Tired and content

What a weakling I am! It's been far too long since I did any manual labor. Need to practice my hoe swing. I have blisters on both hands now despite using my gloves. Guess I am now "broken-in." 

Decided not to stay up late watching the baseball game. Ian (who is from Detroit) paced while the gang watched the latest novella saga. Had dinner at 8:00pm. Don’t know how they wait so long between meals, lunch was at 1:00pm. We dodged the June bugs and swatted mosquitoes during the meal. 

Need to stash cookies or bars in my bedroom, sneaking them as I feel faint from hunger…ha! No, really, I am not withering away to nothing…though it is hard to tell since there is no full mirror to be found. Just have to guess that my new regime is working and I am losing fat, gaining muscle.

Ana’s mom and I took a walk with Preta. Every time a motorcycle or car drive by, she ran after it half-heartedly. Jumped in the little pond then ran like a crazed dog to dry off. While strolling along, told Ana’s mom I have plans to find Brasilians to rent their homes during the World Cup then for the Olympics if that worked out. I will find North Americans who want to go to the World Cup and chaperone tours around Brasil. Ana’s mom is more interested in house-exchange…anyone up for that? They have a few houses and she would love to see another part of the US.

Hot day in the sun hoeing and preparing the beds for more kale.  Weeding in between taking water breaks and chatting with Ian. We solved the mysteries of life. Off to lunch and at a plateful of beans and rice (what a surprise!) cabbage and squash, then another plate full of salad stuff…enough for three people I think.

Tired today. Went to read in bed and turned off the light early. A bit more of tossing and turning, thinking about everything and nothing in particular. No worries these days about what I should do when I grow up or my next entrepreneurial project. Interesting shift.  I forgot how it feels to be more present to what I am doing, how I am being versus chasing after new clients or needing to generate enough money for the Visa bill.

This afternoon we will organize the beds to plant tomatoes. Need to string up the wires and start to dig into the worm bin. Dario decided we should raise worms for the chickens and hopefully we can convince him to use it as mulch on the plants.

I told Ian he needs a helmet to get into his bed-he hits his head on the frame every time since it is so close to the upper bunk.  He is established in the office area since they are painting the bunkers. The rooms are like little cells, I don’t know that I would want to stay there. Feel so fortunate that the space wasn’t organized before I got here. The open kitchen is nice, though. We usually eat lunch and dinner up here now. It is a short walk from the main house, the path crosses the driveway.   

The electrician and painter are both here. After a morning in the fields, I arrived and the electrician was making an extension cord. I thought he was Ana’s dad. He is Japanese/Brasilian and speaks sooo rapidly I have a hard time following what he is saying. When he asked if the cord was sufficient, Ana’s mom (still don’t know her name) chided him, she only wanted two short cords, not one long one. They argued for awhile about that. She doesn’t want to pay either one of them for any extra time. Ran into town this morning to get more supplies so they wouldn’t waste time waiting for her. I think they get R$15 per day (US$15) or perhaps she is only paying the electrician per cord.

The painter leaves all of his stuff lying around, places dirty tools on the counter next to the clean dishes…gads…Stresses me out. See what happens when I don’t have anything bigger to worry about?

I made the mistake of throwing Preta some bits of fat from the beans. She won’t eat anything but dry dog food…weird! So I gave it to the white cat. He gobbled it up then, as we were eating lunch, he leaped onto the stove ledge to get into the uncovered pots perched on the edge. A conversation ensued about cats, their antics and bad habits. Mea culpa! Ana asked the workmen if they wanted a cat. I like them because they keep the rats and snakes away from the house. The electrician told us he killed a snake near the house this morning…wish I would just see one and get it out of the way.

The maid was bit by a centipede I think. She found red itchy welts across her stomach. I lent her my anti-itch antibiotic cream. Luciana got instant relief. Felt like a miracle worker!

Ian helped me add photos from my Ipod Touch to the blog. It is so slow, I will send a few at a time with my blog. Maybe he can help me organize the sync and music. He has loads of movies and books, music and photos. My laptop may not be able to handle it all… Thank goodness for a techie volunteer!!

Drank coffee and had some peanut candies for dessert! Gotta wash some clothes…my now mud brown socks. Then off to the fields to plant late this afternoon until dark.

No strange food, no animal attacks, no broken limbs...ho hum...

Ate!