Emily’s Musings

I have discovered the “Forbidden Fruit from the Garden of Eden”. Since I basically live in the Garden of Eden, it should come as no surprise that the “Forbidden Fruit” I speak of can be found on a few trees at the end of my driveway. It is called Sour Sop. Mind you, this tastes NOTHING like any other fruit. This fruit is so amazing, so delicious, so perfectly sweetened and textured, you should probably go ahead a buy a plane ticket to the Caribbean so you can experience it yourself.

This is the Forbidden Fruit, Sour Sop.

I also have eight coconuts ready to be picked. Now, if only I could convince David to climb up the coconut tree like a Hawaiian native to fetch them, chop them up, and feed them to me . . .

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Buckets of rain pounded down on Saba this weekend. With one large drop of rain, Hannah basically took a shower totally clothed. We desperately needed the rain, so I am very happy to have a full cistern. However, I did have to come up with something to do around the house to stay occupied. Hannah’s lovey is a Pooh Bear. She mostly loves this particular Pooh Bear because it has tags. In fact, she loves any stuffed animal that has tags. I got this idea of a “tag lovey” from a friend, and I decided to make one for her. Now, I don’t sew. If something can be made with a stapler, tape, or glue gun, I can make it. Sewing is a little out of my league. However, I had nothing else vying for my time, so I made this lovey by hand. I went a little crazy and added probably too many tags, but now she has options.

I decided to go to town and embellish some of her clothes. I love patches and needle work. I took all of her boring pieces and made them sassy, like her. Check them out:

Won’t her bum be cute?

She will be cute on both sides!

Look at her cute outfit now!

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I feel like a celebrity. Everywhere I go, people are welcoming me back to the island. They all seem to know where I went and for how long. This “welcome” back to the island took me off guard at first. I had forgotten how everyone seems to know the comings and goings of the island. I know I am not a celebrity, but this must be similar to how they feel when people ask them about their travels.

I was certainly missed around my house. Not only did David profess his undying love for me in attempt to convince me to never leave him again for that long, but Paris’ and Kyaha’s hearts practically lept out of their bodies and basically had a heart attack right there on the patio. Crazy, excited dogs. My fridge also spoke to me, “Please, clean me out, give me a bath, and feed me!” Judging by the food in the fridge, (or lack thereof) I am 100% sure David ate like crap while I was gone. And I don’t mean crap like junk food, because at least that is food. I mean crap like a sleeve of Ritz crackers for dinner, or whatever else he could find that was stale and unfulfillable. Yuk. Good thing I’m home to reclaim my post as “family chef” and “family maid”.

I am back in the swing of things, which is pretty much like being on vacation. I have been busy this week working on a few projects that I will post pictures of later. I promised to post pictures of my trip, so here are some of the highlights:

This is my twin brother Brian. I know, David and I look more alike than he and I do.

This is my sister Jenn and her husband Scott (with Hannah of course). I visited them in Southern California.

This is a photo of Hannah her her cousin Zack (9 years old) who lives in California. He is so cute holding her hand!

This is my best friend Katie. She now lives next door to my parents in Utah. Very crazy. She mentioned to me that we have been friends for almost 20 years. YIKES! I don’t think I can be that old!

David’s sisters Janine and Sheri and his mom. This was taken at the (Janine) Harmon Ranch house in the Provo Canyon.

Saba isn’t the only beautiful place to photograph. This is some of the fall foliage up Provo Canyon.

This is Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. I used to bike up to this waterfall from my parents house.

Um . . .ya . . . this is the Porsche Cayenne Hannah and I got to drive around for a bit. It actually belongs to Angie, my sister-in-law. It was nice to drive something so nice. Our car on Saba is such a piece of junk compared to this!

This is the kitchen in the “mansion”. It is so beautiful, this photo does not do it justice. I enjoyed cooking up a few meals for my brother and his family in this amazing kitchen.

This is Hannah with David’s parents. Check out Hannah’s mile long lashes!

Hannah playing Daniel’s piano in Texas. She was quite good!

This is Ashley and Melanie Bonnett (well, her last is now McNutt). Melanie’s baby, Elizabeth, is exactly nine months younger than Hannah. We saw them in Texas.

Yes, this is Hannah and Redd (Caroline and Orrin’s kid) making out. Aren’t they cute?!

I had a wonderful trip to the states, but I am glad to be back in my own environment. I am glad to get Hannah back in her crib and happy to have my two dogs following me around like my shadow. It’s nice to be home.

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Dirt, humidity, plants. Yep, it smells like Texas. I have such fond memories of this place. I really feel like I am “home” here. I have been staying at Daniel and Lydia’s house, which is right next door to the house David and I sold before moving to Saba. Our old house still looks like our house, and I want to run in there move all my stuff back inside, but it’s not our house. It is a very weird feeling. Unfortunately, the people that bought our house, leased it out to some renters who did not take care of the house. The renters wreaked havoc on the house and I am sad to see the house now. It is vacant now (thank goodness), but it feels like someone vandalized my personal property! It probably doesn’t help that I see the house everyday (I am just next door), and reminisce about my previous life. My, how very different my life is on Saba. Part of me LOVES being in Texas, and I am ready to reclaim my previous life. But the other part of me, longs for my simple life on Saba.

I am still a big city girl. Driving over the crest of the freeway last night and seeing a sea of lights, I must admit, I still love it. There are museums, parks, and friendly people here! Not to mention shopping at Sam Moon . . . And truthfully, Super Walmart here is as good as Super Target. I couldn’t find what I needed at the Walmart in Utah, but I certainly found everything I needed here!

Lydia and I attended at Yoga class Thursday night at 24 Hour Fitness. When the class began, the instructor asked “Is this anyone’s first time doing Yoga?” Feeling like an idiot because I have never done yoga in my life, I declined to comment. The instructor then said “Phew, good! Lets get going!” I was saying “PHEW! GOOD!” to myself! It’s a good thing I didn’t admit to being a yoga idiot. The class started and things were going well. It’s like playing “following the leader”. I am pretty coordinated and somewhat flexible, so the beginning of the class was fine. Then we started “posing”. Um . . .I don’t usually hold an “eagle pose”, or an “open apple” pose that often (ahem . . . like never), and I was beginning to wonder if I was giving myself away as the “yoga idiot”. Good news for me, it looked like others in the class were in my same predicament. At one point, while were were sitting in an “Indian pose”, the instructor said, “Just relax and enjoy the sensation in your right hip.” Enjoy the sensation? Relax? Is that possible? I thought I would need a fire-hose to blow out the fire in my left hip! I looked at my watch and the class still had a half hour to go. Half an hour? Yikes. I had some serious hip, leg, and arm burning to endure. I am officially still sore. After attending this class, I noticed that Hannah does Yoga ALL DAY LONG. The “down dog” position is her favorite. I wonder if Yoga was designed after the lifestyle and movements of a toddler. They are in really good shape, have endless energy and can (and will) eat almost anything!

Last night I had dinner with Orrin and Caroline. They are such a great family. Orrin is a pilot and flies for some private charter company out of Alliance Airport. Caroline is pregnant and due in two weeks. She is having another boy. Their little boy, Redd, is a lot like Hannah. He is five months older, but just as calm as my little one. They are both very affectionate and basically hugged and made out the entire night. We couldn’t stop laughing! I have some of their kissing moments on camera. I will post the pics when I get back to Saba and have access to my computer. It was fun to catch up with them and see their growing family. I hope to see them again in April when we pass through Texas on our way to wherever.

I leave Texas tomorrow morning. Which means that my stay in the USA is over. I am happy and sad. But I am mostly excited to see David! At this point, I don’t care where I go, I just want to see him! We have been apart for five weeks. That is the longest we have ever been apart. It is too long. Poor David, he has been living on crackers and water for the past month.

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I am 100% positive I am my Dad’s favorite.  Yesterday, when my parents were dropping Hannah and me off at the airport, the gate agent asked me if I would like to upgrade my seat to first class.  Hello?  Does my fat dog Paris like to eat her dinner?  YES!  Since the gate agent put the thought in my mind of traveling first class to Dallas from SLC, I could NOT imagine flying coach.  Those of you who know my secret obsession (that is really not that secret) with flying first class, know that I will sacrifice a lot to ensure a first class ticket.  Once you start flying first class, you can’t go back.  So don’t start!  Fortunately for me, no sacrifice was needed this time.  I just looked at my dad, and he understood immediately how utterly important it was to me to that he pay to upgrade my ticket.  Within a matter of seconds the credit card was pulled out and I was given my new seat assignment in row five.  Ah, gotta love parents.  Especially when they understand you! 

I am safely in Fort Worth now.  I am staying at Daniel and Lydia’s house.  I have extended my stay until next Tuesday.  I have WAY too many people to see and WAY too many things to do!  I’m sure I will see some of you around!   

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I found the missing white and blue Johnny colar shirt.  If I wasn’t such a mess, and if I was thinking clearly, I would have rembered where I put it.  You see, it was exactly where I placed it.  On a hanger, in the closet.  I know, I MUST BE BLIND.

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I feel like I am 10 again. My best friend, Katie, who I have known since I was 10, just moved into the house next door to my parents. What are the chances? I must have good karma. Anyway, since we both got married 10 years ago, she has lived in California, and Colorado; and I have been in Texas and on Planet Saba. Needless to say, we haven’t been close enough to hang out like we used to. I have really missed her!

