the write place

self-publishing

2012-02-11T22:18:00.002-06:00

Who Roars? is the title of the book my 4-year-old made today. He drew the pictures, got my help stapling the pages together, and asked his daddy to label the lion, bear, tiger, crocodile and dragon. Then he colored all the animals. "I published a book today," he said. He thought maybe he could sell it to the library so other people could check it out.

groundhog's day

2012-02-02T22:33:00.001-06:00

I think my older brother was in kindergarten the year he decided to have a Groundhog's Day party. On February 1st, he called up one of our grandmothers and invited her over. She came the next day, along with several of her daughters. I don't think we did anything specifically related to groundhogs, but it was an excuse to get together.

I told my son this story and he was ready to call up his grandpa and invite him to a Groundhog's Day party. Too bad we live so far away (and grandpa is so tied down with dairy farming.)

flat adverbs

2012-01-30T21:41:00.001-06:00

is it "Drive safe." Or "Drive safely"?

invention

2012-01-27T21:16:00.004-06:00

"I'm going to make an invention - an owie stopper," my four-year-old announced. Minutes later he held up a contraption of string and various other bits from around the house.

"How does it work?" I asked.

"You put it on your skin and it stops the owie."

winter

2012-01-21T18:13:00.004-06:00

makes us want
to hide
inside

going to the beach

2012-01-20T22:21:00.013-06:00

We learned about this book at story time yesterday. (Our librarian, who said she doesn't like winter, planned a winter "escape" with the books she selected.) My son liked the guessing element to the text. We both like the illustrations and the story line. Apparently, there is a monolingual as well as a bilingual version of the book.

how to add a novel element to dinner:

2012-01-12T21:01:00.003-06:00

pull out the chopsticks!

(We've got a full semester of long Wednesdays and Thursdays in front of us since my husband has class till 9 p.m. both evenings. I welcome suggestions for how to keep a 4-year-old and a 17-month old entertained on those long days.)

though it's not my "default" thought pattern,

2012-01-08T10:35:00.004-06:00

today I choose faith over fear

the wrong season, but the right price

2012-01-07T22:20:00.003-06:00

Today I went to the Land's End "Not Quite Perfect Store" looking for a sweater but I came out with new swimwear. Too bad it'll be months before I can use it.

2012

2012-01-03T22:18:00.001-06:00

The new year is a good time to put aside the old. This year I intend to put aside two things: worry and raising my voice with my kids.

It also seems like it's time to upgrade. I want to replace my current writing gig as well as our insurance coverage.

Then, we need to select a school for our son (so we can put an application in a year from now.)

What are you going to put aside, replace or select this year?

fun, novel snack

2011-12-29T20:19:00.002-06:00

When we stayed over at my sister's house earlier this week we all piled in her car and took a drive to Browerville to visit Cherry Grove Market. It's a quaint hometown grocery store with a decent selection of baked goods, bulk foods and deli items.

We bought some okra chips, which we first learned of from my brother Tim. He gave us a bag of them he couldn't finish himself. Perhaps an acquired taste, okra chips have a mild flavor but none of the texture you typically associate with okra, thanks to drying. They are lightly salted, but the term "chip" is misleading because they are essentially whole dried okra, bearing little resemblance to a standard chip.

library club

2011-12-22T21:32:00.002-06:00

Just read an inspiring story about an intermediate school librarian who's instilling a love of reading in many students while helping them develop leadership skills.

Christmas cards

2011-12-20T21:57:00.000-06:00

This week I found a bunch of cards at the thrift and have been madly writing them out in all my spare moments. Next, I'm going to tuck in photos and send them on their way.

I like this season because lots of people who rarely if ever write a letter might send something my way. With the help of photo cards and laser printers, though, some never even lift a pen. I guess I shouldn't be picky, but I much prefer the cards that have a personal touch, a sentence scrawled on the bottom or at least a hand-written address on the envelope. Is that so last-century?

full time parent? what else is there?

