Monthly Archives: December 2009

Try my hands at baking

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Qin Tang

During the time I grew up in China, we didn’t have or eat desserts such as cakes, cookies or ice cream. So I have never developed a sweet tooth. As the result, I don’t have any passion and skill for … Continue reading →

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A chance to learn about the Woodbury community

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Qin Tang

In today’s Woodbury Bulletin there is an article about the Woodbury Citizens’ Academy, a 10-week program offered by the Woodbury Community Foundation. The purpose of the program is to introduce residents to local government and organizations. It will begin on February … Continue reading →

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Accept and respect differences

Posted on December 28, 2009 by Qin Tang

Today I continued working on what I started yesterday. I spent more time on scanning photos into my computer to get them organized for storage, preservation and easy access. I know some people might think that I am wasting my … Continue reading →

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“Thousands gather to protest global warming”

Posted on December 27, 2009 by Qin Tang

A friend forwarded this picture to me to wish a Merry and white Christmas. Isn’t it a cool picture?  

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Getting photos scanned and organized

Posted on December 27, 2009 by Qin Tang

Today I took several hours in the afternoon and evening to do something I have always wanted to do, that is to scan some non digitally born photos into computer for storage, preservation and easy access. Getting the photos organized … Continue reading →

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Food, food and more food

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Qin Tang

Today and yesterday my family went to two friends’ homes for parties. There are quite a lot of Chinese living in Woodbury. Many work at 3M or other companies in Twin Cities. Just in my division or neighborhood, there are … Continue reading →

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Christmas treasure hunt

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Qin Tang

Last night I hardly got any sleep. I worked through the night on Christmas eve and didn’t go to bed till 5:30 am on Christmas morning. I was busy preparing for the Christmas treasure hunt my kids asked for which … Continue reading →

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Christmas Eve – a snowy day

Posted on December 24, 2009 by Qin Tang

Today we didn’t get as much snow as forecasted and expected, still we got enough snow to shovel into a huge pile. My kids had fun with snowball fights in the front driveway and slides in the sloped backyard. Everywhere I … Continue reading →

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Seven gifts worth giving

Posted on December 23, 2009 by Qin Tang

While doing crafts for Christmas presents with my kids after dinner, I turned on the radio to hear some Christmas music. My radio station is set on KTIS all the time. It was Chuck Swindoll of Insight for Living delivering his … Continue reading →

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Santa’s coming to office

Posted on December 22, 2009 by Qin Tang

I have a new office manager named Linda. With a new manager come some new ideas.  One of the ideas from Linda was to play Secret Santa to celebrate Christmas and the holiday season in the office. The whole purpose … Continue reading →

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Christmas Blessings, a wonderful Christmas gift

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Qin Tang

A few days ago I got out one of the poetry books I checked out from the library for my daughter and started reading it myself. Since Christmas is in the air, it felt fitting to read Christmas Blessings by … Continue reading →

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Spirit of Life Bible Church celebrates Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2009 by Qin Tang

This past week Spirit of Life Bible Church had Children’s Christmas program on Sunday, December 13 and a Christmas dinner on Friday, December 18. The Church was started by fifteen adults in September 2001. After five years the congregation outgrew … Continue reading →

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Be wary of household chemicals

Posted on December 19, 2009 by Qin Tang

I want to share another health related article. It’s about household chemicals. We all know household chemicals can be harmful and dangerous. But exactly how bad they are is a question for debating. One thing is for sure, the more we become aware … Continue reading →

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Health Tip from Rev. George Malkmus

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Qin Tang

I would like to share two recent articles by Rev. Malkmus. What Would America’s Health Be Like if Everyone Adopted the Hallelujah Diet? What Would America’s Health Be Like If Everyone Adopted The Hallelujah Diet? (Part 2)  I have been … Continue reading →

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Life goes on despite disappointment

Posted on December 17, 2009 by Qin Tang

My friend Xia in California told me today that her son Hans was not accepted by Stanford as an early action applicant. I was surprised and felt sorry for Hans. In my mind he can qualify for any college in … Continue reading →

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Don’t be deceived

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Qin Tang

Don’t be deceived by what you see.  Yesterday while reading the Pioneer Press article about William Jayson and writing my blog about him, this thought came up again and again. I also kept thinking about a book I read several … Continue reading →

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Who are your heroes?

