Almost There! #97 and #98

I'm almost to my goal of 100 books in 2008.

Chat by Archer Mayor

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
It's a good entry in the Joe Gunther series. I haven't read the Joe Gunther series in a while, so it was good to get re-acquainted. This was a gripping mystery-suspense up to the last few chapters where it seemed to lose steam. I enjoyed it anyway.


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Trojan Gold: A Vicky Bliss Mystery by Elizabeth Peters

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I am an ardent fan of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series, but I don't remember reading any novels featuring Vicky Bliss before. On the down side, this isn't the first book in the series, so there seemed to be a great deal of backstory that I've missed. On the up side, the book made me laugh in several places. It is a mystery-adventure, and there is murder and mayhem, but there's farce too. A nice escape!


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Mitts and More Mitts

Here's what I've been knitting this past week or so.



These are "child" size mitts, not meant for adult hands. They are knit of Mode Dea Sassy Stripes -- 2 pairs from one skein, with some left over, on size 5 dpns. The pattern is by Amanda Gill at Gaea Creations.


They join the larger family of previously knitted Princess Mitts:

A Couple of Things That Make It Worthwhile

I've been having a tough year so far at school, and some days I've been really wondering why I do the work I do. I was reminded today, on two different occasions, why I love my job, at least most of the time.

I have an open-door after school work/help session policy with my students. I invite kids to spend time with me after school to work on homework, get help, etc whenever they (or their parents) need to stay. I've made arrangements with one parent that her student will stay with me on Mondays. Student is not happy about it. While Student is very bright, and quite capable, school is not at the top of Student's list of priorities, and therefore instead of great grades, Student receives the dreaded average grade and the "not working to capacity" comment. Student is not concerned, but Parent is, and I too know Student could do better. So Student stays reluctantly. Yesterday I received one of those terrific notes from parents -the ones that don't come as often as we like. The parent thanked me for making this time available, and for continuing to push Student to excel. It's a rare treat lately for parents to commend us -- we've really been berated a lot lately for a number of things (that frankly are beyond our individual control). So that was the reminder #1 of why we do what we do.

The second reminder brought me to tears. A student from last year arrived in my room after school yesterday as I was feverishly trying to clean up, and I was also trying to get sub plans done since I will be at workshop on Monday. He was a student I really enjoyed having, and he usually stops by my room to say hi a couple of times a week. On this occasion he came in and started pouring his heart out to me. He was nervous about the holiday since it was the first big one since his parents' divorce. He shared with me that he'd been in therapy since the middle of last year (something I knew, but he didn't know I knew) and that although he hated going, he knew it was helping him a lot. He went on to tell me about all the things he liked about my classes, and told me that even though reading/language arts was not a subject he liked, I had made it interesting and fun, and "you picked good books for me to read." It was one of those conversations that make you know that you had really connected with a student. As I said, the tears were right there, and again, it was one of those rare moments where you know you've made a difference.

These moments go a very long way to help alleviate all the down sides of our jobs as teachers. And fortunately, these reminders come when I most need them. I am grateful for them!

Closing in on 100 --- #95 and #96

All Mortal Flesh: A Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery by Julia Spencer-Fleming

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another gripping read! And a zinger of an ending. I may have to break down and buy the hardcover of the next one because I don't think I want to wait for the paperback to be published.


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And the second book I just finished is:

The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a sequel to The Sea of Trolls, and it continues the story of Jack, an apprentice bard. This time his sister Lucy is kidnapped by the elves, and Jack's task is to rescue her. He meets some new allies -among them a Pict and some hobgoblins, and he discovers some startling truths about himself and his family. While I enjoyed this book, I liked the first one more. I will read the final installment when it's published, next spring, I believe.


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Mix, blend, stir, and shake!

A timely Friday Five from the RevGalPal blog.

1) Do you have a food processor? Can you recommend it? Which is to say, do you actually use it?

I have a Cuisinart food processor which I really like. I use it fairly frequently -- when I'm in a cooking mood. My life is so busy that we use many more "ready-to-go" so I don't need to use the processor as much.

2) And if so, do you use the fancy things on it? (Mine came with a mini-blender (used a lot and long ago broken) and these scary disks you used to julienne things (used once).)

I use several of the discs and blades. I used the shredder blade for cole slaw and to shred carrots, and I use the large blade for general processing.

3) Do you use a standing mixer? Or one of the hand-held varieties?

I have a Kitchen Aid standing mixer. I use it very frequently. I chose the brick red color. I even have the meat grinding attachment but I've never used that feature. It was free.


4) How about a blender? Do you have one? Use it much?

I don't have a blender anymore. It died. I did buy a handheld Oster puree machine which I like for soups.


5) Finally, what old-fashioned, non-electric kitchen tool do you enjoy using the most?
I use my pastry cutter a lot, and I also use my whisk several times a week.

Bonus: Is there a kitchen appliance or utensil you ONLY use at Thanksgiving or some other holiday? If so, what is it?

I use a cookie press at Christmas for "spritz" cookies.

Book #94

Someone asked me how I find time to read so many books. Well, I read everyday, even it's only for a few minutes. Since I eat breakfast alone, that's my prime reading time most days. I do read quickly, so as long as it's a novel, I can usually read a chapter with my coffee and breakfast. I also keep a book in the car. My husband and I go to our local wellness center three times a week. He meets me at school between 4:15 and 4:30, so about 4:15 I head out to my car and wait for him. That's another reading time. Sometimes I get to read during reading class too --- when I do reading workshop with the kids, I'll pull out my own book for 5-10 minutes, before I start conferencing with individuals.

Anyway, here's book # 94

To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have enjoyed all of the books in this series, so far, but I found this one to be the most gripping. The overall tone of the book feels a little darker in some ways, and yet some of the plot twists seemed almost farcical. the love affair between Rev. Claire and Russ is becoming more open, too, with a startling declaration at the end of the book. . . .


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I Needed This

Today was Veterans' Day, and we had no school. I needed today. I spend all weekend working --- about 7 hours on Saturday, and another 5 hours on Sunday. I had some grading to do, and a lot of prepping for my science classes. I also had to modify some spelling units for my IEP kids. And of course there was the business bookkeeping. That takes me about 10-15 hours a month, and of course, always coincides with my busy school weekends. Needless to say, I never got any down time this past weekend.

So today, I devoted to rest and recuperation. I played some Pathwords and Scramble on Facebook, I did some reading, I did a little laundry, and I did some knitting. I read a couple of wonderful blogs postings and articles about Veterans' Day too.

Here are two knitting projects. The first are the Princess Mitts from Clara Parkes' Book of Yarn. I used some Nashua Creative Focus Superwash.





The second project that I'm still working on is the Rainy Day scarf and I'm using Fiesta Swoon. That's a wool/silk blend, and it's really luxurious feeling.

