A rumble in the distance.

Here I sit, on the eve of a seeminly regular day to all, but I can't help but wonder, if the rumbling I hear is a sign of things to come or simply the side effect of a much needed rain for a nearby village.

We have had a calm Sunday here in Canilla. We enjoyed having some time to be lazy, but after those 5 minutes, we were able to catch up on a few chores and hobbies.

Ryan was able to fire up the engine in the old ford truck today. It is the first time in the last few (5 maybe?) years that the truck has ran. We started converting the truck about 5 months ago. It now has a Dodge engine and a Ford, well, everything else.  I could show you a picture, but it would look like something out of a scrap yard.  Maybe when it looks like a truck again.

We were able to make a few laps around the hospital on wheels today. This has been a fun family activity for us since the completion of the concrete around the courtyard. It was nice to coast around and around in circles. It is such a refreshing time for me. My most complicated decission is whether to turn right or left, and then, I just....coast.

This is it.... the eve of the day I have been dreading for over a year now... I am turning 30 tomorrow. I know, I know... in 20 years I will wish I could be 30 again. For me it is intimidating, and threatening.  I have to act like an adult now. All responsible and propper. Ehhhh, maybe I will get better at pretending.

I guess it is all what we make of it.  Either I am just getting older, or I am living to celebrate another year of life lived, life survived, and lessons learned.

I sure hope it rains tonight, but I wouldn't mind a quiet tansition into 30-hood tomorrow, maybe even a graceful one.

In Between

Here I am. Saturday morning. I don't typically write about nothing, but that is exactly what I am going to do today. 

I am not sad today,  I am not struggling, I am not angry, and I am amazingly normal.... your right it's all relative.

We finished off the morning of chores with a little cold cereal and fresh milk, thanks to my brother-in-law's Jersey cows. Then the boys started in on their laps around the construction site, and will intermittently trade off throughout the day. Audrey is out riding a scooter with our dog, Boone, on her heels. I hear laughter echoing off of the bare walls as she rides away from Boone, giggling. 

The background noises trade off from the air-compressor, which seemingly runs continuously, and the impact drivers the guys are using on the roof. Bilingual chatter is also a frequent, as we continue to talk to each other in English, while communicating with the crew in Spanish.  

There is a constant flow of motorcycle, bicycle and foot traffic, as today is the local produce market in town. The ministry holds one of its weekly, general medical clinic today, about 1/4 mile up the road, so I will see a steady flow of families walking back toeards town after they have been seen. Mostly, we are greeted with curious eyes, but we are always observed. Who can blame them. We are, well... different. 

Looking to the North

The sky is cloudy and the air is filled with a remarkably familiar sent. I swear it is Skunk, but I cant say I have ever seen one here before. When I first smelled the pungent odor floating thru the air yesterday evening, I was almost shocked.  This was a common occurrence for us around the house in Illinois, and I was surprised at how reminiscent that reminder made me. Your right, I am always on the verge of busting out some over romanticized version of life back home. Leave it to me to throw skunks into the mix!!!!  

Looking to the South

I feel like we are living in an eternal summer this year. It has been hot, dry, and brutal for about the last month, but we have had a few days of 80's, and we are all feeling like civilized creatures again, having dry clothes from not sweating and not having to avoiding the sun like vampires. Word on the street is two weeks till the 'rains' come. I will look forward to the rain, but this also means we have to keep pushing on rain preparation. Roofing, gutters, drains, and runoff will become priority once the rains start, especially if they don't fizzle out like last year. Maybe the rains will be consistent enough that we will have a normal growing season this year for all the farmers and livestock. I will appreciate our yard turning from straw and thorns back into grass, and the dramatic decrease in dirt in the house each day. We are accustomed to sand and dirt on our clothes as they dry on the line, and I don't think I will miss it.

Life definitely gets more complicated after the rains start, but it is almost like snow was back home. Production typically slows down, due to weather, and I enjoy the added family time and hoodies. I do love hoodies.

I hope I have not bored you, but I thought we could all use a little good, old-fashioned, normality, at least as I have come to know it. 

Happy Saturday.  Miss you all.

Katie Ann