needle felting madness

Here are a few pictures of my latest experiment - needle felting. I took a piece of old felt, not a very good one really, and began to play with whatever came into my mind. It's a little like using colored pencils and doodling. Just a random floral pattern. I love doing it, but I wish the piece of felt didn't look so much like a piece of ragged cowhide. I think I might make this piece into a wall hanging, since the fiber is really not evenly felted. It's really heavy in some places and has spots so thin that a hole could appear with the least bit of wear. The piece was felted by the residents here at the ranch, so I think it must be one of their first efforts.

The Bad and The Good of it.

One of my guys here at work turned violent a couple of days ago, during a temper tantrum, and hurt one of the staff members here at the ranch. You see, mentally, neither one of them is more than 12 years old. The one who had the tantrum is more like 6 years old most of the time. He talks about himself and others as if they were all kids, and he watches the QUBO channels, which is all cartoons all day. In reality, he's 48 chronological years old. When he has a tantrum, he goes through all the motions and emotions that a little boy has. The big problem is that he hits, kicks, and throws things just like a little boy, but he's a stout, strong guy and hitting and kicking and throwing stuff gets dangerous for anyone around him. He's hurt 2 staff members in the last 6 months and is on notice that next time gets him on lockdown in the psych ward at the hospital till he gets a psychiatric eval. He honestly didn't get the seriousness of it until I told him that next time I'll call the sheriff. He knows that means that he might have to spend a night in a place where criminals have to stay, which is not where he wants to be.

One of the results of this vocal, physical, and emotional uproar from this person is that Porter is reacting. Not necessarily in a bad way, but in a more forceful way than before. He's barking at people who come in the door and rushing the door to see who's not stopping to wait to be invited in. People here tend to knock once and walk in, and Porter is all about checking them before they enter. Another thing is that he has been sounding the alarm at nothing...and then getting embarrassed about it. His hair trigger is too hairy and goes off for no good reason really.

One of the benefits of working here at the ranch is that we have several angora goats and a couple of alpacas here that are strictly kept for fiber. So I have been learning a lot about the end of fiber working that I have never really had much experience with - the shearing, skirting, picking, and carding of fleeces. And there are lots of scraps of dyed fiber that are used for needle felting or thrown in the trash, so I've been playing around with blending colors and fibers on the carder and also the needle felting. I'll have to get some photos of what I've been doing...it's so much fun! I end up doing a lot of it at night, after all the residents have gone to their rooms. I tell them I'm working on my secret projects, so they don't try to follow me around. Remember, my guys here have the mentality of little boys between 8 and 12 years old. They think I'm a secret agent right now, working on my secret projects down in the basement. Hope I don't get to carding too fast and blow the house off it's foundation!

Week's end update

Back at work today for the start of a long week. It's Friday, and I work until next Friday. Luckily, I'll get the next weekend off.

So, I came back and the furnace was sending out cold air, and wouldn't you know, this is the first week we've had frost at night every night. My two guys will be grumpy and cold tomorrow. One of them gets to go home tomorrow for the whole weekend, so that's good. If it gets too cold, the other one will go spend the night in one of the other houses tomorrow. the maintenance man said he thought he could get it fixed tomorrow, so I have my fingers crossed for a warmer house sometime tomorrow afternoon. I had planned to take my two to the movies tomorrow afternoon, but since I went full time, I have the whole weekend as the "Staff on Duty", which means I have to take everyone - all 10 of the residents - wherever I go...so no movies this weekend, I guess. Maybe I can work in an afternoon matinee for my two sometime during the week. They want to see the movie about the owls - "The Guardians" or something like that.

My two days off were yesterday and today, and I worked on a sweater. I've got one going here at work and one going at home. Hopefully, I'll have two sweaters pretty soon. There is a little yarn shop going out of business in Cheyenne, called "Georgette's", and I bought a good amount of Lopi wool yarn to start in making my hats again. And, I want to make some felted mittens, too. Hopefully, I'll get motivated and photograph the couple of hats that I've already finished, and get them into my Etsy shop.


Here's the one you've seen before...I have a couple more that are languishing in the cabinet at home.

