Happy 4th of July!!

Hola! If anyone has been thinking about me in the cold down here/sending some summer heat my way... thank you! The last couple of days have been beautiful and a much needed break from my usual turtleneck-and-gloves getup. For the fourth tomorrow, a beautiful 21º! (Yes, I'm learning to use Celsius here...) So you better believe I'm having a party.

About 2 weeks ago, I started working with some women in the community that used to be homeless but are now part of a halfway house called "Casa de Maria," in addition to teaching my class for the kids in the community. Some of them live there, some live with other family members, but they are all in the process of getting back on their feet again. They eat their meals at the house, help each other cook, and play lots and lots of cards at the house.

A leader at the community center approached me and asked me if I would be interested in talking to them about exercise and nutrition for women- which was quite a compliment; of course I said yes! I've started going on routine walks with them and giving presentations about exercise and nutrition every week. We've talked about cholesterol, obesity, and how exercise is different for women than men--especially in a country where women are expected to spend the majority of their day in the kitchen. These women are so loving and appreciative of any time I have to offer to them--working with them has been such an enriching experience and has allowed me to really get to know the young and the old in the community.

With that, I decided to have a party for them this Saturday for the 4th! Argentine Independence Day is the 9th of July, this coming Thursday, so I proposed a type of Independence Day-cultural exchange for the women in Casa de Maria. (They LOVE cooking for me, every day after our morning walk, they beg me to stay for lunch and eat with them... and I usually say yes; who can resist like 10 loveable new grandmothers?) Tomorrow, I'm bringing some friends with me, some sugar cookies with red and blue sprinkles, some patriotic tunes, and my horrible singing voice to show them what the 4th is like at home, and on Thursday they will do the same for me! I can't wait. I've (hopefully) attached some photos of them and some photos of the kids in my class to this post--enjoy!

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend... again, send some heat my way and I love and miss you all!
Abrazos,
Jessie