First day back

When Chris arrived about 10:30, he told me to send out an e-mail letting everyone know that he arrived safely. He unpacked and then showed me the items he got for me – measuring cups and grass shears. He also let me read his birthday cards, which were very thoughtfully picked out. Then we went to bed… Chris said he did not sleep well and he noticed me throwing off the covers. I don’t know if they’re hot flashes, or if the weather is just too hot for covers. I figured he’d be really tired after all the traveling, but he got up at 6 and went running. Then he came back sweaty and laid on the floor to recover. He was all amorous, too. So I was glad when he took a shower and ate breakfast. 7:15 must be a magical time because all of a sudden I felt like getting up. It seems to be a pattern lately. Chris asked me to make him a loaf of bread. The milk was still frozen so I used water for the liquid. He showed me where he planted the spaghetti squash by the house, saving the treeline plantings for later. I drank a quart of water while looking at fabric necklaces on Pinterest. Then I pulled myself away to check e-mail and respond. Later, I took a broom and walked the trail to clean it but someone had just cleaned it – coincidence? In fact when I got to the end, a blower was sitting there with about 10 feet to go. A man in a truck pulled up and put the blower in the back. I told him what a good job he did of cleaning the trail. (But why did he not finish it?) I walked home with my broom. I watered my plants and replanted two from a sunny spot to a shady spot. Kelly and her husband came by to get some boxes from their part of the duplex. I spoke to them for a bit, then finished watering. I got the grass shears that Chris brought me from the states and trimmed their yard. I went back to reading e-mail and following interesting links. I did today’s puzzle. Chris came home for lunch and brought me a box from Swansons. I made hummus, then unpacked the box. It had milk thistle seed and dandelion root, but they were not powdered. So I tried the coffee grinder and the Magic Bullet. The MB did not do a better job, but it held more and was hands-free. So I made almost a jarful of each and labeled them. I cleaned up and put the implements in the dishwasher. I made the first block of our new Quilt of Valor. I took it outside for a photoshoot. I posted it to the community Facebook page and to the QOV e-mail list plus a blurb about our meeting tomorrow. I cleared a few more e-mails. I re-worked the rod pocket on the bedroom curtain so it would cut out more light at the top. I sat on my sewing room floor to pick up bits of fabric and thread and I found a small dead centipede squished into the carpet. I am not sure how long it might have been there. I heard music, so I went outside. The Koreans play music (often band music) at 6pm. While I listened, I transplanted some sunflower seedlings and added dirt to a few other transplants. When I came in, I called Myra to see if she wanted to check on the CO’s plants with me. But she was having dinner. So I asked Chris. His dinner was cooling, so we walked up there together. He checked around the yard for thirsty plants while I watered them. The garden was ok, but the plants out front were dry. And then we walked back. Chris ate his dinner while I made a salad. We watched one episode of Castle and then he was tired. So we got ready for bed. He came into the bathroom to snuggle up behind me while I was brushing my teeth. But when he saw my teeth black with activated charcoal, he gave me a strange look and left. I laughed so hard. After I finished, we went to bed.

Lettuce hope Chris comes home safely

I refreshed the salt last night after finding a slug in my lettuce. The rain must have washed some of it away. But when I checked in the morning, I found another slug, so not sure how he got in. I played around with a photo of my eye in the kaleidoscope program, hoping to come up with something really disturbing to post in my garden. But when I printed it out, it was too dark.
With nothing to leave the house for, I decided to have a coffee morning. I exercised and rebounded and drybrushed. I listened to audios and tried to meditate. I cleaned in the kitchen. I oiled my hair which gets so dry. I went outside to water my plants and mow the neighbor’s lawn. I drank water to replace the sweat. Then I made and ate breakfast. I looked at more internet videos of necklaces from fabric or ribbon. I came across an article about Kazim Gurbuz, who is 95 but looks 50 and does amazing yoga moves. Myra came over to get her rotary cutter, but did not stay long. I took a shower and washed my hair several times to get all the oil out. Then I got dressed and walked into town to get my weekly massage. I was a little early, but it seemed ok. I sat in the foot bath for awhile, relaxing and drinking whatever tea it was. Usually it is bamboo and so mild as to be essentially tasteless. But today it had a lot of color and flavor. The man gave me the upper back massage. I made another appointment and then I walked home. I started looking at fabric necklaces on Pinterest. I saw a fabric adornment that would look good on my new purse and tried to emulate it. I sewed a strip long sides together, then used a safety pin to turn it right side out. But then I had a heck of a time getting the safety pin out. I sat and handstitched it into shape while listening to an audio. After the audio started to repeat itself, I stopped to make a salad for supper. I ate it at the desktop computer as I finished watching a video from several days ago. It talked about their system for interrupting an emotional state. I was hoping it would help me not be sad when I think of my mom. Chris called to say his second plane was delayed. I played some Helen Reddy songs. Then I downloaded a lighter pic of my eye and made a kaleidoscope of it, intending it to look owl-like. I printed it out. Chris called again to say he was on his way. I picked up fabric from all over the house and put it away. I made the bed somewhat. I put out the food waste for tomorrow since I don’t think we’ll be getting up early. I tried to make more chia/flax mix, but was short on flax. I cut another strip to make ornamentation for the other side of the purse. I stopped to write to my blog so I won’t have to worry about it after Chris gets here.

Finishing the shirt

I woke up early from a strange dream. I stayed in bed until my cortisol woke up. Then I got up and looked outside. It was raining. I watered my lettuces on the porch. I texted Myra to see if they were still going to go hiking this morning. I read e-mail and listened to audios. I drank a quart of water and took my vitamin C. I took my shower and dressed for church. Then I worked on my top from last night. I sewed the side seams and hemmed the sleeves. Then I finished getting ready for church. I got Chris’ keys and drove myself to the FFTC center where I parked and walked to the chapel. I had no one to sit with since Jane went back to the states. The leader of the praise team hurt his back so he was there, but not playing his guitar. We sang hymns instead. For the sermon, the chaplain talked about a documentary called “Please vote for me” where a third grade class in China votes for class monitor. It turns very political as three candidates are running. Although voting is new to them, they quickly learn corruption during the process. The chaplain asked if politics equals corruption. And he talked about Godly leaders dispensing justice and all the benefits stated in the bible. After the sermon I talked to the song leader and his wife who is learning to sew in our class. Then I drove home. I ook off my dress and put on my new shirt with shorts. Often if I wear a top before I hem it, it never gets hemmed, but I took the chance anyway. I turned off the ox-tail soup which has been cooking for two days. I spooned out the fat and the bones. I discarded the bones and poured the juice into two jars which went into the fridge. Then I sat down to watch a very long talk by Bruce Lipton on epigenetics. It was far more interesting than I expected. I paused it in the middle to stack and run the dishwasher. Then I went to the commissary for eggs and coconut milk. When I got back, I called Myra to see if they were home. I went over there to deliver some olives that were taking up too much space in the fridge drawers. I stayed to chat. She gave me stuff for the FRG yardsale (whenever it happens). I put it in the shed and looked at the patterns someone else had donated. But they were all for kids clothes. I took my clippers and clipped grass all around the property and flower beds. Then I went in as it got dark. I hard boiled as many eggs as would fit in my large pot. While that happened, I ironed fabric from the last trip to the market. Then I cooled and peeled as many of the eggs as would fit in the pickled egg jar. I saved 8 for Chris for breakfasts. I unstacked the dishwasher. Anna knocked on the door. She gave me two bags of lettuce – one was from her garden – and two cucumbers. She told me to feel free to pick her garden while she was gone. Then she left. I made a salad and ate it while finishing the long talk by Bruce. Then I looked at videos of how to make a scarf into a necklace. It got late and I should have blogged and gone to bed.

