4th of July and Friends

Thank Heaven for the Temple Missionaries!!  They try to include us in their plans, and we really appreciated it.  We really don't have any other "couples" close enough for us to things with, so when they invite, we are happy to tag along.

A week ago was our 4th of July Celebration.  Going down into the underground parking lot at the Temple, there is a little strip of green grass.  It was there that we set up a  few tables and tried to pull off the bbq.  It turned out to be a good place to eat, because the sun had, by then, gone down behind the building that serves as our office, and the housing for the temple missionaries, and the upper three floors that house the MTC.  And, since it was a little below grade, the temps were just a little cooler.
Yes,  we have been having the same stretch of very hot weather that you guys have been experiencing, and, any place that is cooler, is very much sought after.

There's that strip of green--can you see it?

Most of those present were temple missionaries.  The couple in while tops
are the Larsons, and they work in the mission office.  They are our best friends at
the moment--they help us figure out how to do things here in Madrid.

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Proud to be an American!!

Their charcoal is not quite like ours, but it keeps a fire longer,
and burns hotter for a lot longer. Really makes for a good bbq.

We really did not lack for anything, except, Hna. Bake says, a good
frosty mug of A&W Rootbeer!!

We also had some patriotic messages and a video with some
simulated fireworks!  We stood and sang the Star-Spangled Banner.
I'm not quite sure the Spaniards in attendance understood the real
significance of the standing and the singing and the hand over the heart,
but, they joined in anyway.

Even in Spain,  can't keep the little ones out of the candy!!

The Church parking lot (underground) is a nice place to park.  I am seeking opportunity to see if we can park our car over here, where it is watched over and protected--from the birds!!

This is the entrance, just across from where we did our bbq.

Inside----and all kinds of room for  my chariot!!!

The remodel job has been completed, except for all the furniture, and the windows, which have to come from Germany.  Could be here any day soon.  I am hoping for sooner--rather that later, as I have a class to teach in one of the new classrooms, starting this Tuesday!!  Could be fun without the tables and chairs!!!  Here's what she looks like inside.

This is where the wall used to be.  You can see into one of the rooms.

Looking down the hall toward the second room.  On the left
is a small office space/classroom, depending on what is needed.

From the other end, looking back toward our present office.

Where the new windows will go when they arrive.  You can see the
big metal louvres on the outside.  They help to keep out unwanted stuff--
sun and burglars!!  You can see where we held the picnic, out there in the background.

Today, Sunday 12th of July, we had Elder Francisco J. Vinas in our ward as a visitor.  He attended all three meetings with us.  During High Priests class, he took part and had some nice things to say.  After the meeting, I shook hands with him and welcomed him to our ward.  We have a small thing in common--He has been working in Uruguay for the past 25 years.  I think he is on vacation right now, because he said that he was heading for Sevilla tomorrow.  That is his hometown.  Really nice man, and so easy to visit with.  He treated us all very kindly.  The only disappointment I had was that he did not talk to us during Sacrement Meeting.  I would have liked to have heard him preach some to us.  Oh well . . . .  All is still well.

For three weeks now we have been having temperatures dancing right around 100 degrees.  Quite not normal, they all say.  One of the men today said that, maybe by this coming Friday, things will quiet down a bit.  Let's hope he knows what he is talking about.  It is getting a little old.  Thanks heaven for the air-conditioning in the piso!!

Bobbi and I were talking before we left and we both agreed that we could live in a high rise in the middle of a big city.  We both thought that we would enjoy that.  I found that I need to have a small place to get my fingers dirty.  I have missed some gardening.  There are 4, I think, gardeners here and the temple lot is big.  I had noticed some large weeds, they were calling my name,  lol. I had to get permission from the temple engineer and a message was sent to security, but I get to do some weeding!  Sounds crazy, I know, but it was nice to so some service and get my fingers dirty! 

Seems a little weird, climbing around inside the planters at the temple!!

Elder Bake actually pulled weeds too, but someone had to snap the fotos, right!?!

This weekend, we, along with two couples of temple missionaries went out for a combined dinner and Flamenco dance  performance.  For the first time I finally felt that I got my money's worth of food for a dinner eaten out.   My former experiences have been that you get not a lot of food, and the price goes in the opposite direction.  That's just how it is here, especially in the places that attract a lot of tourists, and there were a ton of tourists there that night.

I expected the ladies to be wearing a full-length, full-blown dress, with a lot of color in it.  What we got was one lady, wearing a long, but snug dress, that was essentially black or dark gray in color, with a little bit of colored trim.  Not bad--just different than what I had imagined.  They can really dance!!  I also expected the gal to use the castanets, but that was not a part of the program.  

Their shoes have metal on the heel and toe, much like our tap-dancers, but the movements are way different.  It was like the guy was tap-dancing in cowboy boots!!!!!  But still, really talented.  To know what the Flamenco is all about, you need to "google" it.  It is a sad tale they tell, through the music and the dance.  They even had a couple of singers that sang (or, wailed) the words to the sadness.  I count not understand most of it because it has Gypsy origins, and such.

The poster on the wall shows somewhat of an "original" guitarist
might have looked like.

For me, the highlight of the evening was when one of the guitarists played a solo!!  Now, that's what I had hoped for!  What a neat experience, to watch him use the entire neck of the guitar and lay out a melody that  ran the entire length of emotions, from sad to happy, from slow to fast.  He was really accomplished!!!  I need to get a cd of that!

As in typical Spanish fashion, dinner was at 9:30, and the show began at 10:30.  We walked out of the place at midnight.  An hour's ride on the metro, and we were in bed close to 1:00am.!!!  Not my typical night out, but we had a good time.

 

Finally, here is Lucy.  She is the best part of my mission so far.  I have truly met a friend.  She is such a giving friendly lady;  single mom, one daughter.  She was told 17 years ago that she only had a few months to live.  She was given a blessing and her mom told her that if she lived she would need to  let the Lord know of her thanks by serving,  She does that everyday.  Her kindness to others is a joy to watch.  I hope to grow up to be like her.

Till next week.....