Attack of the Killer Moths!

2 months have passed, and I have been jolted out of my non-blogging reverie rather violently by none other than a pack of vicious, disgusting, killer...moths.
Yes, you heard me right. Some find them beautiful. I find them disgusting.
The recent rains (I use "rains" broadly to mean hurricanes) have made me hostess to lots of new friends- large spiders, small spiders, ants, the norm...and the aforementioned spawn of you-know-who. They started out so innocently. A little cocoon here, a little cocoon there, a little heavy rains, and holey moley there are 1,000 of those suckers plastered to my concrete walls. Yesterday, as I was trying to blissfully drift off to sleep after a long, rainy day, I was awoken when something flew into my face. I slapped it- a knee-jerk reaction- into my face, and had moth guts all over my cheek. That'll teach me. A normal person then would have gotten up and washed her face, but I had no water inside the house (I forgot to put the bucket out when it was raining), so I wiped the guts off with my hand and placed them on the side of my mattress. Something ate them in the middle of the night, so now I don't even have to clean up a mess.
Is that gross? My apologies. Have I mentioned my luxury cabin is still open for visitors?
In other news, school has started! I was loving my summer- visiting nearby volunteers, working on grants and emails and literacy manual in the capital, spending quality time with my cat, and coloring and baking with my kiddies, but the free time was really making me antsy. Today I went in and got a list of students who need to learn to read from the teachers, so that on Monday I can jump right in to my last year (sniff!) of teaching kids to read at the school. There are a few who have been working with me for 2 years- my time is running out! But I am very excited.
Outside of school, one of my youth groups is having a graduation this Sunday. They will be presenting a drama and 2 dances, and I will be presenting them with diplomas and cake. It should be lots of good, loud fun.
At long last, the literacy manual I have been pouring my heart and soul into the past couple of months is finished! It is a compilation of activities and worksheets that I have used to teach kids to read, available for volunteers across the country! Just think: a country of literate children. That would be incredible! Goes to show that, even if the government is not willing to shell out for education, a few motivated people can overcome!
On to other things: Latrines: Still waiting for funding. Check back soon. Cholera still a problem. The wait...is...unbearable! Moreso for the families than for me.
Basketball courts: Still fundraising. Those suckers are so expensive! Many thanks for all of the work of Mrs. Manteiga's class, though. You all are AMAZING to help out children you've never met in a country you've never been to! Whomever says that kids can't make a difference is WRONG! You all ROCK!
Sandals: Still breaking. But I did walk bearfoot the other day, because one of my youth's sandals broke, and I didn't want her to feel so embarrassed about walking around barefoot. Big mistake. Those dirt roads are more rock than dirt after all the rains, and, well, my lillies are tender.
Cat: Healthy, his "girlfriend," the kitten, turns out to be a boy, after all. Looks like kitten was using us for the catfood.
Oh, also, finally, I'm a Godmother! I am very nervous- I had an amazing Godfather (Uncle Clark), and I really want to provide the same kind of support for Darianni. There isn't much pressure from this end, as godparents here usually do...nothing. So at least my best efforts will be meeting expectations here. Anyways, her name is, as I mentioned, Darianni, she is 1, she can't say anything but she walks a lot, she is in diapers and loves Dominican food, and whenever she sees me she cries unless I hold her. Which means she likes me, I think, or that she likes being held, which is probably closer to the truth. They really follow a different childcare ideology here, which has been a little challenging at first, but I do my best to absorb the culture and share mine, as well. For example: "In my family, they usually never let us pick up rocks from outside and put them in our mouths. You know. Germs and all. I bet she'll have a really strong stomach!"
Will blog soon, because I will have more to blog about. Hopefully some reading successes or at least something that smells faintly of not-failing.

Live long and prosper!