The flowers were so colorful...and tucked in amongst the flowers were rows and rows of fresh herbs. The aroma of basil, oregano, and thyme was powerful. They harvest and ship these herbs to supermarkets in the area.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Weekend Road Trip
The flowers were so colorful...and tucked in amongst the flowers were rows and rows of fresh herbs. The aroma of basil, oregano, and thyme was powerful. They harvest and ship these herbs to supermarkets in the area.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Happy Birthday, Mom
She said she got a card from her baby brother, Milford (he's 79) and he reminded her that their mom died at 87, so my mom is the longest living female in the family...I hope I inherited those genes...
Monday, September 22, 2008
High School Homecoming
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Then...and Now...
COMMUNICATION
Then…we had only one phone in the house, and it was a party line. That means, all the farms south of town shared the same telephone line. Each family had a different ring pattern. Ours was two longs. The neighbors had two shorts and a long, etc. And if you wanted to call someone, you had to pick up the receiver and listen to see if someone else was talking…and you only called someone when it was quite important.
Now…I can’t think of anyone that doesn’t have a phone on them at all times…I wouldn’t buy a purse anymore that doesn’t have a cell phone pouch! Well, High School kids are connected 24/7. “Whaz Up?”... "Whatcha doin?"... “Where you at?”... “Who’s there?”... They can all be together in a snap!
TRANSPORTATION
Then…I rode the school bus through my Junior year of High School; during my senior year, my parents got a new car and I got to drive the old car into town…to go to my activities and events.
Now…a lot of HS kids have their own car…if their parents don’t buy them one, they get a job and buy it for themselves.
SPENDING MONEY
Then…My parents gave me money when I needed it for something specific. I worked on the farm, driving the tractor, hauling grain, making meals, mowing the yard, cleaning the house…no set salary or wage…just part of being a family.
Now…Teenagers are a big part of the work force…fast food restaurants…retail stores…day care centers…fitness centers…nursing homes…they earn their own money and have it to spend on anything they need or want!
I'm not saying it was better...or worse... it's just different. Today, most teenagers are still growing up with solid family values and a strong work ethic. I love teaching High School age students!
"Find a job you like, and you won't have to work a day in your life!"
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Things in My House Thursday III
All three were fun reads, and could be read over and over again!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Wednesday...what'cha workin' on?
This is a fabulous tote...just look at the colors...it will work in the spring, summer and for fall. My blog friend, Suzanne, is giving this away this month...check out her site for details!http://justanotherhangup.blogspot.com/
What am I working on, Wednesday?
Well, I'm finishing off the wash cloths that I worked on in the car this summer, on the way to Sioux Falls, to Lincoln, to Grand Island, to Devils Lake, to Grand Forks, and to Fargo...I will list these soon. They are a neat little size to use for washing baby, your complexion or in the kitchen...Watch for them in my Etsy Shop.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Just Another Manic Monday
Today in 'Fitness for Life' we made Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels...for dipping, we had Nacho Cheese Sauce and Pizza Sauce... we compared the Nutrition Facts Labels...more on that tomorrow!
Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/3 c. warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 1/2 to 3 c. flour
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 2 lg. baking sheets. In large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir until yeast is dissolved. Gradually stir in sugar, salt and enough flour until a soft, sticky dough forms. Turn onto a well-floured board. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes, adding flour as needed.
Cut dough into 12 equal size pieces. With floured hands, Roll back and forth to form a dough rope that is 15" long. Place on baking sheet and cross ends over to create the pretzel shape.
Prepare egg wash with
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
Brush on pretzels and sprinkle with course salt. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
Due today...
As teachers, we are required to hand in our written plan for annual evaluation. That was due today. (Thanks again, Karren, for having the forms!) Since this is my 30th year teaching, I think it fitting to focus on technology. Thus, I have created my own teacher website, if you're interested, you can check that out here http://ng028.k12.sd.us/ . I hope to add new links each term, as I teach different courses. Before pre-registration in December, I would like to link the other FACS teachers' course descriptions so that students and parents can make more informed choices.
Also due today...
The only craft festival that we do locally is Winterfest, and that application was due today. Most of it was complete...the descriptions, the signatures, the check, and the digital photos. I just needed to pull it togehter and drop it off. A photo of our booth set-up was required. I ran across this one. When she was in High School, our DD#2 would sit in our booth with me on Sundays. Here we are...ready for customers!
Speaking of Darling Daughters...DD#1 called yesterday and was not feeling well. I have been thinking about her today, too, hoping she feels up to going to classes.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday...Sunday...where does the time go?
Winning a Blog Give-Away III
But, It sure brightened my day to come home from school and find such delightful gifts in my mailbox.
The precious crochet flowers were made by Kylie from Boutique Creations. Notice the stamps...she sent this from Australia to South Dakota! The world continues to grow smaller with our amazing technologies, electronic forms of communication, etc. Please take time to look at all of her creations at http://www.kylieb.etsy.com/. Her cup cozies are so fun, too.
