Olancho Bound Gringa ~Married to the Honduran!

Tortilla Press

2011-10-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

Why no one has ever told me how truly easy it was to make tortillas with a tortilla press, I'll never know. My good friend Kerry brought over her tortilla press and showed me how it's done. Cool :)

October 2011 Update

2011-10-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hello my online friends!

It's been a long while since I've posted anything and I am sorry about that. It's just that there really hasn't been much to post about but I wanted to update anyway.

Over the past 6 months or so, we have accomplished much. We have added another bedroom to our Honduras house, completed the bathroom, finished the kitchen and even all the stucco has been done. Everything is finished except for the windows, tile & painting. Whoohoo!

Sadly, my Mother in Law's condition has not improved over the Summer. This week, we were told the doctor was surprised she was still alive since the tumor in her stomach is so large. He really doesn't know how she's eating. They want to do chemotherapy beginning next week. This week she will be undergoing a blood transfusion. She is a woman of great faith! Please keep her and the family in your prayers.

Our plans to be in Honduras this Summer, then this Winter is put on hold until his Mother's health improves since we are more valuable here to be able to take care of medical expenses.

I truly don't know what the future holds from here on out. I am just not certain. I am planning on beginning an online college to further my education. I will be starting at the end of this month. Wish me luck & keep me in your prayers as it's been 20 years since I've been in school. Our youngest Son began kindergarten this year and is really enjoying it. My oldest Son started 6th grade and even though it's sometimes challenging, he loves it. My step daughter, in Honduras, turned 15 over the Summer and is becoming a beautiful young lady.

I will not be posting again until there are developments to post about. Until then, may God shower you with his blessings.

Love,

Angela

There's no turning back now ~

2011-06-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

We have come to the point where there is no turning back.

I've spent the last few weeks getting rid of nearly everything I own. I have sold stuff on craigslist, I have had a yard sale, I have given things away and I have donated things. I had no idea how liberating that would be. With that being said, even all the little "stuff" that's left is overwhelming. I just can't believe how much useless "stuff" I have saved over the years.

I am in the position now of trying to figure out what to do with all those things that I have an emotional attachment to.

For example, my Barbie Dolls and carrying case. I've had this since the 70's. I loved these dolls when I was a kid. It's not that they have any monetary value, I played with them & it shows. The case is so old, the front says it holds Barbie, Twistie (Who is Twistie?) Bionic Woman, Tuesday Taylor & others. But, I'll admit I haven't even opened the case in at least 10 or 15 years, until today. The I problem with items like this is I don't want to throw them away, I don't want to drop them off at the Thrift Store, I don't have daughters to pass them on to & I doubt my boys would appreciate their value, I have no real reason to keep them but I don't want to spend money to ship them to Honduras and then one day ship them back. That would be ridiculous. And, I don't really have anywhere to keep them here in the States.

I finally gave my Sister my Cedar Chest full of memories from our childhood and even some from before we were born. I've given away many of my favorite memories but I am trying to get to the point where I realize in my heart that I still have these memories with or without the "stuff" that comes with them. I know that in my head, just not yet in my heart.

Then, there are things like my scrapbook, my picture album with my 1st love, a pair of heels I've never worn but I love, my Cracker Barrell Rocking Chair that I rocked my baby to sleep in, the baby blankets that kept my babies warm, the clothes I brought my boys home from the hospital in, the baby cloths I wiped their tears with, all my Home Interior pictures, etc. etc. etc. The list goes on & on.

We are only planning on shipping our Flat Screen TV's, a Riding Lawnmower, clothes, shoes, toys for the boys, kitchen items I've bought for Honduras & some photo albums. That may not sound like much but it will cost more $$$ than I would have imagined.

In the meantime, we will be moving about 45 minutes away from where we are now. We have been so blessed. I have a very generous Cousin who lives in Alaska with her Military husband. They purchased a home here in TN a few years ago but have never lived in it. They will not be able to live in it until June 2013, when her husband retires from the Military. When she visits, she stays busy with the house upkeep and repairs since no one is there to care for it. It is completely furnished right down to the silverware. She generously offered for us to stay there in exchange for just caring for it and being there if something needs repaired. It will give her peace of mind knowing someone is there and it will allow us to save more $$, ship our items without living in an empty apartment and be able to make our move faster. It is amazing how God has opened this door for us in a way we would have never expected.

I would love to hear from others who have moved to another country and how you dealt with all the little "stuff".

Odd Facts

2011-04-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting to me fact I received on an email today.

Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

*All the more reason to grow Avocado when I get to Honduras!

I'm so blue . . . .

2011-04-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

Can any of you tell me what exactly is the obsession with BLUE toilets in Honduras?

Rear Ended

2011-04-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you are rear ended by a car going an estimated 70 mph. Not fun.

Last Thursday hubby & I were sitting in this Jeep, at a red light. A young man about 22 years old, "claimed" that he had a seizure and side swiped 1 car before rear ending us and then hitting 2 other cars. He finally came to a stop in the rear of a Lexus. This road is a Construction zone and the speed limit is 35 mph. The arresting officers estimated that the driver was going 70 mph when he hit our vehicle.

I have never in my entire life been so frightened. I never saw it coming. All I remember is being hit so HARD & seeing a sign coming my way. It happened so fast. The officers on the scene estimated that our car traveled at least 25 feet from where we were hit. It was so very scary and I just couldn't believe it was happening. We both had pulled muscles and bruises but we are alive. I did go to the ER to be checked out. I am under advisement to not lift anything over 5lbs and to take it easy for a few days. I am supposed to see my regular doctor in 5-7 days to be rechecked. I apparently bit both sides of my tongue during the accident & was bleeding from the mouth. My nose hit something & I had a bloody nose. We both feel as if we've been in a fight & lost!

We are so very thankful that no one was killed that day. Any other Thursday my youngest son would have been in the car with me, as I always keep him home from Pre-K on Thursdays to spend my day off with him. On this particular Thursday, I took him to Pre-K because they were having an Easter Egg Hunt & Party and I didn't want him to miss it.

Oh thank you my Lord for giving me this plan. If he had been in the car with us, surely he would have been seriously injured or worse. I thank God that the 2 little girls in the Lexus were not injured, just very scared. I thank God that the other drivers around us were not injured. I thank God that the passengers of the other cars involved appeared to be fine. We are so thankful that the young man also walked away with no injuries. I pray that whatever happened to make him have this accident will be resolved. I hope it opens his eyes to what a tragedy it could have been.

I have since found out that the 21 year old boy did NOT have insurance. Great.

It is simply a miracle from GOD that everyone was alive when this was over.

Happy Birthday Noah & Jonah ~ A Donut Party!

2011-04-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

We just celebrated the boys Birthdays this week. Noah turned 12 years old & Jonah turned 5 years old.

I had a difficult time deciding what kind of party to have for them this year. I wanted it to be fun for the little kids but at the same time be fun for Noah's friends, too. We had a party at the park last year which is normally a good choice but at the time I was inviting people this year, the temperatures were near freezing here.

April in Tennessee is always unpredictable. You never know from one day til the next how the weather is going to be. Last week we had freeze warnings and tomorrow it's supposed to be 88 degrees. See what I mean?

I never enjoy Birthday Parties at home because I simply get too stressed out beforehand. I worry the house won't be clean enough, I worry about cleaning up afterwards & I worry about kids getting into things they shouldn't. Not to mention, we are in a tiny apartment this year. I checked on a Chuck E. Cheese Party but for two children it's outrageous. We have already done the McDonald's playland party several times in Noah's life. They weren't interested in a Skating Rink party since they have never been on skates! I just couldn't think of anything fun & affordable. And, this year it had to be affordable since we are working so hard to finish our house in Honduras in the next 2 months.

So, I came across a great idea online. A Donut Party! What a fun idea. I went down to our Local Dunkin Donuts and spoke with the manager there. We arranged to have their party there on a week day since their business is slow during the week. She agreed to make 2 cakes made out of donuts. Why didn't I think of this before? An inexpensive but creative cake that everyone will enjoy. I also ordered 50 Munchins & 2 dozen plain donuts for the kids to decorate. I bought all the small children little aprons @ the Dollar Tree and I put their name on them with fabric markers. I bought various icings and sprinkles for the decorating and the little kids got paper bakers hats. They loved that. I brought Fruit Punch & juice boxes because this Dunkin' Donuts only sells bottled drinks. This particular location was the perfect place for indoor party. They have comfy couches, lots of small tables & chairs and even a TV for the adults to watch. Dunkin' Donuts only charged me the cost of the donuts & 1 Donut Decorating Kit for the kids ($8!). They did NOT charge me for the space or time. Plus, they gave me a 10% discount since we are local. Love it!

This party turned out to be the cheapest party I've ever given the boys but at the same time, I think they had the most fun!

2011-02-26T12:42:00.001-08:00

Only 16 days from the day we applied, my Sons have their Passports in hand!

I truly was a bit worried about my oldest Son getting his since his biological Father is out of the picture and has been for many years. I was warned that if there were any problems I would be notified within 2 weeks. I am so relieved I didn't have any issues with his. For those of you that need to apply for a child's Passport without a Parent's consent, you have to fill out special paperwork and have it notarized. But, the paperwork was not extensive or anything. I just had to explain the situation, that I haven't seen nor heard from him since my Son was about 4 years old. I have no idea if he's dead or alive and have no clue as to wear he might be living. Then, I took it to the local UPS store & had it notarized so I could return it to the Passport office.

We were told it would take about 3 1/2 weeks before the Passports arrived so I was shocked to see them in the mail box today. I am just thrilled that we finally have that out of the way! Yay! It's funny to see the boys so excited about having their Passports. My youngest Son doesn't even really know what it means, he just knows everyone else is happy about it.

For more information about getting children's Passports you can go here travel.state.gov/passport

Another Step in getting there . . . .

2011-02-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Today, I finally took my 2 Boys to apply for their U.S Passports. My oldest Son is 11 years old & my youngest Son is 4 years old. They were actually very excited to get their Passports!

I was relieved that our County finally got around to getting our very own Passport office. Yep, Sevier County, TN is movin' on up in the world!

To apply for a Child's Passport, here's what you need to know: travel.state.gov/passport/ppi/family/family_869.html

1. THEY DO NOT ACCEPT CASH! You must have the correct amount in either a check or money order made out to the US Department of State.

2. Submit Child's evidence of U.S Citizenship (I took their Birth Certificates)

3. Submit evidence of relationship to child with Parent/Guardian (Birth Certificates & my ID)

4. Present I.D such as current driver's license and/or current Passport

5. Provide Parental Consent. We just had to both be there to sign it.

6. Submit 2 Passport Photos. I highly suggest getting your photos taken right there @ the Passport office. Much faster & you know they will be the perfect size they require.

7. Pay the Fees with Money Order or Personal Check. DO NOT BRING CASH!

8. The cost for the Passports & the photos was a total of $115 for each child. You have to pay separate for the photos & the Passports. I had to get 1 Money Order payable to the US Department of State for $160 (that's for both kids) & 1 Money Order payable to the County Clerk for $70 (both kids) I do not believe they are planning another increase in fees anytime soon.

For us, I had to take hubby to give permission for our youngest child. My oldest child, I had to fill out a special form explaining why I did not have permission from his biological Father. I had to get this notarized. I went to the UPS store and it was about $6 for the notary. I had to swear all the information was true & correct to the best of my knowledge. In our situation, I haven't seen nor heard from his biological Father in many, many years so I had no way to contact him to ask permission. I don't expect any problems but if there is, they will send me a form stating what ever they need me to do, within 2 weeks. The clerk said she did not expect any delays.

We were told the Passports should arrive in about 3 & 1/2 weeks. WHOOO HOOO!

A window to the World

2011-02-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

I don't know why we have never got around to it before this but through the miracle of technology, we had a window to the world that is Honduras.

Last Sunday, hubby's Niece took her laptop to my Mother in Law's. For the very 1st time in almost 10 years, my husband was blessed to be able to actually see his Mother and Daughter. Other than photos, his Mother hasn't laid eyes on her Son in so very long. It was amazing.

We chatted through Yahoo Messenger for almost 4 hours. It seemed as if there were tons of people gathered around the computer to get a look @ us! Everyone was so very happy to see Federico & our boys. Hubby's niece took the computer around and showed us the house, Farm and everyone there. It was a very emotional tour for him as he saw his late Father's belongings and the place he took his final breath. My Mother in Law says it was one of the happiest days of her life, that she got to see her "baby".

Federico's Niece, Kathia promised to bring the computer back this coming Sunday for another online reunion. We are so looking forward to seeing the family again!

Please continue to keep the family in your prayers. It has been so very difficult losing Jose, hubby's Father. God Bless you all & thank you so much for your prayers!

Your work on earth is done .....

2011-02-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

Pictured above ~ Jose & Maria Lopez, my in laws

Go rest high on that mountain

‘Cause, Son, your work on earth is done
Go to Heaven a shoutin'
Love for the Father and the Son

~ Vince Gill

I am so very sad to be writing this post. On Wednesday February 2, 2011 we received the devastating news that my Father in Law had passed away. Needless to say, my husband is beyond heartbroken. Mr. Lopez had never truly recovered from his surgery last Fall. He has been ill for months and I understand he was suffering. We had the honor of doing everything we could from here, as in sending whatever funds we could, when needed for medical expenses. He lived an amazingly long life of 97 years. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, I am so saddened by this loss. I truly wish my children had the pleasure of knowing him. His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of his family. It's easy to see he must have been a very loving, caring & Christian Father to his children and grandchildren.

My husband did have the pleasure of speaking to his Father on the very day he passed away. Although he was ill and weak, he spoke of walking home to Heaven. In his last moments, his family and Jesus was on his mind. From what we understand, he died a peaceful quiet death with many of his family members by his side.

This overwhelming news has come as such a shock to my husband that I'm not sure he'll ever be the same. His desire to return home has never been greater. His Mother is around 76 years old and is naturally grief stricken. I foresee many, many changes in store for our family this year. I know that life is what happens while you are making other plans. Sometimes, it's just time to stop planning & get on with it. I feel so strongly that my hubby needs to be there for his Mother now more than ever before.

I cannot begin to imagine how difficult it must be for my husband to not be able to be there for his Father's Funeral. I have no words to comfort him. I know there aren't any words to ease that kind of pain. Although I am fortunate to have my parents alive, I have lost my only Brother and I know that life is never truly the same when you lose someone you love so much.

I found it interesting that the Funeral & burial was held the very next day after his passing. I ask hubby about that and he informed me that it was due to him passing away in his home. His body was not taken to the hospital for the usual procedures, from what I understand. He says when people die at home, they have to bury them within 24 hours. I cannot say if that is the usual practice in Honduras or not but that's what I have learned from him.

Please help me to prayer for my Mother in Law as I know she is suffering as never before. I do not want to imagine what would happen if my husband were to lose his Mother.

Please keep my husband and his family in your prayers.

I'm still here

2011-01-18T20:29:00.000-08:00

I am still here. I just haven't had anything interesting to post about. But . . . . . . I am looking at airline ticket prices for the end of February or beginning of March. It's way past time for me & the boys to go over to Honduras for a week or so. I will keep you posted~

I got it!

2010-08-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

I finally received my U.S Passport in the mail today ~ Whoooo- Hoooo!

One Giant Step

2010-07-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

I finally have something to report!

We have purchased a vehicle that we intend to send to Honduras later this year! That is a giant step for us that we are really very excited about. We just happened to find this on craigslist, I love craigslist. We were blessed with an incredible deal, too!

Our dilemma was that hubby wanted to purchase a vehicle here but we didn't want one that we would have to pay a lot for since we also have to pay to ship it and all the fees associated with bringing it into Honduras. Now, I have told him all the horror stories I have heard about shipping a vehicle over there (Patty!) but if you know a Honduran man, you know how stubborn they can be. So, there was no talking him out of it. We we get there we need something that can hold 3 children and sometimes his parents. You would think a Minivan would be the best choice except for the fact that the roads aren't always the best there. He prefers a Pick up Truck, which is next but he wanted to have something for the family too.

Hubby was just browsing craigslist a couple of weeks ago and came across a 2000 Kia Sportage just right down the road from us. It was such an incredible price ($1150.00!!!!), I figured there was something bad wrong with it but I called anyway. When the seller answered, he said someone was test driving at that very moment. Well, of course. I told the man if it didn't sell to just give me a call back, never really thinking he would. After a few minutes passed, he did call back. We drove right on over to see it. When we arrived at his house, you could see he was someone that bought cars, fixed them and sold them. His driveway was full of cars. He told us right up front that it needed some work but I expected that for such a low price. I really expected it to need an engine or something major. He said it needed window regulators and a new rear bumper. We drove it and knew immediately that we liked it. It drives smooth, the air works, radio works, and we have now drove it over 400 miles with no problems. I am so pleased with it. It does need a few things like new tires, tune up, the window regulators, etc but all in all, we are very happy with it. We had been praying for guidance on the next step and we really feel it is such a blessing.

