Photo Hunt - Lights

A friend of mine at Whistle Stop Cafe is moderating the site Saturday Photo Hunt which I just learned about now--being slow at some things. I think I will try to keep up with this and post a theme picture each week (except for the next two when I will be cavorting in Egypt and Jordan.) It does sound like fun and it will be even more fun to enjoy the pictures others will post.

BTW, this Whistle Stop Cafe is THE Whistle Stop Cafe of fried green tomatoes movie fame. You might want to check it out some--particularly if you like all things southern in your food choices. 

Anyway, this week's theme is Light which immediately brought to mind a picture which I took last summer in Venice. You know how every once in a while the total amateur photographer does something just right? Well, this was it for me.

Time for the Surreal-

I guess that is the best way to describe my current mind set. We've traveled to many places--countries and continents. And yet this trip has me mystified.

Planning to see elephants and lions up close on the savannahs in Tanzania and Kenya invited great anticipation. In perusing pictures of Machu Picchu, it was hard to absorb the grandeur of this place in the skies of the Andes. Caves of Cappadocia, THE David, spitting iguanas and blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos, the great wall of China, the grand library of Ephesus, the Berlin Wall,--all have given moments of awe at the great diversity and places in this world.

But, nothing compares with the thought of seeing the pyramids which were millinia old when Cleopatra rolled up in a rug to greet Caesar  and then romanced Antonius. And today I wonder about that moment when the last of the ancient wonders of man come into view. It is inconceivable that it will be anything other than a "this can't be true" moment.

I've stolen (or borrowed) this picture from my friend Liz, taken when she and Richard were at the Mena House Hotel--where we, too, will be the first night in Egypt. Come with us!

But, the thing that makes this travel even more surreal is the time of year we are doing it--Christmas--a time when we decorate our house to resemble windows of department stores in days gone by, a time when family gathers around the tree at night to enjoy the lights and the season's serenity, the  moments of oohs and aahs Christmas morning as treasures unfold from colorful papers, a time of carols, trees, Santa and reindeer.

2008

And most importantly, the time the Christian community joins together in praising the birth of the baby who was the Lord Jesus Christ.

Last January, when we first flew the idea of Egypt at Christmas, we sat with Casey and explained what it would mean, including just a couple presents (dear to a child's heart) as the gift for all of us would be the trip. He was totally enthusiastic--yes, he could give up presents and all that the season here has to offer--no problem. So, we began to make plans, signed on with a highly recommended Egyptologist in Cairo, used award points for plane tickets and for hotels, began researching to know more about places to see and things to do.  Then----the Arab Spring came to Egypt--what to do? In our daring, we decided to ignore it and to go ahead with the plans.

Now, the time is here and Casey is rethinking his willingness to forgo Christmas.  The Christmas tree lot beckons, thoughts of an Xbox 360 are enticing, movies with friends sound fun, Christmas Eve services bring memories--yes, leaving is hard. But, the time for indecision is past and so Christmas day will be spent in Luxor in an Islamic nation. Surely this will be an unusual year and create a one of a kind Christmas memory.

We are taking his stocking with a few little trinkets with which to fill it. We are taking 2 or 3 small gifts, so that Christmas morning will have a flavor of what it is here. We are taking our bible to read the Christmas story in Luke--not sure that there will be bibles in the night stands of Egypt. We are not taking a tree, an Xbox 360 or a ham--our traditional Christmas meal. And in writing that, I just realized that the hotel will probably not serve ham--wonder what will be on the menu, probably lamb and chicken and hummus, which I know Casey will not even touch.

Speaking of which, one of the great mysteries for me right now is just what Casey will eat there and in Jordan, where we go to visit Petra. For a child who has traveled the world, he has no curiosity or tolerance for diversity in food; in fact, he is a true, obnoxious pain when it comes to eating. So, he may starve. Ya think? Yes, there is fish--he doesn't like fish. Yes, there are veggies--what? eat something nutritional and good for you--particularly if it's green. Try something new that may be deliciously good--no way. Yes, it is one of his very annoying character traits.

Today he is with his church group decorating the homes of seniors in our church who need help. I asked if we qualified but we're not on the schedule. Just as well, per a couple paragraphs back.

So, in less than two weeks, we will be in the air--God willing and if all the connections work. I wonder if our first glimpse will be from the air. That would be spectacular maybe, but, maybe not. I'll let you know.

Happy holidays to everyone.

