the option was presented...

...And now I have a new pet. This is Canela (Cinnamon). She is a carpincho (think: "Rodent of unusual size" from Princess Bride). I was sipping scalding hot mate with Kai Eligio last Thursday when his son Rafaelito pulls up on his moto. I wandered off to find a hoe for my garden and when I returned Kai Eligio starts telling me about a carpincho that has been caught. He tells me it would be excellent for my engagement party when Jeremy is here. I'm skeptical at first, but then I think why not. When else in my life will I have to opportunity to buy a large rodent. It will be a nice surprise for everyone. That same day the docile little creature arrives. She makes little grunting sounds, but not harsh like a pig. Jazz is crazed with its presence and won't stop barking. We keep chasing him off. Almost as soon as he arrived Kai Eligio and Rafaelito determined that he was going to be a lot of work and that we should sell him as soon as possible and get a pig instead. To date, Canela has escaped twice and now resides in the pig pen at Kai Eligio. Jazz still seeks her out to go bark at her, but everyone else is impressed at her cuteness.

next door memories

Between grandfather Eligio exclaiming,” foto! Foto!” every time he finds something beautiful or unusual and just the ordinary scenarios that I find beautiful I have a memory card full of everyday memories. I have pictures of armadillos, a one day old baby sheep, an orange tree loaded with juicy fruit, a bird with a white band of feathers and more. the best part is that Eligio also has figured out the camera. Sometimes the photos don't turn out the best, but it sure is fun the watch him with the tiny red camera and hear him shout "oikopora" (it came out well) and give me a thumbs up. The snapshots I captured are of Kai Eligio helping his granddaughter, Dalila try on new tennis shoes he bought for her in town. Dalila’s grandmother, Naty broke her arm a few weeks ago and Dalila is focused on helping send a text message. I decorated her cast with my permanent markers and before it comes off I hope to have it entirely colored. The hard part is getting her to sit still. Even with a broken arm she’s always busy.

Bicentenario...200 Years of Independence.

All the students from 5 area schools joined together to celebrate Independence Day. It was filled with traditional dancing, a giant torch being lite. Since May 15th is also Mother's Day, there were a half dozen poems either read or recited by the students. To close the event every school marched down the street carrying flags or banners. The high school students kept it festive with a drum line and baton twirlers. You are probably wondering why I was in it. Because I participated in last years dance class that was sponsored by the district cooperative I was asked to wear my dance costume and represent them. The entire event came together and was enjoyed by all in spite of the summer-like heat.

Paraguay Celebrates 200 years...and I bake for Mother's Day

The bunch of bananas. Jeremy wanted banana flower pictures. Which lead to the last photo and many more and 70 bananas! I have about 2 dozen left.
Mini Banana Cream Pies for Mother's Day.

Beautiful banana flower.

Today was laid back compared to most days. I decided to skip the Bicentennial Independence Day Celebration in O’Leary to transplant my fast growing vegetable seedlings. (One celebration was enough. More on that later). A stormed moved in around 9:30am, but not before I spread the lettuce and beets to new beds. I also picked up the last of the passion fruit and a few plump lima beans. I gifted this to my Paraguayan grandparents. They had given me milk and fresh cheese that morning after grandfather Eligio and I shared anis infused mate.

The real reason I am writing today is because I wanted to make your mouth water for mini banana cream pies. A few weeks ago, Kai Eligio gifted me an entire bunch of bananas (over 70 bananas! I counted.). Right now they are in their peak ripeness and besides eating them just as they are I have been experimenting too. While baking a cake with my neighbor across the street, Ña Kike, I got the idea to make the little pies. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and I will give them to the hardworking señoras who have blessed my life and without them Paraguay wouldn’t mean what it does to me.

The crust is a toasted peanut crust. I baked it first and then layered slices of bananas. Next I spooned in a creamy layer of homemade vanilla custard. To finish I topped it with hand whipped meringue and baked it until the peaks were toasty.