Living Tiny Part II

MMMM...pancakes on Sunday morning.

This morning I tried something revolutionary. It started with noticing that the bacon was probably going to go bad if I didn't do something with it. That settled what we were going to have for breakfast. Since you gotta have eggs with the bacon, I fried those up AFTER the bacon. No bread in the house for toast, so why not pancakes? We hadn't had those in eons. +

When I make pancakes, I usually double the recipe making enough for an army. This results in everyone overeating, feeling sluggish and sick and, finally, storing the left-overs in the fridge till they have evolved into another life form because no one wants to even look at a pancake for another month.

Since four people doesn't even come close to a platoon,* let alone an entire army, I started to rethink my reason for making 12 cups of batter (aka double recipe). Then an exciting new revelation hit me...MAKE HALF A RECIPE. Wow, that seems like so little. Well, why not try it and see what happens?

The amazing discovery: there was ONLY one pancake left over, everyone was totally satisfied and my family and the refrigerator thank me for not over-doing it again.

I think I am on to something!

*platoon (in case you were wondering...I was!):
about 26 men consisting of 21 troops(privates), 3 corperals, 1 platoon sargent(nco) and 1 officer.

+Eon:
one billion years of geological time. (ok, so I exaggerated a little...)

Living Tiny

The "living/dining" room...table is just off to the left

Before leaving for the States this past June, we had decided, for various reasons, that it was time to sell our house. It has been a great place and has been very USED: retreats, seminars, church/Sunday school, LOTS of company, and what we have called home for the last 16 years.

Girls' bedroom partitioned off with a curtain from the "living/dining" room.

Even though our house isn't sold yet, because we are still making improvements on it, we have moved to the upstairs apartment in Ken's parents' house. It has been nice to not have to deal with so much STUFF and to downsize using what we really only NEED.

Kitchen...the microwave model is a "piccolo" :)

I realized that I could look at "living tiny" as limiting or as freeing. Having only one bathroom means there is only one toilet to clean...a small living room means our family sits closer to each other and talks more, plays more, interacts more...having fewer clothes in the drawer makes it easier to keep it organized...less stuff in the refrigerator means I KNOW what is in there... I think I choose the freedom that downsizing brings.

Happy Blog Day II

2day is significant for me...I have been blogging for 2 full years. 2 many times I had wanted to share photos with family and friends. 2 attach them as files 2 e-mails was 2 cumbersome. Some people don't have very fast connections. When I discovered that I could put as many pictures up at once without 2 much trouble by blogging, I decided 2 go for it.


2 many people have been trying 2 convince me that I need 2 try Facebook. So, I took the plunge, and now I, 2, am on Facebook.




2 see past anniversary posts:


November 7, 2006 http://loristucky.blogspot.com/2006/11/launch.html

November 11, 2007 http://loristucky.blogspot.com/2007/11/happy-blog-day.html

Heritage

The Stucky farm on Florence Acres Road near Monroe, WA. Some amazing stories have come from this place. There were 11 Stucky siblings who lived in this house and oh, the things they did! How old were you, Dad, when you drove the pickup and ran into the tractor? Grandpa said "move the pickup!" None of the older brothers budged, so in jumped baby brother, Joey...he couldn't even see over the steering wheel. :)

While in the States this year we took our kids to the very places where their grandparents in Brazil, Joe and Jeanie, grew up. They have heard story after story about the growing up antics of their gradparents and even their aunts and uncles. They ask to hear these same stories over and over again. So, why not drive by the "old home place" and let the kids see where some of these things actually took place?

U. Sam's report card was found under the floor of the kitchen.

One day Ken was out with the girls and decided to drive by the Stucky place. They took a chance and went up to the house to see if anyone was home. The lady of the house said, "Oh, your a Stucky! Well, I've got something for you!" The current owners happened to the be the very family that bought the farm from the Stucky family.

As they were remodeling the kitchen, they found U. Sam's 9th grade report card! His claim to fame was that he NEVER MISSED one day of school from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Top that! When we visited him in Salem, OR we surprised him with it.

