July 2006

Any time of the day, when you are least expecting it, fireworks may explode and scare the living daylights out of you here in Brazil.  It may be a soccer game like Wednesday Night and the Sao Paulo Team won AT 11:30 AT NIGHT.  You are sound asleep and KABOOM.  It even woke John and NOTHING wakes John.  It takes a few minutes to calm your heart.  It also might be because the people here had all these fireworks to blast off WHEN Brazil won the World Cup.  Since Brazil did not win they shoot them off at random times.  KABOOM.  It also might be a newlywed couple leaving their wedding reception at 5:30 AM.  KABOOM!!!  Whenever they do this I have this great desire to lean out the window and scream at someone.  I guess I can do it anyway.  They wouldn't understand a word I said.

 

Soap Opera's here are called Novella's.  They only last six months.  Then they start a new one with a different theme.  I even think they use the same actors. Kyle's favorite was a story about Vampires.  She said it was hilarious.  She still laughs when she talks about it and it was a couple years ago.  I still do not understand what they are saying but the costumes are hilariously funny to look at.  I have attached a picture of Kyle with her cat, kissyfur!

 

We have made good friends with a Brazilian young lady named Priscilla.  She does rugs with us and speaks very good English.  She understands us if we speak very slowly.  She said all Brazilians want their children to have blue eyes.  She always comments on people who have blue eyes.  Brazilian's eyes are very dark and beautiful.  We don't understand why they love blue eyes so much.

 

They re-asphalted many streets in our area including our street.  Fortunately this got rid of the hole that could swallow a small car.  We are so grateful.

 

Meredith and John are in Alabama for a month.  She is enjoying being in the United States again especially having Mexican food and American Malls to shop in.  We heard from Ben, just three words I love you, and that made me happy.  We know he is so busy with his new jobs.  We are very proud of him.

 

My friend Jan Rodgers spent the day with me on Wednesday.  She is recovering wonderfully from her surgery.  Thank you for your prayers.  It has been three weeks.  She will be playing tennis before long.  That would be a wonderful thing.  We would appreciate your prayers for Michael Fore.  He is having some pretty serious health issues.  Pray that the doctors would understand just what they are and get him help.

 

The company John works for has joined forces with Owens Corning for a joint venture.It has caused many here and in the states to be concerned.  I have claimed Jeremiah 29:11 to keep my heart from being concerned.  "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Please also continue to pray for John and me about the language.  It is the most difficult thing here.   

 

June 2006

 

Brazil's hopes for World Cup are over.  This brings many sad changes.  No more time off from work.  No more green and yellow on every building, car and person.  No more money spent collecting the World Cup cards/stickers.  No more excitement.  No more fireworks that rattle the walls and make your heart race.  It is very sad because all Americans here were ready to experience the Championship with the Brazilians and now we won't get to.

 

I had a wonderful time at Mom's.  She spoiled me with a sausage biscuit every morning. We watched tv and I worked on my new rug.  We shopped a bit and had a luncheon for her wonderful neighbor, Margaret Martin.  They moved only across town but it is sad to look up there and they are no longer there.  I do love their new home though. Mom and I got to visit with John's sister Betsy in Knoxville for a day and then I met up with John's other sister and her husband, Katherine and Jim, at the Atlanta Airport.  They were on their way to Ireland for vacation.  Everyone was doing really well.

 

I am back in my routine of visiting with friends at the rug store and eating at Romano's.  It only takes a few days to get back in the groove of my Brazilian Schedule.  It is still wonderfully cool and comfortable.  The memories of the horrible heat are fading.  It has been so nice since April 1.  International Paper has brought two new friends, Jane & Wendy.  We are also going to enjoy Wendy's daughter, Margaret.  She may want to escape from all of us.  We all miss our daughter's!!!  Also, Sue Olson, whose husband is with Goodyear, is a new addition.  We now fill the rug store will a bunch of crazy Americans.  I'm sure the owners appreciate the money we are spending.  I met a girl this week, Camilla.  She was an exchange student last year (her junior year in high school) near Tupelo, Mississippi.  It is hilarious to hear this young Brazilian talk with a STRONG Southern accent.  We all laughed.

 

We spent the Fourth of July with many Americans and our Portuguese Teachers at Kathy and Paul Delorme's home.  We had delicious hamburgers, hot wings, potato salad, slaw & the most delicious baked beans.  It was a real American treat!!!

 

Also, Jan Rodgers had pretty serious back surgery today.  She is on staff here with her husband and family with The Navigators.  They took part of her hip bone to replace a bad disc in her back.  Mike, her husband, just called to say she came through surgery just fine.  Thank you everyone for your prayers.  I'll keep you up to date.  She is a real blessing to me.

 

It looks like John will be going to China for a meeting.  Can you imagine John eating the food in China????  That should put him over the edge.  I will pack lots of peanut butter and crackers to get him through. 

