Patience....and homework

So, I screwed up.  I asked the laundry lady (Maria) for the village how much she charged and asked her to be more specific about what a "unit" is.  It cost us $35 Bz to get the laundry done about two weeks ago, and then we handed her another load this past week.  She had used up ALL the laundry detergent and fabric softener I had given her and I was suspecting foul play.  She told me when I asked her these questions that she was getting sick (I had heard the rumors, it was either cancer or low vitamins...) and she would be unable to do our laundry.  I am now washing our clothes by hand.  I have to say that with a scrub board (YES they have them here!) between my legs and scrubbing and wringing and taking a moment for the sweat to pour down you back, that I am definitely getting my exercise. I've learned to not question the laundry lady, just walk away when you feel like your being taken (the way most Belizians are) and that there is a sense of satisfaction at looking at the clean clothes on the line and knowing you really did work at it.....LOL
Patience has never been my virtue and it's really harder when you sit on hard chairs.  We have been waiting for our shipment to come in, waiting for the furniture I ordered from Hummingbird Furnishings, and waiting for the cabinets and the bed we  "special" ordered from Lydia (I wanted white not mahogany black) and I wanted CJ's bed to be full on the bottom and twin on the top.  I was told 3 weeks ago that it was 2 weeks and Charlie checked with her today and some of them will be done maybe this Friday (true to Belizian time).  We have been sitting on the hard chairs for the table that I want to make cushions for (it's a beautifully made table and 4, ladder back chairs made by Mennonite's that only cost us $215 Bz and you couldn't beat that deal) I have one small pot and one small frypan and 4 cups, 3 plates, one big bowl and a colander to get us buy.  Cooking meals is a work of art and I am learning to be satisfied with "edible".
I am learning the words "when" only spell lack of patience on my part and that I need to not worry because things will happen when they do, it's the Belizian way...hmm
So far CJ has had it pretty easy in school until tonight.  He was loving school until today when he got homework for the first time.  The last two weeks of school has been Holiday's here and Belizian's love their holidays.  They took time off for the St. George's Caye and for Independence day and today CJ was given homework...he wasn't happy but I was.  I've been watching his work carefully to see if it meets the standards of NY as far as educationally and I think it may be a little behind but homework is a habit I didn't want him to loose.....I had a discussion with his teacher and she told me that homework would be starting this week and it was an unexpected fail for CJ.....me, I am happy!
We went to Corozol last week to try and get mail on Thursday before the post office closed.  An example of the peoples ability to party, we had to wait in line for the 5th time the ferry came back, there were 28 coches  (cars) in line to get to Corozol, a normally 1/2 hr trip took us 2 hours....by the time I got to the post office it was closed, 1/2 hour before I got there....yes, I am learning patience!
I painted a Jaguar in 2 days.....I was inpatient!  LOL I love how it came out and I love the fact that every time I paint something I am feeling more confident in my work...and I really need that confidence!
I am afraid though that I may run out of things and I've been thinking of ways to get them, like canvases.  I asked my neighbor if he could build me some frames so I could get some canvas and stretch it across to make more and that took me back that I had to show him how a painter paints on canvas and explain why the material is stretched, he thought all this time that painters only painted on wooden boards, which I think if I didn't know better I probably would have too.....
THINGS I worry about, burnt sienna, getting turpentine and brush cleaner like I got at home, running out of rags and where do I get linseed oil here?   Silly me!  This is mahogany land..I think I can find those things!