Tuesday, August 31, 2010

August 31, 2010 Good Cops Bad Cops


Policeman Vasquez Corea was shot in the leg and lost his leg as a result. Today I had the blessing of giving him a wheelchair.




Some of his friends at the police station joined in for the photo shoot.


His superior officer Inspector Otniel Molina and I posed for photos. This is the "Good Cop" part of today's post... But all did NOT go well with the police today.

"Bad Cop" I took my doggy (Esther my standard French Poodle) to the beauty parlor today. On the way there, a policeman stopped my car and asked for my license and revision. I gave them to him and then he told me he would have to give me a ticket for having my dog in the car. Supposedly it was illegal. Well for those of you who know me, I never roll over and play dead. I told him in no uncertain terms that there was no such law and argued with him. Now please understand, I respect police. I do not respect corruption and those who practice it.

For those of you who don't know, Honduras police are VERY good at trying to get people to pay them to give their license back instead of wasting a day fighting at the police department after one of them takes the license, because of some "unknown or invented" infraction. It is a game they play. You either offer them a "gift" or they take your license and then you have to spend at least half a day getting it back, when you did NOTHING wrong.

So I challenged him. I told him I didn't believe that there was such a law. So he pulls out his little book and tells me to read law #34. It says, "the conductor cannot drive a car with a pet in their lap which could hinder their ability to drive." So I am thinking what does that have to do with me???? Esther is in the back seat. I am driving in the front seat.

So I asked him to read the law to me... I really believe that policeman #1146 cannot read. (a common problem) I am assuming that this is the policeman's number as he did not have his name tag on his police uniform as required by law and the number was on his vest. (another common problem in Honduras, there is no way to identify cops they do not comply with their own rules and regulations) Anyway, he refused to read it. So I read it to him and I said, I did not have the 50# dog in my lap. She was in the back seat. So this does not apply. So he says to me, "I will have to write you a ticket." By now I am getting frustrated and am thinking how stupid can this guy be.

So I said, "Then I guess I will have to call your boss and I used his bosses name". (the head of Transit Police) So then a car full COBRAS (elite forces police) drove by and shouted at him to leave me alone because, "She helps the police, she works with the COBRAS." He then says to me, "Where do you work? Do you work for the COBRAS?" I just smiled... I am "older", out of shape, North American and he wants to know if I work with the COBRAS... I only wish I had an elite forces body!

Then he said, "I am sorry but I have to write you a ticket." (In Honduran police language that means... give me money or I will not give you your license back.... About that time a car full of police OFFICERS not street cops but the ones with an education, career officers, drove by and started shouting at me, "Hola, Teresita". I responded hollering, "Help me!" To which they gave him a hand signal telling him to leave me alone. They drove off expecting him to be compliant, but instead he tells me that, "JUST THIS TIME HE WILL LET ME GO."

Well a few minutes later after dropping Esther off at the salon, I went and filed a report against #1146. I heard on the walkie talkie as they called him to return to the office. I just bet the next time he will "LET ME GO" also. I HATE CORRUPTION!!!!!!

They (corrupt police)think they are so smart because they do not "cross the line" and ask directly for the money. But I did notice that cars with slick tires with no tire tread passed by and he did nothing. A bus full to the brim with people standing (illegal) drove by and he did nothing. A taxi stopped in traffic and loaded three women and all their bags into his taxi and stopped a lane of traffic... I noticed all this happening as I waited in line for the light to change before he stopped me... But I was the "foreign target".

Friday, August 27, 2010

August 27, 2010 A Trip To My Farm And A Return Trip With 100 Pounds Of Oranges And Lemons




This is just one of my many Mandarin Orange trees.  I am so excited that I am finally seeing lots of fruit.  Last year I froze a lot of Mandarin Orange fruit and I have used it through out the year.



These are palms I planted about 10 years ago.  They grow very slowly in the cool weather in Valle de Angeles.  Does anyone know what this kind of palms are called?



This is my passion fruit vine.  It is growing rapidly and taking over an entire wall.  I am patiently waiting for the fruit to be ripe.  As you can see there are still flowers on part of it, but hidden underneath is some fruit.



I have no idea what this orange vine is called. I saw it at the nursery and bought one and took it to the farm. I love the color!  Does anyone know the name of this plant?

                                                                      
This is one of my lemon trees, notice it is absolutely loaded with fruit.  Lemons here are green not yellow.  Are they limes?  According to the Hondurans, the answer is no.

I loaded feed sacks with fresh oranges and lemons... about 100# is a good guesstimate.  Tomorrow will be devoted to juicing all of them.  I am so thankful that I have a wonderful juicer which my mom and dad sent to me for Christmas a few years ago.  I cannot remember the last time I bought store bought juice, except for grape juice and cranberry juice.  Everything else, I juice at home.

Did I mention that I have grown avocado trees from seed?  I have two that are getting really large and I think next year I will have production.

