I can't believe...it rained last nite! This is the place where it's only supposed to rain 2 inches- or less- per year, and it's during the summer! This is the 3rd or 4th time it's rained. Ok ok it was during the nite, and at first I thought I dreamed it, Everardo waking me up saying do you hear the rain (of course the correct answer should have been NO cause I was sleeping!) but I only said oh, yep I hear it and went back to sleep. Then this morning I told him about my dream and he laughed- oh- not a dream. And it hasn't rained all day, and it's not cold outside but the air has that feeling to it like it might rain, or that the air is actually full of raindrops that might explode into raindrops at any minute, so I don't know if it will rain again or not....Although when I was at the community center today talking to Karen (the director), she said this was unusual, that it really doesn't rain much here, I told her I think we brought the rain up here with us from Guerrero ha ha.
The community center; I went today and it was great! Now that I have a car I can go Tue & Thurs. I wanted to talk to Karen before I did the class, and I'm so glad I did. It's funny, she said what days/times would work for me! I said I am available whatever days & times they want since I have a car. I asked if teaching English was the best thing for the kids. Because I wanted to be sure this was not about my ego, but about them. I could do whatever needed doing out there...ok well except for....cooking, sewing, any artsy craftsy stuff, toilet cleaning...ok ok I guess I could clean a toilets if I really had to....ha ha..-actually there is also a business side and next Friday I'm going down there to help make an inventory spreadsheet to catalog the items the women make out there, and be able to account for them as they get sold and the women receive the money for the items. But, they (Karen, Mark and Onida) all think teaching English is a good idea. That maybe for some, when they get older, to get jobs- in the resort areas, or the big box stores, etc. And this area has alot of English speakers Also, and to me maybe more important, they said that just coming and spending time with these kids matters. Maybe we do 15 minutes of English class and the rest of the time playing a game, or singing, or walking to the park with the swings and naming things in English. That I can just hang around and see what works, for everyone.
So today I had so much fun out there. I went out into the main area after talking to them, and there were 2 girls playing Monopoly so I sat down and pretty soon I was helping read the cards and figuring out rent, and buying the properties. It was really fun, and as it got closer to lunchtime more kids showed up. So then we started picking out things and saying the name in Spanish first and then English. As the kids started to scatter a couple of adults (I think a man & wife) were saying the words so I asked if they wanted to learn English and they said yes. So I gave them a couple of sheets I had; one with the days of the week, and one with "the 5 W's" You know- who, where, what, when, why, next to the Spanish words, telling them if they learn those 5 words, they can ask anything in English. So they had to go but want to come back when I'm here. After their lunch some kids asked for me so I sat back down and did the colors. Then my bag of 10 items to name. I started with 3 kids and then I had 7 kids and one adult. The we did eyes, ears, nose, mouth, butt, hair, head.....anyway we had fun. When I left, there were about 5 little girls outside and they all ran up to my car window, they all wanted to say goodbye, they all wanted hugs, then kisses. I remembered almost all their names.
I enjoyed it so much. But the important thing is that those kids had fun, and just mighta learned a little something..well maybe, but now I know they important thing is smiles and laughter. I like this community center; I like the way they are trying to help people to help themselves. You know, she even gives away dog food, but told me today she has decided she'll only give it if the person agrees to get their dogs fixed- male or female, and there's a free clinic right there- they do it on Saturdays. And helping people who are interested, in planting vege gardens in their yards. I think there's other stuff also going on cause I see different people there busy doing things..anyway I've now had a couple of talks with Karen and I like how she looks at things.
So Everardo and I both got home around 3pm and went back out. Sam was crazy jumping all over us when we got home- that dog is SO smart- he remembered that Poppi asked him early this morning if he wanted to go to the beach! So off to the beach we went and let Sam run like crazy after the ball for about 20 minutes. Then we took a drive and I saw where his friend Nicco lives, and the front of their house is a combination cyber cafe and little store, and met his wife. He wasn't home but Everardo bought a soda and we chatted with his wife. It's funny- I said I really liked Nicco, and then they kept talking- the conversation was in Spanish, but back in the truck he said he told her that I like him as a friend. I said- what? I'm standing with you, introduced as your wife and I say say I really like Nicco? What the hell else would I mean by that. But he said in Spanish that's just how it sounds and was the right thing for him to say...hmmmmm...some stuff escapes me!
