Lemons to Lemonade

Wow, it is hard to believe that about a year ago we got our Peace Corps assignment to Uganda, and we went and we had to come home. My mom has Alzheimer's and gets more confused by the day. Steve's mom just celebrated her 101 birthday and we all went to NYC to take her to lunch. At the same time, my mom confused the message I left for her and reported that Steve's mom had died. We all had a huge laugh and life goes on.
So much has happened since March but what is important is that i am back in the classroom teaching English and I am so happy. I got a position at the Killington Mountain School, in Killington Vermont. Students come from near and far and are dis enrolled in their school for two quarters/five months. The school is right on the mountain. The students are in small classes ranging from one on one to five with one teacher. It is wonderful and awesome fit for me. I am so, so happy. I still have time for family and fun but I am working and loving it.
Steve is also working and seems to think that the job market is improving. He is back to head hunting. He also has refurnished his office and fixing all the things that need to be fixed in our house. We are going to Peaks Island over Christmas break and very excited. I went once and fell in love instantly. It is off the coast of Portland Maine. I am also presenting at a national conference, NCTE, in Philadelphia. Yippee. I will amass many books and teaching materials.
It took us 18 months to get into the PC and then it ended. We have moved on, even though I read your blogs weekly. To all of our cohort group...you go guys!

Summer 2009 of Beads and Kids

I keep running into people who want to know what it is like to be retired. I thought when I left teaching i would spend all day reading and writing, but that has yet to happen. i now have at least three jobs in a market where there are only a few jobs. Some how, I have landed some great opportunities and I am busy.
Upon returning from the Peace Corps, besides taking care of Mom whenever i can, I have found one project that I believe in: selling BeadforLife for Ugandan women. I make no money but bead by bead they are eradicating poverty. The beads are beautiful. I hooked up with a farmer and go with my beads to the Mt. Tom Farmers market on Saturday mornings. I help sell her produce and delicious breads and people also buy the beads. People spend money for a cause, that is very clear to me. My goal is to sell all the beads by August 30.
I have spent a lot of time reading Peace Corps Blogs and am puzzled and thrilled at what I read. I have decided that Peace corps is not at all about the project; it is about relationships, about being present for the other, about saying I care about you. Some of my cohort group still have not moved in or gone to work but they have established relationships with people. Some are ill, but they have taken on Ugandan names and feel like this is there home. I expect to go back to Uganda and work in an orphanage and with Hospice.
This time in my life is one of discovery and yearning: discovering that life is not about a job, but about meaningful work; discovering that we are constantly redefining who we are and who we want to be. Amazing discoveries.

Anything is possible

It is hard to believe how much has happened to us since we left and came back from the Peace Corps. We had no place to live but now have found a great place that belongs to a Park Ranger. She is gone for six months and we have taken over her place, that is we renovated the place and it is quite nice. So that was move 8 since we left for Philly.
The next thing was I got an awesome job working as an editor for Woodstock Magazine. I can barely believe this possibility but it is true. Now I have license to snoop and snoop I am doing. What fun. I am even going to s television shoot of a turkey/fly fish event. I love meeting interesting people and doing new things.
The next thing that happened was I started watching these two incredible children and I am having such fun. Everyone knows I love kids and the more the merrier. These two are stars. Of course I still have the grand kids and a few others so I am in the thick of Babystock.
I also am working at the theatre helping to manage the house for events. Another awesome thing.
Life is good. I went from a serious case of lemons to a pitcher of delicious lemonade. I have continued to read the Uganda Blogs and that has kept me sort of still there. My mom is not great. I am glad i am back to be here for her. My sister has done more that her fair share. We took a road trip to Madison Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula and then to Ottawa for the tulips. It was long but wonderful. Who knows what comes after the turkey shoot. Steve is busy with work and rennovations. He always seems to be doing something.

Possibility of new discoveries 4/16/09

I found this quote and thought of the ways in which i an reinventing myself now that I am no longer following one of my dreams and not living in my own home, and living out of a suitcase and trying to determine the next possibility.

"Often I feel I go to some distant region of the world to be reminded of who I really am. There is no mystery about why this should be so. Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of your food, your closet full of your clothes--with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experiences. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating." -Michael Crichton"

While I am in my own land, My surroundings are not mine, my friends are different, there is only the daily routine that I create, my refrigerator belongs to someone else, my closet is not accessible and my clothes are in plastic buckets, so I have no choice but to redirect, right here, in the place where I am. Oh the possibilities.