Today was one of those days when I just wanted to goof off a little, so I spent the day at the farm.  The farm dog had pups, she sneaked out after digging a hole under the fence and she ran off and had a one night stand. But her lover didn't feed her so she returned home, PREGNANT!

I learned that a neighbor wants to trade my big bull for a small heifer...  Sometimes I think I have a stamp on my forehead which says "gullible".  Needless to say, I didn't make the trade.  I think I might just castrate the bull and then have him killed a few months later and fill my freezer.  The girls have names, Dona Vidalia and Socks.  I have never given the bull a name, so I can eat him...  For some reason I can't eat animals with a name.  I know I am weird... but I am happy!

This Morning I Woke Up To A Telephone Call Telling Me To Look At The Newspaper



This morning I woke up to a telephone call from a friend telling me to look at page 90 of La Tribuna the local Honduras newspaper.  Guess what I found?  A photo of me and the people to whom I gave away the wheelchairs so generously provided to me by Free Wheelchair Mission and the people who support them.


Thank you to all the people who send me $10, $15, $50 etc.  All that you send helps me pay for gasoline to get these chairs distributed.


 La Tribuna Online

Entrega veinte sillas de ruedas

Nacionales  26 Agosto, 2010
TEGUCIGALPA.- La Fundación “Una Respuesta para Andar y Smart, que presiden Renán Inestroza y Teresa Searcy, respectivamente, entregaron el fin de semana 20 sillas de ruedas a niños y adultos de escasos recursos que perdieron la facultad de movilizarse por sus propios medios.
Teresa Searcy, la diputada Waldina Paz y Renán Inestroza, al momento de hacer entrega de 20 sillas de ruedas.
Teresa Searcy, la diputada Waldina Paz y Renán Inestroza, al momento de hacer entrega de 20 sillas de ruedas.
Renán Inestroza agradeció a Wilfredo Cerrato, por coordinar la actividad y Virgilio Martínez, por trasladar las personas hasta el barrio Guanacaste, en donde se hizo la entrega.
A dicho evento hicieron acto de presencia los diputados Waldina Paz, del Partido Liberal, y Augusto Cruz, de la Democracia Cristiana, a quienes Renán Inestroza y Teresa Searcy, agradecieron por preocuparse por las personas discapacitadas.
Inestroza manifestó que por primera vez esperan realizar alianzas con diputados del Congreso Nacional para poder beneficiar a personas que no pueden caminar, que no tiene recursos para comprar una silla de ruedas, que pasan postrados en una cama o en el suelo, llevándoles así la alegría de estar en una silla de ruedas, para lo cual también agradeció el apoyo del presidente del Congreso, Juan Orlando Hernández.

Friday, August 20, 2010

August 20, 2010 Today I Am Baking and Thinking About Our Daughter Sarah

Today I was baking and thinking about how much I miss Sarah my youngest daughter being under foot in the kitchen. Alas Sarah is all grown up and has her own kids under her feet in her kitchen. Sarah is a great cook. She loves to bake and she still refuses to tell me her secret recipe for Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake. Sarah are you listening?
Sarah always loved Chocolate Chip Cookies so I guess that is what made me think about her so much.  Today I made two kinds of cookies. Chocolate Cookies Stuffed with Peanut Butter and a double batch of Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (Sarah's favorite).  



Chocolate Cookies Stuffed With Peanut Butter


Makes exactly 32 cookies
Long Prep Time 40 minutes
Bake Time 8 minutes per batch


Ingredients
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (Chunky is my favorite)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (use natural it is better)
Filling
• 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
Forming
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and
the 1/4 cup peanut butter with an electric mixer until combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla.
Add remaining dry ingredients ad continue to beat.
4. Form dough into 32 balls.
5. For peanut butter filling, in a medium mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and the remaining
1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth. You might need to add a bit more peanut butter.
6. Shape mixture into 32 balls.
7. Slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter ball. Shape the
chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling, completely covering the filling. Roll dough
into a ball. Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter filling balls.
8. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly flatten with the bottom of a
glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
9. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 minutes until the surface is slightly cracked. Let cookies stand for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool. Makes 32 cookies.


To Store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

August 18, 2010 Wheelchair Giveaway

My friend Pastor Marlene Alfaro called me and told me about a lady in the neighborhood where she pastors who needed a wheelchair.  After pulling together the needed paperwork they arrived today to pick up the wheelchair.  The lady has both legs amputated and only one prosthetic leg.  The chair will make her life much easier.  Thanks to Free Wheelchair Mission for donating the chair.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

August 15, 2010 Wheelchair Giveaway Guanacaste, Tegucigalpa

These people came from barrios all over Tegucigalpa to receive their wheelchairs. One man came all the way from Prespire in the department of Choluteca. All had one need in common. All needed a wheelchair. Thank you Free Wheelchair Mission for helping me to be able to help them.

































































































My friend Renan Inestroza had a small wheelchair of a different type for the little girl.