Thanks to Laurel Porter for this quote!
Monday Dec. 29th - Today was eventful. I colored my hair and got rid of that annoying grey with the help of a friend - Bonnie Anderson! She colored it for me and did a great job! I can at least survive with color until I get home to Ann! Today was a very low key day. We drove back over to the Ciudadele to pick up some Nacimientos which is a nativity set made out of little colored beads. I have a pic of two of them! That took us all afternoon. We didn't even have FHE cause we are meeting for a party on New Year's Eve instead!
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| Look no grey! |
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| Every color is a different colored bead on these nativity sets made by a cute young little Mexican gal! |
Tuesday Dec. 30th - Guess what?? Another driving day. We went over to the Temple to first see an Elder that had been hit on the back of his head with a baseball bat while walking down the street. A car drove by slowly and wacked him a good one! Miraclulously he was not killed actually! He walked away with only a big headache! God does protect and bless his missionaries. We were then suppose to meet our friends the Zapatas but they got a better offer to go to the zocolo! We stopped at a dollar store called Waldos to look around and the fabric store next door to pick up some baby yarn so I can make another baby blanket when I am just sitting around! We decided to take another way home and got totally and completely lost! We ended up at the outer edge of the Merced I was telling you about on Saturday! So we went on an overpass and came down the other side into the biggest mess you could imagine. This is how this went:
Me - which way do I go now Greg?
Greg - let me look at the map
Me - hurry there are cars coming from every direction! (cars were hardly moving - no where to go!)
Greg - OK go straight
Me - which straight?
Greg - that way straight?
Me - I can't! It's a one way street coming at us SEE!
Greg - then turn right!
Me - I can't, they have blocked off the street and 1 million people are standing over there!
Greg - well, you are gonna have to turn some way, so then turn left!
Me - I can't! See that huge bus trying to run over us! Also see the other big busses behind that one!
Greg - well you're going to have to go somewhere!
Me - there is absolutely no where to go!
Greg - watch out! that car is going to hit you!
Me - what would you like me to do about that!
Greg - This is a big mess!
Me - ya think?
Greg - see that kid over there! He will help us get out of here!
Me - how?
Greg - he is starting to direct traffic a little
Me - Yeah! I can see us still sitting here tomorrow!
Greg - look, he is helping that bus move, and that car!
Me - great! We won't be run over today!
Greg - here is some money! Give it to him and he will help us
Me - OK, Hey kid - *sign language from here!*
Kid - pointing and holding traffic including another big bus!
Greg - go!
Me - closing my eyes I inched out and had to make a U turn in the middle of all this!
Kid - beating his hands on the trunk of the car which tells me to keep backing up!
Kid - also said "Hey I am from your church!" when he saw our nametags!
Me - still closing my eyes! No comment!
Greg - K go!
Me - eyes open and gas punched!
We then drove back up over that overpass - passing probably 50 cars and 25 busses that were waiting in a line to go somewhere! Oh my heck! TOOOO Many People in one area!!!! Besides like I said it was the outskirts of the Merced. There are no words to describe the Merced! Except maybe to think about the worst hoarder you have seen on TV times 1 million! Does that help?
We were so stressed we forgot to take pics of the whole situation! You would give me sympathy then but we took some nice pics on our adventure home! It only took us 2 hours to find our way home!
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| A pic down an isle at the Merced after we got out of the frey on the street! |
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| A cool old church on a corner as we drove by |
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| Some kind of a shrine in the middle of the road. |
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| I like the almost American sign! |
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| The Angel of Independence |
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| A nice tree lined street we got to drive down! |
Wednesday Dec 31st - New Years Eve! - Happy Birthday to my friend Rhonda! Greg had to due a little doctoring before we could start our day today! Sister Hobbs, went over to the area offices this morning to do a little work. She had her head down a little and walked smack dab into a glass door that was never, ever shut! She cut her nose pretty bad with her glasses. Poor little thing! Greg made a little butterfly bandage and we got her all taped up! Good as new!
