Wooooo!
I LOVE this time of year!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Realization dawns . . .
We were invited to dinner with friends over the weekend.
The three other adults spent time outside shooting. It was cold, so I stayed indoors. Except to take pictures, of course.
Their son let their dog out, thinking that he wanted to go outside. In reality, he was scared of the gunfire, and ran into an adjoining neighborhood. It took one hour, two good samaritans, three cars, five telephones, and six searchers to get the dog back home.
We ate homemade pizza for dinner. Pretty awesome homemade pizza, I might add.
We drank beer. And made cracks about the "J" sounding like an "H."
As I put these photos together and saw the license plate I snapped that same evening, I came to the realization that I AM A
Somebody just SHOOT ME NOW, PLEASE.
(Um, I mean that figuratively, of course, not literally.)
The three other adults spent time outside shooting. It was cold, so I stayed indoors. Except to take pictures, of course.
Their son let their dog out, thinking that he wanted to go outside. In reality, he was scared of the gunfire, and ran into an adjoining neighborhood. It took one hour, two good samaritans, three cars, five telephones, and six searchers to get the dog back home.
We ate homemade pizza for dinner. Pretty awesome homemade pizza, I might add.
We drank beer. And made cracks about the "J" sounding like an "H."
As I put these photos together and saw the license plate I snapped that same evening, I came to the realization that I AM A
Somebody just SHOOT ME NOW, PLEASE.
(Um, I mean that figuratively, of course, not literally.)
Monday, March 28, 2011
You have GOT to be kidding me
70+ temps earlier in the week.
There was snow on the ground yesterday morning, and it continued for a few hours. I should have taken a picture while it was fresh, before most of it melted.
And by the time I got to work this morning, it was snowing again and continued for the rest of the morning.
There was snow on the ground yesterday morning, and it continued for a few hours. I should have taken a picture while it was fresh, before most of it melted.
And by the time I got to work this morning, it was snowing again and continued for the rest of the morning.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Mariner's Museum, Part Three
Some of us were eager to see what we could of more of the museum during the time we had left. Robert ended up going one way; the kids and I, the other. We each figured that the other was just behind us and would catch up. We wandered through a photo display of Chesapeake Bay fisherman, miniature ships, and the Great Hall of Steam.
A small sampling of the figureheads exhibit
Holly and Trevor communicated via Morse Code
"Help! I'm trapped with Mom in a museum!"
"We'll jump in a Titanic lifeboat and ditch her!"
Unfortunately, the Titanic pics came out too dark. And my kids were stuck with me.
This Confederate flag, with its 14 stars, flew from the CSS Alabama while at sea. The number of stars varied on the first Stars and Bars flag. Interestingly, the flag commonly recognized today as the "rebel" flag (and often incorrectly referred to as the "stars and bars") was never an official national flag of the Confederacy.
My picture-taking began to slow down as we continued to wander through the age of exploration, test out submarine sleeping quarters, and learn about astronaut training and map making. Several exhibits included hands on activities that seemed more appropriate for older kids (as opposed to young ones), and mini film clips. As an aid to storytelling, paintings such as this 17th century oil that reached the ceiling, were mixed into the exhibits.
This museum was fantastic. The exhibits were so well done, everything was very clean, there were many docents, and we ran into just a few other guests. We were not able to see another entire exhibit hall, and we did not tour the 300+ acres that made up the grounds. It was one of the best museums I've ever had the pleasure to visit.
As long as I'm driving with Robert in the car, it can't be an uneventful trip. I knew ahead of time we might hit rush hour traffic between Newport News and Richmond. I must have been paying attention to traffic, as I certainly wasn't watching my GPS or traffic signs. I took a wrong turn and ended up in downtown Richmond.
Who does stupid things like this???
Ah, but it turned out all right. :)
We drove and drove and drove, arriving home at 8. It was a long day, but Holly and Trevor agreed that it was well worth the drive, they'd like to make similar trips in the future, a few times a year. Me, too! (I didn't ask Robert, I was afraid of what he might say!)