Since we gave so little for it, it doesn't bother to spend a lot shipping it and repairing it. It's paid for! We know a guy that ships vehicles out of Miami for $600 plus whatever fees we incur to bring it into Honduras. We will drive it down to Miami ourselves rather than pay him $1300 to drive it down there. Hey, maybe I'm in the wrong business!

I do have a couple of questions from those of you that may know. Is there anyway I can find out how much the customs fees, etc are for this particular vehicle before I go, or does it just depend on the people that are working that day? I know it will arrive in Puerto Cortes, Honduras.

We have had it for 2 weeks now and we thank God for such a blessing!

Applied for my Passport!

2010-07-10T11:26:00.001-07:00

To Procrastinate - is to postpone or delay needlessly.

Yep, that's pretty much sums it up. I finally got around to applying for my passport today. Starting next Tuesday July 13, adults applying for their first passport book will have to pay $135 -- a 35 percent increase from the current $100 fee. I wouldn't have even known that if it hadn't been for my best friend, Brandy reading the information at the Post Office.

You can read all about this fee hike at www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/03/04/passport.fees

I went to my local Post Office but Passport services were not available there. I then went on over to Knoxville Center Mall where they have a County Court Clerk office inside. The line was long, so long it was lined up out the door & into the mall area. I had everything I needed with me. I was fortunate that one of the employees came to the back of the line & got a group of us so I didn't have to wait as long as I thought I would. I guess everyone else had the idea of beating the increase before Tuesday, too. It was a pretty fast & simple process especially since I had already downloaded & printed off the forms and filled them out. You can download the forms by going to travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.htm

I was surprised by the fact that they don't accept cash. Who doesn't take cash? And, wouldn't you know it - I brought cash! Of course. The employee ask if I had my checkbook with me, I did. But, just my luck . . . . . . I was out of checks! And just to let you know if you need to apply for one, you must have two checks, not just one. One will be written to US Department of State and the other will go to your local County Court Clerk office. Now, I could have just went home to get more checks but I had already traveled to another county to apply for this passport. So, good 'ole Mom & Dad to the rescue. I called them & was able to get a couple of their checks in exchange for the cash. They live much closer than I do. Luckily, I didn't have to wait in line again. The employee that processed my application advised me to just jump right in & bring in the checks. I did and he informed me that I can expect my passport in 4-6 weeks but I'm told they usually arrive in around 2 weeks.

I ended up paying a total of $110. For the Adult Passport Book, it is $75 application fee and $25 execution fee and then $10 to have your photo taken right then and there for your passport photo. I've heard that Walgreens Pharmacy does them for $7.99 but it wasn't worth 2 bucks to go elsewhere when I was already there. For my boys passports, I need to get my oldest son's certified birth certificate and then I will apply for their's next week.

I was actually very excited that I finally got around to doing this. I can't wait to get it!

I wish Computers had Scratch & Sniff

2010-05-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't written anything for a while because I really haven't had anything new or interesting to say. That changed this evening. I just love when hubby creates something in the kitchen I have never seen before. I truly wish computers had Scratch & Sniff like those old stickers we used to have as kids. This would really knock your socks off, maybe not in a good way! Keep in mind, this recipe came from hubby so you may have seen a different variation. I can't recommend it because you couldn't pay me to taste it after I smelled it!

ENCURTIDO

Ingredients -

Cumin

Red onion, diced

white onion, diced

jalepeno, sliced slim

white vinegar, depending on taste, we used 1-2 cups

carrots, sliced slim

* Mix all ingredients in a glass jar. Yes, we used a plastic container but he says it's supposed to be like a glass mason jar.

* Let sit in jar for 3 days

* Use as a topping for Carne Asada, Pork, Chicken or whatever you desire.

The Afternoon Air

2010-03-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. The time of year when our cultural difference really clash!

Last week Jonah (3 years old) had symptoms of Strep & was treated with antibiotics. This week, Noah (10 years old) has tonsillitis. Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils. According to sites like webMD, Tonsillitis is usually caused by a virus or Bacteria and is spread through the air in droplets when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. You may then become infected after breathing in these droplets or getting them on your skin or on objects that come in contact with your mouth, nose, or eyes. I took Noah to the Emergency Room last night because his Primary Care Doctor couldn't work him in. The doctor at the ER treated him with an injection of antibiotics and Phenegren for nausea. He wrote him a prescription for antibiotics & Phenegren and suggested that he drink only clear liquids like Sprite, Gatorade and water. He can began eating Bananas, plain rice, unsweetened applesauce, plain dry toast & sugar free Popsicles.

This is where the cultural differences come in. First of all, my husbands swears we shouldn't give Noah anything cold even though the doctor suggested Popsicles. He says he had the same condition as a child and the doctor that treated him said no cold drinks or food because it can make the situation worse. I reminded him that was over 20 years ago. Didn't even phase him. I then pulled up several websites online that suggested Popsicles to relieve throat pain & Sprite, Gatorade, water & juice for drinks. Again, not phased at all. Imagine my surprise when hubby's nephew then suggested it was because I gave Noah a cold drink 3 days ago that actually caused the Tonsillitis. Yea, that had to be it!

According to Dr. Lopez, aka my husband,who is educated by the Honduran Beliefs System suggested that it was because I let Noah roll down the car window on a beautiful day. And, then he proceeded to inform me that the afternoon air can be damaging to Noah. He claims that the morning air is fine to be out in but not the afternoon air. He could die. So, I'll have to be sure to keep the child inside! When I ask him why, he always says "I don't remember, but it's true". Hmmm......

Every time one of the Children get sick, he is adamant that they have no cold food or drinks, no baths & no afternoon air. He just believes the doctors here are idiots, I guess. He has heard with his own ears the doctor recommend tepid baths but he insists that it could make them very ill or even die. It's a constant battle trying to treat them. I usually just nod my head & then when he's out of sight, I go ahead and do what our doctor suggested.

Do any of you other Gringas have this problem with your Honduran Husbands? Please share!

My Sad attempt at making Pupusas

2010-02-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

Long ago, Federico made Pupusas for me. Pupusas are common in Honduras & El Salvador. They are kind of like fried pockets with filling on the inside. The usual filling is meat or cheese. I've attempted them before without much success but I decided to give it one more shot. You are supposed to make them flat but when I get them too flat, they fall apart or the filling comes out when they are cooking. Much to my surprise, both hubby & nephew liked them anyway & said they were good.

Pupusas

*2 Cups Masa Harina (you can find this in the Spanish isle @ your grocery store.)

*1 1/2 cups warm water

*1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin

*Salt & Pepper to Taste

*6 oz. of Mild Cheese or any filling of your choice (I used left over Taco Meat-ground beef seasoned with salsa & diced peppers, tomatoes & onions)

*1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro (I used bottled cilantro seasoning)

1. Mix the Masa Harina, cumin, salt, pepper & water into a dough which is soft but not sticky. You may have to add more masa if it's too wet or more water if it's too dry.

2. To make a 3 inch round pupusa, take about half a cup & roll it into a ball. Flatten with your hand.

3. Put the filling in the center.

4. Work the edges around the filling & again form a ball. Make sure all the filling is enclosed.

5. Flatten each ball to about 1/4 inch or less & cook the pupusas on a hot, lightly oiled griddle or pan for 3-4 minutes per side, or until both sides are lightly browned. I used our deep fryer instead & fried them for 4 minutes each.

6. Serve Warm. I like to have Salsa to dip them into.

I'm sure there are many other ways to make Pupusas & I'd love to hear how you other ladies make them! Please share your recipes!

Jeremias Part 3

2010-01-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Another post on our live-in Nephew, Jeremias.

*When he had a sore throat recently, he poured his Coke into a cup & heated it in the microwave! Now, that's dedication to your soda addiction. If you know a Honduran, you know there is no way on God's green earth that they will drink something cold with a sore throat.

*I have discovered why he washed his clothes twice in a row ~ he's not using Laundry detergent! Why, I don't know. Yesterday, he started & load and then left, I snuck in & added detergent & have told Federico please to have him use soap. What's the point in washing them without it? I do have to keep in mind, this may be the 1st time in his life he's ever done laundry.

*I hope to have him well trained before he returns to Honduras, then maybe he'll appreciate all those Maids they have @ home.

*I have made progress with him though ~ He's starting to realize I like when he takes the garbage off & he has started cleaning his own bathroom & room. I have to remind him to do it, but he's getting there! I told him he needs to vaccum his room on a regular basis & he looked at me like I was nuts. And, he is now washing his own dishes when he's finished with them. I also made him clean up dirt he tracked in with his shoes & I'm thinking he's never used a broom before now. By the time he goes back, maybe he will not leave such a mess for the Maids.

*I swear he wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for the fact that we are friends with the Managers. He rarely leaves on time despite me trying to rush him. I know, typical Honduran has no sense of time. He doesn't seem to understand that even though it may only take him 20 minutes to get to work today, it may take him an hour tomorrow. We live in a tourist town & the traffic can be maddening! Since we've lived here so long, I know when the traffic will be bad & when it won't. He never seems to believe me until he's sitting in traffic, late for work. I also have to call every week to get his schedule. He's not comfortable yet speaking on the phone in English & I can understand that. I'm never comfortable speaking Spanish on the phone since I can't see if the other person is understanding me. Anyway, I have to keep reminding myself that this is the 1st real job he's ever had. And, most of us here, we learned about being on time, schedules, respect for our bosses, etc. when we were teenagers working here.

It sure makes for interesting conversations around here, having a Honduran that's never been to the States before now. I sometimes forget Federico was once this way too, he has adjusted so well. Then, again I'm sure his family will find the wierd things I do interesting too.

2010-01-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

This is pretty much a complaining session, so feel free to skip it today ~

Possibly, I am antisocial. Or perhaps, I just don't really like having company pop in @ 11pm often! I know, I know Hondurans are very social people & that's one of the very reasons I fell in love with Federico. He's very outgoing & personable.

I know I have blogged about unexpected company before and perhaps you are thinking I am very selfish and maybe I am.

I actually do enjoy the company of friends & loved ones. But, I enjoy so much more when I feel prepared. I love for my guests to enter my home & be greeted by a lovely aroma of baking bread or cake, the sight of a home in order, a meal prepared and happy relaxed hosts. That's just the way I am, I like to be prepared so that I may enjoy the company of others. I don't enjoy when company pops in (especially late @ night) to a tired hostess, cranky children, the sight of dishes in the sink and possibly the aroma of a diaper needing to be changed! Am I alone in this? Also, I have 1 school age child that goes to bed @ 9pm & 1 toddler that isn't easy to get down when there is a lot of noise going on. And, God love him, my husband loves to play Piano when we have company. Not that I mind that, but would much prefer it earlier in the day.

I am so seriously thinking of moving to a smaller place. I am not kidding! Possibly a 2 bedroom so small we'll barely fit in it ourselves. The only person I will have to apologize to for that is the family that picks up Noah for church on Sundays, I hate to make him go to yet another house. But, the situation is such that I believe people are beginning to think of our home as a convenient Free hotel!

Am I the only person on the planet that finds it odd that a family member would often bring over a girlfriend that I barely know & spend the night? Not to mention the fact that she has her own place! Today, they are asking if they can prepare a meal in my kitchen while I'm gone to do some errands. Well, I guess but why aren't they just going to her own house? I don't get that. It's not as if I live in some high rise condo or some fancy mansion. I do not. As a matter of fact, it's just a down right ordinary home. Even kind of boring here.

I keep asking Federico if I should expect this same behavior in Honduras & he insists that people will not show up late at night. Not sure if I believe that.

I just can't understand this. I would never pop in to YOUR house (you don't even know me!) and spend the night without asking you or at least telling you. There have been nights when I've woke up in the middle of the night & I see strange shoes at my door.

Speaking of shoes, Mr. Nephew here seems to think it's hilarious that I have people remove their shoes when entering our home. Ha Ha. I just don't like germs spread all through the house, that's all. He seems to think our guests in Honduras won't do this. Hubby insists they will. Anyone here have any woodworking talent? I'm thinking of getting an outdoor shoe box built with a sign that requests you remove your shoes before entering. OK, yes it's a pet peeve of mine. Here, I have a sign in English & in Spanish stating that very thing. Yet, I am still amazed at the folks who don't honor that.

Hmmm....... OK, sorry about the witching blog today but this is my outlet whether anyone agrees or not, I guess.

Jeremias Part 2

2010-01-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

I just had a couple of more observations about my Nephew, Jeremias.

First of all, notice the picture above. Notice how he doesn't smile. He wouldn't allow me to keep the pictures of him smiling. He says "No, not for Honduran Men". When I ask him why, he replies that they are supposed to look "Mala" or mad. I wonder why. Also, notice he's not wearing a coat even though it's only 24 degrees when this photo was taken today. He wanted to look cool so he could put these photos on his Hi5 which is kind of like facebook or myspace but in Spanish.

* He refuses to drink Crystal Light because he says it's for "Senora" or women only. He also won't drink anything that is red or pink in color, it's for women only!

* He went through 40 oz. of Extreme Hair Gel in less than 1 month!

* He was thrilled to find Canned Sardines.

* He thinks I'm nuts when I eat Sweet Potatoes. I don't understand that at all, I mean he finds it humorous.

* He loves Photos of himself, like many Honduran men, especially for their cellphones. You know how most of us have photos of our kids or pets on the front, no he has a photo of himself. What? Could he be afraid he'll forget what he looks like?

More to come later!

United States in Jeremy's eyes

2010-01-01T20:32:00.001-08:00

Our nephew, Jeremias (I call him Jeremy) is living with us now & has been for a few months now. He is from Culebrero, Honduras which is about 25 minutes from Catacamas. He thought America was a dreamland but now he's figuring out just how difficult it is to start here.

From what I gather, he's never had a job & his parents have pretty much paved the way for him, his entire life. When you think of Honduras, you probably envision only the poverty stricken families. I suppose I do too. But, that is not the case here. You can tell he has been well taken care of his entire life. He is the son of Federico's Sister. They have 2 homes, 1 in Catacamas & 1 in Culebrero. After wrecking 2 very nice cars, his parents refused to buy him another so he envisioned he could just come here to the States & buy himself a $20,000 vehicle pretty quick. Well, of course he was wrong! LOL

I took him to every restaurant & hotel in the county. He didn't understand why it was so difficult to find a job even though he has ZERO experience in anything, spoke ZERO English & his Status is questionable to future employers. Even with all that against him, we did find him a Bus Boy job @ a restaurant. It's really kind of funny to see him so exhausted after working only a few hours. It's a wonder he hasn't been fired yet. He doesn't understand the schedule, he doesn't seem to grasp the concept of being on time (why I am surprised?). When I try to explain to him, he just replies "No hay problema" And, that's his answer for everything!

On a bright note, he's very personable, respectful, humorous & easy going. I do get a kick out of him as I'm sure he does me. And, I've found he's easy to joke around with, loves playing with the kids & is just generally a funny kid. He's also learning English really fast. We rarely have a problem communicating between his broken English & my broken Spanish, we seem to manage.

Here's Just a few things I've noticed ~

* He believes that if you eat a meal with a lot of fat, you should drink several Cokes.

* He believes my children shouldn't pet their kittens.

* He doesn't believe in Time, just like every other Honduran man I've ever met

* He never puts his tortillas in the microwave, only warms them on the stove eye.

* He insists on searching for "Xtreme" hold hair gel & nothing else will do

* He always runs the washing machine twice for each load, as if he doesn't think they are clean

* He's never touched a broom. Until now.

* He is obsessed with Hi5 but then again I love facebook

* He refuses to eat a biscuit & jelly or biscuit & gravy, typical Southern TN breakfast!

* He is hesitant to try new foods but he did try & love Sweet Potato Casserole

* He sings American songs without knowing the words (loudly)

* He was sad that the neighborhood fireworks only lasted 20 minutes

* It's kinda cute when he says "Tienes hom togs?" Do you have Hot Dogs?

* He loves photos of himself on his phone & by the way, he's obsessed with his phone!

* He thinks this Gringa is nutty! Ok, he's probably right.

I'm sure I have a thousand more, that's just some observations I could think of right off hand.

Merry Christmas in Heaven, Randall

2009-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees,

Around the world below,

With tiny lights like Heaven's stars

Reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular,

Please wipe away that tear,

For I am spending Christmas

With Jesus Christ this year!

I hear the many Christmas songs

That people hold so dear

,But the sounds of music can't compare

With Heaven's Choir up here.

