It's nice to have a few days off without a whole bunch of stuff on my schedule. I was supposed to be camping but due to my girlfriend Shelley's first grandchild's birth, we postponed our trip. (Welcome to Earth Ares Alexander!)

And congratulations to Steve! He's being considered over the next month as the new pastry chef at Belly's! We celebrated over dinner at you guessed it---Belly's!

So, yeah, I've been looking forward to a sort of renewal for these particular days off. I've felt scattered and haven't accomplished much lately. Physically I feel like i'm dragging regardless of doing my hikes or other exercise. I need to get my glasses fixed. The house and yard take daily attention. Now i'm whining. It always seems there is so much piddley stuff to do, that i have difficulty tackling the bigger things that are really important also. What I am talking about here is organizing slides for a presentation at North Branch School and doing a six hour on-line pain seminar. Finding board members and thinking about the future of our non-profit. Taking better care of my things. Is it because i just need more time or is it a question of my commitment? Does it matter? Or is it just what one chooses to make their day about?

So, anyway, nothing was really scheduled as i was supposed to be away. Given the above, it's feeling just perfect to have this time for me and my priorities! and with just yesterday and today, i already feel better focusing on what's been dangling incomplete. Better yet i've had an "aha" moment or two, when i realize, ah...that's what been missing---that feeling of completing something a bit beyond my usual activities of daily living. so its six glorious days of focusing on other important things beside my paid work, or keeping up with the housework or yardwork. (except for picking our bounty, that is!) admittedly i did waste some time right in front of my computer updating my facebook page. Yikes, what's up with that? i joined to see photos and now i have entered my life on my wall! I wonder what folks out of my past will be brought to my attention by way of facebooks' mysterious workings? hmm.

More importantly the plan for these next few days is to work on our non-profit and to think about all we would like to include in our work in preparation for the meeting with David next week. he advised to aim high. we'll be writing the bylaws so to present at the first board meeting which is not yet scheduled. Elayne and hopefully Ellen (will) have stepped up to the plate as far as folks committed to being on our board. we could also begin with Steve and I, and may end up doing just that. Regardless, we're still looking for good folks interested in being on our board.

I have written a few folks in Peru to maintain our connections there. Carlos has been working on a blanket project in the highlands. He's found a village that would want to do a stove project. the question next is to find out where this place is and what materials they have to work with. We've written to Jorge to ask him a favor and call the phone at the Victoria's store to see where are the reports she was to have mailed us. She had told me she had trouble catching folks home, but now two reports have been delayed. I also wrote Hermana Nelly about another matter as well as keeping her eyes open for villages suitable for the types of projects we do.

now its time to write that little presentation for North Branch School i mentioned about the villages and people we work with in Peru, including a little Quechua lesson. we want to include a folk tale but geez, those quechua folks can a perverse sense of humor and we need to select a story suitable for kids!