Proud to Be an American

So, I've been in a presidential state of mind lately. I've been watching the mini-series "John Adams" on DVD for the past two weeks, and have learned quite a bit about the founding fathers and the Revolution, and the one thing that I've really taken away from the viewing experience is bravery.

John Adams and his cohorts Washington, Jefferson, Rush, and even the nasty Pickeney from South Carolina were the most brave men that I've ever experienced. In writing the Declaration of Independence, they were separating themselves from everything they've ever known. England had supported (and royally pissed them off, pun intended) for so long, and in the scene where they read the Declaration on the steps in Philadelphia, you can see both bravery and true fear in the men's eyes. They were basically signing their own death certificate, if they were caught by the British. They were committing treason against the crown, but they knew that if they were to be truly happy as a nation, they needed to break from England. They were travelling into the unknown, and they were taking their family and countrymen with them. They didn't know how they were going to run themselves, but they did it anyway. That, my friends, is true bravery.

Then, later in the episodes, Adams goes to France, where he is completely taken for granted and ignored in the presence of the mighty Benjamin Franklin. Instead of sulking or going home without doing his job, he instead went to Holland to strike a deal. Bravery. Going against the plan. Getting the job done, no matter what. He was terribly sick, missing his beloved friend Abigail, and all alone on his venture. But he went. He was a success. Bravery.

Then he serves as an unpopular president. He believed he wouldn't be remembered in a good light, and that history would hate him. But he made the decisions regarding the Alien and Sedition acts and other actions during his presidency. He moved into the unfinished White House in a rough territory, and basically lived in one room with his wife. Bravery.

(I have to leave it here, because I don't know how far Navy Girl is in the series....but Bravery abounds in the last few episodes)

And now, today, I watch Barack Obama be elected to the 44th presidency. The first man of color to be elected to the office. He inherits two wars, an economy in the gutter, following a president with the lowest popularity rate ever, and is going to raise two beautiful young daughters and care for his lovely wife in the glaring media spotlight of the White House. But yet, he's encouraging the entire United States that we can change our situation. Change Is Here. And he accepted this position freely.

I think Barack Obama is one of the bravest men on our planet tonight.

He has a challenge ahead of him, but his head is high and he's ready to go.

So, after watching the John Adams series and observing the newest presidential election, I'm indeed proud to be an American. We are a country that was forged out of nothing but the guts and determination of our Founding Fathers, and is has survived an attempt at takeover by the British, an internal War that could have torn us apart, two World Wars, and the threat of Nuclear War for over 45 years. We've come out a bit bruised at times, a bit embarassed some moments, but truly stronger for the experience. I'm proud of Us, the United States of America. Throughout our history, we truly have been brave.

I pray that Mr. Obama is able to shoulder his oncoming burderns with the bravery he will need. Like he said, things are going to get worse before they get better, but I hope that America also has the bravery to work it out with our President and allow him to do the things he thinks is best. He'll need all of our good thoughts and prayers.

Godspeed, Mr. Obama. The United States is ready to help you on your brave mission.

Product Review: The Magic Bullet

So, a dirty secret: I LOVE INFOMERCIALS. Anything from music collections to cooking tools to yard tools....I'll watch them all and want to buy just about each and every one.

So, for Christmas, I asked for the Magic Bullet, one of my top 5 favorite informercials. I saw that you can buy it in stores now, so I thought what the heck. And, hooray, Santa brought me the Bullet! I was very excited.

So, I've tried a few things now in the bullet. Farmer and I have made fruit smoothies, made of frozen fruit, ice, and a splash of juice. They were thick, but tasty, but my complaint was that it really only blended the things nearest the blade. There wasn't a thorough mixing of components, which left big icy chunks in the bottom of the Drink Mug (with color coded lip rings!)

Next: I whipped up some frozen chocolate Chai one morning, but I didn't blend in the ice, I just poured the Chai over ice. VERY TASTY....it mixed up much more thoroughly than regular stirring, or even using a shaker. However, one thing I learned really REALLY quickly is that when you want to do more than just "pulse" the ingredients, and want it to blend, you had better have the blade screwed in SUPER TIGHT, because otherwise the twisting it into lock mode, and just the blades spinning around, will loosen up the blade from the mug, making your chai go all over. Not fun.

Tonight was the big test.....the main meal. I made alfredo sauce in the shaker, according to their recipe book. Now, this was tricky, because I make, if I may brag, amazing homemade alfredo sauce. Farmer loves it. It whipped up very quickly and easily, and once whipped again after microwaving until hot (only 1.5 minutes on high!!! so fast!!!) it was super thick and creamy....and so tasty too! (so, i just referenced a classic TV show....whoever guesses it correctly gets bonus points)Farmer said it was very good alfredo, especially the combo of sauce and the steak that I fried up to put on top (because it's not a meal without meat)

So, the overall grade, so far, of the Magic Bullet, is an A/B. So far, I'm liking it alot, and looking forward to using it more.

