Opart Thai House, Chicago

Opart Thai House

Fried Banana

in coconut-filled spring roll topped w/ honey & sesame seeds

Chicken Satay w/ cucumber salad & peanut sauce

Tom Yum Koong (shrimp) Soup

Thai Hot and Sour Soup
Tiger Cry

char-broiled tender beef

Pad Thai

Pad Kra Praow
basil and hot peppers w/ ground chicken
Chicken Fried Rice

Kana Naam Mun Hoi
Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce with shrimp



Tod Mun
Fish cake

Jim and Tess enjoying the meal with us

We celebrated SIL Glenda's 70th birthday on Thursday, 7/30. The restaurant is located in the Lincoln Sq. neighborhood of Chicago. M is a manager, and chose the menu well for his Grandma Glenda's surprise party of about 20 guests, including our family.

My Mom, the Flower Girl

My Parent's Home, and
 their AWESOME Front Lawn

My love affair with flowers and green, growing things must have begun in the womb. My Mom has always had a green thumb and I've loved flowers, etc. ever since I could remember.
 These pics were taken at my Parent's home (which looks deceptively small), and the bottom two pics are from PMBC's garden. Mom now uses a cane as she easily gets out-of-balance. So, their front garden (aka front lawn, top pictures above) may not remain as lush-looking as it was in years past.
Will their popularity in the neighbourhood wane? I hope not. But, I want to enjoy the moment, and not long for the past. Thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, for my parents. As imperfect as they are, I bless your name for your care of me through my parents.

********

Big Shoulders and Carl Sandburg's Poem

Above -- Me, a few years back

poem by Carl Sandburg
CHICAGO

Hog Butcher for the World,

Tool Maker,

Stacker of Wheat,

Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;

Stormy, husky, brawling,

City of the Big Shoulders...

Gotcha!!! Satruday, in the Park; it's not the 4th of July

Brian going through his second childhood!

Infant Eczema

Eczema and Farrah

Throwing a hissy fit, waaaahhh!!!!

When I feel down, as I sometimes do, I remember the Lord's work of old --- His faithfulness in times past. The bottom pictures reveal FJE's fiery personality. Remembering through these pictures make me smile, yet promotes tearfulness on my part. What a wringer her eczema skin problem put us through! And it was all on her lovely face! (AJ had a similar problem, which lasted even longer). But the Lord healed her skin. He was with us and His grace was sufficient. Life went on.
Today, we have much cause to be thankful, including our children's beautiful smiles and clear skin. The eczema experience causes me to say "Amen" to the following verses found in the Bible --

When thou passest through the waters, 
I will be with thee;

and through the rivers,
 they shall not overflow thee:

when thou walkest through the fire, 
thou shalt not be burned;

neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

For I am the LORD thy God,
the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour

Isaiah 43:2,3




*******

Living La Dolce Vita: A Boy's Summer Camp Adventures

~ Summer Break '09~

by JSE, age 16

Went to a Christian Summer Youth Camp in Wisconsin

Learned to make my own duct-tape shoes

Volunteered as a server/dishwasher/all-around kitchen helper

Made loads of new Friends

ate goooood Food

...best of all, had a place I could call my own (shared with 2 other guys)

Sweet!

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for 200 Campers

Picture from MSNBC.msn.com

Looks like ds, Jared, may be volunteering at Summer Camp for a week longer than planned. They may recruit his help if there aren't enough Camp workers/servers because... No One wants to volunteer for the upcoming Teen-Week Camp Session...(spoken from the mouth of a teen-ager himself).

On a brighter note, he is increasing in his skills as a cook: He helped prepare 200 grilled-cheese Sandwiches! Yum!!

Kind-of like Job of the Old Testament; God's faithfulness

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believest thou this? ~ John 11: 25, 26

Out of the blue, L called me on Tuesday, Yesterday (I wasn't home), and Today. I thought of our history as friends which began in the '80s (back in the day of Fil-Am Baptist). She's been through the wringer since her marriage to R. There have been persistant rumours of beatings, hospitalization, separation, job loss, divorce and (thank God), reconciliation. What is confirmed was her head injury from a bad car accident, mental problems, the death of her FIL (I saw her at the Wake earlier this year); and the worst thing that could happen to a parent --- the suicide of her oldest child.

I am walking on egg shells during our conversations. I do a lot more listening than talking, similar to the good ol' days when she was contemplating marrying R . I didn't stop her then, and her family tried their darndest to stop the union. All to no avail. And now, years later, ... look at the sorrowful fruit of her life. At the moment, she sounds fine, happy, almost bubbly. She and R are still married and living together. Their younger Son is fine. I answer her questions, ask a few tentative questions of my own; and try to match her seemingly great mood.

May the Lord grant me wisdom if she were to call again tomorrow.

ETA:  Found out recently (year 2016) that L now resides in the PI, thousands of miles away.  It was her hubby's decision -- for the good of the family. It is likely that we will never see each other again. God bless her!

Runaway Bride: Throwing the Bridal Flower Bouquet & its History

It was time to pass the baton (aka, the bouquet). In these pictures, Julie is about to throw the bouquet from the Pavilion's back porch. So, who, among the lovely, single Ladies, is the next one to be married: Will it be Jennifer, Kristi, Camille, Katie, Michelle, Abby ... who's it gonna be??

History: It began hundreds of years ago in Western Europe. Brides were considered lucky in love. Wedding guests wanted that type of love to rub off on them, so a piece of the Bride would do the trick. Most Brides were not inclined to share bits of themselves or of their Wedding Gowns to the luck-hungry guests, so the tradition of throwing a bouquet was born. It served to distract the crowd, and give time to the Bride and her Groom to get away unscathed. WoooHooo!

L.P. Pavilion
Julie ponders the importance of continuing the tradition

The lovely crowd gathers

Are you ready, Girls?

Yes, we're ready! Come on, Julie, throw it!

And, we're off! Two of my DDs lead the pack.. wha?!

And the Winner is..... 13-year old DD, Jillian. Oy!

...who promptly hands the bouquet over to her grateful, older sister, Kristi (double Oy!)