Secret Society of Teachers

Believe it or not, there's a secret society of teachers roaming around out there. And if you're lucky, you might be able to find one of these special teachers. They are the teachers that get apologies when those outside the profession learn whom they teach. People are surprised and in awe that they are nutty enough to perform their job day in and day out. They are called middle school teachers. They teach those young teenagers in grades six, seven or eight. I'm going to give you a few clues to help you spot one of these rare creatures.

1. Fun loving or Good sense of humor- If you spot a teacher that is down right funny or knows how to laugh, you may in fact be in the presence of a middle school teacher. If they laugh at juvenile jokes, it's a good bet you found one. Say duty, ball, dyke, lay, or dongle; if an adult smiles or chuckles, you probably found a middle school teacher.

2.  Energetic- Middle school teachers have lots of energy. They may come home dead to the world, but in class they are anything but dead. They have to be active because they have a million things to take care of in each class. And they'll do anything to keep the attention of their teenage students.

3.  Different- Members of this secret society aren't your kind, sweet elementary teachers. Nor are they your serious, subject-oriented high school teachers. Try to shake them up with a shocking story and they'll probably try to one up you. Some may even call them a little crazy. But when you can laugh and be discouraged all in the same day you're either slightly hormonal or a little different.

4.  Flexible- Some teachers can easily and quickly adapt to change. Those are middle school teachers. Maybe a lesson isn't going well, the internet is slow or there's an interruption in the class. These teachers handle it without batting an eye. That's a real skill.

5.  Patient- You might think elementary teachers have patience, but put them in a 7th grade classroom and watch what happens. All their tolerance goes out the window. These aren't sweet little babies. Middle school teachers must have an abundance of charity to handle middle school shenanigans.

6.  Squirrelly- If you spot a teacher who acts like a young teenager, you've probably crossed paths with a middle school teacher. These adults deal with hormonal kids all day, every day. Their goofiness is bound to rub off. These are the teachers you see talking and laughing during a teacher meeting. They can't help it.

7.  Sarcastic- Try to deal with middle schoolers and not become a little sarcastic. These teachers are probably the ones teaching sarcasm to youngsters. Middle school kids find sarcasm fascinating and like to try it out occasionally in the classroom. Their teachers can dish it right back. But it's all in good fun.

8.  Drinking- Middle school teachers love their coffee and possibly tea. But they are also known to belt down something stronger; not before or during school, though.  Have you ever been to a middle school conference? I'll tell you, it's one crazy adventure. And I'll leave it at that; otherwise I might get kicked out of the club.

Anything I've missed? Have a comment or idea about middle school teachers? Please comment below.

Cashew Chicken, Springfield Style

Today was a good day for some hot tea. The sun was deceiving today. It shone brightly this afternoon, but didn't do much to warm us up. But tea does the trick.

If you've ever lived or visited southwest Missouri, you've probably tried Springfield style cashew chicken. Once you've tried it, you realize it is way different than any other kind of cashew chicken. If you've sampled it, you more than likely enjoyed it. And every so often you get a hankering for it. That's what happened to me. In fact, my hankering lasted a few days.

So I decided to make some cashew chicken at home. I had my trusty Minute Rice, chicken and the secret cashew sauce mix. The only items I was missing was cashews. Please don't laugh. I also didn't have any green onions. But I thought, "What the heck!"

I started by cooking up the rice. When that was done, I got to work on the fried chicken pieces. That's a chore in itself. (See my blog about the dirty chicken.) When the chicken was almost done, I got the wok out and went to work frying some veggies, then scrambling eggs. On another burner I got the secret sauce going. I'm going to admit I was prepping and cooking about an hour and a half.

When everything was done, I put it all together. And it took me a little over 10 minutes to scarf down. And it was okay. It was filling, but it wasn't like cashew chicken in the local Chinese restaurants. And it wasn't the lack of cashews and green onions. I have no idea how those restaurants get such a tasty dish together. But the next time I get a hankering for some cashew chicken, I'm going to get the real thing from a real restaurant and save myself an hour and a half of work.

