First Lady?

Reading some others' blogs lately has gotten me thinking. Of course, politics is on everyone's mind these days, as well as Shearson Lehman's demise, AIG and all that other scary stuff. But I have recently been thinking of the media coverage of Michelle Obama. It suddenly occurred to me that, all other issues aside, if I had to vote solely on who was to be First Lady, my choice would be abundantly clear.

Now, who would YOU want in that role? Michelle Obama or Cindy McCain?

And my mind runs to other of the world's women of power, or women of special significance (politically, spiritually and otherwise,) in no particular order, but the one they've popped into my head in:

Golda Meir
Benazir Bhutto
Eleanor Roosevelt
Margaret Thatcher
Angela Merkel
Michelle Bachelet
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Mother Teresa
Indira Ghandi
Gladys Aylward
Catherine Booth
Corrie ten Boom
Maya Angelou
Lady Diana
Joan Baez...

I could keep this up for hours...

Whether or not you react in the same way I do when you read these names, is not the point. I am not holding any up to be objects of perfection. The point is, each of these women has had a particularly significant role to play, and has touched the lives of untold numbers of people. Which of the two listed above shall we add to the list? Would one of them even be worthy to be mentioned in the same breath?



(My apologies for any misspellings in this post...too tired to check anything at the moment.)

Batten Down the Hatches

Watching the news from storm to storm makes me wonder. Are we gonna get hit this season? We've had some particularly brutal thunderstorms over the past few months, with some pretty heavy winds. And they were just storms. One ripped our shed right off the foundation and threw it across the yard...everything inside scattered in twenty different directions. Now, we have noplace to hide the garbage pails from the raccoons, who'll even rip into the paper recyclable pail...you'd think they could smell which one really holds food. Anyway...get ready, it's hurricane season!

School-Dazed

I have been incapable of blogging since school started (Aug. 21st, actually, for me, as our crazy school required teachers to be back then!) I thought I was busy before, but now I am teaching until 4 pm, then off to my other 2 jobs. Yes, two. I just accepted an adjunct-professorship, last-minute (in addition to my private music students.) This is absolutely crazy. But I have been trying to get into this college for awhile now, so when opportunity came knocking, I gave it a very warm welcome, shoved lots of other stuff aside, and...take a deep breath...diving into the deep end of the pool.

Wow. I are intelligent and I are a college professor!

Highlights of Summer 2008

Here's my list of this summer's highlights:
1. Memorial Day at the Bronx Zoo with DH and Little Sir (seeing them ride the camel together was the best!)
2. Running on the beach in the evening with DD and Little Sir.
3. Little beach get-togethers with DD and Little Sir, sometimes with friends, in between work shifts for us ladies.
4. DH getting a promotion!
5. Getting free tickets to Splish Splash and going spur-of-the-moment with DD and Little Sir...his first time!
6. 4th of July fireworks on the River front (on the 5th of July!) with friends.
7. BBQ with my Stony Brook grad buddies and all of our kids...I actually made a bunch of new career-friends, who will be my professional contacts for many years to come.
8. My birthday celebrated by an amazing dinner (DD's treat!...she shocked me) at Edgewater Restaurant in Hampton Bays, with my dad and his girlfriend, DD, DH, Little Sir and me. (No. One Son was away in Chicago at a wedding.)
9. DH getting an incredible deal on a used car.
10. Finishing my first-ever job of teaching special ed ESL summer school. I made connections with some awesome kids, learned a lot about this kind of teaching, and about myself!
11. The Long Island Game Farm with my dad and his girlfriend and Little Sir. (His little face, as he got to pet and feed the deer, sheep and goats was priceless!)

One not-highlight, but a prayer of thanksgiving:
Number One Son walked away from a terrible car crash with only minor injuries. The Jeep is dead, but it's replaceable. He is not.



Now, it's your turn. What are your Highlights of Summer 2008? (No fair just reading and not commenting.)

Last Day Off

Well, I had planned to do lots of fun things with Little Sir before I had to report for duty, but his allergies kicked in something fierce, and he ended up a very sick little boy. After living with the nebulizer, followed by steroids to get the lungs under control, he's now on Singulair which is better than previous meds. We lost a week of play time, tho', and he hasn't been to karate all month.

But, Wednesday was my last day to play, and we took my dad up on his offer to take us to the Long Island Game Farm. He's been asking us to set a date all summer. Wednesday's weather was perfect, and we had such a good time. I haven't been to the game farm in years, and I was surprised at how much they have there, now. The tiger show was great, and Little Sir was thrilled at how close he could get to all the animals. (We'd gone Memorial Day to the Bronx Zoo, and so many of the animal habitats there, while great for the animals, allow them to hide really effectively, making it disappointing as you trek across that campus to see your favorites. "All the good animals are sleeping!" he said.)

