Monday, April 13, 2009

Built Like an Amazon

That is, I wish I were. I've always gathered from general reading that the Amazons were big tough women warriors from the Amazon region (Brazil), real or fictionalized I didn't know. A quick wikipedia search shows I was only partly right, as they were not really from Brazil in any of the references. But today I would've been happy to be built like an Amazon (warrior) or a woman from the mouth of the Amazon River: namely my first companion and trainer, the mighty Sister Cavalcante. She was about 4'10" maybe. Sweet dimpled cheeks, never-ending patience, and podorosa (powerful) in 2 important ways 1) she could invite the spirit and invite an investigator to be baptized most powerfully and 2) she could make short work of the heavy, awkward towels, bedding, and clothing that we washed by hand each p-day. Every time I find myself ringing out a completely soaked full-sized towel I think of my mission. Today that means I was thinking about my mission a lot.

I went downstairs to start the laundry from our Easter visit to Rob and Ang's house. I was shocked and disappointed to see that the floor was covered in a thin layer of water, eerily similar to the way it would be after spring rains of years past. But last summer we'd had a sump pump installed, at no small cost/inconvenience. So I was upset to see it hadn't worked. Or hadn't it? I could hear a dripping, and following the sound I found that our furnace was leaking water in a steady stream. Finally all is under control, it has been fixed, and all but the carpet is dried.

Now to make chicken noodle soup for my sick man. Laundry will have to wait until later. But hurrah! I told Ang I'd blog first, and I have! Maybe not about Easter yet, but I don't remember saying that specifically...

4 comments:

Janine said...

Oh so much fun! It brings back memories of me mopping up the bathroom upstairs when I was babysitting for your anniversary. The water guy came to turn the heater on and next thing I knew, we had the flood in the bathroom where the radiator had been removed but the valve was open. I feel adrenaline just thinking about it! Hopefully the floods are over for you guys. I hope Tom is better soon!

gramalee said...

OH YES! I remember that day! Thomas asking "Gramalee why is there water dripping for the kitchen light?" Good question, huh? That's how we found it! Ah! Memories!
xo

twd said...

Etymological Amazon
The origin of the word is uncertain. It may be derived from the Persian, "hamazakaran: to make war". Alternatively, a Greek derivation from *n-man-gyon- "man-less". 19th century scholarship also connected the term to the ethnonym "Amazigh" (no doubt as in "Amazighing & Amawesome")!
Among Classical Greeks, amazon was given a popular etymology as from a-mazos, connected with an etiological tradition that Amazons had the right side of their bodies altered so they would be able to use a bow more freely. Though there is no indication of such a practice in works of art.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazons

Angela Draper said...

I'm so sorry! But at least you did beat me to the blogging thing :) Glad that no major damage was done.