Toe-yo-eel (Saturday)

It's just Saturday, so I sewed some and swept and mopped. Chris drove me to the base where I volunteered at the thrift shop for 1.5 hours. Don't know that I got much done. I put up some books, but then was told those books had just been pulled out for the .25 cent sale. So I pulled them off the shelves. Then I started counting puzzle pieces. After more than 100, I was told that they would have the Boy scouts count the pieces. I did clean up the glass from a picture that fell off the wall, and I sewed a button back onto a dress that will be worn in the fashion show on Tuesday.
Then this evening we went to the coffee shop for another Korean lesson. I ordered the cinnemon coconut drink. We learned a few new phrases but I don't remember them.
I have spent the past few hours playing and re-playing a game of Spider (until I win it).

Lost!

I met Tina at the hospital after her physical therapy appointment. We then caught the subway for Dongdaemun. She had a list of notions that she wanted and I wanted some light purples for my scrap quilt. Yes, I know we (the quilt group) are going to the huge warehouse on Wednesday, but I wanted to go anyway.
After buying her notions and my fabric, we stopped for lunch. We did our best to communicate in Korean and they must have liked it since they gave us our meal for free. Then we wandered to the south to get me a new rolling bag (since I cannot find a nut to fix the other one). I bought a bag and we kept wandering. We wandered so far that we lost track of where we were. It was not particularly troubling since anywhere in the city is near a subway station and each one has a map and you can get back to where you were for less than a dollar. We saw a seafood market. Nothing alive, just fresh and dried. Tina didn't let me stop however. Then we walked back through the subway and bought Korean pretzels. MMMM. Also the tunnel connected to a department store. We went up to the 8th floor and there was a RedMango place. We had a big mango yogurt sundae with fruit on it. Health food, of course. Then we walked upstairs where there were more food places, like Baskin Robbins and Dunkin Donuts. One place there had green tea icecream. I got a taste. It was ok. The next place had peanutbutter flavored octopus. Unfortunately I was too full to try that. Well, some experiences can be saved for later.
When we came out of the front of the building, we knew where we were. So we rescued our stuff from the subway lockers it was stowed in, and came home. Another great adventure.

Thursday

I arrived at the thrift shop about 10:30 since I spent the morning photographing pottery for the last entry. I think I missed a piece. Anway, I left the thrift shop before 2pm to get my new ration card. I stopped by the Dragon Hill and picked up more won in anticipation of our trip to Mr. Kahn's fabric warehouse next week.
I ran into Luz on the way back and talked for half and hour. Then I caught the bus to the commissary and got Michele some bread and for me some fruit. I ran in to a lady I met at the transportation class and we discovered we have some common interests. AFter that, I went home and did a little sewing, but developed a headache, so I laid down and slept until Chris came to bed. So now I am wide awake and don't know what to do with myself. I want to sew, but the sound might wake someone.

Itchin' to stitch

It was so nice not to go anywhere today. I finished my purple scrap blocks and made a mental note to get more light purples. I put those purple blocks on my design wall so I can enjoy them until the next set of instructions comes. I can't wait! I also started sewing together all the pieces I made months ago for a floral quilt. It felt good to get started. I have six blocks now.
Michele brought home a brown ceramic pot that she made in Art class. It joined the other ceramic objects she has brought me. On Friday I expect a pair of candlesticks. She really enjoys the class.

The best laid plans...

Today I had planned to help out at the thrift shop, but... I had misplaced my ration card so I had to replace it. But first it would make sense to search the last place I saw it, so I called Chris to drive me to Gate 20. No luck there, but he took me to lunch. Then I went to the Ration Card office, but they were closed until 1. So I got my request for use of the cafeteria form signed and turned into the school. (The guy who signed the form says they are going to buy a long arm quilting machine for post and he wants me to be the point of contact!) When the ration office opened, they informed me that I had to make a report to the MP office first and get Chris' boss' signature. Well, that's a long walk, but I went there, filled out the form, went to Chris's office for the signature and came back. After reviewing the form, the lady said I could pick up my card on Thursday afternoon. By then it was after 2 so the thrift shop was closed and I went home. I got started making the scrap blocks for the purple quilt I have been meaning to make. Then I realized that one of the squares I cut has a hole in it and has to be replaced. So I took a break and watched a Netflix movie with Chris. He has to get up extra early tomorrow, so now its off to bed.

