Not much happening at the farm

I've been pretty quiet for a couple of reasons.  The first is that we've had rain almost constantly for over three months.  Coupled with unusually cold temperatures has made it really miserable.  Every year since we moved here, when the cool weather hits, I dig our warmer clothes out of the suitcase where they reside, under our bed most of the year.  We'd wear them for a few days and then I had to wash and pack them up again.  WELL, this year I've been wearing fleece vests and a jacket and a neck scarf for nearly three months.  When it rains here it doesn't usually mess around, It rains a lot and the ground literally gets like a sponge.  We step outside and the mush comes up to our ankles.  Once again, our road is a slippery, slide of  black goo.  It seems there's little we can do except read and pray that it lets up soon.

The second reason is that I've been under the weather with a really sore back and neck.  I had numb fingers and generally felt crumby.  What else to do when stuck up here but look on the internet for a diagnosis.  Dumb!  I really scared myself with everything from heart trouble to MS.  I've been so healthy all of my life, so had difficulty fathoming being ill.  I finally got my self to the Dr. and found that I'm so very lucky to be my age and have a very strong heart and lungs.  It's just an accumulation of not enough exercise and taking care of myself.  I went to a massage therapist who helped some, but then my sciatic acted up.  This has been a very painful, relentless problem, but I have been so lucky to find the most wonderful lady in Benque who does chiropractic massage.  Wow, what a blessing.  She trained as a chiropractor in Guatemala and has certificates in several different techniques as well. I have to thank dear Dona Alicia for relieving my sciatic distress and helping me to walk comfortably again. 

Happy Holidays in Belize

This is the time of the year that I miss the US.  Living in the northwest, we often had snow for Christmas.  For the last ten years we lived in our beautiful log home in the mountains.  Art, as a professional Santa, would be gone from before Thanksgiving until the day after Christmas.  He'd try to leave Christmas morning to get home the next day.  It was about and 18 hour drive from Santa Monica to Central Oregon.  Anyway, I had a lovely time decorating our home both inside and outside.  I love the lights. 

When we came to Belize, we realized that, living off-grid, electricity would be at a premium, so we left all our decorations in storage at our son's house.  Oh how I miss them - the decorations and the family.  Christmas here is almost a non-event.  I guess in town some folks decorate, but here in the village and out where we are, it's just the same as every other day.  I know within their homes they make their special foods (boyos out of pigs heads or chicken with the bones and all.  Sorry, but ick).  Some of the Adventists even work on Christmas day. 

The thing that I find truly confusing and upsetting is that they play extremely loud music that has nothing to do with Christmas and shoot off fireworks for EVERY holiday.  We are so lucky to live a little more remotely so we're not impacted by all the noise.  Our friends, Diane and David haven't been able to sleep for several nights and weren't able to hear the dialogue on their TV during the New Year's programming due to the noise.  They live in the village and are both nervous wrecks right now.  They've lived here for several years, but now regret building near the river with locals around them because of the lack of consideration by the villagers.  This is definitely a recurring theme throughout the country from what I hear. 

Oh well, we're still blessed to have been together, in relatively good health to celebrate Christmas with friends and to face another new year.  I pray it's a wonderful year for all of us.  Blessings