I have no words to tell you

The joy their voices bring,

For it's far beyond description

Just to hear the angels sing!

I know how much you miss me,

I see the pain inside your heart,

But I'm not so very far away

We're really not apart.

So be happy for me, Dear Ones,

You know I hold you dear

And be glad I'm spending Christmas

With Jesus Christ this year!

I send you each a special gift

From my Heavenly home above.

I send you each a memory

Of my undying love!

After all, Love is The Gift

More precious than pure gold.

It was always most important

In the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other,

As my Father said to do,

For I can't count the blessings

Or the love He has for you!

So have a Merry Christmas,

And wipe away that tear

Remember ...I am spending Christmas

With Jesus Christ this year!

~ author unknown ~

*Randall, I miss you so much little brother. Christmas will never be the same without you. You are here in our thoughts today & every day. I love you.

Is this True?

2009-11-22T19:21:00.001-08:00

Anyone that has read anything at all about driving in Honduras or has actually driven in Honduras knows the reputation of Honduran drivers. At best, it's been called "Chaotic". I have been warned to not drive in Honduras at all!

I heard that Honduran drivers love to pass each other and usually at the worst possible time. I've heard stories about passing on curves, mountains, 1 lane roads & more. I've read about people passing out drunk right in the middle of the road & people just walk right on by like it's nothing unusual at all. There can be people, cows, dogs, chickens and more just walking or standing in your way. Should be interesting!

I've just read that some Honduran drivers drive at night without their headlights on because they believe it saves gas. Is this true?? Have any of you in Honduras heard or seen that? I'm guessing that these are the very same drivers that believe using an Iron at home runs up the Electric bill!

Happy Birthday Randall!

2009-11-12T01:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Randall ~ I love you & miss you so much, my little brother! I'll see you again one day . . . . .

Love Lives On

-Mary Alice Ramish

Those we love remain with us

for love itself lives on, and

cherished memories never fade

because a loved one's gone.

Those we love can never be

more than a thought apart,

far as long as there is memory,

they'll live on in the heart.

Going to a Spanish Concert

2009-11-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I went to listen to Federico & his Church Group perform for their very 1st Concert!

I was really proud of them, they did a fabulous job. They were the main group with several other groups performing in between sets. I enjoyed it to the full extent, as much as possible with a 3 year old on my lap.

I was, however, the only white chick there. Talk about uncomfortable but it's something I may as well get used to. Luckily, I knew quite a few people there and I've learned to just dive right in!

I have 1 observation.

I mean this as no offense or disrespect to anyone but why is it that every time I attend a Spanish Church event there will be some ladies dressed as if they are going to bar afterward? My Momma would smack me across the room if I came to church looking like that!

That's all I'm gonna say....

New Pictures from Sherri!

2009-10-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

So much thanks goes out to Sherri Murphy, for taking time out of her busy life as a Missionary @ El Sembrador School, about 25 minutes away from our future home. She sent a CD of pictures here to the States & to us. Look at this picture above, I love it! It looks so peaceful. I won't show all the pictures just yet because we want to have more work done on the house before we show it & Federico won't let me show it! But, when I do, I will show the before & after pictures. Let's just say that some of the things I've heard about building houses in Honduras, appears to be true!

There is so much work to be done on the property & the house. But, it's a work in progress & we will get it done. The land is so pretty & flat.

I will post more of the pictures tomorrow.

October Update

2009-10-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

I am such a slacker on keeping this blog updated! I feel like I've been so busy but with what I couldn't tell you. Here's a quick update on the Lopez Household.

Pictured to the right is our Nephew, Jeremy. I can't pronounce or spell his correct name, so I just call him Jeremy. He arrived from Olancho Honduras a couple of months ago. He first stayed with his Sister in North Carolina but after a month of looking for a job, came here to the Tourist town & found 1 within a week or so. He is staying with us but is rarely here since he works nights @ a restaurant & days with Cousins cleaning cabins. So, we might see him once or twice per week. He's 21 years old & is very friendly. He's picking up English very fast.

Pictured below in the red shirt is our Nephew, Felix & Jonah. Felix is Jeremy's older Brother & moved out to Pigeon Forge to be closer to his job & girlfriends! He was the best roommate since he was rarely here & when he was, he was very quiet. He's from Olancho, just like Federico.

Below is Orvin, from La Ceiba Honduras. He just moved out a nearby City. He is also very young. He had been with us for well over a year.

I no longer work the same job as I have had for almost 6 years. And, that's okay. I've been at home a whole lot more & getting to spend a lot of time with the boys. However, being at home can be just as draining as working so I'm looking forward to working a part time job.

As you may remember, one of our Goals has been to get out of debt so that we can go to Honduras a little faster. Oh boy, has that been a journey in itself. After being used to always having Car payments, we ditched that way of life & bought 2 Cash Cars. My little Pontiac Sunfire has pretty much been a dream. I love it & we have not had to work on it but once so far. And, that was the timing belt. It was just worn out, it's a 1999. Federico's car, has been a whole other story. I swear the Mechanic has had it more than we have! It's a 1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT. Whew - that thing is expensive to buy parts for! But, just a couple of days ago, we finally got it back & believe it's fixed for a good while. At least I hope so.

My friend, Sherri (Missionary in Honduras) was kind enough to send a CD of pictures to us. It was such a blessing! I will post those in the next post. While it was a great blessing, it also showed us exactly how much work is needed on the house & property. So, we have a lot to look forward to.

As for my boys, Noah is doing very well in school. He made Honor Roll & we are very proud! Jonah is still working on the potty training but at least now he's in underwear all day except for #2, in which he wears a diaper for that. He has also been picking up more Spanish since Jeremy came since we have to speak Spanish to him. Friday, I had to take Noah to the Emergency Room since he had a high fever of 104! He has Strep & Flu like Symptoms. And, of course, Jonah is coughing like crazy so I believe he will have it too. What you know, as I sit here typing, I have a horrible headache I can't seem to shake. I know the Flu is going around like crazy this year.

Hope you all have been well. God Bless You All!

New Pictures to Share!

2009-09-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Above is the road leading to El Culebrero, Honduras.

Pictured Below ~ My In-Laws, Jose & Maria

Pictured here is Elsa (Federico's Sister) & her daughter - Abagail

The house is our still "Unfinished" Casa.

PIctured Below is Alexandra ~ My Step Daughter!

Hello all!

I am pleased to be able to share some new pictures of family in Honduras. So much thanks goes out to Sherri Murphy, who went completely out of her way to visit Culebrero, Honduras just to take a few pictures for us. She says it's a beautiful area & that our family there is so very sweet and very much looking forward to our arrival. I cannot find the words to express how much these photos have meant to us, especially to Federico. May God Bless You & Your Family to every degree, Sherri - Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

From the Simple Woman's Day Book

2009-09-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

My picture thought for the day......
To the right, you'll see this beautiful picture of Honduras, close to where we will be living. It's got us dreamin' of our new home.
Thanks to Sherri Murphy for continuing to share her pictures of Honduras with me.

From "The Simple Woman's Day Book" Go to ://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ to join in!

FOR TODAY...

Outside my window...

I see the steady rain continuing to fall here in East Tennessee, making the grass a lush green.

I am thinking...

that time has slipped away from me today, I've been lounging around with Jonah watching "The Flintstones" and playing Ice Cream Truck with him. It's almost time to go pick up Noah.

I am thankful for...

the fact that no matter what trials come our way, we're standing strong together. Thank God for my husband!

I am wearing...

Black leggings under a long shirt, bare feet & no make up today ~ comfy

I am remembering...

when I was a child watching the very same cartoons as Jonah is watching today & how much I loved it. It's fun to watch Jonah's face as he laughs at the same things I must have found funny.

I am creating...

A new photo board for the kitchen, to display some of my favorite pictures that aren't framed. I adore pictures & saw the idea on a blog somewhere. Regular Cork Board, covered it with a fabric from an old curtain I had stored, hot glued gold ribbon along the bottom & top ($1 @ Dollar Tree!) & plan to add a criss-cross small ribbon along it to be able to insert the pics or just get pretty stick pins for it.

I am going...

to spend more time at home this week, with my kids & friends coming to visit this weekend.

I am reading...

a book about comforts from beyond, short stories of signs of comfort from God after losing a loved one. It's a beautiful & uplifting book.

On my mind...

Something tells me that I need to pass this book along to Linda, a friend I haven't seen in a while. The thought hit me late last night & again this morning. I think I'll drop it off to her tomorrow afternoon, after school.

From the learning rooms...

I am working on decimals & fractions this week, trying to remember how I managed this in high school so many years ago. Working with Noah on translating his 30 spelling words into Spanish for his Extra Points in Spelling. Continuing to work with Jonah on his alphabet & he now recognizes all the letters of the alphabet in his books! Whoopee! And, he's only 3!

Noticing that...

The weather is gradually changing from humid mornings into crisp comfortable mornings. I am so looking forward to the colorful signs of Fall in East Tennessee. I've also noticed many local businesses have already began to decorate for the Fall Festival. Time for some new pictures.

From the kitchen...

Trying to plan what I will make this weekend for my guests. I'm thinking "Tres Leche" Cake & more.

Around the house...

I want to prepare for my company with some Fall cleaning. I need to spend a day in the boys room, going through toys to through away, donate to New Hope Thrift Store or keep. Planning on taking some of their old books to the Book Exchange so they can pick out some more.

One of my favorite things this week . . . . .

listening to the rain drops falling on the skylight while I'm dozing off to dreamland & snuggling with hubby.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Tomorrow - Early morning doctor appointment to reevaluate my Thyroid levels & adjust medication, thanking God that the doctors found out the problem & can treat it. Then, on to school for me from 9am - 1pm, working on my math & preparing for the test. The remainder of the day, I'll get to spend time with my husband since he's off tomorrow & the boys.

Friday - preparing for my weekend guests & going to the beginning of Revival @ Federico's church.

Saturday - Excited that I'll be able to spend time with my best friend for the weekend, along with her kids & husband & my boys. Time with Best Friend = Priceless!

Sunday - Enjoying the weekend with my guests & going to the Church Revival @ Hubby's church Sunday evening.

Dr. Lopez is in the house!

2009-09-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Yet again, I am in the position of helping you in your medical needs, or should I just say Dr. Lopez is in the house! Yep, he's at it again. My husband does have a degree in Honduran Medicine, ya know. OK, not really, but at least in his mind, he does.

I have a stye in my eye. A stye, or hordeolum, is a small bump that can appear on the outside or inside of the eyelid. Common remedies here in the States are warm compresses, gentle massaging of the area, antibiotic ointment, eye drops or pills. But hey, what do these crazy American doctors know anyway? Right?

If you really want to know the remedy, just ask a Honduran! Well, in most cases, you don't really even need to ask, they'll usually just let you know anyway. At least in my house.

To get rid of a Stye - simply grab a cat, take the end of it's tail & gently rub it over your eye area. Don't worry about the cat, supposedly they don't mind. Remember this - if you don't get better, it's because you didn't do it enough!

Oh, the other method, just in case a cat isn't available - just rub your index finger into the palm of your hand, over & over again until your finger is hot & then put it on your eye. Do this 10-12 times. When I ask when this cure would work, I'm told "probably tomorrow". OK - Once again, if it doesn't work, it's your fault for not doing it enough!

Hubby also suggests putting salt water in the eye. There is no way in the world I'm doing that!

Just a Quick Update

2009-09-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't really been posting lately because there's not much new going on.

Hubby's father is still recovering from Dengue Fever. We have heard from a nephew that just arrived in the States that my Father in Law is not doing well at all. As a matter of fact, it sounds like he may be in the beginning stages of dementia. My husband is having a difficult time learning this new information. I think his family in Honduras doesn't always share complete information. I know they probably don't want to worry him. Please keep Jose in your prayers.

I have received a message from Sherri, in El Sembrador, that she may take a drive out to the area we are going to and take some pictures for me. I'm very excited about that!

All the political turmoil in Honduras, among other reasons, has postponed my short trip out there but we are hoping I'll be able to go in February or March. Please keep this little brave Country in your prayers. You may or may not know this but the US has cut off aid to Honduras. You can read so much information about this @ http://www.lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/ . She has lots of information and you can even read how it will affect YOU. Yes, even those of you that have zero interest in Honduras. Please take a few moments to read her updates about this situation.

My boys are busy learning more Spanish. Our oldest, Noah, now translates 30 Spelling words into Spanish every week. Our youngest, Jonah, has been running around the house speaking more Spanish every day. Then, when he does say something in Spanish, he always remarks "Mommy, I speak Spanish!". It's so cute.

I am busy going to school on Thursdays preparing for a test on September 24, that will make a huge difference in my life if I pass. Okay, it's been 18 years since I've been in school so I am struggling with some Math. But, we'll see how it all pans out.

I recently came across this blog, http://kevinandshannonhonduras.blogspot.com/ about a couple serving in the US Peace Corps in Honduras. You must take a quick look at their blog. It's humorous and interesting with some beautiful pictures of Catacamas. My favorite part of their blog is on the left side bar. They have listed T-shirts they have spotted on Hondurans that really don't go with their personality. Really funny stuff like this one -
U.S.A. Grandma (worn by a middle-aged man with a pot belly) So, take a look - I loved it!

That's pretty much it for the moment.

4 Years Ago Today

2009-08-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today, August 25 - my little brother, Randall passed away.

It was so unexpected, such a shock. He had been married less than six weeks. He was in Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville,TN for routine treatment, draining fluid off of him. He was supposed to go home the next day.

Randall had Becker Muscular Dystrophy, one of 9 types of muscular dystrophy, a group of genetic, degenerative diseases primarily affecting voluntary muscles. BMD primarily affects boys and men, who inherit the disease through their mothers. Women can be carriers but usually exhibit no symptoms. We never knew until he was in his mid teens that he was even sick. Later, we found out through testing that my Mom & sister are carriers, but I am not. So, my sister's boys have a 50/50 chance of developing the same disease. But, since the doctors know to look for the signs, they would have a much better chance. Becker Disease progresses slowly and with variability but can affect all voluntary muscles. Most with BMD survive well into mid- to late adulthood.

Randall seemed to be doing so well. He seemed healthy. He had a Heart Transplant at age 18 & he passed away @ age 23. He was a determined man. He always had told our Mom that he would never be in a wheel chair permanently & he didn't. This is one boy that truly lived his dreams. He dreamed & accomplished: graduating high school, graduating college, living out on his own, working, marrying the girl of his dreams, the only girlfriend he ever had. He did all those things & more. He left us with so many great memories of him, he will never be forgotten.

The Final Flight

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free,
I'm following the path God laid for me.
I took his hand when I heard his call,
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day,
To laugh, to love, to work, to play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way,
I've found that peace at the end of the day.
If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Ah, yes, these things too I will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My Life's been full, I savoured much,
Good friends, good times, a loved one' touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief
,Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me,
God wanted me now,
He set me free.

Author: Unknown

Dengue Fever

2009-08-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

My husband just called me and said he has spoke with his family today in Honduras. His father has Dengue Fever. His father is in his 90's so I'm imagining that it can become more serious. I started reading about it and here is what I've found.

Dengue Fever, a.k. breakbone fever, is a flu like viral disease caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. The virus is contracted from the bite of a striped Aedes aegypti mosquito that has previously bitten an infected person.

Dengue occurs in most tropical areas of the world. Anyone who is bitten by an infected mosquito can get dengue fever.

Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain. The severity of the joint pain has given dengue the name "breakbone fever." Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears 3 to 4 days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Older children and adults are usually sicker than young children.

From what I've read, there really isn't a particular medication for it. Most sites recommended plenty of rest, plenty of fluids and Tylenol. Although, Federico says they do have medication for it in Honduras. Now, I am not sure if he means some kind of home made medication or what.

*Please keep my father in law in your prayers. Thanks!

Talk with Mom

2009-08-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Right now, I am on the phone with my Mom & trying to be understanding. Now, that we have sold our Van, Trooper & Motorcycle (no more car payments!!!!) my Mom is beginning to realize it's really happening. We are in the final stages. We will finish the house & soon be on our way. So, once again, we're having the talk.

My Mom & Federico, pictured on the left, on our wedding day last year.

Some of the things Mom is talking & worrying about:

1. Why don't you make sure Federico builds closets over there? Where do you hide stuff? Why don't they have closets? What about cabinets? I just can't imagine all your stuff with no where to put it.

*Okay, Mom ~ yes, we will build closets, nothing to worry about. Anyway, I'm not taking EVERYTHING I've ever owned.

2. What if the law doesn't allow you to bring Jonah back? What if he doesn't let you leave?

*I am not even going to justify an answer to that question.

