STORY TIME!!

Hello All!
I have begun my packing process, after buying things for the children I will be working with (for part of my time in Hidalgo), I now have to focus on the less fun things. Like paperwork. Again. Joyous. But I did buy blow pops, sidewalk chalk and stickers to give small children. And no it will not be sketchy, because I am not driving around in a white van. There will be no need for a "stranger danger" incident. So thanks for these comments, Harrison.

Before we get too into more Mexico stuff, Thwaites left me today. After, as promised, losing to me at air hockey. And bumming around the North end... there are still treats from Mike's Pastry chilling in my kitchen waiting to be eaten. Any takers? We watched a lot of movies, including the Hurt Locker, which really put things into perspective.

I also found a serious source of inspiration! I found a hand in the form of a milagros charm! GUESS WHO WILL BE LOOKING FOR MORE OF THESE?!?! Yes, me. I have started a charm bracelet with some small metal hands on it. I have 4 at the moment, but I will add to it. Hoorah!

I wandered around Boston today with Chae and Rabs. Super fun! and I HAVE SOCKS! this never happens because they always get lost. It was really good to see them and say my goodbyes before they go off to their respective summer camp jobs, which are sure to be SUPER entertaining. I envy them somewhat.

And now a story! as promised. It was told to me this evening, and does not have an end at the moment. I'll keep you posted when I get the rest of the tale tomorrow. People have learned how to keep my attention... that's all we'll say here.





There was once a very curious little girl, who lived in the city with her two parents. The city was very dangerous, and she could not leave the walls of her house without her parents and other people around. Especially not at night. She went to school, like all curious little girls should, or else they will get into trouble, and she made up stories when she played to keep herself busy. Still, being trapped inside a house all the time was not enough for the little girl. And so she looked forward to the summers when she was able to visit her grandparents in a magical fairy world.

The magical fairy world was not too far away. Every now and again she would get in a car with her parents and some of their friends and drive to this magical place where the rolling green hills touched the sky and sealed off this world from the rest of space. The hills had hidden caves where people lived, and everyone knew that these hills had spirits in them. Good spirits, evil spirits, lost spirits... They were all there. And these spirits were connected to the witches that lived in the magical village where the girl's grandparents lived.

Their window overlooked the lake. And what a beautiful lake it was! Each morning, when the sun rose, the lake sparkles like thousands of glittering beads of the purest blues and greens. The girl liked to look at the enchanted lake. Especially because she liked to watch people, and for many, this lake was the center of life. Each morning, families came to the lake with buckets to carry water back to their homes. She did not know what they did with the water, but she liked to watch them and then make up games where she too fetched water from the lake of glittering beads.

The nighttime brought things that she did not like quite as much as the sparkling lake. The night brought out the spirits from the mountains. Everyone knew that the streets were a dangerous place to be during these times, and for that reason, the girl was very afraid of the darkness. This was a different kind of fear from what she felt in the city, where there was constant noise and movement. It was a silent, sneaky kind of fear. the inexplicable, really. But it did not matter, because she spent so much time exploring during the day that she fell asleep long before the darkness crept over the hills and wakened the spirits.

She spent her days at her grandparents house playing among the strange and exotic birds that lived in the lush gardens. Her grandmother slaved over the garden to bring more color and scents into the world than any place the girl had ever been before. And there were so many places to hide and watch these birds too! As they walked around, she hid under a rose bush, waiting from them to find her. Sometimes they didn't, and she could stay there for hours, telling herself stories about the magical fairy world she lived in. And it was enough.

But again, the girl grew very curious and wondered what it looked like outside this perfect world she created in her grandparents' house. What was happening in those cobblestone streets just outside the perfect little gate? Where did those people go with the water, after they climbed into those enchanted hills? Her mother never wanted to tell her. She feared the spirits, who she felt lived and breathed inside the house as much as they did in the mountains.

TO BE CONTINUED WHEN I AM LESS TIRED!