Caribbean Muse

Beautiful Bonaire

2011-10-16T19:35:00.005-04:00

I recently spent a week in Bonaire at Captain Don's Habitat. Such an incredibly clean and eco-conscious island, I wanted to share a few of my photos.

I had a great room, #36, with a balcony overlooking the sea. MP3 docking station, plasma TV, fridge and small kitchen area, a delicious bed.

This is their darling museum full of fascinating artifacts and history.

Brightly colored shops in the main city of Kralendijk.

Mega yachts in the marina.

The entrance to the lovely Bellafonte Hotel, yes this is "Harry's place."

This is just a teaser, I will be back with more of this incredible island. Personally, I'm thinking about moving there!

Still Roughing It!

2011-03-02T13:12:00.000-04:00

You would think now that we've been in our house 3 years that we would have at least the outdoor living space the way we want it, but we don't. Not even close! I even shipped my darling outdoor cushions, whimsical wind chimes and a lot of cool stuff, but the land is so sloped we really can't do much like creating a path of bamboo tiki torches until there is a path, right! Right now we're just lucky to have this great camping grill.

We all know how Johnny likes to grill!

I felt that by now we would at least have an area poured for my blow-up pool, knowing it will take a while before we can afford an in-ground. Of course I want it to be surrounded by huge pots of flowering plants like hibiscus, bougainvillea and ferns. But we also had to remove a lot of trees and don't have the shade going on that I would need to really appreciate an area like this. Ah yes, and a waterfall, my brother has a waterfall so naturally I need one too. They are so soothing and that's what I try to focus on - creating a relaxed and soothing atmosphere in which to write and enjoy life.

So if you're coming to see me, sorry but the outdoor living room still needs a little sprucing up!

Getting Back into The Routine

2011-02-11T11:59:00.000-04:00

Guest post written by Pete Spears

Just yesterday I was out on the town trying to get everything that I could possible buy to get my house back in order. My wife and I are both very busy people, and it's really quite amazing how fast the place can fall in shambles. Give us one week and every house in the room will look cluttered and in need of a good cleaning. We toss things around and junk piles can accumulate very quickly. And the dishes pile up in mountains and the tubs in the two bathrooms definitely need attention. When my wife and I come home from work, the last thing we want to do is clean, but something has to be done about our mess.

I went out to the movie store and to sears home improvement to do a few things for myself, and then I went to the local super store to load up on supplies. It felt like I bought the store out! In the New Year, my wife and I are going to have to change our ways and get the place looking clean again.

Need warmth, head to Hawaii

2011-02-03T13:35:00.000-04:00

I left the Caribbean about 10 days ago for a visit to Dallas. Whoa, what a mistake! It is freezing here with icy roads and rolling blackouts. I love the Caribbean, but even I am thinking about going to Honolulu or Maui to visit my friend Barbara. She just moved there from the beautiful island of Nevis and already has a job as a Marine Biologist.

This lucky girl gets to swim with dolphins, play with turtles and watch the migration of whales on a daily basis. Hawaii has gorgeous plants and sea life, great surfing and luscious waterfalls.

There is so much to do, particularly in Maui. Watch the sun rise over the Haleakala (house of the sun) Crater, at the top of East Maui Volcano which has an elevation of 10, 023 ft. Take a helicopter tour to see Hana, waterfalls and the verdant rain forest from above.

When you're ready to relax, check out the Old Lahaina Luau, where they roast a pig in an underground oven, known as an imu.

I can already smell the salty air and my body is nice and warm from just thinking about going to Hawaii. I don't care what anyone says, imagining is the next best thing to being there!

Dreaming of the Turquoise Coast

2011-01-23T15:26:00.002-04:00

I have traveled the world extensively but there are still many places I would like to visit, especially with my hubby who has seen so little. Those of you who know me know I adore the ocean. Looking back at my travel experiences my trip to Greece was one of my very favorites.

This led me to want to explore Turkey’s Mediterranean Coast, the Lycian and Turquoise Coast. So of course I instantly let my fingers do the shopping and started researching holiday accommodation in this region.

One look at the incredible villas really piqued my interest. There are absolutely stunning properties for as little as $160US a week. A week! I have to post some photos as these are very pretty whitewashed homes that glow against the blue sky and adjoining Mediterranean Sea. Most have pools and a beach. I’d love to hear first hand if any of you have ever looked into Lycia villa rentals, they all look intriguing; it would be hard to make a choice.

Pouring through a Turkey coast travel guide, I am even more inspired to visit this ancient land. In this region, there are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the rock tombs at Dalyan, the temple at Letoon and the ancient capital Xanthos. All of this cultural history and picture postcard beaches to boot. They even refer to this coast as The Pirate Coast for all the hidden coves and caves.

Off to dream of Pirates in Turkey….

To Each His Own

2011-01-23T14:41:00.001-04:00

I have to tell you about this woman I know in Idaho. She’s an artist, very creative, and definitely marches to the beat of her own drum. And well, you know artists are always dressed in wildly colorful clothes. They just have a signature style that you know when you look at them they are either old hippies or artists, or often both!

She recently came down to the island to visit me and had only a tiny bag for a week’s vacation. Of course, in the Caribbean you don’t need a lot. Shorts, sandals, bathing suit. Packed, right?

She came through the arrivals doors and nearly blinded me. She was wearing hot pink scrubs with chains upon chains of turquoise necklaces around her neck and a lime green backpack. Awah! As they say here in the West Indies.

After the hugs, introductions and welcomes we got her settled into the backseat of our little Nissan and I couldn’t help but ask, “Is that all you brought?” as I pointed at her neon knapsack.

She laughed and told me that all she wears now days is medical uniform tops and medical uniform pants. She continued to praise scrubs as she now wears them during the day and sleeps in them at night. She said she even wears the top as a cover up over her bathing suit!

I am all for simplification these days so I couldn’t help but agree how this could certainly save one a lot of money as well as time in decision making. So I wondered out loud, “Did you rob a hospital supply room or what?”

She told me she orders them online from a medical uniform company. My husband, who had not entered this conversation up to this point, could see my brain stewing on this subject. (You see he is the real clotheshorse in the family and I often complain about how much we spend on HIS clothes.)
“I don’t care how good you might think Mc Dreamy looks in his scrubs, I’m not wearing them, you hear!”
Oh well, it was just a thought….

