13.1 Because I'm Only Half Crazy

I ran in the National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer today. I ran the half marathon with a goal to better my time of last year, and I did this by 2 1/2 minutes. That's despite the fact that it was 32 degrees when we started and only warmed to 36 by the time I finished, in Florida! We've had weather in the 60's since I came a few days ago and it will go back to the 60's tomorrow. But this morning in the 30's? Seems cruel. Ironically, I stayed in Trinidad an extra three weeks to train so I'd be training in warm weather to be ready for Florida! Instead, my muscles took a long time to warm up and the wind on the bridges and beach was brutal! My run wasn't elegant as my tutor, Marcello, would say, but I finished. My niece walked the half marathon and bettered her time from last year as well. Good for us!

This is us after the race. Notice the red noses, gloves, jackets, and warming blanket, but also, finishing medals. Whereas I usually love to run as I get into it, today I was just glad to finish.

This was the fifth annual marathon so the shirts' stripe and medal ribbons coordinated. I liked it. A long soak in a hot Jacuzzi was terrific way to warm up and soothe tired muscles.

Also, the presence of fives continues for me this year (remember, for two months my Dad was 95, I was 65, my daughter was 35 and my granddaughter was 5?) with a five on the medal and a bib number of 5535. I don't know what it means but it must be auspicious!

I'll stay in Florida a week extra, especially to visit with my sister-in-law since Italy remains in the grip of a deep freeze and serial snow storms that is unprecedented and unwelcome after so long.

A Hike to The Sea

From my daughter's home in the Rain Forest to the sea at Paria Bay is a sixteen mile round trip hike through primary forest. One morning my daughter invited me to hike this trail to take advantage of an up to then rare sunny day and an even rarer opportunity for time alone together. I was in so off we set.

This is the secluded beach we reached 3 1/2 hours of beautiful sights and good conversation later. 

The only way to reach Paria Bay is by hiking or by boat, no roads for cars, so we were the only people there for the first two hours. If you think of paradise, this is the beach you would think of.

My daughter, a great swimmer, went out beyond the waves to take a luxurious swim after her walk.

An interesting rock formation, seen above also, called Church Rock located at the southern end of the beach. The tide was high so we had to rock hop to get there. The surf was vigorous and swirled around the statue as it broke on the rocks. The sounds of nothing else but nature was indeed spiritual and made me realize how well named it is. A walk up and down the length of the beach refreshed my soul.

Leatherback turtles use Paria Bay Beach as one of their nesting sites. They lumber up onto the beach (next month) at night, dig a hole about four feet deep, lay some 80 eggs and cover up by flipping sand around so that the nest is no longer identifiable. Then off they swim leaving their offspring to make their hazardous journey over open stretches of sand back to the sea 60 days later. Not many make it.

On the way back we stopped at Paria Falls where the abundance of recent rain made the falls so full that the mist spray coming off it kept us from being able to get much closer and still see the falls. It was a beautiful diversion nonetheless and shows a bit of what the forest we hiked through looks like.

It felt good to be out in nature, to challenge my body and enjoy the company of someone I love. 

Sweet, as my grandson would say.

Wildflowers and Waterfalls - The Perfect Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday, double 66's. My daughter, who lives here in Trinidad's Northern Rain Forest,  orchestrated a wonderful day for me and now that I have the magic combination of electricity, phone connection and internet all together, I wanted to share it with you.

The day started with what has been affectioately nicknamed "muffin bread"- made by my daughter, loved by my grands and now by me. Together with coffee and foamed milk, and a flower from the garden, it made for a good start to the day.

How about a drink made from flower petals boiled with cloves and fresh nutmeg from a tree nearby? It's sorrel, a popular beverage this time of year. It's a lovely jewel red color and I just love the whole idea of drinking flowers.

My birthday present from my daughter was a hike to a local waterfalls that I hadn't yet seen. My granddaughter accompanied us. Along the way my granddaughter picked wildflowers for me to make my birthday bouquet. She was excited by all the bright colors she found. I felt like a queen.

The destination of our hike was a series of five waterfalls reached by climbing up the river that connects them. We've had LOTS of rain since I arrived so the river is full and rushing with strong current. It meant that we had to scamper up rocks or bush to the side at times rather than always stay in the river. But I figured if my five year old granddaughter could do it so could I.

