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Thursday, November 26, 2009
time marches on
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
warm memories from a cold season
I've been spending a lot of time with my family... well, when they're home, that is. Our best conversations usually happen over the dinner table where we compile a ridiculous assortment of random facts, dreams, songs, and memories. I discovered that Mom and I can still laugh until we're both in tears...even when the incident isn't that funny!
I had a "most embarrassing moment" the other week. This particular day started after a night of three hours of sleep, continued with nine hours with a sick, fussy baby, and tragically ended with a stop to the grocery store. Please note that I am not an experienced or efficient grocery shopper. Nevertheless, Grandma and Mom had sent me on this errand with a tidy little stack of coupons. I found everything with relative ease, minus the fact that I retraced my tracks several times and bumped into the same people more than a few times. I unloaded my groceries at the counter, made polite conversation with the cashier, and then politely refused to load up the cart to pull around and pick up the groceries. "I can carry them!" I declared confidently. However, my confidence faltered as I loaded up one arm with a 10-lb bag of potatoes, a gallon of ice cream, and several containers of laundry soap. While I was fishing for the key in my pocket, the man behind me valiantly picked up two gallons of milk and assured me that he would carry them out to my car for me. I was mortified, but led the way to the car. I stuck the key in the truck lock and twisted... well, I tried to twist. The trunk would not open. I shot a nervous glance back at the patient gentleman holding two gallons of milk along with his own groceries. "You can set them down. I'll get them!" I chuckled as I went to the driver's door. "Oh, I'll wait. I'm not in a hurry." So he bemusedly stood by as I unlocked the driver's door and reached back with groceries dangling off my arms to unlock the backseat (power locks should be a necessity for moments like this). When I finally was safely in my car, I laughed the whole way home.
I wrote about Asta the snoring dog in my last post. Here is an Asta update: I fear she is quite disillusioned with me. I made her go outside in the rain after she'd made it clear she didn't want to. She gave me sad eyes, but I was firm. Then I forgot about her until she was shivering and extremely grumpy. I would've felt worse if I hadn't been the brunt of her reproachful eyes for the next several hours. She did try to make up with me when I was on the floor with Andrew. She placed to furry paws in my lap, and scurried away when I lept up and yelled at her. I assume she will have to work through some emotional baggage before she takes such liberties again.
I had a mouse in my room (notice the tense of the verb HAD. *victorious chuckle*). I was on the floor by my desk when I heard a rustle outside my closed door. I assumed it was someone outside of the door and didn't even look up until something black squeezed under the door and shot for cover. Startled, I believe my first thought was "Cockroach!" (the result of spending a year in Mexico, I suppose). For the moment, he was safely hidden. Later in the day, I was on my bed when I heard another rustle and then a pointy black head peeked out from under my desk. He saw me and froze. He then eyed me while judging the pros and cons of exposing himself to an obvious villain...and promptly vanished again. I maliciously recruited my brother to set a trap. By nighttime, we had our long-tailed friend.
Despite cold (and colds), life has been good. I've had good times with family and friends: long walks, deep talks, hot chocolate, conversations in faltering Spanish, Mexican restaurants, offers of green tomato pie, times in the field during harvest, Tony's Italian love songs, cookie bakes at Grandma's house, and good books. God has been faithful in the most encouraging and frustrating situations of adjusting to life in the States. I suspect it will take a long time to feel entirely adjusted, but I'll just live un día a la vez!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
finding humor in the little things
The Sunday after I got home, a group from my church went to a nursing home to sing for one of our church members. One of the residents gushed over "How Great Thou Art" and insisted on leading it for us a second time. She stood in front of us and made dramatic hand motions. "Oh...Lord...my...God!" she began slowly, almost intolerably low. We joined her, soprano voices brushing the bass section. After the singing, Bev, Bradley, and I went to visit another lady in the home, only to find that her roommate was the energetic song leader. The song leader shamelessly eavesdropped on our conversation and inserted her opinion: "God and Jesus are good, both of them!" And then pointing to a painting of Jesus on her wall she exclaimed, "And good-looking too!"
