Hello friends. It is pouring rain here this morning, and this is considered a very good thing on Saba as it fills the cisterns thus allowing us to continue showering, washing clothes and dishes etc. But it has been raining for the past few days, which is apparently unusual for this time of year.....and now that I am accustomed to sunshiny days everyday, I must admit that my threshold for tolerating ill weather has gotten much lower.....so I am sick of the rain....I hung my favorite shirt on the line 3 days ago and it has rained everyday so of course it is still wet....and being poured on as I write this....and i mean POURED! I have never seen such rain....it usually only rains for a few minutes each day and then "out comes the sun and dries up all the rain, so that Dawn and the kiddies can go outside again" (my version of the itsy bitsy spider) How will I ever go back to Canadian weather?? Enough complaining about weather...I am fairly certain that I am not getting any sympathy from any of you up there in the north pole....errr PEI!
We had a great week. As you know my mom and Bernie were here visiting and we had an awesome time. We spent the week relaxing and hanging in the sun, doing a little bit of touring and overall just enjoying each others company.....we cooked some fantastic meals together (ok, I watched and provided moral support....ham and scalloped potatoes the pei way...hmmmm) and some great BBQ's. and Mom brought me lots of gluten free products so I have had fresh bread and pizza this week (soooo good...thanks Vandunkerkin...I love you!) We had our friends Joka and Gys and Jim over for supper (well Gys didn't make it as he was delivering a baby) Joe and I got out twice by ourselves (we almost forgot what that feels like!) I did some grocery shopping without chasing those two wild men around the store...I forgot what it felt like to browse everything in the aisles...I am usually focused on getting in and out as fast as possible to get those two out of the store! We didn't do quite as much touring as we could have but my poor aunt Bernie was having a very difficult time with the uphill roads in Saba! It is something that cannot be described, it must be experienced to be believed (ask my mom and Bernie!) Everywhere we went we were on a hill....and Bernie is terrified of heights so she couldn't look out of the car windows or she would feel nauseated....Monty thought this was pretty funny and so inthe car he would say "look out now Bernie it looks so cool, you can see the water about 1000 feet down, it's not that scary Bernie, c'mon, have a look" And poor Bernie would have her eyes tightly squeezed shut and her head down, trying to stay calm! It was pretty funny.....Remember the old stories where people would say things like "in my day we walked to school in 5 feet of snow and it was uphill both ways" and you thought, how can something be uphill both ways?? Well I am here to tell you that in Saba it is uphill BOTH ways....literally....and some of those hills are bigass hills....if a person were to get out and walk some of these hills regularly they would have buns of steel and amazing legs....hmmmm.....wonder if that would be helpful for my goal #2 skinny? Probably....but enough crazy talk......back to the visit.......We went to a big BBQ dinner at Scouts Pub....we went out to the open mic session one evening....and Friday night we went to Sabaoke and it was so much fun...my mother sang "Did I shave my legs for this" by Deanna Carter! And I sang Angel by Sarah McLauglin.....we had a lot of fun! And then it was saturday morning and they had to get on the plane for their long journey home....it went waaaayyyy to fast....and I was really sad to see them go.....made me feel pretty homesick .....and still feeling the effects a little......Christian and Monty were pretty sad too....that is the crappy thing about having visitors...it is so wonderful while they are here but when they leave, the reality sets back in that you are far far away from home and that it could be a very long time before you can see those people again.....I didn't go to the airport to see them off....as most of you know, airports make me hysterical and I bawl like a baby for hours after I have been in one....so it is easier for me to shed a few tears and hug people good bye at home.....Anyway we had a wonderful time....thank you Mom and Bernie for coming down to see us.....we loved it!
Monty had a pretty good week....he joined boxing last week and he is very excited about it.....it is 3 times a week and it is FREE (as most everything is here....well activity wise anyway.....) and there are only about 5 other kids attending so they got alot of 1:1 instruction....he came home pretty pooped! and he has been taking guitar lessons for the past few weeks and really enjoying that....we are going to look at a guitar tonight for him that one of the students leaving the island is selling.....Monty is pumped! I think that despite his challenges settling into school here,he really does like it here in Saba...the lifestyle is very well suited to him, he loves the freedom, he has made a few friends now and he even has a girlfriend apparently.....not sure if i am supposed to tell that?? oops! Anyway he is having some great and fun experiences.....
Christian continues to love Saba and he and Jim are always together....it is a bit like Jim is our other son these days....and we just love him, what a sweet kid...montys friend Helke is a darling too....the other day when Mom and Bernie were here we all went down to the Tropics cafe for a drink and a swim and I took the 4 boys....there was a lady there from Texas and she was amazed that I had 4 boys! I told her that i only technically had 2 and the other 2 were extras! She was very impressed with how polite and well behaved they all were.....we had a blast playing in the pool, laying in the sun and hanging in the hot tub....it was a wonderful day.....
So other than our company, the big excitement of the week is waiting on the birth of our guinea pig babies....the boys are so excited and they check every hour to see if the babies have arrived....the mama pig is about as wide as she is long now so surely they are coming out soon.....the boys are beside themselves with excitement! I must admit that I can't wait to see the cute furry little things either! Now Joe on the other hand is still in denial....the boys keep telling him that we are keeping the girl babies and we will find homes for the boys.....Joe is adamant that we are not keeping anymore.....yeah, ok Joey....sure we won't get any more pets....wink wink nudge nudge......
Anyway I better run...I think that the rain has stopped...woo hoo....maybe it will be an outdoor day after all! I miss all of you.....have a wonderful day and take care......
May you have a week filled with blessings and goodness,
God Bless,
Dawn
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...well without the snow....
Hello blog readers! How are you all doing? Another beautiful week in Saba...although it was a bit chilly a few days this week, down to 24 and some winds and a little rain too (trying to make you all feel a little better about your own crappy weather...tee hee) We had a pretty good week here on Saba, a busy week for sure.....we came here with the assumption that life would slow down considerably for us but it hasn't quite worked out that way....I have come to the conclusion that maybe we are just busy type of people and we make it that way because we like it? Anyway the boys had a decent week at school. Monty had to write an essay about a woman from Saba for national women's day and he chose our neighbor Lynn. He had great fun interviewing her for the essay and then writing it...it turned out pretty good....he is a smart cookie that one if you can get him to sit still long enough to do some academics!!
The boys both had sleepovers on Friday night...Monty had his friend Helke and Christian had Jim of course! We rented movies, got junk, the whole 9 yards and the kids had a great time. Jim outplayed, outlasted all of the others and was the last man standing (well laying but still giggling at the TV) at 10 PM....it was his first sleepover ever so he was pretty pumped (and perhaps my decision to allow them to have a ring pop during the movie wasn't very well thought out?) Finally he did sleep though and they all slept through the night....they all got up around 7 but I thought that wasn't too bad considering.....Saturday morning Monty and Helke had guitar lessons so we drove them down to windwardside....then I was over talking to Manuel in the community garden and bringing him some fresh cookies that Joe had baked and I wasn't watchiing the clock and all of a sudden it was 11 and i was late for the boys....so off I went to pick them up.....and then....as I am driving down the hill a truck passes me and in the truck is Monty and Helke and they wave and smile at me.....they had hitchhiked a ride back home.....now before you go freaking out, apparently hitchiking is a very popular mode of transportation with the locals and everyone knows everyone so it is perfectly safe....now I don't have any problems with people hitchhiking but Monty is not people....he is my 10 year old son....so I was thinking good heavens this is crazy....Monty of course thought it was great fun...and he was picked up by teacher Randall the grade 2 teacher who knows the boys and who knows me....anyway life is definitely different here! Helke hitches rides up to our house at least 2-3 times a week....like I said it is like public transit for the people here....but it still freaks me out a little.....so what do you think?Am I losing my noodle??
