The 1st Week of Summer Vacation

 

We took a short trip to Los Angeles to visit our younger son - an extended weekend trip of sorts. We flew out Thursday and came home on the red-eye Monday night. On Saturday, the 3 of us went to the Temecula Valley to visit 3 of the more than 30 wineries located there. As you can see from the photo, we made a few purchases. We visited Ponte Family Winery, the Wiens family winery, and Mount Palomar. DH and I had been to Temecula 3 years ago and couldn't believe how much the area has grown in those few years. The last time we went there were only a handful of wineries on the main road. We sampled wines at all 3 wineries, and made some purchases at all 3 of them. I really enjoyed the Mount Palomar winery the best -- knowledgeable pourers, great ambience, and great wines. I bought an "everyday" wine Shorty's Bisto red and their signature Solera Cream Sherry. I wanted to buy a couple of others but my budget was shot! At least now they ship to NH so if I get so inclined, I can order on line. I really like the Ponte Zinfindal port too. At Wiens, we sampled a really nice orange champagne which my son bought. I loved their white port, but had already bought port.


We also visited the Getty Villa in Malibu. This is a smaller museum than the Getty Center, built as a replica of a Roman villa to house Getty's collection of Roman and Greek sculptures and antiquities. It was beautiful there, and it was really interesting to see sculptures and pots that are pictures in the resources I use with my students.

We had some great meals too --- Brazilian at Fogo de Chao, Mexican at Don Antonio's, omelettes at Santa Monica's Omelette Parlor, and an amazing lobster and goat cheese frittata at Literati II, where my son's housemate is the sous chef.

I love LA, but just to visit -- too much traffic, smog, and threats of wildfire for me to live there.

I also started a new project - The Lace Ribbon scarf from Knitty.com.
Here are a few photos.

 

I'm using Classic Elite Alpaca socks on size 3 needles. It's an easy to remember pattern, but since it's fingering weight it's slow going! I did several inches on the plane ride back from LA.

 

 

Knitting Projects Finished

 
This first is the Green River Tunic. I am very happy with the quality of the knitting but not happy with the fit. The neckline/shoulders are too wide for me, and despite reknitting the sleeves twice, they are also too long. I love the top, but in order to make it fun to wear, I think I will have to completely re-do the bodice, narrowing the neckline and shortening the armholes. Is this something I'm going to tackle? Not at the moment. I wore this out Sat. night and kept pulling the neckline up on my shoulders.

 The Princess Mitts should have been a snap, but it took a couple of froggings and re-knittings because the left thumb gusset chart was wrong. I got some false starts too, due to knitter stupidity! Once I figured out that the chart was wrong, it was pretty easy - except for some more knitter brain freeze. I really like these though! I have another skein of Classic Elite Princess in a turquoise so I will probably make another pair.

 

A Day and A Half and I'm Sick

I'm down to counting the hours til school is out. This has been the longest week! And there's still a day and half to go. Don't get me wrong. This year's group of 6th graders has been the kindest, most compassionate group I've ever taught and I'm actually sad to be losing them. But we're all tired! It's been a long year with lots of bad weather that prolonged the school year. Since last week, we've basically been about fun - walks to the local ice cream parlor, field day, nature walks, another field day . . . more like crowd control than teaching. In between we've done grades, pod awards, academic awards, Pride Awards, (too many awards if you ask me!), placements, budgets, bid orders, and lots of packing for the next move. And on top of it all, since Monday I've had a sore throat, swollen glands, and general exhaustion -- but no fever. Not a great way to end the year. . . .

I did finish another book, A Ghost in the Machine by Caroline Graham. It's another Inspector Barnaby book, and it's very intricately plotted. I wish I'd waited to read it til school was out, because I lost track of a few things, I wish I hadn't --- too many interruptions! I liked it though.

Hot and Humid

Last week we were shivering and this week we're sweltering. We've broken several heat records over the last couple of days. We're in the low to mid 90's with incredible humidity. This is not normal June weather in NH. The ONLY saving grace for me is that my class room (temporary) is air conditioned. Since May 1st I've been enjoying a very spacious brand new classroom while the classrooms in the 1915 part of the building are being renovated. Unfortunately for me, I will be moving into a unrenovated 1950's classroom for fall. And it's tiny. Very tiny. I'm not sure how I will squeeze in there with my classes and still be able to do all the project work I like to do. I guess when it was built, it was all rows and worksheets. Not at all conducive to cooperative groups, project based work. Oh well. I'm enjoying the air conditioning for now. I don't have it at home so I haven't slept very well the past 3 nights. Last night, even with 2 fans going, my bedroom was 87° at 11 pm. It was down to 84° at 5 am. Outside was cooler, but by just a little. I prefer my usual winter bedroom temps (58-62°) better!


I just finished Elizabeth George's new book "Careless in Red." It was great! I've always enjoyed the Inspector Lynley series, and this one was one of her best. I think I especially enjoyed the fact that the whole story took place in Cornwall where I vacationed in April.

Counting down the days til school is out! (8 more!)

Ten More Days

Ten more LONG DAYS till school is out. Even after 13 years of teaching 6th grade I haven't figured out how to do the last 2 weeks of school so that it's more than just crowd control. The kids are done and the teachers are just about literally done because we have to have our report cards done almost a week before school actually closes! We have to all pretend though, and that's what makes it especially hard. We had a field trip scheduled for last Wed. but got rained out. Our rain date got rained out too, and now we can't go. My partner and I are going to try to do parts of the trip with our kids one nice day this week. (All the other 6th graders got to go on the trip. We had to go in 3 batches . . . ) We also have a mini trip scheduled Thursday - a walk to the local ice cream stand. Then we have the equivalent of 2 field days scheduled on June 16 and June 18. In between we're trying to keep everyone happy and in control! And then there are all the administrative tasks we have to get finished --- budgets for next year, placements for next year, awards, and of course the packing. As I said, 10 long days . . .


I just finished reading Mark of the Lion, by Suzanne Arruda. It was a really interesting adventure/mystery set in post WW I colonial Africa. The heroine is a former WW I ambulance driver in search of her dead boyfriend's half brother. She's plucky, beautiful, intelligent and unconventional, the storyline is fast-paced, and there are lots of other interesting characters. It's the debut novel of a new series, and I enjoyed it. I also think the author evoked the time period well.

Getting to Know Me

I'm tagged for this meme by Cathy, so here goes:

Rules: The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about himself or herself. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Ten years ago: 1998 - In my 3rd year of teaching 6th grade. My sons were in high school!

Five things on today's "to do" list:

1. Go to church for the first time in almost a month. Long story.
2. Finish the monthly billing for my husband's business and do some of his correspondence.
3. Go to a graduation party. Our neighbor's daughter (our "adopted" daughter) just graduated from nursing school.
4. Finish my Waving lace sock.
5. Sew the sleeves into my Green River Tunic - I hope. I've done this twice already and am not happy with how it looks.

Things I'd do if I was a billionaire:
1. Create a charitable foundation - I'd want to give some to small struggling, progressive/liberal churches; some to Special Olympics, some to education, and some to medical research.
2. Invest some so that we can live comfortably for the rest of our lives, and be able to travel.
3. Put the rest into a trust for my adult children and future(?) grandchildren. They could use interest but not principal.

Three bad habits:
1. overeating and underexercising
2. biting my nails
3. sloppy housekeeping

Five places I've lived:
1. Milford, CT
2. Bridgewater Township, NJ (back before it was its own town)
3. Chagrin Falls, OH
4. Storrs, CT
5. Jaffrey, NH

I also had ties to Madison, IN. My parents moved there while I was in Storrs. I never lived there, but visited during the summer.

