Photo Safari

There are some beauties growing in my neighborhood that put a smile in my heart every time I drive by them. (And since they're right on the main route home, I see them several times each day!)



A lady two blocks away planted these all along the edge of her property and the alley. A whole glorious row of amazing colors!

Phew!

It's been a busy, busy time for me. We got the youngest graduated and are so proud of his accomplishments. I can't believe I'm at that point in life with both kids out of K-12. Now we get him ready to head off to college.

The end of the school year was a blur for me. We ended reading groups, did leveling, then spent two weeks going through record keeping and book room inventory. That last bit was painful only in that I would have much rather had more time actually helping the kids! (Although they did get pretty goofy those last two weeks!)

So, our last day was last Friday, June 1. (We were making up snow days.) I must say that the "bump" process was not fun. Despite having received two excellent reviews from both my principal and the district, everyone still had to endure the bump meeting. Because one of the buildings in the district is being repurposed, all their staff were displaced. Several of them are coming to the building where I work. And I just happened to be low-man on the totem pole...thanks only to having the lowest last 4 digits of my social security number. (4 of us signed contracts the same day. 3 of us were bumped. The tie breaker is your social security number. Not your education level. Not your job performance reviews. Just a random number.)



I have picked up work with the local newspaper again, doing copy and taking photos for the advertising department. I've been working on a Regional Visitors Guide for them. The photo above is of Lake Cornelia near Clarion, Iowa. It was actually taken by my DD who enjoys going out to take pictures. There are a few other special sections coming up that will keep me busy over the summer.

I'll try to keep up a better posting rate over the next few months. Perhaps it will help me establish a better habit for when the school year begins again in August!

On the Road

Took a road trip today . . . can you guess where I went? Here's the first hint:

Any guesses? I suppose this isn't really fair as this lamp could be just about anywhere and in any number of venues. How about if I widen out the shot for you?

Now what do you think? Is there a bit more context for you to make a guess? Perhaps you'd like to see something from the exterior of the place I visited. Ok, here you go:

Think you might be on to something? Sensing a theme? style? Let me widen the shot for you again.

That's right! You've guessed that this might be a Frank Lloyd Wright building. But which one? where?

This is Wright's Historic Park Inn and City National Bank building in Mason City, Iowa. The structure has been fully restored with the bank having been converted to the ballroom for the hotel. It is amazing! We were able to visit the first floor level with the lobby and ballroom as well as the lower level which houses a lovely bar and pool lounge. (more photos to come later!)

While in Mason City, we also drove over to the other Frank Lloyd Wright building in town, the Stockman House which is in Wright's classic Prairie Style.

Unfortunately, the home will not be opening for tours for several more weeks. (No one expects summer-like temperature this early in March!) Thus, we were unable to tour or take photos of the interior.

We also enjoyed some other stops on the way, but I shall save those for another day. So happy to be on spring break this week!

Healthy Living

We are on a kick here towards better eating. (Some of the elders have recently had cholesterol checks....and are trying to better our numbers!) To that end, DD has been helping out with finding recipes for foods on the "good" list, making menus, shopping, etc. We came up with a delicious salmon meal cooked in parchment packets in the oven the other night.

She shot this photo while we were prepping the packets to go into the oven. The recipe is from this month's Everyday Cooking. We will keep this on the list of things we would make again, with a couple of slight modifications. First, we'd slice the oranges much thinner and put only a couple in each packet. (Also, I think I would try to go for the sweetest oranges I could find, not necessarily the cheapest....especially since we would not need to buy 3 as the recipe calls for.)

Secondly, instead of placing thin strips of fresh ginger on the packets (which were a real "punch" in the mouth to those who weren't expecting them!), I think we would add just a hint of fresh ginger, ground or even a pinch of ground ginger from the spice rack.

The weather has been unseasonably warm here the past few days with temperatures hovering near the 80*F mark.

I don't think I'll be turning on the oven tonight!

Thanks for sharing your photo with me Amanda! If you'd like to see more of her work, check out my DD's blog at amanda.matilda.photography!

