South America

Where do I begin?

For the last two days, I have been in transit to Lima, Peru; however, Delta Airlines has cancelled almost every connecting flight. We were supposed to fly directly from Atlanta to Lima in a six hour flight, but we arrived late from Salt Lake City and missed our connection. Rather than get us a hotel and put us on the first flight the next morning, they decided to divert us through Sao Paulo, Brazil. The customer service only got worse as the hours progressed into days.

The flight from Altanta to Sao Paulo lasted a whole nine hours, over the the Carribbean Sea, the Amazon Jungle, and half of the South American continent. Once we arrived in Sao Paulo, we waited another 6 or 7 hours for Delta to decide where to send us next.

It would have been nice to see the sights, but the Brazilian government would not allow us to leave the terminal without purchasing a tourist visa for more than $100.

By this time, we were exhausted and cranky; neither of us had slept more than an hour or two, but I guess the positive side of this whole nightmare is that I got to practice my Portuguese for the first time in real life. I have been studying Portuguese online for the last three or four weeks. Actually, I was surprised how much I was able to understand.

The airline finally decided to allow us to continue our journey to Lima, but they diverted us once again through Buenos Aires, Aregentina. Buenos Aires! I am posting this blog right now from the airport in Buenos Aires.

When we left, I had no idea we would eventually see two states (Utah and Georgia) and three countries (Brazil, Argentina, and Peru). Amazing.

These experience has been an exercise in patience and surrender. I wonder what other lessons I can find to avoid going insane from exhaustion, frustration, and repeated delays.

Golden

Our family took a Sunday drive this evening, and caught the last golden rays of sunset. We paused on a bluff overlooking downtown Spokane and the river. What a wonderful time to take pictures of my children. The last hour of daylight creates such a warm, happy glow.







The sun reflected from the glass of the tallest building in Spokane.



"The Barry," dedicated to TR.

Halloween

Halloween came and went much like any other time, but this year, Dakota carved an apple instead of a pumpkin. What a creative kid!





Whitney carved a pumpkin and looked postively violent as she did so. Actually, this is a look of concentration, not anger. The camera just happened to capture her expression in a rather dramatic, but misleading fashion.



Dakota dressed up in his best goth appearance for Halloween, but every where we went, people thought he looked like Adam Lambert.



The girls dressed as twin babies in their sleeper pajamas.



My skeleton paint from last year was such a hit, I decided to do it again. Sadly, I scared a few kids and even made one girl cry. I tried to use my nicest voice, but the look was just too dark, I suppose.

My Father's Land

On Saturday morning, I made another drive to the Spokane Indian Reservation. Somehow, I managed to find my way back to a small plot of land that may have belonged to my father. I'm not exactly sure, but it fits the description. My father once told me that his land sat on a ridge overlooking the valley. He also said that he logged a small section of land on the bluff to make way for a cabin. Well, a good friend tells me this is the ridge, and as far as I could tell, this was the only spot on the ridge that had been cleared of trees. If this indeed belonged to my father, then the land now belongs to my siblings and me. Maybe someday we'll fulfill his dream and build that cabin.



Later in the day, I stumbled onto an old cabin in the woods. The roof was completely missing and the walls were beginning to fall. My same friend tells me this cabin once belonged to my distant relative Norbert Abrahamson, long since deceased.



Sunrise near my father's plot of land.

Snow

A light snow dusted the ground last week, but quickly melted. Thank goodness. I'm just not ready for another winter.

Recovery

This week I made an amazing recovery from illness.

On Friday morning, the first symptoms of a cold appeared, just in time for the weekend. The physical signs manifested through a scratching ache in my throat, a faucet nose, and an increased sinus pressure. At first I hoped to avert a full-blown illness, but at some point my physical discomfort destroyed all hope. My only escape would be to pass right through the middle of the sickness.

My prognosis provoked a genuine sense of dread. In years past, this same level of infection led to bronchitis or worse. About ten years ago, I caught cold just before my birthday, which progressed quickly into a dreadful case of pneumonia. My temperature rose in deadly fashion to 105 degrees, which probably should have sent me to the emergency room, but I was too delirious from my fever to ask for help. I used to call this my "signature illness," because the symptoms never changed and always progressed in a predictable order from one cruel stage to the next. In the end, I always required medical intervention through powerful antibiotics. I've been lucky the last couple years, but this weekend I braced myself for the worst. I felt sure that my luck had run out.

