January Recap

I realize typically I write one post per day, but with it being the last day of the month, I think an extra one is in order.  This year’s New Year’s Resolution was to introduce something new into my life on a daily basis.  Of course, sometimes these are small and seemingly insignificant while other times they push me into uncharted territory.  Regardless, unlike most people when it comes to resolutions, so far I’ve kept it up.  And it has been a blast.

It’s so unbelievable how much each day is made more interesting and enjoyable by adding something new to it.  Additionally, many times I’ve found myself trying more than one new thing in a day just because it is now a mindset and a personal challenge.  The really interesting thing is how much this challenge has helped me to enjoy every day’s small pleasures.  It’s caused me to slow down and really look for ways to enjoy life and my family more.  It’s pushing me to be a better teacher by helping me consider new things to bring to the classroom and helping me to inspire my students to take more risks even when it is uncomfortable.

So far I’ve enjoyed  or attempted the following new things: baking a sweet potato, playing a soccer video game with my oldest son, tried sponge painting nails, ate at Mountain Fried Chicken, told a family member I love them, watching The Big Kahuna, planked, made bacon cheeseburger casserole, had a “yes” day, read a new book, attended and volunteered at a jewelry regional rally, made apple cinnamon oatmeal in the slow cooker, built a fort with my youngest son, hid dollar bills in a dollar store, heard a testimony from a woman who had escaped a violent relationship and rebuilt her life, made homemade playdoh, took a probiotic, painted my own new coffee mug (which I picked up today and it is fabulous!), ate desserts all day, ate a crab quesadilla, saw my youngest son jump for the first time, read my grandfather’s stories from childhood, taught one day without speaking, tried a blackberry wine cupcake, attended my friend’s grand opening, volunteered with my oldest son at a homeless shelter, tried fried pickles, made vegan cupcakes with agave syrup, listened to and watched a Daft Punk music video, watched my oldest son sign autographs and be recognized as a member of a college baseball team, used a homemade facial mask, and received a piece of art made especially for me.  Not a bad month at all!

My friend’s website. Check it out to see his amazing art! – Day 31

My friend’s website. Check it out to see his amazing art!

I was so excited to open my mailbox and find today’s first waiting. My birthday was a week ago, and my friend who is an artist, Neil Myers, wished me a happy birthday via facebook.  Jokingly I suggested he send me some of his art for my birthday.  Guess what arrived today?  A sketch by Neil just for me.  

I’m not sure how many artist friends most people have, but I feel like I’m one of the fortunate few who have several.  Not like, “Aww….you should be an artist because you draw so well” artist, but like real doing-it-for-a-living artist — like get commissioned for specific works artist.  The real deal.  I love that.  I often sit back and admire their work.  I am blown away by the talent.  But now….I have one just for me.  Made especially for me.  It even says so on the bottom along with Neil’s signature.  What an awesome first to end January.

I would show it to you, but after taking several photos, it just didn’t do it justice.  Therefore, I’ve included a link to his website so you can enjoy his work as much as I have.  You can even order a book of his work.  

Sweet as Honey – Day 30

I’ve been plagued with skin issues most of my life.  As an adolescent and young adult I had horrific, painful acne.  As an adult, I deal with very sensitive skin and rosacea. I’ve had nearly every crazy treatment you can imagine from having my face “frozen” to taking accutane.  I’ve bought nearly every makeup to cover up and skin care regiment to help.  Some have worked better than others.  Some have cost a small fortune.  I’ve often heard of making facial cleaners and masks from products in your kitchen.  However, with my skin issues, I’ve been reluctant to try these — until now.  As I get older I have begun to shy away from chemicals when I can and embraced more natural products….even better plant-based products.  However, I lack the knowledge to really experiment on my own especially when it comes to my very sensitive skin.  Tonight, I decided it was time to bite the bullet and give it a try.

(Honestly….this wasn’t the planned first.  Earlier in the day I attempted another stinking Pinterest manicure project — water marbled nails.  It turned out so horrifically that I would rather bare my make up free face on the internet than that hot mess of my nails.  I am now contemplating if Pinterest is actually the hidden spawn of Satan….the projects look so easy and pretty but the reality is evil and ugly, but I digress…..)

I found a great recipe online that is specifically for sensitive skin with acne scars — seems perfectly suited for my first attempt at a DIY facial mask.  Only three ingredients….can it get any simpler?  1 ripe banana, 1 tbsp honey, 10 drops of lemon.  Ugh….I have no lemons or lemon juice.  I do have a lime.  That’s close enough, right?  Listen, if I have figured out how to successfully substitute milk and eggs with a can of pumpkin in cupcakes, surely I can substitute one citrus fruit for another without too much worry.

