Grandma's Kitchen Table

Summariz-ING

     Matt chatting with Nick about their 100 Back swim and adjusting his goggles for one last warm-down swim before calling it a day at sectionals.  His final swim, the 100 Freestyle was a success as he went in seeded 57.81 and swam it Sunday at 56.43.  Not bad at all...drops in all four swims.  I think we are ready for long course to begin!  We now have three days of swim practice and then off completely until April 14th...no early morning practices, no racing to practice after school...we are definitely ready for a little break here.   Whatever shall we do to fill the time? 

      And in other news, Alex (in red jacket) had a great time with the scouts launching rockets.  His rocket was launched three times and "went off very well except for one small detour when it landed in a thorn tree and needed a slight rescue" from a fellow scout, Evan.  With some "minor repairs to the fins, it is in good enough shape that it can be launched again"...which is a first as in previous years he has gone the full circle of exploding them, losing them in flight, and any number of other incidents which precluded any further launchings after the original outing.  This is all the news I have to report as the Cool Dude continues to remain a man of few words (Unlike his younger days when he would talk non-stop all day long and I would say, "Alex, please, can I just think my own thoughts for three minutes?"  To which he would reply after about three seconds, "Are you done yet, Mom?  Are you done thinking your own thoughts as I have a lot more to tell you."  We never thought we would see the day of using the words "few words" and "Alex" in reference to one another.)...so any other info you are interested in, you will need to score on your own.

      MNO tonight...I can't wait as I have missed the last two, both January and February.  And, I just realized I need to have something in the craft line to blog tomorrow...maybe not.  We shall see.  I have been substitute teaching several times since early last week, and with all that swimming over the weekend, just how crafty could a gal be in one week's time anyway?  Today I subbed Latin and I could have been working on something while they were taking their exams, but the Latin room has all those great books and fun things to read and well, who wants to craft with all that great reading material available right at your fingertips?  (This could be why I have heretofore never been a crafter.) Have a great evening!

Dropp-ING

       Well, the kid finished 16th, and managed to drop some more time, as he swam 0.05 seconds faster this evening, for a new best time of 1:01.63.  Anytime we get a drop, we celebrate! 

      Nick A. and JJ were also in this heat, so that was fun watching the three of them together.  They all did a great job and scored points for the team.

      Matt is now only a second away from a Junior National time, which is very exciting.  When one gets that close to a fancy cut like a Junior National, one is rewarded with coveted new swimwear...so between the meet and checking in with choir rehearsal, we had a quick run by the swimwear store which netted one very fancy body suit "profast" something or other.  Here are some photos of said swimmer in said new togs getting said new best time in the 100 Backstroke today.  The final photo is one of Matt and JJ chatting about the swim with Carly.  We have a very happy swimmer this evening.  One swim to go, tomorrow:  the 100 Freestyle.  Guess we will see if the new fast body suit will aid in scoring a drop! 

Finaliz-ING

     The Freestylers and Backstrokers arrive to swim their events.  Stevie, Matt, Josh, Michael, Charles, Adam, being given a little pep talk by Chris with his hand on Daniel for demonstration purposes.  Ian looking on. Pow-wow on the floor and a chance to sing Happy Birthday to Amber who turns 15 today! 

Coach Chris' pep talk...the swimmers really like and respect Chris.  Matt is in the lower left corner. 

Line up time for warm-ups.  Matt is in the center of the photo with no Carmel cap and for some strange reason, wearing a blue warm-up drag suit...sometimes it is best just not to ask where his cap and suit are...things have a way of being strewn about at these meets and everyone just grabs whatever they can and they sort it out later.  The blue suit makes him easy to spot. 

The team cheer being led by Michael, Charles, and Josh (JJ)..."Don't mess with the best, cuz the best don't mess, Don't fool with the cool, cuz the cool don't fool..."  Matt would be the bareback one trying to bring harmony in song where none has heretofore ever existed.  Lots of fun to yell out the team cheer always. 

And, now, for the serious stuff.  Matt getting ready to swim his 100 Backstroke.  Coach's advice:  "Get out there and MOVE.  I better see you swimming like your life depended on it, because it just might.  Your team needs the points, so get out there and score some.  We need a Top 16 in this."    Matt, seeded 38th out of 79 swimmers in this swim is thinking, "Sure, Chris, sure I can get you that Top 16 in this swim, no problem.  NOT."  So he swam like his life depended on it and guess what:  Top 16!!!  Can you even believe it?  He is seeded 16th for the finals tonight:  HE MADE FINALS in a ZONE meet.  His time going in was 1:04.60 and he swam this morning at 1:01.68.  Huge drop.  Can you imagine how excited we are at this point? 

And, here is the happy swimmer looking up at me in the stands and shouting, "Mom, MOM, MOM...I am in the TOP 16 for finals...I can't do any worse than finishing 16th in this swim.  I am so happy!"  Needless to say, so am I! 

Mark had to miss it as he is up with Alex launching scout rockets, also very important work.    And, as luck would have it, I had gotten prior permission from the Cool Dude to post his photo with his rocket yesterday as he was loading up at the school for the trip.  This is one tall rocket...Alex is about 5'5" tall. 

      Now, back to Butler to pick up Matt from choir rehearsal and back down to the pool for FINALS!!!  We can't do any worse than 16th in this event!  What a deal!

Needl-ING

     "Whoa....what is this?" you say.  Indeed.  Not the usual fare to be found on my kitchen table. 

    Next week is a big craft week as a few of us have created a group that we are calling OGPG, which stands for Our Grandmotherly Phase Group, designed to take us into the next phase where we will all be empty-nesters and looking for things to tide us over until we have grandchildren to entertain!  Grandchildren...yikes, just the thought of that is fairly scary.  (I am figuring a lot of this would also be quite handy for the hours and hours I spend in the USA, and now also high school, swimming world as a spectator.) 

      Anyway, next week we have a sort of whirlwind craft craze going:  we are taking classes on learning to knit and crochet, learning to locker hook, learning to quilt (the quilt deal is actually ten classes learning different aspects that goes throughout the summer...omw).  I have never found the need to quilt as we have a whole lot of them around here since our grandmothers and various other family members all quilted and were very generous in sharing their output.  I am finding, however, that our quilters are no longer quilting, many of them being dead and all, so maybe I should step up and carry on the legacy. 

      With the advent of Books on Tape (CD), I am thinking I can give up a little of my book reading time and still feel like my mind is not going to atrophy anytime soon since I can listen to taped versions of things.  (Mark does this on his drives to and from work, etc. each day and he finds it quite enjoyable.)  The boys are all having a hoot over the thought of me sitting around knitting, crocheting, locker hooking, and quilting.  They may be right.  We shall see. 

      It is so quiet around here as Matt is down at the pool watching finals and cheering for his teammates who qualified for those, while Mark is driving Alex up to the scout camping venue as he also wanted a chance to peer through the telescopes with the scouts, etc.  Tomorrow is the big rocket launching deal, so Mark may go back up for that, but, he informs me, his scout-camping-in-the-tents-overnight-on-the-cold-hard-ground days are over.  Over.  Alex didn't seem too disappointed as the one thing Alex has been gung ho for since, oh, let's say age 2 or so, is independence and freedom from the parental yoke of being accountable 24/7.  (In other words, no one to tell him to turn lights out at 11:00 p.m., to eat a well balanced meal, to brush his teeth three times a day, and to CHANGE HIS CLOTHES ON A CAMPOUT ONCE IN AWHILE.)  Freedom.   I am planning on curling up here by the fire, yes it is still cold enough for a fire here, with my book for the evening.  What's up over there?  See you back here on Monday!  Life is good.

