Today's Excite fortune said something like: "Take a moment to remember 4th grade."
I actually did that over the weekend, thinking of my tenth birthday party in fourth grade. Leila turned 10 this weekend- a busy weekend with only time for a family and friends dinner, but no real party. Apparently, double digits is too important not to celebrate, though, so the party will be happening, and soon.
In any case, my tenth birthday party started down at the lake with all the 4th and 5th graders, and then it rained so we had to go back to my house. The 5th grade class was super big, and the kids were older, and thus not necessarily thrilled to be at the party. I remember some sort of fight. I think the birthday girl probably cried, as happens at many good (and all bad) birthday parties. I don't remember the cake, but my mother used to make elaborate ones, so it may have been the year she did the piano.
In any case, it was 33 years ago. And Leila is now 10, which makes me a mother of 10 years. (I KNOW- always about me.) Most of the 5th graders are my friends now on Facebook, and we never fight.
Not enough of the 4th graders are ON Facebook, at least, not often, which is too bad since the other big even this year is our 25th year anniversary of graduating from high school.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Paleoish
I guess it was okay that I thought about the Whole30 diet for a bit, because I did start it when I planned, which was the Monday of my spring break. I knew I would have some detox symptoms, and I didn't want to be teaching full on and making my students suffer. (Better just my children and husband.)
Since my birthday fell in the middle of spring break, we had a celebration the Saturday before, with a surprisingly Paleo friendly dinner of Salmon and veggies, though it also had rice, cheese, and bread. And of course, we finished up with cake - probably the best carrot cake I've ever had. I made sure to have another 2 pieces on Sunday, since I was going cold turkey on Monday.
And that's what I did. Monday morning I woke up and ate eggs and bacon. That worked pretty well, and I felt great on Monday. Tuesday I didn't feel so well, and by evening I had a headache. Someone said sweet potatoes, which are permitted, would help, so I had one of those for lunch. I had oatmeal for breakfast on Wednesday which is verboten, but since it's still gluten free I decided it was an okay cheat. I also put milk on it (again, not allowed) but only sweetened it with raisins.
Dinners haven't been too bad. I've also put the new blender to good use with spinach, frozen mango, and orange juice smoothies. I tossed almonds in one day. Thursday through Saturday I went downtown for a conference every day. Thursday I took my smoothie and some boiled eggs with me. Friday I had lunch before I went, but then did a major cheat by attending a wine and cheese party on teh 17th floor of the Omni- great views of the city and fun people and delicious cheeses. Oops. But I resisted the crackers!
Saturday I bought the protein plate for lunch- turkey slices, cheese, olives, and boiled eggs.
Today I'm going to make up some egg muffins with broc and veggies for breakfasts next week. Lunches might be tough, but I'll figure it out.
I got a grill for my birthday, so that's nice for cooking up lots of chicken and having it on hand for salads, which were my lunches most days last week.
I'm starting to feel better on this. I think modifying it a bit is okay. I'm going to try to avoid cheese, but I think yogurt should be okay, and a little milk with my oatmeal.
Since my birthday fell in the middle of spring break, we had a celebration the Saturday before, with a surprisingly Paleo friendly dinner of Salmon and veggies, though it also had rice, cheese, and bread. And of course, we finished up with cake - probably the best carrot cake I've ever had. I made sure to have another 2 pieces on Sunday, since I was going cold turkey on Monday.
And that's what I did. Monday morning I woke up and ate eggs and bacon. That worked pretty well, and I felt great on Monday. Tuesday I didn't feel so well, and by evening I had a headache. Someone said sweet potatoes, which are permitted, would help, so I had one of those for lunch. I had oatmeal for breakfast on Wednesday which is verboten, but since it's still gluten free I decided it was an okay cheat. I also put milk on it (again, not allowed) but only sweetened it with raisins.
Dinners haven't been too bad. I've also put the new blender to good use with spinach, frozen mango, and orange juice smoothies. I tossed almonds in one day. Thursday through Saturday I went downtown for a conference every day. Thursday I took my smoothie and some boiled eggs with me. Friday I had lunch before I went, but then did a major cheat by attending a wine and cheese party on teh 17th floor of the Omni- great views of the city and fun people and delicious cheeses. Oops. But I resisted the crackers!
Saturday I bought the protein plate for lunch- turkey slices, cheese, olives, and boiled eggs.
Today I'm going to make up some egg muffins with broc and veggies for breakfasts next week. Lunches might be tough, but I'll figure it out.
I got a grill for my birthday, so that's nice for cooking up lots of chicken and having it on hand for salads, which were my lunches most days last week.
