The Move is On!

Living in exciting times! I know some don't like to move as much as we do but it invigorates us I think! Love cleaning out. Love selling old things. Love starting over. Love a new environment. Some think we're crazy. As a matter of fact, I am beginning to believe them. Maybe I am growing up and want to settle down and get some roots......nah....not yet! Too many places to go teach!

Last week the Barned company came to our house to take a look and see how big a container we need to ship things to PA. Actually the ship will take our belongings to Baltimore and we will truck the boxes to Phoenixville. Sounds like a fun road trip to me! Now we have the packing and shipping date in June. Our application was approved last week for our apartment there and things just keep selling and going out the door!

A great story from yesterday. Denny sent our March prayer request list to supporters and friends yesterday morning. In the afternoon a lovely couple came by and through conversation we learned that they are Christians. They proceeded to say that they never travel this road. They decided to just take our road en route to get to their house. They bought the 2 end tables and the 2 filing cabinets. They were so grateful for the items and the price. As they were thanking us I reminded them of the prayer request going out in the morning and Jesus sending them to our house in the afternoon. God takes care of even our stuff to be sold!

When we shipped our belongings to Jamaica in 2008 we brought things that we knew we would not be taking home so this sale was all part of the plan! The wicker set left this morning! Chaotic times for sure!



Someone bought our guillotine this morning! yup...didn't know I had one! It is the paper cutter!! Learn something new every day!

Prince Harry is in Jamrock!

Royalty arrived yesterday! Prince Harry is on a Caribbean Tour representing his grandmother. I hope he doesn't do anything to embarrass her! He arrived yesterday and will be here for 4 days. I wish he were coming to Mandeville. I love things like that! I wish William and Kate would come before I leave!

Jamaica celebrates its 50th anniversary as an independent nation this year. Prince Harry is here for that reason. He is going to race with Usain Bolt sometime today. Now wouldn't that be something to see! I wonder how badly he will lose. Of course racing against a prince, Usain might have to lose! Prince Harry is here on official business and having some fun on the side.

It is Jamaica's desire to replace the Queen as Jamaica's head of state. It would appear that the prime minister is on a mission to have that accomplished under her tenure so it is possible that a new day is coming in regard to Britain and Jamaica's relationship. We shall see.

The Motherboard Saga

I never really thought about motherboards until February 10th! One moment I was using my computer and the next......the computer was gone. Just blank. While living in a third world country something like this puts me in a panic. It is hard to find car and computer parts here in country. I had this gut feeling that this was going to be a frustration and indeed it turned out to be. And to make matters worse, Renee's computer died on the 13th. She sent a scholarship application and the next moment the computer was dead. It was really quite strange how they both died the same week.

I am actually quite surprised to be on the computer today though, as I had resigned myself to the fact that the computer was a goner and when we get back to the states in July my problem would be solved!

When we moved to Jamaica 4 years ago, I brought Ryan's old computer for Renee and me to use. Two years ago it died. When Den went back to AGTS for a class he was able to get it repaired for Renee to use and then he purchased a new one for me. Toshiba's are better for humidity and seem to do better in island climates.

When the computer died on the 10th Den was able to find a little computer shop here in our town to confirm that it was the motherboard. The computer man wasn't able to get a motherboard but we were excited about being able to bring one in with the evangelist that was coming to our house on February 22. Den knew it would be tight to get one shipped to Kevin in North Carolina but worked real hard to get it done.
While searching for the motherboard he learned that my computer was no longer being made and this made the search even more difficult. Ryan and my father joined in on the search. Then all of a sudden the Toshiba company promised they had one and so Den got it shipped to the evangelist.

He brought it in through customs and all went well in that regard. Den gets it over to the computer man and lo and behold it was not the right one. Kevin will return it when he leaves the island on March 8. All was not lost because the VFCC team arrives on March 9 so the three guys continue the search! Den finds one and the company guaranteed the delivery to VFCC only to email 2 days later and say that is was not available. This happened 4 times with 4 different companies. Talk about frustration.

That is when I resigned myself to the fact that I had written my last Jamaican blog and facebook was a thing of the past!!

More importantly than facebook was the question, How is Renee going to do her homeschooling course and finish by May? I told the homeschool advisor that 2 computers had died and one is in the critical care unit! Den's computer is not long for this earth so it has to be handled very gingerly and 3 people using it may cause it to die before we get home in July!

I have helped Renee with her Information Technology class, so I know that without a motherboard, you simply have a black box to stare at. I know that the only thing a motherboard doesn't do is the power supply. I know that the motherboard is the brain of the machine, that is why it is called a MOTHERboard, hehe!
I know that without a computer in today's age work doesn't get done, homework gets slowed down, I mean even Renee's library only has encyclopedias from the fifties, friends lose contact, business emails don't get answered and the list goes on and on.

Yesterday we were prepared to take the information from the 2 computers that died to Den's computer for Renee to continue her studies, she is really behind and today.....a different story!

