For years I kept journals -- in composition, spiral bound, and French graph paper books. This blog is an attempt to get back to writing and documenting the world around me using photos, newspaper headlines, and other articles.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Hyacinths and other things

It is February and the winter of our discontent.  No snow -- no forts, shovelling, snowpeople, instamatic play stuff, nothing.  And now, the hyacinths and daffodils are poking up in the yard.  It is just wrong.  And I'm grumpy tonight.



But, I did have a culinary success this weekend.  I bought yet another cookbook on Friday.  I've had success with vegan desert books since they don't use eggs and thought I would add another to my growing collection.



Boy, am I glad I picked this one up.  I made the first chocolate cake recipe.  It is very similar to Wacky Cake, but you add the vinegar at the end.  I think that makes a difference.  I made cupcakes instead of a 9" round and they turned out really tasty.  They were moist (not code word for raw), light, and flavorful.  Then I made the raspberry frosting, non-vegan.  I didn't have the vegan shortning so I used a combination of butter and cream cheese.  But the raspberry puree in the book was an inspired addition.  It added a deep red color and a light fruit flavor.  I'm not a huge frosting fan, but this may turn me into a believer.  I still have to work on the applying frosting to cupcake tecnique as I'm lacking skill in that department.  The combination of chocolate and raspberry is a winner.  Hands down, the best cupcake I've ever made.




Karate class on Saturday was really fun.  We were practicing front and back rolls and falls.  Then we moved onto side falls.  Mrs. Hebert thought it would be easier to demonstrate if Mr. Hebert flipped her down onto the mat since it is so hard to make yourself through your leg sideways and fall without sticking your arm out to brace.  The demonstration went so well that she decided all of us should have the pleasure of getting thrown to the mat.  She was right.  It was much easier to get the right tecnique when getting tossed down.  Surprisingly, I had a lot of fun doing it.

Last weekend we were at the Ashram and on Monday, Robert, Selim, Amy, Jacob and I went skating on Hermit.  The ice wasn't great, but we found a few smooth places that made the outing worth while.  We ended up skating for an hour and twenty mintues.  Selim improved so much during the morning.  And I felt more comfortable on skates too.  I impressed Selim by going backwards, and Jacob by a fast turn.  After our exercise we went to their lake house and enjoyed a pizza lunch.







I'm changing teams and desks tomorrow at work.  I'm losing my great window which is too bad.  I'm going to a new team and that always proves interesting.  Not sure how long I will be on this team, since my supervisor to be just got a promotion at another agency.  I'm like a good luck charm for supervisors.  This will be my third who left my team to move on to bigger and better things.  I pack up my desk in the morning.  Hopefully I will be able to watch one more sunrise over the tree tops before I complete the switch.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Golf and Grammy Bev

I don't know if I've put this down here before or not, but if I have, oh well -- I'm still thinking about it.  But when I watch golf, I think of Grammy Bev.  When I was in college, I watched golf because Grammy did and she would call me or write to me about the tournaments.  It gave us something to talk about.  She followed Greg Norman and I picked Fred Couples, just because.  When Fred won, she would send me a note the next day; enclosed would be an article on his win and often a little check, just because.  She kept a scrap book of articles from Greg Norman's win.  She wondered if she should keep it or not.  "What if someone comes into the house and finds the book?  They will think I'm a stalker!"  As if.

When Phil Mickelson joined the tour, I started rooting for him also.  He is from California and is a lefty.  A few years later, Tiger burst onto the scene.  As much as I appreciate his golf and what he has done for the game, my loyalty remained with Phil.  It sounds silly I know, as if it matters to them who I want to win or how much I cheer them on.  I don't know them personally and never will.

So today, the PGA was at Pebble Beach, another place that reminds me of Grammy.  When we would go visit her when she lived in Salinas, she would pick us up at the airport and we would drive straight over to the Monterey Peninsula and we would drive the "17 Mile Drive" and get out at the Lodge and look out over the green and out to the Pacific.  Such a beautiful view!  Then we would go into Carmel and eat somewhere and walk around the town.  It was so much fun.

Anyway, today Tiger and Phil were paired together in the last round, in the second to last group.  I decided that I wouldn't feel guilty watching TV this afternoon.  I would enjoy the spectacle.  And for the most part, I was able to.  I folded laundry, cleaned up my room, and enjoyed the game.  The fact that Phil took over the lead before he finished the front nine didn't hurt.  And even more fun for me was the fact that he smoked Tiger by 11 shots.  He put on a clinic that was fabulous.  I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon hours.  And the Pebble Beach scenery was beautiful as well.  Some day I'll get back.

So tonight I'm thinking about Grammy.  Thinking about her, as she tools around the nursing home corridors in her wheel chair, unable to see very clearly.  She can no longer read her Bible or see photos very well.  Not complaining.  Able to find joy in her days.  May I be as strong, accepting of fate, and in good humor when I am nearing 95 as she.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Karate test

For the past few months, I have been practicing the karate or Tang Soo Do as a 10th gup, white belt.  According to the handbook, "the white belt represents the beginning of a life cycle.  It represent purity, as well as a primitive level of existence.  It also represents the seed as it lies dormant beneath the snow of winter."

Today was the test for the 9th gup, yellow belt.  "The yellow belt represents the heat and sun of very early spring. It is a transitional phase between the end of winter and early spring.  It represents days with more sunlight, and the budding of new growth that is part of early spring."

I was so nervous before the test.  Not because I didn't think I could do what was required, but because I didn't want to fail at breaking the board.  I have an acute fear of social embarrassment. The thought of being in the center of the room and hitting or kicking the board and it not breaking made me break out in a sweat and not be able to breathe.  In hindsight, I should have been more nervous about doing front shoulder roles than board breaking.