A small sampling of the figureheads exhibit
"Help! I'm trapped with Mom in a museum!""We'll jump in a Titanic lifeboat and ditch her!"
Unfortunately, the Titanic pics came out too dark. And my kids were stuck with me.
This Confederate flag, with its 14 stars, flew from the CSS Alabama while at sea. The number of stars varied on the first Stars and Bars flag. Interestingly, the flag commonly recognized today as the "rebel" flag (and often incorrectly referred to as the "stars and bars") was never an official national flag of the Confederacy.
My picture-taking began to slow down as we continued to wander through the age of exploration, test out submarine sleeping quarters, and learn about astronaut training and map making. Several exhibits included hands on activities that seemed more appropriate for older kids (as opposed to young ones), and mini film clips. As an aid to storytelling, paintings such as this 17th century oil that reached the ceiling, were mixed into the exhibits.
This museum was fantastic. The exhibits were so well done, everything was very clean, there were many docents, and we ran into just a few other guests. We were not able to see another entire exhibit hall, and we did not tour the 300+ acres that made up the grounds. It was one of the best museums I've ever had the pleasure to visit.
As long as I'm driving with Robert in the car, it can't be an uneventful trip. I knew ahead of time we might hit rush hour traffic between Newport News and Richmond. I must have been paying attention to traffic, as I certainly wasn't watching my GPS or traffic signs. I took a wrong turn and ended up in downtown Richmond.
Who does stupid things like this???
We drove and drove and drove, arriving home at 8. It was a long day, but Holly and Trevor agreed that it was well worth the drive, they'd like to make similar trips in the future, a few times a year. Me, too! (I didn't ask Robert, I was afraid of what he might say!)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Mariner's Museum, Part Two
The origin of the Newport News name is unclear but likely refers to Captain Christopher Newport of the Susan Constant, who brought "good news" of settlers and supplies.
We saw the Susan Constant two years ago during our visit to Jamestown. Whatever the case, Newport News, like the rest of eastern Virginia, is pretty much swampland.
Okay, so it's really Lake Maury, but most of eastern VA is swampy.
Back to the museum . . . Originally a ship in the US Navy, the north burned its own USS Merrimac when it became trapped at Norfolk after (the state of) Virginia seceded. This burning and subsequent sinking was an effort to prevent the Confederacy from capturing the ship. However, the Confederacy was able to raise the ship and rebuild it as an ironclad, christening it the CSS Virginia.
When the north found out about the rebuilding, it responded by building its own ironclad ship. The USS Monitor took a total of 118 days to build and launch. There was doubt as to if it would even float.
The CSS Virginia steamed into Hampton Roads and began its assault on the wooden ships of the US Navy.
One day later, the Monitor arrived, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The 61,000 sf museum is the largest maritime museum in the U.S. Everything is spacious, beautifully lit, and looks brand new. I can't find the cost of it quickly, but it must have come at an exorbitant price, a testimony to the support of the museum. It was also pretty empty on the day we visited, with just one young school group leaving as we arrived. The admission price was unbelievably reasonable. Coming from me, that says a lot. The total price for the four of us was $41 and again reminded me that we need to visit everything we can while Trevor is still 12 and still gets a price break.
We watched from the dock as the Virginia was built for battle.
And we were able to walk inside.
Everyone took a shot at designing their own ironclads.
The guys were successful; Holly's and my ships sank. Repeatedly.
There were three movie theaters scattered throughout the exhibit, each with a well done presentation detailing different aspects of the ship or battle. There were also smaller touch tv screens where you could choose what you wanted to learn. The whole exhibit was very hands on and interactive.
Several months after the Battle of Hampton Roads, the Monitor sank in a storm off the coast of North Carolina. Ten years ago, the ship was raised, with many of the artifacts brought here.
Recovered place setting.
Replica of the turret at the time it was recovered.
The propeller.
We were able to tour the ship's replicated living quarters and walk on a full scale reproduction of the deck. This was VERY small. I can't imagine being on the water, standing on the deck, and of course on the real ship, there was no railing.