Saturday night we went to a BBQ with Jim's family and we had a fabulous time....they are such fun and lovely people and the food was amazing! (endive salad with a creamy homemade dressing, satays on the barby, steak and pork....a meal fit for a king! we felt very spoiled) So today was a great day because my mother and my aunt Bernie arrived for a visiit from PEI....well it didn't start out as great....Igot up and got ready and went to the airport to pick them up.....got there at 9 (flight due at 9:05) waited, and waited and waited some more...by 9:20 I was thinking the plane must be delayed and as I had been sitting outside the airport enjoying the morning sunshine and +26 temp (ah hah you knew I had to sneak that in somewhere didn't you!) I thought I will wander in and see when the flight is coming....so I enter and to my surprise there is not a person in sight....and I think,wierd , there are at least 10 cars in the parking lot and there is a flight over due...where are all the people? Have aliens come down and taken them away? Did the rapture happen and I am left behind? what is going on?? So I call Joe and ask him to call win air's office (since there is NO ONE in the airport at all) Joe calls back and says that head office in St Maarten says the flight is in the air and they should be there anytime...so I think ok, wierd but whatever...out I go in the sunshine again to wait and watch for the plane....10 more minutes pass and I think, ok the flight is 12 minutes long and 10 minutes ago it was in the air sooooo where is it exactly?? so I go in to the airport again and I finally see a man (security guard) and I say ummm sir where is the 9:05 flight from St Maarten? He says there is no flight at that time, the next flight is due at 11:20....so I say ah yes there is a flight and apparently it is in the air and my mother and aunt are on it....when will it be arriving? and he says sorry ma'am but the next flight is in at 11:20....so I call Joe and have him call again and call me back and I drive home....when I get home, Joe tells me that apparently the airline cancelled the flight and mom and Bernie are now on standby for the 10:20 flight...and I say 10:20? that is weird,,,,it is a 12 minute flight and the airport said that it wont be here until 11:20....Joe says yeah it gets better,,,,they are flyiing to St Eustatias first !!!!! I said WHAT! NO WAY!! Bernie is going to freak out! So I call over at 10:20 to win air and say please make sure they get on the flight for goodness sake and some fellow says I will see what I can do...he calls my mom up to the desk and I can hear her in the background explaining the situation .....so he comes back and says, I have your mom booked but not the other passenger Perry? I am going to have to check with my supervisor...call me back in 5.....click.....so 5 long minutes later I call back and say Kendell? He says they are on....good bye.....thats it....so down I go and get them.....they have arrived dragging many bags behind them....and so we sat outside by the airport for a few minutes and headed home.....so once we got home, we started opening the bags!!! I tell ya , you never saw people so excited for the strangest things....the boys were gaga over the candy (cream eggs, mini eggs, smarties adn nerds,,,thanks Jamie, Bernie and mom!) and my gluten free stuff (thank you thank you thank you!!) and Joe was doing a dance for his BSG DVD's (Thanks Bruce!) and I was so excited to get my hands on Greys Anatomy episodes (thanks Jamie!!!) We got crocs and socks and flea treatment and candy and erasers and pencils and hair accessories and chalk and home schooling material (I am going to be supplementiing) Anyway it was like Christmas, the whoopaing and squealing going on around here!
We had a great first day, the weather was great, the company was great, lots of fun swapping travel stories and other stuff.....we can't wait to get out and enjoy the next 6 days...I hope that they don't go too fast!!
So take care friends and we will meet again....I will tell you all about our visit next time! God Bless you in the coming week!
The boys both had sleepovers on Friday night...Monty had his friend Helke and Christian had Jim of course! We rented movies, got junk, the whole 9 yards and the kids had a great time. Jim outplayed, outlasted all of the others and was the last man standing (well laying but still giggling at the TV) at 10 PM....it was his first sleepover ever so he was pretty pumped (and perhaps my decision to allow them to have a ring pop during the movie wasn't very well thought out?) Finally he did sleep though and they all slept through the night....they all got up around 7 but I thought that wasn't too bad considering.....Saturday morning Monty and Helke had guitar lessons so we drove them down to windwardside....then I was over talking to Manuel in the community garden and bringing him some fresh cookies that Joe had baked and I wasn't watchiing the clock and all of a sudden it was 11 and i was late for the boys....so off I went to pick them up.....and then....as I am driving down the hill a truck passes me and in the truck is Monty and Helke and they wave and smile at me.....they had hitchhiked a ride back home.....now before you go freaking out, apparently hitchiking is a very popular mode of transportation with the locals and everyone knows everyone so it is perfectly safe....now I don't have any problems with people hitchhiking but Monty is not people....he is my 10 year old son....so I was thinking good heavens this is crazy....Monty of course thought it was great fun...and he was picked up by teacher Randall the grade 2 teacher who knows the boys and who knows me....anyway life is definitely different here! Helke hitches rides up to our house at least 2-3 times a week....like I said it is like public transit for the people here....but it still freaks me out a little.....so what do you think?Am I losing my noodle??
Saturday night we went to a BBQ with Jim's family and we had a fabulous time....they are such fun and lovely people and the food was amazing! (endive salad with a creamy homemade dressing, satays on the barby, steak and pork....a meal fit for a king! we felt very spoiled) So today was a great day because my mother and my aunt Bernie arrived for a visiit from PEI....well it didn't start out as great....Igot up and got ready and went to the airport to pick them up.....got there at 9 (flight due at 9:05) waited, and waited and waited some more...by 9:20 I was thinking the plane must be delayed and as I had been sitting outside the airport enjoying the morning sunshine and +26 temp (ah hah you knew I had to sneak that in somewhere didn't you!) I thought I will wander in and see when the flight is coming....so I enter and to my surprise there is not a person in sight....and I think,wierd , there are at least 10 cars in the parking lot and there is a flight over due...where are all the people? Have aliens come down and taken them away? Did the rapture happen and I am left behind? what is going on?? So I call Joe and ask him to call win air's office (since there is NO ONE in the airport at all) Joe calls back and says that head office in St Maarten says the flight is in the air and they should be there anytime...so I think ok, wierd but whatever...out I go in the sunshine again to wait and watch for the plane....10 more minutes pass and I think, ok the flight is 12 minutes long and 10 minutes ago it was in the air sooooo where is it exactly?? so I go in to the airport again and I finally see a man (security guard) and I say ummm sir where is the 9:05 flight from St Maarten? He says there is no flight at that time, the next flight is due at 11:20....so I say ah yes there is a flight and apparently it is in the air and my mother and aunt are on it....when will it be arriving? and he says sorry ma'am but the next flight is in at 11:20....so I call Joe and have him call again and call me back and I drive home....when I get home, Joe tells me that apparently the airline cancelled the flight and mom and Bernie are now on standby for the 10:20 flight...and I say 10:20? that is weird,,,,it is a 12 minute flight and the airport said that it wont be here until 11:20....Joe says yeah it gets better,,,,they are flyiing to St Eustatias first !!!!! I said WHAT! NO WAY!! Bernie is going to freak out! So I call over at 10:20 to win air and say please make sure they get on the flight for goodness sake and some fellow says I will see what I can do...he calls my mom up to the desk and I can hear her in the background explaining the situation .....so he comes back and says, I have your mom booked but not the other passenger Perry? I am going to have to check with my supervisor...call me back in 5.....click.....so 5 long minutes later I call back and say Kendell? He says they are on....good bye.....thats it....so down I go and get them.....they have arrived dragging many bags behind them....and so we sat outside by the airport for a few minutes and headed home.....so once we got home, we started opening the bags!!! I tell ya , you never saw people so excited for the strangest things....the boys were gaga over the candy (cream eggs, mini eggs, smarties adn nerds,,,thanks Jamie, Bernie and mom!) and my gluten free stuff (thank you thank you thank you!!) and Joe was doing a dance for his BSG DVD's (Thanks Bruce!) and I was so excited to get my hands on Greys Anatomy episodes (thanks Jamie!!!) We got crocs and socks and flea treatment and candy and erasers and pencils and hair accessories and chalk and home schooling material (I am going to be supplementiing) Anyway it was like Christmas, the whoopaing and squealing going on around here!
We had a great first day, the weather was great, the company was great, lots of fun swapping travel stories and other stuff.....we can't wait to get out and enjoy the next 6 days...I hope that they don't go too fast!!
So take care friends and we will meet again....I will tell you all about our visit next time! God Bless you in the coming week!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Sock monsters exist all over the world.....
Hello! How are you all doing? I hear that the weather is cold and icky back home....perhaps you should pack your things and come to visit us in Saba!!! It is never below 24 here and the sun shines basically every day.....I really love the weather and I don't know how I will ever adjust back to the Canadian climate!
