In The Great Wide Somewhere: Recappin' Marthas Vineyard Week 6

I skipped this week for the moment because
New York happened week 7
and I could not wait to talk about New York

We interrupt this message (New York's second day) to recap what happened the week before.

It wasn't crazy exciting but it was still life in paradise.

The thievery has been reduced to a minimum
and the toilet paper has been the opposite of reduced.

Our delivery man is pretty much the greatest

Everyday we place an order for what we need
spoons cups fruit etc. and he delivers it the next day

Apparently he overheard someone talking about our lack of toilet paper and he told us he was going to get us some straight away.
He said if I help you, God will help me.
Then he gave us 96 rolls of tp and said
"Pray for me you guys"

DelMar you are in my prayers my brother.
Thank you for the toilet paper
I am undeniably grateful and unashamed to say so
Toilet Paper>>
It's the little things.

So this man came in. He was a jolly fellow.
He asked me to put some fudge on his ice cream, but as I did I couldn't get the fudge to fall from the scooper.
Thick Fudge Probs
So I got more fudge on the scooper to dump whatever could be dumped with the weight of the added fudge, and he saw the giant scoop of fudge and started very graphically describing to me what to do after he died in the next few moments.
Gooooddneeeeeeeess
I have diabetes for crying out loud sweet heart
that's fine because I want my fudge
but when I crash to the floor and die don't be surprised
call the ambulance to try and revive me please
I am going to fall over and die any minute now
just from looking at that fudge!
That is going to kill me
Don't even try to drag me out of here, I'm too heavy
At least I'll die happy
goodbye world
Do you know cpr?
This looks amazing thank you sweetheart!
*three dollar tip

I hope he turned out alright...

Next

I was on the hunt for a piano, I found one, but the door was locked. Walking away a guy on a bike with an accent I am not familiar with asked me what I was doing there, I told him I play the piano and I was looking for one. He told me to go ask to be in some hotel show where they have a really nice piano and they have entertainers all the time.
hehe.. Not what I was looking for
He then asked me what kind of music I play
For lack of a better genre name, I asked him if he had heard of Jon Shmidt
Keep in mind this was after the routine "Where are you from" question that everyone asks but no one really cares. He knew I was from Utah
He said yes I have and almost took off
then I said The Pianist?
Because I was concerned with the harsh look on his face
"Oh Jon Shmidt I thought you were talking of.. Smith.. The founder of Mormons. I thought you were going to preach to me."
I said
"Oh Joseph Smith. No I was talking about a pianist John Shmidt"
That was pretty much the entire conversation. I kind of laughed at first but I felt a little sad.
I don't think I would run if someone from just about any other religion tried to tell me about it, I honestly think it's great to learn about the differences in the world.

This same week a woman obviously Muslim had been coming in, she wore the head wrap to cover her head. I had heard things about why they do it along the way, but anyone who knows anything about Mormons knows truths get completely twisted if all you knew about us came by "word of mouth" So I decided to do what I would like anyone to do if they thought Mormons practiced polygamy, or had horns, or any of the other crazy stuff that people believe.. I asked.

We had a really interesting conversation and she explained what modesty means to her and that her hair is a form of beauty in their religion that they save for only their husbands eyes. The only thing that is showing is their hands and face. Even their ankles and feet must always be covered.
I asked her at what age this happens and she said it's usually around nine that girls are supposed to start that form of modesty, but it is really a personal choice.
Kind of like baptism, it is usually eight years old that we get baptized because it is the age of accountability, but it is really a personal choice.
I then told her that I am LDS and asked her if she had heard of that, she said yes the Latter Day Saints? I said yes. We believe in modesty and saving ourselves until marriage as well, both women and men alike. I then thanked her for telling me about her religion, I said it's always good to learn something new about people. She thanked me for asking and told me she likes to tell people about what she believes and isn't ever offended if someone asks.

Even if I don't agree 100% with the way a woman is dressed head to toe for her husband and he is at the beach half naked without a care in the world, it does help to know that it was a personal choice on her part. And even though baptism is in actuality very different from wearing cloth over your hair, and only showing your hands and face is different from modesty as a Latter Day Saint aka Mormon, finding the similarities between any two different people is a good way to connect us all back to who we truly are. Brothers and sisters, from the same divine supreme being we call our Heavenly Father.

So I hope, as I am preparing to serve a mission, that people will give me the same respect.. as I am sharing my faith in Jesus Christ and this gospel. If not, perhaps if more than a few doors are slammed in my face, it will only be a testimony further to me of the truthfulness of the message I carry.

In the Scoop Shack with Chancey, this old man came in and he said to her first thing
"Has anyone stopped in here today to tell you how good you look?"
Sweetest guy ever.
He could barely walk and I wouldn't doubt he was older than 85
When she got him his ice cream he said
"You are very nice you know."
I was in the back but I could hear him, when he left we were both in better moods because it gave us hope. There are some extremely kind people in this world.

Then the Australian Surfer came in.

Don't get too excited ladies, he wasn't what I would call a 10 mostly because he was probably 47 and trying to hit on me...
I'm not saying 47 year old's can't be attractive to people their own age, but I don't feel as an 18 year old that I am strange for not reciprocating that attraction.

But he was pretty hilarious

"I think I have found my future wife. Is it legal to marry a tub of ice cream?"
Me, forgetting I was in liberal country
"Well now days sir, I'm quite sure it is."
"Oh yeah, I heard your states are getting more liberal with their laws"
This is when I realized he has an accent and lives: not here
I said
"As a whole yes. Not as much where I'm from: Utah"
"Yes I understand that reference, I have heard about Utah."

It's hilarious how strong these connotations are tied to Utah. This guy is from Australia and he has heard of the infamous
Utah
I thought we were just a random state in the middle of the dessert..
I promise people.. Utah is not so strange
You'd think they were talking about Mars
Then we got talking about Austrailia and how it's my dream to dive the Great Barrier Reef and he told me he has and I was asking him about it but he had to leave so he said
You'll have to come over to where I am staying to hear the rest about it!"
...
*Awkward smile bc.. no
#StrangerDangerToTheMax

"That will be five dollars and eighty cents.."

"Alright, bye bye American Ice Cream Princess!"

My answering machine will now say:
"Hi you have reached the American Ice Cream Princess, don't leave your name and number bc there is this great new thing called caller Id and ain't nobody got time to listen to that."
;)
"...Unless you are scary, leave a message so that I will know not to call you back"

That's basically it. That and planning New York City everyday all day.

Here are all the pictures from Week 6 featuring some updates, and warning:
Big News Ahead
;)

Lindsbae getting her Queening hair on

Me getting my "first time doing my hair this summer" on

Chancey and I happened upon a free Cello and Violin concert in Edgartown

Mikinon and I happened upon Main Street Diner
It's adorable

Famous People Eat Here

I bought this dress for New York and my mission. I call it my Fisher Of Men dress because it has rope like fishing net patterned on it. :)

THE BIG NEWS

I cleaned our room.

Like, scrubbed floors and walls dusted organized put away new sheets type cleaned.

I surprised them when they got home from work and holy cow.

I have never done anything quite as extensive, that's why the news is of this magnitude.