Debut

Camerata de Cordas 2007 - String Ensemble

Last night was a first (what, you mean another one?!?!)...I got to play the cello that before I had previously "posed" with. Our string ensemble was called on to play for a group of men and women who are the "secretaries of culture" in their communities. It was held at a local hotel/resort in town. You put a violin in my hand I can't stop shaking, but this time I was actually having FUN...maybe it is because I finally found something I can hide behind. :)

And for the first time EVER we can load up VIDEOS!!! I know that it isn't the same as being there, but almost!

It might take a wee bit for the video to load (especially if your connection is a little slower), but hang in there, I think you will enjoy it. :)

Presentation at Hotel Termas August 2007

Mother Boards and Baby Carrots Part III

The "flower" pot sitting next to "Mr. Stainless"

Time for a little closure.

Some of you were traumatized a couple of months ago by the gaudy decorating job that I did on my newly remodeled crockpot. There were some who were so overcome by emotion that they decided to do something about it. (They were really sneaky about it, too, may I add!!) As you can see, the "flower" pot has been outclassed by Mr. Stainless Steel.

Not only is Mr. Stainless extremely good looking, but he has a much larger capacity for feeding the extra people that are served at our table every Monday. (usually 6-10 people hang out at Monday lunch. Unless it is scalloped potatoes and ham...then a few more show up with sad puppy-dog eyes like they haven't eaten in weeks.) And then there are the "features"...a count-down timer, a "warm" setting, and it starts up automatically if I forget to tell it to "cook". Yes, I have been swept off my feet by an appliance...

Here is a recipe that I got just the other day. Read through the list of ingredients and just couldn't quite imagine what it would taste like. Decided to give it a go and found out it was fabulous. Thanks to Jill, my sister in Lincoln, NE, this has been added to my collection of "can't do without" crock pot recipies!

Sesame Pork Ribs or Sesame Chicken

Combine:
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. honey
2 T. cider or white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt (or less)

Coat with the sauce:
5 lbs country-style pork ribs or 2-3 lbs of chicken pieces (I used chicken)

Layer meat in crock-pot with:
1-2 med. onion cut into rings

1-2 green peppers cut into rings (optional)

Pour the remaining "coating" over the rest of the meat. Cover and cook low 5-6 hours. (I cooked on high for 4 1/2 hours)

Sprinkle on just before serving:

2 T. sesame seeds, toasted
2 T. chopped green onions

Serve with hot cooked rice.

Now, next time I do this, I am going to take out all the meat at the end and add just a bit of corn starch mixed in a little cold water to thicken the "gravy" so it doesn't run all over my plate when I pour it over the rice, cause that's the best part!

Better Than I Could Have Imagined!

Anabel thinks "climbing" is great (as long as there is a ladder close by!)

And now for a little story. Sometimes our plans go the way we want them to. Others not.

Once upon a time we bought 2 little trees. They were acacias that are known for their long "boquets" of fragrant yellow flowers. The little trees sat in sacks in the yard for sometime while we decided just exactly where we were going to plant them. Finally the day came, and Ken planted them just outside our yard, in the sidewalk, where he though everyone passing by could enjoy them.
The little trees grew, but also attracted the attention of little boys, who decided to carve their names on them or break of their branches. They just couldn't handle the abuse and died.

The girls were estremely impressed with Daddy's prowness in tree climbing as he trimmed some of the top branches.

But, that wasn't the end. All the time they were sitting in our yard waiting to be planted, one of them put down roots. What do you know...the root actually grew a shoot, which eventually grew into the tree that shades one side of our house. Not only that, but it grew in just the right spot. Ken had plans of putting on a wide porch on that side of the house. When the time came, the tree still had plenty of room to grow.

Alicia and Jessica (below) were wondering how on earth Ken (in the white box) was going to be able to get down!

Not all our plans turn out the way had thought they would. In fact, sometimes they crash and burn before our very eyes. His plans are far more fantastic than we could ever dream. Every detail is orquestrated and timed to perfection. He is always in control, always was, and always will be. I am often reminded of that when I look out the door and see all the shade, hear all the birds and even smell the stink bugs that seem to like that particular tree. What we originally thought was a "good idea" ended up in firewood, but He surprised us, by giving us something much better than we had imagined. He always does know what is best.

The Acacia in full bloom

Operation "Dinner-Out"

Cristina and Bel - Vacation July 2005

August 12th 2007 - Father's Day in Brazil - but it all started....

yesterday, when I went to get groceries at 10am. I needed to go downtown afterwards, so we hurried. Managed to make it home by 11, feed everyone sandwiches (so we wouldn't leave on an empty stomach) and then the girls and I went downtown hunting for Ken's secret Father's Day present, a denim shirt. He had bought one a long time ago, but something had eaten tiny little holes in it and they were no longer so tiny any more. He had been super bummed about it, so while ironing it the other day, I thought it would be fun to surprise him with a new one. What do you know...we found what we were looking for after scouring practically all the stores in Mossoró. Mission accomplished, we each had a soft icecream cone and headed home to hide our treasure till the next day.

In the meantime, Ken, who was back home, got a phone call at about 12:30pm. It was our school secretary/neighbor/church member. She was just wondering where we were. Ummmm... That is when Ken suddenly remembered that we had been invited over to her place for lunch! We had forgotten. How humiliating. It took me all afternoon to get up the nerve (and for the weather to cool off) to go over and beg forgiveness. She and her sister were so gracious that they invited us over after church to eat the dessert that they had made. I had been warned that it had been decorated kind of "different". When we got over to their place, the dessert was taken out of the fridge, bowls put on the table and spoons pulled out of the drawer. That was when I noticed what was on the dessert..."STUCKY" written in raisins. Now I was even more embarassed for forgetting their lunch invitation!

