Don't drink the water!

Oops! I swallowed a gulp of tap water when brushing my teeth this morning. This was not just a little bit that might have snuck down my throat. This was a whole gulp. Yikes!

I thought I was smart enough to brush and even rinse without swallowing, but I must be getting forgetful. Guess I'd better change my routine up a bit.

Ooh, that reminds me of that one time…

…

Once upon a time, many years ago, we were on Sosua Beach talking with some other Americans.  The topic was tooth-brushing and other scary things.

...

It was early August 1989.

Our family had just arrived in the country to live and work in Santiago for a year. On this day we were fortunate enough to have been invited on a beach outing with a mission team who had just come from Haiti. We were chatting with the team members about life on this amazing island. 

"Don’t drink the water!"

Team members quickly added, “Don’t even brush your teeth in it” - to which one of our daughters replied that we do, but we just don’t swallow it. One of the team quickly retorted, “Well yah, YOU can - because you LIVE here!” 

How weird that felt to have it said about us - after having been here only a few days and just beginning to adjust to the conditions here.

…

And here we are.

Living here again. 

But maybe I shouldn’t brush my teeth with tap water.

The little room

My first clue was when I saw a waiter hand a key to someone… 

We were having lunch at a beach bar and I noticed that people were getting a key - presumably for the restroom. Whoa. 

Does this mean that there was something nice enough about this bathroom to protect? Like maybe there was actually a toilet seat. Or maybe even paper in there. 

Such thoughts and wonderings were tucked away in the “interesting” file. 

After lunch and before we headed back to the car, it was time to check it out - so I stepped up to the bar to request said key and headed in the direction I was pointed - "over there, behind the kitchen." Experienced traveler that I am (hah!), I did remember to take along my purse just in case I would need paper.  And yes, I had earlier that morning remembered to re-stock the paper supply therein.

My curiosity grew as I came around the corner of the building which was the kitchen and found an interesting little building up on stilts - with several sturdy steps leading up to the sheet metal door that was indeed locked with a padlock.

I found myself remembering some of the bathrooms I had found at other beach restaurants. 

Like the one at Playa Rincon with a huge water drum with plastic dippers floating on the surface of the water - for flushing and hand-washing - all barely visible in the near darkness inside the little shack. 

Or like the one at La Playita where there was actual plumbing but it often wasn’t working. And, of course, I was remembering all of the bathrooms in this country with no toilet seats. 

All of these images crowded my mind as I climbed the big metal steps and unlocked the padlock. 

Imagine my shock and delight upon opening the door to find actual bathroom fixtures complete with toilet seat. Evidently so shocked that I couldn't hold the camera still!

It was like a modern restroom WITH a supply of paper. And things seemed to be fairly clean so perhaps there really was running water and things might really be working properly. 

It was even bright enough in there to see these astonishing furnishings instead of peering into the semi-darkness and fearing what one might find. 

Interestingly a small window on the ocean side was positioned at almost the right height so one could enjoy the view while taking care of business. Too funny.

Since we happened to have arrived during some interesting drama with a pirate ship run aground, the view from that window provided extra entertainment than on a normal beach day.

(Not even kidding about this.)

All in all, this was a great place and the little room was downright decent so I was thankful. 

I was also glad that I did think to take my purse along when visiting the little room - this time not for the paper I might need, but for the camera I never would have thought I might want!

Nice place. 

I'm impressed.

First impressions - and second and third...

First time back in the Dominican Republic for awhile. I remember noticing things throughout the day...

First impression:

Welcome to the sauna.
Again.

Let the sweating begin!

Second...

Dominican culture seems so… familiar. 

Roosters. 

Loud music. 

Dad with three kids on a motorcycle.

Ridiculously crazy driving 

Third...

Spanish returns.

This morning I was pretty sure I had forgotten all the Spanish I ever knew. By late afternoon I was speaking Spanish - while trying to grasp the vocabulary again.

Fourth...

Huge John Deere combine

A rice harvester perhaps

Segador

Fifth...

Not some bachelor’s pad

With no difficulty finding the place we arrived at our little flat atop somebody’s garage. And not just somebody, but a lovely French couple who know way less Spanish than we do and barely any English. With hand gestures and some attempted three-way-translations and hugs and kisses on both cheeks, we think we understood their welcome and most of the instructions for our place.  He gave us a ring of keys and we think that he was saying that this one works for the garage down below where we will do laundry and one for this door and for that door. We didn't think to ask, but we presume there is also one for the front gate.  The fridge was nicely stocked with a huge salad plate and bottles of water, CocaCola, and a few unfamiliar ones. And a huge round loaf of bread. I'm guessing it might be French bread - hard and crusty on the outside, soft and moist in the middle. Oh, and a huge fruit basket of huge fruit on our balcony. This avocado is larger than a grapefruit.