We have had a pretty good week down here in Saba....on Friday night we were invited to a beach party/bonfire with our new friends, Marylynn and Meno.....they are the parents of Monty's new friend, Helke, they are a dutch family. Anyway they have 4 boys ! Helke is the youngest and the rest are mid to late teenagers, very nice fellows.....so we got invited to a Christmas tree burning bonfire....it was a blast...our other friends, Joke and Gys (another Dutch family) came as well and they brought their son Jim, who is Christian's best friend. So we had an amazing time....it really felt like home going to a social gathering with other families...we definitely need to do that more! The beach wasn't there yet but it was still very fun.....the beach here is called a wandering beach because it comes and goes....the locals say that it usually comes back around midmarch sometime....so right now the shore is all rocks and there is no sand, the waves are quite big as well....but apparently soon, there will be a sandy (black volcanic sand....can't wait to see it) beach again and the waves will settle and it will be nice and calm and a great place to swim/snorkel.....in the meantime we have been swimming down at the harbour. And in the pool when we get invited by our friends! We may buy a membership once the weather gets hotter...there is a beautiful hotel on a cliff not far from here (you could google it, it is called Willards of Saba) and they sell pool and tennis memberships to students...the combined membership is pretty pricey but the pool membership is $200 a semester....so probably equivalent to the Cari complex in town....right now it is winter here and so there is always a fairly cool breeze blowing through. So Joe and I thought that once "summer" arrives and the weather is much hotter (apparently it can get very very warm!) then it would be nice to have access to a pool anytime we want to go.....you can go to alot of the hotel pools if you go and buy a snack or you can go to willards for $10/day per person so we figure that the membership will be the most economical way to go! Now I know you are thinking why don't you just go the beach when it is hot out?? Well the main reason for that is that the beach is a wandering beach and isn't always there....but also it is down down down a very steep road which I am a little afraid of at this point so I am not sure that I would want to drive all the way down there every time we want to go for a quick dip....Willards is about 3 minutes away (although it's driveway is straight up in the air!! so that will be a little crazy too) You really have to see the roads here to truly appreciate what I am saying....you know those very steep roads in downtown halifax? well they are like a flat section here! in some places you are sure that your car is going to tip over because it is so steep....luckily I am adjusting and most of the roads don't seem as scary to me anymore!
So the weekend was great. Monty had Helke over for most of it. Christian went to Jim's birthday party at the park and then swimming with his family on Sunday....so lots of great things going on....Oh and Monty started guitar lessons on Saturday morning and really enjoyed it...I am looking into signing them up for boxing as well...havent decided for sure as dont want to have too many activities going on.
Monty has been suffering from bouts of homesickness.....it is hitting him mostly at bedtime....so he is missing his family and friends and his hockey team.....adjustments and change are not Monty's strengths so this has been tough on him....sometimes I feel so bad for him, but I know that this is also a good learning experience for him...what is it about us parents that we don't want our kids to be hurting? Hurt is a normal part of life and a growing opportunity (as we know) and so we should be ok with it, but when he is sobbing heartfelt, real sobs about missing his family and wanting to go and see them, my heart just aches for him....and I want to run out and buy him a ticket home to see everyone...but I don't....I just listen, and offer comfort and an opportunity to talk about those he misses.....
Christian on the other hand, says that he is staying in Saba forever....he loves it here....he was homesick initially but he has fit in so well that he feels very at home.....
Joe is still enjoying med school....has block exams again this week (they have them every 3 weeks or so.....quite a pace here!) he doesn't have time to miss anyone or anything so he just keeps his nose to the grindstone!
I am a little lonesome for home at certain times....for example, our church Cornerstone just opened their new sanctuary and I felt so sad that we couldn't be there for the first service on sunday.....now you have to understand...this moment was 4 years in the making and we were all so excited to have a new church...so when my friends all were going on Sunday so excited, it made me sad to realize how far away I am from home.....also I miss being able to just pick up the phone and have 2 hour conversations with beloved friends....like Tina or Jackie, Sheri or Elisa, Julie,Lisa or Karen etc.....2 hour conversations in the caribbean mean that we don't have groceries that month!!!! so i really try to limit my phone calls and talk more through email....but I miss the voices, the laughing so hard my belly hurts conversations.....I am going to look into vonage again so that I may be able to make those long calls...they just may be essential to my ongoing happiness!!!! I am meeting some very nice people here, at our church and in our community.....but it does take a while to build those deep friendships that you just can't replace....
So my exciting news is that my mom and my aunt Bee are coming down this weekend to Saba for a week long visit. we are all really excited to see them! We love having visitors (hint hint) We are really looking forward to showing them around our home and community.....my one wish is that we all had the week off to spend with them....but it is probably ok.....mom and Bee are probably looking forward to sleeping in and quiet mornings having tea outside in the sun....so they may be thankful that we take off for the morning! we will have afternoons and evenings to explore away !! So I have asked my mom to bring down some things that we are missing down here....some are kind of small and may seem pidly but are things that we cant get here (unless we take another day trip to st maarten!) So mom is bringing flea medicine for the dog (I think he has fleas! ick) and nice hair accessories for me (as the pony tail is my new everyday style so need some variety) Also Joe needs pics and a capo for his guitar, we wanted some sidewalk chalk for the boys (we have a huge driveway which begs to be drawn on!), and some homeschooling curriculum for Monty (want to make sure that he is keeping up with canadian system) and most importantly socks! SOCKS! Do you know how hard it is to buy socks here and if you do happen to find them how expensive they are???? I had to buy some not to long ago because apparently there is a sock monster in Saba as well (you know the monster that only eats one sock and leaves you without a match??) So monty has about 7 socks with no mates?? Why can't the monster eat them in pairs I ask? would that be too much trouble? Sock monster? are you listening?? Anyway I bought Christian 6 pairs and Monty a 5 pair pack and it came to about $28 US!!!!! And they weren't fancy brand name socks by the way....just good old fashioned white socks (yes white....it was all they had so they won't be white for long!) Anyway the sock monster has been relentless around here so we had no choice in the matter....so I have asked my mother to please stock up on the socks and bring them with her so that the sock monster can continue to feast......
So I told you about our guinea pigs right? Well they are still cute as ever......the boys just love them.....but one of them keeps getting fatter and fatter and fatter....now I like to think it is all the grass and fresh veggies that we keep piling in the cage (please let it be the veggies!) but I have come to the conclusion that we bought a pregnant pig....so now we are thinking what are we going to do???? we are hoping that there are more people like us out there who may want a guinea pig for a pet.....speaking of pets....Monty's friend Helke has the sweetest baby tortoises....they are about the size of a tennis ball or smaller.....he is trying to give 2 to monty and he wants them.....so Monty has been working on Joe all week....the familyhas offered to take them back when we leave.....they are very tiny right now so have to be kept indoors for the first year or so and then they can go outside when they are less vulnerable.....personally I think it is a great idea....Joe is not so sure.....he thinks we have enough pets! Enough pets??? never.....(the boys and I love pets so we would have a whole petting zoo....luckily Joe puts his foot down once in a while.....) So I am thinking that before long we may have 2 more family members , oh and + however many babies a guinea pig has! (please let it be 1!!)
Anyway friends,I better get back to my Monday off!!!! Lots of sunshine to be enjoyed and maybe a little laundry and house work to do before the kids get home! Oh and people have mentioned that they haven't been able to comment on the blog without signing up....I didn't realize that ....so if you don't want to sign up maybe you could send me an email from time to time letting me know that you are reading?? Have a wonderful week all of you!!! God Bless!
We have had a pretty good week down here in Saba....on Friday night we were invited to a beach party/bonfire with our new friends, Marylynn and Meno.....they are the parents of Monty's new friend, Helke, they are a dutch family. Anyway they have 4 boys ! Helke is the youngest and the rest are mid to late teenagers, very nice fellows.....so we got invited to a Christmas tree burning bonfire....it was a blast...our other friends, Joke and Gys (another Dutch family) came as well and they brought their son Jim, who is Christian's best friend. So we had an amazing time....it really felt like home going to a social gathering with other families...we definitely need to do that more! The beach wasn't there yet but it was still very fun.....the beach here is called a wandering beach because it comes and goes....the locals say that it usually comes back around midmarch sometime....so right now the shore is all rocks and there is no sand, the waves are quite big as well....but apparently soon, there will be a sandy (black volcanic sand....can't wait to see it) beach again and the waves will settle and it will be nice and calm and a great place to swim/snorkel.....in the meantime we have been swimming down at the harbour. And in the pool when we get invited by our friends! We may buy a membership once the weather gets hotter...there is a beautiful hotel on a cliff not far from here (you could google it, it is called Willards of Saba) and they sell pool and tennis memberships to students...the combined membership is pretty pricey but the pool membership is $200 a semester....so probably equivalent to the Cari complex in town....right now it is winter here and so there is always a fairly cool breeze blowing through. So Joe and I thought that once "summer" arrives and the weather is much hotter (apparently it can get very very warm!) then it would be nice to have access to a pool anytime we want to go.....you can go to alot of the hotel pools if you go and buy a snack or you can go to willards for $10/day per person so we figure that the membership will be the most economical way to go! Now I know you are thinking why don't you just go the beach when it is hot out?? Well the main reason for that is that the beach is a wandering beach and isn't always there....but also it is down down down a very steep road which I am a little afraid of at this point so I am not sure that I would want to drive all the way down there every time we want to go for a quick dip....Willards is about 3 minutes away (although it's driveway is straight up in the air!! so that will be a little crazy too) You really have to see the roads here to truly appreciate what I am saying....you know those very steep roads in downtown halifax? well they are like a flat section here! in some places you are sure that your car is going to tip over because it is so steep....luckily I am adjusting and most of the roads don't seem as scary to me anymore!
