Friday Family Update - 1/27/12

I thought I was going to do this EVERY Friday - but that was during November when I was getting all organized about blogging with NaBloPoMo!   So it's time for another update, because quite a few things have changed.

Michael

Michael is still in Nicaragua but he is having to change host families. He was with a family that was very nice to him (most of them), and it was their first time to host a Peace Corps volunteer. Michael liked the people. I talked a little about them in our Christmas Eve blog post.  I don't want to write a lot about the specifics, but the Peace Corps is apologizing to Michael and he has had the opportunity to canvas the town for prospective host families. His host families receive a good amount of money, so there were several in the running. One family that he liked very much needed the money a lot. They were really friendly and wanted to involve Michael in all of their activities. They had no door on his room - only a blanket. And the Peace Corps requires that the volunteers have a lockable door on their room. Michael and the family were brainstorming on ways to afford to fix this when the Peace Corps supervisor decided that the home would not be acceptable. It seems that the family lives within 50 feet of a river and they are on the side of a mountain. Michael told me the P.C. Supervisor said that's the kind of home that gets wiped out in a mudslide! Yikes!
Family #2 were in much better shape financially. Nice home. Offered to cook for Michael daily. But the teens in the home have a lot of drama going on in the town. Probably not a good place to put a High School English teacher.
Family #3 was full of young adults. The parents are out of the country most of the time, and the teens at the house are cared for by aunts and uncles who are in their late 20's and early 30's. Michael thought this sounded like a LOT of fun. But their home is across the street from a pool hall that serves alcohol. Peace Corps Rule #something - not within 100 feet of a bar. And this counted as a bar.  Squash the party house. (whew!)
Family #4 is a Hostel. An older woman runs it and offered to feed him if he will bring home some beans or a chicken once a week. There are several people that live there permanently (her family members) and also passing visitors.  All criteria were met, Michael liked them. Voila! New home found.  Michael is off on some kind of learning trip to go on for 3-4 days in the mountains, so he plans to move out as soon as he returns. I hope that all goes well!

Katie

Katie is still having fun in NYC. She went back in time to watch the Ball Drop.  Temps are getting pretty chilly for her so we sent her an electric blanket. I love that she has a mail room IN her building. They even notify her if she has a package to pick up.  She's having fun in her classes and getting a lot of great compliments from her instructors.  So we were trying to think where she was going to live for her 2nd Year with the New York Film Academy. It seems that most of her class is going to take the 2nd Year at the Universal Studios campus.  And Katie would like to go! She said that she reads about great opportunities available for students, then reads it's at the LA Campus. So this looks like a good idea. Especially since she's really interested in film. I think she'd like to return to live in New York, but we'll see where the work is.  So. Now that we are all familiar with New York, we have to figure out how to do Los Angeles!  And she'll need a car.

Alyssa

Alyssa has only 500 hours left to complete her Cosmetology degree. That puts her graduation around the end of April/first of May.  I think she's getting a little Senioritis - she's been going non-stop since June. With no break over the holidays! But that's not her biggest news. She and Josh have decided they want to get married.  She plans to work for a year at a salon before the Big Day, so they're planning on an April 2013 wedding.  We went to the Bridal Extravaganza at the Palmer Auditorium and have been on the quest for venue and caterers ever since.



Ron & Me
Ron's still working his tail off and I'm working on my book. And hosting the Unschooling Blog Carnival.
But we did have a nice weekend at the Indian Lodge in the Davis Mountains. We even trekked over to the McDonald Observatory (read more about that) and got to look through the 36 inch telescope!

Never a dull moment! Right?

Astronomical Observations

We went to the McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains in January. We were lucky that it wasn't really cold. The wind was picking up, but not too much. And the best news was that the sky was clear.  We had brought the kids once before and fog had rolled in obscuring our view. Astronomers were used to that kind of thing, so they took our group over to a barn and showed us a variety of things about the moon, the planets and the color of gases.

This time, we arrived at the Visitor Center as a woman was taking down a sign on the door. It was an ad for a different group that would be going to look through the 36" telescope on the mountain top. We decided that that was a pretty special opportunity, so we switched to that and piled into the shuttle with the other 13 people.

There weren't enough seats for all of us in with the telescope, but that was ok. The ledge on the outside was available. The room was crowded with this huge telescope - the base is what is 36" in diameter - the computer, some other ladders and equipment, and a step ladder that we'd use to look through the eyepiece. 
The astronomer was full of corny jokes, so Ron loved it immediately. He told us how they started doing programs for Elder Hostels because they had such an interest. He was putting coordinates into the computer while he was talking. He said that not that long ago, they didn't have the computer. They would have to very tediously use manuals and charts and look then readjust. But the Elder Hostel watched them and decide to collect $25,000 to get them this computer. It made things MUCH easier.

