Category Archives: family life

What’s Goal Ball? (Encore presentation)

Posted on by
Reply

What’s Goal Ball? I asked the same question. Amigo explained the playing techniques, but I still couldn’t picture it. I looked it up online and found out that goalball was developed after WWII as a sport for blind veterans. Today the unique game is part of paralympics, and many schools for blind students have a competitive team.

Amigo’s team lost a close one, a heartbreaker of a game in overtime, to eliminate them from the conference competition. The coach arranged an informal scrimmage with the team from Iowa so that both teams could play a little more. These pictures are from the scrimmage.
First: Amigo is not sleeping. He is in ready position with his arms and legs stretched out to cover as much space as possible. If the ball comes his way, he will block it.

You may have noticed the gear. Players wear hockey shorts, the padded kind, along with knee and elbow pads. All players also wear covered goggles or sleep shades to eliminate any residual vision they might have. The goggles prevent a player with some vision from having an advantage over a totally blind competitor. All players compete totally sightless.

The ball itself is soccer ball size, hollow, with bells inside it. Players track the ball by listening intently. They keep track of their positions on the court by calling for a “tap” – a player to slap the floor. In this photo, Amigo is the right wing. The girl in the middle is the center. Before he rolled the ball, he called, “Center Tap!” and she slapped the floor so he could hear where she was and plan his throw. All this happens quickly; the team must get rid of the ball within ten seconds.


Here goes the throw – or more precisely, a roll. If the ball appears a bit blurry, that’s because Amigo rolled it quickly. In fact, he rolled it so low and so quickly that the bells were effectively silenced – a technique that makes blocking difficult. He scored on this one. Yeah, Amigo!

Goalball. It’s unique, it’s fun, it’s competitive. And when the competition is over, the team members socialize with an awards ceremony and a dance. The tournament? Great. The opportunity to socialize with other teenage blind athletes? Priceless.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

What will I tell the grandkids?

Posted on by
Reply

It was 2011 or 2012, you youngsters. I forget which year, but I can never forget what went down. And oh, boy, did it go down! 

Wisconsin’s newly elected governor decided to take a piece out of all the people who worked for the state in any way, shape, or form. His goal was to destroy our unions’ rights to bargain, to cooperate with our employers and negotiate. He focused in on teachers, but we (yes, that included me back in the day) weren’t alone by any means. All public employees began to feel like public enemies as he vilified (look it up, honey, there are still dictionaries in this home) vilified us for daring to earn a living from a public source, a.k.a. tax monies, instead of a private company.

As the recently-elected Governor Walker introduced and tried to pass his union-busting bill, claiming it was a budget issue, he needed a quorum in order to call for a vote. Sweetheart, do you know what a quorum means? No? What are they teaching these days…. never mind. A quorum is a set minimum number of people in a voting group who need to be present in order to vote on important issues. Budget issues, those that involve money, need a quorum. If that quorum is not present, the bill cannot go to a vote. 

So, my dears, in order to prevent this bill from reaching the floor for a vote, the Democrats in our state senate made a run for the border. They traveled to Illinois so the Wisconsin state police couldn’t come after them and force them to come back. Without the Democrats, the Republicans had their hands tied. They had to just sit there and look smug while the protests raged in and around the capitol. Clever, eh? It’s not that first time in history this runaway tactic was used, either. But back to Wisconsin’s drama –

Walker, it turned out, was acting as a puppet for his billionaire backers and a dangerous think tank named Alec. Or was the billionaire named Alec?  But anyway, he wasn’t doing his own thinking. His goals included not just destroying public unions, but putting women’s rights back a good forty years. His motto was Divide and Conquer. 

So what did we do? We did what Wisconsinites have always done: we looked at our progressive history, said to that guy in Madison, “Oh, no you don’t!” and we took to the streets. Thousands marched on Madison. Hundreds more participated in local marches and demonstrations. Ask your elderly neighbors about the demonstrations in downtown Appleburg. They were there. They were there sending a message: “Governor Walker’s got to go. This isn’t Wisconsin. If he thinks the citizens of our fair state are going to just lie down and go gently into that good night, he’s dead wrong. We won’t go quietly. In fact, we won’t go at all.”

And that’s when the recall effort began. 

Okay, kidlets, it’s time for my nap. I’ll tell you later about the tactics. It was an exciting and scary time to live in Wisconsin…zzz… it was the best of times, it was the worst of times…zzz. 

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

A chair can hold flowers, too.

Posted on by
3
curbside find #1

Curbside Find #1

Here’s the chair we adopted and converted two years ago.

Curbside Find #2

Here’s the chair we found last week.

Below: behold Chuck creating a hole in the “new” chair.

Chuck, hard at work

 And finally, the completed project.

Chair completed!

The story told in pictures above is the story of Petunia’s gift for Mother’s Day. We found the chair earlier this week. It reminded us of one we’d already converted to a planter (see first photo), so we brought it home and cleaned it up. Chuck cut the hole in the center (no easy feat; this chair was sturdy) and I planted petunias in it. Done!

 

 

 

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Center of the Universe

Posted on by
1

Actual evening conversation in our home

Me: Oh, no! Our Internet connection is really, really slow!
Chuck: May I recommend you wait a day? There may still be some problems caused by last night’s storm.
Me: But I’m in a Blogathon! I have to get tomorrow’s post ready!
Chuck: Life goes on, dear, despite your blog.
Me: But it’s part of my marketing strategy for the new domain and new URL!
Chuck (now trying not to laugh): Life goes on, dear, despite your blogging needs.

Luckily, I got online at that point.

Yes, we are still married.

And I’m cross-posting for a while at both URLs while the new Compost Happens is under construction. If you see changes almost daily, don’t worry. I’m still playing with options.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Rock Garden Re-do, continued

Posted on by
Reply

Chuck is helping with the rock garden. Sort of. A little. Well, he’s helping a bit, and he’s doing so only a little grudgingly. He makes fun of it, too. Growl.

I pulled all the big rocks to the sides of the garden space and then shoveled up most of the small rocks. The smaller rocks came with a lot of soil. I kept thinking I needed a shovel equivalent to a slotted spoon. The rake was too big, and the shovel brought up so much dirt…. well, anyway, I ended up with a wheelbarrow full of stones and soil.
Meanwhile, I put down the new barriers to (hopefully) keep the mint in its place. I hear you laughing, readers. I think the layer of 20 Mule Team Borax under the barriers will help quite a bit. Oh, and Petunia? The pizza box from the leftovers went to good use as part of the rock garden barrier, so thank you.
Then I attacked the stones. I pulled up a chair next to the wheelbarrow and started pulling stone out of the dirt and dropping them in a bucket. The trouble was, it took a long time and felt like I was only getting, well, a drop in bucket. I started to ask Chuck’s opinion. He interrupted with, “bigger rocks” before he’d even heard the full question.
So much for advice from the engineer in the house.
I moved back to the wheelbarrow and got another bucket full of stones. Chuck, full of remorse (not really), came outside and suggested I buy a few bags of decorative stones instead of plugging away at the chore of picking them out and rinsing them off at the rain barrel. I hesitated. It’s a point of pride that I created this rock garden last year at no cost – seriously, not a penny. But when reminded that my time investment is worth money, too, I gave in. Chuck dumped the wheelbarrow’s load on our soon-to-be berm in the backyard and we bought three bags of rocks from Home Depot.
The rock bags had some ridiculous marketing on them. Who designs these things? “Will not decay.” Sure, but will it erode? “Easy to apply.” Um, yeah. Open bag; dump.

Readers, look at the above photo. Chuck thinks I need at least two more bags. After I spread these, we’ll make a decision. Or, I’ll make a decision. This time, I think I’ll proceed without the engineer’s input.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Keeping Safe at Any Age

Posted on by
Reply
Age 16: eligible to drive
Age 18: eligible to vote
Age 21: eligible to drink a beer or two
Oops, I missed one. Age 20: Leave behind a statistic. What statistic? I’m glad you asked.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines children as anyone aged 0 – 19, and the leading cause of death in children is unintentional injury. Accidents. Car crashes, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires, and falls are just a few of the examples.

Our country is getting safer for children – about 30% safer over the last decade. But even with improvement during decade 2.0, we still have issues. Okay, I’ll leave the issues behind, but accidents still happen, and happen to the tune of more than 9,000 deaths a year.
The CDC asked several bloggers to help share safety tips, and of course I said “Yes.” I’ll share some of their common sense recommendations, and I’ll point you toward a few web sites chock-full of information.
Common sense isn’t as common as it should be, given the – well, common name. For example, under drowning, tips to decrease drowning deaths include this list.
  • Learn to swim.
  • Watch kids closely around water.
It’s a start. Motor Vehicle tips are also common sense, but these take a little more time and effort.
  • Always use seat belts & safety seats.
  • Use booster seats that are correct for a child’s age and weight.
  • Use safe-driving agreements or contracts with teens.
Prevention for falls brings in a few items that aren’t necessarily “cool” with kids.
  • Insist on soft landing surfaces on playgrounds (i.e. sand or wood chips).
  • Install protective rails on bunk beds and loft beds.
  • Wear a helmet. Listen up, kiddos, Aaron Rodgers wears one.
I promised links.
The CDC has a page they call “Protect the One you Love.”
“Color me Safe” is a coloring book available in English or in Spanish.
This site offers free e-cards related to the topic.
Readers, dear readers, I agree to post on these topics for many reasons. Health posts are never paid posts or sponsored. When the CDC calls – well, when the CDC emails – I’m willing to help because I want our world to get better, not worse, for the generations that follow. I’m teaching one of those generations right now. If I can make a difference, if I can make a suggestion that prevents a child from getting hurt, it’s more than worth the blog space.
I’m serious about the disclaimer. This is not a paid post. I’m also serious about making a difference. The U.S. has a higher death rate from preventable injury than Sweden, Norway, the U.K., France, Canada, Australia…. isn’t it sad that the list goes on? Let’s change it, folks. Add a safety suggestion in the comments or post one on Twitter. Be sure you copy it to @CDCgov so the CDC folk see it, too.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Zero Water Pitcher Review – How’s your TDS?

