Diep goes fishing

A few months ago, I asked each of the girls that I mentor to tell me some of their dreams. Diep is an exchange student, a super senior, from Vietnam who recently moved into our home. She had some ideas of activities that she wanted to try while still in the Pacific Northwest. She wanted to collect eggs from under hens, gallop on a horse, and try wind surfing and golfing. A few days after she moved into our home, we went to a friend's home for dinner. As we drove in, twenty-four hens greeted us! I did not even know that they were raising chickens! Thank you Lord! Diep collected the eggs and nervously reached under “Sylvia,” the only hen with a soft topknot of feathers gracing her head. Sylvia was not inclined to give up her eggs easily and let Diep know that she was setting on them. Although not on her list, Diep agreed to try fishing. She had never caught a fish. Here’s one of her eight catches from last Sunday afternoon!

Party Gifts!

Have you ever wondered what to take to a party? My sister challenged all of the guests who celebrated with me last Friday to bring 50 of something. Some chose useful gifts and some chose for the laughter.

50 tea lights
50 pennies
50 petals (on a zinnia)
50 smarties
50 dum dums
50 plants in my planter (yah it’s packed!)
50 cupcakes
50 lottery tickets
50 colorful pencils
50 high performance mint flavored “flossers”
50 colored markers
50 coffee beans and a whole bag of more!
50 stick-on fish
50 seeds for my victory garden
50 jelly beans
50 smooth rocks surrounding three peaceful candles

The pennies came in handy for the lottery tickets and the cupcakes were delicious and we all devoured most of them. Diep, our exchange student, learned about smarties, dum dums, and lottery tickets! What great fun! I just want to know who is going to plant, weed and harvest my victory garden?

50!

Today, I am turning 50 years young! Wahoo!! It is so fun to see how creative my friends are! It's only 8:30 in the morning and already I have roses, a strobe card, a caricature, e-cards and a fun necklace (from Vietnam). I am looking forward to a day full of surprises. I am going to start with doing community service/school service with a young boy = weeding for a couple of hours at our school! Tonight we are having a party at the house! Lots of family and friends will be arriving!