Break-ING

     We are on a break between swim sessions, so I thought I would share a deck shot at the Nat: Carmel arriving and getting ready to swim, left to right:  John, Sarah, Rhiannon, Lauren, Megan, Adam, Josh, Charles, Matt, and Brendan are first out and ready to go while Chris W. and Chris P. try to get them all focused and on task...always a bit of a challenge with teens early in the a.m.

       Next photo is the athlete's admission pass to gain access to the deck to swim.  Mini drama this morning as Matt left his behind accidentally on the kitchen counter and had a very difficult time getting into the meet this morning without a lot of hassle, verification, etc.  Not the best way to start a meet.   

      Big drop today in the 200 Free at the meet.  Matt was seeded at 2:09.52 and finished with a new best time of 2:04.56, which was a very nice drop indeed.  He also made the B relay, which was a great deal for him.  A great day for him overall at the pool.  And, now, the break is over and I must go fetch Mike (who got a Junior National Time today!) and John so that I can return them to the pool for finals.  Keep thinking those good swimming thoughts!

   

Thursday's Favorites Fare

    New Best Time!  Old time:  26.83...new time:  26.05.  It's a great start to long course season when you get a new best time straight off the block.  And, then, of course, comes the chat with your coach whereby he patiently points out all your errors that caused you to not get an even better new best time!  Chris patiently teaching and reteaching "Matt, you have to work on those starts.  You just have to work on those starts.  You have got to work on those starts.  You are giving up a ton of time on your starts.  Matt, you have to work on those starts.  Do you hear me?"  I think he wants Matt to work on his starts.

READING:   Bits and pieces on the Boer War (1899-1902)...the second part of it, not the Transvaal Boer War, which was earlier, although understanding one helps understand the other.  Embarrassingly enough, all my life I have skipped over much to do with this piece of history.  It just didn't seem like it was worth my time, although I am big on British history, so you would think that I would have embraced this at some point.  I knew enough to answer all the Jeopardy questions on the subject correctly and that is about it, so I figure I can use some reading on this particular subject...just in case someone comes up and wants to know something about it sometime soon and all. (Yeah, sure, right.) One morning this week I got up and thought, "I need to read about the Boer War."  What...you have never had an experience like this where you just got up one morning and felt certain you should read about the Boer War?  Well, maybe not.  I, however, am reading up on the Boer War...fascinating, really...riveting.  I can't believe it took me so long.

LISTENING TO:   Tony Bennett.  Those of you who are basketball crazy will chuckle at the connection...those who aren't, well, maybe it is time you became a little basketball crazy.  That's all I am saying. 

COOKING THROUGH:   Might be abandoning this little category on the list as I am posting recipes on Wednesdays for the time being.  Lots of chicken this week...surprised we are not all clucking and growing feathers actually.  Chicken is always easy and we have been extremely busy this week.

FAV QUOTE THIS WEEK:  Courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa:  Harper, IA:  on the closing of their tiny post office (pop. 144):  "We are not the bottom line around here, we are people."  Mayor Shirley Altenhofen   (My grandfather, Earl Baker, was born in Harper and he and my grandmother grew up and lived around Harper their entire lives, and, after their marriage, in the town of Keota.  The Catholic Church in Harper is just lovely, and I am related to half the cemetery that adjoins the church.  I grew up going to Harper for lots of various things with my grandparents.  It will be sad to see the post office go...it was one of the stops we always made just to "see what was going on in town."  And, lastly, as a quick giggle:  when I was 13 or so, I thought the Song Harper Valley PTA sung by Jeannie C. Riley was surely about little 'ole Harper, Iowa.   Apparently not.   I bet you are singing it in your head right now, aren't you?)
FAV NEW FIND:   Even though it is the end of the swimming short course season, and we are getting really ready for a week or two of break time, and the shoulder is a bit sore, the kid still managed to pull off a new best time in the 50 Free today at the swim meet.  This really amazed me as this meet is being conducted in long course and Matt hasn't trained for long course since last July.  Sometimes the switch can take its toll for a meet or two with the switch of seasons.  Very encouraging.

FAV THING TODAY:    NCAA games tonight...am also enjoying Mark enjoying Lent being over (he does no snacking during Lent)...he headed out to the store after dinner for "game refreshments," which, if you know Mark, means potato chips and a beer.  He returned with two varieties of Pringle's...Original and Loaded Potato...because he can NEVER just buy one kind of chip.  Never, ever, ever.  So cute. 

SCRAPBOOK PAGES THIS WEEK;  No time...no pages...I have to refigure my total this year as I was hoping to equal "a page a day" by the end of this year.  Despite all those I completed on the big weekend away, I think I may no longer be on the "plus" side.  Renewed commitment.   How are all of you coming with your "a page a day" for this year?  Go ahead, make me feel guilty so it will spur me into high speed action!

GOING TO:   Be at the Nat for the next three days watching swimming...if you are looking for us, I would start there.  Between sessions, we are also shuttling Matt back and forth to a choir retreat and rehearsals on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  So, Matt's weekend will go like this each day:  Swimming, Singing, Swimming.  No moss growing under his feet ever.   Alex has a scout campout for the entire weekend...and they are going to do things with telescopes, so he will be just thrilled.

PRAYING FOR:   Our troops, please join me.

Ic-ING

      Okay, here's Wednesday's recipe for this week.  You have all been asking for this recipe for thirty years and I decided I can't take it to the grave, so here it is:  one very tasty easy icing recipe, guaranteed to be appreciated by one and all.  Now, however, you will have no reason to beg for cupcakes from me! 

     I like this recipe as it is very easy and I am a no-fuss person when it comes to icing cupcakes, i.e. just slap it on and add sprinkles for distraction from the imperfections.  Spending any more time than that around here is just a waste:  4 bites and those cupcakes are history with teenage boys. 

      Please, if I may kindly ask, do not substitute ingredients and call it my recipe.  You can sub all you want, just don't call it my recipe, okay?  Thanks. 

Vanilla, Butter, and Cream Icing

1/3 cup of butter, room temperature

2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons cream

     Place butter in medium mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Add confectioner's sugar, one half cup at a time, alternating with the vanilla and the cream, until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.  Add food coloring as you desire. 

     You can add more cream or less confectioner's sugar to make a thinner icing to use as a glaze for a bundt cake or cinnamon rolls.  You can add more confectioner's sugar to make a stiffer icing for sugar cookies or brownies. 

     This amount will frost one 8" round cake, a dozen cupcakes, or a pan of brownies.  Leftover icing can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator for a few days and then just re-whipped when ready to use.  Enjoy!

Award-ING

      Last night was the Guerin Winter Sports Banquet.  The coaches called their athletes to the front and gave them awards while they spoke a little about them. 

     Roch related our wonder swim year, put together at the last moment on a wing and a prayer.  Be that as it may, they were quite successful and Matt got several honors, including a state award, his numerals and his letter for a Guerin letter jacket...he was very surprised at getting both as freshmen usually get the numerals and then the letter the following year.  Since Matt went to state, they decided he would be awarded both this year.  He also made All County honorable mention in the press for Hamilton County, which was a nice deal for him. 

