Summer is ideal for reading and watching. The heat and humidity dictate either a break on the couch with a book or one floating in the Intex pool. The long days turn into late night movie viewing as cool breezes finally begin to waft in through the open windows.
I am usually a one-book-at-a-time type gal, but right now I am reading two. I thought I'd fly through a few more Miss Read books this summer, but I've gotten side-tracked and will have to pick her back up a little later in the season.
A friend loaned me To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. I'm finding it very good and rather funny, but I am not compelled to read one chapter after another. I like the book well enough, it is after all a pleasant adventure in time travel with much silliness and history. It just seems I put it down and forget to pick it up again for days.
My other read right now is open next to me on the couch. I am almost halfway through its 311 pages after picking it up at the library yesterday. At the end of each chapter it compels me to begin another, and then another...Sundays in America, A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith. I don't always share the author's views, but her "trip" is intriguing. Earle and I have always talked about worshipping at a different church every Sunday. Suzanne Shea did it for a year and we are along for the ride.
Apart from reading books I have been reading a blog I discovered called Zen Habits. I am all for simplicity and the articles there are very inspiring. Hop on over and give it a try.
Movie watching has been slow but steady. We picked up a few $5 movies out of the Walmart bin to add to our small collection. Among the usual fare of Terminator and military action movies were True Lies and one of my favorites A Knight's Tale. It is a great movie. What can be better than the character of Geoffrey Chaucer, stripped naked (from the back of course) bemoaning his gambling habit! Side-splitting stuff. The other great movie I watched (part of) recently was Master and Commander. I watched it at the precise time to see my favorite part: "Don't you know that in the service you must always choose the lesser of two weevils." If you've seen it you know of what scene I speak!
7/1/08
6/29/08
Old Friend
My blog template, minima black, was like an old friend whom I missed while she was away. I tried to like my new friend. I thought she was more summery and light-hearted. But, in the end old friends are the best friends and I missed my minima. So, I gave her a call and invited her over. We're very close and having her here just feels right. She may be a little dark, but I love the way she makes the colors pop. She makes me happy.
Since I've been on my short blogging vacation, my nieces have been roaming the world, Earle and Julia have been to Germany, and my lovely sister-in-law has joined the blogging world. I think it might be time for an update soon!
Blessings to you all and I hope you are enjoying summer.
Since I've been on my short blogging vacation, my nieces have been roaming the world, Earle and Julia have been to Germany, and my lovely sister-in-law has joined the blogging world. I think it might be time for an update soon!
Blessings to you all and I hope you are enjoying summer.
6/10/08
Update
I can't believe how much time has gone by. We've all been very busy here. I've had to conclude that blogging may not happen over the summer much, so don't be surprised if you come to visit and nothing has changed. This is what we have been up to since I blogged last and what we are anticipating the upcoming summer to be like.
Me:
I spent last week subbing full time at the school where I will be teaching in the fall. The teacher whom I am replacing is pregnant and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and preeclampsia which sent her home for complete bed rest and sent me into the classroom full time, early. It was a good opportunity to get to know the kids before the upcoming school year and to take stock of the supplies. I will need to order supplies, plan for the classes, organize the room, and fire the kiln a few times over the summer. I expect to be in there quite a few times.
Also, while Earle and Julia were in Germany I painted the sitting area in the kitchen which we affectionately call "the cafe" and I painted the hall leading to the bedrooms. The cafe is now a lovely light orchid and the hall a pale sea blue. I also rearranged the great room so that the furniture grouping faces the view instead of the tv. I think there will be more thunderstorm and rainbow viewing than tv watching during the summer months. Since we have been experiencing a rather severe heatwave here, Earle and I put up my Intex pool and we purchased and installed air conditioners for the bedroom windows. This week would have been unbearable without them.
This summer I will be doing British Lit with Shawn and finishing Art History with him. I will continue with my art student and will also be creating and implementing a 1/4 credit art course for a friend's high school aged daughter who wants to graduated early and needs to fullfill a fine arts requirement. Hopefully I will find some time to fit in my own art as well.
Earle:
Earle is back from his two week stint in Germany. He and Julia had a wonderful time and he may eventually find the time to update his blog so you can share his adventure with him. We will be hosting someone from Germany when they visit here for work at the end of June. Earle is off for a few days to Taiwan and Germany in the meantime. His knee swelled a little again when he and Julia were away so he hasn't gotten on his bicycle yet this year, but he will soon. He and Shawn are still playing floor hockey though and we are looking forward to taking the canoe out for its first time this season. It's been too hot this last week to even think about being out on the water.