The Day after

At quilting this morning, many people asked about my temple stay. And I gave them an editied version of yesterday's post. If we do another one, maybe more people will go.
We also had lunch. Everybody brought a salad and was on a diet. Ha! I brought crackers and salsa. But crackers weren't on any body's diet. My only other choices would have been pizza and/or chocolate cheesecake, both of which Chris made in my absence. He told me that he and Michele did that to celebrate after I left on Saturday. I am sure he meant that they were trying to salve their feelings of sadness.

My Kingdom for a Chair

My head hurts and I just got back from a 24 hour Buddhist temple stay. Actually we were not there 24 hours. First we had trouble getting out of Seoul. I don't know who the directions came from, but they were hard to follow, even though we stopped several times to ask. Street signs in Korea are also hard to follow. I don't know how the driver and navigator managed. We two in the back seat watched Ice Age 2 on the minivan's DVD system.
Then we found a primitive and touristy market with a temple sign. So we parked, grabbed our gear and headed up the mountain. On the way up, we passed an old woman selling cooked bugs. Silk worms actually, by the cup. Robert bought a cup. He had one and Tommy had one and I nibbled one. It wasn't bad, but the idea of eating a bug... He threw the rest away. That was lunch.
It was a steep mountain, and I had packed a large duffel bag of warm clothes anticipating a cold stone temple. When we got to the top, huffing and puffing, we learned a valuable lesson. Make sure you have the right temple. We dragged it all back down. Just down the main road was the temple in our directions. Again we loaded up our stuff and trudged up the mountain, only to find the it wasn't right either. We had directions to the wrong place. So we called the place we intended to go and luckily we weren't far away. When we got there, thankfully we could drive right up to where we wanted to go. It was not a stone temple, but more like summer camp with small wooden buildings, but with heated floors. SO I didn't need to wear all those warm clothes. But carrying them up and down 2 mountains did keep me warm.
First we were given gray clothes to wear: a shirt, a vest and pants. Then assigned a room to change. The room had a gray quilt on the floor and a stack of pillows and bedding in one corner. We dressed and met in the common area at the tea table: a low table covered in teacups, teapots, and various teas. We sat on flat square cushions. At 4 pm we went to the Buddha hall to learn how to enter, bow, chant and kneel. At 6 we met in the dining hall for supper. Again we sat on low cushions at low tables and ate with chopsticks. There were signs in several places admonishing us to eat in silence, but no one else did. We were joined by 2 other Americans (ladies teaching English at Korean schools) and a Korean couple. The monks ate at a separate table.
After supper, we went to the Buddha hall to chant and bow and kneel. Then we went to the meditation center where we were instructed how to meditate. On the inside it looked like stone, but turned out to be wallpaper. Then we walked back to our rooms where we had time to ourselves before 'lights out' at 9:30. We were informed that someone would bang on a hollow wooden instrument at 3:40 the next morning for early prayers and the 108 prostrations. Well, my leg hurt from walking up and down mountains and kept me awake. Also I kept hearing the sound of a wooden block and thinking it was time to get up. It went on interminably. Finally I couldn't wait to get up. Then when the call came, my roommate had a hard time getting up. I waited for her and as a consequence we were 30 seconds late for the session at 4am. We got there and the door was locked. We waited and listened to the chanting for a few minutes, but it was too cold to stay, so we went back to bed. We also missed the following meditation. But they knocked on our door for breakfast at 6am. No one said anything about our missing the early session. I wasn't looking forward to 108 prostrations and an hour of chanting on our knees. So I wasn't disappointed.
Breakfast consisted of peanut-flavored rice, seaweed, kimchi, onions(?), and turnips. After breakfast we had a walk around the grounds with one of the monks, but he didn't say much. We had tea with another monk. Most of them were younger than me. But I was the oldest of our group. To make the tea, water is heated in an electric pot. Tea leaves are put into a small teapot. The monk fills the teapot with water and pours it immediately into a bowl. The bowl has a small spout and is used to dispense tea into the cups. After the bowl is passed, he fills the teapot again and refills the bowl. He got at least 4 bowls of tea from one set of leaves. He told us that in the spring, they pick and dry chrysathemum petals (did he mean forsythia?) and make tea.
Next came a calligraphy session. We were given a large thin sheet of paper over a written parchment, and a brush and inkwell. No instruction. So we traced our papers and cleaned out the ink wells. At 11am was another chanting session in the Buddha hall. At 11:30 was lunch. Then we folded up our bedding and changed our clothes. We packed and left. I was never so happy to sit in a seat. I am surprised to be so ambulatory after sitting on the floor so long.
On the way home we watched Shrek. But this time I got a headache and nausea. We had a little trouble finding the way back. But I was so happy to go home, I could have kissed the ground when I finally got back to the base. Chris brought me home and I slept until supper time. Ahhhhh!