Jupiter and moons

First, he showed us Jupiter. While it's something you can see with the naked eye, you can't see the colors or the moons without the telescope. We had access to see 3 that night! The pictures here are off Google Images. The colorful image of Jupiter was visible, but so were the 3 moons. They looked like bright stars circling Jupiter.  We didn't see any movement as they circled, but they are a lot quicker than Earth's Moon. It was easy to spot  Jupiter even with the naked eye. It's a very bright star this time of year, almost directly overhead. It's almost as bright as Venus, which is also a very bright looking "star." Also called the Morning Star and the Evening Star, Venus is a little closer to the horizon.

Messier 37 - Open Cluster

Next we looked at Open Star Clusters, then the Pleiades. We talked about how different gases are emitted which causes them to present with different colors. I also learned that the telescope has trouble picking things up because of the currents in the air. When you think of the blurry wavy-ness of the air just above really hot pavement in the desert - you especially see this in the movies' desert scenes. Cooler air creates currents too, that can obscure the view for a little bit.

We talked about stars that are just forming as well as stars that are dying. We saw the reddest star, I'm not sure which one, a cluster from the Sword of Orion, and even the center of the Andromeda Galaxy.

The astronomer took us outside to point out constellations and stars with his laser pen. That's always so cool, because then you really know for sure where they're pointing. We talked about different astronomers and what they saw and contributed.

Something I didn't know was that the Dog Star called Sirius, its near the eye of Canus Major, the dog constellation. My first acquaintance with Sirius was the name used for Harry Potter's "uncle," who just happened to morph into a Dog when he needed to. Gotta love JK Rowling, huh?

But I think one of the most interesting things to me was sitting in the chair while the telescope was being adjusted. When the computer and the telescope were synchronizing, it would create really loud different tones. High tones then low tones, not unlike the theme song for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The computer adjusted the telescope, swinging it around to the direction of the star we were studying.  Then the giant metal panes of the dome would slide on their tracks, loud clanging sounds as they banged into each other, opening up the section  needed to allow the telescope through.. But something about the clunky-ness of all of it was just mesmerizing. Knowing how far away that lens was focusing in on, and hearing all the equipment make it happen. I loved that part possibly more than actually getting to see the stars.  Ron loves the star gazing part. He's fascinated by the fact that you're actually looking into the past. I missed having the kids there to hear all the info as well as actually HEAR the telescope and the dome moving around. I wrote a little about that aspect in a different place, if you're interested.

I think it would be interesting to go back at different times of the year when different stars and constellations are overhead.  And I really miss living in the country away from the lights. Then you can see so many more stars.  I see why they call it a "blanket of stars!"  Who knows, maybe this will be some kind of regular trip!

Pit Bulls and Doggie Etiquette

Yesterday we had our weekly Dog Hike at Walnut Creek. We take all three dogs, Buddy, Hank and Gracie. It's an interesting place in that dogs can be off leash, bikes go zipping by on the paths, and, for the most part, everyone is friendly. The days have been really pretty and it seems to keep everyone in good mood for their experience in the woods.

Hank, our Border Collie, is getting old. He doesn't always respond to us when we call - sometimes I think it's stubbornness and sometimes I think it's really his hearing. But when he notices us moving on down the path, he parts with whatever discovery he was sniffing out, and runs on ahead. Always within eyesight of us.

Buddy is much more people focused.  He's much smaller and runs ahead with Hank. Then he gets a little nervous and runs all the way to the back (because, yes, I'm always in the back), does a few circles around me and then races ahead again. He's pretty cute on hikes.

Buddy and Hank both greet other people and their dogs, but always move along when we're ready to go.


Gracie, on the other hand, is never off the leash. We're not 100% sure about what's caused her discomfort with children or other dogs who approach too quickly, but it's pretty obvious that's not her favorite part of the hike. Josh keeps her close to him, because she can pull really hard. We pause in the path, watching her tail and her eyes, deciding whether to press on or to stay a little longer. We speak soothingly to her, and praise her when we can get past other dogs without growling. Real dog people totally understand this. They ask how old she is. We talk a little about her social awkwardness. They let their dogs approach gently. Usually that all goes well.

So yesterday, we had made it down to the creek. Buddy stays near the side while Hank and Gracie plunge into the water. Gracie even had the cutest Leaping Moment off the cliff and into the water! Have I mentioned she loves to leap? Sometimes she resembles a deer, and sometimes she's a downright Tigger! Straight up in the air!  When she jumped into the water, it was with such glee. She sprang from the side and outstretched her legs midair. It was a happy sight!

After a little playing around in the water, the dogs came up near us on the side. A cyclist was there with his dog. A couple was leaving with theirs. There was a good deal of doggie commotion. Suddenly, which isn't that uncommon, a pit bull comes running up on Gracie. Josh has retracted the leash  and she's close to his body. At first it seems like the approaching dog is just rambunctious and wants to play. But because he approached so quickly, Gracie's not happy. She bares her teeth a little and lunges at him. Josh pulls her up closer to him. Because she's pulling so hard, she's up higher on her back legs. This other dog, who is off leash with no owner in sight, jumps on his back legs too and nips at Gracie's neck. Josh isn't able to see what's happening with this other dog, but Alyssa and I can. It's clearly the nip before the Big Bite. Gracie is completely exposed and vulnerable; she's almost upright.

