Where We're Going and Why

Here are some maps from our itinerary on our trip. It's kind of exciting when you actually see where these places are.

We start in Bangalore and will be staying in this house, which is pretty and quirky all at the same time.

After Bangalore, we will visit The Man's parents in their new hometown of Coimbatore. (Here follow a slew of shamelessly borrowed pictures from Flickr or Google.)

Coimbatore--not a very exciting photo. (Courtesy of Flickr.)

Next we will head to Trivandrum, I think. It goes by another name, not sure about the name but here is one picture. This is one place I'm really excited to see. It's in the state of Kerala, where The Man's parents are from originally.


We'll head back to Bangalore then go to Agra by train. Agra is where the Taj Mahal is. I see pictures like the one below and I just want to pinch myself in amazement. I cannot believe I'll finally see something so majestic and so out of reach in my own mind. It's just bewildering.


After Agra, we will head back to Bangalore and then over the Arabian Sea to Muscat, Oman and then Dubai, UAE. (United Arab Emirates)


Dubai is in UAE and that borders Saudi Arabia and Oman. Oman borders UAE, Yemen, along with Saudi Arabia with the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman on other borders.

Here is a random picture of Muscat, Oman, where we will be staying:

One view of Dubai.


After leaving Dubai and Oman, we head back to Bangalore then back to the US.
What an exciting few weeks we'll have!
I plan on using this blog to keep my family and friends up-to-date on everything.

Please keep us in your prayers for a safe journey, wonderful times with family whom I've never met, and continue to pray none of us get ill and that the trip runs smoothly.

India News and Just Stuff

Well, the time is nearing. We're going to India soon and I want to make sure I will use this blog space for our travel log, a way to connect with family and friends.

In preparation for our trip, I'm ordering The Man's parents some photo books. I'm also getting my parents one, too. I need to get the kids malaria medication as well as any immunizations ASAP. (Mental note: Do this sometime this week!!)

The Princess needs special stuff because of the heart condition. Not that she needs special medications, but our local travel clinic won't see her and dispense the meds. Her pediatrician needs to do that, so it's kind of a hassle. The Rock Star is getting excited about the trip, I think. He won't say anything, but he is.

As far as homeschooling, I love the AP US History program I had The Rock Star doing, but it's just not for his learning style. He's not doing well with an online learning medium, so I plan on purchasing a homeschool curriculum for history. I do have him reading the book Lies My Teachers Told Me by James W. Loewen. He seems to understand it, but we have to go over things a bit closely for comprehension.

He's also reading Lord of the Flies (remember reading that in school??). He seems to like it somewhat. I have to give credit to Literature teachers everywhere. Learning and actually teaching allegorical concepts and things like that is tough stuff!!

The Princess continues to battle homeschooling with me. I may put her in school next year because she really doesn't enjoy it at all. She seems to at times, then she pouts and wants to quit. I gave her math paper to do last week and in huge letters she wrote the word "NO" on the bottom. That was all she did! So, I've got my hands full with that child. I know she's still fairly young, so I'm not too depressed about it yet, but if it continues, we may have to send her to school next year, which is fine.

We've had my aunt staying with us for the past 3 weeks, and have had company from Georgia come into town. We've kept busy and love having them all. I will miss having my aunt around to bug and the kids will miss her a lot, too. I know they will.

Still here...will update shortly!

Homeschooling Kicks My Boot-ay

I never, in my wildest dreams, thought homeschooling was going to be so difficult! I think it was my own naivete, but I am completely overwhelmed! I have so much to do, so little time to do it in.

The Rock Star has officially started 9th grade and I have him in an AP US History Course I'm teaching him. It's basically college level, and I'm doing all I can to keep up with his readings and term project already started. He's got tons of work to do that keeps him busy for a very long time, not to mention he's doing Biology, Algebra, and Spanish. I am combining my English/Grammar with his History and doing Geography and Map Skills with him in addition to all of that. It's a miracle I can keep my head afloat.