We eat out

I got plenty of sleep thursday night (no TV from upstairs) and so got up early on Friday and stayed up. I went through a lot of e-mail and got some sewing done. I posted a pic on a previous blog entry. Michele came home and we discussed a vest she would like me to make for her. Then Chris came home and wanted to go out to eat with some friends of his from the office. I didn't realize how cold it was and so was underdressed. Luckily the restaurant floor was heated and so were the benches around the table. (You can't get away with holes in your socks here) We had a great meal even though I couldn't identify all the foods. My father used to tell me that the food must make a stop on your plate before it goes in your mouth. Well, we didn't have plates. Literally you just pluck a mouthful of food from one of many small dishes with your chopsticks and eat it. It sounds terrible unsanitary, but that is how it is done. The pork was cooked over coals set into the table. The waitress kept coming back to turn the pieces.
I hated to leave because I knew it would be even colder outside. I was glad to get home and crawl into bed. It was only 8:30, but since I will be spending 24 hours in a Buddhist temple this weekend and they sleep from 9:30pm to 3:45am, I decided it was a good warmup. Wish me luck.

Less chairful than before

The gov't decided they wanted the chairs we borrowed back. This is nothing new, although we didn't know it when we packed to come here. We stalled them long enough to have the quilt group gather at my house in the beginning of Feb. But it could be put off no longer. I was told they'd come by between 2 and 4. So I went to the thrift shop as usual, planning to leave at 1, return the cafeteria key to the middle school, and walk back to the apartment to wait for them. As my husband quotes "No plan ever survives contact with the enemy." Maria offered me a ride home, so I stayed a little later then 1. Then I got a call from a man saying "We here, where you?" So Maria rushed me home and promised to return the key to the school for me. She's a sweetheart! I let the men in, they took the chairs and left. Then I had to rearrange the remaining chairs to cover the empty spaces. I felt a little chairless for awhile, but thanks to Andrea (who rescued 4 chairs from going to the dump) and to Adele (who gave me her wornout patio chairs which were reweavable), we have enough chairs to sit in the kitchen, in the livingroom, and at the makeup table.
Michele came home early (its a new senior priviledge on B days) and heard the racket of construction on the 17th floor. Can you imagine? We are on the 6th floor but you would think the work was being done on the 7th because of the volume.
I am looking forward to a quiet night.

Quilt Class

All I did today was get ready for quilt class. Well, and put away laundry. I went through the lesson, making a sample for myself. I cut pieces to demonstrate on during class. I organized the fabric pieces. I packed rulers, mats, cutters, etc. I was a little anxious, but it went ok. I got there about 6:10 and started setting up. People began arriving almost immediately. The class was supposed to start about 6:30, but people were setting up and asking me questions, and keeping me from cutting the batting samples. The roll was too big to cut them at home. Then someone took over that job so I could go on. I had the ladies make their fabric choices up front just to give me more time to get ready. Then the class was underway. I did well following my notes until page 7 I think. Then they were in so many different parts of the process that I went around answering questions and telling individuals what their next step was. Still, every one was very appreciative and said how much fun they had. Most people left without finishing the project. I think 13 people came. And I didn't get home until 11. It took a long time to clean up. I'm really tired. Good night.

