Random Pictures

When I say "random", I mean random!
These were branches, in a parking lot, under the overhead light.
I thought they looked spooky.

This was taken on Weds. it was the leading line of a front moving into the area.
I read that these were called "Mackerel Clouds".  They do look like fish scales, don't they?
There were a lot of pictures posted Weds. night of these clouds over Washington D.C.

Birdhouses, for daughter's last Gold Award class.
She and her father made the bird houses from wood that had been upcycled
from an old shipping crate from the robotics team.

We went to the arboretum over the weekend.
It was a beautiful day and a beautiful walk!
I loved this view, multiple textures, leaves, and colors.

More leaves!  Orange leaves on a tree.
Hard to believe most of our leaves have fallen in the last two days.
 

Tree trunk.
I kind of expect to find Pooh, or a fairy, or an entrance to an alternate dimension here!
When I looked, I just found dirt.
Obviously, I didn't come at the right phase of the moon to make the portal work!

A Really Bad Day

Wednesday turned out to be one of the worst days I've had in quite a while...
I subbed in a new position.  One I've never subbed in before.  I subbed in an elementary school as one of the Fine Arts team.  (PE, Music, Art, Media).  Hmmm... that was an eye opener.   School started at 9, and my lunch break was at 10.  From 10:30-4:00, I did not get another break.  No time to pee, no time to eat, and a constant stream of new classes coming in every half hour to be taught.

By the time 4 rolled around, I was cranky, I was grumpy, and I was seriously beginning to question my need for a set of Depends.

I had a massive headache when I left, and decided I would stop at Chick-Fil-A for a milkshake.  I figured a quick shot of sugar, with a little bit of milk product tossed in for protein would hold me until I could get dinner on the table.  I went through the drive through, the girl in the window handed me my shake, and the lid popped off.  I ended up with shake all over me, my dress pants, my wool sweater, the little coin holder thing under the emergency brake, my purse, the papers in my purse... It was a God awful mess.  I asked the girl for help getting myself back together, and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights.  She gave me a napkin to help me clean up and then asked me to move on.  ONE napkin.  Nope, just not gonna cut it.  I spent the first hour after I finally got home cleaning out my car.

DH decided to make dinner.  We had a dried soup mix.  I was willing to give it a shot.  It was vegan, so we thought it would be healthy.  It was supposed to cook up in 30 minutes.  I guess someone forgot to tell the manufacturer (and me) that dried beans take longer than 30 minutes to cook appropriately.  We sat down to a dinner that smelled really good but was full of rock hard beans.

I ended up having to cancel a sub job for yesterday because that stomach virus that has been traveling around school is now traveling through me.  The school system has told us that if we cancel too many jobs because of illness, they'll drop us as substitutes.  I debated the pros and cons of going into school sick, but finally decided that this was a virus I did not need to share with anyone else.

We finally got ready for bed and found that one of the cats had peed in the bed.  Seriously.  Can things get any worse?  We threw the blankets in the washing machine and slept on the living room floor, wrapped up in sleeping bags.

The bright spot is that we did find out how to get rid of the smell of cat urine.

The blankets were washed three times in hot water.  The first time was with vinegar.  The second time with bleach, and the last time was with our regular laundry detergent.

We were fortunate in that we had a mattress pad on the bed and the cat pee didn't seep through to the mattress.

Yesterday was only slightly better.  Raging stomach virus.  Do I need to say more?

I'm hoping today is better.  I had to cancel the job for today, too.  I'm better, but my immune system is still suffering.  Do I really want to spend a day in a germ factory, picking up some new little microscopic invader?

So sorry to vent, but I just needed a little virtual sympathy!

NOTE:
It's Friday morning, and I just looked through this post.  Holy cow,  you can tell I wasn't feeling well when I wrote it!  Everything happened yesterday! 

Seriously, the bad day of subbing and the milkshake incident was Tuesday.  I spent the evening at a business and public relations meeting for the robotics team.

Weds. and Thurs. were the days of the stomach virus.  Today, I'm feeling better, and I've got a much clearer head.

