Photos from Rockygrass

My Mom's cat and dog

Campground at Rockygrass in Lyons, CO

Cool moon

Joe

Playing monkey in the middle

Picnic

Playing with Adela

Joe

My brother and Jack

 

Bob and Joe

Brothers

Random observations during my visit to the US

People always ask how it feels to be back in the US.  Here are some of the things I have noticed in this trip:

Grocery stores:  So much stuff.  Such a huge selection of everything. Especially yogurt. Lots of things I have never seen or heard of before.  This is where I feel most like a stranger in a strange land - in the grocery store.

It took 2 weeks before I flushed my toilet paper without thinking twice.  (In Honduras the septic systems can't handle toilet paper, so you have to discard of TP in the waste paper basket.)

Last week I was dropping off a friend at her house after visiting her church.  She rolled her window all of the way down.  It was beautiful outside.  I knew the logical thing was to roll my window down too.  But it was against every instinct that has been ingrained in me over the past few years.  I rolled my window down completely and enjoyed the fresh air until we came to a stoplight.  Although I realized it was completely irrational, I felt very anxious sitting there, stopped at the light with both windows open.  I explained to my friend that if you leave even enough space for someone to stick their fingertips into the windows, they can force the window down, then put a gun to your head.  It will take a long time for me to get used to driving with my windows down again.

People tend to use water differently in the US.  For example in Honduras, we tend to wet everything, then wash it all with soap, then sprinkle handfulls of water over the top to rinse everything at once. This morning I heard the sound of running water. After a few minutes I realized nobody else was around, so I went to investigate.  The kitchen sink was running.  My host was watching tv in another room.  I have become overly sensitized to the sound of running water.  At another friend's house, water was left running purposely so it would get hot.  I heard the sound of running water, saw nobody in the kitchen, and turned it off.  After having saved each drop of water that came out of our faucets to reuse it for cleaning or watering plants, I have become very conscious about water.

Last week I attended Rockygrass Music Festival. They had a station set up for people to fill water bottles.  They also had some sinks outside the bathrooms to wash your hands.  It wasn't until the last day I was there that I realized I could drink the water that came out of that sink.  It feels great to drink sink water.  My mom lets it run until it gets cold, but I'll take sink water at any temperature.

Yesterday I went to the store.  The cashier was a bubbly teenager.  She asked if I had found everything I was looking for.  After I made my purchase she thanked me and said have a great day, or something like that.  I remembered when I first moved to Honduras it felt strange when I was not thanked for purchases.

I think the biggest change about being in the US is the new fashion style of short shorts and short skirts.  My Mom thinks I am turning into a prude.  Maybe I am but really, it is shocking to my eyes.  I am so glad I am not the mother of a young girl in the US right now.  I have seen more teenaged butt cheeks than anyone should ever see.

I also notice how incredibly healthy many people in Salt Lake and Colorado are.  There was a river at the music festival last week so people were running around in bathing suits.  It was like I was surrounded by professional athletes.  Many, many women of all ages were pure muscle without an ounce of fat.  I am not accustomed to seeing that many women at that extreme level of fitness - but good for them!

Man buns.  I remember a friend posted about this new fad on Facebook a while ago - men wearing their hair in buns.  It seems to be much more popular in Salt Lake than it is in Denver.  Colorado men are sporting lots of brush cuts and beards.  But every male server in Salt Lake (exaggeration, of course) is wearing a man bun and it is not pretty, folks.  It takes a special man to pull off a man bun and look good.  This should not be a trend for the masses.

Big trucks.  Although I have grown accustomed to it now, when I first got to the US it was surprising to see so many big trucks everywhere.  Really big trucks.  I think people in Honduras tend to think more about gas mileage.  (A generalization - obviously everyone in Honduras does not think the same.)  When I bought my car and recently when a friend bought her car, gas mileage was a key factor as our Honduran friends helped us choose the right car.  Also this horrible new green color is bizarre.  I would ask who in the world would want a car that color green, but clearly many people do.  It seems to be everywhere.

In Honduras we all have tinted car windows.  My car windows are very dark so that nobody can see I am a woman driving alone.  When I started driving in Honduras it took me a while to stop waving for other cars or pedestrians to pass in front of me.  We use a short beep to signal that we are yielding.  Now that I am back in the states, I forget that everyone can see me.  I never think to wave a pedestrian across the street.  If they wave to me to say thank you, I feel surprised they can see me.

