A look back at 2013

2013 has, like any year, been full of highs and lows.  I try not to dwell on the lows... it is entirely too easy to get yourself wrapped up in the bad, and focus only on the bad.  Next thing you know, you're wallowing in a pity party, and it takes a whole lot of good to get you out of that bad place.

Reminiscing about the good:

Oldest child continues to thrive in college.  Somehow, he managed to maintain a 4.0 again this semester, meaning his scholarship is in place for one more semester.  Thank you, oldest child!  He found an internship on campus this summer that has turned into a year round job for him.  He is doing actual research in his field, and he is getting paid.  This experience has cemented his interest in continuing on to get his Master's Degree.

Middle child graduated from high school.  He was the captain of his robotics team, and he lead his team to a victory which qualified the team for a trip to the international championships in St. Louis.  He is thriving in college, and loves the challenges of school. 

Youngest child learned to drive this year.  She has yet to get her license, as she is working on getting up the actual behind the wheel drive time required by the State of Maryland before they will issue a full-fledged license.  She finished her Gold Award Project, and submitted all of her paperwork earlier this month.  She will be receiving her Gold Award from Girl Scouts in April.

I finally finished my Master's Degree.  I'm still searching for a job.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy substitute teaching no end!  It's just that I'd like to actually put that Master's Degree to work!

As a family, we were able to get out to Seattle to attend the wedding of a cousin.  We saw family, and we saw friends we hadn't seen since college.  It was wonderful!

My mother moved over the summer into a new house.  It's a smaller house than the previous house.  The yard is smaller, and everything is on one level.  I'm thrilled that at 83, she's still living on her own, and is able to move and enjoy her new home.  My brother in law built a porch over the side of her house, which covers her entrance door and her trash cans. They had snow and ice last month, and she was able to appreciate the fact that she could get in and out without worrying about the ice!  My brother in law is currently working on a wheelchair ramp for the front of her house, and he is also going to cover that with a roof.  She doesn't need it now, but he wants her to have it in place in case if she ever does need it... then she won't have to wait to have it built.  (Mom did have to move because of health reasons.  She went blind in one eye.  I'm sorry she had to sell her home of 35 years, but she is happy and adjusting well to life in her new home.)

My list goes on...  My husband was furloughed, along with many other people in October.  We were very fortunate in that it was only a furlough, and not a permanent lay-off.  I'm also very thankful that this happened during October, when the weather was nice enough that we didn't have to use the a/c or the heater.

We attempted the food stamp, $35/week/person challenge.  We did very well.  Unfortunately, I think we might have a slight advantage in that we live in the middle of farm country.  Produce stands are plenty out here, and the farmers offer excellent prices since there is no middle man involved. 

I had an emergency mammogram last month.  The good news?  I have cysts.  Lots of cysts.  No cancerous tumors.  The doctor gave me a list of things to change in my diet to try to shrink the cysts and improve my overall health.  I've been working on that list, honest, I have!  No caffeine in over 6 weeks.  I've finally recovered from that, although I'm not sure my family has!

Husband was in a serious auto accident in Feb.  (on Valentine's Day).  While the car was totaled, he was not injured.  He was able to walk away from the accident.  Thank the good lord for modern engineering that allowed the car to collapse around the passenger compartment.  Honda motor corporation, I love you.  Cars can be replaced.  People can't.

I have much to be thankful for this year.

Everyone made it through another year intact.  We've all grown a little older and a little wiser. 

I wish you a happy, healthy, and joyous new year!

-Bettina

My Accomplishments This Week

It's been a week of family and friends, and I have enjoyed every minute of it!

We've traveled to Virginia to spend time with my Mom, my Sister, and her family.

My husband's mother came into town, and we spent some time with her.

We were able to spend time together in church on Christmas Eve, and we were very fortunate that so many of our friends showed up at the same time.  Our poor little church was just bursting at the seams Christmas Eve.  Our church offered 6 services, and every bit of overflow space was used.   I hope that many of those people come back again when it's not Christmas, so they can get to know the church and the people better!

I discovered that you can stream PBS shows off of the internet, and with an HDMI cable, you can put watch them on the television.  Not big news for everyone, I know, but a huge discovery for me!  As a result, we've watched Sherlock (the BBC version) and Downton Abbey lot.  Believe it or not, I'm getting tired of British drama.  :) Don't get me wrong, it's great, but I'd love to see a comedy right about now! 

We're going to go see the fireworks tomorrow night in a near by town.

We're going to run the "Mile" sponsored by the running club on New Year's Day.  Okay, I'm going to walk it, but the kids are planning on running it!  It's all downhill, so I should be able to get a fairly decent time!  (I hope!)

If you read my posts last week, you know I attempted to cook not one but two big meals over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  (Along with brunch.)   This might be the year that I decide to have one of those meals catered....

I tested out my smoke detectors and know that they work.

We walked through one of the beautiful old towns around here on Saturday while the weather was so nice!  We found a little café where we had lunch, and we explored the little side streets and alleys.  I'm so glad we did that on Saturday while the weather was nice!

