Now that we've got the blog working again, it's time for the scoop on Dubai!
It was sooooo wonderful to get out of Dohot for a few days, even though it was just as hot in Dubai. At least there were new things to see, new places to go...
Dubai is a shopping mecca, and malls abound. The malls have different personalities too. Ibn Battuta has five "neighborhoods", each with a different country in mind. There's a Chinese section, Indian, Egyptian...



The Souq Medinat Jumeira has more crafts and imports, furniture and clothing from throughout the region. It is brand new, but designed to look like the old souqs. It's also located next to Dubai's most famous landmark, the Burj Al Arab.






Burj Al Arab, the world's only seven star hotel
Dubai, UAE

Finally, there's the Mall of the Emirates, most known for its indoor ski arena, Ski Dubai. I had most been looking forward to taking Ellie to play in the snow in the desert, but unfortunately, they had a strict no-under-3s policy. We got to look through the window, but that was about it. Ironically, when we stepped out of the elevator at the Mall of the Emirates, they were blasting the theme to Mission Impossible.




outside Ski Dubai (the top of the slope)

Finally, a word on our hotel. No, we didn't stay in the Burj Al Arab. I think you need to be a millionaire to stay there comfortably. Rumors have it that the nightly rate can be in the thousands. No, we're not quite there yet. Instead, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt in town, which was a mere five stars (the compromises one has to make!). It was a gorgeous hotel. The interior had a huge garden area with a running brook stocked with fish... Outside, there were three beautiful pools: a massive one for adults, a smaller one for children that had waterslides and fountains in a climbing fort, and a little one for babies. There were huge grounds with lots of grassy playspace and an outdoor jogging trail. The breakfast spread was the best we've ever seen in a hotel, and it was included with the room. We can most definitely recommend staying there!





Of course, we begin to wonder how we will ever keep Ellie in the style to which she's become accustomed. At five months, she lived in the Ritz Carlton for six weeks. She plays in the pool at the Four Seasons. And when we holiday, she stays at five star hotels. I think we're in trouble.

Our baby is growing up! Ellie celebrated her first birthday yesterday, and what a fun day she had! In the morning, we celebrated with her friends at our standing Thursday morning Dairy Queen play group. Pancakes, cupcakes in ice cream cones...yummy! Then, we met Papa for lunch at City Center, and he bought her a Minnie Mouse balloon (balloons are her favorite!). After her nap, we had a special playdate with her new friend Cy and met his pet camels (though we don't have pictures of her with them...they made her a bit nervous)!
We can hardly believe her first year has gone by. She is growing and changing so much every day. What a miracle and a treasure that we are blessed to witness daily. Happy Birthday, Ellie! We love you so much!

Although she's been walking with help for about five months, Ellie has seemed to lack the confidence to have a go on her own...until recently. For the past week or two, she has been standing free and doesn't seem so nervous about sitting back down again. She's been quite a cruiser around furniture too. But the other day, we had another big first...Ellie strolled the entire length of the mall while holding onto her stroller. She was soooo proud to do it all on her own!

To kick off our new year, we are going to Dubai this weekend...our first vacation in ages! Off we go to the land of opulence and riches, the land of shopping shopping and more shopping! Of course, we're just going for the sights and the chance to escape Dohot for a few days. Trading heat and humidity for heat and more humidity, but at least there will be new things to see and different places to go. I'm looking forward to seeing Burj Al Arab (the famous sail-shaped hotel), the massive gold souq, and of course, the indoor skiing arena. The fact that they have built an indoor skiing facility in the desert defies the imagination. Friends have told us that you can go in to a small area for 10 riyals just to play in the snow and throw snowballs. I wonder what Ellie will make of snow! Pictures and stories to follow!

August 29, 2005. One year ago today was Hurricane Katrina. One year ago, we were waiting it out in a hotel room in Houston, watching the news and feeling fairly certain that we’d be able to head home in the morning. The storm came and went, and all seemed relatively well. But then the water began to creep through New Orleans. By the following morning, our worst nightmares had just begun. The horrific images on the news only told a small part of the story. The tremendous failures from the local, state and federal government left people dying in their homes and in the streets; those who survived were lacking in any food, water or medical care. Most of the city was submerged. Though we soon realized our part of town had escaped the flood, we were unable to return for six weeks, not even to check what and if we had anything left.