Birthday party

I woke several times in the early morning alternately too hot or too cold depending on the coverings. I had a dream that I could fly. But this time I had a magic object to help me. Always before, I could fly on my own. I woke up, clenching my teeth and wondering why. I thought I had this licked. I got up and put the food waste in its container, then took it out to the curb. On the way back, I checked the lettuce and saw that something has been after it. I got out clippers and the pinwheel. It did not want to spin freely so I oiled the pin. I set it in the plate of lettuce that showed attack. I clipped the dead flower heads from the dahlias. I read e-mail while drinking water. Chris skyped me and I got to talk to him, Michele, Al and Cecily and a bit to Marie. I did some mental programming for how I would like to experience the party. I knew Anna was looking for outdoor games for the kids. So I looked for my parafoil kite, but did not find it. I ironed some shorts to wear. Then I walked uphill to the party at the CO’s house. They had a bouncy house full of kids from the base community and the nearby orphanage. I guess they bounced it too far back because all of a sudden it deflated. Scott got all the kids out and someone reconnected the air hose. I hung out with Myra and Carolyn. I wasn’t going to eat, but they had raw veggies and shrimp, so I ate that and watermelon. We all sang Happy Birthday to the kids having birthdays this month. Blowing out candles was new to them. Then someone cut the cake and handed out pieces. There was a lot of food leftover so Scott called Security and two guys came over to pack up the leftovers and take it back to the station. I walked home, eating leftover shrimp. I mowed our lawn really short. That was because the men who cut the public areas cut really short. I watered my flowers which I could see wilting as I was mowing. I listened to an audio that Jennifer recommended. Then I went back outside to plant flowers and the last sprouted sweet potato. I read e-mail until I had ti down to 57. Then I worked on adjusting a pattern, trying to add self-sleeves to a sleeveless mock cowl neck. What a pain. Then I cut out the pattern from knit fabric (the pattern did not call for knits, but one of my favorite shirts is almost that style and make from a knit). I ironed on stabilizer that I bought at the market to the back neck, sewed it down, then sewed the shoulder seams not realizing that the back neck facing was to be sewn to the cowl front. I got that fixed and really really wanted to finish the top tonight, but my eyes were crossing so I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Happy Birthday, Chris

I got up about 7:15. I swished and drank water while reading e-mail. I went outside to water and saw Kelly out watching the men from Housing boxing up her stuff to move it to a larger house. She told me that they were already spending their nights at the other house. Although I swear I hadn’t heard them through the walls, I had noticed how quiet our house was the last two evenings. I picked strawberries and spread fresh salt on the porch. I took some niacin and walked up the trail, stopping to use the exercise stations. I had worked up a good sweat, so I did more yard work to keep it going – raking up grass clipping and pulling weeds. I put the package of ox-tail in crock pot along with an onion. I did today’s puzzle listening to an audio. I ate some seed crackers, then made and ate breakfast. I sent a birthday message to Chris. Then I took a shower and dressed nicely to go to dentist. I got there 5 minutes early. I waited in the main room, then was sent to wait upstairs where the hygenists were working. Then it was my turn. She had me sit in a dental chair. She covered my eyes and face with a mask that had a hole in it. She cleaned with some whirring power tool, which kind of felt like drilling. She found some sensitive spots I did not know I had. Unlike the massage man, she stopped when it hurt. Then she used a phone app to translate. She said my teeth were worn and I needed lots of treatment. Although I knew my teeth were worn from clenching, I have hope now because the extra magnesium seems to have stopped the involuntary grip. I went downstairs and paid 60,000 won. Then I took what was left of my money and went to market. I realized it was only 2:30, so the cleaning couldn’t have been more than 15 minutes. In the market, I bought carrots, apples, lettuce, and cherries – at that point all my money was gone. I went back to the base, and restocked my won. I walked home. I was hot and sweaty so I turned on the AC fan. I soaked the lettuce in vinegar water because the lady I bought it from was so bent over that she laid it on the street to get it in the bag. I ate some meat from the crock pot. I checked e-mail, and read a pdf. I did some tapping and sorted laundry and fabric to wash. I saw centipede in the living room and chased it but lost it. I wondered if it came because I turned the fan on. I washed a dark load of clothes and fabric. I researched making pinwheels online, looking for something to use outdoors. I came across duct tape pinwheels. They seemed waterproof, but I did not have duct tape so I made one out of a piece of photo paper and a straw. I did a light load of laundry. I found the photo paper wanted to unfold and pull the pin out of the straw. I wedged it in place hoping time in position would train it to hold the shape. When Chris comes home, I will ask him to replace the printer cartridge and I will try it with photo paper with eyes printed on. That should discourage the birds. I folded clothes and fabric from the dryer and put them away. I took the fabric to the sewing room to iron, but got sidetracked looking at the construction of a blouse. I finished making a pattern from red dress. I refilled the water jugs from the shower filter. I loaded the dishwasher, but it wasn’t full so I didn’t run it. I drank more water and some melatonin. I put a box fan in the front window and opened the guest bedroom window. I wrote up my blog post for the day and went to bed.

More fabric from Daegu

I did check my lettuce last night, and it was slug free.
This morning, I woke up in a sweat, hoping it was just the weather. I stayed in bed until 7:15. I got up to drink lemon water, check e-mail and respond. I tapped on having a headache. I collected the garbage and lugged the huge container out to the curb. I watered the plants, not certain they all needed it, but it was shaping up to be a hot day. I made and ate breakfast. I packed some seed crackers and water. I got dressed. Taking my market bag and back-up bag, I headed toward the commissary. But Kim picked me up in her van as I was walking and took me to the ATM. I got cash. Myra arrived and we headed to the gate, where we picked up Sue. Then Kim drove the five of us to the commissary at Camp Carroll. She had something to deliver and the rest of us looked around. It was as small as ours in Chinhae, like a country store. Then we went to the commissary at Camp Walker. It was huge, like walking into a supermarket. I did not realize how much I missed supermarkets. I bought lemons. We also stopped at the lawn and garden shop there. I wanted a pair of grass shears, but they had nothing with long blades, only short blades with long handles. From Camp Walker, we drove into Daegu. The fabric market was not hard to find, but getting to the parking lot was difficult. It took us 40 minutes, waiting in line. Kim was looking to match a swatch of fabric. We all looked together at first but I kind of got sidetracked looking at a roll of blue that looked like the middle of a swimming pool. But no one was there to wait on me so I left. I cannot now recall all our movements within the market. I bought various quilting fabrics and several knits. One lady shoved the second knit in my bag insisting that I buy it. I thought she was giving it to me, but Sue (who is Korean) explained that the lady expected $5 for the two yards of fabric. I was ok with that. Kim found that the fabric she wanted was discontinued so she bought the silk from the man she met on Monday. Then Nela and Myra bought Coach fabric to make bags because it was so cheap. After that, Nela and Sue went downstairs to eat while the rest of us walked around trying to find fusible tricot – a stabilizer for knits. We did a lot of asking and were first directed out of the building to another. Not finding it, we threaded our way back. On the third floor, we were told to go to the 4th floor. On the fourth floor, we were told to go to the third floor. Finally I asked a woman who went and got a man, whom I followed to a place on the third floor. He left and I called Sook but she did not answer. Then I called Jane and she explained to the proprietress what I wanted. I bought it, then went back to the others. Kim wanted a zipper so we went back to the little place, and we bought needles and a zipper and handle webbing and such. Then we walked down to B3 to find Kim’s car. She drove us several hours back to the base in Chinhae, dropping Sue off at her house. Then I was dropped off and she took the others home. I ate my daily nuts with dates. I checked e-mail briefly. Then I changed clothes and called Kristen to see what cleaning supplies might be needed. I suggested a bucket and she agreed. So I got my bucket from outside and cleaned it. I was walking to her house when Linda drove by and picked me up. Kristen’s door was open when we got there. A bunch of ladies were inside and the dining room table was full of pizza. Kids were running around. It was a cleaning party for Kristen who is leaving tomorrow. It was not clear what we should be doing. I cleaned in the bathroom first, then found Myra and Nela cleaning the fridge. So I cleaned the cabinets and the window. I found a Magic Eraser sponge and scrubbed at spots on the walls. I also wiped baseboards. When I ran out of things to clean, I turned to say my goodbyes. Kristen offered me lots of yeast to take along. We hugged and I left. I walked home in the dark. I checked my lettuce and did not find slugs. I read e-mail and drank water. I listened to the rest of an audio I started this morning about how autism is a microbiome imbalance. Then I posted to my blog in preparation for going to bed.
* Here is one of the kaleidoscopes I made earlier in the week. *