3. Won't you be bored over there? What are you going to do all day? Maybe you should learn to sew or something.

*Actually, at this point, I could handle a little boredom every now & then! As if 3 kids, husband, house, adapting to a new culture,new country, new family, new friends, new foods, new house, new everything ,etc. etc. won't keep me busy enough!

4. When can Federico come back to this country? What if he doesn't ever want to visit? How will he get his Visa?

*Mom, he will apply for a tourist Visa so that we can come & visit. Yes, of course we'll come & visit but probably not until our 2ND year

5. What if you don't like it over there?

*OK, if I don't like it we will prepare to come back, just as we have prepared to go there. I am very sure there will be days when I love it, days when I hate it, days when I'm homesick & days that I'm in love with it. I fully expect all that and more. I truly believe life is what you make of it & I am willing to try it out. If it doesn't work out, it's not the end of the world.

6. I just don't understand why you want to go over there.

Mom, I know it's difficult for you to understand. I love my husband & I hate seeing him miss his family & country year after year, knowing that I am the reason he stays. It is his dream to go back home & work on his business & be with his family and it has become our dream, too. His parents are very old & I want him to be able to spend time with them before it's too late. I want them to be able to spend time with these grand kids, too. I didn't choose to fall in love with someone from another country, it just happened that way. I don't think it's fair for me to say "Federico, I love you but you need to forget about ever going back to your country & your family, just stay here in the States forever" That's not fair. He has given me more than 6 years here, I think it's only fair I give him at least 1 year there. Don' t you?

2009-08-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

To join in, go to http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY ~Monday August 10th,2009

Here's my picture thoughts for the day ~ I truly Thank God that he blessed our family with an affordable, trustworthy car and I thank God that he provides us with a job during these unstable days. He truly knows our needs better than we do. To the left, is my oldest child, Noah who is now 10 years old. This picture was taken in April 1999 when he was just 17 days old. Boy, I am sure missing those newborn days. He was so tiny.

Outside my window. . . . . . . .
I see the green grass has grown so much this week, with all the rain we've had. I see the kitty playing in the tall grass chasing a butterfly, I see the sun shining bright and hot & clouds passing slowly by. I see the trees swaying in the slight breeze.

I am thinking. . . . . . . .
that I love Jonah snuggling on my lap while he watches Blues Clues and I sit here on my blog. It's our late morning ritual. I'm thinking it won't be very long until he will lose interest in this. I, for the most part, am learning to enjoy these toddler years. I'll never have it again when Jonah gets older. Yesterday, I saw a picture of him on my Mom's phone from when he was about a month old and it really made me miss those newborn days when they are so sweet and tiny. I love the newborn days.

I am thankful for . . . . . . .
So many things this week. We have truly been blessed this week. On Tuesday, we got a "New to Me" used car that I love. On Friday, I enjoyed shopping just me & Noah with a generous gift card from Papaw & Mamaw Stinnett for the boys. We also visited Nana Rose who loved helping Noah pick out some more school clothes from her. On Sunday, Nana & Papaw Rose got Jonah a Fire Truck Toddler Bed that he actually slept in all night. Also, this past week I learned that I have an extremely low Thyroid problem so that explains so many crazy symtoms. I am thankful for a great new doctor that truly wants to help with this. So, we had a very blessed week.

From the learning rooms...
I went to school last Thursday and learned that I need to learn way more. I am preparing for an assesment test this coming Thursday. I also got a new Spanish/English Dictionary @ Big Lots for only $2!

From the kitchen...
This week, I made Honduran Coconut Bread for Federico to take to work for breakfast. The guys @ work are amazed this gringa can make some Honduran foods. I want to do some more baking this week too. I do enjoy baking and I have been letting Noah help me. He gets experience in measurements & learns patience in the kitchen.

I am wearing...
My usual "Only @ home" garb ~ black sports pants w/black t-shirt & no shoes. Comfort clothes for the soul!

I am creating...
Still haven't started on that Diaper Cake but I have to finish it tomorrow. The person it's being made for will be induced on Wednesday so I need to get in gear!

I am going . . . . .
possibly to Food City today to return late DVDs, pick up my new thyroid prescription & to the Post Office to mail out some stuff. If it cools down this evening, I will take the boys to the local park to play this evening. Or maybe we'll just take a walk down this dead end road & see what we see. That's if it cools down, was 95 degrees yesterday evening.

I am reading...
Finished the Left Behind Books I was reading. This week, I have only read a few magazines. Read Oprah's O Magazine for the 1st time. There was an interesting article in there about organic farming and raising free reign pigs. Hmmm.

I am hoping...
that Federico's plans for the Heavy Duty Box Truck works out. I hate to see him disappointed.

I am hearing . . . . . .
the sounds of Blues Clues teaching Jonah about the Sun & Moon/Day & Night. I hear the beautiful sounds of an awesome air conditioner running. Thank God for air conditioning and the ceiling fan blowing! I hear the Ice Cream Truck playing it's happy music coming up the road.

Around the house...
Jonah is on my lap snuggling, Noah is just waking up in his room, Felix is asleep in his room, Federico is @ work on a double & Orvin is off running errands in town and I'm sitting here online instead of cleaning like I need to & will in a few minutes. Kitty is outside chasing butterflies. And, the house is needing my attention.

One of my favorite things...
this week, it's been driving my car around town, in early evening with the windows down & the warm winds blowing my hair with the radio up and a Peanut Butter Cup Sonic Blast cooling me off.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . .

Today~ not much ~ to the grocery store, post office and park. Possibly a nice walk with the boys.
Tuesday ~ Work day shift & then Truck shop/looking with Federico & the boys
Wednesday ~ Off work, may take the boys swimming if it's still in the 90's & not raining
Thursday ~ Off to school in the morning & then spend the day with my family
Friday ~ Will work day shift & then home to spend evening with the kids
Saturday ~ the usual Saturday Mad Dash to work - cook breakfast, lunch, dinner before 2pm, clean, get ready for work, fight tourist traffic to get there. But, I plan to leave early so we can travel the back roads slowly & try to enjoy the ride.
Sunday ~ I really would like to go to church with Federico this week since I didn't get to go yesterday, my parents were visiting.
Monday ~ Noah's 1st Day @ school this year - 4Th Grade!!!!!!!!!

Mango Mousse

2009-08-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here's another Mango recipe. If you don't have fresh mangoes available, you can purchase frozen mango in the frozen fruit section at most grocery stores in the US. I have used the frozen many times in recipes when good mango wasn't available. It's cut in chunks so I just cut it a little smaller & then proceed with recipe.

I haven't tried this one yet but wanted to post it anyway so I wouldn't lose it. I do plan to try it soon & I'll let you know how it is, it does look good though.

I found this recipe on http://www.about.com/ Mango Mousse

By Diana Rattray, About.com

MANGO MOUSSE

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped ripe mango (about 2 mangoes)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
dash salt
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
mango slices for garnish
fresh mint, optional

*Put chopped mangoes, orange and lemon juices, sugar, and salt in blender. Process until mixture is smooth. Fold mango puree mixture into the whipped cream and pour into individual serving dishes. Chill. Garnish with sliced mangoes and sprigs of mint, if desired.

Mango Bread

2009-08-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I have an addiction to Mangos. Yummy! Here's a great recipe for Mango Coconut Bread. Give it a try, it's good.

Mango Coconut Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups diced mangos
1/4 cup macadamias (optional)
1/2 cup coconut, shredded

*Preparation:Sift flour, salt, soda,and cinnamon together. Make a well in dry ingredients and add eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar, nuts, coconut and mangoes; mix well, put into 2 greased 8 x 4 x2 loaf pans. Let stand 20 minutes before baking at 350 degrees for one hour.

Thyroid Disease & Me

2009-08-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

OK, want to be completely bored?
Maybe I'm sharing a little too much here but here it goes. . . .

Of the roughly 12 million people in the US who have thyroid disease, more than 9 million of them are diagnosed with an under active thyroid and I am now 1 of those people.

In my planning of going to Honduras, I wanted to make sure I was healthy and up to date on all my necessary check ups, I finally scheduled an appointment @ my OBGYN and found out more than I bargained for.

Many of the symptoms I've had for the past 3 1/2 years, ever since I had Jonah. I rarely go to the doctor so I just attributed many symptoms as part of being in my late 30's, with a young child, my grieving over losing my brother and just basically aging. During a recent OB appointment (after not going for more than 2 yrs.), I was tested for whatever they test you for at age 36 and I was really surprised about this. A simple blood test provides important information about several hormones related to thyroid function. So, I was tested again and referred to my Primary Care Physician, which I had never bothered to meet. After finally getting an appointment, they tested me once again! Now, why couldn't they use the same test results as my OB? Think that has any thing to do with charging my insurance company again? Nah, what I am thinking? LOL!

My doctor has said that not only was my thyroid levels low, they were extremely low. So, she called in a prescription that I will start tomorrow. She claims that I will feel better, like my old self, in about a month. To be honest, I really had never known anything about thyroid problems and I didn't even know that my Mom has an overactive thyroid. So, thanks to the Internet, I've found out a lot about it and I will learn more as I go.

Also known as hypothyroidism, under active thyroid is one of the most common thyroid diseases. It prevents the thyroid from making enough hormones to regulate bodily processes like metabolism. When the thyroid doesn't produce enough hormone, a condition called hypothyroidism, your mood, appearance, and overall health can all be affected.

Here's some more I just learned about Thyroid Disease:

Thyroid Disease: Hypothyroidism
In hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland is said to be under active and doesn't make enough hormone. Insufficient thyroid hormone causes the body to become sluggish and may also affect mood and concentration.
Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
Fatigue
Lack of energy
Constipation
Depression
Memory problems
Weight gain
Dry, brittle skin, nails, and hair
Frequently feeling cold
Irregular periods
Constipation

*Wow ~ I had so many of the symptoms. On a questionnaire they gave me, I scored 48% & anything over 28% was considered very likely to have it. And, I just thought it was part of getting older, feeling tired all the time. Hopefully, I'll be good as new in a few weeks. Whoopee ~maybe I'll get more done!

Goal Met!

2009-08-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

One more goal accomplished!

One of our goals in getting to Honduras is be out of any sort of debt by the end of this year.

Having NO CAR PAYMENTS is one of the things we've been working on. Why did I ever think it was a good idea to trade my paid off car for a car payment, I'll never know!

Yesterday, to my great delight we bought a car from Craigslist & I love it! We got a fabulous deal on & Federico is great at talking people down.

Gotta love Craigslist, we even got our current house on Craigslist.

Funny thing is, I used to have one almost identical to this one. So, it's just one step closer & that makes us feel like we're getting something done. I'll probably leave this car here when we leave, maybe at my Dad's house in Georgia since he has a garage, plenty of parking & is rarely home (he's a truck driver). I haven't ask him yet but I'm sure he won't mind.

Kitchen Thrills!

2009-08-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

Beginning this week, I will start buying small kitchen necessities for my new kitchen in Honduras. Above is my 4Th purchase. I already have a Bread Machine, Mini Crock Pot & a Medium Crock pot. This is a great time of year to buy things like this. The above set includes toaster, iron & 5 cup coffee maker. Only $20 at Wal-Mart. My favorite deal of the week!

Although I already own many of the things I plan on purchasing, I really want everything to be new there. So, I'll probably have yard sale before we go, or donate it to the local Goodwill. Some of the other things I'd like to get for the kitchen - Extra Large Crock pot, Shark Steam Mop, set of dishes, glasses, silverware, rice cooker, microwave, etc. Well, I guess the list goes on and on. Oh, and my Mom did get me some kind of large vegetable chopper,too. I'll start with the small stuff & move on from there.

Just wanted to share my find of the week, guess it doesn't take much to give me a thrill!

New Monday Day Book

2009-08-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Here is picture thought I'm sharing....

I'm missing my Best Friend, Brandy. She moved to Chattanooga & it's only around 3 hours away, we still speak on the phone every day & I know we'll visit soon but I wasn't ready for her to leave. I figured I had more than a year before our move to Honduras, to get ready to say Good Bye. I know it's not that far but I really do miss her.

If you'd like to join the fun, here is a link to set up your own day book. The Simple Woman

FOR TODAY Monday, August 3, 2009.

Outside my window....... I see a beautiful sunshine filled day. Big, fluffy clouds filling the sky. A nice yard of rolling hills....

I am thinking... that I really need to get off this computer & do something constructive like cleaning the house.

I am thankful for... time with my boys today & the fact that at this very moment, they are quiet & happy. Oops, I spoke too soon. Jonah is now crying because Noah wants to go outside & play, but Jonah wants him in here. The trials & tribulations of a 3 year old.

From the learning rooms... Mm mm, I'm still working on learning more Spanish, although not as much as I should be.

I am wearing... my favorite around the house black w/white strips sports pants with a comfy tank & my hair in a ponytail. I do have on makeup though! That's something I always have on ~ even when I gave birth! I'm that dedicated to it. LOL! I'm just recently giving up my fave Lauder foundation as my skin seems to be becoming more sensitive. I ordered some mineral makeup from EBay & I'm giving it a whirl.

From the kitchen... Today, I will make homemade pizza for the boys lunch. One of my favorite things to make for their lunch but I usually forget. I will make banana bread today for Federico since he's working a very long double shift.

I am creating... nothing at the moment. But, I will make a Diaper Cake this week for our neighbor across the street that is expecting a baby any moment. I need to get started on this!

I am reading .... the "Left Behind" Series - AGAIN! These are the only set of books that I'll never part with. I so enjoy them. I wait a year or so then I'll read them again. The 1st book still puts chill bumps on my arms.

I am going... no where today & I love it. Sometimes, I enjoy these lazy days of summer when I don't HAVE to do anything. No work, no shopping, no errands today. Just going to enjoy a day @ home, not having to fight with the tourist traffic. Yippee!

I am hoping... that I find a good 4-cylinder, automatic, 4 door, cute little car for an excellent price soon. One of the major life changes ~ got rid of debt - meaning that I got rid of my $$$$ van & am without a car @ the moment so I can save $$ for a cash car, so that the $$ we usually spend on car payments can go to finishing my house in Honduras & saving $$ for our trip & buying appliances, etc for our house there. So, finding a good deal on a good little car would really help my life.

I am hearing... the sounds of "Clifford the Big Red Dog" DVD that we rented for Jonah this week. We love that Food City offers FREE Kids movies, with every rental. Jonah feels big & special when he gets to pick out his own movie. And, I just heard my sweet little boy, Jonah, say "I love you, Mommy" & I hear Noah coming in the door asking if I fed his kitty yesterday while he was spending the night at a friends house. The sounds of a glamorous life....

Around the house... I really need to do a deep cleaning today. I am the only female in a home of 5 males, so you can only imagine. The good thing is, I have all day to do it.

One of my favorite things... is listening to the rain & snuggling with Jonah. I dread when he gets too old & cool to want to hug & kiss Mommy. Noah simply endures hugs & kisses now. 10 years old is way too cool.

A few plans for the rest of the week....

Tuesday ~ I will go to work very early in the morning to avoid traffic & be able to get more finished & get to come home early and then we will go car looking.

Wednesday ~ Not sure yet, depends on the weather. At some point in the day, will make Noah try on all his clothes in the closet so we'll know what fits & what doesn't so we can plan school clothes shopping. Jonah, too, will need to try on his stuff so I can see what he needs.

Thursday ~ I plan to go take a very important Pre Test, that will determine if I'm ready for the real test. I will post what that test is, if I ever pass it!

Friday ~ I will wake up really early & take Federico to work so I can use his truck that day since he will probably be working a double shift. I will come home & take the boys to the mall in Knoxville. Friday begins the Tennessee Tax Free Weekend for school clothes & school supplies. I'm hoping our roommate (Orvin from La Ceiba) will come with me & maybe I can bribe him to walk around with Jonah so I can take Noah school shopping. It's really difficult to take Jonah clothes shopping and this year I can't just pick out clothes. Noah has grown a lot over the summer & is in a weird size. All his pants from last school year are really short & tighter but the clothes I've bought here & there in a larger size are too big. So, he'll have to try on everything & that will be time consuming. He hates to go clothes shopping, too. Ooh, how I can't wait to be in Honduras & have a daughter (Alexandra)that will enjoy shopping!

Saturday ~ If I haven't found a car yet, I will get up early & ride into work with Federico. That's if Orvin, our roommate, is off work & is willing to watch the boys for me. If I have found a car by then, I will wake up & prepare breakfast, lunch & dinner before I leave for work @ 2pm. All the while, getting ready for work, taking care of the boy & trying to keep the house clean. Why do I cook dinner before I go, you might ask. Well, I don't like Federico to cook when I'm not home to clean up after him. He makes such a mess & seems to be completely blissfully unaware of the situation. So, I imagine I'm helping myself so I won't have to come home @ midnight with a house to clean. 'Course, it never really works out that way - I'm fighting a losing battle!

