Bunko Girls' Night Out

Don't these gals look like they know how to have fun? This picture was taken in August when we decided it was a good time to have a taco night @ Ernie & Annie's, our favorite watering hole where most of us met some 30 years ago. Since bunko happens only once a month someone came up w/the idea of meeting on a Friday night for tacos, beer & cheer. The Lehne's graciously provided the tacos for our party & we provided the happiness like we always do. These gals are the best friends anyone could ask for. We've been playing bunko since 1980 & we all look forward to it every month.

Thanks for the feedback

Thanks to everyone who checked out our yet to be perfected blog. I got several comments about the pic Terry posted of me when I was 6. Actually, it's on my 6th birthday with my cake & fancy smancy dress posed on the kitchen table (what were we thinking?). Clara said she wished the picture was in color (b/w was only available in those days of course) because the dress, albeit a hand-me-down, was blue velvet on the top w/ the skirt being a rainbow of bright colors. If you look closely, you can see the garnet ring my big brother, Ed, gave me for my birthday. Can you believe I still cherish that ring? It's 52 years old, the garnet is chipped & the sides bent but I still love it.

Manja Mania

How manja, the Italian word for "eat", became the name of our family's favorite Armenian dish, I'll never know. What I do know is, as a young girl, I watched my Dad when he'd prepare this spicy, nutritious meal in a pan. As it baked, it's wonderful aroma would fill the house & even the close outdoors. To our family, manja means lamb stew. Last week I put out an invitation to my family to come to my house to prepare manja as a family, showing the younger generation our secrets to making it the way we remember. Two of my brother's kids, Ray & Amy are interested in learning how to cook the Armenian way so they came with their children Blake & Kyla. While Kyla enjoyed playing (she's 15 months old), Blake pitched in to help & learn. My brother Grant & sister-in-law Janet came as did my sis Clara. It was wonderful having them all  around my dining table peeling & chopping potatoes, onions, eggplant, tomatoes & peppers. We all had our own pans to fill with the great vegetables that Ray & Blake brought from their wonderful garden. Clara, Grant & I all had different interpretations of the recipe (of course there isn't really a recipe, it was my Pop's own concoction) & we all remembered it differently. Guess 40 years adds & subtracts certain details. 

So here we go. I've created the blog for the Pierces. Wonder who will be interested in what a couple of old retirees do with all that spare time. Anyway, I love reading everyone else's (that's what I do in my spare time) so I thought I'd try one for myself. It's so easy, anyone can do it! It's been 2 weeks (maybe more) since I started this thing. I'm going to go ahead & post this one to see how it looks. Here goes nothin'...