The Princess is doing reading, phonics, and some whole language stuff. Having been a teacher, I find no one program is great for all kids, so it's been my luck that my one kid isn't great for all programs! I'm mixing and mashing up a few programs but the good news is not only is she reading really well, she's comprehending, which is a whole other world in and of itself. She is also doing 1st grade math and we'll be changing curriculums soon, for one we feel is a better fit for her. (She's not very abstract and the one we use now is very hands-on, and she's bored.)

I find I am forgetting appointments, times to get together with friends, and some other things so I need to learn to better manage my time and talents accordingly. I am going to work on time management skills and hope I can find a nice middle ground where I can teach them at home, have time to make dinner, and do everything else in between. I can't lose sight of the fact that their education is the priority but when you're home all day, you kind of feel like you should be doing something else, ya know?

I may post some pictures of art projects The Princess has done recently. I have my aunt here with us, and she is mentally handicapped, but she LOVES doing these art projects and homeschooling with The Princess. So, I have an extra student in the class who helps out with the really creative stuff! FUN!

Call to Disney

I called Disney. Lord, help.me.now. I called Disney.

I wanted to ask about some vacation plans we have because we are going to Disneyworld/Universal Studios/Orlando in October. My kids are excited, so I get on the phone to inquire about a Halloween Fireworks thingamajiggy.

Operator: Hello, Disney Vacation somethingorother. How can I help you?
Me: Yes, I want to see when I should buy tickets to the Halloween Fireworks thingamajiggy.
Operator: We have wonderful packages! Would you also be interested in the Breakfast in Cinderella's Castle with the characters?
Me: Um, not really. Just the Halloween Fireworks thingamajiggy.
Operator: We also offer packages for the entire family.Let me ask how old your children are.
Me: They're 14 and 5, so there's a huge age difference and we're aware of that challenge. So, I just want to know about your Halloween Fireworks thingamajiggy.
((DEAFENING SILENCE))
Operator: Let me transfer you.
Me: Why?
Operator: Someone else can better assist you in this.

The conversation went on and on, and ultimately, I had a basic question...

Why the HECK is it so hard to schedule a simple ticket purchase for Halloween activities at Disneyworld?

When did this freaking thing called Disneyworld become this huge monster where parents must call on a certain day, press a certain button and be tranferred to a certain line to order Breakfast in Cinderella's Castle tickets?

My daughter loves Cinderella, but I am fairly certain she won't die a horrible and painful death if she doesn't eat breakfast with Cinderella. Besides, everyone knows Cinderella is NOT REAL! (Parents, take note. She's NOT REAL!)

So, we're going to Disney and we've already got our room thanks to The Man's employer. (Yea for huge auditing companies!) I will make arrangements for the Halloween Fireworks Thingamajiggy but that's it. I'm playing it by ear. I cannot, just cannot fathom wasting my mornings 180 days prior to my visit trying to dial Disney first thing Monday morning, 8amEST, with every human I know trying to get on the line for Cinderella Breakfast tickets. IHOP will suffice, I'm sure.

I have, like, a million recipes to post. And, like a million and one reasons as to why I'm too busy to do it!

Days of Summer

Since the weather here in Texas, at this moment, is unbearably hot, I spend most of my time indoors. However, every morning at 5am, I've been outside swimming! We have three beautiful pools, and one of the pools I go to has what I think is called an negative infinity edge or something like that.Here's an example of one:

The pool does have an edge, but you can't see it. It just blends with the hill countryside and it looks freaking amazing. At 5am, I get so many chances to just connect with life, with God, with myself. At 5am, the stars are still out, the birds aren't even out yet.

Today at the pool I saw and heard frogs, crickets, and even heard a rattlesnake. But, it didn't even phase me. The fact that I'm exercising for at least an hour a day alone, and I am doing something I love makes it all worth it. I want to try to take my camera one morning and I can post the pink sky at sunrise, and the beautiful hill views. I'm blessed to have three pools like that here in my subdivision!

I love swimming!

When the cat's away

When the husband is away, the wife, kids, and dog play.

