You know, I vowed not to talk about work, but I'm so excited about the student art work on our school web page (remember I'm retired- part time). I have a 6th grade Escher post and a 5th grade Paul Klee post. I even have a link on my Escher post. I have wanted this to happen for at least ten years. I'm proud and so are the kids. This is a first for our school. I just have to brag a little. Check it out: http://www.buckleyschools.com/

Teeth grinding. Even though I vowed not to post about medical problems, like who gives a *** ***, I'm going to anyway. I am really wondering about getting an apparatus to stop the grinding. Now, being in the job I was in, I clenched my teeth daily and at night. At this point, the surfaces are worn flat, no little bumps on the teeth.

It was suggested that I buy five athletic mouth guards from the locate Rite Aide and try fitting my mouth. Probably after a few tries, I would get a reasonable fit and I could wear the thing at night. And for $5, what a deal.

It was also suggested to get on the Internet and buy a kit that has the cement, make the form, and send it in for about $80 to have a professional company make the guard. I have noticed lots of advertising, but who would know the professional.

Each of these options are reasonably prices and painless. I guess I'm wondering if anyone out there has had experience with this. Or do I have to break down and go to my dentist and pay big bucks?

A really good, intense book is Madame Curie by her daughter Eve Curie. This book explains Marie Curie's fantastic career and life with Pierre Curie. It lists her many prizes, books, papers, awards, and credentials.

The biography tells of her brilliance, sacrifice, and role in bringing education and scientific acclaim to women. Her life had little pleasure, but she found pure joy in scientific discovery with her husband, Pierre.

As a young woman, in Poland, she suffered many hardships to get an education and to be recognized for her genius. Her life, as told by her daughter, is a prime example of perseverance and dedication to a field claimed by men. She didn't seek fortune or fame. Instead, she did her work, raised a family including a Nobel Prize winning daughter, and literally gave her life to the study of radium and radiology. She is the only woman to be given two Nobel Prizes, one for Chemistry and one for Peace.

Her story is inspiration for all women. She was a truly amazing human being.

Aunt B Eats. Yesterday was a blustery, snowy day, but we went to town. Had to get out of the house (when I start cleaning the drawer under the kitchen stove, you know it is time. It's called cabin fever). Anyway, we ate out at Scallywags downtown T.C. This is basically a fastfood fish joint where they take your order at the counter and you get your drinks. I got the whitefish basket $7.29 and BF got the perch. Food was good, large portions of deep fried fish and fries with a little tub of creamy coldslaw.

The decor is really nautical. Half of a boat hangs on the wall. It has lots of vintage boatmotors, posters of fish, bait buckets for lampshades overhead (BF wondered if they met code), decoys and fishing rods, a mural featuring fish that would be out in the bay, and advertisements for fishing gear. Even the salt and pepper shakers were red and white bobbers.

Well, with such an interesting decor and tasty food, you would think I would be satisfied. Nope. When we walked in the air was thick with the smell of grease. Apparently, in this new building, the exhaust fans are not adequate. And, I hate the smell of grease! So, it really put a damper on my total eating experience.

I do think Scallywags will be successful when tourist season hits, since it is in a good downtown location, next to a hotel, and a quick, casual way to eat fish. That is, if they get that exhaust fixed. Although, I probably won't go there again.

Aunt B Drinks. Yes, coffee. Have I ever told you I love coffee? I just finished my 4 o'clock coffee break with two cups of coffee, with cream plus a few cookies. It is a very luxurious habit.

Now, there was a time when I only drank black coffee, but trying cream in my coffee while on vacation changed that. And there was a time that I favored flavored coffees like vanilla and Irish cream. We even went through a time when we would buy Kona Blend or Hawaiian and have it ground. For awhile, we ground our own coffee. But, no more. Our house coffee is Gourmet Supreme by Folgers. This is a coffee you can find on any grocery store shelf. We like it!

How about coffee pots? We've had a large number over the years. Hard water will do them in every time. We even had a Braun and top names, but no use. Still they get corroded. When we recently cleaned out the basement, we found six coffee pots. I think they were multiplying down there. We now stick to the cheapest Mr. Coffee, and when it starts slowing down, we get a new one.

At any rate, Big Fred takes two thermoses to work each morning, so we go through many a canister. I try to buy extra when it is on sale, but that is rarely the case lately.

I found out how much I love coffee when I was in the Canadian blackout a few years ago. When all of the lights went out and people on the streets were speculating about terrorists, I was in a shop getting what might have been my last cup of coffee. I sometimes have to drink decaff, but I prefer full leaded. And when I'm old, I sure hope I don't have to give up my java and drink Sanka. Bluucckk!

