Outdoor Wednesday: a Cuban Iguana

Photo by Tere Cornelio "A GiTMO Iguana"

I have been away from my blog(s) and all the fun networking we do around here far too long. I miss all of this and all the sharing. So I come back now with my first outdoor picture in a while during this, the last Wednesday of the year.

I could have chosen one of the many beach, rocks, seaglass, mountains, or cloud pictures but I kept coming back to this Iguana because I'm still in awe that they live or that we live among them. They do keep to themselves and in my neighborhood we don't see them often but we do see them at the beach (only if we break out the food) and we see them around the base and in other housing areas. We see them as often as people in the states see dogs and their masters walking around...really weird.

I hope to find the time of day when my internet connectivity is has a higher bandwidth than during the day time hours (maybe I need to go back to my early morning blogging) so that I can visit all others in my network and hopefully meet some new people (bloggers).

Please visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer to see what other outdoors people are sharing today.

Visit my Life in Guantanamo Bay blog to read about our adventures and our everyday life here in GTMO, Cuba.

Have a beautiful day everyone and thanks for visiting!

Terie

Life in GiTMO is live

Yes. We made it.  It was a long two weeks prior to flight time but we are finally here and what a great welcoming we've had.  You definitely can't beat the weather and the view from the back yard.  So much water, so close... it's pretty cool.

I'm writing about life in Guantanamo to keep friends and family updated and to help others moving here get a feel for what is like to live here.

Soon I hope to be back up to speed with everything. For now, we enjoy the holidays, eat, drink and be merry!

Remember to be safe during this holiday season but have all the fun you can with your friends and family -- make this a well-lived journey!

Happy Holidays!

Staying in the now

Photo by SpinDiva

"Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life. The only place where you can experience the flow of life is the Now, so to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation... It is to relinquish inner resistance to what is." ~ Eckhart Tolle

~ ~ ~

Life. It has been somewhat complicated these past two weeks. We've been packed, the vehicle has shipped, we live in a hotel suite smaller than my old bathroom but the kids are happy. I was a little worried about their reaction to moving and leaving dear friends behind. I must have done a really good job somewhere along the way (yes, padding myself in the back right now) because I expected trouble all the way to the end. Instead they are excited, sad to leave friends, as am I, but excited for this new adventure to begin. A few more days of this craziness and we're on our way from 45 degrees and foggy to 85 degrees and clear. I can live with that! I can't wait to share our adventures and life in Guantanamo. I have a feeling we will have some interesting stories to tell. I do hear you saying "I don't know how you do it all." Well I have friends reminding me that I should forget about the statement "it is what it is" and remember that "it is...what you make of it." So I choose to make it a positive experience, even in the midst of stress and chaos. 

I admit there were a few moments I thought I'd loose my mind and the stress monster tried very hard to take me down (i.e. when I thought I lost my wallet one week prior to moving) but I resisted, talked myself out of an anxiety attack and guess what, I found my wallet exactly where I left it, under the bathroom sink.  

WHAT? Doesn't everyone use this space for their wallet? Surely you must have put the cereal in the fridge and the milk in the pantry at some point in your life!!

OK call me crazy. Well, then again, don't. That would just be mean.

I will continue to remind myself that right here, right now is really all that matters so I will continue to only focus on that which I can control, everything else will fall into place nicely.

Foodie Friday: When life gives you lemons....

....or whatever the ingredient, make something WITH it!

My house is now empty, except for the stuff they wont pack and move for me because it's flammable, open containers, perishables, etc... I can understand that, but did they have to pack my almost empty jar of all natural crunchy peanut butter and almond butter? They were opened! How about that pretty candle in the hallway, that's flammable, last time I checked.

Anyway, I am left the perishables in the fridge, my neighbors pyrex 1 quart pot and some plastic utensils.  Although I amtrying to live a more vegetarian lifestyle, I'm not one to throw away food. This morning I decided it was about time I did something with all this stuff.  You all know how much I love eggs by now because it seems most of my recipes call for eggs in some form or another.  So here it is...

4 Eggs
1/2 cup chopped Turkey Kielbasa
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, green)
1/4 cup shredded cheese (whatever you like)
Any other veggie left in the fridge? Sure -- mushrooms, tomatoes, zuccini, whatever you want.

Mix it up and cook in the microwave, first for 2 minutes on high but keep your eye on it.  Then stir and cook for a few more minutes on med/high until the eggs are cooked through.

It turned really good and such a comfort food for me. Even my toddler enjoyed a few bites. Yum!  By the way, the measurements are eye balled, I have no measuring cups either.

I now have the energy I need to clean this house all by myself -- it seems harder when it's empty- a larger area to vacuum and dust I guess.  And all those little holes on the walls...ugh, so much to do.

Soon I will begin my new blog titled "Family Life in Guantanamo Bay" where I will chronicle what is like to live on the Naval Base in Cuba where it seems most people think it's nothing but a prision camp.  I hope to change a few minds and help everyone share in our adventure in this new and somewhat secluded land.

My house did not sell this fall, but that's OK, now it's up for rent - maybe someone you know moving to the area-- who knows, I have to spread the word.  Here is a link to the virtual tour -- http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=565143

Many blessings to everyone, 'till next time!!

Terie

Shared on Foodie Friday, hosted by Designs by Gollum

It must be love

Photo by In[a]heartbeat

You remember that feeling you got the first time your heart was broken by someone you loved?  It's a sinking, emptiness, feeling inefficient, unable to heal the pain.  That's the feeling I get when any one of my kids has his or her heart broken by someone they love.  I love my kids and I don't want them to ever feel this pain but it is part of life and part of growing up.  The only way to learn how to deal with a broken heart is to have your heart broken - I hate it but it is a fact of life and I understand it.

Both my teens have come to me in the last couple of days with what to them must feel like the biggest and most devastating  heart break.  Not from a girlfriend or boyfriend but from friends; friends they love and care for.  Friends that sometimes want to rule in matters of the heart and friends who choose when to call my kids and when to call someone else instead; friends who want to choose when and with whom you have fun.  Good kids, I presume, with a misguided view of what is like to be a real friend.

All I can do is listen, give a little advice and remind them that they are good kids, that they are loved, and that while a broken heart can bring on a lot of emotional pain, it will heal if they let it.  This too shall pass and in the future they will be able to recognize when someone is real and not so real.  I remind them that they should never let others taint their love for life because my kids... they love life, they love their life and for that I am thankful.

I will always be here for them and yes, my heart aches like it did with my first heart break, but I know how to deal with it, they need not know that I ache when they ache.  They only need to know that I love them with all my heart.  I will be here no matter what.  They are my life!!  It must be love!