If you've ever made something that tastes as good as a restaurant, share with us. If you've had a not so great experience trying to do the same, share also. Let me know I'm not alone. Until the next tea break...

What You Can Learn About the English From Television

 Over the course of my life I've watched a few English television shows. Mostly I can thank PBS for that. I've seen Absolutely Fabulous; I really don't understand what they are trying to portray in that show. It must be way over my head or something. I used to watch Are You Being Served and Keeping Up Appearances. These were shows to which I could relate. If you aren't familiar with these shows, Are You Being Served takes place at a department store and revolves around the workers. Keeping Up Appearances has a female main character who definitely wishes to be someone that she isn't. She pronounces her name "Bucket" like the word "bouquet". You know it's a good episode if she gets her come uppings by the end.

My latest English show comes from Netflix. I love how I can work my way through all seasons of a show on Netflix. I've made it through seven seasons of Midsomer Murders this winter. And between all these shows, I've learned a few things about the English.

First and most important, the English really do like their tea. And they like it hot. There's hardly a kitchen scene without a tea kettle sitting on the stove. And if they aren't inviting someone in for a beer, then it's always for a cup of tea. After tea, the English really do enjoy some pretty flowers. Many flowers are in hanging baskets near the front door of their homes. And I have to admit, I really find them attractive. Rural England has a large amount of murders based on my recent viewing. The English also like their pubs. Pubs seem to be a place for gossip, hanging out and just drinking.

Based on my viewing you can also find a good amount of woods in England. And people think nothing about walking in the woods day or night. And when they go out at night, they don't bother with a flashlight. They must know they are going to get into trouble and don't want to see the trouble first. British men and women in these shows seem to have a good amount of extra marital affairs. But that may be part of the murder genre or rural England. There also seems to be more guns in England than the rest of the world thinks if you believe television. I've seen a good amount of rifles and some handguns in Midsomer.

Some differences with the U.S. are that the older people in England can be more open minded. The English know how to surprise their audience sometimes with something very unexpected. I thought the English knew how to speak English and they do. Maybe I just don't know how to listen. I thought the daughter's name in Midsomer Murders was Kelly. Some people pronounced it as "Cally" and others as "Kelly". When I looked up her name on IMDB, her name was Cully.

Some similarities with the U.S. are that the police do their job well. They may go about it in different ways, but both are thorough. Bad people lie and hide in plain sight. Rural people know everything about everyone in town. And television stars do leave to pursuit other career offers. I have to admit, I'll probably learn more the more I watch, but as long as I get to watch a good murder mystery I don't care if it's from England or the U.S.A. all I care about is having a good show to watch. Until the next tea time...

Connecting to Others

Ready for some tea? I am. One of the best feelings about blogging is when someone comes up to me and talks to me about my blog. Maybe they found something funny or maybe it triggered memories from their life. Whatever the reason, I received confirmation that they connected to something I wrote. That impact is huge to a new writer, like myself.

I don't know what you are doing when you read, but I'm typing and drinking. Do you know the mere act of fiddling with something or fidgeting with something gets people to open up? I learned that today at a conference. I always had the feeling that playing games together brought out great conversation. I remember playing games as a youngster. I started with Go Fish. That was probably the first game I learned, then moved to Monopoly, Aggravation, Checkers, Crazy 8, Uno, War, Nerdz and even Risk. As an adult I played many of these games with my family. And we talked. I'm wondering if people even do this anymore. There's so many solitary games out there, usually video games, that I feel the need to connect to others in some way is beginning to vanish.

I've heard kids say how annoying it is when someone calls them on the phone. I say, "What!?" They'd rather have someone text them. In reality texting is much less personal and honestly, not that great of a communication tool. The majority of communication takes place with body language and voice inflection. Texting bypasses all the fun parts of communicating.

But it's not just texting, it's social media, too. Do we fully comprehend what we are communicating with each post, photo, gif? Can we communicate a thought in 140 characters or less? I find it disappointing that less and less people are picking up a phone to talk, really talk to another person. I wonder if today's young people even know how to play a basic board game. If you want to communicate with someone or you need someone to open up, play a game of cards or a board game with them. I think you might be surprised at what you learn. Connecting with others helps us share our humanity. And there's nothing more human that sharing a drink or a conversation. Tell me your favorite ways to connect with others. Until the next cup of tea...

