what a sweet and tender face

Jacob was playing with play-doh, he has such long lashes. I think this picture would look great on a magazine cover. I' d like to crop this a little to get rid of some of the clutter and enlarge it somewhat, it really looks good. If any one would like a copy let me know. He still has some of the baby face, especially around his mouth. I noticed that wal-mart can take a picture and turn it into a mug, a poster, a blanket, a mouse pad, etc.

Saturday, January 9th

Saturday,January 9th, 2010 was an enjoyable day for me, in spite of the cold. I was able to start and drive my car for the first time in several days. I kept close to home when the temperatures became so bitterly cold. I stayed home from school last Thursday. I did go on Friday but I rode the bus.

On Saturday morning I cleaned my car windows, thoroughly warmed up my car, and drove to the library to attend a vegan meeting. Members of the Western Kansas Vegan Society learned how to make macaroni and cheese without using cheese. We sampled the pasta dish and it was delicious. How does one replace the cheese? Ground cashew nuts and nutritional yeast mixed with other ingredients can produce a cheesy flavor.

After the meeting, I drove to Semolino's and ordered a scone and a pot of black jasmine tea. The tea was served in a glass pot so that I could see the jasmine inside it. I saluted Mom with my steaming cup of tea and wished her Happy Birthday!

I went shopping at Walmart, and later went shopping with a friend. Doug and I watched Julia and Julia with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. The movie tells the story of Chef Julia Child and a woman admirer who spends a year making every recipe in Julia Child's book. I think Mom would have enjoyed that movie because she enjoyed cooking and eating a well planned meal.

I also surfed the web this weekend and found some delicious sounding recipes. I tried a cream of potato and broccoli soup recipe earlier this week and it hit the spot.

Today I am in the process of making whole wheat bread. Making and eating homemade bread is very satisfying. I hope the bread turns out well. It has almost raised enough to be punched down and placed in bread pans. Then the dough will raise again. I should get 2 loafs of bread from this recipe. It is a recipe that Doug's grandmother used when she was alive. She baked this bread often, and made open faced cheese sandwiches with it to serve to guests at "coffeee time."

I thought a lot about Mother this past week. I recall a few of her sayings:

Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Bloom where you are planted.

Take time to smell the roses.

All of these sayings contain good advice which any mom can share with her children.

I hope my Fiddler Kin spent a pleasant weekend. Even though I miss Mom, I enjoyed Mom's birthday weekend.

E-mail notification

Hey, ya'll. I set up our blog (I think) to notify us via e-mail whenever someone publishes a post or comments on a post. Let me know if you want me to remove your name/e-mail from that notification; I won't be offended. I haven't been on here for awhile, and I thought the e-mail reminder would help me know when stuff's happening on our family blog. :-)

Happy 2010, Fiddler Kin!

Beginning the Year 2010 With Haiku

HAPPY NEW YEAR FIDDLER KIN! A NEW BEGINNING IS HERE. I WISH EVERYONE THE BEST OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THIS NEW DECADE. CHEERS!

We had snow flurries in Hays on New Year's Day. Snow flakes twirled and danced in the sky. It was refreshing to watch, even though I do not like snow. I looked for well written winter and new year haiku. They are few and far between. I decided to turn to the master haiku writers, Basho, Buson and Issa.

Winter Haiku

Awake at night
the sound of the water jar
cracking in the cold.

By Basho

Cover my head
or my feet?
The winter quilt.

By Buson

A sign of blessing
Snow on the quilt
From the pure land.

By Issa

I am going to think of the dancing snow flakes as a sign of blessing from God. I do this to honor God. I also do this to honor Issa. Issa revered life in all of it's forms.

NEW YEAR HAIKU

Another year gone-
hat in my hand,
sandals on my feet.

By Basho

Basho reminds us that we have to be ready to greet a new year and all that it brings. There will be both joy and sorrow in 2010. We can celebrate the good times together Fiddler Kin, and comfort one another during the sad times. We are lucky because we have each other. Although we live in a world filled with injustice, there are many people who care deeply and work tirelessly to alieve suffering. The last poems are by Ryokan:

Thinking about the people in this floating world
far into the night---
My sleeve is wet with tears.

