Like Pouring Molasses…
I started out July with a lot of sleepiness & have rested well, well…I have been taking it slower than usual, after performing ‘Oda Na Ser’ and its late-night practice sessions, launching the website with a daughter living in a different time-zone…my hours seem topsy-turvy at the moment! My physical health is a priority as I visit specialists, while I explore & expand my creativity. One of the things I do, when I want to turn a tide is to slow my pace down by looking at details in nature.
In Aruba, we take it slow by heading out for a swim, or watch a sunset. I love sunsets! But I also had some wonderfully inspiring events planned on my calendar!
July 1st 2026
On the last day of June, I attended the opening of Letra y Consenshi (Lettering & Consciousness); dedicated to our island’s slave past. After Amanda settled in NL, and my grandmother passed away; she has been on the hunt (with Ancestry testing & all!) for our family’s history. Our bloodline is mentioned in this exposition & like our local Prime Minister’s speech stated; we come from this island’s slaveowners. Yet, we are an ethnically diverse people. The blood that runs through our veins, is mixed and makes for interesting outcomes.
July 1st has been declared officially a National Emancipation Remembrance Day in Aruba, and I am glad I got to be a witness of this historical event in 2026!
In July, I am inspired by colors & lights! Patterns, rainbows and movement have been eye-catching to me, along with sound and DANCE!
Sweet Miracles…not Magic!
🎶”Do you believe in magic?”…🎶🎵 Nope! I believe in miracles. And it is a privilege to both experience these personally, as well as being a vessel or vehicle used, in my line of work, to facilitate what parents & caregivers get to celebrate with me and their Beautiful Treasures!
Usually, my work is well-hidden. But, after taking care of this lovely non-verbal teen with Autism (initially, to help him get through Chicken Pox as comfy as possible!); he started communicating with me, through pointing…a skill he had yet to master. His Mom, my Bestie💛posted the video online and it attracted attention towards what is possible, even in times of trial!
I was interviewed about my work, Amanda, Andara Life and Alternative Schooling by Voices & Choices; a local program that airs on TeleAruba (and here’s a link to their facebook page, where you can watch the entire video, in Papiamento).
And here’s Miracle nr 2! July 2026 is unforgettable, to me…
At the June 30th Expo, at our National Library in San Nicolas…I ATE GOAT MEAT & OKRA! Many thanks to Velvet Zoe Ramos for preparing a delicious Molasses Goat & Okra Soup with fresh ingredients, safe enough for me to eat! I haven’t been able to eat neither goat nor okra, for the past years due to my throat and tongue swelling up.
It might not sound like a big deal to some…but I am still digesting & processing how my ‘Degenerative Genetic Disorder’, which is characterized with me having to live with severe allergies (anaphylaxis), in an incredibly high amount of severe reactions to many ingredients-has been ‘regenerating’. The last decade, has been a life-threatening struggle and extreme mental & spiritual challenge, as I watched my body react violently towards an insanely high volume of ‘allergens’…one by one, ingredients/substances/materials/animals…disappearing from my diet & daily life.
The inability to break down animal products & protein, including soy, coconut & nut products– meant that I had to take my diet to an extremely high level of care & creativity!
🌺🪷🌻A new season, a new song! Flowers became a main staple in my diet!🌻🪷🌺
Hugs, handshakes & places to go…all became highly restricted. People disappeared, out of fear, ignorance, inability to understand basic anatomy class content…but, the best stuck around!
The same vegan & fresh ingredients I use for eating; like spices and aromas, become my soap!
My former Rabbi & a few friends dubbed me ‘The New Eve’; I transformed and saw my former Prednisone-‘Moon Face’ disappear; I became weak but still alive. I even dressed up as a ‘Flower Garden Queen Esther’ to perform at our local synagogue a few years back!
Amanda had a BLAST challenging me to play around with fun looks…such as “Goth Mom”! It has been a slow descent, and as I ascend back to hopefully perfect health, my Praise & Gratitude steadily pours out of me, like sweet molasses in January!
Life = Learning!
In interviews, I mention how Amanda & I are forever grateful for those who helped us achieve her Homeschooling Journey. In July, and as Andara Life progresses; I look forward to featuring my personal superheroes–The ones who saw through the outer-layer, dug deeper and held me up…one fruit, one flower, one “wifi hug” at a time! Check-out ‘What’s Cooking’ for my June Flower Food Art!
In July, we hope to infect others with the Joys of Learning! As pioneering Home- and Alternative Schoolers in Aruba we are dedicated Life-long Learners. I am grateful that both Wisdom & Knowledge are the soil in our Faith-based Garden of Life! Amanda & I love love love to celebrate our own and the achievements of others as we watch them bloom! No one should remain enslaved in suffocating lines or boxes of prejudice & ignorance!!
If you happen to be a bully, empty, envious & bitter about those of us who dare to shine through alternative education, cultural inheritance, faith or other means of expression or celebration of Freedom…well, Sen. Kennedy (U.S.) said it best: “You are not the dumbest person in the world, but you better hope the dumbest person don’t die!”
July: Alternative Schooling