Probably the most fun was being able to pet and feed so many animals. He wants to go back really soon! I'm going to see if we can book it as a field trip for his school (it's $8.95 pp, group rate...about half price.) I'd definitely go as a chaperone for that one!

If you haven't been there recently, you should go. It's so close, only the Manorville exit, it's a shame not to.

Freedom

I hereby am thrilled to announce that I have completed teaching summer school 2008! Yay!!! I can't tell you how relieved I am that it is over. And sad that there's so little of summer left to celebrate in.

And, I have a "Professional Development" to attend in my school Aug. 21st. Sigh. Not much of a break in between.

I am starting to get a little excited about September, my little brain whirring with ideas, making lists, planning to clean out my school cabinet (at home) and get busy sorting and planning.

BUT...I want some summery break first!

I am so tired. Have to find something fun to do tonight with Little Sir.

Painting

I just finished one of those spur-of-the-moment projects. My back and knees are telling me they don't think it was such a hot idea.

DH and I have been planning to paint the house (inside) by the end of the summer, but our schedules have been hectic, and we're rarely together. Others I could enlist to help, also seem on the opposite schedule from mine. So, this afternoon, fresh from work, I decided that, since the weather was kinda cool and crisp for August, it was a good day to start painting.

The bathroom is the smallest room of the house, so I figured I'd tackle that and be done before DH gets home from work around 2 or 3 a.m. So, off to buy spackle and paint, rollers and all the necessary tools. Get home quick. Read the spackle container. Has to dry for 4 hrs. Perfect. I could spackle the few spots that needed it, then run Little Sir to karate class, go do my music lessons, and be back just in time for it to be ready to paint on.

So far, so good. Back home, spackle's dry. Make a quick dinner for Little Sir, and get started. Of course, he doesn't want to eat when I'm doing something much more fun, so, after making him eat a little, prepped the room and handed him a paintbrush and instructed him in the art of painting the low areas. I got busy with the roller.

Three hours later, both of us with more paint on us than I wanted, sore and sleepy, we are done! It's not perfect. It's gonna need a second coat, probably (even tho' the can says it's a 1-coat-er), and I have to re-do part of the trim and put the fixtures back up. And paint the little shelf and remount that. Then do the window.

But, not bad for a work-day project.

Blahhh

Well, July has come and gone, and it's all been a blur. I distinctly remember going to see the 4th of July fireworks (on the 5th of July), but, other than that, all I actually remember doing is working, working, working and spending a little occasional down time with my kids.

I did have one visit with a friend, but it was to prepare me for an upcoming interview (she very professionally grilled me on my interviewing techniques, and gave me a mock interview. Very helpful. Constructive criticism is a very good thing.)

My summer job has taken up way more of my time than I had thought it would. I had wanted to go to the beach after work yesterday, but the reports from everyone on excessive jellyfish at the bay, and really scary rip currents at the ocean made me think twice. So, we visited my dad instead (haven't done that in a long time, either) which is always a good thing, and Little Sir got to mosey around his yard, watering everything in sight (including shooting the hose at a woodpecker at the suet feeder. Tsk tsk.)

On the one hand, DH and I have been doing a pretty good job of achieving our debt-erasure goals for this summer...paid off one loan, and are chipping away at my college loans. That eases the burden, that ever-present weight on our shoulders. (It felt reallllly good to make that one final payment!) But, on the other hand, summer is supposed to be memory-building family time, and we've missed doing so many things I used to find time for. Now that it's the beginning of August, I have to make a conscious effort to get to free stuff we like...the outdoor concerts, library events, parks and beaches as weather permits. I do not want this to be remembered as the Summer-Mommy-Only-Worked.


I am open to suggestions...if you hear of any good free family things, let me know! (Yes, I do check out North Fork Parents!)

The Garden Fairy

Sprinkle, sprinkle...
Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle...

sigh

Sprinkle-sprinkle-sprinkle-sprinkle-sprinkle...

Ah--ah--chooo!

sigh


sprinklesprinklesprinkly-sprinkle--sprinklety-sprinkle


sigh


(The work of the Garden Fairy, liberally dispensing cayenne pepper, is never done. Particularly after rainstorms.)

Quote for the Day

"So many hats, so little time"

(Pop Tarts wrapper wisdom)

How many hats are you wearing today?

