don't do the Dew

so i have sort of slacked off a bit on posting - but i do have a life sometimes. we have actually been busier than i thought we would since we got to my in-laws. we have been doing a lot of shopping. yes, kelley, yard sales....thrift stores...wal-mart...the mall....even the unclaimed baggage store (so much fun, thanks chris!). it is amazing what you can buy so cheaply and it is equally amazing at what people will try to sell. but i have had so much fun shopping sales at the mall because in Brazil, like nothing ever goes on clearance. this is no lie. you can go into about any store and see clothes that have literally hung on the rack since the late 80's being sold at full price along side the new arrivals. i find it funny because Brazil is heaven for outdated fashion. walking down the streets of Sao Paulo you will see people wearing things that they have likely had in their closets for ages. it is the land where outdated styles never die - anything is fair game. i think that most brazilians just don't have the disposable income that many americans do so if the stone-washed, shredded, painted on jeans still fit then they should be worn. so at the second hand stores i find myself looking at blouses and thinking, hmmm i couldn't wear this here but this would still work when i get back to Brazil. for me this is great as i can't go updating my wardrobe every time the season changes and now i find myself regretting the fact that i threw out the leg warmers i had in 4th grade and my favorite red sweater with the shoulder pads that i wore all through my freshman year in high school. oh well, water under the bridge i guess.

but enough about fashion. i am dedicating this post to my mother. remember when i said there would be more to come regarding my health nut mom? well, this is one of them. she is one of the best people i know - i totally dig her. if you already know Rachel then you know that she is totally health conscious and does her very best to help people treat illness through natural, God-given means. so imagine the shock and horror that i experienced when i received the picture below via email. take a look now and then come right back. yes, that is my dear mom in the Sao Paulo airport with a pack? no. a carton? no. that's a CASE of marlboro cigarettes!! this is not a secret vice of hers and she actually does have a rational for this. it comes down to my younger brother who, in fact, is a smoker. yes i know it is horrible - he is obviously not politically correct or he would care more about my air quality. and due to some unfortunate events he went into debt. with my mom. when she saw how cheap the duty-free cigarettes were she thought to herself if i buy matt these marlboros at this discounted rate then that leaves him more money to pay me back with. like i said, good rationale however scandalous the photo may be.








what makes me think back to this story is Mountain Dew. yes, we all know the stuff, the green soda. Mountain Dew is the one thing that my husband, Dan, misses most about the States. ok, not the ONE thing but he really misses and talks about it all the time when we are in Brazil. now that we are back in the land of the Dew he is drinking it whenever he gets a chance, which is a lot. every time i see him with a can of Dew i think back to my mom's last visit to Brazil. about a month or so before she comes down she starts a wish list - a list of the things that we have asked her to find and bring with her. one of the things on this last list was a request from Dan - a Mountain Dew. so when she finally arrived at our home we started in on the suitcases like it was Christmas morn. When i asked about the Dew her response was, well, i really tried but i just couldn't bring myself to buy that stuff. that stuff is sooo awful - it could kill you!

enough said!