I made a recipe from Molly's blog this week. A bundt cake that is not in her book that I saw on her blog a while back. Sweet Potato Pound Cake. It sounded really good and hey, if it has sweet potatoes, it must be healthy, right? Well, it is so good! So good that I can't resist it. I keep shaving off little slivers of it, just for one more taste and couldn't believe how much those little slivers add up to until I went to take a picture of it to post here. After looking at how much I had single-handedly eaten, I decided I was too embarrassed to take the cover off for a picture to post. Here is the link to the blog to get the recipe. http://orangette.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-mean-it.html It really is worth the effort to give it a try. I recommend the glaze on top too. It has helped keep it moist for days now. I made it on Friday and by today, it is even better than Friday! (of course, it is way more eaten up by now too!) Just in case you really want to see how it looks, here it is.

I really did eat all that by myself in just one day! YIKES! I should be ashamed of myself...but NO, I'm ready for another piece. (it is called POUND cake for a reason)

I spent all day Saturday at the Red Cross instructing a class. Client Casework: Providing Emergency Assistance. It is a class to learn how to fill out all of the forms we use when we give out assistance to somebody in a disaster, either in a local fire or on a larger national disaster. The Red Cross has so many forms that have to be filled out to account for the money and they require them to be filled out the uniformly across the nation, so we have a standard guide we follow to teach everyone exactly how the form should be done. It is kind of an overwhelming class to be in. There is so much information to process. But I kept telling them over and over to not worry, once they are actually out on a call, it will all make sense and not seem so confusing when you realize how to put it all to use.

I still can't believe that I teach now. When I first began with the Red Cross, at one of the orientation classes I took, we were told all the ways we can be involved. One of them was teaching and I sat there thinking to myself, "there is no way that I would get up in front of a group and teach!" Now here I am. But it is so easy! Client Casework is what I love to do and it is just a simple thing to pass on the information that I have learned over the time I have volunteered there.

But I still need to get up the nerve to donate blood. Last time I did that was at a blood drive in high school...when it was over and I stood up, I nearly fainted and had to lay down.

I got to have Emily and Joshua for the weekend! We had a really fun time. Saturday we went up the gorge to take pictures some of the falls with my friend Bonnie. Bonnie is a friend of mine from from the thrid grade when our family moved from Portland out to Boring. Our Moms became friends being room mothers at Cottrell Grade School and we hung out together a lot. We lost touch after school and then met up again a few years ago at out high school class reunion. We found out that we both like taking pictures and meet up and go take pictures now and then. So anyway, Emily and Joshua like to hike and they like to take pictures so we took them along with us. It was a chilly day, but we had fun and didn't get rained on. We even were able to have a picnic lunch. Emily and I went clothes shopping in the evening while Grandpa stayed home and played Mario on the DS and Age of Empires on the computer with Joshua. We had Chinese take out for dinner. Then on Sunday, we went to the Hood Theater and saw 'Bolt'. I like how they make animated shows interesting for kids and adults. It was pouring rain when we left the theater, so that is why Emily is making a run for the car in the picture. Later in the afternoon, we went to Great Grandma and Grandpa McCool's and had pizza with them at their place. It is always so much fun to have them around, deciding which one is going to sleep with me, what we are going to have to eat for every meal, what shape their pancakes are going to be in, and just where Joshua is going to stick his new toothbrush. (check out the picture again) (double click on it to make it bigger)

