The End of the Rainbow

As I got ready to sit down to dinner on St. Patrick's Day how fitting it was to look out the window and see a brilliant rainbow over Lake Roosevelt. I had to do some decision-making. If I jogged down the hill, jumped into Lake Roosevelt and swam to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow would it still be there? Would I survive the journey? Was it worth it?
After pondering these difficult questions I captured the image then sat down to eat dinner. I left the pot of gold intact for another treasure hunter.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sibling Assignment #124: Happiness: Capturing Ordinary Moments on Film

I am continuing with the Happiness theme with Sibling Assignment #124 this week. I will link my siblings' posts soon. I finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin last night. Her book inspired me to once again examine happiness this week with this post. Here is the assignment:

Read "Happiness" by Jane Kenyon and share your thoughts about where happiness comes from for you in a poem, essay, or reflection. Due Sunday, March 14th. You can find Happiness by Jane Kenyon here.

This poem has always resonated with me. I don't know exactly when she put the words to paper. It was published after her battle with cancer and her death. She reminded me that is isn't necessary to save your finest garment for a special occasion. Keeping the fine china in the cupboard for a holiday is unnecessary. Make the occasion breakfast today. Rubin calls this " spending out" in her book. How many times have you heard somebody say "I am saving it for a special occasion"? Thursday chicken dinner was when we decided to sample the gourmet sauce that was given to us at Christmas. Happiness creeps into the room and sits on your shoulder when you eat meatloaf off of fine china. Taking the afghan that my grandmother crocheted and placing in on the chair made me smile much more than thinking about it in the hope chest. Sometimes now I actually burn scented candles!

 In the poem I am also drawn to the ordinary images of happiness. The woman with the birch broom, dog chewing on a sock, and the clerk stacking cans of carrots. My not-so-fancy Canon point and shoot digital camera has given me a means of capturing those moments in my life. It made me open my eyes and notice. The morning walks in the garden began with a desire to practice with my camera. Our ten-mile road trips started as a way to explore new places in "our own backyard" and capture the images on film. When JEJ came in to announce the first crocus was in bloom yesterday he knew I would want to snap a picture. I found happiness in that picture. When I caught a series of silly shots of Isabelle our cat on the dryer that made me happy. Seeing the first buds on the rose bushes makes me smile. Seeing them on my computer screen later larger than life filled me with happiness. These are simple pleasures that work for me.

I feel happiness thumbing through my photos and remembering the day I stacked the clay pots in the greenhouse, put the Rolling Rock beer bottle on the roof of the truck, or put a small bouquet of spring flowers in JEJ"s hands so he could "pose" for me. I can remember the exact moment my mom put on my "Russian Woman" hat while talking on the phone at Christmas. I have a picture as an added memory.

I gave my mom a digital photo frame for Christmas. One of the happiest days I spent in December was clicking through albums of pictures choosing the best ones for her first collection. I sat later in the chair in her living room and enjoyed the vivid colors of a summer bouquet, Kit hanging upside down in the tree, and a weathered picnic table at Lake Chelan. I was filled with happiness. I was difficult to choose a series of images for this post today, but here is a start. Trying looking around today and noticing small things that make you smile. Keep the image in your memory. Fill your heart with happiness.

Pumpkins at Yoke's in Kellogg.

 

winter sunset

 

JEJ's footprints on the trail

 

Grandma's afghan enjoyed by Isabelle.

 

Mom searching in the frig for something!

 lilac and blue

" It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery, and as much happiness as possible"   -Samuel Johnson

A New Twist on Mac and Cheese and a Keeper from the Recipe Box

My traditional macaroni and cheese recipe has always been the tried and true Pioneer Macaroni and Cheese from the original Betty Crocker cookbook. It is usually a Friday night comfort food dinner at our house. Today I mixed things up in two ways. We had our favorite comfort food on Saturday and I tried a new recipe. I found it at Recipezaar, but it originally came from Paula  Deen's cooking show.  We decided we liked it even better than the traditional recipe! It is more filling with the eggs added and I mixed up the cheese, using a small bit of jack cheese also.  Here is the recipe: 

The Lady's Macaroni and Cheese  
SERVES 6 -8

• 4 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture.
4. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Top with additional cheese if desired, and bake a few minutes more until cheese is melted.

March 13, 2010: First Bloom of the Year!

Finally!

Tire Woes, Dancing in Class, and the Bluebird of Happiness

Sometimes weeks can go by, life is uneventful, and I plod along counting my blessings. Other times there are so many events that the week is all a blur. As  I began to teach today I asked, "Is it really Friday?"

We had one of those weeks at our house. Strange noises from the back tires while I was in Spokane  last week didn't just mean the tires needed balancing. It involved a whole brake system. Whole brake systems mean more than a little change out of the pocket.

JEJ discovered the poison oak on our hillside is definitely alive and well. The cats carry the oil in their fur, the oil is in the smoke when burning brush on the hillside, and it stays on everything it touches. When people are sensitive to poison oak it makes for a miserable time. JEJ is one of those people. After doing many loads of wash, finding effective remedies, and learning everything I ever wanted to know about poison oak online I am just thankful I am not as sensitive to it. JEJ is on the mend.

The school week was not uneventful either. A student is struggling with her mother's diagnosis of cancer, we all said good-bye to a seventh grader that moved today, another girl had just written a beautiful tribute to her dog, but then arrived to class in tears trying to tell me she lost her beloved dog. It was a week full of tears, words of encouragement, pain, and sadness.

Then it snowed a few inches, the pond froze again,the Zags lost the championship game, I sequestered myself in my study for a day to work on my National Board portfolio due in nineteen days, I had my own health issues, and I had to remind students gummy bears are for eating, not throwing.

Then there were times I counted my blessings. I danced in front of my class with our departing student and didn't break a bone or sprain an ankle and have a video to prove it, I baked brownies, I listened to excited students reading comments received on our class blog. I enjoyed a blissful nap today, my dear cousin is out of the hospital and on the mend at home, my brother is finding more energy every day to catch up with his student work (which means he is getting stronger), and I saw a bluebird this morning as I stepped out of my car at school.

I think the rest of the week can only get better!

Tulips from Two Points of View

These aren't from my own garden yet... but the bulbs are slowing pushing up out of the ground.