I've got one sock done for a friend's Christmas present, and I'm suffering from SSS...second sock syndrome. I love the first one, but have lost my go power for getting the second one done. And I've promised myself that I'll do a pair for my daughter - and a pair of mittens for her, too. Those sweaters might have to be put off for a couple of weeks while I catch up on my Christmas commitments.

A walk in the neighborhood

Despite a slow start...


...Porter and I went out walking this afternoon around the neighborhood. We took pictures, enjoyed the sun, and walked along the bike path.
Decorative kales
The urban jungle
my magical windchimes that lift my spirits whenever I listen to the wind playing them
the tour guide takes a sit-down break
okay, and another break...
fall foliage in Cheyenne
more colors flying!
Pretty!

Oh my gosh! The sun is SOOO bright!
The cookie jar
The homestead

Ranch, Knit, Dog

So I'm full time now at the ranch. There are only two guys in my house, but there is a third that could possibly move in. This guy is not retarded (he had a traumatic head injury) as the other two are, and he doesn't want to admit that he is disabled. Consequently, he is nasty and short tempered nearly all the time. according to his parents, he was kind of a bad guy before his accident, and now he is much less of that. Wow. I can't imagine. So, I'm not really looking forward to him moving into the house I work in. I'm hoping that someone else will come onto the ranch, if that is to be an all-guys house.

In other news, I've just about finished my first ever super-chunky sweater project. It's done in Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn on size 17 knitting needles...giant ones! It's gone realy fast, though, and I'm at the stage where I have to sew the pieces together, then do some finishing work. Yeay! I should have a new sweater by this afternoon!

The more I get to know Porter, the more I think he was abused by someone. He has begun barking at people when they come to the house, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but the other day, when the maintenance man, Larry, came to check the fire extinguishers at the ranch house, Porter had a little problem. When Larry picked up a fire extinguisher in both hands, and came walking over to where we were, Porter came unglued. When Larry backed off and put the fire extinguisher down by his side, it was ok, but Porter still kept his eye on Larry and did a few little "grr woof" grumblings under his breath. So I'm not sure what's going on there, but I think something bad happened to Mr. P. in the past. I'm going to continue to do some detective work and figure out what sets him off, at least.

more on life (moron life?)

So how intelligent was I in taking this job? I have been struggling with that since I started here. This is the first job I've had that hasn't really gotten better for me with experience. It's become more scary and difficult as I've become more familiar with the people who I deal with. Maybe I wasn't too smart...

One of the things that makes this job hard for me is that it's set up to be like a family, with the "coach" being in a parental role and there all the time, except 2 days a week. There are 2 other coaches here besides me, and they have more or less made these residents like their own families. Unfortunately, I see this as a job, and I don't love the residents of this place. I do care about them, and I want them to have a good life. I want them to be safe and happy, however I do not love them. They are not a part of my family and I do not want them to be. I have difficulty with a lot of their behaviors. When we do something nice for them, like taking all of them out to eat, instead of appreciating it, they are more likely to throw a tantrum because they had to drink a Pepsi instead of a Coke, or something similar. They are likely to steal things as part of their compulsions and most of them are habitual liars. Some of them are like little spoiled children in adult bodies. Most are nasty and arrogant when they are caught in a lie or theft. Some throw things and others hurt themselves in tantrums.

None of this is their fault and I recognise that. I've had some major problems accepting their behaviors and being understanding with them. Some have mild retardation, others have had traumatic head injuries and most have seizure disorder. Life coaches only last an average of 2 years...I'll probaby be one of them, if another opportunity comes by. Sometimes one of the residents will say something like "You don't make me happy." I'm not here to make them happy. I'm here to help them make the right decision, to keep them safe, and to provide security while trying to help them live as normal a life as possible. I'm here to give them their medications and perform CPR and first aid when necessary. I'm here to wipe their noses and try to teach them skills that will help them interact with the rest of the population.

There is so much about the human brain and intellect that I don't understand. I had a lot of misconceptions about disabilities and retardation that have since been dispelled. I think there is a lot I don't WANT to know. I hope that if something terrible happens to me, if I should have a horrific accident, I hope that no one in my family will revive me and make me live a life like these people have.