Bring your camping gear

2011-01-13T18:44:00.000-04:00

If you’re planning to visit me anytime soon, I must caution you! Our home is still under construction and it is somewhat primitive! We have tons of land but only a very small house. So bring your camping gear. Seriously.

I would recommend a camping tent to keep out any late night Caribbean showers and those pesky mosquitoes. The Camping Gear Outlet just might be the best place to find what you need. They can supply just about anything you need for a few days of camping in the Caribbean jungles.

Other camping supplies you might want to consider are mosquito sprays, camping chairs and hammocks. I have a hammock under a tree near the house and it provides me with hours of enjoyment. I love to settle into it with a good book and let the ocean breeze transport me.

I wouldn’t recommend anything bulky such as a camping stove. They can be a little hard to pack in a suitcase and we have plenty of coal to start a nice grill with lobster and fish. Or we do have a stove and oven in our little house. Our shower is outside and a little rustic, but it works and you’re welcome to use it! I try to bathe before the sun goes down as we do not have a hot water heater. The sun naturally warms the pipes, so while the sun is out, the water is nice and warm.

I know, sounds pretty rough, and it is. But the simple things in life are the sweetest aren’t they?

Where's the seafood?

2011-01-13T10:23:00.000-04:00

It seems simple enough. You want fresh seafood so just go down to the beach and catch some. What many people don't realize is during the "rainy" season, the rivers flow into the sea creating very dirty waters. Fishermen, hmmm should I say fisher-people to be PC, that have boats can get further away from the river mouths and get to blue water to find the delicious tuna, snapper and flying fish. But for those, like my husband, who simply swim a mile or two out with a spear gun, the water is too murky to see. With impaired vision like this, they are unable to see the dangers around them such as sharp reefs, sting rays, sharks, etc. So what this means, is that six months of the year during rainy season we are forced to buy our seafood rather than just catching it on our own. My husband can make a fairly good living at fishing during the dry season, but he has to find alternative methods during the rainy season. That's why we also operate a small vegetable farm and sell sea moss to clients around the world. If you are interested in the many benefits of adding sea moss to your diet, by all means check out our website at http://betafe.farming.officelive.com/default.aspx

Learning the Lingo

2010-01-12T02:11:00.000-04:00

Although most people speak English in the Caribbean, there are certain dialects and pronunciations that often make it hard for me to even understand my own husband. As a "professional communicator" or so I'd like to think of myself, I want to really understand everything he says. Quite often I have to ask him to repeat something before I actually catch on to the meaning behind the words.

"My waist hurts."
"What do you mean your waist hurts? You mean your low back?"
"No,(pointing to his lower back) my waist hurts!

ok

Then there was the time he was telling me about a car accident in which he was sitting in the back seats with a drunk buddy driving. He said when the man put the brakes on he could feel the pain all the way to his nabel.

"Your nabel? What do you mean, nabel? Show me!"

He pointed to his belly button and I laughed until I cried. Nothing I could say could convince him that the word was N-A-V-E-L. He had been taught his entire life that it was nabel and so that is the correct word. Who am I to be the word police?

Recently we were discussing finances and he asked me, "Honey, when do you get tension?"

I replied, "You give me tension all the time!"

He responded, "No, I mean when your company pays you for working for them for so long."
(the light bulb appeared over my head)

"Oh, you mean my pension?"
I'm still crying over this one. Lord help me. But one thing is for certain, we laugh together an awful lot and that, my friends, is a very good thing.

Got highlights!

2009-09-07T09:28:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I finally broke down and decided to cut off my long mane. My hair has been long all my life and it is simply too heavy and hot for either Dallas or St Lucia weather. So I booked an appointment at Tony and Guy's Academy in Carollton because a) I always wanted to see what Tony and Guy's would do with all this hair and b) being a learning center, the price was exceptional $17.99!

I met my stylist upon arrival. She had green and purple stripes in her hair.I explained I wanted a reverse bob, to my shoulders, and that I would never never blow it out straight again. I have extremely curly hair, although as long as it was it was hard to tell, and I had finally decided to just "let it do its thing",so to speak. She seemed excited to have all this "material" to work with. She consulted with her trainer and went to town. And I mean TO TOWN. Three hours later, I was practically bald, had extreme curls and desparately needed a cigarette, as well as lunch.

I was exhausted from seeing piles and piles of hair falling gently to the floor. It was not even close to shoulder length, the length on the back of my neck is about 2 1/2 inches. My hair hasn't been this short since I was a one year old baby girl. But, I have to admit it did feel good and it was an excellent cut with tons of layers, texture and all those other words stylists like to use.

So, of course, the very next day I zipped up to Sally's Beauty Supply and bought a highlighting kit. Yes! I had my aunt help me pull my hair through one of those caps with the knitting needle thingie and did the deed. And it actually turned out pretty darn cute. So for $30.00 I got the cut, highlight and a whole new doo versus the previous $140.00 plus tip job that I coveted when I actually made good money. So, even if you're broke, you can and should still look exquisite. Who said you have to look poor?

Could you live on $2.00 a day?

2009-08-14T16:30:00.002-04:00

According to an article published today on CaribWorldNews.com, many Caribbean nationals are living on less than $2.00 a day. Yes, that's TWO US DOLLARS a day. In Haiti, 71% of the island lives on this small amount and in my own beautiful St Lucia, 41% survive on this paltry amount. It comes as no surprise to me about Haiti, but in spite of the rampant poverty I see in St Lucia I really am shocked by the fact that almost half of the country is living on so little. A hard day's labor in the fields often brings in 40EC which equates to about $15.00 US.

Many people are envious of the life I lead. St Lucia sounds so amazing, and it is. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world. But it is a very hard place to make a living and the cost of items are very expensive. Naturally, everything must be shipped in from other countries which escalates the price. Those who hold power in the government seem to do fairly well, but that is only a very small percentage.

Crime is increasing. Understandably. Men and women alike will do just about anything for a meal for their children. And only a very small percentage of individuals get the good jobs at beautiful resorts. So if this little piece of information serves as nothing else, I hope it will encourage you to travel to the Caribbean, to support these struggling nations and next time you go, bring small gifts of pens, pencils, books and toys to give to the poor children who go without.

