Mr. Rasta

I am heartsick today because I am seeing a dramatic increase in the size of Mr. Rasta's tumor in the last 10 days. I have been haunted by how much it grew from Thursday to Monday.

The good news is that a North American organization is planning to underwrite hospital care for him in Barbados. But another possibility appeared yesterday with a Parisian ENT visiting the island saying he might be able to provide the necessary intervention here. This would allow us to care for Mr. R here during his convalescence, rather than have him go through this on his own off island. I am hoping this works out. But either way, help is on the horizon.

Mr. R is gentle person who rarely asks for anything, but he does more than anything want and need his tumor removed. The enormity of this tumor is mind boggling. It reaches from his chin to the nape of his neck, and extends from his ear to his shoulder. The smell of it keeps him isolated in his little shack. And I see that it is bigger each time I change the dressing. (By the way, someone donated dressings, so yesterday we had proper supplies for the dressing change. Thank you!)

livingdominica: Yesterday Mr. R touched his heart and said, "Thank you for everything you do for me." He meant that for you, too.

Cold is a relative term

This morning, the thermometer read 73, but there must be a wind chill down to at least 70, because I had to get out a thick robe and wool socks. Yes, it is true. I have now become so adjusted to life in the tropics that low 70's are chilly for me.

Lisette blogged about being cold in Dominica on Storm Carib. It makes me feel better that I am not the only one bundling up at temperatures which used to feel warm to me. Isn't it interesting how our bodies adjust to living in a different climate?

I remember our first visit to Dominica some years ago, during January. We blissfully shed our coats and sweaters and donned shorts, even though the proprietors of Crescent Moon, our lodging, were dressed in jeans and jackets. It is all what our bodies are accustomed to, I guess.

I was horrified the other day when the Wiz told me our hometown in the US had a current temp of 28F. I cannot imagine how that would feel to me these days!

Of course this climate effect on personal comfort works the other way also. In fact, we have had to establish a strict "No Whining" rule for Northern dwellers who choose to come for a visit during the hottest part of the year. We issue a sweat towel and a water bottle upon arrival and curtly inform guests we do not want to hear about their misery. After all, we warn people not to come for the hottest weather since all of our friends are A/C wimps. We do not have A/C and cope with upper 90s and humidity with aplomb.

livingdominica: NOT dreaming of a white Christmas...

Dominica's Stockfarm Prison

We learned recently that not only is there overcrowding up at the prison here on Dominica, but they also have no books. Now, I cannot imagine anything worse than being in prison without a distraction like reading. The days must be endless. The boredom must be killing. Not at all like the prisons in the US with Cable TV and classes to take.

Anyway, as you might remember, Mr. Wizard and I moved to Dominica with 29 boxes of books. So, we have decided to donate about half of our library to Dominica's prison. We have been going through the books and quibbling. While the Wiz likes to hang on to positively everything, I am the opposite, so the scene goes something like this:

Wiz: "Aw, I can't let that go, that is the Illustrated Bob Dylan, and I've had it longer than I've had you!"

Me: "You are going to deprive some poor prisoner of the Illustrated Bob Dylan? You need it more than some guy in Stockfarm?"

Of course, the prisoners in Dominica may not even know Bob Dylan, which leads to another thought. Our library reflects our tastes, so up to Stockfarm goes not only novels, but also books on Zen, Organic Farming, and Metaphysics. These will probably be of no interest to the prisoners, but oh well. Anything to read has got to be better than nothing. At least that is what we have been told.

One might ask why someone who paid to haul all those books to Dominica would be willing to part so easily with half of them, even if the cause is good. Well, here is the secret. I have an aging brain. I read a book, and very quickly all the details are lost. It may seems vaguely familiar when I pick it up again, but I can still enjoy it completely and not have the surprise ending spoiled. I figure at this stage in my life, I really only need 5-10 books in order to be endlessly entertained in perpetuity.

We also found some games to donate, and I suspect they may be a bigger hit than the books. Dominicans play Dominoes a lot. Drive through any village and you will probably see men hunched over a table feverishly slamming dem bones. Domino play can be very dramatic and for some reason women do not seem to play. I have always speculated that this is because the women are working while the men play.

I found a set of Dominoes buried in a chest and I was so glad. Maybe it will help some of the non readers to pass the time.

