Christmas Eve service at the chapel
It’s the day after Christmas, and we’re sporting fresh mosquito bites. How different from what I’m used to. At the moment, MonkeyWrench is off with “Gramma” Edie watching an impromptu soccer tournament, while Picklebee is taking her afternoon nap, despite a drummer practicing in a neighboring building and boys setting off fireworks.
Last night’s candlelit procession to mass was beautiful, even with the light rain. The chapel where mass was held is built against a hillside, and has a roof overhead to keep out the rain, but has open sides. Mass lasted from about 6 to 8 PM, and seemed to follow a fairly traditional Catholic mass. I’m not sure how many acolytes have grey converses peeking out from under their robes like one did, though. Father Reynaldo gave a sermon about setting aside the busy, fast-paced, and hectic nature of our daily lives, and remembering the true spirit of Christmas. While that message does resonate with me, I wondered how hectic the student’s lives here truly are. Perhaps for all of us, time just seems to go by so quickly, I don’t know.
Picklebee chowing down on her beans for dinner
In the front of the audience were elderly “orphans” from Casa Eva, who have no family to take care of them in their old age. The boys sit on one side of the aisle, and the girls on the other. Visitors like us sit in the way back behind the kids. MonkeyWrench had been taken off again by a group of girls, so she was sitting up front. A fellow with a guitar played the music for the hymns and carols, while a small choir helped the rest of us follow along in the singing. When the time came, those old enough to take communion got in line for that, while the little ones went over to a nun to be blessed. The chapel was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and everyone seemed in good spirits for the holiday.
After mass everyone went back to their houses, and we had a late dinner of beans, 2 squares of cheese, and half a cooked banana. As expected, Picklebee ate all her beans. We all went to bed a bit late, so morning seemed to arrive too early. But the guys have big plans today, so we got up, ate our breakfast of rice and beans, accompanied with a sweetened milk, and waited to hear if the Rancho had approved the bridge projects the guys wanted to start. While we waited, we washed a bit more laundry, and swept and mopped the floor of the guest house kitchen.
MonkeyWrench washing her shirt
The laundry girls
Picklebee sweeping
Approval from the Rancho came through, so we headed over to the project the guys have picked out, repairing a bridge over to Casa Pasionista. I think this house is not run by the Rancho, but is an independent hospice house. A dying parent with children will often try to come there so they know that their kids will be taken care when they pass away. This also allows the children to assimilate a bit more gradually into life at the Rancho.
Demolition begins
Lucas pulling nails
The bridge is in a pretty bad state, with many boards about to come loose, and the center section tipping precariously. The railing is missing on one side, so an enterprising person strung a long string between the trees on opposing banks of the stream along that side to help keep folks from falling over the edge in the dark. DaddyFrog, GrandpaFrog, Carl, Betsy, and their two boys, along with Dale, a volunteer here from Minnesota, all started in on the task this morning. A couple of the Rancho boys and a fellow with a machete (clearing brush by the bridge) also helped out. Most of the work today involved removing the current railings and starting to take out nails from the boards on the floor of the bridge. I helped out a bit taking nails out of removed railing boards, and MonkeyWrench and Picklebee acted as “nailgrabbers,” taking the nails and putting them in a big jar. These nails will be taken to the metal recycling plant and reused, and depending on their state, the boards will either be re-used or be fodder for a future holiday bonfire.
The "nailgrabbers"
The fellow with the machete found a turtle that he brought up to show the girls, which was a real treat. Picklebee is also quite fond of tortugas. Come to think of it, Picklebee is fond of just about any animal. Depending on whether the long pieces of wood that are needed to construct the center span have arrived, the bridge repair team are currently either constructing that new section of the bridge, or trying to make it safe enough that no one will fall off it in the dark tonight.
The girls and the turtle
Now that Christmas is over, the schedule is returning a bit more to normal, although those kids that do have some extended family went off to visit them today for a week.
Girls running down the El Rancho farm road
The kids still here will have fun “holiday” classes, and the new school year starts in January. Hard to believe that 2012 is coming soon!