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Qin Tang

My heroes are not celebrities like Tiger Wood who makes millions of dollars and has been in the media a lot, but someone like William Jayson, 87, a retired mechanic and farmer of Center City, Minn. who left $1.25M gift … Continue reading →

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Combined orchestra concert at LRE

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Qin Tang

The four elementary orchestras of Crestview, Liberty Ridge, Middleton and Nuevas Fronteras Spanish Immersion had a combined concert this evening at Liberty Ridge. It was a nice performance by the 1st and 2nd year orchestra students. My daughter just started learning … Continue reading →

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Life balance pyramid

Posted on December 13, 2009 by Qin Tang

We all know the food pyramid. My kids have already learned it in the grade school.  But I bet not many people have heard about the life balance pyramid. The life balance pyramid is a simple and visual guide to … Continue reading →

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A special birthday celebration

Posted on December 12, 2009 by Qin Tang

To celebrate my daughter Amy’s birthday, I did a few special things with her. I use the word special, because these are things I don’t usually do. I took her out for breakfast at a coffee shop. She said the … Continue reading →

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A special “Thanks” to benefit foodshelf

Posted on December 11, 2009 by Qin Tang

Today I received the latest issue of newsletter "In the Know" from my insurance agency "Anderson Agency." On the front page is the article "A Special ‘Thanks’ from the Anderson-Brainerd Team." What is the special thanks? Every year at this … Continue reading →

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Minnesota snow plow crews deserve praise

Posted on December 10, 2009 by Qin Tang

I stayed home in the last two days during the first snow storm of the winter season. Concerned about ice on the road, slippery road condition and bad traffic, I left home half an hour earlier today for work.  To … Continue reading →

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All I Want for Christmas – a poem challenge

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Qin Tang

The other day I gave my 9 year old daughter Amy a challenge. “Let’s each write a poem titled ‘All I Want for Christmas.’ The only requirement is you can’t ask for stuff. See who can write a better poem.” … Continue reading →

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Making blankets at Lake Middle School

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Qin Tang

Last week the 6th graders at Lake Middle School were treated to a pancake breakfast to celebrate the completion of their first trimester. Superintendent Mark Porter was present to serve the students. After the breakfast, the students made fleece blankets … Continue reading →

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A time for Expression

Posted on December 7, 2009 by Qin Tang

Once a month Beth Freschi comes to Mn/DOT where I work and offers a free relaxation session for employees who are interested. Beth teaches people how to balance their life through deep breathing, gentle stretching, muscle relaxation exercises, guided imagery, … Continue reading →

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The fruit of the Spirit

Posted on December 6, 2009 by Qin Tang

Yesterday I mentioned that the Women’s Ministry at Spirit of Life Bible Church in Woodbury completed a 10-week Bible study based on “Living beyond yourself: exploring the fruit of the spirit” by Beth Moore.� The interactive Bible study of the … Continue reading →

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Brunch at Spirit of Life Bible Church

Posted on December 5, 2009 by Qin Tang

The ladies at Spirit of Life Bible Church in Woodbury had a brunch today to celebrate the completion of the 10-week Bible study based on "Living beyond yourself: exploring the fruit of the spirit" by Beth Moore.  Deb, Dawn and … Continue reading →

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Swine flu vaccine? No, thanks

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Qin Tang

During the Thanksgiving gatherings with friends, one of the frequently asked questions was about H1N1 vaccination.  My response was: "No. I don’t take H1N1 vaccine or regular flu vaccine."  Let me inject a disclaimer here. I am not a physician … Continue reading →

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Band concert at Lake Middle School

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Qin Tang

Today I went to my son’s 6th grade band concert at Lake Middle School. Over 150 6th graders participated in the performance in three groups, one for the first year band students, and two for the second year band students. … Continue reading →

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Feeling safe in Woodbury

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Qin Tang

I have always felt safe in my home, in my neighborhood, in Woodbury, and in the United States in general. When I am at home, I don’t worry about burglaries. When I am out shopping, I don’t worry about robberies … Continue reading →

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Are we in Minnesota?

Posted on December 1, 2009 by Qin Tang

Weather-wise, it doesn’t feel like we are in Minnesota. We are already into December now, but it still feels like October. According to Paul Douglas, we just lived through the 2nd warmest November on record. The month of November saw … Continue reading →

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