I'm starting to feel better on this. I think modifying it a bit is okay. I'm going to try to avoid cheese, but I think yogurt should be okay, and a little milk with my oatmeal.
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Gluten Free experiment fail
This morning Ali wanted pancakes, as usual, so I decided it was time to try the gluten free mix I'd brought home.
Everytime we've had pancakes for the last couple of years, I get a sick headache. (That's a migraine/headache accompanied by nausea.) I get them more from pancakes then from waffles, which my family makes with a high oatmeal/low flour ratio, so it seemed that the flour might be the culprit. In any case, while I tested negative for celiac a year or so ago, it does seem like white flour/gluten might be a bit of a trigger, especially when it isn't well cooked, as pancakes tend to be (or not be?)
I cooked up a pan of turkey bacon* and then put together the batter. It smelled like cake batter- very sweet. The texture was a bit odd, and the pancakes did not signal it was time to turn with the telltale bubbles, even though the instructions said they would. I gave Ali the first pancake, it looked fluffy to him, and he doused it with syrup and started eating. He only got about half way through. The second batch I gave to Leila, but I split the pancakes in two and recooked the middle side first. She said they were too sweet.
I had mine with apple sauce instead of syrup, which worked well as it counteracted the overly sweet pancakes.
Verdict: The pancakes don't cook very well. The middle is definitely undercooked and they work best being split and cooked again. I could try to make thinner pancakes by adding more milk.
The kids were not happy with the switch, especially Ali. He said it isn't teh flour that is making me sick. Hmmm.
As far as no headache- I don't know! I chose the wrong day to do this as I already woke up with a sick headache! You'd think after so many science fair projects I would know to have a control, or at least optimum circumstances.
I'm thinking about going on the Whole30 program for a month. (Apparently one isn't supposed to "think" about it, but instead start immediately, so I may have already failed.) Kyran from Planting Dandelions is doing it or a version of it. I've been thinking about something similar, and this one looks good. My concern is no oatmeal, and that's what I eat for breakfast every morning! Also, I want to start during my spring break since some people have reported withdrawal symptoms, but my birthday falls smack dab in the middle of it. (My birthday always messes with me giving something up for lent, too.) I guess this is why one isn't supposed to think about it!
*complaint: Turkey bacon doesn't crisp up properly.
Everytime we've had pancakes for the last couple of years, I get a sick headache. (That's a migraine/headache accompanied by nausea.) I get them more from pancakes then from waffles, which my family makes with a high oatmeal/low flour ratio, so it seemed that the flour might be the culprit. In any case, while I tested negative for celiac a year or so ago, it does seem like white flour/gluten might be a bit of a trigger, especially when it isn't well cooked, as pancakes tend to be (or not be?)
I cooked up a pan of turkey bacon* and then put together the batter. It smelled like cake batter- very sweet. The texture was a bit odd, and the pancakes did not signal it was time to turn with the telltale bubbles, even though the instructions said they would. I gave Ali the first pancake, it looked fluffy to him, and he doused it with syrup and started eating. He only got about half way through. The second batch I gave to Leila, but I split the pancakes in two and recooked the middle side first. She said they were too sweet.
I had mine with apple sauce instead of syrup, which worked well as it counteracted the overly sweet pancakes.
Verdict: The pancakes don't cook very well. The middle is definitely undercooked and they work best being split and cooked again. I could try to make thinner pancakes by adding more milk.
The kids were not happy with the switch, especially Ali. He said it isn't teh flour that is making me sick. Hmmm.
As far as no headache- I don't know! I chose the wrong day to do this as I already woke up with a sick headache! You'd think after so many science fair projects I would know to have a control, or at least optimum circumstances.
I'm thinking about going on the Whole30 program for a month. (Apparently one isn't supposed to "think" about it, but instead start immediately, so I may have already failed.) Kyran from Planting Dandelions is doing it or a version of it. I've been thinking about something similar, and this one looks good. My concern is no oatmeal, and that's what I eat for breakfast every morning! Also, I want to start during my spring break since some people have reported withdrawal symptoms, but my birthday falls smack dab in the middle of it. (My birthday always messes with me giving something up for lent, too.) I guess this is why one isn't supposed to think about it!
*complaint: Turkey bacon doesn't crisp up properly.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Artist Statement
Cynthia Miller
Cynthia Miller (°1970, Colombia) is an artist who mainly works with photography. By contesting the division between the realm of memory and the realm of experience, Miller formalizes the coincidental and emphasizes the conscious process of composition that is behind the seemingly random works. The thought processes, which are supposedly private, highly subjective and unfiltered in their references to dream worlds, are frequently revealed as assemblages.Her photos feature coincidental, accidental and unexpected connections which make it possible to revise art history and, even better, to complement it. Combining unrelated aspects lead to surprising analogies. By experimenting with aleatoric processes, she creates with daily, recognizable elements, an unprecedented situation in which the viewer is confronted with the conditioning of his own perception and has to reconsider his biased position.
