Hurricane Ike

I thought I'd share just a few pictures from Hurricane Ike (hubby calls Ike the himicane). We lost lots of shingles and flashing was torn from the roof. Here is a picture of the flashing hanging on/off the roof.

Large piece of flashing that landed in the atrium.

Saturday morning we received a call from our next door neighbor saying they hoped our van hadn't been hit by a tree. After removing the boards from the front door and peaking out, this is what we found. The van was unharmed. Can't say the same for the tree.

We walked around our little neighborhood on Saturday. Everyone was out trying to clean up around their homes.

We were jealous when we found this house. They had power! They also had a neighbors tree on the power line in their backyard.

Can't see the bottom of the house because of all the debris.

Because of the power outages (no traffic lights) we haven't ventured to far from home. Our neighborhood seems to be one of the lucky ones. Other areas had horrible damage. Huge trees down on homes and across streets.

We didn't get electricity back until late in the week. We spent most of our time on our balcony, talking and waving to neighbors or helping to clean up. The storm certainly brought the street together. Shoveling leaves and tree limbs out of drains (please no more rain) brings folks together!

I've had some emails about Musashi's Garden -- how it fared during/after the storm. It did really well -- really! Some of the golden Ixora is still blooming along with penta. The plumeria took a beating but all are still standing. My little grapefruit tree had two fruit before the storm and, believe it or not, still has them. Amazing! The pair of Asian banded doves made it through Ike. They have been by to check out the bird feeder. Also, the blue jays. I'm afraid we haven't seen our cardinal family -- just the dad. Hope mom and little guy are ok. Hummingbirds have been flying in and taking a look. People weren't the only ones who "took it in the shorts" during Ike.

Temple Trek

Now that we are retired, it's time to explore Houston. Visiting various religious buildings in the area was always something we wanted to do. When a colleague and friend announced she was leaving the museum to go to Beijing to study Chinese, the three of us decided it was time to explore and start our temple trek. We started with the Jade Temple.

Kuan Yin who hears the cries of the world.
The bodhisattva of compassion.

Kuan Yin standing on the dragon and lotus base.

We arrived the morning after the full moon and found people honoring their ancestors with prayers and food offerings.

After the ceremony looking from the front door and incense burner toward the pond and the back of Kuan Yin.

This is the interior of the Jade Temple. Looks just like a "regular" church -- pews and all except a Buddha is on the altar.

Close up of Buddha and altar.

Vivian and moi. Art, iconography always on our mind!

Shakyamuni Buddha calling the earth to witness.

After the Jade Temple we took a dim sum break at the Ocean Palace. I've posted about the Palace previously. This is one of the beautiful lotus buds in the pond outside the Palace. Having Vivian with us really increased our enjoyment of the day. She told us stories about dim sum and tea drinking that we will always remember. She is young and this chance to study in Beijing doesn't come around every day. She will be missed. I'm hoping she will start a blog and share her adventures.

Teo Chew Temple

This is a temple that Vivian knew (Chinese and Vietnamese combination). She had attended a New Year celebration here (if I remember correctly) with one of her friends . We did not take pictures inside as we did not want to disturb the people at worship. This is a very traditional temple, one large open room, with Buddhas and bodhisattvas lining the interior walls. You could tell the more popular ones by how many offerings (flowers, food, fruit, candles with prayers or wishes printed on them) had been placed before them. Each had a single kneeler in front. We watched as a young woman prayed before Kuan Yin with her container of sticks, moving the round cylinder up and down until one stick fell to the ground. She took the stick to the fortune teller for reading. You'll recognize Kuan Yin again outside of the temple.

We would temple trek one more day with Vivian before we had to say goodbye and good luck.

Dragonflies, Teddy Bears, Elephants and Classes

Here are some more pictures of things that keep me busy! I have made four dragonfly afghans so far. I love the pattern. Easy to carry around and work on as it is crocheted in squares. This sage green (have you figured out that green is my favorite color?) was the first dragonfly afghan I made. I usually make something first and keep it -- figuring the pattern out and getting the mistakes made and corrected -- then make it again and give it away. The afghan pattern is called Dragonfly Dreams and I found it in the July 2006 issue of Crochet Magazine.



Another one of my favorite things -- Teddy Bears. The pattern for this bear and his toys can be found in two booklets -- Birthday Blankets and Bears Volume I and Volume II (1993). Each bear comes with a toy and his own crocheted blanket.

This little elephant (not so little) -- Ellie Phunt -- is my latest finished project. She is going on a journey today to California to her new home. Every time I look at her, I laugh. She is soft, funny and has a great multicolored tail that you can't see in the picture. Ellie is from the booklet Safari Friends. Safari Friends includes directions for 6 friends: elephant, tiger, giraffe, lion, chimp, and alligator. I ordered this booklet from Annie's Attic.

