APRIL FLEW BY

For not having a set schedule we sure lost most of our month of April! Where did it go?


Our job managing the condo is turning out to be so much fun! I suppose I said this all before, but it really is great to be able to meet all these new fresh faces who are so excited about Cuenca and their new life or possible new life in Ecuador.


The bookings this next month are shorter term so we will be having back to back guests on a weekly basis! That should be interesting. The condo employs a really sweet lady who worked in the Hamptons for 7 yrs. so her skills are superb and her English is wonderful! She has been so wonderful about getting a schedule from me for the month with partial days circled where she can get into the apartment and clean. She always says, thats no problem Miss Karen!


I have started back taking weaving. I had the loom at home, but found that I did not have the confidence to start a new project (something other than a scarf). So I took it all apart (Thanks Randy for your help) and hauled it up the hill to Las Americas (thanks again Randy) and amazingly a taxi was right there!  It is nice to see the ladies at the yarn store, and Patricia said immediately IN SPANISH.. how is your Spanish doing.. uhh.. well not so good. She scolded me good naturedly and said, We will get you back to speaking better in no time. And she is right. There are ladies there who love to talk with you and help you with your Spanish while you weave! 2 for 1 ! Lucky me!


I was reading on the Gringo Tree about a group who are working with the local needy children of the El Arenal (Feria Libre Market). There is an after school program there. So they were asking for food, money and knitted scarves, hats etc. And they would even come pick them up!  Well that was right up my alley so I am trying to whip out a few easy scaves. The kids are ages 4-14.  Here is there website if you are interested in checking them out. The kids are pretty cute. http://ecuazon.com/hearts-of-gold 


The weather has been a bit sunnier, with some amazing afternoon showers, some again with hail. This is when I become a wild banshee racing all over the house with towels to catch the water that pours down the walls and will come out through the skylight.. not knowing where I just lay every towel in the "drop zone" and hope I got it covered.  So far its worked out pretty good and we have not had any disasters like others I know!


Last nite, another one of those serendipitous nights where we are sitting eating leftovers and a friend calls.. Whatcha doin'? Nuthin, eating leftovers.. Want to come over and meet the OTHER Randy and Karen of Cuenca? REALLY ? We will be right over. Which was easily said as Manon's house is right around the corner.. and there we met our dopplegangers (in name only)

Today was another beautiful sunny day, so Randy rolled me out of bed at 10, to ride our scooters to California Kitchen to listen to our friend Pat play piano music.. he did a great job. He is kind of shy so I did not take a picture, but I did get one of my breakfast.. wow, they sure do a good job.. This is their Fritatta. YUM. And those are homemade french fried onions on the top..

This afternoon when we got home we did our puttering, moved some plants around, watered and took a walk along the river. There were so many families out playing soccer, volleyball and just enjoying the day. It was nice to feel a part of this community where folks smile, say hello and enjoy all this great nature, and it's right at our doorstep. How lucky is that!