Manners

by Howard Nemerov

Prig offered Pig the first chance at dessert,
So Pig reached out and speared the bigger part.

"Now that," cried Prig, "is extremely rude of you!"
Pig, with his mouth full, said, "Wha, wha' wou' 'ou do?"

"I would have taken the littler bit," said Prig.
"Stop kvetching, then it's what you've got," said Pig.

So virtue is its own reward, you see.
And that is all it's ever going to be.

Yummy! Rava dosas.

I made this wonderfully tasty vegetarian dish last night. We thought it was absolutely delicious so I thought I would share it. Most of the ingredients are fairly common, but you probably will need semolina flour and rice flour, and perhaps cumin seeds and unsweetened coconut if they are not in your spice drawer. Definitely worth the effort!
Rava dosas

Girls' reunion

What a fun weekend! We ate, drank and got all caught up - my daughters my sisters and me. Here are some photos!


First day - out for a walk in Park city - it was cold and windy!

















At lunch, Nina had escargot, for the first time ever she said. I caught one going down!












To add to our fun, the girls had three friends for a sleepover that evening and for most of the next day, so we had six littles in tow as we went for a hike by a lovely waterfall.


























Here's a pic of the three of us!










And then of course, we visited the littles' school.













































They all got new pajamas.
















and Vicky showed off her new hat!

Tomorrow I will be in Utah together with my sister, both my daughters (they of course are sisters) and three of my granddaughters. Three generations of sisters! Hopefully I will have photos to post to document this memorable event.

Off to work! Notice all the protective gear!

What an enjoyable weekend!
Here's some facts: Washington is the second largest state producer of wine in the US. CA is the biggest.
Walla Walla is an Appellation in the state and is also a town, about 100 miles form here. So yesterday morning G'pa and I and Riley the airedale hit the road for Walla Walla, armed with a map, a few internet downloads and a motel room booked.
We arrived around 1 pm and headed right for a group of wineries near the east end of town. Wow! The first winery was great, and we kept thinking that we would find some bad ones. But we kept tasting, and never found any bad ones!
Late afternoon we retired to our room for a break, and a rest. Later, we walked the dog around town, listened to some street music, and generally enjoyed Walla Walla. What a nice town!
Turns out there are more than 100 wineries in town!
We visited several more this morning (they opened at 10am) and discovered several more that were excellent. I think we came home with three cases of wine altogether!
We stopped for lunch at a recommended restaurant - Brasserie 4 - and had wonderful mussels! Then headed home to Pullman. A lovely relaxing weekend.
BTW, Walla Walla means many waters. It is home to both Cayuse and Walla Walla indians.

Washington wines

Record heat again today - I think we hit 100.
But with the end of the first week of classes Irv and I have booked a motel in Walla Walla and we and Riley are off there tomorrow to do some Washington wine tasting.
It is supposed to be cooler tomorrow so it should be a fun day and a half! Looking at the map there seem to be about 50 wineries in the Walla Walla area. We probably won't get to all of them!

First day teaching for this autumn semester today. It seemed to go well. I had class this morning and then seminar this afternoon. Seemed like a long day. But enjoyable!

Passed my motorcycle driver's test today, so look out! Here I come!

I was nervous about it and hadn't really practiced the moves. But I did fine. The only problem was with the "swerve and stop" maneuver. I lost a few points on that one, but otherwise I rather impressed the two young kids who were also taking the test. We all passed so it was a joyful morning!

Incongruous

G'pa is in Atlanta and I have been working hard getting ready for this coming semester. It has been nice to have lots of uninterrupted time to get work done. And yet ... this evening I wrote this...

Incongruous
I miss my partner – is that what you call love?
Love every new idea for fifteen minutes says Dr Phil. What a good idea – we should try that.
I don’t feel right with you half (or more) a continent away. We are somehow partners, even though we rub each other the wrong way many times.
You are my familiar. I am your grounding.
This house is somehow empty and vacant and wanting and missing something.
What is it about traveling around the world?
Yes it’s fun and interesting to see places I’ve never seen before.
But, there are lots of places here that we can explore.
And also, I think that perhaps there’s something of an element of escape in travelling.
What am I running from? Why am I not content with place?
I can think of lots of reasons to stay home for the summer and not travel.
Mostly gardening.
Being attached to place.
Being grounded.
What are we waiting for?
Libby
August 11, 2009

Let me try some pics and news about our latest trip. It's turning out to be the most expensive trip ever - it cost plenty, but we had a leaky pipe in the downstairs of our Lolo house while we were away and --- Oh, well, it's under control but the bill is out of this world!

