Leola in the Morning

Sunday, July 15, 2018

This is nuts, but for as pumped up as I was for this trip, (I even set 2 alarms, one for 4:15 and one for 4:30 just to give myself enough time to be ready and early for my 7:05 flight to San Juan), I over slept! Never in my life have I missed a flight because I overslept. I’ve been rushed because I snoozed one too many times, but honest to God, never ever have I totally missed a flight because I overslept! Arrrggggg!

Somehow when I doubled checked my phone alarm before I went to bed, I must have inadvertently turned the darn things off. Both of them! Tod woke me up at 6:00 AM and said, “It’s 6:00 AM.” I couldn’t believe it, I’m usually awake between 5:00 and 5:30, but for some reason, the one day I really needed my internal alarm to get me going, it didn’t.  I was rushing around thinking, there is a slight chance I could still make it. Tod made the half hour drive to DFW in about 15 minutes, but it was to no avail, they wouldn’t let me check a bag. I was already checked in and if I wouldn’t have had a bag to check I likely would have made it (well at least I would have had a chance), but, I did have a bag and they wouldn’t check it so close to the scheduled departure time. Damn the luck. The next flight I could get was at 4:40 PM with a 10:34 arrival into San Juan which put me in Aguada at 1:35 AM.  I shouldn’t complain, at least it was the same day….

These girls are the two main reasons for my trip, everyone else I get to see will be a bonus! Leola Brooks and Lalita (Claudia) Salas Aguilar.

 Monday, July 16, 2018

I didn’t even try to make it to the 6:00 AM sunrise yoga, but I did go to a few classes and saw a few people I had worked. I’ll introduce you to a few: Carolyn Marin was teaching the morning “Ann Wigmore” class. She was the first person I saw that I knew. Carolyn is a colon therapist and came to the Institute on and off to fill in whenever we needed the help. (Sort of like a substitute teacher.) She and her husband Luis Marin (a professional photographer) are from New York.

One time we contacted Lue to do the photo shoot for Lalita’s first book, “Candida Health Through Living Foods”.  It was her first book, my first time being a ghost writer, but luckily it was not Lue’s first time doing a food shoot. I think we spent a week shooting. Manuel would prepare it, I would arrange it, and Luis took the photos. Of course, we had no studio, so we used one of the massage rooms and somehow, Lue made it work. There were many times he would send me back downstairs to the student kitchen to look for a different plate or bowl or to get props. He is a protectionist, but, in the end, it was well worth it, the photos came out beautiful.

 

Luis is still taking pictures and Carolyn is teaching classes and giving colonics, along with their 3 sons, they live in Puerto Rico full time and have been a blessing to the institute. Neither one of them seem to have age a bit in the last 9 years! How is that fair! Must be all that raw living food!

The shoot for “Candida Health Through Living Foods” was upstairs in a converted massage room and the food prep was downstairs in the student kitchen. I can’t tell you how many times I ran up and down those stairs rearranging food displays.   This picture is my favorite photo from the book, it’s Berry Flake Cookies with Almond Milk. The little hand belongs to Oliver Marin, Carolyn and Lue’s oldest son.

Next, I ran into Kaelash (pronounced like eyelash except with a K) he was teaching the Breathing and Relaxation class. He teaches several classes including Yoga and Feldenkrais. Kaelash travels the world giving seminars and teaching by invite at many holistic health retreats. He is originally from Germany and other than Puerto Rico has lived in California and more recently, Brazil. He, his wife, and both of their sons speak German, English, Spanish and Portuguese. (I felt incompetent not being able to speak Spanish, now I really feel inept with my lack of linguistic skills!) At least Kaelash recognized me and was very happy and surprised to see me. He was laughing and hugging me and said, “You show up unannounced!” I replied, “Well, I did tell Leola I was coming.” He said, “I guess she must have forgot to tell me.” (LOL)

This brings me to Leola. If you recall, she was one of the main reasons I came rushing back to Puerto Rico. I had called her a few times before I made the trip telling her I was so happy to track her down and to see if there was anything at all that` I could bring her. She couldn’t think of anything, so I told her, “Just think about it and I’ll call Saturday morning.”

I told Tod, “Leola is going to ask me to bring her apples. I don’t remember what kind, but she will want apples.” I know it sounds crazy, of all the things to ask for, why apples? I understood, and remember how precious organic apples were in Puerto Rico, expensive and hard to come by. Leola’s daughter Anita used to send her boxes of apples and Leola would cut up an apple (yes a single apple) and share it with a few of us lucky ones. (I’m not kidding, apples were a hot item and we felt honored she would share this precious treat with us.) Sure enough, when I called Leola back on Saturday morning, she asked for organic fuji apples. You would think they were the most nutritious of apples, but no, that’s not why at all. It is simply because Leola loves the taste of fuji apples. It was funny really, when we were saying our goodbyes, I was saying, “I can’t wait to see you!” and at the exact same time, Leola was saying, “I can’t wait to taste apples!” I burst out laughing realizing where I stood compared to the precious apples!

Monday morning, I knocked on the open door and walked into Leola’s house. She was at the table drinking wheatgrass juice with Marilyn Pinder and some cute little Indian woman, (I later found out that her name is Vatsala and she lives with Leola. Vatsala also brings the students wheatgrass juice after yoga).

I’m emotional and tear up a little when I see Leola and go over to hug her. She gives me a hug then says, “Who are you?” Needless to say, I was shocked, and more than a bit put out! So, I tried to explain without laughing or crying, “Leola, remember me? I’m Michele Jarvey, I worked here with you and Lalita. I was the executive director for 3 years. Don’t you remember me?” Leola replied, “Well Michele yes, but I thought you were the other Michelle.” I wasn’t sure if she really remembered me, but by now she was a little flustered too. So, what are you going do about that situation? I just smile and shake my head, the person I came to see doesn’t remember or recognize me and I realize that the phone calls I made to her she had no idea who I was. I told Leola I would stop back tomorrow.  (Hopefully it goes better.)

Miss Leola Brooks originally from California came to Puerto Rico to work for 3-months. Ann Wigmore the legend and the founder of The Living Foods Lifestyle had pestered her to come and work in the kitchen and eventually Leola gave in and left Optimum Health in California and headed to Puerto Rico for her 3-month job at AWNHI. Truthfully, I don’t know how many years ago that was, but definitely it was over 25, and Leola, well she is still coming back every season. I remember a long conversation with Leola in July of 2006. I had told her and Lalita that I was committed to staying for 1 year. And I also remember her telling me this story and giving me a sly little smile. (My 1 year lasted 3 years, I guess things really do move slower on Island Time.)

Leola did remember me, I think I just frazzled her because she thought I was the colon therapist named Michelle when she spoke with me on the phone and really after 9 years, I just took her off guard. (She was wondering how Michelle the colon therapist) knew she loved apples. It was and is really great to spend time with Leola, she has the most loving forgiving heart can always see the best in every person she meets.