Spring Break Broken

Spring break--the time of year when teachers get away from their students. I was really looking forward to spring break.

Sunday I drank a gallon of prep goo for my Monday colonoscopy (and yes, I was looking forward to it. You get drugged and unconscious. And after the preceeding week--I wanted that!). Brilliant sister-in-law went with me, bought me pho with oodles of noodles to eat afterward, and let me sleep it off.

Good news: doc removed 2 benign polyps and no uber-social-conservative politicians were seen (I did ask that he check, Oklahoma legislators being SO CONCERNED about women's health).

Please look at the chart to find the evolution of politicians.

I drove home Tuesday evening. And threw some laundry in and went to bed.
Wednesday I did the rest of the laundry, took mother out to lunch and did her shopping.

Thursday drove back to OKC to pick up the bag I had left. Drove home and took mother out to dinner.

Friday I finished laundry and started my guest blog for The Domestic Pagan's Spring Cleaning series. I also borrowed 2 cat carriers from the vet's and got all 4 of mother's cats vetted. And we stopped by Pick of the Day and went crazy buying plants.

Saturday I took mother to breakfast. Then, since I had the truck, we picked up the plants were bought the previous day--and then some. Spent the rest of the day trying to find organic potting soil, and containers. Got the mints, the tomatoes, basil  and herbs planted by the light of the crescent moon.

Today I dug out a new flowerbed and put in a lilac and a Harry Lauder Walkingstick, 3 hostas, and I am tired. It took over 4 hours, as I had to do it by hand. With a spading fork. And I still need to do the front curb bed.

Popcorn. Soda. Bed.

Solar Flares, Mercury in Retrograde, Vernal Equinox, and Spring Break

Solar Flares

Being a cardinal Earth sign, the intense solar flares not only gave me the heebie-jeebies, but frazzled the nerves to the breaking point. Short tempered, on edge post-menopausal hell bitch and high school freshmen make one horrible mix.

Two weeks ago was the end of the term; spring break starts today. For some reason known only to adolescent minds, school work seems to be optional. I have 87 students, 53 of whom are now making less than 70%.

But that's not all!

Mercury in Retrograde

Monday saw the plumber in my lab because some mental midget thought it amusing to inject a tube of hot glue up one of the faucets.
Monday saw a fire in the girls' restroom because some nicotine addicted mental midget used the feminine hygiene receptacle as an ashtray.
Tuesday saw 3 fistfights outside and a police officer being required to escort one girl everywhere outside the classroom.
Wednesday saw 2 of my students suspended, and a principal had to come over and remove a student from 3rd period who took beaker tongs and grabbed a girl's breast with them.
Thursday saw a boy removed from 1st period and placed in in-school isolation for my class for the rest of the school year and a physical confrontation between a boy and a girl in 3rd period that required two principals to escort them from the room.
Friday was the end of LEGGO week (I have no idea what the acronym means); the student council held a series of activities during and after school to raise money for the local children's shelter. It culminated in a dodge ball tournament final game at an afternoon pep assembly. They did exceed their goal. The total amount raised for the shelter was $11,821.68.

Sometime last week I chipped a tooth. We were also inundated with 3 surveys that had to be completed, IEP meetings, identification of gifted students recommendations, and more superfluous paperwork, ad nauseum.

Monday the 19th is my scheduled colonoscopy. I'm actually looking forward to the drugged bliss that accompanies the procedure.

Vernal Equinox

Tuesday. I should be recovered and at home. I am going to read. And run, weather permitting. I may build a wee fire in the fire pit and sit out in the evening.

Spring Break

I will definitely smudge my class room.

Fitness Challenge

Converting to a plant-based diet.

I find that I really don't miss meat all that much.

Except bacon.

Crispy bacon.

Bacon. Bacon. Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon.

The darn stuff is addictive.  So I try to get the uncured, no nitrites, no preservative kind. $$$$$.

Stupid bacon.

I had bacon this morning. The house still smells like bacon.  After 15 hours.

Actually, I feel kind of sick. I'm going to bed.

The Distant Hours (Reading Challenge)

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

This Aussie has some serious talent.

Having read The Forgotten Garden by the same author, I was prepared for jumping back and forth through time in this NYT bestseller.  Stifled, dysfunctional families, secrets, intrigues, castles,  mental collapse, lost loves, and murder span the generations of two oddly connected families impacted by The London Blitz. Slow at first, but persevere--I sat up to finish the novel. I was right about the ending, wrong about the motive, and didn't expect...well, I'm not going to spoil it for you, now, am I?