      Roch's talk was entertaining and informative about all that Matt managed to accomplish this year, and it meant a lot to all of us.  Afterward people were coming up right and left to chat with Matt about it all...people we didn't even know were amazingly interested in all of this. (The first photo is during the presentation and the second photo is of Coach and Matt holding up the certificates, etc.)  What a great evening. 

Craft-ING

        I am thinking of making Tuesdays Craft Day here at the Table. (I can see where this is leading my compulsive self:  Tuesdays, Craft Day; Wednesdays, Recipe Day; Thursdays, Favorites List Day; Friday, Anticipation of the Weekend Day; and Monday, Actuality of the Weekend Day...an organized plan, an outline, a method, a system, a direction...you all knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, right?)

     I really have no idea why I am feeling the urge to craft, especially since it might just cut into my book reading time...something I guard jealously as it is.  Whatever the reason, maybe if I devote a day to it here, I will be more committed. Don't expect much...you all have your little specialties and I really like reading about and looking at all those, but you all know me...a less likely crafter you will probably never meet...maybe that is why it seems appealing...you know, the challenge of just the thought of trying some new things:  well, new to me.  (Please note that this could be really ugly and abandoned quite quickly...we shall see.) 

      Last week on the Martha Stewart show, Martha and her crew (very important to note that she has a CREW and I do NOT have a CREW), made these really cute lacey girly colored Easter eggs.  She demonstrated IT all very carefully and IT looked foolproof (even for me the oh-so-untalented-crafter) and IT needed very few supplies.   

      The premise was that you take a hard boiled egg, wrap a piece of lace around IT, secure the lace with a rubber band, and dunk the whole bit into the egg dye, leaving IT for 15 minutes, whereupon one would remove the egg, cut off the rubber band, remove the lace, pat the egg dry, and voila...one very nifty pretty little lacey patterned Easter egg dyed in lovely shades of, well...whatever color you desired. 

      Well, I tried IT, and the eggs you see above are the result.  Really, they don't look anything like Martha's lovely lacey colored eggs.  Not. At. All.  They look more like Shroud of Turin dyed Easter eggs.  Sort of foggy and with an intermittent pattern. 

      Maybe this particular crafty idea was not my forte...but at least it felt good trying IT and they are rather colorful and pretty looking.  Okay, stop laughing, they are colorful.  I am not certain what went wrong here...but I know one thing:  IT is not going to stop me from finding SOME KIND of craft to do.  Maybe something on her show this week...bring IT on, Martha!

Return-ING

    My three guys, Matt the preppy kid, Alex the cool dude, and Mark enjoying that he still has a full head of hair and can wear his college clothing, i.e. this leather jacket he likes to gad about in.  As you can see, he still also has his original Easter basket from when he was a child.  Very important to keep all our Easter baskets up high so that curious Tibbies do not get into the ones with chocolate in them...chocolate and doggies apparently do not mix.  That does not, however, stop them from trying to eat chocolate...especially if peanut butter happens to be included.   I figured the guys would be well on their way to not caring about the coloring of the Easter eggs, but as you can see, we have a nice nest of them...all three of them contributing.

      Trust you all had a very happy and blessed Easter holiday.  Oops...not many photos, actually only a few for the scrapbooks of the guys coloring eggs as someone forgot about toting the camera around much this weekend...that would be me in case there was any doubt in your mind. 

      Very busy week coming up, especially with swimming Central Zones all day Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...but hey, they are here in Indianapolis this year at the Nat, so a great deal of rejoicing about the venue! 

      Talk about humbling...Matt is one of a handful of the youngest qualifying for zones, so his times are what we refer to around here as "squeakers," meaning that one just barely makes it in with an qualifying cut and he is not seeded high enough to make any cuts to come back for finals sessions, etc. this year.  Chris sent out the pysche sheets, so I took a glance just for fun, and Matt is seeded thusly (which I guess is not bad considering his age and all, but he looked at it and said, "Well...I am certainly swimming with some of the big guns in this meet."  No kidding.):  50 Free, he is 53rd out of 95; 100 Free, he is 80th out of 117; 200 Free, he is 89th out of 113; and 100 Back, he is 38th out of 79.  There are 117 clubs represented, almost 600 athletes from the Midwest central zone area, swimming 2,305 events.  If you want to know any more than that, here is the site:  http://www.dolphins.iupui.edu/sectionals.html and you can have at it, although only the distance pysche sheet is posted on the site and Matt is not distance, as I am sure you all know by now.  Not sure about relays...he is hoping to qualify for something, but I am thinking maybe next year is a better bet on those.  He is going into the meet with the attitude of just making better times.  Once you have a time, they can't take it away from you, so that is always the number one goal for Matt for any meet:  just get out there and get a new best time.  He is fairly good at it.

     I was going to post my great attempt at coloring eggs a la Martha Stewart, but that will need to wait for tomorrow as I have places to go and things to do, so I am outta here NOW.  Have a good one!

Thursday's Favorites Fare

       I didn't really have a photo for today, so here is a fun one from a few weeks back.  Daniel made this poster for Matt before high school state swimming and hung it up in the locker room at Carmel High School where Matt practices with the Carmel Swim Club (not the same as the Carmel High School swim team, but they practice in the same pool).  Matt just loved it and it now resides in his bedroom. (You can click on the photo to enlarge and read the little bits.)  He was very happy that the CSC kids were so supportive of him swimming for Guerin.  The photo on the poster shows Daniel in the blue print shirt and sunglasses, Charles in the straw hat, Nick in the baseball type cap, and Matt at summer USA state last year winning with their Top 16 National Relays.  On our car each year for state, they always write something about "Matt Gerth Miracles" because Matt is known for his religious ways, and because somehow Matt always pulls off some sort of wonder swim at a championship meet to get him/relays somewhere they never thought they would be...and well, we know things like that come to those that pray for them!  So, the photo for today is just a bit of fun.

 

READING:  Sovereign Ladies:  The Six Reigning Queens of England by Maureen Waller (the six reigning queens, in case they aren't front and foremost in your mind, were/are Mary I, Elizabeth l, Mary ll, Anne, Victoria, and Elizabeth ll)...still reading that from last week.  Very good, but I have been a little busy and not had much extra time for reading this past week...should finish it soon.

LISTENING TO:   Prokofiev.  The ISO is having guest violinist Alina Pogostkina perform Prokofiev next weekend (March 27-29).  There is a link to a You Tube site where you can listen to a little of her playing Concerto No. 2 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ScC3azEnU (be aware that sometimes these sites move or whatever, but if you type in "Alina Pogostkina - Violin Concerto No. 2" you should be able to call it up.  Next week (March 24) season tickets go on sale for the ISO next season.  You can visit their site at http://www.indianapolissymphony.org/ on Monday, March 24th, and see the season's lineup as well as listen to little excerpts from the works.  See you there.

COOKING THROUGH:   Desserts...finally, Lent will be over on Saturday and we can make desserts!  Mark is very big on "finishing" a meal with something sweet...so he will be very happy to have dessert in the evening.  His favorite:  pie.  Apple pie to be specific.  One in the works for him on Monday for certain. 

FAV NEW FIND:   You probably all know about this already, and I sortakindamaybe remember seeing it in the back of my mind, but I just tried it this week with parsley, and I love it.  When I buy an herb bunch at the grocery each week in the winter, I just usually wash them, wrap them in a damp paper towel, put them in a baggie, park them in the frig, and use them that way throughout the week.  I saw where you could actually wash them and then place them, stem side down, in a small vase of water to sit on the counter for the week.  I like it.  It makes things look green and fresh, and they are nice and handy for use.  I change the water daily. 

FAV THING TODAY:    Three things:  First, the beginning of the NCAA Basketball Tournament; Second, getting Blue Bernice all spiffed up and ready to roll for holidays visiting with the family; and Third, IT'S SPRING!   

SCRAPBOOK PAGES THIS WEEK;   Half-way there to having the high school swimming season all organized and ready to put in the album here and also the one up at Guerin for Swim Team (all the sports have scrapbooks).  Hope to finish all that by next week.

GOING TO:   Spend the Easter holidays with family...see you back here on Monday. 

PRAYING FOR:   Am cooking for the Nocco family today, so I am praying for Kelly, Donna, Scott, Sarah, and Katie as they battle forward with Kelly's ALS, please join me in praying for them and all families who are in similar circumstances. 

Climb-ING, Rain-ING, Cook-ING, Sing-ING, View-ING, Spell-ING, Watch-ING

     Photo is from last night's scout activity:  Wall Climbing.  Mark is always in charge of this each year.  The whole pack of cubbies and boy scouts go together and climb, eat pizza, etc., and "do the manly bonding thing."  (Quote from The Wedding Planner movie.) These five boys have been together since the first grade cub scout den and they have stayed together through thick and thin over the years, all good friends and buddies.  Starting with Jacob in the yellow shirt and going clockwise...Jacob, Adam, Matt, Colin S., and Alex.  A great time was had by all.

      Good golly, a lot of rain is falling.  Bloomington has had like eight inches...trying to prevent those Hoo basketball players from leaving town to play in the tournament, I guess. Big threat that we are this year and all. 

      Bits and pieces of information today...catching up with requests.  First, this is NOT a food blog...so, no, I won't be honoring the requests to post a "recipe a day."  I am thinking, however, of posting ONE simple/easy recipe a week, on Wednesday when I am home cooking for various families and the priests, etc, so if you aren't interested in recipes, you can skip Wednesdays from here on out.   Will that satisfy? 

      Tosca was the last opera performance for the season, and yes, I do know next season's schedule, so here it is:  Oct. 3-5 Il Trovatore (in Italian); Nov. 21-23 Hansel and Gretel (in German); March 13-15 The Pirates of Penzance (in English); and May 15-17 Das Rheingold (in German).  See you there. 

      Guerin Catholic put the 2007 Open House video on their site at http://www.guerincatholic.org/ down in the bottom left corner.  Matt is in there 8 or 9 times, a little like looking for Where's Waldo...but the easiest ones to see (they have a little counter on the film) are at 6:15 where he is the tall guy in the center back of the choir; 3:07 where he is walking in the hallway toward the camera in a long sleeve white shirt; 2:13 in the choir room, he is the tallest one; and 1:05 he is standing to the left in the hallway facing the camera leaning against the door, same long sleeve white shirt as it was filmed the same day as the other bit.  Aimee, there is a really good shot of Colin with the Chalice at Communion at 9:49.  And, for those of you who remember Gregory G. from homeschooling days, there is a great shot of him receiving Communion on the tongue a little bit after Colin's Communion shot.  The whole video is maybe 12 minutes long.  It is nice, focuses a lot on sports, in my humble opinion, but one needs to keep in mind that Indiana kids PLAY SPORTS.  Guerin is only a couple of miles from Carmel High School, which is 5,000 students strong mainly because they refuse to divide the school and water down the SPORTS, so therefore, people looking at the video are discerning oftentimes about the chances of their child being able to play quality sports at Guerin.   Like us...we made swimming happen for Matt this year and Guerin did everything possible to make that dream come true for him (to swim for his high school).  Also, I think one gets a more emotional response from people interested when one has a lot of action sports shots rather than a lot of action sitting-around-studying-being-a-brain shots.  Oh my, what does that say???!!  Anyway, if you are interested, check out the video. 

       And, lastly, my little friend, Miss Regina, who I featured on November 13th for her birthday, and who I mentioned was a "champion speller," has now backed that up with cold, hard evidence.  Regina has qualified for the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. this year at age 10!  She will represent Indiana and we could not be happier or more proud of her accomplishment!  As well as being "Queen of Goodness, Beauty, Humility, and Hugs" , we can also add:  Queen of Spelling!  Congratulations, Regina! 

      Now, I must finish the cooking.  Have a wonderful evening...and guess what?  I found a show to watch on Wednesday nights for a few weeks:  Top Chef.  Can you believe it?  I have a show to watch!  And tomorrow:  The NCAA Tournament begins...since Iowa isn't going this year, maybe you Hawk fans can cheer a little for the Hoos! 

Glaz-ING

       Photo is of Glazed Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Carrots (please note that the plate is a small bread plate size, not a full dinner plate size, as many of you have asked about this). 

      Today I am doing double-duty volunteer sessions (from yesterday's switch-around with Mary Anne), so I am going to do a quick post here and then catch up with you tomorrow when I am cooking in the afternoon...ah, it feels so good to be back in my normal round of activities.  No trace of illness left...I need to be more appreciative on a daily basis. 

      Yesterday's meal was great (more on bread success in the comment section of yesterday's post).  I tried a new glaze for the corned beef, so I will post that for you today as it was a big success with the guys.

Glazed Corned Beef

Purchase one corned beef brisket, about 3-4 pounds  (usually pickling spices are included in the package, if not you will need to add those).

Place brisket in crockpot, cover with water, sprinkle in pickling spices.

Add 3 onions, peeled and quartered.

Cook on low for 7 hours, then add 6 large carrots, peeled and cut in halves.

Cook for another 2-1/2 hours.

Remove brisket from crockpot, scrape off the layer of fat that is on the meat (discard that), and place the brisket in an oven baking dish.  Brush with glaze.

Cook in a preheated 375 Degree F oven for 20 minutes, basting with the glaze every five minutes.

Slice against the grain and serve. 

Glaze

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup cider vinegar

1/8 cup prepared mustard

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat on the stove top, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.  Baste the corned beef with the sauce as directed above.  Can serve leftover sauce on the side.

Bak-ING

     Here is Irish Soda Bread No. 1 -- the recipe my Granny made, with the exception that she used lard instead of butter (since I don't keep lard around and prefer the taste of butter).  It is a more dense bread than Recipe No. 2 which is also a little sweeter due to the sugar sprinkled on top (and really tasty because of that).  They look the same, this recipe making a larger loaf than the other one. 

Irish Soda Bread

Frances Viola O'Brien Baker

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons cold butter, small dice

1-1/4 cups raisins

1 beaten egg

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

In a large bread making bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt.  Work in the little bits of butter with your fingertips until they resemble small peas.  Mix in the raisins (you can use more or less depending on your family's preference, we like a LOT of raisins).  Beat the egg into the buttermilk with a fork. 

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk/egg mixture into it.  Stir until well blended, but don't overwork it.  Work around the bowl with your hands, kneading it lightly until there is no dough sticking to the sides and it forms a nice ball.  Gather the ball and place it into a greased 12 inch cast iron skillet, flattening slightly.  Cut a deep cross into the loaf (it will close slightly as it bakes). 

Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes, until the bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped.  A cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean and dry.  Place it on a wire rack to cool.  If you would like a soft crust, cool in a teatowel, if not, cool just sitting on the rack without a teatowel.  Makes 1 round loaf of bread.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

         And, here is Irish Soda Bread No. 2 -- the recipe I printed off a fellow blogger's site last year, so I guess I should give proper credit.  Originally I saw it on a blog by someone named Addie who had lovely Greece photos on her site at the time, with a link to where she got the recipe, which was her friend, MB, who posted it on her blog, crediting Bon Appetit for its origin.  It has much more sugar in it and seemed more scone-like, so I was intrigued and made a note to give it a whirl.  It tastes REALLY GOOD! (Note:  This recipe is lighter, less dense, than the first one, which is probably due to the baking powder in this recipe...I do like that a lot.  The first recipe has more raisins which adds sweetness, the second recipe has more sugar which adds sweetness...both taste pretty sweet.)

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

from Bon Appetit via Addie via MB

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 cups all purpose flour

5 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray.  Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend.  Add butter.  Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms.  Make well in center of flour mixture.  Add buttermilk.  Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend.  Mix in raisins. 

Using floured hands, shape dough into ball.  Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan).  Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.  Cool bread in pan 10 minutes.  Transfer to rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Makes 1 loaf.

Green-ING

       Top 'O The Morning To You!

      Overcast here, with promises of rain later, but I'm thinking that maybe that will just help green things up around here.  Photo is another sign of spring...daffodils poking up in one of the flower beds out front...okay, I know it's weak, but it's all I got...honestly, there is nothing else here yet.  We need rain, we need sun, we need warmer temperatures.  Anytime.  Soon. 

      Been busy here this morning, early a.m. swim practice chauffeuring, Guerin chauffeuring, grocery market, the beginning of the laundry, and also have the corned beef brisket tucked away in the pot ready for a full day's sauna.  Not bad. 

      Was scheduled for a volunteer bit this morning, but that got switched around, so I am thinking I will maybe make the Irish Soda Bread this morning and then just gently reheat it for dinner tonight.  I am actually going to make two loaves...my recipe for it, and then also a recipe that another blogger posted lasted year that looked good from Bon Appetit, so I printed that off and set it aside to try this year as it is always fun to experiment a little...research, you know. 

      Mark was a little discouraged by the Hoos being sent to Charlotte for the NCAA games:  Arkansas being our first game, hopefully a win there, and then a following by playing, probably, North Carolina (unless a big upset occurs) in virtually their home territory.  Hmmm...could be a short run at the tournament this year.  On the other hand, I did remind him, the Hoos, as underdogs, have knocked off North Carolina in the NCAA tournament before...and, I further reminded him, DAN DAKICH, was a member of that team, so maybe this little insider's view could pay off big time for us.  All I got was a chuckle and a smile...you know the kind that says "Sure, sure, that's a real possibility."  We'll see...I like to go with the theory that any team can beat any other team on any given day.  Of course, I do realize that goes both ways, but it is important to go into these things with the attitude that someday some little 16th seed will go the whole distance...someday.  So, who are your favorites this year?

    A Traditional Gaelic Blessing:  May the roads rise to meet you. May the wind be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; The rain fall soft upon your fields And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sing-ING

      The Guerin musical crew did a great job with their production of Jesus Christ Superstar last evening and we had a wonderful time beginning to end. 

      The first photo is my friend Barb and her third daughter, Julie.  (You might remember Barb's photos from the ICC Italy trip last summer as she was one of the chaperones and her second daughter, Maria, and Matt have been good friends in the choir.  Barb's family also goes to SEAS.)  Last night Barb was in charge of arranging, putting ribbons on, and selling the performance roses, so I took this photo as it is always especially rewarding to get both friends and flowers in one photo!  Barb is a Guerin Wonder Woman...she volunteers so much time and so much talent to the school that it sends my mind reeling...we are all better for knowing her and her family.

        These next photos are from the presentation of the signed posters and gift certificates to the choir directors after the play...could not, obviously take photos during the play, and afterward I was too busy chatting with everyone to remember to take photos...I think most everyone is visible except Maria.  Barb's oldest daughter, Meggie, is the girl with the microphone doing the presentation in the center of the stage.     

      

      And, last but not least, is a photo of Kristen and Samantha...Kristen is the daughter of my friend Kim, and just a beautifully darling girl inside and out, as is the lovely Samantha beside her, who is Roch and Chyrise's daughter.  Oh, so cute!  We had a wonderful time...it is amazing how all these kids work their way into our hearts so quickly.  (I admit it, I had tears in my eyes several times watching them perform, seeing them all doing such a great job, and witnessing the growth of the people that they are going to become someday.)

      Hope you all have a great Sunday!  It's my favorite day of the week for just hanging out with my family and doing fun things together.   St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, so if you are Irish (and with a grandmother whose maiden name was O'Brien, I definitely am such), don't forget the wearing of the green, the making of the Irish Soda Bread, Colcannon, Corned Beef, and Cabbage (and yes, I know the Irish don't really eat Corned Beef and Cabbage, but it is an American-Irish tradition, and therefore good enough for us)!  (Sorry, still Lent with no desserts, so no Hard Sauce and Spice Cake....maybe a little honey on the Soda Bread, though.)

Concoct-ING

    And, this is one of the things we do with leftover couscous:  concoct something new and different. 

      In this instance, leftover shrimp from last evening's dinner (cut into smaller pieces), black olives (sliced into thirds), feta cheese (cut into small dice), a half of a lemon's juice, and one tablespoon (or less) of olive oil...served at room temperature.  Just mix it up, put it in a serving bowl, and set it on the table to pass...lunch!

      Not discussing the Hoo game, but I will say, they did not lose that game against Minnesota on that end shot...they managed to lose that game in about 50 different ways.  Likewise, Purdue.  (I wasn't too sad about that one, however.)  Now on to the NCAA Championship.  I hope we last a little longer there.  

      Before leaving this topic, however, I should say that I really like that fancy little center court emblem they have for the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco this year...very vibrant and fun.

      Paid club fees for golfing this year...that makes it seem like spring.  Matt took caddy training this morning for a couple of hours, after swim practice at 6:45 a.m., so if you are golfing at Meridian Hills and want a caddy on Saturdays or Sundays (when it is not a swim meet weekend), ask for Matt.  (He's a nice tall strong guy in terrific shape and has the rules all memorized...so hopefully he will do a great job for you.)  He can caddy other times as well, just needs to work around swim team practices (twice a day in the summer).

      Matt is working on mega homework, Mark and Alex are cleaning out the mechanical room (I try never to go in there, and I don't know exactly what that involves, but they have been at it for a bit, so I will assume it was based on need), and I am going to sneak upstairs for a shower and pretend like it will take me a good long while to get ready for the play this evening, while in fact, I am planning on hiding out up there with my book for an hour or so.  Shhhh...don't tell anyone.  Hope you are having a great weekend!

    

      

Cook-ING

     Couscous with Orange, Roasted Red Pepper, and Scallions.

      You will need these ingredients:  1 (10 ounce) box of plain couscous; 3-4 scallions; 2 jarred roasted red peppers; 3 oranges; 1 Tablespoon of butter.

Slice two of the oranges in half and juice them.  (This should equal about a half cup of juice.)  Add water to the juice to make a total of 2 cups of liquid. 

Add the liquid to the cooking pot for the couscous.  Add one tablespoon of butter to the pot.  Add a quarter teaspoon of salt to the pot.  Cook on stove top until the liquid boils.  Add the entire box of couscous, place the lid on the pot, take the pot off the burner, and don't touch it for five minutes.

