Report Card

All work and no play makes Jack (or E.) a dull boy (girl).

Remember this? This was written by a very dull and worn out E. But amazingly enough, E. was decisive (yes, it happens sometimes) and left school to move across the country.

Did living in VA help E. learn how to play again? Mmm, I'd say so!

And I think she accomplished some of these things, too.

So, E., here you go: A+.

(But you still have to learn not to live just for A's.)

Country Roads...

...will take me home.

Hello road trip.

Good-bye, Virginia! Can you believe I lived here for a semester? Thanks for being so good to me. Thanks for all of the lovely Autumn colours, and for lots of snow on Christmas so we could go sledding. I will miss your greenery and fresh air. I will miss my housemate, H.! She is the best!

But don't worry. I still have to post about the snow. And I suppose I should also write myself some sort of report card/general conclusion to this semester-long adventure.

So I'll be back.

Please keep me and A. in your prayers this week. Road trips are long and tiring (in addition to fun and...well..fun, right?). Please pray for good weather, safety, healthy bodies, and general cheer and car-riding jollity.

VA Adventure log will be continued once I reach CA!

Cheers!

A Very Virginia Christmas: First Day of Christmas!

"Are you awake?"

Those were H.'s first words to me on Christmas morning. I, E., immediately answered by describing the past night's dream. It was either about a curry dinner at Biola or me finding out I was the Virgin Mary, except I wasn't pregnant with Jesus. ...Must have been something I ate.

Then H. and I remembered it was Christmas morning. ("Hurrah! Squeee! Snow? Flannel? YAY!") We woke up S., who also described his dream to us. (Killer bunnies? Linear Algebra Tests?)

Then there was much squealing, running down stairs, opening of stockings, more squealing, and unwrapping parcels. It was a very bird-y Christmas for me, and I now have two little owl friends, a ceramic blackbird for pies, and a string of birds and bells for my room. Hoot Hoot! 

We followed the bird-theme by feasting on cheesy-eggy strata for breakfast.

Followed by S.'s Apple Tart, which we pecked on all day.

And we put on all of our Christmas finery (new sweaters, ties, stockings, etc.) to parade around the empty (and freezing cold) campus.

 

Merry Christmas!

A Very Virginia Christmas: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

...And all through the house,

H., S., and E. were frying LOTS OF BACON.

(Only the scent of bacon wafted all through the house. Cooking was limited to the kitchen.) 

They did not attend Church on Christmas Eve for one very unfortunate reason: There was no room in the inn. Literally. The gatekeeper told the unhappy church-goers to reserve tickets for the next service. Tickets?? Harumph. H., S., and E. were too stubborn and cold to wait around for two hours, so instead they drove home and made fudge.

And thus began the culinary merrymaking!

 

H. made popcorn garlands.

(My apologies for the yellowness!)

S. made apple tart/provided entertainment/etc.etc.etc.

Yes. They listened to the 4 Seasons. It wouldn't be a party without Frankie Valli. 

Bacon fried, E. cried (because she was chopping onions), and everyone had a jolly time making the kitchen messy.

After cleaning for a good hour or so, the group read from the Bible, sang carols around the piano (in the style of Little Women), and turned off all the lights to scurry about and fill stockings (in the style of Betsy-Tacy). There may or may not have been much squealing and bumping. Of course, E. slept upstairs with H. since she needed to run down the stairs with everyone on Christmas morning. H. probably was glad that E. didn't have cold feet (for she wore boot socks), and E. was glad that H. had double the comforters.

It was a very merry Christmas Eve.

Just Call Me "Babs"

Wintery!

H. went away for the weekend.

Snow came in her place.

 

 

Bun Tracks?

Little Bear, Lettie and I attempted a group picture:

And then we had our version of Don Rags, during which Let and I discussed Peter Rabbit and plans for Apple Cake this weekend. 

Since man/E. was not meant to be alone, God provided Betsy-Tacy as a companion.

Eeek! I just realized that I have four books left to read, not three. Yipeeeeee!

Well, you know what I'm going to be doing.

Cheers!

Food Adventures: H&M Journey Onwards!

Hoorah! H. and I made it to Day 3 of our little eating experiment. We both had headaches over the weekend, which might be from sugar withdrawals or plain ol' allergies. However, yesterday I tried a new recipe for Chili-Citrus Chicken with Olives that cleared our sinuses, pronto. I'm sorry H. Three tablespoons of chili powder was more than our systems could handle. So much milk. I salvaged the meal by washing everything off and then mashing the potatoes with (more) milk. It worked, and we still have food for the rest of this week. I also cooked a pot of brown rice and lentils. It was a delicious accompaniment for the (washed off) chicken and olives with some feta cheese sprinkled on top.

