Ms. Independent

No, I'm not referring to a 2 year old...it's my 88 year old mother. In early December, her doctor told her that because of the results of her stress test, she needs to have another angiogram. So I said, 'Mom, just let me know ahead of time and I'll make plans to come up and take you'...So...just got done visiting with her...we visited about her doctor's appointment that she had last week...and I asked her if he said anything more about the angiogram...Her reply...
'Oh, I'm having that Monday, the 2nd. I've made arrangements to take the Senior Bus.' What! You're taking the bus to get your angiogram??? You need to know that it is 90 miles from Devils Lake (where she lives) to Grand Forks (where her heart doctor performs this procedure)...
She sounded as casual as if she was taking the bus downtown for a haircut...
You see...she lives 200 miles from me...but, I could go there, and be with her throughout...she just needs to let me know a couple of days in advance. But as it stands...she is taking the bus to go have an angiogram...cause that's what she wants to do...

Exercising my Perspective

Already Friday...again, a hectic week. I did have a chance to practice the Murry Banks theory on perspective... 'Is this a 10 or a 2?'

For example,Wednesday brought computer problems at home. Our desktop crashed, thus no wireless internet for our laptop either...I could not blog...could not list an item in Etsy shop...could not check emails...Is this a 10 or a 2? Probably a 2.

Computer problems at school. All the grades I had entered into 'Infinite Campus' on Tuesday had not saved...Is this a 10 or a 2? Probably a 1.

Intentional damage in the foods lab...can you tell that the faucet is just dangling from the sink? This is a new school, new kitchens...Someone did this on purpose...a 10 or a 2? A 10.

Lack of support from the office...I took the names of the students that work at this station to the office, thinking that a principal would bring them in for questioning. I was told that I would just have to talk to them myself. I plan and prepare for 3 different classes. I correct papers & projects for 120 students. I registered the 18 students in my advisory group for classes next year. I do not have time to play CSI. A 10 or a 2? I'd say...5

And then on my way home, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a couple of things...and the checker asked me if I want my 'Senior Discount'? OK, Ladies, when you are only 52...is this a 10 or a 2?

All I can say is...I maybe won't go back to that store until I am eligible for my senior discount...

Mail from Malaysia

A very sweet blog friend, Jasmine has certainly brightened my day...and my week. I received notice that a package has come registered mail, so I went to the post office after school today, to pick up this large envelope. The stamps alone are fascinating! It's cold (-17 to be exact), school is hectic, so a package in the mail made my day. I could hardly wait to get home to open it!

Inside, not one, not two, but three journals, artistically embellished, personalized for me and for my daughters. What a thoughtful gift. I can't wait to get these into the mail to my girls.

Even her

handwritten note is charming! Be sure to visit her blog Scrap in the City to see more of her wonder ful creations.

... And Callie was right there...on the stool, paws up on the counter,

as if to say, "Those are the cat's meow!"

Thank you, Jasime

Stitching & Stewing on Sunday

Today was a good day to work around home. After I tackled the necessary correcting and planning for school, I decided that it was time to make myself a new pincushion. I have been sewing for 42 years and have always worn one on my wrist. Here is the one I currently use...

...so you can see it was about time. This flower is perhaps a little 'over the top', but I think it looks pretty cheerful. It can be made with or without the wristband. Which would you prefer?

This is a recipe that my daughter discovered in the Real Simple magazine. She said it is one of her and her boyfriend's favorites.

I tried it and liked it too...so am sharing it with you...

Chickpea Pasta with Almonds and Parmesan

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

7 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 pound angel hair pasta (I used whole wheat)

1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, red pepper, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until the broth is nearly absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and parsley.Divide among individual bowls and top with the almonds and Parmesan.

Saturday Celebrations

Here is 'The Birthday Girl'...
We were treated to a lovely Birthday Brunch, prepared and served by Wendy. We met at 11:00 for Smoked Salmon Appetizers with champagne. For brunch, a Seafood Puff Pastry Creation, Caesar's Salad, and Fresh Fruit. And of course, a Birthday Cake. The coconut cake had delicious cream cheese frosting...topped with more coconut. The best was good conversation with great friends.

I am listing a few more Valentine items in my Etsy Shop before I turn my attention to Spring and Easter.

The forcast high for today is 3 below, so yes, it would be a good day to stay inside...however, I have two friends who celebrate birthdays today. Wendy has invited me to join the 'girls' for brunch at her home to honor Pat's birthday...and we will likely celebrate Kari's birthday after the girls basketball game tonight. Thank goodness for warm cars with automatic starters.

Things in my House Thursday XII

My Mother has collected teacups and saucers since she was a young woman...so I'd say about 70 years. When I was a little girl, I'd love to hear 'the story' about each one...who gave it to her, or where it came from...

Since she lives in a little townhouse now, she does not have enough room for all of her belongings, so has entrusted these precious cups to me...so here are a few of them on display.

I want to thank everyone who has left such sweet comments about my Auntie Fern. I do have such fond memories of their family coming to North Dakota to stay on the farm...and of our family traveling to Minneapolis to stay in the city. She was a special lady.

Sad News...

My mom called last evening to tell that her dear sister Fern has passed away. My mom and this sister were very close...therefore, our families were very close...
If I had a magic carpet, I would go get my mom and take her to Minneapolis to be at her sister's funeral and to be with the family...

A Token of Friendship

I awoke this morning to this beautiful award from Kelly Marie at belle âme. She has a lovely blog and her other award recipients are very deserving of this 'token of friendship' award.
"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are extremely charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly written text into the body of their award."
And now I pass this award on to a few of my blog friends.

• Kim at Valley Primitives
• Jen at Mommy Sweet Mom
• Mary at Quilt Hollow
• Jodi at Life on Two Acres
• Marey at LMNOP
• Renna at Finding my Knitch
• Suzanne at Just Another Hang Up
• Michelle at It's Just What I Do
• Cathy at Tolentreasures
• Pam at Sidewalk Shoes
• Carol at Knitted Kitty

These are listed in not particular order and yes, I know there are more than 8 here. I could not narrow it down any further. These are the blog friends that I read on a regular basis and I know they check in with me because of their comments. These women make me laugh and cry, they inspire me to be a better person, and they motivate me to be more creative, more organized and more productive! I also realize that not everyone likes to 'play along', and if that is the case, please accept this award as a token of my appreciation and don't worry about passing it on. As I was proofreading this post, I noticed another comment on my Saturday post...Sharon from The Old Oak Swing also has me on her list for this award. I just met her recently and have added her to my side bar. I can see her becoming one of my favorites, as well.

Thank you Kelly Marie and Sharon for making my day.

Special on Saturday

My hubby worked in Rapid City and the Black Hills this past week. For those of you not familiar with SD that is the opposite side of the state. When he got home last night he brought me a new mug for my collection...and I am feeling pretty special drinking my morning coffee today.

Also, making my day...my package of wool squares came from Cathy at Tolentreasures. Yes, I won another blog give-away. They are cut perfectly and neatly secured with a strip of wool. A sweet note adds such a personal touch. Don't

these colors look rich and delicious? I am pondering what to make with these special squares. All of your suggestions will be taken into careful consideration.

And last, but not least, I discovered my prim wood angel in a treasury, created by my OFG friend Doris. Check it out here http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=33780

Finally Friday

Here is a quick recap:
Monday-Blizzard-No school-Yippee! The downside? Causes havoc in a lesson plan when room utilization schedule is tight. The upside? Much accomplished at home.
Tuesday-Late Start-Yippee for students! When we have a late start, teachers still need to go to school at the regular time anyway. How is this? Teachers are super human and can drive through any adverse road and weather conditions to get to school on time. The downside? Need to adjust lesson plan to accommodate shorter class periods. The upside? An extra hour to plan!
Wednesday-Late Start-See Tuesday
Have I mentioned that this is the week that my hubby was working in the Rapid City area? Normally, I don't mind being home alone, but with the measurable snowfall and extreme temperatures, I didn't like the stress of taking care of the snow removal and vehicle issues.
Thursday-Record Low Temperature-School Lock Down Yes, that says lock down. When I got to school, I was bringing my groceries in when I heard the announcement from our principal. 'We are going into Lock Down...This is not a drill...please move to your safe areas... My co-teacher had 'swept' the students from the hallway into our room and the lights were off and classroom doors were locked. This is a teacher's worst nightmare...All you can think is ...OMG...what is going on? As we learned later, a student had brought weapons to school. When the young man arrived at school, he went into the academic wing, where those doors were sealed off and the students that were coming in from the cold were ushered into the arena. The police arrived, the camaras used to determine his where-abouts, and he was arrested. The downside? That's obvious. The upside? While this particular incident was not a direct threat (meaning, he was not threatening to use the weapons, he says he always carries them, cause that's what they do where he comes from) the administration, the staff, and law enforcement executed our crisis plan to everyone's satisfaction.
Thursday evening-Registration Information Night for 8th grade Students & Parents Yes, after all that, we had to go back at 6:45 to represent our departments to a theatre full of 8th graders and parents. The downside? Again, obvious. The upside? I'm still thinking...
And now it is Friday...I hope my hubby feels like going out...his last home cooked meal was last Sunday, so what are my chances?!!