How Can It Be March Already?

It doesn't seem like it has been over a month (and more like 6 weeks!) since I posted! How did that happen?

I hope a nice photo from Ada Hayden park in Ames, Iowa will begin the making-it-up-to-you process. It was nearly 70*F today, so we hit the road and took in some sunshine.

Enjoy!

Tagged

If you've seen the comments to my last post, then you will have noticed that my friend Val over at Sew Not My Day tagged me! (I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that I spent the entire 2nd Grade lunch doing my duty with fingers crossed on both hands to avoid any "cheese touches" or cooties (either the boy or girl variety: both seemed to be going around today!) and the vague sense that this fact should exempt me from having been tagged.....but I'm a good sport, so I will play nicely!)


Rules: Post these rules. (check.)

You must post 11 random things about yourself. (check.)
Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post. (check.)
Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
Go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.
No stuff in the tagging section about "you are tagged if you are reading this." Legitimately tag 11 people!!

Eleven Random Facts About Yours Truly

1. I prefer to have the t.p. in my biffy come out over the TOP of the roll.
2. I listen to NPR in my car.
3. My favorite color growing up was yellow.
4. I have been known to sneak chocolate chips out of the cupboard.
5. My children call our guest room "The Yarn Room." This may mean I have a hoarding problem when it comes to fiber.
6. Fourth grade was one of my favorite years during school.
7. I recently went to a giant used book sale with the express purpose of finding a favorite childhood series, All-of-a-Kind Family.
8. I watch Ice Road Truckers (And my favorite driver is Alex K.).
9. I also watch Ghost Hunters.
10. I like rainy days.
11. My OCD wants to know why this is a list of 11 things instead of the more standard list of 10?

Questions Val Asked Which I Am To Answer

1) What was the name of your favorite pet growing up?
Pepper
2) Have you ever been arrested and why?
No, but I have had some tickets for speeding!
3) What was the name of your kindergarten teacher?
Mrs. Kholoff
4) If you only had an avocado, cream cheese and chocolate bar, what would you do with them?
Eat the avacado and plant the pit in hopes of growing more avacadoes. Put the cream cheese on the chocolate and enjoy!
5) How many cars have you owned in your lifetime?
7, I think!
6) Are you on a diet?
Ummmm.....going to plead the 5th on this one.
7) Do you drink pop and if so, what kind is your favorite?
Diet Dr. Pepper....seriously!!
8) What kind of cell phone do you own? if any?
OLD Verizon. Very basic. Unsmart. But purple!
9) What size shoe do you wear?
Oddly enough, the same size as the number of this question!
10) Do you decorate for Valentine's Day?
I did when the kids were small. Now I only do in my classroom at school.
11) Do you have your summer vacation planned already?
Sadly, yes. We are planning not to do one this year, other than a couple long weekends or a day trip here and there.


This is the part where I am supposed to write up questions for the people I am tagging to answer. I've kind of lost track of most of the people/blogs I used to follow, so I don't think I have 11 people I could tag. Instead, I am going to break the rules and not post new questions or tag people. (Sorry Val!)

Have a great day and weekend everyone!

Snow Days

I've been experiencing my first snow days from the staff perspective of the school system. Dare I say, I still kind of like them??!! (We'll see if I still feel that way when I'm off to school in June!)

At the risk of totally jinxing my chances of winning (which, who am I kidding....were slim to none in the first place!) I'd like to show you all my next home.

Yes, it's gorgeous, isn't it? It's located near Park City, UT. I should find out in roughly 3 weeks exactly when we get to take possession of the 2012 Dreamhouse. I can't wait!

In knitting news, I am currently working on both a pair of socks (cute pink/brown/cream colorway from Lorna's Laces) and some leg warmers (KnitPicks Bare hand-dyed by my friend Kathleen in CA) for DD.

In photography news, DD is getting into wedding photography! She's working with a friend from church and former fellow Target employee who now owns a wedding planning business. DD has 2 weddings already booked. Yesterday we were working on making up the contract she will use with couples, interview checklists, etc. She meets with her first clients this week! It's very exciting and I know she is going to do such a GREAT job!! Her photography and editing skills continually amaze me. She's really good, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mother!

