tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16506812629359835952011-11-16T23:32:35.908-03:00Keeping in touch with Jess, Peter and Ila Moo.J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.comBlogger241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-66976895875097947042007-05-17T10:40:00.000-03:002007-05-17T10:43:17.224-03:00

Ila's going to a very cute little preschool, cozy and small, tucked beneath a church on a back country road. She has a tiny class of eight with two sweet teachers, adorable classmates, and she learns a new song or game every day. She comes home and says things like, "Science is fun Mom." Totally worth the gazillion dollars! Most of the moms are very thin, have an extra baby on the hip and

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-80275915598750257262007-05-15T14:50:00.000-03:002007-05-15T14:51:10.858-03:00

Excuse the long silence...You didn't ask, but I'll tell you that this whole turn-our-lives-upside-down thing first came up about a year and a half ago. I got pregnant and, despite the fact that it was what we'd intended, it made me cry three times a day. Mostly I cried when I looked at Ila and thought about how crappy, tired and impatient a mom I already was and tried to imagine that times two.

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-71632724645089287552007-04-04T17:17:00.001-03:002007-04-04T17:26:56.724-03:00

Once we decided to go, the wait was painful. It rained for days and our crumbly apartment building felt dreary and dark. But then, the sun came out and we've made the most of our last few days in Buenos Aires. Playing in parks, wandering side streets, checking out a museum. And now, in just two hours, Ila and I will take a cab to the airport to begin the lovely all-night journey home.It's hard to

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-39534056240913913522007-03-31T17:50:00.000-03:002007-03-31T17:54:05.446-03:00

I've given in. To Ila's sickness, and my homesickness. But don't give up on the blog because 1. Peter is staying on for another two weeks and I will keep you posted on his travels 2. The wickedly insightful musings you've been enjoying since we left California will continue albeit with fully functioning septic systems and fewer volcano sightings. It took a lot for me to decide that it was okay

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-72850202818786381472007-03-27T11:08:00.000-03:002007-03-27T11:09:57.945-03:00

If it weren't for the smell of dog pee and the fact that I nearly blew us up trying to turn on the oven, the cabana where I woke up yesterday might have been perfect. We were on Chiloe, an archipelago that runs along the coast of Chile from Puerto Montt to Chaiten. From the picture window of our dilapidated cabana I could see the ocean and the bluffs of nearby islands. The sky couldn't make up

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-16162612499823023182007-03-21T16:45:00.000-03:002007-03-21T17:07:28.941-03:00

After Bariloche, I finally fell in love with our journey. Bariloche was great, it served our purposes well. But once we landed in the much smaller town of El Bolson, I felt a weight lift. Because we were on a schedule to meet up with Liz and Alex in Chile we only stayed two days, but enjoyed the slower pace. Bolson is described as a hippie town, and certainly showed a few signs - micro breweries,

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-7707810082836056092007-03-16T21:11:00.000-03:002007-03-16T21:16:24.374-03:00

A long silence indicates we're either miserably bored or too busy having fun. This time it's the latter by a long shot. After leaving Bariloche we've been to several wonderful small towns, each prettier and smaller than the last: El Bolson, Trevelin and Futaleufu. We took a cab today from Trevelin in Argentina to the border with Chile where we caught a ride with a sad looking man in a blue pickup

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-43014941751097027732007-03-08T13:42:00.000-03:002007-03-08T14:03:45.364-03:00

We have yet to spend a week without at least one of us being ill. We've been fighting colds, stomach viruses, the flu... now it's my turn and I'm so very annoyed. We've delayed our departure from Bariloche until Monday giving us time to recover again and maybe for someone else to get sick. So Monday we'll head a few hours south to El Bolson, then to Trevelin - a Welsh town famous for tea time -

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-79349631548504099442007-02-28T12:54:00.000-03:002007-02-28T13:02:58.606-03:00

Ahhh. We got us a new home. Not that we didn’t absolutely love Mirta, not that we didn’t learn a lot. Not that we didn’t find the dirt roads, the barking dogs and the daily breakfast of “no-es-café”, toast, toast and more toast be the “real deal.” Because we did. And we do. But. We were ready for a door on our bedroom, our own dinner hour and a toilet that could handle a few squares of paper. And

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-68209583281453467062007-02-18T16:13:00.000-03:002007-02-18T16:31:25.451-03:00

Saturday we decided to make the most of the cold weather and head up into the snow. It's the equivalent of August here and even in this northern part of Patagonia, it's unusual to have snow. We spent 25 minutes on a bus, 10 on a gondola, 10 on a chairlift, and there we were, at the top of Cerro Cathedral - well, at least as far as the lift would take us. Cerro Cathedral is the big ski mountain

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-71153719313251434032007-02-15T15:01:00.000-03:002007-02-15T15:37:55.325-03:00

As only a mother can do, I went from calm to panicked in about five minutes Monday morning. All is well now, but it's been a stressful week full of ups and downs. Itactually started Sunday shortly after I trudged up the hill in hot and unusuallyhumid weather. I'd decided that Ila's illness was just a bug, and that she was having a day of recovery and would be fine shortly. No need for concern.

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-16340274777602331512007-02-11T18:50:00.000-03:002007-02-11T18:53:52.680-03:00

Oi. So much to tell, so little time. First of all, someone needs to help out with the marketing here - there's a casino called Worest Casino, and down the road a children's store called Mr. Cock. It's Sunday afternoon and as I write this, Mirta is pacing her yard talking to her daughter in Spain. Peter's studying his Spanish - which I should be doing too. Ila's sleeping and recovering from a

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-43802976122589911982007-02-06T10:58:00.000-03:002007-02-06T13:17:15.444-03:00

We had our first day of school today. One of my classmates was born the year I bought my first Cure album, and I'm very rusty, but I think I'll survive. My teacher Laura is, like so many of the women here, absolutely stunning. The women in Bariloche manage to appear down-to-earth and very feminine all at once. Plus they all have the perfect rear-ends travelers in the know had warned us about. Ila

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-18523051989218038202007-02-02T12:30:00.000-03:002007-02-02T13:24:49.122-03:00

Mirta practices Feng Shui. This means don't touch the spare change under the bed and es muy importante to close the toilet before flushing so bad spirits don't come into the house - or so you don't flush away the good spirits. I'm not really sure which one. Mirta also has a serious mate habit. Mate, is a grassy herb Argentines sip from small hollowed gourds using filtered straws made of metal.

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-58473261717844195612007-01-31T17:53:00.000-03:002007-01-31T18:12:31.174-03:00

This morning I woke to Mirta, our hostess, asking Ila how many sugars she would like in her coffee. We've arrived in Bariloche and it's clear that we're going to be learning a lot about regular life in Argentina - like it or not! The house is beautiful. Mirta is wonderful. She's friendly, gracious and speaks slowly so we can keep up. She loves to garden and has a beautiful, landscaped yard

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-17137236046393482142007-01-30T10:51:00.000-03:002007-01-30T10:52:51.240-03:00

January 29, 2007We leave tomorrow for Bariloche. I’m anxious about the first part of our family-stay since we know so little Spanish. I imagine our host is used to it, but I’m tired of being unable to communicate. My Spanish hasn’t improved with the few basic transactions we have each day. I keep hoping the Korean family that runs the grocery around the corner will understand me since we’re all

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-13709611206650649522007-01-28T18:19:00.000-03:002007-01-28T18:36:15.422-03:00

First, thanks to all of you for the peanut butter feedback. I especially appreciate the anon suggestion that we try something different. Hmmm. I guess we could do that. And now that several people have weighed in, I'm pretty sure it's not a trick that it's actually called crema de cacahuate... but I still think that sounds a bit fishy...Yesterday I decided I want to go home (wherever that might

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-13671443260524323872007-01-26T19:26:00.000-03:002007-01-26T19:50:02.118-03:00

(January 25th)Whew! We made it! We’re in Buenos Aires. Hard to believe. After all the talk, the procrastination, the second thoughts, we’ve arrived. I’m sitting in a tiny apartment in San Telmo, watching our socks dry in bus fumes on the balcony while Peter and Ila nap off a big morning of wandering about. Neither Peter nor I have been out of the U.S. much in ages and it’s already been an

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-69531162905696203862007-01-08T15:40:00.001-03:002007-01-08T15:45:26.172-03:00

I would like to put in a plug for the Motorola v325. It’s that slightly bulky looking flip cell phone with black rubber around the edges. Sometimes the sound is a little funny, but yesterday mine survived a 15-minute, 40 mile per hour ride on the roof of our car. Impressive, no? But then, this is the kind of good fortune we’ve been having these days. We live in a big house where we’re treated to

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-20782007896753511302006-12-16T17:52:00.000-03:002006-12-16T21:25:34.479-03:00

The other day, in Greenwich, I said, “We’re moving here!” then looked around to see just who said that. Couldn’t have been me. I don’t really mean it. I really don’t mean it at all. After all, I mostly remember hating this town. It might have been the unseasonably warm sunny day, but it was probably the coffee. Which I bought at a Starbucks... I know. I’m scaring me too. The truth is, our short

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-85634114383219297482006-12-01T01:25:00.000-03:002006-12-01T01:27:24.967-03:00

Our trip from Wherever, Indiana to Greenwich, Connecticut was mostly uneventful although the abrupt transition from idyllic farm to fleabag motel with casino and bar resulted in a bit of tension between the adults in the car. Not uncommon for us, we know, but it started to get pretty ugly, forcing poor Ila to intervene: “Guys, guys, it’s okay.” And to make things worse, I insisted upon driving

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-29193809100930484402006-11-20T23:47:00.000-03:002006-11-21T01:01:03.601-03:00

As it turns out, instead of visiting a campy attraction after leaving our motel in Ames, we went to Main Street in search of a decent cup of coffee. We ended up spending hours luxuriating at a local coffee shop with good food and a fascinating mix of people. Ila and P. took a long walk on Main making friends with the local merchants while I absorbed the personality of the town through about as

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-23219671917258411722006-11-16T12:45:00.000-03:002006-11-16T12:55:28.699-03:00

I think this is my new favorite motel chain. Butter churners in the lobby, a pool, wireless and a waffle maker. Doesn't get better than this. We’re in the heartland and as much as I want to peel off all the Bush Cheney bumper stickers, and as bad as P. says the drivers are, I’ve found that people are really nice. The college students (this is our second college town stop in the Midwest, the first

J., P., and Ila Moohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08667983155814868554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1650681262935983595.post-65919830988160624912006-11-15T11:56:00.000-03:002006-11-15T23:41:02.121-03:00

November 14, 2006Highlight: tumbleweed attackIt’s unfortunate that we only have a few weeks to make our way across the country. Each driving day we pass at least a dozen places I want to investigate further. Even here on this dull interstate cutting through a flat, brown, overcast state, I want to stop in a small town and see what’s going on. Instead, I have to be satisfied with our pitstops and

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