Driving Range

Although I had back pain again this morning, it disappeared as the day went on. I broomed the kitchen floor, then vaccuumed it, then swiffered it. And still I saw some dust. At least it was small. It'll take the dust bunnies at least a week to grow to tumbleweed size.
Then I walked on post and caught the bus to the thrift shop. There I met Katie who wanted to tell me about an English weekend camp for underpriveledged Korean children. She wants me to help. That took over an hour. Then I found the the thrift shop was still closed. No one had shown up to work. I tried to call, but my phone was dead. So I walked to Tina's house to use her phone charger, but she was out. So I walked home. Along the way I passed the driving range where Michele works now and took some pictures. I stopped at the commissary for a few things, then went home to sew and clean some more. I did some mopping on the balcony. It was so dirty I had to wipe my feet off before I could come back in the apt. I also put together two baby quilt tops. Then Chris came home and fixed leftovers, but didn't have any since he had attended a luncheon for lunch and a promotion ceremony with reception after work. After supper I worked a bunch of Sudoku puzzles and listened to a video on the internet about the benefits of walking barefoot on the ground.

The next generation of sew-ers

I awoke this morning with the same back pain as yesterday, and a full dose of stiffness. So Chris and Michele made their own lunches and went off to work. Later I got up and walked around the apartment a bit, then started making copies from a sewing book for kids. I agreed to teach a lady's son and daughter to sew, beginning today. The pain diminished as I prepared the lesson. Could it be that the thought of being unprepared was giving me a pain in the back? I also packed a container with bean salad for our quilt meeting. It was raining hard, so I took my umbrella and my packed bag and walked onto post. Pam called and offered to pick me up at the apartment. But I told her the traffic was already backed up. It would have taken half an hour or more for her to drive that short way. ANYWAY, we were late as it was, getting to quilting. A new lady was waiting to meet us and help out. We set up our room for working on Quilts of Valor. We hadn't done it in a while so figuring out where each project had left off was difficult. But we got some done and Toniette will send them off to be quilted.
I asked the quilt group about 'adopting' a room at the Stork's Nest. We would be responsible for decorating it. And if we do it as a group we can get some help from the thrift shop. Those there at the time seemed to be in favor of it but wanted a list of what items were needed before committing. Ok, so later over lunch I brought up the subject again, since some people had left and others had shown up. This group was NOT in favor of it. Apparently they had looked into it before and the expectations were high (only new stuff is wanted, TV's, stuff that wears out ie. towels, is expected to be replaced, etc). So now I have some thinking to do. Maybe we can adopt the hallway?
So after quilting, Pam dropped me off at Gate 19. There lives the lady who wants me to teach her children. Turns out she has 5 of them, and three wanted to learn. So while she made another set of copies, I showed them how to stitch on straight lines, and pivot. They learned parts of the machine, and tool names. They sewed dot-to-dot. They were very focused and had good, straight lines. It was a good lesson. I will go back on Thursday for the next lesson. The mother drove me to my gate.
Chris came home soon and we had supper, discusing the Stork's Nest issue and why, if Obama is so smart, he does not-so-smart things. Then I watched a Netflix movie, which turned out to be in French with English subtitles. It bothered me because I kept feeling like I shouldn't need the subtitles, but I did.

E-Mart

Chris went to church without me this morning because of pain in my back. I stayed in bed and read Chicken Soup for the College Soul. Very funny. He came back with groceries. Later I took out some recyclables just to do some walking. It did make me feel better. So we drove on post, dropped off a big load of plastic bags at the thrift shop, and parked at gate 19. From there we walked slowly to E-Mart to look at plastic shelving. They did not have what I wanted, but had some metal shelving that propped itself between floor and ceiling. What I wouldn't give for a Lowes Hardware store! We also walked in I-Park Mall. No luck there either. So we did all that walking for nothing. We stopped at the ladies restroom. This is a picture of a squatter. Imagine having to use that when your back is out. Well, any port in a storm. After returning home, I lined a skirt in purple, and listened to some 60's music on a CD.

Saturdaaaay, and the living is easy.

I called my parents this morning to wish them a happy 50th anniversary. They said they are not planning to do anything special. If not for the 50th, then when? I finished reading a library book, so we returned it and stopped by the Px for elastic and by the thrift shop for DVD's. I finished the last of 4 pairs of shorts. We watched Shrek 2 and Footloose. Then I tried cleaning up my sewing room and rearranging stuff. I am trying to get the fabric on the shelves and off of the floor. I think I need more shelves. They don't sell 'em on base, so tomorrow we will go to E-Mart to see if they carry them there.