When The Man is away, we miss him terribly. Normally he travels, so being apart isn't too difficult. But, lately, now that he's living here full-time, it's hard for him to be gone. We miss him a lot! He's in Toronto and we wanted to go, but still, didn't seem like much fun without him there to entertain with us. (He's working all week.)

The Rockstar has kept busy by helping re-build our church's stage! He has had cuts, bruises, sore muscles, fiberglass pain, and sweat but has been a valuable asset to the church and all its endeavors.

We considered moving to another church. I'll be honest. However, as a couple, The Man and I feel we're not done with ours just yet. We have to have faith in that, and we do. So, we're staying put for the time being and hope it's for the long haul. It's our family and we can't leave, we won't leave.

The Princess is going to be five in six days! Her brother got her the Little Mermaid II movie yesterday and she got super-excited. Then, he gave her $3 which is amazing because he is not one to part with money! She started crying saying she didn't want money, but we think she may have felt it was in exchange for the movie, which it was not. Either way, we decided he can buy her a cool card with the money and she can keep the movie, which she's already watched 3 times since yesterday.

Life for me is fairly mundane. I stopped documenting my nightly dinners simply because we've had pizza for dinner and had Taco Bell one day. When the hubby's not here, things change. But, tonight we're back to normal. I don't have the camera (can't find it) so dinner pics will have to wait. I continue to walk on the treadmill I dragged into my living room and will also continue to watch what I eat.

At the end of last week, I fasted for 2 days. There had been so much clarity in my mind regarding our church and our decision to stay, and I think fasting got me to a place I normally don't go because of being bogged down by daily things. I prayed a lot those two days and surprise! My answers became crystal clear. For that, I am thankful. It does work!

All This Prayer Gives Me the Sleepies...

I've had a few things happening lately and don't know what to do.

1) I'm going through a weird thing with my church. I LOVE it and love everything about it, but there are some things I need to address privately. It's just frustrating.

2) I am just down. I can't pick myself out of a slump and a lot of prayer is needed for me at this time. I need to focus. When I don't focus and pray or at least thank God for his blessings, I get moody, cranky, and weird.

3) I'm worried about our India trip. I know it's stupid, but I worry about the flights, missing Christmas with my family, and worry about The Man's parents or family hating me. Kind of stupid, yes. But, it's a reality.

It's been a rough time. I just need to regroup but don't know how. Don't you hate that feeling??

Five For Friday

Didn't make my Thursday ones, so here are Friday's thankful things.

-I'm thankful for the time we spend with friends, especially my 2 friends from my homegroup. They make life fun and interesting.
-I'm thankful for the home I have and the neighborhood I live in, even though I really don't like it.
-I'm thankful for the ability to talk to friends about misconceptions and unhappiness on my part. They are great support systems.
-I'm thankful my husband is still working here in Austin.
-I'm thankful for my hairdresser. She is fun and amazing, and gives me desire to better myself. She's a great presence and probably doesn't even know it.

Thankful Thursday

A friend online does these and I am going to start them as well. When I suffered with post-partum depression, I had a wonderful doctor who told me each day, I had to tell someone 3 things I was thankful for or that went well. When you have PPD, it's hard to come up with one, let alone three.

So, now I am going to revert to that same idea of being thankful for my blessings! It's something that's healthy and re-trains my mind to see the good and not always the bad.

I'm thankful for:

My family (Parents, uncles, children, etc...)
My home. It is gorgeous and I need to appreciate it more.
My friends, who continue to be rocks when I'm sometimes sand rolling away in the tide.
My faith. It's another rock I need a lot.
My puppy. It may seem weird, but the unconditional love I feel from him is sometimes amazing.

Dora's Dinner

"What's for dinner tonight," The Princess asked. She said she wanted her Dora plate. She's smart enough to know she'll get a semi-normal, well-compartmentalized meal when she mentions and I use the Dora plate. I hate Dora. She's annoying and gives Mexican girls a bad name. (We're not always lost, FYI. I do love her Spanish. It's pretty good.) But, if The Princess likes the plate, it's what we work with. I wonder if The Rockstar wants to use his own plate? Hmm..have to ask him.

Tonight's dinner was yet one of those Oh-Crap-I-Still-Didn't-Go-To-The-Store meals. Yea, I am looking worse and worse on this site, huh? I had all intentions of going grocery shopping today, along with taking The Rockstar to his band practice and making sure The Princess is the next mermaid thanks to her daily swim lessons. I dropped the ball and didn't go. But, not because I didn't make the time, but because I was sleeping this afternoon because Webkinz took over my mind and body last night. I'm addicted and to this day, blame my friends at AAA. (They know who they are.)

Another hodge-podge of meals were on the menu tonight in this house. It was again vegetarian and I know I sound like I deserve some sort of award for that when all my desi friends are sitting there laughing out loud. It's so hard to do it when you're not used to it, so yes, day three of vegetarianism has made me prone to headaches because I'm at a loss. I am, however, getting a lot more creative, better, and I feel good knowing I'm going to survive this no-meat thing.

If my lack of enthusiasm or incessant complaining about the vegetarian thing bothers you, please email my husband. He's my go-to guy for hate mail. He loves when you start emails with the subject line, "Weiner of a husband, I can't stand your wife." Thanks.

Drum roll please...tonight's dinner was...


Horribly Ugly Stir-Fried Rice, Fresh-From-The-Garden Tomatoes, Fresh Strawberries and Bananas, and Yogurt

The meals continue to go from bad to worse, don't they? In an attempt to make a semblance of fried rice, it just all went downhill. I am no good at it, and really wanted to add egg to add the protein, but we are out of eggs. (That whole store anxiety thing I've got going.) So, I did my best to make a sauce that was actually edible. Here's my really bad stir-fry recipe. You know you want it.

2 cups Leftover rice (We used a rice cooker, so it's a bit firm, not mushy)
1 cup frozen peas
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp minced ginger
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tbsp lite soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil (adjust to taste, some people use more)
1 pinch cayenne pepper powder

I sauteed the peas in the oil and garlic, and then added the rice and remaining ingredients. Stir well over medium heat and let cook until flavors blend, around 10 minutes.

I love fried rice because I can make it so many ways. I was going to add carrots, broccoli, and some cabbage we have but the kids were hungry LIKE NOW! This is all I made, but at least I felt comfortable in knowing it wasn't overly high in fat and at least the veggies and fruit added some good nutrition.

Thanks to my friend Brenda for the awesome tomatoes. Tomorrow is a pasta dish with the basil she gave us as well as more tomatoes. I'm blessed with good friends who have good gardens and fresh produce. Sometimes when I eat things straight from the garden, as cheesy as it is, it reminds me of the beauty God has provided us in this world. Reminds me to be thankful!

The Rockstar: Loved it all.
The Man: Ate something else. It was his leftover rice I used.
The Princess: Loved it and ate it all!

Dora's Dinner

Mediterranean night! Well, that's what it turned out to be. Really, when does a mom even find time to get groceries, cook fancy-schmancy meals, and allow for some sleep or well-needed Internet blog-reading time? You catch my drift. We're out.of.food.

When we're out of food, mom becomes super-duper creative! I lean into my freezer and check all the frozen veggies. I then check my pantry, which has its share of canned goods, old rice, and old Splenda packets. Today's meal is brought to you by the letter D for Desperate, M for Mind-boggling-as-t0-how-I-did-it, and V for victory. I consider a victory a meal where no one got violently ill, no one made that Oh-no-pasta-again! face, and where I got most of the food groups represented. I say most because, yea, my kids are normal and most of the vitamins and minerals tend to stick to the bottom of the chair. Or in their hair. Or in mine. Okay, I digress.

Mediterranean Hodge-Podge of Items I Need to Use by 7/17/2007 according to the FDA

Really, there is no recipe I have but I over-did it on the grains. Tabbouleh and couscous are just too much but hey, the fridge is gross, yo. I need to make sure to clear some stuff out! Yea for glycemic shock, huh? Actually, everyone lived and I did try to add a protein to balance by adding hummus. Next time, I'll make falafel and tzadzkiki sauce instead of carrots and hummus.

