Hazel and Mummy have known each other for most of their lives; infact she is regarded as my sisters' and my 'second' mother. As long as I can remember, Hazel was there :)

She has exquiste taste in clothes and I'm proud to say out fitted my entire ensemble for my graduation from High School AND 6th form {and when I say entire, I mean ENTIRE; I dressed completely from each of the packages she posted to me (from New York to St. Vincent) JUST for those two special ocassions without need for me to find anything else}. I was the envy of all my friends at the graduation balls because I looked stunning!!! Yup, I was a diva thanks to Hazel (Yaaay!!!!)

Before Mummy migrated to the USA, whenever the family made trips to New York, we stayed at one address ONLY - Hazel's home. That was our home away from home. We were always warmly welcomed and felt so comfortable that it never dawned on us that we were away from St. Vincent. She had all the vincie food that one could find at home (St. Vincent) in her New York home AND still does to this day!!!! So I guess you can say that although Hazel no longer lives in St. Vincent, she NEVER TRULY left. lol Further, Hazel still maintains her Vincie accent to this day; one will wonder if she ever stepped foot off the isand. hahaha

Hazel currently runs two very successful day care centres in Brooklyn, New York, her adopted home for over 30 years now!!! She has one son, Alex, who is the same age as me and we usually refer to ourselves as fraternal twins:) She is a devout Christian for many many years and is a very active member of her church.

Nicki, as she prefers to be called and is actually better known as, and I were in the same graduating Mona medical class of 1997.

From I have known Nicki, she has been a bundle of joy to be around; always smiling and laughing............ always happy. She is bright, intelligent, fun, loving, caring, funny and unpretentious. She LOVES entertaining and makes a fabulous hostess. She has always been fond of dogs and currently has 6 of them!!!! I can recall Alex, her dog and companion whilst in medical school. He was more like her child than a pet; he went to the groomers regularly; ate only the recommended dog food (no table scraps) and went EVERYWHERE with Nicki :) All who knew Nicki, knew Alex and that an absolute requirement to have Nicki around was to ALSO have Alex around too.

Nicki, a Jamaican by birth and the third child of a St. Lucian father and Jamaican mother, is curently an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Consultant who practices in Castries, St. Lucia. She is the proud mother of Matthew, a delightful, bright and polite happy little boy - rare traits these days.

Nicki and I best recall our Carnival celebrating days and numerous nights out where once I had had my favourite drink: vodka and soda, I was always told to say no to ANY question directed at me lol. We brought in many a dawn dancing the night away.......... Can't say I do any of these things any more however - too grown now lol

We hooked up just recently after about 7 years and it was just like we last saw each other the week before!!!! It was awesome to meet up with you, Nicki, and I look forward to seeing you in three weeks time, at the wedding.

Marisa and I hooked up in 2003 when we were assigned to the same team during our surgical training at Kinston Public Hospital. We got along well together on the team and quickly grew to become close friends.

We spent many a lunch together that culminated with a 7 o'clock movie at the local cinema. We were well known at several of our favourite restaurants in Liguanea and Halfway Tree for our 'healthy' appetites and would be greeted with "The usual today?" lol

Marisa is as skilllful in the kitchen as she is at ordering from a three star restaurant's menu. She loves to entertain whether at home or to take you out to a restaurant meal; both equally enjoyable. Her junior trainee staff is very appreciative of her generosity in this respect as she delights in breaking the academic monotomy with an outing - usually at a classy restaurant.

We consider ourselves almost twin sisters as our birthdays are only one day apart and so we usually celebrated them together :) We also think alike in many respects and share many similar qualities. We find ourselves thousands of miles apart and yet still text the same idea to each other simultaneously on numerous occasions too many to count.

Marisa is a Paediatric Surgery Consultant and practices in her hometown of Georgetown, Guyana.

Marsha Marsha (as I fondly call her) and I met in in 2007 and we quickly became close friends after a short stinct at working together. She was the Ward Sister in charge of one of the surgical wards I worked on at Kingston Public Hospital, Jamaica.

Marsha and I share a closeness few can lay claim to. We have been stalwarts of support to each other for several years now and counting. She can lay claim to making me on too many occasions a deliciously nutritious meal; something my schedule otherwise rarely allows me; and for which I am grateful. In turn, I eat every morsel lovingly made.

She is one of the hardest working and caring nurses I have ever met and it is obvious that not only does she love her work, but that she excels at it. She exhibits the highest of leadership qualities and is always willing to go that extra mile for her nursing colleagues as well as her patients who both respect her to the highest degree. She shows great initiative and never complains even during difficulties. These are only a few of the many traits that Marsha has that makes me admire her as much as I do.

Marsha is happily married to her best friend and greatest love, Duane Francis, who himself is an accomplished poet and teacher. He also is a master at software engineering and public speaking; the latter earning him numerous friendships in a vast array of fields. He has kindly consented to treat us at the wedding with some of his gifts by being the master of ceremonies and entertaining us with some of his award-winning poetry.

Marsha and Duane are both proud and patriotic Jamaicans; however, they currently live and work in Nassau, Bahamas.

