Friday, March 25, 2016

Week 12: Project 365, the 2016 Edition

Sunday, March 20

We skyped with Tina, who was visiting friends in Michigan over the weekend, and I took some screen shots.

Toward the end of our conversation I think Betsy was getting tired. We got a kick out of her cute little pucker, and how quickly the pout disappeared whenever she'd find her thumb.

Monday, March 21

Original plans for the day fell through but that was fine by me, because it gave us the opportunity to go to the huge Feria de Los Artesanos in Cordoba in the afternoon. I wasn't sure we'd be able to make it this year (we've missed the last two). First up a little collage of vendors, including our favorite sign guy (we ordered one for the kitchen/dining space that will say "Buen Provecho").

And here's a small wooden bowl we bought from our very favorite vendor ever, Rúbrica.
Fernando and Patricia make the most gorgeous wooden objects -- everything from the practical (like pens and clocks) to sculptural art pieces. Only Patricia was there today as Fernando was getting over a cold. We were sad to hear he'd had an accident a few months ago, injuring his eye so that he continues to have double-vision. That's a real hardship for someone who makes a living by creating very intricate and detailed items like this box (which, by the way, is the real deal; you can see the inlay from the top and bottom of the lid).

Tuesday, March 22

Ivan staining the existing eaves on the bedroom side of the casita, so they match the new eaves the guys installed on the kitchen side.

Wednesday, March 23

Charlie came over this afternoon. We enjoyed merienda... .
..and then he did some yard work for us. Since Ivan hurt his back, he's pretty limited in what he can do. Beside the basics, Ivan's also having Charlie do some bigger projects (like clear out behind the garage, move dirt to fill in a huge hole by the fenceline, etc.).

Thursday, March 24

An absolutely gorgeous day! And perfect for a picnic in the yard with our missionary friends. Because of the long Easter weekend, it worked out great for them to come down for the day. After a lunch of hamburgers, hotdogs, sweet corn (yes, we can get that here now!), and salad, the men took the kids to the river to splash around and play for a while. When they got back we set out brownies and fruit. Then I made sandwiches for them to take with them, because you know those kids were going to be ready to "eat cardboard" as their mom put it, by the time they were half-way home.
I didn't think to get a photo of the whole group of us. By the time I snapped the first photo, the three younger kids were finished eating and running around the yard.

Friday, March 25

Our compost pile has yielded a little something extra...
Ivan picked what was left in his container garden a week ago, but we're leaving this little guy alone to see how big he gets. Although we've had cooler weather, it probably won't get down to freezing until June.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Week 11: Project 365, the 2016 Edition

Sunday, March 13

Ivan had planned to stain the boards on Saturday but ended up taking an extra long nap, his body still recovering from being so sick. But that meant he had to get out there Sunday evening and get 'er done since Eduardo was coming the next morning to install the boards.
He put the trailer in the garage, with drop cloths underneath, and used that as a staining station.
You can see the last of the daylight sliding into the horizon (our garage faces west).

Monday, March 14

Ivan and Eduardo installing the eaves (and faux beams) on the kitchen side of the casita. It was an all day project.


Tuesday, March 15

Headed out early to Cordoba since Ivan had to get a full-mouth dental x-ray re-taken. We gave Rodolfo a ride, since Ivan wanted to pick his brain. Rodo, as we call him, had a copy of the book he helped write. It's about how tax policies can have positive or adverse effects on the environment.

Once the x-ray was done, we headed to Tadicor for our once-a-month shopping expedition. I don't ever remember having to stop for a train before today. Argentina used to have many railroads and railway companies but no longer. This small passenger train goes between Cosquín (just up the valley from us) and a large shopping complex in Cordoba. We think it's a twice daily run, but aren't positive.

When we got home from Cordoba, I was pleased to find my cousin Patty had posted some old photos of my mom on Facebook -- ones I'd never seen before! -- including this one of mom and me.
Didn't look too happy, did I? I was probably being a brat while mom was trying to have a nice photo of us taken. We don't have a lot of photos from my childhood so it was fun to add this one to my meager collection.

Thursday, March 17

This was my #tbt (throw back Thursday) photo on Facebook today.
Took this about three years ago, and prices have since more than tripled. I'll need to get a current photo to show the difference just a few short years can make. I admit to some gas-price-envy when y'all post photos of über low prices you occasionally pay in the states. Gas prices NEVER go down here.

Friday, March 18

Realized I hadn't shared a picture of my new Kindle.
Love it! The 7th generation is much smaller than the 4th, as you can see from this photo; it measures just 10 inches across when fully open. At approximately 5" x 7", it feels more like a paperback than the older generation Kindle. Also love the pretty blue cover I bought to go with it; it has a magnetic front closure which is handy as I don't have to worry about it flopping open.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Weeks 9 and 10: Project 365, the 2016 Edition

Saturday, February 27

I mentioned in the last post that we had someone come and finish the ceiling in the garage. The first picture is Ivan using the air compressure hose to clean out all the drywall dust --that's why it looks kind of fuzzy, all that drywall dust flying everywhere.

This may not excite anyone else, but I love looking at the beautiful white FINISHED ceiling :)

Monday, February 29

On our way to Gualeguaychu! Stopped for a picnic lunch in Leones at a little park next to the gas station. Leones is the wheat capital of Argentina, but we'd argue it's the fiercest mosquito capital, hence the name Leones (Lions). That caused us to rush through lunch (although it would be hard to say who ate more: us or the mosquitos), but we did stick around long enough to take this selfie.

Tuesday, March 1

Our annual missionary conference started at noon with lunch, then after siesta we launched right into the first session.

Wednesday, March 2

On Monday evening we'd gone out to dinner with the others who arrived early and Ivan ate some chimichurri that must have been floating around the un-air conditioned restaurant for days. He got the worst case of food poisoning he's ever had! He woke up early Tuesday feeling "off" and things went from bad to worse. By evening his blood pressure started dropping and he needed an IV. Thankfully there's a doctor on our mission team in Argentina, plus his daughter who just finished nurses training was there, and the two took such good care of him that he didn't have to go to the hospital. Throughout Tuesday night they kept coming to check up on him. I snapped this photo of him having toast and tea this morning, and you can see the IV hanging on the coat hook above him.

Wednesday afternoon we had our annual Ladies Tea. The set-up was completely different than we expected -- numerous small tables instead of two large ones -- so we improvised with the centerpieces. I'd made four stacks of covered books and three "vases" for flowers and that worked out perfectly as we used seven small tables altogether. Not the best photography; I was using my cell phone because I forgot my camera.
Interesting note: Flowers are pretty much only used for funerals, and most towns only have one florist. It was a very small shop and they had a minimal selection of flowers but the colors they had were perfect!

Thursday, March 3

With Ivan so sick I went several days without my morning walk, but I felt he was doing well enough that I could take off on a walk first thing this morning. The hotel was right along the river and I passed lots of interesting things. From top left, going clockwise: sunrise over the river, scrap metal sculpture of a man on a motorcycle, mural on the side of a building, a crane they would have used to offload ships once upon a time.

Friday, March 4

Took a different route on my walk so I saw different things. From top left, going clockwise: the wavy cobblestone sidewalk along the coastal road, a row of food trucks that I never saw open while we were there (but then I never walked out there in the evening), a colorful playground, the round thatch roofed buiding that serves as the tourist information center.

A collage of photos from our last full day of conference. From top left, going clockwise: Pastor Smith going over one of the team's artwork (we were challenged to come up with pictures to describe concepts we'd learned that week), the two team's easels side-by-side, and the last two show everyone working hard on their assignments.You can see Ivan in the photo on the lower left. He finally felt well enough on Friday and attended half the morning session as well as the one in the evening.

Saturday, March 5

We made the decision to spend an extra day at the hotel for Ivan to rest up. He took a short walk with me this morning and I snapped a photo of him with the sculpture "Nuestra Señora Gaucha Del Máte" (roughly translated "Our Amenable Lady of the Máte"). You can see the carnival rides in the background; I don't know if that's permanent, or if it was a temporary set-up for Carnival (which had just ended). Carnival is celebrated all over but, just as Rio de Janeiro is the place to go for Carnival in Brazil, Gualeguaychu is "Carnival of the Country" in Argentina.

Sunday, March 6

Longest day of the year! Maybe not technically, but it sure felt that way to us. Neither of us felt so great and, at one point, had to stop, find a shady spot and take a nap. So the trip stretched to 11-1/2 hours. I snapped this photo at our last stop for gas. We'd seen this truck at another stop, too. It's a souped up hotrod. I was too far away to get a good shot, but it's one of only two photos I took all day.

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Ivan began feeling sick again Monday, and by Tuesday I had to take him to the clinic where they gave him drugs intravenously to stop the vomiting. We think the long trip and too-soon return to normal food were just too much for his system. He's been on the BRAT diet all week, and is feeling much better. He sounds horrible, because he pretty much lost his voice from all the retching, but he's up and about again. Still taking it easy because he's not 100%, but way better than just a few days ago!

Friday, March 11

Charlie came over again to mow, and Joaquin came too and they worked together to spread dirt around the newly poured sidewalk/ramp in front of the garage. The grass should grow up quickly and it will be looking quite nice before too long. While Ivan was out getting the guys started, he noticed the window he'd put out in the trailer to sell was gone. He couldn't figure out how in the world they'd gotten it out because our fence is high and the window quite heavy. But then he found where they'd cut the fence along the side next to the empty lot. Again. *sigh*  It would really help if the owner of the vacant lot would cut down the brush; as it is, you could hide a herd of elephants in there (maybe a slight exaggeration), meaning nobody passing by would see the miscreants in the act, despite having five street lights on that corner. Ivan spent a couple of hours mending the fence. I remembered to grab the camera and take a couple of photos when he was almost done.


Between the herniated disks and food poisoning, my poor husband has had a rough six weeks. His back, praise the Lord, is doing much better. He's not even using the back brace any more. So thankful for healing!