Scrambled Thoughts and Rambles

So, I am in the throes of trying to figure out how to get a permis de sejour. It is required if you stay longer than three months in Haiti. I am a little behind. :-p The cost is daunting-even more so when Abe called to inform me that today he had a boot placed on the car. The officer cited him for "parking too close to the corner"...SonSon was livid, saying it was more of a "white man entered bank" fee.

The "Village" we live in has another guard. It was sad to see the last one go as the kids and I were quite fond of him, and he was very fond of sharing dinner with us. :-) But apparently there was some breech of trust between him and the lady who is in charge of our place. The new guard is very young, but so far has been on top of everything and can play a wicked game of football with the babes!
Security here has been risen, which IS a good thing. Just rather annoying. Every one who enters the gate that does not reside here has to sign in a book and take a numbered visitor's badge. The lady in charge (also the neighbor whom I have to try very hard to remain sweet to) has decided that because I "never leave the village" I am the logical person to be in charge of the book. I can see the mayhem now. sigh. Perhaps this will force some better Creole into me.

On the up side, we are soon going to get our own well so we will not have to pay for water to be hauled in AND the abundance of tadpoles in my wash water should diminish greatly! Razor wire will soon be twirled up on top of the concrete fence that surrounds us and flowers are soon to be planted into our empty beds. The four remaining empty houses are soon to receive their new owners. We were told the other day that we moved in before the place was "fully functional". I asked if that meant there would be constant electricity and a cease fire in the fight for water. I was laughed at. Hey, a girl can dream can't she?

I was able to find a way to receive packages from the states without using the postal service here. Which is a phantom, by the way. I am nearly certain it does not exist. I am crossing my fingers as I wait to receive our first box from our home church in Moab.

Oh dear. My sweet daughter and adorable baby are breaking rule number 3. Don't play in the rock pile. Such a terrible rule, I know. Carol's shirt is currently filled with gravel and dust. Isaiah looks like a ghost. It IS rather cute, but rules are rules. I suppose I shall have to punish them with a bucket bath and a few tickles. Better get on it while the sun still shines...

Bath successful. You can only haul that bucket so far and bringing all that mud and dust into my house sounded absurd so...they got a Haitian bath. Outside in a bucket. :-D There were a few too many giggles for it to be a punishment but I made sure the neighbors heard me sternly admonish their romp in the pile first.

Yesterday while I was driving to the bank and market the front left tire on our old Honda CRV completely turned independently to the left and then proceeded to bend towards the ground. It was right in front of a sweet toothless lady's "shoe store". I felt bad that we were blocking the view of her wares from passerbys, but she was sweet enough to hand Abe a burlap sack to sit upon while we waiting for the company mechanic to arrive. I wished I could have bought some shoes from her, but as we had not gotten to the bank yet I had to be content leaving her with a small coin. I REALLY wish I had been able to buy some as the flip flop I was wearing broke later in the day. :-p
We were rescued from the heat and stares by a sweet American friend who has been there, done that. We have been so blessed to find a church to worship in and new friends.

Sigh. Babes are requesting dinner and the floors are whining about the dirt they have acquired today. It is time to start the generator too. The neighbors here can not, or will not exert the energy to start it. I made a Haitian driver laugh the other day when he learned I started my own generator, hauled my own water, hot wired my own car (the starter doesn't work :-P) and drove all over Port Au Prince. White American Women may be impatient, but we get stuff done. ;-)

Have a wonderful night. More later!