Today I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the local military base with students from our eighth grade class. It was a sort of career day, and the students were given the opportunity to tour the base to see what it might be like to work in the military.
When I think about career opportunities in the military, I think about combat missions, logistics, operating vehicles such as airplanes, tanks, humvees and ships, and of course playing in a military band. The careers I was able to explore today were not what I expected to see.
First, we were taken to the area of the base where they train the police dogs. I have had some experience in this area with civilian police. We have Lovey going to a training school where we were training him with a former police K-9 specialist. Today we saw the actual work dogs in action. They put them through their regular routine. Lucky, the first dog showed off his skills on the agility course. Dakota, the second dog showed us how he follows commands carefully when executing a "bite and retrieval" maneuver. It was very interesting and entertaining.
Next, we visited the main fire station on base. This is the largest of the five stations on the joint base. It houses regual firetrucks as well as the much larger trucks used to extinguish fires on airplanes. They demonstrated the air cannon on one of the air fire trucks. It was very impressive. The water was released with great force from the truck. All 3300 gallons of water were expelled in a 15 minute time period!
I thoroughly enjoyed my day at the military base today!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Robbed!
It was a typical Sunday morning. I was ready to leave for church and opened the car door to find the contents of thecar to be in total disarray. I knew immediately that I had been robbed. It was an awful feeling, knowing that somebody had entered my car and taken some of my belongings.
They took my GPS, my bluetooth, a $20 bill, a Vera Bradley Bag with all of my Alice in Wonderland, Jr. materials, and both of the kids scooters. All tolled, it was around a $400 loss.
Imagine my surprise when I got a text from my good friend Ellen telling me that Chris Carl, the band director at LMS had my bag! How did he get it? Upon investigation, I found that he did not have it, but that one fo my neighbors had called the school because somebody had dumped the bag in her bushes. Since there were music materials in it, she called the school, hoping somebody there would know who it belonged to. There was one more clue - they said it had the name "Kirk" in it. So Chris called Ellen and she knew immediately that it belonged to me!
I was lucky enough that I was able to retrieve my music materials and my beg fromn the neighbor around the corner.
They took my GPS, my bluetooth, a $20 bill, a Vera Bradley Bag with all of my Alice in Wonderland, Jr. materials, and both of the kids scooters. All tolled, it was around a $400 loss.
Imagine my surprise when I got a text from my good friend Ellen telling me that Chris Carl, the band director at LMS had my bag! How did he get it? Upon investigation, I found that he did not have it, but that one fo my neighbors had called the school because somebody had dumped the bag in her bushes. Since there were music materials in it, she called the school, hoping somebody there would know who it belonged to. There was one more clue - they said it had the name "Kirk" in it. So Chris called Ellen and she knew immediately that it belonged to me!
I was lucky enough that I was able to retrieve my music materials and my beg fromn the neighbor around the corner.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Books I Love
Here is a list of some of the books I have read and loved.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
The Help
Sarah's Key
Twilight
The Hunger Games
The Shack
The Lovely Bones
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
The Help
Sarah's Key
Twilight
The Hunger Games
The Shack
The Lovely Bones
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Jennings Farm
On Wednesday, one of my Facebook friends shared a rather discturbing video about our food supply. Click here to watch http://www.robynobrien.com/. I learned that it seems as though the antibiotics and hormones in the food we consume is making us sick. Furthermore, the researcher finds the the rise in childhood food allergies may be linked to changes made to our food by the inclusion of genetically engineered ingredients.
I felt compelled to look further into finding healthier food for my family to eat. When I went to ShopRite on Thursday, I purchased a few boxes of organic breakfast cereal. They were on sale, so it turned out that they actually cost less than some of the conventional cereals we usually eat. Price is definitely a concern. I had never gone fully organic, because it can be much more expensive. I also checked out the organic produce section. The fruits and vegetables are generally more expensive and there is less of a selection. I think I will slowly introduce the organic versions of the produce we eat the most.
When I got home from the store, I started researching organic meats on the internet. I was surprised to find two local farms where I can purchase grass-fed beef, pork and poultry. They also sell eggs. Yesterday I made a trip to one of the farms, Jennings Farm in Medford. I don't know what I was expecting, but when I arrived, I found the whole setting to be quite charming. There were horses and cows grazing in their respective pastures. I approached the farmhouse and knocked on the door. I small woman answered and introduced herself as MaryBeth. She opened her cooler full of wrapped and frozed cuts of beef. I purchased a small variety of meats to try and a dozen fresh eggs.