Meanwhile, over on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, things were far worse. The New Orleans flood and the city’s racial, socio-economic and political tensions made the news, but Katrina wrought some of the most unspeakable damage on the coast. Gorgeous historic homes all along the beach were wiped away in an instant. In Biloxi, the devastation went back at least five blocks back from the beach. Further west (closer to the eye of Katrina), the damage went back for miles. The town of Pass Christian was completely gone, not a single structure left standing. To the east in Ocean Springs, where my dad lived, the news trucks never came…but the storm certainly did.









One year later, she’s still there. Katrina is present every day on the Gulf Coast, in New Orleans and throughout South Louisiana. The people who survived her all have stories to tell. We are no different, but those who know us have heard it too many times and so have we.
It’s been quite a year, but this is our New Year’s Day. The world is made new again.

I just got Ellie to go back to sleep after she took a too-short nap on a very challenging day.
Baby: 10,756,934
Mama: 1
I'M ON THE BOARD!

There hasn’t been much news on this end of late, and the blog and emails are getting weak. I apologize. For those of you who really want to know about our days, you are being seriously short-changed, and that’s not good. I’m going to try to make amends here.

Miss Ellie Bee keeps us happy and fulfilled. She is quite a busy girl and sooo happy! She’s such a joy! Whenever she’s with one of us and she catches sight of the other, she breaks out laughing and flapping her little arms…or if she’s trying to walk, she comes running! She still isn’t walking on her own, but she can and will pull up at every opportunity. She is also starting to “cruise.” Last night, we watched her delighted progress as she made her way down the length of the coffee table. Then, she got stuck at the end and didn’t know what to do…which led to great baby frustration. Oooo…she does NOT like being stuck. Being stuck also happens in her crib. Ellie has taken to sleeping on her belly. From this position, it’s easy to push up to sitting and then pull up to standing…at which point she gets stuck and becomes excessively indignant about the whole situation. Partly because of this, she is not yet sleeping through the night. Jennifer is still pulling all nighttime duty, largely because Ellie hasn’t weaned yet but also secretly because Ellie has her papa completely wrapped around her baby fingers. After only a few minutes of her crying, he can’t take it and he surrenders, usually bringing her to Mama or insisting Mama go in to her. Many men can’t take the crying because it makes them irritated or mad. Markus can’t take it because it breaks his heart. Oh yes, she has him whipped!

Our routine has become just that. During the week, Markus heads out by 5:30 or so, squeezing in a brief swim or some other exercise at the club before he heads to the mines. After having awoken three or four times during the night (only twice on good days!), Ellie wants to get up at around 6:30 or 7. A bleary-eyed Jennifer begs her to go back to sleep, which Ellie always finds very hilarious. By 9 o’clock, the two girls are out the door in search of adventure. Our favorite hang-out is the Landmark Mall, where there is a large, well-lit, relatively clean soft play area Ellie loves. Fortunately for us, she’s still so small that they don’t charge us admission yet (all kiddie play areas have fees), so we find ourselves there multiple times each week. Jennifer has taken to consuming more coffee than she has ever consumed in her entire life. This could have something to do with the fact that even in college, she usually got more than four consecutive hours of sleep at night.
We always try to be back home for naptime. Ellie’s favorite new game is testing how short an afternoon nap can possibly be. This is proving to be an exciting new challenge for her mama as well.
In the afternoons, we try to meet Markus at the club at least two or three times a week. Ellie really likes splashing about in the pool, especially when we’re all there as a family. She has quite a fan club at the Four Seasons. One pool attendant in particular—Jamal—has a big crush on her. He always comes running over when he sees her, and he plays with her as often as he can while we’re there.

Ellie’s fan club is both a blessing and a curse for her. People here are incredibly loving and friendly to babies, usually to the extent that they want to hold the baby, snuggle and play. Sometimes, they don’t take no for an answer, and therein lies the trouble. Ellie is often not a big fan of being snatched away by a (smiling and cooing) complete stranger. This is something her parents have no trouble understanding, but the complete strangers can’t seem to comprehend. We ran into this very problem today at City Center. A shop girl was very insistent about taking Ellie away to another part of the store, even though Ellie was very tired and became teary at her approach. She tried repeatedly to heft Ellie from Jennifer’s arms, although Jennifer tried to kindly rebuff her. She meant well, we have no doubt, but the opposite effect was achieved.
At times like those, we try to explain to Ellie that this is just what happens when one is truly irresistible. She then looks at us as if to say, “Why do you think I employ two full-time staff?”