But, Greece. We went first to the island of Naxos. Loved it! If you ever go there, be sure to stay at the Hotel Grotta! The family owned and run hotel was great, and the family members were all so friendly and helpful.
Here's the link: http://www.hotelgrotta.gr/



We enjoyed four days there - time enough to explore the town, the archaeological sites, the Venetian connection, the beach, the shops and the restaurants. we also explored the island, one day by car and one day on a four wheeler - that was another adventure! Thank goodness for the icecream truck!). Lots to see and we had fun.
I then went to my conference while G'pa stayed in Athens. We both enjoyed our stays. Then G'pa traveled to Thessaloniki to meet up with me and we left next day (separately because we lost each other! But I will not go into that debacle)for Halkidiki and the town of Sarti. Great fun! I planned that part, and my only requirement was beach and sun and swimming and eating and drinking and relaxing! It met all of those! Great! I recommend Sarti. We bought a snorkeling set and had lots of fun with it. We found an isolated cove which we had to ourselves for two days. Perfect!
Then we traveled to England to visit both my brothers and my mother. Quite a change, climatewise. But great to see all my family members. We had some fun too. Went to Billy Elliot the musical in London, and to As you like it at the Shakespeare theater in Stratford.
Also went to the car boot sale on sunday morning at Long Marston with my younger bro!

I am back from my travels again! Greece and England this time. More on that later. I am too tired to talk about it.
Here's a neat poem I read this morning:

Patriotism

by Ellie Schoenfeld

My country is this dirt
that gathers under my fingernails
when I am in the garden.
The quiet bacteria and fungi,
all the little insects and bugs
are my compatriots. They are
idealistic, always working together
for the common good.
I kneel on the earth
and pledge my allegiance
to all the dirt of the world,
to all of that soil which grows
flowers and food
for the just and unjust alike.
The soil does not care
what we think about or who we love.
It knows our true substance,
of what we are really made.
I stand my ground on this ground,
this ground which will
ultimately
recruit us all
to its side.

"Patriotism" by Ellie Schoenfeld, from The Dark Honey. © Clover Valley Press, 2009.

If anybody is still out there... I am back! I have been gone since May 9th. I went to Thailand and Cambodia and I posted a few photos but never got back to the rest, as I promised. Then, it was off to Texas (see my daughter's blog (Nina's blog) for pictures from that visit. Then to Park Cit, Utah, for two other grandchildren (the third was off at her other grandma's). More about all this later.
But now, I have to tell about my latest acquistion: A Bajaj Legend, a scooter! But what a scooter! It is big and heavy and more like a motorcycle. It weighs 250 pounds and has 145 cc! which seems powerful to me - never having ridden a motorcycle (except as a passenger).
here's a picture of it:


Here's another!


I picked up the study guide for motorcycle riding and studied it today. Then I went and took my written test, and passed it!!! So now I have a permit to ride the bike during daylight hours, and without any passengers. I have to take my "driving" test within 90 days. So, I have some time to practice. It is fun to ride!!
More about my summer later. I jsut want to say that taking care of four (or even two) children is a full time job. DOn't let anyone tell you otherwise. I had no down time espeically with the younger ones, and felt quite tired when the two weeks were over. Very enjoyable, but it took lots of energy. I am used to having lots of quiet time these days.
My Grandaughter (Miss D) decided she liked to take naps with me so she and I slept most afternoons for an hour or two. That saved me!!!

Photos from Thailand and Cambodia

Here are some pictures from our trip.


Tourista!















The Cambodian flag, with Angkor Wat on it.
















This is Banteay Sreay.

















Temple construction details.

This is an antique Thai house





These are Apsara dancers




Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat at sunrise

Temple carvings

More later!