We are going to have the ribeye steaks for dinner on Wednesday night. I will update then with our reviews.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Busy
I am one busy person. I feel pulled from all sides. I want to do everything. And I want to do nothing. I love my family. I love my jobs - both at school and church. I just want to make everyone happy. And me too.
Melody and Ryno are young. They are involved. Hunter and I are so proud of them. I want them to have everything. So we run, and run and run.
I am involved in my church because that is where I am supposed to be. I love being there. It's where my gift shines the brightest. So we are there very often.
Have I left my extended family with little or no time? How can I fix that? I love them too and don't want to let anyone down.
Is it all too much?
Melody and Ryno are young. They are involved. Hunter and I are so proud of them. I want them to have everything. So we run, and run and run.
I am involved in my church because that is where I am supposed to be. I love being there. It's where my gift shines the brightest. So we are there very often.
Have I left my extended family with little or no time? How can I fix that? I love them too and don't want to let anyone down.
Is it all too much?
Early Gardening
It occurred to me today that it might be a good time to think about starting some lettuce for a Spring crop. So I went to Lowe's to see what they have. I picked up Dark Green Lettuce and Broccoli seeds. I thought I had Romaine too, but I must have put them back accidentally. I'll have to go back tomorrow. So I have my lettuce and broccoli in their little starters. I am going to let them grow inside for a few weeks, then plant them outside. I haven't decided where I am going to put them yet.
I had done a rough garden plan yesterday, but did not account for these plants.
So it's either move things around, or plant the lettuce in containers.
I had done a rough garden plan yesterday, but did not account for these plants.
So it's either move things around, or plant the lettuce in containers.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Freezer Cooking
There's a new craze on the internet these days. It's called Pinterest. Many of my Facebook friends had jumped on to check it out, so I thought I would too. It really is a very interesting website. People "pin" things that they like onto a virtual message board. I think I like it so much because it is very visual. When you see a picture of something you like, you can click on it to find out more. And if you really like it, so can "re-pin" it onto your own board.
Since I love to cook so much, it's the recipes that really grab my interest. I was looking a little more closely at a recipe one day when I got re-directed to a page about Freezer Cooking. I had never heard of such a thing! How can you cook something in your freezer? At first it didn't make much sense, so I dug a little deeper. What I learned is that people cook a double meal and basically freeze half for another dinner. What a great idea! There are so many times that I make a casserole in a 9x13 pan, only to have my family eat just half of it. We then feel burdened by it for the next several days, feeling that we have to finish it. Sometimes, we even end up throwing away food because we don't eat it before it goes bad. Freezer cooking is the perfect solution! Instead of making a larger casserole, I divide it into two pans and freeze one for another time. Here's what I have in my freezer now:
Chicken Divan
Lasagna
Homemade Stuffing
Meatballs
Turkey Spaghetti
Pot Roast
It will be so nice on those busy spring nights when we are running to baseball, choir and who-knows-where to be able to pull out those freezer meals!
Since I love to cook so much, it's the recipes that really grab my interest. I was looking a little more closely at a recipe one day when I got re-directed to a page about Freezer Cooking. I had never heard of such a thing! How can you cook something in your freezer? At first it didn't make much sense, so I dug a little deeper. What I learned is that people cook a double meal and basically freeze half for another dinner. What a great idea! There are so many times that I make a casserole in a 9x13 pan, only to have my family eat just half of it. We then feel burdened by it for the next several days, feeling that we have to finish it. Sometimes, we even end up throwing away food because we don't eat it before it goes bad. Freezer cooking is the perfect solution! Instead of making a larger casserole, I divide it into two pans and freeze one for another time. Here's what I have in my freezer now:
Chicken Divan
Lasagna
Homemade Stuffing
Meatballs
Turkey Spaghetti
Pot Roast
It will be so nice on those busy spring nights when we are running to baseball, choir and who-knows-where to be able to pull out those freezer meals!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Good Morning Lovey!
6:30AM - Mommy is finally awake! I missed her all night. Oh good, here she comes to let me out of my crate. I am soooo happy! That was fun, but now I'll go back to sleep, this time on the big bed!
7:00 - Time to eat. Maybe if I wait her out a little bit, she will add something special to my boring old food. Don't they know that we get bored with our food too? Sheesh! Oh look! She's making the kids' lunches! CHEEEEESSSEEEE!!! I always get a piece. I am a happy boy!