Sunday ~ I will wake up @ 7am to get Federico off to work, then lie down until about 8:30am & get Noah up & ready for church. We all may go to church with Federico on Sunday night. Jonah so wants to ride the church bus with "Mr.David" as he calls him, but the rules are you have to be potty trained. I'm using this as an incentive to potty train. Seems like Jonah has regressed in his progress, since I already sold my cloth diaper stash when he was doing so well. I am terrible at training kids & animals - that's why I don't own a puppy!

Until next time . . . . .

Torcelo

2009-08-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

Until the other day, I had never heard of "Torcelo".

My buddy, Jennifer @ http://www.followingmycatracho.blogspot.com/ who lives in rural Honduras, sent me a text that her 3 year old daughter has a Torcelo in her.

Dermatobius Hominis - "Torcelo" is an oblong worm that makes its way out of skin, falling to the ground to complete the maturation process into a black fly. Apparently, it's common in farm animals but not so common in humans. Not common but not impossible either. You can either let it mature & come out on it's own but it itches a lot. You can put raw meat over the air hole, encouraging the larvae to move into the meat or you can have it surgically removed. From what I've read, it can sometimes be deeper than you think. Federico says that people say it drives you crazy with the itching. He didn't seem to think of it as such a big deal, but it sounds awful!

I feel so bad for that baby. I can't imagine Jonah going through that. The last I heard from her, part of it had come out on it's own but they have to return to the doctor tomorrow to have the rest of it removed. Please keep little Lana in your prayers.

Where in the world is Honduras?

2009-08-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

Would you like to know where in the world is Honduras?

Well, just ask my 3 year old, Jonah.

He'll tell you that Honduras is right here in Sevierville, TN.

As a matter of fact, it's right down the road from us on Hwy. 66.

You know - where the Helicopter Tourist Rides are!

After a little investigating on where he got this idea, I figured it out. He has a bouncing ball that looks like a world map. We use it to show him where we live now & say "Look, you can fly right down to Honduras". So, of course, when he saw the helicopters in town, he naturally assumed they were flying to Honduras.

Kids say the funniest things!

2009-07-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

Photo is courtesy of Sherri Murphy, a missionary @ El Sembrador in Olancho, Honduras just minutes from where our home is. Sherri has been a wealth of information for me, since all of the other Americans I speak to in Honduras live in other parts of Honduras than where I'm going. I have so enjoyed her pictures, stories & advice for living in Olancho. Thanks Sherri!

I also wanted to share a website I just found today. Go to http://www.holancho.com/ It has a lot of great pictures of the area where we'll be living. Even if you don't read or speak Spanish, you can just click on the links on the left side & you'll see pictures and/or information about local shopping, restaurants, pharmacies, etc, etc. I really enjoyed looking at these pictures, there was even pictures of town celebrations. You just may see my face in those pictures one day!

Yummy Yum Carrot Cake

2009-07-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

Picture above is the Carrot Cake before it was devoured today!

This is by far the easiest, tastiest, yummiest Carrot Cake ever.

I'm adding this to my "Easy Recipes" Cookbook. It's yet another that will go with me to Honduras. I dug this recipe out today & baked it.

Easy Yum Yum Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs, beaten well

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup crushed pineapple

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup chopped nuts and/or raisins

* Mix all cake ingredients together with spoon. Bake for 35-40 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Use Cream Cheese Icing, frost bottom layer & then melt the rest of the icing & pour over cake.

Brandy's Perfect Easy Cream Cheese Icing

1 1/2 cups powered sugar (or add more to taste)

1 (8 oz.) Box of Spreadable Cream Cheese

Set cream cheese out to soften

Mix sugar & cream cheese in a large bowl. Mix with hand mixer until smooth. That's it!

2009-07-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

Found the following information from www.pennyripple.com It is written by a couple that drove to Costa Rica to retire. Very interesting but long read.

BORDER CHECKS
There are a couple of things you can do to possibly avoid car strip-search situations (where they make you completely unload everything from your car). As you pack the bags and boxes that you are taking, affix a number on each of them, and make a list of what is in each piece of luggage, and have it translated into Spanish. Make several photocopies of this list. When you come to a customs check, give them a copy of this list, properly numbered to coincide with the
luggage. Do not list the contents on the box, as that could make it too easy for selected theft.

FOR MAPS, GO TO
http://www.escapeartist.com/Pan_American_Highway/Pan_American_Highway.html

*Travel with original documents and have any important papers translated into Spanish.
* WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE LEAVING HOME
1. Vehicle registrations or Title for your Vehicle. (Bring original and 2 copies).
2. A valid U.S. or Canadian driver’s license.
3. Proof of citizenship: Birth Certificate, Voter Registration Card, Passport or Resident
Alien Card
*You must have a credit card not issued in Mexico. Only VISA, MasterCard, Diner’s Card and American Express cards issued
in the name of the person temporarily importing the vehicle will be accepted.

Gathering Information about . . . .

2009-07-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Driving the Pan-American Highway to Honduras. The Pan-American Highway crosses the following countries: Canada, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina.

I found the following information on www.go-panamerican.com
Highlights are mine.

Mexico-Guatemala Border Formalities and Practicalities
*Expenses:
*10 Quetzales (around USD 1.50) for each passport
*41 Quetzales (or USD 7) for the mandatory insecticide spray on your vehicle,
*41 Quetzales for the car paperwork (US dollars no longer accepted, there is a bank in the customs territory, but it does not echance currency, so you will have to deal with local boys offering exchange service), -
*1 quetzal for each photocopy you will be required to make. It is a good idea for the owner of the car to have a bunch of photocopies of your driver's license, your passport and the title of your car - you will need at least one of each at every border.
*VERY IMPORTANT!!! Carefully check every number and letter in your car papers (VIN, license plate, make and year of the car, spelling of your name…) before leaving the customs.
*When crossing a border by car, have at least USD 50, better USD 100 in smaller bills and find out the official exchange rate from a reliable source (ask one of the immigration officers)

Guatemala-El Salvador Border Formalities and Practicalities
Departing from Guatemala is fast and painless.
Make sure to have an address of some hotel in El Salvador to list it as a place you will supposingly be staying at. Simply putting down "hotels" is not enough :) If you are bringing in a vehicle, you will be required to fill out a bunch of forms, all in Spanish, and then a bunch of copies of the forms you have filled out. Finally, the vehicle will get inspected and, providing they fill find no problem with the car and the documents, you will be allowed to enter El Salvador. None of the customs officials spoke any English. All the border procedures are free of charge, but just as soon as you leave the customs, there is a check point at which they charge you some municipal fee (whatever that is…), USD 5
*Gas
USD 0.79 per liter or USD 2.99 per gallon (Don't know how current this information is)

El Salvador - Honduras Border Formalities and Practicalities
Most importantly, avoid crossing borders on weekends, especially when traveling with your own vehicle. The immigration offices are usually open 7 days a week, so if you are going by bus or crossing on foot, you should not experience any problems either day. However, if you want to bring your vehicle into another country, you will also need to go through customs (aduanas), and all the associated payments will have to be made to the bank, which is closed on Sundays. It is very likely that the same rule applies to all the borders, not just El Salvador-Honduras.
Expenses: USD 3 per person for Honduras tourist card and USD 50 for the car
*Gas USD 0.81 per liter or USD 3.06 per gallon in El Salvador (Don't know how current this information is)
*Gas USD 0.91 per liter or USD 3.46 per gallon in HONDURAS (Not sure how current this information is)

Please feel free to let me know if this information is not accurate or current. Thanks for any assistance!

Driving through Mexico

2009-07-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

As my sweet hubby changes his mind AGAIN, on how we will arrive in Honduras (land, air or sea) I am trying to find out as much as possible about driving through Mexico.

Much thanks to Sherri Murphy, missionary @ El Sembrador for sharing all her beautiful pictures of Mexico & a lot of useful information. Sherri and her husband very recently made the long drive from the United States all the way to Honduras. After reading about her experiences, Federico wants to drive there even more. At this point, it's wait & see and be prepared for anything!

This is some of what I have found out most recently about driving through Mexico.

*U.S. citizens should carry proof of their citizenship no matter where outside the U.S. they travel, and Mexico is no exception.

*If you go beyond the border cities or intend to stay in Mexico for longer than 72 hours you need to get a Mexico tourist card. The tourist cards are available from Mexican immigration authorities at the border (Declarations) and also at Mexican consulates and Mexican government tourist offices in the U.S. A birth certificate or other proof of U.S. citizenship (voter registration, military ID, passport) is required to obtain the tourist card.

*Other foreign nationals should have a passport and appropriate visas both for entering Mexico and returning to the U.S.

*An automobile permit is required when driving into the interior of Mexico beyond the border cities (in Baja, Ensenada is considered a "border city." The permit, is good for up to 180 days and may be obtained at the border. There is a small fee for this permit. Don't forget to return the permit before you return from Mexico.

*According to Mexican civil statutes, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle in Mexico without auto insurance issued by a Mexican insurance company. Although some companies offer an endorsement that covers your vehicle for physical damage or medical payments on U.S. policies in Mexico, Mexican authorities do not recognize it, and the law is clear: drivers must be covered by domiciled Mexican insurance. Auto accidents are considered criminal offenses in Mexico, and regardless of fault involved vehicles can be impounded and drivers detained. The package put together for Mexico Insurance Services includes this offering, and the Latin Assist coverage is also available for comprehensive legal assistance.
*Just as an example: I found a policy online for this amount, ;you can purchase it online & print it out right away @ http://www.mexinsurance.com
Premium Amount:$21.75
Surcharge:$0.00
Latin Assist:$3.27
Broker Charge:$7.00
Mexican IVA Tax:$2.50
Total:$34.52

*You need a Mexican car permit if you are driving in Mexico beyond the Mexican border - except for Baja California. A Mexican car permit (which includes those towing a trailer) will cost you $29.70 (as of December, 2008) - it is priced in US Dollars.

*You have to pay the Mexican Treasury department (Hacienda) by credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express). You need the title or registration for your car or RV. Discover card is not accepted anywhere in Mexico for anything. People have told me they use their debit cards too, but I have not heard this officially, so you are on your own there.

*You need a tourist card, called an FMT (also seen as an FM-T in some publications). This FMT Mexican tourist permit is good for multiple entries. You need a birth certificate or a passport to get a tourist permit. The Mexican tourist permit (FMT) is no longer free (except in Sonora). Although the cost of the Mexican tourist permit (FMT) varies according to the peso and changes periodically, it will set you back about $25. The old no tourist permit for seven days or fewer rule is no longer in effect.
*Anyone know if this is still accurate?

GAS PRICES/EXCHANGE RATES AS OF JULY 09
US Dollar Exchange rate
13.20
Liters to gallon
3.79
Diesel - Per liter in Mex. Pesos
$7.88
Magna - Per liter in Mex. Pesos
$7.72
Premium - Per liter in Mex. Pesos
$9.57
Diesel - Gallon in Mex Pesos
$29.83
Regular - Gallon in Mex Pesos
$29.22
Premium - Gallon in Mex Pesos
$36.22
Diesel - Gallon in US Dollars
$2.26
Regular - Gallon in US Dollars
$2.21
Premium - Gallon in US Dollars
$2.74
*SHERRIE - Is this about the same as when you went?
*Also found a lot of useful information @ www.go-panamerican.com

Please feel free to let me know if any of this information is not accurate or it has changed. Thanks!

Picture this

2009-07-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Picture above is courtesy of Sherri, a missionary and friend, at El Sembrador http://www.escuelaelsembrador.org/ in Catacamas Honduras.

El Sembrador is a ministry of World Gospel Mission & is a boarding school for underprivileged youth in Honduras, Central America. Federico has told me so many stories about this school. Everyone in his town loves, respects & appreciates the work that El Sembrador does for the community. And, Federico's cousin, Rolando works there & has for many years.

This is about 20 minutes from our home there. Isn't that a beautiful view? I thought this picture was just beautiful & wanted to share it.

Sherri was kind enough to take & share lots of beautiful pictures on her recent drive from United States all the way to Catacamas Honduras.

Thanks Sherri, for all the wonderful advice & sharing the gorgeous pictures. Can't wait to meet you in person!

2009-07-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

Seven Layer Dip

2009-07-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.
Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.
Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives.

Honduran Recipes

2009-07-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

*Bautista, this one's for you ~ I noticed somewhere you mentioned you were looking for a recipe for Pupuas. I'm sure there is a lot of variations on this, but I have tried this recipe & liked it a lot. One thing I've learned about this one, is to make sure you make them thin, according to Federico!

Here's another of my favorites: (I found this on Recipezaar & love it!)

PUPUSAS

From the streets of El Salvador and Honduras, these are masa 'cakes' with a filling that is fried. The usual fillings are meat or cheese but there is no reason why beans etc could not be used.
SERVES 6

Ingredients
2 cups masa harina (this is in the Hispanic aisle @ Walmart or any grocery store)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon ground cumin (this is in the Hispanic aisle or the spice area)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
6 ounces mild cheese (or the filling of your choice - I like to use ground beef, seasoned w/Salsa)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (you can get this in produce or in the spice area)

Directions

1. Mix the masa harina, cumin, salt and water into a dough which is soft but not sticky. Be prepared to add more flour if necessary. If it is too dry, add more water.
2. To make a 3 inch round pupusas, take about half a cup of dough and roll it into a ball. flatten with your hand.
3. Put the filling in the centre [in this case, cheese, cilantro, salt and pepper].
4. Work the edges up over the filling and again form a ball, completely enclosing the filling.
5. Flatten each ball to about 1/4 inch or less and cook the pupusas on a hot, lightly oiled griddle for about 3 minutes per side, or until both sides are lightly browned.
6. Serve warm.

*This is really good with salsa or any kind of Hispanic dip, & it's much easier to make than you think.

Another thing we love to make is "Plantains".
They look like bananas but you don't want to eat them raw. They are really bitter until you cook them. Normally, we cut them in half, peel them, slice them long ways & then fry in oil until crispy. Hondurans love everything fried! I was looking for a different way to make them healthier & I found this, also on Recipezaar, here it is. . . . . .

OVEN BAKED SWEET PLANTAINS
I love plantains, especially sweet ones. This is a lower fat method of making "maduros" without the use of oil and frying in a pan.

4 - Very ripe plantains (these are perfect when the skin is yellow with black spots)
Cooking Spray

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Coat a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray.
3. Cut the ends off of the plantains and peel.
4. Cut each plantain on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices.
5. Arrange in single layer and coat tops with cooking spray.
6. Bake, turning occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until plantains are golden brown and very tender

*This is one of my favorite Spanish foods. It's delicious!

Salsa

2009-07-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more EASY recipes for various kinds of Salsa ~ Yummy!
I'm not sure where these came from, I re-discovered them in my collection of recipes so I don't know who to give proper credit to, but these are really good.

Salsa Fresca

3 - Medium Tomatoes (diced small)
1/4 - cup diced sweet onion
1/4 - cup loosely packed cilantro
2 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 small Jalapeno (seeded & minced)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
*Mix all ingredients together. Cover & refrigerate for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Pineapple Tomato Salsa

3 - Tomatoes, diced
2 - cups chopped pineapple (or pineapple bits if fresh is not available)
1- tbsp. Lime Juice
2 - tsp. chopped Tarragon leaves
1/2 - tsp. salt
1/2 - tsp. cumin
*Gently stir all ingredients together, Chill for 1 hour & enjoy!

Green Tomato Salsa

2 - Small Green Tomatoes, chopped
2 - Small Red Tomatoes, chopped
1 - cup Corn Kernels (fresh, if available)
1/4 - cup fresh chives
2 - tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 - tsp. salt
1/2 - tsp. pepper
*Mix, chill & Enjoy!

Melon Salsa

1 - cup chopped Honeydew Melon
2 - cups chopped Cantaloupe
1/2 - Jalapeno, minced
4 - tsp. Lime Juice
1/8 - tsp. Salt
1/4 - cup Cilantro
1/2 - tsp. grated Lime peel
*Mix, chill & Enjoy! Can be served with pork!

Happy Anniversary My Brother

2009-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today, July 16Th would have been my brother's 4Th Wedding Anniversary. He passed away less than 6 weeks later unexpectedly due to complications of Becker Muscular Dystrophy.

I miss Randall so much, especially days like today. I remember that day so well. I'd never seen Randall so happy. Actually, that day may have been the happiest day in my family. I loved seeing my Mom so happy, smiling & laughing. The entire day was perfect. My wedding day was a happy day too, but I missed having my brother there. And, it was the 1st wedding in the family since Randall passed away, so there were tears even on that day. Sometimes, it seems so long ago and other times it seems like it was just yesterday since he's been gone. I just miss him so much. My little brother, my only brother. . . .