Living without Highlights

2009-08-05T23:09:00.004-04:00

As I was working today, the television murmured in the background. I recognized Oprah's voice and looked up to see if her guest was anyone I was interested in hearing more about. She was interviewing an attractive blond-haired woman with several children who had recently lost her job. She was discussing going from an upwardly mobile middle class lifestyle to a much lower spot on the economic scale because of this enormous financial loss. One thing she said really struck me. She was talking about going to the unemployment office and how she could tell the newer patrons by whether or not they still had their hair highlighted. Those with highlights had only recently been laid off where those who have no highlights had long since given up the right to have that well-coiffed shiny-ness with perfectly woven streaks of blond and were reduced to the $5.99 box of hair color from the local drug store.

Of course! When I lost my well-paying corporate job, that was the first thing I had to really consider. How will I pay for my highlights? How will I keep my standing appointment at my uber cool salon every 6 weeks? And as I was considering a move to the Caribbean, who in that third world country will be able to replicate this gorgeous "Dallas" blond shade that can only be found in North Texas? I know,you are thinking how incredibly vain this sounds but seriously, it was a big deal. And as much as I hate to admit it, it still is.

This summer a friend planned a visit from California. She warned me in advance that she had not been able to afford to go to a stylist in a while so her hair was not exactly "up to par." I assured her that I had gotten pretty good at self coloring and I would see what I could do to make her feel human again. We found a close match to her natural blond at a beauty supply store and the result was really pretty. She liked it, but did seem a little sad that it still didn't have those glistening highlights that she adored from "the good old pre-recession days."

And only a few weeks ago, a friend mentioned on several occasions that my hair looked nice, but I really should get it highlighted. Highlights just make a girl happy. Highlights just brighten your mood, and apparently everyone else that is forced to look at you. Had we all become so vain? It is no longer enough to cover those hateful gray hairs that seem to pop up around my face like acne on a teenager, but no, now my success and attractiveness are based on highlights. Highlights are expensive. My dogs really would starve if I were forced to keep up highlights on a regular monthly schedule...at least until I write and publish that novel.

The poor single-colored-hair-lady on Oprah also mentioned the lack of a nice manicure. Now that is one thing that I have done for myself for years and no one would ever know that I don't see a manicurist weekly. My nails are strong, long and fantastic and look even better than those plastic fobs most women wear. No I'm OK about the lack of a manicure, but a pedicure is a whole different story. No matter how good I am at manicures, it is virtually impossible for a woman to do her own pedicure. Lord, even my 82 year old father regularly has a pedicure, and loves it, especially the nice glass of Merlot they serve while the Vietnamese ladies massage his pasty white calves.

I thought in the Caribbean that no one would really notice my hair or nails but they do. In fact, my Caribbean husband even begged me to highlight his hair! The first attempt turned out so well that he regularly asks me to do it again. I wish I could remember which box I bought that first try, because it has never looked that good again. He too felt shiny, happy, healthy and successful with a few well spaced highlights.

My BFF, the Duchess, came over for a girl's night recently and apologized that she was wearing ballet slippers because "she hadn't had time for a pedicure" lately. I shrugged that off since I am now incapable of wearing anything but sandals and flip-flops and boldly responded that "I don't even bother about that anymore!" Liar. I will head straight to Sally's Beauty Supply as soon as my paypal account is fed.

Will Write for Dog Food

2009-07-22T10:40:00.002-04:00

I love to write, but I love to get paid even more. Now I never expected to become a millionaire overnight from my freelance writing, but heck, I DID expect to be able to feed my dogs with my few pennies per click. With print publications going down the tubes these days, I am finding it increasingly difficult to make a living. One of the ezines I have diligently written for the last 12 months has not paid me in 6 months. Yup, not one penny in 2009 for my hard work. Needless to say, I caught on in about 3 months and no longer write for these individuals.

Oh I'm sorry that you can't drum up any advertisers. Not my problem. You entered into an agreement with me that you would pay me Net 15, yet that's not happening. And oops, you have hidden your company so well on multiple Caribbean islands and in off shore banks that I have little chance of even suing you for the monies owed. What was really a slap in the face was when you attempted to hire me as a sales associate so that I would find the advertisers myself(so that I could eventually be paid for my articles.) That was insulting. And for the record, I am not a sales person, er uh I AM a writer.

Next came a Texas firm that burst onto the scene with a contract and big promises. I took the bait and wrote 4 feature articles as well as numerous supporting photographs with the promise that these would be paid net 30. First publication was expected to occur mid June. Then it was pushed to early July, then late July. So once again, hours and hours of research, writing, photo shoots, transportation costs, groceries (several recipes involved)were all done for nothing. Zip. Nada.

Do these same publishers expect to get by with not paying their rent, mortgage, electric bills or internet service? Obviously not. But somehow, they manage to sleep at night leaving their writers in the lurch. Do they think this is a hobby, just something we do in our spare time. Do they assume we have some high-paying full time job with benefits and we don't need their spare change to buy food and medicine?

I'm frankly stunned by the way the industry has turned on those individuals who make their publications possible. I've decided that if my dogs ever will get fed again, I will have to write my own contract. Yeah, that might just be the answer. Demand 50% upon receipt of the article. Then I can at least sustain my household while I wait for the other 50% net 30.

Unsent Letters | . . . what you wish you could say.

2009-03-03T07:31:00.006-04:00

Michy's gone and done it again! Michelle L. Devon,proprietress of Accentuate Services and Accentuate Writers Forum, has just launched a new website, "Unsent Letters ....what you wish you could say." I don't know about you, but as an unfulfilled writer for the majority of my life, I have written literally thousands of letters, that were never mailed. In fact, I have kept many of them over the years because they were just so damn good, I thought they were a good way to capture my emotions about certain good (and bad) times and events in my life. Some were written as an angry consumer, some are to long distance lovers, there are even a few to myself and God.

I once took a life-changing course from "Chicken Soup for the Soul" creator, Jack Canfield where we learned to write unsent letters to individuals in our lives in order to air our grievances or gratitude. These were intentionally meant not to be sent, but rather to "get it off your chest" and move forward in life. I really gained a lot from the experience and have often encouraged others to do this to free themselves from pent up anger and frustration.

"Unsent Letters" PAYS for these literary rants and I can't wait to see the results. I'm sure these letters will be both moving and hysterical. Kudos to Michy!

