Just Talking to You All

I finished my quiet time and went to the kitchen for more coffee. There through the eastern window I caught the most beautiful sunrise! We have had clouds and pouring rain for days. I forgot what a sunrise looked like! It was sort reddish though and you know the old sailor tale, "Red in the morning, sailors take warning!" I do think it's suppose to rain today but at least we had the sunrise to carry us through.

Tink has a volley ball game south of here today. She's leaving on the team bus at 1:30pm. It dawns on me that I never built a clause into my tutoring contract that would allow for me to get off early for her games this year. Some of her games are in Washington so I'm going to have to figure something out on that front. I don't want her going up there alone. She just gets too tired and all her sensory issues come surging to the forefront in situations like that. I may just have to put in place a free Friday class to make up for Monday afternoons. Of course that wont always be a problem since some of her games are on Friday.

Peter is excited about today because he gets to resume piano lessons after a year long sabbatical. The lady that I hired does all sorts of fun games with the kids to get them to bring their books back and to practice every day so Peter is all excited. He also gets to attend his weekly book club meeting today. Needless to say, he loves Mondays! Well, that is, he loves Monday afternoons. This morning is his orchestra class and then school until 2 here at home. Those things he does not love!

I've got a list a mile long of things I need to purchase and things I need to do. I have to write everything down anymore or I forget it all. I'm still working on the Pilgrim costume for the Thanksgiving feast. I need an apron and I just don't want to pull out the sewing machine. I better decide something fast because the feast is this coming week.

My list of things to do sits right here by my computer. I was just reading over it, preparatory to getting the day started and see that there are indeed things I would have forgotten today if I had not written them down. One of the things I must do is talk to the lady in charge of the musical instruments at the charter school. Peter needs a new shoulder rest for his viola.

I also have to check my online library accounts and return books. I have three library notices in my email right now and I know a bunch of stuff is checked out on a 7 day loan so I must go through that this morning and get those books back. My notes say I'm suppose to pick up a book for Story of The World entitled, "The Everyday Life of an Egyptian Craftsman". Luckily those two errands can be accomplished at the same stop.

I need to run to office Max and to the homeschool store today. Tink needs books. I pulled her out of her reading and her social studies because they were just too hard for her so now it's back to the drawing table for her. I must replan and rewrite her course for the year.

And so begins a new week. My trip to Washington and to the Ladies Conference was refreshing. I feel invigorated and recharged. I needed the recharging. I had too many days with my nose to the grindstone. And speaking of the grindstone I better get to grinding lest I fall behind here.

It all Happened in the Violin Studio

The wind is whistling through the garden scattering the last of the wild flower seeds and rising upward to stir the limbs of the fir trees keeping vigil by the trellis gate. The studio is warm and cozy even though the big bay window makes it feel like I am sitting in the cold wind blown garden.

I am surrounded by a cheery white room with yellow floral couches and rows and rows of books on famous musicians. The violin shaped clock on the wall marks the time while I chat with the music teacher. Her pen with a wire on top formed to a violin keeps a scratchy rhythm with the whistle of the wind outdoors. The impossibly tiny wood stove casts its cheery glow into the room.

Here we sit the two of us each operating a business and each picking the others brain. Admittedly I am doing more picking of hers than she is of mine. She asks me about the economy in the town. She is from Finland and is just starting up her studio here. She speaks seven different languages and teaches, violin, viola, cello, fiddle, and Finnish table harp.

Her voice is low and heavily accented as she tells me that I must not lower my prices regardless of the parents who think it is too much. "There is always a population in any town that can afford to pay the price you ask as long as it is fair and equitable."

The long grasses outside the window scrape against the glass. The fire cracks and a log readjusts itself momentarily sending a flash of light into the room. The two of us talk of calendars, of filing, and of organizing. She tells me I must integrate all four of my calenders to one big one. I agree. She explains that she keeps all her little calenders running but then sits down every Sunday and re-enters the information on a central calender that hangs by her phone.

