Nov 2011

Small Group – Thanksgiving, posted with vodpod

It was the time of the year when birds migrate, bears hibernate and the salmons return to their spawning grounds.   The trees put on their brief but splendid autumn display of yellow, pink, red and orange while the stores burst with nature’s bounty.  It was time for Thanksgiving.      

Thanksgiving is as big an affair as Chinese New Year in Singapore.  While I preferred to spend more time reflecting on God’s goodness, I ended up with too much grocery-shopping and cooking instead.  No caterers, food centers or maids to ease the way, only rounds after rounds of potluck.  Other than potluck for church meetings and our oldies cell,  I was cooking and freezing food  for Val and Victor because YK and I would be going away.  Also  I was  sharing the job with Renee to cook Thanksgiving dinner for our YWA small group.   Renee supplied the ham, green bean casserole and cookies while I did the turkey,  sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce and sweet potato marshmallow pie.  

In my first attempt at the sweet potato pie, I nearly set the house on fire.  After the pie was baked,  I had to brown the marshmallows under the grill for one minute.  Distracted by another task, I slightly over-stretched my minute.  When I opened the oven door, the pie was a dish of licking flames!    With the smoke alarms madly shrieking,  YK ran  for the fire extinguisher while Victor charged out of his room.   flushed with adrenaline I managed to grab the pie and put out the fire ahead of them.  After recovering from the shock of fire-fighting, I removed the charcoal marshmallows from the pie and tried again with a new layer of snowy marshmallows.  I would be a fool to burn it again.   The YWAs called it smoked sweet potato pie but happily polished it off. 

It was a Thanksgiving that I shall remember for a long time.   Thank God I did not burn down the house!  

Small Group – Thanksgiving

Photos by YewKong Lee, Nov 25, 2011

Small Group – Thanksgiving, posted with vodpod

Oct 2011

The bible has several references to the early and latter rain, also called the spring and autumn rains. Deut 11:14 is one example: “then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil.” In Singapore, it can rain anytime so rain is rain. Only here do I learn that the spring and autumn rains are very important to farmers for sowing and harvesting. Of course I am happy that during these two seasons, God takes care of the watering when the seeds and young plants need them most.

This year we were watching the autumn rains very closely but pleading with God to delay them. YK had ordered a garden shed kit and we needed to erect it first. The kit arrived while David was visiting so we could not assemble it earlier. A shed is about acquiring another storeroom. Our garage was bursting with, among other stuff 4 large luggages, 4 pairs of snow boots, YK’s woodworking tools, 2 lawnmowers and tons of gardening paraphernalia. There was even a box of Val’s old books which she had shipped to Singapore and we had shipped back when we moved here.

In our yard there was just the right spot begging for a 10′ x 8” shed. It was a dead space behind our neighbour’s two sheds and so shady that nothing but weeds grow. All the contractors YK contacted would only build a smaller shed as that the space was too snug for them to manoever in. Our only experience came from building lego sets and model kits but we decided to roll up our sleeves and build the shed ourselves.

The kit arrived in two massive plastic packs. The assembly instructions said all it took was two days to put it together but I did not for a minute believed them. While YK tried to lay the perfect foundation, I painted the exterior of the shed to match our house. Applying two coats of paint on 9 wall panels and two doors under the hot sun was not my idea of fun. Our neighbour’s brother-in-law, Chris, noted my amateurish efforts and passed me a long roller and some painting instructions. After waiting for more than a week for the foundation, we finally could lay the timber flooring on it and erect the walls All of which called for a lot of hammering. In my lower secondary days, some crazy MOE policies made woodworking and metal work classes compulsory for me. I liked them as much my children liked studying Chinese. At long last, my rusty skills were called into use. My woodwork teacher would be pleased that I could still hammer the nails instead of my thumb.