The Love of a Grandpa

When I was young there was no one I'd rather spend time with than my grandpa. I look back at all the things we did together and listen to older relatives tell stories about us and I realize we had a special relationship. At one point in my life I remember thinking that he was probably the only man I ever truly and completely trusted.

My grandpa loved kids. He loved to hear me sing; he wanted to hear my stories. And when I learned the Big Mac ingredient jingle, he made me repeat it over and over. You can't help but love someone who's that interested in you.

Before I even started school we lived a few houses down from Grandma and Grandpa, just around the corner from their house. Mom used to tell us not to bother our grandparents as we (my brother and I) rode our tricycles on the sidewalk. But one time we get to the corner and guess who's standing around the corner at the end of his driveway-Yes, it was Grandpa! He waves us down there. And we shake our heads and say we can't go down there. He tells us he has some Twinkies and next thing you know, we are at his house. I don't remember getting into trouble for doing that, after all Twinkies are irresistible.

Grandpa was also the one who took me and my brother to St. Therese. This was his Catholic church and as a kid I thought it was great. We'd attend the service and then go downstairs to have donuts and milk. It was a great treat. Grandpa would introduce us to people and I felt we were making out like bandits. One Sunday morning I thought Grandpa forgot about church. At that time we were living in an apartment complex that he and Grandma were managing. I got so worried that I found my Mom's broom and hit the ceiling above where I thought his bedroom might be. What a silly goose! Grandpa didn't forget about church.

There were so many times Grandpa tried to get my brother and me to do crazy things. I laugh to myself every time I think about it. Once we were driving through the city park and Grandpa saw a wedding going on. He parked the car and told us to go over there and get some wedding cake. We said, "No! We don't know those people." He told us we could get some free cake. We didn't crash the wedding, but it was awesome that he tried to put us up to it.

Grandpa with my sons

One time I remember Grandpa himself did the crazy deed. We were in a department store and came across some instant cameras. Grandpa talked to the sales clerk and ended up taking a photo of us in the store. Somewhere we still have that photo. Just like that photo that's probably hanging around in one of Mom's old photo albums, Grandpa, too is still hanging around. Although he's not here in person anymore. He's still here in my memories. He's here every time I decide to do sometime silly. He's here when I fellowship with others. He'll always have a special place in my heart. I know people say that, but as I sit here typing with tears streaming down my face, I know for me that truly means something. And just like Grandpa means so much to me, I know I meant a lot to my Grandpa. I love you, Grandpa!

Tea of the Past

Wow, there's nothing like a few days of below zero temperatures to make you appreciate normal winter weather. I don't know about you, but I'm thankful for some 40 degree temperatures and the sun. Let's not forget about that.

As I enjoyed my spiced tea today, I started wondering about the beginning of tea. How did someone decide to put a leaf in water and drink it? So I did a little research and boy was I surprised. The history of tea involves espionage, wars, ceding of land, drugs and of course the Boston Tea Party.

The legend about how tea began starts in China about 6,000 years ago. A servant was carrying boiling hot water and some leaves from a tree fell into it. His master drank it and liked it. The leaf was from  camellia sinensis, now known as a tea tree.

So tea began in China and when a Japanese monk took a tree back to Japan. Guess what. Japanese monks started drinking tea and growing their own tea farms at the monasteries. They even began their own tea ceremony. During this time tea leaves were compressed together into a brick, then grounded into a powder to put in water. It was during the Ming Dynasty that tea leaves were dried and rolled to place directly into the water.

Tea first hit Europe, not with the English, but with the Dutch. Coffee houses had already formed in Europe by the 1500s. In 1610 the first shipment of tea came to Holland. Of course everything new is so darn expensive and tea was no exception. So who was drinking it? The very wealthy people, of course. About mid 1600s the British were starting to consider drinking tea instead of coffee. But when Charles II married Catherine of Braganza, things began to change. She was addicted to tea and even started tea time at the court.

