You Did What!?!?

40 Years!

2010-06-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

My parents are married 40 years today.

Starting out as a young couple...

Until today...

Mollie and the Bracelet

2010-05-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

Anything can turn into a cat toy, even a bracelet.

Comfortable Lollie

2010-05-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

It doesn't look comfortable to me.

But she doesn't seem to mind.

Cat Fight

2010-05-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Who will win? Will the claws come out?

It looks like Mollie is going to back down.

Sleeping Mollie

2010-05-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Both cats love to sleep, almost as much as they like to eat.

Rat (or Mouse) Loves Rice

2010-05-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that I use Rat Loves Rice as sort of an internet handle. But I don't know if all of you know why. It comes from a Chinese pop song named 老鼠爱大米. That translates to Rat (or Mouse) Loves Rice. The Chinese word for rat and mouse is the same. Here is an English version of the song. The grammar is pretty bad, but you will get the basic point.

Camp Porch

2010-05-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

A line of rocking chairs that have sat on the camp porch for as long as I can remember.

Me and My Lovey

2010-05-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Some people cuddle with stuffed animals, Mollie cuddles with people's feet.

More of the Movers

2010-05-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

The truck is ready and waiting for more stuff.

Let's get this mattress in the truck.

Yes, even the AC unit goes in the truck.

A dresser only takes one person.

But a wardrobe actually takes 2 people to move.

Moving, Asian-style

2010-05-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

My neighbor left Asia at the same time as me, but she was coming back in 6 months so she hired a team of movers to put all her furniture and stuff in storage.

The movers were an interesting and exciting experience. I love the red banner used to carry three trunks at once.

Or maybe 5 boxes at once.

One little Asian man carrying a mattress.

Uh Oh! The truck is almost full. Looks like we are going to have to make 2 trips.

Sleeping Kitty

2010-05-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

An unmade bed is also a cat magnet.

Homemade Pretzel Rolls

2010-05-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

I tried making homemade pretzel rolls a few weeks ago. I wasn't completely happy with the results so I will wait to post a recipe until I find one that I like better. I made mine in the bread maker using my break maker pretzel recipe.

It is so much easier then kneading dough by hand. I love the bread maker.

Once the dough was ready, I divided each batch into 12 pieces.

Then we tried to fashion each segment into a pretzel shape.

Then we let them rise.

After rising, they needed to be boiled.

Turning once.

My parents had found a big container of pretzel salt at a store in Amish country. Guess I will be making lots of pretzels.

After boiling, I brushed egg whites of the top of the pretzels and sprinkled them with salt.

Camp Art

2010-05-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Art at an angle.

Cats and Coats

2010-05-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure a coat laying on the floor or on a chair is a cat magnet.

Shopping in Amish Country

2010-05-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

I live close to Amish country. After a nice little drive, you can be in a land of farms and little country stores.

My parents like to make the drive every few months to buy cheese and meat. This store is owned by the Amish so there is no electricity inside and no photos inside.

This is their favorite butcher.

They make the best sausage.

And you also get to see some beautiful scenery.

Lollie and the Bird

2010-05-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most annoying cat toys ever invented. It makes a high pitched chirping noise when they play with it. Of course, they love it.

More Home-Made Earrings

2010-05-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hearts for sappy days.

Beads from the Terra Cotta Warrior exhibit in DC.

Small blue beads and JOY.

And Steelers\Penguins fan fare.

Bottles

2010-05-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

I know they are just filled with colored water.

But these bottles made an interesting subject to photograph.

The only problem was that they were high above my comfortable line of sight.

Jealous

2010-05-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Just like human sisters, one always wants what the other one has.

Fall Flowers

2010-05-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

I really like these flowers.

They are a perfect compliment to the wooden fence.

And some even add a splash of color.

Christmas Cookie Surprise

2010-05-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am really blogging about Christmas cookies in May. Timely posts aren't really my thing. I like to write posts ahead which is pretty funny since my material is so behind.

Any way, I went to a cookie exchange in December. I decided to try something new, so I used this recipe Yeah, my cookies looked nothing like that. They actually turned out looking pretty bad, but they tasted pretty good.

I started with colored sugar cookie dough.

I used red, green, and white dough.

Which I rolled out and cut into circles.

Then I placed the circles on the baking sheet and put mini chocolate chips in the center of each circle.

I placed a second circle on top. And used a fork to pinch the top and bottom together.

Then decorate and bake.

Not the prettiest cookies but still yummy.

Comfy

2010-05-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Curled up on my favorite human with my favorite blanket, life is good.

60 Years of Craziness

2010-05-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

60 years ago, a sweet little baby girl was born. She seemed so sweet and innocent as a baby.

She grew up into a crazy and wonderful woman.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Pointsettia

2010-04-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

A look back at a Christmas Poinsettia.

Egg Hunt

2010-04-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

On Palm Sunday, my parents' church had an Easter Egg hunt. Can you find an egg?

The little kids were very excited.

They had fun picking up all the eggs.

The bigger kids were a bit less excited, but still hunted in between shivering from the cold weather.

Dryer Sheet

2010-04-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

I am not sure why, but Lollie loves to lay on top of dryer sheets. Can anyone explain that?

Ropes

2010-04-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, I love artistic photos.

Spring is Here

2010-04-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

Spring is here.

The flowers are blooming.

A cheery welcome after a cold winter.

Snowman Down

2010-04-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Good job tackling that snowman. One less threat around the house to worry about.

Rope Swing

2010-04-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

Does this look fun?

Maybe it looks more exciting like this?

I don't like heights, so you wouldn't catch me swinging.

But I had fun taking photos while I watched.

Offerings of Incense

2010-04-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

The small flames and smoldering incense always make me a little sad.

It can seem so innocent.

But it is really a empty offering.

Earring Idea

2010-04-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

I intended to make these into some cute Halloween earrings, but I still haven't figured out how.

Twins!

2010-04-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

Hey! You look like me!

Because we are twins, silly!

Kitty Prison

2010-04-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Some days, the cats meow one too many times, then it is time for kitty prison.

A Gift for Me

2010-04-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

I celebrated getting a job by buying myself a present. I have wanted a new camera for about 2 years now. It wasn't a need, but it was a definite want.

The camera was part of a kit that included 2 lenses.

Opening the box was an exciting experience.

All the fun things inside.

The camera and first lens. This is the one that I use most often.

The second lens. It even came with a little bag.

Life in the Water

2010-04-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

Floating around with nothing to do.

It's the turtle version of sleeping.

I'm watching you.

The Cat and the Bear

2010-04-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Lollie is using my stuffed panda (Jia You) as a pillow.

Shope's Bethel at Christmas

2010-04-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

I went to church with my parents several times around Christmas. While there, I photographed some of the Christmas decorations.

Window decor.

Nativity Scene.

Advent Wreath.

Poinsettia Tree.

Star.

Luminaries.

Lit Advent Wreath.

Another Earring Edition

2010-04-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

I got the Chinese beads in DC at the Terra Cotta Warrior exhibit.

Pink flowers. You can see that I clipped the beads at the bottom. Not completely clean, but not as noticeable when worn.

I don't know what to call these yellow beads.

Butterflies.

Looking Out

2010-04-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

A little quiet time to gaze out across the water.

Final Corn Maze

2010-04-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

Roots.

An overview.

What a cute little farm.

A fallen stalk.

Stalks.

The outside edge of the maze.

More Corn Maze

2010-04-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Closeup of the corn.

Complete with kernels.

The path of the maze.

Hiding in the corn stalks.

The tops of the corn.

Stalks.

Corn Maze

2010-04-11T16:30:00.001-07:00

Fall also means corn mazes. Eventually, I hope to get a few posts that are actually written close to when they happen.

A map of what the maze looks like from above. It didn't help.

This was my first corn maze.

We went toward the end of the season, because we had been rained out a few weeks earlier.

I have no idea what these are.

But they are interesting looking.

Minarets

2010-04-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

All four minarets.

And a closer look at one.

Mt Olivet

2010-04-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Last fall, we went to visit Mount Olivet.

It is the classic little country church.

That still has an outhouse, although they are working on installing indoor plumbing.

Windchimes

2010-04-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

A heart for you.

Growing Up Joe

2010-04-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

August 2007

June 2008

October 2008

January 2009

August 2009

More Home-Made Earrings

2010-04-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Purple Flowers.

The yellow disks and flowers were sold together.

The butterflies look good with a little added pizazz.

I think the flowers look better here than with the beads they came with.

Campfire

2010-04-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Makes me hungry for Smores.

More Views of the Mosque

2010-04-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

A minaret.

Rising up to the sky.

...Mountaineers!!!

2010-04-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

The game was against Liberty.

They were a nice warm-up for the rest of the season.

Kicking.

Passing.

Running.

Trying for a touchdown.

Defense.

I love college football.

Let's Go.....

2010-04-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

In early September, I went Morgantown.

To see some football.

I tried to pretend that it was for my dad's birthday.

But I don't think anyone was fooled.

You don't get to see the Pride,

when you watch on the internet.

There is something special about being there in person.

Although, I still don't know how I feel about a female Mountaineer.

Color Me Mine

2010-04-01T16:30:00.001-07:00

Nothing like painting pottery outside in a park.

Aren't they cute?

2010-03-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

...when they are sleeping.

Mosque

2010-03-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

I look the way the sun illumines the mosque.

Christmas Tree

2010-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

This looks fun.

Older Man

2010-03-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sitting in the park, people watching.

Beaded Pumpkin

2010-03-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

A cute little fall craft.

Wanted List

2010-03-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

A wanted list posted on the side of the apartment building.

Everyone seems interesting in checking it out.

Camera Shy

2010-03-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Must you always carry that camera!

First Look at the BJ Olympic Sights

2010-03-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

Posing with the Bird's Nest about 2 months before the Olympics.

A look at the Water Cube from a distance.

Fall Leaves

2010-03-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

The look and feel of fall. Too bad I am so far behind, it is spring.

Oil Ponds

2010-03-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen an oil pond?

Just a little pond of oil coming up out of the ground.

I never knew oil could reflect so clearly.

And lastly a little oil stream.

What is it?

2010-03-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

A puzzle.

Bazaar

2010-03-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

A look outside the bazaar.

Apples

2010-03-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

Fall...

...means apples.

I don't like to eat apples.

But they sure look pretty.

Burning Incense

2010-03-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

Burning incense is a common activity in Asia.

I'm not sure of the religious significance, but I know it is common.

Feeding the Ducks

2010-03-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Not only did I get to see ducks.

I got to feed them.

Ducks

2010-03-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

I went to a retreat in the fall. Outside the retreat center, there are 2 fountains and in the fountains are ducks.

They swam.

Around and around the fountain.

When they weren't begging food from someone.

More Peanut Butter Eggs

2010-03-15T16:30:00.001-07:00

The scooped peanut butter gets rolled into egg shapes.

Lots of eggs.

Tray after tray of eggs.

Next they get covered with melted chocolate.

Some of them are messier than others.

Last, they are bagged and boxed, ready to sell.

We also make coconut eggs, but I think they are icky.

And coconut eggs getting coated with chocolate.

Peanut Butter Eggs

2010-03-14T16:30:00.001-07:00

Easter is coming. And around here that means making lots and lots of Peanut Butter Eggs. It is what I have spent most Saturday mornings doing since January.

The process starts by mixing....

Peanut Butter

Carefully weighed

Powdered Sugar, Not to be confused with flour

Which gets measured out in advance. We're ready to make 8 batches of over 100 each.

The Secret Ingredient along with milk and butter

All that gets mixed together by yours truly. I make a mess and there is peanut butter and sugar everywhere.

Once mixed, it gets measured with a ice cream scoop.

More tomorrow...

Home-made Earrings

2010-03-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

I have been making some home-made earrings since I have been home. Here are a few samples...

I like the yellow beads with the blue flowers.

These green and yellow beads are some of my favorites.

I also like the HOPE charms and butterflies.

These flowers are also cute.

Pump Jacks

2010-03-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Where there is oil...

There are pump jacks.

And lots of them.

Flaming Mountains

2010-03-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

It does look like the flames are spreading across the mountain face.

Retirement Party

2010-03-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

My dad retired at the beginning of the year. And we had a retirement party for him a few weeks later. I almost forgot to take pictures, but I got a few.

These are some objects from his life.

What was left of the cake.

Dad browsing for more food.

The punch.

Mosque

2010-03-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

These are from a mosque that was built in the 1700s.

The side of the main gathering hall.

Side section doors.

Outside.

The minaret.

Out of a window.

Minaret again.

At Long Last

2010-03-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Happy to be back from a long camel ride.

Mollie

2010-03-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

Mollie like to sleep, especially with my mom on her recliner.She likes to cuddle on her legs.

Snack Time - Elephant Style

2010-03-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Feeding elephants can be an adventure.

They like to eat. Especially bananas.

They will eat banana after banana.

Even straight from your hand.

Night Market Food

2010-03-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

More Night Market food, yummo.

At the Night Market, anything can become a kabob.

Roast Whole Lamb, always a favorite.

I think I recognize green beans, but I don't want to guess what they are topping.

Lollie

2010-03-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Lollie loves sleeping, especially in an unmade bed. It sometimes hard to make the bed, because she is always in it.

The Meat Market

2010-03-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

Is meat more or less appetizing when you can see a vague animal shape in it?

I think it is probably less.

But a big bucket of chicken isn't appetizing either.

Karez

2010-03-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

A glance at an underground canal.

Meet the Girls

2010-03-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

I no longer have a turtle to entertain me, but I do have 2 very bad cats.

Mollie on the right and Lollie on the left.

Sleeping is one of their favorite hobbies.

More from Jiaohe

2010-02-28T16:30:00.000-08:00

There isn't a lot of color left in Jiaohe.

But there are many interesting shapes and paths through the old buildings.

Sometimes, you can see an idea of what the city looked like.

And sometimes only a path remains.

And sometimes, there is a touch of the modern as locals dry grapes nearby.

Jiaohe Ruins

2010-02-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

Jiaohe was the capital of the Anterior Jushi Kingdom from 108 BC to 450 AD.

It was an important point along the Silk Road going west.

The city was formed on an islet in the middle of a river, so it had natural defenses instead of walls.

It was abandoned after its destruction by Genghis Khan in the 13th century.

A man riding below the ruins.

The dry, desert dirt of the ruins.

Watch out, the walls are collapsing.

The Monastary, one of the few pictures that I have labeled.

Breakfast, Turtle Style

2010-02-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

Occasionally, I would give Joe a Cheerio to eat.

He would enjoy eating it, and I would find it entertaining.

Are you ready for some football?

2010-02-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

February means football. Or at least it means time for the Super Bowl. I don't watch much pro football, but the Super Bowl is an exception.

The table was festively decorated for the occasion.

I made the peanut butter pie. The chocolate football was added later.

Wings, anyone?

An array of yummy, yummy food.

Interactive Art

2010-02-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

Where else can you ride a fish like a horse?

Or kiss a fish?

Play metal drums.

As part of a metal band.

Going crazy.

Or single with a freaky metal band.

More Sculptures, More Fun

2010-02-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

Take a bite from a giant apple.

Look inside an over-sized sax.

Or help an over-sized sax player play.

Try to look through a spiral.

Then find a shorter one that works better.

Even if you have to kneel.

Reach for falling blocks.

Before they fall on you.

Sculpture Park in Beijing

2010-02-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

Sculpture Parks are great fun. It is fun to pose with all the interesting sculptures.

Making monkey faces.

Hanging out inside a giant woman.

A little freaky, I know.

Doing pull-ups, well sort of.

Or fish turning into ...

Birds.

Pied Piper

2010-02-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

I see the rodents being drawn by the music.

Squatty Throne

2010-02-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Take a step up to the throne.

Snowpocalypse - Part 2

2010-02-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

The real Snowpocalypse started just a few days after the first snow storm.

Early afternoon on February 9th, it started snowing again.

Most of the snow was still hanging around from the first storm.

We got 15 more inches. See how little people look against the snow.

Everything was covered with lots and lots of snow.

Our snow measuring stick wasn't even helpful anymore.

The outside table and grill were lost under a coat of snow.

Snowpocalypse - Part 1

2010-02-18T16:30:00.000-08:00

February has brought snow and lots of it. The first snow came on February 5th and 6th.

It was a lot.

About 20 inches. And most of it came overnight.

The whole area turned into a winter wonderland.

Home Depot Another Look

2010-02-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

They are in the process of building another huge building in addition to all the little shops. It will be the third huge building.

Every type of plastic pipe imaginable. The unloading equipment is state of the art.

Bags and bags of something.

All kinds of bathroom and kitchen accessories.

Cutting some kind of board... outside in the snow.

Home Depot Asian-Style

2010-02-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

If I had to describe this place in one word. It would be crazy. Anything you want, you might be able to find it here, but the place is huge so locating it might be a problem.

I love the unique solutions to problems, like storing pipes above your store.

Check out our selection of bathtubs.

We also have a wide variety of sinks.

Who knows what is in those bags.

Day at the Pool

2010-02-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of having a pool was letting Joe swim in it.

He looks so small in the pool, but he really loved it.

He even enjoyed us playing with him in the pool.

Finally, A Clown

2010-02-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

There were a few clowns at the circus.

But certainly more acrobats than clowns.

They all had amazing balance.

Balancing plates or bowls was a center-piece of several acts.

Another clown.

I don't remember what these people were doing.

I love the subdued lighting on the ribbons here.

Back at the Circus Again

2010-02-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

She has been spinning away since yesterday.

Speaking of spinning, spinning plates.

And a magic act.

Unicycles and tossing plates.

Love the tall unicycles.

The balance is incredible.

Oh, and two people on the ribbon.