2013 Reading List

My 2013 reading list.  Titles in bold were my favorites. 

• The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, fiction
• The Time Traveller's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger, fiction
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon, Fiction
• On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan, fiction
• Blankets, by Craig Thompson, autobiography and graphic novel
• The Gate at the Stairs, by Lorrie Moore, Fiction
• The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, fiction
• The Devil in the White City, by Eric Larson, non-fiction
• Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, Fiction
• I Couldn't Love You More, by Jillian Medoff, Fiction
• The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes, Fiction
• The Comfort of Lies, Randy Susan Meyers, Fiction
• The Baker's Daughter, by Sara McCoy, HIstorical Fiction
• Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, by Katherine Boo, nonfiction
• The Secret Keeper, by Kate Morton, historical fiction & mystery
• Wish You Were Here, by Graham Swift, fiction
• Maus II, by Art Spiegelman, historical nonfiction & graphic novel
• Maus, by Art Spiegelman, historical nonfiction & graphic novel
• And the Shofar Blew, by Francine Rivers, nonfiction & women's fiction
• Before I Go To Sleep, by S.J. Watson, fiction & suspense
• The Scarlet Thread, by Francine Rivers, nonfiction & women's fiction
• No Promises in the Wind, by Irene Hunt, historical fiction
• Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, fiction

Christmas Surprises

Christmas came and went with a bang this year. First, I made a totally awesome tacky Christmas sweater, complete with a headpiece.

Second, my parents and grandparents visited.  I took them on car rides, tram rides, and boat rides, fed them a delicious Christmas dinner, and forced them to watch a classic Christmas movie (which they seemed to enjoy despite the occasional foul language).

Sometimes, however, the Christmas excitement was just too much for my Grandpa. 

Finally, I received a very big surprise on Christmas morning.  Chris documented the surprise and posted the video on youtube for your viewing pleasure.  

Apparently, Chris snuck to Houston last week in pursuit of my dream car, in my preferred color and with my choice interior finish.  He then hid the car at the airport and moved it to his office on Christmas eve.  Chris then woke up at four a.m. on Christmas morning to retrieve the car, only to realize that he wrapped the key in an oversized box.  Luckily, the key only needs to be in the car to start it (there is no actual ignition slot).  So, at four a.m., wearing his pajamas and carrying a wrapped box under his arm, Chris jogged to his office to retrieve my Christmas gift, making for a very interesting sight.        

In the past,  I made fun of the car commercials showing a husband who surprises his wife with a new car on Christmas morning.  I thought, "Who really does that?"  Little did I know I was making fun of my future self and my future husband.  Now, having been the recipient of one of these extravagant surprises,  I can say that it feels really, really fabulous, even if it means that your husband bought you a car and you only bought him a pair of boots.      

Chris models his boots.

From the depths of South Texas (and the seat of my new car!), Merry Christmas. 

La Abogada Dulce

My mom found this puzzle in my Mimi's garage and brought it to me as some sort of early Christmas gift.   

My mom must have missed the memo: I am la abogada dulce, and no one wants to kill la abogada dulce.

Senior Status

This week Chris received in the mail an invitation to join AARP.  The letter was addressed to him specifically and came with a membership card in his name.  Wow - a man discovers his first grey hair and AARP comes a-knockin' a few months later.  

Thanksgiving 2013

Chris' family visited over Thanksgiving.  Our pre-Thanksgiving madness consisted of a last minute office remodel to transform the office into an office/guest room.  Chris now has several new tools, and we now have three beds.  That's one bed for Chris, one bed for Kim, and one bed for Doug, if it ever comes to that.  

I assumed the primary cooking responsibility on Thanksgiving day: the turkey.  My last turkey cooking experience consisted of reheating a frozen pre-cooked turkey.  That turned out . . . interesting, which you can read about here.  This time around, I cooked a raw bird.  I trussed the turkey, bathed it in butter and salt, filled it with vegetables and herbs, and roasted it for 3+ hours.  The result was a beautiful, juicy, flavorful bird.  I was impressed, although my killer cranberry sauce turned out to be my favorite dish of the day. 