Life: The Roller-Coaster

2009-02-05T10:26:00.003-04:00

Most of the time, life is pretty simple here in the islands. We live a little slower and take notice of nature a little longer. But sometimes, we all have one of those Jack Bauer hours that kind of takes your breath away. Yesterday evening was one for me. I was about to knock off from the keyboard to feed my five dogs when I heard the youngest puppy, Snyper, let out one short but ear piercing shriek. I looked out the back door to find him looking very ill, eyes unable to focus, trembling, sitting next to what appeared to be fresh "upchuck." He's only about 4 or 5 months old, my husband rescued him when he found him screaming in pain with his head stuck in a cyclone fence. He brought him home to me the day after I had returned from a long trip to Texas. We both really loved the little guy.

It took just seconds for me to realize that he, like 7 other dogs of mine, had been poisoned and would die a tragically painful death if I didn't work some magic very quickly. I called to my husband who was feverishly trying to finish his day's work in the vegetable garden before the sun set. I called to him, "Quick, come, Snyper's been poisoned."

When a crisis strikes, I am stoic, I am in control, I am emotionless, I am ready. Good crisis training in my past really has paid off for me in critical life and death moments such as this. But not Johnny. No sir, when the situation is most critical, he explodes with rage and blame and curses and refuses to help. This way, if the dog dies, it is all my fault. Typical guy thought process.

So I am trying to bathe the bodily fluids off of the little pup, while cradling him in my beach towel with the map of the Caribbean, while Johnny is carrying on about how I should have had all the dogs tied to keep them from roaming to the neighbor's farm where rat poison was apparently hidden in a juicy piece of chicken to rid the world of one more troublesome dog.

Twenty minutes of pouring milk with lime, milk with egg and charcoal water down the puppy's throat, we remembered a small bottle of an anti nausea liquid from Barbados, called Gravinate. It saved the last one who was poisoned. There was just one tiny dose left in the bottle. We added it to the baby bottle which still had a little milk inside. I held him and opened his clenched jaws with my fingers. Down it went, just a little spilled while he rocked his head furiously. I knew anything going down those poison-burned pipes must hurt terribly. Poor little baby. He took it like a man.

I was out of town when my two little baby puppy girls were poisoned and died. Only the male from that litter lived, because Johnny got this little bottle of Gravinate from his sister and quickly administered it to Brinkley. Johnny knew it was going to save Snyper's life. I wasn't as convinced.

While I was sending up prayers to God and frantically sending messages on my writer's forum asking for prayers, Johnny started feeding the pup milk and dry dog food. Thirty minutes later, he downed a small bowl of rice and lentil peas. I couldn't believe my own eyes. None of our dogs had ever had any sign of this much recovery. Another 10 or 15 minutes passed, and I lifted him from his bed and sat him outside, coaxing him to "go pee-pee." He was thoroughly checked out by the other dogs, and started his normal rumble and tumble with them.

Now I could fall apart and cry. And I did. I save mine all up for when everything is ok. That's when I go to pieces. I couldn't eat, hadn't all day. So I finally fell asleep in mental exhaustion. Before the sun even thought about rising, I was awoken by the sound of a tiny baby. What? Oh, we had been expecting our goat to give birth any day for a few weeks. I fought my way out of bed through the mosquito netting, and tiptoed to the door. I didn't want to wake Johnny, I knew as soon as I went to sleep, he was on the laptop downloading music and making CD's for some friends until very late.

I peered out the door, and there under the light of that bountiful West Indian moon, was the sign of a tiny life. I went back to the bed and whispered in Johnny's ear, "Lilly gave birth." He nodded and begrudgingly pulled himself from his dreams and went outside. "Look, there's two!"

Oh how nice, we were really only expecting one kid judging from the size of Lilly's belly, so two was a nice surprise. He made sure everyone was safe and we went back to try to sleep. Just a few hours later, I still heard an insistent cry. Johnny woke at the same time and went outside. I watched, two babies were with their mother.

Johnny said, "There's another here somewhere." And down a little hill behind the dog house, which is only ever used as a rain shelter for goats, he found the prettiest little female goat, all black with very creative white markings. Over night, we had acquired three new goats, and saved the life of one dog.

Although it was only 4:00am, I put on a pot of coffee and fired up the laptop. Johnny snored peacefully while I was too exhausted to even sleep. How does Jack do it?

A Piece of Paradise

2009-01-11T11:55:00.002-04:00

Has the stress of an urban lifestyle taken its toll on you? Are you ready to throw all caution to the wind and move to an island paradise where you can literally live off the land? Do you want an unending supply of pure, natural spring water within walking distance? Have you always wanted to live in a jungle with a beautiful clear river running next to your property? Read A Piece of Paradise to learn about this gorgeous piece of property for sale, 2.5 acres in St Lucia for only $60,000.

A New Year

2009-01-04T12:30:00.004-04:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone has enjoyed the holidays and are about ready to start the new year fresh. I have been busy writing and playing with my 8 year old step daughter who is a delight to have around. Finally, I'm a mommy, kind of. A dear friend sent me this video called "The Mom Song" and it is pretty funny,

Unclutter and Make Money Simultaneously

2008-12-19T07:55:00.002-04:00

Now this is cool and may take just a little initiative on your part, but not too much. I know you have a ton of old cell phones, PDA's, mp3 players, game controllers, and old laptops that don't suit you any longer as well as tons of other electronics that have been brushed aside for hotter, better versions.

Why not make a little extra cash for the New Year? Join Gazelle.com for free here and find out how much that so last year cell phone is worth. Send it in and get paid. Pretty simple. I like simple ways to make money!

Oh and guess what? Your saving the environment by keeping this stuff out of our landfills! Doesn't get much better than that folks!

My Little Shop of Tropical Beauty

2008-12-06T07:09:00.004-04:00

Are you looking for an unusual gift for someone for Christmas? Check out my new shop, Tropical Beauty. There are all kinds of t shirts, coffee mugs, cards, etc all with Caribbean themed artwork.

