Monday Meanderings

I haven't had much blogging time lately, and this week will have even less. We're heading to Sta. Rosa tomorrow for three days of heavy-duty cleaning, chopping wood for the heating stove and preparing the house for winter. Since we all know how sketchy the internet is out there with our 3G thingy, I don't know that I'll even try. Especially since the forecast is for cold, rainy, stormy kind of weather which makes it even less likely that we'll be able to get online.

Yesterday was anything but cold, rainy or stormy. I heard it even hit 31°C (88°F) -- absolutely gorgeous day!  The whole weekend was really beautiful.

We had a great time with our visitor, a student from Hillsdale College who's majoring in Spanish and doing a semester here in Cordoba. Hillsdale is our old stomping ground so it was fun catching up on people and places we had in common. She also attends our home church when she's at school so there are lots of connections. Next time she comes she's going to bring another student in the Spanish program (although the other girl is from a different college).

Anyway, back to Sta. Rosa...
Received the welcome news recently that the city is extending the water line out to our neighborhood (which is approximately 4 km from town). How exciting is that?! No more worrying that the well will run dry -- we had problems with really low water levels just last year.

We'll be able to pay half the hook-up fee at the beginning and divide the remainder into four payments, making it totally doable. Not sure when they plan to begin but we hope to find out while we're there this week.

My hope is that they'll soon follow with a gas line. You might hear shouts of HALLELUJA! all the way in the U.S. if that happens :-)  Now we use a wood burning stove (and it does a great job of heating the main area of the house) but the house is always SOOOOO COLD when we arrive in the winter and we have to get the fire started and keep our coats on for an hour or more until it starts warming up. I know what you're thinking: "Oh quitcherwhining!" But I will be beyond gleeful if (or should I say when?) the gas line is extended out our way. It would make it not only more comfortable for us, but also any guests who might want to use the house during winter.

I've heard from three different people that this winter is supposed to be exceptionally cold. NOT what I want to hear! [So I think I'll pretend I didn't.] It was surprising how the cold snap last week turned our area into a wonderland of amarillo -- every street has so many trees changing color that it's like walking or driving under a golden yellow canopy.

Fall is my favorite time of year! I love the cooler nights and mornings, being able to snuggle under the covers with just my nose peeking out, spending happy hours baking yummy treats and simmering pots of soup on the stove, taking long walks in the evening, drinking hot tea or cocoa...and especially sitting on the couch in the evening with an unfinished quilt on my lap while taking tiny (for me) stitches that bind the layers together to create something for someone I love.

That reminds me, I need to finish cutting out the project I'm taking to work on this week in Sta. Rosa. Dear friends just had a baby girl last week! (For those who know them, it's Roberto Colle and his wife; Valentina was born Wednesday.) Remembering how long it took to make the two baby quilts last year, I've chosen a simple Trip Around the World pattern, will use 5" squares AND I plan to tie it off rather than quilt it so it should go together quickly. Picking out fabric from my stash was easy... pink and yellow since I have two lovely floral prints as well as some smaller tone-on-tone fabrics in different shades. Hopefully I'll have a photo of the finished (or nearly finished) project on Sunday!