I'm home again today, but at least I didn't have a job lined up for today!  Instead, I'm picking up one of my boys from school to head to the dentist, and then we're picking up the daughter and heading off to unload Girl Scout cookies from the truck. 

First Aid

How well versed are you in First Aid?  Do you know a broken bone when you see it?  Do you know what to do if you see it?  What do you do for a puncture wound?  If someone is having a heart attack?  Do you know CPR?  Do you know how to use an AED?  Do you know what it is?  Can you think clearly enough to help someone who is choking?

As a mother of three, I've had more than enough practice with First Aid over the years.  I took a Red Cross First Aid/ CPR class before my first child was born, and have kept my certification current ever since then.

When oldest child was 18 months old, I got to test out my ability to perform the Heimlich on him when he choked on a piece of candy.

When middle child was 7, I got to practice what to do with a burn when he dropped a flaming marshmallow on his knee at a campfire.

When oldest child was 8 years old, he broke his arm, and I got to practice how to stabilize an arm so that I could get him to the hospital.  (His arm looked like the letter "L" - Between his elbow and his wrist, his arm formed the capital letter "L".   I'm still not sure how I managed to keep it together long enough to stabilize him, find someone to watch the other two kids, and get him to the hospital!)

Last week, I was outside on the playground with the second graders when a scream broke out from the other end of the playground.  Running over, we discovered that his pinkie was sticking out at right angles from his hand.  Would you know what to do?

I could keep going with the list of my real-life applications of my first aid skills over the years, but THAT would take a couple of days!

The point is that you will always use First Aid and CPR classes.  Emergencies and accidents happen without warning.  (That's why they're called Accidents and not Purposes!)  Thinking clearly in order to help the people around you is critical.  If you are looking through the First Aid App on your cell phone while someone is bleeding profusely, they could loose a critical amount of blood before you find out that you should apply pressure to the wound.  And then, you should be using that cell phone to call 9-1-1, not to keep browsing through the APP!

Did you know that using a tourniquet is not the first line of defense for bleeding? 

Did you know that AED's are easy to use, and will save the life of the person having a heart attack?

Did you know that if a person has a compound fracture of a limb, you should not move them before you stabilize the fracture?

Do you know how to do rescue breathing until a rescue crew arrives?  Did you know that when they arrive, the rescue personnel can ask you to continue until they have their equipment set up and are ready to take over?

Did you know that the process for one person CPR has changed in the last few years?

The accident on the playground last week reminded me that it's almost time to renew my certifications.  The first time I took CPR, I was 8 months pregnant, and I had a belly full of baby in front of me, making CPR interesting, but not impossible.  Having lived through the 21 years since then, I firmly believe that it was worth every minute of my time.  Taking the refresher certification every couple of years benefits me, and the people I love.  I am reminded of how to handle emergencies.  I am reminded of best practices to keep my loved ones safe, and how best to respond to a situation.

Anyone who has ever been in an emergency situation will tell you that your responses to these situations is based upon instinct.  If you have learned response from a first aid class, chances are you will remember what to do.  In every first aid class I've ever been a part of, we always do a lot of role playing of possible scenarios.  We practice CPR again and again and again.  When you renew your certification, you are reminded of the responses, and it they are drilled into your memory a little bit more each time.

The classes do cost money.  It does take a day of your time. 

The cost of knowing that you might be able to handle whatever life throws at you?
Priceless.

If you want to find more information, I have included the link to the Red Cross website.  From here, you can find information about classes in your area. 


It's Peace of Mind.

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class

I receive no compensation for this, I just believe that you can never be too prepared for an emergency!

My Accomplishments This Week

It's been a beautiful week in the Mid-Atlantic.  Our leaves turned colors with a vengeance over the past week.  They're dropping quickly now.  I've got the spot staked out for the new strawberry patch, and we're going to move the raised garden bed.  We've decided to move it up to the front of the house, along the front walk into the house.  It has wonderful access to water, and because it is visible, I will remember that it's there and keep better track of it!  Now that the leaves are falling, we'll begin to layer out a lasagna garden bed this week.  I'll take pictures as we go, and share with you what a lasagna bed actually is!  (Think: lots of layers!) 