I listen intently. I love learning from women older than myself or women who have had more experience in business and all that it entails. Together we form a plan that will better help me keep all my students papers and children's classes organized. She showed me how she uses a different color for every school so she can tell at a glance what school she is suppose to be at for that particular appointment. I am juggling five different schools counting the two studios the children are involved in.

She assures me that my kids are doing well in lessons. I ask her about Peter. I think he may have ADD but I'm not sure. She laughs softly and then very quietly says, "I think he does have ADD. I have a son and a daughter with ADHD and I have thought often that Peter has it." I about fell out of my chair!

The violin clock kept it's slow rhythm on the wall. The wind whooshed against the studio window and down the chimney. A tiny puff of smoke escaped through the stove door. "There's many effective ways to work with this," she was saying in her soft
Finnish accent. "He is a very smart boy but as a result he is easily bored. He needs classes to move faster because he catches on the very first time something is told to him. He then gets impatient with the repetition needed for the other students."

So I have been right. I have thought this for a couple of years now. I wont do anything about it as far as getting professional help. Its not to that level but it does help to know what I am looking at in regards to him and his daily assignments. I know she isn't a doctor but she is a mom and a teacher with lots of experience. I respect her opinion. I'm not a doctor either but I do think she is right.

Strangely I left the little studio that day feeling recharged and ready to face the week ahead. I have work to do and filing to do and calenders to organize. I have a new focus for my son. That cozy hour in the studio was a boon to my spirit. Oh, for more studio hours in my life! There is just nothing like a heart to heart talk with someone who can relate; someone who has walked the road before!

Thinking, refiguring, contemplating, brainstorming

Okay, so I know this thing needs a post put up. After all, how long can one stare at pics without finding out whats really going on here at the Darlings.

Well things are busy as usual. I leave Friday morning for a ladies conference so now the big challenge is to find sitters for both of my kids since Mr Darling just got informed that he has to work this weekend.

I'm also in the middle of some changes in schedule around here. I'm trying to figure out how best to handle the housecleaning. My housekeeper comes in twice a month but I'm wondering if what I really need is someone to come in for about two hours every morning instead of the huge 7 hour cleaning I'm paying for now. The one drawback to this is that the deep cleaning would be neglected if I went that route. The positive part of the change would be that I could get someone cheaper because I am only wanting the house straightened every morning so it wouldn't take a lot of skill.

Then I tell myself that Tink and I can do it so why pay? But then I cant help but wonder how we will fit more cleaning into our day.

I think I overloaded myself. I signed Peter up for piano lessons, a book club and basketball. Now before you all think I am totally nuts let me hasten to add that all activities are over by 5:15 at the latest on any given day. At 5:30 you can find my entire family around the dinner table and the rest of the evening is free. This will change for a bit now that basketball has hit. My day is busy but I do have breathing time in the evening. I guard the family dinner and the evening following quite closely.

As you can see with that sort of a schedule I have a lot of oven meals and crock pot dinners from Monday through Thursday. Friday through Sunday is family time. Peter has a piano class on Friday but otherwise we are all together either working on the place or taking weekend vacations together.

Speaking of working on the place I am digging up the garden and, goodness, what a forever ongoing project that is! I am still harvesting carrots and green peppers. They wont come out until we get a frost. I've also been cleaning up the backyard; putting away the tarps that were under the pool, washing and putting away all pool toys, pool pump, hoses, etc. Then there's the leaves to rake and the wood to stack and the deck to pressure wash and deck chair cushions to winterize in vacuum air tight bags. The work outside doesn't quit!!!

One of the reasons why it's so frustrating and why I'm still doing all this into November is because it's being accomplished in 10 or 15 minute increments. Whenever I have a tiny break and its not raining I run outside. If I get one garden plant pulled or one bundle of leaves raked, or 2 cushions put away I call it a good day! Nothing would ever get done around here if I waited until I actually had the time to do it.

