Oldie but Goodie

I found a "Vanilla Infusion Kit" on sale the other day. The instruction said to infuse the vanilla beans with vodka for 4-6 months before using it. Then, I can keep replenishing it with more vodka up to 7 years.

7 years, huh? Gee, I will be more than half of a century old in seven years, and you?

ANYTHING GOES. Have fun with infused vodka. I did it with blueberries before. Just put washed berries (make sure they are dry) in a big jar and filled the jar with vodka. Store the jar in the closet for at least 2 weeks and you will end up with very pretty blue-purple vodka.

Beauty grows and flavor develops with time. Aging is not a bad thing. Enjoy!

God Bless

I went to a Buddhist temple with Jean yesterday. It's been a while since I visited one so I was happy to have this opportunity.

The temple was tucked away on a residential street. It looked like an ordinary house from the outside but it was a big hall inside. I was amazed by the number of people who went to pray bringing with them flowers, fruits and assorted offerings to the Gods. Jean told me that many people have heard of this place and some have come from afar.

The temple was crowded with people. It looked chaotic yet in an orderly fashion. Everyone seemed to know what to do and everyone was focused on making his/her prayers heard. It was busy, buzzing but not noisy. Every person there, including me, all wanted something from the Gods. They must be very busy listening to us mortals' needs and wants.

What to do? Many feel helpless and lost in this difficult time. So much not within our control. Who knows what would happen tomorrow? Praying seems to be a good way to lessen our fear of the unknown. It's nice to be able to have an one-on-one with the Almighty.

In reality, Gods can't solve all of our problems, but they give us strength, comfort and a sense of direction. I walked away with a renewed hopefulness that things will be all OK. Just do my very best. God will be there to watch over me.

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Puppy, Incoming

What Does It Mean? Sleepless nights, constant watching, can’t leave him out of sight, can’t go anywhere without taking him along, going to the vet, feeding, and scooping after him…

The New Kid: Dexter. A little 14 weeks old Great Dane that RK and I found on craigslist on 1/24/09. He has already had 2 families since his birthday on 10/1/08. We hope this family is where he will grow up to be a happy doggy.

RK and I didn’t expect to pick up a puppy. We were looking for an older dog – like Max and Dudu. We found Dexter by chance. His previous mom said that her older dog just would not allow him in the house. We went to her house to check him out. One look and we knew that he was destined to go home with us. The puppy eyes did it...

We have forgotten what it takes to care for puppies. Max came to us when he was one year old and Dudu about four. They were both very calm and required little training after a brief “orientation.” So, it was a reality check when Dexter came home.

It’s like being parents. RK has the tasks of taking care of him since Dexter is with him and I have the tasks of looking for puppy social groups and training classes and we only do puppy talks now. Ugh!

Yet, we miss you, Max, Dudu.

Let's Try Again with the Ox

QUIETLY, the rat is leaving us and the big ox is taking over. Comes January 26th, the Ox will step in to plow the way in Year 4707.

The little brown rat made a big mess - worse than the golden pig. Hope the earth ox will guide us with strength and endurance and show us how to do things right. This is the year to rebuild and work extra hard - no time for play. If you don't put in the effort, you won't enjoy the fruit of your labor.

Let's hope that the rat took all the bad luck with him. Please take it and go, little one. We are ready to start over.

No, Oil is Not Gold (Not Now)

Ups and Downs of the gas prices: classic example of SUPPLY and DEMAND at work (so we were told). If so, then what I've learned from my Economics class is really true. Ugh!

I vaguely remember the graphs and charts that the professor made us memorized. When this is up, that goes down. When that shifts, this changes. Hmmm... should have paid more attention then perhaps I'll have a better understanding of our mess.

Reality Check: Doesn't matter what the economists say though, the proof is in the pudding. Just look at my world and how the gas price is impacting me. See the pictures that I took at the pump last year and this past weekend? Same stinky tank of gas but it cost less than half of last year. I'm not complaining, but how can we live with this wild fluctuation? Where does my income line fit on the chart along with the interest rate and inflation?

I don't expect that we will ever have cheap gas again. However, those who are manipulating the oil prices should learn that people, when push comes to shove, will find alternatives thereby changing the demand line on the S/D chart completely. If so, then what?

I really need to go dig out my charts.

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