We have a new convert

I woke up at 6:45. I did 15 minutes of mental programming and then got up. I put out the recyclables. I transferred the sewing stuff from the bin to a basket that would be easier to carry. I rolled up the extension cords into toilet paper tubes to help balance the basket on top of the sewing machine. Then I turned on the laptop and played an audio while deleting e-mail. I worked on a Swansons order, wondering if I even got the last one. Myra called to talk about sewing class. She decided to cancel it because of a financial presentation being given in the same room. We also talked about Nela inviting us to go with them to Daegu again tomorrow. She agreed to pick me up at 10:50 for class. I scrapped the Swansons order because I did not have enough to make the minimum for free shipping. I did some watering, mostly plants so close to the house that the rain might not have reached them. The porch was littered with dead slugs. I guess the birds didn’t want salty slugs. I got dressed in a nicer outfit. I stacked my machine and basket on the rolling cart and headed out. Myra drove up just as I got out. We put the stuff in her car and got the iron, spare machine and box of fabric from Chris’ car. When we got to the chapel, we had a hard time finding parking. We parked behind some parked cars and unloaded. But rolling the cart up the hill, the contents overturned. It happened again at the door. How much can my machine take? The lady at the desk helped me carry stuff in while Myra went back for more. The lady took us to the other classroom because our usual room was taken by another group. I was glad we did not have stuff in the storage room because access was blocked. Several people who don’t usually come, came to Quilts of Valor because I put out the word that other sewing efforts were welcome, too. Anna came to help and I set her to cutting strips. But then her husband called to tell her to come home and cook lunch. So she left. I cut the rest of the strips myself. Myra set up one machine and So Young used it to make a bag. She was so thrilled and it was her first time sewing. I took a pic because such a moment may never come again. She did not finish her bag before she and her friend had to leave. Danielle came and finished her hot mitt. Then Anna came back and cut more strips. We went way over time and finally I said I needed to go home and have lunch. So we packed up and Myra stopped at the post office. I checked and all I found was a birthday card for Chris, ironically from Virginia. Myra had to mail a pair of glasses and that took a while. Then she took me home. I brought in everything but the machine. I made and ate breakfast. I read e-mail and looked at dress and quilt patterns online. Anna had wanted to see a pic of the new quilt I had in mind, but I could not find the pic I had seen. I got interested in dress designs. I pulled my red dress out of the closet to trace around it. But then I got sidetracked looking at cowl neck designs and found one in my collection which I thought might work with a top I already had. But I went back to the dress and traced the back on paper. I called Myra to find out if we were cleaning for Kristen tonight but it turned out to be tomorrow night. Then the CSO posted that the Friday meeting would be moved to tomorrow the 25th at 3. But tomorrow is the 26th so I was confused. I went outside to collect some dandelion for supper. I also trimmed grass around the edges of the lawn. Then I made a salad for supper. I checked e-mail again and listened to an audio. I did the Thursday puzzle while repeatedly blowing my nose to dislodge a piece of dandelion that was stuck in my sinuses. I did some tapping and cleared more e-mail. Chris skyped with me for a while. Then I did a meditation and posted to my blog. I may go directly to bed or I might check on the slugs first.

Walking in the rain for a massage

I did some mental programming and got up at 7:15. I got dressed and took out the food waste. Leaving the food waste pail in the foyer at night really helps me remember to take it out first thing. It looked like rain coming, so I put the plates of lettuce out on the sidewalk. The one with coffee had slugs trails on it. I swished and cleaned some sticky spots on a window. I wondered what it could have been. I microwaved and crushed a bowl of egg shells in preparation for the flower beds. I turned on my laptop and brushed my teeth. I did all the things that go with a coffee morning. I was late for yoga but class hadn’t really started yet. I guess it was no surprise that it went late. It was a rainy day and only Myra and I came. We had massages scheduled in town at 2 and 3, but the front gate was closed from 1 to 3 for training. So we either had to leave before 1 or walk out the back gate. We opted for the latter. I took a shower and ate breakfast. Then I picked up Myra in Chris’ car. We parked at Duffy’s to get cash from the ATM. Then I planned on parking at Transportation but there were no empty spaces. I tried Chris’ office but no space there either. We parked at Turtle Cove. The CO came by and offered us a ride, but he wasn’t going off base. We walked out the back gate onto the ROK base and from there we walked to the massage place. The young clerk had handwritten notes explaining that our masseuse was leaving at 3 so one of us had to get a different person or come back later. Myra opted for a Ms. Cho. We were given the usual hot water foot soak, then taken back to the same room. She got the upper body massage and I got the foot massage. When it was over, we paid and I made an appointment for next week. Then we went across the street to investigate a building that we were told had a dentist. We did not find one there, but next door. They said no English, but I was able to get an appointment for Friday for teeth cleaning. Then we walked quickly back to base, in the front gate this time. The security guard greeted me as a Hokie and I remembered that I was wearing a VT shirt from the thrift shop. Myra went home but I was able to get to the post office just before they closed. I got mail but there were no packages. I hope the packages get here before the post office closes for 4 days. I got the car and drove home. I washed fabric and checked e-mail. I cleaned in the kitchen. I made up the next round of supplements. I made a salad for supper. I looked at dresses on Weallsew.com. A lot of them looked like they were made by beginners. But I found some interesting ones. I closed my laptop and went to my sewing room. I pressed the newly washed fabrics. There was one that could not be ironed because of the texture. I found myself making a large nylon bag for the market as a backup. Then I went to post to my blog but got sidetracked on Swansons. Then I remembered to check outside and saw slugs in my lettuce. I dropped pennies on them because I heard they don’t like copper. But nothing happened. So I flicked them off and as’salt’ed them. They were also crawling up the wall. So I put salt water in a spray bottle and let them have it. I wondered if Epsom salts would be effective (and cheaper). Then I sat down again to write my blog.
* Here are some dresses we saw at the fabric market in Busan *

Shopping in Busan-Jin market

Ok, so I did not go straight to bed after blogging last night. I should have. Instead, I checked e-mail one last time and a neighbor posted on Facebook that a centipede fell from the AC vent on the ceiling and landed on the bed, biting her daughter. I looked up how to get rid of centipedes. But nothing I read made me feel safe enough to go to bed since there is a ceiling vent directly over my bed. Ugh. I redressed the bed so that my feet were under the vent instead of my head, and I went to sleep.
I got up before the alarm, checked e-mail quickly, and watered all the plants. I talked to Kelly whose baby found a centipede in her bed. I shortened the straps on my market bag. I ate some seed crackers and put shea butter around my ear. I grabbed my bag and backpack and headed to the commissary to meet the girls. But they met me on the way and picked me up in the van. We stopped at the ATM so I could get cash, then we went out the gate and picked up Sue. Kim drove us to Busan, where we found the Jin market but had a harder time finding parking. We walked quite a ways and found out we walked the wrong way, so we went all the way back to the parking lot and turned left and the market wasn’t far. We encountered a store at street level where we bought fusible interfacing. Then we went into the market building. There were five of us and we did not always stay together. At various places I bought a green to match a shirt I recently got that really looked good on me. I also found lace in that color. I bought minki as well, both for a class I want to do and one just because I liked it so much. We also found the quilting fabric booth, but he did not have much that I haven’t had the chance to buy before. We ran into jersey knits and I bought a few of those. I had my big market bag and a backpack, but it wasn’t enough. Eventually I had so much that the other ladies helped me carry it. Then we strolled around outside looking for a place to eat. We found another building with fabric. It was nicer but more expensive. Still, Kim could not find the fabric she was trying to match. Then Kim and Myra went to a bread café for lunch while Sue, Nela and I ate Korean food. The lady at the restaurant sent out for kimbap for me. When the three of us finished, we went to find Kim and Myra. We went back to the first place to get thread and zippers. Myra got some fusible too. We went back to the parking deck and paid the $2/hour fee to get out. Then we were on our way back to Chinhae. We let Sue off at the gate and Kim took the rest of us home. I dumped my stuff on the floor and drank water. Then I mowed the lawn and trimmed it. I sprinkled coffee grounds in the strawberry bed to discourage slugs. I made and ate breakfast and read e-mail. I did today’s puzzle. I unpacked all my purchases. I put away those that won’t be washed. I zig-zagged the edges of those most likely to ravel badly. I put the fabrics in two piles. I listened to audios as I worked on the desktop. I e-mailed Kemora pics of kaleidoscopes that I made of her hat. Then I played around with kaleidoscoping other pics I have taken recently. When I noticed the time (after 11) I blogged, drank my fiber drink and went to bed.
* This is the sculpted minki that I just had to buy, even though I have nothing to go with it *

Off to a good start

I got up when the alarm went off. I turned on the laptop and drank my quart of water while reading e-mail. I saw an article on 5 stretches that are supposed to make a big difference in 5 days, so I tried them. Then I threw on some clothes to water the plants outside. I also clipped off dead flower heads. I noticed that one of my lettuce bowls is not doing well. I also surprised magpies in my lettuce patch. So I moved the bowls to the fence. The bowls sit nicely on the tops of the posts. But the magpies went after them there and so I moved the bowls to the front porch until I could figure out how to protect them. I did an internet search. One lady used pinwheels and a fake snake. It was worth a try.
I ate my seeds and cranberries, then took a shower to get the coconut oil out of my hair. I got dressed for church and put my phone, etc, in my new red purse. When it was time, I got in Chris’ car and drove to the FFTC to park and walked to the chapel. I sat where Jane and I usually sit and waited for her to arrive. So Young stopped by to tell me her husband was having back problems. I showed her my new bag. Jane sat down and I showed her my new bag. So Young left and Suzanne sat down. I showed her my new bag. She paid me for a thread stand that I gave her Wednesday night. I had forgotten. We sang hymns and passed the peace and had communion and a sermon. Then after the service, Jane had someone take our picture together. She walked to the Korean church while I drove home and changed into pants. I walked to the Korean church where lunch was in progress. I got a plate of food and sat with Jane. We talked and ate. Later we said goodbye because she is going back to the states for the summer. I walked back to base and home. I made breakfast and refilled all of the containers I draw from. I grabbed my new market bag and headed to the commissary. When I was passing Myra’s building, Deron came out and offered me a ride because it was on his way. I shopped for pickled egg ingredients plus ox-tail bones. Nela surprised me as I was picking out bones. She offered me a ride home so I got the heavier package which I would not have wanted to carry on foot. As I was checking out, my credit card was denied so I had to run to the ATM for cash to pay. I rode with Tim and Nela. They stopped by their house so Nela could give me a bottle of sesame oil that she did not want. Then they dropped me off at home. I put the food away and looked up a recipe for pickled red beet eggs for an event in June. While listening to an audio, I boiled 18 eggs and made the pickling juice. But after I put the eggs and the beets in the gallon jar, there was more room left. I made another batch of juice and put the other can of beets in. Still, there was a little more room in the jar so I figured on buying another dozen eggs on Tuesday when the commissary opens again. I meant to mow the lawn, but I read e-mail and got hooked reading responses on Quora. It was an inexplicable waste of time but I could not stop. Well, not for some time. Then I went to Netflix and started watching episodes of ‘House’. That was rather inexplicable too, since he is such a curmudgeon that any hospital in their right mind would have fired him. While I watched, I separated egg shell fragments from their membranes – another inexplicable activity. And then it was time to blog and go to bed.

