Oh, I will have to Explain My Absence Later... Now for Auction Items

Oh, have I ever been busy. Like all teachers, my personal life nearly goes on hold for the last month of school. Between stuff at the school where my kids attend and the one that I work at, I doubt that I have had more than two or three free evenings since I last blogged. School is nearly over. The earrings I have here are ones that I made for the silent auction at Alpine Valley School. It is my hope that they will appeal to the younger-ish crowd and that they may sell for around $10 or more a pair. That would get $50 for the school and something fun for a few young ladies. The stuff we auction off is generally adult stuff. I am aiming to make some fun "Bubble Blowing and Fun Candy" type of baskets as well. One of my favorite school silent auction items is a good bowl with popcorn, candy and a gift certificate to rent two movies. I love that one but can't pull it off this year. Perhaps next year.

Where Have We Been? Racing in New Mexico...

I am a little embarrassed that it has been so long since I posted. Life has gotten crazy busy. I teach seniors and they are intense this time of year. They have little numbered signs for the number of days they have left in their public school life. They look forward to it like an advent calendar. We have also been racing about three times a week. I thought I would begin with the most recent races and fill the rest in later.

As you may notice from the photos, we just spent some time in New Mexico, Albuquerque to be exact. We went down for the Vuelta a Bosque Stage Race and for a visit with my cousin Marianne, as well as her son, Evan. We had never been there, so we were excited to go. We left pretty early on Friday. We arrived at Bike Coop in the Nob Hill area to check in and get our numbers. The night before I had switched out Ellie's tires from her cross (like winter) tires to the road (like summer or touring) tires. It was my first go at it. It took me about an hour to get it done. I was concerned that I had not done it right, so we asked them to check. Thankfully we had them do that as her bike had a pinch flat in the back. Then we noticed that the brakes needed to be adjusted since I changed wheels. I was thrilled that they could help us then and there. What great greetings and service. One of the young ladies who works there had a new puppy so we busied ourselves with it. I love the smell of a puppy! As we were loading up the bike a much talker version of my nephew Evan appeared. We visited a bit and then followed him and Marianne home. (I will write more about our time with them on another day.)

Saturday we were out of the door by around 5:45. The time trial race began at 7:00 and we needed to leave time to find where we were going. The race location is by the Journal Pavilion, a location for music concerts. Out on the course there is a gas station built to look old. It will be blown up in the making of the next Terminator 4 movie. That was a thrill to the kids. The kids did well. Ethan's race was longer, 10 miles, and had a big hill. Going down the hill they estimated that many riders would reach speeds of 40 mph. Going up was another story. Later that afternoon they did the road race. Ellie went ten miles. Ethan road for 42. I had been nervous about that race. I had tried to keep my feelings to myself. It was the longest race he had ever done. He looked like a champ and finished in good time. Just another reminder that I need to trust in the strength of my kids more! I thought they would be spent - and they were- but we went to dinner and swimming later in the evening.

Sunday found us in a business park on the west end of town. The course for the criterium was a great one. Ellie and Ethan both raced well, especially considering how tired they were. Ellie started off slow. For several laps she was the last girl in her category. By the end of the race she had speed up, coming in third place and nearly coming in with the 2nd place girl. Ellie was thrilled to find that she came in 3rd over all. (In a stage race you have to finish each race to keep racing. Each race time and placement counts in figuring the overall winners.) I was proud of how well both of them did. I love watching how strong and confident they look when they race!

Moab by the River at Night

The wind begins to find its way into the valley where we were camping near the Colorado river, thought it usually only visits for the afternoon and early evening. By the time we wanted to go to bed it was nearly spent. Our first night there we were surprised by a wonderful boat cruise that happened to go by. It is called Canyonlands at Night. The boat is the Moab Queen II. They begin with a dutch oven dinner and then a ride down the river in a special open boat. The tour guide tells bits of history, chunks of tales and points out images in the rock face. We enjoyed listening as they glided past us at dusk. We were even more pleased when they returned later in the evening. By then the evening was dark, the stars were shining and suddenly the rock face was illuminated. There was solo operatic singing near by (We later learned that this lovely music was courtesy of a camper a few sites down. He could not resist the acoustics of the area. We were happy he indulged himself). It was like a live concert on the rocks back home. We were not sure why the rock face was suddenly awash with light. Then we saw it. The boat came back by us, soft tunes of Elvis and a few country music stars wafted on the light breeze as the boat passed. On the road behind us we could see s truck fit with a large number of extraordinarily bright lights echoed the movements of the boat. The lights would emblazon the rock face near the river. Then it would illuminate the other side of the canyon. It was a delightful show. It was sort of magical. What a way to welcome us to our last leg of our vacation. We had hoped to take in the cruise the next night, but it was sold out.

