Life of the Party

  Book Link     All I can say is that I'm hooked. This series is amazing and I cannot get enough! Alex is my favorite character by far and she really is a true protagonist. Pure is a riveted book that is teen appropriate. The engaging story keeps us guessing as to what will happen next. I will gladly give this book a 5 out of 5 because it greatly surpasses the first book, Half Blood. 

      It's never easy saying goodbye to a farm animal, pet, and friend. It happens and in inevitably going to happen again. I despise predators and will be move vigilant in the future. We will be turning the electric fence up and shooting any and all dogs that come our way. A very starved dog killed some of my chickens. I'm NOT a happy camper! I was the one who ended up killing said dog and having to dispose of it.      It couldn't get to my goats, so it went after the next best thing. Someone probably set him out instead of keeping him. I'm still mad over the whole thing. Every time I see someone dropping off a dog I instantly become angry. Something needs to change. 

       My drive home today was absolutely beautiful. I often don't really think about the natural beauty of our landscape. I was in utter awe as darkness approached. Listening to Audible and taking in the scenery was a fabulous way to end my day!  I decided to share a photo that I took. Not everyone gets to see things like this. Share your photos! I would love to see them. 

      I think the art of reading is forever lost. There is nothing more soothing than reading on a rainy day out on the porch as the water hits the tin roof. Reading by lamp light at night just isn't as alluring. I spoke to several students about reading novels and got the most strange look today in homeroom.      Our youth  doesn't read for enjoyment anymore. As a teen, my room was filled with library books who were carefully chosen. I would spend hours lost in other worlds while reading. It was my escape from the situation that I called daily life. Even in school, we would read novels in their entirety. I think reading actual books was more important in the day to day instructional setting. Now, our kids read so many short stories or small pieces from major texts.      Electronics have took over and don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. When I read, I can hear the individual voices of the characters in my head. I actually have ...

      It's always the same argument about if we "need" something verses just "wanting" it. I really need/want a reliable vehicle. Although my 2020 Kia Soul has been a great car, she's been messing up lately. The  mechanic costs alone are beyond what I can pay for at the moment. The car has been paid off for a long time, and getting an additional payment added to our budget seems a little risky.      I named my car Dart a long time ago and she has been an absolute dream to own. I just cannot seem to keep brakes on her. I have had them replaced twice in the last few months, even replacing the brake fluid line as well. As an extra precaution I used a different shop each time. I have had the brakes worked on around 15 times since 2020. It has been an ongoing issue that Kia paid for most of the time. It's also a very dangerous issue to have, especially with a small child.      Window shopping is all I can do at the moment. I'm looking fo...

      I don't usually read books like this, but sometimes I need something different. I saw my young niece reading this the other day and decided to borrow her copy. Man, that was a fantastic decision. I struggle with finding time to actually sit and read, so I purchased to audiobook to go along with the paper  copy. I alternated between reading and listening to the book. The world of the Hematoi really captivated me and I will be downloading/ borrowing the next books int he series.      Alex's character, while trying to  learn who she is, is also battling an internal conflict of her mother's death. She comes to realize that she is so much more than just a "half blood," and her fate is determined by the choices she makes. I don't want to be a book spoiler so I will not go into great detail. She falls in love with Aiden, her trainer. I would kill for this series to become a movie.      I would give this book a 5 out of 5  rating...

    It doesn't look like much, but I'm proud of our supper tonight. I really struggle with cooking and it is NOT a passion or hobby for me. I have always, even with a recipe, hated to cook. As a wife it is expected that I cook dinner a few times a week. Thankfully, my husband and I trade off days. He is the cook and his food is always cooked to perfection!     I took one of grandma's old recipes for stuffed peppers from her very taped folder. This is not made with hamburger meat, but with sausage, wild rice,  onions, and  mushrooms. I top the peppers with tomato sauce, garlic, and a drizzle of white wine. I put them in the oven to bake for around 45 minutes and BOOM dinner is served.      No complaints, no wasted food, and most of all I feel successful! The secret is placing a little butter and wine mixture in the bottom of the pan before placing them in the oven to cook.  Sidenote:      It's okay if you laugh. The first t...

      I debated with myself on this topic for a long time. Is student choice really worth my time? Will they benefit from picking the way their curriculum is presented? Will they just choose what they deem easiest? How much extra planning time will this eat up to grade?      Let me lay it all out for you. YES.      First of all you have to plan ahead. Your kids have to be adjusted into having choice.  They have to be driven by routine before you can allow them to independently work on their "choice." In the middle school setting this can look a lot like a station system formally known as a station rotation. Your students need to know the limits and have to be able to work independently when given a student choice set of  options. In my opinion, student choice really allows you to reach the struggling students more easily because your high flyers can move on with content and they can dive deep into areas of interest.    ...

