Heavy Bars for Tonight's Cook-Off

                I think the young men and young women have a combined activity each month.  Once a year (I guess in January) they have a cook off.  Jenna had wanted to make the "cupcakes" that we had at her last birthday party - sure she is combining three ingredients to make something else, but I don't really think it should count if Reese's, Pillsbury and Duncan Heinz are really doing most of the work.  The rules are that it needs to be a recipe and not from boxes.  We didn't happen to have brownie mix, cookie dough and peanut butter cups hanging around anyway and so Roland had talked her into making an apple pie.

            Pie for an armature cook-off?  Really?  I could sense that Jenna was not that thrilled with the idea of making any kind of pie. Nor did she wish to start it last night but rather after she returns from school today.  However, Roland was able to assist last night and will be working when she returns from school.   I don't want to make pie!  I looked for a recipe that would work with ingredients that we already have.

            From years' past, I can remember when Peggy Bird was in her domestic mother earth stage.  The woman was always baking.  I loved going across the street because her kitchen was always filled with pleasant smells of baking.  Molasses cookies seemed to be the number one staple.  But I do remember my first encounter with Peanut butter squares (or peanut butter fingers as the boys called them) coming from her house and had searched for that recipe so that Jenna could make them.

            She found all the ingredients and placed them on the table and then measured each one out and really did do most of the stirring and combining and baking herself.  We didn't have the right size pan and so our bars came out thicker - and heavier.  I don't recall ever having such heavy bars before.  We could have made the frosting, but chose to sprinkle on chocolate chips as soon as the pan was removed from oven.

            I turned the oven off and returned the pan to the warm oven to allow chips to melt as the oven cooled down.  After a few minutes we spread them over the bars. I cut them into rectangles this morning, but thought better of it and cut each rectangle in half - not only because it would give Jenna more bars to take, but because they are heavy and a long bar might be too much sugar shock for some.  

            So here is the final product minus what we sampled and the oversized edge that she ended up taking to school.

            The recipe we used is found here, though there are others.  I might have used a different recipe the last time I had made them (recently as October) or had used two different pans as mine were not as heavy.  I think these ones that Jenna made are definitely the most heavy I have ever eaten.  I am assuming there will be leftovers.

Return to Grants Magic

                It was at the end of August or the beginning of September when the library treasurer mentioned a grants program workshop she had signed up for and said the tuition would cover up to four participants.  I don't know if she had mentioned it in hopes I would volunteer - but I did.  She said the program would start in October and I would be receiving email from the instructor - and then I forgot about it.

            In September I attended a meeting in which clipboards were passed around in order for us to sign up for teams which would guide financing, library training, public relations and one other.  There were two that I definitely didn't want to belong to and signed up for training.  But wait . . . what happened with the Grants Magic (here) I had been signed up for?  I told the treasurer I had not received an email.

            This is an eight session class - the great thing about the online sessions is they can be watched at the participant's own pace.  This is good since that by the time I was finally able to log on, the workshop was halfway over.  I started watching the sessions in November.  I wasn't even halfway through the course when I received the final session.  There's so much I need to review now - but I at least have that opportunity.

            It was easier to go through the process when I had only one class, it was easy to take several minutes out of my schedule in order to review the videos and workbooks required for the Grants Magic course, but when I had my Psychology and Programming class side by side, even the bonus "Christmas goodies" had to be put on hold.  Oh, my goodness.  It's a wonder I remember any of it really.

http://www.grantsmagic.org/

            Now that I take only one class this mod and the lecture doesn't take place until Wednesday afternoon,  I have some free time to continue through these sessions - which I really am enjoying.  Hopefully I will gain more confidence that I am able to assist in an efficient way.  Thus far I haven't practiced methods with anyone else on the financial team - which initially I hadn't signed up for, but had received one email that indicated I was on the financial team.  It does make sense, but I have not met with the team as of yet.  I've pretty much been out of the loop with the library since the Children's Summer Reading Program came to its end.  But now that the holidays are over, I need to get back into the swing of things.  Hopefully I'll be more focused and become a leader in my field. 

Somewhere Between Walter and Sheldon

                There is a student in my accounting class who thrives on accounting.  She LOVES accounting.  Her interest is consumed in accounting.  It is her primary focus.  I don't know if she has any other interest. 

