New face mask inactivates flu viruses

Not much blogging has been happening amidst the rush of preparations for my son's birthday (how can he be turning two already?!), but I have been keeping an eye on flu-related news.

Yesterday a company called Medline put out a press release advertising their new face mask; it inactivates 99.99 percent of flu viruses. After a brief smile at the name, BioMask (which brings to mind the original working title of my novel: Biomass), I focused on the really interesting part. Instead of just filtering particles, the BioMask actually kills flu viruses. The following is a quote from the press release about how this works.

The Curad® BioMask™ works by using a combination of citric acid, zinc and copper — all powerful but safe ingredients. A hydrophilic coating on the outside quickly wicks droplets into and away from the outer surface. Viruses are inactivated on this outer layer by exposure to citric acid, which creates a low pH environment. The droplet then lands on the mask’s inner blue layer where influenza viruses are inactivated by copper and zinc, which are toxic to pathogens.

Testing included at least nine strains of flu, which were all inactivated within five minutes of contact. The makers also tout the minimization of cross-contamination. Cross-contamination is a big consideration in viral spread. If you touch a door knob after coughing or sneezing into your hand, others who follow can pick up whatever nasty surprises you left behind. And we all touch our face—most notably for transmission our eyes, nose, or mouth—an estimated 3,000 times a day. (As scarily illustrated in the movie Contagion.) Consider this another plug to wash your hands.

I can't really see the public adapting to constant mask-wearing, particularly without an imminent threat, but the BioMask should make a lot of medical personnel happy. 

All of this germ talk is yet another reason I'm happy to be escaping the child birthday party for one more year. We are going to to the zoo with family (no one can live in a bubble), and then we’ll head home for dinosaur cake (I'm baking/decorating) and quality time playing on son's new swing set. Of course, this proud mom plans to snap even more pictures of her growing boy.

Photography workshop: A personal interest benefits home and work

As mentioned in a previous post, I am taking an online photography workshop. I'm surprising myself by actually making noticeable progress. The most recent revelations came via a Photosanity Q&A webinar—where I psyched myself up to actually ask my most pressing plebe photographer questions—and a lesson on "Making the Most of the Light You Have." Our instructor featured my photo below in her post today on "Week 4 assignment highlights."

I have been wanting to take a photography class since shortly after my son was born. I just never had the time or funds. I also worried that my non-DSLR camera would be a handicap to learning. Would a photography instructor take me seriously and be able to give pointers for my super-zoom camera?



Photosanity works for me on several levels. It is online. I now set aside Tuesday evenings, after my son is in bed, to view lessons (pre-recorded slideshows with audio) and work on the photo editing and upload portions of my assignments. Feedback from our instructor, Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick, and our local mentor, Alison Eden, is constructive and addresses my (likely overly-picky) concerns about the particular photo.



Turning the tables on Mommy.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100

Photosanity is geared toward busy, often scattered, parents. It's okay, even encouraged, that you whip out your camera phone and take an imperfect picture (see example at right). The important part is to capture the moment. I'm really enjoying my photo-a-day project featuring my son. The workshop has given me permission to take that grainy photo now and use it as a learning experience that I can treasure as I progress toward taking better photos.



I must sound like a walking advertisement. I actually approached the workshop with a bit of skepticism, but the price was right. Now the class has won me over. Despite sometimes sketchy access to certain features of the class Facebook group, due to my own time limitations, I am satisfied with the online support I receive. It really helps that the instructor and mentor are also busy moms. They understand that my son comes first. Rather than distracting from time with him, Photosanity has fostered my awareness of the little moments. Capturing one of those moments in a photo is priceless!





How does this fit into my usual blog topics and writing interests? I look forward to applying my new skill to my next public health web or newsletter photography project. It is always exciting when I get to bring a personal interest to bear at my work. I need to slow down more often and remember that taking a little time to follow one of my dreams helps feed my effectiveness in other roles. Writing deserves more notice than being relegated to the lowest slot in my busy schedule.

Photography workshop: My current distraction

Why does my life have to be so packed and interesting? (Rhetorical question!) If it weren't, I might actually get more writing done. I still can't imagine ever being bored.



