lalachan

Corn Maze Video

2011-10-25T21:13:00.003-05:00

My first attempt at making a video using a flip video camera and a still camera.

Book: A Clash of Kings

2011-09-27T21:52:00.003-05:00

I DID IT!!!! I finished George R.R. Martin's second book in the Song of Fire and Ice Series, A Clash of Kings.

Thankfully, I had watched the HBO Game of Thrones Season 1....which I originally watched because of Sean Bean. Anyway the HBO series helped me read the first book in the series. I got hooked on the stories and the second book was really hard to put down.

My favorite characters at this point are Arya, Sansa, Tyrion and Jon and The Wall. I also like the Hound and the various characters connected the Iron Throne court. I honestly did not think I would enjoy a fantasy book so much but the stories are compelling and the characters are complex with everyone trying to outsmart the other. I am waiting to see what happens with the dragons and the Others.

Onto book three!!!

Ugly Bug Fly Shop

2011-09-25T21:04:00.001-05:00

Ugly Bug Fly Shop
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

I was able to spend some time in Casper, Wyoming....technically I was there for work presenting a workshop for the Wyoming Community Colleges ABE / GED / Family Literacy Fall Institute. The group of teachers I worked with were amazing!

The other fun part of the trip was seeing a bit of Casper...we enjoyed exploring bits of Casper Mountain and some of the sculpture sights of Downtown Casper in addition to eating steak and trying the local beers.

The only down side was the day after and the horrible stomach flu which caused me to literally throw up all morning and afternoon. So glad I could share all of that with you...

Fresh Veg

2011-08-05T19:28:00.001-05:00

Fresh Veg
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Photos of the amazing veg from the Mountain View Community Garden. We are gardening this year with people from all over the globe...Kenya, Korea, Sudan and America.

My spinach burned up in the heat but the zucchini and eggplant and various peppers are doing awesome.

Garden: Basil and Green Onion

2011-08-01T22:43:00.001-05:00

Basil and Green Onion
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

This year I am trying to garden on the balcony. The basil and green onions seem to be doing ok...but the radishes did not do much except leaf up nicely and there was no veg. Weird.

Thankfully, I also got a community garden plot and those veg including the zucchini, eggplant and greens are doing really, really well!!

Book: Stuff - Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things

2011-08-01T22:14:00.004-05:00

I just finished "Stuff - Compulsive Hoarding and Meaning of Things" by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee. The book as an amazing and hard to put down read...perhaps I am a bit of a reading hoarder...or a hoarder of information. The book is truly a fascinating read on why people do what they do in regards to the compulsion of hoarding.

In response to the book, I spent some time cleaning out my drawers, closest and bookshelves. I don't believe I am emotionally attached to most of the stuff in my apartment but there a some things to which I have a strong sentimental attachment to like the homemade quilts made by my grandmother. On the other hand, I do like to organize my things and find it very therapeutic to throw old or unused items way or give them to others. I always feel "lighter" when I get rid of old papers or unused items.

I also now have a greater understanding of the struggles hoarders go through...and I am still obsessed with watching the shows on both TLC and A&E. The pure lack of organization among the hoarders intrigues me....for those that know me organization is one of my greatest strengths...so I cannot comprehend living with so much disorganization and the inability to make decisions as a hoarder.

Christmas Lights in Brazil

2010-01-12T21:58:00.001-06:00

Christmas Lights Brazil
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Brazil, Indiana!! I spent part of my Christmas holidays in Brazil...if only it had been as warm as the country of Brazil...but at least my aunts lived next to a Clark Griswald type who went all out with the lights!

I LOVE gaudy displays of the lights...in fact the more the better. I don't know what my deal is but I love the lights. That is one of the best parts about the holiday season...the lights.

I get so bummed when people take down the lights in January...it is the coldest and darkest month...the time when we most need the lights.

Happy Birthday To Me!

2010-01-05T21:17:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Friends & Food
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

As I am a tardy poster due to tardy uploading of photos....to reflect on December...

...I celebrated my 39th birthday with a pumpkin themed party. Pumpkin theme meant that there were pumpkin/squash type dishes to eat. Everything was very tasty from the pumpkin fudge to the pumpkin muffins to the pumpkin bars to the pumpkin cheese cake to the stuffed kabocha (pumpkin stuffed with sauted onions and cream and then baked).

Thanks to everyone who came to eat, to celebrate and to share their pumpkin creations!!

Minnesota State Fair - More Farm Equipment

2009-11-08T18:29:00.001-06:00

More Farm Equipment
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

This posting is for Joy, Shan and Shonda...because I have been so tardy in posting and updating people on my super exciting life...which of late has been full of homework - writing papers and the like.

Anyway...over the Labor Day weekend we had some time to check out the Minnesota State Fair. The highlight of the fair for me besides Sweet Martha's Chocolate Chip cookies is modeling with all the farm equipment...I do not know what that says about me and I am not sure if I want to really explore what it means...but here I am with my sister on a sporty blue tractor / four wheeler type machine.

Congolese Dinner Plate

2009-08-29T21:14:00.001-05:00

Congolese Dinner Plate
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

My friend Theresa invited me over for dinner tonight...and I actually remembered to take a picture of my food before I started eating. Of course, I had forgotten my camera but I did have my cell phone.

On the plate: white rice with vegetables, beans with meat in a yummy savory tomato sauce and "soup" with potatoes, carrots, noodles and shrimp. My first serving of soup I just put on the plate but my second serving was in a bowl.

It was all very amazing. Therese's cooking is always awesome! Home cooked African food is some of my favorite foods to eat.

Book: My Jesus Year

2009-08-29T13:12:00.004-05:00

I just finished reading My Jesus Year by Benyamin Cohen. I really enjoyed this book!! The book is about Benyamin Cohen and the spiritual journey he travels as he explores Christianity in the Bible Belt.

What I most appreciated about this book was Benyamin's perspective on the Christian faith. His perspective allowed me to think about my faith as a Christian and why it is important to me. He records the best and worst of Christianity as he sees it.

He observes while attending a Christian music festival that there are a lot of "rags-to-riches salvation stories. He also wondered "if a bad beginning is necessary for a happy ending in a Christian life. As if a life of sin is a prerequisite, maybe even a blessing." This insight really struck me because I do think most Christians think one needs to have a dramatic story before one's life as a Christian is legitimate. This has always bothered me because I know a lot of Christians who do not have dramatic stories yet they are the most amazing people of faith. Their stories do not get highlighted generally speaking in church life because they are not dramatic.

I also appreciated his insight into Judaism. I know the basis of the Jewish faith but not the nitty-gritty of the faith and how it is lived out. Living in South Dakota does not expose one to a Jewish community...there is a synagogue but the congregation is rather small. So his perspectives on his faith were very interesting for me.

I highly recommend this book. It truly is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

With a BIG Tire

2009-08-28T20:44:00.001-05:00

With a Tire
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Thanks to my friend Lisa for venturing to the Turner County Fair with me and...eating lots of yummy meat....and taking photos of my by large farm equipment.

I don't know what the deal is but I love taking pictures by large tires...and farm equipment. I don't know what that says about me as a person because I walk to work as much as I can and when I do drive, I drive a fuel efficient Saturn. Mysterious.

Anyway, the Turner County Fair is the only fair I attend. It is in the tiny town of Parker, SD and does not charge an entrance fee. The fair food is AWESOME and CHEAP!! Lots of lamb, beef, pork, sweet corn and homemade ice cream.

It was heaven for me this year because of all the meat. I have been really good about eating my vegetables this summer because of the garden....I feel like all I do is eat the veg....in fact I should probably finish this post and cook some sort of vegetable dish...

Warm Vegetables

2009-08-25T21:17:00.001-05:00

Produce
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

It is a funny thing but vegetables are warm. By warm, I mean when you take them straight out of the garden they are warm from the sun.

It hit me this summer as I tromp up to my garden when I am in the midst of cooking and realize I need an onion or some herbs or a pepper or tomato that produce is warm. Usually one picks out one's produce in an climate controlled grocery store where everything is chilled. But when one uses a garden the produce is warm.

This warm factor has truly made me appreciate the work a farmer does and just the miracle that gardening is. I put a seed in the ground and after some time it grows and produces a vegetable for me eat. Amazing!

New Living Room

2009-07-31T21:12:00.004-05:00

I am finally posting photos of my new furniture and the like that I purchased for my living room last fall. I am really enjoying the new furniture and the look. The sofa converts into a bed and the pillow covers are from IKEA

I also purchased a recliner, TV stand and a new larger bookcase that matches the TV stand. The new furniture changes the feel of the room and makes things a lot more comfortable for overnight guests with a converting sofa AND recliner.

Eggplant, Black Peppers, Acorn Squash

2009-07-31T21:10:00.001-05:00

July Produce
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Woo!! The eggplant is ready!!!

Now that I have a camera up and running I can document the garden produce. This year we expanded the garden to two plots...one for tomatoes and one for the other stuff.

Well...the tomatoes are not ready yet but some of the other produce is. It has been a very rainy summer so the plants have exploded - literally.

Today I picked eggplant, acorn squash and black peppers...time to think about some cooking!

Missouri River View in Chamberlain

2009-07-29T22:43:00.001-05:00

Night Missouri River View
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Although my new digital camera which I purchased for less than $100...$89.99 plus tax to be exact...was significanly cheaper than my pervious camera.

My new Kodak EasyShare has way more mexapixels and some cooler photo options...such as the option that let me take this night bridge photo of Chamberlain, South Dakota and the Missouri River.

Things that Make Me Happy

2009-07-29T22:37:00.001-05:00

Tabasco and Glasses
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

My digital camera bombed out on me a couple of months back...so I finally decided to invest less than $100 and got a new digital camera...which means I can start blogging with photos again.

So I have been at the Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma, South Dakota for training for work for the past few days. So the things that make me happy while I am sitting in hours of training are...

....Tabasco Sauce - lots of it on food items
....Chocolate Martinis - two of them because drinks in Oacoma, South Dakota are ridiculously cheap
....and conversations with good friends!

Recipe: Emergency Chocolate Cake

2009-06-20T17:25:00.004-05:00

For those interested in baking a chocolate cake with mayo and coffee...here is the recipe.

I actually got the recipe from the March/April 2009 issue of Cook's Illustrated. If you are not familiar with Cook's Illustrated I HIGHLY recommend this cooking magazine. It does not overwhelm one with recipes and photos, instead it focuses on a few recipes and the method behind the cooking.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1 cup hot coffee
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla
Confectioners' sugar

Steps:

1 - Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray an 8-inch square baking dish.

2 - Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine cocoa and chocolate; pour hot coffee over cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth; let cool slightly. Whisk in mayo, egg and vanilla. Stir mayo mixture into flour mixture until combined.

3 - Scrape batter into pan and bake 30 - 35 minutes.

4 - Cool cake in pan on wire rack, 1 - 2 hours. Dust with confectioners' sugar, cut and serve.

Yum!!!!

Garden...The Second Year

2009-05-22T21:34:00.002-05:00

Amy, Lisa and I decided to expand our garden this spring...we realized trying to pack everything into one space just didn't work - the tomatoes went crazy and overshadowed everything so the other plants had to grow UP before they could produce.

We also discovered that because of the overshadowing some plants didn't grow because of the lack of sunlight...therefore when we pulled out the tomatoes at the end of the growing season...the onions came back!! But then it snowed. But then spring came and the onions came back AGAIN!! Therefore we are experimenting to see what will happen when we finally decide to pull out the onions that have sat in the ground - ALL winter. Will they taste ok...be sweet...be strong...or nothing special?!?!