The reward for the challenging climb however was this beautiful sight, the fifth waterfalls, carved into a half moon cave and thunderous from recent rain. Our decision to bathe naked in the pool at the foot of the falls was modified somewhat, at least for me, when I felt the cold breeze blowing down the gorge. I backed into it as far as I could before getting too cold to continue. My daughter was far braver than I even through her screams.

A gorgeous, secluded spot. A perfect present. I felt exhilarated and rejuvenated. 

My granddaughter took this photo of me with my daughter at the top- sweaty, dirty, tied but very happy.

My second best present was this photo in the front yard with my grands, ages nine and a half and almost six. Their agreement to one smile a day in a photo was extra special on my special day. My daughter printed this and framed it for me to take home. Precious.

Add to this the fun of playing "Plants vs Zombies" with the grands and learning all kinds of new strategies, coloring with my granddaughter who is seriously into drawing and coloring these days, having home made pizza for lunch, my grands making brownies, the birthday treat I requested, sharing a delicious dinner made by my daughter from produce grown by her husband in their organic garden with three researchers living in a second house on their property who research the mating rituals of hermit hummingbirds and the lek- specific dialects they sing, and finally, in a rare occurrence, beating my daughter in Scrabble. 

I even connected to facebook and email long enough to be inundated with well wishes from around the world and an e card from my Honey. Perfect birthday. I feel loved and grateful for my life.

[Writing this in dial- up internet land is a long process that I am nevertheless glad to be able to do after my hiatus from blogging and my blog friends. The first post mysteriously disappeared when I changed the original title so I've added further details to this post in my eagerness to connect with you again.]

Time Out For Travel

I'm traveling to Trinidad with my Honey to be with our daughter, her husband and our two grandchildren for Christmas. Internet access is dial up in her Rain Forest village so my postings will be curtailed. My Honey is there for a month and I'll be there for two months training to run a half marathon in Florida before returning home. I hope to start some kind of writing project with my grands while there and I'm eager to see what ideas they may have about this. They're ages 9 and 5 and I'd like to hear any suggestions you may have.
I'm excited for it all.

One of the surprises about friends made in the blogosphere is the importance you now have in my life. I couldn't have imagined this BB (before blogging), but I cherish it now. My life is rich and full with the combination of wonderful adventures in Italy/ Europe and via my blog. I'm grateful.
Please accept my best wishes for a holiday season full of joy for you and your families.

A Time I Had Magic

A Time I Had Magic

I saved a life once.

On a Nebraska Reservation

a baby was born
blue, silent.

The doctor, a stranger

to these people,
instructed: "Leave him,

he'll die."

His mother cried,

refused to hold him,

begged: "Take him
away."

I was his nurse.

I focused on him,

massaged his feet,

stroked his chest.

Life loitered,

crept in slowly,

he breathed,

    he moved,

        turned pink.

Connected to life,

I fed it to him

     like milk.

It was that kind of magic.


This is for dVerse Poets Open Link Night hosted today by Claudia. She has some wonderful things to say about falling in love with poetry and she's a great example of really fine writing.

Buried Alive

It's not like setting fire to the rain

as Adele sang when she jettisoned

her guy and friends cheered

images of mystery and catharsis

with symphony accompaniment.

It's more like being buried alive

in sand with only my head exposed

to stare alone at the sea of our love

without arms to take us where

we are meant to be.

This is in response to the visual prompt above posted at Magpie Tales.

What Choice You Had

What Choice You Had

"Come to my room, help me 

choose the dress I'll be buried in.

Is it too morbid of me to ask you?"

Your first choice a fuchsia dress

silk, long sleeved, belted.

"Is it too garish for a funeral?"

You decided,

at your funeral you would wear

what you wanted,

bright color such a deliberate

counterpoint to your fading.

Final statement

by a legend of stylish dressing.

"Perfect choice, Mom."

"Guess what," you whispered, "it's a size 10!

I've always wanted to wear a size 10."

We laughed at your perverse

pleasure - loss of weight

even if it's to cancer, size 10

even if it's in your casket.

It had its intended effect.

Mourners remarked on how 

beautiful your dress was, 

how so like you.

                                                        

                                                                                        Mary Harvey Warren

in loving memory of Mary McLellan Harvey

I posted this poem  two years ago for a 100 word challenge. This is its full version posted in response to Victoria Slaotto's prompt at dVerse Poets entitled Meeting the Bar: Writing Emotion.
Check out this great resource blog for poets which contains both information and prompts.