                When posting to the discussion, we are suppose to use at least 150 words (some classes say 300;  it depends on the class) and she always uses over 1,000.  At first I thought it was an attempt to show off her knowledge, but after having at least two other classes together, I can see that she is not only knowledgeable but passionate as well.  She wants to share her passion.

                I do not share her passion.  Accounting is a complicated language.  I don't think it needs to be.  I can pick out words that make sense to me, but overall I feel like the character on the outside of the "nerd-circle".  Two television shows come to mind.  Both series of CBS.

https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/scorpion-season-four-ratings/

The first is a drama/crime show called "Scorpion" which is about four geniuses who work for/with a government agent to solve problems that the average human mind wouldn't be able to grasp.  Walter is the over achiever who is academically gifted but totally lacks in reading emotions.  The only person he has ever seemed to be attached to is his sister who had a disability that he wanted to make better. He basically heads the group - or believes that he does.

Happy is the mechanic of the group. She is comfortable with infusing things together and making them work.  She is estranged from her father or any other relationship for that matter.

Toby is the doctor of the group.  He seems to understand what is needed to fix the human body, both physically and emotionally.  He uses humor as a defense mechanism.  Toby likes to gamble.

Spencer is possibly my favorite character of the four.  He's overweight, loves comic con,  excels in any and all forms of arithmetic, is germaphobic.

The first season introduces Paige and Ralph.  Ralph is a boy genius who excels beyond his peers.  He's eager to learn on a college level and understands complicated words - more complicated than accounting.  Paige is his mother.  She doesn't understand her son's mind.  She doesn't understand academic complication.  She doesn't seem to have a great handle on relationships as there have been complications with her mother and Ralph's father.  She does understand emotion and ends up working with team Scorpion even though she is far from being a genius. She has emotional intelligence.  I seem to identify most with Paige as I go through my courses of study: overwhelmed by the complexity of the trade, but understanding the personal aspect of self. 

http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/

"The Big Bang Theory", a situation comedy, also focuses on four nerds who hang out together.  They are Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard.  All four work at the same University in California.  Three are scientists and one an engineer. All four love comic con, "Star Trek", and "Star Wars". I would be most interested in going out with Leonard and Raj.  I would not want to date anyone like Sheldon or Howard.  Sheldon thinks quite highly of himself.  He's a gifted know-it-all who does not recognize emotions, sarcasm, or why people might find him offensive.  He's a highly exaggerated character who also loves trains.

 Howard can also be offensive - usually to the opposite sex.  He is overly insecure.  He lives with his mom for most of the series.

Penny is their neighbor who, for the most part, has no clue what the others are saying.  The expressions she wears are similar to the ones I wear in accounting.  It seems like she will sleep around with almost any breathing guy.  But even she is revolted by Howard.

I think the classmate I refer to at the beginning is somewhere between Walter and Sheldon.  I don't know that she gets emotions.  She has them, obviously, but they seem to be tucked away far beneath her intellectual passion.  She's asked me for "answers" to other class projects outside of accounting.  I've tried explaining to her that she should not expect to receive a grade based upon my opinion; rather she needs to have her own.  I think the idea of sharing emotional opinion is as foreign to her as accounting is to me.

 Have you ever seen those questionnaires on BuzzFeed or Zimbo that ask "What Disney Princess are You" or "What Scorpion Character" or "Big Bang Charter are you?"  I don't see how anyone can honestly end up with Sheldon or Walter.  I don't believe that either one of them would take the quiz seriously enough to sit down and actually take the time to take the personality quiz - which of course is only done in fun and has no relevance - which is another reason that neither one of them would take it.

To Be a Kid Again

         My mom had given Jenna a pillow pet for Christmas seven years ago.  Jenna loved that pillow pet and treated it as though it were a living breathing creature.  I had recently been reminded of this when I read about her first day back to school after the new year. 

          Before she left the house, she had made me promise that I'd watch her pillow pet (Fudge) and told me what movies it liked to watch and what kind of game it (he) liked to play.  I had actually placed "Fudge" back in her room with a coloring book and crayons.  I decided it would fall asleep and continue to "nap" until she got home.  I did not play games with it (him).

          When I shared this experience on facebook one commenter suggested that I shift things around a bit, mess up the room and tell her that Fudge did it and she would have to make him clean it up.  I did not think about it nor received his message until after I had gone to school to pick her up.  She grilled me on the events of my day and had not been pleased to hear that Fudge had spent the entire day on her bed napping.

