I thought I was getting up really early since it's still dark outside, with just a hint of light on the horizon. But when I opened my computer it informed me it's actually after 7 a.m. So I'm not feeling as virtuous as I had been ten minutes ago.
This means the days are getting shorter which makes me sad. School starts Monday so I knew summer was about over, but it's a whole 'nother thing to have it confirmed by the sun. Or lack thereof.
Anyway, this has been a crazy busy week with different folks arriving from hither and yon.
[Why did we ever do away with that phrase? Hither and yon rolls off the tongue so easily and describes so succinctly what we'd otherwise need a whole slew of words to say.]
Our area director and his wife arrived in Santa Rosa on Monday morning. Not only were we NOT at the bus station to meet them, we weren't answering our phone either. LOL The phone had turned itself off. Our area director said that was a likely story. But the hubby had told them about our friends who own a gomería just across from the bus terminal so they hauled their suitcases over there and our friends brought them out to the house. (In our defense, we didn't know what time their bus would get in.)
Our field leader and his family made it later in the day, pulling up at the house somewhat in awe of the fact that our directions actually got them there ☺ Exhausted (parents) and stir crazy (kids) after a twelve plus hour drive, they headed down to the river for a little exercise. And almost wept at the beauty. The poor things live in a dusty city in the far north of Argentina. The boys couldn't resist the lure of the water and were soaked -- and chilled -- when they made it back to the house in need of towels. It had been 105° the day before in Resistencia. I think it was probably 70° in Santa Rosa when they arrived.
We were back in Carlos Paz for a couple days in the middle of the week because I had to finish the calendar, get it printed and have the hubby deliver it to a nearby store to be bound. To say I miss having PageMaker is like saying southerners drink their tea sweet. You.Have.No.Idea. Trying to finish that calendar made me want to reach through the computer and strangle whoever invented iPages. It is SO NOT WYSIWYG! (trying very hard to get a handle on my emotions and calm down) But it's done, and I plan on never again offering to do anything requiring the use of such a program.
Then it was back to Santa Rosa for a day. A very long day. We left at 8 a.m. and returned around midnight. Our co-workers went also and we each met with the area director and field leader (and spouses) for The Dreaded Annual Review. Oh, I kid. If all companies handled their annual evaluations like this, there'd be multitudes of happy employees in the world. We pulled our lawn chairs up under a tree, sat in a cirlce and laughed ourselves silly for a couple of hours. Okay, okay, some of it was serious. For us it wasn't so much an evaluation (since we just got here) as a time of getting to know the other couples better and having them explain what's expected at future evaluations.
We also enjoyed a fabulous asado prepared by my female co-worker. Normally the asado is a man's job here in Argentina but the men were occupied with a meeting regarding serious issues and so the job was entrusted into the capable hands of A. She grilled the chicken and chorizos to perfection! We also feasted on tossed salad, potato salad, fresh bakery bread, and ice cream cake for dessert. Oh my, it was good.
Friday flew by in a frenzy of cleaning. Although we'd been gone most of the previous week, the house had accumulated a surprising amount of dust. I just don't get it. We don't live on a dirt road. Or even near a dirt road. So why does the dust pour in and settle everywhere as if we did? We swept and mopped the entire house, cleaned the bathroom, moved some furniture, mowed the lawn, did a lot of laundry... I say "we" when of course you know I did NOT mow nor did hubby do any laundry. It's simply a figure of speech. Because we DID do most of the work together.
And now we're ready for a crazy busy weekend. Our area director and his wife will be with us today. We're going to give them some sight seeing options and see what they'd prefer to do. Our co-workers will be hosting the field leader and his family, and later on picking up the general director of our mission when his plane lands in Cordoba this evening. Around 9 p.m. we'll all gather here at our house for asado. Sixteen of us.
More folks arrive tomorrow, still more on Monday, and on Tuesday the conference begins!
So I will probably be MIA most of the coming week, too. I doubt we'll have high speed internet at the hotel because it's up the valley in a wee little town. We'll have our 3G thingy but that is iffy, depending on cell reception. To say nothing of how busy they'll keep us through the week, leaving me no time to actually get online even if I could.