If Tears Could Build A Stairway

Author Unknown

If tears could build a stairway

and memories were a lane

We would walk right up to heaven

And bring you back again.

No farewell words were spoken

No time to say goodbye

You were gone before we knew it

And only God knows why

Our hearts still ache in sadness

and secret tears still flow

But now we know you want us

To mourn for you no more

To remember all the happy times

Life still has much in store

Since you'll never be forgotten

We pledge to you today

A cherished place within our heart

Is where you'll always stay

Honduran Coconut Bread

2009-07-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

This is for Chrissy.

Chrissy, I am so sorry I didn't realize I had typed in "Baking Soda" instead of "Baking Powder". I bet it tasted awful. But, here it is again, the correct recipe & I swear it's yummy & delicious when made with baking powder! LOL!

Honduran Coconut Bread

2 -Cups Flour
1 1/2 -cup milk
2/3 -cup white sugar
4 tsp.- baking powder!
1 tsp. - salt
2 tsp. - melted shortening
1 - Egg beaten
1 tsp. - vanilla
1 cup - coconut

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt & sugar. Add shortening, milk & vanilla. Next, add the beaten egg & coconut. Bake @ 350 degrees in a greased loaf pan for 1 hour.

*This is a yummy moist bread. It's great for breakfast, snacks or anything. This is one to add to my "Easy" Cookbook! You gotta try it out, it took me no more than 5 minutes to prepare. Sooo good!
I haven't tried this one in my bread machine, anyone with a bread machine know if I need to alter the recipe, besides adding yeast????

2009-07-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here's another Honduran superstition Federico shared with me last night.

DO NOT watch a Chicken lay her eggs, if you do you will get a stye in your eye. And, you know what that means ~ you would have to find a Black Cat & rub her tail in your eye!

Pollo Gisado

2009-07-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Pictured above is Pollo Gisado & our Amigo/Roommate from La Ceiba enjoying it.

This is one of Federico's favorite meals to have for lunch. Apparently, it's not acceptable as a dinner. Don't ask me why. From what I understand, this a typical lunch in the rural areas of Honduras. I don't know how if this is exactly the way the women in Honduras cook it, but this is how Federico does. Of course, I'm not supposed to mention that Federico cooks at all. Heaven forbid that another Honduran man knew he lifts his fingers in the kitchen! Of all the Honduran foods I love to eat, this isn't one of them. I don't eat it but I do have the recipe.

And, here it is. . . .

Pollo Gisado

1/2 Chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup diced white onions
1/2 cup diced green peppers
1/2 cup salsa
4 oz. spagetti noodles
1-2 tsp. Onion Powder
1-2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 tsp. Cumin
1-2 tsp. Cilantro
1 1/2 cup warm water
4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. oil

1. Put oil in large cooking pot on medium heat
2. When oil is warm, add onions & peppers, Saute' 5 minutes. Stir often.
3. Add chicken, stir well.
4. Add salsa & mix well.
5. Add spagetti noodles. ( I used about 1/4 of the 16oz. pack) Break in small pieces.
6. Stir well for several minutes
7. Add onion powder, garlic salt, cumin, cilantro & salt.
8. Mix well.
9. Cover with lid, let simmer for 5 minutes. Stir often.
10. Add 1 1/2 cup warm water & stir.
11. Cover & simmer for 5 more minutes.
12. Check & stir often.
13. Lower stove temp. just slightly & let simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.
14. Remove from heat. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
15. Serve hot with Corn tortillas, Black Beans & rice. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Jaidan!

2009-07-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to say Happy Birthday to my Best Friend (Brandy's) daughter, Jaidan.

I didn't get to say it in person since they just moved to the Chattanooga,TN area this weekend. Jaidan was one of my flower girls @ our wedding last year. She is the sweetest girl. I'm really going to miss all of them, even though it's just a couple of hours away.

Happy Birthday to my sweet & cute favorite little friend, Jaidan!

Happy Birthday Kandi!

2009-07-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say "Happy Birthday" to my niece Kandi!

She's turning 8 years old today & we're on our way to her birthday party.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful, sweet niece, Kandi!

One more thing

2009-07-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

One more thing accomplished!

Just yesterday, we had Cable installed in our house in Honduras.

I know it's crazy, I don't have cable here where I live, but I have cable in my house in Honduras where no one lives!

We found out that the company was coming through town and installing in homes in that area. So, since it's a new construction, we went ahead and approved it. Federico's family was there to supervise the whole thing, so hopefully it's installed at least some what correctly. I've heard horror stories about these sort of things.

Alexandra (my stepdaughter) did call and say she went inside the house & was watching "Telemundo" so I guess it's working. Telemundo is a Spanish-language American television network owned by NBC.

Just wanted to share that we had 1 more thing finished there. Only about a million more things
to go!

*I don't even watch TV that much. The kids prefer cartoons & movies & even Federico doesn't watch much TV. But, I've heard everyone over there feels like they 'HAVE' to have cable & cell phone ~ no matter what! LOL!

Honduran Food

2009-07-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

By Request ~ Here's my favorite food of the moment, I could eat this by the spoonful!

Below is my beloved Mango Avocado Salsa, I have changed it (again) according to my tastes, but most everyone loves it and you can add peppers if you like. This really is my very favorite salsa. If the Mangos are not on sale, I buy the frozen mango chunks & it works just as well. But, right now it's Summer & I just made this twice this week, Mangos & Avocados were on sale for $1 each. Around here, that's really good. I can' wait to be able to just go pick them for myself!

Mango Avocado Salsa

2 - Avocados
1 - 2 large Mango's
1/8 cup - red onions (diced very small)
2 - red tomatoes
2- dashes of lemon or lime juice
1 - dash of salt
1 - teaspoon cilantro
Dice everything, mix, and cover in fridge for 1 hour.
Enjoy!

Come on ladies, share some of those Honduran recipes with me! Thanks in advance!~

Pineapple Salsa

2009-07-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

This one doesn't trump the Mango Salsa but it's pretty good.

Pineapple Salsa

1 - can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1/4 - cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 - cup diced red onion
1/4 - cup diced apricots or papaya, if desired
1 - tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 - teaspoon sugar
2 - teaspoons lemon juice

*Mix well, chill for 1 hour & enjoy! Of course, you may add any other ingredients you enjoy. This one is great with Tortilla chips or as a topping for chicken. Yum, yum.

Comfort Food

2009-07-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

With all the stress about the situation going on in Honduras the past week, it was really nice to get together with some amigos & enjoy some comfort food ~ Honduran style!

And, if that doesn't cure your stress - how 'bout coloring with a 3 year old? Pictured above, our amigo, Pablo coloring with Jonah. The funny thing about Jonah, he doesn't really like a lot of people. When Pablo was leaving, Jonah was pouting & asking him to stay. It was really cute. And, who could say no to that?

Mmmm, Mmmmm - Carne Asada, steamed rice & veggies, tortilla chips, Mango Avocado Salsa, Pico de Gallo, tortillas, & black beans. Yummy!

Help Honduras!

2009-07-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

As our United States celebrated our democracy & freedom this weekend, my heart goes out to those in Honduras who want the same. They are truly fighting for their country. I am so disappointed in our government that we are not supporting this. Why? How many times have we tried to impose democracy on other countries? Now, a country is begging to be heard, why aren't we listening? Honduras needs the support of the United States. Please take some time to read about this situation & YES - YOU CAN HELP! We can voice our opinions to our government. One voice may not be heard but many voices speak loudly.

Help Honduras!

KirkF posted this in Honduras, International, Politics on July 4th, 2009
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.kirkf.com/2009/07/04/help-honduras-contact-your-elected-represenatives/';tweetmeme_source = 'kirkflorida';

Have your voice heard about Honduras.

I will be updating this post with all the contacts possible and links to educate yourself. Look at the letter by Congresswomen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen that points to the truth. Look at this timeline of events provided to me by my Honduran friend living in San Pedro Sula. Any finally, look at the list of all my Honduras posts and make the decision to help the people of Honduras.

You can help Honduras. Do it Right Now.

By contacting your elected representatives.

White House.
(202) 456-1111 Contact form
US Senator
Find your senator's contact information using the drop down menu in upper right of their site.
US Representatives
Find your representative's contact information using the zip code entry on the upper left of their site.
Tweet Support to Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Automatically send the following Tweet:"@IRL Thank you for supporting Honduras & delivering your Letter to Pres. Obama. I support you helping Honduras. http://bit.ly/helphonduras"
Tweet Support to Jim Demint
Automatically send the following Tweet:"@JimDeMint Thank you for supporting Honduras. I support you in your efforts to help Honduras. http://bit.ly/helphonduras"
By contacting your government agencies.
US State Department
(202) 647-4000 Contact form
By contacting your political organisations.
United Nations General Assembly
(212) 963-1234 Contact form
By spreading the word via social media.
Twitter
Automatically send the following Tweet:"Help Honduras! Contact Your Elected Representative. The Honduran people need our help NOW. http://bit.ly/helphonduras"
Other social media
Post a link http://bit.ly/helphonduras (which links to this site) with a message asking people to help.
By educating yourself.
News & Media Posts:
Wall Street Journal Coverage
Sen. DeMint Supports Honduran Coup
The Wages of Chavismo
Honduras Defends its Democracy
Coup Rocks Honduras
Washington Post
Honduras's Coup Is President Zelaya's Fault
The New York Daily News
Obama 'meddles' in Honduras -- and chooses the wrong side
La Prensa Honduras
If you can read Spanish, check La Prensa Honduras out , for more information on the current events in Honduras.

Expert Blogs:
Roger Noriega's Blog, The American
Is Obama Helping Put a Friend of Drug Thugs Back in Power?
Honduran Cowboy Populist Falls Out of the Saddle
Cuba, the OAS, and a Test for Obama - Check the Date on this one! Before June 28, 2009!
Other Information & Blogs:
Patrick Buchanan Blog - Hands Off Honduras!
Tom Muhlbeier's Honduras Blog for any additional updates from Chet Thomas
La Gringa Blogicito for updates from an American Women in La Ceiba, Honduras
Aluizio Amorim for updates in Italian.

SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Help Honduras!", url: "http://www.kirkf.com/2009/07/04/help-honduras-contact-your-elected-represenatives/" });
ShareThis

YOU can help Honduras

2009-07-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

My heart is breaking for the people of Honduras, as they fight for their voice to be heard.

The people of Honduras are defending their freedom!

You can help the people of Honduras by letting your opinion be heard. If you can take a few minutes of your time to let a few of these people know how you feel about this situation in Honduras, it could make a difference.

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

*Please include your e-mail address

White House Phone Number: 202-456-1111

President: president@whitehouse.gov

Vice President: vice_president@whitehouse.gov

If you have have comments, send your email to: comments@whitehouse.gov.

You can also click on the link below for more people to contact and to read more about the situation in Honduras, written by an American woman living in Honduras. Very informative!
http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/2009/06/you-can-help-honduras.html

Get the Word Out

2009-07-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

I want to help spread the word about recent happenings in Honduras, so I copied this from a post on Honduras_Living group. Please take the time to read this well written post.

THOUGHTS ON RECENT HAPPENINGS IN HONDURAS

From a 12 year resident of the country who has observed as events unfolded over the past months.

Hello, all

Some thoughts on recent events in Honduras

First, IT WAS NOT A COUP!!!!!!!! ! In a coup someone (usually the military) overturns the legitimate government, assumes power, and establishes it's own government (frequently under a dictator.)At the risk of over simplifing, here are some facts.

It is true that Zelaya was the "democratically elected" president. However, he had turned out to be a renegade who was attempting to do away with the constitution of of the country and write his own -- basically one that would allow him to instate himself as a dictator a la Chavez.

The other two branches of the "democratically elected" government --congress and the supreme court -- had repeatedly warned him that he would be arrested if he persisted.

In all of this the military was caught in a dilemma -- whether to a) uphold the constitution (as they are sworn to do or b) obey the orders of the commander in chief (president). A couple of weeks ago the military leadership vowed that if it came to having to make that choice they would uphold the constitution. (Interestingly at that point I understand [and this information was given me by a Honduran who is in a position to know what she is talking about] that the US position given was that, as long as the military were upholding the constitution, the US would support them. We are all very disappointed in what has happened instead). In response Zelaya fired several of the military leadership (they were later reinstated by congress)

The Military did not act on their own (as in a coup) but at the behest of the other two branches of the democratically elected government -- the congress and the supreme court. The person selected to fill the remainder of the the presidential term was NOT put in place by the military (as in a coup) but is the constitutionally legal successor, the president of the congress (We had a vice president but he resigned during the lead-up to this week's events.)

You might ask then why didn't the congress and court system use the civilian police to arrest Mr Zaleya? The Honduran police are under educated, under trained, under funded, and under manned (not to mention in many cases corrupt -- and Z was throwing around enormous amounts of money to buy support) Only the military had the "clout" and resources to carry out the arrest of a corrupt, powerful and dangerous man who was seeking to do away with democracy in this country.

Upshot -- rather than a "coup" this was more of an "impeachment" , though admittedly carried out in a somewhat more dramatic fashion than would be expected in, e.g., the US

The vast majority of the Honduran people (I understand that some polls are saying 80%)approve of what has happened and DO NOT want Zelaya back! Demonstrations to that effect are right now being held all over the country -- and are NOT being covered by the international "news" media

Enough -- spread the word

LP

Honduran President Arrested!

2009-06-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

I will not pretend to know or understand everything going on in Honduras this week, or anytime, but I have heard all Hondurans around here talking about their President Manuel Zelaya a whole lot this week.

For those of you that don't know, President Manuel Zelaya has been arrested by soldiers early this morning. CNN says he was detained and sent to another country.

Apparently, the President was insisting on holding a Vote on a Constitutional Referendum that most opposed. The Supreme Court there had already ruled it illegal. From what I understand, the referendum would have allowed Zelaya to run for reelection. I know that he was elected in 2005, for 1 non-renewable 4 year term. His four-year term ends in January 2010, and he cannot run for re-election under current law.

According to Startribune.com "President Barack Obama is calling for all sides in Honduras to respect democracy and the rule of law following the arrest of President Manuela Zelaya and his reported expulsion to Costa Rica".

I have no idea how the people in Honduras feel about this, but the Hondurans here are very happy to be rid of Zelaya. I'm sure I will hear much more about this in the coming days and weeks. I am anxious to see how this effects Honduras.

You can go to http://www.laprensahn.com/ to read more about it. It is in Spanish. Also www.cnn.com/world is reporting on it, it's one of the top stories. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/06/28/honduras.president.arrested/index.html

Here's an article from a gringa's view point - http://lagringasblo%20gicito.blogspot.%20com/2009/%2006/honduran-%20president-%20mel-zelaya-%20arrested.%20html

You can read some of her older posts to learn more about the situation there. This is written from a Gringa that lives in Honduras.

Federico says he is proud of his country for arresting the president and he is praying for Honduras. Please remember to pray for this country.

I'm sure there will be very interesting conversation in this house late tonight. Federico is happy about the whole thing, Orvin doesn't care one way or the other & Felix is not happy. Federico is very passionate about Honduras & I'm sure he'll make himself clear on that tonight!

To Dance or not to dance

2009-06-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

I wanted to bring up the subject of "dancing".

Now I know that most Hondurans love to dance and my Honduran hubby was no different. Until now.

There was dancing at the reception we were at last weekend. He has suddenly informed me that it's no longer appropriate for him to dance. What??? Come to find out, he believes that Christians should not dance. But, we're not talking about Salsa here, we're talking about dancing at a wedding! I am really surprised that he feels this way & I want to understand more about why. At almost every Honduran event I've ever been to, there was dancing involved. I certainly understand about not appearing to dance in a seductive way but dancing a love song at a wedding seems different to me. If it is dancing in a way that would cause one or both to be tempted to sin, then it would be clearly wrong.

I may have a totally different view on this since I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church where we would clap & sing & practically dance to "a joyous sound".

I am aware that Honduras is famous for the "Punta" dancing. And, for those of you that aren't aware of what this is, I'll try to explain it just from my view. It's a dance that is usually between a man and a woman. As the drums beat, the feet start moving & hips shaking. It gets faster as it goes. It has long been a traditional dance in Honduras & was even performed at wakes long ago. You can search YouTube for "Punta" and you'll see what I mean.

He tells me that at Christian Weddings in Honduras, there would be no dancing. Just food & music, I suppose.

I started researching the subject of dancing. I have learned that the Bible mentions dancing about 26 times. And, in most cases, in most of those cases the dancing is a response to some joyous occasion. So, it seems fine to me to dance at a wedding, it is a joyous occasion. I especially love to watch the father/daughter dance.