Getting Ready....

Let's see, what did I do today? Michele went to school, but Chris stayed home (it was a training holiday). I went to help out at the thrift shop, and then picked up the key for the middle school cafeteria. Then back home. There was an announcement on the intercom in our apartment. It was in Korean so I didn't understand it. I worked on my presentation and finished my purple blocks for the mystery project. We had supper and then went to the coffee shop for a Korean lesson. Afterwards I worked on gathering samples for my lesson to show how to choose fabrics for a quilt. I keep thinking of more stuff to bring and details to share. I just hope there will be time for all of it.

President's Day

Chris and Michele both had today off. Chris drove me by the thrift shop to get a whiteboard for class Wednesday night. But it had been sold. He got some DVD's anyway. Then he drove me to the Px, where we got the same whiteboard for less, and some markers and other stuff. We came home and spent time on e-mails and such. At 3 Chris and Michele went to see a movie about a mouse. Two ladies stopped by the apartment to check the water quality. They spoke some English, but all I could understand was that the tap water was safe and the bottled water wasn't. And all because the sample didn't turn pink.
After Chris and Michele came back, they watched more DVD's. Can we not have quiet for awhile? I worked on my lesson some and started making the scrap blocks for the mystery project. Then it was time to go to bed.

Another quilt top

Today we held church in a little chapel next to the dining facility in the hospital because our regular chapel is being renovated. After church we went to the commissary for our weekly food run. Then we went home to change and have a bite to eat. Michele had to be somewhere at two and Chris wanted to see a movie that started at 2, so we dropped her off and went to the movie. It was cute but I couldn't believe it was rated only PG-13. The name was "He's just not that into you". We picked Michele up after the movie and stopped by the library. At her meeting Michele had come away with three donuts that hadn't been eaten. So we had them for supper, after the regular meal of course. Two ladies rang our doorbell. They told us in halting English that they would be renovating on the 10th floor and it would be noisy from 9 am to 5pm. Then they gave us a small box of Korean bonbons.
We thanked them and they left. We were too full from the donuts to try them then. But later, just before playing "Young Frankenstein", we did try them. They were like coffee-flavored baklava. I didn't care for them, but Chris liked them.
After the movie, Michele went to bed, and soon Chris did, too. And I alone am left to tell the story.
The quilt top in the photo is another one I made from the technique in the video.

Valentine's Day

I made Chris get up early and drive me to Gate 19 where I met 7 other quilters for a trip to Dongdaemun. We had a fine time as usual. I got several more selections that might match the focus fabric better than the other stuff I have. The proprietor dumped a box of large scraps (samples) on the floor and invited us to take all we could. There wasn't much I wanted personally, but I got some for the class I will be teaching on Wednesday.
Five of the ladies left around lunch time. Three of us stayed to look a little longer, then went to lunch. At the restaurant there were 8 large menus on the wall A through H. I picked A 03 (which was sushi) and paid the cashier. I watched a large digital screen until my order number came up. The screen told me which counter to pick it up from. The other women had bibimbap. After lunch we returned to base. Chris came and walked me home. I washed and dried the fabrics I had paid for. Then we had supper. Then the three of us drove to post to have icecream and we dropped Michele off at a babysitting job. Chris and I walked out Gate 19 to see how far away the coffee shop was. It is closer to Gate 19 than to Gate 1 which we have been using. Also, we walked to E-Mart to get a nut. But they didn't have any. Grr.
We returned home and watched Starship Troopers until Michele got home. Then I 'chatted' with Tommy and Kurt via Facebook and Skype simultaneously and respectively. Now I am ready to go to bed.
BTW, Chris gave me a card for Valentine's Day. It made me cry.