Gary Sinese and the Lt. Dan Band

Other than wash a load of fabric, and finish a pair of shorts, all I did all day was read. And I finished the book! After supper, Chris and I attended the Lt. Dan Band concert. I was amazed at how easy it was to be there. No lines, no tickets. Just walk up and find a spot on the grass. Someone said there were 1200 people there. We didn't have the best seat in the house, but it was better than standing right in front of the stage as many people did. I went up near the end to sing God Bless the USA with the crowd. It was fun, but next time I will bring a chair or something soft to sit on.

Seeing how someone else lives

I was a little late getting to the thrift shop because I wanted to finish a pair of shorts to wear for the day. I got there at 11 but it didn't take me all that long to finish the shorts so I must have done something else too, but can't remember what.
I really made progress getting donated books, VCR tapes, Dvd's and CD's on the shelves. It felt good to get that stuff cleared out. I claimed a box that some books had come in so I can make a shelf in a closet to store fabric. Mary Ann was there and she took me to her place afterwards to see her apartment. She said if we extended our stay, we could get a place like hers. She does have a nice apartment, but it would be a bit far to walk everyday to get on post. She has a vehicle, which makes it nice. Her apartment is full of eclectic Asian items from other places they lived in Asia. Most of it stored in black laquer furniture decorated with mother-of-pearl. So beautiful. She dropped me off close to Chris' office so I could catch a ride home. At the apt, he and I visited the vegetable man and selected some produce from his truck. I met a lady there who has only been here two weeks. So I gave her my number so she has someone to call. I invited her to the quilt group and she seemed interested. For supper we had chicken burritoes and fried green tomatoes.

From Tank to Table

I spent the night tossing and turning in pain because my back went into spasms. About 4:30 am I finally took something for it. I DID NOT get up to pack lunches early this morning. But later, I did get up, cleared out my e-mail and, feeling better, went out to lunch with Suyapa and her husband and daughter. We went to a place that specializes in serving eels. You can see them swimming in the tank, then you order however many you want, and they bring them filleted to the table and cook them on the grill. They also bring you traditional Korean side dishes. I thought eating eel would be interesting, but they were delicious too. One of the side dishes contained a long green pepper. Her husband took a bite and offered me one. I did and it burned my mouth for awhile. So of course I took one home for Chris.
Afterwards, we went to my house where her daughter watched DVD's and she and I sewed. Her machine is packed and she PCS's on Monday. Then her husband picked her up at the gate. I laid down to read a book and spent most of the evening that way. Then I worked on the three pairs of shorts I cut out Monday. I hope to wear one of them tomorrow.

Change of Command

After making lunches, I got ready for the day and sorted recyclables to take downstairs. But 8 am came too soon and I didn't have time to take them out.
I met Pam at the gate and we went to the hospital where Adele was part of an awards ceremony. She got the Mary Walker award, among others. She is the outgoing president of the quilt group. She leaves tomorrow. After that ceremony we went to Lombardo Field for her husband's Change of Command ceremony. The band played, flowers were presented to the wives of the commanders, and the commanders passed a flag around. Then we all lined up to congratulate and say goodbye to Paul and Adele.
Tina, Pam, Suyapa and her daughter, and I went to Tina's house for a bit to decide what to do. We decided to do lunch. First we tried the NAvy Club but it was full. So we went to the third Katusa snack bar. I ordered bean paste soup. I didn't notice any bean paste in it, just tofu. We sat a long time to talk. Then Pam dropped each of us where we needed to be. I went home to sew, but ended up reading and taking a nap. I have almost finished the book, but will have to wait until tomorrow. I plan to eat lunch with Suyapa. We are having eels.

