It’s been months since I have written on this page. I have removed myself from many other pages like “face book” as they take so much of my precious time. Recently I had the chance to see many of you when I was home in Toronto. I just have to choose to be there when summer is in full swing and it is easier to get around.

Lately I seem to be so busy doing a lot of small stuff like raising funds to carry on my art work with children in the village and having siestas. Recently much of my energy has been placed in the Children’s Art Show which came off beautifully on May 14, 2008. It was education week, so our school hosted four other area schools which translated into around three hundred & fifty students. The Winsom Foundation also launched our no litter campaign at our village school spear headed by one of the foundation members. It was great to see her commitment to the program and Foundation. I had the children do paintings about litter and she had posters made using the art work. She also had re-usable garbage bags for vehicles made. The Day started with a representative from Scotia Bank Belize presenting the Winsom Foundation with a check for $5000.00BZ for the Cristo Rey art project. It was a wonderful moment and made the long hot and dusty walk we did the previous year sponsored by Scotia Bank Belize worth it all. The check presentation was followed by the guest speaker William Neal (communications officer for UNICEF) who expounded on the role and importance of art in developing children’s sense of creativity and expression.

The children displayed their paintings which was all famed, as well as Macramé, Tie – Dye, Wooden Tree Sculpture, Nail Sculpture and Wire Sculpture pieces. Out side we set up many different Art Stations where my students demonstrated and taught the children and teachers from the visiting schools. The visitors were amazed with their hands on experience, and that they got to take their creativity / art home. Seeing the smiles on all the faces of the children, both those who were teaching and those being taught, reminded me of one of the reasons I came to this earth, “to look after, support and mentor children.” The whole day was in my view a very positive one and it was nice to see and hear the comments from teachers and students about the day. My payment received in full.

The village had a river festival which included a canoe race on the river, The foundation sponsored a team. It was really nice to feel that village /community spirit, as these events help to bring people together, and really pull together in good times as well as bad. Marlene and I try to go to as many events as possible and attend meetings in the village, although many times there is a language barrier for us as we do not speak Spanish apart from one or two greetings. We are trying, but we also encourage the children to speak English as their exams are written in English and it is an English speaking country.

We are in the heart of dry season here. The last time there was any rain was the beginning of March. Everything is parched and dryer than the Sahara. We planted tomatoes, cabbage peppers and other garden vegetables, which we have to water daily to keep alive, and sometimes we don’t always have water in the village. You never know one day to the next. It really makes you grateful and we take nothing for granted. Another concern is fires when it is this dry. I remind Marlene all the time about having fires at a safe time and in a save place if she has to burn bush. We recently had a bush fire in the village and one house was completely burned to the ground. And thank God it we had water in the village. The houses were wet down by the villagers as the fire truck came in from the nearby town and took water from the river to fight the bush fire. No one was hurt, just the loss of property.

After all this work I need a holiday so we are going to spend a week at the ocean. Two girl friends, Marlene and I are driving to Tulum, Mexico at the invitation of another friend who owns a resort there. Marlene and I are looking forward to this holiday as it has been awhile since we have gotten away or been to the ocean. I am also looking forward to visiting the Pyramids in Tulum as I am getting to understand more and more about the Mayan Civilization. Hope you all are reading widely and much about 2012 and the Prophecies of the Maya, Hopi, Dogon and many other indigenous people.

Life is Beautiful Blessings from Ocean Spirit Fire Temple in Cristo Rey Village surrounded by many, many Pyramids of the Mayan Dynasty of Belize. Winsom