Pickle's mom

Art class with the kids

2011-03-29T09:31:00.001-07:00

Wow, just looked over my "blog"! Have not posted in a year! I do have much to say, but not a lot of time these days to contemplate these thoughts. I have been too busy thinking up ideas for the school children I have the pleasure of seeing each day. They love to make things and paint, the little ones love markers and glue! Who does not? I have always loved craft shops, art supply stores and hardware mega-giant warehouses. The fun to be had is overwhelming. The creative juices flowing out of every cell, tell me who does not love getting paint in their finger nails, glue in their hair and permanent marker all over their clothes?! Sorry moms, you have to get dirty and make a mess once in a while. Make something beautiful now and then, sit back and enjoy your handy work. The delight in the children's eyes and the pleasure of something they have made is what gives me a big spring to my step.
I am inspired by the students and eagerly search the internet for more ideas and soon run out of time. I drive my "clown car" golf cart to school excited to show the kids what we will do each day and hope they are happy and as pleased as I with their adventure and future masterpiece.
d :)

Blue Ridge Boys arrive!

2010-03-03T09:43:00.001-08:00

I had another idea for a "blog" topic. I had written to a dear friend yesterday while awaiting the arrival of my one and only son :) and his four friends. They had taken the longer route to get here; via Cancun. Steve made the trek north to meet the boys flight and then escort them to the island. (Less expensive, but a VERY long couple days of travel). So, the boys arrive and I am ready.
Or at least I thought...
My son is a delight; he's funny, kind and sensitive. He is extremely creative and loves sports; especially football, wrestling, hockey, baseball, lacrosse, rugby, basketball, field hockey, rowing, sailing, yachting, wind surfing, curling, skiing, luge, soccer, basket weaving for the gold, card board surfing, regular surfing, trampball, volleyball, beach volleyball, etc., and etc. You get the idea; ESPN is on 24/7 as of today.
Back to this blog.
Since I thought I was ready; today I quickly found out, I am not! In less than 24 hours, they have managed to consume: 6 pounds of boneless chicken breasts, (carefully prepared by moi in virgin olive oil and white wine; what was I thinking?), 2 pounds of rice, a head of cabbage for cole slaw, a 13 x 9 pan of iced brownies, 2 dozen eggs, 1/2 pound of butter, 1 loaf of bread, 1 gallon of orange juice, 2 bags of chips and salsa (?), lost count, 1/2 loaf of banana bread, 1 box of cereal, 1 box of milk and well, you get the idea. Amazing! Never thought I would be this unprepared. I knew teenage boys could eat, but I truly underestimated their capacity. These are growing young men that just woke up for breakfast, note time, 11:59am. They are anxious to begin their day; grand opening of a new business on another island or perhaps a golf cart ride to the end of the island to see an old friend of my son's. Wherever they go, I am positive they will continue to consume. While they are away, I will frantically head to the little island markets and plan for the remainder of this day, or hope to. ( I am thinking of buying any and everything I place my eyes on; I am about to become hysterical!)
Phew, got a grip and will frost the cake that has been cooling, make my list and get going for "day 2" of this 2010 "Spring Break". (It shall be interesting to see what they do for an encore!) :0

An Ode to Shoes

2010-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Me in a few of my favorite outfits! :0
Hello, time to pick it up and begin the "blog" again. Just returned from a trip to the states and during that time, I found a t-shirt of mine that read, "No one cares about your blog". I laughed, packed it and thought, why did I buy that? The understatement of my life.

Back on the island, I find myself in the same pair of shorts and tank tops. My closet is packed full of clothes I rarely wear. In the states, in the closet where I have clothes stored, I wore the same things over and over while there too. So why the urge to have more? This really confuses me now. I do love fashion and the feeling you get from a great pair of shoes or a dress that makes you feel like a princess. I do not walk around like a princess here, the shoes would be ruined in one walk to my golf cart. When I am back in the states, I wear shoes; my feet ache the first few days and I promise myself to try to wear regular shoes when I am back on the island. (I haven't done it since my return; it's too easy to slide into a pair of flip- flops and run down the steps to the beach or take the dogs out for a walk). Oh what to do?

My plan is to donate most of what I do not wear here to the next fund raiser my little group of friends are involved in. I have a memorial service to attend today and I will try my hardest to come up with a new and improved version of my favorite outfit. I will wear shoes with heels. (Try gracefully walking through sand in heels, as it pinches the heck out of your toes and grinds into your skin; not an easy thing to do, but I am up to the challenge). My plan is to ditch the heels and bring a pair of flip-flops to don as soon as the service is over. Sorry, I do have my limits.

So fashionistas out there, if you see a great pair of flip-flops, keep me in mind. I also am quite fond of khaki shorts with pockets that hold keys and doggie treats; draw strings are nice too. I will try not to twinge when I see a tourist in what must possibly be the "latest" fashions in the rest of the world. I will smile, stay comfortable and hope I will blend in with the masses when I am back in the states. :)

Food, glorious food!

2009-12-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

Cannot believe another year is coming to an end! Where does it go? Amazing! What a year it has been, glad to be safe, healthy and able to move forward. We had a wonderful Christmas with very little drama; always a plus in my book! Both children are here for their breaks, both have brought along friends for a visit. So much fun, so much anticipation and so much food!

Not sure what to write about and it occurred to me just now! Food, glorious food! We have to have it and having too much is bad and too little is not good either. Finding that delicate balance between too little and too much is a much held secret and one sought by millions. Although, I suffer from allergies, some from food, I have also been blessed with a high metabolism. Do not get me wrong, my butt gets as big as any one's, I do exercise, just not as much as my doctor would like. My weight has remained pretty much the same since high school. What makes me write about all this is, Julia Child! She may change all this very quickly!

I love to cook and I love to try new recipes and gadgets. When I am in the states, one of my stops is to a Williams-Sonoma or Crate and Barrel store, or both. I enjoy cooking for my family and friends and have surprised myself many times. Julia Child was the first chef I ever watched on TV. My daughter gave me one of Julia's cookbooks for Christmas this year. Loving cookbooks too, I have been reading and making notes since the day I received it. Last night, I began trying out some of the recipes! Lord have mercy, does Julia like butter and more butter. I am a huge butter fan, unsalted, of course, but what she lists to use in some of these recipes makes my heart flutter. Delighted, everything I have tried, thus far, has been delicious and simple enough. Ingredients I keep in my pantry and now a search for more spices and tools. The joy of this will keep my very happy and my family awaiting eagerly for what is cooking now and what is to come!

So, Happy New Year everyone in cyberspace! I hope you are all blessed with whatever it is that makes you happy. If you are looking for something to make you happy, I suggest cooking some comfort. Modify if you must, try what you are comfortable with. Nothing brings a family together like a beautifully prepared meal gathered around a table with candles and wine. Made with love and shared with those you love. Bon appetite! :)

Ugly Americans

2009-11-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

Why is it when people go on vacation they leave their manners and brains behind? For the life of me I do not understand this! I consider myself a "seasoned traveler"; I have only been to 50 or more countries and am eager to see as many more before my days are numbered. I keep a log of these places; what I loved, what I saw, where I stayed, ate and drank. I always try to buy a piece of art to take back as a souvenir, something that reminds me of a wonderful place and the life lesson that went along with it. The one thing I have learned over the years, on these journeys around the world, "When in Rome, do as the Romans." Easy enough; be respectful, flexible and considerate of your surroundings and local inhabitants, (human and non) and the gift back is usually mutual respect and maybe if you are lucky enough, a new friend.

This leads me to why on earth the guests that rent the house next door, feel entitled to party like it's 1999 and woot and holler into the night? You want Club Med? Go to Club Med (are those around anymore?) or here's a thought, how about visit the local disco or nightclub? If you do want to carry on like this, do not rent a house in a very quiet, isolated area on top of your closest neighbor. You are going to piss people off! Just because you paid to go on vacation does not give you any rights to act like complete assholes! My kid gloves are off, I am at war with these tourists, do not mess with me, I will fight for my home, make your vacation as miserable as possible and make you regret your decisions! You want to party all night, then be prepared to be awaken to barking dogs, bagpipe music and trumpets before dawn! I have the loudest Polaris vehicle on the island; how about full gear "donuts" outside your bedroom window? I also have a decibel reader and when you hit 70, (which by the way, you flaming big idiot, frying bacon is over 70 decibels), I will call the police and you will probably get a ticket and risk going to a jail cell for the night! I am thinking of more ways to make your visit here even more miserable as I sit here and write!