I mashed the banana and mixed the other ingredients to get a smooth, very moist paste.  I used my fingers and applied the mask to my face being careful to not get it on or in my eyes or lips.  I’m not sure if that was necessary, but I know not to do this with typical skin care products so better to be safe than sorry.  It was a runny mask.  I’m glad I was over the sink as it did drip a bit.  It smelled pleasant, as you could imagine.  (With the mask on my face.)

 

 I left it on my face for 15 minutes as directed by the website I found.  When I was ready to rinse it off, it looked kind of nasty in areas that had chunks of banana.  However, my face felt great.  I could tell it was working as a mask rather than a cleanser since it was slightly tight on my face, but it was not uncomfortable like a lot of clay masks I’ve tried in the past.  It also didn’t burn or irritate my face as most products do.  

When I washed it off, my face felt tight and clean without being dry.  It did not leave my face red (which is nothing short of a miracle with rosacea), but rather glowing.  My pores were tighter, also.  (after mask was removed)

 I will definitely repeat this first as it was inexpensive and felt great.  I like being able to pamper myself without having to splurge financially.

Proud Mama Alert! – Day 29

You’ve been warned.  I am one of THOSE moms.   The kind that will talk and talk and talk about their children until your ears bleed and you want to kill yourself.  Tonight’s first gave me reason to gush again.

As mentioned in my previous blog posts and on my “About” page, my husband and son have a very rare medical condition called Loeys-Dietz Syndrome. While I don’t want to focus too much on their illness and make this sound like a “poor them” blog post, I will tell you that it limits my son’s ability to participate in sports.  This has been a particularly challenging part of the diagnosis for our family.  However, there is a wonderful organization called Team IMPACT which matches children who have life threatening and chronic medical conditions with collegiate athletic teams in their area.  These matches make a difference in the lives of children like mine by providing them an additional sense of support and the feeling of camaraderie and acceptance that team sports provide.

Last year, E’s school nurse put us in touch with Team IMPACT and we applied for E to be matched.  Thankfully, E was matched with the baseball team of his all time favorite college — Wake Forest University.  Tonight, the baseball team was featured at the school’s basketball game.  Before the game, E and the baseball players signed autographs for fans.  My 12 year old (who was devastated and in tears after being told by his cardiologist his time playing sports was limited) was signing autographs as a member of the Wake Forest Baseball team!

He sat with the team during the game right in the heart of the student section.  Then the team was led out onto the court as their opening day was announced….and then, they announced my son, E, as the newest member and signee to the Wake Forest Diamond Deacons.  How cool is that?!!  No matter where you are on this earth, that high pitched annoying squeal you heard this evening was more than likely me at that moment.  I watched him smile, step forward, and wave to the crowd.  At that moment, I felt as if I were the parent of a celebrity — a major league baseball player, no less.  It’s hard to find him, but he’s the kid with the black hat and black coat on the far right in the middle of the court.

Sometimes the best firsts are the first time you watch someone else experience recognition and a personal highlight just like I was able to experience tonight.

Four Minutes of my Life I’ll Never Get Back – Day 28

Four Minutes of my Life I’ll Never Get Back

I love music.  It speaks to my soul as I believe it does most people. While I appreciate various genres, most of my musical taste is shaped by what is popular. I hate to be a cog in the machine of the music business, but my car radio is typically controlled by the quick fingers of a station-changing adolescent. My tastes may be shaped by radio DJs and playlists however, I do realize most of the best music….music that is experimental, cutting edge, raw, and intensely authentic …. are the creations that do not find themselves on singles or top 40 lists.  

This week I was introduced to a group called Daft Punk because of their big wins at this week’s Grammy Awards.  This was the first I had heard of them.  Perhaps I am the only person in the nation for whom this is a new group, but today’s first is focused on hearing their music for the first time.  

It was important to me to find a song of this group which they did not perform on the show.  During the Grammys telecast, the duo joined Stevie Wonder and Pharrell to perform “Get Lucky.”  Therefore, I went on YouTube and did a search for any song other than that one.  I found “Around the World.”  

Let me be clear.  Electronica and dance music is not my thing.  If I want to dance, I long for high school dances with AC/DCs “Shook Me All Night Long” or anything by Tone Loc or C&C Music Factory (go ahead….let the laughing commence.)  However, listening to an entire song AND watching the official music video ensures that I am leaps and bounds outside my comfort zone and cute little box of popular music.  

