JourneyLeaf: Life a Page at a Time

Czech Gummy Party

At the end of our trip to Olomouc in the Czech Republic last month, a new friend gave me a cookbook.  I was thrilled!  Inside were recipes for many of the foods we'd been enjoying on the trip.

 

Eli and I decided to host a "Czech Gummy Party" to share some of the treats we brought home.  And we decided to bake Bábovka, a marble cake that we enjoyed many times on the trip.

 

 

When we visited people's homes for a meal, not only did we make new friends and eat many yummy things, but people also often gave Eli candy.  Eli decided to save it all and take it home to share with friends.  He divided everything so everyone would have a chance to try the treats.  The hosts who shared their home with us gave us cookies, and we shared those too.

 

The big white gummies with the funny faces are called "Milk Ghosts."

 

 

Everybody loved the treats!  The gummies were brought home were softer and more flavorful than United States versions. The big hit was the "Milk Ghosts."   

 

In addition to the treats, we put out games that we brought back with us.  The favorite was the "Hopping Hat" game when you use a flipper to launch small cone-shaped hats to try to land in a rack to collect points.  But a wooden block puzzle that someone gave Eli was also a big hit as was the Dobble game (matching pictures) and a wooden egg-stacking game.  (There are five eggs but the most anyone could successfully stack was three.)

 

 

 

 

At a toy shop in Olomouc, we found bags of small glow in the dark plastic links that can be snapped together.  Both the kids and the grownups loved making long chains.

 

A good time was had by all and everyone learned more about the Czech Republic.  Eli gave everyone a shiny crown coin to take home.

To our Czech friends...  We miss you!  Thank you so much for the treats and games!

 

Road Trip 2018

Wanderlust...

My husband's job running camps for older kids means that summer travel is out for him.  And he's often so busy that we barely see him.  So in 2015 when it came time for an annual family reunion, I decided to make the trip with my son Eli.  From Georgia to North Carolina with a kiddo was easier than I thought it would be.  And it was so much fun!  The next year, in 2016, we drove way up to Boston to see family, visiting with friends along the way.  In 2017, we made another trip, this time all the way up to Maine.  Now that we had wanderlust for sure and a little practice, we decided to go farther.  How much farther?  It seems like more fun not to tell in advance.  Just follow along here if you'd like to see.

Road Trip Day 2 -- Kermit the Frog

Ever wondered where Kermit lived as a tadpole?  In a bayou in Leland, Mississippi!  (That's where Jim Henson spend his boyhood years and now there is a small museum there.)

 

Road Trip Day 2 -- B.B. King Museum & the Delta Blues

B.B. King Museum, Indianola, Mississippi

 

Road Trip Day 2 -- Kool-Aid Pickles in the Mississippi Delta

Susan Puckett's wonderful book Eat, Drink, Delta (UGA Press) is a great guide to the foodways of the Mississippi Delta area.  From this source I learned about Kool-Aid Pickles or Koolickles.  Convenience stores in the area sell the doctored jumbo dills in big jars near the checkout line.  I was curious but dubious.  All that food color couldn't completely dampen my curiosity, so I gave them a try.  They are actually rather good, much to my surprise.  I expected a chemical processed taste.  If I closed my eyes, however, the fruit and acid brought to mind the chutneys I ate in India.

 

My pickle-loving boy took an adventure bite but didn't care for more.

Road Trip Day 1 -- Birmingham AL: Vulcan

Eli and I are off on summer adventures!  

Our first stop was the 1904 statue of Vulcan, the ancient god of fire and metal, high on a hill above Birmingham, Alabama.  Fifty feet tall, it is the largest cast iron statue in the world and celebrates the area's history of metal production.  

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Vulcan stands atop a tall pedestal with stairs up the middle and an elevator in the back.

  

 

The views are amazing.

 

But to get to the view, you have to put up with seeing the ground far below your feet.

 

There's a small but interesting museum about the sculpture and Birmingham.

 

Two thumbs up!

A Different Life

 

A Different Life: A Facebook Series

Once a week, I hope to find and share on Facebook a short personal viewpoint article from someone whose life is different than my own. Respectful sharing and listening is the only way I know to heal the political rift in the nation I love deeply. My goal is NOT to find articles that I can agree with wholeheartedly nor to find the perfect voice that represents a group. Instead, I seek articles that help me put aside my own viewpoint long enough to think and SEE FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE. Comments agreeing or disagreeing are welcome, but ugly or divisive (us vs. them) comments will be deleted. If you know of an article that you think would work well for the series, please message a link to me. Thanks! 

