Calabash Carving

I love fall. I love cider. I love pumpkins and mums. I love the fireplace going. I love the leaves changing. I love trick or treat candy. I love the month of October! In Jamaica "October loves" take on new meaning!

There is a pumpkin patch in our yard. The pumpkins you will find there are green and small. They are used mainly for soup. Our house does have a fireplace but I doubt I will ever use it. Much too hot these days for a fire. In early 1900 when the house was built the climate was different in Mandeville, much cooler. Today they say the weather has changed because there is so much structure development and the buildings keep the heat close.

Something else that is in our yard is a calabash tree. It is beautiful. One of our American guests asked a Jamaican Bible College student if they could open the calabash and eat it. Othniel replied, you can if you want, but I don't! Subtle hint.....if a Jamaican doesn't eat it, you may not want to try!

In my natural desire to carve something in October I tried the calabash! Really hard to cut but I managed. I have enough drying right now to start my own little market! Calabash is only used for "stuff" not to eat! They are round gourds that grow in the tree and when they fall I hustle out there to collect them or you may see Den out there throwing another calabash up in the tree to get the really big one that is up there!! They lodge in between the branches and grow into really cool shapes. These really cool shapes make great purses and objects like bowls. The rastafarians make bowls, pipes, utensils out of the gourd.

Once it is open the inside would remind you of wet cotton, I scrape it out and when finished my thumb and first finger are black. I have opened so many this week that I am not sure if my fingers will ever be my normal color! Within this cotton like mush are seeds. I hope it is not poisinous because Mackee~poo has had her nose in the trash before I have gotten it tied off!

Another item that is made from the calabash are shakers, like maracas. I have a gourd drying now in hopes that it will be my first shaker! We will see. I hope it doesn't go the way of my first starfish drying episode.....really stinky!! But the end product is really neat! I know.... patience is a virtue that I need to work on!

When living in another country it is possible to fill the void that your memories crave, you just have to find a way....so today I made donuts and carved calabash! Happy October!

National Heroes Day is October 19.

There are 10 national holidays in Jamaica. 10 guaranteed days off from work!
January 1 - New Years Day
February 25 - Ash Wednesday
April 10 - Good Friday
April 13 - Easter Monday
May 25 - Labour Day
August 1 - Emancipation Day
August 6 - Independence Day
October 19 - National Heroes Day
December 25 - Christmas
December 26 - Boxing Day

It is always comical when someone visiting says "so... do you celebrate July 4th in Jamaica?" Den with quick wit always says "of course, we celebrate July 4 on August 6!"

Yes holidays are different in other countries! Renee goes to school and we teach on Thanksgiving day. Seems odd at first especially when you have to search real hard to find a turkey to have your own thanksgiving! Somehow it just doesn't seem like Thanksgiving eating spaghetti and meatballs!

You can get down about it or you can see humor in the situation which most times we try to do!

But tomorrow is a national holiday and the Jamaica A/G sets this day as the Women's Ministries conference. I will be able to go tomorrow into Kingston and check it out at New Life A/G. It is an all day affair, not quite what we do in the states for WM's! no retreat center, no 3 days away from the family, no high powered speaker or band, no bookstore to shop in, and the list goes on what it is not, but I will go find out what it IS! I'm sure it will be spirited, lively and fun!

Jamaica has 7 national heroes and the memory of them and the freedom Jamaica has is what we celebrate. These heroes represent the struggles for freedom, justice and equality.

Nanny of the Maroons is the first. She was a bold leader. She was born in the Ashanti tribe of Ghana, West Africa. She was captured and brought to Jamaica as a slave in early 1700. She led the slaves in a fight against the English use of slaves on their sugar plantations. The first Maroons were the slaves who ran away when the British captured Jamaica from the Spaniards.

In Africa the slaves had benefits and the land belonged to everyone. Not so in Jamaica, the slaves owned nothing, not even themselves. Husband and wives could be split up on different plantations, slaves were bred like animals. Women were raped to produce more slaves. Life was horrible, needless to say. Nanny and her brothers escaped from the plantation and headed to Portland where they set up a stronghold against the attack from the English. The town was actually named Nanny Town. The Maroons fought from 1728 to 1734.

