Buenos Aires 2013

Yes, I went to Buenos Aires!
It was so exciting. My first solo tour. Ok, it was with my SIL, so not all alone, but it was both our first times making such a tour.

Arami travel agency  offered a 4 day tour to see Buenos Aires and do some shopping. Because our currency is stronger than the Argentinian Peso, it was an offer we couldn´t refuse.
Unfortunately Argentinian women are ALL skinny, because me and my SIL (who is also a bit on the heavy side) could NOT find any clothes that fit our sizes...We didn´t have enough time to explore many areas of the city, or I´m sure we would have found something, but as it was, we bought many gifts for our family and friends and only a few things for ourselves.
BUT..........that didn´t matter. Because we had such a good time otherwise. We laughed a lot and enjoyed seeing the sights. We walked and walked and enjoyed exploring the city. It is filled with old buildings and huge palaces from the past. You really feel like you are in Europe, not in South America.
Our hotel was right in the city center and it was easy to get to everything quickly. We arrived on Thursday night. It was already really late (after 11), but we all didn´t want to go to sleep. So we went to the famous "Puerto madero" (located only blocks from our hotel). We found an overpriced restaurant, but we were so giddy for being there, we didn´t care. We had some overpriced drinks and laughed our heads off....and didn´t get to bed until 1:30. :)

Celebrating our arrival

Friday we took a city tour and saw many monuments and old buildings with impressive architecture. It really is amazing how they have restored all those old palaces.

The famous obelisk

Puerto madero

In the afternoon we went shopping/sightseeing. After the late night on Thursday we were so tired on this second evening, that we just went to a nearby cafe for a small dinner. Buenos Aires is filled with little cafes that have their tables on the sidewalks and you can sit and watch the traffic or just "people watch".

Saturday we were given the choice of another tour to a different part of the city or just to go shopping again. Since we hadn´t really found anything for ourselves the day before, we decided to make it a shopping day. We explored 3 different areas of the city center and still could not find clothes in our size. That´s why in the end, we decided Buenos Aires did not have fat people (I actually only saw very few bigger people).

So, we decided to take our hotel up on their offer for a massage. That is how we ended our shopping day.

...just imagine that was me...

The evening was the highlight of the whole trip. We went to the "Cafe de los Angelitos" (check out the link, you´ll get a great idea of where we were) where we had a great dinner and live tango dancing.
We were not allowed to take pictures, but me being the rebel I am...took some, just for the memory.

When we got back to the hotel we I didn´t want to let the night end, so I persuaded 3 other ladies to take a night time tour (with a taxi) to the obelisk with me. I wanted to get a perfect picture of the monument, but just as we were circling the area, we witnessed how a tourist got robbed of his backpack. That was pretty sobering and we just made some pics from afar and went back to the hotel.

The next morning it meant getting up at 5 and heading to the airport at 6 a.m. That was hard! But like I said to the others, "We only had such a short time there, we could sleep at home". haha

When I think back, all I remember is how much we laughed and what great a time we had. A perfect little getaway from our everyday lives. I´m very thankful to my hubby for letting me do this.


Another pic of the obelisk, which shows better where we were.

This pic is from the internet, because I just couldn´t get a good one

March/April happenings

Here we are again. March has gone and April is flying by as well.
Not sure if I posted about changing my job on here. I was working part time at a job I liked, but there were many hours spent surfing the internet, thinking about food, doing NOTHING. There was just not enough work for that job. So when a colleague quit, my boss asked me to fill her position and my previous work was given to someone who already worked here and was able to take on the extra load. The position I filled, is more of a reception kind of job. Very different from what I was doing, but up till now I´m enjoying it. There is always something going on and I get to move around a lot. I don´t have as much time to be bored  think and that is good for my bank account (because when I'm bored I shop online...) and my body. haha
That also explains the lack of posting. Plus I´m stepping up on my exercise. I´m walking more again and trying to get the weight back down, that I had gained.This is the office I'm working in now.

Below are some pics of events that happened in the past month.
We had a "goodbye dinner" for the co-worker that left. Our boss has a handmade oven (called tapacua) at home and was always telling us how good the pizza tastes, made in one of those. So now he invited us to his house and made us a huge pizza in his oven.

It really was huge. 10 people plus 4 kids were satisfied after this meal. And is was really VERY good!

Notice to normal size pizza in back...

 On my walk one day I came across these passion fruit flowers. The were hanging over a fence and I thought they looked exquisite.

Another event that will forever stay in our minds was the passing of our dear friend and cousin Evald W. He was 53 years old and we last saw him and his wife, when they came for a visit in 2011. Who knew that would be a goodbye forever.
The day before Good Friday he came home from work and was doing some yard work outside, when he suddenly had a massive heart attack. When his wife went to look for him, he had already passed.  Totally unexpected and totally shocking for us all!

