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Last weekend marked another meeting of Club Jen.

Club Jen is also known as girl's night out- here's the twist, -with my best-est girl friend, Jen.
Hence, the cool club name. She's lots of fun, loves to shop and has great taste. So, for me, it's like a fun vacation. It's the only time I ever step foot into a coach store. Cultural literacy is important, people!!

Club Jen took place mostly in Canada.

*I've never been to Canada before. True or false?

*Being world travelers, we instantly knew what the blinking green and yellow signal lights at some intersections meant. True or false?

*Vancouver is more like Orange County than like New York. True or false?

*It rained most of the time, and I forgot my raincoat. True or false?

*not to worry, though- Club Jen is all about shopping! I bought a raspberry colored rain-coat at an expensive store I cannot pronounce. In Canada. True or false?

*Shopping really was not the main event of the trip, we went to pick up our kids at the fun circus Summer camp Meg and 2 of Jen's kids were at. We arrived the last day to see their final act. True or false?

*In Vancouver, I had the best fries I've ever had. We had dinner at an oyster bar and people- watched. True or false?


*My friend Jen lives in Washington State. I visited Pike's Place, a favorite place of mine when I was young and living in Seattle. True or false?

* Jen's oldest dd, who is 16-drove us around in her band-new car. True or False?

*Her girls took us for crepes, we had #16- Crepe Aux Fraises Chocolate- which had chocolate Nutella in it. Up to this moment, I had successfully avoided Nutella. I knew it would be my kryptonite. True or False?

*Sky's crepes are awesome, but I have to admit that these were a tad bit better. True or False?



*Meg saw many musicians out busking. She wished that she had brought her violin, so she could clean up. True or false?

* I never fly without motion-sickness patches. I forgot them this trip, and remembered as I sat down in my seat on the plane. I warned my seat-mate, who was grateful for the warning.
True or False?

Labels: Jen's world, trips

So, the Home crew went vacationing in Solvang, Ca..and then camping. Here are some of the fun things we found to do...

Labels: trips

Solvang, Ca was our destination choice for our summer family vacation. It's less than a 4 hour drive from Orange County.

A close-to-home vacation spot has several advantages for the large family

• less expensive. -no plane tickets, car rentals or hotel stays for the trips in and out of destination.
• a quick trip home. I love to travel, but I am also a homebody. Sky is the same, as are several of our kids...after a few days of excitement, we are ready to go home. Now. Right now.
• less time away means saving on pet sitting, if you need that sort of thing.
• if things are not going well, you can pack up and head on home.

Labels: trips

Labels: trips, Wordless Wednesday

We really enjoy visiting Cambridge, and of course touring the campus of Harvard. This is the foyer of the Freshman dining hall. You have to be a freshman to eat here. We couldn't even go inside...tho, our last visit here, I got a really good peek inside when the doors were opened for a few seconds. On one side of the foyer was the dining hall, the other side has a theater. The stained glass windows are breath-taking. And, secular. No bible stories here.
Amie in front of the statue of the 3 lies. It's a fun story. This is the founder of Harvard, or not...hence the reason they call it the statue of the 3 lies... See the shiny foot? It's tradition that if you touch the foot, that either you or your kids will get into Harvard. So, we saw lots of tourists/visitors holding the foot and taking photos. Our student guides begged us not to touch it, and it wasn't the idea of germs that prompted this warning....we heard tales later of drunken students in the middle of the night, and I'm sure your imagination can supply the rest, think of why the bronze might be shiny, beside people constantly touching it... ewww!!

We loved Harvard, weird statue story and all. It's a beautiful campus. George Washington slept there, really! Lots and lots of history, my favorite subject!

this is homeschool field-tripping at it's best!

Labels: Boston, field-trips, trips

More highlights from our Boston trip...

Labels: Boston, trips

Our trip to Boston included a stay at a farm. This small farm belongs to the parents of Jenna, who was a Bible College Student out where we are. She plays the violin, has a degree in music and trains & owns horses. Meg wants to be Jenna when she grows up!
This is the view from the house, they had several barns and several pastures. It was so green!
We loved it, loved the view, loved the green, loved all the land, loved all the trees.
Then we found a Barnes & Nobles 10 minutes away, and it was settled...we COULD live there!