The day after Thanksgiving, Chris and I took the family to the beach.  It was a cold day and we didn't last very long by the water, but we did last long enough for one deceivingly warm looking picture.

Forced to abandon the windy beach, we headed over to the Port Isabel light house.  I can't believe it took Chris and I a whole year to discover the awesomeness that is the Port Isabel Lighthouse.   I suppose we ignored the lighthouse for so long because of it's small size and unassuming exterior.  The observation deck at the top of the lighthouse, however, is charmingly cozy and the view of the ocean through the large, old glass doors is great.  

The unassuming exterior. 

The charmingly cozy observation deck.

The view through the large, old glass doors.  

With not much else to do in McAllen during a cold spell, Chris and I resorted to recruiting Jesse and Vanessa for our first geocaching adventure.  What started out as a rather aimless adventure actually turned into an entertaining evening.  Kudos to Vanessa for finding the hidden treasure near marker number three at El Pato.

Now, with Thanksgiving behind us, we bravely forge forward toward Christmas.    

My Big Table

Three years ago, Chris and I designed a table that my talented dad built it for us.  The table is simple,  beautiful, and about nine feet long.  This extra long table fit perfectly in the apartment in San Antonio, so perfectly that I felt like I was living in a magazine.

When Chris and I moved from our apartment, we were lucky to find a house that accommodated our oversized table.  Although the table no longer enjoys a magazine quality setting, the table has adjusted well and has even acquired two additional chairs.  Regardless of the backdrop, it is a beautiful table.

Most of the time. Chris and I are the only people using our table.  Nine feet is a lot of table for two people, which means that we usually use only one small section at the end.  I wanted a big table, however, because a big table has big potential.

A big table is perfect for birthday and holiday celebrations.

Christmas 2010

Chris'  Birthday 2013

Thanksgiving 2013

A big table is also perfect for a game night.

Game Night San Antonio Style

Game Night McAllen Style

A big table also substitutes as a handy workspace.

Building a puzzle.  The puzzle is actually on a piece of glass.  The
 glass is the table top from the first dining table Chris and I owned,
which occupied half of our living room in our first apartment.

Work surface for building a pine car.

Really, a big table is just a great gathering place.

My Birthday 2013

Backyard Movie Night

In just three years, my table has lived up to its big potential.  Thanks, Dad, for a perfect table.    

Paper Turkeys

This Thanksgiving, I recruited my sister-in-laws to help me make last-minute paper turkeys for our Thanksgiving dinner. My mother-in-law folded my red napkins to look like head feathers. After we made the turkeys, I decided they needed pilgrim hats. The result? Super cute turkey pilgrims.

As cute as our turkey pilgrims looked, they were nothing compared to the magical paper creations of one of my favorite paper artists, Helen Musselwhite.   Her paper creations are absolutely amazing -  clean, modern, whimsical, and elaborate all at the same time.

I love, love, love it.  

A Good Weekend

No filters, just pure beauty.

This was the sunrise greeting me at work on Friday morning.  I think it was a sign of the good weekend ahead. 

Chris and I spent Saturday at the beach.  It was my first visit to South Padre Island without any wind, and it was awesome!  The water was warm enough for a swim, although I chose to build sand castles instead.  

My "sand castle" looked a lot like Doug.

Today, Chris and I tried the first fruit from our fruit tree.  I can now say with certainty that we have an orange tree, which makes me very happy.

Fresh fruit + a day at the beach = a very good weekend.    

All Things Fish

I helped a youth group with an anti-Halloween fall festival last week. Yes, the fall festival was actually referred to as the anti-Halloween fall festival. The advertisement for the fall festival went something like this: "Avoid the pagan festivities of Halloween and come to the fall festival." I have been to my fair share of fall festivals designed to provide alternative activities on Halloween, but I had never been to one so blatantly advertising it's underlying purpose.

The youth group I work with was in charge of a game booth at the anti-Halloween fall festival. I decided on a simple game called "Go Fish."  The idea of the game was to land a ping-pong ball in the fish bowl to win fish.  I liked this game because I actually needed to buy a fish bowl for Mr. Fish, my recently acquired beta fish.  I no idea the game would turn out so cute!