Endless Possibilities 4/16/09

It seems very strange to think that we both would have been sworn into the Peace Corps but instead we are home. We have been living out of a suit case since February. We moved from the Stone Cottage to a beautiful home in Woodstock that backs up to Mt. Tom, a national park/treasure. We are house sitting for friends. We spent Passover with our family and that was wonderful. The matzah holiday ends tonight...bring on the pizza. Next week we move again to a sweet condo in town that is owned by a friend who is a park ranger. She's off to Alaska for six months and we get her place. We put down new floors for her and hope that our next move will be quick. Steve is back to work and I am spending time with grand kids and my family. Today i go to see my mom and we get the results of her health assessment. I want to know her status before i make my next decision.
It is clear to me that I need to work. I am a bundle of excess energy and while I am never bored, I need to find meaningful work. I have had two interviews and both possibilities are in a new field for me and both offer personal growth.As for humanitarian work, the possibilities are endless. I went to the Sleeping Children Around the World training session in Toronto and that is a very exciting project that i hope to get involved in. We also met with a couple who are building a girl's school in Uganda. they live near Kingston Ontario. We had a wonderful visit with them and expect to be involved in their project, too. I have two other ideas that can be done from this side of the world. The possibilites are endless.
Spring is also a real possibility and I cannot wait.

A Dream Deferred

I keep thinking of the line from "A Dream Deferred..." and ask was the dream deferred or actually fulfilled? We are back in Woodstock trying to decide what to do next after spending 18 months planning to go into the Peace Corps. Now what we keep saying to each other, now what? While we are so very happy that we are back and that we have involved ourselves with our families, we have and continue to see to the well being of our mothers, we want to pick up the pieces of our dream to do humanitarian work, but the way is not yet clear. We met so many people (not PC) who are involved in extraordinary projects. Once we get our land legs more grounded the path will become clear. Right now we are in limbo. When our house burned down to the ground, we could not figure out how to restart. Believe it or not, we started with an ironing board of all things. That was my first purchase even though I needed clothing for five kids. In time the pieces all came together and we rebuilt. This time now is a lot like the time of the fire in 1977. The good news is we have a new car and it is a beauty. In part, we have to pat ourseleves on the back for having the courage to go to Uganda and to be part of our dream but to stay for 27 months with all that happened back here, so far away, was not a dream but a nightmare.

Leaving Uganda 2/25/09

What a day today has been. We had to go through the same exit process as if we had been here for two years. I think the Peace Corps is the most organized organization I have ever been a participant in, ever. They took such good care of us and all the way have been caring, considerate and understanding. Steve and i have brainstormed so many ideas. What does one do when one thinks about fulfilling a dream and then the dream must change? It is kind of fun to think that everything is taken care of for us and we can go, go, go! We are first going to see our kids and grandkids and moms, maybe rent a place on the Cape for a month and then go to Labrador for a two month car trip, a trip we have always wanted to take. Two seniors silverheads off to who knows where.
If anyone is ever interested in coming to work in Uganda, they could use all of us. Today we went to the B'Hai Temple, a journey on a dirt road that made the Prosper Road in the worst of three combined seasons look grand. This country needs roads, food, balanced diet and so many health and personal welfare issues. Steve and I are thinking about an idea already. Sula Bulungi....Good Night in Lugandan language and yes, we had awesome language training from marvelous teachers in very small groups.

The adventure continues 2/24/09

Steve and I decided to return home. The Peace Corps wants the volunteers to be very certain about their two year commitment to service. Their process for this is streamlined and comprehensive. During the training they meet with the PCTs to be certain of their commitment. It became very clear to me once I got here that I could not commit to two years, that being away from family and our mothers was too much (and even Amanda). After many hours of tears and soul searching and consultation, we both decided to leave. It would not be fair or appropriate to say we would stay and then leave perhaps after one year. So we will be returning to the states on Thursday.
What we do next is part of the adventure. We have not yet figured it out. We think we are going to find an adventure stateside for the next three months after reuniting with moms and kids and grand kids and friends and then go from there.
This adventure nevertheless has been incredible. We went to a wedding and a 50ith wedding anniversary party on Saturday and Sunday. We danced, made speeches, met so many incredible people, made new friends and lived among the Ugandans. What an experience. We will be happy to see you upon our return, to share what we learned, and to regroup.
Hasse and Steve

