Finishing up projects before our cruise

More sewing projects coming to FRUITION:

 Victoria finished her quilt.
The appliques were finished before we came to El Quebracho and Victoria wanted to put them together in some way. Great solution don't you think?

 Yuca wanted another picture with her and I together.

 This is the jean quilt that Natalia is working on. She has two more rows to make it the desired size. Yuca is so proud of it, but didn't want to be in the picture so he is the one hiding behind the quilt.

While Amy is sewing, Gregg has found other things to do.

 Not sure you can decipher this picture, but there are two children and a mom on the moto with the father on a bicycle. The father is holding on to his girls so that he doesn't have to pump the bike uphill. When there is a will, there is a way. However, it makes sense that families are usually very small. One or two kids is all that will fit in this common family mode of transportation.

We took this picture on the way to church and when we arrived, we realized that this is a new family in our branch. They have been members for awhile and just moved here from Santa Fe which is a half a day away. Most men don't have money for a suit so we think he has been a member for awhile since having a suit is a priority while owning a car is not. Are Americans spoiled or what?

Repairing things:
We found something that Argentine's can do better than Americans....that is fix things. When the alternator fell apart on the truck, there was not a parts shop to pick-up a new one (new parts are very expensive and labor is not). Instead, the mechanic went to town taking the alternator apart to see what might be wrong. He found a small spring somewhere that was the cause of all our problems. After a quick replacement, we were on our way.

Another item that needed repairing was my, Amy's, wedding ring. I was wearing it while painting one morning (though I always wear rubber gloves if I have my rings on) when I felt a pinch from my ring which had split apart. The ring had been resized one time in the states and cost us over $100. This time the split was refortified with 14 Karat gold and put back together for about $10. We were amazed. Natalia told us where we could go to fix it in Feliciano. There was no sign on the door, but the neighbor told us where to go.

Also, one of the old sewing machines broke while we were at Los Perales--spinning but not moving the needle. We opened it up when we got home, oiled and cleaned where the owner's manual recommended, but we could see that the problem was probably a hidden belt. Another old machine needed a belt for sure as it broke apart as Victoria was practicing on it one day. So...where do you go to repair old sewing machines?

We were directed to a place in Concordia (near where we bought almonds in bulk and not far from Carrefour where we purchased the stationary bike). What a place! We found the older gentlemen despite the fact that there are never signs posted outside. There's usually a passerby who knows who works where. Anyway, this gentleman probably had 40-50 old machines in his front room. We were told that his specialty is old machines. No kidding! We should have them back in a week and I suspect it won't cost an arm and a leg like it would in the states.

Piano teaching update:
We have found a better piano teaching method in Spanish for our piano students. Mary James was a missionary in a Spanish speaking country and has taught piano lessons for years. As a member of the LDS church, she saw the need to have a good plan for students who want to play piano for church. Anyway, long story short, she has sent us some tools to help us teach and we have changed our methods a bit. We have lent out one of our piano's for the month hoping Ixie, the 14 year old student, will be able to practice more. We are excited to see the students enthusiasm.

Miracle of the month:
 Before I forget, I have to tell you about our experience walking around Federal. Remember, we spent part of a day waiting for the truck to be repaired? Well, to kill time, we had walked to our favorite hardware store and on the way back it happened. We were walking along a dirt road which is what most of the town is comprised of on the left side of the street like all good pedestrians, when, I had a feeling to get off the road. After asking Gregg if he thought we should work our way over to a short sidewalk that was so short it didn't seem worth the trouble, we decided, "No". It would be a waist of time. However, after a brief hesitation, and as Gregg took one step forward, a car from behind us (Remember, we're on the left side of the street.) flew by him so close, we knew without the hesitation, Gregg would have been hit. We still can't reason why the guy was on the wrong side of the street or why he was going so fast, but we knew Elder Johnson had been protected with a two second pause.

Other little miracles. 
We've had strange critters find their way into our house like frogs and snakes. They were incredibly small, but I really don't like crawly things in my house. So, we checked the toilets again and taped one that had a gap. We fumigated again, but that mostly kills ants and spiders. Then, yesterday when repairing some caulking in the kitchen due to condensation from the air-conditioner causing water damage on the wall, I noticed some changes in the foundation in the formal dining room that left a tiny gap that was probably big enough for small crawly things to get in. The wall is caulked and now we think we'll go back to "our" hardware store and see what we can use to plug up the outside wall for better fortification.

Almost every day there is some new problem with our antique house. This week we struggled with the kitchen sink again. The plumber replaced all the pipes under the sink after we picked up the parts in Federal. Now, however, the kitchen drainage system is faulting...dumping the dish water under the sink rather than out to the septic field. But with every little problem that comes up, we get help or inspiration on how to repair it. We are now so accustomed to new problems that we have come to expect them right along with the solution, and ya know ?...the problems seem to feel smaller and smaller even when they are actually bigger and bigger.