But like this past week, eventually I'll be back and catch up. I wasn't able to read many blogs in Sta. Rosa...talk about SLOW! -- some pages just would not load and kept timing out. That just means when I do get back, I'll have a veritable feast of funnies and heartwarming stories to read. I know y'all won't disappoint ☺
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Best Buds are always there for each other
While skyping with the daughter early last week her cell phone rang, and she took the call when she saw it was from a good friend in Michigan. When she came back to skyping she was pretty excited -- she's going to be in another wedding party in a few months! But this time she won't have to buy a ridiculously expensive dress that she'll never wear again. For this wedding she'll be wearing a nice black skirt and "killer stilettos" because she's standing up with the GROOM, not the bride :-)
The daughter and "M" (we'll call him that since his first name begins with that letter) have been good buddies for a loooooooong time. Our families became acquainted when I went back to college and M's dad was my advisor. Then we ended up going to the same church and have come to count them among our dearest friends. So the kids have known each other since they were little.
Not the most flattering photo of M so how about this one? 
Don't you just wanna pinch those chubby little cheeks?! They're covered with facial hair now.
So M and the daughter go way back and have a shared history of homeschooling, church and AWANA, later youth group...and then there was the two months M spent with us in Uganda. Since we lived in a small house with only two bedrooms, the daughter shared a room with her brother and M, with just a curtain separating them. Lest you feel sorry for her, know that it was poor M who slept with a panga beneath his pillow in fear of what my darling children might do to him next. Those two made life interesting for him! [A panga is a long curved knife, sort of like a machete and no, they never did anything bad enough to warrant using it -- but he was prepared, just in case. LOL]
During high school they were especially close, organizing retreats and all manner of activities for the youth group. For their 16th & 17th birthdays (they're one year apart) they threw a huge combined party that had to be held in M's barn to accommodate the crowd. M's family had found old video footage and showed it at the party. It shows the daughter (about 5 at the time) telling M and his little brother P which new Christmas present they could play with next (we were at their house, playing with their toys). Someone in the crowd at the party yelled, "Hey M! She's been telling you what to do for years!" at which point everyone roared with laughter.
Our families held a combined homeschool high school graduation and open house, too. You have to understand that neither family is what you'd call normal so after much debate about what would be tasteful, elegant and befitting our status in life we went with a Napoleon Dynamite theme. Complete with glamour shots in the barn, skeet shooting out back, a bad poetry contest, and tater tots on the menu. We.Had.So.Much.Fun! M's brother photo-shopped a picture that we used on the Open House invitations with M doing his Napoleon impersonation and the daughter in Deb mode. Isn't it great?!
M also gave a rousing rendition of Napoleon's dance moves at the party. Woot!
We held the graduation/open house in early May because M was heading to Sweden for a year of ministry and the daughter to Uganda for one month and then the Florida campus of Word of Life Bible Institute. And it's been like that pretty much ever since. Heading different directions.
But they stay in touch, mostly via the internet now, e-mails and facebook. She was excited when he told her he would be proposing to his lady love on Friday the 13th and now she's honored he's asked her to stand up with him at the wedding. I'm confident that no matter where they go, how far apart they end up geographically, they will always be dear friends. Actually more like brother and sister, and I know the daughter considers M's family her second family.
That's where she spent Christmas after telling us, "I want to be with a family, a mom, a dad, brothers and sisters." And we totally understood and are so glad she has them nearby. [To say nothing of the fact that it allows M's dad to grill any new young man the daughter has in her life. Not sayin' that happened recently or anything.]
The last photo I have of the two of them is actually at another wedding, our son's. M was the photographer but I managed to get a shot of him and the daughter being silly at the reception breakfast. Good times.
Good memories.
Good friends.
The daughter and "M" (we'll call him that since his first name begins with that letter) have been good buddies for a loooooooong time. Our families became acquainted when I went back to college and M's dad was my advisor. Then we ended up going to the same church and have come to count them among our dearest friends. So the kids have known each other since they were little.
Not the most flattering photo of M so how about this one? 
