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"It's not the years, honey. It's the mileage."
- Raiders of the Lost Ark - Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)
Today I celebrated my first birthday in Uruguay! I have to say, we have partied like nobody's business this weekend. Thursday night was an impromptu party with a friend who stopped by, Friday night was a dinner party for another friend and his family, and Saturday was a double-doozy with a dinner party for a neighbor and then on to a big neighborhood gathering at 9:30. Yes, 9:30! I have to take naps and drink coffee before partying with these night-owl Uruguayans. Today a neighbor stopped by with a bottle of wine for me and an invitation for lunch tomorrow. Whew! Who knew other hemispheres could be so entertaining?
The rains that would not stop in January have led to much erosion and a large sinkhole on the road to our chacra. Since we are on a private road with 23 other chacras, all the neighbors are responsible for road maintenance. Last night was a neighborhood party/meeting to discuss the road work needed. We were able to meet most of our neighborhood. The warmth and kindness of Uruguayans never ceases to amaze me. Kisses and hugs all around, of course.
The meeting was better than a movie! There was much discussion about the road. (I love it when grown-ups raise their hands to talk!) One man seemed to be in charge, but every once in awhile the system broke down with people getting up and walking around for unorganized breaks. At that point, much clapping for attention and a little yelling got people back on track.
My Spanish is not good, but I kept hearing my name in the discussion. Finally, I asked a neighbor sitting next to me to translate. Seems like someone nominated me as bookkeeper for organizing the road work funds. Good heavens - what were they thinking? Thank goodness, the party host volunteered his services for that.
I am grateful beyond belief for the new friends and neighbors.
Today I celebrated my first birthday in Uruguay! I have to say, we have partied like nobody's business this weekend. Thursday night was an impromptu party with a friend who stopped by, Friday night was a dinner party for another friend and his family, and Saturday was a double-doozy with a dinner party for a neighbor and then on to a big neighborhood gathering at 9:30. Yes, 9:30! I have to take naps and drink coffee before partying with these night-owl Uruguayans. Today a neighbor stopped by with a bottle of wine for me and an invitation for lunch tomorrow. Whew! Who knew other hemispheres could be so entertaining?
The rains that would not stop in January have led to much erosion and a large sinkhole on the road to our chacra. Since we are on a private road with 23 other chacras, all the neighbors are responsible for road maintenance. Last night was a neighborhood party/meeting to discuss the road work needed. We were able to meet most of our neighborhood. The warmth and kindness of Uruguayans never ceases to amaze me. Kisses and hugs all around, of course.
The meeting was better than a movie! There was much discussion about the road. (I love it when grown-ups raise their hands to talk!) One man seemed to be in charge, but every once in awhile the system broke down with people getting up and walking around for unorganized breaks. At that point, much clapping for attention and a little yelling got people back on track.
My Spanish is not good, but I kept hearing my name in the discussion. Finally, I asked a neighbor sitting next to me to translate. Seems like someone nominated me as bookkeeper for organizing the road work funds. Good heavens - what were they thinking? Thank goodness, the party host volunteered his services for that.
I am grateful beyond belief for the new friends and neighbors.
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"Hug hug, kiss kiss, hug hug, big kiss, little hug, kiss kiss, little kiss." - Nacho Libre - Nacho (Jack Black)
Kisses all around, of course. I am charmed and smitten with the traditions of hugs and kisses (even when you first meet someone). There is a pecking order here - seems like if you are known to them (as in they know you are their neighbor), you get hugged and kissed at the introduction. And of course, when you depart! If you are meeting a delivery man or a complete stranger, no kisses.
Kisses all around, of course. I am charmed and smitten with the traditions of hugs and kisses (even when you first meet someone). There is a pecking order here - seems like if you are known to them (as in they know you are their neighbor), you get hugged and kissed at the introduction. And of course, when you depart! If you are meeting a delivery man or a complete stranger, no kisses.
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"Yellow-black, yellow-black, yellow-black, yellow-black… Oh, black and yellow. Yeah, let’s shake it up a little." - The Bee Movie - Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld)
Bees, bees, bees… On a warm spring afternoon in November we had a bee incident at our house. As the builder and I were going through some receipts in the house, we noticed a bee inside with us. He promptly killed it; then we heard a very loud humming noise.
