My Two Dads

Posted on June 21, 2010 by ifshedid

Reminiscent of the late 1980′s U.S. sitcom, I have been blessed with “My Two Dads”.  My relationships with each are as different as they are.  For the many reasons that makes them each unique, I wholeheartedly love them both, and am thankful to have them in my life.

Many things that I love about my dad can be categorized by his zest for life.  He likes things bright, bold, and a little zany.  Here’s what I mean — his favorite color is orange, and I don’t mean some muted burnt sienna orange, or a light pastel orange, I’m talkin’ neon, calling your attention, bright orange!  He drives what we call “The Blue Bomb” — it is one of the easiest cars to find in the parking lot and one of the easiest to follow on the freeway — it truly striking in its hue.  From all the places my dad visits — near or far, there are two items he must have to commemorate his travels — a shot glass, and a bumper sticker.  He loves all foods spicy, flavorful, and always followed by chocolate.

A graphic word cloud created by "Wordle" using dad-related words
A graphic word cloud created by “Wordle” using dad-related words

To make my dad’s Father’s Day card I employed the use of Wordle, one of my favorite free Internet tools for creating graphic word clouds.  I basically did a free word association with all things “dad” – and for those words that I wanted to appear larger, I repeated them.

The result was a word cloud graphically represented in my choice of colors, font, layout preferences, etc.  I printed the image on dark green card stock, punched out several squares and then used a glue stick to arrange them over a textured wheat-colored card stock.  I punched out two gift tags, stamped “No. 1 Dad” and attached the tags with an orange eyelet, and stuck them on with a double-sided 3D foam adhesive.  Inside I used an Autumn Leaves “You are Amazing” stamp.  The result – a masculine and personalized card acknowledging the truly amazing dad that I have.

Number One Dad Father's Day card

Handmade Father's Day Card using Wordle

When I think of my Papi, I think of his love and fascination with all things scientific, historical, and indigenous.  As he is himself a mix of French and Incan, the interest in native people from his native Perú (and all over the world) totally makes sense.  The Nazca Lines have always intrigued him — how did they get there?  what do they represent?  what can we learn from them?  — all curious questions.  In addition to his insatiable appetite for knowledge and learning, my Papi also likes to stay below the radar.  This can be chalked up to humility, or simply attributed to his desire for a simple contented life.  When I hear my Papi’s voice in my head, his rant and rave will forever be “hay que preservar el castellano” — he never referred to us speaking Spanish, it was always “el castellano”, which can be literally translated to Castilian (but refers to Spanish) — but this has always been his way to remind us that we didn’t merely speak Spanish, but “castellano” — big difference!

In honor of Papi, I chose a bright pattern, highlighting geometric lines often associated with Native cultures, made sure to choose stamps bearing good news in “castellano”, and kept is simple and below the radar with a small, but honest, “Happy Father’s Day” message.

Handmade Father's Day card for my Papi

Papi's Father's Day card

To both of my dads, I love you, I am grateful for you, and wish you a Happy Father’s Day.

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Mission Accomplished!

Posted on June 8, 2010 by ifshedid

The Mission, if accepted: Complete a 5k on Sunday, June 6th, 2010 (motivated by the Weight Watchers 2010 Walk-It Challenge)

My Personal Goal: Walk/Jog said 5k and complete in under 45 minutes (i.e. 15-min miles)

The Contender(s): Me, and my beloved team of support (AKA my husband and friends)

Location: The Pasadena Rose Bowl – site of the famed Rose Bowl Tournament and the Tournament of Roses Parade — complete with a perimeter pedestrian path of 3.2 miles (5k)

Front view of the Pasadena Rose Bowl

The Pasadena Rose Bowl, courtesy of VirtualTourist.com

The Lowdown: At 6:40-something on Sunday morning I hear my husband’s alarm going off, knowing I now have about ten more minutes before my back-up alarm goes off.  I greedily relish every second of half-sleep, peeping one eye open every other minute or so to see how much time I have left.  Finally at about 6:50-something, about three minutes before the alarm time, I get out of bed, left leg, right leg, and out…realizing that I’m awake.  Teeth brushed, bananas sliced, cereal poured, milk waiting, workout clothes on, I wait for my hubby to join me for a healthy, somewhat hearty (but not too heavy) breakfast together.  We lace up our shoes, make sure we have all we need, even grab the camera, and head out by 7:40 to the Rose Bowl.  Although it’s supposed to heat up to a smokin’ Southern California 93 degrees by mid-day at 8-ish in the morning it’s sunny and cool — perfect for a nice 5k jaunt around the Rose Bowl.

Picture of Proposed Updates to Pasadena Rose Bowl Pedestrian Path

Image of Proposed Updates to Pasadena Rose Bowl Pedestrian Path courtesy of la.streetsblog.org

Upon pulling into the arena area and driving towards our chosen parking lot, we notice the proposed updates to the pedestrian path have now become a reality.  Roads have been paved, clear pedestrian and car lanes have been drawn, areas shaded, and new white lines have been painted — it looks great and incredibly inviting.  As soon as our friends join us we take a quick before picture, and head off to join the many other walkers, bikers, and runners.

