Last day of 2015

We woke up early, or at least it seemed so, but my alarm went off not long after. I shut it off and went back to bed, feeling like I needed more sleep. Chris had breakfast, took his shower and left for work. I got up later, swished, read e-mail, and wrote a holiday card, intending to put it in the mail. Myra texted me that her husband was home today so no yoga at her place. When I had finished my exercises, I meditated. That's when I realized that I had missed the mail pickup at 10:10. I got dressed and walked the trail. I went halfway up the hill, and stopped at the exercise station to work my arms. Then I finished going up, slowly and with stops because my back was iffy on the subject. Then I came around to the front of the mountain and walked down. When I got in, I prepared breakfast. I had to stop halfway to refill some containers. Chris came home for lunch. He brought me a card from my Aunt Jean. He also brought home a chocolate rum cake with cherries on top, gift from a co-worker. When he went back, he took the cards I prepared and dropped them off at the post office, which was closing early. I put on Christmas songs courtesy of Youtube. I ate breakfast. I did an online search to find out which probiotic helps digest garlic. But there were too many links on garlic and digestion. How to find the one that answers the question? I made up a new mixture of spices for breakfast. I filled the bread machine and got it started. I had trouble remembering the recipe. I did not find it on my laptop, so I typed in what I put in the bread machine so I could tweak it if it came out wrong. I found a recipe on my laptop for sweet potato hummus. I washed sweet potatoes and rubbed them with coconut oil. I put them in a baking dish in the oven. Then I washed up a box of kitchen utensils and found some clean drawers to put them in. I grated some kumquat. I cut up some kimchi from the cabbage and mixed it with the kumquat and left it to ferment. I read e-mail until the sweet potatoes were finished. I let them cool for a little bit then ate one of the really small ones. I opened up the sweet potato hummus recipe. I had to do it differently because it called for a food processor and all I have is a handheld one. But then I realized there was no garlic in the recipe. The whole point of hummus is to consume garlic in a digestible way. So I looked for my original recipe, but it must be on the desktop because I did not find it. I got out the fabric that I bought in Busan to make a Bianca wrap. I wrestled with the dimensions, unsure how they measured hip width. The central portion is supposed to be a square that is both the armpit to mid calf measurement and double the hip width. For me, those measurements are not equal. So I used the smaller one. I did the no-sew method to make it simple just to see if it was worth the effort to cut and sew and hem, etc. Chris came home while I was cutting. After I 'made' it, I tried it on, in the various wrapping positions. Chris made quinoa and bison for supper. I took a break to eat and then went back to wrapping. I did not think it looked on me like it showed on the model. First, because her fabric was the same on both sides (not mentioned in how to choose the fabric) and it was a solid color (mine had bands of color). Second, she was tall and slender, the kind of body shape that makes anything look good. After supper, we watched Men in Black II. I liked the first one better. We checked e-mail before going to bed. I plugged my phone up to the portable power bank that Faye sent me for Christmas to see if it worked with my phone. And it did. Or at least, it said it did. We will probably go to bed before midnight, since there are no fireworks here on base.
* This pic is from the market. I have seen hanbok stands before, selling the fabric, but yesterday we saw ones with a fitting area as seen here. *

Masan Market

I woke up hearing Chris talking to someone on skype. When my alarm went off, I rushed out to shut it off so it would not affect his call, and went back to bed. Later I got up to see him off and start my usual morning. I put out the recyclables. I drank water and swished, and read e-mail. I did my exercises and took a shower. Then I prepared and ate breakfast, keeping an eye on the time. I packed seed crackers for a snack. I counted my money to see if I needed more. Then I dressed in a jogging suit, and ear muffs. I took my cart down to the parking lot, and met the ladies there. I went to the ATM to get more cash, still no one else had joined us even though we posted on Facebook that we were going. We walked out into town to catch the bus to Masan. We got off at the fish market, but went to the right, which was more clothing and jewelry and bags and shoes AND some fabric, I thought we were going to look at fabric, but they stopped to look at scarves and hats and pants and hair bling. I was not interested although I did happen to see the underwear I like at a reduced price so I bought one pair. Later I saw a sweater top that really appealed to me but it was only in one-size-fits-all and there was no dressing room so I didn't want to risk the $20. Finally we got to the fabric street. The first place had a wide variety of fabrics, though nothing that we felt we had to buy. We wandered on. The other stores were smaller and had less variety and were more expensive. None of it was really quilting fabric. Mostly upholstery and drapery. We stopped for lunch in a hole-int-the-wall place. I ordered kimbap of course. I found a nice store with office and craft supplies. We each bought a few items there. Then we went back to the first fabric store. I got some quilted velvet and a scarf panel. On the way back to the bus stop, Nela bought a multi-colored scarf. Myra wanted one but the lady only had one. Myra bought two of something else. Further down, I spotted another multi-color scarf just like Nela's. So Myra got it and I joked that we needed a third one for me so we could be the three musketeers. We walked to the bus stop across the street from where we got off. It took us awhile to realize that the bus (163) did not stop at that spot. We walked to the next bus stop, but it did not stop there either. We went to a further stop and waited. I was so looking forward to sitting down on a heated bus, but it seemed to take forever. And so I really enjoying it when it came. We got on just before 5. I think we got off about 5:30 in Jinhae and walked back to base. Nela left when we got to the school. Myra said we could get together for yoga tomorrow morning. When we passed Myra's place, she got her stuff out of my rolling cart bag and headed home, as did I. Chris was home when I got there, roasting pork in the oven. I added some kimchi to it, a match made in heaven. Mr. Conger came over to return our loaner microwave. Chris and I ate the last two pieces of homemade chocolate. I worked the Sudoku puzzles for today and tomorrow just to finish up the year. I investigated the pricing of quilt basting spray on Jo-anns, Amazon and Eleanor Burns site. Amazon had free shipping and Jo-Anns had a half price coupon. I already had something in my Amazon cart so I looked at the reviews of various sprays, and finally picked one. But when I checked out, Amazon refused to ship it to this address. So I ordered it from Jo-Anns and paid their shipping. Then, I needed another item to get free shipping. Chris suggested a Sharpe movie that we don't have. Actually there are two, anyway, I ordered one new and one used. After I placed the order, Amazon said we qualified for a free digital movie – Kung Fu Panda. But when I tried to redeem the offer, I was informed that it was only available to residents of the U.S. Phooey! Because it was so late, Chris connected my laptop to the TV and we watched an episode of Big Bang Theory before going to bed.
* This is Korean patchwork that we saw in a window *

More presents

I did not sleep well last night, so I stayed in bed late. I got up after Chris left, when I remembered that food waste goes on on Tuesday. But when I got up to do it, I saw that Chris had already put it out. I turned on my laptop and drank my quart of water. I finished a holiday card that I started last night. I worked today's Sudoku puzzle. I swished and exercised and tapped. Then I got dressed warmly and took the two cards out to the postal box down the street. It was cold. I walked up the mountain and over to an exercise station where I used the arm machines. They had leg machines too, but just getting there was enough exercise for my legs. Then I walked home. I meditated. I searched online for an answer to a problem: my laptop says it is plugged in but not charging. One of the suggestions was to check for driver updates. So I set it to do that and made breakfast. When I got back, one of the update searches was still searching. I ate my breakfast and read e-mail, listening to an audio. Chris came home as I was getting ready to send a message to SoYoung. He had a big package from Faye, covered in stamps. I opened it to discover coffee, bobby pins, chocolate, a Sudoku desk calendar, Christmas ribbon, a complex coloring book with colored pencils, etc. After Chris went back to work, I gathered objects to put in the recycling bins. I put dishes in the dishwasher. I emptied a box of vhs tapes and CD's. We almost never listen to CD's – why do we have so many? I rebooted my laptop in hopes of getting rid of the 'plugged in but not charging' message. It did not work. I took the battery out and reinserted it. And that did it. I wish I had tried it before I rebooted because I lost my open windows. IE would not let me reopen my last session. I moved a few things from the sewing room to the bonus room. I assembled my boombox, and put it in my sewing room . I played a Christmas CD. I ironed a couple pieces of fabric. Then I realized that the light in the closet was so much brighter than the one in the room. So I ironed by the closet. Chris took one of the doors off so I could be more light. I thought I could get the ironing board in the closet but there was no outlet in there. I came out to the dining room. We composed a holiday message to the Admiral and his wife. Chris picked a nice card. It was too nice to write on, so we auditioned writing papers to go inside for the message. I wrote the message on the paper and put it with the card into the envelop. Then we sat on the couch and watched Johnny Dangerously. Chris went to bed and I stayed up to blog and listen to a relaxing subliminal, hoping for a better night's sleep.
* This is one of the tissue cases I made for the ladies *