Dr. Munroe is one of THE MOST respected surgeons in the Bahamas and indeed, the region. I heard about his exceptional attributes whilst still in Jamaica.

On arrival to The Bahamas, I soon became an ardent admirer of his surgical skills and indeed, the TRUE surgeon that he is. His dedication to the art, his desire to impart knowledge to both medical personel and his patients, the way he relates to his patients and colleagues and his deep love of surgery are highly sought mentorship qualities by many; myself included.

Since here in Nassau, I have had the opportunity, but more think of it as a priviledge, to work with Dr. Munroe. He taught me so much and not only am I now a better surgeon academically but also technically with higher quality skills. Because of him, I have grown as a person and as such have become more well-rounded.

Thank you Sir; you have done for me more than you shall ever know. I only pray that I can live up to your expectations - which I know are of the highest standards because mediocrity is not in your vocabulary. 

The people of The Bahamas are fortunate and blessed to have you.

Dennis is the proud father of three daughters: Lisa, Joanne (affectionately called Jo) and Katherine (Kat). He shares a special bond with all three of them and it is apparent as soon as you see them together. He regularly meets up with them whether for an outing or a visit to each other's home where a nice time is always to be had.

He also boasts about his four grandchildren: Hanna, Molly, George and Billy. They are delightful and a joy to be around. They are obviously well 'brought up' (as we say in the islands) and as a result, society has much to look forward to. They are wished the VERY best indeed.

Den is also 'friends' with his sons-in-law: Ian, Duncan and Danny - a token of how truly awesome they all are.

Christine (affectionately called Chris): devout wife, loving and doting mom and grandmother of the century is sadly no longer PHYSICALLY here but shall ALWAYS remain an important and remembered part of this family. (XOXOXO)

This is a common feature to see Den and his 'girls' having fun together

Aaaaawwwwwww!!!!!!!

Obvious from the pic, isnt it :)

Our family know WITH good reason why being together is so important and should never be taken for granted

On one of our trips........

Shaun and I went through medical school together and have kept in touch since.

He is a great friend: For graduation from medical school, we were both working together on the same team. We had to choose who will get the week of graduation off and the other, the week after graduation. Shaun volunteered to take the week AFTER graduation allowing me and my family to attend my graduation and spend that important time together. Friends like this are PRICELESS!!!!!!!

Shaun currently practices Internal Medicine in Brighton, UK where he is highly respected and well-liked.

He is honoured to have Tanya as his faithful and devoted wife, companion and best friend and the proud father of three gorgeous children: Kimberly; Shaun Jay and Crystal.

Shaun is the only son of Dorielle Griffith, a delightful young woman whom I particularly find engaging and sweet.

Poe and I hooked up 18 months ago during a pre-exam course in the UK but it feels like we've known each other a lifetime! We hit it off from the beginning; helping each other whilst we studied together and encouraging each other whenever the other started to lose the zest to press on.

We both have since been successful in those exams and Poe is now in residency in Radiology in Sheffield, UK. This she pursues whilst completing a Masters degree in neuroscience. The child is just brilliant I tell you!!! And she is a darling; sweet, beautiful and so delicate - just like the Chanel purses she so loves AND......... collects!!!!

Poe originally hails from Burma and is an only child to her much beloved parents who still reside in Burma.

Siddiqua I also met at a pre-exam course in the UK only 10 short months ago. She is so full of life and always brings out the best in you. We were also study mates and I have yet to meet another less selfless person; she held nothing back and delighted in sharing her knowledge and information.

Siddiqa is from Saudi Arabia and challenged tradition by studying medicine and now pushes it to the extreme by pursuing a career in surgery!!!!! Go girlfriend!!!!

Siddiqa currently resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband and handsome son of three years.

Both sadly would not be able to attend the wedding but I have already received my best wishes and screams of joy and excitement from them both!!! lol 

We were amazed by the awesome yet beautiful sink hole just behind us. Really is wonderful to share with family......... and friends

Rose, as she is better known, and I were neighbours whilst I was in medical school in Jamaica; so we have been friends since 1995!!!! Long time....... :)

When Rose got engaged to her now husband, I was sooo happy for her. I remember her telling me, "look how long I've waited to find the right guy"; she was 39 years old at the time. And she reassured me that the time it takes is of little consequence; it is that you find the right life partner.

So low and behold, I get engaged at 39 also!!!!!! She was so excited for me.

Rose is now a Registered Nurse in Kingston, Jamaica; having pursued her second career but first love of nursing after giving up over 10 years of banking. Amazing aptitude and fortitude!!!!!!

She spends much of her time nurturing her two wonderful children: a daughter, Justeene and son, Zane.

Touring the islands of the Bahamas we found was a good way we spent our time together

My mother's mom, Granny, as she was affectionately known, was a very wise woman. She is however no longer with us and deeply missed.

Many a day, I came home from school, my head full of facts and excitedly gushing the info out to 'teach' Granny - only to find she already knew the answers despite never going to school herself.

