thoughts

back from india

photographic journeys, photos, stories, thoughts, words

As many of you know, I went to India for two weeks this summer at the end of July.  There is so much I could say about it, but it was a spectacular and fabulous and amazing and wonderful and fun trip.  I am so glad I was able to go, and to experience another culture.  We visited Delhi,  Udaipur in Rajasthan,  Mumbai, and Kerala.

^ Sharlena and I before a day in Delhi

^ We were given leis everywhere we went.  It was such fun.

^ Intense bike ride through the muddy water

^ The foursome.

^ We drank – and brushed our teeth with – so many of this big water bottles

^ The group in front of the gates to the President’s Palace

^ Clara

^ Singing in front of the India Gate in Delhi

^ There was a really big group of people watching us

^ Awesome bag and shoes that I got when we went shopping.  Bartering is fun.

Well, that was only Delhi.  And only some of it.  A small some.  But, more will come later.

And, I would say that this trip was, indeed, life-changing.

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kodak 400

photographic journeys, photos, thoughts, videos

these photos were all taken on a roll of film i recently developed.

^ melissa at half price.  bookstores make for such great photos.

^ melissa’s table at graduation.

these photos after this are from melissa’s graduation party!

^ rachael, the amazing lovely cupcake baker!

^ actually a picture of me

^ me and sarrie

^ we hung paper lanterns and pictures on our porch

^ anneliese with sunflare and bokeh!

^ hanging paper lanterns on the porch

^ pictures and lights on the porch.  melissa had a great idea to hang the pictures with binder clips between the lanterns.

^ bokeh lights in the backyard.

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vinyl

a day in the life, stories, thoughts, words

right now i’m listening to mozart, allegro con brio.  on vinyl.  i borrowed a converter thing from some friends, so i am doing that now: converting vinyl to digital.  it’s pretty sweet.

i asked mom how to start the record playing, and she showed me.  she laughed at my attempts to find out how to do it on eHow.

it’s almost a lost art, vinyl records.  but i know there are those who insist that vinyl gives better sound than cds, and i might agree with them.

but anyway.

Mrs. Fields Cookies

photos, recipes, thoughts, words

My family has had this recipe for who knows how long.  The copy we have is stained, torn, faded.  But the cookies the recipe makes are oh-so-good.

The story behind it I first heard from my Uncle Moky, and then I read it again on the copy of the recipe we have.

A woman bought the recipe for the some of the delicious Neiman Marcus/Mrs. Fields cookies, thinking that it cost $2.50.  But no, it cost $250.  So she determined to share this recipe with others, to get her money’s worth out of it.

And here it is.

.

Mrs. Fields Cookies

Cream together:
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
Add:
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix together:
4 cups flour
5 cups oatmeal (put small amounts in blender until it turns to powder. Measure first, then blend. Follow exactly.)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda

Mix together all ingredients and add 24 oz. bag of chocolate chips and 1 large Hershey bar (8 oz) grated and 3 cups chopped nuts, any kind. (note: 2 cups chocolate chips enough)

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet. Maybe golf ball size cookies, place 2 inches apart and bake at 375º for 10 -12 minutes approximately. Makes 112 cookies.

[i am drooling over this picture now… i wanna go have another one.]

*This story is said to be an urban legend, but it is still a fun story.   Link here.

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afternoon tea

a day in the life, photos, thoughts, words

This afternoon Sharlena took Emily, Jenny, and I out for tea at the Into My Garden Tea Room in historic downtown Plano.  And, it was a surprise birthday party for me!  My very first surprise party.  [I’m turning 16 on Sunday.]

I wore this lovely big hat.

And Emily wore a hat as well.

So did Jenny.

And so did Sharlena.

We all had pomegranate raspberry green tea, which was delicious.  There was also a lovely assortment of scones, breads, cakes, and chocolate.

All this loveliness put us in a Pride & Prejudice mood, so we went to Sharlena’s house and watched it.

Thanks for taking us out, Sharlena!  I had a wonderful time.

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this day was filled with tea companies.

a day in the life, photographic journeys, photos, thoughts, words

including, the new mexico tea company, full of lovely loose leaf tea in canisters, at which i took no digital photos.  why, you ask? because film is better.  at least, film slrs are better than digital compacts.

and secondly, the boba tea company.  lovely casanova smooches.

and, in that lovely part of albuquerque (by unm) there was a buffalo exchange, an urban outfitters, and a camera + darkroom store.  i need to go back.

^feet

^melissa

^ at boba tea

^ the red arrow

^ and, mexican markets.  like hmart, but not korean. mexican.

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christmastime in new mexico! mainly, SNOW!

a day in the life, photos, stories, thoughts, words

my family and i are now in new mexico for christmas! we drove in yesterday, the 22nd, and tonight we will hang out with auntie steph, and tomorrow is christmas eve and the day after tomorrow is…. CHRISTMAS!  and, also, it’s snowing!  or was.  lovely large flakes (unromantic word… how about fluffs?) falling from the sky.  this  clara and i woke up to uncle david making coffee, and then clara sits up and is like “look out the window! it’s snowing!” so i do, and of course, it is.  and it’s beautiful! after waking up more, we bundled up and went outside.  we made snow angels, and snow flowers, and a snow man.  and then auntie steph drove up in her new car, which we didn’t recognize, honked at us, and we ate breakfast with her and stuff.  she brought reindeer antlers, and chocolate.   and then mom and dad and amy and melissa came out, and we had a lovely giant snowball fight.  we all threw snowballs at  dad, because he was the worst, or best, at hitting us.  getting hit on the behind with a rock hard snowball hurts.  but, i got him back.   and when i had my little digital camera and film slr, i was immune from getting hit by snowballs.  it was great.

^ this is chad, the snowman.

^ mom giving chad bunny ears

^dad threw a shovelful of snow on her.

after you have waded through that slog of words, here are some pictures for you!

^when auntie steph came, she brought reindeer antlers!

^melissa and i

^mom and dad

^amy and i

^ catching snowflakes!

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(re)decoration

photos, stories, thoughts, videos

as you all know, our room was painted this summer.  dull white to a lovely blue.  we got rid of the bunk bed clara and i shared, and now have two twin beds.  i changed my comforter by turning it upside down.  it used to be this sailor/nautical theme, now it’s white.  clara has a reversible comforter too, and its this lovely purply brown pattern now.  i have a hanging paper lantern, now clara has one too.  my dresser is between our beds, her dresser is on the opposite wall.  i have a lovely jewelry tree on my dresser.  function and beauty, right?  and the rug on the floor ($3 ikea) really defines the floor space.  except you can’t see it…  changes still to come: curtains, coat rack for clara, and bookshelf.

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