Beautiful sunny day! ... warm and good clothes drying weather, but can't get access to the washer 'cause everyone and their grandmother are using it!  AGH!!  just need to do sheets and a pillow ... oh well ...

Kids off school, there is a sudden teacher strike in the whole country apparently ... no one seems too concerned ... just the kids getting into stuff because they're bored ...

Zane and Jay off somewere getting sand and posts, I think ... not sure.

Zane is getting anxious to get home.

that's it for today
Peace!~out!

Hey y'all!  'tis afternoon here, actually early evening ... thought I'd catch you up with the day ... Zane and Jay spent the early part of the morning getting posts and sand out @ the church base (where the missionary's come first before living within the village)  ... then this afternoon they began construction on the back veranda for the out door shower area, and back porch that will lead around to the veranda on the lagoon side of the house and eventually onto the front veranda. 

It was warm and sunny all day, which was nice for a change from the rain.  I completed the next to last BOM on my two quilts and began the last (February one) BOM that I have.  I also was able to knock out the two loads of laundry that were waiting for the sun, and it is all dry already!  Cool beans! 

Yesterday John downloaded a bunch of movies (both adult and kid ones) onto Jason's external drive and then I copied them all to my external drive, so this afternoon Gabral and a number of his friends came into the house to watch a Disney movie ... they were well behaved and I really didn't mind them here ... it kept them occupied and out of every one's hair for a while.

Was very excited yesterday to be able to talk to my friend Wendy and Mark, Heather, Makena and Vivi via Skype ... delays in the reception and pixelating aside, it is always so wonderful to see and talk to loved ones.   Here are some new pictures!  ... Enjoy

 A more 'groomed' version of the front yard and driveway leading into Jay and Myrtz's and our houses

 Hanging in the chair on a cool "Belizean Snow" Day

 Outside view with the 'shabby~chic' frame of the cool stained glass window in the street side front window of Jay and Myrtz's house

 Angel window from the inside

 Full (Wolf) Moon over the island in  the lagoon in front of our yard

 Last nights full moon

 Full moon through the Mangrove tree

 'jars' from beach combing that I made into a 'thingy' like Heather and Mark gave me years ago for cool dried things ... hopefully the plants will dry nicely

 The beginnings of the back veranda

The back door and start of shower area veranda of our house

Well, that's about it for now ... Peace~out

Wow ... a major lightening show last night (with accompanying thunder and pouring rain) over the lagoon ... very flashy and loud on our "zinc" roof.  (Zinc is really galvanized roof as they say here in the Village) ... today, more thunder in the distance but some break in the clouds and the lagoon is very calm and glass like.

http://www.mixcloud.com/tiochuy/   follow this link to our son Jesse's radio station broadcast of wonderful afro-latino jazz with Jesse DJ-ing the whole thing.  He is ... Tio Chuy or Uncle Jesse.  Very proud of him following his dream ... he will be doing this for 7 (or so) more weeks and we can pick up the 1 1/2 transmission via the above site.  It is in and out of Spanish/English ... the music however transcends everything.

not much to tell today ... am making some sausage today with saurkraut (that we brought) that Zane is hungery for ... Myrtle wants to go to the beach after the rains to 'comb'  I think I will stay back and work on quilts.

signing out ~ peace~out

Hey y'all!  finally a break in the Belizian Snow ... they call it such, because of the heavy mist that covers the lagoons and village and 'whites out' everything ... well, the sun is trying to peak through.  Got to take a quick trip to Stann Creek yesterday for Jay, since he and Zane were working on our screen doors ... a villager needed to go into the clinic to be seen so, I made the trip.

Screen doors are drying from their painting and will be hung probably tomorrow.

I will work on the BOM's for the two quilts until I can get to a fabric store to get more navy fabric to finish Lisa's quilt top ... no mail yesterday, so am still waiting for the fabric for Jacob's quilt to finish that top. 

No other real news ... got a DVD of "the Hobbit" yesterday and got almost to the end and it froze up! so, couldn't get to the end ... agh! ... these lousy DVD's!

anyway ... love and peace~out!

Good Morning all!  So, while Isanti has a heat wave of 16 degrees, Pflugerville is in the 60's, we are in overcast skies (still) and only @ 70degrees!  Bloomfield currently is 37 ... can't say I want to be there, but boy do I want some sunshine!  At 10 and 13 (Johnstown and Northampton respectively) y'all are probably saying ... 'I'd love 70!' ...   I don't hate it, but sure would love some sun here in warm Belize! 