Anyway...Amy expanded to two spots by her apartment and Lisa and I expanded to two spots. One spot is tomatoes so they can grow all crazy in their own time and space and the other spot is devoted to nicely spaced peppers, onions, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, radishes and acorn squash.

The chicken wire is up...we almost lost some plants to the rabbits before we got it up...but it now up and we are patiently watering and waiting for plants to produce!

Whoo!

Five Guys in Washington, DC

2009-04-26T20:47:00.001-05:00

Sign: Five Guys
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Thanks to my sister for taking a job transfer with her government job, I now have the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC and stay for FREE!!!

Thanks Sara for being brave and moving to uber-expensive rent land!! She lives just up and I literally mean up from Dupont Circle...so any eating that we did at Five Guys was walked off!

For my whirlwind weekend trip to DC...I enjoyed a 10 mile run of the Mall Monuments, the Tidal Basin, Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House and Dupont Circle.

We had adventures in Georgetown looking for the cupcake shop, shopping at LUSH and eating Paella.

We checked out a couple of Smithsonian Museums, the National Cathedral and checked out the different embassies in Sara's neighborhood.

We took every circulator bus route one night just to get within walking distance of Sara's place.

All the walking was a good thing because the eating we did was crazy! I am now a fan of Teaism's Salty Oat Cookies! Yumm!!

Schmeckfest 2009!!

2009-04-10T20:01:00.001-05:00

Schmeckfest 2009 - Main Course
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

2009 is a Schmeckfest Year!!!

It is not every year that I attending the feeding frenzy that is known as Schemckfest...luckily 2009 is a Schmeckfest year!

I enjoyed a Friday evening with the Kaufman famimly...eating:
...Noodle Soup
...Green Bean Soup
...Stewed Beef (Dampfleisch)
...Fried Potatoes (Gebratene Kartofflen)
...Salat
...Sauerkraut
...Twin Buns (Zwiebach)
...Bratwurst
...Cheese Buttons (Kase Mit Knopfle)
...Relishes (Geschmacke)
...Dried Fruit Sauce (Pluma Moos)
...Kuchen
and last but not least...Poppy Seed Rolls (Mach Kuchen)

It is true...I ate it all...not in gianormous amounts but enough to care me through the evening and into mid-afternoonish of the next day.

Woo!

Shoe Obsession

2009-03-12T17:50:00.001-06:00

Shoe Obsession
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

OK...I have a problem...a shoe problem...after a year of not spending money (no unneccessary shoppping in 2008...I think I might be the reason for the recession)...I am back in the shopping game. Whoo!

In the past week ,thanks to my co-workers' shoe addictions I was able to feed my addiction with FOUR awesome new pairs of shoes - two pairs of Eccos, one pair of Danskos and one pair of Soft Walks!!!

I am a HUGE fan of Danskos and Ecco so I branched out with the Soft Walks. I also have my eye on some sassy sandles but I'm not ready for sandle shopping yet...I just want to survive the freaky, snowy, cold March weather.

Anyway...I am enjoying my new shoes!!! The shiny red Eccos are my most favorite!!!

Lychee Calpis

2009-03-02T21:40:00.001-06:00

Lychee Calpis
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

My new favorite drink - Lychee Calpis!!!!! I am a huge fan of the Calpis Water drink, which is a popular Japanese non-soda drink.

I found this drink in the beverage section of the 99 Ranch Market at the Great Wall shopping mall. If you have never had the chance to try Calpis Water...go to good Asian market and buy some. It is awesome!!!

The best description of Calpis Water, it is a yorghurty, milky (but NOT milk taste) type drink with flavoring....the flavoring can be fruity like orange or lychee. The lychee flavored Calpis is by far my favorite.

Try some today!!!!

Southside Seattle Morning Sun

2009-03-01T12:40:00.001-06:00

Southside Seattle Morning Sun
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

It is true!! There is sun in Seattle!!! I was able to capture some morning sun with this cell phone photo.

I am using my cell phone on this trip for photos because my digital camera is acting funky.

Anyway...my first day here was super sunny and gorgeous...which provided me with much needed sun / vitamin D therapy...and today it is just a lovely...well the morning hours were.

I'll just have to wait to see what the rest of the day's weather will be like.

Des Moines Marina

2009-02-28T19:42:00.001-06:00

Des Moines Marina
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Who knew my cell phone could take remotely clear photos?!?!?

This photo is of the Des Moines Marina..the Des Moines in Washington State not Iowa State. I must admit I am very thankful to be enjoying the balmy Washington state weather...I left Sioux Falls with a -3 degree temperature to a sunny 50+ degree temperature in Seattle. Yes...I did say sunny...so sunny that Mt. Rainer was clearly visible and dominating the landscape...unfortunately I did not get a photo of that - bummer!!

The Winter Blues

2009-02-21T17:51:00.003-06:00

It has been a while since my last post...I will blame it on frigidly cold air and the winter blues. January, deep January weather with the horrible cold, the darkness and snow, is my enemy...and I do what I can to combat the deadness of deep winter weather. So this January actually had me rather busy so I couldn't focus on the horrible winter weather...

...Took a long weekend trip to Cedar Rapids to visit friends. I enjoyed shopping at Ulta (LOVED the after Christmas specials on the Hot Coco lotions), ate hamburgers at Red Robin (watched the weight by NOT eating the onion ring tower but was tempted), enjoyed the FBCCOB chile feed and talent contest and most of all enjoyed relaxing with Tammy and Amy in their newly remodeled basement. Nice job with the home improvement projects!!!

...Took another weekend trip to Minneapolis to help celebrate my sister's farewell to the Twin Cities. Sara decided she wanted an adventure and put in for a job transfer to Washington D.C...she got the transfer so we celebrated at Nick & Eddie for her farewell party...after party was sponsored by John - thanks for the yummy pasta!! While in Minneapolis I also hit my favorite shops - Lush and Trader Joe's. I always stock up on items when visit these two stores.

...Went to my yearly doctor appointment (not that you are really interested) but was encouraged to make an appointment with an OT because of some hip pain...made the appointment and found out I had a torn gluteus medias...which happened when I was out running in Seattle and fell and did a body plant on the sidewalk. The body plant banged up my pelvis and mis-aligned "stuff" so went to the PT for a couple of sessions and I am now running nearly 100%...I don't have pain but I do have some soreness still. I am behind in my half-marathon training...but I know I can run the distance...having a PR this year will be tricky.

...Went to a supervisor training sponsored by work...and LEARNED something!!! So excited to get some tips on how to be a better manager...will begin implementation next week!

...Home improvement projects!!! I still need to take photos...but I painted my bathroom, painted my bedroom closet, installed "wood" blinds in my bedroom (thanks to Lisa and Adam for the help on that one), FINALLY finished painting the ceiling in my living room, painted a wall in my living room (striped the wall with flat paint and semi-gloss paint), painted accent furniture and purchased some new lamps...Whew!! All of that was in ONE weekend!!

I think that about covers that last bit of time...it was busy...but I needed the busy-ness to combat the winter blues. I think painting a bright color in a room really helps!

Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes

2009-01-06T20:24:00.003-06:00

Believe it or not this recipe came from the magazine Runner's World.

This recipe was highlighted in the "Fuel" section and is from Beth Pilar and Ellen Sternau owners of the Manhattan bakery How Sweet It Is...and it is awesome!!!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tbls cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tbls red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp vinegar

Cream-Cheese Frosting - this is the MOST important part of the recipe!!!
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 teas vanilla extract (I used almond extract because I was out of vanilla)
Heart-shaped cupcake toppers or colored sugar

Steps:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line two 12-cup muffin tins with wrappers.

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Pour wet mixture into dry and mix until combined.

Fill tins two-thirds full with batter.

Bake 15 - 20 minutes. Cool completely.

For frosting, (This is the MOST important part!!) mix butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly mix in confectioner's sugar. Add vanilla extract. Frost cupcakes with piping bag or small spatula. Sprinkle with colored sugar or cupcake toppers.

Makes 24. ENJOY!!!

And for those, who for some reason care about calories and crap like that...calories per cupcake: 290 carbs: 35 g. protein: 3 g. fat: 16 g.

Seattle: Green Bean Lizard

2008-12-29T01:31:00.001-06:00

Green Bean Lizard
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

So I have been enjoying some fabulously mild weather in Seattle...baring the freak snowy weather that blew through a few days before I arrived...so the first day here was full of snow, slush and lots of poor winter driving skills drivers.

Saturday was gorgeous. So, Julius and I headed down to the Pike Place Market. I picked up some spices from the Market Spice shop, watched the fish being thrown and did some farmer's market shopping for fresh produce.

Sunday was another balmy day. So, after church we headed out to the Golden Garden park, Historic Ballard and the farmer's market.

The "highlight" of my day was going out for a balmy weather run. I was so excited to run without having to worry about wind chill and icy roads.

So, I jogged out the the Golden Garden park, attacked the hills with gusto and was picking up my pace for the last mile when three blocks from home...I biffed...full body plant on the ground with scraped up hands, knees and stomach...I basically slid down the sidewalk. I limped back home and jumped into a hot shower....then grabbed the frozen edamame and advil for my bruised knee.

I'm moving ok now and my hands only sting a little from the scraps.

I had been hoping to get in about 8 more miles before the end of the year....which would put me at 600 miles run for the year...not a huge amount of mileage for some but quite a feat for me!!

Ringwood Pattern Socks

2008-12-21T11:36:00.001-06:00

Ringwood Pattern Socks
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

It has been some time since I have posted about my knitting...and I am thankful to say that sitting out a blizzard by knitting is much safer than driving. And, by sitting out a blizzard these socks are finished in time for Christmas - Merry Christmas Lisa!!

Anyway...the 411 on these socks...the pattern comes from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. I am a huge fan of Nancy Bush's sock patterns and her explanations.

I used the Gentleman's Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern on page 65. I liked the texture of the pattern so I adjusted the pattern for a woman and knit the leg of the shorter than the pattern called. So instead of casting on 76 stitches I cast on 56 stitches, knit the cuff and then skipped the bit with the decreases and when into knitting the leg with the Ringwood Pattern. I did the round toe for the toe shaping which meant I didn't have to do any kitchener stitches

I enjoyed knitting the Ringwood Pattern and think is gives a little something to the striping that is already going on with the yarn. I used size 1 needles and Lana Grossa sock yarn.

Book: The World Is Flat

2008-12-14T13:30:00.002-06:00

I just finished reading The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. I read the book for some basic background information into globalization...which was a topic I covered in the Human Relations class I had been teaching this year.

Friedman's premise is that the world is flattening" due to the growth of technology and innovation. Because people are networking worldwide and sharing ideas, companies are utilizing that in order to increase efficiency and cuts costs.

I truly found the book fascinating and I appreciated how he broke down the flattening process as he sees it. He discussed how the fall of the Berlin Wall was the beginning point of the flattening process. He also discusses work flow software, the internet, outsourcing, and supply-chaining. All really interesting stuff...

My interest in the book stems from being an educator...teaching college students and English Language Learning adults. What skills do I need to be focusing on as an educator to better equip my students for the future? Obviously English language skills are critical but what else do I need to be teaching?

I came away from this book with a better understanding of globalization and outsourcing and a realization that I need to be including "technology" skills in my teaching.

Book: The Killer Angels

2008-12-10T22:21:00.004-06:00

Gettysburg Monument
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Once again...I have been rather lax with my posting...but this time I am combining a photo with a book.