Shopping Trip
When my Eberly cousins were out for a visit, we girls went shopping. Our first stop was to drop off a rented jackhammer. We had visions of all six of us hauling it out of the back of the van and into the rental agency. Instead, one nice man came to rescue us and carried it off by himself. In the same shopping trip we also hit Farm&Fleet, Menards, and Advance Auto Parts. The guys were impressed.
Cookies
You may think that since I made cookies at least once a week in Mexico, I'd be pretty good at making them now. But alas. I made my favorite recipe of chocolate chip cookies, but instead of turning out deliciously chocolaty, this is what happened. First, I broke the mixer. I'm not used to using mixers anymore, and I stuck the wooden spoon a little too close to the beaters. Good news: the wooden spoon is fine. After I stuck the first tray in the oven, I realized I'd forgotten an entire bag of chocolate chips! Then the cookies turned out dreadfully flat. The first batch actually dripped off the pan and onto the bottom of the oven where they burned. Speaking of burnt... Just kidding, that's the one thing I managed NOT to do!
Torpedoes
I've become more sensitive to how badly most people in America pronounce Spanish words. Soon after I got home, I went out with some friends to a Mexican restaurant to eat what Davis called "torpedoes" (tortillas). At Taco Bell with my mom another day, the cashier confirmed my mom's order as a "gor-diht-uh" (gordita). Cringe!
Asta the snoring dog
I went with Janelle to babysit a little boy named Andrew. Because of his health problems, I wanted to get some "training" before I went by myself. Janelle had warned me about Asta, the family dog. I got to know the pooch fairly well on the first day. Unfortunately, she didn't sense my disdain of dogs, and she loved me. She ignored Janelle and cast adoring eyes on me wherever I went. She stood and quivered almost all day because she was so excited or nervous or...something. She watched us during lunch, waiting for us to accidentally drop particles of food for her to slurp up. She finally laid down for a nap in the afternoon and lo and behold, she began to SNORE! It startled me until I realized it was only the sleepy canine on the floor by my feet. Dogs should not snore!
Janelle scares Asta
Speaking of Asta, on my second day of "training", Janelle was on the floor changing Andrew's diaper and telling me about how she'd made Asta angry one time. At the end of her story, she imitated Asta's nasty response: *SNARL *BARK *GROWL! Asta, who was sitting right beside her, suddenly leaned back and flattened her ears against her head in fright. I burst out laughing and Asta didn't look too pleased that her new hero was finding humor at her expense.
Crazy Youth
What do Josh the quilting bee leader, Andy the tooth fairy, and Arlene the porta-potty attendant have in common? Play strange games with my youth group and find out!
Pickles
My grandma has been known for trying some unconventional cooking. One day, I walked over to my grandparents' house to visit. She had a kettle of cucumbers merrily boiling in pickle juice on the stove. Chuckling inwardly, I made a mental note to tell my mom about this latest experiment. But when I got home and told my amusing story, mom said, "I did that!" And I was humbled to realize that my mom was the one who had given Grandma the idea!
Scary gun explosion
I was lounging on the couch, reading my book. The character in the book could feel unseen eyes watching him as he crept around the house in the dark. Suddenly, explosions ripped through the air, scaring me senseless. I looked up to see my cousin Justin towering in the doorway with a toy ball gun aimed at his brother. He'd been firing right beside my head...slightly unnerving in the thick of a scary plot!
Exciting side note!!! I made flour tortillas on Thursday night for the first time since I've been home (and the first time by myself EVER) and they turned out remarkably Mexican-like. There might be a reason Ana called me a "chicana"!
