Month: August 2014
Lessons, Learning, Loving
I have lived on my farm in Colombia, South America for over three years now, and what a learning experience it has been! When I first moved into Villa Migelita, I was not pleased with the way life on the farm was turning out. I had moved from a house in a small thriving city that I could walk down and get bread in the morning, or go to the pizza place at night. I had access to a store with fruits and vegetables, most anything I could need. I had neighbors and family nearby. My quest for the perfect farm was fun. We looked a lot; it was interesting and the farms were all beautiful, but they all had something that I did not like or not suitable for my needs. Then one day I saw Villa Migelita. I knew from the moment I set my eyes on my Villa she was the one I had searched for. She was old; close to 100 years on this earth. She was in need of lots of renovation, but her basic structure was so perfect it reminded me of Italian Villa’s that I had seen during my travels as a flight attendant. Then I took some photo’s and one photo had an orb in the picture and I knew this was my deceased daughter Misha telling me this was my farm, the one I had searched for; a clear sign from her. I made an offer and soon was the proud owner of Villa Migelita.
January of 2012 was the month I finally accomplished my life long dream of retiring in the mountains, a dream I have had since spending summers in Tennessee as my children grew up. Villa Migelita had basic renovations completed before my move. Her rooms were all painted; along with adding large windows throughout the house. All the views surrounding her were magnificent. She still needed much work, but living there would be fine; or so I thought. My first months were a learning experience. Colombia has two seasons; rainy and dry. There is no real seasonal change here in my department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. I loved the temperature immediately upon moving in. Very chilly in the mornings and evenings; enough to always need a jacket, but then by the middle of the day comfortable without a jacket and no need of air conditioning. The doors and windows were always open with the fresh breeze flowing throughout my home. My animals were thrilled with the wide open spaces they had to wander the farm, and the dogs loved the walks they took with me while I discovered the mountains and rivers nearby. Sounds perfect; but then little things started happening that I was not so happy with. The rain would cause mud, mud would be all over the house, patio and my laundry area as my dogs would walk in it and carry mud wherever they went. One day I was down in the laundry area and there were little worms everywhere! I was horrified. My gas water heater did not work with the plumbing and would either let out scalding water or not work and the water would be ice-cold. The first week I threw a tantrum of sorts after not having a hot shower. I look back at that morning and laugh now. It was a simple fix of just buying electric shower heads. The construction was ongoing, and I knew things would get better, however I was neglecting to see the beauty around me and focusing on the annoyances. Going to get groceries or going to a restaurant seemed a far distance now. I thought to myself “Could I have misjudged my love of solitude and life in the mountains?” I started to dislike the rain, even though I have always loved rainy days. I started to feel lonely, even though I have always loved spending time without a lot of people around. I started to second guess myself. Along with that I had not been to the States for a very long time and I missed my friends and family. I booked a trip to the USA to get a taste of my old life.
Going to the States was exactly what I needed. I was not used to the big highways and hectic lifestyle of the United States,I realized this the minute I drove my rental car on I-95 from Miami International Airport. YIKES. My first big wake-up was getting used to the traffic I encountered. I had lived in Colombia for over a year and had gotten used to small towns, simple living and nature. I will admit the Colombian’s drive crazy, but the roads in the city are small and when I drive I go slow and take my time; if you do not drive slow you will hit a bicycle, horse-drawn carriage, wheelchair, pedestrian or someone pushing a cart with fruits or juice for sale! Another thing I noticed immediately was no one really looks you in the eye in Florida (and anywhere I travel when in the States), nor do they say hello when you walk into an office or store. In Colombia it is considered impolite to not acknowledge others when in offices or entering any building or business. This is a cultural difference between the two countries. I had forgotten that the people of the USA are more involved with their phones and electronic devices than connecting to the world by smiling and even just looking up from their phones. I had been just like this when I lived in Florida, my phone was always in my hand wherever I went. I have a little phone now in Colombia, it is a basic Nokia you all had in the 1990’s! I have a pre-paid phone without internet in the States. I had completely lost the habit of constantly being online, I had changed from my old ways to a new way of thinking and living. I did enjoy running to the drug store, or going to the super stores of all kinds. We do have some huge stores in Cali, Colombia along with malls and huge construction stores in both Palmira and Cali, however it is never a short drive to them like it is in the States. I found the shopping fun while I was back in Florida, but again it was so impersonal. The crowds inside all the stores would make me feel anxious. This was new to me; almost like I had never lived and grown up in South Florida. How did I change so quickly and forget the way I used to live? Colombia was my way of life now and by returning to South Florida I was able to see this clearly.