Five jobs I've had:

1. Library page - high school
2. Cashier at Burger King - high school
3. Switchboard operator on college campus - college
4. Church secretary - college
5. Bank Teller - college and first out of college job
6. Office Manager - for 15 years, for my husband's business
7. Special Ed Associate - starting in 1992
8. Teacher - starting in 1995 and still going strong

I know that's more than 5. What can I say? I've been around a while!


I'm tagging some folks who might not know me, but I read their blogs regularly:

Rev. Songbird


Vamantaknits

Possible Water

Panhandle Jane

3 More Books Read

I finished 3 books this week -- only one really grabbed my interest. I really enjoyed The House at Riverton by Kate Morton. It's historical fiction, set in England just before, during, and after WW1. Grace goes to work at Riverton as a housemaid at age 14, just before the start of WW1. She is fascinated by the family, and in particular, the Hartford sisters who come to Riverton first as visitors and then later as residents. The novel is told in retrospect. At the close of her life,Grace is dictating her memories to a beloved grandson. She examines her memories, and figures out some pieces of the past that had long troubled her. Kate Morton appears to have done extensive research into the time period and paints an intricate picture of the disintegration of a world, and the changes that overwhelmed many. I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending. I think there were a few loose ends that could have been tied up a bit more tightly. But I did enjoy it a lot!

4 More Weeks

We still have a month of school -- June 20th is our last day, and it seems so far off on the one hand, and not enough time to get everything done that needs to get done. I'm trying to finish a novel with my kids and complete a social studies research project, on top of all the end of year activities that pop up every week. And this week, will be interesting as I am going to a 2 day reading conference, so have to figure out how to structure activities for the sub. We also have a field trips scheduled for June 4th and 11th, and a field day to plan.

It's been a great weekend weatherwise, and I feel like I've accomplished quite a bit. I got my garden planted -- several tomato varieties, pickling cukes, bush beans, yellow squash, zucchini, and basil. I still have room for a few more things. The black flies are horrendous this year too -- I have the bites to prove it. I've got bites under my hairline, behind my ears, on my ankles, you name it. . . The bane of NH spring - with the beautiful weather come the black flies . . .

Wuz UP?

The ceiling. That's my usual response to my students when they come into my classroom and greet me like this!

I have been really busy lately with the "beginning of the end of the year" stuff, spring stuff, personal stuff, and some church stuff.

Friday night was a 6th dance - the first dance just for the sixth grade, and the first dance they were allowed to go to. In my middle school dances are just for the 7th and 8th graders, although usually there's a "Beach Dance" at the end of the year to which the 6th graders are invited. This year, as part of our Positive Behavior Support" program, we offered a dance just for the 6th graders so that we could "teach" them our behavior expectations for school dances. They will next be allowed to attend the traditional Beach Dance in June. About 2/3 of the kids showed up for an hour and half of loud, pulsing music (all pre-vetted by us for language appropriateness!) They really had a lot of fun "chicken-dancing," doing the macarena, and some line dances in addition to the usual jumping up and down that constitutes dancing today!



Last weekend I was away at a retreat, part of a series, called the "Small Church Vitality Project", offered by the NH Conference of the United Church of Christ. It was really interesting and worthwhile, but it was also exhausting! It was also DH's birthday and Mother's Day! Lots of stuff packed into a short amount of time.

I've been knitting too! I'm working on this:



I also went to the WEBS Tent sale and stocked up on some yarn: Berocco Pure Merino for the Nantucket Jacket from Interweave Knits, Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky for a cardigan jacket, and some Classic Elite Alpaca Sox for Spirogyra fingerless mitts from Knitty.com

And I've been reading:

1. Hold Tight by Harlen Coben - a thriller that held my attention well while I read it, but have already gotten mixed up in my head with others he's written.

2.Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich. Very inconsequential, but a very relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon on a screen porch.

3. Black Ships by Jo Graham. This was really interesting historical fiction. The story follows Gull, a slave from Wilusa (Troy) who becomes Pythias, the guardian priestess of the goddess of Death. The book follows her as she becomes Aeneas' chief advisor as he sets out to find a new home after his life is destroyed. The book is a retelling of Virgil's Aeneid, from a female perspective. Since I've just finished teaching ancient Greece and we are now studying ancient Rome, the timing couldn't have been better. This was a totally serendiptious choice from the public library; it was featured as one of the new books.

4. Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the newest novel in the Ladies' No. 1 Detective Agency. I thoroughly enjoy this series. While this wasn't the strongest novel in the series as far as I'm concerned, I never regret spending time with Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi, and their lives in Botswana. The gentleness of the storytelling, and Mma Ramotswe's view on life never fail to reassure me that life is good.

So it's been a busy May and will continue that way, if not more so. This week we have Parent Information Night for the parents of next year's 6th graders. They are always nervous as their children move into the middle school from our 2 elementary schools. We spend a lot of time reassuring them and making them feel like we're not a big bad scary place. So we provide lots of opportunities for them to come in and get to know us, and as a result, they realize we're a nice school too!

Book #30 Jamaica Inn

Of course, since I went to Cornwall, I had to re-read Daphne DuMaurier. I started with Jamaica Inn. I first read this over 40 years ago. It's still good! I didn't get to Bodmin and the real Jamaica Inn, but I enjoyed recognizing the villages and towns mentioned in the book that I passed through on the train, or went to -- Helston, Truro, Penzance, and of course St. Ives.

Rainy Weather

It's chilly and rainy today, not the bright spring weather we long for. The daffodils are trying hard to bloom, and my magnolia tree is trying to blossom, but the rain is knocking the blooms off the branches. I had to go out and run errands and I didn't appreciate the wetness. However, just over a week ago, I was experiencing very similar weather and I didn't mind it as much. I spent my April break in Cornwall, and for much of the week, we had drizzly, misty, rainy weather.
It didn't stop us however from having a terrific vacation.


We flew to London and took the train to St. Ives. I am still amazed how much open land there is in Great Britain. We stayed in a guest hotel called The Old Count House. We had a very comfortable room with a sea view, although it wasn't until the 4th morning that we could see the whole harbor and Godevry Light! There was too much "mist." Our hosts were very friendly and hospitable, and they served a wonderful breakfast every morning. They live in one part of the house which at one time was the home was the "counting house" for the owner of a tin mine.
Every morning we walked down the hill into town and explored the area.



The first day it was pouring so we took the train to The Eden Project, about an hour from St. Ives.





An exhausted clay pit has been reclaimed, several enormous geodesic domes have been built, and they have created several biomes inside. We spent the good part of the day exploring the rainforest and Mediterranean biomes. Another day we took the train to Penzance. From there we went to St. Michael's Mount. This is a small island off the coast that you can walk to at low water across a manmade causeway.
On the top of the island mount is a castle! We climbed the path to the top and although we didn't have the view that one would get on a clear day, we were quite impressed.
Another day we went to Land's End - the most westerly point in England. Incredible scenery!

I took a ton of pictures. I wish it were easier to upload to my blog. (I have dial up internet, so it can take forever to get a picture uploaded!) If you 're interested you can view my album at my Picasa web page here
A few random thoughts generated by our trip:

1. We were incredible impressed by how easy it was to travel around using public transportation. We did not rent a car. If we wanted to go somewhere we either walked or took the train or the bus or a combination! In my part of New England this is next to impossible. It's too far to walk to work or to the grocery store or anywhere else for that matter. Even if I lived in town, there is no public transportation available.

2. I was also incredibly impressed by the availability of bathrooms everywhere we went - at the train stations, at the bus stations, in the villages themselves. They all were open and CLEAN!

