A Butter Blog

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Even though cows are being milked daily in front of our house, no one makes butter. Blue Band is the local margarine and it has to be spread thinly. So, when we heard there was one place to buy real butter in Lushoto, we searched long and hard and often. Should you ever be wanting butter in Lushoto, here's the secret. And, a well kept secret it is!
First, you walk to a dental clinic, go into the reception room, ignoring the patients with toothaches, and knock on the first door on your right. A gauzed-masked woman with an instrument in hand just looks at us and says, "I'm sorry we do not have." OK so another month passes and we try again. "Hapana leo" not today. For Thanksgiving PCV John is successful and delivers a pound on his bike, just a bit soft from the arduous uphill climb. Mmmmm just what mashed potatoes and corn bread needs as a topping!
Encuraged by John's success and not to be thwarted, we try again. This time the waiting room is packed with people in pain. How important is butter to us? Our next attempt finds the clinic closed. We go next door, but no butter. We surmise that this is just a Blue Band ploy to increase sales. As we have Christmas packages awaiting us at the post office, we camp out there while waiting for a ride back to Malindi. A car drives up and a sister in a habit gets out and says, "Are you trying to get butter?" Did she mean stamps? Postcards? We do reply "yes" and she says, "I'm coming." She indeeds goes into the posta and returns to the car. She picks up a picnic cooler like a 6 pack one, but naturally without ice and motions us to come over. We are now handed a pound of still soft butter, freshly churned, and delivered to us at the post office steps...all for 4000tsh (about $3.20 USD). She is one of the Sisters of the Precious Blood who run a dental clinic, make butter, and serve God.
Happy New Year and enjoy butter on your toast; it's a precious commodity. See you in September 2010. love, Dave & Wendy

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