A Finished Object

sylvan pleated scarf
Originally uploaded by dswgr6

I finished this scarf recently. It's a pattern from Green Mountain Spinnery done in their Sylvan Spirit. It was fun to knit, and I love the way it pleats.

Book #92 ( I think)

Stalking Ivory: A Jade Del Cameron Mystery by Suzanne Arruda

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second book in the series. I enjoyed it as much as the first. Jade Del Cameron is not your average travel writer and mystery solver. It's the 1920's and she's a former American WWI ambulance driver living at present in Africa. In this novel, Jade is attempting to photograph elephants in the wild, when she stumbles into ivory poachers and a plot to overthrow the Abyssinian government. Sam Featherstone, an American would-be movie maker, and former pilot, becomes her ally and potential romantic interest. Suzanne Arruda knows her time period, and evokes post-war Africa quite well.


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A Not-So-Wonderful-Week

Just some of the week's notable moments:

**Two parents publicly bashing our team in general, and some individual teachers specifically, saying we don't do enough for their children

**Recording an awful lot of D's and F's on report cards - due to the fact that some of our students refuse to do any work either in school or out of school

**Ten students (out of 19) not putting their names on their paper

**Only 30% of a class completed a reading assignment (10 pages in 2 nights)

**A student erased a note in his planner that Mom never saw


These are the kind of weeks that make me question whether or not I can make it another 5 years.

It kind of overshadowed the excitement and joy of the election.

Testing, testing

I love taking these quizzes! Must be the teacher in me. I'm never sure how accurate they are though, and sometimes the answer choices don't give an option I'm totally comfortable choosing. But this one was fun!

Your result for The Best Thing About You Test...

Intelligence

Intelligence is your strongest virtue

Intelligence (also called intellect) is an umbrella term used to describe a property of the mind that encompasses many related abilities, such as the capacities to reason, plan, and solve problems. And you? Your brain shines. All 7 virtues are a part of you, but your intelligence runs deepest.

It is likely you're a smarty-pants. And it's likely (but not necessary) that your discipline score is high also. It takes a certain resolve to maintain all those neural thingies.

Intelligent famous people: Einstein, Shakespeare, Da Vinci.

Your raw relative scores follow. 0% is low, and 100% is perfect, nearly impossible. Note that I pitted the virtues against each other, so in some way these are relative scores. It's impossible to score high on all of them, and a low score on one is just relatively low compared to the other virtues.

YOUR VIRTUES

40% Compassion

56% Intelligence

13% Humility

33% Honesty

50% Discipline

43% Courage

33% Passion

Take The Best Thing About You Test at HelloQuizzy

From Church to Knitting to Church -- All in A Weekend

I've been on overdrive since I got home from work Friday. Left school at 3:30 and did a few errands, ending up at the church to meet up with my co-worship planner for next Sunday. We are pastor-less right now --- our settled pastor left 2 years ago, and our interim resigned a month ago. Our search team has just put our profile out into the denomination, so we hope that in the next 2 or 3 months, we can find a new settled pastor. Meanwhile we either get a "supply" pastor, or create some lay=led services. Next Sunday is a one such laity service. It's Reformation Sunday, and we will also be acknowledging All Saints' Day a week early. (We're participating in a joint service on Nov 2nd with a neighbor church) So my co-planner and I spent almost 2 hours mapping out the service and locating resources. We decided early on to focus the children's moment on the gifts given to the church in memory of our previous "saints". We'll set up the communion table which was purchased in memory of a beloved deacon, and place various other gifts - candlesticks, lecturn Bible, carillon tapes, hymnals, etc. The joint sermon (which has yet to be written) will somehow tie the birthing of the Protestant church and our Puritan "saints" to all the "saints" and personal spiritual heroes we all have. We'll ask the congregation to write the name(s) of their own personal spiritual heroes on sticky notes, and bring them forward to stick on some beautiful posters from the church school curriculum of Moses, the apostles, and other spiritual leaders. Got home late and made myself a grilled cheese sandwich and soup for dinner since my husband wasn't home.

Saturday my Knitting Friend and I boarded a chartered bus for a 3 1/2 hour drive to Rhinebeck at 6:30 am. This was our first trip to the NY State Sheep and Wool Show, and we had a blast! The weather was chilly but otherwise perfect for a fall show. The place was mobbed too. I drooled over many skeins of hand-dyed yarn, especially the gorgeous skeins from Ellen's 1/2 Pint farm. But Knitting Friend and I have made a pact not to buy any yarn unless we have a specific project in mind. We both have a long, long queue of projects all set to knit, except for having the time to do it. I did buy an Addi Turbo lace needle, size 7, for a project I started but have been having problems with because I didn't have a sharp enough needle. I also bought a pattern from Foxfire Fibers where we met Melissa Morgan-Oakes which was really cool! This was our first time here, so we just really enjoyed the day. We got home about 10 pm, and then I had to do some typing for my husband who had to have it done before he left on business at 8 am this morning.

Today has been busy with church - I was lay reader, and then I had to moderate the church council meeting. That was an interesting experience, since I'd never done that before. (I was recently appointed as vice-moderator). And something happened today that I've never experienced. One of our older members fainted during the Prayers of the People. The guest pastor was wonderful as 911 was called, and the ambulance crew showed up. He kept everyone calm, led us in prayer for her and her family, and didn't blink an eye. We think she's all right, but they are going to be running some tests. Then, after church, I had to do the grocery shopping since my husband wasn't around to do it! So now after some relaxation, I have to start my school work for tomorrow. Definitely no rest for the weary.

So now it's time to do my homework, not to mention maybe some housework, and then it's time to start the whole workweek again!

A Very Pleasant Day Off

Today is a day off from school. The kids have today and Monday off, we teachers just have today. Today is also officially Teachers' Convention day. Years ago, it was a normal school day like any other. If you wanted to go to the teachers' convention, you had to take a prof. dev. day and get a sub. Teachers would go to the convention because it was one of the easiest ways to earn credit towards recertification. Apparently in the past, so many teachers asked for the day off, the district couldn't get enough substitutes. So it became a "workshop day" and teachers had to either attend in-district training or go to the convention. Kids had no school. Then in a convoluted set of contract negotiations, the day became a "float" day. You could choose to work as one of your contracted days, or you could take the day off, and work that day at the end of the school year. In another set of convoluted negotiations, the local educational association got the right to vote every year as to whether it was a workshop day, a normal school day, or a day off. For the past 5 years, the association has voted to take as a day off. However, we have to work on the official Columbus Day holiday. It makes no sense to me, because many of us have kids off Monday, or spouses off Monday, but we have to work. Our spouses are working today. Be that as it may, today was a very pleasant day.