My current distraction is an online photography workshop called Photosanity. I learned about Photosanity via a discount site, and I was hooked when I learned that it is geared toward helping parents take better photos of their children and organize and share these pictures. I am currently on the third week (new lessons are posted each Tuesday), and I have already learned some great tips and gathered new photography resources.

• Lesson 1 - Start a photo-a-day project
• Lesson 2 - What to look for to get the best photos
• Lesson 3 - Getting your children to cooperate

I have taken a lot of photos of my son since his birth nearly two years ago, but I am taking even more with this class as inspiration. I am getting better at selecting photos, though I still hate to permanantly delete any of them. These are a couple of my favorites:



Toddler parking: Proud of his new truck.



Pretty, Mommy! Showing off a blade of grass.

Struggling with: Depth of field

Currently reading: My camera's user manual.

Special events: My 37th birthday, on February 19, will be spent with my family at Bright Star Ranch.

Please share your favorite photo-taking tips and resources. I have a long way to go with my photography and so many special moments to capture with my son.

Randomness: A list about blogging, vacation, my books, and bunnies

• I missed blogging last week. My good intentions to schedule a post went out the window in my rush to wrap things up at work and home in preparation for a week away.
• Is it really vacation when you're chasing around two children under two? Our week visiting with my sister and her family was a toddler-inspired adventure. I can't say that it was restful, but we did have a lot of fun, and we even managed to catch up on some sister time by staying up late talking after our kids (and later our hubbies) were in bed.
• My fun project this month is to finish the updated edition of my family cookbook. I love the art of layout and editing the eclectic collection into a whole. (Just smile and nod.) I try to give a copy to family members every other Christmas, which makes this edition only a bit over a year overdue. So far it's 48 pages, but I have a stack of recipes yet to add and quite a bit of tweaking to do. Okay, so I confess that I always have more tweaking to do, but there is a difference between "quite a bit" and putting on the final polish.
• Speaking of cooking.... I am really enjoying the use of my Kindle Fire as a cookbook, in conjunction with the Belkin Kitchen Stand and Wand for Tablets that my brother so wisely gifted me for Christmas. Add the M-Edge Leisure Kindle Jacket and my Fire is well protected from cooking splatters and toddler explorations.
• I haven't quite finished re-writes on another chapter of Dormant. See the first and second bullet points. In that vein, if I can stay up late talking to my sister, I can certainly stay up late writing.
• I confess that I still haven't caught up on the housework since the holidays. Our house isn't a total wreck, but it could certainly use a bit of TLC to rescue it from the toys and dust. On second thought, maybe I should leave the toys out to hide the dust bunnies. They've reached a nice status quo.
• Speaking of bunnies.... Did I mention that my last post was my 100th blog? In honor of the occasion, I'm giving away a copy of Pink Snowbunnies in Hell: A Flash-Fiction Anthology to one lucky reader. Just post your own random thought in the comments section below.

New year, old resolutions

Happy New Year!

Did you stay up until midnight to greet 2012? I had a rare look into the future at 9am on January 31, 2011, when I helped my parents greet the New Year in Korea via Skype.

My family and I celebrated the eve of the new year with a road trip to a favorite vacation spot—my parents' cabin at Bright Star Ranch. Our family activity for the night involved introducing my son to s'mores, made with impressive Texas-sized marshmallows. Son settled on eating the ingredients separately, despite my repeated offers of completed s'mores "sandwiches."

I must admit that I didn't quite make it to midnight here in the US. Sadly, my night owl status has been slipping since the birth of my son. Instead of staying up until 3 or 4am on weekends, I tend to collapse into bed around 11pm. Hubby and I called it a night at 11:30pm. This time I blame an exhausting day that involved a road trip and a broken lock at our destination. (It took us an hour to get into the cabin, negating any chance we might have at a future as cat burglars.) However, it may be more accurate to pinpoint the energy drain as a certain adorable toddler with boundless energy.

In honor of 2012, and in order to take advantage of the motivational opportunity, I am actually going to make New Year's resolutions. The resolution that is cogent to this blog: Finish and publish my book. Sadly, this has taken back burner for a while (I'm a notorious procrastinator with a wonderfully full life), but I'm jumping back in with a veangence. I plan to finish re-writes by the end of February (happy birthday to me). In order to achieve this, blogging is being relegated to a once-weekly activity or shorter notes and updates. Then it's off to my editor, who has been waiting ever-so-patiently for the manuscript.

