It is that time of the year for those of us in the Diaspora, long nights and dark days in Europe set the heart and mind to thinking of life at home. Mshairi expresses her homesickness through a poem “Home (Again)”

I want to stand by the shore as graceful
long-necked women with great fish baskets on
heads arms outstretched teach me to rain dance and to draw and
weave bold mystic symbols on walls and cloths I am the wild laughter of
urchins tripping along valleys and hills

In a post entitled “An African Lesson for American Women” Concoction offers some lessons to American women. She explains that in the forth coming Zambian elections a women's NGO “Women for Change” is mobilizing rural women to be active participants and urging them to vote for women.

Their brave and bold argument is that educated or not, women are better managers and it is time that they take charge of political decisions.

Molara Wood's post on women's day ” honouring african women – marie fatayi-williams” is published in the LIFE magazine section of last week's Nigerian Guardian. Congratulations to Molara for an excellent piece on a couragous woman who we also honour today Mother's Day.

Gussaurus also offers a poem, this time in honour of her “best friend's birthday” and motherhood (Mothers Day)

I refuse to conform to any notion of having a hero
But you, my friend, are the closest that I ever come to having one

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL MUMS IN THE WORLD (Especialy YOU that read this blog)

Adefunke on Adefunke comments on the Nigerian census which has been taking place over the last week…There have been reports of violence around the country and Adefunke reports on rumours that a hosue was robbed by people masquerading as census enumerators. She feels it might be untrue due to the area Ikoyi with its high gates and guard dogs…So

Please! Don't be suprised when the population of Lagos state is declared and it is such a ridiculous number there is a nationwide perhaps planet-wide outcry and the census board tells us that the number is so due to the fact that the high and mighty in Ikoyi refused to be counted when one of their number was robbed on day 1 of the census exercise!

Acoustic Motorbike comments on the ongoing rape trial of South Africa's deputy President, Jacob Zuma. Daily demonstrations by mainly women supports of Zuma and the complainant, Khwezi have been taking place outside the courtroom. A survey by a local newspaper came up with some suprising results. The majority of those surveyed were abusive and accused Khwezi of being a liar. Acoustic writes

I cannot believe the misogyny of some women. Have we so bought into the male view of the world that we hate ourselves that deeply? If a black who buys into white domination is dubbed an Uncle Tom, what does one call a woman who buys into male domination? Where are the African feminists? Is there a future for an African women’s movement? Why are we women our own worst enemies?

Pilgrimage to Self talks about her love for books and bookshops.

I compulsively buy books. I love books that are bound beautifully, printed in particular fonts and on thick, luxurious paper and are hardback. All these features catch my eye first before the actual content or the name of the author. As a result of this unconventional approach to buying books, I have a weird and wonderful collection of books sitting on my bookshelves. From books on poetry to meditation to books on French cooking, candle making and more. And don’t even get me going on books whose titles start with ‘1001 ways to…., 21 steps to…, 100 methods of ….,