Grandma Jeanie's home place north of Huron, SD

While in the Huron area with Sam and Deb, Ken's sister and brother-in-law, we all went to see the old Tschetter farm. This farm also happens to be owned by the same people who bought it from Ken's mom's parents. The kids saw the house where the famous "Jeanie, Reva, Sally" stories came from. When Grandma Jeanie was only 12 years old, she drove the family car to pick up all the neighbor kids for Vacation Bible School. Wow!

Barn on the Tschetter farm with the Stuckys and the Dicks.

Thanks for the memories, Grandma and Grandpa; we won't forget them.

It's my turn

My very own ballot!!!

I have never voted. And it isn't my fault, either. The first election that I could have voted in after turning 18, I was registered and ready to vote in Nebraska, but got called away to my grandma's funeral in Iowa on election day. Every election since I have been in Brazil. Once my absentee ballot got lost in the mail and the other times I haven't been able to sign on the dotted line verifying that everything is true for some reason (usually a resident requirement).

One day in June (while we were in the US) I got my Nebraska drivers license. At the time I was asked if I wanted to be an organ doner AND register to vote. Uhu, you betcha! The day before I left for Brazil, I signed up via email to get my absentee ballot sent to me. Frankly, I really didn't expect to see it, considering all my past failures to make good on my duty as a voting citizen. Well, what do you know...IT CAME! I filled it out and popped it in the mail the very next day. When I asked about the current speed of the Brazilian postal system, the guy said it will take 15 days. Hmmm...might not make it...then again, if HE wants it to get there in time, it will.

Side note: While we were traveling in the US, there was an election in Brazil. Every Brazilian is REQUIRED to vote. If you don't, you get a stiff fine, besides suffer many other unpleasant consequences. Not pretty. So, Ken has to go "justify" his absence and prove that he really was out of the country, thus unable to vote.

So who do you think I voted for? I'll leave that to your imagination!

Oh, now this tops all...check it out if you get a chance.

http://www.newsmax.com/us/odd_long_distance_vote/2008/11/01/146676.html

Welcome Home!

Ivonete, Cristina and Bete getting ready to hand out the "dogs" that Ron and Dad cooked up for the crowd.

I know it has been almost two weeks since we got here, and I shouldn't be allowed to do this post any more, but I am going to rebel and do it anyway. Can't let the opportunity pass me by!

In reality, I just now got up the courage to open Windows Movie Maker to save this little video clip in a size that I can upload it on my blog. I discovered that I don't need a rocket science degree to do it after all. Whew!

The video is of some of my band kids the night after we got back to Brazil. They came out to the church where some of our school and church friends held a "welcome home" bar-b-que for us. Over half of the band kids were able to make it and played 5 of the songs that they have been working on since we left for the US. It was quite a concert. ENJOY!!!

Where there is a will, there is a way

While in the US these 4 months, I was introduced to the frappuccino and fell head over heals. The last one I had was 12 hours before we got on the plane. Somehow I found myself in Target with Ken buying some last minute items to take back to Brazil. There was a Starbucks at the entrance, so while Ken was off hunting down what we needed, I had my last Java Chip Frappuccino...

This is a recipe (from my sister once again!) that will hold me over just nicely till I make my way back to the US again. In fact, I may never step foot in another Starbucks again!

I had been looking forward to making this ever since we got home a week ago. At the grocery store, the ingredients started to come together. Mixed it up when I got home and had it chilling in the fridge for that "mid-evening" relax time after all the pressing things of the day were done.

FRAPPUCCINO

Mix in a 2 quart pitcher:

1 quart (4 cups) Chocolate milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

8 oz. (1 cup) very strong coffee (either regular or decaff)

Store in refrigerator until ready to use. When ready to make your drink, put ice cubes or crushed ice in blender and pour enough mix in to cover the ice. Blend and enjoy!

A shot of Ready Whip and a little chocolate syrup makes a nice finishing touch. I priced a can of it here at my local grocery store: $ 6.00 a can. In that case, I think I can do without the whipped cream. :)

Starbucks, eat your heart out!