Before the other dog has the opportunity to bite a second time, Alyssa has rushed in between them. Pit bulls have such short hair and tight skin, it's really hard to grab them by the scruff of the neck. But this one had a bandana and a collar. Alyssa didn't hesitate and reached down to pull him off by the bandana. We were all three yelling to get the dog to stop, Out of nowhere, the owner runs up and pulls his dog away.  The woman with him looked a little horrified, but he said nothing. No apology. Nothing. The cyclist near us turned to say, "That's messed up. He went straight for the jugular!" Still no response from the owner. He clicked the leash onto the dog and led him away quickly.

We were all pretty shocked about the whole thing. We are constantly apologizing to other people on the trail when our dogs are darting in front of their bikes, or running up to sniff other hikers. If our dogs acted aggressive with others, which they haven't, we'd be tripping all over ourselves with apologies. AND, our dog would be back on the leash.  Not so with this other dog owner.

We saw them a little further down the creek. Their dog was still off his leash. He and Gracie saw each other and he immediately started heading our way. Gracie pulled hard on the leash to go toward him. Josh thought Gracie was going for Round Two, so he started retracting the leash. The other owner came running for his dog. He pulled the dog away by the collar asking the dog if it wanted to be back on the leash. We were all dumbfounded. I really wanted to say, "That dog shouldn't be OFF the leash!" But no words came out of my mouth.

On the way back to the car, we talked about what happened. We talked about Alyssa's bravery, which I had seen on the ranch before when the animals were in trouble, but Josh had never witnessed. She gets very "Mother Bear" about her animals! In addition to protecting Gracie, she was aware that Josh was just moments away from HAVING to do something drastic to stop this other dog.  She said she kept thinking was how mad she was that Gracie was doing so much better with other dogs approaching. And now this altercation was going to set Gracie back a few steps.  We talked about how strangely the other owner had acted and how badly that all could have gone.

We'll continue to do our Sunday afternoon hikes, because this really was a rare occurrence. And Gracie will get better with other dogs approaching, hopefully. But she'll still be on her retractable leash. If only we could say the same for all the other dogs out there.

Favorite Video of the Week

I'm fascinated by what motivates people... in the workplace, in the home, everywhere! This video talks about the human desire for self-motivation, and how creativity and innovation really only comes with autonomy.  This video can be applied in lots of different areas.
Check it out!

The Homeschooling Carnival

What a perfect way to start the new year - join the carnival!!

I'm opening up for more creative outlets this year, so I sent one of my blog posts over to the Homeschooling Carnival! This blog has been going on for a long time. It's amazing to me how many fabulous blogs are available to homeschoolers now. I remember scrambling around trying to find little nuggets of information, but now...wow!

I haven't read all of the Archives for the Carnival of Homeschooling. But there's one theme that was really cool - The Princess Bride. You should look at how creatively they did that.

Check it out!

Week 314, The 6th Anniversary Issue 

I'm trying to figure out if an Unschooling Carnival exists. If not, I want to start one!!! I just like the idea a lot. Do you know if an Unschooling Carnival exists like this?

Christmas Day 2011

My Kids on Christmas Morning

So all I can say is, thank God for Skype! This was my first year to not have all three kids here for Christmas morning.  Skype was the next best thing! Michael was able to be with us while we opened presents - including opening his for him right there on the video camera. The mail in Nicaragua is too unpredictable, so we couldn't send him anything. And presents that have any value at all never make it through. So we just opened his presents here: Pulp Fiction, 50 Funniest American Writers by Andy Borowitz, Kindle books that can be read online, and a subscription to Audible Books. So even though Michael is staying with a family that doesn't celebrate Christmas, he could still be part of ours.

If you read about Christmas Eve, you'd know I was up a little late with the wrapping. I was SOO sleepy when Alyssa tiptoed in to say, "Merry Christmas" at 8 a.m. Josh had started coffee downstairs, Katie was dozing on the couch, Grandma had already packed up her bedding from the couch, and Ron was up feeding the dogs. Hard to believe that *I* was the last one up this year!

So we all went to My Little Room with the Fireplace and the Tree.  We pulled up Skype and Michael got on. He chatted and watched. We opened presents for an hour. Everyone was happy.

I hadn't made any Special Christmas Breakfast this year. I need to manage my time a little better next year. I like having the Cookie Exchange the day before Christmas Eve, because we have so many cookies for the actually Holiday.  But it threw me off as far as prep for our Christmas.   Of course, as I type that, I'm pondering the idea of going to Nicaragua for some of the Christmas holidays next year.  Then I can bring stuff to Michael that he might like to have. We'll see.

