Labor Day Weekend

I have no idea how it's May 9 already, but it dawned on me that's it's been TOO long since my last post. It really has been a relatively quiet, "normal" ~6 weeks or so of prepping for craziness that starts with the arrival of a short-term team on Wednesday and continues with a theological symposium, a family wedding in St. Louis, a family vacation in the DR, the LCMS Gathering in Houston, a Higher Things conference in Bozeman, and our regional conference. And then it's August!

May 1 is Labor Day here. This year, it fell on a Sunday > the government gifted us with a long weekend > my friends Kelsey & Franco came to visit from Santo Domingo! I told them they could crash at my place even though there may not always be water (there wasn't). Franco put on his engineer cap one afternoon, though, running back and forth between the pump, the rooftop tinaco, and my kitchen sink; he taught me a trick for priming the water pump that's been a GAME. CHANGER.

Pie crust recipe #2: Ham and Broccoli Quiche (I've since made Cranberry Chocolate Walnut Pie, so I'm down to 2 boxes!). My guests drove up Saturday morning; I met them, quiche to-go in hand, at a yard sale for the start of our adventures. I'm hesitant to buy more things that do not yet have a place until the longed-for day when all of my current belongings will again have a place, but I did meet some other expat missionaries that I hope to get together with soon. 

From there, we went to Centro Leon for one of their regular artisan bazaars featuring a variety of local craftspeople. We also took a quick peek at the current rotating exhibit (where I recorded these few seconds of an interactive piece) AND, as always when I go to Centro Leon, the very cool gift shop!

Kelsey & Franco had a bustling social calendar of appointments with other friends all afternoon, but I met up with them again that night for the point of their trip: Santiago Christian School's production of Litle Mermaid. The three Davis kids, who go to my church, were in the cast, and MK Olivia was part of the stage crew. NO pictures due to Disney's strict licensing agreement, but it was phenomenal. I already want to go to next year's, and I don't even know what it is. 

The Cordero de Dios congregation was thrilled to see the capitaleños Sunday morning. The sky threatened rain all day, but I'm so glad we braved it for a windy garden walk with the Davises that afternoon.

Sunday (for me) was also characterized by a killer crossword. I went to bed after spending an amount of time that we will not discuss trying unsuccessfully to solve it. Upon checking it in the morning, it turns out I had successfully solved it but lost my streak on a technicality involving the slashed out squares that's since been addressed by the NYT Customer Care team, so I'm happy to report that my streak is alive and well at 218. 

I don't think I left the house or changed out of my pajamas Monday until Kelsey & Franco left at almost noon. Kelsey & I spent the morning catching up while working on my puzzle. It's been taking up > 1/2 my kitchen table since Holy Week, so I got serious about it today (above) and may even finish it yet tonight. 

Until next time, blessings in Christ!