To Eat a Salt Baked Potato

First you dig out a potato from underneath the mounds of white salt it was hiding under:

Then take a knife and slash open the soft belly and lay it open wide. Cut several trenches through the mealy insides to make plenty of valleys for the good stuff.

Now reach for the baked garlic:

Take a big deep spoon and begin to spoon the butter and garlic over the mealy potato trenches. Watch as the liquid flows over the valleys and hills then soaks in. Sprinkle gently with salt.

Next snatch the full fat, sour cream and proceed to cover the entire potato- hills, valleys, butter and all with thick, rich, creamy, white goodness.

The final step is without question the most fun of all: take those cloves of roasted, caramely, garlics and arrange as many as you want over the top. One if you’re actually a to be pitied, garlic hater, four if you have an important meeting to attend the next day, and eight + if you believe a day without garlic is a day without sunshine!!

If you want to sit and admire it for awhile you can but its good to eat it while its hot and fresh. Just figure out how to get it to your mouth. To maximize the experience my advice would be to make sure there is a clove of that rich, garlic on top of each bite- like the proverbial cherry!!

Tumultuous Travels part 1

So I left for my trip home to witness the holy event of matrimony between my nephew and his darling with much trepidation in my heart. I left early on Monday morning while most of the household was still in dreamland; how my heart ached as I laid Veronika's warm little body in Alicia's arms and then walked out the door but I was excited too.

On my first flight out of Port Au Prince I had the privilege of being on the same flight as a couple from Germany who was flying home with their newly adopted son!! Tears came to my eyes as I watched tender, loving care flowing out of this mother and father to their tiny new son. I could see in his beautiful, wide, open eyes the question, "What is happening?" I watched and wondered as they boarded the tiny plane- I wondered what it would feel like to be taking your baby home and I dreamed of the day, my day! when Veronika and I will step on the airplane together for the first time! It was very special to me to witness this event. In a country where many of the little children are knocked around, sold for slavery, or abandoned on the streets it just seems so incredibly kind and good to see one rescued, loved, cared for...

Then as we sailed above huge, billows of gorgeous white clouds I looked out of my window and saw a big, brilliant, rainbow and I knew God was telling me, "Its going to be ok!!" So I relaxed!

After a brief stopover in Santo Domingo I was reboarding the tiny plane, going up the flimsy, narrow stairs when my foot caught on something and I heard a fatal ripping noise!! Looking down I was horrified to see the bottom tier of my best and prettiest skirt partially ripped off and dragging on the floor! Thankfully I was the first one and no one else saw what had happened... My mind turned several fast spins then I realized the only option really was to just go ahead and tear it off completely!! So I giggled quietly to myself as I scootched down in my seat and quickly tore it off and stuffed it in my sweater pocket where it safely stayed till I had the opportunity to stuff it into my carry-on! And I continued on my way with a much shorter and lighter skirt which was slightly uncomfortable as that is not my style at all to walk around in airports with a torn off skirt but there was no point in fretting over something that could not be helped so I just didn’t look.

My flights were booked tight, I had no time to pause for a bite to eat and since the airlines are too tight to serve pretzels I saturated myself with cold apple juice to keep my sugar levels up so I wouldn't pass out!

But, Oh joy when my flight arrived 30 min. early and then here came Amy with Cristopher, Micah and Marissa wriggling and giggling excitedly in the back seat of the car! All the way home while I munched on cheese, blessed cheese, the kinner kept me entertained with tales from school!! It was hilarious and somewhat shocking to realize again that they are growing up way too fast!

At Rachel's house there was warm supper waiting:

coconut, chicken stew with fresh fragrant cilantro,

salt baked potatoes with real sour cream, and baked garlic with real butter!

There was also cold milk, hot, spiced cider and cold cider and kamboucha to drink!!

And then of course there were the babies, rolly-polly and cute as can be:

 

 

Jax drinking his beloved kamboucha:

Marissa fell asleep on the living room floor:

And what a blessed sight this was:

And that was the evening of the first day! I looked back over it and thought that it was good!

