Today was most likely my last day to walk to the University for Spanish classes. There is yet another class on Thursday that I could make it to, but it is review for the exam that I won't be here to take and I've other things to fill my time, so figure I won't be going....grin....not sad about not being here for the exam. BG. Anyway, all that to say that nearly each day that I've gone to the University I have walked (speed walking normally) past this man who plays his violin in front of an outdoor cafe. I always love to hear him, but normally am in a hurry to get home for lunch and work, so I have never stopped to just listen. Anyway...today being one of the last times I will pass by there, I decided to throw some money in his violin case and stop to listen and tape his lovely music.. I thought I'd share it with you guys. Not sure how great it will be as I have only previewed it on my camera...but hope you enjoy a taste of the Spanish street. There are often people playing music along the streets in the old part of town. It is quite lovely and varies in instruments...meaning, it isn't just one type of intrument but rather a variety such as guitar, bagpipes, violin, accordion, etc... It's fun and lovely...

Crazy Busy Weekend

So, my crazy busy weekend... Let's just say that I was tired to start with so it probably wasn't the greatest idea to be running crazy all over the countryside, but oh well...that's pretty much what happened. Here goes.......Friday night is my work night...giving Irene (la madre) some time to go out with friends, etc... So, I've been praying about how to introduce my girls to local Christians so they can still have a Christian influence in their lives once I'm gone. Anyway, the Lord worked that out this last week with an opportunity to take the girls bowling once again, only this time with Susi along as well. PTL!!! That was an answer to my prayers and the girls were so excited about it from the day I mentioned it to them.. They were VERY excited to meet my friend that I hang out with and talk about all the time. So, Friday night, I could be found spinning in chairs in the bowling alley, dancing under the strobe lights after getting a strike, taking pics with the girls, playing air hockey, acting as a cheerleader, playing fuseball, and sipping on my Aquarius (a lemon sports drink much like Gatorade). Good times... We got home about midnight and I put my happy girls to bed...smile! Saturday morning was fairly normal. The girls and I did their English lessons together (Saturdays are more relaxed, though I give them a spelling test every Saturday), I finished up a dessert my boss started (she had to run, so she made the dough and I got the girls to help me peel, slice, and position apples later), then I finished making lunch as well. After the girls, their Dad, & I ate, I jumped in the shower before sitting down to have a cup of coffee & taste the dessert with Irene (though I needed to be doing other things). Thankfully Susi was late picking me up for our evening plans, because I was exhausted & a little stressed just trying to get ready. Spain time differs from American time and is a challenge for me because I'm such a time-oriented, scheduled person...Anyway...you'd think I'd learned my lesson having lived in India...but guess I'm still learning. Thankful that Susi was late this time so that I could catch my breath before heading with her and the rest of the Santiago youth group to join another youth group in a place called Ferrol. Though we ended up waiting for others as well, we finally got on the road to Ferrol which ended up taking about an hour to drive. I was piled in the car with Susi, two other gals, and one guy... He got picked on a bit by some of the girls in the car, but held his own well.. grin. (no I don't think I was the one doing the picking this time). Anyway...in Ferrol, we discovered that we were supposed to take fliers all over the city (over an hours time frame) and pass them out. Susi and I were a little flustered by this, because one we hadn't even prayed together as a group before heading out, and two the fliers didn't even have the local church info on them (they had some address in another town where you could write for more information)...Anyway...she and I went out walking and stopped in a doorway area to pray together before proceeding. Then we had a nice walk around the city talking and brainstorming ideas as we handed out the fliers or slid them under shop doors. :) Interesting...so, she and I ended up arriving back at the chruch about 15 minutes late and worship had already started. Oh well. Didn't get much out of the service...guess my mind was a bit too tired to pay attention very well, plus the speaker was from southern Spain where they have yet another accent/Spanish pronunciation. Smile.. After the service, we had some snacks, finger foods, and drinks together... I was in the middle of eating, when some of the guys started rolling out a pingpong table.. My eyes got huge and all appetite for more food was gone. For the next hour probably, I was either intently watching the pingpong games going on or playing myself. I did manage to hold the table for a while the second time that I got up to play. It was fun to play again...and it's always fun to surprise people who don't expect a girl to know how to play. It was a little embarrassing when I got up to the table to play the first time and the whole room errupted in cheers. Bless the guy's heart who was matched against me. Especially with people cheering for me out loud. Grin... The guy wasn't sure how to play with a girl.. Guess he wasn't sure if he was supposed to go easy on me or what. When I got up to play, he turned to some of the guys and said, "pero como jugar con una tia (chica)?"...Haha!! He figured it out soon enough I think. I didn't win that round, more of a warm-up round for me... As I was playing, I remembered back to times playing in India with David...but more so back to playing with Dad and how he used to tell me about putting the ball where I wanted it. Grin... Thanks Dad & David for being patient with me then so I could learn.

