Preparing for the party

I awoke before the alarm went off. I had breakfast and a shower. I did more cleaning and took out 3 bags of recyclables on my way to church. Pastor Stan was sick, but he really wanted to talk about Zachieus. So he preached, and left as soon as he could. During snack time I met a Korean woman Michele's age who is really into NCIS. Even has an episode on her IPOD. Then I went to the commissary to get veggies, fruit, cheese, toothpicks, etc for the get-together tomorrow. And onions, to make onion soup when the bean soup runs out. Michele carried the groceries upstairs while I parked the car. I checked out the lower parking lot and discovered that it is brighter and cleaner than the main floor. I went up to the apt to see how Michele was doing with the groceries. I cleaned off the round tables and the kitchen table so I could wash the tablecloths. I vacuumed the floors several times because dust kept appearing. By then I was exhausted and tired of cleaning, but there was more to do. Maryann came over around supper time with cookies for the morning. She just came to talk, but it was a nice break for me. Then when she left, I went back to it. I put all the shoes in the shoe closet, and put away all the VB fabrics. I emptied trash, and then watched some episodes of Bonanza with Michele. I meant to go to bed early because I have to get up very early to cut up the veggies, make the dip (including looking up a recipe), wash the fruit, heat the rolls and the applejuice, etc. It is a lot of work, and if I had known we'd be here this long, I might have cleaned earlier. Ha, ha.

Maryann - a really good friend

I did not have time to take any pics today. After breakfast, I was going to go to a dance event near Sookmyung, but while in the shower my back was telling me not to go. So I stayed home to clean. I cleared both side tables, and under them. You wouldn't believe the dust under the couch! I thought since we were only going to be here for two years that I didn't need to clean, but now that Chris extended, the dirt is starting to aaccumulate:) I tackled the pile on top of the 'chest' in the entrance. I had started a batch of beans in the slow cooker last night on low. I kicked it up to high for awhile. When Michele said the beans were ready, I put in a package of buffalo, tomatoes, and some garlic. I also took a break to Skype Chris to ask him where the winter sheets are since I removed and washed the summer ones. But he wasn't there so I Skyped Kevin instead. Did not realize that it was 1:30 am, but he was up. Later in the afternoon Maryann came over again and she put the clean sheets on the bed. Thank goodness because I am not strong enough to lift the corners on the king mattress without straining my back. Together we got a lot done. We cleaned in my sewing room, and in the corner between the bedrooms. We also stopped for a bowl of bean soup. I promised her free sewing lessons for life. Any friend will come visit when your house is clean, but a really good friend will come when it is dirty and help you clean it up.

More cleaning

Now why would I take a picture of my coffee table? Because now you can see it! I have successfully cleaned it off. It was piled high with books, papers, magazines, figures, and other stuff. Kinda like the side tables by the couch, only higher. I found two years worth of bills in no particular order. Now they are in chronolgical order and somewhat alphabetical. Phew! It was tiring and my back is giving me warnings. I did a few other things too. I returned my car to post and walked home. I talked to my brother, and then Chris on Skype. I took a nap. I went to Chris' office for mail, but the one bill he needed wasn't there. Unfortunately I found out later that someone else's mail is mixed in with his. So that bill may be in somebody else's pile.
I also read my e-mail. Did you know that watercress has a nutrient in it that stops cancer from growing? Also, the mere act of watching TV (no matter what content) changes your brain chemistry.

Cleaning

I heard Michele moving around and it woke me up around 7:15. She was sick and decided not to go to college today. I had breakfast, read through my e-mail and started cleaning. Maryann called and offered to help later in the afternoon. I went to the thrift shop at 10:45. Thankfully there was a parking space open. I got a few videos shelved before our meeting with Col. Huber. He is the new garrison commander and Ella invited him to meet the staff and ask or answer questions. That took longer than I thought. He was very nice and easy to talk to. He is divorced and on his second or third tour in Korea. After the QnA, Ella served sub sandwiches and cakes. I got a salad out of it 'cause several people didn't want the veggies on their subs. I got a little more work done, and then headed out to the AnC center to get a 28" board to shore up the shelf over my sewing table. The boxes supporting it are squashing. On my way back to the thrift shop, I met Maryann and we talked until my student arrived. As we were walking to my apartment, she asked to stop at 7/11 to get a snack since she did not bring one. Then it took her awhile to 'get around' to preparing it (just needed hot water which we have on tap). Finally I got her to start sewing. She finished the 'rug' she started last week. It took longer than her lesson time and I had to stand there the whole time and supervise because there is no telling what she will get into. Last week it was my rotary blades. When her mother finally came to pick her up, she asked if I wanted more money for having kept her longer and I declined, but maybe should have said yes. Maryann came over and we started cleaning. It was good to have someone here who has no emotional ties to the stuff and hasn't been ignoring certain areas over and over. But all too soon it was time for both of us to leave. She had to pick up her husband, and I had to go to class. I was later than I intended, and there were several other people there. They did not offer to help me set up. It looked like a low class, but the interested parties were just late. Liliam taught them how to make a drawstring jewelry bag. It went well except for the buttonhole. Then we packed up and they left. I stayed behind to talk to Lili who needed to vent. Then I drove home. I had trouble fitting my car in one of the tight spaces, as usual. And then remembered that last week I had made a decision to park in the subterranean lot, where I assume there is plenty of space. After walking up to our sixth floor apartment, I finally had supper. Then finished off all the new e-mail that came in.
Here is the pic I took of the small quilt Cathy longarmed. I hope the quilting shows. It is beautiful.

Rolling in dough

I had set aside to today to prepare for Monday when the quilting group is going to meet here at my apartment. I felt like I was in constant motion. First I started the laundry, then I started the first of three batches of rolls. I hope to have enough for the quilters, and some left over for Thanksgiving. Michele had to have one to see if they were done. Then when she left for college, she had another. I figured out how to get skype to work again, and I was able to talk to Chris for awhile. In between batches of rolls, I washed and ironed all the fabric I bought yesterday, and I finished the tablerunner and put tassels on it. Once all the rolls were done and bagged, I started cleaning the kitchen. What a job! It is covered in grease. Not the kitchen kind, but the black city air kind. Kinda makes you not want to breathe. I did the stove and the counters around the sink. If there is any time tomorrow I will do the table. Ha! This whole place needs an intervention. In fact this party may be BYOB - Bring your own blindfold. Could make show-and-tell difficult, though.

