You can tell what I've drawn today

Art class was moved from Thursday to today because Thursday is a national holiday [they sure have a LOT of holidays here!] and we worked on perspective. So yes, you can actually tell what I've drawn today! ☺

It helps that I was allowed to use a ruler thingy.

The cooler weather I was hoping for yesterday finally arrived today. It dropped from the 90s into the 60s overnight. It's been overcast all day too, and I snapped this photo of one of my morning glories still open at 6:30 p.m. Morning glories grow wild here and you can find them in almost every overgrown empty lot...in this lovely royal purple and a lighter, more pinky shade.

And I really have nothing else to write about. I had Spanish this morning, art this afternoon, and it's been a gray sort of day. The End.

Okay, so I could also talk about the strips of green and blue fabric I cut out last night. I want to start working on another baby quilt as soon as I finish the first one. Other friends are expecting this summer and hoping for a boy. If it turns out to be a girl, I'll just have to hurry and make a girlish quilt. Or not. Why shouldn't little girls receive pretty green and blue things? Those colors don't have to be exclusively for boys.

Or I could mention the beautiful roses sitting on my table. I picked them yesterday; lovely yellow ones with pink edges.

You probably don't want to hear about the nap I took between Spanish and art. No, I didn't think so.

So I guess I really have nothing else to write about. The End.

Monday, Monday

Had that song in my head so I looked it up on youtube and do you realize it's a really depressing song?

Monday, Monday, so good to me
Monday morning, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
that Monday evening you would still be here with me
Monday, Monday, can't trust that day
Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Monday morning you gave me no warning of what was to be
Oh Monday how could you leave and not take me?
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes you can find me crying all of the time

Anyway, I hope this Monday, Monday is all I hope it will be.

I came across a give-away that sounds like fun! Crafter Calamity Kim (don't you LOVE that name?!) is celebrating her apron's inclusion in the first ever issue of Apron.ology by having a simply stupendous give-away with all sorts of goodies, too many adorable things to list here so be sure to click on over and check it out!

I made some aprons last spring and had SO MUCH FUN and bought more fabric to make more aprons, and then life happened and those other aprons still aren't made but seeing this made me anxious to get started again! There's some cute, cute, cute aprons here on flickr if you need any inspiration ☺

Can you tell I've had a cup of really strong coffee this morning?

So today is busy with some cleaning, and some organizing, and maybe some paperwork, and definitely a little medical test, and I just hope it doesn't get as hot as yesterday because that heat just completely WILTED me into a little pile of nothing. I'm pretty sure it passed 100 because it was way hotter'n the day before when it was 95. The sun was just intense. So here's hoping for a cooler day and a little more energy.

And that y'all will still be here with me this evening.

Week 13, Project 365

Folks, we are 1/4 of the way there!!! We have now officially logged a quarter of a year in this photographic journey. I must confess I did not take all the pictures I'm sharing this week -- our camera was passed around and used by just about everyone on Tuesday ☺ A single click on the Project 365 button in my sidebar will take you right to Sara's place, our lovely hostess with the mostess!

By "everyone" I mean our co-workers and their family. We met T & A back in 1996 when they came to the missions conference at our church and we hosted them in our home. We had such a good time that we made sure we hosted them EVERY time after that, too. And it was during one such visit that they asked us to pray about joining them in ministry; they were just getting ready to spearhead a new work in Carlos Paz. And finally, after a number of years, we're here!

This month we've enjoyed having their oldest two around. They're getting ready to head back to Palabra de Vida for their second year (Word of Life Bible Institute in Buenos Aires). On our walk Tuesday we stopped to take these photos at a Palabra de Vida facility in Sta. Rosa which is used for a variety of things, but primarily as a rehabilitation center. Like last year Pablo will simultaneously do a full course (online) at university while at the Bible Institute, in order to graduate on schedule in December with his degree in agricultural administration. Both of these young people are committed to preparing for whatever God has for them in the future.

[NOTE: For anyone interested, Palabra de Vida has a program that allows non-Spanish speakers to come and by the end of the year they've learned Spanish AND had some amazing Bible classes and hands-on training in ministry. It's also considerably cheaper than what it would cost in the U.S.!]

The youngest two are a kick! They're pretty quiet girls for the most part, but they have a wicked sense of humor. I may have mentioned the skit they did of us that was spot on! I honestly thought I was going to die laughing because I couldn't catch my breath ☺ These girls are a JOY to have around! The Palabra de Vida facility was a sawmill in its previous life, and apparently a bit of an auto junkyard. I saw this on the back side of the property. Now I'll tell you right up front, I did NOT take the following photo! I saw this little guy right in front of me, squealed and ran twenty feet before stopping to see why everyone else wasn't running with me. They were all having too much fun snapping photos and seeing if they could make him turn around and go the other direction. I guess I'm the only one nervous around tiny little (less than a foot long) snakes.