All our muscles were complaining but the hardest part was ahead. With the walls up, I had to hold up the rafters while YK secured them. Chris must have seen me perched precariously on the ladder because he popped his head over the fence to offer help. We had been sending SOS calls to heaven because the roof would not fit on the rafters. God’s answer was to send Chris. Chris explained that the building was not properly squared and since we could not ‘undo’, he showed us how to cheat by cutting the roof to fit. That ruffled the perfectionist in me but with the sky threatening rain and fatigue setting in I could hardly protest.  YK was so tired he actually took a tumble one day. Thank God he fell on top of me and not into the very thorny blackberry bushes. The bushes tore a big gash in his T-shirt while I suffered a big black bruise on my arm. After the fall, we decided to hire Chris to lay the shingles on the roof. We just learned he was out of job and helping his contractor brother.  Instead of letting YK dangle from the roof, this would be a win-win for us. Together with his son, Kriston, Chris laid the shingles in under two hours. Chris refused payment but we made Kriston very happy with a hundred dollars. That afternoon, we watched the rain pelting hard on the new roof. We made it just in the nick of time. The rest of the touching up like adding trims, caulking and filling in the big gap (where it did not square) could be done more leisurely when the weather permitted.

Chris said he could have built the whole shed for us. Too late or I would have gladly let him. YK however enjoyed the whole experience, steep learning curve, hard work and all. Despite the mistakes and imperfections, he looked at the shed with much satisfaction and fulfillment.

It was too much of a coincidence that Chris happened to be visiting at the right time, and was so helpful. Or that the rain started falling only after we were done. We cannot thank God enough for building with us.  Truly, unless the Lord builds the house, we labour in vain to build it. (Ps 127)

We certainly bit off more than we could chew in this big DIY project. Can old dogs still learn new tricks?  Yes, but first we had to  shake off our rigid kiasi kiasu mindset and embrace the more forgiving culture here that says to us: ‘Failures are not fatal’ and ‘Celebrate attempts, not just achievements’.  Then add a big dose of perseverance and topped it off with lots of help from God.

August 2011

 

By August, the grass in our yard had turned blonde like straw because summer is so dry. We do not bother to water it partly because this is our busiest time of the year and partly because the green will return like magic once the autumn rain falls. With the trees, shrubs and flowers if we want them to stay alive, we have no choice although watering is not a chore we relish.

We have been participating in the Jubilee Service Day every year since we moved here. .As thirty churches join forces to serve the community, it is a CP project that is big enough to make an impact. Whether cleaning up public parks, helping out at public schools or sprucing up selected houses, it is also meaningful because we are serving felt needs. To top it off, we have found the fellowship very enjoyable as we work side by side together.

CP in school

Every year our church, LCC opts to do our good work at PL Elementary School because we use their facilities on Sundays for worship and Sunday school. On the big day, most of us reported for duty in our oversize blue corporate shirts. I had cut mine up into a more flattering size and style. It attracted much unwanted attention from the other ladies who wanted to know where I got my special T-shirt. Word even got to the pastor i/c who also asked about my shirt, Maybe the church office will order more smaller shirts next time? This year YK and I helped unpacked boxes of photocopy paper, art material, stationery etc in the school office. We also helped teachers set up classrooms for the new school year. We decorated classroom walls, arranged library books and whatever else the teachers wanted done.

playing with doll house!

CK and I struggled to put together a fully furnished doll house for the preschoolers. We clearly lack ‘play’ experience. This year’s best service award should go to the refreshment team who brought snacks and drinks in their cart, dimsum style right into the classrooms to serve us. The teachers were very appreciative and we left for lunch happy for the opportunity to interact and to be of help to them.

dim sum-like lunch

With easy access to the mountains, lakes and oceans, summer means biking, hiking, sailing or camping somewhere in the glorious outdoors. And thus we ended up hiking Little Si (elevation 1576′ or 480m) with our YWA small group on a very hot Saturday.

"Little Si" hiking trail

The young people assured us that it was an easy hike but Valerie who is familiar with my hip condition, warned otherwise. Knowing I could not do it in my own strength I pleaded with God for special ‘deer’ grace (Habbakuk 3:19). It was not just mind over matter but spirit over body! The first third of the hike proved to be steep and rocky but thanks to God, I did fine. The exertion however proved too much for Lucy, our YWA group leader. YK and I stayed with her while the others carried on. We sent up a few SOS prayers when she became clammy and nauseous.

View from our "rest"

The moment she recovered enough to suggest shopping instead of waiting for the group to finish the hike, we breathed a big sigh of relief. We trekked down the mountain with her and found a park for our picnic lunch. A big friendly dog loved our company and parked himself next to us.

Big, strong and friendly

Blueberry picking was planned after the hike but as the blueberries were not ripe enough, we drove to Issaquah for bubble tea instead.

