The Journey with Trine

This is Week 6, just two more to go.  The time has gone by quickly, and overall I have enjoyed the challenge.  But I know, for certain, that this is the last class I will teach.

That sounds so final.  And it sounds so uncharacteristic for me. 

I love teaching. I enjoy planning and executing a class.  I like success of my students. Seeing light bulbs pop on or sensing their pride in their achievement is wonderful.  Plus teaching at the college level has been fulfilling in that adults are setting goals and striving to reach them.  Some face challenges of working or home life and try to juggle so many things while working on their degrees.  Helping them reach their goals is very fulfilling for me.  

But I am done.

Why?  

I missed Landon's 2nd grade program and Tessa's pre-school Chicken Bash and program the week before Thanksgiving.

I spent an entire Wednesday prepping for a class- adding items to Moodle and printing pages so they could be copied.

I have spent a few hours this morning doing the same thing - prepping for class tonight and adding links to Moodle for submission of assignments for next week.

Then there are the 'things that never change.'  

Late papers accompanied by many excuses. 

Plagiarism - copied passages from publishing websites that were supposed to be summaries by the students about their sources  

Papers submitted with no cover pages

Papers submitted which do not follow the criteria for the assignment

After an assignment is graded, a message from the student who just happened to discover that she had submitted the wrong file---after she received a low grade on her first submission. 

A student who complains to the site director that I am not helping her and that she is so confused and that her email for help wasn't answered.  When I forwarded the email to the site director, she realized that all it asked was if I had graded an assignment she (the student) had submitted late.   No request for help.  And when I came in early for office hours, she asked nothing.  Now she is dropping the class because she is sinking too far and can't get help to get out.  Really.

No more. Much as I enjoy the 'teaching' part of it, I don't miss the complaints, the excuses, the lack of responsibility that college students tend to espouse.  

Thankful for the opportunity?  Yes.

Regretful of the decision to teach again?  Not really.

Will I do it again?  No.

 

"Dear Santa...."

Every year since Landon was just a little boy, we have visited Santa and taken the traditional pictures.

This is a tradition I really enjoy for two reasons.  One is that it is a fun way to track the growth of the kids, see the additions as babies, and notice the changes in expressions and clothing.  The other is that it is an event that has grown into not only a trip to the Mall but also includes a dinner with all of us, kind of an "After Thanksgiving" get together and an early "Happy Birthday" for Matt.  Plus for me one of the most special times of the Christmas season is when it is just starting, when anticipation is high, when decorations appear, and the entire month of December is ahead of us in which to make many memories.

This year Hilary had already selected red and black plaid shirts for Landon and Owen and a cute outfit in a similar plaid with black leggings for Tessa.  On a recent shopping trip I found an identical shirt for Cooper and a mini-version of the same outfit for Lynnlee.  First time for the matching outfits for the cousins.  I know that this may not become a part of our tradition, but for now it was cute for all of them to match.

Monday after Thanksgiving before 5 is the perfect time to visit Santa at the Tippecanoe Mall.  There was NO line at all.  There was time to situate the kids and take multiple pictures in different combinations.  The only problem we had was...Owen.



He was having none of Santa.  Owen has become very particular about whom he spends his time with who holds him, and how far he is from Mommy.  This jolly guy in a red suit was NOT anyone he cared to associate with, even if he did have candy canes and a jolly laugh.

 

Eventually we all had the pictures we desired.  Years down the road, probably when Owen graduates, we can laugh about the picture of Owen struggling to remove himself from Santa's lap.  Or maybe it would be cute to try one of those 're-creations' of a picture when the children become adults?  Whatever....it will be one of the years that we can easily recall. Remember the year that Owen was screaming and not cooperating?

Even though I remember one of my sons-in-law grumbling a bit a few years ago when we mentioned the Picture with Santa becoming an annual tradition with the kids (his response was 'I don't think so') and even though the process is a little bit chaotic, it is one that I treasure each year. Last night as I removed the past pictures from the frame, it was so much fun to see how our little family has grown from just Landon and Cooper in the first one from 2013 through adding Tessa, then Owen, and finally Lynnlee to our group of grandchildren.