Continuing in the interval format, my friend and I start off with a 5-minute walking warm-up, then progress to intervals of 3-minute jogs and 2-minute walks.  We pace ourselves, and manage to carry on conversations, but bring on the activity enough to break out a sweat and get our hearts beating.  The slight up and down grades are manageable, and the sight of fellow exercisers, plus a refreshing breeze keeps us going on our merry way.  Although I will still firmly say, “I am NOT a runner!” I do admit that the bump in activity, the stretching of my legs in a non-walking way, and the amazing feeling afterwards is enough reward, that I will confess to being an interval jogger.  Slower pace, shorter intervals, manageable level of activity — this I can do.  About 40 minutes and 50 seconds later (inexact due to user and stopwatch miscommunication) we reached our goal and completed the 5k.  With a little rounding-off that makes for less than 14-minute miles (getting close to 13.5) — in a very good pace.  More Math – adding up our intervals means we jogged for about 21 minutes of our 40 minutes, meaning we jogged for more than half of our 3.2 miles.  For me, non-runner, hater-of-running, the fact that I jogged for 21 minutes is awesome!  And the fact that I felt comfortable in our pace and our activity – great!

Mission Accomplished!  Words of encouragement to the fellow non-runners out there.  If I can do it, so can you.  So go ahead, choose a goal that is seemingly impossible, break it down to the manageable, and go for it.  And then, share your stories?  What’s your goal?  How’s your journey?  How’s your mission?

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Happy Day, Mom

Posted on May 17, 2010 by ifshedid

It’s one of those days — like Father’s Day, birthdays, and Thanksgiving.  A day to slow down, reflect, and appreciate.  And I love living in a nation where we are encouraged with space in our calendars, and even space in our schedules to do just that — pause and be thankful.  Yesterday, our family did just that.

We took the day to celebrate and honor a special person in our lives — our mom (and wife).  For whatever reason (mostly we can blame it on Mom pursuing her law degree) for the past few years we have not been able to celebrate Mother’s Day on the actual calendared date.  Although it feels a little strange and disconnected not to contribute to the throngs of celebrators at various restaurants, it does actually work out to my mom’s benefit.  On the day of my brothers and I do our best to barrage our mother with “Happy Mother’s Day” phone calls, text messages, e-cards, and even sometimes actual cards sent by post or delivered on the doorstep.  Then (and usually) a week later we actual gather as a family and spend some quality time celebrating over brunch and with gifts.  This year was no exception.  We gathered for an informal café breakfast at a sprawling ranch property complete with lake, paddle boats, geese, rock waterfalls, grassy lawns, curtained cabanas, and even ping pong and pool tables.  The atmosphere was so laid-back that we felt invited to wander around the property, take in the sights, and feed the geese with Mom.

What’s even cooler about this whole Mother’s Day event is that we have the one set date to focus our love and attention on a dear individual, but there’s nothing that says we can’t do more of the same on any other day of the year that we so choose.  Lots of room on the calendar for those Mom & Daughter or Mother & Son Days.  So whether you’re a live by the calendar kind of person, or if you prefer a more willy-nilly carefree approach, make sure you take some time to love yo momma.

And in honor of the mother’s out there, I encourage you to check out this year’s Mother’s Day card contest submissions hosted by Paper Source, as well as a couple of my own.

Ingredients:

  • K & Company design paper
  • Clear stamp – squiggly border from Hampton Art “Happy Birthday By the Package” set
  • Recollections metal brad
  • Blue cardstock from Michael’s variety pack
Posted in Cardmaking, Crafting, Personal Journey | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Wrapper’s Delight

Posted on May 14, 2010 by ifshedid

In my messiest (and of course, most creative) days the dining table, coffee table, and even sometimes a tarp on the floor are covered in crafty supplies.  If you’re picturing inks, decorative papers, punches, and rubber and clear stamps you’re right.  But there’s more.  Even before delighting in making handmade sentiments I have been a beader.  So in addition to said supplies, one might also find eye pins, head pins, various pliers, crystal beads, glass beads, precious metal findings, and more.  If I was to define myself as a crafter, I would probably first identity myself by my beading, then my cardmaking, and then my crocheting (although it’s been about a year since I’ve crocheted anything).  Ironically, though, my Etsy shop displays some of my jewelry, while thus far in the blog, I’ve only shared my cards.  In the spirit of sharing some of my latest work and to even things out a bit, I give you “A Wrapper’s Delight”.

One of the areas of beading and jewelry-making that brings me both greatest challenge and greatest joy is wire-wrapping.  It requires more dexterity, more forethought, and patience.  The end result, however, is worth the struggles of trying to form the wire around delicate beads and chains, for it looks so classy, so refined, and very non-amateur.  In my first days of making earrings and trying to form loops at the top of wires in order to connect the bead to the ear wire, I was incredibly daunted.  Try after try to bend the wire into a circular, even loop often resulted in brittle wire, oddly-shaped amoebas, or uneven earrings.  My poor roommate, too.  She’d had some experience with forming these metal curves and could offer tips and words of encouragement, but loop after loop I was in her room, “what d’you think?”  As they say, practice, practice, practice.  After adopting different styles and techniques to more easily accomplish the open loop, I finally reached a point where I could confidently enforce my will on the metal and end up with even, rounded loops.  And then, of course, I needed the next challenge — the wrapped loop.