New Man in my Life

2008-12-06T06:59:00.003-04:00

I have a new man in my life. I have fallen really hard for him. My husband is aware. And even though we've only been married 16 months, Johnny's accepting it better than I expected. He even let the new guy sleep in the house last night! I thought that was pretty open-minded of him considering Johnny's a Caribbean man and is not interested in sharing me AT ALL! But he has grown pretty fond of the "new guy" too. He likes to wrestle around with him like guys do. The new guy's name is Snyper. Johnny actually even gave him his nickname. In fact, Johnny's the one who found him and brought him home to me as a kind of, well present! You see Snyper was kind of lost and abandoned and his head was stuck in a fence. Another friend, Spider, freed Snyper and told Johnny he better bring him home to "the madame" to take care of. So here's a photo of my new man, fleas and all!

Cruisin' with Koz and Friends

2008-11-16T12:10:00.001-04:00

I realize I haven't blogged in forever, but sorry, the nature of my work - travel writer - does take me away from the desk from time to time. And this time it was fantastic! I went on the Dave Koz Jazz Cruise and had an absolute blast! The music was unforgettable with top artists such as Najee, Dave (of course), Rick Braun, Richard Elliott, Eric Benet, Denise Williams, Brian Simpson and the great George Duke. Even Tower of Power showed up one night to everyone's delight. Here's just a glimpse of one fantastic night of jamming with R and R and Dave Koz. That's Brian on keyboards in the back.

What the heck is NaNoWriMo?

2008-10-28T08:26:00.003-04:00

Well, as a result of too much forum reading, I have done the insane. Yes, many of you just thought I had already "lost" it, but now it's for real. I joined millions of my fellow writers for the National Novel Writing Month. What this means is that anyone interested in getting the motivation to "write that novel", you know the one you've been talking about for 27 years, can do so. Every year, writers from all over the world set aside the month of November to enter the NaNoWriMo and challenge themselves to write 50,000 words in one month. That's a lot of pressure, late nights, billions of cigarettes and trillions of cups of coffee. I'll give it a try.

You know this novel has been spinning in my head for so long, I can't imagine what room it might free up in my brain once it's unleashed. Who knows, maybe I'll once again be able to leave the house without returning for SOMETHING. It will feel good to bang the keyboard for endless hours.

The purpose is just to write. It doesn't have to be good or even edited. Just write. You can go back after the challenge and rewrite and edit. But for one month just let it all hang out, so to speak.

Then within, NaNoWriMo there are regions. You can join your region and they have meet ups at local coffee bars and encourage each other. Or you go do the solitary thing, no problem. I joined the Caribbean group, there's about 100 of us. I started out with the DFW group but there are so many participants they junked up my email too much. The Caribbean writers aren't quite so Loud! So, this should be interesting as the entire first week of the competition I'll be traveling (cruising) and hadn't planned to write a novel, but I'm going to give it my best shot anyway. Who knows, you may be asking for my autograph soon.

Join me in the challenge....

How to Win Customers EVERY Time!

2008-10-24T09:37:00.004-04:00

If you've never read Harry Paul's book Fish, about extraordinary customer service and how to obtain it, you should! Read Mr. Paul's article about the principles he learned from an unlikely source, the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle.

I love this guy!

Dave Koz Jazz Cruise

2008-10-19T08:49:00.002-04:00

I'm getting pretty excited about the upcoming Dave Koz Jazz Cruise I've been invited to attend as a member of the press. Even though it's a working trip, it sounds like it will be a great event. Keep checking back here, the cruise embarks on November 2 and I will keep you all abreast of the fun here!

check it out at www.davekozcruise.com

Caribbean Travel Examiner

2008-10-02T08:12:00.004-04:00

I've just been named National Caribbean Travel Examiner for examiner.com! Check out my first article "St Martin: Expose yourself to this sexy island"

Sea Moss: Nature's Cure for just about everything

2008-10-02T08:07:00.002-04:00

Caribbean folks have added Sea Moss to their diets for centuries. Check out our new business, Betafe Sea Moss to learn about the valuable healthy reasons to add a little Sea Moss to your own diet. It can easily be added to smoothies, drinks and deserts. Many locals will swear their children were conceived due to the potency of Sea Moss.

My Pirate

2008-09-24T15:14:00.000-04:00

by the way, this is my pirate,Johnny

Personal Safety???

2008-09-05T08:10:00.002-04:00

Unbelievable! No sooner had I hit "send" on my latest article for BellaOnline.com - 10 Tips for Staying Safe on your Vacation" - we got ripped off! So much for my very sage advice. My husband, Johnny, had someone break into his truck and stole his stero, speakers, cell phone, coat and really messed up the door. They actually tore the door handle off the truck in broad daylight. Now I don't know why he left these things in the vehicle in the first place, typically he removes the face plate from the stereo every night. I guess he never expected someone to be bold enough to do anything during the day. But they sure as heck did!

Two of my dear friends in Texas were recently robbed in broad daylight as well. It just goes to show that the night time veil of darkness is no longer important to a thief, they are bold now days. So all I have to say is WATCH YOUR BACK all the time. We can no longer afford to be lax about our own personal safety. People are hurting world wide from strife and hard economic times and therefore will do anything to further themselves at any expense. Sad, very sad.

In my little hometown in Oklahome we used to just leave doors and vehicles unlocked. Heck even in Dallas, I don't always lock the vehicle if I were parked at a friends home, but I guess I will be much more cautious in the future.

Stay safe, be alert.

Sarah Palin A Gun Totin' Mamma to step in?

2008-08-30T21:31:00.004-04:00

Oh boy, now it's getting really good! I have to say I am shocked about John McCain's choice for running mate. And here I am without cable to hear what the late night pundits have to say! Please send donations as soon as possible to get me cable tv here in the wild West Indies! I can't go the next few months without the ability to watch what happens in this US Presidential Election.

My God! What a slap in the face to some really well-suited women for this job. If they HAD to bring a woman in to capture the Hilary vote, why not Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison? I'm not fond of "Condi" but she would have been a better choice than this gun slingin, moose eating, second runner up to Miss Alaska with no experience, none, nada, zippo. Once she removes the glasses and lets her hair tumble down like a naughty secretary, maybe McCain will lay off the Viagra and realize there's more to being a VP than changing his bedpans. I'm insulted as hell and I think he just lost the American female vote with this very lame decision.

I don't think she will last more than 30 days. She'll graciously back out saying her husband misses her caribou killing with him and their brood of kids.

But hey, it will be fun while it lasts!

