Travel Channel Wannabe

I've learned something about myself today.

Most of the things I enjoyed most

about my recent trip abroad

involved food.

Eating great local food.

Eating gourmet chocolates.

Eating chocolate croissants from a street bakery.

Drinking latte from a park vendor.

Eating in the evening on the cornishe with the sun setting behind us.

Eating shwarma from a street vendor.

Eating in a swanky French restaurant.

Eating in a pizzaria with Silent Night playing in the background.

One thing I really enjoyed

was shopping with Kellie in her

local grocery store....

just look at it!

I'd say that over half of the people in this store

were men.

Nice.

These are spices, people!

Can't you just smell the smells???

More spices, 

candies,

nuts 

nuts and 

more nuts!

These are olives.

tubs and tubs of 

olives.

And the produce! 

I took some pictures of produce

in some of the small neighborhood  stalls

dozens and dozens of beautiful 

fruits and vegetables

that I could not identify.

These pictures are lost

in cyberspace forever,

but next time I visit this beautiful place,

I will visit the markets

and take many pictures

of fruit and vegetables.

That's just how I roll.

Anthony Bourdaine,

you have met your match.

Bring it.

it's a puzzle!

Today is the first day of 2010.

I just noticed that I have 

been writing this blog

for almost a year now.

Wow!

I think I will go down memory lane

today.

Then 

I will read some of my favorite new blogs.

Then

I will eat some leftover

Black Eyed Pea Salsa

from Pioneer Woman.

Then I will take a nap

and read some more blogs.

Then I will start on 

a new library book.

Then I will try to figure out

why my computer

won't let me post any pictures

on my blog.

It is making a lot

of that clickety clack noise today.

Like it is tired of me

switching cameras,

or browsing all over the internet,

or trying to do two things at once.

Sigh.

But today is all mine.

I will  drink hot tea, watch the Rose Parade 

and wish I was in California.

Then I will watch some football

and take a nap 

and blog

and eat chocolate.

And look at more of my favorite new blogs.

Next week

I will clean this disgusting craft room,

and help clean up the mess that 

the heat and air guys made 

all over the new house.

But for now,

I have many things to do

that do not involve me 

getting dressed up 

in 6 layers of clothes and

braving the cold.

So I will blog,

and nap,

and eat,

and read...

on the first day of 2010.

Life if good.

Happy New Year!!

PS...today I am having fun reading this blog...

www.snowmanhill.com

lots of fun links there too!

Where in the World Have I Been?

I know.

It's been a long long time.

I have dreaded writing this post,

because I just done know where to start.

I've been gone.

I can't tell you where,

because then I'd have to shoot you.

Not really, I just like saying that sometimes.

Since this is a house blog right now,

I feel obligated to show you

that while we were gone 

to the other side of the world,

my husband found some projects

to work on.

He is not one to lounge around reading magazines,

eating delightful chocolates,

sleeping,

watching Christmas movies,

sleeping,

or sleeping.

Instead, 

he chose to look about for things

that needed fixing,

and set out to fix them.

Not always the easiest task

in a country where you don't know the language 

and you don't know where the nearest Home Depot is.

But not one easily deterred,

my husband managed to fix several things

on our world trip,

and enjoyed several trips to the

neighborhood hardware shop.

Alas, I have no pictures of this phenomenon,

because I was either

lounging,

eating delightful chocolates

sleeping

or watching Christmas movies,

or sleeping.

Here is hubs fixing the bathroom sink.

Here he is assisted by his faithful

plumber's assistant,

interpreter,

chauffeur,

question answerer,

and 

favorite 

son-in-law.

Notice how intently

he watches the master's 

every move?

Now. 

For the real reason we travelled 

to the ends of the earth.

This onesie says

"Someone in Kansas Loves Me"

It was a big hit!

Oh boy, Maya,

A new historical commentary

indie film!

You're gonna love this one!

I can't believe my 

mother-in-law

came all this way for Christmas

and all she got me

was new underwear!!!

And she didn't even get the 

bikini kind

like we told her too!

Lame.

Let's read your first

"Twas the Night Before Christmas" book...

It was a wonderful trip.

A trip I will never forget.

We saw many wonderful sights.

We ate wonderful food.

We got to hang with some of our favorite old friends.

We made some wonderful new friends.

But the best thing of all

was this.

I don't really feel ready to get back to the real world yet.

I just want to look at these pictures and remember 

how soft this little one's skin is.

I want to snuggle her close

and smell her sweet smell.

She's coming to see her Nana in a few months

and I will hold her close then,

Meantime,

there's a house waiting in the cedars,

waiting to be finished.

Then we will all be together again.

Lord willing.

switching gears!

It is hard to imagine 

not being here every day

smelling the raw wood,

listening to the birds cooing,

the cows mooing,

the geese calling...

Except for chosing a color 

for the front door,

the exterior is finished.

Doesn't she look dreamy 

in this picture?

I must tell you now though,

the next pictures you will see

on this house building journey

will not involve

paint

or sawdust

or wiring

or heat ducts

or plumbing.

Today we take a little detour

on the journey,

and leave this house behind.

We are traveling

far and away...

and by God's grace

we will see our precious daughter

and precious son-in-law

and precious new grand-daughter

very soon now.

I am feeling a little weepy 

just thinking about it...

excuse me while I 

try to imagine what that gathering 

will be like!

There will be fresh baby smells,

fresh baby cooing,

and hopefully,

fresh baby sleeping...

hours and hours

of hanging out,

laughing,

walking,

and talking.

God willing.

Stay tuned for pictures...

many silly pictures!