Where Else? Egypt, Of Course!

Isn't everyone's itinerary including Egypt these days? Well, maybe only for those who court the unexpected and like to believe they are undaunted by fear. Others, I know, see this as foolhardy and "out-of-your-mind" dumb.

Whatever. We are going as long as the State Department says we can and and right now they are giving the go-ahead...with the caveat to be careful and watchful. Of course, the first stage of elections in November may have significant impact and things could change in an instant. We shall see. In 1986 we were in Berlin shortly after Libya bombed the night club there. We were scheduled to fly to Italy September 12, 2001 and left on one of the first flights out on September 18. We seem to travel at strange times.

Gone are the days when we could just pull Casey out of school and provide basic instruction while we hit the world scene.

San Gimignano 2003--1st Grade

In the 8th grade, he has advanced geometry, Spanish, high level English and history courses--along with pe and science. At this point he has outstripped our ability to provide home schooling. Content and expectations have changed significantly since we were in school when geometry didn't happen until 10th grade. It is harder now--contrary to what the common perception may be.

So, because we are restricted in our travels by his schooling, last January we decided to go some place this Christmas season. We wanted a place significantly different from our previous travels, a place that would open new vistas, allowing us to experience cultures and places holding a fascination for all three of us. Pyramids, magnificent Pharaonic tombs in the Valley of Kings, the great Karnac complex, Ptolemaic temples along the Nile and rose colored Petra seemed perfect. Casey had been fascinated with all things Egyptian since studying ancient cultures in 6th grade and the area had been on Ken and my list for years. Yep, this would be perfect.

After a quick check with a friend whom I knew had a wonderful experience in Egypt arranged by a respected private tour planner in Cairo, contacting a few others who had used this man's services and a series of e-mails with him, on January 20 we sent an initial deposit. Days later, January 25, Cairo erupted with the beginning of the Egyptian revolution. At that point we had the option of rescinding our deposit; it was a bank transfer that could have been reversed. Rightly or wrongly, we decided against doing this. As we don't need to provide the rest of the money, which is the bulk of the cost, until right before going, we decided to risk losing the amount we had wired. Our flights are with miles so they can be redeposited (with a small fee, of course.) At this point, we are on our way.

We fly to Cairo where we will spend 3 nights, visiting the Pyramids which are not out in the sands and desert as we tend to believe but are easily viewed from hotel windows right in Cairo. We will recoup from the long air jaunt, visit the famous Khan el-Khalili souk, take a short excursion to the Step Pyramid which predates the big pyramids and of course visit THE pyramids.

The next two weeks we will go to and see:

Abu Simbel

Aswan and take a Felucca sail on the Nile

Board the Moon Goddess for the cruise up the Nile where we will see: 

• Temple of Philae
• Temple of Kom Ombo
• Temple of Edfu
• Karnak Temple
• Luxor Temple
• Valley of the Kings
• Temple of Hatshepsut

At the end of the cruise, we will arrive in Luxor where we will spend two nights and where we will spend Christmas. It will be interesting to see if the hotel recognizes Christmas in any way. Since it is a Sheraton, it may.

From Luxor we will fly back to Cairo and from there fly to Amman, Jordan and drive to Petra. From Petra we will return to Amman via the King's Highway, stopping at Mt. Nebo where Moses looked into the Promised Land, Kerak and Madaba.

And...that is it except for an excruciating trip home involving two long layovers--a down part of travel by award miles. I keep calling United to see about an improved routing--as I can clearly see on their site that there are many options with lots of seats open. But...the answer continues to be "nothing available." I am hoping that a few days before we leave, more seats will open up--7 hours in Frankfurt and 5 hours in Denver is ugly!

Perhaps I will post some pictures and write a little while we travel, but if not, there will be time to catch up once we are home. You can either travel with us in real time or in retrospect. Either way will be just fine.

And...this looks to be a Christmas vacation that Casey will remember--unless Egypt erupts and we stay home. I hope not.

Be Sure Your.....

sins will find you out---or, mom is not all that clueless.

Teenagers, I think all of them, sincerely believe that mom and dad are inherently clueless, permanently equipped with blinders and mentally impaired by old age--regardless if those parents are 30 or 70. The corollary to this is that these teenagers, with the wisdom of their advanced years, believe they are smarter, more clever and totally immune from discovery. Have we not all been there?

