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“I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by." - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)
2013 ~ It was a year of milestones; Mom reached her 100th year on Earth and I completed 34 years of teaching. It was a year of farewells - to careers, to Texas, to family and friends. It was a year of separation, as my husband and I spent only four months together and eight months on different continents. It was a year of reflecting on the love of family and friends. It was a year of new life, as our first grandchild was born. It was a year of adjustment, as we moved to a new home. It was a year of tears - for doubt, frustration, and joy. It was a year of trust - building a new home with no Home Depot! It was a year of wonder, as we asked ourselves, “Are we crazy?” It was a year of accomplishment, as we met more challenges to even list! It was a year of caring, as new friends and “old” provided help, dried tears, and gave hugs. Lastly, it was a year of faith, as we placed our lives, fears, and dreams in the hands of God and Universe.
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"Cop: You know why I pulled you over?
Fletcher: Depends on how long you were following me!" - Liar, Liar - Cop and Fletcher Reede (Jim Carey)
Guess it was bound to happen sooner than later…I received my first Uruguayan traffic ticket. I had absolutely no idea what I had done wrong. The very nice young officer who stopped me spoke no English, so we had to get by with my limited Spanish and trembling hand signals.
I'm sure he regretted having stopped me, as it was about 95 degrees and took way longer than he ever imagined. I kept saying, "No entiendo." - I don't understand. Finally he went back to his car for the 4th time (after checking out all of my IDs, which I handed over with those trembling hands) and returned with pen and note paper.
He drew a beautiful diagram of the roundabout (traffic circle) I had just navigated. It seems that I don't know how to navigate those as well as I thought I did. I had been exiting the circle incorrectly every single time. Yikes!
He was extremely polite and apologized as he handed over the ticket. I'm not sure if he was apologizing for giving me the ticket or for causing himself to sweat.
Update: I tried forever to pay that ticket! No one would take my money. I let it slide and thought that maybe it got torn up. Nope, four years later - there it was online and had quadrupled in price...geez. It's now been paid.
Fletcher: Depends on how long you were following me!" - Liar, Liar - Cop and Fletcher Reede (Jim Carey)
Guess it was bound to happen sooner than later…I received my first Uruguayan traffic ticket. I had absolutely no idea what I had done wrong. The very nice young officer who stopped me spoke no English, so we had to get by with my limited Spanish and trembling hand signals.
I'm sure he regretted having stopped me, as it was about 95 degrees and took way longer than he ever imagined. I kept saying, "No entiendo." - I don't understand. Finally he went back to his car for the 4th time (after checking out all of my IDs, which I handed over with those trembling hands) and returned with pen and note paper.
He drew a beautiful diagram of the roundabout (traffic circle) I had just navigated. It seems that I don't know how to navigate those as well as I thought I did. I had been exiting the circle incorrectly every single time. Yikes!
He was extremely polite and apologized as he handed over the ticket. I'm not sure if he was apologizing for giving me the ticket or for causing himself to sweat.
Update: I tried forever to pay that ticket! No one would take my money. I let it slide and thought that maybe it got torn up. Nope, four years later - there it was online and had quadrupled in price...geez. It's now been paid.
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"This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather." - Groundhog Day - Phil (Bill Murray)
Wouldn't you know it? - The first summer spent in Uruguay was the hottest summer in 30 years! My quest to buy an air conditioner is now EPIC. A neighbor bought several "splits" (air/heating units that hang on the wall). He liked them, so I asked him to contact the installer for me. Well, with flurry of Christmas preparations, that got pushed to the back burner.
The day after Christmas, I met up with said neighbor at a pool party and barbecue. It was about 95 degrees and I was not glowing as a righteous Southern Belle should. I was sweating like a pig. I'm afraid I grabbed him by the shirt and not thinking before speaking, I said in a very loud voice, "I am too old to be this hot!" That got lots of laughter all around and made my temperature rise even more due to the reddest face on Earth!
