51

Yes, I am 51.

What's next? What does the next 51 years hold? Dreams which have been collected.

Haiti, helping children and teaching health education. Sailing with the man I love. Going to see my grandchildren to experience their lives with them. Visiting my children in far off places. Welcoming new grandchildren and great grandchildren. Teaching my daughters and daughter-in-laws how to make jelly. Living in a renovated school bus. Making soap. Making quilts. Passing on my love of different cultures and different people. Giving my worldly possessions away to those who want or need them. Being loved by someone forever. Never returning home to get old and die. And when I die, being greeted at Heavens door by God and all the people who I've loved.

Real Hope

Each of us has had the experience of being in a desperate situation. Think back to when you believed you were at the end of your rope.

"THE END" is subjective. Everyone sees their situation differently. What I might consider "the end of my rope" is not necessarily what you would see as "the end". Pain, emotional or physical pain is perceived differently by every person on this earth. That is what makes us all different. I know of children who have been abandoned by both of their parents, either by death or choice. Yet those children are able to continue on with their life.
At one point in my life I was sure that life as I knew it, was coming to an end. My grandmother told me, "When you think you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot at the end and hang on a little tighter."

At the time I thought she had no idea how simple that sounded. Today, years later, I appreciate just how good her advice was. I've tied that knot at the end of my rope several times. Sometimes I've actually tied that rope around my wrist so when I got tired of hanging on, the rope would just do the work for me and I could rest and gather my strength to hang on a little longer.

I challenge everyone who reads my blog to think about the people in their life who are your rope. The ones you go to when you need some support. The people who know how to make you feel better when you are desperate. This group knows how to help others when they are at the end of their rope.

More pictures to join this honorable group as soon as I get my Internet working!

Run Will Run!!!!!!

This story was taken from Cay Compass
This is Will>>>>>>>>
He can RUN!>>>>>>
Here is a story about my friend Will...


When the Cayman Islands Marathon comes round, many charities will benefit from the good nature of runners raising money for good causes.

All proceeds from the Cayman Islands Marathon, which takes place on Sunday 7 December, will benefit the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps and the Cancer Society.
Race organisers are encouraging runners to consider running for these or any other charities of their choice.
“Running in aid of a charity is a great way to motivate yourself and push forward when the training becomes tedious or difficult,” says Rhonda Kelly, Race Director for the Cayman Islands Marathon.
The fact that your completion of the race will benefit people in need is always a great incentive.”
Runners can log on to the CaymanIslandsMarathon.com website and make a donation to one of the charities already listed or they can contact the organisers to have a charity added to the list.
Then the runner can send an email to friends and loved ones to let them know about his/her intention to run and donations can then be made in the runner’s name to that organisation.
Running for charity is very common and last year a few of the Cayman Marathon participants raised funds for local organizations.
Most notable was Jim Fraser who ran the marathon in aid of the Lighthouse School, raising over $40,000 to be used for building a multi–sensory nature garden for the students, and assisting with the construction of a hydrotherapy pool and Erin Lynch, who ran her very first marathon and raised $2,600 for the Cayman Islands Humane Society’s Spay and Neuter programme.
This year, the race organisers are looking forward to meeting a young man who is coming from Haiti to run his very first marathon for a very special cause.
Will Perez, 22, is a recent graduate from Brown University who has deferred his first year of medical school to be the new Director of Public Health in Southern Haiti.

“My position is unpaid and though I use several grants to fund the work I’m doing, I’m in need of extra funds after the three hurricanes destroyed everything I’d been working towards,” explains Perez.

“I decided to run the Cayman Islands Marathon as a fundraiser and in dedication to the 650 children at the Pwoje Espwa orphanage where I work.”

Perez says his training programme has been quite rigorous due to the weather conditions and the conditions of the roads that he has to run on.

He has also been training one of the older boys, Fritzner, from the orphanage who he hopes will be able to come to Cayman to run with him.
“He’’s very excited. At 22, he has been living in the orphanage since he was 13. This marathon has become both his and my goal, and so we’re counting down the days until we arrive in the Cayman Islands.”

Because Perez’s funds are very limited, he has found a family in Cayman who has agreed to let him stay at their home when he comes for the race and he has started a blog at http://runningforhaiti.blogspot.com/ to keep his friends, family and supporters informed of his progress.

His blog also contains information on how people can donate to his cause.
“Will’s story is an inspiring one and we look forward to welcoming him and Fritzner to Cayman and helping them achieve their goals for the orphanage,” says Kelly.

What might have been.

Edited on January 15, 2009
Every life is valuable. I am sad for the loss of Mr. Hedi Annabi. I will morn for the possibility of change he could have brought to Haiti. My heart and prayers go out to his family and friends.

The chief of the United Nations stabilization mission to Haiti, Hédi Annabi, was reported killed in the collapse of the U.N. building in Port-au-Prince.