I evidently didn't have the stabilizer on with the   camera, so our Christmas photos are a little blurry. But here's our Christmas Morning! 

After we ate, Josh and Alyssa went to his family's house for Christmas Lunch and gift-giving. Katie hung out with her boyfriend, Michael and I continued to Skype, helping him figure out how to set up his Kindle books online and audible books.

I had a lovely afternoon of reading my gardening/landscaping magazines - one of my traditional - and favorite Christmas gifts! When we don't have a lot of family over, it's nice to be able to curl up in my little front room with my fireplace and dream of beautiful gardens and future projects.  I even managed to squeeze in a delicious little nap!

Ron's brother Scott, and his wife Pam came by after they ate with family in Georgetown. About that time, Katie and Trenton, Josh and Alyssa all came back here for the evening.

Our Christmas was DEFINITELY different this year. I certainly don't enjoy having Michael so far away for such a family holiday. But I pulled off Christmas Day with no tears. (I got a little teary about it at the Christmas Eve church service, but that was it.)

And, who knows! Maybe next year we'll take a big family trip to Nicaragua!!

Christmas Eve

A rainy Christmas Eve for 2011. I think the temps dropped to the lower 40's in the daytime. Ron ran out to get a little heater for my greenhouse.

Because the Cookie Exchange was yesterday, we had plenty of great treats to munch on all day long.  Alyssa and Josh went to visit his Grandma, Katie wrote stories and watched recorded Supernatural episodes.  The kids picked up Grandma on the way home, as she and Pepper are spending the night tonight.

I talked with Michael for a little bit on the phone. He's a little bored in his new location. Also, his family isn't celebrating Christmas, so it's a bit of a let down.  Partially, it's because they're so poor. When you grow your own food and wash dishes in a tub of water from outside because you have no electricity for a pump, life is just plain hard. He told me how they have to stay on watch when they hang out laundry; they have to stay ready for the rain, so they can run out and take it all down quickly, then rehang it all when the rain stops. So, life is very tiring. And they will probably REST on Christmas. But the other reason is because they are not Catholic, they are Evangelicals. They believe that the hoopla surrounding Christmas festivities is pagan. So they do not participate. The town had a big procession for the Virgin Mary when he first got there. The family locked up their house and closed the curtains. Michael was just trying to fit in with them, so he stayed there. If he had known that the Virgin Mary procession was going to be the highlight of December, he might have gone out to soak it all in! We plan to Skype with him in the morning....hopefully it will not make him homesick.

Katie, Alyssa, Josh and I all went to the Christmas Eve service at Gateway today. As Josh put it, it was a bit over the top! They did a performance of the Birth of Jesus.  They tried to modernize it, referring to Mary's husband as Joe, entertaining us with some fantastic breakdancing angels, filming it locally giving it a very "Austin" spin, - snow even shot out from the ceiling at several spots in the performance! I'm glad we went...it's at the Gateway website tomorrow at 11 a.m. Here's a clip of it.


Once Upon a Christmas from Gateway Church on Vimeo.


Then we came home to a huge crab feast with spiral cut ham and roasted potatoes. It was so yummy we forgot to pull out the tamales Ron brought home from work. So that's on the menu for tomorrow.

Afterwards, Ron and Josh did the dishes and we started up the Patterson Annual Tradition: Watching Christmas Vacation.  Grandma laughed so hard at the different pieces of the show which was really funny in  itself!  I guess forgetfulness has it's advantages!


Then all my shopping that had piled up in the corner of my bedroom needed wrapping. I'd so prefer to just sit around and chat with everyone. So I wrapped a little, and chatted a little...which led to my not finishing the wrapping and stocking stuffing until 3 a.m.!!! Luckily for me, Josh stayed up to help me run packages up and down the stairs. Then when 1 a.m. rolled around, he started wrapping too! He was shocked at how our Christmas presents just spill out into the room. I think he'd prefer a more organized Christmas that sticks to a budget - which I cannot even fathom!  Gosh, I need more self-discipline!

So Granda is literally asleep in her kerchief, the dogs are snoozing (yes, Buddy is staying with us),  the "children" are dreaming of their own version of sugarplums,  and I'm wrapping this up and calling it a night!

Merry Christmas to All....and to All a Goodnight!

My Cookie Exchanges

The Annual Cookie Exchange! Truthfully, it's not that annual. I missed last year. There was simply too much family drama for me to focus on doing the "extras."  So in spite of a few date changes, we were able to get friends together for the "Annual" Cookie Exchange.

For those who don't know about Cookie Exchanges...typically you bake a pre-determined number of all the same cookie. So if you're decorating snowflake cookies, you bake X dozen of them and bring them to the exchange. What will happen is that you will share your cookies and then come back home with the same NUMBER of cookies; but you will have a variety of cookies, taking some from each of the other guests' batches of cookies.

