Seattle With Emilia, Javier, & Jaime

David is here for a week with Emily, and I drove them up to Seattle yesterday for them to check out the U of Washington. On the way, we made sure Emily got up close to the Pacific Ocean (ok, Puget Sound, but that qualifies). Another high point: the Seattle Public Library! It's an architectural marvel.

Gomez : See The World

This band is in Portland on July 28th. Great sound!

Het Cadeau (The Gift)

This morning I found a brown package on my doorstep, containing the Dutch copy of my picture book! Anno Domini sold the rights to publishers in the Netherlands, and so I expect it will be out there this winter.

Now all I have to do is take a quick course in Dutch... Betsy, maybe I should call you up?

Triple Murphy Monday

Well, I know it's been forever since I posted, so here's a triple bonus.

Believe it or not, I'm still unpacking boxes. This morning, going through an old box of my children's dress-up clothes, I came across this pink feather boa and couldn't resist.

Firekites AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation

The Geek Within

OK, I realize I'm revealing the total geek within, but I love old letterpress machines and boxes of metal type! This photo is from the 2008 Frankfurt Book Fair. One entire building was devoted to photo and art books, with a display of old printing presses, handmade paper, engravings, and paintings on the top floor.


Do any of you know what kind of type this is? I wish I'd asked more questions at the Book Fair. Too late now.

Cake Wrecks

Cake Wrecks recently featured various cakes based on picture book characters. I'm partial to the Babar creation. Although this "Wild Things" cake is wonderful too.

Photo from Coco Cake Cupcakes

Wow

A guy who can empathize with women!

Congratulations!

Our son, David, graduated from Calvin College on May 23rd with his biology degree. He plans to stay in Michigan and work for the next year.

Here, David with Grandma and Grandpa Cutter, who've driven cross-country to each of their grandchildren's graduations. The Cutters still have one grandchild left to go (our youngest, who won't be out of college for six more years). At least they get a breather in between.

Shades of Pink And Ivory

This is one of my favorite flowers. I've forgotten the name, but it reminds me of grandmothers and lace.

It's been fun discovering the varieties of greenery in our new yard. Ferns, hosta, rosebushes, rhododendrons, azaleas, day lilies, water plants, and more.

And there need to be herbs around, so I've already planted lavender and rosemary. Basil is next. Because pesto = food of the gods.

Making Connections

I'm trying to find other people who write poetry in the Vancouver area, so last Thursday, I attended a Poet's Workshop at Fort Vancouver public library. About 9 people showed up and the leader gave us 2 different prompts:

1. Write a six word poem.

2. Fill in the blanks in a poem where most of the words have been removed. This sounds simplistic, but it's actually a good method to add some surprise to the writing. I just forgot to ask which poem the leader cut up--it'd be interesting to compare.

Afterwards, many of us went out for a drink or dinner at a nearby restaurant. I enjoyed connecting with the varied bunch of folks. Quite an age and personality range, from a boisterous high school teacher to a retired pirate type guy who used to cruise around and look for gold in the Caribbean.

While I'm on the topic of poetry, did you know that President Obama is hosting a poetry party at the White House? Good for him!

Also, the Poetry Daily site posts lots of excellent poems.

What's Going On In Vancouver

Just a brief update:

* It's barely over a month since we moved into our north Vancouver neighborhood. The house now has a new roof and I'm still finding roofing nails in odd places like the shrubbery and slats between deck boards. No bare feet outdoors.

* A duo of frogs has taken up residence by the fish pond in our backyard. At first, their "ribbett riddee" sounded quite charming. Now we're getting a bit tired of the constant barrage from their froggy throats. But the funny part -- Murphy thinks a HUGE creature must be making all that HUGE noise -- so when the frogs start up their nightly chorus, he rushes outside to see if he can ambush monsters. If he only knew; these frogs are hardly an inch long!

* I saw my nephew Austin play in a rugby game yesterday. Rugby rules are still unclear to me. But how can the bottom person in the pile (I think it's called a scrum) survive all that squishing?