I'm sitting in the cafeteria of the charter school typing this. About 7 feet from me is a guitar class. Beautiful chords and plucking notes are coming from that corner. Guess what they are playing; "Oh Holy Night"! Yes, it's time to practice for upcoming Christmas concerts. I have been in three orchestra classes this morning and all of them but the beginning class have been practicing for Christmas.

Don't shoot me when I say this; but I am soooooo ready for Christmas. Even though there is such a rush of busyness over that time there is still a peace about that season that settles deep in my heart like no other time of year.

Well I better get to moving here. I need to refill my coffee and then make out this weeks schedule.

Aboard the Sternwheeler

I'm finally getting pics up of our brunch cruise this weekend. It was a much needed break in the middle of the busyness!
I don't know why Tink cant just stand for a pic!
Here she is driving the boat and talking all the while! Whose daughter is she anyway?
Peter not only got to steer the boat, the captain had him turn it around upriver which meant that Peter got to control all the rudders too. He was thrilled and declared that he was going to be a river boat captain when he grew up!
They were suppose to mimic the bow of the Titanic. This is Tinks interpretation of a ship going down.


I wish I had time to visit with you all today but I just don't have another minute to spare. Just when I thought my days were as full as they could get I made my Mondays even fuller. I added a book club and piano lessons for Peter into the afternoon slot. I may live to regret that, if i live at all!

We are having Conferences at our church so I am taking the Blueberry House kids out there this morning. The speaker is talking to the school kids from our church school so we're going to join in. I better get going. The first of the students will be here in half an hour and I still have miles to go!

Trick or Treat

Here are the kids in their Halloween finery. We all went over to Edward and Wendy's for dinner and then went through their neighborhood trick or treating. Here are my little hooligans dressed for the occasion. Tink wore her ladybug costume from last year. Peter was "a swat team guy". That's Tink, Wendy, Peter, and Jane is the one in the stroller. She was exhausted by this time!

Here's Peter in his swat team vest. He just wasn't into getting all dressed up this year.

Another rather blurry one of Peter but I liked the background here so just bear with me on this one!

Here is Tink and my darling little granddaughter, Tiger Lily.

And isn't this just the cutest thing! Tiger Lily and her little friend went all up and down the street holding hands! It was just adorable.

And here is my granddaughter, Jane, as a princess. She is five and it's all about Princesses for her, bless her heart.


So ends the evening. Wendy served meatball eyeballs, pudding cups with worms and dirt, green eyeball deviled eggs, cheese stick snakes, chips with nacho dip, hot chocolate, and spaghetti. I brought the pumpkin pie and whip cream. She and a girlfriend put it all together and they did a great job.

Wendy's mother in law set out front by a fire and handed out the candy to about 500 kids. They just came and came and came! Who knew there were so many little goblins in the neighborhood? We live in a much more quiet cul de sac and hubby, who stayed here, said there were only about 8 groups of kids here. That's about the usual for this neck of the woods. Wendy lives just across the highway in a huge neighborhood and the difference is staggering!

Monday I will post pics of our brunch cruise up the Columbia River this morning. It was a good day but I am oh, so tired!

The Things I've Told You and The things I Haven't told You

Life continues in a haze of falling leaves, cold mornings, sunny afternoons interspersed by rain showers and lots of school stuff. So you came here to find out what's new here at the Dishpan. Well I'll give you a quick rundown of what's been happening the last few days.

We made a quick run to the airport Sunday to see Mr Darlings sister who was laid over for a few hours on her way home to Phoenix. She had just flown in from Amsterdam and before that had flown from Italy. It was a long trip for a woman on chemo and with liver cancer. The flight from Amsterdam to Portland alone was 9 hours. Her plane was laid over in Amsterdam and they had to spend the night there. Then they had an extended layover of several hours here. So she had basically been flying to get home for 48 hours.

