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HAPPY 2017 Y'ALL

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Silver City Heritage Farm:
Well, we've made it through 2016--even with the extra second added to the atomic clock.  >:D >:D

I almost didn't start this, as I have no fancy clipart to add, nor nifty photos. We did have company over last night, so had a bit of festivities. A simple dinner was served. If you can call it that when it starts at 11:30 p.m. because everyone worked until 10:30. Ingrid (my niece) and I prepared a ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and a 7 layer salad. Since this is an American dinner and everyone but me is from El Salvador it went something like this:

Setting--small travel trailer with curtain separating bunks from main living area. Backstory-niece is refugee from El Salvador who arrived in US late September, spoke NO English upon arrival and usually went to payphone in town (45 minute walk) to make callsMe:  (thinking) They asked me to cook something like I normally do, implying American-style. One has been to our place many times, the other two are recent arrivals. Hmmm....
Me:  Ingrid, are you ready to help me?
Ingrid:  (hunched over cell phone, madly texting) Uhmmm, mmhhmm.
Me:  Ingrid *pause* INgrid *pause* INGRID!!
Ingrid: *startled leap* Yes??
Me: Will you help me please.
Ingrid: Okay, how? Cook ham? (from here down is mixed with Spanish, as she's still learning English) *while attempting to keep from peeking at phone*
Me:  No, it's baking. Will you help peel potatoes?
Ingrid: Yes, let me tell my brother *goes behind curtain while stifling mad laughter*
I hear "tick, tick, tick, ticka ticka, tick, snicker, ticka, ticka, ticka, HA HA HA, ticka...."
Shrug my shoulders and start peeling potatoes. When I finish peeling the white potatoes, Ingrid emerges red-faced from her room.
Ingrid: Can I help?
Me: Will you chop these small while I peel sweet potatoes?
Ingrid: *leaning toward curtain* Ok. *chops so fast I'm afraid she'll remove a finger* DONE!!
Reaches hand nonchalantly through curtain, but before she can find phone she's patting around for...
Me: Ingrid, will you put potatoes in pot, add water and salt and start them boiling?
Ingrid: *gives me distracted look* Huhhnn?
Me: repeat above
Ingrid: *turns water on full blast, fills pot, starts fire, starts back through curtain*
Me: INGRID! *pause for her to turn distraught eyes on me* Will you chop these too?
Ingrid: Okay. *grabs sweet potatoes that are ready to peel* Same way?? *more wild chopping starts, reminds me of Hibachi chef*
Me: Ingrid, wait! *chopping continues* HEY, WAIT!!
Ingrid: *pauses, raises trembling hand with one eye toward curtain and other toward me* Eeeeesss wrong??
Me: Chop some in bigger chunks, these are not for mashing. (Explanation of difference between reason for sizes and recipes ensues, while cell phone commences to *ping, ping, ping* quite madly)
Ingrid: *Brightens considerably, bigger chunks=less chopping. More mad chopping starts, phone is about to explode from pinging* Flings potatoes into second pot, starts for phone...
Me: WAIT! *dodge daggers look* Don't you want to know how to make these?
Ingrid: Eeeesss okay....*leaps behind curtain before I say anything else*
Me: *shrug, thinking* Teenagers!
Ingrid: *tick, tick, ticka ticka ticka, LAUGH, tick, ticka ticka.....* Me takeeey shower.
Me:  But..
Ingrid: *sound of shower starting*
Me:  But.... *shrug some more, think "At least my shoulders are getting some exercise!* make 7 layer salad.
Ingrid *passing through curtain, freshly scrubbed, dressed and clutching phone* Eeeess okay?
Me: I look around *hold up salad in bowl, so that she can admire the layers* What, this?
Ingrid: Eeeess pretty?
Me: *A bit bewildered because it's a question* Yes, thank you.
Ingrid: *Frustrated tone and frown* NOOOO, you no understand...eeeess pretty?
Me: This salad, yes, it's pretty.
Ingrid: *in MOST obvious teenage fashion* NOOOOooooo, you no understand!!!! Eeeeees preeeetty??????????? *gestures to outfit*
Me: *burst out with BWAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAA!! before I can stop myself* OOOOhhhh, you mean "Am I pretty??"
Ingrid: * :o :o :o :o :o* Eeeeess pretty???
Me: Yes, you look nice. (Explain what is "nice")
Ingrid: I go check ham. *squeezes by me and escapes to the big travel trailer where we'll be entertaining our guests.*
Me:   ;pray ;pray ;pray ;pray ;pray

So, there you go. My entry into the New Year, and an understanding that teenagers are about the same no matter their culture. :P ;D ;D

May everyone give and receive empathy, sympathy and love throughout the challenges of 2017. PEACE OUT!!  8)

Holly:
Happy New Year Y'all!!
We brought in the new year with family, friends and fireworks. 
Hope 2017 is full of blessings for all my friends here!

And once again, a special thank you to Diane for creating such a great place to share!

Chanda:
Sounds like an entertaining start to the new year.
And, even when her English improves, your conversations will continue along the same plane.
Happy New Year!

dcwolcott:
WHEW!!!  I love that story!!

And Holly, you are so welcome, but I am the one who is so blessed to have friends that asked me to start this site, and it have given me such pleasure to be part of it!  And now, it is getting even more exciting with these little and big ones coming!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!! 

Ryan:
Happy new year everyone , here's to good health & happiness in 2017  :)

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