Thirteen’s Not a Crowd

When you're at the Krey beach house, that is. 

The Kreys, being some of the most hospitable people I know, extended an open invitation to a number of us single missionaries to join them for any portion of their annual post-Christmas/New Year's beach getaway. After a few quiet days of keeping, at most, three households worth of Cerro Alto's pets fed and watered, I retreated to Costambar on a Saturday morning. The latest round of restrictions meant I needed to arrive before a noon curfew. Although there were 13 of us - seven Kreys, me, Kate, Tirzah, and the Maita family from Puerto Rico - there was plenty of room to spread out. 

From then until Monday afternoon, you could find me 

...doing puzzles (even though I'd already done this particular one back in April!)...

...putting up a Christmas tree (It was the 9th day of Christmas, after all. I love that this country milks all it can out of the 12 days of Christmas. At the grocery store on Tuesday, day 12, the villancicos were still blaring over the loudspeaker)...

...doing this (I was just getting to the good parts of The Wind in the Willows)...

...playing lots of games (Phase 10, Bananagrams, and a bocce ball-like Argentinian one called tejo), and eating lots of good food. I didn't even bring my computer, and I tried to look at my phone as little as possible. I never got in the water, but I also did some reading with my feet in the pool and walked the beach often. I lugged the coolest piece of driftwood (below) home with me, among a few other interesting specimens. I'm still undecided as to how to paint it. Any ideas?

Until next time, blessings!

P.S. For the record, we're on pandemic day 299. A new curfew takes effect tomorrow, so I'm still counting.