Saturday, January 26, 2013

Back to being a student

Hey all,


I took the first weekend off to be in my dear friend’s wedding. Took multiple buses there and then flew back. The journey, as always, was a delightful adventure. And a wedding has never meant that much to me. It was such a blessing to have received her letters gushing about “this guy” and then to see them actually get married!

I am still working to catch up on the work I missed, but it was so worth it. So now I’m back kicking up dust in college. I’m taking a drawing 101 course. I was promised an extension. So I come into class on Monday and all the other students have hung up their finished object drawings. And I see this wall filled with drawings and realize. Every other student in the class was Leonardo da Vinci and I was the only normal human being. However, after spending a couple of hours on the drawings, I actually might have found the tiniest smidge of potential.  I am not used to such an unstructured class. It’s good for me.

Presentational speaking is a fun venue to vent my dramatic tendencies. (Speaking of I came back to find friends elated that I was not a dead body rotting in my room: “We threw a Birthday party for you, and ended up having it without you!”

Global Issues is incredible. I am beginning to realize the full implications of the call to feed the hungry. We are currently reading Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger. Really powerful. I definitely recommend it.

It’s strange being back after so long. It’s a little lonely. The harsh reality is that each of us, as we should, have grown and changed and life has gone on. This compounded by the business of academics. I find myself craving one of those wonderful, 2 hour heart-to-hearts over tea.

But there are so many blessings. Just today God offered me the unexpected opportunity to tutor an international student. (Yay for more teaching experience.) It was so wonderful being welcomed back. I am ready to get back into a routine. But even more ready to face the “real world.” To find a job…the adventure of settling-however counterintuitive that may seem. God’s teaching me patience.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

THE HOBBIT -snow sculpting!

J instructing H on an impressionistic painting

 While he draws up the designs for our snow sculpture

 "Oh look! I can make it a lady dragon! What are those cigarettes Audrey Hepburn has?"

Some final design: An open book with Bilbo peaking around one side and the dragon looking down from on top of the book.


Note the "form" (piece of wood) in the lower left hand corner here. The form was about 7 feet tall -each slab of wood created a side of the box. We filled this with snow-H stamped it down like a wine press-and then left it overnight. This preps the snow for carving.



 Bilbo hiding

 The dragon "Smog" (?)


 Bilbo peeking out from just inside the front cover

The pages




Another game night: Scum







Monday, December 31, 2012

Skating!!!!


The middle child :)
 "The Omega"

 Still trying to learn Latin Dance

 Dad dragging K away despite her protests  "Evil cackle? I prefer a mildly disturbed chuckle" :)


Attempting to grab J's precious camera?

Reminiscing

The view from my classroom window-reminds me so much of that great old-time thriller "Rear Window"


An introductory class-"hello" in different languages


Writing letters home

 The door decorating competition: what our tutor group came up with!





Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas highlights


Heading home from beautiful Prague-I want to go back!
H and I dressed up as Star War's Chubaka and a lizzard to greet K and D-I'd be scarred :)



Cooking copious amounts of chocolate desserts to make up for my months without an oven and H teaching me how to make her amazing "Almost No Knead Bread."
ALMOST NO KNEAD BREAD:
Mix: 1/4tsp yeast
3 1/3 c flour (any kind or mixed)
1 tsp salt

Mix:1 c very warm water
1/3 c beer or fruit juice
1 Tbls vinegar
2 Tbls honey

Mix together al the dry ingrediants and all the liquids. Place dough in a bowl. Cover with saran wrap and leave overnight. Knead 10-20 times an dput on parchment in dutch oven to rise for 2 hrs. Lift parchment w/ dough out of oven. Preheat to 400 F w/ dutch oven and lid inside. Replace parchment with dough in the dutch oven. Bake for 300 minutes. Take lid off dutch oven and bake at 375 F for 15min. Makes a rich sweet bread.
Decorating!
Cutting down the tree!










Learning Latin dance


A real Chinese dinner made by D!
Playing games every night:  Scum, Sharades, Mophia, Beffuzled, Nutzi,Guestures, Scategories, Rail Baron,  etc









Dad officially is unable to make "eyes" with his thumb and forefinger. Yes! We can finally park in the handicapped parking! 

Christmas Morning!!! Pajamas all day, homemade white hot chocolate, gift wrap wars-need I say more?
J, K and D
Haley looking cute as always
H loving the new "county fair night" hat -( J reveals his true self in the background:)
D with her new (intimidating?) book
Contraband
What could it be?
Jordy! A bow!

Wine, clothes and books! What more does a girl need?



Continuing the Christmas traditions: afternoon sledding with the neighbors!

J mumified: "I can't move my arms! I can't move my arms!"