Sunday afternoon's treat was pumpkin ice cream with coconut! It took me back to pumpkin scones at Stick Boy and midnight trips to tcby in the fall. (speaking of fall ... How 'bout them MOUNTAINEERS!?! Go, fight, win Appalachian!)

You know those grandmothers that cook great meals and expect you to eat EVERYthing twice in order to show your appreciation? This weekend we ate lunch at Sergio's parents' house. His mother is a fantastic cook and loves to have people over for meals, big meals. She is relentless! It was a lunch-long battle between her telling me to put more meat on my plate, Tia Helena trying to explain that I didn't really eat a lot of meat, especially sausage, and me saying in Portuguese "Thank you, I'll at least try some."

On the way back home from Serra Negra, Tio Sergio, Tia Helena and I stopped by the grocery store to pick up some things for the week. In the produce section I was given a lesson in the many varieties of pumpkins and squash in Brazil. I also bought a map of Brazil so I could start to learn the different states and capitals and such. I tried to pay the cashier with a Euro 10 cent piece by accident. We had a good laugh.

Today is bittersweet. It is sad to leave my cousins and exciting to start work in Rio Verde.