Hi everyone! I arrived safely in Thailand two weeks ago now (has it really been that long?!), and after recharging for a couple of days and visiting with Kbaba and family, G'pa and I set off on the train to Cambodia. We rode the train from Bangkok to the Thai-Cambodia border. It took about 6 hours and cost 48 baht for each ticket - thats' about $1.50! Once safely across the border (we had to take a tuk-tuk and then walk through the checkpoint, and then another minibus) we got to the big bus depot and found our bus to Siem Reap. It took about another 4 or so hours to get to Siem Reap by bus. then another tuk-tuk to our hotel and we collapsed! The trip was tiring but enough of an adventure that we rather enjoyed it!
The next day began or three day tour around the many ancient temples in the area, with the most famous being Angkor Wat. Cambodia - and especially Siem Reap, the town near to Ankor Wat, is an interesting place. It still has a French influence with several french type restaurants and lots of fresh baguettes and bread available to supplement the rice and noodle dishes. Although the official Cambodain currency is the riel, dollars are accepted everywhere and widely used. You hardly need to have local currency.
After our three days in Siem Reap we went (by bus again) to Phnom Penh. We spent two days there visitng temples, museums, the Royal Palace (and the killing fields, ugh!) and also taking a short cruise on the Mekong River. Phnom Penh is a big bustling city and we had had enough of crowds and people. So after two days we hopped another bus for the southern Cambodian city of Sihanoukville. This is definitely a beach town and I regret that we did not have more time to spend there. We arrived about midday and sat on the beach, drank beer and swam, and chatted with the locals until sundown. Next morning we were on the bus again back to Thailand - a 9 hour trip this time! with a change of bus at the border. We had a fast and furious ride from the Thai border to Pattaya in a small minibus. I think the driver was in a race to get somewhere and was definitely late! He was a crazy driver. But we arrived in Pattaya - a Thai beach resort just east of Bangkok and met up with Kbaba and family for a relaxing weekend at the beach there. We have had mostly good weather - a few rather heavy rainshowers but nothing prolonged. Good news, since the rainy season is fast approaching.
We are now in our hotel room relaxing and catching up. I plan a "spa day" tomorrow. I will have the works at a local place where I had a great massage last week.
Hope all is well out there in the rest of the world. If I find some energy perhaps I'll post some photos tomorrow.

I give my last exam tomorrow, then I must grade it, and post the grades. Then I can focus on pakcing for almost 3 weeks in Thailand and Cambodia. I am looking forward to the break. I need some down time. It has been a very busy semester. I added it up today and found that I have written or co-written $10 million worth of grants this semester! Now we just need to get a couple of them funded!

Winter still has not relinquished her grip on the Northwest. It was rainy yesterday and cold today. I am ready for some warmer weather! So are my baskets of flowers - they look decidedly cold!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Interesting poem on The Writers Almanac today.

Foreseeing

Middle age refers more
to landscape than to time:
it's as if you'd reached

the top of a hill
and could see all the way
to the end of your life,

so you know without a doubt
that it has an end—
not that it will have,
but that it does have,
if only in outline—so for the first time

you can see your life whole,
beginning and end not far
from where you stand,

the horizon in the distance—
the view makes you weep,
but it also has the beauty

of symmetry, like the earth
seen from space: you can't help
but admire it from afar,

especially now, while it's simple
to re-enter whenever you choose,
lying down in your life,

waking up to it
just as you always have—
except that the details resonate

by virtue of being contained,
as your own words
coming back to you

define the landscape,
remind you that it won't go on
like this forever.

Foreseeing, by Sharon Bryan.

Has it been almost a week! This week went fast. I submitted another grant this week - I think I must have authored or co-authored about 8 or 9 this semester. Must be an all-time record. What will I do if they all get funded?!! No worries, they won't.
I had been neglecting Riley all week - minimal walks around the block and promises of more later. She suffers when G'pa is away and I am at work all day. So I mad eup for it today by taking her for a long walk. I had heard that the grizzly bears had had two new cubs and so we walked from the house, out around by the golfcourse, past the grizzlies and back to campus. Probably about 3 miles at least, maybe more. It was a bit crsip - sunny but breezy, but I took off without a jacket and so we walked briskly to keep warm. Riley has been sleeping ever since! I think I wore her out. Myself too.
But, I noticed when I got back that the fertilizer that G'pa so thoughtfully put on the lawn before he left is really doing its job well. The grass really needed mowing. So I mowed the lawn. Just as well since it started to sprinkle just as I was finishing up!
I went to a UUCP potluck at the assissted living and retirement community in town. It was a pleasant evening.
I think now it's early to bed and a good night's sleep. I have papers to grade and an exam to write, but that will all wait until morning.

