Musicological journey through the 12 days of Christmas- also Hey Lisa Simpson

This is absolutely going to work for my class-

I also found a cheat sheet and will be able to introduce some of the pieces used at the end as part of this semesters work with style periods.

https://youtu.be/ryp8MTtznvU

Hey Lisa Simpson, you're the best and thanks for continuing to read the blog!

One hour for the win

I danced the whole hour at Zumba tonight (as opposed to having to stop because I feared I might have a heart attack)   A second new friend and I chatted- her name is Julie.  She counts every class we have as in "there's another one down."  Which is actually confusing to me because it sort of implies there's a set number that we'll get to.

There was a woman in the back who was struggling and I had planned on saying hey to her afterwards.  Then I heard "Hey Mrs. Terry!" and she was the mom of former students.  It's funny how it works.  I knew her last name- always called her "Mama Lastname."  Then as I drove home all three of her kids appeared in my head as well as the time I shut the youngest ones hand in a door on his birthday and the first baseball game of the season.  Her middle initial and signature also appeared in my head.

I get it-that's how people think and all- but I am the girl who remembers absolutely nothing prior to 1980.

And finally- music teacher friend story time.

Once upon a time I went to a summer workshop.  There was a music teacher I recognized from the southern part of the state.  She recognized me.  We were not friends.  In fact, I thought, by the looks of her she was probably a horrible judgy mcjudgejudge person. (note the irony) I later learned she thought the same of me. (We we’re both right, sort of.)We ended up sitting next to one another at a group lunch and after a glass of wine realized  we were sisters from a different mother.

This made us happy and made for a laughing summer- I paid a visit to her house once- then I got married, we lost touch- then Facebook.  We reconnect, exchange a few words etc etc.  Several years later I see that she has become a knitter.  And then a few years after that I discover that although she doesn't advertise it like I do, she is a fan of the ridiculous sci-fi movies that I love.  How can that even be?  Two friends, separate lives,  no keeping in touch, same favorite things. Same very eclectic favorite things.

Nowadays there are random Facebook texts with knitting questions and newly discovered movies (although she is much more a connoisseur than I am).  Also I've let her know that if, in our dotage, we both find ourselves occasion or need for companionship it would be a travesty not to grow old and die together.

Until then we always have these-

IMDb: The Twonky (10 June 1953 (USA))
Tweedy college professor discovers his new TV set is animate, apparently possessed by something from the future, and militantly intent on regulating his daily life.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046475/?ref_=ext_shr_eml_tt

IMDb: The Tingler (29 July 1959 (USA))
An obsessed pathologist discovers and captures a parasitic creature that grows when fear grips its host.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053363/?ref_=ext_shr_eml_tt

And

IMDb: The Monster That Challenged the World (June 1957 (USA))
Giant mollusk monsters attack California.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050722/?ref_=ext_shr_eml_tt

Experimental Saturday

Did a Zumba class this morning.  Still have to stop in the middle so I don’t have a heart attack but I made an accountability friend.  Took the cousin shopping and then, having failed to find any recipes, looked to the produce section for inspiration.

Squash, zucchini, and baby bela mushrooms added to garlic sautéed in sesame oil. Flavored with red pepper and tamari sauce.  THEN some cornstarch to turn the liquid into a sauce.  It’s still cooking.  I’ll eat it over some brown rice.  I’m hoping it tastes amazing as I plan on it being the meal for the rest of the weekend.

Edited to add:  it was amazing!  Exceeded expectations.  Squash and zucchini added texture and variety.  Mushrooms were about the flavor and bulk.  Hint of red pepper so it wasn’t boring and the cornstarch sauce was perfect.  I can’t believe it. It’s the first time I’ve gotten cornstarch to do what it was supposed to.

A week later...

It has been a good week off.