I wanted to fill the fish bowl with live goldfish to give away as prizes.  My friend Juan was deeply distressed by this plan.  He advocated for the fate of the goldfish given to random children who lacked a fishbowl, fish food, or a desire to care for a fish.  Persuaded by his reasoning, I decided to give out these adorable fish themed prizes instead.

 

The bible verse on the paper matched the theme of the game and the theme of the anti-Halloween fall festival.

I was very pleased with how the booth turned out, but I'm not sure how the actual game went.  I may have skipped the anit-Halloween fall festival to engage in the pagan activity of handing out Halloween candy at home with Chris and Doug.  Oops!

Poncho, Poncho, Poncho

A few weeks ago I went to Wal-Mart in search of a poncho but I couldn't find one.   I asked an employee where I could find a poncho.  The employee looked at me and told me (in Spanish) that she did not speak English. As the employee started to walk away, I said, "Oh, pues, hablo un poquito espanol."  I then proceded to tell her that I was looking for a (Estoy buscando por un) . . . hmmm.  That's where my sentence ended because I was thinking, "How do you say poncho in Spanish?"  Determined to find a poncho, I explained that I didn't know the Spanish word for what I was looking for, but I started describing to her the "cosa" (thing) that I needed.  I compared the "cosa" to a trashbag and stated that you wear it when you are outside during the rain, only I couldn't remember the word for rain and had to make rain hand motions with my fingers.  Upon seeing my hand motions, the employees eyes lit up and she said, "oh, un poncho!"  That's when I learned that the word poncho is the same in English and Spanish.  I kindly listened to the employee's directions to the ponchos and then asked her if she knew how to say poncho in English.  She didn't, which made me feel a little bit better.  

Postlude: My Food Vacation

Normally, when I visit a theme park, I seek out the cheapest food options and accept that I might go home hungry because I am not willing to spend $15 on a burger.  My Disney World vacation was the exception to this rule.  Not only did I spend five days at theme parks, but I also ate like a king thanks to a promotional discount on the Disney dining plan during the month of October.  I'll spare you the tedious details of the Disney dining plan.  Suffice it to say that there are lots of benefits to visiting Disney World in October: temperatures are lower (but still warm), average rainfall is lower (it didn't rain once during my vacation), crowds are lower (the kids are in school), and the Disney dining plan is free (FREE!). 

Taking full advantage of our free Disney dining plan, some of the dishes Chris and I tried include mickey-shaped macaroni, chicken artichoke flatbread, goat cheese ravioli, oak-fired fillet of beef with heirloom tomato risoto, yuzu-marinated sushimi, new england pot roast, fried herb and garlic cheese, smoked trout dip, olive oil poached salmon, chicken pot pie, peri-peri roasted chicken, Botswana style Seswaa short rib, Nigerian-style sea bass, Florida seasonal salad, and grilled chicken breast with sun-dried tomato spread.

Chris and I also tried a number of yummy desserts and snacks, including a mickey shaped ice cream bar and ice cream sandwich, a mickey shaped pretzel, a mickey shaped Rice Krispie treat dipped in chocolate and mini reese's pieces, a brownie and ice cream sundae, a root beer float cupcake, warm apple crisp, tanzanian chocolate cake with green tea ice cream, white chocolate cake with berry compote, mega-berry and mango smoothies, chocolate truffle mouse, pistachio and mint-chocolate chip ice cream, cheesecake, creme brulee, and banana stuffed, cinnamon dusted fritters with chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter dipping sauces.

Chris and I visited Epcot during the International Food and Wine Festival.  From Belgium we tried a Belgium waffle with chocolate ganache.  From China we tried Mongolian beef in a steamed bun and chicken pot stickers.  From Scotland we tried vegetarian haggis with neeps and tatties-griddled vegetables.  From Australia we tried a grilled lamb chop with mint pesto and potato crunchies.  Chris and I finished off our international tastings with a pair of delicious orange Dole whips.

Before I go on, please know that Chris I did not spend our entire vacation moving from one meal to another.  Chris and I each ordered separate appetizers, entrees, desserts, and/or snacks when we did eat, which we then shared with each other.  So, while we did eat more than normal when we actually sat down to eat, most days we ate only two meals, if not less.