Now, if only I could get my hot little hands on a Snuggie, a Ron Popeil Rotisserie (Just Set It And....FORGET IT!), the Jack LaLaine Power Juicer, and the Malibu Pilates chair....life would be perfect.

The weather is frightful

So, my un-wished-for cold day is here. I would desperately like to be at work today....not because I don't like being home, but because the end of the semester is next Friday and I'm only budgeted 3 days to teach the entire vietnam war, and now one of those days has been taken away. My Honors kids NEEDED to be at school today. We NEEDED to learn. Even they recognized the NEED for a normal day of school.

But alas. It's -42 with the windchill right now, so Kitty and I are homebound. Which is really ok, because I think Kitty's throat is sore from her cough, so she needs a little extra TLC.

The only kicker is is that Farmer is fairly certain that we won't have school tomorrow either, because the cold is here to stay. So now I'm trying to figure out what we are going to do next week if we aren't in school tomorrow either. They have their unit exam on Tuesday and their cumulative all semester final on Thursday. Thankfully I've made them very aware of this schedule coming up so they can't pull the "I didn't have enough warning!" excuse.

So, now today is being dedicated to laundry and ironing, and watching more John Adams while Kitty is sleeping. Maybe Mt. Wrinkle will be diminished to a small hill by the end of the day!

Oh! My Ear! and other tidbits

Well, it's been another week in Farmerville. Alot happening, but not much to blog about on a daily basis.

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Kitty has another ear ache, along with a chest cold. The dr. put her on Zithromax, but it's not nearly as tasty as Amoxicillian, so tonight I had to pin her down on the floor and squirt the meds on the back of her tongue. Thank god we only have two more doses of it to give.

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I got great news yesterday...Navygirl is coming home to Cowtown in February, and.....we're going to see Wicked at the PAC!!! She got her birthday gift early from Maverick and she's taking me! We are so excited to be going to the theatre (you must say theatre with a slight british accent....so much more exciting)....the PAC is about the classiest place she and I get to at this stage of our lives. Maybe someday we'll be going to military balls, or classy HistoryChannel soirees, once we're documentary commentators.

What do you think, Navygirl? do you think HistoryChannel has classy soirees?

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I got John Adams documentary DVD for Christmas, and I'm through 3/4's of it, and I want so much to blog my thoughts about it, but Navygirl hasn't watched it yet, (she got it for christmas too!!) so I'm refraining. But she better get going....I have so much to say.

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Ribfest, Winter Edition, is on Saturday at Grammy's house. Grammy wants to have one last hurrah, to quote her, before Auntie Mousie's baby comes. I asked her if we weren't allowed to party (because look out....an evening of eating ribs with your family is a Rafter-Raising event) after Grandbaby #2 shows up....she didn't find me funny.

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I'm in a creative funk lately. I have all these craft projects going, but I have zero ambition to do any of them. grrrrrr. And some of them have due dates. yikes.

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As I was lurking on another blog (I'm a TERRIBLE LURKER) I noticed that today is national DeLurking day, but I wonder, how does one know that someone is lurking? is there a function on Blogger that I haven't discovered??? hmmm....this interests me.

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Farmer has gone snowmobiling tonight, and all I'm listening to is the sound of my typing. the silence is the best sound I've heard all day.

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Bitter frigid weather coming. Joy. :(

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Ok, that's about all the tidbits I have. HistoryGirlie.......OUT!!!!

An updated post regarding 2008

Dear Readers:

As I was rereading my last post, I thought that I sounded like I moped my way through 2008. My year wasn't all medications and fieldwork and mopeyness. Here are some of the awesome highlights of 2008.....

*the continuation of Bumble Book Club....looked-foward-to evenings full of good reads, good conversation, and good companionship

*my 7 foot tomato plants....Seriously....7 feet tall! Thankfully I had time to can this summer...they were awesome and kind of a neighborhood sensation.

*4th of July party with my family....we had some wicked games of croquet and best of all...Kitty and Grammy got to go swimming in her little pool! Great times for all.

*The County Fair....my favorite weekend of the year. My Caroline Ingalls comes out in Mid-July, and I love watching my baked goods and embroidery win ribbons, or in the case of my chocolate chip cookies....be RIPPED OFF!!! Grrr, still, to the judge.

*Kitty's art projects. we've filled 2 scrapbooks already!

*Teaching my Brother to make pickled garden products. We had such a great time making pickled mushrooms, brussel sprouts, and relish. Hopefully that will become a yearly thing.

*Auntie Mousie's wedding....it was surreal to watch my baby seester get married, and then quickly get preggo. We had fun with the final planning, showers, various girdles (for myself, Auntie Mousie is a stick) and bonding moments.

