Care Package #2

Care package #2 is soon to be mailed to my sis in Africa. I'm not sure the contents interest most people, but I know my sis would like to know what will be coming her way in 3 weeks. I do love Sierra Trading Post--wonderful prices, great sales and I don't even have to go to the mall.

My scale is still broken, so I need to lug this over to the post office to weigh. Hopefully the package is under 20 lbs or something will have to removed.

The clothing set - 2 camisoles, 2 skirts and 3 blouses. It is summer there!

A Bible, book of poems, book on reading poetry, sidewalk chalk, pencils, notepads and gum from the girls for Aunt Mandy's students.

Return of the Hungry Wolf

One of the blog emails I receive took me this week to an article on how to feed a military family of four on $50 a week. Much of the author's advice hinged on buying in bulk, using a freezer and taking advantage of sales/special coupons--all sensible steps to curb the food bill in this depressed economy.

And yet, my spirit cried out "no, not the frozen vegetables stockpiled for all year". I have been re-reading John Thorne's wonderful and slow meander through food, Simple Cooking. Thorne reminded me why I love food and what is so good about it. Pre-made, frozen and preservatives are not part of what I love, in case you don't know.

Earlier this week at lunch time, I contemplated what to have. I had 1/2 a small loaf left from Macaroni Grill, a restaurant that despite being a chain makes a rather good rosemary olive oil loaf. I split the loaf and toasted it in the oven with a slice of provolone cheese. I then sauteed spinach and mushrooms in a green olive oil (lovely) and made a lovely Italian sandwhich. It was satisfying deep down.

MFK Fisher wrote much during the leaner war times of the 1940s about growing food, obtaining food and eating well within shortages and lack of money to dine out or go to Whole Foods (or the equivalent at the time--a trip to Paris?). The girls and I will be planting a very small garden in the back patio area this summer ... a new victory garden perhaps? And, I shall pull out Fisher's book How to Cook a Wolf and consider what an updated version might be, recipes that provides good food without resorting to the frozen section for a 6 month supply of corn or a case of ravioli in a can.

Christmas Eve 2008 Ready to go to church and lovely as can be

First Tests

the pull of your lip on
new zigzag teeth and
glint of the almost-tear in
your eye

i see it of course--
the nervousness
the worry--
others don't but
they aren't tuned

you tilt your head left
meet the test
look it in the eye
(i would have shied away)

passing
failing
of course it matters
not as much thought as
staying not bolting

Loving the pieces of life

As a mom, this picture is bittersweet. MeiLin broke her arm the first day of first grade this year.

By the time I picked her up at school, she was in shock and alternated between crying quietly, moaning and unconsciousness.

But, she was brave...more so than I thought she could be...and strong. And, yet, she completely needed us to be there, to love her, to surround her.

Our kids do much to surprise us. The only guarantee in parenting seems to be that we must daily reset our expectations.

MeiLin's arm is healed now and she cherishes the bear the hospital nurse gave her. I cherish these photographs snapped with my cell phone. I know that someday soon she will be grown and we won't be as needed for awhile. The memories will remain...and maybe even that blankie!

Packing for another world

I am sending a care package to my sister in Namibia. Many of us take the certainty of mail delivery for granted. I do not know if my package will arrive or when it will arrive or what condition it will be in if it does arrive. I have a 20 lb limit on an international priority mail box. I have filled it with everything in the picture below, although three Luna bars are refusing to fit. I need a scale. Even though I went to Body Pump class yesterday and consistently lifted 10 to 20 lbs of weight for one excruciating hour, I can't decide if this is over or under 20 lbs. I am also confronted with a nasty little Customs Declaration form that gives me one inch for "Detailed Description of Contents", including Qty., Net Weight (in lbs and oz) and value for each line item. Ha!

Sister, it is is coming. I just don't know when.

Contents: random posters and some Geographic Kids magazines, a People magazine, Nivea lotion and lipbalm, alphabet stickers, gum, orange slices (because my sister likes them), more stickers, post it note pads, Ferrero Rocheros, malaria meds, random drawings from the girls, coffee (does my sister have a coffee maker of any type?), more meds, markers, lovely vanilla candles because there are a lot of smells where she is at that she will want to mask, mints, pencils, dry erase markers, more stickers and an assortment of Luna bars because they are yummy and because I have no idea which is her favorite flavor, although this seems like something I should know.

How many decorative boxes do we need?

Today I refereed an apparently critical disagreement over ownership of a tiny shiny gold cardboard box. The box in question was empty until MeiLin put a gift in it for a friend. The box in question had existed in the nebulous position of "not up, not down, but half way on the stairs" for an indeterminable period of time. The box in question is claimed by Maiya, who says it is part of her collection.

Amazingly, my sum total of 20+ years of formal education, a couple of degrees and quite a bit of butterfly-herding business experience has not prepared me for such a task. I failed to address the ownership issue to the satisfaction of either, was too tired and simply sent them upstairs to get ready for bed, stating "we will figure this out later".

Which brings me to another question: how many lip balms do two girls need before they actually start using them?