Pioneer Woman Book Signing - Kansas City

Hello girls!

I just want to say

that 

it was soooooo fun

to get to meet 

one of my favorite bloggers

and cookbook writers

Pioneer Woman,

aka Ree Drummond!

Here we are all giddy and excited to stand in line

and have her sign our cookbooks!

We were disappointed

to learn that the venue we chose to attend

would not be big enough for her to speak to all of us 

as a group.

I was really looking forward to that 

and just assumed that 

we would be getting in on that too,

but when we got there

we could see that the store was 

just not big enough.

I was also disappointed that

MM was not there,

and none of the kiddos.

They got to attend the signing

that Ree had going on that evening,

and it looks like they had lots of fun

passing out prizes and all.

sigh.

But hey.

We had fun anyway!

Kimberly insisted that I  have my picture taken

 by this glamourous

cowgirl wedding gown

just for grins.

Here I am grinning.

It looks like I am 

pinching the cowgirl's bum.

I dont know what I was doing....

Here are Lisa and Kimberly holding their

cookbooks.

We stood in line for quite a while,

visiting with some other friends who were there,

and taking pictures of each other 

standing in line with our cookbooks.

Then, 

suddenly,

it was almost our turn 

to meet

PW.

What should we say?

Are you sweating?

Should we say something profound?

You go first!

No You!

Lisa and Kimberly shoved me up 

ahead

Look there!

Somebody brought Ree treats!

Why didn't I bring treats???

I can't think of anything clever to say

like 

your husband is one hot cowboy!

or

will you come to my house?

or 

does MM have any single, younger brothers?

because I know this beautiful blonde girl...

ok, so I didn't say much

but I have to tell you

This young woman 

sure is sweet

and pretty.

And here she is yucking it up with Lisa

my sweet and pretty daughter-in-love.

And this one cracked up the most of all...

that beautiful blonde I was telling you about?

here she is 

trying to be nonchalant...

yeah, 

my mom got me this cookbook...

I don't even really read your blog,

but hey,

I'm always up

for a road trip 

to the city,

so yeah, 

nice meeting you!

Here we are with Heather and friends

One thing that impressed me 

about PW was...

she sure has good posture!

She looked so poised and lovely

through it all

and I am sure that her arm must have really been tired

by the end of it all!

Lisa brought along a picture of Kellie

just so that she could be in the thick of things

with us.

We would have loved to have her there with us!

Kellie don't hate us for the hair thing going on in that picture...

not sure what era that was from,

but we didn't show it to PW, so no worries.

She has some pretty good hair stories and pictures herself!

After the book signing,

we shopped our fool heads off

and enjoyed our little 

Girlie Day In the City!

We are looking forward to

our next Pioneer Woman Book Signing...

and let me just say

Marlboro Man Had Better Be There!!!

Well, you can all let out a 

collective sigh

of relief.

I am still here.

Even though there has been no

official documentation,

work has gone on.

I took these pictures 

sometime during the first week of November.

Then it happened.

I went to a Pioneer Woman book signing

in Kansas City,

took pictures

and lost my camera.

Or so I thought.

I tore up the car looking for it.

I called the book store and Cowboy Store and Jason's Deli.

Lisa tore up her car looking for it.

I prowled around the house looking for it.

In the craft room.

In the garage.

Back to the car.

In my purse.

In the trash.

On every shelf.

I finally let go of my dear camera

and the pictures of Pioneer Woman.

Sigh.

I prayed that the Lord would show me where 

that dang thing was hiding,

because I did not believe that I had lost it,

or even run over it in some parking lot.

I just knew it was out there somewhere,

waiting for me to find it.

My eyes got very tired from looking everywhere

for that stupid camera.

The kids convinced my hubby to order me a new one.

Mainly because I am about to travel abroad

to see my soon-to-be-born

little granddaughter.

And every Nana needs a camera

when a little girl is getting born.

 They were trying to be sneaky and secretive about getting me another one...

I don't know how the whole thing was going to happen before

the other side of the world,

but the good news is.....

the old camera has been found.

As we were putting down the back seats of my car,

so that Kimberly could take the old oak cabinet home with her,

she spied said camera 

tucked in a crack between

the back seat and the side of the car.

I looked there.

I promise I looked there.

The camera is gray and so is the leather interior, ok?

Cut me some slack here.

The only thing I can figure out is...

it is the Lord's will for me to have the new camera,

because He waited until it was ordered 

before He revealed the hiding old one.

Anyway,

now you can see how the guys built the 

forms for the driveway, sidewalk and patio.

Calm yourselves,

because now I get to show you

pictures of the

Pioneer Woman Book Signing

what fun!

stay tuned!

I can't wait to show you how things are looking 

now that the cedar trim is all up

and the windows are all trimmed out

and the concrete is dry.

We are so happy and thankful 

to have the outside

done.

I will try to get a few good shots before we leave

and hopefully

I wont lay my camera down in some obscure crack.

Maybe I should duct tape it to my wrist on the trip!

All I can say is...

arggh.

Even Giddier

I think I just made up a word.

Giddier.

The more I read it, the more

it doesn't feel like a real word.

Don't you hate it when that happens?

But I can't think of a better word,

so I'm sticking with it.

More stones are up,

and I am even giddier 

than I was before

and I was pretty 

giddy 

before.

Except for mortaring the pillars,

the stone layers are finished 

with the outside of the house.

In a few days

after the mortar is 

completely dry,

they will return and wash 

all the dust off the lovely stones.

I hope by then,

all of the cedar trim will be 

stained and up.

It will be a day of celebrating

and 

giddyness.