Holly's birthday

18 balloons.

Donuts for breakfast.  Writing class, where she received more kudos and positive comments from her teacher.

We dressed up for dinner at The Regency Room at Hotel Roanoke.  The kids looked gorgeous, so grown up.  They pretty much flat out refused to let me get any kind of photo, with the exception of these below.  I really should have insisted.

Holly did something so feminine and pretty with her hair.

Trevor with the computer reflection on his face.

On the way home from dinner, we stopped at Dairy Queen to pick up an ice cream cake.  Once we got home, Holly opened her gifts.  She received cash, a beautiful bracelet (from Grandma Jean), an iTunes card, a game card, ear buds, a giant bed pillow, and a makeup set.  I made this shadowbox for her using a saved baby outfit, along with her old pacifier, hospital ID bracelets, first haircut clippings, and a card she'd received at birth.

And we ate ice cream cake.

 

It was a very nice birthday, mostly low key, with enough celebration to honor the specialness of turning 18.

I don't know how I feel.  From the time she was six months old, I was very conscious of the fact that our time with her was, at that point, 1/36th over.  When the kids were little, Robert and I often spoke of how we were living the BEST TIMES of our lives.  I'm so thankful that we realized this at the time.  I'm excited for whatever God holds for her future, but I selfishly never want this part of my life to end either.  Well, I made it through this post without being emotional at all, until this last paragraph.  Don't want to cry in my coffee!

Funny books

Not that I ever read it, but I know my family will find this amusing.

Herd(ed) at my house

The new dog continues to try to herd the cats.

Somewhat successfully, I suppose.

They are not amused, but we are.  And who could really be mad at this sweet face?

 "I just couldn't help myself . . ."

Sleeping dogs

We let them lie.

Accidental parking

I have never been a stellar parker.  The parking at soccer is so limited, so I was excited when I saw this spot ahead.  When I saw the big truck over the line, I didn't even try.  Instead, I began to make a three point turn in the (dead end) street to turn around.  Without even trying, I had set myself up p.e.r.f.e.c.t.l.y. to back in.

Really quite the feat, when you consider that I can barely back out of my own driveway.

Tuesday

Slept until 8.

Did a bit of school with Trevor before Robert took him out to get new cleats for tonight's soccer game.

Took Holly to her English class, which was very short, as the teacher just met with each student to review a paper.

To Wendy's.

To Holly's eye doctor appointment.  It was great to see that her eyes have changed only minimally in the past three years.

Awesome clouds this afternoon.

Met up with Robert and Trevor at our single Tuesday night game of the season.

It was quite an interesting game when an adult coach (Robert) is speaking to his player, and the teenaged line judge shouts, "If I hear another word out of you, I'm going to tell the ref, and you'll forfeit the game!"  And the ref shouts out, "Game OVER!," tears off his shirt, stomps off the field, leaving 20+ more mature teenagers waiting to continue the game.

Ref changes his mind, decides the game is back on, ejects Robert from the game, and then gathers the players together to tell them Robert is "a bad Christian and not a man."

Robert calls game strategy to me on my phone, which I relay to assistant coach.  We win the game, 3-2, which, believe me, was a good ending.

Sadly, not at all out of character for the ref, and many of the parents/players in the league are already aware.  He was Trevor's coach for three years. He insisted on speaking to Robert after the game, but Robert refused his request to do it privately, as he's long demonstrated his untrustworthiness.  Robert would only converse with him in front of witnesses.

It will play out in the next few days.

Our games with this team are always exciting, but this was not the usual good-exciting . . . I'd much prefer parents shouting out encouragements from under umbrellas in the rain, while the kids slide around on a muddy field and play evenly right down to the end!

Baby love

This little guy came right to me last week at soccer. It was his first birthday, but he made my night!

Drinks with my girl

Great afternoon, after her class, sitting outside.

Scary things

Someone created this.

Someone ordered this.

Someone will buy this.
 

And the'se people Vote.

Recipes - Latin-inspired dinner

We've chosen Peruvian Roasted Chicken several times at Peruvian restaurants over the past six months or so. While this chicken didn't necessarily replicate what we've had, it was certainly easy and delicious, and we'll be making it again.


LATIN-INSPIRED ROASTED CHICKEN 

5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped (I used jarred)
salt
 4-pound whole chicken
1 lemon, cut into quarters (I subbed bottled lemon juice)
3 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. white wine
2 T. oil
2 T. paprika
1-1/2 T. ground cumin
2 t. pepper
1/2 t. dried oregano

1. Using the flat side of the knife’s blade, scrape and chop and mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a paste.

2. Pull off any excess fat surrounding the cavity of the chicken and discard it. Rinse and pat the chicken dry, inside and out, and place the chicken on a plate. Rub the chicken all over with 2 of the lemon quarters, then discard the lemon quarters.

3. Slip a finger under the chicken skin at the edge of the cavity and run it along the breasts and thighs to gently loosen the skin. Gently work a little of the garlic paste between the chicken skin and meat, being careful not to tear the skin and rubbing your hand along the surface of the skin to smooth the paste and push it past where you can reach with your hand.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, the wine, the oil, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and oregano. Place the chicken in a 2-gallon resealable bag and pour the marinade on top. Turn the bird several times to coat. Seal the bag or cover the chicken and refrigerate for 5 to 8 hours, turning the chicken once or twice if you think of it. (Marinade time was key!)

5. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.

6. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish, roasting pan, or heavy frying pan, pouring the marinade into a small bowl and scraping any thick bits of spices that cling to the container into the bowl. Squeeze the 2 remaining lemon quarters into the cavity of the bird and toss the lemon quarters into the cavity. If desired, tie the legs together with kitchen string. Season the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon of salt.

7. Roast the bird in the oven for 15 minutes, then baste with some of the marinade. Reduce the heat to 375ºF and continue to roast, basting every 20 minutes with the marinade and the pan juices, for an hour. (I just basted at first 15 minutes only.) Discard the marinade. Then roast for 15 minutes more, for a total of 1 1/2 hours, until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165ºF (74°C). Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven.


SWEET CORN CAKES 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 egg whites
3 egg yolks
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. fresh white corn (about 2 cups), processed in food processor until very fine (I used one can of sweet yellow corn drained)
2 t. baking powder
2 T. flour

Grease bottom of 9" round pan, or use parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350.

Whip butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one by one, and then add the cream cheese. Whip at high speed for five minutes. Stir in corn, baking powder, and flour.

Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and firm. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.


AVOCADO SALAD

Everyone liked this. It was reminiscent of guacamole, except that the avocado was not mashed.

3 avocados, cut into cubes
3/4 of a small red onion, very thinly sliced and soaked in ice water for 10 minutes to lessen its bite
3 T. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, or to taste
3 T. lime juice 3 T. olive oil
Coarse sea salt, to taste

Place avocado, onion, and cilantro in a bowl. In a separate bowl, blend lime, oil, and salt; pour over avocado mixture, toss gently, and serve.

---------------------------------------------
Original recipes found here and here. 

Tuesday's sky

After the rain.

First game of the season

We play at different fields for spring and fall. While the fall fields are further away and parking is scarce, I love the location. The train tracks run alongside the fields, and the medivac helicopter base is just over the fence.

 

  Headed to the hospital

 Trevor was a line judge in an earlier game.

 

"NO media allowed!" 

(Not really, Robert was doing who-knows-what.)

For the past couple of years, we played the same team each opening game. The schedule changed this season.

And we lost a game that we probably shouldn't have. But we already have a feeling we'll meet up for another battle on the last night of games.

And hopefully, I'll remember to bring my camera. My phone is very handy, but it's not always the best substitute.

Continues . . .

Holly, fanning herself: Oh, I'm so hot!

Trevor:  In your dreams.

Trevor the comedian

Robert:  Where's my tea?  Where did my Earl Gray go?

Trevor: It all went to your head. 

(Gray, get it?)

Robert (not laughing): Who took my tea?  (Rummaging through cabinet.) I've lost my tea!

Trevor: So?  I've lost my Q.

-----------------------------

And Trevor's still alive.  Robert even made tea for him--but not Earl Gray, which is fine, since Trevor doesn't like E.G.

Sign of the times

When Holly and I toured a couple of colleges up in DC awhile back, I was happy to see this sign.  It was right next to the elevator at the hotel.  I thought it was kind of silly, but I was happy to take advantage of the close parking spot.

Checks in the mail

In a not so surprising "coincidence," one part of Obamacare that has already gone into effect mandates health insurance companies to rebate money to customers if the insurance company does not spend a minimum of 80-85% of premiums directly on medical benefits.

(No wonder the entire bill is more than 2700 pages, right?)

So I got my Obamacare refund last month.

 

Yep. A whopping $9.21.

I'm going to take a guess and say this is the stupidest thing that will happen to me this year.

Robert suggested I give it to Romney.  

So I did. I endorsed it to Romney Victory Fund and mailed it off.  

Oh, yes, I did.

 

It wasn't a lot of money, but it was the principle of the whole thing, and I wish it were more.

Recipe - Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken and Bok Choy Salad

This chicken immediately became a favorite of Holly and Trevor's.  It does not need to cook all day, and in fact will take on a mealy texture when it overcooks.  I found cooking at four hours was sufficient, no longer.

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken


12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds) (I've been boning and skinning my own)
1/3 c. sugar
3/4 c. soy sauce
6 T. vinegar
3/4 t. ground ginger
3/4 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. pepper
1-1/2 T. cornstarch
1-1/2 T. cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice

Place chicken in slow cooker.  In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender.  Remove chicken to a serving platter; break chicken up into smaller pieces while moving to platter, and then keep warm.  Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Combine cornstarch and water until smooth.  Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickened.  Serve chicken with rice.


*     *     *

Trevor's been seeing bok choy around, and I happened upon this recipe.  The bok choy was good, very similar to romaine lettuce, perhaps a little heartier but still mild tasting.  It's the first time we've ever eaten it, a good introduction.

Bok Choy Salad

1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil (who uses this, I just sub regular canola)
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. sliced almonds
1/4 c. sesame seeds
2 (3-oz.) packages of ramen noodles, crushed (I crush while in the packaging)
1 med. head of bok choy, chopped
3 green onions

Whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar, soy sauce for dressing; set aside. 