Hanging out with the guys

I got up about 5 minutes before the alarm went off. I went to my sewing room for some reason (I can’t remember now). Then I put on pants under my caftan to take out the food waste and water all the plants. I picked some strawberries, but most had been touched by the slugs. (Beer, gotta get some beer.) I came in and read e-mail until Chris skyped me. He was in Midlothian with Michele and my dad. I got to talk to all of them and it was really nice to see my dad again. I showed them the market bag I made yesterday. After the call, I threw laundry in the washer. I looked for fusible interfacing in my sewing room, but all I could find was regular interfacing and various sheets of wonder under. I used the oldest wonder under first. It was not very good. I threw in a second load of laundry. I managed to fuse interfacing to all the pieces of the bag I worked on last night. I found a bag of pistachios in the fridge and had to eat them because they were cracked open. I pulled clothes from the dryer, and ran the dishwasher. I made and ate breakfast while checking e-mail. I finished the bag, then took pics of it and showered. I got dressed. I unstacked the dishwasher and folded the clothes. I put most of them away by 4:30. Then I ran out of the house down to Myra’s place. She was watering her flowers and vegetables. After awhile, her husband came out. Then we got in their car. Scott drove around the base, then we went off. We drove to the nearest mountain and up part way. We parked and walked to a waterfall. Then we started walking up. It was steep, but not all that far. We passed through an arch with four ornate king statues. Then we walked past 12 stone statues representing the animal of the year. Then we passed a temple. Further up, we found a ‘gallery’ of stone statues, each one with a different expression, different hand position, different clothing, but all men. Some were kind of creepy. All had long ears. That was as far up as we could go. So we walked around enjoying the view and taking pictures. We walked back to the car and drove a little ways back. Then we got out and walked around there, seeing more modern statuary and underbrush, planted in rows. Then we got back in the car. I thought we were done, but Scott likes to drive around just to see where roads go. So that’s what we did and we saw cows and chickens and another temple. Then we drove back to the base. They let me off at my house. I browned an onion and added two packages of bison. When it was cooked, I ate while reading e-mail. It was not as good as the bison I have had in the states. I wondered if it was old. I put the rest in the fridge. I finished today’s puzzle. I looked up how to program subliminal messages to appear on my laptop. All I found was a video on how to make a movie of photos and text that goes so fast you can’t read it. But that’s a start. Then I listened to a meditation audio and downloaded the pics from my camera. And then it was time for bed.

My new bag

I got up soon after the alarm went off. It took a little tapping. I had been awake and trying to do mental programming, but my mind kept wandering off. I turned on the laptop, checked e-mail and did today’s Sudoku puzzle during an audio. I ironed the rest of the fabric, and went back to the computer to get the pattern for a big bag I wanted to make to carry items home from the market. I spent a lot of time deciding which fabrics to use and where to put them in the design. I wanted to use the yellow butterfly on the front with the Hawaiian floral, but nothing I tried made the two go together. I also wanted all the fabrics to be heavier than quilting weight, but my supply is very limited so the fabric on the bottom is from my quilting stash. I took several breaks to eat, just in case it made deciding easier. I also took time to water all the plants outside. I was inspired by a tote tutorial on the net, but decided to add piping and make it reversible so I could use the butterflies on the outside sometimes. When the choices were made, I started cutting and sewing. I told myself that I would stop at 2pm to go to the post office. But I didn’t want to stop sewing then. So I set 3pm as my new deadline. But I was so close to finishing, that I kept sewing. Finally, only topstitching in matching thread remained. Since the post office closes at 4, for time sake, I merely basted the top of the bag. Then I put on a red shirt to match and wore it walking down the road. For once, nobody passed me. Where was everyone when I wanted some attention? I went to the post office hoping for a package, but all I got was mail. Then I went to the commissary. Nela and Kim were stocking a shelf. I showed them my new purse and they really liked it. Then I bought some coconut milk and dates and put them in my new bag. Walking back, I saw Myra out sweeping her porch. I stopped to chat and show her my bag. Her husband showed up for a short while and we talked about going to the temple tomorrow afternoon. Daniele and Thunder stopped by, too. Then I went home. I made a salad for supper. I checked e-mail and listened to a couple of short audios. I sent Chris a list of the bills that came today. I sent some pics to the desktop so I could import them to the kaleidoscope program, but it took forever. The bag I made looked ok with my church dress, but was way too big. So I picked out some fabrics that would go nicely and looked online for a cute but smaller purse pattern. I finally found one, but it did not make sense at first. I printed out the pattern pieces and then I understood. I sewed my chosen fabrics in rows and then cut the pattern pieces out of that. I kept thinking tomorrow was Sunday and I had to have it done tonight. It got very late while I was sewing instead of watching the time. I quickly posted to my blog and went to bed.

Chris and Michele said hello

I woke up before 7. I did some mental programming about how I would like to feel at the end of the day. It included having a clean house. I got up and surprised myself by NOT turning on the computer, but instead sweeping all the uncarpeted areas of the house. Then I filled my quart vessel with vinegar water and put some water in the coffee pot to heat for later. I checked e-mail. I placed a Swansons order since they were having 20% off their brand. But mostly they were still more than what I usually order. I threw on some clothes and watered the flowers and vegetables. I realized how late it was and ran inside to get ready for the sauna, but I heard the skype beep. I was tempted not to answer it, but was curious enough to see who it was. I could not resist talking to Chris and Michele. The call lasted 11 minutes, then I put on my suit, filled bottles with hot mineral water and went to the gym. I got in the sauna and set it for an hour. But since I was late getting in, I left 5 minutes early. I showered and went to yoga. Hardly anyone was there because there was a trip to the pottery, which I had forgotten about but sauna and yoga are more important anyway. After yoga, I went home to find a centipede in the foyer. I sprinkled it with diatomaceous earth but it did not faze him. So I slapped it with my shoe and scooped up the body with a tissue. I made and ate breakfast. I looked at e-mail. I changed my clothes because I sweated during yoga and I washed my feet. I walked to the massage place. He wanted payment first but gave me a 9000 won discount. I handed him a little tub of Epsom salts for the foot bath. After the bath, I laid on a table and wondered why I was paying to be beaten up. He did not take it easy on me. But later I felt pretty good as I walked into the market. I went to Daiso for a couple of things. I looked at several plant places but there were no blueberry plants. I bought cucumbers, and I bought heavy fabric for tote bags. Then I went back to the base. When I got home, I looked at sewing ideas on AllPeopleSew. I stopped to wash fabric from today, and to iron Daegu fabric. I discovered that the new sleeve for the dust mop doesn’t fit. I ate nuts and dates. When the laundry was done, I put the cotton fabrics in the dryer. The nylon ones I took out to hang on the line since they were dripping wet. The keypad made an alarm sound and I could not stop it. Finally I took the batteries out, but when I put them back in, the sound started up again. I read the compartment panel and tried what it said but to no avail. But then when I put the battery in the second time, it was fine. ??? I continued ironing. I pulled the cotton fabric out of the dryer and folded it. A few things were still wet. More ironing. I finished the fabric from Daegu except for one piece. I decided to have supper even though it was 9pm. As I ate, I read e-mail, and listened to some tapping audios. I finished the Sudoku puzzle for today, and a very long tapping article. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* This is the best looking of my six lettuce gardens. *