Her first day

Today was Michele's first day of the Summer Hire program. So I packed lunches for her and Chris. She dressed in her newcustom make suit. She took the 7:20 bus but dashed back in at 7:50 to grab some documents, complaining that the electronic door keypad didn't work. I figured she was just in too much of a hurry to key the code properly. Meanwhile I rushed around making a sample of the strip block that I was to demo today, and packed up my machine for class. I met Pam at the gate and we proceeded to the ACS building where we all meet. The demo went well and most ladies were pleased with their efforts. Some brought their kids, who helped too. Then Michele called to tell me that she would be working at the drivintg range and was let out early, so she went home but couldn't get in the apartment. She called Chris for his key but he wasn't in the office. She rode the bus to meet me at the ACS building because she had a check to deposit. But then her feet hurt too much from walking in heels. So I went to the bank for her, and met Chris who had returned. I went to give Michele her deposit slip and the keys and she discovered she had another check! Ha! She and I then had lunch with the quilters and then went to a tour of the Stork's Nest. It is three buildings where pregnant military wives (and their families) come to stay while they wait to give birth. The first building is 3 large rooms with associated bathrooms. The second one is 5 small rooms and 2 communal bathrooms (m & f). I am sorry to report that the women have to share one toilet while the men have 3. I didn't take pictures of the first two buildings because all the rooms were filled. The third building is still being furnished. Each family there will have a livingroom, bedroom and bathroom. And all buildings have a communal kitchen. The staff is hoping people (or groups) will 'adopt' a suite and decorate it.
After the tour I went home, leaving my sewing machine in Pam's car because I had too much to carry. I spent the afternoon cutting out three pairs of shorts and cleaning up my cutting table. Chris did not come home for supper because he was out with 'the guys'. And then he went to bed early.

Father's Day

We went to church as usual, except that Michele didn't go. We came home to change, then went to the commissary for our weekly food run. I got more Aloe juice to make aloe popsicles. They are really good! Michele drew a Father's Day card for Chris. Then we watched One Fine Day, which was pretty good. We tried to watch Dr. Doolittle 2, but the Dvd had something on it that wouldn't come off. Chris went to the airport to pick up some visiting contractors (people he'll have meetings with). So we were on our own for supper. I played my new keyboard. Its almost like having a piano. And I put red fringe on the flag which will be a gift to someone at Fort Gordon.
Tomorrow Michele starts the Summer Hire program. I can't wait to see where they place her.

And he's generous, too.

Today was supposed to be our big bag sale outside the thrift shop. Since I started it, I felt like I had to be there, but didn't want to spend my whole day there. Thankfully it rained. First I finished the pair of shorts so I'd have something to wear. Then Chris drove me to the yardsale at the embassy club. It had already been in progress for 45 minutes and there was nothing I wanted. Then he dropped me off at the Chosun. I was looking for silk from their new Thailand shipment, but there wasn't any this time. Then I walked next door to the thrift shop. I spent about 2 hours putting up books, videos, CD's and cassette tapes. Then Chris took me to the Px to get sandals that are comfortable to walk in and fit. No luck. He got 2 pairs of jeans, then went to look at terabyte drives, but they didn't have the one he wanted. We did see a music keyboard that had piano key action and plugs into either an American outlet or a Korean one. Yesterday I had told Chris that I miss my piano, so he bought this one for me. It made me cry, but I don't know why. We also looked for heavy plastic shelving, but no luck. Also stopped by the library for a book, but they didn't have it yet so I got two others. We came home in the pouring rain (monsoon season any time now). I read for awhile, then got out the keyboard. Michele and I sang and played songs from Phantom of the Opera. It was fun.

Isn't he handsome?

I got up early to make Chris' lunch AND take his picture before he went to work because today is the first time he wore his new suit. Then I went back to sleep. I spent most of the day reading a book. The one I finished last night left the story hanging. Thankfully I had the second book, which I read today. BUT, the story still isn't over, SO now I have to find the third book. I hope that's all there is.
For supper we walked towards Itaewon and found a Chinese restaurant that Chris had eaten in before. But for some reason, the prices were much higher this time. My meal was 33,000 won. It was a plate of shrimp, with several kinds of peppers (one of them REALLY hot), and no rice. That would have been extra. Chris got a plate of stirfried veggies and pork, and Michele ordered egg rolls. I think it was one LONG roll, sliced, and wrapped in a thin layer of egg instead of whatever they are usually wrapped in. After our meal the lady brought us a dish of tiny Roma tomatoes and slices of watermelon.
On our walk back, I got a fruit popsicle because my mouth still burned from eating a few of the wrong peppers. Then we watched a Netfilx movie which turned out to be REALLY confusing and pointless. I am still not sure what it was about.
Stay tuned for tomorrow when I go yardsaling at the Embassy Club.