When I came home to Villa Migelita, my animals were all awaiting me with such love. I saw that some changes had taken place with a fence being constructed around the patio to help keep the mud at bay when it rained. The garbage from all the continuing construction had been burned and taken away. The little worms that had appeared never came back. The laundry room had been organized and cleaned up perfectly, and it was huge. I now had a perfect place to feed the animals and keep cleaning supplies. I will admit that I missed a dryer when I first moved up to the mountains. In the small town where I had rented before moving, the house had a laundry area inside and the clothes dried quickly on the line. During rainy season it can take a couple of days for clothes to dry on the line. I got used to it, and now I would never even consider owning a dryer. I like the way I can just take my clothes right from the line on a hanger and put them in my closet. I also realized I was a minimalist now. I have no need for a bunch of new clothes or the latest electronic device. I am so backward I have no idea how to work an I pad and am just now considering buying one. I know that sounds funny to everyone, but it is how I live. My trip to the States gave me a lesson I needed to see. I really loved the life I now was living in the mountains and I just could not see it when I first moved into a house that still needed a lot of work. When I came back I had a learned a valuable lesson; I was not whom I used to be, I was evolving and sometimes when we evolve we need a wake-up call to see just that!
So now I am almost done with the last phase of construction at Villa Migelita. Villa Migelita has been a work in progress for 2 plus years. I have become one with nature. I have made my outside farm beautiful by hiring a farm manager that keeps the flowers and plants in perfect condition. I have a huge front entrance gate that will have a sign welcoming my guests of my soon to open Bed and Breakfast. The entrance road to my house is lined with blooming flowers. I have hummingbird feeders everywhere. I have two beautiful kiosko’s that are perfect places to sit and read a book, while hummingbirds buzz by you. Hammocks are all around to take a little siesta. My lake was repaired and the landscaping is now full of plants I picked out and they are flourishing. I have acquired a menagerie of animals, and they all leave peacefully with each other. The mud problem is no longer an issue; but my dogs do have dirty feet sometimes and I don’t care. They are my loves; they are my friends. I have learned to let go of things that took me a lifetime to learn. I have learned to let go and let be. As I write this I look outside at the hummingbirds feeding and resting on the lemon tree. I have no desire to return to fancy clothes, jewelry and cars. I do not think there is anything wrong with that lifestyle, I lived it for years. I just like this lifestyle better. I have learned to love solitude. I have learned to love and appreciate seeing a butterfly land on my finger, or a hummingbird fly inside to visit me, which you can view here. 
I have realized the longer I live here in the mountains of Colombia the closer I am to accomplishing my dream of a Bed and Breakfast. This dream was always in my thoughts when I first moved to Villa Migelita. I was always considering this dream in the back of my mind as I continued to update my home. Then one day I decided to go for it. After all I had been a flight attendant for years and I love people, getting to know new friends, and entertaining in my home. What better way to do that than to bring people to see what I have accomplished in a short period? To show others you can fulfill your secret desires even when faced with crippling pain like the death of my daughter. Now I am so close to opening, it will happen soon. I am ready. I have no more frustrations or second guessing. I have only optimism for my future. I have learned to love myself for the person I have become since the past sadness I have endured. I want to show others it is not necessary to let life’s worst circumstances take you down. My future is firmly embedded here in the mountains of Colombia. I will prevail. This is Villa Migelita now. This is the view from the 4th floor balcony which looks out over the valley. 