To learn more about not merely bending wire, but wrapping it, too, I signed up for free community classes at Michaels, pored through wire-wrapping books, and sought wisdom from those more experienced than me.  Again, practice, practice, practice.  I’m at that happy point now, where I can more confidently wrap the wire around the beads, around the chains, etc. to produce these elegant pieces.  There are still thicker wires and more complex designs to be conquered, but I can now say that wrapping wire brings me far more delight and Zen than frustration and sore fingers.

Posted in Beading Jewelry, Crafting, Personal Journey | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Left My Heart in Chinatown

Posted on May 13, 2010 by ifshedid
San Francisco's Chinatown

San Francisco's Chinatown

I think it may have started with Mrs. Wong’s kitchen, but ever since a young girl I’ve long had a soft spot for Chinese culture.  Whether Mandarin or Cantonese, the languages of China are my absolute favorite to listen to — some enjoy French, others Italian, I love hearing Chinese — perhaps because I understand nearly none of it.  Many of my childhood and teenage friends were from Chinese homes, growing up in the U.S., but preserving their language and culture through Saturday schools, practicing traditions at home, and maintaining a tight-knit and friendly community.  The writings of Amy Tan, Aimee Liu, more recently Lisa See, and others helped to paint greater landscapes of China in my mind.  And the food — don’t even get me started on the food!  Of course in my younger years it was the American typicals of Won-Ton soup, Cashew Chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan, etc., but I remember discovering my first Steamed Bun in Vancouver, B.C.’s Chinatown and crossing over a new threshold in Chinese cuisine.  While living in Japan I sampled the Chinese flavors Japanese-style, and then spicier versions in India.

During my recent stay in San Francisco, my family and I discovered that our hotel was a mere two blocks away from one of the main gateways into Chinatown — a must visit!  Although my mother repeatedly and incredulously kept asking, “Dim Sum for breakfast?” we just had to.

So, my parents, brother, and I traipsed around through Chinatown, watching it slowly come to life on an early Monday morning, admiring storefronts, taking in the bright colors, capturing many a digital photo, and scouting out for the right (and open) Dim Sum shop (ironically, it was only a month or so earlier that both brothers and I partook of a similar quest in L.A.’s Chinatown).

San Francisco Dim Sum Breakfast
San Francisco Dim Sum Breakfast

After following recommendations and directions of a few local shopkeepers, we found our way to a small hole-in-the-wall Dim Sum shop.  Contrary to popular belief, this shop did not have us seated at round tables with Lazy Susans with Dim Sum-filled carts wheeling around us.  It was more akin to a small pastry shop with many a steaming bamboo basket, each filled with its own delicacy.  It was a lot of describing, pointing, peeking, and recalling from memory to order a varied selection of Dim Sum for the family’s breakfast.

Thankfully, the man who assisted us was incredibly patient, accommodating, and greeted each question with a smile. Once our table was filled with Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, Lotus Leaf-wrapped Chicken, Baked BBQ Pork Buns, Tofu in Black Bean Sauce, Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, Steamed Red Bean Buns, Egg Custards, Thick Noodles, and more we sat down to enjoy our feast.  Complete with Green and Black Teas, a word of thankful prayer, and a quick digital snapshot.  I don’t know if our breakfast was quite what my parents were envisioning upon waking up, but it seemed that we all thoroughly enjoyed our gastronomical adventure through Chinatown.

San Francisco Cable Car Grip Operator

San Francisco Cable Car Grip Operator

Being official San Francisco tourists for the day, we followed our meal with a Powell & Mason cable car ride through the city’s famous hilly and windy streets.  From

Powell & Bush St. down to The Embarcadero, we took in the scenery on the moving National Historic Landmark, crowding in with fellow tourists, watching the grip operators flex their arms, and announcing our passage with the ringing of the bell.  It was a gloriously beautiful May day in the city by the bay.  So San Francisco!

After such a wonderful, but too short adventure, I hear the city again calling my name.  If you, too, have left your heart in San Francisco, or even in Chinatown, look around you, there may be a small pocket of China near you.

San Francisco Cable Car

San Francisco Cable Car

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Seaside View: Reservations for One

Posted on May 12, 2010 by ifshedid

The ultimate in multitasking — doing the things I normally do and love — reading, writing, listening to audio books, watching movies, even napping, and while doing all these things traveling three hundred miles.  Have I transformed into Superwoman?  No.  I just took an eight-hour trip along the Golden State on the Amtrak.  Riding the rails, one of my favorite ways to travel.

Why do I love train rides so much?  A number of reasons.  It’s smooth like a jet with recliner-like legroom and the views of an IMAX screen.  When the last-minute airfares jump around and become out of reach, the consistent and dependable prices of the train are much more appealing.  And bonus — there are many out of the ordinary glimpses to be seen:  blossoming strawberries, deer running in a field, domestic fish-farmers, parasailors skimming the currents of air, wildflowers sprinkling color along sides of roads, mischievous boys in obscure parts of town, dog-walkers, and goats roaming the hillside.