I made a pot of split pea soup yesterday, using the ham bone from our Christmas Eve ham to flavor the soup.

We got a significant portion of the big messy room in the basement cleared.  I've now got some things to put on Craig's List and see if we can possibly get a little bit of money for some of that junk!

I wish you all a merry and warm New Year, full of family, friends, good health, and good memories!

Advent Photo a Day Challenge

I participated in the Photo a Day Challenge that was run by the United Methodist Church this year.  The purpose was to make you think more deeply about the true meaning of the season, to focus more on the spiritual, and less on the commercial.

This has become a movement in the United Methodist Church, as church leaders fear that we have moved away from the meaning of Christmas- the birth of Jesus - to focus more on the present grab.  Video footage of Black Friday Sales, Christmas Eve Sales, and After Christmas sales tend to back this up. 

Anyway, now that Advent is over, and we are officially in the Christmas season, I wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures that I used.  All pictures were taken by me.

Freedom

Rejoice

 

Mercy
This one needs to be explained a little. 
This is at the old North Church in Boston.
Every dog tag on this wall represents a life lost in Afghanistan or Iraq since the war began.
I took this picture 5 years ago.
 I honestly don't want to even think about how many more tags are now keeping silent vigil.

Light.

 

 

All photos copyright 2013, by Mini Van Mom.  Pictures may not be used without the express written consent of the Mini Van Mom.

 

A Little Disaster of Epic Proportions

I am a halfway decent cook.  Not on the order of Martha Stewart, but I can usually put decent meals on the table in a decent amount of time.  I cook from scratch a lot, and I am fairly good at taking most anything and making it into a meal.  I can even bake bread from scratch, and people will come back for seconds.

That changed over this past week.

Early in our marriage, we had our command appearance at my in-laws house on Christmas Day.  So, I began preparing our big celebratory meal on Christmas Eve.  Ham, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, I did it all.  It was awesome!  We'd eat dinner, go to church, and then drive around and look at Christmas lights.

My father in law passed away three years ago.  That first year, we went to my in-laws house, and my MIL cooked "hot dish".  An interesting concoction from the Mid-West, this particular iteration gave us all food poisoning.  So began the tradition of Christmas Day dinner at our house.

Yes, that's Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner, both at our house.  Two big meals, plus Christmas morning breakfast tossed in there.

So, Christmas Eve, I began making dinner early.  Saltine Cracker Candy, one more batch of cookies, and Birthday Cake.

Wait, did I mention that we now have to cook gluten free?  This was the root cause of two of the disasters over Christmas.

The cake.  I followed the directions.  I added Xanthan Gum, I beat it with the beaters to make certain that air was incorporated into the batter.  I even let it set for 10 minutes before I put it into the oven.

When it came out, the cake was beautiful.  It had risen, high and beautiful, just like every other cake I ever made from a box.  I was very proud of myself.

I whipped up a batch of icing, spread it over the top, and declared myself to be like, the best cook ever, in the history of the world.

After dinner, we cut into this light and airy cake and took a bite of some indescribable, horrible taste that was somewhere between sawdust and castor oil. It was inedible.  So, so, very glad that we had the ice cream and saltine cracker candy as a back up!

After giving it some serious research, I realized that I had used a different kind of milk this year.  My daughter is allergic to cows milk.  Normally, I make all of our baked goods with goat's milk, but this year, when I went shopping, the store was out of goats milk.  I picked up a half gallon of unsweetened flax milk.  I've used flax milk before, but it was sweetened flax milk.  I poured out a small glass of the unsweetened flax milk, took a taste, and found the objectionable taste that I had found in the cake.  So.... that answers one question.

Christmas morning found me making scones.  I subbed in gluten free flour, added Xanthan Gum, and followed every other direction to the letter.

Perhaps I should have done a little more internet research before I put those scones in the oven.

15 minutes into baking the scones, the smoke detector began it's insistent whine. 

I opened the oven door to find a thick, dark cloud of black smoke coming from the oven door.

The bottom of the oven was on fire.


Oh my God.  It's not even 10 am, and I've already set the oven on fire.

It turns out that the gluten free flour doesn't absorb the butter as well as wheat flour does.  As a result, the butter in the recipe had melted, run out of the pan and onto the floor of the oven where it flamed up into great glory!

Meanwhile, it's 20* outside, and I've got the windows and doors open, attempting to air out the house.

Husband leaves to go get his mom, and the kids and I attempt to put things in order.

She arrives, gifts are exchanged, and the kids and I begin to work on putting dinner on the table.

I turn the oven on, slide the salmon in, and we get started setting the table when...

Damn - the oven is on fire AGAIN.

At this point, I decide that it is going to be called smoked salmon, and that it is finished.

We start putting food on the table.  I pick up a glass dish of fruit and, wham, bam, thank you Ma'am, I drop the entire bowl on the floor and shatter fruit and glass EVERYWHERE.

Meanwhile, where is my husband?  He and his Mom are sitting clueless.  Chaos is reigning all over them, every damn window and door in the house is open, there is glass all over the floor and the kids are yelling at each other to find the broom and the dustpan, and telling each other to get their shoes on.

