Online friends IRL

For the past several summers, I've hung out online with a classical homeschool list. Janie and I began communicating privately last year, as she lives just a short distance away from us. Her own kids are now grown, but she is around to offer encouragement and advice to the rest of us. Amazingly, she's been hard at work transitioning a local Christian school's curriculum from ABeka to classical. We've been in touch off and on since we moved here, but we still have never met in person. Until today!


I'd never seen a photo of her, and yet I KNEW it was her the minute I saw her when she came into the library. Since I began working here two months ago, I've met a few other people from local lists that I'd only known online before--but Janie is special, because I know her from a big list, and we have a lot of the same ideas and preferences for hsing.

FUN time!! It's been a year since I met De'Etta in person, and at least I didn't blur my photo this time. :)

Food, food, food

We've been trying to get on some sort of food budget this year but have been failing miserably. That's a whole 'nother topic that I don't even want to think about.

But we've been doing one thing right: Manager's Specials.

Today's finds:

• Fried chicken, tomorrow night's new dinner plan, was $6.99, paid $3.49!
• Laura's hamburger, the only kind I buy, was $4.99/pkg, paid $2.66! As I've said, know your meat guy. He marked these down for us, as he was going to be marking others later tonight.
  
• Chicken thighs, originally $2.19/lb, paid $1.53/lb.!
• Lunchables knockoffs, what are these usually, $2.79? Paid $.75. These are quite a treat around here, and the kids will eat them for lunch over the next couple of days, and I'm taking one to work tomorrow.
  

It's debatable what I really "save," since I wouldn't buy the fried chicken or Lunchables at full price. On the other hand, we will get to eat something that we otherwise wouldn't.


This pic is from a few weeks ago, and we had similar bargains. Natural bacon marked down to $1/pkg.; chicken meatballs for $2/pkg., and a quick sale on pork chops.

About half the time I shop, I can find a good selection of meat marked down for quick sale. There's also one store that often marks down bagged produce (bagged salads and mushrooms), and another where we can expect to find milk. They are due to expire, but if I'm paying $.99 for a half gallon of milk, it doesn't last long at my house anyway. The meat usually goes into the freezer.

I can't do the coupon thing. I did, a long time ago, when I had time. And I'm very good at shopping the weekly sales. But keeping my eyes open for the Manager's Specials is FUN. It's my instant reward, and I always leave the store happy. How many people can really say that?

Trevor's creating again...

Any guesses as to who these people are?

That's Hilary there on the left. BAHAHAHA! Don't you just love her evil little grin?

McCain's there in the middle. Hey, this is getting scarily accurate! His white fringe of hair is not showing up well in the photo, unfortunately.

But wait. What's Obama doing on the right? That's certainly Wishful Thinking!

* * *

And, by the way, they aren't aiming guns at anyone, they just have different microphones. :)

Recipe - Chicken Fingers with Lemon Sauce

This chicken was definitely a Kid Hit. I'm thinking it was worth the extra effort, only because at least I know what kind of stuff is in it!


CHICKEN FINGERS WITH LEMON SAUCE

10 oz. jar lemon curd
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 t. soy sauce
1/4 t. ground ginger
1 c. buttermilk (I used 1 t. vinegar, and the rest milk)
2/3 c. flour
1/3 c. cornstarch
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken tenders
oil for frying

In a small saucepan, combine the lemon curd, broth, soy sauce and ginger. Set aside.

In a shallow bowl, add buttermilk. In another bowl (or ziplock bag!), combine flour and cornstarch. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then coat with flour mixture.

Heat oil in an electric skillet to 375. (I used my stove on med-high, with oil about 3/4" deep.) Fry chicken, taking care to not crowd the pan, for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, gently heat lemon sauce in microwave, and serve chicken with sauce. Makes 4 servings, with 1-1/4 c. sauce.

