Dec 24, 2012

Nochebuena Guatemala: We wish you a Merry Christmas 2012




Un bebé descansa en la espalda de su madre en Guatemala


FELIZ NAVIDAD
2012
Aqui/Here



6 comments:

JCF said...

Len, are the furnishings in the front page wallpaper all of your design? Muy bonita!

Leonard said...

Thank you JCF! Yes, I design and paint everything. A local carpenter makes the furniture and one of his sons (13 children) works with me part time (and it paid for his whole schooling and he just, finally, graduated). I have other part-timers who either work elsewhere too or work at night or informally...the room in my Studio and Sala...when not being used for social things it converts with canvas covers on furniture/accessories shoved together as a work space...often, guests will come for lunch or dinner and decide they would like something for their home...thus, it helps my little staff and some of their extra needs (and mine because everything, living, art, entertainment, medical, pet care is financed with a basic S.S. monthly check). It's all informal but I can do commericial and exports too, easily if needed. It's my life in retirement to date...and I love it (mostly). Juan Carlos helps a great deal and keeps care of ALL the pets (dog grooming, fish, birds, turtles) and I have a part time maid who does room cleaning and some cooking (I taught her my recipes and she cooks local food very well). We have quite a good life here at the Foot of the Volcano.

Leonard said...

BTW: Juan Carlos works primarily as a Houseman in various homes and he also house/dog sits when people travel (one must have trustworthy folks around these parts when one travels to insure all is well at home). Juan Carlos is a gardner too and people love him. On Saturdays he goes to English school in the Mornings until midday. Busy, busy, busy and we have wonderful friends who add much to our everyday lives (and they often have big projects like adding libraries to rural communities). Lots of lovely people around here, Americans, other foreigners and Guatemalans too.

Leonard said...

Chepe, our gardner who comes twice a week at night, is also Vice Mayor of this town and performs Civil Weddings/etc in the lovely Palacio Municipal on the Main Square. He's the ¨Night Gardner¨ and after we all have dinner together he works into the night with the lights blazing in the garden, corridors and everywhere in the house where we have plants (he's a wonderful man and he and his wife and kids take care of his 97 year old father, at home, who can't get out of bed anymore but is perfectly lucid). Life around us, does astound us in a small village in Central America. At 12 Midnight last night the Christmas Fireworks went off everywhere and lasted throughout the night--sounded like a war of the worlds but there was music too...lots of Ranchera!

Leonard said...

While I'm telling you about life here in the pueblo I will mention a secret. JC helps old people who have very little (dirt floor sheds to live in with plastic walls and lamina roofs), he loves old people and children and he does it all anonymously...off he goes with bags of badly needed clothes, blankets, food -- regularly. He goes to the poorest of slums for his visits and finances it all with his earnings (as well as helps out his own family in the capitol who are in difficulties most of the time)...JC is a prince and he helps pay the light bill here too.

Unknown said...

To you as well! :-)