tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125444432012-01-18T15:13:44.018-08:00--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.comBlogger1991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-23656224501103637002012-01-18T15:00:00.000-08:002012-01-18T15:13:44.027-08:00

Yeah, it's the SOPA and PIPA legislation.  On one hand, piracy--both domestic and international--is preventing writers, musicians, and other artists from making a living wage. On the other hand, the federal government taking down your web site because someone else illegally uploads stuff to your site even though you have policies against it is not only messing with due process, but it can

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-87592552459173537262011-10-30T10:00:00.000-07:002011-10-30T22:52:14.351-07:00

The Bake Sale Table - yum! Today, I'm being bad...but good.  I'm skipping church, but I'm making up for it by doing two things:  Sleep in late (hey, it's supposed to be a day of rest!), and baking pies for the Holiday Fair that's coming up on November 5th.   It's a marvelous Holiday Fair, and I absolutely love it.  Everything's all decorated and people are cheerful and friendly, the children

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0Federal Way United Methodist Church47.336033 -122.27155347.333343 -122.2764885 47.338723 -122.2666175tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-42114577046900440432011-10-15T23:48:00.000-07:002011-10-15T23:48:14.013-07:00

There seems to be a belief that it takes a huge effort to bring about a great joy, and it's only from those periods of sustained happiness that people can possibly get any kind of benefit.  But it's really from the little joys, whether received or given, strung out along the line of our lives like pearls, that we learn. It helps, I think, if we take time to look at each one carefully and enjoy

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-47543501258558221192011-09-18T18:05:00.000-07:002011-09-18T22:16:17.041-07:00

... and John's stolen bike is the least of it, I'm going to focus on this: The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.  The good you do today will

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-3923221204572690532011-09-18T10:36:00.000-07:002011-09-18T13:26:11.639-07:00

John Donne once wrote the following: No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-37363263382601470942011-07-22T20:20:00.000-07:002011-07-22T20:23:26.707-07:00

So I was in the urgent care clinic today because I sprained my wrist.  After waiting there for a while,  the triage nurse calls me in and got my history:  "So, what happened?  Did you fall?"  Her hands are poised over the computer keyboard, ready to enter the information. "No," I say, and paused trying to figure out how to describe what happened.  "See, my cat was making this upchuck noise, and

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-78175092160660632652011-07-10T14:02:00.000-07:002011-07-10T14:09:05.789-07:00

One of the most steadfast people I know is my Army mechanic brother Allen.  If he gives you his word, he will stubbornly keep it, even if it means he'd have to travel the world to do it.  He may not do it right away, but he will do his utmost to do it as soon as it is humanly possible. He is also eccentric and has a very quirky sense of humor, but that's rather typical of my side of the family.

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-45911529555816263582011-07-08T11:43:00.000-07:002011-07-08T11:49:59.130-07:00

I was reading about a brou-ha-ha down in Texas about people in Arlington protesting putting in bike paths as somehow unAmerican, because it was forcing people out of their cars.  That's silliness.  You put in a bike path, and guess what?  People can still drive their cars.  In fact, if there are enough people on bicycles riding around their local areas, it actually frees up highways and relieves

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-9194414529587747372011-05-20T11:23:00.000-07:002011-05-20T11:26:11.706-07:00

So, according to Harold Camping, the Rapture should occur tomorrow, with the end of the world happening later in October of this year. I'm not particularly concerned, not because I think I'm going to be Raptured (and if what he says is true, I guess I'm a candidate, being a church-goer and all), but because practically speaking, whether it happens or not, I'll probably be too busy to be

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-60436042233150993482011-04-14T21:27:00.000-07:002011-04-14T21:36:52.189-07:00

I have been steadily cleaning out this disaster-area of an office, and finding things that are...well, fairly useless.  Such as 5-inch and 3.5-inch floppy disks that have information I've already either archived or have on my current computer.  There are books for which I have copies in ebook form (Jane Austen books, many of which you can download free), and paperback books that are falling apart

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-90241338747936088272011-04-09T21:33:00.000-07:002011-04-09T21:33:49.217-07:00

Got busy today!  I decided to clean my office in 1/2 hour spurts, which coincidentally is the amount of time wool roving needs to cook in the crockpot.  So I thought, why not dye some roving and clean at the same time? That way I'd have a few breaks from the tedium of cleaning, yet still dedicate some solid time giving away, throwing away, and putting away stuff.  Yep, spring cleaning is here! I

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-53136556216771758552011-03-29T17:53:00.000-07:002011-03-29T17:53:11.707-07:00

So I'm back from Germany, and looking around for a job, and after my rant on Facebook about the lack of basic punctuation and spelling on the web and elsewhere, it occurred to me that maybe I should hire myself out as an editor.  Okay, so everyone, even the best and most careful of writers, has a typo every now and again, and there are times we all say "damn you autocorrect!"  But that's

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-31437100947020099032011-03-29T11:27:00.000-07:002011-03-29T11:27:54.499-07:00

Okay, there is a Local Single Mom somewhere who not only makes $10,000 in 15 days working part time, goes to college while supporting her family on government grants that nobody knows about, but is 55 and looks 30 by removing her wrinkles following one weird tip that she developed.  Dermatologists apparently the world over are gunning for her because they don't want anyone to know.  I see this

