It's a thankful time of year...For cozy homes
warm friends
loving family
party food
twinkle lights
hot cocoa
secure jobs
running vehicles
nostalgic feelings
random kindness
crackling fires
sentimental music
and chubby cheeked grandchildren.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Sunday Serenity 11-29-09
It's a thankful time of year...For cozy homes
warm friends
loving family
party food
twinkle lights
hot cocoa
secure jobs
running vehicles
nostalgic feelings
random kindness
crackling fires
sentimental music
and chubby cheeked grandchildren.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Happy Blogoversary to Me!
It's true, Quangsters--it was one year ago today that Foreign Quang made its first appearance in the blogosphere. One year since we have been spewing Quang over the web. One year that I have adamantly refused to Twitter! And one glorious year that I have had making new friends from all over the world.
My very first comment five days later, was from Shirley Bahlmann, author extraordinaire, in response to my post Trollin' for Luv. Since then, I have had a year of amazing comments from amazing people--people who I am proud to consider my friends, though I have only met a very few offline.
Sincere gratitude, at this giving-thanks time of year, goes out to Auntie M., Janice, Jill, Writer Dad, Cindy, septembermom, Daisy, Robert, Hayden, Ken, Sandy, Marc, Pen, Naqvee, Eric, Kim, Brenda, Ana. You have helped me become a better blogger.
Thanks to Liz, who graced my blog with her presence shortly before she left this world for a better one.
Also a big thanks to those who may have only commented a few times but who nevertheless made my day when they did--- JB, Louie, Theresa B, Nadja, Jed, Uncle Danny, Uncle Gary, Nussaibah, Solomon, Stephanie, Kelli, windtraveller, Naomi, Armonis, Dana, Peacefulwmn9, Hutch, Minka, Ben, Lynette, Gerry, JM, Chuck, Jill S., Big Bad Wolf, and Danielle.
Gratitude to the ultimus maximus to Computer Geek, a.k.a Winston Smith who put up with many late hours, much whining, and undone dishes (sometimes) while I joined the blogging masses. Smooch.
Those of you who have hung out with me for a while, have seen the feature in my side bar titled "Ten Zen--Question of the Day from a Child Who Hates School." It's true, Weston hates the classroom. He does however, love learning. Over the past year, I have posted a few of the many, many questions I get from him each day. Trust me when I say that I have answered or attempted to answer every single one of these questions. May you all be so blessed with an inquisitive child. Here's a repeat of the questions I posted, in case you have missed any. Enjoy!
My very first comment five days later, was from Shirley Bahlmann, author extraordinaire, in response to my post Trollin' for Luv. Since then, I have had a year of amazing comments from amazing people--people who I am proud to consider my friends, though I have only met a very few offline.
Sincere gratitude, at this giving-thanks time of year, goes out to Auntie M., Janice, Jill, Writer Dad, Cindy, septembermom, Daisy, Robert, Hayden, Ken, Sandy, Marc, Pen, Naqvee, Eric, Kim, Brenda, Ana. You have helped me become a better blogger.
Thanks to Liz, who graced my blog with her presence shortly before she left this world for a better one.
Also a big thanks to those who may have only commented a few times but who nevertheless made my day when they did--- JB, Louie, Theresa B, Nadja, Jed, Uncle Danny, Uncle Gary, Nussaibah, Solomon, Stephanie, Kelli, windtraveller, Naomi, Armonis, Dana, Peacefulwmn9, Hutch, Minka, Ben, Lynette, Gerry, JM, Chuck, Jill S., Big Bad Wolf, and Danielle.
Gratitude to the ultimus maximus to Computer Geek, a.k.a Winston Smith who put up with many late hours, much whining, and undone dishes (sometimes) while I joined the blogging masses. Smooch.
Those of you who have hung out with me for a while, have seen the feature in my side bar titled "Ten Zen--Question of the Day from a Child Who Hates School." It's true, Weston hates the classroom. He does however, love learning. Over the past year, I have posted a few of the many, many questions I get from him each day. Trust me when I say that I have answered or attempted to answer every single one of these questions. May you all be so blessed with an inquisitive child. Here's a repeat of the questions I posted, in case you have missed any. Enjoy!
What is the biggest flag in the world?
What is tofu?
To some people, are we rich?
Is a bastard just a blaster without the “L”?
Why does Hitler act that way?
Do serial killers just go around trying to get rid of different kinds of cereal?
What are immigrants?
How did those stones get like that? [Stonehenge]
Why is there hot and cold? Why can’t it just be in the middle?
What is inner peace?
How do you set a sundial?
Do you ever just look at your life and say, “I’m really here?”