She bought more fabric than I did

I was able to Skye my sister last night, but only with Michele's computer. I tried rebooting mine, but it didn't help. It was after midnight when we said goodbye and I went to bed. I woke up with the alarm at 8. It took a little willpower to get up and going. But I did. I had breakfast, took a shower, and packed everything I thought I would need for the day. I went to the thrift shop early since I knew MaryAnn would want me to go to Dongdaemun with her and Monique at 11:30. I brought in the Barbie doll in her new outfit, and the footpedal for the machine that matched mine. Ella and I had a little argument over my pulling books for a man collecting for the Good Neighbor program. He wants good children's books in good condition. Ella wants me to pull books for him, but not ones that will sell. So what does that leave? Nothing! It seems there is no way I can succeed in this task. Not only can I not please both of them, I can not please the manager at all because she doesn't realize that she is asking the impossible.
Then Maryann and Monique came over to buy laservideo discs for decorating for the AFSC auction. I left with them. We were supposed to go to D, but went to Monique's house to discuss how much fabric they needed. Finally we went, but Monique didn't have much time. We found her some dk blue fleece for her dog, and then a roll of black scarf fabric for swags. At the same place, we decided to get two rolls of purple, too, but had to wait for it to be delivered. Monique had to leave to attend a meeting. So Maryanne and I went to the Happy Quilt place to buy fabric until the purple rolls came. I also got a few other things I needed, and well as a few things other people asked for when they found out that I was going to Dongdaemun. Then we walked to the street full of food vendors. Maryann bought kimbap and hoduk. I bought two mandu's. And we shared. It was then that we realized that we had a problem. We could take the subway back to gate 17, but Monique's car wasn't there anymore. So we went back to gate 19 to catch the post bus. But then Monique finished her meeting and came to drive us to our cars. I took my weighty bag of fabric (and some persimmons I bought at the market) home. I then had a bag of persimmon soup. Oh well, I ate the split ones and refrigerated the rest. I had some leftovers for supper and laid down for a rest. When I remembered that the tablerunner was still in my trunk (I meant to take it to D to find matching tassels), I ran down to get it before the gate closed. Michele came home then but did not eat for hours. I hooked my MP3 player to the computer to remove songs I don't care for. That seemed to work. Then I coped/pasted songs from a DC onto the player. But then they wouldn't play. And the deleted songs still show up on the screen. After that I just couldn't get up the energy to do anything else, so I decided to blog and go to bed.
Did I mention that it was in the upper 30's today? I am NOT looking forward to another Korean winter. Can I go home now?

Tablerunner

I awoke before the alarm went off, at least half an hour before. What was I thinking? But I got up anyway, had a shower, made breakfast, and checked the beans. They were finally soft enough to eat. But who wants beans for breakfast? I checked my e-mail, cut up some cheese for lunch, and headed out for quilting with my recyclables in hand. I dropped them off at the recycling center behind our building. I got to the South Post Chapel 15 minutes early. None of our group were there, so I started setting up by myself. Then a couple of guys came in to replace all the burnt out fluorescent bulbs. Hurray! I guess they waited until lots of them were out so it would be worth their time. After I finished setting up, Cathy came. Then a few others trickled in. I got so busy then that I forget what happened. Some worked on baby quilts, some on QOV. I made some pillowcases for QOV. Cathy worked on the donation quilt. We had lunch. We worked some more. It was 2:30 'till we got all packed and out. I planned to go by the AnC center, but it was right in the middle of after-school traffic. So I went home. Michele was just leaving for college. I read through my latest email, then added some tomatoes and leftovers to the beans, which were still cooking in the crockpot. The wind was howling, and it was cold in my sewing room, so I shut all the porch windows. Did I mention it was cold today? Just all of a sudden, too. I was trying to clean up in my sewing room, but ended up sewing. Could happen to anyone, right? Then Michele came home, and she put on a Hornblower movie. I got sucked in, even though I have seen it many times. When it was over, I went back to finish my project. It is a table runner made from someone else's leftover railfence blocks. SOMEONE told AFSC I would donate a tablerunner and placements to their auction. It wasn't me. So, ok, a tablerunner. With a backing and a couple of tassels, it should be nice. The fabric I was considering for the back was sold as silk, but I had to iron it with a steam iron to get the wrinkles out. Silk should have been ruined so I wondered if it really was. I burned a piece, and some of Michele's hair (from her brush) because I read that burning silk smells like burning hair. But I don't think they smelled the same. Then it was time to Skype Faye. While waiting for her, I posted this blog.

How not to cook beans

The alarm went off at 8. The room was so dark it seemed to be the middle of the night. Actually due to the lights on a panel by the door, the room wasn't completely dark, but it was close. I got up to rinse the beans and put them in the crock pot on low. That turned out to be a mistake. I had breakfast, and got ready for church. I was there on time. It was Hyon and Bill's last sunday. She gave me one last bag of fabric. I wish them well on their move to the U.S.
Then I went to the commissary. I got some groceries and stuff for the quilters coming over next week. I drove back to the apartment complex and dropped it off with Michele who carried it all up while I parked the car. I had gotten a pork loin, so I cut it up and put it in with the beans. Michele and I had leftovers. We watched Rigoletto, which is not a great movie but I LOVE the music. I used to have the CD, but its gone now. Made me homesick 'cause I used to play it in the hottub in Augusta. Sigh. Then Michele wanted to watch Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Since the VCR is in my sewing room, we sat on the floor, which got very hard even though there is a silk rug in there. Finally I couldn't stand it, and I had to sew. I made another star block, and most of another brown and cream block. That is, I made it into 9 sections, but can't decide now how to arrange them for best effect. At supper time, the beans were not done, but the meat was. So I took it out and turned the crock pot up to 'high'. Hours later, still not done. We had leftovers again. Chris called me on Skype and his advice was to let it cook overnight. Guess we will have beans tomorrow.