* People actually say "hi" to strangers here on the street. Almost fainted the first time that happened, after living in Germany for four years.

* There is no good English word to substitute for stau (traffic jam).

* I found some potential walking partners and take my first walk with them tomorrow morning. Yes! After several months of hotel stays and restaurant food, exercise is a priority. Unpacking boxes might fit into the category of aerobic exercise, but I need a little more intensity. Plus it's fun to talk and walk.

* That's all I can think of for the moment.

Further Croatia & Slovenia Photos

A Few Photos of Croatia & Slovenia

Jellopalooza

The strange ways of engineers.

Jeff's work group has declared Monday to be a Jellopalooza day. This means they need to bring in all types of Jello dishes--the weirder, the better. One of the guys Jeff works with has a favorite recipe for Jello mixed with bits of Spam.

See what I mean?

He asked me if I had any ideas for Jello creations, but I have vowed to never eat Jello again--must have overdosed on it in my youth. I do remember pouring an entire box of the stuff over vanilla ice cream and eating it. Thought it a delicacy back then. Ugh!

Any thoughts are welcome. Jello jigglers are a possibility. But not Jello shots; they need to finish the work day in a sober frame of mind.

Hyperlexia Journal

For the past week, I've been unpacking boxes in our new house (circa 1972) and trying to become an official Washingtonian; ie, get my state driver's license, among other things--complicated because my passport is issued in my pre-marriage name, Laura, and our long-absent marriage license cannot be found to prove otherwise--so Vital Records, here I come.

Anyway, it's time to post! The Cutter family hasn't dropped off the side of the earth or morphed into some new dimension, regardless of what you might think.

I have another poem out in a brand new literary journal, Hyperlexia. They post "poetry and prose celebrating the autism spectrum." Take a look.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Happy 40th anniversary to "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle!



Many a bedtime was spent reading this picturebook to our children and waiting while they poked their fingers into each hole the caterpillar had nibbled. I think they used to know the text by heart.

Bright sunny colors, collage, and whimsy--Carle's artwork in a nutshell.

Here's a video of the illustrator and author talking about the making of his well-loved book.

Clementine

I liked the animation on this video for Megan Washington's song, "Clementine." Lovely voice too.

Found it on Lenzi's blog:

http://christylenzi.blogspot.com/

Reflections

"Little Venice" in Colmar, France


Staatstheater in Stuttgart, Germany

Odd Warnings

In our instruction manual for a newly purchased hair straightener (one that heats up after it's plugged in):

"WARNING -- NEVER USE WHILE SLEEPING"

I assume the company's afraid buyers will sleepwalk and then electrocute themselves in the midst of beautifying. All while still deep in sleep, of course.

Fire

"A kind heart he hath. A woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart."
--William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor

"Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you -- like music to the musician or Marxism to the Communist -- or else it is nothing, an empty, formalized bore around which pedants can endlessly drone their notes and explanations."
--F. Scott Fitzgerald's letters to his daughter Scottie

"You are ice and fire the touch of you burns my hands like snow"
--Amy Lowell

Strength In What Remains

You can bet I'm snatching this book up the day it comes out from the publisher.



Deo grew up in the mountains of Burundi, and survived a civil war and genocide before seeking a new life in America. In New York City he lived homeless in Central Park before finding his way to Columbia University. But Deo’s story really begins with his will to turn his life into something truly remarkable; he returns to his native country to help people there, as well as people in the United States.

Strength in What Remains is a testament to the power of will and friendship, and of the endurance of the soul.

Murphy Chicken-Legs

One of the family nicknames for our dog is "Murphy Chicken-Legs." If you look even briefly at his photo, you'll see why. Murphy has such cute drumsticks!


Don't know if he's double-jointed or what--but it makes me chuckle when Murphy spreads out on the floor like this. Our tabby cat, Seashell (God rest his soul), used to do it all the time, but I didn't know dogs were as flexible.

