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?

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!

news about haiti 

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...

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

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!

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!

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!!

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