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-33453124928573704102011-03-13T14:07:00.000-07:002011-03-13T19:37:46.687-07:00

"Kiwotsukete" means "take care!" in Japanese.  My niece Erika has a lot of friends in Japan, and many of them want to help their fellow citizens in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake and tsunami.  She suggested that they put together a clothing and food drive, which is a great idea.  You go, Erika!  :-) What I'd also like to suggest is putting together what I call a "kiwotsukete kit"--or

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-82227417901576835902011-03-12T19:28:00.000-08:002011-03-12T19:28:25.655-08:00

So, I'm looking at some comments after news reports here and there regarding the Japanese earthquake and there are more than a few people who use this disaster to proclaim that it's useless to pray and it proves there's no God. Which is pretty damn heartless, in my humble opinion. If someone's response to this horrible disaster is to pray, then let them if it gives them comfort and gives

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-67795199508446002962011-02-25T13:10:00.000-08:002011-02-25T13:10:48.343-08:00

The movers brought our furniture and other goods from Germany--at last!  Thank goodness they were more careful than the mail.  The antique china cabinet arrived intact, as did the marble-topped side table.  I love those pieces so much!  I've never had antique anything before, and now I do. We unfortunately decided to mail our glüwein mugs and as a result, all but three (two medieval ones and one

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-36239645222609709732011-02-04T12:29:00.000-08:002011-02-04T12:32:47.489-08:00

So I went shopping yesterday for jeans, and started to miss the shopping experience I had while in Europe.  This is how you do it there:  you go out in the morning (usually with a friend), take a while shopping (usually in an outdoor market, but there is often regular stores nearby, within walking distance), then you have a very leisurely lunch in a funky little restaurant or cafe with a great

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-85355817580790044152011-01-29T17:02:00.001-08:002011-01-29T17:02:37.603-08:00

My wonderful hubby gave me an iPad for Christmas, which I got after Christmas, because we we re in the midst of moving during the holiday season, alas. At any rate, I have been exploring the various functions of this marvelous device, and of course had to look at iBook app.I stumbled upon a marvelous use this app: storing and reading knitting patterns that have been put into PDF format! I

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-33104427294296002952010-12-29T13:18:00.000-08:002010-12-29T13:18:13.717-08:00

Starting in mid-November and going through January 6th, the cities and villages in the Netherlands and Germany are laden with bright Christmas decorations, and a visitor or expatriate living in these countries (I’m one of the latter) finds the traditional Christmas markets irresistible.  I decided to go to as many as I could. I was determined to go to the first one available, especially

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-15253541851983174272010-12-25T16:26:00.000-08:002010-12-25T16:26:53.134-08:00

Merry Christmas!  Last night, we went to some friends' house (hi Doug and Anna!) and spent Christmas Eve there (and used their washing machine and dryer to wash our clothes) eating raclette and watching Polar Express, which I hadn't ever seen before (delightful movie!).  It was with melancholy hearts that we left our friends to go back to the hotel, and were greeted by darkened windows--the

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-15490084994160143482010-11-03T09:50:00.001-07:002010-11-03T09:50:51.974-07:00

I'm so proud of myself.  Today I bought more cell phone minutes from the local post office, called up the service number on my cell phone, and keyed in the code, even though both the instructions spoken by the cell phone service AND the cell phone receipt were all in German!  No English! Okay, so I had to listen to the instructions on the cell phone about four or five times, but I did it and got

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-1872610978650660032010-10-11T13:17:00.000-07:002010-10-11T13:17:12.549-07:00

So, with Oktoberfest at a close, I discover this answer to drinking and driving: http://www.bierbike-aachen.de/das-bierbike.html Yes, it's a beer bike.  You rent out this contraption, have a bunch of your friends pedal the thing, while another (sober) person steers it, all the while touring the city of your choice as you all drink beer on tap. Those Germans think of everything when it comes to

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-64938189049837896392010-10-11T01:55:00.000-07:002010-10-11T01:55:30.853-07:00

After a series of mishaps, the boy is here at last.  The incoming Delta flight into Amsterdam was a bit late, and because of customs/security checks, he couldn't run fast enough to make the connecting flight to Dusseldorf at the other end of the airport.  The next flight was full, he missed the next flight because he fell asleep, and then he finally caught the one that arrived at 10:30 pm, a full

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-48988067650763040812010-10-01T04:29:00.000-07:002010-10-01T05:11:07.225-07:00

Well, we just got the word today:  we'll be going back to the U.S. at the end of December.  We had hoped that we could have stayed until June or so--there were so many places and things we wanted to see and do, and there would have been more than enough work for John to do...if the customer had decided to proceed with the project.  However, governments all over are cutting budgets, and I think

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-81157781314890373632010-09-28T13:39:00.000-07:002010-09-28T13:45:40.350-07:00

So, the Alien Child will be visiting in a few week's time (hooray! A family vacation at last!).  We'd like to take a day trip on the train to Amsterdam, and there is a train route that goes directly to that city from nearby Sittard just across the border in the Netherlands.  We plan to drive to Sittard, park in the Park and Ride garage, and go from there. But there is one problem:  where is the

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-37184112812023650842010-09-25T14:33:00.000-07:002010-09-25T14:33:32.429-07:00

Hey, one of my photos made it to Bike Rumor's Pic of the Day!  John posted it to his blog, and Bike Rumor picked it up from there.  Is that fun or what?  Bike Rumor has John's name on it, but he has properly attributed it to me on his blog. 

