Posts Tagged With: Karen Householder

Never Say Never

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Karen Householder

Knoxville to LA

One of the pitfalls of having a writer for a mother is eventually, she will write a story about you. I try to avoid this but since there are a few lessons to be learned (and my son is on a long flight to Japan), I felt the need to share.

In preparing our son for a year-long stay in Japan, we went on a shopping spree, buying everything from socks and shoes to toothpaste and deodorant. When one of the two pairs of Chinos we bought him sprung a button, I pulled out the travel size sewing kit, complete with pre-threaded needles. My husband, a FedEx pilot and seasoned traveler, suggested I teach our son how to sew the button back onto his pants. I argued the need. After all, wouldn’t his Host Mother be able to sew a button if the occasion should arise?

My husband reminded me of a time or two when his uniform pants split straight up the back and he had to walk through the hotel lobby with his underwear hanging out. I guessed a little instruction couldn’t hurt. My son was more than willing to learn and he was surprised at how easy it was for me to tie a knot in the thread, weave the needle back and forth through the four little holes on the button, then tie off the thread again—simple.

While waiting 8 hours for his departure flight at LAX, my son’s second pair of Chinos sprung a button. In a disappointing turn of events, the travel size sewing kit didn’t make it into his carry-on bag. We encouraged him to find a store, buy a kit, and then find a bathroom stall. Imagine my surprise when he called from the bathroom stall and asked me how to thread the needle. When I told him he had to stick the thread through the tiny hole at the top of the needle, he said he figured that out but was hoping I knew an easier way. I didn’t.  I’m not sure if the new button was too small or the task was too tedious, but three safety pins are holding his pants up now.

Lesson #1   Last minute packing is not a good idea.

Lesson #2   When your pants are being held up by safety pins and you’re on a 12 hour flight, it is

best to limit your beverage consumption.

Lesson #3   Never say never.

Categories: Life is an Adventure | Tags: , , , | 5 Comments

Chickens don’t have fingers

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Karen Householder

Airport Arrival

It has been a busy two weeks. I’d like to say I have been jet setting around the country promoting Magestic Dreams but that isn’t true. A sweet sixteen birthday party for my daughter, a visit from my nephews from Florida, packing my son for a year-long trip to Japan, the arrival of our foreign exchange student from China, the first day of school, and preparing for a Sayanara Party for my son which includes a visit from out-of-town family is my only excuse for not posting last week.

I must apologize for my lack of creativity this week but before you whip me with a wet noodle, let me explain a noodle. Though noodles are a staple of Chinese cooking (along with a truckload of rice), it is difficult to translate. This is what a noodle looks like in Chinese: 面条. And this is me, explaining pasta to our exchange student, Shunshun, in our first restaurant experience.

Shunshun: “What is pasta?”

Me: “Noodles.”

Shunshun: “What is noodle?”

Me: “A thin strip of pasta.”

As you can see by the above example, I lack the necessary skills to describe food choices. So, in an attempt to simplify the decision process, I suggested she try my daughter’s favorite—chicken fingers. A look of horror and confusion came across her face and it took me a few seconds to explain that chickens don’t really have fingers and we don’t really eat them. I tried to describe breaded and fried to no avail and so, we settled on a grilled chicken breast with rice pilaf and a side of mac and cheese. She devoured the breast and rice but much to my disappointment, the mac and cheese didn’t pass the test.

This morning, I made a sack lunch for my daughter and Shunshun. Prior to making the traditional peanut butter sandwich, I gave her a tiny taste. The sticky texture might have freaked her out a little bit. She walked around the kitchen with her hand over her mouth, smiling as she tried to swallow.

“Is good,” she finally said.

“You don’t have to like it,” I said laughing.

She laughed with me and replied, “No really, is good.” So, I packed her a PB&J sandwich, a handful of fruit, cheetos (my sense of humor), and trail mix, none of which she has ever tasted (except the fruit).

We knew there would be a language barrier, but we didn’t realize it would come down to words like flush, shampoo, shower, and panties. Figuring out a way to describe our everyday words can turn your brain into jello. Jello is a gelatin that jiggles and comes in flavors like orange and lime. Orange is a fruit that you peel and eat, or squeeze and drink.

Categories: Life is an Adventure | Tags: , , , | 7 Comments

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