Julia:
Julia is back working at Kohl's for the summer and spending her free time with Seth. She is hoping to make enough money to pay her share of school in the fall, buy her books, and have some left over for a few riding lessons. Anything horse related is always so expensive and the rising price of gas has put a dent in every one's pocket. She will be picking up a little extra soon as she dog sits for some neighbors.
Shawn:
Shawn is working quite a few hours at Target. They gave him almost 30 this week. He has to fit in some school work this summer so that I feel I've covered everything with him that I wanted to before he heads to the community college. He has a few weeks left of fencing then our prime objective is to get him signed up for his drivers' test. He has been ready to get his license for a while now, but we haven't had the time to do it and haven't really wanted to pay the extra expense of the increased insurance cost. Shawn will also be doing some lawn work this summer for some neighbors, the same ones Julia is dog sitting for. It sure helps the gas fund.
So, as you can see, life is busy and there is no end in sight. We all feel as though we are chained to a treadmill that keeps speeding up regardless of what we do to try to slow it down. And of course the things I mentioned above are really just the tip of the iceberg. It is all those little plates we try to keep spinning in the air that take their toll in time and put us over the edge, things like: pets, and lawn care, and meal prep, and exercise....If I had back all the time I've spent cleaning cat puke off the floor in the last few years I could have painted a masterpiece instead! C'est la Vie.
Happy summer everyone. I'm sure you'll see me around, but it won't be regularly. Enjoy your families.
Me:
I spent last week subbing full time at the school where I will be teaching in the fall. The teacher whom I am replacing is pregnant and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and preeclampsia which sent her home for complete bed rest and sent me into the classroom full time, early. It was a good opportunity to get to know the kids before the upcoming school year and to take stock of the supplies. I will need to order supplies, plan for the classes, organize the room, and fire the kiln a few times over the summer. I expect to be in there quite a few times.
Also, while Earle and Julia were in Germany I painted the sitting area in the kitchen which we affectionately call "the cafe" and I painted the hall leading to the bedrooms. The cafe is now a lovely light orchid and the hall a pale sea blue. I also rearranged the great room so that the furniture grouping faces the view instead of the tv. I think there will be more thunderstorm and rainbow viewing than tv watching during the summer months. Since we have been experiencing a rather severe heatwave here, Earle and I put up my Intex pool and we purchased and installed air conditioners for the bedroom windows. This week would have been unbearable without them.
This summer I will be doing British Lit with Shawn and finishing Art History with him. I will continue with my art student and will also be creating and implementing a 1/4 credit art course for a friend's high school aged daughter who wants to graduated early and needs to fullfill a fine arts requirement. Hopefully I will find some time to fit in my own art as well.
Earle:
Earle is back from his two week stint in Germany. He and Julia had a wonderful time and he may eventually find the time to update his blog so you can share his adventure with him. We will be hosting someone from Germany when they visit here for work at the end of June. Earle is off for a few days to Taiwan and Germany in the meantime. His knee swelled a little again when he and Julia were away so he hasn't gotten on his bicycle yet this year, but he will soon. He and Shawn are still playing floor hockey though and we are looking forward to taking the canoe out for its first time this season. It's been too hot this last week to even think about being out on the water.
Julia:
Julia is back working at Kohl's for the summer and spending her free time with Seth. She is hoping to make enough money to pay her share of school in the fall, buy her books, and have some left over for a few riding lessons. Anything horse related is always so expensive and the rising price of gas has put a dent in every one's pocket. She will be picking up a little extra soon as she dog sits for some neighbors.
Shawn:
Shawn is working quite a few hours at Target. They gave him almost 30 this week. He has to fit in some school work this summer so that I feel I've covered everything with him that I wanted to before he heads to the community college. He has a few weeks left of fencing then our prime objective is to get him signed up for his drivers' test. He has been ready to get his license for a while now, but we haven't had the time to do it and haven't really wanted to pay the extra expense of the increased insurance cost. Shawn will also be doing some lawn work this summer for some neighbors, the same ones Julia is dog sitting for. It sure helps the gas fund.
So, as you can see, life is busy and there is no end in sight. We all feel as though we are chained to a treadmill that keeps speeding up regardless of what we do to try to slow it down. And of course the things I mentioned above are really just the tip of the iceberg. It is all those little plates we try to keep spinning in the air that take their toll in time and put us over the edge, things like: pets, and lawn care, and meal prep, and exercise....If I had back all the time I've spent cleaning cat puke off the floor in the last few years I could have painted a masterpiece instead! C'est la Vie.
Happy summer everyone. I'm sure you'll see me around, but it won't be regularly. Enjoy your families.
