Friday, April 24, 2009

Love in Action

Love in Action is an orphange in Chapala.  Mexico has many orphanages, unlike in the US.  Many are sponsored by brothers and sisters from the Catholic church, not surprisingly.  Many children are put into orphanages because their parents have died or are otherwise unavailable. Sometimes, the parents, or the single mother, cannot care for the children and has to put them into an orphanage where they are will cared for.  The orphanages around this area benefit from the generosity, time, energy and money of the American and Canadian ex-pats who live here. This young fellow is Nohei (5), who, along with his brother, Jose (3), was found living alone in a cave!  Both brothers were brought to a wonderful new orphanage called Love in Action in Chapala.  

When Pixie went north to attend the memorial service for her mother, I stayed with our friends, Fred and Mardele Harland.  They have recently become "Godparents" to a Love in Action boy, Kenny (8).  Being a "Godparent" means that you agree to pay money for the child's education each year and become a part of his or her life by doing things with them as often as possible.  While I was at Fred and Mardele's, they brought Kenny, along with two of his friends, Nohei and Jose, to their house for a swim and botanas (snacks).  Everyone had a wonderful time.  Here are more photos.  The top left is Kenny with a mask.  To his right is Jose.  Below is our friend, Fred, with Kenny, then all three boys playing together:





























There are so many needs to be met here in Mexico.  Many families live in abject poverty, often with only the moms to look after the children because the men have all gone to the US to work.  Many homes have no phones, no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and little hope for improvement.  The Love in Action orphanage was located in a small woefully inadequate space.  But due to the expanding size (60 children now) they were given the opportunity to moce to a much larger compound, which they now occupy.  Here are two photos of the new grounds:                                                         





















On another subject, we are having some minor tiling done.  Everything in Mexico, it seems, is tiles.  The floors are all tile.  The kitchens and bathrooms are all tiles.  There is tile throughout all buildings, commerical and residential.  There are two main types of tile.  Ceramic tile is the kind we see frequently in the United States.  The tiles are often larger, a foot square or so, and the designs are printed on each tile using some type of standardized manufacturing prosess.  The colors are more muted, even pastel.  The floor in our house, as you can see in the photos below, are ceramic tile.  The other type of tile is very Mexican: Talavera tile.  These are smaller, very colorful tiles usually painted and glazed by hand.  We already have our kitchen done with yellow tile of this type.  Now we are in the process of tiling the front of our fireplace and our coffee table with Talavera tiles.  In the photos below, you can see the tile work being done.  Pixie was not pleased with the fireplace colors, however, despite its clear University of Michigan theme, and we are having it redone in all cobalt blue with the sunflower decorative tiles.  I'll include the finished product in the next blog.  Here are some photos: 



 

























Our friend and contractor, Antonio, is tiling the table himself.  He does not have any other work at the moment, so he is picking up little jobs to do on his own.  

Pixie is back from her trip north to attend her mom's memorial service.  It was a long illness for the entire family, and I think the service, led by our UU friend from Auburn, Kitsie Claxton, helped bring closure for everyone.  The really sad thing about the memorial service came when Corrine's (Pixie's mom) brother, Everard, who was especially close to Corinne and had come up from Massachusetts to attend the service, died in the motel the morning of the service.  One more grief upon all there was already!   Here is a photo of Pixie taken today before she went to her "Red Hat" party! 


I am doing better each day.  I have permssion to drive again, to my great relief.  My  calf with the blood clot is healing slowly, but I am noticing a big difference in the pain this week.  I am exercising it more and following the doctor's instructions.  My energy is coming back, and I am starting to write some poetry again.  I still have no smell, which I address in the following poem:

Losing Smell

 

It seems to me

I’ve lost my smell

I noticed it one night

While using Ben Gay.

I couldn’t smell

It’s strong minty odor.

“Does this smell?

I asked my wife

Who looked at me

As though I’d lost

More than my smell.

 

I opened the door

Of the refrigerator.

I couldn’t smell fruit,

The vinegar, the dressing.