Maybe he should take up yoga. And just because I think it's funny, a bonus link for you--found it when I googled chicken legs: Gummy Chicken Legs Candy. I quote their ad: "Nothing hits the spot more than a hearty candy chicken leg!" Uh-huh.

OK. That's enough.

Overheard

Overheard in a conversation about the school nurse at our daughter's high school:

"She's allergic to latex. Oh, and she hates needles and doesn't like blood."

The Singer of Strasbourg

I have an essay online at The Banner -- The Singer of Strasbourg. My piece was accepted awhile ago and then sat in the files, so I was surprised when a friend emailed me today, "Congratulations on your article!"


Nice surprise.

* The stained glass window photo is from inside Strasbourg Cathedral.

Proof

A few photos to prove that the sun does indeed shine in the Northwest in February. Although today, we're back to sheets of rain.


These sculptures stood in the courtyard between a hospital and the medical clinic I visited a few days ago. Vibrant red--a fittlng color for any health facility, eh?

The Open Table - Donald Miller - Sample Clip

I watched this clip and found lots of good stuff to think about. Especially the comments people make re: their perceptions of God and Christians. Funny and sobering at the same time.

***
A couple years ago Donald Miller interviewed about twenty-five friends and asked them each five questions.

1. What did you think of God/Christians before you became a Christian?

2. When did you realize there was a dark or hard side to life?

3. When did you realize there was a dark or hard side to yourself?

4. What did it look like when God broke into your world?

5. What does your life look like now?

He says, "We put together a little book that takes a similar journey, just processing the idea of Jesus from an outsider's perspective. The book is called “The Open Table” and so is the DVD...I hope they end up being used by folks who have questions about faith and specifically Christianity."

THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA by Cynthea Liu

I really enjoyed this book trailer by Cynthea. During her childhood in Oklahoma, people always asked her "Where are you REALLY from?" That question resonates with me too, as an American child who spent her early years in Africa.

Great video for a multicultural book!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to you -- from Murphy and his household.

Since he wasn't allowed to sample the chocolate, we treated Murphy to a few extra bites of his doggie kibbles.

Did you do anything special for Valentine's? I got together with my extended family in Newberg, Oregon. So nice to drive an hour to see them, instead of taking a long Lufthansa flight and all the other hassle!

I do miss Danielle and David, our 2 oldest children, off in Germany and Michigan respectively. See you both in May and I love you guys.

Drummers of Burundi

I had the chance to visit with many Burundian refugees at a church event in Oregon this Sunday -- and that got me thinking about my first home.


This clip gives a glimpse of the Burundi Drummers in action. I especially liked the older drummer at the start and the group's amazingly athletic performance 5:25 minutes into the video. Watch for the littlest drummer -- he looks to be all of 4 years old and steals the show!

* Photo from Encyclopedia Britannica (Bruno De Hogues—Stone/Getty Images)

Yes, I'm Still Alive

Contrary to what you might think, I am alive and kicking. Had an awful cold/flu for the first few weeks after arriving in Vancouver. All those people hacking on the plane did it to me, I think.

But now I've re-joined the land of the living! I like being able to breathe normally again.

A few first impressions from the day we landed:

* How weird to walk into a store and understand people's conversations, without even trying.

* Nobody clapped when the plane landed safely. I like that European custom!

* Free water in restaurants. A novel concept.

* How can there be an entire row in the grocery store dedicated to various types of salad dressing?

Venice in the Winter

We took a short trip to Venice at the beginning of January. I couldn't believe that streets in the center of town were still crammed with tourists! My advice: don't try visiting in the summer.

Betwixt & Between

Sorry I haven't updated in ages. We moved into a hotel a few days ago and are in the midst of cleaning the rental house and shipping our van and a thousand other tiny little details. So when I get to Washington state I'll post more. I fly on January 26th.

Hope you had a happy New Year!

A Christmas Poem

Notice the little clay hedgehog in the circle of animals around Jesus' manger. I picked him up at a German flohmarkt (flea market). He reminds me of a stanza from the Anglican hymn -- "All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all."

