Lazy Days of Summer

Check it out! This cool website, Yearbook Yourself, takes your photo and takes you back in time.

I can't believe it's been a week since I've posted. I haven't been out of town or busy. The complete opposite, actually. I went to the foot doctor and I don't have to wear that godawful cast anymore but still have to wear a brace for a month. I can walk about 20-30 minutes at a time, about a mile or so. But...um...remember that 5k I mentioned several weeks ago? It's this weekend. Unfortunately, I won't be able to do it, but I'm still going to cheer on Danielle's sister, who I was suppose to do it with. Anyhoo, I'm a lot more mobile than the week before, but still a tiny bit gimpy.
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Bali

I've just gotten to the section in Eat, Pray, Love where Liz is in Indonesia. I went there almost 10 years ago and reading about her adventures, so different than mine, makes me recall my trip. It's hard to believe that it's been so long ago already...

It was less than a year after my mom had died, and the first time in my adult life that I had traveled to an impoverished Asian country. And while Elizabeth Gilbert's book touches on the poverty and corruption of the island's colorful past, experiencing it with my own eyes was a disconcerting experience. I couldn't help but compare the people and locale to my mom and where she grew up in the Philippines, also an impoverished Asian country. I'm pretty good at trying to keep my emotional experiences separate from my tangible ones, but the death of your mother sticks with you more than anything. As some of you know. I remember thinking while I was there, that I have no desire to ever go back. Before that trip, Bali had always sounded so glamorous and exotic. And the reality was disheartening. Perhaps it is an Island of the Gods, but it's far from paradise. However reading Liz's book makes me remember the beauty of the people and the island.

A woman carrying her goods on her head, a common way to carry things in Asia. This was taken near Ubud, where Liz lived for those 4 months.

Near Ubud.

Getting ready for a spiritual ceremony at a temple near Ubud.

Lake at Mount Batur.

At the Elephant Cave, or Goa Gajah. There is a mix of Buddhist and Hindu spiritual symbols here and is estimated to have been built around 1022AD.

At Goa Gajah, there are amazing bathing pools:
The bathing pools are divided into 2, one for women the other for men, each with three water spouting statues.

This the Mother Temple, Pura Besakih. It is Bali's most holy and Indonesia's biggest Hindu temple.

A little peak at a private ceremony at the Mother Temple.

These were our tour guides. Niti, on the left showed us around the whole day. The other man was our guide thorough the temple.

Interesting architecture at the temple.

Still at the Mother Temple. She's carrying heavy stone bricks on her head!

The flowers and plant life take over everything.

Rice terraces of Bali.

I can't remember the name of this instrument, but it's traditional Balinese and Niti played it for us during one of our stops.

A view from above. Bali is very lush. Notice the feral dog and cat. The island had plenty of feral animals.

We saw a couple of traditional Balinese dances.
This was the Barong Dance. A dance that depicts the fight between good and evil.

A beautiful Barong Dancer.

Talented wood carver in Mas.

The Temple of the Holy Water, or Pura Tirta Empul.
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Less mobility = more crafting

I've been doing a lot of crafting (and tv watching) since getting around with a bum foot kind of limits activity. These are just a few scrapbook pages I've done in the last several days.
The Bowen family at our hideaway last fall.

I took a class with Erin at PMP a few weeks ago using the My Little Shoebox scrapbook line, a local Bay Area company. The photos are from the Yuen's Christmas cookie party last year.

This one and the next one are photos from last year.

The littlest nephew at Camp Retz 2007.

After Thanksgiving last year, we went to the city with the fam. Here's a little endearing moment I captured of Jimmy and middle child nephew.

hummingbird in my backyard.

This is another layout I did in Erin's class.

The photo is from 4 years ago. Melani and her hubby now have 3 kids!