Mysterious Caribbean Death

2008-07-21T08:30:00.007-04:00

Yesterday morning my husband was working in the garden and I was up in my usual spot on the hill admiring the beautiful sea while I played with the puppies. Johnny was walking quickly to the house and yelled out to me "Emergency, come!"

As I made my way down the hill through the pile of bouncing puppies I wondered which nephew had gotten into trouble now or was Papa ill again. I asked Johnny,"what emergency, who, what happened?" He said "It's Joe." Well we had an elderly neighbor named Joe, so my mind immediatley went to him. I asked "Joe William?"

Johnny said, "No, OUR Joe! Dead." I was shocked into a rare silence. Not our Joe. This must be some kind of mistake. Johnny quickly changed his clothes and said, "I'm out." No tears even came to my eyes as I sat dumbfounded at how this relatively young man could be gone from our lives so suddenly. I could not wrap my head around the fact that he wouldn't be coming around asking for a cigarette or some cold water.

Joe loved Pearl, Johnny's sister. He worshipped the ground she walked on. They had three boys together. Pearl became very ill and went to New York for treatment. The cancer took over her body and she died in New York. Joe was really never the same.

When Johnny brought me to St Lucia, Joe fell in love with me right away. He saw Pearl when he looked at me. He told me this. Our personalities were apparently very similar, although we did not resemble each other physically. I'm white, she was Indian for one thing. But Joe would lay down his life for me. Anytime he was near, he would look for an opportunity to take care of me, to gently pull a stray strand of hair from my face, to lift any load for me.

Joe certainly had his faults like all of us do. He was an alocholic as so many Caribbean men are. The rum. bwe wum...drink rum, in Patois. He was always trying to drown the sorrows of losing Pearl. Joe came from a very large family and they had a lot of hardships. There must have been about 10 children and half of them are mentally challenged, probably from fetal alcohol syndrome. Joe and his two sisters were the fortunate few who did not have this handicap. But with both parents dead early in life, Joe's life was always a struggle to help take care of the other less fortunate brothers and sisters.

When the children were very young, they lived on the land in a small shack where my house now stands. Joe's father kept a large herd of cattle that roamed the grassy valley near the river. One young sister slipped from the banks of that river near our home and drowned trying to free herself from the murkey water.

Late Saturday night and into the wee hours of Sunday morning Joe's sister looked out the window of her home and saw two young men dragging Joe into his tiny broken down little wooden house. She assumed he had passed out drunk and the guys were just getting him to his bed. Later in the morning she went to his house, behind her larger and grander home, to get the $150EC that she was to buy pigs with. She found him dead, pockets turned out of his jeans and the money gone. There was a lot of blood.

He was face down in the blood. Did he accidentally suffocate himself? Was he dead when the boys brought him home? His head and one hand were very black. Because his dilapidated home was leaning so seriously down hill, and he slept with his head in that down hill position was it possible that this forced the blood to rush to his head? Had he been rolled? We had a lot of questions. It was apparent that his sister didn't give a damn about him. Neighbors said she had been refusing him food lately. While she lived in the spotless concrete home with the other brothers, Joe had been relegated to the back yard where he built a ramshackle little one room house with no water or electricity. No toilet or shower.

When we went to pay our respects yesterday evening, Johnny pointed out the little house where Joe had lived. He wanted me to photograph it. It was pitiful. I had no idea that these were the conditions he was living in. This man who was the first person on our doorstep when we needed to move from our rent house to our new home. This man personally made certain every one of my many boxes and furniture were safely moved. This man who was also the first to show up and help us build our house. The house I am sitting in today has nails Joe hammered into place. The land my house is sitting on was given to us by Joe. Although in the government's eyes he didn't actually own it to give, his family had been squatters on it for decades.

Johnny and I really cared about Joe. We made sure his belly was always full, he had a cigarette when he craved one and even a shot of rum when he asked. At least when he was with us he was not abandoned. Little did I know his circumstances when he wasn't with us. I had never been to their home until last night. I had never met his sisters until last night. They were kind of shocked to meet me, they had never even seen me in all the three years I've lived here.

Joe is with Pearl now. Probably where he has dreamed of being for several years. He left behind three sad young sons, all in their early 20's, and my god-daughter is his grand daughter only two years old. My eyes sting and my chest feels so heavy when I think about what Joe's last night on earth may have been like. One of the young men told the police that he died in his arms. The other said he was alive when they took him home. The police arrested the two men twice yesterday and twice they were released. I don't know if we'll ever know the truth about Joe's death. The police don't really have the forensic tools available to do DNA or fingerprinting here. When I photographed his house just hours after his death, there was no yellow tape - it was just as Joe had left it.

The police really don't care. You won't hear this story on the news, not even locally. To the police, he was just another poor laborer who's life didn't matter. Joe's life did matter. Every human being's life matters. And everyone's death deserves attention. I hope the autopsy clears some of the mystery. The street boys in Pomme are gearing up for a war. If indeed this was a murder, there will be more. They want revenge and I am sure they will not stop until they get it.

This is the way of life in a poor Third World country. An eye for an eye. When the police fail to uophold the law, it is society who steps in to become judge and jury. Street law rules here.

In Caribbean tradition, I poured the first sip of my drink on the ground for Joe. Johnny and I toasted and drank the rest at Joe's favorite bar in his memory. That's the way he would have wanted it. Rest in peace my friend.

Getting back to Normal?

2008-07-12T20:14:00.004-04:00

Well, I still haven't gotten all the details straight from the sailors mouths. But I can tell you that the three missing sailors were stranded on their little fishing boat for 4 days until another larger vessel picked them up. Then, the larger vessel had engine troubles and drifted for 9 days until they finally got help as well. Our guys were finally put on a plane and sent home and the party up in Augier is STILL going on!

I know it's been awhile since I've written here but trust me I am writing. As the new editor for Caribbean Culture at www.BellaOnline.com I have been very busy. I encourage everyone to check out this wonderful women's website. There is a writer for every imaginable subject as well as newsletters, forums, chats. I requested this voluntary position because of the training Bellaonline provides its editors. I have been taking their courses for a few weeks now and it has been a wonderful learning experience. The women who run this fabulous website are tireless and fantastic mentors. I'm excited to be a part of something so well done. Any profits made from their advertising goes to pay for the server or charity. I highly recommend the site.

