Today we headed to Spokane for appointments. I got to linger a bit at home and take in the beauty of the day. I enjoyed the view of Lake Roosevelt from the bridge at Barney's Junction.
Next on the list of must-dos was to stop in Colville and purchase my first eggnog latte of the season at Starbucks.
Smoke hovered over the Chewelah valley as we headed south toward our destination.
Some days I love focusing on the simple beauty of black and white photos. This was one of them.
A teaching life is full of routines. A number of these routines are controlled by a traditional calendar that has been part of schools for centuries. I move through a learning year measured by quarters every forty-five days. Today ended the first quarter for the year. That meant tests needed to be scored, the last projects and essays needed to be read and reviewed, and grades needed to be entered electronically online.
A teaching life is also full of deadlines. Our grades had to be posted by 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. About 1:15 this afternoon the power went off at school. As many teachers were trying to post grades, their computer screens went black. As we all scrambled to rearrange the teaching for that period, the power came back on, then off again. The phones went dead. By the end of the day the internet wasn't working anywhere in the school. The tech guy is gone for the rest of the week.
Most of us hauled our work home thankful that we could post grades from a computer at home. Because of being gone the other afternoon and attempting to catch up sick students, I was a bit behind in my grading. This is when the structure of school can be a bit trying. The quarter ends, grades are posted, report cards are mailed to parents, student/parent conferences are scheduled for next Tuesday. That is all part of the structure.
At this moment I feel stress free. At nine fifteen the last of projects were scored, essays were read, and grades were posted and sent to school. I can now take a breather for the rest of the evening. Because of an appointment I am away from school tomorrow so I get to even sleep in a tiny bit.I can let down for a day and not be managed by a clock, routines, and deadlines.
All these routines become such a way of life for teachers. Actually, the structure works for me. There are times I wish I could meet somebody for lunch, but I can't adjust the time the students come in fifth period after their lunch break. I often wish I could call in and say I am running late, but with a sixth grade group of students waiting at the door for their teacher, it doesn't really work. Can I run home because a repair guy is coming in the middle of the day? Not quite. But every day I know where eachteacher is each hour. My body knows exactly when it is my lunch half hour, because it is the same each and every day the whole school year. You become a clock watcher and a bell listener. It is all part of the routine. It works for me those one hundred and eighty days a year.
Tomorrow I will adjust and move on my own schedule. Gosh... such excitement!
Thanks to Facebook I have reconnected with a former student I had in fourth grade during the 1978-1979 school year. While visiting my blog she quickly came to the conclusion that I love poetry. She recommended an anthology I had never even hear of. I quickly ordered a copy of A Book of Luminious Things, An International Anthology of Poetry edited by Czeslaw Milosez. I really have grown to love this volume of poetry. It contains a wide variety of poets from all over the world and poems have all been translated into English.I have found a whole new collection of poems I had never read. What really stands out about the book is how it is arranged. Many anthologies are arranged by themes, but some of the themes he chose are unique such as Epiphany, Woman's Skin, and The Secret of A Thing. Each section begins with a short essay by Milosz about the theme.
The poem I chose to post today is from the section The Secret of a Thing. Milosez says in the introduction " The modern poet discovered how difficult it is to describe a thing, giving it center state, withdrawing himself or herself,'objectivizing'."
Cobalt
Colors are words' little sisters. They can't become soldiers.
I've loved them secretly for a long time.
They have to stay home and hang up the sheer curtains
in our ordinary bedroom, kitchen and alcove.
I'm very close to young Crimson, and brown Sienna
but even closer to thoughtful Cobalt and her distant eyes and untrampled spirit.
We walk in dew.
The night sky and the southern oceans
are her possessions
and a tear-shaped pendant on her forehead:
the pearls of Cassiopeia.
We walk in dew on late nights.
But the others.
Meet them on a June morning at four o'clock
when they come rushing toward you,
on your way to a morning swim in the green cove's spray.
Then you can sunbathe with them on the smooth rocks.
-----Which one will you make yours?"
by Rolf Jacobsen Translated from the Norwegian by Roger Greenwald
Thanks Shawna for the inspiring recommendation. I keep it by on my nightstand for before bed reading!
It was back to Indian Summer this last week-end . The sunshine and blue sky helped make my photo session with the leaves even more brilliant. Enjoy the varied fall colors.
When I was a child the highlight of attending church on Sunday at the United Church in Kellogg was Coffee Hour after church. I know I should have been inspired by the Bible verse I learned from Ruth Custis in Sunday School or the moving sermon from the pulpit by Reverend Armstrong, but I always loved Coffee Hour in the Fellowship Hall.
At the United Church the cookies at coffee hour were always homemade. No store bought vanilla wafers or chocolate pinwheels at this table. Whether it was the Handy Circle or another group in charge that week, you were always guaranteed good cookies and lots of them. Of course, as we got older the ladies had to strategically hover over the cookie table so Chuckie and Jon S. and others wouldn't take too many cookies. I loved the taste of homemade frosted ginger creams, chocolate chip, and snickerdoodles to name a few. The strong smell of coffee brewing is another memory of those Sunday coffee hours. I was never allowed to drink coffee as a child, but the aroma of the coffee was comforting as I sat through Sunday School at a room close by.
Today I am in charge of treats at our coffee hour at church. Our Garden Valley Church doesn't have quite the amount of people to serve, but I made sure I prepared enough bar cookies last night for everyone. I didn't want to have to hover like the Handy Circle ladies back in the day. As I was decided what to bake, I came really close to wanting to run to town this morning and get doughnuts from the bakery. Then I remembered how memorable it was to have home baked cookies at coffee hour. The Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars are one of my favorite recipes after I watched Ina Garten make them on her cooking show. I wanted to try the Mincemeat Bars with some pear mincemeat I canned, so this is a first try on the second recipe.
Years ago women stood in small circles around the room with their coffee in real cups and their cookies on saucers. They shared news of the day and asked each other for recipes. The men were in their own clusters closer to the coffee pot. I think it actually lasted a full hour. We don't have a fellowship hall in our church, but the men will stand outside on the porch and visit and the women cluster among the pews and hold our cookies on napkins. I will learn about the good buys on meat at the grocery store and the great deal somebody got on a beautiful dress at the thrift store. It is a different kind of gathering around the table, but the ritual continues and I find comfort in that.
Enjoy the recipes!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Copyright 2005, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time:10 min
Cook Time:45 min
Level:Intermediate
Serves: 24 bars
Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.
Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.
Mincemeat Cookie Bars Serving Size : 36 1 1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 c. rolled oats
2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 c. butter -- room temperature
1 c. packed light brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 c. prepared mincemeat
Preheat oven to 325 °. Lightly grease a 13x9" baking pan.
Combine the flour, oats, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in the vanilla.
gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
Spread half of the dough evenly in the bottom of prepared pan. spread
mincemeat over the top, and spread remaining dough over the mincemeat.
Press down lightly.
Bake for 20-25 min., until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool slightly, then cut into bars and transfer to wire rack to cool.
Our cat McDuff has affectionately been named The Sheriff because he always poses in protection mode.
Today was no exception. I was glad I caught him on the fence post with the plumes of grass tops around him. I also liked the way the sun appeared on his fur.
Later on McDuff grew weary of the photo session and took a stroll. He decided to give his Deputy Kit marching orders for Halloween night. "Remember.... no ghouls, raccoons, goblins, skunks, or black cats. Can you handle that?"
Kit was off to be on duty. Ah.... another safe night at Martin Creek!