I also think comic books might be a good thing. So if you have a pile you don't want, send them on down and we'll get them to Stockfarm.

livingdominica: and now I won't have to dust so many books...

Pay It Forward

I always read Zooms' blog called Free Spirit, and I really admire her art. So when I found out I could possibly have one of her painting simply by paying it forward, I jumped at the chance. (I guess being greedy is really not in the spirit of this, but I have to admit it was Zooms' art which motivated me to join.)

I do not claim to be an artist, but I do like to dabble with paint and fabric, and I make baskets also. So, I will create something for you. Here is the offer:

"I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. "

How inspiring. Please visit Free Spirit to see Zooms' work and to read more about other artists who are participating in this excellent idea.

Assorted cannibals and restaurants

Nice hat, Alferd.


Today is the birth date of Alferd Packer. (He preferred that spelling based on a poorly done tattoo.) Mr. Packer, born this date in 1842, is the only American to be convicted of cannibalism. You can read the whole snowbound story at Wilson's Almanac.

In addition to this tasty morsel, you might be amused to know that the US Department of Agriculture named their cafeteria after him in 1977, and even erected a plaque dedicated to Alfred Packer, who "exemplifies the spirit and fare that this agriculture department cafeteria will provide."

Several months later the General Services Administration took down the plaque, called it "bad taste", and renamed the cafeteria. Some people have no sense of humor.

You will be pleased to note, however, that the cafeteria at the University of Colorado, Boulder campus is still called the Alfred G. Packer Grill with the slogan "Have a friend for lunch!".

Do not miss the video of the Alferd Packer Memorial String Band. (You must visit the website if you are reading via email.)



All of this cannibal talk brought to mind a fond memory from the past. For years when Mr. Wizard and I would go out to dinner we would give our name as "Donner". It always made me laugh to hear them call out, "Donner party, your table is ready". I do recall the one time that a beleaguered hostess recognized the joke and joined in laughing. Unfortunately, my prank was cut short by the advent of those obnoxious buzzing boxes they now hand you which sound an alarm when your turn to be herded in has arrived. No more did the shrill call of "Donner Party" make the endless restaurant waits worthwhile.

Throughly miffed that my fun was spoiled, I decided then and there to pack up and move out of the country in a state of pique. Humpf.

livingdominica: now you know the whole story...

Cost of Living

Apparently we not only pay the highest electric rate in the world, but the commodity price here is the highest in the Caribbean. Everyone has been noting a huge increase in everyday items like flour, rice etc.

"The latest available data from the ECCB clearly reveals that the price of a sample commodity consumer basket (a basket of similar goods), range from $282.74 in St. Vincent, to a high of $482.76 in Dominica. The price of that same food basket in Grenada is $368.13. The average price for this shopping basket in the OECS is $386.92 which means that in Grenada, the consumer basket is $18.79 below the OECS average; therefore it is not correct to that Grenada has the highest prices in the region,’ he added."

No, Grenada doesn't have the highest prices in the Caribbean, Dominica does. WHY?

You can read the rest of the article here.

The Minister of Agriculture has a really good response, I think, in encouraging us to eat more locally. Read the story here.

Blues

Long ago and far away, Mr. Wizard and I used to be fairly avid blues fans. St. Louis (our hometown) has a rich blues heritage, but few venues remain to hear blues. So we would make an occasional romantic pilgrimage to Chicago, where blues is more widely played. In fact, Mr. Wizard hauled his collection of scratchy blues LPs to Dominica with us.

Anyway, today we are celebrating the birthday in 1873 of W.C. Handy, the father of the blues. Of course, one of his best known songs is St. Louis Blues, a song not about the town, but rather about a woman from St. Louis. Handy lived to a ripe old age as part of the Harlem renaissance having forever changed the musical landscape.






Bessie Smith did a nice version of Handy's song and I found a video on You Tube. (If you read the blog via email, you will have to go to the webpage to view the video.) Bessie is a favorite of mine, and the story of her tragic death is haunting, but may be untrue. The legend goes that Bessie was involved in an auto accident in Jim Crow Mississippi, had to pass the closer white hospital and died after reaching the nearest Negro hospital. Some claim this story is true, others say it was created by a promoter. It is true, however, that her grave remained unmarked until Janis Joplin placed a stone in 1970.