2011-12-16T22:31:00.001-06:00

During tot time at the community center, I spoke briefly with a stay-at-home dad. He called himself a "full-time dad." I didn't say anything, but I've been wondering ever since, what other kind of dad is there? Part-time dad?

slow cooker tapioca pudding

2011-12-10T16:18:00.003-06:00

This recipe for tapioca pudding is an adaptation of one I found in Diane Phillips'
Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever with More Than 400 Easy-to-Make Recipes. The book provides inspiration for expanding the use of one's slow cooker beyond the traditional soups and stews. And when I came upon the recipe using tapioca, I knew I had to try it.

The large pearl tapioca I purchased recommended soaking the hard beads overnight before cooking. That resulted in a couple of benefits: faster cooking and a slightly softer tapioca beads in the final product. My kids really liked it, though the smaller one wasn't sure about the "lumps" at first.

1/2 cup pearl tapioca
4 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
grated zest of one orange
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Soak tapioca overnight. Drain. Place it in the slow cooker with the milk and sugar. Stir well. Cover and cook for two hours on low. Mix the orange zest, vanilla and eggs together. Add a little of the hot mixture to the egg mixture. Mix it well and pour it into the slow cooker. Cover and cook the pudding for 20 to 30 minutes more. Remove the cover and allow the pudding to cool slightly before serving. It tastes great warm, but you can also serve it chilled.

overgeneralization

2011-11-23T15:51:00.003-06:00

"The snow is melting. Is is March, mommy?" my son asked this morning.

To an adult, that sounds like wishful thinking. But I think it's probably just a case of overgeneralization. He's heard me say that the snow usually melts in March.

even a distinguished scholar can respect a stay-at-home mom

2011-11-18T20:15:00.001-06:00

I sent my thesis adviser from some years back an email congratulating her on her distinguished scholar award from the American Association of Applied Linguistics. She emailed back asking what I'm doing these days. I was a little reluctant to admit that my career is pretty much on hold, but I reported, "I spend the better part of my days chasing after my two boys, answering lots of "why" questions, reading them picture books..."

Her response helped me keep things in perspective, "I know that life; it is good. This phase will pass, so enjoy your life now. It is so fleeting!"

mailbox mishaps

2011-11-17T16:10:00.004-06:00

Last month, our mailbox was pushed over three mornings in a row. The third time we used instant concrete to hold it in place. Last Saturday we had our mail scattered on our lawn, across the street from the mailbox. This morning the mailbox was completely flattened. The street sign next to it was too, and it appears a vehicle was involved.

virtual chili cook-off

2011-10-28T22:05:00.007-05:00

It's soup season. Let's celebrate with a bowl of chili.

Leave your favorite chili recipe here in the comments section to enter this virtual chili cook-off. Nontraditional is fine - feel free to stretch your definition of chili as far as you like.

milestones

2011-10-18T23:04:00.002-05:00

Our baby is now a toddler. Just last week he started to eschew crawling in favor of moving around in the vertical position. His smile reveals how pleased he is with his new skill. He does a lot of teetering and falling on his bottom, but that barely slows him down.

This week our big boy celebrated his fourth birthday. He's been trying out new things too, like putting a step stool on top of a chair in order to get when we wants off the top of the fridge. "Out of reach" is now under revision around here.

Our house guest of several months moved back to his home today. We're praying he and his wife have found a long-term solution to their marriage problems.

It's been an eventful seven days.

coping strategy, thanks to a helpful cashier

2011-10-12T23:09:00.001-05:00

"Somalis don't know how to use coupons," Amino told me. For years she observed the other shoppers at Cub Foods strolling through the store clenching their coupons. She didn't think she could read well enough to know how to use them herself. But one day she filled her cart and took a store coupon book with her into the checkout line. She handed it to the clerk whom she discovered was a "very good man."

"Why didn't you cut them out?" he asked. But then he leafed through the book and found all the coupons that corresponded to her purchases and scanned them for her. He also told her to go get one more orange juice since they were buy one, get one free. Amino reported she saved $9 that with the coupons. Now, every time she goes to that store, she gets in that same cashier's line. Even if it's the longest one.

some solutions come from talking to a neighbor

2011-10-08T23:05:00.003-05:00

instant concrete fixes unstable mailbox post

unexpected compliment

2011-10-04T18:59:00.000-05:00

My son filled his tortilla with corn and lettuce and topped it off with Ranch dressing. "You're a good cook, Mom," he proclaimed after his first bite.

I could hardly take credit for this concoction, but it didn't seem right to turn down the compliment either.

