Before we had kids, Matt and I did a lot of adventuring in Lilongwe and were really familiar with what was available and where to find things in town. We even adventured in town when we had only Abigail. But it's been 4 years since we really looked around the older part of town and could say we really knew what was there. So we did it today! 
We did need a few things, so headed first to Select & Save, an old favorite. This place is fascinating! It's very well organized, but there are parts and pieces, and tubes, and generators, and metal sheets, and 6 types of roofing nails, and 85 different types of hammers… EVERYWHERE in this store! Matt found the lock he needed, and I found the little screw I needed to fix my old Singer sewing machine. 
We continued through town as the streets started to fill with the morning crowd. This is seriously such an interesting part of town. I forget how much I enjoy exploring, looking for that gem in the dusty streets and crowds of people. You never know what you will find! Case in point:
Who wouldn't want to sit comfortably in the grace of God?!? And who, especially the mother of two little girls, wouldn't love a room full of ribbons?!?
The town is bustling, but many of the stores are the same as they have been for years. It was nice to know that some things stay the same, even if they have a fresh coat of paint. 
Before we headed home, we had one more piece of adventuring to do. We had heard of a new place called Round and Square, and were curious about a place that was advertised as a little coffee shop that promoted art and local artisans… in a sketchier part of town. We were pleasantly surprised to find a very nice coffee shop, filled with books on art, design, cooking, gardening, etc. 
Such a cute place! We really enjoyed it, and are hoping it stays in business for a long time! I'm already planning my next visit there!
As we drove home, Matt commented "It's places like that that keep us exploring." And he's right. Every once in a while, you do find a gem. Maybe the one you've been looking for, maybe an unexpected one. But you have to be out there to find it!
So fun! Thanks for sharing!
I love getting little glimpses into your life! Thanks for sharing.
Love reading your updates! Miss you guys! I laughed at the very first part. Jon and I feel the exact same way — adventuring was SO different before kids! Now we feel like we have enough adventures here at the house. Way to go getting out with everyone!!!!
How cool! I would have loved visiting those places as well. I remember going into a very small plumbing supply shop, pointing to a fitting hanging on a display board, and the shopkeeper going into to the very dark back room with a flashlight to find one.