It was like being back at Lamplighter! Dr. Maggy, who teaches elementary math methods, walked in my office last Thursday (Jan. 11) with a dozen eggs and said, "The first one's free. If you'd like more, they're $1.50 a dozen on Tuesdays and Thursdays." Inside the carton were brown and blue eggs. She told me they have Barred Rock chickens and Anaconda chickens. It was so fun to get to tell her about The Lamplighter Layers and our chickens and all that the kids did with them. As a chicken farmer herself AND as an elementary math teacher, she of course loved the story.
She said the grocery stores here only sell brown eggs. At easter time you can get white eggs. At Hannaford's, I checked. Yep. All brown eggs. There was a little stack of cartons of white eggs down in the corner of the refrigerator case.
I fixed scrambled eggs for dinner last night (Wed. Jan. 17). I couldn't find salt and pepper in the kitchen so I just fixed them without any salt and pepper. Good thing! They were delicious without any seasoning! I had scrambled eggs again for breakfast this morning!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
It's cold everywhere: January 17, 2007
I got this official email from UNT this morning. I guess the storm that is there now is the one we're predicted to get on Friday. More cold on top of more cold. I hope ours is more snow and not ice like Dallas is getting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: OfficialNotice@pres.admin.unt.edu
Subject: UNT closed Jan. 17 due to inclement weather
Date: January 17, 2007 8:13:18 AM EST
To: scdeveryone@unt.edu
January 17, 2007
The University of North Texas is closing all offices, classes and
libraries on Wednesday, Jan. 17, due to inclement weather.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: OfficialNotice@pres.admin.unt.edu
Subject: UNT closed Jan. 17 due to inclement weather
Date: January 17, 2007 8:13:18 AM EST
To: scdeveryone@unt.edu
January 17, 2007
The University of North Texas is closing all offices, classes and
libraries on Wednesday, Jan. 17, due to inclement weather.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
First Day of School: January 16, 2007
Today was really more orientation than teaching. The three of us (Beth, Grace, and I) that work with the Practicum Block met with each block of students for an hour and a half. We played "2 truths and a lie" (a.k.a. "guess the fib") to get to know each other, then went over the calendar and some general expectations. So tomorrow is my first real day of teaching. I can't believe how excited I am!
After orientation, the 3 of us went to lunch in the snackbar. I worked in my office a little, then went to the computing center to check on my classroom for tomorrow. Then I went on a photo-taking spree. The sun was out and there was all that fresh snow from last night. Check my website for photos. I walked down to the Post Office but there is still no mail in my PO Box. It's been 11 days now since they stopped the mail back home. I hope it comes soon.
I went back to the Education Center and got in a groove making the class wiki for all 3 classes and a bunch of other stuff for class tomorrow. Suddenly my phone rang. It was 7:45! I had no idea it was so late. It was MRM on the phone who called because it was dark and cold and she was worried about me. I looked at the thermometer in my window sill and it said it was 7 degrees outside. How did that happen?! That really is COLD!! She and RBF were going out but would be back in an hour. She offered to come pick me up. This definitely goes beyond "nice landlady". I am so blessed to have this awesome roommate. And I have sooooo much to learn. This New England winter weather is nothing to play around with.
After orientation, the 3 of us went to lunch in the snackbar. I worked in my office a little, then went to the computing center to check on my classroom for tomorrow. Then I went on a photo-taking spree. The sun was out and there was all that fresh snow from last night. Check my website for photos. I walked down to the Post Office but there is still no mail in my PO Box. It's been 11 days now since they stopped the mail back home. I hope it comes soon.
I went back to the Education Center and got in a groove making the class wiki for all 3 classes and a bunch of other stuff for class tomorrow. Suddenly my phone rang. It was 7:45! I had no idea it was so late. It was MRM on the phone who called because it was dark and cold and she was worried about me. I looked at the thermometer in my window sill and it said it was 7 degrees outside. How did that happen?! That really is COLD!! She and RBF were going out but would be back in an hour. She offered to come pick me up. This definitely goes beyond "nice landlady". I am so blessed to have this awesome roommate. And I have sooooo much to learn. This New England winter weather is nothing to play around with.
First Wintery Walk: January 16, 2007
After my delicious and warm oatmeal breakfast, I left for my first day of school. I left some of the heavier stuff out of my bookbag. I borrowed (at Jody's recommendation) a pair of "yak trackers" from MRM. I have no idea if I spelled that correctly, but that's what I heard when they called them by name. They are grippers that attach to the outside of your shoe and give you traction. Jode recommended them for my first walk in the snow.