Gary and I are so fortunate that we live close enough to the girls to meet them at the Mall and witness the picture taking process, not just receive a picture in the mail or on our phones after the fact.  We are very blessed that the girls and their husbands work together to make this event a good one.  Because family is so important to both of us, these moments have very special meaning.

And so  the 2017 Christmas season officially begins!

"When You Think You Can't, God Can"

A little bit of a variation of the actual title, but it is close.  Adam preached today and this was the focus of his sermon from 2 Timothy 1.  I am so used to Jim's preaching style and presentation so I wasn't sure how I would react to Adam, but it turned out that, other than speaking very quickly, he was great!

The focus was that when we think we can't do things or accomplish something, that often when we turn it over to God, the 'impossible' happens.  God can do all.  He does answer prayer.  And he can make the impossible happen.

Two take-aways for me today from Adam's sermon. One is this:  When we consciously pray and ask for God's help or turn our problems or issues or concerns over to Him, He will take care of them--and us.

Case in point - I stress over hosting Thanksgiving.  No secret.  And the girls and Gary would probably just laugh if they read that (and I know Gary never reads my blog and I doubt that the girls do, at least not consistently) because I just get nervous and stress out and fuss too much each and every time anyone is coming to our house for any reason.

But this time I prayed every morning for peace, for patience, for the expectation of fun with family not that the house be perfectly organized or that the food be prepared to perfection.  As Thursday approached, everything fell into place.  My stress level was lower than usual, and even though my stomach hurt and I felt jittery inside on Wednesday, I was fine.  Thanksgiving was the best, and I truly believe that God does answer prayers because he did answer mine. 

The second thing is that Adam related how he had received a call from Tony that things for his ministerial duties were not going to roll along as smoothly as had been expected.  Adam shared that he had lain on the floor in front of the altar and laughed.  Not just a sad cry of disappointment, but a laugh that was borderline hysterical. And it wasn't because he was happy or sad or that his plans had fallen through and 'Now what?" was to be the primary question for seeking an answer.  It was different.

Why this stood out to me is that I was hysterically laughing when Angie called on Wednesday morning to tell us that they were getting a late start and they would be arriving here later than planned.  I didn't know they were staying with us, but it all worked out fine.  At least we had spent some time the day before cleaning the room Nick would sleep in and there was room on the fireplace room floor for the air mattress for Mike and Angie. I was very thankful they were here, especially on Thursday evening after everyone else had left.  Angie was manning the dishcloth and scrubber so that all of the leftover dishes and flatwear would be clean.  The kitchen and dining room area was whipped back into shape quickly. 

Sometimes I think..."I can't do all of this..." and I do.

Sometimes I think..."I will never be ready on time..." and I am.

Sometimes I think..."I am too afraid to....." and I am not.

Prayer and trust.  Powerful combination.  They will do it every time.  If I think I can't, I know God can.

Thanksgiving 2017 is in the books!

And a wonderful Thanksgiving it was.  Here is my list of highlights:

• EVERYONE in the family was at our house at some point on Thanksgiving Day.  14 for dinner.  23 total during the day.
• Greta and Kent were here for four days.  It was the first time in over 30 years that Greta and I had been together at Thanksgiving.  Having them here as part of our family celebration was wonderful beyond words.  
• It was Lynnlee's first Thanksgiving!  I know she is the 5th grandchild to come to our family, and sometimes after the first and the second and then the third.....the "Oh it's a baby!" has worn off a little.  But Lynnlee captured the hearts of her great-aunts and great-uncles and cousins and was passed around, cuddled, hugged, snuggled, and the center of attention at many point through the day.
• The good was good and plentiful!  One of my favorite scenes of the day was when everyone was seated at the table, plates were being passed, comments of "Put some green bean casserole on my plate please!" and "What happened to the gravy?" were heard (among many other comments and questions).  It was great!
• The afternoon scene - kids playing; Gary, Landon, Kent, and Blaine outside shooting; Clay asleep upstairs, Matt asleep on the fireplace room couch, Angie asleep in one recliner with the snowman blanket pulled up to her chin, Mike asleep in the other recliner, Nick asleep in the orange chair; the rest of us around the dining room table talking and playing Tripoley
• Two hot games of Shang'hai Rummy in the evening
• Christmas ornaments for the ladies
• Drawing for the Siemens family gift exchange on Christmas Eve
• Sandy and Kent stayed until 3:00!  
• The weather was beautiful!
• And we are indeed thankful for all of the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