          Yesterday I read this following conversation between my niece and my nephew.  I think it's hilarious.

Anna:         All of them were killed by an asteroid and volcanoes.

Gary:           Were more good ones killed or bad ones?

A:                I think more bad dinosaurs were killed

G:               I think all the bad ones were killed

A:                I think all dinosaurs were bad.

G:               I think there were some good ones.

A:                But all the dinosaurs were killed when an asteroid hit the earth in the 1980's

G:               And Volcanoes too

A:                The asteroid made volcanoes when it hit the earth in the 1980's.  It may have been the 1970's . . .  way back then

New Year to Finals

            It is really a sad thing to have finals right after a two week vacation.  Instead of having just one assessment or assignment - all of it is expected from here on.  Every week will be the same.  That is fine for the times I have just one class, but it seems quite challenging this particular week when I have two and have not bounced back with my mind.

            Theoretically I should be working on my assignments or posting a comment to a fellow student on discussion, but I first need to clear out my brain.  Perhaps if I brainstorm here I will have  a better understanding about what to write for my class assignment.

            We're supposed to set goals on improving our self-management.  Yesterday's daily check point had us watch a video on sleep hygiene.  Now there's my inspiration.  I haven't been sleeping well.  I KNOW I need to sleep  better to control my emotional intelligence.  I slept much better as a single person than one who is expected to share a bed.  Forget my disability to find comfort on a flat surface.  Roland and I have never been able to agree on room temperature.   If he's comfortable, I am too hot.  If I am comfortable, he is too cold.

            The air doesn't seem like it will push through the vents unless the thermostat is above 72.  There's another brilliant error design that came with our home.  The thermostat is set between the back door and kitchen and so never does get an accurate temperature of the entire house.  Duh.  Of course we never have the finances to fix or change anything.

            So last night we used a space heater that plugs directly into the wall and is not on the floor. 

   

          

The instructions are quite simple and say that the temperature goes from 60 to 90.  Who in their right mind is going to set it to 90 degrees?  I think 75 is too hot.  At the advice of a column I will reference for my assignment, on suggestion for better sleep is to keep the room cool.  I think 65 may have been a bit too cool - especially for Roland.  He was pleased to see me this morning as I usually wander into the living room during the night;  the air quality in the living room has been the right temperature for me - but the couch is a beast to sleep on.

              I don't know that either one of us really slept any better than we have been.  I usually wake between 1:30 and 2:00 because I'm hot.  My bladder woke me up at 2:30 - ah, the drawbacks of cool verses warmth.  My pipes don't leak in the warmth, but when I'm cold I've suddenly got water bursting through me.  Where does it even come from.  It's not as though I am sipping on Big Gulps during my sleep

 I've also noticed that electric heat seems drier than natural gas.  We don't even have a natural gas option in this house.  I wonder if that is what has contributed to my stomach rash.  It doesn't make sense to me, but is the only thing I can think of that is different from my normal routine - or what started out as routine anyway.

            Still searching for answers.  I do need to eat better, and that will help me sleep.  But I still need to find that perfect t temperature for both of us.

            I hadn't made the connection of exposure to light.  The article discussed getting out in the natural daylight.  There haven't been many hours of light for several days at a time.  It's been overcast, foggy, dim, kind of depressing.  The daylight effects the moods of almost all people.  All the sudden it has made sense to me.  I don't know if this post does, but I plan on posting it anyway.  Take a shower, say a prayer, get on with my day.  Hopefully I will become more alert than I am at present.

New Years Jar

104.9 the River is a radio station in Ohio.  My sister shared this post and I thought:  What a Cool idea!  I have added three "notes" to my jar already.  Think positive!!!!  Yeah!!!!

No! Not the Tree!

I'm really not much of a decorator.  I do put more thought into decorating for Christmas.  It is always so hard for me to take down the decorations - especially the tree.  Jenna must take after me as she is also having a hard time with it.

This year I have decided to make it just a bit easier on myself by taking down something just a bit at a time.  On Tuesday I packed up the books that I had only attempted to look at.  I don't think anyone else did.  On Wednesday I removed the cards from the door.  On Thursday I took down the plush toys that hung around the frame of the mirror.  And each day I would also remove ornaments from the tree.