Crucero:
The prior missionaries here, the Martinsen's, suggested that we use our down-time in the summer to see Argentina, since we most likely won't be back. We took their suggestion except we widened our sights and planned a cruise to Antarctica. We will start in Santiago, Chili, and stop at ports along the way. Our last stop is in Buenos Aires where we will get a professional tour of the city, and then, we are taking an extra trip to Iguassu Falls. Anyway, you won't hear from us until March at which time, we will give you a full account. At that point, school will almost be back in session and we will have reached our halfway mark. Time flies when you're having fun!

Finding projects to do

Los Perales success:
 Remember the blouse made from a dress pattern gone wrong?

Remember the aprons made from old trousers?

Side note: Remember how difficult it is to find the route to Los Perales? Well, one of our landmarks was a bright Peptobismol pink house at one of the turns. Can you believe that someone painted it blue without a fair warning?

Water Problems:
We had water streaming down our hall one evening. The sandbags held a great deal of water at bay, but the wind had blown water through the screen windows and it accumulated and found it's way into the house. So we went back to our favorite Ferreteria (Harware store) and got more empty sandbags. Today we have more rain, and you can see the double row of protection should do the job.



What to do with drawers that won't open:
We had 4-5 drawers that were difficult to open and close. Many years ago we learned a trick that has helped tremendously that you too might want to keep in the back- of- your- mind. Our daughter-in-law, Meesa, sent us a stick of paraffin wax in a care package. With a couple of swipes along the drawer glides, we now have functioning drawers. Now, maybe the drawer knobs will stay in place.


The tranquil life:
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14 year old Eduardo and 7 year old Facundo are enjoying the tranquil life of El Quebracho Ranch. The horse's name is Solo Uno (Only One) which belongs to their sister Victoria. Solo Uno, is the horse we unintentionally allowed to escape when we unlocked the gate last week.

Note the bare feet.

Yucca with his son Facundo are enjoying the peaceful life of the ranch. It is only 82 degrees, plenty of sun and a lower than normal humidity level. We could actually like this; but it won't last.

Note that with dad, Facundo is wearing shoes.


Free-motion machine quilting:
A prior senior missionary, Jolene Ficklin, was the one who made the beautiful quilts and wall hangings here. When we had the flea infestation, I, Amy, contacted her for advise. In our communication, I asked about her quilts and where she had taken them for quilting. She said that she had quilted them here in Argentina after taking some internet classes.

I was very intrigued and for Christmas, Gregg let me purchase the same three classes from Craftsy that Jolene had taken. So, with time to spare, I've been practicing.

I decided to find a place to use my practice quilt sandwiches. One was the piano bench pads that were stacked up in an effort to find a little comfort while piano practicing.
 Here is an example of the pad.

I cut them apart and stacked two together.

Here is the finished product...

 and here.

I also made some dust covers for the piano. Since I don't have any quilt frames, I used elastic as suggested in one of the classes to tightly hold the backing in place.


 I didn't have spray glue, or nearly enough safety pins, or pin wars as suggested, so, I improvised with straight pins encased in a piece of masking tape folded over.

 It worked great!

I put some of the practice sandwiches together for a bed throw.


 Not too bad for a beginner don't you agree?



These drapes have been repaired and shortened, but the backing is coming off, making them look dirty and in need of something.

I cut out flowers and used washable kid glue to secure them in place since I couldn't find anything else. It worked pretty well, though it had to dry overnight, and I had to use safety pins to hold the stiff fabric in place. However, it held the flowers stiff enough that they could be sewn on without wrinkling and it washed out easily when finished.


 Makes me smile to remember the difference.

 I quilted over the flowers after zigzagging them in place.

Being blessed?
We didn't make it to church today. It was suppose to rain all night but didn't. The problem came when we couldn't get out of the locked gate. We had a gaucho work on the lock for 30 minutes before giving up. When the rain hit hard about noon, we realized that it might have been raining in Feliciano for quite sometime. Perhaps, it was a blessing that we couldn't open the gate.

Anticipating Rain

How we stay busy...
Amy needed something to do in anticipation of summer vacation and the rain storm that is coming. We went to Parana (we visited when we transported Juancho and his family for a cancer treatment) and purchased some material and thread to make a quilt to cover a very disgusting- looking sofa which had its origin a century ago. The technique she used was a pattern found on Pinterest using the Brother sewing machine owned by The Ranch.