Are we ready?

I think we are. 

The house is cleaned.  The leaves are raked and the yard cleaned up.

The menu has been shared and the groceries purchased.

All that is left is the cooking and baking.

I have purged and cleaned and taken bags to Goodwill and am tired of doing it, so I quit.

No more.  What is done is all that will be done.  Take it as it is.

Family is what is important anyway.  Just being together, giving thanks for our blessings, remembering family members no longer with us, sharing precious memories, looking ahead to fun times in the future. That is what it's all about.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy the day with family and friends.  What a great time!

Anxious for Nothing - End of Week 2

I think I wrote about these two chapters before but they bear discussion again.

Section 2 - Ask God for Help:  Let your requests be made known to God

I liked this section, probably my favorite in the book so far.  Hey, I know there have been just two sections, but I think it will be hard to top this one for me.

Chapter 5 I read again, and again, and looked at it a third time---AFTER I read it the first time. I enjoyed listening to Max Lucado discuss this one also.  There is just something about his voice and his demeanor that speak to me...little play on words there, maybe?  I like the idea of 'contagious calm' and remembering that God is always by our sides.  

I always fuss too much for Thanksgiving.   I know I do.  I know that I want the house to be clean, everything in its place, no clutter, comfortable for everyone, and homey.  I also want the food to be hot or cold as it should be and plentiful so no one goes away hungry.  Having a good time during the afternoon is important too so I fuss about that.  

What I don't always think about is this -- people who come to Thanksgiving at our house are family.  We are thankful for each other and want to share the holiday together.  That is what is important.

The house will be disorganized and cluttered up as soon as several people arrive.  That is just what happens. It happens are our house, at Hilary and Blaine's and at Megan's and Matt's any time they have a birthday party or a gathering.  That is just living.  

And the food WILL be plentiful.  If anyone goes away hungry, it will be his or her fault.

We will have fun!  So I am trying to be calm. I am trying to remember those things I just wrote about.  I want to be calm and not flustered.  I have been praying for calm and a stress-free preparation too, which leads me to the next chapter.

Prayer, Not Despair has been my favorite chapter. Peace happens when people pray.  I am trying to be more diligent in my prayer life.  I am trying to stop and pray rather than to become frustrated when things don't work out or when I am getting tired.

I think I wrote before about the three points Max makes about praying, and I really like them.  The main thing that stuck with me is that prayers need to be specific and serious.  I can do that!

On to Week 3, Leave Your Concerns with Him:  With thanksgiving ....

How appropriate!

Leaves....Raking....Removing

Leaves.  The bud out on the spring, framing everything in varied shades of green.

They provide shade, rustle with the breeze, and give a home to birds and squirrels during the hot summer months.

Then comes fall...and that is what they do.  Fall.  Of course the colors of the leaves change from intense greens to vibrant hues of gold, orange, and red.  People take road trips just to look at the beautiful leaves that blend into a magnificent palate on the hillsides and along the roadways. 

But they still fall.  Onto the ground.   On the flower beds. On the roofs.  Into the hidden spots above bathrooms and porches.  And if they are not removed, rainwater and melting snow will gather in them making one soggy mess and creating so much moisture which just might seep into the ceilings inside the house.

That is where we are right now.  Leaves everywhere.  Our leaves tend to stay on the trees longer than most do.  Plus we have leaves still on the trees which won't fall until the new ones appear in the spring.  But those that have fallen, or have been blown off by the wind, are heaped in the flower beds, littering the ground, and gathering on our roof in spots hidden to the eye but still there to attract rainfall and melting snow.

