Gold Star Moms Memorial Dedication

A little Friday trivia for you:

Families with immediate members active in the military are called "Blue Star" families. It's something that started during WWI.

Families who've lost an immediate family member who was active in the military are called "Gold Star" families.

If you look closely in windows of your neighborhood, you may see a flag that looks like either of these, noting the home of an active or lost military family member.

My parents have a Gold Star flag in the window of their home. We were also each presented with Gold Star pins at Matt's funeral.

The Legion Park in Grandview is being rededicated this weekend. During the event, the City of Grandview will also dedicate a Gold Star Mothers Memorial located at the park -- the memorial has been created by a local Boy Scout for his Eagle Scout service project. You can read more about it in articles from the Grandview Herald and the Sunnyside Daily News.

The Sunnyside Daily Sun article includes more info and is more of a community spotlight feature on Nicholas Denchel and his project. It also notes there are 35 Gold Star Moms in Grandview. 

My mom and other Gold Star Moms, from all current and previous wars, in Grandview have been invited to attend and participate in the dedication. I'm always humbled by the military community and the hometowns of military families; their generosity and support of families and the honor bestowed on both active and lost members is unwavering, no matter how much time has passed. 

If you're in Grandview this weekend, you should check out the rededication of Legion Park and the dedication of the memorial. If you go, give my mom a hug for me :) You can hug my dad, too, but be gentle because he had hernia surgery just yesterday.

PS - Yes, my dad had surgery yesterday. He's home already and recovering nicely. They used his same heart surgery scar as the entry point. Convenient, right? He was [sort of] hoping for a new scar so he could have 11 signs of all 11 of his surgeries. The man is stitched together like a scarecrow! A very lucky, brave scarecrow.

The Old Gray (grey?) Mare

So...I've discovered I have some gray hair on the ol' noggin'. They're starting to pop up with more frequency, and I'm noticing them more lately because, much to our disappointment, Justin and I discovered our lemon tree only grows lemons, not money, so I haven't been to the beauty salon in quite some time.

What's more disturbing about the gray hair is that the gray strands resemble spiral macaroni.

I have a bit of a wave in my hair, but I do not have spiral-curly hair. Not yet, anyway.

The next time you see me I might look like Miss Frazzle!

I'm not ready to start more regularly scheduled dye jobs...nor am I ready to have spiral macaroni gray hair! Help!

Gold Bond Girls Reunited

And it feels so good!

Sarah came to visit Team Thompson a few weeks ago and she brought Baby Grace along to introduce her to the sun. Ol' Monroe hasn't had many days of sun since BG made her debut last July.

Alright. I'm going to come right out and say it first thing in this post. No beating around the bush this time:

Team Thompson was quite taken by Baby Grace.

Ohhh my goodness is she ever a cutie with a happy demeanor and contagious giggle.

Grace didn't think so much of me the first time we met...probably because I just really wanted to hold her and, in doing so, awoke her from her slumber. That and I could do nothing for her hungry tummy.

Grace was unhappy with me at our first meeting and wasn't shy about letting me know. 

This time, though, Grace and I became fast friends. Just about as fast as Sarah and I became friends our freshman year at WSU. If you're wondering why this post is titled Gold Bond Girls Reunited, it has to do with our freshman year at WSU, Gold Bond powder and towels used as superhero capes. But that's another story for another time.

Ok, so it looks like she's more excited about her socks in this pic than she is about me, but we were having a jolly good time together...well, until she remembered she had socks to take off. Then I became chopped liver.

I picked Sarah and Grace up at SFO on Friday after work and we headed down to San Jose. Justin and I learned a few things that night.... 1). Our bathtub doesn't have a plug (good thing babies can fit in our kitchen sink!), 2). Pack & Plays aren't as easy to put together as some experienced moms make it look, 3). If Sarah is going to sleep in the same room with Grace, Grace would prefer Sarah hold her instead of letting her stay in the Pack & Play, 4). Our bedroom door slams with severe force when the windows are open, and 5). Slamming bedroom doors wake up sleeping babies!

Justin had to work Saturday so the girls took to the mall so Sarah could look for a dress to wear to her brother-in-law's wedding. Afterward we went to a nearby specialty foods shop for dessert ingredients (and to spy on the competition). It was at this time that we discovered one of the most delicious things we've ever encountered: Marianne's Red Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream.