Wang Mandu

Before I went to bed last night, I put some beans in a bowl to soak. Sounds simple enough, but Chris insists on buying 12 bags of beans instead of one mixed bag of beans. So I had to open 12 bags and measure out 1/4 cup. Also, Michele and Chris had gone to bed, and cupboard is too high for me to reach. I was so glad to finish and go to bed.
In the morning I was awakened by the big feather. This lead to...(static)..."has it been 5 minutes?"...(more static)...then Chris woke up Michele to play with the on-line gamers. I prepared breakfast and read through my e-mail. I read that mice who slept in a completely dark room lost more weight than mice that slept in a semi-dark room, with the same diet and exercise program. I marked my new supplements with the dosages. When Chris' game was over, he packed for his trip. Then the three of us went to his office. He had a few things to do there and I was able to pick and eat a very small tomato. Then he drove us to gate 57 where he pulled over, got out, hugged us, grabbed his stuff and headed for the Capitol hotel to catch a bus to the airport. I drove Michele over to gate 19. She and I walked from there to E-Mart where I bought eggs and natto. We found a restaurant there where she had eaten before. She wanted a certain kind of dumpling called 'wang mandu' and here she is demonstrating how to eat it. When we finished the rest of our meal, we walked back to base, then drove to the apartment. We watched a Netflix movie called "Guardian". That was good, but sad at the end. I also folded my laundry, hard-boiled the eggs, and put black borders on my star. I found an X-Files movie on Korean Tv and Michele came in to watch it. Before we knew it, it was 10pm. THEN she wanted to watch Sense and Sensibility in my sewing room because I have the VHS player in there. So I left to write my blog. Now I am going to sleep in my competely dark bedroom. I have set the alarm clock so that I will wake up even though no daylight can come in. I hope that Chris' cell phone (which he meant to take with him) doesn't ring at 6am every day.

Seeing stars

I got to sleep in this morning, but for some reason, got up at 7 anyway. I wasn't hungry, so I did some exercising and made another granny square. I tried not to use the book Kennedy lent me, but couldn't remember how many of each stitch. So I got on the computer and wrote it down in a txt file in case I need it again. Later I had breakfast. I spent most of the day on the Joanns website trying to decide what to order for our next shipment. No one responded to my e-mail about what to order, so I just have to guess what they will want 2 months from now. Some things I couldn't find there, I ordered from Nancy's Notions. Chris came home late, tying things up at the office before he leaves for the west coast. He brought the mail, which contained my latest package of supplements. For the next month I will have to go by his office to get the mail. I hope once a week will be enough. He also brought home leftovers from the office luncheon. So we had jabchai and bulgogi for supper. Then he and Michele went to post to see a movie. Maryann called before supper, and only because my phone died did I get a chance to eat. I called her back and we talked for hours, running down another battery. Lucky for me, the first battery had finished charging. Or lucky for her. It wasn't until her dinner was ready that I got to get something done. Then I worked on the star, adding the corner squares and side triangles, and a purple border. I will add a black border too. I am trying out my 'new' foot pedal. It came off of an old machine at the thrift shop, but I think it has had less use than mine.

Long night, long day

I said I was going to bed early yesterday, but that did not happen. I did the usual before-bed activities, like rinsing the bean sprouts, taking a 5-htp capsule, and putting a handful of nuts in water to soak until morning. But when I got in bed and put the CD player on my chest and put on the headphones and pressed 'play', there was no sound. I got up to change the batteries, and none of them worked, in fact even the battery tester wasn't working. So I got out another CD player that my brother gave me - he got it on a yardsale new in the box. It didn't work either. ARRGH! Finally I had to put the CD in my 6 CD changer with separate receiver. It was a last resort because it makes so much noise when the CD is over that it wakes me up, and the whole point of listening to the CD to go to sleep. And stay that way! Also it exposes me to its electric field all night.
However, it worked. I fell asleep, and when I woke up in the morning, everything was back to normal. Each portable CD player had small switch on the back labeled 'hold'. When switched off, the players worked just fine. And inexplicably, so did the battery tester. So I asked Michele if she noticed any time-space anomalies lately.
I made Chris' last sandwich, and there was just enough bread to do so. His office is having a cookout tomorrow, and then he is leaving for a month, going to Monterrey CA for a class.
I went back to bed, then got up later for breakfast with my computer. When I left for the thrift shop, I carried some of the items I planned to sell at quilt class so I wouldn't have to carry them all on the way to class. I went early so I could stop at the ACS building to turn in 3 months of minutes for the quilt group, and talk to the volunteer coordinator to see if ladies from off-post can earn base passes by volunteering for our organization. Then it was time to hit the shop. I was greeted by lots of books. I processed them all, and DVD's and CD's too. There wasn't enough time to do all the videodiscs that came in, but I must have done 20 or so. I considered buying one just to have a mirror in my sewing room! As I left, I told Ella I would mention on Facebook that we had these videodiscs for sale. She asked me to also mention all the other sales they were having. Then I found my sewing student and we headed for my apartment. She had forgotten her snack, so I gave her some ramen, which is what she usually brings. Well, apparently it was not HER kind of ramen, and it didn't cook fast enough, etc. Then I presented her with a choice of projects to work on - small ones that she could do all by herself. Well, she didn't like any of them because they weren't 'fun', and she couldn't sell them. She made several vague suggestions, like a quilt, or a princess bag. But she had no idea in mind of the specifics. Finally I talked her into making a rag rug, sewing scraps of fabric onto a denim base. I provided her with a ton of scraps, and all she could talk about was "the next rug will be better, I will use certain colors, made a pattern in it, etc." By the time her father came, I was ready to scream. However, he paid me through the end of November. After she left, I pulled out some jewel tone fabric scraps for class tonight. I did some vacuuming, I had something to eat, and waited for Chris to come home. I even tried calling him, but no answer. Finally I left for class. I arrived early to set up. Helped the lady across the hall set up tables 'cause she was setting up alone too. Then as I continued our own set-up, other ladies came in to help and to buy rulers and mats. I was quite busy for awhile just answering questions, etc. Melanie came to work on the kimono blocks and she was able to get the whole thing done with the help of most of the other people in the class. I helped Kennedy quilt her quilt, which she had finished since Tuesday. One person helped by making star blocks. Then we cleaned up, and went on our merry way. I drove to the parking lot where Chris left his car. I changed cars, and drove home. Then I got on the internet to read new e-mail. One was from Hyon, telling me that the quilt I donated to her cause sold for 200,000 won! I also posted to Facebook what Ella suggested. But it disappeared almost immediately.

