Belize Journal, December 8, 2016

T’is Tourist Season

And all the local businesses are adding Christmas lights and replicas of snowmen. The weather has warmed again, and I have really been enjoying my exercise sessions in the pool.

Since I have been here, I have learned how to make nut cheese and seitan (a meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten). Also, I make my own flat bread from vital wheat gluten, garbanzo flour, amaranth flour, quinoa flour, and sesame seeds. I recently joined a vegetable co-op, so I get pesticide free vegies and fruits. I also found someone who makes furniture, and I am getting some custom pieces made.  My house is pretty small. And speaking of custom pieces, I have completed one futon frame (attaching a photo). I have started on shelves for the library/study. Those did not turn out as well as the frame, but I did learn a few things—what not to do next time..

In addition to finishing up the inside of my little house here, I am still landscaping. I have several avocado trees, some volunteers from compost. I may have mentioned I have one vanilla vine, three black pepper vines, a lemon tree, two lime trees, a cardamom tree, and an allspice tree. Recently, I have added a mahogany tree to give something back to the environment since mahogany is native to the forests here. I have two baby apple trees and two grape plants started. I also have 15 lemon trees started—I need to find homes for them.

I have added two cats to keep the rabbit company. I just wanted a kitten, but I wound up taking a female also. She is about two years old, and she was nursing the kitten although he wasn’t one of hers. Both were undernourished, but are doing better now. I just had the female spayed. She is convalescing on her silk palette. The little male is about 2 months old. Both cats are orange tabbies. And having them has been good company for the rabbit although a bit more work for me. I had forgotten how active kittens can be.  Also, the rabbit sometimes acts like he is a little jealous.

I am finishing up the fall semester with University of Maryland University College, and I am looking forward to a short break. I think we start up again the first week of January. I will try to finish up organizing the library/study and work on a metaphor paper entitled “Language is a place.”

Hope you have a merry one!