Breakfast is my favourite meal these days. Eating sans ketchup is easier than I thought. Rather than mindlessly squeezing goopy red sauce onto my eggs, I try to consider what tastes I'm craving. Salt? Vinegar-y Tang? Sweetness? These flavours can be found non-ketchup foods, such as pan seared tomatoes with sea salt and Herbes de Provence. (My favourite!) Or even salsa works, too.

And eating French Toast without sugar or syrup gives me the chance to enjoy the texture and flavour of comforting eggy-bread. Not that toast ought to be bland, though. Cinnamon and nutmeg add flavour while applesauce, golden raisins, and Greek yogurt provide sweetness and creaminess. Maybe even some nuts for added crunch?

Of course, I won't kiss syrupy French Toast good bye. However, I am noticing that a decrease in processed sugars seems to (at least psychologically?) make my tummy feel better. And maybe, just maybe, those Ladies Magazines speak truth when they say cutting sugar might decrease cyclical discomfort (erm, PAIN. Really, really, really bad pain). It seems to be working for me, so I won't complain.

So here's to more (or hopefully no more) adventures with spices/chili powder, whole grains, new vegetables, and lots of apple sauce and frozen strawberries.

Cheers!

Food Adventures: Towards "Thoughtful Eating"

Today is the first day of "Thoughtful Eating" week. I must have eaten too many thoughts in my sleep since I dreamed that my mom put me in time out for eating chocolate pudding. Maybe I've been nannying lately. And maybe I was feeling just a little apprehensive about the whole "No Sugar and No White Flour" plan. (The word "No" continues to trouble me since I am probably still two years old at heart.) But after a good "reasoning conversation" with myself, I decided to go along with the project and make some breakfast.

Today's breakfast was whole wheat toast with strawberries and Greek yogurt sprinkled with chopped pistachios. Since the frozen strawberries were not very ripe, I diced and mixed them with a tablespoon of natural orange juice. Just the right amount of sweetness and tang. I didn't even need the honey. They paired well with the creamy yogurt, and the pistachios provided the perfect crunch. And whole wheat toast? Nutty and, well, very "dark" tasting. (Does that make any sense?) Dark from the toast complimented the lightness of the yogurt and the sharpness of the berries. Mmm. Is it silly to say that pistachios taste "like the woods"? I've never eaten "the woods", but if I ever do, I hope they taste like pistachios.

It was a very satisfying breakfast: colorful, not too heavy or too light tasting/feeling, a range of different textures, and even healthy by the textbook definition!

Maybe breakfast was even better because I woke up early in the morning and ate by the fireplace.

I'm just glad to know that tastes such as "sweet" or "rich" are not my enemies. Sugar and white flour aren't even my enemies. Instead, it's rather like I'm going on a culinary vacation and leaving familiar ingredients behind. Who knew that strawberries and orange tasted so delicious together? Well, probably most people. But I didn't know until this morning.

Happy eating!

House-y Things and a Ramble

Virginia welcomed the First of December with sunshine and a rain storm. Funny how the two go together in this state. Sadly, the weather forecast canceled the "Snow Alert" for next Wednesday. I guess I still have time for a few more walks before my boots need their rub-down for snow.

My Use-Up-Fridge/Pantry-Items week continues. Our meals have been quite substantial considering I, erm, slightly over-purchased groceries the previous week. Here's what we've cooked so far:

Sunday: Curried Red Lentil, Quinoa, and Chickpea Stew. Recipe courtesy of Eat This. Homey, healthy and delicious. My first time cooking quinoa, too! The quinoa cooked for a while and looked like tiny little floating nose rings. I'm sorry, but that's the best way I can describe them. Maybe itsy bitsy smiles without the eyes?  I made a full recipe, so it will probably last us a while. (I might freeze whatever we don't eat.)

Monday: Whole Wheat Penne Pasta with Marinara, Spicy Chicken Sausage, and Olives. We had an unopened package of sausages in the fridge for a while now, so H. and I decided to cook two and freeze two. I love listening to the sausage skin "snap" while it cooks. Olives and penne pasta were in the pantry.  Um. I also attempted to make "S'mores Brownies" listed on the Food Network website. Lesson learned: don't attempt brownies unless you have all of the right ingredients. Suffice it to say, H. and I did not ask for s'more.

