Letter - April 19, 2010

So, this week, I was extremely loved, Lithuanian-style. I'm e-mailing at the embassy right now, and therefore have no camera to email pictures. On Friday, we did weekly planning, and I had the bright idea to plan on a picnic blanket outside. We were repeatedly stopped by concerned older-people, convinced that we would be infertile for sitting on the ground. We eventually moved, to soothe their consciences. On P-day, we tried our first Cepilinai, which are sticky-potato Zepplins, boiled with sausage in the middle, and sour-cream sauce. Yummy! Definitely man-food.

{Cepelinai: Lithuanian national dish -
potatoes dough filled with meat}

We also met Grazina and her family this week. She was the antsiest hostess I have ever met, setting to washing, cleaning, chopping, because we came by spur of the moment. She had stopped at the store, and wouldn't even sit with us at the table until after some coaxing. Then we had a grand time, family photo-albums and all. We were sent home with compote berries from the Kaime, (country). By the end of this, our second meeting, she walked us to the bus stop, graciously hugged me to her bosom repeatedly, I think it was to keep me warm, and then braided my hair while we talked and waited. What a great gal! I really hope we can help her and her family.

We also attended the Relief Society birthday party. I tried a lot of new Lithuanian foods. The yellow-plum compote beverage and apple-cheese were great. However, I was surprised at the fish-quiche, and raw-salmon wraps. We finished off the week with Koldune in sour cream, which are like pot-stickers. I tried a new brand of Lithuanian milk today. It tasted like their sour-cream sauce, but watery.

Any who, sterility and all, I had a wonderful Sunday. We watched the General Young Women's broadcast, and I caught a glimpse, or so I thought, of beautiful Morgan Weight. Oh, and I can't forget our last meeting of the week. We visited Veronica. She's very catholic. She still would repeat our prayers with us line-by line, and then we had pepper-mint tea in her room, and ate aged cookies. Sister Hall hands me a huge, pale-yellow seashell looking thing. I bite, and it's a lemon-flavored marshmallow. For every one's information, Lemon's my least favorite flavor, not to mention that the texture of marshmallows makes me gag. I think I should stop trying to guess the ages of stuff that people feed me. I wonder if baked goods get better with time, like in that Seinfeld episode where Elaine eats a piece of Princess Diana's wedding cake.Ignorance is bliss.

Thanks for all the love and support.

Sese Paul