Semana Santa--Holy Week

   Here in the Dominican Republic, this coming week is called Semana Santa--or Holy Week.  I'm glad that they recognize that it should be honored.  Friday is a day off work and NOTHING is open, we hear.  Even Thursday we have part of the day off.  These are government offices that close.  Most people go out of town--to visit family or friends--or to play.  We also hear that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints FLOCK to the temple and it will be soooo busy!  We may go over to help for part of the time.  They just need some people for mundane tasks.  I think it is great that these people choose to come then.
    Unfortunately, we are seeing the ads for Semana Santa sales--yes, everything from flipflops and shorts and t-shirts to appliances!  Very holy!
     It would be nice to think of this week as special and to treat it that way.  After all, next Sunday we honor the greatest event that ever happened on this earth!

Especialista!

   See this pretty face?

See this big smile?  You would never guess she had a sadistic bone in her body, would you?  Ah, but she is an "especialista--endodontista!"  That means she specializes in root canals!  Yes, and when I asked her what made her choose that field, she told me it was delicate, precise work and she could help people not to have pain.  Now, the problem is that I didn't have any pain until she got that needle into her hand and stuck it into my mouth!  Granted, most of the rest of the time I didn't feel much, but that shot was not great, even with the ibuprofen I took ahead of time!  She even teaches other people how to have this fun!  She is expecting a baby, so I hope the idea of helping people will be stronger than the natural tendencies of a dentist.  

Okay, the dentist that brought her to his office and who is my main dentist seems really kind and calm and quiet.  He even told me to "Smile" as he left the room when she was about to go to work.   He makes all the arrangements for this exciting stuff and it all is much less costly than it would be at home in Kansas.  It's just that I really hate shots!

Update:  Just the day after I wrote this post, she had her baby!  It must have been so uncomfortable to be leaning over working on me just three days before that.  I hear she is doing well and so is the baby and I really do appreciate what she and our other dentist have done for me.

Artistic Wall

   Across the street from where we live there is a gray brick wall, but it is certainly not your average gray brick wall.  This wall was creatively decorated with recycled items, presumably by the students that attend the school behind the wall.  Such items are flipflops, pieces of hula hoops, bottle caps, bottoms of two liter bottles and other unusual decor.  So, in case you are needing ideas for decorating, here are a few pictures.

    

There is a quote on the wall in Spanish, of course, but translated it means, "Who said the people cannot return?"  I'm not sure where this quote came from or to what it refers exactly, but in a country that has several revolutions, it could be indicating something about those.

Anyway, here are a few closer shots of individual parts~~~

Then here is part of the quote.  I didn't realize only part of it was there.  Can you figure out what the various components are?  Forgot to mention plastic chairs!  Click to make bigger.

45!

  Who would have thought on that lovely April day 45 years ago at the Salt Lake Temple that we would spend our 45th wedding anniversary in the Dominican Republic, having luscious lasagna with a French twist along with some French pastry at a French bakery in Santo Domingo?  Surely we never would have guessed it!
   We planned to go out for dinner, but the lunch made us decide to wait a day or two.  So we went for our usual Wednesday (35% off produce) grocery day and bought some special treats.  Giant strawberries, olives for Earl, chocolate milk, pineapple, mango, pears and, of course, chocolate kisses.  There is also a box of fresa-chinola juice--also known as strawberry-passion fruit!