      I'm so ready for this wintery chilling wind to pack up and move on. I'm done with worry about our water freezing or sliding out of the road.  I'm ready to till the ground and plant some crops. It was just over a week ago that I got to wear a regular t-shirt while feeding the animals. I had been too naive to believe that winter was over.      Like a terrible ex, the door opened again for him to come back in with more hateful words. It's suppose to snow tomorrow and I'm already over it. This is something we have no control over. Why even bother complaining. It's just so odd that the weather shifted so quickly this past week. I know it's got throw off the animals cycles as well. My goats have started to shed their winter coats and we have snow coming our way. 

      If you know one thing about me, you know that I live for reflection. I love looking back at past note, lists, and journal entries. Personal reflection has always been something that I value beyond  anything. It helps me grow as a person, as well as, sort through my emotions.      Flipping through one of my old books, I came across a note that said "one day you will not be a *uck up." The exact memory came rushing back like a flooded basement. It completely engulfed me, surrounding me in my dad's hateful words. I choked up for a few moments as the memory flashed before my eyes. I was always a disappointment to my father and wanted nothing more than to make him proud. His favorite phrase was the one above. Everyone has a past, trauma, and misdeeds. Everyone suffers, so I am no different.      It was in that moment that I realized that I have become everything he wasn't or couldn't be. This is a VERY personal topic for me. He was...

 Valentine's Day     I loath Valentine's Day to my core. It's a ridiculous holiday that just doesn't sit right with me. I'm not bitter and even when I was a single person I dreaded it. Expectations along with the basic white girl posts of having the best "husband,  boyfriend, or whatever" plague my social media feeds. The sheer falsehood of their enduring posts kills me. We all know that stuff isn't true and no relationship is like the movies.      My husband really tries every  year. It's really sweet that he goes out of his way to make me feel special. I'm thankful that he puts in the effort, but I'm also always stressed that its wasted money. This year he saw how worn my purse had become, so he did his best to order me a new one. Bless him (in southern language that is an insult). No one is going to be carrying a large bright purse, but I guess I will be. I didn't even have the heart to tell him that highlighter orange is too bright ...

      I  sometimes do open up old posts and read through them. My blog is very scattered and non-focused as compared to my peers. I have so much going on all the time that sometimes I just post about daily things so my readers can see what that looks like.      Today as I sit and sip my first cup of hot coffee, I reflect on how my life has changed in the past five years. I went from being a foster parent to having children of my own. Even my day to day routines have changed. Simply put, I've aged and with age comes wisdom.      I wouldn't change a thing about how things have played out. I know I would have never had a child of my own had I not been a foster parent first. Those were dark times in my life where I was trying to be a parent, caregiver, sole provider, and maid. Working multiple jobs to make ends meet while trying to be something I just couldn't be. The level of stress made my hair fall out and my health declined significantly...

      Let's face it being married involves strategically planning out weekly meals. Sometimes being married isn't what I expected at all. My go with the flow husband makes planning out meals hard. He makes last second plans with family and friends, which leaves me with thawed chicken and precooked dinner. He made plans tonight for us but didn't include both parties in the conversation. I'm glad his family canceled dinner because I had already started cooking. Below you will see some of what I was making. Sautéed chicken/ red peppers which was placed on top of a wild rice blend.  Simple and yummy.  My secret is using some of my grandma's homemade wine in the rice mixture for the extra taste.        My grandmother is the matriarch of our family. She is the guiding hand that leads us through our lives. She is a gun toting, four wheeler riding, wine making great grandmother who walks a few miles every day. She is at the peak of health at age 88. ...

      Weather really plays a roll in the overall morale of my household. Farm chores are more annoying to complete in the pouring rain. The dreary overcast makes for an overall depressing walk to and from the hay shed. My mock boots stick in the ever present mud as I trudge across the small field with a scoop of feed for the mother goats. It's exhausting work to do alone, but it has to be done.  We have to keep a constant check on water levels as well. The goats will need to be moved if it gets too high.      

      Money was indeed not wasted on this devise for my toddler. I'm glad I didn't spend the  money, but it was well spent no matter how you look at it. She will sit and switch out the characters during her 30 minute allotted time. Taylor really seems to enjoy it, but she has grown somewhat bored with the same sound.     It has become part of her routine. I spent money on the sleepy lamb for her to have the soothing sounds is what my child falls asleep to. She goes in a places it on the top after having me brush her teeth. I'm so proud of how well she takes care of each figure. She can only play with it during supervised moments. I even get up and dance with  her.      I would currently rate this devise a 4.5 out of a 5 due to costs of additional characters. I think they are priced beyond what they are truly worth. Maybe they will have an upcoming sale? Buying them second hand doesn't seem to be a thing yet either. 