Immediately, we saw another bee and another and another. What happened next was right out of a horror movie! Bees started swarming into the house from vents in the wood stove. We quickly put old newspaper and wood chips into the stove, smoking the bees back up the chimney. We went outside and saw hundreds flying around the chimney vent on the roof. Apparently, spring is great for bees.
Our next bee sighting was in summer. The bees were out once again, looking for a place to nest for fall and winter. We saw a few at the corner of the porch eaves. During the night, we saw them circling the opposite porch corner. Lo and behold, when we got up the next morning, what a sight to behold. (The picture above shows what we discovered.)
Those busy bees had started forming a hive overnight; it looked like an upside-down bowl. It was about 20cm in diameter! The builder and Hubby successfully smoked them out. Friends who stopped by later in the day said they saw them swirling around the neighbor's house. Uh oh!
Bees, bees, bees… On a warm spring afternoon in November we had a bee incident at our house. As the builder and I were going through some receipts in the house, we noticed a bee inside with us. He promptly killed it; then we heard a very loud humming noise.
Immediately, we saw another bee and another and another. What happened next was right out of a horror movie! Bees started swarming into the house from vents in the wood stove. We quickly put old newspaper and wood chips into the stove, smoking the bees back up the chimney. We went outside and saw hundreds flying around the chimney vent on the roof. Apparently, spring is great for bees.
Our next bee sighting was in summer. The bees were out once again, looking for a place to nest for fall and winter. We saw a few at the corner of the porch eaves. During the night, we saw them circling the opposite porch corner. Lo and behold, when we got up the next morning, what a sight to behold. (The picture above shows what we discovered.)
Those busy bees had started forming a hive overnight; it looked like an upside-down bowl. It was about 20cm in diameter! The builder and Hubby successfully smoked them out. Friends who stopped by later in the day said they saw them swirling around the neighbor's house. Uh oh!
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"You had me at hello." - Jerry McGuire - Dorothy (Renée Zellweger)
Yes, they do celebrate Valentine's Day in Uruguay. We spent in Montevideo, shopping for a front door. We forgot it was Valentine's Day until around noon; we celebrated with ham sandwiches. OK!
It does get better, my Valentine's Day gift was the perfect front door. Now some may say that is a utilitarian gift and in no way romantic. As one friend said, "Love is a threshold too carry your wife over."
It does get better, my Valentine's Day gift was the perfect front door. Now some may say that is a utilitarian gift and in no way romantic. As one friend said, "Love is a threshold too carry your wife over."
In Uruguay the doors are often custom-made for your specifications and measurements. Stay tuned for the finished product, ready in about 2-3 weeks. Valentine Doors - a new trend!
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"I was hiding under your porch because I love you." - Up - Dug (Bob Peterson)
All my life I have lived in the South and yearned for a front porch. As a child, I spent much of my summer outside either under or up on a limb of our huge Chinaberry tree, dreaming of porch-sitting.
Once, at a very ratty (literally) duplex during university life, I had a front porch for a few months until the rodents and a gas leak drove me away. Not much porch-sitting was done there.
Sadly, as an adult, our house purchases seemed to come sans porches. But now we have a front porch and a back porch! It's loved by us, our pups, and our cats. We even have an occasional possum or two visit the porch.
Living with a porch is all I dreamt it would be and more! Tonight we had a dinner party with excellent food, much wine, and hilarious conversation with dear friends on our front porch. We watched the sun set and the fireflies come out; we listened to the crickets, parrots, frogs, and our own laughter. Joyous views, joyous sounds - all from our front porch.
Once, at a very ratty (literally) duplex during university life, I had a front porch for a few months until the rodents and a gas leak drove me away. Not much porch-sitting was done there.
Sadly, as an adult, our house purchases seemed to come sans porches. But now we have a front porch and a back porch! It's loved by us, our pups, and our cats. We even have an occasional possum or two visit the porch.