I went shopping with a friend. We visited Cheshire Goldsmith, our favorite jewelry store, where she dropped off some earrings for repair work. We tried on several bracelets and I fell absolutely in love with a multi-colored sapphire tennis bracelet that I absolutely can't afford. I also found a gorgeous white gold and diamond bracelet that looked a bit like two strands of silver braided together which, although much less expensive, was also more than I can spend. But it doesn't hurt to dream. And I do have one or two treasures from that store that I have received as special anniversary gifts. I really like this family-owned store. They not only offer quality jewelry but super customer service. I inherited an antique ring that's too small for me. I took it into the shop to be resized. The owner told me that it couldn't be done without major risk of destroying the architecture of the ring. He also said that even if the resizing was successful, the alteration would devalue the its worth. I appreciated his honesty and so the ring is now in my safe deposit box for a future granddaughter or daughter in law. Next we visited a great yarn shop, The Knitting Knook. I went in to buy a needle, and came out with the needle, 3 skeins of Plymouth Suri Merino, and 2 tubes of beads to make a beaded scarf that we saw on display. We then headed to the local JC Penney's and took advantage of some great sales. Then it was on to Bed, Bath and Beyond and Borders, to use some gift certificates we both had. We enjoyed a relatively light lunch at the Olive Garden and then headed for the NH Liquor and Wine Outlet to stock up on our supplies. Aside from the fact that I always have a great time with my girlfriend, the only thing we bought that was an unplanned purchase was the yarn. And in our minds, that doesn't count!!! And everything else, including the wine, was on sale.

So, all in all, it was indeed, a very pleasant day off. And, I have 2 more days of weekend ahead!!

Good Thing, Considering I Have to Teach a 6th Grade Math Skills Group!

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Book #86, I think

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a terrific book that captures the middle school experience perfectly. It's written partially in cartoons and "hand printed" script, and is the story of Greg and his best friend Rowley. Told from Greg's first person point of view, the novel covers an entire school year. Greg shares his triumphs, disappointments, and most embarassing moments in a chatty format. There is lots of humor, and several of my students who have read the book, mentioned that they found it easy to identify with Greg. The cartoons "Greg" draws are very funny too!


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Friday at last!

Another week is done, and the weekend is finally here. It was a fairly calm week for a change. I am dealing with a couple of student issues, and progress reports had to be finished this week, but otherwise it's pretty much business as usual. Next week is a 4 day week, but 2 of the days are state testing. There's a lot of pressure on us because we're a school who didn't make AYP in math 2 years in a row.

This weekend will be busy --- bookkeeping for my husband's business, church - I'm in charge of communion this Sunday, and of course, the grading and planning. We're supposed to be going to a play tomorrow night, so that should be a fun evening with friends.

More later.

Knitting Content

 

These are the Francie Sock. I found the pattern here, and I really enjoyed knitting them. I used Valley Yarn's Huntington from WEBS. They are different -- there's a textured foot, and the gusset decreases were done from the bottom of the foot rather than from the instep. I knit them exactly as the pattern was written. I only did 1.5 repeats for the leg, and they fit perfectly. I wear an 8.5 wide shoe and have very thick ankles and calves. I haven't worn them yet as it hasn't been wool sock weather just yet, but I am looking forward to wearing them a lot.

Don't Read -- It's too depressing

It's been a long, exhausting, emotionally-draining, and spirit-deadening week. On Monday I was told that starting in mid October I will now have another prep -- this time, a math skills group to teach every day. It's not just me, all the teachers in my school will have to teach math skills during our mandated skills block. I guess that ordinarily I wouldn't fuss so much, but I'm already teaching 2 classes outside my area, and am spending most of my time prepping for a new curriculum area for me. I'm not sure where I'll fit the math prep in. I'm now teaching 2 science classes, 2 reading/language arts classes, and now will add the math class. I am certified as an elementary teacher, but I teach in a 6-8 middle school. For 15 years I've taught reading/language arts and social studies --- my specialty areas, and in addition to my elementary certification, I'm HQT in both. Math isn't my strong suit, but I did take 4 college math courses, plus my math methods course, so at least I feel comfortable with doing that. But we have teachers who hold secondary certification in social studies or language art who have NEVER taught math, so they are spooked!

We also had to deal with the sudden death of an elementary student in one of the district schools. We live in a small community so that hits us all hard. Last winter a high school student died in an accident, and then we had a middle school student die from flu complications last spring. So this week took quite a toll on many of us emotionally.

And then of course, all the usual stuff --- too much paperwork, too much grading, too many students needing too much attention. It wears you down, sometimes.

Book #80

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Laugh out loud funny, and yet there is an undertone of sadness. My 6th graders love this book which I'm reading to them now as a read-aloud. Joey had ADHD and is constantly getting into trouble in school. Quite accidentally he injures another student and is sent to a special school "to learn how to behave." The sadness for me, comes from the fact that so many of our kids today face the realities that Joey faces -- a single parent, dysfunctional family life, alcoholic parents. Yet Jack Gantos handles these realities with a light touch, and kids can identify with Joey who sometimes feels like a warm Coke bottle that has been shaken up and might burst. (a paraphrase, since my copy of the book is at school.) It elicits some good discussion about special ed programs too.






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Back to School Friday Five -- even if it's Sunday

From the RevGalPals
It's time for a Back-To-School Friday Five!

1. Is anyone going back to school, as a student or teacher, at your house? How's it going so far?

I'm a teacher so I am back to school as usual. It's been a tougher than usual return. I'm in a new room, with a new teaching partner (who is terrific, thank goodness!) and I'm teaching a whole new subject for me. I've always taught social studies and reading/language arts. This year I'm teaching science and reading/language arts. I'm not happy about the change, and I'm really struggling with not teaching my favorite subject in the world. And I'm also struggling with teaching a subject I don't know very well. We also have a new schedule including a Skills block to prep for, as well as new curriculum for our Academy block. Too many new things over which I have no control. The kids are really nice, but VERY needy academically and socially.

2. Were you glad or sad when back-to-school time came as a kid?

I always loved school! While I loved vacation, I loved being in school as much.

3. Did your family of origin have any rituals to mark this time of year? How about now?
When I was really young, my mom took "back to school" pictures of us, dressed in our new clothes. She continued with this tradition, probably til my youngest sibling (11 years younger than me) went to first grade.

4. Favorite memories of back-to-school outfits, lunchboxes, etc?

I remember a gorgeous maroon and plaid flannel dress I wore the first day of 4th grade. I loved the dress and insisted on wearing it on my first day in a new school in the community we'd just moved to. However, as is usual, that first day was about 90 ° and I roasted. I also got off at the wrong bus stop (1st time I'd ridden a school bus) and had to walk about 3 miles home in the heat. I always had a new lunchbox, too, with a thermos. I kind of miss the old metal lunchboxes!

I also remember wearing rubber boots and rubbers to school on rainy days. Remember the sucking sound your rubbers made as you tried to pull them off your shoes?? I graduated high school in 1972, so we weren't allowed to wear pants for almost all of my school years. I think pants began to be allowed when I was a junior in high school.