Much as I like living in the middle of a grove of trees, I despise raking them.  When we were first married, I envisioned Gary and me raking on a Saturday or in the evenings, then roasting hot dogs and marshmallow over the fire as they burned in our drive.  Well, that didn't happen.  Most of the time I was by myself raking leaves because he was in the field harvesting corn or soybeans.  Why would he waste a perfectly good Saturday or stop harvest early just to rake leaves with me after school? Not gonna happen.

Then when Megan and Hilary were born, I once again envisioned happy times with two little girls, each with our own rakes, piling up the leaves and the girls running and jumping in them.  More visions of roasting hot dogs and marshmallows popped up in my mind.

Wrong again.  Megan didn't like to rake leaves and after 5 minutes, if that long, would make an excuse to go into the house, usually to the bathroom, and never return.  We would find her there an hour later, reading her book.  Since Megan wasn't raking, Hilary fussed because SHE had to rake and why wasn't Megan out there too.  Neither of them shared that same vision that I did of little girls laughing and playing and jumping in the leaves.  I don't ever remember roasting the first hot dog or making the first S'more over a fire of burning leaves either.

Fast forward to the time I was teaching at Ivy Tech.  We were hosting Thanksgiving, and on a free Friday in November, I decided I would spend the bright sunny day outside raking leaves and dragging them to the back pasture. I laid out a tarp on the ground, raked the flower beds and the yard onto it, and pulled it out to the back dumped the leaves off, and repeated the process.  I was sore, my muscles ached, and I was exhausted at the end of the day, but the yard and the flower beds looked great and I was so proud of myself that I was ahead of schedule on things I needed to do before the holiday.

A few days later...it rained. It was windy.  And the rest of the leaves had fallen to the ground.  There were so many that it didn't look like I had even raked the first one.  

A couple of years we paid for leaf removal.  One year Andrew Leman made short work of removing the leaves and the yard looked fantastic.  Another year the Youth Group was looking for ways to earn money for trips and other expenses, so we invited them to come out and rake in return for a donation to their fund.

This year we decided to hire the lawn service guys who have trimmed our poison ivy laced hedge a couple of times.  An advertisement in the county paper caught our eyes---leaf removal!  We could tie that in with the return trim of the hedge that they wanted to do in the fall.  Perfect!

Today was the day.  So this morning Gary decided to move the leaves from the roof to the ground which entailed my holding the ladder for him as he climbed up with the rake to scoot the leaves from above the bathroom ceiling and above the kitchen ceiling and above the living room ceiling....to the ground.  Next he finished the clean up of garden stones and decorative clay  pieces, emptied all of the flower pots, and moved the patio furniture to the barn.  We were ready...and waiting...and waiting some more.

The guys did not come.  Later in the afternoon Gary called them. No answer. He left a message. No return call.

Of course there could be a good explanation why they didn't come today.  Maybe the rain yesterday created too much moisture and they decided to wait another day.  Maybe there was a family emergency of some kind. Maybe they just forgot!

 The best scenario will be that they call tomorrow and tell us they will be here Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday to clear the leaves and trim the hedge.  Perfect.  The next best is that they can't do it after all and that Gary will rake around the front door and flower beds and mulch with the mower as much as he can. The worst case scenario is that nothing happens and no leaves are raked and the outside looks leaf-covered with one little path up the sidewalk to get to the door.

Next year the same process will happen. Green leaves, nice shade, changing colors, leaves on the ground.    Same cycle as always.  

 

Give Me a Good Book Anytime!

Yesterday was Clinton Prairie's annual Book Fair at Barnes and Noble.  This was maybe the 7th or 8th time they have worked with B & N for this event and it is always successful.

The process is that the customer will select books or other items for purchase, then at check-out mention Clinton Prairie and a portion of the sales will go to books that Megan can then purchase for the library.  Good deal for everyone!

