Habitat Day at Tim Hortons - Oct 1

Here's a delicious way to help support Habitat for Humanity.

Timothy’s World Coffee will be celebrating the 4^th annual LatteBené Day Oct 1^st 2009. All proceeds from the sale of every LatteBené will be donated to Habitat for Humanity Canada for use with their Global Village Program. Please come out to support your local Timothy’s on LatteBené Day Oct 1^st.

Paid Up and Ready to Go

My daughter is counting down her birthday (43 days), I'm counting down Guatemala (45 days). My vaccines are in order. My passport is up to date. My ticket is booked. My final payment has been made. My Spanish lessons are - well let's just say we're still working on it. Officially, I'm good to go.

Stickers in My House

This is what happens when kids help parents learn a new language! Melanie, my five year old, had far too much fun decorating my house with Spanish word stickers. Now, I can't help but turn on la lampara en mi sala while sitting on mi silla reading un libro.

Spanish lessons

Hola!

It turns out simply having the Spanish tutorial and CD is not enough to become fluent! I re-read the instructions this morning and it suggested reading the book, completing the lessons and listening to the CD. Ohhh, now I get it.

All I can do is try.

Ground Leaches

My friend has done the research and assures me that I don't have to worry about ground leaches where I'll be going.

That makes me happy.

What Makes a House a Home?

“What makes a house a home?”

An interesting question that always helps me put things back into perspective, especially when I become obsessed about the things inside my house instead of focussing on what truly matters. So what does truly matter?

I believe, what’s important is having a space that provides a sense of safety, belonging, freedom, community, permanency and acceptance for me and my family. A space where you can feel safe from the elements whether they be natural or man-made. A space where you belong – even on your worst days. A space where you can let your guard down and just be yourself. A space that’s part of a bigger community that you can become a part of. A space that you know will always be there for you. A space that gives you confidence and a feeling of pride.

That’s what I believe makes a house a home. And, that’s what inspires me to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity here in Winnipeg and soon in Guatemala. What an honour and a privilege to build a house for a family so that they can build a home.

Vaccinations

Travelling to certain countries requires certain safety precautions. In my case, it requires vaccinations. So today, I talked to my Doctor about Hepatitis A & B, tetanus, typhoid, malaria, diarrhea and even yellow fever.

I walked out with a tetanus shot in one arm and the first of three combined Hep A&B shots in the other arm. I also came away with a number to a travel clinic for more information about the current situation and need for preventative treatment for typhoid, malaria and yellow fever in the part of Guatemala that I'll be travelling to.

My doc also mentioned giving me a prescription for a "just in case" antibiotic.

Despite all this, I'm still eager to go.

The Rainy Season

Have I mentioned that November is part of the rainy season in Guatemala? Can you say, drip dry polyester!

Back to School Time

It's back to school time here in Winnipeg. I wonder if it's back to school time in Guatemala. While I'm sure the children and parents share some of the excitement and anxieties of going to school, I suspect the details are different.

Another topic for discussion with the families that I'm so looking forward to meeting.

My Ticket is Booked

I just booked my ticket to Guatemala City. United and Taca airlines take me from Winnipeg to Chicago to Guatemala City. I'll be leaving Winnipeg at 5 pm and arriving in Guatemala at 6 am the next morning. Nothing like getting an early morning start on things! I may not be well rested, but I'll be raring to go.