7:15 - Look! There's another dog on the path in the park! I get to go out and play1 Woof! Woof! Woof! Yessss.... here I go out to play! That darn gate is locked AGAIN. Maybe one day...
7:35 - Boy am I tired from all of that action this morning. Thank goodness they are finally leaving for school! I can get back to my crate and enjoy some rest.
To Do List for Life
1. Open your heart.
2. Live in the moment.
3. Do your best. Always. Without exception. Because you're worth it.
4. Share with others.
5. Be kind.
6. Laugh.
7. Hug and Kiss your kids often.
8. Call your mother.
9. Walk your dog.
10. Smile. It cheers everyone up, especially yourself!
2. Live in the moment.
3. Do your best. Always. Without exception. Because you're worth it.
4. Share with others.
5. Be kind.
6. Laugh.
7. Hug and Kiss your kids often.
8. Call your mother.
9. Walk your dog.
10. Smile. It cheers everyone up, especially yourself!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Inventions
How does one make a new invention? Where do you get the idea? As the saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention", which means that inventions are born because there is a NEED for them.
This morning, I had the privilege to be a judge in my school's Invention Convention. Our Gifted and Talented 5th and 7th Grade students were challenged to create a new invention. As part of the process, they had to keep an invention log. As their ideas developed, they kept track of all of the steps along the way. They created a prototype to be displayed and hopefully experimented with at today's convention. They also had to prepare a short introductory speech to inform the judges as they visited their station.
I was quite impressed by our students' work. They worked hard on their inventions and had some excellent ideas. Among my favorites were "The Automatic Remote Control Finder", "The Auto-Clean Hamster Cage", and "The Cleat Cleaner".
A few years ago, Melody had the opportunity to create an invention for a similar fair at her school. She created the "Pillow Alarm". You see, Melody has always had a hard time waking up in the morning. She created the pillow alarm as a way to not only wake her up by sound, but also vibration. Her pillow had a pocket that she put her cell phone into. It really worked! It's funny, however, that she only uses it now on days when SHE really wants to make sure she wakes up, like on Christmas morning. Hmmmm...
This morning, I had the privilege to be a judge in my school's Invention Convention. Our Gifted and Talented 5th and 7th Grade students were challenged to create a new invention. As part of the process, they had to keep an invention log. As their ideas developed, they kept track of all of the steps along the way. They created a prototype to be displayed and hopefully experimented with at today's convention. They also had to prepare a short introductory speech to inform the judges as they visited their station.
I was quite impressed by our students' work. They worked hard on their inventions and had some excellent ideas. Among my favorites were "The Automatic Remote Control Finder", "The Auto-Clean Hamster Cage", and "The Cleat Cleaner".
A few years ago, Melody had the opportunity to create an invention for a similar fair at her school. She created the "Pillow Alarm". You see, Melody has always had a hard time waking up in the morning. She created the pillow alarm as a way to not only wake her up by sound, but also vibration. Her pillow had a pocket that she put her cell phone into. It really worked! It's funny, however, that she only uses it now on days when SHE really wants to make sure she wakes up, like on Christmas morning. Hmmmm...
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Music
Music is my life. Every day, music is what I do, who I am.
On weekdays, I go to school and teach music. Singing, playing, and dancing throughout the day. Sopranos, Altos and Baritones. Pianos, Guitars and Xylophones. My days are filled with the sounds of childrens' voices. I am blessed.
On Saturdays I go to the theater to teach music. This is new for me. But it is meant to be. I learn to teach them how to sing on stage. With every role, there is a new challenge. Children blossom into the characters they play. I watch my own children use their gifts. Once again, I am blessed.
On Sundays, I go to church and am surrounded by music. I lead bands and choirs. I sing with all of my heart. I give back for the one who gave me my gift. I am truly blessed.
On weekdays, I go to school and teach music. Singing, playing, and dancing throughout the day. Sopranos, Altos and Baritones. Pianos, Guitars and Xylophones. My days are filled with the sounds of childrens' voices. I am blessed.
On Saturdays I go to the theater to teach music. This is new for me. But it is meant to be. I learn to teach them how to sing on stage. With every role, there is a new challenge. Children blossom into the characters they play. I watch my own children use their gifts. Once again, I am blessed.
On Sundays, I go to church and am surrounded by music. I lead bands and choirs. I sing with all of my heart. I give back for the one who gave me my gift. I am truly blessed.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Spring Bulbs
Every year I have the same internal conversation. It goes something like this:
"Oh my! It seems like my bulbs start coming up earlier every year. I hope they don't die. It can't be good that they are up THIS early".
