Life goes on......

We returned to Guatemala last Wednesday and spent the next day doing a little sightseeing around Guatemala City. We visited two museums: Museo Ixchel and Museo Popol Vuh. Ixchel is dedicated to the indigenous textiles of Guatemala and contains many beautiful examples of the richly colorful garments worn by the Mayan people. These are especially prevalent in the highlands and hopefully I can post some pictures of these when we visit Antigua and Lago Atitlan next week. The other museum contains many Mayan artifacts dating back more than 2000 years.

Last Friday we returned to the marina where will will stay until Sunday when we travel to Antigua for a week's stay at spanish school. Antigua is reported to be lovely and we are looking forward to our stay there. Then to the highland village of Chichicastenango for the Sunday market and then on to Lake Atitlan.

More to follow next week.

Thanks Mom

My mother died this past Saturday night. She was 89 years old. The end, mercifully, was quick and peaceful. As I write this, Mary and I are on a plane from Guatemala to Memphis to arrange her funeral.

I last saw Mom two weeks ago-just a few days before Christmas. There was no sign that she knew who I was but I told her how much I loved her and how much she meant to me and all her extended family....and I told her goodbye. I had a feeling that I would not see her again in this life. As I left that day she blew me a kiss.

She was a strong, independent woman who lived by herself for as long as she could after my Dad died 23 years ago and before her mind was slowly stolen from her. As a mother she was never critical, she was always encouraging and she was never intrusive. If she had a fault it was that she was blind to my faults.

Years ago she told me that I should follow my dream, go sailing with Mary, and enjoy our time together...time that she and Dad were robbed of. We did. We will.

Thanks Mom.