Since I have been writing so much, I have a serious case of tendonitis in my right arm. It's very painful, so if anyone has a good remedy besides telling me to stop writing, please let me know.

Even two of my puppies are blogging now - yep blogging dogs! Check out Brinkley and Maya on www.anamigo.com It's a really cute site for pets and their owners. Well, time to ice the arm down..."bonsoir" as we say down here.

Keep the Faith!

2008-06-29T08:43:00.003-04:00

Well, the good lord answered everyone's prayers and deposited our lost sailors in Venezuela yesterday! Apparently the girlfriend of one of the young men got a rather delirious phone call from him yesterday afternoon saying that they finally washed ashore in Venezuela. That is all I know for now, but we believe all three to be safe. Will provide more information soon. Thank you all for keeping these brave men in your thoughts.

I can't wait to hear the story of what happened on that journey.

"Trust in God" Lost at Sea

2008-06-28T09:52:00.003-04:00

Well this is a huge shot in the dark but I will put it out there for the universe to help me.

My St Lucian husband has three family members missing at sea. Johnny's uncle and two young cousins put out to sea from Vieux Fort, St Lucia this past Monday morning, June 23, 2008 at 3:00 a.m. in a very small fishing boat named "Trust in God." Later that same morning another sailor said he passed them and they were headed for tuna in the waters near St Vincent. They have not been seen since.

The local news finally aired it last night, 4 days after the fact. I phoned the St Lucia Coast Guard this morning just to hear with my own ears that they had alerted the surrounding islands to be on the lookout. I asked if they had alerted the flight dispatchers at the surrounding airports to let small aircraft be on the look out. They assured me they had contacted all the necessary parties.

I know a lot of my friends are still affiliated with American/American Eagle. If you know of any pilots flying the Caribbean or if you can let SJU, MIA, UVF, BGI ...ok I'm forgetting my city codes now... St Vincent, Martinique, St Luca, Barbados, dispatchers know we would be really grateful. We are certain they are without fresh water at this point.

Please pray for the safe return of "Trust in God" and the three brave men aboard her.

2008-06-22T12:35:00.002-04:00

I was looking around at some other blogs this morning and decided to mark one with Stumble Upon. A page came up and asked me what my interests were and this is what I checked:

Bizarre/oddities
Conspiracies
Gardening
Food/Wine
Liberties/Rights
Library Resources
Photography
Interior Design
Literature
Humor
Buddhism
Paranormal
Writing
Travel
Vegetarian

Now I’m not a Buddhist or a vegetarian but I do enjoy reading about these subjects. But what struck me was how easy I could be summed up. I have been struggling with my resume my entire adult life. I’m really good at trumpeting other people’s skills but not my own. So therefore, I think my resume sucks and that is why I haven’t been offered any kind of real job that I’m interested in, in a long time! But am I really interested in a real job? I guess that depends on how you define “real job.” My conservative friends define it as getting up at 6:00a.m., guzzling down a cup of Joe, dressing to the nines with makeup and trendy office clothes, slipping on some hazardous heals, trendy accessories to go with the trendy clothes and of course the perfect designer non-leather handbag. Then off to work in your gas guzzling SUV which you park in a covered parking garage and zip up an elevator to your holding cell in the sky.

Oh sorry, I may have gotten a little carried away there. But remember, I’m the girl who walked away from all that and am now living in a little slanted wooden cottage on top of a vegetable farm overlooking the Caribbean. I don’t mean to gloat(well maybe a little),but take your pick. To each his own right?

Back to the subject of the above list.

Not that the above interests have anything whatsoever to do with skills and achievements I would list on a resume. But no, the above list is kind of a life resume. Wouldn’t it really be better for a perspective employer to know who you really are instead of what looks good on paper? Sadly, I guess not.

Having come from a Human Resource background myself, I know that a recruiter could care less about your life work, human skills, hobbies or interests. When it comes right down to it, these interests reflect a lot about who you are, what motivates you, what you are passionate about, and what resonates within you.

I had a boss once, who I’ll call Amarosa because of the incredible similarities in personality of that beastly woman on Donald Trump’s show, and she was very analytical and numbers driven. I am obviously not THAT. I am very creative and cry when I have to look at numbers too long. Ask my Dad.

Anyway Amarosa hired me because she saw the creativity in me immediately when we interviewed. She even later showed me her interview notes where she wrote in large letters diagonally across the page “VERY CREATIVE!” But yet we practically went to blows on occasion when I didn’t produce the statistical reports she wanted in the way she wanted. I even hired a consultant to come in to the department and do one of those behavioral assessments on each team member to show her that she was a BLUE Analytical type and I was a sunny Yellow Creative type and we needed to respect that about each other. In other words, do not expect this happy creative yellow to be able to conquer the statistics and numbers like a Blue person such as herself could do. It will take me three times longer and the results will not be anywhere near as precision perfect as the Blue person’s would be.

Needless to say I went running out of there with my hair on fire! And in retrospect I say Thank God!

So you folks who are hiring need to listen up. Just because someone has credentials, associations and degrees that look marvelous on paper, look a little bit deeper. Perhaps part of the screening process SHOULD include interests. It will tell you a lot about a person that may not necessarily come up. If anything, it will certainly spark some interesting dialogue. And for those of you beating your brains out in a job you hate, maybe you should study your list of interests and if your line of work isn’t on there, get out! Get out now while you still have enough sanity left to do it. It may be a struggle, mine certainly has been, but I sure have a hell of a lot more fun. Isn’t that what life’s all about anyway?

P.S. I don’t know why I clicked on Paranormal and Conspiracy – I thought it might be fun to see what kind of blogs it would send me to.

Missing Big Lots

2008-06-21T09:34:00.007-04:00

I was shocked to see I hadn't blogged in so long. My apologies to the few friends who are checking in here. You see, I've been working sort of. I have been writing a lot of articles and therefore researching in order to pay a few bills. And I kind of got swept up in the whole freelance thing. But this morning I was dancing around on the Dallas Morning News website and noticed a blog about Big Lots. This writer hadn't ever been to one. Now I'm a Big Lots junkie. My flight from St Lucia usually arrives Dallas around 11p and it's midnight before I get home.

In spite of being bleary eyed from the trip, THE FIRST thing I usually do the next morning is head to Big Lots. Yes, I hate to admit it but I worship at the House of Big Lots. hallelujah!! amen brothers and sisters!