Three days in a row

Today was my third day at the thrift shop. There was a time in my life when I wanted to be needed. I am over that now. I was there from 10 to almost 3. I talked them into having a big sale on Saturday since all the higher people (who like to charge a lot) are on vacation. So guess what? Now I have to come in Saturday, too. Groan. Me and my big ideas. On the other hand, Ella brought her sewing machine in for me to look at and it now works. Not that I did anything but take credit. Then a vac that someone returned for lack of suction and they couldn't get the bag out was my next success. After that, a lady came by to return a juicer that she said didn't work. So I plugged it in and it ran fine. If there were a lottery here, I would have bought a ticket. Then I spent the rest of the day reading. It felt good.

Not what I expected

Chris got up at 4am to be at work by 5 for a teleconference. I made his lunch the night before and woke briefly to tell him where it was before going back to sleep. I got up before 8, cut out the pieces for a pair of shorts, and read some e-mail and dropped off some recyclables. Several of the quilting group were going to Dongdaemun so I decided to go with them. Since we were trying to accomodate everyone's interests, we spent more time than I would have myself. I bought some betweens and picked up the fringe we ordered on Saturday. I remembered him telling me that the fringe would be 500 won a yard. He did not mention that dyeing it red would cost 8000 won. My feet were burning by the time we finished. We got back around 1pm and Cathy dropped me off at the thrift shop. I was so glad because I had bought 20 yards of fabric and it was heavy! I had promised MaryAnn I would help out while she took her son to the dentist. She showed me how to take consignments, and then had to leave. Thankfully Carmen also came in and she knows consignments, too. We handled it all rather well except for the fact that it was backed up and we had to play catchup. Then, since Laura was the only one trained on the register and she'd been up front all day without a break, I offered to learn how so she could get off her feet and go to the bathroom. It was quite simple and she was glad to get a break. I realize that I have just made my presence more likely to be requested. Hopefully I will have the fortitude to say 'no' before I get overwhelmed with requests. I thought I'd be leaving when MaryAnn got back, but we were so shortstaffed that I stayed until after the store closed at 6. Luckily for me, Chris was willing to come pick me up so I wouldn't have to walk home. He had supper almost ready for me when we got back. I worked on the pair of shorts and will soon have them finished.

Thrift store

This morning I stayed up after Chris left for work. I cleaned house and it made me feel so much better. I had hoped to fit in a trip to Dongdaemun before going to the thrift shop, but just couldn't. The thrift shop pricing area was so full of stuff one could hardly walk. I worked on the books, but the shelves were so full I had to select books to be thrown away. Throwing books away bothers me, but there is no where else to take them. The library does not want them, nor do the Korean charities. So books over 20 years old or in bad shape just have to go. I also put out videos and DVDs. Those areas are fairly full also. More were donated as I put them on the shelf. By the time I left at 3, there were plenty still waiting to be shelved. I don't usually stay so late, but MaryAnn did, and everyone else left, so I stayed too. Plus she shared her lunch with me. While there I bought a wooden plate, (doesn't it go nicely with the table?) 4 Correlle bowls, a sewing book, and a vacuum cleaner attachement. They also had a wide shallow bowl in my crystal pattern. It is marked $7. I am still thinking about it.
Around 4 I walked back to the apartment. Michele was home from her night with a friend. I scrubbed my shower floor, and vacuumed places I didn't get to this morning. Then I cleaned the vac filter. So dusty. The dust bunnies here are so big we name them.

No Michele

I got up early, while Chris was taking his shower, packed his lunch, then went back to bed. I awoke later than I had planned and had to rush. Pam picked me up at the gate and we went to quilting together. I brought 4 quilt tops, not sure if anyone else brought some, but we had some left over from last week. Yet somehow, we were able to deliver 12 quilts to the Stork's Nest this afternoon. This is very good since next Monday will be a stripping demo and the Monday after that we will work on Quilts of Valor. When we delivered the quilts, Col Fox was very appreciative and offered to give us a tour of the Stork's Nest sometime. Now we just have to find a time suitable for most of the group.
At 2 pm South Korea had a test of their natural emergency system. I heard that all traffic on the continent would cease for 5 to 10 minutes. I don't know if it did off post, but that did not happen on post.
Contrary to my plans to make a pair of shorts, I did some reading and fell asleep. Michele went off to spend the night with a friend. Then Chris came home to find me reading another book. It seemed familiar in places so I wonder if I have read it before. After supper we tried to watch some movies. The first became boring so we changed that DVD for another. That one was too creepy so we ended up watching A Good Year. It was a good movie, but some parts were hard to hear and some parts were in French. When we turned on the subtitles, there was an obvious difficulty in translation. Of course this copy is a pirated one that the thrift shop could not sell and was going to throw away. Perhaps a legal copy would be easier to understand and better translated.