I suppose I’m far too simple minded.  I’m sure there was some deeper, metaphorical meaning I’m missing.  There were mummies, and skeletons dancing in circles.  And by dancing in circles I mean bebopping around what I’m sure are the remnants of lost staging and props of Solid Gold.  That or the stools Sesame Street muppets sit on so the puppeteers can hide behind them.  The skeletons looked like the glow-in-the-dark pajamas my kids would wear with Skelator masks from He-Man days long ago.  Huh?  I just didn’t get it.  And maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention but I believe there were no more than five words simply repeated over and over and over and over — for more than four minutes.  

If you love French dance music, Daft Punk may be your thing.  But, this is four minutes of my life I’ll never get back. I think I’ll just stick to my Adele, Alicia Keys, and Lorde.

No eggs, no milk, no sugar – Day 27

The finished product.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, we deal with a plethora of food allergies in our family.  E is allergic to all dairy, eggs, and shellfish.  I deal with a beef allergy.  My husband cannot have cheese.  D cannot have dairy, either.  Therefore, I’ve taken up vegan baking so we can enjoy yummy treats without danger.  I have a wonderful cookbook that has recipes for a variety of vegan cupcakes from the basic chocolate recipe to the exotic pistachio and rosewater cupcake.  There are enough recipes and possible variations with each that honestly I could create a cupcake a day and have my year of new things covered.  However, I don’t want this blog to turn into the baking version of Julie and Julia.

I’ve had my eye on a recipe for vanilla agave cupcakes.  I’ve never used agave syrup for anything, but I’ve read a lot about it.  I like the idea that it is plant based and natural and can substitute for sugar.  I found it at the grocery store….the regular grocery store, not a hippie health food store only found in metropolitan areas.  Mind you, it is not cheap, but the writer of the cookbook swears it’s worth every dime.

Usually I include recipes in this blog, but I’m a teacher that preaches abiding by copyright laws to my students so I will refrain from including the recipe this time.  However, I will tell you the cookbook is titled Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by  Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.  Look it up on Amazon and invest in a copy.  It is simply amazing….even if you are not vegan.

Anyhow…..even though it was recommended, the agave I used was not light.  It was the only type I could find in my store, but no worries.  It worked well.  My son was totally intrigued to use an ingredient from a cactus, but we tasted it and it has a flavor, look, and consistency similar to maple syrup.  Not bad….not bad at all.  Baked up, this recipe was amazing.  Not too sweet, slightly buttery, and an almost nutty, earthy flavor.  We used vanilla icing and sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on top.  The cinnamon was a nice accent to the flavor of the cupcakes.  I cannot explain the perfect golden brown color this batter made.  The cake was very moist, tender, and slightly dense without being heavy.

I’m Southern so you know this was coming….(aka Day 26)

Well before Paula Deen was a Food Network darling, the South’s cuisine was well established.  If it’s a vegetable, deep fry it; if it’s a meat, deep fry it; heck….we even deep fry candy bars here. (Do NOT turn up your nose and be a food snob.  You have not lived until you’ve had a deep fried Snickers….cholesterol and calories be darned.)  Therefore, it should come as no surprise to those that know I am Tarheel-born and bred that I must have something battered and deep fried as one of my 365 daily challenges…..and, let’s be honest…..it will probably be more than just one of the 365.  Because every Southerner (whether native or transplant) knows there is nothing that fills a soul and a belly at the same time like breading, batter, or butter.

Today after church my family visited a new local restuarant in our area — Carolina Ale House.  (Oh Emm Gee !!!  Could I sound anymore Southern — church, family lunch, AND deep fried food on a Sunday.  I swear Robert E Lee was somewhere singing “Song of the South” as our waitress poured our sweet tea.)  I got a sampler platter at the request of my oldest son, E, who was dying to try the deep friend pickles…otherwise known as frickles.  I’ve seen them on lots of menus, but never tried them before.  I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted to place an entire order of them as an appetizer so having them on a sampler plate like this was perfect.  They came with wings, cheese sticks, and chicken tenders.  (My doctor is going to HATE me for this!  So not smart when your cholesterol is high.)  Typically, they dip the dill pickle chips in a buttermilk bath before dredging through a flour-based seasoning breading then frying.  However, with E’s food allergies to milk, we had the chef skip the buttermilk bath.  Just breading and frying.  The plate came with ranch and marinara dipping sauces.  

The frickles were delish!  (But really, what’s not good when deep fried?  Even squid is yummy that way.)  The sourness of the dill pickling was present and not at all overpowered.  The breading was light, golden brown, and just the right amount of saltiness.  They were fabulous especially with the ranch.  Everything was great, in fact.  

This new food gets full endorsement from me and E…..they get bonus points since the chef made them especially for us to be allergy friendly!  

A first that will not be a last — day 25

It is difficult to write about today’s first for a few reasons. My oldest son, E, and I spent the evening volunteering at a homeless shelter.  We were to check in individuals as they arrived.  

