50% Chance

Hopefully nothing will form this coming Saturday between 12:00 and 5:00!

I'll be right in the middle of taking the GRE at that time, eek!

Winds aloft over the Gulf of Mexico are forecast to become more favorable for low pressure to form and consolidate at least sufficient convection to be deemed either a tropical depression or tropical storm ("Debby" is the next named storm in the list), possibly as soon as late Friday.

Double eek!

Come on strong Jet Stream dip!!

Japan - Five Years Ago

Five years ago, this summer, I returned from living two years in Japan
{ the Japanese on this lantern is just the name of a restaurant }

Even now, I enjoy looking back at my crazy life there
{ me lost in the crowds of Shibuya in Tokyo }

I was introduced to a lot of Japanese culture
{ imitating a demon deity at a Nikko shrine }

And, I traveled to a lot of Japanese historical sites
{ at Himeji Castle with friends during Golden Week }

I tried to experience as much of Japan as possible
{ "women only" Kyoto subway station line }

And, tried some new things I never did back in the US
{ snowboarding in southern Niigata-ken }

I met a lot of wonderful people from all over the world
{ one of our many many "nomihodai" (all-you-can-drink) nights }

And, considered my collegues to be a very professtional bunch
{ my ALT co-workers during the 2006 Tokyo Orientation }

Even though my job title was "Teacher",
I felt I learned even more than my students
{ dressed up for our "Back to School" party in Niigata }

And, made some wonderful experiences overall
{ playing around in the Nikko National Park on a girls trip }

I can't believe five years have flown by...
{ under the vermilion torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto }

 and that Japan still has a special place in my heart!
{ part of the Hakone shrine on Mount Komagatake }

Last Crawfish Boil of the Season

Steven had a house-warming party of this new place and we celebrated with one last crawfish boil before the "crawfish" season was over.

57. Ride on a Mardi Gras float

My Someday List: 

#57 will be accomplished February 6th, 2013.

I'll be riding in the Mystic Krewe of Nyx's parade for Mardi Gras.  

Goddess Nyx

In Greek Mythology Nyx was the Goddess of Night.  She was an ultimate female beginning and one of the first elements emerging from Chaos along with day, fire, and water.  Her apperance in mythology are sparse, but reveal her as a figure of exceptional power and beauty.  Byx had prophetic powers, and gave oracles from her home at the edge of the cosmos.  She was older and more powerful than Zeus, who deferred to her wishes.

For some that experience pain in the day, night and Nyx are a welcome relief. They welcome her into their lives and their arms. Night is also the time for inspiration, and it is told that the Muses sing during the nighttime to the Gods and to Nyx herself.

 

The Mystic Krewe of Nyx, named after the powerful and beautiful goddess of night, embraces a sisterhood and friendship amongst its members.

  

About the Mystic Krewe of Nyx

MISSION -The Mystic Krewe of Nyx is established to unite women of diverse backgrounds for fun, friendship, and the merriment of the Mardi Gras season.  Together we will enhance the spirit of Carnival for our community by embracing a bit of tradition, while adding new and forward thinking ideas to make our organization unique. We believe women of all ages deserve to be adored, respected, and allowed to let her inner goddess shine through.

PURPOSE - To encourage, foster, promote, and cultivate a spirit of sisterhood amongst the members of the Krewe. To sponsor, conduct, direct, and administer plans, programs, and activities relating directly and indirectly to the Mardi Gras season, including but not limited to: parades, balls, festivities, ceremonies, and events in the City of New Orleans.

 

KREWE COLORS - Hot Pink & Black

 

SIGNATURE THROW - Beautiful hand decorated purses!

MOTTO - "Friends come and go, but a sister is forever."

In Honor of the Queen's Big Day

What are the Brits celebrating this weekend?

 

They are rejoicing at the fact that Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for 60 years this year, having inherited the job upon the death of her father, George VI, in 1952. It is a bit confusing because George ("Bertie" of King’s Speech fame) actually died in February 1952, but the actual formal coronation did not take place until June the following year (1953). But, let’s face it, you can’t really have a party in London in February.

In honor of the Queen's Big Day, 

I threw together some tea treats to enjoy while watching the Jubilee Pageant. 

Something Sweet

The Tunnock's Teacake is a sweet food popular in the United Kingdom. They are often served with a cup of tea. The product consists of a small round shortbread biscuit covered with a dome of Italian meringue, a whipped egg white concoction similar to marshmallow. This is then encased in a thin layer of milk and wrapped in a red and silver foil paper for the more popular milk chocolate variety.

  Something Sweet

Viscount biscuits are a classic British biscuit which consist of a circular base of biscuit, topped with a creamy mint flavor and covered with a layer of milk chocolate. They are made by Burton's Foods. Viscounts are known for their shiny foil wrappers which have different colors depending on the biscuit inside—mint biscuits are contained within a green foil wrapper.

 Something Savory

The traditional cucumber sandwich is composed of paper-thin slices of cucumber placed between two thin slices of crust-less, lightly (unsalted) buttered white bread. I also slighted salted and flavored the cumbers in rice vinegar over night for an extra something.

 Something Savory

 Modern variants of tea-sandwiches (largely of American origin) exist, involving cream cheese. So, I had some onion and chives cream cheese and I added some sweet cheery tomatoes.

 Something Traditional

 A quintessential part of the British way of life ... scones!

I made original and strawberry scones.

With toppings: proper Devonshire Creme and Lemon Curd. Yum!

 60? Isn’t a diamond anniversary 75?

 
It used to be. Traditionally, the golden anniversary was 50 years, and the diamond anniversary of a person or event was on the 75th birthday. This changed with the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the only other British monarch to have spent 60 years on the throne. There was considerable national unrest when Queen Victoria withdrew from public life after Albert’s death in 1861, and it was therefore decided to bring her Diamond Jubilee forward–by 15 years!—to the 60th anniversary in 1897. A diamond anniversary is now usually the 60th, not the 75th, much to the delight of jewelers everywhere.

 It looked like a chilly and rainy/damp day with not a peep of sunshine (brrr!) during the Jubilee Pageant. 

  That iconic London landmark, Tower Bridge, is opening to allow the sovereign to pass through, as the rain pours down.

 Over 1,000 boats making their way down the river, in an extraordinary spectacle, for the Diamond Jubilee riverboat pageant on the Thames. (The entire procession takes 70 minutes to pass by)