Month: August 2017

 

08/11/2017  A few of you will understand the above quote. A lesson learned.

Today around 1 PM my friend Kelly messaged me a photo of her electric bill. Obviously to make me feel better, however she lives where it’s really damn hot, Arizona and has to run A/C 24/7, 100 KW a day. We use 400 KW a month. We started messaging, by 3:30PM she had agreed to purchase a lot in an area she and I looked at (that is 15 min from me) when she was here (she brought all the flip flops). By 5 PM we had a builder and a project manager and by 5:30 a design, plus I introduced her to 2 of her neighbors via FB. That’s what I accomplished today. AND I found out I have:

Melothria scabra growing. Don’t panic, it’s not contagious. It’s an incredible, small cucumber-like fruit that’s shaped like baby watermelons. They are good added to salads or can be pickled. They have a cucumber-like taste with a touch of lemon. Some people call them sour gherkin cucumbers. The ornamental vines have tiny leaves and flowers and are perfect for the cottage garden. (mine don’t have flowers, though they may have and we now have fruit, only an observation, don’t hold me to it). YAY.

We already have people coming up trying to grab some of our coconuts, seems our one tree is special. They have to go through Lola to get a coconut. That’s NOT going to happen. Now they will be coming for miniature watermelons. Wonderfreakingful. I’ll set up a stand at the bottom of the driveway. Bite sized watermelons that taste like cucumbers. That’s what my sign will say. Oh and I have not rushed to taste one because two islanders said they were poisonous.

Josh says they are not poisonous so I’ll soon be wealthy and able to afford $6.00 a bottle wine, the good shit. Sorry for the crappy photos of the cukes, it was with my phone. And, I’m lazy.

I’ve been looking at my recent Pinterest saves and you guys, I really scare myself. I’ve determined I want different color and style of hair, indicated by my Pinterest saves. I would need a total hair transplant to achieve this hairdo that I so desire. Such a quandry.

Bill spotted this guy in the tree last week. I took over 200 shots in 3 days. He was so beautiful.

Then a few days later Lola was sitting at our huge window at the tops of the stairs and she started barking like crazy. There was another iguana inside of the fence. I got a few shots of her, (a pregnant female) before she crawled through the fence.

Then I saw a baby iguana in the papaya tree but by the time I got my camera, it was gone.

Today I was speaking with the Duchess’s husband on the phone and spied the iguana in the tree. I said good-bye and ran for the camera. This guy didn’t like me around at first and tried to get far away. He was standing on 2 papaya branches, balancing in the breeze. I managed to get some good shots. This was a different one, not as large as the other male in the tree.

It’s been a lizardly week for me, I can’t seem to stay away from the papaya tree and all the awesome things I find in it.

Nidia and I did one last day of TOM’S at the public schools yesterday. We met at Politilly at 8:30 and fit the kinder and then the older students from Pedro Nufio came over and we fit them. Alexi’s nephew, Osman goes to the kinder and his brother Ephrain goes to Pedro Nufio. When I got there, Osman wasn’t there. I asked the teacher where he was and she didn’t know but sent a girl to go find him. Soon after he whizzed past me and into the school. I was in the doorway listening to them singing a song, I had my sunglasses on. Click HERE to see and hear the kids singing.

Osman kept looking at me so I took my glasses off and his eyes got really big! Just about that time I felt a tugging on my shirt and there was Ephrain, not in school clothes. His mother Shelly and sister Juliana were with him. I asked why he wasn’t in school and his mom said the teacher didn’t like his haircut. There was not a damn thing wrong with his haircut.

He wanted to take photos while we did shoes, so I gave him my camera. He’s played with mine before when he came over swimming and also played with Julie’s, same cameras, he knew how to operate it.

I hugged and kissed Ephrain and Osman so many times that the other kids were asking for hugs and kisses, no idea how many kids I kissed, but they were all adorable.

After we were done I approached Ephrain’s teacher. I told her who I was but she said wait, and called in a translator. Miss Kendra came in to translate. Turns out Ephrain couldn’t go to school because his mother didn’t turn in paperwork. I pleaded with the teacher not to punish Ephrain for his mother’s lack of interest in his education, it’s not his fault. He loves school and it’s the only break he gets from his miserable home life, he wants to learn, he’s a smart little boy. When I was done begging, with tears in my eyes, the teacher relented and said Ephrain could return to school. I went out to find him to tell him he could go to school and he was holding on to my car door, convinced he was leaving with me.