My first Video

http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=1020523317791&aref=1729078

Today I learned that anyone can see where I live on Google Earth. 37 degress 31 minutes, 21 seconds N by 126 degrees 59 minutes and 30.44 seconds E. I can also see Chris' office and the parking lot. I also saw a faster way to get to the coffee shop where Michele and I take our Korean lessons. Yea!
After that, I decided to make a video showing a method for putting piping into a halfsquare triangle block. It went straight to Facebook so I do not know how to load it here. I made a whole set of 5 inch blocks and put them together in a small top.
Chris delivered Michele to a babysitting job and returned 1 1/2 hours later. That gave me time to get a head start on my lesson plans for Wednesday night. So far I have typed 10 pages of notes. I am starting to think I have bitten off more than we can chew in the 2 1/2 hours I have reserved for the class. I may have to re-think the project.

An Invitation to teach

It is thrift store day and I went, but I forgot my blue shoulder bag which carries water, nuts, items that need returning to the library, etc. Thankfully I did have the key to the cafeteria, which I returned. We volunteers went to lunch at Burger King. I had salad. Then we did a little more and broke up for the day. Mary Ann and I got to talking so we went back to Burger King and sat for a couple hours. Then we had to return home to our respective children.
Michele fixed spaghetti and we ate before Chris got home. After he ate, we went to Gate 1 and walked to the coffee shop where our Korean lessons take place. Chris got on his computer while Michele and I listened closely to our teacher. She asked me to teach english to her kids. If I understood her correctly, she wants me to teach 20 7-year-olds in her home once a week. I hardly knew what to say. But I invited her to my quilting class next week. That should be interesting.
Andrea sent me a picture she took during our ski adventure. That's me on the right wearing my brown hat/scarf and green coat.

First Quilt Meeting

Last night after writing to my blog, I stayed up to iron all my fabric and watch 'Excaliber'. Michele warned me that it was creepy and it was, at times. It was trite at times and had some funny lines. They must have changed directors several times during the movie.
Anyway, I got to bed VERY late. Chris had to be up early, and I didn't get up to make his sandwich. I slept right through making Michele's sandwich, too. I got up around 9:30. While working on my e-mail and chatting on Facebook, I got a SKYPE call from my f-i-l who just got back from a trip to Florida. Sounds pretty good to me. I spent the afternoon cutting, sewing and preparing for the quilt group to meet tonight at the cafeteria. After work, Chris drove me to the cafeteria and carried all my stuff. We had to figure out how to use the 'key' which was a rectangular piece of metal. I turned on the lights and dismissed Chris. However, being there alone was a little uncomfortable. No one was on-time and I began to wonder if I'd be alone all night. I had just enough juice left in my phone to call for a ride home. But one lady called to say she wasn't coming and talked until my phone went dead. By that time, other ladies had arrived so I could breathe easy. We all had a great time and it was well-attended even though some people who were expected didn't come. I showed them my idea for creating piping in the middle of a half square triangle block by sandwiching a double-folded strip of red between two other squares and cutting between twin rows of stitching. The meeting broke up around 10 and everybody went home.
I am tired tonight so I think I will leave the sewing for tomorrow.

Good choices

Today was the AFSC luncheon. The theme was Make It, Bake It, or Fake It. Everyone was encouraged to participate by bringing something they had made or bought. These items were arranged around the ballroom and each was accompanied by a paper bag with a label and a slit. Each person who donated an item was given 10 tickets for free. Additional tickets could be purchased and many people did. We went around the room slipping numbered tickets into the bags of the items we wanted most. I won a carrot cake. I also won the teacup I donated (I only put the ticket in to make sure the bag wasn't empty). But that was embarrassing, so I quickly handed the ticket to Pam and let her claim it.
Prior to the luncheon, they had vendors set up. I bought fabric as usual, but got away with only 17 pieces instead of 20+. I also had a tri-fold board set up for announcing my class. But only three people signed up. The traffic was unusually light. I think they were all in the ballroom examining the donations. The biggest prize was a dinner for two with the base commander and his wife.
Afterwards I washed and dried all the fabric I bought. I made a list of all the class participants and put them together on Yahoo so I can send them e-mail reminders. I read through my e-mail. Chris came home and we had supper, including the carrot cake. Mmmm. A DVD came from Netflix. I watched it on my computer and it almost immediately put me to sleep. It was in English, but I couldn't understand a word of it. I woke up at 10pm alone. Everyone is in bed.
My in-laws SKYPEd me from Augusta Ga this morning. It was good to see Mike and Kelly again. Gotta love SKYPE. It's expensive to call the states, especially on a cell phone. BUT, on SKYPE you can SEE and talk to the person for FREE.
In this photo I am showing my fabric choices for the spring block exchange. The focus fabric is the purple flowered one.

