Day: July 25, 2015
Work and play
This morning we all worked really hard. The creatures did their chores and I cleaned, all while it was raining outside. We thought we’d get things done so we could go on a hike, but when we were done it was still raining….so we went for a hike anyway!
We wanted to take Aundrea up high in the rainforest to show her the red frogs, and as always, we weren’t disappointed. The jungle is so dense and beautiful and filled with life.
We found the red frogs and Aundrea loved them just like we do.
We showed her the ‘stairway to heaven’ and she slowly climbed it saying, ‘this is sketchy guys.’ She’s as adventurous as the rest of us and wanted to climb anyway.
I showed the creatures a gecko egg I found at the base of a tree. Emma wanted to bring it home and hatch it, but we convinced her it was best to leave it in the jungle.
By the time we got done with our 4 mile hike, we were drenched in sweat and blue skies were overhead, so we stopped at the beach on the way home, to cool off. The water was incredibly refreshing!
When we got back to Tanda Malaika I dove in to try find our hammock that blew off the bow, and the farther I descended, the more it looked like I had entered a room full of bubbles….but they weren’t bubbles, they were 100’s of jelly fish. Most of them were females with long stinging tentacles flowing behind them, with a few scattered males. I dodged them as much as I could until I was completed surrounded, then finally felt that invigorating sting to my left thigh. At that point I’d held my breath as long as I could and my search was over, so I surfaced. I was still surrounded by several jelly fish so I carefully made my way back on board and washed my leg off and applied the vinegar. That really intensified the sting, but now, a couple hours later I have no pain. Just a pretty little welt.
Danny arrived safely in Paris after being awake for 26 hours, and is now snuggled down in his hotel room bed. I am so grateful that he arrived there safely.
It’s clouding up again and I think tonight after dinner I’ll make some caramel popcorn and we’ll all watch a movie together. Life is good. I love my sweet family and I love this beautiful world we live in.
More Terrible News
For those that know my parents and brother and sister and I, you know that we are a very close family.We have so much love between us and some pretty tight bonds. My brother and I are close in age, and grew up building the most awesome forts, climbing trees, playing on the beach, playing with match box cars out in my mom’s flower beds, and and getting up to all sorts of mischief that every kid should. As we have grown older we have continued to be best friends, and even now, my siblings are some of my most favorite people ever. I always know that when my brother calls he’s going to address me by some insulting name, and I do the same back to him.
He has diabetes and over the past several weeks has been feeling more and more ill. When i was visiting my parents recently, he complained of a constant headache and some dizziness, and we thought it was probably his diabetes. I texted him last night and asked how he was and he said he was dizzy, his left side of his body was weak, he had been vomiting and sleepy and his headache was still there. I begged him to go to the ER and threatened to catch a flight and drag his butt in. He told me he’d go. I stayed awake all night, texting him periodically to make sure he was there and following through, and after several hours in the ER waiting room they took him back and did a scan of his head and found that he has brain tumors on both sides of his brain. I am so scared and so sad, and just want to go back in time and build one more fort with him. Please keep him in your prayers. He is at my parents home in Idaho now and fast asleep with my Dad.
My Dad had a procedure done this morning where they put him under anesthesia and injected one of the two nerve bundles in his back, by inserting a needle in the area of his 5th vertebrae. These nerve bundles once deadened will hopefully block pain to his organs. I hope that he receives great relief from this.
Since I was up all night I was a bit of a Zombie today, so our day was pretty mellow. I made a potato salad for our marina pot luck tonight and Emma made a delicious chocolate cake with peanut butter cream cheese frosting. The creatures and I decided to draw and paint chameleons. It was fun to work on an art project together.
After lunch I decided to take a nap, and the creatures took off on an adventure. When I awoke I walked over to the next dock to chat with my neighbor and saw the kids coming home. I love the way they never tire of adventuring together. They always have such a great time and get along so beautifully.
The manager of the marina ran into Bocas for some business this morning and checked on the starter for me. It sounds like it will be done on Monday. Also, the driver that is driving our crates from Panama City to Almirante and then ferrying them to Bocas, will probably be arriving in Bocas with everything on Tuesday or Wednesday. It will be fun to have all the paddle boards and scuba gear here. Everything else we sent we can do without!
There were 100’s of female jellyfish in the marina today. They are fascinating.
I watched the most beautiful little 2 year old lying in a dugout this evening. His brother, who is 10, was rowing and he was lounging happily without a care in the world.
Our marina party was a huge success tonight. Most everyone showed up and we ate like kings. It was great to be together as one big family and socialize. Several people came up to me and expressed their love for the creatures, saying how impressed they are by them and they think they are the greatest kids they’ve ever met. I’m so proud of them all.
My sweet Darling is busy flying to Paris right now. I miss him and hope he will be safe. It’s been a long month without him. The gorgeous sunset tonight reminded me to keep focused on having faith, loving unconditionally and staying positive…so, that’s what I’ll do. After all, there is always far more good and beautiful in the world than bad.
Adventures of a Tribe 