Another side note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANESSA!!! I hope you know that I did this just for you!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Goodbyes, Airports, and Flannel
SUNDAY: A lot has happened since I got up on Sunday morning. The highlight of my otherwise dreary and tearful morning was that my former landlady came to church. She had deserted a houseful of company to spend one last time with me. When Lenn led my song request, he couldn’t remember how it went. It was a memorable farewell to have the confused church singing an array of clashing notes, lol. After church I said a few more goodbyes and went to Mochiqui to tell MariCruz and her family goodbye. I told Ana goodbye just in case I didn’t see her again. I thought I had become calloused to saying goodbye by then, and was surprised at how much it hurt to say those goodbyes. It all just felt so final...and depressing. After lunch with Reina, David, Lupita, and Aile, I spent the afternoon quietly in my room. Marlen visited me. Ana came to the San Pedro service; we sat together all the way there, through the service, and all the way back. I had to tell everyone in San Pedro goodbye after the service. It took me so long that Lenn almost sped off without me! Aile had a program at 8:00 that we all wanted to attend. Unfortunately, the others got home from church after 8:00 (others as in: including Aile) and we had to stuff popcorn into bags to take along with us. Aile showered and then we were off, extremely late. We parked and walked in, some marching ahead and others trailing behind… we were quite the motley crew! We shouldn’t have been the least bit stressed; Aile was scheduled on the program after two hours of traditional-style dancing from a bunch of high-schoolers in costume. We got home late after dropping people off.
MONDAY: Reina’s family stayed overnight which is why David’s wild yell woke me up. I wanted to do laundry, but the water wasn’t on. After breakfast, I started with packing and donating stuff to missionaries less-privileged than I (okay, the last phrase wasn’t necessarily true). When I finally got my clean laundry on the line, someone started a brush fire that [of course] drifted over to my clean laundry. I dashed outside to save some of it so I wouldn’t have to smell like a tramp on my flight the next day. I went to buy my last coke and tell Don Josecito goodbye. He gave me gum as a farewell gift. I called home and cleared up some details of my flight. Then I laid down to rest. When I did, I realized that the sniffling I had attributed to allergies was actually my good friend, Head Cold. And his timing was impeccable. I went to the orphanage to say final goodbyes to everyone there. Lenn took Janessa, Caleb, and I out on his moto. It was tight squeeze, especially since my skirt wasn’t conducive to good moto riding. Janessa was basically on my lap with Caleb on top of her. Whenever we stopped, Lenn had to support our combined weight as we slid down the seat toward him. Ana was waiting for me; I’d told her that I’d be there. It was fun to be with the kids one last time, even if it was a bit melancholy. Ana left early, leaving me with a note and a phone number as she climbed on the bike with her boyfriend and disappeared from sight. Suddenly the soccer game had ended and I had to say goodbye to everyone. I asked Debbie if I could just slip out, but she quickly shot down that idea. I had told myself that crying wasn’t an option at least until I was home... but when Roxina started hugging me and wouldn’t let me go and Maria was waiting solemnly for me beside the van, I knew my resolve was not going to last. I had a hard time climbing onto the moto with the girls hanging on me. When I got home, I got a stomach ache. I hate goodbyes. But the night wasn’t over yet. Janessa, Rhonda, Suzanne, and I went out for ice cream and to the plaza. We didn’t have much time, but we had fun for my last night “on the town.” By the time we got back, my head was throbbing and my nose was unstoppable.
TUESDAY: I hardly slept… a result of the blend of sinuses and emotions. I got up at 5:00 a.m. and finished packing. Originally, all of the Yoder family had been planning to spend the day in Los Mochis, but I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t feeling good so those plans collapsed. So I said a few more goodbyes before we left the house. The ride to the airport was long and bumpy. Then I had to wait a long time for my plane. My head was in the clouds by the time I finally got ready to get on the right plane. First, I banged my head in the doorway in front of the stewardess and the pilot. Then I had my ticket upside down when I was trying to find my seat, and the stewardess had to help me turn my ticket around. And then I tried to open what I thought was an overhead bin but was actually just the overhead lights; the bins were only on one side! Most everyone else was already boarded and they watched me curiously as a gave them a weak smile and plunged into my seat. We flew along a body of water that I assumed was the bay between mainland Mexico and Baja California. I began to feel better as the day progressed despite that fact I’d had hardly any sleep and was under stress. It was definitely a miracle. The landing in Phoenix tested the strength of my motion-sickness pill and I was relieved to be on the ground again. Going through customs was easy despite the maze of contradicting directions to re-check in my luggage. I got tired of walking and rode those little flat escalator thingys as an alternative… so slooooooooooooow! My flight from Phoenix to Chicago was freezing. I fought the urge to cuddle up to the passenger beside me, but I think I had goosebumps at least 80% of the 3 ½ hour flight. I was extremely restless and bounded off the plane once they opened the door. As I marched down the hallway to the final flight of stairs, I saw my Dad. Despite the fact that my family had all been awaiting my arrival, they looked a little shocked to see me. After hugs and luggage, we walked out to the van where they had a coat, gloves, a scarf, and a hat waiting for me. I should’ve been really tired, but I think I talked most of the way home. At home, I was delighted to find flannel pajamas in my dresser. I cannot even describe that moment that I climbed between the flannel sheets and fell back onto the memory foam of my bed for the first time in over a year.