Well, it rained most of the night, and our rain barrel went from down 6 inches to about 2 inches from the top in the overnight time.  Jay and Zane are going to make screen doors today for our house ... yah!  ... then, when it does get sunny, I can be bug free (for the most part) and still have open access to the world.

The otherday, apparently when I was on Skype, I was overheard saying that I wasn't very accepted here ... when I was confronted about that, I said that, yes, that was how I was feeling ... not being accepted or fitting in except with the young girls ... well, since then, the women, in small ways, are trying to show me that they do accept me .... so, being overheard is not always a bad thing!

Not much else to tell today ...  am working on Lisa's quilt, but apparently didn't bring all the correct fabric, so must wait to get some accent navy blue in Stann Creek ... so, in the mean time I will work on the BOM's. 

Yah, I finally got my We'moon dayplanner in the mail yesterday ... apparently the village postman was going to send it back to Belize City when our friend, Lidy, another mailman, said, I know who that is, I will deliver it.  Apparently it had been in the village for a while! ... and we thought the postal service in the States was bad!!  Scheez!

Several of my 'girls' are spending time here today, 'cause no school ... they will work on baskets.  The school closes the last Friday of each month to let the teachers go to town to cash their checks ...

Anyway ... hope for sun and joy and love
Janie ... Peace~out!

So, Zane is the talk of the village today for not letting the GSU intimidate him into kneeling ... he said "it's BS" what they try to do ... there is really no need to be that aggressive, but they apparently think there is ... yesterday, before they left for Stann Creek, there was a jet ski zooming around the lake ... someone said, 'that's the General" ... later we found out the 'General" is a high up gang member, laying low here in the Village ... so, who knows, maybe there is something to the "drugs on the water" theory that has the GSU and the DSU up in arms here in the village ... I feel like there is another shoe to drop yet ... time will tell.

on the lighter side ... we got to see and talk to our good friend, Wendy last night!!!  Skype is a wonderful thing ... a wonderful way to talk and see friends and loved ones in real time.  We hope that many of you will take the opportunity to connect with us/me in the near future ...

Looking like rain this AM ... Jay and Myrtle going to Belmapan tomorrow ...  the capital of the country, to go to the goverment offices for the paperwork that they both need.   Will ask Jason to try ad find us popcorn for evening snack stuff ...
gonna run ... peace-out

So, here's the tale of crazy world of a third world country ... on the way home from Stann Creek, Jason got a phone call that said the either the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) or the DrugSU had just left the village that  they might run into them ... sure enough, they did ... the stopped the truck, all were made to get out and put their hands behind their heads ... the men were ordered to get on their Knees (Zane refused, said he was too old) they were 'covered' by these men in uniform with machine guns and carried hand guns as well.  All were frisked (except Zane) and the truck was searched.  Zane said he thought the gestapo were not in existence anymore, but, apparently they are alive and well in Belize.  These are the same type of units that supposedly murdered the gang members.  No, everyone, I am not leaving early and we are fine ... just wonder what Belize tourist relationships would have to say about this kind of treatment of Americans (a man Hank, Jay and Zane)!

This will be the talk of the village for days to come ... conjecture is that there is something (drugs?) they are looking for and are waiting for it to surface.  Apparently in the past, people in the village found a drug shippment and made $ on it and used it be build a house and buy a car, so, perhaps they are suspecting there is something like that going on ... but what a 'Hollywood" way of doing things!

Hey y'all ... we're back to more normal, warmer weather ... currently low 60's with a high prodicted to be 85 with scattered showers all week ... low 80's all week too.  Can't say I am sorry to see the return of the sun ... it's been to chilly and gloomy for my tastes here in tropical Belize.  After talking to Sam and hearing her prediction of -25 degrees overnight in Isanti, MN and Nancy @ 6degrees in Johnstown by Tuesday, I am so glad to be, even in the chilly 60's!  Currently Isanti is at -15, Bloomfield is @ 10, Pflugerville is 43, Johnstown is 22 with wind chill making it feel like 14, Northampton is @ 23 and Lompoc is @ 39 ... needless to say, I don't envy Zane returning to the cold in about 2 1/2 weeks!!!  He is, however looking forward to returning home for an assortment of reasons.

It was so nice to talk to Nancy, Renee and Lauren as well as Renee's son Sam yesterday ... the delays on Skype were exaggerated yesterday, but spoke to our Sam and Heather too ... very nice to see them!  Wish some of you others would connect with us this way too!

