Joys and Concerns

Life in Paradise is like living anywhere else in the world except you get to wake up and go to sleep in a place that is so incredibly beautiful that it literally takes your breath away! St. Croix's (STX)  beauty is a constant reminder of life's wonderful magnificence and the bountifulness of creation. It keeps me ever mindful of my relationship with that which is sacred and divine in my life (the Most High) and draws me into nature which is reflected in so many different ways on STX.

 

Taken from the back patio of a friend's home overlooking Salt Bay in St. Croix.

It is Monday, my day off and at 2:40 pm I have already done the following:

*met with my social work supervisor that I am required to meet with. I have worked at the Caribbean Kidney Center, an independent dialysis center, as the Medical Social Worker for over a year. Since I cannot document that I have had two years of social work under a Masters of Social Work supervisor although I have worked 27 years as a social worker in direct and indirect services. Thus, I am required to meet twice a month for an hour each time with a LCSW. She and I are well into our first year of meeting. Actually, it is a blessing in disguise because I get to talk about any issues I am facing in the work place that challenge my competency and skills as well as my individual growth and development. It is a mentor and therapist and consultant rolled into one.
And while I have to pay for it it is so worth every penny.

So I find myself almost at retirement (I just turned 65) and I am just closing in on my Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) status which will allow me to be a Medicare Provider when I retire and do some counseling and free lance consulting. Better late than never!

*met with the Board of Directors of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Croix where I serve very part time as the minister. We meet monthly to address the business of the Fellowship. We are a small Fellowship of 30 members and looking for ways to grow. I am moving into my second year with them.

Here are a few pictures that reflect life in St. Croix. 

 

L-R Qiyamah and B J at Pt. Udall, the northern most point of STX. BJ is my oldest sister and recently visited me from Atlanta, GA.

BJ enjoying the beach in STX

 

 

BJ in St. Thomas. She went with me when I traveled to St. Thomas to take my social work licensure exam. I studied my behind off but missed a passing score by 5 points! :( I shall have to take it again!

 

Blackbeard Hotel where we stayed in St. Thomas. One of the "cheapest" ($80 a night) but nicest hotels in the area. The rooms were clean and nice but it is tucked away high on a hill in a residential area. They have no restaurant and so we had to venture out using taxis. Lovely place and I would recommend it. Just be prepared to pay for taxis everywhere you go. BJ had some mobility challenges and so we used taxis a lot! My taxi did not show to take to me to my exam and fortunately I allowed sufficient time, called another one and got myself where I needed to be with time to spare!

 

This is the courtyard at the Blackbeard Hotel. I have forgotten who this gentleman is.

 

While St. Thomas is spectacularly beautiful I made the right decision with St. Croix (STX). STX is less congested and does not have the hustle bustle that St. Thomas has.

 

These are two of the many cruise ships that come into St. Thomas daily. St. Croix on the other hand may get 2-3 over a month if that many while St. Thomas is the regular port of call for cruise ships. While we were there one of the largest ships in the world came in (17 decks) and with thousands on board. St. Croix could never accommodate that many tourists. Again, it is a beautiful place but I would not want to live there!

Question: Where is the beauty in your life? How are you slowing down to take advantage of and enjoy that beauty?   Remember, life is short so don't sweat the small stuff!

Blessings! Rev. Qiyamah

The Beauty of St. Croix

In my last post I shared some pictures of my home so that you could see how the beauty of the island carries over into the beautiful colors and textures in my personal surroundings. Here are some glimpses of the paradise that I have found and enjoy on a daily basis.

These first four pictures were actually taken from a friends veranda that overlooks Salt Bay. Her garden is one that I am inspired by as I plant and design my own garden which will be featured in a future post. St. Croix is an artists haven where one can draw on the beauty of the surroundings to tap words and images for either the canvas or page.

 

 

 

The plant life on St. Croix (STX) is beautiful, lush and abundant!

 

Ocean, blue sky, green lush trees and blue water. Some days the water is three shades of blue!

 

Welcome to Herman Hill, a section in St. Croix where the Synogogue is located. Next door is the Mormon Church, the Mosque is in the opposite direction and an assortment of other faith traditions are located in the area called "Church Row". Perhaps a more appropriate name would be Ecumenical Row.

 

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Croix meets every 2nd and 4th Sundays at the Jewish Community Center (JCC). I often pull right up to the entrance for pickups and deliveries in my red prius.

 

This is the entrance to the Jewish Community Center. It is really a small but well designed building that suits us fine. The AA group meets on Thursday night after UUFSC's choir rehearsal. The Writer's Collective use to meet weekly but is now on hiatus.

 

The homes and businesses that are fortunate enough to have mature trees and plants have  added curb appeal.