Later that evening, Ken and I were winding down while watching one of Ken's favorite videos, SPY GAMES. In the movie, Robert Redford works for the CIA with his protogé, Brad Pitt. Pitt falls for a British girl and Redford believes the operation was compromised because their relationship. Pitt goes AWOL and Redford heads back to headquarters to be debriefed and to his long-awaited retirement. He has one last mission, though, before he throws in his badge...rescue Pitt, who had gone looking for the girl and found her in a Chinese prison, where he was also captured. The rescue mission was called...what else...

"Operation Dinner-Out".

Fitting end to the day. I don't think I am ever going to live this one down!

Posing

Kara Korthals posing with the very-well-protected cello. Gil, her dad, wins the "best packer award" having beat out Ken, who previously held this prestigious title, which is only awarded to travelers bound for Brazil. I am sure it will be included as an Olympic sport in the next summer games.

Here I am posing with the now unprotected cello. To be honest with you, I am not even sure I have the right posture and everything, but I have managed to play almost all the songs in the first Suzuki book. Just waiting for someone to come along to tell me that I am not doing this right.

Ken is posing with his new hammer drill. Yes, it actually did break up that strip of concrete. Talk about a lean, mean machine. Ricardo, behind him, is showing us how to do it the "old" way. Notice both these guys, who each own a pair of boots, are wearing their flip-flops. Don't come running to me if you chop your leg off.

VACATION 2007

Anabel at the National Park Serra da Capivara









Several years ago we decided that our kids were growing up too fast and before we knew it they were going to be gone. If we wait for the "right time" when everyone can appreciate a family trip, that time may never come. Right then and there it became official...family vacation during our school break in July. Come what may, our plans were to stick to it no matter what.

Since then we have visited many, many friends, gone to 5 national parks, met many new people and have had some surprising and fantastic experiences that were never planned or imagined.

This year we put on another 3000k on our car just to make it to 2 national parks in the state of Piauí. It took us three days to get there. Each night we stayed at friend's homes along the way. Once we got to the park, we stayed in a hotel. After seeing everything we wanted to see (and our time was up!) we made the trip back to Fortaleza in two days, but, boy, were they two really long days! It was all timed so we could pick up Ron and Ranelle and family at the airport on their way back from furlough. After 10 days we walked into our dusty, but very familiar home...the best part of the trip!!! Here are some of our highlights.



The Ribeiro Theater was built in 1860 by a Frenchman living in the area. The doors were closed, so Anabel suggested that we each stand in a doorway for a picture.

The girls enjoyed riding horses at a friend's house in Ceará (something we never expected doing on our trip).


We celebrated turning 140,000 K the 2nd day of vacation.

Translated, the sign says "hell"...where in the world is this leading us?!?!?


This is where we ended up...go figure!



Jessica got to try her hand at the potter's wheel at a small factory just outside the national park. The factory's purpose is to employ the locals and teach them a trade. We bought a few of the pieces at the end of the tour.

Right before my eyes should appear? A playground!!! Anabel couldn't appreciate any more of God's Creation till she had a chance to climb over everything. :)

Some of the thousands of Indian paintings we saw on the rocks.

And finally...the "monkeys" that were observed wandering all over the park!

9 Women and 2 Guys

Abby, Erin and Jessica (in the back) and Kara (in the front) just after stepping off the plane

They came and went. It was a fast and furious 12 days right at the end of our first semester and into the first week of vacation. Gil and Kathy came from Bondurant, Iowa to spend their vacation with us. I spent some of my growing up years with Gil in George, Iowa, and was in their wedding many moons ago. Their first daughter is named Jessica and so is ours (pure coincidence!)

Ken and Gil loading up the van. Kathy wasn't sure we would be able to fit all the stuff and everybody else into the van. Everything and everyone got stuffed into the vehicle. Three hours later we were able to breath again. :)

Gil and Jessica were here 4 years ago and helped with some construction and English at ALPHA. Just so they wouldn't feel bad, we managed a bit of construction for Gil again and gave Jessica a chance to teach some English. All four girls helped with music at school and church, taught English, corrected tests and workbooks and entered grades (just to name a few).

Gil pulling buckets of concrete up the pulley to pour the second half of the roof at school.

After school got out, we visited 3 beaches, climbed and then ran down a very large sand dune, squeezed in a dune buggy ride, did some shopping and ate lots of good food (some of which they brought and made!!!) I still have a couple boxes of mac and cheese, a can of mushroom soup and a can of corn on the pantry shelf. Thinking of when might be the perfect time to use them!

Then there was the Geo Cache...make that TWO Geo Caches. We were sent on a goose chase with a GPS into a (just slightly) restricted area to find the "treasure". If you are even remotely curious, check out the official web site @ http://www.geocaching.com/ This gave them their first foreign country in the"high-tech" hunt for hidden treasure. The entire Stucky family was enthralled with the whole thing, especially Anabel, who got to pick out something from the treasure "jar".

The Korthals crew and our girls on a look-out point over the Atlantic.

Finally, they were on the plane, the van was a lot emptier and things were a little too quiet. We watched the plane take off and then headed on to the rest of VACATION 2007....

Stay Tuned!