2019- VIETNAM HFH-GV BUILD

2018 EL SALVADOR HFH GV BUILD

November.  First day of the build near San Vicente,

Gotta play at the end of the day!

Hard working Faith,Chris and Lana

Super hard work by a great crew. Sadly, I can't find many of my photos of this trip!

Spent a wonderful week post-build with these friends from PC Morocco, Kareem and Leslie!

2017 - HAWAIi HFH BLITZ BUILD

Habitat for Humanity requested Global Village leaders to bring a team to the Blitz build on the largest Island of Hawaii.  I ended up being co-leader with a great person from WI, Mike Stearney, who had led many teams before, and had a following of several people who accompaned him on this trip. Two people very skilled in building from the Billings group also came, so that was a big plus. Here's a photo of us, getting dry from a downpour.  Cheri, Bob and me.

The goal was to build 10 houses in this subdivision in ten days.  Needless to say, with volunteers coming from all over the place, that was not without more than a few challenges.  But, we got'er done even with some goofing off!  

Dave, Jessie, Joe

Barb and Kathy

Women rock it, too!

But we had some fun in the evenings!

 

Mike Stearney, team co-captain, George and Kathy

Tom Thomsen (standing),Julie Brunner, Ian and Amber Morgan in front

Susan Madden, Connie Genger, Maili Harris

Jessie, Stephanie, Jeff

c

• 
  

Julie, Bev, Joyce, Sally, Cynthia, Lisa, Barb

Here's the couple our house went to

Here's a look at the finished houses.

After the build, four women went with me to do a quick tour of the island, staying in a couple of unique VRBOs and having a splendid time!

 

2016-COSTA RICA HFH-GV BUILD

I took a taxi from my SERVAS hostesses house to a very nice Marriott hotel in San Jose, meeting the the team of 12 others plus our local affiliate guide.  We had a good dinner there and an introduction to the build and all the team.  The next day we took a bus to Buenes Aires, where we stayed during the build, and every day traveled about 30 minutes to the build site.  It was hot and humid!  My neck (and hip, a bit)  was hurting quite a bit so I was not able to work very hard as I had hoped.  

The construction manager and his helper

The Team standing in front of where we'll begin to build

Lots and lots of digging!

My roomie Suzanne working on the septic tank hole

Lots of hard work with hand post-hole diggers tomake these corner braces

Walking down to the build site

Trying our hand at helpig with lunch.

It was SO hot.  Trying to get a bit of shade while resting.

Vicente, the home owner and me at the end of a day.

HOMESTAY CONT'D

The next day I went with both Carmen's to school across the street for a teacher's cooperative meeting which recognized various people for various accomplishments.  Here's a picture of some of the students, as well as the teachers.

 That night we went to visit her other daughter who lives in Heredia, in an upscale home and enviroment from where I was staying.  Then, next day, time for an adventure!  Olga, the daughter who lived next door and spoke no
English, and I took a bus to Puntarenes on the ocean for an overnight stay.  It was a good time!

Olga, who did not swim, eventually did go into the swimming pool at the motel, and with encouragement from another "local", went waist deep into the ocean.  Here's a street-food dish that we had for lunch:  Vigarone.  Pork rinds, cabbage, tomatoes, vinegar and oil dressing.

Olga, her aunt, my hostess Carmen and her husband

COSTA RICA HOMESTAY

Prior to meeting the team for the build, I arranged a homestay with a SERVAS member (an international hosting program) for a week.  I flew to Houston on March 26th, stayed at a motel near the Airport, and my friend Vicky Valero came with food from a deli and visited for a couple of hours.

On Easter Sunday I flew into San Jose.  We arrived on time, but when the plane taxied to the terminal, we got stuck in a "hole." The pilot called for a tug, but the tow bar broke and they had to get another.  The line for immigration was very busy due to the holiday.  Carmen Mora Mora gave me a ride to her house, she fed me some lunch of a cornmeal type of bread with some type of filling that was pretty good.

 I thought she knew English better than she did, but I had no problem understanding it was necessary for me to stay with another SERVAS host also named Carmen.  So off we go about a half hour away, and I stay with Carmen and her husband.  I have an upstairs bedroom to myself, and these folks don't speak any English except a few words.  Both Carmen's are retired teachers.  I just hung around Monday, and arranged for an all-day tour the next day, going to a coffee farm, volcano, and waterfall park that also had different areas for frogs, butterflies, monkeys, etal.

2015 MEMORIES

NOVEMBER.  Daughter Heide and granddaughter Jazzy from California came for a brief visit.  We did a day trip to Heart Mountain near Cody, WY, to see the Japanese Internment Visitor Center.  I think it really helped open their eyes to the discriminatory and cruel methods our government has used in the past.

SEPTEMBER. Went on my four-year delayed trip to DC to see
 former Peace Corps Volunteer friends,  Kareem and Leslie Mansour.  We bonded so in Morocco, and it was wonderful to see them again.  They had be be gone overnight, so I spent a day walking around all the monuments, spending time with "the boys."   (Jefferson, Roosevelt, etc.)  Love those two!

Then on to Boston to spend a couple of nights with Lisa Hull, who picked me up there then on to Wellfleet on the Cape for a wonderful visit.  I met Lisa on my first, brief game reserve trip to South Africa in 2011.

August.  Overnight camping at Woodbine Campground in the Beartooths, near Sioux Charlie hike, with Barb Batts          First, but not last! time to camp there

With the four oldest grandsons (youngest not wanting in the photo) camping at Fairmont Hot Springs near Anaconda with their families.  Lots of fun in the sun and warm waters!

Sunset at Canyon Ferry near Helena in July.  Enjoyed lots of short camping trips in my little RV this summer.

Marci's oldest son, Hayden, and her husband Paul hiking in MT.

J

ULY.  Had a great time at the Montana Folk Festival in Butte. This is the main stage under a former headframe from an old mine.  Claudia Janacek went with me and we camped out in my RV.

Lots of baseball, with grandson Noah Christophers playing for the Miles City team.

Cinda's Nathan and Marci's Keaton

Daughters Marci and Cinda and I at a picnic for cancer survivors.  Cinda just completed recovery from her second bout with cancer.

Cinda's husband Andy and their little one, Kellen at a baseball game.

Always enjoy cribbage, here in my sister June's backyard with friend Wayne, June and Wayne's son Eric, and his son Zach.

Flew to Seattle in May with Terry to visit niece Laurie and watch great nephew Skyler play baseball.




MARCH.  Guatemala,as blogged separately.

JANUARY.  Started off the new year doing a half-marathon in January with daughters Heide in CA (and her husband Jim), Marci from UT, and granddaughter Jasmine who lives in San Diego, near Carlsbad where the beautiful event was held.