Thursday, May 10, 2018

The Butchered Sheep We Could Not Name

We started chopping our 20 pounds of onions the day before the party. My food processor is broken.

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It was the morning of our neighborhood party…complete with sheep butcher. Jon went and bought a huge sheep the morning of the butcher and didn’t let us touch it or name it. We still have one pet sheep. :)

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The men butcher, the women prepare, chop, stir, clean

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Using an ax and a stick to chop apart bones

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Cutting up the stomach. sometimes eaten raw, always looks like broccoli. 

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Guests start arriving

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Stew is full of spice, onions, oil, chopped pieces of lamp and chunks of bone with meat.

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It’s such a joy watching J and A take more initiative with our neighbors, becoming a bit less shy and wanting to help, here they managed the hand washing station.

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Food served

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About thirty people ate half of a sheep.

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After the food and soda is served, out comes the coffee, which I have hastily boiled, without tasting in the house. It was met with much laughter over how thin it was. “Ha! The foreigners like thin coffee, this is so thin!” 

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I was struggling to find the humor. Excuse me. I have been up to my elbow in raw meat, I will smell like onions as they are deep in my pores for several days, I am wearing whichever baby is grumpier for the whole morning on my back and I’m a bit nauseous from the whole thing.  I grabbed the coffee pots and went for another try. Round 2 was approved and round 3 was labeled, “Just like an Ethiopian”. Coffee here is an art form and not one I have perfected. In all sincerity, I was glad our neighbors were comfortable enough to tease me.

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The playing starts. Jon offered a reward to anyone who could cross this slack line. 

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I love how everything is a game.

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Too much cuteness!

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Yeshi and Imabet helped me do dishes and the babies got involved. Literally. Miss T in the dishwater…

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Tiger in the rinse water. Not super-helpful but super-cute. :)

So glad for our gracious neighbors and so much help with the butcher. 

 

 

4 comments:

T and M said...

I am laughing at that picture of your guests laughing over your coffee! So proud of you J and A! Sometimes hosting takes bravery and you girls are doing sogreat!

Teresa said...

It's so fun to see your culture. There's so much joy in these pictures. Miss T is obviously not enjoying herself in the pic of her on your back. She's even cute when she's grumpy. So great that J and A are getting involved. Tiger is hilarious in the rinse water. Love you all!

Shari said...

Wow, what a party! I, too, find it very affirming that your neighbors could tease you about your weak coffee. What a great affirmation!

Janel said...

I love that they teased you! And miss T on your back, I’m sure wasn’t sweet at the time, but that little face...I love it!! And J & A look so grown up!