If You Have the Eyes to See
I have a dinner party coming up, and I always have to keep my menus flexible – I am never entirely sure what I will find in the stores. The most unlikely things will show up, and then, just when you really need them, disappear.
I usually keep a little corn syrup on hand, but I also use it a lot – remember that Pecan-Date Pie?
First step, check the cupboards. Nope, no corn syrup. I can make something else, but one of my guests has a real sweet tooth, and this pie disappears in a heartbeat where people love sweets.
Second step – scour the stores. Nope, no corn syrup. They sometimes have it. Not today when I need it.
Third step – pray. Actually, I started this step while I was still in the store. I didn’t used to believe in prayers for selfish things, but I discovered that sometimes God delights in answering small prayers. I was in a bible study, where they told us to keep a prayer journal, and when we prayed for a person or something, to write it down, that a lot of times when prayers are answered, we don’t even say thank-you, we just move on.
I was astonished. They were right. When you write down what you’ve prayed for, especially for long, complicated situations, and then you go back and see the prayers that have been answered, prayers you forgot you even prayed, it is astonishing. God is so Good! And imagine answering prayers and the person praying doesn’t even say “thank you!”
When I got home, I put the cold things in the refrigerator or freezer, washed off all the vegetables, put away the other groceries, and then got the stepping stool, still praying that somewhere in my kitchen was a bottle of corn syrup that was misplaced.
I checked the baking cupboard – again. Moved everything so I could see even in the darkest corners. No corn syrup. Checked my “spares” cupboard. Nope, not there. Checked my back-up spares cupboard, sigh, no not there. Checked the breakfast / snack cupboard, can’t see anything, but I’ll check Little Diamond’s shelf, where the breakfast cereal and Canderelle are kept – and oh my! It’s a genuine miracle! When did I put the corn syrup on that shelf?
This is what a miracle looks like in my life this morning:
Thanks be to God! He takes care of our smallest needs!
“You are Looking A Little Different, Madame”
On a recent visit to Doha, I dropped in to say hello to my old tailor, who works in a tiny little shop in an obscure little area and does great work – in his own good time.
After exchanging greetings and asking about family members, etc. he looked at me and said “You are looking a little different, madame.”
I can see where this is going, and I try to head him off . .
“Yes, yes” I hurriedly reply, heading toward the door, “I am a couple years older, ha ha ha, it’s so nice seeing you!”
“Yes madame,” he says beaming at me, “You are a little bit FAT!”
“Bye!” I holler over my shoulder, as I grab AdventureMan and push him out the door; I can’t get out the door fast enough. NO! I am not fat! But who has a better eye than a tailor?
AdventureMan isn’t easy to push, especially when he is weak from laughing too hard. He is very kind to me for the rest of the day, knowing my feelings are fragile, and damaged.
My New Buddy
Just days before Sporty Diamond’s wedding, Big Diamond introduced me to a new friend – a Lumix, a Panasonic camera with a Leica lens.
It hardly felt like a real camera. I have lugged around Nikons most of my life, Nikons and their lenses and a variety of super films to capture that special moment. The Lumix felt like a toy.
“Just try it,” she laughed confidently.
Within minutes, she was in on her phone and computer, ordering the same model for Sporty Diamond and myself. That was five years ago.
In January, as I was doing one of the sunrise series, something whirred and clicked and jammed, never to work again. I didn’t worry too much, I had a smaller model of the same camera I bought to use in my purse. I knew I would need another one, but I had time.
When she visited, Little Diamond mentioned that exactly the same thing had happened with Big Diamond’s camera, and we figure maybe it is some kind of planned obsolescence.
Or an excuse to buy the newest model!
While back in the USA, I picked up the newest telephoto model of the Lumix. Without any additional lenses, this little camera goes from 18mm – 574mm. The zoom is so powerful that I can’t always hold the camera steady enough without a tripod, but it also has all the latest shake-reduction technologies. Actually, it has technologies I haven’t begun to master. I thought I would know it all, having had the same camera, but so much has been added in the last couple years, I still have a severe learning curve in front of me.
My sister has the same exact camera, so we can help each other out when we figure out some new capability.
I am not one of your more serious photographers. I don’t bracket my shots; I don’t do a lot of planning before I shoot. Most of my shots are shots of convenience – I even have the camera out on the seat while I am driving, in case I see something at a stoplight. Certainly in case I have a road problem, or in case some idiot drives next to me in the emergency land. I need a camera mostly for family moments, for our African adventures, for my daily Kuwait experiences and for those odd moments that capture my attention.
I am more of a documentary photographer. I grab whatever shot I can get, and delete delete delete all the excess photos. I do love getting to know the camera, and finding out what it can do. What I love the most about this camera is the great big huge zoom, the tiny, light body, and the bright, clear photos it takes under the worst conditions.
I have another buddy, a good friend who has really been there for me while I am jet lagging. The first morning – she knows I am up early – she called me and said she was on her way to the store, did I want to come? I was already getting dressed to go to the store, so I said yes. The truth is, when you are ten time zones out of whack, you are probably better off not driving a whole lot.
Yesterday, once again, she helped me run a couple of significant errands, things I really needed to do and she sacrificed a morning with her husband to help me out. That is a friend, indeed. Not only is she a lot of fun to be running errands with, but when I grabbed my camera and said “that’s a shot I’ve wanted and never been able to take because I am always driving!” she slowed down and let me have the time to take the shot. She didn’t even mind. Now THAT is a friend, indeed!
Nowhere else have I seen bulldozers up in buildings. I can’t imagine the building being destroyed was constructed with specifications supporting the weight of a bulldozer in mind. I can’t imagine what the bulldozer operator must have in terms of life insurance – or, well, too bad, I can imagine he considers himself lucky to have a job that allows him to send some money back home. At least this bulldozer is only three stories above ground – the last one I saw was eight stories above ground. And the driver didn’t even have a construction helmet on.
It is blazing-white-hot in Kuwait right now, but thanks be to God, there is no dust today, and the humidity is relatively low.
Whole Foods Market
EnviroGal and I have just finished exploring Cupertino-into-San-Jose and when Big Diamond calls:
“We’re heading to Whole Foods for lunch, then to the playground – want to join us?”
We passed Whole Foods earlier and we know right where it is.
“We’ll meet you there!” we reply, and are there within minutes.
Oh my heavens.
Whole Foods is a whole different food experience. It takes grocery buying – and lunch – to a whole new level.
About one third of the very very large store is devoted to take-out food. There are three different large buffet stations, one for global food, one for salad bars, one for main dishes, and then there is a whole separate one for freshly prepared Japanese food. There is another separate area for custom sandwiches, and another area for desserts.
Drinks are nearby – an unimaginable variety of drinks.
I had a spinach salad with dried cranberries and toasted pecans and roquefort cheese, with a balsamic dressing, and enari sushi.
Big Diamond had an Indian Curry, and also macaroni and cheese.
EnviroGirl and SportyDiamond had Indian foods – and Mexican foods.
And so it goes. Whole Foods specializes in organically grown foods, fresh fresh foods, the best vegetables in the world. They prepare meals for thousands of high-tech workers who don’t want to spend a lot of time thinking about food, but want to enjoy eating it when they remember to eat.
You really have to see it to believe it. And no, Purg, they didn’t mind my taking photos, right out in the open:
It’s interesting to me – with all the computer people around here, I don’t see a lot of overweight people. I saw a group of grannies, they must have been near seventies, all in bright yellow biking outfits, helmuts and all, and they looked wiry and spry. I see families of all nationalities, people from all over the world, all gathered in the same coffee shops, groceries, etc. and I wonder how they all work together in peace?
Schiaparelli Pink and Yellow
I’m not a fashion follower, and even I can pick out what THE colors are this summer – fuchsia hot hot pink, a very bright blue green, and a bright sunshine yellow, with accents of bright chartreuse. Very 50’s, very Mirimekko. Cannot imagine this skirt length in Kuwait.
Rain!
I woke up this morning to a cloudy, rainy day – YAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!
I am sure the good people in Seattle will consider me a total nut case, but when I check the Kuwait forecast and see it is 104° F / 42° C in Kuwait, and only 52° F / 11° C in Seattle, I dance for joy! Today I get to wear a light sweater! Or maybe a hoodie! Or . . . maybe both! I don’t think I will be sweating! The drips on my cheek will be raindrops!
Rain is what makes Seattle so green and luscious. Rain makes the flowers bloom so exuberantly. And today, if I make good headway on my list, today I might let myself go to Lowe’s and/or Home Depot! Oh, I can hardly wait!
10,000 Steps Continued
As you know, I began an exercise program a few weeks ago called 10,000 Steps – you can find out more about it here: 10,000 Steps. I don’t have very good luck with gyms . . . it’s just a waste of money for me; I sign up all enthusiastic, and by the second day at the gym I am already trying to find ways to get out of it. I get bored. Exercise is BORING!
But I love walking. Actually I love water aerobics, too, when there aren’t a bunch of googly-eyed guys watching, and when I have a gaggle of girlfriends to laugh and pass the time with while we exercise and I just don’t have that opportunity in Kuwait.
So I got sick and tired of myself NOT exercising and decided to work on 10,000 steps. I’ve been doing pretty well, too, worked up to running 6,000 steps before I left, and it only takes me about 35 minutes.
The other day I bought a pedometer. Today I put it on for the first time.
You have to understand, when I come back to Seattle, I have THE LIST with me. The list is all the things that are hard to get or impossible to get in Kuwait, or just annoying to have to track down. Occasionally, like this time, I also have things to get for friends. . . just a little thing here and there, but it all goes on THE LIST.
Around noon I called my Mom and said I would be by in about an hour with lunch. When I got there, I remembered I had my pedometer on, and I checked it – I was already at 9,081 steps! By the time I got back to my hotel, it had started over.
I love it. I am tired at the end of each day from running around, my legs even ache and my feet hurt and I love it. Even the hot days – there were two of them, and now it is cloudy and it is going to rain and they just don’t get it at all that I LOVE the rain – the hot days weren’t that bad.
I am going to be in PAIN when I get back to Kuwait and face days of 115°F again! It is 70°F / 21° C in Seattle today.
Fuschia Morning
It doesn’t take much. When Yousef at Some Contrast asked for more fuschia photos . . . honestly, it was just the excuse I needed.
Fuschias are Sooooo luxurious. They come is so many gorgeous color combinations, and the stores get them in just in time for American Mother’s Day, usually around May 9 -10-11-12. You can actually grow fuschias in the ground here, in the right micro-climate (see, I am sounding like a Master Gardener now, aren’t I – and no, no, I am not) but once the weather gets too hot, they stop blooming. They are just made for the Pacific Northwest.
So Yousef, here are all kinds of fuschias for you, and then, at the very end, your other favorite – I found some lucious shades of tulips for you, too. Thank you for giving me the inspiration. 🙂
I’m sorry this one is fuzzy, but I included it so you could see the color – it is just yummy.
Three fuschia trees:
A Feast for the Eyes
Since I can’t do a sunrise photo, I will do a Spring flowers photo, or more than one, a feast for the eyes to get you started this morning:
Tulips lingering into May:
Flowers to commemorate Memorial Day:
And my very favorite, baskets of hanging fushias:
Colorful Display
This display caught my eye – WOW! Underwear so colorful that you either have to wear something that really covers it . . . or the intention is that it be seen. I can’t help but wonder where we are going, but I love the colors!
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