Excitement is always part of my life, although highs are always followed by lows and highs again, like rain and sunshine. There are moments that I wonder what on earth I am doing, meddling in others' lives so far across oceans. Then I think of all the people who made such differences in my life - from thoughts to actions, from thoughtlessness to wisdom and the joy of warmest moments. Above all the friendships that each left a mark and made who I am. so much to be thankful for! And a message that it is ok.
Much has happened,needless to say. For the title: Carl and I are leaving for panama this Wednesday, March 28, and return too soon April 3. It will be a great taste of a completely different experience. We are joining an organization called 'Floating Doctors" a core of physicians and medical personnel who travel to different coastal villages to provide medical care, and medical and health education. All by 17ft sailboat!
They started in Haiti after the quake, still have their main home in north Haiti, but now have ventured to Panama and will soon serve really remote villages in Nicaragua as well. then back to Haiti. I'll be sure to write a follow up!
In the mean time, wnt3ing to step away from my digital camera yet not wanting a heavy digital SLR ( my fibro-myalgia hands cannot deal with that) and Sander advised the Olympus! What a treasure and pleasure! I'll post pictures!
Haiti. Many things done there, the last one of which is delivery of 330 household water filters to remote homes in the mountains south of Pestel. Pestel is a city on the northern coast of Haiti's peninsula, closest to Cuba. A cholera outbreak occurred the last spring and was, predictably much, much worse this winter. An MD from Illinois, Dr. Carroll, is there several months a year, for over 30 years, and contacted the UN urgently. Nope, he was told, there is no cholera there. What do you do then? The 330 filters were a drop in the bucket, but it IS a drop! They give a family about 1-2 gallons of perfectly safe water each hour!!!!
Now we are collecting for larger filters that provide perfectly safe water for a classroom full of kids, or a ward with patients, or in the middle of a group of dwellings. those are $48 each and provide well over 100 gallons a day.
I'd like to add that for the household filters we had a fund raiser, and had a huge contribution,$670, from Katie's small school near here, and contributions from Poland and Germany (and Michigan and Florida etc etc) as well. And an unexpected, fantastic collection for $173 from a tiny regional church!! What friends they have, in Haiti!
Other than all that I am enjoying the contact with my kids, and their kids, tremendously! Spring has come, seems long because we're had barely any snow, like in 1980 2nd 1981, 1986 and 1987,and some time in the nineties.
I keep track because snow is what I love most.
The world is clean and gentle as far as you can see, and you know that all promise lies underneath, waiting patiently. So I go to Panama, when I really cannot survive in heat. I think I will let myself be dragged behind the 17 ft sailboat, barring sharks and piranhas.
One last question.
As they have/had no idea what was under the ocean (surface), the students and adults in Haiti also do not know what is above.
I am looking for donations of all level strengths of telescopes (we can fix a bit, but they do have to work) and microscopes. Simple ones are fine! I will haul them to Haiti and give them to this bright and eager group of students!!
Be kind and be peaceful. Rowdy is ok - just have peace.
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