Vignettes from the last week

Mother's Day 2007
We went to Barbourville on Saturday and arrived for a lunch which Mother had cooked - her wonderful meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, Watergate salad, cornbread and chocolate pie. It is amazing what she can do at age 90. She wanted us to look at the quilt that she had just finished - she did all the quilting on that one. She has pieced six quilts since Christmas and had the other five ones quilted by machine. It is really incredible all the things she does for others, like baking cakes and other food for her neighbors and for family.
On Sunday we took her to church which she enjoyed tremendously. She had not gone to church for a long time due to Daddy's condition. She was greeted by many friends. The pastor mentioned her during his sermon which thrilled her to no end. After church we took her to the funeral home. One woman who had worked with Daddy for more than 25 years died a couple of days before. After that visit we went to the KFC buffet. Mother said that she enjoyed the whole day.l
We drove from Barbourville to Hodgenville to visit Clayton's mother at the nursing home. She was the same but carried on her end of the conversation pretty well. She didn't remember that David had been there but that would have been unusual if she had.

Another Culture "shock"
While driving on the interstate to southeastern KY I saw a billboard that advertised a "pet resort and spa"! I can not for the life of me understand why a "pet" would have need of a resort nor a spa. I realize that some people love their pets and want them to be taken care of but that seems to be an extreme. When I think of children who are suffering from malnutrition and other things due to lack of available resources I put a pet spa in a frivolous category.

Nursing
As I look toward retirement from the IMB I have begun looking at possibilities for a job in nursing. There are lots of different opportunities out there but I'm not sure what direction I want to take. Yesterday I attended a workshop at the KNB office related to nursing and the law. It was very interesting.

Mark Xavier
His parents took him to the doctor on Tuesday and received a good report. MX is walking better and has better control of his leg. They are to continue taking him to physical therapy and do the exercises every day. He doesn't have to go back to the doctor for three months. There is a possibility that he will have to have another Botox treatment after that.

Derby has come and gone!

This was the first time that we had been in Louisville during Derby Week since 1993. I had forgotten how much the Derby means to those who live here and even in other parts of the state. It was fun to watch television during the week and see how much the women dressed up in hats and party type dresses to go to a racetrack. It seemed a little ironic that women get more dressed up to go to a racetrack than to church nowadays. It seems sometimes that I am in a time warp because so many things have changed in the 25 years that we lived elsewhere!

I digress.... I must admit that even in Buenos Aires that on the first Saturday in May we searched the channels to see if the ESPN international or CNN international would show the race. In the last couple of years due to the broadband connections we could listen to the race. We didn't forget out heritage being so far away.

The Queen came this year which added to the excitement of the day. Kimberly and Craig were here for the weekend so we enjoyed watching the race with them in the comfort of our own living room. The favored did win and I wished that I had put some money on Street Sense even though I never gamble or think about it except on Derby Day!

I talked to many after the day and heard about the parties and the fun times that many had. There were several highway accidents attributed to too much imbibing.

Life does go on after the Derby but we are all pleased that once a year many eyes are on Louisville simply because of a two-minute race that has been a tradition for 133 years.

Now we need to make plans to go out to the Churchill Downs to see it up front and personal.

Mark Xavier's treatment

Today was the day that Mark Xavier had the Botox injections for treatment of the spasticity of his lower leg muscles. They had to get up around four to get to the hospital in time to be there by 7 a.m. The procedure, done under general anesthetic, went well for everyone. Laura and Javier were with MX all day so all are very tired. They were pleased with everything and were encouraged that the procedure would show results in two to three days. That alone with the braces MX should be walking better in the near future. Needless to say we were so glad to get the news after praying all day. They couldn't make an international call from the hospital so we had to wait until they got home. It would have been great if we could have been there in person with them.

A Rainy Thursday in Louisville

We awoke early this morning to the sound of gently falling rain - maybe it wasn't all that gentle since we could hear it! The grass looks greener and the green leaves on our sycamore tree are replacing the browned ones frozen by an April frost. I opened the door to check on the petunias that I can planted in the window box and they look pretty. Not possessing a "green thumb", I always wonder if any plant that I have "helped" along the way will survive until the next day!

I'm enjoying a cup of my Argentine coffee that I brought back with me from Buenos Aires. It reminds me of days spent there when I shared coffee with colleagues and dear friends. I miss that, especially since our trip there reminded me of the steps we have taken to retire from our service there and pursue other things. When we went back for our visit with Laura and her family, we realized that it was really final - our decision to leave there. We loved the visit but the no "home" there, no vehicle and no job reminded us in a tangible way of our path in the future. Now that we are back at home here, the realization that now is our future here, it is a little scary! I know the Lord will provide for all things but yet at times I do long for the certainty that we had before.

"Routine" has not overtaken me yet! It seems that each new day brings on its own routine so I am trying to go with the flow and not obsess about anything. I would like to have some sort of routine though because that is the way I am!

We really enjoy our new home and the neighborhood. Our closest neighbors have welcomed us with phone calls, a cake and other nice things. We have been invited to church by some and always receive a friendly wave as we walk in the neighborhood and meet people in their cars. It is quiet here except for the occasional train whistle, which I love. It is also close to shopping which makes it a desireable location. We are so blessed!

Back in Louisville

April 24

We got back home around three this afternoon. We left the little family there at the gate to their townhouse around 6:50 last night. It was sad to have to say "good-bye" to Laura, Javier, and Mark Xavier. Marcos blew kisses until the taxi turned the corner! We loved the visit and had a wonderful time.

Check-in at Ezeiza airport was fairly quick for our 10:35 flight out of BA. All the American flights were delayed so we actually didn't pull away from the gate until after 11:30. The eight-hour flight was uneventful despite the man across the aisle from me who snored all night long. Clayton slept a lot but I read and watched a movie before I was able to dose off and on. We got to Miami at 7:30. The passport check point was closed for a while due to computer problems so that took about an hour there. Our luggage was waiting for us and after passing through customs we left our baggage at the American counter and headed toward the next security point to get to another gate area. Going through security is no fun and takes a long time due to the long lines and all the checks that have to be done.

Our flight to Louisville was uneventful. Gail met us at the airport to bring us home. It was neat to get home and find everything fine. There was unpacking and laundry to do as well so we have been busy. Then there were phone calls to be made to talk to family.

Our time in BA was a wonderful experience and lived up to our expectations. We anticipate to begin to feel more like we will now feel that we are now ready to settle into life in Louisville.

My Grandson

April 23, 2007

Mark Xavier woke up this morning with a sleepy smile. I just happened to be upstairs so I went into the bedroom to pick him up and he looked at me and said “Mama Car”! What a wonderful feeling to hold our little grandson and that he recognizes us even though we hadn’t seen him in person for nine months. He is almost three now and weighs close to 30 pounds and is three feet tall. His parents have kept us in the conversation and have called us frequently so we can talk to him. He calls us “Mama Car” and “Papa Car” because we used to take him in our car when we lived here. We don’t have a car on this trip so he thinks it strange – asking where the car is.

MX is a sweet loving little boy who is doted on by his parents and anyone else who knows him. He never meets a stranger and is known by all the storekeepers and neighbors because of his friendliness. We just in from a walk in the neighborhood and to do last minute shopping before leaving tonight and we took him in his stroller. One of the storekeepers gave him a piece of candy and said that he didn’t know Clayton or me but he knew “Marcos” (his name in Spanish).

Right now he is watching the movie “Cars” which must be the 20th time that it has been on since we got here 10 days ago. He loves the movie that Uncle Eddy and Aunt Pat sent by us. He is a “Cars” fan since first eyeing the “Cars” logo on the orange juice box. One of Laura’s students brought him a “Cars” replica toy which makes sounds when hit. He asks for the “Cars” movie as soon as he wakes up. He will watch something else when pressed by one of his parents but as soon as that is over he is asking for the “Cars” movie. I can tell you that I am tired of watching it but can now recognize the characters in it!

He understands and speaks both Spanish and English. He can count to ten in both languages. He only wants his dad to speak Spanish to him and his mom to speak English. Javier knows lots of English and Laura speaks both languages fluently. It is interesting how he switches from one to the other without missing a beat.

He recognizes and is learning the colors and plays with his blocks. It was neat to watch him stack the blocks and put them in “perfect” order or at least try to. He and Javier play the counting game with the blocks and he loves that.

He has been diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy which has affected mostly the right leg. He is now being fitted for braces and will have botox injections on May 4th. The twenty or so injections directly into the leg muscles (below the knee) will relax them enough along with the braces to aid him in walking. The CP has seemingly not affected anything else except for a slight weakness of the right hand which has improved with physical therapy. He does go to a PT twice a week and his parents continue the exercises at home daily.

He is a loving little boy who has a wonderful hug and lots of kisses which he blows from his hand. It is so sweet to watch him do that. He will wave “bye bye” and blow kisses as anyone walks out the door. It will be difficult to see him wave that last “bye bye” as we leave tonight!

Clayton is 62

April 21, 2007

Today Clayton says that he now has joined the “old men’s club” whatever that means. It hardly seems possible that he has reached this age because that means that I have only four months until I reach the magic age!

We started the day by getting up early since Laura had a 7:30 student who comes on Saturday morning. We drank coffee and read the newspaper while Laura worked with her student in the living room. It was one of those rare mornings that Mark Xavier slept late. We chatted with Javier quietly so as not to disturb any of the learning that was taking place in the next room.

Clayton and Javier took care of MX while Laura and I went to the 17 blocks by bus to reach the center of Ramos Mejía for shopping, coffee and a manicure. It always takes longer to find things on the list that planned. It began to mist rain before we got home. That seems to be the weather for now. We enjoyed a nice lunch together.

It began to rain heavily around three so we just chatted in the house. Laura and Javier had some chores to do so Clayton and I stayed here while MX slept. It was still raining when they got home and we planned to leave to take the bus to Haedo where we last lived so we could visit with our former neighbors and see some of the people in the shops we frequented.

That was a nice walk in the rain on the sidewalks of Haedo (just two miles from Ramos Mejía) as we stopped in the Laundromat and other places to talk to people we knew. We had a great visit with some of our former neighbors and then visited the missionaries who live in the apartment where we last lived.

We got back to RM in time to meet Laura, Javier and MX at the “Fogon de RM” to eat supper to celebrate Clayton’s birthday today and an early celebration of Javier’s birthday on the 27th.

Downtown Buenos Aires

April 20, 2007

The trip to downtown Buenos Aires takes an hour or so on public transportation from where Laura lives in Ramos Mejía, ten miles from downtown. (Clayton always says that he can drive from Louisville to the farm in Larue County (50 miles) in less time than it takes to get to downtown BA on public transportation!) We got on a bus two blocks from their townhouse and rode for 30 minutes to arrive at the subway station. The subways were off schedule so we had to wait 15 minutes for it to leave the station. Our stop was 12 minutes away. Then we walked for about four minutes to get on the connecting subway to take us to Lavalle Street, one of the main pedestrian streets downtown. When we arrived up on the sidewalk, it was about 12:30 so we decided to eat before doing any other errands or shopping. We stopped at “El Gaucho Restaurant” for a nice typical lunch – steak and salad with bread and a “chorizo” (beef sausage grilled to perfection). We enjoyed looking at all the Argentine cowboy memorabilia – hats, bolos, knives, whips, saddles, ponchos – on the walls.

The sights and sounds of downtown BA have not changed since we were there last July. The bumper to bumper traffic, crowded sidewalks, hawkers selling their leather and “cashmere”, beggars, smoke-filled restaurants and bars, green spaces with lots of trees and grass, sidewalk entertainers with guitars, drums and other instruments, plus the tango dancers giving free shows in the middle of the sidewalk, food stalls, newsstands in the middle of the sidewalk, lots of places to eat whatever your favorite food is, sidewalk coffee shops, etc., are all memories of the years that we spent in BA.

Homelessness is no stranger to this bulging city. One old woman had made her home on the steps of a cathedral with all her belongings cluttered around her. Empty containers of food were scattered on the steps and her hand was extended to all who passed by. One’s heart cannot help but be touched by the scenes of poverty among the affluence of many of the passersby.