Did you make New Year's resolutions? Why or why not? If so, what were they? Please share in the comments section below.

Son as blogger, hives, and story structure

Proud of his decorating

Son is sitting at the computer to the right of me in our small, home office. If he had a blog it would be all about his favorite things: trucks, elephants, books, outside, and (more recently) Christmas decorations.

As I write, son is imitating my typing and occasionally pausing to scribble an imaginary note. He keeps switching the pen from one hand to the other. Time will tell whether he is a left-handed like his daddy and Papa.

The past couple of days have been hard. We arrived at day care on Tuesday to find son covered in hives. Today included a trip to son's Pediatrician, who said it was one of the worst cases of hives he had seen (75% of son's body), but he also gave us a good prognosis (recovery in 3-5 days) and a prescription. Son already looks a bit better, just hours later. Still, our family photo session tomorrow is out.

In light of this and other holiday preparations still to come, I'm going to depart from my usual detailed thoughts on what I have been reading and just insert a link. This is an interview with Rebecca Skloot, the author of one of the real gems of my extensive reading experience. If you haven't read the book, I urge you pick up a copy.

How Rebecca Skloot built The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Christmas preparations, family traditions, and the joy of the season

Yes, I'm still here, though I'm caught up in the Christmas rush. My list might look familiar to most of you, though I feel like I'm a bit behind on a couple of things.

• I started decorating a couple of weeks ago with Christmas garland and snowflake window clings.
• Lights are mostly up. We still have a string of lights to add to the outside of the house, but there are color-changing stars and flickering candles in the front windows. I love Christmas lights! My son is thrilled as well; we're hearing a lot of, "iiight, iiight!"
• The tree has been up for a while, but it only had lights and our star topper on it until last night. The photo at right is a cell phone snap of my work-in-progress. I'll be putting on the finishing touches over the coming evenings.
• Goodies (Christmas and birthdays) packed and mailed to Korea for my parents. The postage was painful, but I like knowing that they'll have something from home to celebrate the holidays.
• Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers went out to my sister and her family yesterday. The post office loves me!
• We have our Christmas cards, personalized with photos of our family, but we still need to get them ready for mailing.
• I'm working on the third edition of our family cookbook, which will be released on or around Christmas.
• I made Red Velvet cake for an office holiday party and plan on making it again for my Newsletter Committee. The red looks so festive, particularly with the addition of green-tinted sugar crystals. More baking and cooking to come over the holiday.

I also planned a Christmas art project to do with my son. Last year we made clay ornaments with his hand and foot impression. This year it's a snowflake-shaped blank ornament for him to color. It will be more of a scribble, but he loves crayons so markers should be even more fun. I plan to make this a Christmas tradition, choosing a project each year that suits his interests and development level.

I still need to purchase a couple of gifts, but I'm almost done. The gift-wrapping frenzy will commence this weekend. It's a task I enjoy, but not all at once, so I will be working on it over several days. Hopefully I can put my house in order and get rid of the excess boxes (saved for wrapping purposes) before my husband's family arrive on December 23rd.

We will have our Christmas feast and present unwrapping on Christmas Eve night. I'll have my camera charged and ready to snap lots of pictures, particularly of my 20-month-old toddler. My son was too little to really understand last year (he fell asleep in the midst of the package unwrapping), but this year he'll be in the thick of it. Don't tell, but Daddy and Mommy are giving him red wagon for Christmas. Good thing he can't read yet (though books, "buk, buk," are one of his favorite things).

In the midst of the rush, I try to remain mindful of the true spirit of the season. Often, all I need to do is to take a look through my son's eyes. His joyful exclamations over Christmas lights and decorations, giggles and grins while reading Christmas stories, and cheerful insistence on praying after reading are all reminders of the joy of this special, family-oriented season. 

What are you doing as Christmas approaches, and what are your plans for celebrating? I'd also love to hear about your family traditions. We wouldn't mind adding a few new traditions of our own.

Celebrating fall and family

Fall is my favorite time of year. We are finally getting a break from the scorching Texas summer. The cooler temperatures are pleasant, without the cold bite of winter. It's the perfect setting for family adventures, particularly with my son old enough to really appreciate the fun brought by the changing seasons. His pronunciation of his favorite word (outside) is improving. "OUT-tide, OUT-tide," he says in a sweet, little exclamation; the emphasis and rise and fall of his voice make it almost a song.

