Wednesday What Is It?

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Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week's Wednesday What Is It?

Shoes!

5 points to Plumeria Girl!
2 points each to Bon, Sheila, Bigsoxfan, and SharShine

She could be a model.

I always wanted to have Pippi Longstocking-style pigtails at least once in my life. I suppose it's still not too late, although I doubt anyone in the world outside of my head would take me seriously.  Katelyn's class had crazy hair/fake mustache day a few days before the school year let out, so I gave her crazy hair. Apparently, she had a fake mustache and full beard by the time the day was over. Here she is when I dropped her off at school that morning:

She could be a model. Sure, maybe every mom thinks that about her own kids, but I'm serious. I searched for Philippine modeling agencies when Katelyn was younger, but James wasn't sure he wanted to expose her to that industry, so I dropped it. Although I'm not actively trying to get her into modeling, I haven't fully let go of the idea. And I don't mean that one day I want her to do runway modeling. Oh no. I was only thinking catalog and spokesperson type deals. I mean, come on, whatever kid product she might be holding, I definitely need.

~~~

Please check out my etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Ayorata. I hope to continue adding a few items each week. Did you know that you can subscribe to my shop feed: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Ayorata/rss? Yeah huh. That way you can stay up-to-date with all of my latest listings. There are aprons and jams in there now. Did you know you can even become an Ayorátá fan on Facebook? 

Also, if you aren't already sick of me telling you, please subscribe to my other blog, Ayorátá. 

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week's Wednesday What Is It?

A Cassette Tape!

Great guesses everyone!

I feel pretty bad that I've been posting difficult ones. I really want you all to get points, I really do. It's hard to find the line that reads subtle somewhere between obvious and no freaking clue.
Good luck with the next one!

Internalize: Interruptibility

Sometimes I completely cut off someone else who was really excited about what they were saying to me. Sometimes I am interrupted four or five times before I can finish one sentence and I wonder if they even care at all about what I am saying. Sometimes I interrupt because I think the other person was finished with their story. Sometimes I am interrupted not because someone cuts off my words by speaking over me, but by their facial expressions showing me that they are not listening to me anymore, but are thinking about what they are going to say next - whether it is related to my story or not. Sometimes I witness other people being interrupted and I see how frustrated they become. Sometimes the interrupted doesn't even bat an eye.

As you go about the next several weeks, notice the interruptions. When you interrupt, when you are interrupted. How does she look? How do you feel? How important is what you are saying that you need to stop someone else's words, their thoughts, their emotions?

Become aware so you can change the behavior. Become aware so you can have understanding.
~~~

Perhaps I can interest you in answering another question?

Mango, My Love

Auhea wale ana 'oe
Manngan Saipan ka'u aloha

That was my attempt at writing a Hawaiian style ode to the local mango. I know, I know, it's basically the first lines of a thousand Hawaiian songs. 

I do so love the local mango. I love it more than manggan carabao or the Hayden mango. Some people prefer carabao mango - I'm not sure if they prefer it for the flavor or because it has less fiber than the local mango or for both reasons. I do enjoy carabao mango and I don't have a tree so it's always a treat when I can get my hands on some. But I find that they are too purfumey for me and I just plain prefer the more intense flavor of the local mango. Dealing with the more fibrous local mango is really not an issue if you know how to peel and cut them.

As a kid I preferred to eat my mangoes green (unripe and sour) and pickled as koko or dipped in "salt". Now I prefer them ripe or toa; toa is basically an almost ripe mango - still firm, but the sugars have already begun to develop.

I love local mangoes. My friend the Beachcomber has written some great posts about Saipan's mangoes, here is the most recent one.