In the meantime, slice the ends off the remaining orange and cut away the peel and white membrane.  Once this is completed, section the orange and discard all the peels and membranes.  Cut the orange slices into thirds and set aside.

Next trim and diagonally cut the scallions into small slices.  Set these aside also. 

Next select one or two roasted peppers from the jar (you can, of course, roast a red pepper yourself and use that instead but this is faster if you are looking for fast) and dice them into small bits.  Set them aside also. 

All add-ins can be ready to go when the couscous finishes cooking in those five minutes.  When the five minutes are up, lift the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork...just keeping working on it a few minutes so that all the little grains are separated for the most part. 

Stir in the oranges, scallions, and peppers with the fork so that everything is nicely distributed.  (There are so many variations on this...you can add virtually anything you feel like adding.  You can make it Greek with Feta cheese, calamata olives, scallions, and oregano.  You can make it Italian with diced tomatoes, mozarella, black olives, olive oil, and basil.  You can make it French with shallots, white wine, thyme, and a butter/olive oil mix.  You get my drift here...with very little effort this can go with any meal.)

After you have mixed it together nicely, place it in a serving bowl to pass at the table.  Enjoy! 

(Note:  You may click on all photos to enlarge.)

Thursday's Favorites Fare

   Signs of spring!  The front yard pear tree bursting out in buds silhouetted against the lovely blue sky today.  I can feel spring coming...and I am so ready for it!

READING:  Sovereign Ladies:  The Six Reigning Queens of England by Maureen Waller (the six reigning queens, in case they aren't front and foremost in your mind, were/are Mary I, Elizabeth l, Mary ll, Anne, Victoria, and Elizabeth ll)  Oh, come on, give it a read...it is nicely written and very enjoyable.

LISTENING TO:   Jesus Christ Superstar as the Guerin musical crew is putting it on this weekend.  We are looking forward to seeing several of Matt's friends performing in it...Matt wanted to try out, but unfortunately play practice and swim practice do not mesh.  At. All. 

COOKING THROUGH:   Back to cooking!  Everyone is rejoicing that Mom is cooking!  Yesterday I made a wonderful couscous dish that was easy and tasted very nice with Salmon en papillote (cooked in parchment paper).  I will try to write it up tomorrow for you.  Note:  I know you all are always asking for my recipes, but I need to tell you that I have been cooking for 30 years, and at this point, I rarely use a recipe from start to finish...I always add this or take out that, adjusting ingredients to use what I have on hand...which makes it difficult to just give out a recipe.  I also have many techniques that would require a bit of explanation for people who do not cook a lot, or with as many years of experience, so that always seems a deterrent to including recipes here.   I will try to post the easier ones now and again and hope that satisfies your hunger...and if not, well then you will just have to come for a meal and watch me cook it.  Then you can write it up in a way that works for you!

FAV NEW FIND:    Speaking of parchment paper, I found Unbleached Parchment Paper at the store the other day and I really like the look of it when cooking something rustic.  The White Parchment Paper is nice for things like salmon (and many other fish dishes), but I have some rustic fare that is cooked en papillote that looks just right in the Unbleached Parchment Paper.  A fine point, I know...as it doesn't cook any differently and the cost is the same.  Justsoyouknow...in case you want to use it for the same reason.

FAV THING TODAY:    Why, the beginning of the Big Ten Tournament, of course...see you there!  (Unfortunately those baby Hawks just lost to Michigan...Todd is probably thinking, "Okay, it's time to call it a day and start recruiting for next year," as I think he got about as much out of that little team in his first year as could be expected of anyone.  Next year, Todd, really...we are right there with you for next year!)  The Hoos play Friday night, oh, and so does a little team that resides up the road called the Boilermakers. 

SCRAPBOOK PAGES THIS WEEK;   Five and counting...tomorrow I get together with Anne, Shelley, Megan, and Allison to see what damage we can do on increasing that total.

GOING TO:   Watch a lot of Championship Week basketball...the Big Ten Tournament is in Indianapolis, so how convenient is that?  Going to see the opera Tosca at Clowes and Jesus Christ Superstar at Guerin...whatever else we can fit into the weekend.  What's going on with all of you?

PRAYING FOR:   Appropriate guidance for our political leaders, please join me.

Disappoint-ING

      Aimee and I were horrified surprised to arrive at Guerin today to pick up Colin and Matt after school and find a wrecker at work demolishing the little farm on the Guerin property. 

      The house was already gone by the time we arrived, and the wrecker was hard at work knocking down the biggest barn.  No doubt the little shed will be gone by the time we drop off the boys in the morning. 

      Aimee is having a little fun posing by showing our shock and horror at coming upon the destruction so unexpectedly this afternoon. 

      Since Aimee is from Wisconsin and I am from Iowa, we don't take losing farms and farm land lightly...so much for our little reminder of "home" each day. Progress, I believe they call it...I call it a little disappointing as all the farm land in Hamilton County is becoming a thing of the past...soon there will be no trace of it left.  I wonder what they will put in its place.

Book-It-ING

    A very small contingent at Book-It today, but we had a great time none-the-less!  Smiling nicely for the camera are Meg, Rebecca, Regina, Rachel, Mary, and Sunny.  It is always so great seeing the kids and catching up on what's going on with everyone.  (I miss homeschooling a lot, so it is nice they still let me crash various activities.) 

      William carefully hid all his raisins in his applesauce and then exclaimed with delight whenever he uncovered one...Matt and Alex used to do that...I miss their little selves a lot, too.    

      My pal, Dominic, let me play Slinky with him today, and I have to say, it's been awhile, but I was still able to show him a few tricks.   And, in the last photo, after discussing knights and armor, William tries on his Slinky for  armor possibilities, while his brother Dominic was going for a different effect, more in the line of a launching Slinky!

       It felt so great being out and about all day with various commitments and some fun things, too. 

Loung-ING

     Vash and I are just lounging about this morning trying to pick up the house, gain control of the laundry, and various other bits and pieces that sort of went by the wayside when I was ill and out of town.  (Well, I am doing those latter things, Vash, as you can see, is trying to nap in his little bed beside the fireplace and is not too happy with me flashing the camera at him).

      I am almost normal in the health department, only a little lingering cough, but tomorrow I am resuming all regular activities, and will it ever be good to see everyone again!  Alex is completely normal (so rarely do I use those two words in a sentence these days); Mark has a lingering cough; and Matt is feeling much better due to the pharmaceuticals recently acquired.   

       The calendar says it is time for spring cleaning.  The temperatures, however, say otherwise.  Who wants to do any spring cleaning when you can't open the windows and throw open the doors?  I can't recall any other year when it has taken spring this long to find Indiana.  I'm giving it one more week and then I am going in search of it myself. 

      In the meantime, I decided to spring clean the frig and the larder.  And what did I find?  Lunch...an excess of onions (yellow, white, one red), two leeks, and two shallots; three-quarters of a carton of beef broth; four glugs of leftover white wine; a few sad, but still viable sprigs of thyme; a small slab of Gruyere just begging to be grated on the top of something or other...it all sounds like lunch to me:  Soupe a L'Oignon au Fromage (aka French Onion Soup).  If I cut this bread into cute little baguette slice shapes and toast it up a bit, it could even pass for croutons.  I need to get to the grocery market soon.  Very soon. 

