Day Sixty-One- 3/2/11 Grow My Own Penguin and Eat Japanese Eggplant Stir-fry/Celebrating Anne and Maria

Day Sixty-One: 3/2/11
New Thing: Grow My Own Penguin and Eat Japanese Eggplant Stir-fry/Celebrating Anne and Maria           
Inspiration: Anne and Maria
Cost: Definitely under $20   
Time: About 10 days for the Penguin and about an an hour and a half for lunch.      
Bottom Line: "How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?"- Maria's Fortune

This grows 600x its original size. Delia was suitably impressed.

Reflection: Today is a day that I get to celebrate two very influential women in my life: Anne and Maria. These two women are that unique combination of mentor and friend who have helped me laugh when I have felt more like crying and given me strength in moments of weaknesses.  

Japanese Eggplant Stir-fry

I have had the pleasure of knowing Anne since I was a teenager. She would welcome me into her home and let me babysit her two wonderful daughters. As a young female priest in the Diocese, she was and remains very much a role-model to me as I was preparing first for marriage, then for motherhood, and then for ordination. Our relationship has also developed into a rich friendship that I treasure. Recently, she sent me my very own "un-care" package which included a perfect collection of loving crap. For example: Mood ring nail-polish, a raspberry Tootsie Pop, novelty post-it notes, and a "Grow Your Own Penguin." This is a little spongy penguin which you submerge in water for up to ten days and it grows to be about 600x its original size. Today we finally released our penguin from its water home and were really surprised by how big it had gotten. Thanks Anne, Delia loved it.

Also today, by happy coincidence, I also had occasion to be with Maria, another good clergy friend. I took her out for a "thank-you" lunch to show my appreciation to her for all the help and support that she extended to me during the Moravian service. Without her, I would not have made it, and I am so enjoying our deepening friendship. She never fails to see the humor in things, and has amazing experiences and stories (for example, she grew up in Japan!). We had lunch at Asia Restaurant in Allentown. I had never been there before, and was thrilled with the results. Asia has been voted on the 100 top Chinese Restaurant in America for four years in a row and the food was awseome. We split curried beef and Japanese Eggplant Stir-fry which I had never had before. I had a lovely time and left pleasantly full.  Thanks, Maria!!