torrential storms washing away the crops.

Often my heart flutters to think of their loss and and I pray that my African home does not suffer in the other extreme with a dry year. My heart beats optimistically hopeful that despite the devastation both of my homes can manage, or more so bounce back without losing everything. Though the situations are contrasting the stakes are equally as severe.

Ok that's it from Charlottesville, be well everyone, and don't worry I am getting better.

cheers!

Red Dreams

Hi guys this is a really random post.

I wrote this in an email to my step mom I think she was feeling a little bruised and abused from not hearing from me for a while so jotted down this dream I just woke from.

I know a dream, how flaky, but its short and funny enjoy.


Its 0434 just woke up from a dream, I and a few of my peace corps
buddies were flying back into the USA but we didn't come in on a
civilian airport, we entered at a military one, and as we are going
through we notice a lot of russians loading and unloading weapons and
many other things that look like a shady deployment of russian
military on US soil.

As I am walking through I am beaming at the American military police I can't help but quip'
"kind of lack security round here eh?"

they look back, unarmed and like pound puppies looking for a home reassuraing me they are getting hosed over on this deal.

So we exit the military compound and there are two uninspired and bewildered protesters sitting outside apathetically on the curb only looking in and still not grasping what is it that's actually wrong.

So then someone shouts "hey josh, you gonna protest this?"

"Ah, well, ok"

So i put down my bags, steal the megaphone from the protesters and say,
Hey ruskies, Putin scrubs submarines....Mine!

Without breaking stride I give back the megaphone and pick up my things and move on

everyone laughs, and apparently me too, it woke me from my dream laughing.


okay that's it.

Today I am going to King George Va with cathy she has work out there, but i am going to have here drop me off in Fredricksburg on the way so I can go to a super mandolin store and test out some high dollar mandolin's. I am getting really itchy to buy myself that certain something as a gift for a job well done after the Peace Corps.

I know, needs and wants, but after you play my current mando, but from the sahel sun the wood is as dried up as fried pepperoni, and has the action of a geriatric rocking it out at a eagles concert.

I see ovaltine and prune juice sponsors not Budweiser in this vision.

O'yeah lastly Cat' and I went to awesome pizza place, they sported live bluegrass, met the band, mando player. We are meeting up soon hopefully, on the ground and running as they say.

Peace.

Med Update

Sorry for not updating the blog sooner after the results of my doctors appointment last week.

The news is that I am healing normally, and medically cleared to return to Niger as long as I stay in the USA for an additional two weeks past my allowed 45 day medical leave.

So now I need to see if I can wrangle with the PC to allow me to stay an extra two weeks using my vacation time. If not, I will be medically seperated from the PC and my life long dream of living in the bush will be prematurely terminated.

Stupid hammock!

It seems nothing ever comes with out a hitch or little bend out of the way to get to where I am going, but what can one do, its part of wayfaring.

The doctor was a really cool guy and part of the medical team that worked on Christopher Reeves so it seems I am in pretty good hands. Its not just anyone who is allowed to work on superman I guess.

I know, Reeves, not me. ;-)

Cat' and I hosted our friend Alexandra last week, (we were all in PC Niger together) it was really a treat to have her come up and stay a couple days. And this week I am meeting her parents for the first time over the patriotic weekend, so thaaaaats going to be cool.

President Bush is coming to C'ville this weekend for the 4th, I'll try not to let it ruin my positive opinion of Charlottesville.

Today I invested in a annual pass for the Shenandoah National Forest it was a great investment, and couldn't come at a better time. I haven't started fully functioning yet and am going crazy from being couped up in an apartment full time.

I really start getting testy if not able to lose myself in Nature, so I stole cathy's car and drove the skyline ridge and found a nice little rock outcropping about 3500 feet looking over a spectacular view and played mandolin and watch some hawks circle and play in the sky.

I love this world, green and lush, or brown and dusty, my place is where ever my feet fall in front of me.

Okay that's about it

take care

Wedding Holla

Surprise!!!! I, Joshua Anderson and I, Cathryn Kloetzli, got engaged Thursday night, June 12th under the giant white oak aka 'wolf' tree in the back pasture on Joshua's family farm in Hale, Missouri.

Yippee!! Clap Clap!!

Since many of you know one of us but not the both of us, we thought this would be the best way to introduce each other to each others ….

A year and a half ago two wanderers crossed paths in Niger, West Africa, and what follows is our take on the story leading up to this wonderful occasion, or ah..SURPRISE!!

I was a teacher for his group's pre-service training in Niger, I was a class clown with a crushand we were both serving as Peace Corps agriculture volunteers. One day, on the way back from the garden, I asked her if she would be interested to talk shop over a pint, and I said YES! (well, with a little less enthusiasm, I had to be a little coy). I don't even like beer, but somehow it seemed like I just shouldn't say no to this guy. :)

So, it might have been her thick glasses, or shoulder exposure or the dry climate frying my brain ;) but something immediately sparked my interest in her. For my part, I was pretty much the smitten kitten as soon as I watched him and Matt contribute to a first aid presentation (Josh used to be an army medic). Soon we were finding more reasons to spend time together and learning more about each other.

