About 20 years ago, Stuart and I were on a walk-about in southern Mexico. We spent 2 days in Oaxaca, just long enough to find the mercado, the zocalo and the English Language Library. We returned a couple of years later, and spent an enchanted week here, and that time we determined we'd come back and spend TIME. So, we returned again and bought a newspaper and began looking for an apartment. This was in the days before the internet, and we had the opportunity to look inside some walls and gates, to those secret places. We found our home at Villa Maria, and have returned almost every year. OK, one year we had a fling with another city, and spent a lovely winter in Merida! Oaxaca feels like home to us, and apparently to many other people from the US and Canada who return every year. Some never leave. The sense of community is strong here, particularly in the comfort of the Oaxaca Lending Library. There, we can not only check out current books and movies, but we can find books in spanish, meet friends, find local resources for just about anything you can think of, attend lectures on all kinds of interesting topics, use the computers, and help with any number of community outreach programs the library sponsors. It is a true membership library: it is run from money it raises, and from the reasonable membership fees we pay. Last year, I had a great time helping with the annual Bazar fund-raiser. I had so much fun, this year I helped chair it.
To say that volunteering is about helping others is only a tiny bit of the story. Any volunteer job I've ever had has returned the gifts to me a thousand times. The OLL Bazar was Sunday, December 14, 2014. We raised a record amount of money, because of the incredibly generous donations and the time a large number of people spent preparing and selling those donations. Many thanks for all my new friends. You make my life rich!
Bud, who lives here full-time, and worked every day for 6 weeks! This man knows some stuff about brand names, and I learned a lot last year from him about checking zippers in clothes and suitcases, pockets, hems, and under-arms in clothes, heels and soles on shoes, cracks in dishes and brand names in everything.
Micky, a modern-day, highly educated nomad, who also worked every day for 6 weeks. She taught me how to focus, be calm and to enjoy every minute of the day. And, she's a stitcher. How can you NOT be a good person when you enjoy a needle, nice cloth and thread? We bonded.
Saint Adriana, the ED of the OLL, and her beautiful daughter. Adriana broke her arm the first week of November, and has kept that beautiful smile and calm demeanor for the past 6 weeks. No matter how many times I interrupted her work to ask a question, she never lost her smile and ready answers. Yep, Saint Adriana!
Ralph and Tom. Fun, hard-working, funny, talented and giving. Married to women with the same characteristics! Thanks, Ralph, for the carry-out from the Moroccan restaurant!
One of my favorite Geeks, Bill, and Jill, who both live here full-time. Every year Bill and Enrique show up to check out anything that plugs in, turns on/off, has batteries or is hard-wired. Computers, vacuums, coffee pots. They work and make us all laugh. Jill. The energizer bunny. I look like I'm on downers next to her! Funny, too! And, takes charge of the Boutique with wit and determination.
Michelle, the acting Volunteer Coordinator, while the VC is away. Party organizer extraordinaire. Speaks spanish like I do in my dreams. Michelle, my kindred spirit. With brownies and cool aprons.
Laura and David, both full-timers. Whatever you need done, they are the people to ask about who/how/where. In the poor pueblas, the behind-the-scenes jobs, the pick-up people. Always with a smile and a hug. Laura and I have been known to be the back-up dancers for the weekend rock-and-roll concerts. Just sayin'.
My darlin' husband, who lifted, taped, toted, sorted, bagged, fetched, marked and tied for 6 weeks. Then, toted and unboxed and listed and was the Hall Nazi during the sale. He fetches my tamales many mornings, and puts the chocolate in my coffee every morning. Yep, he's taken!
Micky and me, stylin' in our donated hats, during one of the many pricing and sorting days. Yes, we sold them!
Siobhan and Tom (again!). More of those wonderful people who are always around when you need a hand, people who take charge of other things quietly. And who love to laugh. Thanks to Siobhan for taking all these photos...wait, who took this one?!?
The almost full
bodega before the sale. We're grateful to the past few years of fund-raisers that allowed the OLL to make some terrific renovations to the downstairs, giving us space upstairs for sorting/pricing, parties and general purpose, outdoor space.
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