Poco y Poco

Good Monday Morning ... It's Flag Day in Mexico today, but not a school holiday I do believe ... I don't think they operate the same way as Canada, everyone getting a day off at least once a month ! The fisherman still fish, the woman still making tortillas,or beds, or
washing floors and doing laundry ... always , always laundry ... I fit right in, except for the tortilla part !! 

School is going great. I have committed to another morning so I can get in the grade 5/6 class, the ones who received the National Geographic magazines.  I plan on using those for the next 8 weeks, having the kids present in front of the class, doing collage, and practicing conversation. Some kids have more english than others, so keeping everyone involved and
interested is the tricky part. In the past I have taught groups who all have different first language but are all at the same level in English.  It's all a learning curve, but the main thing is I'm there, and will find a way to make it all work.  The ideal is Yelapa will one day have a paid ESL teacher, and then all the kids get a chance to learn, right from Grade 1. 
I'm going to have to try harder to find some donations.  Volunteering is no problem but there are expenses that I would like financial help with.  I've already received some money from friends, to help cover the initial cost of notebooks, but I estimate I need about 500 p a
month, for photocopy and ink. These work sheets would go into a binder that could one day
become the ESL program for Yelapa Primary School.  Poco y poco ... 


I counted my steps with my new Pedometer ... 2,782 from my gate to the school gate, that's
1.4 km, if you are lucky enough to be able to walk ... and then you have to come back ...
I am good now but the first few days back, I was considering gel insoles.  Still not a bad idea but my Yelapa legs are back, and I'm grateful for the exercise.  It's a straight shot up the trail, with only Cardiac Hill to go up on the way there, and the Clinic hill to go up on the way back.
It's a great pain/pleasure experience; legs burning, heart pumping, bottom checks tight !!
People pay good money to feel like this ... and I get it for free, with the view thrown in to remind me, no matter what happens, it's still beautiful here ....

Settling back into my routine, putting away some treasures I came home with, wishingI had just one more wall to hang photos, and prints from the North.  It isn't as easy as it sounds, it obviously has taken some time to get this far, Yelapa construction involves many more steps, and most everything is not straight forward, meaning , not level, not straight,
not available, or out of order ... any number of things contribute to years of poco y poco.

Little by little is the way it goes around here, for most of us.  Good practice in patience and reminding us, if you have your health, if you have two good feet to stand on, you don't need very much more.  People have stopped me on the trail, asking about renting houses, " you can get everything you want here " they ask,  " no " I say, you go without a lot of things that
would be nice or convenient or make life easier, there's no room or reason to complain because it's the way it is, and the way it has been for a long time.  That's one of the reasons to be here, unwind, unplug, recharge and let go .... Life has changed with electricity and phones and Internet and Tv, but I believe Yelapa will always be Yelapa.  Someday we may have a
corporate takeover, a road, a golf course, a Mayan Village perhaps ... but that's not in the cards anytime soon, not the way I choose to look at it...

It has been a very sad, mixed up, hard to believe first 2 months of this new year.  I have not
had any mishaps myself, but loved ones and friends are hurting, and we can only stand by,
with an open heart, and maybe a closed mouth ? What to say when life turns into hell ?
When you are in so much pain you can't eat, or sleep, or walk or see straight, nothing to be
done but hold on, no matter how thin the rope, just hold on, is all you can do.

I heard of another young man, a teenager visiting with his family, who fell and broke both ankles.  A banister broke, is what I heard.  And our friend and neighbour fell, and is still in the hospital in PV.  Somehow the tap in the kitchen sink was left on and when she came around the corner, the floor was flooded, and she went flying. She has a severe concussion.
She may be transferred to Guadalajara.  Hang on Gracialla ...

The world is a mysterious place, and life can be so tragic.  We are in control of nothing, but
our thoughts and our deeds.    Don't let a few bug bites get you down, live to the max every day you can ... and spread a lot of love around .... it'll come back to you when you need it !

More to come ... god willing ...

lots of love,
kelley 

photos

 

birthday party 2014 at Mimis

 

 

friends and more

 

                                                      
                                                                   more friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                 Birthday lunch with Ana on the beach

                                                       Juan & Luz, Ana's Mom & Dad !
                                                             and my helpers !!

 

Luz loves where she lives too !

Always a Happy Camper !

 

Valentines Day in Yelapa

Back home and back to work, which is pretty easy to take when you love where you are and
what you're doing ... bliss and more ... a cool 15 celcius this am ...
A little bitter sweet to be back since Don Hugo isn't feeling too well ... but it's only a 5 hour flight north , 4 hours 11 minutes on the way here,...good tail wind ! 

Busy around here, with groups and weddings and Birthday Parties ... not to mention
The 30th Croquet Tournament .... and Masquarade Ball, a great success, as per usual, but not the same at all , really ... un real tragedy touched us all...
not just one inspiring,vital young person in our community dead , but 2 young persons , dead.

 Tony and Catlin. Given up to the greater good of who knows what ...
Nothing stays the same , everything is temporary, life is one crazy trip ...

Not to much else to write about now this week, just catching up.
Posting some photos ... and more to come ...

Look forward to getting back to school, and the kids say they're ready too.
My pickles may have to wait if this all works out....

Just keep on keeping an open mind an open heart ...
 breathe deep , stay calm, and  follow my path
xx with love
k