Barbie gets a new outfit

WEdnesday is my stay-at-home day and I did. I was tempted to go to Dongdaemun to buy black fabric for tomorrow's star class, but found some black in my fabric scraps. I spent most of the day in there cleaning up and reorganizing. In less than two weeks the quilt guild will be meeting at my house and I want it to be ready. I may be able to close the door on the computer room, but they will want to see the sewing room. I also made another brown and teal block, cut some charm squares and fashioned an outfit for Barbie. Now I can return her to the thrift shop where they will sell her for $3, maybe more.
When Chris came home, he brought me half of an order from Joannns. Not sure why it takes two months. Now I have more inventory to sell off. However, Joanns sent me an e-mail that they are having a sale until Saturday. Will I put in another order? Don't know. I am out of cutting mats now, so IF they are a good price, I may order some of those.
Finally, I wanted to mention that I read on the internet that dieters who sleep 8.5 hours a night lose 55% more body fat than dieters that slept 5.5 hours. So I am off to bed a little early tonight.

Pillow time

I had the usual morning. Saw some videos on Youtube involving squirrels and Slinkies. Ha, ha. Went to the thrift shop at 11. We had more books that you could shake a stick at. And more came in while I was working. We also had three sewing machines that needed testing. I did them first. Then started on the books piled in the corner. It was 2pm when I finished those, and I didn't even get to the ones in the bin - never mind the CD's, DVD's, etc. Then I drove to the Daiso store where they were selling minki blankets for $1 to $5, depending on size. I bought a $5, and two $3 ones. I also got a scarf, and a bag of what looked like dog treats, but was told it was beef jerky. Sure. Anyway, then I went to Kennedy's house to check on her progress. She had planned to have the quilt half finished, but the sewing machine didn't cooperate. So I adjusted the tension and 'flossed' the discs. Then it seemed to go fine. I showed her how to press seams, and do intersections. She is an avid learner. Then I went home for a late lunch. I was on the computer watching one of Alex Anderson's videos when Chris came home. He fixed supper and Michele was home in time to eat with us. I went into my sewing room to make a pillow. I feel sorry for my student's mother 'cause she never did make the pillows her mother wanted. So I make one for her, and stuffed it with high-loft batting. That seemed too soft so I added some denser leftover batting strips in the middle. Strangely, every time I stuck my hand into the pillow to shift batting, I had the feeling I might suffocate.

Granny would be proud!

Back to making sandwiches on a Monday morning. Well, ok, ONE sandwich at 6:30. Then back to bed for an hour or so, then I was up to do a little exercising and have breakfast. I cut up some cheeses as my contribution to lunch. I grabbed my stuff and headed out to quilting. When I got there, two ladies were setting up tables. Then others came in and we all got to talking which made the rest of set-up late. Cathy, our president, wanted us to work on kimono blocks as well as baby quilts. So ok. We did not get as much done on baby quilts as we would have if we had done only that. And since we lost a day last week making quilts, we were behind in baby quilts. At the end of our time, Cathy took a pic of all of us holding up kimono blocks. I did not get a shot 'cause I couldn't find my camera. Kennedy asked me to stay after and show her how to rotary cut. So we cut strips of her fabric to make a four-patch quilt. Then I drove her home. She showed me how to crochet a granny square. Previously I had only sewed granny circles! By the time I got home, it was after 5. I remembered to bring up the bag of fabric from Hyon. Only it turned out to be clothing made from AFrican prints, and Indonesian fabrics! Chris came home bearing a box from Lisa. It contained fabrics, pillow panels, and stuffed animal panels. Who-hoo! Chris made buffalo for supper. I put on a mock-fashion show with the clothing Hyon gave me. When Michele got home, she saw it and found a few pieces she liked. But she wouldn't let me take a pic of her in them. Finally I retired to my computer to go through e-mail, at least until it messed up and I had to reboot. I cut a couple of charm squares in my sewing room and came back to see if the reboot had finished. I ended my session by looking on the net for simpler projects for my sewing student to make. That means something she won't have her mother helping her do.

Church picnic

We got up at 8 for church. Chris wanted to be at the picnic site at 9. So I did not have time for breakfast. He left me with my car, where I read for 45 minutes, then drove to church. I sat with Beth. Pastor Stan mentioned that Chris was cooking for the picnic in his sermon. After church I took 4 people with me to the picnic site. It was a little windy so I stood near the coals to keep warm. Chris and Pookie (actually her name is something like Puk Hui) had pans of hotdogs and steaks all grilled up and they were starting the hamburgers. When everyone had arrived, Pastor Gene said a prayer, and we ate. As it got colder and I shivered a lot, Pastor Stan lent me his jacket. When I finished eating, I went to stand by the coals again. Later, after all the extra food was given out, Chris took several choir members to gate 5, while I drove to the parking lot to wait for him. I read a book until he came for me. We went to the commissary for groceries. I forgot to get the bag of fabric Father Gene gave me from Hyon out of my trunk. So we went home, and put away groceries. I opened the two coconuts I bought, and put the juice and meat in a jar to ferment. I read through some e-mail on my computer, then we all watched "Underdog". During the movie, Chris paused it to make steak and baguette sandwiches for him and Michele. I ate the breakfast that I missed this morning. After watching "Underdog", we watched "The Incredibles". There is an incredible amount of special features on that DVD, and I got tired of that part and started cleaning up my sewing room. I wanted to do some sewing, but couldn't decide which project to work on. Finally I stitched some selvege edges together into a strip and crocheted them. Maybe it will be a rug, maybe nothing at all.

Bonus books and more blocks

We slept in until 8:30. Chris got up for his usual on-line gaming with Michele, and I had breakfast with my computer. Upon seeing all the dirty dishes in the sink, I remarked to Chris that I needed a wife to clean it up for me. He responded "Oh, is that what they do? I wouldn't know". Ha, ha. I did clean it up, so there.
In my e-mail I came across a book offer which included several e-books as bonuses. I have learned that bonus e-books are usually available on the net for free (no purchase required). So I went looking for them and found and read the first two. Somehow I got distracted from my computer and found myself in the sewing room choosing fabrics for a block for another auction quilt. While I was out, a man came to run the airconditioner hose through the wall instead of out the window. Hopefully this means no more mosquitoes. Hurray!
Then Romaric arrived for their weekly game. Chris drove us to Ichon where we bought kimchi, and found a Vietnamese restaurant. Romaric and I had the vegetarian platter, while Michele had curry and Chris had spring rolls. There was a large TV screen showing a Korean soap opera (we think) but with the sound turned off. So Michele and Romaric filled in the missing conversation based on the facial expressions of the characters. That was funny. Then we drove home. The three of them played their RPG while I made two blocks. Finally Romaric had to leave. Chris went to bed, and I alone am left to tell the tale.

Money doesn't grow on trees

Chris did not need a sandwich so I got to sleep in a little. Then I got breakfast and sat in front of my computer to eat it. I got dressed, grabbed three months of minutes for our group as well as my notebook, and headed off to the AnC center. Cathy was there helping Judy quilt another quilt, and Mary came by so we could all discuss what we need for the coming year, and how much money to ask AFSC for. Mary had the request form and filled it out. We decided $1700 ought to cover notions, batting, fabric, and Statler quilting patterns. Only took 4 hours! Then I drove to the DHL to deposit some checks, and to ACS to drop off the minutes. But they were CLOSED! They closed early for AFAP. Guess I will have to go back on Monday. I discovered that I had left my jacket at the AnC center, and it was windy. So I walked back (didn't want to drive through after-school traffic) to get it. On the return trip, I sat in back of the DHL for a nature break. Then I drove home. No one was here. I had some leftovers for lunch. Then got on my computer until Chris got home. We talked for awhile about the financial issues of our group, and how I hate that the bank service-charges us $5 a month for having less than $500. When we get money, we have to spend it all in 60 days, so can't keep a minimum balance. If we leave no money in there, then they will close our account. Grrr.
Then Michele came home, and Chris heated up some leftovers for supper. We all retired to our computers. But after awhile, Yahoo stopped cooperating with me, so I stopped computing, and went into my sewing room to work on two paper-pieced kimono blocks. One large, and one small. I did them at the same time so I would only have to figure out each next step once. Chris went to bed early. Now it is my turn.

Kimono class

Chris left for work before 4am. I did hear him get up, but went back to sleep. Slept in until 8. I got up for e-mail and breakfast. Michele left about 9 for college. I did a little sewing then went to the thrift shop. There weren't so many books today, so I did some straightening of books and DVD's, and counted a 1000 piece puzzle. I also helped Mrs. Chung (our assistant manager) to assemble some 'things'. One turned out to be a clothes rack, the other was some sort of baby swing. I left the shop at 2:30, found Jade, and drove us both home. Actually we had to walk home over the pedestrian bridge. She was eating an apple when I found her, and at my house she microwaved some ravioli. But I had to be firm about starting the lesson at three whether she was done eating or not. She was her usual inattentive self. Actually she did pay attention - to everything else in the room, just not what I was trying to show her. Her father asked that I show her how to make bows from ribbon. But she did not bring any ribbon. So I used some that was leftover from the VOY ceremony last year. I wanted to show her a ribbon rose too, but just couldn't remember how to get it started. When her father arrived to pick her up, he didn't have any money - again. So I agreed to take payment in won, which he could get at a nearby 7-Eleven. Then I finished sewing a seam I had started this morning, ate some leftovers, and got on the computer to write minutes for our group for the last three months. It went smoothly until I printed the last sheet. I was going to be late (well, not as early as I had planned) and the printer was printing crookedly. So Chris came in, loaded a sheet of paper, pressed a button, and it printed out slick as whistle. So I raced off to class. I brought in all our equipment. Cathy arrived, and we both signed the three pages of minutes, filling in the blanks for QOV and Stork's Nest. Other ladies arrived then, and Melanie showed everyone how to make a paper-pieced kimono block. Some made the small, and some the large version. I helped one lady cut borders for her quilt, and cleaned the fuzz out of one of the group machines. Several of us discussed how to request funds from local groups. We decided to meet tomorrow morning to make a list of what we would like to have, and write a request. We all packed up, and I took a set of kimono fabrics home to make a block. When I got home, Chris was already in bed. So I read through my e-mail and wrote to my blog.
* This is a pic from the Sinjeongho tourist resort. I could not figure out if it was modern art, or one of the exercise stations. *

Don't eat my science experiment

After making him a sandwich, I went back to bed, but could not sleep. A mosquito kept buzzing me. I would then hide under the covers for awhile, and come up for air until the darn thing found me again. I gave it up at 8. I ate breakfast while perusing e-mail. I was trying to watch an on-line video of a quilting show but the connection kept disconnecting. Finally I gave that up, too. I went into the kitchen to have lunch and experiment. What to do with all these apples? Ferment them. So I got out my food processor attachment for my mixer. I chopped up apples very finely, and put the mash in a jar with a probiotic capsule. I also filled another small jar with mash for regular eating, and used a little for making another loaf of bread for Chris. Michele loves apple sauce, so I warned her not to eat my science experiment. While the dough was rising, I went into my sewing room to work on another big star (since I had so many pieces leftover from the first one.) I tried pieceing it in a different order to see if it would be more accurate. But I got the same or higher rate of do-overs. I was finally getting somewhere when Chris came home. I kept him company in the kitchen while he fixed an egg and cheese souffle for supper. Then he noticed that the bread. It was supposed to mix and bake in the machine, but it had risen so high that it popped the top on the machine (which turns it off). So I put it in a loaf pan to rise again and bake. We watched a movie while eating supper. The souffle was so good that we had a hard time leaving some for Michele. Then we ate some of the desserts we made last night. I went back to my computer after the movie. Chris went to bed because he has a 4am video-teleconference in the morning. Before I posted this blog, I made his sandwich for tomorrow.
* This pic is of a turtle ship (the spiney one on the right), invented by Admiral Yi to prevent the Japanese from boarding and capturing the ships. *

Our anniversary is over

Last night Chris wanted me to make apple fritters with the apples we bought at the roadside market. He got Michele to join him in giving me the sad, puppy dog face when I said "There's the kitchen, there are the apples. What do you need me for?" But I resisted them.
Also Chris suggested we could take a day trip NW of Seoul today. So after we slept in, and I had breakfast and checked my e-mail, I was ready to go. But he said then that it was too late because of traffic. So instead, I went to the thrift shop and put in my normal 3 hours. I was too late to catch the fabric man at DHL (AFSC luncheon), so I saved a lot of money.
On the way out of the thrift shop, I saw MaryAnn. So we got together for a chat. At 3, I gave her a ride to the DHL to get her car, and I drove home. Chris was making brownies and soup. Somehow that put me in the mood to bake, so I made up a sweetbread dough and added dark chocolate and apple chunks. I tried to roll it into balls covered in melted butter and cinnamon sugar and nuts, but it was so sticky that I gave up on that half way through. The soup was ready then so Chris and I ate. When the oven was ready, I put the pans in to bake. Michele came home for supper then and the two of them had quite a bit of brownies for dessert. But I waited for my dessert to finish. And by golly, they ate a bunch of that, too. As a rule, I don't eat desserts, but I must confess that I had my share because it was so good.
Chris bought me a UPS for my computer and he installed it. At the same time he bought a Harry Potter movie. We all watched it after supper.
Regarding our trip to the south, I must say that the GPS came in very handy. We had one destination in mind, and it got us there. Then we asked it for restaurants and hotels, and it gave us a list. From there we got a tourist map, and found more destinations to plug in. Only once did it say "You've reached your destination" and there was nothing there.
*This pic is from the Admiral Yi shrine. What a beautiful place!*

More adventures near Asan Hot Springs

I did not sleep well last night. The bed was really hard, and there was no top sheet. The comforter was too thick and hot, so I covered with my black-and-white wrap. I also missed my knee pillow. In the morning, I discovered that there were no washcloths either. But I should have remembered that from previous trips. However, our tub had jets, so I filled it with hot water, and sat in it like a hot tub. Then Chris took a shower while I got dressed. We went downstairs for breakfast. Believe it or not, they had natto on the buffet. I had that, and eggs, fruit, beef, and some boiled fern. Then we checked out and went to Sinjeonho Tourist Resort. It was a spot on the map that sounded good. What it turned out to be was a glorified exercise track with workout stations and modern art. There was also a climbing wall (closed) and a small aviary for large birds, like a turkey, a pheasant, a rooster and other chickens.
Then we went to World Botanical Garden. The promo picture was wall-to-wall flowers on a sunny day, but it was not like that when we got there. On the way in, we passed a group of middle-schoolers getting back on their buses. They were eager to practice their English on us. Then we bought tickets to get in. The place was full of greenhouses, and they had arrow signs put up to guide sight-seers through the maze. The flowers outside looked a little worse for wear. But the ones inside were better, though not at their peak. The landscaping and arranging was very nice. One greenhouse had a maze of cedars for us to wend through. Another had an aviary at the back. I took pics and a movie clip, but was unable to record the exquisite feeling of having little birds perch on my hand and peck at birdseed. After the greenhouse, we looked for another place that the GPS couldn't find. We did stop at a roadside stand to buy apples. Then we ended up at the Oeam Folk Village. It is small and quaint, and still inhabited. There was a pen with elk in it, and we saw many small gardens, and threshing tools. We stopped at a nearby restaurant for some kimchi soup. Then we made our way home. We hit during rush hour and the going was slow, but we got home before Michele did from college. We were home around 7, which gave us time to get in a nap before bed time. Ha! We were tired, but just had to go through e-mail before we went to bed.

A perfect day

Let's see if I can remember all the things that made today so perfect...
First, we slept in a little, and then Chris woke me up in the best way. We had breakfast and checked e-mail. Then we packed clothes for two days, and headed south out of Seoul. Thankfully we had a GPS. It got us to the shrine of Admiral Yi, who was a famous Korean naval commander and invented turtle ships to fight the Japanese in the late 1500's. The shrine is a beautiful place. It is trees, and grass, and ponds, and great big gold fish. I shall post a pic or two when I get home. It is like a huge park with historical markers. Just outside the gate, vendors sell colorful kid's toys, and families throw blankets on the ground for picnics.
Then we drove into town to find a restaurant. Most were closed because it was after 2, but Chris found a nice one. We sat on the floor, ordered what the proprietor recommended, and enjoyed our meal of pork soup. Then we found a hotel. It is very nice. (Turns out to be the priciest, too) We checked out the ammenities and found a massage place. I got a 2 hour massage (hey, don't I deserve one for putting up with one man for 20 years?). They also have separate men's and women's baths where you get to sit in a hot mineral spring. But the water is 58 degree F!
After the massage, I went back to our room where Chris had found us some hard-boiled eggs, persimmons, oranges, and baked treats. We had our snack and settled in to watch Animal Planet. WE had almost fallen asleep when I remembered to post this to my blog before I forget what happened.

What a Productive Day!

First, I got to sleep in. Then I picked up on the star block where I left off. I created another layout and sewed it all together. Amazingly, the block was a perfect 24.5 inches! And I have enough triangles left to make another one. Then when Chris finished his on-line gaming, we walked my bike to a bike store. One of the men adjusted the brakes, and the handle bars, did some oiling and inflation, and he only wanted 7000 won for that. I asked about the price of a used bike and he said $800. The new ones were more like $1400, and they folded up really small. So Chris took me to the Four Seasons (on post) and I found one for $80 that fits me much better. We had a heck of a time getting it in the car, but somehow we managed. When we got home, Chris put supper in the oven. After supper, he and I walked down to the river to watch the fireworks from the fireworks festival. In the U.S. we shoot them high enough for everyone to see from almost anywhere. But here in Seoul, they are low. So we ended up walking quite a ways to find a place where we could see between the buildings: just us and 10,000 of our closest friends. Chris had bought some folding chairs in a bag at the same store as the bike. So we had a nice place to sit and watch. We watched for over an hour, and by then it was getting cold, so we walked back. We stopped at the Banpo bridge to see that light and water show, too. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

An all-day star

Chris still had his sandwich from yesterday so I did not get up early to make him another one. It was nice to sleep in. When I got up, I had breakfast in front of my computer. Then I worked on two pillowcases, and made a star block for a raffle quilt. It was a simple one, so I decided to find something more complicated on the internet. I spent hours just cutting out triangles. Here is one layout of it. It will be a 24 inch block when finished.
I vacuumed the apartment before Chris came home. He made a quiche for supper. It was good. Then we all shared an Asian pear. I went back into my sewing room to explore some more layouts.

Fusible pumpkin class

I made a loaf of bread last night for the meeting this morning. The meeting time was 10 am and Ella asked that we come early. I was 10 minutes early, but there was no place to park, so I had to park at the top of the hill behind the post office. The meeting did not start until 10:20, with people coming in as much as an hour late. I got to see MaryAnn, at least until she left after an hour and a half. And the meeting went on. Finally we got to eat. My bread was not a big hit because it looked like plain bread and I did not have time to make butter to go with it. But that's ok, because now I have more bread to make Chris' sandwiches. I planned to leave at 2, but offered a ride to Carmen and the two women she signed in. Took a while to get all three of them out of the store. After I dropped them off at gate 17, I went home. My student for today did not come, so I had some time to work in my sewing room, however, I found myself napping instead. I planned to bring the 10 blocks I had made to the SPC early so I could arrange them and sew them together. But with one thing and another, I did not get there until after 6. Then I discovered that we only had half a room again, and it was filled with tables, and snacks in disorder. The Katusas came to clean it up, and left me 6 tables and helped me arrange them around the walls to use the outlets. I had enough time to lay out the blocks, and some friendly advice as other women arrived. But then I had to pick them up to allow class to start. Melanie came prepared, as she always does. She taught the fusible pumpkin applique class. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. Afterwards, we cleaned up and left. I drove to the parking lot, switched cars, and drove home. I decided to pull into a space instead of backing in, thinking that would be easier. But it wasn't. Took me 5 tries. Each time it seemed that my side view mirror was going to shear off against the post. I guess I should have picked a wider space. Anyway, up to the apartment, and onto my computer. I read through a bunch of e-mails, learning about free energy and its suppression by those in charge. And learned that eating genetically modified soy caused infertility in third generation rats. Want grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Avoid GMO soy for you and your descendants.

Our 20th Anniversary

I had the usual morning start, but when I sat down at the computer with my breakfast, I found a card waiting for me. It was so sweet, and that bookmark on the front is actually fabric! I got an e-mail from my student saying she wasn't coming today, so I called Helen to tell her I could go skiing with her today. But she didn't answer her phone. So I worked on my quilt top instead. I put on piping and borders with mitered corners. I took a break to open up the two coconuts and pour the water into a jar, and scoop out the meat.
Michele left for school before 5, and Chris came home after 5. Since it was our anniversary, I wanted to do something special. So I made the bed. For me, that is special. I also put on my raciest lingerie (which ironically came from my M-i-l), and put on some music. Then we (lots of static) and then it was time for supper. Chris made chicken and rice. Michele came home later and must not have had much, because it seemed like there was plenty to put away. Chris had a big map of Korea and we discussed what we could do over the long weekend, but did not come to any decisions. While Michele and Chris sat in front of their computers, I made 10 more QOV blocks to go with the ones I made last week.

The almost-anniversary dinner

I got up earlier than I expected after making the sandwich and going back to bed. I had another dream during that hour, but can't remember it now. I had breakfast in front of the computer, reading e-mail. That took most of the morning. Still, I had time to gather the recyclables and drop them off before going to the thrift shop at 11. I was on time. Once I finished shelving the books, videos, and DVDs, I went through the magazines to cast away the old ones. I don't do it very often, so I kept fewer than normal. I usually work until 2, but Mrs. Chung decided to close up before 1:30. I don't know why, but it threw me off. I drove to the parking lot inside my gate, but there was no parking. I decided that it was a sign that I should go to MP hill, sit on a rock near a tree in the sun, and read a book. Not everyone is so sensitive to these signs. It's a gift.
After about half an hour, I went back to the parking lot and found a spot. I went home and started working on my quilt project. Chris and I had make plans to see a movie at 5:30. I lost track of time and he had to call me to come over to the gate. When we got to the theatre, they had canceled the movie in order to clean the seats. So Chris suggested we go out to eat. After some discussion we decided to walk out of the Camp Coiner walk-in gate, and find a little hole-in-the-wall place. Amongst all the Korean places, we found an Indian place and a Japanese place. We ate at the Indian restaurant. The food was delicious. And mostly we had the place to ourselves. The owners were very solicitous. At one point I looked at Chris and said "Our 20th anniversary is tomorrow, I think we are going to make it". He said "Actually, it won't be our anniversary until 3am on Thursday our time. Shall I wake you up?".
Walking back to the base, we discovered that the walk-in gate must have closed soon after we left. So we had to walk ALL the way around to Gate 20, and then back to the car. Oh, I wish I hadn't eaten so much. When we got home, Michele was not happy to hear that we went to an Indian restaurant without her. But she would not have enjoyed the walk.
Examining the quilt top I put together earlier, I realized that I had sewn one strip backwards. I attempted to fix it while watching TV. I had almost finished when my phone rang. After that call, I had to send an e-mail, and then my SKYPE rang. After THAT call, I forgot about sewing, and concentrated on e-mail. One was from Chris about a possible vacation site in Buyeo. Our trip to Mt. Sorak got sacked due to no available accommodations. So hopefully this will work out. We want to go this weekend for our anniversary, and time is running short.