Of all the delicious food I ate, my absolute favorite meal was the pilgrim's feast at the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom.  The pilgrim's feast consisted of roast turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  Thanksgiving dinner in October was a real treat.  

 

The final meal of my vacation took place at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Chris and I found a cereal and snack bar called Cereality that offered a number of different cereals with several different fruit or nut toppings.  I thoroughly enjoyed my Honey-Nut Cheerios and Special K with walnuts and craisins on the side. It was a perfect ending to a vacation full of good food. 

From Epcot to Home

Top: With friends at Epcot in 2001
Bottom: At Epcot in 2013

Epcot was the last Disney World park that Chris and I visited during our trip.  The day started with an early breakfast reservation.  The downside to the early breakfast reservation was waking up before 7:00 a.m.  The upside to the early breakfast reservation was entering Epcot before it officially opened.  It was so nice to walk around the park while it was virtually empty.   At one point, I spun around in big circles with my arms spread out just because I could.

Look at all that empty real estate behind us.

Our early breakfast was not an ordinary breakfast, but a Norwegian breakfast buffet with Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, and Princess Aurora.  I was surprised at the small size of the princesses.  I told Chris that either the princesses are small so as to cater to their primary audience (little girls) or they are small because they are princesses.  Chris dismissed my first theory and told me that I could never be a Disney princess.  I guess he might be right because the princesses make me look huge. 

She uses fairy dust to keep her hair curled.

The princesses spoke in soft high-pitched voices, smiled non-stop, and were very proper.  Ariel referred to everyone in the room as "the humans."  I was confused because she had legs and a voice, which meant that she had officially transformed into a human as well.

Chris and I rode all the big rides at Epcot, which are unlike the normal thrill rides found at a theme park.  One ride simulated the g-force experienced when riding a rocket into space.  Another ride consisted of three rows of 11 swinging seats inside a huge convex screen displaying ariel footage of California.  Chris was very excited to watch Captian EO, a 3D video in which Michael Jackson travels to another planet and saves the inhabitants with his singing and dancing.  Captian EO was presented in it's original 1986 version and was exactly as Chris recalled from his childhood visit to Disney Land. Chris was very excited to watch Captain EO, and it did not let him down. 

I also relieved a childhood memory at Epcot when I met Mary Poppins.  I loved watching Mary Poppins as a child.  I remember watching it over and over at my Mimi's house during the summer when my brother and I spent weeks at her house in New Mexico.  Mary Poppins reminds me of being a child laying on the brown carpet in Mimi's dark den watching Mary and Bert on her old TV, an old TV built into a bulky piece of wooden furniture.  I think I love Mary Poppins because it is associated with these happy memories.  

Fortunately, Mary Poppins did not disappoint.  She spoke with an English accent, maintained perfect posture, and scolded children for not standing with their feet together. Oh Mary!  Needless to say, meeting Mary Poppins was the highlight of my day.

The rest of the day at Epcot was spent in the World Showcase, which is a portion of the park recreating the architecture, food, and culture of different parts of the world. When I visited Epcot in high school, I had never traveled outside the United States.  It was very neat to visit Epcot again after having visited some of the places replicated in the park, like the Eiffel tower, Plaza San Marco, and the Butchart Gardens.  

Top at Epcot; bottom the real deal.  From left to right: Butchart Gardens, Eiffel Tower, Plaza San Marco, and
Trevi Fountain.

Chris and I stayed at Epcot until the final fireworks show at 9:00 p.m., making for a very long day.  The awesome fireworks, however, were worth the long day.

After a long day at Epcot, Chris and I prepared to return home.  We spent a morning bumming around our resort and then ate one final indulgent lunch.  

View from our Resort.

Saying good-bye to Mickey.

Bumming around the resort one final morning was a relaxing way to end our vacation, a vacation that I know Chris and I will repeat someday in the future.  Although we saw a lot during our trip, we left a lot of Disney World untouched and undiscovered.  Only time will tell if our next visit will be with or without little ones.  Either way, I know it will be magical.