More of Life

~While walking down the road I saw my neighbor walking from the corn mill with a container full of masa and since the thing to do here is ask obvious questions, I've picked up on it quickly, (so please excuse me if I bring this back with me to the States) I asked, "Are you going to bake?" She replied, "Are you willing?" We'll just say I've baked on a many banquet. And to clarify, baking is what they call flattening tortillas and a banquet is a low round table we sit around. I really like my neighbors to the west. The three girls are in their late 20s, only one is married with a baby and they all take care of him, what a lucky little boy. I always love to go visit them and see all their interactions with each other. The baby was born when I first arrived in Santa Teresa, now a year old. He's getting so big!
~Of the books I've read this past year, here are a few of my favorites: A Million Miles in A Thousand Years by Donald Miller, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, LAMB by Christopher Moore, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, Belize, A Novel by Carlos Ledson Miller, and My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Currently I'm reading: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins, Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer, and The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw by Bruce Barcott. Plus I found a book of 365 prayers, blessings, and meditations from around the world so of course I'm enjoying that. My favorite so far, "Let the beauty we love be what we do."
~Along with the TFABB visits in October, January, and March, my mom and Jerry are also visiting in January, then Joanna and Beth in March, and maybe Justine in May. When are you coming to visit? :P I'm quite excited!
~While out visiting and tasting a golden plum for the first time a little boy told me, "You can try everything in Belize, not like in the States." A couple days later, Carlos, the same boy came to my house at lunch time, inviting me over, "We have something nice for you, Miss Amy." And indeed they did. Carlos and his father had went hunting the night before, getting a large gibnut. I think he thought I hadn't tried that yet either because he really wanted me to come. I guess while he was eating his own he remembered he wanted to invite me so left his bowl of caldo to come by my house and get me. And I'm so glad he did, how I love halau.
~Louisa knows everything like a good mother should. For example, I couldn't find my flashlight which made me sad because I was just without it for a week or so after taking it to town and having a mix up. She asked if I had taken it visiting but all I could think was no, because I hadn't been able to find it. In the middle of the night though I woke up thinking, "maybe I forgot to take it out of the bag I had been taking to visit" and Tada! There it was! So even though you didn't know I was without a flashlight yo can worry no longer. And if you're wondering how I got by, just know I'm well taken care of in my village. If ever I was visiting too late I was always escorted home, usually by nine year-olds.