And that's where the similarities end!  Every Cookie Exchange is different.  Whoever hosts the party can you a wide variety of methods for how the cookies are dispersed. Sometimes the party has themes or activities. You just never know!

I do our Cookie Exchange differently each time. My first Cookie Exchange was in California. It was HUGE. I think 30 people were there - maybe more! She had everyone put their 5-6 dozen cookies on trays all around her the walls of her living room. We milled around looking at the different cookies, picking up recipe cards if the baker had provided them. The hostess  was a minimalist decorator, so this wasn't nearly the problem it would be at my house. I am not minimalist. I am clutterful. Anyway, having never been before, I didn't realize I needed an *additional* carrier for the  cookies I was about to bring home.  We improvised something, I don't recall now.  She had us all draw numbers to determine where we would be in line.  Then she had this very complicated formula to determine how many cookies each person would pick up. The line would pass through a couple of times, each person picking up 2 of each, then 6 of their favorite, then the line would reverse. This kept the front of the line getting all the beautiful cookies, and the back of the line getting only the broken ones. I liked how it ended up, but I don't think I could ever do the formula. Maybe a mathy friend can give me some advice?? At this Cookie Exchange, people seemed to leave soon after the cookies were obtained.

When I moved to Wichita Falls, I went to a completely DIFFERENT kind of Cookie Exchange. The hostess cooked lots of wonderful food for the guests to snack on while they visited. Each year, about 13 people would attend. She'd let us know at the last minute, how many people were attending and that was how many dozen cookies we needed to bring. We were instructed to package our cookies or bread or whatever we baked in bags/containers with a dozen in each. She kept the large bags at the door and we were to put one package in each person's clearly marked bag when we arrived. After everyone arrived, we told about our baking experience. Each person shared their story of smoke alarms, wasted batches of cookies, family members sneaking cookies, as well as why they chose that cookie or if it was a special family recipe. It was funny to hear what everyone had gone through to get the 13 dozen cookies there! Same amount of time as the California party, but more about sharing with friends.

I decided I really liked the idea of Cookie Exchanges. But my Bunco group had never heard of them. The way Bunco works, is that everyone takes turn hosting the game each month. Since it takes 12 people to play, everyone just grabs a month to host. So I decided I would choose December, and turn my Bunco party into a Cookie Exchange. We knew for sure that we had 12 people, so the numbers didn't fluctuate. One year, we made a dozen to share with each person, and another year we halved that. Making 6 dozen and then everyone taking home six of each kind was a much easier way to do this. This was a group of Girl Scout leaders who, most of them, worked outside the home. They were baking late into the night and that was just too stressful!

So, then, when I moved here, I invited friends to the Cookie Exchange. Each time, I did it a little differently. I discovered Robin Olson's Cookie Exchange website that was FULL of great ideas. I got a little carried away and tried to do prizes for things like "Most Christmas-y Outfit", party games, and sharing info about the cookies each person baked. I liked the idea of hanging out with friends more, but they were often groups of people that didn't really know each other. The prizes and the games were a bust. ha!

This year, I baked my Ham Cheesecake (very yummy), and a few other appetizer type foods. I had everyone bring a dozen cookies to share at the party, and asked them to package up a dozen for each participant to take home. We had 8 bakers. Extra people came just to come to the party, but didn't bake. It was MUCH more relaxing. At first, we had date conflicts.  Early in December, Christmas seemed too far away.  Mid-December was full of people attending other parties, or me not being able to get my Christmas decor all up! Just when I was about to put up my white flag for this year's Cookie Exchange, my friend suggested we do it on Friday before Christmas Eve.  Maybe even in the afternoon, so people wouldn't have party conflicts. AND, this allowed everyone to have quite a variety of cookies ON Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

And that's what we decided to do.

I finally got all my Christmas decorating done. Boxes were moved to the garage. We did a mad cleaning the day before. Cookies were baked and packaged. Candles lit. Voila!  A party!

The only glitch that I have with this method of cookie dispersing, is that my numbers fluctuate. I'm not a firm RSVP taker, and I think that's what it takes. But I want whoever wants to come, to come! It's as much about the friends as it is about the cookies, for me. So when the numbers were off, I was quickly opening people's packages of cookies, pulling a few from each and creating new packets for the last RSVPers. I probably did the math wrong, but everyone who brought something to share, went home with a variety of cookies!

The other problem I have is that as we got closer to Christmas, I felt like I needed to have the number of participants be small, so I wasn't asking people to make 13 dozen! There were quite a few people I would have liked to invite, but time got away from me as well.

So here are the lessons I've learned for next year. I'm putting it here as much to share as to remind me next year, when I think, "Now, what was I thinking would be a good idea for this year?"

