Tea

Oh a whim, I picked up a box of Bigelow's Perfect Peach tea this week. I was very pleasantly surprised! It is sweet and delicious. The perfect cup for relaxing in the evening, for winding down before going to sleep.

Also, I've perfected my version of the London Fog Latte. I like two bags of Earl Grey tea steeped in water, about a quarter cup of hot milk, a tablespoon of vanilla syrup, and half a teaspoon of lavender syrup. Delicious!

Edit: The lavender syrup is not crucial to the drink...Starbucks doesn't use any! But I happen to love any excuse to use lavender flavoring, and this is the perfect drink! Follow the link above for the recipe!

Treasure

This was one of my favorite Christmas gifts this year. 'Tis a bowl. But not just any bowl.

The clink of a whisk against that plastic is a sound exclusive to my Grandma's house. To be honest, I don't remember exactly what was mixed...

But the presence of this speckled wonder was a guarantee--like the buttermilk in the fridge and the Cocoa Puffs in the pantry. (Grandma loves a good, cold glass of buttermilk. And Grandpa had a bowl of Cocoa Puffs every morning with a piece of buttered toast and half a grapefruit.)

When Grandma sorted through her belongings this winter, this bowl was set aside.

It was prettily wrapped.

And placed under the tree.

So now this bowl, like the batch of memories it holds, belongs to me.

A treasure.

Thoughts from 3rd Graders

I had a chat with my students to see what they knew about Martin Luther King Jr. I wanted to know if they would have any background knowledge when we went to the all school assembly later that day. This is what I heard:

"Well, there was a lady that had been working hard all day. And she just wanted to sit down on the bus."

"Yeah. She was tired and just wanted to sit down. But then a man came and tried to take her seat! But she didn't move, so they put her in jail!"

"Mrs. H.--that's not even FAIR!"

Our discussion on civil rights abrubtly turned to biology...

"You know, it doesn't matter what color your skin is. Or your hair or your eyes..."

"Yeah, because we all have the same stuff on the inside!"

"Like a heart, and blood."

I piped up, "That's true. We all have lungs, kidneys..."

Immediately about ten hands went up in the air.

"Um, what are kidneys?"

So, these eight year old's might not know exactly what went on long before they were born. But I think they've got the idea. People are people are people. Period.

Yummy

I've got all the fixin's for London Fog Lattes! My first try today was alright, but I need to stir it better so that the last inch isn't so sweet!

One thing is for sure, this has got me looking forward to mornings!

Deception

This picture was taken today, right outside my front door.

And what is the date, again?

January 10th.

This weather is too good to be true.

But I'm not complaining!

New Life

What was once a clearance sundress that was a size too big and, frankly, not quite my style...

Is now a fabulous (if I do say so myself) new apron! If you click on the picture you'll see that the accent fabric is tiny white polka dots on the pink! Best of all, this project was totally free! Unless you count the six dollars I spent on the dress four years ago.

I was inspired by this free pattern, but seeing as how I can't be bothered by using patterns or measuring...I just made it up.

With a bright and springy new apron, I should be able to survive January! And don't worry, I hike it up high on my waist so that it catches the mess;)

Whew!

Want to know how to get your WHOLE apartment clean (and I mean really, really clean), in two hours?

Have your landlord call and say that he's bringing someone over to check out the place. And could they come today at 3:30?

El maestro and I were an absolute whirlwind, and let me say, this place has never looked better!

But now that it's over I'm absolutely exhausted. Is it bad that I've had two weeks to relax and rejuvenate, and now with only one day left, I'm still tired?

At least the past two weeks have been full of holiday glee. We had a lovely Christmas at home with my family, a fun New Year's Eve, and this cold hasn't quite got the best of me.