In the midst of our busyness, we followed closely the Presidential election in Singapore with great interest, just as we had followed the General elections earlier in the year. If I were in Singapore I know which “Tan” I would have voted for.

Sep 2011

We had probably visited about 20 of the 50 states in the USA. When Victor suggested that we visit Houston over the Labor Day weekend we could add Texas to our list too. Val would rather be backpacking with her friends instead.

Austin, Dallas or Houston, nothing about Texas held any attraction for me before. Traveling expands our horizons in many ways. While checking up on Texas and Houston I made some interesting discoveries even before we left home. For example: “Houston” was the first word uttered by a man on the moon in July 1960 because of its proximity to NASA’s Johnson Space Center. And to think that Texas was once a part of Mexico.

The 32C heat that hit us at George Bush Intercontinental Airport was all too familiarly Singapore. So were the countless tolls that turned a freeway into a tollway, except they should erect some ERP gantries. More harrowing than the tolls was the 110 plus km driving speed. The way out of both the tolls and the neck-breaking speed was to use the three lanes that run parallel to the six-lane expressway. Houston is a concrete jungle of freeways snaking like roller coasters over its uninteresting landscape

Traveling with Victor means visiting restaurants, church buildings and art museums in that order. He had done his homework and the first food stop was Banana Leaf. The prata was great but the prawn noodles and laksa was disappointing. Deprived souls, we went back another two times before concluding that Prima mixes were more authentic.. A Hongkong cafe fared better. No thanks to our no-chillie men, we did not taste any Tex-mex food.

Our introduction to Houston started with a boat ride on the winding Buffalo Bayou. It was a marshy waterway that had been creatively cleaned up and converted, not unlike our Singapore River transformation. While we threaded under bridges, freeways and overpasses, we got a worm’s eye view of the downtown skyline.

Next up, churches. We worshipped at St Martin’s, supposedly the Bushes family church. It ia big and architecturally impressive church, although big churches were everywhere. Lakewood Church caught my eye for the wrong reason. Its SP’s name on one corner of the church facade was prominent enough to be seen from the freeway. Joel Osteen may be the pastor of the largest congregation in USA but should he distract from the glory that is Jesus’ alone? Outside the Museum of Fine Arts we came upon a Methodist, an Espicopal and a Prebysterian church clustered close together. I wondered: how many Christians are in this city and how well attended are these churches?

We trudged throught the Menil museum and the MFA out of parental love, not love for the arts. Picasso’s abstract paintings were beyond me but I like Andy Warhol. His campbell soup can painting is my kind of art. The Byzantine Frescoe Chapel and the Rothko Chapel are in the same Menil museum neighbourhood. The former, is art museum and spiritual space. It houses 13^th century frescoes that were stolen and cut into 38 pieces to be sold for profit. The Menil foundation bought, restored and displayed them in a way that honors God and instructs the onlooker. The artist, in his painting had expressed his insights on Christ, Pantocrator, ‘All Sovereign’ marvellously. The frescoes will be returned to the Church of Cyprus in Feb 2012 so we saw it just in time. There are 14 black paintings in the Rothko Chapel, an interfaith chapel but all I saw were blackness and black walls. There are also religious books and benches for meditation. Black is not my favorite color and I was out in a jiffy. Outside the chapel is the famous Broken Obelisk which is dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr.

I had wanted to see Galveston which sits by the Gulf of Mexico. Severely battered by Hurricane Ike in Sep 2008 it is bouncing back. We thought we were done with the art that Victor forced fed us when we stumbled on to a different art form. The storm killed many trees and artists carved some of these tree stumps into creative statues which include a geisha, pelicans and herons. They speak of how beauty can follow nature’s worst devastations. They speak of a ‘down but not out’ kind of indomitable spirit that I readily salute.

It took us three hours to get from Galveston to the airport. As we bid farewell to Houston we prayed for rain for this severely drought-stricken city. Then back to Seattle, so cool so green with rain always on the forecast.

We reached home just in time to host YK’s brother, David, who dropped by while on business trip. He wanted to exercise so we took him to Rattlesnake Trail for a hike. It was easier than Little Si but a one and half hour climb to an elevation of 480km (1576m) is still a workout. With his wife as benchmark, David did not think I could complete the hike. Every hike is a test of endurance for me but PTL, with his strength I did.