So the weekend was great. Monty had Helke over for most of it. Christian went to Jim's birthday party at the park and then swimming with his family on Sunday....so lots of great things going on....Oh and Monty started guitar lessons on Saturday morning and really enjoyed it...I am looking into signing them up for boxing as well...havent decided for sure as dont want to have too many activities going on.
Monty has been suffering from bouts of homesickness.....it is hitting him mostly at bedtime....so he is missing his family and friends and his hockey team.....adjustments and change are not Monty's strengths so this has been tough on him....sometimes I feel so bad for him, but I know that this is also a good learning experience for him...what is it about us parents that we don't want our kids to be hurting? Hurt is a normal part of life and a growing opportunity (as we know) and so we should be ok with it, but when he is sobbing heartfelt, real sobs about missing his family and wanting to go and see them, my heart just aches for him....and I want to run out and buy him a ticket home to see everyone...but I don't....I just listen, and offer comfort and an opportunity to talk about those he misses.....
Christian on the other hand, says that he is staying in Saba forever....he loves it here....he was homesick initially but he has fit in so well that he feels very at home.....
Joe is still enjoying med school....has block exams again this week (they have them every 3 weeks or so.....quite a pace here!) he doesn't have time to miss anyone or anything so he just keeps his nose to the grindstone!
I am a little lonesome for home at certain times....for example, our church Cornerstone just opened their new sanctuary and I felt so sad that we couldn't be there for the first service on sunday.....now you have to understand...this moment was 4 years in the making and we were all so excited to have a new church...so when my friends all were going on Sunday so excited, it made me sad to realize how far away I am from home.....also I miss being able to just pick up the phone and have 2 hour conversations with beloved friends....like Tina or Jackie, Sheri or Elisa, Julie,Lisa or Karen etc.....2 hour conversations in the caribbean mean that we don't have groceries that month!!!! so i really try to limit my phone calls and talk more through email....but I miss the voices, the laughing so hard my belly hurts conversations.....I am going to look into vonage again so that I may be able to make those long calls...they just may be essential to my ongoing happiness!!!! I am meeting some very nice people here, at our church and in our community.....but it does take a while to build those deep friendships that you just can't replace....
So my exciting news is that my mom and my aunt Bee are coming down this weekend to Saba for a week long visit. we are all really excited to see them! We love having visitors (hint hint) We are really looking forward to showing them around our home and community.....my one wish is that we all had the week off to spend with them....but it is probably ok.....mom and Bee are probably looking forward to sleeping in and quiet mornings having tea outside in the sun....so they may be thankful that we take off for the morning! we will have afternoons and evenings to explore away !! So I have asked my mom to bring down some things that we are missing down here....some are kind of small and may seem pidly but are things that we cant get here (unless we take another day trip to st maarten!) So mom is bringing flea medicine for the dog (I think he has fleas! ick) and nice hair accessories for me (as the pony tail is my new everyday style so need some variety) Also Joe needs pics and a capo for his guitar, we wanted some sidewalk chalk for the boys (we have a huge driveway which begs to be drawn on!), and some homeschooling curriculum for Monty (want to make sure that he is keeping up with canadian system) and most importantly socks! SOCKS! Do you know how hard it is to buy socks here and if you do happen to find them how expensive they are???? I had to buy some not to long ago because apparently there is a sock monster in Saba as well (you know the monster that only eats one sock and leaves you without a match??) So monty has about 7 socks with no mates?? Why can't the monster eat them in pairs I ask? would that be too much trouble? Sock monster? are you listening?? Anyway I bought Christian 6 pairs and Monty a 5 pair pack and it came to about $28 US!!!!! And they weren't fancy brand name socks by the way....just good old fashioned white socks (yes white....it was all they had so they won't be white for long!) Anyway the sock monster has been relentless around here so we had no choice in the matter....so I have asked my mother to please stock up on the socks and bring them with her so that the sock monster can continue to feast......
So I told you about our guinea pigs right? Well they are still cute as ever......the boys just love them.....but one of them keeps getting fatter and fatter and fatter....now I like to think it is all the grass and fresh veggies that we keep piling in the cage (please let it be the veggies!) but I have come to the conclusion that we bought a pregnant pig....so now we are thinking what are we going to do???? we are hoping that there are more people like us out there who may want a guinea pig for a pet.....speaking of pets....Monty's friend Helke has the sweetest baby tortoises....they are about the size of a tennis ball or smaller.....he is trying to give 2 to monty and he wants them.....so Monty has been working on Joe all week....the familyhas offered to take them back when we leave.....they are very tiny right now so have to be kept indoors for the first year or so and then they can go outside when they are less vulnerable.....personally I think it is a great idea....Joe is not so sure.....he thinks we have enough pets! Enough pets??? never.....(the boys and I love pets so we would have a whole petting zoo....luckily Joe puts his foot down once in a while.....) So I am thinking that before long we may have 2 more family members , oh and + however many babies a guinea pig has! (please let it be 1!!)
Anyway friends,I better get back to my Monday off!!!! Lots of sunshine to be enjoyed and maybe a little laundry and house work to do before the kids get home! Oh and people have mentioned that they haven't been able to comment on the blog without signing up....I didn't realize that ....so if you don't want to sign up maybe you could send me an email from time to time letting me know that you are reading?? Have a wonderful week all of you!!! God Bless!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
2 months have come and gone....
Well friends.....how are you doing? I was looking at the calendar today and realized that February is almost over which means that we have been on Saba for 2 months already!!!!! Can you believe that? Time really is flying by.....only 18 to go......We have had a great week, although it was a bit rainy and windy all week (one of the nights I was fairly certain that we had an unannounced hurricaine!!) The good thing about rain is that it fills the cistern! This is good because then I feel like I can have a teeny bit longer in the shower, or I can flush a little more and not worry about water! The cistern really is a great idea and we are amazed at how little water we really need and how wasteful we once were (when you don't have to worry about running out, you don't pay any attention to how much you use!) I think of all the times that I saw lawns being watered back home and that seems like such an incredible waste now....the weather has actually been pretty good...I was a bit chilly in the wind but i was Saba chilly, not PEI chilly (for those of you out there that aren't sure what that means, it means that I was a little cold from the breeze and the air temp dropping to 25 or so.....ha ha ha) I really really love the climate here.....I was looking at my cousin's facebook pics today and when i saw all the snow in the background, I shuddered for a second and then gave thanks that we are so fortunate to be living here and enjoying summer year round! Of course, some day I will have to return to reality (and freezing cold and snow and ice and winter jackets and layers....yuck) but for now I am going to take every opportunity to be outside soaking up this wonderful weather!
The boys had a pretty good week.....Monty is still struggling a little with adjustment issues but he had a few good things happen this week....he had a friend over to play and a sleepover with that friend....so he was very excited about this....Monty has been mostly hanging around with the teenagers across the street....they are a pretty good group of fellows actually and they love to come over to play on the trampoline....they raise pigs so they have been teaching Monty the ins and outs of that...they also trap crabs to use for fish bait so they have been teaching this to Monty as well....he loves the freedom of roaming the community with the teens.....checking everything out, learning a few new things (like how a pig is butchered) Tonight he said that he is a "real Saba boy " now.....thought that was pretty cute.....he does really enjoy the fellows and they are very nice to him.....his friend that he had over though was his age, a very nice boy, and they had a great time together....so I am hoping that this will develop into a good friend for Monty.....the teens are great, but it would be nice for him to have a few good friends his own age at school....I think of my own special friends that I had in my life at that age and how important it is to have those best friends who you can have fun with, share with, laugh with......that is what I really wish for him.....Christian is still doing great....he is inseperable from his new best friend,Jim....they are like 2 peas in a pod, so alike and they have so much fun together! We went swimming today at a private pool (thanks to our great neighbors up the road who take us there from time to time! Jim's parents...) and Christian is coming so far with his swimming,I can't believe it.....a few weeks ago he would not enter the water without a life jacket on, would cry if a teeny bit of water splashed his face and would still try to cling to me.....today he went over with Jim and his family and I joined them about an hour later and Christian was swimming underwater with his goggles on and no lifejacket!!! I was amazed....each time we go over he gets a little better....he was very excited that he is able to swim on his own now.......
