Odds and Ends

I’ve added some updates from the past few days, so scroll down if you want to read them. Today I had big plans to sleep in, but it wasn’t even 4:45 when I woke up and felt wide awake. Why is it on days when I’m going out to the forest I want nothing more but to continue sleeping at that time? At any rate, I finally realized that I wasn’t going back to sleep, so I picked up my book The Bean Trees (I was about halfway through) and didn’t put it down until I finished. I think it was just about the best book I’ve ever read. Seriously, everyone, read it. Jodi had suggested Barbara Kingsolver, and I found this book of hers in a used bookstore before I left. I am now wanting to read anything and everything else she has written. The Bean Trees was seriously one of those books where at times you laugh out loud and at times you cry your eyes out. It was so real and so exquisitely well-written. I think I may read it again.

My other big plan for the day was to get caught up on laundry. A couple of days ago I realized that the first ingredient in my bar of laundry soap was “grasa animale.” I don’t see how washing my clothes with animal fat can get them clean; in fact it would seem that that would make them more dirty. So I’ve been dreading doing my laundry ever since I realized that’s what they make soap out of here. Knowing this now, even the smell of the soap makes me feel kind of sick. I’m not sure that I have a vegetarian option for laundry soap in Nicaragua, but I will see what I can find.

The highlight of the today was when I used Skype to call Nana and Grampy’s this afternoon. They were having a family get-together for Rob’s birthday (its next week). We had some connection problems at first—I could hear them talking, but they couldn’t hear me. This strengthens one of my Nicaraguan mottos: “First thing, always say I love you.” Last time when I was in Nicaragua, I got to use a phone once to talk to Rob, but we got cut off before I told him I loved him, and I felt edgy for the rest of the trip. Anyway, I eventually got the call through today and talked to everyone. I can just picture them at Nana and Grampy’s house—all the trees outside in their marvelous autumn colors and all the delicious food around the table. I’ve got a list of things I miss about home, and get-togethers at Nana and Grampy’s is definitely on it.

In other news, I am pleased because it looks like I may have company for my trip to Managua on Monday. I’m a little sketchy of the details, but Esther, one of the girls who works at the Hacienda, is also going to Managua and I’m pretty sure she said that we could go together. It will be great to have company for the trip, and also having her there will ensure that I get on the right bus and everything.

That’s all for now, until later.