Yesterday evening, son helped me carve his first pumpkin (selected during our earlier Pumpkin Patch outing). He watched, somewhat impatiently, while I cut a lid into the top of our pumpkin, and then he eagerly dove into the gooey center with his spoon. He would pause to flick the seeds off of his spoon or figure out how the pumpkin lid fit back into place. After a while, son ran into the yard to get a better look at a dog passing on the trail. He shared his excitement with an enthusiastic imitation: "awoo, awoo!" He circled back to my pumpkin-cleaning project between other investigations, such as his sand/water table, the grill, the back door, etc. Hubby snapped pictures as I turned my hands and wrists orange in the struggle to gut the pumpkin.

We eventually moved inside to do the more intricate carving. Son took a break to read a book on the couch, checked out mommy's progress in the kitchen, played music on a long-standing favorite toy, and found himself a snack in the pantry (he brought me a box of the tubes we keep around for on-the-go snacking). We have been opening our windows in the evening, and I think the cool air only ups son's energy level. We can barely keep up!

On Halloween, son will dress up as a Starfleet Academy science cadet for day care festivities. I am making pumpkin sandwiches (grilled cheese cut into pumpkin shapes) that he can share with the other toddlers in his room. Other moms are bringing their contributions in the form of fruits and sweets. The children will also parade through the rooms in the day care for goodies and participate in other Halloween-related games. That evening, his Aunt and Uncle are coming over to help son hand out goodies to the bigger kids.

Family and friends are planning to visit us in our new home in November. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are coming up next weekend, as are some friends and their young son. Our church and community are both holding Fall Festivals, which we hope son will enjoy. We are also taking him to weekly swimming lessons (indoors). Thanksgiving brings my parents home from Korea for a short visit, so the Ripley family gathering will commence with their arrival. We are planning to ply them with Tex-Mex, Dr Pepper, and Blue Bell, but we will also savor our traditional potluck-style Thanksgiving dinner.

Please share your family traditions and adventures. Feel free to include recipes. With the weather cooling, I'm ready to make use of my oven again. I already made pumpkin bread to share with my Newsletter Committee and co-workers. What are you doing to celebrate fall and family?

Post-move update: New home and randomness

Sunset over the lake

Having neglected my blog for most of last week, I thought I'd fill you in on what is happening in my life. (Which means this blog will be a bit more personal than usual; I reserve the right to do this occasionally.) I keep waiting for things to slow down, but it never seems to happen. That isn't a complaint. While I wouldn't mind a few more quiet moments here and there, my life is busy because it is full and fulfilling.

Our move is almost complete. Most of the remaining delay is lack of time without toddler assistance. (Though the endeavor has not been aided by assorted colds and tummy troubles.) A few items remain at the apartment, but we're gradually clearing those out as opportunity presents to take a trip here and there. Unpacking continues at the house. At the current rate, I estimate at least a month before we dismantle the mountain of boxes. Even that may be optimistic. We take a bit of time each day just to appreciate the beauty of our new home, like the view of the sunset over the lake.

Fun in the back yard

My son is starting to settle in too. He has gone a couple of nights without waking and being unable to go back to sleep. (His parents are extremely grateful.) He delights in playing in the back yard and has taken to going to the back door asking, "ide? ide?" in the cutest little chirp of a question when he wants to go outside. Once out, he gleefully flings sand and water (from his Sand & Water Table), takes walking excursions into the back yard (stopping to wave and say "bye"), and splashes happily with the hose and bucket. He keeps up a running chatter as he points out various things, with appropriate words/sound effects. Examples: a doggy fetch stick—left out from visits by my sister's German Shepherd—ducks, people walking on the trail, and dogs. 

Fortunately, my packed weekend started on Friday. While waiting for the shop to finish repairs to our secondary vehicle, hubby and I used our primary vehicle to ran errands that resulted in the purchase of a couple of ottoman/table combos for the living room and elements for my son's new space-themed room. We also completed his Halloween costume and found bigger footie pajamas. I took my son to Sabbath School and my cat to the vet. I enjoyed an all-too-brief visit from my siblings and their families, went grocery shopping, and a stopped by the apartment for my vacuum cleaner and carefully-wrapped wedding gown.

