oatmeal follow up

I have been running errands like the proverbial headless chicken the last couple days; a sick chicken that enjoys oatmeal. More on the busy week soon, but I happened to be at Target again, today, and, while I was more interested in picking out toothpaste and mouthwash on this particular trip into the store, I did notice a little yellow tag sticking out of the shelves by the oatmeal that said something like: "new lower price." I couldn't resist, and walked down the isle to take a closer look. Low and behold, my oatmeal, that on Monday was $3.15 is now back at $1.19. Too bad, I already bought the extra large canister at the competitor!

So, perhaps someone actually listened to my complaint. Who says you can't change the world?

this is inflation-ary

A little background here: I eat oatmeal pretty much every morning. Most of the time I throw some apple sauce over it, sometimes I go out of my way to add some other fruit. This breakfast is pretty much a routine.

Yesterday I went to Target to buy my oatmeal with a few other items. You can imagine that when I realized my cute little 18 ounce canister of the commodity bounced up from $1.19 to $3.15 within the last couple weeks, that I was a tad shocked! Not only can you buy more than twice that much at Fred Meyer for $2.49, but the store brand now costs more than the Quaker brand by nearly 75 cents. Now, I don't work in food commodities anymore, so maybe the price of oats sky rocketed in the past month, but nearly tripling the price seemed rather outrageous!

So, I wrote a little note to the kind people at Target and received this response:

Dear Andrea,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and feelings with us about the price of the oatmeal at our Bellingham Target store. I'm sorry to hear of your disappointment.
Occasionally, prices change due to factors beyond our control. Whenever this happens, we try to minimize the impact it has on our guests as much as possible. To help us serve you better, I've shared your comments with our Buyers and Store Operations team.
We'll keep doing our best to provide you with the value you've come to expect at Target.
Sincerely, Peggy

I'm not sure that there is a way to "minimize the impact" of a 264% price increase; suffice to say that I will find another place to buy my oats.

on the pacific coast

On the Pacific Coast, we like to eat clam chowder. One of the famous brands for this delectable treat is Ivar's Seafood restaurant. Their chowder is thick and creamy and delicious.

However, for those of us who cannot frequent the Ivar's so much, there's always a good homemade recipe. I visited my friends, Dave and Chelsea two weeks ago and had some fantastic clam and corn chowder with them. Yesterday, I cooked up a batch and it turned out quite tasty. So, I recommend you give this recipe a shot, too. Use your big pan, it makes a generous amount.

PS. I used 'seafood' stock if you can find it. Only one of three grocers I visited carried it.

awfully orangey

After Christmas, Mark took myself, his brother-in-law, and two of the boys out to his orange orchard. My Uncle Jim has fruit orchards in Washington that yield apples, pears, peaches, cherries, and such, but I had never actually seen groves of oranges (just a tree, or two when I was in Cameroon). I was mostly surprised by how bushy the trees can grow.

Mark explained some of the differences between the variety of oranges and we tasted a couple off the tree. The little Satsuma Mandarins were pretty ripe and we picked up a few boxes of them on the way back to the house, directly from the packer. I also learned while I was in California about another Dutch tradition of giving oranges for Christmas. This trend started in the Netherlands as a way to prevent scurvy; a small gift of health at Christmas time in the form of vitamin C.

Growing nearby were some rows of persimmons. I had never tried this fruit before. I had seen them once or twice and figured they were a bit like a tomato, but after testing one out, I thought they were a lot like papaya. In any case, this one tree was left with fruit. The fruit is the last thing to fall off the tree. Persimmons must be easy to pick since they are easy to spot among the leafless branches!

The other exciting thing we did among the trees was test the wind machine. The boys seemed to think it was a little too loud, but those machines can certainly stir up the air and keep the fruit from freezing!

my holiday

I had a good Christmas. It was the first such holiday that I celebrated with family in two years. Along with all the trimmings, I got to be part of all the tradition, too.

Mark and Annette hosted a Christmas Eve party after church on the 24th. I helped a little bit with the hors d'oeuvres. The event turned out to be a fantastic little party complete with a garage-turned-living-room set up for extra seating. There was no lack of excitement when Annette's sister, Laura, and her family showed up to be part of the festivities from Idaho!

Not to be forgotten is the boterkoek (Dutch butter cake). I can't turn down anything with almond paste in it and this stuff is no exception! Annette and I made 6 cakes with her mom in preparation for Christmas. I even got one to take back with me!

Christmas day I participated in Annette's family party. They were gracious to have me along for their present opening extravaganza (see one of the boys studying his gift in this photo), Christmas dinner lunch and amazing olie bollen (a terrific Dutch treat) later in the day. Meeting new people and seeing their family celebrate was really fun! And, of course, I had a blast hanging out with Mark, Annette, and their three boys, too!

the rest of the story

I left Portland around 11:40am and headed south again. I hoped to ditch the snow around Salem, but the white weather lined the roadways all the way through Northern California; until I arrived about 30 miles north of Redding. Over the pass in the Siskiyou Mountains, I was required to carry chains for my tires, so I spent a few bucks in Ashland, Oregon on chains that I can return. I never even came close to needing them. I spent 8.5 hours in the car on a mostly wet interstate.

I have friends in Chico, California where I spent my night. I had a good time hanging out with Storey and Jayden for the evening. The next morning, I was on the road again toward Visalia, California. Although, it was my shortest day and the roads were in much better condition, I was tired and glad to arrive at my destination.

I have had a great time so far with my cousins, Mark and Annette, and their three boys. We have made all sorts of Christmas goodies and I have had fun playing with the boys. I have learned more about Thomas the Train this trip than I thought I would be familiar with! And, I'm much warmer than I would be if I had stayed in Washington!

my cherry pie

Over the past couple days, I have been making a few "flexible" plans for the next month, hoping to hear back from a few jobs I have applied for (no luck yet), and hopping over the mountains to my cousin's house for Thanksgiving.

On Tuesday, I was able to meet my friend, Kelsey, for coffee (I borrowed this image from her blog). We are high school friends and have recently caught up with each other in some similar life circumstances. I was really glad I could talk with her in person before she heads off to start work in Greece. We celebrated a lot of things, and reflected on both the good things and the disheartening things that have happened since graduation. I am so thankful that I can reconnect with people like Kelsey to see how God works in our lives. I was encouraged by our time together and hope to keep in touch with her and see how her ministry goes in Athens beginning next month.

After coffee in Bellevue, I drove to Sunnyside, Washington to spend the week with my cousins and their children. I was able to go to their son's Thanksgiving chapel and Pilgrim and Indian feast. I love the paper costumes and remember donning my own paper pilgrim hat and white paper collar when I was his age!

I also made my first cherry pie. In fact, this was the first pie crust I made from scratch. I have some improvements to make for next time, but since my cousin Brad and I don't like pumpkin or pecan pie much, this should be a great substitute!

Happy Thanksgiving. We have much to celebrate by simply being alive!

sitting in seattle

This week I have been with my sister, Sara, in Seattle. There is a lovely view of the Space Needle from her new apartment and the ferry boats floating in and out of the city; when it's a clear day, that is.

Yesterday, I met up with Tia, a friend from Antarctica who drove shuttles with me my first season in McMurdo. We had a lovely walk through Volunteer Park and then sat at a coffee shop and caught up with each other. Tia makes amazing jewelry and has been finding great places to expand her business.

Strangely, we hardly talked about our time on Ice at all; mostly caught up on life since then and where we saw ourselves going in the next months. It was really good to meet with Tia in the "real world!"

Regardless of how you voted, this has been a turning point in history. It's been fascinating being in such a democratic venue (the city of Seattle) during this time when Obama won the election. At the coffee shop, they sold Obama cupcakes to commemorate the historical event. Of course, Tia and I had to have our little indulgence in history, so we each purchased one with our coffee! Aside from patriotism, they tasted as good as, or better than, they looked, too!

people against waxing apples

I made caramel apples today. My sister, Laura, put them together with her friend, Bri, last week and she ate one for me in honor of my birthday. But, I just got a hankering to make my own, so I had mom send the recipe this morning, picked up the ingredients on my way back from the coffee shop this afternoon, and whipped up a batch.

The caramel tastes fantastic. After coating the apples, I made a big goober of the leftover caramel on the waxed paper for "later" (ie. as soon as I post this blog).

Unfortunately, this was not my finest batch of the candied apples. My mistake may have been not letting the caramel cool enough before putting it on the fruit, but I believe more of my problem came due to the wax on the granny smiths. I'm quite sure that the caramel melted the wax and forced my candy coating to slide off the apple.

The flavors are all there; they just don't appear to be as beautifully coated as they should; all because people would rather buy a bright, shiny green waxed apple rather than a dull one. Such is life.

fifteen years too soon

I was walking through the grocery store the other day and happened upon a trendy new beverage that reminded me of something I would have rather left fifteen years in the past.

When we lived in Bothell, Washington, my dad's office was in the same building as a nutrition store. My dad would come home with the strangest "cures" or treatments for ailments; pills, powders, energy bars, and the most peculiar: A fungus that grew on our kitchen stove in a clear glass container. The actually cooking took very little time, but this fungus was perpetually in some state of growth on our stove or on the counter bathing itself in "tea." Somewhere during this process, it was drinkable and "healthy." And, at some point there was a place for regrowth of a new fungus from the parent. Whoever came up with this cycle and medicinal relevancy certainly had a peculiar sense of discovery.

In any case, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw this, kombucha, bottled up and sold at the grocery store, blended into juices and teas. There was an entire refrigerator full of different brands and flavors. If only those folks picking up this modern day supplemental drink (shown in picture from linked website) could see what it came from!

I guess my dad was 15 years ahead of the trend. It certainly would be something I would pick up and try a whole lot easier if I had not see the process of growing the stuff! But, in the end, perhaps I'll see what it tastes like anyway.

southwesty

Today I flipped to the other side of the border and began feeling a little southwesty (in terms of British Columbia that is). I spent most of my day in Abbotsford (Canada) today with my friend, Maria, and her lovely family of in-laws.

I joined she and her husband for church where the message began with a quote from Thomas Merton: "To hope is to risk frustration. Therefore, make up your mind to risk frustration." Frustration and hope; two concepts that I am most familiar with! That sort of clobbered me over the head as some heavy food for thought; although, I do not have to think long to know I have been so frustrated that I'm afraid to hope.

After the service, we had a mouthwatering breakfast of raspberry pancakes before heading off with her to Harrison; home of the hot springs.

The last time I had been up this direction was for our high school choir tour. I have pictures of us wandering around the lake between the mountains. The hot springs in the area have been funneled into a pool and are the very springs that one of my siblings decided to poop in at age one, or two. The entire pool was evacuated for cleaning. I remember I was learning to dog paddle that day with my friend, Nick, and brother, Matt.

Maria and I did not visit the pool today, though. Instead we looked in on the sand castle contest that was still standing on the shores of the lake and took a brisk walk in some slightly rainy weather. The area is still gorgeous; even under a cloud cover and it was great to spend time with a friend again.

We arrived back in Abbotsford to a wonderful lunch of barbecued chicken and some fantastic bread with good family conversation all around me. I sure beat spending the afternoon cooking for myself again; although, I have eaten quite healthy this week. It's always nice to have company.

I am becoming rather attached to the idea of working north of the border. British Columbia has some amazing and spectacular scenery. Maria and I found this out when we failed to read the appropriate signs to put us back on the most direct road home. We certainly were not disappointed with our drive in the hills and along the Fraser River. The yellow trees, green grass and blues of the hills were quite vibrant when the sun peaked through the mostly-cloudy skies. The afternoon away made for a simply wonderful Sunday!

the last day

Friday rolled around and I packed up my bags one last time. My flight was at 11:50pm, so I had a day to spend in the city yet.

I called Shaun and met up with him late in the morning and we made plans to visit the Centro area of the city. This is where much of the original architecture remains and also holds the financial district of the city.

We took the Metra to Se. When we walked out of the station we found ourselves right smack in the middle of things. Looking up was the towers of Catedral da Se. This 1920's church was constructed in place of one standing from the 1800's. I think it would have been more fascinating to see the original, but, this building is quite impressive all the same.

Shaun and I walked through quietly and observed the greatness of the building; noting how disappointing it is that the awe-inspiring feelings we had often become common place within these bricks when you visit them daily, or weekly. The focus is then less on looking up towards God, but more on one's self, the function or routine of going to church, and the small busy things that life distracts us with.

Shaun also noted some colors on the pillars inside the cathedral. I snapped a few photos of these stained glass reflections. There is something very unique and wonderful about being in such a well-structured, deliberately-constructed place. I'm sorry that our culture has lost this sort of fantastic architecture for buildings that can be slapped together in a shorter amount of time.

We also toured through Sao Paulo's "wall street." This area only has pedestrian streets throughout. We also visited a lovely art museum and tried to interpret what we saw. Eventually we found ourselves back at the Metra and back on Paulista for a good-bye.

On my way back to the hotel, I snapped a photo of the colorful tiles that I walked by all week. These colors represented what I thought of Brazil. Very vibrant and colorful!

My trip to the airport was also a bit of an adventure. I started out with early intentions, and am quite glad that I did. First I had to withdraw a little extra money to purchase a bus ticket. Since my bank had been bought out on Friday morning, none of the international banks wanted to take my card. I even went in to speak with someone and could not get cash out of my debit account. Finally, after a last ditch effort to walk up the street to the only American bank I had seen, I forked out a $5 ATM charge and was able to get a little cash.

At the hotel, the airport shuttle was to drive right past and pick me up on its' loop around the city. However, due to traffic, the bus avoided Augusta altogether and left me hanging. The gentlemen at the hotel were kind to speak with. They gave me a coffee and kept me well-entertained while I sat there for the two hours. Only one man spoke English and told me that everyone at the hotel like my smile.

At the end of this time, all four men who had been keeping an eye out for the bus came out to get me in a taxi. I was to go to the bus station at Repulica and catch the bus there. When I arrived, Djerson, the receptionist had called the station to make sure I arrived alright. That was certainly nice!

I ended up catching another taxi with two other folks on the way to the airport as the bus was running late due to Friday traffic and the price was nearly the same if we split the taxi. It was a relief to be at the airport and have some time to collect my thoughts before flying north again!

back to the bustle

I woke up early on Thursday morning, packed my bags, ate breakfast, and walked to the bus station only to find that, again, the bus tickets were sold out for the morning trip to Sao Paulo. That meant I had four hours to spend in Paraty (no complaints there), but it also meant I would be rolling into the city after dark (not entirely comfortable).

I picked up some maracuya "cake" (passion fruit) from a man with a cart of these creamy, gelatinous sweets, but the carts were not out in the morning. After a few raindrops, the morning turned quite lovely. I took advantage of the clear skies to take in the town and snap a good number of door and window pictures from Paraty.

Finally, on the way out of town, I picked up a couple of mangoes, said goodbye to Melissa (our hostess with the mostest at the hostel) and headed off to catch my afternoon bus. Mist and rain couldn't ruin the view from up in the hills looking back at the beach. The trip was beautiful with gorgeous overlooks and so many different colors of green; some that I never knew existed in nature!

The rolling windy roads, the humidity, and the fact that I seemed to catch Charlie's cold made for some discomfort. But, I kept my nose to the windowpane to watch the scenery pass.

I made it into Sao Paulo at 7:30, or so, caught the Metra back to the Consalcao station and walked down to the August Park Suites Hotel where my other bag was still being stored. Djervens, one of the English speaking desk receptionists was there trying to convince me to stay longer than one night, but he did have a room. Relief!

brazil at night

Upon arriving in Paraty, we were greeted a gorgeous evening. The little town was absolutely stunning! I shopped around town a bit by myself. I could walk around these streets for days; although, the cobblestones are easy to trip on if you don't watch your step!

The Misti Chill Hostel and Pousada is great. Melissa knows where to direct people and what is going on in the area. It's a great, clean place to stay and the group of people who are here have been fantastic to talk to.

On Wednesday evening we had a barbecue at the hostel. The food was excellent; so flavorful and well-seasoned. We had salads, bread, potatoes, roasted vegetables, and plenty of meat! The conversations flowed late into the evening about various travels; where people had been and where they were going. Besides Shaun, I only met one other American businessman in Sao Paulo. Most of the tourists come from Europe and find themselves on 'round-the-world adventures for a few months, or a year. I also believe that the visa requirements for Brazil make it easier for those of us from the United States to go to Buenas Aires, Santiago, or Lima.

One of the crew on board our escuna caminante (the boat I was on), seemed to take a liking to me and through some calculated words and careful interpretations, we understood that he was inviting Jo, Charlie, and I out dancing late that night. If I were by myself, I would have passed on the opportunity, but Jo seemed eager to help me learn a few traditional Brazilian dance steps, so at 11pm (Charlie stayed in to sleep off his cold), we ventured out to find the club.

Upon finding my new friend, Junior, we sat down and talked about where we were from, music, dancing, the boat, and such. We communicated through a variety of languages; English and Portuguese, but mostly meeting in the middle with Spanish, and then a good amount of gestures and smiles as well!

Jo encouraged us to try one of the dances Junior was talking about, so I learned a bit of the forro and once I caught on, he also integrated a bit of capoeira (a traditional Brazilian martial arts dance) into the steps. I was embarrassed and hesitant to try, but in the end, I am so glad I had the opportunity to go out dancing with a Brazilian national! He quite obviously knew how to dance!

The day was just a perfect day to spend in a different country; taking in every cultural thing I had in front of me!

my labor day labour

This morning I went out, determined to find the rest of the blackberries I needed to make blackberry jam. It did not have to walk too far; instead, I tramped through the vines and held a few stickery branches back to reveal a number of ripe berries. Regardless of my efforts not to get scratched and poked, my arm has a number of minor abrasions right now.

In any case, within 20 minutes, I had my container full and headed back inside to sieve the seeds out. Aunt Faye left me with instructions on the jam-making process, so while I strained the seeds from the pulp and juice, I ran through the recipe a couple times to remind myself of the steps. Making jam is a remarkably easy process; you just have to keep an eye on the pot.

After finally achieving five cups of juice and pulp, I could heat it up, add the sugar and pectin and finally get the jam in jars. There is an immense sense of accomplishment (for me) in seeing this process complete from start to finish. I remember making candles in 1st or 2nd grade by dipping our wick into wax over and over again and thinking the project would have been more fun if we could have procured our own wax from beehives! Being able to pick my own berries and mash them up and create something tasty that will last for awhile was rewarding in its' own domestic way.

And, of course, I had to sample some of my wares. I scraped some of the already-congealed jam out of the bottom of the pan and put it on toast. Yum! I have to say, this is a project I could definitely repeat every now and then! Perhaps next time I'll branch out and try a different fruit. Stay tuned.

moments

Here are a few moments from the past week that I am prepared to leave there:

one. Not finding a job or hearing back about one before Labor Day (or Labour Day, depending what country you are in).

two. The 36 minute phone call with Sprint (that did end up saving me $46).

three. Being upset that a communication snafu meant a missed connection with a friend.

four. Picking blackberries for two hours and still coming up a bit short for jam (my purple fingers are pictured at right).

five. Rain, rain, go away, come back some other gray day.

On the other hand, there are a few things I will hope for and look forward to in the next week, or month of September:

one. Fresh hopes to find a job in the month of September; my sixth month of searching. May I be so bold as to hope it is in this short work week?

two. To see my sister, Sara, this week. I also look forward to seeing a friend from 15 years ago, Maria.

three. To my long, leisurely coffee stop on Tuesdays and Fridays.

four. To possibly use some of my frequent flyer miles during the month to knock off another continent.

five. To find spontaneous and unexpected joys in life; and to give some of those joys to other people around me and far away.

warm fuzzy feelings

In the last couple of days, I paid attention to those good feelings:

one. smelling evergreen trees.

two. watching a good, redemptive movie with a cute lead actor (totally recommend Bella).

three. attending the church I grew up in and still feeling like I'm part of the family.

four. listening to great music with my sub-woofer in my car on a rainy day.

five. circus animal crackers; ya know, the ones totally coated with pink and white frosting and sprinkles!?

six. enjoying lunch with old friends, catching up with old neighbors, and snarfling* dessert with cousins and relatives.

seven. receiving a phone call from a friend who makes me feel like I still have an interesting life; even when I've got nothing to do except talk about what could be, should be, or might be (thanks, Amanda).

eight. sending a letter to a friend, or five friends, about all the things that could be, should be, or might be, but are not yet.

nine. making a kid smile. I make faces at them all the time and it makes them laugh (for ages 3 months to 4 years-ish only, though).

ten. sharing a similar experience or emotion with a friend and knowing someone else "understands."

*This is not really a word, but I used it a lot when I was little and think it should be revived:
Snarfle: v. the act of eating rapidly.
example 1) Jane was so hungry, she snarfled her breakfast.
example 2) No one else will get any supper if you keep snarfling all the food!

the new lasagna

I know my dad wouldn't get close to it with a ten foot fork (although, it's got cookies and butter and cheese and whole milk in it), but mom, you might enjoy this squash and carbohydrate-based dish.

I found a different sort of recipe for lasagna online. My search was inspired by a recent trip to Skylark's Hidden Cafe with my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Faye. My aunt and I split an order of butter nut squash lasagna and thought it was real tasty.

So, I found this recipe for butternut squash lasagna. I was nervous about the end result, but it turns out all three of us like the dish it turned out to be. We even pulled out a bottle of wine with supper. I enjoyed it enough to make it again sometime!

unusual observations

one. I voted for the first time in a primary election; at least to my recollection. Washington has a new system where the candidates do not claim a party and we could end up seeing two people from the same party running against each other.

two. I enjoy walking.

three. It's blackberry season again. I saw this quote for the occasion:
Earth's crammed with heaven,
and every common bush afire with God,
but only he who sees takes off his shoes;
the rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
-- Elizabeth Barrett Browning --

four. I don't enjoy discussing my job prospects, previous employment, or lack of work with people I don't know well, but I feel like I have to in order to network.

five. It only took me five months to get to wear my new bike helmet after I purchased it. My bike is still functioning fabulously; just had to pump up the tires and lube the chain after a year of non-use.

six. I, like many other Ice people, still have a difficult time patiently explaining to people that Antarctica is south; not north. Along the same lines, please note: There are no polar bears there...in Antarctica, a continent...on the south side of the world.

seven. The Belgians make wonderful chocolate.

eight. Canada's CBC has better Olympics coverage than NBC.

nine. On August 16, my two sisters, brother, and myself were all in the same state (of Washington) at the same time. This is unusual, because you typically can't find us in the same country.

ten. If I had a dollar for each one of my frequent flier miles, I would be wealthy.

reflecting and redirecting

I mentioned awhile ago that I am in a good place in life right now. For being a planner, I have given up on my own life; at least for the time being.

Plans. Out the window.

That frees me up to spend more time focusing on other important parts of life. Mostly, to focus on my faith and the people around me who never cease to show their care and love; no matter how recently or long ago I last saw them. This week has been a concerted effort to catch up on birthday cards.

Yesterday I spent an evening out with my friend, Michelle, from elementary school. I love how we can still talk about life as good friends together. We had a great time talking about our lives over the past year together and the changes that were happening for each of us.

Prior to meeting her for dinner I spent a lazy and long afternoon in the Fairhaven district of Bellingham. I label this area as a restored eclectic, eccentric, relic of what once was. Old buildings bring character to the area and a fascinating mix of people add an abundance of diversity. The gorgeous weather recently made wandering through shops and the farmers market all the more marvelous.

I found myself there after the mundane task of adding some air pressure to my tires to get out of the house and find some new space. I found a lovely little coffee spot; maybe even two of them, to visit on occasion. I let my thoughts run wild while journaling over a coconut mocha and a nanaimo bar (not entirely healthy, but otherwise pretty tasty, and if you haven't ever had one, put that on your own life's 'to-do' list; but not at this coffee shop because it wasn't the best one I've had).

This place in life right now feels surreal. On one hand, I am so alive; a willing and active participant in a colorful and vibrant world. On the other hand, as I sit and watch the earth move, I feel like I am viewing everything move in double time while I, personally, remain on pause. It's good to slow down. Perhaps this is what I was meant to find this whole time "off" I have been given.

I recommend a book that has helped me appreciate the scope of God's love called The Shack. It's a novel, (controversial and downright frustrating among some who read it on a theological level), that brings a broken and sad man to God, in the form of an odd trinity of people (just keep in mind, the author wrote it as a novel and not to replace the truth of the Bible). It helped me realize that God is not keeping me from any particular job; in fact, he's got a door flung wide open to the place and position he wants me to be. While it is still disappointing to receive a negative response from someone regarding an interview or opportunity I looked forward to, I visualize myself leaving the threshold of that particular room and being pushed further down the hallway to something better; the place God has set aside for me to serve and glorify him.