Don't you just wanna pinch those chubby little cheeks?! They're covered with facial hair now.So M and the daughter go way back and have a shared history of homeschooling, church and AWANA, later youth group...and then there was the two months M spent with us in Uganda. Since we lived in a small house with only two bedrooms, the daughter shared a room with her brother and M, with just a curtain separating them. Lest you feel sorry for her, know that it was poor M who slept with a panga beneath his pillow in fear of what my darling children might do to him next. Those two made life interesting for him! [A panga is a long curved knife, sort of like a machete and no, they never did anything bad enough to warrant using it -- but he was prepared, just in case. LOL]
During high school they were especially close, organizing retreats and all manner of activities for the youth group. For their 16th & 17th birthdays (they're one year apart) they threw a huge combined party that had to be held in M's barn to accommodate the crowd. M's family had found old video footage and showed it at the party. It shows the daughter (about 5 at the time) telling M and his little brother P which new Christmas present they could play with next (we were at their house, playing with their toys). Someone in the crowd at the party yelled, "Hey M! She's been telling you what to do for years!" at which point everyone roared with laughter.
Our families held a combined homeschool high school graduation and open house, too. You have to understand that neither family is what you'd call normal so after much debate about what would be tasteful, elegant and befitting our status in life we went with a Napoleon Dynamite theme. Complete with glamour shots in the barn, skeet shooting out back, a bad poetry contest, and tater tots on the menu. We.Had.So.Much.Fun! M's brother photo-shopped a picture that we used on the Open House invitations with M doing his Napoleon impersonation and the daughter in Deb mode. Isn't it great?!
M also gave a rousing rendition of Napoleon's dance moves at the party. Woot!We held the graduation/open house in early May because M was heading to Sweden for a year of ministry and the daughter to Uganda for one month and then the Florida campus of Word of Life Bible Institute. And it's been like that pretty much ever since. Heading different directions.
But they stay in touch, mostly via the internet now, e-mails and facebook. She was excited when he told her he would be proposing to his lady love on Friday the 13th and now she's honored he's asked her to stand up with him at the wedding. I'm confident that no matter where they go, how far apart they end up geographically, they will always be dear friends. Actually more like brother and sister, and I know the daughter considers M's family her second family.
That's where she spent Christmas after telling us, "I want to be with a family, a mom, a dad, brothers and sisters." And we totally understood and are so glad she has them nearby. [To say nothing of the fact that it allows M's dad to grill any new young man the daughter has in her life. Not sayin' that happened recently or anything.]
The last photo I have of the two of them is actually at another wedding, our son's. M was the photographer but I managed to get a shot of him and the daughter being silly at the reception breakfast. Good times.
Good memories.
Good friends.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Week 8 - Project 365
All the photos this week are from Santa Rosa, since this is where we've spent the bulk of our time. [My last two posts are about the house if you're interested in learning more.] My Macbook doesn't have the software yet to use the 3G thingy so hubby loaned me his PC to post today. He also downloaded all the photos and showed me how to spruce 'em up in Picassa. Having a new camera means my photos are in focus, more or less, but I'm still not exhibiting any great photography skills. So I'm loving the "sharpen" feature in Picassa :-)
Okay, I lied. They're not all from Santa Rosa. This first photo was actually taken in Villa Belgrano, the next town over. Very much a touristy area, during the summer it's not uncommon to encounter acts like these acrobats performing in front of the municipalidad (equivalent to city hall). They were constantly in motion so I wasn't able to get a really sharp photo.
Up next: the lovely eucalyptus. Love that smell! Look at how the bark peels off.
As previously mentioned, the house is about a city-block walk from the river and the road is lined with mostly eucalyptus trees.
On one of our walks we saw a fallen log with a big ole fungus growing on it. We are talking BIG, probably 12"-14" long.
And once you get down to the river, this is the view from the ford. 
Or if you look down at the water, you'll see right down to the river bed. The water is THAT clear. The water is over a foot deep here. Crystal clear and refreshing!
Continuing with the nature theme, here's some of the luscious grapes we've been enjoying this week. If we can find canning jars and pectin, we'll make grape jelly.
This neighborhood is called La Rinconada and here's the stone pillar at the entrance gate. My in-laws were some of the first to buy a lot and put up a house, but in the intervening years, quite a few other houses have gone up. Isn't the porch on this pink stucco inviting? I can just imagine some wicker chairs, maybe a hammock, and a tall pitcher of lemonade sitting on a table. Can't you? 