Pictured: Artichoke hearts sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and topped with Parmesan Cheese, Baby Carrots with hummus, Tabbouleh, and couscous.

The Rockstar: Didn't like tabbouleh but loved artichokes.
The Man: Liked all but tabbouleh.
The Princess: Loved it all! YEA!!

Dora's Dinner

I strive to make each meal entertaining for The Princess and The Rockstar. The Rockstar prefers more adult-like food because, well, he's 14. The Princess needs more exciting things, so I plan on buying her a bento box for her lunches and will continue to strive to make things fun at dinnertime.

I have taken some photos of a few meals I've made the past couple of days. All are meatless and it's been extremely difficult for me. For one, The Rockstar refuses to eat tofu or anything soy. This has been a huge issue and I really don't know what I'm going to do with him when it comes to making sure he's nutritionally sound since he wants to be a vegetarian.

The Princess is easy. She loves anything we make, and doesn't know the difference between soy and anything else, so that's a plus, too! I really feel like I'm going to make progress. The Bento Lunchbox site has been my inspiration. I'm not nearly as good a food photographer as most people I read, but hey, it gives me inspiration and maybe it will inspire someone else out there. Or better yet, if you want better pictures, buy me a good camera! ;-)

Homemade Gnocchi with Peas and Parsley

Gnocchi is something not everyone likes. I liked it because 1) it was vegetarian, 2) It's versatile, and 3) I had a bunch of potatoes I needed to use last week and they came in handy for this recipe!

The Recipe I used was from The Food Network. The recipe is accessible from that link and it's easy! I love that. Granted, I added my own flair by adding peas and parsley, instead of the thyme, and that's okay. I have come to find out it's extremely versatile and tastes great with red, white, or just butter sauces.

(The Rockstar gave it a thumbs down. He is weird with consistencies and textures of food. The Man said it was "okay" and The Princess loved it.) Isn't Swiper the Fox so freaking cool?

Update, Vegetarian Stuff

I'm going to start a segment here called, "Dora's Dinner" because The Princess has a Dora plate she eats dinner from occasionally. I kind of like it because, like my mind, it helps me compartmentalize my meal-making for the family. So, I have been taking pictures of the food we make. I got the idea from Lunch in a Box. Granted, my meals are not nearly as creative as this woman's, I love the idea of making healthy meals for the kids.

Am I perfectly healthy all the time? No way! I am not some super-mom and do allow the kids freedom to have cereal for breakfast and sometimes, we just eat pancakes for dinner. But, I like how it trains my own mind to making equal choices as far as food groups.

Last week, The Rock Star decided he's going to be vegetarian, so in my infinite wisdom, I freaked out. I have had a vegetarian husband (who's now a happy carnivore) but I rarely made his meals because I'm not a huge fan of too much Indian food. Now, I've got this other person in my household who prefers to avoid meat, and I need to have some call to action to make his meals as healthy as possible. (He's doing this for a girl, BTW.)

I am nervous. A lot of the responsibility of food preparation is on me, and I'm fine with that. I'm afraid I'm making mistakes, making choices that are lacking in some aspect. I know my Indian veggie friends are sitting here reading this and laughing, because vegetarianism is so prevalent among them and they've been raised like that. I haven't, so I'm learning as I go.

I'm going to post some pictures of the Dora plate, along with some recipes I sometimes plan on making. Variety is the spice of life, and Lord knows I need some spice, huh?

हिंदी!

होव इन थे वर्ल्ड डेस थिस हिंदी स्क्रिप्ट वर्क?
गणेश विल लोवे इत।

I have a blog on Xanga. I've had it since 2003 and it seems weird that I have two. That one is closely guarded/blocked and I just haven't opened it up but to a few people who've been reading it since its beginning.

Here, I want a blog everyone can read, meaning my parents, husband, and even kids if they choose. That one, um, it's more personal.