Church picnic

Chris offered to cook for the church picnic, so he dropped us off at church and went to the picnic spot (same place as Michele's birthday party) to fire up the grill and cook the hamburgers, hotdogs and steaks. Church usually runs from 10 to 11, but ended a little early today because the pastor scheduled to give the sermon was ill at the last minute and had to pass it off to the other pastor. We caught a ride with Nancy over to the picnic area after the service. I wish I had brought my camera to show the tables full of food, both American and Korean. Chris' hamburgers were outstanding and I am glad to report that we brought a whole tray of them home.
After the picnic, we stopped by the commissary for milk and juice because it is closed every Monday. Then Arnold Swartzenegger came back (just like he said he would). Yesterday we saw him in Running Man and Terminator 2. Today we watched Red Heat and Total Recall. I finally broke away to my sewing room where I put together another quilt top. I also cut strips in anticipation of a stripping demo next Monday.

Guess who went to Dongdaemun?

I made another quilt top today and laid out most of another. Around 11 Chris and I went to Dongdaemun to get some red fringe for a flag. We did a lot of walking and did not find much. But one place had it in white and promised to dye it for us. I will go back next week to pick it up. I also stopped by the quilt stand and bought some fabric. Then it was past lunch time so we went to the corner stand where they sell a steamed dough with a chopped meat and veggie filling, like the inside of an eggroll. We got three. They threw in some pickled radish, too. We got back on the subway for our trip to base. Then Chris wanted to buy a terabyte drive. So we parked at the PX and ate our lunch. Then Chris went in while I went to the hair salon. I had to wait and Chris was back about the time my hairdresser could fit me in. He did not find the drive he wanted, but he bought 4 Arnold Swartz? movies.
We went home and there was Michele, on her computer. She did laundry while we were gone. I gave her the last dough ball. It was still hot and she really liked it. They spent the rest of the evening watching the movies while I went to my sewing room.

New life for an old painting

This morning I joined Adele as she went to the framer off-post to pick up a framed piece. I brought my damaged painting (after sewing a bag to carry it in) to see if the guy next door to the framer could fix it. But his shop was closed. As we walked away, he hurried up to us and opened his shop. I expected to drop off the painting, but he sprayed it with water (to tighten the canvas), then retouched the paint and poof, it was done. He would not accept any money for his work. I hear he does oil paintings from pictures so I plan to get a picture of Michele for him to make into a painting. He also wrapped the painting in a large piece of brown paper to protect the wet paint. I had in the back of my mind that I needed a large piece of paper. Now that I have one, I can't remember why I wanted it.
I came back to the apartment to sew. I made two baby quilt tops. Then Chris came home and asked if we wanted to see "Up", a Disney movie. So we did. Then we went by his office to see a flag with fringe. Something at work requires a flag with fringe. He has the flag and wants me to sew on the fringe.

Morning Concert

I had planned to get up early to get some more sewing done, but was having such a good dream that I didn't want to open my eyes. Finally I remembered that there is a concert today and I have to meet Nancy at 10. So I got myself out of bed, showered, dressed and ate. I had a little bit of time then to gather and sort the recyclables so I could take them to the bins in back of the apartments before catching the post-run bus to DHL. I arrived a little early so I cashed a check that has been riding around with me for awhile, and pulled up my pantyhose. They have split in the back and it gets worse everytime I sit or bend to pick something up (like recyclables). Nancy had arrived then, so we got a taxi which took us to the Arts Center. At that point we were 40 minutes early for the concert. Outside was a fountain that did tricks in time to music (Old Suzannah!) We found that the lobby was full of tables where ladies were enjoying plates of
baked goods bought from two long tables set up for that purpose. The goodies looked yummy but so many carbs would put me to sleep, so we walked upstairs to our seats. However the way was blocked so we had to stand and talk for awhile until they were ready to let people in. Our seats were not together since we got the very last two tickets. However, I took a picture of the audience at 11:01 and there were empty seats. Odd thing for a sold-out concert.
It was traditional classical music by a traditional orchestra. Good music, but each piece was preceded by a long introduction in Korean. And it must have been good because people were laughing. My seat was in a box, the highest seat by the aisle. I had a good view of the audience, but not of the orchestra. It was the perfect get-away seat. One could slip out the door without disturbing anyone. But we stayed for the encore so missed our chance. We had planned to get a taxi home, but with all the people there (overwhelmingly ladies) we decided on the subway. Nancy wanted to get some little balls with walnut paste filling and I had seen them near Ichon. So we rode the subway there and walked. My feet were getting sore from walking in dressy shoes. But we finally found it, and she bought 2 boxes of them. The man gave us two fresh out of the fryer to taste. Tasty but HOT! On our way back we stopped at Paris Baguette and got some goodies for lunch and to take home. Nancy's husband met us at Gate 17 and drove us home, especially me with my sore feet. They have recovered nicely. I got on my computer and read through my e-mail and followed a link to TheQuiltShow.com. I signed up for a free membership, then tried to watch the 'free' show, but it kept hanging up before the show finished. I guess there is no point in having a paid membership then. It may have something to do with living out of the country. At 5 Chris and Michele went to Itaewon to pick up their custom made suits. I happened to be sleeping at that point so I missed the fashion show, if there was one. I hope they look good.

