Tuesday April 30, 2013

Tuesday April 30, 2013  update #438

I would kill for a good night’s sleep already.   In spite of taking two Melatonin tablets I was still watching the clock all night.   I couldn’t let that stop me because I had a really busy day planned.

I was downtown to pick up Ed & Lynne at 9:30 and we headed to the Rotary Market where they picked up some gifts for at home.  They were fascinated with the selection of wooden, leather, plaster, and metal articles available.  

We went back through the Civic Plaza and watched a youngster feeding the pigeons before heading to City Hall, then the Provincial Azuay building.  We went up to the second floor and got some shots of Parque Calderon before heading over to the Justice building.

Next I showed Lynne where I bought my solar powered dancing flowers and she fell in love with a BumbleBee one, and even bought one for me.  I showed them several stores including the big software store on the way to the Coffee Tree.  They actually found an iPad case for a real reasonable price so they grabbed one.

Then we went to the Book/Movie Exchange at the Windhorse Cafe where I exchanged one book and 2 movies.  Since it was noontime we decided to have lunch there, my first time too.  There were many new folks asking questions of everyone and all the folks were being real helpful.  

I got buttonholed by our friend Greg who wanted to talk to me privately.   He didn’t know how to ask what was on his mind so he just blurted it out.  “Someone told us to pray for Bella because she has cancer.  Does she really have cancer?”  I assured him that she was having a bout with the flu but she definitely did not have cancer.   However, once that bug got in my ear it did begin to bother me.   After having two previous bouts of wives with cancer, it didn’t take much to get that snakebit feeling.

Anyway, off we went again to the Carolina Bookstore for a moment where Lynne began to have a few stomach somersaults.   Time was running short on me so instead of going to the Banco Central Museum they decided we should head in the direction I needed to head, so down the Escalinata we went.   The CIDAP Museum was the next stop with all the devil masks and all the crucifixes on display.   Again Lynne spent a few moments in the washroom.

We took the short stroll along the Tomebamba towards Solano where a rest stop was needed.   Lynne was trying to be a trooper but common sense prevailed and they decided to grab a cab to their hotel.

That left me a few moments so I popped in to the Alianza Francesa (French Alliance) where they were having a photography display.  What a great display of action art so I took shots of most of it for you.

Next was a stop at Hearts Of Gold for a meeting to discuss the structure for the non-profit organization.  Since I was an hour early I took advantage of the couch to get a real needed rest.   The meeting generated a few surprises, like their move next week to another house behind the Monte Sinai Hospital.  We got some papers with an organizational chart and some openings for different Coordinator positions.   There are 3 positions open for Donations, PR/Marketing and Events.   I suppose I was the last Event Coordinator but I have hesitated to stick my name anywhere.   I think I will just wait and see where they need me.

Then I stopped at Papeleria Monsalves to grab a ream of blank paper because we have almost run out.

I caught the bus home hoping to have supper with Bella but she was not home.  That little cancer thingy was still burning at the back of my brain.  I made myself a quick cabbage salad (the last of the batch of 13 helpings from that huge head she got 2 weeks ago) and changed clothes to again head downtown.

The destination this time was.to a fundraiser to help them raise funds to build a 1000 foot mural to benefit the sick children at Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso.  It was a $20 entrance fee at an artist’s studio and you got a glass of wine and some hors d’oeuvres.  They were selling more wine, food, raffle tickets and art.  I knew most of the folks in attendance and we got to see a preview of part of the mural too.

I stayed an hour then headed back to parquet Calderon where it was International Jazz Day with a small concert in the park’s gazebo by the Jazz Society folks, Jim Gala, Vivian Slade and others.   I stayed only long enough to grab a couple of shots before catching a cab home.

Bella was home this time so I was really watching for her reaction when I recounted to her the cancer story.  When she burst out laughing I breathed a very large sigh of relief.  I really didn’t think she would have kept something like that from me.   Anyway, I guess she got dragged off to help at what she thought was a “tea”, but turned out to be a Bingo with about 250 Ecuadorians, and she was the only white face.   She even managed to come home with a soup pot and soup bowl set when she won the final Bingo game.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/