It was like Christmas

Today being Monday, Pam picked me up at the gate and drove us to the ACS building for our weekly meeting. A man from the Bernina place came to do a demonstration. but I missed it because I was in the back room rooting through a big box of fabric samples. It was stuffed so full that even after I put aside a large stack of fabric for the quilt class next week, I could not stuff the remainder back in. I had a ball! After I finished that, the man was almost finished. We did some more cutting for the baby quilts we make, and had lunch. I had brought my sign up sheet and the sheets announing the nights we would be meeting at the cafeteria. I wanted some feedback from the group and it was all good. Then we packed up and left.
Pam drove me to the post office where I mailed a manilla envelop, and then to the middle school where I made sure that our request for the cafeteria had been approved. Not only did they approve it, but they let me sign out the key on the spot! Then I came home and did the e-mail thing and the Facebook thing. That took far longer than I planned, but doesn't it always? Now I must finalize my advert board for tomorrows luncheon and print out more sign-up sheets. I think this beginning quilting class is going to be popular.

Surprise!

We had church as usual, but with the warning that we were temporarily moving to the hospital chapel for two Sundays because the church is being renovated. It looks fine to me.
We spent the afternoon on our computers. Chris left about 2:45 to see a movie at the theater. I talked to my brother AND SISTER via SKYPE. That was the surprise. She doesn't have SKYPE, but my brother conferenced her in. Reception was bad, but my brother and I (being on our computers) could text each other with whatever we missed. Faye, being on a phone, couldn't see our texts, but she is planning to get DSL so she can SKYPE me herself.
After that, I finished the top I started yesterday and made another one out of a really fluffy, loosely woven fabric. That was interesting. Michele paid it the highest compliment by saying she might steal it from time to time. During construction I watched "Marnie", an old film with a young Shaun Connery. And "Dance with Me", which was a rough draft of a movie, I think, because it was out of focus, and the sound was off, and the box was sparsely printed, and few credits.
I just finished constructing and printing annoucement sheets for three events the Yongsan quilting group will hold in the next month.

New top

We slept in a little, then got up for breakfast, only to find that we are almost out of milk. So after the obligatory handling of the e-mails, Chris and I went to post, leaving Michele to do the laundry. (Isn't that why we had her?)
First we went to the thrift shop and got some VCR movies and some DVD's. Then we stopped by the library to return a book and get another. Then we made our way to the commissary for milk and other stuff. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching the movies. While watching several movies in my sewing room, I cut out and started sewing a new top. The fabric is dark blue with a motif on it that appears once every yard. I had bought 2 yards. So, I centered the pattern front on one motif and had the two sleeves share the other one. Problem was, after fussycutting like that, I had a hard time finding a piece big enough for the back. I had to skimp on the seam allowances to do it. Then I found out that I couldnt sew on the fabric. I had run into this problem once before and discovered that if I cover the seam line with paper (or in this case tearable stabilizer) then the machine can make stitches. So even though the pattern proclaims that the top can be made in 90 minutes, I've spent at least 7 hours so far and still have to put the second sleeve in. I'll be so glad when it is done.
BTW I got a message from my cousin that her mother is in the hospital. Please pray for her. Her name is Barbara.

More errands

I got a bit of a late start today since there was so much to read on the computer.
But I packed my bag and headed off for the bus. I rode it to the Dragon hill Lodge and walked to the bldg where I got the "Request for use of Facilities" paper signed. Then I walked over the pedestrian bridge to the post office where I mailed 2 packages. Then I went to the Four Seasons to get batteries and a small nut. They did not have the size nut I needed. Then over to the PX for some colorful candy to put in the teacup I made for the luncheon on Tuesday. My next stop would have been the library, but for some reason they were closed for 3 days. So my last stop was the middle school, to turn in the signed request form. I barely made it as they were closing the office.
When I got home, I got back on the computer and made a video for my Facebook page. It was surprisingly easy. I spent the rest of the evening watching self-help videos on Youtube.

