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"Laundry day is the only exciting day in the life of clothes. It is. No, think about it. The washing machine is the nightclub of clothes. You know, it's dark, there's bubbles happening, they're all kind of dancing around in there." The Seinfeld Chronicles - Jerry Seinfeld
Today we finally got the washing machine hooked up and the clothesline hung. Notice that I omitted the mention of a dryer! My husband has channeled back to his German childhood and clothes on the line, sweet smells and all that. All the washer directions are in Spanish of course, so I finally just put stuff in, cried a little, and pushed a lot of buttons. It washed! Then it started to rain, so no clothes on the line today....
Our German friend came over to give us a lesson in wood stoves and building fires. We are warm and cozy now. Who knew those big bags of things sold by the side of the highway and at fruit stands were pine cones? And we thought they were potatoes! You use them to get the fire going. Still no gas, so no way to cook other than the slow cooker. My stew was good and this is the last night of it, thank goodness.
Our builder is nice, but is quickly learning my school teacher habits. I make him an list of notes and a plan for each day - always the teacher, I guess. Our house is cozy and when I look out at the hills and the skies, it's totally worth waking up freezing every morning. The high today was only 45 degrees. I had on a t-shirt, camisole, sweater, and down jacket - in the mall!! Uruguay is NOT tropical, as many believe. The winter weather is damp and cold with winds coming from the Atlantic and Antarctica.
Doggies are fine; Gracie is curled up next to me by the fire. My hubby is on his way to the little village store (Almacen) for vino. Life is good!
Our German friend came over to give us a lesson in wood stoves and building fires. We are warm and cozy now. Who knew those big bags of things sold by the side of the highway and at fruit stands were pine cones? And we thought they were potatoes! You use them to get the fire going. Still no gas, so no way to cook other than the slow cooker. My stew was good and this is the last night of it, thank goodness.
Our builder is nice, but is quickly learning my school teacher habits. I make him an list of notes and a plan for each day - always the teacher, I guess. Our house is cozy and when I look out at the hills and the skies, it's totally worth waking up freezing every morning. The high today was only 45 degrees. I had on a t-shirt, camisole, sweater, and down jacket - in the mall!! Uruguay is NOT tropical, as many believe. The winter weather is damp and cold with winds coming from the Atlantic and Antarctica.
Doggies are fine; Gracie is curled up next to me by the fire. My hubby is on his way to the little village store (Almacen) for vino. Life is good!
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"There's a Colonial woman on the wing of the plane. There is something they're not telling us. She was out there churning butter! She was churning butter!" Bridesmaids - Annie Walker (Krisen Wiig)
I really am a Colonial or pioneer woman; take your choice of time frames. We left the bed and breakfast two days ago and have spent two nights in our new little house. We FINALLY got electricity, but we neglected to install light fixtures or buy lamps. We rushed out to a light and lamp store, eager to use that electricity. We have no gas yet - so not hot water and no way to cook.
So - good ole thinking dictated that we buy a toaster and a crock pot. I just put an Osso Bucco stew into the crock pot. Our kitchen cabinets were delivered, but we have no countertops or a sink yet. So Pioneer Woman washed veggies in the bathroom, peeled and chopped them (with no cutting board) while sitting at the table. We do have a refrigerator and a wood stove. Just got the wood stove hooked up last night and were finally warm (after we city folks figured out how to start a fire). The night before we bought an electric heater and it broke about 2:00 in the morning, so we froze - it was 34 degrees outside. We got up this morning and found kindling and firewood and made the fire for the winter day. See? Pioneers!
The doggies are settling in. They've had to spend 2 days in the truck, as we had errands to run and their fenced in area by the house was too muddy from torrential rain. They are freaked out by the horses that wander around our property from next door. When the dogs were in the truck waiting for us one day, the horses surrounded the truck and looked in the windows at the Sam and Gracie. Of course, Sam and Gracie went nuts!
The toilet finally works without having to lift the back and manually push things to flush - ha! It's the little things that are so important.