We started promptly at 9:00 this morning and ended two hours later.  We began with a nice warm up.  Then we went through kicks (including front, side, round and a few others), punches, chops and blocks (low, high, middle).  Next up were the forms: Ki Cho Hyung Il Bu, Ki Cho Hyung E Bu, and Ki Cho Hyung Sam Bu.  Then we did front and back shoulder roles both left and right sides; followed by front and back falls. 





The we paired up for self-defense -- side grab, cross-hand grab, front kick and middle punch.  The last thing was the board breaking.  I was in the second row and had to wait quite a while before it was my turn.  I found it hard to sit there and watch all the others try.  Selim attempted the elbow technique and did not break the board.  The board had a knot in it and nobody noticed it right away.  Once they changed boards, he was ready for a different method, and he broke it the first time with a middle front kick (Choong Dan Ahp Cha Ki).





Finally, when it was my turn, I opted for the same technique.  And I broke it on the first try.  Embarrassment avoided.



At the end, Selim and I were both promoted.  He is now 8th gup orange belt.







 and I'm 9th gup yellow. 







I stayed behind to watch the orange belt with a stripe and up test while Robert brought Selim back to the house. Where we did kicks going forward, they were doing jumping kicks moving forward.  If we had to do back kicks, they were doing spinning back kicks.  Everything was harder and in a more difficult combination.  Luckily I have the orange belt and orange with a stripe test before I have to do that.

The hardest part for me was not having a camera in my hands while Selim was doing his moves.  But Robert and Nedim were there to take up the slack.  It is hard to post my picture because I feel I look like the Pillsbury dough boy in my white uniform, but I'll just have to put my vanity aside for this.  Because Selim and I do look good in our new belts.

Additionally, we had to write an essay.  Mine had to be 100 words and it could be anything I wanted on what I think about karate.  Selim had to compose 200 words on how karate helps him outside of class.  For him, I took dictation and typed it up.  I dreaded the exercise, but it ended up being painless.  He had a lot to say and good examples for me to write down.  I was very proud of him.

Mine went like this: "Before last year, if I thought much about karate, it would bring to mind images of black belts, flying kicks, and loud grunts.  And then last year my son, Selim, joined the pee wee group and I began to have a different association with the word.
     As I watched Selim every week in class, I noticed the obvious -- kicks, punches, chops, the wearing of the uniform, the belt colors, and breaking of boards.  As the year wore on, I began to notice the discipline, focus, patience, fun, concentration, strength, coordination, achievement, and respect -- all qualities that emerged from the class.
     When I joined, I did so that Selim and I could do something together.  If he were to be in the hour long class, I didn't want to have to sit for that long and watch.  But after the few short months that I have been coming to class, my focus has changed.  I'm there for myself -- my own growth, self-discovery, and physical journey that I had not anticipated.
     My favorite part of class comes when we practice the forms.  It is like dance, but with a different power element, a more controlled structure, and the cracking sound of the uniforms when moves are made crisply instead of the swishing of ballet slippers across the floor.  I love it.
     As I continue, I need to get over the discomfort with sparring.  When I hear the work, I start to cry.  When I face my partner, I feel the tears gathering behind my eye lids.  I need to work on it, to get more comfortable and be able to focus.
     Karate now evokes energy, strength and flexibility, discipline, respect, friendship, fun, self-discovery, and power."

I think Selim and I are both going to have a good night's sleep, now that the test is over.  No more anxiety or nervousness.  I'm happy.  I did it.  I persevered through my anxiety and broke the *&#$%! board on the first try.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Goodbye Memorial Bridge

In celebration of the 100th day of the school year, Selim was released early.  When I got home from work, he was home with Mom and they had already had lunch and were ready for an activity.  Selim suggested going downtown, as in Portsmouth.  I agreed, as I wanted to take a look at the center span of the Memorial Bridge that is being dismantled and put on a barge to get down river.  We have been on that bridge so many times.  When we lived in Kittery and went to Portsmouth almost every day we used that bridge.  And when we lived in Portsmouth and went to get food and fresh produce in Kittery, that was the closest way over the river.




Portsmouth was a happening today.  We saw news vans from Channel 13 and 8 in Maine, NESN and Channel 9.  So many regular folk were out with cameras in hand trying to get the best shot of the bridge span and the barge.  Many of the cameras I saw were really impressive.  Clearly, this was going to be a documented event.  Naturally, I had mine and took a few.  First we stood on the north side in the Harbor Walks area.







Then we walked to Prescott Park on the south side of the bridge for a different view.  The span had not yet been disconnected, so we didn't see anything too exciting.  But it was fun just being there and watching the people and feeling like part of an event.







And speaking of events, the Patriots lost the Super Bowl.  The end was so painful to watch.  Selim got his friends and the food ready for the game.  He had a particular idea for our snacks.  He wanted pretzels and the Turkish red pepper dip and popcorn.  I added carrots and cucumber to go with the dip.  He arranged the food on the coffee table and told Nedim and I where to sit on the couch.  Too funny, yet sweet of him to care about the minutia.




Back to today, we went into shops that he hadn't frequented in a while.  At the chocolate shop, Selim was recognized by the sales lady who commented on how big he has gotten.  Yes!  She even used the phrase "bean sprout."  Woot!  And in the gift shop by the bakery, he was greeted by name.  There is something really grounding about being in an area so long that you can become a regular part of the community fabric.  We have our regular shops -- stickers and stationary, fabric, clothing, kitchen wares and the best cheese.



I'm glad that we didn't wait at the bridge this afternoon for something to happen.  When we got home, we saw on the news that the disconnection was going to take place sometime between 7:00pm and midnight.  Like I'm going to stand in the cold to see that.  Don't think so.