Why is this hard to write about?  Typically my blogs are totally from my perspective — these are my firsts.  At the risk of sounding egotistical, it’s about me and my way of looking at things.  However, today’s first is so not about me.  Often when we volunteer, it all still comes back to us — here’s what I learned, here’s what I think, here’s what I need to apply to my life, I, I, I — but that’s not what should be important.  Yes, I can tell you how my impressions — my preconceived notions — were changed, but that still centers on me.  And, again, it’s not about me.  It’s about their stories….the people that were there; the people that stay there every night. It’s also hard to write about volunteering without it sounding like a solicitation for praise, but that again turns the focus back on the wrong person.  

Tonight’s first was about a new experience, but it was so much more than just novelty.  My husband and I often rack our brain for ways we can help our children become compassionate, empathetic, kind, and grateful.  But there comes a time when talk is ineffective.  One must live that life, not talk about it.  And we could donate things …. money, food, supplies, but that, too, isn’t as effective as donating time.  Therefore, tonight my son joined me for this first.  

On the way there, E told me he was nervous.  He was uncertain of the people he would be around.  Like all of us, he had preconceived notions of what “homeless” looks like.  He spent some of his welcoming our guests, running light errands fetching things, and other time was spent babysitting and playing with the children of the other volunteers, and that was an important role.  Occupying those children meant others could volunteer serving food. 

As we were leaving, he said he was surprised at the people he met.  Hearing pieces of their stories helped him to overcome stereotypes.  He also said he had a great time and wants us to go back regularly.  On our trip home we could not stop talking about our gratitude and the silliness of our daily complaints.  

I definitely believe this is a first that will not be a last.  I look forward to going again with E.  I have a hard time believing there is a more meaningful way to spend some quality parent-child time.

Jewelry and cupcakes and hair….oh my! – Day 24

Today I experienced more than one “new” thing.  My friend had a grand opening for her new beauty shop — Lizzie Belle’s.  I’ve never been to the grand opening of a beauty shop before.  My friend, Lizz, her friend, Keisha, and her sister, Brinkley, worked hard to make sure everything was perfect.  There were gift baskets, gorgeous cake stands, and yummy food.  Of this food, I had a blackberry wine cupcake and green punch — all new things.  Additionally, I met several new people.  Lizz had me set up some of the jewelry I sell.  Never sold jewelry in a beauty shop before.

We spent quite a bit of time talking and visiting with the guests that were there.  It reminded me a bit of a busier, bustling beauty shop similar to the one in the movie Steel Magnolia.  Women giggling, exchanging stories, and talking about how to make their hair bigger.  In the end, it was really a celebration of seeing my friend achieve a dream she set for herself since primary school.  Yet, tonight she made a profound statement…..”Now that I’ve achieved this, I have to create a new dream for myself.”  

It’s so true.  We need a goal, a dream to look ahead to.  These provide meaning and purpose in our lives. Once you’ve reached a dream, how does one begin to dream again?!  I keep returning to that question.  It’s been proposed or mentioned by those that surround me multiple times in recent weeks.  I suppose God is trying to tell me something.  I’d like to think over the course of this year, many of my dreams will come true….so perhaps I need to take the time to set new goals every time I achieve one.

Silence Speaks a Thousand Words – Day 23

My students are studying poetry. I’ve chosen to share one of the most profound poems I know with them: “The Hangman” by Maurice Ogden. I’ve attached a video of the poem with an animation so you can see it, too. The theme of the poem touches on the power of silence. Therefore, I decided to use this to enhance my teaching and to provide today’s new experience.

I spent the day teaching without saying one word. I did speak — to adults outside of class — but within the confines of my classroom’s four walls there were no words that passed through these lips. Obviously, this requires a bit of preparation. I had all my activities on the board ready for students so there was little question. It was interesting how students paid more attention and were more engaged in general than on days I talk. Perhaps it was the novelty; perhaps it was the need to watch body language, perhaps it was coincidental.

It didn’t take long for students to begin to notice my lack of speech. Early in the day, students noticed but continued with business as usual. By the end of the day, word had spread among my students and they entered my class on a mission to get me to speak. At that point, it began to become more of a distraction. However, once students moved on to the day’s activities, they settled down and engaged in the lesson.

I would definitely do this again, but it would have to be on a very occasional basis. It helped drive home the point of the power of silence and it provided enough change in class that students took notice which kept them more engaged. Additionally, because I was not talking, they could not depend on me. They had to depend on each other. This was an added bonus.

Perhaps sometimes — like in parenting — my desire to help only hinders growth. If I am doing all the talking and explaining, it doesn’t leave room for students to ruminate on the material.