It's OK to be Sad

It's OK to be sad.  It's OK to feel lonely. It's OK to be angry.  The Lord gives no injunctions against these emotions; he only says to "sin not."

When we don't acknowledge or even deny these emotions, and instead hyper-spiritualize a situation, we hinder God from being part of the reality of who we are.  When I encounter a situation that is sad, but tell myself that those emotions are some indication that I'm in some way outside of God's will and therefore his grace -- I deny him that unique and intimate place in my heart where he wants to dwell.

I'm learning, rather, to embrace these emotions and to invite my gracious and loving God right into the middle of them.

Take, for example, this pandemic situation.  I had been doing the "stiff upper lip" and "God's in control" thing for the past 6 weeks of distance learning.  As a teacher, it seemed like my workload (which was already quite significant) tripled as I revamped my entire curriculum for two schools to be in an online format instead of face-to-face.  Finding and correcting homework on my computer takes much more time than going through a pile of papers on my desk. I have been working hard and putting in more time in order to do well by my students, all the while ignoring the condition of my heart.

This morning I woke up feeling deeply sad.  Sad that I can't be with my adult children.  Sad that I can't be with my students.  Sad that so many are experiencing anxiety and stress and don't see hope.  Sad the the few places where people can connect have become places of contention.

So, I took a few moments to just sit and be sad.  And in that place, I was aware of the still small voice that said, "Now, this is real."  In that place of honest emotions, I acknowledged the presence of an honest God.  My emotions are not a hindrance but a place of meeting.  Sometimes, they are the "truest" place because they are more raw and unfiltered than my thoughts.

Yes, God's in control.  Yes, He has good plans.  But if I only view Him as the big God out there, I'll never encounter Him as the God of the Inside.  Yes, I believe that God is the wise and wonderful master strategist, but He's also the indwelling comforter.

Teaching from Home -- An Uncertain Adventure

Thoughts of a teacher during this coronavirus season ---

Once again, I can't sleep.  Not because I'm not tired -- in fact, I'm exhausted -- but because I have so many thoughts and emotions swirling around that it will take a while to quiet myself so that I can sleep.  What's keeping me up at night?  Not the state of the world, though it is pretty dire.  Nor concerns for my family's health and welfare because we're all good.  No, it's my job.

I'm a high school language arts teacher, and I've just finished my first week of teaching online.  Two weeks ago, the governor closed schools due to the COVID-19 outbreak for what was initially two weeks and, at this point, will probably be for the rest of the school year.  With a week's notice, all of us had to re-vamp our 4th quarter curriculum to be completely online.  And therein lies some of the trouble that is causing the sleepless nights.  We are fortunate at my school that we've used a number of web-based resources and many of us have used Google Classroom to one degree or another.  Going completely online, however, has presented multiple challenges:

• Learning to use a video conferencing platform.  One school where I teach is using Google Meet, and the other Zoom.  (Forgetting how one works because I've been using the other is a real struggle.)
• Determining what parts of my curriculum can be adapted to online learning, what parts need re-creating, and what parts should be eliminated all together requires a lot of strategic thinking and creativity, taxing an already tired brain.
• Choosing from the profusion of academic internet resources is daunting.  At what point do I continue the quest to find that snazzy website that would be perfect for my class or choose to stop, knowing that what I have so far will just have to be good enough?
• Planning thoroughly so that I can give students a clear-cut, straightforward plan for the rest of the quarter; this new online learning is going to be confusing, so a good plan should help all of us.
• Trying to come up with on-line lessons and learning opportunities that consider different learning modalities and abilities, varying home technology resources,  and differing degrees of confidence and abilities with technology.
• Communicating electronically results in an overflowing email inbox.  Video conferencing has to be succinct and efficient because we're squeezing them into short snippets of time due to a new schedule. 

The challenges listed above all deal with delivering my content and facilitating a quality learning experience for my students.  What I haven't been fully realizing were the tugs on my heart and the condition of my soul as a result of this sudden change from the classroom to a computer screen.  Tonight I realized how deeply I'm missing my students and my colleagues.  

I teach, not because I think my students won't have successful lives without a strong working knowledge of correct grammar and writing practices, but because I value personal connections with students who are reaching towards adulthood.  I work hard to get to know them and to communicate value -- and a great part of my communication with them are those informal conversations during the less structured times of the day.  I look them in the eyes; I pat them on the backs; I sit down at their desks.  I do whatever I can to connect.  A number of students I consciously carry in my heart -- students who concern me because of their school, family, or mental health challenges.  Students I often worry about.  When we're in the building, I can make those short connections that continue to let them know that I'm another adult who cares.  And that's just not going to happen in a 25-minute video conference call with 20 other people.  