      Since Matt can't swim this afternoon yet, maybe he would like a run at the grocery with me:  wait, what am I saying?  When I go, my total bill is very reasonable.  When either of the boys or Mark goes:  Skyrocketing Grocery Tab!  Men in the grocery store...they think everything looks good...everything!  I better do that little grocery run on the way to Guerin this afternoon, and not on the way home from Guerin.  What's up over there?

Ail-ING

     Matt being the lane counter for Stevie during the 1000 race.  Matt doesn't do distance at meets as he is a sprinter.  We always say the day Matt swims two 200s in a meet is his "distance day."  Carmel is primarily a distance team, so Matt has always had a fairly big position with his sprinter ways, being one of only a few sprinters.  Good for making the "A" relays always!

     Yesterday did not go quite as expected. (Understatement.)  Matt woke up all congested and barely able to breathe normally, but wanted to get to the pool for warm-ups and see if it would clear up a bit, breathing being an important component of swimming I hear tell. 

Matt and Mike chatting before the meet...Mike warming up for his distance swims and Matt trying to keep warm as he had the chills and a cough.  He swam his two swims (adding big time in both due to the not-being-able-to-breathe-thing) and then we retired to the doctor's office where he was directed to x-ray, followed with a diagnosis of a bronchial infection.  Prescriptions were written for three different medicines and a note clearly stating there will be no more swimming until at least Wednesday when we will review it further.  Ouch.  No shot involved, but ouch on the "no swimming" bit right during Senior State and right before Central Zones.  Here are some photos from yesterday, and then that's all their is, figuring you all don't want photos from today where no doubt he will be sleeping away a good portion of it...one very disappointed swimmer boy about not being able to swim the 200 Free and 200 Back today. 

Getting ready for the 100 Back, Lane 8, the scoreboard showing the disappointing 2 second add in time, but still hopeful about the meet as he already has a sectional cut in this swim, so not as disappointing as it would be if it were the next three swims. 

After the swim he came up into the stands and said, "I want to swim my next swim, please...then we can go to the doctor and see what's wrong."  Hard to tell him "no" since he worked so hard to get to state in the first place, so he swam the 50 Free. Photos are on the block; giving it all he has; and swimming into the wall with white cap, big red "C" on it.   

Touching the wall and checking the scoreboard...one very disappointed boy in Lane 6 as he added almost a second to his time. 

      I was going to offer to take him to the meet to watch his friends (and foes) swim, but I wasn't 100% sure I could be strong enough to resist the begging if he wanted to get in and swim those two events when we were there...and believe me, he would have wanted to if we were actually on the premises.   

      Another couple of fun photos  Here is Johnny B. swimming his first state meet in the 200 Breaststroke and the second photo is John S. who swam fast enough to get his first Central Zone sectional cut as a senior in the 200 Breastsroke! 

     And, lastly, some pink for my albums with the lovelies Megan, Lauren, and Sunny posing after their own fantastic swims.

       Did you all remember to fiddle with your clocks last night/this morning?  This takes a bit of getting used to as Indiana (well most of it as it is very difficult to get this state to agree on any such thing, so there are still a few parts not adhering to the rules) is just in it's first year of dealing with this clock thing on Daylight Savings Time.  I will say one thing:  one can certainly golf longer in the evenings in the summer with it! 

      Hoos on the telly today for their final game against Penn State at 2:00 on ESPN...meet you there!

Advanc-ING

       Change of plans...sort of...Clarice didn't want to stay home. 

     Day One of USA Senior State has gone well.  This is Matt's "aging up year," meaning he is one of the youngest swimmers qualifying for the meet and has a lot of fancy competition.  Despite that, he started the day off with a bang...dropping time and earning a Central Zones sectional time in the 100 Freestyle.  He went in seeded 49th and finished 28th, and while that was not a finals time (missing that by 0.1 of a second), he was very happy as his seed time was 49.12 and his finish time today was 48.84, an nice little drop in the swimming world.    He got to swim in the A relay, and although it did not qualify for finals, they did a fine job of it, Matt swimming anchor for a big finish. 

      So, while we don't have any showy hardware from the day, we do have a fancy new best time and a fancy sectional cut...what's not to love about those two things?  Some photos from today, nothing stellar, as although I had a great angle for watching the meet, not so much for photographing the events.  Thanks for the thoughts and good wishes for the kid...it is obviously helping him focus on the task at hand!

Party-ING

      A little study time between swim team practice and the state party, although I think Joey is just looking at Matt's computer and flirting with Carly.  (Can click on all photos to enlarge.)

      Some fun photos from last evening at the CSC State Swim Party where the kids all had pasta, breadsticks, salad, and cake to celebrate their state cuts for short course.  A couple of hundred swimmers showed up and those who qualified for state got their state shirts and a nice sendoff from their fellow swimmers, parents, and coaches.

     Johnny gets his first state cut after ten years of swimming with CSC...all the kids were just thrilled for him as he has come so close for so many years! 

       And this is Johnny's proud mother, my friend Jan, who makes swim meets a whole lot of fun with her sparkly personality and wit, and without whom my world would be a lot less bright.  Jan is also the friend who carpooled Matt from Guerin to CHS those days I was too ill to drive...a friend who is always there all the time.   

      

     Harrison, Matthew, and Josh (JJ), with Lauren in blue in the background and Ali centered between Matt and JJ, all having a great time eating and celebrating.   

      Charles, Matt S., and Brandon all waiting patiently for their names to be called to go up front to receive their state shirts.  (Note:  I had a ton of photos, however, some of the kids were checking out my fancy new camera and moved a couple of the settings and I did not realize that when I took many many good photos and wasn't checking as I went along, so they are virtually useless, blurry, and out of focus, my fault...note to self:  check settings each time!) 

     I will leave you for a few days with these final shots of Matt in his state shirt, which says "Carmel Swim Club Championship Team 2008" on the front and "There's Strong and then there's Carmel Strong" on the back. 

      Need to spend the day running errands, packing, organizing for Mark and Alex as Mark will drive back and forth each day while I stay in Brownsburg with Matt for the weekend, and then finally getting Blue Bernice all ready to head out of town at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow.  Clarice will be staying home, so I will meet you back here at the table on Monday. 

      Have a great weekend everyone, and think fast times for Matthew and all the CSC swimmers at the Senior State Meet!

Thursday's Favorites Fare (On Wednesday!)

    The view of the backyard out of the kitchen nook window early this morning...ice everywhere.  (Click on photo to enlarge and see the ice!)

     Am posting Thursday's Favorites Fare early this week because I haven't posted a list in the past three weeks and everyone is asking "Where's your list this week?"  Since I don't want them to quit posting theirs, I figure I better step up here and get one posted soon.  Also, tomorrow I will have photos from the Age and Senior Group USA State Swim Party tonight that I want to post as the kids all enjoy seeing those photos.  So, here's Thursday's Favorites Fare a day early this week! 

READING:   King, Kaiser, Tsar:  Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War by Catrine Clay (King George V of England, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia)...even if you don't like my usual historical fare, this one is really good and quite a fast read...come on, check it out! 

LISTENING TO:   Puccini's Tosca.  Tosca was the first opera I had ever seen, and I fell in love with it.   (I also happened to fall in love with the guy sitting next to me, who happened to be Mark.)  Back in our IU days in Bloomington, students could see the opera performances for $3.00 which was just great as IU has a wonderful music department and the quality of the shows was very good...the opera was a nice affordable date back in those student days.  The Indianapolis Opera and Indianapolis Symphony are performing it next weekend at Clowes.  See you there.   