* * *

Lemon Curd is a soft custard that can be used for filling, similar to lemon meringue pie filling in texture and flavor. Supposedly, it can be found in grocery stores in the jelly or baking supplies--but not anywhere near Stickville! So I made it myself. It was easy and surely loads cheaper than buying it in a jar.

Lemon Curd

2 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. lemon juice
2-1/2 T. butter
2 t. grated lemon peel (using the stuff in the jar/spice section makes for a terribly bitter sauce; it's much better to go without. Trust me on this.)

In a heavy saucepan, beat eggs and sugar until sugar dissolves. Stir in lemon juice, butter and lemon peel. Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until mixture is thickened and reaches 160°. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes about 10 oz.

Weekly menu

pizza (Mom worked)
taco salad; quesadillas
BLTs, cottage cheese, chips
spaghetti, salad, french bread
some kind of chicken!
breakfast
sub sandwiches, chips, fruit
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!

Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
Linda's Marinated Mozzarella
parmesan pesto things

On the back burner:
cutlets Romano
chicken ala king, rice, strawberries
chicken souvlaki, couscous
teriyaki meatballs, ???
pork loin

Another weird thing from DC

Read the license plate closely....



Yep, it says, "Taxation Without Representation." What??

Sure enough, (link) residents of Washington DC pay federal taxes, yet are NOT represented in Congress. Does that surprise you? It sure surprises me. I thought the tag was a big joke, and I didn't get it.

Another "funny" is the quote: "The $10 fee for the new plates cannot buy a CD or a tank of gas"--hah, and this article is dated 11/2000.

A trip to the lake

As the girls' visit came to an end, we decided to head for the lake. With temps in the high 90s, topped off by high humidity, our timing was perfect.



Ever since we moved here last August, we've been wanting to rent a boat on the lake. As it turned out, it worked out very nicely that I hadn't made prior boat reservations--I was able to get a screaming deal with one of the smaller rental places that hadn't let out all of their boats.



We got a fun pontoon boat--the canopy was a necessity!



The kids opened the side gates and stuck their feet over the side to keep cool.



At the last minute, the girls decided to not bring their bathing suits. Big mistake! They jumped in the water with their clothes on. Everyone threw on life jackets to make swimming a breeze. Except me. When the girls said they weren't bringing their suits, I didn't either, but I was NOT going to swim in my clothes, yuck!

We parked the boat in a quiet spot, and they swam to shore to check out a hut.



As the boat drifted closer, I started to panic that it'd get stuck. I'm good for panicKing. (lol) It drives everyone else crazy.



We forgot to get a ladder, and it was a riot to watch the kids try to get up!


Rob, acting nonchalant about the boat being STUCK.

"I planned this!"

We zipped around and ended up swimming in another spot. (That's the French "we," as I said, I wasn't swimming!)



It didn't take long to dry off in the sun.


We boated for three hours, then stopped at Dairy Queen on the way home. It was a perfectly lovely day!

* * *

Early Tuesday morning, Holly, Mackenzie and I made the long drive to Raleigh. Poor Kenzie slept for half of the drive. We put her on the plane, ending the two weeks that the girls got to spend together.

This was so amazing how everything worked out. We'd talked about wanting to do this, and the plans just fell into place. I'm so happy for both of the girls, that they each have such a wonderful, lifelong friendship, and that both of our families were able to share our girls this summer.

"...there is a friend who sticks closer than a [sister]."

And so we are back to our real life!

Weekly menu

cheeseburgers, chips & dip, fruit
bbq hotdogs, encore presentations (!)
spaghetti, salad, french bread, rice krispy treats
cheeseburgers, ??? (Mom work)
breakfast
Chicken Fingers with Lemon Sauce
sub sandwiches, chips, fruit
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!

Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
Linda's Marinated Mozzarella
parmesan pesto things

On the back burner:
cutlets Romano
chicken ala king, rice, strawberries
chicken souvlaki, couscous
teriyaki meatballs, ???
pork loin
chile rellanos

The weekend

FRIDAY:

While I recuperated at work from driving the behemoth truck, Robert took the kids into Roanoke. They dropped Trevor off at Vacation Bible Camp for the afternoon, and he and the girls went to see Wall-E.

SATURDAY:

Robert drove the girls to horseback riding. Those pictures are on one of their cameras; none to post here, unfortunately!

It was one of those days when Trevor had to choose one from several great activities: Family Day at the National D-Day Memorial; the summer's only chess tournament; or the second day at Bible Camp. For weeks, I've already known what he would end up choosing, although he didn't make his decision until late Friday night.

"Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

The water theme was a perfect fit; it was hot, hot, hot, and very humid.

The church does a lot of neighborhood outreach. On Saturday, we had more neighborhood kids show up for Bible Camp than came from the fellowship.


Several of the Youth Group girls led worship. We've often talked on our big list about Youth Groups, the good, the bad, the ugly. Ours is really amazing. The first thing we noticed is that the teens worship in the main service. They play a large role in the Children's Ministry, and they are just a really Godly group of kids.


I took the opportunity to visit the local homeschool convention. I wasn't planning on going, except that it was close by. Most of the exhibitors were just selling used curriculum, and I ended up with a few great deals. (Most notably, Around the World in 180 Days teacher guide for $3!) I ran into a few old friends and made a few new friend too. :)

SUNDAY:

No church bbq this month, since so much time has been spent at the park already for the past few days. Mackenzie's comment about our church: "It's very different than mine. I really like your music!" and "My church has been around for 125 years. And I don't think they've changed a thing." I'm glad we didn't scare her off, lol.

The girls join in a lovely sort of slapping game.

We spent a lazy afternoon at home, and I took an hour long nap. And I really should be sleeping NOW. It was a great weekend.

The behemoth

I dId iT, I DiD It!!

Rob's truck is HUGE, at least to me. I'm fairly tall, but I literally have to pull myself up into it, and slide out of it before my feet hit the ground. I've always been too chicken to drive it. I know, it's silly. My sister in law drives a big truck. My mom drives a big truck. But hey, I'm not car-coordinated; I can barely park my minivan. I've driven it just once, several months ago, down our road, but then I switched seats with my husband and let him drive.


Last Friday, he planned to take the kids to Roanoke, and they did not want to ride in the truck. I decided to drive it to work; he could take my van and get way better gas mileage too. It didn't start out well. When I unlocked the door, the alarm went off and I didn't know how to turn it off. But at least I was still at home, and I could wait for Robert to come and fix it, haha.

To give me more time to drive slow, I left the house a few minutes early. It was a huge relief that no one got stuck behind me, and my first venture on public roads actually went well. I was even able to park it decently. The first time. Not in my usual spot, but that's okay. In fact, it went so well, I even drove to the grocery store after work--where I parked a lot further out than I usually do.

So it's a silly thing, but I have a great feeling of accomplishment, and the thought of driving it again no longer terrifies me. But I don't mind waiting awhile either!

Lego daze

While Holly was gone, Trevor entertained himself with his Legos.



Now that he's older, his Lego interest comes in spurts.



It's either nothing, we never see them, he forgets he owns them. (Although with 2000 little pieces stuck in his carpet, it's hard for me to forget.)



Or the box is a semi-permanent fixture in our living room, and the building stops only to eat and sleep.



I'm always amazed at what he comes up with!

Things I can't do

Adding to my list of Things I Can't Do:

I can't make coffee without the pot overflowing.



It should be easy, right? You measure the water, pour it in, and push the button. But I always try to cut corners. If there's any coffee left in the pot, I still make a full pot, thinking, "I'll get the extra cup out before it fills all the way up."

You'd think I'd have learned by now.

You'd think I could actually make Minute Rice.

You'd think I could make blue box macaroni and cheese without it boiling over on the stove.

You'd think...

Another quick trip

The kitties knew something was up.

Ever hopeful

Since the girls' plane was coming in later in the evening, we'd already made plans to spend the night in North Carolina. Rob, Trevor and I left early and stopped for some quick shopping along the way.

Okay, *I* stopped for some quick shopping along the way

We hit quite a bit more traffic this time. I don't know the last time I actually drove in "rush hour." I certainly don't miss that one bit either!


We hung out in the hotel for a while. I took Trevor swimming, and then we grabbed a bite to eat.


The airport was just a few minutes away, and I watched the girls' plane land.


We'd planned to see the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit and the Museum of Natural Science today. But we decided to skip it: it'd be a rush, between the girls being on Colorado time, and getting home to pick up Lucky from the kennel before closing. Even though I knew they'd appreciate it down the road, the kids were only mildly interested in seeing it. It was expensive, $100 for us to get in! So we let the girls sleep in, ate a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, and let the kids swim before heading home.



It was a nice day to not have to rush. We ate breakfast for dinner, and are unwinding before getting back in the swing tomorrow.

This has been a wonderful summer to make quick trips. Living in Stickville, we're used to longer drives to get anywhere--and we're also closer to a lot more places to visit than we were in Colorado. It's a perfect combination!

:)

I've found my twin...

and it's not my parallel-life friend Laura.

Check out the website for a bigger pic.


This is eerie. I also have a similar jacket, and I even wondered if someone shot this of me when I didn't know it. But I'm being paranoid. :)

Um, Mom? Do you have any family secrets that you'd care to share? Just checking!

Recipe - Rocky Mountain Salad

Taken from a popular Colorado cookbook, I first made this salad five years ago. It's fast, easy to make changes, and really good!


ROCKY MOUNTAIN SALAD

1/3 c. chopped onion (too much, use 1/2)
3 T. cider vinegar
2 t. spicy brown mustard
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3/4 c. olive oil (I use vegetable oil)
2 small heads romaine, prepared, torn bite size
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained, quartered
1 large avocado, peeled, seeded, cubed
1/2 lb. bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
4 oz. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

In food processor or blender, combine onion and vinegar. Process to puree onion and add mustard, sugar, salt and pepper, blending until smooth. Gradually add olive oil, blending constantly, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, artichoke hearts, avocado, bacon, cheese. Add enough dressing to coat. Serve immediately.

**Add a package of grilled, chopped chicken strips, and serve with a loaf of French bread to make a fast and cool dinner meal.

They speak a foreign language here

My unfortunate telephone conversation at work last night:

Caller: I need the number for _______________.

Kristine: I'm sorry, you need what?

Caller: The number for the like ________ library.

Kristine: I'm sorry, I can't understand you.

Caller: I need the number for the like ________ library.

(This repeated a few times, and I'm beginning to think it's a crank call.)

Kristine: Can you spell it for me?

Caller: The like . . .

Kristine: The like . . . ?

Caller: Yes, the like.

Kristine: OH, the LAKE!!!!!!!!!

The caller wanted the phone number for our library branch at the lake. That's okay, she probably couldn't understand me either.

Book Review - Saving Alice by David Lewis

Oo-kay. Now I know where the weird stuff came from that Beverly Lewis book I just read. This book is a solo effort by Beverly's husband. I can't imagine why Bethany House even picked this book up, unless it was as a favor to Beverly.

Plot rundown: Loser is addicted to market trading. Terrible things happen in his life. He has a chance to change an earlier life event via a dream. He wakes up with a new life, same wife. He wakes up again with another new life, same wife. He is able to fix most things that went wrong the first time and they all live happily ever after.

Stupid. I have no idea why this would be considered Christian fiction, because it's not. I dislike dream stories like this, it reminds me of Dallas and Pamela waking up from her dream. This book was definitely not a great effort.

Weekly menu

scalloped potatoes, salad
?? (Mom work)
??
pancakes, bacon, Strawberry Soup
shish kabobs, rice (or couscous)
sub sandwiches, chips, fruit
chicken jerusalem derivative
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!

Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
Linda's Marinated Mozzarella
parmesan pesto things

On the back burner:
cutlets Romano
chicken ala king, rice, strawberries
chicken souvlaki, couscous
bbq hot dogs, pasta or potato salad
teriyaki meatballs, ???
pork loin
tacos
chile rellanos
Chicken Fingers with Lemon Sauce

Book Review - Sanctuary by Beverly & David Lewis

I enjoy some of Beverly Lewis's Amish stories, preferring her newer books to her older ones. This book is a combined effort of her and her husband. It was definitely different than her usual writing, as there is quite a bit of mystery and suspense thrown into the plot.

Melissa James has a secret past. As a newlywed living a wonderful life in New England, her past catches up with her, and she escapes--to Lancaster County, of course (where she takes up with a Mennonite woman instead of the usual Amish family, lol). Melissa's history is explained in flashbacks, as she continues to be stalked by a man from her past.

I ended up peeking at the end of the book and thought the ending was incredibly stupid. For whatever reason, I continued reading the story, and for as much as I expected to dislike the book, there were enough twists and turns that the ending no longer seemed as bad as I thought.

While I continue to like Beverly's current Amish series (serieses?), this book was good enough for me to pick up a David Lewis book. Sanctuary was fine for mild reading; not absolutely recommended but entertaining enough.

How old IS your brain?

Here's a fun quiz.

I don't know what language it's written in, but you can follow these directions:

1. Touch Start.
2. Wait for 3, 2, 1.
3. Memorize the number's position on the screen, then click each circle from the smallest number to the largest number.
4. It will repeat ten times. At the end of game, computer will tell you how old your brain is.

It helps to be smarter than the computer. The first time I played, I thought it said largest to smallest, and I ranked 120 years old. When I actually followed the directions, I scored 23 years old. :)

Dumb de Dumb Dumb

Here's a dumb interesting article from The Sacramento Bee: California 8th-Graders Face Algebra Mandate.

Oh, so many thoughts immediately race through my little mind:

• Three years is not enough time to prepare students. Or teachers, for that matter.
  
• Putting every kid through in no way promises mastery. What then?
  
• "[S]etting every school up for failure"? What about the CHILDREN?
• The critical thinking required for algebra is developmental; it's like mandating every child to read by age 5, or every child to walk by age 1.
• Are they planning to fund this by forcing every CA hser back into the ps system? (she said very sarcastically)
  

Oh, the list goes on...

Holly takes off

This has been a busy month for Holly. She's off for a week to visit an old neighbor/friend in Colorado. These girls have known each other for as long as they can remember.

2001

To get a nonstop flight, we drove three hours to the airport yesterday. I'd been nervous about this, but between Pennsylvania and DC, I've been driving enough that I knew I'd be fine.

Waiting at the gate

This was Holly's first time flying alone; it went just fine. As I was allowed to walk her to the gate, and our friends could pick her up at her arrival gate, she literally was only alone on the airplane.

Hey, what's with that wing tip?

How cute is that?!

By the time I waited for her plane to take off and made my way back home, she'd landed 1600 miles away.

2002

We'll be a little lonely around here, but the girls will have a wonderful time!

DC funny

Teachers, public school teachers. They're everywhere. Especially in our hotel last weekend, gathering for the NEA's Annual Meeting.


They were easy to identify, because they were wearing these shirts.

I mumbled to Robert that it would be funny to shout "homeschool!" And then he did. Well, he didn't shout, but he said it loudly. Several times.

It was kind of like yelling FIRE in a movie theater.

LOL.

Book Review - Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon

I read and mildly enjoyed the first few Mitford books. I continued reading and enjoyed them less. By the time I'd read 51 of them, I stopped reading. (Well, it seemed like 51; it was an inordinately high number, I know that.)

I haven't read about Mitford in a few years and have no desire to start again. But this book (the first of a new series The Father Tim Novels), in which Father Tim travels back to his hometown for the first time in 40 years, caught my attention. Leaving wife Cynthia behind, Tim returns to Holly Springs in response to an anonymous note, "Come home."

The book switches seamlessly between Tim's present trip and past memories, of old friends and new, of wishes and reality. I'll only say that the book holds more than one surprise.

The only weird thing is that Jan Karon has created a fictional character whose past is recreated more fully than any real life person could remember. It makes me wonder what kind of life the author actually has. (!)

This was a great read, definitely better than any of the Mitford books. But if you absolutely loved the Mitford series, you may not like this one as much. I'm so glad I took a chance on this!

Weekly menu

breakfast
bbq pork sandwiches, ???
giant burritos
pizza
sub sandwiches
salmon? (Holly gone)
teriyaki meatballs, ???

Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
Linda's Marinated Mozzarella
parmesan pesto things

On the back burner:
cutlets Romano
chicken ala king, rice, strawberries
chicken souvlaki, couscous
bbq hot dogs, pasta or potato salad
chicken jerusalem derivative
pork loin
Chicken Fingers with Lemon Sauce
sub sandwiches, chips (yes, again)
shish kabobs

Washington, DC

Our hotel was directly above the Metro station. Everything else was very well marked; this was the only place I had trouble getting around. I wasn't expecting that; I'd looked at maps online and knew where we wanted to go, which stops we needed, but I was lost with the poor subway markings. Robert found two women who'd played tourist all week, and we followed them to the Smithsonian stop on the Mall.


It was amazing to BE someplace that we've heard so much about yet only have seen on tv or in photographs. We wandered toward the Washington Memorial.

Look at those little people waiting to get in!

We wandered over to glimpse the White House. Just before it came into view, security blocked off the street and sidewalks. Naturally, they weren't talking, and we turned back to meet up with our friends. As we were walking away, a few military helicopters flew in; obviously, the reason that the White House access had been shut down.

The helicopters flew in behind the Memorial--pretty cool!

We met up with our friends in front of the original Smithsonian Institution Building,
which now houses offices and the Information Center.

The girls talk via the internet all the time; they haven't done this face to face in two years!

We walked down to the impressive U.S. Capitol Building. I was surprised by the many foreign tourists, only because, uncultured slob that I am, if I were visiting another country, I would not be touring their government centers.

The boys picked up like they'd never stopped talking

I took over 160 pictures and even managed to get in one of them!

Plotting out the next tourist spot? No, discussing the latest creations in the Lego catalog!

It seemed like we'd walked forever before we stopped to rest

Our original goal was the Air and Space Museum. It was TOO COOL!!!!!!! We saw so many amazing exhibits: Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1, in which he broke the "sound barrier"; Amelia Earhart's Vega, which she flew solo across the Atlantic; the Mercury capsule flown by John Glenn; the Apollo 11 command module that took Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to and from the moon; Skylab Orbital Workshop; and the Hubble Telescope (full size test vehicle used at Lockheed in Sunnyvale 1972-1985) are just a few that stood out.

Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic in this?? I don't think I'd fly down the street....

Voyager - engineering test model

Space suit worn by Apollo astronaut

We had to smile at the Survival Kit gathered by John Glenn for a 1962 manned space flight. Including bio-sensors, rescue signal mirror, notepad, scissors, and a survival knife, it seemed like something Trevor would pull together to explore the backyard.

Console faces the three crew couches in the Apollo Command Module (from a simulator)

Apollo-Soyuz Test Project - joint effort of U.S. and Soviet Union

(look who's sitting down there!)

Trevor puts his video skills to the test on a flight simulation program

Space? Planes? Who cares about that when your friend is HERE!

The boys have been together again for just a few hours,
and already they are standing alike!

Great friends. Great day. What a blessing that they made time for us during their short visit to the U.S. We can't wait to have you back here permanently!

We hopped on the Metro, picking up our car and headed home. After two long days, it was nice to be back home, in our own beds. We are within a half day's drive to many fun places, and we'll definitely be planning a longer visit to DC in the future!