3. Kids are kids everywhere. One time we were in Penzance at the bus station awaiting our bus back to St. Ives. School let out and all the kids (middle school age) ran to the bus station. (They use public transportation too) There about 20 or so kids, boys and girls. They split into groups -- one group pulled out a hackey sack, another group started chasing each other around, the girls huddled together, some pulled out candy bars, etc. A couple of the boys were teasing each other, getting a little rough. My teacher-y voice almost broke through my vacation mode, but I caught it in time and enjoyed the fact that I wasn't supervising recess!!

4. I finally got the hang of the money on this trip. By the end of the week, I wasn't inspecting each coin to be sure it was the right amount. It really showed me how much we take for granted in our every day life. When was the last time you tried to make/change and carefully inspected each coin to be sure the quarter was quarter or the dime a dime?? If something cost 50p (like the shuttle bus to the top of the hill) I can now visualize the 50p coin, or 2 twenty p coins and 10 p coin.

5. I love hearing the differences in vocabulary and idioms. We were often asked if we were "on holiday", and we were frequently asked to "Mind the gap" or "Mind your step." People will "phone" you and offer you "sweets" or "puddings" instead of dessert. Appetizers are "starters" and entrees are "mains". Cars are put into "car parks" and the restrooms are usually called what they are " toilets." It makes me smile though that often they are labeled "female toilets" or "male toilets" or "gents". Tips are called "service charges" in restaurants, and are usually only 10-12%.

6. Cornwall is the poorest area in England, or so I'm told. Tourism is the number one industry, and there is a small fishing industry and some agriculture. Cornwall is doing a good job of "branding" itself in an effort to boost agriculture and fishing. In almost all of the pubs and restaurants we visited, the menus advertised that the produce and meat were from local sources. I certainly enjoyed the local products immensely --- especially the locally brewed ales (Cornish cream, Doombar, and Tribute, to name 3 I sampled), the ice cream (the best I've ever eaten in my life!) and Rhodda's clotted cream. None of these are exactly good additions to a WW plan, but they are delicious! We sampled some "made on the premises" apricot saffron almond ice cream that was absolutely heavenly. And there's nothing like a good pot of tea, flaky scones, homemade strawberry jam, and clotted cream. Clotted cream, in case you're not familiar with it, is hard to describe. It's not whipped cream, and it's not butter, but it's like both! We had a Cornish cream teas in the place of a meal on two occasions. I don't know if I can find clotted cream anywhere around here. It's probably best if I can't!!

Knitting and Reading Updates

I finally finished the first sock - Waving Lace- from Favorite Socks. I've only been knitting it since November! It took quite a back seat to other projects and pneumonia. I finished it over vacation- while in Cornwall, UK! (More on that in another post.) If I'd been allowed to knit on the plane I would have gotten the 2nd sock underway. Alas, British Air doesn't let you knit on their planes.



I've been working on the Valley Yarns pattern, Green River Tunic, too. This is the back. I've almost finished the front too - just the right bodice left to do, and then short sleeves. It's a fast, easy knit.

I also read two more books: Third Strike by William Tapply and Philip R. Craig, and The Woman Next Door by Barbara Delinksy. I liked the first and was bored with the second.

More Than Half-Way!

I got a lot of reading done this last couple of weeks.

Book #25 was Barbara Pym's Less Than Angels. I enjoyed the combination of gentle but acerbic humor, and I really cared about Catherine and Phoebe and their graceful competition for Tom Mallow's love. Her writing is very Jane Austenish and I think the fact that I've been watching the Jane Austen offerings on public TV's Masterpiece at the same time, was a great mindset!

Death a L'Orange was book #26. This is part of a series and falls into the category of a "cozy" mystery. Carolyn is a food writer and she is on a tour of France with her husband and son when strange "accidents" begin to happen. Needless to say she is right in the thick of it and attempts to solve the mystery of who and why. The story is told from several different points of view. While I enjoyed the diary entries from the perpetrator, I didn't think it was necessary to include her husband's point of view. I much prefer the Diane Mott Davidson series and Philip R. Craig series, but I'll probably pick up another of Nancy Fairbanks' books for a quick easy read.

#27 was Change of Heart by Jody Picoult. This one was a challenging read due to the subject matter and to the writing quality. I still haven't decided what I think about it. It was a gripping read, and I enjoyed the characters grappling with the religious questions raised in the plot. Personally, I love wrestling with theological questions so that aspect of the novel held me. The death penalty question and the civil rights of prison inmates also poses questions worth thinking about. However, as a whole I was disappointed in the novel. Her trademark twist didn't work for me -- it was predictable and disappointing. I usually leave a Picoult novel feeling "Wow, I didn't see that coming! But what a great ending!" That's not the feeling I was left with here. I also found the switching back and forth between character's perspectives less effective than in other novels.

#23 and #24

I've finished 2 more books : Written in Blood by Caroline Graham and Daughter of York, by Anne Easter Smith.

The first is a police procedural mystery, and it's part of the Inspector Barnaby series. Midsomer Murders is a BBC TV series, that is taken from Caroline Graham's novels. This novel is the fourth in the series, but the first one I've read. The Amazon review compares her writing to Agatha Christie. I agree that her work is reminiscent of Christie. She details life in an English village and has well-developed characters. Inspector Barnaby and Sargeant Troy feel like real people -- both are good at their jobs, but their flaws are also portrayed. All is not sweetness and light, yet the darkness isn't overpowering as I've found in other crime novels. (I had to return Patricia Cornwell's latest book because I found it so dark, depressing, and almost depraved.) I also did not expect the final twist, and yet, the ending also made sense. I really enjoyed it!

I also finished Daughter of York This one took me a while to get into. I almost took it back unfinished, but stuck with it and it finally clicked. This historical fiction follows Margaret of York, sister to Edward II. She is married to the Charles, Duke of Burgundy, in an effort to secure Burgundy's support against the Lancasters. As a teenager, I read a lot of historical fiction as well as nonfiction about the War of the Roses, and the Plantagents, so that's what drew me to the book in the first place. This was interesting because of the female perspective -- most of the other books I'd read previously were from the male point of view.

Debbie Bliss Baby jacket with lace edging

Debbie Bliss Baby jacket with lace edging
Originally uploaded by dswgr6

I just finished knitting this baby sweater as a gift. It's knit in Rowan Wool Cotton, and it's a Debbie Bliss pattern - Jacket with Lace Edging. The color is Hiss.

The knitting went fast. The finishing was a bear! Too much hand sewing for me. But I'm pleased with the way it turned out. At least I'm able to seam more neatly than I used to. I guess I need to focus on that.

More Snow?!!

Just when we're getting used to the idea that spring might be coming, we're told that we could receive over 6 inches of snow tomorrow. Even my 6th graders groaned in protest when they heard the forecast. Now you know we've had too much winter when 12 year olds protest the possibility of a snow day!

Book #21 is Lizzy Bright and the Buckminster Boy and #22 is The Titan's Curse. Both are middle school novels. Lizzy Bright is historical fiction,set in 1912, and deals with some very serious subject matter. Young Turner Buckminster is the son of the Congregational minister and they've just moved to a small coastal town in May. He doesn't fit in with the others in town, and he makes friends with Lizzy Bright, an African-American girl who lives on a nearby island that is home to a small group of what the town considers the "riff-raff". The town is trying to evict the small island community so that they can convert build a hotel to attract tourists from Boston. He has to deal with being a minister's son, disobeying his strict father, racism, and he has to figure out how to help his new friend. It's a pretty heavy book and it's based on a true story. I'm not sure I would recommend it to any of my 6th graders, but certainly some motivated 8th graders would enjoy it.

