Memories

As I was preparing the vegetables for a dinner earlier this week, this lovely mushroom reminded me of a book we had growing up.

I think it was technically Em's book, but I remember reading about the dear little mouse in Oaktree Wood. I remember her little pink apron, dainty tea party invitations, and a storm that rips her umbrella out of her hands! She improvises with a large mushroom (we wouldn't want our little pink apron to get wet), and at some point in the story, she must use the mushroom as a boat to get across a rushing river. Here's a link to the amazon page for the book, Mandy's Umbrella.

Unfortunately, my local library does not carry a copy. I wonder how we ever got our hands on it as kids. Next time I go home, I'll be digging through the bookshelves. :-)

What is one of your favorite picture books from your childhood?

Blogging: When? What?

Dear blog readers, if any of you are still out there,

It has been so hard for me to blog lately! The new year has been so busy and therefore the blogging has been so sparse. Would you like an update?

Work:
As most of you know, this is my fourth year of teaching and my fourth position. Kindergarten is new and, let me tell you, we didn't set up our program to be easy for the teachers! I am alternately pulling my hair out and then turning cartwheels over the progress of my kiddos. And then pulling my hair out again...I have to pray daily for patience and grace, and that I will somehow, in some way, be enough for these kids that need so much.

Home:
I was recently reading a blog about hospitality. I have been inspired to make my home warm and welcoming...and then actually have people over to experience that. To do this means to let go of some pride and desire for perfection and just enjoy and share what I have. We had several friends over this past weekend to watch the football game and it was so fun to share laughter and pain (since our team lost tragically).

Health:
My sister has coined my latest exercise endeavors my New Years Revolution. Isn't that catchy? I purchased a DVD workout system and have been working out at home more than ever before. I've found that spending all that time working out motivates me to eat better, since I don't want to negate the burning muscles by chowing down on sweets...but eating better necessitates cooking all my meals which means planning and grocery shopping. It takes up a lot of time!

Before I sign off, would you like some recipes? Here are three that I've made lately...

Chai Bars (a dessert....I shared!)
Baked Oatmeal (Yum. Yum Yum.)
Turkey Burgers with Cranberry Aioli (Again. YUM.)

Try them sometime!

Until the next post...
~Beth

Lost

Dear Friends,

I am sorry that I have been so absent from my blog lately. The truth is that I haven't had time to teach kindergarten, run a household, AND blog. But I miss this little piece of cyberspace and your friendly reading and comments. And so here I am back again. No, the dinner dishes aren't washed. And the clothes are really not clean. But I am here writing again.

What have you been up to in the past three weeks? Enjoying the lovely fall weather? I myself have been breathing in the brisk air and alternately enjoying the rain and sunshine. I will admit that I've begun breaking out the Christmas music in small bursts, I'm so excited for the holiday season and lots of time spent with family and friends!

Last weekend I spent time with an uncle, cousins, and their kids! It was so much fun to catch up with family that (until recently) has been living on opposite ends of the country! We spent time playing in the straw, choosing the perfect pumpkins, and wandering through a corn maze!

The kiddos were tired out by the end! :)

Hope your autumn is turning out nicely! Enjoy jumping in the leaves, eating soup, and making delicious desserts like this apple crisp!

Until next time...which hopefully will be sooner rather than later...

Love,

Beth

My Weekend in a Nutshell

This weekend I created three class sets of laminated name tags. I painstakingly laminated, trimmed, poked, pulled and tied for hours on end. And now I realize there might have been a simpler way to do it...but things like that don't occur to me at convenient times.

I read an entire novel. The Owl and Moon Cafe by Jo-Ann Mapson. Its another book for food lovers since the main characters are four generations of women living together above their little cafe!

This weekend I did approximately 147.8 loads of laundry (not pictured).

I donated an entire car-full of stuff to Goodwill.

I spent time getting rid of clutter and trying to make my living room cozy.

I made a menu for the week and bought the required groceries.

And last, but not least, I blogged. :)

Crazy

Today was a day of preparation. This morning, I prepared my house for a weekend of guests. Then this afternoon, Krys, her family, and I prepared enough centerpieces, bouquets, wristlets, and boutonnieres for an entire wedding.

It was a long process, but we did it, and things look great!