Saint Louis Blues by Bessie Smith:


livingdominica: "I hate to see that evening sun go down..."

Betty Fingal's Oil Refinery Discussion

Will Dominica gain more than it loses from the installation of an oil refinery?
A Discussion of the Facts


1. What is an oil refinery?

Fact: An oil refinery is typically a large scale plant that processes a hundred thousand to several hundred thousand barrels of crude oil per day. Because of the high capacity, many units are operated continuously at steady state or approximately steady state for long periods of time (months or years). (Wikipedia)
Note: The Minister has indicated that the proposed refinery will process ten thousand barrels of oil a day.

Fact: The major products of an oil refinery are: asphalt, diesel fuel, naphtha, fuel oil, gasoline, kerosene, jet aircraft fuel, liquid petroleum gas, lubricating oils, paraffin wax and tar. (Wikipedia)

Fact: The typical oil refinery includes the following process units: desalter, atmospheric distillation, vacuum distillation, naphtha hydrotreater, catalytic reformer, distillate hydrotreater, fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracker, merox treater, coking, alkylation, dimerization, isomerization, steam reforming, storage units, amine gas treater, claus, cooling towers, waste water collector and treatment systems, boiler plants. (Wikipedia)

Fact: Oil refineries need large amounts of electricity and water to operate. Typically, they use thousands of gallons of water daily (20 gallons per barrel of oil).

Fact: Oil refinery operations require storage of huge amounts of oil and oil products. Because of its need to operate constantly, an oil refinery must have a large volume of oil on hand. The industry standard is 3 month’s supply. Once the oil is processed, the products must also be stored until they are sold.

Fact: According to the Minister of Housing, Lands, Telecommunications, Energy and Ports, the Honourable Reginald Austrie, the proposed oil refinery will occupy 25 acres of land.

2. Where will the oil refinery be located?

Assumption: Because of the need to transfer oil and the refinery products to and from ships, the refinery would have to be located on the coast. The west coast is likely the only suitable location for such transfers to occur given the roughness of the sea to the east.


3. What are the terms of investment?

Not revealed by Government to date.

Fact: President Chavez has pledged at least US$47 billion in aid and agreements to a variety of countries. Economists predict that the country’s resources will not be adequate to honour all of these commitments.

4. What commitment will be expected from Dominica?

Not revealed by Government to date.

5. Who will own the refinery? If it is a company, who owns the company?

Not revealed by Government to date.

6. Who will manage the refinery?

Assumption: There are no Dominicans with the expertise to manage an oil refinery. The expertise will have to come from overseas.

7. Who will maintain the refinery?

Assumption: Expertise to perform maintenance does not exist locally and will have to come from overseas

8. Who will oversee the refinery’s operations to ensure it is controlling pollution?

Fact: Dominica’s Government does not have the capacity to regulate this operation.

9. Who will buy the oil, sell the processed products and earn whatever profits are made?

Not revealed by Government to date.

10. To what extent and how will the profits benefit the people of Dominica?

Not revealed by Government to date.

11. To what extent can Venezuela guarantee that oil will be available to the refinery over a period of time on advantageous terms?

Fact: Dominica has no oil of its own and will have to buy oil to refine, if any is available

Fact: Venezuela is bound by its OPEC membership to charge the OPEC price.

Fact: The world’s oil supply is quickly reaching peak production. Experts predict that within fifteen years, the world’s extra oil supply is likely to come from expensive and environmentally damaging unconventional sources, such as Venezuela’s Orinoco tar belt. (Financial Times, February 18, 2007)

Fact: Venezuela is making similar deals with other countries, including some large Latin American countries, countries with larger populations and more industry and who share Venezuela’s cultural and linguistic heritage. (Washington Post, February 23, 2007)

Fact: The demand for oil from fast-growing and very large economies, such as those of China and India, is going to keep the cost high for the foreseeable future.

12. How would Dominica enforce promises given by Venezuela’s present government should power there change hands?

Fact: Inflation is said to be skyrocketing in Venezuela - so much so that President Chavez has recently threatened to nationalize grocery stores if the owners did not limit their price increases. (Washington Post, February 23, 2007)

Assumption: President Chavez may not remain in office if the conditions in Venezuela deteriorate significantly. His successor may not feel bound by promises he has made.

13. What are the kinds of catastrophic accidents that can occur at oil refineries?

Fact: Fires and explosions are not uncommon incidents at oil refineries. These incidents may threaten the lives of persons living in the vicinity as well as persons working in the refinery. For example, on Saturday, February 17, 2007, the Associated Press reported that an explosion rocked a west Texas refinery the day before injuring at least nineteen and sparking a blaze that sent a huge black cloud billowing into the sky.

Fact: Refineries are also a source of large chemical releases during fires, explosions, upsets and spills. During these accidents, many thousands pounds of dangerous chemicals can be released in a short period of time. These dangerous spills often dump chemicals into the communities around refineries causing health problems. For example, on February, 23, 2007, the Associated Press reported that BP had settled several lawsuits from an explosion in their Texas plant in 2005. In that explosion, 15 people were killed and 170 were injured, a thousand claims were filed and 500 lawsuits remain outstanding. Two-thirds of the lawsuits were for personal and property damage that occurred outside the refinery.

Fact: Most refinery air pollution is from product leaks in equipment not smokestacks. (Refinery Reform Movement)

14. To what extent has the Government considered the possibility of hurricane or earthquake damage to the refinery resulting either in making the refinery inoperable of causing pollution?

Fact: Dominica is vulnerable to earthquakes, hurricanes and volcanic eruptions.

15. To what extent has the Government looked at the need to develop the necessary emergency response services should any kind of accident, explosion, fire, oil spill or chemical leak occur at the refinery?

Fact: Dominica presently has no capacity to deal with the kind of catastrophic event that occurs from time to time at oil refineries.

16. Has the Office of Disaster Preparedness been consulted about the potential hazards that an oil refinery may pose?

Not revealed by Government to date.

17. Exactly how will the oil refinery result in the reduced cost of electricity?

Not revealed by Government or by DOMLEC to date.

18. What other options to reduce the cost of electricity that pose less threat to the environment have been considered or pursued?

Fact: Dominica is blessed with an abundance of potential alternative renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, tide, biomass and geothermal.

Fact: Wind and solar energy produce no pollution.

Fact: Wind and sunlight are free and in abundant supply in Dominica.

Fact: It only takes three to eight months for a wind energy farm to recoup the investment in building and installation (National Resources Defense Council)

Fact: Venezuela, Cuba and China are investing in wind and solar power as means to reduce oil usage.


19. What is Dominica’s energy policy?

Fact: As recently as April, 2006, the Government said at an Alternative Energy Symposium that its strategy was to develop clean energy.

Fact: Dominica has no formally adopted policy on energy. The public has not been informed about the Government’s position with respect to the OECS energy policy discussions or the status of any clean energy initiatives.

Fact: Dominica has been a participant in CARICOM’s Caribbean Renewal Energy Development project since 1998.

Fact: Dominica is part of a project being carried out by the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency partnership (REEEP) entitled Accelerated Use of Sustainable Energy in the East Caribbean, which is designed to develop 10MW of clean energy for the country.

Fact: Dominica is eligible to participate in the OAS initiative, Renewable Energy in the Americas, which provides a variety of assistance for developing geothermal as well as solar and wind energy.

Fact: The public is not informed about the status of these projects, how Dominica is taking advantage of them or what is needed to move them forward.

20. Has the Government thought through what is Venezuela’s reason for wanting to establish an oil refinery on the Nature Island?

Fact: President Chavez has made no secret of his intention to replace the influence of the United States in the Caribbean and Latin America. Building oil refineries in the region takes business away form the U. S. and the multinational companies.

Fact: No new oil refineries have been built in the United States since 1976 because of concerns related to the pollution they produce and the environmental hazards they present to neighbouring communities. (Wikipedia)

Fact: Venezuela is struggling to reduce its very significant problems with air pollution and would not want to aggravate the problem by building more refineries there.

21. Has Government considered the potentially negative impact of this arrangement on its relations with the United States?

Assumption: While there may be benefits to be gained by Dominica from participating in this effort, there are very likely to be repercussions as well, and Dominicans need to be aware of what those may be.

22. What is the technology proposed to be used in the oil refinery?

Not revealed by Government to date.