      Super Bowl Sunday...     Am I the only one who didn't care? I didn't go to any parties and didn't even really know who was playing. No, I don't live under a rock, but I also just do not care. This morning was so rough on many of my students as they struggled to stay awake in class.      The buzzing topic today was if there was some sort of proposal made after the Chiefs lost the game. Social media has really just took over our young people's lives. They were quickly looking up the latest stats on some Taylor lady's relationship. I was lost and so thankful when 7:35 came. With the phones put away students are more likely to interact face to face.     Sunday night....     My husband's family was ready and overly excited to watch the game. I felt so out of place at our family dinner,  yesterday. I was asked at least four times what team I was going to pull for. I just didn't know enough about any of it. I do not watch s...

      This book deserves a 4.6 out of a 5. My review is based on pacing and narration.  Audible has out done itself again with the narrator. I was overly impressed with the skill and performance. My long commute to and from work was very enjoyable listening to this book! Lillie's harrowing tail of three best friends completely captivated me. While listening, I honestly thought the cop was in on the whole deal.      I loved the usage of Cherokee language throughout the entire book. I was very pleased with the historical context that was also used. In her author's note she recounts where she had got her details, story, and facts from. I love this author and plan to download any and all of her work.     This book was our February Keepers of the Fire choice. I'm both honored and blessed to have a work space that promotes reading books by indigenous authors. Each book provides staff with a chance to see what our students face. My own child will ha...

      This is a book that I could not stop listening to! It is a must read or listen via audible. The strong female narrator really helped build a story of sorrow and resilience. I loved the way the story was so interconnected, even starting with the end! I learned so much about her indigenous culture and how generational trauma shapes her fellow tribal members lives.   I will not give away any details and spoil the story. I would gladly give the book a 5 out of 5.       Each month my school hosts a book club that focuses on indigenous authors. Every book we read has been a blessing. I am learning to love reading again while bonding with peers. The insight each book gives us only helps me understand how important it is that my child embrace her native side, learn her language, and participate in cultural activities. I want her to know who she is and how to navigate the world. 

      I can see that people check my blog daily, but they do not follow me. So, do I have an audience? Why not go ahead and follow me. It would be such an encouragement and I would probably post more pictures as well.     I had an audience today while carefully filling my shopping cart. Uh. I'm still so embarrassed by Taylor's complete meltdown in the grocery store. She wanted to walk instead of ride in the buggy, but she doesn't want to walk with me. It's too stressful to run after her and try to shop at the same time. Epic mom fail for the day. I let her scream it out as I finished gathering my few items. I hope I at least looked apologetic as we checked out  quickly. 

Baked Chicken and Rice Speciality      Today was a food adventure for my household and it didn't disappoint anyone. Even my toddler enjoyed a bowl full of this delicious concoction. It was simple to  make and will feed my small family for two nights this week. With the prices of groceries soaring, you need to make meals that only include a few items. Most of the things below we already had at the house. The only item I had to buy extra was the mushrooms. I ran out of last year's dehydrated ones a few weeks ago.  Ingredients:  - One can of cream of mushroom soup  - Two cans of cream of chicken soup - 2 cups of water - Three very large chicken breasts  - 1/2 cup of cheese  - 1/2 cup of diced mushrooms  - Lemon pepper  - Galic Salt - 2 table spoons of butter  Side Note: I found this recipe written on an index card at my grandmother's house. She had titled it "Winter's End." This was a dish she would make when the core of our ...

      As humans we are always searching for what is next, what's to be expected, and answers to various unmentioned questions. Today, I'm searching for peace. The peace that comes with not worrying about  every small tedious detail. I'm searching for a way to turn off my nonverbal skills or at least how to mute them during important events.      I rambled on when I can see that someone is flustered. Why do I do that? I'm also too invested in their emotions. Why should I care? I'm searching for a way to stop apologizing all the time. Maybe it's the line of work I'm in?     Searching for the constant approval from people who don't even check in to see if I'm alive is beyond my thinking. I guess I need to suppress the urge to been accepted both by my peers and family. It's okay to be different. Stress gets the best of me  sometimes.  LISTEN.... I'm rambling on again.

      Counting on something is just another way to set yourself up. Each year I do this and you would think that I learned from the previous year's mistake, but NO I didn't. So here we are again sitting down here at the pout house thinking about how we are going to rebound from my expectations. Money can be made again and future planning will be taking place.           I will have to count my losses fully take responsibility for the fact that our egg production just cannot keep up with the demand. I will have to pay back a few people because I cannot fill their orders. Egg production drops during the winter months.  I know the ladies I work with will just want to barter for something else. Maybe once we get ducks that can be a trade off. I do not know a lot about ducks and will have to do some extensive research. We do have a small pond on the premises and that will fill some of the needs.          Any pointers o...