When I was talking with DH about the spot for the strawberry patch, he decided that we should put at least one more bed up front, for the herb garden.  It will have closer access to the kitchen, and the water.  We think we might have space for one more bed beyond that.  I'm not sure what we'd plant in that bed... Since it will be right in front of the house and facing the street, we need to make certain that it isn't overgrown and leggy.  I'll have to think on that one.  We have too many bunnies in the front yard to put out lettuce.  I do love onions. Maybe I'll put an onion bed in there.  Or possibly move the rhubarb.  We're going to go ahead and start layering the beds this week, and I'll think about it all winter long!

This has been a fairly productive week!  These were my goals from last week:

1) Caulk the windows.
 

2) Clean out the window wells.
Started this, but I found a snake skin.  A BIG snake skin, in the window well.  I don't know how recent this is, but it was enough to make me stop cleaning.  DH says he'll take care of the window wells next weekend.  (This is why the windows didn't get caulked.  WHERE is that snake holed up?)
 

3) Keep working on daughter's cross stitch.
Closer to being finished!  I don't think I'll finish this by the end of next week!
 

4) Get load of stuff to Goodwill.
I have a corner filling with items from the basement, and will run them to Goodwill before Thanksgiving.
 

5) Clean out the chest freezer, use the old upright to store what is still edible while the chest freezer defrosts.
Whoops!  Not done yet, however I did finish cleaning out the chest freezer.  I need to shift and defrost this week.
 

6) Get the oil changed in the Honda.
 

7) Start looking for yarn for oldest child's sweater vest.
Well here's an interesting turn of events.  I didn't find yarn for the sweater, but I did find squares for a quilt for him that I started last year.  I had lost track of the squares and didn't know where they had ended up.  While cleaning out the basement, I found them carefully wrapped into a Ziploc bag, with the directions and a picture of what the final product should look like.  Hmmm... once I finish up daughter's cross stitch, I'll start working on this quilt.  I have no idea how long it's going to take me to get this done.   We'll see!
 

8) Get out and exercise 3 days this week.
 

9) Prime the birdhouses for daughter's Gold Award workshop this weekend.
The bird houses were primed, the workshop held, and it was a roaring DH handled the power tools, and he and daughter worked together to assemble the bird houses over the past month.  They built blue bird and wren houses.  She and I will be putting our three blue bird houses up around the house.  We have several others that we are going to attempt to place around the community in the coming weeks.
 

10) Set up a spaghetti garden in the back yard for next year.
The location has been found and staked out.  I'll start layering it over this coming week.

Goals for this coming week:
1) Continue working on daughter's cross stitch.
2) Caulk the windows.
3) Clean out the window wells.
4) Continue piling up the load to take to Goodwill.
5) Move stuff over to the tall freezer, defrost the chest freezer and clean it out.
6) Begin work on quilt for oldest child.
7) Get out and exercise 3 days this week.
8) Start layering the lasagna gardens in the front yard.
9) Cut up and steam the pumpkins for pies and breads.
10) Spend 15 minutes a day, twice in the basement cleaning up and sorting.

And one last thing:  Another girl from my Girl Scout Troop is hosting her Gold Award Project this weekend, on Saturday.  As leader, I will be there for her, cheering her on.  I'm so proud of these girls!

An Orca Escort

Picture from CNN, http://now.msn.com/orcas-surround-seattle-ferry-carrying-native-artifacts

 

Chief Seattle was the leader of the Suquamish Tribe in Washington State.  The current town of Seattle is named after him.  Chief Seattle is known for his wisdom, his courage, and his bravery.  He was a visionary leader of his people.  At a time when white settlers were moving into Puget Sound, he worked to establish trade with the new settlers. 

The relics of the Suquamish Indian tribe had been in Seattle for decades, on display where they could be seen, but not on their tribal lands.

