She's been here all along

You know how sometimes you're looking for something, and there it is, staring you right in the face. I'm always looking for my cell phone; often reverting to calling myself from my home phone, only to discover el celular two feet away from me.

That's how it feels with this project, especially Our Lady of Guadalupe's involvement. Years ago, my mother gave me a medal and necklace that my grandmother got in Mexico. It's engraved from a 1939 20-centavo coin, and has the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, complete with streaming rays. My uncle worked in the US Embassy in Mexico City, and grandma must of picked it up on her visit there. I wear it because it reminds me of her.

Also, several years ago, I went to a church fundraiser, and bought a collector's plate of Our Lady, thinking, "Hey, this matches my necklace!" She's been hanging in my cucina for years, watching my every move as I live mostly in the kitchen when home. And then just the other day, I really looked at a candle in my bedroom. No way, it's got her picture on it. It's one of those tall candles like the ones you find in church that burn forever. I found it in the ethnic aisle of our grocery.

To top it off, my friend Ann has become involved with the Hispanic community in her parish, and dances on OLG's feastday, December 12. It's a really big deal - an all day event, which I will keep you posted on, as she and I will be the only gringos in the dance troupe.

Back to Rosetta. I settled in and learned more about maneja un corre driving a car, and manzanas y leche y pan, apples and milk and bread. Did I mention that Rosetta speaks exclusively in Spanish? The only English she uttered was in setting up the program. So, when I make a mistake, please bare with me, because I'm dealing with a foreigner here in a foreign land.

It's really a very natural way to learn, though. Point and click, see it and say it. Remember those See and Say toys with the big yellow wheel? You point to the dog and it says perro and would bark ~ well, that would be the Spanish version. Rosetta doesn't bark, but when you get the answer correct, she plays a string of notes from a harp. When you screw up, it's more of a thudding ding sound.

After un tasa de café, I'm ready to dig into to another lesson. Learning is so much easier and more fun when you actually WANT to learn. If only I could pound that concept into my children's heads as they start another school year...