A few weeks ago I got a flat tire.  It is a long story, but it happened at night in a pretty desolate part of Denver.  Had I been in Honduras, I would have never considered getting out of my car to fix the tire myself.  But I did and in the process hurt my hand.  In fact I am pretty sure there are broken bones in my wrist and hand. It's been two weeks and I still feel like I am going to vomit if I use them, plus there are places where there appear to be bones sticking out at odd angles.  I'll get x-rays when I get back to Honduras because I have insurance there.  The thought has crossed my mind that I wish I had been in Honduras when I got that flat because I never would have gotten out of my car and tried to fix it myself.  Instead it has been a rough few weeks with this messed up wrist/hand.

While fruits and veggies are more expensive in the US, I eat more produce here than in Honduras. The reason I don't eat more veggies in Honduras is laziness.  Since you can't consume tap water, it is a pain in the neck to wash and dry vegetables.  I have to pat each piece of lettuce dry, being sure to get into the nooks and crannies if I make a salad.  So I don't make many salads.  My Mom and I have been eating a ton of salads in my time in the US.  One night while I was in Salt Lake, my friend Jody made a huge salad bar for dinner with every fixing you could imagine.  I have enjoyed salads and some veggies that are hard to find in Honduras.

Tonight I head back to Honduras.  When I get back I have three urgent appointments - one with a doctor for my arm.  Then I look forward to falling back into a regular schedule.

Fany told me that we no longer have internet at the house.  This means that my posts will not be as consistent.  I will do my best to post every time I have internet access.

My time in the states has been great overall.  I got to see everyone I wanted to see except my friend Jenivere in Salt Lake, and Brooke in Colorado.  Although I didn't see my nephews until the last week, I got some good quality time with them.  That is what is most important.  My time with my Mom was really nice too.  I was so busy the rest of the time that when I was with my Mom we mostly relaxed.  It was nice to sit around and enjoy quiet time with her.

My bags are packed.  One is .5 lbs over the 50 lbs limit, so I am praying for favor with the people at United check in.  Sometimes they have let me through with a bag that was 2 pounds over the limit, and other times they wouldn't let me through with .2 pounds over.

God is my River Boat Guide (Part II)

As I was planning to come back to the US, my friend Jody kept telling me she had a present she was really excited to give me.  I am a weirdo.  I don't really like to receive presents.  It actually makes me really uncomfortable.  So I kept thinking to myself, 'Oh no.  Jody is really excited about this gift.  What could it possibly be?  There's nothing I really want or need very much.  I hope that I can act as excited as she is when she gives me this thing.'  I was kind of dreading it.

When I got to Salt Lake we picked up my friend's Jeep, which he kindly allowed me to drive for the week.  Then we headed to Jody's.  One of the first things she said when we got there was that she wanted to give me the gift.  I braced myself.  Her husband was busy with something and said, "Wait!  I want to dry off my hands and be ready to see her expression!"  Nothing like pressure!

Jody had me close my eyes.  Then she put something into my hands.  I was afraid to open my eyes.  I felt the thing, but I had no idea what it was.  So I opened my eyes and looked:

It didn't register immediately and I felt a little panicked.  But they say it was literally only seconds. Finally it came to me - the image was me!  Jody had created and framed the image of God As My River Boat Guide, which I wrote about in my blog:

"Today God gave me the best gift of all.

I was in a quiet time of prayer.  I could feel that God was trying to speak to me, so I quieted my minds and asked what He would like to share.

The first thing that came was a word - GUIDE.  So I prayed to God, asking Him what this word meant.  At first I saw only the word, over and over.  That is how God communicates with me often, so I knew to wait.

Finally I saw an image of God on a wooden raft.  He stood on the raft with a long pole to steer or push like a river rafting guide.  I was sitting on the raft.  He was guiding us down the river.  There were rapids, and He guided us through the rough waters.  It was such a peaceful image.  I only had to sit on the raft.  He showed me that He alone is in charge of exactly where we were going.  No human or organization can control our direction.  He will keep me safe in dangerous times where the waters get rough.  He is my guide and the One who chooses my path, watching over me through it all.

