A few days in PIttsburgh

Cute little gosslings woddled over a nest with a few unhatched eggs. So cute!



The little family with very protective parents! They would hiss at us if we got too close.



My nieces were having a sword fight and then turned on us. They begin to "chop off our limbs," and we had to wobble around limbless.



Everyone took turns holding the girls when we went for a walk. They were too tired to talk. I frightened Marta once, and after that she refused to sit on anyone's shoulders.

Why I love Pittsburgh!

All things belated! My trip to Pittsburgh in May! My parents were there as well which is so great. I love watching my Dad playing grandpa. He is so good with the kids. When I see that it really makes me wish I had a few of my own that he could play with and love.

We visited also included a trip to the Dairy Farm, park, Science Museum, as well as a little Cinco De Mayo party among other things. These are just a few of the photos I took during the various activities:

Killing Slugs!

This is an oldie but a goodie! So my garden was being infested and eaten by what my pops thought was slugs. After 3 or 4recommendations and inquiries asking if I put beer in my garden to get rid of the slugs I decided to try it out. I didn't want to go alone, my roommate Aubrey agreed to go with me.



The best part was while I stood in front the cooler doors at the 7-Eleven trying to decide which brand would do the job. Beer is said to attract slugs, and drown them in the puddle of beer on a shallow plate in the garden. As I was looking at the beers, I asked, "Why don't we get a 6-pack? It is cheaper." Me being cost effcient, and thrifty. :) Aubrey laughed and asked me what I'd be doing with the rest of the pack. Oh yeah....I don't drink.

I don't know whether it worked or not. The rain washed away all my beer. I'll have to try it again, and report the results.

New York in the Springtime

A couple of co-workers Kelly, Jenn and I took a day trip to NYC. DC is a 4-5 hr bus ride from NYC. That is really close for me, a gal from the Western US where things are sooo far apart, commented a friend from Connecticut.

I just wanted to go up for the day, walk around and see a couple shows. I didn't think how I was going to get into downtown DC in the early morning hours, nor how we would return that night from downtown. The bus we took leaves from Chinatown area in downtown DC and drops us off downtown NYC. Kelly and I ended getting a Taxi to and fro. I slept the entire trip there.



We ended up getting tickets to Shrek, and Guys & Dolls. Shrek was really great, funny, and sooo entertaining. Guys and Dolls, well, just wasn't what I expected. Although I loved that fact that Lauren Graham, or Loralei Gillmore from Gillmore Girls, was one of the leading ladies. I can say I loved it for that reason alone. I am a faithful fan of Gillmore Girls.



We walked all the way from one end of NYC to the other. We ate at Lombardi's Pizza, which was recommended as the best Pizza place. Another highlight for me was the Rice pudding place across the street! I love rice pudding! I bought two tubes of it. Mascarpone with cherries, and 1/2 Turtle 1/2 Cheesecake. That is one thing I can say I truly miss about Provo, UT...Pudding on the Rice! It is soooo good!

 

Early morning bus ride to NYC. No joke like 3AM. Poor Kelly didn't sleep that night, the following day, or the night after. Now that is what I call insomnia!



Even Mona Lisa loves Lombardi's. Yeah I think I've had better before.



Early Morning show! Kinda fun to see it live, although I didn't want to be filmed as waving and hollering at the camera, saying hi to family back home.



Good times! I love getaways with my friends.

My gourmet dinner

In another blog I meantioned that I was going to start cooking and eating whatever I want, with no retrictions to prices. I bought King Crab the other week. I'd forgotten how rich the meat was. Delicious! And the salad was delicious as well. Not everything I do is expensive but I cook things that I enjoy eating, try new recipes, and dishes recommended by friends. I love cooking, and more I love eating the food that I cook! My sugared walnut gorgonzola salad was delish with my crab.

Garden Fresh

Update to my garden! I took these pictures a couple weeks ago. Everything is quite a bit larger and fuller now. The green beans are too tall for the wire fence. I am now trying to train them to grow up the back fence. My cucumbers have tons of little blossoms. A couple of the tomato plants are twice as tall as when I took the photo. But there are others that remain runts. I stunted their growth but putting them directly out into the sun, and not a progressive exposure. I still have hope for them.