Hello from Wakiso/February 22, 2009

Today I gave a sermon at St. Jude's Church. It was impromptu but what I said, said it all. When Jacob fled from his mother's house to his cousin Laban, which was in a different place with different cultural values, his mother told him to learn new ways but not to forget his old ones. That is what it is like for the 32 PCTs and we are all struggling with ease for some things and tears for others. Since we arrived we have changed our language, eaten new foods, learn to do potty in a slit, bathed with a bucket, used a night bucket otherwise known as a chamber pot, washed clothes in a pan and ironed with a charcoal iron. We got our bikes and they came from the Woodstock recycling center I am sure. We live about a forty five minute walk from the center which is up hill one way and down hill another. The soil is red dust and there are no paved roads, Our shoes and clothing is always dusty. The weather is hot but not humid.
Our host family is lovely. They have two children which is good for us. Shafik is five and chatters to me and follows me everywhere. He loves my headlamp. Martha is the baby and she is very tiny for four months. Reste is the mom and she and Simon are together. Men here can have many wives, as does Simon. We have our own room, double bed and huge mosquito netting.
Yesterday we got invited to an African wedding with a tenant of our host family, Diana. She is a teacher and so lovely. We had to have permission from the PC because we went to Kampala. What an experience. The couple were from different Ugandan tribes so the husband's tribe,asar, did tribal dances and drumming. The African women are beautiful and most came in the traditional African dress which is colorful and worn with a huge sash. Ugandans are very welcominng and are thrilled to have us in thir country. They love when we formally greet them in Luganda and help us to say the words correctly. Own the taxi ride home where there were 22 peole in a 12 passenger van, I managed to entertain the passangers by practicing my Luganda, They were in stitches, There is an expression here that when you butcher the language... you have killed many cows which is exactly what they said to me. But we are committed to being here and to learning the language,. We will probablylive near Kampala because Steve and I decided that we wanted to have an impact on the country not on one village or school. Maybe I will be working with the Mynistry of Edcation developing national curriculm and countrywide school management which means I learn Luganada and live in the city. Steve has not yet been offically told what he will do but both the Ugandans and the PC have told us over and over that age and wisom and our incredible backgrounds will make a difference for the entire country becuase of what we do here. Now all we hav to do is deliver and learn the langauge and not get killed on our bicycles and did I mention our diet...matok, beans, rice, chapatti, more matoke, more beans and more startch, even the same food at the wedding. Tomorrow we will have phones and call our kids with the numbers
We are so lonely but surviving, This is a real challenge like nothing either one of us has ever had to face...even ice, snow and no power in Vermont. We were mildly excited that our home has power except that we had a torrential rain while we were out and had no power for two days. It was lucky the PC gave us parafin lamterns. Keep ckecking our blog. Shalom/webela frinds and family

The Real Deal:February 17, 2009

Welcome Uganda! This is a beautiful country just from the Ugandans alone. They are warm and gracious and try to meet all of our needs. We finished staging in Philadelphia and now we are really here for our 9 weeks of training. These first few days are adjustment day, time to get our shots started and learn a littler Luganda survival language before we move to a new place and begin the next 8 weeks with our new homestay families. Steve and I will be together but maybe learning different languages. Our group members will learn survival Luganda plus one of six other languages. The learning curve is steep and scary but so far we are surviving. We are still not sure of our jobs but they are working on placement. We get our bikes and phones on Saturday. It works like this; we stay with a family and bike everyday for 8 weeks to the training site where we learn language, culture and job skills. The training is essential and important simply to be safe and healthy. There are 32 in our group and we will all be placed in different places for jobs but the three married couples will live together.
The biggest thing to learn is imbola imbola: slowly, slowly. The pace is different and the ability to learn is different for each of us. The food is interesting: vegetables, matoke/plantains/fruit/beans/rice/chipta and other foodstuffs. One could easily be on a totally starch diet as for me...I am watching every morsel since like one of the other PCVs said...I plan on a major lifelook, not just life style.The weather is warm and hot but not like SEA.
I am loving watching my husband take to PC Camp, become a dorm member, hangout with kids, wash and hang out his own clothing and generally take to his new life with grace and dignity. One can only imagine when next i will blog, but keep those emails coming and letters, too. Hasse

A Funny Thing Happened On The Escalator

We packed too much!. So we were going up the esclator : me, Steve, a woman, followed at the end by a large man. I fell up and then down and then Steve fell forward sort of on me and then the woman fell to her knees and then the man fell on his but the ecalator was moving up and by now a guy at the top got me up, I helped Steve, we helped the lady and finally we all helped the man. He weighted a lot. Since I felt repsonsible, I asked if he was OK. He said, "Hey, I'm 300 lbs." But are you sure you are OK? "Hey," he replied, "I'm Polish. I'm fine." "Well good I said. I'm Jewish and I'm fine too except for my bum! It was a genuine domino effect. We all when down while we were all going up. That was only the first day.

THIS IS IT!

We are off tonight. There are 33 people in our group working in three areas: education, helth and business. There is another married couple, very young.. Staging or orientaion was a day of long meetings and what not to dos and what to dos. I couldn't help thinking how important boundaries are when health and saftety are serious risks. Our emotions are high as well as the knots in our stomachs. The flight is 17 hours. Everything looks so close on the map.

The weirdest aspect of this new life so far is leaving the old one behind: no papers to grade, no progress reports, no grociers for three months to worry about...everything is so new and different it seems to require a brain shift.

Internet and contacts will be diofficult after toda. We will do our best to keep in touch. So...up, up, and away we go.

One Week Until We Leave

It is hard to imagine that in a week we will be into a totally new experience....minus creature comforts. We have packed and repacked a dozen times. The most difficult thing to imagine is that we will be gone for 27 months. We have been saying good bye, receiving blessings and duct tape, love and hugs that will have to last for a long time...not the duct tape. I never prepared so much for any trip I have ever taken. Hopefully, once we land, everything will fall into place. I still can't believe I am no longer working, at WUHS.

Getting Ready

Retirement from Woodstock Union High School, Woodstock, Vermont is only five days away. After an amazibf send off from the faculty, staff, and many friends, I am feeling both happy and sad, but the work I hope to do in the next phase of my life energize me.