Back from the fry bread procurement mission

Here are the new friends walking back from the gas station where they got the fry bread. It had been Caralie's idea to invite these two over for lunch after church, and the girls cooked a delicious pasta dish again. We had a good time getting to know Ariel and Marquez - they are so much fun! It is funny how some people become friends so easily. Marquez and Ariel and another friend will come visit us in Mesa next weekend!

Nice day!

We spent some time outside on Sunday afternoon in Whiteriver, because the weather is so perfect up there right now! Not so here in Mesa - it was 105 degrees or more today! Anyway, we spent some time in the church yard of the beautiful little Catholic church that is just a short walk from Ken's apartment. Here are those kids. They love you.

Cultural Curios

This is a pickle. A dill pickle. It has kool-aid mix and salt on top. This is something quirky that our new friends from the reservation had Caralie and Johnnie try. They walked down the street to get some fry bread, and decided to get this "delicacy" while they were there. Funny, but Marquez didn't have one. Caralie and Johnnie said it was really very sour. I guess that was the whole point. Who thought of that?

New Friends

So Johnnie said that she had never seen a Native American before, which, of course could not be possible, as she lives in Arizona. She must have thought that any Native Americans she saw were hispanic, or something - anyway, it was funny. But we went to the game and there were very few of us - we stuck out like a soar thumb! Ken was busily introducing us to any and all of the students that he knew, one of which was Marquez. He was wearing marching band pants, which sort of look like snow pants. He was with a girl named Ariel. We found out that Ariel goes to the Southern Baptist Church there in Whiteriver, and Marquez has been going there with her recently so we decided to go there on Sunday. After the game we went to a ministry house called "The Kennel" where the kids hang out - met some other folks and saw Ariel and Marquez there. This is a picture of them "playing" at the game - sorry it is fuzzy - the bleechers do not stop moving as everyone is walking up and down and everywhere.

Apache Football

Caralie and Johnnie and I went to the Reservation for the weekend. It was the first time we have been to Whiteriver, where Ken spends his weeks. We showed up later than planned, and missed the half-time show, but got to see the amazing Alchesay High School Football team. They have a (big) girl on the team, and they always clean up on the other team! We also met a couple of marching band players that turned out to be friends by the end of the weekend.

Johnnie, Like one of our own

This is Johnnie Warfield. She is part of the family. We got to know her best when Caralie and I invited Johnnie and her mom, Nancy, to go to NYC with us last June (2007) to make a movie with my sister. That was a two week period that we called "film camp". We stayed in Harlem, and filmed in Central Park every day for two whole weeks. Anyway, Johnnie is a great addition to the family. She makes my piano very happy when she plays "Fur Elise" because she plays it with an amazing musicality. Tenderly, and brilliantly. I only wish that her piano teacher didn't stop teaching. Is there anyone out there that can take such a talent and bring all that out? I am hoping we can find that person! She plays all the twelve days of Christmas, as well. And now, in a minor key! More on Johnnie later. See her on my sister's blog www.anniequick.com/blog

Offspring

So, the original idea of my blog was to describe an unusual family that does not only consist of blood relatives, and our habitat, the Balcom House. Much of the interesting happenings go on during the summer, and I started blogging at the end of summer, when we were just getting off the road. Now back to my course - the family. I have described the "original two". Now, the offspring. This one is Caralie. She is about ready to fly off and start her own life. (She is a senior in high school). For now, I get a lot of great times with just her, as Ken is "bringing home the bacon" from a remote location, and Tully, our eldest, is 20 years old, and doesn't spend a whole bunch of time at home anymore, as that would be very peculiar for a man of his age. Caralie has a creative side that brings her into many realms - songwriting, painting,interior decorating, and even cooking. Caralie and Tully have been taking turns (without any begging or prompting) making meals. Caralie makes very delicious meals. Tully makes delicious meals that are so unusual. He made a sauce the other day that consisted of honey barbeque sauce and carrot juice! Don't say "yuck", because it was actually very good. More about Tully later. Caralie made dinner with her friend Johnnie. This is her friend Johnnie, setting the table.