Well yes, I have been overcome by my life recently. Could you tell?

This job I have as a relief Life Coach for cognitively challenged adults is a challenge for me. I look at it as a ministry. I have to. The pay is small, the hours long, and the residents are a total challenge every day. They can be charms individually, but collectively they are sometimes a nightmare for me. Each has his or her strengths, weaknesses, and totally "out there" moments...and sometimes hours. Still, I am learning skills that will benefit me in the future. Aside from being a Qualified Medicine Administration Person (QMAP), I am being re-certified in CPR. My pay will increase when all my training is done, which is a plus, but so will my hours, which is not such a plus in my estimation. Five 24-hour shifts pulled consecutively is a LOT. I'm completely wiped out when I get home.

The greatest benefit I have is that I can take Porter to work with me. He is sometimes the single sane mind that I can turn to when things get to be too much for me. But even he gets to the point when he's had enough. Last week, Porter went to the car 3 times before Friday, and our shift work didn't end until Sunday afternoon. He was ready to go home. This week is better. Things are on a more even keel, but next week I look for some insanity on a larger scale. Some of the residents will be moving and I will be taking over a house and going full time. GAH. I'm so not sure I can or want to handle that.

I have applied for a job with the sheriff's department in Cheyenne. Emergency communications dispatcher is the position. I so want it. It has regular hours, competetive pay, and vacation time. I so need this job.

Pray for me.

On a happier note, I love being back in my house. The one thing that would make it perfect would be for O and Celeste to be here. He says he'll be here (legally, yes, legally) in May. Then we have to work on getting his green card. And I have a sock done!

From a Friend

Created by Judith Angel Meyer, Greeley Colorado.

Like this print? Check out Judy's art blog here

Porter

I finally got a picture of Porter. He's not as exuberant as Celeste is, but he's still a happy dog. I'm hoping he'll really open up and show his personality as we get to know each other. Anyway, I really love those big-nosed shots, so I included one here. I love his BBN! (big black nose) And he doesn't give me a mad face when I point the camera at him, just a bored one, so I have to be quick with him and get the shot.

So, I just got a laptop computer on Monday night and am piddling around with it. Me and laptops don't really get along very well, but we're making it work. I found out that I have to learn the American keyboard all over again...uuufff... I'm back in my little House of Rogue Tufts, and the tufts of grass are really such rogues! I need a weed wacker in the worst way...the lawn mower doesn't seem to be able to do as good of a job as I remember.

I remember why I abandoned the automatic sprinkler system years ago and just used a hose and a big sprinkler to water with. It's a great idea to have your lawn watered automatically, especially when you're at work more than you're home, but it's such a false sense of security. This sprinkler system is so high maintenance that I've been collecting short hoses and sprinklers to augment or replace the whole thing - above ground. I'm short a timer, but after I get that, I'll be set.

I've lost about 15 pounds in the last little while, so none of my clothes fit me any more. I just got my first paycheck from the ranch, and WOOHOOO, it's a check! Not a giant one, though, so I've been doing my clothes shopping in the local thrift stores. Who needs Ross or Target when there are flea markets and thrift shops? I now own 6 pairs of shoes, which are new for me but already soft and broken-in. Oh yeah, I know it can be a little gucky to think about putting your feet into someone else's shoes, which is why I carry a can of antiseptic spray in my bag. And I also found a cute little bench, of real wood, which became my coffee table. I'm currently looking for a larger one for a TV stand.

Yup, you guessed it - I have become a thrift shop junkie; a flea market addict.

And Porter. I continue to learn things about little Porter. He is afraid of the sound of plastic bags being shaken or opened, although not, apparently, afraid of the bag itself. He's also afraid of the moving cars, but loves to go for car rides. He hides or runs for the door whenever a car pulls into the driveway or passes by the house. I wonder where he came from and when went on in his life before arriving at the pound. Celeste had no fear of anything that I'm aware of. She was totally confident in everything she did and every where she went, it seemed. Maybe that was just because we went with her wherever she had to go. Porter is pretty much an awesome pup in every other way, aside from the plastic bags and cars, though. He's 3 years old and a speed racer when he's outside. Running is his thing....he does laps around the house when we're at work! And he loves sleeping on the bed at home and being invited to sleep on the sofa with me when we're at work. The novelty of being around animals is wearing off, so the goats and alpacas don't spend so much time confronting him at the fence these days.