Our life in Dohot proceeds under strict adherence to the law: Murphy's Law, that is.
Yesterday, the company had exterminators spray our house for bugs, although I hadn't seen any aside from a few small spiders and one (already dead) small cockroach.
Today, we have ants in the kitchen.
Yep, that's about right.

As you have probably gathered, I am slightly obsessed with food. I spent most of my spare moments today cooking up a storm and then chowing it down with gusto. A little family tradition we have is dining out to kick off the weekend, so last Thursday night, we went in search of a good restaurant to try out. Being too early for most places, we ended up eating at a burger place. MISTAKE! Markus, poor man, got food poisoning and it has persisted for days. Today was the first day I've ever known him to stay home from work because of illness. He usually goes even if he's feverish and miserable, but today he stayed home. That's how sick this poor man is! Fortunately, we seem to have reached a turning point. He managed to eat the dinner I cooked tonight without any troubles, so tomorrow, it's back to the trenches.
Speaking of the trenches...
The almighty bureaucracy that is his employer has mucked with our schedule yet again. Although our leave date had already been set and confirmed by multiple managers and our arrival date agreed with The Hague, although we'd already called the movers and planned a vacation before moving to Holland, Markus's boss decided it would be fun to derail the whole train on a whim and now no date is certain. His boss wrote to The Hague on Thursday and changed the leave date to sometime in October, and so far, there's been no response from that end. Who knows what they will want to do about it. It was all set. Everyone seemed fine and dandy with the plan...too bad it was made when Markus's micro-managing, overly obsessive boss was out of town. Oy.

Today was Saturday, which meant we were out and about in search of new adventures. This morning, we discovered Bombay Silk, a fabric supply store that we'd heard a lot about since we've been here. They have beautiful fabrics, silks, satins, velvet...raw silk, embroidered silk... I purchased three different silks to have some pants copied by a tailor. Tailors are abundant here, and there are dozens in the vicinty of Bombay Silk. A friend had recommended I take my pants to her tailor, but the man working at Bombay Silk went to get a tailor for me to be sure I bought the correct amount of fabric. Later, he took us to that tailor's shop. It was down a corridor from the tailor my friend had recommended. It was a tiny room with two very old sewing machines and two older Indian gentlemen working. The tailor looked over the pair of pants I wanted copied, kept them and the fabric, and promised they would be ready in one week. Three pairs of pants. Amazing.
If they don't mind, I will post a picture of the place when I go back to pick them up.
Afterwards, we went to eat at an Indian, vegetarian restaurant. As with any ethnic cuisine, there's good Indian and there's bad Indian. Sometimes you get lucky and find somewhere authentic and delicious. When we went in and were shown to the family section, one glance quickly revealed that we were the only non-Indians there. And yes, the food was authentic and DELICIOUS! And cheap! 30 riyals total for both of us (that's about $7). I'll definitely be going back, and hopefully I'll get some pictures then too.

Another recipe to try out...
I've made this with hammour (the popular white fish here in Qatar) and salmon. Markus, who doesn't particularly care for salmon, RAVED about this one. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think!

Fish with Tarragon Tomato Sauce
(from "The One-Armed Cook")
4 servings

1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp dried chives
2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb fresh fish fillets (such as cod, haddock or salmon)

In a large deep skillet with a cover, melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the fish, stirring well to mix. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add fish fillets, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.

Snacktime for Ellie and Josh, and Josh wants more food. Ellie is happy to share hers...almost.

Two dear friends celebrate birthdays today! Big hugs to you both!

Happy Birthday, Azure!


Happy Birthday, Gail!

Tonight, we explored a very local furniture shop called Ghassan's. We were directed there after complimenting a friend's hand-painted dining room table. She said she picked it up there, that they had wonderful things and the prices were reasonable. Let me tell you, this place was HARD to find! It is not on any main road, it looks like a run-down villa with a dilapidated tent covering the courtyard, and there is no sign indicating in any fashion that it is a shop. It only has a small name plaque like all other houses on that street. But what a find! It was amazing! Definitely the most interesting shop I have seen since we've been here! They had the most amazing variety of furnishings and decorative pieces, mostly from India. All handmade and quite decent quality. Packed to the gills with STUFF, stacked to the ceiling in every room! You definitely have to be willing to invest some time in looking at everything, but it was a real feast for the eyes! So much to see! Lots of fun! As you can tell, I'm happy we went. I'll be going back!

