Wednesday, April 29, 2009

NEW NEIGHBOURS

The other day we heard a lot of bird activity on our balconey off the school room. We walked out and found this:

We think it is just a brown version of a robin, nothing too exotic. We thought there was only one, but there are two baby birds.

Please don't mind our whistles, they sound very sad. We haven't mastered the whistle yet!!

Until I blog again.

Linda

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

LOOK WHO IS 40!!!!

Well, this morning I woke up one year older. Somehow, it felt no different than turning 39, 38 or even 37. Over the last few days I have received emails from family and friends from Panama to blizzardy Calgary and mild Quispamsis to even Africa! How cool is that! Thanks for the best wishes.

This morning I was awakened by two warm children crawling in for an early cuddle - the best way to start any day. Then it was breakfast, made by Paul. Why is it that food always taste better when someone else makes it for you? We just got back from the local specialty coffee shop where I enjoyed a birthday latte. Yummy! This morning my friend, Tammy dropped by with a birthday card and the very best presents ever - Black Jelly Bellies and black licorice! Both are a real treat for me because you can't buy them anywhere in Panama and I love'em. she also gave me a Spanish birthday card with an inscription which google translated as the following: It seems very cruel that to say that the men are of Mars. That is, that has made us the Martians to deserve that? You do not create? Happy Birthday! Interesting the way things don't always translate correctly. In a few hours we will drop the kids off at the Bliss' so Paul and I can go out for a nice dinner at the Panomonte Hotel all alone. Translation: I do not have to decide what to cook or clean up the mess and I get to dress up a little - meaning I get to wear a shirt without holes. I think I may still have one hole-less shirt in my closet.

Until I blog again!
Linda

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

LATEST TRIP INTO THE COMARCA

If you'd interested in an update on our humanitarian work, click on the following link: http://deadwheat.com/content/comments/water_project_in_kwite/

Paul

GOOGLE EARTH

If you have Google Earth - here's the address to our house in Alto Boquete, Panama: 8° 44' 43.90" N, 82° 26' 13.45" W. Check it out.

Paul

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

TASTES LIKE CHICKEN?


The other day we went bowling. Yes, David has a bowling alley, we had no idea. I like to post things on my blog that might be seen unusual in Canada. This little clip is of what we found in the bathroom at the bowling alley. I think it is a little unusual. Hee hee.




So not only did we get a game of bowling in , but we got some live entertainment as well. The iguana was caught, and hopefully not eaten. We hear they taste like chicken!



Until I blog again.


Linda

SIX LITTLE DUCKLINGS

Jadon, Josh B, Josh D, Sydney, Alayna and Jessica take the plunge

Thought this was a cute video I took at Ellie's 6th birthday last Saturday. We just returned from 3 days in Costa Rica and had a great time. I will blog about our trip and my visit with a friend I used to work with in Calgary in a few days.

By the way, Syd and Josh are only hobbling slightly now, their feet are almost good as new. Until I blog again.

Linda

Saturday, April 11, 2009

TWO LEFT FEET



The other day we were enjoying a nice visit at a friends house and the kids were outside climbing trees. I went out to check on the kids and found Syd in tears, hardly able to breath because of the pain. She had jumped down out of the tree because she couldn't get down and felt stuck. The other kids had moved to the back yard and she was alone. The jump down was approximately 10-12 feet straight down onto uneven grass. Not good. She could not weight bear on her left foot what so ever. Being the great nurse that I am, I elevated and iced and said she would be fine the next day. Not the case.



By noon the next day, Syd was still in quite a bit of pain, and couldn't bear weight. Not much swelling present and only a little bruising. Paul and I decide to go get an x ray. This is Holy Week. Here everything but grocery stores and gas stations are closed. You can not buy or drink alcohol during the 4 days of Holy Week. Stations of the cross are present at different locations in town. Many people travel hours to be with family. I think we have a revival type meeting happening at the local high school near our house and can hear worship music throughout the day. So, seeing how important this weekend is, I wasn't sure whether to go to a clinic or hospital.
Here is a station of the cross set up outside a small buisness on the main street.

Paul called the hospital administrator to ask him what would be the best way to get Syd's foot checked out. He says to go to the hospital and get the x ray done there. I, of coarse have been programed in Calgary. A trip to the hospital means bring books, food and water and get ready for a minimum 6 hour wait. I pack our bag, hop in the car and drop Josh off at Jenni's on the way down the hill to the hospital where we have our health insurance. On the way I am trying to put phrases together in Spanish to explain what happened. Words like "weight bear" don't translate very well by the way.



Paul, Syd and I enter the emergency room and are asked if we are Paul Day."Si" I respond. Apparently Manuel, the hospital administrator, called ahead and let them know we were coming in. I signed Syd in, which took all of 5 minutes. During that time, Syd was seen by the ER doctor and had an ice pack in place. The radiologist is called in and we wait. 20 minutes later, the x ray is done. The ER doctor shows us a spot on the x ray with a small fracture and calls in an orthopedic consult. We wait. Meanwhile I get a call from Jenni who I can hardly hear because Josh iscrying so loudly in the background. Josh stepped on a rusty screw, yes tetanus shot is up to date, and is bleeding quite badly and is in quite a bit of pain. It got jabbed at the junction between his bg toe and second toe on his left foot. Jenni's is not sure if stitches are needed. I talk Josh down over the phone and tell Jenni to call if she thinks he needs a stitch or two. Could you imagine having both kids in ER with left foot issues? After a bit, still no Doctor and I ask why. David is a pretty small town and most of the Doctors live 5-10 minutes away, so a 30 minute wait for a consult is kind of long. I am being serious by the way. The ER nurse tells me the doctor was in a car accident on his way here, not serious, but he called in the "back up" orthopedic doctor. I should have asked if the first doctor hurt his left foot in the accident, seeing that seems to be the theme for that day. In walks the other doctor who looks at the x ray and tells us in spanish that the fracture is chiquita, very small, no cast, no crutches, no surgery. Just wrap, support with a good running shoe, ice, elevate and use anti inflammatory meds for a few days. We leave 2 hours after arriving with the ER staff apologizing for how long everything took. I pay our bill, $36, and we leave to pick up Josh, who does not need any stitches, thankfully.






The Day Hospital





I have circled the fracture with sharpie. We got to keep Syd's x rays, a great addition to our home school room.


Now get this, Manuel, the hospital administrator, calls us on our way home to ask how Sydney is and if everything went well. This is a huge holiday weekend here and he calls us on our cell. Now that is what I call great customer care!


In the mean time I will be taking care of my little wobbly children.


Until I blog again,


Linda

Saturday, April 4, 2009

CREAM OR JELLY FILLED?

I have to tell you about the beetles. This entry is not for those of you who have a weak stomach or are deathly afraid of bugs.

It seems like rainy season has started. The rains come in late afternoon, then creep up, earlier and earlier everyday, until Oct, when it rains almost all day. Ah, life in the rain forrest. The late afternoon rains started this tuesday. The seasons switch very quickly here. With the rains, beetles have been pushed up out of the ground and show up in droves to visit us. Lovely. Two nights ago Syd screamed, I ran upstairs and beetles were coming in under the crack of the door, 4-6 at a time, one row after the another. Gross!!!! Josh and I turned out all the lights and headed out to the balcony with the broom, bleach and a hammer. We were quite a sight. We opened the door and there were at least a hundred beetles hanging out. Big, black, beetles. I started spraying the periphery with bleach, and Josh started hitting them with the hammer, then sweep them away. They make the sound of a peanut shell being cracked when they are squished with a hammer and ooze a cream-colored filling. I just got a wave of nausea and a chill up my spine. Sorry to those who have weak stomachs, but you were warned. These bugs are completely harmless, even a little dumb. They fly into walls and knock themselves out or land on their backs and can't get turned over. I should have video taped it, but I was too focus saving Syd from "The Attack of the Beetles." That was the worst night, only 5 beetles last night, so we are heading in the right direction. Apparently this will last for 2 weeks according to Abner, my friendly, partly english speaking, hardware store guy. He tolds me beetle in spanish was "becho". I have also been told "escarabajo" so who knows. Me no gusta no matter what they are called.

I just e mailed a friend in Costa Rica, and she said the same thing is happening there. The thing is , she has 16 month old twins who like to pick the beetles up and explore them with their mouths. Now there is a blog/horror movie title: "The Beetles and the Babies."

I will try and get a picture of the beetles today so I can post it with this entry.
Until I blog again.
Linda