Utah Road Trip 2008 - Moab during the Day

Moab has a beauty of it's own. It is not beautiful in the way that Colorado is. It is a solid, intense and jagged kind of beauty. A red, rust, brown and windy kind of appeal. It causes you to step back in wonderment. It makes you stand up and take note. It is a kind of beauty that will not be ignored. And it is resilient. We have been here many times before and we still find it breathe taking. It calls to Ethan from time to time. It is also humbling.

We arrived mid-day after exploring various items of interest on the drive. We stopped in at Pagan Mountaineering to take a look around. The woman who helped us gave us great tips on where to camp and where to climb. We also picked up a few fun items from the shop. She sent us to Big Bend, just north of town. It is an area for mountain biking and camping. There are sites that follow the Colorado river up the little valley. We checked out a bunch of them and picked a great one near the west end of the camp. The site next to us housed a boy scout group. We even knew one of the boys in the troop from biking. What a small world! Next we decided to check out the bouldering sites. We had wanted to bring the rock climbing gear, but there was simply not enough room. We had to be happy with bouldering. We had some fun, but quickly decided that climbing was more to our liking. (I don't actually climb, or boulder. I just watch sometimes and take a few photos.) Next up was to check out Potash road. That is where accessible climbing is to be had. The chapter in the climbing book on this area is extensive. The Potash road chapter is long. Larr walked the road, looking at the cracks and chimneys. His fingers must have itched for chalk. He arms must have wanted to pull him up a face. He must have been envious of group after group of climbers that he past. He had to settle for taking notes and photos in preparation for a return. It would have to wait. The kids and I inched along in the van, ready to pick him up at a moment's notice. The kids put one sunscreen, sun glasses and headphones. They enjoyed having a little down time. I did a little reading as well. Earlier in the trip I had finished Angel of Death by Alane Ferguson. Ellie snatched it up and read it, too. Then we finished The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. We love his books and were sorry for it to be over. Next I wanted to pick up a Gayle Giles book. Ellie and I were prepping for the Teen Lit. conference that we are helping to launch the next weekend.

The day was waning and we were hungry, so we headed back to camp. We had a quick dinner and went back into town to check out more stuff. We had a great time at a shop, Gear Heads, or something like that. We also found the visitor center to be very useful. We spent some time in the local bookstores. My favorite bookstore in Moab is home to a longhaired white and orange kitty that has clear opinions on how one is to play with a cat. The cat entertained Ellie. I looked for a book I needed, Ethan lost himself in the gardening books and Larr tried to not get drawn in. I did not find the books I was looking for. Instead I found The Dogs Who Found Me by Ken Foster. I am a sucker for animal rescue stories. I had a hard time putting this one down. It made me cry, laugh and cry again. I was done with it quickly. Ellie took that one, too, and began to read. Moab nightlife was about to begin. But I will save that story for tomorrow.

Utah Road Trip 2008- Newspaper Rock & George's Rock

This past weekend we had a lot of fun putting on the Teen Lit. conference and racing bikes. I will write about those events soon. I thought it might be nice to finish writing about the Utah road trip before beginning a new subject.

Back to Utah Road Trip 2008

The next morning we got up, had breakfast and hit the road. We had intended to find a camping spot at Whistling Wind camp grounds but were advised that it would be a bit cold there so we headed up to Moab a day earlier than expected. The advise came from the folks at the Monticello Visitor's Center. I think they are the very model of an excellent visitor's center. It was informative and inviting. They had movies about local attractions that you could enjoy while sitting on a couch with a warm drink in your hand. They had lots of different kinds of maps you could access with ease, a computer where you could check your email and the best staff. The folks there were knowledgeable but not pushy. The man was great about listening to what you want to do and advising you. So often you only get to hear the ideas they have and not interject your own. It was he who advised us that going to Big Bend on the north end of Moab would be best. And he was right! After our nice rest stop at the visitor's center we were on the road again. We stopped first at this large mound, George's Rock. I did not feel like braving the cold to see it. It seemed to have an opening on the side, so Ethan and Larr felt compelled to check it out. It is funny how one parked car will attract others. By the time we were leaving there were four more groups stopped to check out the mound. Ethan was a bit disappointed to find that the opening only went in about 10 feet.