Amazingly, she looked refreshed and in good health. She was invigorated from her trip to Italy. Sadly the day after arriving home she would have to deal with radioactive junk being put in her and testing to see if the cancer had spread. It was good to see her for that short time though.

After leaving the airport we went to Ikea where we bought a much needed desk chair for me and several kitchen items. I also bought some lovely tea lights scented in all manner of fall flavors!That just delighted me!

Monday I went to Penny's and bought clothes for the kids. I spent about 200 bucks there. Peter had 3 pair of jeans and Saturday he ripped the leg of his last good pair on a bike chain. I let Tink go to a rather trendy little store in the mall and buy a few things. She is so proud of her purchases. She bought 3 scarves that she wears all the time now, wrapped around her sweaters. She does look really cute I have to admit. She picked out some adorable things. I was happy to see that she totally shunned the low necked items in the store and chose instead some fall sweaters. I wouldn't have let her buy the other items had she chose them but it's nice to know she made modest and appropriate choices on her own.

So what else is going on. Well, well, Peter joined an after school book club! For years I've wanted Tink to be a part of one but she has no interest. Today Peter called me over to the bulletin board at the charter school and showed me the sign up sheet for the book club. He was so excited!

Wouldn't you know it Tink peers over my shoulder and says, "Oh mercy, Peter! It's a book club!" This is said in the most scathing put down tone of voice she could muster. I hushed her immediately. Peter wasn't to be deterred by big sisters scorn and with my approval he proudly signed his name. That means that on Mondays while Tink is at after school volley ball practice, Peter will be attending his after school book club meeting. I'm proud of him!

I'm in the process of trying to find a time to fit in private viola lessons for him. So far our day is just too full and the teacher and I cant find a time that suits both of us. I'm also looking for a local piano teacher but that too is dead ends. There is one about 2 miles from here but she charges ten dollars more than I'm willing to pay. There's one about 12 miles from here that charges in my price range but she's too far. I don't want to travel that distance. I'm on a short rope here in regards to time!

Peter starts basketball practice two nights a week beginning next week. Tink has put in a request at the office of the charter school to be bumped up to the 8 - 12 th grade volley ball class. The one her age doesn't have anyone in it that has played before and is a huge waste of her time.

If she takes that new volleyball class it will mean she will have to give up choir, but she is adamant she wants to do volley ball instead. If she takes that class it will also mean that I will be at the charter school for that hour instead of running the roads which in turn means Peter could pick up the Science class I want him in. So we juggle our schedules to find the right fit.

Halloween is this weekend and our plans are not even concrete yet. We have way too many options! I've lost my camera so I'm not even sure if I can get pics of the kids costumes. I have to take a minute to find that thing. I haven't had a good block of time to look for it!

On the school front Peter is set to finish his 3rd grade Math book by January! I'm proud of him. He is taking loads of stuff that the state lumps under Language Arts. He's taking a writing class at the charter school and here at home he is doing A Reason for Spelling, Horizons Phonics, Reading with worksheets, Phonics Pathways, and English grammar. He does all of this every day, bless his heart. On top of that he does Science and handwriting and World History here and History Fun Facts, PE, and orchestra at the charter school. He gets a good three times more work done in a day than Tink or the other boy his age.

Peter is reading through the Nate the Great books for his reading goals. Tink is reading a series with a funny name that I forgot for her reading goals. If each child meets their goals every week they get a coupon from their charter teacher that they can take to Pizza Hut and get a free personal pan pizza. They get their first coupons tomorrow and they are ecstatic.

Well, that about catches you up with the happenings around here. Of course, in our household a hundred things are going on at once so I haven't told you about Mr Darlings plans to go to Phoenix to help his brother drive home a new BMW and that his little excursion overlaps with the same weekend I want to go to a ladies conference. Nor have I told you about the wonderful boat excursion we are going on this Saturday morning.