Anyway then we were looking for this segunda (second hand store) I heard about on Freemont St. We found it and took a look; but it was pretty high end seconds; I don't want to pay $100US for a tiny table to put in the bathroom for my water pitcher & glass for morning teeth brushing....I was thinking more about 100 pesos (about $8US), but it was fun looking for it. While we were looking for the store, we decided to buy tacos for dinner cause it was getting close to 5 and Everardo has a commitment for an AA meeting from 5-6:30. We stopped across the street from a taco place and I saw a hamburger place across the street the other way. So I mentioned it and Poppi asked if I wanted a burger....hmmm it had been months! I had a burger in Houston back in Sept, and before that was June- at this place in Petaluma that has the best juicy cheeseburgers! We used to call ahead and order them then go pick them up to eat at home- oh Walnut Grill it's called. So, I said yes, but hoped it wasn't like the Sushi place we tried that was so awful all we could do was laugh...However!! Fantastic cheeseburgers and fries!! Yippee. I mean I don't crave cheeseburgers, but every once in a while, yeah one would be good. And this place is not too far from here. I just have to go up the street to the corner with the big church on one side, and a restaurant called Michoa Michoacan on the other, oh and of course a taco place, too, and turn left...go about 6 blocks and- it was called Star Burger. The thing about the taco stands, most of them don't open until after 6pm. But the long burros (long burritos- it's a certain style) are really good and they are always open all the time. And you can't get churros until after 6pm either....
Well it's Thursday and every day this week I have gotten up and worked out on my elliptical and the sit up thing, and I feel pretty good. With the 5pm meeting Poppi has, we've been eating dinner around 4pm, then maybe a snack later. So we'll see how that works- but it has to be better than eating a full dinner after 7pm. I've actually been going some nites with him to the meeting; I like this one, I like the air in there, just the feeling in the room. As for the shares, well some people talk slow enough for me to get some of it, but little by little I get more and more. And I share sometimes, too. Limited, halting, and now I know I need to look up some words I want to use, like choose, choices, willing, willingness, pain, gratitude, acceptance, awareness...words I want to use to share. The nice thing is people do understand my "limited shares" so that's nice. And Poppi wants me to go to other meetings with him too. He says he wants all the alcoholics around here to know me, I want to go, I just don't like to go too often cause most of the meetings are 8-9:30pm, and it takes me along time to wind down in the evening, so I like to be home around 8pm. Uh oh how OLD do I sound ha ha!! But I want to get up early to exercise before starting my day...oh well, hell, the truth is I have become someone who likes to be home in the evening. I can write in my blog, chat in FB or on the phone with my kids. And now that I have discovered Magic Jack I can start calling friends in the states since it's free. Anyway I think I hear him pulling up so...gotta go.
I almost forgot! This morning I was SO happy when I looked at my stats for this blog and saw that whomever was looking at my blog from Russia is back! The stats showed the most views are from the United States, then Mexico, then Russia...then with way less hits, other countries including China, Japan, Poland, Germany, England, and several others I can't think of. But right when we moved up here the Russia views stopped, so it's been almost 2 months. But you're back! Yipee. I would love comments from anybody; I've had a few, but my daughter says it's hard to do, so ...oh well...anyway I just wanted to comment myself cause I was so happy to Russia back on my views list!
Cheers!
The community center; I went today and it was great! Now that I have a car I can go Tue & Thurs. I wanted to talk to Karen before I did the class, and I'm so glad I did. It's funny, she said what days/times would work for me! I said I am available whatever days & times they want since I have a car. I asked if teaching English was the best thing for the kids. Because I wanted to be sure this was not about my ego, but about them. I could do whatever needed doing out there...ok well except for....cooking, sewing, any artsy craftsy stuff, toilet cleaning...ok ok I guess I could clean a toilets if I really had to....ha ha..-actually there is also a business side and next Friday I'm going down there to help make an inventory spreadsheet to catalog the items the women make out there, and be able to account for them as they get sold and the women receive the money for the items. But, they (Karen, Mark and Onida) all think teaching English is a good idea. That maybe for some, when they get older, to get jobs- in the resort areas, or the big box stores, etc. And this area has alot of English speakers Also, and to me maybe more important, they said that just coming and spending time with these kids matters. Maybe we do 15 minutes of English class and the rest of the time playing a game, or singing, or walking to the park with the swings and naming things in English. That I can just hang around and see what works, for everyone.
So today I had so much fun out there. I went out into the main area after talking to them, and there were 2 girls playing Monopoly so I sat down and pretty soon I was helping read the cards and figuring out rent, and buying the properties. It was really fun, and as it got closer to lunchtime more kids showed up. So then we started picking out things and saying the name in Spanish first and then English. As the kids started to scatter a couple of adults (I think a man & wife) were saying the words so I asked if they wanted to learn English and they said yes. So I gave them a couple of sheets I had; one with the days of the week, and one with "the 5 W's" You know- who, where, what, when, why, next to the Spanish words, telling them if they learn those 5 words, they can ask anything in English. So they had to go but want to come back when I'm here. After their lunch some kids asked for me so I sat back down and did the colors. Then my bag of 10 items to name. I started with 3 kids and then I had 7 kids and one adult. The we did eyes, ears, nose, mouth, butt, hair, head.....anyway we had fun. When I left, there were about 5 little girls outside and they all ran up to my car window, they all wanted to say goodbye, they all wanted hugs, then kisses. I remembered almost all their names.