Hardy Folks in this Neck of the Woods and Things in my House Thursday XII

Sooo...how cold was it? Actual temperature dropped to 42 below. That was a new record for us. The wind chill, 55 below. I stayed in bed for awhile, thinking, maybe we'd have a 'late start', but nope, not us!! I made my usual morning grocery store stop for lab supplies...and all the regulars were there...the men in the morning coffee group, the semi-retired guys that stock the shelves, and the women at the cash registers...all, like nothing was out of the ordinary!
For Things in my House Thursday? Well, today, I'm in my house...and I'm showing you what's just outside my house. This is my car in the driveway. These are our mailboxes...our mailman must have long arms, as I need to kneel on this snowbank to just reach the mailbox.

This is how tall the snowpile is at the end of our driveway.

And out on our deck...our patio table has a hole in the center for an umbrella. So the snow fall also has left a hole in the center!

Frigid

This is the forcast for tonight. These are actual temperatures, not wind chill temperatures. Guess where I'm from? Right, Aberdeen. Do you think I should plan on going to school tomorrow?? Probably...

Messy Monday and Much Miscellaneous

That's what the weather man called it...Messy Monday. We are in a blizzard warning and school was called off. I would do the 'happy dance' except we will have to make this day up the day after Memorial Day...which will be beautiful and we will want to be outside! (Actually, I'll be going to school after Memorial Day anyway, to clean in my classroom and post final grades...so it's OK). So I'm spending my extra free time today, planning ahead in my lesson plan book.

This is the view from the front door when I opened it to get the newspaper.
This is the view from the deck doors. Remember how our deck looks after a wind storm? Click here.

Remember how our deck looks on a good day? Click here.

I am thankful that our kids are all back to where they belong...with their studies...Physicians Assistant, Police Academy, Construction Management, and Exercise Science...each pursuing a career in an area that suits them so well...their talents, their passion...

Because of the weather, I was in the mood to list a snowman in my Etsy shop. This guy is a friend to our feathered friends...

So, during the holidays, I was the lucky winner of another blog give-away. Demandablues makes fun skirts for girls half my age, so I chose the pillow because I knew it would look great in our daughters bedroom! Thank you so much!!

Also thank you to Kim, my blog friend at Valley Primitives. She has chosen me to receive one of the lemonade stand awards...

And thanks to Jody, my blog friend at Primgal's Primitive Palette, the first of 3 to tag me for this award. I believe I am to tell you seven random facts about myself...hmmm...I guess I've been putting this off cause I think my life is rather uninteresting, but here goes...

1. I am 100% Norwegian and like lutefisk and lefsa.

2. I was a cheerleader and would rather watch sports than to play.

3. I have a double major and double minor and now a Master's degree.

4. I don't really like dessert.

5. I used to sew all of my clothes, including jeans and underwear.

6. I wanted to be a Dean of Women at a college or university somewhere, someday.

7. I think that being a Mom is the best job in the whole wide world.

Now, as far as passing these two awards along...I choose the top 10 blog friends in my side bar to respond if you are interested...please...

And do you wonder what cats do on a school day? Well, wonder, no more!

Things in my House Thursday XI

College Kids Making Dinner! What a nice treat for Mom and Dad...
...and what's on the menu?

Tex Mex Fajitas

Mexican Rice

Steamed Corn

It smells so good in here!

And our dinner was delicious. Let me share the recipe.

Tex - Mex Fajitas

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1- 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 green pepper, cut into strips

1/2 sweet red pepper, cut into strips

1/2 yellow pepper, cut into strips

1/2 sliced red onion

Sliced Mushrooms, optional

1 cup shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese

6 flour tortillas

Lightly coat skillet with olive oil. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add peppers and onions (and mushrooms); cook 4-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender crisp. (We like to stir-fry until the onions begin to caramelize) Serve on tortilla with cheese. Garnish with salsa and low fat sour cream.

What'cha Workin' On Wednesday?

Tonight I am updating my seriously neglected Etsy Shop. It had been a couple of weeks since my last listing. When it first opened, I was listing something new every day. But in the summer, I was a WAHM! December was nuts with holiday preparations, the end of one school term and planning for a new school term.
My family showed their support and confidence in my shop at Christmas. My daughter special ordered these sweet notepads. They are printed with a prim snowman, our shop name and subtitle. The package was secured with this grossgrain ribbon bow...almost too pretty to use! Thanks, honey. I received this postal scale from my hubby. It will be great for calculating postage!

I'm also working on grades, as they are due tomorrow... and my hubby is trying out his Christmas presents...Here he is sanitizing bottles and drying them on his bottle tree.

This is the batch he brewed with Brandon.

Welcome, Jake

Our daughter and her boyfriend have been dating for a little more than a year. This is his first visit to our home. He spent the holidays with his family in Washington, and will stay here, with us, for the last week of their holiday break...then back to school for them, too. Today he had the grand tour of our town...Tomorrow, lunch with grandma. Most importantly, rest and relaxation before they return to the rigors of their university studies.