I wish I were an artist.  I would love to paint the image of God as my river guide.  As crazy as it sounds, it is something I need to remember every day." - May 18, 2015

Jody gave those words to an artist and this is what he came up with.  The coolest part to me, was that he got it exactly right.  The first thing out of my mouth was "Colorado!"  I don't know why, of all things, I said that.

Jody said, "It was supposed to be Honduras.  But this is what he drew.  I was going to ask him to change it to trees and water that are typical of Honduras.  But I decided not to."

"No!" I told her.  "This is exactly where it is supposed to be.  The image God gave me was a specific place in Colorado."  But I had never written that in my blog.

The only difference between the image in the frame and the image in my mind was minuscule.  In my mind God was standing a foot more to his right.

I loved my gift!  It is one of the most thoughtful gifts anyone has ever given me.  I will cherish it. It's bubbled wrapped, packed and ready to hang on my wall in Honduras.

God is my guide.

Quality Time

Last night, after barely making it into Denver, I spent the evening eating and talking with a friend from Salt Lake, who happened to be in Denver.  Since he was in Denver when I was in SLC, he agreed to stay some extra time and pick me up from the airport.  The evening slipped by quickly.  It was dark (9 p.m. in the US!) before I knew it.  We had a nice dinner and great conversation. I had a wonderful time getting to know someone who has been in my life for years, but whom I haven't had the chance to spend quality time with until last night.

(I barely made it to Denver because mine was one of very few planes that landed in Denver yesterday. There was a nasty thunderstorm.)

Today was spent reading and relaxing with my Mom.  She volunteered at the library while I read and caught up on sleep in the morning.  This afternoon we went to Walmart to stock up on vitamins and ibuprofen.  I can get ibuprofen in Honduras, but only in large doses.  I prefer the smaller pills.  Mom got some weights.  I am teaching her some exercises to do with the weights.

Tonight I took these photos from her balcony.

First the view to the right...

Then to the left

I've been missing my friend Jody, who was my hostess for the past week.  After staying with her, I have grown accustomed to talking with her several times throughout the day.  She had a long day today and we didn't get to communicate at all.  I've had to go cold turkey.

I've also missed Erika a lot today.  Can't wait to see her again!  I am getting homesick for Honduras. I'm trying to remind myself that it is healthy to have time apart and she is fine without me.  But I still miss her.  And Fany too.

Tomorrow morning I am serving at the food pantry with my Mom.  Then I have a piano lesson at 2 p.m. and dinner plans with a very special friend who helped open the restaurant in Denver in 1999.  It will be great to see him again.  We have had a special connection that just naturally happened since the first minute we met.  I remember when he walked into our hiring office.  I knew we had to hire him.  He is a now a sommelier, among other things. I haven't seen him since 2006. Yet I know it will be just like old times.  Can't wait to see him!

Phases of friendship

My lesson for today was of friends.

My first appointment was with a woman whom I don't know well, but who has always been kind and supportive.  She and I have never really sat and talked, so it was interesting to do so for the first time.  I felt good as I left, and look forward to building that friendship as God allows in the future.

My next meeting was with a couple who may not seem like people I would naturally tend to hang out with.  However, over the years, they have proved to be the most dependable, caring friends I could ever ask for.  When nobody else was there for me, they were.  Consistently.

We had a really nice talk, sometimes chatting about light, easy things.  At the same time, we were able to get down to some nitty gritty topics and dig deep.

I appreciate people like this in my life. They are people who care enough about me to bother to ask tough questions.  They have years of wisdom and experience to share.  I am grateful they are willing to take the time to offer their advice.  I basked in their knowledge.  I left feeling well cared for and blessed. They gave me creative new ideas and sturdy, sound suggestions to carry forward.

In the evening I was able to meet with someone I haven't seen in over 3 years, although it feels like much less.  We used to be co-workers when I lived in Salt Lake.  Our backgrounds are different, but we are kindred spirits.

She invited me for Ethiopian food at a restaurant her friends own, which was awesome because Ethiopian is my favorite food.  It is something I long for when I am in Honduras.

