Daily Archives: 19 December 2008

19 December 2008

An Award!

By Nicki

Laura Kay gave my blog an award!  I am so excited.  I have been doing the happy dance – again – this weekend.

Laura Kay nominated my blog for the Marie Antoinette – A Real Person, A Real Award.  Please visit Laura Kay at her blog.

Here are the rules for the Marie Antoinette award.

  1. Place the logo on your blog. 

    Logo

    Logo

  2. Place a link to the person from whom you received the award on your blog.  Please visit Laura Kay at http://laurakaysplace.blogspot.com/
  3. Nominate at least seven or more blogs.  These are at the end of my post.
  4. Put a link to those blogs on your blog.
  5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them of their nomination.

Off to let these wonderful friends know.

1 comment   |  tags: , | posted in Art, Family, Just my Thoughts

19 December 2008

Last Minute Gift

By Nicki

I know – because I just got out of the house yesterday to really start my Christmas shopping – that we all are looking for a last minute gift.  This one is a tad bit weird but my step father loved it when I sent him one a few years ago.

Puzzle in a Jar

You will need a quart mason jar.  You can substitute any clear jar you have around – mayonnaise, etc.  The jar just needs to be see through.

You will need a bag of bird seed.

You will need to print off the wording for the tag at the end of this post.

You will need the puzzle pieces.  You can choose from any of the following or any similar items you can come up with:  rubber bankd, bead, toothpick, sticker, ribbon, cardboard or cardstock design, safety pin, button, penny, pencil top eraser, adhesive strip, burnt matchstick, birthday candle, jelly bean or an appropriate holiday candy, miniature clothespin, paper clip, cotton swab, crayon, twist tie, macaroni (remember its shape), flower, glass stone, golf tee, uninflated balloon, google eye from a craft project, screw, washer, decorative tack, push pin, nut, wine charm, picture hanger, old key – well, you get the idea.

Place the items, along with the bird seed, into the jar.  Be sure that there is a bit of space for shaking up to distribute the pieces.

Print the following words off on cardstock and tie around the top of the jar with ribbon.

Tag Wording (it is nice to let the recipient know what is in the jar also)

Some pirates got it all mixed up

And did things the wrong way ’round.

They put their treasure in the jar,

And buried the map in the ground.

Their treasure was some silly stuff,

Like nuts and screws and beads.

Then dear old Polly Parrot

Added all her extra seeds.

So find the many items here,

No two are quite the same.

Don’t open up the jar, though,

As that would spoil the game.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Just my Thoughts

19 December 2008

Holiday Food Memory

By Nicki

I grew up with  my paternal grandmother.  One very strong Christmas food memory was Kate’s Two Flavored Fudge – recipe at the bottom of post.  I never tried making this until much later in life – never under the tutelage of the master.

We always went to my maternal grandmother’s for Christmas Eve.  One year, as a new mother, I decided I was going to make this Two Flavored Fudge to take with me.  I followed the recipe meticulously.  The fudge would not set.

I put it in the fridge – something I never remembered my grandmother having to do – and hoped it would be okay.  The vivid part of this memory is sitting around the table at my other grandmother’s that Christmas Eve eating the fudge with a spoon.  It  never set.

I have made the fudge many times since and never had a problem, just that first time.

Two Flavored Fudge

 

 

2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. evaporated milk

½ cup butter

1 7-oz. jar marshmallow cream

1 6-oz. pkg. butterscotch morsels

1 6-oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate morsels

1 c. walnuts, chopped

1 t. vanilla

 

Preparation Instructions

In a saucepan combine the first four ingredients. Bring to a full boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently. Boil 15 minutes over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add marshmallow cream, butterscotch morsels and chocolate morsels. Stir until morsels are melted and mixture is smooth. Blend in walnuts and vanilla. Pour onto a greased 9x 9 inch pan. Chill until firm. Makes about 2 ½ pounds.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Family, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

19 December 2008

The Four Day School Week

By Nicki

Evidently, there are places in the US that have a four day school week.  Along with the recently reinstated in my part of the country February week off (back in the 70′s it was to conserve energy – now not so sure as there are activities during this break), many districts have looked at a four day school week for conservation reason.  Busing wear and tear – also known as maintenance – and conservation of fuel – especially back when diesel was close to $5 a gallon – brought on these discussions. 