From here you've got the British East India Tea Company holding a tight monopoly of the tea imported from China. They played a big part in the taxation of tea, which was really high. At one point the British were trading opium for tea. I'm thinking those Brits have got a real hankering for tea. They got so tired of relying on China for those leaves, that they sent a spy over there disguised as a Chinese merchant. He would visit those tea plantations, ask a bunch of questions, steal a few plants and even some tea experts. The East India Tea Company decided to start their own tea farms in India. It was also around this time that the tea wars began with China. I never knew this was how Britain got control of Hong Kong for so many years.

Because of the high taxes on tea in Britain, illegal smuggling of tea flourished. Yes, I'm talking about organized crime. This reminds me of prohibition times in the US. Can you imagine tea was in such demand, but so expensive that people would resort to buying it illegally? Tea is something special! I could tell you some of the crappy things these opportunists would put in the tea because it wasn't regulated, but I don't want to spoil your tea.

Anyway, somehow politicians in Britain decided they better do something about the underground tea. So they dropped the enormous taxes on it and gave it a reasonable tax. And practically overnight the illegal tea syndicate vanished.

Iced tea was an invention of the United States, along with teabags. At the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis a tea seller from overseas set up to give out samples of hot tea. Well, I guess it was pretty hot at the fair and no one wanted hot tea. The tea guy went over to an ice cream stand and got some ice. He dumped it in the tea and served iced tea. What a story! Teabags began with artisans crafting each bag. That sounds expensive. I'm glad they finally made disposable teabags.

I know I gave you a condensed version of the history of tea. But I found it interesting. I hope you did, too. Did I miss anything important in the history of tea? Do you have an interesting tea story. Please share in the comments. Until next time...

Biscuits Anyone?

There's not much better to warm a person up on a snow day than a hot cup of tea; except a big mug of tea! And I'm now on my second snow day. I did venture out today for some staples. Luckily, I didn't have to go far.

I've gotten myself caught up in a Netflix series and had a hard time pulling myself away to Tea Talk with you. Midsomer Murders is a pretty good series. But alas, that's not what I'm going to talk about today. I want to talk about biscuits. Every time I set out to cook up some breakfast sausage, I have this internal debate about whether to make biscuits to go with them; today was no exception. I do like sausage on a good biscuit. I also like biscuits with butter or eggs. Oh gee! I like biscuits.

Sometimes I feel like a biscuit snob, even though I don't mean to be. Really, I don't. I don't actually understand why people use a baking mix for biscuits, when making them from scratch is so easy. You don't have to stock up on exotic ingredients and it doesn't take long to make biscuits the old fashioned way. And I will show you how easy it is.

You start with a flour, baking powder and salt. Then you cut in shortening. I'd say all together, it takes about 4 minutes. Add some milk and mix it up.

This is what mine looks like after I mix. Then I have to give it a little kneading and then ball it up and pat it down on the counter.

From here you can use a standard, round cookie cutter. A long time ago I was known to use a drinking glass upside down. Today, I have a special biscuit cutter from the Civil War era.

I imagine those women making lots of biscuits to sustain their family and soldiers. Possibly even some of my relatives used a cutter like this. I don't know, but it's interesting to think about.

Then they go on a baking sheet. Notice I have my special baking mat over my cookie sheet. Bake them for 12-15 minutes at 450 degrees. Then you have some wonderful biscuits for whatever purpose you have in mind. What food do you like to make from scratch? 

Here's the recipe in case you want to try it out. 

2 cups flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1 tsp salt (I don't use that much, though)

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add milk and mix. Knead and form into dough. Cut into circles and place on baking sheet. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown in a 450 degree oven.

Compassion for the Odd

Earl Grey was my tea of choice today. But alas I didn't get a photo of my mug. I started writing a blog about compassion today and abandoned it. Writer's prerogative is what I say. I think I've found a better way to write about compassion.