A day to relax

I love Wednesdays because often I have nothing scheduled and can spend the day at home catching up on my sewing projects. I awoke briefly aound 6am to make Chris' lunch, but he said they were having a party at lunch. So I went back to sleep and got up at 8. I worked on another charm square panel. I now have 5 of them, representing 400 squares. Chris called at 11 to say that the party is tomorrow and did I want to meet him for lunch. I was in the middle of sewing at the time, so I asked Michele and she went to lunch with him. I added blocks to another wall hanging already up on the wall. I also replaced a button on Chris' shirt. And a few little things around the house. It has been a productive day and I wish I could do it again soon. But tomorrow I am going to a concert with Nancy at the Seoul Arts Center. It sold out over a month ago so it should be good.

Quilters all day

This morning I got up late, but early enough to spend some time cutting selvedge edges for Adele's present. She has some project that she intends to do with them, so it seemed like a good gift. Then Chris drove his parents to the airport while I took the post run bus to the thrift shop. We had so much stuff to process!!! I say we should price it low and let it go. But I am not in charge. And I do not wish to be, even though it has been suggested. Anyway, about 11:30 Pam came by to pick me up to go to BethAnnes house. She was giving a sort of going-away party for people who are PCSing this summer. The food was SO good. Three people brought dessert, two cakes and a coffee-flavored whipped cream concoction. I had a little of each. Gigi couldn't finish hers so I volunteered to help. But M said she loved me too much to allow me to eat it so she took it away. I didn't quite know how to take that. Others told me later that they felt bad for me. We have dubbed her "the cake police". Beth Anne wrapped the forks in napkins. Each person took one. The forks were metal except for two which were plastic. I happened to have a plastic one and got a prize for it. A candle and candle holder!
After the luncheon, several of us went with Adele to pick up some pictures she had framed. She showed us one place to go to get oil paintings or have one made, and another that will frame whatever painting you have. There was a large one that I admired of water lillies. Maybe 2 ft by 3ft? It was $60. The frame store had a large frame for $40. So for $100 I could have a large framed oil painting!
Pam took me to my gate and I walked to the apt to find Chris and Michele, both on their computers. I cut some more selvedge edges, and charm squares ( I seem to do a lot of that lately) then took a nap. At 6:30 I walked back to the gate to meet Pam for a ride to Adele's house. I gave Adele the bag of edges I had been collecting for a month. She also had made food. But no cake. Too bad since the cake police did not come. We sat around and talked and worked on individual projects. Toniette made bags, and Loretta embroidered a tablecloth. Her family has a tradition of having everyone sign the tablecloth on Christmas Eve. Then she embroiders all of the signatures. Next year they sign again. And she embroiders again, in another color. What a keepsake!

Friends

I left my camera at home since the batteries were dead. I put the batteries in the recharger, packed my bag and met Pam at the gate. She asked about Michele's graduation. I told her how emotional it was for me. Then we went to meet the other quilters. We only had 3 baby quilt tops turned in this week. While some spent their time sewing more tops together, others cut batting and backings. All we finished was those first three. We ate lunch together and most decided to go to Itaewon. So I went along. Some bought Crocs, others bought scarves. I bought Michele a pair of green earrings to go with her skirt. These are for her birthday since what I ordered never came. Walking down the street we ran into Chris and his parents. They were looking for the robe vendor. When we finished shopping, Pam dropped me off at my gate. Back at the apartment, I found that Chris and his parents had returned. We worked on our respective computers until supper. Chris cooked some chicken and chorizo with tortellini. He also had tiny tomatoes marinating in a vinegar and spice sauce. For dessert we had carrot cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting.
My in-laws packed for their trip home tomorrow.