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-89813361285555412882010-09-23T08:09:00.000-07:002010-09-25T08:10:24.870-07:00

The Tour de France is so much more than is depicted on television, especially on U.S. TV.  The media focus is on the sport, on the athletes, and on who wins and loses.  But being at the event itself...well...the sport is almost only half of it.  It is very much an international celebration, and a celebration of the bicycling culture of Europe more than anything else. I won't go in depth about

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-52767287213791780962010-08-28T11:37:00.000-07:002010-08-31T05:22:24.288-07:00

You can't put such a thing as that poor hurt French girl out of one's mind; obviously I haven't put it out of my mind even now.  But, facts were facts:  we had done all we could, and there was nothing more to be done.  As John and I headed back to our hotel, we discussed the incident, and then tried to think of other things.  It was hard.  When you witness something that shocking, the

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-51958408940545623512010-08-15T07:16:00.000-07:002010-08-28T13:20:06.121-07:00

I noticed that the prior post's map didn't show our route accurately.  Though Google Maps has a train route option, it didn't want to show the train route from Geilenkirchen to Paris, or even show the train route to Aachen to Paris. I mean, really, Aachen used to be called Aix la Chapelle (and still is, for the French), and there is the high speed train from there to Paris. Anyway, we took

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-22962136114494812552010-07-30T11:05:00.000-07:002010-08-28T12:43:56.754-07:00

Yes, that's Paris, France, and it means I went there.  :-) View Larger Map So about a month or so ago, John suggested that we go to Paris for my birthday, and I stared at him in disbelief because that is what you do when someone hands you the fulfillment of a childhood dream on a plate.   "We could have dinner at the Eiffel Tower," he said.  "Why don't you make reservations?  We could go by

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-16072607350228551862010-07-06T06:23:00.000-07:002010-08-28T12:14:38.637-07:00

Which is my high school French attempt at saying, "I have knitted at the Tour de France." Here is a picture of what I was knitting, a cell phone (or "handy" as they say here in Germany) sock. I'm making it out of wool and silk tweed yarn, using a US size 3 Skacel Addi lace knitting needle and "magic loop" method. Why? Because 1) I kept running out of minutes on my cellphone while it was in my

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-36704739319856960052010-07-04T07:18:00.000-07:002010-08-28T13:38:23.247-07:00

Happy Independence Day, all you United States citizens, wherever you may be. I'm feeling this day more than usual, as I'm not in the States, and I do miss it. On this day at home, we'd be hearing fireworks shot off here and there, sometimes even starting the day before. John would be suddenly seized with a bit of pyromania and have gone on a trip off to the fireworks stand to load up on

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-27326610344150342582010-06-20T08:58:00.000-07:002010-08-28T13:41:04.456-07:00

You may imagine the excitement I felt when John told me that there was the opportunity on June 20th to see a reenactment of the Battle of Waterloo--at Waterloo in Belgium! He told me this last week, but I didn't mention this on my blog, or e-mail about it to any of my friends (other than the local ones who were going along), just in case mentioning it might jinx it. Yes, that's how anxious and

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-18613670992378084342010-06-13T23:55:00.000-07:002010-08-28T13:42:34.126-07:00

Yet another thing that makes this little ol' American gal stop and think, no, you are not in Auburn, WA any more, but in Europe, specifically a European neighborhood grocery store: Yes, lest you think "Mäusepisse" can't possibly mean what it looks like, there is a picture to let you know that this does indeed mean "Mouse Piss." It is a liqueur that can be found in the liquor section of the

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-53594234475127071352010-06-09T13:39:00.000-07:002010-06-12T13:18:30.905-07:00

I was feeling rather blah this morning and so mentally debated whether I wanted to go to the craft/quilt afternoon at Margaret's house, but remembered that I was to show Anna how to use her drop spindle, so decided to go. I was glad I did, because it meant I finally finished the quilted pin cushion that I started...I think some months ago. Finished except for the stuffing, that is. So that's

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-27292529440471289482010-06-06T08:07:00.000-07:002010-06-06T08:07:08.739-07:00

So, I got myself a bicycle this weekend! It's what's known as a "city bike," which is a 3-speed, sturdy, every-day sort of bicycle that people here in Germany and the Netherlands just ride to do errands, for a little afternoon ride, and so on. It means freedom to me...we only have one car that we trade off on using, and there are times I'd like to go to the local grocery store to pick up a few

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-51025594367869730712010-06-04T16:12:00.000-07:002010-06-04T16:12:53.792-07:00

Who in the world thought giving kids the idea that sticking a plunger in a toilet and then into one's mouth was ever right? Apparently someone did. One more curious item I found at the Sittard Market: Yeah, that's right. Toilet candy.  Apparently you take one of those plunger-shaped lollipops, lick it, put it into the sour powder in the toilet, then put the plunger into your mouth. (Face