Well, I suppose I'd better go do the dishes. After all, I guess I'm going to have to put this house on the market once I win the new one!!

Have a great day, and Happy Knitting/Shooting!

Holiday Greetings

I haven't been able to convince myself to send out holiday greeting cards this year. So I thought I'd take this chance to wish everyone a wonderful season of celebration this year.

Our year progressed in the typical manner with mostly small, nearly imperceptible moments of change and a few noteworthy milestones to give all the rest context.

The children (can you still use that term even when they are 18 and 20?)continue down their respective paths. The eldest is enjoying her new employment with the local bookstore. It is a natural fit for a bibliophile!

The younger is halfway through (nearly) his senior year and in the process of thinking about where to go from here. I believe, at some point, cardinal and gold are in our future as ISU has some of the best engineering options in the region.

Most of you know that I changed jobs (again). I'm now working as a Literacy Para at the largest elementary school in town. That means I get to work with small groups of students on reading and writing. I have all ages from kindergarten through fourth grade. I LOVE my job (even lunchroom duty with 2nd grade)!!

Doug continues with the Dept. of Correctional Services. Hard to fathom he's been there 18 years now! Hopefully the legislature will continue to fund his position. I happen to believe he's a genius and without him....they'd be sunk!

2011 did bring with it the passing of my grandmother and Doug's father. While it's never easy to say goodbye, I personally take solace in the fact that they will be having some truly awesome festivities with all the people they'd had to say goodbye to in the past. One day, we'll be right there too.

If you fancy some other highlights from the year, simply scroll down and read through some old posts. (There are some great photos of Niagra Falls and London, Ontario!)

Happy Holidays!

Perception

Something To Think About . . .

THE SITUATION

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.


About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Wishing you all moments of beauty and joy this holiday season!

Gratitude

Yesterday was the last day of school before Thanksgiving break. As the kids in various reading groups were discussing things that they were thankful for (and many of them spoke of people and relationships, not just their Wii or bicycle), I thought it wise to take a moment to think of the things for which I am grateful. (Let's face it, a lot of people find it easier to dwell on the things that are missing and thus the negatives and forget to take the time to be thankful.)

First and foremost I am thankful for family and friends. My husband and two children are my life! While most members of my biological family are not a part of my life, the few with whom I still have a relationship are all the more dear to me. And I am ever thankful for the family I married into who have embraced me as one of their own for the past 24 years. Helmicks rock (including those with the last name Smith)!! Many of my friends are like family to me, and for that I am truly grateful as well.

I am grateful for my job. It is really nice to actually look forward to going to work and what the day will bring rather than dreading going and harboring dark thoughts on ways to NOT have to go. Thank you FDCSD!

I am thankful for good health as well as good insurance, for a house to call home, plenty of food to eat and clothing.

I'm grateful to live in Iowa and the U.S. (even though I have my complaints...I'm thankful I live in a place where it is safe to voice those complaints without fear of retribution, being disappeared or killed.)

I'm grateful for the traveling I have been fortunate to do.

There are, of course, many, MANY more things for which I am thankful. And none of these should be a surprise to anyone. (In fact, I'm guessing many people have a very similar list!)

Still, it is a good thing to stop every now and then and take account of your life and spend a moment in thanksgiving for all the goodness of life's many gifts.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Reasons To Love Iowa

It is a place for diversity and tolerance to take root and grow.

Sprouting up in the middle of nowhere, a Hindu Temple and Cultural Center in the middle of prairie and fields.

Priceless.

Friday Finale - November 11

[your quote here]

In Absentia

Life sometimes gets in the way of things like blogging. I've had a lot of family stuff going on. By "family" I mean my immediate family as well as family of origin and extended family. Yeah....that's a lot of family.

It was a cr@p ton of stuff. By "stuff" I mean trips to ER's, dysfunctional craziness, overscheduled needs, follow-up to ER trips, emotional support to both give and receive, etc.