I know some of you might have been skeptical when I said they put eggs on EVERYTHING here. Well here's proof; those yellow bits? That's EGG on PIZZA! Notice it's only on half? The hubby knows my aversion to eggs with anything except sausage or bacon.
Sara graciously hosts Project 365 so be sure to visit her and the other participants who link to her blog. It's quite fun to see what everyone's been up to during the week!
Okay, I lied. They're not all from Santa Rosa. This first photo was actually taken in Villa Belgrano, the next town over. Very much a touristy area, during the summer it's not uncommon to encounter acts like these acrobats performing in front of the municipalidad (equivalent to city hall). They were constantly in motion so I wasn't able to get a really sharp photo.
Up next: the lovely eucalyptus. Love that smell! Look at how the bark peels off.
As previously mentioned, the house is about a city-block walk from the river and the road is lined with mostly eucalyptus trees.
On one of our walks we saw a fallen log with a big ole fungus growing on it. We are talking BIG, probably 12"-14" long.
And once you get down to the river, this is the view from the ford. 
Or if you look down at the water, you'll see right down to the river bed. The water is THAT clear. The water is over a foot deep here. Crystal clear and refreshing!
Continuing with the nature theme, here's some of the luscious grapes we've been enjoying this week. If we can find canning jars and pectin, we'll make grape jelly.
This neighborhood is called La Rinconada and here's the stone pillar at the entrance gate. My in-laws were some of the first to buy a lot and put up a house, but in the intervening years, quite a few other houses have gone up. Isn't the porch on this pink stucco inviting? I can just imagine some wicker chairs, maybe a hammock, and a tall pitcher of lemonade sitting on a table. Can't you? 
I know some of you might have been skeptical when I said they put eggs on EVERYTHING here. Well here's proof; those yellow bits? That's EGG on PIZZA! Notice it's only on half? The hubby knows my aversion to eggs with anything except sausage or bacon.
Sara graciously hosts Project 365 so be sure to visit her and the other participants who link to her blog. It's quite fun to see what everyone's been up to during the week!
Friday, February 20, 2009
6 Random Things
This isn't just random like I usually write. This is random with a purpose!
Skoots1Mom tagged me in this meme and I decided to share some random things about Argentina, and more specifically about the house here in Santa Rosa.
I came to Argentina the first time just to visit. The hubby wanted me and the kids to see where he'd grown up. Since his parents were church planters, they lived a lot of different places and our kids grew a little weary of checking them all out. So we became adept at "drive by shootings" where we'd slowly drive by a house and quickly snap photos out the window of our moving vehicle. The house in Santa Rosa was the last on the itinerary and since his parents still owned it, we stopped and stayed a while. It was actually our base of operations, you might say. We'd take off from here and visit different places and people in the province of Cordoba, but always return at night.
The day we arrived in Santa Rosa we stopped at a store owned by the uncle of one of hubby's high school classmates. The uncle promptly phoned his nephew who was thrilled to hear from my hubby and said, "So you'll be there tonight!" Hubby had no idea what he was talking about. It turned out their 20 year high school reunion was that very night! So we went and saw 13 of the other 16 classmates the hubby graduated with in 1976. No one had known how to get in touch with the hubby to let him know about the reunion, and everyone was excited to see him. I could tell that by their loud voices and wildly swinging arms and bear hugs even though I didn't understand a word they were saying.
On days we stuck around here the kids practically lived in their bathing suits. We came in December/January (high summer) and it was hot, so they'd meander down to the river throughout the day to cool off in the clear, refreshing water. I did not live in my swimsuit, although this was back in the day when I still put one on occasionally and ventured forth into public places, although even then I was self-conscious about all the cellulite and vast expanses of white skin (which have only increased in the intervening years). We have so many good, GOOD memories of this vacation! And about 300 photos to prove it.
In 1998 a terrific hail storm tore through the area and seriously damaged the red tile roof. The repair quotes were so high that the hubby and younger brother figured out they could fly down and do the repairs for the same or a little less -- and get a trip "home" out of the deal :-)
In 2003 when we were trying to discern what God wanted us to do next, we flew down to spend time with the couple who are now our co-workers -- but first we came to the house. The little church in Santa Rosa had been through several years of upheaval and a revolving door of leaders and they were hurting. The hubby was able to share during several Sundays as well as just spend time one-on-one with folks who needed encouragement. God used that experience to help confirm that He could use us in Argentina. To be absolutely honest, that wasn't the answer I was hoping for...because I knew how hard it was going to be to learn the language and I just flat out dreaded it. He's also made it clear that when He directs, it's best to do what He wants. He enables, strengthens, provides. On our own? Worth nothing, zilch, nada.