Back again! I have not blogged in a couple of weeks. Seems that I have been busy. I went to Utah to Miss D's 5th birthday party last weekend and really enjoyed the event. I had promised her that i would come and I am glad I made the effort. Of course, i got back on Sunday evening and went directly into a hectic week of work. I always seem to need a weekend to recover from my weekend!

Nothing much else is happening. It is a couple of weeks before the end of the semester and so things are heating up. I have two classes to finish up, a seminar, two more grants to get submitted, and a docotral student to pass judgment on! He did not do well on his written exam, so this coming week i have an oral exam to attend. I hop ehe does better!

I took G'pa Irv to the airport early on Saturday morning for his trip to Thailand. He will be there almost 6 weeks! I will join him on May 9th for 2 1/2 weeks. We plan to visit Cambodia during this time, especially Angkor Wat and other temples. I dread the long flight but otherwise am looking forward to the trip.

Weather is warm this weekend and i have planted quite a few things in the gardent. Irv built a fence around the hot-tub and so I have planted bulbs, a climbing rose, and three clematis plants. We also hung three baskets of annuals from the fence. It is really looking quite nice now. I love the spring and being able to get dirt under my fingernails!

Well, it's half-way through the week and I am feeling great. I think I am recovered. It has helped tremendously to have great weather. The weekend and Monday and Tuesday were great. sun and warm and perfect for being outside. We did lots of work in the yard, diggin, planting, trimming, etc. We bought plants at the WSU horticultural sale for our hanging baskets, we planed more bulbs we bought a couple of weeks ago. I tidied the flower beds, G'pa put up a lovely fence around the hottub which nmakes it much more private and so now I don't feel like I am tubbing with all the neighbors watching!

Work is just humming along, going well, only 4 weeks to go! G'pa leaves for Thailand in two weeks and then I follow in 3 more weeks.

Grandson #3 sent me a "flat Stanley" to take to work and document. He came to class with me today and my students had fun taking pictures of him with me!

I've been sick all week with a cold. Feeling really tired and drained. Yesterday I went in to work, but by 10 o'clock realized that I had absolutely no energy and just had to go home. I vegged on the couch all day doing absolutely nothing, which is what I had done for most of the week. I just hope that I regain some energy soon. I think that the weather isn't helping - it has been cold and wet all week, even snowed a heavy wet snow one day. But this weekend is looking up - it's supposed to be dry, sunny and relatively warm. Perhaps as much as 60 degrees! I think that will make a big difference, especially seeing the sun. Everyone at work is tense and nervous, the state budget is in the toilet and the University has been asked to cut 20 - 30% of its budget! That's huge and lots of people stand to lose their jobs. Morale is low and everyone is gloomy.
We definitely need a shot of spring here on the Palouse to brighten things up! I have to say I really enjoy watching the spring birds - house finches, goldfinches, juncos, chickadees, sparrows and even redwing blackbirds who visit our 6 or more bird feeders on a daily basis. Even the squirrels are cute, trying their best to get their share of the birdfood! Isaac the cat also enjoys watching them and chatters uncontrollably to them through the window!

It's back to work with a vengeance! but I have to admit it could be a lot worse. I really enjoy my job for the most part, although some things like grading papers is neve rany fun. but when I get a note from an advisee saying how much she appreciated what I was able to do for her then I feel that perhaps it's all worthwhile. If only every student understood that their professors were working hard for their success!

the other part of life is that I really do wish that spring would turn the corner. We have had a very unsettled week, with snow and hail and rain and sun and wind, and cool temperatures throughout. Soon spring will be here and the weather will be warmer.

Last Sunday was Mothering Sunday in England. I sent my mother a huge bunch of flowers for her special day. She really appreciated that. Her conservatory is coming along just fine since my brother has finally started work on it!

Nothing much else to report this week!