Now, I know you Washingtonians can't get this ice cream in Washington; it's local brand made in Santa Cruz, but know this...when you come to visit, you will be served Marianne's Red Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. If you're lactose intolerant, we would prefer you come to visit more often so Justin and I can have bigger scoops when we serve it.

But I digress...

Sunday morning we hit up the Egyptian Museum -- an exciting destination for us, especially anything-Egypt-loving Justin and history-major Sarah. They told us, after we got inside and were nearly all done paying, that it wouldn't be a smart idea to bring the stroller. It wouldn't have been a total inconvenience to bring the stroller in, but I won't complain too much because we all took turns carrying Miss Grace around and, since Grace and I are friends now, I enjoyed it.

 See a pretty tree? Take a picture by it!

 Baby G and me enjoying the museum.

 Baby G and Justin enjoying the museum.

 

 Baby G wonders, "mom...why is that creepy-looking dude in a glass case?"

King Tut...kinda

It was also nice and sunny on Sunday, so after we got home from the museum we set up shop outside to soak up some vitamin D. We also found it to be an appropriate time to introduce our lemons to Baby G. They also became fast friends:

And for good measure, here's a video.

After a soak in the sun, Sarah treated me to a pedicure. There's nothing like a good pedicure with a good friend to make for a fun ending to a fun weekend. That night we ate the rest of the Marianne's ice cream and turned in early knowing that we had to get to the airport early Monday morning :(

We had a great visit with Sarah and Baby Grace, and hope to see them again soon, along with Sarah's hubby Eric and 2-year-old son Eli, too!

Thanks for coming to visit, ladies!!

Wee, Wee, Wee...

Justin surprised me a few weeks ago with a ticket home to see my family. He knew I was feeling homesick so he worked it out with my parents, my boss and my friend Linsley to get me home for a long weekend.

Linsley and Gavin picked me up at SeaTac Thursday night and we headed up to my old hood, Lake Forest Park, to meet friends Tara and Erin at the Lake Forest Bar & Grill. You'll have to take my word for it...I forgot to take a picture of the group.

Friday we headed out early for Eastern Washington to surprise my parents who thought I wouldn't be in Grandview until  much later that evening. I'm glad I made it home earlier because mom and I were able to join Brianna on a very successful wedding dress shopping outing (she found "the one!!").

On Saturday I got fitted for my bridesmaid dress and then I got to meet this precious little tatertot:

This is Miss Emmalyn, baby daughter of my friends Erin and Mike. It was so heartwarming to see my friend, a friend I've known  my entire life, and her hubby looking at and loving on their baby girl. I was so happy to get to meet Emmalyn and spend some time snuggling with her!

Later that evening we had more family join us at my parents' house for a family BBQ. Family came from near and far and it felt so good to see everyone! Family get-togethers happen regularly back home, and they're something I realized, during this last trip, that I take for granted. It'd been a while since I attended such a gathering that was held for no particular reason...well besides the fact that I was visiting. Seeing everyone together made me feel happy and sad at the same time, for all sorts of reasons. It's hard to replace the feeling of being in a room full of people I love and who (I'm assuming...we're family, after all) love me in return. It's probably what I miss most about being closer to home.

 

Joe and Dad chattin' by the BBQ

 Mom brought out the fancy cake for the occasion

 

Donald and Joe at the gun show

 

 Brianna and her entourage :) The kiddos love her!

 

Nanny and me

I went to church Sunday with my parents, and Joe & Brianna came too. They wanted to scope out the church because that's the venue they've chosen for their wedding ceremony. Mom and I made the loop with Brianna through the church after the service to point out all the different areas used for wedding prep. Of course, because there were more girls than guys in the house by the time we got back home, wedding talk continued into the afternoon where we talked over food options, yard decor for the reception, timing, photos, etc. It's cute to watch Joe & Brianna talk about wedding plans because they're both so excited! It makes a big sister happy to see her little brother in love.

My friend Heather came over Sunday afternoon with her baby girl, Makiya, who turned 1 in February. We spent most of the time trying to get Makiya to take a few steps, but she was happier flipping through books and playing with some of the toys my mom dug out of the old toy cupboard. It was great to spend a bit of time with Heather -- I've missed that girl! Some of my favorite high school memories involve Heather! I missed the opportunity to take a picture of the ladies, but I hope to have another opportunity to spend time with them again soon.