But every year, they still seem to thrive. I have daffodils in my front garden that I planted at least 6 years ago. Each year they grow thicker and taller. So I guess I shouldn't worry, right? Everyone who comes to my house when they are in bloom just marvels at them. "How do you get them to grow so well?". I guess I am just lucky. They just grow. And they will again this year. I hope. Unless they started too early.
Then there are the hyacinths I put in last spring that I got from church. They are so new. Can they possibly handle this early spring? I guess we will all have to wait and see!
"Oh my! It seems like my bulbs start coming up earlier every year. I hope they don't die. It can't be good that they are up THIS early".
But every year, they still seem to thrive. I have daffodils in my front garden that I planted at least 6 years ago. Each year they grow thicker and taller. So I guess I shouldn't worry, right? Everyone who comes to my house when they are in bloom just marvels at them. "How do you get them to grow so well?". I guess I am just lucky. They just grow. And they will again this year. I hope. Unless they started too early.
Then there are the hyacinths I put in last spring that I got from church. They are so new. Can they possibly handle this early spring? I guess we will all have to wait and see!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Honey Mustard
I have a new love. It's okay, Hunter won't be jealous. It's a food love. I have discovered Honey Mustard. Of course I know that Honey Mustard has been around forever. But I never really gave it a chance. Here's how it happened.
One day, I went to get Philly Soft Pretzels with Melody and Ryno. Melody wanted the cheese sauce. She loves that stuff! I, however, am not a fan of it. Feeling a little saucey myself, I decided to try the Honey Mustard. WOWSER! That stuff is gooo-oood!
A few weeks later we all ended up at Friendly's for dinner. Do you know what came with Ryno's chicken tenders? Uh-huh! Honey Mustard! I guess it always does, I just hadn't ever really paid any attention to it before. There is a good reason that they serve it with chicken tenders. It's AH-MAZING!
I wonder what else I can put it on.... Any suggestions?
Nicknames
So if you're the type who is keeping score, then yes, I am starting this one day late. I won't make up an excuse. I am just starting a day late.
What do you write about in a "Slice of Life" entry? Of course I looked all around the internet today, because I am the type who never wants to get it wrong. I always have been a bit of a perfectionist. But just a little bit. Obviously I am not overly perfectionistic, or I would have begun this yesterday. Oh well.
Why am I doing a "Slice of Life" Blog anyway? Well, it's because Ryno asked me to do it. And I don't want to disappoint him. And who knows, maybe I will enjoy this or even learn something along the way.
It will be fun for our family to share our slices with each other. We've all agreed to participate. And since this is a blog I am going to try to be a little creative here. You see, my sister-in-law has a blog and she has these cute little nicknames for her family in her blog. I guess it is to keep it somewhat anonymous. I don't really know exactly why she did it. But I think it's cool, so I want to make up nicknames too.
You've already met my youngest. He will be referred to as Ryno. It's his soccer nickname. I hated it at first, but it's grown on me. My oldest will be called Melody. It just fits. I will speak of my dog as Lovie. Because that's what he is. Last but certainly not least, I shall call my husband Hunter. I'll explain to him why I chose that name. It will be our little secret.
Let the slicing begin!
What do you write about in a "Slice of Life" entry? Of course I looked all around the internet today, because I am the type who never wants to get it wrong. I always have been a bit of a perfectionist. But just a little bit. Obviously I am not overly perfectionistic, or I would have begun this yesterday. Oh well.
Why am I doing a "Slice of Life" Blog anyway? Well, it's because Ryno asked me to do it. And I don't want to disappoint him. And who knows, maybe I will enjoy this or even learn something along the way.
It will be fun for our family to share our slices with each other. We've all agreed to participate. And since this is a blog I am going to try to be a little creative here. You see, my sister-in-law has a blog and she has these cute little nicknames for her family in her blog. I guess it is to keep it somewhat anonymous. I don't really know exactly why she did it. But I think it's cool, so I want to make up nicknames too.
You've already met my youngest. He will be referred to as Ryno. It's his soccer nickname. I hated it at first, but it's grown on me. My oldest will be called Melody. It just fits. I will speak of my dog as Lovie. Because that's what he is. Last but certainly not least, I shall call my husband Hunter. I'll explain to him why I chose that name. It will be our little secret.
Let the slicing begin!
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