This house next door has new tourists each week, we endure this idiotic, inane behavior each week! This owner has no idea what I have up my sleeves now! Trip Advisor? Here I come! BTB? Get ready for more calls! SACNW and SP Police; you all might want new phone numbers! What happened with a visitor visiting and visiting? When did visiting become a time to piss off locals and disrespect them? Just because you paid to be here gives you this right? What has happened to civilization? If I ever thought I was disrespectful while peeking into a Hindu shrine in Thailand or visiting a museum in Paris or bar-b- q'g at a townhouse rental in Cozumel, I would did a hole, hide and beg for another chance to be a better visitor! I tiptoe through lobbies early morning or late at night, I read or star gaze from a balcony sipping wine, watching the wonders of nature and beholding a view I hope not to forget. When I travel, I want to leave with a positive experience and hope that my visit was one that made the people I met want to visit me in my home. Oh well, some say it is in how one is raised. I was raised to be respectful, an equal and no better than my fellow woman at home or aboard. (Apparently, the "ugly American" is something some travelers want to be?!)

So, since the I have had a chance to rant, my blood pressure is back to normal, and I will take a walk along the beach to remind myself why I am here and chose this place to live out these"golden years". The revenge attitude has gone away and I will behave myself! (I do have children, albeit, almost grown, but I do have to uphold their respect for me and continue to be a good example! Darn-it!) I hope my next door neighbor guests will take a page out of my guide to life and try it. Travel is a wonderful gift and experience, take from it something new to learn, knowledge in a different culture or a new respect for the environment. Do not litter, disobey laws, expect things to be like they are at home. You are visiting some one's home! Take your shoes off, have a local drink, see what a street vendor has for sale, visit the national treasures of where you are a VISITOR! Delight in the quirkiness, the absurd, the unusual and take home some knowledge of what you were just given a chance to do! Do not expect any more and know what you are getting yourself into. Four miles south of town may seem like nothing in Los Angeles, but on sandy, golf cart roads, you might as well be staying on the next caye. It is real quiet here and that how the locals love it! Adios...

ICK!

2009-10-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

I have a low tolerance of "eeeeeeeewwwwww". I am not a big fan of grossness, in fact, I can just about start throwing up at the thought of it. An intolerance to slime, greasy things, blood, guts and the leftovers of what my cat has been snacking on outside. Huge "icks", do not like it, never have and seriously doubt, ever will! Yesterday's adventure had a huge "eeeeeeeeewwwwww"ness to it! Wanting to cry yesterday has lead to laughs today!

My friend, Christine is starting a new job. I volunteered to accompany her on a trip to the northern part of this island to interview a potential client. Easy enough, gave me a real good excuse not to attend another function! So, showered, clean clothes and even a bit of make-up on, off I went to meet my friend. Minutes later, away we were on our little journey.

Do-to-do-to-do, we go, chatting along and enjoying the scenery and becoming more and more disgusted by the condition of the road. For those of you who know, it has rained recently and the pot holes and mud/yuck holes cannot be avoided. For those of you who do not know; the road north of the cut or bridge is not paved! The further north you go, the worse it becomes and there is no way to describe it except maybe like; "driving through hell craters on the moon?!" Christine is doing her best to navigate these horrible, muddy pot holes filled with gross, stinky water! Doing fairly well, until, we get stuck! And I mean stuck! The mud sucks in the back tires like a giant suction cup! I begin screaming because I know I now have to step out into this water to get to dry land and may possibly have to help push this cart out! Stepping out into this mud ickyness, my flip/flop immediately is sucked in! The next one breaks off! Now I have to navigate back to retrieve these! OMG, somehow, I get them and make it to dry land! Not knowing where we are or how close to this, soon-to-be client's address, we realize we must go into the bush or wade through more water to get some help! At first the bush/jungle seems okay, except we have these ridiculous flip/flops on and then we find the locals in this area have filled the bush with garbage! To our knees of garbage! I am so close to tears and way past my "eeeeeewwwwww" tolerance level, I have to tell myself to suck it up and do this! I did! Not happily and shaking with fear of what we may be stepping on or into! We did it!

Angels watching over these two little catholic women, we get to our destination, only to find out we were yards away from where we needed to be! Mud dripping on our legs, dirt and slime oozing between our toes, sweat pouring off our brows, heads and actually, everywhere, completely disheveled, we find my friend's appointment! (Another story, but this guy could use a briefing from Emily Post or a slap from Donald Trump! A complete ass, no common courtesy what so ever! I doubt he will be getting any recommendations for his resort from my friend!)

After my friend's meeting, we beg for help and after about a half hour, out comes a sweet worker with keys to a Polaris vehicle, some rope and the know-how of getting us out of this mess! Tugging, pulling and presto, somehow he gets our cart out of the mud and advises us to stay to the "left" all the way back! Easy enough, once again, off we go!

As we approach our destination, which is a mighty fine bar-b-q restaurant, dreaming of using their hose for our feet and legs, the washroom for our hands and face, we get stuck again! This time the front end slides in and now the back tires slip and have nothing but muck to try to grip! The engine dies, we're about to cry, again and my girlfriend is about to blow a gasket! Out of the cart again, this time I teetered over a wheel and hop to dry land, desperate not to touch this slimy disgusting muck! No help in sight, wild dogs in an adjacent lot and now no cell service! But, I see a golf cart approaching in the distance! Yes, it is and he is headed right for us!

I am jumping up and down and begging please help us! This young man and his girl friend are obviously out for a Sunday afternoon drive and know how to navigate these pot holes. He quickly takes the stick I found that had some rope attached, (I was going to use it on those dogs if I had to), cuts the rope with the machete he has hidden in his cart, attaches one cart to the other and proceeds, with the help of his girlfriend at the wheel to push and pull us out of this mess!

Another round of "OMG's", we now give this guy the last of our money; we had paid the previous helper and had coins left to give this young man! He seemed pleased with his bonus and continued on with his date.

When we arrive at the restaurant, our friends are waiting and the looks on their faces about says it all! We are a freaking mess! Taking turns to use the washroom, relate our tale of woe, we drink a few ice cold beers and relax enough to enjoy our lunch, the company and view of the sea!

My friend said she could see a blog coming and all I could think of was a shower in clorox and a tetanus shot! Thanks for the laughs Christine, but really, eeeeeewwwwww!

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...

2009-10-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

The expression, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," pretty much sums up last weekend! How many times have I said that to myself after reading an article or watching the news? Or, going to lunch with a girlfriend and listening to the antics of an ex-husband/boyfriend. My own ex-husband used this quote when wondering where my rage was coming from during our divorce! (Damn him and he wondered about this? What a narcissistic asshole!)

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting girlfriends of one of my girlfriends here on the island. These women traveled here from Louisiana and Texas to spend 5 days enjoying the caribbean sunshine. Within minutes of meeting, I was invited to attend a voodoo ceremony to "roast" an ex-husband getting remarried in a few days! (I am always looking for entertainment, so I immediately said, "sure, and in fact, I'll make the doll!" I have boxes of art supplies, fabrics and the like to keep me from losing my mind to boredom). This simple, introductory conversation led to a weekend of laughter, music and a sense of, "getting back at someone that hurt or wronged someone else".

Well, being the sewing nut that I am, I began a mental check list of needs; my mind going a mile a minute at all the "extras" to add, to make each doll unique. My experience in this "craft" is minimal, but I had made one doll once, truly for big laughs and to release some anger another person had caused. I am a frustrated artist and truly enjoy creating things. My mind reeling with where to begin: the sewing, gluing and designing little people that later would be subjected to all sorts of mayhem. My girlfriend had music downloaded about the famous voodoo queen of New Orleans, another friend had gone online to find out specifics of the actual ceremony and requirements!

Once the date, time and place were set, I went home that evening and set out my supplies to begin filling the orders for the next day. At sunrise, I took the dogs for a quick walk, made my pot of coffee and began sewing little dolls, soon to be tortured! By mid day, I took my small shopping bag of dolls, pins, extra fabric and thread to my girlfriend's condo. Upon arrival, the wooting and laughter began! Plans of what to do first were discussed. Out to the beach we paraded, music blasting, beating a coconut, (we did not have a drum, a prop that is required!), dragging our "dolls" through the sand and pinning them to a coconut tree, the ceremony began! Rum and corn meal scattered, music playing, coconut drum, now taken away by the condo association's dog who loves to chew on them, we stumbled on our own guffaws. Apparently, real voodoos, throw themselves to the ground! Well, we about fell over laughing! Does that count? The condo painters stared and joined in on the laughter, I am sure, praying they were not one of our subjects! Exhausting ourselves on this, we retreated back inside, poured a cocktail and headed out to the dock to watch the sea.