I got outside and the streets were so well plowed you could see asphalt! The street was very busy with traffic and pedestrians. I walked past the same 3 kids waiting for their bus that I had seen on Friday. It was actually a very easy walk. I wasn't sure if I was on sidewalk or not but it was flat snow and there were other footprints ahead of me, so I just kept walking. It was actually very uneventful. I was very grateful for uneventful. I tried to be extra appreciative of the fact that there was no wind and no ice. In fact, the sun was shining! It was a beautiful day!
I wish I could've taken a picture. I hope to see this device again and I will photograph it then. As I crossed the bridge and neared the Education Center, I saw what looked like a mini front loader but it had a chimney on top and snow was spewing out of it. It was headed toward me on the sidewalk and I didn't know who had right of way or what the protocol was. But then he pulled over into a driveway and signalled for me to come ahead so I did. In the front of his frontloader was some kind of spinning device. It looked like a horizontal auger but I'm not sure. Apparently, the spinning thing picks the snow up off the sidewalk and then it blows it up and out of the chimney. The driver can control the direction of the spray. The whole thing was the width of the sidewalk. It was a sidewalk snowplow!
I got outside and the streets were so well plowed you could see asphalt! The street was very busy with traffic and pedestrians. I walked past the same 3 kids waiting for their bus that I had seen on Friday. It was actually a very easy walk. I wasn't sure if I was on sidewalk or not but it was flat snow and there were other footprints ahead of me, so I just kept walking. It was actually very uneventful. I was very grateful for uneventful. I tried to be extra appreciative of the fact that there was no wind and no ice. In fact, the sun was shining! It was a beautiful day!
I wish I could've taken a picture. I hope to see this device again and I will photograph it then. As I crossed the bridge and neared the Education Center, I saw what looked like a mini front loader but it had a chimney on top and snow was spewing out of it. It was headed toward me on the sidewalk and I didn't know who had right of way or what the protocol was. But then he pulled over into a driveway and signalled for me to come ahead so I did. In the front of his frontloader was some kind of spinning device. It looked like a horizontal auger but I'm not sure. Apparently, the spinning thing picks the snow up off the sidewalk and then it blows it up and out of the chimney. The driver can control the direction of the spray. The whole thing was the width of the sidewalk. It was a sidewalk snowplow!
Soup and Good Fun: January 15, 2007
My roommate (MRM) and her boyfriend (RBF) were home from their trip but out buying groceries when I got home. Benny greeted me at the door and Cassie was in her kennel. She was barking to get out but I knew I couldn't guard all the belongings that were unpacked from the car trip, so I left her in the kennel. Shortly thereafter MRM and RBF arrived from the store. I was planning a quiet dinner of Progresso soup but MRM was making homemade soup. She fixed 2 different kinds: french onion soup and a vegetable soup/stew. She was stocking up for the week. Her friend Jody was coming back from her day of reporting on the ski patrol so there would be 4 for dinner. What fun.
We had a delicious dinner but everyone was exhausted from their various travels and work. We were going to play a game but we all crashed instead. MRM did make a cool oatmeal concoction that cooks in the crockpot overnight. She said she wanted me to have a good send-off on my first day of school. I hadn't even thought of it as my first day of school, but it would be! How cool that she commemorated it for me with an extra special breakfast. :-)
We had a delicious dinner but everyone was exhausted from their various travels and work. We were going to play a game but we all crashed instead. MRM did make a cool oatmeal concoction that cooks in the crockpot overnight. She said she wanted me to have a good send-off on my first day of school. I hadn't even thought of it as my first day of school, but it would be! How cool that she commemorated it for me with an extra special breakfast. :-)
First Drive in the Snow: January 15, 2007
I left the house a little after 9. I was going to stop at the University, then go on to church. There was about 2 inches of snow on the car that I brushed off. Then I carefully walked across the street and took the photo that's in the prior posting. The drive to UMF was short (gotta love that .3 miles!) and uneventful. Two cars passed me, so I guess I was driving pretty slow. I did figure out, looking out the back windshield, why it's important to brush off the roof of the car as well as the windows.
I did a little work, sent a few emails, then went to church. Again, pretty uneventful. But during mass, it snowed the entire time and the flakes got bigger. So when I left mass, there was another 1 - 2 inches which I brushed off (including the entire roof this time). The car was facing east on Middle Street and I needed to go west, so I slowly did a 3-point turn in the driveway of an apartment complex just a little down the road. I got to the Education Center safely and easily.
I worked all afternoon in my office. I could see the snow stacking up on the roof outside my window. I decided I would leave before sunset so my drive could be in daylight. When I got to the car, there was 4 -5 inches of snow on top of the car this time. It took longer to brush it all off and I was a little nervous because the bottom of my long coat was brushing the top of the snow. Another inch and that snow would've been over the top of my snowboots. I could open the car door safely but as I did I realized there are many factors to consider when attempting to drive in the snow. No wonder some cars and trucks are so high off the ground!