Errands

I packed my bag with the things I needed to run a host of errands on post. I also dressed up a bit since Chris asked us to meet him at 5 to go to dinner with some people he has been working with this week. My first stop was the thrift shop. I spent 4 hours helping to sort clothes. Then Andrea came by to get a sock. (She is going to ask the ski resort if they found another just like it). I dropped by the school office to check on the cafeteria availability. I was going to go by the post office, and to the library next to it. At the library I would read until 5. But Chris called to say dinner had been canceled. I decided that the post office and library could wait until tomorrow since Andrea offered me a ride back to my gate.
Arriving home, I finished the teacup and tried to pick a pattern to make a top out of some sweater-like fabric I acquired in Dongdaemun, but nothing I have with me will work. I ended up watching movies with Michele and Chris.

Teacup

Chris had to be at work early this morning, so I got up early to pack his sandwich. I couldn't find the container. When he got out of the shower he told me that it was at work with yesterday's sandwich still in it. Humph! Then I packed Michele's sandwich and waited for her to get up so I could give it to her and go back to bed. When I did get up for good, I checked my e-mail and got involved in a chat which lasted for hours. Finally I begged off so I could finish a teacup that I started last week, with a chicken theme. While doing the handwork, I watched "Sense and Sensibility". I cried at the sight of wide open fields of grass and trees. None of that here. Michele came home from school before it finished and watched the end with me. Then I put on "Get Shorty". Chris came home during that one with the Netflix rendition of "Time Bandits". So I watched that, too. Now the only thing left to do is to attach the handle. So a good day's work.
One of the things I ate today was a dried octopus snack I bought at the ski lodge. Michele would have none of it. But it was amazingly like beef jerky, but with a slight hint of fish. Tasty.

A trip with Mrs. Cho

This morning I cleaned up the last of the snacks and utensils I had put out for the meeting yesterday. I rinsed the paper plates for recycling and prepared a bag of stuff to take down. After dropping off the recyclables and food scraps, I walked over to post to meet Pam. We picked up Tina and then met Mrs. Cho (who cleans Tina's house once a week) at Gate 19. Mrs. Cho took us to Dongdaemun as an interpreter to help us find specific items. She also found us a good place for lunch. We had soup, and several kimchis, and a bowl of cold vegetable matter. Mrs. Cho showed us how to put the hot rice on the cold stuff and mix it all with spicy bean paste. She told us to eat it with a spoon. Golly, half the fun of Korean food is eating it with chopsticks! Afterwards we visited the restroom. It was a unisex restroom and when I exited the stall, there was someone using the urinal.
Tina let Mrs. Cho go home after lunch. Then the three of us wandered down a new street just to see what we could see. We passed a stall selling rolling bags and Tina bought one. I should have too, since a wheel came off of mine. All it needs is a nut to hold it on, but where is LOWES when you need one?
We got home by almost 5. We'd bought quilt fabric to match the focus fabric our group picked for a block exchange. Tina bought lots of notions, and I bought some fabric to make some tops. I washed and ironed my fabrics. I tried to choose which block I would make, but couldn't settle on one.

They came, they saw, they did a little talking.

I arose at 6 to make lunches. After husband and daughter left, I started cleaning again. I rewiped the bathrooms, and kitchen. I lit candles to add fragrance. I cleared more clutter. I cut up fruit for the salad. I even put in one grapple (that is an apple that tastes like a grape). I put out the salsa and chips. I put out plates, forks and napkins. I hung 16 quilt blocks on the sliding kitchen doors. All was ready. Then Tina and Andrea came over with quiche, cranberry salad, and a vegetable tray. It was wonderful. But where were the quilters? They were late. Several didn't come because of the superbowl. (It started at 8am). But we had enough chairs. We talked and planned. We ate and drank. We looked at magazines. They saw my sewing room. We exchanged Secret Sister gifts. We had a drawing for the block of the month. Then, regrettably, they all left about 1:30. It was so nice to have them over and to have a clean apartment.
I spent the afternoon chatting on the computer and doing Sudoku puzzles. (I wouldn't say my computer is slow, but there is a reason I keep a Sudoku book beside it). Michele and then Chris came home. I read for a while. It was so nice and peaceful.