With an eye to the future and my desire for a lush and LARGE Christmas garland, we picked up some eucalyptus branches to dry. My hubby, being the gentleman that he is, carried them all the way home for me ☺

And about my post yesterday...my hubby informs me that I have it all wrong. That the word he translated "spoiled" yesterday at the doctor's does not have an adequate equivalent in English. That the doctor's intent was actually the opposite, to assure me that she is going to take care of me and do her very best to figure out what's going on and how to handle it.

To say I was a little skeptical is putting it mildly but he did his best to convince me I was off base and apologized for not translating more during the appointment, saying he's never sure how much I understand. I reminded him that before the very first appointment I had asked him to translate everything because it was too important for me not to know what was going on. I think he gets that now. Hopefully future visits won't be so traumatic.

Forget Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Or Slimfast -- just let me send you a bottle of water from my faucet

I had my hubby get the winter clothes down from storage this week. Not because it's getting cold -- it's 95° today -- but because I knew there were some smaller pants in there somewhere. And I'm tired of swimming in my size 18's.

I've worn 18's for a couple of years and toward the end of our time in the U.S. even those were a little snug. Tight enough that I often unbuttoned the waistband so I could, you know, BREATHE.

Deputation can be dangerous to your weight. We put over 10,000 miles on the car in those last 4-1/2 months, the vast majority directly related to deputation, and much of that excess poundage can be attributed to countless stops at Sonic and Subway during our multitudinous miles of travel. As well as being taken out to eat after many a church service.

Fast forward a few months...when we moved into our house in October I made the mistake of drinking the water. Silly, I know. It's not like I'm an unseasoned traveler. For crying out loud, I spent a year in Africa and never had a problem! Total lapse in good judgment...

...which led to a pretty significant weight loss. I'm 40 lbs. lighter after my intestinal fortitude lost its forte [Origin: 1715–25; < L fortis strong] but totally had a 'tude with me! Wearing size 18 now makes me look like a bag lady who's last in line at the dumpster.

Gotta confess that before we left the U.S. I took stock of my failure to significantly lose weight over the past ten years and got rid of almost all my size 14's. You see, I gave myself a pep talk, "Get real here, girl. If it hasn't happened in ten years, what's the chance of it happening now? When you know that you eat when you're stressed and how stressed are you gonna be trying to learn a new language and culture?" So my sane self listened to the voice of reason and we packed up those carefully hoarded size 14's and took them to Goodwill.

But I did bring a few 16's...Just.In.Case. This week as I searched through seven boxes of clothes, I found 4 pair that work. Two pair of jeans, a pair of khakis and one pair of lightweight navy blue dress pants.

They're all a little big, but still better than the 18's ☺

Oh, and I found a nicer pantsuit in Medium that fits like a dream now. The last time I wore it (five years ago to my son's college graduation) I looked like a stuffed sausage.

Plus a Banana Republic dress I picked up at a second hand shop a few years back in my "hope springs eternal" phase of thinking I'd lose weight Some Day. That day has arrived and the dress fits perfectly. Yay!

Finding those things was the highlight of my week. The low point was my second appointment with the gynecologist. I occasionally get frustrated at my lack of ability to communicate in Spanish, but today was beyond frustrating. I HATE feeling stupid and not understanding something this important. I need to know what she thinks, how she plans to address my problems, when these different tests are going to take place. And when she told my husband I was spoiled it didn't sit well with me. How does wanting to know what's going on get translated into being spoiled?! I really, really wanted to just get on a plane and fly back to MY DOCTOR. Dr. Deb, who's been taking care of me for years and years, and who knows my medical history and explains why she wants to do this or that, and patiently answers my questions.

Some of my health issues right now relate to my age. I'm starting this wonderful chapter of life called The Change. I've done some research online and looks like I'll have to do a lot more if I want to know what's going on. I'm not sure even a higher level of proficiency in Spanish would help with this doctor. Or maybe it's just the culture and patients are expected to shut up and do whatever the doctor says, no questions asked.

Go ahead and call me spoiled, but that's just not my style! I like to be a little more proactive.

This experience today makes me all the more thankful for my "health guru" back in the U.S. who's working through some nutritional issues with me. Because while some things are attributable to The Change, others are not. The parasites last fall depleted my body and kept me from absorbing much needed nutrients, so a big part of getting healthy again is getting my body back in balance nutritionally. And Katie is great about explaining what different supplements do and how my diet and water intake optimize the process and she answers all my questions and she's never, ever, not even once called me spoiled.

Even if I am ☺