So, I'm off to get ready for work. But armed with my laptop now, I can updated and finally post some pictures, and keep up with what you are all doing. Yeay! I think I'm back!!!

Work and The Dog

I'm here at the ranch, and the director graciously lent me a computer to use while I'm here tonight. There is a girl here for respite who has Prader-Wili syndrome, and needs one on one supervision, so I'll be here for a couple of weeks, mostly full time I think. The shifts run in 24 hour periods, so no matter when I'm working, it's going to be at least an over night.

Porter is turning out to be a great guy! He is very gentle with the residents and has so far stayed calm through both tantrum and seizure. He tells me when he's has enough for the moment and goes to the door. Sometimes I'll see him looking in the screen door, but when I open it for him, he just stays on the step and declines to come in. He just watches from the door for a bit, and when he's ready to join the group again, he lets me know. The residents love him and he seems to understand that this is our work now. He's always ready to go home to his own house and yard, though. For me, as well as Porter, this job is a challenge and a learning opportunity that seems to have come along at just the right time.

I now have cable TV, telephone, an internet service, but unfortunately no computer yet. I've gone shopping for one, and was amazed at the desktop computers that are available now. Monitor and CPU all in one unit! Touch screen. ...and everything sold separately. No more of everything in one box. It was a little daunting for me. I didn't have the money to buy one (luckily), so I have more time to figure out what I want and what I need.

Thanks again for thinking of me and for leaving me the great comments! And to the people who leave me comments in Japanese: I'd be happy to publish your comments if they were in English, and of course not spam, but I can't read Japanese. Please leave your comments in English so my friends and I may enjoy them.

Life goes on

Thank you all for leaving me such wonderful comments! It's hot here now and I'm feeling it. O went back to Lima last week, and I spent a couple of days bummed out, went to the shelter and found a buddy. His name is now Porter and I've taken a few pictures of him, but of course I'm posting from the local library and, as fabulous as it is, I can't put up my own photos from here. So I'll just snap away and save them up till I can show them off.

My other news is that I have found a job in Colorado, about 45 miles from where I live in Cheyenne. It's on the Triangle Cross Ranch, which is not really a ranch, but a farm where mentally challenged people live in a supervised environment. It will be a new challenge for me, and hopefully I'll be up to it. Porter can come too, and spend the days that I'm there with me and the residents, as long as he behaves himself. I really hope that works out, but if he takes time to adjust, then there's a dog run he can stay in.

Gotta go - that's all the time I have in this session. More in a couple of days!

Hello from Colorado/Wyoming!

Well, here we are. My house is almost ready to live in upstairs, but the bathroom and my bedroom are still neediing a bit more work. So we're in the basement when we stay there, and in my sister's house in Colorado when we're not. My internet time is pretty limited till July, since I haven't gotten a computer nor computer service. Nor telephone, except a throw away cell phone (and I thought that was just tv cop show fiction!), nor TV. So it's pretty boring around my house.

Celeste didn't get to come, either. It was going to be too hot sometime during the day in Miami, so we were stopped at the ticket counter and had to give Celeste to some friends that came to the airport with us. She's on vacation till O gets back to Lima, which will be on Monday...SOB!!!! I'm so glad to be back home now, but to have him go back just breaks my heart. At least Celeste will have him there with her.

I've been thinking about being by myself here and already have been taking a few turns around the local dog pound, searching for a dog for me and potential pal for Celeste. She's supposed to be coming back with O next year. I found a little dancing cutie - I think she must be something like a miniture Pinscher - but she stands on her hind legs and dances. And then barks her little brains out. Hmmm. Also visited with a schnauzer mix who is about the same size as Celeste. He is only about a year old and very friendly. He's got a bristly schnauzer mustache going on, and some bristly guard hair on his coat that pokes straight out from his body. And a beautiful border collie - one-eyed, but really a nice dog. I guess I'll see who's still available on Friday, after O gets on the plane back to Peru. I'll be bawling then and in need of some friendly distraction - I think a dog will be just the friend I need.