I'm also missing my colleagues -- the teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrative staff who make my school an amazing place to work. Most days when I come into work, I usually walk through the open areas of the building to get a pulse on the mood and activity level of the school, and I often stop and "touch bases" with some of the other adults in the building.  These are men and women whom I value and respect and with whom I genuinely enjoy spending time.  They are not only exceptional educational  professionals, but also thoughtful and compassionate adults who care deeply about our community of learners.  Our 10 minute Google Meet check ins in the morning and afternoon don't come close to being satisfying connections.

In my preparations to revise my classes and become a competent online teacher, I was aware of a somewhat unconscious motivation to prove that, as an older teacher, I could do well with all of the technology.  But I hadn't realized that an underlying sadness was adding another degree of anxiety and stress. As I was putting my head on my pillow tonight, the realization that I was indeed missing my teacher friends and students brought tears to my eyes, which in turn brought some clarity to my struggle with this whole online teaching adventure.  

So if you think of teachers during this quarantine/shelter in place season, think kindly and with compassion.  They are reluctantly staying home, putting in extra hours, shouldering the responsibility of teaching children with unfamiliar resources, and missing the familiar companionship of their learning community.  Even though many teachers will present a confident and encouraging attitude, underneath they very well could be concerned about their own abilities, their students, and the outcomes of this uncertain adventure.

Fermented Juices (aka "Homemade Hooch")

At our house, we call the homemade soda that we make using a Ginger Bug "hooch."  It's not at all alcoholic, but "Hooch" sounds more fun than "Fermented Juice using a Ginger Bug."

Below are some of my favorite combinations.  I've been making these sodas with ginger bugs for a couple of years and have found that it is as much art as it is science.  Before you read my recipes, you might want to check out some of these websites for more thorough explanations and directions:
Papa's Homemade Hooch
Wellness Mama
A Life Unprocessed


White Grape and Lavender Soda
Lavender Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lavender buds, rinsed
-- In a small saucepan, heat the water to boiling.  Lower heat and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve.  Add the lavender buds and simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Allow it to steep for 10 more minutes.  Strain out the buds using a fine, mesh strainer.  Cool the syrup to room temperature before mixing with the ginger bug.
For the soda:
-- Add the lavender simple syrup to 5 cups white grape juice and 2 cups distilled water.  Combined, your mixture should be 2 quarts.
-- Pour the juice mixture into glass or plastic bottles (See note below)
-- Add 1/2 cup of your ginger bug.
-- Cap the bottles and let sit for 1 - 3 days.  The stronger the ginger bug, the fewer days it will take to ferment.
(Note:  I like to use 2 liter pop bottles at this stage.  When the bottles become hard and cannot be squeezed, they are done.  Sometimes, I will put the fermenting soda in smaller pop bottles.  Some people like to use Grolsch-style bottles, but I don't want to risk exploding bottles. I have used glass bottles, but always put some of the mixture in a plastic bottle.  When the plastic is too hard to squeeze, the hooch is done.)



Rhubarb/Raspberry Soda
1 quart distilled water
1 quart frozen rhubarb
1 pint frozen rasberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 T. lemon juice
-- Place the above ingredients in a 2 quart pan and heat to boiling.  Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain the mixture, tossing the fruit and returning the syrup to the pan,  (At this point, I added a Raspberry & Hibiscus tea bag.)
-- When the syrup has cooled to room temperature, add 1 more quart of distilled water.
-- Pour the juice mixture into your bottle of choice.
-- Mix in 1/2 cup of your ginger bug.
-- Seal/cap the bootle(s) and wait 1 - 3 days until the plastic bottle is to too hard to squeeze.


Lemonade Soda
1 can frozen lemonade or limeade
Distilled water
-- Reconstitute the frozen lemonade according to the directions, using distilled water
-- Mix 6 cups of the reconstituted lemonade with 2 more cups of distilled water.
-- Add 1/2 cup of the ginger bug.
-- Bottle as per instructions for above recipes.


Be Creative!  You can make all kinds of simple syrups using fruits (fresh or frozen) or herbs and use them for the base of the soda.   You can also use any kind of frozen juice concentrate or bottled juice.  Since I'm looking for healthy drinks, I stay away from the "cocktail" mixtures or those with corn syrup.  One item of interest:  the sweetness of the base can be a challenging thing to get right.  Too sweet and the soda has a funky aftertaste.  Not enough sugar and it doesn't want to ferment.  So experiment.  And let me know if you come up with a winning combination.

What's a Ginger Bug?

A couple summers ago, I experimented making some ginger ale.  One recipe I found was a simple syrup with something fizzy (seltzer or mineral water) added. Other recipes used yeast (#1 and #2) The one with seltzer water seemed a little like cheating while the yeasty flavor of the others were not satisfactory.

More searching of the internet revealed what has become our favorite method for making ginger ale, which requires using a ginger bug. A ginger bug is a water/sugar/ginger mixture that becomes a natural lacto-fermented "starter."  (Lacto-fermentation is an anaerobic process during which friendly bacteria and yeast break down sugar to form lactic acid.)  The sugar and ginger attract wild yeasts and beneficial microorganisms, which in turn break down the sugar to produce carbon dioxide.  This carbon dioxide causes the fizziness in the soda.