Last night Jenna went to Roseburg with Roland and I decided to remove the remaining ornaments while they were gone.  I should have waited until daylight.  What was I thinking?  And why has every house I've lived in had such poor lighting in the front room?

The decorations from the outside trees were removed on Friday.  the lights no longer adorned our house.  The inside tree still stands with its light which we will remove tomorrow.  It makes the end of Christmas so final.  And Tuesday is back to school.

Crazy Dreams

I haven't been sleeping well and I somehow seem to remember more detail about my dreams - though I don't fully understand why I would dream them.

The house across the street really is for sale.  Earlier this month I had a dream that my sister-in-law's sister moved in with her daughter and that Jenna and Alex became really good friends.  I knew that Deb would need a job and remembered that they are always looking for teachers but then remember Deb had not gone into teaching but had gone to beauty school and helped her to get a job at a local salon.  I have no idea why I dreamed it.

The dream I had this morning made more sense - except for one part. But I could understand why I had dreamed it as Biff and his living situation has been on my mind and I had just recently  looked at photos that his girlfriend had posted.

I was having lunch with his girlfriend Clarissa and a friend from her photos - I'm guessing her sister. I asked Clarissa to tell me more about how she and Biff had gotten together, and she proceeded to rip some pages out of a booklet or magazine that apparently went into more detail about their  relationship, and then I told her about how Biff and Jeanie had gotten together. It felt strange to have dreamed both.

White Chocolate is an Oxymoron

top is white chocolate, bottom is actual chocolate

even before taste, sight can figure out the difference.

            Those who enjoy a great martini or daiquiri may think that taking the alcohol out and calling it "Virgin" does not make it worthy of calling the drink by its alcoholic name.  I don't know as I have never had an alcoholic beverage on purpose.  I had been invited to a cocktail gala once.  I had ordered a mocktail pina colada I believe. When my glass looked empty, a waitress had asked if I would like a refill.  She hadn't realized my drink was alcoholic free nor did I figure out right away that my second drink had rum.  I didn't like it nor did I finish it.  The first had tasted so much better.  That was my opinion anyway.

I cannot tell a mocktail from a cocktail by sight

            The word "white" in "white chocolate" must mean the same as mock or virgin - for those who can't or choose not to have real chocolate, "white" is their alternative just as "virgin" is my alternative when I choose not to drink. I still think it's wrong to use the name "chocolate" when leaving out the main ingredient that would make it chocolate.  But I think I may have a better understanding.

This is a cocoa plant

This is a chocolate mocktail

            White chocolate does taste better than carob.  At least carob never deceitfully tried to pass itself off as chocolate by its name.  Why somebody had tried to pass that off as a chocolate substitute is beyond me.  That would be like not only taking the rum out of the pina colada, but using mud instead.

this is a carob plant; it seriously tastes worse than it looks

Another Package

                When I first joined my family I believed Tony was pretty much a holiday Scrooge.  He said his favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, but he seemed to hate Christmas.  He made no effort to hide his negative emotions.  Fortunately that changed sometime after Jenna was born.  His feelings toward Christmas seem to become more positive with each passing year - or at least that is what I hear in his voice.  It is so awesome to have him enjoying that again.

                Rochelle and Tony's original plans this year were to send their gifts with their brothers who had planned to visit us during the holidays.  Only "when" turned into "if' and then "not this year".  Tony called the day the package was mailed and said that it would be late.  I am glad it didn't come before Christmas as I knew their gift to Jenna would put all of ours to shame - even Snoopy.  Oh, Jenna still loves Snoopy but is more excited by the gift from their family.

                Her gift may have been the first that was placed in the box as it was not on top, rather my favorite part of the package.  The thoughtful gift of hand-made ornaments and pictures sent with crafted foam and on a house shaped plaque designed for "family". 

                We never did get a picture of all of us together after our last three grandchildren were born and now Jeanie is gone and will no longer be a part of any recent photos.  How thoughtful to include each of us with the pictures they sent.

                Since the first time Jenna had watched her first episode of "Psych" she became an instant fan.  She loves Shawn Spencer and now the pineapple.  Her goal right now is to rewatch the series to find the pineapple that supposedly exists in each episode.  Tony's family had sent the first six seasons of Psych and Jenna is thrilled.  If it had been her only gift Jenna would have been fine with it.