Tuesday/Wednesday: Left over stew and pasta. Bacon and Cheesy Eggs with Toast and Baby Spinach Salad + Chocolate Pudding.
H. and I finally finished the package of bacon we froze a while ago. Eggs are a House-y Staple. So is baby spinach. We eat it like chips around here. Everything came from either the fridge, freezer, or pantry. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the spirit of culinary creativity, or plain ol' "Grocery Budgeting", H. and I decided to try a No Sugar, No Flour experiment until S. arrives on the 19th. My goal is not to worry about weight loss or maintenance. And I'll try very hard not to make eating a means of justifying myself and feeling better that I'm consuming "more natural ingredients" than those who eat processed foods. (But honestly, don't we all feel that way sometimes?) 

The older I get, the less I enjoy heavily processed foods without feeling "gross". But can part of the "gross" feeling be influenced by my personal beliefs about processed foods? Once I ate half a biscuit and found the other half covered with what seemed to be mold. I felt sick for the rest of the day. Then my sister came home and told me that the powdery white stuff was just flour. Whoops! Ok, so I'm a hypochondriac.I'm not advocating that we all start eating moldy food and believing that it's not moldy. Or anything like that. (What a relief to discover that the powdery white was only flour!) I just wonder how the condition of the soul and body influence food choices and feelings/reactions to food. Does that make any sense? I'll keep working on a better form of that question.


Sometimes I eat apples just because I'm ashamed. And sometimes I feel guilty when I eat nachos from Target. But I don't really know why I feel guilt or shame. (Ahhhh, Roy, this is making me think of Brothers K. Cuban Cigars, anyone?) Some of the best eating moments happen when I munch on an apple just because I love the taste of apple. And really, I never want nacho cheese for more than one or two days. Oh but sometimes it's so tasty. Why why why?

Oh well. Too many unfinished thoughts and half-formed questions. I should go read some Betsy-Tacy. Thought Project, I'll be back. (With more rambles. And more unfinished thoughts. And maybe some Target Nachos.)


No sugar or white flour for a few weeks can't hurt me. I'm hoping to see if it will help with the general achies and lethargy I've felt for the past few months.

And above all else, I want to have fun and be creative in trying new recipes and ingredients. So many vegetables and grains I've never tried! Bulgar? Nope! Celeriac or beets? Nope Nope! Eggs without gobs of ketchup? Nope. ...I'll have trouble with that one. 


How exciting! The day E. finally learns to eat an egg without loads of ketchup to mask the eggy taste. 

It can be done.

Well, it has to be done. At least for the next two weeks. I still have half a week to finish off some of our sugar/flour ingredients. Hoot!


Here's to a month of good eats and joyous meal making!

Pre-Winter Projects

Well, it's officially "late November" now and the poor trees look sparse and spindly. I love walking on Country Roads since the goldeny-crimson leaves "crunch, crunch, crunch" beneath your feet.

 

 

Walking is an excellent remedy for self-inflicted "Restless Funks".

Little "Projects" are also good remedies. 

This week I've given myself the task of cooking and eating only what's readily available at home. Lucky for me, H. and I have a well stocked pantry and freezer! And maybe, just maybe, I made one last shopping trip to buy some quinoa and squash today. And chocolate.

We'll see how it goes! I'll probably post pictures and recipes this week.

Cheerio!

Jolly Post: Photos From My Phone

H. and I are both sicky poo, so we decided to think about jolly things. Here are a few from the past month:

Blanket Forts!

 

M. asked me to "put her hair up pretty". What lovely hair! 

 

This photo is jolly in retrospect.

 

Turkey Feathers! Or plans for a squishy ball. Maybe both. 

 

Scones on Domestica Day. 

 

H.'s scone and coffee. 

 

My scone and hot chocolate. 

 

This is not a recent snapshot, but it is a rather jolly scene. I can't tell whether S is amused/horrified/embarrassed/JUSTHAPPYTOHAVEAGELCUP.

Baby Cat! 

Baby Cat Love!

Yay, Cat!

TGIF?

Recipe for A Deliciously Autumnal Friday

-2.5 Mile Morning Stroll through Country Woods with H.

-Roasted Butternut Squash for Lunch

-Autumn Leaves! (And Jazz Music!) 