U.S.O. tour

We had church this morning. The bald co-pastor called me into his office before the service to tell me to pay attention to his sermon about the holy trinity and not think about what kind of hair he used to have. (That was last Sunday.)
After church we had the usual refreshments and fellowship. The choir director thanked me for the quilt I made for her baby shower. Then we went home, stopping by the commissary for a few things. We ate lunch and relaxed for awhile. Then we went to the USO for their night tour. First we took a bus to the river and boarded a river cruise boat that took us up and down the Han River for about an hour. Then we went to a Korean restaurant for supper. We were only given two choices - bulgogi or bibimbap. Same as on the tour on Friday. Same tour guide, too. Finally we went to see N Seoul Tower on Namsan mountain. Chris and I had already been so I didn't take many pictures. After looking out over the city in all directions, we descended and checked out the trinket stands. We also had a good time talking to other tour participants. One lady has visited 41 countries! We also saw a lazer light show that is a new attraction to get people to come to the tower.

Graduation Day

Michele had to be there early, so Chris took her over and came back for the rest of us. We got there about half an hour early. The place (Collier Field House gymnasium) was buzzing with activity. It was decorated with more balloons than I have ever seen at one time, all in blue and white, the school colors. Many people had bouquets of flowers to give to their graduates after the ceremony. When the seniors filed in, I had trouble photograping Michele because my camera screen turned itself off waiting for her to appear. Standing in line at the front waiting for the rest of the students to file in, Michele waved at me and turned to the one next to her and said "That's my mom". I felt tears in my eyes. Then followed a series of speeches, most of which I couldn't make out. Was it the sound system or my ears? After a speech about appreciating parents, all parents were asked to stand and each senior found their parent to hand them a rose and a commemorative plate. Again with the tears. At last they handed out diplomas, calling out each seniors name and where they would attend college next fall.

After the ceremony we took a close-up of her in her cap and gown (and sash embroidered with her name), which she gets to keep. Chris drove us home where we ate lunch and changed clothes. I cried some more thinking that Michele's childhood is over. Chris dropped me off at the hooch so I could give it one last cleaning before it's inspection. Then they all caught the subway to visit Yonsei University. It is quite the sprawling campus and so, not wanting to walk too far, they came back early and went to the Oasis, a restaurant in the DHL. Meanwhile I cleaned the hooch, mopping floors and cleaning cupboards. Then I called Chris to pick me up. He brought me to the restaurant. The others had finished, but stayed until I ate a hamburger. Then we ordered dessert. Michele brought hers home. They watched a movie and I cut more charm squares from a bag of scraps someone gave me.

DMZ

We got up at 6am to get ready for our tour of the DMZ - De-militarized Zone. What I didn't realize is that we were going IN the DMZ. The DMZ is 4 kilometers wide, separating North and South Korea. There are all kinds of checkpoints to control who gets through. We were briefed on how to act because the North Koreans could be taking propaganda pictures (or looking for a reason to have an incident). The first place we went was a conference building full of tables and chairs. It straddles the line between N and S Korea. There is a guard standing on this line and my father-in-law took our picture standing next to the guard. BTW, we are on the North Korea side of him. Then we went to lunch in a nearby town (in the DMZ!). The people there do not pay federal taxes and are given a certain amount of land to farm. It is full of rice fields. No one can join this town except by marriage and only if you are a woman. Then we visited Tunnel #3. The North Korean gov't tried to tunnel under the DMZ to move men and weapons into S. Korea. But so far all their tunnels have been found before they are finished. We had to walk down a 12% slope for 350m. Then, in the tunnel, you can walk to the third of three barriers erected to prevent the tunnel from being used. We had to wear hard hats which kept our heads dry. The walk back up was much slower and harder than the walk down. But we were not allowed to take pictures. Alfred told us stories from when he was stationed here in 1962. I forgot my camera so these are his pictures.
When we got home, I took a nap. Michele was back from graduation practice. Tomorrow is her big day.