Oh and I haven't told you about the children's Halloween costumes or about the Halloween festival we are attending Thursday night or the one we are attending Friday night. I also haven't told you about my new tutoring student or the outcome of Tinks edible car in GEMS class. I guess I haven't told you either that GEMS stands for Girls in Engineering and Mechanics.

I didn't have time to tell you about the long visit at my kitchen table with my girlfriend today or the fact that Tinks very best friend is flying to Hawaii for the winter and she's leaving Sunday morning or how Tink cried when she told her. I also haven't told you about Tinks violin recital or the fact that she doesn't have a cotton pickin' thing to play for it!

Oh yes, I haven't told you that I'm pulling out the dreaded sewing machine to make me an apron for my pilgrim costume for Peters history class nor that I haven't come up with a recipe to turn in to that class of something we are going to make for the feast!

Oh my there is so much I haven't told you I must quit before I tell you! Okay, it's 11:00 pm and I have to get to bed. Catch you all in the morning!

Meal Ideas for Winter Days

With the coming of cold weather our meals are changing. The fresh food from the garden is gone except for the winter squash and the green peppers. We still haven't dug the carrots but they will wait. We haven't got a frost yet so we're okay. Now we are using from my canned and frozen goods and it just amazes me when I see all the empty spots in the freezer and on the shelves already. I know I have enough to last the year because I've done for many years but it never fails to make me quake in my boots a little when I start seeing all my hard work devoured and empty jars sitting where just a few weeks ago there were full ones!

Tonight we are having steak and baked potatoes and salad. On Thursdays I have so many evening things to do that I've been throwing dinner in the oven at 2:30 pm when I leave the house so its done at 5:30 when my husband and I get home. My Thursday oven meals have been BBQ pork ribs and baked potatoes or chicken and rice with gravy, or pot roast, or casseroles of all sorts.

One meal that my kids just love is pizza casserole. I take biscuits and put them unbaked in the bottom of a shallow casserole dish. Then I top that with pizza sauce and then ground beef, green peppers, stemmed mushrooms, and cheese. You bake it all at 400 degrees and it tastes just like pizza. I do half with all the stuff and the other half of the casserole without the peppers and mushrooms cause Tink hates them. The kids love seeing the return of this dish in the fall. I don't make it in the summer because the oven needs turned on. In summer I use the grill almost exclusively.

Interested in more winter evening meals? Let me list a few more of our favorites. Hopefully one of these will inspire you.

1. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad
2. Pasta with fettuccine sauce (homemade)sliced chicken breast, garlic bread, salad
3. Homemade soup, bread fresh from the oven, salad
4. Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, applesauce (Peters favorite meal)
5. Steamed rice, refried beans, ground beef, corn. Plate it and sprinkle cheese over everything. Serve with sour cream and home canned salsa! Either eat this alone or serve tortilla wraps for the kids to wrap it in. When I don't have tortilla wraps I just serve it as is.
6. Beef stew simmered on the stove all day, served in sour dough bread bowls, salad
7. Pork chops, rice, green beans, applesauce
8. 7 layer casserole; layer thin sliced potatoes,green beans, hamburger, carrots, onions, tomato sauce and cheese in roaster. Season to taste and cook till tender about an hour on 375'. Serve with thick chunks of buttered bread and applesauce. (Yes, we eat a lot of applesauce)
9. Cabbage rolls; Cook cabbage head. Cook rice, fry hamburger and mix both with tomato sauce. Season to taste. Put a spoonful on each cabbage leaf and roll the leaf like a tortilla. Put seam side down in casserole dish. Pour tomato sauce over all and bake for about a half an hour on 350'. This dish is very popular in Poland and one of my husbands favorites.
10. Pasta cooked in chicken broth, sprinkle with basil, add a little olive oil or butter, serve with chicken tenders and peas.

Well this is what's been cooking at the Darling homestead the last couple of weeks. Bring out the pots and pans and start cooking up some good home made meals for your family. You cant go wrong with "lovin' from the oven"!