Villa Migelita is a two short months from completion. My website is http://www.villamigelita.com with all the information in the tabs. I will have more pictures soon, but you can always look at my Facebook page Villa Migelita for continuing updates on the progress of the Bed and Breakfast and more of fun videos of my life and my animals
in the mountains of Colombia.
A Psychic/Medium Visits Villa Migelita
When the Medium arrived at Villa Migelita we went to the stables and into a small private room that is part of this building which is separate from my main house. She wanted complete silence and privacy. She had me sit in a chair across from her. I will not show how she does her readings as that is knowledge she has from generations before her. She prays before every name presented and acknowledges her gift is from God. She is very religious. She speaks very quietly when she talks, it was hard to hear her at times. She is a bit of everything; psychic, healer, and medium. My experience was well worth the time and was absolutely fascinating to me; she told me things she had no way of knowing. She was spot on with much of what she said to me. It is important for everyone who reads this to know that she did not enter my main house until after the session, she had no views of any photo’s in my house. She did not know my name until I told it to her. She speaks Spanish only and would not have access to any history of me through my social media nor had she seen my Facebook pages. Everything I write is as she told it to me.
She started by telling me things about my health. She mentioned I had pain in my legs, that this pain awoke me at night. I do get cramps at night in my feet and calves that make me jump out of bed. She mentioned my head, asking what caused me the discomfort I experience? This of course is vertigo, which I have struggled with for almost one year. She mentioned I had some back problems from an accident long ago, but felt I was doing better with that pain. All true so far. She said she saw money around me, money people are trying to hide from me, which made me think of my daughter’s death and the guy who killed her. She saw a dark-skinned person in my life, saying he was the color of her skin. She saw protective spirits always near me, they watched over me. She said signs surrounded me that came to me as messengers. She wanted to know who the beautiful child with coffee-colored skin was? She said she was lovely and that she felt her presence in my aura. I did not answer her questions as I had more people to ask about, and did not want to give her any information. She saw success around me, she mentioned that many people would be visiting her beautiful country because of me. She said there was someone from my past that wished harm to me and my new life, but not to worry as he was not a person of God and bad karma would come to him from many things he has done. She said this person had recently cheated me with money that involved my former home in the United States. This really shocked me because I had just found this out. She saw a deep sadness, but also strength inside my heart. She said I moved to her country for peace, and that I would find it here in Colombia. She described me as a flower opening to the fullness of life. She finished with me by saying she saw a person that looked like me but was younger who was strongly present during her reading of me. She said she sends you messages through hummingbirds and butterflies, and just then a hummingbird flew inside the dark little room and stayed for a moment. I had chills.