We viewed the ongoing conservation efforts of the turret and engine. As part of the desalination process, the turret remains immersed in 90,000 gallons of water (still suspended upside down as it was recovered from the ocean floor).
The Monitor Center makes up just one section of this amazing museum. I easily could have spent another hour or two in just this exhibit, taking it all in. We were under self-imposed time restrictions, however, and moved on to another part of the museum.
To be continued . . .
We saw the Susan Constant two years ago during our visit to Jamestown. Whatever the case, Newport News, like the rest of eastern Virginia, is pretty much swampland.
Okay, so it's really Lake Maury, but most of eastern VA is swampy.Back to the museum . . . Originally a ship in the US Navy, the north burned its own USS Merrimac when it became trapped at Norfolk after (the state of) Virginia seceded. This burning and subsequent sinking was an effort to prevent the Confederacy from capturing the ship. However, the Confederacy was able to raise the ship and rebuild it as an ironclad, christening it the CSS Virginia.
When the north found out about the rebuilding, it responded by building its own ironclad ship. The USS Monitor took a total of 118 days to build and launch. There was doubt as to if it would even float.
The CSS Virginia steamed into Hampton Roads and began its assault on the wooden ships of the US Navy.
One day later, the Monitor arrived, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The 61,000 sf museum is the largest maritime museum in the U.S. Everything is spacious, beautifully lit, and looks brand new. I can't find the cost of it quickly, but it must have come at an exorbitant price, a testimony to the support of the museum. It was also pretty empty on the day we visited, with just one young school group leaving as we arrived. The admission price was unbelievably reasonable. Coming from me, that says a lot. The total price for the four of us was $41 and again reminded me that we need to visit everything we can while Trevor is still 12 and still gets a price break.
We watched from the dock as the Virginia was built for battle.
And we were able to walk inside.
Everyone took a shot at designing their own ironclads.
The guys were successful; Holly's and my ships sank. Repeatedly.
There were three movie theaters scattered throughout the exhibit, each with a well done presentation detailing different aspects of the ship or battle. There were also smaller touch tv screens where you could choose what you wanted to learn. The whole exhibit was very hands on and interactive.
Several months after the Battle of Hampton Roads, the Monitor sank in a storm off the coast of North Carolina. Ten years ago, the ship was raised, with many of the artifacts brought here.
Recovered place setting.
Replica of the turret at the time it was recovered.We were able to touch a portion of the actual iron plating. As many museums have replicas on display, or the need to protect artifacts from deterioration, this was really impressive to be able to touch the ship.
The propeller.We were able to tour the ship's replicated living quarters and walk on a full scale reproduction of the deck. This was VERY small. I can't imagine being on the water, standing on the deck, and of course on the real ship, there was no railing.
We viewed the ongoing conservation efforts of the turret and engine. As part of the desalination process, the turret remains immersed in 90,000 gallons of water (still suspended upside down as it was recovered from the ocean floor).
The Monitor Center makes up just one section of this amazing museum. I easily could have spent another hour or two in just this exhibit, taking it all in. We were under self-imposed time restrictions, however, and moved on to another part of the museum.
To be continued . . .
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Mariner's Museum, Part One
Trevor has been studying the Civil War, and last week, we finished reading Iron Thunder: The Battle Between the Monitor and the Merrimac by Avi. It's the first Avi book we've ever read. And the last. Trevor and I did not care for the writing style, although we were fascinated with the topic: the Civil War Naval ironclad battle between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia in Hampton Roads (VA). I discovered there was a museum dedicated to this battle in Newport News, a 4+ hour drive from home. The museum received rave reviews on tripadvisor.com, and I decided it was worth the long day of driving to visit. We don't take enough advantage of opportunities like this, and I keep feeling that time with Holly particularly is slipping away.
Amazingly, everyone was eager to hit the road early. I can surely count the number of times we've seen the sun rise as a family (I believe this would be the third).
Gorgeous morning.
And of course we had to stop and eat somewhere.
---
(Yes, a short post, I'm trying to wade through a long day and photos with little spare time, and I've just discovered that blogger seems to have lost some of my photos.)
Amazingly, everyone was eager to hit the road early. I can surely count the number of times we've seen the sun rise as a family (I believe this would be the third).
Gorgeous morning.
And of course we had to stop and eat somewhere.
---(Yes, a short post, I'm trying to wade through a long day and photos with little spare time, and I've just discovered that blogger seems to have lost some of my photos.)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Spring!
And I welcomed it by painting my nine and one-half toes!
We've had 70s, and even 80s when we went to Newport News last week. I'm working on my next post.
We've had 70s, and even 80s when we went to Newport News last week. I'm working on my next post.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Places we went on Monday
1. Gas station. It's the little things. I get happy every time I fill up. How many people can say that? It cost me $30 today, will take me 500 miles, and I'm always in and out faster than every other car around me.
2. Haircut for Trevor. I barely recognized him with his new 'do. We'll see if we can get a picture. All of a sudden, my boy has grown up. He looks me in the eye, and his voice is changing. Speaking of haircuts, I had one last week. I went to a new person, expecting a trim, but I let her do what she wanted, and I got a new haircut instead. Surprisingly, I absolutely love it. Robert loves it, even though it's not long. My kids love it. Most amazing of all, after more than a decade, I am no longer a hairspray queen. I like that.
3. Detoured back home. We were supposed to go from the haircut to the library to the post office for Holly's passport appointment, but she realized she forgot her passport pictures at home. By the way, after spending hours trying to get a "good" photo, I finally caved, printed a $2 off coupon from CVS, went to CVS, and had the pictures. It cost $8 and took less than 30 minutes. Sigh.
4. To the post office for passport appointment. Why one needs an appointment is beyond me (but when we went last week, we were told we had to have an appointment, so we made one and came back). Now we can sit back and wait for it to arrive in the mail (crossing fingers).
5. Picked up Trevor's friend. He lives just blocks from the post office, but somehow I missed the turn and drove three miles in the wrong direction before I finally figured it out. Which really means that the GPS finally clicked in and told me I needed to u-turn. And it's not like we haven't been there before. It was turning into "one of those days."
6. Home in time for lunch, where we spent the afternoon.
7. Never made the library. I'm spoiled by my own library, and it aggravates me that Roanoke only holds books for four days before returning them to their home library. That's okay, I'll just put it on hold again and hopefully get anything next week. :/
8. After dinner, Trevor and his friend made their second visit to our local CAP (Civil Air Patrol) meeting. Holly was interested in learning more, so she came along too. Robert joined us, and my wonderful friend Judy showed up with loads of coffee for us spectators.
Great ending to a great day.
2. Haircut for Trevor. I barely recognized him with his new 'do. We'll see if we can get a picture. All of a sudden, my boy has grown up. He looks me in the eye, and his voice is changing. Speaking of haircuts, I had one last week. I went to a new person, expecting a trim, but I let her do what she wanted, and I got a new haircut instead. Surprisingly, I absolutely love it. Robert loves it, even though it's not long. My kids love it. Most amazing of all, after more than a decade, I am no longer a hairspray queen. I like that.
3. Detoured back home. We were supposed to go from the haircut to the library to the post office for Holly's passport appointment, but she realized she forgot her passport pictures at home. By the way, after spending hours trying to get a "good" photo, I finally caved, printed a $2 off coupon from CVS, went to CVS, and had the pictures. It cost $8 and took less than 30 minutes. Sigh.
4. To the post office for passport appointment. Why one needs an appointment is beyond me (but when we went last week, we were told we had to have an appointment, so we made one and came back). Now we can sit back and wait for it to arrive in the mail (crossing fingers).
5. Picked up Trevor's friend. He lives just blocks from the post office, but somehow I missed the turn and drove three miles in the wrong direction before I finally figured it out. Which really means that the GPS finally clicked in and told me I needed to u-turn. And it's not like we haven't been there before. It was turning into "one of those days."