I'll use Kylies sweet little flowers on a special project and will definately post a picture here. Also, I'm planning a blog give-away of my own in the near future. It's my turn to make someone's day!Thursday, September 11, 2008
Things In My House Thursday II
I love this photo of our family. It was taken in 1989...now, our daughters are 19 and 23 year old.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Whatcha workin' on Wednesday?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Top of the World Tuesday
I love to look at blogs and I like to leave comments when I do...
..so, I was lucky to win this give-away from Debra at Lane Designs. It was so nicely packaged with professional labels. I felt like a celebrity! The pouch is just the perfect size for those card that you need when you're shopping...and it comes with a coordinating key fob...you must check out her site. http://www.lanedesigns.etsy.com/
Second sale in Etsy Shop
My first sale came 6 weeks after I opened my shop...second sale...only 3 days later. I still am pretty excited that someone is noticing my creations!
Today, I shipped this little shelf sitter...pumpkin patch. It would be a nice addition to any fall arrangement.
Officer Carlson Presentation
We are very fortunate to have a school resource officer at Cental High School. He is an employee of our police department and our school district. He is one of my featured speakers in my Personal Development class. Today he talked about his role at Central High School, how student safety is his main concern, and how he handles situations with students here. One of the highlights was the demonstration of his taser.
Do you see the aluminum foil figure in the front of the room. He shoots at this board so the student can see the impact of the probes and the electrical charge given off. It is an impressive demonstration.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Crazy Quesadillas ... Crazy Monday
Crazy Quesadillas1/8 cup refried beans
2 whole wheat tortillas – 8”
1/3 cup shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa
Sour cream
· Use a table knife to spread beans on each tortilla. Spray electric skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat.
· Place one tortilla, bean side up in skillet. Sprinkle with cheese.
· Top with other tortilla, bean side down.
· Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Turn and cook about 2 minutes more.
· Serve with Salsa and Sour cream, if you wish.
This recipe fits the curriculum so well as we can look at the
- goodness of whole wheat
- protein in refried beans & cheese
- fat content of white vs. yellow cheese
Regular = 60 calories; 50 calories from fat; 5 grams of fat
Light = 40 calories; 25 calories from fat; 3 grams of fat
Fat-free = 30 calories; 0 calories from fat; 0 grams of fat
I think this is alarming...I told the kids that if they are still using regular sour cream, that it's almost like putting Crisco on their food. I hope they learned, after this taste comparison, that when adding sour cream for a garnish, the fat free is just as good as the regular.
Crazy Monday
It was Monday...and it felt like it all day!
- tired and hit the snooze button twice
- between seasons, couldn't decide what to wear...is it hot or is it cold?
- forgot to plug in curling iron, so when ready to do hair, iron wasn't hot! This was not a big deal...just had to do things out of order, which made me feel more disorganized than I really was...
- grocery store didn't have price on whole wheat tortillas, but if they had...only 8 in package, compared to 10 in package for flour tortillas...would need calculus major to figure which one was a better buy...
- by now, it's 7:20 am, and I needed to organize for lecture/discussion and set up for lab...from here on, it's a pretty routine Monday.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
College Football Game Day
We weren't there for long, because everyone had to get ready for the football game.
Inside the dome
The dome was filled to capacity and the Bison played like the top ranked team that they are. They won 50 to 14.
Emily and Jake came over at half time to say goodbye.
A Blog Honor
Friday, September 5, 2008
Finaly Friday
At school, I start my day with my Fitness for Life class. They work out every other day with one of the PE teachers. The other two days a week we meet in the FACS room to discuss nutrition and prepare a healthy recipe. Today they made Omelets...the freezer baggie kind. The kids think this is awesome. They call them egg burritos, egg pillows, etc. They are impressed. Here are the directions.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
Ham, chopped
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Chopped onion
Chopped green bell pepper
Chopped fresh tomato
Chunky salsa
Fresh mushrooms, sliced
DIRECTIONS
1. Crack the eggs into a large resealable freezer bag. Press out most of the air, and seal. Shake or squeeze to beat the eggs. Open the bag, and add the ham, cheese, onion, green pepper, tomato, salsa, and mushrooms. Squeeze out as much of the air as you can, and seal the bag.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place up to 8 bags at a time into the boiling water. Cook for exactly 13 minutes. Open the bag, and let the omelet roll out onto a plate. The omelet should roll out easily.
Of coarse, all the add-ins are optional. The beauty is that you can individualize these omelets.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Things In My House Thursday
Road Trip ~Day Three ~Burger Battle ~Sweet Shopping Highlights
Our last full travel day took us through four states… Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Including some Big Bridges over some Big ...
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Hubby and I spent the past five days visiting our farmhouse and my hometown area. It had been a couple of years since we had been there. We...
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That’s right, we started our Weekend Fun early… We attended an Octoberfest Event on Thursday, with these good friends. It has been three wee...
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It was eight years ago that I received an early morning phone call. My mother had fallen and was taken to the hospital. It was a cold Januar...