Let's talk about laundry.  It's taken every bit of this entire week to this point to get all of the clothes clean and folded.  And by all I mean all of them except that last load in the dryer.  It's always been a chore but even more so when it involves sorting and trying to figure out which clothes still fit and which are too big.  Because there are in fact now some clothes that are just too big to wear.

Food- I made some fried tofu.  I did not hate it.  Marinated in red wine vinegar, tamari (vegetarian soy sauce), roasted sesame seeds and garlic and then coated in corn starch and fried in olive oil. Eaten over brown rice.  That was the weeks biggest adventure- The computer is now charged and I may go in quest of something to try this weekend.  There is still chili in the freezer for lunches next week.

Zumba- and then some. The burg of Wayne has a new rec center built by the energy company EQT and the local hospital foundation.  I am now a member.  I went to my first zumba class there on Monday.  It kicked my damn ass.  She's not inclined to stop.  Also there are more cute skinny perky there than fat old and trying to get it together people.  I prefer the latter. But I will go back.  It happens on Monday, Thursday nights and Saturday mornings.  I'm in it to win it.  There is also an indoor walking track.

I do much better on this than I do on a treadmill.  I managed 2 miles in 30 minutes today. Then moved to the thing that pretends you're skiing (apparently called a freestride trainer) which I can only do for 60 seconds at a time and then a thirty second rest- and that for only 5 minutes.  Then a little recumbent bike pedaling.  I listened to Beethoven today and the longer pieces seemed to keep me going longer.

And finally- I was hoping to get several weeks of music appreciation lesson plans completed.  I've got three documented days which will likely stretch into five because I always overplan.  We are moving from the Baroque to the Classical period.  Sonata form, Mozart, Beethoven, a little opera, some Bugs Bunny cartoons.  It's a little overwhelming.  What's important to learn, what's the best way to teach it, how do you teach it and make it interesting enough to feel relevant?  Is personal enthusiasm enough or are there more inspirational ways to approach it.  On the other hand I'm learning some stuff I didn't know and revisiting the time period with less hurried teachers eyes so it's been fun.

Greathusbandbob found the ecowool too itchy and has opted to use the Kaffe Fasset afghan.  This means I get the ecowool.  This little space could not be any cozier.

There are seven pairs of mittens completed.  Three to go. Sadly the last three are in the same color so it will seem endless.  I haven't woven in any ends.  I'm going to keep knitting and save the weaving for knit night.  I'm looking forward to doing some lace for the accountant and then with the sweaters from the past fitting a little better, I may soon heed the call of the top-down.

The Baroque Period

That's where we just finished in music appreciation- where statues art and music were all about the movement of things and the space they took up.  It seemed like a good day to bring out some clay.

What's most interesting to me is that the smartest kids in the class were the least motivated/creative and those who seem to be B-C students really took to it.

Take the words "Grandparents Tea" and attend to what comes to mind.  Then make it a little bit bigger and then make it bigger still.  We had one of those this morning.  There were 275+/- grandparents in attendance.  All of the tables in the school and all of the chairs in the school were gathered for a tea to begin at 9:30 which was supposed to end AND be cleaned out by 11:30 so the kids could have a reward dance.  And it worked.  Call me surprised.  My choir sang. The program was  Skiddamarink, You are My Sunshine, and Over the River and Through the Woods.

Yesterday one of those little choir people randomly asked me what my favorite pie was.  Getting such questions are not unusual but it's more often the K-er's than 5th graders asking.  When she got off the bus this morning, she handed me this-

It's one of the small kind (thankfully).  I ate 1/2 of it - which was about two pieces- and gave the rest to the school nurse.  It was just calling my name. And it really is more of a vegetable than other treats.

Spoiled much?

