During the past 2 months I have cruised up and down the east coast of the USA, visiting dozens of friends and family members, staying in guest rooms or sleeping on sofas, futons, pull-outs, hideaways. I did enjoy the luxury of staying in hotels a few times, and I spent one night in a charming B&B in Rhode Island. Thank you to all who put me up, put up with me, fed me, got fed up with me, drove me around, drove me crazy, and shared good times to create lasting memories. After Sam’s graduation in LA, I headed east to Atlanta on a freebie AirTran ticket. I spent the first week sorting thru “junque” I had stored in Michelle’s attic. As I lifted down 25 heavy boxes of books, she bemoaned the loss of “insulation” ... read more

Hola friends and faithful readers! Greetings from Quito. I made it back from another adventure high up in the Andes - another fabulous group of volunteer engineers. Of the seven who came this time, five of them were return volunteers (Brad was back for his 3rd visit!) Their repeat commitment speaks volumes about what a worthwhile and gratifying experience it is to work with the people of Malingua Pamba. We braved horrendous road conditions to get there. Just before we arrived, a minga (villager work group) had to work late into the night to clear the mudslides blocking our way. On the way out we drove under a rockslide in motion; we weren´t about to sit and watch it - we just drove right through holding our breaths! During the welcome meeting, the night we ... read more

Dear Friends, As many of you know, I am the ¨Godmother¨of a little primary school, La Escuela 24 de Mayo de Las Cabañas de Ayampe, about 10 minutes south of where I live. During the past year, donations from friends and colleagues helped to cover teachers´salaries and transportation when community funds ran dry. With the help of the teachers, the village of Las Cabañas has entered into the fiscalization process to receive government support for this previously community-run school. In addition to teaching the kids, they have helped to educate the parents about their legal rights, including the need to hold a title for the land where they live. The little building where the school has been operating for the last 6-7 years is a community-owned structure, but to become a government school, they would need ... read more

When I last left you, faithful blog readers, Shana and I were just setting off for Xmas in Baños with Max and Chaco. Her kitty, Tita, rode on the back seat in her plastic carrier, along with the two dogs. Chaco prefers to lie on the floor, which was fine with Max who takes up the whole seat! We were barely aware of the three animals in back during the whole 3 1/2 hr drive! They're all good traveling pets! Chaco had been having trouble keeping his food down for the past few days, and once we got to Shana's house in Baños, he stopped eating altogether. His tail slunk between his legs and he could barely hold his head up. He spent most of his time curled up tightly in bed, and Max was very ... read more

As I sit here in a highrise luxury apartment in Quito, watching the planes angle through the driving afternoon rain, it seems impossible that just a few days ago I was roughing it up in the mountains with a group of American volunteers. It was another adventure-filled, action-packed week of unexpected twists and bends! Anyone considering joining these bi-annual volunteer efforts must have plenty of creativity, flexibility and a hearty sense of humor! This group of engineers certainly possessed all of the above and what´s more, they were quite easy on the eyes!! To recap a bit, Pam Gilbert first stumbled upon this village (literally), when she got lost hiking and was rescued by two young men from Malingua Pamba. It is located high in the Andes, in the province of Cotopaxi. In the past ... read more