I'm limping along on my old computer, which happened to be the one accessible when we set up our Internet, and planning to dig out the newer computer this weekend.

Currently reading:







A quote for thought, from the first-listed book above:



"...writing is all about getting happy. Writing is never a hobby. Neither is it a dilettante activity for which we salvage some leftover time from our otherwise busy days. Writing feeds those days. On the days when I don’t write, I underperform as an employee and as a human being.  



In fact, I think my boss or the U.S. government should pay me for the time I spend at home with my morning coffee and my journal. That—not the conference-room pep talks—makes me a happier, more focused employee.  



I write. Therefore I work. Simple as that."

The art and science of packing

What is the right size for a book box? Will that chair fit into that odd space on the moving truck? Just ask. I'll give you an answer that is 99.99 percent accurate. If I had a moving resume, it would probably exceed the requisite two pages. I have moved every couple of years, give or take, for my entire life. I have it down to an art form.



As an adult I swore to give up the nomadic existence prompted by my parents' jobs, but life happens. I haven't yet managed to stick to that goal. Now I'm moving again. We are delighted to give up our third-floor two bedroom apartment in favor of the single story, four bedroom house recently vacated by my parents in their move to Korea. The stress is showing, particularly with toddler "assistance," but we couldn't be more delighted with the goal. 



My husband and I have taken a number of small trips on our own. Even our toddler is getting into the action. He has been pushing around his bin of blocks and adding assorted items, including a shoe, cup, and spatula. (It pays to be prepared!) Now it's time to brush up on the science of packing before the movers arrive.

Packing Tips

• Gather supplies. Invest in a good tape gun and high quality packing tape. Purchase clean, sturdy boxes. Make sure that you have enough padding such as bubble wrap and newspaper or packing paper. Consider investing in specially-designed boxes for moving fragile items like dishes. Collect labeling supplies, such as Sharpies and “Fragile” stickers or tape.
• Pack with a plan. Start with out-of-season items. Next, pack things used infrequently. (Consider tossing or donating items that are worn out or no longer used.) Leave until last the things you'll need until moving day. If possible, pack one room at a time, labeling each box with a description of its contents and its destination (e.g., kitchen, bathroom). Be as specific as you can; it will make unpacking that much easier. Number boxes sequentially, so it will be easy to tell if one is missing. For longer moves, create an inventory to keep with your moving paperwork.
• Pack smart. Keep the weight of your boxes reasonable. If possible, put heavy items in small boxes to make them easier to carry. Place heavier items at the bottom of boxes and stack lighter items on top. Fill boxes completely but do not fill so much that they bulge. Consider using towels as packing material. Pack similar items together. For example, do not pack a delicate knick-knack with your Dutch oven. 
• Prepare for the first night in your new home. Pack essential items in separate bags to carry with you. For each person in the household, include a change of clothes, a towel, prescription drugs, a toothbrush, and other personal items. Include plastic utensils, paper plates, paper towels, plastic cups, toilet paper, snacks, beverages, and re-closable plastic bags. Pack a small tool kit for re-assembling items that can’t be moved whole. Make sure that you have a clean set of bedding/pillows for each bed. Consider whether you need a shower curtain. (Don’t forget the hooks or you may end up resorting to clothing hangers, like a certain family member who shall remain nameless.). Make sure the family pet doesn’t end up in a box! Do keep their food and other necessities nearby and get a pet carrier.
• Make sure that nothing is left behind. When the movers finish loading the truck, check each room. Likewise, when they say the truck is empty, do a visual inspection of the truck bed.

I'll pack that camera for you.



I may write a bit more infrequently until we complete our move, but please don't give up on my blog or my novel. I'll still work on both as time permits, and I will be back with renewed energy after we get settled into our new home. We're planning to have that done by early to mid-October, which will be well in time for family to descend for Thanksgiving.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I need to get my toddler out of the box so that I have room for the bedding.

Can you learn about Korea through its cuisine?

I am on a quest to learn more about Korea. In a few short days, my parents will fly out to begin a new four-year mission: working in South Korea. Popular wisdom says that you can learn about a culture through its cuisine. I love trying new foods, with a few reservations, so I'm intrigued to try.

"The Kimchi Chronicles" recently caught my eye. Hosted by Marja Vongerichten, the PBS show revolves around her rediscovery of her Korean roots. Can someone married to a professional chef make food that is accessible to the average American, particularly Korean food that I can cook? Having been immersed in a confusing, new world on a few trips to Asian markets, I can imagine the challenge that my parents face.

Has anyone seen the show or read its companion book, The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an American Kitchen? I downloaded a sample of the Kindle version, but I would welcome personal feedback. I want to watch the show, but it airs at at 8am here, and I don't have any way to record for later viewing.

You can expect me to be scarce around here as I soak in some quality time with my parents before their departure. I will be back to blogging on my usual schedule by the beginning of September. Meanwhile, please comment to share interesting facts or links related to Korea.

Turn on your imagination and turn off boredom

In the fainter recesses of my mind, I vaguely remember being bored. Stuck in the house on a rainy afternoon, my siblings and I fidgeted at having nowhere to vent our excess energy. I'm sure that we uttered the words "I'm bored" more than my parents wanted to hear. My parents would turn being house-bound into an adventure by bringing out special occasion toys like Barbies that Mom played with as a child and felts of people and animals that we used to act out stories. We raided the linen cupboard and the bookshelves to build tent cities of sheets propped over chairs and other furniture, pinned precariously with small stacks of books. It's amazing how a little imagination made the boredom melt away.

Now I simply look incredulously at anyone who says they are bored. In my quest to fully accommodate family, work, and personal goals, I pretend that I need less sleep, burning the proverbial candle at both ends. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy candles, but it does catch up with me.

Life just keeps getting more interesting. In a heartbeat, I went from re-inventing myself as a plus-size athlete; to meeting and becoming the adoring wife of my best friend; to awe-struck, occasionally frazzled mother. My guys fill my heart with love and my life with laughter and warmth that balances the inevitable frustrations. From daily chores to playing with my son, my home life is packed to the brim. Sometimes I even get to enjoy the fun of shaping a loaf of bread or creating a family member's favorite cake.

I am also daughter, sister, and Aunt in a close-knit family. As we work toward my parents' departure for a job in Korea, we are equal parts excited for them at the incredible opportunity and mourning the loss of their close presence in our lives. We snatch every opportunity to take what now seems like a short drive to hang out with our beloved friends, holding onto the promise of video chat, email, and phone access after their departure at the end of the month. Marriage brought more amazing roles as daughter-in-law and sister-in-law to my husband's mother and sister who have not only accepted me but also readily taken me in as a beloved member of the family.

I devote the greater part of my week days to a job that is important and interesting. I welcome the intellectual stimulation, though working at a public health laboratory is occasionally somewhat too interesting (such as during the H1N1 Influenza outbreak). I am so thankful for a steady job that lets me play with words.

When my work is done, my family's needs addressed, and my son tucked into bed, I reach for the last scrap of mental energy and write. Sometimes my writing (or re-writing) goes well; I'm in the zone and loving every minute. When I look up and find that it's already one in the morning, I feel a deep sense of fulfillment, though I also know that I will grumble to hear the beep of my alarm in a few short hours. Other times I struggle through the quicksand of possibilities to create a coherent sentence and gladly push away from my desk to crawl in for an "early," 11pm bedtime.

Random moments throughout the day yield opportunity for reflection, prayer, and imagination. As I mention in my blogs, even news stories about scientific advances can provoke flights of imaginative fancy. Of course I also love to read, so I cram that in during my lunch hour or on those nights when, sapped of mental energy, I skip writing and crawl in bed with my Kindle.

We are surrounded by media. Instead of using the internet, radio, television, computers, video games, movies, smart phones, and other media to prevent boredom, I recommend that we turn on imagination. Use the wealth around you to build a few castles in the air. Remember the magic of your childhood. Turn on your imagination and turn off boredom.

What makes a perfectly normal day extraordinary?

Super toddler loves swimming

Today was one of those perfectly normal days that turned out to be perfectly extraordinary. As a family, we checked out from our usual routine and spent the day together. Highlights play like beautiful snapshots across my memory.

