Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The World's Largest Herb!





Yes, that's right, bananas don't grow on trees! They are the world's largest perennial herb. Here in the new house we have many banana herbs! This morning on our "property stroll" we checked up on all of the beautiful bunches that we have been observing for a month now!

At first the banana plant looks like a flower, then those little "fingers" appear (the baby bunches). It takes two months for the "hand" (the bunches) to fully ripen.

The mother plant dies after producing the bunch of bananas (I know, sad isn't it) but not to despair. From the growing point new "suckers" appear and lots of baby plants turn into mother plants, and so goes the life of the banana tree, no...palm.....no largest biggest perennial herb!

So now you have viewed a piece of the yard this morning and I hope you enjoyed the show. Wish you were here for tea and banana bread!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Moving can be SO MUCH FUN!



We have had a great and exciting month! Renee was in a week long symphony project with rehersals every day culminating in 2 performances at the Little Theater in downtown Kingston. She started 9th grade and during this time our teaching schedule began at the college! Since we arrived in Jamaica last August our contract was up September 1 in the Spalding house so we moved from Spaulding to Mandeville. We moved from the country to the city! Well.... a little city!

We are thrilled to be 5 minutes from Renee's school, what a difference that makes on school mornings! The most amazing thing about the Mandeville house is how quiet it is. While we lived in Spaulding I don't remember ever going to sleep without the bars stacked speakers blaring music. The noise I have to say was undescribable. I do not miss it! Many nights the bar population started at 6 in the evening and ended at 6 in the morning. In the Mandeville house we go to sleep with the sounds of crickets and wake up with the birds singing. That really does put you in a different frame of mind. I would have to say that going without a good nights sleep for one year has been very draining.

I will miss certain things about the Spaulding house but certainly not the noise! When I did the final cleaning I thought you may like to know that I cleaned 288 individual window panes. Although I never measured them I would say they are 4 inches wide by maybe 18 inches long. The most amazing thing was I didn't break a one! Now that's a miracle! Since living in a house with tile floors I have broken tons of things. There is no mercy when you drop even Corning Ware on a tile floor! I have broken my phone, tons of dishes and even my finger. I have slipped and fallen more times than I can count but on the final cleaning day.....I had no worries mon!

It is a joy to live in Jamaica and teach at the college and because the housing situation is comfortable...well....it just makes serving here even more lovely!

I invite you to come to our little bed and breakfast! We would love to have you!