PJ party

I woke up several times during the very early morning. Once I thought I heard footsteps in the hallway and it was scary. I heard the alarm go off and stayed in bed until I remembered the recyclables had to be out by 8. So I got up and looked for something to throw on quickly. Anna called to ask if I wanted to go to Daegu today. I told her I had QOV class today and she thought I should cancel it. (That never sits well with me.) I declined. She said she would take pics of fabric and send them to me in case I wanted something. That was sweet. After the call, I pulled on a top and pants and took out the recycling. I filled my drinking vessel with water and noticed a can that should have gone out. So I ran out to the street to add it. Kelly noticed me and came out to talk. Her dog came out too, looking for some affection from me. We were having a nice chat when her husband came back from PT. I was a little uncomfortable not having a bra on. Hopefully no one noticed. I feel like I live in a fishbowl. After the conversation, I watered the flowers and sprinkled some diatomaceous earth on the strawberries. I came in to drink vinegar water and check e-mail. I noticed the card that came in the mail yesterday. It was an interesting Mother’s Day card. As I read it, I assumed it was from Michele (although that would be unusual). But at the end, it was signed by my Dad. Then I noticed the telltale signs – special stamps, careful lettering, a card that starts out “I couldn’t decide…” Dad, if you are reading this, I want you to know I liked it.
I listened to some audios, but paused one to get ready for class. I ironed some fabrics intended for the backing of the fish quilt. I put on real clothes. I called Myra to tell her I was coming. I put my sewing bin on the cart and wheeled it to our car. Then I drove to Myra’s place. She put her machine and stuff in the car and we went to the chapel. There was no place to park so we parked by the clinic. We unloaded and set up in the Sunday school room. I got the stuff stored in the closet. Myra and I debated which fabrics to use for the backing and how to put them together. There was not enough of any one of them to do the whole thing. Eventually we came up with a plan. Myra sewed a deeper seam on one side of the quilt to cover the spots where the background fabric was short. I cut pieces of blue and used them to frame a fish fabric that we found in the market on Monday. Lily came to finish her project and then left. Nela came to tell Myra about the bus to Busan and she left. But people started a meeting in the chapel and we did not want to disturb them by packing up and carrying all our stuff out. So we stayed for an extra hour and finished the backing (except for trimming and pressing). I dropped Myra at home and then went home to have breakfast. I thought I would iron fabric, but I ended up just reading e-mail. I crushed some garlic and let it sit while I got ready for sewing class. And I forgot about it. I ironed some fabric and threw it in the car. I went to pick up Myra but she wanted to drive her own car. So she followed me to class. We set up and wondered where everyone was. They drifted in. Myra helped one lady make an apron, doing most of the work for her. Others brought projects and just used our machines. Myra went home for extra supplies. At 8:30 I called time. Everyone chipped in to pack up and we were out in 10 minutes. I drove home, and ate my garlic with hummus. I also swallowed my supplements. I got a jacket and walked down to Kathy’s house. She was having another PJ party. She was still putting the kids to bed when I arrived. But others eventually came and we had a table full. Kemora was the last to come. And she had the best stories. I could have listened all night, but I promised myself that I would not stay out too late. I tried to sneak out but Kemora insisted on driving me and she had more story to tell before she left. Others also took the chance to leave, so I felt like I broke up the party. Kemora dropped me off at home. I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Walking with Myra

I got up pretty early. I don’t remember when, but I do remember hearing my alarm go off when my coffee morning routine was underway. In addition to exercise and meditation and e-mail, I cleaned the kitchen. I picked strawberries. I took a shower. I even started a load of fabric laundry before heading to yoga. It was an all female class today. When it was over, the ladies told me how beautiful the fish quilt was. I wondered how they had seen it since all I did was made it the cover photo on my facebook page. But apparently Facebook told everyone, even the lady who doesn’t ‘friend’ anyone. I headed back with Myra. We agreed to meet after lunch to walk the trail. I made and ate breakfast, drying one load of fabric and washing a second load. I called her about 2 to say I was going to the post office and commissary. I hoped to get a package today, so I drove. But there was no parking anywhere around the FFTC center or the chapel. I drove around twice, then went home. I parked the car, then went inside to get my rolling cart. The dryer was finished so I pulled the fabric out and folded it. I walked down to the commissary, passing by the pool which was being filled with water. I left my cart at the commissary while I went to the post office. There was mail but no packages. Then I remembered Michele’s gift. I went to the commissary for food and hydrogen peroxide and a new set of measuring cups. There were no cups and hydrogen peroxide came in small bottles. I was in a snit over having to walk my groceries home, but I kept the number low so it wasn’t so bad and half way up the hill, the firechief offered me a ride the rest of the way. I put the food away, then took Michele’s present to the post office to mail. I called Myra from there and she was ready. On my way to her house, two people offered me rides home. Ha! She met me at the stairs. She showed me her flower beds and vegetable beds. Then we walked up the trail. It was full of debris from the rain which made it treacherous on the steepest part. But we made it. We walked to the second exercise station and came back by the road, picking up trash as we went. We came down the steps behind my house. I showed her my flower beds. She saw some berries that I missed. We stood talking for awhile, until we saw her husband drive up the hill. So she walked to the street so he would pick her up on his way back down. I went inside and was eating gelled bone broth when I saw Anna outside. I went out and called to her. She had come to talk with Myra and me but we had already split up. Anna and I talked for a bit. Then she went home. I ate some hummus with crushed garlic. I did tomorrow’s Sudoku puzzle. I read e-mail, then got on Netflix to see if the streaming option worked. And it did, only too well. I watched several episodes of Criminal Minds and two of Bones before I exited Netflix to prepare the recyclables and sweep the floor. I send Chris a message asking him to get some measuring cups while in the states. I wrote up my blog and then tapped with an article in e-mail and went to bed.
* This is as close as I got to the pool, but I plan to get a lot closer when it is open. *

Shopping with Myra in Daegu

I got up a little after the alarm went off. I drank water and looked at e-mail. I started listening to an audio, but it sounded familiar so I shut it off. I ate seed crackers with mayo. I got dressed and packed for the day. I got out my back pack. I hadn’t repaired the bag on my cart so I put a safety pin in it. I put water in a bottle which went into the backpack. I did some mental programming about how I wanted the day to go. It was rainy so I put on my jogging shoes and a coat and took an umbrella. I carried my cart to the commissary. Nela was right behind me. I went to the ATM for cash. Then Kim was there and we waited for Myra. When she arrived, we got in Kim’s car. Mr. Soong helped Kim program the GPS for the Daegu fabric market. Then we were on our way. When we got near the market, we looked for the parking deck. It was confusing and somehow we crossed a yellow line when we finally found it and got cussed out (I assume). But after showing her ID, they let Kim drive into the parking deck. She drove around and around until she found a space big enough for her van. But the guard made her back into the space, which was difficult in that small area. We took the elevator up to the first floor and walked out to the street. We asked about fabric and were directed. But when we got there, those people gave us different directions. Eventually we discovered that the fabric was in the same building as the parking deck! We looked on the second floor, then on the third and on the fourth. Kim found silk for her mother-of-the-bride dress. I found quilting fabric and some minki. I found fish fabric and binding fabric for the fish quilt top. Nela and Myra got fabric, too. We were hungry so we went into the basement for lunch. I got kimbap at one spot, then sat to eat it with the others in another spot. The lady in charge of the other spot gave me kimchi and broth to go with my kimbap. After lunch, we went looking through the stands along the streets. I bought two bras for $10. We found some fabric stores there, too and I got some nylon to make market bags. Along the street, we saw cherries for sale, but a bowl of cherries was $10, so I just bought strawberries for $3. Then we noticed it was after 5, so we got in the car. Coming out of the parking deck, we were charged $15. We threw money together to pay and she drove us home. Once on base, she dropped me off at my place and then took the others home. I dropped all my stuff by the front door. I ate some leftovers while checking e-mail. Then I made a salad and ate it while jotting notes for my blog. I got tapping audios in e-mail and tapped through them. I watched the four videos that I posted to Facebook years ago. I changed my Facebook cover photo to reflect the addition of borders to the fish quilt. I cleared more e-mail and did a little more tapping. Noticing that it was after 10, I blogged and went to bed.

