The Barker's World http://www.thebarkersworld.com Our little corner of the web Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:54:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gifSome Rights ReservedTheBarkersWorldhttp://feedburner.google.com A Day in the Water http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/06/21/a-day-in-the-water/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/06/21/a-day-in-the-water/#comments Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:54:48 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=522 Yesterday we spent a wonderful day in the ocean. It was our first trip out where we snorkeled off of the kayaks. We launched off from Marathi Beach and paddled around the water for a little bit, doing a bit of snorkeling in a couple of spots, then paddling over to “Rabbit Island” for lunch. [...] Yesterday we spent a wonderful day in the ocean. It was our first trip out where we snorkeled off of the kayaks. We launched off from Marathi Beach and paddled around the water for a little bit, doing a bit of snorkeling in a couple of spots, then paddling over to “Rabbit Island” for lunch. After lunch, we paddled about 50 feet or so from where we ate lunch and snorkeled some more. Click on the picture below to see the photos we took; not too bad for a sub $100 underwater camera.

Kayaking and Snorkeling

I also shot a little bit of video:

In total, we spent about 4 1/2 hours in the water and really had a blast. As for snorkeling off the kayaks, it was fantastic. Getting in was so much easier than we thought it was going to be. Hopefully we’ll get to do a whole bunch more of this over the summer! Here’s to life in Crete!

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/06/21/a-day-in-the-water/feed/ 0 A Good Day http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/23/a-good-day/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/23/a-good-day/#comments Sat, 23 May 2009 17:12:15 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=519 We had a great day today hanging out at the old harbor in Chania. I had heard that the RAF Red Arrows were going to be in town flying as part of the weekend’s Battle of Crete festivities. So, I got the crew up early this morning so we could head downtown and make sure [...] We had a great day today hanging out at the old harbor in Chania. I had heard that the RAF Red Arrows were going to be in town flying as part of the weekend’s Battle of Crete festivities. So, I got the crew up early this morning so we could head downtown and make sure to find a place to park. We wandered around the harbor for about an hour before the show started, but it is always so beautiful down there – and really, even more so in the morning when it is a LOT less crowded. After the show, we wandered some of the old streets of Chania – definitely the kind of thing you picture when you think of Greece. Well, enjoy the photos!

Battle of Crete

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/23/a-good-day/feed/ 0 Seminary http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/20/seminary/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/20/seminary/#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 02:58:09 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=517 Well, I have finally started seminary. I honestly never thought I’d be doing that, but here I am. If anybody is interested in keeping up with how that goes, check out my new blog (shameless plug, yeah I know) at seekersjourney.com. Well, I have finally started seminary. I honestly never thought I’d be doing that, but here I am. If anybody is interested in keeping up with how that goes, check out my new blog (shameless plug, yeah I know) at seekersjourney.com.

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/20/seminary/feed/ 1 Putting Gavin to Bed http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/16/putting-gavin-to-bed/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/16/putting-gavin-to-bed/#comments Sat, 16 May 2009 09:46:36 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=513 Here’s a little clip of how we put Gavin to bed at night: Okay, so maybe not really… Here’s a little clip of how we put Gavin to bed at night:

Okay, so maybe not really…

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/16/putting-gavin-to-bed/feed/ 1 Athens trip – Part II http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/15/athens-trip-part-ii/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/15/athens-trip-part-ii/#comments Fri, 15 May 2009 04:23:25 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=507 Following where I left off at the first post, we finished up at the museum and headed back to the hotel to wait for Harry to arrive. Once he got in (after going through the exact same fiasco we did with the train!), we walked up the street and hopped on the metro headed towards [...] Following where I left off at the first post, we finished up at the museum and headed back to the hotel to wait for Harry to arrive. Once he got in (after going through the exact same fiasco we did with the train!), we walked up the street and hopped on the metro headed towards the Parthenon. Now, generally when people think of Greece, they either think of one of two things – the island of Santorini with it’s white washed buildings with blue roofs and doors (hopefully we’ll get there this summer) or they think of the Parthenon. After all, the Parthenon is something most, if not all of us learned a little about in school. So getting back to our adventure, it was pretty exciting to be on a metro in Athens heading down to the Parthenon!

