a year of happy

mari and my laundry

 

This is Mari.

And this is my laundry.

When we went to Guatemala last year
we met Mari at Church on Sunday.

She told us that her husband was living in Canada.
She stayed home with their four children
and earned money by doing laundry.

But she was unable to work anymore
because of the pain in her shoulders. 


It took me about 3 seconds to process what she said.
The reason her shoulders hurt so bad
was because she was doing laundry in a washtub,
washing mountains of clothes by hand.

I most certainly don't do laundry
the way she does laundry.

I guess it's all about perspective, isn't it?
Now I feel a little ridiculous
when I complain about laundry....

day to day life in nicaragua: part 2--off the beaten path

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(Note: click on these photos
to see them close-up.
It's a much better view.
And remember--
moving bus equals blurry photos!)
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The rural life in Nicaragua
revealed another amazing side
of this beautiful country.

Look at the oxen
right next to the children playing.
There are so many signs
of family life in this photo.
What a story.






You can always tell
where someone lives
because you can see a line of laundry
hanging in the yard,
even if you can't see the house,
or you think it looks uninhabited.





Nicaragua is lush and green,
with some beautiful landscapes.








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Animals are used for work--
and you never know
when or where you'll run into 
a horse, or a cow, or even an ox.








This herd of cows was right
to the side of the road--
I could have reached out
the bus window and touched them!





One thing we noticed
is how very skinny the animals are.
We learned that one reason is because,
although there is plenty of grass,
it grows so fast it has very few nutrients.








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Fruit is plentiful--and delicious!
Check out this roadside store.
My favorite fruit was the white pineapple.
It was so sweet and juicy.





We also picked our own mangoes,
and ate them standing
right underneath the tree!





Beautiful Nicaragua.
I like the countryside the best.






Check back Friday   
for Part 3 of my series,
Day to Day Life in Nicaragua:
City Streets.

Read more:
Getting Around in Nicaragua
and
Part 1: Women at Work

day to day life in nicaragua: part 1--women at work

I watched with fascination
out the window of our bus
to see the normal
day to day living
of the people in Nicaragua.



I loved seeing the women
carrying their heavy loads
on their heads or shoulders.
Pretty amazing if you ask me.
I know I couldn't do it!









And it seems like the women
are constantly sweeping.





Sweeping the sidewalks
in front of their humble homes,
working to keep their
little corners of the world
clean and bright.






 


 
We even spotted
a broom salesman.
I'll bet he stays busy!







And have you noticed
the women's aprons?
Not everyone wears an apron,
but a lot of them do.
And some are so frilly
and pretty, like this one!

Another thing I noticed
while we were in Nicaragua
was the beautiful colors
they paint their homes.
Even the most humble of buildings
are painted bright, vivid colors.

 
These are the kinds of things
I love to watch for when I travel.
The sights and sounds of everyday life.

Come back tomorrow for part 2!

a photo that needs no words

I'm back!
We spent the last ten days
on a humanitarian expedition
in Managua, Nicaragua.

What an experience!
I almost don't have words.
But over the next few days,
I hope I can find the words
to tell you some of the things
we saw, and felt, and experienced.

I've got to wade through
all the photos I took.
That could take awhile...
I went a little crazy!

So many of my pictures
had to be taken
from the window of a moving bus.
But hopefully even though
they aren't spectacular,
they will tell our story.

We served with a group
on a medical/dental mission.
Because of confidentiality reasons,
I won't be able to share
that aspect of the trip.

But I will be able to
share a few stories
and photos of the country
and the people there.
Here's one that needs no words.





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On another note,
my friend Wendi shared a video
on her blog today
that really touched my heart.

So I decided to pass it on.
I hope you feel it too.

It's about Stephanie Nielson,
who writes a blog called
the NieNie Dialogues.
You may have heard of her.

She is amazing and beautiful
and I wish I could be
more like her in so many ways.

Here's her story:

(If you can't see the full screen,
click here for a popout window.)

right in the middle of town

I took "A" to school this morning.

The sun had just come up,
and the shadows on the mountains
were so beautiful.

Carrying my camera around with me
has made me stop and notice things
that I hadn't paid any attention to before.

For instance,
about a mile away from my house
right in the middle of town
and across the street from the cemetery
lies this open field.

I drive by it several times a day.

And yet I've never paid attention
to the beauty of it all.

But when I look at it
through a camera lens,
I realize how breathtaking it really is.

Right in the middle of town.

Some people would pay
big bucks for a view like this!

finding happy in march

blooming buds
melting snow
a beautiful sunrise

early birds at play
children outside laughing
a brisk walk
signs of green

open windows
spring cleaning

quick storms
warm sunshine
a peaceful heart 


What has made
you happy in March?

sunday gratitude

This early Sunday morning,
I'm feeling grateful.

Grateful for:

• yesterday's snow, which gives us another week before we have to prune our apple trees. (I knew there was a reason I could be glad for snow in March!)
  .
• opportunities to start fresh.
  .
• friends--new and old.
  .
• my sweet little grandson's smile.
  .
• Sunday worship, a time to sing and learn and feel spiritually refreshed.
  .
• a teenage son who still likes his mom. 
  .
• the ability to learn new things.
  .
• the strength to do hard things.
  .
• strong feet that carry me wherever I need to go.
  .

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What are you grateful for
this beautiful March morning?

the three 3's that inspire me

On her blog yesterday,
my cute cousin posted
her favorite things in threes--
and she invited her readers
to do the same.

Her favorites inspired me....
and so I'm doing it!

These are the three 3's
that lift me up,
encourage me,
and motivate me
to keep going.

Songs

Come to Jesus by Kenneth Cope

Dream Big by Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band

Viva la Vida by Coldplay (sung by these kids)

Places

Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/vxla/ / CC BY 2.0

The Salt Lake LDS Temple

The Ocean





Books

The Greatest Salesman in the World

The Book of Mormon

A Heart Like His





What are the three things
that motivate and inspire you?

life is beautiful

these words are an excerpt from
Richard G. Scott's "Finding Joy in Life"

Do you take time
to discover each day
how beautiful
your life can be?

How long has it been
since you watched the sun set?

The departing rays
kissing the clouds,
trees, hills, and lowlands
good night,
sometimes tranquilly,
sometimes with exuberant bursts
of color and form.

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What of the wonder of a
cloudless night
when the Lord
unveils the marvels
of His heavens—
the twinkling stars,
the moonlight rays—
to ignite our imagination
with His greatness and glory?

 

You are one of the noblest
of God’s creations.

His intent is that
your life
be gloriously beautiful
regardless
of your circumstances.

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.Sun

Sunflower photo courtesy of
Perception Photography.

today i'm grateful for....

• kleenexes, the ones with lotion in them.
  .
• kids (mine) who call their mom because they want to.
  .
• almond joy candy bars, and a husband who brought me a whole package.
  .
• my new camera, and the new video I got to teach me how to use it.
  .
• packages, especially the sweet package I received in the mail today from a friend I've never met before.
  .
• the scent of lemons, and the ability to smell them.
  .
• the color green, especially outside after all the gray.
  .
• sundays, a day that's different from all the rest.
  .
• email--and people who send them just to be nice.
  .

What are you grateful for today?
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