Then I froze my putootees off at night in the very old, quaint farmhouse, and realized...we COULDNOT live there, it gets below 70 degrees!
Meg got to go down every morning and evening and help with the horses.
I think it's a riot that my daughter mucks stalls for fun.
The kids would have enjoyed the trip even if we had not gone to see any historical sites, they loved being on the farm. I wish we had land like this here, sigh. Not to be.

Here's the end of my post...talk to the hand, hee-hee...!

Labels: Boston, trips

At the north end of Old Boston, we stopped at the holocaust memorial.

It was very hard to try to explain to Demi and Amie, they have no historical reference for it yet...and how do you explain such evil, how do you make the huge number of people murdered-real to a young mind? How do you display such ugly but real evil to your innocent children?

I couldn't. I outlined the barest facts.

and cried a bit.








Mike's Pastries in the Italian section. The chocolate chip cannoli came very, very, highly recommended.

Now, I'm not a cannoli girl in any way...but I had one

and Philip was right, they are to die for.

We sat in the park around the corner with the Paul Revere statue, and ate our desserts.
I had a diet coke with mine, perfecto!




I loved the Italian North-End!

We stopped for pizza, too.

But of course!!

Labels: Boston, trips

A group shot in front of the old state-house, Boston. It's so hard to get a group shot where no one is making a face, no one is blinking...socks match, no holes in pants... This one is a keeper.
A real-live action shot, we were walking hard...we did the freedom trail in one day! I don't recommend you do it, but we did. Philip made us. We did skip Bunker hill and Paul Revere's house. I would have liked to see Revere's house, but we forgot...we made a side-trip for cannoli, Philip said they were 'to die for' and, he was right.
Umm, chocolate chip cannoli or dead guy's house, cannoli wins-hands down.
Exploring the cemetery near Old North Church. I was reading about how this cemetery was un-kept for some time, and how once a restoration was under-way, old tombstones were found being used in construction of nearby houses. yikes! Yes, this is me...I'm now re-thinking the shirt I have on here. I bought it right before my trip to Singapore, and I love, love it. I love the color, and I love that it is a swing-cut, and also an a-line cut, and that the material is really soft. I feel nice wearing it. So far, I look bad in photos wearing it. What do you think? I was going to order another one in a different color..should I nix that thought?

I didn't think it was funny at all! Then I told them that their faces would freeze like that...okay, it didn't make sense, but mom cliches don't have to, they're just a state of being. And the kids mostly aren't listening to them anyways....so there.

Labels: Boston, trips

Sky and I visited the Boston area two years ago, loved it, and really wanted to take the kids. We finally got our chance this May, after we spotted some super-low airfares. Visiting Boston is a super rich experience for us on two fronts; 1)the history! I loove History, I love visiting places I've read about, and I loved/longed to share these places with our kids. 2) meeting up with people we've met through having the Bible college boys/girls over to our house every week. Sweet, sweet fellowship.
There were many firsts for Demi and Amie. Look! - A very first plane ride!
Look! -very first subway train ride! This actually had monumental buildup after seeing subways in movies like Narnia and Spiderman.
Our very first Bible College boy, graduated several years ago, now serves on the college campuses in the area. He has become a very good tour guide, on the side. Here he is enriching us with his knowledge (which was considerable) of the old statehouse building. We actually had other people stop to listen to him at several stops. (we are joking about sending him a costume so he can do the tour in a proper way...)

Notice Amie giving him all her attention and just soaking in the history...

Labels: Boston, field-trips, trips

My trip to see my friend Starlene, just happened to work out right around her birthday. I was so glad I could be with her for her special day. I actually missed it by one day because of my unplanned stay in Japan. We went straight from the airport to Morton's Steakhouse for her birthday dinner. Morton's is a big treat, always very good and I always leave too stuffed for my own good! I couldn't get over how much her girls had grown since I last saw them, the summer past. Her oldest looked so mature, with her long hair in a braid...
They took me to this restaurant, called "Red Dot", which is named after the restaurant's home-brewed beer. It was on a great site, with a great view.
The place was magical, really. One of those moments when you are glad you have the privilege/ chance- to travel to places so far-out from your own. The weather that night was warm like a blanket, but not hot- with a breeze coming in. It was perfect.