Monday came too fast, but at least I was able to spend most of the day in Grandview before mom and dad took me back to SeaTac. Before we left town, we stopped in Sunnyside to fulfill my only request: to go to Burger Ranch.

God bless Burger Ranch's fries and fry sauce.

I landed back in California late Monday night. As the plane touched down I was overcome with a strange feeling. It was a feeling of comfort and relief, a feeling of happiness and familiarity -- these were feelings I've never felt before when landing in California. It seems that I missed this place -- this place I've refused to call home for the last two years appears to be growing on me.

As Justin zoomed down the 101 towards San Jose I realized the feeling that washed over me was a wave of senses saying, "you're home!"

What's happening to me??!?!!

I guess all the "bloom where you're planted" advice is finally starting to sink in, eh? I shouldn't really be so shocked that I'm starting to be more comfortable with the fact that I'm living in California -- becoming more thankful and happy with where I am in life has been a prayer of mine since the day I found out we were moving. Sometimes it's hard to remember God has a plan and there is nothing I can do to predict, control or change it. I shared this "home" revelation with my girls bible study last time we met -- the majority of the girls in the group moved to the Silicon Valley with their tech-savvy spouses, so most are in a similar situation and rejoiced with me as I shared my story as a praise vs. a prayer request (keep your prayers coming, though!).

I had a wonderful time in Washington and can't wait until Joe & Brianna's wedding in July when we'll celebrate the newlyweds with more friends and family. I promise Justin will be with me next time. He does exist.

So, that was an earthquake

I just felt my first earthquake. I definitely felt a jolt while sitting in my chair and soon realized what had happened when my co-workers all quickly tried to decide what we should do if it continued to shake.

Thankfully it was just a jolt, not continuous shaking.

You can rest assured, though, that Team Thompson has a disaster kit and an emergency plan in place should something horrible happen. My friend Heather and I decided to get 'er done a few weeks ago and hit up Costco for some emergency supplies.

Too bad the kit is at my house...22 miles away from my current location. Smooth. We can only hope that both Justin and I are at home if that time comes.

This is me with my disaster kit. Classy, right?

According to the USGS, this earthquake was just a 3.8 magnitude, centered near Pacifica. I know this because a while back I decided I needed to terrify myself daily, so I download the Earthquakes app on my iPhone...it lists all earthquakes all over the world and will alert me to earthquakes over any certain magnitude around any certain radius I choose.

The green pin notes the epicenter of today's earthquake.

I don't advise downloading this app. It's given me gray hair. It was a bad idea, especially since Jesus says, "do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." (Matthew 6:34). That's one command I certainly struggle daily to remember!

One last note. Today is the 105th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake that registered at 7.9 on the Richter scale, destroying much of the city of San Francisco and killing more than 3,000. Here's an article from the Mercury News reporting that a group gathered today in San Fran to commemorate the anniversary and to hold a moment of silence for those suffering from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Working Title

Have you ever wondered, "I wonder what Team Thompson does when they're tired and up finishing work projects late at night?"

Well, here's your answer.



Please keep your 'you're weird' and 'I'm not sure we can hang out anymore' comments to yourselves.

Curd, Curd, Curd. Curd's the word.

We have a lemon tree in the backyard of our new place. Knowing that lemon trees grow well in California was one of the few things that made me slightly excited about having to move to California in the first place...in fact, I think it was one of the phrases Justin used to persuade me to say ok to the move, "someday we can get you a lemon tree in California!"

He knows me so well.

So, imagine my excitement when I learned that moving to San Jose would mean I could have one of my very own!
Once we moved in I did a little more research on lemon trees. I discovered that most lemon trees in our neck of the woods can produce lemons year-round. That's a lot of lemons.

I took one of the fruits to work to see if our produce buyer could identify the variety. Turns out we have a Meyer lemon tree! If you haven't heard of a Meyer lemon and are wondering how they differ from regular lemons, I know of a place that researches and writes about produce every two weeks. As luck would have it, it's citrus season in California and this place recently researched and wrote an article about Meyer lemons. What a coincidence! Follow the link to read up on the variety yourself. In short, Meyer lemon are much sweeter than regular lemons. They have a thin rind, very juicy flesh and are a darker yellow than other varieties.

In another bout of luck, this place also happened to research and post several Meyer lemon recipes, one of which was for lemon curd that sounded too delicious to resist.

A few Saturdays ago I woke up early to pick some lemons and try my hand at making lemon curd.

Lemon curd? Well, it's a lusciously sweet-tart jelly-like spread usually served at high tea in Britain. Some people serve it with scones, some use it as a layered cake layer, some put it in little pie crusts and top it with fresh fruit for a lemon & fruit tart. You can do anything you like with lemon curd. You can even eat it with a spoon if you're so inclined.

And here's how you make it.

You start with a bowl of beautiful little Meyer lemons (they don't have to be Meyer lemons, but if you have a Meyer lemon tree, it's a good way to get rid of some of the lemons).

Fresh picked Meyer lemons from the Thompson Ranch, San Jose, Calif.

Then you make sure you have a LOT of eggs and butter. You should probably make sure you have these ingredients before you get started on the recipe. Note that it's not a requirement to display them in an artistic fashion.

After you've deconstructed your artistic display of ingredients, zest your lemons. Meyer lemons have thin rinds and are quite juicy so I had to use a few more lemons than the recipe called for.
Then you separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Notice that the Meyer lemon is nearly the same color as egg yolks..it's all part of its allure!
Save those egg whites! You can either put them in tupperware and keep them in the fridge for weeks before you throw them away, like me, or you can put them in tupperware and keep them in the fridge 'til the next day and use them for an egg white omelet or an angel food cake, like other people who have a lot more time on their hands.

Then, you juice the lemons. Meyer lemons are more juicy than regular lemons, but they also have a thin rind so they're not as easy to juice as a lemon with a thick rind. Things can get messy quick.
So, I didn't photograph a few steps, but once you've thrown everything in the pot (butter, sugar, yolks, etc.) you whisk and whisk and whisk.
You whisk until it thickens and sticks to a spatula, like this:

Then, you stir a bit longer. The directions don't say "stir constantly" at this point, but I found that it's imperative you do. Don't walk away for even 20 seconds to rinse your fingers. The curd finishes quickly and can start to, well, curdle.

So then you have to strain it. Most curd recipes tell you to strain curd anyway, but I bet that if you don't walk away for even 20 seconds, you don't have to pull out all three of your strainers to try to save your curd. Like me.
Straining takes a while.
But once you're done, you can pour it into a little serving bowl and take a picture of it before it goes into the fridge to chill.
Then you put all our dirty dishes and strainers in the sink, fill the sink with hot, soapy water, take a picture and then cry about not having a dishwasher.

I'm going to assume that the majority of you have a dishwasher, so if you do, thank you for your patience through this part of the post.
If you don't have a dishwasher, like me, you can go ahead and wipe away your tears knowing that later today you can probably talk your husband into washing the dishes...after all, you will have just slaved away making curd all morning!

So, with that in mind, you should make blueberry scones to go with your curd. Yes, that simply adds more dishes to the sink, but it's ok because, remember, you're going to talk your husband into washing them later.

That and you probably have a dishwasher anyway.

After the scones are baked and the curd is chilled it's time to eat. Even if your curd is a little more curdy than you'd like it to be (lemon curd shouldn't be curdy at all...aim for no curds).
Know this...once you dig in you won't care about the curd not being 100% beautiful. You just sit back and enjoy the most amazing lemon curd you've ever tasted. If you have a lemon tree of your own, you can smile knowing that you'll have enough lemons around to try and try again to perfect the curd recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp finely minced Meyer lemon zest (about 2 medium lemons)
• 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 3 large whole eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 stick (equivalent to 4 oz/8 TBL) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (about 6 oz)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (about 2-3 medium lemons)

Method:

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium stainless steel saucepan.
2. Place the saucepan on the stove and turn on heat to medium (or medium-low if you are more timid). Stir constantly with a whisk until it starts to thicken a little. Make sure you are standing by your stove the entire time. Trust me, this is not the time to take breaks to watch TV or check on your laundry.
3. Once it starts to thicken, switch to a large flat-bottom spatula and stir frequently, making sure to scrape the bottom of pan so that the curd thickens evenly without burning the bottom.
4. Continue to stir and cook until very thick (about 6 -10 minutes, if you’re cooking on medium heat). It’s pretty quick if you do it this way though you need to be vigilant for that time (about 15 minutes total).
5. Strain the curd (yes, you must do this if you want a really smooth and pretty lemon curd) into a bowl.
6. Cover with plastic wrap right on the surface of the curd (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill.