HUMANITARIAN HIGHLIGHT

This couldn't be a proper Porter Blog without some humanitarian project, right? So I have been looking into this organization called Kiva. The guy who started it just won the Nobel Peace Prize last year and I have heard a lot of great things about it. So I thought it might be a nice way to get involved globally. Maybe we could sponsor one person together or just individually. Kiva.org allows individuals to make $25 loans to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). By doing so, we can provide affordable working capital for the poor (money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc.), empowering them to earn their way out of poverty. They pay you back through time and then you can just reinvest it another project. You can e-mail back and forth and I think it will be way to interconnect us as a world family. Anway check out the site and let me know if you are interested. $25 is just giving up one trip to DI!
http://kiva.org

Challenge #2

For the second Challenge we are going to work on our social skills ;-) Approach a stranger and pretend you are convinced you knew them from your childhood, keep the conversation going as long as possible.

Weekly Challange Extension Ignored!!

Well, at least the extra two weeks gave me time to complete my own dare. Yesterday I went to a Workman Family Picnic (Carson's Dad's fam) in bountiful. I wore my usual black tee, kind of sporty capris and a pair of pointed-toe, open-back, high-heeled shoes. It was really embarassing mostly because I couldn't walk very well in them. I think contrast of my very hairy legs and the shoes was pretty funny. I didn't wear them the whole time because I think it would have been a safety hazard for Asher. Nobody said anything about it.
So, I have decided to ask one of the lamos who didn't do the dare to make the next one. Camille....You're up.

When I'm 64

Definitely a highlight of the party a rockin' rendition of the Beatles 'When I'm 64'. Camille maybe by the time I am 64 your butt really will be that big. I'll save the pants just in case.

Moms Birthday Party

Where are the other pictures from Moms PARTY!!!

I promised Elizabeth this recipe, one of my favorite summer sadads, in March. Since she mentioned it again to Mom last night and voiced a hope that maybe she could get some for her birthday, my guilt started eating me up. Stacey has asked for this recipe as well and I'm sure anyone who likes sweet potatoes and cilantro will love this salad. Enjoy!!! I am going to start posting a recipe every week and encourage anyone else who wants to share some favorites to do so as well. Sorry I am so lame Elizabeth. Happy Early Birthday!

Caribbean Sweet Potato Salad

Prep Time: 30 MinutesCook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour Yields: 5 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 large russet potato, peeled and quartered
1 large sweet potato, peeled and quartered
1 cup corn
1 teaspoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts

DIRECTIONS:

Place the Russet potato pieces into a large saucepan, and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sweet potato, and cook about 15 minutes more. Remove a piece of each potato, and cut it in half to see if it is cooked enough. Once the potatoes are tender, add corn kernels; cook another 30 seconds. Drain through a colander. Fill the saucepan with cold water, and drop vegetables into water. Cool for 5 minutes, and drain.

In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, lime juice, cilantro, and garlic. Slowly whisk in oil. Mix in salt and black pepper.

Cut cooled potatoes into 1 inch cubes, and add to dressing along with cucumber, and red onion. Toss well. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Toss the peanuts in just before serving.

Free Boots- Pictures

Okay, here are two pair of beautiful sparkly red boots. The pictures do not capture their true sparklyness. These are one of a kind. Definitely worth a trip to Pullman. I will also throw in free room and board and some lively entertainment.

Favorite Line From the Season Finale.

Dwight: What is the ratio of Shrute bucks to Stanley Nickels?
Stanley: The same ratio as unicorns to leprechauns.

weekly phone chat

So I'm hoping we can put together a weekly girly-girl via phone/computer. We would set up a set time each week (like Sunday evening) and everyone would need to be online at that time. We could use either Skype (which everyone already has) or Yahoo! Instant messenger. If we all used computers the call would be free. (We would have to call Julia's phone though since she is still a dial-up nerd) The one catch is that everyone would have to get a microphone for their computers. Joal got a decent microphone/headset for $10 on Newegg.com and they ship fast. If you don't have a mic we could also call phones. Anyway, I thought it would be fun so let me know what time would work for everyone and we can try it next week.

Alligators are so fun!!!

I just love this picture. I wanted to share it with all of you. Sometimes I just can't help myself :)>

Mainland Bound

Hi, please get the word out that I am flying into SLC the afternoon of May 21st (Mom's birthday). I have emailed my flight information to Carrith, Althea, and Mom.
See some of you soon!
Love,
Roach
p.s. I would call someone, but I don't have a phone card.

Earth Shattering News!!! Janet and Lee Grant Get Cellular Telephones!!!!

Yes, it is true. The day we thought would never come. I am tired, so that is all I have to say about it for now. Mom's # is 580-4839 and Dad's is 558-9232. They signed on with Cingular so they could both get the new Ipod phones.

First Weekly Dare Extension Granted...

At the request of several sisters, I have decided to extend the dare deadline until next sunday at which time someone else will make the next challenge. I was thinking that I didn't have to do this dare because I came up with it, but everyone has insisted otherwise, so I guess I need more time too. So maybe we should just have a bi-weekly dare or monthly dare???? Any suggestions?

This is a full length H****r (I am being censured by the blog police) warm-up suit. I wanted to wear this to a school function, but Corey forbid me from wearing it anywhere that he would be and anywhere that anyone we knew would be. He was really wierd about it. I mean, it is the ugliest thing in the world. So I took Ansel to the Children's museum in it. I felt really uncomfortable, but I also have the luxury of being in Portland where people pretty much wear whatever they want all the time anyway. There were some other strange outfits there as well and I'm sure they weren't completing a dare. So if you want to see a more detailed view of the outfit, I now have it for sale on ebay because I found it on the H****r website for $110. So this too could be yours.

FREE: SPARKLY RED BOOTS

Okay so I took a picture. Like I said, pretty boring. What I really wanted to wear were the sparkly red high heeled boots that I found in the same storage unit. Unfortunately they are size 9. They could be yours for the small price of a trip to Pullman. It may not be the most exciting town, but hey, free sparkly red boots!

Notice I'm not talking about "The Office"

More boring than daring but at least I did it!

Well, I'd better stop this Office talk and get down to real business. Where are all the grand experiences of the daring Porter sisters? I was hoping that mine would be boring in comparison.

I went to Kadee's birthday party on Wednesday wearing a lovely old man hat rescued from an abandoned storage unit. There were several people from our ward there as well as Kadee and Trudie of course. Before I even reached the party a young college student looked at me like I was a nerd (that might have had nothing to do with the hat) so I knew I was looking good.

I discovered that the best time to gauge how people feel about how you look is the very first moment they see you. It was just kind of uncomfortable and one lady said she didn't recognize me. Of course I was just kind of uncomfortable the whole time but I guess that's how you feel when you aren't being yourself. So nothing too exciting. Maybe I'll try wearing a tank top and mini-skirt to church tomorrow. Do you think they would still let me lead the music in Sacrament Meeting?

PS. Sorry I don't have a picture of the old man hat.

SEASON FINALE PARTY

I am proposing an OFFICE SEASON FINALE PARTY!!!! So we can share this monumental time. We can have it at my house...though my TV is fun sized. OK? OK

Watch the PREVIEW!!!

7pm Thursday May 17th

Office Season Finale

So...who do you think is going to get the cooperate job in NY? Jim, Michael or Karen?...or someone else? Predictions for the season finale next week???

Dare of the Week

Okay, here is the much-anticipated first weekly challange. I think it should work like this-- When and if you complete the dare you will write about your experience. Next friday or saturday I will pick someone from those who responded to invent the next week's challange. That person will then pick the next week's inventor and so on.

Here is your mission...Wear something that is completely out of character for you (perhaps some bright red lipstick for rachael (or any of us really I guess) maybe a mesh and foam hat for camille) to a place where you will be seeing people that you know. Do not make any disclaimers to the people or try to justify your appearance in any way. Write about the way it made you feel and how others reacted to you. This is an exercise in detaching ourselves from our precious images.

This picture of Carson is an example of what a suitable outfit might be.

Good Luck

More Bird Drama

On a more serious note.

Would You Rather…
only be able to take pictures of your babies by scanning them in a computer OR have to imbibe all liquids using a thimble?

Things to consider: baby-blinding, hydrating after a long run

Ode to Spring time chilly

It is chilly this morning, as in hat and coat chilly.
Part of me wants to hide under some blankets and disappear
the other part of me wants to embrace the cold and feel it through and through.
Kind of like life.

Carrie, I will add my thanks for your efforts in getting this blog started. May we all
share many more, pictures, bird dramas and reflections on our journies through life.
Awesome pictures. You managed to get amazing ones of both Mom and Tarl, no small feat.

TRAGEDY ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND (OrnoRachael News)

One of our birds, named Ralph, died a violent death at the talons of an Accipitor 2 days ago. He was found on the side of the trail beheaded and with one wing torn off. We knew it was Ralph because of the color-bands on his legs. Ralph has a fledgling and the neighboring male, Krusty, who's nest recently failed, was feeding it. I saw the fledgling following him around, begging for food. Nice little drama, huh? We all would like to know which bird is the fledgling's biological father. (yes, birds engage in extra-pair copulations (EPCs).) Otto, another orange-crowned warbler on our plot hasn't been seen on his territory for days. We wonder if he met the same fate as Ralph. (All male birds on the plot are named after characters on The Simpsons.)

***picture is not related to any of the birds that Rachael is currently stalking.

Dumpster Diving Season

Hello all! I have been thinking about doing this forever! But that's usually as far as I get on projects these days. Thanks Carrie.
So dumpster diving season is in full swing here with WSU getting out. We are surrounded by rich college appartments and have almost completely furnished Trudie's apartment from the garbage. (We don't have room to fit one more little thing in our house, but I can't just let all those things go to the dump, right?) There's nothing like searching through garbage to make me miss all of you guys.

V of the M Is Just Thrilled with The Blog
What is that I am smelling?? Ahh, the sweet odor sisterhood. Thank you, Carrie, for baking up this batch of brasierratude. I can't wait for the first dare.

Thrasher

This is what I think....

JK He's an Angel

Im all for the Dare of the week idea.

First item of business...

We need to rename this post. Any ideas????

No rules or guidelines for this site. Post whatever you feel like writing, upload any pictures you want. You shall not be censored.

I am thinking about doing a dare or challange of the week every week. When and if you complete the dare you can post a comment and tell us about your experience. Just an idea.

I think we can make this blog into a really good way to communicate in a new way that can keep us all better informed about what is going on in one anothers' lives.

Stacey said this picture of Asher looks like a large head has been pasted on to a baby's body. I think it looks like a bobble-head Asher.

I hope to see some posts or comments from all of you soon.

Carrie