6. Home in time for lunch, where we spent the afternoon.
7. Never made the library. I'm spoiled by my own library, and it aggravates me that Roanoke only holds books for four days before returning them to their home library. That's okay, I'll just put it on hold again and hopefully get anything next week. :/
8. After dinner, Trevor and his friend made their second visit to our local CAP (Civil Air Patrol) meeting. Holly was interested in learning more, so she came along too. Robert joined us, and my wonderful friend Judy showed up with loads of coffee for us spectators.
Great ending to a great day.
JUST another day at the office
We see plenty of gross things at the library that I prefer to not dwell on much. A few months ago, two kids took advantage of our short staff (as in fewer, not a reference to stature) and threw a couple of these sticky things on the ceiling right above our circulation desk.
We've been waiting for them to fall.
Jamie decided to get a handle on the situation and brush them off the ceiling.
Nasty things. Believe me, we've seen far worse, although I don't usually have to consider anything dropping on my head.
We've been waiting for them to fall.
Jamie decided to get a handle on the situation and brush them off the ceiling.
Nasty things. Believe me, we've seen far worse, although I don't usually have to consider anything dropping on my head.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Sunday and the Cheap Gourmet
Rainy Sunday. We found out yesterday that we can listen to our church's teaching live via the internet. It's easier said than done, however, and we really need to practice self-discipline to listen attentively with all the distractions at home. That's how we ended up at Calvary Chapel six or seven years ago, listening at home on the radio when Trevor was too young to stay with us in the sanctuary.
Robert continued working with re-securing our wifi connections, finally winning the battle he's been waging all week. Between IP and MAC addresses, WEP, WPA, and a zillion other abbreviations that I don't recall, plus adding in the printer, Wii, Holly's Kindle, and what-else-have-we-forgotten, it's been nuts.
I unexpectedly found myself doing gourmet on the cheap, after buying ground veal on sale for $3.29/lb. I had no idea what to do with it, found a recipe online, roasted a few potatoes, and sauteed cauliflower. Everyone loved it, and Holly had seconds on the meat. (I almost fell off my chair.) This dinner couldn't have cost more than $6 total, not including the usual things I have on hand. We'll be having this again soon.
VEAL PATTIES
1 lb. ground veal
2 T. melted butter
1/2 t. lemon juice
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
dash ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten with 2 T. water
1/2 c. fine dry unseasoned bread crumbs (I used a little more)
2 T. oil
Combine veal, butter, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Shape into four veal patties. Dip patties in egg mixture, then into bread crumbs. Heat oil in large skillet. Brown coated patties on both sides, reduce and cook until done.
Yes, ground veal might not really be "gourmet," but it's exotic in these parts.
LOL.
Robert continued working with re-securing our wifi connections, finally winning the battle he's been waging all week. Between IP and MAC addresses, WEP, WPA, and a zillion other abbreviations that I don't recall, plus adding in the printer, Wii, Holly's Kindle, and what-else-have-we-forgotten, it's been nuts.
I unexpectedly found myself doing gourmet on the cheap, after buying ground veal on sale for $3.29/lb. I had no idea what to do with it, found a recipe online, roasted a few potatoes, and sauteed cauliflower. Everyone loved it, and Holly had seconds on the meat. (I almost fell off my chair.) This dinner couldn't have cost more than $6 total, not including the usual things I have on hand. We'll be having this again soon.
VEAL PATTIES
1 lb. ground veal
2 T. melted butter
1/2 t. lemon juice
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
dash ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten with 2 T. water
1/2 c. fine dry unseasoned bread crumbs (I used a little more)
2 T. oil
Combine veal, butter, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Shape into four veal patties. Dip patties in egg mixture, then into bread crumbs. Heat oil in large skillet. Brown coated patties on both sides, reduce and cook until done.
Yes, ground veal might not really be "gourmet," but it's exotic in these parts.
LOL.
Recipe - Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
I tried a new recipe last week that everyone really liked. I was out of the house for most days, and I took advantage of my crockpot when I was home. I made these Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, and served them with sweet potato fries, along with celery sticks and homemade blue cheese dip (just mixing cream cheese, plain yogurt, and mayonnaise to a dip consistency).
SLOW COOKER BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICHES
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
17.5 oz. bottle of buffalo wing sauce, divided
half of a (1 oz.) pkg. of dry ranch dressing mix
Toss the chicken into the crockpot with the dry ranch mix, and 3/4 of the bottle of wing sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (My chicken wasn't entirely thawed, so I turned it on high for a couple hours.)
Once the chicken has cooked, shred the meat and return to the crockpot. Serve on split buns with remaining wing sauce on the side.
You'd never guess something so simple would be so good. (Link to original recipe.)
SLOW COOKER BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICHES
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
17.5 oz. bottle of buffalo wing sauce, divided
half of a (1 oz.) pkg. of dry ranch dressing mix
Toss the chicken into the crockpot with the dry ranch mix, and 3/4 of the bottle of wing sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (My chicken wasn't entirely thawed, so I turned it on high for a couple hours.)
Once the chicken has cooked, shred the meat and return to the crockpot. Serve on split buns with remaining wing sauce on the side.
You'd never guess something so simple would be so good. (Link to original recipe.)
Sunday, March 06, 2011
League Champions!!
We spent the whole day at the basketball championships yesterday, where the top eight teams faced off. The more important games were later in the day, played to a packed house. (Photo taken from the center of the crowd.)
Trevor's team was undefeated all season, and he was nervous about this game. His team started this last game out behind a few points, I think it was the first time they've trailed in a game all season.
They quickly caught up, and by the time they had 10 points, were ahead. They easily won the game, although the point spread was far enough that we can't remember the final score.
This was a wonderful team, playing together for the first time this season, with only two members from last year. What an honor for Trevor to be part of a group that played so selflessly and well together.
We are so blessed to have this league available to local families. It's been the ministry of one family for more than ten years and serves over 350 homeschooled kids in our valley annually through basketball, baseball, and two seasons of soccer. This is second only to SHS on the impact its had on my family on our homeschool journey.
It had rained all day while we were inside. Trevor went home with a friend. Robert, Holly and I ran an errand near the mall. Traffic was unbelievable, resembling Christmas. We caught up with Trevor later that night, staying at our friends' house for dinner, enjoying their lovely hospitality and company.
A great day.
Trevor's team was undefeated all season, and he was nervous about this game. His team started this last game out behind a few points, I think it was the first time they've trailed in a game all season.
They quickly caught up, and by the time they had 10 points, were ahead. They easily won the game, although the point spread was far enough that we can't remember the final score.
This was a wonderful team, playing together for the first time this season, with only two members from last year. What an honor for Trevor to be part of a group that played so selflessly and well together.
We are so blessed to have this league available to local families. It's been the ministry of one family for more than ten years and serves over 350 homeschooled kids in our valley annually through basketball, baseball, and two seasons of soccer. This is second only to SHS on the impact its had on my family on our homeschool journey.
It had rained all day while we were inside. Trevor went home with a friend. Robert, Holly and I ran an errand near the mall. Traffic was unbelievable, resembling Christmas. We caught up with Trevor later that night, staying at our friends' house for dinner, enjoying their lovely hospitality and company.
A great day.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
From Monday: Warm and rain
Rain, wonderfully warm rain, and lots of it.
The sun porch called us to enjoy time sitting there, eating, so warm and toasty, with the rain beating on the roof.
Later, Trevor and I schooled inside, left the door open to the sun porch, where Robert and Holly chatted. Great family time that we don't seem to enjoy enough.
This will be a hectic week, as I'm working three days, plus we'll have a full day of basketball championships on Saturday (when we'd usually be finishing school work). But I'm not rushing through it. What a great way to start off a crazy couple of days, reconnecting.
The sun porch called us to enjoy time sitting there, eating, so warm and toasty, with the rain beating on the roof.
Later, Trevor and I schooled inside, left the door open to the sun porch, where Robert and Holly chatted. Great family time that we don't seem to enjoy enough.
This will be a hectic week, as I'm working three days, plus we'll have a full day of basketball championships on Saturday (when we'd usually be finishing school work). But I'm not rushing through it. What a great way to start off a crazy couple of days, reconnecting.
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