I've made some great friends from that blog, even meeting some in person. We're a family and it's awesome. One girl is young, she's a songwriter, and is very artistic. She gives me hope sometimes when I have none, and today she wrote this:

"I will take nothing from yesterday but the lessons;
The only baggage I shall carry to tomorrow is hope;
I shall live today with perseverance to attain my hopes
And allow my lessons to guide me."

I don't know if it's from a song or what, but isn't it amazing? The line about the only baggage carried to tomorrow is hope--wow! It's moving and sometimes, I need that reminder.

*****
I'm doing a fast from the 40-Day Fast. While often times I can't donate money for hunger or world issues that move me, I love the thought of fasting and praying for such issues. I'm doing a seven-day fast and it started on Thursday. It's tough to do, but I feel myself reminded of so many things when I do it. My clarity levels are amazing when I fast, and I think emotionally and spiritually, along with physically, an occasional fast is what I need to get in check.

Homeschooling has picked up again. I let the kids have a break, and getting back to the grind is tough!

The Rock Star is going to do science, Algebra, and Spanish at a one-day academy here in Austin starting in late-August. So, I'm working on history, language arts, grammar, and geography with him here at home. Not to mention he does his fine arts (guitar) and PE (jiu-jitsu, eventually) as well. We're doing Red Badge of Courage right now and it's a tough read for him. Next, we're doing Romeo and Juliet. YEA for Shakespeare, right?

The Princess is doing math and starting to get more focused on writing. Her motor skills are not such that she can write letters too well,but she does write them legibly. I'm working on what she calls the "baby" letters, which are lower-case. I am planning on changing math programs once she's done with this book. The Man would like a more stringent math program but considering she's only FOUR, I'm keeping her at this one for a while. His educational background is such that it's more math and science based, so we have to come to a happy medium, which will happen.

Thankful

I need reminding of my many, many blessings.

My kids and husband are healthy and happy.

I'm happy and healthy.

We have a beautiful home in a great city.

We have great, supportive friends and a good church sense of community.

God has given us so much. I need a kick in the ass sometimes to remind myself of that!

Plans for the Trip, Etc...

I sent away for my passport, expedited. I can't believe I've procrastinated and didn't send it in earlier. I didn't even know it was expired until we were actually crossing the border from Mexico to the US in January. Oops! ;-) My last trip on that passport was to Venezuela. What memories...

I've been reading daily devotionals that are Biblically based and they've been easy reads. They are easily applicable to my daily life and I like starting my day with something positive and something to think of. I think I should re-read them in the end of the day because I'm sure they often apply more than I realize.

Money has been super-tight this month and probably will be for a couple more. We were lucky to book our India/Dubai trip on airline miles, because those could have been well over $10,000 for the 4 of us. But, I need to find ways to cut corners here at home, now. I'm going to do a 30-day cooking (freezing) thing fairly soon. I need to organize some new Mexican recipes besides arroz con pollo. I may try Ropa Vieja (which I think is Puerto Rican?) or something similar.

It's late, I'm off to bed. Church and a fish fry tomorrow. I love my friends! :-)

Getting Excited

I'm getting really excited for our trip to India! I'm planning on seeing some things and need to get those ideas organized so we can make some plane reservations if needed. Since I'm flying across the world, I do want to see the Taj Mahal. The Man says no. I say yes. Let's see who wins!

We plan on taking his parents to Kerala to see where they grew up/lived. I want a really good massage there. I hear they are great. My friends need to direct me to the right people, okay? (You know who you are, ladies!)

I'm excited. I can't wait to see what our trip to India reveals for us as a family. I've been praying the past few months and God has told me to use my skills as a teacher to help the poor. I didn't actually HEAR him say it, but it's been a feeling. It's been strong and I know that this trip will reveal a lot more to me than just a meeting with The Man's family and the rest of the in-laws. Hopefully he'll reveal to me what needs to be done. I'm so excited to just go!

Peace in Chaos

My life has been so chaotic, it's a blessing to get 10 minutes to sit and write. I haven't had Internet service and I have to say, I like that! I wish there was a way to pay for 1 hour of Internet/week and just have it turned off the rest of the time.

