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| For Jenne, Mirjam, Karissa, Kristen, and Karen |
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Baby, It's Cold...
The mercury has dipped into the 30s and now my house is officially cold.
High ceilings and an open flow help keep it cool in the summer. And, unfortunately, in winter. Brrrr!
High ceilings and an open flow help keep it cool in the summer. And, unfortunately, in winter. Brrrr!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Tummy Torture & Treats
I have been sick with a little stomach bug... it started last night. But I went to my inservice meeting this morning like a good soldier and drove the kids to school. Then I spent the day in bed hazing in and out of wakefulness. Michele, my lovely friend, agreed to get Anna after drama. At some point I dragged myself downstairs to eat a banana, applesauce, and some crackers. When Anna got home she brought me apple juice, although I guess that is not the best choice. I felt better after a soak in the tub and I stopped falling asleep. It felt like maybe I was turning a corner.
Then out of the blue, two of my former seminary students called and said they wanted to bring me lemon cake. Homemade, light-as-air cake with lemon curd and whipped cream. Torture! I told them I was not really eating today, that I was sick, that I love lemon curd and they were killing me. They offered to bring a slice anyway, that maybe I could eat it when I felt better. So I got dressed and before long, Thomas and Savannah were visiting with me in the front room. They ate cake; we chatted; Anna put a huge slice of cake for me in the fridge.
When they left I changed back into my polka dot pjs and got back into bed. My tummy is still a bit off, so the cake will have to wait. It stinks to be sick. But it was such a treat to be visited!
Update: Tummy better, still a bit off. But now my girl is sick... so I checked on my cute visitors. And yes, one of them is sick. Not such a treat.
Then out of the blue, two of my former seminary students called and said they wanted to bring me lemon cake. Homemade, light-as-air cake with lemon curd and whipped cream. Torture! I told them I was not really eating today, that I was sick, that I love lemon curd and they were killing me. They offered to bring a slice anyway, that maybe I could eat it when I felt better. So I got dressed and before long, Thomas and Savannah were visiting with me in the front room. They ate cake; we chatted; Anna put a huge slice of cake for me in the fridge.
When they left I changed back into my polka dot pjs and got back into bed. My tummy is still a bit off, so the cake will have to wait. It stinks to be sick. But it was such a treat to be visited!
Update: Tummy better, still a bit off. But now my girl is sick... so I checked on my cute visitors. And yes, one of them is sick. Not such a treat.
Friday, October 26, 2012
When It's Good...
This post is direct from the weekly email I send seminary parents.
I LOVED this week in seminary! On Monday we enjoyed a reader's theater featuring Herod (Ethan) Herodias (Claire) and John the Baptist (Chris) and talked about heroes and having courage. The next morning were reports about the heroes noticed during the previous day, then everyone got missionary name tags and an assigned scripture block. We practiced teaching, within their table "district" like you do in the MTC. On Wednesday we talked about the miracle(s) of the loaves and fishes and the symbolism of each seen in the scriptures, and then searched for and shared other scriptures about bread and fish. Thursday was Shaylee's birthday, which was very convenient as we talked about gifts and wish lists and what it is we desire. We are all very much like the rich young man in circumstance; I shared an email from my aunt that described the life of one of the young missionaries in Liberia and we thought about our lives and what we have and what we really want.
But it was our activity today that still has me grinning! Because we had been so good all week, because it is midterms and because I felt like we needed to laugh together, we played my all-time favorite scripture mastery game: Scripture Mastery Scavenger Hunt. In this game, I give a clue and then two teams scripture chase as usual. The first team to have every member find the correct scripture gets 1 point and then chooses a number from 1-50. From that number I read from a set of listed items and both teams race to produce an item and place it on a center table. Then we start with another clue and scripture chase. The hilarity is in seeing kids jump up, searching pockets, bags, the room (we had a few venture to the parking lot and next door -- next time we'll be clearer about keeping it in the room) and lunging for the table with shoes, phones, etc. Kristy ended up sitting on the table (hair tie) and Mackay joined her a few rounds later (BSA anything). At the end of the game the teams were tied with the item left to read: a quarter. While Ethan made a mad dash to his car, Brad searched his pockets and quietly placed a quarter just as Ethan returned triumphantly. So fun to play, so very funny to watch.
This week I received several more requests for the online recommendation for BYU. It has been a completely enjoyable endeavor to submit these recommendations. Thinking of each student and how to convey how great they are has not been a chore but a blessing. Thank you for sending your kids to seminary!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Senior Moments
I've got 24 seniors in seminary this year. And they are just delightful. I am especially enjoying the slightly more energetic boys -- you know, "we don't have any boys at our house." I have it on good authority that some of the early-morning shenanigans are less appreciated by a few of the girls. Because boys are so immature.
Anyway, this morning one of the tables was occupied exclusively by boys, specifically, the boys most-likely-to-entertain-themselves. As our discussion progressed, I noticed that when I looked away to the two side tables, the center table of boys inched backward toward the door. So each time I came back to them, they were farther away. (This, of course, made me think of the weeping angels on Dr. Who, only the opposite direction and not scary.) I ignored the creeping table until I realized that Andrew, on the end, was backed against the door, and it was slightly ajar.
Does this sound awful? I was not at all bothered... I told them yes, how funny they were and scooted the table back up. I realize some of the behavior I see might not occur in other classes. But I try not to dwell on it too much. I embrace a wide range of participation styles and prefer almost anything to vacant stares. I have no problem letting someone know when they've gone too far. These are good kids who mostly pay attention. Usually. A creeping table is less distracting to me than the recurring, non-class related chatting that defines one particular corner.