The worst part of the day was when I discovered that my dog was missing. She had been accompanying me as I carried buckets of flowers from the front yard to the back...and at some point she wandered off--far enough that no amount of clapping, whistling, or calling would bring her back. She was nowhere to be seen along the neighborhood routes that we usually walk, and she wasn't anywhere in the house or our yard. I tried to reassure myself that my phone number is on her tag...and got to work on flowers, praying that she'd come back. Thankfully, about 45 minutes after she went missing, she came prancing right back into the yard, ready to play! I was thoroughly annoyed and relieved at the same time.

So, flowers are done, dog is safe, and I am exhausted!

Summer Reading List

For some reason, this summer I'm totally lacking blog inspiration. So sorry about that! But with my little sis now living in Central America, she's freaking out that I'm not blogging. Something about wanting to know what's going on in my life while she's so far away...

I'll try, Em. I'll really try! Of course, you could also follow me on Twitter...
Ha. Ha Ha. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Ahem. Aside from a personal narrative to my sister, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite summer reads!

Garden Spells
By Sarah Addison Allen

I read this book last summer in the span of a day because I was so intrigued! It follows the reunification of two sisters from a family rumored to be almost magic--one who has embraced her family heritage and "gift," and another that learns to accept herself for who she is. Set in the beautiful south and full of lovely descriptions of flowers and food, this book had me hooked!

The School of Essential Ingredients
By Erica Bauermeister

This is another book with absolutely mouth watering descriptions of food! I've already passed the book to my mother-in-law, mother, aunt, sister, grandmother, and...who has it now? A delightful story that begins in a cooking class and follows the personal stories of all the students...I loved it!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
By Beth Hoffman

I read this book on recommendation from Beanball, and she read it on the recommendation of her long time friend. It's another story that is set in the south, and it follows the story of a girl that has been taking care of her mentally ill mother. When her mother dies in an accident, CeeCee is taken in by her great-aunt, and is able to reclaim some part of her lost childhood.


What are your favorite summer reads?

Summer II

So far, my summer has consisted of...

A trip to Hawaii with the little sis...

LARGE nacho parties en mi casa....

Leisurely breakfasts...

Professional gift wrapping...(I wrapped that!)


Some sewing...quilting, to be exact....

And a beautiful new phone that has changed my life. Notice my sidebar where you'll be able to see my most recent thoughts, compliments of Twitter!

What have you been up to?

Summer

Schoooooool's out for the summer!

My classroom is packed and ready to be moved. I'm all checked out. I've turned in my keys.

Yay!

I'm preparing to go on a fabulous trip with my little sister...so my vacation so far has consisted mainly of laundry, cleaning, and laundry.

But I have checked off a few of the summer to-do's already!

Inspired by my sister-in-law, I got a cute hook to hand my basket and a lantern. When I get back from my trip I'll pot some flowers, and together those babies will surround my little patio set (which needs to be painted).

Now, honestly, which colors do you prefer?

Sky a la Smurf?

Or Sable and Sawdust?

New paint colors? Check!

I'm also working on some new bedding for the guest room! I'll do a sneak peek next week!

Almost There

The last two weeks have been packed! I'm so happy to say that on Friday, I will be free! Yes, I will tearfully say goodbye to my dear third graders...and then flip handsprings on my way out the door!

I

Am

Ready

For

Summer!!!

The end of year is always a little difficult...trying to get all the artwork off the walls so that students can take it home...making sure there is enough time to finish the last writing project...squeezing in the last half of Little House in the Big Woods...

Not to mention packing all my teaching stuff again before I leave for the summer.

Just like all the other years, everything will get finished just in time and then I'll be able to

Relax

Read

Sleep

Sew

Clean

Cook

Blog?!?

Until then...have a great week!

Early Risers

What time does your alarm go off in the morning? Are you the kind of person that purposefully sets your alarm a half hour early so that you can keep hitting the snooze button? Or are you like me, and set your alarm at the minute you need to wake up so that you can get every bit of uninterrupted sleep possible?

And what is your morning routine like? Do you rush around the house getting ready and then jet out the door without so much as breakfast in your belly? Or do you give yourself time to relax, watch the news, or check the blogs? (And if you have kids, how do they change this equation?)

