I Said Betty..not Barney!

If you ask me what character from the Flintstones that I most identify with, I would have said -Betty! If you could see me now, you would think that I must had said Barney. I first noticed the change when I took the picture of my dirty feet...I thought that my toes were looking a little fat. I know that I didnt get the fine, small baby hands and feet that my sisters got..( I have had a demand for clarification- I am not saying that my sisters do not have ankles...simply that at one point, I did!) .but at least I had ankles!

As the days have gone by, the transformation has become more and more obvious. Definitely Barney feet. Heather who is a couple of months away from producing my second grandchild and I, have joked that I must be getting her pregnancy symptoms...her ankles are still normal...not quite Betty like, but certainly not Barney's! As you can see by the picture on the left..her ankles are in tact.













Not so with the Barney Rubble foot on the right! And btw...that is not dirty tiles..that is the colour. :-)

Although my medical expertise is extensive...including but not limited to urology, genecolgy, oncology, pediatrics (but not the new fangled kind!) and psychiatry..the onset of "cankles" (credit to Dr. Brotherston for the terminology) is not something that I was familiar with.

So...back to school I went. After exhaustive research...ok ... a couple of clicks on the internet I found....

Common Causes

Foot, leg, and ankle swelling is common with the following situations:

• Prolonged standing- Nope
  
• Long airplane flights or automobile rides- Not applicable
  
• Menstrual periods (for some women)- Not applicable
  
• Pregnancy -- excessive swelling may be a sign of pre-eclampsia, a serious condition sometimes called toxemia, that includes high blood pressure and swelling- Definitely not
  
• Being overweight- Maybe..but not 10 lbs worth
  
• Increased age- You cant possibly mean me!!!!!!
  

The clue was found in the sentence about preventing this in the future-- Avoid sitting or standing without moving for prolonged periods of time. Ding, ding, ding!!!

Who knew that sitting at this computer writing a blog could be dangerous to my health??

And the cure.. lie down with your legs higher than your heart! Pretty tame recovery, as far as recoveries go!


So, where's my book? ...I am going to bed now and start working on turning these babies back into Bettys!

Just because you own a camera...

Kirsty and Lee have gone with a sort of monkey/jungle theme in their nursery. So, instead of the usual baby decor (its Kirsty after all!) my daughter and I came up with the idea of decorating the walls of Bob's (Brotherston on Board) room with pictures of animals from St. Kitts. Somewhere during that conversation, I became a photographer!!!

Now, I should have known from my athletic abilities (or lack thereof) that just because you are enthusiastic about something doesnt mean that you are good at it. I may have once thought that I was Johnny Bower in my mind; I might still be able to play goal in Adam's mind and I might even be a photographer in Kirsty's mind- unfortunately I dont think that it makes me one. You would think that having obtained a medical degree by osmosis and successfully practicing it all these years would have satisfied me!..:-) But I am trying and the journey is allowing me to see some amazing things that I look very forward to telling BoB about some day. So here is my mini update.

I actually like this picture and I hope that it prints well. So far the goats have been the most accommodating. There was one goat with a gigantic "set" that the "boys" were paying homage to and I was being urged to photograph that one, but Kirsty and I had agreed that we didnt want this project to scar or scare poor BoB so I went with one that had a less impressive "pair!" lol



The next picture I attempted was the monkey. Up until about a month ago there was a tree just to the west of our unit and our balcony had become a "Flavorite" place for the monkeys to hang out.... but the tree has been cut down and we have moved in, so they have taken shelter in a tree that is about 20 more feet away, making it much harder to get a picture. I do love the fact that I get to see the monkeys but I am even happier that they much prefer to hang out at Scott and Heather's- Animal Drop In Center (and it is..btw! lol) because they confuse the term "drop in" with "droppings!"

Saturday morning I was sitting right where I am sitting now and I could hear a crunching noise outside..harder than a bird or lizard or any other small critter that has become part of my universe, but definitely not as heavy as a human. I went outside to investigate and saw about 10 monkeys playing in the "jungle" next to us. Of course as soon as I ran to get the camera, the word spread and they all took position in some sort of foliage. The only chance they gave me was to run from one tree, across an open space, to another tree. I am considering that this one is still a work in progress.....




Then on Sunday, I had one of the most exciting experiences that I have ever had in St. Kitts- something that I have only seen on tv. While we were at Cockleshell Bay (where Turtle Beach moved to, now called Reggae Beach), a nest of sea turtles hatched from a hole in the sand right behind us and there was a march of at least 100 turtles straight into the ocean about 20 feet away. It was the most amazing thing...not a single one went the wrong way... each one instinctively knew where they were supposed to go. A real life National Geographic show. Ok...maybe watching turtles is not exciting..perhaps fascinating was the word I was looking for-lol!



I love the next picture but I don't want BoB to be afraid of Shrek's hand in the picture before he/she even knows who Shrek is! I am hoping that when he/she finds out that it is only Calleigh's daddy showing him/her one of the baby turtles we saw that day, it will be a picture that brings joy and curiosity at the same time. Besides, the colours in Uncle Scott's shorts will brighten up the room!


So you see.. I am working on it. Next up is the donkey, the cow and the hopefully a lizard- so far only Wood Slaves have been coming around and they are too gray for the decor! Maybe by that time I will have improved on the animals that actually move and we can revisit the monkey and the one that I am dreading for its speed but a visit to Shipwreck should cure...the mongoose!

Who knows...maybe by the time BoB gets a brother or a sister, I could be a painter!

Why I could never be a porn star in St. Kitts

No matter how many pair of shoes and boots I may own everybody knows that I am a total barefoot girl at heart and St. Kitts is providing that perfect opportunity to let my feet be free.

Everybody also knows that at different times in my life I have had a cleaning lady. I was thinking that strangely enough, it has always been when I had the most free time....except this time. This time I am going it alone...a hardship, I know! lol Well at least that is the plan. Every time I go to the store I purchase another cleaning product- some for upstairs and some for downstairs- some for the kitchen and some for the bathrooms- some that smell good and some that are supposed to actually clean. The only problem seems to be the user.

Ever since the first flurry of cleaning, I have looked at the products everyday but I cant seem to pick them up. Meanwhile, the windows and doors are open wide and the breeze is blowing in who knows what. Dont worry, my kitchen is still clean and my toilets still sparkle but the floors are in dire need of sweeping and mopping.

I promise myself rewards if I complete a task..none yet. The neat freak in me is screaming...its only taken me 4 days to learn to ignore the voice. My husband has taken to wearing sandals with everything... including only underwear! I tell myself that I need to get back into practice so that I can go to England and tend Kirsty and Lee's house while they get acquainted with BoB when he/she arrives- I still have a month...I hope.

So, as soon as I finish this post, I am going to town and purchase a dust mop ...maybe that is what I need to motivate me. In the meantime...no directors are calling.... because who has ever seen a porn star with dirty feet??




Besides...look at the competition-No shame!

Update and Comment Response

We have hot water and it is a beautiful thing- I used an entire tank taking a shower this morning!

Re: Lime Squash.. I think that it is meant to be a just a memory that we will always share. I ordered one, the day after we arrived here and the waitress looked at me like I was speaking another language. I described it in every way I could and Scott even jumped in to try and translate but in the end I had to settle for ginger ale. Yesterday we were at Ballahoo and I ordered one... and they actually knew what it was... it arrived...full of sucralose! blahhhhhhhhhhh. I couldnt even drink it... so unless we get a Ms Herbert to make it from scratch... in the past it will stay. BTW..I think you are a little confused...Wilma!

Re: Carnival... Not this year Kirsty and yes there was a part of me that wanted to but not even last lap. Next year we can take Bob and you can dance your heart out before he/she is old enough to know what his/her mother is doing!lol

Re: Decorating.. Yes it will take time and yes you are right... the outside is really where it is at!
How can you not lose your heart to a view like this????

Let's Go Shopping!

If you look at what people coming to the Caribbean bring with them on an airplane you would think that there is absolutely nothing to buy down here. That is not true...you just have to be a creative and use your imagination...the locals do, why shouldnt I?

I have a little pad of post it notes that I wrote a "need for the house" list on 3 days ago. Every morning I cross off the stuff that we have got and make out the new list with what is remaining. The first 2 days were a little slow for crossing things off but today was a good day! A trip to the new TDC (Trading Development Co.) proved to be a "gold mine" both for the list and for this blog-lol

First a visit to the bath section for some hand towels. My immediate thought was -wow!- they have a huge selection... until I realized that they had stacked the same towels in 4 different sections to make the shelf seem fuller! See.. creativity and besides, the lack of choice makes the decision making process so much easier. I was not so lucky with the throw rugs I was looking for but this is St. Kitts and you have to know that it is going to take more than 3 stores to find everything you need.

Next I needed a couple of Pyrex type dishes for baking in....as you can see, it is not so easy to "fill" the shelves with stuff that you dont actually have, in the cookery department. Nonetheless, I still got what I needed... if not necessarily exactly what I wanted.




BTW... If you bought an inexpensive wig for a black person...would it be made from?......



The only things still on the post it note for another day are the aforementioned throw rugs, a shelf for the bathroom so I too can get to use the main bathroom, a dresser for my folded clothes...right now.. panties, bras, bathing suits and nighties are all thrown into one small shelf, you know that I have to close my eyes when I am choosing something- way to disorganized for me, some pictures hooks which are proving to be elusive and a plastic soap dish which I am hoping that a trip to Kassab's will produce. Before leaving TDC we came across a shelf that made Randy comment..my God that stereo has to be from the 80's! I said, look closer to what it says on the shelf....



Ok..nevermind the 80's stereos..who the heck brings their toilet in to be repaired and what do they use in the meantime???



Now that we have established that with a little leg work and some compromise, almost anything can be had in the house department, can the same be said for food? My previous experience had taught me that you really dont have to do without much if you were willing to give up quality, not be concerned with "best before" dates and be in the right place at the right time when things like vegetables came in off a boat.

Historically, Thursdays were always the day that produce arrived.. yesterday afternoon I wondered, was it still the same? You bet!...20 years and it was still Thursdays- only now it wasnt just a couple of expats along Mrs. A and Auntie Gwennie that I was fighting over broccoli with...its an entire cast of vet students and off shore medical school students, armed with calculators to see if whatever they are interested in, fits into their budget. The stuff was flying out of the cartons before it even hit the shelves. You would have been so proud... I dove in there..elbows out..like I had never left. Never has anyone been so proud of scoring some celery as I was!

Besides produce and meat, which we will get to...almost everything else in the world can be had in some form or another. In fact, I have to admit that because a lot of the dry goods come from the U.S., there is probably (ok not probably..there is) stuff here that Canada doesnt even have from Oreos in every conceivable flavour and Indian breads in every shape and form to canned meats (pass! but where were they when Scott lived on Vienna sausages??) and Brianna's salad dressings sold in Bruno's in T.O. for more money than they sell it here...whats with that???


My favourite or should I say "flavourite" are the house brand names. In Canada they have the unimaginative "Equality" or "White Brand" or "No Name" here they have "Flavorite." And the canola/vegetable oil is a "blended delight!" Not satisfied with simply being "Glad" their baggies and saran wrap are "Awesome!" You have to love the confidence.

Ok..so far, so good... now comes the hard part...the meat. I dont know exactly why this is, but there has always been a problem getting good quality chicken or meat in St. Kitts. I used to go to the government supply place and buy my meat there and although it had been aged a full 24 hours, it wasnt soooo bad. Although I have seen the Cemaco building, I dont know if they still sell meat so it was the super market or ....the super market.

The first problem I had was that Mr. Quality Assurance was with me. Anything that was slightly defrosted, looked like it had been defrosted or originated from a country that might have had bird flu got a nose up look. After a minor temper tantrum on my part because I knew that a vegetarian diet was fast becoming a reality...I slipped a couple of Bratwurst sausages and a couple of "angus eye of round" steaks (notice that I didnt say..certified angus lol) that didnt have too much freezer burn into the cart and that will have to do until I find out where the beef is! They have been marinating all afternoon and after a few cocktails at Shiggety Shack tonight, none of these high falutin guys will notice anyway.

Can you ever go "home?" But then again, do you ever really leave it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJt86UqHtX8

2007 seems to be my year for "homecomings". There are some firsts in everyones life that are permanently etched in the memory. Your first day at school, your first love, the birth of a child....well, I will always remember the first time I flew into St. Kitts. A sense of peace enveloped my soul and I fell in love with an island. But over the years we have had a rocky relationship... a best of times/worst of times scenario- She can be heaven or she can be hell. Yesterday, St. Kitts was at her very best. The sun was shining, the gentle breezes were blowing and the ocean was as luring as a teenage boy with promises of "forever".

2008 started how 2007 ended- me with a mop in my hand but after a very quick COLD shower things picked up. New Years day lunch at Scott and Heather's was very tasty and the pumpkin pie was to die for. Next up was an afternoon at the beach.

Now I know that Kirsty is reading this and questioning the choice of beach over carnival, but for some reason, other than the obvious, it just seemed right. St. Kitts and I have both changed over the past 20 years but I am not ready to totally trust just yet. To jump into the spirit of something as demanding as carnival was too daunting a task...a sort of, let me ease into the waters at my own pace, type thing. I know that to truly appreciate St. Kitts you have to put both feet into the water, not the one foot here and one foot there that Scott and Heather are trying but it does take time. What ever works for you.

In St. Kitts, love affairs are fleeting. Certain restaurants are in favour, then they are out. Its the same with beaches and the seemingly new phenomenon..the accompanying beach bar. BTW Dont people know that for absolutely years, St. Kitts managed with just the Monkey Bar and Anchorage? Is this really progress? Anyway, yesterday with everyone in town, we could have had our choice of any beach but Friars Bay it was. It was a calming, refreshing, relaxing and peaceful experience. The break I needed from the disorganized stress.

Following the delicious late afternoon nap ritual we went to the Caribe Cafe for ice caps... a deference to the North American life style I could quickly learn to forgive...if not for the calories that will quickly mount up. I will justify it by saying that it is a local couple who have returned to St. Kitts and found a niche that needed to be filled. Besides, Angele endured many a bumpy ride to school through the cane fields with the crazy white woman driving the tip prone, open air Suzuki. As Scott says..."we were the only children that arrived at school already dirty"! So to patronize their effort is only fair and besides the stairs in this place are built such that you are doing lunges every time you go up and down. My calves and thighs will be like a German swimmers before I am through and so hopefully the waist line follows suit.

Speaking of driving... we stopped at the fire station on the way so that I could get my drivers license. Tell me, where else in the world can you walk into a place at 7 o'clock at night on New Years Day and get a drivers license?? Love it!

A curry chicken wrap and 2 frappaccinos (there is no suggestion in spell check for that word..lol) later we walked around the city center and looked at the remaining carnival stragglers still dancing up a storm, eight hours later. Scott was itching to join in but the slightly terrified look on Heather's face and some sort of sense of responsibility quickly put an end to that idea. It was a nice end to a day that started a New Year. I think my heart is starting to melt but then the power went out 3 times during the night and my security guard wont let me leave the door open all night to get the breeze. Like I said, It can be heaven or it can be hell.

Happy New Year everyone. Above all else, I know that I am lucky enough to have the most amazing family and I love you all more than words can say!

Where are those twist ties?

As I said to Kirsty, whose blogging skills have kept us in stitches for years...this is a lot harder than it looks. Todays mind cant stay focused.


I have come to the conclusion that there can be no job in the world worse than being a mover. To have to move someone every single working day must be pure hell. You know that if I woke up one day and God said.."your new job is a moving person"...there would be much stomping of feet, crossing of arms, dino'ing to nth degree and just plain refusal to abide. Well, second worse to being a moving man, is to actually be the person who has moved. Anybody who knows me, knows that I have to be organized or I get crazy, not to mention bitchy. And I want that perfect order....yesterday!

Although, all along I have refused to use the term "moving", the fact is... I am living here and therefore, however temporary, I have "moved." The condo we are in has the potential to be very nice. It does have its quirks..... but overall those just makes me think of its original owner and smile. Well, except for the pedestal sinks...a word to the wise...no matter how cheap they are on sale..never put pedestal sinks in anything other than a powder room.

In North America when a developer builds new homes they get a name... if Scott and Heather's is "The Oakville" ours seems to be " Animal House" Heather walked in the other night while the stereo was blaring with the TV on, and pronounced my new style as 80's ghetto dorm! I prefer to think of it as "minimalist." While they were loading a container with every amenity known to man, my head was somewhere else and I threw a few things into 6 boxes. For example, I have a barbeque set courtesy of the Toronto Maple Leafs but no barbeque. I packed 2, count them 2, plastic pitchers but only 2 towels. I have a printer but no paper and if Sue T.B. finds herself in St. Kitts this May, I have lots of 40th birthday napkins! Well, you get the picture!













The "Oakville" with its warm living room. "Animal House" with its minimalist charm.













Ok.. its hard to tell the difference in kitchens from these pictures, but you will just have to believe me.

An appetizing dining room. or........ Golf balls, anyone?













Ok..now you can see where I live, where was I going with all of this? Oh ya...The night we left Toronto I was in a panic about getting a magnifying mirror. BTW how can anyone say that there is no God when something there is something as miraculous as the fact that women start losing their eyesight just about the time that wrinkles start appearing? You can explain away a lot with the evolution theory but really...how do it do ?

Anyway, after taking a shower the other morning I promptly dried myself with one of the aforementioned new towels, went about getting dressed and looked into the miror in the bathroom. Now I cant see 2 feet in front of me but I could see that there was something resembling little black hairs randomly sticking out of my face. Scott told me that hair grows at a rapid pace down here but holy shit! The problem was that even with the glasses on I couldnt see exactly what the problem was but I knew that the 10x life mirror and some tweezers were definitely in order. But where the hell were they??? Like my packing technique, this place has great closets but no dressers. There must have been a sale on bed side tables though..they are everywhere. In my rush to get organized I had made myself more disorganized and time was at the essence..the fur could be multiplying! Where had I seen that...whats more, where had I put it??? About half an hour and much cursing later, the mirror was located and ... I looked and no...not fur....little flecks of navy terry cloth from the towel and I started to laugh. Its moving, its disorganized, its stressful but it wasnt fur and its not the end of the world.

Besides, I can just walk across the bedroom, open the door and look at the view. It puts so much into perspective.