"What-ish Waters?!" aka PAM Christmas Party

Last Thursday Ms. Francis the secretary at PAM invited me to the PAM staff term wrap-up/ Christmas party. Since I ended up not going to PAM at all that week, I wanted to be able to go up and see everyone again and say goodbye/ Merry Christmas.

But what I forgot was that "This is Grenada" aka "tig."

TIG: ABBREVIATION; "This is Grenada." informal. Used pretty frequently in the country of Grenada to sum up exasperation at every day, "Grenadian" things. 

Usage:

(spiteful) Just killed a cockroach the size of a cat. TIG

(funny) Today I spent 15 minutes stuck in line of 10 cars, because of a stalled Learner (student driver). TIG

(observational) I realized N.Y. Bagels on campus rips you off. TIG

(pondering) They sell locally packaged pork chops at IGA, never seen a pig on the island. TIG

So you get the picture. There actually used to be a website where students would post their "TIG"s to commiserate together. Living in a country and culture that is different from my own, I get it.

Without further ado, let me introduce "Mannish Waters." The soup I was able to sample at the PAM Christmas party, cooked over a fire pit, was interesting. I have sampled some local cuisine, and aside from breadfruit dishes, I guess I don't have much of a palate for it.

Like any good research-hungry, BA-holding, just plain curious individual I had to learn more. Turns out the soup is originally Jamacian (it seems most Caribbean food does).

Wiki's picture was spot on and provided the most concise definition:

"Mannish water is a goat soup in Jamaican cuisine. It is believed to be an aphrodisiac and is made from various goat parts, sometimes including the head, brains and heart."

As far as aphrodisiac, umm... I came home and fell asleep. Sleep slightly out won puking. And let me tell ya, if you think breath after a nap normally stinks, I couldn't breathe from post-nap-mannish-waters breath. TMI? But in all fairness, maybe goat brains and heart are an acquired taste and once I savor and crave them, the aphrodisiac magic powers will come.

<--Then, I ran across this photo accompanied by this caption:

 "The ingredients are a bit intimidating for a first timer but once you get a taste I can bet you'll be hooked...The 5th quarter (head, entrails and legs) are the featured ingredient in Mannish Water."

I, personally, don't think "hooked" was the word I was looking for. And I am no PETA President, but I will spare you from the other pictures in that Mannish Waters How To page.

If you haven't run out to get your piping hot bowl yet, I know it's probably because you are waiting for a recipe, all 20 ingredients, and I read that it is just fine if you would like goat testicles in there as well. 

I also noticed the Food Network offers a recipe for it in their "holidays and parties" section if you'd like to whip that up for your loved ones this holiday season. To help out, you can purchase Mannish Water Ram Goat Flavor Soup Mix at Amazon.

And a select few of you might get some packets from our local MNIB in the foreseeable future!

Remembering Grandma W

This past weekend my sweet Grandma Widdison passed away.

I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time at her house in my younger years before she moved to Utah. I remember her tiny little home in The Valley. I remember turning the street corner and getting antsy to run into her arms. I remember the end table filled with puzzles. And I am just realizing that maybe this is why I am so crazy for puzzles to this day. I remember the cookie jar that mooed when you took off the lid. I also remember that cookie jar being a little lamb with a straw hat. I remember running in between my grandma's lines for laundry when playing in the back yard. I remember my grandma loved to sing.
My grandma sewed a lot, and she was great at it. Christmas meant homemade jammies.

This is a picture of my brothers and sisters at my grandma's house in our new Christmas jammies Grandma made. My nightgown is a Precious Moments flannel pattern. Pretty sure that little tree is set up on the puzzle-filled end table.

Grandma also made us girls beautiful dresses. Ali and I always matched. I specifically remember loving this dress because it reminded me of a Ragedy Ann doll, which I thought was pretty neat.

Grandma was also really good at cross-stitch, like incredible at it. As I developed my own love and respect for handicrafts, I remember going over to her house in college and staring at the thousands of tiny, perfect stitches in her work.

Living so close to her in college I got to see her again, as she had moved from California to Utah quite a few years prior. I remember sometimes going to church with her and she was so proud to show off her grandchildren. I remember every birthday I was sure to get a cute kitty or puppy card with her perfectly formed cursive handwriting inside. Grandma loved little cute baby animals.

