No Mailman Today

March 24  Tuesday

Lady across the street cleaning
out the gutter

Several people had the same idea
today - do the laundry

We woke to a nice sunny day - and we are all out of laundry soap.  So to town I went to get some. (Photos today are random shots along the way to and from town.)After doing some laundry and washing breakfast dishes, I tried to find something to make for lunch using eggplant (I purchased too many when making lasagnas).

David and Aline Buchebuan stopped by to pick up our SpotIt game for a single adults party.  That game has had a lot of use while we have been here; we are going to leave it with the Buchebuans.




Crane bringing a load on a building
we have been watching being built

A house we like, completely
covered with ivy

Merl worked on his talk while I made a pan of polenta; a sautéed eggplant/vegetable mix was to be the topping with melted cheese.  It made a lot, so we had enough for two meals.  Only one more eggplant to go.



Yesterday we received a note in the mailbox that the mailman had tried to deliver a package to me. The note said they would attempt to deliver for three days.  It is either library materials from the LDS online store in São Paulo or white shirts from North Carolina.  I was hoping for the shirts.  We waited at the apartment all day long, and did not see a mailman.  Shortly before 5:00 p.m., Merl and I walked to the post office.  We didn't get any answers other than they had tried to deliver two times, and tomorrow afternoon would be the third.  We will be in SF de Paulo tomorrow afternoon, and the Abplanalp family from NC will be here in the morning.  They said we could take a bus to the main post off at 10:00 a.m. in the morning. 



Construction using a wheelbarrow
for bricks and cement

As David keeps reminding us, we are at the mercy of the establishment here; we have no other recourse.  But. . Rodrigo (SF de Paulo Branch Counselor) works at the main post office.  Merl will talk with him tonight at the branch presidency meeting.  I had hoped to have the box from NC before Abplanalps come to see us tomorrow.  Later he talked to Rodrigo; he said he would take care of it.

After lunch, David and Ann walked to the home of Janice, the newly called music chairman.  She will take care of coordinating the songs and the two young piano players after we go home.  Ann stayed at the church for piano lessons and David came home. 

Elders Rodriquez, Sheridan

Our friends a couple of doors down

Mid-afternoon, we heard the buzzer that indicates we have someone at the gate to see us (it wasn't the mailman).  I looked out the window and invited Elder Rodriquez and his new companion to come in.  I told David that I would be really surprised if this elder was not from the United States.  When they entered the apartment, David got really excited.  The new missionary here is Elder Sheridan from Texas.  He waited for his visa for over 11 months, most of the time serving in Jerome, Heyburn, and the TF West Stake.  David and Ann knew him and had hoped to see him here before they went home.  Ann will be so excited to see him tonight at the church.

Another friend, reminds me of Molly

David, Merl, and I went to the church for piano lessons and meetings.  My student didn't come, so I spent the time practicing and trying to find a piece to play for Ann's student recital in April.  Ann and I walked home around 8:00 p.m., and the men arrived around 10:00.  While we waited, Ann started "peeling' our beads we have been collecting - variety of seeds and little fruits we are finding.  Some of you may be lucky recipients of something we make with them.