Joe continues to be pretty busy with studying, but he is very happy about it....he loves all the new things that he is learning about the human body and attempts to introduce it often in conversation....of course I think my eyes glaze over and I try to look like I think it is fascinating....but I am not quite there with him!! I love what is going on inside the brain.....but I don't need to know about the bowel and how big it is and what it feels like or smells like when you cut into it....I have lived 37 years without this knowledge quite comfortably and will continue to do so!! Monty , on the other hand is quite interested in what Joe is doing/learning so he asks lots of questions.... of course Joe loves to answer them.....smarty pants!
Our other interesting news is that we added some members to our family this week.....2 baby guinea pigs which the kids have named Aero and Chimchar (what ever happened to names like fluffy and sparky?) the kids have been having a ball with the pigs and I must admit they are adorable......we had them in a temporary rigged cage for the week and it was ok, so this weekend Joey built a deluxe house for them....which was quite a feat given the supplies that he had to work with......in Saba, houses are built with cement and concrete (amazing strength to endure hurricanes) so wood isn't something that you find in abundance here (nor are hardware stores for that matter) so Joe bought a few pieces of 1"X 4" as well as some screws and nails, mesh and a handsaw.....and he was pretty dubious about his ability to make much of a cage without "proper power tools" (I can hear Tim the toolman in the background.....arroooo?) Anyway I was very impressed with his creation (esp since he stated that he was not having anything to do with the guinea pigs!) He built them a deluxe model home that looks great! The kids and I were impressed and the pigs seem to love it too....they were hopping around for joy and squeaking like crazy (or maybe they were concerned for their lives because Tigger kept trying to get in the cage with them?) Anyway it turned out great......esp given what he had to work with....I tell ya, that Joey is amazing (well in my eyes anyway.....maybe the kids didn't quite appreciate how good it was...they were just happy to have the cage finished)
I had a few outings this week without children in tow! It was so nice! Since my job now consists of being around kids all day and then I come home with my own, my adult time has decreased significantly! So I was so excited to have a few "out" times.....I went to the SOS meetiing on Saturday at the park (this is the Significant others of Saba group...all spouses of med students and faculty) We had a "business" (social) meeting......nice group of gals and we sat for an extra hour and chatted.....the president of SOS is trying to convince me to run for president for next term....I am not quite sure....I am thinking about it...might be an interesting experience.....then I got out for band practice (Joe and I were on the worship team this week, well pretty much every week now!) so we had practice so it was a great time jamming with our new church friends, an awesome group! Today I hung out with one of Joe's school mates, Julianna,she is a lady from Nigeria originally but now from Maryland, USA and she is here in school, while her family remains in the US....she is a very neat lady, very passionate and outspoken (my kind of person!!) She has a great sense of humor and she is also an ordained minister.....so we had some very interesting conversation! I told her anytime she wants to have some "girl hangout time" to just give me a call! So I am meeting some very nice and interesting people here.....I have a feeling that when we leave there will be many people whom we will miss......
So overall a great week and we are very pleased about how things are going here.....we are settling into a routine and getting used to the way of life and it suits us just fine.....I don't miss the "big city life" or the conveniences or the fast food or the mall at all (which surprises me!) The only things that I really miss are family and friends, our church and my job and great coworkers.....
I better go and get into bed....it is getting late and morning comes way too early here!!! Dont forget to sign your name in the comment section! I do really like to know who is reading and what your thoughts are of our adventure! Some weeks are more adventurous than others but overall Saba has been a great experience.....nighty night friends, God Bless!
The boys had a pretty good week.....Monty is still struggling a little with adjustment issues but he had a few good things happen this week....he had a friend over to play and a sleepover with that friend....so he was very excited about this....Monty has been mostly hanging around with the teenagers across the street....they are a pretty good group of fellows actually and they love to come over to play on the trampoline....they raise pigs so they have been teaching Monty the ins and outs of that...they also trap crabs to use for fish bait so they have been teaching this to Monty as well....he loves the freedom of roaming the community with the teens.....checking everything out, learning a few new things (like how a pig is butchered) Tonight he said that he is a "real Saba boy " now.....thought that was pretty cute.....he does really enjoy the fellows and they are very nice to him.....his friend that he had over though was his age, a very nice boy, and they had a great time together....so I am hoping that this will develop into a good friend for Monty.....the teens are great, but it would be nice for him to have a few good friends his own age at school....I think of my own special friends that I had in my life at that age and how important it is to have those best friends who you can have fun with, share with, laugh with......that is what I really wish for him.....Christian is still doing great....he is inseperable from his new best friend,Jim....they are like 2 peas in a pod, so alike and they have so much fun together! We went swimming today at a private pool (thanks to our great neighbors up the road who take us there from time to time! Jim's parents...) and Christian is coming so far with his swimming,I can't believe it.....a few weeks ago he would not enter the water without a life jacket on, would cry if a teeny bit of water splashed his face and would still try to cling to me.....today he went over with Jim and his family and I joined them about an hour later and Christian was swimming underwater with his goggles on and no lifejacket!!! I was amazed....each time we go over he gets a little better....he was very excited that he is able to swim on his own now.......
Joe continues to be pretty busy with studying, but he is very happy about it....he loves all the new things that he is learning about the human body and attempts to introduce it often in conversation....of course I think my eyes glaze over and I try to look like I think it is fascinating....but I am not quite there with him!! I love what is going on inside the brain.....but I don't need to know about the bowel and how big it is and what it feels like or smells like when you cut into it....I have lived 37 years without this knowledge quite comfortably and will continue to do so!! Monty , on the other hand is quite interested in what Joe is doing/learning so he asks lots of questions.... of course Joe loves to answer them.....smarty pants!
Our other interesting news is that we added some members to our family this week.....2 baby guinea pigs which the kids have named Aero and Chimchar (what ever happened to names like fluffy and sparky?) the kids have been having a ball with the pigs and I must admit they are adorable......we had them in a temporary rigged cage for the week and it was ok, so this weekend Joey built a deluxe house for them....which was quite a feat given the supplies that he had to work with......in Saba, houses are built with cement and concrete (amazing strength to endure hurricanes) so wood isn't something that you find in abundance here (nor are hardware stores for that matter) so Joe bought a few pieces of 1"X 4" as well as some screws and nails, mesh and a handsaw.....and he was pretty dubious about his ability to make much of a cage without "proper power tools" (I can hear Tim the toolman in the background.....arroooo?) Anyway I was very impressed with his creation (esp since he stated that he was not having anything to do with the guinea pigs!) He built them a deluxe model home that looks great! The kids and I were impressed and the pigs seem to love it too....they were hopping around for joy and squeaking like crazy (or maybe they were concerned for their lives because Tigger kept trying to get in the cage with them?) Anyway it turned out great......esp given what he had to work with....I tell ya, that Joey is amazing (well in my eyes anyway.....maybe the kids didn't quite appreciate how good it was...they were just happy to have the cage finished)
I had a few outings this week without children in tow! It was so nice! Since my job now consists of being around kids all day and then I come home with my own, my adult time has decreased significantly! So I was so excited to have a few "out" times.....I went to the SOS meetiing on Saturday at the park (this is the Significant others of Saba group...all spouses of med students and faculty) We had a "business" (social) meeting......nice group of gals and we sat for an extra hour and chatted.....the president of SOS is trying to convince me to run for president for next term....I am not quite sure....I am thinking about it...might be an interesting experience.....then I got out for band practice (Joe and I were on the worship team this week, well pretty much every week now!) so we had practice so it was a great time jamming with our new church friends, an awesome group! Today I hung out with one of Joe's school mates, Julianna,she is a lady from Nigeria originally but now from Maryland, USA and she is here in school, while her family remains in the US....she is a very neat lady, very passionate and outspoken (my kind of person!!) She has a great sense of humor and she is also an ordained minister.....so we had some very interesting conversation! I told her anytime she wants to have some "girl hangout time" to just give me a call! So I am meeting some very nice and interesting people here.....I have a feeling that when we leave there will be many people whom we will miss......
So overall a great week and we are very pleased about how things are going here.....we are settling into a routine and getting used to the way of life and it suits us just fine.....I don't miss the "big city life" or the conveniences or the fast food or the mall at all (which surprises me!) The only things that I really miss are family and friends, our church and my job and great coworkers.....
I better go and get into bed....it is getting late and morning comes way too early here!!! Dont forget to sign your name in the comment section! I do really like to know who is reading and what your thoughts are of our adventure! Some weeks are more adventurous than others but overall Saba has been a great experience.....nighty night friends, God Bless!
