NEW KID on the BLOCK

10-11-12

 

            Ginny has wanted a goat for over a year and we have been dragging our feet on answer.  After all, weren’t hamsters, guinea pigs, pigs, chickens, ducks, rabbits, a cat and dogs enough to care for and feed?  However, when we saw the nice big lawn of our new house, we decided to invest in a goat before investing in a machine to cut the grass. 

We were told that a family in a nearby town, Santa Ursula, breeds and sells goats.  We have friends in that town, so we decided to visit our friends first and then go on a goat buying search.  While we were visiting and drinking terere, the host began asking us about goats.  I am embarrassed to admit that even after living here in Paraguay 6 years; it is still terribly difficult for me to follow conversations in Guarani if (1) I have no reference of the topic, (2) when they aren’t directly speaking to me, and (3) when the person is talking a mile a minute.  Those three things began happening and Jeff and I looked back and forth with shrugged shoulders.  The next thing we knew, we were following the host through a big open field chasing a herd of 20 plus goats back toward the house.  Once they were all corralled, the host turned to Ginny and said, “Choose one.”

Ginny chose a 3 month old multi-colored girl goat with horns (I don’t know that girls could have horns).  Jeff asked our host how much she wanted and she laughed, “It’s a gift.  Your family does so much for our people.”  Talk about living in a land with generous people!  Two young children spent the next 20 minutes catching the goat and tying a rope around its neck.  I’m not sure Ginny quite knew what she was getting into.  The goat was wild and screaming like a 2 year old throwing a fit.  Ginny’s eyes were big and we were all a little fearful. 

Over the next couple of days Ginny spent so much time caring for her goat, Cuzco.  She led her each day to a grassy patch, fed her, brushed her, did her homeschooling next to her, talked with her and just watched her. Now that goat is just as enamored with Ginny and she is with Cuzco.  It follows Ginny around and “cries” when she can’t see her.

I love that Ginny has a love for animals and that our life here enables her to have some.