My new vegetable dish

We have so many mint growing around my fish pond. It originally from a co-worker who gave me couple of the mint plant few years ago. I planted them on the edge of my pond. Here they are!


What can do with the well growing mint?


They look so green and delicious. May be a dish would work for me?


Here they are! I harvest them like this.


The Mint!


Again! there they are!


Picking!


Duck eggs given by my darling duck "Cinderella".


Garlic sauce I made.


The Process of making the Garlic sauce.


Here are the garlics.


Boiling some water to prepare the new dish.


Making duck egg noodle!


The noodle is working.


The egg mix before cooking. (sorry for the disordering pictures. I do not know how to load bunch).


Beating the eggs.


The beautiful eggs!


Here are the egg noodles!


The way I cut them.


Before cutting.


It just came out from the pan.


Egg noodles on top of boiled mint!


Using cold water rinse the mint.


Just before fishing the mint our from the boiling water.


Boiling.


Boiling water


Add oil to the new vegetable dish


Add vinegar


Here you go! Enjoy!! It turned out very good and I am going to make more!!

Thanks USbank Oregon Campus Branch Office manager

I have been a US Bank Customer since 1999. I am OK with their service so I stayed with them all those years. But this year, I almost closed my bank account with them. When I am saying "almost", that means No. I choose to stay with them just because I appreciate their services.

In May 2008, I bought two money orders for $400.00 each to pay immigration
fees. The department of State lost one of them.

I called US bank and asked them to stop payment for that money order, and the gentleman said so it will take 6 months to get my money back to my account. And then I ordered another money order for $400.00 to finish the business I needed to take care of.

After 6 months past after I stopped the money order payment, I called the US bank customer service again. I did not see my money back from the canceled money order. The person on the phone said that she could not find any record about the money order and the reason is they only keep 3 months records. She suggested me to go to the local bank to ask them to help.

I did. But the person on the desk no idea how to handle this so I was introduced to the bank manager Tammy. I was very lucky having her to deal with my issue. Of course, she had no idea how to handle this either. But she was making lots of phone calls and find out how to deal with it. She apologized to me that I should not waited so long to get my money back. She really worked hard to get this done for me. She did not want waste my time while she is figuring out what to do, so she sent me home and promised me to call me the next day and get my money back to my account at the same time.

She is that kind of person with a big smile and get on top of things. You knew you can trust her while you talk to her. So I went home and the next morning, she called and asked me to come in to sign a paper so she can get the money back to my account. She did and I am so happy finally get my money back!
After so many months past and she only using two days and get it done! If all people can work so efficiently like Tami, the world would be a much nicer place to live!!

Please expect our new duck babies!

Twinkies and Root Beer - from a forward email

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of Root Beer and he started his journey.



When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons.



The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.



The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.

Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.



When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?

"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!

The mistress is back!

Since the ducks are missing. I am very sad. I always hearing It is a surprise! After came back from dinner, we saw the duck prince's mistress is back and seeking for food around her house1g duck Quack and trying to look for them. I thought I was crazy.
Tonight, my husband took me out for dinner and I was talking to him on the way: " I think there is possible that the duck prince's wife were killed because she had foot problem. and the Boy was trying to fight that was why he got injured so badly. And the other two, the duck King and the second wife got away since both of them a fast and they came here as adult. They knew how to get away."
After dinner, I felt there was a gas in my chest that I could not get right off. I had to let my husband took me home right away.
While I was lying on my bed and trying to be conforteble. my husband standing by the window and screemed: "Oh! my god! the grey girl is back!"
I hurried up and went to the window. I really saw she was there and trying to find food! My little sunshine!! Thanks!
I hope the duck king will be back soon!!!

My duck family is gone...

Today, when I came back from work. There is no ducks calling me for food. I thought they were just playing too hard and not knowing the time. So I went to the house and started to cook. When my husband started to get food for them and he could not see anyone around. He was surprised. so he went to look for them. He found our duck prince was lying by the side of the garden hardly move. He was serious injured. He started to look around for others, but not a trace of them. He was keep looking since he would not believed they were all gone.
When dinner is ready and I went out of the door and calling him: "Dinner is ready for you." He said motionlessly: "They are all gone."
"What do you mean they are all gone?" I asked. He Finlay awake and said: "The ducks all gone. only the boy is by the garden and hurt so badly."
I hurried to the garden and see our duck prince lying in the grass and lifeless. I picked him up and told him: "Don't worry. I got you. You will be fine." I took him to the house and use the bath towel dried the rain and blood. and swaddled him using the bath towel. He seemed a little comfortable. and Then, we took him to the animal urgent care and the doctor did not think he has much chance: he was serious injured by some animal on chest, back and neck. he is in shock. Finally, we decided that it is the best to put him to sleep as soon as possible so he would not suffer more. The doctor did it and we took him back home and berried him with our dog Arlington.
The others probably were eaten by the animal attached them.
My poor ducks! They never made any troubles and they gave us eggs all the time. They have been live with us for over two years! What did they do wrong to get this treatment!!!!
I am so sorry and I am so sad...

The 2009 first Coast trip

We are not sure what we are doing with them anymore.

Driving home at night

Open Communication

It is the first time since I started work as a nurse I got a call from my manager about a patient’s parents complains. I was surprised at the first: I always do my best and care of my patients the most. While I am working, I am using my heart to take care of the precious babies.

The good part is that my manager knows how to communicate. She gave me the positive feedback from the parents first and then brought out their concern: wish me to be more open with communication about their babies care.

They were right. Yesterday, while I was taking care of their baby, I was quiet. Yet, I have my reason that I am a quiet person in nature and I was presumed that all the primary nurses of their babies already talked to them about what is going on with their babies, but still, there is no excuse.

I remembered when I first started the shift, parents were there and sitting by the bedside. I said “hello” and keep doing my checks for the start of the shift. I could do better is while I was doing all my checks, I could explain to them what I was doing and why I was doing so. That way they would feel more comfortable with me. During the shift, parents came again and we had simple communication, again, I was working on changing IV tubing and the new bags of TPN and lipid. I was quiet again and keep doing what I was doing without explain to the parents. I think it would be appreciated if I talked with them while I was working. Presume they knew what I was doing is not correct. Talk a little more then they wanted would not to do any harm. We can always ask them “Have anyone talked to you about this…?”

And as not a primary nurse of the babies, I tended to be more quiet since there were primary nurses assigned. I always try to explain everything to my primary baby’s family. That is another bias I have. Like I said, “Do not presume the family knew anything, and just explain everything to them. At least we can ask what do they want to know and what is their concern…”

I really want to apologize to the parents about my lack of communication of yesterday. I feel really bad that I hurt their feelings. I think I will do that on Monday.

Sorry for bringing the trouble to my manager. And thank her very much for the feedback.

That is the way we can improve our care for our patients.

Happy new year from the Karmapa

The guests who invited themselves

Not much of a man

A grizzled old man was eating in a truck stop when three Hell's Angels bikers walked in.

The first walked up to the old man and pushed his cigarette into the old man's pie, and then took a seat at the counter.

The second walked up to the old man and spit into the old man's milk, and then he took a seat at the counter.

The third walked up to the old man and turned over the old man's plate, and then he took a seat at the counter.

Without a word of protest, the old man quietly left the diner. Shortly thereafter, one of the bikers said to the waitress, "Humph, not much of a man, was he?"

The waitress replied, "Not much of a truck driver either. He just backed his truck over three motorcycles."