Melt butter on medium heat in small skillet.  Add crushed ramen noodles. Saute until golden brown; drain on paper towels.

Mix bok choy, green onions, and nuts in a large bowl.  Just before serving, add dressing, sprinkle with the noodle mixture, toss well, and serve cold.

(Original recipe called for twice as much sugar. The recipe calls for the nuts to cook with the noodles in the butter, but I didn't find that necessary.  The first time, I didn't have sesame seeds and instead doubled my almonds.  Another time, I used a mix of almonds, sunflower seeds, and sesame.)

 

Super moon

A super cool photo of the moon last month.  I can't remember if Holly got this or if I did while we were stopped at the red light.

Visit to Callaway

We moved to Virginia five years ago. We moved from Callaway two years ago. Even though I go out to Franklin County three times a week, I haven't been past the town of Rocky Mount or by our old house in two years.

Robert and I went out to see the house, as our tenants just moved.  It's such beautiful country, so serene.

 I probably should have taken a picture of the house, but the front yard was very overgrown and neglected-looking.  I was very pleased with the condition of the inside though. Between the walls, wood floors, countertops, you'd never guess someone else has lived in it for the past two years.  They did have dogs that peed on the carpet, so that had to be replaced. Even so, that's something I can live with, considering the way the rest of the house looked.

We'd love to sell it, but that's not happening right now. However, the rental market is on fire. The new people have already moved in.

I'm glad they only have fish and a frog, no dogs or cats.

And I was happy and relived a bit to find that I don't miss living out there at all. I still have some weird feelings about the whole thing. We laughingly call it our "lost years," and yet it was such an amazing time of bonding for our family. I wouldn't trade it for anything, yet I'm so thankful to be where we are now.

My birthday

My birthday was the week before Trevor's. We had a quiet day at home. I considered planning something, but it had been yet another crazy busy week, and it seemed that we would more appreciate not being on the run yet again. Trevor made Eggs Benedict for me for breakfast.

This kid amazes me. And feeds me.

I opened their gifts: DK perfume, a Lysa TerKeurst book (amazing that Trevor remembered her name!!!!), a car cradle to make it easy to use my phone as a GPS.

 Holly and Trevor suggested we go to the mall, so we did.

We all went to dinner at our favorite local Mexican restaurant, Alejandro's.

 Holly and Robert baked a cake for me the following day.

A sweet friend blessed me with this.

Next year, I'm counting on being able to celebrate my forties again--starting back at age 41.

The new school year and curriculum

I've been somewhat consistent posting this each year in the past, so here goes:

Holly:

As I wrote earlier, Holly will be taking two community college courses, counting as dual enrollment for both high school and college credit.  So far, it's been great.  She's taking Chinese online and spent a few hours last week familiarizing herself with the website, format, and class materials.  She's already turned in a few assignments, and she expressed appreciation at receiving both a grading rubric and a study guide to prepare for her final. The class will meet once a week online, and also team up with language/study partners.

At this writing, she's only had one English class so far. She liked the teacher immediately, and she liked her even more when the teacher said she's not big on homework.  Huh.  I was kind of hoping for that!  Looking at the College Composition course syllabus, it appears it will be an easy class.

English and Chinese are this semester; next semester, she'll be taking Chinese II and a geography course.  Each semester will count as one high school credit.

She's using Lial's Intermediate Algebra by Lial for Algebra II.  This textbook is for use in college remedial math, written directly to the student, with great explanations.  Holly used this series for Algebra I, and I'm sold on it.

She'll also be taking Driver's Ed and counting a P.E. credit.  On paper, it seems like a rather light year, but  in reality, it hasn't been yet and won't be. She's in the final prep for her ACT next week and will retake the SAT in October.  We're also considering the SAT Subject Test in Spanish for November (which will give a back up for a Spanish credit). We've been planning on some sort of community service (honestly, just to have it on a transcript), and she'll be in the throes of college applications shortly.

Trevor:


Trevor is beginning 9th  grade. I'd been praying for something that would be interesting and yet still challenge him.  He'll be using My Father's World Ancient History and Literature. It uses Notgrass's Exploring World History as a spine, spreading it out over a two year span. There are a dozen other books included, so while Trev will still be reading a lot, it will be pages here, pages there, going from selected books each day.  The actual schedule is a bit ??? to get used to (think Sonlight's), but he's already getting the hang of it, and it will give him the independence he needs to achieve his own goals for high school.

We toyed with the idea of using Life of Fred for math, but in the end, I chose the sure thing, Introductory Algebra, again by Lial, the same series Holly is using.  In addition to the textbook (which is written directly to the student), Trevor will be taking an online class once a week for additional instruction. Jann's held my hand through Lial's in the past. I'm thrilled he's in this class, and while he was looking forward to Fred, I think he's pretty on board with this option too.  (I would consider the AlgII class for Holly, but she's already started her math, and the timing would be a conflict for us too.)