As the sun began to set, I decided my day was done and headed back home to my dogs and college football scores. Before going to bed, I downloaded my pictures and posted some more thoughts about the day on "facebook". What amazed me more than the actual antics and comedy of the day, were the responses I had from my "facebook" friends! Wow, now the real entertainment!

Most of the "facebook" posts were from our friends being entertained by our activities. My husband did call and ask if there was a doll for him, as he had a sudden stomach ache! Of course not, I adore him and he causes his own angst! LOL! Amazing were the responses tittering on worries and lectures about fooling with such elements! Piss haw ya'll, WE WERE HAVING A LITTLE FUN!! That is all! If it were this easy, people would dropping like flies all around us! Are you kidding me?! Or, could this be the conspiracy behind the swine flu? Doodoodoodoo!!

Apparently, there are a whole group of worry-wort's out there, and thank you for your concerns, but no thanks! There are far bigger things to worry about out there folks! Thank you to those of you out there who enjoy a laugh or two and I will be filling your orders as quickly as possible! A new business? Maybe? If nothing else, it entertains me and beats the crap out of other things to do on this island! OMG, if it would have been this easy to cause my own ex-husband some pain, imagine the legal fees I would have saved! I could have walked over to my friendly neighborhood voodoo doll maker and asked for: "1, short, bald and jewish doll please!" Lord, I could have been getting back at my louse of a neighbor a year ago! Think about all the wrongs that could have been made right by the simple purchase of a voodoo doll and a sprinkle of cornmeal! People, people, lighten up and do not take things so seriously! It is a good thing to release some stress and anger! And, it is fun! My face hurt from the laughing!

So, back to William Congreve; thank you for putting it so eloquently, as truly, " Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!" and to Marie Lavauex, you are the queen!

Tropical Wave

2009-10-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

We have a "tropical wave" approaching the area. I enjoy the changes in weather; they are not what this ex-Chicago housewife is used to! Changes in weather up north are not subtle; the trees lose their leaves in the fall. Rain, ice and snow means winter. Trees regain their leaves in the spring and it is horribly hot and humid in the summer. In Belize, it's hot, breezy and sunny most everyday! In fact, I have trouble keeping track of the days, weeks and months. They are so similar and unchanging, I remember the days, weeks and month, by when guests visit or when I go back to the states! Belize is hotter in the summer months and unfortunately, more humid, (this is Central America and rain forests are near by). In the winter months, we do wear long sleeves, at night. It remains in the 80's most everyday, cold for us is 60 degrees! (And trust me, the residents are wearing jackets, hats and gloves!)

So, back to the, "tropical wave". Exciting and potentially scary; I explained it like this to Steve when he called, "If we had "Tarboggin", a sailboat we owned years ago on Lake Michigan, "we could have sailed to Caye Caulker and back a couple times this morning!" "Wow," says he, "that's great!" Yes, it is. I have turned the air conditioning off, the windows are open, no bugs biting me to bits and it is even breezy inside! The dogs are enjoying this break too!

The first time I heard the weather term "tropical wave," was from one of my dear neighbors. A group of us were meeting up for lunch. She cancelled the day before, due to the approaching "tropical wave". Perplexed, I did not understand. I thought "tropical wave" sounded "nice"! A sort-of parade wave or winds that took the bugs away and nothing more. Now, I have learned, "tropical wave" means; rain, potential tropical storm development, and possibly, a hurricane. More than likely, they come and move out of the area, bringing the rain, the wind and some change to the weather. Looking outside now, it's hard to imagine this "wave" could bring anything nasty! The sky is brilliant blue, the seas are choppy but the reef prevents the waves from getting too large, the sun is shining and this wind is so refreshing, I am savoring this moment!

For the next couple days, I will keep the National Hurricane and Tropical Underground websites minimized, as well as my own eyes to the sea and sky. Dock time today? You betcha! (God I dislike that bimbo! LOL!) Anyway, enjoy your day and stay safe! d :)

Group therapy

2009-10-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

I was on "facebook" this morning and thought about writing or adding to this blog! Funny that I have this urge, completely unexpected. (Thank you Lauren for getting me started!) The dogs had me up at dawn, being here alone, I do turn in really early. Pippi has taken my spot on the bed, Pickle is now under the blankets and Toby enjoys his own big bed on the floor. They are so content, the doggie snoring and cuddling is very sweet. Pippi, being the toddler of the group, is awake first and literally jumps on the bed to get me going! So, after our walk and a pot of coffee made, here I sit, at my laptop, laughing over "facebook". A true addict I have become and loving these moments!

I have a few new "friends", so I have suggested pictures for them to place in their profile space. Another friend asked me what, "WDV" meant. (This is when I felt the need to blog!) LOL! and OMG! Of course, I know this is only funny to me, as life on the island lately is, "hum drum"! It is slow season, not so many tourists, businesses closed for vacations and the rumors/gossip is, "not so much!" To stay busy and entertained, I began going through photos to post on "facebook".

"WDV", an acronym, "Wine de Vine". A small group has formed at this shop on Friday nights and I have to admit, it is a group I look forward to seeing and a spot that is unlike anywhere else on the island! It is cooly air conditioned, the staff; accommodating, attentive and delightful, the wine selection is wonderful and their cheeses and pates remind one of trips to europe or at least, a very good deli back in the states. This small establishment has become a sanctuary of sorts, a place to gather without second hand smoke to inhale, a place where we all know each other's name and welcome new members. The group is the, "wine group" and the group is my idea of "group therapy"! LOL! again!

The group has discussed many topics and has solved many world crisis's ! Anything is up for grabs and we do not shy away from the normal taboo topics of social conversation!

What better way to get a group all stirred up than to begin a debate about religion, politics or favorite football team? We have a healthy mix of the reds, the blues, and a few brits! I love it and would not trade going anywhere else on Friday nights!

The group is thin these days, due to members being, "off island" for various reasons. But, not to worry WDV, we will rally to larger numbers very soon! In the meantime, the members here are continuing to enjoy the reds, the whites, the imported cheeses and the SALE!! Cheers to those of you unable to attend, minutes to follow later! (NSM!)

d :)

"Not so much"

2009-09-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Art?
My furry friends!
This morning's sunrise

I do not know what to write about. For the last couple days, I have thought about this and said to myself, "surely, there is something exciting here to share?" Well, guess what? Not so much!, (as my dear friend Tom would say!) I guess this is what happens at our age, "not so much!" Wow, I am amazed with myself! I must admit I really like, "not so much!" LOL! A luxury I have really not made time for; "not so much!" Relax and enjoy the surroundings!

Steve is on the mainland; he had a trade show in DC and was able to see our son while in that area. He is back in our hometown now, working on a project, seeing his high school buddies and family. The children are busy in school. Both being seniors, (Lauren in college and Colin in high school), there is plenty for them to do! I am on the island, "holding down the fort". Not so much "holding down" to do. We have had some interesting weather, but "not so much"! The dogs have been great; another bout of ticks, but the groomer has taken care of that, for now, anyway. So, that leaves me with looking around for a project to occupy my time.

I have thought about a business to start, art projects to complete, decorating that could be done. This "semi-retirement" is not what I thought it would be. I like to stay busy and have plenty to do. Getting paid for this is also nice! I look around our house and I see plenty of things I would like to change, but all it would take is money, proper materials and the right contractor! Now reality sets in and all that's easier said than done! Buying paint to repaint a bedroom is one thing, (I have a great source for that and enjoy the hardware store employees at this establishment!). But what I would really love to tackle is the downstairs kitchen/familyroom area! I want to demolish the whole space; move 2 walls, remove the existing cupboards, replace the countertops, appliances, windows and doors! (Wouldn't Steve love to come home to this! Not so much!) Since this is a major project, I am looking around for something that would not take as much time, money and planning.

So, maybe I will look at some paint swatches or tackle a sewing project? Maybe, I will head over to the library, volunteer my time and find some inspiration outside. A bottle of glue, some paint, shells and driftwood! I am feeling the need to create and get outside! What I really should do is complete that book I am trying to write! Uh huh! The reality has sprung up and I am stalling and finding a reason not to do it and coming up with "not so much" is my scapegoat!

Today: writing and being artsy later! "Not so much" will have to take place another day!

Cheers and enjoy this day! :)

Busy, busy!

2009-09-18T06:05:00.001-07:00

I have not posted lately, been incredibly busy! My trip to the mainland was amazing and I knew I had a lot to say about it, but as soon as I returned, the re-entry into life has been a whirlwind! The house needed attention, as well as the dogs. As soon as I took care of them, there was our "wine group" meeting! Then the "wine group" dinner the following day :) and the next day we had unexpected guests. All of these are "Good Things", as Martha would say. Staying busy, meeting new people, making new friends and seeing the world around us, are what make life interesting! I enjoy all these activities, yet finding a balance is key!

I would love to sleep in for a day or two, but not possible! The dogs are up with sunrise and I would miss our beach walk! The sea air and breeze create enough dust to choke anyone with allergies and I have a long list of these and seem to acquire more everyday! So, housework is a daily activity. Guests usually enjoy conversation, food and drink, and suggested activities; this takes time too! Sleeping in would mean I would miss my beloved "wine group" meeting later today! No, no, no! There is a limit to being too exhausted! This group re-energizes me and makes me feel wanted and informed! (I believe this is the whole purpose of group therapy?!) Of course, I would really enjoy relaxing over errands! Just the thought of hot, dusty roads and a list a mile long of "to-do's" leaves me tired. But, that too needs to be done; we like to eat and the dogs look forward to that all day! I could never disappoint them! Those adorable furry faces continue to make me smile through any thoughts of giving in to a nap or hiding from the world!

My company is now awake, I have had 3 cups of coffee, the electrician is here and this day is well on it's way! Cheers and enjoy this gift of life and look around you; you may be surprised at what you are missing!

d :)

The dock, again!

2009-09-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

This morning's calm seas.
Mr. Barracuda!
Yesterday, west,
south,
north,
and east.
I have taken my own advice and have taken my camera with me as much as I can! (Still forgetful at times!) Back on the island, I still love sitting out on the dock! It is always a good time to be out there. It is cooler, the bugs are fewer and there is always something new and exciting to see. Yesterday, a storm began rolling in, so, I took pictures from the east, south, west and north. Amazing, that storm blew on by!

Today, the seas were so calm, it was eerie! No wind and crystal clear water. I was able to see my friendly barracudas and sardines, and the pictures actually came out! Wow! Glad I had my glasses adjusted while in the states, I am sure they would have fallen in and there was no way I would have jumped in for them today. Too much wild life for a dip. But, that is the good news! The wild life is abundant and my little mangrove crop is growing! (Do not tell the greedy developers this; I am also staging a protest against those guys as soon as there is someone else going with me!)

Enjoy and enjoy some more! There is always something to see and love outside!
d :)

Back on the island

2009-09-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

Okay, ready to get busy again and post! Back on the island Sunday and hit the ground running! Unpacking, reorganizing, cleaning and list making!! My usual. My trip to the states was hectic and packed with seeing family, friends and old neighbors. As hard as I try, I never seem to have enough time to visit with everyone! Between the drive to Virginia and back, seeing only some family, the drive back to Chicago suburbs, doctor appointments and the shopping, I cannot believe I made it back without an event! Two days later, it feels like weeks ago. Only a few days ago, I was shivering with cold! My dear friends had a wonderful dinner party for me and we drank wine around the campfire like the good old days! But it was cold, easily 50 degrees! I had on jeans, a sweater and was wrapped in a blanket next to that fire! It's August, (well, now September)! What's going on?

This morning, back to the routine I have with the dogs, (they are very happy to have me back!), we had our usual walk out to the pier. It was 6:30 am., and it was so dang hot, the sun was beating down like it was noon and no breeze! I thought, once more, what's going on? From one extreme to another, here I am! I still love it here and am happy to be home. It is an adjustment, but one I will happily make. The humidity, bugs and heat will soon pass and the hurricane season is looking like the one they predicted; quiet! And boy, is it quiet! The tourists have left, my flights were almost empty! Driving into town for errands is a breeze and the parking issues are none. No lines in the stores and time to catch up with my friends! Time to relax, enjoy these moments and plan for the next influx of tourists and busy season!

Driving and driving some more...

2009-08-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

Sitting in a hotel lobby waiting for my dad and my son to get out of bed so we can continue our journey to my son's school, I realize, the tables have turned! I used to be the one holding everyone up! I still have the tendency to stall and find a million and one things to do before leaving the house, (and I am with my teacher, mentor, official staller of the universe, my dad!). This morning, here I am; watching the news, reading the paper, 3 or 4 cups of coffee and I'm ready to get going! The "breakfast bar" is officially closed, the cleaning staff wants me out of the way to do what they do for the next wave of tourists! Oh well...

Eventually, sometime today, hopefully! We will repack the car and start the last leg of the drive to Virginia to the Blue Ridge School! Unpacking, reorganizing and some last minute shopping to do before I kiss my boy goodbye! A senior in high school and I still cannot believe it! I am so glad to have my dad with me on this trip, as I cannot imagine the trip back to Chicago alone with my thoughts! Positive there will be tears, but soon the laughs and stories will begin again and the hours of driving will fly on by!

My boy

2009-08-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

I woke up at my usual time; the dogs are my alarm clock! Pippi jumps up on the bed to lick my face and greet me! She is always the first one up and the first one bounding down the steps to get outside! Too cute! Anyway, this morning, it is raining! The thunder and lightning have passed and now it is the beautiful steady rain! I love the sound! Mother nature singing her song! Dogs outside, I unlock the gates, turn off lights and head back inside to finish my morning routine. While the coffee is brewing, I check the internet to see what is going on in the world. This is confusing to the dogs, as they are waiting at the beach gate to go about the daily routine! It's raining and I really do not feel like sitting out on the dock to get soaked. Confused, they head back to the house and happily take their treats. The internet says rain and there is a tropical depression forming to the east. From what I can tell, Colin should be able to get off the island without a problem tomorrow; my flight is Saturday; we shall see!

Colin is heading back earlier to get ready for a mini-triathlon he is doing with his uncle and cousins back in the states. He has worked hard and has stayed focused! He has impressed me immensely! (I would have given up a while ago! The heat, humidity, etc., would have done me in!) He has pressed forward, riding his borrowed bike to the gym, working out twice a day. Then, he has been swimming in the sea between our dock and my neighbor's, (the nice one!) Amazing; the sea creatures only fascinate him! I would have sprouted wings to fly out of the water upon seeing a spotted sting ray or barracuda! He shouts up to me, (I'm on the dock with the time clock), "wow, mom, a huge barracuda ! right there!" as he points to the direction! Yikes, I love the sea animals, from the dock, that is, not in there with them! (I dangle my feet and toes off this dock and they, the fish, come over and start nibbling immediately! What's to stop that barracuda?)

Anyway, on to the race and getting Colin ready for that and for his senior year of high school. We have had our usual doctor's appointments for the school physical, did a little shopping for some of the clothes he needs and his hair is cut. I am struggling this morning with the fact that my little boy is a man! When did he grow up? When did he become so determined? What happened to the days when he was the one jumping on the bed telling me, "mommy wake up, it's a new day!" I know why parents get weepy! I could cry, but I have too much to do this morning! I have to finish his packing, laundry and get him organized. I have made a dozen calls this morning, talking to the airlines, (to be sure his exit taxes were paid), his uncle, (picking him up Friday morning and taking him where he needs to go), leaving messages all over the place for other little things. Keeping myself busy to avoid the plain truth! My son still needs me, but it is not the same! I will be driving him back to Virginia to prep school in another week and I will have to leave him. He will get up and get himself dressed and ready for school alone without me. (The school will not let parents stay in the rooms with their sons; I know I could sleep in that lower bunk! I could secretly check his homework or help him with it! I could cook him all his favorite dishes; maybe that is what I should do? Work at the school!) These were choices we made and I am still not used to it! Our daughter turns 21 in another week and it seems like yesterday, Colin and I, were waiting for her at the bus stop to come home from kindergarten, holding his little hand! Where does the time go?

Okay, enough! No time to head down memory lane, do not want to get myself upset. Push forward, love him, squeeze him, hold him and continue to do! I will make him whatever he wants for breakfast, and lunch! I will sit out there in the rain to time his swim. I will drive in the rain to take him to the gym, if that is what he wants! He is my boy, the best Christmas present I have ever had! I love you Colin and you will do well in the race, I know it! mom :)

The Dock

2009-08-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

I love the morning! Nothing makes me happier than awaking to sunshine, my dogs furry faces and a cup of coffee to start the day! I love tiptoeing out of bed to let Steve sleep a little longer, to make the daily brew, empty the dishwasher and gather up my morning tools to head outside! I love watching the fishermen heading out either with tourists or going to work! I love watching the construction guys bicycle by on their way to their jobs. Most of all, I love walking out to the dock with the dogs, coffee cup and camera!

The dock is really my favorite place! It is so peaceful and so beautiful, and, the best part is, each day there is something new to see! I have referred to this place as "my science lab"! It truly is a living science laboratory! So amazing each day, I could sit there for hours. I have had the pleasure of seeing, dolphins, moray eels, spotted rays, lemon rays, millions of sardines, barracuda, bonefish, starfish, needlenose fish, batfish and on and on! Not to mention the birds! Nothing more spectacular than a flock of roseate spoonbills flying overhead! These huge birds are so graceful and quiet, true poetry in motion! I have learned so much and many times have run into the house to grab Steve or a guest to come out and see something I have just discovered! It is marvelous and it brings out the true conservationist in me! I have posted, "no fishing" signs all over our dock. I baby my mangroves and plant new seedlings. I walk with a bag in my pocket always as to pick up litter from the road and beach. I have taught my children to love, enjoy and respect mother nature.

These pictures are of my little furry entourage. Mojo, our cartoon character cat accompanied us this morning! He freaks at the water motion and bright sunlight, but loves going with us. Nothing really exciting this morning except the laughing and pointing from the renters next door watching Mojo tag along behind Tobykeith, Pippi and Pickle! Most people do not believe me when I tell them this cat goes for walks with us!

So, happy Costa Maya to my Belize neighbors and enjoy your weekend! You never know what's waiting for you outside! :)

The Sky and Views of the Sea

2009-08-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! The weather the last few days has made for some conversation! It has been everything from calm, humid, windy, rainy, dark, sunny and everything in between! I love this stuff! I could sit on the veranda and watch the clouds roll by all day, (I think that's what Steve thinks I do, do all day!). I am most fortunate to have water views from every vista, this morning the lagoon and sea were dead calm, sheets of glass! Heading out the door, I had the usual: coffee, keys, camera (!), doggy doo bags and bug spray. Juggling this, the dogs and I bound down the steps to unlock the gates and out to the beach. (They're so cute, Pippi and Tobykeith run along side each other almost attached at the hips; Pickle tries to keep up!) I join the anxious group to venture to the end of the dock to see what's going on up close.

The science lab is full of fish this morning; the local fishermen are out as well as the new tourists from next door. The locals know to be out further in a boat, the tourists look frustrated, I know it's too clear right now, the fish can see for miles, they're all under the docks or out in the rocks and reef. The locals in their boats are reeling them in, the tourists roam the beach in frustration! The dogs take up their posts to chase every bird, big and small away from their dock. I cannot keep my eyes off the skies! It's spectacular! The lightning, thunder and clouds are wonderful. I head back to the house only because the dogs know my coffee is gone and now the bugs are really becoming a nuisance.

Inside, doggy treats all around, refill of coffee, a check to the internet weather websites my friends have turned me on to and now settled in to watch how the day plays out. Scuba Steve asks for my opinion of the weather, I give it, (not in the Tommy Skilling professional manner, I do not have his technical training and admitting, am still trying to figure this place out!) Off Scuba Steve goes to work in his boat. I go about my morning chores and will decide as the morning goes on, to alter my tasks or plow ahead. I will more than likely, take the big Bertha Polaris golf cart, (it has a wind shield and cloth top; you still get soaked, but at least flying objects are deflected), and deal with the noise, the parking and the stalling, this monster truck does at every intersection. Not to mention the things I run over and back into making normal turns! (OMG! Ask Christine, yesterday, I took off the fence post to a gate! It WAS lovely, had pretty flowers growing on it too! We put it back to the best of our abilities! No one was around and you do not leave "notes" here when you plow into something like in the states; one nice thing, for me!)

Okay, typical Belize weather; wait 5 minutes, it will change! And, indeed, it has. Still grey, breezy and that pending nasty storm has blown south and west toward Guatemala. Being the novice weathergirl, I will more than likely be completely wrong and find myself later in the storm of the year; or not! I cannot figure this out! All I know for certain, it is humid, hot and hurricane season. I need to do some errands and restock the pantry and water supply. As soon as boy wonder awakes, off we will go, of course, after his 5 course breakfast, and hope for the best!

To the "Weather Channel"! :) D

Real Bananas

2009-07-31T09:49:00.001-07:00

This week on "facebook" I have new-old friends, learned about new games to play on-line and have made numerous posts. Many of these posts are silly comments to island life; laughing to roll with the punches! All said, it's been an interesting week. My proudest moment was harvesting bananas. We have had bananas before; our little rental house had a tree; I picked those, learned a lot from that event. (ie; leave them on the tree until they are ready, first lesson! Second, when they are about ready, cut down the whole bunch and then hang them in your bodega until about yellow! There are more lessons, but not as important as those :)

Anyway, so I have this gorgeous bunch on one of my many trees! Roberto informs me it is time to cut! We do this and I can hardly wait! Within 24 hours, we have huge, ripe yellow bananas! Colin, Roberto and I gorge ourselves sick on them! They are so good, we are besides ourselves! I send Roberto home with a half dozen, "snicks" he says, instead of "snacks!" (See why he makes me smile!) The next day, it is time to start making something with all this fruit. I start with my famous banana bread, bake 3 loaves, a dozen muffins and a custard cream banana pie :) I give a loaf to Roberto, Steve helps himself to muffins, (won't say how many; they are small), another loaf to my girlfriend who has just returned to the island and one loaf into the freezer.

This morning, waiting to see if we have the "scheduled" power outage; we do not, so the baking resumes. Dozen muffins, one giant loaf and a cake. Steve has already left for the day and Colin shows up for breakfast looking for banana bread. As he's eating his first course of breakfast, (a mixing bowl size bowl of granola and yogurt), he is ready for his second course. Just in time the muffins are ready, he chows down three with a giant glass of orange juice. (The woman at my grocery/produce store marvels at what I buy these days; she does not believe me when I tell her of my son's appetite! I should have her over for coffee one morning to witness this ritual!)

The clean-up is complete, breads are cooling and these freshly baked goods will go into the freezer for future dates to enjoy. We have another bunch getting ready and several more trees that will produce fruit in the next month. I love this! Now if I could figure out why my tomatoes are not producing fruit, I would be most pleased!

Cheers again, and here's to "real" life farm-town-stuff! :) (Love you Lisa!)

Dinner

2009-07-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Doing the final clean up this morning from last night's dinner, I decided, I must keep my camera either in my pocket or at my side at all times! The Kodak/Cannon moments never come back nor re-enacted! Not that anything out of the ordinary occurred last night, it was my son's reaction to the empty tonic water and wine bottles on the kitchen counter that had me thinking.

Yesterday morning I started off as most days with my dearly beloved "list". After the limpiaring, (Spanish for cleaning, lol), I threw a load of laundry in the washer and jumped into the golf cart for a ride into town. Wait, back up! Before that, Roberto had to show me the amazing caterpillar he found, (yikes, made me think of the battle a friend is having right now with her passion fruit and caterpillars! Should I worry about this?), Colin had a question or two that needed answers, the dogs needed a pat on the head, the phones ringing, Pickle under the cart and won't come out! In other words, a hour later, I was in the golf cart on my way to town!

Now, anyone who knows this place, knows this isn't always the, "Isla Bonita," Madonna sings about! Madonna never went into town, in a noisy Polaris in the middle of summer, along these dusty roads with her empty 5 gallon water bottles bouncing in the cargo part of the cart! Her peeps did it, she only heard about it! Friends of mine are shopping in the states right now and I am so envious, I can hardly stand it! I love to shop, it is my sport of preference and I can outlast the best of them! Shopping in San Pedro is a whole other ball game! Even the pros are left exhausted, frustrated and in need of a shower and cocktail! The pleasure I once knew seems like a mere figment of my imagination; did I once know the shoe department of Neiman's like the back of my hand? Did the cosmetic counters at Macy's feel like an old comfy sofa? Does Whole Foods really exist?

I arrive in town, wave to the familiar faces along the way and get to my first destination not to find a space to park the beast of all golf carts! I circle the block, OMG!, used to do that in my sleep at the mall back home, no problemo, (Spanish for not a big deal!), and after a couple close calls of tourist wandering aimlessly in the streets, dodging the enormous electric company truck, (ew, maybe I should have hit that?!), "bingo" I get a spot a block from the store! Once inside, I tick away at the list, proud of myself for remembering to bring the styro-foam egg carton to save 35 cents BZ (!), I realize, damn-it, my water jugs are unsecured in the back of the golf cart! (They are worth more empty than full or $25BZ each!) Do I go out there, fire the cart up and try to move in closer to the front door of the store? Do I go out there, make an attempt at tying them in? No, don't want to attract attention, I'll get out of here fast! Shopping like a pro, I finished in record time! Cramming the bags into the small storage unit under the passenger seat, start the cart and away I go to the next stop.