-Green Sweaters and Suede Boots 

-Trip to World Market for a Green Curtain, Christmas Gifts, and Winter Spices

-Trader Joe's 

-Canned Mandarin Oranges, Macaroni and Cheese in a Box, and the Promise of Sweet Potato Pie! 

-Babushka Loungers and Betsy-Tacy

----------------------------

Directions:

-Enjoy your walk, pick some leaves, take some pictures, get lost in World Market looking for vanilla beans and cloves, bustle through Trader Joe's during "busy hour" (which in California Talk=NOT BUSY), come home, put mandarin oranges in the refrigerator for later, and lounge about in comfy pajamas until your sinus headache goes away.

I love my life!

 

"Harrumph"

Today I sat in bumper to bumper traffic for two hours. All the drivers around me looked rather "Hmmph". You can also use the term "Harrumph". My macbook dictionary informs me that this word can either be used as a verb ("to grumpily express dissatisfaction or disapproval") or a noun ("a grumpy expression of dissatisfaction or disapproval").

But how do you look Harrumph?

Maybe like this:

Photo courtesy of C.Larsen.

I felt Harrumphy too. 

My arms felt Harrumphy,

and they sent shooting pains down to my wrists.

~*~*~*~

But then I remembered jolly things, like the soybeans I ate for lunch. 

(Still on a soybean kick.)

Or when the chin-rest maker let me picnic on his hilly front lawn while he varnished wood and told me funny stories about Heifetz. 

Or how refreshing the country air feels when it blows through the trees.

~*~*~*~

And then I put in an unlabeled CD stolen from H.'s car and proceeded to have a seated dance party with myself. No one else noticed since they were busy Harrumphing. Thank goodness. I also had a sing along to Handel's Messiah. "EEEEVVERRRYYY VALLLEEEYYYY." (LOVE LOVE LOVE.) I finally listened to the complete Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and the Mendelssohn Concerto, too. So I ended up switching back and forth between Messiah, MGMT, Michael Jackson, the Weepies, Regina S., Mika, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, and random gospel songs. Eclectic driving mix, but it made the 4 hour commute more bearable. Rather ironic that the first Messiah track to play after listening to Michael Jackson was "And He Shall Purify". 

I had a jolly good time.

And there was no more Harrumphing. At least not for me.

Rainy Week!

Rainy Week Agenda: 

 

-Taking my morning walk in heavy downpour. 

(Yellow Umbrella and Soaked Sneakers included. ) 

 

-Epsom Salt Bath of Wonderfulness. 

(My rhomboids thank me. I thank them. Relax. Take it easy, kids.)

 

-Chamber Music Concert on Tuesday Night.

(Courtesy of Friendly Neighbours. Also, Asian Networking occurs with the only other Asian woman. She wants me to e-mail her. ....) 

 

-Wednesday Nannying.

(...During which I braved an epic pre-bedtime tantrum. I also experienced night driving during a tropical storm. Fear and Trembling. And maybe some Tchaikovsky.)  

 

-Post Card Making/Letter Writing

 

-E. Tries To Learn How To Cook

(I can bake decent cakes. But cooking? Oh dear. Right now the kitchen smells of burnt soy sauce and honey. Yeah. I'm cooking. Oh well. 6 chicken legs at a time, right?)

 

-E. Buys Frozen Soybeans from TJ's and Includes Them in Every Dish She Makes. This too shall pass.

(Ma, I never thought the day would come when I would WILLINGLY put vegetables in my macaroni and cheese. In fact, I ate all the soybeans and picked around the noodles. Um. I'm still a picky eater, but we're making some progress. This house goes on a legume kick whenever I'm too lazy to cook meat and my body says "MUST EAT PROTEIN'. Plus, soybeans look fabulous when shelled and flecked over white rice.)

-Rainy Day Reading

(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Too Many Cooks (by Emily Franklin), and perhaps some Hopkins?) 

 

House-y Things

(Dishes, laundry, planning my 3 hour drive tomorrow to visit a Chin Rest Maker in the D.C. Area.)  

 

And La Photo Cabine with Little Bear:

 

 

 

A Very Cheery Thursday to you! 

  

Monday Musings

Dear California,

You may take our 100 degree weather. Forever. We're glad to send it your way now. But we'll also try to send some rain, too, as a consolation prize. It was an awful week of hot and muggy, and I'm sorry you have to experience our discomfort now. But this too shall pass.