Walking in the cold

I did not get up with the alarm, but did get up before Chris left. I drank water while checking e-mail. I forgot to swish, but I did drybrush, exercise and rebound. I listened to audios of A 444 while relaxing with coffee. Nela called to ask if we were doing anything today and I said I would be available after lunch to go walking. Chris came home at noon for lunch. He said it was getting colder. Nela called to say they were going to the gym when Myra was ready because of the cold. Chris brought the mail: a Swanson's order, a sewing machine part, and a quilt calendar from Faye. I put the part on my machine, but still wasn't satisfied that that would solve the whole problem. It seemed like something was rubbing somewhere. I tried to take the housing apart and was only slightly successful. I opened the calendar and admired it. I set it aside for when I find a nail to hang it. I opened the Swansons order and put the items away. I prepared a new Swansons order since I noticed the brazil nuts are low. I made up a week's worth of supplements to see what else was running low.
I unpacked some clothes and threw my hands up at others. I sorted through cards and envelops. I have had them for years, some longer than we have been married. I went through some kitchen stuff, too. Then Nela called to say we were meeting by Myra's place, and might be walking instead of going to the gym. I changed clothes and went toward Myra's place. Nela gave me some persimmons and we stopped at my place to drop them off. We checked out the cable box which we found on the other side of the duplex. We did not know how to hook up AFN. We talked to Kelly, who lives there now. Then we went up the trail. I couldn't make it all the way up, so we came down, and then they stopped in to see the bag I made. We talked about going to the market in Masan on Wednesday. Then they went on. I unpacked more kitchen stuff, and put stuff I don't think we will use in a box. I put some DVD's on a shelf, and looked through CD's. Then I heated up the last of the cabbage soup, and cleared some unread e-mail. For our nightly movie, we watched Men In Black. Then we went to bed, early for a change.
* Here are the curtains I put up yesterday *

Private quilt show

I got up after Chris left for church, still sleepy. I drank vinegar water, and emptied the dishwasher except for the heavy stuff. I boiled water for nuts. I hung up the length of fabric that keeps the light off of the other fabrics. I made a tissue case. Then I was short on time so I rushed to get showered and dressed. I was walking down the street when the Firechief and his wife offered me a ride to church. After they dropped me off, I went upstairs to find Chris. He introduced me to the new commanding officer and his wife, but I did not know that's who they were. I sat with Jane for the service. I met our new neighbors during the passing of the peace. After the service, we all walked down to Turtle Cove for lunch sponsored by the chapel. Chris got in line while I was finding a place to sit with Jane. When I got in line the plates were all gone. I wandered around bit and then still no plates. When they arrived, I got in line. I got scrambled eggs, turkey, a hard-boiled egg, and some fruit. We sat with Jane and So Yung and her husband. After I ate, some one mentioned mashed sweet potatoes. So I went back for that. When I put my plate on the table, Jane used a spoon to section off 40% of the mash and asked if she could eat it. Okaaaaaay. Then she had someone take a pic of all of us together. I invited them to our house for Christmas bread. We rode in So Yung's van. I got out and ran ahead to clean up what I could before Chris opened the door for them. Chris showed them his books. I sliced up the bread and brought it out. The kids did not want any. We had a quilt show. They seemed to enjoy it. Then they left, gathering their kids who played outside most of the time. I changed my clothes, then picked up the tissue case I made this morning. I walked over to Linda's house to give it to her. We chatted for a little while. Then I came home, and Chris left to go to the commissary for milk (since Jane talked him out of the one we bought yesterday). While he was gone, I made breakfast. I ate it as we sat in front of our computers. We spent the afternoon that way. I took a break to make more ginger tea. I also did the weekend Sudoku puzzle, then formed it into a petal. Later I made a salad. I put up Command hooks on the other living room window. I let them sit for awhile, then hung the long swag up there. I thought two would look better than one, but putting up the second one did not noticeably change the feel of the room. I sat down and composed a letter on my laptop. Then I wrote it in a holiday card to Rebecca who sent me a long letter and a hand made card. My plan is to send cards to people who sent to me, and a few others, unless I run out of motivation after New Years. We sat on the couch to watch Cyrano de Bergerac, in the original French, with English subtitles worked into rhyme. So it rhymed in French and it rhymed in English, but they were not necessarily the same. Since it was almost 11, we went to bed.
* This was the Christmas bread *

Honey test

I slept in late, even though Chris got up. When I got up, we called Michele. But at the same time, Kurt skyped me, so I did not get to talk to her. After his call, we got dressed and went for a walk up the mountain. We walked up the steepest part. I stopped at the exercise station halfway up to try out the machines. On the way down and around, we went by the Fleet and Family Towncenter. Chris returned the movie Tangled, and we got groceries from the commissary. We carried them back to our quarters. Istarted making breakfast, and Kurt skyped again, but not for as long. After reading about uses for honey and coconut oil, I read about tests for pure honey, since there are fake or adulterated honeys on the market. I had two jars, one an expensive five-day market honey and the other from the commissary. First I tried the dissolve in water test: the Korean honey appeared to dissolve some but it was just lighter in color. Then the drop on thumbnail test: commissary honey spread a little more. Then the burn on cottonball test: neither honey burned, but the cottonballs sure did. The only thing left was the part with honey on it. Next the shake test: neither shook enough to make bubbles. Finally the blot test. I did not have blotting paper so I put a drop of each on a paper towel. Both held their shape. I decided they were both real. I got out all my empty capsules and filled most of them with tumeric. The rest got filled with ALC. Then I noticed that the blots had spread a little, and tiny bubbles arose in the Korean honey. I cleaned up all yellow everywhere, hoping it would eventually come off the counter tops. I drank the ginger tea made by slicing ginger into the coffee pot and letting it steep. Then I got hung on up Pinterest. It annoyed me that it was so hard to stop. Finally I forced myself away. I put up a burgundy swag on one window by tying it to the hooks and using double-sided tape in the center. It looked great but I decided to wait until tomorrow to do the other one in case this one falls down. Then I got out the wrought iron stickers. I cut them out and arranged them on the floor. I wanted reverse images so both sides could be the same, but I had two sets of stickers exactly alike, and none of them reversed. I put up wrought iron stickers over the mantel as best I could. They turned out to be cheap and sticky and flimsy. I would not buy them again. I deleted more e-mail, and then watched a movie with Chris. It was a James Bond movie called Casino Royale. Then he went to bed while I stayed up to post to my blog.

Merry Christmas from Korea

We slept in a little past the alarm, then got up to check e-mail. I drank water and swished. I started today's Sudoku puzzle and folded yesterday's puzzle into a petal. My computer ran very slowly – until I closed a couple of windows on bread recipes. I sent Christmas messages to two quilt groups and the church. I watched the last scene of the Jackie Lawson advent calendar. I got dressed and invited Chris to take a walk with me. He got dressed and we walked up the back steps and up the road to the trail, and up. We stopped at the exercise station and I did some of the machines. We continued up from there, but when we got to the steep down part, we turned around. We were not sure it was dry (safe). When we got back to our quarters, I boiled water for the nuts and cranberries. Then I put on some Christmas music and we opened presents from Al and Cecily. I opened mine first and got pricked. It was a nice paring knife that in shipping had poked through the box. Chris got a package of white shirts. We went back to our laptops. I made and ate breakfast. Chris installed the shower filter in the master bathroom since the water pressure was low coming from the shower in the hall bath. We talked about the quilt show in Japan. I investigated online. Accommodations are scarce and expensive – unless you get a capsule room. Not sure I would like that. I spent time pulling things from boxes and finding a place for them. I moved a shelf in the hall closet so I could pile blankets and sheets under it. But I ended up moving the blankets to the bedroom closet. All the towels were finally together and the washcloths separated. I organized the items on the laundry shelving. I emptied a box of VHS onto the shelves in the living room. I combined things left in boxes so there were fewer boxes. I put up Command hooks in the living room to hang curtains. I hung the squished hexecontehedron from the light fixture in the dining room. I moved the ironing board into the sewing room but did not have room to set it up. Then we watched The Return of the Jedi (on VHS). We were checking e-mail when Kurt skyped us. I talked to him and to my dad. It was almost 11:30 when he hung up. Then I was really ready to go to bed.

