Green foods

Seattle, Washington

As part of a long-standing tradition, I set out this morning to make some kind of "green food" for St. Patrick's Day. This year it turned out to be cinnamon rolls: green on the inside and on the outside!

The saga of the Korean-style mink blanket

Don't let it get away!

Seattle, Washington

Saturday, February 23, 2019

It started four and a half years ago at a tiny blanket shop in the city of Madaba, Jordan. We were newly arrived in Jordan and had been warned that the "cold" weather was coming and that we'd better get a decent blanket. In the heat of August and September, it seemed hard to imagine the cold, but at some point we headed into Madaba in search of a warm blanket. We ended up buying this huge, red, furry thing which, I learned, was manufactured in Korea--or by a Korean company in Jordan. 

That blanket kept us warm through surprisingly cold winters and when we moved home to Seattle, I decided to bring it home. Frank was truly surprised that I was going to bring this huge thing home, but I persisted.

Home at last

Over time "the big red blanket" became a coveted thing in our house and A declared she wanted one, too. So the hunt began. We looked in stores and online all over the Seattle region. No luck. It seems that these blankets are rather old-fashioned and no longer so popular in Korea and among Korean-Americans.

And then, today, I stopped in at my favorite H-Mart in Bellevue, and THERE it was: the blanket of our dreams. It was a challenge to get it home on my bike, but this blanket was NOT going to get away!

Christmas cookies

Seattle, Washington
Tuesday, December 18, 2018

This year it was time for some new Christmas traditions: friends invited us to their house, and we spent the afternoon baking Christmas cookies together. We each got to see new recipes and methods. Moms talked; girls played.

Two moms and three girls = WAY more fun than one mom and one girl. Danke, K!

Gingerbread laptop

Seattle, Washington
Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Last year we took a break from gingerbread creations for some reason. I fear it's too long ago to remember why. But this year, we are back!

A's inspiration for this year: a gingerbread computer. We considered the desktop "box" model, but in the end went with a laptop version. Typing lessons never looked so good.

And ones and zeros for guests...

Advent calendar: the next generation

Seattle, Washington
Sunday, December 2, 2018

When I was a kid, every year we'd make Advent calendars using last year's Christmas cards, heavy card stock, and carbon paper. This year, A was inspired to make an Advent calendar of her own for a friend.

First, she wrote a long piece of fan fiction which she divided into 24 sections. Next, I cut doors into a piece of thick cardboard and backed the whole thing with thinner paper. After painting her "scene" on the cardboard with acrylic paints, we opened each door and tucked a part of the story under each door.

Much more fun than our Advent calendars of old!

Lopez in October

Lopez Island, Washington 
Saturday, October 13, 2018

Apples planted by Dad more than 30 years ago are ready for eating. Poplars planted more than 15 years ago by JLG are ready for admiring. A fantastically beautiful weekend...

Thanks, Mom & JLG!

WaCanId: Adventure awaits!

Seattle, Washington
Friday, August 17, 2018

I can't believe it, but I just signed up for the biggest bike ride of my life: 370 miles through the Selkirks with a ride called WaCanId. Will I be ready in three weeks for this adventure? Stay tuned!

At the moment I just can't quite get past the fact that I have to drive 350 miles to GET to the starting line in Sandpoint, Idaho...