Winter Vacation and Katherine Recipe for Happiness

I had big ideas to make a fabulous blog about our recent trip to the US. Everyone who is likely to read this, probably saw us on our travels, so I decided to make a video instead. It is attached here to the blog. Besides horrible swine flu for me, Chris and Katherine, we had a great time.



We got back to Caracas on January 10th and were greeted with rumors of rolling blackouts, more water shortages, and the devaluation of the Venezuelan currency. Oh well, another day in Caracas. So far, we have not been affected much by these doings and have been back to normal life here as we know it.

Katherine has started a new book in her reading class and it is called George's Marvelous Medicine. It seems that George has a mean and terrible grandmother. He plans to make a magic medicine that will change her into a sweet, loving and happy grandmother that he desires. Katherine's assignment tonight was to make a shopping list of ten ingredients that SHE would use to make a medicine for her grandmother.

Here is her list, and below that is her reasoning (copied directly from her homework):
1. 16 tons of chocolate
2. 16 black rats
3. Carrots (lots)
4. A bride's dress
5. Makeup
6. Flowers
7. Botox
8. Hair Dye
9. Soap
10. Bleach

Katherine's Reasoning:
1. Chocolate to make her fat and jolly.
2. The black rats are for getting all of the bad stuff out of her body and make her good.
3. Carrots to make her eyesight better.
4. A brides dress to make her merry.
5. Make up to make her look pretty.
6. Flowers to make her smell good.
7. Botox to make her skin look pretty.
8. Hair Dye to make her hair more colorful.
9. Soap to make her clean.
10. Bleach to make her teeth whiter.

I sit stunned beyond all belief. So much for world peace.

Death of a Blackberry

In a lot of ways my life was a lot easier when I was a full time practicing physician.  I had a full time nanny who cleaned my house, did my laundry, grocery shopped, and basically acted as a wife without the fringe benefits.  I also had Blackberry or IPhone permanently attached to my hip which controlled my day to day activites and kept me in touch with the outside world. 

I also had an entire team of people at my work life who wound me up and kept me going in the right direction.  I did not have to remember the little details of my day to day activities - my fabulous staff and the miracle of handheld electronic gadgets connected to my clothes did all of that for me.  Thank you thank you Terri, Rhona, Kelly, Sandra and I could go on and on....

BEEP - my hip would go.  Press a button.  Oh, I have surgery tomorrow at 7:30 at St. Johns.  It is for Ms. Smith and we are doing a hysterectomy.  BEEP.  Oh, I am on call tomorrow.  BEEP.  I have scheduled the afternoon off for vacation so I can go to Katherine's class Christmas party.  And so on, and so on.

When I moved to Venezuela my gadgets went away.   I have a cell phone here, but for the first time in 10 years it is not attached to my clothing.  I spent the first two months in Caracas fogetting it at home as I was not used to having to look for it, find it, and put it in my purse.  My cell phone now gets lost IN MY PURSE I am not above calling myself to find it in the deepest recesses of my handbag. 

Upon moving to Venezuela, I also suddenly had no real agenda.  How fabulous. What a life.  I have to wake up, do a little work on the computer for my consulting site, get the kids up, feed them, dress them, and get them to the bus.  At around 2:30 the driver takes me back to school to pick up the kids.

From 7:30 - 2:30 my time is my own.  How on earth do I fill it?  Do I just sit around eating bon-bons all day?  At first it was easy.  I work out every morning - and that takes a couple of hours.  I had serious unpacking and decorating of my new home to do.  I had to learn my way around the school and markets of our area. 

Within a few months, I became settled in my surroundings, my excursions dried up and I began to look for more things to do.  I stared working out with some friends in the mornings after the kids were off at school.  I became a room mother for both kids, started volunteering in the clinic at the kids school, joined the British and International Group, and got active in our church. 

I was not in the habit of carrying around a calender, or writing anything down on paper, so I began to "forget" things, meetings, play dates, commitments.  I realized how completely dependent I was on my electronica.  I had to break down and buy a calender to keep track of everything!  I actually have to carry around a pen to graphically notate all meetings and events.  My respect for my "stay and home" Mom friends continues to blossom.