Giving and decorating

I stayed in bed late, waiting for that initial surge of cortizol. But it did not come until after Chris had gone to work. I went directly to my sewing room and worked on the bag. I made a drawstring, then put in the casing for it. I put a strap across the back to hold it on to the cart frame. I also put a velcro piece to hold the bag up. But the only velcro I had was sticky on the back. So I sewed it by hand, not wanting that glue in my machine. The thread got sticky, the needle was sticky, my fingers were sticky. Ugh. But the job was done. Then I drank my quart of water and read e-mail. I exercised to an interview, and swallowed vit C. I scrubbed dead skin from my heels. I put the suction shelf back up in the bathroom. I made and ate breakfast. I heard about hacks for SAD, and forest bathing. But really what they recommend is enveloping yourself in the environment you grew up in (or your ancestors grew up in). I called Nela to see if she wanted to go for a walk, but she said her husband was coming home and they were going out. So I asked if I could come over to drop off a present. I wrapped some chocolate and seed cracker and a tissue cover in a cellophane bag. On the way over, a lady walked part of the way with me and we chatted. Then Chris walked up just as I was veering off for Nela's house. I greeted him then went and dropped off the bag. On the way back, I ran into Commander Weatherford. I hadn't worn a coat and was ok, but we chatted so long that I got cold. Myra and Scott pulled up, with groceries. I told her I had something for her. I ran home and made up another package like I gave Nela. I visited with Myra and Scott for a while. She will be cooking for the whole security force tomorrow. I came back and Chris was on his computer. He and I played a Christmas CD and put up the tree. I felt like reporting him for suspicious behavior (who was he and what did he do with my husband?) I looked up cardamom bread recipes. When I found one, I put the ingredients in the bread machine. I took a shower with a cold rinse. I futzed around for awhile and we took a nap. When I got up, I took the risen dough and rolled it into three ropes. I braided them into a wreath and left it sitting on a cookie sheet to rise. Then I got dressed for church. I walked to the Fleet and Family Towncenter. I saw Kathy bringing her kids in. I gave her the last tissue holder and said her kids could come over any time to get cardboard. I sat with So Yung and her husband during the service. All we did was alternately sing carols and have readings. It took half an hour and few people showed up. After the service, I invited them to our house for Christmas bread. I called Chris to pre-heat the oven. When we got there, I put the bread in. While it baked, I showed them my sewing room and our Christmas tree. Then they had to leave to get their kids even though the bread was not quite done. Soon after they left, I took it out to cool. We watched part of The Empire Strikes Back, until Chris left for his service. While he was gone, I got changed for bed. I couldn't resist having a piece of warm bread. Then I unpacked boxes and clothing. I cut a strip of stiff plastic to put in the silverware stand so the items can't fall out. Chris came home, and we finished the movie. He put cocoa butter on my ear to stop the itching. Then I wrote to my blog and went to bed.

Making projects

I got up soon after the alarm went off. I was already awake because I heard Chris get up, but not his alarm. I read e-mail while drinking a quart of water. I asked Chris to open the bucket of coconut oil so I could use it to swish. I exercised. Looking out the window, I saw that our new neighbors had put out cardboard boxes for recycling. That reminded me to do the same. I filled our recycling containers and carried them out to the street. I brought in the food waste container that had been out since Saturday. Why the pick-up person doesn't pick up on schedule is beyond me. In putting the recyclables out, my back glitched. So I laid down for awhile. I thought about the five-day market being today but decided that going in the rain (yes, it's raining again) was just not worth it. Especially since I have been flirting with a headache ever since going out yesterday without a coat. I am training my body to thermoregulate. I put hydrogen peroxide in my ears to ward off any cold that might be coming. But there was no crackling sound so I figured I'm ok. I thought about going for a light walk, but every path or road goes uphill or downhill. I went into my sewing room to make some tissue covers. I chose a blue snowflake fabric and added some white lace. I made three. Then I went to the kitchen and shaved a quarter cup from a block of cacao butter. I did not have a double boiler, so I put it in one of the black Korean bowls and put it in the toaster oven. I shaved off more cacao butter for later. I got out the vanilla and honey and cacao powder. Shortly the butter was melted and I combined all ingredients. But the vanilla came out too quickly, so I doubled everything else. Then I poured it into an alphabet mold – the only mold I have – and put it in the fridge. Nela called to say they were going to the five-day market. The rain had stopped but I did not feel like going. Chris came home for lunch. I asked him to open the coconut oil bucket for me. He brought me mail, including a box from Swansons and a package from Old Navy. I opened the Swanson's box and put the items away, including the vitamin E which I was totally out of. Then I opened the Old Navy order, excited to see my new tee's. But even in the package, the necklines looked stretched out. I opened them and tried them on. The sizes were all over the place. The material was see-through with no body and the cut was boxy. They were not worth returning and I ordered them for cutting up like I had seen on Pinterest. I left an appropriate review on their site. I sat down with a piece of paper to draw up plans and measurements to make a bag to fit the cart I bought. Lots of the carts for sale have a covered, waterproof bag attached. So I cut out a cardboard bottom. I cut out two big pieces of fabric, one for outer and one for the lining. I cut two pieces for the flap and its lining. I sewing the big pieces into tubes. Then I had to determine where the corners of the bag would be to make the seam end up there. That took two tries. I sewed the flaps on, and then pinned the lining and bag right sides together. But there was no way to get the cardboard bottom in between the layers. Not without a really big opening. I decided to make the bottom stronger by adding another layer of cardboard. I stuck the two layers together with double-sided tape. Then Chris announced that the soup was hot. So I left it. I crunched up some seaweed and stirred it into the cabbage soup. That was very good. After supper I read all the Christmas cards we got today. Then I went back to the bag. I stitched around the pieces and turned the bag right side out. Then I top-stitched the hole shut. I made another opening for the drawstring. I needed another line of stitching for the casing, but the placement depending on what the drawstring would be made of. Chris was ready to watch TV, so we sat down and viewed Star Trek Generations. We checked e-mail one last time and went to bed.

An interesting day

I did not get up until 8. Instead of just deleting a bunch of e-mail, I went through most of it and unsubscribed. But I ran out of time, so will have to do it again in a few days. I read some, and put on a short video while I exercised. I plugged in my phone to recharge. I made up supplement doses for the week, and reorganized their storage.
Nela called at 10 to say they wanted to go to Home Plus at 10:30. I got dressed and walked towards Myra's place, then went back to get her ruler that I borrowed. When Nela arrived, we walked down to the bus station. It took so long for bus 305 to arrive that we took bus 317 instead. Jane had said that it stops at the other end of the five-day market. We did not know exactly where that was, but we rode the bus and got off in the vicinity. We had to walk to the next bus stop and then we were on the market street. It looked very different. Some shops were there all the time, but others were closed and there were no street stands. I found sesame seeds at one place. We went into Home Plus. Myra went to the 3rd floor to buy gloves. But we poked around looking at other things. We found a display of Christmas cards, but they were more expensive than Daiso. Then we went to the 1st floor to look at clothing. I had no interest but hung around with them. Then we talked about having lunch. There was no kimbap. We then took the bus to the everyday market. There was a place across the street where we got kimbap before. Nela asked for soup. They said 'no soup, hot water with noodles.' So she had that. Then we went to the market. I was looking for persimmons but it must be the end of the season because they were very expensive. 6 for $5. I was thinking I should have gotten them at the nearby market yesterday. We stopped at Daiso and I went out to look some more. I got some lettuce. Then, at the back of the market, this little old lady had a basket full of persimmons for $3. They looked terrible, but I could not resist a bargain. Then we went to a little everything store. I got tired of all the looking so I said goodbye to my friends and walked back to base. It was a longer walk than I wanted. And the bag of persimmons was heavy. When I got home, I ate the two worst looking ones and they were quite tasty. So I put the rest in the freezer. I washed the pumpkin and sunflower seeds and some cashews. Then I added the chia seeds and sesame seeds. I mixed in three eggs and some spices. I preheated the oven and poured the mixture onto a parchement paper covered jelly roll pan. Then I worked on breakfast until the oven was ready. I popped the tray in the oven and finished making breakfast. I read e-mail until the cracker was ready to come out. But I left it in the oven to get crispier. I read on Facebook that our next door neighbor needed to borrow a microwave until they could replace theirs. So I called her and said she could have our loaner since we just got our regular one. She sent her husband over to pick it up. I jotted some notes for my blog. Chris called from the commissary, then came home with groceries. I took the seed crackers out of the oven. It was very tasty. Too tasty. Chris said it would be good for a Christmas potluck. I did today's Sudoku puzzle and made yesterday's puzzle into a petal. I heated up a bowl of cabbage soup in the toaster oven. I wanted to make a tablet stand. I had a window open to it on my browser. With no printer, I had to enlarge the screen to what seemed right and then trace the pieces onto packing paper. I taped the paper pieces to cardboard and cut them out with a craft knife. The end result was decent, but I did not enjoy the cutting. I laid down on the couch and we watched Star Wars A new Hope. I continued laying on the couch while Chris read interesting Star Wars tidbits from his laptop. And then we went to bed.