Like commercial sodas, my fermented juices are bubbly and effervescent.  Unlike a Coke or Sprite or Dr. Pepper, they are good for me because of the fermentation and the ginger.  See some of my favorite recipes here:  Fermented Sodas (aka "Homemade Hooch").

I've not only continued making my ginger ale "hooch," but when I had loads of fresh vegetables this past summer, I fermented carrots, celery, zucchini, etc.  And, I've got a brewing station for kombucha in another corner of the kitchen.  For those who are curious ...

Health benefits of fermentation:
Fermentation preserves nutrients and breaks the down into more digestible forms.
Fermentation creates new nutrients, microbial cultures create B vitamins
Fermentation removes toxins in food
Fermented foods are rich in probiotics that promote healthy flora in the gut.
Some helpful websites:  Wellness Mama, Dr. David Williams, Cultures for Health

Health benefits of ginger:
Relieves nausea caused by illness or motion sensitivity
Reduces pain and inflammation
Inhibits rhinovirus, which can cause the common cold
Inhibits harmful bacteria
Helps prevent toxic effects of some cancer drugs

Some helpful sites: Mercola.com,  Everyday Health, and Natural Society.


Want to start your own ginger bug?  Here's how I do it:

Ginger Bug
Start with:
1 quart non-chlorinated water (chlorine will kill the yeasts and bacteria)
3 T. grated ginger root (organic if it's available)
3 T. sugar (organic if it's available)

-- Using a non-metal spoon, mix the water, sugar, and ginger in a glass quart jar.  Cover the jar with a coffee filter or breathable fabric; fasten with a rubber band.
-- Each day for the next 5 - 7 days, stir the mixture at least once and add 1 T. of grated ginger root and 1 T. of sugar.
(You can tell if the culture is active if there are bubbles forming around the top of the mixture and "fizzes" when stirred.  It will start to smell mildly yeasty.)
-- Once the ginger bug has cultured, it can be used as a starter for fermented sodas at the ratio of 1/4 cup ginger bug per quart of sweetened mixture.


Some important details to remember:
-- Never use metal.  Use glass for starting the ginger bug, and wooden or plastic spoons for stirring.
-- Never use chlorinated water.  I use distilled water.

My favorite resources from my ginger bug research:
Cultures for Health
Wellness Mama
Nourished Kitchen
Splendid Table

Summer Treat -- Coconut Ice Cream (non-dairy)

A few weeks back I made one of the best purchases at Goodwill -- a Cuisinart ice cream maker for $14.99.

Last year I tried some sorbet recipes and just put them in Ziploc bags in the freezer and set a timer for a series of 20 minute intervals for "smooshing" the bags.  The end product was OK, but I found myself longing for a real ice cream maker.  God heard the cry of my heart, and there was an ice cream maker calling my name for the shelf at the Lakeville Goodwill Center.

I've made vanilla and chocolate ice creams (recipes to follow), non-dairy coconut ice cream, and strawberry sorbet (using strawberries from my garden).  Below is the coconut ice cream recipe:





Coconut Ice Cream (Vegan)
from the Hungry Mouse website
2 (13 oz) cans of unsweetened coconut milk (not reduced fat)
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

Combine completely the sugar with one can of the coconut milk.  Add the second can and the flavorings.  Chill for at least 4 hours.  (I chilled it over night.)
Process the mixture in the ice cream maker for 15 to 25 minutes, following the directions for your particular ice cream maker.

Freeze for an hour before serving.  Store in the freezer in a covered container.

Wine Slush Recipe

For that bottle of less than perfect wine or for the heat of summer ......

Sunday Night Worship

You'll Find Me in My Garden

Some summers, I spend a lot of time reading and writing.  Lately, however, I've been taking lots of time to be outside and working with my garden.  It may be that I spend so much time sitting during the school year -- working on the computer, grading papers, reading for my classes, etc. -- that I want to do something completely different during my summer break from teaching.  Or, it may be that since I'm inside for so much of the rest of the year that I want to be outside as much as possible.  Or, I'm avoiding some of those big and little inside chores, e.g. laundry, dishes, cleaning closets, sorting through the basement storage.  Whatever the primary, secondary, or even tertiary motivations are, most days you'll find me outside in the garden.

Working in the dirt, compost, and growing stuff in my vegetable is highly satisfying.  In the spring, armed with my spade and pitchfork, I work the soil by myself, turning it over and mixing in manure, organic fertilizer, humus, and the lovely compost from one of my three bins.  Sometimes a child or two will help dig, edge, and work the soil for my gardens.  When the soil is prepped and before I put in the fences, I will stand back and look at the brown soil as if it were a blank canvas. Even though I've been pondering my arrangement of plants during the wintery, snowy months, I like to think about this dirt, full of potential yet currently without any visible growth.  In four short months, it will be brimming with nutrient dense foods not only for my family, but for neighbors and friends.

