Thanksgiving Wonderland

The snow still on the ground but the temperature wasn't as freeze as before and no matter what the weather the tradition must go on. Thanksgiving is a big holiday in America, the holiday is from Thursday until Sunday.
My husband, Grace and I, picked Grace's grandma up and together we went to my brother in-law's house in Sammamish,WA, about one hour driving. Traffic was not as bad as we thought. Usually we have about 30's people gathering for Turkey feast, this time with several grand-kids absent, and one couple was in the other side of family, but still pretty crowd. We thank God for a warm Thanksgiving dinner although outside was snowy, and thanks for the wonderful family that we have.

Early Child Education-Silent First Words

Co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas

The ability to communicate articulately in a variety of ways and languages to the widest possible audience is a great way to stay ahead and ensure a decent standard of living in our suffering economic state.  This is not limited to speaking different languages but also non-verbal communication: signing.

However, the shortage of qualified interpreters fluent in American Sign Language that has led to more career opportunities is dwindling– and if current trends continue, it's likely that skilled ASL interpreters will have little problem securing lucrative employment in a society where such a commodity is destined to be in short supply.

Special Bonds

The benefits of early childhood education in signing are endless.  In addition to giving kids a way to communicate, it also provides them with an opportunity to form a bond with their parent(s).  The hope is that eventually it will become know as one of the "firsts" that no parent wants to miss, such as the first time they walked or their first tooth.  Signing is likely to allow communication much earlier than verbally.

November Freeze

Rhodi in the backyard covered by snow

I've been living here in the Northwest for 5 years, but still feel amaze to see the snow falling down. It's early for winter wonderland, but it's been snowing since Sunday evening, it looks like Winter is kicking off, even in Fall.

It's 33 F (about 1C)when I took some of these pictures on Sunday, and Monday. All across Western Washington got snow and cold temperature. Maybe it's gonna be Thanksgiving wonderland on Thursday..ha..ha..!

 

Grace's playing with thin snow

thin snow at 8 AM

thicker at 10:30's

 

My Man, ..Happy Anniversary

My husband, when he was still my boy friend once asked me about my father who passed away long time ago. I told him that my father was such a good father, he was my 1st man in my life. My father had many meaningful qualities. I talked to my father alot, about anything...the funniest thing that I always remember is I had to explain to him why I put 'white face masks' on my face almost every Sunday afternoon when I was in highschool (ha..ha..because I want to have flawless skin like a princess). I even talked about the boy next door..(you know being 15 years old girl sometimes wasn't easy..!). For most of my life I loved him very much.
Why I'm writing about my father, well, today November 19th is our anniversary, my husband has to go on trip, this is the first time he's not at home on our anniversary, his schedule is pretty tight and I thought is better, rather than he has to go a day after Thanksgiving Day. We had a little celebration yesterday, no picture though, because we plan to have something more special on Sunday. We had 'Pecking Duck' for dinner, we ate the duck with a bowl of plum sauce, thanks to my crock pot, which working hard while I did something else and thanks to Stephanie O'dea, who has this recipe. The result was excellent, pretty duck and was worthy with 8 hours inside the crock pot, even my daughter enjoy it alot.
Now, back to my lovely husband who proposed me in Jimbaran, Bali...this blog isn't just praising a man who found me and brought me to America and became my husband. There's no perfect man or perfect husband, and we keep learning to each other, and we try to fall in love to each other again and again. I think that's the most important to make marriage work.

November Storm



The Cedar tree tumbled on a car
in Covington, WA

This was the third power outages I've experienced since I live in America. The thing that I like is the way the government handled this, especially the DOT (Department of Transportation). 'Service' is always excellent in here in terms of cleaning up the branches, tumbling trees which knocked down the power lines, and the technician who work 24 hours to make the power back on. I can't imagine if this was happening in Indonesia, the Java-Bali main power electricity always slow, and when you live in Java, Indonesia and you see the sky's scary dark and cloudy and ...then the light spark making incredible view, well you have to be aware, because even before the rain's coming down, the power electricity will out right away, and we never know when the power will be back, sometimes in just short time, but many times, we had to wait hours and hours...before we could say...hurraaaay!'''like what I did when I was kid with my siblings!.
Okay, Monday night, November 15th, the wind was getting stronger and stronger and you could hear the scary sound. I saw from the window, it's really crazy, nobody outside, we're lucky that Grace, our daughter went to bed on time, and I turned on her slumber machine, and I choosed the 'rain' theme, hoping that she wouldn't hear  the sound of the wind. I read magazine and my husband still infront of the computer and that was really the sound of the biggest windstorm I've ever heard in here. I kept thinking the big and tall of pine tree outside in our backyard, please please don't fall down into the Grace's window..! And tadaaaa!..at precisely 9 o'clock the power out. No heater in Grace's room for 8 hours, she woke up at about 1:30's and when she notice that the milk I gave to her wasn't warm, because I couldn't use the microwave, she said 'no,..no, not so much..!'...(yes, it's funny when she refuses something, she'll say that!)...but she quickly back to sleep, thanks God.
Finally after on and off sleeping, (well, like most moms out there, I thought about our stuff in the freezer) the power back on close to 5 o'clock, it's so good, I always think about how deep human being right now depend on the electricity.
I saw the morning news, turned out about 200,000 power outages in Western Washington, and about 30,000 were in Pierce County where we live, we're so lucky that we had black out only for 8 hours, because other places still without power!.
The second round of windstorm happend again on Wednesday, this time more in the day time, but not as scary as on Monday.

