Tales of a Shoebox Princess

I added another blog to the Shoebox family of blogs: Elder Paul's New Groove. Guess what it's about? I've added it to my blogroll over there on the right. We'll start that blog up in earnest when we get our first email from Paul, probably late July. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Paul will be leaving in less than 3 weeks. Any last words for him? Food to avoid in Peru? We actually heard some advice from someone we met last Friday at the temple: stay away from "cuy." And then the guy added, "although if you do try it, it's pretty good." Cuy is guinea pig. I wonder if Paul will be offered cuy? More likely he will be offered multitudinous seafood dishes, most likely cerviche. Switching topics: Sewing. I don't know why I don't sew more often. I really do enjoy it. And I get something usable out of it. I recently sewed a very easy skirt pattern with a stretchy knit fabric. I'm sewing a knit top currently, and also hel

The power was out for 24 hours over the weekend. I counted us lucky though--if Jim hadn't been so obsessed with the sump pump, we probably would have flooded and not had a generator to keep us from losing the food in the fridge and freezer. Within seconds of the loss of power, Jim was downstairs hovering over the sump pump. Within a few minutes, he was bailing water out of it. We scrambled to help, but it ended up being mostly a Jim/Paul effort. After an hour, I was dispatched to the hardware store in search of a generator. But alas, I came away empty handed. We managed to find someone who had one and we borrowed it. Joe M came with two missionaries to help him lift it out of his van. They got it all hooked up and Paul could stop bailing (Jim had emerged from the sump pump to help Joe). The generator powered the fridge, the sump pump, a lamp, a fan, and any phone chargers we wanted to use. We're going to have to invest in one. They are totally rad. Saturday, the power was

I play piano at church for the women's meeting (Relief Society). When I get into the room, the piano is usually facing the back wall so I turn it around. Today when I went to turn it, I found this taped to the back of the piano (it was not mauled, torn, or wrinkled at the time): "This is the ugly back-side of the piano. It should not face out into the room. Please do not turn the piano. Thanks :) " I showed it to a couple of people, one who said, "That is offensive to my eyes" and she tore it off the piano. I asked her if I could have the tape because I wanted to keep it. Someone from one of the other congregations who share the building must have put it there. My rebuttal as the person who turns the piano: 1. It's not your piano. 2. It has wheels. It is allowed to be moved. 3. Do you turn around the piano in the Primary room too? 4. How do you feel about the "ugly back-side" of the organ facing out in the chapel? 5. The back-side of t

Sometimes I forget how nice it is to leave the house and go on little excursions. It is really hard to leave the house sometimes when I'm not working. I get stuck in a rut and think that I have to do "this" or "that" first before I leave and then if I finish "this" and "that" then I'm too tired to go anywhere. But somehow today, Jim and I left the house. 50% of the children we coerced into going with us didn't really want to go, but in the end, the child was pleasant and didn't fuss too much. It helped that we promised ice cream. We went to a little gem of a park in Minneapolis--Minnehaha Falls. With all the rain, it is greener than I have ever seen it into late June, and the creek was running at high capacity. Minnehaha Creek I've never seen it this full. I've been here a couple times, both during drought years when there has been but a trickle and a stinky smell. Not this year--it was lovely and refreshing.

If I could, I'd break out into showtunes right now. Big, loud, bouncy, hippity hoppity, smiles-a-mile long, the whole chorus singing along type. Don't know why. Could be just because it didn't RAIN today. Ten things about now: 1. One month and Paul is Paul no longer, but Elder Evans, version 2.0. Paul had an idea for his blog title, but I can't remember what it was. It just might end up being Peruvian Paul. 2. Hayley got a job. She's makin' burgers at Wendy's. She says her Spanish should improve over the summer since she works with several Spanish speakers. 3. Matt has a volunteer job at the library. He works 2 hours a week manning the summer reading program table. This job will effectively finish off several service requirements for several merit badges. 4. Now that seminary is over for the year, I'm trying to get up early anyway and exercise. I'm not as regular at it as I'd like to be, but I got up this morning and boy does it help mainta