Heading Up North!

Today is our last full day in Lima. Tomorrow evening, we take flight out of Lima, heading for Denver by way of Miami and Chicago. I'm hoping for coolish weather in Miami, so Celeste can travel with us. That's why we're heading to Chicago - it's an earlier flight than the direct flight to Denver, and I know that if it's too hot or too cold at any point along the way, dogs can't travel.

Celeste is confused and worried. Her whole world was dismantled throughout the week and sent away to the house in Trujillo this morning. The only familiar thing left in the apartment is her own crate, and even that is probably too new for her to like just yet. Her old one was dismantled and sent to the trash, since it was made of wood and not up to airline standards. When the guys came this morning to pick up the furniture, she stood watching and following them around as the took things out and put them in a truck, checking with me once in a while to make sure it was okay for all this to happen.

I finally found a veteriarian who didn't try to swindle me, and Celeste now has all her paperwork, certified healthy and fit for travel and entry into the US. I know it will be a tough trip for her, having to be alone in the cargo hold through the entire journey. I looked for a dog toy for her that might make her feel a little better, but couldn't find a single squeaky toy anywhere. Maybe tomorrow I can find something fuzzy and soft in a pet shop in San Miguel.

I stopped working a week ago and my entire attitude has changed! Not that I hated my work - on the contrary, I enjoyed the work. But not having to pass through downtown every morning to see the drunks sleeping it off and the homeless begging for anything has made a huge difference for me. (A nice little severance package helped my attitude a bit, too!) I know I'm not cut out to live in a big city like Lima. So it's back to Cheyenne for me; O will be coming this time, but only for a month. Then he has to return till December, when his military commitment is up. He's got some options to consider and some things to compete, so he'll have about 6 months to get that stuff done.

So, the next time I update here will probably be from my sister's house in Colorado, where we'll be staying for a little bit, till I get the furniture put back in my house in Cheyenne.

Hasta la vista!

An Update on Kaiser!

Just a short update from Donna on Kaiser Remember him? He's the Husky dog in Central America who was suffering from a terrible skin malady...check him out now!

mayo de 2010
Godspeed, Kaiser!


If all goes according to plan (and we're always ready for a "detour" here), Kaiser will be winging it to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in cool Canada. He's scheduled for a Tuesday morning flight (May 18) that will lead to a wonderful, caring beautiful couple. His first home there will be with Dr. Chris and Marny Hohl. THey seem to have a line-up of frriends who would like to adopt our Kaiser. But once the Hohls meet him.....well....there may be a different ending to this story,,,,,.

For those of us who watched Kaiser suffer through an unnamed disease for many months, this is the best news of the year. When he was finally diagnosed with scarcoptic mamge, we then were able to treat him successfully. Thanks to the vets at Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine for helping with the diagnosis.

For newcomers to the Kaiser story, I will again post his foto in his "bad days" when we first rescued him from an uncaring owner and brought him to Casa Lupita. Dr. Jasson Figueroa took over his medical care, and he had the loving attention of many of us, most of all Lucy Bartlett and Diane M. who cared for him in their homes.




The foto below was taken just days ago when Dr. Jasson and I took Kaiser to the vet for his health check and vaccinations.




Kaiser's two flights on Tuesday will cost a bundle. He must travel in a large kennel on a Continental cargo flight as well as a Westjet flight from Toronto to Winnipeg. We are asking...no, we are BEGGING!...for donations to help defray the high cost of getting Kaiser to Canada. We are estimating a a bill of at least $1,000 dollars for the combined flights. If you can help with any amount, please send to Building New Hope through PayPal or by check. We do need your help.

Thanks to all who had a part in helping Kaiser to recover. Thanks for being part of the massive effort to send him off to a new, wonderful life. And thanks to the many Kaiser fans who kept in touch from afar, asking about him and wishing him a speedy recovery. You got your wish!

Total Fun

Well, things are progressing toward moving back to the States. Slowly, but all things happen in their own time here in Peru.