I loved The Titan's Curse. This it the 3rd in the series by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson is a modern teenage boy who discovers he's the son of Poseidon and a mortal. He and some other "halfbloods" are attempting to prevent the end of civilization as we/they know it. It's funny, clever, full of adventure and excitement, and updates Greek mythology. A lot of my students have been reading this series and they love it. It helps that we study Greece and Greek mythology this year so they get the references. I was surprised though, because I thought this was going to be the last book, but apparently it's not. I'm glad, because I've enjoyed them!

On a related note, I'm reading The Odyssey to my 6th graders and they are eating it up! I had them on the edge of their seats today - literally. They can't wait til tomorrow to find out how Odysseus and Telemachus get rid of Penelope's unwanted suitors. I love it!!

Just for fun!

You Are Oregano

You have are charming, funny, witty, and smart. You love to party - and people love to party with you. You are always friendly and warm. You are able to help people get along.

What Spice Are You?

Ups and Downs

It has been a weird couple of weeks, with quite a few ups and downs in my life. This has been a long month school-wise. It's the first month that we've had complete weeks of school - no snow days, no weather interruptions, and only one planned early release. So we've actually had 3 full 5 day weeks for the first time since November. With the time change that occurred in that time frame, we all had some major schedule adjusting to do!

We've been dealing with some really stressing things too . One of our students has been fighting against life-threatening pneumonia and its complications. He has been in ICU since our Feb. break and seems finally to be stablized. However, he is on the list now for a lung transplant because of major scarring that has occurred as a result of massive infections. This has affected not just teachers, but a stepbrother and other close relatives who are also among our 6th graders.

We are also moving our classrooms next month as the final phases of construction start. We will move into some temporary rooms for the rest of the year, and then have to move back for the fall into different classrooms. It wouldn't be so bad if we were getting the beautiful new rooms, but we're not. In fact what really has me depressed is that after FINALLY getting a big room 2 years ago, I will most likely be moving into another teeny classroom with NO storage. Plus our team will be split up among 3 floors instead of the current 2 floors we're on. There is a chance that I will get a great room, but if that happens, I will be one of 2 6th grade rooms in a hall otherwise filled with another grade level. That will make things a bit more difficult as far as transitions go, but I'd much rather have that alternative.
I also had had the possibility of moving to another grade level, but that door closed. I was really bummed about that, but it makes the packing easier.

Family life has been rather stressed too --- another sister has had to deal with breast cancer. Fortunately after the bad news of the diagnosis, the rest of the news is positive. This has been difficult for us all.

So what are some ups?? Well, I am back on track as far as exercise and diet. I've managed to get to the gym almost every other day this month, and I've lost almost 4 pounds. I tried the rowing machine the other day and discovered that I didn't mind it. I can't say I love it, but at least I can stand it. So along with the elliptical, there are 2 cardio machines I can tolerate. So between those 2 machines and the twice a week water aerobics classes, I'm back into positive motivation. I hope it lasts!

Another up is that we have a great trip planned for our April break. We are using some travel vouchers we received last summer when we got bumped to go to Cornwall for 5 days. I am looking forward to that!

And finally, my overall mood had changed for the positive - I definitely know that the longer daylight hours is involved.

Reflections

I just finished reading Take This Bread by Sarah Miles. Engrossing and challenging! She captured for me the meaning of communion, and what it means to be Christian. This book is the story (up to this point, anyway) of how she allowed herself to be opened up to God, and how she struggles to make sense of God's presence in her life. I like what she says about the journey:
"Conversions isn't after all, a moment: It's a process, and it keeps happening, with cycles of acceptance and resistance, epiphany and doubt. . . . it stayed hard. I began to understand why so many people chose to be "born-again" and follow strict rules that wyould tell them what to do, once and for all. It was tempting to rely on a formual-"accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior," for example--that became itself a form of idolatry and kept you from experiencing God in your flesh, in the complicated flesh of others. it was tempting to proclaim yourself "saved" and go back to sleep."

A couple of years ago, the deacons (I was one of them) of my church engaged in a study/prayerful discussion of what communion meant and how we should offer it. We read theology, talked about our own beliefs, and prayed a lot. Ultimately we came up with this statement which appears in our bulletin on communion Sundays. (In our church - the first Sunday of the month)

In October 2004, after much thoughtful discussion and prayer, the Deacons reached the following understanding:
Jesus spoke always about God’s unceasing love for us. Jesus also promised that all who came seeking God’s presence, would find it. Jesus never turned anyone away from him and welcomed all who welcomed him and his message. Jesus invites us to join him at his table. It is Jesus who hosts this table and welcomes all who wish to come to it. Therefore, if you seek the presence of God in your life, if you hunger and thirst and wish to be nourished by God’s boundless love, if you wish to come to the meal, you are welcome.

We opened up Communion to anyone who desired to be fed, and for us, it's no longer an exclusive meal to be shared with those in the club. Children of all ages are welcome at our table too.

Our church is struggling right now -- an aging congregation, strapped finances, burned out leadership. We are in a pastoral search too, and we're working on changing our organizational structure. At the same time, we are a "doing" church -- we hold monthly community suppers, run an emergency shelter, a very busy food pantry, and we host AA groups, and a grief group. We are "Open and Affirming" and work hard for social justice on a number of fronts. Sometimes though we get so busy acting out our faith that we don't nourish it enough, or we become blind to the fact that our actions are how we are experiencing God in our midst. Instead we focus on how hard and exhausting our lives are. It's helpful for me to see how others have struggled -- I'm able to refocus and see things from a different perspective.

And I'm giving myself some time to nourish myself. I have just stepped down from a significant leadership position at church that I've filled for 8 or 9 years. I recognized the burnout signs. It's time to step back, regroup, and let go. For a while anyway!

Done! (except for the zipper)

My cardigan is done. I did a really nice job knitting this but I'm even more pleased with how well I finished most of the seams. It took me the better part of 5 hours to join the sleeves and then seam everything. I like my sleeve joins better than my side seams, but all in all, it's the best finishing job I've done so far. My only regret? I wish I'd made the larger size! I can wear this, but it's got a little too much negative ease for my preference. But it's okay. . . by next fall I hope to have lost another 20 pounds so it will be fine. I just have to find a 26 inch zipper to put in.

Almost Finished

So here are a few views from my front door. These pictures were taken about 2 weeks ago. We got about 8 inches of snow yesterday. We've had almost 100 inches of snow this winter - a storm a week or more! We get 4-6 inches, followed by some thawing, followed by another 4-6 inches, on a regular basis. It's a bit scary to try to get out of the driveway. I can't see what's coming up or down the road. The snowpiles left by the plows are beginning dwarf my Subaru!

 

 

Here are some photos of the almost finished cardigan I started early in January.

 

 

It's almost done. I have 32 rows left on the 2nd sleeve, and then the neckband and finishing to do. I decided to start the blocking process though. It will take a day or so for the pieces to dry and they don't all fit at once on the blocking board. So while I'm finishing the sleeve, I have the body blocking. I have really enjoyed knitting this sweater, Cable Vision, from Family Circle Plus Size Knits. I'm using Northampton. I had to go down to size 5 needles to get gauge, and I shortened the sleeves a bit. Otherwise, no major modifications.