In 2012, the Suquamish Tribe completed a new, state of the art, environmentally controlled museum to house their artifacts.

Earlier this week, the artifacts were moved from their old home in Seattle back to their ancestral home in Suquamish.

Along the way, the ferry carrying the relics across the sound was escorted by dozens of Orcas.  The reports I'm finding say 36 Orcas. 

How cool is that?



The links to the articles about this Orca Escort can be found here:

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/2655b0e10aed4dd090378b90eda0bb1c/WA--Puget-Sound-Orcas

http://now.msn.com/orcas-surround-seattle-ferry-carrying-native-artifacts


More about the Suquamish Indian Tribe and Chief Seattle can be found here:
http://www.suquamish.nsn.us/HistoryCulture.aspx

http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/buerge2.html

It's a Resource!

I spent a fun day subbing at one of my favorite schools this week.  I was subbing as a floater, so I got to roam in and out of classrooms all day long, supporting kids during the subjects where they struggle the most.

In the afternoon Math time, I was sent down to second grade, where I sat with my friend, T.  I've known T since kindergarten, and I adore this child.  He is smart, he is funny, he is witty.  Oh yeah, and he hates to write.

We were working through a worksheet he had, where he had to write out the number sentence and then solve the problem.  He knew the answers, and he would write the answers, but getting him to write the number sentence was a challenge. 

After much cajoling, we finally finished that paper, and then we looked at another paper.

I knew we were in trouble the moment I saw it.  It was a coloring page.  A math coloring page.  I'm sure you remember these.  The "picture" is divided into parts, and each part has an equation.  You have to solve the equation, and then match the answer to a color key located somewhere on the paper, and then color that part of the picture accordingly.

T hates, absolutely hates to color.  He stormed right through the page, and wrote down all of the answers right away.  But then, he got his stubborn on.  He had to color the sections of the picture.  His teacher was adamant about the pictures being colored in, and he was just as adamant that he was not going to do it.

I cajoled.

I begged. 

I promised a break down in the media center, where he could pick any book that he wanted.

I attempted to bribe him with a pencil.  Not just any pencil, a Halloween pencil.

Finally, a wicked grin spread across his face.

He pulled out his math folder.  ON the right side, the pocket was labeled "Work to be Finished".  The left pocket was labeled "Resources".  The resource side was filled with hundreds charts, a number line, and other nifty little Math resource papers.  He looked at me and declared "This is a resource.   Since this is a resource, I don't have to color it in.  I can come back and use it to help me solve other problems later on!"

He shoved the paper into the left pocket, and then looked triumphantly at me as his math group was called back to the table to work with his teacher.  Unfortunately, when he went back to his group, it was time for me to move on to another classroom.

Well played, T, well played.

ARGO

We watched the movie ARGO this evening.

This amazing movie is based on the real life events of the hostage situation in Iran in 1979-80.

I was a teenager, in high school during the Iran Hostage Crisis.  We were living in Northern Virginia at the time.  I vividly recall the yellow ribbons on all of the trees.  I recall the daily count of the days the hostages had been held, but I didn't recall all of the details of the crisis.

This film reminded me of the crisis, vividly reminded me of the crisis.  The deeper reasons behind the revolution, and why the United States was hated so deeply in Iran. 

Six employees of the embassy ran when the embassy was overrun.  They hid out in the Canadian Embassy.  Every day that went by, the hostages were in more danger of being discovered, and if they were found, they would be put to death.

A wild plot was hatched by the CIA to rescue the six hostages from under the noses of the Iranians.  A movie was planned that was never made.  Actors and Actresses were hired and ads were taken out in Variety Magazine.  A script was written, storyboards were made, and a fake office was set up in the studio offices.  Everything was put into place to make this fake movie believable.

This was an amazing movie.  I enjoyed every single minute of this edge of my seat thrill ride.  If you haven't yet seen ARGO, I urge you to take the time to watch it.  You'll be glad that you did!

The movie is based on the book,  Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History, which was written by the gentleman who engineered the escape: Antonio Mendez.

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