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY: Mainly these last couple of days have been a lot of adjusting for me: cleaning, finding clothes to wear, going to the bank, visiting people, learning to know the new “neighbors” (my grandparents) in our backyard, reacquainting myself with my youth group, etc. So far it’s been good, but not without its moments of Mexico-sickness. Here are a few of the things I’ve had to adjust to, no matter how minor:
~Vertical light switches instead of horizontal.
~Carpet.
~Grass.
~Breakfast cereal other than cornflakes!!!
~Radio.
~Driving (Thanks, Bradley, for the driving lessons).
~Drinking hot drinks.
~The COLD weather and actually wanting to be in the sun.
~Prices.
~The array of my favorite foods (noooo, they’re not spoiling me!).
~Running hot water in the sink.
~What in the world do I do with so many pairs of shoes?
~Walking around the house in stocking feet.
~Dishwashers.
~Quiet.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Scorpions, Enchiladas, and Lasts
FRIDAY: I called Dad for his birthday. I got a late start with the laundry at the orphanage. But I managed to get it all done. Cata watched me while I sorted clothes and filled the machines. MariChuy was celebrating her 12th birthday. She stood out in the soccer field, loudly singing in English “Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me!” She ordered Mexican enchiladas for her meal and Suzanne busily prepared those. I hung out with the kids and enjoyed life at the orphanage. At lunch MariChuy was so excited about blowing out her candles that she blew them out before we’d even sung to her! Domingo was practicing his English during lunch clean up: “I tol’ you, be quie’, man! I sai’ don’ do dat!” I started making apple crisp for our singles’ night. Domingo and Leobardo approached me hopefully. “For me?” Domingo asked, grabbing an apple. “No. They’re for me. This is for you.” And I gave him a hug. “For you!” he said, returning the hug with breathtaking energy. Since I was the “guest of honor” for singles’ night, I was forced to make all of the decisions. I think it was just because no one else wanted to make them. *aHEM! I finished the apple crisp without burning it. I had a little time off before I walked over to Mochiqui. I was so hot when I finally reached Salvador and Enriquetta’s. We talked as Uriel and a naked Jaciel played tag amongst us. Enriquetta couldn’t believe that I had walked over by myself: “Aren’t you scared that someone will rob you?” “I don’t have anything with me to rob.” “They might kidnap you!” Ana wasn’t home, but I walked to MariCruz’s and had a nice visit in between studying with Carla, Tita, and Uriel. By the time I was done there, the wind was wild and it was starting to sprinkle. I walked back to the orphanage quickly and managed to beat the rain. We were planning a cookout but the heavy rain caused the flexible missionaries to change their plans. Instead, the guys came to the kitchen with the hamburgers to fry up in a frying pan. Suzanne isolated the noisy kids to the bedrooms until they were able to go upstairs to watch their movie. Once they were gone, we ate and talked like boring adults. But it was fun anyway.
This is actually a video from last week. Suzanne painted her face with sidewalk chalk and hid in the dark bathroom with a flashlight in her face. Roxina, who scares very easily, was invited inside to see. I caught the moment on video.
The dialogue in English:
Maria: Come.
Roxina: But what is there inside?
Maria: Something that you need to see. Please open it!
Roxina: But what is it?
Maria: I'm not going to tell you until you open it. You're going to see.