MRI-Shremri

The MRI went fine. Before the vortex sucked me into a claustrophobic tunnel I closed my eyes. That was the game plan and it worked perfectly. It only took 20 minutes. The technician told me 40 before sending me in but when she pulled me back out she said that's what she says just in case they have to retake pictures or the machine needs to reboot. Girl knows how to get an A+, just say'in.

The walls were so close I could feel my breath come back and hit me. I decided that instead of letting my mind take me to the sinking Titanic stuck in a room that was quickly filling up with water, I should pray for others. It worked. In fact, as I made my way through my family I had only gotten to Kylie when it was over.

My shuttle driver was patient and calming. Isn't he always? Here's my don't-let-the-nurses-see-how-freaked-out-I-am before picture. I don't think I fooled them. :p

Hoping for lots of answers!

Jason Wu just debuted his new home line in collaboration with Canvas. I love some of the pieces! Enjoy the eye candy. =)

P.S. MRI tonight. Melissa generously let me borrow some ear plugs. Hope I don't go all crazy because of the long term claustrophobia and have to be admitted to a mental institution... :p If you don't see me tomorrow, this was your head's up. =)

Weekend Recap

Happy monday ya'll.

This weekend Josh's whole family is converging on LA to celebrate Jichan's 88th bday. In Japan the 88th birthday is a special one for many reasons - the kanji characters are significant, the number 8 is meaningful, and in general the Japanese culture has respected old age and celebrated long life.

Josh's Jichan is dear to my heart. He is not your typical quiet Japanese nisei. He is outspoken and loud but also kind and loving. He loves to fish and often dreams of the "big catch". And when his back affords him he is an avid gardener as well. From the beginning he has always accepted me and made me feel like part of the family (even though I'm only half Japanese! gasp! :p). And when my sister got engaged he found me at church and told me if Josh didn't propose soon he would take a hammer to his head! =)

I'll share pictures of the celebration with you when we get back. Although I'm sure there will be an abundance of food the entire weekend, I wanted to do something to show my love.

Recipe here. 

Happy 88th Jichan! I love you dearly.

Good Friday

"And they mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise." - Mark 10:34

Thank you Jesus.

And for Dessert

Last week I found an old recipe I had torn out of a Food Network Magazine and decided to give it a go. Even though it isn't winter, (and called a Winter Fruit Salad) something about the picture was calling me. 

After we let it sit overnight, we ventured a taste. I wasn't sure how it would come out since the fruit salads I'm used to are made from canned fruits and flavored from those juices. But this did not disappoint. Josh and I gobbled it up so fast, and I was loving it so much, I forgot to take a picture! 

But, lo and behold, I just found the recipe online. Yea! If you are looking for something light and juicy, this is definitely worth the second trip to the market.  

Here's the recipe online. We made a few revisions: we skipped the vanilla bean (tasted just fine without it) and substituted some of the fruit that was out of season to some that are plump, ripe, and delicious now.

Winter Fruit Salad
1/2 cup sugar
1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise with the seeds scraped out
1 lemon
5 large navel or blood oranges
2 mangos, peeled and diced
2 firm bananas, peeled and diced
5 kiwis, peeled and diced
12 kumquats, very thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed
1 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)

Combine the sugar, 2 cups of water, ginger and vanilla seeds in a saucepan. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon and 1 orange, add to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Refrigerate until cold.

Meanwhile, peel the remaining oranges with a paring knife. Save the juice and put in the fruit bowl. Add the remaining fruit and gently toss. Pour the syrup over the fruit and chill overnight.

Before serving, remove the citrus zest, ginger, and vanilla pod. Spoon the fruit and syrup into bowls.

Enjoy! (I have a second one waiting in the fridge, so don't mind if I join you. :p)

Spent some time at Stanford hospital yesterday. These pictures are from the entrance.

Trying to get some answers on my back and a few other things. Aimee was telling me that her old college roommate called. Apparently her husband (they were married a week before Josh and I), experienced two herniated disc's last November and two weeks ago had surgery to fuse his spine. I guess he couldn't take it anymore.

For us, surgery is the last option. I am improving everyday but it is just taking so dang long. I can sit for longer periods of time now - like a few hours max if I need to. I am walking a few miles five days a week and I think that helps. (I was telling Josh that when I walk it's me, a bunch of pregnant women, and a bunch of mom's with their toddlers. Ack - so embarrassing. Sometimes I'm tempted to shout "I have a back problem!" into the air so people don't look at me like I'm crazy :p). I can get in and out of bed without feeling like the darn thing is going to slip out but I still cannot drive or workout.

I think I have gotten all I can from the chiropractor and, on the advice of my mother and Grandma K, I am branching out to other things. I'm scheduled to have an MRI of my spine to see if it has been healing correctly and we'll go from there.

So that's that.

On a more exciting note - Boo is halfway here! weeeeeee! That beautiful little bump signifies so much goodness. =) His mercies are new everyday!

The past few weeks have been a series of minor disappointments. I can't help but think of the disappointments Jesus must have felt the week leading up to his crucifixion. Judas' betrayal, Peter's denials, the chief priests and elders who plotted his death, the crowds he spent time with who turned their backs on him, Pilate who didn't stop it, and his plea to his Father to save him from his coming death.

On Sunday we celebrate his resurrection. I was reminded that Jesus needed those disappointments in order to give the gift of eternal life. What a necessary feat for an unparalleled end!

May my disappointments be to His glory and my growth.

"Then...with my tunic and cloak torn, I fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God and prayed.." Ezra 9:5