In typical Jennifer fashion, I have meant to put this recipe up for ages now...but today is the day! Tah-dah! I promise it was worth the wait! This salad is AWESOME! We enjoy the flavor of the shrimp so much that I keep making them this way, but then just tossing them into tacos rather than proceed with this (very time-consuming but well worth it) salad. By the way, if you decide to make them into tacos (we just use the shrimp, tomatoes, homemade guacamole, black beans and cheese in flour tortillas), the combo is really fabulous with frozen limeade pie for dessert. You know I must have dessert! The recipe follows...

Summer garden salad with chili-garlic shrimp
(recipe from Bon Appetit August 2005)
6 main course servings

1 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 lbs uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 ears of corn, husked
3 small tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1/3 English hothouse cucumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise

4 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 large avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, cut into thin slices
8 cups (loosely packed) mixed baby greens
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

Mix chili-garlic sauce, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot. Add half of shrimp and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shrimp to plate. Add remaining shrimp and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to plate and cool.

Cook corn in a pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut corn kernels off cobs. Mix corn, tomatoes, and cucumber into shrimp.

Whisk remaining 2 Tbsp oil, 1/8 tsp pepper, lime juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil in medium bowl.
(Shrimp mixture and dressing can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Combine shrimp mixture with any accumulated juices, avocado, greens and mint in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat.


Frozen Limeade Pie

small can frozen limeade, defrosted (6oz?)
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz?)
graham cracker crust (store bought is fast, but homemade tastes better!)

Mix the first four ingredients (minus the cans, of course). Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake for 25 mintues at 350 degrees F. Cool on wire rack. Place in freezer for at least 3 hours. Cut into big ol' slices and enjoy!

I'm sure you can tell this is my own recipe. I modified it from a different pie, so the amounts aren't exact. I'm not sure of the ounce measurements on the cans since the cans here aren't labeled that way, but these are pretty standard cans. Just go with the standard size of the condensed milk and the little size of the frozen limeade and you'll be fine.

Some of you have been asking about Ellie's boyfriends...
Aren't they handsome?!





Nicholas (age 2)


Joshua (age 1)

This afternoon while Ellie and I were out, we met a woman working in a stationery shop. Ellie was smiling away, and the woman was playing with her. She told me that watching Ellie made her miss her own daughter. Her daughter is back in the Philippines. She's 18 months old. The woman told me she's been working here for the past 16 months.
We meet so many people from underdeveloped countries who have left their families to come work here. So many parents who have left their children behind so they can earn better and provide more for them, even though it means being apart.
We are truly blessed and lucky.

For serious Ellie lovers only...
Today, Ellie decided she was going to feed herself. By the time she was finished, there was rice cereal all over her clothes, my clothes, her legs and arms, my legs and arms, the floor...but see how meticulously she managed the spoon! While working, she sang a little song--her "I'm doing it myself" song.

Ellie is 11 months old today...just one month away from her first birthday! She's getting to be "SO BIG" (or "so gross!" as Markus says in German)...

Apologies for the lack of postings (and emails) from our end of late! Being back in Dohot has meant that there isn't a whole heckuva lot going on. We get up, Markus goes to work, Ellie and I have breakfast and play before heading out to anywhere (to preemptively avoid cabin fever). Most days, we meet up with other babies and mommies and have a play. Then, it's home again for nap time. Up again for a snack and a play before heading to the club and meeting up with Markus. Splashing about in the swimming pools, maybe meeting some new friends there. Then it's home again for dinner, bath and bedtime for Ellie. Markus and I usually watch a DVD to round out the evening, because by then, we are both fried from our days and the utter lack of variety here. Somewhere in the middle, there's a lot of cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping and errand running.
Nothing particularly thrilling for the daily blog, thus the lack.

Another factor has been a growing source of frustration on Jennifer's part at being so far away from the States right now. Markus has generously offered to send us back there to sort more things out, but it would be at too great a cost to his time with Ellie (and me!) and also too unfair to Ellie, who has just settled into a routine here. We really are having great times together as a little family again! I will post more pictures soon!
For those of you who wonder and ask how things are going on the estate, read on. For those who would rather not know, skip on to the end. There's more news to come...