When we were preparing to move to Argentina, I knew the house here would be a place of respite for us and for others. It's two hours from where we live which is a very doable distance even for day trips and even better for those 3-4 day breaks. I also knew that since it's been a while since dad and mom lived here, the place needed some work. The folks taking care of the place have done basic maintenance but now the hubby and I will, over time, be doing some of the bigger projects. I also came prepared with fresh new (or used-but-still-in-good-condition) bed linens and towels, shower curtains and rugs. We enjoy being out here and know our friends and family will, too. We look forward to sharing it with all who come!
I'm not going to tag six random people. If you want to participate, you're IT! If more than six want to do it, great!
Skoots1Mom tagged me in this meme and I decided to share some random things about Argentina, and more specifically about the house here in Santa Rosa.
I came to Argentina the first time just to visit. The hubby wanted me and the kids to see where he'd grown up. Since his parents were church planters, they lived a lot of different places and our kids grew a little weary of checking them all out. So we became adept at "drive by shootings" where we'd slowly drive by a house and quickly snap photos out the window of our moving vehicle. The house in Santa Rosa was the last on the itinerary and since his parents still owned it, we stopped and stayed a while. It was actually our base of operations, you might say. We'd take off from here and visit different places and people in the province of Cordoba, but always return at night.
The day we arrived in Santa Rosa we stopped at a store owned by the uncle of one of hubby's high school classmates. The uncle promptly phoned his nephew who was thrilled to hear from my hubby and said, "So you'll be there tonight!" Hubby had no idea what he was talking about. It turned out their 20 year high school reunion was that very night! So we went and saw 13 of the other 16 classmates the hubby graduated with in 1976. No one had known how to get in touch with the hubby to let him know about the reunion, and everyone was excited to see him. I could tell that by their loud voices and wildly swinging arms and bear hugs even though I didn't understand a word they were saying.
On days we stuck around here the kids practically lived in their bathing suits. We came in December/January (high summer) and it was hot, so they'd meander down to the river throughout the day to cool off in the clear, refreshing water. I did not live in my swimsuit, although this was back in the day when I still put one on occasionally and ventured forth into public places, although even then I was self-conscious about all the cellulite and vast expanses of white skin (which have only increased in the intervening years). We have so many good, GOOD memories of this vacation! And about 300 photos to prove it.
In 1998 a terrific hail storm tore through the area and seriously damaged the red tile roof. The repair quotes were so high that the hubby and younger brother figured out they could fly down and do the repairs for the same or a little less -- and get a trip "home" out of the deal :-)
In 2003 when we were trying to discern what God wanted us to do next, we flew down to spend time with the couple who are now our co-workers -- but first we came to the house. The little church in Santa Rosa had been through several years of upheaval and a revolving door of leaders and they were hurting. The hubby was able to share during several Sundays as well as just spend time one-on-one with folks who needed encouragement. God used that experience to help confirm that He could use us in Argentina. To be absolutely honest, that wasn't the answer I was hoping for...because I knew how hard it was going to be to learn the language and I just flat out dreaded it. He's also made it clear that when He directs, it's best to do what He wants. He enables, strengthens, provides. On our own? Worth nothing, zilch, nada.
When we were preparing to move to Argentina, I knew the house here would be a place of respite for us and for others. It's two hours from where we live which is a very doable distance even for day trips and even better for those 3-4 day breaks. I also knew that since it's been a while since dad and mom lived here, the place needed some work. The folks taking care of the place have done basic maintenance but now the hubby and I will, over time, be doing some of the bigger projects. I also came prepared with fresh new (or used-but-still-in-good-condition) bed linens and towels, shower curtains and rugs. We enjoy being out here and know our friends and family will, too. We look forward to sharing it with all who come!
I'm not going to tag six random people. If you want to participate, you're IT! If more than six want to do it, great!
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