I appreciated the fact that, although we used to work together, we barely talked about that place.  We didn't need to lean on that mutual experience to bridge us back together.  We have both moved on to bigger and better things.  She is a woman who has not had an easy life but finally things seem to be falling into place.  She looked super, is overcoming physical problems that have been ruling her life for many years, and is turning to God about emotional stressors.  It was great to see her doing so well!

We shared some laughs and talked about our dreams for the future.  We are both in such great places now that our dreams seem much more within grasp and reasonable than they did when we last spent time together three years ago.  It was an exciting and uplifting reunion.

Today I give thanks for true, good friends.

Heading into Day 2 in SLC

Got to Salt Lake on Monday.  Monday night my friend Jody gave me one of the best gifts I have ever received in my life.  I will post a photo here, but I don't have a camera on this trip.  (I also lost my Kindle "en camino" on the way.)  In any case, it's a cool gift and you will appreciate it too because I have shared about it on my blog.

It was over 100 degrees for the past few weeks in SLC, but this week is supposed to be perfect weather.  I'm grateful because I have been a little surprised at the clothing styles I am seeing here in the US.  The fad seems to be short shorts and tiny dresses on women of all ages.  Guess I am turning into a prude.

A friend lent me his Jeep.  He kept describing it as old.  I love it!  I told him it would be perfect for Honduras.  Hahaha!

Yesterday I met with my friend Allan for lunch.  That was super nice and relaxing.  We had a few hours to sit around and catch up, talk about the past and future.  It was a perfect way to start my whirlwind tour of Salt Lake.

Then I headed straight to the dentist with onion breath from my salad.  Got a good cleaning and the doctor found nothing wrong with a tooth that was KILLING me for about 2 months.  He said maybe it just needed to be cleaned.  He donated toothbrushes and a big box of toothpaste, as well as a spin brush for some lucky person in Honduras.

My purse broke as I was leaving Denver, so I am now without a purse, trying to keep track of everything in my pockets.  Since I had a break between my prayer meeting and the dentist I went in search of a purse.  Apparently I am a picky purse buyer because I looked through hundreds and couldn't find any that I really liked.

I happened to be by Kohls, and since my watch died last week I figured Kohls was a good place to pick up a cheap watch.  Several people warned me the price of watches has gone up.  They were right!  No watch for me either.

My time of prayer with a lady who is a gifted healer was quick but great.  God gave me peace and advice about how to move forward.  In the prayer time He also spoke to me a lot about rivers, which you will see is extra awesome once I post the photo of the gift that Jody got me.  He is tying things together in a special way so I know His words are for me.

In the evening I was able to meet with my friend Kim and her kids.  Our time reinforced to me the honesty and sometimes braveness it takes to maintain a respectful friendship.  I appreciate the fact that we trust each other enough to address anything we need to talk about, knowing that it comes from a loving place.

Spent the rest of the night filling in every little gap of my schedule.  I was hesitant to pack it too tightly, thinking it would get stressful.  But there are so many people I'd like to see, that it's going to be back-to-back meetings until I leave on Tuesday.  I am blessed that so many people are willing to take the time to meet with me!

This morning I have a meeting with my home church, then lunch with my friend Arlene, who has been a long time supporter.  After lunch I am getting together with Kacy, who also has a heart for Honduras.  And dinner with be at my friend Kate's house with her husband and baby!

My general prayer every day is that the words which leave my mouth are of God, not of me.  And that His presence will shine through me in a way that is apparent to those with whom I am meeting.

Back in the USA

Today was a strange day.  I still haven't gotten a grasp on it yet.  Last night I itched all night.  I only have health insurance in Honduras, since that is where I live.  So I went to the Dr at 7 a.m.

They gave me another IV of prednizone and I was out of there within a half hour.  I really love this clinic and the doctors there.  They don't mess around.

I was dopey as I passed though the airport and onto the second flight.

As I landed in Denver I realized something I have never thought of before.  I was born to two residents of the US.  I can come and go from the US on a whim.

At the same time so many people risk their lives to be here.  Where I am.  Where I can come if I can pay for the airfare and where I am welcomed with open arms.

Tears came to my eyes as I thought of the five people I know who are currently risking their lives to be in the US.  I have two friends who were crossing the border into Mexico last week.  Two more friends arrived here illegally, one almost dead, last week.  And of course there is Fany's brother, who is being helped by immigration after he almost died in the desert in Texas.

