Friday, February 19, 2010Tonight's picture features Mattie smiling after he worked diligently with Peter on assembling a huge pirate Lego ship. This was a labor of love, but Lego projects were not only therapeutic for Mattie, but really for all of us. It took our minds off of cancer for a while, and allowed Mattie the chance to be a child. In addition, the nurses got so used to Mattie's creations, that they would periodically check in to see his progress. Naturally Mattie loved this attention, and this became an excellent social outlet for him as well. I shall never forget the Lego shark featured in the picture. That shark attacked my fingers and hands more times than I can remember. Mattie loved my reactions to the attack and I remember playing for hours with this pirate ship.
Poem of the day by Kristin Binder....Thank you Kristi (a fellow Osteo mom!)
I talked about you yesterday.
Right up until the topic came
of how we said our goodbyes.
And then the choking in my throat,
returned, too much to bear.
I struggled through grief's tightening grip
to fill my lungs with air.
My heart raced. My palms clenched tight.
I wanted to shut down.
I felt those moments pouring in.
I worried I might drown.
Tears came calling once again
stinging hot against my cheek.
And in my mind I played over
that final, painful week.
I thought about the cancer
and how it ravaged you.
I remembered the sense of hopelessness.
I shuddered at what I had to do.
I wonder if the words exist,
to convey how it made me feel.
Even all these many months later,
those last seconds feel surreal.
I don't know if the day will come
when guilt will leave me be.
I just pray you know it was out of love,
that I chose to set you free.
The Caribbean Princess arrived this morning in Aruba. We have therefore seen two thirds of the “ABC” islands because we have visited both Bonaire and Aruba. The “ABC” islands are all Dutch territories and are comprised of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. Aruba is the smallest of the Dutch islands, nonetheless it may be one of the most prosperous.
Aruba has its own language, which is also used in Bonaire and Curacao. It is called Papiamento. This unique language is a combination of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, African, and Indian words. In fact, it is a very melodic language, and when people talk, it almost sounds like they are singing.
Gold was discovered on the Island in 1824 and was mined successfully until 1913. However, as the yield turned meager and mining became unprofitable, and the aloe plant became the primary agricultural crop. The Island soon became the world’s largest aloe producer. In addition to aloe, Aruba also has a very profitable oil refinery on the southern most tip of the Island. Nonetheless, the main source of income for the Island is tourism (of which 70% comes from the USA).
The Island looks similar to Bonaire, in that it is flat, with a desert like terrain. There are iguanas, donkeys, goats, and dogs freely moving about the streets. Like on Bonaire, the iguanas and donkeys are protected animals on the island. We took some pictures of Aruba today, which I have attached to share with you.
Left: View from the top of a the Casabari Rock Formation.
Right: Notice the iguana on the cactus (look left)!
We went on a three hour tour of the Island, and our first stop took us to see a lighthouse named, The California Lighthouse. I have always been enamored by lighthouses, their history, and the struggles lighthouse operators and their families had while undertaking this challenging job and lifestyle. I was saddened to hear that visitors are no longer allowed inside the lighthouse because recently someone jumped out of it and fell to his death. However, the terrain outside the lighthouse is fascinating because you can clearly see you are walking on an ancient sea bed floor. The ground is covered in coral. Though based on how the island was formed through plate tectonics, it isn’t surprising to see this ground cover, but it is definitely different and noteworthy. I don’t think I will ever forget our tour of the Casabari Rock Formation. Picture huge rocks that were once underwater, carved by water over time, and now they are above sea level, and you can walk through them. That sounds easier said than done, because in order to get to the top of the formation to view the Island, you have to navigate your way through the inside of the rocks. This passage way is very narrow, and takes on two way traffic (people walking up to the top of the formation, and people coming down from the top). Between the heat, the narrow passage way, and the requirement for people to take turns using the passage way, chaos unfolded. People started getting snappy and hostile with each other. We did manage our way up and down this pathway, but I would say overall, it wasn’t worth the hassle and the hostility. I snapped some pictures of what I am trying to describe.
Left: Here is the two way passage way I was attempting to describe to you.
Right: My mom and Peter squeezing through the rocks!
The tree of the Country is called, Divi Divi (pronounced like Dee Vee – Dee Vee). The tree has the leaves like a mimosa, but they are very low to the ground, and almost look like an umbrella. Peter took a picture of my mom and me in front of a Divi Divi.
Left: Two female baby ostriches. They about 9 months old.
Right: A male ostrich.
Left: Notice the slight difference between these two eggs. The one on the left is beige in color, and has a more gel like texture. This is the fertilized egg. The egg on the right, has a white shell and is the unfertilized egg.
The last stop on the tour was to the Natural Bridge. These are rocks that through water erosion formed a bridge. In addition to the beauty of this bridge, what caught my attention was the rock creations created by people who visited this area. It looked like people were using the scattered rocks on the ground like Legos (of course my mind couldn’t help but think of Mattie and how he would have loved rock like legos). The legend is if you build a rock design by the natural bridge, you will be coming back to Aruba again.
Left: Peter and I in front of the natural bridge. The Island was extremely windy today!
Right: Vicki and her parents standing and sitting next to a rock like creation that someone made and left behind.
After a full day, we are all back on the ship. The ship is getting ready to set sail for Puerto Rico. We will be at sea all day on Saturday, and will be flying back to DC on Sunday. Amazing how fast a week goes by. The ship was supposed to leave port at 4:30pm, however, we are still sitting at the dock. Why? Because the ship was waiting for two people to come aboard. Funny how the rest of us could manage to get back in time for departure, yet these two individuals could not. Peter, along with about 50 other people standing on their cabin balconies started chatting with each other. They figured out the names of the passengers who were late to get back to the ship, based on an announcement made by the cruise staff. The laughter from Peter and these folks were a riot. I can hear it as I am typing the blog. They even figured out which cabin room these two people are staying in, and they joked about TPing the door of their cabin tonight. At which point, I interjected and said absolutely not! Who knows why these people did not get back to the ship in time for departure. Maybe there is a good reason, or maybe not. But I am pretty sure that these two people are severely embarrassed since everyone hanging over the balconies clapped for them as they boarded the ship. A little cruise humor I suppose.
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