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I discovered a delightful thing this morning--white tea is naturally almost decaf. And it has a lovely tea taste, a slightly smoky aroma that's miles away from too-sweet fruit and herb teas or tasteless decafs. I bought the White Peony and Silver Needle from Adagio, and hope that one cup in the morning will leave me still able to sleep.

Burmese food is pretty good, too. Very similar to Thai and Vietnamese, but not the same. My rice salad, for example, was topped with perfectly sauteed slices of garlic--crunchy like toasted sliced almonds, but with the taste of roasted garlic. Very yummy.

Not hard to find ways to have a pleasant time here. And the weather for the last few days has been blessedly warm--I know it seems hot to the people who're here all the time, but to me hot doesn't start until 95F.

There's a wonderful yoga studio near my son's house (Yoga Kula, if you know the area or Anusara) where Sianna Sherman teaches. I couldn't go to her class this week, but did go to a very fine class taught by a young man, Kenny. He brought a harmonium for the opening and closing chants--it was delightful.

A friend of my son T's has a knit shop, so I also indulged there--just for starters, a lace mohair scarf (very open--tiny yarn and size 10 needles). The pattern isn't hard but the yarn is very slippery. I may yet rip out what I've done--too many mistakes. My plan is to do a big and better shawl-type thing, but haven't yet found a pattern, or yarn I can afford for a project that big (love the bamboo yarn, but it's a little heavy for that and costs $26 for 50g!). I also went with T's partner, D, to a knit night, a gathering of some very nice very interesting excellent knitters, the people who teach the classes. It was fun to work with them, but also a joy to see what they were making.

We also went over to Angel Island, off Marin, to a sort of combined camping trip-birthday celebration--a friend of D's was camping all weekend and we went over for the afternoon, bringing lunch. Weirdly, they were having a Civil War re-enactment, involving cannons and passing ships (no real gunfire or cannon balls of course), but the battle had never really taken place. The island is beautiful, and I always love ferry rides, even though that day was a bit cool.

I am getting a little writing done, but still lots, lots more to do.

Also many walks, much good eating, including a sample of some lychee mousse that another friend who's a professional caterer had made. Oh yum.

The muse of writing came through, eventually, for NaNo, but the muses of food planning and present selecting are deserting me in a pique of jealousy, I suppose, for my single minded attention to their sister. So does anybody have any ideas? I like to do an ethnic meal of some kind on Christmas Eve, since we do traditional TG and Christmas Day. Last year I did German and there are some who call for a repeat--and I probably will, in a year or two. This year, overwhelmed by desire when I read oracne's Dirty Rice recipe, I think Cajun would be appropriate. I can do shrimp gumbo and a Cajun fish or chicken, bread pudding with bourbon sauce, and...?? Any thoughts, or even better, any recipes?

But I'm sure you are all having problems with your own present-selecting muses, so I'll work alone to find something good for my 85-year old cousin who already has everything (and now I've delayed too late to order online, grr).

Still living and eating well in California--Thursday night at Gombei in Menlo Park with oyceter and masqthephlsphr and fannishly. It's a very good Japanese restaurant (intended to save some of the excellent unagi to bring home to D (my son's partner and my host here), but sigh, no will power when it come to good food). Many thanks to Masq for excellent driving under trying circumstances, and to all three for a pleasant evening.

Friday, went with D's stepmother to work on restoring the gardens at Alcatraz. She works with historical gardening, so it's a real delight to spend time with her and to learn about the plants and the history of the place. You can see some tiny picture and read just a bit at: http://www.gardenconservancy.org/projects_gardens.html#alcatraz
http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz/nature.html

From some angles, Alcatraz looks like a Greek Island, with old white ruins, high cliffs, and the sea straight down. It had no soil originally, and space had to be blasted and soil hauled in by the soldiers who were quartered there (originally to defend against Confederate invaders!) Then inmates later on worked with guards, but also had their own gardens.

Then my younger son and I went to the new Museum of Asian Art in SF. It's such a well-done museum, with such rich detail, that I can never see more than one section at a time--this time it was China, esp. the very old, pre-Buddhist section, and the wonderful jade. But the Chinese Buddhist section is fascinating, too. I'd already done the South Asian part--am saving the Himalayas for a later time, as well as Korea and Japan.

We ate lunch at a wonderful Vietnamese place called Tu Lan on 7th street (I think)--great spicy beef soop and spring rolls, yummy.

Trying to complete the baby sweater and hat by tonight to give to the mom to be before I leave (she's my friend's daughter, the one who got married in Italy last year). Baby may get here first!

T and D's new cats (or kittens, I think) have names: Ronin and Bandito. I will try posting a picture in a bit, if my camera works for once. The plan is to let them explore the whole house this weekend, after a week in the bedroom. The room's so much bigger than the cage they were in at the Humane Society that they seem quite happy, but interested in seeing even more.