While it's WONDERFUL being together again, it's VERY frustrating knowing that remaining estate things are ticking along in a negative way back in the States. The estate sales guy didn't finish clearing things out until after I left (despite weeks of me trying to get him to come earlier), and apparently he left mountains of trash and filth in his wake (I understood he'd make the trash be gone as part of the job). He promised to completely empty the house, but apparently, he didn't do that either. So for well over a week, the yard was filled to capacity with CRAP so mountainous that random strangers felt safe leaving their crap their too. A toilet appeared in the front yard. Interesting. Finally, the city came to remove the mountain, but left small bits of trash, scrap metal and broken glass in the yard...which our wonderful family friend Mary has been dutifully removing bit by bit. The front yard is being mowed by a neighbor, but the side yard and back yard have gone completely wild and are now snake havens. And finally, to round out my gripe, the contractor who I finally got on board the last day I was there hasn't been able to get started because it has rained EVERY SINGLE DAY since his agreed start date. Gulf Coast summers always involve rain (usualy for an hour or so each afternoon), but the real joy here is that it actually wasn't raining much at all while I was there trying and trying and trying to get things moving. Now that they are fully set to move, it's pouring down rain and it's a no go. ARGH!
By deciding to keep my Dad's house and repair it, I was trying to reclaim a bit of something that was very important to him and preserve our good memories there. I felt the least I could do was fix his house. Even if we don't keep it in the long run, I couldn't stand the idea of it falling into ruin after he left us. And now IT HAS FALLEN INTO RUIN! It is clear to anyone with eyes that the house is abandoned (BAD NEWS) and insurance won't cover us for theft or vandalism if the house is vacated for more than 30 days (that's us!). If only the rain would let up so the contractor could get started... At least that's progress! Right now, all we have is hurt and worry. Oy.

In other news, it seems our Dohot days are numbered! The word has been passed down through the mighty bureaucracy that is Markus's employer that we are set to move to The Hague! They are expecting us there on the first of October! We are very very happy! When we first gave them the personal reasons for moving away from Doha, we felt those would be the best bet for helping us leave. Over time, however, those have really become THE reasons. Life in Doha, though remote and unvaried, is what you make of it. No, there's NOTHING to do, but people are generally very friendly and it's easy to find someone to chat with. Most other young moms stay at home with young kids, so it's easy for Ellie and Jennifer to find play partners. We could ride out the time here if we had to. But this year has been a doozy, to put it mildly. Starting with Katrina, it has been a year of strain and loss on so many levels, that it just seems wrong to be this far from our families right now. We're happy that the company is being understanding in that department and that they are moving us so soon. Once we get settled, we will be very happy to have visitors!

Recently, we were attempting to plan a weekend jaunt to Dubai. While reading the Lonely Planet guide, Jennifer came across this passage about the large business class in the population:
"Housewives left with little to do at home spend much of thier time with other women in similar circumstances. It's fair to say these women keep the cosmetics and spa industries alive and the coffee shops ticking over during the day."
My gut reaction is HOW SHALLOW AN EXISTENCE, but then I realized that I met with another mom at Starbucks that morning and that afternoon, we went to the Four Seasons spa (that's our club). Yes, we went there for the pool, but still...it hit a bit too close to home! Time to run away!

Welcome back to Doha! Coming back here to a compound without facilities has meant returning to our club: The Four Seasons Doha. What an experience, walking into the club after three months and being greeted enthusiastically... "Welcome back, Mrs. Klingbeil!" I change my clothes and start using the elliptical machine in the gym, only to be approached moments later by an attendant..."Cold towel, Miss Jennifer?" (the cold towel is lemon scented, of course). The soap in the showers is L'Occitane's lemon verbena. And I won't even get started on the facilities. The multiple outdoor pools are COOLED as to be refreshing in the 100+ degree heat. Whoa.

GERMANY PICTURES!
If at first you don't succeed, try try again...

For those of you who have been wondering why there aren't any photos from Germany posted to the blog, I tell ya I HAVE TRIED! Numerous times! I have tried on three separate days and on two separate computers. I have tried adding them to the Germany posting. I have tried putting them in a new post. NO DICE! I have no idea what is going on.
But there are photos, and I wish I could share them.
Oy.

Greetings from Do-hot! Yes, my friends, we are back in Qatar, where the current temperature (according to weather.com) is 37 degrees Celsius...with a "feels like 52 degrees Celsius" in smaller print. For you Fahrenheit folks, that's HOT. That's 99 degrees, feels like 125. Ouch. Even stepping out of the airport last night at 11pm was an experience. Have you ever been in a sauna? I used to think I knew about outdoor saunas after having lived in the South, but I tell ya, New Orleans and Mississippi are not like this. How bizarre to walk out into thick hot air at 11pm! But enough about that. That will just be a fact of life here until we leave, and that's that! At least we have air conditioning (praise the Lord!!!!).