I simply said, "Thank you" and ignored the refusal to add any pinto beans, which were supposed to be a key ingredient.

three-year-old logic

2011-10-03T22:19:00.004-05:00

"If you love us why do you go to work everyday?" our son asked his daddy. Though we explained dad goes to work BECAUSE he loves him, I'm not sure how much of that concept he grasped.

When you're three, love is spelled T-I-M-E.

a day in the kitchen

2011-09-26T22:05:00.006-05:00

Dad's apple tree had a bunch of apples just waiting for the picking. And Dad requested apple jelly. So I picked at least 25 pounds of apples, called my sister Amanda and set aside a day for canning. I've done freezer jelly before and frozen lots of fruit and vegetables, but it really was about time I learned the basics of canning.

We made apple sauce, apple jelly and apple butter. We divided up about 20 jars of the goods (some quarts, some pints and some half-pints). I sent her on her way and then made dinner, baked two batches of apple crisp and stirred up some squash bread. I got done cleaning the kitchen at about 9 p.m.

Energized by all that, I set to cleaning the living room... It's so much easier to get things done when the boys are asleep.

shape capers

2011-09-17T21:03:00.003-05:00

A simple rhyming book that demonstrates different things you can do with shapes, Shape Capers has proven interesting reading as well as inspiration for a few art projects. On Wednesday we made a dog picture that my son sent to his Grandpa. The next day, he cut out all the shapes for a paper dragon. Looking a little worse for wear, the dragon has survived sleeping with his owner and a few close calls in the baby's hands.

sweet potato

2011-09-15T22:37:00.003-05:00

A baked sweet potato is the most nutritious vegetable, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which ranked vegetables based on their dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, natural sugars, protein, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.

For 130 to 160 calories, a medium sweet potato provides 4 g of fiber, four times the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of beta carotene, almost twice the RDA of vitamin A and 42 percent of the RDA of vitamin C.

thought for the day

2011-09-11T21:53:00.001-05:00

This quote from The Message offers lots to think about:
"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (Romans 12:1-2)

international literacy day

2011-09-08T22:39:00.003-05:00

Today is International Literacy Day. A good day to check in on global progress. The literacy rate has increased 8 percent within the last 20 years. Yet, one of six adults around the world is illiterate.

Eight years ago I was present for start of a literacy program targeting immigrant women that had never had the opportunity to learn to read. It was a rewarding experience on many levels.

parade of coops

2011-09-01T21:07:00.006-05:00

My husband's interest in chickens goes way back. It was reignited this spring when we discovered a neighbor was planning on getting some hens. Then, a former co-worker told me there's an annual parade of coops in the Twin Cities. We're going to take it in as the first step in educating ourselves about urban agriculture. Perhaps then we'll start looking for a hand-me-down chicken coop.

(http://sites.google.com/site/twincitiescooptour/)

a quiet morning for mom

2011-08-27T22:25:00.003-05:00

Hubby and boys left me home.

intelligent but unpretentious

2011-08-19T22:58:00.009-05:00

Merriam Webster offers the following list of words to keep handy for sounding intelligent but not over the top:

paradigm
paradox
nuance
dilettante
serendipity
euphemism
dichotomy
non sequitur
epiphany
conundrum

What would you add to the list? Would you remove any of these words?

(seems to be a bug in the web link feature so here's the source:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/top-ten-lists/top-10-simple-but-intelligent-words-vol-2/paradigm.html)

eggplant

2011-08-18T20:21:00.003-05:00

I’ve been feeling in a rut with my cooking lately. A friend was talking about eggplant recipes and reminded me of moussaka, so I bought eggplant this week and then went searching for a recipe. Should have reversed those two steps, but it wasn’t too hard to find one that contained mostly ingredients in my kitchen. I followed it fairly closely - with the exception of the lemon and wine, which we didn’t have. I used a smaller pan and made half a batch, which was just right for the four of us.