We ended a busy month with a big bang. A heavy jolt woke us rudely one dawn. We stumbled out thinking maybe it was an earthquake or a fallen tree but it was an explosion big enough to register on the earthquake sensor. A gas leak had leveled a house as well as shattering windows and blowing out roofs in some buildings nearby. We were jittery but grateful to be well and safe.

July 2011

July started with Independent Day but it was not celebrated in the grand scale we do for National Day. Most Americans are happy to have BBQs in their backyards. Last year, the city could not even cough out money for its annual July 4^th fireworks and some businesses had to come to the rescue. I am not a big fan of NDPs but I could not envisage a day when Singapore has to forego a NDP for lack of funds.

So far it had turned out to be one chilly summer. We were jubilant on the few days the thermometer made it to 20C. What on earth had happened to summer? We grumbled but still headed outdoors because summer, like childhood is fleeting and too soon fall and winter would be upon us.

Smith Tower

With our Groupon coupon for Smith Tower fast expiring, it was time to play tourists. Downtown parking is always a hassle so we eagerly grabbed the first street parking right in front of the Tower. Built in 1914 by LS Smith, the firearms and typewriter magnate, it was the oldest skyscraper in the city. We took a slow walk back in time, admiring everything, from the mail box, onyx walls, staircases, elevators to the Chinese room on the 35^thfloor. The Chinese room with its elaborately carved ceiling and furniture was a gift from the last empress, Cixi of the Chin dynasty to Mr and Mrs Smith. Of the few pieces of furniture left, the wishing chair is the most popular. A girl could sit on it and have her wish to be married to

Temple Door on display

her dream man granted within a year. We however spent most of our time on the wraparound observation deck outside, studying the city spread below us and the enjoying the mountains, Puget Sound and Lake Washington in the distance. It was also a good vantage point to say a blessing prayer for the city. The iconic Space Needle which we visited with LC and Cindy also has great views. It is stylishly modern whereas Smith Tower is charmingly old fashioned. Down on the streets we learned that parking lots on the same street are not charged the same rate. Our ‘choice’ lot right on the footstep of the Tower, at $5/hour was the highest. Capitalism works: pay more and walk less or vice versa. Maybe HDB and URA will wise up to this soon.

Wishing chair

Carved Ceiling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next destination was the Rose Garden. When the roses in our yard started blooming, that was the cue to go. Last year we went too late but this time we caught the roses in full bloom. Such a feast for the eyes, and their fragrance, a treat for the nose! We would have lingered longer to smell the roses but the evening was unexpectedly cold. I still think of a sunny day as a hot day but like the many times I had been fooled, this was another cold sunny day.

Rose Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For summer vacation, our small group joined another group for a weekend getaway to Leavenworth which is about 3 hours away. It was a good bonding activity that also allowed us to get acquainted with people we did not know. Thanks to Cheryl, I ventured for the first time into an Antique Mall. Three mega floors full of, depending on one’s opinion, ‘treasures’ or ‘trash’. It was fascinating but I still preferred window shopping at a real mall. We swooned over expensive but unique Christmas ornaments, angel sculptures and porcelain dolls. They were more like ‘treasures’ but with great constraint, refrain from collecting anything old or new. Well, except for food and and memories. At the Applet and Colet Factory, YK not only happily sampled all the candies but collected a personal stash to enjoy at leisure. At night we watch a lively musical, ‘Seven brides for seven brothers’ at an outdoor theatre. This was far superior to watching a roadside opera or getai during the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Leavenworth

Group bonding

Outdoor theatre

The chilly night air, the mountains and the alpine forest combined to make it an enchanting experience. We hope to return another time to watch “ The Sound of Music” live. Imagine the songs ringing on these mountain slopes – what a perfect stage and setting. Driving back to Seattle, we stopped to buy cherries and apricots from the orchards on the way. The candies and fruits are good and gone but the good memories are for keeps.

Doll House

June 2011

Seattle 2008 winter

2009 Fall

2010 Spring

Many people assume that we moved to Seattle because of our children but we moved because we were trying to obey God’s leading. We had asked God for confirmation after confirmation because we were hesitant to leave Singapore. Finally we concluded after much prayer that we would take the biggest leap of faith in our life. If we had heard God wrongly, we could always do a U-turn and return to Singapore. But old trees with deep tap roots not only hate to be moved, they might not recover from the transplant shock. We had attended only one church since we became Christians and we had the same address for more than 25 years. We would have happily keep that unbeatable record if God had allowed us. There was also a risk that Victor might be left behind as he did not have a green card.   YK and I had our green cards but Victor would possibly get his in 10 years’ time.