The quilters are coming! The quilters are coming!

Sunday we attended church as usual, but it wasn't church as usual because the bishop was in town. He gave his sermon sitting on a chair placed center stage. He was very good. Afterwards we all gathered in a large room at the Dragon Hill Lodge for a buffet meal. Nobody left hungry. Each table had plenty of time to talk amongst themselves, and then he said a few words about Episcopalians working with Lutherans and Methodists. Michele left for a meeting at the South post Chapel.
Chris and I stopped by the commissary to buy food for the quilt meeting at my house the next day. We got fruit, a snack mix, and chips and salsa. We then took a nap from all the food we had eaten.
Michele called for a ride home, which woke us up. Chris and Michele spent the rest of the day on their computers while I vaccuumed, picked up, wiped, dusted, scrubbed, and put away. Tomorrow I will get up early to slice the fruit and put out the other food. Now I must make another batch of ice cubes.
It was nice to have some cooperation from my husband and daughter. It is too bad that it only happens when there is company coming.

Skiing for the first and possibly last time

Saturday Chris drove me to the middle school before 7. When Andrea came, she had me ride with her husband in their car while she rode on the bus with the kids. He and I got to the ski lodge before the bus did. I got separated from him so I waited where I could see the bus arrive. When we were all there, Andrea showed me how to get the equipment and put it on. We had to help the kids since putting on ski boots is very difficult. So is walking in ski boots. I felt the the abominable snowman.
First I tackled the bunny slope with Andrea's husband helping me. After 10 minutes (and still not going all the way up) he said it would be easier on the other slope. I wish I had a picture. The other slope was considered an easy slope complared to the expert slope, but much longer and some steeper than the bunny slope. It had a chair lift. The bunny slope was all packed down and mostly ice, so it was hard to turn or stop. He claimed the other slope was better. Ha. It was faster. I suppose I could have enjoyed the trip down, wind wistling past my ears, if it weren't for the fact that all good trips must come to an end and I couldn't see a good one. The only way to stop was to hit someone or something. It was 40 degrees and what had melted yesterday had refrozen as ice. Snowplowing didn't work. Zigzagging didn't work. I slid down whether my skis were pointing down, to the side or up. (I didn't know I could ski backwards). It took me two trips to get down that hill. I didn't go back up.
Back to the bunny hill. I had to take my skis off to walk up because there was no walking with skis on. Putting one ski on was fine. But trying to put the other on was hard because the first was ready to go, even though I was leaning on my ski poles. I took my share of tumbles, barely missing small children, screaming as I went. Nothing broken, but it left me sore. At one point I was down with my skis pointing in opposite directions on opposite sides of my body. That hurt, and I couldn't move. A very nice young Korean man released my feet from my skis and I was saved. Whew! Then we met in the cafeteria for lunch. I got a plate of very thick rice noodles in a spicy red sauce. It was good but I couldn't finish it. After lunch the kids went back out. I declined because the bunny hill was so crowded that there was no clear path down. And I didn't want to kill anyone on my way down. So I sat in the lodge and read. Our ski tickets expired at 1, and the kids returned to the cafeteria to have ice cream and pick up their stuff (after turning in their equipment). The ice cream looked like pop rocks. I was surprized to find it was cold. For some reason, in that form it wasn't very appealing. Then we went home. For 40,000 won (about $33) for boots, skis, poles and lift tickets, it was a good deal.
At home I had a bowl of soup and took a nap. Then Chris and Michele and I went to the coffee shop for our Korean lesson. Only the teacher forgot and never showed up. We waited for almost an hour. Then we walked back. But it was ok.
I did some picking up to get ready for the meeting on Monday. But then I developed a headache and went to bed.