Still, they sit in the midst of all of this chaos, and don't blink, don't offer help, don't say a word.

I stared at the remains of dinner.

"Smoked" salmon.  No fruit.  No cake. A house full of thick, dark smoke, and an incessant smoke detector going off.

The kids pulled the smoke detector off the wall.

Our next door neighbor came to check on us and make sure I hadn't set the house on fire.

And still, my husband and his mom sit and say nothing to us.

I ended up calling a pizza place in town that was open and would deliver.

I lamented the entire series of events on Facebook that evening.

I had the following conversation with one of my Dad's sisters:

Me: I set the oven on fire twice today.
Aunt: I used to treat my husband like a God.  I would offer him three burnt offerings a day.  EVERY DAY!

Me:  I shattered a glass bowl of fruit when I dropped it on the floor.
Aunt: IS this a skill you acquired over time, or were you just born with it?
Me: It's a natural, God given gift.
Aunt: Some people have all the luck!

On the plus side, the fire department wasn't called out to our house!

The pizza was great.  I think we've started a new Christmas tradition in our house.

Watch out, Rachael Ray!

Merry Christmas!

I'm going to take a break from blogging for a few days.

We have family coming in from out of town, and we are going to completely enjoy ourselves, our family, and the time we get to spend with each other.

I should be back before New Years!

I wish you, and your family, the most wonderful and joyous Christmas, ever!

Weird Day at the Gym

I went to the gym this morning.  I was on the treadmill when my nemesis came in and hopped onto the treadmill next to me.  Armed to the teeth with her bluetooth headset and i-Pod  headphones, she got onto the treadmill and began running.

As she runs, she sings snatches of the songs I assume that she's listening to on her i-Pod.  Never an entire phrase, just a couple of words like "What I'm looking".....  silence for a while and then we hear "Hey there Delilah".....  this goes on for a while, until all of a sudden she'll scream out "You go girlfriend!  Who-Hoo!  I've done a mile!  Look at me go!  Next one to go!" ...... and then silence for a while until her phone rings and she begins screaming into it "Hey, how's it going?  OMG!  I just ran 2 miles can you f'ing believe it?  I am so awesome!  So, about those contracts..."  And on and on it goes.

It's always an experience when she shows up.  You can see all of the heads begin to droop when she shows up, and people will shift treadmills or stop early and lift weights once she settles in for her workout.  No one quite knows what to do about it... and the trainers are at a loss.  They can't throw her out for singing snatches of songs badly and then getting them stuck in our heads for the rest of the day, so we all get to suffer together.

As I was leaving, I experienced perhaps the oddest thing I've ever experienced.

Do you remember the scene in "When Harry Met Sally" when Meg Ryan was faking an orgasm at the table in the diner? 

I don't know if this woman was faking it or not, but I swear to you, she was moaning and screaming while running on her treadmill, just like Meg Ryan did in that scene.

I tell you, it brought all activity in that gym to a screeching halt. 

My workouts never end like that.  I must be doing something wrong.

Random Pictures

I don't know if you can see the tiny little bird, sitting in the middle of the snowy branches!

A snowy view down the lane.

Luna, holding me hostage.  That's the knee of my blue jeans under her paw. She does that pissed off cat look so well!

A view of the mantel.  Garland, lights, and mason jars!

Yarn!  When you love to knit and work with fibers, a yarn store is heaven.  I spent a day at The Mannings - a yarn store in a barn.  The barn has additions.  Oh my stars, I've never seen so much yarn in one place before!

Santa came visiting this week!  With his fire truck escort, ladder truck 12, Santa has been visiting all of the neighborhoods around the county.  It's the volunteer fire department, and don't you know, those guys look forward to seeing Santa all year long!  I've heard they've been extra good this year!

Tales from the Classroom

Years ago, when I was a full time teacher, I had a situation going on in my classroom.  (It was third grade.)

There was a young woman in my class named, shall we say, Jamie.

Another young man, named, shall we say, Jeff, had a mad crush on Jamie.



I was working at the table with a reading group when I noticed Jeff intently scribbling away on a piece of paper.   This level of passion regarding his work was unusual for him, so I watched the proceedings with curiosity.

Jeff put his pencil down, folded it up into a paper football shape, and wafted it across the classroom in Jamie's direction.

Unfortunately, the football missed Jamie entirely and bonked Michael in the head.  Michael (a very tough kid), scooped up the football, opened the note, and read it.

In the blink of an eye, he was on his feet, waving the note around, shouting at the top of his lungs:  "I am not that kind of a guy!  Who sent this?  Who is this from?  I'll meet you out behind the cafeteria at lunch time!  Who did this?"

I looked over at Jeff, who at this point, had sunk so low in his chair you could only see the top of his head. 

I grabbed the note from Michael, and sent him down the hall for a drink of water.

Reading the note I see the words:  "I love you.  You are so beautiful! I will always love you!  You are the only person for me!"