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-44397772040293556872010-06-02T14:43:00.000-07:002010-06-02T15:08:33.136-07:00

Today was a gorgeous day--warm on the edge of hot, with a nice breeze--so I ended up contacting Anna H and we decided to go to the grocery store together; shopping is usually more fun when one goes with a friend, even if it's just a run to get groceries. We've shopped in three different countries and for everything from groceries to antiques to fabric. It is especially interesting when one

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-8039388823464748562010-05-31T08:14:00.000-07:002010-05-31T13:22:43.517-07:00

I have constant reminders of the importance of military service where I live now, near a couple of military bases in Germany.  It's not just the military personnel I see on a weekly basis, but the nearness of the reminders of World War II.  In the small town where I live--Süsterseel--right on the border of the Netherlands, there is a monument to the war dead from both World Wars.  Just a week ago

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-77665766387281739312010-05-25T15:10:00.000-07:002010-05-27T07:50:15.434-07:00

Before I post about our next touristy outing, I want to mention the shopping. Shopping in Germany and the Netherlands is a wonderful experience, particularly if you are a bargain-hunting sort of person like me. First, there are the things you can get absolutely free, if you have no compunction about looking at what your neighbor is setting out on the curb. In Germany, people are apparently

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-30403328909734387392010-05-23T09:44:00.000-07:002010-05-23T09:55:35.830-07:00

I mentioned that we settled in a small town called Süsterseel here in Germany. It's located in the Heinsberg District, and within the municipality of Selfkant. I don't think it has much more than 5,000 people in it, although I could be mistaken. I'm within walking distance from a great little bakery. Maybe 3 blocks away, tops. Some of the gals who work there speak a little English, some

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-78516812034681636502010-05-21T10:11:00.000-07:002010-05-23T09:10:21.874-07:00

Back to the castle.... I felt considerable relief when we entered the later portions of the castle. I should mention that you first enter the modern portion, and then go into the medieval part. You can see that here: The drawbridge that goes into the castle goes into the modern part first. In this picture, you can see the drawbridge, and to the right is the cylindrical medieval tower. In

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-70982947639175884992010-05-17T03:39:00.000-07:002010-05-17T04:44:15.075-07:00

I interrupt my castle travelogue to report that I just discovered a dead mouse in my kitchen. A Dead Mouse. I was mopping the kitchen floor, and the mop hit the baseboard at the sink and the baseboard fell off. I bent over to pick up the baseboard and put it back and froze as I spotted a mousetrap...with a mouse trapped in it. It was clearly dead, in fact downright dried up and mummified.

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-33592360030265422862010-05-16T08:44:00.000-07:002010-05-17T03:42:34.244-07:00

It's been a few weeks since we've gone to it (April 17th, to be exact), but I have to mention Castle Hoensbroek, in the Netherlands. John and I decided to take a break from getting our house in order--getting furniture, putting our bed and dining table and chairs together, etc., and do some actual touristy stuff. John, bless his heart, didn't tell me that we were going to a castle. A real

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-60173886704958394542010-05-16T04:14:00.000-07:002010-05-16T04:14:17.901-07:00

So I went to the Edeka yesterday, which is a grocery store in Süsterseel.  I will most definitely go there again, as I had been going to the Rewe in Gangelt, which is farther away.  I have to say the Edeka is more to my taste, as their wine section is organized by country and type of wine.  In addition, I nearly wept with joy when I saw they stocked sesame seed oil, yakisoba noodles, dried

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-5836993839035606402010-05-05T12:16:00.000-07:002010-05-05T16:10:35.678-07:00

So John came home and brought some Karttofel nudeln (I hope I'm spelling this right--it translates as "potato noodles")--I don't know why, but I suppose he decided to do some adventurous shopping while at the local grocery store.Karttofel nudeln is not that different from gnocchi, which are small potato dumplings--same size, same taste. It may even be the same thing, except the German version is

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-79102528348030331892010-04-28T03:16:00.000-07:002010-04-28T03:16:03.850-07:00

My brother Dave and his wife Margaret have started a foodie blog called Coop de Kitchen--about time, I say! Dave and Margaret are big-time foodies, and their meals are to die for. John and I never refuse an invitation to dinner or lunch, as the food is always fresh, always well-prepared, and always delicious. Dave has already posted one of his delicious recipes, “Daizu no Nimoni and Kamameshi

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-42700667953388153172010-04-28T02:54:00.000-07:002010-04-28T02:16:23.624-07:00

It’s been about a month since I’ve posted; we’ve run around like crazy people getting a bed and a dining table and chairs so that we can sleep and eat at the house in Süsterseel. We now have a couch and a chair, too, as well as a stereo for music. No TV. We’ll get that later. I’ve decided to post out of order. A lot has happened in a month--and I can’t remember exactly what event has

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-33369758716749315482010-03-18T08:54:00.000-07:002010-04-28T01:52:54.961-07:00

Last night I was invited to go to the International Women’s Night on one of the NATO bases by Anna and Tanna (another expat lady, whose home town is in the Puget Sound area of Washington State). The club is attended by women from all the NATO nations and who are stationed in the area. As a result, there are French, German, British, Canadian, Turkish, Italian, Norwegian, US...well, there are

