_The Hancock News_ Column-- September 24, 2014

I was almost six when I started kindergarten. My class was the first in my town to go to kindergarten all day long, but for some reason, we only attended every other day. So on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday, I stored up a whole lot of fine memories.

I still remember excitedly climbing on school bus #5 with my Snoopy lunchbox and my Miss Piggy binder. I’m not certain, but I think on my first day I wore a cute little school-themed dress with ABCs, pencils, and apples all over it. 

When I was in kindergarten, I remember playing with blocks, pegboards, and coloring with chunky crayons. I remember making windsocks out of bread bags and playing with a parachute in gym class. I remember Mrs. Junkins, my teacher, somehow knowing my friend Keri and I were the ones secretly peeling the plastic coatings off the covers of all the Little Golden Books. 

I even had a wooden cubby-hole with my name on it, my own place to hang my coat and to store my other belongings which included a change of clothes since kindergartners are still prone to having accidents now and then.

My favorite memories center around the Letter of the Week activities. Each week’s activities related to that letter. “Aa” week brought an ambulance to our playground, “Ff” week saw us climbing on a real firetruck, and so on. My favorite week was “Cc” week because one day we got to dress up like cowgirls and cowboys, and I just so happened to have a pair of cowgirl boots. Our teacher even brought bales of hay into the classroom. We pretended they were our horses.

Maybe that’s why I like having a letter of the week for our kindergarten at home. Kindergarten is so very different for my children since we homeschool. They don’t have the bus ride or the lunchboxes or new clothes, but I do try to keep it fun with plenty of play mixed with the learning. 

This year my oldest daughter is my eager kindergartner. She loves writing, worksheets, and learning phonics. Best of all, she really gets a kick out of experiencing books, toys, games, words and field trips that match each week’s letter. For me, it’s like being in kindergarten all over again--minus the lunchbox and cowboy boots.

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Last week was “Dd” week at our house, and I took advantage of some aging bagels to make one of our favorite snacks. Don’t let the name fool you; these are really meant for people. I’m not sure what the original recipe called them, but one of the kids saw a picture of a dog on the page and thought I was making dog treats. The name stuck. You can use any flavor of bagel you like that would be good with cinnamon and sugar; this is a good way to use up day-old quality bagels that might be a bit stale. While not necessary, I find using my electric knife is much easier and quicker for the cutting.

A little messy, but certainly finger-licking good!

Dog Treats

2 bagels 

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Toast the bagel halves. Using a bread (or serrated) knife, slice the bagel halves into small strips (1/4-1/2-inch-wide).

In a large bowl (or zip plastic bag), coat the bagel strips with the melted butter. 

Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the bagel strips. Stir or shake to coat the bagel pieces. Serve immediately.

_The Hancock News_ Column-- September 17, 2014*

When we first moved to Hancock, the oldest person in our congregation was a gentleman by the name of Clarence. He was 103 years old! I once heard Clarence talk about his longevity, and he partially credited oatmeal. You see, he ate a bowl of oatmeal everyday. 

That health benefit might be the only reason my husband forces the stuff down when we have it for breakfast. Give him oatmeal in granola or cookies, and he loves it. And he likes almost any other hot cereal--cornmeal mush, cream of wheat-- you name it. But when it comes to hot oatmeal in a bowl, while he puts on a good face for the children’s sake, I know he’d possibly rather be eating dirt.

It’s a shame, too, because we eat oatmeal at least once a week. Our oldest son cooks up a mean pot of oats with raisins and his own proprietary blend of spices. If that doesn’t sound good enough, I try to make the oats even more palatable for my husband by setting out yummy toppings like butter, cream, blueberries, sliced bananas or apples, toasted pecans or walnuts, and brown sugar or maple syrup. Sometimes our oatmeal breakfast is a true feast. Sometimes it’s plain with just brown sugar and milk. Occasionally I’ll beat up an egg or two and stir that into the pot at the end of cooking time for some unnoticed extra protein. Simply blending in some peanut butter is another one of our higher protein variations. 

While all these additions up the protein to help us stay feeling full longer, nothing helps. My husband will agree that the porridge tastes better, but he still doesn’t like it. Therefore, if I really want to please my husband with oats, I’ll just need to stick to putting them in his absolute favorite-- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed (I prefer dark) brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups oats 

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350℉. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well. Add the flour mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats and raisins. 