A terrible tragedy stuck all my zucchini plants. My dad thinks it is a fungus. All my leaves have dried up and died. I've watered them enough, so it isn't related to a draught, and it rains plenty here. I was devastated, they are my largest plants and it is just spreading from one plant to another. This past weekend I transplanted so they would have more space. We'll see what happens.



A little honeydew, pumpkin, and watermelon. I don't really know what is going to grow. I didn't keep track when I planted them. So it will be a surprise when the fruit start showing. I am trying my best to be totally organic, forgoing the pesticides, but it is hard when those critters keeping eating the leaves of my plants.



Like I said the tomato plant is about twice as tall now. Everyday I go out there, to water, weed, and check to see what is growing. They are my little babies. They all started at little seeds.

hula skirt and a little bob

I had a busy weekend. Honestly when don't I have a busy weekend?. Just doesn't happen. Instead of going to a Braves game on Friday I spent most of the evening in the kitchen. I love to cook but there is a limit to how much time I like doing any one particular activity and I reached my limit.

First of all, I am learning how to cook with things that I already have, or use some of my ingredients for more than one meal. I like to use up all my food. Waste not, want not. I made King Crab with a Sugared Pecans Gorgonzola Salad last week. Which was absolutely amazing! I haven't eaten King Crab in a few years and was definitely over due. I said to myself when I was at the grocery store the other week, "I'm cooking for myself. I'm single. Why not eat what I want? It is the cheapest time for me to cook good meals." (Yes I do have conversations with myself, most of the time silently. Everyone once in a while I freak out because I wonder if I really said something out loud instead of just to myself). This week I still had more gorgonzola to use up so I did a little internet search and found what looked like a terrific pasta recipe. As well as using my cheese I could also use some pecans, and basil that I have growing abundantly in my yard. Yeah I get excited about that kind of stuff.


While I was making the sauce for the pasta I was also cooking for our ward activity bake-off. I mostly wanted to make this dessert to eat myself but didn't want to end up eating the whole thing so the ward activity was my excuse. I didn't win, but I liked mine the best. I have peculiar taste buds that like strange tastes and textures. I made Pavlova. A Aussie or New Zealand meringue dessert, with whipped cream or custard and tart fruit on the top. It is quite a sweet tasty treat! In addition to that I was baking for a Luau party our household was hosting. Chocolate chip cookies, and brownies. Last but not least I bought organic milk from Costco, hence bulk, that I was going to use a portion of it to make yogurt. Since our new roommate moved in we needed room in the fridge so I was heating up my milk to make my yogurt. It was an disorderly occasion and I'm glad it is over with but I did enjoy the results of it...or my taste buds and tummy did! :)



Whoa! So I know how to go overboard and become long winded for sure, a talent I intermittently possess from my mother.



The Luau, was at my current kokomo! My wonderful and homey, beautiful abode. We played some Beach Boys, Bob Marley, and Kalai. We had festive decorations, lots of food, and of course a perfect time to play dress-up. I kinda got a thing for theme parties right now. They are extremely fun. We couldn't dig a hole in the ground to roast a pig, so instead Aubrey made a pig cake. It was awesome! And for all those boys and more entertainment we had surround sound rock band in the basement.

We have a great party house! One of the highlights of my evening was a visit from my dear friend, Barbara down from Boston. We roasted some burgers and chatted. I love her, she's a true friend!

watch your mouth

I recently read a book, the title of which I will keep to myself but in a specific part I reflected a lot on the importance of self-control. In relationships with friends, family, and someone whom you love, I recognized how important holding your tongue and catching yourself before anything critical or hurtful will come out. It is very Christ-like to be patient, long-suffering, and kind. I want to do everything I can to be slightly more like Christ. We all have little quirks. We say stupid things but why would anyone want to say something offensive to anyone. I have a tender-heart, you'd think since I grew up with 3 brothers that I would be a tough cookie but I'm really not. I don't like to be picked apart. Everyone whom I encounter I try to treat them with respect. I am interested in what people say. Individuals lead different lives and enrich my limited perspective. I am trying harder to hold my tongue, because what I say can't be taken back. The quote "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is falsehood and a retaliation against the bullies who insist upon wrecking another's self esteem to build up their own. If you find yourself about to say something nasty or critical then bite your tongue and take a deep breath. Change the subject if you have to, but never a witty critical remark.

