KFC for Lunch

Today we didnt have enough bread for sandwiches so we planned to go out for lunch. Jay said there was a Mcdonald's or BurgerKing pretty close. As we were walking, I said there was a KFC nearby and I'd like to go there to see if the chicken and coleslaw taste like that in Logan. We walked six or seven blocks without finding it, so asked someone. She said it was four or five more blocks. I said, Lets go back," so we crossed the street and headed toward the office (and where the McD/ BK was). On the way, I found a yarn shop that I want to visit again. We found a little shop of stationery supplies and bought a box of 24 pens that we like.Twenty four pens might sound like a lot, but they dont last as long as those we are used to. I enjoyed looking at all the shops, seeing what there was to offer. Now I truly believe that we can buy just about anything we can buy at home. Except Miracle Whip, brown sugar,molasses, and fresh milk. We turned a corner, found the McD's and were amazed to see that there were four lines all the way to the sidewalk of people waiting to place their orders. We ate outside under the umbrella tables, sharing the table with another man. He kindly gave me his unused ketchup packets when he saw me eat french fries with ketchup. We were about six or eight blocks from the office as far as I could tell. We felt adventurous, so wound our way around on a different path. We found some nice Chinese restaurants, and a steak house.  There is a very tall, round, narrow building being built near the office, so we used it as our beacon, and found our way back to work. It was nice to get out and walk in the sunshine and mingle with the crowds.

We Broke It

Tonight we went to dinner at La Hacienda with three other couples. Jay and I ordered a salad and steak to share. When they came, I said, I guess we arent sharing. They were both really big. But we really did share because the bill only charged us for one steak plus the salad, potatoes and mushrooms. We brought the equivalent of a whole steak home for tomorrow's meals. When we arrived at our apartment building, there were three ladies who came into the elevator with us. They wanted the third floor, we wanted the fifth. Somewhere near the third floor, the elevator just stopped. The door didnt open. We rang the emergency bell but nothing happened. We rang twice more, and knocked on the door. We heard our concierge on the other side. He managed to get the door open by using a screwdriver and pushing the door really hard. We had come short of the third floor by about three feet! It was soooo funny. One by one we hiked up our skirts and crawled out of the elevator. Then, because the elevator was now out of commission, we had to take the stairs two more flights. I'm laughing hysterically just writing this. hahahahaha

Tender Moment for Sister Memmott

We saw Sister Memmott this morning during Spanish class. She said she found her wallet. Somehow it slipped out of her purse when she was gathering up all the paperwork at another place. The person behind the desk found it and tried to catch her, but couldnt find her. After we saw her yesterday, she walked back to that place and the lady smiled really wide and produced the wallet. Intact. All her US and Chile information, credit cards, lots of money....
The Miracle Whip turned out okay. I had some on my ham and cheese sandwich (with lots of mustard) and it wasnt yucky, so I guess it'll do. Jay thinks it's just fine, and that's why I made it, just for him.
Happy birthday to Patrick Allen Sogla! Friday the 13th in Chile isnt a scary day, but if the 13th lands on Tuesday, watch out. I dont know about that.
We are having our first rainstorm since we got here. There isnt much rain so far, but there is a little lightening and thunder. It is still warm enough that I am not wishing I had a coat. They keep warning me that we are going to freeze to death, though, so I really want to find a coat. The poor sister at the office was wearing three layers today and was still complaining of being cold. She is quite thin, so maybe it's a blessing to carry around your own insulation when living in Chile in the winter. Oh, yes, we are entering winter now. Enjoy your summer.

A Miracle Happened at 1906 Los Estanques

I made the Miracle Whip! I didnt have any powdered mustard, so just squirted a good amount of regular mustard into the mix. I would halve the recipe, though, as four egg yolks and three cups of oil make a lot of MW. Jay is the MW taste expert and he says it is pretty good. Today I found the powdered mustard at the store and bought a bottle. This afternoon we had an interview with the Area Presidency Counselor. It was an enjoyable experience. We just talked and joked a little, and shared a few experiences about our mission and some of our past history. One of our older sister missionaries was pick pocketed today. Her wallet is gone. Sad.

It's a Miracle

I am googling now. It is so fun. Yesterday I googled Miracle Whip and found a recipe. There are two miracles in the previous statement: I am googling and I found that particular recipe. And all you googling experts are right...you can find anything you want. I call that a tender mercy. I have found songs and words to songs, there are even movies to watch!!!! Just because I had the time I drew music scores and wrote the music, with the words, to Take Me Out to The Ball Game. It was fun exercise for my brain.

MoreFit for The Kingdom, More Used Will We Be

The FHE turned out to be a lot of fun. It was surprising to see creativity come out of the least expected! We have pictures. Yesterday we had Area devotional and I played the piano. The secretary to the Area presidency, Elder Dalton, spoke, and I understood all he said. He is a gringo and spoke slower than Chileno. We left there and got to the office by 9:30, where we worked till 1:30. On the way home, we bought groceries and took them to the new apartment. While Jay put them away, I started cleaning the old apartment. I have to brag that I finally got to clean a place to my satisfaction. It is SPOTLESS. Ten elders from the Chile MTC (which is on the floor below) came to help carry everything across the street and up 5 floors. (They have service hours to perform; we gave them ice cream sandwiches for thankyous). By the time we had unpacked our six suitcases and put it all away, it was 10:30. We were in so much pain that we didnt sleep very well. Sooo....., this morning the power was off. It was dark. We couldnt see,and the place was unfamiliar. We finally used what little light there was to get ready for the day. I looked at the clock and was shocked to see that it was 10:15!!! We left only to find that the elevator didnt work, so we had to hoof it down 5 flights, walk a block and a half to the bus stop, stand all the way to work. As luck would have it, our bus didnt come for 15 minutes at both stops. The ladies at the office werent too happy about our being so late, but we didnt even know it was so late, and we didnt know the power would be off, and we didnt know we'd have to use the stairs. On the way home, we had to stop at the old apartment to pick up my hat I'd left. Surprise! The elevator wasnt working. I climbed 4 stories of stairs, retrieved my hat, and hoofed it down. Surprise! The elevator at the new apartment isnt working. We climbed 5 flights of stairs, making a total of 9 for me. We are going to the temple in a few minutes, so we will walk down the 5, and maybe climb AGAIN after. But at least the power is on. For now. My legs are getting stronger every day. I have pretty good balance on each foot from standing on the moving buses, and with "no funcionan" elevators, my circulation should be improving, too.

Easter FHE

Tonight is FHE for the senior missionaries. Jay and I have the lesson. After three months of rather heavy material, we had a few requests for something lighter. Soooooo, we are going to paint Easter eggs and decorate them with whatever we can come up with. I have been collecting bird feathers from the grounds, and will pick some flowers and leaves that might be useful. Jay will present a little Easter message and then we will get artistic! Some of you saw that I found the golden egg this year. It was in a chocolate store down the street. They wouldnt give it to me and I didnt buy it. It was about $30, and didnt have anything in the center. I wonder if my family will carry on the tradition at home or has it come to an end?