This morning I got up 30 minutes earlier than I needed to. I was out of the shower, had my contacts in and headed to the kitchen to start the coffee at the time my alarm usually goes off. When I went downstairs to get something out of the dryer, I took the time to fold the fresh laundry as it came out instead of shoving it all into a basket to fold this evening (or never...). So far I've had time to do a little reading to try and focus my day, I've popped some muffins in the oven (great recipe I'll share later!), and now I'm writing a blog post!

However, I'm also fighting every fiber of my being to NOT go back into the bedroom and crawl back into my warm bed and go back to sleep. And as efficient as I've been this morning, the sleepiness has caused me to do things like...oh...forget to add water to the coffee pot before I turned it on. Let me tell you--that doesn't work too well.

This morning, I'm not convinced that rising early was worth it...

What can I say?

My goodness--May has been a terrible month for my blogging! However, I have been doing some important things...which is hard to believe since I haven't documented them here!

Last week I finished my Professional Certification Program! I'm a professional teacher now...Ha ha. It does feel good to have that state requirement out of the way and done with! All the coursework is done, all the papers are signed, all the checks are written...

I also hosted a bridal shower for Krys! It was such a great time...I'll post pictures someday.

Now--to finish May! This week my students are taking the Big State Assessment. They've made so much progress--I hope they can show that on the exam!! Then we've still got two big field trips before the year is out!

I've got two sisters graduating in the next four weeks which means traveling all over the state!

And I still need to decide (quickly!) if I want to plant a garden this year.

All of this random info is just to say that I promise to try and document the fact that I'm alive here on this little blog I call My Life.

Regreso

I'm Baaaaack!

Or maybe you didn't even notice I was gone...

But anyhoo...here I am again!

Sorry for the lull in postings, but I was forced to go to a place where I had to drink this...



And eat this...




And look at this all day.




What a life, huh?

Thanks again, Ma and Pa H!

Meeting Ralph

Aren't you just dying to know, "Who is Ralph, and why did he sign a card for Kristel and her baby?"

Allow me to tell the story.

Once upon a time, Krys and I went to a bookstore. (Don't confuse Krys with Kristel. At the moment Krys and I were at the bookstore, Kristel was havin' a baby!)

We got a magic ticket, and waited for our turn.

We waited.

And waited.

Did I mention we waited?

We were a little bit desperately bored out of our minds at this point. But we pressed on.

Our ticket was called! So we moved to The Line.

And we waited.

And waited.

The energy came back a little at this point. Adrenaline, you know.

It also helped that there were four fun and friendly women behind us in line.

Good chit-chat.

Still waiting at this point.

And waiting.

Until finally...

Our turn! We met Ree/PW! The Pioneer Woman herself! In the flesh! See how close we are? She told us to come in close because she has no personal space. How sweet!

Right now I hope you're thinking, "Ah ha! It's not Ralph. There is no Ralph. Ralph doesn't even exist. It's Ree/PW. Gotcha."

And if you weren't thinking that, please think it now. It will help the story. Thank you.

Hey, Beth. Excited, much?

Ree was just as kind as could be. If you read her blog, you'll know that she's quirky and witty as all get out. And it's the same in person. When asked if she had eaten at any good restaurants in Seattle she replied, "Not yet. But I plan on eating all day tomorrow. At multiple establishments."

Which now that I type it might not be that funny. I guess you had to be there. It was fairly hilarious then.

The End.

Ha!

Once upon a time there lived a married couple. The gentleman was competitive and liked to golf. The lady was...not so much competitive...and not so much a golfer.

However, this couple would try to have fun every now and again by playing a rousing round of mini-golf, putt-putt, if you will. It would start out pleasantly enough, but as the game continued, the lady's scores of 8...9...10 strokes a hole would become too much for the gentleman. So he would lovingly try to give some advice.

The lady never appreciated his expertise. It was only a game, after all! Eventually, each round would come to an end, and the gentleman would win. In fact, the lady's score often was double or triple his. Embarrassingly high stroke counts.

Until one magical day, the lady had the best mini-golf round of her life. She gloated, he pouted, and all was well with the world.

How do I know this story? Well you see, I am that lady.

Tamales!

One of my students and her mother dropped by my house the other day. This is what they wanted to give me. A bag of fresh, HOT, delicious, spicy tamales.