We are not amused

I got up right after my alarm went off. Chris was already awake and having breakfast. I put some water on to boil. I swished, exercised and listened to an audio. I made some coffee. It was cold and rainy outside. While reading e-mail, I came across sciency videos. I watched a few and even sent some to my brother. I wanted to make bread for Chris and went looking for the bread maker. I found some boxes in the back room so I opened them. I found the mattress cover that we have been looking for. I also found my hexecontehedron thrown in. I was shocked because I had packed it in it's own box, the box I used to submit it to the quilt show. That box was in the second bedroom. I opened it and found thread holders. Why had the packers taken my artwork out and thrown it in a bigger box with other items and no protection? There was no fixing it. And I could not imagine how they could make it right. It is an irreplaceable item. I found the bread maker sitting in a corner. I set it up in the kitchen and was measuring out ingredients when Chris came home for lunch. I told him about the hexecontehedron. Then I finished preparing the ingredients for bread. The Christmas panel that I pasted above the fireplace came down. Chris pasted it back for me, and with more double-sided tape than I used. He helped me unpack a large box of clothes in the bedroom closet. I had found hangers in with the hexecontehedron and was able to hang the dresses. I decided to take a walk before eating breakfast. I got dressed, jotted a few notes for my blog, and went out. I walked up the steps out back. I walked up the mountain, and turned right onto the trail. I only walked to the first steep part, not wanting to fall again. Then I came back down the trail and down the mountain. I did not want to use the steps again because they are directly behind the other part of this duplex. So if I came down that way, I would be looking directly in their window. So I went down by the road, and back up the main road. When I got back, I made and ate breakfast. I listened to an audio. I called Nela to see what she and Myra were doing, but Myra was out and Nela was home. I went to the nearby Market to get persimmons, but the only box they had (of soft ones) was 12,000 won. So I bought small bananas and grape tomatoes. When I got back I wanted to try the seed cracker recipe. I went hunting through boxes looking for cookie sheets. First I found a pizza pan, and then I found a jelly roll pan. Close enough. I thought I was ready so I called up the recipe on my laptop. I measured out the pumpkin seeds. And then the sunflower seeds. But next came the sesame seeds. I searched all the cupboards in the kitchen. Twice. And then the dining room and the living room. I knew we had bought them from the same merchant that sells sesame oil. Thinking they were still in a black bag, I went through all the bags in the house, which turned out to be empty and I put them in recycling. I went through the bags in the sewing room in case I had mistaken it for a bag of lace or something. Nope. Nowhere. I wondered if they had somehow gone home with Jane. I e-mailed Chris. Then I laid down on the couch, feeling defeated. Chris came home and put the trash can back in it's place. He made himself supper. He did not know where the sesame seeds were. We read e-mail. I tried to rearrange things, and organize. Everything I do seems like only a drop in the bucket towards an organized living space. I hope those drops add up soon. I asked Chris to move the black chests to the spot under the tv stand. The whole effect was rather good. The DVD player had to go inside the stand to be at the right heightChris wanted to watch Tron 2 Legacy. I did not care to, but ended up watching it too since it was on. Then he went to bed and I stayed up to post to my blog.

Sunday

Chris got up to get ready for church. I stayed in bed longer, and then got my morning started. He left for church at almost 9. I exercised and ate breakfast and took a shower ending with a cold rinse. It seems to help inure me to cold weather. I put on black panty hose and a full-skirted dress. I went through several accessory changes until I was satisfied with the effect. I assembled a blue 5-petaled flower for Jane. Then I walked to church. I met Chris walking back. Church had already started when I got there, but I was in time to sing the opening hymns. I sat with Jane and gave her the blue flower. After the passing of the peace, I used my solid hand lotion bar and offered it to Jane. She said to order her one next time I place an order. Since I don't have the lady's e-mail address or street address, I don't know how to order more. After the service, Jane left early to hear the preacher at the Korean church. I talked to Kathy and her kids love cardboard. SoYung told us that her friend has a 12 year old daughter and wants to put her with an American family for cultural experience here on base during the school holiday. The friend is willing to pay. Kathy told her that it would be illegal for the child to stay on post for an extended time and for anyone to accept pay. But on a daytime only basis it would be ok. I thought about it for the rest of the day, wanting to help but not seeing quite how it could work. Chris showed up at church and we walked to the Korean church, a little early for lunch. When the service let out, Jane met us and we went into the fellowship hall. I was able to sit on the floor wearing the dress. I was complimented on my good looks. We had bowls of rice and a black bean soup with rice balls. I don't know what was in the rice balls, but I did not like the texture of them. Very chewy/slimy. I gave my rice balls to Chris. After lunch, we walked back to base. Chris went to the commissary and I walked home. I changed my clothes and Chris walked in with groceries. I laid down to rest my back. When I got up, Chris was watching a Japanese movie. I sat and watched with him. When the first disc was over, Chris took a nap. I wiped out the black Korean chests. The loose shelves inside were chipped because the packers did not wrap them. I wrapped them in paper and put them at the bottom. I placed all my quilts inside. I unpacked DVD's and a few other things from another box. I smoothed and folded packing paper to be sure nothing was inside. Chris got up to help me get to a few other boxes. We found a computer keyboard and my salad spinner. No cookie sheets. I used double-sided tape to hang a Christmas panel above the fireplace. I hung my two Christmas tablerunners from the mantel. Chris made his supper and I made mine. We sat at our laptops. I looked at cardboard Pins and deleted e-mail. I listened to an Ayurvedic doctor talk about depression and anxiety. I glued some Sudoku petals together. I looked up bread recipes, trying to remember how I used to make bread for Chris. I made some white tea, and we watched the original Tron. Chris went to bed and I fell asleep on the couch.
* spice rack *

Making things from cardboard

We slept in way past the alarm. I used my heating pad for awhile before I got up. I did some organizing in my sewing room, finding new ways to hang things. Then Faye skyped me. I got to see her tree. I drank water and took the vitamin packets. Then I made breakfast and ate it while reading e-mail and listening to audios. Chris put together a cabbage soup while I worked today's Sudoku puzzle. I also folded and glued earlier puzzle pages into petals. We moved some furniture around to make a space for the TV stand to hold the DVD player. We also found space for the little bookcases that hold DVD's. Then I got dressed and we walked around the base, and met some Seabees. We stopped at the Fleet and Family towncenter to rent a DVD and see where Duffy's is moving to. Most of the DVD's were for kids. We rented Tangled because I had heard of it but never seen it. I researched more cardboard ideas, including toilet paper tubes and egg cartons. Chris moved a bookcase in the back room and I assembled a shelving unit in its place. I used the cutting table and the flaps of a cardboard box to build a spice rack. I ate two bowls of the soup Chris made. I put a bulb in the floor lamp in the sewing room. I set up my machine and made sure it worked. I found a few more ideas online. Pinterest had better ideas than Youtube. I sent them to myself in an e-mail. We ate dried sweet potato gummies, dipped in cinnamon. Mmmm. They were so good I had to have Chris take the bag away from me. I made some green tea. I drank it as we watched the movie Tangled. It was a good movie but it left me with one question: did she ever get a decent hair cut? We checked our e-mail again and went to bed.