Love,
Virginia

~*~*~*~

Yep, it's raining today! Even though the weather outside is still warm and muggy, the air conditioned house allows me to wrap myself in a fleecy robe and pretend that it's Fall. H. even made Spiced Apple Cake yesterday! Perhaps I'll try some after lunch. Lovely, lovely day.

~*~*~*~

When I moved to Virginia in hopes of finding rest and healing, I think I expected immediate relief. Sort of like in cartoons when a harp strums and a character's back is suddenly realigned. But I'm  discovering that healing is a long term process, and many of my bodily ailments are related to my, er, dare I say "misaligned soul". 

For example, my neck pain and back spasms (owowow) directly result from my neurotic drive to be a perfect music student. "Perfect Music Student" became my ultimate end, and since my definition of perfection only involved technical skill, I stopped caring for my physical and emotional well being. Luckily, this lifestyle eventually lead to (a rather gentle) crash 'n burn, and after a "great awakening" with the help of Pa, I am on the road to a more grace-filled life.

I'm giving myself the grace to get lost while driving, read books that I want to read, not finish books I would rather not finish, start projects, not finish projects right away, buy almond butter even though it's more expensive than peanut butter, not beat myself up if I don't walk every day, and even leave the kitchen messy for a whole day. (Yeah, A., unbelievable, isn't it?) 

I'm learning how to feel again, too. I've stopped trying to avoid strong emotions by rationalizing them. Sometimes I'm like my little nanny-ing girls who tell me they just feel SO frustrated, grumpy, disappointed, upset, angry, or sad. No, I won't start having tantrums in the middle of stores. But I will work on not bottling, since bottled emotions, unlike wine, don't really taste better with age.

Well, that's just a rambly blip of all the "non-academic" things I've been learning here. 
 

 I'm off to be a good student and work on Assignment 1. Baths really are heavenly.

I'll leave you with this Cheery Owl-y Video:

They are my favourite! :)Especially the one in the middle. Ahem. 

Cheerio!

House Tour: The Owl's Nest

 My bedroom:

Sorry for the grainy quality...

Blargady Blarg: A Rambly Post

Well, so much for NYC Trip (!!) Part Two. It exists. At least the idea for the post exists. I just haven't found the will to actually write it. Plus, Blogger's new Photo-Upload system confuses me. I promise I'll do my best to have it up by this weekend so all my dear family can see pictures of New York and Delicious Things to Eat. (For all of you facebook folks, go look at H.'s facebook album. Mmmm. Cupcakes!)

So to answer the much asked question, "What have you been doing with all of your time?" (with different people emphasizing different words), here's a sample:

-I've been watching episodes of Pushing Daisies! I know it might sound like mindless activity, but it's actually quite hard for me to sit through an entire TV episode or movie. Perhaps this stems from my short attention span. Pushing Daisies is a fun and not too emotionally taxing way to practice focusing my attention on one thing at a time. I don't sew, cook, eat, or clean while I watch. But I do relax. And I occasionally burrow myself under the brown blanket whenever there appears anything too intensive (oh, like CRASH DUMMIES in Dandelion Cars). Admittedly, I have an embarrassingly low tolerance for stressful situations, even when depicted through film. But come on, crash dummies are frightening. ...

-It is also horrifying to realize you've just watered two baby squirrels with your hose. Which leads to Thing-I've-Been-Doing #2: Watering for B.D. Neighbour B.D. hired me to water the lawn in preparation for aerating and seed planting. I love this job since it forces me to wake up early and gives me a chance to use my yellow umbrella. (Yes, I accidentally sprayed two blind baby squirrels that had fallen out of their nest. I took the Beatles' advice and let it be. Or let them be. The squirrels were gone when I went back to look this evening.)

-Chicken Curry for Supper, and Chocolate Pudding and Whipped Cream for Dessert. Enough said. Tonight is Lasagna Night.

-Walks through the Neighbourhood, Shrimpy Prawn, Pretend Yoga and Ballet, And Anything That Might Make My Neck Vertebrae Return To A Proper Place.

-Work. I'm nannying for two little girls four days every other week, plus Wednesday on every other week. (It's not as complicated as it sounds. At least the schedule is not complicated. Little girls, on the other hand...) How much I am learning about my own childhood by working with little girls!  Strong displays of emotion always frightened me when I was younger, but I must now learn to handle the unarticulated feelings of four and five year olds. For instance, I've learned that child M. needs help to identify her growling and grrr-ing as "FRUSTRATION" over not being able to color in the lines. Isn't it still frustrating to grown ups when they realize they're not perfect? I could relate with M. and her poor coloring book trials. And I could also relate with her sister, M.R., during her meltdown after school. But I can only empathize and sympathize to an extent. Then I must be firm (gaaaahhh) and somehow gently exercise my authority as the "guardian in the house" to ensure that homework is completed. I don't like this part since it means conflict, and conflict is still difficult for me even when it involves a five year old.