But then my good friend suggested an herbal remedy that he learned from our tribal tradition. He showed me how to prepare the medicine, which I then took for the next three days. On the first day (Saturday), my health made no obvious improvement, but on the second day (Sunday), I noticed a decrease in sinus pressure. By the third day (Monday), the pain ended. When I woke up this morning, my nose stopped running and all other symptoms disappeared. Never in all my life have I escaped this level of illness without running the entire cycle if my "signature illness." Never.

The gift of plant medicine amazes and inspires me.

Turning

The seasons are finally turning, from summer to fall.

My morning run brought toward a chilling fog that clung to me skin and crackled on the power lines. I began my run with focused intent, but the brilliant fall colors drew me into their spell. By the end, I found myself renewed by the yellow leaves and the cool, damp air.

Leadership

This weekend, I participated in the opening retreat of the Leadership Development Program at the Community Colleges of Spokane. I joined with fifteen other instructors, administrators, and professionals selected from the three colleges and the central offices of our district. Within the first day, we formed a caring, supportive group without regard for degrees or positions. In a small but significant way, we got to step outside our normal roles and to share authentic experiences from a clear heart space. Throughout the year, we will continue to meet for ongoing community-building and professional development.

Before I began, I had hoped to build an increased sense of community and renewal within my career. The Leadership Development Program will no doubt open this doorway to me and all the group.





Our opening retreat convened on the campus of Spokane Community College. During our lunch break, I had the chance to hike the river trail and take some wonderful autumn pictures.

Magnificent

Derrick and I spent the weekend on the Spokane Reservation, driving the back roads and hiking through remote mountain trails. We saw some magnificent scenery, like this sunset over Matthews Lake and the view from Grouse Ridge Mountain. We rested from the pressures of a modern world and immersed ourselves in a time and space apart.

Even my blog took a rest for the weekend.

Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of the most amazing part of our trip. We went down to the river before sunrise, just as a herd of elk ascended a narrow mountain ridge. They walked in single file and created silhouettes against the pale blue sky. The bull elk stood at the end of the line, his antlers rising toward the sun.

Just a few minutes later, we saw another herd of elk, even larger than the first. They ran across a field toward the east, casting trails of dust into the sunrise. I'm still kicking myself for not having my camera in that moment.







Francis and Derrick walked up the last portion of Grouse Ridge Mountain.

We drove to the top of the mountain on an old, overgrown logging road that became so steep we had to put my truck into four-wheel drive just to move ahead. Several times we also had to forge a path off-road around fallen trees and other natural obstacles. It was quite the adventure.

Pippi

Last week, my daughter dressed up for a pajama/weird-hair day combo at school. She wore monkey pajamas and put her hair in wires, Pippy Longstocking style. No doubt she was the cutest thing at school that day.

Clarification

Some folks have reported problems with the PayPal process.

When you click on the PayPal button on my blog, you'll come to a page that asks you to enter an amount of money. After entering the amount, make sure that you press "Update Total." You MUST press Update Total, or the page will not allow you to proceed.

If you already have a PayPal account, you then simply need to sign in using the prominent blue box displayed on the right hand side that says: "LOG IN TO PAYPAL."

However, if you do not have a PayPal account, you can still make a donation. Look for a statement on the lower left hand side of the page that says: "Don't have a PayPal account? Use your credit card or bank account (where available)." Immediately after that statement, you'll find a link that simply says, "Continue." Press that link to proceed to the next page. (The "Continue" link appears near the credit card logos).

Some people are having problems because they think they have to sign up for a PayPal account, or they already have one, but don't remember the password. This is not necessary. Simply press the "Continue" link, as described above.

After you continue, you will come to a page that will prompt you to enter your information. You will then press, "Review Donation and Continue."

After reviewing the information, you will be prompted to complete the donation.

I hope this helps.

By the way, THANKS to everyone who has donated so far. Your contribution is greatly appreciated. I will be communicating with you shortly to express my gratitude.

Fundraiser

This November, I have the opportunity to participate in a mission trip to Puerto Maldonado, Peru, located on the Madre de Dios River in the Amazon Jungle. I will provide education, inter-personal training, and translation support for a team of full-time service workers dedicated to improving the lives of those they serve.

The mission supports a number of charitable projects, including the construction of Hope House, which provides shelter and vocational training for young women leaving a life of prostitution.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others, so I am requesting the prayers and financial support of my friends. You can donate by clicking on the PayPal button in the upper left column of this page, or you can contact me direclty for other options. I realize these are difficult times for many, so any amount is appreciated. If you have questions about this project, send me an email: barrymoses@hotmail.com