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool one minute on cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack.

*The actual date on the paper was marked September 10, 2014, but this was an error and actually came out on September 17, 2014. 

Over And Gone

The Crickets sang in the grasses. They sang the song of summer's ending, a sad, monotonous song. "Summer is over and gone," they sang. "Over and gone, over and gone. Summer is dying, dying."

The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last forever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year--the days when summer is changing into fall-- the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change.

 --E. B. White

from Charlotte's Web

The days are so lovely now with sunshine and warmth, but the garden is winding down. This evening at my son's soccer game, it was cool enough that I'd wished I'd brought jackets. 

When I read this part of Charlotte's Web aloud today, I felt the truth of it. Summer is over and gone.

10 Things To Do Instead of Blogging

1.  Take care of these ugly/highly entertaining creatures:

The guineas are finally outside. We successfully moved them to the new coop, and just this week we are transitioning them to being outside of the coop during the day so they can eat lots of ticks.

2.  Enjoy lots of company.

3.  Finally get to the eye doctor for the first time in a couple of years.

My oldest was squinting, so that motivated me to call for appointments. I'll be getting new pink glasses, and my son picked out a nice steel blue frame for his first pair of glasses. He plans on using his own $5.30 to buy a fancier case to keep his in.

4.  Get ready for and celebrate our fall birthdays. We have three in a row.

5.  Forget to play tooth-fairy when your son loses his very first baby tooth. When you wake up and remember, sneak in and do the switcheroo and then ask your son if he's sure he looked everywhere. When he says that his tooth was still there, suggest that he look again just in case the tooth fairy was running late.

I don't know about your experiences with Ms. Tooth Fairy, but that little thief has been late three times this year at our house!

6.  Go to the dermatologist to have a mole removed from your hand. Once you're home, make sure to accidentally rip the stitch out. Muffle your scream of agony so the children aren't quite as worried.

7. Enjoy watching your son play soccer in a league for the first time. Enjoy even more watching his siblings cheer him on.

8.  Pick lots of tomatoes and green beans. Can them. Like about a hundred quarts. Just because you can, buy a bushel of Concord grapes and can juice and jelly. Lots of it.

Because I was just not totally honest with you, allow me to disclose the full truth. I was helped in the harvesting by my children and husband. Because I am busy frequently with little ones, my husband and I work on the canning together. Really, he does most of the work. And the grapes weren't my idea. My husband ordered them, and I'm glad he did. The kitchen smelled so good, and now we have lots of pretty little jars.

9.  Go to one of your best friend's wedding. It was simple and beautiful. People should do weddings like hers more often.

10. Start back in on homeschooling, this year with 4 students instead of 3. Stay up late at night (after all children are in bed) to grade and plan. Then, during the day, fill every spare minute with trying to help your beloved students cram in each nugget of knowledge you want them to learn.

_The Hancock News_ Column- August 27, 2014

One of the mysterious truths of life is that less is more. I’ve been trying to remind myself of that this busy, busy summer. Why is summer vacation so full of work and activities?

By the end of July each square of my calendar held activities or appointments. Dishes and green beans from the garden were piling up on the counter. Soccer practices and the arrival of guests began filling up August’s days, while more green beans began vying with tomatoes and zucchini for prime counter space. 

Before I knew it, it was time to prepare for school. Since we homeschool, that doesn’t mean buying new clothes and book bags for the kids. While we do need to buy paper, crayons, and such, I also needed to plan and to compile a list of textbooks and other resources to order. Then this year, since my daughter is starting kindergarten, I needed to rearrange our dining room/ school room to make space for more books. 

Then there are the guineas. The whole summer we’ve been learning about, building for, and taking care of 14 guineas we bought as babies (or keets). They are loud and messy and stupid, but in a few weeks, we’ll release them during the day for their intended purpose-- free-ranging on ticks. We didn’t want to spend more money and time on extra responsibilities, but after several cases of Lyme Disease in our family and a spring filled with picking ticks off of even the refrigerator, we were ready to do about anything to prevent the sickness. 

With all of the “more”-- activities, visitors, garden, animals, and work-- I started feeling like I was running on empty. I wasn’t the only one in my family overwhelmed by all the extras. We needed less.

That’s why my husband and I decided to deploy the secret weapon we reserve for times like this. It’s a simple and cheap tool, but a highly effective one. Everybody should know how to wield this mighty protector of sanity. It is the word “no.” 

