Home Sweet Home

by Linda Ludka
Linda and her husband Rick recently purchased a piece of land just outside of Progresso Lagoon (Progresso Shores) in the Corozal District.  One of her recent blog posts described the completion of their house and the arrival of their container from the US.  You can read more from Linda’s blog at Adventures in Belize

I have always heard the saying that “time flies when you’re having fun”, but this is ridiculous. Another 2 months has passed us by without an update here and so much has happened. Our container of belongings arrived at the Belize Port only 3 days later than planned and was ready for pick-up on July 16th, our 5 month anniversary in the country. Rick and a couple of the crew drove into Belize City and spent an incredibly hot/humid day dealing with customs agents, transport agents and brokers. They were forced to unload 80% of the truck for inspection and then reload. If you recall, the truck was filled to capacity in AZ, so unloading and reloading was no easy task.

Rick and the guys finally arrived back home around 7:30p with the truck/container following about two hours later (after running out of gas!). A couple more of the crew guys and some friends helped us unload for the next two hours! What a job. There was some minor damage to some of the furniture and appliances (mostly cosmetic and not a big deal here) and some additional charges that we were not expecting, but we decided to put that particular day behind us and look to the future. We spent the next five weeks unpacking, decorating, cleaning and getting used to the sights, smells and sounds of our new home. The Belizean who constructed all of our solid mahogany cabinets for the house built us a beautiful custom mahogany dining room set. It arrived two weekends ago, so the only additional items we need to complete the house are night stands and a bookshelf.

We celebrated our 6 month anniversary in Belize last week and are happier than ever. We spend the days in our own activities (Rick has been working all over the 2 acre property grooming, planting and beautifying. He does amazing work even though it is difficult to improve on what God has done here. His tropical fruit tree collection is slowly taking shape…he has planted custard apple, sour sop, star fruit, avocado, tamarind, coconut, banana and mango trees. His garden is dug, mulched and ready for planting. We’re going to start the seeds in planter trays due to the ants and then transplant them when they’re stronger. We’re hoping to be able to supply all of our own veges and fruits. The front landscape and walk-ways are in, so now we will dedicate a day to return to the nursery in Ladyville to purchase some plants and flowers to enhance the look. His next project is to build a sand beach above the seawall at the lagoon. He has realized that he doesn’t get as much done everyday at 55 1/2 than he did at 20, 30 or even 40 years of age …I keep telling him there is no hurry…we have the rest of our lives.

I spend the days sunning/soaking at/in the lagoon, reading, internet-ing, listening to music, cleaning, laundry, groceries etc. Dee and I went into town last week and played some slots while we were there. We both won…$50 for me and $180 for her, so we splurged and bought ice cream…$22 BZ/pint! Boy was it good!!!) Our evenings are always spent together, whether alone on the patio watching the lagoon in the moonlight while listening to music (and the crickets, geckos, frogs and birds) or with friends playing dominoes, cards, pegs and jokers or a board game. Our health has been very good, except for Rick’s couple of cases of Che Chen poisoning that required trips to the Dr. in Orange Walk for steroid shots. The second bout is healing now and Rick has plans to cut down the Che Chen trees that remain on our property to avoid further contact. The weather has cooled a little bit, but we’re still under the threat of “hurricane season”. For a few weeks in July it seemed like we would need to build an ark to survive the storms, but that, too, has calmed down. Progresso Shores definitely feels like home now and Ed, Dee and Scott, our neighbors/friends/home builders, have helped to make the transition much smoother. Now that we’re settled, we’re ready for visitors! Start making your plans for a little Belizean adventure! We’re living in an amazing piece of God’s handiwork…not perfect, but worth the little inconveniences that we encounter in order to appreciate the rest of what we have.