Abby Turns 13...No more little kids here!

Yesterday was my baby's 13th birthday, and so we're now officially the parents of teens. We think we've got two pretty neat kids and we're thankful for the blessing of having them in our lives.

I remember wondering what I'd do if I had a little girl, because I grew up in a household of boys--brothers, cousins and foster brothers, neighbourhood full of boys, hockey, climbing trees, lighting fires--and wasn't sure I knew how to raise a girl. However, Abby has made it a rather easy task, raising a girl, and I wouldn't change having a beautiful daughter like Abby any day:)

Abby's birthday celebrations started last Saturday night with an International Sleepover, only called that because of the countries represented by the girls who were there. We had a Bolivian-born, Kenyan-raised American, 2 Korean girls, an Australian,

an Indonesian-born Canadian, and Abby. What we already knew but it was confirmed anyways is that no matter where girls are from, they all love to eat junk food and laugh together. This is a really nice group of girls and we were glad they had so much fun.

Yesterday, on her official birthday, we spent a whole $50 for our family of 4 to go to the salon, where between us we had a massage, a cream bath, a manicure, a pedicure, a mini-facial and a haircut (and straightened). We came home, Abby unwrapped a hair straightener and lots of money from various relatives, which is great timing for Germany, and then headed out to dinner with a group of about 25 people. To this dinner we brought a cake, and it was fun to embarass Abby at the kids table (across the room from the adults) with us crowding around her and singing happy birthday in both English and Indonesian.

We're heading to Germany soon, loaded with photos and stories to share with our family there, with lots of bragging rights for Abby's accomplishments, and I'm proud of those things that she has accomplished both scholastically and socially. However, I'm most proud of the kind, compassionate, funny, generous, loving person that Abby is, and is intentionally becoming through both her own initiative and with God's direction.

Happy Birthday Abby-Girl!!

Thanks for reading.

Wendy Degrazio (October 17, 1950-November 6, 2010)

In honour of Wendy Degrazio, in celebration of who she was to us and of the strong, quiet life that she lived.

Wendy is Tanya's mom, and Tanya is my baby brother's wife. Tanya is also one of my dearest friends and a woman I admire greatly. Many of her beautiful attributes were given and taught to her by her mother, who died November 6, 2010, at the age of 60.

Unable to attend the memorial in Oyster River, our family wanted to send our love and regrets in some way, and so we wrote a letter describing what Wendy has been to us in our lives. Here is a summary of things that remind us of Wendy:

"Some of the words that we would use to describe Wendy and her life are: gentle, peaceful, beautiful, gardener, quiet, natural, generous, private, kind, classy, sacrificial, caring, patient, soft, motivated, one who appreciated beauty and life, loving grandmother, proud mother, loyal wife, and a good listener.

Some of the things or scenes that remind us of Wendy are: hummingbirds, deer, horses, flowers, strawberry patches, canned antipasto, gardens, special gifts given to our children, a grandma loving on her grandchildren, a mother opening her door for her children, parties in the backyard, bonfires and marshmallows."

Although we were not at the memorial, we have been sent the letters and eulogy that were given at it, and from them there were a few things I learned about Wendy. They are:

*Wendy loved to cook. I knew she loved to cook, but she LOVED to cook and tried new recipes all the time.

*Wendy was born in Golden, BC and married Jim Degrazio in 1969, a young man she'd gone to both elementary and highschool with. Jim we know, their history we didn't.

*She lost her mom when she was only 20 years old.

Mostly, I learned that no matter who spoke or wrote, each aspect or description of Wendy and her life matched those descriptions give by others: Wendy lived a life of kindness, strength, creativity, consistency and love.

With Wendy's passing comes many reminders of how life is fragile and short and that we need to take every opportunity to live it to the best of our ability. What I am personally reminded about is that I shouldn't stop taking photos, because they are what ties me to those I love;

a life can be quiet and lived to the maximum at the same time; you can't say 'i love you' too many times in a day; a woman who loves her family and lives for them is one of the most powerful positive influences a child will experience in his/her life; a mother cannot be replaced, no matter how old she is when she passes.

I never took the opportunity to tell Wendy what an incredible woman she was, and so this is my way of saying thank you, Wendy, for how you lived the life you were given.

Thank you for reading.

Philosophy of Charles Schulz

I received an email today and I'd like to share it with you. Although it's not really 'deep', it is 'simply' thought provoking. Read on:

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies..

Awards tarnish..