Show and Tell

Today is the first Monday of this month. Often we (the quilters) meet at someone house for show-and-tell and female bonding. Well, no one offered to host it (most using the 'my in-laws are here' excuse). So we met at the chapel. However, we did not do much other than show-and-tell. I had 10 QOV blocks and took fabric for 8 more. Judy made the quilt in the pic. We discussed possible group projects (for the raffle quilts we are inevitably asked for each year). I agreed to participate in all of them, but can't remember what they are right now. I should have written it down but did not have my notebook. I am now acting secretary as well. At 11 Chris called and needed my assistance at the travel agency. The trip we planned to Jeju island fell through because not enough people signed up. So we had to explore other options. Finally we signed up for a trip to Sorak Mountain. It sounds like the perfect get-away for our 20th anniversary. We are still waiting for confirmation on the accommodations, but I am excited.
I went back to the quilt group who had just finished lunch. They decided to quit early and go to the big D (Dongdaemun). Janet had never been there and it is always fun to take someone new. So after I ate, we went, riding the subway. One of our projects is to give each person a fat quarter of the same fabric, and have them turn in a block or two using that fabric. So the others bought coordinating fabric. I knew I could find whatever I needed in my stash, so I bought whatever caught my eye. We got back around 2:30, putting us right in after-school traffic. So several of us hung around the SPC waiting for traffic to slow down. I think we talked for 2 hours. We talked about a girl's trip to Daegu where rumor has it there is a new place to shop for fabric. Then we all left, going our respective ways. I went home and had leftovers, not waiting for Chris to come home. He had leftovers, too, and then got on his computer. I spent time with my computer but also in my sewing room. After washing and drying all that fabric, I ironed it and did some more work on my black, green and yellow project. I also fixed my music tote bag where one strap had pulled away from the stitching.

Romantic walk to the bridge

We got to church just in time to walk past the choir, who were all lined up to process in. The sermon was given by Father Gene, who spoke last week, so it was Father Stan's turn. But Father Gene wanted to answer a parishioners question about last week's sermon, namely, is there a second chance? And although last week's reading implied that there was not, Father Gene said yes, it is in God's nature to give second chances.
After church, while we were having snacks, I got out the wallhanging I brought for Hyon, and found out that she was bringing me a bag of fabric. Then we went to the commissary for groceries. The good news is that they had young coconuts again. However, they were twice as expensive. Nevertheless, I bought two. We took our groceries home, and put them away with Michele's help. Chris then went to post to install a new keyboard on his laptop. I perused e-mail, and Michele did some studying. When Chris came back, he put supper on the stove to cook, and we took a walk down to the bridge. We arrived at 4 and the water show was starting. We could also hear some music, but I understand the real show is after dark when the lights come on. I think it runs every hour. Now knowing how to get there in day light, it should not be a problem at night. On the way back we passed a bicycle shop. I made a note of it. We did a little exploring and found a back way into our apartment complex. We met Jeff there, and he was 'recycling' clothes. I did not realize that was part of our recycling area. As we entered the apt, we could smell supper. The pork barbecue was ready. After supper, we all spent time with our computers. Then I went into my sewing room to make 10 QOV blocks for tomorrow, and work more on the black, green and yellow project. While I worked, I listened to the MP3 player Julia gave me. I heard the sound track for Quasimodo, and The Piano. Then there was an e-book and interview with Lemony Snickett. The children had just seen Count Olaf's house for the first time when I realized it was time for bed.

A Million dollar smile? Not quite.

Chris and Michele did not do on-line gaming this morning. Instead, Chris went to post to get the cash to pay rent for the next two years. Michele wanted to touch it, so I took a pic of her, with her $80,000 smile. Chris also bought several bottles of wine and a basket to put them in, as an apology to the owner for paying the rent late. Our real estate agent picked him up at 11 to go to an office where our agent paid their agent (I think). Then the two agents came back here to address our one issue of routing the air conditioner hose through the wall instead of the window. It would be nice not to have bugs in the summer and cold air in the winter coming through that window.
We also did laundry. I got a load of fabric done and spent part of the afternoon ironing it dry. I also watched a movie from Netflix called "7 Pounds". I am not sure why it was called that. It starred Will Smith as a man who was trying to save 7 people in order to make up for the accident he caused that took 7 lives. This movie made me cry. I missed the first scene by fast-forwarding through the opening trailers. And I think it was better that way. The opening scene gives clues to the ending.
It was almost 6:30 when I left to walk to Ichon station. I brought a book to read until Julia arrived. We exchanged dollars for won, which was a good deal for both of us. Then we went to a restaurant to eat. The first place didn't have any of the things we knew how to order. So they motioned to another restaurant across the street. We ordered from pictures there. It was all good, of course. I wish I had my camera because the old man there had the cutest little dog, which would climb into his satchel. Pekingese maybe? What a video that would have made! Afterwards, we found the little market where I get kimchi. Both of us bought some, although different kinds. Then we walked back to Ichon and parted ways. I walked home with my kimchi, in the rain. Romaric, Chris, and Michele were still gaming. I got on my computer to finish up e-mail and post this pic to my blog.

Here is what I bought today

My morning got off to a slow start. Sure, I got up early to make a sandwich for my husband, but then I went back to bed, and had this weird dream about being on the second floor of an old house. The wind was shaking it badly, I was scared, and then it slowly fell over. I usually wake up at this point in a dream, but this time I remember saying "I need a miracle", and after the house crashed, I crawled out unharmed. And the dream continued, but I don't remember the rest. Then I did a little exercising, and had breakfast in front of my computer. It took until noon for me to finally get out of the apartment. But by then, my schedule had changed. Instead of a simple trip to Dongdaemun to get fabric for Toniette, I also stopped at Namdaemun along the way. At Dongdaemun I bought fabric and a blade for two other people. Then, I went to the on-post bank to get a check for a friend. Then I went to the post office to mail fabric, but discovered that the box wasn't addressed as I had thought. So I ran home to get the address, took a moment to eat lunch, ran back to mail it, and home again. Lilli came over to buy some pink fabric for a project she was making, and to have a shawl-shape serged out of a piece of loosely-knitted fabric. She was quite impressed with my fabric collection. By the time she left, Chris was home. We had leftovers, and watched more of "300". Although there were some great one-liners, it was not the kind of movie I would see for the dialog, just for the well-muscled Spartan men. I also made another loaf of bread, this time without the algae. It was not a big hit.