I was born to one family.  The were born into another.  That is the only difference.

With all of the racial tension lately I have seen many posts about "white privilege".  Today my privilege really struck home.  I love Honduras and don't want to live anywhere else. It is a blessing that I can come and go from the US, legally, whenever I choose.  Until now it is something that I took for granted.  I will never take it for granted again.

Red welts

Two days ago Fany and I were outside talking in the garden.  A bird fell from its nest and Fany ran to grab it before Jetty could.  It wasn't able to fly yet. Its parents were none too please from the sounds of their squawking, but they didn't come down to rescue it.  We hauled out a ladder and debated where to leave the bird so that cats would be least likely to get to it.  Finally, Fany climbed the ladder with the bird in one hand and left it on the roof. Hondurans are very caring toward birds.  Even more than toward dogs or cats.  It's strange to me, but to them it is strange that I care so much about my cat.

Fany and I have been waiting and waiting for the few mangoes that grew this year to ripen.  We lost all of the avocados from both trees due to lack of rain.  The mango tree is hardly bearing fruit, so we have been "muy pendiente" (very aware and waiting).

Finally it's time!  Fany told me she was going to use the broomstick handle to knock them down and asked me to catch the mangoes before they hit the ground.  Without thinking I said sure.  I love harvesting things.  Especially after spending months watching them grow.

So we got about 7 mangoes from the tree.  I caught most of them in my arms like a football.  Luckily I was wearing a tee shirt, not a tank top.  The next morning I woke up with what looked like a compound fracture on my forearm.  It was swollen like crazy.  It also itched a lot.  I figured it was a spider bite.  Then there were two.  By evening I had a lot of red spots on my arms and even some welts and redness on my face.  The worst were my "compound fractures" and in the crease of my elbow.

I took all of my bedding off the bed (although there is no water to do laundry), thinking I had a flea infestation.  But the cat wasn't itching.

Mom told me I should go to a doctor.  That was when it hit me.  I have gone through exactly this 3 times before.  It was the mangoes!  Some spots on my neck and scalp itched.  It was just the same. After more itching than sleeping last night (and reminding myself to ALWAYS keep Benedryl on hand in the future!) I woke up at 5:30 a.m.  I called the doctor's office at 6 and found out they open at 7.

I continue to be impressed by the doctors at my clinic.  Yesterday Fany went to a public hospital.  It's one of the better public hospitals.  The doctor told her that the swelling in her hands and feet does not exist to anyone but Fany.  (And me, because I can see it.)  The doctor also asked if metal illness ran in the family and criticized Fany for a bunch of things.  I repeatedly hear horror stories about doctors in public facilities.  But my doctors are great.

I got to the building just before 7 a.m.  Three people were in line before me.  They were all instructed to go to the waiting room where I have gone for my stomach problems.  I was instructed to wait in a different room this time.  Just as I sat, my name was called.  They took my vitals and said they were going to put me on an IV drip of antihistamine and prednizone.  Sounded great to me!  She told me to avoid certain food because my defenses are very low right now, and I could go into anaphylactic shock.  Good to know not to eat pineapple because normally I start every day with a pineapple and celery smoothie.

Immediately after they started the IV, exhaustion hit.  I knew I shouldn't be driving, but I didn't have a choice.  Made it home in one piece.   Ran over the curb, even though I was going very slowly, right as I turned onto my own street.

Fell into bed exhausted and slept until noon.

My face has gotten worse, but my arms are better.  I am so grateful for good health care!  The whole experience cost $7.50 with my insurance, including everything - meds for this week and an IV.

I will look like a freak in the airport tomorrow, but my Mom will always love me.  Even with blotchy red welts on my face.  And maybe I'll get some extra space on the airplane because nobody will want to sit near someone who looks the way I do.

I've called everyone that I need to say good bye to.  All that's left to do is throw some clothes into a suitcase, which I will do as soon as I finish my final procrastination tactic - this blog.

I probably will not write much in July.  I have meetings morning, noon, and night with people the whole time I'm in the US.  It will be a very busy time away.  Not at all the definition of a vacation.  But I am eager to see my Mom and friends, so it will be good!

All checked in and ready to head out in the morning.  USA, here I come!  Red welts and all.