I hope at some point in your life you've had the opportunity to watch the former USA network series called Monk. This show involves an obsessive compulsive former police detective. His wife died in a car bomb and he's spent years trying to find her killer. In the  meantime he has to pay a nurse to help him function as he works as a consultant for the San Fransisco police department where he used to be employed. I almost forgot the most important part, he's a genius detective. He notices clues others overlook.

My family started watching Monk when it first aired in 2002. This was a summer show and we made sure to get inside by 9:00 every Friday night to watch it. My entire family liked it. Come 2003 we had survived a tornado that destroyed our home in May. So we ended up watching our favorite summer show from a television in a pull behind trailer set up in the pasture land behind our former home. That's how important normalcy, including Monk was to me and my family.

At this time I was teaching a summer school class called Murder Mystery. This class involved a staff member committing a mock murder and it was up to the students in the class to find the killer and convict them of murder before the end of summer school. In the late 1990s and  early 2000s we would watch Murder, She Wrote episodes in class. After a few years,  I could sense the students getting bored with the show. Somehow I managed to acquire a season or two of Monk. So I started showing these in my Murder Mystery class. I can't tell you how much these kids liked this show.

Monk is afraid of a multitude of normal items: germs, milk, naked statues, mud, snakes, trash. The list goes on and on. At the same time, he notices things everyone else overlooks. And for some reason junior high students empathized with him. I did, too! But what attracts these modern preteens to someone as odd as Monk? I know 12 and 13 year olds are going through a weird time in their lives. They may feel like they don't belong, like Monk. They may have their own quirks that no one understands. But I'm amazed at the longevity of this series in my classes.

I'm not joking about this. Kids this year have come up to me to tell me that they found Monk on a specific station. Some of these kids are watching this show in their free time at home! I do the same thing. I even got my mom started on watching it. And she loves it. I wonder if it somehow goes back to compassion. Monk claims his ability to solve crimes others can't as a gift and a curse. I hope my students can see that all people, regardless of their oddities, still have something to offer society. And when they love Monk, I feel there is hope for humanity. And I'll bet I'm right.

Student detectives interrogating a suspect (2017)

You can find Monk Sundays on WE from 9 AM to 5 PM. You can also pick up season DVDs at your local used movie stores. I acquired most of mine at Entertainmart.  I don't think you can go wrong with buying a season or two.

A Mirror and an Opposite

I think I drank more tea today than usual. It's probably because I spent the day shopping with my mom. But can a person really drink too much tea? Anyway, I'm not going to talk about shopping today. I want to talk about having a little sister. Having a little sister can be a different experience.

My sister is quite a bit younger than me. Let's just say over a decade younger. So when I was going about my teenage weirdness, she was toddling around the house. She just started school about the time I left for college. So much of my memories of her involve a little girl with high ponytails running around the house or playing with her toys. And I remember she really liked Strawberry Shortcake. :)

What's odd now is getting to know the adult she's become. And luckily we've had quite a few opportunities to hang out together. It's fun to see the similarities we have. We are both mothers. Hers are young and mine are older, but motherhood is the same. We both have jobs dealing with people who act like children. I think she gets cursed out more than I do, though. We both love the beach and spending time in the water. And getting a bargain is a great reason to shop for both of us.

I think the differences are what makes it fun to have a little sister. She's a blonde; I'm a red head. I love to cook and bake, but from my experience sis isn't as into it as I am. Although she did give me an amazing baking mat. It's the best thing ever for my biscuits and cookies. Sis carries her staple purse, Coach. I carry a Thirty-One purse. Hers is huge, mine is small. My sister has a good fashion sense. I'm always wondering if I should be wearing different shoes. Luckily for me I had her shopping with me when I bought my latest boots.

I think because she's younger, she knows more about current pop music than me. I know she was surprised to discover my lack of knowledge in that department. I know some current music, but mostly I listen to radio stations that play 80s music. What's wrong with that? It's good music. My sister's favorite boy band is New Kids on the Block. I actually prefer NSYNC and like Justin Timberlake's current music. My sister found this quite amusing. I don't know why. He brought sexy back! So every once in awhile, she'll send me a photo of Justin Timberlake like I a have a big crush on him or something. Or maybe she's just being funny. I know I laugh when I see them. But it's nice to keep in touch and have a laugh together.