*Having some time to do my crafts...namely, my weekend away in Door County with other Scrapbooking friends was a needed relaxation, and thanks to Farmer and Grammy for helping me be able to go.

*my awesome Honors American Studies students....while they may be trying at times, there is at least one moment of laughter each day, and I love watching them learning.

*All my wonderful friends, at work, at home, and all over the nation (wow, I have friends from sea to shining sea! Manifest destiny at work)


So, there.....there's some great things that have occured throughout 2008....there are many more, but I'm out of time. Time to go to the last holiday party of the year!

The Year In Review---2008 style

So, I promised a year in review of the Farmer's wife life, but yesterday I just didn't get around to it, so here we go!
(ed. note: I stole this idea from pretty shiny....I'm not that creative to come up with this all by myself)


1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
*I managed to get through taking my daughter to daycare for the first time, and didn't need to be committed afterward. It took about 2 months, but I did it!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
*No, I didn't keep my last resolution...it was to lose weight, and I actually gained weight in 2008. grrrr. This year's resolution is to find happiness everywhere, and in that happiness is to be a bit thinner, at least by my Brother's wedding.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes! Lots of friends had babies this year. And Auntie Mousie is due any week now!!!!

4. Did anyone close to you die? Thank Heavens, no.

5. What countries did you visit? That sounds like a vacation, which we don't do. :) I don't even remember leaving the state this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A new couch, new carpet in the family room, and a second pregnancy

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? With Kitty growing and learning every day, I have so many days to remember. thank goodness I scrapbook.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? learning to be a successful mom

9. What was your biggest failure? I have yet to fully embrace my life as a Farmer's Wife. Maybe some year, I'll learn to fully love the fieldwork and cows and the amount of time they take up.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I worked my way through Post Partum Depression, and regular depression after that. But I"m fully off my meds and being successful every day!

11. What was the best thing you bought? so many cute outfits for kitty! She's so cute, she needs cute outfits (just ask Grammy)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Farmer's. he dealt with me and lack of feelings and energy this summer with banner behavior. Even though he doesn't "get" depression.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Mine. Sometimes I threw fits.

14. Where did most of your money go? Kitty, Festival Foods, Target. Darn You Target.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? all of Kitty's advancements, the success I felt in my classroom and my awesome kids, when I created an awesome scrapbook page.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? "What's New PussyCat?" "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" (Auntie Mousie's wedding....whooooo. Yikes)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder?b) thinner or fatter?c) richer or poorer? all of the above

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? took more time for myself. It would have helped alot.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Sitting on my heinder.....get moving Historygirlie!

20. How did you spend Christmas? with my wonderful family, both small and large.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? I fell in love a little more every day with my family.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Brothers and Sisters. As dysfunctional as they are, I want to be part of that family.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No, I have very few things that I hate...most of them are things like meatloaf. I HATE meatloaf.

24. What was the best book you read? Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts. Excellent look at the strong women behind the Founding Fathers.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? The morning show on WIXX, a local radio station. Murphy, Maino, and Katie in the morning make me laugh all the way to work.

26. What did you want and get? Oh, I don't know. I had so many blesings this year.

27. What did you want and not get? A second successful pregnancy. We, the doctor, Farmer, and I, tried so hard to be successful.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Mama Mia....I went to see it with some cousin/girlfriends, and our Moms! It was a wonderful evening out.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was 29, and a bit freaked out by being 29....it's so close to 30. yikes. But my wonderful Friend NavyGirl came over for a sleepover the night before, (even though we had an ant infestation in my cupboards) and we had a true blue sleepover with lots of chatting and munching. Then, on my birthday, Farmer took me out for fish, and gave me my precious laptop! It was a wonderful birthday.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? To have found my happiness a little earlier (like last January) but I'm now content. All is good.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Teacher, who tries to be hip, but just misses the mark. All worn with big high heels.

32. What kept you sane? Medication, Deep Breaths, Good Cries, Kitty.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? by fancy, I picture crush...so, my normal list....Bon Jovi, Will Smith, Oprah (a girl crush....I want to be Gayle King, her best friend)


34. What political issue stirred you the most? Anything with education. This new administration had better fix up NCLB ASAP. .

35. Who did you miss? NavyGirl.....KHS and room 0007 just doesn't feel the same.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Well, I knew her, but I finally got to KNOW her this year...Mrs. Z, my teaching partner.....she's a great lady and someone I can relate to....An ok but not great replacement at KHS for NavyGirl.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. To roll with the punches, and take things as they come. No need to fret about what's not even here yet.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Oh! What a Beautiful Morning! Oh! What a Beautiful Day! I've got a beautiful Feeling!!! Everything's going my way!!"
*I sang this to Kitty every morning while I changed her overnight diaper, and so it kind of became my personal mantra to help get the day started off well.....sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. But Kitty now sings along on the Oh! part. :)