I am not a gambler, but I think the way I feel about Big Lots must be the way a person with an addiction to gambling must feel. You have thirty or forty bucks and it's burning a hole in your pocket. You can't wait to get to the track and see if you can double your money. Well, I'm that way with Big Lots. I can't really explain it any other way. I just can't wait to see what kind of cool bargains I'll find. In fact, I always have my cell phone ready to call The Duchess and let her know so she can hit her closest store some 40 miles away.

One time I was driving south of DFW with a friend to see some property and we made a game of it to see how many Big Lots in North Texas we could hit in one day. I think we made about 8. We were intoxicated by the time we got home. No, we weren't drinking, it was the high we got from all those great bargains.

So for those of you who have not visited Big Lots, you have no idea what you're missing. I could just cruise up and down those aisles for hours. When I tell my family I'm going to Big Lots at 10 in the morning, they know not to wait lunch on me.

Oh and please leave comments on my comment section. I'd love to hear from you and answer any questions you might have. No questions? Just say hi!

My Poor Yoga Mat

2008-05-29T08:02:00.004-04:00

My house is on a very steep hill. Just getting to our truck requires climbing this mountain every day. For me in this heat, that's all the exercise I need. Also due to the sloping nature of our land, I don't have that one nice flat spot to park my yoga mat and do a little workout like the kind you see on TV. I have the perfect view overlooking the ocean, the palm trees, the whole deal. Oh yea, now that I think of it I do have a good flat spot but it's too sunny. Not enough shade. As you can see, I could go on and on like this for days. Plenty of good excuses not to exercise. We all have them. For most people it's time. I've got time. Lots of time.

Oh and then there's the dogs. Three 1-2 year old dogs and three little 8 week old pups. As you can see, there would be no way I could lie down on my yoga mat and do a little workout because 6 dogs would be licking my face, biting my toes, dying to play on and with me. That just wouldn't do.

But the yoga mat has not gone ignored entirely. When my step daughter Britnie comes she loves to color in her coloring books. After I noticed her coloring on my leather sofa or coffee table, I grabbed the yoga mat and asked her to use this under the book to keep my furniture free of stray crayon marks. She liked her little portable desk.

My mat is not the roll up kind. I can't find that one, it is still buried in a pile of shipping boxes. This is some strange one that came with some strange exercise machine that got inherited by an old friend when I left Dallas. This mat is a tri-fold thing. Folds into three sections like a big brochure.

Now that the puppies are a little older, they want to be in the house with me all the time. They also want to be in or near the kitchen at all times! My husband doesn't believe in having animals in the house, although his goats seem to drift in and out occasionally to study themselves in my big mirror. We like to leave the door open to allow the sea breeze to cool the house. I finally got fed up with the puppies dancing in and out so I unfolded the yoga mat and used it as a "baby gate" - sort of. It didn't take these clever little puppies long to figure out how to burst through that inferior barrier. I still keep putting it up in hopes they'll get the message. I've also tried the finger snapping "SHTTT" that the Dog Whisperer preaches, but my puppies don't seem to understand that kind of outburst either.

Then suddenly night before last we had this giant storm. The rainy season is officially upon us. As farmers we have been waiting expectantly for it. But at three in the morning it blew so hard it woke me. We're still building the house even though we're living in it. We haven't completed installing all the windows. The house is on stilts so it would be extremely difficult for anyone to enter through the window. Nevertheless, the rain and wind were blowing in through the open gap where a window is to be installed. Immediately I thought of the yoga mat and placed it over the open space blocking the rain. It worked pretty efficiently.

So I look at my yoga mat with mixed emotions. I feel sorry for it because it hasn't gotten the workout it so deserves in quite awhile, but yet it is very functional for more purposes than the inventor probably ever dreamed!

Obeah-Black Magic

2008-05-21T09:34:00.004-04:00

One element of Caribbean culture that especially fascinates me is their frequent talk and/or use of Obeah or black magic. It is a subject that I have yet to find little documentation on in the local libraries, but I continue to research. My husband, being a native islander, speaks of it on occasion and I am an eager listener.

On a recent visit to Castries, I approached the librarian at the Central library and asked to see the books on St Lucia history. My jaw dropped a little when she handed me three books. This was it? Three books in their central library on the history of the island? Ok.

One of the three books was St Lucia Historical, Statistical and Descriptive by Henry H. Breen. First published in 1844 and second edition in 1978. It is basically a documentation of the revenue and expenditures of the colony of St Lucia from Jan 1, 1817 to Jan 1, 1844 during which time the population of the island was approximately 20,000.

Mr. Breen referenced Kembois or Obeah as the "addiction of the peasantry to the practice of sorcery." Look for more blogs to come on this topic, as soon as I find more information.
Merriam-Webster dictionary references:

obeah
Main Entry:
obe·ah
Pronunciation:
\ˈō-bē-ə\
Variant(s):
also obi \ˈō-bē\
Function:
noun
Usage:
often capitalized
Etymology:
of African origin; akin to Ibo díbìà folk healer
Date:
circa 1711
: a system of belief among blacks chiefly of the British West Indies and the Guianas that is characterized by the use of magic ritual to ward off misfortune or to cause harm

Best Thing since Sliced Bread!

2008-05-20T11:05:00.001-04:00

When I moved to the Caribbean, I thought I would still be connected, hip, in touch with the rest of the world. I had NO idea! I went to the only phone company on the island and found out that there wasn't any phone lines available in my community and that my neighbor had been on the waiting list for 8 years, yes EIGHT YEARS for a phone! And of course here in St Lucia a phone is a prerequisite for the internet.

So finally after three years(I got lucky), I have internet and phone service and now I'm blogging. So what about the title and the bread thing? Well, I do still like to phone home occasionallly and the cost is steep to call St Lucia from anywhere. This is where the bread thing comes in. Someone mentioned that Oprah mentioned Skype and I checked it out. Well lordy I am here to tell you this is the coolest thing I've run across, except of course this free blog website which put me here.

Now I have happy hours regularly with my friends in Dallas, talk to good ole Mom every day and not only is it completely free but with a little webcam attached to my laptop, I get to see them as well. Hardly a reason to even fly home now except to get those fresh tortillas.