Mike recently posed an interesting question: where in the world are you if you can say Today I went to the Poste and feel quite proud of the accomplishment? Why, it must be here in The B.F. If you were asked in the States, what did you do today? and if you replied I went to the post office, you'd really seem like a total Loser . . . capital L! But not here in The B.F. Capital T.

Long ago Hilary and I came up with a motto: Just one thing! I even wrote in on the chalkboard that I painted on my kitchen wall: Just one thing. One thing every day. Simple! Seeing my chalkboard, numerous volunteers have commented on the wisdom (or simple-mindedness) behind this motto. In all candor, you'd be surprised how difficult it is to get out of the hut, then leave the courtyard, then go into the village, and then accomplish anything. Anything! So I embraced this challenge . . . optimistically, if not enthusiastically. For instance, two days ago I picked bell peppers from my garden. Mission accomplished. Just one thing: Food Security harvest from Model Garden. I can VRF that . . . and for you non-PCVs, that means it will get reported to Congress. As if Congress doesn't have better things to do.

In reality, I've been quite busy. I learned how to make cheese and tofu. Francoise is a young woman here in Pô. I want to make her rich . . . rich in The B.F. defined as being able to feed and educate one's children. She knows how to make cheese and tofu, and I want to help her start a business. GaMo Wigna is fascinated by the concept of tofu. Especially fascinated that its by-product can be fed to chickens and used in making bars of soap. Giant cauldrons of soy milk, tamarind juice, vinegar. Double double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble . . .this has giant mess-o-fun written all over it.

Then there's the planning for World AIDS Day. A little project called Paint The Town Red. This involves yet another mural, this time with a painted pledge to indulge in a healthier lifestyle. Everyone in attendance will have the opportunity to dip their hands in red paint and plaster their handprints onto the white wall below a red AIDS ribbon. It's finger-painting at it's best. Got to love that.

And then there's the new mill, or moulin.  This little mill will grind corn, millet, and yes, even soy beans for tofu. But wait! There's more. The mill is sturdy yet tiny. So small that it can be mounted on a bicycle and taken from courtyard to courtyard or from village to village. Not only can it be mounted on a bicycle, it can be powered by a bicycle. Just raise that back tire off the ground and pedal-away on a stationary bike, grinding corn all the while. Nifty, huh? How is it that the simplest of things here in Burkina can make such a tremendous impact? I think it's the Just One Thing philosophy.

A few other smalll things. I'm seeking funding for some trash barrels to be placed in our marche. Stop with the trash, already! In some ways Pô is very progressive. Our mayor recently instituted a trash pick-up program. This involves two men with a donkey cart who will empty a trash container (oh-so rare here) into the cart. It's hilarious. We still have trash everywhere on the streets; but if presented with trash barrels, most of Pô's residents will use them. If you built it, they will come. Or in this case, if you built it, they will toss. And yes, you can bet that the trash barrels will be painted with the PC logo by yours truly. I may not leave Pô until I've painted every paintable surface.

So if I've been so busy, so seemingly productive, why doesn't it feel that way? If I'm so busy, how is it that I've got time to begin a new blog? And since the The in The Netherlands is capitalized, why shouldn't I capitalize the the in The B.F.? Who can name the idiom describing the photo at the top of this post? We can only speculate.