 

Past Articles:

• Racial inequality and a multi-race family -- http://www.dailyo.in/…/black-lives-matte…/story/1/11936.html
• Police work in America -- http://coldcasechristianity.com/2016/six-things-that-may-change-the-way-you-think-about-police-officers

 

 

Sources:

            Even though I have a master’s degree in Information Science, navigating the waters of credible sources is quite a challenge. If you find someone who thinks they have all the answers on the topic…run from them! These are complex issues often tilted by personal beliefs. In addition, false news and the explosion of social media muddy the waters. Since many first-person narratives on the internet tend to be from smaller and more obscure sources, it will be difficult to vet authors and media outlets, but I will try. I will make an effort to stay away from outlets that support extremists and sensationalism (i.e. Occupy Democrats, Breitbart, Addicting Info, InfoWars, etc.).

 

Where I’m Coming From:

            In this politically-charged, jump-to-social-media society, the transparency we need to make  quality judgements can be hard to find.  So I want to be transparent.

            Politically, I am not a team player. Even though I now tend to vote for a particular party, I consider myself an independent voter because I feel it is crucial to look at each candidate’s stance on key issues and their integrity before I give my support. I also see a lot of damage being done as people jump to defend politicians simply because they are “on my team.”

            I freely admit that spirituality steers my politics. I am a Christian. I grew up partially in a progressive church and then my family switched to an evangelical one for my formative years. As an adult, I followed my heart to return to a progressive church. Through life experience, friendships, travel, and reading, I have found value, important life lessons, and respect for many denominations as well as many religions outside of Christianity.  I see dangers in them as well – and in myself any time I start to smugly feel I know all the answers.

            In terms of life experiences that shape my spirituality and politics, I am a “mutt.” I have dear family and friends on both sides of the political aisle. In my own life, I have lived in the conservative stronghold of a military town in South Georgia as well as the liberal stronghold of Berkeley CA, making lifelong friends in both places. Life experiences such as losing a close family member to AIDS, marrying an Air Force officer, having a childhood best friend come out as gay, living most of my life in the Deep South, traveling extensively, and growing up the daughter of a university professor have all tugged at and shaped my beliefs. I have come to believe that it is crucial to reach out to others and respectfully listen in order to help me rise above interpreting morality, spirituality, and life purpose in a way that only serves my own needs and culture.

 

 

Spring Afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make It Snow! (Proactive Kid Folklore)

The first week of 2017 is looking promising weather-wise.  One to three inches of snow is forecast for our Georgia town!  Eight year-old Eli hasn't seen sled-able snow since 2014, so he's not taking any chances!  We had heard about folk beliefs that kids put into practice to bring on the fluffy white stuff.  We decided to try them all!  (Sorry for the dark photos.  I recently upgraded my hard drive and now my photo editing software won't work.)

1. Place a spoon under your bed and a penny under your pillow.
   
   
   
   
   
2. In each toilet in your home, place one ice cube for every inch
   of snow wanted.
   
   
   
3. Shake a snow globe.
   
   
   
4. Eat ice cream.  (We didn't have any!  Surely Cool Whip will do.)
   
   
   
5. Yell "Snow Day!" into the freezer.
   
   
   
6. Place a white crayon on every window sill.  
   (One white colored pencil will have to suffice!)
   
   
   
7. Run around the dining room twelve times.
   
   
   
8. Drink root beer with a straw.
   
   
   
9. Wear a colored sock on your left foot but not on your right.
   
   
   
10. Do a snow dance.
    
    
    
11. Say prayers.
    
    
    
12. Wear your pajamas inside out and backwards.  
    (We used fuzzy footie PJs because they are the funniest!  
    But he will sleep in an easier set.)
    
     
    LET IT SNOW!
    
    

Related articles

Groundhog Day 2015

National Gingerbread House Competition 2016

We make a trek to Asheville, North Carolina's Omni Grove Park Inn to see the display of the 2016 National Gingerbread House Competition.  The elegant old lodge was something to see in and of itself -- vistas of the mountains, a lobby with two hearths of amazing proportions, and dozens of themed Christmas trees.  (https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park)

 

 

 

 

 

And then there's the National Gingerbread House Competition on display from November 27 to January 5.  Scroll down to see some of our favorite entries.  (Rules and judging details are at the end, for those who are interested.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

The Grand Prize winner?  This...

 

 

The Contest Details...  
There are categories for four age groups -- Adult (over 18), Teen (13-17), Youth (9-12), and Child (5-8).  Entries are judged on Overall Appearance, Originality & Creativity, Difficulty, Precision, and Consistency of Theme.  The rules state:  "Everything above the base of your entry must be constructed and composed completely of edible materials. The main structure of your entry must be constructed of at least 75% gingerbread, some of which should be exposed. Edible materials are not limited to candies and icings. Use of gum paste, fondant, pastillage, chocolate, modeling chocolate, royal icing, isomalt, cast sugar, gelatin, and pressed sugar is encouraged." (Only teens and adults can use high-temperature sugar techniques.)  Also, "Candies must be unwrapped and free of any non-edible materials, for example: lollipop sticks. Non-edible materials such as paint and/or ribbon are approved (and encouraged) only to decorate the outer edge of your plywood base only."  (Click HERE to see the entry form.)

 

Some Articles About the Competition:

Explore Asheville (with visit details)
Citizen-Times 
Country Living