Reading challenge 2012

I've been inspired by one of the Young Women from our old ward. She is an avid reader and book reviewer. In fact she read 139 books last year while finishing her degree at BYU and starting nursing school! Very impressive! She participates in several on-line reading challenges so I decided to start my goals for 2012 by accepting a reading challenge. I thought this one looked like fun so....here is my first goal of 2012! To complete the Eclectic Reader Challenge! These are the genres:

• Literary Fiction
• Crime/Mystery Fiction
• Romantic Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Young Adult
• Fantasy
• Science Fiction
• Non Fiction
• Horror
• Thriller /Suspense
• Classic
• Your favorite genre - I decided to change this one and read a book that was written the year I was born....I hope that is allowed!

Here is the link if you would like to join me!

http://bookdout.wordpress.com/challenges-2012/eclectic-reader-challenge-2012/

Armed!

Do you think I am adequately armed to do battle with King Neptune?

• Dramamine non drowsy
• Regular Dramamine 
• Chewable Dramamine 
• Bonine
• Wrist bands
• Ginger gum
• And the most important.....transderm scopolamine patches!

Practicing

I just added the 'Blogsy' app to my I-pad so that I can blog while we are on our trip. So these are just some of my pictures of 2011 added to the blog while I figure this new stuff out!

Four of my favorite males: Johnny, Matt, Scott and Jackson!

Jackson looking longingly at the beach on our one rainy day during Christmas weekend

The view from our room in Hawaii. No grey rainy skies on that trip!

Christmas Memories

A bonfire on the beach

Finding the perfect tree

Sun on the Oregon coast in December....a miracle!

A very happy dog!

Great food, (even if I do say so myself) fun games, thoughtful gifts....nearly a perfect Christmas .....the only things we needed to make it perfect....Mary and Mark! 

Ornaments

Every year I have gotten our kids a Christmas ornament. Usually they reflected a particular milestone for the year or a special hobby. Last year I decided to change the tradition and have everybody make an ornament. I have been pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastic our sons have been about my 'craft activity'. Last year we made seashell ornaments. This year we went for the rustic look.

The only bow from the only female!

Traditional look from George!

Creative, traditional look from Scott!

Fun modern twist from Matt!

Some humor from John!

And no complaints from anyone!

Football Crazy

Can you see a theme to our gifts?

Barca!

And.......Hala Madrid!

King of Kings

Friday night we went to the Portland Ensign Choir concert. When they sang Handel's Hallelujah Chorus and, as tradition dictates, we all stood to honor the "King of Kings", my thoughts took me back to the Presbyterian Church in Lonoke, Arkansas. Singing Christmas carols in that sanctuary is such an important part of my childhood Christmas memories. Silent Night, Away in a Manager, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem......candles, children dressed to enact the Christmas story, garlands......so many sweet memories as we honored the baby born in Bethlehem. What an amazing miracle that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords was born 'away in a manager, no crib for his bed!"

How thankful I am for Him and for the sweet assurance that although He is truly the King of Kings, he is also the Good Shepherd who knows and loves me. My testimony of Jesus started as I spent time each Sunday of my childhood and teen years looking at this stained glass window depicting the Good Shepherd.

Come adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King!

Amigas in Espana!

For most of the 5 years we lived in Spain, I led the music in Primary. Keep in mind that I don't sing or speak Spanish very well so the fact that I could do this successfully was a modern day miracle. I truly loved all those sweet little children. One especially memorable family was the Abellans. Their Primary age children all had Bible place names....there was Betania, Galilea, Canaan, Israel, Judea, Nain and Nazaret. I sometimes was lucky and one or more little girl came to sit with us during sacrament meeting. Now thanks to Facebook, I'm friends again with those girls, now beautiful young women! Judea leaves Barcelona in January to serve a mission on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. I hope to give grown up Judea a hug next summer!

