All posts by Kathy May

Family

Our Mother’s Remembrance Service

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Every person holds dear to our hearts the memory of those we have lost. For us Vietnamese-Americans, the day of our loved one’s passing is particularly important. Every year on this day, we have a time of family fellowship, so that we can break bread in honor of our loved one. As we share a meal, we smile and share memories. It is a time of togetherness to celebrate the connection that our loved one still fosters amongst those who still set foot on earth. 

This past weekend, my brother Tom-Vinh and I remembered the best mother in the world Continue reading Our Mother’s Remembrance Service →

Adventures

Spiral Jetty

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You may or may not be familiar with this iconic earthwork… it is the spectacular Spiral Jetty! After the great American artist Robert Smithson became disenchanted with galleries which he called “mausoleums for art,” he challenged the traditional notions of contemporary art, becoming a pioneer of land art and moving his work to the great outdoors.  Spiral Jetty is arguably his most famous site-specific piece. Constructed in 1970, it’s an impressive counterclockwise coil jutting into the water of the Rozel Point Peninsula. Almost 50 years after it was constructed, we ventured to the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake in the state of Utah so that we could Continue reading Spiral Jetty →

Family

In Memory of April

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Early on Sunday, August 5, 2018, our dearest April Trần, also known as Picaroo, gladly went to heaven to join our mother, Huê Thị Trần (Mẹ), and our other beloved pup, Bucci Trần (Chi Chi). She is a very special family member, and we invite you to click here to read her memorial and view photos that celebrate her life.

Ngày Chủ Nhật, mồng 5 tháng 8 năm 2018, Trần April (Picaroo) đã lên thiên đàng với Mẹ (Trần Thị Huê) và con chó của mình, Trần Bucci (Chì Chì). April là thành viên đạc biệt của gia đình, và mình mời các bạn bấm ở đây để đọc đài kỷ niệm và xem hình ảnh của April. 

Until next time,
Kathy May and Silas

Arts & Crafts

DIY Doggie Wrap (or Baby Wrap)

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Click here to watch our DIY doggie wrap in action – featuring Mimi!

Mothers hailing from different cultures on every continent have been “wearing” babies upon their own bodies for centuries. Traditionally, baby-wearing is a convenient and pragmatic method to keep track of little ones, while continuing activities of daily life and maintaining the intimacy of mother and child.

http://9davids.blogspot.com

Nowadays in North America, baby-carrying cloths are trendy accessories that are marketed under brands like Moby Wrap, Boba Wrap, and Baby K’Tan. But why limit baby-wearing slings, wraps, and carriers to human babies? We decided to make our own wrap… for our pup Mimi! Continue reading DIY Doggie Wrap (or Baby Wrap) →

Adventures

Firsthand Beginner’s Guide to Camping

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As we embarked on outdoors excursions over the years, we’ve wondered how fun camping would be! We finally had the chance when we set out on a desert road trip across Texas to Louisiana! While camping is a simple affair for many, we had no experience with it and there was/is a learning curve! Here is what we find out on our first front-country camping adventure… Continue reading Firsthand Beginner’s Guide to Camping →

Foods

Thịt Kho Tiêu (Braised Caramelized Pork)

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Vietnamese cuisine is famous for complexity of flavor; the classic dish of thịt kho (braised caramelized meat ) is a perfect example of this concept, manifesting the balanced blend of sweet and salty… yum! There are a number of variations of thịt kho – all are absolutely delicious – with differences in cut of meat, cooking method, saltiness, amount of sauce, etc. In addition, every home cook develops her or his own style, technique, and taste preferences too! In this post we’d like to share with you one absolutely mouth-watering version of thịt kho that Continue reading Thịt Kho Tiêu (Braised Caramelized Pork) →

Adventures

Acadia National Park

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In continuation of our zeal to see as many National Park Service sites as possible (and building upon our cancellation stamp and map pins collections) combined with our efforts in getting-to-know our new Yankee home base, we made the short trek up the coast to spectacular Acadia National Park! With superlatives including the only national park in New England and the oldest one east of the Mississippi River, Acadia certainly did not disappoint and is now near the top of our list of all-time favorite National Park Service sites! The breathtakingly diverse Acadia National Park comprises magnificent  Continue reading Acadia National Park →

Arts & Crafts

Mimi’s Doggie Door

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One of Mimi’s favorite pastimes is getting a breath of fresh air on our balcony. She puts her tiny head between the posts of the balcony and enjoys the spectacular view as much as we do! Recently, however, because our balcony gets quite a few gusts at this height, we have installed a wind barrier to protect our potted garden. Unfortunately, this barrier prohibits Mimi’s 20cm-high view of our 25th-story vista. Here’s our design solution: a tiny laser-cut door to give Mimi an unobstructed view!

Mimi is a happy, peppy pup and the theme we chose was equally fun and playful. For the basics of the main design Continue reading Mimi’s Doggie Door →

Adventures

Nauset Light

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On a crisp May day, we and our good friends, Matt and Jocelyn, made a trek down to Cape Cod, or “the Cape,” as native Massachusettsans call it. In the tradition of the great American essayist Thoreau, the Cape is frequently described as an arm extending from the southeast corner of Massachusetts: 

“Cape Cod is the bared and bended arm of Massachusetts. The shoulder is at Buzzard’s Bay; the elbow at Cape Mallebarre; the wrist at Truro; and the sandy fist at Provincetown.”
-Henry David Thoreau

Our final stop was in the forearm of the Cape where, much to our surprise and delight, we came across a vaguely familiar red and white lighthouse! Do you recognize this national icon? Continue reading Nauset Light →