So although it's different having a little sister. It sure can be fun. Too bad for you; she's MY sister.

Relatively Simple

Ah, there's nothing like peach tea in a beautiful cup. The day started at 54 degrees and right now it's 27 degrees. That's a cold front in the winter for you. School had an early release today due to potential winter weather so now I'm home.

I came home to a package at my door. It was my new simply fit board. After yesterday's discussion you probably think I'm crazy. Resolutions are unreliable, etc, etc, etc. And I do believe that. At the same time I'm always wanting to exercise in a fun way. If it was up to me I'd dance for exercise, but I haven't found a class or DVD that I love. If you know any dance exercises that are fun, please share.

 One day on Christmas vacation I saw this board advertised on television. One of the women from Shark Tank was promoting this fit board and it looked fun. I went online and found it on Amazon for almost $30. I was interested, but not that much. I watched a video about how to use it. I will say it looked easy and enjoyable. But I blew it off. Later when I wanted to search for it again, I forgot the name. Ha! That will teach me to use online bookmarks. Eventually I did find it online at a basic department store. "Aha!" I thought. I should do some searching. And I did. The best buy I found was an orange fit board at Target. As I read the reviews I really was starting to think this might be fun. So I ordered it about a week ago.

Notice the curve. It's a balancing act along with a twist. I mean a real twist. You twist. I popped in the DVD, got a chair beside me and stood on it. It wobbled forward and back as well as side to side. The reason it does this is to work your core muscles. The core includes muscles in the pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen. Although that's not all the muscles you can work on this board. But hey, it's a good starting place. I had to get off a few times and rearrange the board. I guess I was leaning one way or another. After a few minutes my legs were tired and I got off and rested. Later I found myself getting back on and I was a little better. I put the chair back and twisted some more. I'm nowhere near proficient on it, but it is fun and I expect to get some good use out of it.

I'm pretty sure the old adage holds true. Practice makes perfect. That will be me soon. Maybe not perfect, but much better than I am today. For those of you working on your health and exercise goals, good luck. It's never too late to try something new.

What Resolutions Really Mean

I don't think I could keep a New Year's resolution for my life. If my past is any indication, I can't. So this year, I'm not really trying. I think the problem is that resolutions involve good intentions. Now there's nothing wrong with good intentions. It's just too easy to over look those intentions. Like I should do the dishes tonight is my good intention. But I get sidetracked by my favorite television show, messages on Facebook and playing Candy Crush. Oops, I didn't do the dishes. Good intentions get you nowhere.

Reality check time; it takes 21 days for a habit to form. That habit can be good or bad. Although sometimes I think bad habits don't take so long to develop. So if you want to change your eating habits or how often you exercise, then you'd better set up a schedule for 3 weeks at the beginning. And then realize that 3 weeks will be difficult. But if you persevere those 21 days, it will be much easier.

These shouldn't be called resolutions, they should be called goals. Goals have an end result along with a plan on how to get there. Goals are measurable and require periodic checks on how you are progressing. And they can be altered. Resolutions seems like fluff when compared to real goals.

Now I guess I'll share my goal for 2018 with you. I plan to write more. That's it. Write more. Not write everyday. I've already blown that. Hey, some days I just don't have anything to say or am too busy living to write. I know that I can write more than last year, though. And I will. So let me take this time to thank you for reading. Please share some of your goals or past resolutions. I think we could all gain some insight from successes and failures of others.

The Alphabet Ends at Y

Nothing tastes better than a raspberry zinger after a day of work. Aside from chatting, I love to curl up with a good book while I enjoy my tea. I've been thinking about books lately because my favorite author died a little over a week ago. Sue Grafton wrote an engaging alphabet series that I can reread over and over again. Her characters came to life through her words.

Since my days of visiting the local bookmobile in Springfield, I've been attracted to mystery books. I would tear through the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series when I was in elementary school. As I got older, I read every Perry Mason book I could find. One cold, freezing day in the winter of 2007 I found a Sue Grafton paperback novel at Walmart. I remember it vividly because it was during the big ice storm. We'd been out of electricity for several days and I was starting to go stir crazy. I thought if I had something to read, I might be able to survive. The book was S is for Silence and it was good!