We arrived last night without incident after spending five nights in Germany visiting Markus's mother and sister. Ellie finally got to meet her Oma and Tante Ulla! Hooray! Much of the days were lost to jet lag (from which Jennifer and Ellie are still suffering), but it was wonderful to see them and we had a very nice visit, despite the fact that it was also record heat in Germany (35.6 degrees...preparing us for our return?). One big advantage over Germany that we have here in Doha is AIR CONDITIONING (praise ye who invented that lovely contraption)! Europe doesn't traditionally have the kind of heat they are experiencing now, so very few places (or homes) have A/C. That made some logistics of our visit (and sleeping at night) a bit challenging. We wanted to get out and about more, but the heat posed a few restrictions we hadn't anticipated.
The first day was our best, with a visit to a 11th century monastery and its surrounding gardens and lake. The gardens were very impressive...hundreds of varieties of plants, beautifully cultivated and also available in a public greenhouse for purchase. However, my favorite part was the traditional kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake) on the terrace of the restaurant. Keep your German efficiency, forget BMWs...the best German invention I know is kaffee und kuchen. Any excuse to eat yummy cake on a daily basis sounds good to me! (and again somehow Jennifer's blogging devolves into drooling over food...)
Later in the week, Ulla came with us on a visit to Bonn's German History Museum (fairly interesting and well laid-out, but I HIGHLY recommend you be fluent in German if you want to grasp more than a fraction of it). We dined one night in a fun, Gaudi-inspired restaurant high in the vineyards near Ahrweiler. The vineyards there are all on the steep hillsides lining the Rhein valley, so it was a beautiful view and particularly nice given that I've been at sea-level or below for quite a while now. All in all, it was one of the nicest visits I've experienced there, despite the temperature. Those were the first real days of downtime we've had as a family in ages, and I really enjoyed them. Thank you, Rita and Ulla, for making everything so easy and relaxing for us!

Now it's time to get going again. I think the blogging-devolving-into-foodie-drooling means it must be lunchtime.

Will wonders never cease?
The contractor met with us this morning!
Our last day in Ocean Springs.
After weeks of trying to track him down.
And voila...there he was, with an estimate and a start date in two weeks' time!
Amazing.

It's got to be some sort of twisted tribute to how much STUFF my Dad had that the estate sales man was at the house all day yesterday until midnight, and one can hardly see the dent he made in clearing it out. He had been there before to make a size and time estimate. He's a licensed and bonded professional with years of experience in estate sales, so I thought he would know what he's doing...but I'm amazed he showed up yesterday with only his son and his daughter-in-law thinking they'd be done in one day. Are you KIDDING ME?

Well, folks, we're back! Markus, Ellie and I flew to New Orleans last night (after significant delays...thank you, United!), and then we just pressed on to Ocean Springs. Today, the estate sales man is supposed to come (keep your fingers crossed!) and we will attempt once more to process Dad's taxes. After that remains the meeting with our ever-elusive contractor. We'll keep you posted on how it all goes!

Just a brief update before I dash off to bed.
Thursday was a very hard day, but Arlington provided a beautiful ceremony. I can't imagine going through such a ceremony as a spouse. As a child, it was hard enough. The service was very patriotic and incredibly moving. The 21 gun salute. Taps. The respect and dignity. Beautiful.



Friday, we tried to recoup a bit. We went to visit Great Grandpa Joe and then took a walk around Burke Lake. At dinnertime, Ellie tried some corn on the cob...yummy summer treat!



Friday night sent us back to the emergency room at 2am because Ellie woke up screaming and rubbing her ear vigorously...only to have her finally pass some very stubborn gas upon arrival. Sigh. At least we learned her ears are getting better.

Today, we managed to have a wonderful day! Markus, Ellie and I took the opportunity of some unseasonably gorgeous weather to go to Mount Vernon for playtime. We strolled the grounds and visited the cows. Ellie, of course, had to sample the grass, as well as various pebbles in the gardens.

Later, we met the Mimi in Old Town Alexandria for dinner and walkies. Such amazing weather! Clear skies, warm but not hot...are we really supposed to go back to Doha?

Sorry to have been so out of touch, but we are on vacation! At least, theoretically. Ellie and I arrived in Northern Virginia last Wednesday afternoon. We've been visiting with the Mimi and having a grand ol' time...during the day. Ellie has almost completely abandoned all attempts to nap or sleep at night. This has led to a great deal of exhaustion on everyone's part and thus no time or energy for blogging.

Our wonderful friend Lee came for a visit this weekend, and we were so happy to see her! We went shopping and talking and eating and generally had a delightful, girly visit! She and Ellie met and fed some Canadian geese at Burke Lake (see photo op). Thank you for coming to see us, Lee!



On top of the lack of sleep, we could tell by Sunday that Miss Ellie wasn't quite herself. Then, the tell-tale ear rubbing started again in earnest. A Sunday afternoon trip to the emergency room confirmed that her ear infection was back with a vengeance in both ears AND she has a minor throat infection too. FUN! Back on antibiotics and baby Tylenol. Sigh. She's happy again, though, so we will take it!

Yesterday was the most wonderful day! PAPA ARRIVED! After weeks apart, our little family is reunited! Markus arrived without any troubles yesterday evening. Jennifer couldn't be happier, and Ellie is certainly thrilled...and distrustful of him going out of sight for long. She wants him to hold her all the time and she's been showing off all of her new skills. Today at the National Air and Space Museum, she showed him how fun it was to help her push the stroller in circles around and around and around and around... So happy!

Tonight, we are off to meet a dear friend, Meghan, for dinner. Hooray!

Tomorrow is Dad's inurnment at Arlington. We are expecting to see lots of family at the service, which will be very special. Dad's service will include full military honors, and we are sure it will be a very beautiful ceremony.

Had to share this find, because it is PURE JOY!!

Salam - greetings from Doha! It is Friday, which is actually the equivalent of Sunday in Qatar. In any case it is weekend time! Not a lot to do other than watch the mercury boil. The Shamal wind (i.e. north wind) has arrived to distribute the heat evenly ;).

Today I ventured to the northern tip of the peninsula to see what's on offer there. Not a whole lot. One fort, lots more sand and desert, warm water, the odd villiage and camels on the run.

Next week will be a joyous and sad time; I will be with my angels again but we will also have Barry's internment service at Arlington. The time for closure has come.

Ellie had a check-up with her pediatrician in New Orleans yesterday (all's well!), so we just spent the night at a friend's house and flew out to Virginia this morning. All in all, in New Orleans less than 24 hours, but had a happy New Orleans moment just the same. This morning, we woke up early, so Ellie and I headed to the Bluebird Cafe for breakfast. Two gentlemen in their 60s(?) were arriving at the same time we were. One of them, wearing large square sunglasses and a straw cowboy hat stood pondering the new parking meter until I showed him how it worked. Once inside the cafe, they took seats at the counter and Ellie and I claimed a table. Halfway trough breakfast, my waitress came over to my table, clearly trying to suppress a giggle, and said, "One of the gentlemen at the counter would like to buy your milk."
Tee-hee!
I love New Orleans.

The time we've been waiting for is just around the corner! This week, Ellie and Jennifer will head to Virginia for some family and friends time before Dad's interment on the 6th...and Markus will join us there on the 4th of July! Woo-hoo! Reuniting our little family! Hooray! It has been a long, hard journey here, but we see the light at the end of the tunnel, the rainbow after the storm...yippee! Of course, not everything is done (or even close) on the estate end, which is why we'll be back for another week mid-July. Hopefully, by then most things will be ready to manage by mail or by phone. We hope.

Hm...looks like a clothes pin.


Tastes like a clothes pin.


I LOVE clothes pins!

Are you familiar with the song, "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?" We used to be, but after having been there three times in the past seven days, we practically feel like residents again. Today, we made an unexpected trek back to the "city beneath the sea" because Miss Ellie needed to see her pediatrician. She has had three upper teeth stalled out mid-teething for weeks now, so when she started getting symptoms like needy-grumpiness (she's normally happy always), stuffy nose and a cough (based on post-nasal drip), I thought those teeth might finally be coming through! On Saturday, she started refusing food. Although she is still happily nursing (and more often than before to make up for lack of baby food), it was noticeable that she still wasn't interested in eating several days later. I called the pediatrician's office this morning, and they found an appointment for us this afternoon. Of course, when we arrived, Ellie was in great spirits. She made friends with everyone in the waiting room and had completely charmed all of the office staff before we saw Dr. Oates. The happy little clam almost had us fooled that she was completely well until Dr. Oates checked her ears. Whew...what an ear infection! It's a good thing we made the trek today, because we'll be flying to Virginia in a week to see the Mimi and our friends there, and this gives us a full week of antibiotic first. Dr. Oates did notice that Ellie's gums are "very full" (her words), so we suspect those tricky teeth had something to do with this. Ellie doesn't seem to mind at all. If anything, she seems relieved that her mama finally figured this out. She was happy all day and even ate a jar of baby food this afternoon.
Look at this face! How could I not be completely crazy about this little girl?