Friday is almost over and now I am wondering where my week has gone! Tomorrow we go back to Pullman and work starts again.

I have started reading a fascinating book Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the battle for America's Soul. Rather a pretentious, all-encompassing subtitle but it is about the battle between creationism and evolution as taught in our schools' science classes. It is quite scary too. But a definite "must read'.

Not much else to report except that I have recently started exchanging stories about my life with an old classmate from Scotland. We happened on each other through Friends Reunited and are having fun reminiscing about our lives! We apparently were in the same Latin class at Ayr Academy!

Another lazy day. up late, late breakfast, hottub, watched a movie before lunch ...!!
Went into town and did a little shopping at TJMaxx. Bought a couple of shirts, a skirt and a pair of jeans. Nothing really exciting to report, but am feeling quite relaxed.

What a lovely decadent day! I did NOTHING! other than eat, read, and eat some more! What a treat. I found this book review at the NYTimes today. Sounds interesting and I think I will add it to my ever-lengthening list of books worth reading!

http://nytimes.com/2009/03/17/books/17kaku.html?8dpc

It's spring break! We are in Lolo, Montana for the week. We drove over yesterday, and so today was our first full day. It's funny, but I got a bit bored in the afternoon and fidgety and couldn't quite figure out what to do for a bit. but we went for a walk, and then drove into town for a few groceries and other errands. It is jsut so nice to not have to think about any work.
Things are lurking in the background of my mind, but I refuse to let them come in - at least for a couple of days. It is nice to be back in Lolo. The weather is cold and unsettled - we saw a few snow flurries and some rain. But it's relatively warm - around 50 degrees during the day today.

It's time to blog again. I am not sure where a whole week went, but i was busy submitting two more grants. Enough already, no more this semester. From now on, I iwll just concentrate on my classes. About 6 or 7 more weeks to go. We put the clocks back this weekend but winter still has us in her grip. It has snowed off and on all day today, and I think I shoveled about four inches of the sidewalk and driveway.
This past weekend G'pa and I had two social events - that's not common for us. On friday night we went to a 50's and 60's dance at the UUCP church. they had a live band playing all the songs from my teenagehood! It was great fun!
then on Saturday evening we joined a couple of friends at a wine club lamb and wine pairings dinner. We had a great 5 course dinner and four different wines to try out with it. I was so full by the end of it!
that's aobut it for now.
I'll try to check back in before another week is past.

I just got back from Sleeping Lady resort in Western Washington near Leavenworth. It was a retreat for WAToToM - Washington Teachers of Teachers of Math. It was a great weekend - way too much food! And very good to boot! Good people, good interactions, good work done!

I heard tonight that my oldest grandson won lots of medals at a state meeting of UIL. He is a math whiz! A genius!
Here's the website for UIL - University Interscholastic League - http://www.uil.utexas.edu/
The results aren't posted yet but they should be soon.

I am also reading a new book - see my bookshelf- Speaking Truth to Power, by Anita Hill. It is a fascinating account of an important sexual harrassment case that I remember quite clearly. I am very interested to read her account of it all. She will be at WSU later this month to speak.

Here's something that looks like fun! a 60 mile bike ride around the Yakima valley wineries!



http://wineglasscellars.com/Local_Bike_Rides.htm



You can also do them by horseback, or in a horse-drawn cart! there's an article in the March issue of Sunset Magazine! I was going to include a link but it's not up at their website yet.

five minute university

This is funny! I tried to do what Mama V does and put the video here, but I can't figure out how, so I just included the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO8x8eoU3L4

I had to post this poem - it made me think of Mamma V and Miss D and K-wiggles and M-moo making pasta!