And as you know, I am not soft-spoken or particularly sweet. I'm a goof! My natural "exuberance" has occasionally been misinterpreted in the past, but I like to think it's a harmless kind of crazy. It hasn't kept me from living the gospel fully or teaching it. Maybe that's why I am not bothered by the sometimes silly. Or maybe it's because I still get antsy in Sunday School.
So, a while back we talked about the Laborers In The Vineyard. In this parable, the master of the vineyard hires day laborers at several points throughout the day but at the end pays them all the same. Those hired first, who worked longest, protest. We discussed service, about not envying others' blessings, and how the Lord looks at our efforts. At the end of class we have an "on the spot" moment where I let the students tell me what their take away for the day is. On this day when I asked about what we'd learned about serving the Lord, Tom's quick response was, "you only have to work an hour." Very clever.
This morning was Jessica's birthday. I found out that one of her favorite treats was red velvet cake. So I made those cupcakes for her birthday treat. They were unrecognizable at first, under the crushed Oreo "dirt" and other toppings that were to illustrate the four kinds of soil mentioned in the Parable of the Sower. When she saw hers up close, she asked, "are these red velvet?... did I know that is her favorite?" Yes and yes. She was so pleased, and came up after class to give me a hug. This is the same girl who was the first to class yesterday, which was so impressive to herself that she told each subsequent arrival. Very cute!
It's early. We're all tired. Some days are better than others. But I do enjoy these kids.
Anyway, this morning one of the tables was occupied exclusively by boys, specifically, the boys most-likely-to-entertain-themselves. As our discussion progressed, I noticed that when I looked away to the two side tables, the center table of boys inched backward toward the door. So each time I came back to them, they were farther away. (This, of course, made me think of the weeping angels on Dr. Who, only the opposite direction and not scary.) I ignored the creeping table until I realized that Andrew, on the end, was backed against the door, and it was slightly ajar.
Does this sound awful? I was not at all bothered... I told them yes, how funny they were and scooted the table back up. I realize some of the behavior I see might not occur in other classes. But I try not to dwell on it too much. I embrace a wide range of participation styles and prefer almost anything to vacant stares. I have no problem letting someone know when they've gone too far. These are good kids who mostly pay attention. Usually. A creeping table is less distracting to me than the recurring, non-class related chatting that defines one particular corner.
And as you know, I am not soft-spoken or particularly sweet. I'm a goof! My natural "exuberance" has occasionally been misinterpreted in the past, but I like to think it's a harmless kind of crazy. It hasn't kept me from living the gospel fully or teaching it. Maybe that's why I am not bothered by the sometimes silly. Or maybe it's because I still get antsy in Sunday School.
So, a while back we talked about the Laborers In The Vineyard. In this parable, the master of the vineyard hires day laborers at several points throughout the day but at the end pays them all the same. Those hired first, who worked longest, protest. We discussed service, about not envying others' blessings, and how the Lord looks at our efforts. At the end of class we have an "on the spot" moment where I let the students tell me what their take away for the day is. On this day when I asked about what we'd learned about serving the Lord, Tom's quick response was, "you only have to work an hour." Very clever.
This morning was Jessica's birthday. I found out that one of her favorite treats was red velvet cake. So I made those cupcakes for her birthday treat. They were unrecognizable at first, under the crushed Oreo "dirt" and other toppings that were to illustrate the four kinds of soil mentioned in the Parable of the Sower. When she saw hers up close, she asked, "are these red velvet?... did I know that is her favorite?" Yes and yes. She was so pleased, and came up after class to give me a hug. This is the same girl who was the first to class yesterday, which was so impressive to herself that she told each subsequent arrival. Very cute!
It's early. We're all tired. Some days are better than others. But I do enjoy these kids.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Karen's Pumpkin Bars
Soft, moist, most-delicious bars ever...
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
4 eggs
Mix, then add:
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Pour batter into a 1/2 sheet pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool, freeze to make easier to frost.
Frosting (usually doubled):
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 T. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. powdered sugar
Mix until creamy. Frost.
Enjoy.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Facebook is Dumb. Except When It Isn't.
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| Latest Cover Photo on Facebook |
I know I miss my bloggers when they don't write, but haven't been feeling like anyone would miss me here. But one comment too many has prompted me to tell you a little story about facebook, that huge time-sucking monster of dubious value that has wedged its way into my life again.
Here it is: as I was procrastinating the final stage of the second rock cookie recipe for Seminary (it seemed like a fun idea at the time) I popped onto facebook for the umpteenth time today. Nothing new (drat!) so I followed a daisy chain of photos and updates that made me smile and think fondly of friends. The real kind.
Today on facebook: It's Angela's birthday. Megan & Marc had a nice dinner with John's cousins in China. Jen is on condo row, where Kristin lived 20 years ago and Mary does now. Carol friended me (she's on facebook?!) and I found out she didn't get my text with the Doris Day star, but liked the photo when I tagged her in it. John's comp Aaron is speaking at BYU Homecoming so I tagged all the student friends I could think of to recommend him. Miss Megan looks cute even in the ER. Michele's got her little girls in pink curlers for bed. The Smiths in Hungary had a blast tripping to Austria. Linda's baby boy is so sweet. Corinne is still so funny. The Benacs really suck the marrow out of life. Cute cute girls are having fun at BYU...
Still procrastinating, I sat and thought about how blessed I am to know and have known so many smart, talented, hilarious, wonderful people. Which reminded me to check Fairbournes' Guatemala blog, where Peggy related a story about shoes for the shoeless that made me feel grateful for her, for good people, for blessings they bring, and for answers to prayer. I feel grateful. I am blessed to know so many good people.
And facebook helped me remember that today.
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