nothing beats Fry's Market....not even Wally Wal-mart

While Wal-mart prices may be superior for the poverty stricken wallet of  millions, combine their prices with quality, and good probably doesn't even cut it.  Yes, I do possess Wal-mart issues with their atrocious community impact, but those have only recently developed. 

A beautiful 61 degree Sunday morning spurred on the laid-back idea of just grabbing something from the store cooked and ready to eat.  Something about having the money to do that [because I'd been frugal with the food budget] was satisfying on a whole 'nother level.  Words can't describe that simplistically luxurious feeling in our current financially mediocre strata.  It was nice.  Adding to that was walking into the buzzing Sunday market ambience in the newly renovated Fry's.  Despite Wal-mart's into pocket six million dollar move into town, Fry's was doing well to keep up with the beastly competition.  Even the quality of food  is more worth the extra dollar.  So, the competition might as well be null and void.  Especially now that I'd been most recently defogged of the ball and chain "I can only afford Wal-mart" mentality. 

It wasn't until today that I'd noticed the new sushi stand.  It's large enough to fit four of the busy culinary crafters who make the fresh delights everyday.  These were genuine orientals making the genuine article.  Brilliance!

       

The eye candy variety made it so hard to pick and choose.  The California dragon roll one could never go wrong with.  Very impressive was a 11-12 year old boy that approached the stand asking a chef to add some more pickled ginger to his packed order.  He glanced my direction and took notice of which packs my eyes lingered over more.  That mango spice he effused over including a few others.  Rarely does anyone cross paths with an American preteen who speaks of such oriental cuisine as a copacetic luxury.  Wow.

 So, I eventually settled on the california rolls and the shrimp dragon rolls.

Mike and I shoved those babies in our maws as if they were getting ready to sprout a few legs and run off.  That was some incredible stuff.  And of what I remember of the sushi from Costco....these were delectably superior.  As long as these guys are cheffing out quality sushi, we need not pine for the Costco copycats a-la-bleh.  

cracker barrel

It's mom's last day here with us and she wanted to take us out for lunch.  She wanted Cracker Barrel.  Unfortunately, we had to wait nearly an hour for Mike to get out of a meeting with Steve.  Fortunately, for me, Tricia was there so we had a little bit of jibber jabber time before she headed out for her lunch break.

The nostalgia of Cracker Barrel is perfect for our area.  Quaint, warm and country-fide.  The gift shop was, no surprise, decked out for the Christmas season.  

Motivation to decorate a christmas tree has escaped me for the past several years.  Sure, it's a fun memory maker for kids.  However, I doubt it will be a source of resentment and bitterness.  Kids actually do care more about the bigger things in life.  An honest thought to buy, but no....I didn't...... 

Should I ever decorate a tree again....white would definitely be the color theme....

Oh, my.....what a BEAUTIFUL purchase that would be!

Yah, there's definitely something beautiful about white.... 

I didn't bother to check the price tags.....

but it was nice to look at.....

Red is definitely a Christmas color....

If only to escape santa who seams to permeate everything holidayish everywhere we go.......

and beneath all that.....

I wanted a window seat....

Okay....that sounds like a plane seating order....but none the less, I like sitting by the window.  The heater was right under it which was really great on this very cold and blustery day....

There's nothing more country-side-dishy than fried okra....

went great with the meatloaf, green beans and mashed potatoes.....

mom wanted dessert so we shared the pecan apple struesel pie.....

divinely perfect....do I dare try it at home?  Maybe....just maybe one day.....

Tonight Sierra and Tori learned, for the first time, of the pending trip to Manila in May.  They had no problem verbalizing their desire to go with us.  The idea of being left out of an intriguing adventure doesn't typically go well with most kids.  

Wycliffe Banquet

Last night was nice.....VERY nice.  Mike had gotten us tickets for the Wycliffe banquet that apparently only happens every 18 months in Prescott [held at the Prescott Resort].  This was an Associate banquet where participants are presented with the opportunity to volunteer in one of the many legs helping the translators on the field who are working with great sacrificial delight to create an alphabet and put into words unwritten languages all over the world.  With videos we were all given an in depth view of what Wycliffe Bible translation is about and how just as important volunteers are in supporting fields of sorts.  None of the information was new to me, as this is the mission legacy I grew up in. It was fun seeing video clips of   familiar places in the Philippines, to hear my people talk of the impact of having God's Word in their language (in their  Filipino accent) and see familiar missionary faces from my childhood still working in the Philippines.  However, the most intriguing part was the new innovations being used as technology continues to evolve.  

It's always fun to sit at a well dressed table.  

Dori was hungry and that salad (of a big wedge of iceberg lettuce, blue cheese, bacon and ranch) was calling her name

I was looking forward to the coffee which didn't get offered until after the main course

So, obviously, it was intended to go with desert which stared at us almost the entire evening

The rolls were divinely warm, soft and light....

and oh so perfect with butter....

If to escape self-inflicted embarrassment, I would've asked for several baskets more

Mom was the table missionary celebrity.  This was the nice new young pastoral couple from the Covenant church just up the street and they were very much engaged in conversation with mom about her work and their love for Wycliffe.  Funny how you can meet people of mutual friends in these type of settings....friends working around the world.  