Have any of you heard of this before? Not that it's a big deal, we don't go to a lot of weddings. It's just that it surprised me.

Free Fun in Knoxville, Tn!

2009-06-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to be able to spend some time with my favorite friend, Brandy & her children today. We headed to Knoxville, TN for some FREE FUN FOR THE KIDS! I love Free!

It was once the site of the 1982 World's Fair and I do remember going there as a child. But, now it has been turned into an amazing park that includes cascading waterfalls, flowers, streams & is home to lots of festivals. The best part of the whole area is this Water Park for the kids. Water comes up out of the ground to the beat of summer. We sat up near hidden speakers & was able to enjoy music along with the sun & kids. The kids loved it & had a great time. They were nice & exhausted when we arrived home. Jonah took a long nap. If you are in the area & have never been there, it is worth seeing. Especially, if you have little ones.

A nice day for a "Red" Wedding

2009-06-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

I love weddings!
Federico & I were in a wedding today. The couple are friends of ours from work. It was a beautiful day in East Tennessee today for a "Red" Wedding. Lately, we've had a whole lot of thunderstorms & showers so God must have been looking down on the new couple today. It was bright, sunny & hot. Maybe a little too hot ~ it was 96 degrees today! The hottest day of the year so far in Tennessee. So, by the time the pictures were taken, the entire Bridal Party was nearly melted. But, over all it really was a beautiful day. Best wishes Carlos & Becca!

Pancakes?

2009-06-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

Here's hubby's version of Pancakes.

Well, I guess you would really say "Pancake" since there is only one. He went through all that trouble to make just 1. He's so silly. He made this 1 pancake & then cut it in slices, kind of like bread sticks. He says it's good with coffee but then he didn't even want coffee. He didn't even have syrup with it. Now, what's pancakes with no syrup??? LOL!

I just wanted to share this since I'd never seen a pancake quite this large & thick.

Is this common in Honduras? According to him, it is!

He caught me taking pictures of this pancake ~ and you know he doesn't like anyone thinking he's actually been in the kitchen cooking. What a shame that would be!

Wish I'd had my Camera

2009-06-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

We were invited to a family member's birthday party on Sunday. They had rented a cabin in the Smokies for this 5 year old boy's birthday party. I so wish I had remembered my camera. I would have got so much material!

The party invitations stated that the party started @ 5pm but, of course I have learned over the years that it really means around 7pm. However, I wanted to arrive on time with the cake, just in case. I just can't seem to get rid of my time obsession!

Now, if you have never been to a Honduran child's birthday party, you may be in for a surprise. Even though we don't celebrate this way, many Hondurans around here do.

1st of all, you really dress up to go to a Honduran party. I learned this years ago. No jeans & T-shirts here. When you step into a Honduran party, you might think your in da club! I'm serious, it's no small matter. Even the kids are dressed up. The birthday boy was in a white & red tux. They have a large party for the child, along with lots of food, Pinatas & decorations and then the party turns into a club for the adults later in the evening. I don't really get that but OK. It seems like the party is really for the adults. After the kids play their party games, they are off to play & the adults are dancing, singing & drinking. I can't imagine drinking at my kids birthday party but it's not my place to say either way. We only went because I made the cakes & it's family.

The Party starts with lots of food, & I mean a LOT of food. They cook enough for an army! I made 2 Extra Large Tres Leche Cakes, enough for 100 people. When we were there around 5, there were already around 20 people or so. We stayed until around 7pm but promised to be back later. We didn't want to stay for hours & hours.

When we came back around 10, the party had taken on a whole new feel to it. It didn't seem like a child's party by this time. The kids were all downstairs playing & the adults were having their own little party. They had a DJ & the adults were dancing & singing karaoke.

They finally decided to bring out the cakes & let the little boy blow out the candles. They all sang & took pictures, just like we do at birthday parties. I never did see him open his gifts. After everyone ate cake, the kids were back to playing & the adults dancing.

My little one, Jonah (3 yrs), came up & kept asking me to dance! I don't dance! He kept on & on about it. Finally, another lady noticed that he wanted to dance & off they went. He was so cute, trying to dance with this adult lady. He looked so serious, watching her & looking up into her eyes. He still had his water gun in one hand, so he stopped to put down his water gun & went right back to dancing. He kept on for about 2 songs & then took her hand out to the deck. They sat outside on the chairs & he kept talking about the stars. Boy, am I in trouble! He loves the ladies!

We stayed for about an hour or so, then left. I'm sure the party went on for hours after we left. I just wanted to share because it was a different experience. I am not that exciting when it comes to kids birthday parties. We usually end up @ McDonald's Playland or the park.

Candles & Cake in honor our of Anniversary!

2009-06-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Pictured above on the left is the center pieces for the reception tables @ the Honduran Ceremony. Pictured above on the right is the ones @ the American Reception.

Our "Honduran" Wedding Ceremony was the 2ND Ceremony of the day. I wanted the reception to be decorated very simply but beautifully, considering the expense of 2 weddings. It was a small room off the main room of the Church. Bless Federico's Niece Liza & Sandy for being so sweet to decorate everything. They did a fantastic job with a small budget. Pictured above is the very simple center pieces. Nothing special, but pretty. You can't see it in the picture but the candles were monogrammed with our initials & the confetti was wedding bells. And, would you believe I got all that at the Dollar Tree? Yep, I sure did & I'm proud of it. I'm not all about spending a fortune for Table Center pieces.

And, it's a good thing I didn't. Funny thing is, most had disappeared by the end of the evening. Don't ask me why but for some reason people wanted to take home the settings. There were even a few people (people I didn't even know) that came by the Wedding Party Table & ask me if they could take home the candles. What do you say to that? I was surprised, so I said Yes, I suppose so. I was swarmed as if we were at an Auction! Federico did warn me that people would show just for the food, people I'd never even met.

Another surprise was when people would ask me if they could have some of my top layer of cake. As you know, it's a tradition here to save the top layer of the cake and eat it on your 1st anniversary. So, on that note, I did say NO! I did explain myself but they still looked at me like I was nuts!

I will admit that I don't know if that behavior is customary or not. I would be interested in knowing, though. Anybody?

In honor of our 1st anniversary today!

2009-06-09T02:23:00.000-07:00

Pictured above is Jaidan, my Maid of Honor's beautiful daughter.

Another different aspect of our "Honduran" Ceremony was the way it started.

The Groom is the 1st one, escorted by the Best Man on one side and the Groom's Mother on the other. In our case, my Mom escorted Federico. His mother was not well enough to travel to the States.

I may have this wrong but I do believe they were followed by the 2 boys. One boy was the Carrier of the Dimes, the other was the Ring Bearer, my oldest son - Noah.

At one point, the 2 flower girls came down the aisle, then my Maid of Honor and then the Bride's Maids (wearing Tiaras!) followed by me & my Dad, Ronnie.

But, the interesting thing was, everyone was announced. Like we were in a Beauty pageant. Every person was announced by their name. That was unexpected for me. As each person approached the ceremony chairs, they split & one went to the left & the other to the right.

It reminded me of The Price is Right game show! You know - like "Come on down - Your the next contestant in the wedding today".

Spanish word of the Day - Cachudo

2009-06-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

If I stay awake long enough at night, I usually will learn
something ridiculous from hubby. Maybe it's the midnight air that brings it out. Since I haven't really had anything interesting to write about lately, I thought I would share this.

Tonight, hubby is laughing as he tells our amigo that when he's at work & looks at the Deer Head above (Texas Roadhouse - need I say more) that he thinks of him. Apparently, they used to call him "Cachudo". It means your woman is cheating on you, so the guys tease him by calling him this name. And, then they just laugh & laugh! It has something to do with being a "Deer", I'm not quite sure of the reason. Even when I ask, I'm just told it's because they have the horns. OK, whatever. And, you know Hondurans are all about nick names.

So, here's the new Spanish word I've learned tonight. It's even in the Urban Dictionary.

Cachudo ~ Means your wife is cheating on you.
Cuidado no vayas a ser cachudo.
Be careful you're wife might be cheating on you.

Amazingly enough, they even have funny songs about this word. Here's a really funny youtube video about it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbyjSamF0A0 Even if you don't speak Spanish, just watching it is funny. The man singing it, is singing about people telling him that she's cheating on him, she says it's her cousin & so on. It's a humorous video.

Empachado

2009-06-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

My Honduran seems to have a "Talent" for diagnosing sickness, telling you what to do to prevent it!

EMPACHADO (a Sickness Hondurans believe in, doctors do not)

I feel I must post about "Empachado" once again. Just to make sure you aren't risking your life!

If you don't feel well for a while and are listless and sick to your stomach and your joints ache, you are probably "empachado". Some other signs that you have it will include headaches that won't go away, fever that won't go away, & aching muscles. Don't bother going to the doctor, the doctor's don't believe in it because they were brainwashed in medical school. This is cured by people who know how to give the right kinds of massages called sobadoras. It's usually considered a community service and they won't charge for it. You can die from being empachado.

Supposedly, you get it from eating lots of bread or dry food, without drinking fluid. I guess it gets stuck in your stomach. The course of treatment is 2 days of massage, without shower, and then a laxative on the 2nd day. You are not supposed to shower for 4 days! If you do decide to shower, your skin could turn different colors. Remember not to go outside in the afternoon, it's better to go out in the morning. Reason being - it's more windy in the afternoon, therefore more infections in the air. You could get more sick.

020 (1 photo), by Angela Stinnett

2009-06-03T16:03:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
http://www2.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=13531244070197827/l=1630230014/g=128453228/redirectURL=viewsharedphoto/otsi=SPICBL/AlbumID=1018730014/PictureID=33680354014/a=128453228_128453228/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=1%20photo/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Cades Cove (26 photos), by Angela Stinnett

2009-06-03T16:01:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
http://www2.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=58831244069907896/l=1629758014/g=128453228/redirectURL=share/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=1018730014/a=128453228_128453228/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=26%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Youtube video - cool pics

2009-05-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCn0MeCnfE8

Honduran Man tries to go home

2009-05-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

I received this link as a member of an online group - Honduras_Living. I'm sure many of you have already read this but I wanted to post it anyway because I found it to be interesting.

For those of you who haven't read this, it's an article about a Honduran man that has been living here in the States illegally for several years. The article states that he was tired of living in fear of being deported so he decided to go home. Officials wouldn't let him board an airplane! It's an interesting read. Click on the link below to read more.

http://www.charlott eobserver. com/local/ story/755016. html

I also found this article from December 2008 describing why so many immigrants choose Tennessee. Illegal immigrants come to Tennessee because low wage work is available, and some illegal immigrants already are here, they have set up networks and are pulling new ones to come, along with many other reasons stated. The article also stated that a lot of East Tennessee’s economy is based on tourism, the Smokies, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, all these places run on the Hispanic labor.

www.tnjn.com/2008/dec/09/latin-illegal-immigrants

My Spanish is coming along!

2009-05-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week, I believe I have come a little further in my Spanish speaking abilities.

1st - I went to a Spanish woman's house, all by myself, with no translator. I was surprised that I was able to keep up with the conversation, for the most part. She speaks little English so I was in the position that I had to speak Spanish. I stayed for about a half hour and had very little problems communicating. That was a big deal for me. We discussed our husbands, purses, sunglasses, earrings, etc.

2ND - My step daughter, Alexandra, has been calling from Honduras a lot this week. Several times, I answered the phone and was able to communicate with her with no problems. It made me very happy to be able to do that. I've noticed that if someone else is here, I'll hand over the phone to them. But, this week, I've answered her calls when no one was here. So, once again, I was forced to speak Spanish & I seem to be able to remember my Spanish words easier when I have to. Interesting.

On a slightly different topic, we have found how to get more minutes out of our international calling cards. We usually purchase $3 or $6 calling cards. In the beginning, we found that is was better to get 2 - $3 cards instead of 1 - $6 card. Seemed like we got more minutes that way. But, even so, each $3 calling card usually gave us no more than 15-20 minutes of talk time. I can't remember who told us this, but now we have been purchasing 1 - $6 Tigo Calling Card & then we text the phone number & pin number to my Mother in Law in Honduras. They then use it to call us. On Friday, with that 1 card, they talked for 2 hours & 3 minutes. That was amazing! They never get a chance to talk for so long.

Another thing that amazed me was the fact that Alexandra is picking up English so quickly. Federico taught her on Friday night to say in English "Hello Angela, how are you today?" So, on Saturday when she called that's what she said to me. The only problem was she didn't understand my response, so I gave her my response in Spanish. The amazing thing was, when she spoke to me in English, she sounded clear as a bell. It was if I was speaking to an American. I couldn't believe how clear she sounded. Last night, she called back & Federico was teaching her more English. She's writing it down at the same time so she can practice. I was really impressed. Of course, they say children pick up other languages faster than adults.

Earthquake in Honduras

2009-05-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

Photo above is from Yahoo News.

I'm sure by now, many of you are already aware of the powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck just off the coast of Honduras on Thursday morning around 2:24 am.

Of course, the moment we heard about it, we wanted to reach family to make sure they were okay. We weren't able to get through until later in the evening. All is well with our family in Honduras. They did feel it but nothing was damaged. THANK GOD! We were also happy to read reports from many of our online friends, that they were safe.

For those of you that hadn't heard about it, the earthquake was centered, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, 27 miles (43 km) from Roatan, the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands and a popular destination for tourists. Some reports said is was 39 miles from Roatan. Tremors were felt in neighboring countries, including Guatemala & Belize. The quake was the largest along an unnamed fault line off the coast of Honduras since a 6.0-magnitude temblor in 2002

The last account I read stated that at least 6 people were dead & several dozen injured. There were damaged homes & a collapsed bridge.

Democracy Bridge, which spans the country's largest river, the Ulua, collapsed in the town of El Progreso. The bridge is one of two connecting the northern city of San Pedro Sula, Honduras' second-largest, with the rest of the country.

Please keep Honduras in your prayers as they deal with the aftermath of Earthquake damage. Pray for those who have lost loved ones, for those that have lost their homes.

And, here's an unrelated fact I didn't know - Honduras, with a population of about 7.8 million, is the world’s 9th-biggest grower of coffee, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

2009-05-19T16:19:00.001-07:00

Texas Roadhouse - Legendary Food and Service
Want a Hearty hand cut steak, Ice Cold Beer, Fall off the bone ribs, and legendary made from scratch sides? Come on in to Texas Roadhouse and have it all!
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1509109/texas_roadhouse_legendary_food_and.html

Learning Spanish

2009-05-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

I've been with Federico for more than 6 years now. His English has improved so much over the years that he often translates for other Spanish people. You would think I would be fluent by now, wouldn't you? Nope, I'm not. I guess I've been lazy about learning it. But, lately since I know I only have a year or so before we move to Honduras I've been getting more serious about it. I've always pretty much had the basics but it's time to move forward. I sometimes think I have a mental block for Spanish. Not a good thing.

I have a 10 disc set to listen to in my Van & I found a "Talk Now! Spanish Instant Immersion 2 CD set for the laptop @ the Flea Market. Also, I've found a few websites online that offer Free Lessons! I would love the Rosetta Stone but it's pricey. Of course, I have a real live Spanish teacher right here in the house but it's hard to have time that he can just repeat something over & over. During conversations, I will ask questions but I still like these other methods.

Here's one that I really like. Go to http://www.learnspanishtoday.com/ Of course, they try to get you to purchase their program but the 11 Free Lessons are pretty good for learning a lot of basics & more. This would be good for students,too! The lessons are interactive & you can repeat them as often as necessary.

Check it out. If anyone else knows of any good online Free lessons, please share!

CUSTOMS & Duty Free Allowances & Restrictions

2009-05-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

CUSTOMS & DUTY FREE ALLOWANCES/RESTRICTIONS For Honduras

Tobacco...................200 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 454 grams of tobacco
Liquor......................2 bottles of alcoholic beverages
Perfume...................Reasonable for personal use
Cameras/Film...........No restrictions
Gifts..........................Up to a total value of US$1000
Agricultural items.....Refer to Consulate
Currency...................Refer to Consulate

I'm not positive this information is current but it's what I have found online.

Cinnamon Spanish Fried Chicken

2009-05-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Chicken Legs or Chicken Breasts
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cilantro
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wash the chicken. Pour the milk in a bowl & dunk chicken in milk until completely coated. Discard remaining milk.
3. In another bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt, nutmeg, cloves & cilantro. Roll each piece of chicken in mixture until well coated.
4. Put vegetable oil in pan. Place chicken in pan & bake for 30 minutes.
5. Flip the chicken once during cooking & bake for 30-45 minutes more depending on your oven. Check often to make sure they don't dry out.
This is a great twist on an old favorite ~fried chicken. And, everyone in the house loved it!