Perfection that might move one to compose a sonnet, a beautiful piece of music or to paint a picture.

I did none of those things,

but I breathed a prayer of thanksgiving just for being there

and I sat.

Labels: Singapore, trips

I love being in a different place. Things are just so, so...different. um, yeah... But seriously, it is so interesting to see different things, different ways. I thought this was interesting, -ERP- my first day in town I was riding in a taxi with Starlene to Morton's, and suddenly the taxi driver warned her that we were entering an ERP area. Starlene told him to go ahead. The ERP areas seem to be congested parts of town that you pay to enter into during heavy traffic times. The cars and taxis have electronic devices that charge you as you drive in - and I think, out! The amounts change reflecting how busy the hour is.
I thought this was a lovely shot of Starlene with her youngest daughter at the Shangri-la hotel. We went to the biggest, most lavish buffet I have ever been to here. Get this; they had a bounce house and balloon guy for the kids, and a separate kid-food bar. La-dee-da! It was a great place for people/fashion watching. The families at the buffet clearly lived in a different sphere than I do! I saw a mom who looked just like Nina on 24. Then we saw her again at Gymboree on another day. Maybe? Do movie stars live in Singapore? It gets better..she spoke German!
Starbucks. I know people like to knock it as being so franchised/redundit or something...but I love finding Starbucks in different countries. It's just so comforting, so American, so home. They are all the same, and thus a comfort in a foreign place. I am collecting photos of me and Sky at different Starbucks around the world.
You can't think American without Mcdonalds. Good or bad, there it is. As a mom, Mcdonalds has played a bigger part in the backdrop of my life than I care to think too hard about.

In Singapore, Mcdonalds delivers! I was consumed with this thought in a disquieting/unproportional way. I was wined and dined by Starlene and Eric all week, so I did not get to experience having Mc-dees delivered hot right to my door....!!! (Starlene will have to chronical this delight over at her blog.)

I was flustered one afternoon however, upon being asked if I wanted a carrier for my coke.
Well, no. It was just one coke, right?
Wrong. I was thinking of the american cardboard holder for 4 drinks.
Singapore has a plastic bag/carrier for the solo coke.

Accessories for my diet coke. How cool is that?!

Labels: Jen's world, Singapore, trips

Singapore is very green.

And, um... an Island. A tropical Island.

This was my favorite street, Orchard Road.

It was my favorite for two reasons;

it is very picturesque (1) and
it's the main shopping drag (2)

any questions?

good, we will move on








Here is Orchard Rd., Singapore - a more crowded view.


Shopping, shopping. Everyone is shopping.

love it!

I just ignored that I couldn't afford to actually shop in most of the lovely stores on this road.... I didn't have bag envy,

really.

I could afford the McDonalds.

I couldn't afford the Border's bookstore, but I purchased, anyways...you only take a 22 hour flight once in a blue moon, so- what the heck? live a little...




Okay, the bread shops were not on Orchard Rd, but probably more 'real' Singapore.

It was a carbohydrate-addict's dream, really.
this one was in a mall. A mall we reached after riding the subway during after-work rush-hour.

I was only a smidgen traumatized. I suddenly discovered I might be a little claustrophobic. Or not, maybe only on crowded subways with an armpit in your face and a stranger's back pressed into yours.

maybe. I might only be theorizing this. So, how many times would one have to ride a crowded subway in Singapore to know as fact that you are claustrophobic?

it will have to remain a theory.

Labels: Jen's world, Singapore, trips

Flying to Singapore to visit my best friend, Starlene- I knew it would be more of a "mommy working" visit, as in; her darling husband works during the week, and someone still needs to mommy their two girls, pick them up from school, attend to their needs... I was going to more or less "hang out" with her, (which is what we do best as friends) and that was all I really expected.

Her husband was very gracious, had her book a night at a nearby resort/island, and then took care of things at home, so we could get away for some 'girl time'. We went to nearby Sentosa Island. Very tropical. Here is a view from our hotel room.
Look, we stumbled upon a pea-hen and her chick on our way from the beach to the pool. I have to tell you all that the pool was as warm as bath water, which is the only way I like pool water. We both commenced swimming laps, to work off our humongous buffet adventure. And then we just lazed around in the water, chatted, floated...and then swam some more laps.