When I took the kids down to lunch, I let the rest of the class go into the cafeteria, and I pulled Jeff aside.

"I wouldn't mention this if I were you."  I told him.  "I wouldn't sit near either him or Jaime at lunch today.  We'll keep the author of that little note a secret just between us."

He nodded his head. 

Ah.... young love. 

To this day, the memory of Michael, standing there, waving that paper around and screaming for vengeance, and the look of sheer horror on Jeff's face takes me back 20 years and makes me smile...

Home from College

We picked the boys up from school last night!

The great thing about both boys going to the same school is that picking them up and dropping them off is fairly easy!

They are exhausted from finals.  Oldest son took 24 credit hours.  Middle child took 14 hours.  (It was his first semester at school, so I made him take a smaller number of credits so that he could get used to the different type of work load.) 

We stayed up until well after midnight last night, talking about this semester's successes, challenges, failures, and lessons.  They were very chatty, and we only went to bed when my husband complained that we were making too much noise.  (He gets up at 5 am to go into work.)

They both slept until noon this morning.  We just got back from the grocery store, where we stocked up on supplies.

It's funny... I'm always surprised by what they consider to be necessary supplies.
Oranges.  Rice Cakes.  Apples.  Carrots.

Then, the list of what they want for dinner for the next few days:
Sloppy Joes, potato rolls, and fresh apple sauce.
Homemade Pizza. (with Dad's homemade sauce.)
Baked Potato Soup.

The list of "other" stuff that they want:
Homemade muffins.  (NOT from a box!)
Gingersnaps.  (NOT from a box!)
Sugar Cookies.  (Not from the refrigerated section, either.)

The list goes on... vegetable soup, arroz con pollo, and meatloaf.

I remember my list when I came home from college.... beef stroganoff, meatloaf, fudge, buckeyes, and green beans cooked with a strip of bacon.

It's always funny seeing the list of comfort food that we crave when we've been away from home for a while.

The beef stroganoff was a favorite that was made by my grandmother.  Meatloaf was made by my mom.  The buckeyes, fudge, and green beans were all made by my legendary Aunt Rosie.  Aunt Rosie has been gone for 7 years now (As of Nov. 9), but every Christmas season, I make her buckeyes and fudge.

I close my eyes when I eat them, and I take myself back into her wood paneled kitchen with the round table.  We are sitting at the table, talking and laughing about nothing in particular, and all is right with the world.  I can see my Uncle Russell roaming through, stopping to eat the fruits of our labor and giving us a hard time.  We'd always set aside a portion of our goodies, and we'd take them to the church and pack up packages to send off to the soldiers from the church who were serving away from home.

It was a simpler time, and I miss the people involved in those memories.  I love to think back on them at this time of year, and remember what wonderful people they were, and what an influence they've had over my life.

And so, when my kids come home, we make meatloaf, muffins, and pizza from scratch.  We talk and we joke.  I pull out the gingersnap recipe, and we take turns rolling the dough in sugar, and talking about nothing in particular.

And I hope that someday, somewhere, my children will think back on these times with fond memories and will consider this a "simpler time" when life was less confusing, and less hectic. 

Wow... this post took a different turn than I intended it to when I started out.  Where did all of that come from?

Anyway, my boys are home from school!  Life is good!  We just finished making several dozen chocolate chip cookies, and we are getting ready to start on some gingersnaps.  The house smells divine.

Today, life is simpler...

Domestic Violence

A friend revealed to me that she's been the victim of domestic violence for most of the 17 years that she has been married.

She was my daughter's brownie leader back in the day.  10 years ago, they moved 1,000 miles away to a farm in the middle of nowhere.  We kept touch through Facebook.  Occasionally, I attempted to stop by and see them when I was in the area, but things would never work out.  I never thought twice about it.

About 3 months ago, she completely dropped off the radar, and abruptly shut down her Facebook page. 

I started searching for her, calling and e-mailing her family until I finally got an answer.

She had run from her husband, and was in hiding.  She would get back in touch with us as soon as she felt safe.

Two months went by, and she opened another Facebook page under a new name.  It is locked down to friends only, and she invited her close friends and family to join her page. 

Slowly, the tale has been told to us.

There were incidents here and there when they still lived on the East Coast, but they didn't happen often and were easily excused.

The violence picked up when they moved out to the middle of nowhere. 

It became worse, and culminated when he hit her so badly that the EMS crew had to be called to revive her.  He told the paramedics that she had slipped and fallen on a loose board.

She ran for her life.

When she left, he cleaned out the house, the bank accounts, and all of her possessions.  He left, leaving the animals on the farm with no way for her to pay for feed, and winter was setting in.

She went back to the house, and has been determined to succeed.

The neighbors pitched in and helped her get enough hay for her animals for the winter. 

She got in touch with a women's shelter, who has put her in touch with a lawyer who will work pro bono for her.

She has a cot to sleep on.

Her phone, internet, and cable has been cut off.  She only keeps the electricity connected because it powers the well and the heater for the stock tanks.

The only clothes she owns are the ones that she fled with.

