I took this picture last Thanksgiving while we were on the road. Beautiful, isn't it?!
(and if you think this is your backyard, it probably is. ;) )
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thanksgiving Redux
Since 1993 (FIFTEEN YEARS ago!), Husband has woken up very early on Thanksgiving morning & gone to run a Turkey Trot race. Every year. No matter where we are that year.
This year marked the first time that a) we did not have infants, b) we were home, and c) we were not in a place with freezing weather. So we all went with him.
.
This pic was taken just after they started. It was a pretty big race this year - took 9 minutes before everyone crossed the start line!!
Once we'd finished watching everyone start, we still had about 7-9 minutes before we'd see Husband finish (it was a 5K race this year), so we amused ourselves around the finish line. The kids wanted their picture taken with the inflat-o-turkey.
Considering the race was at 8am, and dinner was going to be around 3-4pm, I had some time on my hands. Set the table with the good china:
Amusingly enough, it did not occur to me that I had forgotten silverware until it was almost time to eat!
Here's Husband ready to carve our first-ever turkey!!
The feast, for which we were truly thankful:
Happy Weekend to you all!!
This year marked the first time that a) we did not have infants, b) we were home, and c) we were not in a place with freezing weather. So we all went with him.
.This pic was taken just after they started. It was a pretty big race this year - took 9 minutes before everyone crossed the start line!!
Once we'd finished watching everyone start, we still had about 7-9 minutes before we'd see Husband finish (it was a 5K race this year), so we amused ourselves around the finish line. The kids wanted their picture taken with the inflat-o-turkey.
Considering the race was at 8am, and dinner was going to be around 3-4pm, I had some time on my hands. Set the table with the good china:
Amusingly enough, it did not occur to me that I had forgotten silverware until it was almost time to eat!
Here's Husband ready to carve our first-ever turkey!!
The feast, for which we were truly thankful:
Happy Weekend to you all!!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for these two turkeys.
(that's Bird on the left, and Bug on the right)
What amazes me is that they are almost 2 years apart, yet their hands are almost the same size.
(that's Bird on the left, and Bug on the right)
What amazes me is that they are almost 2 years apart, yet their hands are almost the same size.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Bring It On Home
Haven't done a meme in a while, and this one is all the rage on Facebook right now.... and since I would never post something like this where my students could find it.... it can go here!
I have to say, I am always amused by these things. Some of the answers can be dead-on, while others make absolutely no sense. Looking at this list, though, I am amazed at how much influence Husband has had on my music. I can honestly say I would never have listened to (and even enjoyed!) most of this had he not played it for me.
Instructions
1.Put your iPod on shuffle. (well, the iPod is hooked up to the stereo right now, and not anywhere near where I'm sitting. How about the nifty mP3 player on the computer? It will have to do.)
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got this from.
(Um, if you like this and want to play, consider yourself tagged.)
If someone asks, "Is this okay?" you say:
Copacabana - Barry Manilow
What would best describe your personality?
I'll Be That Girl - Barenekkidladies
What do you like in a guy/girl?
A View to a Kill - Duran Duran
What is your life's purpose?
Love, Liberty, and Disco - Newsboys
(ROCK ON!!!)
What is your motto?
Eat the Rich - Aerosmith
(Yeah, this isn't disturbing at all....)
What do your friends think of you?
You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
(And apparently conceited too!)
What do you think about very often?
Something About You - Level 42
What is 2 + 2?
Nothing But Flowers - Talking Heads
What do you think of your best friend?
Autumn Almanac - Kinks
What do you think of the person you like?
Come a Little Bit Closer - Jay and the Americans
(Well, that's appropriate.)
What is your life story?
Wrong Way - Sublime
(Hmmm.... this could be superficial & wrong, or deeply philosophical and right....)
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Cotton Eyed Joe - Rednex
(HAHAHA)
What do you think when you see the person you like?
Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
(If you know Husband, you are probably laughing now.)
What do your parents think of you?
Gonna Always Love You - Muppets
(Awwww....)
What will you dance to at your wedding?
Shoot to Thrill - AC/DC
(Oh dear)
What will they play at your funeral?
Without You - Badfinger
(Kinda obvious, isn't it?)
What is your hobby/interest?