When I got married Grandma made me a beautiful quilt in my wedding colors. I had it on display at my reception. And after I had it on my bed every day until I couldn't bear the thought of it wearing, tearing, and fading.  I wish I had a closer up picture to show the detail, but I don't have one with me.

At a full life and 92 years old, I know that she is happy now. I know she missed her husband and parents and friends, and even though I have a hole in my heart, I can fill it with the peace and comfort. Peace and comfort that this is just the next step in eternity, I can be with her again.

My dad, and his mom, my Grandma W.

QW #10 Storms & Ships.. & Sun!

Quote Wednesday has officially turned into "Quote Whenever" as it has now entered the "double digits" club. So, here are a bunch of quotes about storms, ships, and the sun. 

This week was irritating, maybe because last week was so good?

Either way, it was a hundred little trip lines put in my path. A hundred little things that are summarized by, "Really?" But I didn't punch a wall, I didn't whine and complain to everyone I saw, and I didn't even scream into a pillow. :)

But I thought of a couple of my favorite quotes and did a lot of shoulder shrugging.

This quote has been a favorite since I read Utopia by Sir Thomas Moore.

"You would not abandon ship in a storm because you could not control the winds."

-Sir Thomas Moore-

I imagine a super dramatic scene from Pirates of the Caribbean or something. Like a raging storm with thunder and lightning all around, water slopping up onto the deck, stuff breaking and crashing... then some one simply jumping off. 

A whole ship, a whole crew, a whole life... abandoned.

Why? Because the storm passes, and whether it is a light Grenadian rainfall storm, or Pirates-of-the-Caribbeanesque, forever-long storm, the light will shine through.

http://daytobeyou.com/

"...Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we try to accentuate the positive. I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good..."

-Gordon B. Hinckley-

Sometimes I am guilty of seeking out storms, instead of sunlight. Because there is sunshine on the darkest days, if we look for it in the right places. Look for a friend, look for family, look for an inspirational quote, a funny picture, a happy song, your favorite scripture verse, hey, you could even scream into a pillow! :)

http://hollytherobinson.blogspot.com/

"We can't direct the wind but we can adjust the sails"
-Thomas S. Monson-

(Maybe good ship quotes come from Thomases?)

Sometimes I think the answer is to adjust my sails straight for the Los Angeles coast line, but I remember #1, its not a straight shot to the L.A. coastline, and #2: "A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor."

http://daytobeyou.com/uncategorized/a-smooth-sea-never-made-a-skillful-sailor/

So stay on the ship, search for the sun, adjust your sails in the best possible direction towards your goal aannnnnnd:

REFUSE TO SINK!

And, no, I have plenty more sea related quotes, just in case you were wondering! ;) 

PAM Wrap Up

Well, my volunteering at PAM was cut a little short this week when the secretary e-mailed me and said that since this is the last week of school, it is a week of half-days, so there was no need for me to come teach.

But I did get a couple more pictures the last time I was up there. The girls were finishing up most of their projects, using the sewing machines to make little zipper pouches out of their "chicken scratch" work. I must say it is pretty funny to see teenage girls sew. They want the cute zipper bag without all the work. Renica, the assistant clothing and textiles teach, gets pretty sassy and frustrated with them. This also involves a lot of the girls breaking the serger and sewing machine and Renica sassing at them and fixing it. The serger is always where it gets intense, as the girls usually work together, one holding the fabric and controlling the foot pedal, and the other helping to guide the fabric straight.

Pretty much I did a lot of sitting around, with some answering questions and helping with supplies such. But overall the girls have really taken a liking to embroidery and just like to do their own thing. It is great to see them get so creative.

I thought this one was pretty clever, Princess, the girl who is doing this one is pretty lazy, so this is a big thing for her!

I was really happy to see that the embroidery seed of desire spread to the other students!! The second year girls are really getting into it. Seeing all of the cool supplies and beautiful work the other girls have produced has really got them interested.

One of the second year girls made this fun little pac man purse, which is a combination of "chicken scratch" and cross stitch.

After searching every craft and fabric store downtown I learned that Aida cloth used for cross-stitch is recognized, but not sold anywhere here. At one point this lady looked at me, rolled her eyes, and sassed, "Good luck."
Thanks.

And in case you were wondering, none of the girls ever want to be in the picture with their work. Haha. I don't know if I will be returning to PAM next term, the clothing and textiles permanent teacher will be back, so there won't be much of a need/ time for me to teach a class. But I am looking for other volunteer options to keep busy.

