Saturday, November 6, 2010

Nov. 6, 2010



 
beach umbrella

i picked these flowers from the garden the other day
and today i noticed this one fell from the stalk
and it looked
so much like a beach umbrella
isn't it lovely?

:-)

today was such a beautiful day
it is still rather windy
a great day for drying laundry on the line
in the afternoon the sun came out
i went to the shop to help bob
and it was wonderful to sit on the chair outside in the sun

i am beginning to feel like being at the made in roatan shop
is part of our life here
it isn't like a job
it isn't something i dread
or wish i didn't have to do
it is just the opposite 
i enjoy it


it is hard to explain
i tell people we  volunteer at the shop
but truthfully it is more then that
it is a lifestyle
.. it is becoming an extension of who i am...

i love to give
i love to help
i love to talk to people

the shop allows me to do that and more!

even while i am selling
i am not just trying to get a tourist to buy something
when they are looking at a piece of jade jewelry or a painting
i want them to buy it because i know the person it will be helping

today a lady came in and was looking at a hand carved frame 
that javier made
she loved it
it is beautifully done
she got us to measure it and unfortunately it was too large for where she wanted it
she hummed and hawed for along time
i so wanted her to buy it!!
why?
because javier is in university and i wanted him to have some extra
money for school or to pay his bills.

the people of this island are getting under my skin, so to speak,
~dear to my heart~
and that is why i love to go

i think it is a pretty good reason to do anything don't you?



Friday, November 5, 2010

November 5, 2010

troubled seas


the wind has been fierce for the past few days
we haven't had a lot of rain though
but we are feeling the effects of hurricane tomas
even though it is over 800 miles away!

throughout the day my heart goes out to the people
of Haiti
Tomas went directly over them with all it's fury!


before we moved to the caribbean i would see news like that on tv
and think... oh that is too bad
but now that we are living here
it changes everything
it is more then just news
it is a reality that we know
i can almost see their faces
i sense their cold
i ache with thoughts of no food in their stomachs

what breaks my heart is that
haiti has suffered so much already
most of them are living in tents as it is
they dug trenches around the area and now unfortunately
some of those areas are like islands and people are trapped

many are dying
cold
suffering 
homeless

so much help and aid was 'supposed' to go to haiti 
after the earthquake and i have to ask:
why are they still living in tents??!
where did that money go?!

so i am troubled
but when my heart is overwhelmed
i agree with the psalmist and say
lead me to the rock that is higher then I

i read today that one lady in Haiti
said, "we are in God's hands"

if you pray would you pray for the people there?
if you don't pray then would you start today...
for their sake?

it is the least we can do...



Thursday, November 4, 2010

November 4, 2010

hold on to your hats!

today has been very windy as tropical storm tomas
goes by
we aren't being affected by it except for the wind

as i took this photo
i was leaning against a palm and it was battering up against me
carlos hollered through the wind:
el mar es muy bravo!!
which means
the sea is very mean!

yes it sure is
we were without power for most of the day
bob went to the shop today as norwegian spirit
was in the coxen hole port
but marco didn't call him til after 1:00
that is island time for ya!
as it was sales weren't too good because by the time
bob got there most of the tourists were heading back to the ship
oh well.
i am grateful for bob's willingness to just stop what he is doing
and head over to the made in roatan shop

i always feel bad for the cruisers on days like today
when the weather isn't idyllic
i hope they had a good day

with no power
i resigned myself to reading
my heel is getting better and better everyday
and i am grateful for that

well i should go and make some supper
in case we lose our power again with all these high winds
you just never know here

muy bravo!! that white line is surf which we don't usually get

usually the travelers palm leaves are smooth but they are getting all torn up

see how windy it is!!  sorry for the blur but with my heel i can't get on the ground too easily

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

November 3, 2010

island hours

i have bob to thank for seeing this sign
we both just burst out laughing 
because that is so typical on the island

did you notice there aren't any hours posted??!!
the sooner, we gringos, come to terms with that
the better our life on the island will be!

at least we know they are open in the 
a.m.
and
p.m
sometime!!

:-)

closed sundays
alrighty, see ya in church!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

November 2, 2010

the cigar man

when the cruise ship docks in coxen hole
the street comes alive with vendors of all sorts
this guy sells cigars on the street
his hat is new so i couldn't resist taking his photo!

i took a taxi to the cruise ship at 3:00 and spent an hour
sitting in a chair at the shop
was a wonderful change for me!
it was great to interact with the tourists,
answering their questions, telling stories, selling things...
all while sitting down, of course!

it was good to talk to our other 'vendor' friends
getting lots of hugs etc.
there is a young man who lives nearby who is mentally challenged
i can barely understand him when he speaks
today he was saying something to me 
but i couldn't make it out
a few min. later he came to the shop holding a pair
of brand new white anklet socks
and smiling!
i was so appreciative and touched!
i need to wear shoes now and my socks are rather.. ugly..
so it was kind of robin to share one of his new socks with me
i thought.. 
oh 
it 
is 
good 
to be 
out and about again

just a little outing
not much strain on my foot at all
but it was so good
i wish you could have heard bob's voice 
when i called him while in the taxi.
"you are what?
coming to the shop???"

"yes just for a hour or so
it will be fun"

and it was!




Monday, November 1, 2010

November 1, 2010

pure genius

can you do the rubix cube?
i can't
our daughter emily can do it in less then 2 minutes
this t shirt is so tiny ... i got it second hand
i wish it was bigger so i could send it to emily
but as it was i gave it to kandi

she is carlo's sister
every day she comes to the house around 9 am 
and brings him breakfast
homemade tortillas, rice and beans
his mom makes them fresh everyday
imagine that!!
and kandi walks about 40 minutes to bring it to her brother

since my injury i have been using kandi to help me around the house
today she swept, and dusted
and helped me finish making my photo cards.
she is meticulous and i know she is proud of the good work she does

i love their family!!
so
much!!
they are such a blessing

when i told her what the tshirt said
she smiled broadly
pure genius??
without a doubt!!


Sunday, October 31, 2010

October 31, 2010

after the rain

sometimes i just take too many photos to choose one.  this afternoon i went for a short walk around the yard and decided to make a video.  you can view it here..video

hope you had a great weekend!
xo