I hate the new blogger. I can't get it to take my comments on other blogs. So, Frannie Farmer, I have commented on the last five or six posts, but I can never get it to take. Are you cutting me off? Am I too belligerent?

For the longest time I couldn't get pictures to work. And I hate the way it looks. I guess I'll have to find a new format. So, hang in there, I don't know what I'm doing. And just when I got comfortable with the old blog.

The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron has won the Newbery award and has been banned by some librarians and schools. The problem is one word. The offending word is "scrotum". So, the book is being banned because of one word taken out of context. The reasoning is that children should not read such words-one complaint was that quality children's books don't deal with "male genitalia".

Well, oh gosh, I agree, it is hard when vocabulary words come up in school and it has to be explained. I've seen ways to handle that, just go through every book with a permanent black marker and cross it out (no, I didn't do that). Not to worry, with all of the publicity, teachers won't have to explain, because kids will know all about it including the page number where it is found.

So, this book will be placed along with the famous Harry Potter and Judy Blume books. If you read Harry Potter, you will know about witchcraft and Satanism. If you read Judy Blume books, you will learn about menstruation and question religion. Furthermore, if you read about it, you will do it. So goes the reasoning. Maybe that's why Judy Blume books are mostly read by girls.

I don't get it. Let's protect our children from these words and thoughts, but we'll let them watch T.V. nudity and bedroom scenes, listen to profanity in music, and bring all of this to the big screen with violence and the bizarre. And, how about the actions of sports heroes, politicians, movie stars, and parents. Again, I don't get it.

I know, I'm too open-minded. What do you think? Here's the news about it: http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/childrens-book-stirs-battle-with-single/20070217193109990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

With so much bad news these days, hurray for good news. I'm talking about the book, The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner. This book is about three women, a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew, who come together to understand each other's religion.

Of course, the first meetings were to dispel stereotypes. Stereotypes popped up over and over. This seems to be one of the biggest problems in defining religion. They were out to examine the other religions as well as their own. They addressed prayer, the holy text, heaven and hell, being American and dealing with their religion, and holidays. As they discussed, more and more issues were brought to the table: Who does the Holy Land belong to? How can the Israeli and Palistinian conflict be resolved? How can the voice of moderation counteract the extremists? What can a quiet minority do? How can we obtain peace in this complex world?

The women became friends and spread what they had learned to others. Their greatest challenge was sticking up for each other in their own communities. The book lays out how to start a Faith Club and an extensive bibliography for study. It is a great model to bring people together and not to continue creating differences.

Wishing for peace on the earth, I will pass on a website that I find helpful in my day-to-day living. http://www.peaceisthewayglobalcommunity.org/Masters/7Practices.aspx

House of Fields, by Anne-Marie Oomen is a definite read. Her portrait of life in Northern Michigan could be a picture of farms across the country. You could change the time and setting, but you would still have the fears and loneliness of growing up with a worldview that is made up of the fields and farms of your home. Oomen's use of language, it's confusion, and it's way of broadening the universe, was intriguing. I could especially relate since, I was raised on a farm with little knowledge of what the world had to offer. I didn't have the language to understand. It was a great mystery.

When I went to college, I made a big joke of flushing the stool and flicking the lights on and off. I was from the "sticks". It was my first chance to see how other people lived: city people, ethnic people, other than farm people. When I went to the reservation in Arizona, I felt like Columbus falling off of the edge of the earth. Anne-Marie reminded me of the love of home and the knowledge that home is such a small dot on this planet. That's where the loneliness comes from.

My mom always said that you had to go away to come back. And so I did, and so I have lived on my family farm next to the big house where I was raised for the last thirty odd years. I am thankful for my travels and adventures around the world, I have language from these places. My going away has made me deeply appreciate my present surroundings. I love the memories that come from trees and hills, and roads and rocks. I cherish my history. I belong here.

Oomen's tale of a rural education has sent me a flood of memories. I would say that is high praise for any book.

A crust of homemade bread with big globs of butter straight from the oven, I've died and gone to Heaven.

With the zero temperatures and no place to go, BF decided to make bread today. A good idea since it takes all day giving a body something to do, the bread baking negates the smoke from the woodstove, the oven warms up the kitchen, and we don't have to buy bread from the store for a few days. I made onion soup, so soup and bread will be on our menu for the week. And hey, how about thick slices for toast?

But really, nothing can beat that first bite of warm homemade bread. BF is top chef in my cook book.

Did I tell you I love wood heat? I do. With a mild blizzard outside, I am toasty warm sitting near the fire. The temp. got up to 14F. today and is now hovering around 5 F. and so it is pretty cool in most homes, but we are feeling a balmy 80F. in our living room thanks to our trusty woodstove. I even took a little nap in front of that little box this afternoon. Just like when I was a kid, I put a blanket down and let the heat radiate over my back. It felt delicious. Ah, the good ole days with wood heat.