Prayer Center Sunday

I expected to wake up early but I went to bed so late, that I slept until after 8. I got up to drink water and read e-mail. I ate some seed crackers. I called Myra at nine like I had promised. I took a shower and got dressed. I called her again when I was ready to leave. I picked her up for church in front of her place. We were half an hour early because the service began at 11 due to set up for the prayer centers. So we sat and talked until 11. Then the chaplain said a prayer and talked about the 13 prayer centers. And we were dismissed. I went outside to the sidewalk chalk center. The sheet taped to the table asked us to draw something that came to mind as we prayerfully considered the questions on the sheet. One of the questions was how can we help the world? So I drew quilt blocks with a heart, a hand, a foot, a bible, lips, and music notes. Then I went to the map. There were stones to put on any spot you chose and you would pray for the people there. I put one on Canada and said a prayer. I went to the Play-doh center. I sculpted a pink flower with green stem and petals, thinking how easily God makes intricate flowers and a simple one was so hard for me to get right. I noticed Myra had come out. We went to the first classroom where there were ribbons to braid while considering relationships in our lives. We each braided ribbons together trying to get the tension right. I wondered about tension in relationships, and if perhaps some tension was necessary for balance. We did not get to the Fruit juices of the spirit table. The chaplain went to the various rooms to call the people back to the sanctuary. He had us talk about what we experienced during the activities and then prayed. I went around taking pics of the prayer centers. I drove Myra home. I drove to our parking space and had quite a time backing into it straight. I ran into Kelly, our next door neighbor (not literally). We had quite a chat. It looked like rain so I went in to change clothes and mow the lawn. I pulled weeds, and planted some of the flowers. I made and ate breakfast. I read e-mail and listened to audios. I washed some dishes. I cut blue borders for the fish quilt. I laid them down the middle and cut them to that length, then pinned them to the sides. They seemed too big and I wondered if I had done it incorrectly. But I pinned and sewed them to fit. Then it was 10pm and time to blog so I could hit the hay.
* This prayer center was called Fruit Juices of the Spirit *

More flowers

I woke up early, noticing the fresh air and slight chill. I had left a bedroom window open. I stayed in bed to do some mental programming. Then I got up, intending to work on the fish quilt top. But I saw the food waste container and it reminded me to fill it and put it out by the curb. I drank water and swished while reading e-mail. I started the laundry. I put the supplement bottles out and then Chris skyped me. He was with Michele. Marie and Al put in an appearance, but I never saw Cecily. We talked for 50 minutes. It was so good to see Michele again. Then I put the laundry in the dryer. I put another load in the washer. I listened to an audio while making up 10 days worth of supplements. Then I made and ate breakfast. I folded the two baskets of laundry and put it away. Still no call from Myra about walking to the temple. I wiped the pollen from the front door. I picked strawberries. I separated the lettuce plants into two batches. I planted mine into 6 bowls. I also planted the eggplant that the seller gave me for free. I found a pea plant out back and planted it by the side wall. The two red tipped green things got planted by the marigolds. I watered everything. I wiped down the back door. I called Myra but there was no answer. I figured she was outside planting. I took her the remaining lettuce plants and some chocolates. She was there and wanted to go out in town. So I went home to clean up. I met her back in a few minutes. I told her that the melatonin I was taking gave me my period back. We walked to a new flower shop near the canal. After much deliberation, we selected a bunch of small plants and paid for them but left them there in a box. They gave us apple juice packets. Then we went to Daiso but could not get as many hanging half baskets as she wanted. So she got a rectangular planter and filled it with plants from across the street. She said 'no more flowers'. I have heard that before. We walked back to the first store and picked up the box. We lugged our plants home. I put mine on the porch and ate some vegetables from the broth and drank some of the tea. I set the individual plants where I thought of planting them, but needed to think about it some more. I ate some strawberries and nuts and chocolate. I read e-mail, and saw a video on making a quick quilt from cuddle fabric. I went to Amazon to see how much it would cost. I did some math to see how many yards it would take at the suggested dimensions. I put the fabric on my wish list to think about later. I e-mailed myself some pics so I could access them from the desktop. I pulled them into the Kaleidoscope Kreator program and played with them. I spent far more time than I had intended. Finally I pushed myself away, so I could blog and go to bed.

Shopping with Myra, part 2

I woke up early, really early, probably because of the daylight coming in the window. I stayed in bed a long time, trying to go back to sleep. Finally I looked at my watch and thought it said 7:45, so I got up to see why my alarm did not sound. The time was only 6:45. I took a shower and got dressed. I tried to make mayonnaise, but it was more like a mess. For some reason, it did not gel. The chemical reaction between the egg, lemon juice and oil, did not happen. I put it aside and melted some more coconut oil. But then I remembered that today was the last day for a sale at Jo-anns and I had a 50% off regular price coupon. But when I got to the site, the item was slightly on sale, so the coupon no longer applied. So I worked on a Swansons order since their sale was ending soon (but they have sales all the time). After submitting the order, it was time to go. Myra called as I was putting on my shoes. I walked down to her place and we went to the theatre for the community round up. We sat next to the fire chief and his wife. She was with him to receive the award for best yard for upper housing. We sat through the listing of activities on the 8 week calendar. Then I talked with the director of CYP while Myra waited to talk to the CSO. Finally I went home to try the mayo again. I made a second batch which turned out better. I scooped most of it into another container, leaving a couple tablespoons in the bottom of the blender cup. Then I put the bad batch in and blended until something happened. Pleasantly surprised, I added the now-recovered batch to the other one and they went into the fridge. Myra called to say she was on her way. I cleaned up a little in the kitchen until she knocked. I put on my shoes and grabbed my sack purse. I joined her and we picked up Sook. Since she had won the award for best yard, we got out of the car to see her flowers. She had them in the front, on the side and in the back. It did not hurt that she has been here for five years. Then Myra drove us to Home Plus and we walked to the five-day market. We had fun looking around, especially at flower and vegetable plants. Sook mostly bought food. Myra and I got plants and food to split. Then we went back to base. Myra took Sook home and Sook gave her a wheeled cart. Then she took me home and we split a bag of apples and one of tomatoes, leaving the lettuce plants for later. I made and ate breakfast while Myra walked out in town for her massage. I walked to the post office to get our mail. There were two packages. I put one in my sack purse. The other was so light that I opened it and took the one small item out and got rid of the box. There were no trash cans so I went in the commissar to find one. Nela and Kim were putting up decorations. They asked if Myra and I wanted to go to Daegu on Monday with them. I thought Myra had a previous commitment. I walked out to the massage place to meet Myra. The timing was perfect. She had just finished. We walked up the street and turned too late. But by chance, came across a lantern store. We looked around and went back. We went to Daiso to get a set of measuring cups, but there were only measured cups. No sets. I got a step stool and Myra got a hanging half basket. Then we went to various plant shops just to look. I got a yellow something and Myra got two fushias. I also got a hand basket like the ones in the commissary. We walked back to base, wondering if rain was imminent. I walked Myra home and then came home myself. I ate some broth for supper. Kelly came over for boxes. We had a nice chat. I sat outside wondering how to divide up the three kinds of lettuce when there were 27 of each. I came in and made a salad. I ate while reading e-mail. I found a webpage with 108 ways to boost your brain power. I watched two episodes of TQS while eating pistachios. What a mess! I cleaned it with a lick and a promise. I cleared a little more e-mail. I was tired so I blogged, got the food waste ready for tomorrow and went to bed early.

PF

Shopping with Myra

I got up at 7:29 and shut off the alarm when it rang. I wondered if I’d had enough sleep since I spent a lot of time awake. I woke up the laptop and read e-mail while drinking. I messaged Myra on Facebook so I would not wake her if she was sleeping. I let her know I was going to the sauna at 9:30. I did my exercises. I called the gym to turn on the sauna. I heated water and got dressed. I walked down to the gym. I picked up a locker key and she told me that the sauna control was bent so be careful with it. When I got in, the temp was in excess of 160, so I went to turn it down. The control panel fell off, but I caught it before it dangled from the wires. It was hot! I was able to perch it back up. I sat for an hour listening to a meditation on my mp3 headphones and drinking water with minerals added. Then I took a shower and got dressed. I joined the yoga class which was late getting started. She gave us a rough lower body work out. After the class, I walked home. I sent Myra another Facebook message. While I was making breakfast, she responded that she was feeling a little better. So after I ate, I walked down and we went to the commissary together. All I got were two cans of coconut milk. The onions did not look good. We took our groceries home and met back up to go to the market. We stopped at the nearby store first and decided what to get on the way back. Then we walked by the foot shop and she signed up for a massage. We continued to the everyday market. We did a lot of looking. We bought flowers in several places. I bought strawberries. We picked up onions and peppers near the base and came home. I read e-mail for a while, then went outside. I filled the bottom of a plastic bowl with small rocks. I had to go up the steps behind the house to find them. I also found a fern so I pulled it up and took it along. I planted wave petunias and other purple/pink flowers in it. I watered it and came in. I read e-mail and listened to audios and watched an episode of TQS. Then it took me nearly an hour to update my Pinterest page with all my new stuff since August. I discovered that I never posted a pic of the second QOV to my blog. I also created another page for non-sewn craft stuff. Then it was time to blog and go to bed.

