Blogging Through the Seasons

Our first date? The La Sierra University Candlelight Christmas Concert. Fourth date – I made Krista dinner for the first time. I was on Christmas break during the middle of my third year at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, allowing me plenty of time to work...

In the 1940s, I grew up in South Africa as a child of missionary parents. Christmas came in early summer. People in the greater Cape Town area often spent a good part of the day on the beach, picnicking, swimming, and surfing—in general enjoying the break from a...

According to a popular song by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, “Love and marriage… Go together like a horse and carriage.” Similarly, Norman Bunoan’s fried lumpia (from Day 8 of this blog) and pancit bihon are usually eaten together. One supplements the other....

Laise, that’s what comes to mind when I think about Christmas comfort food. There were seven, and sometimes 10, of us kids at my grandparents’ house while our parents worked all day. Most of the time Grandpa made laise (sweet rice), keke vai (Tongan pancake) and ma...

‘Tis the season to be watching Christmas movies by the dozen! There are so many silly versions of what usually turns out to be basically the same story: someone needs an attitude adjustment and gets one by learning the true meaning of Christmas. Typically this is a...

This is a dish I learned to make while living in Italy: spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, and chili pepper. It is always nourishing, always available, and I’ve learned something new from it each time – the parable of pastas. This is a blue Christmas for me – the...