Here is one particular instance that I fondly recall:

I had just learnt about phloem and xylem at school and how they contributed to the nutrition of the plant. So I rushed home and quizzed Granny on how can one kill a tree without cutting it down? Her answer was to cut a ring of bark from around the tree trunk. Yet again, she was correct!!!!! The wisdom of our forefathers could NEVER be surpassed.

Rest in peace, Granny dear............... Love youuuuuuuuu..........

Priceless photo!!!!!!

Can any one decipher the individuals in the pic????

The Good ole days, eh?

Blast from the past!!!!!!!!!

Vaughn and I met in 1989 at 6th form. He was the tallest darkest and handsomest guy in the class and I was the short, tiny slim girl with the biggest mouth :)

Vaughn is a natural born genius -although he hates when people make a fuss about him in this respect. Whenever I watch 'The Big Bang theory" series show, and see Sheldon, I'm reminded of Vaughn EVERYTIME: intelligent; sweet; loveable with a hint of eccentricity which in my opinion, makes him the awesome person he is and all who know him wouldn't want him to be any other way.

Vaughn is currently the Deputy manager at the sole electricity company in St. Vincent, having obtained a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering at Dundee University, Scotland. He is well respected by ALL - workers AND the public alike as he is known for his fairness and impartiality. He genuinely is concerned about the welfare of his employees and has an open door policy for all concerns.

I was impressed by this story about Vaughn: As happens in ANY small island, we ALL know that power surges are frequent; unpredictable and damaging to one's electrical equipment yet, the companies NEVER take responsibility - EXCEPT for Vaughn of course. Apparently, one of these surges knocked out several needed computers in one of the top secondary schools in St. Vincent only a few weeks before external exams were due. Upon being brought to his attention, Vaughn organized full replacement of the computers in good enough time thereby facilitating the successful sitting of the exams of numerous students. Quite a herculean task considering he had to ship stuff into a small island on extremely short notice; but of course, it had to be done and ...... as such, WAS done!!!! Kudos Vaughn!!!!

Vaughn is an astute believer in God and has been blessed with a loving and beautiful wife, Ronette and two wonderful children: Najah and Ethan

One of my oldest yet dearest friends, Pat and I go waay back to first form High School (1984).We were also neighbours and I spent quite a lot of time at her house drinking the most delicious cherry juice that her Granny (now dearly departed) used to make from their cherry tree in the back yard. Mmmmmhhhhhhhh yum yum; I can still taste it now....

Pat and I share a common ground where we have overcome several major obstacles in life. We supported each other throughout and to be truthful, we consider ourselves the fourth sibling in each of our families (we both are middle children in families of three daughters). Yup, we have qute a lot more in common than many think.

Whilst in med school in Jamaica, Pat and I had some great times. There was one particular occasion when both of our funding for school was really late and we decided to splurge at THAT time by going to KFC with our coin jars where we counted out JUST enough to get a combo meal that we shared.LOL

I remember when I had JUST got my driver's licence and to celebrate, Pat decides that to rent a car and drive from Kingston to Ocho Rios (2 hour trip) was the way to go. I was scared out of my mind; on the highway for the first time EVER in my life driving!!!! There was Pat in the passenger seat, shades in place and both feet on the dash board completely at home whilst I'm sweating bullets. We took four hours to get to Ocho Rios (yes, peeps, using the same route everyone else who takes 2 hours use) and had a fantastic time there before heading back to Kingston. That was a boost to my confidence level and made driving not so much a challenge thereafter. Thanks Pat!!!!!!!

Pat is married to Elliott Williams and lives in St. Kitts. She is the PAHO coordinator for HIV research and policy in the Caribbean and great at her job. Elliott and her are perfect compliments of each other............

Just ONE of many milestones Trace and I shared.........................

Amrie is also my oldest and dearest friend (1984). We mwt in first form High School and have always been there for each other since.

Amrie is a stalwart in my eyes; her christian faith is unwavering; her personality is one of always being optimistic even in the middle of a crissis. I have there with Amrie during crisis of mine AND her own; she is NEVER dishevelled!!!!! Perfect demeanour for her job as a Consultant pyschiatrist. :)

She is the loving and proud mother of two daughters whom she nurtures with her devoted husband, Anthony.

The only child of her mom, she is the apple of her eye and quite deserving of that title.

In deed, she is well liked by EVERYONE who knows her and we are all blessed and delighted to know her and be her friend.

God continue to bless you and yours..................

Amrie is also my oldest and dearest friend (1984). We mwt in first form High School and have always been there for each other since.

Amrie is a stalwart in my eyes; her christian faith is unwavering; her personality is one of always being optimistic even in the middle of a crissis. I have there with Amrie during crisis of mine AND her own; she is NEVER dishevelled!!!!! Perfect demeanour for her job as a Consultant pyschiatrist. :)

She is the loving and proud mother of two daughters whom she nurtures with her devoted husband, Anthony.

The only child of her mom, she is the apple of her eye and quite deserving of that title.

In deed, she is well liked by EVERYONE who knows her and we are all blessed and delighted to know her and be her friend.

God continue to bless you and yours..................