Dim sum and Some Dim

 Today Mike and I went for Chinese dim sum. Dim sum is often referred to in Chinese novels that I read and I always wondered what it was.Turns out that it is small portions of food, like dumplings, shrimp puffs, etc. They bring it to your table on carts and you can select which delicacies you wish to try. I imagine that the Chinese select a few items and have a small meal of it. We, however, kept saying "Yes" to everything they showed us! We had shrimp dumplings and shrimp puffs and shrimp stuffed eggplant and tiny spare ribs and sesame balls and spring rolls, some more wonderful than others. Our favorite was the siew mai, pronounced shu mae. It had chicken and shrimp in it and was yummy. Least favorite: the sesame balls. They were pretty, but gummy inside. Didn't care for that.

 

I didn't have my camera for food photos as Lisa and Becky would have done, but got this from Google. Ours was served just like this, it little metal steamer containers. The Chinese people serving us were very nice and helpful, except for the guy who told us they charged extra for silverware. Very funny! 

Guess what else we had Lisa? Kanji! They offered us rice porridge and then called it kanji and I said "Yes! We have to try kanji"! I remember Lisa always wanted kanji when she didn't feel good and I felt so bad that I couldn't make it for her--since I had no idea what it was. Mike has decided that it is definitely a comfort food and that he would like it when he is sick also. Think chicken rice soup with more rice and very mashed up. They also had a big pot of dessert that Mike asked about. Turns out it was tofu with syrup. We passed.

We also stopped at the Apple store to look at the I-pads. They look pretty cool. Especially if you have a clue how they operate. The little kid next to us had his fingers dancing all over the screen. We just stared at the screen and said, "Now what?" The store was mobbed, as it always is whenever we go there. It literally buzzes with electronic activity. My mental acuity is depleted the moment I enter that store. I feel like I was raised in the Stone Age. This is where the "Some Dim" is realized.

More later...

The Payne Family Reunion August 2010

It all started with this family, William and Carrie Payne, of Mt. View, Alberta

and their children.

Olof, Oliver, Billy, William (Father), Randell, Mary, Carrie (Mother), John, Hilda, Harold, & Delvin

These are just a few of their descendants: Ruthie, Kathy, Marcie, Nolan, Marie, Janie and Linda.

Kathy, me and Linda are from the oldest daughter, Mary Payne Chambers; and Ruthie, Nolan, Marie and Janie are from Hilda Payne Romeril, the youngest daughter!

Aunt Kathy

Cousin Nolan Romeril, auctioneer

Showing the ancestor quilt at the auction

Kathy Chambers Blackhurst, Marcie Winspear Patch, Nolan Romeril, Becky Froelich Pitcher

Marcie Patch and Janie Romeril

Grandpa Jim Winspear and Hoyt Blackhurst

Cousins

Me-Dad-Linda with Ethan and Gina in front

Renn Patch and Mark Brower

David Slaughter and Lorna Brower

Aunt Jennie with Isaac and brother Renn

Jennie with Isaac and Linda

Keira took most of these photos for me, so she is not in any of them! Thanks Keira, they are great!

This was such a fun event, and I loved seeing relatives that I haven't seen in years, and meeting some for the first time! One sweet lady told me that one time when my mom visited Mt. View she sat on the porch with her and  a bushel of peas that needed to be shucked and the two of them went to work until they were done. That was a sweet memory that she had of my mother when she was 18 years old.

Nolan told me that he remembered when I visited at about 14 or 15 years old and how bad I hurt from horseback riding. He apparently thought it was quite funny to see a city girl in pain. Ha ha! I am amazed that they are still nice to me, because my memory is that they all had to get up early and bale hay and I slept in!

We do this again in two years! Start planning now to come!

Utah Trip 2010

 Polly, Grandpa Jim and Jennie

It is good to be home sleeping in my own bed after almost a month away. However, this morning I was awakened by screaming sea gulls. It was more quiet in every other bed that I slept in while away, even at student housing---well, except for Kathryn, who always needed something from her room that I was sleeping in, in spite of that fact that her mom got everything for her the night before. But what is the point of being five if you can't be the center of the universe, as she certainly is!

I had the pleasure of seeing all of my children and grandchildren on this trip. Plus my dad and lots of other relatives. It was great!  This was my first glimpse of Isaac since we saw him as a newborn last Christmas. He and Keira picked me and Jennie up at the airport in Salt Lake. He was very sweet and friendly and had no problems letting me and Jen smother him with love and kisses.

 Keira is such a good mom and Isaac is a very happy baby!

Isaac finally received his quilt that I made, and that was published by McCall's Quick Quilts this summer. I actually made it before he was born, but was pleased to know that McCall's wanted to publish it, so it was delayed in the delivery.

 

We were delighted to see my brother, Chris Winspear and darling wife, Gina and Tatum and Ethan at the Payne Family Reunion! 

(Photo above shows Isaac-Renn-Me-Tatum and Gina-Chris-Jennie)

 Look at these beautiful kids! Isaac-Tatum-and Ethan!

More later!

Love,

MOM

Family pics

Kathryn with her hamster collection.

Happy Birthday to Jack! He really wanted a guitar for his birthday. Uncle Renn gave him an electric guitar ad Travis gave him an acoustical. What a lucky kid!

Travis and Becky

Isaac sure liked Jennie!

Pretty Keira feeding Isaac. Oh I sure miss him!!!

Just a few photos to share!

Love,

MOM

Cousins Unite!

Last week my cousin Donna came to visit and brought her darling daughter, Lindsay, who was a year old the last time I saw her. Yes, it has been that long! They drove here to Virginia Beach from Buffalo, NY and spent one whole day with me. Can you believe it? Donna had to get back for an appointment on Thursday, but decided to make the tip anyway, even tho it was a quick one with lots of driving.

This is how we looked last time we saw each other! Lindsay grew up to be a wonderful young woman and I enjoyed her so much. She seemed to be content to sit and look through the family history research that I have accumulated for the Winspear family over the years. She even spouted names and dates that she remembered from visiting cemeteries with her mom. How lucky Donna and Lindsay are to be able to team up and enjoy doing the searching and researching together!

As I mentioned in a previoius post, Donna and I only recently reconnected after all these years. Our fathers were brothers, Jim and Burt Winspear, of Buffalo, NY. Donna happened upon my Dad's blog while searching on line for Winspear information. Since Winspear history has been my pet project for years, we got together and shared info. I have lots of names and dates and am still finding more! Donna has the advantage of visiting local sites and cemeteries in Buffalo and surrounding area. She knows where all the bodies are buried! 

We had so much fun talking and sharing and scanning photos. We discovered that we have much more in common than just our family history. So now were are delighted to be not only cousins, but friends! And Lindsay too! 

The Good Life at Virginia Beach

The past two weeks have been busy ones! Matt, Anna Marie and Danielle came and brought Mabry, Danielle's best friend. When Grandpa Jim heard they were coming he decided that he wanted to come also. So we had a house full and loved it! Matt took over the television, my Dad laid claim to the deck, and the girls loved their futon on the floor in the TV room. Anna Marie made sure everyone got down to the beach every day, plus they got in some bike rides through the park. 

Grandpa Jim (with his goofy face for the camera) learned a couple new card games from the girls. Mike got into the act also and I could hear them laughing and laughing out on the deck.

Grandpa Patch bought the girls hats and t-shirts from Life is Good. Pretty nice picture of the Chesapeake Bay in the background!

We ate out on the deck every night. Hot dogs, corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake--Life IS Good!

A weekend in NYC

This past weekend Mike and I took Danielle and Mabry to New York. We had such a great time! We drove up Friday morning and got there around 1:30pm. We stayed at the Mariott Marquis in Time Square. We walked all over for miles and I quickly became exhausted in the 90 degree heat. But I was able to keep up, only at a slower rate than everyone else. 

So maybe that's not keeping up after all. But I walked, and got there eventually. The girls were willing to shop till they dropped, only they never dropped. I, on the other hand, dropped several times. We had a fabulous Italian dinner at Sophie's the first night. We all had good meals, but in the end we agreed that Danielle's Fettucini Alfredo was the best. Wow--all cream and butter!

On Friday night we went to see the Addams Family. It was fabulous! Nathan Lane was Gomez, Bebe Neuwirth (aka Lilith) was Morticia. The whole cast was excellent! We loved it! The second night we saw Wicked and it was also fabulous! Great story and again, the acting and the singing was wonderful. We feel really lucky to have been able to get tickets for these hit productions.

On Sunday, before we went home, we took a buggy ride in Central Park. It was a lovely thing to do, tho Mike was embarrassed to be doing something so touristy. Sal, the driver, gave the girls a carrot to give the horse. They were a little nervous about that, but it was fine. Then the long drive home, not our favorite part, but our weekend was great! We all came home happy!