We found a cute table, 4 chairs, and 2 nightstands last thing yesterday afternoon. Now we have a place to sit, besides the mattress. We cannot find a decent shower curtain anywhere. It's like a treasure hunt every time we enter a store - returning the broken heater was like living a sitcom! We were successful, though and everyone is very nice if you at least try a few words of Spanish.
I really am a Colonial or pioneer woman; take your choice of time frames. We left the bed and breakfast two days ago and have spent two nights in our new little house. We FINALLY got electricity, but we neglected to install light fixtures or buy lamps. We rushed out to a light and lamp store, eager to use that electricity. We have no gas yet - so not hot water and no way to cook.
So - good ole thinking dictated that we buy a toaster and a crock pot. I just put an Osso Bucco stew into the crock pot. Our kitchen cabinets were delivered, but we have no countertops or a sink yet. So Pioneer Woman washed veggies in the bathroom, peeled and chopped them (with no cutting board) while sitting at the table. We do have a refrigerator and a wood stove. Just got the wood stove hooked up last night and were finally warm (after we city folks figured out how to start a fire). The night before we bought an electric heater and it broke about 2:00 in the morning, so we froze - it was 34 degrees outside. We got up this morning and found kindling and firewood and made the fire for the winter day. See? Pioneers!
The doggies are settling in. They've had to spend 2 days in the truck, as we had errands to run and their fenced in area by the house was too muddy from torrential rain. They are freaked out by the horses that wander around our property from next door. When the dogs were in the truck waiting for us one day, the horses surrounded the truck and looked in the windows at the Sam and Gracie. Of course, Sam and Gracie went nuts!
The toilet finally works without having to lift the back and manually push things to flush - ha! It's the little things that are so important.
We found a cute table, 4 chairs, and 2 nightstands last thing yesterday afternoon. Now we have a place to sit, besides the mattress. We cannot find a decent shower curtain anywhere. It's like a treasure hunt every time we enter a store - returning the broken heater was like living a sitcom! We were successful, though and everyone is very nice if you at least try a few words of Spanish.
Cooking with no stove isn't so bad when you have a crock pot/slow cooker! Here's a link to my slow cooker recipes at my cooking website MissCookbook.com:
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I knew there would be rivers to cross and hills to climb, and I was glad, for this is a fair land and I rejoiced that I would see it. -- Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder (Melissa Gilbert)
I love our little house in the campo, but there is still no electricity (after over 4 months of waiting) and so no water. Floors are going in today and I'll paint tomorrow. Yes, more painting for me - after I just finished painting every nook and cranny in our Texas home. We are moving in - at least into the bedroom - electricity or not. We may be buying candles and toting buckets of water.
Today we bought things we need (and have duplicates of in Texas) for our little house - including a bed and a washer. Reader, please take note that I did not mention a clothes dryer. My husband thinks it will be great fun to hang wash on a line. We'll have to see about that. It is strange buying brand new household items - bed, lamps, linens, towels, utensils AND a garbage can. Some "stuff" at our Texas home has been with us since college, so this just feels like living at a bed and breakfast (without the breakfast).
It's beautiful here - 65 degrees with sunny skies. Our little house feels peaceful and happy - even if it is still a construction site. I feel like one of those pioneer women on the Oregon trail or Laura Ingalls Wilder in the Little House books, writing letters back home or memoirs! Guess it's pretty similar. I AM grateful to be healthy and have us all in one place.
I love our little house in the campo, but there is still no electricity (after over 4 months of waiting) and so no water. Floors are going in today and I'll paint tomorrow. Yes, more painting for me - after I just finished painting every nook and cranny in our Texas home. We are moving in - at least into the bedroom - electricity or not. We may be buying candles and toting buckets of water.
Today we bought things we need (and have duplicates of in Texas) for our little house - including a bed and a washer. Reader, please take note that I did not mention a clothes dryer. My husband thinks it will be great fun to hang wash on a line. We'll have to see about that. It is strange buying brand new household items - bed, lamps, linens, towels, utensils AND a garbage can. Some "stuff" at our Texas home has been with us since college, so this just feels like living at a bed and breakfast (without the breakfast).
It's beautiful here - 65 degrees with sunny skies. Our little house feels peaceful and happy - even if it is still a construction site. I feel like one of those pioneer women on the Oregon trail or Laura Ingalls Wilder in the Little House books, writing letters back home or memoirs! Guess it's pretty similar. I AM grateful to be healthy and have us all in one place.
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“It may only be four walls and a couple of nail kegs, but it will always be home to me.” - Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House - Bill Cole (Melvyn Douglas)
In Uruguay, as in the U.K., houses have names. When I used to visit my brothers in England and Scotland, I loved looking at the names of rural homes: Rose Glen Cottage, Frog Manor, etc.
I never dreamed I would one day be agonizing over what to name a house - much less one in Uruguay. I came up with a list of names and ran it by many friends AND OF COURSE my husband! Months and months later, we still don't have a name and I'm glad it's not a child. Hmm...still thinking.
In Uruguay, as in the U.K., houses have names. When I used to visit my brothers in England and Scotland, I loved looking at the names of rural homes: Rose Glen Cottage, Frog Manor, etc.
I never dreamed I would one day be agonizing over what to name a house - much less one in Uruguay. I came up with a list of names and ran it by many friends AND OF COURSE my husband! Months and months later, we still don't have a name and I'm glad it's not a child. Hmm...still thinking.
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“You never miss the water until the well runs dry. ” – His Girl Friday - Walter Burns (Cary Grant)
Living on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Texas for the first 47 years of my life, I took for granted one of life's most precious resources, WATER.
Moving to the Texas Hill Country near Austin, was a real eye-opener. Suddenly water was at a premium, especially during times of drought (just about every year).
Uruguay is just the opposite - water, water everywhere and plenty to drink. Hubs and the well digger doused out the spot, drilled a well, and struck water with the first try!
Living on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Texas for the first 47 years of my life, I took for granted one of life's most precious resources, WATER.
Moving to the Texas Hill Country near Austin, was a real eye-opener. Suddenly water was at a premium, especially during times of drought (just about every year).
Uruguay is just the opposite - water, water everywhere and plenty to drink. Hubs and the well digger doused out the spot, drilled a well, and struck water with the first try!
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"Hurry up, Goldenrod, or you're gonna be a permanent resident!" - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - Han Solo (Harrison Ford)
We named this horse, Fred, although he's not ours. He likes to stand in the middle of the road in Pueblo Eden, the closest village to us. Fred serves as a reminder that one should not hurry. We've begged, pleaded, and cajoled him to move out of the road, all in vain. Just back up, turn around, an d go the other way. Fred ain't moving!
Keep in mind that like Fred, things in Uruguay just don't move very quickly. It turns out that construction in Uruguay doesn't happen quickly during the summer. December - no, it's Christmas and parties. January - no, it's 3 Kings Day and time for the beach. February, are you crazy? Everyone's celebrating Carnaval (like Mardi Gras).
We named this horse, Fred, although he's not ours. He likes to stand in the middle of the road in Pueblo Eden, the closest village to us. Fred serves as a reminder that one should not hurry. We've begged, pleaded, and cajoled him to move out of the road, all in vain. Just back up, turn around, an d go the other way. Fred ain't moving!
Keep in mind that like Fred, things in Uruguay just don't move very quickly. It turns out that construction in Uruguay doesn't happen quickly during the summer. December - no, it's Christmas and parties. January - no, it's 3 Kings Day and time for the beach. February, are you crazy? Everyone's celebrating Carnaval (like Mardi Gras).
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“I don't know where we've been and I've just been there." – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Butch (Paul Newman)
It's been nearly three months since we've been to Uruguay, and as we sort through our "stuff," we realize there is a LOT to do before moving.
As the months have passed, Uruguay is becoming a distant memory. The whole idea is starting to seem surreal and overwhelming. I need to look at some beach pictures for inspiration!
As the months have passed, Uruguay is becoming a distant memory. The whole idea is starting to seem surreal and overwhelming. I need to look at some beach pictures for inspiration!
