Category Archives: Random Thoughts

Hornets, beans, and Clifford the Big Red Dog

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It’s been a random day – or several days full of randomness.

Chuck started cutting the lawn Monday evening, and he came too close to a hornets’ nest. They stung him and chased him around the house. He had trouble knocking enough off that he could come in the house! Several stings on the left hand, a few on the right, and he was in pain and more than a little freaked out.

The exterminator came Wednesday. He found the nest, sprayed it, and informed Amigo that the bees would be “angry today, but dead by tomorrow morning.” Result: Chuck didn’t attempt to mow again until Thursday.

Thursday he stepped outside to start the mower and the rain started.

The lawn looks like a wheat field. Or alfalfa, maybe. I’m thinking we should expand the garden and just quite mowing altogether.

Something about the first week of school makes me crave smoothies. Maybe it’s the transition from summer break to being a schoolie again. It could be the heat and mugginess. There’s also the possibility that I just like the smoothies from City Center Plaza, and City Center Plaza is only a few blocks from my workplace. On the way to the smoothie place, I saw this.

Someone spilled the beans.

Someone spilled the beans.

I helped set up our book fair for the upcoming first day of “school” on Tuesday. We asked the driver of the truck if he ever sees kids waving at him. Why? He has Clifford the Big Red Dog and a few other classic characters painted on his truck, bigger than life. We teachers decided that Scholastic should paint Clifford on our vehicles and pay us to drive them around town.

So then Amigo and I went to a local pub that has a great Friday fish menu. I tucked a napkin into my shirt to prevent clam chowder spills and I had a frightening realization.

I was wearing a Milwaukee Brewers shirt in a Chicago Cubs bar.

I left the napkin covering the logo on my chest until we left.

So, readers, all in all, life is good. School starts Tuesday, and I’m looking forward to meeting my students and their families. Good times are ahead! Meanwhile, I’ll relax and have a weekend.

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Cutting Corners & Cards

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Amigo complains that I’m a “Green Freak” when I look for alternatives to gift wrap and tags. He doesn’t know that I have another use for old cards – decorative tops for canned goods.

It all starts with two lids, one regular and one large. Those are the patterns, templates, tracers, whatever you’d like to call them. If I have a choice, I’ll cut out a large one because I know I can make it smaller if I need to. Add a box of cards (holiday, birthday, etc.), a scissors, and I’m ready to work.

Getting to work!

Getting to work!

I cut apart the cards to make gift tags or round tags for my canned goods gift giving.

Finished Circles

Finished Circles – in two sizes

More finished circles

More finished circles

Some cards are too special to cut into pieces.

This one is a keeper.

This one is a keeper.

The rest are now in a manila envelope on my bookshelf Any time I’m giving away a few jars of goodies, I can reach for some nice, classy pictures to decorate the tops.

Okay, readers, let’s build on this. What other uses do you have for cards? Do you scrapbook? Make new cards from old? Leave a comment sharing your ideas.

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Teachers Pay Teachers

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My educator friends – do any of you use Teachers Pay Teachers to buy and to sell material?

I’m a relative newcomer to this corner of the Internet where teachers can post lesson plans and more in the hopes that someone will pay a few bucks for the privilege of using those materials themselves.

Here's the cover image.

Here’s the cover image.

I’ve posted a few things. I’ve only sold a couple, so the money thus far is just a drop in the bucket. If I’m optimistic (and I try to be optimistic), I might remind myself that if there are enough drops, the bucket might fill.

My “store” name is Ideas from the OK Chorale. If you’re an elementary teacher and you’re looking for a few good plans, please take a look!

Meanwhile, I’ll push myself to post a few more goodies to appeal to other creative teachers who might benefit from my experience and ideas. In my spare time, that is. Yea, yea, I hear you snickering at your monitor.

So, readers, what are your experiences with online buying or selling? Etsy? Teachers Pay Teachers? EBay? Leave a comment and let me know.