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benetar
(Perhaps that's why we're at my funeral now...)
What's your biggest secret?
99 Luftballoons - Nena
What do you think of your friends?
Basic Instructions - Burlap to Cashmere
What's the worst thing that could happen?
1985 - Bowling For Soup
How will you die?
Big Ideas - Randy Stonehill
(HAHAHA)
What is the one thing you regret?
Look Through Any Window - Hollies
What makes you laugh?
Take It Easy - Eagles
What makes you cry?
Movin Out - Billy Joel
Will you ever get married?
If You Want My Love - Cheap Trick
What scares you the most?
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence - Gene Pitney
(That's not fair! He'd scare anyone!)
Does anyone like you?
Finest Worksong - REM
If you could go back in time, what would you change?
Number 3 Roxbury Street - Captain Tractor
What hurts right now?
Funiculi Funicula - Luciano Pavarotti
(I've been instructed to tell you that I was the one who downloaded this song.)
What will you post this as?
Bring It On Home - Led Zepplin
I have to say, I am always amused by these things. Some of the answers can be dead-on, while others make absolutely no sense. Looking at this list, though, I am amazed at how much influence Husband has had on my music. I can honestly say I would never have listened to (and even enjoyed!) most of this had he not played it for me.
Instructions
1.Put your iPod on shuffle. (well, the iPod is hooked up to the stereo right now, and not anywhere near where I'm sitting. How about the nifty mP3 player on the computer? It will have to do.)
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got this from.
(Um, if you like this and want to play, consider yourself tagged.)
If someone asks, "Is this okay?" you say:
Copacabana - Barry Manilow
What would best describe your personality?
I'll Be That Girl - Barenekkidladies
What do you like in a guy/girl?
A View to a Kill - Duran Duran
What is your life's purpose?
Love, Liberty, and Disco - Newsboys
(ROCK ON!!!)
What is your motto?
Eat the Rich - Aerosmith
(Yeah, this isn't disturbing at all....)
What do your friends think of you?
You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
(And apparently conceited too!)
What do you think about very often?
Something About You - Level 42
What is 2 + 2?
Nothing But Flowers - Talking Heads
What do you think of your best friend?
Autumn Almanac - Kinks
What do you think of the person you like?
Come a Little Bit Closer - Jay and the Americans
(Well, that's appropriate.)
What is your life story?
Wrong Way - Sublime
(Hmmm.... this could be superficial & wrong, or deeply philosophical and right....)
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Cotton Eyed Joe - Rednex
(HAHAHA)
What do you think when you see the person you like?
Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
(If you know Husband, you are probably laughing now.)
What do your parents think of you?
Gonna Always Love You - Muppets
(Awwww....)
What will you dance to at your wedding?
Shoot to Thrill - AC/DC
(Oh dear)
What will they play at your funeral?
Without You - Badfinger
(Kinda obvious, isn't it?)
What is your hobby/interest?
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benetar
(Perhaps that's why we're at my funeral now...)
What's your biggest secret?
99 Luftballoons - Nena
What do you think of your friends?
Basic Instructions - Burlap to Cashmere
What's the worst thing that could happen?
1985 - Bowling For Soup
How will you die?
Big Ideas - Randy Stonehill
(HAHAHA)
What is the one thing you regret?
Look Through Any Window - Hollies
What makes you laugh?
Take It Easy - Eagles
What makes you cry?
Movin Out - Billy Joel
Will you ever get married?
If You Want My Love - Cheap Trick
What scares you the most?
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence - Gene Pitney
(That's not fair! He'd scare anyone!)
Does anyone like you?
Finest Worksong - REM
If you could go back in time, what would you change?
Number 3 Roxbury Street - Captain Tractor
What hurts right now?
Funiculi Funicula - Luciano Pavarotti
(I've been instructed to tell you that I was the one who downloaded this song.)
What will you post this as?
Bring It On Home - Led Zepplin
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thoughts on Excellence
Each week, I have a quote of some kind (usually from a scientist, but not always) on my board. My first year students have to write a response to it. This week, it was "Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude." Instead of a specific directive, I simply told them to respond to the quote. I thought some of their thoughts were interesting.
Excellence is something you have and are, not something you do.... it cannot be obtained magically in exchange for temporary achievement.