This past August I had the opportunity to visit the Gettysburg with my sister. It was an incredibly experience and I was really thankful for our amazingly knowledgeable tour guide. I learned more than I even wanted to know about the battles of Gettysburg. I had not even remembered the battles had lasted for a couple of days.

Anyway...thanks to Grayline Tours we were driven around the massive battlefield and given an amazing account of the the battles. I have some much more respect for those soldiers who marched ON FOOT and then FOUGHT! Marched ON FOOT and not wearing high tech boots or anything sassy...and were still able to fight. It amazed me.

I was so impressed and moved by what I saw that I decided to read The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. I am really not one for "war" books but this novel was very moving for me. And, after visiting Gettysburg I could actually picture the battlefield - the actual fields, the orchards, the houses. Shaara does an amazing job of giving the battle a very human component. By human I mean one feels the emotions of the generals and soldiers and one realizes that war is a difficult thing, there are emotions, sights, and all sorts of things a soldier must deal with.

I highly commend this book and I highly commend a trip to Gettysburg to understand the full effect.

The Last Day...

2008-11-06T18:13:00.003-06:00

Today was the last day of the non-ice, non-snow running weather. In fact the past week has been amazing for running.

This last Sunday I ran in SHORTS AND a SHORT sleeve shirt and NO earband thingy!

This last Monday I walked in SHORTS and a long-sleeve shirt and NO earband thingy!

This last Tuesday I ran in SHORTS and a long-sleeve shirt and NO earband thingy!

Today I ran in long pants and a long-sleeve shirt WITH an earband thingy...officially I was wearing winter clothes but the weather wasn't truly winter...but that is changing tonight.

Farewell fair weather running and hopefully you will return sooner than later.

Lasagna

2008-11-01T18:35:00.002-06:00

I like to cook on the weekends...cook that is for the following week so I can take something to eat for lunch and not have to worry about cooking so much during the week when I am super busy.

Tonight I made a HUGE pan of lasagna...I had gotten some noodles for free and had some eggplant from the garden that needed to be used...therefore...a HUGE pan of lasagna.

Ingredients:

box of lasagna noodles
1 lb. hot italian sausage
1 onion
2 jars (26 oz each) spaghetti sauce
1 eggplant - sliced and soaked in water with salt
1 bag of chopped spinach
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook and drain the lasagna noodles.

Brown the italian sausage and onion. Add 1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

Saute eggplant in oil until tender but not mushy.

Drain spinach and squeeze dry.

Mix 6 oz. mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese in a large bowl.

Assemble:

Spray a 13" by 9" pan.
Put down a small amount of spaghetti sauce (half of the jar not used with the meat sauce). Put down 4 - 5 lasagna noodles. Layer down half of the cheese mixture, then the eggplant, and then half of the spaghetti meat mixture.

Put down another layer of 4 - 5 lasagna noodles. Layer down the last half of the cheese mixture, then the spinach, and then the last half of the spaghetti meat mixture.

Put down another layer of 4 - 5 lasagna noodles. Top with the remaining spaghetti sauce (without meat), mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes with foil. Bake for 10 minutes without foil. Take out of the oven and let set for 10 minutes.

Serve!!!

Yummmmmmmm!!!!

It Has Been Ages...

2008-10-23T19:35:00.003-05:00

I have received enough comments from friends and family...it has been ages since I have posted...so a quicky update on what has kept me so busy from posting for the past two months...

...I started co-adjuncting a Human Relations class for potential teachers at one of the local universities...so I am adjusting to the college student environment / culture which means grading papers, on time students, students taking notes and a room full of white people - I'm used to teaching non-native speaking adults from various African, Asian and Central American countries...and not grading papers...

...I hosted my first every Tupperware party...and it was rather fun...just waiting on the order...

...I ran a PR (personal record) for the Medtronic TC 10 Mile Race in the Twin Cities. I ran a 1:26.08!!! That was nearly 6 minutes faster than my time from last year's race. My goal this year was to not die my last mile like last year and my last mile time was under 8 minutes! Woo!

...I finally broke down...because Shopko was having a really awesome sale and I bought new furniture for my apartment...a Klick-Klak sofa, a recliner, a corner TV stand and a bookshelf. The look of my apartment has totally changed. I just need to do some touch up painting I have a totally new look and feel...

...I registered once again (this will be my 4th time) to run the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis. It is the largest half marathon in the nation with 35,000 some runners. It is a fun race and you get to run on the actual Indianapolis race track...

...I also enjoyed the bounty of the garden in eating lots of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and kale...I haven't eaten so many vegetables in months...

So that has been the past two months in a nutshell...new photos of the apartment will be posted once I get the final painting touches done.

One Way Old Town Alexandria

2008-08-22T15:45:00.001-05:00

One Way
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

I have one word for Old Town Alexandria...Charming.

I enjoyed the opportunity to snap some photos of the charming "oldness" of Old Town. I enjoyed the brick buildings, the cobble-stone streets and the trendy shopping...thankfully the Birkenstock shoe store was closed when I walked by.

Check out more photos of Old Town on my photostream.

Potomac River View - Rowing

2008-08-22T15:38:00.001-05:00

Potomac River View - Rowing
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

So...Day One of my trip to Washington, DC had me exploring the National Mall, the Smithsonian and the Metro (because I was too tired to walk back to the hotel).

Day Two had us taking a bus to Georgetown and then a ferry from Georgetown Harbor to Old Town Alexandria. This photo is of rowers on the Potomac River.

We ferried by the Watergate, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Reagan National Airport, lots of bridges and finally Old Town Alexandria. Ferrying was a great way to not only enjoy the Potomac but to also see DC and VA from a different perspective.

The Castle - Smithsonian

2008-08-14T16:08:00.002-05:00

The Castle - Smithsonian
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

So aside from visiting Rapid City, I had the opportunity to visit Washington, DC. It was my first time to visit DC and I loved it!!

I only got hit up twice for money...the second person had a brilliant story about a working at the Smithsonian...blah, blah, blah and a car accident...blah, blah, blah and needing money for a cab home...blah, blah, blah. We (my sister and I) kindly said no because we didn't have any cash and no we were not able to go to the conveniently located ATM to get cash. We moved on and I assumed the women had better luck with someone else.

Anyway...I have always wanted to go to "The Smithsonian"...but to be honest "The Smithsonian" just overwhelmed me. The Smithsonian is like 15 different museums...I just got to the The Castle, the Renwick Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art. I picked the smallest museums because to just be honest walking through all the "stuff" is a bit exhausting and there is only so much one can absorb....but I made it to "The Smithsonian".

So next time I'm in DC I will check out maybe 2 - 3 different Smithsonian museums...if I go at that rate I'll need to make a number of trips to DC just get them all visited.

National Treasures: Mt. Rushmore

2008-08-14T14:46:00.001-05:00

Mt. Rushmore
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

So the past few weeks have had me traveling...traveling for work and traveling for pleasure. My first stop was a work trip to Rapid City, South Dakota for a conference.

The conference kept me busy during the day but during the evening I did have some time to meet up with friends and snap some photos of Mt. Rushmore.

As a kid, I grew up vacationing in South Dakota and was extremely familiar with Mt. Rushmore and the area...so imagine my surprise when I returned to Mt. Rushmore and its new visitor center and hiking trails that take you right underneath the monument. What an improvement!!

I don't know when they did the improvements, but I know it was a number of years ago...and the improvements are amazing.

So if you get a chance head out to Mt. Rushmore...just watch out for the motorcycle the first weeks of August...it's Surgis Motorcycle Rally time.

Book: Eat, Pray, Love

2008-07-26T21:49:00.005-05:00

I just finished Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray, Love. The book is about her pursuit for personal and spiritual growth through travels in Italy, India and Indonesia. She explores pleasure in Italy (food), devotion in India (meditation and prayer) and balance in Bali.

There are bits of her book that really spoke to me...she writes about the "monkey mind" or "the thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves, spit and howl." She goes on to say, which I think she very appropriately states, that..."Happy thoughts make me happy, but - whoop! - how quickly I swing again into obsessive worry, blowing the mood; and then it's the remembrance of an angry moment and I start to get hot and pissed off all over again; and them my mind decides it might be a good time to start feeling sorry for itself, and loneliness follows promptly. You are after all what you think. Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions."

Woo! I know I can have the "monkey mind" if I am not careful to focus and center my thoughts. Maybe women tend to be more "monkey mind-ish" so it frustrates me when I allow myself to be control by crazy thoughts. So goes on to say that centering herself in prayer and meditation is how she works to control the "monkey mind"...which works.

She also writes some interesting stuff about soul mates...everyone talks about finding his or her soul mate...so she writes about a conversation with her friend Richard..."But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that's holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they into your life just reveal another layer of yourself to you , and they they leave."

Fascinating! Fascinating to me because everyone talks about finding his or her soul mate and how that will make him or her complete or happy...I do not buy that. I think I agree more with what Richard says about soul mates. I have not totally sorted it all out yet but I'm working on it.

Anyway...I really enjoyed this book. Parts of it were really thought provoking for me and challenged me to think outside of my comfortable little box of life and faith.

Recipe: Mango Salsa

2008-07-17T14:15:00.001-05:00

Mango Salsa
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

I've discovered a wonderful salsa, thanks to Tupperware and Tupperware parties....Mango Salsa. I don't actually do a lot of cooking with mangos but this recipe is easy and a great intro to using mangos.

Ingredients:

2 mangos - chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
1-2 garlic cloves
cilantro chopped
lime juice
1 tbls or so Tupperware Southwest Seasoning mix

Steps:

Chop all the ingredients and mix together. I adjust the garlic, lime juice and seasoning to taste. Bascially I just throw everything into a bowl, taste it and adjust.

Not only is this recipe easy to make, it is also very tasty...and rather impressive when you tell people it is Mango Salsa.

Enjoy!

Garden View

2008-07-15T19:30:00.002-05:00

Garden View
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Woo! The garden is actually growing!!!!

Who knew that the kale and tomatoes would actually grow because the soil had seemed a bit iffy. Our kale is ready to eat and the tomatoes are getting new fruits everyday. The parsley and basil are also ready to eat...and the eggplant is finally getting some buds...which are a pretty purple color.

It has been a lot of fun so far this summer watching the garden...I check it everyday...and everyday there is something different growing up.

Gardens are just plain miracles...you put something into the dirt and something grows right up...all big and crazy like in the case of tomatoes.

Can't wait to start cooking with kale!!

Spaghetti Pants

2008-07-10T18:38:00.003-05:00

For those of you who know me well...I am not really a fan of small children, especially small children who spend hours and hours crying and being fussy.

But there is always one child every now and then who breaks me down...and Derric has broken me down. He is the cutest little thing with his little bowed legs and huge drooly smile. He is the only child who doesn't spend his time crying in our nursery as his mom studies...instead he charms us all.

The other day he decided he wanted to visit us in our break room...so as he roams around the break room...trying to touch anything his little tiny hands can reach...we try to snap photos of his smiley face. We give him a ketchup packet to chew on but he quickly loses interest.

Instead, he trys to charm Laura into having her give his some of her lunch...she then drops some of her spaghetti on the floor...and Derric immediately tries to make a face plant to get the food. We prevent the face plant but didn't expect the butt plant. So there is Derric with his butt firmly planted on Laura's dropped spaghetti.

We pick him up and clean off his little spaghetti butt and all he does is just smile and drool. He then decides enough of the break room...time to go be cute elsewhere in the building because there are plenty of people (students and staff) who adore his smiley, drooly self.