Did I say I hate dealing with woodstoves? I do. I was raised with woodstoves. I've had many years of experience. I hate the woodchips and ashes. I hate starting fires and them going out or roaring away in the chimney out of control. I mildly dislike bringing in wood, since I never fail to drop some on the way. Filling the woodbox was one of my big chores as a kid. I mildly hate cutting wood even though I like the outdoors and I have many fond memories of helping my dad. He would cut down the trees and cut up the logs while I pulled back tree branches and helped throw chunks into the pickup box to be brought back to the house to be piled in cord stacks.

My little house has had its share of woodstoves. We once had a fashionable round oak stove in the center of the house that would glow red hot if too much wood was put in. I have vivid memories of BF running out the back door with a flaming chunk of wood. There was no way to regulate the heat. If it got too warm in the house, we would just open the windows. At one time, we had two woodstoves, one in the kitchen and one in the living room. Luckily, I only cooked on a woodstove in my mother's house.

So, with all of that in mind, I love the toasty warm house when the winter winds whip around up here on Wyndehill. I don't worry about storms and loss of electricity because I can cook on my stove top and keep warm too.

Thanks, little woodstove.

Having a manicure is pure luxury. When I worked full time for the last 30 years, I was under the impression that I couldn't afford it. But now that I am partially retired and make less, I feel like I need to get my nails done. Go figure. I don't understand my own reasoning.
Here's the rub, the nail polish lasts about a week and then my nails look chipped and unkept. I am an art teacher so my hands take a great deal of abuse. I try to put a layer of polish at the ends of my nails to make the polish last a few more day. Finally I can't stand the look any longer and take off the polish.
Maybe I should get those French dos. Or maybe I should just do my nails myself. It's just that I like being pampered. Any suggestions?

Potato and Leek soup really hit the spot on this cold winter day. RS and I went to a cooking class yesterday. Most of the recipes we cooked used winter vegetables. I try to make soup each Sunday for Sunday supper. I make enough for one meal during the week. Here is today's soup:

Potato and Leek Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1-4 medium leeks (I used 1 and a big onion)
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. red potatoes ( or any potatoes), peeled, cut into 1/2" dice(about 4 large potatoes)
1 small carrot, 1/2" dice (optional)
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock or any combination of
1 bay leaf
Salt ( be careful if using bullion since it can be very salty)
Pepper
2 TBSP parsley leaves, minced

Method:

1. Clean and prep leeks: trim away dark green tops and tough outer leaves. Trim away roots. Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse leeks several times under cold running water. I washed the leeks from the middle so the dirt was washed down and out of the leek rather than into the leek. Rinse several times since they can be very dirty. Cut the leek in thin strips and cut the strips into thirds.

2. In a pot, heat the oil over medium heat, add the leeks and saute until tender and just beginning to golden(around 9-11 Minutes). Do not brown.

3. Add potatoes, stock, bay leaf, and a touch of salt and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender (about 20-25 minutes).

5. Using a spoon or ladle smash some of the potatoes to thicken the consistency of the soup (not all of them).

6. Remove bay leaf. Add salt and pepper as desired and stir in parsley leaves

7. Serve immediately.

Move over Campbells!

Mother Teresa's Prescription-Finding Happiness and Peace in Service by Paul A. Wright, M.D. Even though I am not a church- goer, I am interested in religion and spirituality, to say nothing about the fact that FB has a degree in the Academic Study of Religion. I am especially interested in people who practice what they preach. Mother Teresa has always been an intriguing person.
This little book is, as the title explains, a prescription for finding happiness. Mother Teresa suggested the following ten spiritual attitudes which should guide one's life (they guided her life): Commitment to community, reverence for all human life, compassion and love, contentment and gratitude, faith, humility, tolerance, patience, forgiveness, and honesty.

Dr. Wright, a very successful cardiology, sought out Mother Teresa to discuss his depression, anxiety, and fear that he was wasting his life. His work with Mother Teresa has resulted in his founding the "Poorest of the Poor" program to send clothing, food and supplies to needy in the U.S. and around the world. He developed the "Medical Mission" program to give free prescription drugs to needy residents of northeastern Ohio where he lives. He is also a coworker of the Missionaries of Charity.

This little book gives clear answers and direction to the eternal question: What is the purpose of my life?

Aunt B drinks, yes. Martinis, once in a great while. This post is in response to Patrick who sent a comment and recipe for making a Nutella martini. Now, it sounds really good. And, thanks, Pat.