It’s a recipe I’d recommend. So would my little boy. Yes, the baby. He has informed us that he’s more interested in “grown up” food than baby food. And he can pack it away.

summer reading program

2011-08-12T23:19:00.004-05:00

It took us about two and a half months to color in all the spaces in our summer reading program log, one segment for each five minutes of reading. It adds up to 20 hours of reading. Today we showed the log to the librarian and came home with a prize: two delightful children's books to keep. No Hugs Till Saturday by Julie Downing is the one my son picked out. I selected Be My Neighbor by Maya Ajmera and John D. Ivanko.
What a great way to reward reading - with more opportunities for reading.

cooking with a three-year-old

2011-08-05T22:05:00.006-05:00

As his interest grows, I've been having my boy help a little more in the kitchen. This week he cut up two zucchini using a butter knife. I demonstrated and then let him at it. It took forever for him to chop it up. The pieces weren't even. And then he started whining when I took over at the end. It ends up to be more work to have "help" than if I did it all myself, but I'm banking on a good return on the investment one day.

This is a lesson I learned from my dad. We were feeding hay and cleaning mangers before we really knew what we were doing. But it gave us structured meaningful activity, and we learned by doing - and lots of constructive (and not so constructive) criticism. Since we haven't got any farm chores around here, it'll have to be household chores. Now, once I summon up enough courage and patience to start him on washing dishes, we'll really be in business...

today really felt like summer

2011-07-28T22:50:00.003-05:00

We walked to Linder's, our neighborhood garden center, sat on the grass and watched a crew pave "our" segment of Larpenteur Avenue, and ate our first garden cucumber. We also scoured the vines looking for a second that might be big enough...

a 3-year-old's advice on cleaning after reading about house spiders

2011-07-16T22:42:00.004-05:00

Don't clean all of the webs!

celebrate the small stuff

2011-07-08T23:13:00.000-05:00

Our little guy has taken to spontaneously clapping his hands, at least a couple of times a day. Paired with his winning smile, it's one of the cutest things ever. And a good reminder that I can choose to find joy in the little things. Why does this seem to require more effort with age?

nothing new

2011-07-03T22:50:00.004-05:00

This time I follow the Minnesota government shutdown as a (mostly)unaffected third party. Last time I was an employee who had some extra days off work. We didn't know how many it would be, so I couldn't really plan anything. I just waited around for when they'd call us all back. The forced vacation wasn't really a vacation, and I never got fully compensated for it thanks to poor advice from union reps. Their bargaining strategy didn't meet their own expectations. (And I guess I still hold it against them more than I ought to.)

Both parties are trying to put the right spin on this memorable July 2011, blaming the other guys. The truth is they all failed us, costing the state millions and reminding us why more government is so often not the answer.

rhubarb

2011-06-23T22:40:00.003-05:00

Last week a friend asked for a simple rhubarb recipe. She had never cooked with it before. I shared two recipes.

Rhubarb Crisp
6 cups chopped rhubarb
3 eggs
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups sugar (or a little more if you like)
Mix all these ingredients together and pour into a 9- x 13-inch pan.

Prepare a topping of
2/3 cup brown sugar
1½ cups flour
½ cup butter

Sprinkle this crumbly mixture over the rhubarb mixture in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes or until golden and starting to bubble.

Rhubarb Jam
5 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
3-oz. package strawberry Jello (or any red flavor)

Heat the rhubarb, water and sugar until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until rhubarb is very soft and falling apart. Add the Jello and stir well. Pour into jars. This will keep in the refrigerator for months, even without sealing the jars.

What's your favorite rhubarb recipe?

a pity everyone else was asleep when

2011-06-11T19:47:00.005-05:00

two turkeys wandered into our yard

crawling

2011-06-02T15:39:00.002-05:00

After a good month of scooting - mostly in reverse - our baby has figured out how to crawl. Yesterday it was a few tentative movements before he flopped back on his stomach. Today he's moving around like he's an old pro.

good-bye May

2011-05-31T20:22:00.002-05:00

It seems you stayed for such as short time. We enjoyed your tulips, budding trees, lengthening days and rain showers. We'll miss you.

rain, sun, rain

2011-05-21T21:59:00.001-05:00

Squeezed in a walk between showers.

all in a day's work

2011-05-16T21:55:00.003-05:00

Today I
bathed one baby
entertained two boys
served three meals
revised four articles
read five picture books
sang six songs
put together seven pieces of a car ramp
picked up eight dozen (or somewhere thereabouts) blocks
breastfed nine times
pureed 10 baby servings of green beans
gave at least 11 reprimands
changed 12 diapers
spent 20 minutes writing a letter
remained on-call for 24 hours
walked for 30 minutes (my quiet time)
washed 40 cloth diapers
applied 50 pounds (or more) of compost
washed more dishes than I care to count