This sure beats the last time when we were dealing with less-than-new-or-nice linens and no empty drawers or shelves to keep our stuff. Yep, this is definitely an upgrade.

AND there is internet. Wahoo!!!

Sixth...

Everything seems so… French.

I kept thinking Wendi should be here - to appreciate all the cute little touches of food and furniture arrangement. Random trays with tiny cups and saucers on the bed and here and there.

I sure wish she (or someone!) were here to help with translation to French!!!

Gotta' head to the French bakery for breakfast in the morning

Seventh...

Night sounds.

We can hear the waves from our balcony. Looking forward to walking to the beach in the morning. Much, much too tired tonight.

I think we might be hearing the music from the disco in the other direction.

Eighth...

Starry, starry night!

Life on the road: Packing up and moving out

Date:  Wednesday, 1-6-16

Location: Rockford, Michigan, our home for the past two months

Outside: Cold 

Hubby is: sleeping

Recent happenings:  So many. It feels like this has been a busy season.

Made me sad:  Realizing that yesterday was the last day for Riley to come here for the day while her momma went to work

Made me drool:  Fettuccine Alfredo from the Rouge River Tavern  

Blessings:  This has been a good home for us. The place is comfortable and conveniently close to the new baby - plus we really this charming little town.

Reading: Deciding which book(s) to take for the winter - besides the hundreds of titles on my Kindle

Watching tonight:  Ricky and the flash, one last Netflix movie in this little place  

Working on:  to-do lists and packing list  

Not looking forward to: the stress of moving out and putting stuff in storage at the same time as packing for the winter nor having to leave that little grand baby

Looking forward to: walking on the beach a week from now

Word for the year: BREATHE

I’ve tried this “word for the year” thing a couple times now and think it has served to remind me of some of my best intention. One year my word was “less” which was pretty appropriate for our early stages of serious downsizing. My word for last year was “now” and more than once it reminded me to appreciate the moment rather than get stuck in stuff from the past or fears for the future.

For the coming year I have thought of the idea of “pause” or “stop” or "wait" - because I seem to need those reminders. To pause before responding is usually a good thing. To intentionally stop and assess my attitude or my behavior is often needed. But I think I want my word to be more than that. Maybe there is another that could encompass those and even more.

I think I found it. 

Breathe...

Breathing is pretty basic. 

Even my brand new grand-daughter is good at it. She may not understand how it works, but that doesn't stop her from actually doing it. And I doubt that she has a clue about how necessary it is for her, but if something (like maybe her bottle) gets in the way of her breathing, her little body can suddenly exert great force in removing the obstacle.

...

I could benefit from learning to be more intentional about my breathing.

When I start feeling stressed, maybe I can remind myself to stop and just breathe. To step back a bit and look for the bigger picture. 

When I get panicky or reactionary, I want to pause to take a big breath and think about what really matters.

When I'm slouching and/or getting achy, I want to throw my shoulders back, straighten my posture and breathe deeply.

When I start mindlessly popping food in my mouth, I want to remind myself to stop, take a breath and honestly think about what I really want or need.

When I feel angry or frustrated, perhaps that would be a good time to consciously breathe more deliberately and expansively - preferably BEFORE lashing out at someone.

When I'm feeling impatient, in a hurry, focused on the next thing, but someone needs or wants my attention, it could be helpful to remind myself to breathe. To slow down and focus on that important person.

When I become accustomed to how things are and maybe even feel bored, I want to notice my blessings and to consciously breathe in the beauty of my surroundings. I want to be more mindful, more present in the moment, more alive in my world. I want to gratefully embrace what is.

But I can also choose to let go of things. I can exhale the unhealthy. 
The unnecessary worry and fear. 
The unhelpful critique. 
The intense drama. 
The polarizing opinions.
The bad habits. 
The negative reactions. 
The harmful relationships. 
The damaging dogma.  

Exhale. Breathe them out. Let them go.

...

Deep breathing can affect my posture and my perspective - and quite possibly a bunch of other areas of my life. I think it will be healthy and wise to remember to breathe deeply this year.