When I found out she was moving back to Utah, I was thrilled! I knew I would most certainly see her when I would visit my family in Utah. When she told me she BOUGHT the house NEXT DOOR to my parents, I was flabbergasted! She could have told me that she was marrying my twin brother, and I would have been just as happy! (Okay, that would never happen since she married a great guy 10 years ago and had three little people with him, but you get the point.) We have behaved like little kids; running back and forth to each others houses. “Playing” with each other, going out to dinner, going shopping, and of course having late night chats! I will really miss seeing her everyday.

Tonight, I went over to say goodbye to her and her husband. And of course we ended up chatting for hours. She is one talker! I did most of the listening. Ahem. We talked about pregnancy, labor and delivery and how the whole thing is so understated. Anyone who has had a baby will readily admit that if people could truly convey how pregnancy, labor and delivery really feel, women would stop having children. She and I have only experienced c-section deliveries, so we swapped epidural stories. The best part about this conversation is that we both full on admitted that we secretly LOVE Ensure. Who wouldn’t? I would drink that stuff all the time if it wasn’t so fattening and my husband didn’t make fun of me for liking a geriatric drink. That stuff is good and my BFF agrees!

She also informed me that we met 20 years ago. I don’t know how that is possible, since I am still 20 years old, but the sound of that made me feel really old. We are both grown up kids with kids of our own. I’m ready for her mom to drive us to the mall in her old minivan and drop us off at Gallery 28. Her mom would give me her watch (I was older, so obviously more responsible) so we would be on time when she came to pick us up. In fact, I think I will go over and get an Otter Pop from her freezer. We can grow old, but we don’t have to grow up!

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It’s a good thing I didn’t fly out on Friday like I was scheduled to. I would have missed the 97 cents sale at Old Navy! Hello! 97 cents? Yes! The whole store was on sale! Living on Saba, I have become so practical. I only bought exactly what I was looking for: shirts in white, brown, and black. Oh, and a very cute belt. I know, very boring. My total was only $14 for four shirts and a belt (which was a whopping $10). Now that is a steal!

I rescheduled my flight to Dallas from Friday to Monday. There was a little mix up with my friends as to when I would be arriving and Lydia is out of town! That just leaves Daniel at home . . . and well, as much as Daniel is like brother to me . . . it would still be awkward all around. My parents are happy to have me for three more days, and I am happy to get a few more things done here before I head off.

Shopping has taken on a life of its own. Imagine that you haven’t been shopping in almost a year and now you have to shop for anything you might need for the next year! It is a little crazy and overwhelming. Part of me doesn’t care to buy the things listed on my “to buy list” (things like sunglasses, shirts, Tigi Control Freak, tweezers, clothes and shoes for Hannah, baby back pack carrier, BBW coconut lotion, sprout seeds, Stephens Hot Chocolate to take home, etc), but the sane part of me knows that I will HATE myself if I don’t get the things on my list. It is frustrating to not have these items at my disposal on Saba. It is so simple there. Sometimes, you just learn to do without. However, I can’t do without my Tweezerman Tweezers, and the two pair I have on Saba are jacked up. So, that was non-negotiable!

I will miss the simple pleasures of the States. You know, like FANTASTIC deals at Old Navy, going to the movies, finding everything you need at Walmart or Target, and going to the grocery store at midnight. My mom was complaining that milk went up in price this week from $1.69 a gallon to $3.oo a gallon. I sort of tuned her out when I realized the “expensive price” of milk was three times LESS than I pay for a gallon. Yes people, I shell out $12.oo for a gallon of milk! I also pay $5.00 a gallon for gas! I will certainly miss the grocery prices and the convenience the states has to offer. However, I am anxious to get back to Saba so I can take a vacation! The lifestyle here is so fast paced, and I want to do as many things and see as many people as possible, it has not felt like a vacation. Except for the time I have carved out to read eight novels and one self-help book . . . I will miss not having caretakers around so I can read whenever I want!

It is interesting to see the United States through Hannah’s eyes and her smile. A lot of “firsts”have happened on this trip:

• Hannah’s first ride in a Porsche.
• My first time driving a Porsche.
• Hannah seeing ceiling fans. They are very interesting you know.
• Hannah watching the garage door open and close. Sort of scary!
• Taking a bath in a tub. Poor little thing has to take a bath in a portable bath on my patio, for all the world to see!
• Music in the car. Hannah was quite surprised to hear it when riding in her carseat. She was looking around to see where the music was coming from. She loves to dance in her seat!
• Hannah was weighed on a real scale that computes to pounds not kilos. She is 24 pounds.
• She got a stroller ride on a FLAT surface.
• Hannah not only ate fries at McDonald’s, she got to play on the play set!
• The park was especially designed for small kids. She was safe!
• The park was also ONE level, no crazy hills, slants or fire ants!
• My parents big screen TV is like a movie screen to her. Hello big screen Tele Tubbies! (SICK!)
• Hannah saw snow.
• Hannah got her first haircut.
• Hannah went to her first funeral.  (Uncle Dee died)  She was very happy and said “HI!” to everyone!