We hopped off the metro, walked about a few hundred meters or so, and there we were… standing at the bottom of this hill looking up at something we had only read about in history class and seen in pictures. Pretty darn cool! Of course, we still had the hike up, but that’s what we were there for, right? So we paid our entrance fee and off we went. It wasn’t too big of a climb, but fortunately it was still Spring. If I had to do this in the middle of summer, I don’t think I would have been so thrilled!

From the top of the hill you get a 360 degree panoramic view of Athens – it was GORGEOUS! You also look down on Areopagus, or Mars Hill as most of us know it as. This was the site where most people believe that the Apostle Paul preached to the Athenians in Acts 17. After being up at the Parthenon, we walked down to Mars Hill. It was pretty awesome just to be standing in that place.

Athens Trip - Parthenon

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/15/athens-trip-part-ii/feed/ 0 Athens trip – Part I http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/08/athens-trip-part-i/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/08/athens-trip-part-i/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 08:02:00 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=502 A couple of weeks ago, we took a 4 day trip to the Greek mainland with our friends Harry and Kristie Hansen. On Friday morning, Ginger, the boys and I flew up to Athens and hopped on a train to take us downtown to our hotel. The lady at the ticket counter explained something about [...] A couple of weeks ago, we took a 4 day trip to the Greek mainland with our friends Harry and Kristie Hansen. On Friday morning, Ginger, the boys and I flew up to Athens and hopped on a train to take us downtown to our hotel. The lady at the ticket counter explained something about getting off at one point and transferring to another train. I wasn’t too sure of what she said (very thick accent), but we headed off to the platform anyways.

After about 8 stops, I just knew that the next stop was going to be the one we needed to get off at and transfer trains. So, the stop comes up and… we keep on going. The train doesn’t stop because the stop I wanted to get off at was currently being built. Oh well – off to the next stop! We get off at the next stop and waited for about 30 minutes for the next train to come in on the other side and hoping that was the train we needed to get on, we hopped aboard. We knew we needed to get to the “Larissa Station”, but that was about it. The train went deeper and deeper into Athens and we really had no idea if we were on the right train or not, but since none of us was interested in hopping off a moving train, we stayed on and enjoyed the ride. When the train finally stopped, we looked out at the train station and didn’t see any signs other than “Athens”. We decided it was a good time to get off and get our bearings.

We crossed the tracks and went into the train station. After looking around a little bit, I finally found a sign for Information and quickly headed in that direction. I asked the guy how to get to the Larissa Station and he gave me a strange look and said I was standing in it. Okay, so I definitely felt like the dumb tourist, but we were where we wanted to be so I got over that quickly.

Outside, we found a kiosk where I purchased a local map so we could find the hotel. Fortunately it was just a short walk away, so we were off – into the heart of Athens on foot. We found the hotel easily enough and checked in – about 2 hours after we arrived.

Since Harry wasn’t scheduled to arrive until later in the afternoon, we decided to find something close by to do in the meantime. Looking at the map the hotel gave us (too bad I just purchased one!), the closest thing of interest was the Athens National Archaelogical Museum. It was about 5 blocks away from the hotel, so off we headed, on foot again! By this time, Ginger’s feet were starting to blister already because she had worn hiking boots and they weren’t fitting so good this time. Fortunately, we found her some nice, new, bright white and shiny Puma knock-offs from a Chinese store in Athens. They were only 12 euro, so you can’t ask for too much, right? She was sure proud to wear those things for our trip, though I don’t think I’ve seen them since. Hmmm…

Oh well, back to the story. As I was saying, our first stop was a museum. It had some very cool relics – it should, though – it is Athens, right? I spent most of the time chasing Gavin around, trying to make sure he didn’t break anything (did you check out his “bored” video?), while Ginger and Tristan took the slow route and enjoyed the displays. Click the photo below to see all the photos:

Athens Trip - National Archaelogical Museum 

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/05/08/athens-trip-part-i/feed/ 1 New Photoblog http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/30/new-photoblog/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/30/new-photoblog/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:25:05 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=497 All right, so you’re probably wondering what a Photoblog is anyways. I’ve basically set up a separate site where I can post the photos I’ve taken that I like the best. I wanted to have something completely separate from this blog so that the photos could just speak for themselves. Well, that’s the idea anyways. [...] All right, so you’re probably wondering what a Photoblog is anyways. I’ve basically set up a separate site where I can post the photos I’ve taken that I like the best. I wanted to have something completely separate from this blog so that the photos could just speak for themselves. Well, that’s the idea anyways. Besides, I’m a geek and I like to play with new stuff!

For those interested in checking it out, here’s the link: www.thebarkersworld.com/photoblog. You can also get there by clicking the link titled “Matt’s Photoblog” at the top of this page.

I’ve already posted my first photo so go check it out! I’m hoping to add at least one a week (hopefully more), but we’ll see how it goes.

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/30/new-photoblog/feed/ 0 Proud Parent http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/30/proud-parent/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/30/proud-parent/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:29:04 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=491 Yep, that’s right – I couldn’t be prouder! Tristan came home today playing “Mary had a Little Lamb” on his recorder. Pretty cool, but we all learned that in school, right? What made me really proud was HOW he played it. Nothing better than listening to your son play the recorder through his nose! Yep, that’s right – I couldn’t be prouder! Tristan came home today playing “Mary had a Little Lamb” on his recorder. Pretty cool, but we all learned that in school, right? What made me really proud was HOW he played it. Nothing better than listening to your son play the recorder through his nose!

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/30/proud-parent/feed/ 0 Chili Corn Bread Salad http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/22/chili-cornbread-salad/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/22/chili-cornbread-salad/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:18:40 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=465 I’ve been looking for a way to share recipes for some time now and finally think I’ve got it figured out. So, here’s my first recipe that I think you all will love.  I have made this a few times now and it has been a hit every time. Recipe: Chili Corn Brean Salad Summary: Easy to [...] I’ve been looking for a way to share recipes for some time now and finally think I’ve got it figured out. So, here’s my first recipe that I think you all will love.  I have made this a few times now and it has been a hit every time.

Recipe: Chili Corn Brean Salad

Summary: Easy to make and extremely delicious salad. This will be a hit at any potluck!

Ingredients

  1. 1 (8 1/2 ounce) package corn muffin mix
  2. 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, undrained
  3. 1/8 teaspoon cumin
  4. 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
  5. Pinch of rubbed sage
  6. 1 cup mayonnaise
  7. 1 cup sour cream
  8. 1 envelope ranch dressing mix
  9. 2 (15 ounce each) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  10. 2 (15 1/4 ounce each) cans whole kernel corn, drained
  11. 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  12. 1 cup chopped green pepper
  13. 1 cup chopped green onions
  14. 10 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
  15. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400.
  2. Prepare corn bread batter per instructions on package.
  3. Stir in the chilies, cumin, oregano and sage.
  4. Spread into 8×8 greased baking pan.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes (or until an toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean); cool.
  6. Mix mayonnaise, sour cream and dressing mix; set aside.
  7. Crumble half the corn bread into a 13×9x2 dish.
  8. Layer with half the beans, mayonnaise mixture, corn, tomatoes, green pepper, onions, bacon, and cheese.
  9. Repeat layer.
  10. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

CulinaryTradition: USA (Southwestern)

My rating: 5.0 stars
*****

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/22/chili-cornbread-salad/feed/ 0 Beach and BBQ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/20/beach-and-bbq/ http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/20/beach-and-bbq/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:35:34 +0000 Matt http://www.thebarkersworld.com/?p=458 Can you guess what time it is here in Crete? That’s right – time to hit the beach… and then head home for a BBQ… Oh, this is going to be a beautiful summer! Can you guess what time it is here in Crete? That’s right – time to hit the beach…

Beach

and then head home for a BBQ…

BBQ

Oh, this is going to be a beautiful summer!

]]> http://www.thebarkersworld.com/posts/2009/04/20/beach-and-bbq/feed/ 0