Hoe to the End of the Row

The title might make you think I am missing our garden and I am. Not that I really miss hoeing, but I do miss the great tasting veggies that are usually abundant this time of year. BUT that is not what this post is about.

It's about two of our missionaries that will be heading home in two days. They have been excellent missionaries: hard workers, obedient, got along with their companions, not obsessed with leadership positions, fun and friendly. The list could go on and on.

Tonight we attended a baptismal service for 2 families they have been working with the past little while. One couple has 4 children. The other family is a young couple without children. It was a very happy event. I was not only thrilled for the families, but proud of those two missionaries for working hard right up to the end of their missions. They knew how to hoe to the end of the row. If anybody out there is raising a prospective missionary, and I hope there are many that are, do him/her a favor and teach them that many times, the best harvests are at the end of the row, after you are already tired and tempted to quit. I hope I remember this myself.

One more picture: Two little cuties that were my BFsF after they found out about the Passion Fruit Tic Tacs I had in my purse. Aren't they darling?

Shopped 'til We Dropped

How did we end up buying all these shoes and flip flops when all we were really looking for was a brown blouse and some cream colored shoes for me and a pair of sandals for Rebecca? We really aren't sure. Things like that just happen sometimes.

Just for the record, they weren't all for us. Some were gifts and some were "orders" Rebecca had taken. Really, that is the truth.

We had made plans to go shopping with Claudia, the lady sitting by her son, Jared. When we got to her place to pick her up, we found out 2 more sisters and Jared had joined the party. We did some crazy driving out to a nearby town, Maraponga, where they have a fashion market. Because of the lack of sleeves or backs in blouses, and an abundance of plunging necklines we didn't buy much, but it was fun anyway. Claudia is a crazy shopper, always excited for a sign that says LIQIDACAO or PROMOCAO.

We found the displays and mannequins pretty interesting. This bright yellow one with a bikini on certainly made us take a second look.

This extra tall dude with white hair and a goatee was worthy of a snapshot or two we thought.
And our favorites were the "man"niquins, as Rebecca called them, that we saw. They were so broad and the heads looked way too small for the bodies. The store wasn't for cross-dressers or even for plus sizes that we could tell. They just liked big mannequins. We saw quite few in other stores too.

The day before Becca left, she made me go to one more store and try to find the brown blouse I needed to go with this cute skirt she brought for me. I really liked the skirt and didn't want to send it back with her, so I was glad she didn't let me give up. I finally found one that had a back, some sleeves, and no plunging neckline and it was even on PROMOCAO!

Alan's newest YouTube fave

I know some people think this is creepy, but Alan thinks it's great. I like it too.

Poor Little Fella

This picture is so out of focus, it is sad, but maybe not as sad as the story it tells.

This morning Alan says, "Millie, you've got to come here."

What? He hasn't tried talking to me like that since we were first married, 34 years ago, as of last Thursday, and I knew he knew better, but I went anyway.

He points to the door jamb, near the floor, and there I see a very dead, very squished gecko. We literally had to scrape him off. What are the chances that he would be right there when the door was shut? We don't know when it happened, but he was pretty dry, so I'm guessing it was at least a week ago. Poor little fella.

It gives new meaning to "getting yourself in a jam(b)." RIP

Mo' MoTab Please

I have never blogged about music before, because, let's face it, I'm probably too old for that, but, at the risk of being mocked by many of the younger generation that I am related to, I must say I really like the newest Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD.

I have liked gospel choir music ever since I was introduced to it in school choir at good ol' WJ. Back in the day, I think we could safely call the songs Negro spirituals. (I'm pretty sure that doesn't fly anymore.) Mr. Hansen must have liked "spirituals" too, because I think we performed at least one every year at the "Spring Concert." We really rocked the place with "Rocka My Soul."

I like American Folk music even more and Mack Wilberg is a genius at arranging, I think. The instrumental parts by the Orchestra at Temple Square really make some of the songs.

At first I thought there were a few outstanding favorites, but the more I listen to it, the more I like almost every song. There are a couple that have soloists that I am still getting used to. I like the singing of the male soloist quite well, but the shrieky soprano....well, let's just say I'm glad her parts aren't very long.

It is not enough of a problem not to buy the CD though. There is always the forward button and if you have to use it you are sure to find a great song just ahead.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!

I have been waiting and waiting for a package Lucy sent the 24th of March. I had all but given up on it. Well, today, June 9th, it arrived. Yeah!
From the tags and stamps on the package I think it got held up in some sort of inspection. It looks like it arrived in Brazil on the 17th of April, so it arrived in the country in the usual time of about a month but the inspection held it up. I don't get this inspection stuff, because I know not every package gets inspected. But what's done is done and I am just glad it arrived.
Thank you ,Lucy, for the Easter things. I am excited to use them next year. Thank you, Grace. for the apron. Now I have an apron just like all the other hen and chicks. It was worth the wait!

It's War!

Lately I've been losing the battle against mildew during this rainy season. This pair of shoes is the latest victim. The light parts on these shoes are actually black. They are just covered with powdery light bluish /whitish mildew and yes, they stink.

Every few days when I walk in our closet I sniff out something else that reeks. Having never dealt with high humidity and mold before, I was caught unaware, but I'm fighting it now. I've been inspecting everything in the closet, even giving things the "sniff test." Gag!

The mofo, Portuguese for mildew, seems to strike rather randomly. An unaffected piece of clothing will be hanging right between two smelly ones. Shoes and leather belts are favorite targets for the mildew too.

I've washed clothes and taken clothes to the cleaner. I've tried fans, used lots of laundry soap and perfumed softener, and put things out in the sun (if it stays out long enough.)

Today Alan came home with some humidity absorbing packets, and I brought out the biggest gun I could think of....bleach. I'm wiping down every surface I possibly can. I only got through half the closet before I gave out today. There are a lot of shelves in there and when you do tops and bottoms and all the sides of drawers you can work up a sweat pretty fast.

But I will get back to it tomorrow. I have declared war and I plan to win.

P. S. If anybody has dealt with this enemy before and has any suggestions, I will gladly hear them. I need all the help I can get.