• Keep the Eve of The Eve date. 
• Keep the afternoon idea.
• Send out invitations earlier in the month. Evites are still good.
• Invite as many people as I want, without concern about # of dozen or pre-packaging
• No pre-packaged cookies from the baker. 
• Baker bakes 7 dozen cookies to share, and 1 dozen for the party to munch on
• Use the California approach and put the cookies on platters around the room and have people select a certain number
• Maybe have the cookies on tables upstairs around the room
• Between now and then, figure out a formula for how to make this work (Suggestions?)
• We'll munch on food and sample cookies for a while, then fill our platters with cookies to take home
  
  So that's the plan for 2012!
  
  Now...which cookie will I have for mid-morning snack?
  

Cool Video: One Thing

What if every day, everyone just did ONE thing. One thing unexpected. One thing to make someone else's day easier.

What if this became a habit?

When the Leaves Finally Fall

 I know the calendar says it should be Winter, but here in Central Texas, it's just now Fall. You may be braving blizzards and shoveling snow, but here on my back porch, this is what Autumn looks like.

There's a chill in the air, but it's still comfortable to sit out on the deck.  My "big" tree in the backyard is usually the last to lose its leaves. A big wind knocked half the bright yellow leaves onto the patio.  Last year, the red berries looked so beautiful contrasting with those yellow leaves.  But the birds seem to have taken care of the berries this year.

The dogs and I sit here watching the birds descend on the bird feeders. Then, something startles them and there's a WHOOOSH of birds doing a quick relocation to the bamboo in the back.
It's a little shocking how many birds you can have in such a small yard. But my bird feeders stay full and the sparrows of the neighborhood know it. I think I have the fattest birds in town.

I like the peacefulness of my deck in the Fall.  The smell of gingerbread in the oven. The leaves falling as I type. Dogs quiet and calm, just taking it all in.

I like mornings like this.

Upping the Exercise

This Fall, I became painfully aware of how my body is getting weary. I've tried to increase my exercise, but it comes in spurts.

First, I joined the gym - went to water aerobics 4 x/week, met with a trainer, recorded my food.  My blood pressure got a little wonky, so that was my excuse to cut back a little. I didn't really want to pay for the trainer anyway, and she wasn't crazy about my then-mostly-vegan diet. Temperatures started dropping, so running in and out wet from water aerobics lost its appeal. Thanksgiving came, and then that plan shriveled up to nothing.

After Thanksgiving, I needed to see a cardiologist for some arrhythmias I was having.  We set up a cardiac ultrasound and a Holter Monitor.  Of course, no flutters while I was wearing the contraption.  My friend Helen compared us to old classic cars, things starting to wear out and break down, needing a little tinkering here and there to keep running smoothly... But still loved and appreciated, nonetheless!

 I got new meds for blood pressure, meds for high cholesterol, and encouragement to keep taking my Metformin (for this pre-diabetic phase I'm in.) I am 100% certain that if I could figure out a way to drop some weight, I'd drop all these meds too.  So my quest to find exercise I actually enjoy doing continues.  Some friends who are trainers told me that you really have to enjoy the activity - not the results or that it's over. But actually like it. In my head, all I could think of was that the physical activity I ENJOY is sitting around. Not going to burn many calories that way!

I've been to the Nia Dance class a few times. I like it, but it really isn't convenient. I'll continue to go, but I can tell it's not going to be my regular plan.

Each Sunday for the last month, I've gone wth Josh and Alyssa and the 3 dogs on a hike through the trails at Walnut Creek. Sometimes Ron joins us, last time Katie hiked, but always the 3 of us and the 3 dogs. Hank and Buddy get to be off leash and they love it. Gracie is getting used to being around other dogs and other people. She's what we call "socially awkward." But she's getting better. I like walking the trails. I work up a sweat, so I guess I'm burning calories.

According Josh, I'm going to be his "Fitness Project." With a firefighter's work schedule, he is off 3-4 days per week. His plan is that I'll walk the lake for a mile, while he runs the entire path (3 miles); and then we'll trek over to the 24 hour Fitness gym for a workout. I'm a little uncomfortable because he keeps talking about other fire fighters that are going to join us. Oh, great. More witnesses.

But maybe it's what I need to do. So I'll make the effort. Wish me luck!

Dogs! Dogs! DOGS!

Alyssa, the Dog Person of our Family

I'm not really a dog person. You wouldn't know that though if you came to my house. You would be accosted greeted by three rambunctious dogs. They will act as if they haven't had any attention in years! And, if you think simply patting them on the head will get them to move along to something or someone else, you're wrong.  They will climb on you, lick you, bark and circle around you. Maybe that's why I'm not a dog person.

I'm a gardener. And these dogs LOVE my garden. They bring me stems of plants that I've been nurturing, as if I'm going to throw it as a stick for them to chase. They jump into my garden and lay on the warm earth and the plants as well. I raised the beds, put chicken wire around each bed. And while that might have deterred two of them, Gracie can jump like Tigger - straight up in the air and then leaps forward. No chicken wire stops her.  Another reason I'm not really a dog person.