I've been going through the recipes from Molly's cookbook and decided that I should try one of her bundt cakes. The way she describes them makes them even more enticing...like it is not only a bundt cake, no, it is topped with a fresh orange topping you make up and serve while it is all warm. It just makes you want to sink your teeth in right now! The one I thought I should try first was one with blue berries and raspberries. Since I have a freezer full of berries from the garden last summer, I figured it would work out perfectly, even though I was not sure if frozen would work in the recipe, I think it was written for fresh ones. But then I looked over the recipe once more before I started and wouldn't you know it...I'm fresh out of Kirsch (well, we did have a bottle once when our friends from Switzerland brought us one when they visited)...and the liquor store is closed on Sunday. OK, so I decided to make the Buttermilk Vanilla Bundt..oh, no...I don't have a vanilla bean. So I decided to go to the store and get one...also, take a look and see if there is any kirsch in the wine section...(there was not)...BUT! Did you know that ONE vanilla bean is $14.99??? No way! For one cake? I have to find a better place to buy them. Since they grow them in the Dominican Republic, I am going to see if Jessi can get them for me and send them here...even with international postage, I am sure that it is not going to cost $15 dollars to make a cake. So I came home and remembered that magneted to the fridge is a recipe for a bundt cake that I ripped out of the Oregonian last week. Tiger Cake is what it is called. Chocolate and vanilla swirl. It sounded kinda different...well, REALLY different...it has you use olive oil instead of the regular oil and of all things...WHITE PEPPER. Pepper in a cake? Well, I do have white pepper (and it did not cost anything near $15), so why not? I gave it a try. It is fantastic! I can taste the pepper, but it is not like it tastes like pepper but it is sweet like a cake should be, kinda hard to describe what I mean, but it is GOOD. It was such a surprise when I sliced off a piece and there were all those swirls. When I layered it into the pan, I really didn't expect it to swirl the way the recipe said it would. But it really does just do its own thing in the oven like it said it would.

Orangette It was accidental that I found her blog. John was on his computer playing 'the game' and I was on mine. I was bored, and decided to have a look at some other people's blogs, so I pressed that little 'next blog' button on the top of my blog and began going through some other blogs. You randomly find all kinds of blogs...you find them in every language, you find things you really don't want to look at at all, some even have music to listen to while you read. I was just hopping through them, when I landed on 'Orangette'. Her writing was so nice to read, humorous and captivating. Along with each entry, she included a recipe and picture that tied in with what she wrote. Well, I love to read and I love to cook and you know I love to take pictures, so I marked it as a favorite and kept going back to see what she put on each week. Not only did I like her style of writing, I liked her recipes. One of the first ones I tried was for granola. It is easy and really good and healthy, made with applesauce to stick it together. I make it all the time now. Another one that stands out is a cheesy tomato pasta that I can't stop eating when I make it. Just tonight I made her tomato soup, which includes of all things, chopped cilantro stems and jalapeno. It is fantastic! Well, a few months back she announced on her blog that she was writing a book, and later on we could pre-order one. Then that she was going to have a book signing. I looked over the list of places she was signing and sure enough, she was on the list for Portland, at Powell's Bookstore. So last night after we had our little birthday dinner for Lindy, I drug Lindy and Cyndi with me to get my book signed. Just what Lindy wanted to do for her birthday. I have never been to a book signing before. It was really fun. Molly Wizenberg is her real name. The name of her book is 'A Homemade Life'. She read the first chapter of her book (her chapters are really short), then she answered questions and began signing. I know she has quite the following on her blog, but was amazed to discover that there are about 8-10 THOUSAND who go to her blog EACH DAY! Amazing! Next thing I plan on doing is going to Seattle where her husband is going to be opening up a restaurant named 'Delancey'. They hope to open sometime in May if all goes as planned. Just in case you want to take a look at a REAL blog, here is the link. http://orangette.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday, Lindy!
Last night we went to the Old Country Kitchen and had happy hour food for dinner to celebrate Lindy's birthday. After that we went to Powell's Bookstore in Portland for a book signing. (which had NOTHING at all to do with Lindy's birthday)

It just felt like spring today! I felt like I wanted to get out to the yard and start working on the flowers. But even though the sun was out, it was still only 51 degrees. There are a few bulbs up, about to bloom, the pussy willow is blooming, the forsythia and flowering cherry trees are about to burst, but that is about it so far, there are not even any weeds yet. I wandered around for a while looking it all over. Then I came back inside and worked on a different kind of flowers...flowers made from flour. Now it is spring inside at least.

Thanks, Chele!

Memories. We all have memories of things, moments, foods, good times, bad times, traditions, trips, all those things. But what is interesting to me is how things that are considered MY memories are also someone else's memories just as much as mine. And how those memories are always there and kinda forgotten until somebody else pulls them to the front of your mind again. That is what happened to me today. My cousin Chele was reminiscing in an email about a trip we took with our Grandparents way back when she was 6, which would have made me about 11. I just looked at some pictures and they are dated 1967. OK, so it has been a few years...try 42, since we took that trip! No wonder those pictures are a bit fuzzy. Grandma and Grandpa McCool loaded my two sisters and me and my cousin Michelle, (now called Chele), into their truck and camper and off we went to Yellowstone Park. It was a really fun time. That was back in the days of no seat belts and rules, like I would ride up front with Grandma and Grandpa and the kids would ride in the back in the camper. Now, I'm talking, camper... not one of those over the cab type, it was just an over the bed of the truck, camper. When we stopped for the night, I got to sleep alone up in the cab and the rest of them slept in the camper. It was a fun trip. For us kids. I wonder how it was for Grandma and Grandpa. We went farther away from home than any of us kids had ever been before. We saw the Snake River, buffalo, bears, deer, Old Faithful erupt along with a few other geysers and the lava beds in Eastern Oregon. I kept a diary the whole way through and it is funny to read it now. I have not done that in a long time, I need to pull it back out of my trunk. Well, one of the things that Chele reminded me of was while we were on this trip, Grandma would mix honey into the peanut butter jar and make us the best sandwiches. The whole entire morning, all I could think of is 'peanutbuttermixedwithhoney' sandwiches. Fortunately for me, I have both in the cupboard, so guess what I just had for lunch?

You got it! It tasted as good as my memory had left it, which is not true for all memories.

FINALLY!!! The big day arrived! John and Dad delivered the flowers while the girls got dressed. We arrived at 9 am for before wedding photos. The wedding was scheduled for 11:30. Photos were done, the Americans (and Candace the Canadian) were all ready...but the Dominican bridesmaids were just showing up...the groom arrived...the bride went into hiding...the musician was still not there, and none of his equipment, by 12:30 he was there setting up...and the guests were slowly filtering in. Us Americans had a real culture moment as we waited around. Nobody seemed concerned at all, including us, it was not OUR party. At 1:20 John walked Jessi down the aisle! The sun was out, the sky deep blue, the ocean in front of us the most gorgeous turquoise. A perfect backdrop for a wedding. They became husband and wife and headed down the aisle and took a few more pictures. While they were taking pictures, the guests had a snack of Ritz crackers with cheese and a fruit punch. Then we were all shuttled up to the front part of Sea Horse Ranch where the reception tents had been set up. Everyone greeted them with bubbles as they walked into the tent. We ate all kinds of typical Dominican foods, including a roasted pig, roasted chickens, tamales, and a few other things I don't have names for. They cut the cake, toasted, she threw her bouquet. They said their goodbyes and were off on their honeymoon. The next morning we were on a plane headed back to the states. Our goodbyes at the wedding were pretty tough. Not only did she have to say goodbye to all of us, she also had to part with Candace, her room mate for the past 2 1/2 years. Candace is now back in Canada, possibly to take up nursing studies. It all went way to fast!

Monday we went back out to the school so they all could see where Jessi works. We had lots of time for shopping, walking on the beach, eating at the restaurants just a short beach walk from our house, had pedicures, good coffees, good wine, and lots of good times. It poured rain those first few days. We had to cancel plans for some of the sightseeing we had planned, but it didn't seem to matter, we kept busy anyway. It poured! At times the water was ankle high in the streets. Fortunately we didn't have any serious flooding in the area we were in.

Ariel came over and he and Jessi cooked us a typical Dominican dinner.

Then it was time to get busy doing what we came to do...help put on a wedding! We wrapped candy kisses, strung up the programs, tied bows on bubbles, and finally drove to Santiago to the flower shop and bought the flowers. Friday was the day to put it all together. It was a long day, but sure was worth it to see how beautiful it all came together.

Saturday we moved from the team house to the house that we rented in Cabarete. It was an awesome place. Each of the three bedrooms had a bathroom. Outside by the pool was another bedroom with another bathroom. Jessi and Julie shared that room. Candace came out at the end of the week and stayed there with them also. Eileen and Julie arrived on Saturday and Mom and Dad arrived on Sunday.

Friday...tooth pulling day. I was for sure not prepared for that! Those little kids showed up, walked in, got numbed up and their little rotten teeth pulled right out. Some had up to 6 teeth pulled out. The team did their best to save any teeth that were permanent and can be filled. A local dentist has offered her services for simple cases in the future. Most of the kids walked to the school alone and went home alone afterwards. No forms to sign for permission, nothing like that. Such a difference from how we would handle our own kids getting a tooth pulled. There were only a few who were scared the way they had all been the day before for a simple little shot. Maybe that is because they don't have that done very often. Next time the word will be spread and they will all come in freaked out, IF they come at all. I could not believe how the team came so prepared, they had portable folding dental tables for the kids to lay on, all the right tools...well, not ALL the tools, one dentist was working on a little boy and jokingly asked for 'suction'...which they didn't have. But they laid it all out and even sterilized it in between. Pretty well organized. What was the most shocking to me was that those teeth looked like they were already filled...the whole tops of some teeth were gray black like a silver filling. But how wrong I was. Some of them had only parts of their tooth in there. some were rotted all the way to the root. I've added some gory pictures just so you can see for yourself how gross it was. How in the world were those kids existing, studying, laughing and playing in that condition. My job that day was to hold their little hands and try to talk them through it. Some cried, a few screamed, a few had to be held down, but most handled it really well.

Oh wow...so where do I begin? There is so much to write...and only 1,ooo+ pictures to sort through to help tell the story. I spent the whole day today on the pictures and finally am able to update the blog. As you know we left here on Tuesday at 5:30, flew all night, first to LA, then to Miami, getting there at 4 am. The flight to Puerto Plata left at 2:30 in the afternoon. We got there at 4:30. Two days travel to get there. In September we only had one day of travel, but the airlines have cut so many flights it is impossible to book a flight from Portland to get us there in one day. I was so excited to see her again. The first three nights, before the rest of the gang we were sharing a house with arrived, we stayed in the Kids Alive team house. Jessi stayed there with us. She still had work to do, so we went to the school with her. A team of doctors, nurses and dentists from the states was showing up to give Hepatitis B shots and cavity screening on Thursday and Friday they were going to pull teeth on those who obviously needed help. They decided I needed to learn to give a shot. I was sure I did NOT need to learn it, but gave in. After the first shot, I was shaky...I wanted to sit down. But I made myself do it again and it was easier the second time. Those kids got themselves so worked up. Before they even got the shot they were just so dramatic...crying and some had to be forced into the shot room...some little guys worked themselves up into a sweat.

Hola...well, we are here, having a good time, and I have taken tons of pictures...maybe like over 1,000!!! Trouble is that I don't have a computer that I can download them to in order to post them on the blog, so you will have to wait to see them until I get home. I am really sad about that because I have some really good stories and pictures to go with them. Like the first day here, a team arrived to give Hepititis B shots to the kids...and screen them for the tooth pull, which was the following day. So on the first day, in came the team, one doctor, two dentists, and 5 nurses. They asked me if I wanted to learn to give a shot and at first I was like "No way!" but I thought it over and ended up doing it. I felt like I needed to sit down afterwards, though. A little while later, I decided to try it again and was much better with some experience behind me. So then on Friday, they arrived and they started pulling teeth. I could NOT believe it! Some of those kids needed 4 teeth pulled, a few even 6!!! They would open their little mouths and you could just out and see those cavities, it looked to me like a silver filling. They would shoot up the mouth with novacaine and just out and pull the tooth. Wow, did I ever learn a lot. I held hand, held some kids down, and wiped a ton of tears. Plus took tons of pictures. I can't wait to show them all to you. Yesterday, Jessi's room mate from college, Julie and her mother Eileen arrived, and today, my Mom and Dad finally made. Sothat is our trip so far in a nutshell, I decided to take advantage of a rare moment with a computer and update this even if I don't have any pictures to go with it. Sorry! More as soon as possible!

I'm out of here!

Spring is on its way, the tax refund is on its way and I AM ON MY WAY!!! Time to warm these frosty toes in the warm Caribbean sand.

I did my taxes last night. I have used Turbo Tax for a few years now. It is such a good program! They even have it automatically deposited into our account! Nice to know that it's on its way too!

These guys have been working their way out of the ground for a couple of weeks now. Nice to know spring is on its way!

The countdown is on!

It has been a busy few weeks since Christmas! I addressed the invitations and then got them mailed at the Bridal Veil post office, of course, to get that 'bridal veil' postmark. I have my dress sewn and then a last minute decision to have a flower girl prompted me to make a little flower girl dress. Mom and I have been hunting down the supplies we will need to do the flowers, but don't know if we can find once we get there. Who would have thought that it would take 3 days and uncountable stops at craft and florist shops to inquire, in order to find 1 inch wide floral ribbon in baby pink, kelly and mint green!Last week I pulled out the suitcases to start tossing in the things we have to bring for the wedding decorations along with the clothes. It looks like I will have my two largest bags full of just wedding supplies. Bazzel has made his bed on top of one. This is where I find him sleeping every day. I wonder if he thinks we won't notice when we pack and that we will take him along.

Mom and I made it in to have a pedicure so that we will have pretty pink toenails in our wedding shoes. On top of it all, I have jury duty this week! What timing, right? I hope they don't put me on a jury...I still have a veil to make! Do you think the judge will notice if I bring along my sewing machine?

Lunches out...

When my kids started school, I started meeting other moms whose kids were in the same classes, moms who were on PTA or were room mothers. We built the fitness trail at the grade school, put on fundraising dinners, ran the carnivals, started the art print program, weighed and measured the kids, went to board meetings and made cupcakes and cookies for school parties. A few of us really hit it off and little by little we started getting together for lunch or something when it did not have to do with school business. We had a book read for a while, one of us picked the book and we all read it...then another picked a book and we read that...it lasted through a couple of books. Next we tried to lose weight. We all weighed in every week. For every pound we gained we had to put money in a jar. It was supposed to be incentive to lose, but instead we had quite a savings going and that started our first overnight get away. We took the money and all went overnight to the beach. We had enough in there to pay for our room and a really nice dinner! (OK, so it was not a very successful weight loss program!) From there on, we took a few trips together. We have been to the Oregon coast, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Palm Springs and one year they went to New York (I missed it that year) We've been together through funerals, our kids graduations and weddings, surgeries, became Grandmas, had way too many birthdays and many ups and downs in our families lives. We don't go on the trips anymore, it just got to be too hard to schedule that much time away that we could all go. But, even after all these years we still get together as much as we can. Last week 4 of us managed to schedule in a lunch. Above is a picture of Mary, Joan and Sandie after lunch. Marvel and Carol and Sheri could not make it. Here is the whole gang (except Sandie) at Sandie's daughter's wedding.













A couple of weeks ago, I met my Mom and Dad and Cyndi for lunch. Lindy had to work or she would have been there too. Cyndi thought it was funny that Dad and I wore the same color and had to take a picture of us. She made some comment about us not letting them know that we were supposed to wear brown. Then Dad looked at her and Mom and said, "Well, YOU guys didn't tell us that we were supposed to wear purple!" and then we all just laughed because Mom and Cyndi were perfectly matching in their purple. So we had to have a picture of them too. We are easily entertained.

Obama's Presidential Inauguration. This is as close as I got.