With his MFW schedule, I'm not ready to also throw in Biology. That will wait until next year.  Meanwhile, we've talked in the past about him pursuing a subject in which he's passionate and making it into a class.  Hello, Molecular Gastronomy!  Using Alton Brown's show, following up with cooking labs, and tossing in a few additional resources, Trevor will enjoy this science credit.

He'll also be finishing up the second Fallacy Detective book to gain a half credit in Logic, and will count a P.E. credit.  We are considering a foreign language but will wait for everything else to settle down before making a final decision.

And that's it.  Seems a lot shorter than my curriculum-for-the-year posts in the past!

Trevor's birthday suit

As he was coming out of his room, he warned us that he was in his birthday suit.

I know. I about had a heart attack too. Whew!

Fall-ing

The start of fall soccer season. Robert's continuing to coach Holly and Trevor's team. We brought the new doggie. Oh my goodness, she's so stinkin' cute!! She's been carsick in the past, so Holly told Robert he could sit in back with the dog, just in case.

Lakota did well at soccer. We knew she would. I walked with her quite a bit, which she liked. The biggest problem, really, is that she is so cute, everyone is drawn to her. She's friendly enough, and gentle, but she's not lovey-dovey. And she did fine in the car, did not get sick, further confirming our thought that her poor health condition caused her earlier carsickness.

NO idea what he was thinking!

We have a few new players this year, and it was *wonderful* to catch up with a favorite family who is now a part of our team.

School starts early

For as long as I can remember, we've always started school after Labor Day.  This year was different; we began on Monday.

Holly is taking two classes through the local community college. Those classes began this week.  One is online; she's been working on it since Tuesday.  The other is a regular class, in a classroom.  Yesterday was her first day there.  She's enjoying both.

This is Trevor's first year as a high schooler. That means credits, finishing up curriculum, or at least completing a year's worth of work, to satisfy credit requirements. 

It seemed best to go ahead and get started.  It was a fun week, although we just got our feet wet.  Trevor and I only did a brief orientation together on Monday; he had Wednesday and Thursday off for his birthday.  Neither of the kids has their full schedule yet, but I think we'll be going full steam in another two weeks.

I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but that doesn't make me happy.  I'm enjoying the tunnel just fine, thank you very much.

We're here, we're here!

It's been a crazy busy summer, and I continue to hope to catch up on blog posts soon.

We're celebrating Trevor's birthday this week (along with the first week of school and Holly beginning a few dual enrollment college courses). Kurt came over on Wednesday. The boys were happy to grab a movie from the library, buy a game at GameStop, and hang out all day. Trevor is such a sweetie. I asked him if he was sure he didn't want to do something different to mark his day. He replied that it was already perfect, spending it with Kurt. (lovey dovey mom-face-swoon)  When Kurt's parents came to pick him up, they stayed for dinner.

Later that night, Holly and I (true to form, last minute) went to wrap Trevor's presents. I admitted that a couple of things had fallen through (including something he'd ordered online just that day), and that we only had two small gifts for Trevor to open. Holly was aghast at my unpreparedness--she understands the gift love language, and I clearly don't. I suggested we take a middle-of-the-night run to Walmart, so we left the house at 1:00 a.m. Seriously, a fun time, and it was definitely the best time to shop, with easy parking and no lines!

Trevor opened his gifts in the morning, including money gifts from relatives, a cool backrest/pillow that Holly'd chosen, new set of earbuds, GameStop gift card, Mythbusters t-shirt, and video game magazine.

Trevor's depended on me for the past several years to come through with whatever cake request he makes. Considering that Holly's first birthday cake was such an epic fail, and I didn't dare attempt another homemade cake for nine years, I'm really proud of what I've been able to accomplish more recently in the baking/decorating department. This year was no different, with his wish for a "chocolate chip cookie dough cake." How do you get raw cookie dough in cake? I found an awesome recipe online. The killer was that the cake had four separate, all time consuming, components, but it was well worth my effort.

(Silly blogger formatting, I can't get that to re-center.)

We went to dinner at Trevor's favorite Hibachi Buffet and came home for little, itty-bitty pieces of cake.

I made the two cakes, the buttercream frosting, the fake cookie dough balls for the filling (no eggs), and the real cookie dough for the outside decorations.

A lovely birthday; I can't believe my "baby" is 14 and towers over me.

New nails

Sally Hansen Metallic Nail Polish.

I saw this in a magazine and bought it at the store.  Paint nails with one coat; let dry.  Top with second coat, and hold the metallic jar lid right over your nail to achieve the effect.  The polish contains metal pieces.  Soooo cool!!

Life at my house

Yes. When you put it that way, I can see why they really wanted to buy me a new summer robe for Mother's Day.  Too bad they couldn't find one that I liked.  You'd think it'd be easy, right?

And more book reviews

Tiger Trap: America's Secret Spy War With China by David Wise

Fascinating tale of counterintelligence in our country.  I'm not a fan of fiction spy stories, but this is the real thing. Unfortunately, it did not leave me with a great sense of security with our over-bureaucratic government . . .

Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and His Military Working Dog by Mike Dowling

Beautiful story about a marine and his bomb sniffing dog. While I didn't appreciate the loads of unnecessary swear words, I was left with further admiration and respect for our military.