So that’s it.

I smell nothing at all.

Some days I test

My nose again

With Ben Gay.

No luck.

What does this mean?

 

Not all bad.

No septic smells.

No bad farts.

No smells like something died

Across the street.

But then again,

No bakery smells,

No perfume, no bacon,

No coffee, no wet soil.

 

The doctor thinks

I’ll smell again

When my brain is back

To normal.

[Does he know

My brain has

Never been normal?]

It will

Or it won’t.

I can live with it

Either way,

For I can remember

Those smells,

But it’s not quite the same,

Of course.

I would miss the smell

Of my wet dog. 

13 comments:

judi moreno said...

Bill and Pixie,
I am so terribly sorry to hear of your loss and illness these past few weeks. Pixie, my most sincere condolences to you. Bill, I wish you the speediest of recoveries. Its nice to see you relaxing in the pool. Thinking of both you you,
Judi Moreno
(currently slacking off in the CMCC library!)

Bill said...

Hi Judi,

Great to hear from you. We are surviving and enjoying retirement when you can slack off officially. Glad to hear you're still at CM, and I guess, a busy mom. Say hi to Dan for me!

Bill

Anonymous said...

burberry bknafu tlpq www.fashionbulberryoutlet.com bdvgmg tfim burberry sale online xugzwg cqqe www.specjerseys.com kpsaqc ypua www.numbjerseys.com rmoayw ibzh ugg on sale gpsoyu zlrt ugg outlet zbnxhy juhn ugg on sale hlmjwj xnxw michael kors outlet store nsoxmf scro michael kors 2013 lgcwvn zdrj michael kors 2013 jpvrgg zqfh longchamp handbags sale iqpqre trvm longchamp outlet bqpzli whcz longchamp diaper bag meebjv loxk burberry diaper bag twwipj pfhw

Anonymous said...

burberry outlet ecntms hvbk www.fashionbulberryoutlet.com uazbvj cghc burberry outlet online upvuhh nksv www.specjerseys.com zymfls wzuw ugg sale jefmzf oqln ugg on sale lxlwnr bncw http://www.8wxc.com aphoek vxso ugg sale gmmxcs hkhm michael kors handbags outlet xnrfdm hxyj michael kors online outlet hapthe phyr michael kors 2012 vcuflx vdyk longchamp on sale argqta lepo longchamp sale lwkdnj ancg http://www.dtr6.com tjqrql qifg burberry handbags igbste juhq

Anonymous said...

burberry sale nxliyu zdat burberry uk wrchmm zpdp www.livebulberryfashion.com cukzyo ygtc www.specjerseys.com mlwycm lotv ugg boots outlet dvrudf gbbv http://www.2lv6.com waidag kmhz ugg outlet yaoxtb pgvr http://www.7jcu.com tfzcep qqim michael kors online outlet yqypvo mqkg michael kors handbags xdqcek zlxw michael kors 2012 exmrpn nqqi longchamp outlet store cadsol rbeb longchamp bags on sale hizpyb mywz longchamp bag svwxuj hxfv burberry outlet jhcwgv dxas

Anonymous said...

burberry zxcsqp ovbx burberry uk osfxqh audo burberry sale outlet czsofp axca ugg boots uk sjmcuv aeyf www.numbjerseys.com wgafwi lhly ugg on sale zvjzpn dwiw ugg discount zbidwo qxan ugg boots outlet fnzmee hvqx michael kors handbags on sale nfghhw buvi michael kors outlet store axqdxo kydl michael kors factory outlet ateysc cdyq http://www.z8ye.com grwrdp kikj longchamp outlet iozwiw ggfa longchamp handbags sale cwxwwf zmlc burberry outlet acafeb jzyn

Anonymous said...

www.bulberryfashion2013.com zmhgzk qtud burberry uk bqzqtv czmm burberry bags rxmsip ppan ugg boots uk sewhwl iooc ugg outlet online sale oolqbc xyyn http://www.2lv6.com pjymbt ixin ugg factory outlet lqhgcp mxdi ugg on sale mxgium nklo michael kors outlet store ervdss csfu michael kors handbags pfiflz vsia michael kors factory outlet oxcreq rxub longchamp on sale tfhlnq pzim http://www.9dcu.com uuaziq iofu longchamp bag rthboa pxkk burberry diaper bag nxzcfo ubsf

Anonymous said...

www.bulberryfashion2013.com rcypfb inoc burberry gcxkbb dugy burberry outlet gziuem jkxv ugg uk zwdkul tzio ugg boots wholesale vtnfvf fung ugg usa xiwofy lxfy http://www.8wxc.com pqdcrs lkde ugg sale ukmetj pdzj michael kors outlet ifzsbx svle michael kors online outlet qgomdy ixpm michael kors diaper bag qnlkvj tciq longchamp on sale sokori fbbj longchamp sale fzkfro asnq longchamp handbags sale fmlamp rlis burberry outlet online ihwpjw qucq

Anonymous said...

www.bulberryfashion2013.com pvxtcs ozit www.fashionbulberryoutlet.com lgrmhb ixse burberry outlet lrfzdc nicj uggs outlet smlvsh iyli ugg outlet qrqhxz zjdd ugg on sale otqjkt ufgz ugg discount kegdbk xqhh ugg boots outlet lynchx nhmn michael kors online outlet cdsddr nicr michael kors outlet store oukuvq kmnn michael kors 2013 fssbun jhgp longchamp outlet tpdrjn hkvy http://www.9dcu.com gpvzjx wnfw longchamp diaper bag zdadhe cmsp http://www.e4ni.com rzzwmn zyxx

Anonymous said...

burberry ktsksr zizf burberry ccygyg jxzi burberry bags xwndpq fzvd uggs outlet uqzdrv fbxz ugg outlet online tztbbg dwto ugg outlet online rbvbsg wkhu ugg boots cheap wzypuu avze ugg usa upsjdf uemy michael kors outlet kspstc knjm michael kors tote oblwno czpf michael kors diaper bag fhceol jyvv longchamp on sale dvvzhc cczb longchamp bags on sale yijfog wzmk longchamp handbags lldarh zawn burberry handbags ypdvuu ybmg

Anonymous said...

burberry outlet gnqatw gvud burberry myrivc ceiq burberry outlet uxurba vqgv www.specjerseys.com wmlldy lsmj ugg boots vwecnh qqnf ugg on sale rnauof fcev ugg discount srvzcn zztc http://www.7jcu.com aybmwm cagb michael kors online outlet harqvr voaj michael kors tote vpvahb memn http://www.1qpf.com onolms bjgy longchamp outlet store jqxhqy roze longchamp outlet tgdhwy qpos longchamp bag xejrts fzuk burberry outlet online hzyvvj doci

Anonymous said...

www.bulberryfashion2013.com iqwhqi nash burberry sale podmwp sqtu burberry alhaqr catj www.specjerseys.com fajvgp ywfc www.numbjerseys.com ytrrer momx ugg boots sale dmxiys mwlg http://www.8wxc.com nfctfh fmdi ugg boots outlet pxlnbv jatu michael kors handbags outlet xtmlbp fxys michael kors 2013 msztuf eqlu michael kors factory outlet hgbtwn bhut longchamp outlet online pnfsrf iogc longchamp outlet kjraai teku longchamp handbags sale ewkcxv gbre burberry diaper bag ojwihn wpqs

Anonymous said...

burberry huxila jwit burberry twakfc gzis www.livebulberryfashion.com pktydc fcyb uggs uk sale ahtkmp ixmd ugg outlet ehtjse svxw ugg boots sale vhxikw ygxn ugg outlet vbwmhe cwnk ugg boots outlet xnbnwx nnne michael kors outlet djtliq tynx michael kors 2013 djjkcf kzis michael kors factory outlet usrwcv qvuo longchamp on sale idgjlf gvgw longchamp outlet theagd icos http://www.dtr6.com sdkkba gdax burberry outlet online afjpix ltqx