When I put it all down like this I feel like I've accomplished something, but there's always more to do tomorrow.

a moment at the zoo today

2011-05-15T21:08:00.000-05:00

Angry gorilla body-slams window, startling everyone.

children's nonfiction

2011-05-05T22:56:00.007-05:00

A great book for learning about growing food, The Vegetables We Eat is our newest find by Gail Gibbons. I think it's my favorite book of hers, though The Milk Makers would be a close second.

it's only skin deep

2011-04-28T22:15:00.008-05:00

"What color is her skin?" our three-year-old asked when I said we were going to walk to our neighbor's house to look at her garden plot.

"I don't want to have black skin like daddy," I heard him say after dinner.

Okay, I got the hint the second time. "God made all different colors of skin and they're all beautiful..." I began. I'm sure it won't be the last time we visit this topic.

since it's poetry month

2011-04-21T23:12:00.005-05:00

...we've picked up some children's poetry books at the library. This book by Calef Brown is a fun read, though a few of the poems are just odd. I like "Architots," "The Parking Lot that Time Forgot" and "Painting on Toast."

happy baby turns crabby

2011-04-14T23:36:00.000-05:00

teeth are on their way

signs of spring

2011-04-06T19:55:00.003-05:00

a sparrow perched on the tree out my kitchen window
puny snow banks
longer daylight
temperatures in the mid-50s
tulip and iris leaves poking out
thawed compost

What do you like about spring?

reading time

2011-03-29T16:59:00.001-05:00

"I want to be a librarian so I can read books to people," Adam said.

robot

2011-03-28T23:53:00.008-05:00

The last couple of times I talked to Dad on the phone he's mentioned a robot for milking cows. He's trying to talk his son into buying one since he's got too many cows for one person and hired help is hard to rely on. At $180,000, it's no small decision and I see why my brother is cautious. Dad said it promises $30,000 in savings per year, which means theoretically it'll pay for itself in six years.

On-demand milking puts a whole new twist on dairy farming, doesn't it?

book award finalist

2011-03-15T21:37:00.003-05:00

The Minnesota book award finalists have been announced. I'm adding News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist to my reading list.

compost gadgets

2011-03-03T21:58:00.005-06:00

I came across a Wall Street Journal article about high tech composting units. I'm intrigued by Nature Mill, a kitchen appliance that heats and churns kitchen scraps to produce usable compost in two weeks. Who knew?

soybeans

2011-02-25T09:26:00.008-06:00

My latest culinary creation came about as I was trying to figure out what to do with the dried soybeans in the cupboard. How they got there is a story in itself.

My brother Wayne bought some bedding from a soybean grower. Before he got around to using it, some of the beans dropped to the ground, sprouted and started growing. He transplanted them into a row in the garden. They grew but no one paid much attention to them. Once when I visited last summer I discovered the soybeans patiently waiting for someone to pick them. I tried boiling them but they didn't get soft. They were fully mature--past the edemame stage.

Later a friend told me that they should be soaked first: soak them for eight hours and boil them for 20 minutes. That worked in the fall, but as they've dried more, they require longer cooking, I've discovered.

This week I boiled the last of those soybeans for about an hour and a half. Then I fried some onion, garlic, celery and purple cabbage in sesame oil. I mixed the fried vegetables with drained soybeans and a generous amount of rice and seasoned it all with soy sauce and fresh lemon juice. We all thought I should make it again.

I wonder if Wayne will be buying any more soybean straw...

a homemaker is not far off, really

2011-02-16T16:25:00.001-06:00

"What's a chef?" Adam asked.
"A person who cooks for a living," I said.
"Are you a chef, mommy?"

how sad

2011-02-11T22:15:00.004-06:00

After all these years, Charlie Brown still hasn't received a Valentine.