Tagged, I'm It. Now What?

I've been tagged. Whatever that means. I'm not really sure how to respond to this.
Apparently, I'm supposed to come up with 11 random thoughts about myself. 11? Why 11? And then answer questions that I don't know how to find. I'm a freakin' dinosaur, fer cryin' out loud.

OK.

Rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you have tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ blah blah blah, you legitimately have to tag 11 people!

Now here’s the questions for my tagged friends:
1. What is one hairstyle you’ve always wanted to try but have stopped yourself for one reason or another, be it a different hair color, extensions, whatever?
2. What is your ideal pet, whether real, or mythical?
3. What is your favorite kind of foreign food?
4. What is your favorite herb?
5. Have you ever played a musical instrument of any kind (and that includes playing jugs, spoons, chimes, etc.)?
6. Do you have a book of shadows, and if so, what is it, such as spiral bound notebook, 3-ring binder, leather bound, etc.?
7. What is your favorite spell, if any?
8. The most positive memorable moment of your life, thus far?
9. What is your favorite movie of all time?
10. Do you have a favorite Pagan/Wiccan/Witchy book? If so, what is it?
11. Do you have, or have you ever made, a witches’ bottle?

I bactracked and found the rules. And some questions.

1. I love the silence of the night and revel in the starry light.
2. I do not accept the concept of duality in nature.
3. I have to bite my tongue when ill-informed people talk about equal and opposite reactions applied to energy manipulation in the craft. Newton's 3rd Law of Motion has absolutely nothing to do with energy.I teach Newtonian physics, too.
4. It's strange how much we love our companion animals.
5. I make my own toothpaste.
6. I like to till the garden in my bare feet.
7. I use a dip pen and inkwell when I write in crafting.
8. I am staggerly non-artistic (I'm talking stick trees, stick people, and stick amoeba here).
9. I have seen the face of the Earth.
10. Tea. 6 days a week.Coffee on Saturday only.
11. Sometimes, I just know. It drives my son nuts. Poor man is doomed. He's expecting a daughter in a month or so. Guess what gift he passed on, and the first 2 don't count.

Magaly said to answer questions 3 aand 9.. OK.

Favorite foreign food. Asian, I suppose. I spent my early childhood in Japan. I adore a good pho. And I use chopsticks. Asian food tastes funny on a fork.
Favorite movie of all time. I truly don't have one. I don't watch that many movies. I don't know the current actors/actresses. It just isn't that important to me.

So what do I do now? I don't follow that many blogs. Those I do follow have already been tagged.I'm not even sure where to send this, so I'll post and someone will help the antique through it all.

NYT Best Seller: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

This is a first.
This is a first novel.
This is an original presentation.
This is an original story arch.

The story has a mysterious island off the coast of Wales.
The island has an abandoned orphanage, bombed during World War II.
The orphanage contains a box of photographs of children.
The photographs are rather odd.
The children are gone.
Sort of.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

The ending was a bit of a surprise.

Plant -based diet

I love my pumpkin chili.
I love this veggie stew.
Other recipe (cauiflower "mac" and cheese) later.

Morocco Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
•  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cups finely shredded kale
• 4 (14 ounce) cans organic vegetable broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
• 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Directions

1.     Combine cinnamon, cumin, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, curry powder, and salt in a large bowl, reserve.

2.     Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion in the butter until soft and just beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded kale and reserved spice mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until kale begins to wilt and spices are fragrant.

3.     Pour the vegetable broth into the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, honey, carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, garbanzo beans, dried apricots, and lentils. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low.

4.     Simmer stew for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and lentils are cooked and tender. Season with black pepper to taste. If desired, combine optional cornstarch and water; stir into stew. Simmer until stew has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Footnotes

• 200 calories per serving. 

• Make Ahead Tip:
• If making ahead or freezing, prepare stew through Step 3. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat; remove from heat and cool in the pot or in freezer-safe container. Transfer to the fridge (store for up to 3 days) or freezer. The vegetables store better if not fully-cooked prior to refrigeration or freezing. When ready to eat, (if frozen) thaw in refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, then pour stew into a pot, bring just to a boil, and simmer until heated through.