I have always been skeptical as to how a school in NYS would do this four day week as there is a number of days requirement imposed by State Ed.  Of course, my problem was I always thought of the day that would be removed from the schedule would be Friday.  Well, I now know I need think less rigidly.

Niagara Falls Catholic High School will, beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, be going to a four day school week.  The principal says the motivation was not conservation but time – time for students to do required volunteer work (an oxymoron if you ask me), time for appointments and time for family.

The article sited above appeared on December 17th in The Niagara Gazette.  Caitlin Murphy, who earlier in the year reported that Niagara-Wheatfield schools would be consolidating early bus runs, did the article.  I can now see this happening in more NYS schools.  By choosing Monday as the day the schools would not be in session, Niagara Falls Catholic High needs only add an hour and ten minutes to the school day.  They start at 7:45 am - the same time high school starts in my district – and will dismiss at 3:35 pm – which would be about five minutes different than if my school district added an hour and ten minutes to the day.  The amazing thing is that they are adding instruction time to the school year.  The net in all of this is 15 more hours of instruction time in the school year.

In my mind, this eliminates a lot of what I saw as drawbacks to a proposal like this.  The school day still ends with enough time for sports practices.  The school day still ends with enough time for part time jobs.  This is just a high school at the moment so there isn’t a child care issue.  It seems to be a plus all around.

On top of being 15 hours additional instruction time each year, individual students would have a free weekday to make doctor’s appointments and such and would, theoretically, miss less school.

What do you think?

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Just my Thoughts

19 December 2008

Twas the Weekend before Christmas

By Nicki

Yes, today is going to be a blogfest. I evidently have kept too much inside as I have all these thoughts waiting to burst from my mind.

This weekend is a huge weekend for holiday musical events in my area. If you live near Binghamton, New York, please attend at least one of these events.

Tonight – please check the local television stations or local radio or pressconnects.com to be sure these go off due to impending weather – is the opening performance of The Downtown Singers Handel’s Messiah.  This is being held at The Forum, 236 Washington Street, Binghamton.  The concert begins at 8 pm and there is a charge for this concert.  It is also happening at 8 pm on Saturday the 20th.

The Parlor City Boys Choir – which was formed three years ago by Ghislaine Stewart – will perform a concert on Friday, December 19 at St Ambrose Church, Washington Ave, Endicott at 7 pm.  I believe it is a free will offering concert.  *Edited to say that WBNG is reporting this event is canceled.

Tomorrow is the second Messiahperformance.  Also, at 1 pm at the Oakdale Mall – near the entrance to Penney’s – Tuba Christmas will take place.  This is an annual event of Christmas carols by members of the tuba family of instruments.

Our Savior Lutheran Church, Hooper Rd in Endwell, is having a Christmas Coffeehouse on Saturday, December 20 from 7-9 pm, performers – Rachael Lawler and Trace of Grace.  Rachael Lawler will start our night with solo performance.  Then our annual Christmas sing along will be led by Will and the group.  Join us for an evening of entertainment and jolly fun.

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Art, Just my Thoughts

19 December 2008

Holiday Puzzle #3

By Nicki

Well, good news! Today, I can get a holiday puzzle for those of you visiting for the puzzle.

Click to Mix and Solve

I did the 70 piece bulb in six minutes and 18 seconds. Can you beat that?

Leave a comment   |  tags: | posted in Just my Thoughts

19 December 2008

The Snow Day in Upstate NY

By Nicki

I can remember being excited as I would go to bed in anticipation of snow as a child.  I loved school but I loved a good snow day better.  I am a touch concerned about this, the second of this school year, that my kids will have today.

When I woke at 2 am – not quite sure why but my mother would say it is because I am getting to be of a certain age, there was no adverse weather yet.  Good news was PBS locally was replaying Soundstage with Faith Hill so I stayed awake to listen to it.  When I got out of bed for the morning, still no snow yet.  It was 6 am.

I realize the weather is coming.  I can see it on the radar.  I can tell from where the jet stream is that we are due the next week for several storms.  But no school at all today?

I am wondering if it might not have been wiser to go in and come home early.  Half days are not common in our district but there was one earlier this month for teacher training and one last week due to weather.  I don’t think it would have gotten so bad, so quickly that a morning bus run to the high school and middle school and then the morning run to the two elementary schools would have been prohibited.

Guess we will see!

Post script – When my 18 year old got home from diving practice last night, he said the coach would have practice at noon today if no school.  I am not loving that idea.

1 comment   |  tags: , | posted in Family, Just my Thoughts

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