Linguini
by Diane Lockward

It was always linguini between us.
Linguini with white sauce, or red sauce,
sauce with basil snatched from the garden, oregano rubbed between
our palms, a single bay leaf adrift amidst
plum tomatoes. Linguini with meatballs,
sausage, a side of brascioli. Like lovers
trying positions, we enjoyed it every way
we could-artichokes, mushrooms, littleneck clams, mussels, and calamari-linguini
twining and braiding us each to each.
Linguini knew of the kisses, the smooches, the molti baci.
It was never spaghetti
between us, not cappellini, nor farfalle, vermicelli, pappardelle, fettucini, perciatelli,
or even tagliarini. Linguini we stabbed, pitched, and twirled on forks, spun round and round
on silver spoons. Long, smooth, and always
al dente. In dark trattorias, we broke crusty panera,
toasted each other—La dolce vita!—and sipped
Amarone, wrapped ourselves in linguini, briskly boiled, lightly oiled, salted, and lavished
with sauce. Bellissimo, paradisio, belle gente!
Linguini witnessed our slurping, pulling, and sucking, our unraveling and raveling, chins
glistening, napkins tucked like bibs in collars, linguini stuck to lips, hips, and bellies, cheeks
flecked with formaggio—parmesan, romano,and shaved pecorino—strands of linguini flung
around our necks like two fine silk scarves.

"Linguini" by Diane Lockward, from What Feeds Us. © Wind Publications, 2006.

Shrimp, mango and black beans

This is one of my favorite recipes, one that I modified from a vegetarian one - it's just the same, except I add shrimp. It's adapted from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven recipe book, from the recipe Black Beans in Mango Sauce.



1 1/2 T olive oil

2 c. minced red onion

1 T minced garlic

1 3-in jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 1/2 T minced fresh ginger

1 /12 t. cumin seeds

1 1/2 t. salt

2 - 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 6 T fresh lime juice

2 large ripe mangoes, chopped

resh ground black pepper to taste

Minced fresh cilantro

Shrimp

(I make a half recipe and it works just fine. I serve it over rice)



Heat oil, add 1 3/4 c. onion, the garlic, chile, ginger, cumin seeds and salt. Saute at medium for 3 minutes.

Turn heat down, and add black beans and half the lime juice (I add uncooked shrimp at this point. if I use cooked shrimp I add it later). Saute 5 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat. Add remaining lime juice and half the chopped mango (last time I just added all the mango). Stir. Grind some black pepper, then cover and let stand for about 15 minutes to let sauce develop.

Serve warm, or at room temperature, or cold, topped with remaining red onion and mango, and cilantro. I serve warm over rice.

Polenta Pizza

This looks yummy, though I haven't tried it.



1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for pan
1/2 cup milk, preferably whole
Salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) chopped pancetta
1 pound spinach, washed, trimmed and dried
1 to 1 1/2 cups Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled.
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, 10 or 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in a bit more water; you want a consistency approaching thick oatmeal.
2. Stir 1 tablespoon oil into cooked cornmeal (polenta). Spoon it onto prepared pan, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more (you can refrigerate polenta overnight if you prefer).
3. Put polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. Meanwhile, put two tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and pancetta is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to take onion and pancetta out of pan; set aside. Add spinach to skillet and sauté until it releases its water and pan becomes dry; sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.
4. Take polenta out of oven, sprinkle with Gorgonzola, then spread onion-pancetta mixture and spinach evenly on top of cheese; drizzle with another tablespoon olive oil. Put pizza back in oven for two minutes, or until cheese begins to melt and pancetta and vegetables are warmed through. Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.
Yield: 4 servings.
Variation: Before you put polenta in oven, top it with thin slices of fresh mozzarella, two or three thinly sliced Roma tomatoes or a bit of tomato sauce, and a handful of fresh basil leaves.

Wonderful day!

I slept better last night than I have in weeks. And this morning, I got up when I woke up, worked on grading back homework that had accumulated while I was preoccupied. After an early lunch, I got out my bike, inflated the tires, found my helmet and lock, and rode my bike over to the office. Boy did that feel good!
I had a couple of meetings this afternoon, entered all the grades that i had generated, went to a department meeting, and then rode my bike home!
I feel like a million bucks, and I think it's all because fo the exercise. Intellectually I know it's good for me, but I never seem to be able to find the time. So now I am reminded of how important it is.
This evening, I cooked my favorite meal - shrimp, mango and black beans over rice. Now, I am going to relax and watch a movie - The Changeling. I'll let you know how it is!

The grant is submitted!

What a week! I can't believe that I have actually survived it. Yesterday was about the worst day i have had for as long as I can remember, but i finally submitted the grant at about 3:30 p.m. I was just about done in.

