The Blog Worthy in my Life ~Where the Time Goes ~This Retired Teacher's Report

Two weeks have passed since my last blog post.

Where has the time gone?

Thank goodness I snap a photo everyday, 

to remind me of the blogworthy in my life.

Summer...my favorite season.

I shall miss the warmth of Sunshine on my Shoulders.

And, I am not alone.

Winterfest Applications were due.

I delivered mine, in person, to the Arts Council office.

I like the excuse to return to this old building.

For twenty-five+ years, I parked in this parking lot and

walked into the Old Central High School.

Oh, how I miss that Home Economics department.

It was fabulous.

With my Winterfest Application in the hands of the Committee,

it is time to go into crafting overdrive.

I am currently working on a new batch of these wine bottle giftbags.

The garage project continues,

cleaning, sorting, and organizing the storage area.

I have discarded the out-dated curriculum guides,

and these binders remain.

Does anyone need one?

Certainly a highlight, are the trips we make to Fargo to

visit my Alma Mater.

We enjoy a little tailgating at hubby's favorite

The Wurst Bier Hall.

And then, at my favorite tailgating spot,

with my Kappa Delta Sisters.

There is not a bad seat in the dome.

Sometimes our seats are in the rafters.

However, after halftime,

we can often find available seats much closer to the field.

So close, it feels like we are a part of the play!

"Sunday Funday"

The new mancave has become our favorite place to watch

our favorite professional teams...

the Vikings, the Eagles, the Patriots...

and of course the Minnesota Twins.

Football Snacks for Everyone!

Then we discovered this!

My parents both celebrated their birthdays in September.

My dad would have turned 99 on Sept. 28th.

My mother would have been 97 on September 23rd.

This year, of course, they celebrated their birthdays 

together again in heaven.

This photo appeared in my newsfeed this week.

One cannot turn on a tv without hearing 

news about North Korea.

Please keep our military and their families

in your thoughts and prayers.

Take care,

~Natalie

Introducing Miss Ottenbacher

Meet Miss Ottenbacher,

Central High School's newest Family & Consumer Science Teacher.

Here she is with her new school computer.

I was privileged to spend the afternoon with her on Friday.

She is smart and well prepared. 

She had a list carefully thought out questions.

We visited about the curriculum.

She will teach all foods classes, so

we talked about what has been done in the past...

and she will bring creativity and fresh new ideas to the program.

We also talked about student concerns.

Miss Ottenbacher has a kind and caring spirit,

wanting to consider the needs of others.

I am so excited for her, 

and I can't wait to see how she makes this classroom her own.

I couldn't be more confident to turn the reins over

to this young, energetic teacher.

Congratulations, Miss Ottenbacher.

You are going to be a great teacher!

Take care,

~Natalie

Cleaning up a Career ~Finishing a Job I Started ~~Oven Cleaning Tip of the Day

Whether you are cleaning one oven at home, 

or multiple ovens in a foods lab...it is not an easy task. 

You need to be down on your knees, 

reach way in, over the oven door 

to wipe out all of the black and gray ashes.

It just doesn't feel like you have enough hands!

To make it a little easier,

use a measuring cup or coffee mug to prop up

the lower heating coil when you wipe out the oven floor.

That was the easy part.

The inside of the oven doors presented a bigger challenge.

That brown stuff was baked on...really baked on.

I used the cooktop cleaner...

and a super strong scratch pad to tackle that job.

Thank you to the students 

that left this carton of ice cream in my freezer.

I couldn't have finished the job without it!

Six ovens...done.

Time to go home.

(My hands felt raw.)

I was ready to enjoy some sunshine out on our patio.

Happy Weekend, everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie

What'cha Workin' on Wednesday ~Bringing Closure to a Career

With students no longer in the building,

I can focus on cleaning up and cleaning out.

Months ago, I began the task of throwing away

lesson plans, curriculum materials, and student projects.

This is actually harder than it sounds.

Years of developing, and then,

updating and revising these class activities went into the dumpster.

Sometimes I felt like I was throwing part of myself away.

So, cleaning the appliances was the easy part.

Three refrigerators and an upright freezer...

done.

Demonstration cooktop and microwave...

done.

(A student helped inventory my textbooks.

Thank you, Connor.)

That left the seven student Food Preparation stations.

The students cleaned their labs on the last day of school.

Those of you that live with a teenager,

 know that some are better than others at cleaning.

Plus,

 inappropriate and disrespecful behaviors of three young men,

changed my focus from what I wanted to accomplish,

to working with administration to investigate and deliver consequences.

In my dreams, I had wanted to walk out the last day with everything in place.

However, by Thursday afternoon, I knew that I had to give up on that plan.

Thank goodness for self-cleaning ovens.

With multiple ovens cleaning, I started the vents, 

and used the two-hour opportunity to clean out my network files.

I wasn't the only one hard at work!

Today, I will return to wipe out those ovens.

And by the weekend, I hope to be enjoying the sunshine

with my new retirement cat.

Take care,

~Natalie

What'cha Workin' on Wednesday ~The FINAL Final Project ~Our Guest Meal Report

The culmination of my Foods Class is our guest meal.

Students prepare lasagna, salad, and chocolate mousse dessert.

For two days in a row,

I loaded up my cart at the supermarket.

It warms my heart when students 

invite their parents to visit us at school.

...and I'm sure these dads felt the same way, 

spending the morning with their darling daughters.

My last block of the day is just the best.

(While, the previous block may be one of the worst...

I took NO pictures of that group!)

However, this group reminded me about why I work so hard!

They had their table set early,

so while waiting for our guests, I got these photos.

Again, some parents and older siblings attended our dinner.

A bright spot in my day!

Thank you for making sweet memories.

Take care,

~Natalie

What'cha Workin' on Wednesday ~Turkey Time...Just One More Time ~These are the Times I will Miss the Most #lovefamilyand consumerscience

My days are numbered...now with single digits.

My potted plant, a retirement gift from the school board,

graced our dessert buffet table on this big day.

This team so efficiently prepared all the turkeys for roasting.

Sometimes, though,

 you just need to call on a young man to do the messy work.

78 pounds of turkey for 90 students...

...waiting, along side the desserts,

in the refrigerator overnight.

Yes, that is 5:40 A.M.

First block turkeys were roasting at 350 degrees.

It wasn't long until the students were busy preparing their side dishes,

as our State Champion Debate Coach, Mr. Konda 

and School Resource Officer Carlson

 did the honor of carving the birds.

A brief message from our guests before we serve.

(Does it look like all boys here?)

Here are the girls (with a couple more guys).

The next block brought SRO Carlson back, along with 

Probation Officer Rau.

We have all worked together for years.

Officer Carlson speaks about family and learning your family's traditions...

on a serious note, he shares about his mom passing away in December.

He misses being able to call her and ask about how a special dish is prepared.

Our last block enjoyed the presence 

of Teacher and Coach, Mr. Hansen.

His message about family and traditions was pretty special.

I'm not going to lie,

I shed a few tears.

This was the perfect ending

to a pretty perfect day!

Take care,

~Natalie