Living with a porch is all I dreamt it would be and more! Tonight we had a dinner party with excellent food, much wine, and hilarious conversation with dear friends on our front porch. We watched the sun set and the fireflies come out; we listened to the crickets, parrots, frogs, and our own laughter. Joyous views, joyous sounds - all from our front porch.
Need some recipes for your own party on the porch? Here are RECIPES AND MENUS from my cooking website, MissCookbook.com.
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My quote for this post is from a former English as a Second Language student of mine. He's in his last semester of university. I'm proud to have been his teacher when he was in elementary school.
"What I love most about practicing acceptance is that it turns everything, every occurrence, thought, word, into exactly what you needed; the rest will fit into place eventually, like puzzle pieces." - Bandi Jan van Kooij
Perfect rainy day thoughts. This is the 5th or 6th day of rain; I've lost count. Everyone declares that this weather is highly unusual for February in Uruguay. The balastro (gravel) on our road has washed out part of the road. It's passable, but just barely. The bridge in the village down the road has washed out, as well. Sun is needed!
"What I love most about practicing acceptance is that it turns everything, every occurrence, thought, word, into exactly what you needed; the rest will fit into place eventually, like puzzle pieces." - Bandi Jan van Kooij
Perfect rainy day thoughts. This is the 5th or 6th day of rain; I've lost count. Everyone declares that this weather is highly unusual for February in Uruguay. The balastro (gravel) on our road has washed out part of the road. It's passable, but just barely. The bridge in the village down the road has washed out, as well. Sun is needed!
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"Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance." Ghostbusters - Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray)
I've read and heard that many things don't work well in Uruguay - tales of water heaters purchased here lasting only a month and lawnmowers lasting a week. Of course, I dispelled those tales with much disbelief and suspicion of the story-tellers. Ha! I am officially one of the story-tellers now.
I am of the notion that rejects from every product-testing facility in the world ends up for sale here in Uruguay. It's not just items that are made in China (of which there are many). Our entertainment last night (since we couldn't watch the Super Bowl) was the Lightbulb Game. After experiencing lightbulb failure time and again with brand new lightbulbs, we played a guessing game, guessing which country produced ours. My husband gave me 5 guesses, then 15, then 25, before he took pity on my brain. The answer: GE lightbulbs made in ----- HUNGARY! Huh??
Lightbulbs are one thing; noise level is another. Our brand new Whirlpool refrigerator (yes, made in China) is the loudest refrigerator on Planet Earth; when the compressor shuts off, we all take a deep sigh of relief. The refrigerator has nothing on the stove exhaust fan however. In fact, a small airplane taking off from our porch would be quieter.
Not functioning at all is a common occurrence. In six short months we can sadly report failures from the following new items: a coffee maker, a gas oven (twice), an electric heater, several light fixtures, Direct TV, a security system, and last, but not least: our toilet and its multiple, broken seats. Infinite patience is required...
I've read and heard that many things don't work well in Uruguay - tales of water heaters purchased here lasting only a month and lawnmowers lasting a week. Of course, I dispelled those tales with much disbelief and suspicion of the story-tellers. Ha! I am officially one of the story-tellers now.
I am of the notion that rejects from every product-testing facility in the world ends up for sale here in Uruguay. It's not just items that are made in China (of which there are many). Our entertainment last night (since we couldn't watch the Super Bowl) was the Lightbulb Game. After experiencing lightbulb failure time and again with brand new lightbulbs, we played a guessing game, guessing which country produced ours. My husband gave me 5 guesses, then 15, then 25, before he took pity on my brain. The answer: GE lightbulbs made in ----- HUNGARY! Huh??
Lightbulbs are one thing; noise level is another. Our brand new Whirlpool refrigerator (yes, made in China) is the loudest refrigerator on Planet Earth; when the compressor shuts off, we all take a deep sigh of relief. The refrigerator has nothing on the stove exhaust fan however. In fact, a small airplane taking off from our porch would be quieter.
Not functioning at all is a common occurrence. In six short months we can sadly report failures from the following new items: a coffee maker, a gas oven (twice), an electric heater, several light fixtures, Direct TV, a security system, and last, but not least: our toilet and its multiple, broken seats. Infinite patience is required...