Chagrin for October 10

Wonderful thing (the chagrin comes later):  we have been inviting a few "GANS  (Young Single Adults)" every week for dinner.  Last week and this week only one showed up - hey,  they're young and single, there's a lot on their plates; it's not like we're old and boring... Anyway, both times, the fact that there was only one dinner guest turned out to be ... wonderful.  Last night we hosted Kenneth, a 25-year-old from Nigeria, who speaks beautiful English with a heavy accent that is almost as hard to understand as Italian.  While most Nigerians are fleeing their country, his dream is to get more schooling (he's a college graduate), go back and build a school, or some other business that will benefit his countrymen.  His desires are to better himself rather than to live off someone else's resources.  He was baptized about three weeks ago.  Last week in Institute, he was taking careful notes.  It was his first introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants.  Pray for this mature young man with lofty dreams.  It was a pleasure to host him.

Fun thing(s):  Blaine and I occasionally practice teaching gospel principles to each other in Italian. We nearly always converse in Italian, but explaining gospel principles is an extra challenge.  Blaine was doing his part on, of all things, the Atonement of Christ, the most sacred of topics; but after several minutes my shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter and tears were squeezing out of the corners of my eyes, because every time he would try to think of the right word, his face would screw itself up into the most comical grimace.  Luckily he is nearly always lighthearted about his language difficulties; sometimes he agonizes over it.  We have both found that our glaring weakness keep us humble, and humility is an absolute requisite for this work.

The chagrin part is slight, really.  We went to the huge open market Monday, my birthday, and made some purchases.  I was in ecstasies over this moss green top we bought, very Indian, with a lacy, vest sort of thing that goes over it ... until I tried it on with the two skirts it matches.  On me, with those skirts, "non va" - it doesn't go.  What now?  I wore it anyway with one of them, and an orange scarf, yesterday, and I guess it was okay... I'm just a fashion geek.  I have to have my daughters with me to buy something that's really me.  Wah.