(How old is that holiday special anyway?}

this week

2011-02-10T22:10:00.004-06:00

Waiting for warmer weather, I'm filling my free time with crochet projects. Also gave my second crochet lesson ever.

good advice I've been mulling over (and trying to live out) this week

2011-01-29T21:42:00.002-06:00

Don't borrow tomorrow's worries for today.

mahnomin porridge

2011-01-20T15:36:00.007-06:00

When the weather forecast contains terms like "blustery," "20 below," and "wind chill advisory" you know it must be January in Minnesota--or November, December, February or March. Any of those months would be a great time to enjoy hot cereal, including this tasty whole-grain recipe:

2 cups cooked wild rice
1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 cup half and half
2 tablespoons dried blueberries
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1/4 cup roasted cracked hazelnuts

Mix the first three ingredients in a microwavable bowl and heat through. Add the dried fruit and nuts and mix well. Enjoy.

Numerous ways to adapt this recipe come to mind, so go ahead and experiment. Sweeten with honey or brown sugar. Use whatever dried fruit and nuts you have on hand. Brown rice instead of wild rice works, or a combination of the two. But if you deviate too far, you'll have to change the name since "mahnomin" means wild rice, the Tangled Noodle explains. You can also see the full-fat version of the recipe there.

P.S. I see my sister has posted a recipe today too (along with details of a soon-to-be-released book she's written a pattern for).

could we hold on to this enthusiasm for the next 15 years?

2011-01-11T22:50:00.005-06:00

I've been collecting sayings from our three-year-old that I'd like to hear again in, say, 5 years. And frequently thereafter.

I wanna sweep.
Can I wash the dishes?
I'm your co-worker, mommy.
Let me "brush" the tub.

winter skin blues

2011-01-07T21:50:00.003-06:00

Dry, flaky, itchy, cracking, red.
Lotion applied too little too late.

How do you help your skin survive the winter?

out with the old

2011-01-01T21:11:00.006-06:00

My husband asked his clients last week, "What do you want to leave behind in 2010?"

A good question for me as well. My list so far includes nagging and dwelling on things I can't change.

What do you want to leave behind in 2010?

a simple way to give my kids an edge

2010-12-29T22:08:00.000-06:00

I came across an article that suggests breast feeding increases IQ.

baking

2010-12-28T22:16:00.003-06:00

I tried a new recipe as a part of my holiday baking. It's a winner, though I think it could be improved with sliced fresh strawberries on top--something that's not so easy to come by here in December.

Cheesecake bar cookies

1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Cream these three ingredients and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While the crust is baking, beat together the following:
8 ounces cream cheese softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
Pour this mixture over the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until set.

a case for thought

2010-12-27T23:05:00.002-06:00

from Ads of the World

Christmas at grandpa's

2010-12-25T22:37:00.000-06:00

plenty of family, food and frolicking.

we survived

2010-12-20T23:34:00.005-06:00

I'm relieved that finals are done for the semester. Though I wasn't even enrolled in any classes, I've been dreaming about homework. And it's been interfering with my schedule.

Now I understand why there are support groups for spouses of grad students.

two Saturdays in a row (though this one is snowier and windier)

2010-12-11T15:36:00.003-06:00

big snow.
boys out to shovel.

a story I learned from my husband

2010-12-02T22:46:00.002-06:00

“Trust in God but tie up your camel,” an Arabian proverb states. The proverb is based on a story of a man who was leading his camel home from a day at the market. He had had a good day so he decided to stop at a mosque along the road and pray. He left his camel outside. He stayed inside several hours praying, thanking God and promising to be a good person in the future.

When he came out, it was dark and his camel was gone. He got angry and shook his fist at the sky, yelling to God, “How could you do this to me? I put all my trust in you and this is how you respond?”

A Sufi passing by heard the man yelling and said to him, “Trust God but tie up your camel.”

thanksgiving

2010-11-24T22:34:00.002-06:00

I started teaching our son "Over the River and Through the Woods," which is considered a Thanksgiving song, isn't it? It brought back memories of teaching the song to my Mongolian students. For each of the three Thanksgivings I was there, I also had the sophomores put on a short play that I'd written, with lead roles for Squanto and William Bradford. I'd like to think some of them still remember the story of the first Thanksgiving because of that play. And this year, as the weather is keeping us from traveling "home," may I remember that Thanksgiving is about the right heart attitude, which is possible regardless of where or with how few people I celebrate the holiday.

damage from heavy wet snow:

2010-11-13T14:32:00.001-06:00

collapsing tree knocks down clothesline pole

the gift of time

2010-11-12T22:10:00.003-06:00

A couple of months ago my grandma told my younger sister that she should visit sometime because, "you never know how much longer I'll be around." (Yes, she's quite direct--I think it runs in the family.)