Well today we have planned an adventure with the Olsons! Actually they are planning the adventures cause they leave in 3 weeks now! Today 5 couples piled in 2 cars and drove up to the "Desert de los Leones! (It isn't a desert nor does it have lions!) It wasn't that far away from where we live and it is up in the mountains like going up Big Cottonwood Canyon or something! Impossible to believe I know! I took pics for proof! Dr. Edwards told us there were beautiful mountains with pine trees and stuff and I thought she was crazy! But she was right!
The Desert de al Leon - is a convent built 400 years ago for a bunch of Monks! Also this bunch of Monks had sworn to a code of silence! No talking EVER! I wouldn't do well as a Monk!
No body ever knew exactly how many Monks lived at this place. What I do know is that it is a very peaceful, quiet and soothing place to be! I want to move right in! Except wait until you see some of the pics! There was the big main section to the Monk palace then there were little ermitos - bungalows where one Monk at a time would go and live there by himself for one month! Tell me - what would you think about if you had 50 years of no talking to anyone? I want answers! Greg thought he would start at "A" and work down from there - like aardvark (cause it starts with double A and so on! We spent a few hours there
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| Nativity Scene at the Desert de los Leones |
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| Entrance into the convent |
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| Dr's office door! |
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| 5 crazy monks! |
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| To the right old stairs the monks used Thing on left - who knows maybe a self torture post! |
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| I can't tell what is hanging on this cross! |
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| The gardens with the main part of the convent behind it |
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| Little tunnels underneath the convent. None of us could stand up straight - they were all so smalll! The tunnels are everywhere and probably used for food storage. |
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| Entrance to the tunnels! |
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| This 400 year old convent that has a rudolph head made of felt stapled to the door! Just sayin' |
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| A gate leading into more peaceful gardens |
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| A lady making little metal puzzles in the convent |
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| Area down by the river and waterfalls There is a lake and picnic tables there now! |
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| An ermita = a little house where one monk would live for months at a time solitary confinement! This just doesn't seem right! |
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| Stairs up to the ermita |
At 7:00 pm we all met over at the area offices and brought all our junk food and watched The Count of Monte Cristo movie. Good times in the old town tonight! Happy New Year to all of you - my treasured family and friends! Love you all!
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| Here is the senior gang! We are the youngest by 5-6 years! Dear new friends! |
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| Happy New Year from Greg! |
ANOTHER THOUGHT:
May Light always surround you;
Hope kindle and rebound you.
May your Hurts turn to Healing;
Your Heart embrace Feeling.
May Wounds become Wisdom;
Every Kindness a Prism.
May Laughter infect you;
Your Passion resurrect you.
May Goodness inspire
your Deepest Desires.
Through all that you Reach For,
May your arms Never Tire.”
Thursday Jan 1st 2015 - We had a very quiet day all day today! Not much going on and not too many sick missionaries which is a good thing! It gave me time to think of my parents and their peach pancakes they made for 100 people every New Years Day. We used to be very busy on New Years morning helping to serve and clean up the peach pancakes! We lost one of their best friends earlier in December - Emma Lou Thayne! I saw on facebook that my niece Candice has carried on the tradition and made peach pancakes today for her family! Way to go Candice! I never did pick up that tradition cause that was A LOT of work! Maybe when I get home I will have to start that tradition back up! In memory of you Mom and Dad!
Sister Sandberg was saying last week how her New Years tradition is to have Mexican food on New Years Day. I said perfect - youre in charge of the dinner then. She made yummy enchiladas, mole, and tres leche cake. The rest of us brought additional things and the dinner was a great success!!
I am so grateful for these senior couple missionaries here. They are all a great support to us!
We learned a new card game called Hello! I know my kids will like this game! You play it with rook cards!
Bring it on 2015 - we are all ready for the challenge!!
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