• A vivid dream yielded to my morning wake-up via a precious, little voice over the baby monitor. 
• At lunch, 15-month-old son told us very plainly that he was "all done" (via sign language) with his grilled cheese; he wanted more of his favorite cantaloupe, thank-you-very-much. 
• We browsed children's books together, reading one here and there. Little man made us both laugh as he waited for an isle to clear, rocking to the balls of his feet with his hands tucked behind his back.
• A late afternoon nap, started with toddler in crib and parents in their bed, turned into a family snooze when my son woke up too soon. Hubby brought son to our bed where he snuggled up between us, using daddy's arm as a pillow. I dozed off again with a smile on my face.
• As the sun was setting, we closed a banner day by taking our little fishie to the pool. He is taking after his proud ex-lifeguard mother. Phrases said by both parents, in unison, included "Don't drink the water!"
• Bedtime meant bath, reading a small mountain of books, prayer, singing while cuddling, and then putting baby, I mean toddler, to bed with a final kiss and goodnight wish. We do this every night, but it is always special when my little man-on-the-move slows down enough to cuddle with Mommy.

Days like today leave a lingering warmth that far exceeds the cup of creamy chocolate tea I'm sipping. I just had to try to splash a little of the wonder in your direction. Please share your stories. What are your memory snapshots of a perfectly normal, extraordinary day?

Buy Groceries with Your iPhone

QR-Code

A grocery store has launched a program to allow virtual grocery shopping using your smart phone. The catch: you have to live in South Korea.

Tesco's Home Plus supermarket decorated a subway station wall with images of grocery shelves, turning wait time into the opportunity to get a dreaded chore out of the way. To shop, just scan the product's QR code. The item is added to your virtual grocery cart. After check-out, the groceries are scheduled for delivery to your home.

I'm ready to sign up. Unfortunately, we don't have Tesco in Texas, let alone virtual grocery shelves. Maybe I will get a chance to try it when I visit my parents after their move to Korea. They can at least give me a report.

Below is Tesco's presentation on the technology. Would you shop virtually, or do you prefer to pick your own produce?

How do you celebrate the 4th of July?

Happy fourth of July!

As a child, I remember family celebrations where we enjoyed potato salad, burgers, and so much more. My siblings and I would swoop and dance as we used sparklers to write our names in the hot summer evening. We oohed and aahed over my dad's fireworks show just as much as we did the professional displayes at a nearby park.

July 4th continues to be a family celebration. The focus has shifted to a birthday festivities with my husband's family as he shares his July 5th birthday with his twin sister. This year we enjoyed my mother-in-law's yummy homemade enchaladas, rice, beans, and salsa. I made Decadant Chocolate Orange Cake for the birthday boy and girl. We worked off the abundance playing with my toddler. He is becoming frighteningly proficient at walking. His favorite game is pulling any available and willing family member around by the finger. He laughs, talks, and squeals as he investigates his world on a whole new level.

Being able to celebrate in your own way is a wonderful gift that began long ago, following from the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. What did today and the preceeding weekend bring for you?

A Memory Braided with Love

Today’s prompt from The Write Prompts asked for a personal journal about how I wore my hair as a child. I wrote down this memory. It's good to challenge myself with writing different from what I usually do. This one made me smile.

I watch my mother in the mirror as she plaits my hair. Her hands move deftly. She separates and weaves the long strands into a French braid. Usually I would relax into the memories of the many times she has braided my hair, but today I perch on the edge of my chair.

I just received the call from my doctor. “Jimi, it’s time,” she said. Such simple words, but they start my heart racing. My life will soon be changed forever.

The tugging of Mom’s hands in my hair is comfortingly familiar. I feel calmer now. She has been braiding, curling, or pulling my hair up in pigtails for as long as I can remember. When I was in grade school, her limitless creativity created butterfly antennae out of my hair, braided onto wires. Mom sewed beautiful, purple butterfly wings, but the crowning glory was my waving golden antennae. Though older now, I still take advantage of the rare opportunity to have my mother braid my hair.

Mom reaches the end of the braid and I hand her a hair band to tie the end. Each plait bears the essence of her love, care, and prayers. Today I will do the hardest work of my life. Mom’s braid will keep my hair out of my face as I labor. My hands move to caress the taut, roundness of my belly. I feel my baby’s strong movements. Soon I will meet my son. I am eager to hold him in my arms.

My mom will be there as I become a mother. I love you, Mom. Though I will not braid his hair as my mom does mine, I will find other ways to let him know. I love you, son.