Yesterday, John and Jessi went diving and I walked around the souvenir shops and then waited on the beach for them to get back. They had a really good dive and are all set up to dive again tomorrow.

Last night Ariel's mother cooked us dinner and his whole family was there to meet us. John was so relieved that his three brothers and best friend all speak English. We had a traditional stew called SANCOCHO. It is made with different kinds of root vegetables, chicken and pork. Some of them added rice to it and others ate it alone. I thought it was so good. Good thing for John that he also liked it, because twice when he had finished his bowl and was turned talking with somebody, his bowl was refilled! He was so full when he got out of there.

Monday Jessi took us to Sosua to walk around. She and John set up some diving and we had lunch then came back to our condo and laid around by the pool and walked on the beach. It was pretty funny to me that at the place we went to for lunch there is a 'locals' menu and a 'tourist' menu, Jessi has been there enough times that they just gave us the 'locals' menu. I took a look at the menu for the tourists and it was a whole lot higher in price than the locals have to pay for the same exact food.

Ariel arrived with flowers for me and we all drove to Puerto Plata for dinner with the family of the director of the school where she works. We had a traditional dinner called MANGU...fried cheese, fried salami, fried plantains, mashed platanos, avocado and fresh fruit, finishing off with bread pudding.

Today we first went to Jessi's church and met more and more of her friends. Then we went to a place called Sea Horse Ranch. You can only get in if you own a place there or are renting, but Ariel used to work there as an accountant so he is still allowed in. It was so beautiful...a huge pool with water falls with caves and then there are also places you can sit and overlook the ocean. That is where I spent most of my time...looking out at the turquoise water watching the waves. I could even see fish from my vantage point. We had food and drinks delivered out to us and later on, an afternoon coffee. Just before sunset, we headed to the restaurant and had dinner as the sun set. Another GREAT day!

Today began with a beautiful sunrise, coffee on the patio and then into the van we went for a ride out to Jarabacoa where Jessi first began with Kids Alive. It was a fun drive with so many things along the way that we just don't see on the roads at home. Donkeys with loads to deliver, a little lost calf, then miles down the road was a whole herd of cattle headed someplace. Then we stopped at a roadside flower stand and bought flowers to take to the family she used to live with. Another place we had to stop and buy a pound of this huge bread that is made from cornmeal. It was the biggest loaf of bread I have ever seen, it is baked over an open fire in a huge round pan, the lady just cut of a hunk of it and off we went. It is only made and sold in that area along the way and Jessi always looks forward to it on her drive to Jarabacoa. (2 1/2 hours away from our hotel) She made sure and stopped at the local Red Cross for me also. It was closed, so we just got a picture.

We ended the day with a hike up to a water falls. I could not believe how we had to get there. I am even more amazed that they were out there with Emily and Joshua a year ago! We had to go most of the way on these wooden bridges, we were so high up and there was only this one little wire to hold on to! There was nothing on the sides and the whole thing just bounced as we walked along. Oh well, I made it out there and back and it was a beautiful falls.

Yesterday we spent the day at Ocean World. Ariel has a neighbor that is an animal trainer there and he gave us passes in. It is the equivalent of our Sea World. We saw a dolphin show, sea lion show, bird show, shark show, and walked all around in the park seeing other birds and fish. After lunch, his friend came up to us and asked if one of us wanted to be in the afternoon show. I decided Jessi was the perfect one for that. He gave her a quick lesson on what to do and then he let her know when and she got in the water with him during the show and played ball with the dolphin, then two came up beside her and gave her a kiss, then she waited and one came around and she grabbed on to it and it pulled her to the other side. What an awesome thing for her to get to do. I know the sign is backwards, I liked how it looked from where we ate lunch.

In the avery with the love birds, we just walked in the door and they were already jumping onto our heads and waiting for some food. I loved it!

So I forgot to add in the photo the Dalmation driving the motorcycle. I got the picture through the back window of the van Jessi drives around. Also, I just wanted to add...the price of this place we are staying in that is so beautiful and all is only $65 a night!!! Can you believe it?

I'm here!!! After a whole day of traveling to get here, flying all day on Tuesday to Santo Domingo, staying the night, then a bus ride up to where Jessi picked us up at the bus station.

We have a really nice place to stay in! It has three levels...a living room and kitchen and bathroom on the first, two bedrooms and bathroom on the second and the top level is a patio. There is a perfect view of the ocean from the bedroom and living room. The pool is just outside our front door.

Last night we walked down the beach with Candace (Jessi's room mate) and Ariel (her boyfriend) to a restaurant on the beach. It was half price night for pizza and pasta and John really loved it cause the beer was half price also.

Today we drove to the school where Jessi is a nurse. We had to drive through a sugar cane field. I think it was so hilarious all the things that they will carry on those motor cycles! There was even a guy with his Dalmatian driving his cycle for him! We walked around the village and Jessi introduced us to so many people that have become a part of her life. Then we had lunch at the school with all the kids. Did you see the size of that pot of rice...the spoon to stir it is even better.

I'm all ready to go...in just a few more hours I'm off to the Dominican Republic to see Jessi! I had the tickets rerouted from Miami, instead we go through Dallas...which on Saturday, it looked like IKE was headed straight for the Keys and Miami. Now it has switched direction and is headed up the Gulf towards Texas. Oh well, I am pretty sure we will dodge the storm. The edges of IKE passed by Jessi on Sunday morning...a lot of wind, but no damage in her area. I'll do my best to get pictures up on the blog as often as possible, I'm not sure how often that will be...the last time I talked to her, she had a full schedule of things for us to do and see and eat and so between that and the typical power outage, I may be waiting to tell you all about my trip until I get back home. ADIOS!

Oh yes, just thought you should see how ready John is...

The Portland Zoo has a new baby elephant.

As a 'last day of summer-before school starts' treat, Rachel and Emily and Joshua and I went to the zoo. We had so much fun looking at all of the animals. We took a picnic lunch and ate in the sunshine while it is still sunny and warm out and enjoyed the time before school begins. Joshua has decided he does not like his picture taken...hence, the hood over his face for the picture.


This mother orangutan kept eating these leaves while her baby posed for pictures with Joshua and Emily. Joshua didn't seem to mind posing for THAT picture.

Emily has a new camera and has gotten really good at taking pictures. I think she is taking after me with always wanting to take a picture. Aren't digital cameras the BEST?

I didn't write this little poem, it came to me from the internet.

*KEEPER*

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat, lawn mower in his hand and Mom in a house dress and dish-towel in hers. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen
door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep. It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there would always be more. But then I had to face a death, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away...never to return. So...while we have it... it's best we love it... and care for it.... and fix it when it's broken..... and heal it when it's sick. This is true... for marriage.... and old cars.... and children with bad report cards..... dogs and cats with bad hips.... and aging parents.... and grandparents. We love them and hold on to them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special.... and so, we keep them close!

Yesterday, I had lunch with two of my friends from high school. I won't say old friends because we for sure are not old! Terri (in green) was my Maid of Honor and Melanie (in yellow) was a candle lighter in my wedding. These are two other special (not old) friends of mine. We met up for Alison's daughter's wedding last month. I met Alison (left) and Maria (middle) when we shared a cabin at Outdoor School when we were in the 6th grade. We learned a song at camp that year...

"MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD, ONE IS SILVER AND THE OTHER GOLD."

Do you know your neighbors? (sounds like Mr. Rogers, huh?) Well, where we live, the neighbors are not just a few steps away, like in a city neighborhood. We have met, but not really talked, we finally got to know a couple of them, but then one of them moved and the new neighbors moved in and we said hello, but nothing much more than that, like I didn't even know their last names. One family, I didn't know their first or last names, or even how many lived there. So finally I decided we needed to get to know them and invited the 4 closest families to come over for a BBQ.

It was so fun. 24 of us in all. Unfortunately, just as we all sat down to eat, little rain drops started falling. We tried to ignore them, but the drops got bigger...and more of them. So we all moved under the upper deck to wait it out and finish eating...by the time we were done eating, it was all out raining...and the rain was getting us soaked under the deck also. I convinced everyone it was time to move us all inside. In spite of the rain, we had a really good time getting to know each other finally and everyone promised that we would make sure and meet up on a regular basis from now on.

Dessert. I had tons of recipes that I have been wanting to try out, so I made a bunch of tiny little bite sized ones. I can't decide which was my favorite. There were the usual Smores, which the kids made even in the rain once the adults went inside. Then the top are cream cheese and raspberry in puff pastry. Left are three kinds of cookies, Lime Meltaways, Cinnamon Bites, and Lemon Crisps. The last ones are dark chocolate and raspberry triangles, and Marion berry squares. Good thing they were small, even if you took one of each, you still only had a tiny plate full.

Spa Day

Last week my sisters and Mom and I, enjoyed a day at a new local spa. We started out with lunch, then had a hot stone massage, followed by a dip in the salt water pool.

It was the beginning of a perfect day!

mmmm...... I wait all winter for this...iced americano...two shots of hot espresso, a shot of vanilla poured over ice, stirred, adding in a little more ice, then topped off with milk. I don't know why it does not taste good in the winter, but it is my favorite way to drink espresso in the summer.

It is so good to be back home again. Last night we had dinner at John and Rachel's. They cooked and I got to play with the kids.