A Couple More Books

Another middle school novel The Wednesday Wars made me laugh out loud in the middle of silent reading today. (Turned into a great teaching moment, when I shared a passage.) This is a terrific book. Holling Hoodhood is a 7th grader who lives in the Perfect House in the Perfect Neighborhood in 1967 New York. He has the bad luck (to him) of having to spend Wednesday afternoons alone with his teacher Mrs. Baker while every other person in his class goes to CCD or Hebrew school. He is the only Presbyterian in his class and thus has no place to go. The novel follows him month by month as he discovers that perhaps Mrs. Baker doesn't hate his guts, he learns a great deal about Shakespeare, how to handle a bully, and of course, about himself. It's really funny and serious too as events of 1967 and 1968 play out (Viet Nam, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr, and Bobby Kennedy) My 8th grade nephew recommended the book to me, and he has great taste! I loved this one.



The 2nd book I finished was so-so. The Friday Night Knitting Club It was slow to get going, and was pretty predictable.

I really should get some of my serious reading done--- but I'm just not in the mood!

Two More Books Read

I finished 2 more books - one light read The Chase by Clive Cussler, and Blackwater Ben by William Durbin which was a middle school novel.


I've read a lot of Clive Cussler who has a series featuring his alter ego, Dirk Pitt, who is a diver and oceanographer who works for NUMA - a quasi-governmental agency that saves the world from one disaster after another. They are quick reads, usually with "thrills and spills" and I started reading them a long time ago on the recommendation of my mom. I really miss my mom's recommendations - she introduced to me a lot of different types of books. They all were on the "light" side of fiction but what a variety -- Georgette Heyer, Daphne DuMaurier, Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Peters, Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Patricia Cornwell, Clive Cussler, Dick Francis, Maeve Binchy, Sam Llewellyn, Jan Karon, Dorothy Sayers, Dorothy Eden, Ian Fleming, Ken Follet, Janet Evanovich, Miss Read, Elisabeth Olgivie --- the list goes on. There were some authors she loved that drove me nuts - her Harlequin romances for example, but in general we enjoyed similar tastes for recreational reading. Sometimes when I'm browsing through my local library's shelves, I'm hit with a huge wave of nostalgia and grief when I run into an author my mom loved or an author she introduced me to. For most of my adult life, I lived 1000 miles away from her, but we talked often, and in just about every phone call, we shared what we were reading and recommended books to each other. I really miss those discussions. My sisters and I try to fill her shoes - and we email each other with book recommendations frequently.

The Chase is not a Dirk Pitt novel. It's the story of a turn of the 20th centure detective who is in pursuit of a master thief. It's set in 1906 and the San Franciso earthquake plays a part in the novel as does the railroad.

I read Blackwater Ben as the result of a book project gone wrong! A student presented his book project to the class last week and it was clear from his presentation that he hadn't read the book. Since I hadn't either, I spent an evening enjoying a tale of a young boy spending a winter as his dad's assistant as cooks at a logging camp. The sad part of this is that after talking to the student in question, I discovered that he and another student who I also teach, both plagiarized the written portion of their projects. It was clear from my first glance that the first student had plagiarized but what a convoluted tale transpired. Student #1 offered to write student #2's report if student #2 did the "art part". Student #2 received a report from the first student and typed it. He then left it at home, and mom faxed it to me because she knew it was due. When I received the faxed report, it was immediately apparent that student #2 hadn't written it. When I asked him if he knew student #1 hadn't written it, he admitted that it "seemed better than his usual level of writing." But he typed it anyway. The report had been copied word for word from a review at the Barnes and Noble website . When I talked to student #1 he admitted that he'd copied his book project from the internet too. I hadn't caught it at first because the report he'd turned in had a number of grammar and spelling mistakes. Sure enough when I googled his project I found a Wikipedia entry from a 4th grader that he'd copied!!!
Both students received failing grades and afterschool detentions, and consequences at home. I've had plagiarism before but this one took the cake! The really sad part is that the assignment I asked them to was designed to prevent plagiarism. Instead of a book review, I'd aske them to write a description of the main character, a description of an important setting, a 5 sentence summary of the plot, and a paragraph describing their favorite scene/event in the book. For the "art part" they had to dress a potato like the main character and place it in a diorama depicting an important scene.

Oh, yes, I enjoyed both books.

For a "Short" Month . . .

February seems to be very long! I know we have an extra day this year, but even with onlh 29 days, this month seems to be dragging on and on. It's got to be the weather. Even though the hours of daylight are longer, the days without sun and blue sky seem endless. We have had storm after storm, cold, ice, school delays or closings every week, and sickness abounds. Enough already!

I just finished book #13 for the 50/08 challenge. #14, #15 and #16 are also underway. I generally have several books going at once --- one in school, one up on the nightstand, and one on the kitchen table. I have another 4 or 5 waiting in the wings too!

My knitting queue is even longer! I have my cable cardigan on the needles - about 20 rows left on the 2nd front, and then the 2 sleeves, a pair of socks about 1/2 done, and then a baby sweater, a vest, a jacket, and a scarf lined up. That doesn't even include the yarn I've bought but don't have a pattern for yet, and the patterns I have that don't have yarn. There's just not enough time! Which is a weird comment to make considering I started today off with the fact that the month is dragging!

Slow but Steady

I am making progress on the Cable Vision cardigan from Family Circle Plus Knits. I've done the back and the left front, and have started the right front. It's really enjoyable -- the pattern isn't that difficult, and my Northampton yarn is perfect for the cables. The color is fawn, and while it's technically a lightish brown, in some lights it catches a greenish tint.


On another note, I just finished a great middle school novel called London Calling, by Edward Bloor. (He wrote Tangerine, another middle school goodie.) It's a time travel novel of redemption, and it's fascinating. Good coming to terms with yourself, your family (divorce, alcoholism) and your options. It also touches on issues such as how history is written, how truth can be distorted, and depression. It's really not as dark as it sounds!!

The February Blahs

I always have trouble at this time of year - I'm sick of winter and dreary weather, testing is looming at school, there's a lot of illness roaming around school, etc. etc. This is the first full week of school since before Christmas too - between holidays, a workshop day, a snow day and several delayed openings we haven't had a full five day week yet. And this morning was another delayed opening . . . .

I'm also starting to feel like I've been doing the same job for too long. It's too soon to retire (another 7 years) but I've been teaching the same grade since 1995, and I think I need a break! We have district wide testing starting next month so we're making sure all our T's are crossed and our I's dotted so that the students in our care show improvement in their skills. The pressure gets to me sometimes. You'd think that by 6th grade kids understood capitalization, complete sentences, apostrophes, and so forth. Deep down, I think they do, for the most part. They just don't see the need to use the traditional conventions! And so I hand back paragraphs and projects and tell them to proofread and correct.

I read book #11 for this year - The Knitting Circle It was very gripping, but it's a book that I think I couldn't have read a year or so ago. The protagonist is dealing with her raw grief over loss of her daughter, and I think she is portrayed quite realistically. I connected also because I have used knitting as my anchor to get me through some difficult times as well as for enjoyment.


I hope to get some pictures up soon. I'm working on a cabled cardigan from Family Circle Easy Plus Knits and I have finished the back and the left front. You can see the pattern at my Ravelry site --- dswgr6 is my Id.

Vacation is in 13 days and I'm looking forward to it even though we have nothing planned.

Geography Knowledge vs Typing skills

Here's how I did. I had a few more but my typing left something to be desired. I lost about 45 seconds in typos!! I also couldn't spell some of the former Soviet republics!

62

Friday Five on Saturday

1. What is the thermometer reading at your house this morning?

It's 13° here in my corner of NH. I hate the cold.

2. Snow—love it or hate it?

I like snow, sort of. It's beautiful, especially from inside a cozy warm room. I hate driving in it though. I'd miss it however, if we didnt' get any. The winters that are snowless are long and ugly.

3. What is winter like where you are?

This year we've had lots of snow. December was a record month for snowfall. It makes up for an almost snowless couple of last winters. Right now there's about 2 feet of snow on the level, but we haven't had measurable snow in a couple of weeks. We do miss school when there's more than a 3-4 inches of snow, depending on the timing. So far, we've only had 2 snow days, and both times we received 10-14 inches of snow.

4. Do you like winter sports? Any good stories?

I used to ice skate and cross country ski. I don't any more. As a kid I loved sledding. Now I hate getting cold and wet! I think I'd still enjoy all those sports if I had time and didn't hate the "side effects". I'm also more nervous about breaking bones!

5. What is your favorite season, and why?
I really like summer because of the freedom and long days of light, but I hate hot humid weather. I think I love either late spring or early fall-- warm, even hot, days but cool nights.. . .

Bonus: Share a favorite winter pick-me-up. A recipe, an activity, or whatever.

A trip to a tropical island???

Hmm

I took this quiz --- I actually drink mostly reds, and I especially enjoy Spanish reds, right now anyway. Chardonnay doesn't usually make my list of favorite whites.

You Are Chardonnay

Fresh, spirited, and classic - you have many facets to your personality. You can be sweet and light. Or deep and complex. You have a little bit of something to offer everyone... no wonder you're so popular. Approachable and never smug, you are easy to get to know (and love!). Deep down you are: Dependable and modest Your partying style: Understated and polite Your company is enjoyed best with: Cold or wild meat

What Kind of Wine Are You?

2008 Books

I've been reading a lot of "brain candy" so far this year. I'm in the "fluff" part of my reading cycle. Over the holidays I read some thought-provoking, more serious, materials, and now I'm in the dessert section! I'm tracking my reading and taking up the challenge of reading 50 books this year. This challenge would not have been a problem in the past as until recently I have been a voracious reader. But over the past couple of years, I've taken up knitting pretty obsessively and my reading time is what has suffered! And I've also spent an awful lot of time reading blogs instead of books! So this should be an interesting challenge for me this year.

One great book I can recommend, though I finished it in the waning days of 2007, is Three Cups of Tea. It's a terrific true story of Greg Mortenson, a former mountain climber, who is building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan as a way to promote peace. My sister sent a copy to each of my adult sons as a Christmas gift and told them that everyone under 30 should read it. I think EVERYONE should read it, no matter your age.

Take the quiz!

This presidential preference quiz captured my preferences almost exactly! As you can imagine I wasn't happy with the primary results in my state.

90% Dennis Kucinich
89% Barack Obama
88% John Edwards
88% Mike Gravel
86% Hillary Clinton
86% Chris Dodd
82% Bill Richardson
79% Joe Biden
37% Rudy Giuliani
30% John McCain
22% Mike Huckabee
22% Mitt Romney
21% Tom Tancredo
19% Ron Paul
11% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

New WIP

This is my newest project. It's called "Cable Vision" and its from Family Circle Easy Plus Size Knits. I'm using Northampton from Valley Yarns in Fawn, and I am having so much fun with the cables. I did have a bit of a puzzle at first, because there's a major error in the published directions. The chart that's given doesn't begin to match up with the pattern! But thanks to several folks on Knitlist, I got the correct chart. The yarn is wonderful too! I haven't finished the first repeat of the pattern yet, and at the rate I'm going, I probably won't be wearing it til next fall. But it's fun!

Changes

I went to a meeting at church Thursday night - actually it was 2 meetings, back to back. I'm the co-coordinator of a ministry team, and have been for a long time. At both meetings I publicly announced that it was time for me to step down from this leadership role. I agreed to stay on for a couple of months more, until a new leader could be found. This is a HUGE step for me. One of the blessings (yes, really!) of having been stopped in my tracks with pneumonia is that I finally admitted to myself what I'd been denying so long -- I'm at the burnout point. Matters came to a head a few days before Christmas when I was asked to provide the names of the folks who would be participating in the lay-led Christmas Eve service. I had a major meltdown. I had been "out of commission" since 11/28, had not gone to the Dec. 6th meeting where the service was discussed, and had assumed that it was all taken care of. And of course, folks at the meeting assumed that by the time the service details needed to be etched out I would have been back in the swing of things. It was one of those times that was nobody's fault, and it was everybody's fault - we all made false assumptions, and with the hecticness of life and the fact that we're all overburdened, nobody had double checked. I am deeply grateful for my co-coordinator! When I called her, crying, she took right over and fixed everything. But it was a good lesson for me, and I realized that I needed not to be in charge anymore. I need to stop and be nourished and nurtured for a change. I needed to be the receiver, and not the doer. I've been feeling pretty empty spiritually and I realized that it's because I never stop and just be. So, while I don't make resolutions, I am making changes. I am going to BE for a while, so that so that I can take the time I need to listen to the Spirit, to be filled up and refreshed from the Well.

Swan Lake Photos

Here are some photos of my finished Swan Lake stole - formerly known as the Mystery Stole 3. I knit it in Valley Yarns 2/14 hand-dyed Alpaca Silk. The color is called Stormcloud. I used black and silver beads on it.

Swan Lake blocking

 

It's blocking at last!

Yarny Goodness

My knitting friend and I took a jaunt down to WEBS on Saturday. Their End of the Year sale is going on and we wanted to take advantage of it. It was a great day -- especially because for the first time in over a month, I actually felt good. (The wonders of antibiotics!) The place was humming - lots of shoppers, 5 cashiers, lots of help on the floor, and of course all the yarn you could wish for. I bought some Valley Yarns Northampton in fawn, some Berkshire in cream, some Ritratto, color 64, and a cone of 2/14 Alpaca silk in Pacific. Except for the Ritratto, all of the yarn I purchased was for specific projects. I lusted after the Franklin sock yarn, but resisted ---- I only have about 10 skeins of sock yarn in my stash, plus 3 or 4 skeins of hand-dyed lace weight. So I restrained myself.

I want to make "Cable Vision" from Family Circle Easy Plus Size Knits using the Northampton, but I'm having an impossible time deciphering the instructions. If anyone has made this sweater, I could use some help. My knitting friend and I think that there is a publishing error!

I'm using the Berkshire for the Seville Jacket from Oat Couture, and the Alpaca Silk for a Valley Yarns pattern called Vintage Vest. The vest pattern is also in 101 Designer One Skein Wonders book under Three Season Vest. I will probably make a simple trinity stitch stole from the Ritratto.

So, those projects are all currently in my queue ---- I swatched for the Cable Vision, but can't figure out the cable pattern yet, so I think I'll work on the Seville jacket as my next option. I need a break from lace at the moment. My blocking wires arrived today, so I'm borrowing my knitting friend's blocking board tonight, and tomorrow I'll block the Swan Lake stole!

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, knitterly 2008!

Knitting and Health Updates

I finished it at last --- the Swan Lake Mystery Stole #3. It only took me 5 months! I loved knitting it even when I was cursing all the mistakes I made. I think I actually knit parts of it four and five times. I don't have pictures yet. I still have to block it. I ordered blocking wires from what I though was a reputable company that seems to be very popular with its new interchangeable needles. I got an email on Dec. 7 saying that the wires had been shipped. I still have not received them, and after several phone calls to some very snippy customer service people, decided to ask for my money back. I was told by one representative that the wires had indeed been shipped and I would definitely receive them by Dec. 2st. On Dec. 22nd I was told that they had no record of my order and even though I had a tracking number, they had no way to track the package. Both customer service people were snippy and rude. So I asked for a refund which caused no end of conniption fits but I finally got it. I have since found the same item on Ebay and hope to receive it shortly... So, I have also asked this company to remove my name from their mailing list. Once I get the wires, I will block my stole, and take pictures.