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“Time marches on and sooner or later you realize it is marching across your face.” – Steel Magnolias - Truvy (Dolly Parton)
I had not planned on retiring from teaching for at least four more years, but life changes. Retirement is bittersweet - leaving my 3rd grade class, my educators, and my profession.
I love teaching AND I loathe it. How so? I taught every age from Kindergarden to adults. I enjoyed the laughter, the hugs, the "aha" moments, and even the tears. I loathed feeling I wasn't ever doing enough, feeling I was teaching the wrong things, and feeling I wasn't a good enough teacher. After years and years, I learned that nearly every good teacher I know has these feelings of inadequacy. Perhaps that's what keeps us strong and prepared - always trying to do more.
I will always be a teacher of some sort; I'm just too bossy not to be.
I had not planned on retiring from teaching for at least four more years, but life changes. Retirement is bittersweet - leaving my 3rd grade class, my educators, and my profession.
I love teaching AND I loathe it. How so? I taught every age from Kindergarden to adults. I enjoyed the laughter, the hugs, the "aha" moments, and even the tears. I loathed feeling I wasn't ever doing enough, feeling I was teaching the wrong things, and feeling I wasn't a good enough teacher. After years and years, I learned that nearly every good teacher I know has these feelings of inadequacy. Perhaps that's what keeps us strong and prepared - always trying to do more.
I will always be a teacher of some sort; I'm just too bossy not to be.
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"Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin' for, worth fightin' for, worth dyin' for, because it's the only thing that lasts." - Gone with the Wind - Gerald O'Hara (Thomas Mitchell)
With the help of a knowledgeable notary (all are lawyers in Uruguay), we closed on our 5 hectares (look it up) today! And we didn't even leave Texas. This is REAL! Our chacra (country property) has some very nice views and some very good "vibes." We love it!
With the help of a knowledgeable notary (all are lawyers in Uruguay), we closed on our 5 hectares (look it up) today! And we didn't even leave Texas. This is REAL! Our chacra (country property) has some very nice views and some very good "vibes." We love it!
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"The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things bother you." - Lost in Translation - Bob (Bill Murray)
Why Uruguay??? The question asked most often...
Here are SIX top reasons for loving Uruguay:
1. Beautiful beaches with clean water; I'm a beach girl at heart.
2. Water! Uruguay sits atop one of world's largest aquifers, the Guarani Aquifer. After spending 14 years in drought-ridden Texas Hill Country, lots of readily available water sounds fabulous.
3. Kindly Mother Nature - although weather changes may be rapid, winter is rainy, and the humidity is high year round, there aren't many catastrophic events. After living through many hurricanes and tornadoes on the Mississippi and Texas Gulf Coasts, I can honestly say, "Never again." Uruguay also has no earthquakes or volcanoes. Whoo hoo!
4. Clean Air, Skies, and Soil: I had forgotten what the blue skies of my childhood (pre-pollution days) looked like or how it felt to breathe in clean air (despite the mingling fresh smell of manure).
5. Peace, harmony, and safety - Uruguay is a fairly safe, secure, and tolerant country.
6. Probably the most important thing I love about Uruguay are its people! They are kind, caring, and polite.
Why Uruguay??? The question asked most often...
Here are SIX top reasons for loving Uruguay:
1. Beautiful beaches with clean water; I'm a beach girl at heart.
2. Water! Uruguay sits atop one of world's largest aquifers, the Guarani Aquifer. After spending 14 years in drought-ridden Texas Hill Country, lots of readily available water sounds fabulous.
3. Kindly Mother Nature - although weather changes may be rapid, winter is rainy, and the humidity is high year round, there aren't many catastrophic events. After living through many hurricanes and tornadoes on the Mississippi and Texas Gulf Coasts, I can honestly say, "Never again." Uruguay also has no earthquakes or volcanoes. Whoo hoo!
4. Clean Air, Skies, and Soil: I had forgotten what the blue skies of my childhood (pre-pollution days) looked like or how it felt to breathe in clean air (despite the mingling fresh smell of manure).
5. Peace, harmony, and safety - Uruguay is a fairly safe, secure, and tolerant country.
6. Probably the most important thing I love about Uruguay are its people! They are kind, caring, and polite.