No matter how cute a puppy is, they GROW UP! They need a lot of attention - and they'll get it from you whether you intended to give it or not. When Hank was a puppy, he would run out the front door at lightening speed, cross the street to the park, and race up and down the fence line with dogs that barked on the other side of the fence. One time, Michael was chasing him back home and he ran INTO someone's house - their front door was left open. Michael was about 12 and he just ran in after her. The people were sitting on their couch and looked at him. Panting, Michael told them he was after his dog! They pointed to the kitchen and Michael made the loop in this stranger's house, chasing Hank back out and all the way home.

Buddy with his Christmas bandana 

Buddy had a couple of annoying puppy habits. He would search out all girls' underwear in the house and eat the crotch off. I know. Disgusting. We would find him digging through laundry hampers, dragging them maniacally under the bed.  Luckily, that habit seems to have subsided. He's a little intimidated by Gracie and still poops in the house. She lays by the door, and he just can't bring himself to pass by her. So we often find little "gifts" at the front door, in the bathroom, or in the closet.  Now, Buddy's not a puppy anymore, so I don't know why we can't get past this. I may simply have to try my friend Allison's leash technique - keep him tied to me and then I take him out after eating or every 30 minutes or some insanely dog-focused thing. Did I mention that I'm not a dog person? We only have Buddy because my mom, who thought she wanted two dogs to keep each other company couldn't take care of him AND Pepper, so Buddy came to us.  Sigh.

Gracie, about to lunge at me for the camera!

Glancing down at the coffee table in my little front room, I see that it has been gnawed by...someone. Great. :/  There's still a little fake snow on the floor from when Gracie attacked a big bag of it the other day. She is a Husky, so I find some amusement in the fact that she went for the "snow." I really wish there was a way to hook Gracie up to a ground sled, like they do in off-season Alaska mushing practice. She would love it so much. She just wants to PULLLLL!

Gracie did not share Buddy's underwear obsession. Instead, she liked the insoles of shoes. She would even pull out the fake cushiony Dr. Scholl inserts to get at the REAL insole of the shoe. No shoe is safe. And, when I was told that Huskies do not shed...well, that's simply untrue. My floor looks like tumbleweeds are blowing past. What a mess. And there was the time that Gracie chewed the keys off a open laptop. Just on one side. Luckily, I took typing so I knew where the keys were without the plastic symbol pads. I really should get a picture of that for you! ha!

So this has been our week at the vet. We seem to do it like that...waiting, ignoring cute little reminder cards, then finally we simply have to get in there. The dogs needed baths from our hike this weekend, but especially they needed nail trims. The clicking of claws on the wooden floor sounds like tap dancers - it was driving me nuts! I'm good with most things, but finding that little vein on their nail and not cutting it _ I just can't seem to make myself do that.  So yesterday was Hanks "Bath Package." Not sure what things cost where you live, but here, that's $45. Nails, ears, anal glands, bath and blow dry.  But Buddy's shots were out of date, so we did his annual appointment. Vaccines, heart worm meds for all three, bath package for Buddy and nail trim for Gracie...$255 later - YIKES!  Oh! And because Buddy's a little dog, he evidently is prone to tooth plaque/tartar buildup. They sent home an estimate for dental work - a cleaning, but under sedation - $250 more!  Ummm...Ron doesn't even GO to the dentist. Buddy's teeth will have to wait. At least not 2 weeks before Christmas!  Another reason I'm not a dog person - they're expensive! But they did get some cute Christmas bandanas. The vet techs were very sweet and had all kinds of cute loving comments to tell me about the dogs. They were shocked to get Christmas tips, but they had so clearly enjoyed the dogs and the dogs looked and smelled great! Finally.


Buddy and Hank were found to be on the overweight side....yes, they called them "obese." They have had free range feeding and I'm afraid that's going to have to change. What has been available all day long, is now going to be only available for 30 minutes in the morning and then again in the evening. And, if they just have to eat more, the vet recommends green beans! Yay! something can be done with the leftovers no one ever goes back for.  Although, I found some doggy treat recipes I might try as part of my Cookie Challenge... even though I'm not a dog person.

I'm still a little sad that we don't have Tasha anymore. She was our Great Pyrenees/Anatolian mix from the ranch. Our little suburban postage stamp of a yard was simply not going to suffice for her.  I am so incredibly fortunate to have my friend Laura who is VERY MUCH a Dog Person... and she has acreage in Wimberley. She offered to take Tasha and love her and bring her into their family. We've been out to see her and she is so happy there. Still, I miss her.

Tasha in the Living Room with Alyssa and Katie

Allison's Cambria "riding" Tasha

So I'm finishing this blog post this morning. Rain is coming down and Hank's on the floor by my bed. He hates thunderstorms. He just freezes in fear, so he stays by me. Buddy always sleeps with me, so he's here. And now that Alyssa has left for class, Gracie is jumping on the bed, burrowing her head under the covers trying to get me to play with her. Who is going to tell these dogs that I am not a dog person??