Of course, there was not much respite, since all the homework I have assigned in the last couple of weeks has been accumulating. So I dove into it last night a graded for several hours.
Then to bed!
Here's a poem that captures my attempts at sleep for the past two weeks!

Tossing and Turningby John Updike

The spirit has infinite facets, but the body
confiningly few sides.
There is the left,
the right, the back, the belly, and tempting
in-betweens, northeasts and northwests,
that tip the heart and soon pinch circulation
in one or another arm.
Yet we turn each time
with fresh hope, believing that sleep
will visit us here, descending like an angel
down the angle our flesh's sextant sets,
tilted toward that unreachable star
hung in the night between our eyebrows, whence
dreams and good luck flow.
Uncross
your ankles. Unclench your philosophy.
This bed was invented by others;
know we goto sleep less to rest than to participate
in the twists of another world.
This churning is our journey. It ends,
can only end, around a corner
we do not know
we are turning.
"Tossing and Turning" by John Updike, from Collected Poems 1953-1993.
© Alfred A. Knopf, 1993.

I'm trying to think of something erudite to post about my day - but for the life of me I can't think what that might be!! I got up and got going and walked to work by 8am. I spent most of the morning on the phone with a school superintendent trying to help him get registered at the government website so taht we could include his school district in our big grant. It took most of the morning on the phone! Then a couple of my students came in to see me, and brought me fudge! It was really great to spend some time helping them with their math and then talking in general about their plans. They are both planning to become mathematics teachers. I look at these young men with such admiration wanting to follow such a vocation , knowing full well that they won't eve make tons of money doing it. It is not because of the money. This is why I do what I do.

I taught both my classes, posted several documents on the website for the grant, talked with the evaluation team for the grant about their budget and how we were going to make this all work. All the while, I had posted an ad on Criaglist for a house cleaner earlier this week and have been inundated with emails in response to that. What did we ever do without Craigslist? I took the bus home since I felt too tired to walk. I have sat and relaxed, read the mail and the paper, watched Jeopardy! and now it's time to eat.

So now I neeed to cook and eat some dinner. I have marinated some chicken breast and will probably stir fry it and eat, then fall into bed and sleep til morning. My life is so boring! Riley would agree - she is mad becuase she didn't get a walk today. I promised her I will walk her in the morning.

So that's my day!

checking back in

I hope you haven't all gone away! I realize that if I don't blog every day then you don't check in every day. but here I am, back again.

I went to Orlando to a professional meeting last week. Busy, busy. But G'pa and I took half a day off to go to the Kennedy Space Center and take the tour around to see where they launched all the space missions. It was cold and windy, but lots of fun and very interesting to be there.
The last day in Orlando was warm and sunny and "poolside" weather. Mid 70's probably.

It's been "hit the ground running" since I got back. Just a blur of working, teaching, and working on writing grants. I am working on several right now and deadlines are looming.

I woke early this morning, thinking about what we'd left off the grant budget, walked the dog around the block - she has been needing a walk - G'pa left her leash and pinch collar in his car at the airport so I had to replace that - took me two days of calling around etc. to find somewhere that had them in the area that I could actually get to after work before they closed! I still am getting used to the fact that we are living in "not 24/7 land". Drove to Moscow yesterdya and made it to the stor 10 minutes before they closed at 6 p.m.

Didn't get home tonight until after 6 p.pm. I fell asleep on the bus on the way home from work (I was too tired to walk) and missed my stop and had to walk quite a long way anyhow! Since I got home I veg'd for about half an hour, fixed dinner, ate, fed dog and cat, read mail, looked for the newspaper that didn't come tonight for some reason, posted an ad on Criagslist for a house cleaner and now here I am blogging. But I have a briefcase full of homework assignments to grade - that 's what I get when I go out of town for two trips in the last two weeks - and have a meeting in Moscow at the University of Idaho at 8 in the morning. Have to pick up a colleague at 7:20am. So, life goes on!

Here's a bit of trivia about today, courtesy of The Writers Almanac.

February 2nd is a "cross-quarter" day in the solar calendar, which means that it falls exactly between a solstice and an equinox.