The inescapable lesson is that ultimately all things come to light--later if not sooner. Sometimes the truth emerges long after the event has been relegated to forgotten status. When it does burst into the light, either the time of consequence has run its course or delayed justice will triumph. Oh, yes, teeners have so many lessons to learn before becoming the men and women they will grow into (oh yes sorry Winston...the men and women into which they will grow.)

Such a moment hit home the other night when, for some reason unknown, I needed my iPhone which should have been nested in its own little pocket in my purse. But...it wasn't there. Now if you have an iPhone or iPad, you know there is this handy convenience Apple has created called "Find my iPhone." By going to your account on the computer and running this program, the location of your phone or iPad shows right up on a map--where ever it is. I was concerned that I had left it at Sammy's Woodfire Pizzza where we had gone for dinner--pretending it was Italian fare.

However--a big however--the map showed that the phone was right at my very own address--somewhere. And, brilliantly, along with the locating feature of Find My iPhone, comes the convenience of allowing a push of a button to activate a two minute beep, giving time to locate the wandering device. Two minutes was really much longer than needed as it clearly was coming from child's bedroom.

Imagine his shock since it was now 11 o'clock and he was asleep (maybe) when suddenly loud beeps begin emanating from under his covers. This then continued the series of events that now has him on total restriction for the month of October, except for church activities---yeah, no halloween.

By now I am in his room as he dramatically wakes up, wonders what that noise is (it is quite different from a phone ring) and then wonders  how in the world the phone was in his room.

He just doesn't know where it is.

Oh, wait--maybe it is in his pant's pocket in his closet. Sure that must be it as he climbs out of bed, strangely holding the side of his pj's as he limps to the closet.

Now, as I am the proverbial "wasn't born yesterday mother," I figure his strangely placed hand and limp mean something but I was certainly not going to strip search a 13 year old... so called for Ken. Then--in a terrible stroke of bad luck, by the time Father got there, the phone slipped its way out of the pj's onto my feet. Oh my, oh my! Goose is totally cooked--as if it hadn't been from the beginning. Sometimes it is hard to keep that straight face and not begin the giggles.

As we have been having a series of  "you do not take the nintendo, the MP3 player, the DVD player, the computer and certainly not my iPad to bed with you discussions, this was the final moment and the boom needed to fall harder. So--for the month of October, no devices, games are off the computer (yes, I did that to his computer), no friends over and no yesses to evites define his life. He keeps his karate lessons, his Italian lessons, his serve the community day and his church activities (even the fun ones). Plus I have let him know that this is the month where he learns what "hit the books" really means.

With this great life learning moment, I am confident, with total certainty, that he will never see his parents as clueless again--at least whenever he knows that Apple has my back.

Pear Chutney Bruschetta

Once in a while, I post a recipe--if it is one that I truly think is good enough to share, is fairly easy to complete and has been a success with more than just me.  Last night I had a dinner party for 15 and so I was looking for something in the antipasti selection that would be a little different from most. I did have olives, cheeses, crackers and artichoke spreads but those are all so over used these days. So...hunt for something special to add.  This month's cooking light came to the rescue---love, love Cooking Light.

Pear Chutney with Pecans and Blue Cheese

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled Anjou, Bartlett or Bosc Pears (I used Bartlett)

1/2 cup pear nector
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick
4 ounces French bread baguette, cut diagonally into 16 thin slices and toast
8 tsp chopped pecans, toasted
8 tsp crumbled plue cheese
1 Tbs chopped fresh chives
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, swirl to coat. Add shallots and saute for 2 minutes or until soft. Add pear and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon); bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes or until pear is tender and mixture is thick (I had to cook longer.) Cool to room temperature. Discard cinnamon stick. 
2. Spoon about 1 1/2 Tbs chutney over each baguette slice; top with 1/2 tsp pecans and 1/2 tsp cheese. Sprinkle with chives and thyme.

Notes: I made the chutney 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated it; then took it from the refrigerator a couple hours before using so it would not be too cold. It was perfect.  I did not pay attention to the amounts of stuff to put on each slice--just did what looked good. Also, just cut the bread as seems OK--rather than counting out 16 slices--waste of your time. I doubled this recipe which seemed perfect for 15 people along with the other appetizers.  I also mades a few with just the chutney in the event that not all guests would like the toppings.

These made a very attractive tray and the guests loved them!

I must say--this photo makes it look quite huge--they really aren't--just the right size to handle and eat.