Little People and Picnics

I don't know if it's the idea of the blanket and the picnic basket and all the visions conjured up by Yogi Bear and other cartoons, but little kids always seem enamored of picnics. Even the most simplified ones, just out in the yard. Little Sir has been asking for a picnic for quite awhile...he's even satisfied with one on a blanket on the living room floor. So, the other day, after a particularly long stretch of busy-ness, where I kinda felt like he was getting the short end of the stick, real-mommy-attention-wise, I decided to have a real picnic out on the front lawn. We had so much fun, just we two. And it really wasn't any more work than eating in the kitchen. Somehow, we talked more, too...in the kitchen, he always wants to take 2 bites then run off and play, and I have this ongoing battle of keeping him in seat to eat a little more. (He thinks 1 baby carrot is enough for dinner.) So, we tried a new twist...one of these really hot, muggy evenings, we had dessert outside in the yard, where it was 'way cooler than in the house. We stayed out in the yard 'til the fireflies started their light show, and the bats just started to be visible. So peaceful out there. Nice. Very nice.

What Tickles Your Funny Bone?

Well, it's movie night again, and I had decided to actually read a little instead of watch a movie, so Little Sir was watching Alice in Wonderland (the Disney version) on the computer. I wasn't paying much attention, until I heard him giggling. The giggling soon turned to full-throated laughter (which always makes me laugh for some reason, it's contagious or something.) So, I went to see why he thought it was that funny.

He had reset the language button to French. I can't really tell you why it's funny, but the scene with Alice and the white rabbit arguing in French, quickly followed by her growing huge inside of his house and destroying the whole thing was very funny.

So, the next time the kids get bored, try resetting the language on a movie they already know...see what happens, and let me know!

Gardening Update

Well, the mystery-peppers, that I was really hoping were bells, seem to be turning out to be jalepenos and another hot variety. Not much of a hot pepper type, so I guess these'll be lots of give-aways. Figures. The most prosperous part of the garden!

The eggplants have gorgeous lavender flowers, and the cucs came back after being pillaged by the woodchuck. (Thanks, Anon. Blogger, for the tip on cayenne pepper...seems to be working there!)

Unfortunately, he seems to be willing to brave the cayenne to get at the tomatoes, tho'. They just start getting about fist-sized, still hard and green, when I find them half-eaten on the ground. sigh. Think I'll double dose the cayenne...

The strawberries were an absolute flop. I'll never buy from that company again.

Ticks seem to have been losing their side of the battle, altho' the weeds are suddenly growing very quickly and I'm gonna have to tackle them before they become hiding grounds. I'm pushing back the borders, in regards to the poison ivy. Seem to be making some headway there, too.

All in all, I like the progress we've made and have been able to maintain. I'd like to conquer new yard-territory, but the work schedule has been too all-consuming lately. As long as we maintain, I'm ok with it.

Now, I am waiting to actually EAT some of these rewards (...um...except for the hot peppers.) Anybody want some?

Quotes For The Day

Gottfried Leibniz
(1646-1716)

(German philosopher, mathematician, and diplomat, he invented the binary system—the foundation of modern computer architecture—and accomplished major breakthroughs in calculus.)

"Music is a hidden arithmetic exercise of the soul, which does not know that it is counting."

Sir Francis Bacon
(1561-1626)
(English philosopher who established scientific empiricism with his method of observation and experimentation, which laid the foundation of modern scientific enquiry.)

"Knowledge is power."

Phish Food

I love how Natasha says she's a "Wine connoisseur. Gourmet coffee drinker. Chocoholic. Cheese snob. "

For many years I've thought of myself as all of the above, plus a list of other-snobs, insisting on the freshest fish, freshest local veggies, etc., as well as something of an ice cream snob. For years, I was a Breyers-only (all natural ingredients!), then graduated to Haagen-Dasz when the budget allowed. I'd heard about Ben & Jerry's, but quite honestly, the names of the flavors sort of turned me off, and I didn't check them out any further. I assumed that with names like those, they had to be full of all sorts of chemicals, blah blah blah.

Well, the other day, we had a play date at the beach, which went all wrong...as soon as the blankets were all spread out right, everyone properly sunblocked, toys sorted, etc...it started getting dark, and there was this ominous booming, and then the lifeguards blew the whistle and people swarmed to their cars, getting pelted with cup-sized drops of rain. I had to quickly come up with a Plan B for two 4/5-year-olds and accompanying grown-ups. Hmmm...came up with a picnic in a place that I knew had covered tables. Then, the other mom offered ice cream, and a particular one was reccommended, which, I discovered when delivered, was B & J's. Huh. My first try. Ok. I'm a sport.

And I was hooked.