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Markets Galore!

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Did I really neglect posting this last week?

Last Weekend's Market

Last Weekend’s Market

I made applesauce with a hint of cherry, cherry jam that didn’t jell, and froze more and more beans.

Then Wednesday came.

My Last Midweek Market

My Last Midweek Market

You can see potatoes, peaches, spinach, bunny food, and the un-jelled cherry jam peeking around the back.

I prepped what I could, but I didn’t buy anything that required major time investments because I knew Amigo and I would be gone Thursday and Friday.

So Saturday came again — see the results?

Today! Food, glorious food!

Today! Food, glorious food!

Everything has a purpose.

Apples: applesauce.

Peas: supper and freeze the rest.

Beans: freeze.

Zucchini: anything I want it to be.

Corn: a baker’s dozen (the vendor likes me) -half dozen for Sunday supper, the rest to freeze.

Meanwhile, I’m steaming cauliflower and carrots for supper tonight. They’ll be mashed with a little butter, salt, and pepper. Mmmmm.

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Signs and Trails

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I took a walk while Amigo went fishing with a friend. It was a nice trail, part of the rail to trail system in Ashland, Wisconsin. According to this sign, horses can’t use the trail and neither can riders on ATVs. But what is the one in the middle?

It's a rail trail.

It’s a rail trail.

Dune buggy? Tractor? I don’t recognize the symbol or the vehicle. Readers, can you help?

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Four Burners Theory: Back to School Again

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An encore post with a few updates – all updates in Italics. 

In the midst of Back to School preparations, it seems appropriate to discuss the juggling act we call work-family balance. Sometimes we’re juggling tennis balls, all the same size, all the same weight, all responding the same way. Then someone tosses us a watermelon, and the whole juggling act changes.

Another way to look at this is the Four Burners metaphor. Imagine a stove with four burners, each representing a task. Can you tend all four without burning a dish or forgetting to add an ingredient, therefore ruining the meal?
Is the four burners theory accurate? Realistic? If all four are equal, maybe it is. But life’s tasks are rarely equal. The first day of school requires a bigger burner. Packing a young person’s possessions in the van for the big move to a dorm is a burner that simmers for a while, then comes to a quick boil. In my life, sending my kids back to school coincides with preparing to teach another new group of elementary students. My teaching assignment is the same this year, but I need to move my materials into a new cubicle. That’s a front burner task, but it will cook up quickly.
We’ve learned to survive these chaotic first weeks of school by balancing and “cooking” ahead. Every night I set the table for breakfast, pack my lunch, and set out my (admittedly simple) clothes for morning. By planning ahead, slicing and dicing the ingredients for the next day, we can cut out one burner. Our family spends much of the summer catching up on routine appointments, too. Dealing with routine dental care and physicals and eye exams in June, July, and August means one less pot to stir come fall.
Filling the freezer and putting up foodstuffs is another step in maintaining the cooking – this time in a more literal sense. Each bag of healthy local vegetables in the freezer is one less that we have to buy. A shorter grocery list means less time at the store, less money out the door, and less pressure on us to produce the produce. Um, yeah. You knew what I meant, right? We bought an additional chest freezer when a local appliance store went out of business, so I’ve spent a lot of time prepping peas, beans, corn, and more for the freezer. That task is more like a slow cooker than a burner because I’ve been at it little by little all summer long.
Thinking of all this late August and September busy-ness makes me feel stressed already. I think I’ll go water the garden; that’s a task that provides relaxation, not stress. Turn off the burners; I’m hooking up the hose to the rain barrel. And that, my friends, is balance.

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Back to School – Daisy Style

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Back in my regular classroom days, preparing for school meant something different. Here are a few examples.

  • Then: I’d browse the school supply ads and stock up for students that I knew couldn’t afford supplies. 
  • Now: I stock up on canning supplies and fresh, local foods so I can feed my family through the winter.
  • Then: I’d plan at least a week in advance, usually more, to spend time in my room setting it up for the students’ arrival. It would take several days.
  • Now: I’ll stop in this week to move my belongings from my old cubicle to my new one. It’ll take an hour, two at the max. Maybe Amigo will help.
  • Then: I’d get the calendar up to date, noting staff meetings and parent-teacher conferences and any other commitments outside of the regular hours.
  • Now: I’ll get the calendar up to date. This item is still necessary.
  • Then: I’d spend a few Saturdays at school preparing my room and catching up with coworkers.
  • Now: I spend Saturdays at the farmers’ market or in the kitchen working on stocking the pantry.

I also make a point of spending time outside. It can be as simple as weeding or watering the garden or reading a book on the deck, but getting out is an important ingredient in self-care. Back to school means back to my cubicle and much, much more. The process may look different on the surface, but underneath the hustle and bustle it’s the same: getting ready for a new group of kids and parents.

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Plant a seed and wait.

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I found this packet when I was cleaning. By its shape and label, I knew I’d saved it from the dumpster when my school adopted a new science curriculum. I cleaned my classroom closets, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw away seeds. Seeds! They might grow! But what kind of seeds was in the packet?

Curiouser and curiouser.

Curiouser and curiouser.

I took a closer look at the label. Then I started doing the math. These seeds are very likely at least ten years old. They’re unlikely to germinate.

Can you read it?

Can you read it?  

Seeds, Bean Oriental Mung, 30g. Not the usual variety for my zone, but I planted them anyway. 

My Internet research told me that Oriental Mung beans are an heirloom variety, a non-hybrid bean. The sprouts are delicious in salads, and they’re popular in Europe and India. They don’t resemble any beans I’ve planted, so I am really curious. However, after many years in a classroom closet, I’m not counting on feeding the family on Mung beans despite the quantity in the bag.

I’ll let you know, readers. If something comes up (and doesn’t get eaten by the furry creatures), I’ll show you the results.

While we wait, fellow gardeners and other lovely readers, what kinds of experimental seeds have you planted? Old ones? New ones? Something not usually suited to your zone and climate? Add a comment and share.

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Saturday! In the Market!

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I bought a lot of peppers on Wednesday. Thursday was dill pickle day. I hope the pickles work out this time. I’m close to giving up on dills, at least from my recipe books. I might go to a commercial mix instead.

All set to pickle! And more!

All set to pickle! And more!

I had already brought in a meager harvest from the backyard.

Peppers (4 kinds), beans, and two more heads of garlic

Peppers (4 kinds), beans, and two more heads of garlic

I mentioned pickles earlier. I’d be a little, no, more than a little bit bummed if I didn’t have a way to use at least some of the fresh dill that’s growing in the backyard.

Dill, not popcorn.

Dill, not popcorn.

The brine didn’t smell the greatest, so I really don’t know if it worked. Fresh dill and fresh garlic – I hope it all came together. I will have to wait two weeks and then open a jar. Suspense, suspense.

Meanwhile, the Saturday market came by. We took time to listen to some good live music – and I do mean good quality. My fair city plays host to its second annual Mile of Music, and one of the headliners was performing, for free, at the downtown farmers’ market (Hillary Reynolds Band). A little bit down the road we saw one of the lesser known but still awesome bands (Holy Sheboygan) singing and dancing and making people smile. Then we slipped into a coffeehouse and listened to a group of brass players jamming, just jamming.

Oh, the market. We brought home all this – plus corn.

Saturday Market! Fresh food and fun.

Saturday Market! Fresh food and fun.

My parsnips are not quite ready yet, so we bought some. I also picked up beans, green and yellow, in honor of Packers preseason starting tonight. Packer beans!

There’s my work for the rest of the weekend. Watch Brewers and Packers and prep vegetables for freezing. Ah, summer in Wisconsin.

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