 

Driveway outside JCC

 

The grounds of JCC are well kept and have a few mature plants that add character.

(below) This is the street that runs directly in front of JCC.

 

Sign outside JCC

 

Side view of JCC. It has a small courtyard that is seldom used.

 

This is the Mormon meeting place. I have not been inside yet. I hope to visit and introduce myself.

 

This is the local Mosque that is around the corner from JCC

 

Sign that leads to Mosque

 

Sand Castle on the Beach are some rentals for tourists and visitors. I have visited a couple of times hanging out with friends. I recently went swimming on their beach. It is in walking distance from where I live.

I am Back!

I have fallen in love with my new life and home in St. Croix. Since moving here in July, 2012 I have found a lovely duplex to rent, began a beautiful garden, found satisfying employment to pay the bills, settled in with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship where I serve as part time minister, and hosted my daughter Kaleema who has moved here from Atlanta. I am now awaiting a visit next week from my sister Betty.

While I have accomplished much (like learning to swim), and adjusting to my new surroundings,  I have had a technologically challenging year. As a result I have not been able to blog for over a year. I have had the misfortune of loosing vital information when two flash drives  became corrupted. Also, I have had to replace my lap top and PC. But what St. Croix is really hard on are cars. I have had to buy an entire set of new tires. I have had several flat tires since I have been here. The roads are so bad ones car is constantly in need of alignments. I live on one end of the island and work on the other end of the island. So I drive the entire distance of the island twice a day. The island is 84 square miles and 22 miles (another source states 28 miles long). The widest point of the island is a little more than six miles (another source stated seven miles wide). :)

But I am Back and it feels good! I cannot attempt to catch up on all the developments in this one post. Just today I down loaded all the pictures that I have been taking over the year.

Here are a few to whet your appetite.

Question: What grabs your passion and attention and takes your breath away?

Don't ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive and go do it!
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Howard Thurman, theologian

Rev. Qiyamah hangin' out at Government House!

 

Recently. ,my daughter, Kaleema, was one of the guest speakers for the Department of Education's Parent's University held at the Educational Complex. Afterwards they had a reception at Government House,

Kaleema reviewing her notes for her presentation.

Kaleema came to visit me in February and I referred her to an attorney friend who works for Legal Services. They ended up offering her a position as Legal Secretary making the same salary I am making as a Medical Social Worker. The position was originally for several months because a staff person was on maternity leave. Her contacts put her in touch with court personnel and a Judge ended up offering her a position as Law Clerk.

 

 

 

 

We are soaking up the Crucian culture. These are dancers that performed at the Government House reception. These dances and costumes date back to slavery.  

 

 

Rev. Qiyamah - I am holding an award that was presented to me by the National Association of Social Workers local chapter recognizing my 28 years of social work. The quilt on the wall is the first quilt that I have purchased (in Chicago). The one on the bench is one of two that my mother gave me that my grandmother made.

 

What a colorful picture! My home is surrounded with colors and textures as you will see from the pictures below!

 

 

The first few months that I was in St. Croix after I bought furniture I was always arranging and rearranging. But now I have found a flow and I have begun to focus on my garden. That is a

future post that I will do! The above and below pictures are my living room which is one big open space with the dining room and the kitchen. I love the openness of the space and the light. 

My living room above and below taken from different angles. While I do not "entertain" currently, I knew that I wanted furniture that would be conducive for conversations and gatherings, hence the three sofas (one is actually a sleeper sofa for guests and family that I hope will visit. I have another in the guest bedroom/office).

This room below is my bedroom. Before my daughter came to stay with me I did not have a desk or computer in my bedroom. It was strictly for sleeping. That has changed and she is moving into her own place soon and I wonder whether the desk and computer and printer will go back into the second bedroom. This is not merely a preference but many experts believe that the bedroom should be strictly for sleeping and meditation and love making!

 

The walls are all cement. I had to buy a drill and my friend,  John (my official handyman) and I spent endless hours putting up pictures and shelves in the office for books and papers and assorted artifacts around the house.

 

Across the street from me are the Marley  Housing Projects. I have plans one day of forming working relationships with residents and being involved in community building efforts. Thus I intentionally moved to this location. If you look where John's head is you will see the blue waters of the ocean that is in walking distance from where I live. This was a big incentive to learn to swim. My next goal is to learn to sail!

 

My bedroom from different angles.

 

 

(Above) This is the dining area and to the right is the sink and cabinets. I have a front porch and back porch. I just ordered a stackable washer and dryer. I was spending so much time in the laundry mat that I was willing to pay the outrageous price so that I could in between washing be at home multi-tasking! :)