Ryokan also reminds us that nature's beauty can remind us of our own inner light. That light is a divine spark to help us find our way.

The rain has stopped, the clouds have drifted away,
and the weather is clear again.
If your heart is pure, then all things in the world are pure.
Abandon this fleeting world, abandon yourself,
Then the moon and the flowers will guide you along the Way.

Holiday Haiku

Hello Fiddler Kin. I went online to find some Christmas haiku. I found a site called lawrence.com. Three years ago the editors published haiku sent in by readers. I copied my favorites to share with family.



December, the time

When it's ok to be a

Fat old man in red

by Charlotte Burke



Darkest time of the year

The true meaning of Christmas

Spread a little light

by Steve Mason



When you are asleep

Gingerbreadmen come to life

Running through the town

by Joshua Scmidt



Sneaking out of bed

To spy on the man who loves

Your milk and cookies

by Brittany Ray



Skating on the lake

A tree ornament

Half-buried in the snow

by Brad Schwab



No jingle bells, no

Sleigh rides or coasting down hill

Oh, where is the snow?

by Sarah Ashley Posch



The Snow is Right Here in Hays, Kansas!



On the Christmas tree,

a shiny red ball hangs down-

I am very fat

by Sandy Mitchell



And I am feeling very fat too, Fiddler Kin.



I hope you enjoyed reading the holiday haiku. It made my day to post them. Please tell me which ones you like best. Do you have a Christmas haiku to share?

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thinking of my Fiddler Kin today and hoping that all of you have safe travels, good visits, and full bellies.

Trent and I are having a quiet Thanksgiving today. We've got the turkey breast in the oven (Cajun again this year ... last year, I got the Cajun breast on accident; this year, that's all they had left. Oh well, it will still be tasty). I've made my mom's cranberry sauce, and we'll peel some potatoes soon. We'll also have green beans, sweet potatoes, dressing, and rolls. And, of course, Trent picked out a French Silk pie. Mmmmm. We started off the day by sleeping in and going for a run around the neighborhood. During our cool down walk afterward, we visited with several of our neighbors, including a family who was frying a turkey in the street. It smelled GOOOOD.

I actually just got back from the NCTE (English teachers) Convention Philadelphia on Tuesday night. I departed on Thursday amidst all the air traffic control glitches (or whatever was going on that day), and my flight was canceled and then my new flight was delayed several hours, so I sat in the airport for about 6 hours before departing for Philly. The conference itself was good, and my presentation went well. I also introduced a young adult author, Maureen Johnson, in front of a crowd of about 400 on Monday, and although I was nervous, my delivery was amazingly good (thanks, Betty McDonald -- 7th grade speech teacher), and afterward Maureen told me it was the best introduction she'd ever gotten. So I asked her to sign not just my copy of her book but also my speech. :-)

In between sessions, I had time to explore Philly a bit (I'll send pictures after we've returned from our Savannah trip). Here's what I enjoyed:

1. Reading Terminal Market. Oh Mylanta. Every city needs a place like this. It's a huge indoor market place with butchers, flower shops, chocolates, bakeries, diners, and all kinds of other restaurants -- Middle Eastern, Asian, Italian, sandwich shops, traditional Philly meals, etc. I had my first cheesesteak there. First and last, probably. I also had fabulous pretzels, lamb pita sandwiches, lo mein, chocolate covered marshmallows, and baklava. Actually, the baklava was total crap compared to my mom's, but everything else was fabulous. Plus, there were so many people to watch and listen to -- so many languages, dialects, etc. On my first stop there, I ate my cheesesteak across from a man named Santos, and he told me his life story. With mayonnaise on his cheek.

2. Liberty Bell. Pretty cool.

3. Chinatown. I went for a stroll around the city by myself on Sunday afternoon (there were tons of people out and about -- the Philly Marathon took place that morning), and I spent some time in Chinatown looking at shops. I stopped in a bakery and enjoyed a Taiwan Pineapple sweet bread of some sort. A young women who was obviously high on something sat down next to me in the bakery and promptly fell asleep in her egg drop soup.