Totally love watching the Olympics while crafting, too. We were at the parentals last night celebrating Jimmy's birthday and it was a lot of fun cheering on Kerry Walsh (a local Bay Area athlete!) and Misty May-Treanor, Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, and all of the other medalists. My SIL loves the Olympics, too, so we had fun watching together. Also, how can I resist the official mascots of the Beijing Olympics?How freaking adorable are they?
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The Dark Side

Do you see it in the smoke?

submitted to Lensday weekly photo challenge. Theme: Smoke.
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We're "This Many"

When Danielle came to visit a few weeks ago with her daughter, she would tell everyone that she was "this many" and hold up 3 fingers. So, on the way to my birthday lunch, the 4 of us: me, Danielle, Jimmy and TG, were in the car together and I told everyone to hold up all of their fingers and that was "how many" I was. TG thought that was so funny, that was A LOT of fingers to be!
We had a great time in S. California celebrating Danielle's 40th. The weather cooperated and cooled off nicely after the sun set. She had a fun band, the most delicious birthday cake, and I saw a couple of friends from high school that I haven't seen since TG's baby shower.

On another note, I went to the foot doctor the morning we left. He took an xray that showed something suspicious between the 3rd and 4th metatarsal, and after getting a CATscan, it turns out that I have torn several ligaments and have very bad sprain. I have to wear a removable cast for the next few weeks. But now my foot hurts more than it did, in places that never hurt before. Which doesn't make me want to wear it. And since it's removable, it's easy to talk myself into taking it off. But everyone around me makes sure that I wear it. I suck at self-discipline. It all comes back to my lack of fortitude.

Despite hobbling around S. California for 2 days, we had a good time. We spent Saturday morning and afternoon with Lauree, Jimmy's sister, her husband Jim, and Eric, Jimmy's brother.
On the way home, we had dinner in Solvang.Solvang is a cute little town that was settled by a group of Danish educators in 1911. It was the first time Jimmy and I had gone to Solvang together. All the shops and bakeries were closed, but we found a little restaurant, and dined on Danish meatballs, sausage and red cabbage outside on their patio. I have to admit the atmosphere was far superior over the food, but it was great being in a part of California that we hadn't seen together.

Today, Sunday, we are relaxing at home. We intended on going to the hideaway, but with this gimpy leg of mine, I'm far to lazy to make another trip away from homebase. Not to mention that 2 1/2 more hours in the car, after 7 hours yesterday, doesn't sound very appealing. So the remaining of my Sunday will be spent either clicking a remote or clicking a mouse.

Home sweet home!
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Craving Color

As much as I love being outside among the green trees and blue skies, sometimes I just need a super saturated color fix. So here are a handful of fun, colorful photos from a few years ago at the county fair.





Anyone going to the county fair this year? What are your favorite rides? Do you have any traditional foods that you like to eat? Are there any special items you are looking to purchase? Do you enter in any of the contests?
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Rounding off the celebrations

Saturday was the final installment of my birthday celebrations. It was a combined birthday party with Jimmy, since he turns 40 in less than 2 weeks. All in all, I think I had 6 different events celebrating my notorious 40th.

The first was in May when my cousin from Seattle came for a week to visit with her family. They're shy, otherwise I'd post pic.

The day before my birthday, I went to fondue with Danielle and her sweet little girl. bad photographer (that'd be me) should have moved those water glasses.

The day of my birthday, we went to Benihana.

A week-long combined celebration at the hideaway with family and friends.

A mini GTG (get-together) at the Old Spaghetti Factory with the Yuens and Brewers because they couldn't make it to...

A dinner party for both of us at our favorite Mexican restaurant with the Bowens, Chanceys, Phin, Madmax, the Parentals and my youngest SIL.

That's a whole lotta cake and/or ice cream consumed, not to mention great food!

But the birthday celebrations aren't quite over yet. For me, yes. But Danielle and Jimmy's birthdays are the 13th and 14th. We are going to Southern California this weekend to celebrate Danielle's. Then we'll celebrate Jimmy's with the parentals on his actual day.

Hurray! More cake and/or ice cream! Must keep moving more than consuming though.

Not a bad way to start off a new decade, is it?
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Spiderman

Can a climber resist climbing a chimney of rocks? Probably not, especially when his buddy is encouraging him.
If you build it, they will come.
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