Plantas Y Maderas - Garden Benches

It was a year ago today that we had one hellofa scare. 
see :

Miracle in Motion category and scroll down to Oct 17 2009...lots of scrolling, guess we have been experiencing lots of miracles in motion these days. Or click on:


http://www.plantasymaderasgardenbenches.com/1/post/2009/10/post-title-click-and-type-to-edit3.html

Life can really give you some blows, but this was a huricane/tornado/road wave all in one.  None the less here we are ...what's that saying "If it don't kill ya, it just makes ya stronger"...yep, so that's how that works.

With perseverence and endurance, Gene has overcome all odds...along with great doctors, therapists and support from family and friends....my man is back at it....like Lee Majors the bionic man, stronger than ever. 

To add a little spike to the punch, 5 months to the date after almost losing his life in a serious accident in the shop, he' had an unexpected invasive surgery for skin cancer. A carcinoma cell had developed into a serious situation...where our same doctor...Dr. Juan Licaga had to remove 1 3/4 inch by 2 inches on Gene's lower lip...phew.  Just when we were thinking we were back at it..."Here we go again"  Hard to take.  although we did and tumbled through it, but survivors none the less.

Today we celebrate and give thanks for all of our prayers have been answered.  Live continues to throw things all of our way and so unexpected be it a burden or a blessing....sometimes they are one or the other in disguise.  So ...just roll with it.  Ya just never know what will happen next.

Yes, and as far as the Milagro Ranch ....we have acquired 3 horses this past week...we call the Mama Milagro, if she makes it ...it will be a miracle.  Her 1 month old filly Warrior needs her as well as yer pregnant yearling Cherokee...What are you gonna do?  ...but embrace it full heartily.

My apologies with the lack of photos, but the camera has been taking a sabbatical on it's own...hence missed all the epic moments of our Oklahoma, New Mexico journey...but hope my words can take you along with us.

This past week upon our return to our new found roots of Old Mexico :) we have seen a bobcat, rabbits, desert chipmunks, a king snake, road runners, road iguanas, lizards a school of dolphins and various native birds.......cardinals, blue jays, hummingbirds, doves, cactus wrens and red headed woodpeckers to name a few.

Although the desert continues to be bone dry, the occasional morning you can wake up with water dropping off of the tin roof and during the heat of the day you can see the lawn boy tree spitting out water.  It is truly amazing how these plants and animals survive.

The cardons, pitia, biznaga and cholla have given a random bloom since the first of June....I have to get the old girl back in action, my trusty camera that is...so much easier to see it in a photo.

Please check back at will.

Blessings upon our Milagro Ranch...may the light continue to shine upon us.  As well as all of our friends and family and those good folks we have yet to cross paths.  Gracias A Dios/ Thanks be to God/ Thank you Great Spirit.

This has become a beautiful occasion, an annual request from the Maestras of La Playita Kinder, since February of 2008.  This day gives me an opportunity to paint with the children  ages 4 to 6....giving me an incredible opportunity  educate the youth the imortance of protecting our waters, tierra (earth) and air, thru painting..and best of all they love it!!!.

On our final painting day three years ago I was accompanied by the Maestra of Maestras!..with guest artist and master teacher Annie deBrynKops and grandchildren (proteges)  ...Baily, Kristin and Kirby ....we already have an invitation for their return next spring....Unfortunately this year we missed out on their presense, but their invitation is open anytime they are available.....

The final product of 2008 was displayed at various tiendas in La Playita, La Choya, the organic market, and in front of the municple palace during our May 6th Meeting with President Rene Nunez.... http://loszacatitos.net/news/communitymeet08-3.html
also see http://www.loscaboscontaminacion.com

One thing all children love to do ...is paint, and the more free you are with them, the more beautiful the experience.  What an honor to be a part of this and what an opportunity I take on full heartedly.  Thank you Annie for your beautiful heart and experience....and Thank you Maestras Vickey, LLuvia, Serenia, and presently Maestra Bernice!

This years painting are in the works to be displayed at the marina for Dia de La Marina....this coming Friday 3 children of each class will be selected to paint a collage at the marina, these works will be included.  The works will be seen by many, including the Municipal President and Port Captain of San Jose del Cabo...Gracias A Dios 
photos from our archives to come...please check back

"We are a part of Earth and it is part of us.  All things are connected this we know.  The Earth does not belong to man; man belongs to Earth"
"Man did not weave the web of life, he's merely a strand in it.  Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself"
Cheif Joseph's Testimony 1854

Get involved...see Protecting our Waters at the bottom of the more category on this website...it doesn't take much, information is knowledge..pass it on.

In seven generations we are the ancestors, what we do or don't do is an instrument to help create our future....doing nothing is also a choice.   Inspired by Voices of our Ancestors...a book of native american teachings.... 

