I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the World for many different reasons but today I only want to focus on one!  The amazing women in my life!

I am not sure how I am so blessed in the girlfriend department. In fact most of my life I have had far more male friends than female. I guess that was a factor of being first a tomboy and then working in the political/legislative realm for so long. Yet today I have a plethora of female friends around the world who are truly amazing and make a huge difference in my life.

This my tribute to my “Sistas” here in Africa. Thanks to many of them although some deserted me and went out of town 😦  I had an absolutely fantastic long weekend, one in which I was really too busy to even write a blog or two 🙂

I have to be careful how I do this as I don’t want to offend any of them as they all hold equal affection in my heart!

Jetske, the esteemed Counsel may have ventured to South Africa for the Easter weekend for a well-deserved break with Peter but she left me with an apartment full of animals to keep my company. The whole lot which occupied my bedroom or kitchen at various times of the weekend. And whenever I dare depart the yard were all waiting faithfully by the gate for my return. In fact, upon my return home Saturday night my late night driver Tshepo, who always pulls into the yard to let me out and watches to ensure I make it to my apartment safely was astonished by the welcoming committee. Normally Dottie, the dog and Gabby, the cat are comfortably asleep when I wander home late on the weekend. Only my night owl/pussy, Cleopatra is usually waiting for my return. Saturday night I had a full greek chorus upon my return.

Without my pool buddy, Jetske I had to find other poolside buddies to hang out with. The weekend started off with poolside time with my friend Erin and a make-shift bikini! Followed by pool time on Saturday with my friends Naki and Moira.  Poor Buche had the misfortune on Saturday of visiting me on my terrace when my girlfriends arrived. I truly felt sorry for the poor man being caught in a gaggle of women. Although with Naki’s arrival he was able to check out the truck in which I have now begun to travel around in the back of through Gaborone. His assessment of both Naki and the truck was that he was satisfied that I was in good hands 🙂

Saturday night was dinner and fun with my friend Agatha and her teenage daughter. Buche dropped me of for my dinner date and Tshepo was ecstatic to get my call for late night pick up. He thought that I had abandoned him this weekend so was happy to come speeding to my pick up.

Sunday was some more time hanging out with girlfriends and drinking tea with Tanyala on the back stoep before she & I  attempted to clean up my apartment so it didn’t visibly look like the cat lady had officially taken up residence.

Monday wrapped up with a visit with and dinner out with my friend Nono. Thanks to her nagging about my jeans being two sizes too big for me I had gone to the Levi store last week and bought a pair of kick-ass jeans! I couldn’t wait to show them off to her and now I know that I am officially ready for Friday night’s big event of dancing at Botswanacraft to the sounds of Freshly Ground. Nono has assured me that I am likely to have a dearth of male attention wearing my sexy new jeans!

While I truly miss my many girlfriends back in Canada, I am incredibly blessed with the new girlfriends that have come into my life since arriving in Gaborone. Jetske, Erin, Sheila, Nono, Naki, Agatha, Moira….the list is really too long to complete and I am afraid to leave someone out. Thank you to each and everyone of you! You  have made Gaborone very special for me including teaching me a new way to celebrate Halloween, dancing in the rain in a parking lot, riding around in the back of the “Bucket”, grilling want to be suitors and most importantly, laughing with me almost each and every day! And I have plans for even more fun, just you wait 🙂