If you had known this family when they lived here, you never would have thought this was possible.  He was a charming man, dedicated to his family, and a hard worker.  He would occasionally lead Girl Scout meetings where he would teach the girls knot tying, first aid, or self defense.  I remember him volunteering to work at the horse stables, cleaning out stables so that his daughter could get a discount on horseback riding classes.

She was a girl scout leader, vice president of the PTA, and she worked part time at a petting zoo.

It just goes to show, you never know what goes on inside of someone else's house and someone else's relationship when the doors are closed and no one else can see.

Anyway, back to our friend.

On Friday night, all of us who had been in her girl scout troop when she was a leader got together.
We packed boxes to ship out to her for Christmas.

We sent coffee and beans.  We sent an HD antennae for a television.  We sent scarves, gift cards,  and crazy socks.  We went to Goodwill, and bought her warm clothes that are suitable for going back to work and for working on a farm.  We sent her a tin of fudge, and we sent her some earrings.

We packed them all into those wonderful boxes that the Post Office advertises "If it fits, it ships".  All of the families who were in her troop 11 years ago are now spread all over the state.  Each of us took a box, and we shipped them from out on Saturday from our respective post offices.  (A great policy, I know that on my box, I saved $10 on shipping!)

We didn't tell her what we've done.  It's a surprise.  We are all following the tracking codes on our boxes, and sending e-mails back and forth to each other, tracking the progress of our boxes across the country.

We talked and we laughed, reminiscing about our little girls, and sharing stories of our young ladies they have become.  We rejoiced in their successes, and we cried over their challenges.

We all commented that we had no idea that this relationship was one that harbored violence.  We never had a clue.

So, we made a date.  In February.  The date has been confirmed.

We are going to a domestic violence shelter in February with our girls.  We are going to host a Valentine's Tea Party with the residents of the shelter.  In the meantime, we are collecting the hygiene items that the shelter has requested.

What a horrible way to wake up to the reality of domestic violence - right in our own circle of friends.  How on earth did we miss this?  Could we have done anything to help sooner?  We feel so helpless, and as if we have failed them somehow.

If you are looking to give a gift that makes a difference, I urge you to call your local shelter and see what items they need this holiday season.  The simplest items can make a very big difference in the life of another.

My friend, I am praying for you.  I wish I could do more! 

Black Bean Soup

It's going to be a very cold day today in Maryland.  Not as cold as it's been in the Midwest, but cold for Maryland.

By the time I get home from work tonight, I will be tired, cranky, hungry and grumpy.  So, I decided that we are having black bean soup.  I can put it into the crock pot before I leave for work, and when I get home tonight, a tasty dinner will be waiting for us!

If you plan ahead, soak 16 ounces of beans the night before in a pot of water.  Next morning, pour off the water and put clean water in, enough to cover the water with two extra inches (or more) of water.  Bring the water to a boil.  Add 1 tsp. of baking soda to the water when it starts to boil.  Skim the foam off the top of the water before following the rest of the recipe.

If you are using canned beans, use 2 cans, or 16 ounces.  I always make certain my cans are BPA free... you can find them in the organic aisle.  BPA is a plastic that is used in the lining of some food cans, most notable is beans.  BPA will leach into the beans.  BPA has been shown to cause health problems.  So... even though the BPA free cans are more expensive, to me, they're worth the extra cost.  (And if you really want to save money, you're going to use dried beans anyway, because they are considerably cheaper than canned!)

Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans (or 16 ounces, soaked overnight)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth, if making it vegetarian)
2 cups water

to make:
In a large dutch oven or heavy cooking pan.
Saute onions and garlic in a small amount of oil until soft.
Stir in cumin, ginger, and cayenne, stir constantly for a minute, then add beans, broth and water.

(If you are cooking this in a crock pot, put the beans, broth, & water directly into the crockpot.  Add the onion mixture to the crock pot and stir well. Set your timer on high for 4 hours, or low for 8.)

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.  Lower heat to low, cover and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*note- remember the broth cubes I made over the summer?  I'll be using three of them in this recipe today.


If you want to round out the meal, you can serve this over rice, or with cornbread!

Stay warm today!

My Accomplishments

Did you get an opportunity to see the last two minutes of the Ravens - Vikings game yesterday?  What a wild last few minutes!  5 touchdowns in the last 2 minutes and 5 seconds of the game.  It was nuts! 

Anyway, that weather was the weather that dominated my day!

We sang the Christmas Cantata at church yesterday morning.  Husband and I checked out the weather and the streets before we left.  We were only supposed to get 1-3 inches of snow.  It was supposed to start at noon... just as we finished singing the second service.

We had an amazing Cantata.  We sang Appalachian Winter by Joseph Martin.  I still have the very last song stuck in my head.  "Children Go Where I Send Thee.."  I'm searching for it on I-tunes now.  It's an amazing piece of music, combining popular carols and traditional spirituals.  I've sung a lot of Cantatas in my time, but this one was my all out favorite one!  I absolutely loved it!

