Turning Japanese...

...Well, Chinese, actually. The Thirty Hour Famine is coming up soon for our middle schoolers and it will have a Chinese theme (I'm not sure what this will entail- I missed that meeting). Tonight the leadership team is getting together to take some promotion pictures, so I'll be making bacon-fried rice and dusting off the ol' black wig.

Those other Redskins may have stunk, but hopefully the diced rosemary and garlic ones we're having with omelettes on Sunday will be better.

What's The Most Important Ingredient In My Favorite Pasta? LIGHT!

When I got home from vacation my neighborhood was without power due to a few fallen trees that had taken down our power lines. It happened on Sunday night, but I didn't get back until Monday afternoon, so I had plenty of daylight hours to transfer mostly frozen food down to camp (which is on the same system as the fire station so they are never without power for more than a few seconds) and to root around my junk drawer in search of matches. I like a good power outage because it reminds me of thunderstorms when I was a kid, when we'd light tons of candles and sit around the living room listening to my Dad tell stories. When dinner time came, I cooked as I usually do, i thought, but the results were disappointing.



hmm...is there such a thing as run-on sentence anonymous?

For Those Of You Just Joining Us...I Went To Vermont!!!

For even more pictures visit Potent Tates, Wanderings and Wonderings, By Wing and Wave, and Rocket Surgery.

Carry On Carillon.

My first stop on the magical mystery tour was the Carillon Cruise on Lake Champlain. Our phenomenally gracious hosts sent us on a sight-seeing cruise to the birthplace of the United States Navy with our very own uniformed sailor. Our boat (ship/vessel?) was decked out with large windows, a Captain who looked like the Gorton's fisherman, a tour guide who cursed like a sailor once his mic was turned off, an observation deck, many thermoses of coffee and, of course, its own "head" in the back.

We pulled into this lock once we reached White Hall New York. We floated around the city for a few minutes, then went back into the lock and got off for tea and lunch at the Skene Manor.

On our way back, we hustled onto the windy deck to get pictures in front of the lake house from the water. Unfortunately, I had my camera on telephoto when I handed it to the Captain's wife, so this is how our group shot turned out.

Here are are Bowden, Lucy and Mr. and Mrs. Tate waving from the house (their visages have been obscured by distance for fear that the news of their overwhelming generosity will spread to all travelers and they'll never again get a moment's peace).

"Oh. Yeah, we should face the sun."

This outing was such fun- the first glimpse of a wonderful vacation. I'm not sure how I wormed my way into the family, but I have been so blessed and encouraged by the welcoming that comes from the love of Christ coloring their lives.

Skene Manor

Our visit to this impressive old mansion afforded us a tasty lunch and several pots of tea.

Uff Da!

Christine and company came over for lunch on Wednesday. There were eleven kids running, toddling and being carried all over the lake shore where they constructed a house/fort complete with a bean garden. My long lost cousin (it could be true)Suzanne came over to visit and discuss all things Norsk, you know, gjetost and lefse- the usual. She was disappointed that I don't know the language, but I was able to throw out a few bizarre phrases like: "what's that up in the sky?" She's only a quarter Norwegian, but she totally put me to shame by being fluent, and singing to the birthday girl Christine in our ancestral language complete with folk-dancing. I wish that I had thought to take video instead of pictures, but if your brain has that animation flip-book feature these stills will transport you to the land of the fjords.











Sarah loaned me her glasses for this twin shot. I look shockingly like my cousin Jill.

Driftwood Bonfire

Wednesday night after the chickens went to roost, we had a bonfire on the shore. I zipped up my sweatshirt, added a jacket, grabbed a mug of hot coffee, then made my descent.

The boys had raised quite a blaze, and we all pulled up a log and settled in. I soon took off my jacket, ditched the sweatshirt and asked for a cold ginger ale.

We saw a flare that we established was shot for our benefit, and spent the rest of the night freaking ourselves out at the thought of being pursued by forest dwellers. Good times.

Thank You Peck Family!

On Thursday night we were invited to to the Peck's for a wonderful enchilada dinner. It was homegrown and delicious and we even had four berry pie for dessert! It was so nice to talk and laugh (mocha) with a family that I had heard so much about. Sadly my plans to kidnap Jamin were foiled, but it was still a lovely visit. I wish I had taken pictures!!

The Finer Things In Life

Our trip in to the Rutland Mall for nothing in particular quickly turned into a first-time pedicure extravaganza!!!! Okay, Sharon has had one before, and I've had many, but this was the first time that I've gotten one in Vermont and from a white person (that's just racial!). I asked if she could put a little rhinestone moose on my big toe, but my humor was lost on her.

Sarah may be hooked.

It was yet another wonderful, Tate-sponsored event. Poor Nathanael who was forced along for this ride was nice enough to take a picture (we were trying to get our newly beautiful feet in the shot, but were far too relaxed to lift our legs that high). We were then promptly told by security that picture taking in the mall is forbidden. I really can't imagine why.

Last Day Picture Frenzy

The Beautiful Vacation Locale

This cute corduroy number was pristine when we left for our walk. It would not remain so.

I snapped away whenever I saw any red, orange or gold so that I'd have plenty of choices when posting vacation pictures. When I actually started to post, however, I decided to go in order- particularly painful to which my fellow bloggers can attest. The tedium of this task forced me to select pictures without any editing. Please enjoy all of the glory:

Wandering woodland nymph.

Please ignore the above photo. Sarah just told me that she doesn't like it.

Visiting the neighbors.

I can't remember why, but here's Jobie doing the Macarena.

Lucy post-puddle.



We don't have vegetation remotely this size in California.

Bowden shot.

Lucy was under strict instructions to stay "on the bridge".