Around, around I go, trying to find parking! I could go a few blocks to the, "parking lot" that only the owner of this property and few select others know about, because there is no sign and taxis are usually blocking the entrance. Better not, a few blocks away, but I have $100BZ worth of unsecured water bottles in back and groceries in the storage compartment. Must find something closer. Around and around again, I decide I am a frequent customer at another retailer and I will bloody park there! (A lot of my British ex-pat friends use this "bloody" expression; it seems to fit well in many circumstances, I like it!) Okay, I park, give the security guard a little friendly wave and across the street I go to the next store.

This little gem of a produce market has just about everything else on my list and it's fully air conditioned. The owner and I have become friends, I glide through this tiny establishment feeling relaxed and at ease. Standing in line, (which, by the way is a new concept here! Very few, except tourists, stand in a line and wait their turn! A major pet peeve for another blog:), I wait patiently for the tourist ahead of me to finish her story, her trials of the day, her excitement of being on the island. The owner and I trade glances, roll our eye balls and it is now my turn. I pay my bill, collect my parcels, exchange nicey-nicey's with my friend and away I go to the next stop. Keep in mind; the narrow streets, roaming-picture-taking tourists, hot blazing sun, 95% humidity and a golf cart that should come with it's own "Bose" noise- cancelling head set! To sum this up, 3 or 4 more stops to go! Chats with neighbors along the way, a lot of smiles and hand waves, (tourists feel compelled to wave), finally, back home.

When I arrive, no one is around to help unload, (I'm thinking Madonna would have her staff unloading this cart in the noontime sun!) Instead, I have 3 dogs jumping to lick the sweat dripping off my face, while juggling bags, looking for my keys. Inside the kitchen, I scrub the dust off my hands, arms and face, to begin the task of preparing tonight's meal. My husband has invited two friends whose wives are off island, to dinner. We love to have friends over and these guys are dear and make me laugh! I begin the chopping, cooking and preparing of this meal. It's simple, prosciutto and melon, salad, lasagne, garlic bread and zucchini/coconut/pineapple cake. By the time Steve steps in the door, I have finished cooking and tend to the table and the last of the limpiaring. He's on the sofa snoozing when our first guest arrives. (How does he do that?)

Now we get back to the, "dead soldiers" on the kitchen counter this morning! Excited to see his friends, Steve starts pouring drinks. I put our first guest's lovely appetizer on a pretty plate, get out the perfect utensil and the party has officially begun. Next bachelor arrives. I place his bottle of wine along side the first guest's bottle and offer him a piece of melon. Steve soon realizes, we need more tonic and ice, (maybe the sofa time should have been spent checking on the bar supplies?), Colin just happens to walk in upon returning from his third work out of the day! (Another blog topic, later!) Convincing our son, these are drastic needs, he gets into the golf cart for another trip to the store for tonic and ice.

Colin returns, the boys are ready to eat. I serve everyone, glasses clink in the "cheers" and the manga (I talian for let's eat!) begins! Your husbands, girlfriends shopping, are true gentlemen. Polite conversations, most acceptable table manners and generous compliments to the chef, (moi; french for me!) Seconds go around, bread is gone, another glass of wine, open another bottle and dessert. We enjoy each others company, exchange stories, tell some jokes, update the latest island gossip. It is about now that I go looking for a camera. Steve is going on and on about his high school athletic career, Colin is desperately trying to get some training advice and I realize, my camera is not where I thought I left it! They now miss me, have left the table and have moved outside. I did not mean to stop the party, I just wanted to take a photo to send to the wives stateside. Darn it, cannot get those moments back nor the momentum. So, the boys talk some more, I am limpiaring, again and before I know it, Steve is horizontal with all three dogs in the bed!

I finish what I want to do in the kitchen, turn off the lights, check the gates, say "goodnight" to our son, turn in for the night. This morning, I have a quick walk with the dogs, greet Robert and notice Steve is moving painfully slow. I look closer and he cannot be feeling great. Looking at my kitchen counter to finish up last night's clean up, I understand his angst! His is the face of too many rum and tonics, throw in some red wine and whole lot of food(!) and this is the face of pure misery! Thus, the photo of empty bottles, (maybe I should go through the trash for the other empties! Naw!)

So, ladies shopping, I don't know how your guys are feeling today? I was busy getting food out to notice the drinking until it was too late! It really wasn't that much! Sorry about that, but I think they had a good time! I am sure Steve will hit that sofa again after working today! I am also sure he will be happy with a grilled cheese sandwich and some soup! Let me know if I should take something similar over to yours! :) Cheers...

Power

2009-07-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Roberto and plants
Dogs snoozing and waiting for the birds!
Pippi, one eye open in case a bird lands!

I have not blogged in a while, mostly because I have been busy with day to day life. What a change! Anywhere else I would understand this, but here, day to day life throws some real curve balls and tries one's patience! The latest trial of patience has been power outages!

These so called, "scheduled" and "unscheduled" power outages have been a real pain! (We had an "unscheduled" power outage the day before last for 5 hours! and, more outages the weekend prior!) I have tried to find the humor in it, but it is a real inconvenience! Thank goodness for my son who has kept me entertained, and of course, Roberto who always makes me laugh. During the outage yesterday; 8 hours versus the 6 hour "planned outage!?", we kept ourselves busy and tried desperately to find the humor in it!

I started my morning by getting up well before the 6:00 a.m. start of the "scheduled" outage so I could have my beloved cup of coffee, (this is a religious experience for me; very difficult to get through a day without this small routine to kick start it!) After the brew was complete, I poured this steamy pot of wonderful into a thermos to be able to enjoy it hot throughout the morning. Then out into the yard and beach. I had my usual pair of snippers in my pocket and began taking note of what needed trimming, repotting, moving and removing, (this will keep me busy for hours!), but, Roberto sees me trimming and studying, he loves this kind of work and soon takes over! Okay fine, let him have his fun, I have plenty to do. Out to the dock with new coffee and the dogs.

On the dock, we watch the bonefish chase the small sardines and the pelicans dive for breakfast. The dogs believe it is their job to bark and announce the pelican arrivals. They go absolutely nuts over any bird coming near their territorial dock! They bark and jump out of their minds at these odd looking creatures and pride themselves when the birds keep flying by. Sort of as to say, "look, mom we did it, they're gone! Can we have a cookie now?" They never cease to make me smile. I marvel at the daunting task they have taken upon themselves! These adorable animals seem so completely pleased with themselves and content to follow me around! Of course, they know I will reward them for being so damn cute; their furry faces are the sweetest and really should be professionally photographed for a doggy calendar or coffee table book! :)

Speaking of coffee, I am out! Back to the house for doggy treats and something else to do. Roberto is busy chopping, dogs are chomping and it is 7:15 am and hours to go before power! That is okay, I have a long list of "to-do's"! I "limpiar" aka clean, (big LOL's; I get a "Spanish" word of the day from an internet site, wonder what today's word is?). I sort through Steve's paper trail, take the laundry downstairs, get that ready to go and plan tonight's dinner. 8:00 a.m! What? 4 more hours! No internet, no "facebook", no fan, no air conditioning and no power also means the water pump does not work either! Okay, it is an adventure, find the humor in all this, my friends back in the states say they would trade places with me at any time! Into the pool!

After the cool swim, there is no hiding from the sun there, upstairs again; it is now 8:30 a.m! This is ridiculous, normally the hours fly by, why is today taking all day? Any other day, these hours would have passed unnoticed and I would be marveling at how quickly they have flown by and can it really be lunch time! My god! I look around, everything is as neat and tidy as I want it. It is hot, humid and I need to be outside in the breeze. To the porch swing with a crossword puzzle; they do not require electricity and pass the time as well as exercise the brain! I do a few of these and now I have had enough! I want to get that laundry done, I want to start pulling stuff out of the freezer to cook, bake and do some checking! I would like to finish a small embroidery project for a new customer! I would like to turn the water faucet on and get some water!

11:00 a.m, back to the pool, another dip, swim, a little exercise. Back to the dock. Ready to give up, I move the lounge chair into the shade and fall asleep. Lulled by the sound of the waves breaking against the pier, birds chirping, dogs snoring, cool breezes off the Caribbean sea and why had I not thought of this sooner? Napping!, the most excellent way to pass the time! And, that it does, when I awake the power is still not on, but my attitude and mood are back to my cheerful self. The dogs want to play, Colin is hungry and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are perfect! He and I sit outside and chat about old times, old friends and family, tell a few jokes. We enjoy each other's company and make some plans for our trip back to the states next month. OOps, back to the electricity problem, we need the internet to book those flights and makes those calls! When is the power coming back? It is now past noon!