Suffice it to say that the sum of it all left me either too upset, too tired, or too emotionally drained to sit down and write anything here that wouldn't need to be immediately edited by dumping it into the trash.

I think I'm in a better place now.

In knitting news: I am working on some child sized mittens with leftover yarns to contribute to the school where I work. Lots of the children there don't have mittens, gloves or hats. Some don't have winter coats. So, I figured a good stash busting exercise would be to knit up some warm woolens they could use for recess to help keep those little fingers warm.

Also, I'm working on a scarf for my son. I hope to take some photos soon and post them.

Speaking of photos, here's one I shot of a country church about 45 minutes from here. I took it a couple weeks ago on a photo outing with my daughter. We had another destination in mind, but that didn't work out. (We'll have another chance to shoot that location next week. It's a potential State Fair entry.)

I've also enjoyed several postal letterboxes and LTC packages arriving at my door recently. That was fun!

Have a great weekend!

Friday Finale - Oct. 28

Friday Finale - October 21

Time Warp

While we were driving through the Loess Hills on Saturday en route to visit my grandmother's grave, we passed through a small town that I had been to a few times as a child. We went because there was a geocache there to discover.

It was like stepping back in time!

None of the streets in Castana, Iowa are paved.

The old school appeared to be closed.

The central park had a cool memorial to local veterans, which included the corner pillars and entrance to the former bank which is no longer standing on the site. There was also a time capsule buried there, scheduled to be opened in 2036.

At the community center we discovered Castana's volunteer fire truck, ready to be dispatched in case of emergency!

What do you think? 1940's? 1950's?

Pilgrimage

"Whan that aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of march hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open ye (so priketh hem nature in hir corages); Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;" Geoffrey Chaucer

Or, if you don't happen to do too well with Middle English, a modern translation of Chaucer's opening lines in the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales:

Here begins the Book of the Tales of Canterbury When April with his showers sweet with fruit The drought of March has pierced unto the root And bathed each vein with liquor that has power To generate therein and sire the flower; When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath, Quickened again, in every holt and heath, The tender shoots and buds, and the young sun Into the Ram one half his course has run, And many little birds make melody That sleep through all the night with open eye (So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)- Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage, And palmers to go seeking out strange strands, To distant shrines well known in sundry lands.

DH and I went on a pilgrimage I have been longing to make for a few months now. My grandmother was one who, when she was physically able, kept the tradition of visiting family burial sites alive and well. She felt drawn to go, to spend some moments with kin and letting precious memories wash over her, carrying her beyond the here and now to be gathered in with those she'd loved and lost along the journey.

Although Chaucer's pilgrims set out in April, and my grandmother usually set out beginning on Memorial Day and continued on through the summer months, Saturday seemed like the day for me to make the trek to visit grandma's final resting place.

It's a peaceful spot, atop a hill outside of Turin, Iowa. The hills are lovely in any season, but were especially so on the first crisp and sunny Saturday of autumnal weather this year.

We wandered the cemetery after visiting her grave, listened to the wind and bird song afloat on the day's breezes and enjoyed being out. We found some geocaches along the way and made a few other discoveries too! (I'll save them for another day.)

I miss my grandmother. And I'm thankful to have made the pilgrimage to her final resting place.

Friday Finale - October 14

I Suspected

I've been hearing lots of chatter lately about Facebook and some of its alleged practices. I've long wondered about the actualy benefits of the site and other social networking sites. I have my doubts as to whether FB or any of them really ever connected people in anything other than a superficial (dare I add, ARTIFICIAL) way. [Yes, yes, I know....I AM over 45 years old. I am still entitled to my thoughts and opinions!]

When I got home from school this afternoon to check Facebook in order to see if there were any updates on family who've been have a rough time of it healthwise and are hospitalized, I got the following response from my computer security/anti-virus software:

(actual screen shot of my computer upon my third attempt to access FB.)

TED

If you have never watched any of the TED talks before, I would invite you to check them out! You'll find thought provoking, meaningful and inspirational speeches and ideas from some terrific people! Check it out!!

Here is one I recently watched and enjoyed: