Sunday Scribblings: Left Then Right Going Full Circle

Today we decided to go left then right on a road trip around Lake Roosevelt. There are highways on both sides of the "big lake" as it is called in these parts. We left Kettle Falls with sandwiches and headed north. We stopped for a picnic along the shore, then headed back toward Canada. We crossed the bridge at Northport, heading south on the other side. We went full circle on this beautiful Saturday. Enjoy the photo images.

You can find other Sunday Scribblings about Left and Right here.

Friday Fourteen: Things You May Not Know About Inland Empre Girl

1. I love to have conversations with my dogs where I insert their dialogue with different voices and inflection.
2. I have never cooked my own Thanksgiving turkey. As long as I go to Mom's.... she does it or when it has been at my house she is here to help or I have had something else. 3. My favorite thing to prepare in the kitchen is desserts. I find pleasure in creating homey desserts that have been served by my grandmothers, my mom, or other significant people in my life.
4. I can't look along the side of the road if I sense there might be a dead animal. It just shakes me up too much.
5. I love to watch and follow college basketball.... especially the Gonzaga Bulldogs, The Washington State Cougars, and the Idaho Vandals.
6. I am not attached to my cell phone. JEJ and I have cell phones, but they are never on and we only use them for emergencies. We don't even know how to set it up a way to get messages.
7. I just bought my first DVD player.
8. A favorite pleasure in life is coming home to find the porch light on and a fire in the stove.
9. If I had a choice of shopping for shoes or office supplies I would always choose office supplies. How can you resist colored paper clips, Liquid Expresso pens, or M&M colored sticky notes?

10. I would rather do road trips around the Pacific Northwest than take exotic vacations to other countries.

11. I hate the smell of skunk, especially the odor that is lingering around my house right now.

12. If I could only read two types of books I would pick memoir and books about the craft of writing hands down.

13. I don't know much about fancy photography, but love to find good shots and take my chances.

14. I am filled with a feeling of peace any time I sit in a church.

You Will Remember

I came across this poem in my readings today and it reminded me of these photos.You Will Remember

You will remember
and sometimes a bird, wearing water
and slowness, its winter feathers.

You will remember those gifts from the earth:
indelible scents, gold clay,
weeds in the thicket and crazy roots,
magical thorns like swords.

You'll remember the bouquet you picked,
shadows and silent water,
bouquet like a foam-covered stone.

That time was like never, and like always.
So we go there, where nothing is waiting;
we find everything waiting there.

by Pablo Neruda

It Can Be So Simple: Let's All Wash Our Hands

We have an all-staff meeting once a month at my school. They are lively gatherings. Door prizes are awarded, we share student successes, and figure out things like carnival, hall passes, and when to have class meetings. Not today. Today Nurse Ellen gave us a very informative talk. I have to say it left me a little unsettled as I went back to my classroom to teach.

We learned about avian and pandemic flu. We were shown a video about how to prepare for a flu outbreak that could close schools. Next we were given information about MRSA. In my college education courses we learned teaching methods and content, but were never given training in the health procedures that have moved into classrooms through the years. I remember the tooth brushing, the fluoride rinsing, the AIDs education sessions. At our first staff meeting each year we are now informed about bloodborne pathogens.

Today we were given masks to keep in our rooms to wear over our noses and mouth if needed. We were given a sample of Purell. The main message was clear and so simple: we now need to teach our students to wash their hands: correctly and often. We also discussed the areas of the classrooms we need to keep sanitized. I thought about laptops, keyboards, headphones, and containers of markers that are for general use. I thought about the water I have in my classroom that takes ten minutes to heat up. My head was swimming with thoughts of bad bugs and germs as I stood at my sink after the meeting washing my hands.

There have been cases of MRSA in nearby schools. Fortunately all the students were diagnosed early and treated. I am blessed to have students that are good hand washers. They also cover their sneezes and coughs. All it took was their science teacher to do a few talks with slides and pictures for them to understand bad germs and why they needed to wash again and again. For at least a year we have had hand sanitizer available at the lunch line as students get ready to eat.

The cartoon at the top has been a favorite Far Side of mine for years. We have bathrooms right in our classroom so we don't need the bell and flashing sign like the cartoon. If a student doesn't head right to the sink and wash their hands, they are "gently reminded" by their middle school peers and words like "oooh sick" and " I think you forgot something" echo through the room. I must say after the inservice this morning I know I washed my hands at least fifteen times.... and that was just before lunch.

Strange Sitings On Recent Road Trips

I often share the beauty of nature on my posts after a road trip. There have also been strange things I have encountered on road trips, especially in signs. I have posted a few of these before. Here are some examples.


















When I traveled in Idaho in August to see the Idaho State Champion Western White Pine that I had remembered as a child I learned it died, then was cut. Some of the remains are close to the sign.


















During our recent trip driving along the Kettle River as we were heading to Pierre Lake we encountered buffalo. I believe this is the closest I have ever been to buffalo in my life. They were in a pasture along the road.


















As we left Pierre Lake I could tell this person was working hard at communicating his/her ideas to all of us. What part of No don't you understand here?


















On this same road another landowner was trying to be safe. As a teacher I wanted to help proofread or check on what huning meant.


















My favorite espresso stand in Chewelah always keeps us guessing on what we will find on the reader board.
Even though we never get tired of the natural beauty of the inland empire, these examples add humor and surprise to our road trips.

Autumn Skillet Supper: A Keeper from the Recipe Box

This dish has been a quick favorite of mine so many years I can't even remember the magazine this recipe came from. Mixing the flavors of apples, cabbage, sausage, and vegetables provides a hearty meal in forty minutes.

Autumn Skillet Dinner
2 TB olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
8 small potatoes, scrubbed
4 cups shredded green cabbage
2 cups 1-inch pieces green beans
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
1 pound Polish sausage, turkey sausage, or any other sausage you enjoy, thinly sliced
Seasoned salt to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet, saute onions 5 minutes.
Add potatoes, cabbage, green beans, apple, apple juice, and sausage slices. Mix ingredients. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat 30 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced. Season to taste with seasoned salt. Makes 4 hearty servings. Add some hearty bread and it makes a meal. Enjoy!