We have used this event to cross some items off the family Christmas lists.  All of the kids make their way to the Children's Section and look for books. I always tell them they can pick just one book for us to give to them---and they usually end up with three.  Landon's logic this year was 'Well, THIS one is from you, but which one is from Papaw?"  Who can argue with that?  And then when the Level One I Can Read books are 'buy two, get one free' who can resist?

Besides the enthusiasm of the kids, I enjoy this day to just wander around the store and browse. I can do that anytime I visit the store, but somehow browsing on this particular day is more fun and more relaxing.  I always sip the only drink I ever order from Starbucks, a hot caramel apple cider, and just walk the aisles.  I take in everything and look at titles that sound interesting.

The other perk of this day is watching Megan in action.  She is such a great librarian and I enjoy seeing her interaction with her students.  Some of them gather around the table just to chat, sit on the floor to play games, or just look around and select their own books. Yesterday I saw several groups of students, one wearing letter jackets, browsing the aisles and sipping drinks from Starbucks.  Yesterday Lynnlee was a focus of attention too.  Lots of looks for that adorable baby girl of ours!

And finally as much as I enjoy reading on my Nook using the Overdrive app from the Pulaski County Library or buying books for the Nook or the Kindle, there is just something about having the book in my hands, flipping through the pages, and smelling the print.    New books are great - and I always have been excited when Christmas morning rolls around and I have a new stack of reading material.

Even though the day was gloomy and the rain was pelting down so heavy we could hear it o the roof of the B and N at times, the crowd was a good one for the Book Fair.  With all of the other distractions in our world today and so many other leisure time activities, it is good to see that reading is still alive and well,  Nothing is better on a cold winter evening that snuggling up in the recliner with a cup of hot tea, under the fuzzy blanket, reading a good book.






 

Wrapping Christmas Gifts

I used to be a gift wrapper. 

I worked at Roth's Department Store on the courthouse square in Mt. Vernon during the holiday season.  My main job was gift-wrapper.  The hardest item I remember wrapping was an umbrella.  It was too long to fit on the width of the paper .  It seemed like I was wasting so much paper on that one gift.  It was fun, especially wrapping last minute gifts purchased by husbands for their wives the day before Christmas.

But now?  I really dislike wrapping Christmas presents. 

I always say I am going to start early and be finished early so it isn't so overwhelming.

That usually doesn't happen.  I can be seen the day  and night before we open gifts, still wrapping everything.  Gary will bring down bag after bag of purchases from the computer room and it seems never-ending.

Today we went to the Clinton Prairie Book Fair at Barnes and Noble.  Everyone in the family will receive at least one book under the tree.  Since B & N sells calendars too, there were a couple of those to wrap also.  Four bags of books/calendars plus a beginner train set made their way into the living room where I had set up the card table from my office complete with a roll of Christmas gift wrap, tape, scissors, a pen, a notepad, and the gift tags. 

And  by 10:00 p.m. I had finished all of that task.   There are more thing upstairs to wrap, but those will have to wait until after Thanksgiving.

The longer I sat at the table and cut paper, the sloppier the cuts became and the more the tape was placed askew.  I just don't like to do it!

Maybe if I were paid like I was at Roth's, it wouldn't be such a chore?

And the Purging Continues

No one can see it, but we do have several clean cabinets and closets and drawers in our house.  Not all of them, and there are a couple of rooms that really need to be purged.  But the attack is on...one drawer, one closet, one cabinet at a time.

Today we tackled the refrigerator first.   We pitch leftovers and things that are near spoiling or past their expiration dates frequently, but occasionally some items find their way to the back.  Then it is time to remove everything and wash shelves, clean the back, top, floor, and sides plus the door shelves.    Today was that day.  I have to say that we did throw away quite a bit of opened but not completely used containers, some yucky string cheese, outdated cream cheeses, and some nasty looking sour cream.  Now the fridge is clean, sparkling (well, kinda), and ready for the Thanksgiving dishes that will make their way into it in the next week.