I think my BFF's have fallen off the face of Northampton and Bloomfield!  Not sure what that is about, but would be grateful to hear from either or both of them very soon.  I do know that our baby boy HAS fullen off the face of Lompoc ... he has even been out of touch with his big sister, which is unusual for them.

anyway, enough of my whining ... just miss contact!

Jay and Zane are heading to Stann Creek today ... small list for them to shop for ... plus see if there is mail (I am expecting stuff) and if the Refridgerator is ready.  Should take them the better part of the day, b/s others are going as well as part of a transport.  Zane is going to purchase another bike for himself (a used, refurbrished one) and will leave it for Sticky when he goes home to use to get out to his farm more regularly.

Am going to work on Lisa's quilt today to get the quilt top together so that when I go back I can get it quilted.  Pretty excited that that too is coming together.  Her's, Jacob's, ours, and will start on baby 'bumps' crib one when that fabric gets here as well as ones for Andrea and Gabe.  Will also try to work on a Wiccaning one for Tracy's g-daugher (Elle) (Adana and John's Babe).  Dearly love that I am getting tons of quilting time here!!!

Well, signing off for now ... Peace ~ out!

Hey all!!!  well, it's 62 degrees today and still overcast .. feels chilly and all are in coats, hats and sox in the village ... me, long sleeved shirt and long jeans (instead of Capri's) ... I just miss the sun ... feels like back east winter weather (cloud wise)

We plan to talk to Nancy and Renee today on Skype ... wish more of y'all would get connected that way ... I miss seeing familiar faces ... if any of y'all are already on skype, please let me know and we can talk.  By the way ... if any of Jay's friends or family are Skype worthy ... contact us through this blog and I will get the whole Fam-Damily in front of the computer ... that's you Shar, Uncle Bert, Carrie and all others who might be reading this blog!


Zane and Jay finally have the house 'lock up' capable!  We are all so excited about that ... It's a quite Sunday here so far ... village still asleep, I think ... me, just chasing sugar ants, getting ready to sew again and checking out the birds in the mangroves outside my window.

Peace - out

Hi All ... Wow, got to talk to Sam, Cody and Jacob for a long while yesterday on Skype ... hope Lisa, Wendy, Beth, Cynthia and Jesse get on Skype soon and stay on line so I can see that they are on and try to contact them ... the reception is very good from here and what a nice way to see my loved ones!!! 

Sam and Cody laughed at my wearing Zane's down 'sweater' yesterday during our call ... it is still chilly and overcast today as well ... around 66 right now but feeling like lower sixties or high 50's right now ... no sun and breezy, making for chilly conditions.  Zane and Lisa would say, fall weather. 

Right now Jay and Zane are working on installing a bolt lock for their front door ... they finished the shutters and doors yesterday and now all that's left to putting in the bolt lock and the windows ... Jay needs to go sell fish with Disheau today later, so Zane may go motorcycle riding to see if he can find the shirt Jay lost yesterday on their walk and to find some passionflower for me to plant here at the house.

I am going to work on quilting today ... yesterday Myrtle and Nigel brought me a 'ton' of fevergrass that I am drying to make baskets with, so I need to wait till that is dryer ... plus I want to quilt some more, since I have laid off from that for a few days.  

Well, gonna run!

 So, this is Ledico (I think he name was) ... the Mayan guy who sold the chair to us ... very sweet, says he is Mayan on the outside and Garifuna on the inside ... Garifuna is the African background folks of Belize.

 Zane and Jason adjusting to hanging my new birthday chair

 Jason is all business, the little monkey!  tee hee

 Myrtle loving the new hang out spot!  She was surprised as to how comfortable the chair is!

Hi ... So, yesterday was my birthday!  ... We went to a beach town of Hopkins for the day ... walked the beach, spent a brief squall under a nice palapa and had some brunch, went touristy shopping and I found and Zane bought me a hanging chair for here by the lagoon which I will photograph when it's hung ... I have a picture of the nice Mayan guy who was so grateful we shopped there ... in 2002 I got one, just like it for $35 US ... this year (2013) it was $45 US ... not bad for inflation, etc ... I can't seem to load the picture of "Ledo" and myself in front of his shop ... will try later.  We spent some time at the 'Funky Do-Do hostal, having a few beers and trying to stay warm ... had gotten caught in a rainstorm with winds that made it quite chilly.  Later ate at  place down the beach ... I had lobster cavichi (sp) and it was yummy ... Zane and Jay split a pepperroni pizza and Myrtle had snook which wasn't enough to even fill her plate ... she was very up set with the portions ... but what she had was good. 

