BACK@WORK: PD-PB4L

The Professional Development today was affirming and thought provoking at the same time. But the one image I will take away is the video clip of child-adult pairings where the child is copying the adult actions. The clip focuses on negative behaviours and I know that this is so very true in so many ways BUT I also know that the opposite must also be true (even if it doesn't make such a powerful impact). TRY THIS LINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En-cJqmSjFY

I would love to make a video of the reverse scenario. Today we heard a lot about making explicit what we expect in terms of behaviour and the positive version is the image I would like to hold in my heart.

HOME AT LAST: Feet on the Ground

Week 3 and counting!
It is cold as cold and I'm really grateful to Lucy for my Alaskan sweater (a cardigan by any name is warm).
Such long days and longer nights as I try to catch up with everything at work. I don't think I've ever been so tired which may just be a kind of emotional 'jet-lag' - a bit delayed as I try to settle back into some semblance of routine.
I thought I'd do a bit of writing tonight but I'm pretty much asleep on my feet so I'll do the bed thing and have another go at this tomorrow.

oops -Ukelele night tomorrow - wonder if anyone will notice that I haven't been practicing???

HOME AT LAST: Trying New Things

Crepes are so easy to make and yet it's been years since I've made them.
While I was in the States I had crepes twice in quite different circumstances.

My auntie told me about how popular 'books' were with her kids as they were growing up. In fact they still love them even though it's been a long time since anyone has referred to any of them as 'kids'! Now whatever are 'books', I can hear you ask?? Well I didn't know either but under instructions I made what are definitely NOT a dieter's choice.

A plain crepe recipe 1 c flour, 1 cup milk & water, 2 eggs and a slurp of oil or melted butter.
Cook the crepes on one side only.
Filling = Cup of cottage cheese (squeeze as much liquid out as possible and then mash fine) mixed with 1 egg, 1/2 t vanilla and 1 T sugar.

Spread the filling on the cooked side of the crepe. fold the edged of the crepe inwards to make a square. Then fold in half and then in half again making the 'book' shape.

This book is then fried to golden in butter and served plain or with sour cream or cream depending on your taste.

THEN the next lot of crepes were featured at the "Meet and Greet' before the wedding. A professional crepe maker worked flat out to keep us supplied with savoury and dessert crepes.
The savoury crepes inspired our meals this weekend.

I got a bit adventurous and put some cumin seeds into the crepe batter which was yummy.
These crepes are cooked on both sides but the filling goes onto the crepe as soon as it's turned. Roll the crepe and brown a bit longer on that side and then flip and brown a bit before serving.

Filling #1 = ham, cheese, tomato and wholegrain mustard crepes which are a lot like a grilled ham & cheese sandwiche without the butter content.

Filling #2 = shredded chicken (poached in white wine & thyme) spinache and sliced mushrooms with basil pesto/sour cream .

Crepes are quite an easy to make especially when only two are eating.

HOME AT LAST: There's Nothing Like Your Own Bed

After 3 months travelling the world I am back home.

My travels are all a bit of a blur and I still have several events including the wedding to write up. But there's nothing quite like hopping to sleep in your very own little bed.

It took a few days to put stuff away - obviously the husband has a different system to mine. He did say that while he was on his own - he had made no mistakes - at least there had been no complaints! Well that's his story and he's evidently sticking to it.

I have found the cold weather a bit hard to handle - it just gets into my bones and I can't get warm. Obviously when you move from fall into winter it's a gradual thing. But when you go straight from summer to winter the old body rebells a bit. Though I'm sure it's nothing that time won't cure. Though I do wish people would shut the door behind them when they come into the church and I'm sitting at the back!!

JOURNEY: Seattle 6

Wedding Countdown
The wedding countdown is upon us with so much to do and now so little time.

Of course the big news is that in only a few more sleeps most of our NZ family will be in Seattle to support our baby boy as he takes this milestone step.

It seems like it was only yesterday that we came back to the Whataroa Hospital for a bit of RnR before heading home to 4 other children. Those were the days, eh. The district nurse couldn't wait to spoil the mothers and dote on the new babies - it was a real home away from home with beautiful meals and loving care.

No wonder our wee boy was such a cheery soul even though he certainly knew the inside of Grey hospital with our frequent visits for all manner of breathing difficulties.Every mother knows the joy and pain of each milestone in the life of her youngest child. They are so very precious - those last experiences - you know what I mean. The last baby to nurse, the last brand new school boy, the last report card, the last 21st ...HOWEVER in our case not the last marriage but the second.

Can't wait to get to the celebrations that next week entails.

Can't wait to see the NZ family as I've been away from home since Easter!

Simply can't wait!!!

JOURNEY: Puyallup Sojourn - 10

Galloping Gertie
The first bridge across the Tacoma Narrows has quite a story to tell. So much so that even after it's spectacular collapse in November 1940 the remains of the original structure stand alongside it's replacement.

The story goes that this suspension bridge which opened on the 1st of July 1940 had a rep for vertical movement especially when the wind was up even while under construction. The construction workers nick-named her "Galloping Gertie" almost from the start and that name certainly stuck. Locals recall the movement as something to be experienced and my Auntie remembers nearly taking a group of camp fire girls across on foot but reconsidering when the wind did it's magic. I took this photo in the Washington History Museum in Tacoma. It's part of the Washington State Ikon exhibit.A video of the collapse shows almost in slow motion how it all came tumbling down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Fi1VcbpAI

An engineering nightmare after only 5 months use.

JOURNEY: Seattle - 5

OMGoodness
My cousin travelled up from Puyallup to treat me to IMAX. Always a starter (though admittedly I didn't know what an IMAX experience entailed) I put myself in her hands.

I bused into town and waited at our favourite donut shop TOP POT DONUTS (click here for the inside story on 'hand-forged' donuts) for the cousin-mobile to arrive. Being almost perfectly in sync they pulled up within minutes of my arrival.

Then we set off towards the Space Needle and the charms of the Science Centre
We were early so had some time up our sleeves to browse through the exhibits outside the IMAX theatre - YES I finally worked out that we were going to a movie.
I absolutely loved the old fashioned artifacts of a time long gone some even pre-dating my own childhood

while others were definitely a part of my childhood years.

The Movie Theatre was a real treat and I do enjoy a love story even if vampires and werewolves are some of the key characters. http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3602153984/tt1325004

Very enjoyable and particularly for the company. Afterwards we explored the music displays like big kids.The sculptures all around the outside of the Science Centre were impressive but would have been much improved by water in the fountains! So we went in search of operational foutains and were rewarded beyond expectation. One for the littlies

And one for bigger kids

It's so good to do things with your family especially when they prove to be such good friends.

JOURNEY: Seattle - 4

Such a funny day today. Got some of the photos printed for the display at the wedding which was good and hoped to catch up with one of the boys for lunch. But mixed messages and poor TIMING saw me waiting at the entrance to the Pike Street Market for nearly 1-1/2 hours! Don't know where that middle son of mine was waiting but I'm sure he was about as impressed as I was!!

So I gave up on lunch and bought the makings for dinner at a little supermarket downtown. I got an amazing steak that was thicker than I'd ever seen before and asparagus to steam and potatoes to bake. Boy was I glad to get home and set that in motion.

It turned out that we were all tired so a meal on our laps and a movie was just what the doctor ordered. And the movie was delightful. If you haven't seen "Timer" then you need to do so. Lighthearted, romantic, science-fiction which was definitely good fun.

(click to check this out)

JOURNEY: Seattle - 3

Ballard

Today I had a lovely day out with my friend and host. And it all started with a $2 bus ticket and a transfer that took us all over town! I never could have managed it without a guide but with that support it was so easy to get clear across town and back by just jumping off one bus and then onto another.

During one of these transfers I noticed what I'm told is an excellent pizza joint - BUT I do wish they could spell my name right!!! We didn't have time to stop though it might have netted us a free pizza.

Ballard is a beautiful little place with a very cute sidestreet of small brick shops side-by-side that have a huge range of stuff from clothes to jewelry to gelato (which was absolutely yummy)

A little framing place called "Annie's Art & Frame" was super helpful and the fella who served me had a great sense of humour and cut the glass I needed on the spot. I so love it when you get good service.

The street art was innovative and I hear tell that they have a seafood festival in a fortnight that is pretty popular.

We had a great lunch in the old firehouse with a new life as a restaurant called "The Hi-Life" (click on the photo to go there).

Then we came home to a Polish dinner which I cooked for the team. Brenz came round too (he could smell the galumpki for sure) and we had a very pleasant evening.

JOURNEY: Bellevue Visit - 8

Well Travelled Uke
Because my husband has been taking uke lessons, I wanted to have a go as well (don't like to be outdone if I can help it) SO I bought a uke in Chch after putting him on the plane back to the North Island after Easter. I took my new wooden friend to the coast and tried to get a daily practise session in amid the other tasks I had set myself before leave NZ.
Now this uke is certainly well travelled! It has been carted from Christchurch to Whataroa and then ventured to Aussie. After the Aussie wedding it jumped on a plane to LA and ended up in San Leandro. After tripping down memory lane it zoomed off to Seattle and Puyallup followed by a train trip to Eugene. Then because its a bit of a gad-about it went North to Alaska before boomerang-ing back to Washington and ending up in Bellevue.
Well travelled but seldom played (this blogging takes a lot of time you know!)
When I got to my cousin's place, his wife was quite taken with my uke. So the uke was delighted to meet Peg who was determined to remember how to play and she certainly did.
(turn your head to watch this one)

JOURNEY: Bellevue Visit - 7

Kavana

I had the privilege of a night out with the Seattle Croatian community which was not only an annual event but also a milestone celebration to mark 40 years that their children had been dancing as Junior Tamburitzans. (click and go to their facebook fanclub page)

We had a great meal prepared by the children's parents as a fundraiser and there was a polished performance followed by lots of dancing with all ages joining in.

The circle dancing looked tremendous fun - going so fast that the dancers seemed almost airborne!

One dance was like a mixture of musical chairs (without the chairs) AND polka AND 'tin can' the kids play in New Zealand (with a broom instead of a can or drink bottle) Couples polka and change partners but there's one extra boy dancing with a broom - on one partner change he throws the broom down and grabs a partner so someone else gets to partner the broom. The great thing is that everyone seems to get a turn at dancing with the broom and some do it with great humour AND most importantly no one feels left out.

What I loved was the obvious family nature of this event with several generations enjoying each others' company.

JOURNEY: Bellevue Visit - 6

Polish Hall

Did you know that Polish Home Association in Seattle serves authentic Polish meals at the Hall on Friday nights? Well I went out for dinner (tea) with my cousin and had a lovely meal of galumpki, kielbasa and pierogi. One of the nicest meals I've had out yet - and no it has nothing to do with being Polish!!!

We also got to talking with a fella who immigated about 25 years ago because we wanted to know more about the place my Grandfather came from. My cousin had a summary of Grandad's life written by another cousin who has been the family historian. So we talked and talked.

Then we got a grand tour of the new premises and a chance to see a group of children practising Polish dances. Partway through I realised they were dancing a Krakowiak and confirmed that with my guide.

The new library was just getting it's shelves assembled and the whole place is a real credit to the hard work of the Seattle Polish community.

JOURNEY: Seattle Sights - 2

OLYMPIC SCULPTURE PARK (click title to go to thier webpage)
This is an amazing community resource for people of all ages. There are signs all over the park asking people to refrain from 'touching' artworks which is understandable but hard to do as many evoke interaction.
I really liked the giant eraser/rubber which I first saw from a car travelling on the freeway. Now if that would fit in my suitcase ... mmmmm ...

Turn your head to watch this!

Needless to say this is a great place to see on a fine day. My day was so fine that I had to go and purchase a lighter shirt to survive the day! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

JOURNEY: Puyallup Sojourn - 9

SUNDAY TOGETHER
Church
Sunday starts with Mass of course and this time I was singing with the All Saints' choir which meant being there an hour ahead of time to run through the music. Hooray this time there were 2 hymns I actually knew - thank goodness as sight reading is not a current personal strength anymore. It's amazing how the music is so different from one country to another. However I've been really impressed with the quality of music in each church - big or small. Close harmonies and good instramental work is commonplace under the supervision of choir directors who really know their stuff.All Saints is a pretty church and the interior has the layout I've seen in most American Catholic churches with a square shaped altar in the middle of the church and pews arranged facing to the middle. The icons in this church (and there are a lot of them) were all painted by a local artist (don't know the name) and are arranged down both sides of the church. There are certainly a treasure for this faith community.Brunch
Then we all went out to brunch together - really more of a lunch as we'd attended 11 am mass! We went to "Ma's Place" (Auntie's shout) which has been there for donkey's years according to the good humoured waitress. The food was inexpensive and everyone seemed to enjoy their selection. The old choking thing was an issue for me today and the french dip sandwich turned out to be a gloggy choice! Seattle Bound
So home to pack and after borrowing another suitcase to hold all the stuff I've accumulated over the past 6 weeks. We set off, later than expected, but really the lateness should have been anticipated. Procrastination is so very easy when you don't really want to leave.We met up with Brenz and frenz - then ate and talked our way through several hours before the cousins headed homeward. It's so special to spend time together and more precious when it is such a finite commodity.

JOURNEY: Puyallup Sojourn - 8

LAST DAYS IN PUYALLUP
Somehow no matter how long you have while on ‘holiday’, it seems all too short as the end of your trip draws near. Tonight is my last official day in Puyallup and it’s really all a bit sad in many ways. I know we have a family gathering planned in Puyallup just before we head back to New Zealand – but I leave my cousin’s home after Mass on Sunday and that means the finish of this Sabbath time. It’s hard not to imagine this point as a moment of farewell.

Tonight we sat for ages in the hot tub and solved the problems of the world, gazed at the stars and laughed a lot. I should have packed but instead we scanned photos and watched movies and talked and talked and talked.

Anyway who wants to pack when you’ve got to try and fit in all the stuff people have given you during your travels AND of course the odd souvenir you’ve purchased!
Besides who wouldn’t rather scope out the big dipper and contemplate the destination of planes overhead or listen to frog song punctuated by the sound of premature fireworks (the fourth is nearly upon us)

JOURNEY: Puyallup Sojourn - 7

POLISH COOKING
Don’t you just love Polish cooking? If you don’t, then you just don’t know what you’re missing. I have spent the past 2 days making over 80 galumpki and 60-ish pierogi and a number of blini which my auntie calls “books” because when they’re folded they look a bit like a book.

My cousin helped make the galumpki which took a leap of faith because I make it differently from her mother. Mine is made the way my dad made it – or at least the way I remember my dad making it. It’s funny how the little differences are so important – to sauerkraut or not to sauerkraut becomes when you’re in the middle of a galumpki-a-thon!

Then of course there’s pierogi and the variations on folding and sealing – fork or crimp now that’s an interesting question. But the choice of filling is a real quandary:
*Potato OR
*Potato and cheese OR
*Mushroom-onion-garlic OR
*Sauerkraut-bacon-dill (which is by the way the most unexpectedly wonderful choice)
OR
*Prunes-cheese OR
*Shredded cabbage-onion-bacon
OMGoodness – which one do YOU choose?

But the blinis were an absolute sideline as none of us had eaten any lunch and all our other efforts were waiting for a family party scheduled a fortnight away. Now blinis made this way are not exactly a diet choice for the calorie savings made by using cottage cheese in the filling are definitely overwhelmed by the amount of butter needed to fry them into books.

If there was time I’d whip up some Chrusciki or Hunter Stew but I’ve simply run out of time and Seattle beckons.

JOURNEY: Puyallup Sojourn - 6

My cousin is so good to me. Today we went to the Museum of Glass where we spent ages exploring.
Chilhuly Bridge of Glass
Our exploration began by traversing the famous 'Bridge of Glass'. This on it's own is well worth a visit. I don't think I've ever-EVER seen anything like it.

Seaform Pavillion
First you walk through a covered way and it's the cover that is so amazing. So many different shapes swirling with colour seem to float alongside each other. Apparently there are more than 2000 of these sea critters and they certainly have a real sense of movement for around 50ish feet.

Venitian Wall

Kids Design Glass
The one thing that was absolutely hoony was the collection of glass art designed by kids and produced by some of the museum craftsmen.

JOURNEY: Puyallup Sojourn - 5

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

This area holds such powerful memories for all of our extended family. This particular house is the place where my dad grew up and where my auntie learned to cook and where I played a krakowiak on my cello for my grandfather.

But of course going to visit my cousins was always a treat - being on the farm when we were pretty much city kids was fantastic and so very different from life in San Leandro.

However spending time with my Auntie/Godmother was the best part of any trip especially after my mother died. And I'm so glad to say that spending time with her today is just as special as it was when I was a kid.

JOURNEY: Puyallup Sojourn - 4

The Puyallup people are the native American tribe in the Puget Sound area.
Did you know that the original name of the tribe was "spwiya'laphabsh" which means generous or welcoming?
And I think this is so appropriate for the Puyallup branch of our family - because that is all I've ever known from them. Their sense joy in family connection is absolutely wonderful and makes it so easy to be here. They laughingly talk about 'fighting over me' meaning that they each want to have quality time with me before I have to head back to New Zealand.

It's nice to be loved.

JOURNEY: Puyallup Sojourn - 3

PUYALLUP RIVER
Well I'm back in Puyallup with my Auntie for a few days before my cousin and her family kidnap me for the last bit of my time in Puyallup.

It's so restful being in the old house. I know where everything goes. I can cook for just the two of us. I can listen to the old stories and drink too much coffee. I can laugh and cry to my heart's content with someone who has known me all my life. This is a treasure without equal and will too soon be a memory.

We went for a walk down by the Puyallup River which is something I've never done before. There's a paved path that winds along parallel to the river with lots of little tracks the lead to the water's edge. This river links me with all the Puyallup clan who grew up here and connects me to the Puget Sound that runs into the Pacific Ocean and mingles with the water that touches both the Californian and New Zealand coastlines.

JOURNEY: Bellevue Visit - 5

FREMONT SUMMER SOLSTICE PARADE

A random comment saw us head out for this very interesting parade. We actually got away a bit late and had to park what seemed like miles away! Well it certainly din on the way back as it was pretty much all up hill!

The parade is a people's event free from political or commercial interests - which in itself makes it delightful. I got into what I thought would be a good place on the corner because I envisaged the parade coming from one direction. However I was wrong and my view was pretty much blocked by a fella quite a bit taller than me with a massive camera who appeared oblivious to the rest of us. So I did a lot of 'hold the camera up and shoot' in the hope that I would capture some of the positive energy coming down the street.

Even though it was quite cold, a few hardy souls were wearing nothing but a smile while a great many were creatively covered in paint which certainly appeared to give them confidence if not warmth! There were also some absolutely fantastic and creative costumes

The number of energetic dancers was impressive ... I don't know how they kept going for so longA wide variety of musicians kept everything moving right along

I want to personally give a vote of thanks to the fella who kept the crowds moving at our corner and challenged those who tried to push in front of others who had been waiting for hours for the parade to begin. He got quite a hard time from some people - but it's hard for most of us to ask someone to move who is arrogant enought to just rock up and stand in front of you.

So thank you - whoever you are - I think you were fantastic.

If you want to see more go to this website