5/30/08
Food Stuff
Have you missed me? I've been taking a small blogging break. Something had to take up all the time I usually spend here. So, we've been eating! Since Friday's Feast is on vacation this week, I thought I'd share a feast of my own making, the yummy kind. To say "we like food" at our house is understatement extraordinaire. We cook. We eat. Therefore we are.
Breaking in the new wok from Taiwan with a batch of fajitas. I know, wrong culture. It worked great though! Our stove even has a wok ring that you place on a burner to hold the wok in place. It is so cool!
Breaking in the new wok from Taiwan with a batch of fajitas. I know, wrong culture. It worked great though! Our stove even has a wok ring that you place on a burner to hold the wok in place. It is so cool! 
Can I tell you how much I adore pumpkin? I can eat it any time of year. This particular Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Gingersnap Crust was particularly yummy last week, especially with pecans substituted for the hazelnuts in the crust.
This is truly a sad sight. I only made this batch of brownies last night and Shawn and I are the only ones home! These are the best chocolate brownies ever, ever, ever, ever.........ever.
Brownies
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square pan. (I used Corelle greased with butter). In a medium bowl (I used my KichenAid mixer for this recipe) combine melted butter and cocoa, stirring until dissolved. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well combined. Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread in pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Do not over bake. There's nothing worse than dried up brownies! Test with a toothpick for doneness. Toothpick should come out of center with moist crumbs, not clean. Cool, cut, eat. Yum.
You can thank me later. Just don't send me the bill for your new pants, one size bigger.
Happy Friday everyone!
5/21/08
5/20/08
Busy Days
The Phi Theta Kappa induction ceremony. Apparently, Julia was in motion, and is therefore out of focus as she received her flowers! I am always amazed at how busy this time of the year can be. Earle is only home for one more day before his next trip and we've been working feverishly to get all those springtime chores done before he is whisked off to Germany again. We've planted the rest of the garden except the tomatoes and peppers which will go in shortly. We fenced it in too, after our local rabbits had feasted on our spinach. Little buggers. It's a good thing they're cute! We even planted our deck pots with annuals, but we had to bring them inside last night because of danger of frost up here on the hill. It is a little early still for annuals, but with Earle going away again we wanted to get them underway.
This trip he will be taking Julia along for the ride. Twelve days in Germany, she is thrilled! She has waited for this for two years now. Whenever Earle had to go she was unavailable to accompany him. School. Work. More school. Finals are over, summer employment hasn't begun yet, she is off! It will be a nice reward for a job well done at school. Last week she participated in the induction ceremony for the Honor Society of Two Year Schools. We're not sure which professor nominated her, but it is a nice honor and will translate to scholarship dollars at a transfer school. All A's and one A- to round out the year. Way to go Julia! Next year will be tough, but she is very capable. She has signed up for: Organic Chemistry, Abnormal Psychology, Genetics, and I don't remember what else off the top of my head. Anyway, they are all upper level courses and all four or five credits I think. (ETA: The other course is Creative Writing) This summer she can give her brain a rest. She goes back to Kohl's for a summer job. They welcomed her back gladly. She has already started to unwind a bit with a trip down childhood lane as she rereads an old favorite, The Wind in the Willows.
We've been busy with Shawn's educational plans too. He will be taking British Lit with me over the summer and will be studying Medieval History next year using the Teaching Company lecture series as a spine: The Early Middle Ages, The High Middle Ages, and The Late Middle Ages. He also took the placement test at the community college and will be signing up for classes with an advisor of Friday. He will be taking College Composition I and Statistics. This year is not yet complete. I suspect we will need until close to the end of June to finish up. It seems as though the junior year of high school ends up being the most taxing year with the most work. After all, when you are preparing to launch into college classes the next year you can't slack off.
Speaking of slacking off, I'd better go watch Shawn's Art History lecture with him. Back to work, Mom! Tomorrow will be a busy day. Earle and Julia leave for Europe at about dinner time and I will be spending the day at the school with the present art teacher, learning about the make-up of the different classes, the schedule, the supplies, etc. It will be a busy day all around.
I will try to get my Wordless Wednesday up tomorrow before I go. We'll see. I Already have an idea for a picture. Hopefully I'll have time in the morning to post it before I head out. Also, what do you think of the new template? I needed a break from the black. I liked how it made all the colors pop, but it was looking a bit too wintry for me. I thought about installing a custom template, but Julia, my html guru won't be here to help me, so I went with one of the presets that Blogger gives you. It's a nice change though.
Lastly, did you catch the season finale of House last night? It was awesome! Now I can't wait until next year. Is the door open, perhaps, for a personality change for House? Will there be regret? An irrevocably broken relationship with his only friend? Poor 13 though, I felt so sad for her.
5/14/08
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