Does a cat hate water the way I hate tomato juice?
What can submarines do to ships?
Are there some jets that can fly down and go underwater like a submarine and then scoop back up?
What’s a restraining order?
How fast are Lamborghinis?
What does assorted mean?
How does Jesus always watch you? Is there a world-wide TV screen?
Is the Lincoln Memorial in Nebraska?
Why can we see when there is a nose between our eyes?
Do you ever just wish you could sit in a chair in front of the TV and melt into a big glob?
Why are there leaves in your purse? [doesn’t everyone carry spare bay leaves?]
Is there any medicine I can take that will get rid of this freckle?
What was the Boston Massacre?
Do women shave their armpit hairs?
How do you tell someone you don’t want to be his friend?
Would you still love me if I were just made out of bones?
Why do big turtles weigh so much?
Is David Letterman a lesbian?
Was Viet Nam worse than the civil war?
Do bees only have one nostril?
Why do they always call big ships a “she”
How do you play Mancala?
Is a Luther a person who goes to church?
How come standing on your legs makes it feel like you don’t weigh anything?
Are there such things as $50,000 watches?
How is money different when it’s all really just a piece of paper?
When a volcano first forms an island, how do the insects and snakes get there?
Are earwigs a resemblance of the devil?
Do you ever just wish life was easy?
Do you ever wish that killer animals were nice and that a lion could be your pet and that you could speak with him so he could just say, “Hey owner, would you please let me out because I really have to go to the bathroom?”
When is the next lunar eclipse?
How can you move your body parts when it’s like each part of your body has its own brain?
How long can a cat live?
What is a marble vein?
Can air freeze?
Has anyone survived a black hole?
When people drink wine, don’t they realize they are drinking feet?
If the builders of the Tower of Babel were really serious, why didn't they build it on top of Mt. Everest?
Why would there be a GMC car for sale at a Ford store?
Are there more rats or spiders in a junkyard?
How did they go to the bathroom during Queen Esther’s time?
Can a bird pick up a steer? No? What about a silver monster bird?
Does every word have a meaning?
Why were pigs made?
How much would it cost me to buy Utah's state capitol building?
When I grow up, will my chin be shiny?
Is it better for everyone to faint and die all at once, or for the world to just explode?
What’s the difference between fog and mist?
Thank you so much for making this a great year for me! Here's to another fun year of Quang!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Weekly Storage Items
Computer Geek and I have been watching old episodes of the TV series Jericho. Although it no longer airs on TV, we have been watching past episodes courtesy of youtube.
The show chronicles the events in a fictional town in Kansas—Jericho--after nuclear bombs have gone off in many U.S, cities. We like watching it because recent events in the news have sparked our interest in what happens after a disaster.
We all looked on (or experienced directly!) the chaos that ensued after Hurricane Katrina. People fought each other—sometimes to the death—over water, food, diapers, toilet tissue and other necessities. Grocery stores were looted and people braved the mad crowds just to obtain food for their families.
2005 New Orleans wasn’t the only scene of mass panic. Blackouts, snowstorms, floods and earthquakes also inspire the worst in humans as they converge upon stores and gas stations attempting to get their share. In the show Jericho, the panic leads to the murder of the grocery store owner.
For many years now, I have been a believer in being prepared. I certainly don’t want to encounter desperate people in the grocery store after a disaster. Hungry people make decisions they wouldn’t normally make in times of calm.
We try to keep enough food and water on hand to get us through a crisis. Ideally, we try to have a six-month supply of necessities. We hope that this will enable us to get through any disaster, including job loss, with minimal discomfort.
Because we are a one-income family we certainly can not afford to invest a lot of money into our preparedness efforts. So how do we do it?
One week at a time.
Each week, we focus on a new item on which to stock up. I have four different lists I consult, all obtained from the Internet, so that we can make sure we are not lacking in any given area. I no longer have the source of these lists, but I am certain they probably came from LDS (or Mormon) websites, since they are the experts on preparedness.
To help my readers in such an endeavor, every Friday on my sidebar I will post a new storage item of the week. If you follow this list for one year, at the end of that year you should be adequately prepared to avoid the grocery store scene during times of chaos and panic. Every time we go to the store during that week, we make sure we pick up some extras of whatever item was listed.
There are however, things you can do every week, regardless of the storage item of the week.
Each week, check the sales at your local grocery store for items that are deeply discounted. Always stock up on these items----you don’t need to wait for that item to show up on my list.
Always be concerned about stocking up on water. The other day I came home at lunch to discover that my landlord had shut off the water due to replacing a water heater in another unit. I wasn’t panicked because I knew I had water in storage if I absolutely needed some before the water got turned back on. We store water very simply in empty juice containers. (Do not use milk containers—they tend to leak over time.) I rotate them out by using the older ones to water plants.
