Big Spiders

Looks tiny from next to those big leaves, but those leaves are huge.

Last night I was talking about an experience I had once with big spiders. Puke.  It makes me sick but I thought I could share it anyways. So I spent some time in Brazil, if that hasn’t been apparent by my Brazilian references.  When I first heard I was going there people started warning me about the spiders. I was afraid. But I went and forgot of my fear.

In Brazil you clap your hands at the front gate to be let in. You clap rather than  knock.   Now I couldn’t understand how in Brazil they cement everything up. There nature is cemented up. Cement to the tree trucks. Grass is rare in rural areas. I being some what of a nature lover, was like why not embrace the beauty of nature?  I found out.

We went to a house that I found to be a wonderful example of natural beauty. It looked what I had imagined Brazil to be like.  It was full of lush greenery and trees. We clapped our hands at the front door. There was not a response so we went to the side gate. I was in front and clapped my hands near the gate when I was told to look up. Oh I did.  But ever so slowly, at first I thought my companion was referring to the ginormous spider web. I thought, “That is the biggest and strongest looking web I have ever…. Oh no.”  There was the biggest spider I had ever seen.  I was afraid, I was petrified.  I wanted to scream. I did. I wanted to run. I did.  I wanted to keep looking, and never see it again. It was crazy emotions. I ran back to the road. I creeped up closer.   I jumped back. I had to know more about it, yet I felt my skin crawling. Even as I think back and as I type this I feel afraid and creep crawling on my neck.

Actual size, just compare to the lamp and roof tiles. That is bigger than my head and was right above my head.

Later that night I couldn’t sleep. I prayed and expressed that I would rather not live in a world where spiders of that size lived.  I just kept thinking it would get me. (How do spiders get you?) I think if they can this one could.  I became obsessed with it. I am not sure if it was my fear, obsession, or what but every time we walked by that house I had to look to see if the spider was still there. It wasn’t that  hard after I knew it was there. I could see it from the street!  Yeah, it was that big. Gag.

I wasn’t taken from the world with big spiders.  Nor were the big spiders take from my world. Turns out there were five of them. The owners of the home knew about them and kept them around.  Like pets.  Vomit.  I have the creepy crawlies. Why am I writing about this?

So, mainly it didn’t matter if I checked that one could have been there while the four were home in my bed, waiting to get me.  But they weren’t, I was fine. They probably ate little bug that really would have got me. It is all fine. But turns out I didn’t mind the concrete as much after that.

Mustaches are cool.

I am throwing a crazy Mustache-Zucchini-Party and I have great ideas now.   Thanks to Pinterest.

I know random combo but hey I love me some random. My parent’s garden grew plenty of zucchinis this year.  They sent a bunch with me along with an awesome recipe for chocolate zucchini cake.

I know you might be thinking no way gross. But it is AWESOME! I tried it and it is really good.  There are other recipes out there for zucchini dishes so it would be a great way to use up some of these zuks. As for the ‘staches?  I am not sure where they fit in  other than every party is more  fun when you are wearing a fake mustache.

The best date.

Dating: Mini golfing dates are the cutest and the best.

1. You have plenty of time to chat.

2. A fun activity. A little athletic, you can show of your skills but not too athletic you don’t leave sweaty.

3. You can tell a lot about the person your with by how you play. (Does he let you win? Does he let you cheat? Does he keep score? Is he super competitive? Do you have fun?)

Not that any of these are applicable to a relationship but they are interesting to know.

Brazilian Independence Day

Brazilian independence day as told by Fernando :

There were men in the forest on horses. One was the King of Portugal. He shouted, “Independence or Death”.  Then he was the King of Brazil.

I am not sure this is 100% accurate, okay I know it is not. But it was a lovely story anyways.  It made me think about how I would tell the story of Independence here in the USA. How do I look back on my history? Do I make it out to be greater than it really was or worse?

I heard a story about Good Ol’ Abe, today. It was about how he appreciated the story told  about the Battle of Trenton and how this was one of his favorite stories about the Revolutionary War. (It was one of my favorite stories too. I remember  writing a paper about it in Middle School.) But there was controversy about the battle being built up to more than it really was. How could Abe turn out to be such a good of a guy if he himself was lead to believe the battle was better than it really was? He was able to be a great guy and a kick butt pres. Because he believed in things being able to be better than they might have really been.  He was able to build on legends and live on the shoulders of giants. He was a leading example of engaging in civic duties.

I guess that what I am saying is I would rather build it up, allowing it to build me up.