He whipped out his phone right then and there; hot and sweaty Southern Belles can be very scary. Two days later, I had an air conditioner installed for the bedroom. Very few private homes have central air and heat (unless you are very wealthy and can wait weeks for replacement parts). Growing up in the South, I had lived with central cooling and heating systems since I was a child. Old habits are hard to break, but being without has been a mostly pleasant surprise. I've learned to watch the skies and certainly talk about the weather more often. Of course the day after it was installed, the weather turned cooler for a week. Ahhh….nature.
The day after Christmas, I met up with said neighbor at a pool party and barbecue. It was about 95 degrees and I was not glowing as a righteous Southern Belle should. I was sweating like a pig. I'm afraid I grabbed him by the shirt and not thinking before speaking, I said in a very loud voice, "I am too old to be this hot!" That got lots of laughter all around and made my temperature rise even more due to the reddest face on Earth!
He whipped out his phone right then and there; hot and sweaty Southern Belles can be very scary. Two days later, I had an air conditioner installed for the bedroom. Very few private homes have central air and heat (unless you are very wealthy and can wait weeks for replacement parts). Growing up in the South, I had lived with central cooling and heating systems since I was a child. Old habits are hard to break, but being without has been a mostly pleasant surprise. I've learned to watch the skies and certainly talk about the weather more often. Of course the day after it was installed, the weather turned cooler for a week. Ahhh….nature.
Our new cooling/heating unit
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"Blast this Christmas music. It's joyful and triumphant." - How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Grinch
Uruguay suffers an identity crisis at Christmas. "Jingle Bells" plays through the sound system at Punta Shopping Mall. Not a version in Spanish, no - very high pitched children's voices singing in English with weird electronic/Euro techno music accompanying them. Not bad if you hear the song once, but it inspires wrist-slitting after hearing it on the 10 minute play loop they have.
Of course it's summertime here, making Christmas seem unreal, especially with beach balls and bikinis on one side of the store aisle - Christmas ornaments on the other. I always buy a new ornament every year to mark a special event. Even though I had no tree (in a box in the barn), I went on a search for an special ornament to commemorate my Christmas in Uruguay. Ja, Ja, Ja - every single ornament I found was made in China. My ornament quest lost its appeal very quickly. My enthusiasm suddenly returned when what to my wondering eyes did appear - Italian and German Christmas food! Yes, in the holiday food aisles of the stores were rows and rows of Italian panettone (sweet bread) and German stollen (cake).
It was my first Christmas ever to be alone - but not forgotten! There was one Uruguayan tradition that overwhelmed me with gratefulness - phone calls and text messages from new friends and neighbors, wishing me, "Feliz Navidad!" Uruguayans (native and new) are caring - now that's a tradition I can take to heart.
Uruguay suffers an identity crisis at Christmas. "Jingle Bells" plays through the sound system at Punta Shopping Mall. Not a version in Spanish, no - very high pitched children's voices singing in English with weird electronic/Euro techno music accompanying them. Not bad if you hear the song once, but it inspires wrist-slitting after hearing it on the 10 minute play loop they have.
Of course it's summertime here, making Christmas seem unreal, especially with beach balls and bikinis on one side of the store aisle - Christmas ornaments on the other. I always buy a new ornament every year to mark a special event. Even though I had no tree (in a box in the barn), I went on a search for an special ornament to commemorate my Christmas in Uruguay. Ja, Ja, Ja - every single ornament I found was made in China. My ornament quest lost its appeal very quickly. My enthusiasm suddenly returned when what to my wondering eyes did appear - Italian and German Christmas food! Yes, in the holiday food aisles of the stores were rows and rows of Italian panettone (sweet bread) and German stollen (cake).
It was my first Christmas ever to be alone - but not forgotten! There was one Uruguayan tradition that overwhelmed me with gratefulness - phone calls and text messages from new friends and neighbors, wishing me, "Feliz Navidad!" Uruguayans (native and new) are caring - now that's a tradition I can take to heart.
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"Oh, Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind ... and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here; maybe I can do something about it." - Miracle on 34th Street - Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn)
Thundershirts are like doggie blankets that wrap around a dog's midsection. The theory is that dear dog will feel safe and secure during thunderstorms, fireworks, or stress. Thundershirts work for Sam (pictured), but not so much for our girl Border Collie, Gracie.