No Myra

I slept very well. I woke up just after 7 and went back to bed to do some mental programming. I imagined myself taller and thinner. When the alarm rang, I got up to take the recyclables out. I turned on the laptop and checked on the crock pot which was on all night. I added salt. Then I took a muffin sheet of chocolate out of the fridge and popped them out of the mold. I warmed up the remaining chocolate so I could pour it. I deleted e-mail and called up an audio. I placed a walnut in each muffin cup. Myra called to say she was really sick and was staying home today, and had canceled the sewing class for tonight. I poured chocolate over the nuts. I started today’s puzzle. I unstacked the dishwasher which I had run last night. I cleaned the kitchen, then got dressed. I thought about how to carry all my sewing stuff to the Quilts of Valor meeting without Myra. I packed the car with just a few items. When I got there, I was able to park at the chapel. I only took one machine thinking it would just be me (and maybe Nela on her break). But Lily came. She started a placement with a heart stitched onto it. So I had to go back to the car for a box of fabric. Then Susanne came and worked on making a patchwork pillow top while her daughter painted. Anna and Bernie were there, too, to start setting up for the event tonight. I packed up early so I could be home by 1 because Housing was doing AC checks and my house number was listed for this afternoon. The paper said it would take an hour, but they rinsed the filters in each room and wiped the units in 15 minutes and went next door. I made and ate breakfast. The lady next door came by to ask how to turn the water off. I gave her my water key to turn it off (AC guys must have used it to rinse her filters). I turned off the crock pot and let the broth cool. I spooned out most of the fat, then put the broth in jars and spooned off more fat. I put bones in a separate jar, and vegetables in their own jar. Then I took a break to go to the post office to get the mail, but there were only envelops, no packages. As I came home, I ran into Kelly and Chaun. So I talked to them for a while. I listened to an audio and processed e-mail. I looked up DC Jarvis MD who advocated vinegar and honey as a cure-all. I wanted to know how he got the honey to dissolve in water. I went outside to water the plants. I spent a little more time on e-mail. I saw an idea on Pinterest that I thought would make the red/orange dress look better. So I spent the evening working on it. I cut off the bottom to made a skirt and sewed it to an elastic waist band. But there was too much fabric in it. I tried to gather the fullness in the top but it never looked right. Finally at 10, I decided to leave it for morning.
* this is the 'before' picture. Any suggestions? *

Goodbye Chris, hello double massage

I had a rough night due to a burning sensation in my right leg. Yoga postures helped a little. Also, Chris smelled like deodorant, which was annoying. He got up at 3:30 to get ready for his trip. The taxi came at 4:30. I woke up at 6:30 hearing the rain. I did some mental programming until 7:30. I did not feel like getting up, but I did. I decided to have a coffee morning. I swished and drank water. I exercised and drybrushed and rebounded. I listened to audios. Then I got dressed and ran to the gym in the rain. Yoga had already started. When it was over, I headed home. Linda gave me a ride. I called Myra to see why she wasn’t in yoga. She was sick. She did not want to miss her massage appointment, so as a friend, I made the ultimate sacrifice and offered to take it in her stead so she could stay home and rest up. I took a shower and re-dressed. I walked to the Foot Store. I was able to communicate that my friend was sick so I was going to use both our appointments. As usual, the first thing was a foot soak. I brought some Epsom salts for that. Then the man took me to a room with a table. He indicated that I should lay face down. He gave me the shoulder massage that Myra wanted. Then he turned me over and I got the foot and calf massage that I wanted. It was a glorious two hours. The foot part did not hurt this time, but the right calf did. Then I got dressed and the man at the counter showed me the bill – 76,000 won. But when I gave it to him, he gave the 6,000 back as a discount. I set up another appt for next week. Then I walked to a nearby bank. I took a number and waited to exchange dollars for won – at a better exchange rate. But if I had known it would take half an hour, I would have gone elsewhere. Anyway, I then went to the everyday market and bought lettuce, lemons, and garlic. When I got back to post, I went directly to the commissary. Nela was working and she helped me pick a bag of soup bones. I had wanted ox-tail bones, but they were dated for 2014 with a sell by date of 2015. She reminded me that Zumba was at 5, fifteen minutes later. But I was too tired and hungry. I went home and put the bones in the crock pot. I sliced up some of the garlic, and our last onion – which was half rotten. I also threw in celery, carrot, and fresh parsley. I made myself a salad. I ate it while watching an episode of The Quilt Show. I ate some pistachios that were in the freezer which I thought were almonds. I did today’s puzzle. I melted cacao butter while running the dishwasher. I read about fog harvesting, and processed a bunch of e-mails. I made chocolate and poured it into molds. But it did not seem like much so I made another batch. When I poured it off, I ran out of molds. Then it was time to blog and go to bed.
* this shot is from the lantern parade on Saturday *

Finally finished the slippery thing

I woke up having a great idea – getting up early and sewing for an hour. I did a little mental programming before I got up. But then I got on my laptop to find an audio to play as I sewed. And that was that. I drank water, I found a coupon from Joanns for free shipping for one day. So I got on to order the ironing board fabric, but now it was twice as much. They had an alternate coupon for 50% off, which was a better deal. So I put that in. But before I checked out, I remembered that the last two shipments from Joanns, (one from March) still had not arrived. I decided to wait until the shipments arrived or they answered my query about my orders. I listened to audios and jotted notes on magnesium and calcium. I swished and exercised. I ate some seed crackers. I worked on my scarf project until my laptop battery buzzed. I plugged it back in and worked on my Sudoku puzzle while listening to the next audio. Chris came home with March Joann’s order. I think he made a sandwich and then he left. I opened the box to check the contents. I made and ate breakfast. I looked up coconut butter to remind me of why I ordered it. But I couldn’t find any benefit not also conferred by coconut oil. I opened the container and tasted it. It looked and tasted like coconut oil. Humph. I got out the cashews and dug some butter out with a spoon. That was ok, and then I noticed it: under the white top layer was another texture, butterscotch in color. AHA! I tasted it and it was GOOD! Almost fabric-shopping good. I had to force myself to put it away. I wanted to save it for making chocolate. I got dressed and went to the post office. As usual, I ran into people I knew on the way over and on the way back. Nela and Myra were coming down the hill as I walked up. They were on their way to help someone who was moving. But they said there was not much left to do, so I continued home. I jotted notes for my blog. I finished the scarf jacket. I called Myra to take a pic.

She was just going home so I ran down there with my camera. She took several pics of me wearing the jacket. As I was leaving, Scott came home. I talked to him about his camping trip over the weekend. Then I walked home. I thought Chris would be home, but he wasn’t. I made a salad for supper. I was able to eat most of it before I had to leave. I left for the FRG meeting. I met Myra on the way so we walked together. Then Kemora dropped off Anna, so we three walked in together. Myra told the group that she was asked to say that the by-laws MUST be followed to the letter or the command will take steps (or something like that). Then Chelsea said the yard sale should be decided by the next leadership. She passed out paper for ballots. She wrote names on the whiteboard and what they were running for. Some people ran for every office. I wrote on my ballot what we had voted on Friday (which turned out to be an invalid vote). Nela copied mine. It was the only solution where every office got filled and no one got re-elected. The by-laws stated that the command had to count and approve the election. But no one was there, so I suggested that Myra call the CO to see if she as ombudsman could do the count, then we could talk about the yard sale. She did and he said ok. The count turned out the same as Friday. Then Myra announced that we should thank Chelsea so I started applauding. Kelly – new president – said she would get the board together to discuss it. She initiated a discussion of when was the best time to meet. Then the group broke up. People stood around talking for a while. Myra, Nela and I walked home. Chris still wasn’t home. I finished my salad. I started an audio. Chris arrived. I paused it. He gave me his game plan for the evening. I watched an episode of TQS while he changed clothes and ate supper. Then he packed while I watched and helped weigh his suitcase. We watched one episode of CSI. He told me his alarm would go off at 3:30. He went to bed and I stayed up to blog.

Mother's Day

Chris didn’t go to church because we got to bed so late and that threw my routine off. He put a card on my laptop to find when I turned it on. I forgot to drink the quart of water. I took a shower, looked at e-mail, and then got dressed. Chris drove me to church and came home. I sat with Jane. The praise team was out of town so we sang hymns acapella. We had a guest chaplain give the message. He is currently stationed in Pohang but said he was a Baptist minister from Texas. The Baptist part showed. After the service, I found Chris sitting outside waiting for me. We walked to the post office to get some mailing envelopes. He drove me home then said he had to work so he couldn’t go to lunch (but he never did). I changed my clothes and he drove me to the Korean church to eat with Jane, and went home. He had laundry started when I got home. I weighed the soles I want to mail back, and looked up the price to ship them. Priority Mail was expensive, but not too bad first class. I prepared a package to mail. I went out to mow the lawn, back and front. Then I used clippers to trim around all the edges. I wanted to mow next door but wasn’t sure how they would take it. I came in and started an audio. I made seed crackers and ate some nuts. I made and ate breakfast. I investigated haritaki as a possible cause of the itching ear. I folded the laundry and put mine away. I worked on the scarf jacket. About nine I quit and told Chris we had to watch now or it would be too late. He quit his pirate game (or was it Navy software?) and we watched two episodes. Then we put clean sheets on the bed. Chris went to bed and I stayed up long enough to write to my blog.
* Jane wore her hanbok for Mother's Day *