It sounds easy, but saying “no” sometimes hurts. This summer we ended up using it for a couple of family get-togethers  and library programs we really didn’t want to miss. We were disappointed, but I can say without a doubt that it was the best decision for our family. 

There’s just no sense in having so much and doing so much that you can enjoy nothing. Less is definitely more.

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While I’m on the topic of saying the tiny word that works like magic, I should probably learn how to say it to these sweet Magic Bars. Unfortunately I’m weak-willed, so I try to make them only when I can take most of them to somebody else or to a covered-dish dinner. But if you’re feeling brave, go ahead and make a pan of them; it’s a great opportunity for you to practice saying “no.” 

Note that one time I didn’t layer the ingredients in order, and it ended up a mess. Luckily it was a tasty mess that worked really well as an ice cream topping, but I just wanted to warn you that the order does matter. Also, feel free to substitute butterscotch chips or M&M’s for the chocolate chips.

Magic Bars

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 

2 cups chocolate chips

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch pan (or use cooking spray).

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press into the bottom of the pan. 

3.  Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a fork.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

This post was shared at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth for The Art of Home-Making Monday.

I Can't Believe This Is Meant For Human Consumption

We normally nix the sugary beverages in our house, but this summer our children enjoyed Kool-Aid a couple of times as a treat. Once it looked like this.

Green Apple Kool-Aid

All mixed up, it resembled Flubber or what I imagine nuclear waste to look like or You Can't Do That On Television's green slime. It had a strange glow and an alluring smell. 

And I let the children drink it anyway.

_The Hancock News_ Column- August 6, 2014*

After much thought and deliberation, I’ve made a decision that will greatly impact myself and my family. Please know that I have struggled with this and have not entered into it lightly, but for the sake of my health and mental well-being, it must be done. Starting next year, I will boycott the month of July.

The last two years, July has been brutal to me. Last year I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in July and had to begin a strict diet that did not include homemade vanilla ice cream, all-you-can-eat buttered corn-on-the-cob, or fresh peach pie. The schedule of pricking my finger to test my blood sugar about a zillion times a day would have been easier if I didn’t have the audience of my children fighting over who got to “help.” 

Then on the first day of our family camping vacation, we had some difficulty finding a suitable campsite. By the time we had pitched our tents and hiked to the bathroom more times than necessary, it was late, and the kids were begging for sleep. Without having even enjoyed a cozy first night campfire, we fell exhausted into our sleeping bags.

I awoke a few hours later to what felt like labor contractions. Given that I was still only six months along, this was not good. Morning’s first light saw us packing up and heading to the emergency room. After tests, an ambulance ride to Morgantown, and even more tests, my appendix was removed. Some vacation.

This year July picked up right where it left off with a triple whammy. First, I hurt my neck when I greeted one morning with a yawn and a stretch. I went crying to my chiropractor. Next I dropped my end of a wooden beam on my foot and screamed my way to the emergency room. Luckily, it wasn’t broken, but the bad contusion took weeks to heal. While hobbling about the yard and pulling weeds out of the overgrown raspberry patch, I managed to mess up my back, too. I couldn’t even stand up again without using my daughter as a crutch. The ice pack was my frequent companion for the rest of the month.

So that’s why I’m skipping July. It’s just too dangerous. Maybe, just maybe, if the children really butter me up, I’ll take a break from the boycott to celebrate the Fourth, but the rest of the nasty month will be ripped from my calendar. Gone. My poor aching body simply can’t risk another month like it.

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My helper through the pain this July was none other than our dear chiropractor, Dr. Rishel. This recipe is from him, one of his favorites for using summer garden veggies. He told me how to make it but didn’t give me specific measurements. I’m approximating how I made it, but I’m sure you can adjust it easily to your family’s size. I also suspect you could throw in other fresh vegetables you might find ready in your garden.

One Pot Summer Veggies

4 potatoes, cleaned and cut into chunks

1 large onion, chopped

1-2 zucchini, cut into chunks (similar size as the potato chunks)

3-4 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until almost tender. Next add the onions and zucchini and cook until potatoes are done. Drain the vegetables in a colander. Return vegetables to the pot, and stir in the butter. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

*To be honest, I'm guessing when this was printed. It was sometime in early August.