Right after I finished this book, the dog, Sergeant Rex, was in the news. Following Rex's time with author Dowling, he was assigned to Corporal Megan Leavey. This team survived an IED hit, ending Leavey's career.  Rex continued working until a recent retirement and was due to be put down. Leavey intervened and was able to permanently adopt the dog.

A happy tale with a continued good ending.


Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

EXCELLENT, excellent book. I can't say anything more eloquently than the wonderful reviews, but I would highly recommend this book to ANYone who has an introvert in their life.  (Yes, that is everyone.) You'll wish you'd have read it sooner.  Surely one of the best books I've read, and will read, this year. I've already recommended it several times.


God's Story, Your Story by Max Lucado

I usually enjoy Max, but this book was completely unmemorable. 

God's Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America by Hanna Rosin

What happens when a small, conservative Christian college allows a skeptical, liberal mocker campus privileges for a year?  You get a piece of carp book like this.  Why on earth the school would permit this is beyond me, but this was "journalism" at its worst.  The only lesson here is what impartial reporting isn't, and what direction the media has taken in the past few decades under the false heading of "journalism."  (See anything by Michael Moore, etc.)


The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore

This is a half-autobiographical story about two fatherless boys with the same name, who were born in the same year and grew up within blocks of each other in Baltimore.  Both continued to struggle throughout their childhoods while their mothers struggled to make ends meet.  As adults, one became a Rhodes scholar.  The other is a convicted murderer serving a life sentence.

From the author: "The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his."




We Lived in a Little Cabin in the Yard by Belinda Hurmence

A collection of oral histories taken by former slaves who'd lived in Virginia.  It was a short read, very interesting.  Would be much less relevant to anyone not in this area.

Swagger: 10 Urgent Rules for Raising Boys in an Era of Failing Schools, Mass Joblessness, and Thug Culture by Lisa Bloom

While I am interested in the premise of this book (the culture in which American boys are now growing up), my enthusiasm dampened quickly as the author began, in Chapter 1, by blaming the school system. Ultimately, she blamed slashes in school budgets: "[Teachers] know state funding isn't there for them or their classrooms full of kids.)"  Five minutes of research will show anyone that more money does not equal better schools. Way too much crap and liberal nonsense for me, end of story. 



Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers
Man of the Family
and Fields of Home by Ralph Moody


This series begins in the Littleton area 100 years ago. I've wanted to read it for years and was not disappointed.  It can best be described as a Little House on the Prairie book for boys. Ralph is 8 when his family moves from New York to Colorado in an effort to help his father's tuberculosis.  They rent a ranch southwest of Denver and begin their new life.  My familiarity with the location magnified how vastly different our lifestyle has changed in just 100 years.

The series continues with Ralph's family's move from the ranch to the town of Littleton.  As I read the book, I kept returning to the internet to look for maps, as I already know some of buildings and blocks to which he referred.  I have always enjoyed reading about places I know.

I am still unsure which book is next in the series.  It seems that the books may not have been written in chronological order.  This third book I've read follows Ralph as he lives with his grandfather in Maine after his mother takes the children from Colorado under the cover of darkness.

Ralph Moody's story is inspiring.  With a minimal formal education, Ralph's goal was to earn $50,000 by age 50 to permit him time to write. He enrolled in a writing class, eventually publishing 19 books.  Littleton Public School's Ralph Moody Elementary stands today as a tribute to this famous hometown author.

Trevor's encampment / grad

Back to playing blog catch up!  I thought I'd do this when the kids were gone, but I only "thought" about it.

Trevor's encampment.  He had an amazing time.  He was gone for eight nights, during which time we had no contact at all with him.  I worried.  It was very hot and muggy that week, low 90s.  And I worried more.  We were able to glimpse him a few times through photos that were posted by CAP leadership. This was my favorite. On Day 4, he was still? finally? smiling and happy.

 I couldn't WAIT to see my kid again!

Holly even chose car time over sleep to see Trev's graduation ceremony. Due to the huge "derecho" storm that hit the mid-Atlantic Friday night, we were still without power when we drove to the base on Sunday morning.   As we drove east, we were surprised by the enormity of the storm damage (downed trees, reports of power outages, no ice).

When the got there, the group was lining up to march into the stadium.

It was very difficult to pick out just one person, but we finally saw Trevor very close to the front.

Baking hot.  Robert settled under trees on one end, Holly and I went to a hill on the other.

Due to the excessive heat,the usually 30-40 minute ceremony was cut down to less than half.

I was able to spot Trevor this time!

The families were kept back behind a road while the cadets signed out and said their goodbyes. Everyone was trying to spot their own kids; it was pretty entertaining.

And there he is!

Wonderful to have my boy young man back home!  He had an amazing time and is considering applying for a staff position so he can return next year.  He was looking forward to coming home to an air conditioned house and long showers.  Uh, no a/c here, and while he can shower as long as he likes, the water's cold.  We returned home to find our water shut off until the following day (as our water district waited for generators to come from Florida), and our power stayed out for three more days.  He was still happy to be home!

Click here for lotsandlotsandlots of photos taken during encampment week.