The computer man asked if he could try something and that he did! He went to that motherboard and showed who was in charge! He re-soldered contact points in the motherboard and re-worked the circuit board and today it works!!! I am hoping that tomorrow it does too! He took a look at Renee's computer and said that there is no hope for that one! We thought there was no hope for that one 2 years ago so we got extra mileage out of that one!



Looks like a little city to me. Sure is amazing when you look at a motherboard from this point of view. I wonder if any little people live in there! When I was little I used to think that there were little people in the television set.

One thing that amazes me about the Jamaican workmen is that he can take a huge problem (with a car or the computer) and break the repair down to a soldering gun and some wire that would be a throw away in the states. It has amazed me since the time we arrived and now getting close to the time we leave. Amazing people for sure!

it's not just groundhogs day it is Ryan's birthday!!

Not only Ryan's birthday but Grampie Seler's too! If Grampie were here on this side of heaven he would be 92 today, not only that, my brother in law, Tim, is 52 today. What is up with all these two's! 22, 92, 52, on 2-2!

My firstborn is a very special kid, um...I mean man! It is so hard to believe that 22 wonderful years have passed. We are so blessed with 2 tremendous kids. They make us prouder and prouder the older they get! It used to be that I would brag on what they accomplished growing up, now I brag on who Ryan is....not just what he does. He is a man who loves Jesus. That makes me most proud. He is a man that wants to bless people. That makes me proud. He is a generous man. He is full of life and vitality. He looks for the good in people. He sees the good in difficult situations after the initial shock of course!

I only wish I could make him a birthday cake today. This is Ryan's 4th birthday that we have been apart....the ocean seems so huge when you can't cross it to celebrate. Next year since we will be on the same side of that ocean we can hope that we will be together to celebrate number 23!

I love my son. Ryan is the best. He is my special gift!

always knew legos were worth the money!

I am a die hard newspaper reader. I buy the actual one and then there are many on my favorites tab! Every place we have ever lived and then national newspapers that I only get to purchase when I buzz through the airport! Really love newspapers. On the way to school we buy the newspaper from the same man on the same corner each day, Saturdays and Sundays too...(I think he may miss us when we are gone!) We are what you call loyal customers. He calls Den "Boss" or "Captain" or "Sir" or "Poppa". We love this guy. When we pass that corner throughout the day, anytime of day, he spots the car and waves. Renee laughs about our relationship! It is the same relationship we have with the security guys at any of the establishments we frequent. We are on a first name basis....well that is if our names are mommy and poppa!

An interesting article in today's Jamaica Gleaner. I guess it is something I knew since Ryan was a toddler! His Christmas and birthday money would burn a hole in his pocket till he could get to the store to buy another Lego set. The article speaks of a workshop taking place in Jack's Hill for youngsters to learn the complex study of robotics. They create their own design with Lego's. So cool. They have 35,000 pieces organized for easy use. You know come to think of it I think I may have vacuumed up that many pieces in my life!

The last paragraph in the article says "In another way, it's about developing a set of life long skills. Your logical thinking is applicable in any field, your problem solving ability is applicable in any field, your sequential thinking, procedural thinking, your creativity, your ability to work on a team with people."

Who would have thunk it. All those thousands of pieces Ryan used and has kept for his toddlers do more than just past the time. I guess they are toys with a lifelong purpose. How cool is that!

Beautiful January Jamaica

This is our fourth January on the island. It is my favorite month of the Jamaica weather calendar! As I was driving today I reflected upon it again. There are cool breezes yet lots of sun. The mornings are cooler and the evenings are cooler. That is not saying much when the temps are very high anyway, however in January there is a difference! It is the dry season so no rain to speak of but it doesn't turn to desert. It is a beautiful month. Beautiful fruit and flowering trees, beautiful billowy clouds in the blue sky, an all around beautiful island.

I do think that when I return to Jamaica for a visit, I will choose January!

Christmas Chocolate

Something I have always loved about the holiday is chocolate. Chocolate that I don't get any other time of the year. My mom makes the best fudge....but only at Christmas. Denny always bought a box of chocolate creamed centers....only at Christmas. Dad or Den always gets me a box of chocolate covered cherries....only at Christmas.

It's funny. I don't even think about or crave these chocolates any other time of the year. But Christmas comes around....watch out!

For 4 Christmas's now I haven't had Mom's fudge or the chocolate creamed centers, but this year I got a box of chocolate covered cherries! Dark ones that is....Dad and I only like the dark! Today I opened the box, so glad my luggage made it fine back home, I could have eaten 4 or 5 at once but I demonstrated a little self control and only had one....that is until I went back an hour later and had another. Oh man. So addictive! Who in the world ever dreamed up these things!

Jamaica is known for its jerk sauce and blue mountain coffee, not chocolate! Growing up in Pennsylvania just gives you a taste for chocolate. I remember as a little girl going to Hershey and drooling over the chocolate vats you once could get so close to. I loved the hershey kiss lampposts that lined the streets. After the factory tour you would receive a chocolate bar. Oh man that used to be the highlight of the trip. Just love Hershey PA. I hope it's not too far from VFCC once Den is on loan to the school. I just may have to make more than one trip to check out the chocolate town! Can't wait!