Excellence starts with your attitude. You must be in the right frame of mind.
If someone is only doing their best some of the time, then they don't have an attitude of excellence.
Excellence is something that means different things to different people. (really?! oh the relativism!)
I suppose it was inevitable that someone went Bill-and-Ted on me:
I think he means you should try to BE excellent, not achieve excellence.
Excellence is something you have and are, not something you do.... it cannot be obtained magically in exchange for temporary achievement.
Excellence starts with your attitude. You must be in the right frame of mind.
If someone is only doing their best some of the time, then they don't have an attitude of excellence.
Excellence is something that means different things to different people. (really?! oh the relativism!)
I suppose it was inevitable that someone went Bill-and-Ted on me:
I think he means you should try to BE excellent, not achieve excellence.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
I hear that it's fall somewhere. Not around these parts, at least not yet, so I like to pretend that it is with these cookies. I like to bake them around Halloween time, although this a great pumpkin pie alternative around Thanksgiving as well.
Ingredients
1 cup softened margarine or butter (2 sticks)
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 15oz can canned pumpkin*
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 12oz bags milk chocolate chips
* For those of you who may be a bit more purist in your cooking, this is about 2 cups of your own homemade pumpkin puree. For those of you who want to learn how to do this, there's a great tutorial here.
1. Preheat the oven to 350F (around 175C) and grease your cookie sheets.
2. Cream the butter & sugar until fluffy. I left my electric mixer in the picture because this is the only time you'll use it.
3. Add all the wet stuff (pumpkin, eggs, vanilla) & stir it all together.
4. In another bowl, add all the dry stuff (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon.) The original directions said to sift it, but I find that just stirring it all together works rather nicely.
Alternatively, do this first and have your little helpers stir it all together while you get all the wet stuff taken care of.
5. Dump the bowl of dry stuff into the bowl of wet stuff. I think you're *supposed* to do this bit by bit, but I just dump it all in there at once. You do have to be bit more careful when you're stirring so you're not breathing the flour, but it works.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips. I prefer to use all milk-chocolate chips, but the store didn't have 2 bags. So this is one bag of milk chocolate & one bag of semi-sweet.
7. Drop by teaspoon or nifty scoop onto your greased cookie sheets. I can get 16 on one well-loved sheet.
8. Bake for as long as they need. In my portal to Hades, that is 8 minutes, followed by about 2 minutes more sitting on the sheet that is now on top of the oven. You want the edges to be set, but not hard. Remove to wax paper/racks/foil to cool completely.
This will make a boatload (60-75, depending on size) of delicious cookies. Enjoy!!
Ingredients
1 cup softened margarine or butter (2 sticks)
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 15oz can canned pumpkin*
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 12oz bags milk chocolate chips
* For those of you who may be a bit more purist in your cooking, this is about 2 cups of your own homemade pumpkin puree. For those of you who want to learn how to do this, there's a great tutorial here.
1. Preheat the oven to 350F (around 175C) and grease your cookie sheets.
2. Cream the butter & sugar until fluffy. I left my electric mixer in the picture because this is the only time you'll use it.
3. Add all the wet stuff (pumpkin, eggs, vanilla) & stir it all together.
4. In another bowl, add all the dry stuff (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon.) The original directions said to sift it, but I find that just stirring it all together works rather nicely.
Alternatively, do this first and have your little helpers stir it all together while you get all the wet stuff taken care of.
5. Dump the bowl of dry stuff into the bowl of wet stuff. I think you're *supposed* to do this bit by bit, but I just dump it all in there at once. You do have to be bit more careful when you're stirring so you're not breathing the flour, but it works.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips. I prefer to use all milk-chocolate chips, but the store didn't have 2 bags. So this is one bag of milk chocolate & one bag of semi-sweet.
7. Drop by teaspoon or nifty scoop onto your greased cookie sheets. I can get 16 on one well-loved sheet.
8. Bake for as long as they need. In my portal to Hades, that is 8 minutes, followed by about 2 minutes more sitting on the sheet that is now on top of the oven. You want the edges to be set, but not hard. Remove to wax paper/racks/foil to cool completely.
This will make a boatload (60-75, depending on size) of delicious cookies. Enjoy!!
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