A cold front has moved through here and it is currently about 60 degrees but feels like in the 50's with the breeze ... everyone in the village are in winter hats and coats ... it's not that cold, but I get it ... we slept with most of the shutters closed last night and I had the quilt on and my fleece jacket.  Zane was delighted by the coolness.  It is to be like this for a day or so, only in the 70's with the night temps in the 60's. 

Zane and Jay are out for a walk this morning then back to finish the last of the shutters (I think) ... Then, perhaps our screen doors and shower are the next on the adgenda to build.  also, hanging my chair in a tree till the veranda gets built on this house.

Talked with Heather and the girls last night ... Mark has an interview today ... hope that is successful! ... it was great to see and talk to them again ... tried Sam, but she was off line ... we didn't get home till 7:30, so guess we missed her online.  Hopefully today we can connect.

will try later to post the pictures

This is Andrea and her 'paper house' picture that she sewed.  She was still 6 when she completed this...today, she turns 7.

This is the top view of the fevergrass/lemongrass basket I am weaving ... below is a side view of the basket ... will be making it much deeper (still a work in progress) and the last photo is of me with the basket while I am still 68 (lol)!

So, I wrote a bit yesterday but lost it all!  Even forgot what I wrote, so, no biggie I guess

Very exciting news!!!... we connected with Heather, Mark and the girls last night on Skype!!!  just took a chance since I saw she was on line and lo and behold ... she answered ... it was so great to see all their faces (even pixelated) and hear Makena play her keyboard, talk to Vivi and watch her bounce around in their new bedroom.  Got to see Heather's babybump!  She actually thought the call was, perhaps Renee calling on Facetime, cause I told her Renee might call ... and it was us.  Lisa, Sam, Beth, Cynthia, Renee, & Wendy... if any of you want to talk, please let me know via email and I will try to be online to catch you ... it was very exciting to see loved ones faces.  Mark and Heather look wonderful and the girls of course are ever growing, changing and so it was great to see them too...what an awesome early birthday gift to myself.

Am preparing to order some fabric for the new 'bump's' quilt ... just need Heather approval ... she is going with story book theme for this one for the crib.  I have all the blocks done for Jacobs quilt (I think I might have said this before) and am waiting for the fabric I ordered to put it together.  Got all the BOM's cut out yesterday for the Oct-Jan Blocks, now today I will work on Lisa's and the BOM's.  Am still working on the fevergrass/lemongrass basket ... will try and picture here as well as the pix of Andrea and her 'paper house'.  Today is Andrea's 7th birthday ... we will do something with her tonight after school.

Well, can't seem to get the pictures on today ... maybe another day

Well, first of all, here is the picture of Andrea I promised with the quilted picture she made ... nevermind ... not uploading again ... will try later.

Well the funeral was a bit anticlimatic, although media, polititions and assorted people in abundance were in the village it was not dramatic thank goodness ... still don't understant the aspect of the "belovedness of a murdered murderer ... he admittately was responsible for killing of other gang members although never convicted ... an admitted gang member and yet his wake had the village practally 'worshipping' him as a much loved man.

The sewing girls are now making fevergrass and pine needle baskets ... one even sold her first pine needle one for $10 US!  she was very happy.

Morning has broken!  and what a lovely day it's going to me ... nice breezes, sunny skies and intermittent clouds to keep it a bit cool... Should be an interesting day ... the funeral of the murder victims is today ... Myrtle apparently cooked all night last night for the wake (big deal around here) ... Jason said there are about 20 folks at the house... including Andrea's Dad and Sheffield, Myrtles brother down from Belize City ... we haven't met Sheffield as yet, but he was who 'gave Myrtle away' at their wedding up in Colorado.  It's odd to me ... everyone admits that 'Ghost' was a bad man and definately a gang member and yet because he was murdered everyone acts like he was a saint ... statements like, well, he was 'always nice and respectful to me' ... not that I think it is okay for the GSU to have (apparently) murdered him, but why glorify such a person ... confusing to me.

Well, I will write later today if there is anything else to report on this subject.

Yesterday, Andrea came here to the house and reminded me that I told her when we were alone, and had time that she could sew.  So, I said we could and what did she want to sew ... she wanted to sew a 'paper house' ... I took that to mean the paper-piecing that I do ... she did a really nice job, doing all the sewing ... I helped her with the folding and I used the sharp rotary cutter b/c I didn't want her to hurt herself as I have done in the past as an adult ... when the picture is quilted, I will take a picture of her with her work and post it here.

