Above zero = warm weather

Some of this past week we had warmer weather--above zero:)  It felt so much warmer that we didn't wear our hats or our very warm socks.  We did wear our very warm coats, and our thermals however:) But, today the weather is back to -10.  They say it won't really start warming up, a little, until the end of March. 

Tuesday through Thursday was a National Holiday here in Mongolia--Tsagaan Sar, or white month/lunar month because it's the first new moon of the new year. During this 3 days people visit family member's homes and eat traditional food--montone bodts (round meat dumplings), potato salad, carrot salad, cabbage salad, lamb meat, curd and candy. When you enter the house the oldest person is sitting at the head of the table, wearing a hat and a special shawl.  Each person entering greets them in a special way, and we're also wearing hats. When we're done eating we tell them how good the food was--"mush ahmt-ta bella".  We only went to 5 homes and ate enough bodts to last awhile:) When you leave a home the host gives you a present--chocolate candy bars, money, lotion, whatever they want.  Then we say, "biyerthla (thank you). 

The Relief Societies love to make quilts because they are in such great need.  The Mongolian women love to sew bright colored dresses. We will try and attach some pictures.  We'll be going on a trip this next 2 weeks, all over Mongolia.  We'll be checking out the member's gardening projects and how we can help this years projects be more effective.  No snow plows, some dirt roads, and a few airplane rides out into the wild countryside of Mongolia:  Zuunkharaa, Seleng, Darkhan, Erdenet, Murun, Khovd, Choibalsan, Nalaikh, Sukhbaatar, Unur, Selbe, Jargalant, Khan-uul.