The parallel parking spaces next to the Education Center are wonderfully long. You don't have to parallel park, you can just pull in. I tried to back up a little so I could pull out more safely, but the car didn't want to back up. Fortunately, I had enough room in front to just pull out. I had to really rev it up to get over the hump of snow that had built up next to my tires. I pulled out and started heading east on Lincoln. Hmm, no 3-point turn this time, I'm going around the block.
There were groups of students unloading and moving back into the dorm after the break. Many of them were walking in the street. Oh thank you so much for the additional hazard! I didn't hit any of them. I went ever so slowly around the block, including going by the church again (that's how close it is). This car has a low gear but I sure was wishing for a stick-shift car at this point. There was a LOT of traffic. In addition to students going to the dorms, there were families and groups of young children going home from sledding and lots of trucks and other vehicles with plows on the front driving to places that needed plowing. It appeared most of them didn't plow all day and were just waiting for it to stop which means they had at least 9 inches (by my calculations and informal measurements taken during the day) to plow.
I slowly drove south on High Street, successfully avoiding all sledders, plowers, and other drivers. I turned left into the driveway and came to an abrupt stop. That little pile of snow (read "big hump") left by the plow was prohibiting me from getting into the driveway. And there were cars coming! I backed up and tried again. At least this time, I was heading straight into it (which also meant I was perpendicular to traffic). I got over the first hump but got stuck on the next one. At least I was out of traffic. But now what?!
I said a little prayer and tried to assess my situation. I was thinking that backing up and trying again with more confidence and a little more power might do it, but that was just a guess. About that time a pedestrian walked by and looked at me kind of funny so I quickly opened the car door and said, "I'm from Texas and I don't know how to get the car into the driveway." He was very nice and talked me through it and offered to help push while I drove it. I did have the right strategy, I felt good about that.
I'll never know if it was his push or my new confidence-filled driving or a combination but I got into the driveway and was able to drive all the way down the drive to what has unofficially become my parking spot. Shwew! I hopped out of the car really fast but my guardian angel pedestrian friend was no where to be seen. I hollered out really loudly to nobody in particular, "Thank you!" Well, I actually yelled it to the friendly pedestrian in particular, it was the direction in which I hollered it that was not particular. If he didn't hear it, I hope he at least felt it.
Guess who's walking in the morning?!!
I did a little work, sent a few emails, then went to church. Again, pretty uneventful. But during mass, it snowed the entire time and the flakes got bigger. So when I left mass, there was another 1 - 2 inches which I brushed off (including the entire roof this time). The car was facing east on Middle Street and I needed to go west, so I slowly did a 3-point turn in the driveway of an apartment complex just a little down the road. I got to the Education Center safely and easily.
I worked all afternoon in my office. I could see the snow stacking up on the roof outside my window. I decided I would leave before sunset so my drive could be in daylight. When I got to the car, there was 4 -5 inches of snow on top of the car this time. It took longer to brush it all off and I was a little nervous because the bottom of my long coat was brushing the top of the snow. Another inch and that snow would've been over the top of my snowboots. I could open the car door safely but as I did I realized there are many factors to consider when attempting to drive in the snow. No wonder some cars and trucks are so high off the ground!
The parallel parking spaces next to the Education Center are wonderfully long. You don't have to parallel park, you can just pull in. I tried to back up a little so I could pull out more safely, but the car didn't want to back up. Fortunately, I had enough room in front to just pull out. I had to really rev it up to get over the hump of snow that had built up next to my tires. I pulled out and started heading east on Lincoln. Hmm, no 3-point turn this time, I'm going around the block.
There were groups of students unloading and moving back into the dorm after the break. Many of them were walking in the street. Oh thank you so much for the additional hazard! I didn't hit any of them. I went ever so slowly around the block, including going by the church again (that's how close it is). This car has a low gear but I sure was wishing for a stick-shift car at this point. There was a LOT of traffic. In addition to students going to the dorms, there were families and groups of young children going home from sledding and lots of trucks and other vehicles with plows on the front driving to places that needed plowing. It appeared most of them didn't plow all day and were just waiting for it to stop which means they had at least 9 inches (by my calculations and informal measurements taken during the day) to plow.
I slowly drove south on High Street, successfully avoiding all sledders, plowers, and other drivers. I turned left into the driveway and came to an abrupt stop. That little pile of snow (read "big hump") left by the plow was prohibiting me from getting into the driveway. And there were cars coming! I backed up and tried again. At least this time, I was heading straight into it (which also meant I was perpendicular to traffic). I got over the first hump but got stuck on the next one. At least I was out of traffic. But now what?!