I am sure there are many more firsts, but you get the point that she is pretty sheltered on Saba. I will miss listening to the radio, and tuning into country! There are no radio stations to tune into on Saba . . . Yes, we are very remote out there!

I have enjoyed seeing my friends: Katie T., Katie C., Sheri V., Sheri J., Beth (who had a baby six weeks ago and is now two pounds again) Teri, Kerri, and many others! I will miss you guys!

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I consider myself to be a very organized, clean, structured person. I enjoy cooking, keeping a very tidy household, and managing my family’s affairs. I have been known to vacuum or sweep my house (which is all tile in the Caribbean) three to four times a day. I make the beds everyday, almost the instant I roll out. I make all meals from scratch, including pancake mix. Cakes and icing are obviously from scratch too, why eat a cake from a mix? Who eats icing from a store bought jar? I don’t have a dishwasher (I am the dishwasher) and I wash all my dishes by hand. I feel like I know all my dishes and silverware intimately. I take my dogs out three times a day, make three meals a day, wash clothes and hang them to dry on the clothing line, and sweep off the patio. I really hate to see random dirt and standing water. I know, I can be a little obsessed.

What is wrong with this picture? Nothing. That is “Saba Emily” who is a little OCD. “Visiting Family and Friends Emily” is a little different. My room is a disaster. It looks like it has “thrown up”. If I make my bed, it is usually right before I go to bed, just to straighten out the sheets. I haven’t made one meal for my parents (well, I did make a chocolate cake from scratch if that counts), and my mom is doing my laundry. I half loaded the dishwasher once. I have driven my mom’s Toyota Highlander all over Utah Valley, and not once have I put gas in it or cleaned it out. I hate to admit this, but I have recidivated. This is exactly how I behaved when I lived at home. I moved out when I was 19, so I have obviously grown up a bit and taken responsibility for myself. Why is it that when you go home, you just let your parents take care of you? Regardless of how old you are, or how old they are? I am embarrassed. I only act this way at home. When I visit other places, I am cleaning up after myself all day long. I cook, (just ask Ben and Ang. They scored two homemade meals out of me on Sunday) clean, wash, and babysit. You name it!

I am turning a new leaf. Tomorrow is a new day. I will no longer live as a spoiled brat under my parents roof.

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Over the past three weeks, Hannah and I have enjoyed living the glamorous “gypsi” life. While most of our time has been spent at my parents house in Orem, Utah, we have spent time (you know, like slept over at other places other than the mainstay) at a few other places. I am beginning to think that I have left a “little piece of Emily and Hannah” scattered all along the way. This has in now way been intentional; not like our friends “Hansel and Gretel” who scattered crumbs. I am slowly but surely realizing that I am missing a few things. Here is the problem; where are the missing items? They could be on Sint Maarten (where we HAD to stay overnight at a hotel), lost in Puerto Rico, at my sisters house in Cali, at my brother Ben’s Mansion (seriously. I will post pics soon), at my in-law’s house, or are they just lost in my room which is so messy that it looks like it has “thrown up”? Can you see that maybe I left my brain somewhere along the way?

If you like something, always buy two or more. I live by this motto. I fell in love with a shirt while shopping in California. When you find a shirt with the proper fit, style and price, like I did, you should but three. That is what I did. However, I can only find two or the three shirts I purchased. I am beginning to think that I hallucinated buying three shirts, and I have almost convinced myself that I must be “up in the night”. However, my “Marathon Shopper Sister” Jenn, specifically “GASPED!” when I pulled three exact shirts (all different colors) from the rack. The moment my favorite sister “GASPED!” when I purchased three identical shirts, was a pivotal moment for me. At that very moment, I realized that maybe I wasn’t normal. Maybe normal people don’t buy in quantities. For this very reason, I know I bought THREE shirts.

I have retraced my steps. I searched “The Mansion” high and low, ripped my luggage apart, accused the washer of eating it, and scoured my in-law’s house. I asked my mother-in-law if she had seen it. Because she is a mom, I really had high hopes that she was keeping track of all my stuff. Apparently, she is not my keeper. She had no idea. Aren’t moms, supposed to keep track of that kind of stuff? Not new moms like me, but real moms who have been moms for a really, really, long time?

The hunt for the White and Sapphire Blue Johnny Color Polo is still on. I’m sure it is in the same place I left my brain. If you find either one, let me know.

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