I took Celeste to the vet to see what was required for her to get a health certificate. Oh. My. God. At first, the vet said it would cost about $150 for everything. Then things changed. The well-cared for, healthy dog that he saw just a few months ago suddenly was down on her weight and needed the most expensive dog food on the market to get her weight up, which he just happens to sell. And she suddenly has fungus all over her body - that's why her hair is falling out; nothing to do with the fact that she's shedding in her regular shedding schedule (twice a year, in spring and fall), and I must buy these expensive anti-fungal treatments, which hejust happens to sell, of course. Oh, and what about a crate? If I don't have one, he'll be glad to order one for me, at a cost of $400, plus $50 for the mandatory "disinfection of crate" cerificate. Holy Crap. I watched his eyes light up as he punched in numbers on his calculator. If I take all his advice, we'll be approaching $1000 dollars to take Celeste to the US. I think this is a scam. So....

I said okay to the fungus treatment. Maybe I don't know everything there is to know about Peruvian dog fungus. But I draw the line at $400 dog crates and dog food made of gold. If the crate is actually that expensive, I'll give my money to someone else and not give the vet the satisfaction of getting my entire paycheck. We're going to visit the airport this weekend to see about that mandatory crate disinfection certificate that the vet is planning to charge me for. All the airline wants is a health certificate and proof of rabies vaccine. That's all the US customs wants. That's all the State of Wyoming wants.

I've never seen anyone be so blatant about gouging a customer in my life.

And I gave my notice at work this past week. It was a sad, tearful thing for me, much harder for me than I anticipated. The administrator Told me that I was wlcome to return to teach at any time and that my record as a teacher was stellar. The academic head promised me a letter of recommendation and a statement of work for my resumé. That was very nice.

And now, I have to set about getting some things sent home and deciding what goes to the states, what gets sent to Omar's family in trujillo, and what goes in the trash. We're having gangs of fun here!

A Drylander's Easter Holiday

Easter this year wasn't exactly like I thought it would be...in some ways, that's a relief and in others, it's a bummer. One of the bummer things is that Omar isn't here, so I'm lonely and spending a lot of time on Facebook, bothering my friends and family while I wait for the work week to begin. One of the good things is that I get to do whatever I want. One of the ways that it's a relief is that there's no one else's stuff pushed on me.

Usually, we go to Fanny's house. Fanny is Omar's cousin, who lives in Ica. They have a bed & breakfast inn there and we usually try to throw our holiday business her way when we can. In fact, nearly all the family does. Usually we would arrive first in our car (which was a minivan), oblivious to the fact that the rest of them were following (or maybe it was just ME who was oblivious to that fact.) Then a day later, two carloads of people - aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews - would arrive, all jammed and crammed into one single vehicle. How they managed it year after year without someone dying of asphyxiation or being crushed, I'll never know.

So, anyway, during La Semana Santa (Holy Week), this entire family only eats fish. That's a whole week of fish for breakfast, fish for lunch, and fish for dinner. Fish, fish, fish. There's usually fried fish for breakfast, ceviche or fried fish for lunch, and fried fish for dinner, with the more martyrous older ladies picking at fish heads, tails, and fins and declaring them delicious, while the others consume the choice parts of the fish. It's usually at this time that I choose to go vegetarian. Watching someone picking the eyeballs out of fish heads at breakfast or just before going to bed gives me nightmares.

I'm notoriously a drylander. I won't go to the pool on my own - I have to be forced. I don't enjoy swimming and a trip to the beach only entices me to play in the sand and get my feet wet. I don't particularly enjoy the scent of the sea. It smells like fish to me. I do like sea shells, but only if they don't smell like dead fish. So I guess it all comes down to not really being a fan of fish. So during this Easter week, I explore other food options that aren't in conflict with what most people here consider proper. At Fanny's, I ask for bread and butter or avocado with tea for breakfast. For lunch, I can handle ceviche one or two days, but for the other 2 days, I usually ask for potatoes and salad. Dinner is usually similar to lunch. Eyebrows are usually raised at this. I've noticed that unless one specifically asks for vegetables, they are usually not given a starring role at any meal.

