I don't really miss this...

Thanks for the postcard, Ev!  My community is in awe.

Extreme Makeover!

 My friend Drea (she's amazing!) came to visit this week and put her painting skillz to the test.  We found the weakest point of our school's decor and attacked it.  The sign in front had met it's match.

Before:

After! (Like I said, she's amazing!)

I did help.  I did the letters!  I'm going to paint that front edge "Panamanian school" blue, make the letters thicker, and maybe we'll plant some little flowers in front.  Or tomatoes.  It's up for discussion.  :)

Bugs!

There was a sweet bug that hung out at my house with me the other week.  It sat super still on my table and then when I tried to push it, it was hard to move and made a squeaky noise.

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWZG9tiyuSo
I definitely don't break its leg right at the end...  But if I did, it's already missing an antenna, so it's got a history of putting itself in bad situations.

There were also some sweet green ones!

This little gem is courtesy of my neighbor Lindsay.  She found this Mama Scorpion under her bed... along with all of its babies...

Continental Divide

Is Panama part of North America?  Is it part of South America or Central America?  Does “Central America” even exist?  Is Panama west of the Canal in North America and east of the canal in South America?  People like to debate it, but I personally don't really care which is "right".  Though, I did find some evidence to suggest that some obscure map making company, that sells their maps in a Panamanian dollar store (Todo a Dollar), doesn't even think it's worth noting.  Sold as a packaged set, these two maps neglect to mention those seven countries sandwiched in between Mexico and Colombia:   

I'm not sure what they're trying to say, but I’m not sure I like it...  ;)

Flush Toilet

My friends and I often joke about things we’ll have to stop doing or remember to do when we move back to America.  For example, going to someone’s house and getting excited that they have a flush toilet.  “You really have to stop calling it a flush toilet.  It’s just a toilet.”

But I’d just like to say that there’s a reason for that type of wording:

It may walk like a flush toilet, it may talk like a flush toilet, but it’s really just a fancy cover for a latrine.

Boris' Panamanian Cousin

As you all probably remember, Boris the Pig made his world renowned debut entrance onto the giant pig scene at the St. Louis County Fair (northern Minnesota, not metropolitan Missouri) in the summer of 2008.

Lisa and Leah with Boris' not so impressively large relative at the 2011 St. Louis County Fair.

Last week I was visiting my neighbor Lindsay when her neighbors started taking away her pig friend.  I saw this pig on my way to the river the day before and was SUPER excited about it.  Unfortunately, he won't be there any more.  Fortunately (depending on how you look at it I guess), we got to see him off.

Lindsay saying her final goodbyes. 

Though not appropriate for children, pig lovers, or PETA supporters a video of the event can be found here: http://youtu.be/OBdG39Q5W0w

reduce. REUSE. recycle.

Pure JOY!