During this most current journey I also discovered that Amtrak has stepped up its offerings for the long-distance rides.  For those who want more than the reminisces of old: the clickety clack of moving along the tracks, the experience of eating in diner cars, sleeping in sleeper cars, and meeting new people through community seating, there are a number of additional offerings to enjoy.  While onboard the Coast Starlight the staff and crew members advertised such programs as movies in the Screening Car, a Rails & Trails guided presentation, announcements of upcoming and spectacular views, and on-board wine tasting.

For my journey I chose to finish my latest Book Club read, read up on some programming tips, and enjoy my brown-bag lunch with a seaside view — reservations for one.

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A Little Scattered

Posted on May 10, 2010 by ifshedid

You may have noticed I haven’t posted in a little over a week.  Yikes!  In and of itself, not a big deal.  The reasons: they’re good.  Grand Canyon Trip with Mom & Uncle.  Amtrak trip along the Golden State for Uncle’s 60th Surprise Birthday (more on that in another post).  Settling back into the routine at home.  Honestly, I feel like I have blog back-up; I have at least 4 posts “in the works” on my to-do list.  So many things experienced, so many things to write about, and always — not enough time!

Here I am on Monday afternoon, in desperate need of a shower after an awesome gym workout (yup visiting the gym now), nearing the lunchtime hunger hour, and although seeing that I have now crossed five items off my to-do list, there is still much to be done, and if I’m realistic I won’t get to all of it, and if I’m honest, it’s not all “what she loves”.  Isn’t that life, though?

Three of the items thus far completed were battling over monthly service fees with the bank; informing a cell phone company that although they have emailed me my account pin, my new phone number, and lots of goodies about my new account — I have no relationship with them; and lastly, sending an email regarding an online order that the items I received, I did not order, and the items I did order, I did not receive.  Monday!

So what’s on for the rest of the day?  Well, being the beginning of a new week, always job sites to scour again, resumés to rework, cover letters to create, and applications to submit.  After that, perhaps I can get to the fun, creative stuff that really fuels my tank.  But here’s the thing — I am too greedy.  I want to spend some time in Bible Study (our topic this round “Running Nowhere in Every Direction” — apropos — even for the unemployed), read some of my Book Club book, make a card, list some of my latest jewelry creations on Etsy, play with a new Telugu-learning software program, work more behind the scenes of my blog, and write, write, write.  Am I crazy?  I can’t even get to all the things I love even with no child and no job.  I miss working, but I am seriously loving this transitional time, and while reading the works of William Bridges, am learning how to make the most of this transition, but when will I ever learn that my desires and ambitions far outstretch what can be peacefully accomplished in a day, or when will God give me those 36-hour days?

So, here I sit, with just a couple hours before needing to think about “what’s for dinner”, contemplating my list, and wondering what I will get to do today, and what will have to be for tomorrow.  Even with “all the time in the world” on my hands, I’m wanting so badly to do all these projects which bring me so much contentment and peace, and feeling a little scattered and a little overwhelmed.  Do you ever feel like this?  What do you do about it?

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A Grand Road Trip

Posted on May 2, 2010 by ifshedid

Driving into a land of 75 mile per hour speed limits, motorcyclists with a “no helmet” option, and signs posted outside of restaurants and shops informing patrons of just when they can or can not bear their firearm…subtle changes like this remind me of the beauty and the strangeness that it can be to enter another culture, even if that means merely crossing the state line that is 276 miles away from home.  Two words that can fill my mind and soul with such sun-warmed memories of contentment like no other words can…road trip.

My mother, a very spontaneous traveler and day-tripper, was yearning for a little getaway to celebrate the infamous and highly academic spring break.  Through an everyday conversation with my uncle, my mother discovered that he’d never seen the Grand Canyon.  She also remembered that although I’ve climbed Mt. Fuji, have glided over the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef, and have island-hopped around Tahiti, I’ve never seen one of the greatest natural beauties in my own backyard.  Bam!  It hit her – this could be the spring break trip she was longing for – perfect road trip material: 8-hour car trip, a wonder to behold, and reasonably priced accommodations.  She was all set, within a matter of two days she made the necessary calls, checking in with lodging options, confirming serious interest on behalf of my uncle and myself, and was set to run off on a moment’s notice…until she remembered the appointment she’d set up for that pesky pain in her foot.  One doctor visit later and it turns out my mom has a minor, but definitely bothersome fracture in her foot.  Her hopes were crushed.  Disappointed that it didn’t work out for Spring Break, my mother was still determined to make the trip happen.  Just three to four weeks after her doctor visit and armed with a very attractive “boot” to protect her foot, we set out on our adventure.

To say that the Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring or even magnificent is a complete understatement.  Each step we took, I admired the changing landscape, marveled at the striations in color and rock, and tried to capture what I felt swelling inside with the lens of my camera.  I did my best, but even after two days and 249 pictures (and that’s after weeding out duplicates) I failed miserably.