5. What was your best year of school?

I think I'd have to say freshman and sophomore years of high school. I'd found a niche with a small group of friends - kind of nerdy but not techno-nerd, rather more like literature nerds. We spent our free time in the library, writing notes to each other in Elvish, and spouting great bits of 1776, Shakespeare, and Ray Bradbury at each other. . . .

School Daze

We've completed 7 days of school. Of course, we've had 7 brilliantly sunny, warm, gorgeous days --- after a summer of rain, rain, and more rain. That's usually what happens. The first September of retirement (2014?) I plan to take a vacation sometime during the first or 2nd week of school because I can count on great weather!



I'm settling into my new classroom. There's more floor space than I expected, and the room is actually almost square shaped. I have one wall of solid windows, another wall of fake whiteboard (shower stall sheets) and 2 cinder block walls. There is no storage space of any kind, so I have a collection of scavenged bookshelves, tables, and crates, some filing cabinets, and lots of boxes under tables. The biggest challenge right now is the fact the windows are south-facing and there are no shades. It's so bright that I can't use any sort of projection device which totally changes how I teach. Plus, it's hot. I've been keeping track of the heat because we just spent almost $10 million to build an addition, renovate existing space, and upgrade ventilation systems. Only 2 of my windows open. On Thursday, at 6:15 am my classroom was 78°F -- and I'd purposely left my windows open overnight. By 8 am my classroom was 85°F and at noon it was 89°. And that reading comes from the wall thermostat on the hallway side of my room where the direct sun doesn't reach. The cheap thermometer I bought at the dollar store on Tuesday over by the window side of my room was 5-7° warmer at any given time. On the positive side, I made administration aware of the problem, and they're trying to resolve it. I just wish the architect had asked the teachers who inhabit the classrooms what they needed!



Monday is science lab experience #1 for me. It's an easy experiment, but it's the first time I've ever done a lab with kids. I don't need a lot of materials -- ice, hot water, thermometers. I got creative --- since I don't have a sink in my room, I brought in a large coffee urn to heat the water, and I will bring in a small cooler with ice. I have a bucket to fill from the sink in the hall. So all I have to do is set up the 5 lab stations for each class, instruct the kids on safety procedures, and then . . . have at it! Wish me luck!

I just finished looking over assessment data on my kids, and I realized I have to have 3 spelling groups this year. About half my kids can use the regular 6th grade spelling program, but I will have to either greatly modify the program for about 1/4 of them or find something else for them. The other 1/4 will need something quite advanced -- I'll probably have them use a vocabulary program I have. They are above grade level by 3-5 years, while the lower group is 3 years below grade level. I'm teaching 2 sections of reading/language arts this year so I'm dealing with just under 40 kids. I run a reading workshop in my classroom, so it's a little easier to differentiate the reading than it is the "formal" spelling. What's tricky for me this year is that I have only 50 minutes daily to teach reading, writing, and spelling.

Oh and finally --- a sight that probably won't be seen again soon -- a clean desk!

What's for Dinner? A Food Meme

I found this at Cathy's Grace Notes:

This is fun, and everybody's doing it. Andrew put together a list of 100 foods he thinks any good omnivore should have tried at least once. Andrew is British, so his list doesn't include some things this Yank might believe to be must-tries.


How the Omnivore's 100 works:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.

2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.

3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

4) Optional: Post a comment at Very Good Taste, linking to your results.

My theory is: I'll try anything once.

MY OMNIVORE'S 100

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (I have had alligator, though)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PBJ sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (rhubarb, and black current wine, most recently)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (not the cigar, though)
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat, (grilled, though, not curried)
42. Whole insects (I'm sure I've eaten parts, not purposely!)
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV Oh, yes, try 14%
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. kaolin -
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (how 'bout all of them?)
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers(nasturtiums, violets, pansies, roses)
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

What about you?

I Finished my Nantucket Jacket

It took me just over one month to knit this:



This is Norah Gaughan's Nantucket Jacket. I really enjoyed knitting this. It was actually easy. The fit is pretty good. As usual the shoulders are a bit too wide, but everything else is good. This next photo isn't a good one -- the jacket kept swinging as I tried to photo myself. Someday when there's another photographer around, I'll try to get a better picture.



While I really like the double crochet scalloping along the collar, I don't like it all the way down the front. I think I will redo the edging, leaving the sides with just a single crochet edging. The colors are little grayer in the picture than in real life.

Friday Five - On Saturday Morning

From the RevGalBlogPals, courtesy of RevSongbird:
Here are five things to ponder about dates. I hope you'll play!

1) Datebooks--how do you keep track of your appointments? Electronically? On paper? Month at a glance? Week at a glance?

I mostly keep dates in my head. This is getting a little more difficult as I age. I also use a little pocket calendar that I get courtesy of my local education association. At home we have a regular wall calendar with boxes big enough to write on. I love searching for the perfect calendar - it has to have beautiful photography, and the photos have to suit both my husband and me. So no tractors or trucks, no joky or cartoons, no advertising, etc. I usually go with wonderful travel photography, national parks, flowers, or my favorite - a calendar featuring a Psalm quotation and a photo of God's glorious creation. I used to use a Palm Pilot, but then forgot to look at it. For school, I use my plan book to note things like assemblies, field trips and deadlines.

2) When was the last time you forgot an important date?

Last spring. I totally spaced a meeting of the local education association executive board. I finished up at school earlier than usual, and decided to take advantage of the "free" time, and went home early for a change.

3) When was the last time you went OUT on a date?
Date? What's that? To be honest, my husband and I never dated, if you can believe that! We met in college and spent a lot of time together as part of a group. None of my friends had a car on campus. He was a couple of years older, working on campus, and he had a pickup truck. He used to take a bunch of us out on Saturdays to a local pizza place. He and I spent a lot of time talking on the phone, getting to know each other that way. We joke that our first date was after we got married and went to a movie together. I guess I could say that the last time we went "out on a date" was last May when we went to see the newest Indiana Jones movie. If you asked my husband, he'd say our last date was grocery shopping together though.

4) Name one accessory or item of clothing you love even though it is dated.

I have a pair of culottes that I live in when it's hot. I have no idea how old they are, but definitely in the 10-15 years old era. I also have a knit dress that is equally as old, but doesn't look dated. It's got an empire waist, and is sort of A-line with short sleeves. I love this dress, but it's wearing out. It's very flattering too --- looks great when I'm thinner, but still looks good when I'm not-thinner.

5) Dates--the fruit--can't live with 'em? Or can't live without 'em?

I LOVE DATES! My mom used to make the best date bars, but I can't find her recipe. We used to have stuffed dates at Christmas too -- stuffed with cream cheese and/or walnuts.

Tick, tick, tick . . . .

The hours of "freedom" are speeding by. The freedom of setting my own schedule, dawdling in the morning, staying up late if I choose to, sitting on the porch knitting in the afternoon, are over as of tomorrow. It's back to the hectic routine - leaving the house at 6:30 am and returning at 6:30 pm. Then the chores, then phone calls to parents, then maybe a really short knitting session before I head to bed to start all over again. I will miss the summer.