Nanny was added to Jamaica's list of national heroes in 1975. Her image is on the
500 dollar bill and is actually called a "nanny".

The second national heroe is Samuel Sharpe. The fight against slavery continued for another hundred years. Samuel Sharpe was a slave and led the final battle in Jamaica in December 1831. He and his followers declared that they would work only if they were paid for their labour. He organized a strike that they would not work on Boxing Day. Instead of a strike, violence broke out in Trelawny, St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover and St. Elizabeth.

Samuel Sharpe was one of 550 slaves hanged. However, the message was clear to the slaveowners, the slaves were determined to be free. Samuel Sharpe was very intelligent and could read well. He was well liked and remained active in Christian work till he died. He used the Bible to declare that slavery was wrong and was a leader in the Baptist church. The community called him "Daddy Sharpe". Slavery was abolished in 1834. He never saw the day but he worked toward that end.

Another national heroe is George William Gordon. He was a church leader as well and as a businessman wanted to make life better for the poor. He was a Justice of the Peace and worked with peasant farmers who were once slaves. When slavery was abolished, some of the free people bought land and started their own villages. Others remained on the plantations and were paid for their labour. In 1860 people began to complain about low wages, irregular work, high taxes and unfair treatment in the courts. Gordon was one of the first to fight for justice for all. He also started a Baptist church.

One of Gordon's supporters and deacons in that church was Paul Bogle. He is the fourth national heroe. Paul Bogle, along with his brother and trusted friend formed their own court for the people that were struggling with hardship. The Governor of Jamaica didn't understand the problems in the country and had no sympathy for the people. He said they suffered because they were lazy. There was no justice in the courts for black people.

Through a series of events to help the poor and to reach the governor, Bogle led a rebellion. He and Gordon were both hanged in 1865.

The fifth national heroe is Marcus Mosiah Garvey. He has been called "the black Moses". He had a vision for the future of the black people. Garvey inspired civil rights and independence in the Americas and Africa. He was born in 1887. He along with his wife started the United Negro Improvement Association. He had branches in Jamaica, the Caribbean, North America, Central America, Europe and Africa. He also formed the People's Political Party. He called for low minimum wage, land reform, public housing, a department to assist the poor in legal matters and the setting up of a university. Not all of these things happened in his lifetime but today are established. His life is very fascinating and all he went through, even spent time in prison in the states.

The sixth national heroe is Norman Manley.He was even born on a special day! July 4, 1893. He believed in democracy and believed that each man should have a vote. He worked toward Jamaica's independence from Britain. He fought in WWI and lost a brother, together they fought in the British army. He returned to Jamaica after being away 8 years and became a lawyer. He set up Jamaica Welfare Limited. This was the first social development agency to be formed, all as a result of bananas! There were problems between United Fruit Company and Jamaica Banana Producers Association. The Jamaica team wanted more money for their bananas.

Manley also started, along with O.T.Fairclough, the People's National Party. Manley wanted Jamaica to prepare to become a nation.

The most recent national heroe is Sir Alexander Bustamante. Bustamante is the leader of the labor movement. He wanted improved working conditions for all. Manley and Bustamante led the country into independence in 1962. Jamaica became an equal member of the British Commonwealth and of the United Nations. Interesting Manley and Bustamante are cousins. Bustamante went through trials and ordeals all to better his country.

None of these national heroes had easy lives, but in spite of the hardships placed on them personally, they were successes and today are heroes that Jamaica celebrates.

ALl of this I have learned from Renee's reports at school along with a wonderful book, "Our National Heroes". Renee and I have learned alot since living here because of school projects! Thank you Belair School!

I will have a lovely Jamaica day off tomorrow while you my friends head back to the office on Monday morning!

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!

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!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEN!

What a special day! Today we celebrate YOU. Your life is worth celebrating today and everyday! I imagine when you, the 9th child came along 54 years ago your mama must have been so incredibly weary, yet incredibly overjoyed that she had another boy! You were her 7th manchild! I can only imagine!

