Black Notebook

Propped up beside my nightstand is my tattered black notebook. In it I keep things I want to remember-- the combination for a padlock we no longer use on the shed, paint chips of colors I have spread on walls in our house, copies of hymns with wonderful words, and measurements & bits of fabric from quilts I have made.

I also keep lists-- Several lists of house projects that I've worked on over the years, a log of every book I've read since April 2002, lists of trips I've taken and/or would like to take ahead. Leafing through yesterday I found an old list I had forgotten. It's not dated, but I'm guessing about 2001. It's a list "50 goals to do before I turn 50." Nine years later, I was oddly pleased to see how many of the goals actually came about:

Go to NY City with Larry -check!

Visit the MacDonalds, Tuckers, Wrobbels and Newmans in Illinos-check!

Finish a masters degree -check!

Celebrate my 50th birthdday -check! (thanks to Jenni)

Sew up quilts for each of my kids -double check!

And a quilt for each grandchild -check!

Get down to 130 pounds -almost check! :)

"learn the internet" (what does that mean?!) -check? (thanks to my kids for the bit I know)

Get my ears pierced -check (thanks to Ani & Laurel)

Take a family portrait -check (done twice as we've grown!)

But I have to admit there are plenty of worthwhile goals left to complete:

Travel to Seattle and North Carolina

Go overseas to fill/teach in at a mission school for a year

Take an oil painting class

Write 3 handwritten letters/notes each week

Sing in a production of the Messiah...

There's more. It's time to rework my list, add some new goals for a new decade. How about celebrate Mom's 80th birthday in style?! or go back to teach English in China with Larry this time? Retire so I can do all these things! I'm thank for life and energy for goals and projects ahead of me, for a life that's full.

Thai Noodles

Visiting kids in the Bay Area guarantees some good eating. Pakistani,Venezuelan & Turkish food in Berkeley, dim sum and Thai in Oakland, Spanish tapas, Vietnamese and salted caramel Bi-Rite ice cream in SF.

So here's my happily satisfactory attempt at Thai noodles with chicken-peanut sauce . In my book, anything with peanuts AND cilantro has to be delish! (sorry Brian)

THAI NOODLES

1 skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup peanut butter (I like chunky)

1/2 cup water

1/6 cup soy sauce

juice of 1 lime

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tab oil

2 good shakes of red pepper

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or more!)

3 green onions, chopped

6 oz. cooked rice noodles

Cut the chicken breasts in to small bits and saute until brown and cooked through. To make the sauce blend the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger, oil and red pepper in the food processor. Mix in with the warm chicken. If it seems a bit thick, add more water.

Just before serving it up, stir in the peanuts, cilantro and green onion. Serve it all over warm rice noodles. This is the one dish that will make me reach for a second helping!

This night we served it up with a salad of oranges, cucumbers and salted pistachios over red leaf lettuce with a tarragon vinagerette. (Thanks Laurel for the photo!!)

Monday Nights

On Monday night by ones and twos, twenty women drifted into our family room. Pour a cup of tea, greet a friend back from vacation, listen to someone's hard week, catch up on the news of someone's family. Then we settle in to read through a part of 2nd John, talk though the ideas of the verses and encourage each other in our faith. We share stories and pray. Some nights we laugh a lot, others are painful.

There are reasons I anticipate Monday nights-- This women remind me of what is true and eternal. My heart is encouraged by the faith of their day by day stories. It's heartening to know these friend truly understand my life and are walking through it with me. God is good.

Peach Cake

It's the tail end of peach season, so I found this peach cake recipe just in time! Fresh and sweet for dessert, it could be a morning breakfast cake or perfect for afternoon coffee. I know it will be a favorite for a long time...

PEACH CAKE

3 cups peaches, peeled & chunked

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cube butter or marg.

(or canola oil if you're being good)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. amaretto

1 large egg

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup sliced almonds

sugar to sprinkle on top

Peel and chop the peaches into nice big chunks. Set aside. Beat the sugar and butter. Add vanilla, amaretto, & egg. Then mix in flour, baking powder and salt. Finish up stirring in the milk. Stir in all the peaches and spoon into a 9" round pan sprayed with Pam. Cover the top with the almonds and sprinkle it all with sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes until golden brown.

It's good warm and cold--and always better with piles of whipped cream! On this first try, I added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts--just because I'm a nut nut. And I sprinkled powder on top through a sieve jus before serving--just for the "pretty." The cake has as much fresh peach as it does batter, so it's light and just sweet enough.