If you use liquid laundry soap, keep the plastic container when you are through. Don’t rinse it out, but fill it with water and mark it as “Cleaning Water.” This will help you clean clothes and dishes in a pinch. [Idea obtained from a lecture I attended given by preparedness master Jim Phillips.]
Some have asked me if I feel it is unethical to have these things on hand during a time of mass need. They wonder if it is considered “hoarding.” I tell them that it is more unethical for me to be one more person at the grocery store during a time of need when I could have avoided it. Trust me, the people at the store during a panic will be grateful I am not there. They’ll be really happy if you’re not there either.
If you can afford it, by all means do a search online for a one-year storage list and go shopping right now. If you are like me, and can’t financially swing such a massive purchase, then tune in here every Friday for the storage tip of the week. Any comments you have as we go will be much appreciated!
The show chronicles the events in a fictional town in Kansas—Jericho--after nuclear bombs have gone off in many U.S, cities. We like watching it because recent events in the news have sparked our interest in what happens after a disaster.
We all looked on (or experienced directly!) the chaos that ensued after Hurricane Katrina. People fought each other—sometimes to the death—over water, food, diapers, toilet tissue and other necessities. Grocery stores were looted and people braved the mad crowds just to obtain food for their families.
2005 New Orleans wasn’t the only scene of mass panic. Blackouts, snowstorms, floods and earthquakes also inspire the worst in humans as they converge upon stores and gas stations attempting to get their share. In the show Jericho, the panic leads to the murder of the grocery store owner.
For many years now, I have been a believer in being prepared. I certainly don’t want to encounter desperate people in the grocery store after a disaster. Hungry people make decisions they wouldn’t normally make in times of calm.
We try to keep enough food and water on hand to get us through a crisis. Ideally, we try to have a six-month supply of necessities. We hope that this will enable us to get through any disaster, including job loss, with minimal discomfort.
Because we are a one-income family we certainly can not afford to invest a lot of money into our preparedness efforts. So how do we do it?
One week at a time.
Each week, we focus on a new item on which to stock up. I have four different lists I consult, all obtained from the Internet, so that we can make sure we are not lacking in any given area. I no longer have the source of these lists, but I am certain they probably came from LDS (or Mormon) websites, since they are the experts on preparedness.
To help my readers in such an endeavor, every Friday on my sidebar I will post a new storage item of the week. If you follow this list for one year, at the end of that year you should be adequately prepared to avoid the grocery store scene during times of chaos and panic. Every time we go to the store during that week, we make sure we pick up some extras of whatever item was listed.
There are however, things you can do every week, regardless of the storage item of the week.
Each week, check the sales at your local grocery store for items that are deeply discounted. Always stock up on these items----you don’t need to wait for that item to show up on my list.
Always be concerned about stocking up on water. The other day I came home at lunch to discover that my landlord had shut off the water due to replacing a water heater in another unit. I wasn’t panicked because I knew I had water in storage if I absolutely needed some before the water got turned back on. We store water very simply in empty juice containers. (Do not use milk containers—they tend to leak over time.) I rotate them out by using the older ones to water plants.
If you use liquid laundry soap, keep the plastic container when you are through. Don’t rinse it out, but fill it with water and mark it as “Cleaning Water.” This will help you clean clothes and dishes in a pinch. [Idea obtained from a lecture I attended given by preparedness master Jim Phillips.]
Some have asked me if I feel it is unethical to have these things on hand during a time of mass need. They wonder if it is considered “hoarding.” I tell them that it is more unethical for me to be one more person at the grocery store during a time of need when I could have avoided it. Trust me, the people at the store during a panic will be grateful I am not there. They’ll be really happy if you’re not there either.
If you can afford it, by all means do a search online for a one-year storage list and go shopping right now. If you are like me, and can’t financially swing such a massive purchase, then tune in here every Friday for the storage tip of the week. Any comments you have as we go will be much appreciated!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sunday Serenity 11-8-09
- In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies,
- but the silence of our friends.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Answer!
The photo of the ladybug, snail, and the ones below were all taken at the Bellagio Botanical Gardens at the famed Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Another Clue
Here's Mr. Snail, also made from flowers.
This picture was taken at the same place as Ms. Ladybug
This picture was taken at the same place as Ms. Ladybug
Sunday Serenity 11-1-09
Sunday
A good day to sit on a rock and bask
Can anyone tell me where this photo was taken?
A good day to sit on a rock and bask
Can anyone tell me where this photo was taken?
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