To buy a home in 1955 your parents would have shelled out $22,000. I wonder if the Troxelville estate came close to the average! Location, Location, Location!

Parents worried about their children seeing too much TV in 1955. Shows like Hopalong Cassidy and Gunsmoke. Technology, Technology, Technology!

An average income in 1955 was $4,137. Your daddy worked on the railroad to feed 11 hungry mouths, I wonder if his paystub came close to the average. Your mother was a stay at home mom long before the term was coined. I can imagine the ingenuity of your mom, sewing, preparing meals, making cards rather than buying them. In my 31 years of marriage to your family, I never remember seeing her drive the car although I know she had a license. I guess with that many children, she wouldn't have been able to fit them all in the car at once so she didn't have to worry about driving!

In 1955 when Mom Seler went to the store, she spent 92 cents on milk, 18 cents for bread, 53 cents for a 10 lb. bag of potatoes. She would have never dreamed of buying oreo cookies for 39 cents. Snickerdoodles and 1234 cake...now that's what the kids like! When the cantalope man came through town..fresh fruit was the treat of the day.

You have always said that your family had their own baseball team, their own volleyball team, the only thing that you all didn't have for your own was a bed! You spent so much time together as kids must be that is why you and your 6 brothers joined the military, you could finally have your own bed and some personal space!

When you were born,Dwight Eisenhower was the president and Richard Nixon the vice. When you were born you would have seen "I like Ike" posters around the community. When you were born Rosa Parks refused to sit at the back of the bus.
When you were born radios were tuned into baseball, remember the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankee games!
When you were born, Albert Einstein died.
When you were born The Platters and Elvis Presley were hitting the airwaves.
When you were born a baseball glove cost $9.95.
When you were born Disneyland in California was built.
When you were born a postage stamp cost 3 cents!

Today living in Jamaica it is hard to imagine a stamp costing so little. When someone sends a package to us the cost is unreal.

Life has changed but how could so much change happen in only 54 years? At times don't you feel that you are still in your twenties? At times don't you feel like it can't be possible to be this close to 60?

Since I am unable to run to Macy's to get you a new shirt and tie for your birthday or go to Brookstone for a new gadget, I am dedicating this blog to you. I give you words. You continue to tell the kids that words are captivating. Words are worth studying. Words are intriguing. You tell the churches where you preach that you love words. You preach sermons distinguishing the many meanings in just one word. Your youth groups have always teased you about teaching them new words and using words above their intellectual ability!

Within our little family, words mean alot! Maybe the 3 of us are vocal because you have taught us the importance of words. Maybe we are chatty because you taught us so many meanings to words. Maybe the 3 of us never meet a stranger because you have modeled the wonderful use of words.

Because of your words, you are a wonderful father. You made tapes when the children were young and you were traveling. Your written notes are something that both Ryan and Renee treasure. Your daily morning email to Ry while we are in Jamaica and he is in college have many times been the key to the success of his day. Your lunchbox notes brought great pleasure and when not there could traumatize them!

You are a man of words. Thank you for sharing them. Thank you for not clamming up and keeping your words to yourself. Thank you for realizing a long time ago that since we only pass this way but once, your words would bring healing and not death. Thank you for speaking into my life since the day I met you with words that were appropriate for the moment but have lasted a life time. Thank you for in the most precarious of times your words were like apples of gold on a tray of silver. Thank you for talking, thank you for correct verb structure, thank you for your written and spoken words! Thank you for teaching us how to be deliberate with our words. They are treasures to your 3 greatest fans!

Happy Birthday Den! I wish you:

Happiness.....deep down within
Serenity......with each sunrise
Success.....in each facet of your life
Close and Caring friends
Love....that never ends
Special memories...of all the yesterdays
A bright today...with much to be thankful for
A path....that leads to beautiful tomorrows
Dreams.....that do their best to come true
And appreciation ..of all the wonderful things about you.

Sweetie, I wish you a year of God's most precious Word...written and Rhema.
Forever.......Debby

Kudos to American Airlines!

It is not too often that I rave about an airline's efficiency and care but today I will! Yesterday we left Miami to come back to Jamaica, our flight was scheduled for 1:35. Because of weather we were a little late in boarding but not too bad. We of course were not complaining, we didn't want to end our time in the states and so we were happy to be detained! One more browse through Border's!