We were finally allowed back in the building this past week. Due to renovation and construction, the building has been off limits all summer. I spent 3 days of my free time this past week - 3 glorious, sunny, warm, beautiful days -- in my classroom trying to make sense of a new space with no storage. The room itself is decently sized, and it's a regular, almost square room, with lots of natural light. I get the sun from dawn to just after noon, so it's quite a warm room. We have brand new windows too, across an entire wall; however in their infinite wisdom, only 2 of them open. At 2:30 Friday afternoon, I'd managed to unpack and arrange the last of the boxes. At 2:35 Friday afternoon, 11 more boxes that had been in storage since January, arrived. I have no place for the materials in these boxes. Two of them I pawned off on another teacher since they contained resources for a subject I won't be teaching this year. (More about that later). Two of them I lugged down to my car since the contents contained personal items I had collected for the subject I won't be teaching. The rest contain project supplies --- beads, feathers, cellophane paper, clay, paints, etc. I have to find storage for these items. One of my grade level teachers in the other wing has offered me some shelf space in her closet but unfortunately the boxes are too big for the shelf. I will have to unpack them. I don't know when this will happen. Monday is our first contracted day and most of it is scheduled with meetings. Monday night is the annual ice cream social for our incoming students and families. Tuesday has more meetings/trainings scheduled and then the students arrive on Wednesday. I haven't had time to even consider the 'decoration and beautification" of my space --- it's all business right now.

I'm more stressed out over the fact that I am teaching a new subject this year instead of the subject I love, trained for, and have taught for 15 years. I haven't been trained in the new subject, and do not have the background or wealth of knowledge that the students deserve. I will truly be "one step ahead" of my students this year and that makes me genuinely sad and unhappy. I will do my best, but I fear my students will be short-changed. I'd be happier about this if I had had the chance to discuss this with administration, but that never happened. The overriding concern was that it was decided that "small learning communities" are better for the students, even if it means 3 of us are teaching outside our areas of expertise. On the plus side, I am thrilled to be working with the teacher I'm going to be teamed with. He's a really good guy and great teacher. He's young enough to be my son so our kids will get the benefit of two generations!

So as the year starts, I'm not a happy camper. I am trying to get over the negativity though, and I do look forward to meeting all my new students! I could use a few prayers and good thoughts sent my way though!

The Final Countdown

The last week before school starts is here. It's incredible how slowly the last weeks of school creep by, and how quickly the last weeks of summer fly by. (Sort of like Mike Phelps!)

I haven't accomplished many of my summer goals. My house still is completely unorganized, I've lost control again with my diet, we still don't have a home office/library set up. . . . but I did get some knitting accomplished and oh, how I've read. I've kind of lost track of what # book I'm on. I think I just finished #73. I've got my complete list of 2008 books here at Goodreads. The weather this summer has been extremely wet, and relatively cool. We've had a only a few unbearably hot, humid days so I am grateful for that. We've had over 30 days of heavy rain though since June 1st which is really unusual. Normally we get around 45 inches of rain per year, and in mid July we'd already reached almost 40!

So this week looks rather busy:

1. A day trip with a good friend to Green Mountain Spinnery, Basketville/Putney Winery, and L.A. Burdick - yarn, wine, chocolate, what could be better? These are all in the same neck of the woods, and only about 45 minutes from where I live.

2. Into school to start unpacking the boxes that have been moved to my new room. Our school has undergone major construction and renovation, and I had to move out my wonderfully spacious, though oddly shaped room last April to one of the brandnew huge classrooms, and then repack for a move to a freshly painted, tiny "old" classroom with absolutely no storage. Not only to I have to unpack, I have to figure out how to set up this classroom for maximum efficiency. I will be teaching language arts (as I've done for the last 15 years, and science which I taught once 16 years ago at another grade level.) I have no science supplies, and tons of social studies resources which I will have to sort through, passing on the school bought resources to the teacher who is teaching social studies for the first time. This change is not of my choosing at all! This will probably consume most of my free mornings this week.

3. A new teacher luncheon/workshop on Thursday is on tap. I'm part of the local education association executive board and will help host the new teachers and help them understand the benefits of joining the association.

4. I have to get a copy of the science curriculum and GLE's (grade level expectations) and familarize myself with the textbook. And somehow figure out what I'm doing with science. Of course, I have to start planning the details for the activities of the first 2 weeks of school. We have a general outline, but I have to nail down the specifics of things like "Getting to Know You" activities, preparation for our first field trip on Sept. 3rd, and introducing our 6th graders to the middle school.

5. Finish my Nantucket jacket, block it, sew it together, and hope it fits! I've got one more sleeve to do.

6. Assist my husband with last-minute administrative details for his start of the school year. I do the bookkeeping and secretarial work for his school transportation company. In my free time, of course!


So, all in all, a busy week.

The Girl with No Shadow - #69

Wow!! What a novel!

The Girl with No Shadow: A Novel by Joanne Harris

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is definitely one of my "best books." It's a sequel to Chocolat, picking up the story of Vianne Rocher. She's in Paris now, in a new identity, and she has abandoned her magic, and instead has concentrated on "fitting in." Into her carefully constructed life, comes Zozie de L'Alba who turns everything on its head with her hurricane life. Joanne Harris tells the story from 3 viewpoints - Vianne, Zozie, and Anouk, and weaves an intricate tale. Identity and seduction are the main themes. What are the costs of living as your true self? The costs of living a lie? What is worth having? What is true safety? There are several threads woven into this story: mother/daughter conflict; adolescent rebellion; a love triangle; identity theft. Joanne Harris descriptions of the Montmartre neighborhood bring it to life, and I could smell and taste every confectionery, as well as see the cobblestoned streets, and Zozie's bright red seductive shoes. I didn't "read" this book however, I listened to the Harper Audio version. I honestly think that I experienced this book more deeply listening to it than if I had read it. Listening forced me to slow down . . . I couldn't set the pace myself. Sometimes I think I miss subtle nuances when I read because I read so quickly. I know that I have a very well-constructed and fleshed-out visualization of the setting, and if I could draw, I could create a vivid picture of the chocolaterie and the Montmarte neighborhood. This is making me think about how I teach reading in my classroom. I've always done a lot of read aloud, and knew it had value beyond sharing a story.


View all my reviews.

Book #67 and #68, I think

I read 2 more Aunt Dimity books this week. I'm still listening to The Girl with No Shadow which I hope to finish later today ---- Here's some commentary about one of the aunt Dimity's.

Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Aunt Dimity's Death is the first book in a long series of cozy mysteries. Actually "mysteries" is probably not quite accurate. The stories are more like puzzles that the protagonist, Lori Shepherd sets out to solve. So far, only one of the books involves a possible homicide. Most of them seem to involve tracing missing relatives. I finally found this first installment in a used bookshop and read it after reading about half of the series. It didn't seem to matter. I enjoyed the "back story" as it were of how Lori and Dimity "got acquainted." If you haven't read this series, you need to know that Aunt Dimity isn't really Lori's aunt, and in fact, Dimity is dead. She is a spirit who communicates with Lori through a journal, giving her advice and suggestions. Lori inherited Dimity's cottage in the Cotswolds, as well as Dimity's Westwood Trust that supports a huge charitable empire. These books are full of gentle humor, "slice of life" episodes, and I find them thoroughly enjoyable.


View all my reviews.


The 2nd Aunt Dimity book was this one:
Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin by Nancy Atherton

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love the Aunt Dimity books by Nancy Atherton. They are gentle stories, with humor and just enough puzzle to keep me reading. I haven't been able to find all of them at my library and I've been reading them out of order. But I don't think it matters. Aunt Dimity is actually a spirit who communicates to her adopted niece, Lori, through an old journal. Lori is an American who inherited Dimity's cottage (and fortune) in the Cotswolds and lives there with her American lawyer husband and their twin boys. Nancy Atherton, the author, depicts village life with its positives and negatives, and also creates a not-quite-so-perfect heroine. They are somewhat formulaic, but that's part of the appeal! This particular addition has a main character who dies early in the book, leaving a puzzle for Lori to solve. It seems very like the first book in the series which introduces all the characters.


View all my reviews.

Veggie Goodness

I planted a small garden this summer as I do almost every summer - cherry tomatoes, some large tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, pickling cukes, and green beans. The last few years, I've planted mostly in vain, and this year started off in a similar pattern. I planted beans 3 times only to have the deer consume all the tender young leaves. Then the rain came, and came, and came. Meanwhile, a CSA farm (Community Supported Agriculture) was started a few miles down the road from us. All early spring we watched former pasture transformed into rows of neatly trellised peas, orderly greens, broccoli, etc. One day there was an article in the local paper describing the farm, and a contact number. To make a long story short, we paid for a share in the farm, and now every Friday, I receive an overflowing bushel basket of the week's harvest. Meanwhile... back at the ranch . . . (there was a kids' book my sons loved that used that repetive phrase) my usually ailing garden took on new life and is producing cukes and squash and tomatoes in the blink of an eye. So, . . between the two veggie sources, my larder is stuffed.

In my CSA basket this week I received the largest head of green cabbage I've ever seen. It must weigh 10 pounds. I also got a smaller head of red cabbage, several eggplants, jalapeno peppers, a bunch of carrots,3 green peppers, 2 heads of leaf lettuce, a pound of green beans, 4 large tomatoes, a basket of cherry tomatoes, a huge bunch of kale, 10 heads of garlic, a small personal watermelon, more pickling cukes, and yellow squash. . . oh and cilantro, basil, and curly parsley. In my garden this morning I found 2 baseball bat sized zucchini (from my ONE zucchini plant) 2 baskets of cherry tomatoes, a dozen pickling cukes, and about 7 string beans. I gave my neighbor some of the tomatoes, some cukes, and half my head of cabbage!

Needless to say we are enjoying this great bounty!

A great cole slaw recipe: This fills a 13 cup square GLADware container.

Quantity of stuff is variable! I do this in my food processor with the thin shredding blade for the cabbage, and the small grating blade for the rest.

Shredded cabbage (about a medium head of cabbage)
2 shredded carrots
1/2 of a large Vidalia onion shredded

Mix in a large bowl or container.

Dressing: (I start with these quantities and adjust seasoning to taste)

In a small bowl or measuring cup:
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup buttermilk

OR 1/2 cup half and half

Add 2 tbs white wine vinegar and 2 tbs fresh lemon juice.

Let stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk together until thick and foamy.

While it's standing:
Mix together:

1/2 cup real mayonnaise (not the light version)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp celery seed

Combine milk mixture with mayo mixture and whisk together. Adjust sweetness by adding more sugar, tartness by adding more vinegar or lemon juice, and thickness by adding more mayo ---whatever suits your palate! Pour over cabbage mixture and thoroughly mix salad. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

Enjoy!!

Does anyone have any good eggplant recipes? I've grilled it and sauted it, and baked it so far.

Taking Stock

It's hard to believe that in 2 weeks, the school year starts again. Summers just seem to get shorter and shorter and shorter. We've had a lot of bad weather this summer too. According to the local news, it rained 17 days in June, 16 days in July, and so far, it's rained 5 days in August. Definitely a wet summer, with not a lot of sun.

I haven't accomplished much in the way of organizing my house or de-cluttering it, either. I have done a lot of reading and knitting, which are both ways I de-stress. Unfortunately, I've had a lot to de-stress about. For most of the summer we were on pins and needles as to what was going to happen on our team at school. That decision was made, and now I'm stressing over the fact that I can't teach what I'm good at teaching (and qualified to teach!) and I will be teaching a major content area that I'm not qualified to teach. What's really making me nuts right now is that I don't even have access to the textbook til the end of this coming week!

Yesterday marked the 3rd anniversary of my mom's death. Three years ago I spent my summer caring for her during her final days at her home in another state. My husband stayed here, and I spent the summer 1000 miles away. I feel blessed that I was able to give my mom the gift of being able to die at home, supported by her children. I really miss my mom -- I still catch myself heading to the phone on Saturday mornings to tell her about a book she has to read, or to ask for advice on what to do with the mountain of cabbage and eggplant I received in my CSA share this week. And there have been lots of reminders of her this week -- from the mountain of veggies that she always knew how to can or freeze, to finding a copy of a book by one of her favorite authors featured on the "favorites" shelf at the library.

I had my annual physical and eye exam this week too. A mix of positives and negatives. Positives include the fact that my glucose levels are better than they've been, my good cholesterol is REALLY good, and my blood pressure is really good. Negatives include the fact that my weight hasn't budged, my bad cholesterol hasn't changed, and I need a new prescription for my glasses. That means new frames too, since they can't use my existing frames for my new lenses. I hate trying to pick out new frames too. My husband was out of state on business, so I had to rely on the office staff at the eye doctors and my own sense of what looks good to pick out new frames. I hope I chose wisely --- the office staff was split on the 3 frames I narrowed it down to! I went with the first pair I'd tried on and kept coming back to. They were the cheaper frames too. Now I just need to get a decent hair cut and color and I should be set!

#65 Another Middle School Novel

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this novel. It deals with some serious ideas -- media control, "big brother is watching", etc. It reminded me a bit of the Wrinkle in Time trilogy, particularly when Charles Wallace is on Camzosz(sp?) I don't think it will have wide appeal to my students; while there is quite a bit of action, it's long, has an involved plot, and is definitely written for very strong readers. I will be interested in reading the subsequent novels in the series.


View all my reviews.