I gave her my daughter’s name next. She had to repeat her name a few times to pronounce it correctly. Then she was quiet for a few minutes and said “She is not of this world, I sense cold.” She then repeated there is a dark-skinned person in her aura, the same color of my skin, he is the father of the child I saw before. She said “This is your daughter? She looks like you. She died from betrayal. She had bad people around her when she died.” She emphasized that “Misha wanted me to continue trying to get justice for her death.” She then described in great detail the night of the murder. She said there was involvement by the person whom she was trying to help, meaning the woman in the car that she saw get hit by a car that left the scene. You can read the article here. She said that the man who killed her could have swerved, but deliberately hit Misha with his car. She said Misha was told to stop by someone as she hurried to help the person in the car she saw get hit. She again repeated that Misha’s death was a deliberate act, she also was emphatic that another person was involved on the night of her death. Once again she said there was a lot of money around my daughter’s death that people were trying to hide from me. She said “This money is the reason that justice has not been served.” She wanted me to know Misha came to me the night of her death, that she woke me up as she left this Earth to go to the spiritual plane. She saw a lot of love around Misha but also a lot of regrets. She mentioned Misha wanted my grandchild with me more, and that she saw that happening in the future. She said Misha is with her daughter all the time, she even talked about a time when I was on the beach with Amaya. She mentioned I was with an old friend and that friend also knew my daughter when she was young. She said “Misha talked to Amaya that day, she told Amaya she was her guardian angel.” I had a very dear friend contact me the next day that she dreamt of Misha on the beach with Amaya and the dream was so real she had to tell me! She finished by saying Misha knew the man who killed her, that Misha had repeatedly tried to get this man to leave her alone. She did not say how they knew one another, but that Misha told him she was not interested in him. He was stalking Misha. She described the killer’s looks exactly, short, fat, with a name that sounded foreign. She ended the session about Misha by saying that as I always did in life Misha was counting on me to defend her in her death. She wants to see justice so she can rest in peace. The last thing she said floored me “Misha says a man who looks like you with blue eyes and white skin is going to help you get justice.” The only person she could be talking about is my best friend, a lawyer who has helped me from the beginning of this travesty, he will be attending the trial with me when it takes place. He has done so much to help me since her death I can never thank him enough.
Then we went on to my ex-husband’s name. She said “This man is very depressed. He has become mean and spiteful, his wife just left him.” “This is the same man I saw that cheated you with the house” She went on to say that he was “spreading horrible chisme (malicious gossip in Spanish) about his current wife, which he had done with me also, and that karma would take care of his treachery.” She said my ex was responsible for saying “lies about me and making my friends from my former job unkind to me because they believed the lies.” She asked ” Was I involved in work at some point that involved airplanes?” Wow. Just unbelievable. No one knew my ex’s current wife had left him and contacted me, nor how could she know I worked on airplanes? I gave her my son’s name next. She said “Your son is very angry with the world, he has never had help with his sister’s death.” I did not tell her Misha was his sister nor I was his mother! “He just moved to a new house and is very unhappy.” How could she know these things? “He loves you but he is so angry about the time of the divorce and his sister’s death.” “He will be back in your life when he is a bit older.” How could she know these things?
We talked about a lot of people in my life, I gave her names and she responded. I included my mother and father who are both deceased, my brother, and Misha’s best friend and roommate at the time of her death. She said my father went from this world angry with his death, that he had problems in and around his lung, which she used her hand to show me on herself. All about my father was true. She got my mother mixed with my brother saying there were a lot of strokes around my brother…but actually it was my mother who had many strokes. She said my mother was with everyone she loved, including Misha and that her sister had just joined her. Again, how could she know these things? She finished by emphasizing that Misha wanted me to continue to pursue and do what I am doing to bring the killer to trial. Her killer is free on bail, showing no remorse and posts regularly on his Facebook page always with a drink in his hand, smiling, flaunting his freedom. It makes my stomach turn to see his face. My daughter Misha would be alive but for his callous disregard for human life, leaving the scene after he hit her and then stopping a few miles later to change his tire, and then remove the front bumper of his car that was hanging from the impact of her body. Misha would be getting ready for her daughter to start 1st grade. Misha would be finished with the college degree she was working on. She would be done with all the stuff our children do while trying to find themselves, Misha would be mothering her daughter and moving forward in life. Her killer lives normally, without restrictions of any kind because of family money and influence in the state of Louisiana. I have tried everything to get a trial to go forth. I have had everyone write to the Victim’s Advocate. I asked everyone to write the District Attorney’s office and to the judge Honorable Trudy M White. I have traveled to Baton Rouge to publicize the lack of justice in her murder. There is an online petition which needs only 60 signatures to get to 1000 and then I will send it to the State’s Senator. All of this in my pursuit of justice for my daughter.. The petition is here and I ask you to please sign in remembrance of Mikel (Misha) Carson. There is a trial scheduled for September 2nd. I pray that my daughter will see the justice she deserves from above.
Hummings from Paradise 