Next up was Newspaper Rock. On the map it seemed like a long way to go to look at it, but I am thankful that we did. I really liked it. It is a rock face that has a lot of petroglyphs on it. What is nice about this one is that you can get up close and see it better than you can see the others. I think it had some of the most fun art work we have seen so far. None of the sites that we have been to explain how the artwork is created. Ethan thinks that the artist took a small rock and tapped it, thus knocking off the top layer of the rock. The top layer in this photo is most likely a very dark brown due to a mineral that is leached out of the rock when it is wet. The lighter minerals was away and this one dries, becoming a different chemical compound. The visitor center in Monticello had a poster of a segment of this wall. It was lovely. My husband's work is worthy of making into a poster, too, I think. Ethan says he wants to have paintings like this on his wall in his room at home. Ellie was a bit quiet on this leg of the trip.

Chewy Coconut Cookies, Mint Chocolate Bars and Orange Bars - Recipes for a Friday Potluck

Things are really wild here. Tonight we launch the 20th Teen Literature Conference with a potluck dinner with the other committee members(current and past), many of the authors presenting at the conference. Ellie and I were in charge of making dessert for 25 people. Ellie made a double batch of cookies and I made two variations on a special chocolate (brownie like) bar. This way there will be sure to be enough food. We love it when we get to hob nob. Here's the recipes so that you can enjoy them too. Please know that the Coconut cookies are addicting and may cause people the pester you for more, even when you have run out. Next time I may add white chocolate chip and macadamia nuts to the mix.

Enjoy!

Chewy Coconut Cookies (from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-2/3 cups flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

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Mint Chocolate Bars & Orange Chocolate Bars (altered from the recipe at Cookinglight.com)

Ingredients
Bottom layer:
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup
Cooking spray

Mint ( or Orange) layer: (alterations here - I increased the amounts and changed some flavors)
3 cups powdered sugar
6 TBL butter, melted
3 tablespoons fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint (or orange) extract
2 drops green (or orange) food coloring

Glaze:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare bottom layer, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt; stir with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, egg substitute, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoons water, vanilla, eggs, and chocolate syrup in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring until blended. Pour batter into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
3. To prepare mint layer, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and next 3 ingredients (through food coloring) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread mint mixture over cooled cake.
4. To prepare the glaze, combine the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Let stand 2 minutes. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut.
Yield
20 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 264(30% from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 5.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 2.8g; CHOLESTEROL 38mg; CALCIUM 12mg; SODIUM 139mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45g
Megan Patterson ,
Cooking Light, MARCH 2008

Bridges, a Magic Bus and Funeral

Utah Road Trip:

I wrote about our trip to see the Natural Bridges yesterday, but I am including the photos of them today. These were formed by water. The kids were a bit amazed by them. They are not sure it would be safe to walk over them. They were taken by the photo in the visitor's center that showed a row of 20 horses and their riders on the thin part of the bridge.

On Other Notes:

Have you taken time to give love to the people in your life today? I went to my student's funeral yesterday evening. I went as a friend, as a teacher, as a mother and a supporter for the others who were so sad. I was very glad to see that it was well attended. I hope that the parents take some comfort that their child was so connected. I also appreciate that they dressed Tori in a way that she loved. I think they did their best to honor her. It was heartbreaking to listen and view. No parent should have to bury their child. Tori's friends were heartbroken. For many of them, this was their first funeral. Tori's assistant principal gave a speech. She talked about Tori's willingness to love you, even if you had many faults. She also spoke about how Tori would not want any of the kids there to join her in heaven. My heart was heavy. I could not have said those words, but they needed to be said. There were two kids in the audience that I have talked out of suicide just this year. I am afraid for them. I was there for those kids. I must have hugged kids a hundred times at the funeral. One student, who was kicked out of our school but still has a great connection with me, asked me to hug him nine times. I told him I was glad to see him and that I hoped he was happy were he was living now. I hope that he felt noticed and important. I forgot to tell him I miss him. I think he already knows it, but he could have benefited from hearing it. I

hate when I forget to do things like that. Today I checked in with the kids I saw at the funeral. I think it provided good closure for them.

And a Magic Bus:

I rented "Into the Wild." It is a true story of an educated young man who gives all his money to charity and treks to Alaska, as well at other spots. He has adventures both good and bad. I will not tell you how it ends, but I will say that it is a romantic version of a difficult lifestyle. Ethan was very taken by it. I kind of wish he had not seen it. I don't want him to do the same thing. He promises me that he would not do that. He says he may go into the wild and spend a month by himself, but that we would still have contact with him. He would be safe. I trust him. I am just sad for what happened to this young man and his family. I would never want him to endure such an event. The film itself was lovely and so well done. I think the family was brave to allow it to be made.