#64

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a good story that compelled me to spend the better part of a weekend reading it. I thought the author evoked the time period and the circus setting well. Circuses have always attracted me and repelled me,almost simultaneously, and I had a similar reaction to the book. Although I am quite biblically literate, I found no parallels to the Jacob story. I liked the way the story was told, from Jacob's perspective at the end of his life, and I loved the relationship that developed between Jacob and Rosemary.


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Changes

It's August and in my world it feels like Sunday night. School starts for me in 3 weeks and as a teacher I always feel that July is Saturday morning with the whole long weekend ahead, while August . . .well August is the "tomorrow is back to school" feeling. It's been an unsettling summer as far as school is concerned. When I left in June, there were 7 teachers on my team. As of this week, there are only 6. Due to low enrollments and fears of fuel costs, a teacher has been moved to another grade level. The teacher that was moved was my teaching partner which left me dangling. I am now going to teach with a wonderful young man. I was his mentor the first year he taught, and he has grown into an amazing teacher. So far so good. The downside to this is that I have to give up teaching the one subject that I love with my whole being, and teach a subject that I only tolerate. For all of my teaching career, I've taught social studies and was instrumental in changing the curriculum emphasis to ancient civilizations. I have built up a huge library of resources with my own money, and in fact had just purchased some great books for my Mesopotamia unit (with my money, of course.) I have always identified myself as a social studies teacher first and foremost. Now I'm not. I have to teach science (which I have done in the past) but I just don't love it. On top of this, I have to familiarize myself with the curriculum in just 3 weeks. To make it even more unsettling, I can't get into the building to get the textbook or materials until at least August 15th due to construction. I have contacted the other science teachers at my grade level who assure me that I will have no problems, but nobody has a textbook at home. I will also be teaching language arts, which I do enjoy, so it's not a total loss, but I feel like my identity has been ripped away. I keep telling myself, it will be okay, but I don't believe it yet.

So, three weeks left . . . .

Book #63

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Theodosia Throckmorton is a plucky heroine who must attempt to to save the British Empire from an evil Egyptian curse. I really enjoyed this adventure and I think that a lot of my 6th graders will enjoy it also. There is a sly humor about the writing that appealed to me, reminding me a tiny bit of the Lemony Snicket books. I also like the fact that Theodosia is a strong female character who does what she feels she has to do, even if she doesn't want to do it. I will be interested to read more of this author's books in the series.


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Book #62

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Percy Jackson's story continues in this fourth installment. It's another exciting adventure that will appeal to my students. This time Rick Riordan focuses on the myths of Daedalus, King Minos, and the labyrinth. The tension of the series builds also, as characters from previous books return and are more heavily involved in the overall quest to save Olympus. And there is a startling resolution to one character's quest!


View all my reviews.

More Books

I've been reading up a storm over the last 2 weeks. Nothing heavy however. I've surpassed my goal of reading 50 books and am now working on reading 100 books this year. These represent books 55 -61.

First up are 2 more Aunt Dimity books by Nancy Atherton, Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil and Aunt Dimity: Detective. This series is thoroughly enjoyable. Lori is an American woman who inherits an English cottage from her mother's best friend Aunt Dimity. Aunt Dimity still inhabits the cottage in an old journal through which she communicates. Lori solves mysteries with the help of Aunt Dimity's advice. I'd class these in the "cozy mystery" genre and I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

Next are 2 books in the Elm Creek Quilt series by Jennifer Chiaverini series: The New Year's Quilt, and The Winding Ways Quilt. I also enjoy this series - it's gentle storytelling, although by this time the books are also pretty formulaic and predictable. I listened to The Winding Ways Quilt, and thought it was perfect as an audio book. This book tells the "back story" of most of the supporting characters, and each story was very engrossing. In fact, several times I got so lost in a particular character's story, I forgot I was listening to a book.

The Weaver and the Factory Maid is the first book in a series by Deborah Grabien. Ringan Laine has moved into a cottage that is haunted and he and his girlfriend figure out how to lay the ghosts to rest. Each of her books is named for a traditional English folk ballad, and the story is based on the story told in the ballad. It was quite an interesting read.

The Amethyst Heart by Penelope Stokes was next. The story was trite, and the author's heavy-handed proselytizing was annoying. I think the best Christian fiction makes its point without preaching.

The next book I finished was Home by Julie Andrews. I enjoyed this memoir but was disappointed that it ended with Mary Poppins. She had a very difficult childhood, but she persevered. I was interested in her accounts of the difficulties she's had with her voice - I guess I never realized just how difficult it can be to sing professionally.

Finally, there's Twilight, by Stephanie Meyers. Since most of the girls in my classes were reading this book last spring, I decided to read it myself. I can certainly understand why they're attracted. I didn't hate it, but I can't say I love it. It was too long, and dragged out, and frankly, I got bored about half way through. I won't put it on my classroom shelf, because while there's no explicit sex in it, it teeters on the edge. I didn't find it objectionable as an adult, and I think for older teens it's not objectionable. I don't think 11 and 12 year girls need any more titillation that is already out there. I put in the category of it's okay with me if you read it, but I'm not going to give it to you.

Finally - A ME ME MEME

I've been slow to respond to this meme after being tagged by Cathy. Too many thunderstorms kept me off the 'net!

Here are the rules:

1. List these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.

** I went to Cuba when I was 13 months old! I have no memory of this trip, but there are lots of pictures. I look like I was having fun most of the time. We were visiting my father's family.

** I spend most of my free time knitting, reading, or on the internet. Occasionally I do housework, but only when necessary!!

**I have lived in CT, NJ, OH, CT again, with summers in IN, and in NH for the past 32 years.

** I chartered a sailboat for our 25th wedding anniversary. We invited my cousin and his wife to join us, and we spent 10 days sailing the British Virgin Islands in the sailboat. It came with a captain and a cook! We spent most of our time snorkeling.

** I've worked at Burger King, as a library page, as a switchboard operator, a church secretary, an office manager, a bank teller, a bookkeeper, a special ed paraprofessional, and for the last 14 years as a 6th grade teacher. When I retire from teaching, I'd like to work as a church secretary again. I really liked being a switchboard operator too - back when you wore headphones, and actually plugged wires into the switchboard!

** I almost failed algebra in 8th grade. I got a D on the final exam only because my teacher took pity on me! I aced geometry though, freshman year, and actually ended up taking algeba 2, analytic geometry and trigonometry, and calculus. I even took a college calculus class and 2 other math classes in college. The only math I really understood though was geometry and game theory!! I'm good at memorizing algorithms and formulas!

** I was married jointly by my UCC pastor and a rabbi in an interfaith wedding. We married in the DAR Chapter House where the women in my family were members. The best man was Roman Catholic, my maid of honor was American Baptist, my bridesmaids were Presbyterian, and my musicians belonged to a Swedish Covenant church. I've always said we were multiply blessed! We actually got married twice in the same ceremony - both clergy did their complete liturgies!