I have passed these murals done by children countless times...It always is a beautiful site!  Yesterday I stopped and took some photos after dropping off the recycling (on the way to the airport....take a right directly after Calle Ernesto Arambaro, directly before the overhead walkway.) recycling top of street..now taking plastics    :)  !!!!!
These Murals are on going...the latest day celebrated was Dia de la Agua...  basically these are about the values/valors we are educating our children/ or perhaps they are educating us...Paintings done by children ages 6 thru 12.  These are some courageous children and no doubt their educators have a heart of gold.  Escuela Primeria Justo Sierra T.M.

Today is the 40th annual celebration of Earth Day in America. This by far was one of my most favorite holidays while living in the states!!! On my Calendar here it shows on this day ...22 April 2010... Earth Day is celebrated in United States, Canada and in Mexico.  Although It is my view through the eyes of the La Playita Kinder these past 3 years, this day is not world wide recognized, at least not yet.  We have more or less a similar celebration in early June.... We are in America too, actually North America,...there is Central America, there is also South America...we together are connected as a continent....So, somehow it amazes me to think on what day throughout our planet do all of the countries specify an exact date to Celebrate our Mother Earth...I can only imagine....

 Can you imagine....... if we gathered together in the Americas alone, then poco a pocito throughout our planet to celebrate...What A World Party that could be...

Just in case you missed that last photo above...here it is again.  Because the whales are one of my most favorite creatures on this planet...I have no problem in saying it would be a tragedy to see them being killed for any reason... Period.  Here is an e mail from Avaaz informing us of the threat of the Whale population in our waters here on this planet.  Please take an opportunity to take a small moment of your time today and sign your name, like anything worth fighting for, nothing worth having comes easy. 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/whales_under_threat/?vl

 Each one of us is small, but we do have a voice and together united we are a powerful army...empowering us as a whole to fight for the truth, justice and in a non-violent manner.  Join the good fight...there are so many good things to stand for.  http://cpaf.repoweramerica.org/page/invite/earthdayremix?utm_source=crm_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20100422bizremix&utm_content=linkbox



"In wildness is the preservation of the world"  Henry David Thoreau

"These Pics were taken at the Sand dune between Yuma and El Centro California, during and after the recent earthquake in Baja Ca.
1st one is of the sand dunes during earthquake" 
These shots were sent to my husband Gene, found on the internet by long time friend Johnny Warren  on the 8th of April, I received 12 April 2010. 
See http://rocknfish.com for just some of his incredible accomplishments.

So they say we will be an island some day...hmmm  According to these photos looks like we are on our way.  It is my understanding that the  Aztec calender predicts the end of the world as we know it is coming 2012....hmm, could be.  This year they say is the El Nino, hmm....everything is a little off kilter, imagine that.  Are we experiencing global warming?  Is the island of plastic in the Northern Pacific a direct result of the human race's actions as a whole on the planet?  As Pirsig quotes in so many words "The truth is knocking at the door, I said, go away I am looking for the truth...and so it did" I guess anything is possible.  Guess we better prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  We still have just shy of 2 years to wake up....and do some good.  My question is "What are we waiting for?"

I remember well when my husband Gene asked me to stay a few weeks longer the night before heading back to Jackson after my two week vacation here in the Baja...I couldn't help saying "What's a few weeks gonna do?"  Wow

What can happen in a few weeks can change your life...for us, we decided to get married, and did 5 weeks after we met..."Imagine that"  Love at first site..

In the past few weeks here I have seen a red fox cross my path while coming down from my early morning walk up punta gorda.... A fence and big gate days later separates me as well as many others from our backyard wonder Punta Gorda...meaning Fat Point...it too is up for sale....if I had that extra 4 million I would buy it and preserve it like it is and tear down the gate.  What's that Jonnie Mitchell tune "Pave Paridise and put up a parking lot"...."seems ya don't know what ya got till it's gone" ............... Fort Ellie and I saw a snake I have yet to identity cruise straight up a 4' embankment after crossing the coast road on our way home from school...any input, it looks like a rattle snake without the rattles.  We have had a Tsunami warning. According to NASA the planet has shifted it's orbit after the Earthquake in Chili......ya know the normal stuff, yep...never a dull moment.  Oh, Yes...and a sighting of a semi with recyclables halfway up the Baja Peninsula...Progress in Motion!  This could even be a Miracle in Motion!!!  Thanks for the photo Mario and Michelle! see www.desertsoaps.com As Michelle puts it "Amazing.  Pass it on if some people are in doubt of the recycling program, cuz this is proof!"  Andale...!

This week at the La Playita schools we have been celebrating Dia De La Familia, it is officially celebrated the first Sunday of March....Yesterday we experienced  a 2 1/2 hour seminar to encourage parents to have a healthy family lifestyle....a discussion every family could partake in. On Sunday the Families get together to celebrate one another....Happy Familia Day to you all.  Disfruta/ Enjoy One Another to the fullest.