It's a calm, overcast morning ... a tiny bit of a breeze, but otherwise still.  This is the weekend of the wake for the murder victims.  It feels like the Village is holding it's breath.  Jason is off with Dish selling fish up near Democracia and Mahogany Heights ... Zane will be finishing the varnish on the doors and then says it is motorcycle cleanup day. 

I am going to attempt to finish the last 5 squares on Jacob's quilt, then I must wait for the fabric I ordered to come from Boulder (equilter) to put in between the squares ... the fabric I had chosen for that doesn't set off the squares well enough for my liking ... it will be better as part of the border.   I am so excited to have most of the square finished ... when I get it together, I can put it away till I get back to NM ... I have the backing there, can then get the batting and have it quilted.  I forgot to bring the fabric for Cody's wall hanging, so that I must do when I return to the States.

Next, I can work on getting Lisa's quilt top together to finish up when I get back too.  Next, after that, I will continue to work on the BOM's (blocks of the month) from the Carol Doak group for this year.  I am making 2 different ones so far and have fabric for two more.  Andrea's favorite color is pink and Gabral's is brown ... so, I will make them each a quilt too ... currently they have difficulty making their beds look neat, so this will be one way they will be able to do that.

I am also, intermittently, still working of the fever grass basket to sell.  This grass is not quite as aromatic as my sweet grass from home, but still has a refreshing lemony scent.  I am also still waiting for my sweet grass seeds to 'stratify'  (required putting them in a refrigerator for 3 months) then I will try and plant them in February.  Since we got some containers at the beach the other day, I will plant the lemongrass seeds I brought along as well.  When I return to NM I will try to grow the lemongrass back there in pots on my sun porch ... nice for cooking with as well as basket making.

Boy, the mosquitoes are busy today due to the overcast  day ... should light a 'fish' (what they call the mosquito coils that burn like incense)  they do help eliminate the bugs in the house.  With screens it is a nice solution ... now, when Jason gets a screen door made then I can keep the door open too until mid day, when I have to shut it anyway to keep the sun from overheating the house. 

Jason will need to make me screen door very soon, because, if it is still available, he is going to bring me a kitten today from a lady in Mahogany Heights ... when I leave he will keep the cat as a house cat in their place (he says Myrtle will let him) ... this surprises me, b/c she says she doesn't like cats ... kinda like my mother-in-law, Vera ... she didn't like animals in her house, and would only pet outdoor animals with her foot (:-) ...

Hey y'all!  Good Morning and what a fine and breezy day it is ... 79 degrees and sunny with a lagoon breeze from the East ... gotta love it!  Not much happening here today ... Zane and Jason working on hanging the last doors and making the last shutters, Digeo 'playing' with his girlfriend in the front yard and me, working on Jacob's (my grandson) quilt and working on a basket from fevergrass (local species of lemongrass).  Just wanted to check in and let y'all know I was thinking about you guys and missing my spiritual community a bit more than usual ... please write email if y'all get a chance.

Hey all ... so the latest news is that the leader of the George Street Gang is currently here in the Village, laying low till the funeral this weekend here in the Village ... he is apparently being respectful and inobstrusive.  Apparently the GSU the Gang Suppression Unit are being labeled as the ones who murdered the four men in Belize who came from Gales Point.  Apparently the one man named Ghost was in the village up through Monday ... Tuesday he was killed in the bed of where the leader (Shiny) usually slept.  The men were suspposedly going to testify in a trial against the GSU for police brutality, and the murders eliminated them all.  Apparently there will be a huge police presence here for the funeral, because the gangs are used to doing "21 gun salutes' with antomatic weapons and the police will be here to stop that occurance

So, finally I have been able to add some more pictures.  The first ones were taken in Feb 2012 ~ the first Felix visit and the driveway that Zane and Jay accomplished in the two weeks Zane was here.

 Next. by request from Jason are some of the doors and shutters that Zane and Jason have made to secure the house.  The woods are all hard woods and spar varnished to make them water proof ... they will eventually have an window in each hole and screening on the outside to allow in the breezes.

Here is Jason in front of the lagoon side (front) door along with Diego the dog Zane and I share ... (really Jay's but since we feed him here he splits his time with Jay and us)

These last few are of the land scapeing and all that Myrtle has done

 to beautify the place

And lastly, Myrtle hanging while her clothes dry in the breeze.

More on this melodrama later ... feels like it shouldn't even be talking about here ... things are so quiet and laid back ... hopefully it will stay that way (can't cut and paste elsewhere)  Pray for peace in this small country!