Excerpt from THE HOUSE OF CHRISTMAS

To an open house in the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.

--G.K. Chesterton



--Painting is in the Speyer Dom

Christmas Eve Murphy

Murphy and his household wish you all a very merry Christmas Eve. May your holidays be full of joy and candy canes. And furry beasties in Santa Claus hats.


*picture taken by Anna

English Toffee

Here's a scrumptious English Toffee recipe that I've made often. Don't ask about the number of calories though; you don't want to know! It's amazingly easy and a good gift for the holiday season:

ENGLISH TOFFEE

Ingredients --

1 pound butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups chopped almonds
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Stir butter and sugar in large pan over high heat until melted.
Cook and stir constantly until toffee is very smooth and a medium to dark golden brown (about 10 minutes).
Add almonds and cook 1 minute longer. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT!
Spread immediately in 13 X 9 X 2 buttered pan or on cookie sheet.
Cool 5 minutes and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
As chips melt, smooth the surface with a spatula and then sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.
Cool in the fridge.
After toffee is solid, knock (I use a knife to pry it) from the pan and break into pieces.

The Mannheim Weihnachtsmarkt

Jeff and I wandered around the booths, looking for gifts and trying the food. This Christmas market wasn't as crowded as the Heidelberg one.


Lots of pretty lights at night! Santa Claus is sampling the Glühwein -- hot red wine with a mix of cinnamon and other spices. Perfect for the cold.

Can't Wait

In less than an hour, we're leaving to hear "The Messiah" performed at Mark Twain Chapel in Heidelberg. I can't wait! This music epitomizes the start of the entire Christmas season for me.

Amazing Race Finale in Oregon

The final episode of the Amazing Race aired last night on CBS television and it was filmed in Oregon! Even better, they shot the "high adventure" challenge at Camp Tilikum, where my sister Beth and daughter Danielle both worked. "Some of the challenge course elements are attached to 100-year-old Douglas Fir trees as high as 120 feet off the ground," according to the camp's website.

After negotiating the Tilikum ropes course and then a zipline at Bridge of the Gods, the three Amazing Race teams swooped into downtown Portland for their last clues. The teams received one clue at Voodoo Doughnut, my favorite donut shop in the entire earth, universe, and solar system. I'm looking forward to visiting there myself, as soon as we move back.

*Photo from Tilikum website

The Market Square In Marrakesh

A view of the main market at night. We ate dinner at one of the restaurants surrounding the square, with an unobstructed view of the swarm of activity and noise down below. This included: whirling dervishes, cobra charmers, women doing henna hand painting, men with monkeys, little kids selling cigarettes, and many other small businesses.


Some of the infinite varieties of dried fruits and nuts available--walnuts, almonds, sugared and salted peanuts, figs, apricots, a wealth of dates (dried, fresh, regular and gourmet, fat, slender, you name it).


If you can't tell, this booth is selling cooked snails. The huge basin in the middle is brim-full of snails still in their shells and customers sit around the sides of the booth to be served. Don't know if garlic butter is supplied or not.

**Click on the photo if you want to see more details.

Guide Us By Your Grace

Jeff got a job offer from a company in Vancouver, Washington and replied with a "yes" last week. So we're moving to the NW at the end of January! I'm excited to be so near family again, but at the same time, will miss many people here in Germany. Especially our small group and some writing buddies and other friends I've made.

This song is becoming my prayer for the days ahead...not just for me and my family, but for you too, if you're in the midst of any transitions.

In Marrakesh

I love the colors in these carpets. No one drugged our mint tea and tried to steal our money in the carpet stores (contrary to a few dire warnings I'd received regarding Moroccan merchants).


The light, the light. Made it easier to take good photos, that's for sure.


Don't you feel sorry for the poor horse?

None Of That Fake Eyeliner (Murphy Monday)

You can see why we sometimes tease Murphy about wearing Cleopatra eyeliner. Except that his eye decor is the natural-born kind. Lucky dog.