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"  Anthony Brandt

Just last year we were so stoked to see the National Geographic boat parked just within meters of both the kinder and the primeria of the La Playita schools.  Fort and Ellie understood what an honor it was to get their photo taken next to the ship, you could see their pride in their eyes when the camera shutter clicked.  Beautiful.  Not only is it an honor for us, but also those from La Playita...hopeful of what the National Geographic could bring to our community.  Here it is a year later, a step closer to potentially boarding the children onto the respected ship.  Ojala! 

This video above is of the crew members offloading the recycling and boarding on fresh organic produce.  I asked one of the local personel assisting as to where the garbage went ..."Was it getting recycled"  ...he didn't know 

But later I spoke with one of the staff memebers of the National Geographic about assisting in the education of the children of La Playita To protect our Mother Earth.......she was very open and thought their would be a chance for a walk on....she would pass on the idea and get back  to me.  Wow what an honor that would be....and what a potential inspiration to the local youth. 

How could the National Geographic know of our predicament?  For how many countries do they explore and travel...this is only one port.  With a little luck, and then some....we will get the local children to get a walk on board to discuss the importance of protecting our Mother Earth. For the way I see it the children are our future. 

Please keep posted, and your fingers crossed.  By the way...if you or anyone you know has a slight input...please help us.  The recycling concept thru Yo Reciclo is just now getting well established, our community of Los Zacatitos is into it's 3rd year, with limited avenues to distribute the waste/goods...we have leaps and bounds together ahead of us...to achieve a simple but solid goal of recycling our wastes.   REDUCE /REUSE/ RECYCLE...a simple concept that has yet to take hold

Unfortunately,  I believe even though the National Geographic crew took time to seperate their cardboard, glass, compost, aluminimun, tins etc...the folks that met them at the dock...took it directly to the local landfill, or elsewhere.  I hope I stand corrected.

Imagine that, if all the boats, yaughts, hotels, tourists knew  ........what really happens with the garbage.  We hope, and I continue to pray the future of these beautiful courageous children have a better future.  It is so simple and obvious.....but somehow difficult to connect the dots.

Protect our Mother Earth...she is our common thread that binds us.

We are celebrating today.  It has been four months since my husband Gene had a serious accident in our woodworking shop.  (See photo below, not for the faint of heart).  He was using a Templaco boring jig for drilling locksets in an entry door, The 2 1/8" bit broke thru the backing block and hit his right wrist just below the watch band...stopping just short of damaging the bone.

Fortunately Ellie and I were here to rush him to the hospital in San Jose del Cabo, a normal trip would take us 45 minutes....but this trip was record 15. 

Once we arrived at the clinic, he was immediately attended to, hooked up to IV's and cleaning the wound.  Right away our family doctor, Dr. Cerda arrived as we requested along with trauma specialists Dr. Luis Cardenas and Dr Juan Liceaga.  As the nurse held up his wound (photo below)  Gene asks "how does it look honey?"  my response..."fine"  nodding my head to him to assure him he would be alright....phew, holding back my emotion best I could...as  Dr. Cerda looks at me, what happened Terri?  He and Dr. Cardenas both said in spanish it wasn't good...yep, and the prayers continue.

This may be a third world country, but the care and the attention given by these incredible people is first class!!  I told them right then and there the priority is taking care of Gene, but they need to know that we don't have insurance, our woodworking business has been hit hard due to the economy and we will have to work something out as far as payments.  Before the surgery they gathered together and with the clinic gave us an estimated cost of the surgery and hospital stay, they were gracious and agreed to work out a payment schedule.  I can't begin to imagine the response and outcome if we lived in the states at this particular time and with this intense injury.

The surgery was expected to be two hours, but because of the cut of the drill bit it was more difficult to reconnect the 3 tendons and 1 nerve (ulnar) than predicted.  It turned out to be four long hours and we were lucky to have neighbors to help out with the children and a community that was very giving and supportive, we were feelin the love.

We continue to be amazed with the skill and the efforts of the doctors, there is no doubt they took this on as a challenge and did all they could to have a successful outcome.  Dr. Juan Liceaga (photo above L.) is a God send, there is no doubt in my mind.  As he puts it he is only an instrument, it is God that is doing the work.  He has continued to see us for visits in his office and has adopted our children as his grandchildren.  An incredible man who also donates his time to perform surgery on children with cleft mouths.  In fact today he has an incredible challenge, one of the most difficult cases he has ever seen...

If anyone can create small miracles, Dr. Juan Liceaga is the man. 

For the weeks and months to follow, Gene went through a series of steps to regain use of his hand.  The human body is incredible.  Dr. Juan Liceaga said, now I have done my work, it is your turn and a lot of prayer. 

It was weeks later that Gene was to begin his intense physical therapy.  At this time we were introduced to Erika and Adrian (photo above R.).  They along with Gene's will power have been incredible.  Working together 5 days a week 2 hour sessions for 50 visits they have managed to accomplish the impossible. 

Erika is expecting a baby in the weeks to come, yet she continued to work throughout her pregnancy to help assist in this incredible healing. 

We are forever greatful.  It is my birthday today, and I am very thankful....we have a lot to celebrate.  Gracias A Dios.  Thank you Great Spirit.....