Like Whoa

Hello, friends, and welcome to Winter!  It's now December on the East Coast of the United States and the temperatures are showing it.  As per usual, the first signs of chill and frost and my patriated African blood can't take it - I'm sick!!  Fortunately, it's post- most of the important events of 2015 like the Toa Nafasi Friend-raiser and most other Toa tasks, so I can afford to take a few extra days rest and park it on the couch a hot minute.

Speaking of the annual Friend-raiser, we held it last week in Washington at the home of my parents.  It was a smaller gathering than in previous years, but it was a nice turnout with lots of friendly and familial faces to buoy our spirits.... and fill our pockets!

But because I'm feeling under, I'm gonna let the photos do the talking and just caption the whole damn bloggo, "Like Whoa," for Black Rob's eponymous song about all that is awe-inspiring and amazeballs.

As in Stacking dough in DC is like whoa....

Indeed.

Guests in the living room.

 My dad standing behind longtime Toa supporter, Lee Lockwood.

 More guests.

 The guy on the right is my GE hookup.  Love him!

 That's me.  Blathering on.

 Blather, blather, blather.

 My Momager running the projector.

 Board member Romana Li says a few words over the shoulder
of one of my besties, Nia-Malika Henderson, of CNN fame.

 

Mugendi Andrew Zoka from the Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania repped his country.

Coincidentally, Zoka is good friends with one of my good friends

in Moshi, Noel!  Zoka brought his wife Winnie to the party

and my childhood bestie, Lesley Devrouax, attended as well.

Lesley visited me in TZ in 2009 well before I started Toa but when she was there, she met Noel, so all four of us thought it would be a hoot to take a selfie and send it back to him in Moshi!

 

Zoka gets the last word.

It may have been a little overwhelming

for his first Rosenbloom shindig, but I think Zoka was impressed.  He ended the night's remarks with a short speech

about the new President and how perhaps his inauguration

might usher in a new age of inspiration and action.

Amen to that!