He was a new granddad and him and Anni were enjoying this new stage in life. He was very active in his church and will leave a huge empty spot there. Evald was a very loving husband and adored his wife. I know she will have a hard time, she will feel so lost and I pray she can find some new meaning in this new part of life God sees fit to place her in.

This really brought to mind, that ANY day, can be the day that will end your life. We should live accordingly. We should be aware that our lives are meant to be lived, so that others can see God's light in us. I know Evald lived like that. Hopefully I can too.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you play games of luck/chance for money? Have you ever played bingo for money? Visited a casino? Placed a bet on a horse? Bought a lottery ticket?
I have bought a lottery ticket before, but that´s it. We don´t have casinos in our town, and I´m glad about that. I know if I let myself, I could lose a lot of money, if I went to casinos or played cards for money. If I had the money to do it, I would love it though...


2. Will you be preparing and/or dining on the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage meal this St. Patrick's Day? Mashed-baked-hash browned-french fried...your favorite way to have potatoes?
St. Patrick´s is not celebrated here. So, no.
My favorite way to have potatoes is french fries.


3. What's the last thing you felt 'green with envy' over?
When my friends make trips, like to the Dominican Rep. or Switzerland and I can´t...


4. What's at the end of your rainbow?
 A life with no more money worries, no envy and no sickness.


5. March 12th marks the anniversary of the death of Anne Frank (June 12, 1929-March, 1945). Anne's diary detailing her time spent hiding from the Nazi's during the war ranks as one of the best selling books of all time. Besides your blog, do you keep any sort of diary or journal? Was this a habit you developed as a child or is journaling something new for you?
I´ve tried many times to keep a journal, but daily life gets in the way and I forget to update them. So this blog is the only thing that comes close to a journal.


6. What's an item in your home or closet that contains every color of the rainbow?
My bookcase.

7. Write a limerick with you as the subject. You can do it!! Just remember this is a family friendly blog...don't make me get out my wooden spoon.
I had to look up "limerick". Never heard that one before. And now, knowing what it means, made me almost give up posting this week. ;) (I´m not the poetry kind of gal...). But here goes:

There once was a woman from P.
who loved her cold yerba tea.

she had to have it daily
and this left her gaily

if one day she missed out
you better watch out for her "shout".

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I watched all 3 seasons of Downton Abbey last week. Now I'm even thinking with a British accent. lol! I loved it! I didn't think I would, but it got me hooked pretty quickly. Loved the rolling hills and the scenery. No wonder Joyce misses that place.
It's just too bad I have to wait almost a year for the next season to begin...

Wedding pics

As promised, I would like to share the wedding of our second daughter. We are beyond thankful that it all went well. And finally all is back to normal. The guest from Canada has left and the beautiful couple is on their honeymoon. We are very happy for them and wish them a wonderful time.
The wedding was very beautiful. The weather was not the best (it was around 100F), but luckily we have a church with AC, so that was put to good use. After the ceremony we had tables set up in the court yard and we had the reception outside next to the church. The wind had died down and it was not as hot anymore (we started the wedding late at 6:30 for just that reason).
So let me just show you. But after seeing my pics, I know I am NOT a good photographer and my camera is ready to be upgraded. Many pics are blurry and I do not know why. But I will share them as they are, and I'm sure you'll get an idea of how everything/everyone looked.

Getting ready

The proud father with his daughter

The grooms family

our family

with the bridesmaids

The church aile

The beautiful bride

The groom with his sister

The wedding party

How the tables were set up for the reception outside

during the reception, with lampoons and candles

After the reception, family and friends came together for gift opening

...and the cutting of the cake

Wednesday´s Hodgpodge

It seems all I have time for it the Hodgepodge. This weeks questions instantly gave me something to write about, so keep on reading...

1. When were you last facing an ocean? Using just ONE word, describe how you felt as you faced that ocean.
 Feb. of last year.

HOME.

2. What are three sounds you hate to hear?
Snoring, any repetitive sound ( like someone tapping their fingernails) and a crying baby.

3. This question comes to you courtesy of some real life friends. Hi real life friends! When you shop for yourself, do you try everything on in the store before buying or do you buy, try on at home, and then return what you don't like or what doesn't fit?
I have a S-I-L who has a boutique where I buy most of my clothes. She lets me take home the clothes I´m interested in (before paying for them) and try them on at home. But in other Dept. stores I do try them on first in the store, then buy.


4. February 26th is National Pistachio Day...are you a fan of the little green nut? Do you use them in cooking and baking or prefer to eat them right out of the shell?
We can only buy these precious nuts in import stores and they are VERY expensive. But I do love eating them. Salty and crunchy, right out of the shell.

5. When did you last have to compromise with someone? Were you happy to reach the compromise or slightly irritated it was necessary?
When you have a wedding to plan for, there are lots of compromises. Sometimes it left me "slightly" irritated (to say the least...).