I have always been a fan of this Mexican delicacy. And let me make it clear that these were the most delicious tamales I have ever tasted. They were so hot that the masa around the tender chicken was still smooth as butter. Underneath the corn husk wrappers, each one was drenched in a spicy green sauce that added just the right amount of kick.

I decided then and there that I could live on tamales alone for the rest of my life. So I'm waiting for the perfect opportunity to ask the mother if she could teach me how to make them...

A Random Update

I've been neglecting this blog lately. With the new house we're trying to settle into and a new dog I'm house training and walking, my spare time for blogging has melted away! I think that March will be easier than February.

But who could resist those eyes? People, I'll admit it. I love my dog.

El maestro and I are LOVING this house. It feels so good to live with an air of permanence. We've even become better housekeepers! I keep the big kitchen clean and my husband vacuums all the time. He says it's because he never wants this house to return to it's previous state. For me it's because mess is less overwhelming when there's room to deal with it. It's so relaxing to live in a place with some extra room. (I'm told the extra room will vanish quickly--so I'm enjoying is as much as possible!)

Here's a peek into the "guest bathroom!" Someday it will be the kids' bathroom, but for now, it's all for the visitors! C'mon over!

Like Father, Like Son

Lately, Beanball has been bragging about the delicious meals her husband is cooking! I can't blame her...that guy is a great cook!

However, today I have to brag about MY husband...their son! He's reinstated a childhood tradition of burgers and milkshakes on Saturday nights. And that's fine with me because it means he does the shopping and the cooking!

Each week, my husband reads countless burger recipes, trying to come up with the most delicious for that Saturday. Yesterday's hamburgers were amazing. He started with a pesto-like combination of onion, garlic, jalapeno, cheddar cheese, egg, and Worcestershire sauce, blended together in the food processor. He added the mixture to the beef, crying from the emotion, onion, and pepper in the air.

Mmmm, those babies grilled up so nicely. We're talking delicious! Delightful! Delectable!

I can't wait until next Saturday...

Another Try...

Remember Crazy Hair Day last year? Well I tried again this year.

This year I ditched the crimper and went for a custom trimmed dollar store headband/wig...and my students told me it didn't look real.

Of course my husband had to up the ante with crazy facial hair as well. At least, he thought it was crazy. I thought it was sick. I mean, is sick. It's still there...

I don't know if I'll even try to have crazy hair next year. There's no point.

What am I suppose to do?

The Problem

In the last year and a half I have found a new love in my life--blogs. I love to post on blogs, read blogs, reference blogs, quote blogs, and...well maybe that's it.

But the problem with this obsession is that there's always another blog to read. On my favorites list are no less than 10 blogs that I check almost every day. It doesn't take as much time as you might think since not everyone posts every single day. But the problem is that bloggers tend to link to other bloggers, and if I like one blog, chances are I will like the blogs they're linked to.

For example, Ollie's Mom has a blog. I read it, and she's linked to another old friend who has a blog. And she's linked to another blog called Centsational Girl.

Centsational Girl is a thrifty home-decor goddess. She posts all kinds of ideas about how to make your house look fabulous for less. In fact, today she's hosting a giveaway for a new beautiful faucet. Check out her blog to enter!

Another blog I've found through the jungle of links is called Chickpea Sewing Studio. Talk about adorable and inspiring sewing ideas! It makes me want to hide away in the office and talk to no one but my ole' Kenmore.

My aunt recently recommended In Praise of Leftovers, a blog dedicated to food and feeding a family on a budget--gourmet style! There are claims that she has posted the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe...which I have yet to test. But I will. Oh, I will.

Why do you read blogs? Is my little life your only venture into the blogging world, or are you a professional? What are your favorite blogs to read? Let's all share our favorite links so that we can spend yet another few minutes browsing the creativity of this world!

Delgado

My husband is thin. Perpetually thin. We're talking he could sit on the couch for the next three years eating nothing but Whoppers from Burger King and he'd still be thin. Skinny.

If anyone brings it up, he shrugs his shoulder and proclaims,

"Built like a fence-post."

Here's a picture of our friend Jeremy's fence. One of the fence posts broke.

This is my husband, who fits in the space....

Of the missing fence-post.

His mother proclaims this will only last until he turns 40.