Crunchy Parmesan Pork Chops Casserole

2009-05-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Even the Spanish guys loved this recipe!

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
2 cups onions, diced
1/2 cup sweet red pepper thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
6 pork loin chops
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons butter

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter; cook onions until soft (15 minutes).
2. Stir in red pepper, thyme, salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Melt remaining butter and brown the chops on both sides until nicely browned.
4. In an oven proof dish spread half the onion mixture.
5. Top with pork chops (overlap slightly if necessary).
6. Cover with remaining onion mixture.
7. Drizzle the chicken stock over casserole.
8. Bake covered in 400°F degrees oven for 40 minutes or until chops are tender, basting one or two times.
9. Meanwhile mix together; bread crumbs, Parmesan, mozzarella and 2 tbsp butter.
10. Sprinkle over the casserole when the chops are done.
11. Bake for 10 minutes to form a crisp topping and then broil for a minute or two to finish browning (if necessary).
12. Serve. I made this & served it with steamed veggies, sweet potatoes & rice.

Mango Glazed Chicken

2009-05-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Here is another easy Honduran meal. Don't know if it's authentic but it sure sounds yummy. I will be trying this one this week!

Mango Glazed Chicken

Ingredients
one whole Chicken
4 medium sized mangoes
1 to 2 tsp. dried thyme
3 to 4 tblsp. sherry
2 cloves minced or crushed garlic
salt and pepper to season Chicken

Directions
Season the Chicken with salt and pepper, place in roasting pan.
Peel mangoes, slice off flesh and puree in blender with thyme, garlic and sherry.
Ladle over Chicken and bake at medium heat.

Retrieved from "http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Mango_Glazed_Chicken"

You might have noticed I have a thing for Mangos. I love them! My fav is my Mango Avacado Salsa (on an older post). But, anything with Mango, I wanna try it!

Lost in Translation

2009-05-11T14:33:00.001-07:00

Living in a house surrounded by the male species, I try to make things as easy as possible for myself. Often before I leave the house I will empty out the dishwasher so they can simply put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Simple, right? Ummm, no. I have ask & ask. I have ask in English, I have ask in Spanish.

I really don't expect much out of them. I only ask that they remove their shoes when entering & put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, & take out the garbage when needed. I pretty much do everything else indoors that needs to be done.

I'm wondering if I'm just saying it wrong. Who knows. I plan to print out a small sign (lamented) to sit by the sink & put on the back door window. So, help me out here - is this right? Or am I just Lost in Translation?

1.) Por favor, poner los platos sucios en el lavavajillas. Gracias!

2.) Por favor, quítese los zapatos al entrar y poner en la cesta. Gracias!

Feliz Dia de la Madre!

2009-05-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Feliz Dia de la Madre!

Mother's Day is celebrated in Honduras on the same day as it is here in the States.
Many churches in Honduras will have special services that honor the Mothers in the congregation. Some will have poems, songs, plays etc. to honor the Mothers. Here, my husband's church is having everyone bring a dish and the Mother's will be honored by not having to cook! Of course, I'll be making a "Tres Leche Cake" to send.

Did you know that England was the 1st country to celebrate Mother's Day? Well, at least some people say that. There are conflicting opinions as to when the holiday really began but there's no question that back in the 17th Century(some say 18th Century), England reserved 1 Sunday where household servants for the wealthy could return home to be with their mothers. They called it "Mothering Sunday". They would also take a "Mothering Cake" home to their mothers to add a festive feel to the day.

Here in the United States, Mother's Day didn't become an official holiday until 1915. There is a very interesting story about how it started here in the states. You can read all about it @ www.theholidayspot.com/mothersday

According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is now the most popular day of the year to dine out at a restaurant in the United States.

Did you know that it is a tradition in some parts of the country to wear flowers for Mother's Day? Wearing a pink or red flower represented that your mother is still alive. Wearing a white flower symbolizes that your Mother is no longer living. I didn't know that before today.

So, to all you Mothers, Grandmothers, & Mother's to Be ~ HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Disturbia & a New Word

2009-05-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

We rented the movie "Disturbia " & I learned a new Spanish word.
The word in English is "Perhaps" & in Spanish it is "Quizás", but the funny thing (sorry) is how it sounds. It sounds like "Kiss ass" but fast & together like "kissass" or "kizz-ass". For some reason, it just struck me as funny. I couldn't get enough of hubby saying it. I may never be able to say this word without cracking up. Keep in mind, I may be spelling it wrong or hearing it wrong but it just made me laugh.

Miracles

2009-05-06T00:15:00.000-07:00

I have VERY GOOD NEWS! If you have been reading for a while, you know I ask for prayers for my Dad. Well, God has listened & chose to bless. My Dad DOES NOT have a Brain Tumor as doctors suspected. I am so thankful, I don't even know what to say. I'm not ready to lose a parent, or anyone. I guess no one is ever really ready but I was so scared about it. Thanks to all of you that sent prayers. Words cannot express my gratitude.

My Dad & step Mom will be here today. They are staying until Sunday & are hoping to be able to enjoy riding on their Motorcycles, spending time with family & just being away from work. My Dad owns his own small Trucking Company, so he & his wife are in the truck 24/7. They almost never get time off to just enjoy life so I'm looking forward to seeing them relaxed.

We're hoping the weather will behave & we'll get a chance to ride with them. There is a Bike Rally in town this week. It's the Blue Angel Police Benefit ~ 05/07/2009/ - 05/10/2009.
This rally is based in Pigeon Forge, in the heart of The Great Smoky Mountains, & has rides to Deal's Gap,The Devils Triangle, Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway and The Tail Of The Dragon. Bingo runs, poker runs with lots of national vendors, prizes,major entertainment and more.

So, I just wanted to update you & remember that God does answer prayers, in his own time. I only hope this will be a real wake up call for my Dad & he realizes how fortunate he really is that God has taken care of him. Thanks to you all again!

Surprise Gathering

2009-05-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

This is my house this evening.

Federico is the music director at his church & they usually practice Tuesday evenings. He also has began teaching another group at another church a county away, on Thursday evenings. Anyway, today they all practiced together. When Federico was about 1 exit away from our house, he called to tell me a few people were coming over to eat.

OK, I didn't have anything, at all, cooked. He tells me that he going to run into Food City to purchase meat to make Carne Asada on the grill. He ask if I would go ahead & start the rice, salsa, etc. No problem except I was sweaty & looking like crap since I'd spent the last few hours cleaning house. My Dad & step Mom is coming in tonight, to stay in Tennessee for the week. Not to mention that I had already taken Noah to the doctor this morning, then I went to my Doctor (lost 10 lbs. this month!) then on to the pharmacy, then Wal-mart, then work, then home. Whew! It's been a busy day.

Did I mention that Food City is only about 5 minutes from the house? I told him to take his time, I hurried into the shower, dressed, pulled my hair back, threw on some make up & hurried to put the rice on. I'm tired already.

Well, surprise surprise. When he said a "few people" he actually meant around 10 people! And, this is around 10pm! Half of them I had never met. Oh well.

Those of you that are not married to a Spanish person may not realize how common this is. Just dropping by for dinner is very common. It's nothing to just knock on the door & expect food. I do comply. If I didn't, you wouldn't believe how they would talk about me. I really don't mind, except I prefer a few hours notice, not a few minutes. I feel pressured by it. I always want my house neat & food cooked before guests arrive. Even though it makes me a little uncomfortable, I kinda enjoy the ease of friendships among them. It's interesting to me. I even call my Mom before I go to her house. I have always called 1st. Federico is very casual about just stopping in at any one's house. Don't be surprised if we show up on your door step one day!

But, I made it just fine & the food was fabulous! OK, I have to give hubby credit for the Carne Asada ~ he is awesome on the grill.

The meal consisted of: Carne Asada, Black Beans, Rice w/veggies, Pico de Gallo, Mango Avacado Salsa, Corn Tortillas & Tortilla Chips.

Carne Asada - is basically thin slices of beef, usually rubbed with seasonings & salt or marinated with spices & then grilled. Very good!

Rice w/Veggies - This is how I make it- I use Minute Rice. Use 3 cups water. Put in medium sauce pan. I season with a lot of salt (hubby likes it that way) & Cumin, Garlic Powder, Cilantro, minced onions & add 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables. Boil water. When water comes to a boil, add 3 cups rice, stir with fork. Remove from heat, top with lid. Let sit for 5 minutes & then fluff with fork. I know most people prefer the longer cooking rice, but I don't. As long as hubby is happy with it, so am I.

Black Beans - we just used 2 cans of black beans. Season to taste & boil 5 minutes. These men love beans!

Pico De Gallo - My version - Chop very small - 2 tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 green pepper. Add small amount of lime or lemon juice. Season with Salt, Cumin, Garlic Powder, etc. basically any seasoning you like. Stir & let sit for minutes.

Mango Avocado Salsa - My favorite Salsa- I use either 2 Mango's or 1/2 bag of Frozen Mango. 2 Avocados & 2 tomatoes. 1/2 cup diced onions. Chop all ingredients very small. Stir well. Add 1 tsp. lime or lemon juice & stir well. Add a dash or two of cumin. Cover & refrigerate for 30 minutes. Yum!

Tortilla Chips - I sometimes make them this way - Super easy. Take a stack of corn tortillas & slice in 8's like a pizza. Drop in preheated oil & deep fry until golden brown. Drop on paper towel & lightly salt. Really good.

Notice all the salt intake. Good thing I don't eat half of this stuff. I love the Carne Asada & the Mango Salsa. It's near impossible to lose weight like this!

Honduran Mango Chutney

2009-05-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have found an easy recipe for "Mango Chutney".

If you have never heard of Mango Chutney, you are not alone. Neither had I. But I found a recipe for "Easy Mango Chicken" that I wanted to try & it included this mango chutney. So, here it is. . . . .

Ingredients

4 cups under ripe mangoes, diced
1 cup Raisins
1 cup dates, chopped
4 oz green ginger, chopped
1 teaspoon mustard seed
4 cups Sugar
2 oz salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 hot peppers, chopped (I intend to leave these out)
4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 lb. onions, chopped

Add fruit and peppers to vinegar and allow to steep until the next day.
To Mangoes, add Sugar, ginger, garlic, onions and other seasonings.
Boil all ingredients together gently until chutney is thick and brown.

Retrieved from "http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Honduran_Mango_Chutney"

Here is a sweet recipe for Honduran Bunuelos (they are like little dounuts)

Ingredients

6 cups flour
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
2 TBSP. shortening
water
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Frying oil

Directions

Mix well the flour, baking powder and Sugar.
Add the egg and shortening and mix until both are absorbed by the flour.
Add water a little at a time until it becomes a dough consistency (like tortillas).
Roll small balls of the dough (about 1/2 the size of your hand) into pancake-like shapes.
Let them sit for awhile so they can dry a bit.
This way they won't absorb too much oil when you fry them.
Deep fry the buñuelos and sprinkle with cinnamon and Sugar. They should be nice and crisp.

Retrieved from "http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Honduran_Bu%C3%B1uelos"

International movers

2009-05-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

There are some companies that will move your belongings to another country. How reliable they are, I'm not sure. I have heard so many stories about the troubles of moving to Honduras. We plan to ship our mini van, motorcycle, riding lawn mower, Big screen TV, & maybe a few other large items. We have a friend that does this for a living. He travels from our county in Tennessee to Olancho, Honduras every month. We will most likely use his services. We do send boxes to family through him, last time he charged us $1.50 per lb. We think that's pretty reasonable considering the last person we used charged $2.50lb. But, for large items, I'm not quite sure. I do plan to go for 2 weeks sometime before the move to purchase furniture & appliances, etc. to try to get the house set up.

But, here's a little information on international shipping. . . .

You can get free moving quotes at http://www.internationalmovers.com/ - a leading relocation network.

When speaking to other Americans, it sounds VERY expensive to use these companies but when Federico's niece just went to Honduras recently, they just paid $700 to ship their pick up truck filled to the brim with belongings. This was from Miami to Honduras. I couldn't believe that. She was even asking if we wanted to send anything & we did. I sent Federico's daughter a huge bag full of clothes, a doll & some school supplies, etc. Sent my Mother in Law a robe & a envelope full of pictures. I'm guessing Hondurans have some kind of connection I couldn't find on my own.

I sometimes, joking, will suggest that we just pile it all up in the pick up & drive through the countries like the Beverly Hillbillies! Wouldn't that be funny?

Plaintain Pancakes

2009-05-02T00:56:00.000-07:00

PLANTAIN PANCAKES

3 very ripe plantains
3 tbsp. flour
4 tbsp. melted butter
2/3 cup cooked beans
2/3 cup shortening or lard

1. Boil and mash plantains; add flour and butter and mix thoroughly.
2. Fry the beans in 1 tbsp. shortening for about 5 minutes.
3. Heat remaining shortening in another frying pan, add plantain mixture, 1 tbsp. at a time, and spread with a fork so that it will take the shape of a small pancake. Fry the "pancakes" for about 5 minutes, place a teaspoon of the fried beans on each and fold. Fry the stuffed pancakes, covered, three minutes on each side or until brown.

* I could do without the beans! You know they'll put beans on anything!

Amazing!

2009-04-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

This is amazing!

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you may remember me asking for your prayers for my Uncle Robert, who has been very ill & has been waiting for a Heart Transplant. I just got word today that Robert will be the 1st PATIENT IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE to receive the New "Heartmate".

From what I've read, the Heartmate is a device that is a surgically implanted mechanical device that helps the heart pump blood. The HeartMate is implanted in your abdomen. This is a fairly new technology. Many people that have really weak hearts, weak enough that they may not live long enough to get a Donor heart, are sometimes candidates for this. It's also known as a LVAD & is called a "Bridge to Transplant". It stays in place until a heart transplant is ready to be done. Then, they remove it right before surgery.

Doctors at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, TN will be video taped during the entire surgery. Doctors in our local area of Knox & Anderson County, TN will have to be educated on how to treat him. Also, the local Fire Departments & Ambulance services have to be informed & trained. My Aunt said that the local Utilities Company has to have a Generator, in case they lose power. This is a very big deal. You can see:
www.thoratec.com/medical-professionals/heartmate_lvas.htm for lots of information about the HeartMate.

Now, I will use this opportunity to preach my cause ~ BECOME AN ORGAN DONOR!
Those of you that know me, know that I lost my little brother, Randall almost 4 years ago. Our family is very grateful that we had 23 years with him. 5 1/2 years of that time was a gift from God & a complete strangers family. At 18 years old, Randall was blessed to receive a Heart from a Donor. That Donors family may never know how much they are loved because of this unselfish gift. He got to go to Prom, graduate from High School, graduate from College, move out on his own, work, see his niece & nephews & marry the girl of his dreams. Time is such a gift. Please consider becoming an Organ Donor. You can give the gift of life.

Tajaditas De Platano

2009-04-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

The above, Tajaditas de Platano, is a favorite snack around here. It's Plantain Chips. They're like potato chips, but thin-cut plantains instead. The kids & hubby prefer these, they are dusted with Chile, lime and salt. I prefer the sweet ones. These Plantain chips are really lite, crunchy, & a bit salty. If you aren't familiar with Plantains, they are considered to be a cousin of the banana family. They are starchy & low in sugar. They are served fried or baked. They usually resemble green bananas but ripe plantains may be black in color. They are often used as a vegetable, they are longer than bananas & have a thicker skin. Plantains are widely used in Mexico & Central America. If you love chips, you have got to try Plantain Chips. They are available at any Latino Store. So good! And, they are super easy to make. Most grocery stores (even Wal-mart) carry Plantains in the produce section. Here's one of many recipes to make your own.

Ingredients:

raw green plantains

oil

salt

water

Take and skin plantains, place in a salt and water solution and let it soak for a couple minutes. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is heated, take the sliced, skinned plantains (1/16” thick) and add to the oil for frying. Make sure to control the heat so that the plantains are not burned. Once the plantains are about half fried, the color starts to change. Keep frying the plantains to a crispy stage. Remove the fried plantains from oil and drain them in paper towels. Season to taste with salt.

Jugo De Coco

2009-04-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yum, Yum, Yum! I love this Jugo De Coco (Coconut Juice) Federico buys it for me at the local Latino Store. It's a huge can, 17.6 ounces! It claims to be 80% juice, and has little chunks of coconut in it. I really love this drink. It's not too sweet, but just sweet enough. I love the chunks of coconut & it's really best when it's very cold. This particular brand is "Foco" & according to their website www.thaiagri.com - Coconut is the world's well-known tropical fruit that has fragrance juice and tender meat. What surprised me is that this drink is a product of Thailand. I don't care where it's from, it's yummy! If you haven't tried it, just stop by any Latino store & they will usually have it. Mm mm....