Grand Canyon vista from Hopi Point

Grand Canyon vista from Hopi Point

Aside from the view, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to gain a “Glimpse into Geology” through a Ranger program, arrange my own self-guided tour via cell phone,

and hop on the free shuttle to travel from one end of the South Rim to the farthest stop West.  We were reminded of the three types of rock: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.  We learned about the four conditions that in their divine happening together resulted in the majesty that is the Grand Canyon – deposition, uplifting, down-cutting (of the Colorado River’s waters), and erosion – easily remembered by the pneumonic D-U-D-E!  But what made the Grand Canyon getaway for me truly memorable was the gathering of so many from all over the world – Sweden, India, South Korea, Germany, Japan, France, Portugal, Brazil, all over!  Listening to the many languages, seeing products with unfamiliar labels and brands, appreciating subtle differences in greetings, love it!  Add to that the inclusion of so many accessible and fascinating resources – Ranger-lead hikes and programs, free shuttles with incredibly friendly drivers, and the preservation and sharing of such great history.

Sign for mobile Ranger audio tour

Sign for mobile Ranger audio tour

How cool to learn (again – sure I learned it before in school) that when Franklin Delano Roosevelt stepped into his challenging seat as President in 1932 he chose to stimulate the economy, occupy many unwillingly idle young men, and work to conserve our nation’s natural resources by developing the CCC, otherwise known as the Civilian Conservation Corps.  How interesting to discover that the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is actually about 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim.  Really?  Mules go through a training program of a year before they can carry folks down into the canyon (I hope so!) – wow!  We learned so much.  But more than that, we had great fun.  Car games like listing musical artists and bands from A to Z, then to actors, producers, and directors, stumped to come up with any performers to fit the “Z” – aside from the Zappa family, of course.  Wondering about such earth-shaking quandaries as “what’s the difference between salami and pepperoni?”  And delving into the far corners of our memories, trying to remember just what were those yummy chocolate and peanut-buttery wafery cookies that came two to pack in foil-wrapped paper?  No, we didn’t debate the pressing issues of our time, we didn’t solve the world’s problems, we didn’t even come up with a proposal for world peace, but what we did was step out of time for a couple of days, enjoy one of God’s many gifts, and rest in the company of family.  Good times.  Good trip.  Wish you were there.

Even if you weren’t there, if you know what is the difference between salami or pepperoni, or even a raven and a crow, for that matter, OR if you remember what those yummy chocolate and peanut-buttery-wafery snacks were –- do share – and you’ll be well on your way to your own road trip discoveries.

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Ponyo and Homemade Pizza

Posted on April 25, 2010 by ifshedid

I first saw the beauty of his work during an annual screening of “Hotaru no Hakka” (Grave of the Fireflies) — even with the Japanese language ability of a two-month old his animation transcended the major gaps in my vocabulary and deeply touched my heart.  He seemed to have captured every detail from the everyday task of tapping the shoe just right to get it on to shaking a tin of candy drops to get the last ones out.  The work of Miyazaki, Hayao is well known, not only through Japan, but also internationally.  Such masterpieces as “Tonari no Totoro” (My Neighbor Totoro), “Mononoke Hime” (Princess Mononoke), and most recently “Gake no Ue no Ponyo” (Ponyo).  DVD cover to "Ponyo"With the nostalgia that each Miyazaki movie brings me, it almost feels like a betrayal to the artwork and culture to watch his films dubbed in English.  Now don’t get me wrong, Disney and Pixar do great work to assemble a fantastic cast, and they go to great lengths to preserve the integrity of the production, but if I have the option to see the works as they were originally created with English subtitles, then bring it on!

To celebrate our Ponyo-viewing occasion, my husband and I invited some friends over for some homemade pizza ala Trader Joe’s.  We bought the pre-made pizza dough in plain, garlic herb, and wholewheat.  We decided to vary our toppings to create a Thai Chicken, a Works, and a Pineapple Pepperoni  – deelish!  What’s more, it was easy, healthier than our beloved Papa John’s delivery, and easy on our budget.  We sliced and diced a bunch of fresh veggies — green and red bell pepper, onion, carrot, green onion, mushroom, tomato — the works.  Then added some pizza sauce and peanut sauce (respectively), mozzarella, pepperoni, and chicken sausages.  Our favorite was the Pineapple Pepperoni, but don’t let us tell you which one’s the best — check out the pics and judge for yourselves.

Thai Chicken Pizza on Wholewheat Crust

Thai Chicken Pizza on Wholewheat Crust

The Works on Garlic Herb Crust

The Works on Garlic Herb Crust

Pineapple Pepperoni on Plain Crust

Pineapple Pepperoni on Plain Crust

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A Classic Yummy — Tuna Sandwich

Posted on April 23, 2010 by ifshedid

My father came to the U.S. in his early adulthood – an immigrant from the coastal country of Perú – with big dreams for his life, an innate curiosity about nature, Science, and the world around him, and a great love for seafood.  My mother, a mix of German, Austrian, Irish, and Native American ancestry, is a confessed carnivore — she relishes the experience of chewing meat, sucking the flavor from bones, and being able to sample the rare and highly-prized meat delicacies of the globe — this includes those that make their life below water’s surface.  And then there’s me — I have vague memories as a child of eating shrimp, lobster, and other fishy things, but something happened along the way.  I think when my taste and texture palates developed, they sent signals to my brain further excluding anything which had lived in water from my “like” food list.

