by Krista | Mar 28, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Hello dear ones. How I’ve missed you! 🙂
It’s so good to be back writing to you again after a perfectly ghastly few weeks of misery caused by Ecoli and other things. Ayiyi. I’m so happy to be sitting upright again, basking in a rare moment of glorious sunshine streaming through my windows.
It was nearly two years ago that I first started getting sick. It’s been such a painful time with all sorts of tests and medications and doctors, but I finally have hope that I will be able to get better one day soon.
Turns out I am highly allergic to mold. My system reacts violently to the stuff giving me symptoms similar to fibromyalgia. My doctors suggested that moving away from beautiful but damp Washington State might do wonders for my health, but it wasn’t until I traveled to Fiji and Australia in January that we realized how right they were.
Upon arrival in Fiji I lay down for a much-needed nap. When I awoke a few hours later I was astonished to discover that nearly all my symptoms had disappeared. After a few days in Australia I was feeling like my old self with energy, a clear head, and virtually no pain. I couldn’t believe it.
Within a day of returning to Washington all the ghastly symptoms returned and have grown steadily worse, sending me to bed for days at a time.
I am now in the process of moving to Australia – a place I’ve dreamed of moving to for years. I’ve been researching visas, going over paperwork, and saving up every spare penny. I will greatly miss my family and friends here in Washington, but am so grateful for the chance to get better.
Thankfully I will not be alone over there. I have many dear friends in the Brisbane area, and am excited to build good memories and traditions with them. I’m also excited to be hostess to my loved ones when they come to visit me.
I don’t have a departure date yet – there is money to be saved and papers to process first – but the hope of feeling better down the road gives me strength to press on through these painful weeks.
A few days ago I was feeling especially wretched when a dear friend called to see if he could stop by for a minute because he had something for me. When he arrived he handed me an envelope, explaining that an anonymous friend had given it to help me move to Australia. Stunned, I opened it. Inside was $700.00.
I just cried. 🙂
In celebration of miracles and hope I made Aussie-style potatoes, an easy yet scrumptious dish dreamed up by my Aussie friend Robbie.
Simply fill a roasting bag (the kind used for turkey or roasts) with cubed potatoes, minced garlic, and a jar of marinated and seasoned Kalamata olives, close and bake at 375 degrees F for 45-60 minutes.
They are deliciously tender and flavorful, the mellow potatoes balanced beautifully by the tangy olives.
What is giving you joy this week?
(This is my contribution to Chaya’s Meatless Mondays. Click here to view more delicious meatless recipes.)
Aussie-Style Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 Yukon gold potatoes
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 jar marinated and seasoned Kalamata olives
1 roasting bag
salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine all ingredients in roasting bag, close, and roast on cookie sheet for 45-60 minutes until potatoes are done and begin to brown.
by Krista | Mar 22, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
Once in a while life hands out little surprises that are so beautiful, so unexpected, they leave you glowing for days. I was given one this weekend.
Many months ago Canadian Breanne Mosher commented on one of my blog posts. I popped over to her blog http://thevintagebox.blogspot.com/and soon we forged an online friendship through our blogs and Facebook that grew to include her splendid hubby, Jared.
I liked them instantly as we connected over delicious food, great music, good books, and all sorts of adventures in travel.
When Jared contacted me last week saying he and Breanne would be in Vancouver, Canada for business, I was delighted to be his partner in crime in surprising Breanne with an evening of exploring, eating and talking in downtown Vancouver.
I was excited all week until Sunday arrived and little niggling fears crept in: what if they don’t like me? What if I don’t like them? What if our online friendship doesn’t pan out in real life?
I needn’t have worried. 🙂 Jared and Breanne were not only just as fabulous as they were online, they were better.
After hugs and smiling so big our cheeks ached, we secured scarves round our necks and headed out to explore Vancouver, talking a mile a minute as we walked.
We talked about their adventures working in orchards in New Zealand and mine as a nanny in Portugal.
We rattled on about foreign food and the scary things we’d made ourselves eat, and laughed about the marvelously quirky people we’ve met on our travels.
We’d be in an animated discussion of favorite authors when one or the other would stop mid-sentence and point out a gorgeous old building that we then would have to ooh and aah over.
I loved it. 🙂
Our rambles ended at Chambar, a splendid restaurant on Beatty Street that is so warm and cozy you want to sink down onto a leather banquette and stay for hours. So we did. Lingering long over Trapiste Beer and French wine, plate after plate of exquisitely prepared and presented food, talking about anything and everything that came into our heads.
At last it was time to head home. We moseyed through the lamplit streets, hugged good-bye, and went to our beds with memories of a beautiful evening spent with true kindred spirits.
by Krista | Mar 21, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, dear ones! Alas and alack my laptop is ailing and out of commission, so my posts may be sporadic and photo-limited until I can get it fixed.
How was your weekend?
Mine was the usual mix of wretchedly sick and sublimely wonderful. Even the painfully sick times were good though, because I got to rest, watch Cary Grant movies, and listen to Clive Cussler adventures on cd. 🙂
Yesterday was a splendid day though, a lovely day, all full of sunshine and dear friends and good food and glimpses of spring and strolls through a gorgeous harbor city. And tomorrow I shall tell you all about it. 🙂
by Krista | Mar 17, 2011 | Plucky Thursday
My grandfather was in line at the grocery store the other day when a woman in a red coat barged in front of him, plopping a large package of toilet paper directly on top of his groceries.
Startled, he looked up and saw by her animated gestures to the clerk that she was deaf. Not understanding sign language he had no idea what she was saying, but being the gracious soul he is, he let her cut in front of him without a word.
Soon it was his turn. The clerk rang up his few groceries and as he reached for his wallet she smiled and informed him that his groceries had already been paid for.
By the woman in the red coat.
It happened a week ago, but my grandparents still talk about it, smiling broadly as they shake their heads in disbelief.
It makes me smile too.
These days when it seems like the only news is bad news, it’s lovely to think of the lady in the red coat and know there are still beautiful people in this world showing love and generosity without a thought of reward or thanks.
Have you ever received an unexpected kindness from a stranger?
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