Around 2:00 pm., the power finally returns and we all slip into our daily routines once more. Laundry is done, dinner is made and the a/c is blasting! The airlines were all too happy to make our reservations and the emails to let our friends and family know we are coming in get sent. Somehow in the middle of it, we managed, we relaxed, we laughed and we survived! Not a big deal, another adventure in paradise! Happy day! :)

California dreaming

2009-07-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

Steve and Colin are still in the states. Now, they are in California, beautiful San Francisco and then on to LA. Envious? Just a little! Last night they had dinner with my dearest, oldest girlfriend! (Since she knows restaurants like no else I know, I know they had a fabulous meal!) Today, after touring a couple schools, they drove the coast south to Los Angeles to visit our daughter and to see the Occidental campus. I will see my boys in a few more days and later this summer, I will see our daughter, but, it's not the same! I want to be there too!

It is a day like today when I question why we did this! Yesterday, our land line and internet phones were not working. Nothing I did seemed to fix the problem. By some miracle, everything is up and running today!? The problem of the day is the golf cart not working! I even got out the hammer and tried hitting things underneath to get it going! (Ed and I laugh that a hammer is all you need here to fix anything and everything!) Nothing! I could try the noisy Polaris, but then I would have to move all the stuff Roberto packed into the other cart for me and there is no guarantee that vehicle will work; it gave me trouble yesterday. ( I swore to myself then, I would not drive this cart until Steve returned).

I feel like a spoiled child; but is it really too much to ask that your phone work? We pay for the services! There is gas in the cart, the tires are not flat, why should that thing suddenly not work? Who is messing with me? (My nemesis neighbor! I love blaming him!)

Oh well, I am on a beautiful island and the sky is blue and the sunset will be spectacular. A shower or swim, a glass of wine and a piece of cake! My dogs company, a wave to my sweet neighbor, not the demon next door, and all will be fine. (I saw there is something really good on television tonight! Something else to do and look forward to! Pathetic, I know!) Bored, maybe, I miss my kids and my husband. The dogs do not talk back and they eat whatever I put out for them, but so does my family, usually! Have fun in sunny, cool and bug free California! I'll bet driving a rental car is pretty nice right now too! A real car, I forget about that on some days! Cannot wait to hear your tales of adventure! Bring me home a little something! A real newspaper would really be sweet! A big thick one with a lot of sections! That will keep me entertained for days!

mom :)

The Dog SAGA

2009-07-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

Toby and Pickle
Our visiting friend
Our little girl, Pippi and her new boyfriend!
I am on the verge of tears; a friend sent me a link to the local humane society. The, "Pet of the Week", is a sweet dog I, "dog sat" for 3 months. His owner went back to the U.K. for a visit and needed someone to watch his pet. I volunteered, I am a sucker when it comes to animals, especially sweet and needy dogs! This dog was a hand full. Although, he easily fell into our routine and made quick friends with my female puppy. Truly a pleasure to watch them play. But my alpha male did not care for him, he is too small to really have an opinion, he just growled and showed his displeasure by being naughty every chance he had, (peeing indoors!) My other male, really disliked this dog and no matter how hard I tried, this particular dog did not want "new" dog around. My dog loves me so much, I could tell he was really tring to deal with this situation. We plodded along for 3 months, trying our best to make this work.

"New" dog also brought with him a host of gifts during his stay. The funniest, yet intolerable gift was, jumping up to the kitchen counters to chase the cat! Imagine, a 40 pound, hairy, sand- filled dog jumping across your kitchen counters chasing a terrified cat! I had never seen anything like it! (Neither had the cat!) She was used to the dogs wanting a bit of her and she would leap to her sanctuary to the upper cabinets. I am sure if I had not intervened, this dog would have been walking across the rafters in my kitchen to get poor kitty! Crazy!

Another character trait this dog has; on our daily walks off the yard, down the road to our favorite empty lot/beach, he would chase and bark senselessly at any bicyclist or golf cart that happened to drive by! And, god forbid it were an innocent jogger! I tried and tried to train this dog to behave. Nothing! Then the worst occurred; he would react to the passerby and my dogs started acting like idiots too! Now I had 4 dogs, a pack really, chasing bikes, cars and joggers! It came down to, limiting who got to go on the walk or no walk at all! They were all disappointed and me too! (On these walks, I always found interesting items that had washed ashore during the night! It was my early morning treasure hunt and quiet time, usually! Another story, later.)

Now, my least favorite contribution from my friend who came to visit! If you haven't guessed by now, I like things tidy, neat, organized, clean! (I took the "facebook", "What Mental Disease are You? I'm OCD! Always knew it, LOL!)

My little hairy, furry friend brought into my house and gave to my beloved 4 legged friends, TICKS! I have been a dedicated pet owner and follow instructions from my vet to the "T". My dogs and cats get their vaccines, heart guard, flea and tick medications! Until this doggy came to visit, I had only seen ticks on the internet or on other people's dogs! My house and dogs became infested! They were everywhere: our sofa, bed, floors, walls, behind pictures and not to mention, on the dogs! In one night, I pulled 20 gross ticks off one dog! Panicked, I called and emailed everyone I knew who had any knowledge about dogs/pets about what to do! The troops came in and sprayed, bathed and dipped the dogs. Then went about inspecting the house and yard. More sprays! This went on and on....

My little visitor left our home to the happy arms of his traveling owner, a month and a half ago. Last weekend, I had the house and yard sprayed, the dogs bathed and dipped again. 4 months of monthly, expensive treatments. Happy to say, we are tick-free in the, " Casa Amarillo" residence! The day this dog left, it was like a black cloud left too! Every furry friend here went back to normal! They knew he was gone! They went back to being un-aggressive and obedient. They took up their old "posts" in their doggy world and the state of "calm" came back!

So, with all this said, I cannot go and adopt this dog! As much as I would like to; I would be asking for disaster! I suppose I could ask a professional to come in and train the dogs and me, but this expense is something I cannot afford now and why really? Then the monthly chemical treatments! I cannot stand the smell and poisoning that causes. The monthly, or as needed baths will continue, but the flea/tick drops should be enough!

Somebody, adopt this little boy! He has had a very traumatic life and yet is a cartoon character to watch! He's full of energy and just needs attention, training and a lot of love. He truly does adapt to any circumstances and surroundings; he needs a kind, dedicated and loving home with a fenced yard! An owner without pets or maybe a young, spayed female dog would work too! And, I believe with hard work and daily baths, the tick problem could be under control.

Now that this is off my chest, I still feel a bit guilty for not calling the humane society to take him back. As I look at my little ones; they are all resting quietly, they have barked only to let me know our caretaker has arrived. The only bugs I have seen today have been mosquitos and moths. Errrrrrrr, got to stop, he cannot come back! I will convince someone else to adopt him and help with the baths and training, THAT, is what I will do!

Make a donation to your local humane society and better yet, go in and adopt a furry face of your own! Please do not let my rant/story discourage you! 4 out of the 5 pets we have, are adopted. They are sweet, gentle and dedicated.

xox, d :)

Birthdays

2009-07-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

The kids all grown up and seemingly "normal", and Steve polishing one of the many motor homes we've owned.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful, thoughtful and cheerful birthday wishes! I usually like to have my birthday pass by quietly but somehow, and now with "facebook" it gets a broadcast! I believe my birthday broadcasts come from the few years my dear, sweet, adorable husband truly forgot my birthday and when friends heard of this incredibility, it has now become a day everyone in my small circle knows about.

My two favorite, "Steve forgot my birthday" stories start like this. The year is sometime in the mid 1990's, our children are small and we are traveling to northern Michigan with friends to their cabin on a lake for the 4th of July holiday weekend. Being the proud owners, at the time, of a motor coach, we all load in. Picking up our friends along the way, they board with their luggage, groceries and some "presents". Once the excitement settles, kids are buckled in, snacks are dispersed, Steve asks our riding guests, "who are the presents for?" In horror, my girlfriend looks at me, I look at her, she looks at her husband, he looks at Steve, and answers, "they're for Denise and Dana! It's their birthday's! " (Dana is their daughter and her birthday is July 1st, and mine is July 6th).

The color leaves Steve's face, I roll my eyes and think, "it's okay, I don't need anything, I just want him to remember, kiss me and say 'Happy Birthday'." Our friends are laughing and wondering if he, Steve, really did forget!

We get to the cabin, unpack, get the kids fed and settled in; after a 9 hour drive with many stops, no one feels like doing much besides sleep. The next morning, the children are outside swimming, catching tadpoles, running and chasing each other and I notice the men are missing. Oh well, Steve and Al are off doing something, better they keep themselves busy! Caren and I begin the preparation for the birthday dinner.

