I'm not really sure why I stopped posting for so long or why I decided to start again. I just know that life has a way of moving so fast at times, and I often let myself get swept up in the momentum. Since last we met (a few highlights):
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) surgery. I'm recovering well - sporting some new internal hardware - and hope to be out of a neck brace by February 9.
I have also done a little traveling. I had an opportunity to take a quick weekend trip to Las Vegas and a bit longer trip to Haiti -- two quite disparate places.
Casinos -- pretty, but fake.
Carrefour, Haiti -- very real.
Both trips were like traveling to other worlds, but -- interestingly -- I actually felt more at home in Haiti.
I went with a team from Solid Rock in collaboration with Forward Edge and Grace International. What did we do?
Built one two-room house
Hauled rubble
Painted walls, gates, etc.
Fed a nutritious meal to over 400 children each day
Because I am still recovering from my surgery -- I was primarily on kitchen duty, and I loved building relationships with the wonderful Haitian ladies who do an amazing job feeding the children.
Despite the rubble and poverty, Haiti remains a very beautiful and colorful place:
I couldn't quite finish my Christmas gift to Monica Solorio-Snow (Happy Zombie) as a part of the Sweet Hot Yam Christmas party, so it went to Haiti with me and is photographed here looking out on the ruins of the former Grace Village guest house from the "hospital" where our team stayed. The applique fabric is Monica's line: Happy Mochi Yum Yum and the embroidery design is from Urban Threads.
The needle in the fist doesn't show up as well as I had hoped because of the silver thread, so I may have to try to outline it. I hope this is my first finish of the new year, and I really appreciate Monica's patience.
With wishes, true and kind -- Joan