23. What kind of pollution will the oil refinery produce when operating properly?

Fact: The refining process releases numerous different chemicals into the atmosphere, consequently there are substantial air pollution emissions, and a notable odor normally accompanies the presence of a refinery. Aside from air pollution impacts, there are also waste water concerns, upset risks of fire and explosion, and both occupational noise and environmental noise health effects. (Wikipedia)

Fact: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, oil refineries produce the following air pollutants: particulate, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes and ammonia.

Fact: Refineries also generate a lot of toxic waste in solid form that must be disposed of. The average refinery generates 10,000 gallons a day of waste that contains toxic chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects and other serious health effects. (Communities for a Better Environment)


Complied by Betty Perry-Fingal – as a work in progress, open to corrections and additions

March 14, 2007

Here is the "Life Goes On" Washing Machine

Here is the washing machine some very generous readers of this blog bought for the Life Goes On house. Brand new and ready to make life easier for some ill people and their caregivers. Thank you so much for reaching out to the people suffering with HIV/AIDS on this island. A lot of people will benefit from your generosity. Bless you!



This is where Life Goes On is housed. It is a drop in center for the Life Goes On community, the office is housed here, and sometimes the staff stay here also. Unfortunately, a person who had loaned beds to the house has come to claim them. So the staff are sleeping on the floor. If you have beds to loan or donate, (or you know how to make them!) please call 767-449-8593.

The Life Goes On house is a little haven for people living with HIV and their caregivers who may be shunned in their own communities. It is a place of support and acceptance where both body and spirit are nourished. I can only imagine what it must feel like to have this welcoming spot full of caring people when isolation and fear are ever present. And now laundry can be brought here, too!

Today when I visited Mr. Rasta at the house, another member of Life Goes On was getting a haircut by a volunteer. He looked so improved after the haircut, I told Mr. Wizard he should get in the queue...

Mr. Rasta was feeling good today because he took a shower at the house. He does not have running water at home, so he was delighted to get to shower. Normally, he keeps himself very clean, but with sponge baths. He said the shower felt wonderful. The plan is for him to use the shower whenever he visits the house, and for me to change his dressing afterward. For this gentle person who is ostracized in his community, it felt wonderful to him, just being invited to do a simple things like have a shower. I took a picture of him today, with his permission. He even smiled. So often I see him with tears in his eyes, to see him smile was a real gift to me.

livingdominica: Thank you again for the support you readers are providing to this very necessary project.

Another Real Estate Saga

This is another real estate story, so you can skip it if you are tired of listening to the endless moaning. I would certainly skip it if I could.

We had located a small piece of land up high, barely wide enough to support a cottage. We figured we might be able to afford it and a banana shack to live in. But hey, we thought, at least we would have something in case the issues with the government grind on endlessly. (We have noticed more and more lately that we are not getting younger.) We arranged to have a survey done of the land, because every inch of width mattered on such a narrow lot. Plus, the land had not been surveyed since the 1980s.

We figured we had solved our problems, and we began planning a modest little cottage to build on the land. Meanwhile, the survey was begun. I even had the audacity to begin to feel a little happy again. Foolish me. The gods are not done with us yet.

A little note about surveys on Dominica: points of survey on this island are frequently marked with beer bottles placed upside down in the earth, sticks, and trees. Yes, gentle readers, my future home was hanging on the possibility of finding a beer bottle. After two weeks of trying to find any point of the prior survey, the poor survey guy threw up his hands in despair. All the beer bottles were missing, and the trees were indicated in Kweyol names, which none of the five or six native Dominicans consulted could figure out. (Kweyol is the local linguistic amalgamation of French, English, African and Carib.)

In addition to the missing beer bottles and unknown trees, the neighbor to the South insisted the line was definitely further North. The Northern neighbor claims, "No, No, the line is further South." The narrow lot was shrinking before our eyes. The strong smell of endless boundary disputes began to hang in the air. I hope by now you have tears streaming down your face, I certainly did. I crawled back into bed, under the covers for a few days.

Did I mention that the Realtor on the island who showed us this property does not return our calls?

So, we are back to square one. Actually, it feels like the reset point is into the negative numbers. We have to crawl up in order to reach zero. The only glimmer of hope I see in this, is that one day I can write a book. I am thinking, "The Definitive Guide to Dominica Real Estate Nightmares".

livingdominica: I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried...

