Getting ready for another Central American adventure, remembering lessons learned~   Borders   I was familiar with The Chicken Flight. Pollo Campero is Central America’s answer to KFC, and many Guatemalans like to pick up a bucket when they’re flying out. I loved my work with IMA, the girls’ school in Guatemala City, so … Read more

Hallmark It’s Valentine’s Day here in Jamaica. My husband, John, and I awoke to the sound of pounding waves and reggae. He had just gotten up to go the bathroom so I hopped out of bed and grabbed the ruby-red, wrapped gift I’d hidden in my luggage. I placed it on the covers, tucked the … Read more

  “Live for yourself, you live in vain; live for others, you live again.” –Bob Marley   The early buds of fuchsia and blush are blooming in the front courtyard at my home. Soon, the brick walkway will be covered like a floral carpet. Last year I reminded my husband, John, to remind the gardeners, … Read more

Water’s Falling from the Sky (Thoughts as Another Holiday Season Begins)   Water’s falling from the sky; the tree is up, and there’s a roaring fire in the fireplace . . . Yesterday, just after my husband got the tree upright, I heard him put on Christmas music and start hanging ornaments. All on his … Read more

  I admit it. I play the orphan card to get a foot massage. If he balks at all, I ratchet things up and mention that I also have been plagued with eczema. My. Entire. Life. We’ll be on the couch watching a movie, John’s hands entirely non-productive, and it’ll go something like this: “I … Read more

  I had lunch today with my friend who’s a tender ninety-three. We sat at a round table in the corner of her new assisted living residence dining room, a community that assists the sweet, memory-impaired. It’s a beautiful place. It really is. The staff is friendly, respectful, dignity-givers. Up until this move a few … Read more

  Rifling through a junk drawer this morning looking for a receipt, I came across this scrawled note, along with the photo booth pic on top—as if they were just hanging out together in the drawer. And so not junk. Here’s the back story, and for the record, I was a witness to one phenomenal … Read more

  Yesterday I was riding my bike, and stopped to chug some water. I looked down and saw a squashed grapefruit in the gutter.   Ah, the sweet tangy/smell of grapefruit metaphor.   I had been struggling with some stress, worry, fear. And the thought emerged, Pammy, don’t live like a sunken in, gutter grapefruit. … Read more

  I’ve always found the story of the man, Job (“Jobe”), to be altogether interesting and horrifying. Through no fault of his own, he was the unwitting character in a cosmic experiment slash tragedy slash faith story. What a job for Job. He has a series of worst-day-evers and then three friends come a-callin’ to … Read more

  On my bike ride this morning, I saw a woman wearing the same shoes as sweet Kamill pictured here. The flash of bright tangerine and royal blue brought me back to that day in Guatemala this past March when Tiffany and Jeni and their teams of lovers came to the IMA school and gave … Read more