In 2008 once we decided to live in Seattle, Val received a study grant to do her Masters in Special Education at the University of Washington. A job came with it and it provided the practicum hours she needed to graduate. It was so neatly packaged by God that Val moved without hesitation from Boston to join us. Victor also received a scholarship to study in Baltimore. At least he would be on the same continent, although a 7-8 hours’ plane ride away.

Fast forward to May 2011, and Victor had completed his double degrees, compressing his 5-year studies into 3, to make up for the 2 years he had lost to National Service. He finished at the top of both courses with a 4.0 for his Applied Maths class and a 3.98 for Music. Good brains and good results like everything else, come from the Lord and we readily and gratefully acknowledge that.

Baltimore (Peabody) in winter

and in summer

More importantly in his 3 years of living away from home he had received an invaluable education in the school of life. He had to make many tough decisions: where to live and worship; who to befriend; how to stretch his time and money, etc.   Weaned from maid services, he learned to cook, wash and keep house. God led him to a good church where he grew and served. He had to make every second count, while he rushed between 2 campuses toggling between Maths and Music, Fresh from Singapore the sight of a beggar at every street corner troubled him and demanded a spiritual response. After giving $10 to the first beggar what does one do when one has more compassion than money? He became wiser and more street smart just from pounding the not-so-safe streets of downtown Baltimore.

When a young tree is transplanted into the ground, it takes about 3 years for it to get established. In the first year it sleeps (as it develops roots), in the second it creeps (as it sends out shoots) and in the third year it leaps, if all had gone well. This imagery pretty much describes our children’s experiences as they try to settle into this country. In this dismal economic climate, it was difficult for a foreign student to get an internship, much less a job. Victor’s internship that led to his present job in Seattle, could only be orchestrated by God. Armed with two Master degrees in Education, the best Val found was a temporary half day position in a public school. It was not ideal but many of her classmates could not even find jobs. The school districts had no money and were firing teachers, not hiring them. A strong union also discriminates against new aspiring teachers. Val had just completed a year in her underpaid, overworked position when she was unexpectedly offered a permanent position for the next school year starting September. She had performed well at work but in these bleak times, only God could create a permanent position just for her.

Val's graduation at UW

It is exactly 3 years since we moved here. We are not sure we are leaping yet but we live each day, trusting and depending on God. For now we are together as a family and this is home.

2011 Spring

May 2011

From the youngest age, we learned what a “no” means. Our ‘no’ list quickly piles up with discarded wants, wishes, plans and prayers as we grow. When we were living in California, I often heard Alaska beckoning. With work, MBA studies, young kids and money constraints, Alaska also ended up in the ‘no’ list. My wish to visit Alaska was not revived even when we moved to Seattle, the port-of-call from which thousands set sail each year for Alaska. Then during the last two times we were back in Singapore, LC suggested traveling to Alaska together. YK took it as a golden opportunity to celebrate our 30^thwedding anniversary.

Onward to Alaska

I happily retrieved Alaska from life’s trash bin. God is good to me. Alaska was not a ‘no’ but a wait – a long wait of over 20 years. Planning a trip with the busiest man in LSBC took some maneuvering to find a free slot but finally we were all set..

The day after LC and Cindy arrived we brought them to the Rhododendron Garden in Tacoma. Unfortunately the rhodies were not fully in bloom so we spent time studying the bonsai exhibits instead.

Bonzai at Roddy Garden

We detoured to the Glass Museum where we were little kids once again, more captivated by the super long trains snaking away rather than admired the exquisite glass pieces on display. All that sightseeing worked up a hearty appetite that justified some overeating. We tucked greedily into fried chicken and waffles, soup, salads, a mixed platter and finished with peach pies.