A Plague of Stupid Birds

Our rental house has been invaded by a hoard of Stupid Birds. But I am sure hoard is not the right word. So I went looking. About.com has this extensive list for groups of birds:

Birds in general - A flock of birds, a dissimulation of birds, volery of birds
Bitterns - A siege of bitterns, a sedge of bitterns
Chickens - A peep of chickens
Choughs - A chattering of choughs
Coots - A cover of coots, a raft of coots
Cormorants - A flight of cormorants
Cranes - A sedge of cranes
Crows - A congress of crows, a murder of crows
Curlews - A herd of curlews
Doves - A dule of doves, a flight of doves, a dole of doves, a cote of coves, a piteousness of doves
Ducks - A paddling of ducks, a raft of ducks, a team of ducks, a dopping of ducks
Dunlin - A fling of dunlin
Eagles - A convocation of eagles
Eggs - A clutch of eggs
Falcons - A cast of falcons
Finches - A charm of finches, a trembling of finches
Flamingos - A flamboyance of flamingos
Geese - A gaggle of geese, a skein of geese
Goldfinches - A charm of goldfinches
Goshawks - A flight of goshawks
Grouse - A brace of grouse, a covey of grouse
Guillemots - A bazaar of guillemots
Gulls - A colony of gulls
Hawks - A cast of hawks, a kettle of hawks, a cast of hawks
Hens (chickens) - A brood of hens
Herons - A siege of herons
Hummingbirds - A charm of hummingbirds, a troubling of hummingbirds, a hover of hummingbird
Jays - A band of jays, party of jays
Kingfishers - A concentration of kingfishers
Lapwings - A deceit of lapwings
Larks - An exaltation of larks
Loons - A raft of loons
Magpies - A tiding of magpies
Mallards - A sord of mallards, a flush of mallards, a puddling of mallards
Nightingales - A watch of nightingales
Owls - A parliament of owls, a wisdom of owls
Parrots - A company of parrots
Partridges - A covey of partridges
Peacocks - An ostentation of peacocks, a muster of peacocks
Penguins - A colony of penguins, huddles of penguins, a pride of penguins
Pheasants - A bouquet of pheasants, a covey of pheasants, a nye of pheasants, a nide of pheasants, a nest of pheasants
Quail - A bevy of quail, a covey of quail
Pelicans - A squadron of pelicans
Plovers - A congregation of plovers, a wing of plovers, a leash of plovers
Ravens - A conspiracy of ravens, an unkindness of ravens, a constable of ravens
Rooks - A building of rooks, a parliament of rooks
Snipe - A walk of snipe, a wisp of snipe
Sparrows - A host of sparrows, a quarrel of sparrows
Starlings - A murmuration of starlings
Storks - A mustering of storks
Swallows - A flight of swallows
Swans - A ballet of swans, a bevy of swans, a herd of swans, a whiteness of swans
Teal - A spring of teal
Turtledoves - A pitying of turtledoves
Turkeys - A rafter of turkeys, a muster of turkeys
Waterfowl - A plump of waterfowl
Woodcock - A fall of Woodcock
Woodpeckers - A descent of woodpeckers

You'll notice Stupid Birds are not enumerated. But I could call them a Murder of Stupid Birds, since that is what I would like to do to them.

Our Stupid Birds cannot nest. They flap around, creating mess and nesting debris everywhere, but they never manage to put together a nest in which to deposit an egg. I enjoy watching birds nest, and last year when Doves (a Piteous of Doves) nested in my flowerpot, I was so pleased to watch the babies hatch and then take flight.

But these Stupid Non-nesting Birds perform their pointless maneuvers right above my hanging laundry. This has caused many loads of rewashing. Grrrr.

We continually marvel that there are so many of these flapping fiends, since you would think they would die out after one generation. But somehow they must procreate somewhere, because here they are. Unless, of course, they are a cloning experiment gone hideously wrong.

Now, I could look up the species of these tormentors in my Guide to West Indian Birds, but I will not honor them by calling them by a proper bird name.

Stupid Birds.

We could use some more help, if you can...