As a child I often tested the limits of my mother’s patience, out-waiting and out-stubborning her with a plate of fish on my plate, and no desire, nor intention, whatsoever of eating it.  I didn’t care about the rumblies in my tummy — I could not bear the texture and taste of those scaly-covered creatures.  One finned friend, however, did sometimes make it to the “like” list — usually this was during the season of Lent at my Catholic school.  At the time I didn’t really understand why, but often when other lunch menu options were no longer available, suddenly the tuna sandwich was — so, I ordered it.  Was it was the presence of mayonnaise, bread, relish, onions, celery?  I don’t know.  I just know that I didn’t mind eating tuna sandwiches.

Flash forward about five or six years and I was now teaching English in a rural rice-farming (I thank God, not fishing) village in Japan.  Fortunately, although my palate had not matured, my cultural sensitivity had — I was determined to try everything on my plate at least once.  I ate fish head, I ate little translucent fish, I ate fish with eyes, and I ate lots more fish in other forms.  I can’t say that I enjoyed it, and often I got sick to my stomach, but I tried it all.  About six months into my first year (I was there for three) I noticed on a Sunday evening while brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed that my wrists and stomach were kind of itchy.  When I awoke the following morning the small areas of itchiness had exploded in growth and covered most of my body.  I learned a new Japanese term — “jinmashin” or hives.  Although the experience of recovering from hives is not one of my favorite, the gift that came with it was well worth it.  After visiting the doctor it was determined that I was allergic to certain varieties of sealife – and that I had probably eaten one fish or another at my Sunday church lunch.  From this point forward I could politely let people know (and in a small rural village, most found out quickly anyway) that I had allergies to fish and would sadly (well, not really) not be able to partake of the seafood options.  Fortunately, although contrary to wide-held belief, Japan offers all kinds of culinary delicacies that have nothing to do with fish.  I was happily sustained on all the many other food choices.

Needless to say, I am not a big fan of fish.  Every so often I am tempted — like that time when I was reading “Angela’s Ashes” and just had to see what all the fish and chips fuss was about.  And for whatever reason, my body decides every so often (and lately it is more often) that it wants tuna.  So I buy the little tin can filled with water and tuna (and which, might I add, resembles nothing of the creature from which it came) mix it up with some mayo, yummy, yummy relish (I love the dill pickled relish, but am such a fan that it doesn’t matter sweet, dill, or other), some pepper, maybe some raw onions, celery — the works!  On my latest favorite — Orowheat Sandwich Thins — loaded with fiber (5g), and not so much with fat (1g) and calories (100), the tuna sandwich is a true classic, very easy, and absolutely tasty — even in my humble non-fish-loving opinion.

Tuna & Swiss Sandwich on Orowheat Sandwich Thin

Tuna & Swiss Sandwich on Orowheat Sandwich Thin

And as always, for fellow weight-watchers – the total Points value for this number (will vary depending on your mayo and bread, and additional toppings) is 3.

Here’s the breakdown:

  • Orowheat Sandwich Thin – 1 serving – 1 Point
  • Trader Joe’s tuna in water – 1 serving – 1 Point
  • Trader Joe’s Reduced Fat mayo – 1 serving – 1 Point
  • Heinz Dill Relish – 1 serving – 0 Points
  • (Optional) Trader Joe’s Lite Swiss or Lite Havarti Cheese – 1 serving – (Add 2 Points)
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Thank you for applying

Posted on April 22, 2010 by ifshedid

I remember back in the day (and my days don’t even go that far back) in the world of job hunting, one would scour the want-ads, agencies, and weekly publications for potential jobs.  Then after spending due time updating, revising, and reordering the resumé, construct the best sales pitch of themselves, and print the final products on quality-grade resumé paper before snail-mailing off the documents in letter-sized envelopes.  Within a week to two weeks one could expect a response from prospective HR departments, confirming receipt of the documents, and giving a general picture of the hiring process.  After, say, another month, one might then receive an invitation to interview, or receive a discouraging letter containing some sort of “thanks for applying, but we’ve selected another candidate”.  Although those letters were never fun to receive, something unexpected was also contained within the paper walls of the envelope — closure.  The knowledge that either a door had been opened along with an invitation to step inside, or the confirmation that the door had been closed, and the push to continue searching.  Nowadays, with the presence of technology (among other factors), the job-hunting process has changed.

One can still scour for job openings, but instead of having to “pound the pavement” and make the rounds to prospective companies, or travel from one free employment circular dispenser to another, one can now surf the employment opportunities worldwide with a computer, Internet connection, the right sites, and dedication of time.  The process still requires a resumé that captures attention and properly sells the candidate; cover letters still need to be constructed just so, however, in addition to printing them out on textured papers and mailing them off, job hunters now also have the option of sending their documents almost-instantaneously to HR representatives by email.  In addition, many organizations also have online applications which require the near-recreation of one’s resumé, however, with more detail.  Now it’s in the steps after applications have been submitted where I have experienced the most changes in the process.

For the most part, after I have thrown my hat in the ring, whether electronically or by post, I will receive some sort of “we have received your application” email from HR departments.  I appreciate this message at least to know that my documents have not gotten lost in some sort of unemployment black hole.  The content of the message might vary to include a general idea of the process, or even to provide a timeline for the particular position in question, but for the most part it will at least thank me for applying, and let me know that I will be contacted if I am being considered, but to otherwise refrain from following up with the HR department.  In rare cases, I will later receive a follow-up communication thanking me for applying and letting me know that the position has been filled.  Sometimes I get these within a couple months of applying, but I have had cases where I receive this closure as late as six to eight months after submitting my documents.