In other news, this morning I finally was able to mail the insurance checks to the mortgage company. It is now out of my hands, at least for the moment. I don't usually write about handling my dad's estate in this blog, but this is seriously newsworthy! For the few of you who know the extent of this estate management debacle, this is INCREDIBLE, FABULOUS news. For those of you who don't, just trust me on this and realize that today was a VERY good day for me! I even managed to have a chat with my very-busy-and-thus-elusive contractor. Let's just hope another road block doesn't come up. This has been an incredibly arduous process, and many road blocks have popped up where I've least expected them. Keep your fingers crossed that we are past that now. I would love to see this beast work out!

Until today, Ellie was only ticklish when she got belly kisses just under her ribcage...but this afternoon, tickling fingers brought some priceless laughter! After the first 30 seconds, Mama goes for some belly kisses anyway (thought the video was stopped!) and then Ellie grabbed a handful of hair, so please excuse...it looks rather silly! We're after the laughter here, people!

Happy Father's Day!

Markus with Ellie



me with my dad

This week, we finally gave ourselves some time off of the estate management nightmare and spent time in New Orleans. Good food, great friends...what a gift! It was wonderful to see our friends Tasha and Elio. Ellie and I had a deliciously good time. Mary even snuck in a pedicure at Belladonna's! Ooooo...the decadence!
We had to share pictures from our fun day.

I'm at it again. gail, I don't know that I should have been introduced to chockylit's blog. I made her chocolate cupcakes from the Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache recipe, only I skipped the filling and used vanilla buttercream frosting instead. Oh. My.
These things are DANGEROUS! Look at this recipe, people!

Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

5.4 ounces dark chocolate or 3/4 of a 200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
22 tablespoons butter
1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
4-1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Melt chocolate and butter over a water bath.
2. Add sugar and stir, let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
3. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
4. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
5. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
6. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


The first two ingredients should be enough of a warning. Count 'em... TWENTY-TWO TABLESPOONS OF BUTTER! These things are SINFUL!! A single bite will send any good Catholic to confession, mark my words! Especially if you use good chocolate (I used Lindt's 85% cacao). I highly recommend using the mini muffin pan for these. Somehow it makes you feel less guilty when you find yourself on the second (or third) cupcake of the afternoon...

By the way, in case you must, the vanilla buttercream recipe (also lifted from chockylit's recipes) is:

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl
2. add 2.5 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, beat until combined
3. add more powdered sugar until you get to the consistency you want (not too stiff so that its hard to pipe)

NOSE BITE!

Last night, we went for dinner at The Shed. For the uninitiated, The Shed is literally that. It's a great BBQ place that's pretty much made from scrap materials located in a campground on the bayou, right off of the interstate. The devotees call themselves "Shedheds" (spelled incorrectly since we are, after all, in Mississippi). The bathrooms don't have stalls; instead, there are shower curtains strung up to divide the toilets. All the picnic tables outside show various stages of weather wear. None of the tables inside match. People write on the walls and tack up dollar bills and their old license plates. The place is crazy. And I LOVE IT THERE!
Saturday nights mean live music at The Shed. When we pulled up, the place was packed and there was a bluegrass band on the stage out back. Everyone was eating barbeque, drinking beer or iced tea, and having a grand ol' time. I waved hello to Brad (one of the owners), sipped my tea, chatted with my dinner companions and cheered on the band (playing "Dueling Banjos" or singing "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow") while Ellie squashed a piece of Texas toast into oblivion.
This is how I survive Mississippi. It's wonderful snapshot moments like that. I just can't have them anyplace else.

We realize that Easter has come and gone, but we missed it in Doha and couldn't resist...

Mimi is visiting this weekend! HOORAY! We love the Mimi!