I didn't hear the entire conversations, but it was obviously all good.  Being one of two Wycliffe members in the room, she was later given the mic and asked to share where and how she has served the past 40 years.

Should've inquired as to what the heavenly sauce was so luciously draped over the chicken.  It was divine.

Mike and I really like wild rice....we were copaceticly happy.

Michael shared his testimony of how he came to Christ.  It was very interesting how his personality fit like  hand and glove with his desire to learn linguistics and be lead to a group of people that was so lost they literally lived and died by each other's swords.  Thus, the result of him taking in two teenage village girls who's father was killed (followed shortly thereafter by their mother).  Both of the girls have given him grand kids and he's been living among the people for over 12 years devoted to getting their language translated so they can read the Bible.  

Michael, an American, seemed so uncomfortable as if to feel out of place in his own country.  This is something that only fellow field missionaries can possibly fathom.  For they themselves have experienced the luxury of adapting to an overseas culture and meeting the locals at a heart level that is so foreign to the American culture and society.  I know, I'm an overseas missionary kid myself.  Not to carp on America in the least.  But having experienced the culture shock of coming back to America, I could see and feel it in his demeanor on so many levels.  I'm sure being oceans apart from his wife and family of four kids and two grand kids made it even more difficult.

There are still thousands of  people groups who's languages are not put on paper, written or translated.  Wycliffe needs the help of all that hear the call.

Cheesecake Factory

A 'las!  After responding to countless heart and ego stimulating yummy-licious birthday greetings on my facebook wall, I can now concentrate on blogging of the fabulously divine birthday-DAY.  The day before I picked mom up at the airport shuttle drop off.  The kids were so excited to have her.  They greeted us jumping up and down by the drive way.  Cute.  In the morning Mike took the kids on to school.  How perfect that my birthday landed on his weekly day off [Wednesday] this year!  

I wanted my birthday morning coffee in my new fall mug I found at the dollar store....

Then Mike pointed out the warning label I so airheadedly missed before purchasing several days ago at el chipo-mart....

I'm guessing there's led in the paint that even the shimmering finish can't protect any drinker from.  But not to be too discouraged.  Mom had brought me a birthday mug she found in California....

Yes, I laughed with MUCH satisfaction!

Mike made the Filipino [birthday] breakfast of beef tapa, rice, and eggs fried just the way I like them...garnished with tomatoes....

After shopping with Kelly [Blackwell-station secretary] at Costco for my various lettuces [romain, mixed greens and some avocados] and being an ear for Trish Lewis (I REALLY like her!)....I picked the kids up from school and then Mike and I enjoyed the leisure drive down to Phoenix.  First we stopped at the Fry's electronics on Thunderbird.  That's one crazy tech happening place.  Good gravy!  We were looking for a blue ray movie player that can do several tasks: netflix, web, pandora...etc.  Happy to type that they had the better deal compared to Wal-mart.  Bad for Wal-mart, good for us.  I'm beginning to dislike Wal-mart as it is.  But oh, well...should there be found a need to dedicate a carping entry for that subject later....welp, I'll leave the rest of the comments for that.

We went to the Cheesecake Factory up from Thunderbird, off of 83rd.  There are TONS of eateries in that area.  Americans have it good as far as culinary entertainment goes.  Much to pick from in every major city...and yet, so many seem to stay bored.  They don't know how to just be still and enjoy some peace and quiet.  Oops, does that include me?  Great for the industry, though....and good for the currently declining economy, yah?    

The mango margarita.....deletably divine.  I asked for half the tequila.  It was still very good.....

Mike's appetizer: spinach dip.  Comes with chips and tomatoes....

I had the Thai lettuce wrap all to myself....

....and I couldn't finish it.....so do you think I could really dig into the luau luau salad?  The fried egg roll wrappers I knew would go soggy if I didn't eat them up.  And that's all I ate of the salad...the rest was a great lunch for today.  Do these pictures do the salad justice??   It was evening...so no daylight.  It was uncomfortable to be setting off the camera flash but difficult to be discrete. Maybe you can get an idea of just how BIG the salad is [just like every other CF dish] when clicking on the photo.  Hmmm.....

Mike's was a nice juicy medium cooked steak with country "flavored" mashed potatoes and fried asparagus....

the onions got tossed to the side.....

With a great cup of coffee, never leave the Cheesecake Factory without some lip lickin' cheesecake!  Mike couldn't finish the Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate cheesecake....

from the Cheesecake Factory website 

Yah.....lick those lips after hitting the picture for a bigger deletable view....!!!

....and I could only eat one bite of the red velvet cheesecake....

from the Cheesecake Factory website

...did you click on it for a bigger lip lickin' view?  I couldn't pass up something so stunningly vibrant!  They were both good to....

the last bite as the perfect after-"party" leftovers!

I've now been walking, breathing, eating, drinking, running and living on this earth for 38 years.  Definitely looking forward to new ventures God has in store for us!!!!