Unpacking and sorting

I heard the alarm but did not get up. My back was still hurting. Chris came back to take a shower and get dressed. Then I got up. I drank 2 cups of water (because 4 were too heavy) and read e-mail. I saw a browser window open to a video on making storage out of cardboard. I unpacked desk items items and sorted them into drawers. All items should have been in bags but some were loose, so I went through all the paper to make sure I found everything. I also went through a lot of paper that came from the sewing room to make sure no small items had escaped. I called Nela to say I would not be able to volunteer at the school today – she had asked yesterday and I had said yes, for an hour, but I had to 'back' out. I stood outside in my nightgown and bare feet for 2 minutes to harden to the cold. I moved items from one room to another, wondering why kitchen items were in boxes with sewing stuff. I found an empty plastic bag that I think held my mother-in-laws pressing ham. Where's the ham? That's my real beef. A lady knocked on the door, looking for the new family. I directed her next door. One box held a coffee maker, plungers, shoulder pads, fabrics bags from my sewing room, a large bag of diatomaceous earth, etc. It was marked trashcan, linens. These things were not 'packed' in the box, they were tossed in haphazardly. I did not find a trashcan in there. I did find some Christmas CD's in a trashcan that was unpacked yesterday. I played one and laid down on the couch. When I got up, I checked e-mail, then opened a box and found quilts. I opened the black chest to put the quilts in, but it smelled strongly of … urine? Ugh. I pulled loaner items from the dishwasher. I listened to an audio while preparing breakfast. The audio went into a hypnosis session so I paused it thinking Chris was coming home for lunch soon. But he did not come home until almost one. After he ate lunch, I laid down and he rubbed arnica on my back and plugged in the heating pad for me. I stayed in bed and almost fell asleep. Then I turned off the pad and came back to the kitchen to eat a pomegranate. I worked in the sewing room, unpacking the last box and distributing the items amongst the rooms. I worked in the kitchen, too, trying to make sense of where things should be. I made peg board from a dishpack box, and secured it to the side of the shelving unit next to my sewing desk. I loaded the shelving unit that the TV sits on with DVD's and video tapes until it was full. I did not know what to do with the remaining ones.
I called Chris at 5 and asked him to bring home some light bulbs. The light in the sewing room was awfully dim after dusk. I looked at maqui powder on Swansons and Amazon, trying to find the best price. Chris came home and made his supper. I made a salad. I looked at videos on making things from cardboard and twisted paper strips. Amazing things, and I have the paper and cardboard to do it! Then we sat on the couch to watch the last episode of Sharpe, or at least, the last one we have. We watched as the English defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. After that, it was time for bed.
* This is a picture from moving day. How blessedly empty the place looked then. *

We had snow!

Last night I put the new shower filter in water to soak. When I got up this morning, I realized that I had not made it submerge so I added water and soaked it some more. I wanted Chris to install it but he was dressed by then. He bundled up for work because there was snow on the ground. My computer had rebooted during the night so I had to sign in again. I read e-mail while I drank and swished, looking at the incredible mess of boxes and paper. It occurred to me in the middle of the night that our stuff might have been repacked (and maybe sorted through). I searched my blog for the entry but could find no clues to whether they put the initialed stickers on the crate before it left. I remember signing the stickers, but they did not put them on right away. Chris said the stickers were on when he saw the crates yesterday.
I laid down after assembling short bookcases in the sewing room and putting smaller stuff on them. I got up when I heard my phone ring. Nela was calling for a phone number. I had to hang up to obtain the number from my phone. After I gave it to her, I made and ate breakfast. Chris came home for lunch. I asked him to lift a box and he did. He also screwed in the shower filter. But we could not get more than a trickle of water from it. I ate a pomegranate. Then he went back to work. I did more unpacking, hung a curtain to protect the fabric from light. I read e-mail. Nela called to say we were meeting at Myra's house. I got dressed up in my red coat and walked to Myra's place. Along the way, I discovered my coat had no pockets. Nela came shortly after. We went to the front gate. I noticed that the waistband of the black hose I was wearing (instead of socks) was sliding down. We went to the everyday market. I bought a pair of socks, then went in the restroom to take off the hose that had slid to mid-thigh. Then we investigated what looked like a toy store, but in the back had all kinds of things. I bought hangers and a highlighter. We went to Daiso where I bought more tissue packs. We looked at the interesting different kinds of snacks. Then we walked back, stopping at the GS 25. Then we went to the corner grocery store. No tissues there. Nela got some ice creams for her son. Finally we were back on base. The ladies went to the commissary but I went to the ATM to restock and then home. I read e-mail and made a salad. Chris came home and made himself a burrito to eat while he read e-mail. About 6:15 I got up to get ready for caroling. I had been looking forward to it. But as I put on my shoes and coat and scarf and looked for my earmuffs, shoving gloves in my pockets, I realized my back hurt. I sat and did some tapping. I decided to walk down to the chapel and if I did not feel better, I could come right back. I never made it out the door. I laid on the couch, disappointed and frustrated. Chris did a Youtube search for Christmas carols, then came and sat with me. We sang songs together. It was very nice. Then we watched two episodes of Castle, the second one marked 'To be continued”. Arrrrgh! I got up and posted to my blog. Chris waited up for me.

Christmas came early

I got up soon after the alarm. I heard noises but it turned out to be Chris who had gotten up earlier.
I exercised a little, but took it easy because my back hurt. Chris got the call to sign in the moving trucks at the main gate. I made breakfast. The guys with two trucks showed up. Like a kid at Christmas, I wondered why it took so long for them to deliver my 'presents'. Some men brought boxes to the house, while others worked inside, moving the boxes after Chris checked off the numbers. Then they opened the boxes and unpacked some of them. They unpacked the box with my rulers and took all the paper, even the packing paper I had packed for craft usage. They bundled up the packing paper and brown wrapping paper and broke down the empty boxes. They even took the boxes I had saved from the express shipment. I took a quick trip next door to drop off the tissue cases. Myra and Nela were arriving as I left. I had a little trouble with the steps. There were more boxes and Chris checked off numbers although some things did not have numbers. I guess it all worked out. I sat and watched, and answered Chris' questions about where things should be put. After they left, we unpacked boxes in the kitchen. Some of them had gardening tools in with the kitchenware. Yuck. We did not find places for everything. Chris took some stuff out to the shed. Then we turned to the master bedroom. The bed was covered in clothing and pillows and stuff. I put the summer clothes in another room. I piled coats in the closet, hoping to find hangers at some point. Chris layered a baking dish with bacon and put it in the oven. The smell wafted all over the house. When the bed was cleared, we went to the living room. We unpacked boxes of stuff from the computer desk: printer, tower, speaker, monitor, cam, wires, and some more kitchen stuff. Chris took the bacon from the oven. He suggested frying the mushrooms in the bacon grease. I got them from the back room which we hadn't heated. Apparently it was still too warm for the mushrooms. The older ones were moldy. I washed the newer ones and Chris cut them up and fried them. They were delicious. I read some e-mail and learned about the ancient scale based on phi. But the author wanted to sell an e-book with the exact tonal frequencies. I figured I could find them online somewhere, but searched high and low. I took a break to set up my sewing room. I decided that I needed to move the sewing desk to accommodate a shelving unit. But the nightstand was in the way and multiple boxes prevented me from moving it. Chris offered to help, but suggested I eat the salad he prepared first. So I ate that, and searched some more, apparently not finding the right search terms. I couldn't believe that guy was the only person to discover an ancient 10 tone scale. Then we went back to the bedroom to rearrange the boxes, set up a shelving unit, and unpack fabric onto it. He went back to his laptop while I continued to unpack. I was surprised how many boxes did not contain fabric or contained very little fabric. One box had a cooler in it. The cooler was full of fabric scraps. I did not remember doing that and wondered who had. I called Chris back several times to lift boxes or machines. Then we broke for the night and sat on the couch to watch episodes of Castle. I posted to my blog, ready to go to bed. But my laptop would not download pics from my camera, so Chris downloaded them to his, then e-mailed them to me, but they were zipped and I couldn't find them in my files...but he took over and got them in the right place so I could post them for you to see.
* Don't these teacher gift baskets look great? *