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-14159206507448122942010-03-10T08:00:00.000-08:002010-04-23T07:53:14.156-07:00

Ugh. It’s been a while since I’ve posted here. It’s been a whirlwind of activity...mostly! I’ve had to do the taxes, which is more complicated than usual this time, as we have to account for John’s work in Germany last year, and have to interact with some tax specialists who are expert at foreign work situations. But, I expect to get that done this week. Last time I mentioned that AnnaMK

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-83556981235955649482010-03-05T09:39:00.000-08:002010-03-08T12:34:58.344-08:00

AnnaMK called this afternoon and said Toni has found another house, and we can see it on Saturday afternoon. We were going to look at Ikea furniture with Laurie B (one of John’s coworkers), and since that’s in the morning, we can do both. We were going to buy furniture for the wood house in Schondorf, but since that fell through, we are only going to get things like towels of a neutral color

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-44746771570568117262010-03-02T09:28:00.000-08:002010-03-08T10:00:25.576-08:00

Well, we are not getting the wood house in Schondorf. And oddly, for all my moaning and groaning and wanting it when I first saw it, I’m not very disappointed. Why? Aside from the fact that I am no doubt fickle and that the Schondorf house called to my deep sense of homesickness, there is no broadband internet access there. There is perhaps dial-up, but dial-up will not do. As soon as I

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-45924255570164359922010-02-28T00:37:00.000-08:002010-03-07T03:51:06.205-08:00

The wind is very blustery today--well, it’s stormy, actually. It batters at the windows as if demanding to come in, and whips around the bare branches of the trees just outside of our hotel. We have heard more than a few ambulance sirens in the distance as well as going past the hotel on the street below, causing John to comment that the emergency services certainly seem to be getting a workout

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-6424308487632239232010-02-25T02:03:00.000-08:002010-03-03T04:06:54.153-08:00

I had lunch with the expat ladies today, at one of the local restaurants. The food was delicious as usual, and nicely presented, as all our dinners and lunches out have been. I still felt conflicted and homesick and slightly guilty for wanting the house we had seen earlier. The first house--the white house, was what I call it--was perfectly serviceable for our needs, and had two extra rooms we

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-10506702059627663622010-02-24T07:06:00.000-08:002010-03-02T01:55:37.338-08:00

I decided to go shopping today (Wednesday), so I got up fairly early, dressed, and stepped out. I couldn’t find my umbrella (I’m only partially unpacked, as the wardrobe here is pretty small), so counted myself lucky that there was no rain, or so little as to not matter. There is a grocery store--somewhat akin to a Safeway--called the Rewe, which has all manner of food, including international

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-22327222575605606612010-02-23T08:49:00.000-08:002010-02-27T14:57:21.921-08:00

Today, Tuesday, started out with a frantic search for information. John had neatly put some information--including how to get to work--into a binder and because he is committed to having all of that in one place and not scattered about. However, he decided to hide it in the hotel room, as it did have a copy of my prescriptions and other info in it that might be tempting for someone to take.

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-87804137208803870132010-02-23T04:42:00.000-08:002010-02-26T06:37:38.020-08:00

I found to my dismay upon arriving in the hotel last night that it smelled of cigarette smoke, but I have a feeling that there may not be very many non-smoking rooms in this hotel (City Hotel). A lot of people smoke here, more than I am used to seeing in the Puget Sound area, and so far as I can see, there are not any no-smoking areas in any of the restaurants. However, I seem to be doing all

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-62665380353867380342010-02-22T21:00:00.000-08:002010-02-24T04:58:26.742-08:00

As I mentioned, the plane flight from Seattle to London was very nice, although of course it was difficult to sleep on the plane, even with the comfortable seats.  The airports...were interesting.I have been through SeaTac Airport many times, so there was no trouble navigating that.  There were the familiar faces of Asian people, and other people from the Pacific Rim.  There are a few nice

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-79494084509455703282010-02-21T02:10:00.000-08:002010-02-23T00:41:14.449-08:00

So, I'm now on a British Airways 777 flight to Heathrow in business class! I have never traveled in other than coach, and I must say this is very different! It is not cramped at all, and has these interesting seats where you are side by side but facing each other. The seats are thankfully wide, so I don't feel cramped at all, and there are foot rests that are cushioned. John has the window seat,

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-59211654627823844392010-02-08T21:07:00.000-08:002010-02-08T21:07:59.263-08:00

Whew.  So I said goodbye to the folks at my day job  on Friday (BergerABAM, the best place I've ever worked--I'm going to miss my coworkers something terrible, seriously.  That place is alive with creativity and innovation, not to mention just plain ol' nice people) and today is my first day at home full time.  I'm just as busy, although I took some breaks to play Farmville, Country Life, and

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-53046787845561122032010-01-27T12:28:00.000-08:002010-01-28T09:05:58.607-08:00

This is to benefit Haitian Aid via World Vision. And this is how this booksigning came about: As I mentioned before, I'm moving to Germany, which means I have had to go through my humongous yarn stash and decide what to get rid of (sob!) and what I'm going to store, and what I'm going to take with me. I have a lot of very nice-quality yarn, and would prefer to give it to someone who would

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-32540059696380486092010-01-22T12:30:00.000-08:002010-02-03T15:43:58.683-08:00