Monday, February 16, 2009
a cold in the Caribbean? How absurd!
Hey friends!
How has your week been? I am going to start off by saying that I know there are many of you reading this blog and I would like to ask you a favor.....if you wouldn't mind, after you have read the blog, just going to the comment section and letting me know and even saying hello if you wish! I would like to keep this blog as a bit of a rememberance when our time here is done and it would be nice to know who has been reading/following along and your thoughts! Thanks!
We had a great week. Joe's parents came to visit from Calgary for 4 days and we had a wonderful time with them....it flew by and we were sad to see them go :( But alas, all good things must come to an end.....we had many adventures with them while they were here and they absolutely loved Saba...they both thought that it was a very neat place and that we were so lucky to be living here (which of course we agree) We went snorkeling down at the harbor and Grampy and Joe taught Monty how to snorkel, which he had down pat in about 30 seconds....he is now a snorkeling guru! Leave it to Monty...he is always so good at athletics! We went to the tide pools, which was fun and more snorkeling there. The we went on a snorkeling adventure with Sea Saba in about 25 feet of water.....and no one was eaten by a shark! Even I went snorkeling, can you believe it? It was quite the experience, somewhere between the most fascinating crossed with the most terrifying experience of my life! Breathing underwater is quite an activity...your body is screaming "no don't do it, don't take a breath!" but your brain is saying "go ahead, you have a snorkel, you will be fine" So under I would go and I would start to breathe and then I would start to hyperventilate because of course my body was overruling my brain...so up I would come and get my breathing regulated again and then back down to start the process all over again....I would say after about 20 minutes or so, I finally had it.....and wow, once I relaxed long enough to take a look around, I must say it was spectacular....I encountered many beautiful fish and coral.....it was really neat....of course I continued to glance all around for creatures that may be lurking in the dark (sharks, moray eels) but if they were there, they didn't present themselves to me.....Monty was off like a pro with his Dad and Grandpa and they were way far away from me, having a blast....and Monty was having no part of wearing a life jacket....I on the other hand, opted for the life jacket.....it was a bit cumbersome by times, and so , maybe I looked a tad silly, BUT I stayed afloat...and that my dear friends was the goal! Christian got out in the water with his life jacket on as well and he did stick his head under a few times but I think he was a little more like his mother in aptitude....so he just enjoyed swimming around.....we saw 2 turtles from the boat and Joe and his Dad got to swim right over them, they thought that is was cool! We ended our visit with family with an absolutely, to die for, amazing dinner at the Gatehouse, a wonderful, quaint, restaurant with divine cooking.....It was very sad to see them go and it reminded us a little of how far away from home we really are and that we do miss people......my mom and my aunt are coming in 3 more weeks so we are looking ahead to our next guests......
Other than that, things are getting somewhat routine....we hang out in the sun, get some tan, frolic and play in summer, enjoy the heat....oops am I bragging? We feel so blessed to have this summer weather and we are NOT missing winter one little bit.....everyone should live in this climate! Joe is still doing fine in med school...I think he wishes that he could have a little more down time, but overall he is enjoying it and learning tons......the boys are both doing better with their school adjustment....and I am just going along, working when I must and trying to get some relax and sunshine when I can.....
A few other goings-on:
Joe and I are involved with the music at the church so we led worship this week....it was awesome! Joe played guitar of course, I sang, our friend Sam played keys and sang (he is awesome) and Jeff played the jembe drum.....very fun, our church group is a lovely cozy group from all over....we are enjoying getting to know them.
Oh, I have a cold!!!! Can you believe it? A cold in the caribbean! I keep saying a cold is a Canadian winter illness, but apparently a cold knows no boundaries! I am working hard at trying to get rid of it (lots of flintstone vitamins!! ha ha....and chocolate) so I hope it is gone soon!
we are still feeding the baby goat everyday a few times...she is so sweet and growing so fast...when we come over she jumps in the air, gets all excited to see us.....she definitely has stolen our heart! Monty continues to catch several lizards a day......he had gotten very good at it and I keep reminding him that the first week we were here he couldn't catch any and now here he is a pro!
Anyway I better run....it is my monday off (I love Mondays off) and I should try to accomplish a few things today....take c are and don't forget to leave your message in the comment section! God Bless!
How has your week been? I am going to start off by saying that I know there are many of you reading this blog and I would like to ask you a favor.....if you wouldn't mind, after you have read the blog, just going to the comment section and letting me know and even saying hello if you wish! I would like to keep this blog as a bit of a rememberance when our time here is done and it would be nice to know who has been reading/following along and your thoughts! Thanks!
We had a great week. Joe's parents came to visit from Calgary for 4 days and we had a wonderful time with them....it flew by and we were sad to see them go :( But alas, all good things must come to an end.....we had many adventures with them while they were here and they absolutely loved Saba...they both thought that it was a very neat place and that we were so lucky to be living here (which of course we agree) We went snorkeling down at the harbor and Grampy and Joe taught Monty how to snorkel, which he had down pat in about 30 seconds....he is now a snorkeling guru! Leave it to Monty...he is always so good at athletics! We went to the tide pools, which was fun and more snorkeling there. The we went on a snorkeling adventure with Sea Saba in about 25 feet of water.....and no one was eaten by a shark! Even I went snorkeling, can you believe it? It was quite the experience, somewhere between the most fascinating crossed with the most terrifying experience of my life! Breathing underwater is quite an activity...your body is screaming "no don't do it, don't take a breath!" but your brain is saying "go ahead, you have a snorkel, you will be fine" So under I would go and I would start to breathe and then I would start to hyperventilate because of course my body was overruling my brain...so up I would come and get my breathing regulated again and then back down to start the process all over again....I would say after about 20 minutes or so, I finally had it.....and wow, once I relaxed long enough to take a look around, I must say it was spectacular....I encountered many beautiful fish and coral.....it was really neat....of course I continued to glance all around for creatures that may be lurking in the dark (sharks, moray eels) but if they were there, they didn't present themselves to me.....Monty was off like a pro with his Dad and Grandpa and they were way far away from me, having a blast....and Monty was having no part of wearing a life jacket....I on the other hand, opted for the life jacket.....it was a bit cumbersome by times, and so , maybe I looked a tad silly, BUT I stayed afloat...and that my dear friends was the goal! Christian got out in the water with his life jacket on as well and he did stick his head under a few times but I think he was a little more like his mother in aptitude....so he just enjoyed swimming around.....we saw 2 turtles from the boat and Joe and his Dad got to swim right over them, they thought that is was cool! We ended our visit with family with an absolutely, to die for, amazing dinner at the Gatehouse, a wonderful, quaint, restaurant with divine cooking.....It was very sad to see them go and it reminded us a little of how far away from home we really are and that we do miss people......my mom and my aunt are coming in 3 more weeks so we are looking ahead to our next guests......
Other than that, things are getting somewhat routine....we hang out in the sun, get some tan, frolic and play in summer, enjoy the heat....oops am I bragging? We feel so blessed to have this summer weather and we are NOT missing winter one little bit.....everyone should live in this climate! Joe is still doing fine in med school...I think he wishes that he could have a little more down time, but overall he is enjoying it and learning tons......the boys are both doing better with their school adjustment....and I am just going along, working when I must and trying to get some relax and sunshine when I can.....
A few other goings-on:
Joe and I are involved with the music at the church so we led worship this week....it was awesome! Joe played guitar of course, I sang, our friend Sam played keys and sang (he is awesome) and Jeff played the jembe drum.....very fun, our church group is a lovely cozy group from all over....we are enjoying getting to know them.
Oh, I have a cold!!!! Can you believe it? A cold in the caribbean! I keep saying a cold is a Canadian winter illness, but apparently a cold knows no boundaries! I am working hard at trying to get rid of it (lots of flintstone vitamins!! ha ha....and chocolate) so I hope it is gone soon!
we are still feeding the baby goat everyday a few times...she is so sweet and growing so fast...when we come over she jumps in the air, gets all excited to see us.....she definitely has stolen our heart! Monty continues to catch several lizards a day......he had gotten very good at it and I keep reminding him that the first week we were here he couldn't catch any and now here he is a pro!
Anyway I better run....it is my monday off (I love Mondays off) and I should try to accomplish a few things today....take c are and don't forget to leave your message in the comment section! God Bless!
Monday, February 9, 2009
You can't turn the video camera sideways to take video...it is NOT like an Ipod touch!
Howdy friends!