During the time at Fanny's we usually go to the fish market in the evening to help her pick out fish for the next day's meals. This market is right on the pier where the fishing boats come in with their catches, so sometimes you have to look sharp to avoid stepping on an escaping crab or the gull that is in hot pursuit. There are also processions on Good Friday that start from the church (I think) and carry the image of Christ and the Virgin Mary through town, returning to end at the same church. It's quite an amazing sight. The streets are closed for the processions, and people line the streets and pack the Plaza de Armas in hopes of getting glimpse of the spectacle, with the devout following throughout the entire route. And in the morning, the men and boys usually go fishing while the women stay in the house and prepare the fish and the rest of the food for the day's meals. After that chore, I usually read in the garden, which is huge and green and filled with pink and purple blooming buganvillia trees, or play with the dog. There's no Easter Egg hunt, no Easter basket, no Easter Bunny. Wah.

All in all, it's a nice week, filled with interesting things to do and see. At the end of the week, we pack our things to head home. It's at this time that it's usually announced that Aunt So&So has gained so much weight by eating too many fish heads that those who originally packed into the one car can't possibly fit into it for the 4 hour ride home. And being the good boy that he was raised to be, Omar usually offers seats in our car to those who would have been at the bottom of the pile in the other car. It's in this way that family members subtlely take advantage of one another. We never refuse. We would never consider refusing...unless there were fish heads brought as an after-Easter snack.

This year, Omar's in Trujillo with his brothers, so Celeste and I are on our own. No sign or scent of fish here. It's still been a vegetarian week, and keeping in mind that I don't bake in this heat, here are a few quick and easy although probably not peruvian things on my menu:

For breakfast:

Fried Granny Smith apples
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Miso Soup
Fried zuchini squash with new red potatoes, onions, and tomatoes
any above served with hot black tea

For lunch:

Twice cooked yellow chili peppers stuffed with bread crumbs, cheese, and onions
Fresh lettuce/tomato/cuke/carrot salad with lime juice and salt
Fried eggplant with cheese and fresh tomato/red wine sauce on french bread
Spicy tomato soup with shrimp and lime juice (okay here's a nod to the sea, but only a nod!)
any above serves with lime water or cebada

For dinner:

Anything from the first two menus, freshened up with ensalada criolla (shredded onion, marinated in lime juice and salt, with fresh mint leaves added at the last moment)

- O - throw it all out the window and have...
Pear and apple slices with good bleu cheese and a small glass of dry red wine...My favorite!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! This year my Easter is different than I thought it would be. I've had a week's holiday, which was great, but today I'm here with Celeste, and O is in Trujillo with his family. He left on Friday and will be back on Monday. It is a visit with dual purpose. He's there to check on the purchase of the house that we are helping with, and to see what is happening with his father. He left late Friday, promising to take pictures of the house and whatever is happeneing in Trujillo, but I see that he's left the camera on the desk where he put it while packing his back pack. Hmmm.

So, because I have nothing more interesting to show you, here are two spindles that I recently acquired:


Mahagony and paduak wood top whorl spindle

Reclaimed ash top whorl spindle.

This spindle maker uses only wood from old furniture that might otherwise be left in the landfill. I think it's a great idea to recycle and reclaim wood and other materials in this way!

And, I'm working on a funky crocheted skirt. Deep green, the top of it is mesh, ad the bottom is...well, the bottom part, I'm still working on. It's a process of evolution. I've experimented with several options and ripped out each one. I've got one more option in the works and if that one doesn't work out, I'm thinking about a whole skirt of crocheted mesh work, with maybe some beads on the lower edge to give it some weight. And since I have the camera, I should be able to put up some pictures of it later today, when I have it all figured out.

My Gansta Boys

OMG, I had two wannabe gangster dudes in my Basic 1 EFL class this month. They wore their pants down far enough that the crotch was around their knees, ball caps shoved down around their ears and pulled low over their faces, and gesticulated like they were some bad dudes from the 'hood as they slouched and strutted across the room, mumbling some unintelligible blabbing aimed at intimidating their classmates. They scared the crap out of me for a couple of days. Then, I made them take off the hats before coming into the class room and told them that in MY class, we are ladies and gentlemen (damas y caballeros.) AALLL of us. Things went along pretty well for about a week, and then they began to act out in class again.I couldn't figure out what they wanted or why they did it. One told me that "THEY" would kill him in the street if he didn't keep up his act. That ambiguous "THEY" reared its ugly head several times over the course of a month. All I could do was to tell them that "THEY" were not in the classroom, so this crap they were pulling wasn't acceptable. Change it or get out.