Here is the finished quilt customized to fit the strange shape. Natalia, Yucca's wife, mentioned that it is colorful. That was her way of saying that she did not particular like it. I, Gregg, for one think that it is not only beautiful but very appropriate. We now have somewhere to sit and not worrying about what might be lurking below us.


Victoria, the youngest daughter of Natalia, is protecting her dainty fingers from future wear-and-tear. She is a very talented and creative 12 year old. These were left over pieces of a wall hanging she is making. More on that later.
 This is what cans usually look like when we open them. We have a can of peaches in which the hand can opener encountered four dents surrounding the opening. Nothing seems to be customer friendly, but we are trying desperately to always have a good attitude. I think more than anything we are developing a strong passion for our homeland.

The strange bird sound we mentioned last week does not actually come from a bird at all like we were told. The sound comes from a bug called chicharra (similar to cicada). Now you know the rest of the story except the chicharra sounds more obnoxious than the cicada that we've heard in the states.

Leave them alone, and they will come home, waging their tails behind them. These are all three month or younger calves anxiously waiting for supplemental food. The ranch will fatten them for the next three months then ship them to Los Perales for continued fattening until they are two and one half years old. It will then be decided to either butcher them, breed them or offer them as studs.

 They were very curious as we finished the last of the gate painting. Yes, you read correctly--we are finished painting gates. We thought we would run out of paint before we completed the last two posts but somehow the last drops of paint covered everything we needed it to.

This morning on our way to Feliciano to the local branch we stopped to unlock the gate and travel the dirt and gravel road for 16 miles. As Gregg got back into the pick-up to exit, a stray horse bolted through the gate to begin a journey with us to the church. We tried to get his attention so as to coax him back thorough the gate onto the ranch but to no avail.

On our way back home a few hours later we encountered the runaway traveling in the opposite direction. I got him turned around heading home in a trot with the pick-up riding his tail. However, in the end, we had to alert Yuca to the problem so he could bring him back in. The animals around here keep us amused. They are more like humans than we realized sneaking out the gate before we could get the truck in a position to lock it up again and then running away like he wanted us to chase him--crazy.

The predicted rain hasn't come. The first time since we got here last August, a predicted storm didn't happen. In any case, we went to church today and Gregg read Amy's prepared testimony in Spanish. The Branch members got an opportunity to understand the senior missionary's real thoughts and feelings in their own language. Afterwards, many of the female members congratulated and thanked her. It was touching.

Happy New Year!

Perhaps, Christmas is not a big celebration in Argentina, but bringing in the new year is a very big deal. We are about the only ones left here at El Quebracho holding down the fort... I mean ... ranch. We saw a couple of gauchos yesterday but everyone else is off celebrating with their extended families.

However, we're not really abandoned.  There is a constant chatter or life all around us. Some are familiar like the baying of calves for their mothers while some are new sounds like the screeching of some strange bird crying that the sky is certainly falling. However, their sound mimics something made of metal and in the evenings they simply don't quit. We prefer the pleasant sounds of spring.

Christmas day we had visual phone calls with each of our kids and made traditional Johnson cinnamon rolls. Check out the brown sugar below. They call it azucar negra  (black sugar) for a reason.

We decorated them with green cream cheese icing with nuts and raisins to decorate. They rightly resembled a cinnabon and made us feel at home. Note, we ran out of icing for the last one.

We had chicken and mashed potatoes along with green peas and salad made with tomatoes and red pepper. Looks "Christmasy" don't you think?


Parana, Argentina
We took a family to Parana a couple of weeks ago. The father, Jauncho, has a tumor the size of an orange and though it is not malignant, the doctors are treating it with chemo to try to reduce its size. His wife came with us and fortunately for us, their son who is 26 also came with us. I forgot the name of their helpful son, but we were sure glad he came to help us get around because this was Jauncho's first treatment, so no one knew exactly where to go and what to do except for their son who currently works at a college in Parana. While we waited for Juancho's treatment, helpful son showed us some fabric stores. More on that later

 You see Parana is pretty modern and busy!



In fact, Parana is very big with lots of crazy drivers and one way streets. After chemo treatments, Jauncho needed us to stop at a pharmacy for medication. The full hour or more we were double parked while waiting. Though we were clearly blocking traffic causing all to form one lane to go around us, we received no annoyed honks since this is apparently the norm. Good thing helpful son knew this particular trick.

 While waiting, we watched this ladder go up. Looks a bit precarious don't you think?

 We also watched this crazy...I mean...brave soul repair the electrical wires.

Back at the ranch, we took more cow pictures. Summer is here and the world has turned dry.




 Cows are happy now with plenty to eat. During the winter we saw plenty of skinny cows. One time Yuca said that they were taking two thousand of the  14,500 cattle to market early because there was not enough food to go around. Looks like we had too much rain in the spring and summer.