I couldn’t take him, we were going to the Instituto Honduras, a big school in Jonesville.

We fit almost 460 kids with new shoes in one day.

We have had some dark stormy nights here this last week. Almost every night the sky is lighting up around us. A few dogs and I sat on the roof tonight, I was enthralled with the light show surrounding me. On the roof we have an approximate 320 degree view, it was phenomenal. I felt so freaking tiny, like just a speck. The 2 dogs went down, there weren’t enough of them up there to carry on. It was just me and the lightning. Kind of surreal and I felt vulnerable.

Last few pics then I’m off to sleep. Have to be at a school at 1 for the Microenterprise dedication, {at Froylan school} they are doing the dedication of the new ice chest and thermos and reusable cups, donated by Julie (AZCK). When I leave there I’ll go size the children at Cattleya for shoes. Saturday I am picking our friends up at the airport, along with their two new puppies. And on Sunday we are having a family who lives below us and their 3 kids up for a pool day and lunch. I’ve met Aida a few times at the airport and although I feel like I know her husband, I don’t.

If you are from Williamsport (my hometown) and happened to see the magazine, West Branch Life, that comes out with the paper 4 times a year, there was a story about the Summer of Love. If you read that story (came out beginning of August with the Sun Gazette) and wondered if you might know who “Carol” really was.

You do.

08/04/2017 The third annual East End Senior dinner was a huge success. It was held on July 26th at Henry’s Cove in Punta Gorda. Initially it was going to be down at the marina there, which is a lovely setting but the morning of the event it was starting to rain, with rain in the forecast. We decided to move it back up to the dining hall where it was held the first year. This event is amazing and it wouldn’t happen without the help of Live Again Ministries. This is the 3rd year I’ve worked with Nidia and Because We Care, and Live Again Ministry has supported us all the way, financially, emotionally and lovingly. This group comes to this island and every time they have to go home, they leave a little piece of their heart tucked somewhere on Roatán. I know this to be true, I see it in their faces. I see it in the faces of the people they touch. Mighty fine people.

This luncheon was one for the books. It was an epic event. The weather didn’t co-operate, but we didn’t let that put a stop to the fun. This was the liveliest, most fun party I’ve been to, especially one that was all seniors.
The people began arriving early, all of them eager to see friends they haven’t seen since last year. They were served water and drinks while the band played and they mingled amongst each other.

We had hundreds of pairs of new readers brought down by LAM so Nidia asked Miss Peggy if she had any volunteers to help ensure the people got the correct lens for their needs. This was amazing, every single person got new readers they could actually see with. There were 2 young adults and a father with 2 daughters. There were wonderful and I think they provided a really fantastic contribution to all of the attendees.

The first course of the meal was soup, then onto a big plate of food. Afterwards there was ice cream and they all took home cake and a rice pudding.
We had drawings throughout the day, people won trips on the Galaxy Wave Ferry to La Ceiba, 2 nice foam pillows were won by many and some others won baskets of food. The oldest person from each community was also given a food basket with $50.00 worth of food in it.
So many wonderful things happened that day.

Our musicians had the place rocking, especially when they played “Kick the Devil Out.” All it took was these two volunteers to get the music in them and they had the whole place feeling it.

If the people weren’t up dancing, they were chair dancing. Some of them didn’t walk to where they were going, they danced. It was fabulous. Even the beautiful minister from Helene was dancing!

When the party was over and it was time to go home they were given ball caps, handkerchiefs for men and women, washcloths, toothpaste, so many nice gifts for them.
The smiles on their faces as they left told the story of the day. They reconnected with old friends, saw neighbors they rarely see, they sang and danced and were waited on and pampered, as they all so deserve.

Without Nidia and BWC and Live Again Ministries, all of our donors and all of the volunteers, it wouldn’t have happened.

I was so tired when I got home I had stove top stuffing for dinner, (my friend Trish asked if I cooked it) showered and went to bed.

So happy to have met Nidia, she is the most energizing person I know. She gets things done despite any obstacles she may face. I will be alongside her helping however I can, as will the Live Again Ministry group. They are an amazing group of people, Roatan loves you. Once again Pastor Ronny, this one’s for you. You’re the best and were missed this year.

The Fourth Annual Senior’s Luncheon is something I am looking forward to already.