Going through the motions of moving here. the motor home is almost ready, just need to get propane, figure out how the water works and get it parked next to the patio. i have started moving what will be like my office into the house. still needed is to rent a small storage space as i anticipate not quite everything will be with me. i am hoping to find a place near River Road so that once i'm moved i am biking distance from all i need, ie., Steve, groceries and storage. i will be commuting to work however but am hoping biking the rest of the time will save some expense. yup, it's one step at a time and i have more than one list going at this point! i was going for a walk at the park, had one of those OMGWAID (oh my god, what am i doing) moments and thankfully remembered other times like these where i briefly forgot what's been my experience of the power of intention and blind faith. so i took a deep breath and it helped! as almost always all of this has arisen out of the desire to save money for now the upcoming 2008 peru project, not to mention for myself for later. there is yet still a small chance we can work out the details attaching ourselves to Ken's group, Aid Latin America, but it won't be known until after July 21st when Ken returns from Uganda. regardless, doing this will mean i'll have the money necessary! and Beau, the owner of the motor home and house, and my ex-first-husband, could use some help with his yard and for him to have some company will be a good thing. i'll be closer to Steve's and all the summertime action of Eugene so here goes...

Well, going through stuff here in preparation for yet another move. i've sorted out the garage, made a pile that'll be for a yard sale, made another pile for what will go in storage and yet another for what will go with me to the motor home and spare room. i went through all my clothes and will return what i likely bought at the thrift store in the first place, and some things it seems that i've had forever, i will never wear again and i have carried them around long enough.

what is the touchiest to go through were all the pictures and momentos from the boys, and all my previous lives. those little sweet boys, my family, past loves, husbands, my best of best friends, some of whom i've lost touch with. you see for years i have carried around three big plastic boxes full of this stuff and really never went through it. i just added to it. i got through part of the photo box and just had to stop. good lord i will never know why i saved so many out of focus photos. like for nearly 30 years! so a bunch did get tossed, but like i say i just had to stop.

i found a little something written by the boys tucked away in an envelope. it's addressed in my complete name and sent "special delivery". Josiah writes: "Dear Laurie (Mom), Did you have a good day at work today ? If you want me to read tonight i will, Love, Josiah p.s. write back." Mica writes, "I like you, I love you and you are American!!! Ms Iaccino. Love, Mica R. p.s. don't write back." (so incredibly still the same...)

it seems like time has and is slipping by. and i'm afraid i haven't told the people that mean so much to me that i love them quite enough.

I'll continue our Peru updates here, as yes, i still don't have the new blog in place for "las Vidas Mejoradas" just yet. Alot is going on. Pavela got to Bolivia and was thrilled with her visit to Cedesol. She'll put together our budget soon and send it our way. I'll post our letters in a bit and briefly translate. Yesterday we spent the day with Ken and Larry and a fine group of folks from the Sacramento area learning about stoves. It was a little mini-workshop. It was great to meet everyone from Sacramento who will soon be heading to Guatemala to do a stove project. We'll be in touch as they are interested in doing a similar health survey as we did. Ken and I continue to plug away at the books. It is unclear at what point they (ie., Aid Latin America) will be taking on las Vidas Mejoradas. so, on a personal note, i am moving in a month. It looks like i'll be living in my ex's motor home until we head to Peru. It should all work out. (remind me i said that in a few months...) simply it is the only way for me to save what i need, both for the project and for my needs after. i recently read in the NYT, more and more folks are choosing less conventional living situations and paring down. (so, i feel slightly less crazy about this move!) In this way we'll have the funds regardless of what Ken can do for us so that we can apply for grants. In part it's all because i refuse to live on credit. gas, car issues, health stuff...all of it is kicking in and its time to make a few sacrifices. Steve is dealing with household stuff and straightening out his financial situation too. it makes for a bit of stress for us, and all we can do is take it all one step at a time. the commitment remains firmly in place for our trip, and that's that.

so our latest communication with our friends in Peru:

From Pave on her return to Peru after visiting Cedesol)

Querida amiga:
Recien estoy tranquila en casa, llegue molida, pero muy muy contenta , creo que fue una experiancia especial muy grande, los días pasaron pronto pero fueron fertiles y ds aprendizajes utilisimos. Como veras en las fotos, creo que podemos hacerlo, ayer estaba cotizando algunos materiales para organizar los presupuestos, el señor David y su esposa Ruth son muy ambles y me dejaron cada día ver los pasos para hacer la cocina solar y como se usa y como se debe difundir segun sus criterios y sus grandes expriencias con las personas y poblaciones, los costos son mas o menos de 80 dolares la cocina paqueña en bolivianos , y la cocina de leña es hermosa la voy a copiar para mi casa y para todos ni hablar es perfecta esa cocna cuesta igual a la solar, algunos materiales serán dificiles de conseguir , como planchas de aluminio, madera secada en hornos especiales, los ladrillos del rocket son de alta densidad para resistir el calor, y otroe detalles en los que puse mucha atención, nuestro modelo debemos hacerlo ya, para ie probando su eficacia, costo y duración, tema en los cuales tenemos que trabajar ya por eso hara una para ver qur pasa,poe lo demás si me dio miedo quedarme más por los problemas de ese pais que lamentablemente esta caminando hacia errores que el tiempo juzgará, esta en plena división, esos dóas empezaba ese proceso tengo entedido, por lo damás cochabamba es muy bella y caliente, los amigos muy buenos, el lunes que estaba llegando a una niña de mi escuela la atropello un auto y murio asi que si no estoy presente para el martes ubiera sido complicado para mi en el trabajo. Pero he aprendido bastante y te pregunto si escribo al mail de cedesol podre saber algo más con David?.
Bueno amiga estamos mas adelante sobre este importante proyecto de vidas mejoradas que hemos iniciado con la ayuda de Dios para muchas personas necesitadas y se que es muy bello y más enamorada me encuentro del tema gracias ati y tu enorme esfuerzo por mandarme, te quiero mucho con amor para los dos Pavela.

and a translation:

Hi dear friend,

I'm back home, tranquil, spent from out journey, but very happy. It was a great experience, the days went fast, and we learned so much, all that we'll use. As you can see in the photos,(ie., models of the various stoves they are manufacturing in Cochabamba) we can make these and i am looking at costs/ coming up with a budget. Ruth, David's wife and he were very kind and went through all the steps in making the solar stove, and how to use it. They have vast experience bringing this to people and populations. The cost is about 80 USD. They have a beautiful wood cooking stove., i'd love to have one in my house. It's perfect but many materials would be hard to come by, like the plancha (top metal plate), perfectly dried wood from a special oven, the lightweight bricks for the combustion chamber that resist the heat, and other details that one could put more attention on. And our model, we should evaluate more, it's cost, efficiency, and potential lifetime. its in these areas we need to work. and more so, in this country of mine, it gives me fear (i think she's making a comparison between Bolivia and Peru here) and goes on saying its lamentable the mistakes that have been made (ie., governmental.). Time will judge. She continues with how good they all are in Cochabamba, how beautiful and warm (i'm thinking this is in regards to solar cooking!) She arrived home to learn of an accident involving one of her students who died...it had happened on Monday and she returned to work on Tuesday. She asks i write to David. She ends with declaring we are moving forward with our beatiful project of Vidas Mejoradas and with the help of God we will help many people who need this. the more i learn the more i love this work and i thank you for your force, (ie., help) in getting us to Bolivia. She loves us both!

and my response to her:

Hola amiguita,

que bien que leer de tu experiencia en bolivia. muy bien! estoy alegre que ayudarte que ir, y sabes esto es porque estoy muy muy seriosa que trabajar mas en esta tema contigo en nuestras peru y en nuestras proyectos por muchos an~os que avenir. sabes yo recibi en el postal un guia del telefonos del cusco (un regalito de mi amigo carlos en ollantaytambo!) entonces en este librito hay personas que hacer los ladrillos! aqui las direcciones:1.)Ladrillera Piramide Cusco, Urb la cantura Mz g Lt 1, San Geronimo 2734532.)Ladrillos Mecanizados Inka SAC, Av Infanica 532, Wanchaq 222127, 99419713.) Ladrillos Muralla S.R.L. Urb. la Cantuta F-12 oficina, y planta400 Mt de Urb Villael Sol, San Geronimo, 272770, y cel 9630048 OK. mi idea es este: tu puedes ir que hablar con ellos si ellos hacen un ladrillo de menos en peso y por fuegos. los recetes por este tipo de ladrillo usan materiales organicos que hacer el ladrillos emos en perso y maximo en resistir el calor. necesitamos que encontrar un ladrillo o una modelo como la forma de un codo del rocket. y por el mas barata! espero tu me entiendes. si la programma esta muy bonita en boliva y quiero en un dia que tener algo similar en cusco! me gusta mucho sus ideas que usar un metodo integretiva, por ejemplo, si una que cocinar en el sol, otro retencion y otro una cocina mejorada si no hay sol o que usar con el retencion. sabes la verdad es nosotros no tenemos el dinero que hacer todo y primero pienso uan cocina mejorada con el codo rocket y de ceramico. no importa si hay partes o solo la forma del codo. pieso que tener ladrillos del un taller que hacer una cuadratico mejor. que piensas amiguita? y si tambien cuando nosotros sabemos mas sobre la cuenta de los ladrillos y si hay ladrillos en un ladrillera de menos en perso por fuegos, despues necesitamos que hacer un presupuesto. quiero que decirte tambien mi plan sobre el grupo esta moviendo muy despacio. pero no importa porque si no hay dinero de este plan yo tengo otro plan que trabajar y ahorrar todo por el proyecto en Usi y tambien que completir las segundos entrevistas en sipascancha y soncco. si, todovia estoy practicando y aprendiendo de los Papas de cocinas aqui y pienso ellos le gustan la idea que visitarnos en cusco por un capacitacion. ok, suficiente por ahora. dejare un mensaje en tu telefono ahorita y asi tu puedes saber de mi mesaje aqui! te quiero mucho,Laurita y Esteban ps. dime la hermana nelly le gusta tu viaje tambien? espero que si y porfavor dile saludos a ella y luz maria

and a translation:

Hi my dear friend,

How great to hear of your experience in Boliva. It makes me happy to help you learn more. Do you know that we're very serious about this work, and working together with you for many years to come in our projects in what is our Peru? Did i tell you i received a telephone book of Cusco and found three places that make bricks in your neighborhood! (the addresses follow.)

My idea is this: you can visit them and see if they make low weight bricks out of a mix of usual material and organic matter. Whether they would make the bricks or a form of an elbow would not matter. Most important is the price! yes, they have a wonderful program in Bolivia and someday we can do something similar in cusco! I like that they teach about an integretive method using solar, retention and better cookstoves. But you know we don't the money for all this right now and i think best to start with an improved cookstove in Usi using an elbow ceramic rocket or a cuadratic shaped one of bricks. Tell me what you think. Once we know more about the cost of this we can come up with our budget. Our plan to work with the group here (ie., Ken's group) is moving slowly, but i'm not worried as i have another plan for saving money so to complete our interviews and exams in Sipscancha and Soncco and for our new project in Usi. We are still spending alot of time with the "papa's" (ie., Ken and Larry!) of rocket stoves and learning more. They are interested in a trip to Peru doing a workshop (with local materials). So, enough for now. I'll call and leave a message on your phone about this message. my best to all. i ask if Hermana Nelly enjoyed learning about the solar stoves, and send my love to hermana luz maria.

and Pave's answer:

Querida amiga:
Estoy muy contenta por tu entusiasmo, yo tambien estoy decidida a continuar por eso esa decision se tiene que seguir trabajando, como sabes no sera facil pero cada vez aprenderamos mas, si a Sor Nelly le fascino la idea de hacer cocinas, la solar la haremos pronto en Quiquijana, gracias por las direcciones ire a cotizar y alistare el presupuesto antes de fin de mes.
Los planes acerca del rocket de ladrillo los comparto tambien y me parece lo mas logico empezar por donde tenemos ya experiencia y con mejora de los matariales, diseñare eñ rocket en ladrillo y vere quien lo hace mejor y economico, la chimenea debe ser rediseñada tambien para poder salir de la casa y facilitar la limpieza, la capacitacion debe ser con una exhibicion previa y luego ver quienes de verdad les gusta esta forma de cocinar muy moderna para que participen debemos tener un pequeño taller el cual haremos en el terreno que tengo de 300 metros detras de la Larapa te acuerdas en San sebastian mucho mas abajo de la casa del los primeros rockets.
Bueno siempre tenemos que lanzarnos la cocina termococtora como yo la llamaba tambien es muy barata y en una canasta, podemos tambien experimentar y alentar a que ellos mismos la fabriquen en la canasta como la de Cedesol.
Bueno siempre hay planes
Sigamos adelante amiga y confiemos en que lo bueno siempre sale adelante yo por mi parte estoy contigo y te espero siempre para poder crecer en este bello trabajo.
Pronto recibiras el presupuesto, etenta amiga.
Un gran abrazo y mucho amor para ti y Estevan-
Pavela

and a translation:
My dear friend,
your enthusiam makes me happy. i too am decided, i will continue with this work. it won't be easy but we will always be learning more. and yes, Hermana Nelly is fascinated with making stoves and they will be making the solar cooker, thanks to the plans received from cedesol. and towards the end of the month i will be sending a budget for our project. in regards to the improved cookstoves, it is best to start with where and what we have. The bricks we can design with the best material available, also considering cost. The chimney we can redesign so it better leaves the house and be cleaned easier. We can do trainings (in building and use of the stoves), sort of like an exhibition and later see who wants to truly have a new stove...on my property (in Larapa) we should make our center for all of this. She asks me if i remember Larapa, below San Sebastian, where we made the first prototypes of rockets (with Eddie 1 and eddie 2...).
And we can still work with the retention cooker, they are cheap to make using a basket, like at Cedesol. good, there are always plans!
Well we will continue to move forward my friend, we'll have confidence in each other, in what is good, always moving forward. i am with you on this and look forward to developing this together, this beautiful work of ours. Soon you'll receive the budget. a big hug and love to both you and steve.

so, yeah. moving forward....