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!