The Squirrel Chronicles

Yesterday, I was using my new allergy nasal spray (which by the way, is a MIRACLE drug) in our impossibly small bathroom. (Sorry auntie, but it really is tiny)

As the nasal spray was dripping from my nostril, I reached for a tissue with the same hand that was holding the spray bottle.

Then I dropped the spray bottle and it landed in the toilet.

"Oh, SHIT!" I yelled.

Juan ran into the bathroom to see what happened to me THIS time.
He found me peering into the potty at the floating prescription.

"Well, you could probably still use it" He offered helpfully.

" I DON"T THINK SO! I am NOT spraying that up my nostril NOW. It's covered in poop germs."

THEN Juan said "No babe, the WATER is clean. The bottle hasn't touched the sides of the toilet yet."

I said reproachfully "You better be kidding."

He didn't answer me, and I threw away the nasal spray.


"

In Puerto Rico, there were LOTS of fruits and vegetables I have never seen the likes of before. Juan made me try them all. This is a Canapa. It is round...about the size of a globe grape. It is sweet, but has the texture of a goober. I spit the first few out. After about 10, I started to like the texture of goober.

A little over a year ago, we had to put Buddy to sleep. It was so very hard. Partly because he and I were alone when it happened, partly because I felt I was somehow betraying him.
I cried and cried for weeks and weeks.
Now the pain has dulled somewhat, but I still cry when I drive by the veterinarian's office where he died.
The feelings of betrayal have decreased, but not gone away completely. He was the love of my family's life (well, most of us anyway). I wouldn't do anything different, but it still weighs heavily on my heart.

Now that we have a house, Juan and I have been TALKING about getting a dog. Maybe, Possibly. Since I am SEVERELY allergic to anything that breathes, this has the be a careful and thoughtful choice.
Even if it doesn't happen, I figure it is a positive step towards healing, just to talk about it. For the past year I have been adamantly insisting that I will never have another dog because someday it will die....and that is too much pain to go through again.
So, we'll see!

As you may be able to tell from my handsome, hulking husband, things are a lot bigger in Puerto Rico.

Including the cockroaches. This one was LITERALLY three inches long. For Reals.
In a hilarious yet stressful caper, Juan managed to flush this guy out of my suitcase and beat the life out of it with his sandal.

It was quite a feat.

Here is my reaction.

Last night our dorrbell rang urgently several times in a row, followed by the doorknob turning, and someone entering our home.

A woman ran through the doorway, yelling "I have to pee, I have to pee!, I have to pee!" and fled through the house, directly into the bathroom.

That woman was my mother.

We returned from our Puerto Rican adventure on Tuesday. What a crazy, wild place Puerto Rico is! It is an amazing feat that I returned home unscathed.We stayed with Juan's aunt and uncle up in the mountains. This is the view from their front porch.
I was enjoying some fresh home made lemonade (with lemons literally picked from the tree in the yard),and reading a book in the morning light when Juan came out to take my picture. It was so peaceful and quiet.
All that was quickly interrupted by the guttural moans of a pig being slaughtered by a neighbor.
I always thought pigs squealed.

Seriously, people keep livestock in their backyard. Instead of going to the store and buying the meat, they just go outside and catch a pig, chicken or turkey when it's dinner time.
And THAT is just the beginning.