I love this Anna Nalick song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgiZz-aqheU&FORM=VIRE6 These are dark days; we have a difficult economy, and so many are out of jobs. But even those people can count themselves fortunate not to be in the situation that the people in Haiti are in right now. The Haitian people have even lost those who were there to help them. I know of two United Methodist Global

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-13058425571717007762010-01-20T11:02:00.000-08:002010-01-20T11:09:30.264-08:00

It's official. The hubby and I are going to Germany--and I mean, relocating, not just visiting. It'll probably be for over a year, but beyond that, we don't know. The Alien Child will be housesitting for us, but this does not make me less nervous, as he has so far shown a singular disinterest in learning what must be done to run a household. With luck, this will change. I'm a bit scared,

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-69483803205050699622010-01-17T23:09:00.000-08:002010-01-18T11:41:09.580-08:00

I have to tell you about a remarkable woman I just met tonight.  Her name is Ginger Passarelli, and she's the owner of Mama Passarelli's restaurant out in Black Diamond, Washington. The hubby and I decided on the spur of the moment (well, I was coming home from critique group, and the whole chicken I had taken out of the freezer was not yet defrosted, so...) to go out to eat this evening, and he

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-8871272585242635272009-12-26T14:17:00.000-08:002009-12-26T14:17:49.192-08:00

I'm still recovering from hosting Christmas dinner last night--17 people, after all was said and done.  The Alien Child's girlfriend also came over, as her trip to Oklahoma was curtailed by the massive snowstorm that closed the airports there.  But, the more the merrier at the Harbaugh house at Christmas! It may sound odd to some to say so, but this really is the beginning of the Christmas

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-65805549053170501082009-12-21T12:05:00.000-08:002009-12-21T12:05:00.577-08:00

I'm up to my ears in day-job work and preparing for 16 people to be at Christmas dinner at our house, and I doubt I'll get to post anything at length. Yet, Christmas is a time of light and celebration in the midst of the darkest season of the year; indeed, I think I can say all cultures in this world have some kind of mid-winter celebration that is focused on light and bounty. It's such a human

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-37041019925147720162009-12-17T13:14:00.000-08:002009-12-17T13:14:41.149-08:00

Kind of. Between doing overtime at work, NaNoWriMo, and the resulting shoulder and back pain, I've kept my writing very limited. Gotta heal up before I jump back into writing again, and that includes my blogs. There is stuff I've written for my blogs prior to this, but I have to find the time to finish writing and upload them. Sigh. I'll back date them to their proper date-of-creation when I do,

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-58071464589520710322009-10-19T20:57:00.000-07:002009-10-19T20:57:54.756-07:00

I have the iPod Touch--essentially the iPhone without the phone, and I do like my apps.  I just downloaded one today called "Note to God."  I thought to myself, it'd be good every once in a while as a reminder to say "hey" to the Big Guy every once in a while. So I downloaded it, and decided I'd see what the format might be to write a note. Dear heaven.  I never thought....well, it is very

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-5256305379612633592009-10-08T12:05:00.000-07:002010-02-03T15:46:30.840-08:00

So....I decided to create another blog called "Playing with Words," which will feature anything I decide to write that has to do with writing and publishing. I will probably transfer my writing entries from this blog to that one, just to have all my writing-related stuff in one place. That'll be my "official" blog, rather than the informal one I have here at the Pollyanna Files. I'll continue to

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-28060776891560410302009-09-30T19:03:00.000-07:002009-09-30T19:09:33.860-07:00

The video below is one of the most moving pieces of performance art I've ever seen. I saw this before I went to work this morning--a big mistake, because it ruined my makeup. At the end, I gave a big sigh, wiped away my tears, and smiled, shaking my head at how one young Ukrainian woman could evoke such emotion with sand.It's set during 1945. You'll understand.

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-36611575613145173842009-09-24T14:30:00.000-07:002009-09-24T14:34:03.080-07:00

I will be guest blogging tomorrow 9/25 at Embrace the Shadows: http://embracetheshadows.wordpress.com. Come visit!

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-59859370522432653042009-09-18T18:57:00.000-07:002009-09-18T23:04:30.541-07:00

Last night the hubby and I were discussing the church band and the music program in general there, and how lucky we were to have such an open and creative music program that encouraged people and kids to explore their musical abilities. The music director, Brian, has a true gift for encouraging kid's musical leanings and developing them into true talent. John, my hubby, is the "sound guy"--the

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-67575985220543040682009-09-08T12:30:00.000-07:002009-09-08T12:30:00.986-07:00

So, the news is that the swine flu cases climbed to 2200 this last week at Washington State University. Two weeks ago it was just five confirmed cases. Some people can't believe it rose that high that quickly. I have two things for them to consider: 1. H1N1 virus is highly contagious2. It escalated during Greek Rush Week. Anyone who has any kind of experience with Greek Week will understand what

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-15010728828616963342009-09-06T14:37:00.000-07:002009-09-06T22:28:21.652-07:00

"Think of your fellow manLend him a helping handPut a little love in your heart....And the world will be a better place..."Enough of feeling down and despairing! It's time to get down and get to work!I was reminded of this, when the old hippie flower-child song above (written by Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers, and Jackie DeShannon) was played in church today, and I remember when I heard this as a