The new school is finished. We are just waiting for the lawyers to work out a gifting of the property from the LDS church to the government. This was suppose to be completed in August. Now we are wondering if it will even be done by March when school starts up again.

 We arrived early to church one Sunday so I got this picture while Gregg played prelude music. The question is, "Does Gregg occasionally make mistakes or is the piano just badly out of tune?" We'll never really know which strange sound is which. :)


Vanessa finished her t-shirt. Excellente!

Victoria finished her pillow case and is now working on a wall hanging. Like I said before, these people are amazing--even the children.

 Some of the gates have been painted more recently like this one which just needed a touch up but most have little to no paint. Roberto, father of student Sofia, said that the last time the gates were painted thoroughly was 16 years ago when his older children were babies. (Roberto has eight kids which is very unusual. Most families  just have a couple of kids and are spaced about 8 years apart. We guessed that to be the case so that the family can travel by moto or horseback with just one toddler to carry.)




 Gates and more gates!

 While we were painting a gate along the main road one morning, a herd of cattle needed to pass us by. (You may think that Gregg is dressed for subzero weather. Actually, it's the only way to avoid bug bites.)
 In harmonious beauty, the cattle were rounded up.
 and moved through our gate.
 There were probably 2-300 calves.
 One calf ran into our freshly painted posts and left some of himself behind as you see above. We wondered if he took some of our paint with him. That would have been a great picture I think.

We finished painting all the metal parts of the gates yesterday. The paint used for metal surfaces was crested with a skim of dry paint yesterday so we decided to hurry and use it up. In order to finish, we painted early in the morning-6:30 to 8:45 am and again from 7 to 8 pm just before the sun set. Boy was the evening hot. It gives the term sauna a new name. It was 95 degrees but with the humidity it felt like 101. That's better than 107 degrees that we would have experienced during the heat of  yesterday. Time to be finished don't you think?

We probably just have an hour or two left but with the prediction of rain all week, we are finished for now. Yuca says there may be 90 cm of rain this week. We had to leave church early as we saw the clouds rolling in. We got home before it rained very much but already there are puddles around our patio.

Humor:
We live in an old house--right? It ought to be a museum like we said so there are always things breaking down. Our favorite saying is that there is another hole in the bucket dear Henry (a line from a silly song we know--there is always something broken so the hole can't be fixed). Well, the other day I showed Gregg my cup with a bug in it. Now our saying is, "Would you rather have a hole in your bucket or a bug in your cup?"

Miracle or Coincidence?
One day this week out of the blue, Yuca asked us to go to Federal and get some real receipts for some items that we had turned in for reimbursement. He wanted us to stop everything and go that day and then on to Los Perales to give the receipts to the ranch manager there. Apparently, receipts need to be computerized or contain a "Cuit" number to be accepted by the auditors. This is the first we have heard of this situation, but whatever, right? Coincidentally, all of the needed receipts were in Federal.

So we traveled to Federal and got the first receipt. However, when we got in the truck to move to our next destination the truck wouldn't start. Coincidentally, we were in Federal where the ranch mechanic works. However, no one answered the phone when we called. But, we had coincidentally put our little jump starter in the truck just that morning which we had coincidentally picked up in the US, which we had coincidentally decided to bring with us to Argentina. (It's a cute little "packable" jumper that can recharge computers or cell phones as well as jump a vehicle.)

We jump started the truck and drove to the mechanic's shop. However, the mechanic, Walter, is getting cancer treatments and was not available, but coincidentally his co-worker was still there since it was coincidentally before noon. Their shop couldn't repair alternators and Walter's brother who was capable of helping us was on New Year's vacation, but coincidentally, he knew someone who could help. Coincidentally, the other shop was located along his way home for siesta so coincidentally, he showed us the way and told the shop mechanic what we needed. Coincidentally, the other shop was still open and the mechanic agreed to recharge our battery during siesta and repair it that afternoon when he reopened at 3:30. After walking to nearby grocery shops which coincidentally stay open until 2, we retreated to the truck to wait for our appointment. Coincidentally, we got to the truck before a downpour. Coincidentally, the shop owner during his siesta observed the imminent downpour coming our way. He coincidentally suggested that with the heavy rain predicted that afternoon, we should get back to the ranch. Coincidentally, the battery was charged enough to get us home, and coincidentally, he sent us with a new battery in case we needed it to get back to Federal. We did.

Long story short--two days later, we have a rebuilt alternator and didn't have to walk anywhere (except around the corner for groceries) or bother Yuca for any favors. We didn't make it to Los Perales, but we have all the receipts, functioning vehicle, and groceries that we'll need for the next week or two of rain.

Coincidence or not?