Posted on by
Reply

I live in the Great Lakes basin where water is plentiful. In the Great Lakes basin, municipal water goes through mandatory primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment stages. Look it up. It’s fascinating.


Even in the Great Lakes basin, unfortunately, water can contain particles that slip through the water treatment plant. People in the know refer to these as Total Dissolved Solids, or TDS. TDS can contain lead & chromium, among other metals; pharmaceuticals (unneeded medications flushed into the water supply), and more. These particles are tiny; they’re measured in PPM, or parts per million. It’s a wee bit scary, isn’t it, to think of these microscopic dangers in our drinking water.
Enter the solution: the Zero Water Bottle for filtering water.
I have a water pitcher with a filter already, but I have no idea how much it filters out of my tap water. I offered to test the Zero Water brand filter because my current pitcher is an awkward shape for the refrigerator and because the Zero Water pitcher comes with its own water meter for measuring TDS. Before taking a sip, Chuck and I read the directions.
Chuck: This has more instructions than a broadcast camera!
Me: No problem. Clear instructions are good.
Chuck (reading enclosed pamphlet): Actually, it’s not that bad. What is TDS? It’s measured in PPM, parts per million.
Me: Total Dissolved Solids. See above for explanation of TDS.
Chuck: Why should I care?
Me: Those dissolved solids can be lead, chromium, medications… you name it.
Chuck: Ah. I get it.
Me: This will be fun. I don’t get enough hands-on science any more. Hand me that meter.
Getting started using the TDS meter was indeed fun for me. I looked up the directions, made sure the meter started on zero, and then filled my new Zero Water pitcher. Meanwhile, I measured my tap water at 117 ppm.
You can find an estimate of your own TDS by entering your zip code at the Zero Water site. According to the site, my reading should have been higher: 275 ppm. I sent my own reading to the webmaster to help correct their data, something you can do if your reading is not the same as the one they have on record.
Now back to the pitcher. After going through the ion exchange filter in my new Zero Water pitcher, the TDS reading was an impressive 000. This process only took a few minutes.
So far, I’m impressed by the Zero Water pitcher. It fits nicely on my refrigerator shelf. It has a spout for pouring and a dispenser button at the bottom. In addition to these practical aspects, the filtration met, no, exceeded my expectations. I’m very pleased with this product.
Would you like to win a Zero Water filter pitcher of your own? You can, courtesy of MomCentral and ZeroWater. They’re giving two readers a chance to own their own pitchers just like mine. Readers, leave a comment to be entered into the pitcher drawing. That’s pitcher drawing, not picture drawing. Ahem. To make this even more interesting, leave your TDS reading from the Zero Water web site. It’ll be fascinating to compare the data.
Make sure I have your email in your comment profile or already in my address book so I can contact you if you’re a lucky winner. The drawing closes at midnight on Wednesday, April 25. It’ll be worth your while. Limit yourself to one entry, please, despite my enthusiasm.
While you’re waiting for the contest to close, you might want to visit the Zero Water web site and their Facebook page. If you don’t win, or if you want to buy one for someone else, you can use MC30 for 30% off on a 10 cup pitcher at this site.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of ZeroWater and received a water pitcher to facilitate my review, two pitchers to giveaway, and extra filters to thank me for taking the time to participate. Participation was fascinating and fun.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Classic Wisconsin – Grandma’s German Potato Salad

Posted on by
Reply

>This recipe has a little extra personal meaning since last September. I have a new job, a great job, teaching online. Our offices are in an older building about 2/3 mile from my home, so I walk to work whenever I can. My walk route takes me past Grandma Frances’ childhood address. I like to think that the connection adds to the good vibes that come every time we make this recipe – and every time I walk to work.

Since she was Chuck’s grandmother, I’ll let him write the guest post. He’s not the only one who makes this dish, but I still think he makes it best. Based on this piece of history, maybe his talent is genetic!

Grandma Frances’ German Potato Salad

This recipe was handed down to us. I remember looking forward to eating this as a young child. We would arrive at Grandma’s house on 14th Street in Milwaukee and the kitchen would have this wonderful almost sweet and sour aroma. It can be served warm, which is how I like it best, or you can make it up in advance and serve it chilled. Enjoy!

3 pounds, about 6 medium, Red Salad Potatoes
1/2 cup sliced White Onion (A Sweet Yellow Onion may be substituted.)
2 Tablespoons Flour
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Celery Seed
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup Vinegar
6-8 Slices Bacon cut into 1 inch pieces (I prefer the Patrick Cudahy Thick Sliced, Double Smoked style in the black labeled box).

· Combine Flour, Sugar, Salt, Celery Seed and Pepper into a small bowl or Tupperware dish so they are thoroughly mixed.
· Peel and slice Potatoes into bite size, 1/4 inch thick pieces. Boil until they are cooked, yet still firm, drain.
· In an Electric skillet, cook the Bacon until crispy. Set bacon aside on a paper towel to soak up the grease. Drain all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease out of the skillet.
· Sauté Onion in the hot skillet with the bacon grease for 2 minutes.
· Sprinkle in the dry ingredients mix. Stir in the Water and Vinegar. Stir constantly until it bubbles then let it reduce to a syrupy consistency.
· Reduce skillet’s heat to simmer, blend in Potatoes. Blend bacon into the mix. Let simmer and stir occasionally for 30 minutes.

I posted this recipe because it’s a great side dish as spring starts. It’s also my entry to the Favorite 50 States Recipes contest. I can’t wait to see what they choose. Maybe it will broaden my choices for our Eating the Opponent project next year.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Sing it with me: Saturday at the O.K. Chorale

Posted on by
Reply

>On the to-do list:

Remind Amigo to do his laundry. Why can’t the kid do it himself? He can. He needs the reminder to actually throw the clothes in the washer and deal with it.
Plant seeds and hope they’ll grow. Most of these seeds are a year old; I haven’t bought new ones yet. We’ll see if they’re any good. Still. Yet. If they grow, it’ll look like salsa again in the O.K. home; I planted lots of tomato and pepper plants.
Stir the compost. Shh: don’t tell Chuck I played in the compost. He’s convinced that anything resembling garden work will cue Mother Nature to send in a storm.
Make ice cream – hopefully with Amigo. It’s easy and fun and he’ll love the results.
Set aside a Care Package for La Petite. She’ll be back for appointments on Monday and Tuesday, so I’ll send her a bag of food to fill her pantry. I can’t help her find a second job, but I can feed her.
Draft a letter of support for a local candidate. If this is really the year of the progressive woman, she’s perfect.
Check out the latest news on the local private school that lost two thirds of their teachers due to conflicts over paychecks – namely, the lack of them.
Look for ways to streamline the family budget. Headlines today noted what we’d all expected, but dreaded: my colleagues and I in the local public school district will face another wage freeze along with a higher deductible in our health care coverage.
Keep cleaning the house and purging it of useless items. Sell or donate; make space for what’s important instead of storing junk. At the most, we may get a few bucks for some of the stuff. At the least, we’ll have less to clean.
In a related category, reorganize the canning supplies. At this time of year I have more empty jars than full. How to store them until I need them – that’s one dilemma. How to make more room next fall for the full jars – that’s another. It feels like every year I make a little bit more. Well, if my pay is frozen, at least I can still feed the family.
I guess all this means I should get offline and do something. Here goes!

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Whether the Weather

Posted on by
Reply

>

Sing it with me! It’s a round.

Whether the weather be cool or

Whether the weather be hot
Whether the weather be fair or
Whether the weather be not.
Whatever the weather,
We’ll weather the weather –
Whether we like it or not!
Then again, planning ahead seems to guarantee that Mother Nature will throw a wrench into the works, or at least a storm our way. No? Chuck thinks so, in this actual email exchange with his loving wife. Yes, me.

Me: We’re supposed to get unseasonably warm temps this weekend. Maybe I’ll spread compost. When we get the van back, I’d really like a Big Bucket of leaf compost from the brush dump. I plan to spread it in the far back, where the berm will go. It’ll cover the barriers I set up last fall and the layer of very-fertile bunny litter and, um, waste.
Chuck: You must stop this kind of talk or else you will be THE cause of a late blizzard. Remember what just happened? All because Pete took the sandbags out of the back of his pickup.

Me: But… but… it’s supposed to be in the 50s this weekend. On top of that, one of my coworkers is selling seeds and flats of plants for her daughter’s fundraiser. I’ll show you when I get home.
Well, people, Chuck isn’t one to give up or let anyone else have the last Email word. Here’s his response:
We’ll be run out of town. The headline will read:

St. Patrick’s Day Cancelled

wisconsin Woman’s Garden Plans Upset Weather Patterns



Share and Enjoy !

Shares