I found myself speaking pretty directly to them. Heh, that's one thing about the English language, American English in particular, that people in other countries find rude. But, hey, these two bad boys needed to hear it straight. I had to tell them today that their low grades were directly related to their behavior in class. It's very difficult to listen and participate in a meaningful way when you are spending all your energy and attention in acting like as a**...well, you can fill in that blank.

When students receive their grades, the teacher is expected to give some kind of explanation for the grades and some advice for improvement in the next cycle. I really dreaded giving these two their grades, but they were surprisingly accepting of their scores. One actually passed the class, although he thought he should have been at the top of the class. The other didn't make the cut, and felt kind of bummed out. I explained again that if he could have simply come to class with the idea of learning something and participating like a gentleman instead of some kind of baby gangster, he could have passed right along with his peers. It was really pretty sad to see the effort that he put into his final oral exam, and then to know that he was going to fail in spite of that one single last-ditch effort.

I wish he'd have put that much effort into his daily participation. He could have been great.

And you thought I was gone...

Right. I have some new spindles to show!

2 new spindles made by Heidi, who is RestlessPeasant on Ravelry. The top spindle is the Posey, and has my spin a long fiber on it. The middle one is the Big Lotus, a bottom whorl spindle made to ply with, and the lower spindle is a tibetan-style supported spindle made by Grizzly Mountain Arts on Etsy.com. I haven't learned to spin with it yet, but ooo la la! It's a beauty!
This is also a spindle made by Grizzly Mountain Arts. It's a tahkli supported spindle, the fat part (the whorl) is made from Tiger Maple and the tip is of mesquite wood. The shaft is birch. this spindle is a LOT of fun to spin on, but I don't think I'm terribly proficient with it yet, because it takes me a really LOOONG time to spin with. I use it to spin laceweight singles and it does great!

Here's the Big Lotus, with some plied laceweight yarn on it. I love the artwork that Heidi does on these spindles!

And I've been doing some spinning, as well.

I've been participating in a "Year of the Tiger" spin a long, and you can see some of that on the purple flower spindle. It's gorgeous fiber, fun to spin, and well prepared. I hope the yarn turns out as beautifully as the unspun fiber is!

Yesterday, O and I closed on a house in Trujillo. We have sold this apartment and the car in anticipation of moving to the US in mid-May, and WHAT?? O's family finds themselves evicted from the house they were renting because the owner sold it to someone who plans to live in the house (It was a major GAAAAGH!!! moment for me.) So...being the good son he is, O decided to buy a house for them. Not like we're so well-off that we can just go around buying houses whenever we feel like it, but neither of us could stand to see his brother and his wife and new baby, and his incapacitated father out on the street with no place to go. Their income is barely enough to get by on, and they usually end up living in a little ramshackle place (like the one they were just evicted from.) Isn't it just typical that just when everything seems to be coming together, something falls to pieces and things don't turn out like we planned?

So. Nearly all our savings here in Peru went into this house, which is plenty big for everyone. The roof is good, the walls are sound, the door locks, and each person can have his or her own bedroom, even O's mother, when she comes to visit. There is a mall planned to be built not far away in the near future, so the property values in this area are predicted to double in the next few years. The brother plans to buy his own place in a year or two, and it may be that the father will not live for too many more years. If all this comes to pass, we'll sell this house and hopefully earn our money back (fingers and toes crossed.) If not, then O's family will have a place to live as long as they need it, with no danger of being evicted. The deal is that they have to make periodic improvements in exchange for living there. In theory, it's a good deal for them, and possibly for us, but in practice...well, I have my apprehensions. I've already had my experience with other people living in my house, and it wasn't good.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? I mean, after all...What could possibly go wrong? :o(