September

September, the threshold to my favorite time of year--back to school, catching up with friends after summers away, baking again--apple crisp and cranberry bread, a certain order that comes from the regular routine. I usually anticipate it all with a particular autumn joy. This year though, I'm over my head at school, a dear friend is just beginning her chemotherapy journey, financial complications and more medical concerns... Where's the joy? I think this year I'll have to settle for mere contentment. That's enough for now. God have mercy.

Salmon Salad Nicoise

After a delightfully cool summer, we are finally having sweltering days that demand a fresh salad for supper. So last night we enjoyed a Salad Nicoise with salmon with a dense loaf of crunchy sour dough bread.

SALMON SALAD NICOISE

Lettuce greens

Sliced tomato

Cooked, chunked red potatoes

Cooked baby green beans

Assorted good olives

Salmon, grilled and flaked into chunks

Layer all the ingredients into a artful plate for salad. Pour on dressing just before serving.

DRESSING

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tab white balsamic vinegar

garlic salt

pepper

Combine in a little jar and shake until emulsified.

Top Ten - China 2010

Another amazing trip to China, good days with Micah, Jodi and the lively grand-girls, punctuated by a memorable train trip down to Hunan to stay with Jodi's dear parents. I could write dozens of memories--but here's my "top ten."

#1. Getting to know the new "grown up" Maryann was the best! She was my little buddy and would sit and listen to books forever, constantly asking "What's that? What's that?" on every page. She's our curious little kid!

#2. In Changsha, we explored the grounds of the oldest university in China. Great fun toddling through the gardens with Micah and Maryann--photo opportunities galore in such a beautiful place.

#3. I'll never forget the days of remarkable hospitality in the Zhou's home. It was wonderful for me to see how & where Jodi grew up. From the chicken feet dinner our first night to the warm send off at the train station as we headed back to Shanghai, they were so gracious and kind. I wish I could speak Chinese and really get to know them...

#4. One hot evening Jodi's childhood friend guided us across Changsha to a historic courtyard building --part Buddhist temple, part small shops and we continued upstairs to the most incredible dim sum restaurant. A sea of bright flagged carts surrounded us as we sat down--so many choices! Micah and Jodi chose 25+ small dishes for us to sample, all washed down with green bean juice (surprisingly refreshing!) The table was beautiful, so full of colorful offerings.

#5. I loved watching Micah being the "Daddy" --showing the girls the rainbow in a fountain, doing water "calligraphy" on an old stone wall, pointing out Venus and Jupiter in the night sky.. He had them giggling and squealing as he tossed them in the air-- and is the fun bath time Dad. He has amazing patience and understanding for 2 little girls. They are blessed.

#6. The Zhous hired a little gray van to take us over an hour out of town to a lake filled with lotus plants. We were ferried around the lake in a gondola style boat, poled by an older Chinese man who was informative and clever--He made us a lotus leaf/flower hat that we all modeled for pictures and dug out seeds from lotus pods for us to sample. The brilliant pink flowers big as platters dotted the masses of enormous green lily pads. So beautiful and tranquil.

#7. On our travels home in the little gray van I had a wonderful chance to chat with Jodi. She really is a bright, amazing person. With girls almost asleep on our laps, it was a quiet spot in our week and I feel like I got to know Jodi in a new way...

#8. One evening we had dinner in a little restaurant a short walk from the Zhou's home--including a huge "corn fritter" and for dessert candied apples and bananas--delish! The Zhous headed home while Jodi took Micah, the girls and I on a little walking tour of her growing up neighborhood. We passed her old schools, a small lake, simple stores and the city park. Jodi stopped at a sidewalk toy vendor to buy the girls little twirly light up toys with a very repetitive chinese melody. They loved them! It was a real highlight for me to see more of Jodi's world.

#9. One afternoon I pulled out the little photo album I had sent Charlotte of her visit here with us last winter. I wondered how much she really remembered of her weeks at "Grandma Rhonda and Grandpa Larry's house." But when I turned to the page of us eating stew for dinner she started to sing the "I like carrots" song that we had sung that very night! It made my heart so very happy to know she still remembered!

#10. I did have a chance to babysit one afternoon and evening while Micah and Jodi took a day away. Charlotte and I walked to the market for lunch/dinner supplies and then we came home to play all the grandma favorites --Maryann can squish play-doh forever. And there was a tea party, lots of coloring, story books, punchy balloons, paper dolls, the chinese equivalent of Sesame Street on tv and of course bath and bed time. It was the best!

Now I'm home. I told Larry I made two resolutions in China-- Never go again in August (too darn hot & muggy!) and never go without Larry. It's too much for him to miss. I thankful for these amazing, memorable days.