Evidently my sister thought she had a point. So a week ago when we were up that way, she and I and our children visited grandma. It was a short visit, but I heard from two sources this week how she appreciated it. She's always eager to hold a baby. And that's what I brought.

In the busyness of life, I sometimes get so focused on getting things done and keeping my kids on a schedule that I forget what is truly important. I'm a "Martha" by nature. I forget, "only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

parents with disparate views on TV

2010-11-06T22:33:00.010-05:00

my new nickname is "TV police"

voting

2010-11-02T22:59:00.005-05:00

"Why don't you just skip it?" my husband asked when we trying to figure out how I could get out of the house long enough to go vote. But I'd regret it if I didn't.

So I got the baby fed and settled and the three-year-old situated with toys near the computer so his daddy could keep an eye on him. Then I escaped.

Our neighbor Mike was the volunteer who greeted me as I entered Washington Middle School gym, which had been converted into a polling place. Mike had been there since 6 a.m. At 7 p.m. he was still smiling and thanking people for voting. Across the country, countless volunteers like him put in some long days in order to make the elections run so smoothly. They did important work today.

ticket

2010-10-28T22:28:00.003-05:00

A co-worker once told me that when I'm old I won't have to change much. I already drive like a grandma. Well, I've got a story for her.

We hadn't gone much more than a mile from home today when I got pulled over. I didn't even know what I'd done wrong.

The officer told me I was going 40 miles an hour on a road posted at 30. Residents in the area have been complaining about the fast traffic. He gave me a speeding ticket.

I'll be out $121 if I pay it. What will happen if I contest it? Is there a realistic chance of getting it overturned?

growing boy

2010-10-22T21:45:00.003-05:00

This little boy is not so little anymore. Today he weighted in at 10 pounds and 12 ounces. He has begun smiling at us and provides us lots of reasons to smile too.

Photo courtesy of my brother Tim.

caught in the act

2010-10-15T22:16:00.005-05:00

Yesterday evening I saw a deer eating our left over tomatoes. The frost had already done a number on them, so they were just in the garden for the taking. But this confirms my neighbor's conclusion about the disappearing green tomatoes earlier in the season.

In other garden news, I've had the impossible happen, according to one aunt - no zucchini. The plants kept blooming, but then the blossoms were continually getting lopped off, and often left lying next to the plant. Wonder who the culprit was there.

Lots to learn about urban gardening, but we'll definitely give it a go again next year.

one of those parenting moments when I sound like my dad

2010-10-11T22:03:00.005-05:00

After nearly an hour of questions about the pictures in Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things that Go, all spoken at enthusiastically high decibels, it was finally nap time. We had this conversation on our way down the stairs:

Son: Why do I have to go to sleep?
Mom: Because I'm tired.

family time

2010-10-02T21:52:00.000-05:00

power outage prompts an evening walk

I always knew sisters were special

2010-09-30T15:33:00.002-05:00

Now there's research to prove it. It was in one of those Yahoo! articles:

A study presented at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference suggests individuals who have one or more sisters are more optimistic, possess more coping skills and have better social support. This may be in part because sisters tend to encourage family cohesion and communication.

Too bad my boys are missing out.

mail

2010-09-23T20:25:00.005-05:00

Our son recently decided he should send a letter to daddy at his work place. He won't be one of the children who asks, Write Grandma a What?

The article notes that in 2004, the United States Post Office estimated the average household received 1.1 pieces of personal mail per week. I bet it's less than that now.

How often do you get personal mail via post?

a bit of calm before we start all over again

2010-09-18T20:43:00.001-05:00

baths given.
boys asleep.
mom relaxes.

collecting

2010-09-17T16:09:00.004-05:00

Simple Kids has had a couple of posts this week about collections. I don't think I ever got very far with a collection as a child. As an adult, I started collecting my ID cards from various schools and jobs. Part of being on the move every few years, I suppose.