With the arrangement of our sanctuary, we can not see directly outside.  We were standing in the front of the church, looking out towards the Narthex.  The Narthex has a big wall directly behind our sanctuary, and a gathering area off to the right, behind a wall.  On that side, behind the wall, and out of our view, is a window wall.  During the second service, we noticed that all of the ushers were lined up, staring out of the window at the snow.  We started getting a little bit concerned!

After the service was over, we stayed to help clean up the Sanctuary and allow a parishioner with a snow shovel attached to the front of his truck the opportunity to go around the lots a couple of times.  We were astounded when we got out and found that we had 6" of snow on the ground already!

Our normal 10 minute drive home from church took us 30 minutes.  The roads were treacherous, and we drove as slowly as possible.  Our van has a tendency to spin out on snow, so husband was extremely careful.  We had a very visual reminder on the way home as we saw many, many cars that had spun out and were sitting in ditches.

We made it home safe and sound, and then we watched that riot of a game!

Beyond that, I actually did have some other accomplishments this week.

I've stopped trying to spend 15 minutes at a time in the basement.  Instead, I've shifted to filling one big black plastic trash bag a week.  It seems more efficient, and I'm able to notice a more immediate difference.  I'm setting aside some of the nicer toys to list on e-Bay in the coming days to see if I can sell them before Christmas.

I finished another book and actually wrote a book review for my Books for Teens blog. http://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/  (If you're interested in reading it!)

I've had a blast subbing in the elementary schools!

Daughter took her SAT's over the weekend.  Five hours long, she's glad it's over.  We had thought she'd try another go-round in January, but she's thinking now that she might want to wait and see what her scores are before she tries it again.  She has never been very confident in her Math skills, and she is concerned about her math scores.  I think she'll do better than she thinks she will.  Now, we are waiting with a sense of dread for the final scores.

The cantata at church was over the weekend.  We had a two hour rehearsal on Weds, and another one on Sat.

We had the chance to speak with both boys over the weekend.  Their finals will begin on Weds.  They are both studying hard.  Since both of them have scholarships they need to keep, they are serious about making sure they do well on their finals.

I made dinner from scratch every night this week.

I had oatmeal for lunch at school every day this week.  It's healthy, and it's easy.  I can pack the oatmeal, pecans, and craisins up in a bowl with a lid before I leave for school.  When lunch time rolls around, I can add water and heat it up in the microwave and have a health, quick, inexpensive lunch.

I've had a blast participating in the Advent Photo a Day Challenge.  Trying to think through an image that represents one word related to Christmas each day has been thought provoking.  Some days, I do better than others!

As much as I hate to, I best get moving.  My car is still encased in several inches of snow, topped by a layer of ice, and I've got to get the snow in front of my car cleared so that I can get out and go to work tomorrow.

Stay safe and warm today!

Advent Photo a Day

The United Methodist Church has begun an initiative for Advent.  This fun challenge is to help us all rethink and recenter ourselves on the true meaning of Christmas.

The following is from the UMC Website:

As we did with Lent last February, we're inviting you once again to enter this season of Advent with intention and awareness. As we prepare, watch and wait for that wonderful something God is sending our way not just at Christmas, but every single day.

Whatever your practices this season, will you join this photo-a-day practice and share with the community how you perceive each word or phrase for the day? No explanation needed, unless you want to. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Tag us on your instagram photos with @rethinkchurch or on twitter [@umrethinkchurch] with #rethinkchurch and #rethinkchristmas. We'd also love for you to share your photos on our Pinterest board!

You don't have to be a great photographer. This project is hopefully more about the practice of paying attention and being intentional, than it is being the best photographer [though we encourage you to get creative!]. If you don't have instagram or twitter, we'd still love for you to share your photos. Just share them on your facebook page and tag us.

#rethinkchurch
#rethinkchristmas

The list of words for the month of December:

It's not to late to join the challenge.  Today is the 7th.  You can either hop in today on READY, or you can go back and begin with GO. 

I am participating. I started late, and I am doubling up on pictures until I catch up.  (should be on Monday).  I have pictures posted to my facebook page, as well as to Instagram.

If you are interested, you are invited to join the challenge and find out more!

http://rethinkchurch.org/article/advent-photo-a-day?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Tweet&utm_campaign=Twitter+Advent+photo+announcement

I've been enjoying the challenge of finding just the right image for each day's word.  It has had the intended effect of making me think more deeply about Christmas.

There's a Storm a Brewin'

There is supposedly a massive ice storm headed our way.

I worked this morning, and then stopped by the grocery store to pick up some fruit and veggies on the way home.

Once again, in the Mid-Atlantic, any time "weather" is in the forecast, people descend upon the store in droves.

I stood in line behind a woman who had a cart brimming over with groceries.  Most of the items in her cart were frozen.

She was speaking to the check out clerk as she was running her items through the scanner.  The woman was explaining that she was stocking up in case if the power went out.

Ummm..... does anyone see the problem here?

If the power goes out, (and it will), the freezer won't be powered.  Bless her heat, the clerk asked her if she had a generator at home, but the woman just stared at her and said "Why would I want one of those?"