...almost Thanksgiving Day in America

It's third week of November now, and today, Monday the 15th, it's 50F in the morning (about 10C). This is not bad (except plus strong winds later on in the afternoon, when I'm writing this) comparing when we went to the Zoo on Saturday, the 13th, it's was freezing, probably arround 40's,..Whereever you go whether to supermarket, mall, salon, zoo...you'll see harvest and thanksgiving decorations. They're pretty and the browns tone are just perfect as the weather getting colder and colder.

Unlike Thanksgiving in Canada which occur on the second Monday of October (since 1957). In America (United States) Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, which this year will be on November 25th.
Thanksgiving was a holiday to express thankfulness and gratitude and appreciation to God, family and friends for which have been blessed of material possesion and relationships. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.

About Merapi...



got this picture from VOA

It's not fair to write only Mount Merapi,(a volcano located in Central Java, Indonesia), the eruption that caused many people died, while there are many victims in Mentawai Island too because of the earthquake and tsunami, but I'm sure there already many people outside there wrote about Mentawai Island.
Merapi (and mount Merbabu which just next to each other) will always be a spectacular view in my mind. I saw this volcano, almost every morning, years and years. When I go to the daily mass in 'Santo Petrus' (St. Peter Church) in Solo, and back then when I go to school every morning I always see this mysterious volcano. I felt great everytime walking to the church and see this 'Merapi and Merbabu'..sometimes they look so clear and so close.
The other day my husband asked me, if there was big eruption when I was still living in Java Island, I said 'Yes..!', but not as big as this time. As you may know from the news, the Merapi Volcano became active on October 26th, and according to the news the explotion on November 5th was the most scary, it could be heard from the downtown of Yogyakarta (Yogya and Solo is only about two hours apart driving, but Yogya is closer to this volcano).

Happy Halloween et bon au revoir Octobre

Okay, we're done with October..!,..and we're lucky the trick or treat day was a nice day, no rain, and not as cold as last year that's for sure..! Everboday happy, I don't have to cook.., because it's Sunday, our pizza day, and we had fun with 'trick or treat-ers' at Grandma's house.
And for Grace, our daughter this was such an interesting, because last year and even a year before, she had no clue at all, what's Halloween ...why kids had to wear weird costumes,...and to maximize her 'Lady Bug' costume which we got it as a gift from one of our friends, we brought her to 'costume parade' at the apartment office on Friday, October 29th.  I jazzed up Miss Bug too look much 'bug' (ha..ha!), I put on black jegging (jeans legging), and black long sleeves top, brown socks (because she doesn't have black socks) and red shoes. First she refused to wear the Bug Costume, which looks like vest with hoodie, and finally she gave up, especially when she saw other kids dressed up with funny costumes too, and then one of the lady handed her a sack of candies...oooh..yea baby!...

Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Welcome November, ooh, 1st day of November, we had rain all day..
If you try to watch your weight, you should try this apple pie...it doesn't need regular crust..but it's tasty..
Ini nich resep baru yang aku suka, my hubby juga suka..enak tapi nggak feeling guilty takut gemuk

1 Tbs ulsalted butter
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced to 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup light brown sugar
Salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
7 sheets graham crackers, broken into coarse pieces (about 1 1/3 cups)

Pre-heat oven for 350F. Grease a 9 inch-round pie pan with cooking spray. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring gently, until the apples are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the pie pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the egg, granulated sugar, baking powder and a pinch salt. Blend with electric mixer, beat on high speed until pale and foamy, about 5 minutes. Flod in Graham crackers. Spoon the mixture over the apples in the pan. Bake about 25 minutes. If you want you can dust with confectioners' sugar. (...again, the inspiration of Rachael Ray Mag)