Have you ever had a collection? If so, what got you started?

things to like about September

2010-09-12T21:17:00.004-05:00

the intense autumn sun
cool evenings
long sleeve weather (two quilt weather, according to my sister)
garden produce
fresh apples
a new school year
my birthday

What do you like about September?

labor day...

2010-09-06T22:12:00.002-05:00

is a good day to get work done, my dad firmly believes. (Well, everyday except Sunday is a good day to work hard, according to him.)

I don't disagree. I felt good about getting some long-needed cleaning done this morning. Things like vacuuming under the fridge and sorting through my boy's chest of drawers. Hey, when the mood hits, it's best not to ignore it.

why naps are a necessity

2010-09-04T15:57:00.003-05:00

My youngest brother, who stayed overnight last night, got a glimpse of the realities of parenthood some days: our older son was up three times crying at the top of his lungs because of a fever, and our newborn's high-pitched cries came like clockwork at 1:30 and 4:30 a.m.

first day of school

2010-09-01T22:49:00.002-05:00

September 1st is the first day of class in Mongolia. Even if it's a Saturday. At the foreign language school where I taught, the college students all came that day wearing their best suits. Everyone in the college sat through the same first lecture, which, I gathered, was big on form, but shallow in substance. This is based on second hand information, though, since my language level was far below what was needed to comprehend the lesson.

Anyway, I'm thinking back today with fond memories of my five semesters of teaching at Erdem Hotlogch Foreign Language College. The students were some of the best I've had.

for freelancers and farmers ...

2010-08-28T22:30:00.003-05:00

maternity leave is just a luxury.

baby boy

2010-08-21T22:32:00.003-05:00

Hints of curl here, prior to his first hair wash.

sibling rivalry begins already

2010-08-20T16:11:00.002-05:00

Our soon-to-be three-year-old has had enough of this "new baby" business. He has gotten mighty difficult to live with the past few days. We've been trying to spend some quality time with him each day and explaining things as we go, but it's not enough, I guess.

Any tips on easing the transition somewhat?

wish I could take back those "I'm ready to be done with pregnancy" comments now

2010-08-18T22:27:00.004-05:00

I wasn't really ready. Neither was our son.

But he's here anyway. Six weeks early and several pounds too small. All the tubes hooked up to him looked sort of frightening at first. We're all getting used to it, though.

He's trying to figure out how to eat. The sooner we get that down, the sooner he can come home.

word work

2010-08-12T22:34:00.001-05:00

I “found” a site for quickly identifying synonyms, antonyms, and example sentences of a word in context: Word Hippo. Have you heard of it? Know of something similar that you like better?

deadline

2010-08-12T22:23:00.003-05:00

Today I finished an item-writing task with several hours to spare. There's nothing like a tight deadline to help me get my work done, and to make me feel like I've accomplished something when I meet it.

I suppose my housecleaning benefits from deadlines in a similar way.

In what area do deadlines help you?

at least today's supposed to be a day of rest

2010-08-08T20:59:00.003-05:00

heat and humidity makes us lethargic.

refrigerator pickles

2010-08-02T22:43:00.004-05:00

One of my aunts brought over some cucumbers from her garden. So I pulled out a favorite cucumber recipe and made some pickles this evening. Now it's just a matter of waiting...

3 medium cucumbers
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried dill weed

Slice the cucumbers thinly, without peeling them. Mix the remaining ingredients together to create the brine. Heat to boiling, remove from heat and pour over the cucumber slices. Refrigerate for 48 hours and then enjoy. These will keep several weeks in the fridge.

it's official - English, that is

2010-07-27T22:56:00.004-05:00

Lino Lakes is in the news today as the first Minnesota city to adopt English as its official language.
This "tough but forward thinking decision" is on the surface about not having to translate documents into other languages. But what's buried beneath that surface could be disturbing.

a favorite

2010-07-21T14:21:00.005-05:00

This is currently my son's favorite book. We've checked it out of the library 4 times this year, I think - it would have been more if it hadn't been overdue and thus unavailable. Yellow Elephant contains snappy, fun poems for kids that caregivers won't mind reading again and again.

today's agenda:

2010-07-18T22:03:00.003-05:00

8th annual Long Prairie summer party