I had my fruits and veggies.

The woman in line behind me had several jugs of water.  She explained to me that her power always goes out when it storms, and then she can't get water from her well.  She had plans to fill up her jugs, containers, and tubs at home, but that she wanted a few extra jugs of water "just in case".  She also mentioned to me that the water jugs were going fast.

The storm is supposed to hit on Sunday.

We spent tonight moving our rock salt and snow shovels from the basement up under the carport, right next to the house.  Both cars have the ice scrapers in the front seat.  We've made certain both cars have gas. 

I picked up potatoes, turnips, celery, carrots, and apples at the store today.  All veggies that will stay fresh, even if the power goes out.  Even better, we should be able to cook a decent soup or two on the wood stove should our power go out.

Tomorrow night, before we go to bed, we'll make certain we leave the windshield wipers up so that they don't freeze to the windshield if we should get ice.

If you're in the path of this storm, stay safe and warm!

Tales from the Classroom

I've been subbing a lot over the past two weeks.  It's been a hoot.  The kids are wound up over Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they are boisterous and full of life.

These are some of my highlights from the past few weeks:

Dry Erase Boards:

I do a lot of subbing in Special Education.  I love the children... they are all so amazing.  This particular day, I was subbing in a regular ed. kindergarten class.  I was working with a group of kids at the reading table, and we had just finished a book.  I asked the little girl sitting next to me "Could you please get the dry erase boards for me?"  She looked at me, and with the look that only a 5 year old can give you said, "Seriously?"   I looked into her brown eyes as she started to grin and pointed at the floor on my left side.  Lo and Behold, there were the dry erase boards.

I sighed, and turned to my other side and asked the little boy if he knew where the dry erase markers were.  (When I sub in Special Ed, I pull this particular friend a lot.  He and I know each other fairly well.)  He started laughing as he pointed to the ground on my right side to the basket of dry erase markers and erasers.  I made a silly face at the kids, and he said "That's okay... it's nice seeing you have trouble with something, too!"  At that point, all of us started laughing.

It's not only the Kids:

I was at choir practice last night.  There is a very prim and proper older woman (age 75) who stands in front of me.  Just as our conductor raised his baton, she suddenly turned around and started fanning the air behind her.

"Whoops...Sorry about that... Really spicy lunch today..."

On Marriage:

During bus duty, one of my friends in first grade told me:  "I know who I'm going to marry when I grow up.  She's the most beautiful girl in the world." 

"I'm so happy for you!"  I told him.  "But remember, if you want to get married, first you have to finish high school, graduate from college, and get a job.  THEN you can get married."

"So, the proper order is College, Job, Marriage?"

"Yes."

"But..." at this point his little eyes got really big..."I want to become a doctor.  I have to go to 8 years of doctor school after I finish college before I can get a job.  That's a REALLY LONG time to wait!!!"

What do you say?

During recess, in first grade, (remember, age 6)  one of the little guys comes running over to me and says...

JJ says he doesn't want to die with his underwear on!

Christmas Chaos

When we get to this time of year, I am always stunned by what Christmas has become in our culture.

Christmas is, and always has been, an observation of the birth of Jesus Christ.  It is a holiday celebrated by Christians.

Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of the celebration of the birth of our savior, and began to see this as a giant present grab.

Stores open on Thanksgiving in order to increase their own profit.

People knocking each other down in malls in order to get something at the "best" price.

Piles of debt that last for months after Christmas.

Are we truly focusing on the meaning of Christmas?  The birth of a tiny child was never intended to become what retailers and merchants have told us that it should be.

Long, long ago, before we had children, my husband and I sat down and discussed what we expected Christmas to be.  He came from a tradition of a pile of presents under the tree that everyone ripped into and opened within the first five minutes of waking up on Christmas morning.

I came from a divorced family.  We didn't have a lot of gifts at Christmas.  Instead, we would each receive two or three presents from each other.  We took turns opening gifts, watching each other open the presents in order to draw our enjoyment of the event out even more.  When I was little, and my parents were married, we still never had a lot of presents, but Dad would send us on a giant quest to find our presents.  The treasure hunt involved clues, shoes, map and compass skills, and a walk around the neighborhood.  (Think Geo-Caching, 1970's style.)  I remember that we'd only have a few presents, but the time spent solving the riddles and clues, and hunting for the next clue?  Absolutely priceless.

We decided early on that we didn't want to fall for the commercialization of Christmas.

We carefully researched the Kwanzaa tradition, and found that we liked the idea of 8 special days of dinners and family time.

We found out that in Europe, Santa doesn't come until Jan. 5 - the day that the Magi reached the Baby Jesus.

So, we changed things up.  The kids receive one handmade gift each year.  A sweater, a blanket, cross stitch, something unique and different.  They receive a few items that they need.
And then, the family receives one very large gift that allows us to share more time together.  The large family gift is always the prize on a large treasure hunt.

Over the years, the family has gotten a computer, a television (yes, we only have one), a Wii, tickets to the First Night Celebration in Annapolis, something that will enable us to spend more time together.  Maybe we don't give a lot of gifts because all of the birthdays- husbands and the kids - fall within a month of Christmas.  I don't want Christmas to get lost in the chaos.