On Sunday after worship Val dropped us off at the Pier where we boarded the Oosterdam, the floating hotel that would carry all 3000 of us, guests and staff for the next week. We met a Filipino family of 10, we heard Australians gushing about the cheap prices of liquors and we were served by a mostly Indonesian staff eager to talk to us about Singapore. On Tuesday when the endless expanse of sky and sea became monotonous, we reached Glacier National Park. The park ranger boarded the ship to highlight  unusual sightings in this beautiful landscape. We crowded the open deck, straining to hear her running commentary while peering through our binoculars. With our view mostly obscured by heads and shoulders taller than us we gave up and retired to our rooms. There we discovered that we had unobstructed views from our balconies and the ranger was loud and clear on TV. How silly of us to squeeze with the crowd in the bitter cold! Thank God we got into our rooms in time to catch the glaciers close up and even got to see them calving. They crackled and popped before big chunks broke off and splashed into the water. It was an awesome show by Mother Nature. We applauded and shouted for encores but the ship had to move on.

How good it was to walk on land again. In Juneau, the capital of Alaska, we headed for our float plane excursion to see the inaccessible ice fields and glaciers from the air. Cameras clicked furiously but there was no way to capture the magnificence of the wilderness below us, the glaciers with their bluish tint and the muddy Taku river. The land may be as old as time but in the modern world, our 2 guys needed wifi to do business. There was free internet at the library and the scenery from the picture windows was just amazing. We also took the tramcar up 1800 ft to Mt Roberts to see Juneau from the hill top.  At the visitor center, a volunteer had set up a telescope so we could watch a bald eagle on her nest hatching 2 -3 eggs. LC’s binoculars were powerful enough for us to spot the eagle from the Oosterdam even as it pulled away from Juneau at the end of the day.

At Sitka the 2 guys made a beeline for their free wifi again. This is another library with a fabulous view. The cruise ships sat like toy boats on the blue waters against the blue sky. Our walk around town took us to the totem park; to the battle site where the Russians attacked the native Tlingit to seize the land from them; to the Russian Orthodox Church and finally to the place where the Russians sold Sitka to America for $7m. What a nice setting to learn some American history..

We were only at Ketchikan for half a day. After the usual library stop, we waited for the free shuttle. Just as well it failed to show up as after our stroll around town we concluded that it was just plain touristy.

At Victoria, British Columbia, we only had a night to explore the place. We took a long walk into town and back.  I was more fascinated by all the little English gardens and cottages along the way. On this last night of the cruise we had our first and only drizzle. It reminded us that in a region where there is more rain than sun, God had given us very good weather all the way.

After the cruise, we kept up the fun with dim sum, roast duck and dungeness crab in between visting Lake Union (as in ‘Sleepless in Seattle’), Boeing Factory and the Salmon Lock,. We did try to detox with one simple meal of macaroni soup. Good times somehow passed faster and too soon we said our farewells.

At the Boeing factory

These days we hop on and off planes as if they are buses. Taking a ship is different. It is a choice to slow down. Out at sea, I slept more than usual, read my books more leisurely and can afford to be more of Mary than a Martha (no chores!).   I even caught one very good movie, “Iron Will”   And there was ample time to catch up with old friends. Good food, great company, glorious places, what a delightful combination!

April 2011

cherry blossom in Seattle at the library

Spring might be here but the sun was not and we were feeling the effects of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which is simply winter depression from sun deprivation. Life however still goes on, rain or shine. Some gardeners even donned raincoat and water-proof pants to work in the yard. Umbrellas however are hardly used by anyone. Usually the rainfall here is a fine mist or a steady drizzle. If I hear the pitter-patter that is associated with rain in Singapore, it is more likely to be hail.

With a harsh winter still vivid in our minds, there was urgency to plan for the next winter. Our plumber neighbour started a big DIY job of adding insulation to his house. YK dug dig deep into his pocket instead to change all our aluminum windows. They had been conducting the subzero cold into the house so that when it snowed outside, ice formed on the window frames inside. It was torture sitting through four long sales talks, each one lasting half a day, listening to everything about windows and how much they cost. I loved the windows that cost US$12 0000 but we compromised for the mid-range ones that cost us US$8000. That is for changing 8 windows and one patio door . A couple grumbled that their 1950 house swallowed up all their monthly savings. We can empathize: there is always something to change, repair or upgrade.

With our window project settled, and Valerie on springbreak, we drove across the mountains into Central Washington where they boast 300 sunny days a year. The mountain passes were still thick with snow and the lakes frozen. At Ellensburg where we stopped for our picnic lunch, it was too windy to eat in comfort.  Made me wonder why would the Chinese say ‘eating wind’ to mean ‘on holiday’?