I'm loving it here so much, the lovely bright sun (although foggy on Alcatraz!), the good walking and strenuous climb back home, getting my leg muscles back in shape, the fun stores, restaurants, street fairs, and new kittens--and the quiet good times with D while his partner T (my son) is working in LA. PRaise to D! This has been the equivalent of having his mother-in-law visit for two weeks, but he's been the soul of graciousness and good humor, happily including me in things, never showing that he felt cramped by my presence. I was never that great with my mother-in-law, though I loved her dearly. I spent weeks in her house, but always chafed at the differences. Maybe there's less conflict with different genders, or maybe D is just nicer than me! Not hard.

But will be glad to get back to fall in the South too--still not too late for one last swim if the weather's good; the leaves will be changing, and I miss my friends, my own yoga teacher, my Buddhist group, my house, my car, my part-time cat.

After seeing the poor old folks with walkers and wheelchairs standing in the supermarket for hours to get a flu shot, I wouldn't take one even if I could get it (unlike the football team at our local U). But since I am headed to the source of most flu, I thought I'd at least get a pneumonia shot. And gamma globulin. So I made my appointment with the travel doctor, drove way across town (45 minutes) to his office, waited half an hour. Oh, says the nurse, I forgot to order that vaccine. Why don't you come back next week?

Never mind, I say. Just give me the gamma globulin and I'll take my chances. But grrr. What are appointments for?

Meanwhile, lots of packing. Trying to travel light to leave room for baby stuff but still have something to wear everywhere, from Beijing where it could snow to Hong Kong where it's still very warm--plus must carry supplies of mystery paperbacks and locarb snacks, also my complete stash of emergency provisions for every possible eventuality. Whenever I'm traveling and run into a problem, I add something to my pile when I get back and take it on the next trip. So I have clotheslines, reading lights, peptobismal, matches, candles, pillowcase and washcloth, sleeping pills and dramamine, vaseline, and enough hand cleaner to wash the city. And I still know I'll find something missing just when I needed it. Give it up, Nancy. Travel is unpredictable--you'll never be prepared for everything.

Trying to refresh my travel mandarin, still not getting tones right at all--and anyway we'll be in other dialect regions most of the time. Review charcters instead. Woman--very important word to know when looking for the loo--also difference between eel and fish (but in China, I actually eat first and then ask. Otherwise I'd miss some amazing things. Jellyfish and porkstomach can be tastier than you might imagine).

Talked with another friend who just completed the same trip and he says food in Hunan is wonderful, and tells about the babies and suddenly I can't wait. Add squeaky ducks to travel pile, and go by Laurie's to see the baby's room, all blue and green with a wonderful rocking chair. Can't wait.

This time next week I'll be eating salty scallion pancakes. I wonder if there will still be old men with sewing machines and umbrella repair kits working on the sidewalks, and men in the streets driving tricycles piled high with furniture and bricks and grandmothers? Will it still smell like coal smoke and cabbage, and will the ladies in the market lecture me in local dialects when I try to buy the wrong kind of doufu? Will I get to burn incense to the 80 foot tall Buddha at Yong He Gong? Will mules be fighting Mercedes in the streets and the bicycle bells jingling like Christmas? I know it's changed...

Already can't sleep at all. When I went to China before, I couldn't sleep for days, I was so jacked up. There's something about the energy there.

From oyceter

( The Food Meme )

So glad to get back to my yoga class. This morning I moved myself up to the "intermediate" class--that may be a bit of an exaggeration. Some tough-for-me vinyasas, because balance and upper body strength are not my strong suits, but then a lot of hip openers-flexible! That I am. The new studio is warm!!! and beautiful (warm orange walls, painted with Moroccan designs and jewels)!! I am so grateful to have such a great resource. And I met someone who I've seen in class but never sat near in the old class. Turns out we do the same work and have many friends in common, so that was a pleasure. Makes it more sangha-like.

Now I've come home and written fairly diligently for the last couple of hours, and realized that I've done 3 chapters over Christmas. I'm beginning to see the end--it is incredibly exciting to think I'll finish a whole draft of a novel. I've done short stories and poems all my life, but this is a new experience. It basically will never be great, and needs lots of revision, but it does exist.

But so does this empty feeling in my middle--hmm, smoked gouda and pesto? Is that a possible combination? Wonder if that avocado is still in existence.

The last week has really been a lot of stress, so I decided that the dieting would go on hold until the semester gets started. I'm still trying to keep teachers in all the classes, but they keep quitting faster than I can hire. Herding cats? Yes. Underpaid, whiny, brilliant cats.

Now this was the high-gear house-cleaning day. I never clean except under dire threat and deadline of imminent visitors. Tuesday and Wednesday we have some of my husband's former students from China staying over and one of his friends for dinner, with unknown girlfriend, and he wants me to cook duck. Duck! I ask you. I cooked it last about 5 years ago, and distinctly remember first undercooking and getting my whole family drunk while it poked along, and then drying it out. This can only be disaster. But here they are, thawing away, inevitable...

But then my sons come on the weekend and we go to the beach, and that will be peace and fun. Contemplating getting a pinata--last year we had Christmas in Oaxaca, and the family at the posada where we stayed did pinatas. It really was fun--stumbling around blindfolded, everybody yelling. Only we don't have any kids to get excited and rush for the candy when it breaks. Well, the journey is the destination, in our case. Also solstice fireworks are another plan.