Here is a recent picture of the family, minus Betania, who is as married mother of three living in France and brothers Israel and Patricio. Aren't they beautiful young women? Their Mom and Dad must be so proud of them. I smile every time I think of the strong women they have become!

One Sunday years ago the little girls excitedly gave me a gift. The swan statue is hollow and inside was a note where they had written all the English words they knew. I was so touched then and I still feel warm memories of Sabadell Ward, and especially the Abellan family every time I look at it.

Christmas makes me feel nostalgic for Barcelona. Those five years changed the lives of the Lewis Family forever!

North vs. South

Our friend Vinu has told us many times that there is a difference between southern India cooking and northern India cooking. He is from the south of India and says that most all the Indian Restaurants in America cook northern India style. Last week he took us to a southern India restaurant called Chennai Masala. And yes, Vinu is right the food is different.

We ordered a family size dosa. Yep, I think something 3 feet long would definitely qualify as 'family size'.

Dosas are made from rice flour. The menu said, "A large lacy delicately browned crepe". After tearing off a piece there were several sauces to use as dips or to eat with the dosa. My personal favorite was the potato & onion masala. A sort of Indian style mashed potatoes, spicy and delicious!

We also had poori.

These are lightly puffed, deep fried wheat bread, again served with the Potato Masala. Yum! Are you surprised when I say that I gained 2 1/2 pounds the day we went here?

Symbols

I loved these restroom signs in the commuter airport in Hawaii!

Reminded me of one of our favorite restaurants in Barcelona called "Citrus". I had to use the restroom there. I stood for awhile looking at the two doors. One had only this sign:

And the other this....

Hmm.....

Kalaupapa

This trip to Maui I wanted to do something different and since I'd just finished reading the novel 'Molokai' about the old leper colony on the nearby island we made plans to fly over and ride mules down to the settlement. The flight was only 25 minutes on this SMALL plane.

Seriously small! This is my view of the pilot. It was just like sitting in the back seat of a car. I could have reached out and touched the pilot.

I think it was an 8 passenger plane! Here is a shot looking back from my seat.

From 1865 until the 1940's when sulfa drugs were invented, people with leprosy in the Hawaiian Islands were sent to this isolated peninsula to live. Children were checked at school and if they had leprosy they were taken from their families and raised in orphanages here at Kalaupapa. All the patients arrived by boat from other islands. The huge cliffs up to the rest of the island made this a virtual prison. About 17 elderly, former 'patients' continue to live here because although they are free to leave, this island area is home.

We rode mules down the 3 1/8 mile trail that has 26 switchbacks and a 1664 ft elevation change. The mule skinners said that they matched us with our mules based on looks, personality and karma! I'm not sure about 'in looks' but my mule EB and I both like being first in the line. She only has two speeds, slow and slower but she managed to always be in the lead! Since the trail was rocky and steep, I was happy for her to take her time. We were told to sit back and hold on and that is what I did. No need to steer, the mules knew where to go. Do you see any resemblance between EB and me?Here is a sample of the rocky trail! It was pretty difficult to take a picture while holding on for dear life!

In some places there are stairs but they are rocky and uneven. George is on the 2nd mule. EB and I were way in the lead, naturally. Although at this particular moment she was stopped having a rest break.

The cliffs in the background are what we rode down. You can just barely see the trail if you look carefully.

The peninsula is stunningly beautiful. This is the area where the patients were brought ashore.

There is an LDS church in the colony. The last LDS 'former patient' died only a few weeks before our visit. Most of the 'former patients' are in they 80's.

The graves that you can see are for priests and nuns who made taking care of the lepers their life mission. The area behind the stone fence is a grave yard for patients. Most of them were too poor to purchase a gravestone.
This is Father Damien's grave. He is the priest from Belgium that made such a difference here. The quality of life improved dramatically under his leadership. He eventually died of leprosy and was buried here until his remains were sent back to Belgium. The vatican is in the process of making him a Saint. I think he deserves the designation.
Such a unique experience from start to finish!