I said a little prayer and tried to assess my situation. I was thinking that backing up and trying again with more confidence and a little more power might do it, but that was just a guess. About that time a pedestrian walked by and looked at me kind of funny so I quickly opened the car door and said, "I'm from Texas and I don't know how to get the car into the driveway." He was very nice and talked me through it and offered to help push while I drove it. I did have the right strategy, I felt good about that.
I'll never know if it was his push or my new confidence-filled driving or a combination but I got into the driveway and was able to drive all the way down the drive to what has unofficially become my parking spot. Shwew! I hopped out of the car really fast but my guardian angel pedestrian friend was no where to be seen. I hollered out really loudly to nobody in particular, "Thank you!" Well, I actually yelled it to the friendly pedestrian in particular, it was the direction in which I hollered it that was not particular. If he didn't hear it, I hope he at least felt it.
Guess who's walking in the morning?!!
Monday, January 15, 2007
My Abode . . . in the Snow, January 15, 2007
The "sunny" photos of the house were taken Saturday. This is Monday.
For other photos of my time in Maine, go to my website. It's much easier for me to upload webpages than do one photo at a time here on the blog.
My Abode #4
On the right is the "garage" but the door is so skinny that only a Model T could've ever fit in the garage. It's pretty certain it wasn't original to the house, but it's still pretty old.
Behind that is the pool (do you see it under its cover back there?). Obviously, it only gets used in July and August most years.
To the left of the pool, the green building is "The Cabana". It's mostly used for bicycle storage.
My Abode #3
This is the side porch. It's the main entrance to the house nowadays. You walk into the kitchen area when you come in this door. When you come in the front door, there's a beautiful entry and the staircase is right there.
My Abode
This wonderful house was built in the 1890's. The two windows together on the second floor are in my room.
ice fishing auger
This is how you drill those holes in the ice for ice fishing! Only $399 at WalMart. Wowser, that's a lot of money. You gotta really love ice fishing to invest in that. Apparently last winter was so mild that there was no ice fishing last year, but this current cold snap is giving everyone hope that winter will be cold enough and long enough (even if it is late) to freeze the lakes for both ice fishing and snowmobiling.
St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Sunday, January 14, 2007
This morning I went to 10:30 mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. On the outside, it's an older New England looking church. On the inside, it's obviously remodeled Vatican II. It's very simple but really nice. I liked it because it was green with copper accents. If you know my kitchen, you know I like that combination.
I didn't recognize the opening song but the offertory hymn was "All Are Welcome" and that made me feel welcome in more ways than one. The congregation really sings here so I joined right in. The choir itself is rather sparse, so it's a good thing the congregation sings so well.
All you Aggies from St. Mary's are going to love this part: At the Our Father, not only do they hold hands, but they cross the aisle and the priest even incorporates that into his introduction to the Our Father.
At the end of mass all visitors and newcomers were invited to stand and identify themselves. I wasn't going to do it, but a man from Massachusetts did and then it wasn't so hard, so I did, too. Following me was a man who introduced his two visiting granddaughters. It was very nice and two people came up and spoke to me after the service.
I didn't recognize the opening song but the offertory hymn was "All Are Welcome" and that made me feel welcome in more ways than one. The congregation really sings here so I joined right in. The choir itself is rather sparse, so it's a good thing the congregation sings so well.
All you Aggies from St. Mary's are going to love this part: At the Our Father, not only do they hold hands, but they cross the aisle and the priest even incorporates that into his introduction to the Our Father.
At the end of mass all visitors and newcomers were invited to stand and identify themselves. I wasn't going to do it, but a man from Massachusetts did and then it wasn't so hard, so I did, too. Following me was a man who introduced his two visiting granddaughters. It was very nice and two people came up and spoke to me after the service.
St. Joseph's Catholic Church #3
Here's a contemporary yet beautiful copper statue of The Holy Family. I really liked it. I assume the green backdrop can be changed for the liturgical colors of the current season. I don't know that, it just looks that way. Of course, I'd be happy with green all the time. ;-)
What you see in front is the choir area. Yes, that's one keyboard, one pew, the cantor stand and one microphone. At our service, there was one keyboard player (who sang into a microphone as well), the cantor (who also played guitar while cantoring), and one choir member. Since she had her own microphone, I had to fight the image of her being a "backup singer" but that's really what it looked like.
Sorry for the blur. I was taking the photo quickly and without flash.
What you see in front is the choir area. Yes, that's one keyboard, one pew, the cantor stand and one microphone. At our service, there was one keyboard player (who sang into a microphone as well), the cantor (who also played guitar while cantoring), and one choir member. Since she had her own microphone, I had to fight the image of her being a "backup singer" but that's really what it looked like.
Sorry for the blur. I was taking the photo quickly and without flash.
St. Joseph's Catholic Church #2
Copper stations of the cross! They're beautiful. I need to find out the history, I'm guessing a local artist, but I really don't know.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)