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-74782177137573163952009-08-31T00:29:00.000-07:002009-09-01T10:48:09.018-07:00

Anna, my view of it is...not the usual view, but I think it's what is really happening, after more than a few years of studying demographics, geography, and rural poverty. In my opinion, most of the anger is coming from small towns and communities. Geography determines how easy--or impossible--it is to get to social services. In addition, our general policy of funding services and infrastructure

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-66569078439410766342009-08-26T18:26:00.000-07:002009-08-26T18:26:49.055-07:00

Two households, both alike in dignity,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.What if you knew of two groups of people--you have friends in both, and you know that deep down, these are worthy people, with deep concerns for others' welfare. They are hard-working people, caring, and kind. Each one has real concerns

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-16902267125579714882009-08-25T18:48:00.000-07:002009-08-25T22:38:35.798-07:00

The Alien Child is starting his classes at college again-his last semester! He graduates in December. He called with the price of books: Political Science books are very expensive, apparently. The total cost for books including tax is $619.50. As many used ones as he could find. Dear heaven.He is also taking a required elective, this time karate, a physical education class. One of the

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-39641973393437462712009-08-22T20:48:00.000-07:002009-08-22T20:52:50.953-07:00

I love that there is enough creativity and compassion in the world that students can create an inexpensive incubator for premature babies in poor rural areas of Nepal.

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-9336211144574059012009-08-21T20:47:00.000-07:002009-08-22T20:48:00.112-07:00

Awwww!http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32503763/ns/world_news-wonderful_world/

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-89843021442809702782009-08-19T16:36:00.000-07:002009-08-19T17:49:31.922-07:00

I was reflecting on the brouhaha around John Mackey's (of Whole Foods) comment about health care. For the record, I personally think it'd be good to have a safety net of public health care available. But regardless of what I believe, or what Mackey believes, about health care, I also believe we have the right to say whatever we want to say--free expression is a guaranteed right in our country

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-56621938158008237252009-08-18T20:04:00.000-07:002009-08-18T22:38:56.287-07:00

Why in the world am I delving into another place and time instead of sticking to the Regency era? I know the Regency era pretty danged well. Writing a story in that setting would be relatively simple--simpler than writing a 1798 Irish Rebellion werewolf story. But noooo, I have to start from scratch again, from reading about the era, the economics, the politics, the religion, and last but not

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-7433689805749741412009-08-18T18:02:00.000-07:002009-08-18T19:22:02.722-07:00

All right, I'm starting the new story--the Irish werewolf one--for sure now. I've done some general history research on the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and re-familiarizing myself with Jonathan Swift's satire, "A Modest Proposal." The satire was published in the 1720's, but I plan to have it in a priest's library and in the villain's hands at one point. I'm going to start it just at the death of

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-78070121123823407572009-08-13T12:04:00.000-07:002009-08-13T12:26:31.472-07:00

This is in response to my niece Erika on Facebook regarding televangelists. She said:those people are corrupt. I think they do it just for the cash. Sad really..Erika, it's more complex than that. People usually are more complex than they appear, but it's much easier to react to them on the basis of their surface appearance. The media does it all the time, unfortunately. I think many of them

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-69430046291211896432009-08-13T00:22:00.000-07:002009-08-13T00:54:27.974-07:00

I don't think I've ever mentioned music much, other than the fact that the Alien Child plays guitar and is in a band. I don't know why. There's not one day when I don't have music on. In fact, right now, I'm listening to some music by Outlier. First discovered JP on YouTube, Australia's Got Talent.I started out a classical music fan--still am--and then of course there was the early 1970s

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-70197331410143618092009-08-12T11:22:00.000-07:002009-08-12T11:46:22.171-07:00

Televangelism makes me think of used sponges. They become infused with germs as they get older, and are better off when someone applies regular heat-sanitization.

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-63605269215998241132009-08-11T16:56:00.000-07:002009-08-11T20:24:30.263-07:00

In the last few years, I haven't read much of anything except perhaps research articles and books--no fiction, can you imagine? When I was a kid, I'd fill a big box full of books every week from the library and read them all in a week. This continued through my high school and college years--my assigned books were not enough; I had to read more. Throughout my 20s I would read tons of books. I

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-1687851443328596112009-08-10T23:55:00.000-07:002009-08-11T19:46:15.040-07:00

I'm writing so much more lately. Not on any story, but just in general. This is no doubt because I'm getting more sleep, as I no longer have to commute 2 to 3 hours a day to work, only 10 to 15 minutes, nor do I stay late at this new job. Right now, I'm feeling like I have much more brain energy--energy in general--so that no doubt accounts for all this Tweeting and blogging.I mentioned on

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-48476096636336330912009-08-08T10:46:00.001-07:002009-08-09T23:56:03.185-07:00

I haven't been to RWA national conference this year, and so haven't heard the market news, but that's fine...I know what they are, anyway. Which sounds arrogant, I guess, but anyone who has met me will tell you I'm not that kind of person. It's just that one of my hobbies is the study of demographics and market trends, focused mostly on publishing and in particular the romance market. I've