Ma, I am learning so very much about not stressing. And I think you and Pa are saints for raising two daughters.

Martyrdom of Nannyhood? Sounds dramatic, but I'm realizing that any vocation, particularly the ones involving the care of children, require learning how to love and accept grace.

And sometimes grace comes in the form of your housemate making you dinner.

~*~*~*~*~

Oh, and when I feel like I have no purpose in life, I sew dinosaurs. (Or at least I try to come up with dinosaur patterns.)

Poor Dinosaur/Nessie/Dragon/Creature. I shall work more on the pattern later.

H. really took a liking to him. (I think it's a him, right?)

He's good for stress-relief-squeezes.

:)

And H. and I have random dance parties.

I am very happy.

Culinary Adventures of H. and E: Italian--Of the One Pot Gooey Squishy Variety

This week, H. and I ventured into the world of Cooking-Pots-Of-Somethings-For-An-Unknown-Length-Of-Time-To-Produce-Unknown-Results.

Or more simply put: we decided to try recipes we've never tried before.

Risotto has always been a great mystery to me. I grew up in a household where cooking rice was only a matter of closing the lid and pushing the right button. Rice served as an accompaniment, but never the main course itself. And what was with all of this stirring?

Moreover, a failed risotto experience from the past made me doubt that the highly praised "Arborio Rice" could produce anything other than a sticky yet crunchy mess. 

I was more than happy to be proven wrong.

H. and I asked, and the Risotto delivered excellent results!

We opted to omit the peas,

And double the spinach. Hoorah!

(Sorry for the horrid picture lighting.)

Risotto!

Comfortingly gooey and delicious. 

H. and I supped well that evening. 

Later in the week, we decided to roast the leftover heirloom baby tomatoes and use them in Frittata. 

(Pre-Broiling)

Even though the above picture looks rather unappetizing, the Frittata broiled beautifully, 

And again, we had another splendid supper.

A Breather

A lot has happened since I moved here:


-I chose my bedroom (The Owl's Nest).

-I was contacted by a Chinese family looking specifically for an "Asian Nanny". Oh...

-I baked a cake, which is something I haven't done since I started college. Moreover, I wanted to bake
 a cake. Also something I haven't wanted to do since I started college.

-H. and I successfully cooked up a pot of Spinach and Asparagus Risotto. Pictures to come.

-I started reading for fun. I'm currently reading The Little Princesses: The Story of the Queen's Childhood by her Nanny, Marion Crawford. And If Teacups Could Talk is my bedtime comfort book. You know, the kind of book that fills your mind with jolly plans. I'm putting the Economics Textbook and Financial Guide on hold for now. (Plus, they're too big to hold in bed. Desktop books.)

-I've started learning how to sit still and enjoy the view from the window seat.


And maybe, just maybe, H. and I will go to New York this weekend for this (!!!!). We have plans. And we also have awesome hats. 


But I must rest up for the weekend since my body is more tired than I thought.


I shall retreat to my Owl's Nest for now.


Risotto stories and videos of the house will follow at some point. Sorry for the delays! 


I shall be back in a few days. 

Cheerio!

NM to VA: Owl-y Breakfast, Southern Lunch, and Lots of Trees

~*~*~

 

Whenever you visit Santa Fe, you must always eat breakfast at Tecolote Cafe. This is a must. But you do not need to pose like a pathetic-broken-winged-owl in front of the Tecolote Wall.

~*~*~*~

Pa and I drove and drove and drove.

We do not have many pictures of Texas, mostly because I managed to nap the entire way. 

We did, however, see this:

 

(I guess it's ironic that we later passed a town called "Atkins".) 

~*~*~

Pa and I did not stop for beef.

But we did drive, drive, and drive some more towards Pork. And Elvis.

                                       

And I guess Elvis is about as cool as Rare Bears. ....

Or so he wishes. 

 

Pa and I found our Pork.

And after making a solemn pledge to someday bring Ma to such Pork, we then drove and drove and drove some more. 

~*~*~

Until we finally arrived in the land of trees.

~*~*~

Hello, Virginia!

~*~*~