Week 27, Project 365

I have a lot of photos for Project 365 this week so I'll keep my commentary to a minimum.

I've already written about our adventure last weekend and included some photos with that post, but here are a few more from our trip to Villa de Las Rosas. Upon arrival at the B&B we were impressed with the spacious casas, not small cabañas that we had expected. Seriously, this place was almost as big as our house here in Carlos Paz. This is taken from just inside the front door and doesn't really show it all, just the dining area and kitchen. It's a HUGE room. Each house also has two large bedrooms and a really big bath. They did not skimp on space! Our bedroom had a king size bed although a double bed would have sufficed. We were so cold even with every.single.blanket we could find that we huddled as close as possible all night! Y'all know I'm a fan of the dessert and who could resist?! I didn't see this table until we'd finished breakfast the next morning so I was already full but I indulged in one bite of my hubby's piece of chocolate cake. Absolutely decadent! Before heading home we drove around a few of the little towns in the area. San Javier had the cutest little shopping plaza. It was a really old sprawling house they'd converted into tiny shops. Get a look at that old roof. And behind the plaza was this view. Breathtaking! Since we had to wait for the pass over the mountain to re-open after an accident, we went into the town of Mina Clavero. Last Sunday was the mid-term elections here and just about every store in town was closed. We're guessing it's usually a pretty busy place on weekends, but it was like a ghost town that day. Here are a couple of photos as we traveled back over the mountain. It was VERY windy and pretty barren on top.
My fondness for home improvement stores is no secret. Thought y'all might like to see the Argentine equivalent to Lowe's or Home Depot. Just like them, Easy has a garden center too. In my quest for Most Elaborate Fence Ever, I'm always on the lookout for beauties like this one. Love those curves! Our seasons are opposite. It is the dead of winter here. Somebody maybe should tell the flowers that. I thought the porch looked mighty inviting, too :-)

This coming week we'll be in Sta. Rosa to finish the bathroom. I'll have limited internet access as always. But we'll be home by next Sunday so I'll see you here then, if not sooner.

Espero que tengas una buena semana! (I hope that you have a great week!)

Happy 4th of July!

Y’all are probably firing up the grill, slathering on the sunscreen and preparing to enjoy fireworks this 4th of July. We’re going to grill too and weather-wise it won’t be too shabby with temperatures in the high 60s. But no fireworks. It’s just another day everywhere else in the world.

My favorite thing the last few years was watching the pops concert in Washington D.C. on PBS while munching on picnic food. I’m kind of sad I’ll miss that this year as well as the fireworks. But then, we did get to enjoy quite the pyrotechnic display on Christmas and New Years here.

As for our own private 4th of July party I think we’re going to have ribs and cole slaw. I hope I can chew them. When I went to bed last night, my jaw was still numb and my smile decidedly lopsided. I was in the dentist’s chair until after 8 p.m. Looooong two hour session as she scraped my roots clean. But honestly, I didn’t feel a thing and the worst part of the root canal was the x-rays which always makes my gag reflex go into overdrive. I didn’t feel a thing because the numbness extended into my forehead. I’m not even kidding. But hey, it meant NO PAIN.

Anywhere on the left side of my face.

I’m seriously glad my dentist is super careful about making sure I have NO PAIN.

I go back Monday July 13 to be fitted for the crown.

We were going to be in Uruguay then for the mini-conference with the other missionaries but that’s been canceled due to the flu epidemic.

Quite a few things are being closed and canceled because of that. I hear Santa Fe (Argentina, not New Mexico) has not only closed schools, but also theatres and other public places in an effort to stop the spread. Buenos Aires is the hardest hit so far although they haven’t taken such extreme measures as Santa Fe. I'm not sure if the 44 dead so far have all been from the capital but that's what I think the news said (I still miss a lot).

Yesterday a group from Word of Life was supposed to be with us but with 200 of the 600 students at the school down with the flu, I believe all groups scheduled to go on tour are instead recuperating on campus.

July is the winter holiday (equivalent to our Christmas break) and normally people are traveling during this time. Instead they seem to be hunkering down and waiting out the flu. I also heard that pharmacies nationwide are sold out of face masks. I haven't seen anyone but my dentist wearing one (which I think is standard operating procedure and nothing to do with the flu) but Ivan says the people working in grocery stores and other businesses are wearing them. That's a change from just two days ago.

There is a special section in the online newspaper La Voz today with fifteen separate articles about la gripe. One of them says that while the minister of health in our province would like to expedite the process of test analysis, he is not declaring a health emergency here as in other provinces.

This area depends on tourism and after a poor showing this summer with a HUGE drop in the number of visitors, I’m sure area businesses are hoping to attract those who ARE willing to venture forth over the winter holidays.

We, on the other hand, are heading to Sta. Rosa on Monday to finish that bathroom. Any money we spend won’t be on touristy kinds of things, but what we might forget of a home improvement nature -- like tile glue or wall anchors.

Anyway...back to the 4th of July. Pretty exciting to read that the Statue of Liberty is being re-opened today. Woot! Not sure climbing to the crown is something I'd want to do, it being more than 3 feet off the ground and all, but I'm happy that other people can.

Thinking about our troops today, too. Especially those in the big offensive in Afghanistan. Being able to celebrate the 4th of July comes with a price. A big one. I'm confident we won't forget that in the midst of the grilling and sunscreen and fireworks.

HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY,
BABY SISTER!!!
(When I'm 100 and she's 96, she'll still be my baby sister)
Her birthday was actually Tuesday but I didn't have my act together beforehand and then Tuesday through Thursday was insanely busy....hoping she agrees that late is better than never. I haven't even had a chance to call her yet, between the schedule and time difference (she lives in California so she's four hours behind us).

I have so many stories I could (and would like to) share but I won't embarrass her too much. teeheehee The fact of the matter is, I was SO excited to become a big sister and from the very start was totally enamored of the wailing, flailing, red wrinkled baby that my mom brought home from the hospital. Way better than a silly old plastic doll. Her eyes would follow me around the room, she tried to talk to me, she smiled at me. Oh my word, having a baby sister was the best thing in the world!

Growing up we had our share of sisterly spats (our mom once told us that if we got into one more fight and bent my glasses again, I could just wear them crooked because she wasn't taking them back in to get fixed one.single.more.time.) but as with most siblings, no one else had better mess with the other.

We're best buddies today and hate that we live so far apart. One of our dreams has always been to live next door to each other -- or at least in the same town. Even the same state would do. We have such fun together! Of course with our shared history, we have a sort of short-hand in communicating. A look or expression, a word or phrase will set us off...into hysterical laughter, insane imitations, rolled eyes, or silent contemplation.

Our dad was a mechanic. Well, actually a tool & die guy, but bottom line, he could fix ANYTHING. And two more inept mechanically DISinclined daughters, you'll never hope to meet. I don't think I've ever seen him quite so frustrated as when my sister didn't check her oil (ever!) and the engine seized up. His oft repeated phrase "Oil is cheaper than metal" has became a refrain our daughter hears a lot now, and I'm sure my sister's daughters will hear in the future. LOL

We're polar opposites in personality. When I graduated from college I threw a huge party (hey, it took thirteen years!) whereas she didn't even tell ME when graduation was until it was over. She and her husband went out to dinner to quietly celebrate her accomplishment. I'm a communication major and it's blah, blah, blah all the time. She earned her degree in occupational therapy and spent happy years helping people regain skills as they recuperated from accidents or major medical crises.

But we're alike in a lot of ways, too. Today she's a stay at home mom who is homeschooling her kids like I did mine. We both love to read, talk politics and scrapbook. Being a part of a faith community keeps us grounded. Family is a priority. Not just immediate family, but the extended one. She's much better at this than I am, but keeping connected is important to us. The idea that we came from a people and BELONG. Chocolate makes us very, very happy.

My sister is an amazing woman. She started her family a little later than most, after being married 16 years. I admire her no end because quite honestly, the THOUGHT of having little ones at this point EXHAUSTS me. She has two beautiful little girls that keep her busy with not only homeschooling, but all the typical extra activities...Brownies, gymnastics, drama group, swim lessons...depending on the time of year, they always have something going on!

She has the gift of ENCOURAGEMENT. She's also a very discerning person and I appreciate her insight and wisdom in so many areas. Her thought is always for the other person, how to make them feel comfortable, how to help, how to bless.

And blessed is how I feel to have you as my sister, Beth. I hope your WHOLE WEEK has been extra special!

On the go

After a couple days of being on the go from morning until night and today being more of the same, I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Other than Spanish and a root canal, I'll have the day free :-)

I can definitely tell a difference in how well I do (or not!) in Spanish when my brain is tired.

By the way, the phrase for 'root canal' in Spanish is tratamiento de conducto -- you know, in case you're ever in a Spanish speaking country and need that information.

We had a great time with our friends yesterday. Plenty of food and laughter! And enough leftovers to fuel us for a few more meals.

Here's where I've been spending time recently: It turned out the oral exams last evening included not only children but more adults as well. It took three hours to work our way through the roster. Winter holidays begin this weekend so we had a lot of excited (and relieved) students who were happy once their exams were over. No English for two weeks! LOL

We saw this in a home improvement store... ...and liked the concept for the house in Sta. Rosa because it doesn't stick out as far, it includes some storage but at the same time leaves floor space showing to make the bath seem a little bigger (it's pretty small). BUT we didn't like the price or the fact that it was constructed of very cheap material (basically fiber board). Since we had leftover wood from the kitchen cabinet project we simply bought the sink and Ivan built the base. Isn't it a beauty? It's going to look fabulous in that bathroom. We're going out next week and he'll also be installing the baseboard; it's a ceramic tile that's a darker gray than the floor but should coordinate very nicely. Photos of the finished bath will definitely follow.

Gearing up for a mini-conference with the other missionaries from Argentina. We're meeting at a campground in Paysandu, Uruguay. I've been warned to take plenty of warm clothing and since the bedrooms are not heated, we're going to take a little electric heater also. Brrrrr, I get cold just thinking about it. Our co-worker said it feels colder because it's so much more humid in Uruguay. That's coming up the middle of July.

This afternoon is art class and I hope to finish my second collage. Before class I need to look for some additional fabrics or paper to use in the right color range. So far I'm liking collage #2 much more than collage #1.

Also hoping I have time to catch up on blog reading after class. I've missed my daily doses of laughter the last few days but there's only so much a person can do. Anyway, a number of daily bloggers aren't so daily any more. I can't remember where I read it, but one suggested the reason there's less blogging going on is that so many are on facebook and twitter now. If that's true, it makes me very sad because while I am on facebook, I don't twitter. Call me old school but I prefer the blogging. Facebook is a good way to keep in touch on a very minimal level but a sentence or two doesn't cut it for me. And who can possibly say all that they want to say in 140 characters or less?

Although that might be good practice for me as a writer. Hmmmm. I'll have to ponder that one.

What do you think?