Today Dick starts the fall semester with a new art class. He was off early this morning trying to miss the school traffic (also first day of school for all the kids in town). Mid-September I start an online class that will, hopefully, make me make time for more mixed-media.

It amazes me how busy everyone gets with the first hint of Fall and the start of school. I've been trying to schedule time with two good friends for a Girl's Art Camp and it's tough. I know we'd have a great time and I'm not going to give up!

Armchair Traveling With Books

I admit that I'm an armchair traveler. I enjoyed traveling to Provence with Mayle's A Year In Provence. Not too long after, I traveled with Frances Mayes to Tuscany in Under the Tuscan Sun. My latest visit was to a place I've always wanted to visit - Morocco.


The Caliph's House: A Year In Casablanca by Tahir Shah continues the tradition set by Mayle and Mayes. Inspired by the Moroccan vacations of his childhood, Shah buys Dar Khalifa, a crumbling ruin of a mansion that once belonged to Casablanca's caliph, or spiritual leader. An empty house is thought to attract jinns, invisible spirits unique to the Islamic world. Shah copes with a new culture, the guardians of the house, repairs to the house, memories of his grandfather and his own growing family. I laughed. I was entranced. When I was finished, I wanted more of this exotic land . I was happy to read that In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams, Shah continues his adventures in Morocco collecting a treasury of traditional stories. I have it on my wish list.


My guess is now you are going to say "WAIT! Still Life is not a travel book. It is a mystery. And, you'd be correct. is a mystery complete with murder and solution. It is also a visit to Three Pines, a small, magical village not too far from Montreal or the United States border. I can imagine sitting in front of a fire, eating, drinking cognac (and I don't like cognac), watching the villagers of Three Pines come and go. There is something about the place that is intoxicating. Even Dick enjoys reading the Three Pines books. He asked me today where the third Three Pines book was so he could start it. He's picky about his mysteries. It's not the mystery that draws him to these books by Penny -- it's the place. In Still Life, she introduces us to characters that we'll meet again and again in Three Pines: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec (a strong, charming, happy man); Clara Morrow and her husband, Peter (both artists); Myrna who runs the new and used bookstore; Gabri at the bed and breakfast; Ruth Zardo the poet and curmudgeon. Spending time with them is not dull and boring.

A Fatal Grace is the second in the Three Pines series followed by The Cruelest Month. We both think The Cruelest Month is the best of the bunch so far. The fourth Three Pines mystery will be out the first of the year. Another for the wish list.

Seattle, Part 3 With Lessons From the Grandson

This year we took the free bus into China Town and the International Center. Forgot that it was Monday and the Wing Luke Museum was closed. We did drop into Uwajimaya and I found some wonderful papers that I hope to use in collage. I have to say that Houston's Hong Kong City Market makes Uwajimaya look small.

Dragon In China Town

There are lots of lighthouses along the coast. This is the one at Alki Point.

Downtown Seattle and Pier 66 from our hotel room

Looks like Seattle and Houston have something in common -- building. Cranes everywhere.

This is one of my favorite pictures -- Seattle and Mt. Ranier from the Queen Anne District.

Double Rainbow

We were just back from Bainbridge Island, relaxing in our hotel room on Saturday afternoon watching the Mariners baseball game, when the announcer mentioned a rainbow over the field. We dashed out to the balcony and found a double rainbow. It was beautiful. I can't tell you how long it had been since we'd seen a rainbow, let alone a double one (squint to the right). One of nature's many miracles.

From the moment we checked into the hotel, there was solitary gull sitting not far from our balcony door. We didn't think much of it. We thought he/she was hanging around looking for a handout, just like the gulls in Galveston. The day after we saw the rainbow another one of Mother Nature's miracles appeared ... baby gulls. First, we saw one and then two and finally, the day before we left the smaller third baby (didn't get a picture of all three). We were delighted and had a great time watching this little family.

Babe

Finally, if you don't have a youngster in your life -- get one! If everyone could see the world through the eyes of a child, we'd be a much better planet. Here are a few of the lessons we were reminded of by THE grandson:

• Greet each day with a smile
• Live each day to the fullest
• Learn something new each day
• Don't be afraid to try something new
• Read
  
• Play
• Cranky? Take a nap.
• Eat when you are HUNGRY
• There may be a wonder right around the corner. Look for it.
  
• Hug
  
• Be sure your loved ones (friends, family, pets) know you are grateful for them. Don't be afraid to love.