Let's see, I last blogged in the beginning of May. Wow, has life gone crazy since then.
May saw the end of the second school year since I've been at Cannon Valley. Making sure all the seniors graduated with enough credits in the right classes, grading all the online classes, and getting the air conditioner put in the window of my office were the main priorities. I played with the band for graduation and went with Hannah to a bunch of graduation parties. So fun! Hannah and I also went out for a girls' day, seeing The Avengers and going shopping. She goes back to her parents' farm in North Dakota in the summers, so I won't see her until the beginning of August.
June was all about Vacation Bible School, working on the wedding gift I was making for Erik and Ashley...and a new relationship. I started seeing Troy, a guy I've known since childhood who goes to my church. He's divorced with two kids, too, although his kids are older than Claire and Natalie. His daughter, Carsen, is 15 and his son, Adam, is 10. Carsen was Natalie's youth leader at VBS, and we started sending messages on Facebook, which led to chatting on Facebook, which led to one date and then another and so on. He is just about the polar opposite of the girls' father, and this has been, really, one of the happiest summers I can remember.
July had the hottest Independence Day on record, so naturally I was working in the hamburger stand at the North Morristown celebration. Uff. Da. You know you're sweaty when your jean shorts are damp all the way through! Then came all the last-minute preparations for the wedding in the out-of-control heat. But the weather cooperated marvelously for the wedding itself. This was such a fun day! Claire and Natalie were very well-behaved and had lots of fun at the reception. I also had lots of fun at the reception, enjoying the free wine (4 glasses) and the great music at the dance.
We just came back from 4 days in northern Indiana, where we saw Touchdown Jesus at Notre Dame and went shopping in Shipshewana at all the Amish places. It was fun, but the drive was a little too long for the kids, and we are happily getting back on our routine.
The girls will go on vacation with their dad the first week of August and then we'll be getting ready for school to start! It has really been a crazy summer.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Book Review
Heroes
come in many shapes and sizes. Dragons come in even more. Fantasy fiction is an
extremely popular genre among young (and not-so-young) readers today. Parents may be concerned about the value of some of
the fantasy literature their kids are reading, but not know how to determine
said value. Enter Andrew Boll’s The Hero and the Dragon: Building
Christian Character through Fantasy
Fiction. Andrew neatly weaves together many of the elements commonly found
in fantasy fiction and discusses them in relation to aspects of a Christian’s
life. He also demonstrates how the elements may help build upon the foundation
of the Gospel or how those same elements, in another author’s hands, can tear
that foundation down.
Andrew starts with a chapter that students who have taken his Introduction to Literature class will recognize: “The Hero’s Journey.” Nearly every adventure story or epic quest will feature some, if not all, of the steps outlined in this chapter. While I was reading through this chapter, I found myself thinking of Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings, and many other stories I’ve read in my life. Andrew references a lot of classical literature such as The Odyssey and King Arthur, as well as contemporary works like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Star Wars. Readers will enjoy remembering a favorite hero or heroine’s journey while reading this chapter.
Andrew starts with a chapter that students who have taken his Introduction to Literature class will recognize: “The Hero’s Journey.” Nearly every adventure story or epic quest will feature some, if not all, of the steps outlined in this chapter. While I was reading through this chapter, I found myself thinking of Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings, and many other stories I’ve read in my life. Andrew references a lot of classical literature such as The Odyssey and King Arthur, as well as contemporary works like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Star Wars. Readers will enjoy remembering a favorite hero or heroine’s journey while reading this chapter.
The rest of the book is devoted to
common themes or elements found in fantasy fiction. Are you worried about your
child reading stories of “magic” or “wizards” or “vampires?” These chapters will guide you in figuring out if
a particular story will be damaging or uplifting.
Of course, since we are all on our
own journeys, Andrew points out how goblins, elves, pixies, and zombies exist
in our own world, and how to wield the Sword (that is, the Word of God) to defeat our own dragons. You’ll find ways to
seek the light, even when the way seems dark.
The Hero and the Dragon: Building
Christian Character through Fantasy Fiction by Andrew Boll is available for
purchase at Cannon Valley Lutheran High School
in Morristown, Minnesota. The print book is $19.95+tax, and the ebook is $9.95.
Andrew will donate $2 for each book sold at CVLHS to the school. You may also
purchase the book through Andrew’s website and blog, andrewboll.com.
Of the Electric Slide, Macarena, and Other Party Dances
The CVLHS prom was this past weekend. Since Claire and Natalie were on a visit with their dad, I got to help chaperone. Boy, was it fun, for a laundry list of reasons.
1. I got to wear the black and gold bridesmaid dress I wore for Andy and Christine's wedding in 2009. Not only am I no longer nursing a baby, I've lost a bit more weight than when I wore the dress then, so it fit me much better. Also, I had no idea the dress was so beautiful. At the time I wore it, I was still grouchy at the obnoxious saleslady at the bridal shop for complaining that it didn't fit me (never mind the whole 14-weeks-postpartum-and-nursing-a-newborn thing). Also, I was 14 weeks postpartum and nursing a newborn, so putting on a formal dress, complete with spanx, strapless bra (HAHAHAHAHAHA), pantyhose, and heels was absurd. Then add a cranky 2 1/2 year old daughter and (now ex) husband just back from military duty and in the full throes of his PTSD who had to rent a tux and be an usher, and it's no wonder that I have limited memories of that day. Well, I ROCKED that dress on Saturday night.