I enjoyed it so much. But the important thing is that those kids had fun, and just mighta learned a little something..well maybe, but now I know they important thing is smiles and laughter. I like this community center; I like the way they are trying to help people to help themselves. You know, she even gives away dog food, but told me today she has decided she'll only give it if the person agrees to get their dogs fixed- male or female, and there's a free clinic right there- they do it on Saturdays. And helping people who are interested, in planting vege gardens in their yards. I think there's other stuff also going on cause I see different people there busy doing things..anyway I've now had a couple of talks with Karen and I like how she looks at things.
So Everardo and I both got home around 3pm and went back out. Sam was crazy jumping all over us when we got home- that dog is SO smart- he remembered that Poppi asked him early this morning if he wanted to go to the beach! So off to the beach we went and let Sam run like crazy after the ball for about 20 minutes. Then we took a drive and I saw where his friend Nicco lives, and the front of their house is a combination cyber cafe and little store, and met his wife. He wasn't home but Everardo bought a soda and we chatted with his wife. It's funny- I said I really liked Nicco, and then they kept talking- the conversation was in Spanish, but back in the truck he said he told her that I like him as a friend. I said- what? I'm standing with you, introduced as your wife and I say say I really like Nicco? What the hell else would I mean by that. But he said in Spanish that's just how it sounds and was the right thing for him to say...hmmmmm...some stuff escapes me!
Anyway then we were looking for this segunda (second hand store) I heard about on Freemont St. We found it and took a look; but it was pretty high end seconds; I don't want to pay $100US for a tiny table to put in the bathroom for my water pitcher & glass for morning teeth brushing....I was thinking more about 100 pesos (about $8US), but it was fun looking for it. While we were looking for the store, we decided to buy tacos for dinner cause it was getting close to 5 and Everardo has a commitment for an AA meeting from 5-6:30. We stopped across the street from a taco place and I saw a hamburger place across the street the other way. So I mentioned it and Poppi asked if I wanted a burger....hmmm it had been months! I had a burger in Houston back in Sept, and before that was June- at this place in Petaluma that has the best juicy cheeseburgers! We used to call ahead and order them then go pick them up to eat at home- oh Walnut Grill it's called. So, I said yes, but hoped it wasn't like the Sushi place we tried that was so awful all we could do was laugh...However!! Fantastic cheeseburgers and fries!! Yippee. I mean I don't crave cheeseburgers, but every once in a while, yeah one would be good. And this place is not too far from here. I just have to go up the street to the corner with the big church on one side, and a restaurant called Michoa Michoacan on the other, oh and of course a taco place, too, and turn left...go about 6 blocks and- it was called Star Burger. The thing about the taco stands, most of them don't open until after 6pm. But the long burros (long burritos- it's a certain style) are really good and they are always open all the time. And you can't get churros until after 6pm either....
Well it's Thursday and every day this week I have gotten up and worked out on my elliptical and the sit up thing, and I feel pretty good. With the 5pm meeting Poppi has, we've been eating dinner around 4pm, then maybe a snack later. So we'll see how that works- but it has to be better than eating a full dinner after 7pm. I've actually been going some nites with him to the meeting; I like this one, I like the air in there, just the feeling in the room. As for the shares, well some people talk slow enough for me to get some of it, but little by little I get more and more. And I share sometimes, too. Limited, halting, and now I know I need to look up some words I want to use, like choose, choices, willing, willingness, pain, gratitude, acceptance, awareness...words I want to use to share. The nice thing is people do understand my "limited shares" so that's nice. And Poppi wants me to go to other meetings with him too. He says he wants all the alcoholics around here to know me, I want to go, I just don't like to go too often cause most of the meetings are 8-9:30pm, and it takes me along time to wind down in the evening, so I like to be home around 8pm. Uh oh how OLD do I sound ha ha!! But I want to get up early to exercise before starting my day...oh well, hell, the truth is I have become someone who likes to be home in the evening. I can write in my blog, chat in FB or on the phone with my kids. And now that I have discovered Magic Jack I can start calling friends in the states since it's free. Anyway I think I hear him pulling up so...gotta go.
I almost forgot! This morning I was SO happy when I looked at my stats for this blog and saw that whomever was looking at my blog from Russia is back! The stats showed the most views are from the United States, then Mexico, then Russia...then with way less hits, other countries including China, Japan, Poland, Germany, England, and several others I can't think of. But right when we moved up here the Russia views stopped, so it's been almost 2 months. But you're back! Yipee. I would love comments from anybody; I've had a few, but my daughter says it's hard to do, so ...oh well...anyway I just wanted to comment myself cause I was so happy to Russia back on my views list!
Cheers!
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