vacate not work

VACATE NOT WORK
i read this review of a blog written by rebecca thorman in
her blog called kontrary
it came across on some news feed i was looking at

when i was on vacation in nicaragua i for some reason
had printed it out and was sitting on the patio overlooking
the ocean in the early morning
it made me think of vacations past and
about many of those of you who went on vacations this year

our cell phones did not work there
we did not watch tv for a week even though the olympics was
going on full blast
the internet connection could be variable
i found i got the best and fastest connection at 4-6 am

of course i dont have to worry about work now since im retired
only whether it rains, the garden, the rainwater system, our next
trip to cross off our bucket list, planning our walk to end alzheimers
events, our habitat for humanity projects and my meals on wheels
folks i deliver meals to once a week

all thats all low keyed and can always wait another week or another
day to do

so yes i enjoyed my vacation
i didnt do what a lot of yall did when on vacation

you might have fought a slow internet connection like i had
to get your work done each day
bet your family got mad at you for slowing them down
come on dad lets go
i got to get this report out to work
its a vacation turn all that stuff off

if you are the boss at work and your sending work from your
vacation what a bad precedent to set for the employees
youve had those bosses right who tell you what to do when
they are suppose to be somewhere to relax

sometimes all that working on vacation isnt worth it in the long run
you need time to unwind and get separated from work and relax
it took me several years of practice to figure that one out
when i did i enjoyed my family and my life better

sometimes you get fresh ideas and can feel inspiration when vacationing
know thats happened to me a lot
you get all that day to day clutter from your mind
it just clogs up your creative side

then when you are laying on your death bed bet you wont wish you had
done all that work on vacation
bet you wished you had just enjoyed the moment and spent more
time with your family

this can also apply to your weekly life
have that time to yourself when you can reflect on your life
and whats happening around you
it will make you a better worker and a better person

the organicgreen doctor

farmers market

FARMERS MARKET

here in texas i dont go to the farmers markets much because

several years ago i went to several and to several local

organic farms and observed what they were growing in 

each season 

i also talked to the farmers who was growing the stuff

i then tried to duplicate what they were doing

eg

right now i am growing okra malabar spinach barely tomatoes

bell peppers arugula and basil

everything else has shut down in my garden and also in many

of the farmers markets

however when we were in nicaragua we went to the ultimate

farmers markets

think rows and rows of fresh vegetables and fruits

all ran by friendly nicaraguans

 

they also had a great bean selection

for those of you who like beans

they are a good source of protein

and great producers of gas

we also ate at a local outside restaurant

which had delicious fresh fish either from the pacific

or from lake nicaragua one of the largest

fresh water lakes in the world

then there is this guy (ill change his name) 

that every calls greens bob

he is probably an old hippie from a well known liberal

university who has been in nicaragua for years and 

has not ever gone back to the usa

he grows organic salad greens and sells them to local 

restaurants in the area

locals can buy from him if you can find his place

so we went there to his place

felt like i was in an old movie

there along the small streets in this town there was a row

of buildings all connected together was

a green building with a blue door with no markings on it

my relatives said thats his place

we knocked and knocked and finally someone answered

felt like we were on some clandestine mission

we were only buying salad greens

inside there is the living area with open courtyards

where he sells his greens

they weigh it out and you buy it

yes it was salad greens nothing illegal

then as we were leaving there was a mirror with this 

on it 

those ron paul supporters will like this one

yep great fish great farmers market and great salad greens

wonder if greens bob votes in the us

the organicgreen doctor

paradise

PARADISE

my wife she and i spent the last week in nicaragua
got to use my passport for the first time
check that off my bucket list
i have only been to mexico once otherwise ive never
been to a foreign country except for california

(ok i was joking-that was for my wet suitcase sisterinlaw
and surfer dude brotherinlaw-he of course is more than
a surfer dude but he did get me in trouble with his wife
that time he allowed me to put that bag of plants in her
suitcase that almost ruined her expensive new clothes-see
this blog about that)

we are at their house on a beach in southern nicaragua
of course we always have enjoyed being on the beach
just veggie out slugging out relaxing contemplating planning
dreaming reading sleeping naps with no particular schedule
or sense of time or place

(well i did keep my watch on set to the local time
but no one else did
but thats me)

thats what beaches are for you know
and vacations
sometimes i see people taking vacations to relax but they
seem to be working too hard to have a good time
nicaragua time is what i call it here
slow pace friendly people

one thing that fascinates me is the traffic
it seems so disorganized but it all work so well
there are few or no red lights and few stop signs in these towns
and the traffic just seems to flow fluently
like the spanish language

why cant we learn this in the us
there is a lot of honking here but its friendly honking
no pissed off drivers when you are honked at just a
friendly reminder hey im behind you or im about to pass
you
yep in the us there would be a lot of mad folks on the road
road rage is not present here
driving is done here with nicaraguan rules
cars cows pigs horses suicide chickens bikes pedestrians
motorcycles trucks lots of buses taxis all share the rode
they all have equal right of way
(no bike car confrontations like happens in austin)

my surfer but more than that brotherinlaw was made for this
traffic way of life in nicaragua
in the us he probably just makes folks mad or they make him
mad but here he just drives like everyone here and it works
so well

the people here are so friendly and accepting that you dont
know the language
my wet suitcase sisterinlaw did all of the talking
and did a good job
made it easier on us to get what we wanted
think the nicaraguans appreciate that someone takes the time
to learn their language spanish and uses it while here

when i look around this countryside-those dirt roads with
those ruts we use to call corduroy roads when i was growing
up in rural arkansas and those dusty roads that blow dust all
over you if you are walking or live close to the road
your house face hair lungs get covered with dust

yes it does look somewhat like rural arkansas when i was younger
i think thats why i felt a sudden kinship to those people

there is poverty here like there was in arkansas
i look at the kids out playing baseball and soccer and
everyone sitting on the porches and except for the dark
color and the shorter populations (well i did have some short
sisters and brother) if i close my eyes i imagine my younger
brother -the one with alzhiemers and my younger sisters and my
history brother out there playing baseball making the same noises
and really having a good time with each other

yes they seem to be where we were several years ago
and maybe those were better times in a way
because as i look around here
i do see changes coming
for the best economically or for the worse as a way of life here
there will be changes

more cars more americans and other foreign visitors that want
things like they have at home but at a better price
do we really make things better when this happens

yes nicaragua is a paradise
no wonder people like hemingway liked these countries
we in america dont have paradise any more
weve seemed to ruin it at times

im sitting here on a porch in a chair writing this looking out over
the ocean with the waves crashing
thats all i hear
it so relaxing
its paradise

next
what i call the nicaraguan mardi gras

the organicgreen doctor