In Uruguay, Christmas Eve is celebrated at midnight with many very loud and magnificent fireworks displays. Out here in the campo (countryside), I wasn't sure if neighbors would set off fireworks. I was prepared with thundershirts on both dogs, the TV blaring loudly with an old and forgettable U.S movie, and homeopathic relaxation drops for the dogs. Oh yes, and a wee bit of champagne for yours truly. As it turned out, no fireworks were heard, the stars were amazing, and I wound up singing "Silent Night" while star-gazing. My first Christmas Eve without family or friends and I survived! There were a few tears...
Thundershirts are like doggie blankets that wrap around a dog's midsection. The theory is that dear dog will feel safe and secure during thunderstorms, fireworks, or stress. Thundershirts work for Sam (pictured), but not so much for our girl Border Collie, Gracie.
In Uruguay, Christmas Eve is celebrated at midnight with many very loud and magnificent fireworks displays. Out here in the campo (countryside), I wasn't sure if neighbors would set off fireworks. I was prepared with thundershirts on both dogs, the TV blaring loudly with an old and forgettable U.S movie, and homeopathic relaxation drops for the dogs. Oh yes, and a wee bit of champagne for yours truly. As it turned out, no fireworks were heard, the stars were amazing, and I wound up singing "Silent Night" while star-gazing. My first Christmas Eve without family or friends and I survived! There were a few tears...
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"A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff." - George Carlin
Our new barn is jam-packed with all our "stuff." I've opened many boxes, but have topped out with no more room for things in our little house. So far, nothing from our shipment is damaged, which is a miracle.
The movers were not the professionals we expected; they were four 16 and 17 year-old street kids from the Montevideo port. One was homeless and none had eaten all day. We fed them and they did their best, but it was 95 degrees for the 7 hours it took to unload. They had no dolly, moving straps, or even a ramp for the truck.
Our wonderful Canadian friends stayed by my side the whole time. I have no idea what I would have done without them. At least everything made it here; that is a blessing. We will soon find a spot for things.
The movers were not the professionals we expected; they were four 16 and 17 year-old street kids from the Montevideo port. One was homeless and none had eaten all day. We fed them and they did their best, but it was 95 degrees for the 7 hours it took to unload. They had no dolly, moving straps, or even a ramp for the truck.
Our wonderful Canadian friends stayed by my side the whole time. I have no idea what I would have done without them. At least everything made it here; that is a blessing. We will soon find a spot for things.
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“Be excellent to each other.” - Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure - Rufus (George Carlin)
I went to my first Uruguayan wedding last night and it was fantastico! It was the wedding of Uruguayan friends. I'm guilty of being a true romantic, but it was honestly one of the nicest weddings I've ever attended.
The setting was outdoors at a chacra (a small farm), complete with peacocks, bougainvillea, bunnies, and a puppy! The food was out of this world. Dancing started at 9:00 and dinner was at 10:00 (Uruguayan style). My favorite appetizer was the seafood cocktail (ceviche style) and favorite beverage was champagne with crushed berries - yum.
I was told that it was not really a traditional Uruguayan wedding, however I did notice some unique traditions. The couple was married by an official who wore a Uruguayan flag sash. Many witnesses (family and friends) were called up during the ceremony and very formally signed a book. I love this one: instead of walking down the aisle at the end of the ceremony, friends and family went to the bride and groom for hugs and kisses!
I went to my first Uruguayan wedding last night and it was fantastico! It was the wedding of Uruguayan friends. I'm guilty of being a true romantic, but it was honestly one of the nicest weddings I've ever attended.
The setting was outdoors at a chacra (a small farm), complete with peacocks, bougainvillea, bunnies, and a puppy! The food was out of this world. Dancing started at 9:00 and dinner was at 10:00 (Uruguayan style). My favorite appetizer was the seafood cocktail (ceviche style) and favorite beverage was champagne with crushed berries - yum.
I was told that it was not really a traditional Uruguayan wedding, however I did notice some unique traditions. The couple was married by an official who wore a Uruguayan flag sash. Many witnesses (family and friends) were called up during the ceremony and very formally signed a book. I love this one: instead of walking down the aisle at the end of the ceremony, friends and family went to the bride and groom for hugs and kisses!