PAM Update

I continue my volunteering at the Programme for Adolescent Mothers up in Mt. Parnassus. Since we got supplies things have really gotten rolling. Here the girls are working on their first project, making a panel for a pillow.

Most of the girls really enjoy it and they take the supplies home and work on it there. The girls came up with their own designs and I told them to try to do a variety of stitches on their designs. I think all of the girls put their child's name on the pillow and/or their name and their boyfriend's name.

That was all before I left for Thanksgiving. I gave them a project to work on in the two weeks I was gone. It is a type of embroidery/ cross-stitch called "chicken scratch." I learned this one from my mom, who learned it from her grandma. My mom used it to make a beautiful tablecloth for me as a wedding gift. Here is a picture of the center of the tablecloth. It also has chicken scratch on the corners as well as a eyelet ruffle, very fancy!

When I returned to PAM I didn't teach anything. I walked into the classroom and all the girls were already sewing and stitching! I felt pretty useless but it was awesome because it was such a change from when I first came to PAM. At first the girls would sit around and do nothing and stare at me when I taught. But now they are working on projects in between classes and getting right to work when they get to class! It is fun to see them so excited and proud of their work. They are turning their chicken scratch work into purses. Kyadisha was the first to finish hers, she was helping the other girls with putting the zipper in the purse.

I only have three more times going up to PAM before I am done and they are off for break. I am trying to think of what else I could teach them in that short time. I know some of them are pretty checked out, mentioning every ten minutes that "school is already over." Haha. I've been there before.

QW #9

I know I talk about my parents and my family a lot, but they do so much for me, I don't plan on stopping any time soon. That is why I will continue to talk about them this Quote Wednesday #9!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92635403/roots-wings-quote-8x10-art-print-free?ref=sr_gallery_36&ga_search_query=quote+print+child+decor&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_mh_hub=kids&ga_mh_eid=1115794253&ga_mh_section=clusters&ga_mh_cid=furniture-decor&ga_page=1&ga_ref=related&ga_search_type=all

Now of course I don't have children to teach this to, so I will reflect on how my own family has given me these two gifts. My parents love me unconditionally. They are always there for me. Unconditional love also includes their right to tell me when I am being stupid.
These are the parents who didn't get to bed until around 2 in the morning because they picked me up at the airport. This includes my dad waking up at 2 in the morning to get me to the airport a week and a half later.

I am forever in debt to my parents who give me wings to fly. Or rather, give me a breeze to keep me up in the air. Specifically, for housing me, feeding me, and schlepping me around. Lucky for them, this didn't end when I graduated high school, or college. I suppose True love is buying your child groceries, no matter how old they get. I am happy to announce my parents' generosity has no limits. :)

I want to give my parents much love and thanks for bending over backwards for not only me but also my husband to make our life here in Grenada happier, healthier, and more comfortable.
I LOVE YOU!!

SURPRISE!

I love surprises!

For example, I love getting presents mostly for the thrilling of not knowing what the heck is in that wrapped box/ gift bag. I just love the suspense. And for this reason it was hard for me to contain the best, most expensive, and biggest surprise I have come up with yet!

In mid-October Ross and I had talked about me going back the the U.S. for a trip. I had mentioned that I didn't want to go home for Christmas or next summer but for Thanksgiving (maybe I love Thanksgiving because of the food? Shut up Teo!). I had thrown out the idea but Ross was all for it, he told me to buy the ticket and go go go. :) He is awesome, because as it turns out I really needed it.

I have always wanted to surprise family around the holidays. You know like in all those movies when someone just shows up on the doorstep and everyone cries and hugs and its oh so dramatic? Yep. Like that. I found a great price on a ticket with a minimum amount of pain involved in layovers and airports. I had to let my parents in on it, but no one else had any idea! I was so excited.

So the day after my birthday I embarked with my suitcase stuffed suitcase to bring back some good stuff. I had a 7 hour layover in the Miami airport since I went through customs freakishly fast (of course when I have a 7 HOUR LAYOVER I get through quick). And I F-R-O-Z-E, I can't even remember the last time I felt so cold. I thought I was going to die, and  a lady sitting near me laughed at me when she asked if I was cold.

Lucky for me my momma had a sweatshirt waiting for me when I met them at the airport in L.A. It felt so good to be back in Southern California!