beauty of everything
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 12:33PM Hi Everyone!! Thanks for stopping by.
Things are good and busy here. Believe it or not, it's almost the end of the school year. I can't believe it's already been a year. I'm preparing for end of the year finals and admission for the new and upcoming year. It looks like we will have a couple thousand applicants on our hands so I will be a busy little bee.
We have a super sweet multi-international team of volunteers right now. It's been nice having so many hands on deck. A special welcome and many thanks to Cara and Lisa who have been visiting this week all the way from California. To put a very long story short: they are AWESOME! I'm trying to convince them to stay forever and ever but between the two of them they have 8 kids at home...so it's probably not going to happen. They are decorating the kids' playroom right now—amongst many other things. We've all been joking around saying that this would be like the perfect episode for TLC trading spaces or HG t.v. (vlog coming shortly) It's soo cool and I can't wait to show you all.
Cara and Lisa at Kakre vihar. Two of the lovliest ladies. So happy to be able to call them friends now.
We also have Anthony from Australia, Jake from Wales, and Caitlyn from the US. But more on all of them later.
In other news, I finally had it in me. I got my guts up and guess what? Here's a hint.
Me and Sarah just minutes before the slaughter
Yesterday was a sad day for one of my sweet little turkey friends. (No he didn't have a name.) I didn't do the honors but I watched and it was sad and bloody. No need to worry though because the two lady turkeys have been busy laying lots and lots of eggs and soon we will have lots of new little turkey babies running around—enough to finally get my turkey farm business into action. I'll keep you posted. And, he was yummy for Thanksgiving in February and a fun night at King James's (our pilot friend, James) with all our amazing local ex-pat friends.
We've been doing a lot of animal shopping lately thanks to Cara. This week alone we added 4 chickens and 3 new goats to the family. Welcome to all our new animal friends who I will no longer give names to. It's just too hard to watch them go.
driving home with me, bahhhing away in the trunk
how they weigh chicken meat here
Let's see, what else do I have to tell you? It's time for bed so I think I'll just post a little poem from my favorite, Mary Oliver. My friend, Megan, just sent this to me and it took my breath away.
The Poet with His Face in His Hands
You want to cry aloud for your
mistakes. But to tell the truth the world
doesn't need anymore of that sound.
So if you're going to do it and can't
stop yourself, if your pretty mouth can't
hold it in, at least go by yourself across
the forty fields and the forty dark inclines
of rocks and water to the place where
the falls are flinging out their white sheets
like crazy, and there is a cave behind all that
jubilation and water fun and you can
stand there, under it, and roar all you
want and nothing will be disturbed; you can
drip with despair all afternoon and still,
on a green branch, its wings just lightly touched
by the passing foil of the water, the thrush,
puffing out its spotted breast, will sing
of the perfect, stone-hard beauty of everything.
Copyright © Mary Oliver
All rights reserved.
New and Selected Poems, Vol. 2
Reader Comments (10)
Love that poem, Maggie! Your face in the Turkey picture is just priceless. I can't believe it's almost the end of the school year - WOW! You'll have to have a Happy 1 Year Birthday for Kopila Valley School soon. Invite the whole block :)
thanks mary didi. i can't believe it's been a year since you and quyen were here either. that means you'll have to come back soon. i'll make us a turkey for dinner ;)
Wonderful poem indeed. Congrats on one successful year my dear :)
Great poem !!
Thank you so much for sharing !!
Dear Maggie,
I am a Nepali girl living in the UK and I recently found about your website and the incredible work you are doing for our children. I am truly inspired and in awe that you have taken this huge step, living away from your family and embracing your new family whole heartedly and doing so much for the benefit of these kids. I would love to visit your school and the children when I am in Nepal and help in anyway I can. Keep up the good work.
God bless you
Love Laxmi
I like children's poet Douglas Florian. He doesn't seem to have a turkey poem but I did find this one that Sarah might appreciate:
The Kangaroo
The kangaroo loves to leap.
Into the air it zooms,
While baby's fast asleep
Inside its kangaroom.
Is the turkey also looking for a boyfriend ?
Please continue naming the animals.
It's not supposed to be easy.
LOVE Mary Oliver! And OMG are those goats in the back of the beautiful vehicle?
Did they poop all over it?
I can't believe I just wrote that... but really... do we need to raise money for another? ;-)
hi maggie,
im from all the way back in jersey. im doing a report on you and your kids, you inspired me so much. i hope that one day i can have the guts to making such a drastic jump away from my family to do what i know is right, for myself and the sake of others. i hope you never let anyone get you dont because your a hero. maybe you dont realize it,but you saved so many kids lives. you were able to do something so many people are afraid ,and cant do. your truley an inspiration. please keep up the good work and dont stop going. keep pushing foward, i hope the school of Mendham can help you with donations to keep you going strong. remeber always smile,because smiles are what makes the world go around. thank you for showing me you can make a difference no matter who you are. how big or small.
--xoxox arianna alese B.
congrats