Enjoying each others company we drifted towards the inevitable - culminating in sneaking me out of the infirmary and down into the sands beyond Hamdallaye when one full moon night I felt better. We stayed up all night talking, laughing and sharing our first kisses until the dawn greeted us.

Despite telling him of my imminent retreat from the Peace Corps that magical night and us both getting in trouble the next morning for sneaking me out of the infirmary (but that’s a story for another day…)

we proceeded full steam ahead into the Nigerien aka life concentrate, whirlwind version of dating.

Things escalated into swapping barrages of text messages, holding hands under cover at the Grand Marche in Niamey (PDA a big no-no in Niger), dancing up storms at parties and keeping up a healthy letter writing campaign that yielded close to 50 pages in letters – and that was just from Josh to me.

Alas, six weeks after we first met, I left Niger - and I was left alone in the bush. I went off traveling and working on three different continents and Josh settled in for the ride of his life in Dan Saga.

Despite two continents worth of distance, we decided to continue dating and building a relationship long-distance. One might think the distance and newness of our relationship would spell certain death for our relationship but Allah had other plans for us. Oh monkey wrenches. Barnacles!!!

In October we broke up, but somehow convinced ourselves it would be wise to meet in Kansas City when I came home for vacation. We thought we would smother the flames we had kindled and part ways amicably afterwards. But remember Allah had different plans!! Alllllllaaaahhhhh Akkkkbbarrrr!!!!

As fate would have it, we fell right back into each other, and decided to give it another go. Recommitted, we were set for another year apart. But I just couldn’t wait that long …. :) so, in March I decided to cash in all my frequent flyer miles and get him home for a surprise parents meeting/house concert with Peace Corps friends coming in from all corners of Amerik.

Then the unexpected happened, I got pregnant! No, no just kidding, I broke my back in May 2008.

…..uh, um, ah…..Surprise? I cancelled Josh’s ticket and he, instead, came back to Kansas City to heal on Peace Corp’s dime.

Fast forward to June when Jen and I drove from Charlottesville to Kansas City, Missouri for the week to see my fella and provide a little encouragement to get better … to surprise her, I worked some voodoo to obtain health care in C'ville instead of KC.

Ok, now for the sweet part.

The day before leaving to head back to C'ville together we wanted to walk the farm, correction: hobble, around the farm, one more time. On our way to the wolf tree we were high-stepping it through gorgeous, thigh high Kentucky bluegrass as the overcast sky turned dark grey from the setting sun dipping below the horizon - and … ahem, as it turns out, with a cadre of viscous ticks and chiggers circling around us! In a desperate ploy to make them sympathetic to us and distract them I asked an amazing woman with a contagious smile and eccentric qualities to marry me. (P.S. The ‘distraction’ didn’t work!! I am still nursing a pile of chigger bites – but it was so worth it and I loved being out on the farm and how simple, sweet and sincere it all was :) :) :)

My version … Once we arrived to the wolf tree, he somehow got me fixated on looking up at it … Snype Hunting! … anyways … while I had my back to him and was peering up into the great big bough, he took a picture of me. Once I turned back around, there he was - on his knees. No small feat for anyone, let alone a fella with a broken back! :) And he asked me the most miraculous question - to spend our lives together. What an amazing thing for someone to ask you. Even took off my hat!

So, time slowed down a bit, as it does for all big life events, and we looked at each other and promised ourselves to one another. Finally saying out loud the commitment made in our hearts way before that day.... and so here we are!

We are planning a TBA 2009 wedding with lots of music, dancing, food, camping and whimsical fun. Our wonderful friend Jimmie Klein (yippeeee!!!) has just agreed to marry us and we just can’t wait to share and celebrate all this with everyone! We really hope to see you all there! We'll keep you all posted!

With much love and many hugs, Cathy & Joshua

PICTURES: In our Nigerien best …………………..Me being distracted by the pretty leaves of the wolf tree right before Josh proposed…………………………………………………………The first few moments after being engaged!

Dirty 30!!

Today I turned thirty years young, and enjoyed every minute.
I had a CT scan, then played about 10 different mandolins at two different music shops,
found an engagement ring for my fiancee' and dropped a whooping three bones.

she loved it.

I bought a mood ring, seemed appropriate since I am still learning how to read her emotions.

Then afterwards I took a drive into the Shenandoah National Forest. so beautiful.

I have always wanted to live in the mountains.

tonight we had birthday margaritas, which took three seperate places to purchase the goods, one for booze, one for ice and one to find out the other two don't sell either. We also shared some homemade tamale's that we had been preparing over the last three nights.

soooooo tasty.

I'm finding my way here, slowly but surely, and with confidence it can be said that this community is going to be wonderful for me.

cheers,

Happy B-day to me.

Joshua