I have to say, I really miss the concrete fork in the process of “sorry, but the position has been filled” or “we’d like to schedule an interview with you”.  With the many advances we have in technology, it seems like one could create an email list and send off a mass communiqué updating applicants on the successful filling of a position.  For those HR offices that find themselves swamped with applicants, and consider the idea of sending out mass emails to bring closure to applicants as an undue burden, they could also try another approach.  I have come across some institutions which regularly (on a weekly or semi-monthly basis) update and publish their list of open positions with job search notations — open until filled, reviewing applications, interviewing, closed, etc.  This puts the responsibility back on interested job searchers to go back and visit the organization’s site if they want to know how the search is going, but also provides the most-powerful gift of closure.  Ironically, for me, this closure not only closes the door, but also helps provide the fuel for me to continue.  Without the communication, one way or another, it can often feel discouraging to go through the process yet again with no apparent results.  Now, logically, in my head, and also in my heart of hearts I open up the files, and go through the process one step at a time — over and over again, because I am filled with the hope and belief that it will eventually pay off.

So, to those who have impact and influence in your organizations, check in with your HR folks — let them know how valuable those few keystrokes can be to bring hope or closure to applicants.  And to my fellow unemployed, I hope that you, too, can sustain a sense of hope, and if you don’t hear it from potential employers, hear it from me — Thank You for applying.  Keep it up.  I believe it will pay off.

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Nostalgia in a Bowl — Potsticker Soup

Posted on April 21, 2010 by ifshedid

Many favorite childhood memories include visits to a little hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant called “Mrs. Wong’s Kitchen”.  In addition to being a favorite dining stop for my dad, Mrs. Wong’s Kitchen also had a large, jolly Buddha statue, and in my young opinion — served the best Won Ton soup on the planet.  Even now, and especially after having taught for three years in Japan, my fondness for a good Asian soup has not diminished.

In one of my recent visits to the library I came across what is now one of my new treasures — the “I Heart Trader Joe’s Cookbook“.  It’s loaded with delicious combinations of favorite Trader Joe’s ingredients.  You’ll understand why I chose to try this first one in particular…

Bowl of potsticker soup

Potsticker Soup

In a large pot I put together vegetable broth, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, frozen chicken potstickers, frozen stir fry vegetables, and green onions.  There’s a lot of room for flavor customization — adding ginger, making it vegetarian by choosing to use vegetable potstickers, etc.  Not only is this soup incredibly easy, very tasty, but it’s loaded with vegetables…and for those counting their Weight Watcher’s points — the grand total is about six points if you have a serving with three gyoza (dumplings).

Enjoy!

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He’s Goin’ the Distance

Posted on April 20, 2010 by ifshedid

Today I had the distinct honor of participating on the Colloquium Committee for a colleague and friend.  As part of concluding his Master’s program he was presenting on all that he has learned over the two years, his vision, and upcoming plans.  Having completed the program myself just last year, I know how busy and stressful it can be — especially at the very end.  So to celebrate I, of course, had to make him a card.

As I was trying to think of the best way to convey the pomp and circumstance of the occasion, Cake’s song, “Going the Distance“, began playing in my mind.  To understand why, here are a couple lines from the song:

He’s going the distance.
He’s going for speed.
…

Because he’s racing and pacing and plotting the course,
He’s fighting and biting and riding on his horse.
He’s going the distance.

I then had a vision of a runner’s silhouette breaking through the finish line — exactly how I wanted to convey my excitement for my friend’s final, graduating presentation.

Card with a runner breaking through the ribbon and the message, "You did it!"

You did it! card

Alternate view of "You did it!" card

View of the runner bursting through the ribbon

"Celebrate" message inside the "You did it!" card

"Celebrate" message inside the "You did it!" card

Through some Google searching I found the perfect image.  I printed it out, and cut it out with the curvy finger-swivel blade.  I used a contemporary black and white striped designer paper as the background, and decided it needed a little extra color.  I then used a bright yellow cardstock and cut out a circle — as the sun behind the runner, also a perfect place to stamp the message, “you did it!”.  I used red wraphia and cut a jagged edge through it to create a ripped effect in the finishing line ribbon.  I used the 3D adhesive squares to add dimension to the runner and set him over the sun and paper.  I glued the wraphia across the front and curled up the edges to give the effect of the bursting through the red ribbon.  On the inside I stamped “Celebrate” with red ink and embossed it with red dragon embossing powder.

Ingredients:

  • “Me and My Big Ideas” Black & White decorative paper
  • Bright yellow cardstock
  • red wraphia
  • alpha rubber stamps
  • Celebrate clear rubber stamp ($1 bin at Michaels)
  • Stamp N Stuff Red Dragon embossing powder
  • Cranberry ColorBox Ink

Hope you enjoy the final product as much as I did.  And to those of you who are finishing your own “races” — may you continue going the distance and enjoy your own celebrations!

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Oh yeah, Baby!

Posted on April 20, 2010 by ifshedid

As promised, I have the pics from some recent baby shower cards that I made.  With both of these I was experimenting with somehow incorporating wraphia in the card design.

Baby Shower card using rubber stamped buggy image

Baby Shower Buggy card

For the Baby Shower Buggy card I chose a plaid pastel design paper as the base, and then cardstock in light green and light yellow.  In the green I punched a large and small tag, and in the yellow I punched a medium tag.  On more yellow cardstock I stamped the letters for b-a-b-y with Black ColorBox ink, and punched them out with the Fiskars square punch.  I then used rounded off the corners with another punch.  On the small yellow tag, I

stamped the buggy image with Black ColorBox ink.  I layered the tags and used a small strip of green cardstock to create the hanging part of the tag.  I layered a fuzzy, sparkly piece of yarn around the wraphia, and then wrapped the thin strip of green cardstock around both before gluing it to the back of the tag.  I took a small blossom punch from the yellow cardstock and glued it to the topmost layer of the tag

and green strip.  I wrapped the two ends of the yarn-wrapped wraphia around the design paper, glued them there, and glued the bottom edge of the layered tag to the paper.

Voila — Baby Shower Buggy card — say THAT 10 times fast!

Ingredients:

  • K&Company Designer paper
  • white cardstock card
  • cardstock paper in light yellow and light green
  • alpha rubber stamps
  • baby buggy rubber stamp ($1 bin at Michaels)
  • Black ColorBox ink
  • Fiskars square punch
  • Marvy tag punches: large, medium, small
  • McGill Petite Petals punch
  • wraphia in natural color
  • light green & yellow sparkly yarn
Baby Shower card using pastel colors and Changito Knee-Hugger rubber stamp

Pastel Changito Knee-Hugger card

For the Pastel Knee-Hugger card I chose another pastel designer paper as the base, used the same light yellow

and light green cardstock, the wraphia, and added some brass-looking fasteners.  Similar to the Baby Buggy card I stamped out b-a-b-y in black ink, punched them out with the Fiskars square punch, and rounded the corners.  I then fastened the letters to the wraphia with the brass fasteners at different angles for a more whimsical look.  I used the mini pop dots to secure the backs of the fasteners to the designer paper, and glued the bottoms of the letters down.  I wrapped the ends of the wraphia around the back of the designer paper, and glued them there.  I

then used double-sided tape to adhere the designer paper to the front of the card.  On the light yellow cardstock I stamped the image of the Changito Knee-Hugger, and embossed the design with clear embossing powder.  I used my special colored pencils to first fill in the images, then with the watercolor brush smoothed out the color.  I angled the light yellow and light green cardstock and glued the pieces together.  I used mini pop dots to fasten the pair to the designer paper.  On the inside of the card I stamped the “welcome baby” message — and presto — another cute baby shower card.

Inside the pastel Changito Knee-Hugger card reads: Welcome to the world, little one

"Welcome baby" message inside Pastel Changito Knee-Hugger

Ingredients:

  • K&C Designer paper
  • white cardstock card
  • cardstock in light yellow and light green
  • alpha rubber stamps
  • Changito Knee-Hugger rubber stamp
  • Welcome baby clear rubber stamp ($1 bin at Michaels)
  • Black ColorBox ink
  • Stamp N Stuff clear embossing powder
  • Kimberly watercolor colored pencils
  • wraphia in natural color
  • Recollections fasteners
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Put on a Happy Face…

Posted on April 19, 2010 by ifshedid

…after all, the show must go on.

No worries – the title of the post is not implying that I’m in a down mood and in need of cheering, but rather that sometimes when I don’t want to do something, I just need to move myself through the steps of preparation and then before I know it, I’ll be doing my thing. I think about actors sometimes, having to display emotions on their faces and bodies that may not necessarily match what they’re feeling inside, yet as they say, the show must go on, and like Tony Bennett crows — “Pick out a pleasant outlook…Slap on a happy grin…spread sunshine all over the place…and put on a happy face.” So today’s challenge is to get back on the wagon. Yes, I’m talkin’ about the walking/running wagon.

I’d been diligently following my Active plan and had completed the fourth week, when changes in weather, visiting Contractors for a week, and my internal lazy monster made their visits.  This isn’t to say that I ditched my exercise plan altogether — I did compensate with in-home cycling sessions at varying levels of intensity, and did continue my beloved walks admiring beautiful homes, and scaling the various hills in my neighborhood.  However, when I tried incorporating some running into a walking errand last week, I did notice that my body was not havin’ it.  Although I do try to push myself further, I also value listening to its signals, so I jogged the bits and pieces that I could, but knew that I needed to get back into THE PLAN.

So, today, Monday — I am moving myself back to the start of week 2 of my Active plan, and will work my way back to where I was.  Although I am even more utterly convinced that I am NOT a runner, I am determined to thoroughly complete this eight-week plan.  My end goal, besides improved health and the joy of completing the challenge, is to get myself to a point where I can run a good part of a 5K event.

My running attitude may currently be gray and gloomy, a “full-of-doubt-look” may be covering my outlook, but I’m in my cutest exercise clothes, the Nano is charging, and I’m determined to spread some sunshine, and Put on a Happy Face!

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