Over the week between Christmas and New Years, we open presents.  We go to church.  We spend a day with grandparents and cousins.  We have a birthday party for Jesus.  We spend a day at a museum somewhere.  Every day, we make a point of spending time with our kids, as a family.

Now that the kids are in college, I want to spend even more time with them.  I'm glad we set this tradition up when they were little.

It's an investment in our family.  Time is one thing money can't buy, and it's priceless.

You'll never find an 80 year old saying that they wish they had spent less time with their family.

My Laptop is HOME!!

A first world issue, I know.  When others in this world are struggling to find food, shelter, and keep their children safe... here I am worried about my laptop.

The Geek Squad did a fine job of fixing my computer.  Not a timely job, by any means.  They've had it for well over 2 weeks, and all that needed to be done was to have the computer case (the hard shell) on the bottom replaced.  It spent a week sitting in a warehouse in Baltimore before it was shipped out to the repair center in Kentucky.  It took them less than 12 hours to fix it, and it arrived in Maryland on Wednesday.  (I followed those tracking numbers, more out of curiosity than anything else.)  It's been sitting in Laurel since Weds, and was delivered to my local store yesterday.

Weird thing is, I didn't work yesterday, and they told me I couldn't pick up my computer before 5:30.  It arrived in store at 11 a.m.  So, why did I have to wait until 5:30?  They told me that if I just showed up to pick it up, I wouldn't be able to retrieve it before 5:30.  Really?  When I asked last night at the store when I picked it up, they told me that I could have come in at any time after they called me and picked it up.

Either way, I'm so very happy to have my laptop back!  I had some projects I was working on, and I am thrilled beyond words to be able to sit down and work on them again!

I hope you have a productive day!

Portfolio Day

I'm not an artist.  I didn't go to art school.  I don't know any professional artists.  So, daughter's decision to go to art school is something new for me.  I feel like I've been playing catch up as I struggle to understand the different requirements.

The most recent struggle (for me) was portfolio day.

The child has art safely stashed in a cardboard portfolio in a corner of the dining room.

Portfolio Day is an event.  Representatives from the art schools across the country show up at a pre-determined location and review portfolios for the kids.

For an artist, grades and high SAT scores are not enough.  They also have to have a portfolio.  The portfolio is reviewed as a major part of the admissions process.  At portfolio day, the admissions officers review portfolios.  For Juniors, they make suggestions based upon the current portfolio for improvement.  For Seniors, they will accept a portfolio.  This is huge, as online portfolio submissions only allow a student to submit 12 -20 pieces, and they are all digital copies of what they have done.

Since daughter is a junior, she was interested in the critique and the suggestions.

Our first challenge came when we realized that the cardboard portfolio was not the most efficient way (or safest for her art) to transport items around.

So, we set off to buy a portfolio.  I had a 50% off coupon to Michael's, so we went there.  After way too much discussion and agonizing, she decided upon a portfolio that has a strap, so that she could sling it across her body, and carry it easier.

Then, came the agony of what to wear. After much research, and conversations with her art teachers at school, she decided to dress as she would for a job interview.  Of course, the weather was cold, windy, and in the teens!  

After school let out, she spent an afternoon going through the portfolio with her art teachers, deciding what pieces showcased her abilities the best.

Last Sunday morning, we headed to the Maryland Institute, College of Art (MICA) bright and early.  We took the tour of campus, ate in the dining hall, and then mentally prepared ourselves to stand in lines.  Holy cow.... those lines were unbelievable!  

Since daughter is a junior, she "short lined" it.  If the line was short, she stood in it to have them review her portfolio and take their suggestions.  Unbelievably, by the end of the afternoon, the lines at the "big" schools were short!  She was able to get reviews from the schools she really wanted, as well as excellent schools that she was not that familiar with.  

She got the reviews she needed.  She found that there is a very big difference in what schools are looking for in a portfolio based upon whether the school follows a contemporary or classic philosophy.

She knows what skills she needs to work on over the next year.

She did have a couple of friends from our high school who's portfolios were accepted at portfolio day.

And me?  I struggled not to be a helicopter parent.  I did not stand at the tables while her portfolio was being reviewed.  Her art is her own.  If she can't handle the review process, or speak for herself, she doesn't belong in the field.  I also didn't want to intimidate the reviewers or my daughter by hovering while they were talking.

So, I spent my time sitting on benches or floors in the main hallways.

I cruised Facebook.

I called my Mom.

I took a lot of pictures.

When we left, daughter was happy and content.  She'd discovered new schools she wants to look into.  She told me what the comments and suggestions were.

Even better, she thanked me for leaving her alone and letting her handle everything on her own.  She told me it made her feel like an adult, and let her know that I trust her to handle herself.

Nobody knows how hard it was for me to sit back and let her handle this on her own.  (OK, maybe you do... If you have kids of your own.)

But to hear her thank me for letting her handle it in her own?

Priceless.