6. Have you ever written a letter to an elected official? Did you get a response?
Oh yes I did. Let me tell you about it. This happened a few years ago.
We have this library in our town and every time I went there, it seemed like everyone was always on their break. If I needed help, there were never any personnel around and it seemed like every time I had to search for them. Usually they were sitting in the back..."yacking away". One time I was so annoyed about this, I stole a book and left the store. When I got home I wrote an anonymous letter to the president of our Co-op (which owns the library)  about what I did, and that it was due to the fact that there were never any people around to watch for this or to assist people who needed help! I enclosed the book I stole with the letter.
Next time I went there, there were always two people standing in front and I have never been alone in there again. Ha!


7. We 'March' into a new month at the end of this week...what's something on your March calendar guaranteed to make you smile?
Oh yes. The wedding of these two people!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Well it's down to the last few days. Most of the stuff is taken care of and we just have to wait for the day to arrive. The weather is great and we are very thankful for that. We pray all goes well and I will post pics for you guys soon!

Wednesday´s Hodgepodge

1. When were you last 'on a mountaintop'? You may answer in the literal or figurative sense.
Wow, that was a long time ago. When we visited Canada in 2004 we went to Grouse Mountain top. Missing my Canada right now.


2. Do you establish and maintain a strict budget in your household? What is one piece of financial advice you would offer someone just starting out on their own?
Not very strict, but we do pay off our bills each month. Credit Cards are not used that much in this country (yet), but our Co-op does have the ability to debit our account automatically when we buy produce at their stores. So that way we can always check our balance and know where we stand.
Advice I would give someone young is that you should always SAVE part of your earnings.


3. Cherries-yay or nay? Cherry pie, cherry cola, black forest cake, or a scoop of Ben and Jerry's Cherries Garcia...pick one.
Yay, Yay, Yay! Just plain cherries is fine by me. But if I had to pick one of the above it would be Black Forest cake.

4. Should you ever discuss religion or politics with people you don't know?
I wouldn´t discuss politics, but religion yes. Respectfully of course. I don´t know enough about politics to discuss it.

5. When you take a road trip do you prefer to be the driver or the passenger? Where were you headed on your last road trip?
If I´m going somewhere with hubby, we share the driving, but if I drive with other people I prefer to drive myself.
The last trip we made was to that hotel in eastern Paraguay.  I posted about it here.


6. If we peeked inside your closet, what color would we say is most prevalent?
Mostly white and light blue. It´s what I where to work and I have many blouses with that color.


7. Who's your favorite senior citizen and why are they special?
I should probably put my parents name here, but my favorite is someone called David Hein. He is 90 years old and lives in our community. He is the happiest senior I know. He is married to his second wife and still does some gardening and writes his memoirs. I think he´s special, because he has not let misfortunes or bad luck get him down. He still has hobby´s with his age and he does not let age hold him back. I love that!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

11 days to go. Things are going well and we are getting excited for the big event to happen. Dresses are ready and the last details are being made (i.e. napkins folded). I am so happy for Michelle and Dominic and hope that they will have a beautiful day. It´s a relief that Michelle decided to have the wedding inside the church (no last minute dramas due to weather issues) and weather permitting the reception will be outside. Now the day just has to come...

**********************************
I have  finally been able to get back to exercising. I have a routine now. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I walk and Tuesday and Thursday I have water aerobics (LOVE). Hopefully I´ll get my eating in control too, so I can lose some of that weight I still need to...
Here´s a screen shot of the fitness program I use.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

October was the last Hodgepodge I did. Can that be??! I miss it and will join in again today!

1. Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 10th, and 2013 is the year of the snake. When did you last see a snake? Are you okay around snakes or do they give you the shivers? 

I last saw a snake in my front lawn. It was a garden snake and I let it live. I have "respect" for snakes, but they don´t really freak me out. Most people think because we live in the "boonies" we are constantly fighting off snakes, but that´s not so. We rarely see a snake, and if so the cat usually takes care of them.

2. The color red in Chinese culture usually means good luck. Do you believe in luck? 
In some ways yes, like if someone ALWAYS wins in draw´s or raffles (I know someone like that). But in other ways I think it´s Gods guidance. So my answer is yes and no.

3. sledding-ice skating-building a snowman...if given a choice, which activity would you choose? Which of the three have you done most recently?
 Most recently I´ve done none of these three...hahaha. But I would love to build a snowman, if that were possible. :)

4. Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited as saying, "The years teach much which the days never knew." Where have you seen this quote played out in your own life?
With my worrying. When you are right in the "middle of it" you don´t see how futile it is, that it only makes you more miserable. And later on when the years have past you can look back and think "WHY did you worry so? What good did it bring you?"

5. When was the last time you ate a cupcake? 
I can´t even remember it.

6. What's something you can't say no to?
My daughters.

7. Are you a doodler? 
No.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I am cleaning out the closets of my home today. LOT´s of stuff going to the Second Hand or donation, I can feel it. I need to make room for our guest that is arriving on the weekend. Hopefully I´ll find the blanket I´m missing. It seems every time I have a pair of blankets one of them goes missing...like socks. lol