i love kiva!

these women are from Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan.

i am so excited when i get an update on my kiva "portfolio" and i can re-lend my money to assist someone else.
and today i got this email:

Dear kate henshaw,

This is an update on your loan to Ainura Kochorbaeva's Group in Kyrgyzstan. Thanks to you and 27 other Kiva Lenders, the $875.00 loan request in Kyrgyzstan has been 100% funded.

This loan will be used for the purpose of: to pay for her daughter's education at university.

so that's great news, i reckon.

jam labels (again!)

i seem to constantly need to improve, refine, develop (mess with) my labels for the jam. we've decided to get labels for three jams printed in two colours each. the jams are chilli, very berry (our fave) and pear and vanilla. the mandatory nutritional panels took a while to generate.
i'm getting business cards printed too.

scout got ticks!

a weekend at bobo creek in winter (ie not tick season) left scout with seven tiny ticks. yep, paralysis ticks. a bigger dog would have been fine but it was pretty bad for little scout who spent four days at the vet on a drip. she is fine now but they had to shave her! she looks so funny, but is as delightful as ever.

a great weekend at bobo creek

we spent the weekend with three girls, two dogs and our builder-friends aidan and catherine making a big start on the below-floor level of the cottage. it was cold but the days were clear and the property is beautiful in winter. the creek is shady and mossy and the grass glorious shades of ochre and gold.
here are some photos:
the building materials arriving
the girls putting up their tent
jessie keeping warm
scout loving the long grass
the creek
sophie and scout
pete and aidan got the joists up