Mr. Annabi, a 65-year-old career diplomat from Tunisia, was one of up to 100 people reported missing in the collapse, according to the United Nations. Haiti’s president, Rene Preval, told journalists in Port-au-Prince that Mr. Annabi had died when the five-story Christopher Hotel, which housed the U.N. offices, collapsed. Mr. Annabi was meeting a Chinese police delegation at the time of the earthquake, according to reports.
On Jan. 7, Mr. Annabi had pledged that the United Nations would assume responsibility for logistics and security for a pair of upcoming Haitian elections. The first, for the country’s legislature, was scheduled to occur on Feb. 28.
“Success would allow the country to enter a virtuous circle where stability and development are mutually reinforcing,” Mr. Annabi said.
“Haiti is today at a turning point in its history,” Mr. Annabi said on Jan. 7. “We saw the hope of a new departure emerge on the horizon in 2009. It is now up to the Haitians, and only the Haitians, to transform this hope into reality by working together in the greater interests of their country.”
Mr. Annabi was appointed in 2007 as head of the stabilization mission, which includes 7,800 U.N. peacekeepers. He was previously assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, working on U.N.-brokered political settlements in Cambodia and Africa.
– Stephen Miller



Once more risking the chance of making some of my friends a little mad. As well as hoping that some of my other friends/family might take note of my issues and mention to someone, somewhere that SOMETHING needs changed. I'll think out loud for a moment... This is Hedi Annabi. He is the U.N. Special Representative and the leader of the four-year-old mission in Haiti. Mr. Annabi may be speaking out of both sides of his mouth. May. I repeat may. I will be waiting to see.

One side: President Rene Preval has called on the force for more than two years to provide long-term assistance with "fewer tanks and more tractors." Hedi Annabi believes it's not his mission. He said, "I'm not going to ask for something that will never happen. We try on the margins of the mandate to do what we can, to do simple things for people to meet emergency needs ... but we don't have a development mandate and never will."

But because he wants the UN force in Haiti renewed, he's changed his tune slightly. (On a side note here. I was thinking about this before the contract was renewed on October 16th)

The other side: He believes a large-scale reforestation combined with an alternative energy plan is necessary. He admits the government of Haiti does not have enough resources (aka MONEY) to help the people of Haiti and "A poor, angry and desperate population is not compatible with security and stability. "

"I realise we are in a difficult environment," he said. However, he said it would not hurt the economies of developed countries to hand over more aid for Haiti.
Is he asking for more money for MINUSTAH? They have a $575 million budget.
Or is he asking for "fewer tanks and more tractors"?
Let's watch and see.

In the durration if you are interested in Alternative sustainable development, environment organizational and leadership training,community micro-credit and animal husbandry
Please visit the Lambi Fund of Haiti

Water seems to always be the topic of conversation!

WATER.

I write so often about water! My grandfather who was born in 1896... Picture above, standing proudly in the Army during WWI, worked as a water driver. He drove water to the front lines during the war. Grandpa Smith knew how important water was. After the war, he homesteaded property in the Midwest. I was just a child and remember him telling about "witching water". He believed he was a dowser and many of the people within 3 counties called upon his services to locate water on their property. On his little 20 acres he drilled a well, the deepest well in the county. He would say "this water comes from Mississippi bedrock". Now I don't know if it did or didn't but I still drink from that very same well drilled many years ago. It's good water!

Grandpa was an old man and I found him quite silly many times in my life, particularly when he said, "Mark my words someday you'll be paying to drink water."

Yes indeed grandpa I now pay for my water.

I've written about the lack of water, dirty water, flooding waters and now I write about a lake full of water.

This lake is rising. Rising at an alarming pace. It's not just the most recent rain that has caused this problem. It has been on the rise for a few years. Is there ANYONE out there that can help? Can ANYONE offer some suggestions? The houses below, just a couple of years ago did not have water flowing in their front doors. There is NO WAY to move the houses. Soon the lake will overcome many homes. The homes will be lost.

If you or anyone you know can shed some light on this issue, if you or anyone you know can do something about this issue, please contact me.

If you can't do anything about the water, you can pray. Pray the UN adds this issue to their list of operations before the houses are swallowed up by the lake.

Please contact Sherry or myself if you can offer any help.

For REAL Go Navy!

Just a brief announcement. Today my son joined the Navy!

Go Navy!

Go United States of America!
Go Navy!
Go Capt. Fernandez "Frank" Ponds!
Go men and women of the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)

Captain Ponds stated there are "boots on the ground" in Haiti.
I personally would like to thank the United States government, the United States Navy, Captian Ponds and all of the men and women on the ground.

This is Continuing Promise 2008!
We don't read about the good things very often so I'd just like to point out that men and women from the USS Kearsarge were on the ground in Port au Prince, Morase, Calase, Bainet, Trois Ponts, Grand Saline and Belle Anse and I am sure many others cities, towns and villages.

They were delivering the 1,130 metric tons of relief supplies, including 29,550 gallons of water to devastated communities isolated by damaged roads and bridges.

The areas needing the most immediate assistance have been in support of and prioritized by U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). Medical teams from Kearsarge, including embarked personnel from Canada and the United States Public Health Service, continue to work with other agencies working in the country - including the Center for Disease Control, Doctors Without Borders, the Pan American Health Organization, the United Nations and others - to provide limited medical services.

Air Force engineers and Navy Seabees continue to conduct assessments in some of the more heavily damaged areas where roads, bridges and critical infrastructures were destroyed by heavy rains and flooding from the storms.Kearsarge embarked personnel include service members from the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, along with medical personnel from the U.S. Public Health Service, Canadian Army and Air Force, Brazil, Project Hope and International Aid.

Any U.S. military assistance to a foreign nation must be requested by the host nation through the U.S. ambassador. Then, as the lead federal agent, USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance fields the request and asks the Department of Defense for military assistance, if needed.

Why do I write about such things? Because the people of the world are good and I want to say thank you.

V