Namdaemun

I tried to sleep in because no sandwiches were needed today, but someone coughing woke me up. SO I took a shower and went through my e-mail. Then Chris drove Cecily, Nancy and myself to Gate 17 to catch the subway to Namdaemun. We had a set of directions for a walking tour of the place. Not knowing how old the directions were, we tried to follow as best we could. We saw all kinds of things for sale: jewelry, hats, ginseng, shoes, socks, paper, bags, stickers, puzzles, pottery, foods raw and packaged, etc. For lunch we each bought fruit on a stick. Cecily got watermellon, and Nancy and I got pineapple. I also got a small bowl of raspberries. We walked the tightly packed streets and through buildings. I got two bunches of flowers and some paint pens. Then we went back. Chris met us at the gate. I love his taxi service! I hemmed a shirt (made it short-sleeved) and then took a nap. I got up just in time for supper and then we went to Parent Appreciation Night at the school. One student read a memory submitted by each senior and their parents were supposed to jump up and wave when they recognized it. Most were funny. Her memory was of wearing an iguana as a scarf. Awards were announced for senior superlatives, and some Presidential Certificates. Then we all had cake and ice cream in the lobby.

The palace

I didn't have to get up early to make anybody's lunch so I slept until 9. Then, we leisurely had breakfast and walked to the nearest subway station to see Gyeonbak Palace. We witnessed the changing of the guard and then joined a tour given in English. We saw the kings place and the queens house. We learned that she can't leave the palace grounds after becoming queen. Although, once her husband dies and her son becomes king, then she is the kings mother and has more power and can visit away from the palace if she wants.
Then we ate at the museum restaurant. I had the lotus salad wrapped in a lotus leaf. Salad was good, but the huge leaf was not. We also toured part of the museum, which happens to be free for the year 2009. We returned home via subway. I wanted to read, but it seems we weren't home long before we left again, to go to a restaurant so busy that we could only get seated if we were there by 5:30. We ordered pork and ox entrails and raspberry wine. It was all good. We even brought home some of the ox dish because we couldn't eat it all. Spicy!
Finally we returned home, where I finished the book "Life of PI" about a boy stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger.

Dinner with Hyon

Even though I got up early to make Michele's lunch (hopefully the last for awhile), I went back to bed. I got up later to eat and cut charm squares. I am surprized at how often I find myself doing this. At almost 10 we all piled into the car. Chris dropped me off at the thrift shop and the rest went back to the National Museum of Korea to see the fine arts exhibit. For four hours I listened to Mary Ann, shelved books, organized VCR tapes, and fretted over the waste of one very large pair of raw silk curtains. They were stained, but much material could have been salvaged. I think they went to charity.
When we left the thrift shop, Alison had a box to carry to the DHL, so I helped her carry it there, where she caught a taxi home. Mary Ann came along, and we talked for another hour or so. We were outside, listening to the rain and cringing at the thunder and lightning. What a storm. And then it was over. I caught a bus back to our gate and came home. I cut more charm squares (where did this obsession come from?) and then it was time to dress for dinner. Chris and his mother had baked a pan of brownies and I frosted them with the leftover chocolate cream cheese icing that I made for his birthday cake. We drove to Hyon's apartment. Such a view from her apartment! She had invited others, too, but they didn't come. So we talked for a long time and had dinner. She likes to pose quesions and have every one answer them. Tonight's quesion was "Who would you like to have dinner with and where?". We had to go around the table 3 times answering. Then she got a call that our car lights were on. So Chris went down to find out that the car wouldn't start. We all walked down then, and met a man who was willing to help us jump our car. It was very windy. Michele is wearing the hat she made. Then we came home and Chris took the car for a ride to charge up the battery.

Stitching and stories

I got up early as usual to make Michele's lunch. Chris drove her to school. I then cut charm squares for the quilt meeting. Then gathered all my quilting stuff and met Pam at the gate. A lot of ladies came to help today. It was wonderful. And many stayed for lunch, which was unusual. We got 15 quilts ready to deliver to the hospital. Adele gave me the official Yongsan Quilter's quilt to take home. I will have to get it quilted sometime this summer to be ready for the expo this fall.
Pam drove me back to the gate and I went home expecing to be alone, but Chris and his parents were there, already having returned from their tour of the Korean Folk Village. I had new charm squares so I sewed until supper, then again after. I made another 8 x 10 sq panel, and another baby quilt top. All the while I could hear my f-i-l telling stories from when he was in the army, and Chris telling stories from when he was in the boyscouts.