Bomu Medical Center, Mombassa, Kenya

Recently my friend Naomi from the wonderful children's charity, Project Sunshine, visited Kenya and brought books to build the library of Bomu Medical Center in Mombasa, which serves over 2,300 children and families living with HIV. To help build their library, one of the books they brought along was Being a Pig is Nice (seen in this photo below with Project Sunshine volunteers in the Project Sunshine playroom). How cool is that? For me it's especially cool because I was born in East Africa and lived in Kenya (Nairobi and Mombassa) for several years. I hope one day to go back... Here's some more information: 'Prior to Project Sunshine’s arrival, 27 children were enrolled in HIV treatment and care at Bomu Medical Center. To date, because of Project Sunshine’s clinic‐based educational and recreational programming three times per week, community‐based programming twice weekly, safe water, hand washing and healthy living programs, over 2,028 pediatric clients are enrolled in our programs. Our services, which are provided five days per week, provide continual support, education and creative outlets to children and families living with HIV/AIDS. 'According to a nurse at Bomu Medical Center, “Project Sunshine’s programs are an essential part of the HIV treatment and therapy at Bomu. Families turn to Project Sunshine just as they turn to medical treatment ‐ they can’t have one without the other.” ' To support their latest fund raiser check out their fun fashion show or visit their site where you can be part of this amazing work.

remembering... 8 years on

More photos of the towers before the attacks here

fabulousness to share...

I finally got to meet Jago (the fabulous illustrator) last month in Cornwall. Read more here. And if it's all not too exciting for you, then there's also this: The brand new sparkly JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE website just went live and if you head over there you can download free mp3s of the upcoming audio (read by David--Hercule Poirot--Suchet!) and win books, enter sweepstakes, do Q&A with Jago, David, and all kinds of other lovely stuff like that. And... not only that... but ... steady yourselves... look, I got a delicious super fabulous actual real live copy of the deluxe edition (these photos are Jago's): how cool and classy is that?

bicycle

(photo: man on bike, Berlin, 1920s) H.G. Wells said, "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." H.G. (Herbert George) Wells, born in Bromley, England (1866) got a respiratory disease in his 20s and thought he was going to die. So he left his wife, ran away with another woman, and began writing furiously. In about five years, he wrote all the novels for which he is remembered: The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898). And then he went on living and writing more science fiction and also a history of the world. He died in 1946 at the ripe old age of 80. Which just goes to prove something but I'm not sure quite what.

another BAD sign

in our Swedish Signs For Fridays Series...

down on your hands and knees with language

Last Spring I had the privilege of hearing Billy Collins read from his work and ever since I've been a huge fan. In a radio interview, the former U.S. Poet Laureate talked about his art, and described the fun of writing: "The real thrill is composition," Collins said. "To be kind of down on your hands and knees with the language at really close range in the midst of a poem that is carrying you in some direction that you can't foresee... It's that sense of ongoing discovery that makes composition really thrilling and that's the pleasure and that's why I write." Here's a clip to give you a taste of his poetic brilliance and how funny he is and his totally dead pan delivery... (incase you weren't already familiar with him):

Donald Miller: Million Miles Tour

My brilliant funny hysterical friend is opening for Don, her name is Susan Isaacs and she wrote ANGRY CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD and she is fabulous and you must not miss her!

Royal French Horn

in our Swedish Signs for Fridays Series