Well, another wonderful weekend in Saba....really they just keep getting better and better.....we had such a great time that we didn't want the fun to end sooooo today I had the day off and I let the kids play hooky (is that so bad?) so that they could enjoy an extra day as well.....Joe's parents are here to visit, they arrived yesterday morning bright and early and they will be here until Thursday....so I figured since they will only be here for 5 days that a day off from school would help maximize their play time together......that is my story and I am sticking to it.....anyway we have been having a great time. Yesterday we went down to the harbor and the fellas (Monty, Joe and Grampy) went snorkeling...the boys were very impressed....Christian went for a swim but didn't snorkel...and I sat contently on the rocks by the water, watching and soaking up the rays (I have been soaking up a few too many rays these days...but I just can't stop....it is kind of like a Lays chip....betcha can't eat just one.....well you can't just hang out in the sun once.....I think that I may be turning into an iguana.....seriously I would just sit out on a hot rock in the sun all day long....so it stings a little....and my skin is florescent red some of the time.....but lately it is turning into a brown red.....so I am thinking that goal #2 (tanned) is well underway! Goal #1 has not been started.....(skinny) I continue to feast regularly on french fries and chocolate (hey gotta have a few vices!) So today we all went down to the tidal pools (well minus Joe because he was writing exams....sucker! ha ha...just kidding dear.....) I drove down for the first time myself.....it was a bit scary but I did it so I am very impressed with myself.....the road is very steep and twisty and you are 1000 feet up so it is a bit of a daunting task....describing it here can in no way give you a clear pic of what I am talking about....but when you come to visit you will see for yourself! (don't look down!)we had a great time climbing around the volcanic rock and then we played in the man made tidal pool for a while...Monty went snorkeling again and they saw lots of fish there as well....tomorrow we are going out on a boat with Sea Saba to go snorkeling in the ocean (It is Snorkel week, didnt you know?) I am a little nervous so haven't decided if I will snorkel....and if I am honest, I am quite anxious to let Monty snorkel there as well...it might have something to do with the depth of the water (23 feet) or the abundant shark population...not sure....but I guess I have to let him do it....he really wants to do and his Dad and Grampy will be out there too.....and maybe his mother if she ever gets up the nerve to get in the water....(is that the jaws music playing in the background?) So today I took lots of pictures and I decided to take some video of Grampy and Monty climbing closer and closer to the tide pool, where huge waves were crashing in through the rocks.....it was quite cool to watch....so I started videoing and I decided that if I turned the camera I could get a better view of the scene....not thinking that now the video was sideways!!! What a spaz....not until we uploaded it onto the computer and I saw the results of my fine cinematography skills did I realize what i had done! What a spaz....I tell you....I thought moving to a new country that the Dawn stories might level off...but they just keep coming! All in all a perfect, sunny +30, fun filled weekend.
A few other highlights for the week:
-The boys were invited to a big birthday party with about 30 kids in the park...their first here on Saba...adn they had a blast! It was a great party.....
-we have been assisting in raising an orphaned baby goat....we are bottle feeding her a few times a day.....she is sooooo sweet, her name is Addy and we just love her (check out the pics on facebook)
-Joe has been studying for block exams (today and tomorrow) so he has been very busy
-I am becoming a real Saba driver and I no longer go under 20 all the time (much to the pleasure of the Saban folk)
-we have become experts at catching lizards
-We have been having a ball on the trampoline!
Anyway lots of fun stuff going on.....only work and school getting in the way of this being one great big party! But I guess those are necessary parts of life as well!!
I better run and get to bed. I have to get up bright and early in the am to get to work....my Grade 6's are writing exams tomorrow....exams that I wrote....tee hee.......
So take care, God Bless and talk to you soon!
Well, another wonderful weekend in Saba....really they just keep getting better and better.....we had such a great time that we didn't want the fun to end sooooo today I had the day off and I let the kids play hooky (is that so bad?) so that they could enjoy an extra day as well.....Joe's parents are here to visit, they arrived yesterday morning bright and early and they will be here until Thursday....so I figured since they will only be here for 5 days that a day off from school would help maximize their play time together......that is my story and I am sticking to it.....anyway we have been having a great time. Yesterday we went down to the harbor and the fellas (Monty, Joe and Grampy) went snorkeling...the boys were very impressed....Christian went for a swim but didn't snorkel...and I sat contently on the rocks by the water, watching and soaking up the rays (I have been soaking up a few too many rays these days...but I just can't stop....it is kind of like a Lays chip....betcha can't eat just one.....well you can't just hang out in the sun once.....I think that I may be turning into an iguana.....seriously I would just sit out on a hot rock in the sun all day long....so it stings a little....and my skin is florescent red some of the time.....but lately it is turning into a brown red.....so I am thinking that goal #2 (tanned) is well underway! Goal #1 has not been started.....(skinny) I continue to feast regularly on french fries and chocolate (hey gotta have a few vices!) So today we all went down to the tidal pools (well minus Joe because he was writing exams....sucker! ha ha...just kidding dear.....) I drove down for the first time myself.....it was a bit scary but I did it so I am very impressed with myself.....the road is very steep and twisty and you are 1000 feet up so it is a bit of a daunting task....describing it here can in no way give you a clear pic of what I am talking about....but when you come to visit you will see for yourself! (don't look down!)we had a great time climbing around the volcanic rock and then we played in the man made tidal pool for a while...Monty went snorkeling again and they saw lots of fish there as well....tomorrow we are going out on a boat with Sea Saba to go snorkeling in the ocean (It is Snorkel week, didnt you know?) I am a little nervous so haven't decided if I will snorkel....and if I am honest, I am quite anxious to let Monty snorkel there as well...it might have something to do with the depth of the water (23 feet) or the abundant shark population...not sure....but I guess I have to let him do it....he really wants to do and his Dad and Grampy will be out there too.....and maybe his mother if she ever gets up the nerve to get in the water....(is that the jaws music playing in the background?) So today I took lots of pictures and I decided to take some video of Grampy and Monty climbing closer and closer to the tide pool, where huge waves were crashing in through the rocks.....it was quite cool to watch....so I started videoing and I decided that if I turned the camera I could get a better view of the scene....not thinking that now the video was sideways!!! What a spaz....not until we uploaded it onto the computer and I saw the results of my fine cinematography skills did I realize what i had done! What a spaz....I tell you....I thought moving to a new country that the Dawn stories might level off...but they just keep coming! All in all a perfect, sunny +30, fun filled weekend.
A few other highlights for the week:
-The boys were invited to a big birthday party with about 30 kids in the park...their first here on Saba...adn they had a blast! It was a great party.....
-we have been assisting in raising an orphaned baby goat....we are bottle feeding her a few times a day.....she is sooooo sweet, her name is Addy and we just love her (check out the pics on facebook)
-Joe has been studying for block exams (today and tomorrow) so he has been very busy
-I am becoming a real Saba driver and I no longer go under 20 all the time (much to the pleasure of the Saban folk)
-we have become experts at catching lizards
-We have been having a ball on the trampoline!
Anyway lots of fun stuff going on.....only work and school getting in the way of this being one great big party! But I guess those are necessary parts of life as well!!
I better run and get to bed. I have to get up bright and early in the am to get to work....my Grade 6's are writing exams tomorrow....exams that I wrote....tee hee.......
So take care, God Bless and talk to you soon!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Another weekend in Paradise
Well good morning friends! How are things in your part of the world? cold? hmmm...I thought so! We had another beautiful weekend here in the Caribbean.....yesterday was +30 out and sunny and hot! I got quite a burn, as did Joe......it was a bit overcast so the sun didn't seem as hot as it was and so we stayed out in it too long! But that is ok....give me sunburn over frost bite anyday of the week!! ha ha.....
We had a great week....we are starting to get a rythym going here, a routine and perhaps we are starting to settle into the idea of "living" here not just on some big vacation. Right now I have Mondays off and I would like to keep it that way...I really enjoy having that one day where i can just veg and enjoy the quiet....I go pick up Christian at 12:15 so I really just have the morning but it is awesome! Tuesday to Friday I work so we are all up about 6:15 getting ready as we have to be out the door around 7:10....it is hard on all of us as we are not early rising kind of people! Back home we used to push snooze several times and finally crawl out close to 7:30! So this is a big change for us! The boys are still working on their adjustment but for the most part they are doing fairly well. They are getting involved in some activities and the lizard hunting is still the favourite activity (well Monty's anyway!!) He has gotten extremely good at catching the poor little guys....occasionally he forgets and grabs one by the tall (and for all of you who know anything about lizards you know that lizards come equip with a slick little defense mechanism that we like to call "drop the tail" so Monty has come up a few times with just a tail! But hey...he is having fun!)
