Drawn by a Star

Tonight was another special occasion with two of the village children.  Nerea (9) it seems had never broken an egg. Maria (10) had never used matches. We arranged yesterday to make brownies together this evening. Every stage was done with full attention, and lots of giggles. They weighed their hands, the eggs, the chocolate. While we waited for the brownies to cook we watched their fav music videos and sang along. They poured the sticky mixture in little molds in the shape of rabbits.  15 minutes later: ‘Oh dear,’ said Nerea as she tried to tip hers out, ‘a dead rabbit!’  ‘Oh dear,’ said Maria, ‘another dead rabbit without ears!’  ‘Oh dear’ said Maria, ‘not sure I like the taste!’ ‘Never mind your brother will eat the lot.’ I said.  Then we lit the candles, not sure why, but it seemed like a good idea. They were frightened of the matches, but delighted with the flames, and eager to make wishes when they blew the candles ...

At the end of a radio interview when  69 year old , Jewish, Hungarian born Canadian physician  Gabor Mate was asked ‘ is there more love in your life now?’  he paused. ‘I think there is more space in my heart for love,’  he said quietly.  I think  there is more space in our hearts for love when we pass 60. What we do with that space depends on lots of things. And sometimes that space shuts down ! This morning I was deeply disappointed with our village doctor, again. My heart door slammed shut. There seems to be  a Berlin Wall  wall between us. I cannot communicate with him without judging him, severely.   He speaks to me like I'm a teenager with many serious learning challenges. I see in front of me an  arrogant adolescent with mother issues!  LOL !! I thought I'd stopped judging people !! I'm angry that so many folk in our village seem to suffer, month after  month, year after year. Yes I know the ...

When talking about healing, words often get in the way. Change  is such a mysterious process, isn't it?. Spring arrived in Andalucia  yesterday, and this coincided with my 5th visit to the  faith healer.  Her name is Pura, she's about 62 years old.  She wears a  red crocheted shawl and looks comfortable in her brown soft slippers.   She calls me  'bonica' ( lovely)  and carino ( darling).  She's asked me to paint a portrait of her husband.  Each week I go back  she's forgotten to look out the photographs. He used to be very guapo ( handsome) she  tells me. Can you paint him without too many wrinkles? Healing  and curing are not the same thing.... yesterday, at her house, some real magic happened... impossible to explain with  words...  so I'm using images to explain the awe I feel.  Images speak to the soul...  energy m...

Part 2 of visiting the healer. At  around 5 o'clock this afternoon, a  misty mysterious light filled the valley surrounding our village . My fourteen year old neighbor Angel (pronounced Aangh-hel)  had just asked me if he could put his baby  rabbit  beside my wood stove. He's dying of cold he told me. Of course I replied.  Joni, his cousin, sheepishly stopped firing pellets at my  pink flamingo garden sculpture.  He had temporarily tied it to the almond tree! Aangh-hel disappeared into his dads  chicken  run and came back carrying the tiniest bundle of white fur. It was stone cold. I think it's dead. I put an old towel on top of the newly lighted wood stove, then 10 year old Adrian joined  us in the kitchen. Joni,  having taken the flamingo out of the tree,continued to enjoy firing at anything metal.  He's 17. Then Merche arrived.  She's my cleaning angel, cousin of Aangh-hel, also cousin of Joni.  S...

Yesterday , at 5am, I left my village and drove though the inky darkness with the  full moon beaming over the mountainside.  At 6.30am I arrived at my destination and for the next hour, sitting in my car, I waited and wondered. It was cold. It was still dark. What was going to happen? Shadowy shapes occasionally  moved inside  other cars. Am I imagining this ?  The church clock chimed  raspingly every quarter of an  hour.   My name was written on a piece paper  pinned to  the brown  wooden door of the house behind me: Margarita 1. There were three other names before mine, and  six  after. Every now and then, a vehicle swung round the side of the  church.  Dazzling headlights  momentarily disturbed the stillness  of waiting.  Turning 180 degrees the new arrivals  drew up behind me stopping beside the small ,two storied white house with 101 flowers pots outside.  In threes joined ...

Sometimes we need drastic measures to get things into a new perspective. ... sometimes a good laugh is all that's needed....  ... another Christmas has passed... ... time to start dreaming again... and feeding body and soul with love.... Happy New Year friends. Alczar has been without Internet for a week,  I've been without internet for 3 weeks.  Quite nice!

Thanks to so much good will, generosity and focus, we have collected over 6400€ for  five Christmas  projects  for children in Peru an Bolivia. Little did I know seven years ago - when I first arrived in Chile - I would become a fund raiser. Christmas ... hopes dreams fears surprises... simple complicated religious non religious treats... no treats... joy... aloneness smiles..... hot chocolate in Peru . more hot chocolate in Peru hot chocolate being made in San Pedro prison for the 350 children who live there with their dads.. San Pedro jail La Paz Bolivia... compassion is a verb thanks to so many friends in Spain and around the world... we  can.... bring small Christmas gifts... some fun.... something yummy to eat... this Christmas...  to children who suffer extreme hardships, year round,  in Peru and Bolivia... ...