Bali Day 7

Today was one of my favorite days in Bali.  Pam and her family went on a bike tour, while we went to a Balinese cooking class.  They picked us up and others and took us to a market where they explained the different ingredients that are typically used in Balinese cooking.  There were a total of 9 of us in the class.  Everyone was so nice.  There was a girl from Brazil, a couple from Canada and Germany and a guy from London.

The class was held at a families home.  We were greeted with a lovely very light frozen lemonade.  I loved it because it wasn't very sweet and I still don't really have my sweet tooth back, except for sour patch kids.  We then made these offering things that are every where and made from banana leaves.

To make one bottle of coconut oil which is seen in the middle of this table, it takes 15 coconut.  They use every part of the coconut including the husks because they don't have charcoal. 
We made several dishes and had fun doing so.  Seriously this was such a fun time and everything was so fresh and delicious.  I especially loved the mushroom soup that had a hint of lime in it.  The curry was delicious as well.  In the end the gave us a recipe book and maybe when I see Pam we will have to have a day of Balinese cooking.  I'll have to post the mushroom soup later, because I loved it and so did my stomach.  I've learned that I can't eat but a few bites of food or I will get sick.  

All of the dishes were fantastic.  I really liked the curry and the green bean salad. 

This afternoon we took a taxi to a store that we wanted to visit where I bought a darling dress.  We also walked down the Monkey street visiting shops and at the end saw more monkeys.

My feet were tired from walking so I had a $7 foot massage that was out of this world amazing.

For dinner we stayed in because we weren't really hungry, but dad did go back to the French Bakery and got us another chocolate and caramel tart.

I've been listening to this fabulous book called, Walk On Earth  A Stranger.  If you are looking for a great Summer read this is it.

4th of July Fabulous Friday

I can't believe we are well into July.  It seems like when 4th of July is over the Summer days begin to fly by and all of a sudden everyone is back into school mode.  However being the single lady that I am and being well into my summer reading program (of which I can't seem to get enough time in my days to read all of the books that are piling up on my library chair) and the fact that I live in Phoenix where we have Summer temperatures well into October, I feel like my Summer is coasting along rather well.

It was a little disturbing as I visited my local Costco this morning to see backpacks and school required clothing on display, especially when it was 105 at 1030am, at least they still have a plethora of bathing suits and shorts out.  Speaking of bathing suits, I did it again...I purchased another, un-needed bathing suit last Friday evening.  It is so cute and was begging for me to take it home, especially because it was on the clearance rack at Marshalls.  I've come to the conclusion that one can never have too many flip flops, sunglasses and bathing suits.

Speaking of bathing suits, Monday I worked 9-5 and then headed over to our clinic directors home for her annual 4th of July party, where I spent most of it with a drink in my hand and in the pool.  Her pool is awesome as it has this large area where you can "lay out" and be in the water.  Hope that makes sense.  I've never seen anything like it, but if I ever design a pool, I'll for sure use that design.  I only stayed a few hours, because I like to watch the fireworks on TV from Boston and NYC.  I know boring, but it's my tradition, since I think I've worked nearly every 4th of July of my life.

 My dear friend Aubrey is in town this week!  Yesterday after work I went over to her parents where her sisters and sister in law joined us.  We cooked kabobs on the grill, chatted around the pool while kind of watching for any potential drownings and then of course because it is summer (and I had a groupon that was expiring today), we took the kids for snow cones.  It's one of my favorite things about Summer for sure.  It's even more fun when your bestie from college and her adorable nieces and nephews are here to do it with you.

And then we facetimed HM, because remember Aubrey is the only one of my friends or family to meet him.  She thinks he is fabulous and so do I.  He knows how to make me smile really big and blush.  I'm not really a blusher, but this guys seems to bring it out in me.  I love technology.  What did we ever do without facetime, especially in a long distance relationship?  I facetimed him all the way home and then until we both had to get some shut eye. 

I've worked every day this week and it has been crazy busy.  I've had patients in atrial flutter, having heart attacks, blood clots, lacerations, broken bones, and hand foot and mouth to name a few.  I'm on the count down again, 5 more shifts before I go home for another round of the dreaded chemo, which I'm really hoping and begging the Lord that it is shrinking those blasted tumors.  But I'm really excited that I only have 8 more days until I get to see HM.  He's definitely one of a kind.

