HodgePodge

This posting will just be a hodgepodge of what's going on. I'm sitting in an internet cafe on 1a Avenida at the corner of 12 Calle in Zona 14 - about 6 blocks from the embassy. It's still going to be like 3 weeks before we get internet at home so I will have to content myself with occasionally getting to an internet cafe to get my fix. Jeff dropped me off (using a borrowed vehicle) at church this morning where I attended a bible study and now I'm on foot.

So we're living in our house now and every day it feels more like home. Not through any accumulation of belongings, but purely through familiarization. It really is a lovely house and has a wonderful view of the 2 volcanos. The other night Pacaya Volcano was actually glowing at the top. Jeff has ordered binoculars and an adapter that he intends to install on top of his tripod in order to better view the volcanos! All the doors are different sizes in this house. They are all old church doors set into wood frames to accommodate the doorways. The frames can be removed when your furniture is brought in and out. Shelby's bedroom door is TINY. Really. I'm beginning to get used to the elaborate locking & unlocking that accompanies any ingress or egress into our home. 4 keys to let the kids out to the bus each morning and welcome them home in the afternoon! Yesterday I decided to let Carl come in by the garage and opened the garage door and accidentally bumped the closer when he was standing right under it - at least we know he can jump if necessity calls!

I still haven't talked with Sue Wolpert, which has me very disappointed. She lost her position at the hospital the week we arrived and is very depressed. Very. I hope that she is able to see some hope for the future for herself and for her work here in Guatemala. Roberto, on the other hand, I have talked to numerous times. He came for dinner one night with a borrowed car from his grandfather. Carl challenged him to chess and found that Roberto is VERY good at chess - the first time, when he won, Carl insisted that he had "trick-mated" him. Never heard of that myself! He also played a couple of games with Jeff and Jeff really enjoyed meeting him. Afterwards he invited the kids to go to the mall with him - I was very nervous due to my frequent exposure to horror stories - but Roberto assured me that he knows Guatemala very well and would be appropriately careful. They had a good time. Roberto, as I may have mentioned, is experiencing a recurrence of his cancer ' it is in his kidneys, back and testicles apparently. He is meeting with his doctors today to determine the treatment plan. He says that the chemotherapy makes his muscles ache and makes him very tired. He's such a great kid, though. I mentioned that Carl is interested in getting a beagle puppy and Roberto got right on it and found a lady who has puppies for sale, etc. I don't know if Carl will get one right away, but Roberto will be invaluable as a guide and translator once he is ready.

Nancho, the man who helps us around the house, is wonderful. He works so very, very hard for only like 15 dollars a day. He arrives at 7 am and leaves at 3pm on mondays and thursdays. During that time not only is he working but he answers all my halting questions in English. He is about 60 years old and his wife is deceased and he has 8 kids ' 4 boys and 4 girls. He takes care of all the frequent visitors to our front door who are selling something or wanting to come in or whatever the case may be.

I have attended the Union Church here in Guatemala one time last Sunday. Today I went to their morning ladies' bible study where they are beginning a study of Hebrews. I think I will like the study and the women all seem very nice although I must admit that I longed to be back in Dianne's living room in my rocking chair. I wonder who is sitting in it now...Will?!?!?!?

Yesterday I had my first case of what Jeff has nicknamed "Mayan Malady." He asked a co-worker what it's called in Guatemala - you have Delhi Belly in India, Montezuma's Revenge in Mexico - she apparently looked at him blankly and said "here we just call it 'the shits.'" Whatever - they're no fun. At one point yesterday I told Carl where my will was, just in case!

So - that's all for now - hard to concentrate with so many people around me and the internet cafe is open to the street so I have the noise of the passersby and cars as well. I'm going to go hit TGI Friday's which I see across the street for lunch. I wonder how you say potato skins in Spanish, or if they even have them! I must confess that I have not had a bad meal since we got here. The food is delicious, particularly the steak!

Adios!