On Saipan we have two seasons, rainy season and dry season. But my favorite season of all is mango season. 

~~~

Do you read my other blog, Ayorátá? I'm starting a weekly feature there that I hope will inspire your creative side. Please have a look, I hope you'll play along. 

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week's Wednesday What Is It?

Ice cube tray!

5 points to Bon!
2 points to Shar and Sheila.

Bee Hind

I am so flipping behind. Behind in posting, behind in reading, behind in commenting. So behind that I didn't write happy birthday posts two my kids. I know right?! I feel terrible about it. Between our house and my sister's house, we had two birthdays in March, four birthdays in April, and one birthday in May. And because we are still having computer issues, it is not easy for me to locate and edit all of the pictures I want to share with you, so let's just say that the past several months have included presents, surprises, dancing, pretty dresses, water parks, and of course cake. Including an ice cream cake I made for Jacob's third birthday. Did you hear me? I made an ice cream cake!

I used two equal size glass cake pans and prepared them as the recipe called for, we'll call these Pans 1 and 2. I added another smaller rectangular pan, we'll call this Pan 3, into the center of Pan 2. I also prepared the inside and outside of Pan 3. Then I used a funnel to pour some cake batter into the ring that formed between Pan 2 and Pan 3, pictured below. Then I poured some batter into Pan 1. I would guesstimate that I filled Pan 1 and the ring between Pans 2 and 3 about three-quarters of the way up (when the cake baked up it rose way above the the top of the pans). I poured the remaining excess batter into the center of Pan 3 - this cake was not used in the construction of the ice cream cake.

I baked the cakes and let them cool a bit. Then I finagled and finessed them out of the pans and let them cool completely. The cake from Pan 1 was sliced across the middle to form two layers - one for the top of the ice cream cake and one for the bottom. Then the ring that was baked between Pans 2 and 3 was placed on top of the bottom layer to form walls that would hold the ice cream. This was a little tricky because the ring had broken in several places while I was handling it. But it's okay, it didn't crumble, it was still able to stand up. hen I filled in the middle with softened ice cream - as pictured below. Also in the picture is the top layer of the cake cut in half. I had to cut it so that I could handle it more easily. Once I emptied the entire half gallon of ice cream into the middle of the cake, I put on the top layer. Then I stuck it in the freezer for a little while to let the ice cream re-harden.

Then I frosted and "decorated" the cake and stuck it back in the freezer until it was time to present it to the birthday boy.

It turned out pretty well.

Of course there are a few things I would do differently the next time, but oh my goodness I made an ice cream cake at home! And I'm sure you could too! I would love to see it if you do. Remember this cake I made for Katelyn's birthday last year. 

Sparks of Love

Do you know who Nicholas Sparks is? I only recently found out. He wrote the The Notebook. Yes, Thee Notebook. But not the movie, he wrote the book that the movie is based on. He actually wrote several books . . . and I think I want to read them all - starting with Dear John.

I tend not to compare movies to books very often. Partly because we all know that movie adaptations generally cannot capture all of the details written in books, but mostly because I really don't read very often. Although I am reading The Time Traveler's Wife right now. You may remember that I watched the movie and it prompted an unrelenting urge to read the book. So I'm reading it. And, and? And I'm disappointed okay? There, I said it. It seems like every one and their mother loves that book. They love it. But I just can't get into it, I really don't enjoy the writing style.

But these Nicholas Sparks books? I'm sure I'll love them. I'm sure of it. Because he is a romance novelist, that's what he does. And I? I am a sucker for romance. (Don't tell anyone, but I used to be a sucker for Julie Garwood romance.)

Let me tell you about the Nicholas Sparks movies that I've seen....

A Walk to Remember - I saw it for the first time on TV about a year and a half ago. And I really liked it. I really liked the story, but the movie itself? I thought it was a made for TV movie. The acting isn't the greatest, the scenery isn't extraordinary, but it's a very nice story. I would really like to read the book so I can get more out of the original story.

The Notebook - The greatest love story every told! Amazing movie. It is heart wrenching and tear jerking and it makes me mad and it makes me happy. I love it. The Notebook is my favorite movie. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are so good together.

Dear John - So good! So beautiful - the sets, the acting, the actors *cough Channing Tatum cough*. I love all the stories told in this movie. I love the roughness and the romance. I did, however, feel like the end of the movie was a bit rushed. I could have sat and watched another hour of it. I want to read the book so badly.

(Something fun: Apparently cracked.com has cracked the secret formula to writing Nicholas Sparks movies.)

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week's Wednesday What Is It?

Padlock!

You guys had some great guesses!
Please keep playing. WWII will resume in a few minutes.

This is getting old.

I easily get nervous as a meeting or workshop participant, but I have no problem when I'm the facilitator/instructor/performer. Just the thought of raising my hand to speak up in a meeting or in the classroom makes my heart race. Just like it did yesterday. And you know how when you are aware that you are nervous, you become more nervous, and then all you are really focusing on is how not to sound nervous, but it is probably making you sound more nervous? And then you're not even sure that if what you're saying is what you want to say? Yeah. Sucks.

This sucks too:

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

Is it Wednesday already?!

The results of last week's Wednesday What Is It?

A Water Cooler!

This is one of those times when I really do not enjoy having to be the "judge". I really really super double-dee-duper don't enjoy it.

5 points to Shar!
2 points each to Bon, Sheila, and Glen.

Please remember to guess the bigger picture - the whole object, not just the portion of the object that is shown in the WWII game photo.