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier? The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the

most credentials, the most money...or the most awards.

They simply are the ones who care the most.

Thanks for reading.

"Back from the Ashes of Merapi" by Amelia Merrick

Below is a piece written by my Canadian friend, Amelia Merrick, interim national director for World Vision Indonesia. She has the privilege of traveling quite a bit throughout the islands of Indonesia, and unfortunately she also has opportunity to witness some pretty sad, overwhelming events. Many of these events are caused by natural disasters, such as one of Indonesia's most recent ones, the eruption of Mount Merapi in Jogjakarta. Merapi is 8 hours from us by train, one and a half hours by plane.

"Children greet me as I open the car door at the Kali Adem Displacement Camp. To my left is a group of boys hanging around a small leaf-less tree while they read comics together. A couple of girls sit off to the side peeling and placing stickers in their activity book, enthralled by the delicate and colourful images. A large blue tent is to the left and from within the tent I hear children’s laughter. Three university students, with cool printed t-shirts and funky hair styles are in the tent, showing a dozen pre-teens how to take photos and play guitar. If I didn’t know better, I would think this were summer camp.

But moving inside the long and hot community centre I am instantly brought back to reality. This is a Displacement Camp where 400 people from Kali Adem, a tiny dairy village at the very top of Mount Merapi, are now without homes, cows or fields. Mothers, fathers, grandmothers and babies sit on rolled mats, colorful walls of neatly folded clothes mark out their family’s space. A few drinking glasses, weathered school books, motorcycle helmets and beaten card-board boxes that safely store the last remains of their belongings are stacked in the 4 x 6 space they now call home. Fresh laundry - faded jeans, bras and underwear, children’s pyjamas – are strung across every window pane and doorway.

I go to meet the village leader – she is a slight woman draped in a shiny purple head scarf. She shows me a picture of her village - it is a whitened moonscape, lava has covered their entire village. It looks like a desert dusted with ash, or like a barren field after a heavy snow fall. There is no evidence of homes, cows or fields. It is just grey and dusty. Before I can write down the name of this fragile village leader she breaks into tears. I have been to dozens of Displacement Camps but still there are never words to comfort someone who has lost everything.

I speak to Ibu Suyami (38) and Ibu Dartoyaho (55) and they tell me they are confused. They have moved seven times since Mount Merapi starting spewing its noxious gases. Their first Displacement Camp is now singed black, the boxes of emergency supplies burned by the hot volcanic cloud. The second Displacement Camp was too crowded. They are like “The Fish out of Water” – being transferred from one cramped bowl to the next, on a desperate journey to find a place that can hold them. Though this community centre is too small for their village they are glad that they are have settled amongst their neighbors again. At least they are together with friends and family.

Ibu Suyami and Ibu Dartoyaho tell me that they have lost everything – there houses are gone, their cattle are dead. They don’t have a plan, they don’t know what comes next. They are bored living in the camp. They miss their work. The children want to play soccer again.

It was over a month ago that they ran from their villages, and while they are glad to be alive they long for an end to this terrible nightmare. Sadly, the world has already woken and the people of Mount Merapi are quickly being forgotten as we move into our busy day." 

http://www.worldvision.ca/give-a-gift/Crisis-Child-Partner/Pages/SavingChildDisasterVictimsinIndonesia.aspx

Thanks for reading, and thanks Amelia for letting me "borrow" your post.

A Chapter-Long Letter from the Heart

Dear Mom and Dad

This morning you were both on my mind. I was wishing you could have walked with me and spent the morning doing what I was doing. It was a life-giving day, one that made me once again appreciate the life I have been given.

Do you remember a post I wrote months ago, about the hole

in a cement wall that lead me out of Lippo Village and into village life, a life that the majority of Indonesians live? Today I went through another one, and unfortunately, like some holes, it wasn't magical in any way. I went with 5 other ladies, organized through Karawaci Ladies, and we saw poverty again. Poverty is everywhere here, yet we so often just see it from a distance. Today we touched it, smelled it, and had it splash up our legs in the form of sludge, made up of filthy river water, garbage run-off, and quite possibly human waste.