4. The architecture and the feel of the city. There are some amazing buildings in city center. Lots of sculptures and statues and murals too. The city feels a little old, a little dirty, but also really cool. I loved listening to the car horns (a little like NYC, but not as incessant), and I stopped to watch about 50 skateboarders work their magic in a dry fountain in a square near city hall. Suddenly, they all began running toward and past me like a flock of birds. A few moments later a single police officer appeared strolling toward the park.

5. Good food. We also ate outside of the Reading Terminal Market, and we were never disappointed. On Sunday evening, I attended a publishers dinner at a kind of classy restaurant that served all of our meals family style, so I got to sample everything ... shrimp, sea bass, steak, chicken, and fabulous desserts. Monday night my colleagues and I ate at Portfino's, an Italian restaurant, where I had my old standby, fettuccine Alfredo. Mmmmmm.

I would definitely go back to Philly for a visit, and I'd recommend it as a destination for all of you, too!

Happy Thanksgiving!! I love you!

Swing dancing at KSU

Hey, y'all! At the 1940s Jump, Jive, and Wail Dance last weekend, they had a photographer on hand who snapped pictures and then sent them out (for free) via e-mail. How cool is that? There was also a live orchestra and free dance lessons. Next year, if we attend, we might find some 1940s clothing/hairstyles and get in the spirit like everyone else. We had a fun time even without the costumes. Hope everyone has a great week!

Inspiration

I thought I would share this inspiration story with you guys. The following link will take you to an ESPN story about an Emporia High School football player who is blind. It's a great story & you may need some tissues.

'E:60' -- Charlie Wilks Q&A about being blind and playing football - ESPN

Peter was supposed to have Charlie in his class this semester but didn't. Maybe he's in next sememster's group.

Birmingham, AL

Hey, everyone! Happy November!! I hope you all had a festive Halloween -- where are the photos of the munchkins in their costumes? Please post soon!!!

I thought I'd share some photos from our trip to Birmingham a couple of weeks ago. We had a delightful time. When we arrived, we dropped off our stuff at the hotel and then took a walk into Five Points South in downtown Birmingham (our hotel was smack dab in between north downtown and south downtown).

Then we ate at a BBQ joint called Jim 'n Nick's. We thought it was local until we got back to Atlanta and Trent saw one down by his surgeon's office. Oh well, the food was yummy -- pulled pork and brisket -- and our server was very nice.

We also walked all around the University of Alabama--Birmingham campus.













Did you know that Birmingham is home to the world's largest statue made of steel? It's also the second largest statue in the U.S. behind the Statue of Liberty.




His name: Vulcan, Roman god of Iron.








We also toured the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which was phenomenal -- very multimodal with images, texts, audio, etc. from the 1950s and 60s. It was also very moving.

Here's the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church which the Klan bombed in 1963, killing 4 young black girls.
The church was also the stage for planning many civil rights protests.

We had a great time in Alabama -- learned a lot. Tonight we're heading to a free swing dance at KSU. There will be a live band and free dance lessons. Woo woo!

In three weeks, after I get back from the NCTE Convention in Philadelphia, we're planning another short weekend trip to Savannah. Carol, didn't you and Tom go to Savannah recently? What do you recommend?

Thank goodness for the weekend

Hey, y'all.

I've enjoyed catching up on the blog posts from the past couple of weeks, especially the one about Great Grandpa Consier. Our family's history is fascinating! Thanks for sharing it!!

Things are going pretty good here in GA. Two weeks ago, my friend Melissa came for a visit. She's getting married in January, and I'm her matron of honor. We did some hiking, sight-seeing, and eating. It felt like a little vacation for me. I hope it did for her, too.

