As we begin to find a new "normal" in our lifestyle, I am having to find new ways to do what used to be simple tasks. When I wanted toast for breakfast, I put two pieces of bread in the toaster and a minute or so later it was ready. I didn't have room for a toaster but found this neat little item at a store for a couple of bucks (far cheaper than the 20+ dollars for a toaster here) that makes toast on the stovetop. I had bought some margarine and some raspberry marmalade at the store and our toast was quite good with some eggs for breakfast this morning.I realized today that I have no pans that will go in the oven so I set out to find some kind of a baking pan/dish to cook some chicken in for dinner. None of the stores I tried had them except for aluminum foil ones. So I will treat my foil baking dish very nicely and hopefully Jose can find me one in San Salvador on his next trip.
I didn't realize how much I took my electric clothes dryer for granted unti
l the past few days. This morning I put the clothes out on the clothesline to try to get them dry and so here's a picture of my "dryer" in La Palma. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't rain from about 1:00 in the afternoon on into the night. I found that larger clothes and towels do best when I put them across the railing in the morning sun but we have to be ready to grab them when the rain comes. We have found that hanging them indoors with fans works to some extent but when the humidity is high, it's just nearly impossible to get them dry. Cristian told me today that sometimes to get his jeans dry, his mom hangs them on the back of the refrigerator where they can get some of the warmth from the coils. I don't think I'll try that method yet.
l the past few days. This morning I put the clothes out on the clothesline to try to get them dry and so here's a picture of my "dryer" in La Palma. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't rain from about 1:00 in the afternoon on into the night. I found that larger clothes and towels do best when I put them across the railing in the morning sun but we have to be ready to grab them when the rain comes. We have found that hanging them indoors with fans works to some extent but when the humidity is high, it's just nearly impossible to get them dry. Cristian told me today that sometimes to get his jeans dry, his mom hangs them on the back of the refrigerator where they can get some of the warmth from the coils. I don't think I'll try that method yet. One thing I hav
e needed is some kind of shelves to store dishes, food, etc. in the kitchen as there are none built in here. I managed to find a kitchen rack that serves the purpose. It conveniently fits into the extra shower that is in the kitchen (that probably won't be used by us). Because it fits in there, I can close the door and it latches securely so bugs can't get in which is an extra bonus.
e needed is some kind of shelves to store dishes, food, etc. in the kitchen as there are none built in here. I managed to find a kitchen rack that serves the purpose. It conveniently fits into the extra shower that is in the kitchen (that probably won't be used by us). Because it fits in there, I can close the door and it latches securely so bugs can't get in which is an extra bonus. For dinner this evening I was able to bake some chicken with a "salsa ranchera" tomato paste that I found at the store. It turned out pretty good and I made some mashed potatoes to go with it and some fried apples. Having to wash all the food with bottled water or bleach water makes food preparation take a lot longer than it would in the States but so far we're all healthy so it's worth it.
We're all hoping for a better night of sleep tonight. Last night being the first night in a new home, we experienced the normal night of new noises one might expect. In addition, there was quite a menagerie of animal noises to adjust to. Roosters don't just crow at dawn, in case you didn't know. And a bird that sounded no less than 5 feet tall insisted on squawking outside our window about 4:30 a.m. Add that to the fact that the mattresses we picked are F-I-R-M. In the store there is nowhere to lay on them as you might in the States...they're all stacked against the wall and you have to feel them that way. What felt reasonable in the store is a bit firm for our taste but I'm considering letting Nathan go jump on it for an hour or two and see if he can break it down a bit. :)
My class on cooking beans got moved to Wednesday so I'll have more on that later. We are all well and looking forward to another full day tomorrow. Thank you all for your continued prayers.
Love, Lori
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