Note the empty chair and the dogged chair.  We used to have a love seat there.  Me near the wall, dog on her pillow on the other side.  The support of the love seat was no longer adequate.  I moved it. (out of picture at left).  Then we had center chair, husband chair, love seat with dog pillow over there.  We directed the dog to her new place.  She looked really pissed.  So I moved her pillow by the newly placed red chair (on the floor) along with her afghan.  She tolerated it but was disgusted to be in the same place as the cat- as in the floor.  When I got up to fold clothes, she hopped up onto the red chair as if to declare it her own and to express her displeasure.  Thus greathusbandbob and I could be seen carrying the lighter colored chair around the house, down to the basement (it wouldn’t go pas the railing on the stairs) and creating the set up you see here. All is well again.

Baby steps.

Somebody bought healthy treats for his wife today.  He still got muffins and ice cream, but baby steps.

A Letter

Dear arctic blast, 

I love you.

Also I can’t wait for some action in my new weather glass.

Dear school of mine,

The flags for veterans looked amazing today.  I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that you charged for them as a fundraiser.

Dear kids selling stuff for fundraisers,

Here's $20.  Take it as a donation or pick it up someting for me in your catalogue if you need credit for selling.  It’s not the money I mind.  It’s the deciding on which junk I don’t want less.  Although rumor has it that one of the high school choir kids ordered me a kitchen knife and a spatula which is totally awesome.

Midweek what the what?

Spotted this sign in the cafeteria this morning.  The juniors working on calculus nearby affirmed my suspicion that it was this sign, in fact, that keeps them from using drugs.

We interrupt this week for the annual birthday post

There may be the 2nd annual banana split birthday knit night at Sarris' tomorrow.  Except I don't know if anyone is coming so I may have to entertain myself. Ice cream cake tonight with greathusbandbob so there's no chance of feeling pathetic.

Also in birthdayness-

Flowers from the big guy and a charm for my chamilia bracelet from the mama.

All that being fabulous- yet I don't have any lesson plans for the high school class tomorrow so there's still that to do.

An update on the Christmas/Winter program.  I ditched the spirituals for the year- a parent told her kid "tell Mrs. Terry to do some different songs" (she's had three kids come through the school).  So instead of that we are doing all of the classic hear on the radio carols.  

Third grade is singing Nutting for  Christmas and Up on the Housetop- one astute student said "Mrs. Terry- these songs don't have anything in common- "  

No Caitlyn, they do have something in common- it's just vacuous and shallow. Give the people what they want.

Back in the kitchen

Today's experiment is from The Minimalist Baker. Sweet potato coconut curry soup with roasted garbanzo beans.

Both spiced with curry, and lots of other good stuff.  Once it cooks it will go in the food processor and become a creamy soup.  I halved the amount of curry and added a pile of cinnamon.  I have a love/hate relationship with curry.  A little goes a long way.

It tasted absolutely delicious.  I couldn't make the chickpeas float on top the way they did on the site but they added perfect texture.  I've never worked with 100% coconut milk.  I have a sneaking suspicion (given the calorie content) that it's not unlike cream cheese in that added to anything makes it infinitely awesome.   And so I say- take that Panera's butternut squash.  I got this going on!

It's birthday week here in these parts.  Cousin said she wanted to get me a bathrobe but "Walmart didn't have any" so instead I got this.

Quel surprise- it's either going back or going to the school pantry. Again, she doesn't know about emoji or poop so just keep thinking warm pajamas.

Baby Rowan visited Facebook sporting her blanket and her fox hat- captioned "Aunt Becky knows me spirit animal" I agreed  but doubted my knowledge of the size of babies heads.

Cheating Cheating Cheating.  This has been two days of off diet chaos.  I had to go for one of those followup mammogram picture/ultrasound things (results on Wednesday) and just did not feel like thinking about food.  I ate a cheese pizza.  Then I ate ice cream bars- stress eating anyone?  

We went to the casino Saturday night and I ordered a double tequila in a tall glass of ice.  The bartender accidentally just filled the glass with tequila so however many calories that is as well.  This week will bring ice cream cake on Monday with husband and hopefully Sarris' banana split on Tuesday.  Then back on track.