2. I got to dance my feet off and not care how I looked. That's the great thing about helping at a school event. You can look dorky and NO ONE CARES!
3. I remembered the Macarena. Oddly, everyone expected that I would know this dance. And I did. Even though the last time I danced it was around 15 years ago.
4. I taught the crowd the Electric Slide.
5. I got a hat (that matched my dress perfectly, BTW), a Tshirt, a keychain, an enormous glass mug, and a free picture of myself and Hannah, the math teacher, who also looked fabulous in her formal dress.
6. I helped Hannah at the post-prom party with the games and prizes, and realized how nice it is to have a best girlfriend who seeks your friendship, help, and opinions, and tells you that you're valued.
Yup. I had a great time at prom.
1. I got to wear the black and gold bridesmaid dress I wore for Andy and Christine's wedding in 2009. Not only am I no longer nursing a baby, I've lost a bit more weight than when I wore the dress then, so it fit me much better. Also, I had no idea the dress was so beautiful. At the time I wore it, I was still grouchy at the obnoxious saleslady at the bridal shop for complaining that it didn't fit me (never mind the whole 14-weeks-postpartum-and-nursing-a-newborn thing). Also, I was 14 weeks postpartum and nursing a newborn, so putting on a formal dress, complete with spanx, strapless bra (HAHAHAHAHAHA), pantyhose, and heels was absurd. Then add a cranky 2 1/2 year old daughter and (now ex) husband just back from military duty and in the full throes of his PTSD who had to rent a tux and be an usher, and it's no wonder that I have limited memories of that day. Well, I ROCKED that dress on Saturday night.
2. I got to dance my feet off and not care how I looked. That's the great thing about helping at a school event. You can look dorky and NO ONE CARES!
3. I remembered the Macarena. Oddly, everyone expected that I would know this dance. And I did. Even though the last time I danced it was around 15 years ago.
4. I taught the crowd the Electric Slide.
5. I got a hat (that matched my dress perfectly, BTW), a Tshirt, a keychain, an enormous glass mug, and a free picture of myself and Hannah, the math teacher, who also looked fabulous in her formal dress.
6. I helped Hannah at the post-prom party with the games and prizes, and realized how nice it is to have a best girlfriend who seeks your friendship, help, and opinions, and tells you that you're valued.
Yup. I had a great time at prom.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
A Cool Fix
This weekend one of my projects has been to go through my 6 years of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazines (I recently let my subscription run out) and tear out the pages featuring recipes I would like to make at some point. The magazines are taking up a whole shelf of my bookcase above my desk, and since I am not in the habit of going through them, I figured it would be more time and space saving if I had just the recipes stored in a binder.
So as I'm going through the magazines this afternoon, I came upon a great tip for fixing makeup that's broken up in its compact.
I recently bought a compact of pressed powder, and upon getting home and opening it, I noticed the powder had become loose (the compact was otherwise intact). I just shoved it in the cabinet and forgot about it.
The tip I discovered today told me to drip rubbing alcohol into the powder until it's softened, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon. Leave it open overnight, and the alcohol will evaporate. Voila! Pressed powder as it should be!
I tried it. It took a lot (several medicine droppers full) of rubbing alcohol, but I was able to smooth the powder out with the spoon. It's now sitting out on my kitchen cupboard, drying.
What a great tip!
So as I'm going through the magazines this afternoon, I came upon a great tip for fixing makeup that's broken up in its compact.
I recently bought a compact of pressed powder, and upon getting home and opening it, I noticed the powder had become loose (the compact was otherwise intact). I just shoved it in the cabinet and forgot about it.
The tip I discovered today told me to drip rubbing alcohol into the powder until it's softened, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon. Leave it open overnight, and the alcohol will evaporate. Voila! Pressed powder as it should be!
I tried it. It took a lot (several medicine droppers full) of rubbing alcohol, but I was able to smooth the powder out with the spoon. It's now sitting out on my kitchen cupboard, drying.
What a great tip!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Strawberries & Lemon Custard in Meringue
This is one of my very favorite desserts.
Meringue Crust
4 egg whites (reserve the yolks)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease a 9-inch pie plate. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until frothy. Slowly add sugar in a slow stream, beating constantly, and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Spread in pie pan over the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides. Bake 1 hour until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
4 reserved egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
2 cups sliced strawberries, sweetened to taste
Place yolks in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat, until the mixture is very thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Stir occasionally as it cools. Gently stir in half the whipped cream. Spoon into the meringue crust. Refrigerate at least 6 hours.
Spread half of the strawberries over the filling. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the berries. Top with the remaining berries. This pie is best eaten the day it is made.
Serves 8.
Meringue Crust
4 egg whites (reserve the yolks)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease a 9-inch pie plate. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until frothy. Slowly add sugar in a slow stream, beating constantly, and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Spread in pie pan over the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides. Bake 1 hour until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
4 reserved egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
2 cups sliced strawberries, sweetened to taste
Place yolks in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat, until the mixture is very thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Stir occasionally as it cools. Gently stir in half the whipped cream. Spoon into the meringue crust. Refrigerate at least 6 hours.
Spread half of the strawberries over the filling. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the berries. Top with the remaining berries. This pie is best eaten the day it is made.
Serves 8.
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