OK, Hank looks pretty cute here

T'is the Season - For my Cookie Challenge!

 I know. I should be focusing on exercising more, counting calories, lowering carbs. But not this month!
I've decided to set a challenge for myself: Bake a Holiday dessert each day. Not gigantic batches. Just enough to try them out and see how they are.  In years past, I'd host my Cookie exchange,  trying out new recipes on my party-goers. Some were great, some were flops. But it was a stressful way to do it! Since I put out my Cookie Exchange date so late in the season,  I've had too many RSVP's saying they can't come; I'm canceling for this year. Instead, I'm going to treat my family to their own assortment of cookies over the holidays. (I might host a last minute cookie exchange the night before Christmas Eve, but I think I'm just going to see how things go.)

Day 1: Bourbon Balls

First up, Bourbon Balls! Normally I start with my grandmother's favorite, Rum Balls.  She used to limit us to 2 Rum balls. I always thought it was just her way of rationing out desserts; but since the alcohol isn't cooked out of these tasty morsels, perhaps Mimi knew best!   For some reason I ran across this recipe with bourbon instead. And since Michael stocked the house before he left this summer with an excessive amount of various liquors, I have enough to make both!

Next, I wanted to make a cookie that kept showing up in my email as one of "The Best Cookie Exchange Cookies: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies." Bakers sometimes made them with Chocolate and sometimes with Chocolate and Peppermint. So I decided to make both. I simply halved the dough and put the peppermint in the second half only. I'm not sure what went wrong. The cookies were supposed to be more rounded in shape, like these on the right.

Mine were not. They taste great but they aren't shaped like I thought they would be. If any bakers have ideas as to why this might have happened, let me know!

Why so thin & spread out?

Day 2: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies 

Next I moved to gingerbread cookies. Using cookie cutters are much more fun with kids than they are when you do it by yourself. So I decided to forgo the frosting decoration for the same reason. Instead, I just sprinkled the cookies with Turbinado sugar. I'll pull out the cookie cutters and colored frostings again when Katie gets home from NYC and Alyssa has a day off from school.
These were still really tasty!

Day 3: Gingerbread Cookies

 Tomorrow....Carrie Pilon's Famous Faux Toffee! Thanks to Diane for saving the recipe all these years!

Want to join me on my Cookie Challenge? Bake some holiday goodie every day from now until ...whenever you want to stop - Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa! Then post a picture on your blog or Facebook page, so we can see what you made!

Pinning Away!

Every blog I've read that talks about Pinterest, shares that the blogger doesn't need another time sucker at the computer.  Yet, there they are, inviting people to join them on Pinterest.

I, on the other hand, make no bones about my procrastination tendencies. It seems that I should simply share my tools with you. Pinterest is one of them.

For those who don't know, Pinterest is actually brilliant! My mind really starts to spin when I think of all the applications for it. Simply put, it's a visual bulletin board of all of your online bookmarks.  That alone will help so many of us who click "Bookmark this page" and seldom get back to that long list of treasures. Now, the more visual among us can glance at our "bulletin boards" and get a visual nudge toward what we thought was interesting that late night we were cruising the net for Christmas cookies, or home decor, or creative inspiration.  The added bonus is that you can "Follow" someone and see what THEY found on various topics. Soon, you'll know who shares similar tastes and you can can subscribe to one or all of their bulletin boards. It's a sharing opportunity that takes no time at all.  And you can look at other people's

Here's a screenshot of my Pinterest page. I have a bunch  of different bulletin boards which are basically categories for stuff I've found on the internet.

I think it's really interesting how quickly Pinterest is taking hold. I see the little red Pinterest logo popping up all over the place.  They make it so easy to add their "Pin It" to our navigational bar, and then when you just stumble across something interesting, you can Pin It to the bulletin board.
For some reason, when I first started using Pinterest, it reminded me of when my teens had Myspace. They'd upload banners and graphics to their pages. Sometimes it was some saying, other times a picture.  And even with early Facebook days, we could share buttons with each other just for fun. All of this showed us heading in this very visual direction.  The best graphics or icons were very eye-catching, and so is Pinterest.

If I had had this while we were homeschooling the kids, it would have made it so easy to organize what interested each of them. I could put fabulous pictures up they could check out; if they were intrigued, they could explore some more.  I used to send them links in emails, but if I had something more visual, I think they would have liked it better.  I hope homeschoolers will take Pinterest and figure out great things to use it for!

I like it also for speed of use. I may not have time to look more into a website, but I don't want to discard it yet. Pinterest allows me to set it into a themed board, and get back to it when I have the time. In the old days, I would have probably just let it go, so as not to clutter up my messy bookmarks even further. 

The only drawback I  see is that the process for getting started is just a little bit tedious. You have to receive an invitation. I can send one to you, as a Pinterest member, and it just takes a day to get it confirmed. Let me know if you're interested.

C'mon - Get Pinning! Let's share cool websites!
Get inspired with me!