UN-Bucket List

Most people have a bucket list of things they want to do before they leave earth.

For some reason, I have an involuntary UN bucket list of things NOT to do.

I JUST started a SERIOUS walking plan: walking up hill from work to home 3 times a week with my daughter. Our butts are sore from the hill - it will be GOOD.

However:

Yesterday at 3:15 (I really have no idea HOW) I rear ended a car, who rear ended the car in front of her. All 3 cars are totaled. Fortunately - only drivers were in each car - no passengers. I realized I was going to hit, and the next thing I knew I smelled smoke, and the other two people were out of their cars on their cell phones. I must have blacked out.

I had all the stuff from the lunch I made for my sales team in the trunk ~ which was projected from the trunk into the car (the back seat opened up). The glass salad bowl broken and all over the dashboard. Even the plastic plates were broken! There were forks and a bread knife everywhere. The air bags DID go off. (The red thing on the seat and floor are pieces of the broken glass salad bowl)

 

The policeman said I was lucky that the broken glass or forks didn't get me in the neck! IMAGINE being forked to death..that would be very bad.

Car = dead.

My knees hit the dashboard - right one sliced my brand new jeans and cut my knee up. The left one:  broke my knee cap. This knee cap is actually called the Patella (sounds like Nutella which I love). Fortunately it remains in correct placement, thigh muscle can lift leg straight, so no surgery necessary. They said I will feel worse today - and they were right. I am working from home with it elevated. I can barely walk.  

In some ways this is worse than the hip accident - in that my leg that I have to use instead of my broken one is injured also.

Please pray for the lady I hit  - she had a huge goose egg on her forehead, and her neck hurt - she went by ambulance. The other car rider was fine.

OK - this is getting ridiculous - EVERY YEAR???? I thought I would escape 2012, but had to get something weird in at the last minute.

I have a business trip planned to go to Texas in 2 days - at this point there is no way - but perhaps 2 days rest will make a huge difference. 

• SO thankful I can work from home! 
• SO thankful there were no passengers. 
• SO thankful it wasn't more serious!
• SO SO thankful this happened AFTER my Camino in Spain!!!!

Merry Christmas - LOL

Christmas is Coming, Hopefully the Goose Will Get Fat, Not ME

As Christmas is just around the corner with so much to do:  One more trip - to Texas next week, arranging the family get togethers, annual ladies brunch (I LOVE this), soccer play offs for state cup, annual girls Christmas over-night in Seattle with my 3 girls (we added one this year), and (I guess) gift shopping.

While I love all of the above - I want to start my season with reminders from this great song by Chris Tomlin.

We recently got to see Jordan, who came to Seattle touring with the band Maoli! They went to Utah, Washington, Oregon, California and Vegas. It was fun to have them all over for emergency barbeque and get to know them a bit. 

While the following video is old, the meaning never changes and the message will be with me through December.

Lyrics Below:

He became sin

Who knew no sin

That we might become His righteousness

He humbled Himself and carried the cross

Love so amazing

Love so amazing

Jesus Messiah, name above all names

Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel

The rescue for sinners

The ransom from Heaven

Jesus Messiah, Lord of all

His body, the bread

His blood, the wine

Broken and poured out all for love

The whole earth tremble and the veil was torn

Love so amazing

Love so amazing, yeah

Jesus Messiah, name above all names

Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel

The rescue for sinners

The ransom from Heaven

Jesus Messiah, Lord of all

All our hope is in You

All our hope is in You

All the glory to You, God

The light of the world

Jesus Messiah, name above all names

Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel

The rescue for sinners

The ransom from Heaven

Jesus Messiah, Lord of all

Jesus Messiah, Lord of all

The Lord of all

The Lord of all

Thanksgiving/Black Friday 2012

We have a smaller family since two moved to Maui - but we are gaining a new member soon - a few of them actually, so it all evens out! 

                                                          Gobble Gobble!  