I must confess, I have had three martinis in my life (that I can remember). I had a chocolate martini, a plaid martini-raspberry and melon, and a regular martini.

The second confession is that I don't like martinis. Maybe it is because one has to acquire a taste. I had this problem when I first started drinking wine. Most of it was cheap wine and not very good. I really like the expensive wines. Maybe it is a question of sophistication, which I admit, I'm not. Or, maybe it has to do with the person who makes it and the ingredients used. I won't know until---Spring of 2008.

Patrick, I invite you to make me a martini, then I will know. It will be a part of the S and B celebration. Waaahooo!

Aunt B drinks beer. Have you ever just wanted some beer because it would taste good? That was the way I felt tonight on my way home from work.

I bought one bottle of Scarecrow Golden Pale Ale for about $4.00 at Paradise Meats. Using my small Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Festival beer glass that NB gave me as a souvenir from the Beer Festival, I poured myself two small glasses of a light, great tasting beer. I shared the rest of the bottle with BF, so won't be able to have any to go with pizza.

Usually that's when I like beer- with pizza. And I usually like beer when the weather is really hot- not today with 14 degree temps.

I will say that I am a little mellow. Two small glasses of beer and I'm ready for a nap. Talk about a cheap date! Boy, did it taste good! Good thing I don't have to buy a case at those prices!

Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai is my latest finished book. Don't be put off by the first few chapters because it does get better. And it has a happy ending. The setting is at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas in India.

The title says it all. Each of the characters are grieving over their historical, cultural and personal loss. The characters are bound by Indian culture with the class and caste system, colonialism, racism, and nationalism.

The book is sometimes funny, but mostly sad. The characters are attached, but some are trying to leave to find a better life. The judge sells his soul as he is schooled in England. His grand-daughter is raised in a Catholic school and then is dropped on his doorstep with no idea of anyone's past or her own future. Biju, the son of the judge's cook, has gone to the U.S., but is constantly in fear of being deported. His life is drudgery while his father thinks he is getting rich, because everyone in America is rich.

So much betrayal, so much anger in this book.

Desai has a wonderful way of describing life in India. If you haven't been there, the descriptions are sometimes shocking. The book brought back memories of my brief visit to India.

I recall flying into Calcutta at night and staying with someone who had guests departing that we(Rebecca and I) met at the airport. We were chauffered through the city and stayed in a lovely house so we were in for a shock the next day. We stayed at the YWCA and I thought I would die in the bathroom after eating capers in some sort of beef. No one at home knew where we were. I remember the beggars in the train stations with legs that had been broken and grew turned at the knees so they used their hands and arms to move themselves along. I traveled from Calcutta to New Delhi on the train in what was then known as "cattle car" class. I sat under the Buddha tree where Buddha was enlightened. I went to the Taj Mahal with it's beautiful clean grounds and gave money to a little girl holding a dead baby just outside the gates of this world wonder. I saw the poverty and felt the desperation. When I flew to Greece, I thought it was the cleanest place on earth. And, yes, I felt I was rich.

I highly recommend this book.

Nutella or Hazelnut cocoa spread, either way, very tasty. I received a big jar from NB for Christmas. For the last few nights, I have been eating it by the spoonful as my late night dessert.

Then, I thought it might have a better use in some sort of large dessert, but no recipes came to mind and there are none on the jar. Good ole internet, found me a ton of recipes http://www.recipegoldmine.com/nutella/nutella.html.

I was surprised to find drinks using Nutella too. So, now I have to try making some of the delectables mentioned. One cheesecake recipe calls for a whole jar of Nutella. I think I'll stick to some cookies to make it last longer. Yum. Yum!

400 thread count sateen sheets-did I say I love them? No more 250 count cotton sheets for this household. What have I been thinking or missing all these years? AS and NB told me about their encounter with high thread count sheets, and then they were obsessed about getting some of their own. So, not to be outdone by the "kids", I had to try some too. And, lordy, what a luxurious feeling sliding in and out of bed. Thus, the B's have arrived, our bed will never be the same. Next time maybe I'll get the 1000 thread count Egyptian sheets ( I never knew such a thing existed).

Take a quiet time out, get a hot cup of chai, snuggle up in your favorite easy chair, and read the adventures of a mole, a toad, a rat, and their friends. I just finished reading The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.This children's classic is nothing heavy duty, earth shattering or mind boggling. It is just a nice fantasy. BF gave me this little hardcover book. I even enjoyed the pictures. It would be fun to read it aloud. If you can keep my secret, I did read it aloud to Mudge when I started reading it the other day. He wasn't a very attentive listener- he fell asleep. At any rate, it's still a fun story and we could all use a little reprieve from the woes of the world.