The past two weekends (now that Trent has his weekends free), Trent and I have gone running in Kennesaw Mountain Park. It's quite lovely, whether it's 70 degrees and sunny (last Sunday) or 50 degrees, windy, and cloudy (today). Trent's shoulder is healing up so quickly, and he's really enjoying getting back into a fitness routine. He's taken up running, and he's talking about doing a triathlon next summer with me. Could be fun. :)

We're also planning some weekend trips to see the Southeast. Next weekend, we're off to Birmingham and maybe Montgomery. In November, we're thinking about Savannah. Yay!

Work's going good for me. Busy but good. I'm taking on some new responsibilities ... I think I'll be stepping up to co-edit an international journal on young adult literature with my colleague, and I'm working on a multi-million dollar federal grant to partner with PreK-12 schools in high needs areas to develop an urban emphasis and professional development school for KSU.

I'm also learning to deal with challenges from students when I present material on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) issues. I've worked with conservative students before (they're usually open to hearing other perspectives and willing to ask questions), but this semester I ran into open opposition, in spite of all the research (which my students read and discussed) that reveals that LGBTQ students are disproportionately marginalized in our public schools and that 60% of them report feeling unsafe -- because of the (mis)treatment they receive from their peers ... and teachers and administrators!! It's not a religious issue; it's a civil rights issue. And national teachers' organizations (NCTE and NEA) support the inclusion of LGBTQ issues in teacher preparation programs. Most of my students see the need for enhanced education and information on LGBTQ issues, but a few (whose religious beliefs sometimes pervade into their thoughts about how they should treat their students) disagree. Anyway, I'm learning a lot. I'll have to write about it some day ... actually, I've already started writing about it in my teaching journal.

Speaking of writing, I submitted an article to a national journal on Thursday ... I'd been working on it since August, writing toward the call for manuscripts, and I'd kind of let my writing slip the past couple of weeks, so I had to put in some long hours this week in order to make the deadline. I made it though, and I feel pretty good about the final product ("From Pre-Service Teacher to Trusted Adult: Using Young Adult Literature Book Clubs to Scatter Light on Sexual Orientation and Gender Variance"). We'll see if the editors and reviewers agree. :-)

I hope you all are doing well. I love ya!

William Lewis Consier--- A Mystery

October, 12, 1886 is the birthday of William Lewis Consier, our mother's dad. He was born in Quebec, Canada according to the memorial record distributed at his funeral. Our grandfather would have been 123 years old this year. He died on August 7, 1968. I spoke with Fiddler this morning. She believes that Grandpa never knew his birth date. A date was made up so that he would have basic information to use when necessary. Birthdays were not important when Grandpa was a boy. Record keeping was not that accurate, even when it was done, at the time Grandpa was born. Does anyone have any information about Grandpa Bill's birthday? I had not heard that the date was made up.





Grandpa was a sweet man; he was kindness himself. Grandpa was also an independent thinker. I remember trying to convince him to attend church when I was young. He resisted my attempts at evangelizing with a smile. Grandpa felt each person had to develop a personal relationship with God. Church membership was not necessary in his book. For as long as I knew him, Grandpa did not attend church. He tried to live by the golden rule, however. He treated each person the way he wanted to be treated.





Grandpa was a jolly man who hummed to himself. He was short and had lots of thick brown hair. That hair grew thin and grey as Grandpa got older. He spoke with a stutter when he got excited about a topic. Carol pointed out to me, the other day, that Grandpa often drummed his fingers on the table. He used to hold me on his lap and sing his favorite songs to me. Songs like this one:





I love a lassie, a bonnie bonnie lassie,


she's as sweet as the lily in the dale.


She's as sweet as the heather,


the bonnie purple heather,


Molly, my Scott's blue belle.





Grandpa was part French and part Scotch. I believe his mother was Scotch, since his surname is French. I wonder how his parents met. Grandpa never spoke of his parents to me. Fiddler believes he had siblings and that his mother died in childbirth. Grandpa was orphaned as a child and went to live with an Aunt and Uncle. He did not get along with them. As a young man, Grandpa migrated to New York. He worked as a bell hop and door man at a hotel. He also shined shoes. He saved his money so that he could attend the opera. Grandpa loved classical music. He listened to a radio broadcast of a live opera from the New York Met every Saturday afternoon. As a teenager, I listened to rock'n roll. He thought rock'n roll was disgusting. He could not understand my taste in music!