My fast was not good. I tried it but combined with PMS, I got too cranky and didn't complete it. (Damn you chocolate!) I am going to re-start today. I've been doing so much soul searching this past week and know I will do well with the fast. I've read up on it and The Man and I discuss how many people in his family do it, even though they are Hindu. The fundamental idea is there, and I really like having that religious connection with them.

Next week, The Rockstar (my son) is going to Houston to help our church youth group with some building projects. I worry because Houston is so hot and humid. But, he loves constructing and building, so I know he's going to do well and enjoy himself. While he's gone, I'm going to design his curriculum for homeschooling next year. We have only done language arts since coming back from vacation.

I'm going to try to set some benchmarks for him, not just using a curriculum and going with it. I trust curriculums, but also know for college, I need to document the skills he's mastering. So, that's on my agenda along with making the Princess' curriculum as well. She's easier, and loves so many things. She's finally reading and is in1st grade math, but I need to work on her motor skills.

We are going to India in December-January and I want to do a blog on my preparation for that trip, but don't know if I should do it here or make another one. One goal I have is to climb the steps at Tirupati but I know physically, I so need to prepare. Has anyone done it? I need to train for it, I'm sure. (Being the lazy person I am!) I'm just wanting to look forward to something, and I think it would be really cool to do things to practice for that. I would love to do it with The Man.

Well, it's Saturday. I'm so happy today because I've done a devotional from a really good book and I'm able to start my day of fasting well and with an open heart and mind. It's tough to be like that sometimes!

A lot going on...

I just got back from this beach. It's the Emerald Coast, in Florida. It has become the best beach I've ever visited, besides Isla Margarita off the coast of Venezuela. Nothing is more relaxing than a beach, a nice swim, then soaking up the sun. Until I got sunburned, life was good. The prickly feeling I still have on my arms is not fun.

Today I'm doing a day of fasting. I don't know how long it will last. I just feel the need to connect with God in a different way and after a lot of prayer, this seems to be what he's pointing me to. I hope it works. I'm getting hungry and I do try to pray and listen to some worship music to get me back in a mode I need to be in.

I hate coming back from a vacation. All I want to do is be where I was!

I LOVE summer!

I hate the heat but love the idea of summer.

I remember the last day of school, being so excited and anxiously awaiting the start of summer. Growing up in Arizona, I remember the heat of the sun on my back at 10am, drinking cherry Kool-Aid with a lot of ice, and my brother and I playing outside until it was time to come in.

We're kicking off a Southern style summer with a crawfish boil, a large party of friends, and cold beer, good food, and good times. Hopefully my kids can remember some fun summer things as well.

Life has taken many fun turns lately.

My mom visited, which is always fun and exciting, in and of itself. She has what I consider to be undiagnosed ADD so it contradicts my very relaxed life in every way possible.

The Rockstar (my son) has continued with homeschooling and we're not sure what to make of it. I love it, he hates it. I know I need to get him involved in more activities and we are working on that. Promise.

The Princess (my daughter) continues to be a fun, exciting, albeit tiresome gal. She is loving learning at home as well and we continue to to try to make it fun for her. She is very academic. It's clear she's academic and has a mind for grasping things many kids her age wouldn't get. But, she works at her own pace on her own time and that makes teaching her at home difficult. It is a slight struggle we've got to iron out. She is reading and does love it. I'm thankful for that, if anything.

With her being 4, we're not sure if we're going to do a kindergarten for her next year. Our state doesn't require it for entering 1st graders, so we may do kindergarten at home for her here. She'd be happy, I think. And, I know she'd do well.

Onto other news, and a question totally unrelated to my update:

We're considering replacing our appliances in our home. What is your take on refrigerators? We currently have a side-by-side black refrigerator/freezer and it's about 10 years old. I have heard wonderful things about bottom-freezer models. Does anyone have one? Do you like it? I like the ease of the door water/ice spout on the side-by-side and bottom-freezer models don't readily come with it. But, what are your thoughts? Freezer on top? Bottom? Side?