Hey and hi to all of Jason's internet friends and family! ... hopefully you will join my daily blog of our time here in Gales Point .. the pix I will post here in a few minutes are of the house from last Feb when we were first down here ... you can see a bit of the difference from then to now, with Myrtle's planting and beautifying as well as all the hard work Jay and Zane have been doing with the help of others as well.

Just got back from the beach where we were scavengering for 'treasure' for planting in, for containing herbal medicine after I sterlize the bottles and generally good beach booty!  Tides are higher than normal so there was lots of wash up and the lagoon is even higher than usual too.

Here are the pix ... never mind, having trouble uploading ... will do later

Latest of the bird watch crew ... today Zane and Jay saw a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron ... head like a duck, but a long legged Heron body ... no picture, but properly identified in the book.

   So, we did get to talk to Samantha on her birthday!  It was nice to hear her voice and hear about her plans for her special day ... a friend was going to take her out to breakfast ... yesterday Jacob made her a Boston Cream Cake by himself with just her verbal help.  She said he did really well. 

Here in Belize they don't make any big deal of Birthdays, which is sad in my opinion ... I love to celebrate birthdays ... a true celebration of life it self!  It looks like we can't afford to go to Tobacco Caye for Andrea's and my birthdays ... the cost has gone up since we were here last ... $40 US/person/night!  can't afford that when we would be doing the paying for all ... sad, 'cause I was looking forward to snorkeling.  Oh well, may be another time.

Some disturbing news came thru the AM  ... apparently 4 Gales Point residents, living in Belize City were killed and their throats slit ... rumors are flying rampant.... apparently Gales Point residents are considered interlopers by some of the gangs in Belize City ... some are bad people (according to locals) and others are innocent, caught in the middle of the chaos.  Myrtle is very worried b/c her other son, Wally, lives up there with his wife and baby, Bubbles.  Wally is Andrea's father and Bubbles is her half brother.  Wally was just here and says he is planning to move back to GP because it is too unsafe up there.  Apparently there is a loose relationship to Myrtle by some of the murdered men.  The violence reminds me of the news from Albuquerque ... guess ya can't get away from the craziness anywhere in the world!

Finally ... sunshine!!  and nice breezes ... Zane and Jay working hard on the shutters and doors in Jay's house.  It's looking really nice ... I will put up some pictures here.  The house is a work in progress ... the first picture is a shot taken from our front steps (the bike in the picture is my bike from Zane for Christmas)... the young man in the window is Steven, a friend of ours ... the last picture with the white tarpped thing is our outdoor washing machine area.

so, spent the day in Stann Creek to shop, get $ out of the credit union.  We took a truck load in with us and got things for others as well.  Jay came by later when we were home to put up a rain gutter and brought over a rain barrel.  This way we can collect water to bath and wash dishes with since there is still no water in the village due to the 'butterscotch' colored water in the river where the village sources it's water.  'course, as Zane said, now it won't rain ... that's okay too. 

The weather forecast still calls for rain up through the 14th 30% to 50% each day ...so, we shall see.

Tomorrow is our oldest daughter's birthday!!!  Yah, hopefully we will be able to get a call through to her.  We'll have to try her during the day, as her hubby and boys usually take her somewhere for dinner.

Zane and Jason saw a new bird yesterday (no picture) ... we determined it rufous-browed peppershrike.  pretty cool bird.  Then today in Stann Creek we saw tiny bird called a White Collared Seedeater ... very small.  And there's been a woodpecker around that might be either a Golden-fronted or a Red-vented woodpecker, just haven't gotten a close look at that now that I have the bird book handy.

still overcast ... rain predicted over night...79 degrees with humidity @ 79% as well.

Good Morning! ... well, think I've identified the #3 bird from yesterday ... it is either a Great Kiskadee or a Boat-Billed Flycatcher.  they are similar but I am leaning toward the Flycatcher due to the wing coloring.  Upon further looking ... it is the Kiskadee.  The other bird may be a female scarlet tanager ... she is the only one in the bird book that fits.

Well, we woke to no power, which Jay and Zane were able to fix ... still no water in the village due to the river being high and muddy, which means no water thru the lines to keep the sediment down in the tank.

In a bit of a depression so won't write much today ... guess this gregarious person is really feeling lonely ... the folks here are friendly, but not ... surface friendly, but no one reaching out to be friends.  No Lisa and Winna and Tracy's here!