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.


Here are a few people I'm tagging- lots of other have already been tagged. If you would like to join the fun, feel free, and let me know!

Panhandle Portals
NH Knitting Mama
Songbird

Friday Five- What's In a Name?

If you are a regular reader of Songbird's blog, you know that "The Princess" has requested a new name. Her older brother changed his "secret identity" a while back and now this lovely young lady is searching for a new name on her mother's blog. This got me to thinking. How do we come up with all of these names? There must be at least a few good stories out there.



1. So how did you come up with your blogging name? And/or the name of your blog?

I knit. I teach. Therefore knitnteach. I've used dswgr6 from the start of my email/internet experience. My initials and grade 6 combined. Not very original.

2. Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there?
Not really. I don't identify people by name, usually just by identity - i.e. my husband, elder son, younger son, and knitting buddy. I keep thinking I ought to think of clever code names, but never quite get around to it.

3. What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun?

Blog names that have attracted me and kept me as a reader:
Knitting & Other Nonsense in Edith's House
Possible Water
Don't Eat Alone


4. What three blogs are
you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals blog of course!

Blogs I read daily include a number of the RGP blogs - you probably know who you are, plus
The Yarn Harlot, of course,
Don't Eat Alone
Panhandle Portals

and it's not a blog but I check in daily with a number of groups on Ravelry.

5. Who introduced you to the world of blogging and why?


I don't remember! Probably the Yarn Harlot, and Cathy's Grace Notes. I found these blogs early on and decided I wanted to blog too!

Bonus question: Have you ever met any of your blogging friends? Where are some of the places you've met these fun folks?

No, I haven't --Yet! I'd love to meet up with them.

A Lazy Week?

I can't say there are too many VISIBLE accomplishments this week. I did finish my Lace Ribbon scarf - or at least finished the knitting. I have to block it but need to borrow my knitting buddy's blocking board, and she's in Los Angeles visiting her son. (And yes, for those of you who read my blog, her son and my son hang out together sometimes - in fact, 2 of my son's housemates are kids he grew up with here in our little NH town.) Anyway. Mostly I relaxed and I can't tell you how good that feels. I've been staying up til midway through the 11 pm news, knitting while I've watched DVD's of Dark Shadows (a gothic soap I adored as a teenager), Battlestar Galactica season 1, or season 1 of Deadwood. During the day, I've gone to the Wellness Center to get in my required exercise, puttered in my garden/yard, read, and listened to audio books while I've sat on my porch and knitted. Yesterday I started this, my new knitting project.

Nantucket Jacket
Originally uploaded by dswgr6

It's Norah Gaughan's Nantucket Jacket. I'm using Berroco Pure Merino in a periwinkly blue. The yarn is so soft and springy and the pattern is just challenging enough to be interesting without being frustrating. Not exactly mindless knitting, but very enjoyable. I'm listening to Winding Ways Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini, and it's a perfect foil to my knitting. So, while I haven't accomplished some of the goals I've set myself for the summer (organizing my house, repapering a bedroom, etc.) I'm doing a great job on the biggest goal --- relaxing and recharging.

Books #52-54

The first book I read was Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica. This is a middle school novel set in Boston and NYC. Molly's mom has died and she is living with her mom's best friend in Boston. Just before her never-married mom died, Molly found out that her dad was the star of the Boston Celtics. Molly's mission is to convince the MVP that he is indeed her father. This book was well-written, though from my point of view, predictable. I think my 6th grade girls especially will find it engrossing. I'm considering using it this year along with another Lupica book Heat.

On the adult side, I read Rumer Godden's Coromandel Sea Change. This is one of hers I hadn't read before. It takes place in India, probably in the 1950's. I found the plot a bit dated, but the writing is wonderful.

Finally, I LISTENED to Janet Evanovich's Fearless Fourteen. I wanted to knit on my porch and I wanted to read. Voila! Audio books. I enjoyed the experience, but wish I had read the book instead of listened to it. Because this is a series that I love, and have read, I have developed very strong character visualizations. The reader's interpretation of Ranger drove me nuts, thus taking a bit of the pleasure out of the book. I also got a bit tired of all the "bad" language --- it's not horrible, but I never noticed it while I read. Despite all that, the plot was good, the potato cannons and the monkey made me laugh out loud, and I got a lot of knitting done. I think that in the future, I will choose books to listen to in which I haven't invested quite so much imagination.

Speaking of bad language, I guess I shouldn't complain. I started watching the first season of Deadwood, and while I really like the story, every other word of the dialogue is a "F" word or worse. I don't get it. I guess I wouldn't mind so much if the vocabulary was a little larger, but to hear the same 3-4 words used repeatedly is a little much!

I'm still working on the Lace Ribbon scarf. I think I'm on the last pattern repetition. I hope so -- I love the pattern, but I'm tired of it. And I'm basically a monogamous knitter. 99% of the time I only have one project going at a time, although I have been known to have a pair of socks going at the same time as big project for portability's sake. But this scarf was supposed to be the portable project, which it is. It's been to Los Angeles, Connecticut, and Rhode Island in the last 3 weeks!

A Visit to the Toadstool

We are blessed in this region of New Hampshire to have an amazing bookseller called The Toadstool. There are 3 locations, and it's an independently owned bookstore that competes with a Borders. The Toadstool has been around for about 30 years, I think, -at least as long as I've lived in this neck of the woods. Each of their locations is different, but all of them offer an amazing selection of books, an extremely knowledgeable staff, and a wonderful browsing atmosphere. They also are wonderful to teachers. Teachers get a discount for classroom books ranging from 20%-25% off.

This morning 2 of my teaching colleagues and I met at the local shop to browse for books for our classrooms. We have the grand total of $139 each to spend on our classroom libraries or to round out our novel sets for language arts. I already knew what I wanted to buy, but I had fun browsing the shelves for great middle school novels. I will be purchasing a classroom set of Mike Lupica's Miracle on 49th Street. I already have a set of his novel Heat which I used last year. My kids, girls and boys alike, enjoyed Heat, but I wanted a novel with a female protagonist as a counterpart to it. So that eats up most of my portion of book money.

I did buy a couple of other titles - books that either intrigued me or that I know are popular with the middle school set and I just haven't read them yet. (With my own money of course!) I got a copy of Stephanie Meyers' Twilight because I know that the girls are all reading this. It's not what I would choose to offer 6th graders, but I want to stay current. I also bought The Mysterious Benedict Society on the recommendation of my incoming 5th grade niece. She and her brother have led me to some great books! Finally I found a book called Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos that intrigued me. It's set in London in 1906 and appears to be a combination of adventure, magic, and mystery. Amazon describes it as mix of Nancy Drew and Indiana Jones. So I have my next set of books to read!


We're headed to Providence this afternoon to celebrate Elder Son's birthday #28. It's hard to believe - he's as old as his dad was when we got married. Where does the time go!