This weekend we're having a crawfish boil. I will so have to take pictures and post recipes. Lucky for us, we have some friends that are Louisiana/Gulf Coast Texas natives, and their knowledge of good crawfish is plentiful. We're doing the trial recipe right now and let's see how it goes.

The Man has gone from being a die-hard vegetarian to cooking live crawfish in his own kitchen. Oh goodness. Have a good weekend y'all.

Rustic Mexican Cooking

As of late, I've been trying to brainstorm ways I can get back to the basics, the nitty-gritty of cooking. I love using fresh vegetables, fresh cuts of meat or fish, and spices that blend well for anyone's palate. The use of fresh vegetables is important to me. While I don't incorporate them nearly as much as I should, my goal for the next few weeks is to attempt to.

When I cook Indian food, I often make pea or spinach dishes with frozen vegetables. My husband (whom I will refer to as The Man from here on out) does not like frozen vegetables, much less canned ones. He has probably never tasted canned veggies, now that I think of it. Being raised in the U.S with a working mom in a middle-class family, I learned that canned vegetables were great for convenience and nutritionally. Granted, the taste and nutrition are nothing compared to fresh, but sometimes we need to improvise. This is a great article about canned and frozen veggies versus fresh vegetables. Taste is compromised in my opinion, but in a crunch or sometimes for monetary reasons, frozen or canned make sense.


When I consider rustic Mexican cooking, I mean it goes back to basics. None of the hoity-toity-hybrid-fusion stuff like chimichangas, fancy Tex-Mex stuff, or anything that's not truly organic to the culture. Rustic to me signifies traditional and time-tested, family-approved cuisine.

One recipe I make often is colache. It's versatile and is often compared to sambar by The Man because it utilizes whatever vegetables are in season and ripe at that time. It is also a great "dumpster" meal, which I coin as such because it's nice to use when you clean out your refrigerator and have odds and ends of vegetables or fresh herbs. It works and is versatile. I can also say The Man does not like these sorts of meals. They are fairly bland, but rustic Mexican soups are kind of bland. He doesn't like it so if you prefer rich, thick gravy-type stews, it may not be a good fit. I love it on a cold day because it's what I'm used to.

Colache Recipe

(picture from Howstuffworks.com)

1 pound zucchini, sliced or chopped in chunks
1 cup chopped green beans
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 ears of fresh corn on the cob (frozen is fine)
3 tomatoes, peeled
1 jalapeno
1 can hominy
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
2 large cans vegetable broth/stock (or chicken broth if you like the meat taste)
2 cloves garlic, either whole or chopped (your preference)

Pour vegetable or chicken stock into a large cooking pan. Add the zucchini, onion, corn, green beans, tomatoes, jalapeno, and garlic. Let cook for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the remainder of the ingredients and let it cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with squeezed lime juice and season with salt and pepper as you wish. (At this point my dad uses about 2 tbsp tabasco sauce, because he loves things spicy.)

Alternate veggies used could be: any squash, eggplant, okra, any peppers, plantain, or avocado.

Post Secret

I'm a huge fan of Postsecret.com I may be a voyeur and really love seeing others' secrets, desires, or confessions online, or I may just be nosey. I use the term voyeur loosely, but really, it's my own human curiosity. I see postcards sent into Postsecret from many different people and situations in their lives.

Some have had affairs, some have had abortions, lied to parents, had molestation or rape in their lives, and some just have silly secrets they want to get off their chests. But, this one moved me today.

I really hope it goes for things that are bad as well. I like to hope the other side of the coin is flipped and not only good things will come to an end. Equally, we can hope and pray bad things will, too.

Another one I liked dealt with dreams. While we often search and attempt to achieve one particular dream we have (parenthood, career, family, etc...) sometimes, dreams cross our paths that we never, ever expect. God gives us these small snippets of happiness in place of our dreams, and sometimes, when we least expect something, it's well worth the surprise.

First Post

My friends all have blogs. I have had one since 2003 on a different site, so in order to comment on theirs and to be part of their clique, I'm making one here.

Here's to my first post! YEA!