                I love listening to her laughter.  It reminds me of watching movies and sitcoms with Tony.  He is actually my favorite person to watch sitcoms with.  He has such a cute laugh and is easily amused. I do miss his laugh and his enthusiasm.

                Some of their gifts and thoughtfulness this year was really clever.  I started reading the book they sent me though I have not gotten too far into it.  I was trying to read as much as I can before school starts back up again.  Just one more week left of programming and emotional psychology.  I don't know what I will have after that.

                2017 has flown by so quickly!  It's hard to believe it's almost over.  I wonder if 2018 will fly just as quickly.

Christmas dinner

                I don't remember having met Shelly's mother before, but  she seemed to recognize me.  Many of our town's citizens had gathered downtown for the lighting of the tree on December 2nd.  I was making my up 2nd Ave. to the library annex when she spotted me and waved as though we had been buddies for quite some time but seemed to have lost touch.  She asked about Jenna and mentioned the desire for getting Shelly and Jenna together.

          Shelly and her mom had moved to Myrtle Creek last year.  I don't know what time of the year Jenna had been invited to her birthday party, but I know we were already living in Tri City at the time.  It was the first time I had dropped Jenna off at a friend's house without meeting a parent first.  Shelly was attending the same middle school as Jenna but did not return. She has decided to do her schooling online instead. 

                I believe that Jenna and Shelly have hung out together four times since December 2nd.  We even did a sleep over at our house.  Shelly and her mom had gone to an afternoon tea party at the grange where the ward had our Christmas party that same evening.  As Shelly was already there, I had invited her to attend the ward Christmas party and hang out with Jenna.  Roland had volunteered to pick up some neighbors and drive them home and the amount of passengers became more than our car could hold - thus we made two trips and allowed Jenna and Shelly to play together.

                I have tried to remain faithful to the positive challenge and had read each day prior but had forgotten the challenge for day 11. It was before I had taken the girls caroling that I had texted Shelly's mother  to ask if they would like to come for Christmas dinner.  I hadn't realized that was the challenge - to do something unexpectedly.

          After I brought the girls back to our house, we received the following message from a ward member:

 

          Shelly and her mom did come to have dinner with us on Christmas day.  I had on my tacky cat sweater and was just about to pull it off when they showed up.  Shelly's mom seemed to like it but I was hot and don't do well with long sleeves and food.  Shelly and her mom are always cold.  Before we ate, the girls exchanged gifts.  After dinner Shelly and her mom play games with us.  Shelly's mother really did enjoy herself.

          I ended up giving my Christmas sweater to them. Perhaps I should have asked Jenna first as she said that she liked it.  But I think it will get more use being at Shelly's house.  Roland was okay with it as he hadn't particularly liked the sweater either but had purchased it believing that I really did like it. I wish I had shown the same gratitude that they had.

The Spirit of Christmas - Me

I saw this sweater in Wal-Mart.  I made a comment that I thought it was cute.  It made me think of my brother, Corey.  

It's actually not a sweater that I would wear and the more times I saw it, the tackier I thought it was.  Evidently, I had not said that aloud – or at least loud enough that either Jenna nor Roland heard.  I don't mean to complain or sound ungrateful.  It's what one would wear for an ugly sweater contest.  

If I put it away for next year, would I actually be able to find it?  Fortunately the Spirit for me lives in giving and not receiving - though I was surprised with one of Jenna's gifts. 

          I don't think Roland often listens to my desires or my non-desires rather.  For example, there was one year I told him that I did not want a quad (four books of scripture in one book) but that I preferred having the Bible separate to compare two scriptures side by side. 

He brought me a quad that year. 

He also purchased the DVD of "Mama Mia" the year it was released. 

I told him I was happy with the soundtrack and really didn't want the DVD as I didn't believe I'd watch it enough that it would be worth having in my collection.  It stayed in Utah the year we moved to Oregon. This year it was a hair dryer that I had already mentioned I hadn't wanted.  

          In addition to my hair dryer and holiday sweater, there was an unexpected gift of macadamia clusters from Jenna.  That is the gift that surprised me the most.  The most practical gift I received (also from Jenna) is probably the one I was most genuinely excited about.

only thing I had asked for really

Jenna (or Santa's) surprise scrapbook paper

surprise!

I like it thus far