A package arrived from Armenia this week. Inside were several special gifts including Armenian fruit leather. There is nothing more delicious (in my admittedly biased opinion) than homemade–IN ARMENIA–fruit leather. The fruit leather from Gyumri, where my daughter was born, has a certain something that makes it so good, you want to wrap yourself up […]
Shoot the moon: Photographing the 2015 supermoon eclipse
On Sunday Big Papa, Little Bird and I went down to Lake Washington to see the Supermoon eclipse. I told my 4-year-old daughter that when the next Supermoon eclipse came around, she will have graduated from college. We spent a lot of time waiting, my camera and tripod at the ready. Standing on either side […]
Supermoon lunar eclipse!
Oh please, pretty please, Seattle. Please keep your current forecast that promises sunshine and clear skies for this coming Sunday. I want to see the supermoon lunar eclipse! I’ve been reading a articles, trying to pick up a few photography tips for the big show. Of course the biggest tip–and the biggest challenge here in […]
China!
The president of China is visiting Seattle this week (today is his last day), which got me reminiscing about our trip to China’s capital city, Beijing, EXACTLY seven years ago this week. We spent three weeks in Beijing before taking an unforgettable 9-day tour of Tibet. Here are a few highlights of things I got […]
Autumnal Equinox
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ― Albert Camus The autumnal equinox takes place at 4:21 a.m. EDT Wednesday, September 22 when the sun moves directly over the equator, making day and night nearly the same length. That’s where the word comes from, “equi” for equal in Latin and with […]
Autumn in Armenia
Four of my six trips to Armenia have taken place in the fall, so when the weather begins to change and the air becomes crisp, leaves turn color, and the smell of rain is in the air, my mind wanders to Autumn in Armenia. Alongside roads, farmers set out fruit to sell. Ripe grapes hang […]
French school: Trois années
French school: Year 3 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y et Z Maintenant je sais mon alphabet, Chante avec moi la prochaine fois. <iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/_LYy3P2okyw” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe> And if you want to read more […]
A passion for ponies: Gesa Carousel of Dreams
Of the more than 4,000 carousels built in during the “golden age of carousels,” fewer than 150 exist intact today. Gesa Carousel of Dreams in Kennewick, Washington is one of them. But had it not been for a few very special people–with a passion for ponies–Gesa Carousel might have remained just a dream. The Gesa […]
Gluten Free Gnocchi Margherita recipe
I’m always on the lookout for new gluten free products since Big Papa can’t eat wheat. When I saw Cappello’s Gluten Free (and dairy, grain and soy free) gnocchi at our local Central Coop, I was pretty excited. Although gnocchi, soft dough dumplings are typically made with potato as a base, wheat flour is also […]
The [Armenian] cucumber that ate Seattle
Our garden in August. And look what grew in it. My first Armenian cucumber, measuring 20 inches nose to tail! The first thing you should know about the Armenian cucumber is that it is not really a cucumber at all! It is a member of C. Pepo family along with muskmelons and honeydew. Also known […]