Onions, Kale & Tomatoes

2008-07-08T19:31:00.001-05:00

Onions, Kale & Tomatoes
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Onions, kale and tomotoes are finally growing!! We were a bit worried because of all the rain in June and lack of sun we didn't think our garden was going to do anything...but now that it is July it is going a crazy!!

Everyday I look at the garden...and everyday things are growing...actually this photo is a week or so old...I need to get a newer photo posted. Everyday we discovernew tomatoes. The pepper plants are finally growing bigger and we might have an eggplant soon!

I didn't realize gardening or looking at growing things would be so therapeutic.

So a Funny Thing Happened

2008-07-08T19:04:00.002-05:00

Work is always an adventure and suprising/funny/borderline inappropriate things happen on a regular basis.

For example...not only do I supervise teachers, I also supervise nursery workers. Which means on a regular/daily basis I adventure into our nursery to check on the worker and count how many children are attending. When I enter the nursery I am also hoping that the children are not screaming, we often have screaming children because maybe they are being serparated from their parents for the first time as their parents study English.

A couple of times when I have entered the nursery to make a quick count I have spent some time chatting with Dahabo (our worker)...as I am chatting I feel some tiny little hands grabbing onto my legs (I'm wearing a knee length skirt with bare legs)...I look down and there is Derric with his little bowed legs, his huge eyes which are a tiny bit crossed and his big smiling drooly mouth because obviously he is teething, supporting himself by holding onto my legs and looking up my skirt.

I just start to laugh because he is so dang cute with his little bowed legs, his huge eyes which are tiny bit crossed and his big smiling drooly mouth. He is just grinning and grabbing onto my legs.

Then I think...good thing I'm wearing underwear and then I think I really hope he doesn't know what he is doing...because he can't be more then 2 years old. I've noticed that this tends to happen when I see Derric and I am wearing a skirt. He is such a friendly little guy that whenever I see him he runs on over on his little bowed legs and big smilely drooly mouth wanting to say hi...although I don't think I have ever heard him speak...he just smiles, drools and if I am wearing a skirt grabs onto my legs and looks up.

Maybe I will wear pants tomorrow.

Uncle Marty

2008-06-28T20:08:00.002-05:00

In terms of life events / rituals...funerals are my favorite event / ritual to attend.

Weddings bore me but funerals are awesome. Unlike weddings and the focus of "future," funerals focus on what was and how the deceased has made an impact on one's life. I appreciate a good memorial service in which one is able to not only find comfort in grief but to also reflect...reflect on the legacy of the deceased.

My Uncle Marty (my father's sister's husband) passed away quite suddenly last week...and I had the opportunity to take a day off of work to make the memorial service. It was an awesome service...and what touched me was the number of different people that showed up for the service. My uncle was an "exciting" man and had a great sense of humor. There were bikers and button down shirt types at the service. My cousin (Uncle Marty's daughter) and her children did a wonderful job sharing a memory of her father and their grandfather. I was totally in tears at that point. I was also touched by the thoughtfulness of my cousin's in-laws who obviously had a wonderful relationship with Uncle Marty.

But, the best part of the service was the lunch afterwards...the lunch was a buffet in the basement of small cafe and bar restaurant...mashed potatoes, chicken breasts, Greek salad, fruit, saute vegetables and a rice pilaf. It was awesome!! No horrible ham sandwiches and potato salad and nuts...but real food to celebrate a man who enjoyed eating good food.

My prayers and thoughts to Aunt Doris, Heidi, Brad, Jack, Carter and Kaylee...Blessings!

Peppers, Hoe & Trowel

2008-06-08T21:08:00.001-05:00

Peppers, Hoe & Trowel
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Between violent thunderstorms and rain Amy and I had a chance to get outside this weekend to tend to our garden.

We dug up and hoed up weeds (weeds apparently like rain just as much as plants do), put cages around all the tomato plants, planted an extra green pepper plant and just admired the plants...trying to decide if the plants had grown in the past week with all the rain.

We were excited to see some flowers on one of the tomato plants!!! So the garden continues to grow...we must be doing something right!

SD Primary - The Clintons

2008-06-03T22:19:00.001-05:00

The Clintons
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

I know this photo is HORRIBLE...but it is of Bill, Hill, and Chelsea at their final campaign stop before the South Dakota primary.

I only had my cell phone but Lisa had her camera so I am planning on getting her photos later this week.

Anyway...while walking on Monday night Lisa and I decided that we should go see Hillary since she was going to be in town and it was the day before the primary election...so we quickly walked, changed, put on deoderant and stood in line for an hour to get into the tiniest building ever for holding a political rally in South Dakota on a Monday night when people have nothing better to do.

We were the "fortunate" ones who got into the really warm building without air conditioning (we where by the door - thank God!!)...stood around again, watched someone get kicked out for being "weird" and then Hillary, Bill and Chelsea arrived.

Honestly...it was just another political rally in my opinion, but it was fun. Handshaking happened afterward and we even got a political shirt for $4...they were marking down shirts after the rally but we only had $4 so the guy gave us the shirt for that price..oh...and we got free lawn signs.

Overall, a rather exciting evening...topped off with ice cream at Wendy's...now I just need to see McCain..

Design for the Other 90%

2008-06-03T22:07:00.001-05:00

Sign: Design for the Other 90%
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

If you get a chance to spend some time in Minneapolis and happen to get to the Walker Sculpture Garden make sure you check out the "Design for the Other 90%" exhibit.

It is a wonderful exhibit displaying design, functional design implemented within 90% of the world...the 90%of the world that does not live like the United States.

I was most impressed with the solar lighting options...the display itself is set up in temporary house found in 90% of the world...housing that would never survive a Minnesota winter.

Anyway...take some time to enjoy the sculpture garden in Minneapolis and this exhibit...enjoyable and thought provoking.

Putting In The Plants

2008-05-26T14:26:00.007-05:00

Finally!!! The weather has cooperated!! Today we were able to get our garden planted. Here is a photo of the plants pre-planting. We planted three kinds of tomatoes, hot peppers, green peppers, eggplant, kale, yellow onions, red onions, parsley, basil and thyme.

Action photo of Lisa, Amy and myself in the midst of planting. We spent about two hours in the dirt digging and putting up the chicken wire to keep out the pesky rabbits. Fortunately, the soil was still somewhat "moist" from the rain over the weekend.

Planting finished! Now we just need to cross our fingers and hope that everything grows and produces the vegetables that we planted.

The garden through the chicken wire. For more garden photos check out the photostream.

Unplanted Tomato Plant

2008-05-22T22:02:00.001-05:00

Unplanted Tomato Plant
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Photo of the first plant - cherry tomato plant - planted in the garden. I am not much for knowing anything about plants and gardening so there was much discussion around the directions surrounding the planting of the cherry tomato plant.

We were instructed to bury 80% of the plant in the soil...hmm...I guess this makes sense to "gardener folks" but for us "non-gardener folks" it seemed rather mysterious...although I could understand why one would do that...it just didn't seem to make sense.

Anyway...Amy planted it...Lisa and I supported.

Amy then got further feedback from her mother about planting tomatoes and I guess we neglected to pinch off the leaves of the plant when we buried it...

...it did not say that in the directions!!!

It just said to bury 80% of the plant!!!

So perhaps Amy will go back, un-dig the plant a bit and pinch of the buried leaves. But now we know!!!

Barack Obama

2008-05-22T21:52:00.001-05:00

Barack Obama
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

This photo was snapped by Lisa and of much better quality than the photos I snapped with my camera phone.

Anyway...the exciting bit about the primary elections this go around is that South Dakota actually gets to vote and have that vote count. Because South Dakota votes sooooo late in the primary process, usually the candidate has already been decided, so the voting does not really mean anything.

Plus, candidates do not even bother to visit our fine state....but not this year...both Obama and Hillary have been here candidating. So it has been exciting to be able to see the different candidates...if only McCain would make a stop....

Obama - Change We Can Believe In

2008-05-18T14:33:00.001-05:00

Obama - Change We Can Believe In
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

I took this photo with my camera phone...and well...it is what it is. Barack Obama was in Sioux Falls last Friday night and since there is not much to do on a Friday night, Lisa and I went to the rally.

It was actually a neat experience because political figures never come to South Dakota especially this late in the primary season. Hill has been here a couple of times already but I saw Hill and Bill in Iowa so I decided it would be good to see Obama...I would also like to see McCain just to be well rounded but I doubt he will come here.

Anyway...Lisa and I had an adventure in that we started out in far away upper level seats...then moved to the floor because we knew people who work with the campaign and finally for the duration of the speeches ended up in VIP seating. It just kind of happened...which we didn't complain about...we just sat back and enjoyed.

So here is my fuzzy photo of Change We Can Believe In.

Summer Project - Garden

2008-05-18T14:24:00.001-05:00

Hoed Up Dirt
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

After reading Barbara Kingsglover's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," I was inspired to attempt a small garden for the summer. I talked with a couple of neighbors (Amy & Lisa) and we decided should go for it. Lisa grew up on a farm so she is the ace in the hole. I don't have much experience with gardening...but I have kept my plants a live in my apartment for a couple of years so perhaps I can garden.

Anyway, this photo is of our dirt. We raked, hoed, dug and put in a border...we haven't even started thinking of planting yet being as we still had snowy weather on May 1. We are thinking perhaps next weekend we can plant some tomatoes, onions, herbs and peppers - green and jalepenos.

Happy Gardening!!

Where in the World?!

2008-05-18T14:12:00.001-05:00

Cheering at the Finish Line
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

I have finally embraced broadband technology...and have upgraded my internet connection from dial-up to limited broadband...a HUGE step for me because now I can upload photos in moments compared to minutes/hours.

So in honor of my speedier internet service I am posting a photo of Judy and Joanne finishing the One American 500 Mini-Marathon...if you can find the bright green shirt you have found Judy and Joanne running themselves into the finish for an awesome time of 3:06.

Congrats to the aunts in their awesome finish!!!

Sorry about the photo but they went by so fast I could only get the back....

The Mini Marathon Goal

2008-05-08T19:34:00.002-05:00

My goal this year for my third running of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon was to break 2 hours. Unfortunately, it wasn't until I arrived at the starting line port-a-potties that I realized I had not put on my sports watch.

I knew I needed to pay attention to my pace if I was going to break the 2 hour mark...so I realized the pressure would be one for me to really pay attention to my times as I ran by the mile markers...the pressure being my "gun" time was not going to be the same as my "chip" time...so "time" math was involved. My actual start time was 11:15 off the gun time...so at every mile I would see the "gun" time and then substract 11:15 to get my actual time.

Sounds simple enough but I'm not really great with numbers and have a problem with switching numbers around. So for nearly half a mile I would be figuring out my actual time...I think this helped keep me going because at mile 10 I realized that if I kept up my pace I would finish in less than 2 hours.

My final time was 1:57.58!!! Overall, I finished 7064 out of 30,081. My gender place was 1811 out of 15,747 and my age division place was 305 out of 2380. My overall pace was 9:01 per mile. The average time for the race was 2:29.34...so I'm pretty happy that I was faster than that time.

Of course I have not run since Saturday...I did walk on Sunday to try to loosen up my tight legs...but no running...maybe this weekend I will go out for a short run...but for now...I'm just celebrating my personal goal of being faster than 2 hours.

It's About Time!

2008-05-06T18:05:00.002-05:00

Whew!! Where has the time gone since my last post?!?!? So to recap the last month or so...

...April was a frustrating month of snow, ice and wind...the problem for me was the fact what I was trying to train for a half-marathon so running without nearly meeting one's death on the ice was tricky at best.

...I read some interesting books, "Mindless Eating - Why We Eat More Than We Think," and "A Year Without Made in China"...I am now paying more attention to where and when I eat and what I am buying and where it is from...good thing I am on a not shopping except for needed things diet...because Chinese products are EVERYWHERE.

...My BMI (body mass index) is now under 25 meaning I am no longer "overweight"...training for half-marathons helps in lower one's BMI.

...Together with a couple of friends and neighbors we dug up some dirt for a garden at our apartment complex. Of course we have not planted anything yet because the weather is still officially cold although now that it is May we MIGHT be done with the snow. We cannot wait to get started with planting...tomatoes, onion, herbs and jalapenos for me.

...Took a trip to Indianapolis with my sister and mom to visit my "Brazilian" aunts and run a half-marathon. It was a wonderful trip with wonderful hospitality from Judy and Joanne. It was also a great trip for me because I achieved my goal of running a half-marathon under 2 hours...I ran it in 1:57.58!!

So that was April and early May in a nutshell!

Hot Pink Mary Kay Bag

2008-03-25T18:13:00.003-06:00

As a teacher of adults...I have the privilege of not having to deal with "discipline" issues but instead have the opportunity to get to know students and to learn not only about them but also about their families and world.

It is a joy when a student shares photos or memories or invites one over for dinner or coffee. I love being invited over for Ethiopian coffee - if made properly it is amazing and gives me a buzz for days.

Anyway, considering the life and struggles some of my students have been through most of them still have an amazing sense of humor...and when certain people don't attend class for a few days they are missed because of the humor they bring to class.

One of my favorite "humor-bearing" students is a retired gentleman from Armenia. (Bryce you know who I'm talking about...can you believe he is STILL around!) Because he is retired, he chooses to attend class for the social aspects. When he misses classes for a few days students always ask how he is doing. He also provides inspiration and incentive for student studying for their citizenship test...I tell the nervous citizenship students that if HE can pass the test, THEY can pass the test.

YET, the best thing about this student that ALWAYS makes me laugh inside is that his "book bag" is a hot pink Mary Kay bag. Everyday that he comes to class he brings his hot pink Mary Kay bag, sets it on the table and pulls out his notebook and glasses. Sometimes I come flying into the classroom and I see his hot pink Mary Kay (and not him because he is chatting up someone, someplace in the building) and I laugh...nothing marks a place and seat in a classroom better than a hot pink Mary Kay bag.

So thanks to Mary Kay for marketing the hot pink bag because it brings a smile to my face because I know one of my "cracker" students in a class and discussions will be lively.

Out of Doors Running

2008-03-17T17:53:00.003-06:00

Now that the snow and ice are receding (except for the freaky March snow today) I'm able to get back outside and get in some real miles...I really loath the treadmill but what is one suppose to do, if one doesn't want to die in the ice?

My biggest beef with the treadmill is that it is BORING!! There is nothing to see or exciting adventures to have...although one is able to pace oneself consistently the consistency in the scenery is too much for me. Therefore I prefer the out of doors for running.

In the out of doors I am able to...

...meet and / or scare the garbage men by running stealthy behind / beside the trucks.

...greet the early morning smokers banished outdoors because of their addictions...much like my running addiction.

...meet all the neighborhood dogs and learn their names like: Kaiser, Zesu, Justice and Bear to name a few...and have them bark and bark and chase and chase around the yard as I run by.

...meet "Birch," the friendly yet very naughty dog who followed me for 6 blocks, nearly got hit by a car and then made friends with the postal worker with dog treats.

...check out early morning vandalism, such as shot out car windows...3 on one of routes one morning.

...witness bad drivers who back out of their driveways, smash into parked cars and then drive off.

So, you can see why I loath the treadmill because there are no garbage men, smokers, dogs, vandalism and bad drivers to keep me entertained as I log my miles.

February Shopping

2008-03-03T19:23:00.001-06:00

Asics Gel Foundation 7
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Sooo....I'm in the second month of my not shopping except for needed consumable items...like my new super awesome Asics Gel Foundation 7 running shoes. I needed some new running shoes because of the half-marathon coming up in May.

Outside of the running shoes, I bought some running socks (because of holes in old socks) and the usual household items like toilet paper and cleaning supplies.

I will admit that I did buy two non-consumable items...I was at a Tupperware party and I bought two "FridgeSmart" containers for my vegetables. Since my fridge is so old and vegetables go bad in about two days I figured anything that extends the life of my vegetables is worth the money.

Other than the "FridgeSmart," the running shoes, socks, food and household items I think I did really well this month...I hope March goes as well....I will admit that is rather liberating to "go shopping" and not have to have the pressure of buying anything.

Knit: Child's French Sock in Citron Pattern & Diaper Knitting

2008-02-27T19:35:00.001-06:00

Socks
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

It has been awhile since I have posted a knitting project...I have been knitting but doing a small things like hats and the like...and this photo is of some socks that I recently finished. I will be honest, I think I started the socks a year ago...and it took me over a year to finish them...I got distracted by other projects and things.

Anyway, the 411 on these socks. The pattern is from Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks." The pattern is entitled Child's French Sock in Citron Pattern and Diaper Knitting but the pattern is for an adult woman. I'm not exactly sure what part is the citron pattern and what part is the diaper knitting but I have some good guesses.

I used Brown Sheep Wildfoote sock yarn, 2 skeins, in the Mistletoe color. I did not follow the pattern for the heel and did my own thing and made some other adjustments along the way, like the total length of the sock and the toe. Overall the pattern knits up really nicely and looks really cool because it has a lot of texture to it.

Check out the "Knitting Vintage Socks" book by Nancy Bush...it has some beautiful patterns and great advice on the knitting of socks.

Chocolate Fountain

2008-02-19T18:49:00.001-06:00

Chocolate Fountain
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Finally!! A photo from my birthday chocolate fountain party...I know the photo a a couple months late...but I forgot to take photos of my party.

I know that sounds stupid but I was busy making sure that people were enjoying the fountain and eating lots of food. I've decided that just about everything tastes better with a layer of chocolate.

So...if you are interested in an awesome party...I have a chocolate fountain that is ready to go!

Book: Everything Must Change

2008-02-18T19:55:00.001-06:00

I have a new favorite author,Brian McLaren, check out his website and seriously think about reading his book, "Everything Must Change."

"Everything Must Change" is my favorite book of 2008...with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle coming in a very close second. Actually, I think it is best to read the books together because they work together very well...one book focuses on faith and making faithstyle changes and the other focuses on food and making lifestyle changes.

In my opinion faith, life and food all go together. When I think about how important faith is to people and how important spending time with food and fellowship is to people...it all works together in making us whole people.

Anyway...what I liked about Brian's book is that his words give shape to my thinking and the frustration I have had towards the church. In the book jacket Brian writes, "Our Creator wants us to pursue virtue, collaboration, peace, and mutual care for one another and all living creatures. If we we align ourselves with God's wisdom, character, and dreams for us...then our society will take a radically different direction, and our world will become a very different place."

Hmmm...what would our society look like if we as Christians truly valued God's wisdom, character and dreams for us? I think we would be living in a very exciting place not just in terms of faith but also in terms of our world. Faith should be exciting not something we put into a box because we feel comfortable with a safe faith. Brian definitely challenges one to get outside of the safe faith box and look at faith globally. It excites me...and I definitely need to read the book again after I pass it on to some friends.

Book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

2008-02-18T19:25:00.002-06:00

I recently read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and have been challenged to make some food/lifestyle changes.

Barbara Kingsolver wrote a memoir of her family's year of eating only the food they grow or can purchase within 150 miles of their home. It was fascinating to read how one family went out of their way to grow their own food, raise some of their own animals and cook their own food. The book also provided recipes for how to cook with foods in season.

What I liked best about the book was that it made food food...most people don't take the time to cook food from actual ingredients because everything comes from a can or is pre-packaged. I personally have gone out of my way to cook my own food in the past few years. I buy real ingredients like dried beans and fresh vegetables and cook. I really limit my consumption of overly processed foods like TV dinners, canned foods, instant/microwave foods and junk food.

I also enjoyed how the book when month by month and highlighted the fruits and vegetables of the month. Eating food in season is just not something people think about anymore because everything is available all the time at the grocery store...in fact I would bet most people don't even think about how foods are in season or aren't in season.

So food/lifestyle changes for me include trying to shop for food in season and cook appropriately, eating real food, shopping more organic and I am even kicking around the idea of trying to grow some produce at my apartment this summer.

Out & About - Take 2

2008-02-12T19:41:00.003-06:00

So, I'm a working, checking e-mails and following up resources. I often get e-mails from publishers about new books and products from the classroom.

As I scroll through a particular e-mail I come across a resource for teaching computers to ESL (English as a second language) students. I'm intrigued because I regularly teach computers to adult ESL students. We pretty much just focus on the basics, not being afraid of the computer, turning it on, clicking, opening programs, basic typing and going to the internet. If I'm really feeling patient we work on getting an e-mail address but this requires a small number of students and at least 3 of me.

So...I see this resoure "Out & About - with computers" and I start to check out the links attached. I am also directed to a website but the website is not active...so I have to type in the address...well as you can imagine, it is later in the evening, I'm tired, and I am not known for my stellar spelling...and I type in an address...what I think is the correct address...imagine my surprise when I end up at a gay travel website.

I think - crap - our websites are monitored and we have new a tech guy and I haven't charmed him yet into being my friend yet!! I'm even on the Citrix side of my computer and not my phat!! What am I to do?!?! This isn't at bad as when you accidently type in the wrong website for the White House and end up at a porn site but I work for Lutherans and they can sometimes get worked up about "stuff".

So like the wind...I double check what the CORRECT website is suppose to be...Out & About and type CORRECTLY my way to the CORRECT website.

I must say...I am impressed with the resource and am seriously thinking of purchasing it for my computer classes...

And the moral to the story...pay attention to your web address - funny thing is, that advice is what I constantly tell my students.

Out & About

2008-02-12T19:41:00.001-06:00

AUGH!!!!! I hate when this happens...I just spend 10 minutes typing up an interesting post...preview it to make sure the links work and it disappears!!!!!

AUGH!!!!!!!!!

Recipe: Collard Greens

2008-02-06T20:02:00.000-06:00

My new food obsession is Collard Greens. For some reason I'm totally into Collard Greens and like to cook them up and eat as a side or on top of another dish. Perhaps I'm obsessed because greens are easy to cook up...or because they are green and it is winter and nothing is green outside...regardless...here is my recipe.

Ingredients:

1 bunch collard greens chopped
1/2 onion minced
2-4 cloves of garlic (to taste)
rock salt to taste

Directions:

1- Saute on medium heat the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender
2- Add the chopped collard greens and cover
3- Occasionally check and stir the greens until greens are tender
4- Add ground rock salt for taste before serving.

Yumm-o!!

Something Enlighting

2008-02-05T19:44:00.001-06:00

Well...it is that time when I need to get onto posting...since one of my New Year's goal was to be a better poster.

So, a recap of January...

...the weather turned super, horribly, terribly, awfully, bitterly cold. The one bright spot was my automatic car start. Getting into a warm car made going to the gym somewhat bearable in the early, dark, bitterly cold mornings.

...I ran 1 1/2 miles at an 8:00 minute mile pace. It nearly killed me but I did it!!

...I highlighted my hair (actually Kami highlighted it) so I am once again a gorgeous blonde.

...I took my first work trip of the year and of course I traveled to Pierre, SD. The hotbed of legislative action in the month of January. I wonder how many times I will have to be traveling to Pierre this year? I hope not more than once but I have a sick feeling I will need to go at least two more times.

...I finished listening to the audio book "The Life of Pi." The last CD of the book nearly had me throwing up. If you have read the book you know what I am talking about...the ending threw me. And I listened to the ending while I was trying to eat breakfast and that just didn't work for me.

So that was January...

Still Cold and No Shopping

2008-01-30T19:49:00.000-06:00

The good thing about the freezing butt cold weather is that one doesn't want to go outside, which means one doesn't want to go shopping. The one in this case is me and not shopping is good.

So January is waning and I have not been tempted to do any "extra" shopping. I have bought food and a few things I needed for my apartment like feminine products...so I have gotten through January without buying. Honestly, the horribly cold weather has kept me from going out. It is just so stinking cold one just wants to stay home wrapped up in blankets drinking cold chocolate. Of course, the down side to the cold weather is that it makes it harder for me to do my half-marathon training. I am not a fan of the treadmill and can only do about 3 - 4 miles on it before I start going crazy.

Anyway, I'm feeling really good having one month down in my year of not shopping except for consumable goods. On to February and another month of no excess shopping.

Frosty Branch - Winter Has Settled In

2008-01-15T14:08:00.001-06:00

Frosty Branch
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Augh! Winter is really here...I have living in denial believing that it really isn't winter...but cold weather is finally truly here. I really don't like the cold that makes my nose hurt and eyes water as I walk. Running also gets to be a bit dangerous as one tries to avoid the ice. I have already fallen once this winter but it was not while running or walking to work...of course it was as I was taking out garbage.

The nice spots are the frosty tree branches and fresh covering of snow after a light snow...before rabbits and other animals color the snow with their droppings.

Goals - 2008

2008-01-14T19:38:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year...when the snow and cold drives one to hibernate and contemplate better things to come...such as warmer weather.

After much thought and a spending spree at the Coach store I came up with some resolutions/goals for 2008....

...continue running/training so I'm able to run the Indy Half-Marathon in 2 hours or less - this means I need to train my buns off, I can currently run a half mile at a 8 minute mile pace on the treadmill.

...for a whole year purchase ONLY consumable products, this means only spending money on food, toilet paper, and other items needed for living or maintaining a house...this means I can't buy clothes, books, DVDs, shoes, etc. I have made exceptions for running shoes, underwear and socks being as I'm trying to train for a half-marathon. As as of today, Monday, January 14, I have successfully not spent money except for buying food, laundry detergent and mascara. Whew!!

...to be a better blogger so people can't complain about my lack of blogger...so I'm trying to blog once a week...trying...I'm trying.

So those are my goals for 2008...I have successfully not shopped for two weeks and started running after a month break, things are looking up!

December - A Recap

2008-01-03T16:00:00.000-06:00

It has once again been brought to my attention that I am not posting enough...yes that is true...but it is a new year and perhaps I can get my act together and work at being a more regular poster...perhaps once a week?!?

Anyway...a quick recap of events since last posting:

1 - I finished off work on Dec. 21 and started a two week vacation from work!

2 - Enjoyed the marriage ceremony of Robin and Neal - best a wishes to both of them and am horribly jealous that they left the reception to catch a flight to Hawaii for a week long honeymoon.

3 - Loaded up my car for some family time in Minneapolis...packed everything but the kitchen sink and my WINTER JACKET!!! What was I thinking?!?!?!? It only just snowed and snowed during the Christmas days...therefore I had to hit a TJ Maxx and search and search the racks for a winter jacket - I didn't want to pay more than $20 - I was successful!!

4 - Spent New Year's in Iowa and unwilling got to be a part of the political ad, phone calling frenzy as Iowans prepared for the caucus voting.

5 - Watched the weather and had good driving days...meaning no snow, blowing snow or icy roads - very happy about appropriate weather. It was still super cold but not scary with the other bits - snow, blowing snow, icy, etc.

That is December 2007 in a nutshell...onto 2008...and more consistent post!

Cleaned Out My Camera

2007-12-17T14:17:00.001-06:00

Mt. Fuji
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

I FINALLY got around to uploading photos from my camera...and what surprise that I find photos of Mt. Fuji from the airplane!!

I twice took the shinkansen past Mt. Fuji...the first time I saw the mountain but didn't take a photo thinking I would take a photo on my return trip...well on my return trip I couldn't see the mountain because of the weather...so I was super happy that I got to see the mountain from the plane!!

It really is a huge mountain and you really can't miss is then the weather is clear. It is a bit like Mt. Rainer in Seattle...when the mountain is out one is impressed with the massive size of it.

Time to Post

2007-12-13T19:30:00.000-06:00

I've been told I need to do a posting...and I was told right...because it has been a while...so a quick recap of some note worthy events.

1 - Thanksgiving came and went and I was invited to join the Jal Family and their Thanksgiving traditions which include not only FABULOUS food but a viewing of Cool Runnings...which really should be a Thanksgiving movie, if one is looking for a movie to watch on Thanksgiving...are there such things as Thanksgiving movies?

2 - My 37th Birthday came and went and I celebrated with a chocolate fountain party. The good news is that people paced themselves this year and came and went thoughout the afternoon instead of all coming at one time - 40 people in my tiny apartment at one time is just too much.

3 - The first real snow and cold of winter came and stayed...not much to say on that except I wasn't ready for it and it has now caused me to move from running outdoors to indoors - yuck!

4 - I finally broke down and renew my cell phone contract, got a new phone...said good-bye to my old skool, non-photo taking, non-texting, non-MP3 playing phone for a sassy new phone...and added texting to my phone plan...I am now a texter.

5 - Decorated my apartment for Christmas with tastful lights, a pointsetta, and a nativity.

6 - Turned on and turned up my electric blanket because winter has settled in for the duration.

7 - Am still living in denial about the mouse / mice living NOT in my apartment but somewhere in my building...I have put out enough poison...and have encouraged my neighbor to leave food out in his apartment so the mouse / mice with go hang out with him and NOT me.

So...that's a bit of life in a nutshell...hope to be better about photo taking and posting...cross your fingers.

Nippon Adventures: A Recap

2007-11-27T18:37:00.001-06:00

Washing Towels
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Why is it that I just can't seem to get things together in terms of blogging...when I am not having fun adventures overseas?

Obviously...I'm back to the states and back to working and back to freezing cold weather...and I left everyone hanging in terms of my last days in Japan...I could blame it on jet lag...so perhaps I will...it was jet lag that prevented me from blogging..but enough of excuses.

My last days in Japan were awesome! I finished up my time in the Yamagata mountains with Yuri...the photo is of me finishing up with the washing of towels. Yuri and I cooked supper of Curry Rice for the Yonezawa Kojo Church staff and one of my jobs was to wash up the towels we had used.

After a wonderful time in Yonezawa, I spent a day riding various shinkansen and local trains in traveling back to Shan's place in Osaka.

My last full day in Japan had me doing last minute gift shopping, packing as creatively as possible and enjoying am AMAZING sukiyaki meal with Paul, Melissa, their boys and Shan. A HUGE shout out to Melissa and her awsome sukiyaki!!

The time at the airport was the usual time of checking in, last minute shopping, saying goodbye, going through security and losing my passport!!!

Yes!!! It's TRUE!!! I put my passport and boarding pass down in the bathroom and forgot to pick them back up. I almost started crying because the little security man was so not helpful and my Japanese was so not useful...anyway I was eventually told to go to my gate for boarding just so the airline knew where I was, being as I had already checked in. I got to the gate (still nearly in tears) and the airline people told me to just wait because immigration was on their way with my passport and boarding pass! ONLY in Japan!!!

Twice on my trip I forgot something and both times my things were returned to me! Amazing!!

Outside of the traveling and shopping the best part of being in Japan was reconnecting with friends! Thanks to all of you who took time out of your busy schedules to spend time with me. It was so awesome to catch up on people's lives and it was awesome to meet new people. Thanks to everyone who made my trip so amazing, relaxing and delicious!! I would love to return the favor...but I don't recommend South Dakota in the winter...I don't even want to be here.

Thanks!!

Nippon Adventures: Day 11

2007-11-01T23:32:00.000-06:00

Sightseeing and spending time with the Yuri and Yonezawa church staff where the activities for the day.

I was able to meet a lot of wonderful people and spend time in their staff meeting and eating lunch and dinner with them. One of the ladies was kind enough to take us to a Catholic Cementary. The history of the site is that a long time ago (300 years I think) this particular site was the place where a Christian family was martryed - including 1 year and 3 year old children. The site was turned into a little memorial for the family. It was very moving.

In the afternoon we went to the Uesugi Shrine...which is famous for someone. I won't blab on about it because I don't want to give wrong information but the Shrine complex was really beautiful and the trees and leaves where gorgeous. We walked around the Shrine and I able to snap an number of photos. Check out the photo stream for more photos...and there are lots of them.

Nippon Adventures: Day 10

2007-11-01T23:31:00.001-06:00

Dove
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Day 10 had me traveling to the mountains for Yamagata Ken and the town of Yonezawa to visit my good friend Yuri...she was staying at the Yonezawa Kojo Church for a six week retreat.

The excitement of the day was traveling by train...much travel by train...a good 5 - 6 hours of my day was spent on various trains. I would like to say ALL of my time was relaxing on the train, but it wasn't.

I had arrived in Tokyo and had switched successfully to the next train. The tricky bit in changing trains was getting in line in the right spot. I had to look for the non-smoking, non-reserved seat section and then find a line that didn't look to long. I got in line and was really excited when the train pulled up because it was a double decker type train.

So I got to my seat and started to settle in and listened to the train announcements about the train and the trip. Usually I can understand the Japanese so I can sit back and relax...although I noticed this train had lots of extra announcements. By the third go round and finally an announcement in English I realized I was on the correct train but totally in the wrong car. Normally that isn't that big of a deal but the car I was in wasn't going to where I wanted to go...because that train was actually TWO trains and going in different directions after a certain point...and I needed to be on the other train.

So I get up and figured I could just walk through the train to get to the correct car...it is a bit tricky hauling a suitcase up and down little curvy steps because the train car was double decker.

Anyway...as I'm hauling myself up and down, I run into the little train man (I say little because he really was smaller than me - not really a surprise) and he suggested that at the next station I get out and "run" to car 11...I was only in car 4...so I said I would try it.

At the next stop...I get out and run like the wind (as much as one can run like the wind with a rolly suitcase and large handbag)...train cars are LONG!!!! I only got to car 7 or so when I panicked and jumped back on the train. So I started walking through the train and got to the end of car 8 where the train ended.

Of course the little train man shows up and laughs!!!! But he did say that the next car is where I want to be because that is the start of the train that goes to Yonezawa. He was really nice about the whole thing...the good news is that I was NOT the only one who made the mistake of getting on the wrong train...a Japanese person did too. I don't know what his excuse was but he should have known better. I then didn't feel so bad.

So...once again at the next train stop...I jumped out and ran like the wind to the correct train car! Whew!!

I found a seat in non-smoking, non-reserved and relaxed until my train arrived in Yonezawa.

It was awesome arriving in Yonezawa because Yuri was there to meet me with and actual sign! It was really cool...and it was awesome to see Yuri...we figured the last time we met was in 2003.

Anyway...the photo for today is a detail from a stained glass window from the Yonezawa church.

Nippon Adventures: Day 9

2007-11-01T04:27:00.000-06:00

Tsu-Shi, Mie Ken...the town where I lived for 4 years! It was wonderful to be back and to visit with people from the Tsu church and Joy Chapel. I spent the morning at the Tsu church and I was surprised that I was able to understand part of the sermon.

I then spent the afternoon enjoying wonderful food and hospitality with Mrs. Shimizu and her daughter Kaori. We ate Okonomiyaki for lunch and then tons of snacks and coffee and just chatted. I was also impressed that I was able to use so much Japanese and understand.

Then for the evening I at Joy Chapel...10 years ago I had been a part of the intial start of this bilingual worship service. It was so awesome to be back and to be a part of the service. I had to "fill in" while we waited for the special guest speaker for the evening...so I had the group do some speed-dating. It is a great conversation activity...and the room was buzzing with conversation by the end.

It was an awesome day of reconnecting with people and just enjoying great conversations and meeting new people.

Nippon Adventures: Day 8

2007-11-01T04:26:00.001-06:00

Naoko & Lara
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Day 8 in Japan had me heading to my old stomping grounds of Mie Ken in the Kinki area of Japan.

But before getting on the train to Mie Ken, Shan and I stopped off in Namba and ate avacado hamburgers!! Yum!!!

Anyway...Mie Ken is a wonderful rural-ish area of Japan and it was a great place for me to live for 4 years....not crowded and lots of wonderful people.

I first stopped off in Yokkaichi to visit my friend Naoko and her husband. It was wonderful to spend the evening with them enjoying delicious food (awesome job Floyd) and great conversation.

Thanks Naoko!!! You have a wonderful home!!!!

Nippon Adventures: Day 7

2007-11-01T04:20:00.001-06:00

Small Talk Dinner
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Day 7 in Japan was a day of "work" and play and yummy food.

In the morning I went with Shan to her Friday morning English classes. I was the guest "speaker" if you will in the class. Basically the students asked me questions and I answered.

It was a fun morning....so after the "work" the play began. I went out for lunch with the ladies from Shan's 10:30 English class. We had a wonderful spaghetti set lunch and had a great time chatting.

Next, I hit the local Japanese department stores for some serious gift shopping. The trip was a success and my credit card worked wonders. I then had to haul all my "nimotsu" back to Shan's apartment.

To end the day Shan and I went to Small Talk...this wonderful little resturant where Shan knows the owners. We had some amazing food...I had a sea food doria, which is like a sea food rice thing. Not a very good description but let me tell you it was awesome tasting!!

Nippon Adventures: Rice Fields

2007-10-28T01:46:00.000-05:00

Rice Field
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

One thing I like about traveling in Japan..once you get out of the city centers are the rice fields. Being in Japan at this time of the year gives me a chance to see the rice fields in various stages of harvest.

Since rice is a staple food here it is really neat to see how rice fields are found on any flat available land. This photo is from near Kita Nagoya.

Seeing rice fields for me is like seeing the heart of Japan.

Nippon Adventures: Day 6

2007-10-28T01:43:00.000-05:00

Drinking Tea
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

About 10 years ago I spent my Thursday mornings teaching English to the Nishiharu Women's Club...we had a lot of fun studying English and the Bible.

And 10 years ago, the ladies were even kind enough to show me how to make dorayaki - a honey pancake sandwiching a sweet red bean paste. It was one of my favorite Japanese snacks and would explain why I gained so much weight the first time I lived in Japan.

Anyway...the Stollers were gracious enough to let me join the Nishiharu class this last Thursday. It was wonderful to meet all the ladies again and to catch up with everyone...but the best part of the time was going to the Japanese resturant for a wonderful traditional Japanese lunch. The food was amazing!!! The conversation was amazing!!

Thanks to the Nishiharu Ladies and their wonderful hospitality!! It was great to see all of them again...and they didn't look like they had aged at all...I don't know how Japanese women do it but they always look years younger than they really are and have the most amazing skin.

Nippon Adventures: Day 5

2007-10-26T11:52:00.000-05:00

Day 5 in Japan had me going up to Nagoya to visit the Stollers, see their church and visit former students. Again I got to ride the Shinkansen and again considering I had five train changes I still had a speedy trip to Aichi Ken.

My first stop with the Stollers was the Tokoname Pottery walk area. It was amazing and of course I love pottery...so I was very tempted to purchase...but I withstood temptation and did not purchase any amazingly beautiful and expensive pottery. I did enjoy the window shopping and was very glad I only had a short time to do the walk....Joan was a great speed tour guide.

After running through the pottery walk, I spent the time checking out a local department store and taking a break at Mister Donut with an Angle Creme donut and a super small cup of coffee.

Then for the evening I sat in on the Stoller's English classes and got to reconnect with Pastor Higashi, his wife and kids.

It was a great day!

Nippon Adventures: The Train

2007-10-25T09:44:00.000-05:00

The super great thing about going / coming to Japan as a tourist the the JR Rail Pass...this pass means I can ride just about any JR train, including the Shinkansen (bullet train) for the set fee of the pass. I got a two week pass, so I have been able to travel at will and in comfort for my longer distances.

The trains have always been my favorite thing about life in Japan. They are convient, you get to be entertained and you get to where you want to go. A new thing for me with the trains are the ladies only cars. During the rush hours there are train cars ONLY for women. How great is that?!?! If you are a woman and have spent any amount of time on the trains one knows what I am talking about.

So, I have been riding in the ladies only car when I can...the advertisements are for women and there are mirror on the doors. People are also more friendly (usually people just avoid me like the plague on the train because I am a big scary gaijin - I'm actually not big by American standards at all..but in Japan I inspire fear in small children, young kids and some adults).

Anyway...I am sitting on the train...and this littlle girl "yells" at me across the aisle, "What's you name?" I look around and realise I am the only obvious English speaker around and I tell her my name. She talks with her mom for a bit and then comes over to me and starts chatting me up in English. She was a kindergarten student and was greatly disappointed when I did not know anything about her Peguin Class. We talked for a number of stops and covered topics such as why my hair was a different color, where was I going, did I know the the Peguin Class and if I ate more food maybe I would be tall like my friend Shan. It was all very entertaining. Children in Japan never approach me, so this was an unsual experience...I chalk it up to the ladies only train car.

Nippon Adventures: Day 4

2007-10-23T07:19:00.001-05:00

Day 4 in Japan had my jumping on the Shinkansen (bullet train) for a day of sightseeing in Hiroshima and Miyajima....actually I ended up jumping on 5 different trains with the last train being the Shinkansen in order to go one direction for my day of sightseeing.

The Peace Dome in Hiroshima is a very amazing place to visit. I brought me to tears to see the shell of the building and realize the magnitude of what the a-bomb did...not just to Japan but also to the world.

Hiroshima is a beautiful city and very easy to move about and again I must recommend it as a must see while one is in Japan.

After visiting the memorial I took a tram to another train station to get me to the ferry which got me to Miyajima. I have seen tons of photos of Miyajima and was very happy to have a chance to see the sight. I was blessed with beautiful weather and the ferry ride out to the island was perfect. The deer on the island were a bit mange-ish so I avoided them. If you disregard the the deer Miyajima island is beautiful and definately needs to be on the list of places to visit.

So my fourth day of adventures in Japan have come to an end...I now need to get ready for tomorrow, take a shower and sleep like a dead person.

Nippon Adventures: Day 3

2007-10-23T06:54:00.000-05:00

Day 3 in Japan had Shan and I taking a day trip to Himeji to see the Himeji Castle and the Kokoen Garden. I now officially recommend Himeji as a must see while in Japan. The castle grounds are HUGE and there are lots of places to walk - inside and outside.

The inside walking involved taking off one's shoes and putting them in a plastic bag and wearing slippers. I skipped the slippers the second time I needed to take off my shoes. So in my socks I walked up 6 flights of super steep stairs in the massive castle keep.

After walking around the castle we headed for the Kokoen Garden which was a huge and incredibly peaceful garden. The fish ponds had HUGE Koi...and when I say HUGE I mean HUGE.

The drama for the day was forgetting my packages on the train...but the Japanese people being the amazing people that they are, there was nothing to worry about. We calmly went to the station workers and explained what happened. They made some calls, we made some calls and my forgetten stuff (wasure mono) will be available for pick-up by tomorrow.

Nippon Adventures: Day 2

2007-10-21T07:30:00.001-05:00

Okonomiyaki Making
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Day 2 in Japan was filled with enough activity to keep me awake the whole day! I'm feeling pretty good and not dragging from jet lag.

The day started out with worship in the park with the Kongo Bible Church congregation. Paul preached, Shan lead music and I listened in Japanese. I was surprised at how much I remembered.

After church Shan took me to Midori, a department store with lots of exciting electronics and household items. It was awesome to be reminded that in Japan everything is my size...so for my super tall friends furniture in Japan is not for you...it is for little people like me.

Then to finish off the day we went to an okonomiyaki resturant and made our own okonomiyaki. It was SUPER delicious, uber-delicious...I don't know which phrase is better...but it was awesome.

Check out the photostream for more photos from the day.

Check out the Shan in Japan blog for steps on how to make okonomiyaki.

Nippon Adventures: Day 1

2007-10-20T08:02:00.000-05:00

Well...I have arrived in Osaka!!! I survived a 14 hour long non-stop flight from Detroit. The excitement was arriving at Detroit just in time for the last call for boarding the plane to Osaka...which meant I didn't have time to grab lunch so I had to survive on airplane food for 14 hours.

There were three inflight movies...I only caught parts of two of the movies...mostly because I was trying to stay on top of the passing out of airplane snacks because I was hungry (I had only had a piece of toast and a banana for breakfast).

Shan met me at the airport and we went straight to the restuarant for some real food - Japanese food that is.

Not a very exciting first day...but it did mostly consist of me sitting for huge amounts of time...tomorrow will be more exciting. I promise!

A Tired Lara

2007-10-13T16:12:00.001-05:00

A Tired Lara
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Last weekend on a balmy Minnesota Sunday morning, I ran in the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 mile. The TC 10 mile started in downtown Minneapolis and ended at the state capital in St. Paul. The race was run in conjunction with the Twin Cities Marathon....and I am VERY glad I just ran the 10 miles and NOT the 26.2 miles.

The race course was wonderful and scenic in that we ran along the river and through a beautiful residential area of St. Paul. The course was a bit hilly but the real challenge of the run was a the unusually warm and humid weather. I felt great the first 5 - 6 miles but the warmness of the weather got to me eventually. The last mile was really tough.

I was really happy with my time of 1:31.59 (that's 1 hour 31 minutes) and also pleased that Kristin ran with me from miles 3 to 9. We just met on the course...we didn't chat too much but it was nice to run with someone.

My overall pace per mile was 9:12, yeah!!

My overall place was 1555 out of 5094 - the lightening fast winner of the race broke the course record and won $10,000...I was just happy to finish.

My division place was 122 out of 606 - I don't know what my division was but the placing is nice.

My gender place was 621 out of 3106.

The average time for the race was 1:44.28, so I was happy that I was faster than the average time!!

So...now I am taking a bit of a break from running...maybe in November I will start running again and look for some sort of 10K race to run.

Blue Cloud Abbey

2007-09-20T14:25:00.001-05:00

Stained Glass
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Last weekend I had the privilege to spend to some retreat time with the brothers at Blue Cloud Abbey in Marvin, South Dakota.

This group of Benedictine brothers are amazingly hospitable. I was able to join them for their 9:30 am snack break of freshly baked bread, brie cheese, and smoked salmon. I also got a tour of one of the new hermitages. Plus, I was able to spend time walking the chapel and grounds snapping digital shots.

Yet, the best part of the retreat was the time spent in quiet. It was a much needed break for my soul and the quiet rhythm of the abbey touched my heart and calmed my mind in a profound way.

I really do enjoy spiritual retreats and the Benedictine value of hospitality always impresses me. This past year has been a banner year for me in terms of retreats because I have been about to go on two spiritual retreats.

Aahhh...rest for the soul...now to just carry that rest into the rest of my crazy busy life...

Book: My Recent Reads

2007-09-03T11:27:00.001-05:00

This past month has been a great month for some really great reads...or listens. I really enjoy audio books, not just for long rides, but also when I am at home cooking or cleaning or the like. So in no particular order here are my reads for the past month.

I really enjoy the Harry Potter series and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was an amazing story. I was schocked at the end when Professor Dumbledore died!!!! I had no idea!!! So for all of you who have read the final book in the series DON'T RUIN IT FOR ME!!!!

Khaled Hosseine does it again in his second book A Thousand Splendid Suns. A hauntingly beautiful book - very disturbing at times yet the story is so compeling. I just wanted the women to find some hope, friendship and happiness.

For a light read I enjoyed Janet Evanovich's Full Bloom, which is part of another series that she has written with Charlotte Hughes. I very enjoyable quick read which had me laughing at times.

In preparation for the upcoming movie releases I checked out Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. I didn't know what to expect from this book except for the bits of story that I could gather from movie trailers that I have seen. This book was just magical, clever and thought provoking AND leaves you hanging at the end. I need to check out the second book!!

And, last but not least was Don Richardson's Peace Child. This book is a classic in terms of missions and looks at how the gospel does "fit" in all cultures and traditions, that there is a link in every culture for faith in God. The opening chapter of the book is rather graphic yet just compels one to read more. It reminded me of the the movie "The End of the Spear".

So that is what kept me busy in August...now onto September's reads.

Becky and Lara

2007-08-21T18:38:00.001-05:00

in Sioux Falls
Originally uploaded by Bekiko.

Since I haven't posted in a while...my dial up connection at home is finally driving me nuts and I am in the process of looking into some faster options...maybe next month I will get my act together and get a faster connection...I'm doing two posts today because I am on another computer with a wireless connection.

Anyway...a photo of Becky and myself...way to go Becky in taking photos!! I haven't mastered the hold out one's arm and take clear and well centered photo of one's face...perhaps I needed to live in Japan a bit longer to master that photo taking technique.

Pizza at Red Rossa

2007-08-21T18:34:00.001-05:00

Red Rossa's!
Originally uploaded by Bekiko.

Yumm!!! There is nothing I like more than a tasty dinning experienc. I was able to spend the evening was Becky...a friend from my missionary days in Japan.

The exciting thing about spending the evening with Becky is that she is now in the process of going to seminary so she can go back to Japan as a career missionary - way to go Becky!!!

Anyway...Becky and I enjoyed yummy pizza and salads and good conversation!

My prayers are with you Becky!!

Ethnic Wedding Dances....and Killer 3" Heels...

2007-07-29T13:08:00.001-05:00

Sassy Sandals 1
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Aaauugh!! My feet are killing me...but that is what one gets when one buys super hot strappy 3" heels and wears them for hours dancing at ethnic wedding dances (note the plural).

Yesterday...my co-worker Ali got married to Zeinab. Ali and Zeinab's was a Somali wedding meaning...there was lots of waiting...lots of food...lots of dancing...and lots of more waiting.

So the wedding started with a "lunch" from 1 - 3...which had some amazing Somali food. The bride and groom were not present for this lunch because I'm not sure why but Ali (groom) did show up later (as nervous as all get out but dressed to the nines).

After much discussion and questioning it was determined that the bride was on her way from Minneapolis and the "ceremony" would start when she arrived and then the dancing would begin...so I decided I would not need to return for dancing until 9 pm or so....which was a good thing because although the dancing did start at 10 pm but the bride and groom did not appear until midnight.

So in order to pass the time we danced...and danced to Somali music which by the way was great for dancing...there were a couple of guys who did the singing. And then danced some more as we waited and waited for Ali and Zeinab to show up and then once they did we did some more dancing...at this point my feet were holding up ok in super hot sandals.

So at about 12:30 or so it was time to go to a Sudanese wedding party of a former co-worker's daughter and a friend's cousin (sounds complicated)...this party was in full swing by the time we arrived at 1 am or so.

Fortunately the bride and groom where already at this party so it was just a matter of greeting friends and dancing some more...so after another 2 hours of dancing my feet where truly killing me...I looked awesome in the shoes (and they gave me much needed height) but my feet were seriously hurting.

So....it is now Sunday afternoon and my feet and legs are recovering...it also didn't help that I did some serious running on Friday (a speed workout) and Saturday (a distance run)...but that is what Sunday is for...resting...

Vacation...Potatoes

2007-07-07T15:51:00.001-05:00

Potatoes
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Nothing says vacation like going bright and early to the farmer's market. The farmer's market in Cedar Rapids is a serious event...there is entertainment, hot food, coffee, crafts and of course fresh produce.

I was very excited to be able to purchase two large zuchinni for $1. The market was not like anything I had expected before 9 am...I'm not used to that many people that early in the morning milling about and shopping.

Besides the great produce prices my next favorite part of the farmer's market was the smell...the smell of fresh basil to be exact. People were selling fresh plants and herbs and my favorite smell was the basil.

I love fresh basil and wish I lived in a space that would allow me to try my hand at growing some fresh herbs like basil.

Vacation...Bill Clinton

2007-07-05T14:39:00.001-05:00

Bill Clinton
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

One more post for the day...and it is one to really get my republican family members all steamed up...probably disown me...

What is more partriotic then going to a political rally? And what is more policitial than being in Iowa as democratic presidential candidates campaign for support? I took full advantage of both situations and took in my FIRST EVER political rally...the rally just happened to be for Hillary Clinton...

Since I know NO candidates (republican or democratic) will venture to South Dakota I decided to take advantage of free tickets for the "Iowans for Hillary" campaign stop. Not only was Hillary there but Bill was there also...therefore the photo.

I do honestly believe our country needs change and perhaps Hillary is that person...I know now my parents are wondering what went wrong with me...they tried so hard for me to be conservative republican...but I just can't support a party that doesn't value people and their basic needs. That is as much as I'm going to say politically.

Check out the photo stream for more photos of Hillary and Bill.

Vacation...Lighting Candles

2007-07-05T13:51:00.001-05:00

Lighting Candles
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

One of the reasons I went on vacation (besides needing a break from work) was to celebrate my friend Tammy's 33 birthday.

On July 4th we enjoyed the first of birthday cakes and candles. This was wonderfula cake of ice cream and red cake and frozen strawberries.

We started out the day by participating in Cedar Rapids' Alliant Energy Fifth Season Race. The race includes a 5K run/walk and 8K run. The race brings in a number of lightening fast Kenyans, Ethiopians and Russians and normal people like myself. This year the race was on the of largest in its history with 2300 runners and walkers.

The course is an out and back type course so one can be "inspired" by the lightening face runners on their quest for the finish line. I was inspired to not give up and I do believe I ran faster than last year and finished with a time of 45.06 - which in my option is pretty good for 5 miles.

Anyway...after the race, showers where taken, brunch was eaten and time was spent napping, playing blongo and hanging out with Amy's family (Tammy's room-mate's family) AND eating yummy food and celebrating with candles and cake.

Vacation...Time to Blog

2007-07-05T13:29:00.001-05:00

Henna on Wrist
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Again...it has been a while since I have posted...but I am now on vacation and you can expect some regular postings in the midst of my relaxing, hanging out and sleeping.

This photo is of some henna that a student did for me a few weeks ago. This is the second time I have had some henna done. I am not a fan of tatoos but I do really like henna. I like the henna because it is not permanent and because the artist really has a chance to be as creative as she wants. Check out the photostream for more photos.

Anyway...I am taking a few days off during the 4th of July week and visiting friends in Iowa. It has been a wonderful vacation so far because I have been able to relax, not think about work and just get caught up on blogging and uploading photos.

Stay tuned for more postings.

A New Secret Crush..Dispatches from the Edge

2007-06-13T19:27:00.000-05:00

Ok...it is not a new secret crush...but I am finally writing about it. I have recently discovered audio books. Audio books are a great thing when one travels for miles and mile through North or South Dakota. I have also discovered that I don't just have to get audio books to travel...I can listen to audio books anytime! Epiphany!!

So as I was browsing through the audio book section at the library...I discovered a book by my new secret crush...Anderson Cooper...not only is the book, "Dispatches from the Edge", unabridged it is also read by Anderson Cooper...lovely!

So as I post I am enjoying the book...the book is fascinating in that Anderson talks about his experiences as a foreign correspondent and his own personal memories of loss. I almost want to have a world map out so I can plot his travels. I also appreciate the book because a large number of my co-workers and the people I work with have fled their countries because of the wars, disasters and tragedies that Anderson has reported on throughout the years....so in some ways the book is personal and reminds me of the amazing capacity we have as humans to survive wars, disasters and tragedies.

Back to the Grind

2007-05-14T21:21:00.000-05:00

Well...since I stopped posting daily...it is obvious that my lovely running of a half marathon vacation is over and I am back to working.

The final days of vacation included a FULL day of driving from Indiana to South Dakota. Elizabeth and I made the trip in about 11 1/2 hours. We flew through Illinois and Iowa and Minnesota...the only bummer to the drive was that both of us were not feeling well...sore throats, sneezing and runny noses - exciting stuff in a small amount of space.

The best part about coming back from vacation was the hot meal that was waiting for us - thanks to Julius!!! He likes to say that he can't cook...but the truth is he is a fabulous cook...so we had a hot Sudanese meat soup and bread.

I had also planned my vacation so that I would have one whole day at home before going back to work. It was great! Slept in, washed clothes, unpacked and enjoyed a walking adventure with Julius in the afternoon. The walking was the first exericise I had done since running the half marathon on the previous Saturday...we walked from my place, to the bike path, to 41st street, to some of the strip malls on 41st street, to Wal-mart on Lousie...it was a super long walk but a really beautiful day and it felt great to stretch my legs.

And....now my vacation is really over...today is Monday...and it will be a crazy week of activities at work...fortunately I have survived Monday (better than I thought I would)...now to just get through the rest of the week...and to gradually get back into exercising...and to think about the next race...

Sixth Day - Indy Vacation

2007-05-07T20:35:00.001-05:00

Sign: Square Donuts
Originally uploaded by lalachan.

Day 6 was a continuation of rest and recovery...the day started out with a trip to Terra Haute for some square donuts. We then stopped off at the Clabber Girl Museum.

We then took a drive out to the Providence Center and the Church of the Immaculate Conception in St. Mary in the Woods. It was an amazingly beautiful place to visit. Very peaceful and meditative...I even had some time to walk a labyrinth. The highlight of course was see the finger bones of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin (who became a saint in 2006).

After the peacefulness we went to Steak-n-Shake and then did some shopping at Stein Mart and Cato. This was the only serious shoppping I did on this vacation and it didn't happen until day 6.

After shopping it was time for some rest and yummy Mexican food. This vacation has been full of food, exercise and great conversations!! Talk about a great vacation!!