Hey y'all!  Good Morning to you ... it's amazing to me, as many of you know, I am NOT and early riser in NM ... what with TV and sewing and reading, etc I am usually up very late.  Well here, when the sun goes down, most close up for the night.  By 8:30 or 9:00 we have 'viewed' our Modern Family episodes, or Firefly episodes, or movie for the evening on my trusty laptop and Zane is ready for bed.  I read for about another 1/2 hour, get sleepy and then shut down my reading light and go to sleep too ... thus, when the coffee is made in the morning, Jay is here for coffee and the sun is not yet up, I too am up and about ... very different.  Anyway, I do love the morning breezes and sounds of the birds, the mullet splashing in the lagoon as the barracuda chase them and the quiet village before all is up, about and busy.

I have been looking through my pictures to share things and thought that today I would share the ancient Christian/Pagan symbol that is very alive and well here in Belize and I have proof.  As many of you know, I am Wiccan, but before that, I was raised in the Christian faith and still hold much of that spiritual bent within my current spiritual practice. 

As history will show, on the ancient cathedrals in Europe the Gods of old were pictured as a way of bringing the Pagans into the folds of the newer religion.  Not an unwise thing for the new church 'fathers' to do ... to incorporate the old into the new and attract the peoples to the 'newer' beliefs.  At any rate, one of the images on the churches was that of the Greenman ... (like my tattoo that some of you know) ... Also known as Jack 'o' the Green, and by other names, this Greenman was the God of nature, the greenwood and the wild things.  Well, here in Belize is yet another proof that this God of Nature is alive and well ... I give you ... Ta Da ... the Greenman!

This was found by my camera and me on Solstice day in the archaeological park of Actun Tunichil Muknal near Belmopan, the capital city of Belize in the Cayo District.  We went there hunting a pyramid to climb for Solstice ... didn't find one ... found the Cave of the Crystal Maiden, couldn't go in, but saw the Greenman on our walk in.

Well, yesterday, we finally had our New Years dinner! ... Yum ... pork roast, sauerkraut and smashed potatoes, gravy ... some tried my homemade sauerkraut and liked it and some wouldn't even try it.  Oh well ... their loss, I make great sauerkraut!

Don't think I mentioned this in the blog here, but Zane and I are going to be grandparents again, due on Summer Solstice!!!  Heather and Mark, Makena and Vivianna are pregnant! ... according to my pendulum, it will be a boy this time ... will check the pendulum again later, as sometime it is hesitant till this solidify in the womb more ... I know Mark, especially, is hoping for a son, but they make such beautiful girls that another one of them would be lovely too!!!  Boy, I will just get back to the states and "have to" travel to TX soon after ... gee, golly gosh how I will hate that ... not!  lol

Well slow day here for the 'boys' ... may help dig a grave here in a little while ... then Jason and Disho (a village friend) will go to Democracia to sell Disho's fish catch and get gas, and Zane will spend the day sanding the doors and shutters and be out of my hair here in the house so I can sew.

so, some more showers moved through and now, overcast but breezy ... Making the New Year's pork roast today in Myrtle's sister's oven ... gotta make the potatoes a bit later for mashing and heat the sauerkraut ... yum ... we are really looking forward to that.

Wanna talk a little about the strange cultural differences we experienced here over Christmas.  It was a bit of a strange letdown ... in our culture, one (at least me) looks forward to gift giving ... seeing something you made or something you put thought into buying received, enjoyed and maybe even liked.  It is no matter that the receiver doesn't have a reciprocal gift ... the giving is the fun part of the Yuletide season for me.  We put some thought into small gifts that the kids couldn't get here ... Lego friends for the girls and some action figures for the boys...identical 'girlie' things for my sewing group girls ... some homemade gifts for Myrtz and Jay and the Belize calendars for the other families.  The strange thing was ... people came to collect their gifts ... no one opened them with us ... the sewing girls said 'thank you Gramma Janie' ... the others, children and families alike didn't even say thank you!  Myrtle and Jay sat with us and opened theirs ... I had made place mats for all the family plus made napkin rings when I got here from bamboo with individual names on them ... Myrtle said, these are for the restaurant and we haven't seen them since then ... not used, no individual napkins used and the only thing I saw in use is the lemongrass basket I made her ... Jay and Myrtle did say thank you and wished that they could have given something in return which is never necessary, but the rest left me bereft.  A friend, Sheril, asked me the other day how our Christmas was and I told her of my disappointment ... she said 'well I know Shelly's girls loved theirs' ... (two of the sewing girls) ... I said that was nice to know, but it would have been nicer if they had let me know.  Around here they chalk it up to cultural difference ... it feels like disrespect to me ... just saying.  Here they made a big show with the Christmas variety show and how it was a Belize Christmas and how it was about christian ideals, and yet the biggest thing in the village was about the 'bhrom'  dancing, call and response chaos while drinking as much as one can for two days! ... not my idea of a spiritual time of year, be it Christian, Pagan, Wiccan or otherwise.  I'm all for soaking up culture ... they talk about respect for their elders and on the surface that may be true ... Gramma Janie, Miss Janie, Mister Zane, Grampa Zane, Miss Myrtle, Mr Jay ... and yet, when I tried to say something about a way to plant something ... I was told not in this culture ... no openness for other's knowledge ... although that is untrue with the reaction to Zane ... he is very accepted.  Also, around here everything is on Pagan Standard Time which is frustrating when you try to plan.  Mel, the missionary wife was in charge of the Holiday variety show ... the participants were an hour late arriving and with no excuse ... Mel and I kinda bonded over that ... She and John (he's my IT computer guy here in the Village) have become more friendly ... we just don't approach the subject of religion and faith and we are fine.