I didn't realize at the time, but I had a treasure in my hand. Sue started writing this series in 1982. And these books are based in that decade. Her main character, Kinsey Millhone is a kick-ass private investigator in the fictional town of Santa Teresa, California. She's in her thirties, twice divorced and orphaned since she was five. She's as sharp as a tack, knows how to shoot a gun and hates to see the bad guys get away. She's a perfect character. Notice I didn't say she's perfect. Her landlord and neighbor, Henry Pitts is an 80 something year old retired baker who knows how to cook. He's the perfect contrast to Kinsey's can't cook lifestyle. She regularly visits a Hungarian restaurant/lounge a half a block away to get bossed around by the owner. To round it out we've got all the clients and the shenanigans they bring to Kinsey's life.

Here's the majority of my Sue Grafton collection; A-U. The V, W and X are on the shelf below. Y is for Yesterday was a Christmas gift and hasn't made it to the shelf yet. As you can see, my books get a lot of use. I like it better that way. Obviously, I got hooked. Sometimes I'm reading one of these books and I can't put it down. Other times, the plot is so mind bending that I have to stop and ponder the implications before continuing.

I'm now on my second reading of the final book, Y is for Yesterday. And it makes me a bit melancholy. Her final book was going to be Z is for Zero. But alas, that will not happen. Sue never wanted a ghost writer for her work. So the alphabet truly does end with Y. Thanks for all the great reads, Sue. Rest in peace!

How to Keep Warm the Easy Way

It was almost balmy today. No hot tea for me today. :) I've actually been thinking about keeping warm. Well, it's been on the forefront of my mind lately.

If I could give you one piece of advice to help you save money and keep warm this winter, this is the blog for you. My advice?... Open your curtains and blinds! Seriously simple and seriously warm. Hopefully you have some windows on the east, west and south side. If so, you need to use solar power at its most basic.

You see, the sun produces radiant energy. This is visible through sunlight, but some is also invisible. When you allow the sun to come in through your windows, you actually trap that energy in your house. I'm not joking here. I'm sure sometime in your life, you've sat in the sun. Even if the temperature was low, sitting in the sun warms you up. Well guess what... it can also help warm your house.

Don't get me wrong and shut off your thermostat and expect sunlight to heat your house to a toasty temperature when it's freezing outside. It won't work. BUT, you can help your house warm up by allowing mother nature's warmth into your house. Another name for this is passive solar heating. You can read more here: Solar energy

When I know the sun is going to shine, before I leave the house I make sure to open the curtains. I also turn down the heat. There's no need to keep the temperature too warm when I'm not here to appreciate it. I did come home today to find the temperature in my house warmer than the temperature at which the thermostat was set. I hope this is information is beneficial to you today. Do you use passive solar energy? If so, post your results and tips in the comments.

Time for Reflection

Today it got above freezing! It's so exciting. The Weather Channel says it was 31 degrees, but my car said 33. I came home and unplugged the heater in the well house.

It's nice to be home again, snuggled up under my blanket on my couch. I've got a pizza in the oven and Monk on the television. So why am I writing? I don't know.

I asked questions of my students today. 'What's the best thing about 2017 being over?" And, "What's the best thing about being in 2018?" They had some interesting responses. Many talked about school being half over and getting a fresh start. Yes, even junior high students recognize a new beginning. A few students had a hard time coming up with an answer. It's like they never stopped to reflect and evaluate their life.

As I ponder on this, I realize reflection and self evaluation are learned skills. Just like making goals and checking your progress toward the goals. All of us need to be asked these questions or we'll never learn to answer them. So I was glad to watch some kids squirm when the random name selector called them. It showed me, this was a question they needed to ponder.

So now I'm going to turn it around on you. What's the best thing about 2017 being over? What's the best thing about being in 2018? Take some time to reflect and squirm, if you need. And if you're courageous enough. Comment  below and let me know what you got.