Monthly Archives: December 2009

>We can never be too wealthy or too tolerant.

Posted on by
3

>Apparently wealth and tolerance are the main traits to be considered happy – well, for your state to make the Happy List.

Wisconsin ranks near the end. Say what?!! I beg to differ. In defense of the Badger State, here are ten reasons to love living in Wisconsin.

10. We rarely miss our chance for a white Christmas.
9. Tiger Woods doesn’t live or drive here.
8. We can ride bikes without worrying about hills.
7. Women in Wisconsin know football as well as men in the other 49 states.
6. We support Brewers – in baseball and in beer!
5. Bratwurst (preferably grilled) is one of the basic food groups.
4. Our state university’s band is as important as the football team.
3. The best cheese is made here; the kind we eat, and the kind we wear on our heads.
2. We can wear Packer gear to work and still be considered professional.
1. The Green Bay Packers, win or lose, are always entertaining. Go! Pack! Go!

All right, my lovely readers. What makes your state a happy place?

Thanks to Kristin at Going Country for the link to the article.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Love is: a rain barrel

Posted on by
5

>My rain barrels are turned upside down, emptied for the winter so they don’t fill and freeze. Ice expands, which would crack even the heavy duty barrels.

Chuck, dear husband of mine, models trains in HO scale. For the uninitiated, HO translates as small. Tiny. Put-on-your-glasses and look very closely for details Small.

The building below is part of a granary in his layout. The rain barrel is about the size of my pinkie fingernail, if not smaller. Yes, dear readers; he made a rain barrel in his train layout in tribute to his wife’s green philosophies.


Now if I can stop him from buying the shopping bag that says, “I carry this bag because my wife cares about the environment”!

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Doing Good by Buying Green

Posted on by
1

>I’m still finishing up the Christmas shopping. There are a few people that are just hard to please! They’re either very picky, have very expensive taste, or have everything they need and don’t want more. Mother Nature Network has their Quirky Gift collection, the Nature Conservancy has a Green Gift Guide.
You can plant a tree, donate an acre, or “give” a coral reef.
You could “give” a jaguar. Well, you couldn’t actually wrap it up and put the big cat under the tree, but you could donate in your loved ones’ names to help preserve the jaguar’s habitat.
The Nature Conservancy also has a Marketplace, where all purchases go toward the lofty goal of preserving nature. Ooh, maybe I should get the organic cotton crib bedding for my new niece! Hint to family: the logo t-shirts are cute, and they have some books that look to be right up my eco-friendly alley.

Ever since Chuck ordered knit slippers from National Geographic’s online market, he’s been getting their print catalog full of unique gifts. There’s also Heifer International, where a small donation will donate a cow, goat, sheep, llama, or even (gulp) rabbit to a family in need. These are gifts that truly pay it forward; the money spent does good in the world.

I can’t bring myself to sponsor a rabbit, even though they are a valuable source of protein. I’ll pick up a few items for our school’s Adopt-a-Family program, though, and do good in my own small way. Then again, a teacher and blogger can never have too many of these…

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Posted on by
1

>On my to-do list:

gather a few holiday CDs to bring to school
wrap birthday presents for Chuck and La Petite
empty dishwasher (ugh)
clean kitchen (double ugh)

I really live a boring life. Let’s see if I can liven this up a little.

Gather holiday CDs to bring to school
– must be intrumental for playing in class, no audible lyrics for students to notice and bring home tales of teacher playing music that might possibly have religious significance in a public school classroom
– a few fun collections for ME so I can listen to music that brings me to my Happy Place while I’m working and the kids are out for recess
– Debate leaving classroom door closed (heat functions better that way) or open (to share the good tunes)

Wrap presents for Chuck and La Petite
– Darn these December birthdays!
– Amigo will want to be part of the process. We have fun putting gifts together.
– I’m still serious about not buying wrapping paper. We have plenty of alternatives, and they’ll look good.
– Storing gifts will be easier after they’re wrapped. I won’t have to hide them.

Empty Dishwasher (still ugh)
– Chuck and I have mastered the art of procrastinating. The one who needs something from the clean dishes first ends up dealing with the dishwasher.
– Chuck and I have mastered the art of turning a blind eye to the dirty dishes – almost. I usually cave first; I can’t handle having the small counter space covered with dirty dishes for long.

Clean kitchen (still double ugh)
– It’s such a tiny space we really can’t let it clutter up. There’s not much counter, which makes wiping it down much easier and quicker, but still a bother.
– Why does it feel like I’m the only one who cleans the microwave? Perhaps because I am?

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Fun with leftover turkey

Posted on by
4

>Ah, Thanksgiving. Leftovers. The embarrassment of riches in an overflowing refrigerator. The challenge of using those riches to feed the family a few more times.

Crockpot Shepherd’s Pie; poultry style

Make layers in crockpot:

  • stuffing
  • gravy
  • vegetables
  • turkey
  • mashed potatoes

Heat on low for 6-8 hours. Optional; add grated cheese to the top an hour before serving.

BLTT Sandwiches
Add a layer of turkey, sliced thin, to your standard bacon lettuce tomato sandwiches.

Easy, delicious, not so same-old, same-old. Now it’s your turn; share the wealth. What did you do with leftover turkey?

Share and Enjoy !

Shares