Well, guess that's enough of my ranting for now ... do really miss my spiritual core group (you know who you are) ... don't miss the drama that occurs there, but the core of your strength I dearly miss.  I think one of my raison d' etre's is, perhaps, to show good Christian people that we Wiccan's are ok!

So, am going to inport some of the pictures (through the screen) from my window ... will identify the birds later when it stops raining and I get the book I bought last time for Jay.  the first two of these should have flipped but, somehow came through on their side ... sorry ... these are especially for you Lisa!

So, here we are @ 72 degrees with a hi of 84 predicted ... it rained all night (and this is supposedly the dry season!) ... Lompoc and Pflugerville are @ 36, Isanti is 16 and Bloomfield is 1!  Boy am I glad, yet again, that I am here watching a sweet yellow bird out the window eating the coconut blossoms (kinda set up like those millet sticks they sell for parakeets)   For those of you who are unaware, Lompoc and Pflugerville are Cali and TX respectively where Jes and Heather are, Isanti is in MN where Sam and her family are and ... well Bloomfield is NM where our other home is and where Winna is holding down the fort.

Well, gotta make this quick till the 'current' as they call it here, comes back on and I can plug in ... my laptop just warned we that it is low on power and plans to shut down soon.  The power went out last night due to the wind (we think) ... it is just temporary wiring for now and thus susceptible to the whims of weather

Will publish now and get back to ya later ... bye!

Hey y'all !  74 degrees with, what the weather site says 96% humidity, but here on the lagoon the humidity doesn't feel that high ... susposed to have coastal showers today, but just watched a nice sunrise out my window and there aren't too many clouds, so ... we'll see.

Zane is back to 100% ... just made him a fried egg sandwich and he and Jay are off planning their day.  Mine will be working on the quilt squares that took most of my inbetween time yesterday.

our daily animal card draw today are ...  Zane got "unlimited potential"  which he loves to get ... Jason got the turtle, which is Mother Earth and about being grounded  and I got the Wolf, which is about sharing my knowledge and being a teacher. 

well, just looked at a US weather map ... says Bloomfield is at 1 degree, Northampton PA is @ 20 and Johnstown is @ 8 ... boy am I glad we are here!!!

one more load of wash today, then done for a bit.

will upload the picture here of the constrictor snake Jason found a while back in one of his open barrels under the house ... none poisoness and he let it there b/c it takes care of any rodent population in the storage area, but, yes Lisa, there are snakes in Belize ... have seen also a green headed tree snake that fell from the tree yesterday while I was doing wash ... no, not frightening ... interesting.  They scurry away as do most snakes of the world and don't bother anyone. Note the constrictor's fat belly ... probably full which is why it only 'tongued' Jay when he reached into the barrel the first time ... lol

Well, enough of scaring my 'sisters of the Goddess' with Her image! ... gonna run now

The face of the HOI ... over the septic tank to be close to the antenna

  Oops, forgot the pixs... So, here are the pics ... 1. the HOI before it was moved indoors (today!)

2. Gabe and me, getting eaten alive by mosquitos and surfing the web

3. One of four views of the Casa Felix ... view from the front door ~ right side

4. View from the front door ~ left side and view of back door which will eventually lead out onto a back deck and shower

5.  View from back door to front ... window you see is where I am now sitting to write in this blog, where I sew, where we watch tv (on computer) from, etc

6. View of the "bathroom", which will eventually have a curtain around it for privacy

7.the Felix collection of "natural heart" rocks, mostly collected at a place called Moses Rock

8.  Ok, use you imagination ... do you see Santa in his hat in this naturally red rock?  Enjoy!