Next stop was the wind farm nearby where white windmills were perched neatly on top of mountain ridges to harness the wind. YK had many engineering questions to ask the young tour leader whilst the rest of us were simply wowed by this renewable and clean source of energy. Each windmill is taller than the statue of liberty and each blade longer than the wing of an airplane. All it takes is wind at 5mph to get it to generate electricity. It was a very educational and impressive tour.

touring the wind farm

After that we headed to Black Canyon. The ride there was too bumpy and midway YK aborted our mission. We detoured to Gingko Petrified Forest instead. Tree trunks had turned into stone fossils and they were scattered all over. At the visitor’s centre we forgot about the petrified trees to take in the marvelous view of the Columbia river.

Columbia River

We headed for White Bluffs

Windy White Bluff

early the next day where we had the wilderness all to ourselves. It took us several attempts to find the narrow trail up the sandy hills. We hiked single file and turned back only when the strong wind blew sand into our eyes, noses and mouths. We could see the Hanford Nuclear Reactor in the distance.

Reactor where the bomb on Nagasaki was tested

Climbing down felt more precarious because the wind, like a bully was pushing hard from behind. I trotted down afraid that I might be blown into the beautiful blue Columbia river below. The views were fantastic and the hike exhilarating but it was too crazy an adventure for old and creaky joints. A saner alternative would be to tour the Reactor where the atomic bomb that was dropped in Nagasaki during World War 2 was tested. It would made an interesting tour but we learned about the free tour too late.

On our way home we drove through the Yakima farmlands which supplied most of our fruits and vegetables. We stopped by a cherry orchard to learn about planting and picking cherries. No wonder cherries are expensive. It is labor intensive from cultivation to harvest. Cherry picking is in July, we were too early.

cherry farm

We ended April with Church Family Retreat. The speaker was a powerful black speaker. He was this funny, animated and dramatic one-man show trying to engage a mostly unexpressive and reserved Oriental congregation. Black or yellow, thank God we are one in Christ and we had a great church family time.

Mar 2011

It has been one long winter. Since it snowed in mid November the thermometer had hardly make it above 10C. When it rained endlessly problems abound. The least of it was power outages. More serious ones were of giant trees toppling over houses. The conifers so common around here are really tall and when the wind is strong it is fascinating to see them do their crazy version of belly dance, while scattering their branches all over. For those living near rivers, heavy rainfall plus melting snow means threats of flooding. When people write from Singapore and complain about the horrible weather there, they do not really know what they are talking about.

Neighbouring house smashed by falling tree

Since two houses on our street were destroyed by fallen trees, we had taken to praying very seriously for God’s protection all the time. Sometimes I even take the extreme measure of commanding the two towering trees outside our house to stand strong and firm. How frequently we take our safety for granted.

Fickle weather or not, everyone adjusted one’s clock for daylight savings and lose one hour of sleep on the second Sunday. Spring is here although it still looks more like winter. Thank God the sun is consistent and the days are getting longer. Spring is time to assess and repair winter damage. Rain was trickling out of one corner of our garage and we found a gutter hanging loose. Could be from the weight of winter snow or the force of howling winds or both. Fixing it seemed the easier part. Buying the right gutter screw took a Goldilock. Too long, then too short. We did not get to ‘just right’ as YK gave up and just make do. Then our upstairs cloak closet let in water after two days of heavy rain and wind. The two of us took turns climbing up the ladder playing detective to investigate the leak. We finally took a photo and consulted a DIY friend. More shopping for roofing screws to hold down the piece of metal that had buckled. The same ‘too long, too short’ problem. There is so much to learn. At the rate YK climbed up and down the roof, he would soon overcome his fear of heights. These are the times that makes living in a HDB flat a piece of cake. Any problem outside? HDB will fix it.

where's the leak?

Playing detective.

News about the 11/3/11 Japan earthquake silenced all complaints about the dismal weather. The tsunami that hit the Pacific coast here paled in comparison with the destruction over there. At times like these, we longed to reach out for our loved ones but Val was away in Minnesota for a wedding, Victor was in Baltimore and our extended families in Singapore. We were thankful that we could connect with our church family here. LCC was planted by a Japanese American church and there are many Japanese Americans in our midst. Our SP’s wife led us in a passionate and powerful prayer that God would redeem this tragedy for the good of the people and nation of Japan. On that Sunday morning alone the congregation donated US$18000 for earthquake relief in Japan. It was one way of saying we care.