Next up was the dining room closet.  Shoes have been tumbling out of the bottom and the door cannot be closed because of the lack of room IN the closet so too many coats are hanging on the inside of the door.  This was interesting. One bag for shoes that were just old and worn out.  One bag for shoes that were out of style or didn't fit anymore.  A crate for shoes for the winter months.  A box for the summer sandals and shoes.  Then the coats.  Some I wear only once in a while. Some I had forgotten about.  Some were indicative of former employment, and even though I probably won't ever wear them, I kept them.  Another two bags for Goodwill.

Moving out to the sunroom and the stack of shoes there.  No one needs to have four pairs of 'working outside' shoes, so I pitched three of those.  I kept one pair of outside flipflops along with the shoes I wear to work in the yard and on the mower.  My fancy work boots are out there too.

In the laundry room was the last stop. Gary had more to contribute the bags there.  His old work clothes that he always used for planting and harvest went into the trash bag.  No need to keep 10 pairs of old holey jeans and ragged t-shirts.  More shoes to the bag also plus other odds and ends of things that had made their homes on the shelves.

All told ---two bags of trash and three bags for Goodwill. Just from the closet and two racks of shoes and clothes in the sunroom and laundry toom.  Plus that doesn't count the bags of pitched food from the fridge.  Have to add at least two more for that.

What a feeling!  And even though no one will see it or notice, I do feel SO much better knowing that the purging process has been working.

On to the upstairs tomorrow!

In Search of a Good Stuffing/Dressing Recipe

My Grandma Greta was a great cook.  The best fried chicken.  Super potato salad.  And the best dressing ever.

 

For years I have been trying to duplicate that dressing.

I just can't do it.

Every time I think I have found just the right recipe, it still doesn't taste like I want it to.

Too sticky.

Too dry.

Bland.

Weird flavor.

This year I decided to try the recipe that Greta said Mom had been making for recent Thanksgiving dinners....when she was still contributing a dish or two.  I know I saw a recipe in the pile by the dining room table when I was cleaning out things this past summer.  Written across the top was "Took it to G and K's house for Thanksgiving" so I knew I had it.  

But I threw it away.  One of those moments when I was overwhelmed with the amount of blank sheets of paper, empty envelopes, and stacks and stacks and folders and folders of recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines.  They all went in the trash.

Greta found a copy that she had submitted to some type of cookbook, so I bought the ingredients for a 'trial run' over the weekend.  Ingredients included two boxes of Stove Top Stuffing mix - cornbread variety.  A pound of sausage browned and added.  A few additional spices and some melted butter plus two beaten eggs.  Baked in the oven.

 



I covered mine in gravy along with dousing the mashed potatoes and turkey breast as well.  Not too bad, but the flavor was a little different. Probably the sausage.

The next day we fixed plates of leftovers, a repeat of the dinner the night before.  Very dry dressing.  More evidence of the sausage.

Not a fan.

Megan suggested a recipe from Pioneer Woman.  That included three loaves of bread chopped up and left on cookie sheets to dry out.  Uh...don't like that part of the prep.  Where will I put three cookie sheets of bread cubes to dry?  Sunroom?  Maybe but not the best option.



This afternoon when we were walking through Krogers, I picked up three boxes of Stove Top Stuffing - turkey flavor.  If all else fails....it will be my emergency go to stuffing.

 

Then we saw the bags of Pepperidge Farms already cubed bread crumbs with a handy-dandy recipe on the back which included onions and celery and nuts and chicken broth.  Hmmmm....we may have something that works here.

 

While I was pondering, I heard a voice asking me if I had used that brand before.  I had not, so I mentioned I was in search of a stuffing similar to my grandmother's and I just couldn't find it so this was going to be a trial run to see if it worked. The lady smiled and told me the secret to a good stuffing was cubing  a loaf of Roman Meal bread and a loaf of white bread and mixing them together.  

Oh my.

Sometime before Sunday evening comes I am making the Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix.    If it isn't acceptable, then Stove Top Stuffing it is.

Why didn't Grandma write down this recipe for me????????