Sometimes it is good to acknowledge the blank canvas in order to more fully appreciate the finished product.

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month, and for that reason, I usually plan my syllabus so that we're discussing poetry during April.  A few students love poetry, while some really dislike it.  For the most part, however, students are fairly ambivalent towards reading poems for class.  They don't love it, but they know it won't kill them.  Honestly, I think this is the attitude for most people, students and adults alike.



Some poetry is pure fun.  Take the limerick, for example.  It's short and cute, and it doesn't require too much deep thought:

There was an old man with a beard

Who said, "it’s just how I feared!

Two owls and a hen

Four larks and a wren

Have all built their nests in my beard.

- Anonymous

There once was a lady named Sue

Who had nothing whatever to do

And who did it so badly

I thought she would gladly

Have stopped before she was through.

- Anonymous

There was a young fellow who thought

Very little, but thought it a lot.

Then at long last he knew

What he wanted to do,

But before he could start, he forgot.

- Anonymous

Some of you may be thinking to yourselves, "How can I participate in this illustrious event?"  Below are some links for anyone wanting to explore more of their own poetic natures:



Poetry Through the Ages
Poem-A-Day e-mail sign up
A Brief Guide to Poetry Slams
30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month
National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo)
The Academy of American Poets (for more information about poets and poetry than you could read this month.)

Have fun!

New on Etsy!

Boutique Part One was at our house last week. Boutique Part Two is an online fundraiser at the Etsy Shop, JasperGate. All items currently for sale at Jasper Gate are as a fundraiser for Ryan Prichard's trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand to participate in a Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth with a Mission (YWAM).

Below are some samples of what you'll find at Jasper Gate:  

Ye Olde Snack Egg Trick

A long time ago, our family acquired a two small envelopes from some gift shop on one of our family vacations.  These small, 3x5 manilla envelopes had a rather large (and intimidating) picture of a rattlesnake.  Labelled "ONE DOZEN RATTLESNAKE EGGS," across the bottom it also read "CAUTION:  Keep in a cool place to prevent hatching ..."

 A little background before I explain the intricacies of this quirky little practical joke.  Our pastor had one of these little envelopes which he kept in his desk drawer.  Once when we'd stopped in to see him, he asked if he could show me something he'd picked up on a trip out West.  He pulled out the envelope and handed it to me.  I opened it, looked inside, and proceeded to scream loud enough to bring in the church secretary.

In this envelope was a clever little device made out of a washer, a rubber band, and a piece of metal that looked like an untwisted paper clip.  The rubber band was wrapped around the washer and metal piece and then twisted in such a way that it stayed flat in the envelope; however, once you open the envelope, it unwinds and sounds disturbingly like a rattlesnake.  Your head says that a real  snake couldn't be in there, but the noise and movement cause you to think otherwise.


This afternoon, while cleaning out two of our junk drawers in the kitchen, my youngest found the two envelopes.  Very wary, she took it to her older brother, hoping he could explain what it was.  He shook the envelope and acted startled.  Her response:  top of the lungs screaming, stomping up the stairs, and slamming the bedroom door.  Who knew that she was so afraid of snakes?  I tried to calm her down, but I didn't hide my chuckling very well.  It helped when I explained my reaction to the same trick.

A number of items from the junk drawers were relegated to the garbage, but we decided to keep these.  You never know when they might come in handy.  Want some of your own?  You can buy them here or here.  Or you could make your own,  Or maybe you just want to watch some cute kids.

Graduation Party Menu

This year, we tried something new for our graduation party -- a Thai-themed meal in part because Ryan is going to Thailand next year.  Below is the Menu with links to the recipes.  Many commented on how good the sauces were, how nice it was to have fresh vegetables, how interesting and different the selection was.  I think I'm a pretty good cook, but when I come up with something really yummy, I'm as excited about my food as anyone else.  The sauces I "invented" after researching the internet for some ideas.

Ryan's Graduation Menu
* follow the links for the recipes
Thai Tacos
     Diced Chicken with pineapple/peanut sauce
     Large Romaine leaves
     Jasmine Rice
     Lentils & Quinoa with pineapple/peanut sauce
     Crushed pineapple
     Coconut
     Chopped peanuts
     Chopped green onions
     Chopped red, yellow, orange, green peppers
     Shredded carrots
     Pineapple- Ginger Sauce
     Peanut Sauce
Snack Mixes
     Scrabble (Chex Mix)
     Goldfish Mix
     Gorp
     Puppy Chow
Desserts
     Brownies
     Chocolate Chip Cookies
     Scotcheroos
     Snickerdoodles
     Mini-cheesecakes with blueberry and strawberry sauces
Beverages
     Soda
     Mineral Water
     Lemonade
     October Ale (grape juice made with ginger ale)

Snack Mixes for the Graduation

Gorp
*Is a recipe even needed for this??
Mix to your own satisfaction:
Raisins
M & M's
Peanuts

______________________________________________________________

Goldfish Party Mix

2 bags fish crackers, cheddar and Parmesan

1 #  bag oyster crackers

4 qt. popped corn

1 c. melted margarine

1 pkg dry Ranch Dressing

Mix the goldfish crackers, oyster crackers, and popped corn in a large roasting pan.  Pour melted margarine and dressing mixture over the cracker mixture and mix well.  (It helps to pour a little at a time and mix in between.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 - 15 minutes.

_______________________________________________________

Puppy Chow

9          cups Rice Chex®, Corn Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)

1          cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2       cup peanut butter

1/4       cup butter or margarine

1          teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2    cups powdered sugar 

·         Into a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside. 

·         In a 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter uncovered on High for 1 minute; stir.  Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.  Stir in vanilla. 

·         Pour mixture over the cereal, stiffing until evenly coated.  Pour into a 2-gallon resealable food storage plastic bag.

·         Add powdered sugar.  Seal bag; shake until well coated.  Spread on waxed paper to cool.  Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Sauce Recipes for the Graduation Party

Pineapple-Ginger-Peanut Sauce for Chicken & Lentils
6 cups pineapple juice
3 T. grated fresh ginger
3 T. tamari sauce
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 T. chili sauce (I used spicy thai chili sauce)
3 t. salt
3/4 cup vinegar
3/4 lime juice
1 T. dried onion
1 T. garlic
------
2 cups cold water
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 - 1 cup peanut butter.

Mix the ingredients above the line and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce liquid.  Mix the cold pineapple juice with the cornstarch.  Warm the peanut butter to soften it.  Add the pineapple juice/cornstarch mixture to the pan.  Add some of the pineapple juice to the softened peanut butter, then add back into the pan.  Heat the pan until the mixture bubbles and thickens.

Mix the sauce with meat.  Serve with lettuce leaves, rice, or noodles.

_____________________________________________________

Pineapple-Ginger Sauce
2 cups pineapple juice
1.5 T. grated fresh ginger
1 T. tamari sauce
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t. chili sauce (I used spicy thai chili sauce)
1 t. salt
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 lime juice
2 t. dried onion
2 t. garlic
------
2/3 cups cold water
3 T. cornstarch


Mix the ingredients above the line and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce liquid.  Mix the cold pineapple juice with the cornstarch. Add the pineapple juice/cornstarch mixture to the pan.  Bring the pan back to a boil and cook until it thickens.

Serve with lettuce leaves, rice, vegetables, or noodles.


_________________________________________

Thai Peanut Sauce
3 T soy sauce
1 T. ginger
1 cup peanut butter
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 T. vinegar
1 can coconut milk
1 T. lime juice
1 t. chili sauce
-------------------------
3 T. cold water
3 T. cornstarch

Mix the ingredients above the line in a pan and bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat stirring constantly so that it doesn't scorch.  Mix the cold water with the cornstarch and add to the hot peanut mixture.  Continue to head until the pan bubbles and thickens.

Desserts for Graduation Party

Italian Cream Cheese and Ricotta Cheesecake

*Gluten-free mini cheesecake version

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese  (I use my home-made ricotta cheese)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

7 tablespoons cornstarch

1 pint sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fill muffin tins with parchment paper muffin liners.
2. Mix the cream cheese and ricotta cheese together in a mixing bowl until well combined. Mix until light and smooth.  Stir in the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, and cornstarch. Add the sour cream last and stir. Pour about 1/3 cup in each compartment.  The cups can be full.
3. Bake in the preheated oven 40 minutes.  Turn the oven off and let it sit for 10 more minutes.

Berry Sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen berries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
--------------------
2 tablespoons conrstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Mix the ingredients above the line in a pan and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer until the fruit softens.  Add the cornstarch/water mixture and cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens.

Tis the Season for Graduation Parties!

A friend who grew up in New York, said that she didn't realize that graduation parties were such a "big deal" here in the Midwest.  When I was growing up in Iowa, we had simple cake, mints, dollar bun sandwiches, and potato salad receptions.  Everyone had their little parties right after the graduation ceremony and people made the rounds.  Graduates rarely attended the parties of their classmates because they were playing hosts for their own parties.

I don't know what the rest of Minnesota, or even Northfield, does, but the Prichard family has had fairly large parties.  Our oldest children homeschooled, and the party was an opportunity to celebrate their achievements. Family, church friends, other homeschoolers, and friends in the community filled our yard and our house.  

In all honesty, I love throwing parties.  I like getting the house cleaned and set up; I like planning and executing an interesting menu; I like decorating; and, most importantly, I love having people in my home.  The more the merrier!!   We've had a variety of menus, color themes, and decorations.  For one, we made, individual, layered green, orange, and yellow jello to match the plates, bowls, and napkins.  For another, we had a full table of unusual appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts.  One daughter worked at a daycare, so we rented an inflatable castle for the day.  

This year's party was just as fun, and the menu was just as tasty!  We thought it might rain; in fact, the weather report forecasted rain showers for the very hours of our party.  We set up a couple of canopies, complete with rows of Christmas lights, but the rain held off until the middle of the night.  Our driveway, garage, yard, and kitchen were buzzing with conversations and laughter.  I loved it.

One of my favorite parts of our graduation celebration is the poster board that I make for my graduating senior.  A wonderful trip down memory lane, I sort through envelopes and shoeboxes of photos looking for representative snapshots of my child's life.  Often, the whole family gathers around the kitchen table, sharing the fun stories behind the pictures.  This year, we also displayed some of my son's art work.

The menu was so good that I've had a number of requests for the recipes.  I'll post the menu and the recipes in the next post.

Tis the Season for Graduations!

It the end of the school year, and for some it's the end of a high school career.  I remember my high school graduation -- I was excited and apprehensive at the same time.  My high school days were, in a sense, my "glory days."  I was a cheerleader and involved in all kinds of extra-curricular organizations; I had lots of friends, good grades, and a bright future at a good college.  Little did I know how quickly the "glory" of teenage days fades.  It's a good thing because I'd hate to think that those years were the best it gets.





This year my son graduated, and it was a particularly significant one.  Of all my children, he is the first to graduate from a public school.  My other five graduated from our home school.  My son's school career has been a bit varied.  He homeschooled for grades K, 1, 6, 7, and 8.  For the other grades, he attended two different charter schools, Prairie Creek Community School and Arcadia Charter School (previously ARTech).  Arcadia has a thoughtful graduation ceremony.  For each student. a staff person gives a short tribute, pointing out unique traits and characteristics.  A wonderful quality of this school is how well they know and relate to their students.  The graduation is always touching and heartfelt.  Having Ryan there was a good choice.  We're grateful for Arcadia!

"A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin

My Writing 2 classes have read this story for the past three years.  And every year, I have been solitary in my personal  interpretation of the story.  My students have always seemed  to read it from a different perspective.  The primary question seems to center on whether or not Mrs. Sommers deserved her little splurging or was overly careless.  Read it for yourselves, and let me know what you think.  (taken from the Electronic Text Library, University of Virginia.)

"A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin
Little Mrs Sommers one day found herself the unexpected possessor of fifteen dollars.  It seemed to her a very large amount of money, and the way in which it stuffed and bulged her worn old porte-monnaie gave her a feeling of importance such as she had not enjoyed for years.

The question of investment was one that occupied her greatly.  For a day or two she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation.  She did not wish to act hastily, to do anything she might afterward regret.  But it was during the still hours of the night when she lay awake revolving plans in her mind that she seemed to see her way clearly toward a proper and judicious use of the money.

A dollar or two should be added to the price usually paid for Janie's shoes, which would insure their lasting an appreciable time longer than they usually did.  She would buy so and so many yards of percale for new shirt waists for the boys and Janie and Mag.  She had intended to make the old ones do by skilful patching.  Mag should have another gown.  She had seen some beautiful patterns, veritable bargains in the shop windows.  And still there would be left enough for new stockings – two pairs apiece – and what darning that would save for a while!  She would get caps for the boys and sailor-hats for the girls.  The vision of her little brood looking fresh and dainty and new for once in their lives excited her and made her restless and wakeful with anticipation.

The neighbors sometimes talked of certain ‘better days’ that little Mrs Sommers had known before she had ever thought of being Mrs Sommers.  She herself indulged in no such morbid retrospection.  She had no time – no second of time to devote to the past.  The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty.  A vision of the future like some dim, gaunt monster sometimes appalled her, but luckily to-morrow never comes.

Mrs Sommers was one who knew the value of bargains; who could stand for hours making her way inch by inch toward the desired object that was selling below cost.  She could elbow her way if need be; she had learned to clutch a piece of goods and hold it and stick to it with persistence and determination till her turn came to be served, no matter when it came.

But that day she was a little faint and tired.  She had swallowed a light luncheon – no! when she came to think of it, between getting the children fed and the place righted, and preparing herself for the shopping bout, she had actually forgotten to eat any luncheon at all!

She sat herself upon a revolving stool before a counter that was comparatively deserted, trying to gather strength and courage to charge through an eager multitude that was besieging breastworks of shirting and figured lawn.  An all-gone limp feeling had come over her and she rested her hand aimlessly upon the counter.  She wore no gloves.  By degrees she grew aware that her hand had encountered something very soothing, very pleasant to touch.  She looked down to see that her hand lay upon a pile of silk stockings.  A placard near by announced that they had been reduced in price from two dollars and fifty cents to one dollar and ninety-eight cents; and a young girl who stood behind the counter asked her if she wished to examine their line of silk hosiery.  She smiled, just as if she had been asked to inspect a tiara of diamonds with the ultimate view of purchasing it.  But she went on feeling the soft, sheeny luxurious things – with both hands now, holding them up to see them glisten, and to feel them glide serpent-like through her fingers.

Two hectic blotches came suddenly into her pale cheeks.  She looked up at the girl.

“Do you think there are any eights-and-a-half among these?”

There were any number of eights-and-a-half.  In fact, there were more of that size than any other.  Here was a light-blue pair; there were some lavender, some all black and various shades of tan and gray.  Mrs Sommers selected a black pair and looked at them very long and closely.  She pretended to be examining their texture, which the clerk assured her was excellent.

“A dollar and ninety-eight cents,” she mused aloud.  “Well, I'll take this pair.”  She handed the girl a five-dollar bill and waited for her change and for her parcel.  What a very small parcel it was!  It seemed lost in the depths of her shabby old shopping-bag.

Mrs Sommers after that did not move in the direction of the bargain counter.  She took the elevator, which carried her to an upper floor into the region of the ladies' waiting-rooms.  Here, in a retired corner, she exchanged her cotton stockings for the new silk ones which she had just bought.  She was not going through any acute mental process or reasoning with herself, nor was she striving to explain to her satisfaction the motive of her action.  She was not thinking at all.  She seemed for the time to be taking a rest from that laborious and fatiguing function and to have abandoned herself to some mechanical impulse that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility.

How good was the touch of the raw silk to her flesh!  She felt like lying back in the cushioned chair and reveling for a while in the luxury of it.  She did for a little while.  Then she replaced her shoes, rolled the cotton stockings together and thrust them into her bag.  After doing this she crossed straight over to the shoe department and took her seat to be fitted.

She was fastidious.  The clerk could not make her out; he could not reconcile her shoes with her stockings, and she was not too easily pleased.  She held back her skirts and turned her feet one way and her head another way as she glanced down at the polished, pointed-tipped boots.  Her foot and ankle looked very pretty.  She could not realize that they belonged to her and were a part of herself.  She wanted an excellent and stylish fit, she told the young fellow who served her, and she did not mind the difference of a dollar or two more in the price so long as she got what she desired.

It was a long time since Mrs Sommers had been fitted with gloves.  On rare occasions when she had bought a pair they were always ‘bargains’, so cheap that it would have been preposterous and unreasonable to have expected them to be fitted to the hand.

Now she rested her elbow on the cushion of the glove counter, and a pretty, pleasant young creature, delicate and deft of touch, drew a long-wristed ‘kid’ over Mrs Sommers's hand.  She smoothed it down over the wrist and buttoned it neatly, and both lost themselves for a second or two in admiring contemplation of the little symmetrical gloved hand.  But there were other places where money might be spent.

There were books and magazines piled up in the window of a stall a few paces down the street.  Mrs Sommers bought two high-priced magazines such as she had been accustomed to read in the days when she had been accustomed to other pleasant things.  She carried them without wrapping.  As well as she could she lifted her skirts at the crossings.  Her stockings and boots and well fitting gloves had worked marvels in her bearing – had given her a feeling of assurance, a sense of belonging to the well-dressed multitude.
She was very hungry.  Another time she would have stilled the cravings for food until reaching her own home, where she would have brewed herself a cup of tea and taken a snack of anything that was available.  But the impulse that was guiding her would not suffer her to entertain any such thought.

There was a restaurant at the corner.  She had never entered its doors; from the outside she had sometimes caught glimpses of spotless damask and shining crystal, and soft-stepping waiters serving people of fashion.
When she entered her appearance created no surprise, no consternation, as she had half feared it might.  She seated herself at a small table alone, and an attentive waiter at once approached to take her order.  She did not want a profusion; she craved a nice and tasty bite – a half dozen blue-points, a plump chop with cress, a something sweet – a crème-frappée, for instance; a glass of Rhine wine, and after all a small cup of black coffee.

While waiting to be served she removed her gloves very leisurely and laid them beside her.  Then she picked up a magazine and glanced through it, cutting the pages with a blunt edge of her knife.  It was all very agreeable.  The damask was even more spotless than it had seemed through the window, and the crystal more sparkling.  There were quiet ladies and gentlemen, who did not notice her, lunching at the small tables like her own.  A soft, pleasing strain of music could be heard, and a gentle breeze, was blowing through the window.  She tasted a bite, and she read a word or two, and she sipped the amber wine and wiggled her toes in the silk stockings.  The price of it made no difference.  She counted the money out to the waiter and left an extra coin on his tray, whereupon he bowed before her as before a princess of royal blood.

There was still money in her purse, and her next temptation presented itself in the shape of a matinée poster.
It was a little later when she entered the theatre, the play had begun and the house seemed to her to be packed.  But there were vacant seats here and there, and into one of them she was ushered, between brilliantly dressed women who had gone there to kill time and eat candy and display their gaudy attire.  There were many others who were there solely for the play and acting.  It is safe to say there was no one present who bore quite the attitude which Mrs Sommers did to her surroundings.  She gathered in the whole – stage and players and people in one wide impression, and absorbed it and enjoyed it.  She laughed at the comedy and wept – she and the gaudy woman next to her wept over the tragedy.  And they talked a little together over it.  And the gaudy woman wiped her eyes and sniffled on a tiny square of filmy, perfumed lace and passed little Mrs Sommers her box of candy.

The play was over, the music ceased, the crowd filed out.  It was like a dream ended.  People scattered in all directions.  Mrs Sommers went to the corner and waited for the cable car.

A man with keen eyes, who sat opposite to her, seemed to like the study of her small, pale face.  It puzzled him to decipher what he saw there.  In truth, he saw nothing – unless he were wizard enough to detect a poignant wish, a powerful longing that the cable car would never stop anywhere, but go on and on with her forever.

Literary Love Letters

Last week, when my classes met the day before Valentine's Day, I assigned the students to write a "love letter" that had a literary connection.  Some of them were fun and fascinating.  I thought others would enjoy these.  Read and have fun ....







Dear Long Words,
Thank you for helping me confuse people into thinking that my intelligence has sprung from a kindergartener's level to a mensa genius.  You make a boring story sound entertainting.  All my love to you.


To my favorite punctuation --
My Dearest Period,
     My heart is full with immense love for you.  My life has change because of you.  It is as though the former sentence of my life has ended and a new one has begun.  You have also abbreviated all the pain in my life and filled me with new purpose.  Because of this I felt an urgent need to write and tell you of my affection.
With all my love,
An Anonymous Word


Dear Rhyming,
Thank you for making things so awesome,
Whenever I am using you, my poetry seems to blossom,
You make rap music bounce with every single word
Because without you that music would be absurd.
I love your way of appearing in almost every book
And without your presence in it people wouldn't care to look.
Thank you so much for being in my life
And thanks to you I will never have grammar strife.


Dear Hunger Games,
You are fantastic.  I live in the Capitol, so I never get chosen.  The excitement and glamor surrounding the tributes is unbearable.  This year marks the 74th Hunger Games.  The male tribute from District 12 proclaimed his love for his fellow tribute from 12.   This should be interesting.  Last year was pretty lack-luster, so I'm expecting this year's games to be riveting with pulse-pounding expense.


Dear Period,
I have wanted to get together for a long time now, but you have been away at the university teaching all the "i" dots how to climb up the pole to reach their designated spot.  I hope I may see you again, my love.  Perhaps we can make a semicolon together.
Yours forever,
Comma


My dear, dear pencil,
Oh how I love you.  I could not function without you.  My life without you would be bland.  To think of typing my assignments, oh man!  My homework is too hard to type out.  School might be too easy to flunk out.  My dear pencil with 9 mm lead, I never would choose a pen instead.  I used you to write out this paper.  And my love for you will never waver.


Dear Little Lovely 'Literation,
Words while wonderful will fatally fail for your funniest fan.  As all A's allow alphabets a start, so start a sheet in my life.  Throughout the time these tributes take to write, I have tought about how wonderful your letters are.
Yours truly, trustingly, traditionally, traversingly, truly, once more,
Papers plus poems


My Beloved Pencil,
You have been my helpmeet for quite some time.  When I found you, you had been left alone in the bottom of the pencil box.  At first sight I knew I loved you and your way of keeping me organized.  We have written a lot together, subjects about Patrick Henry, the French Revolution and gas prices.  I hope we'll never be apart.


Oh my dear "There is,"
Your radiance glows.  How wonderful you are.  Truly, truly you are so correct, so fine.  Lovely "There is," please be mine.  I can't wait to use you constantly in papers. Oh "There is," how I hope our love never vapors.  What's that?  You are being taken away?  By whom?  Where?  Are you leaving to stay? By golly, by folly, darn diddley flum -- it's that grammarian Mrs. Prichard on the run.  She took you?  She destroyed you?  Well that's just too bad.  I'll just look back and smile on the time which we had.


My Dearest Semicolon,
I love using you in sentences and papers very much; you join two sentences together that I want as one without using a period or comma and coordinating conjunction.  Mrs. Prichard says you are like a Reese's Peanut Butter cup; you are like having the best of both worlds -- chocolate and peanut butter together.  In the end, you are my favorite part of grammar, but I cannot over use you and abuse you.  Less is more.
Love,
TB


To my dearest darling, the comma,
All my life, I have been mystified by your power to make a wrong sentence right.  The world could not function as it should without you.
Always yours,
A Student

Dr. Ben Carson at the National Prayer Breakfast

Dr. Ben Carson spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 7, 2013.  He spoke eloquently about values, education,  and compassion while throwing in some thoughts about political correctness and our financial troubles.  I had taken my children to hear him speak at Carleton College a number of years ago and was struck with his integrity, strength, and drive to see others succeed.  In his speech he shared the same qualities as he spoke about our nation.






This is a MUST SEE!