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-77584785816465441342009-08-07T17:49:00.000-07:002009-08-08T11:18:32.676-07:00

I was playing around on Twitter the other day (August 4th, during lunch break) after thinking about the contest entries I had judged, and decided to spit out some potential first lines of stories. Of course, it being Twitter, you're limited to 140 characters. It occurred to me that that limitation is great for forcing a writer to try to get the essence of a story into a few words, which is really

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-45603383793601696492009-08-06T18:35:00.000-07:002009-08-06T18:35:00.154-07:00

No, not thinking. I went to the Dharma Trading Company and bought some dyeing supplies, including a good book on the process. I already do know how to dye wool using a crockpot, but thought the book might come in handy for some tips and tricks. The Dharma Trading Company is a fantastic place to buy basic art and craft goods, particularly fiber arts. I really do mean basic, because you will not

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-26703350563035201572009-08-06T17:16:00.000-07:002009-08-06T19:49:45.237-07:00

Into the water. Pretend water. I bought--oh, my superstitious side is saying I should not mention it, lest I jinx the whole exercise impulse--a rowing machine.I have so far been very frustrated in my efforts at exercising. Joined a fitness center some years back, but something in the air kicked up my asthma, and I quit. Hard to exercise when I can't breathe. I then signed up with another

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-76752260451750185052009-08-03T22:40:00.001-07:002009-08-08T18:30:28.590-07:00

I judged a writing contest again. I believe I've mentioned before that actually like doing this, as it really helps me articulate the dos and don'ts of novel writing, and reflect on how to apply technique in my own writing. And, as always, a particular issue usually pops up more than once, and when it does, it tells me it's a problem that a lot of writers have.One contest entry bored me to

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-56549942037887680532009-08-02T22:48:00.000-07:002009-08-03T20:36:03.891-07:00

I just discovered that God has a Facebook page. And even though I go to church weekly, I find myself actually hesitating friending the Almighty. Yow.I noticed that God has 2,521,904 fans who friended Him. This is not a whole lot, considering that there are supposedly 2.1 billion Christians, 1.5 billion Muslims, and 14 million Jews in the world (total, 3,614,000,000). Now, granted, not all of them

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-30769874406451439732009-08-01T01:27:00.000-07:002009-08-01T13:55:14.731-07:00

The weather has decided to cool down, and what a remarkable difference 85 degrees is from 104! Yes, it got up to 104 degrees F! One cannot think in such weather, much less move. Everything is sluggish in heat like that. It melts both brain and sinew.Sinew. I believe that's the first time I've used that word in my writing. Hmm.Anyway, it's cooler, and this means I have been able to gain back

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-85673191873809852642009-07-28T20:30:00.000-07:002009-08-01T13:54:33.538-07:00

98 degrees F today. It's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow, over 100 degrees. I called my mom today to see if she's bearing up under the heat all right, and she said that when she went to her doctor's appointment in the late morning, she saw two bank reader boards that showed 103 degrees. I looked at the forecast for Eastern Washington--10 degrees COOLER than the Puget Sound area.We may

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-31582111411055606672009-07-28T12:05:00.000-07:002009-08-01T13:56:53.467-07:00

I'm taking some time during lunch to see what is going on in my brother's blog. Dave has a Blogspot blog which of course I follow, because not only is he family, he's a merchant seaman on board cargo ships that sail the world and a good storyteller as well. It's a good way for him to inform the family and friends about what's going on with him, as his e-mail length and time are limited when on

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-54517340885090635732009-07-25T11:55:00.000-07:002009-08-01T13:57:47.503-07:00

I was marveling at all the writing I was doing on this blog, and thought, wow, I must be gearing up for a major writing blitz.Then I re-read my blog entries and realized they're mostly about food, or had food in them. I realize now that it began when I was thinking seriously about going on a diet and doing more exercise.So, food obsession has kicked in, not a writing blitz. Grrrr.I tell you,

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-38899743904105501602009-07-23T17:30:00.000-07:002009-08-01T13:58:46.218-07:00

As my mom’s surgery was of the outpatient variety with minimal anesthesia, we decided to go to lunch afterwards. Gig Harbor has become decidedly upscale since my high school days. The town proper has more shi-shi shops than before, and there seem to be far more private sailboats and motorboats now than fishing boats. The restaurants along the harbor are of the Anthony’s Home Port sort. On the

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-62289455764721839542009-07-22T20:33:00.000-07:002009-08-01T13:59:23.938-07:00

My mom's house is in the boonies. To get there, I have to go through two or three small towns that are around...maybe 10,000, but it's hard to tell, as I just did a Google search and came up with nothing as to to the population of each. Cell phone service is available, but even my Verizon and my brother's AT&T services quit when we get to her house.She lives outside/in a small town--well, come to

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12544443.post-29659798991915469482009-07-19T23:04:00.000-07:002009-07-20T19:39:16.431-07:00

I decided to drive out into the countryside for a few hours; it was a beautiful day, hardly a cloud in the sky, and temperatures in the upper 70 degrees F. I live just up the hill from the Kent/Auburn valley, through which courses the Green River, made notorious by the Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer. In truth, his depredations only touched the river a few times, but he was given the name

--Karen Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04516772051139013960noreply@blogger.com0