Summer Reading

School is out here in Phoenix, which means its officially Summer, even though it feels like Summer 9 months out of the year.  But it's the spirit of Summer that I love.  As mentioned every Summer for the past however many years I've been blogging, I love my Summer Reading Program.  One of my most favorite memories of my childhood is going to the library with Grandma Betty and signing up for their Summer Reading Program and then going each week to pick out novels that I could get lost in during the lazy days of Summer.  This hasn't changed.  I still love going to the library and having a stack or two of books to pick from.  I believe in reading several books at the same time, depending on what mood I'm in.  However sometimes I can't help but read the same book for several days in a row if it has my attention.  I love sitting at the beach or the pool with a book in my hand and the sun on my body; a little wind never bothers me either.

Today I spent 2 hours burning my white skin at the pool with Becoming Lady Lockwood in my hand.  A book that I started a few days ago and will finish in a day or so.  And then I'll be on to the next book!  For some reason people think that if you live in Phoenix you are naturally tan and spend every day at the pool; wrong my friends.

I will admit, I'm super bummed about not going to Martha's Vineyard this Summer.  I'd hoped to visit the end of the Summer, but now that HM is in my life, I'd much rather be visiting him!  Hopefully next Summer the cancer will be gone and I can resume my Summers in MVY!

And so for the next 3-4 months I'll be enjoying Summer with a book in my hand, a lemonade at my side (because I have jars of frozen, fresh squeezed lemon juice in my freezer) and all the fun Summer has in store (even amongst a little chemo).

Side Note:  My friend Pamela sent me this picture.  She had gone to her child's school and saw that he had done this for me.  Thank You Bayden.  I'm so very blessed.

Halloween Traditions

I love our family Halloween Traditions.  I also love the Phoenix Halloween traditions that I'm becoming accustomed to.

After having chemo 2 weeks ago I went home with a mask over my face and in a wheelchair.

I felt awful on that plane ride.  Surprisingly I'm not feeling that bad today.  It was so nice to go home to see the fall colors even though when I first got there, the leaves were all on the tree and still slightly green which is rare for the 3rd week in October.

Mom has been sending me updated pictures of the tree because she knows how much I love it this time of year.  Thanks mom.

 And today dad started raking up all the leaves.  I wish they would stay around for another few weeks until I go home, but that's not happening.  I told mom to have the kids go over and take pictures of them jumping in the leaves.  That's the best part of the leaves.

Friday afternoon we went to the pumpkin patch.  It was the perfect afternoon and even maybe a little warm.  I liked going in the afternoon over the evening.  Of course the highlight is this crazy slide that all the kids love and the hayride which takes us to find the perfect pumpkin.  At the end of our time we always have donuts and apple juice in the parking lot.  Such a fun tradition.

Saturday I made a pot of pumpkin chili for our evening party, watched college football and read Go Set A Watchman, which I might add was fabulous. That evening we had our annual Young Family Halloween Party.  This was the first year that we didn't have it at my grandparents.  It was kind of sad and I missed seeing grandpa standing at the door watching the fun.  But we had a fabulous time at my cousin Reads.  It was the second perfect place for our Halloween Trunk or Treat.  We always have soup, cinnamon rolls (or long johns which no one brought this year; it was grandma's tradition) and grandma's homemade hot chocolate.  We also go on a hayride and the kids have fun collecting candy.  I was sad that my sisters weren't in town for the weekend, but it was fun to have all of my brothers there.

 

 
The weekend before I went home I went to a Halloween Block party with Cathy.  Her sister's block has had this tradition for 20 years.  I loved it, especially that they had Bahama Bucks tropical snow.

This past Friday I went to Deborah's ward trunk or treat.  There was a huge turnout and we had fun handing out candy.  Afterwards we went to her house where her husband, the master pumpkin carver showed us his talents.  He is quick and does exactly what the kids ask for.

Saturday Cathy and her daughter Hope and I went to Laura's and went Trick or Treating with their kids.  They have a huge neighborhood and they all sit out in their driveways handing out candy and grilling hot dogs.  It's hard to keep up with the kids going from house to house.  Thank goodness Laura had a brilliant idea to put green glow in the dark necklaces around the kids, even though they did get lost a time or two.

Sunday Deborah had her annual Halloween dinner.  She goes all out with eyeball ice cubes and mummy dogs, spider eggs and such.  She didn't disappoint again this year.

It's a good thing that I don't have kids.  I'd be really tempted to eat their candy, even though I'm staying away from candy for now.

Tristen sent the cutest pictures of Aidree and Bridget.  We missed them at our Halloween parties. Such silly girls.

 

Aidree had her kindergarten pictures.  So adorable.  I can't believe how grown up these girls are getting.  They have such fun characters and I love facetiming them at random hours of the day.