Holly & Trevor final trip update

I don't think I knew that they also had gone to the movies on Friday night.

Saturday, (Robert's brother) Mike and (wife) Val picked up Holly, Trevor, and Grandma. They drove up to Sequim and ate at the Oak Table Cafe before heading over to Dungeness Spit.  This trip holds a special memory for me:  Mike and Val took me and Robert out here 20? 21? years ago. Robert had had a moustache as long as I'd known him, and he spent time in the car looking in the rearview mirror, with his finger across his lip, trying to see what he'd look like.  We have some romantically gushy pictures of us on the spit. When we got home to Mike and Val's, he shaved without telling anyone.  Silly little things I remember . . .   They went to the movies later on Saturday night also.

On Sunday, they went down to Point Defiance and the zoo.  I guess Grandma got separated from the group, and when she told the park officials that she'd lost her grandkids, they almost went into a high alert. Hahaha!

Mike and Val picked Holly and Trevor up Monday and took the ferry to Seattle. The one thing Holly wanted to do during her trip was to tour UW, and this was the only day that it worked with their schedule and the school's tour schedule.  The tour lasted just over two hours. It was the first time Trevor had tagged along, so I'm interested to hear what he thought!  They visited a giant Asian store that both kids loved. I don't know if they ate there? I know they ate Asian food at least four or five times during the course of their visit.

Mike took them to the airport on Tuesday morning. Just as they arrived, I learned that their flight was going to be an hour late, which would make them miss their connecting flight.  UNBELIEVABLE.  After major scrambling (by Mike and Robert) and major panic (by me) and here-we-go-again (by Holly and Trevor), their flight ended up changing one day later.  Mike took them back to Grandma's house, and they went out to a peaceful dinner by the water.  (Isn't that whole area so beautiful with the water everywhere?) I am so appreciative of Mike's and Jean's abilities to quickly adapt to the change and keeping the kids as stress free as possible.

Bless Mike for taking them again today.  I know how much he loathes driving in that awful rush hour traffic.  They ended up on an earlier flight, which was fine with them--they were much more comfortable with a longer layover, preferring it to shorter travel time and worrying about rushing.

As I'm typing, they have just gotten on their flight in Chicago and will be home in two hours.

Believe me, I can't WAIT!!!!!!

Oldie but goodie

Like the old people we apparently now are, Robert was reminiscing about a dinner I'd cooked.  He couldn't tell me exactly when I'd made it (here in VA? In Colorado Springs? In Littleton?), only that it had peanut butter and noodles and tasted like Thai.  And red pepper flakes. And he wanted me to make it again.

I honestly couldn't believe he was talking about something more than ten years ago. Not to mention, I was reluctant to make anything we liked back then--I find that my taste evolves.  What I used to love, I don't care for quite as much several years later.

But in an effort to relive our youth, and to promote marital joy, I gave it a shot.  This is a recipe from Good Housekeeping magazine.  In 1993.  (Just to prove how tastes change, I now refuse to read this awful magazine; I get it in the mail for free occasionally, and I throw it out without opening it.)

THAI SHRIMP and SESAME NOODLES

1 lb. medium shrimp, cleaned (I prefer to buy cooked)
16 oz. bottle of Newman's Own Italian Dressing*
1/4 c. chunky peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. honey
2 t. grated fresh gingerroot

2 T. sesame oil
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
16 oz. box of angel hair pasta
cilantro, chopped


In a small bowl, toss shrimp with about 1/3 bottle of dressing; marinate one hour in fridge.  In another small bowl, mix remaining salad dressing, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.  Prepare pasta; when done, drain well.  Return to pan, toss with peanut butter mix, shrimp in dressing, and cilantro over low heat until shrimp is heated through.  Makes 4 main dish servings.

*This recipe is a Newman's Own ingredient winner, back when it was a new thing

(recipe amounts already tweaked to suit us)

19 years later, this recipe is still great. I'm sure the kids will love it--Holly can easily pick out he shrimp. It can be a new staple for us, and we'll all be very happy.

Holly and Trevor trip report #4

Dave and Barb took Holly and Trevor up into the mountains for the afternoon. They played frisbee golf (camping? at B&D's?); Trevor made a tomahawk. They ate steak, baked potatoes and salad with their fingers as they forgot silverware! They were bit by bugs. They had a blast!

Yesterday, they made the 3.5 hour car drive longer by hitting Seattle during rush hour traffic on their way to Robert's mom's house.  They went out to pizza for dinner. They were sad to report no cell service at Grandma's, and no computer. 

They were up bright and early today, stopped at Mike and Val's, took the ferry over to Seattle, went to the top of the Space Needle, the Dale Chihuly museum, and to Pike Place Market for a late lunch/early dinner.  Barb and Dave will head home after dropping Jean (Robert's mom), Holly and Trevor off at the ferry terminal to catch the ferry back to Port Orchard.

I'm getting occasional photos and bursts of messages.  Makes me happy.

Holly & Trevor trip report #3

Mike, my mom, and the kids took the morning ferry from Friday Harbor to Sidney, BC.  It was a little drizzly. They drove over to Victoria, ate Thai? food for lunch, and visited the Royal BC Museum and planetarium.  They checked into their hotel, toured Butchart Gardens, where they ate dinner and stayed for the nighttime fireworks show.