Successful shopping

I slept in late, not sure why. I got up when Chris left, about 8:15. I drank, exercised, swished, etc. Then I got dressed and went walking up the mountain using the steps and then the road. I was going to walk down using the path, but as careful as I was, I slipped and landed hard. For a moment I thought my wrist was broken but the pain diminished quickly. I scooted back up on my bum, then walked back the way I had come. It was a good think I did not need help, because Chris was at the Change of Command ceremony. I checked e-mail and did some tapping. I made and ate breakfast. I looked around and saw the mess this place was in and wondered if it was worth organizing when our household goods will be arriving tomorrow; so it will all have to be re-organized. When Chris did not come home for lunch, I called Nela to see what the ladies were doing. She said they were going to meet at the commissary, so I bundled up and walked down there. I found Myra in aisle 4. Nela came along shortly. When they were in the check out line, I ducked into the PX to see if they had thin Christmas ribbon. They had wrapping paper, but that was it. Not even bows. I got back to the commissary in time to help Myra put her groceries in her car. Then Nela put hers in. We drove to Nela's place and helped carry her food to her door. Then we went to Myra's place. I helped her carry her stuff down the steps to the apartment building and then up the steps to her apartment door. She put the groceries away and I started sewing on the potholders that we were working on last night. When Nela came over, we walked to Housing. I gave them So Yung's information on her apartment. Myra showed me the room upstairs that she said was great for sewing. Then we walked into town. At one store I bought some decorative stickers for above the fireplace and a glue stick. We looked in several other stores. I even got some fabric at the fabric booth. When we got to Daiso, we found Korean Christmas cards. There wasn't a great selection, but it was enough. I also found something to take the place of ribbon, a box made of bag-handle material, potpourri, and pocket TISSUES. Myra spotted them even though the clerk told me they did not have them. We walked back to the base, or at least the grocery store near it. Nela and Myra got a box of tomatoes to share. I bought some pomegranates (after reading about the health benefits). Then I heard someone calling my name. It was Jane and she was so glad to see me. She had come early and needed to while away over an hour till we were supposed to meet for the concert. So I signed her on post and we walked to my place. We had snacks and tea. I showed her how to fold the paper flowers, using blue paper. Chris came home. I put on nicer pants. I cut fabric rectangles to make tissue covers. I discovered that there were only 6 in the package. Chris wasn't hungry because of the reception after the change of command ceremony. Jane called her taxi friend to take us to the concert. We bundled up and walked out. I had trouble walking down the steps because my back started aching. It was a bad sign. Still, I went down to the front gate to sign Jane out. Then she and Chris went in the taxi to the concert and I walked back. I sat on a bench to rest and them slowly made my way up the hill. When I got in, I rubbed some arnica on my back, and some lavender oil on my head. Then I laid on the couch with all the pillows under my knees. I nearly fell asleep. Then I rolled over on my side for a while. When I was feeling better, I got up to have supper. I pinned the rectangles together. I struggled to sew them with the machine. Then I pressed them and turned them right side out and put the tissues in. Then I filled the fabric-wrapped tube from yesterday with potpourri and tied it shut with red cord. I took a break to read e-mail. I opened the mail. There was a card from Chris' parents and one from the Admiral and his wife. I washed all the dishes. I put away all the fabric lying around, and the trim and lace and such. I put the iron and ironing board with the other loaner items. When Chris wasn't home by 10:30, I was particularly glad that I did not go. I folded a few more blue squares. I got out the Christmas cards, but was pretty tired by then, so I posted to my blog. Chris came home, and I went to bed.
* This is the box made of webbing. I think I can dismantle it and use the webbing for bag handles *

Making potholders

I got up when my alarm went off because I was already awake and Chris was up. I put on an audio from the cancer summit, and did my exercised, boiled coffee, etc. Faye skyped me. She showed me her 'new' coat from the thrift shop. Chris left for work. I finished my detox. One of the interviews talked about how sunscreen is killing the coral. Another mentioned 'screen dermatitis', a condition some people got from sitting in front of a computer screen too long, exposing them to radiation. I saw a spider in the tub and made a mental note to mention it to Chris. After hearing Wim Hof talk about the benefits of cold exposure, I decided to stand outside in my barefeet for 5 minutes. It was 50 degrees and raining. I got bored after 2 minutes and came in. Chris came home from work while I was out there. He evicted the spider for me. He had boxes from the post office. One was a wrapped gift from Cecily. Another was from Hancocks, which was fabric and was also from Cecily. The third was from Swansons and contained supplements and jojoba oil. I put some of the jojoba oil on my ear. I finished today's Sudoku puzzle. I tried making another pot of tea from the buds at the five-day market. I read more e-mail. I did a few chores. I contemplated going into the market, but it was a rainy day. Eventually I called Myra. She and Nela were making Christmas potholders for the teachers. So I grabbed some fabric and went over to her house. I helped sew a folded star potholder. She and Nela had decided to make easier ones after that. Nela left to cook supper. Myra and I talked a little longer and then I went home. I had some chicken for supper and a persimmon. Then Chris came home. We each made a salad. Myra had lent me a new bobbin case to try in my machine. When I took out my bobbin case, I realized that what I needed was a new shuttle. So I ordered one on Amazon. I read about maqui berries having a huge ORAC score so I looked into buying the powder. It's expensive! I cut a 10 inch square from a piece of Christmas fabric. Using needle and thread, I sewed lace to opposite ends. I wrapped it around a toilet paper tube and sewed down the side. Chris and I watched an episode of Sharpe's Rifles. Poor Sharpe. The author has killed off his first wife, had his second wife run off with all his money to the arms of another man, let his mother die of the pox, and now killed his newly discovered brother. And his reputation is totally discredited. I think authors should treat their protagonists better. I looked around for something to tie the lacy ends with. I found one gold twist tie, but not the other. I took a pic of it to post to my blog. And then it was time for bed.

At the market with Jane

We slept in after the alarm. Chris got up first. I did some stretching then got up, too. I drank lots of water, and took my vitamin C. Chris left for church as I was starting my exercises. I was achy and did not feel like exercising, but felt the range of motion parts would be helpful. I took a shower ending with a cold rinse. I got dressed and walked to church. Chris and Jane were talking just outside the door. I told her I needed to change after church so we could go to the five-day market. Chris went home, and Jane and I went to church. I got to talk to Kathy, giving her the message that Amy texted me this morning. The service followed the usual order. But instead of a sermon, the chaplain did a slide show on the chapel renovation's progress. After church, Jane and I walked to my place. She got an envelop and stamp from Chris to mail something. I changed my dress to slacks. Then we walked to the main gate. We were going to have lunch at the Korean church, but someone passed us and said there was no lunch today. So we went to the bus stop and caught a bus to the five-day market. It was right across from Home Plus. I wanted to check it for Christmas cards, but it wasn't open. It closes two Sundays a month so people will support the local market. We walked through the market with Jane explaining baskets of things to us. Apparently Koreans will make tea out of just about anything. We saw a woman gutting eels. Jane inquired about the price of a live octopus. It was $50! She bought food items here and there. I got some unsweetened cranberries, sesame oil and sesame seeds. She took us to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant for lunch. We shared 4 rolls of kimbap. It came with fish broth and kimchi. The kimchi was so good that we ordered another roll just so we could finish the little dish of kimchi. Then the owner gave me a small bag of kimchi to take home. On the way back out, we passed a man selling plants and bought a small pointsettia. Then we parted ways to catch different buses. When we got back to the base, it was uphill all the way home. I read e-mail and finished a video on cancer treatment and prevention. Chris laid down for a nap. I put laundry in the dryer. I read e-mail for awhile, then took the fabric out and left the rest to dry some more. I ironed the fabric dry, though it was mostly dry already. The video interview with Wim Hof that I had playing ended. I made up a new batch of supplements for the week. I investigated Wim Hof's breathing method online. His method combines hyperventilation with cold water immersion to beef up the immune system and bring on a feeling of wellbeing. Since Chris wasn't feeling well, I concentrated on videos on the immune system. One recommended oregano oil, so I put a few drops in a glass of water and drank it. I also put hydrogen peroxide in my ears. When Chris got up to have something to eat, I offered him some oil, too. He also wanted peppermint essential oil. I worked on making a bag like Jane's. Chris had measured it before I gave it back to her. I used the measurements to come up with a plan. I did not have a big ruler or cutting mat, so folded the fabric and cut on the fold. It worked better than I thought it would. But when it came time to sew, the machine gave me trouble. When I stepped on the pedal, it groaned and made stitches ending in a thread ball. I found I could sew one stitch at a time using the hand wheel and backing up each time it skipped a stitch. But that just wasn't feasible. I gave up after doing the first seam. I wrote to my blog and went to bed.
* These are mushrooms that Jane bought. *

Kind Koreans

I got a bit of a late start because I did not get up when the alarm went off. Because we intended to leave by 10, I scrunched my morning routine a little. Instead of my usual exercises, I walked up the 60+ steps behind our quarters. Three times. I also took a bit of a side trip but came back with seed pods stuck all over my legs. I pulled them out before I came in the house. Cecily and Alfred called. Mostly they talked to Chris. I guess they could not hear me. Then we washed up and got dressed for the party. On the way to the front gate, we stopped at the ATM for cash. Then we went to the CU to put more money on our bus cards. Walked towards the bus stop, we saw the bus pull away. We waited a bit for the next one, then hailed a passing taxi. He took us to the bus depot. There we got tickets to Busan and that bus left fairly soon. It took over an hour to get there because it made so many stops along the way. We got off at Hadan, and took the subway to Bumil. From there we walked to Busanjin Market. This was the place that the MWR bus had taken us to buy fabric weeks ago. With Chris following me, I attempted to walk down every aisle and get a good idea of what was there and where the important things were. The building was not rectangular so I was not as successful as I hoped. We investigated the second floor and then the first. And the basement, and then around the perimeter outside. In the process, I gained fabric and webbing for a bag, and ribbon for baby gifts. Then we walked back to the subway. We passed a woman selling eels on a rope; all woven together like garlic. Sadly I did not get a picture. We transferred from the orange line to the green line and rode to Dongbaek. From there we tried to find the Admiral's apartment. It was not near the station and we walked out of our way. My feel and ankles hurt from all the walking. If I had known, I would not have walked up the steps this morning. Anyway, we did find the party, an hour after it started, on the 37th floor. He and his wife had a spread on a table with quite a view. There were drinks in the kitchen and a video of a fireplace on TV. Chris introduced me to several people. The admiral's wife and I got on well. She pointed out from the window how to get to a closer subway station. I found a few things to eat that did not involve sugar. Then we made our farewells. We walked to the subway with no trouble finding the way. I walked slowly because I was exhausted (and hungry). Once we got on the train going west, my back had had enough. We were standing in a crowded car. I sank to my knees to rest my back. A Korean couple jumped up from their seats and insisted that we sit down. I was so embarrassed and yet grateful. We had a long ride, and then another transfer. We found the platform for the orange line, and there was a seat open on the bench. I sank into it and the older lady next to me moved over and indicated that Chris should sit with me. When the train came, it was even more crowded than the last. I wanted a taxi, but we got on the train. The older lady made someone give up their seat and pointed me to it. I was grateful to her, too. It was another long ride to Hadan. By the time we arrived, the train car was almost empty. We walked up to the top, and I sat while Chris bought bus tickets to Jhinhae. The line was really long, but that turned out to be for another bus. When the Jinhae bus arrived, fewer people got on, but still we had to sit separately. But along the way, two seats cleared out and we then sat together. The trip back was shorter for some reason. It was dark when we got off. We were headed to a bus stop when Chris spotted a taxi. We took it back to the base. Then we had to walk uphill to our quarters. I was crying with exhaustion and aches. But when we got in, Chris fixed me some supper. I felt better after eating chicken and kimchi. Then he made me a salad. After checking e-mail and listening to some Cancer Summit audios, we watched an episode of Sharpe's Rifles. Then Chris went to bed while I stayed up to recreate my day through my blog.
* This is the 40+ story building we were in *

Christmas Party

I woke up hearing Chris talking online during the 6am conference call. He came back afteward... then took a shower and went to work. I got up, drank a quart of water, listened to some cancer summit audios while swishing and exercising. I prepared part of breakfast. I called Myra and found out she was sick. She attributed it to the paint and carpet fumes of the duplex that she prepared yesterday for the family that moved in last night. She was worried about their little baby breathing the fumes. Then I called Chris and he said he would check to see if the father signed in this morning. I called Nela and she agreed to go walking. I did some tapping for Myra as I waited. Nela came over and then went next door to drop off some items for teacher gifts. I put on my shoes and went over there. Not many parents had donated items. Then we went walking up the mountain and around. Then we parted and I came back here. I finished making breakfast and ate it. Chris came by for lunch but did not stay long. I listened to another audio. Then I bundled up again. I walked out to the CU store to put money on my bus card. I looked for pocket packs of tissues but did not see anything obvious. Some packages might have been tissues or might have been feminine products. I stopped at the World Store, but had the same problem. So I went to the Px. I found some Christmas cards but they were American ones. No tissues or pocket-sized hand sanitizer. As I was walking up the steps to the commissary, I met the chief medical officer of the Farragut (?). He seemed surprised to see me since he had just seen me come through the front gate. Then I went to the commissary but still did not find the pocket-sized items. The clerk suggested Office Depot, but I did not feel like walking that far on a cold rainy afternoon. I stopped by Housing. There is a list for apartments for rent, but they the name, number and address. I made a mental note to get that info from So Yong on Sunday. When I got home, I jotted notes for my blog. I took a shower, then sprayed myself with the probiotic body spray. I made and ate a large salad. I read e-mail. Nela called to offer us a ride. Chris came home and changed his clothes, I got dressed, several ways, deciding what to wear. I called Nela to tell her we accepted her offer. When they pulled up, we threw on our coats and went out to meet them. We went to Turtle Cove. We were shown our table. Then I followed Chris into the bar area. He introduced me to two young men. Then he went to get a beer while I tried to make conversation. Then Chris handed me his beer and left to get
hors d'oeuvres. I could not think of anything else to say, so I excused myself and followed Chris. We met the couple who were to be seated at our table, and had a nice conversation. Then Chris said we should go sit. So we went into the dining room. But we just sat. Nothing happened. Eventually our seatmates came. They were from Busan and we had a good time talking to them. Dinner was announced. We chatted until it was our table's turn to enter the buffet line. I skipped the pasta, but had the salmon, the chicken, the beef and the peppers. It used to be peppers and broccoli, but the broccoli was gone. And a salad that was 90% lettuce. As we ate, Chris regaled them with stories. I even heard a few new ones. (After 25 years of marriage, that is unusual.) I watched the room empty and the staff pack up the chairs. Finally our tablemates left. Then Chris went over to the Chaplain's table. Three couples sat there. We joined them. I saw the Christmas tree get dragged away. But the group did not break up until the staff turned off the heat and the ladies got cold. I went to the bathroom while Chris went to pay his tab. When I came back, he had joined another table in the bar. He introduced me and the stories started all over. One of the ladies was the director of CYP, the place that was babysitting all the kids. It closed at 10:30, so we walked out. Chris grabbed a green cupcake on the way out, getting green all over his lips, teeth and tongue. I told him I hoped he did not run into anyone important looking like that. He said he was the senior person so it didn't matter. I said if you're so important, how about getting us a ride back? We walked all the way back to our quarters. Then we checked e-mail. I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* The fallen leaves outside our quarters are so pretty *

Rainy day

I ignored the alarm and slept in. I remember Chris kissing me before he left for work. But when I got up, it was 9am. I swished with both herbal tooth powder and then coconut oil. And I drank a quart of water. I read e-mail and listened to some cancer-themed audios. I did my exercises. I got dressed and walked up to the trail the back way. It was raining so I did not want to walk on the steep parts of the trail. I walked south until the way became slippery and then I walked north. The rain picked up so I walked home. I made breakfast. I had just finished when Chris came home for lunch. I read e-mail. I tried to listen to the audio on cancer prevention, but for some reason it would not play, not in either browser. I cut the corners off of my fabric and threw it in the wash. I read other e-mail and then came back to the video. The first few minutes would play and then it would stop. So aggravating. I finished the green star ball. I did today's Sudoku puzzle. I took the fabric from the dryer and started ironing it. I tried the audio again and this time it played. I took a break to make and eat a salad. I continued ironing. At 5 I washed the dishes so Chris would have some for supper. I was ironing when he got home, but I finished soon after. He made himself the usual burrito and a cabbage salad. I cleared out some e-mail. I cut a piece of tinfoil into tinsel with my scissors to sharpen them. We watched an episode of Sharpe's Rifles. Chris went to bed early in order to get up for a 6am call. I stayed up to post to my blog.

Back to Daegu

The first alarm went off at 7:15. Chris got out of bed to have breakfast. I stayed in bed to wake up and mentally program myself for the day. When the 7:30 alarm went off, I got up to drink some water and have breakfast. Jane called to ask me to meet her a little early. So I rushed a bit to get ready and I forgot my market list. I rushed to the front gate but did not see her. So I called, and she said to meet her at the bus stop nearby. When I got there, the bus pulled up and she leaned off of it to tell me to get on. The timing was perfect. We rode the bus 'till it went around a traffic circle and then got off at the stop. We walked to the bus station. We waited for So Yong and then bought three tickets to Daegu. When the bus arrived, we boarded and, in an hour and 45 minutes, we were in Daegu. We took the escalator up to the gates to the monorail. We used our bus passes to get through. The attendant said I could not add money to my bus card there. Then we went up even higher and boarded the train for Seomun market. Neither Jane nor So Yong had been to the market before. We walked through, looking at all the goods and foods. I spotted a lace shop and went in. The ladies came too, but then decided to order pumpkin soup and red bean soup from a vendor while I shopped. It was a beautiful place. I got some flat lace and a lace insert for a neckline. So Yong bought something too, after they ate. Then we wandered around and finally found the building with fabric. I had a strip of the Carle dots, looking for a green and a yellow to match. We ran into the man selling for $2/yard, and bought some green. I got a few other pieces too, including a waterproof one for making a bag. We found a few others, but they did not have a yellow to match. I bought a yard of fleece/minki. Then we went to the fourth floor. We found a booth where the lady had just started a sale on flat folds - $1.50/yard. I got a few more selects. She had a yellow to match but somehow I suspected it wasn't bright enough. For the price, however, I settled. Then we went to the basement for lunch. We sat at the same place as last week and the waiter remembered me. We shared a kimbap and another dumpling dish. Then the ladies wandered around, looking at clothes. I had no interest, but tried to keep up when they were moving, and keep out of the way when they were shopping. The aisles were crowded and it was hard to get through. Jane bought a coat after much haggling and leaving and coming back. We rode the monorail back to the bus station. We bought tickets for the 4:40 bus, but it did not show up until 5. Then, it ran into so much traffic, that the ride home took over 2 hours. The bus was hot and I had to take off my coat and shoes. But So Yong was delightful to talk to. She promised to show us how to make eel soup. And lots of other stuff that I can't remember now. It was dark when we got to Jinhae. As Jane used the restroom, So Yong and I shared a baggie of cashews I found in my bag. God bless her, she had carried a bag for me all through the market. Jane led us to a bus stop where each of us could catch a bus. So Yong got hers first. Then Jane and I sat. I called Chris to ask him to meet me at the front gate. When the bus arrived, we both got on. But Jane did not get off when I did. As I walked toward the base, Chris was walking out. He carried my bags (all stuffed into a large bag that Jane had brought) up to our quarters. I was thirsty and drank a tub of water, then had some chicken and some acorn aspic for supper. I read some e-mail and listened to an audio on cancer prevention. Chris told me our household goods would be delivered next week. Then we watched another episode of Sharpe's Rifles. I laid out all the fabric and lace I bought today. Chris went to bed and I had a lot of writing to do to catch up on my blog.
* The lace shop *

Market Day

I heard my alarm go off at 7:30 but did not feel like getting out of my warm bed. Chris was already up. When he came back to get showered, I got up and dressed. He left and I prepared to exercise. I got on my laptop to find the latest Philosopher's Notes video which is usually just the right length. But when I found it, it sounded like a repeat. So I went looking for another one. I got caught up in reading e-mail and before I knew it, they were here. I saw their reflection in the french doors. So I opened the front door. Maybe they were surprised since they hadn't rung the bell yet. The Korean men from housing came in and got to work replacing some parts, just like they did for Myra yesterday. I cleaned in the kitchen. Then I sat to sew the hole in Chris' sock. He had given me a shirt that wore out at the collar and I was going to use it to patch his laundry bag. But I have already patched it several times and thought it might be better just to make another bag. Or line it. I jotted notes for my blog, waiting for them to finish. I did today's Sudoku puzzle and would have been finished before they were, but I made a mistake and had to work it over again. I looked for something to play while I exercised and got caught up again reading e-mail. MaryAnn skyped me and we talked for an hour I think. She said the command channel advertises the events that MWR puts on. So after she hung up, I turned on the TV, thinking I could listen to that while I exercised. But I was unable to find any channels. So much for that. I found an audio and played while I exercised, but it ended early. While I was looking for another one, MaryAnn skyped me back. But the call did not last long. So I finished my exercises and started making breakfast. I made two since I have to be ready early tomorrow. I had to refill some of the containers. Then I sat in front of my laptop to eat. By then it was noon. Chris came home for lunch while I was eating. After I finished eating, I put turmeric in a bowl and filled empty capsules with it. After Chris left, I rubbed iodine on my arms and took a shower. I used hot and cold water. I got dressed and grabbed my coat and sling purse. I wanted to bring my rolling cart to see how much trouble it would be on the bus, but I did not want to be rolling it into HomePlus. I walked toward the school to meet Nela, but Myra flagged me down. I waited for her and we walked together. We met Nela and Sue (who is Korean), and walked to the bus stop. We caught 305 and rode to Home Plus. Across from it was the five-day market. All I wanted was some fresh pressed sesame oil, which we found right off. But, as we made our way through the stands, with Sue to read the signs and question the sellers, I bought things I would not have known about otherwise. I bought Korean honey from the maker. I could taste the floral undertones. The seller gave me a dried lotus blossom to make tea with and some other dried buds. I bought a slab of acorn jelly, and a bag of dried sweet potato curls. They tasted like candy but I was assured that no sugar was involved. We all bought bowls of some wild weed that tasted like chickweed. I got some normal stuff too, like spinach, sprouts, cashews, and mushrooms. I was fully loaded by then and then someone offered us a taste of toasted seaweed. So I got some of that, too. We got on the bus back to post. At one point, a large group of schoolboys boarded the bus. I was afraid I would not be able to tell when we arrived at our stop, or to get over to the other side to disembark. But it worked out. Walking up the hill toward our quarters, Sue told me how to prepare acorns. She said she would show me how to make the jelly once the acorns were suitably soaked. Inside, I put away the foods that needed refrigeration. I ate some of the toasted buckwheat (did I mention that?). I tried mixing it in a small bowl with sesame oil, garlic, and salt. It was pretty good. Then I washed and cut up half of the mushrooms. I fried them in sesame oil and butter, and added some diced chicken. I ate that while reading e-mail. When Chris got home, he said it smelled really good. (He hates mushrooms) He made his own supper. I worked on the green star ball. That goes slowly because the glue has to dry in between adding pieces. Reading e-mail, we got an alert of suspicious activity on our credit card account. We had to call Bank of America and cancel the card. I felt like pouting because I had memorized the number which makes ordering online convenient. Then we watched another episode of Sharpe's Rifles. Chris went to bed and I stayed up long enough to post to my blog and set my alarm early for tomorrow.
* These are live slugs for sale. I did not buy any. *

She is an artist

I decided to have a short coffee morning. I exercised and drybrushed. I listened to two audios. I finished early. Swansons was running a special that ended Sunday night in the states, so I placed a quick order. I called Nela and she said they were on the trail. So I walked up the hill behind our place to meet them. We walked and swept all the way to Nela's house. Suzanne invited us all to a cookie swap at her house. I did not know what to say. Nela went home and I went to Myra's house. We decided to go to the gym to talk to the MWR guy. We were told to come back at 1. I went home for breakfast. Chris was just coming home for lunch. Then I walked toward the gym, but Myra met me on the way. Several men came in two trucks to do maintenance. We decided to get them to do her apartment first and then we'd have the afternoon free. She showed me two quilts she had just tied. But the work was taking a while. And Chris called to say someone would be coming by our place to put in an adapter so the shower head filter would fit. So I went home to wait. I played with fabric combinations for a baby quilt since a lady here is having twins. Myra thinks we could each make one with same fabric but different patterns. My doorbell rang. The man said he was here to check the toilet. He flushed it and said it was fine. I showed him how it was hard to flush on the water saver option. He indicated that he would replace it. I showed him the filter shower head and tried to explain that I needed a male to male adapter. He left, taking the shower head with him. I called Chris to say I wasn't sure he was bringing it back. I got on my computer to pull up a picture of what I wanted so he would know. I jotted some notes for my blog. The man did come back, and with the shower filter head and a toilet part. He replaced the flush button. Then another man showed up, one that spoke English. I showed them the picture of the adapter. When I mentioned buying a filter to fit the shower head, then they understood. He put the adapter on and looked at me quizzically because the shower head was now on a hand-held flexible tube. But that was all that was installed, so I nodded. They left. I called Myra and she said Nela was painting her nails. So I took my dot fabric over to Myra's house. Nela had done an amazing job. I took a pic of her nails. The three of us went to the gym to talk to Tony. We told him we were looking to reserve a room for sewing groups and for MWR to plan a trip to Japan for the quilt festival in January. Then we went back to Myra's place. We pulled fabrics out of Myra's collection to coordinate with the Carle dots. Nela had to leave to make supper. Myra and I kept talking, but then I left, too. I went back to our quarters. I ate the last piece of chicken, and read e-mail. I listened to an audio and worked on my green star ball. I wondered how it would be possible to get the last piece woven in. Chris came home and fixed himself a burrito. He made another dish of chicken. I ordered cocoa butter and and a shower filter from Amazon. Then we watched an episode of Sharpe's Rifles. Chris went to bed, and I stayed up to post to my blog.