El Martes

Hola from the pais de eternal spring!

fun with Stella 

brunch with Junie

Teddy Bear's Picnic by Jerry Garcia - on the iPad - our fav

Denise has been making costumes, she crocheted Hungry Caterpillar hats for both girls. Junie will be wrapped in a blanket cocoon and STella will wear beautiful felt wings that will be attached to her back and wrists, showing the colorful wings when she stretches her arms. There will be photos.   

 My biggest challenge is remembering not to throw toilet paper in the toilet - there are waste baskets provided. Once again we take services like waste disposal and plumbing for granted.

Just read that Iowa forfeited funding to expand Amtrak. Boo.

It is 6:00 and the kids just left for the city to pursue new & updated documents for the little girls. It will take all day at the embassy and offices, lots of waiting. Stella is a drama queen but tiny Juniper is exceedingly mellow as long as mom is there with instant dinner. We took her to a community theater play and she didn't make a peep.  Four of Denise's friends joined us for a drink and the play, fun to meet them as well.  They have built playgroups and book clubs and bicycle buddies, a large circle of fun and caring "family."

The play was Steve Martin's "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" and their friend was in it. Quite good although I confess I got drowsy and may have missed a few lines. Theater was small and in an old building (everything is old here, Antigua being the oldest European city on this side of the Atlantic) but the acoustics and sight lines were excellent, and it was in English. 

Today I take the bus into Antigua to my language lesson. I've been over the route with Brian and Denise, also with my Spanish teacher yesterday (two hours x 5 days = $55, a bargain). Claudia the housekeeper arrived, she will show me how to use the washer and dryer.

The language School is conveniently located near the hotel where sue and I will spend two nights and it has a secure ATM for lock currency. Very near the parque    central and Brian's bike shop.

I feel so much more at ease getting around and using currency at this point. I bought a cheap phone and have Brian's # in it.  My Spanish teacher loves to assist with all related topics.

Cameras just can't capture what the human eye sees in the evening from their rooftop patio. The volcanoes at sunset are spectacular, Fuego has been active the last two days.

Next time I'll bring my laptop instead of iPad mini, there is no great advantage to the portability as I don't carry it around for fear of pick pockets and it isn't as useful for photography and sending photos as simple pocket camera and laptop. I will also bring my cross body flat bag (alini) instead of the travel vest with all the pockets. The iPad mini shows through the hidden back pocket and could make me a target for backpack slashers. Although I am basically in safe settings one must err on the side of caution.

Van is home already. We all miss Grandpa, he was a big hit. But I admit to feeling more confident with my Spanish and navigation skills when I 'm depending on myself.

-jz

Week One At Casa Zimmer

I just bribed an 18- month-old into PJs with ice cream AND a sucker. Stella and I played in the neighborhood pocket park, skipping nap time altogether, with her buddy Kayla and nanny Myra, all afternoon. I have no idea what we talked about (in Spanish) but it was evidently hilarious.

Van flew home early this morning. Stella is still looking for him, he was a huge hit with her. We spent the week getting to know newborn Juniper and marveling at the truth in that old adage, DNA works in mysterious ways. Delightfully unique sisters they are. And we have been out to eat in places I can't do justice to in 25 words or less, including amazing vistas, incredible food, parrots, peacocks, and culture from three continents.

We had a layover in the Dallas airport on the way down and I was, as far as I could tell, the.only one there wearing gloves. Coming on the heels of the Ebola scare there (Did you know it could survive in dried sweat?) I thought I might as well use up a few of  the 500- glove-box supply in our hall closet, left over from stem cell transplant recovery. Van didn 't follow suit, but he also.does not chew his fingers. No one ( not even Van) laughed openly and a flight attendant went out of her way to tell me it was a smart idea.

The American Airlines baggage check person rolled her eyes at our luggage, though. Among other things, I was packing nursery equipment for Casa Zimmer in a 47-pound duct-tape-reinforced junker one way; the wish-list gift of an  8-pound adapted bocce ball set for a new special needs classroom;  and a projector purchased by Manos de Christine that would never have made it to El Hato School via what could loosely be called the Guatemalan postal system.

I regret bringing this iPad mini instead of my laptop, it is cumbersome to correct typos and not as capable of managing and sharing decent photos. That may have to wait until I get home.

I am ensconced at Villa Catarina de Bobadilla (Brian and Denise's third home since they've been here) for another week and then spend my third week with Iowa friend Sue Gnagy, two tourista days in Antigua and four days up in the clouds at Earth Lodge, volunteering mornings at nearby El Hato school as substitutes for the English teacher for ages 4-6 and 7 - 10 summer day camp classrooms. We've already had a great deal of fun planning books, songs, games and craft activities.

I messaged with a Lions Club district governor from this area, hoping to meet with a club, and mastered enough of Keynote to produce an admittedly lame slide show about our club/community to share (using my iPad and borrowing the serendipitous projector) but I am not sure if the meet-up will actually take place and my narration in Spanish needs work. Maybe I will post the photo of my club holding up hola/hello signs for you, when I can get to my iPad photos through Blogger... It loves only Picassa at present, which I Am not on.