Well, 2009 is coming to a close and it has certainly been an experience this year!
The highlight, of course, was the political crisis here in Honduras with the President of the country being legally removed (and I stress “legally”), a new President elected and a standoff as to what to do about the exiled ex-President who is sitting in the Brazilian Embassy still trying to keep his country in chaos.
Meanwhile, at home we have lost pets (not literally - but our lovely dog died this past May), I traveled to Europe for the first time in my life. I found a very close friend (JoAnn) in the States after losing touch for more than 20 years and flew back to Florida for a visit with for 10 days. I had a wonderful time and managed to spend time with other friends and family. I thank them all for the wonderful time I had this year both in Europe and in Florida. Now, however, we continue to meet new challenges at home on the island!
I have been busy with a new found interest in my crocheting skills - filet crochet. I have produced many items (not dollies however) to hang and have begun quilting projects. In the meantime, I continue making baskets, cards and creating books/calendars through an internet connection to give to friends and family. One such effort was a recreation of my family tree to share with my family.
We have had a few dinner parties this past year and one large party this week as a prelude to New Year’s Eve. We have made side trips to the coast for medical checkups and found a great clinic and doctors to go to in La Ceiba. My husband had his cataracts removed and his eyesight sharpened; his gout has drifted into the background, thank goodness, and my cholesterol level is at a good number! We both celebrated getting older by another year recently and look forward to continued good health.
We trimmed the hedge in our front yard (heck cut it down by ½) and it just recently returned to its former glory. We cleaned up the back of our lot to create, eventually, a lovely place to walk through. I’ve put in plants to boarder the sidewalk coming up from the beach - and they all lived! Hooray.
We lost about 8 palm trees (there’s that word again) on the beach which we were most unhappy about. This was due to lethal yellowing which we have been trying to avoid by injecting the palms 3 times a year! We have more sun on the beach now and can see part of the dock from the house, so I guess it was a good thing - sort of! We have replanted the palms and will continue doing so until we are past this however!
Our dock lasted 12+ years but is now in danger of falling down. We will have to replace it next year, repaint the house, start more planting up the hill and I must have a “discussion” with my husband about a new method of placing screens on the house - a few of which must be replaced. So, 2010 looks like it will be busy.
We had gotten a new computer this year and, unfortunately, this morning I found out that our old spare computer may have died! I turned it on and nothing! A computer, I feel, is an absolute necessity if one wants easy contact with the outside world and I will now be looking for a spare!
On the island we have lost two airlines (we sure lose a lot here don’t we?) and were down to one for a while. A a second airline, Rollins, made a return to the island, but it only flies when it has enough people! The internet server to the island, Globalnet, decided to abandon Guanaja and now the only thing available at the moment is TIGO - a small card internet connection which comes through a cell phone service, but is very SLOW….and I mean slow. We are just glad that we have our satellite service!
The island has lost more and more of its tourism, mostly due this year to the political crises. We have a new resort (Clearwater Paradise) fully operational on the “other side” and wish them the best of luck with their business. Of course it is always hard to start up a new business and usually takes several years to gain a foothold. It will be more difficult for them with all the problems the island has encountered but we are keeping our fingers crossed for them!
We had a few deaths this year; Marianne, Capt. Al’s ex-wife and companion passed away, and a former resident of the island, Ivey, died. We celebrated many birthdays and the addition of a new couple; Laurent and Elaine who are from Switzerland. They bought a house here and are ready to leave their sailing days for a more permanent home!
Overall, the majority of your friends remain healthy and happy, enjoying the peace and serenity the island has to offer. I hope to do a few more Blogs before the year runs out, but with everything coming up in the next few days I may have to save them for 2010. At least it will give me one more goal to look forward to!
In the meantime, to my friends on the island and in the States, to my loving family, especially my daughter, Tami, and my son, Randy, I send all my love, and special attention to the Grandkids with wishes for a wonderful year and many more to come in the future!
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