COOKING THROUGH:   Not much...still not up to par and am thinking I don't need to be handling everyone's food and spreading it about...not even cooking for the priests or any other family this week.  Surely by next week I will be back to normal.  Surely.

FAV NEW FIND:    I am reading a book about Eleanor Roosevelt.  She was asked what she felt was the most important thing that led to her many successes.  She replied, "I never look back.  I just keep looking and moving forward."  I wrote it in the front of my day planner.  Simple, profound really, and providential to me right now...just keep moving forward and don't look back.  A lot of changes for me this past year...I think moving forward and concentrating on those aspects are key.  The right quote for me at this time.  I find myself repeating it several times a day and by the end of the day, I feel really good about not dwelling on things I can't fix, and concentrating on making the things I am in control of really really good.   Favorite new find for sure.

FAV THING TODAY:    The beauty in all this ice covering everything today.  This morning Guerin was on a two-hour delay start due to the ice, so Matt and I got to sleep in a bit (no swim practice).  As we drove to school, the sun was shining, causing all the ice to sparkle like diamonds.  Everything was coated in it, making it look magical.  Really pretty.  After I dropped him off, I drove around a bit more to do some errands, prolonging the enjoyment for as long as possible...by the time I returned home, it was all starting to melt away.  Important to capitalize on things when you can!

SCRAPBOOK PAGES THIS WEEK;   Alas, none yet.

GOING TO:   Senior State USA swimming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Wish us luck!

PRAYING FOR:   Michelle and Al as they mourn the loss of their baby in miscarriage, and for all those mourning likewise, please join me. 

Sober-ING

     Just leaving you today with a somewhat sobering look at being more aware of green (and other sobering statistics).  If you aren't familiar with Chris Jordan, an environmental photographer in Seattle, here is a look at some of his work.  Read the captions and have a look.  He calls it "Running the Numbers:  An American Self-Portrait."  Click here and you will be amazed. 

Answer-ING

      Question:  Why should you not forget to take a clay pot in for the winter?  Answer:  See Photo. 

     This little pot of Rosemary lasted well into the last days of fall and early days of winter.  Then I sort of forgot about her.  Today I stumbled upon her in my first trip around the yard assessing winter woes and hoping for the first sign of a crocus, daffodil, tulip, or hyacinth...anything to indicate spring was not far away (and also to the distract me from my upcoming little trip to THE MALL this morning).  No sign of spring.  Yet.   

     Next: answering about that PE shirt pictured yesterday.  Apparently there was a small hole in the seam of the shirt where the sleeve attaches.  During class, Stephen said to Matt, "Hey, you know what we do with holes in shirts?"  Matt, of course, being homeschooled by a mother who felt it unnecessary to add anything like this into the curriculum, said, "No, what?"  Stephen inserted a finger and proceeded to rip away at the sleeve, eventually detaching it.  End of mystery.  End of Stephen if I get ahold of him...just kidding on that part.

    I did enjoy all the emails this morning with your guesses on what happened to the shirtsleeve...very creative, all of you.  And now, I am off to run errands...have a great week!

Guess-ING

         Want to take a guess?  This PE shirt belongs to Matt.  Matt who is always meticulous about his clothing, thinks preppy is the only way to go, changes clothes at least twice a day...sometimes more on weekends, and thinks wearing his tux is an absolute treat.  So, I am wondering, what do you suppose happened to this shirt in PE on Friday?  Note:  if this had been Alex's shirt, I would not have even batted an eyelash figuring it was all in the course of his day...but Matt????  Where do you suppose the other sleeve could be, and how do you suppose it came to no longer be attached to the shirt?  Living with guys never ceases to amaze me. 

     The Hoo game with MSU was a disaster disappointment...the season appears to be going downhill, but I think we can salvage a bit yet, don't you? 

      I'm having a little free time while Mark and Alex are over at Mass.  And, I know it is Sunday, but being down all those days caused the laundry to pile up to panic level, so I am doing "emergency laundry" as it will be an emergency if I don't get it under control very soon.  (Perish the thought of people having to use a towel more than once before laundering, you know.)  Actually it feels rather good to be washing and drying and folding and whatnot.  I have always found a certain satisfaction in perfectly folded laundry stacked in the laundry baskets waiting to be placed hither and yon in everyone's dressers and closets.  I think I just may need to face it:  I am June Cleaver.  I live with Ward and Wally and the Beav.  And, you know what?  I like it.  A lot.  I am happiest in my home puttering about doing the simple things in life.  Now...about that shirt...guesses...anyone????

Winn-ING

       Much better today, even took Matt out for breakfast after Mass, Mark and Alex opting to sleep in and go to Mass later. 

     Hawks looked okay against Illinois yesterday, but just not enough there to pull off a win, even on the home court.  The Hoos play this afternoon, and if I work it right, I can get the two Matthews down to Butler to IYC rehearsal, come back, watch the game, then go pick them up afterward.  Might be a little close on both ends, but that's why we have Tivo, right? 

     The photo shows one very happy boy with his two first place medals yesterday.  He made state times in both, so he has all his five swims (all that you are allowed at state) ready to go:  50, 100, and 200 Freestyle and 100 and 200 Backstroke.  Yep, the boy is a sprinter.  Next weekend he will swim all three days at state, so thinking good (and fast) thoughts would be much appreciated...he goes in as one of the youngest swimmers.  He is also hoping to be chosen for the "A" or "B" relay team.  I am just hoping he has a good time...this has been a long stretch of training and swimming at peak performance level for him. 

     Have a great Sunday! 

Spr-ING!

       Steven at Grandma and Grandpa's (obviously before Dixie with the superior red eye elimination function, but a cute photo anyway, and the best I could do at a moment's notice). 

      It's Spring...well, not officially, but the birds are singing, it is very sunny outside, it's the first of March, I am finally vertical and functioning with hopes of being normal soon, and I am so over winter that I am definitely counting this as the beginning of spring.  (Never mind, I just looked at the weather for the upcoming week...lovely today, not so much the rest of the week.)  Oh, well, being optimistic is never a wrong choice.

       Happy 7th Birthday to Steven today, the youngest of Phil's boys, also the youngest grandchild on the Gerth side...no babies on the horizon anytime soon, so while we are happy that Steven is now 7, we are also a little sad that all the "little kids" are growing up very quickly.  Hope you are having a great day celebrating, Steven! 

      Mark and Matt are over in Noblesville at swimming divisionals, Matt is only swimming the 50 Free and the 200 Free to try to get state cuts for those two swims for USA senior state next weekend.  This is his aging up year so he doesn't just have them all already like usual, missing those two.  I decided to stay home and put some order into things here, especially with laundry as the guys don't operate with a great deal of laundry-know-how, so while they picked up after themselves fairly well, cooked (okay, they ordered out, but still I did not have to worry about it all), and managed to get everyone everywhere they were supposed to be on time, that pretty much is all that was done while I was down for those nine days.  Nine days.  I haven't been sick nine days ever...I still cannot believe how hard this hit me.  Two words for next fall:  FLU SHOT. 

      Hope to get caught up with emails and blog responses soon, but in the meantime, I'm thinking about you all!  Have a great weekend, and don't forget:  it's time to start thinking/designing/planning those flower and vegetable gardens...spring will be here soon!