22 October 2007

I have a whole lot written but I am just learning to update these pages myself...so, I will start with the last
attempts to write:

31 May 2007….
It cannot really be six months since I did a journal update can it??!!

08 June 2007
…got far on that last one!!

OK, let me try to remember back a ways…
So, I outlined all the various activities, benchmarks etc, now here I am (3) days later on June 11th  actually
filling in a bit about each…just in case I do not complete the details, at least I can have some sort of
updated journal entry posted by the end of the week!

First there were the holidays.  Starting several weeks before Christmas, the various neighborhoods
around the island have their Village Christmas Lighting. In true island tradition, everyone gathers and
enjoys local food along with local drinks and music, awaiting the final installation of decorative lights
then…quiet…ahhh – the lights fill the sky then…oops…too many – blew a circuit…back to food, drink,
music while electrical repairs are done…then try again…most go on…most go out…then ahhhhh! There
they all are – beautiful holiday lights & decorations! This is an annual competition and the neighborhoods
take great pride in the amount of lights they can display, as well as their decorative theme. After each
neighborhood’s lighting party, the displays are maintained until well after The New year.
This year I had a great surprise – in late November, I received an email from friends I had not seen in four
years! They had been traveling and were going to be arriving to the Grenadines in December. Matt, Margot
and Brock (their 9 year old son) made landfall on Bequia a couple weeks before Christmas after cruising up
from South America by way of yacht charter on the Jona Lisa. I must add that the captain & mate of Jona
Lisa, have subsequently become great acquaintances – Art & Rochelle – sadly, though they are heading
back down south soon for hurricane season. With construction still under way on The GYM, I had the
upstairs apartment vacant so offered it up while Matt & Margot figured out which direction was next. Only
catch was guests already booked for arrival on Boxing Day.  Made arrangements to pick the family up on
the harbor dock the day after their arrival – easy to load their belongings into the jeep that way….or so I
thought! Upon backing up to the top of the dock, I realized just about the whole end of the dock was
stacked with bags, suitcases, bins, a large stuffed tiger (Brock managed to bring this along with him
through all their travels!) and an unimaginable assortment of “belongings”. As we started loading all of this
into the jeep, of course ‘Customs’ took note and requested our presence at the Customs office.
(Fortunately, it was lunch time)…the officers were very nice and when I backed the jeep into the Customs
driveway (in the noontime sun, may I add) they asked to look into a couple bags and with Art’s assistance,
their immigration paperwork was all squared away…and off we went. Well, let me just say, off “I” went in the
“Landrover” that was so packed full, there was no room for a single passenger, not even Brock!  They all
followed in a taxi! (We continue to joke about how people who have been “traveling” for two years can
have SOOOOO many belongings with them!)
With Jeremy back in England for the holidays, it was great fun having friends here to help decorate the
Christmas tree – yes, a real spruce from Canada!! (no, it does not last long! But is nice to have while it
does!!) and enjoy the holiday spirit. We found a temporary rental to accommodate them for Christmas and
following week then a little house for the few months to follow. Needless to say, they have decided to stay
awhile, now living just up the road from me. I am thrilled to have such great friends here – and just to add a
little unfinished part of the story…I had met them on ANOTHER island where I had initially started my quest
to find an island paradise five years ago!

OK...ages old, I know...let me see if I can figure out how to update this then I will go from there!