Our morning started with the 6 of us ladies meeting at my house, and we

drove 2 vehicles to a regularly-flooded slum area, under the guidance of a woman who works daily with the poor, and especially with children. Her heart is huge and her enthusiasm is rather contagious. Between this woman and our group we had 50 bags of grocery essentials to hand out. Once we got there, local ladies packed into a really small room, coupons in hand, ready to be given a bag of food that might just be the mainstay of their entire week. The bags were handed out quickly, in a very organized manner, and the 6 of us were able to tour the small

village as we helped women pack the groceries to their tiny, dark, cement/brick/wood homes. Some of us ended up in one woman's home, Ibu Emi, and she and her 17 year old daughter told us of their situation. Like most people in this area, her husband was out of work, and they have no money. Even their rent of $25/month is steep for them. Fortunately, their eldest son works at a reputable bookstore chain that has a program where he can work and attend school as well. If you look at the photo of women sitting in a circle chatting, what you see is the entire home. The kitchen area is in the background, the living room (tv) is to the left, the bedroom (wardrobe, vanity) to the right, and the bedroom is right where we were sitting. The bedrolls were leaning up against the corner behind where I was standing while I took the photo. Noises from the home next door, which was divided only from the home we were in by a wood similar to plywood, made it seem like the neighbours were in the room with us.

After our short visit with these lovely ladies, we toured the village a bit, mostly to allow me to get a few good shots of the area.

One of these is a photo of the still water that lies around the village, gathered in-between floods. Another is of a young boy fishing in

a large, very fluorescent green fish pond. I'm not sure how healthy the water is, because although it is green, it is right next to the public toilets, which are 3 cement outhouses that run into the ground.

I have been blessed throughout my life to see a variety of villages in Mexico, the Philippines, here in Indonesia, and even a few really sad ones in Canada, that range from poor to dirty poor

to illegal-squatting, garbage-collecting slums. Blessed because I have had opportunity to move outside of my comfortable bubble, and blessed because I get to go home to health, comfort, food, and safety. This particular village is actually one of the 'nicer ones' that our hostess works in, yet it is still not a nice place to live. It is right on the river, and anytime it rains, the homes get flooded. In this photo of a classroom, our hostess shows us how high the water rises. At the back of the village the water rises even higher. I'm including a photo of Amanda standing on the bridge that connects this village with one across the river. The most difficult thing to hear was that during flooding, even in times of dire need, this is the only exit from the area for the villages. The hole that we used to enter the village is unavailable to the villagers

themselves, because it exits into a rather posh neighbourhood. Take a good look at the bridge; it's not all that sturdy.

As we were walking, two ladies were washing their clothes and dishes at a communal water faucet.

The river is directly behind them.

One final thing I saw that was new to me was a small 'bakery,' where the young men of the village are employed for $2-3 per day, making pancake-like 'skins' for some snacks that are similar to eggrolls.

They make thousands of them per month, and their boss sells them in the local markets. The entire room was covered in flour, their hair was flour-coated and their skin was white with flour dust. It is fast, hard work for a few dollars a day.

I thought of you on this trip, and I could picture you sitting with the women in their home, using sign language to try and communicate when your English just won't do. I could see you shaking men's hands and hugging the women and the babies they were carrying.

You may not be here but, as I told Ibu Emi, you are here with me as you look at the photos that I take.

I love you,

Kim

Thanks for reading.

Eating our way through the adventure...

Sometimes there are times in your life when you just have to. There's not really any reason not to, and it's fun to say you have. Like tonight. There's a great new couple here at our school, Brock and Lisa, and they're into truly experiencing the local culture. Since he's arrived, he's wanted to eat at a snake restaurant. Originally I thought the guy was pretty nuts--"unique" is a good word--and then I started to think about it. Why not? People eat weird stuff all of the time, and seriously, what a great thing to be able to tell my grandkids! In fact, I have an uncle, Uncle Ken, who traveled to Indonesia in the '80s, and during his trip to Sumatera, ate snake. I remember him telling me that it tastes just 'like chicken.' I thought he was really cool. Tonight, we learned that snake really DOES taste like chicken, at least cobra does, and it specifically tastes like chicken breast. Alligator does as well, although I found it a bit sour. Monitor lizard has the texture and slight flavour of fish, monkey is a sweeter meat, and python is a bit 'chewy,' like crab. Brock was the only one who tried bat (flying rats, who eats those???). He also topped off his personal adventure with a cup of cobra blood mixed with the cobra's bile and a little chinese wine. He said it tasted a little bitter. I'll take his word for it.

In the photo of Tris and I, he is trying monitor lizard and I am trying cobra (fried). Of all the items, the cobra won the award at our table for the item we'd most likely order again. It's

rather morbid, really, because it's the cobra that we met personally before he became our dinner. It was a bit like the proverbial bunny that the farmer's daughter names and spends time with, and then one day realizes Fluffy is in her soup (or chicken cacciatore, remember Mom??).

We started our dining adventure out by picking up Brock, Lisa and their little 1 1/2 year old, Bethany, and headed for Jakarta. On the way, we got a little lost in "Old Town" (old Dutch part of Jakarta) and were able to see a little of the older landscape outside of the car when Bethany decided that throwing up on her mom was the best way to get rid of the ache in her little tummy. Once Lisa was as clean as 3 baby-wipes, a bottle of ice-cold water and a purse pack of tissues could get her, we continued on until we reached "Istana Raja Cobra (King Cobra Palace) Restaurant." It literally is a hole in the wall with about 8 small plastic tables, a kitchen smaller than most suburbian clothes closets, and a 'snake room' at the back. I have to admit, though, it was a lot brighter and cleaner than I had imagined. The restaurant, I mean, not the snake room.

Meet 'Fluffy,' our dinner-to-be. After we placed our order (bat & alligator satay, fried cobra, fried monkey, fried monitor lizard, and bbq'd python), we headed to the back to pick our cobra. All of the other items on the menu were "pre-dead" and in the freezer, but unfortunately for

this dish, he was as fresh as they come. The most interesting thing that Tris and I noticed weren't the cages along the wall holding other diners' meal choices (green snake, 'earth' snake, a variety of other snakes), but rather the moving canvas bags on the floor. In these bags, which were hissing and rising up towards our voices, were King Cobras, and even through the bags I'm sure they could smell my fear. While we were watching the bags at our feet, our attendant was prepping the snake. It all happened quite quickly as the fellow showed us our snake choice, lopped off his head, hooked the body to the wall and slid the skin off the reptile. During the skinning, the head continued to move and the tongue to hiss. Very freaky. So very 'not me.'

Once we received our meat dishes, we shared them around and took photos, commented on the taste and texture, and finally realized that during our meal, little Bethany had drawn a lovely crayon masterpiece on the nearby table's plastic yellow chair. Rather squiggley lines, like snakes. How appropriate.

I'm not sure that a return visit to this restaurant will ever happen, unless our kids want to go (they were too busy swimming and watching movies to come along this time) or we have visitors who want the same 'unique' experience, but I admit, I am glad to be able to say I DID.

Thanks for reading.

...this is a little different from the new Bread & Butter Cooking Club that was born last week...new post to come full of delicious details!

Matt Dancing the Papuan Friendship/Hunting Dance

Want to watch this dude dance? Check out:

SPH - Bulan Bahasa 2010 from Brock Haylock on Vimeo.

Going Greek with the Girls

Life is good with food, and it's even better when friends help you make that food! Today I spent the better half of my late morning into the evening cooking, and then eating, with two friends. One is Amelia, who is my World Vision 'boss', a BC-born, Ontario-bred Canadian girl. The other is Ontario born and bred Becky, Abby's homeroom teacher.

For weeks Amelia and I have been planning a Greek meal with a Mediterranean twist, and I just love it when plans become reality. Our menu consisted of pita bread, focaccia bread (not sure where that fits in but it was a delicious afterthought!), hummus, babaganoush, tzadziki, greek salad with REAL calamata olives (yum), and rosemary-marinated

chicken skewers. Amelia brought the fixings for sangria (my first time to try it) and although we're really not sure where this drink originated, today it was Mediterranean!

To finish it off we made an incredible honey-dripping, butter-soaked baklava. Not a bad menu for all the unusual items we had to find. This is when I am extra thankful for bags of nuts brought from home, whether via

visitors or our trip home this summer. There have also been a lot of great foreign foods in a few of the larger grocery stores in Jakarta, like phyllo pastry and calamata olives, things that sometimes are difficult to find.

Hands down, the baklava was our favourite of all the recipes we tried today, and I'd like to share the recipe with you. For years I was afraid of phyllo, thinking it was too difficult to work with. What I've discovered is that if you cover the sheets with a slightly damp towel when you are not working with them, the pastry stays moist and pliable. If you leave them in the air, they dry out quickly and tend to crack as you work with them.

Baklava Recipe:

Ingredients:

750 g phyllo pastry

2 cups chopped almonds/walnuts (we combined them)

500 g (2 cups) melted, unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

cinnamon and cloves to taste

Use a 9x13 pan. Trim the pastry to the size of the pan, and keep the leftovers for later. Using half the pastry sheets, begin by greasing pan, then laying down 2-3 sheets of pastry. Brush butter on every 2-3 sheets.

Combine the nuts, sugar and spices. Once you've used 1/2 the pastry sheets, sprinkle the nut mixture over the top. Cover the nut mixture with the leftover pastry pieces before beginning to lay down the 2nd half of the pastry. Continue to butter every 2-3 sheets until sheets are used up.

Cut into squares using a sharp knife BEFORE baking, making sure to cut through to the base.

If any butter remains, pour it over pastry, then bake at 350F approximately 1 hour or until golden brown. Immediately pour hot syrup over the top and let cool, approximately another hour.

Syrup:

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

a few grates of lemon zest

cinnamon stick

Boil approximately 10 minutes.

Delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Highly recommended with a cup of tea.

Thanks for reading.

Very Random Bunny Trails

We are a few weeks past Matt's 15th birthday and a month and a half until my baby girl turns 13. Where does the time go?? Today Abby is staying home from school, sick with a sore throat, cough and slight fever. The funny thing is, I had to practically tackle her to the ground and put her back into bed to get her to stay home from school. At one point I thought she might defy me and head to school when I wasn't looking (she was already in uniform when I discovered she's not feeling well), and my first thought was "How do I discipline for THAT?" What would I do? Go to school and report to her teachers/principal that "Abby refuses to stay home from school!" That scenario made me laugh, but fortunately she crawled back into bed and there she still lies.

I'm sitting in a corner of her peaceful, green and turquoise room (photos of new paint jobs to come) and thinking about all that's going on in the last while. What it comes down to is that we're busy and the skies are constantly bringing new, LOUD thunderstorms. That's a summary in a nutshell.

You may have heard of the various tragic natural disasters that have occurred here in Indo in the past week. There have been 2 earthquakes and consequent tsunami in some islands off of Sulawesi (wiped out 20 villages), Mount Merapi has erupted (8 hours by train from us) and is threatening to do it again, there is constant flooding in Jakarta (doesn't harm us but is devastating to many families in the slums), and there has been a drought somewhere in Indo since February. Here we sit in our little Lippo bubble and watch the news, read the papers, and it's not overseas, it's right in our own backyard. The best we can do as people untrained in disaster relief is to send money for those who know what they're doing, and to pray for those who are involved, victims or rescuers. Not a whole lot different from back home. Once and a while an opportunity comes up where a group of people volunteer to go into a community and help rebuild. We haven't participated in anything like that yet but would like to.

It truly is amazing that as the world seems to be in chaos all over, life in its beauty and simplicity still goes on. Here in Lippo we just received some very heartwarming, exciting news from a young couple that moved here in July. They've been married 9 months and have just found out that they're pregnant. With twins. They've gone from calling their baby Peanut to calling them Peanut Butter and Jelly. That's pretty cute. They do ultra sounds here extremely early, and at 5 weeks they were already able to tell that there are two fetuses. Incredible!

This news has brought me to realize that there are very few twins here in Indo. With a population of 14 million in Jakarta alone, you'd think you'd see them all over. When I begin to list my friends either with twins or who are a twin, it's pretty big for our Cdn population! Kathleen, Dale, Tara, Stephanie, Renkemas, Lois, Maura, Sarah & Bethany, Rebecca's new grandbabies coming (boys!!), the new pastor who came when we left...and those are just the ones off the top of my head, and not including the ones I grew up with in school! BTW, 5 of those listed are from the same church. I know that we don't drink the water from the tap here in Indo, and we do in Canada, so that must be the answer.

Speaking of water and earlier, rain, I just have to fill you in on the most recent weather patterns here. We have had some of the loudest, windiest rainstorms here that I've ever seen. Just the other day, Tris was at the golf course and I was sitting on our foyer floor, looking outside, when 3 bolts of lightening came down in front of me, two doors across from our house, and hit a lightening rod. With those bolts came some earth-shaking, teeth-rattling thunder, and, I must admit, a few screams from within our home. Screams of "omygoodnessdidyousee/hearthatitwasincredibleandsoscaryithitthelighteningrod!!" amongst some laughter. Our helper came into the foyer with dinner-plate sized eyes (JUST like the dahlia), and our driver ran into our kitchen, not wanting to go back outside. Needless to say, I cancelled the appointment I had been heading out the door to. As for Tris at the golf course, he heard the same and picked up his ball (without putting, even!!), grabbed his clubs, and headed for cover.

It's never boring here, and there's always a story to tell.

Thanks for reading.

Fifteen Photos for 15 Years. Happy Birthday Matt!

This is Matt.

This is Matt's new hat.

See Matt run.

See Matt with a gun.

Look at Matt tell his sister how to do his work.

See Matt dry a dish.

Watch Matt catch a fish.

See him draw.

Watch him swim.

Look at Matt feeding the cute little monkey!

Watch the cute little monkey bite the hand that feeds it. Evil monkey.

See Matt's cool tattoo.

See Matt & his sister's teeth are blue.

This is Matt two years ago, blowing out his 13 candles for the 8th time (trick candles). In two years he's gone from boy to young man,

and we're very proud of him.

Matt, we think you are fun, intelligent, compassionate, funny, courageous, talented, strong, disciplined, good looking (good genes!!) and so much more.

Happy 15th Birthday to my Sunshine.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving one and all! We celebrated last night, just the four of us, with 2 chickens, stuffing, marshmallow salad, turkey gravy (you can buy the packets here) and even cranberry sauce. We started our meal with a great pumpkin soup recipe and cute little personal-sized loaves of bread. The soup is worth a try, especially if you can get your hands on fresh spices (like whole nutmeg rather than powdered). Most pumpkin recipes are a bit on the plain side, but this one has some pizazz. You can omit the coriander if you'd like, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Try it for yourself:

2 tbsp oil (olive oil if you don't heat it too high)

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped leek (or spring onion)

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 medium-sized pumpkin, seeded, cut into chunks

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1/2 zucchini, chopped into large chunks

4 cups chicken stock (or 4 cups boiling water with 2 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder)

1/2 cup whole milk or thin cream plus set aside 1 tsp milk/cream per bowl as well.

Place pumpkin, potato, carrot & zucchini in roasting dish, pour in 1/2 cup water, and place in oven @ 350 degrees (or no. 4 on your gas oven). Roast until pumpkin is almost soft. Cool and then remove skin from pumpkin.

While veggies are cooling, heat the oil then place onions, leek and garlic into pan. Cook until onions are almost clear but not brown. Add spices and cook for about 1/2 minute, then add the veggies and stock (and any remaining roasting juices). Bring to boil and then simmer until all veggies are soft. Cool the soup base and then blend in blender. Return blending to the pot, add the milk/cream and stir gently while the soup heats once more.

Once the soup is ready, ladle into individual bowls, pour a dab of cream in each bowl, stirring only once to create a swirl. Serve!

Thanksgiving isn't the same without a bigger family crowd, but we did our best and enjoyed. We are thankful:)

Thanks for reading

Marriage

Marriage. It's a huge step. It also costs a lot. Not just the wedding itself, but the rest of it. I love my husband; he's my best friend in the whole wide world. There have been times when I'd like to kick him (seriously. I grew up with brothers...I did that kind of thing. Either that or stick him in the center of an inner tube and fling him down a hill...that is kind of fun though and it probably wouldn't let him know I was actually ticked off), where we don't really like each other that much, but we still love each other. In the beginning years we both admit that there were times where we'd wake up and look over at the other person, thinking "what have I done. I'm in this for life!" Mostly, however, I love being married. I love knowing someone's going to be there when I come home, knowing that if I can't eat all my burger I've got help, knowing I've got someone to make me take my vitamins when I can't be bothered, I like knowing that I'm beautiful to somebody, and I like knowing that I'm taken care of.

This is why I am sad. I'm sad because there are some really dumb guys out there. Sorry, male population, but there are! I've got some absolutely beautiful, intelligent, funny, adventuresome, non-threatening girlfriends who would love to find someone, settle down, have babies, make soup and berry pies (or eat out...whichever): someone to come home to. If I had my wish, I'd take the best of the best of the single men out there (and I'd find them!!), drill them for details, match them up with my girls and whah-lah! we'd have some good husbands for these lovely girls. I know I'm not supposed to play God and it's NOT my job, but the temptation is so big sometimes.

I just went to a bridal shower today. One of the new girls here was married 5 days before she moved to Indonesia, and two of her friends here threw her a post-wedding surprise shower, 2 months after her Big Day. I love going to showers, wedding or baby. There's always so much life involved, lots of hopes and dreams for the future, and usually some pretty funny stories if you pay

attention to what's being said around you. I especially love it when it's a surprise, and the bride actually falls for it, like Becky did today.

The shower was held at a new restaurant in town, Grasshopper Thai, where Emily the proprietor serves Thai food but will whip up a scrumptious English tea party for you as well. Today was a good day--an extra special day for Becky--spent with good friends.

Tris and I are working through the Love and Respect marriage series with a few young couples and a longer-term one, and we're getting a lot out of it. Each time we examine our own marriage, not only does it make me thankful for the man I've been blessed with, it makes me happy when I see others in my life blessed the same--difficulties, blemishes, even heartaches, and all. It also makes me wish the same for those I know want to be married, and that's been my prayer for these friends of mine for years. I'm happy to say that some of my prayers have been answered, and I know there are more to come:)

Thanks for reading.

What do you DO all day?

This summer I was hanging out with my baby brother, Tyler, and he asked me a very simple yet extremely difficult to answer question. We were talking about life in Indonesia, and he asked me "what do you do all day?" I stumbled over the question a bit and then we were interrupted, and the answer to that question has haunted me since. What DO I do all day? What does ANYBODY do who is unemployed in a foreign country, has a helper (ok, I admit, she's a maid...call it what you will) and a part-time driver, a pre-teen and a teen who are becoming quite independent, and who no longer has permanent access to a sewing machine but has a great mac computer?? I've thought about it over the last two months, and although I can't give a day by day analysis, this is what I do in a week, or at least in a month. Please note, what I DO and what I aspire to are sometimes two completely different things. In point form:

*in the early morning I use the time given to me (I KNOW I will look back at this in the future and sigh) to work on a bible study. Never in my life have I had the time to sit, read and write like I do in the mornings here. Note: while I do this, my family is getting ready, but with the kids' ages and their wearing uniforms, my morning input consists of "have you got your lunch?", "brush your teeth!" "deodorant???" and "I love you. Have a great day."

*by 7 am I am up and usually meeting someone for some form of exercise, whether it's a walk, tennis or bike riding. The best thing we ever brought to Indo is our bikes, and although there are few places to ride, having them is much more convenient than walking and healthier than driving.

*often my mornings consist of: tidying so our helper can get to the dirt more easily; computer work (either editing for World Vision, preparing something for Karawaci Ladies, answering questions directed to me because of our blog or just because of the fact that we have now lived here for over 2 years); computer fun (blogging, checking emails/facebook, finding recipes, reading other blogs, skyping); meetings for Karawaci Ladies, bible study or SPH (although now that the kids are in middle school the amount of meetings i have to go to has dwindled); grocery shopping with my helper (sometimes); language study (which has involved homework since I've decided to get more serious); self-appointed chores (anywhere from sewing on buttons to painting a room); and of course, there's always time for friends.

*my afternoons consist of (ok, gotta stay honest here...): naps. Yup, sometimes I nap. Now that I'm feeling significantly healthier than I have for the past 1 1/2 years I do this much less, but the nap is there if I need it. I also garden periodically, although I tend to save this for the weekends. Right now it's pretty mushy outside and so I garden when it's dry. As well, I've been working on home improvements lately, which can be anything from planting new plants or trees, scraping paint off the floors from previous tenants, painting a room, redirecting outdoor pipes so that water won't lift the paint, to rat & ant proofing our home. Most weeks I bake at least twice a week, sometimes more if the baking was a hit, and I like to try a new recipe at least once a week. Periodically I plan an event like Thanksgiving dinner for a large group, etc, and I do this during my quiet afternoons. Once a week I meet with 2 women and we practice our Indonesian (one already speaks it as a second language and is learning more vocabulary as she teaches us the grammar) for about 2 hours. Once a week I meet with a young woman who has asked that I act as her mentor/accountability person/friend (the last one comes easy). I work on my bible study homework, either stuff I am preparing for others or the homework that has been assigned to me. Typically after school I do pilates on Tuesdays, go to the slums with Abby either Wednesday or Friday, and sometimes meet Tris at the gym on Wednesdays (any time I mention the gym read: I go and work my arms, check my phone, drink water, chat with other gym goers, sit on the bike and sweat because the a/c isn't that strong).

There are many cracks in between all of these events, and sometimes I get to fill them with tea with friends, a day of shopping or exploring in and around Jakarta, a trip to the local morning market or, once in a blue moon, I lock myself in my bedroom, turn on the a/c and read a good book.

As a family, our evenings are pretty lax when they're not filled with homework. Mondays we have specifically taken off in order to make sure that the kids get their week started properly. Tuesday Tris and I are presently leading a Love and Respect group with attendees ranging from dating to being married 2 months, 8 months, 9 years and 18 years...the latter is us and we're the old guys in the group. Wednesday Tris and I have committed to a bible study from our church (International English Service or IES) which is held in our taman (neighbourhood) and which we are thoroughly enjoying being a part of. Thursdays are for wrapping up the week and making sure that the kids are prepared for whatever is coming up the next week. Fridays the kids go to their own bible study and Tris and I hang. Saturdays and Sundays have taken on a unique quality all their own and each one would be a blog post in itself.

It's weird putting into words what I do each day, and it makes me realize that although I am not a teacher (I get asked this question regularly...do I look like a teacher?) or any other label of employment for that matter, I still maintain a productive and not just 'busy' lifestyle. It is my wish that some day I will have some marketable qualities that look good on paper, especially because I can't see us living here forever and I'll eventually need a job, but until then, I'll keep on doing what I'm doing.

Our First Indonesian Wedding (Sept 18, 2010)

Last weekend our family had the privilege of attending an Indonesian (Chinese) wedding. Other foreign guests said that it was quite a western wedding compared to some that they had been to before, but I've gotta tell you, we've never been to a wedding like it. The venue was a sports club called Pantai Mutiara (Pearl Beach) in North Jakarta, over an hour away from our home. Thankfully the weather was cooperative as it was held outdoors, under a beautiful three-starred night. Even the breeze blew in the right direction, and kept the smell of the surrounding waters away from the evening's festivities. If one looked at the water from the dock that we stood on (ohhh, the beams looked like the cedar beams used to make docks back home...) we could see the rubbish floating in the brown water, and it made me understand why one would host a wedding after dusk. It was the sound of the water lapping against the piles that made the water magical, definitely not the smell nor the sight.

As for the wedding itself, the actual ceremony had taken place earlier in the day, at 10 am. We were invited to both, but as is common, apparently, for such events, most guests only attend the reception. We arrived at 6:30 pm, and after our driver dropped our family off at the front doors, we walked down a beautiful pink & red satin-draped corridor through the hotel to the outdoor reception. A long red carpet led us down through the reception area where, after signing the guest book and leaving our monetary gift in a special box, we headed towards the cake, drinks and fruit plates. Lining the carpet on the outskirts of the dock were food vendor stalls, each labelled with their particular food for the taking. If you take a look at the photo above, you'll see pillars behind Kendri and Cyinthia, the happy couple and their parents, and the cake in between. That cake was HUGE! According to etiquette, none of the food or drinks were to be touched until after the wedding party arrived, which typically occurs about 30 minutes after the guests arrive.

It was fun to meet up with a few of our SPH community members, and a few old ones that have moved elsewhere, and to chat while we waited. Once the wedding party had arrived, the parents were introduced and the wedding couple strolled down the long red carpet, finally stopping under a flower and grape covered "love gazebo." It was here that Kendri, the husband, spoke some incredible words of love and admiration, in English, to his beautiful new bride (I told Matt to take notes for the future Kendri was so good!) that inspired older couples like Tris and I to gaze into each other's eyes for a split second and think of our own vows (ah, memories of new love) made to each other years ago.

Indonesians are quite into romance, and this was proven when, while the newlyweds fed grapes to each other, choreographed reams of tinsel hearts exploded over the couple and above the crowd. This happened a second time a few moments later after the couple finished feeding each other pieces of their wedding cake. What REALLY screamed romance, though, was when the couple leaned in for their official "wedding bliss kiss" and fireworks, yes...seriously...fireworks went off behind them. Our friend Becky was able to capture the incredible, out-of-a-movie scene on her Canon snap and shoot. You can't see the couple but you get the gist of the whole atmosphere. Very lovely.

There are very few opportunities to dress up in this culture, at least for our family, and so it was fun to put on our nicest clothes, wear heels (thankfully, they don't even sell nylons here) or dress shoes, and to sweat in clothes we don't usually have the fun of sweating in. Tris did that really well, even after he took off the dress jacket, but fortunately that was hidden by the shadows of the night:) When someone commented that Tris looks hot in this photo, little does she know how hot he REALLY is (and for the record, I agree, he does look pretty hot). Here's our family in regular form, and then posing properly for a nice family shot.

We really enjoyed our night and were glad to have been invited.

Thanks for reading.