In the late afternoon Clayton and I stopped at a sidewalk café to have some ice cream and coffee (actually I was the only one who had coffee!). It was a perfect day to sit outside and sip coffee and watch people pass by and just drink in the sights and sounds of a busy city. I must admit that the noise of the traffic is not a pleasant sound but it calls forth a certain nostalgia for the years that we lived here and grew accustomed to it.

Buenos Aires has a population of almost 14 million people, four million of whom live in the capital district. Public transportation provides for easy access to all parts of the city but the distances can be quite long and time is often eaten up waiting for the ride. Taxis are also a common mode of transportation for those who can afford the fare.

We got back home by getting on the subway going in the opposite direction to the end and waiting on the train until it began the ride back to our stop to catch the bus. It meant that we got a seat and didn’t have to fight the crowds headed out of town for a seat! We got on the bus at the first stop and had seats all the way back home.

Back home in Louisville we often reminisce about all the things that we love about Buenos Aires despite some of the inconveniences of traffic and other things. I know we will talk about this day many times after we return to our home there in Kentucky.

Un Paseo en Ramos Mejìa

On Tuesday morning we walked the 15 blocks to the center of Ramos Mejía. It was quite warm which I had not expected so I put on a pullover sweater. The sky is overcast but rain is not in the forecast. I pushed Mark Xavier’s stroller and Clayton and Javier walked behind me. We were taking MX for his physical therapy session. Laura met us there. She had classes to teach before meeting us. MX’s therapist is named Gloria and she is really good. He responds to her very well. The PT is in preparation for his upcoming surgery and placement of braces that should help him walk. (Laura and Javier continue the PT at home every day.)

Clayton and I walked on to the photo place to leave some digital pictures to be printed. The sidewalk was quite crowded as we walked along. The sights and sounds came back to us as we listened to the train whistle, the train barrier going down, the car horns and the people talking. It did not seem strange at all to hear Spanish being spoken. We wondered how it would be after nine months of little Spanish but it was so natural. We stopped in our favorite coffeeshop, Eidleweiss, and had coffee – actually I had a capucchino and Clayton had a banana shake (it doesn’t have ice cream in it). It was fun to sit at the little table and watch people pass by, watch the waiters attend to the clients, and listen to the hum of conversation. One of the things that I don’t miss here though is the cloud of cigarette smoke in the coffeeshops and restaurants.

We continued to walk and soon headed back to the townhouse where Laura and family live. We stopped in a small grocery store to pick up some items I will need to make the chicken potpie, one of Laura’s favorite meals. I make it from scratch with a little adaptation of the original recipe.

Even the crowing of the rooster each morning seems somewhat natural though it is out of place in the city. Many people move in from the interior and continue their “country” habits. So after almost 25 years here, we are accostumbed to the unusual as the usual!

"Mi Querido Buenos Aires"

My beloved Buenos Aires... It is like we never left this morning as we rode over to the mission office from the apartment. The familiarity of the potholes, the black water on the streets, the horns blowing, the buses, taxis, people on sidewalks and in the streets.. a part of our lives for almost 25 years. How could we not fit back in as if we were never gone! There are some changes - like a big pharmacy where a restaurant was, the new coffeeshop at the end of the street but some things may never change.

We attended the weekly prayer meeting in one of the homes and enjoyed the companionship of other missionaries. Some were new faces but yet the same spirit and purpose. It was great to hear about the work that is going on and how the Lord is working in the lives of people here.

The first Argentine steak in nine years was all I remembered, grilled to perfection. The time with Randy and Sandy was great as we got caught up with them and their lives and their children.

We went to church at Nueva Vida yesterday. The new pastor there preached a good sermon and is looking to lead the members in evangelism and growth of the church. There were mostly familiar faces so we were able to share about the changes in our lives. It was a wonderful experience.

Spending time with our grandson, Mark Xavier, and his parents is wonderful. We have gotten to talk a lot and just be together. That was the main reason for our trip back. MX is growing and such a sweet friendly and happy child. He will soon be three. He has some hurdles to overcome due to cerebral palsy which affected his legs below the knees. He has been measured for braces and will have some surgery on May 4. The doctors are optimistic that he will walk at some point.

I know more adventures await us as we look toward the days ahead. I am just thankful that we could come at this time and share in their lives for a few days.