Sister Act 3: July 2010

“Managua, Nicaragua, is a wonderful spot!

Coffee and bananas and a temperature HOT!”

Are you old enough to remember this song?? I am!! And it’s TRUE! However, they forgot to include beans and rice!

I thought I’d drop a note to you before I travel north for three weeks (July 19 - August 9). This way you won’t think I fell off the edge of the world for lack of communication.

A few days ago it occurred to me to start noticing the things that make me smile. There’s plenty here to ponder about, reflect on, feel sad about…but there are also many things about which to smile and feel happy! The thought came when two young fellows dressed as clowns got onto the bus and had the whole bus smiling and even laughing because of their repartee! Now…I suspect some of what they were saying was a bit shady but it was lost on me! At any rate the list began to grow and I so I share it with you. It’s been a good exercise and maybe one you might want to engage in such a reflection in your ‘neck of the woods’.

1. Clowns hoping to earn money by hopping on buses or juggling in the middle of busy streets thus making folks smile and forget about their struggles and worries about how to survive another day.

2. Beautiful dark-eyed, dark-haired, many shades of “beige and brown – skinned” children.

3. A 97 year old ‘abuelita’ who sat next to me on the bus this morning on my way to the office, clear as a bell, and delighted to know that I knew her ‘home base’ in the farmland of Los Filos de Cuajachillo. Her response to my farewell of “Que Dios le bendiga!” (God bless you!) was a pat on my hand and a triple “Amen”.

4. A ‘picaflor’ (hummingbird) in our garden that lets me know she’s there by her high pitched music.

5. The beauty of the countryside during this rainy season….lush, overgrown, green life.

6. An unexpected breeze that brings a bit of relief from the heat and humidity.

7. The incredible enthusiasm by everyone here over FIFA, the World Cup Soccer games. Everywhere there’s a TV, it’s honed in on the games when they’re on.

8. Beautiful, very different flowers and fruits grown here.

9. Hearing the loud chirp of our house pets – little geckos.

10.Seeing the small, white, wild orchids bloom on the lemon tree outside my window.