So the first evening at my sister's house was great! so great in fact that Rachel, Amy and I just couldn't seem to get to bed! In the wee hours of the morning we were still sitting in the bedroom talking when suddenly there was the sound of something hitting the window! All three of us looked at each other and said, "What was that?" We figured it was some ice that was left over from the recent snow storm till we heard it on the other window! We all looked at each other again, Amy swallowed hard and I wished for a man in my life who would open the window and holler out to whoever was trying to scare us. It was the night of halloween so we figured it was prolly some unruly nieghbor boy trying to scare us and he was definitley succeeding. After several minutes passed and there was another bang we decided its time to watch- so we turned out the lights and stood by the windows staring out into the night trying to catch a glimpse of the naughty neighbor boy. Rachel saw there was something on the window sill but couldn't make out what it was, and then low and behold I saw a little head appear out on the porch. Thinking Micah had prolly heard the noise and was going out to investigate I decided this is it, we are the bosses of this house and I was going to find out who was doing this to us! I marched out to the front door yanked it open and there stood Christopher. He jumped when he heard the door open then came streaking in past me and dashed down the basement steps giggling and shouted back, "It was me!!" We went down and dug him out and demanded an explanation! He had gotten up to use the bathroom and saw we were still up so he decided to take advantage! He picked up some little toys, went out and threw them against the windows then came back inside and listened outside the bedroom door to see if we were paying attention! When he heard us talking about it he dashed out and did it again... the little stinker couldn't stop laughing because he had been so successful!! And he is having fun telling all his friends about it! The amazing thing about this story is that Christopher is usually the biggest scardy cat on the block and to think he would actually go out in the dark in the middle of halloween night is almost unbelievable. Oh well, I guess he's growing up!!

Tumultuous Travels and Are They Worth It?

In June when I went to the states for a two week furlough my trip started out on the wrong foot and pretty much stayed that way. I missed my first flight out of Haiti due to a terrible traffic snarl in the city, I actually thought that this time we might actually never get out but of course in the end we did but I had to fly stand-by all the way home and my sisters had to wait for many long hours till I finally straggled in at midnight instead of the original 5:30. We had planned a lovely evening eating out at an Asian  bistro but of course by the time I got there the party spirit had long departed and we just wanted to get home the quickest way possible so instead of spring rolls and peanut sauce I ate a crunchy apple and drank a pint of cold milk.

My very good friend was going on a trip with her husband-leaving at 6:00 the next morning and they wouldn't be back till after my furlough was over so this dear friend came to my sister’s house at 1:00 am to be able to see me for a bit. It was very special but definitely not the quality time we had looked forward too.

Then we packed up to travel to MI where my cousin was getting married and where we expected to spend a lovely weekend enjoying good food and friends. Instead we ended up halfway there broken down and the van we had rented didn’t get fixed till the wedding was long over. Not only that- we walked with 5 kids and a whole bunch of heavy luggage down the city sidewalk for several miles till we finally found  a motel. Thankfully the people there were very helpful and sympathetic, making  an exception to the discharge time to accommodate our needs without emptying our wallets. And thankfully there was a store to buy diapers and a nice restaurant right next door!

When the van finally got fixed we were undecided about whether to go  on to MI or just go home again. I really wanted to go on to MI so we did but by the time we got there the wedding was over and the party spirit was gone along with all the good food… and though it was nice to see the cousins the party was just plain over and we wished we would have saved money and time and just gone home instead.

The climate change proved to be too much for my culture-shocked body and I came down with a terrible cold, sore throat, fever, and a relentless cough which hung on for the duration of my furlough including the entire weekend of our family reunion. I wandered through stores in  a fevered daze trying desperately to remember what it was that I had wanted to for sure buy. Several times I left things thinking I’ll buy this next time I come to this store never thinking that this was my only chance so in the end I flew back to Haiti without things I actually needed badly and with my suitcase packed with things I didn’t need so much. –very frustrating…

As for the family reunion- it was great seeing everyone but I found myself many times in a daze not able to think clearly to talk about the things I had planned to discuss with the sisters. For months I had looked forward with great anticipation to singing with the nieces and nephews but my voice was so gone I could barely squeak so I just had to sit and listen. I was often homesick for Veronika thinking how much she would enjoy being here with her cousins and feeling guilty for eating so much good healthy food and not being able to provide them for my baby. As a result I moved rather quietly through the reunion weekend without spending real quality time with anyone.

I was undergoing some intense therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome which took a chunk out of each day and then I found out the insurance I have with the mission won’t cover the therapy but would have covered expensive surgery… So I was left with a big bill. Thankfully I had an inside connection and was able to get  a big discount but like everything else in life it wasn’t free!

Now four months later-

My second to oldest  nephew is getting married! It is a memorable event- the first of the 40 nieces and nephew to make that big step from single youth to married couple. No doubt soon to produce offspring, as in my family we believe in reproducing ourselves many times over so as not to deprive the world of our gracious presence, which will make me a great aunt!!

So several months ago I had my sister start looking for a cheap ticket to come home for the wedding… weeks and then months went by and still no ticket appeared. What the problem was I will never know for sure… Meanwhile the arrangements I had made for Veronika while I was gone fell through and I thought maybe this was God telling me to stay here and not even go to the wedding since I still didn’t have a ticket yet. I actually gave it up and had no plans to go till I was persuaded I was being ridiculous and that Veronika would not be permanently damaged by getting a little less attention than usual staying here at the children's home instead of with my friend as I had originally planned. So I notified my sister and she agreed to find a ticket.

Meanwhile I got sick, terribly sick. My whole body, every inch was sick. I could hardly move from my bed except to use the bathroom. I had fever, headache, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, every bone ached, I broke with sores… I can’t remember of ever being that sick before. Malaria and a high infection turned out to be my diagnosis and for both- high doses of strong meds. Meds so toxic they cause mental disturbance- nightmares of floating above my bed, of men talking outside my window, of the devil holding my arm…It was awful not to mention the dizziness that was so severe I could barely open my eyes-this lasted for 8 terrible days but by far the most terrible part was seeing Veronika’s hurt confusion when I didn’t respond to her needs and when she had to be shut out of my bedroom because  I could not deal with her noise and bouncing. Not only that but we got a work team of 5 guys so that left Sulley and Alicia to deal with 7 small children plus cooking, laundry and hosting of the work team all by themselves.

Then my itinerary for my ticket came and lo and behold it was for days earlier than I could even think of leaving. In fact I was still so sick I knew there was no way I would even have the strength to travel at that time and I could not think of leaving Veronika in the distraught shape she was in and while the work team was still here. Again it was a terrible time- my travel time less than a week away and now the wrong dates. I was crushed. I had been so determined that this time I would take plenty of precautions to try to avoid some of the nightmares of my previous visit home and already everything seemed to be on the wrong foot. After many phone calls and many hundreds of dollars later I got another ticket for the correct dates!! Praise God!

Now I plan to put these things behind me and move ahead. I am regaining my strength, and trying to get Veronika straightened out before I leave on Mon. morning. I dread with all my heart leaving her behind for 8 days. Once that child is legally mine I will probably sob and weep for at least a couple weeks just for pure joy- but until then I just have to trust that God’s grace will sustain her and me during these times.

I am humbly acknowledging that I am not in control of my plans- Jesus knows everything and he is in control. While I am excited about being with my family again for a bit and making eager plans I know very well that God may have different plans. I know this sounds kind of selfish but I am really praying that God would bless my trip and that it could be a pleasant, relaxing, and successful time.  If you have read all of this and are still with me, could you please pray for me too?!! and for my trip?!!

Little Julien

This is the new kid on the block at the childrens home! Julien is around a year old and weighs only 12 pounds. When this little guy came to our house last week we knew at first glance that if we didn’t take him he would die soon. He was so weak and sick he didn’t even open his eyes; he just lay limply sleeping and sleeping. He looked so pitiful and sad.

Sulley cared for him so lovingly and gently:

And the little guy began to feel loved and cared for:

At first little Julien’s life was so sad he could not smile. His tummy was just too empty and the white faces so strange:

Now after almost a week he is looking and feeling much better!! He loves to eat!! And this morning he even started smiling a little!! It just makes one’s heart sing to see such a pitiful, lethargic, bundle turn into an alert, responsive little man! His needs are met and his heart is happy!!

Look At This Proud Cook!

Sulley never knew how to cook much before she came here and now just look at what she’s making!!

Now that the tortillas are done she adds some love to spice up the meat filling:

She puts on the finishing touches:

And here she pulls it out of the oven and is pleased with what she sees!

All of our tastebuds were dancing in anticipation!!

We ate them with a bit of mayo on the top in loving memory of sour cream!

It was very good! I am so proud of her!!

Happy Feet

The pitter-patter of my baby’s feet is music to my ears!! That’s right, Veronica is walking all over the house! It means a lot to me. Ever since I got her I have prayed for her to be able to walk even if she were to be handicapped. Of course it does not make any difference as far as my commitment to her, its just that I realize what a huge gift walking is… And now praise God, she is walking and at the appropriate age too! Sometimes I get a lump in my throat when I hear the pit-pat of her little feet, and the soft swish of her tiny skirt as she quietly but busily explores her world…

A day of exploring with Veronika may include sampling tasty tidbits of pine-sol, beetles, the end of the hose, and great gulps of soapy bathwater and handfuls of bubbles!!  It will likely include carrying eggs very gently with two hands so as not to break them and then finding out if you squeeze a bit to hard your tiny thumb will break through the shell… ( wow, that is a cool sensation! ) You might also crawl into the corner cabinet and play with colorful popsicle molds, or open drawers and pretend cooking with the pots and then get your fingers pinched when you close the drawer again. Other hot spots include the bathroom where you will always find a beautiful, pool of cool water to splash in (toilet), laundry soap powder, and tubs of soaking laundry outside the back door. On the other hand it would also include picking flowers with mommy, playing with my favorite can of rocks, running away from auntie, and having graham crackers and peanut butter for a snack.

Here are some recent pictures of her exploring: