Currently eating: GUINEP! Remember them? (I’d take a picture, but they’re just finished…) Season is just starting up and I am very happy about this development.

Made notebooks with the paper ladies at the center today. Water has been out in the community for a few days and things are sloooow. Boston School was cut at ten, and things got very quiet. Made me remember how summer is an even sleepier time of year than usual for Fairy Hill. What? No screaming children scaling the fence and swinging from the almond tree? No basic school babies singing songs and playing in the yard? Just the wind in the trees, chatter with the ladies, and the ever present RJR news on the radio.

I really appreciate relaxed days like today though. We just rounded the one year at site marker last weekend and I think that all of us have been doing a lot of reflecting and thinking about our “accomplishments” during the past year. Peace Corps is very structured around time, and when it’s half over, you really wonder what the first half was all about. Was it worth it? Was it productive? How can you even know? Trying to quantify successes can just get you down, and analyzing your own experience of Peace Corps versus someone else’s can eat away at your confidence when it seems that others are doing more, or better. Not that taking a hard, realistic look at your own projects isn’t important, it is. It’s just difficult to know true impact, or what is lasting about projects or interactions. It’s best not to stress and to just keep on keepin on (easily said…)

SO. Just spending the time with the people I care about here makes for a good day. Even if it means not actively pursuing a project that is new and unique and exciting and will solve everyone’s problems. Because come on, that’s not gonna happen, and friendship is a project too! Ha.

Here are some happenings from the last couple of months.

Cue! Sadly this likkle pickney isn’t in Portland so much anymore, but he was very helpful in all of our wine making efforts. He also REALLY loved the bubbles that come up on my computer as a screen saver.

A while back I had an opportunity to go to Twymans Coffee farm up in the Blue Mountains. Lovely place, cool temperature, DELICIOUS coffee, and surprisingly fast moving clouds passing by.

One of the coffee trees. Difficult business with battering hurricanes coming periodically and a very fickle market.

EFJ Earth day event in Kingston. Lots of school groups were there showcasing the work of their Environmental Clubs. Here is our sweet table decked out with swag. A day of wind, rain, and attack bulletin boards!

First batch of apple wine finish! Delicious with ice, not so delicious without it.

One of my favorite projects recently, though I sadly don’t have any pictures of them, has been working with the Senior Citizens Association. These ladies are some of the most rowdy and enthusiastic Fairy Hill has to offer, as far as I can tell. It has been really nice working with people who are so interested in trying and learning new things! So far we’ve done bead and jewelry making, and hopefully will be starting up with some backyard gardening in the coming months. Yesterday I got to go see some of their annual Cultural Day event in Port Antonio. Each of the groups from Portland had a song, a dance, a bible verse or hallelujah to offer. Very cute and fun to see. Will try to remember to bring my camera to the upcoming Sports Day.