Her collected, altered and own works are being confronted as aesthetically resilient, thematically interrelated material for memory and projection. The possible seems true and the truth exists, but it has many faces, as Hanna Arendt cites from Franz Kafka. By rejecting an objective truth and global cultural narratives, she absorbs the tradition of remembrance art into daily practice. This personal follow-up and revival of a past tradition is important as an act of meditation.
Her work urge us to renegotiate photography as being part of a reactive or – at times – autistic medium, commenting on oppressing themes in our contemporary society. Cynthia Miller currently lives and works in D***.
Found 500 letters through Heather Powazak Champ. It wrote this for me, with just a little bit of info. Maybe trying to comment on what BS most artist statement's are? What do you think? Is it accurate? (I DON'T make assemblages in the way they are referring to for sure.)
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Magic
Having a creek behind our house was a selling point. Children should have a place to explore and imagine, and this place is full of that kind of magic.
The neighbor kids are good for playing there with, as are various friends. We've learned that one must wear old shoes and not care about getting dirty down there. When G and G spent the night on Sunday, they came prepared with old sneakers to mess around in, which was good since everyone got wet. The boy G went across a dangerous, rickety bridge even though Leila told him not to, and the girl G, who is younger than the others, got stuck on the other side of the creek for a bit. At some point everyone stepped into the rather yucky water, too.
A week ago I came home from the grocery store and heard screaming and crying as I got out of the car. I ran inside to find out where the kids were, and H told me the neighbor kids had gone down to the creek with them. By the time I raced back out, the scary noises had stopped, and I yelled out for them. They were on the other side of the creek- Both Leila and Ali had fallen in. Leila had slipped, and when Ali went to help her, she pulled him in, too. (Accidently!) The other kids had been smart enough to take a different route and didn't suffer any damages. My two stripped off their dirty, soaked clothes in the garage and then went up for a shower.
I wish the magic included some sort of laundry doing.
The neighbor kids are good for playing there with, as are various friends. We've learned that one must wear old shoes and not care about getting dirty down there. When G and G spent the night on Sunday, they came prepared with old sneakers to mess around in, which was good since everyone got wet. The boy G went across a dangerous, rickety bridge even though Leila told him not to, and the girl G, who is younger than the others, got stuck on the other side of the creek for a bit. At some point everyone stepped into the rather yucky water, too.
A week ago I came home from the grocery store and heard screaming and crying as I got out of the car. I ran inside to find out where the kids were, and H told me the neighbor kids had gone down to the creek with them. By the time I raced back out, the scary noises had stopped, and I yelled out for them. They were on the other side of the creek- Both Leila and Ali had fallen in. Leila had slipped, and when Ali went to help her, she pulled him in, too. (Accidently!) The other kids had been smart enough to take a different route and didn't suffer any damages. My two stripped off their dirty, soaked clothes in the garage and then went up for a shower.
I wish the magic included some sort of laundry doing.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Rainbows
It was pouring rain again this morning, after only one day of sun this week*, so I thought it a good time to tell Ali about Noah's Ark. After I explained the rainbow after the rain is God's promise to us, Ali said, "But is sometimes God too tired to do a rainbow? Because there isn't always a rainbow after the rain."
He knows the science behind rainbows, so we talked about how God set up science rules, and if it isn't sunny, there won't be a rainbow, but the promise is still there.
*The kids enjoyed the great weather yesterday by finally getting to play in the creek area behind the house. The neighbor kids joined them and they had a fabulous time. Their dad came to call them home, so we met him- he seems very nice. We're so thankful for kids our kids age- a girl Leila's age, a boy Ali's, and an older boy who plays well with them. They also have a little one- older than Sami, but there are lots of baby boys on this street when it comes time for playing.
He knows the science behind rainbows, so we talked about how God set up science rules, and if it isn't sunny, there won't be a rainbow, but the promise is still there.
*The kids enjoyed the great weather yesterday by finally getting to play in the creek area behind the house. The neighbor kids joined them and they had a fabulous time. Their dad came to call them home, so we met him- he seems very nice. We're so thankful for kids our kids age- a girl Leila's age, a boy Ali's, and an older boy who plays well with them. They also have a little one- older than Sami, but there are lots of baby boys on this street when it comes time for playing.
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