 

Not much else to report.  It has been a quiet 3 weeks.  I would love to hear from you. 

Love, Kathy

Flowers and trees in Brazil

One of the best parts of Brazil are the flowers, bushes and trees.

These are just a few.

Mrs. Martin's Moving Party

My mother's neighbor moved to a new home after 50 years.  It was very sad but I love their new home.  This is a picture of all the women in the neighborhood that helped raise me.  It takes a village!!!!   =)

Soccer Games in Brazil

June 13 was the first soccer game.  I watched from the airport in Brazil.  It was amazing.  They are such fans here.  Everyone supports their team until they loose.  It was amazing how fast yellow & green disappeared from buildings, cars and people when they lost.

Termite Mound

We have decided the termites are the reason everything is built in cement!! 

Ana Clara's 1st Birthday Party

This is our first one year old birthday party.  She is Ana Clara.  Daughter of Bete & Paulo Ferro.  He used to work with John but has moved to another plant in Brazil.  What a treat this was!  The decorations would have matched many weddings I've been to.  It will be long remembered.

 

June 11, 2006

The riots are over.  Of course almost 200 died.  Sad deaths too.  Many wonderful policemen.  Mostly because of drugs.  Drugs are going to ruin this world.  We had a few problems in the city here but most of the deaths and problems were in Sao Paulo.  The gangs were mad because they moved 740 of the drug ring leaders to different jails.  How are they able to communicate if they are in jail ANYWAY!!!!!!!?????  Another kicker is they let CRIMINALS with satisfactory records OUT of jail to visit their mothers on Mother's Day.  GO FIGURE!!!

 

After spending the last couple weeks at my rug store (pictures attached) trying to finish Meredith's Birthday Rug I have decided that this is where all the problems of Brazil are solved.  These women come here every day to share their problems and most of all to have someone listen to their problems.  I rarely understand a word they say but I do hear the words filha/filho (daughter/son), marido (husband), and neta/neto (granddaughter/grandson) used a lot.  These precious women work on rugs or make sweaters or scarves.  Bea, we have discovered, is the Queen Bea of sweaters and scarves.  We could show her ANY sweater and she would help us make another just like it.  They are recreating a baby sweater as we speak. Walking into the store in the morning is like walking into your best friend's house.  You are usually kissed or greeted by everyone there.  The mornings are our favorite.  That is when Queen Bea is there.  If we go back after lunch there will be coffee (very strong) and a cake of some kind at 3:00 along with 12-15 women.  Since I am finishing rug #4 (and I have totally become addicted) I am sure I will totally understand what these women are saying by the end of our time here.  Or at least I hope so.

 

You would all be very proud of John.  He is speaking total Portuguese at work now.  He says he sometimes stillhas his moments of exhaustion but most of the time he speaks and understands.  That is such a big deal here.  They speak so fast sometimes you don't understand a single word they say.  Then they look at your face and they see this "deer in the headlights" look and they realize they need to repeat a little slower because you understood absolutely nothing. 

 

John and I have gotten involved with the World Cup Soccer STICKER Booklet.  Oh my goodness.  The trading for these stickers could go up against Las Vegas.  This is all they do here at recess. Out of 596 stickers we only lack 7.  I've had a lot of help.  I will not say how many packs of cards we have bought but I will say that we have had fun opening them and putting them in the book.  Everything in this city is green and yellow.  No business will be open during the Brazil games.  The banks will even close.  Everything shuts down except for the restaurants and bars because they have TV.  It will be something I am sure we will never forget.  I made the huge mistake of telling everyone that I hoped Brazil would still be playing when I returned from Mom's.  You would have thought I had slapped them in the face.  Of course Brazil will be playing when I get back.  BRAZIL is going to win the World Cup.  Like I said they take their soccer very seriously down here.

 

Carmo, our doorman that I love has gone.  We do not know what happened.  He was so wonderful. I hope he moved to a better job but I may never find out.  It hasn't been the same without him.  He was always so friendly and helpful.  It has been very sad for me.

 

We went to Joe & Mary Cavese's for pizza and to say goodbye to Jennifer and Jim Cande.  They have been here for 9 months from Memphis working on a project for International Paper.  It was sad for all of us "old women" to say goodbye to Jennifer.  She had been our substitute daughter for the last couple months.  She made a rug and a stocking with us at the rug store and ate lunch with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Joe serenaded us with two special songs: One Meatball (in honor of my love for the meatballs at La Pasta Gialla) and The Oreo Cookie Blues. 

 

John's TV has been returned to good health.  It has made him so happy.  I was very proud of him.  He took care of it all by himself.  We are grateful it was fixable. Well, I will sign off now and get back to Rug #5.  It is a beauty.  I'll write when I return to Brazil.  I'll have my computer at Mom's so stay in touch.