If you are coming to the island and can bring some dressing supplies, I would be so grateful, and so would Mr. Rasta. I am bummed out. I cannot find large guaze pads like ABDs on the island. And dressing supplies are incredibly expensive here. I paid $62 dollars for a box of 4X4s today. We have tried all sorts of alternative dressings to cover his huge tumor: pampers, large incontinent pads. It is not working well. His tumor's area is about 8X14. Large gauze pads, 4X4s, surgical tape and Kerlix wraps are particularly needed. If you have other ideas for a make do dressing of this size, let me know. I am out of ideas.

Sometimes the clinic nurses are able to give him dressings, sometimes they just don't have them to give. We are trying to help fill the gap.

I made a horrible mess today trying to change his dressing using makeshift materials. Now, I am a messy nurse anyway, so if a big mess is possible, I am just the old nurse who will create it. You should see some of the floods I created with a dialysis machine... But never mind. I felt bad for both of us today.

I have been thinking about making reusable dressings from thick quilted cloth diapers. We could wash them now, since you generous, kind blog readers have made the washing machine happen at the Life Goes On house. I saw it today! Brand new and shiny. I am so thrilled.

In addition to the dressing materials needed down here at the Life Goes On house, we could also use linens. Used linens will really help. If you can help, contact me for an address where you can send some supplies. Or if you are coming to the island, please bring some down if you have access. Or if you have friends who can help...

I remember all the incredible waste in the hospitals I worked in. We would throw out dressings just because they had already been in a patients room and the patient was transfered! Operating Rooms and Cardiac Cath Labs throw out stacks of dressings left over from a case. Please, if you are in a position to scavenge some dressings send them on down. Or if you can bring them down when you visit, I can offer you a cup of coffee and a warm welcome.

livingdominica: I hope some other old nurses out there will email me with creative dressing ideas.

The Misery and the Miracle

Remember me? I am the woman plagued by Real Estate Misery, also known as: R.E.M.

We are no closer today to having our own home than we were in 2005 when we moved to the island. Plus, a large portion of our housing funds has slid down a hill. And the prospect of comparable replacement land seems discouraging. (We looked long and hard to find Wit's End, in all her glory. We have not seen anything that even comes close to having the same amenities. Plus, Real Estate seems to be rapidly escalating in price here.)

Poor Mr. Wizard, he has been looking at a miserable face recently.

So he has been experiencing R.E.M. also, but his is an opportunistic infection he obtained from me. Anytime I begin to discuss a return to the US, The Wiz grows pale, begins panting and breaks out in hives. (These are the hallmark signs that R.E.M. has been transmitted.)

My R.E.M. has recently been complicated by having our ancient vehicle, endlessly in the repair shop. The Wiz loves his relic from an earlier transportation era, but it does breakdown. I, however, have really been missing the posh and reliable vehicles from our life up North. Not reliably having transportation recently has been a nuisance. And since we are amidst a holiday, I fully expected not to see The Beast until mid week.

Hence, my misery index increased dramatically. Then a remarkable thing occurred Sunday morning. A call from the repair guy!

He had worked on our vehicle all day Saturday (which was a holiday!). It was fixed, and because of the delays with getting it repaired, he charged us next to nothing for the repair.

The repair he spent a holiday to complete.

On a Saturday.

(Stunned silence)

Now, if you have never lived in the US, maybe you don't appreciate what a miracle has occurred here. Let me explain.

In my former home:

• The repair would never have been done on a Saturday. Or on a holiday. Period.
  
• But let's say that, against all odds, work was done for you beyond regular hours. You would pay triple time. No question.
• And your car would certainly not be returned to your home on a Sunday morning. Yes, friends, The Beast was brought to our door. On a Sunday morning!
• And the repair guy apologized profusely for not getting it done earlier.

I gave him a great big kiss. I probably would have given him more if the Wiz weren't standing there.

I am thinking that maybe our car repair dude should be canonized. I may have to talk with the local Bishop about him. He has performed a miracle which is beyond my American comprehension, a miracle of holiday weekend car repair at low prices. I wonder if he can perform other miracles? I am thinking about instant weight loss and age reduction. Or even better, healing of the Wit's End landslide. That would be the greatest miracle of all. Our R.E.M. would be immediately cured!

livingdominica: I sure hope the car starts this morning...