Cold wet and eventually floody

We walked the line.  It poured. It was cold. I went home when the flood warnings began.  I was done.  For the record, the redneck version of honk if you support is to rev your big truck engine.  We got at least three of those.  I didn’t have a sign but thought of one while I was there.  "Honk if I was your teacher."

Secretary Sandy carried the winning sign.

This little guy lived next door to the "line" and likely got up early with all of the coal truck horns honking.  He brought out some little Debbie strawberry marshmallow treats to pass out.

It should be warmer tomorrow.  And a little less rain.  And I will remember my camp chair. And bring some lunch.

Dinner tonight roasted rutabaga and sweet potato.  This is a good combination.  Sweet and not so much.  Red pepper and garlic powder as spices are always wins.  I tried a little coriander and ginger.  Maybe too little to notice.  Also we continue to be winning the tens column reduction. 

Items.

Item the one- new favorite food experiment.  Black beans and wild rice.  I didn’t know what a rare commodity wild rice was until I tried to find it. Amazon to the rescue but a word to kmkat saying a special thanks for leading me to it initially.

Item two- drawing? Once again not so much.  I’ll just have to draw when I feel like it and have that be good enough.  I did try the kids dancing around the tree-something I would not have done without the course.

Every school in the state of wv is closed tomorrow and Friday.  An informational picket line- 45 degrees, 100% chance of rain. Walmart muck boots and camping rain coat to the rescue. Those not inclined to picket in the rain can help serve community prepared meals to the kids missing lunch from 10-2. I don’t have a sign because all I could think of was "hell no, we won’t go." And greathusbandbob reminded me that that’s more of an anti war slogan.he also informed me that we need a burn can and an American flag if we want to be legit.

Guilt tripped the high school kids for being lazy.  It worked. They came in eager today to show me the work they did outside of class on the assignment. As a teacher of high school kids I think if you can say "I’m disappointed in the quality of work you did" and your opinion matters, it’s as close to getting them excited about learning as you can hope for. At least for this year. I’m looking forward to getting a do-over with this class next year.  That big feeling of "you don’t know what you don’t know" from August has been replaced with the new plan.

Finally, high school kids taking a stand about gun control. Go kids! Because up until I saw them fight I was wearing a heavy coat of grief for them all.  That’s still here but underneath it is a little armor and pride for those kids that are stepping it up.

You are a butthole.

I found a valentine on my classroom floor yesterday.  It had a unicorn and a princess on it.  The back read, "you are a butthole."  You just can’t make it up.

We are out today for a flood day.  It’s so puzzling.

I fell behind in drawing but forced myself back into the game.  Latest version-

And for brunch today-buckwheat pancakes- and even the big guy liked them.

I feel some hilarious movies in my near future.

Roasted vegetables Week Two

Turns out last week's parsnip was actually a turnip that had been misplaced in a Walmart bin.  I had roasted turnip last week and didn’t hate it.

This week I bought and roasted two heads of cauliflower (because I could seriously eat a whole head in one meal) and a rutabaga.  Come to find I was often confusing rutabaga with rhubarb.  Everything has been made clear.  I love rutabaga.  Rhubarb not so much.

Waiting for roasting later in the week are some sweet potatoes and some actual parsnips (which look more like white carrots).  I’ll likely make a trip to the store with white sweet potatoes as well.  

I’ve been considering a garlicky cashew sauce to put over them but they are so delicious as is.

I stopped at the local pathetic farmers market and came home with "just add water" buckwheat cake mix.  I’d like to think I’ll make some and stash them for breakfast next week but time will tell.

There are also three ripe bananas and some unsweetened applesauce to make zumbabetty's cookies.

Food food food.  I also knit.  Still making squares,

Well spent

We know how much I love to art.  It was one of the failed goals of the summer.  I think maybe arting is best done with extra time at school where desk and supplies are always at hand.  Last month I paid $20 to join Sktchy's 30 faces in 30 days. Art support, tips, occasional live lessons to be viewed again.

The first invitation to portrait was this

  

I ended up with this-

Then I watched an art lesson video and decided to do one with a focus on shapes and value and ended up with this-

And then I had extra time today so I tried to do it the way he did in the lesson and ended up with this-

And finally I decided to jump on the color train and finished with this-

I’m going to say I already got my money’s worth.

In for a penny...

In for a pound of roasting

Ingredients... leftover wild rice and mushrooms, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, turnips, and white sweet potatoes. Dashed with olive oil, some paprika where appropriate.  Holy deliciousness Batman.  White sweet potatoes are my new favorite tubers.

Roasting without the roast.

This felt a little like Sunday dinner- except it was missing some green.

Sweet potatoes and cauliflower roasted with olive oil and crushed red pepper.  Baby Bella mushrooms sautéed in garlic and olive oil mixed with wild rice.  This wild rice is different from yesterday’s.  This was a gift from the friend kmkat when she visited a few months ago.  Cooking yesterdays rice made me feel like I could do this rice justice without disappointment.

Roasting vegetables may be my new favorite thing. Wild rice may be my second new favorite thing.

And while I am never glad when greathusbandbob has a bellyache, there was some karma in place last night when he had indigestion from the best smelling frozen pizza ever while I quietly digested rice.  

Finally some food

First of all.  That damn hat was still too small.

It’s been a week of craptastic food.  While the candies and muffins were delicious, my combine foods and make them taste good intuition was a little off.

On Monday it was oyster mushrooms, spinach, celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes, ginger, quinoa and tamari sauce for the opposite of a win.

On Thursday it was brown rice linguine seasoned with Italian seasoning and olive oil with spinach, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers added.  I used the energy saving cooking method for the linguine (boil for 2 minutes, let sit in pot for 12). The message on the package that it does not get mushy lies.  Also you can not stir fry it the next day in sesame oil.  In case you were thinking that might be a solution. 

Today I finally met with some success.  I happened across a bag of wild rice and an organic can of succotash. With some salt, pepper, and coriander it was a winning, dare I say, comfort food dish.  Of course after a weeks worth of less than palatable sustenance, anything remotely not gross would be comforting.

  

The desire to snack still pervades nearly every waking moment on the weekends.  Today I bought some pistachios and pumpkin seeds with hopes of taming that beast.  I also bought more pumpkin muffin mix but will wait until Sunday night to make them lest I eat all of them in one sitting.

I may try another pony tail hat.  Weather forecasts are saying "heavy snow" for Wednesday into Thursday.  I’d like a new hat to wear while shoveling.

Freebie

The weather really never looked terribly treacherous.  But last night they cancelled all after school activities.  Then they had a 2 hour delay.  Then at 6:30 a.m. they cancelled school.

So this morning it is Murder By Phone (1982 with Richard Chamberlain and John Houseman)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081203/

Some knitting- (Plant a Seed ponytail hat with doubled fingering yarn on size 7 needles) I've upped the needle size so maybe this one will fit.

And a zumba playlist for later-

And because this day was so unexpected I feel obligated to complete nothing and my brain is pleased.