Kevin makes it a habit to try and find me four-leaf clovers and he is often successful. And it brings me great joy every single time he presents me with one. In fact, our wedding theme was 'lucky in love'. Well, Kevin mentioned the four-leaf clover thing to Nacho and today, Nacho knocked on the door and I could see him smiling through the window pane. I opened the door and there he was with this four-leaf clover shown here. It was very sweet of him to remember. I will press it in a book and added it to the others.
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The weather has been unusually cloudy this week and it rained most of today, but Kevin, Paul and I decided to go on a little adventure down to the Pacific ocean to Quepos. Maybe the weather would be better. The road there is rugged and cliffs are steep... the views are breathtaking and when we reached the beach it felt hot and muggy (I changed into my sandals for the first time since we've been here). We had a lovely lunch at one of the local Sodas. Since it took 3 hours to drive down, we didn't stay long as we didn't want to get caught driving back in the dark. It started to rain quite a bit up in the clouds and the rivers we crossed earlier had all swelled making the ride a little more adventurous, so to speak :) It wasn't the beautiful sunny day we had hoped for, but we had a great time anyway.
I didn't go to school today because it's the end of the year and the kids are writing lots of exams in the mornings. However, I did meet Adriana (the dairy farmer's wife) at 9:30 am until 11:30 am to practice my Spanish and help her with English. We have yet to plan anything formal... we simply end up chatting about this and that. Adriana is full of information that gives perspective on the dynamics of our neightbourhood. It's always interesting and time goes by so fast. Then, I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for my class this evening. I picked Nacho, Paola and Adriana up and drove to Copey. It was a good class. I was happy with the flow. My earlier preparation definitely helped me stay on track. I have a whole new appreciation for teachers now. Two and a half hours is a long time to be standing up in front of the class. I think I will suggest that we cut it back to two hours. It feels like everyone is petering out in that last half hour... including me!
This morning I woke up to an email bank transfer for $500 from a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. I was so shocked, I just assumed my friend made a mistake and added an extra zero. My friend confirmed the amount was correct. This is just unbelievable! I can't begin to express my gratitude.... but I am so very grateful as I know the community of Rio Blanco will be when I tell them the great news! This whole fundraising experience has brought me so much joy, my cup runs over.
Kevin and I woke up early and we were both outside starting our chores at 7 am. I worked in the garden with Clara, weeding. Then I planted potatoes, leek and snow peas. Kevin cleaned out the shed and moved the dryer to the back. Yesterday, Kevin and Paul set up the dryer only to find out that it wasn't working. Then they drove to San Marcos to return it. The guys at the store exchanged the dryer for a brand new one without any hassle. So, this morning, Kevin wanted to make sure the new dryer worked, and it did. Yay! So, now, we decided that we'll buy the washing machine, too. Kevin and Paul will drive down to San Jose and go to Price Smart to buy one. It's cheaper there. Our current washing machine is not particularly effective, and we never feel our clothes are clean. And it is very important that all the linens and towels are perfectly clean, especially for the guesthouse.
I presented the $800 fundraising money to the Rio Blanco school committee at 3 pm today. I wrote a letter and had it translated into Spanish by Catalina, the English teacher, explaining that my trip to Canada was primarily focused on seeing my children, but also on fundraising money to finish the kitchen. I asked Adriana (the dairy farmer's wife) who is on the school committee to read it for me, just so there was no misunderstanding with my intentions (I didn't want my poor Spanish accent to get in the way). I think they were in shock at first, then the tears started to flow, and the hugs and then sheer joy and excitement. We talked for over two hours about all the possibilities. We discussed what was priority and made a list... it was clear that although $800 is a large amount, it doesn't go all that far afterall. But every bit helps. Based on their expressed gratitude, you would have thought it was a million dollars. So with each paragraph that was read, Adriana had to stop reading because there was so much excitement and so many questions. Adriana politely asked them to wait until she read the whole letter or she would never get through it. They all laughed and listened intently: biting their lips, shaking their heads in disbelief, twirling their scarves as a means to calm themselves . The letter then mentioned my affiliation with my friend, Steve, who lives and teaches in California and who also happens to be a member of the Rotary Club in his town. He and I are working to create an on-going project where high-speed internet and computers would be hooked up for the kids to connect to other kids from all over the world, and then maybe a student exchange program. It's still early days, but we hope to implement an educational program that will have impact. Well, more tears flowed. Everyone is super pumped about getting the kids connected to the outside world and to embark on this new, exciting journey. And I can't tell you how gratifying it feels to be part of it. And I have so many people to thank... I am merely the messenger, the face behind all those who responded to my plea for help. They have asked me to tell everyone how much they appreciate your donations, but more importantly the spark of hope that your kindness has shown them, how it knows no boundaries. They simply cannot believe that perfect strangers would dig into their pockets to help a community they've never seen... for people they don't know. I have to say, that right there is what touched their hearts more than anything. So well done family and friends... well done!!!
Then, I had to pull myself together as it was my first night teaching at the Copey Learning Center. I was a bit nervous, not having ever taught before, but it went pretty well. They want me back, so I guess that's something :) Paul surprised us with a gift. I was feeling chilly so he handed me a royal blue pull-over fleece. When I put in on, I noticed some embroidery on the left-hand side. It says Hush Valley Lodge in yellow lettering with red lines above and below it., framing it nicely. It looks awesome! Kevin got one, too. Such a thoughtful gift. We love it!
Kevin and I woke up early as usual. We had a bit of breakfast and then got on with our chores. I collected 8 eggs today and got some weeding done... lots to do still. Apparently, although I took a two-week vacation, the weeds did not!
Paul came up to the house at about 9 am and got the full property tour in proper daylight. Then at lunchtime, we all walked over to Martín's restaurant for a bit of fishing. We introduced Paul to the gang: Martín, Clara, Paola, Brian, and Diana... Nicole and Tamara were also there. It was a full house (or restaurant). We all caught our fish pretty quickly (Paul caught two) and Clara prepared our meal the typical Tico way. After lunch, we walked back home across the log and up the hill to our property. As a reward for our workout, I made some coffee... then later some tea... and then more tea... and just for kicks and giggles more tea again. It appears that if Paul could get his tea quota intravenously, he would :) We ended up showing him where he could find the kettle, the cups, the milk and sugar so he could help himself... which he did. Bless. At 9:30 pm, the rain was lashing down and the high winds whistled loudly. We haven't had torrential rains like that since the early days in September. All the while, we were watching a special on Hurricane Sandy and the devastation she left behind. The river was wild, while we were dry and cozy inside. Here's hoping our roof stays attached to the house. While I was away in Canada, Kevin told me that there is a Great Blue Heron that now visits our property. The Great Blue Heron is my favourite bird; however, herons are sly hunters, and as trout farmers, they are not welcomed. Kevin had to surround the ponds with thin, near invisible fishing line to prevent the heron from getting too close to the edge and helping himself to breakfast, lunch and dinner. I bought a sling shot at Canadian Tire (a Canadian sell-everything store) and brought it back as a way to deter any and all animals that need a bit of coaxing. We don't want to hurt any animal, but scaring it away is a necessity when you're dealing with nature and the preservation of our live stock is at stake. I still love the majesty of the Great Blue, but my perspective has changed now that we have fish to protect. Kevin was practicing with the sling shot and discovered he has a natural talent. When he aims and shoots, he hits his target pretty much every time. His accuracy will be beneficial when he aims just beside the bird.... just sayin'.
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