We went to Wenatchee for Thanksgiving - so fun to see little great nieces Anna and Lucy, and nephews Will, Jaxson, and Wesley. (we won these noses in Bingo game)

As usual, beautiful table, food, and warm fellowship.

We HAD to do Black Friday - just because. Seriously, we were very lonely - seems that most people shopped ALL NIGHT long, and were finished by our 5AM start time. Very strange indeed.
Alone in Starbucks at 5AM
              Julz is not really into shopping but she trooped on with us for a few hours

A very nice surprise was to run right face to face into Lori Motsenbocker - a friend from growing up in Wenatchee - we had not seen each other since 1975 but have been in contact through facebook! I remember one time we were at Lake Chelan together, and I wet my pants in a phone booth while laughing at the operator - she does not remember this.

My parents still look amazing and are cheerful, despite their struggles with my mom having major strokes, and my dad having alzheimers. They know all of us, and remember important things. (Like, really, who cares where you put your keys anyway?)

Sometimes, SOMETIMES I Amaze Myself

SOOOOOOOOOOO today I actually slept THROUGH my 5AM alarm clock! It was raining super hard, and I guess the sound just muffled my alarm. It was a total shock to wake up and realize it was 7:30AM! No good. I had an 8AM proposal call! I hurried out of bed, prepared for my call, and made it just in the nick of time.

Well, here I am still, noon time, in my Jammie's still working from home. My mind keeps wandering to = food. Yes, while in my kitchen, that usually happens.

Without a plan in mind except to use the GROUND BEEF in the fridge, and a few ONIONS, I began chopping onions, added them to ground beef on stove.

Hmm, what else shall I add?

 KALE! Yes - I have an entire huge bag of baby KALE ready to go bad, so I add the entire package. Put lid on, simmer to let it get small (however you call that in cooking terms). Oh I know! A can of COCONUT MILK would be good to! Yes! 

Well, since I added the coconut milk, it screams for GARLIC. Well with garlic, let's toss in some CURRY, GINGER and CAYENNE for spice. Yes...this is getting good!

Oh oh! FISH SAUCE and LEMON JUICE! That makes this a Thai dish. Oh yes yes yes. This was a great stream of thought - thank you very much.

Pike Place in Barcelona - La Rambla

After my Camino, I had 3 days to kill in Barcelona alone. I did the hop-on-hop-off bus for 2 days, checking it all out. I got off one stop to walk on La Rambla - a famous pedestrian walk that goes from central city to the Christopher Columbus statue on the waterfront. Having no idea what I would find made it more interesting.

There were street vendors and many people!

Oh! What do my little eyes spy? A Market???

Going in there - I was in a maze of different foods for hours and hours. I took a zillion pictures and their beautiful displays and strange items. I could have stayed all day, just looking. Meats - all parts mind you - feet, tummies, intestines, ears, noses, etc....

 The REAL fruit smoothies were fabulous....and plentiful.

 These fruits cups were delicious, fresh, and nutritious!

 Heads, tongues, balls....is it OK to say balls? I mean, eating testicles is just - weird. We eat peanut butter balls just fine.

 Balls, organs..unidentified-by-this-music-major-not-anatomy-major parts.......

These egg displays were so quaint and adorable, and had a great farmy feeling

 

 Up close, these really WERE noses, they really truly were...cows I suppose

 tee hee - OK I saw these in every market on the Camino - big and small towns alike

 EVERYWHERE you look there were hanging - everywhere......wanna leg?

 The most beautiful handmade chocolates - Spanish chocolate is good too!

 The handmade candies were beautifully arranged and very tempting to gaze upon

 I thought their display was unique, having each various species in small sections

 Seafood aplenty - I wanted so badly to buy some to cook - but no stove in my hotel

 Really, I think I bought the most candy - I have a sweet tooth...so bad... I skipped the cow nose

 I love that the feet are left on these chickens....they have a lot of flavor in them ya know!