Lantern Ceremony and Parade

I heard my alarm faintly because the door was shut. I stayed in bed for reasons I won’t divulge. It was almost nine when I got up. I turned on my laptop, and drank a quart of water while listening to an audio from the Food Summit. I swished and exercised. I went outside to pick all the ripening strawberries. Most had been touched by bugs, but I kept a few and put the others in food waste – which should have gone out this morning, but I missed the 8am deadline. While listening to the last interview of the Food Summit, I boiled water for soaking nuts and made ginger tea. Something the speaker said set Chris off. He exploded emotionally and I just stood there until he calmed down. Then he took a shower and went to work. I ate some seed crackers with mayonnaise.
Made and ate breakfast, kept listening, measured the top and the backing and did the math to see how much backing I could cut off for border – only 2 inches I put it aside and got out the scarf jacket project. I trimmed 10.5 inches off the bottom. I pinned up the edge to hem and realized I had sliced into the front edge accidentally. I had to patch it and then finish the hem. I took the cut off part and pinned it to the edge of one sleeve to see how that looked and it was good. But I never got to it. I washed up and got dressed for the trip to Busan. I threw some seaweed in my bag and a thermos of ginger tea. I walked down to Duffy’s and met the bus. Myra had saved me a seat with her. The man from MWR told us that we would be attending a ceremony and a parade. The parade route was several kilometers and the bus would meet us at the end. Yes, we were expected to walk in the parade. We arrived in Busan by 4:30. When we got out, the sidewalk was full of vendors selling yardsale-type stuff. We were told to stay together as a group and meet at the gate to the stadium at 5:30. Myra and I looked at the stuff in the booths. It was interesting, but nothing we wanted to carry around for the rest of the trip. The policemen made them pack up early because of traffic, so we went to the stadium early. Our group (37 people) sat together near the center, behind the main stage. A blimp flew overhead, probably remote-controlled. Small groups of people would dance on stage and everyone on the field would do the same dance. It was kind of like Zumba, so I did the arm motions from my seat. It was rockin’. And the field was full, everyone in some kind of costume, in groups. It reminded me of a marching band contest, with all the different ‘uniforms’. Someone passed out lanterns which consisted of a wire frame covered with paper. There was a place for a candle, which was provided separatedly.

It seemed like a dangerous combination. The ceremony started at 6. There was chanting and bowing, several long speeches, and more bowing and chanting. At times I noticed women hand-signing (for the hearing impaired?). Forty-five minutes later, the music started up again, and we were rockin’. Such dichotomy! Half our group decided to go shopping and have supper. I guess they took taxis. After awhile, the MWR man ushered the rest of us to the parking lot. We watched as groups of people marched out, resplendent in their costumes and different lanterns. Every so often, the parade police would stop them and let a float in. The floats were beautiful and lit internally. That was good because it soon got dark, too dark to take good pictures. There was a man selling small battery-powered lanterns by the street, but he wanted $10 each. Our guide passed out sticks to carry the lanterns on, which answered the question of how to carry it without burning our fingers. The parade was long, but eventually we were ushered in. I had not realized until then that it was like a comrel. That means community relations. We waved at the crowds on the sidewalks, and they waved back. I practiced my beauty queen wave, confident that none of them knew me. Starting and stopping, eventually we made our way to the end. The missing people showed up for the very last part. One lady’s lantern caught on fire and I thought it was a miracle that none of the others did. I felt like we were pyromaniacs on parade. Our guide called the bus. My candle went out just as I was about to board. Our guide did not accompany us back because he lived in Busan. We left at 9:30 and were back at base by 10:30. But the bus doors would not open because of some new barriers that were put in. So we had to back up to let the security guard on to check IDs. But then he ordered everyone off so he could search the bus. So we all walked back to Duffy’s Deron and Chaun gave Myra and I a ride home. I told Chris how it went, and we sat to watch an episode of CSI even though it was really late. I wrote up my blog but was unable to get it in before midnight.

Lemonade Social

I had another bad night due to sensations in my left leg. Chris got up early for a teleconference. I could hear the voices a little bit. When the first rays of daylight hit, the sensations stopped. I slept in till 8. I got up to drink quart of water, listen to an audio, and clear e-mail. I also dustmopped in the living areas, and did today’s puzzle. I exercised and took three packets of Vit C. I placed a Swansons order. I read e-mail and listened to audios until it was time to leave. I washed up and got dressed, a little nicer than usual. I put on my purple blossom earrings. I put the dish of hummus in my bag. I had a check ready to mail, but Chris must have taken it to work and mailed it. I walked down to Housing. The housing people were not there, but Kelly was getting food ready in the kitchen. I helped her a little. More ladies came in, carrying food. The tables were nicely decorated with azalea flowers in vases. Even the vases were decorated. The four door prizes were placed on the windowsill. One was in a nice box, another in a mixing bowl, one in a bucket and one in the bag I embroidered with a lemon. We were directed to take numbers from a basket. The event was well attended. Joelle came but had to leave just before noon. So she was encouraged to go first in line for food. Then everyone else picked up plates and went through the buffet. While we were eating, Myra indicated a few people that she invited to explain who they were and what they did on base so the new people would know. It was difficult to hear with the level of noise from all the kids. School was having a day off – as they often do. I don’t know why. Then a roll of toilet paper was passed around and each person directed to take as many squares as they wanted. I chose one, thinking the rule would turn out to be that each person had to tell as much about themselves as they had squares. But that did not work out. Kelly went around the long set of tables, having each person say something about themselves. I had trouble hearing the ladies at the other end. We went around again. Then she asked everyone to introduce themselves. After that, people started packing up their food. Two guys in uniforms came to get food to take back to their units. Nela had to leave so Myra packed up her food: potato salad and flan. When Myra needed a box to pack up the flowers, I took my hummus home and brought back an empty box. The flower vases fit nicely. I hung around, hoping there was something I could do, but there really wasn’t. Eventually, we were down to four and we loaded stuff in Myra’s car and swept out the floors. I walked home. Chaun had said how much she liked the hummus, so I carried it down to her. When I came back, I read e-mail and listened to audios. I looked up Sudarshan Kriya – a yoga type of breathing. It did not seem so relaxing to me. I heard about cows being genetically engineered to give milk even while they are pregnant. That means their milk and milk products are really high in estrogen. Another reason not to eat dairy. I got to a good stopping place in e-mail and was looking for an audio to play while sewing, and Chris came home. I told him about my day and he told me a little about his. He told me he was leaving next week. He changed clothes and made his supper. I took out stitches in two corners of the quilt top, and resewed them. Then I pressed the borders out, wondering if the bias border made fitting the triangles to the corners easier or harder. Then I left it there and came out to jot notes for my blog. I listened to an audio and then Chris washed some strawberries and sat down to cue up CSI. I joined him and we watched three episodes. He went to bed, but I stayed up to finish my blog post.

Making hummus

I had a hard time sleeping last night due to restless leg sensations. I woke up early because Chris had an early teleconference. But it got rescheduled and he went running instead. He came back and collapsed on the floor. When he climbed in bed, he kept me awake for awhile. I kind of went back to sleep after that, or just dozed. When I got up, it was almost 9. I tried to quickly get through deleting e-mail, and preparing for the sauna. I called ahead to ask them to turn it on. I filled three water bottles with hot salt water. When I got to the gym, I realized I had forgotten to bring underwear for later. I sat in the already warm sauna wearing my np3 headphones. It was playing meditation music, but the gym speakers were turned up and it messed up my meditation. After the sauna, I put my clothes on over my bathing suit and walked home. I took a shower, dressed, and went back to the gym for yoga. Class was already started, so I spread my mat by Myra and jumped in. Afterward, I went home with Myra for bowl to serve hummus in. Then I went home for breakfast and some audios. I made the first batch of hummus, careful not to lick my fingers etc. I put it in the bowl for tomorrow’s lemonade social. I used the blender attachment to my mixer thinking it would be faster since my little mixer is only supposed to run 30 seconds out of every 3 minutes. But straining the seeds from the lemon juice was a big hold up. Myra came over just as I was finishing up. She brought me a map of Seomun market in Dae0gu. I made a second batch of hummus for me, and stored it in the fridge in a glass jar. I ate the rest of the chocolate/avocado mousse with blueberries. Ana knocked on the door. She brought me parsley and lettuce she had grown. I pulled up some mint for her to plant. After she left, I sliced up the lemon peels and blended them up with lots of water. I poured it along the edge of the strawberry bed. I picked all the partially pick strawberries and brought them in to ripen. Most had been nibbled on by bugs. I got out the fish quilt and carefully pinned the biased edge borders to it. I sewed on all four, including squares in the corners. But the triangles did not meet correctly at the corner. I picked out stitches and re-stitched. Chris came home as I worked. Myra called to talk about a situation. Then Chris was ready to watch TV. I left the corner unfinished. We watched the last episode of Castle on the DVD, then two episodes of CSI. Chris looked up something from Castle and then went to bed. I stayed up to tap and blog, then went to bed.
* This is a pic of the flowers for sale in the market *