After playing a while, I was tired...as were Susi and Mila. So, knowing we had to drive back, we three decided we needed coffee. We were just going to walk down the street to some cafe and drink a coffee then come back for everyone, but it turned out that everyone decided they were going as well. We ended up driving across town to a bowling alley/shopping center (kind of like a mall) to have coffee and hang out. Before we left the church, I somehow managed to extend an invitation to a couple of the guys I had been talking with to come along and get a drink...hmmm...which here in Spain means I had to pay. Grin... I didn't mind, but found it rather amusing! Just some of the guys from the youth group, but they got me... One of them has been in the US and I think he found it rather amusing. Anyway... Needless to say, our little "let's run get a coffee before we leave" turned into at least another hour ordeal of hanging out in this "mall". We finally made it home about 1:30-ish and into bed by 2am-ish. Susi and I stayed up talking and praying together, so we didn't get to sleep until 3am. AAAHHH!! Smile My drinkin buddies that I managed to invite for a drink...haha...minus the one without sunglasses

Sunday, thankfully church isn't until 12pm...so we could sleep in a bit before getting up and getting ready. Off to church, the sermon was about Jesus washing His disciples' feet...I don't know all that was preached, but I learned from just reading the verses and reading my Bible.. Smile.. After church, a few of us went to get a drink at a small cafe while waiting to go to lunch. As you're probably coming to notice in many of my posts, it is common to go get a drink or snack somewhere with friends. Anyway, the Bible study group that I have been going to on Thursday nights was invited for lunch in the home of an Ecuadorian family. Yummy!! We had some delicious cream-pepper-fried chicken (got the sauce recipe since it was so good), sauted shrimp (she put about 2 tablespoons of a sauce on them as she was frying them, which I got the recipe for as well), yellow rice, fried potatoes, and more... Then we had a lemon cheesecake that Susi made along with coffee. Plenty and delicious. We played some dominoes and cards for a while, then left from there to head to Noia to say goodbye to the Towners (missionary family) once more. They left town today, headed for Madrid, where they'll catch their flight out later this week. It rained most of Sunday afternoon/evening...We didn't stay long in Noia..so on the way home we headed to Padron to visit Mila. We had dinner plans with her, but those kind of got changed because the pizza place they've been wanting to take me to was closed. It's a restaurant outside of town a ways that cooks pizzas in clay ovens or rock ovens from what I've gathered. Anyway...think we'll be going later. So, back to Mila's house...she ended up cutting both Juan's and my hair. Bless her heart, after working hard all week. It's nice to have my hair cut and feeling clean and lush again. YEAH!! Smile...ready for coming home now.

A stream I pass walking to the college campus where I have Spanish classes twice a week.

So, I'm counting the days now...I'm at 14 and counting...grin. I'm ready to return to the US. The Lord has blessed me here, taught me a TON here, and now has prepared my heart and mind to return once again to the USA. PTL!!! He is so very faithful to me and I am blessed. He has faithfully prepared me for each step in my life it seems. I remember Him preparing me to leave home (India) for college, to leave college, to come to Spain, now to leave Spain, and SO many more instances.. Thank the Lord!! So, now just last minute purchases and saying goodbye or "Hasta luego" - "Until later" to a lot of friends. It's amazing how you can travel to another country and get connected with a church and before you know it you have a TON of friends.. I'm pretty sure that the family I live with (the Mom most particularly) is rather amazed at the number of friends I have and not only just from Santiago (where I'm living), but from many surrounding cities and towns. Grin... PTL!!! I love it!!

As promised: a pic of the car that I enjoyed driving belonging to my friend Juan!! It had get-up-n-go...which I really enjoyed! Plus...good music!

So much for catching up...

Haha, well so much for catching up I guess....too much happens around here to keep up I suppose. Maybe the too much is just many little things I'm doing, all that the Lord is teaching me, the basics of life, and all the many things running through my head...but there's a lot going on. The first of which is preparing to return to the USA!

Yes, it is about that time. I have 17 days remaining to enjoy Spain, and believe you me...I am enjoying Spain! In the last couple of weeks I have kept quite busy. Still doing my Spanish class at the university. It has such a blessing to me in more ways than one. It is an additional help in learning the language, but it is also nice to have something to fill some of my mornings...motivation & responsibility, especially in these days when I'm getting more excited about returning home. Mornings are a time for me to get things done, but often what happens is I do a lot the night before and don't get up in the mornings very early. Life in Spain happens mostly at night, which means I'm on a go to bed late (or early in the morning, however you want to look at it) and sleep in late...Grin... for some that might be fabulous, for me I'm a morning person and so it throws my life off a bit.. But, I'm enjoying it overall none-the-less. So, anyway...beyond Spanish class...

I recently helped plan a small surprise party for some friends of mine here who are moving back to the US. I believe I have mentioned the Towners, friends who have been a great blessing to me during my stay here. So, Susi and I got it in our heads to plan a surprise party for the girls of this family. It was an adventure since while planning we weren't completely sure that the Towner girls would even be able to make the party. We got confirmation from them @ midnight, the night before the planned date... We went into highspeed mode and I was sure thankful that a number of other girls who I needed to talk to were online at that moment. Everything fell into place and we had a nice get-together/party. This all happened on Thursday night of last week and since it was a sleepover...it didn't end until Friday afternoon. After which, I went home and crashed in my bed for 2 hours...grin...you can imagine I'm sure. Friday evening I went out for a walk around the town before coming home to hang with my girls (the girls I'm watching). While out, I ran into a friend from a neighboring city and we stopped to have a coffee together. This is one aspect of Spanish culture that I like. It is similar to Indian as well...that when you meet a friend in the streets somewhere, if you have any time at all..you go together and drink a coffee or something and visit a bit. Might have something to do with the fact that walking is a major means of transportation around the city and therefore it's easier to simply stop and chat a bit in a local cafe/bar. Get a funny mental image of two people in the US passing in their cars and stopping to chat in the middle of the road and then pulling over to the nearest coffee shop or restaurant to have a chat... haha

So my life here seems to be filled with parties...not intentionally planned on my part I don't think, but I enjoy them most of the time. Maybe I attract them a little....Anyway, Saturday night we had yet another party...this time a birthday party and I was in on the planning of this one. I helped offer ideas for games, but most of mine had to do with someone getting wet, which wasn't very convenient for the location. So, I'd say I wasn't much help. Grin...Sunday was the opening of a new church in a neighboring suburb/town. So, I went to the new church on Sunday morning (afternoon-doesn't actually start until 12pm) to celebrate and worship them... It was a great service. I really enjoy getting together with these people to worship the Lord and pray. It is such a blessing and the presence of the Lord is in our midst. PTL!!! Sunday night, I think Susana and I must have been tired because after hanging out in a park area for a while later that evening, we ended up at her place watching a movie... It was a nice quiet ending to a otherwise busy weekend.So, hmmmm....what else!?! Yes, I'm preparing to return to the US. My mind is slowly getting back into US mode I think. I'm thinking of all the things I need to do before I leave and trying to get it done little by little.. Saying goodbye isn't one of my favorite things to do, so please keep me in your prayers over the next few weeks. You'd think I was used to this I suppose with having said goodbye many times to many people...BUT......

The family I live with is doing well. Mostly just a fairly normal schedule with them, with a few extras. Irenita, the middle gal, is preparing for a school trip to Mallorca Islands off the coast of Spain. She will leave about 5 days before I leave for the US. Helena, the youngest, has had catechism daily for the last two weeks in the evenings in preparation for her first communion. The first communion is a fairly big deal here in Spain. So I've been running her to her class each evening and waiting for about 30-45 minutes to bring her back home. It's been an adventure, but also means that I've had opportunity to drive more which I've enjoyed...grin! Celia, the oldest, has been studying for tests this week...nothing terribly exciting. So, overall, things are running smoothly. Took the two youngest to go bowling tonight with my friend Susana, which the girls loved. They were very anxiously excited to meet her...Smile...Well, I guess that is a bit of an update. It is late, so I'm headed to bed... I'm sure there is so much more I could write, but hopefully I'll be able to tell more stories with fun details when I'm back home and we can all visit in person. God bless you all (Dios os bendiga)!

Just some pics...

PICTURES FOR YOU TO ENJOY!!!

We went out for a drink while waiting to go to a lunch we were invited to after church...
After lunch...pretty satisfied looking huh?? We had a yellowish rice with shrimp, clams, and other meats and veggies mixed in. Something I haven't figured out is why they leave the shrimp and clams in their shells...grin...
We took a picnic weekend before last to a pretty area outside of the city... Good times. I just love hanging out with these girls..Celia and I at the picnic...basically it was a picnic with the Bible study I go to on Thursdays...

After the picnic, Susi and I met up with the church youth to go a river... And yes, from the picture you can see that I jumped (not thrown) in...the only girl who was willing or crazy enough to jump into the frigid, flowing river...It felt fantastic!

Youth group hanging out at the river...Some forgot their swimsuits (maybe that was an excuse not to get in)... This last weekend I had a few days free because it was a holiday and the girls were out of school, so while the family was gone to visit family in Lugo...I took advantage of my time and spent most of it running around with Susi and other friends.. Here are some pics of one of our days out exploring a small waterfall and old mill area that is now a park for visitors.

Check out the rainbow in the falls...

Not sure we ever grow up all the way and pretty sure I don't want to...smile...We were picking on Juan because he almost always has his sunglasses on, even when it's cloudy and they are not necessary...smile...
Yeah, that's me up there... I saw that rock jutting out up there and just had to get up there if it was possible...
Me and Susi...she is truely a blessing to me...
We had a special speaker from Argentina this past weekend.. She gave a special meeting on Saturday afternoon specifically for the ladies at the church. The gals at church decided to prepare a dance..

So, yeah, I know I'm a little behind on updating you guys on life here in Spain. I'll try to get to that soon... I've been keeping pretty busy these days.. Thought I'd at least put some pics on here for you all to enjoy. God bless..