Bulletin 22.12.2013

by Marita
(Montevideo, Uruguay)

Consider:

“A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm.” --Bill Vaughn

Dear Folks,

Last Sunday was quite warm (some said they were melting), so Sr. Torres brought us inside to the air conditioning. Which leads to a bit of advice: If you can't find us in the usual spot, it doesn't mean we aren't at La Papoñita on a Sunday after 14:00 (2 pm), it just means we are inside, so come look for us.

And even though the holidays are coming up, we will be gathering at La Papoñita on Sunday!

And what's in the news? Well,

1. It's Christmas time--time to pick peaches! Pick peaches? Yet, here it is summer, and time to pick peaches. And tomorrow, December 19th, is the last day.

These peaches are organic, not sprayed, not treated, but also NOT full of bugs, but they are at peak ripeness right now. Editorial Comment: They are absolutely delicious.

Therefore, the Lanning family is making it possible for you to come out to Juanico and pick as many peaches as you would like between 11:00 and 20:00 (11 am to 8 pm) on Thursday, December 19. Of course, you need to bring your own containers. But you have to come tomorrow, because they are turning to mush.

All that they ask is that you give a donation (in the amount you feel is appropriate) and that you let them know when you are coming (so the dogs will not be underfoot). Reply to brianlanning (at) gmail.com

Directions for getting there:

From Montevideo:

Go north on Ruta 5.  Pass Las Piedras.  It's hard to miss, Ruta 5 is blocked there.  Just get off 5 and right back on to keep going north.
Pass a few exits for Progresso.  On the left, you'll see the Seventh Day Adventist school.

Shortly after that is a place on the right called (in english) GEA Farm Technologies.  Immediately after that is a dirt road on the right.  There's a bus stop right there.  There's an Ancap you can use as a landmark across Ruta 5 on the left also.

Go maybe half a kilometer down the dirt road.  The entrance to their place is just over the top of the hill.  The driveway entrance is easy to spot.  It's marked by two pine trees that were shaved completely naked by UTE.  Only the trunks are left.

From Atlantida:

If you're a masochist and want the slightly faster, but far more complicated route, email me.  I'll send you a map.  Otherwise, for a slightly longer, but much more pleasant drive, go north on ruta 11 until it dead-ends at the roundabout in the city of Canelones.  Just keep following the Ruta 11 signs and keep heading toward Canelones.

Turn left at the roundabout and go south on Ruta 5 for a few kilometers.  When you see the Ancap on the right, turn left and do a u-turn.  Turn right at the GEA Farm Technologies sign like above.

2. Also tomorrow (December 19th) only--a Flute concert at the German Evangelical Church on Blanes at the corner of Durazno:

El jueves 19 de diciembre a las 20.30 hs se realizará un concierto a dos flautas en la Iglesia Evangélica Alemana (Blanes y Durazno). Tocarán Daniel Capretti y Michael Cordes.

¡Los esperamos!

Congregación Evangélica Alemana de Montevideo
Juan Manuel Blanes 1116 esq. Durazno
Teléfono: +598 2418 3066
@: ierpmontevideo@yahoo.com

3. Summertime means more people want to do more outside, so perhaps you need a bicycle. They are on offer.

"We bought a couple of bicycles (from the chiropractor relocating to Peru). We have many family visiting us this year. However, they will all be gone by New Years. We would then like to sell the woman´s bike as we don´t have sufficient storage space. We would like to get U$S75. "

4. Travellers with temporary residence Cédulas need Re-entry permits for Uruguay--The Permiso de reingreso are valid for 1 year, and usually need to be obtained from the Immigration office before you leave the country, but now it turns out that they are again available at the airport in Carrasco. Waiting and trying to get it there is not recommended, since the office may not be staffed when you are there, or the person may be off doing something else, but in a pinch, it is possible.

5. As has been mentioned, it is Christmastime, and for those who have wee ones to entertain, you can go to the website http://www.noradsanta.org/ and find not only games but, on Christmas Eve, December 24th, Norad tracks Santa on his trip around the world.

This started years ago when a local department store put an advert in the newspaper containing the telephone number for a hotline to Santa. A misprint in the newspaper led to multitudes of excited children calling the North American Aerospace Defense Command, wanting information on Santa. The Armed Forces thereupon decided that that was part of their duties, and have been tracking Santa since then.

Short videos show Santa's sleigh flying over major cities and landmarks all over the world.

For those interested in the financial aspects of Christmas, in its 30th year, the PNC Christmas Price Index is up 7,7% this year. PNC calculates the prices of all the items the True Love gave in the 12 Days of Christmas (both if each gift is given only once, and for the grand total if all gifts are given), and analyzes the price changes for each item (such as commodity price changes and wage increases). Some prices have not changed at all, but the 9 Ladies Dancing is up a whopping 20%!

Check it out at: http://www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com/shelf-price-index

Which pretty much brings you up to date this week.