We boarded and pushed away from the gate and sat on the runway for over an hour. In that hour of waiting in tremendous heat on the plane my Dramamine kicked in and Renee was quite content with her DS!

All of a sudden, the airline personnel ran down the aisle and loudly called for a doctor on the plane. When nobody came to their aid they got the medical bags from the overhead bin. Quite soon the plane turned to go back to the gate. Just as quickly as the plane came to a stop the Miami-Dade Rescue team was on that plane and giving medical attention to the person.

The person in need was actually a missions team member. We had noticed this team at the gate wearing matching shirts with a Jamaica flag on the front. One of the students had a seizure I learned from one of the chaperones later. The medics got him off the plane and then we waited for the luggage to be found underneath. Around 4:00 we were on our way!

During that time of waiting on the runway a person seated next to Den started having a panic attack from claustrophobia. Denny talked him through the pain and they continued conversing for the entire flight. When we landed in Kingston, the gentleman said "If you hadn't done what you did, I would have never made it."

We had a tremendous month in the states, had success at the Jamaicam consulate in Miami and arrived home ready for another school year to begin. Of course alot has to happen before that day! One of the highlites will be Ryan coming after the Chosen tour concludes and for that we are very excited!

We spent some time at VFCC this month and so Renee was able to see the school and really see where Ry lives. The photo is Renee in front of a VFCC bus with Glen helping to get our luggage off at the airport. He was so kind to drive us in to Phillie and blessed our lives with good conversation and laughs of when he came to Jamaica as a newlywed!

We are so blessed and realize it over and over again! God keeps showing us care and kindness though the people he sends into our paths and that makes a world of difference!

Even the kindness of a flight attendant can make someone's day....it sure did in the life of that missions team member. The kindness of Denny to care for that man so much to put aside the textbook he had planned on reading.....

Kindness is the virtue that has sustained me these last 4 years, to me it is worth more than gold. I guess that is why when someone expresses it, it stops me in my tracks, because life is so easily the opposite......

Bauxite never had meaning to me before this!

We live in the parish of Manchester. Renee is an honor student at a school in the Manchester parish that was organized 40 years ago to fill the academic and social needs of expatriot children. These expatriots were brought to Jamaica to work in the bauxite mining production, the greatest export that Jamaica has. Third largest producer following Australia and Guinea.

Up till now, the bauxite mining industry was a significant source of employment. In 1956, the year I was born, the nation's take from bauxite went from US 2.2 million to US 11.7 million 2 years later. Imagine what the nations take was in most recent years. The 1950's figures are small potatoes compared to the nineties. I read in one article that right here in Mandeville there is US 300 million dollars worth of bauxite.

Aluminium is made from bauxite. The photo above is the field right here where we live. It has become increasingly quiet. Some of my friends husbands have been employed with Windalco. The company has 2 plants and the one pictured above is here in Manchester. They have now closed the plant due to declining global demand for aluminium. Chemists and engineers have now returned to their native countries.

It is always fascinating to me to follow the trucks that you know came from the field because although they may have been painted white, the only visible color is red. Bauxite red! Come to think of it, I haven't seen any of those trucks lately.

Another interesting fact about the bauxite field is that the dirt remaining has no value.In the process of extracting the bauxite, all vital nutrients are stripped as well and the dirt is absolutely worthless.

Now that the mining has stopped and foreigners have returned home, I wonder what will happen to these fields. In 50 years will Jamaicans look at photos and say, I remember when this development was just a red field. Look at what it is now!

Which brings me to my pondering, what will happen to Belair? The school initially began as an international school and eventually was governed by the Jamaicans. Today it is basically a Jamaican private school with a few whities interspersed like Renee! I sure hope just because the demand for aluminium has decreased that Belair won't go into decline because of the economic crisis.


Renee has had an incredible year in Belair. I am so grateful that we live in Manchester parish so that she can be an alumni of a great school.Funny the things that had no meaning even a year ago, today have tons of meaning and ramifications. So goes life!