Dinner, I recall it being delicious, Al is a great cook and Caren and I are the sous chefs. Cake is brought in, "Happy Birthday" sung and a joint venture to blow out all these candles! Now for the gifts! For the life of me, I cannot remember what we gave little Dana that birthday but I will never forget what Steve gave me!

Steve hands me a box with an apology, saying, "Sorry, it was all I could find! I shopped everywhere, ask Al! I couldn't find a thing, not even a piece of jewelry at the only jewelry store in town!" We are in the upper peninsula of northern Michigan, in one of the many national forests. If you are here to shop, you will be disappointed! There are a few stores, mostly bait shops, gas stations and bars!

After this, "amuse bouche"-teaser of an introduction, I can hardly wait! I open the box to find, a flannel shirt! The crowd around the table goes wild, I look at it and at Steve and cannot believe my eyes! Are you kidding? He is dying of laughter and so is everyone else! I don't know what to say. But that birthday has never been forgotten by our children, friends or Steve! Don't recall ever wearing that shirt or what became of it! Oops!

This next one, is not the last time Steve forgot my birthday, but it too brings back memories and makes me laugh!

Our daughter Lauren, is 12 the year of this story. She has insisted on going off to camp for 2 whole weeks! I simply cannot believe this and am worried sick about this whole ordeal. Steve being an "eagle scout", loves this idea and is eager to get his young daughter out into the wilderness and camping! I, in the meantime, have researched this "camp", have shopped for everything on the "list" and more. I have packed, labeled and sorted her belongings. Once again, we pack up the motor coach, (a new and expanded version of the last one!) and away we go. Driving through the Chicago northern suburbs into Wisconsin and north to the border of the upper peninsula, we are in familiar territory and it is beautiful. The camp is gorgeous and there are children running, playing, horseback riding and swimming all around us. I, of course, want to arrange her foot locker, make her bed and set out her "camp outfit" for the next day. Steve says, "no, let's go, she can do this, it's better we leave!" OMG! again, here we go! Hugs and kisses all around, I double check into the eyes of these counselors hoping not to see any signs of "what?" I don't know? They are all smiling, bubbly teenagers, eager to meet and get started with their new "campers"!

We leave, I am upset, in tears that my little girl is so grown up, she doesn't need me anymore and I feel my world crumbling in! (Drama queen, remember!) Colin's is jumping up and down, glad to be moving and Steve settles into the drive. We drive about a hour down the road toward home and Steve announces he's hungry and would I like to eat here! We have pulled into a truck stop in the wilderness of northern Wisconsin and it's my birthday! AND, my daughter has left my side to be with her friends at a beautiful, exciting camp without me on my birthday!!

Once again, the color leaves Steve's face, as I explain to him that I would rather starve than eat at a truck stop the day my daughter goes off to camp for 2 whole weeks without me, ON MY BIRTHDAY!

I see the full humor in this now, as I come to my senses. I see a panicked Steve shopping the truck stop gift shop for a trinket for my day. Coming back to the motor home with an ice cream bar and a card, he wishes me, "Happy Birthday" and assures me he had not forgotten, he just thought it was tomorrow! Giant LOL's (we didn't use "LOL" then, but I did LOL!), tears wiped away and hugs and kisses from my two favorite guys and I am fine!

So, once again, thank you honey and everyone else, for all the birthday wishes! I am glad to be here, happy and healthy, I could not want or wish for more!

And, although Steve is in the states for this birthday, he did call several times and is very excited about the gifts he has purchased! LOL, love this stuff! D;)

Sweepstakes

2009-07-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after I saw Steve and Colin off to Belize City, I stopped in to check our little rental house. The renters had vacated the day before and I wanted to begin getting ready for the next tenant. I stripped the beds, got the laundry started and began sweeping and cleaning. While the first load of laundry was drying and the second load started, I headed out the door to the neighborhood grocery store to restock the essentials.

First load finished and folded, second load drying, I sat down with the local newspaper, a diet coke and some plantain chips, (love, love, love these!) Reading the paper, something else I love to do, I read a full page, 4 color ad for, " Beat the Hardtimes Sweepstakes"! (Another something I love, contests/raffles, etc.)

I read this ad and reread it! I couldn't believe it! This was a contest sponsored by the friendly Belizean tobacco companies. The entry rules are easy, if you're a smoker! Buy the sponsors cigarettes, save the coupon inside the packs, "don't destroy them", the ad says and wait for the drawing! The drawing is sometime in November 2009. Still under the, "I cannot believe what I am reading" spell, I continued. Grand prize; $1000BZ a month for 12 months! Yeah, I'd take that! Second prize; "Fuel efficient Honda Scooter"! Not bad, Colin might like that! Third prize; $100BZ worth of free groceries a month for 12 months from Brodies! I like that store, and easily spend that when I am there, I'd take that prize too! Fourth; $1000BZ worth of FREE clothing or household products from Brodies. I can always use more "stuff"! Fifth; $1000 worth of gasoline or diesel from a station near you (!) Wondering if SP Caribena qualifies? Now we get to the real good stuff! Sixth prize; Free Dos Pinos milk every month for 12 months! and the last prize, my favorite! Twenty pounds of Free Rice every month for 12 months!!!!

I swear to holy heaven! This ad cracks me up so much, I posted on "facebook" about it, I have it on my refrigerator door now and think I should send it along to school with my son to show his teachers! Did these companies that are sponsoring this contest, not get the memo about the tobacco companies getting sued in the states for millions? Did they also miss all the information from the Cancer Federation? Clearly, this is not the USA, but come on folks, sponsoring a sweepstakes and encouraging a strapped economy to smoke cigarettes to win prizes is really in bad taste! Now, I'm outraged by this ad!

I can remember my parents talking about these sort of contests in the states back in the 50's or maybe sooner than that! Back before they (?really?) knew how horrible cigarettes are! For awhile, I believe the tobacco companies even had trading cards of sports heros inside the packs! Well, this sort of contest mirrors that kind of stupidity! Asking people to buy their products, save the coupons with the possible winning numbers from the inside these said packages and holding on to them until sometime in November, is so outrageous, I want to scream and hold a protest and boycott these idiots for such a disgraceful campaign. Being a middle aged adult, I do not smoke cigarettes, I have preached to my children about the dangers in doing so and I try to limit my exposure to second hand smoke. (Difficult to do sometimes, as unlike the states, smoking is still allowed in public places in Belize.) I base my decision to not smoke on the facts about the dangers and addiction to these products, but mostly on seeing a dear uncle and my beloved grandfather die of lung cancer! Both men were fairly young by today's standards! Both men suffered horrible deaths and left behind young children in my uncle's case and a frail widow of my grandmother, who really never recovered from her husband's death. If someone can die from a broken, lonely heart, my grandmother did.

So, my lecture/post of the day! This the 4th of July! Happy Independence Day to the US and happy independence from tobacco companies to everyone else.

Off to Chicago

2009-06-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

Steve and Colin are going back to the states for a visit. I wish I could go, but we have found it is better for one of us to stay and look after the house, dogs and business. Since the flights have been booked and other travel arrangements met, I have been busy making my usual "lists" of things to do! (Steve needs a spread sheet, he should be making one daily, but he just won't listen to me!) Lists are wonderful and the joy of crossing something off a list is immense! It gives me a lift, goose bumps, whatever you want to call it, I love it!

So, off they go in a few days and I will be sure they have what they need, along with a few gifts for our friends and family from Belize! (Coffee and hot sauces are the favorites). Along with these, will be lists for every stop along their way. For example; the closet in which we store some items at our neighbors, there are several things I would like; I can tell Steve the exact placement! Second, that storage locker! OMG! Crammed to the ceiling, but there are several items I would like from there! On to Costco, Petsmart and Target! This will not be a problem, I can send Steve down the aisles I have memorized to find the items Belize does not have. Steve loves shopping as much as I do and can outdo most other professionals of this sport!

Steve will be busy with my lists, visiting family and friends and working. Colin will be going down memory lane and seeing some childhood friends and family too! He will also start the college search process and attend a mini-football camp back at the Blue Ridge School. The two weeks will fly by and I will miss them and wish I could tag along! My turn will come soon enough to be stateside; Colin goes back to school in mid-August and Lauren turns 21 at the end of August. By then, I will have compiled another list or two or three.

Off I go now to get the suitcases down from the shelf in the bodega, laundry finished and lists along with detailed "maps" for this little journey. Never ending excitement here, simply cannot stand it!! LOL!