Our grandfather loved adventure. He traveled across America on the railroad working at odd jobs when he was young. He wanted to see this great country. Grandpa served in the Canadian military during the first World War. He was stationed in Egypt and other locations. He was struck down with malaria. He met his wife in a Canadian hospital where he was being treated. Grandma and Grandpa moved to Detroit after our mother was born. There was more opportunity in the states. Grandpa became a citizen of the United States and loved this country. He always saluted the flag during the Pledge of Alliegence, even if the Pledge was broadcast on tv. Our mother became a United States citizen as a result of Grandpa's citizenship.





Grandpa was hit by a car in Detroit when he was out walking. He suffered a head injury and had a plate in his head. Grandma Honor had taken a train to Canada at the time. She was visting her sisters and shopping for woolen underwear. (I am not making this up.) Grandma Honor wore every pair of the scratchy underwear home to avoid paying an import tax. She had to go to the hospital as soon as she arrived in Detroit, and ended up spending a long time there while wearing the itchy wool. I think I recall someone saying that the hospital was so crowded that Grandma found Grandpa in a little closet for a room. She was NOT happy about that.





As a result of his head injury, Grandma would not let Grandpa drive a car. She was afraid he would crash it. Therefore, Grandma did all the driving. Some of us can remember the predicaments Grandma got into in her later years behind the wheel. She was a good driver, though, until she entered her senior years. We used to sing with her as she drove to town. She would treat her grandchildren to an ice cream cone or some other treat. We always looked forward to a visit or an outing with Grandma and Grandpa.





Grandpa would treat Grandma like a queen. On Sunday mornings, he would take her tea and toast while she rested in bed. A small vase of flowers would be on the tray in the summer months. They told me, one time, that they prayed for their grandchildren every night. They prayed that we would have a good future and find love like they had. Our grandparents were poor, but they had dignity. They believed in the future.





So, today I feel a sense of loss. I wish I knew more about Grandpa. I wish I would have recorded an in depth personal history of my grandparents. I was too young when they died to appreciate their past.





I wonder what Grandpa's family was like. Was his mother born in Canada or did she migrate there from Scotland? What was Grandpa's father like? How did his parents die? How many siblings did he have? What did the family members look like? There are a lot of unanswered questions that bother me.





Grandpa would just laugh at my curiosity if he were still alive. He would urge me to just relax and enjoy the day. I can still see his beautiful smile in my mind. I will close by saying, "Grandpa, I am thinking about you today. I miss you and I love you. I am glad that I have warm memories of you to keep your story alive. I wish my children, grandchildren and my niece and nephew could have known you. They would understand what class is all about."

Whole Wheat Bread

I woke early this morning, jumped out of bed and decided to make bread. It just felt like a bread making day. I used a new recipe. I liked it so much I thought I would post it. It is an easy recipe to use and it makes great tasting bread. I found it on a bag of organic flax seed. I think the brand name is Arrowhead.



Whole Wheat Flax Loaf Preheat oven to 350



13/4 cups warm water

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. dry milk powder

2 Tbsps. canola oil

4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup flax seed



In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.



Add honey, salt, milk powder, oil and 2 cups whole wheat flour.



Stir well.



Add flax seed and remaining flour.



Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.



Oil a loaf pan.



Shape dough and place it in the pan.



Cover, and let rise until double in bulk.



Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until done. The bread will have a hollow sound when you tap it, if it is done.



Makes one loaf.



This bread tastes delicious while it is still warm from baking. Take it out of the pan and let it rest awhile before cutting a slice. Spread a little butter or margarine on the top right after the bread comes out of the oven. The butter softens the crust a little bit. I am sure it will make great toast, or it can be used for sandwiches. This bread is dense, so it is not like a loaf of Wonder Bread. Make sure the loaf has cooled completely before placing it in a container or plastic bag.