Later, we decided that all the laps entitled us to a trip to Ben & Jerry's. -which was closed, so we hiked on down the beach to New Zealand natural ice cream. The extra walking entitled us to two scoops, of course!
Here is a water-fall in front of the hotel. I didn't mention how we got to the island did I? We took an air tram, like one of those rides they used to have at Disneyland...kind of cool, but always a bit of a challenge with my severe motion sickness. I did okay with it, had more of a problem with the crowded bus afterwards! I still cannot get over the tropical climate of Singapore, it was very warm. I love warm. I loved this waterfall! I also loved all the big, tropical trees with lots of green things growing among their limbs and branches. I have lots of photos of trees. Lots. I'll spare you, promise. Sky had to look at them all, tho...

Labels: Singapore, trips

You know, I thought it would be a good idea to hop on a plane and visit my friend Starlene.

She lives in Singapore, as in Asia. You can click on over and read about her in an old post *here. Anyways, I had this idea, so I acted upon it in Jenny fashion- asked Sky, and booked my flight a few months ago. A funny thing called swine flu pandemic happened right before I left. (or not so funny, really...) I think I live and move in a Murphy's Law zone...

My connecting flight was in Japan. A few people on board were coughing. Sooo, what fun, Murphy's-Law-type-thing happened to me?
My entire planed was quarantined

Thank goodness only for 3 hours! But I missed my connecting flight to Singapore. Funny me, I thought a 2 hour window between flights would be a good enough cushion for delays...I forgot about the world pandemic possibility. We sat on the plane for 2hrs until they finally got a health worker on board to screen us. Then they made us all put on face masks (a snapshot which made a great profile pic on fb, by the way!) and then they let us go. A group of us were booked on the next available flights, the next day! - And told, basically, "too bad, so sad, see you tomorrow, and by the way, you can't even sleep here because the airport closes at ten." Sky was in quite the tizzy, because I was alone in a foreign country without him.

I really lucked out though, in our group were two little ladies from Singapore- and 'tenacious' is the best word I can come up with to describe them. Once they were done with their uh, bull-dogging negotiations, we had free shuttle service and paid- for hotel rooms, and free meals.

The photo above is of our little 3-hour tour stranded group. Three of us were Americans, three from Singapore, and one from China. We had a nice time, it was really good to not feel so alone in this little ordeal.

I made it safe and sound a day later, we went to Morton's Steakhouse for dinner, and then the next day I went to church with the family.

Here is a photo of the street where we had breakfast. We went to a Bread shop, there were several on this street. It's a carbohydrate addicts dream, really. I had french toast squares with kaya sauce for dipping. Starlene doesn't know what kaya actually is, but it looked like green jelly or applesauce, and was kind of sweet. No maple syrup. Starlene had a toast sandwich with kaya in the middle.
After Church, we headed to the Shangri-la hotel. This was really, SOME hotel! Beautiful, lush, expensive...I had a 15$ singapore, gingerale.... We had brunch there, and it was by far, the biggest, most lavish buffet I have ever been to. More pics later....

Labels: Jen's world, Singapore, trips

The Jennifer club had a non-work weekend convention of sorts. Guess where?
...well, this sign gives it away. My friend Jen had a work conference to attend in Beverly Hills and she invited me to join her once is was finished.

Can you believe that I am a born and raised Southern California girl, and yet I have never visited Rodeo Drive?!






Well, that's the best photo I have of us...it's kind of a hard thing to corral a stranger and ask them to take a photo of you...

I thought this part of the street was the prettiest,
kind of European-looking.

It was so unbelievably relaxing to sleep in each morning, breakfast late and to wander the many shops without a time table (or potty breaks or cries of "I'm bored, can we go now?!")





Here is the view from our room balcony- I think this was the nicest hotel I've stayed in (think down pillows, down duvets and marble).


The hotel was the ...something "Continental"

which of course made me think of this- every
time I said it or thought it...






It was a blast of a weekend, more to come...

Labels: Jen's world, trips