tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70663151976114625012011-10-29T10:12:50.729-04:00The story of my wife's last wish.Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.comBlogger111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-78950886084817458152010-03-10T14:46:00.003-05:002010-03-10T14:51:56.752-05:00

Wednesday March 10th 2010, 2.45PM. We're back home from the trip, and I'll write more later today or tomorrow, once I can shake this cold. In the interim I've uploaded the video that I made for Gisela, for folks who wanted to see this. It's 15 minutes in length. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for visiting. Paul How do you express a life of 28 years of friendship, love and laughter, that

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-58162385795987822872010-03-07T18:29:00.008-05:002010-03-10T11:28:19.855-05:00

3PM, March 7th. We just landed back in Guatemala City after a smooth flight back from the farm in 'BEK', as the family plane is called (her Call Sign is "TG-BEK"). It's been a full day, beginning for me (as my earlier post mentioned) at 3AM. After 8 - 8.30AM startup coffee, the family got together and walked down to the air strip to watch Beto and I take off in the Rans ultralight for the

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-79035822250443513312010-03-07T06:22:00.004-05:002010-03-10T11:35:17.989-05:00

It is 5.30AM on Finca Constancia, here in the Polochic Valley in eastern Guatemala. It is still pitch dark and I am surrouded by the buzzing insect sounds of the jungle at night, but the sound of roosters crowing around the farm heralds the approaching dawn. I awoke at 3AM, and have just completed the piece that I will say when I lay my wife to rest this morning. I have also completed my last

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-57012918142482836192010-03-05T16:01:00.003-05:002010-03-05T16:41:44.072-05:00

Friday March 5th, 2010)Am writing this on a Spanish configured laptop and a very slow connection, so errors are guaranteed! Cannot find half the characters.)The weather on Wednesday wasnt cooperating, so we spent the day in the City instead and took the opportunity of celebrating our sons 16th birthday at a Brazillian style meat restuarant )aka heaven for my boy!) It was good to have the chance

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-77579745434535872682010-03-03T01:21:00.003-05:002010-03-03T01:27:36.758-05:00

It's 12.15AM, Tuesday night / Wed morning, Feb 2nd/3rd in Guatemala City. After a day of preparations (including buying flowers from a street vendor, see photo), the Celebration of Life service was held as planned in the Lutheran Church at 6PM. Despite some 'technical challenges' (thanks Bill) it all went well. The service was held mainly in Spanish, which was fine for us, as I had explained

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-70037151891081691382010-03-02T16:46:00.000-05:002010-03-02T16:46:29.175-05:00

It's my other brother-in-law Klaus's birthday today, so we all met at his home for a traditional birthday breakfast early this morning. He's getting up there in years but wears well, and for his birthday present the kids and I presented him with a decorative plate that was hand-painted by my wife, his youngest sister.  He now has two from her, and they will make a nice pair of reminders of

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-17015282485680582042010-03-02T16:34:00.002-05:002010-03-10T11:56:56.378-05:00

After an "interesting" flight from Ft Lauderdale, we arrived here in Guatemala (or "Guate" as the locals call their country) in reasonable shape, although incredibly tired after a complete lack of sleep over the last few days. Our hosts, my brother-in-law and his dear wife, managed to ensure that we got something to eat at the German Club (photo), before then taking us to a local very modern

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-59470495276328514482010-02-28T04:09:00.003-05:002010-03-02T11:40:31.277-05:00

It's 3.50AM, Sunday February 28th. I haven't slept at all tonight. I would not be able to sleep now anyway, not today, not this night. I have still to finish packing, and we leave in an hour.  But all the other preparations are done. I completed the wooden urn that I wanted to make for my wife, crafted from the wood of the giant huge hickory tree that stood outside our front door, and which

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-14765778686825904962010-02-26T03:05:00.015-05:002010-02-27T00:35:12.804-05:00

I spent a few hours today sorting through digital photos for another collage board that I’m preparing for the service in Guatemala, and looking for suitable music to go with them. Photos are amazing things if you think about them – to those people who do not know the meaning behind each image, they are simply visual representations of people and places, and not much more than that. That’s why

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-18871033945754481242010-02-25T02:57:00.005-05:002010-02-25T11:51:22.632-05:00

It's 2:30AM on the morning of Thursday, February 25th, just three days before we leave for Guatemala ... I've just e-mailed out the invitations to the Celebration of Life Service that we'll be holding for Gisela in Guatemala City on Tuesday 2nd March. I am amazed at how difficult it is to do each one of these steps in the process of this final journey for my wife. One would think that after

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066315197611462501.post-73287053027456277082010-02-23T10:50:00.011-05:002010-02-23T11:32:36.937-05:00

On this coming Sunday, February 28th, my children and I will take a flight from Florida to Guatemala, the birth-place of my Dear Wife, Gisela. We will be carrying my wife's final remains, which have been kept close to us here in Florida, since she passed away on July 2nd, 2009. At 6pm on Tuesday March 2nd, there will be a small service in Guatemala City for friends and family, held at the

Paul Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985609907405583629noreply@blogger.com1