Joe and I went over to St Maarten this weekend , are ya ready.....BY OURSELVES....yes that is right....no kids....some new friends of ours...Billy and Lisa very kindly and generously offered to keep them so that we could over for the day.....Billy is Joe's study buddy and a former chiropractor...and Lisa is his wife, a former electrician...they are from Arizona and are very nice, funny people. I was a little nervous to leave the island and leave the kids behind for the day, but I figured that they were in pretty good hands so away we went. We travelled over on the ferry, which cost us $80 each round trip....it was quite a ride,crossing the open sea in a small vessel. Joe and I sat at the back on the outdoor benches, thinking the fresh air would keep us from being seasick....it worked but Wow what a ride! Imagine a roller coaster that lasts for 2 hours and you get the ferry ride experience.....I didn't mind it at all but some people looked a little greenish.....On the way over we shared the ferry with a group of docs from Toronto who were in Saba on a diving expedition......they were leaving and heading back to the cold! They all raved on about the diving and how amazing Saba is so we felt a little proud and blessed that we live there and get to go back....they were all a little envious of us.....So over in St Maarten the weather was amazing and we wandered around all day in the shopping district in Phillipsburn. It is basically where all the tourists from the cruise ships would spend the day....there were streets and alleys galore with shopping. We knew that we had a few things that we were looking for and a strict budget....but we couldn't help wish a little bit that we had some extra dollars to buy some things....there was incredible deals to be had....one jewelry store had Joe's dream watch....a citizen professional diving watch, one which he has admired for years and usually sells in Canada for around $700 ....it was offered to us for $235 US no taxes (duty free!) it was hard to walk away from that deal! But we had to....alas...in about 10 years Joe can go back and get it...when we are out practicing and the student loans are paid off (ha ha) We had an amazing brunch on an outdoor patio and then wandered around.....we were successful in our shopping.....we got our most important item....a TRAMPOLINE for the boys!! They were so excited!! They have wanted one for a long time and we both felt that it would be a great rec activity to have at the house.....esp since they don't know tons of people and they aren't getting out as much as they used to....it was a hit and Monty jumped on it all day....at one point he looked at us and said I am exhausted....we looked each other and said wow it was worth twice what we paid to hear those words from Monty!!!! So we buy the trampoline at the cost-u-less (basically costco) and a bunch of other items to bring back (fruit rollups and curley wurleys!!) and then we head outside because for Costco to take our items to the ferry it has to be all packaged properly....while outside these young fellows tape up all our boxes and charge us $10 for the service and then a fellow says where do you want these to go, i can take you for $25...dont rely on cost co as they get around to it when is convenient to them.....I look at Joe and he says whatever you think dear.....WHAT? ok Joe, I am a smart, intelligent, capable woman most of the time but I am not an experience world traveller so do we jump in a truck with a strange man and allow him to take us to (our death possibly) err the boat??? Joe is no help so I look the guy over, talk to him, check out his truck, do the fastest social work assessment possible and decide he is ok and say yes...so off we jump crammed into his little truck with our boxes...and then I start to get a little cocky and say "how much extra for you to stop at a pet store so i can buy my son a cage for a lizard?" He says oh sure for $7 more I will do that...I say deal and away we go (I am kind of liking this valet service!! my own personal taxi!) so he takes us and we get to the boat (albeit he was a bit of a wild driver and we had no seatbelts....we are sliding with our safety rules, now partaking in hitchiking, picking up hitchikers, no seatbelts, etc) and he helps us unload everything...on the way to the boat he gives us the lowdown on history and culture of St Maarten from a locals's perspective....so it was an intersting experience! Anyway we really enjoyed our day in St Maarten! It was great.
I better run and get a few things done since it is my day off! I will write again soon! I know that my blog is like an episode of Lost for many of you....h aha just kidding....I do like letting you all know how life is going here though....it is interesting to say the least! Take care dear friends and may God richly bless you in the coming week!
We had a great week....we are starting to get a rythym going here, a routine and perhaps we are starting to settle into the idea of "living" here not just on some big vacation. Right now I have Mondays off and I would like to keep it that way...I really enjoy having that one day where i can just veg and enjoy the quiet....I go pick up Christian at 12:15 so I really just have the morning but it is awesome! Tuesday to Friday I work so we are all up about 6:15 getting ready as we have to be out the door around 7:10....it is hard on all of us as we are not early rising kind of people! Back home we used to push snooze several times and finally crawl out close to 7:30! So this is a big change for us! The boys are still working on their adjustment but for the most part they are doing fairly well. They are getting involved in some activities and the lizard hunting is still the favourite activity (well Monty's anyway!!) He has gotten extremely good at catching the poor little guys....occasionally he forgets and grabs one by the tall (and for all of you who know anything about lizards you know that lizards come equip with a slick little defense mechanism that we like to call "drop the tail" so Monty has come up a few times with just a tail! But hey...he is having fun!)
Joe and I went over to St Maarten this weekend , are ya ready.....BY OURSELVES....yes that is right....no kids....some new friends of ours...Billy and Lisa very kindly and generously offered to keep them so that we could over for the day.....Billy is Joe's study buddy and a former chiropractor...and Lisa is his wife, a former electrician...they are from Arizona and are very nice, funny people. I was a little nervous to leave the island and leave the kids behind for the day, but I figured that they were in pretty good hands so away we went. We travelled over on the ferry, which cost us $80 each round trip....it was quite a ride,crossing the open sea in a small vessel. Joe and I sat at the back on the outdoor benches, thinking the fresh air would keep us from being seasick....it worked but Wow what a ride! Imagine a roller coaster that lasts for 2 hours and you get the ferry ride experience.....I didn't mind it at all but some people looked a little greenish.....On the way over we shared the ferry with a group of docs from Toronto who were in Saba on a diving expedition......they were leaving and heading back to the cold! They all raved on about the diving and how amazing Saba is so we felt a little proud and blessed that we live there and get to go back....they were all a little envious of us.....So over in St Maarten the weather was amazing and we wandered around all day in the shopping district in Phillipsburn. It is basically where all the tourists from the cruise ships would spend the day....there were streets and alleys galore with shopping. We knew that we had a few things that we were looking for and a strict budget....but we couldn't help wish a little bit that we had some extra dollars to buy some things....there was incredible deals to be had....one jewelry store had Joe's dream watch....a citizen professional diving watch, one which he has admired for years and usually sells in Canada for around $700 ....it was offered to us for $235 US no taxes (duty free!) it was hard to walk away from that deal! But we had to....alas...in about 10 years Joe can go back and get it...when we are out practicing and the student loans are paid off (ha ha) We had an amazing brunch on an outdoor patio and then wandered around.....we were successful in our shopping.....we got our most important item....a TRAMPOLINE for the boys!! They were so excited!! They have wanted one for a long time and we both felt that it would be a great rec activity to have at the house.....esp since they don't know tons of people and they aren't getting out as much as they used to....it was a hit and Monty jumped on it all day....at one point he looked at us and said I am exhausted....we looked each other and said wow it was worth twice what we paid to hear those words from Monty!!!! So we buy the trampoline at the cost-u-less (basically costco) and a bunch of other items to bring back (fruit rollups and curley wurleys!!) and then we head outside because for Costco to take our items to the ferry it has to be all packaged properly....while outside these young fellows tape up all our boxes and charge us $10 for the service and then a fellow says where do you want these to go, i can take you for $25...dont rely on cost co as they get around to it when is convenient to them.....I look at Joe and he says whatever you think dear.....WHAT? ok Joe, I am a smart, intelligent, capable woman most of the time but I am not an experience world traveller so do we jump in a truck with a strange man and allow him to take us to (our death possibly) err the boat??? Joe is no help so I look the guy over, talk to him, check out his truck, do the fastest social work assessment possible and decide he is ok and say yes...so off we jump crammed into his little truck with our boxes...and then I start to get a little cocky and say "how much extra for you to stop at a pet store so i can buy my son a cage for a lizard?" He says oh sure for $7 more I will do that...I say deal and away we go (I am kind of liking this valet service!! my own personal taxi!) so he takes us and we get to the boat (albeit he was a bit of a wild driver and we had no seatbelts....we are sliding with our safety rules, now partaking in hitchiking, picking up hitchikers, no seatbelts, etc) and he helps us unload everything...on the way to the boat he gives us the lowdown on history and culture of St Maarten from a locals's perspective....so it was an intersting experience! Anyway we really enjoyed our day in St Maarten! It was great.
I better run and get a few things done since it is my day off! I will write again soon! I know that my blog is like an episode of Lost for many of you....h aha just kidding....I do like letting you all know how life is going here though....it is interesting to say the least! Take care dear friends and may God richly bless you in the coming week!
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