Trinity University

It struck me when I was removing cookies from the oven with a guitar slung around my neck that mine is, most likely, not the conventional summer. I had put in the cookies and run off to play Rock Band with my brother and had had to pause between gigs to remove the delicious morsels. I would have started laughing at myself, but my avatar wouldn’t have permitted it. She’s a very serious rocknrolla sort, and since I would also be singing, I needed to stay in character. But when we’re not touring our band around the world via my brother’s artistically disarranged bedroom, we’re usually playing chess or swimming or at the movies (Transformers II was...slightly more believable that the first). Occasionally my brother can be moved to be my sous-chef. I’m trying to train him to make dinner and desserts for our parents since, for the first time ever this fall, my sister and I won’t be around to make anything. Tough boy that he is, he acts as if it’s all a very simple matter to be starting middle school and become the family chef. I’m predicting an overwhelming amount of beef and asparagus on the future menus - ah, boys...

Isn’t this the cutest picture? This is from God know how long ago, 1993? I was so adorable (and doesn’t my sister make the funniest faces?). That was the first and last time my sister and I went to Disney World. Since my brother has never gone, we thought it would make a grand summer vacation. We depart in less than a week! And although I would have liked to stay in a Deluxe Villa and languish about in a spa for a day or two, everyone insisted that the Value Resort was the better deal since we’d be so busy running around all the theme parks that we’d never see the room. Oh, how I despaired of that decision and then they wanted me to book the vacation. I know myself and knew that if I booked the vacation, the temptation to order two rooms in the Contemporary Resort would have been irresistible. I had to turn over the booking number to someone more trustworthy. Maybe next time. In any case, I should have some interesting pictures to post of that trip.

As if my life couldn’t get any more exciting, I’m going to a perfume shop today! Well, let me back up. Yesterday it was my parent’s wedding anniversary and in addition to exchanging gifts with each other, my father went to his favorite store (Miss Paris Perfumes - he goes there at least every two weeks) and bought everyone a perfume. I hope this becomes a tradition. But anyway, the perfume I received was not quite the one I wanted. I’m a bit obsessed with perfumes myself and I know exactly which one I will add to my collection and what scents I cannot stand. Unfortunately, my anniversary gift was something I have previously owed and fallen out of love with. But, like I said, this means I get to go shop!

While the whole perfume-gifts-for-everyone! may not interest many people, I assure you, perfume is one of my dad’s most normal ideas for a gift. His present to my mother was, well, it’s hard to say. It looks to me like a wall decoration since it is so large, but it is actually a necklace in which Jesus appears suspended within a coffin. I don’t remember Jesus ever having a coffin in any part of the bible, but I assume it’s all part of the designer’s artistic license. Or perhaps it is an homage to death. I wouldn’t want to be carrying such (literally) heavy suffering about my neck. It is better than last year’s gift though. My father must go to the same jewelry shop or same designer or something, but anyhow, last year, my poor mother got another giant necklace with Jesus on it. That time Jesus was clinging onto the necklace chain with one hand, poised as if he were hanging on for dear life. So yes, we all much prefer the perfumes.

My father seemed as pleased with his gift as we were oddly intrigued with his. In the mall we managed to find a 4ft. Virgin Mary for him to put in the garden. The dogs are afraid of it and he takes this as a good sign. Surely, with Mary there this means the peaches can grow without being pitted by birds first?

Seeing as my mind has defuzzed itself (or maybe not since it appears that I have just typed a nonexistent word) from the rigors of schoolwork, I hope to post more regularly and continue the family saga. I promise that, if necessary, I will incorporate plots from soap operas (although since Passions was cancelled and Chloe divorced Brady in Days of Our Lives, I have lost the will to commit to daytime tv) to keep things interesting.

Oh by the way, is anyone reading Mountains Beyond Mountains?

Posted by Bianca at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Everyday my father wakes up at around 5:30am. He waters the plants early (thanks to the water restrictions…yay for droughts in San Antonio) and checks the fixtures in the house or works on a new building project. He and my mother work in the garden for the early part of the day.

A baby cucumber growing in the garden. My parents waited for me to come home and do our first "harvest" of cucumbers. Isn't this one cute?

Flea beetles I found mating in the cucumber flowers. They were so engrossed they did not notice how close I was...hehe.

My parents love miniature pineapples. They have these in their shop too.

Thin Mints. I have been using up all the mints in the garden in all of my baking. I just love mint! So I decided to make thin mints. The ultimate mint cookie! The girl scouts extort money from me every February. I buy so many boxes of cookies and stockpile in the freezer. So I decided I would be sly and make my own thin mints...with these, I will rule the world someday...MUWAHAHA! But naturally, things do not always turn out that way. So, relax girl scout readers. I have not discovered the secret recipe. As pretty as these look, they were nowhere near as good. I will continually shell out for your precious samoas and thin mints. Discount anyone? I made these for afternoon tea awhile back.

Another attempt at something minty. A lovely mint tort with mint chocolate leaves. I was in a rush to garnish these (lunch date) so I did not make the prettiest mint chocolate leaves. It turned out so-so. I just wanted to use up all my mint extract.

The garden is such a wonderful paradise for my parents. But lately, my father has been taking a break from it to help me out. For the past month or so my father has been holding off on his projects and taking me on driving lessons. I am relearning how to drive (after 5 years of not putting Drivers Ed to good use...even my younger brother has to shuttle me around). I just hated driving, so when I was in high school, my dad had to drive me back and forth from my school (it was 45 minutes away… on a light traffic day) everyday. Now, on the weekends, my father wakes me up at 6:00am and we go off for an hour. I think anyone willing to get in the car with me deserves praise. I take wide turns, do not pay attention to the road, slow down when I change lanes, go into shock on the freeway, cease to think when I check mirrors, and stop suddenly for squirrels on the road. Actually, the first test I ever failed in my life was my drivers ed test…for not yielding and stopping in the middle of the highway. So now that I am behind the wheel, I have a lot to fear…and so does the person in the passenger’s side. But my dad has been very patient. I have driven to Trinity from my house 4 times now. I called Bianca to brag and she was shocked that I was actually driving.

Last Friday, I had to test my father’s patience when I brought home a cat. My friend Tom got this kitten for his girlfriend. The kitten was found behind my parent’s shop and since Tom is going to California for two weeks…I am cat-sitting (again...I don’t know how it happens). Dad likes dogs and he also likes a clean house. When the kitten (a little furball known as Cocoa) had diarrhea and stepped all over the carpet…father breathed a little uneasily but did not blow up. Instead, he attached a nightlight in the bathroom so Cocoa can more gracefully step out of the litter box. When Cocoa was not sleeping in his little basket (he only likes to curl up by the glass door in the sunroom or in our laps) dad gave up his plushy clean towels to give Cocoa a warmer bed. Although Dad is a self-proclaimed dog lover, he feeds the kittens in our backyard, played with the kittens behind his shop, and is prepared to bottle-feed Cocoa.

I think Tom will have a hard time taking Cocoa back from my parents. Here he is sleeping in his favorite spot.

Papa is also prepared to let me go if I need to go far away for graduate school. He allowed me to go to Tokyo (despite fears of earthquakes and yakuza). When I was little, he used to push me really hard to succeed in school. He still does but I am glad he did. If he did not show me how to construct a beautiful bridge from popsicle sticks and help me discover the magic behind the construction of skyscrapers, would I like math? If he did not show me constellations under the clear sky in Vietnam, would I care for physics? If he didn’t drive me from violin lesson to piano lesson and force me to practice, would I be able to appreciate classical music? If he didn’t show me the joy of gardening, would I be working in a plant lab?

So, for Father’s Day, I wanted to thank my dad for helping me define me. I stayed home all weekend (coming back to school early Monday for my GRE prep class). I cooked all of Sunday. I made my dad’s favorites and prepared a wonderful feast for a wonderful person. My siblings all chipped in as well. I think cooking is a good way to show someone you care.

Breakfast. Ham and basil omelette (with basil from the garden, heirloom tomatoes, toasted french bread with basil and olive oil, ham and eggs from an organic farm that my parent's friends run).

Morning tea. Chewy chocolate chip walnut cookies. I love this cookie jar. It should be filled more often.

Afternoon tea. The famous Kouign Aman (Breton Butter cake). This is one of David Lebovitz's favorite snacks. It is butter and sugar caramelized. It took me five hours to make but turned out so beautifully that I would do it again. I actually don't want to share this with anyone. I discovered that this morning when I was with my friend Ima. I was going to give her a whole slice but thought better of it. If I gave her a slice... I would only have two left! So I gave her a bite. Good compromise. I feel so terrible confessing my selfishness on this blog. But I mean...its Kouign Amann!!

Unfortunately, mom and dad missed afternoon tea because of work. But when they came back...the house was transformed. So many wonderful smells and beautiful flowers.

The centerpiece. Pink spray roses in a round vase.

The gift. A new orchid for father's collection.

The Appetizer. Blueberry, summer flower honey and bleu cheese on top of toasted french bread. Very tasty.

The Soup. Carrot lemongrass with parsley for garnish. (The lemongrass was also from the garden. My mom puts it in everything)

The salad. Fresh crisp cucumber salad. We are eating cucumbers everyday. Even my mom's friends are politely refusing them now.

The main course. Steak au poivre with baked asparagus and rosemary potatoes. The steak has red wine shallot sauce on top. I picked the rosemary near the poli sci building at Trinity. I love how herbs grow everywhere here.

The dessert. Mom and dad's favorite dessert. I just put blueberries on top to make it prettier. Just simple flan, courtesy of my sister, the best flan maker on Earth.

So…for my dad who becomes all the wonderful things that I need whether it be chauffeur, gymnast (you try holding onto a steering wheel from the passengers side while keeping your eyes on the road on the freeway), teacher, vet, engineer (for helping me build bridges and helicopters in elementary school), mr. fix-it (dad can fix anything in the home), friend, and super hero, thanks. And thanks for lying to me even if your steak was a bit salty.

Posted by Nancy at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)