On to some new knitting projects -- I have a pair of Waving Lace socks going and I have ideas for 2 sweaters. I just need to get to WEBS to find the yarn! I also got 101 Designer One Skein Wonders as a Christmas present from #1 Son so I can do a stash raid if I get desperate!

On the health front --- I'm back on a third course of antibiotics. I'd gone to the doctor for my regular 6 month check up. Apparently, my pneumonia is not clearing up the way it should altho' I am improving. I honestly had no idea how debilitating and dangerous pneumonia can be --- as the doctor said, "Deb, you're a generally healty person - imagine if you were 20 years older!" I understand why so many older folks die from this. I'm hoping that by the time I have to go back to work on Wed, I will have finally gotten rid of the yucky cough~

A Different Kind of Christmas

 

This was definitely an odd Christmas this year. Being out of commission for the month before put a big crimp in my preparations. Our tree was finally purchased and put up on Dec. 22nd, but it never got decorated. Our adult sons put a string of lights on it on Christmas Eve, but that was it. All of my shopping was done via the internet, and I forgot some major things. I never got cards out, nor did my creche get unpacked, and I didn't get to one church service the entire month of December. Even my Christmas baking suffered and our traditional "Best Buttermilk Pound Cake" flopped as did our traditional "Mrs. Greenhill's Shortbread." These are two of the easiest recipes that I can make in my sleep, but both failed this year. Regardless, it was a lovely day, with both our sons home. We enjoyed a good meal, as well as each other's company. For the first time in my adult memory I didn't make it to church on Christmas Eve. Instead we watched "The Nativity Story" on satellite TV. A different kind of Christmas.

Enough is Enough!

I have been sick now since November 27th. I went home from work with fever and chills on Nov. 27, a Tuesday, and called in sick on Wed. On Thursday I called in sick again, and also called the dr since I suspected I had the flu. The doctor instead diagnosed pneumonia which a chest xray confirmed. I started in on antibiotics and by Sunday, was starting to feel better in that the fever and chills were gone, although sheer exhaustion remained. I was blessed with a snow day on Dec. 3rd which gave me another day of rest, and then on Tuesday I went back to work. It was a half-day for teacher workshops, and the principal excused me from the workshops. On Wed. I had to take a sick day because at the time of the xray, they saw something suspicious and wanted a CT scan on Dec. 5th. That afternoon I got call from the dr that my lungs were okay (tho' still pneumonia present) but now they saw something weird with my vena cava and on Friday I had to have a more detailed CT scan. Healthwise, I was still feeling lousy and exhausted. I had the 2nd scan on Friday, and they decided everything was fine. Friday night I started coughing. I hadn't been coughing up to this point. By Sunday morning my coughing had kept me up for 2 nights, so I called the dr who prescribed a heavy duty cough suppressant. Monday I went back to work. I have classes from 7:30-12:30 without a break, and then the kids go to their Unified Arts classes and I have prep time and meetings. My principal has been very supportive, and has allowed me to leave early if I need to. Monday was fine, except for the coughing. Tues. was a repeat of Monday. Wed. I called the dr again -- the coughing was getting worse, and I started running a low grade fever. When I went for my appt, I still had a low grade fever and the dr was treated to first hand observation of my coughing performance. He prescribed new cough medications, and gave me a new antibiotic script but asked me not to fill it til Sat, if I wasn't feeling better, or if my fever spiked over 100°. He said there was no reason I couldn't continue working, but to take it easy as much as possible. The new cough prescriptions seemed to help Wed.night, and I had a good night's sleep for the first time in almost a week. Thursday we got sent home from school early due to a fast moving snow storm. Thursday night I decided to start the antibiotics because I felt worse than ever, and although my fever hadn't spiked over 100°, it was 99.9°. I know that's not a terribly high fever, but my normal temp when I'm well is 97.4°. So I took the first pill at bedtime. When I woke up Friday, I felt human for the first time in several weeks. The coughing persists - and it's really yucky and exhausting. But it's Sat. morning, and although I have zero energy, and I'm still coughing, I feel better. And my temp is down to between 97.9-98.4°. I'm glad I trusted my body over my doctor's advice at this point.

But I am SICK of being SICK. It's 10 days before Christmas. I have done no shopping, no decorating, no cards, no baking. I don't have my tree purchased yet. I go to work, come home by 3, nap til 6, have dinner, and go to bed again. This is NUTS! I haven't been to church once in Advent yet, and due to tomorrow's huge predicted storm, probably won't make it tomorrow. I want to go to my team's holiday party tonight, but know the only that will happen is if I stay home and rest all day. We have 5 more days of school til our break and my sons will be home next weekend for the holidays. Do I sound slightly panicked? I'm taking that as a positive sign that I'm feeling well enough again to care!

Ravelry Tea and Yarn Swap

A few days ago, in the midst of my bout with illness, this arrived in the mail for me.




What a terrific gift to receive! I've tried all of the teas and especially like Blend 103 from the Tea Emporium

And what yummy yarn! There's Koigu KPPPM in the purply-pink tones, and some Atacama hand dyed alpaca.

I've really been enjoying my Ravelry experiences. If you're still waiting for an invite, don't despair. If you're on it already, my id is dswgr6. The group that organized the swap - and another one is being organize right now,-- is Cup o' Tea.

Back to Lucidity

I have been sick. Majorly sick in a way I've never been sick before. Fever, chills, fever, chills, in rotation for almost 4 days straight. I thought I had the flu. I went to the doctor who promptly said, "It's not flu, it's pneumonia." So I've been sick with pneumonia for more than a week, but am finally coming back to what passes for normal. Except that I have the stamina of a wet noodle. I went to school today, and spent most of the day sitting. At my desk. This is not at all normal. I came home early and took a nap. Now it's almost 4 pm and I'm trying to do some catch up.

I did absolutely no knitting or reading --- the needles were too heavy, and the book took too much brain power. I mostly reclined on the couch, the bed, the loveseat, and back again the other way. I did lose 5 lbs! Not eating makes that happen.

Something that other teachers will surely understand: When the doctor told me last Tuesday that I couldn't go to work the rest of the week, I broke down in her office sobbing. "What's the matter?" asked the dr. "Sub plans!" I cried. "Why is that a problem? Just let the sub teach." "That's not how it works --- I have to leave step by step instructions for the sub --- 3days worth!" I don't think the doctor got it. So I did 3 days of sub plans in between shivers and shakes. Then on Monday, a blessing --- a snow day! I got one more day of recuperation. I went in on Tuesday because it was an early release day - and there were special activities for the kids, so I didn't have to plan anything. Wed. I was out again due to some tests the doctor wanted because the chest xray I'd had earlier showed some funky things. Then today, I went to school. But I'm out again tomorrow because while the tests I had yesterday ruled out the funky things they were worried about, they found another funky thing they need to check out immediately. No rest for the weary.

I did receive a wonderful swap package from my Ravelry tea swap partner. I will post pictures soon --- but I'm going to go drink a cup of orange rooibus right now, and take another nap.

Friday Five - Post Thanksgiving Edition

From RevGalBlogPals:
Ah, the day after Thanksgiving--groan! Fortunately, I love Thanksgiving leftovers.

Thanksgiving is the American holiday when the greatest number of people travel somewhere else to celebrate. I am posting this from my son’s home in Minnesota where we are recovering from the food shopping and the preparations and the meal and the clean up. It is difficult to think of anything requiring much energy today, and I am enjoying my sweet baby granddaughter, so I will keep it simple. For those of you not in the USA, I apologize for the nationalistic tone of this Friday Five!

1. Did you go elsewhere for the day, or did you have visitors at your place instead? How was it?

We were home. Our oldest son drove up from Providence so it was just 3 of us. It was good to have him home, but I grew up with lots of family around for Thanksgiving. It doesn't seem quite holiday-ish enough with only 3 around the table. I didn't even get out the good china and all the accoutrements, and we ate in the kitchen instead of at the dining room table that seats 10-12.

2. Main course: If it was the turkey, the whole turkey, and nothing but the turkey, was it prepared in an unusual way? Or did you throw tradition to the winds and do something different?

The only meat course was turkey --- a beautiful fresh 20 lbs gobbler. It was prepared in our traditional way -- roasted under foil for 6.5 hrs in a 325° oven. We had "in the bird" stuffing and "out of the bird" dressing made from a bag of Pepperidge Farm Countrystyle stuffing mix. Of course I add my own touches - celery, onion, bay leaf, capers. And we had mashed potatoes, mashed butternut squash, mashed turnips, steamed pearl onions, gravy, cranberry sauce, and apple, pecan, pumpkin, and mince pie. (Just for the record, we thought our son's housemates were coming with him. We also made extra so he could have leftovers too!)


3. Other than the meal, do you have any Thanksgiving customs that you observe every year?

Pie-picking! Leaving the pies out for the evening so anyone who needs just a little nosh can help themselves. And of course, the quintessential turkey sandwich -- spongy white bread, mayo, turkey, and iceberg lettuce.

4. The day after Thanksgiving is considered a major Christmas shopping day by most US retailers. Do you go out bargain hunting and shop ‘till you drop, or do you stay indoors with the blinds closed? Or something in between?

NO! NO! NO! NO! I NEVER SHOP THE DAY AFTER. Actually today I got up early and went to the Wellness Center for "Turkey Burner" water classes. I did 30 minutes of muscle toning, 45 minutes of water aerobics, and 40 minutes of water relaxation.

5. Let the HOLIDAY SEASON commence! When will your Christmas decorations go up?

My Christmas decorations go up the first weekend in Advent which isn't til next weekend. They stay up until Epiphany. I abhor the present practice of starting the holiday shopping season in October and have gone out of my way to verbally complain about the music and decorations to customer service departments in places like Penneys and Sears and Walmart.

Not much happening in this corner of the world

For a short, easy school week, it felt quite long. It started with a 4 day weekend - Nov 9 was a "comp" day to make up for all the hours we put in for parent conferences and Monday was Veterans' Day. On Tuesday we had a regular school day and then held parent conferences until 7 pm. Wed-Friday we took our 6th graders to a terrific outdoor educational school - Boston University's Sargent Center --- for 3 days of great outdoor experiences. Unfortunately for the kids, Thursday was a day of torrential rain. Friday was sunny but wintery --- temps in the high 30's. They had a blast despite being soaked on Thursday and chilly on Friday!

Today was a chore day at home - it doesn't look like we did a lot, but much of it was "behind the scenes". In other words, we went through some storage areas and threw out a ton of stuff that we'd accumulated over 30 years. I also got several loads of laundry done, went to a Weight Watchers' meeting (I lost over 6 pounds!!!), and completed some paperwork that needed attention.


Tomorrow is our Thanksgiving service at church, church council meeting, and then in the evening is our community's Interfaith Thanksgiving service. That's a tradition that goes back about 30 years and rotates between 3 churches. Tomorrow night's service is hosted by my church. The service is well-attended and is led by our local UCC churches, our local Catholic church, our local Jewish leader, an Islamic leader, and the local Friends' meeting. Last year, in the absence of a pastor from our church, I was part of the leadership. This year all I have to do is provide the Spanish translations for the benediction. . . .

El Senor te bendiga y te guarde
May the Lord bless you and keep you.

El Senor te mire con agrado y te extienda su amor
May the Lord make his countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you

El Senor te muestre su favor y te conceda la paz.
May the Lord turn his countenance upon you and give you peace.

The Friday Five - Unbusyness

Sally at RevGalBlogPals writes this:

I am writing in my official capacity of grump!!! No seriously, with the shops and stores around us filling with Christmas gifts and decorations, the holiday season moving up on us quickly for many the time from Thanksgiving onwards will be spent in a headlong rush towards Christmas with hardly a time to breathe.... I am looking at the possibility of finding little gaps in the day or the week to spend in extravagant unbusyness ( a wonderful phrase coined by a fellow revgal)...
So given those little gaps, name 5 things you would do to;

1.to care for your body

I just joined Weight Watchers to get additional support for my weight loss battle. I also recommitted myself to getting at least 100 minutes of aerobic exercise every Monday-Friday, and to get back to strength training twice a week.
2. to care for your spirit

I knit. It's a very centering activity for me. I also have recommitted to regular lectio divina reading of the weekly lectionary. And I am trying to consciously stop whatever I'm doing when I see beauty - and give thanks for it.
3. to care for your mind

Hmmm....this one's a little tougher. I guess this one's more job related right now. I am trying to learn some new job skills -- or at least trying to more consciously develop some new ways to deliver instruction using differentiated instruction. I have been good at teaching kids using the multiple intelligences, but now I want to try to figure out how to teach more kids at their individual levels, rather than the one-size-fits-all model we've tended to use. That's not to say I haven't every modified instruction by any means. But my lesson modifications have tended to be "downwards". I want to learn how to modify "upwards" for those kids who need more challenge.
4. to bring a sparkle to your eye

Yarn shopping!!! And planning a few "play dates" with friends - whatever the form of play might be -- dinner out (or in), a weekend away, a theater excursion, etc.

5. to place a spring in your step

Getting my house cleaned (not necessarily by me!) And hiring a personal chef to make all the healthy meals we need -- keeping me out of the meal preparation routine completely.

Enjoy the time to indulge and dream.... and then for a bonus which one on the list are you determined to put into action?

I've already started a few of these ---- even #5. My neighbor is looking for a way to earn some extra cash, and she has offered to come in for an hour or two every week to clean bathrooms, and the kitchen. How can I refuse!!!

Feelin' Glum

Glum describes a depressed, spiritless condition or manner, usually temporary rather than habitual:

That's how I'm feeling today. I'm not exactly sure why. It might be that I joined Weight Watchers and wasn't pleased with my starting weight. I've been working hard for most of the year on losing weight, and had managed to lose 35 lbs. Since school started however, some of those pounds have been found again, and I'm tired of all the planning ahead I have to do in order to eat. I joined WW because my work place offered a 17 week program and I decided I needed the support of others. But when I went today I looked around and realized that of the 15 or so of us there, most probably only need to lose 5-10 lbs, not 150 lbs. It made me feel worse than I already do about where I am right now in the weight battle. I left the meeting and did 30 minutes of intense aerobic exercise at my fitness center. Usually that gets the endorphins going. But I came home tired, and feeling like I will never succeed. I need some positive self talk but haven't got the energy tonight to do it.

I shouldn't be glum - I have a 4 day weekend ahead. I plan to do some shopping with a friend, and lots of knitting. And of course some grading papers. There's a church supper on Sat. night, and big events on Sunday at church. Next week will be an easy week at school too--- classes on Tuesday, and then 3 days at a local outdoor education center. But somehow all that just makes me tired.

I even had fun with my kids at school today --- something that's happening a lot this year. I'm really falling in love with my job again.

But tonight, I'm glum.

More Warm and Cuddly

Iro Mitts
Originally uploaded by dswgr6

I made these cozy mittens out of left over yarn from my ruana. They were quick and easy. I made one in the car on a short trip and the other the next evening. You can link to the pattern Iro Mitts in my notebook on Ravelry My ID is dswgr6.