Azaleas at the National Aboretum

I went to the National Aboretum today. The Azaleas Bonsai's were the best. Everything else was just green, and most the flowers were dead. There was also great Herb garden. I decided right there I love gardening, but I hate bugs. I am so upset that they insist upon eating the leaves of my veggies and herbs but ignore all the other delicious greens all around. Why is that? My dream...an modest size green house!



About the exhibit itself:

Treat yourself to one of the museum’s most popular exhibits of the year with this annual display of Satsuki azaleas trained as bonsai. Satsuki azaleas are native Japanese azaleas which carry unstable color genes, producing blooms of mixed colors on the same plant. The wide variety of colors and patterns in the blossoms attracts many enthusiasts. In bonsai, unexpected flower colors are prized as reminders of nature’s unpredictability.
The name Satsuki (sats-key) in Japanese means “5th-month” in the old-time lunar calendar. This refers to the later bloom time – the months of May and June on our modern calendar. Long after other azaleas have dropped their blooms, you can enjoy our bonsai azaleas. Free. No registration required.

Puno & Lake Titicaca

We flew down to Juliaca and took a taxi to Puno. We met ended up meeting, Juan Del Puerto, a local from the Uros islands which sets up tours of the islands. Everything worked out one way or another to us meeting him. He helped us charter a private boat, and ended up being our guide the next morning when we went to the Uros Islands, or floating reeds. We requested to go to the island Abu Inti, the island which has members of the church. It was an experience that I will remember for a lifetime. The children were adorable, the families loved us, and it was touching and spiritual. Juan Del Puerto started reading the Book of Mormon with the Brethren and was overjoyed with the gift that we had helped bring into his life. All things happen for a reason, I don't really believe in coincidences.

Since there isn't a lot of fruit, the people peel down the white part of the reed and eat it like a banana.

One of the pictures below is an a reed 'for ants' or a miniture version of how the reeds are built, and the homes constructed.

 

 

 

Cuzco, Peru

Our visit to Cuzco & Machu Picchu

A world wonder, and a place that everyone wants to see. Cuzco is a beautiful city...my favorite Plaza de Armas is in Cuzco. Every city has one, but not Paracas (I guess it is too small).

We wandered around the city, tried a few restaurants, and went to a folklorica show, with traditional dances of the Andean people. Aubrey and I tagged along with some other Americans for an afternoon and hiked by Sachsaywaman, to a horseback riding adventure to some other not as well known ruins, temples, and got a fantastic view of the city. Thank goodness to the friendly Americans, I was really upset with the Peruvian tourism, I'd forgotten how much corrupt governments like to take advantage of tourists. They were charging over 20 bucks to see Sachsaywaman, and 60 bucks for a multi-site visit. That seems a little steep even for the states.

Aubrey was slightly ill on this portion of the trip and she gave some alms to Pachamama. I hope she's grateful...a little corn offering. I thought that Machu Picchu would be the highest in altitude but it was actually lower than Cuzco yet was still on the mountain peaks. Does that make sense? There were Lamas wandering around through the ruins, eating the grass and entertaining the tourists.

Our last morning in town we went to Qorichancha, Inca temple, that was built under a Catholic church that was destroyed several times by earthquakes, yet the Inca temple remained and still remained undestroyed. The fitting of the stone blocks together was an art work in itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lima, Peru

I got back from Lima on Sunday evening. I have been really busy since then taking care of household work but I wanted to post some pics. I probably won't tell all my stories cause they will remain in my journal, and it would take up too much time. I had an amazing time with my roommate, Aubrey, and a long-time friend, Jacy Turner, whom I taught English with in China many years ago.

We went paragliding in Miraflores, Lima, Peru. Which was amazing! The view and the feeling of soaring through the air, with that surge of surprise with a change of the wind was an experience unlike any other flying adventure I've had.

We took a local bus all through Lima which was a really bad idea, and yet gave me a perspective of what Lima good, bad, and poor and the slums are really like. The destination on our bus journey was the temple. I love to see the temple...it lights me up to see it, especially outside my home country.

I tried some traditional food while I was there, some i wasn't fond of and others I really liked. My favorite was probably rocotos rellanos, alpaca, and I really like this potato dish with a creamy sauce and Andean cheese. I find myself particularly lucky that I don't get stomach sick very often. I won't take it for granted by eating whatever I like but while on my travels others get sick frequently I rarely do...I count it as a blessing.

The pics below are Lima pics, others will be on another post.