So tonight, DD and I had a movie night, first one in ages and ages, and she wanted B & J's. So, I actually went to the grocery store and bought some. Coffee Heath Bar Crunch for me (mmmm) and Phish Food for her. Now, again, thrown by the name originally, I wouldn't have tried it. But I did. And it has actual fish-shaped dark chocolate chunks. I loved it. Delicious! And then, I read the label ('cause I read absolutely everything) and found out all kinds of other stuff, like, what percentage of sales went to what charity, and how they came up with the name, and that the coffee extract was Fair Trade Certified. Very cool.

Ok, so, this mom, always struggling with the weight loss thing, now has a new secret-treat love...for that once a month movie night when ya gotta have something other than salad...it's B & J's.

4th of July Weekend

We have been enjoying the goings-on this 4th of July weekend, Little Sir and I. I didn't want to
travel all the way to Southampton or Southold for fireworks on the ACTUAL Independence Day,
but we did have a leisurely breakfast at Bagel Lovers on Main St., in Riverhead, followed by East Enders for coffee, where we met an old friend of mine, did a little shopping and general putzing
around, followed by a fun play day. Eventually we checked out one of the local free outside
concerts. Then, on July 5th (why did they do that???) we made the choice between the fireworks
on the riverfront and the ones at Riverhead Raceway. We shared a blanket under the cloud-
canopy (as opposed to the stars) with some old friends and their visiting relations, and ooh-ed
and ah-ed in all the appropriate places. (I personally think they should have collaborated and
had the river front fireworks after the free outdoor concert on the Arts Council grounds on the 4th, but I wasn't asked...) It would've been nice to have 2 nights of fireworks!

Today, the 6th, the last day of the weekend, Little Sir came teaching with me in the morning,
and then we dooziebotsed around...went to East Landing for a few hours, then Stotsky Park,
then to our favorite local farmstand for fresh corn and tomatoes for dinner, and home again.

So, happy Independence Day weekend. I hope you got to do some fun local things.

Biography: Robert Redford

In my latest library movie hunt I found a new purchase: from the program "Biography" (I think from A & E) they had a few in the series, so I picked up the one on Robert Redford. I learned so much about him I didn't know, and was glad to see it wasn't full of things I already DID know. I like him even more, now, after watching it. If you like Redford, this is a good summer movie watch.

The Mod Squad

Since I go to the library once a week for my Sat. movie night dose, I'm always looking for a little variety. I like to see new movies with favorite actors, older movies with favorite actors, discovering new actors, sometimes foreign films, sometimes off-peak type films like Sundance festivals and such, some documentaries, even DVDs of seasons of old t.v. shows. (They have new ones out, too...I've seen a few of the latest ones that way so I'm not completely out of touch.) But every so often I find a real treat...an oldies t.v. show.

One of my favorites in elementary school was The Mod Squad. I thought Peggy Lipton was the coolest, hippest thing...and the guys were great, too. I wanted to be part of that team! Well, the library had the first season on DVD, so of course, I checked it out. I got to see the very first episode, which I don't think I ever did before...how the Mod Squad got to be.

Those of you who were fans...ya gotta check this out!

My next one to track down is the original Mission Impossible series. I think that was my absolute favorite in elementary school. I definitely wanted to grow up and be one of them!

More Battles With Nature

So, I had decided to make our poor, sad neglected yard prettier this year, safer to play in, and more productive! It's been a battle with the various creatures and nuisance plants, but we've carved out a few garden areas with some veggies and flowers, and it's starting to look like we've done something!

Well, 2 nights in a row, I heard distinctive munching noises outside the window by my computer, which just happens to overlook a garden. I turned on the outside lights, and it stopped. Another time, I actually went out and yelled and lectured. I had pretty good idea it was the woodchuck that had taken residence under our porch...hibernated for last winter, I think, and decided to stay.

So, this morning, I went out to water, and noticed my 2 biggest tomatoes, still very green, were half eaten. Then, I saw ALL my beautiful cucumber leaves...the best part of my garden so far...they were perfect, and just starting to flower...had been eaten off. All I have is a sad empty vine!

Grrr!

So, I went through the phone book for nuisance animal pest control. The town doesn't deal with woodchucks (didn't think so,but it was worth a shot.) The other guy who called back said it's about $550 to remove it.

$550 to be able to grow my own veggies...do I really think I'm gonna raise $550 worth of vegetables? No.

Ok. On to plan B.

I don't have a plan B.

Does anybody out there have a plan B?

(and please don't suggest I buy a dog or cat. No thanks.)

I just want to keep my garden that we've worked so hard on.