Random update

(another post I started in early December)

.....so it's cold here! (I know you Chicago readers will smile at that opening line :)
In the mornings and the evenings. Cold in that we all wear long pants and fleeces the first and last hour of the day. Our house is not air tight, nor heated. But it actually feels really good. Aunt Marie, the boys wear the beautiful gloves you made for them to school in the mornings - both of them ride bike to school. Thank you for such a special handmade treat!

The garden is growing more than last time. I think i put the compost from our dry latrine in too soon. The compost LOOKED good, but nothing grew. Plants are growing better this time. The dill from rodney and marie is huge! I planted lots of flowers too - the marigolds from Doris and Su are beautiful. Even if i don't harvest much, it's very theraputic for me, and a wonderful connection with other women who are gardening.

And we now have cats! (Don't worry, for those of you who know about my asthma, they stay outside most of the time.) A stray mama cat and her two kittens hang out at the back door. Martin and the boys feed them, so i guess they are here to stay.

isaiah and his lip and tooth have healed just fine. There is a wonderful dentist in Olinala who wouldn't let us pay him for his services. He says he appreciates what we are doing here. (What happened? We were attending the church service portion of a wedding. Isaiah didn't want to sit in church so he went outside to find something to climb. On the way down he slipped and hit his mouth on the cement - so hard that his lip busted open and he pushed one of his front teeth way into his gum. Also ripped to shreds his favorite shirt from Tia Doris. We missed most of the wedding as we were at the dentist' office for a long time. The tooth came out after lots and lots of talking - Cacho (the dentist) did an awesome job working with Isaiah who really wanted to just go home. It was a baby tooth. Now Isaiah eagerly greets Cacho when he sees him.)

My bike was stolen from the office last month and I REALLY miss it! The rest of the family continues to bike.

Tia D & TIa Su - Micah loves the book of puzzles you send awhile ago - does a puzzle daily, by himself.
This morning Isaiah and Martin are playing Racko.

Blessings to all of you!