Zimbabwe is south of the equator, so July and August are the coldest months here. The nights are still cold, and I don’t have a heater, so I’m glad I have flannel pajamas to wear at night, as well as nice thick blankets. The days are usually nice after the sun comes up and everything starts warming up. It’s a nice sign that spring is around the corner. Sounds odd, doesn’t it, that spring is around the corner in mid-August? Yet,that’s how it is in southern Africa!
One of the things these cold mornings do is motivate me to get out of bed quickly after I wake up. That may seem odd also, but there’s a good reason for jumping out of bed quickly. About half the time, we lose electric power around 6:30 AM, and if we don’t have power, I can’t cook my hot oatmeal on the stove. So, I jump out of bed quickly to fix my hot “Jungle Oatmeal” and heat water for hot tea. Having a hot breakfast to start the day on a cold morning makes all the difference in the world! By the way, the “Jungle Oatmeal” is the brand name I bought at the Spar grocery store. It’s not any more exotic than any other oatmeal, at least not until I have doctored it up. Cooked with raisins and a few prune surprises, and topped off with a couple bananas, it gives me a great start for the day!