They went out to brunch Sunday morning, walked along the waterfront in Victoria, ate a late lunch in Sidney, and caught the evening ferry back to Friday Harbor.

On Monday, they caught up with laundry, drove up to Roche Harbor, and just in general spent the day relaxing a bit.

(My info may be off. This is a combination of what I can recall and what I pieced together. So there ya go--somewhat telling, I think!)

They got in the ferry line Tuesday morning and ate breakfast before leaving the island.  They met up with Robert's sister Barb in Monroe. My mom and Mike returned home; Holly and Trevor went up to Leavenworth with Barb.  They stopped at a candy store and went through the town before heading to Barb and Dave's.  They ate dinner at a sushi/Thai restaurant and crashed.

They'd planned to go camping tonight, but with the night time thunderstorms (so rare there!), they decided to just camp for the afternoon and cook out.

-----------------------------------
That's the last I heard from anyone, although it's just dusk there, and I'm about to go to bed here.

I spent the day working on course descriptions and cleaning Holly's room.  Someone asked me why *I* was cleaning *her* room.  I used to take advantage of the time she was gone to just go through everything, and it's gotten to be a habit.  I don't think she really minds it much anymore.  It's just something we've both come to expect when she's gone. In fact, Robert was the one who asked me when I was going to clean her room this week!

After the past week of mostly eating like old people (sandwiches and leftovers kind of food), Robert and I went out to Alejandro's, our fave Mexican place.

Holly and Trevor trip report #2

Big thunderstorms all through Thursday night, unusual for the West coast.  Rainy Friday in what is usually the "banana belt" area.  Change of plans due to weather resulted in touring the islands via interisland ferry.

Storms on the mainland knocked out island power at 9:15 p.m.  (What is it with my kid and losing power lately?) Power was restored in the middle of the night. They took the ferry Saturday morning to Sidney, BC and will spend the night in Victoria before returning to Friday Harbor on Sunday evening. I checked the Victoria webcam, and the sky is clear and blue, yippee!

Holly and Trevor trip report

It's odd with both of them gone at the same time.  I'm not there to take pictures, but Holly is finally using her "new" camera.  I want to record what they are doing here so they will remember some of the details in the years to come.

------------------------------

They left San Juan Island.  In a small plane.  With an instructor.  And Trevor flying the plane.


Apparently this is where all of the video gaming skills pay off, right?

Trevor flew the plane.

Trevor took off, Trevor landed.  Trevor learned how to get out of stalls--after slowing the plane down and tipping the nose up so the air can't flow over the wings.  Holly found it all great fun.

Trevor flew the plane.

They flew around the beautiful San Juan Islands. I can't wait to see her photos.  The views are stunning.

(taken from the web)

 Trevor flew the plane.

(Mom hyperventilates, falls off chair, hits head, passes out.)

---------------------------

They went to the yacht club for dinner.  They "saw whales."  I don't know how many, how close, or what they saw, but seeing whales is the perfect cherry on top of an already amazing day! After dinner, they walked around the docks a bit.

And Trevor flew the plane.

----------------------------

Follow up note:  The plane was a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. :D

Seasoning of travelers

Holly and Trevor flew to Seattle yesterday. Here are a few highlights.

As we had to get up at 3:30 a.m., Holly chose not to go to sleep the night before. She stays up late anyway and figured the few hours of sleep were not worth having to wake up.  I supported her decision.

Everyone else woke up between 3:30-4; left house at 4:40, arrived at airport at 5. Roanoke is a small airport but many of its flights leave 6-7, we had to wait in line. Robert and I were not allowed past security (where there were more lines).

Plane is one hour late leaving, one hour late arriving in Chicago, giving kids about 8 minutes to catch shuttle bus to another concourse for connected flight.

Miss connecting flight. Get on standby list for next flight.  Don't make the cut.  Can't remember if there was a second standby list that they did not make.

Holly and Trevor go to United Service Center and request change of airline in attempt to get to Seattle before 11pm (the only flight on which they do have confirmed seats). I continue to advise them to tell people they are only 13 and 17. Holly later tells me that many of the travelers with issues are about her age.

Meanwhile, Robert confirms seats for them on American flight leaving at 12:45.  Holly and Trevor successfully navigate "the world's busiest airport" to find yet a third terminal.  Upon arriving at the gate, they learn, yes, they have seats but cannot get on until the payment comes through from United to actually PAY for the seats.

Robert begins a series of phone calls, with one airline on one phone line, second airline on the other phone line.  He goes to neighbor's house to use their phone to call his sister, who also begins calling for supervisors from her end.

Holly and Trevor wait at the gate while people are given standby seats.  Plane is delayed 30 minutes.  I tell her this may work in her favor, giving Robert and airlines more time to iron out problem.

I've been at work this whole time. Thankfully, everyone there is soooo understanding. I'm on my phone constantly with kids and Robert and my mom/Mike, on the computer looking at flights, getting minimal library work done.

I have been unable to reach Robert via phone for the last hour. He emails me that he's still on the phones. I pass on to kids via text.

Holly is ready to give up and just take that last, guaranteed flight.  Her bigger concern is her checked bag.

Holly finally advises they got their tickets but there are no seats left on plane, American seeing what it "can do."

They get first class seats on plane, front row.  Warmed nuts--the kind Trevor is not allergic to! Endless drinks (uh, soda here, thanks).  Quesadilla for lunch.  Holly slept and missed the cookie giveout.

Landed at 3:30, found Mom and Mike, found baggage easily, joined Seattle rush hour traffic. Stopped at Ivar's for dinner, made the 8:20 ferry to San Juan Island-which must have been a beautiful way to end the day!

Holly commented that she is scarred for life.  Both she and Trevor were definitely stretched!  I'm thankful that they now have the confidence of knowing they can work their way through a completely unfamiliar situation that would challenge any experienced adult traveler.  And I'm thankful that they had the nice reward of the big comfy seats in first class after waiting so patiently, knowing they were losing their seats.

I'll be praying that the return trip home is uneventful. :/

New favorite salad dressing

First tried this while visiting Bethlehem in April.

Now Holly won't even eat anything else on her salad.

Good stuff, and I bet it'd be good on a fajita-style salad too.

Lights out

A storm blew halfway across the country on Friday, wreaking havoc.  We lost power at 9pm on Friday.  After realizing it would not be on anytime soon, I began taking a few notes:

Sunday, Day 2 without power

Picked up Trevor. No ice in Lynchburg, but we found it in Farmville, two hours away. Got home early afternoon to find water shut off. Crazy!

Ice cream turned to milkshake consistency, so it was a free for all!

We drove around looking at damage in the neighborhood. We are lucky. So many trees down, some taking out sheds; many across roads; one went through a house a few blocks away. We lost a big limb in the backyard—thankfully, it fell right between two neighbors' fences, instead of on either.

 Hard to see in this pic, the blue tarp on the right is covering a big hole in the roof. There were some of the biggest trees we've ever seen blown over in this yard, with another blocking most of the road.

We'd already considered going out to dinner at Alejandro's, but the lack of water completely cinched that decision.

Kids slept downstairs in the basement.

Monday, Day 3 without power

We got water from a nearby creek and can flush toilets. This makes us very happy.

While we are getting our newspaper, I'm getting many more current updates from my dad (who lives in Phoenix). Local radio stations are still out. Dad told me that our water should be back on today. I found out that the water district is getting in six generators from Florida to crutch our system through until power is restored.

I took the kids to a nearby library so we could plug in for awhile.

Water came back around 6pm. Yippee!!! The first thing I did was wash dishes.

We are slowly emptying fridge/freezer. Robert made amazing french fries on the barbeque—not bad, considering they'd defrosted! He used a pan, and also bbqed hotdogs, so we had what basically amounted to salchipapas. Dessert was a frozen coconut cream pie that had also defrosted.

I continue to think about the 350 families in Colorado who would love to return to their homes, even without power or water. Instead, their homes burned to the ground. It puts things in perspective, that's for sure.

We continue to be told that power in our county should be restored on Saturday. (Yes, that means it will have been out for eight days.)

Tuesday, Day 4 without power

The first two days, I missed my morning coffee the most, followed distantly by the dishwasher.

The top of my list today would probably be cold food. A washer and dryer. And still coffee, definitely coffee.

Kids came with me to work all day. They stayed cool and plugged in.

Robert did laundry at the laundromat, found dry and regular ice and set up a series of coolers in the kitchen.

Holly and Trevor leave in eight days for Seattle. I realized we really have to get our state mandated (homeschooling) testing done asap. As in tomorrow.

Wednesday, Day 5 without power

A bit of relief from the heat, relatively. The house got down to 76 degrees, but it's pretty humid out. Most of our neighbors have left. I think we are one of two families still here at the end of our street. Some other yahoo neighbor is running a generator 24/7. Sounds like a tractor under my window. Holly continues to sleep in the basement, and Robert has slept down there for the past two nights.

Cleaned out the refrigerator this morning and discovered that we have loads of condiments. I don't think refrigeration is that vital to most of my condiments, so having lots of them is a good thing. Trevor had two pickles with (not for!) breakfast.

I am really proud of both kids for hanging in there with this. They don't even complain about cold showers, taking them regularly.

At 5:00 tonight, the power kicked back on! Woohoo! This was totally unexpected. Definitely the first thing we used/appreciated was the A/C. And lights! Trevor mentioned his wish to take a hot shower (although he'd taken a cold one just a few hours earlier).

What I really didn't miss: socializing on the internet. Yes, I missed getting my news, but that was it, and that surprises me. Holly, Trevor and I played more board games, and I liked that.  It wasn't all bad.

So we had a delayed/laid back 4^th of July. We ate the corned beef that had defrosted this week. Robert had cooked it in a pot on the barbeque. No side dishes (!), although Robert ate a few stalks of celery, and I made horseradish sauce for the meat. We drank the red/white/blue drinks since we had ice. I made 4^th of July brownies, but it will be very late (11pm) by the time we eat them.

Back to regular life tomorrow.