It's the ancient Celtic celebration of Imbolc, in honor of Brigit, the goddess of fire, poetry, healing, and childbirth. Brigit brings the healing power of the sun back to the world on Imbolc, a day that carries the first promise of spring. Imbolc comes from the Old Irish i mbolg, meaning "in the belly," because this is the time when ewes became pregnant to deliver spring lambs.
The Christians took over the Celtic celebration and made February 2nd into a Christian holiday, Candlemas Day. Candlemas Day celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple exactly 40 days after Christmas.

There are many old sayings about today — about the emergence of animals from their winter dens and omens that predict the season ahead. One English saying goes:

If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight.
But if Candlemas day bring clouds and rain,
Winter is gone and won't come again.

There was a tradition in many European countries of watching animals — especially badgers — to see how they acted on this day. If they returned to their dens, it meant that there was still a long winter ahead.

German immigrants in Pennsylvania found that there weren't a lot of badgers in America, but there were a lot of groundhogs, so the holiday evolved into Groundhog Day. The first reference to Groundhog Day is from 1841, in the diary of a storekeeper in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. He wrote:
"Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks' nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."

the last couple of days just flew by. I got back from Dc and hit the ground running with work. In fact, I had a meeting at 4:30 on Wednesday right after my plane landed at 3:45pm. Then yesterday I worked on this and that - grading, working on a grant proposal, catching up ata the office- and today I taught both my classes. They seemed to go really well. I do enjoy teaching.

I wish I could say that all sorts of exciting things happened, but they didn't. We had fresh ahi tuna for dinner and now we're watching a movie - at least G'pa is but I lost interest.

I am thinking about our trips this summer to Thailand and Greece. We need to buy our tickets but havne't yet. I have bought guidebooks for both places - but the Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia one hasn't arrived yet. I plan to get to Angkor Wat for sure on this next trip. In Greece I favor just finding a small island in the Aegean sea and staying there for a week or so. Just feels really good right now when it is still quite cold here.

Washington DC

I am at a conference in DC this week, just days after the presidential inauguration. There was evidence from the big event all over town. I am staying near the White House and Mall area so on Saturday a friend and I wlaked down to the White House. Here's a picture of me with President Obama!
Nice of him to see me on such short notice!


Today it's snowing - they expect 2 inches or so and all the schools are closed! Funny!

Now it's Thursday and still foggy on the Palouse. The fog has sat here for at least 2 weeks, maybe three, and I am ready to see the sun. We had a tiny glimpse of blue sky this morning but that window on the world quickly closed and the fog moved back in agian. the trees are all frosted with icicles which occasionally rain down. The weather is supposed to get cold and snowy this weekend. Wonder if that will change the fog?!

I am off to Washington DC tomorrow for 5 days, for meetings with friends and colleagues at NSF (National Science Foundation). I will be staying at the Renaissance Hotel on 9th St NW. I just looked it up and it's very near the Mall and the Capitol. I think I will have Sunday free so I will try to see something special. I am thinking that this time I will go to the Museum of American History - partly because it has just reopened after being closed for 2 years for renovation, and also because of the recent inauguration and increassed interest in things American!

I have to report that I did something today that felt pretty good! I have been trying really hard to not take on any obligations for the summer and so far have turned down quite a few things. I have been saving hard so that I will be able to pay the bills this summer without working. Not sure that I have enough to pay for my planned trip to Thailand/Cambodia/Vietnam in May/June or for my trip to Greece in July but hey ...l I filled out a form that said "No thank you, I do not want to teach anything this summer!" It felt pretty good to turn that form in!!!

almost a week later

I can't believe it's been another week. But, here's what happened. I worked really long and hard last weekend to get a grant submitted by the 5 pm deadline on Monday. We got it done - by 3 pm! With two hours to spare. But I paid the price - my back was just aching from all that sitting and all the stress of the deadline, together with the first day of classes being last Monday. My back just got worse and worse all week - to the point where I couldn't sit, I could hardly turn over or get out of bed, and walking was extremely painful. but I knew that I had to walk to get better, so riley got more walks last week than usual. I tried to walk twice a day. It paid off, and now I am feeling much better. I was even able to get out of bed and not be gripped with back spasms and pain. At the same time this week our hot tub was delivered and hooked up and I have been in it at least twice a day most days. Nice because the weather is drab and grey and foggy. Every once in a while the sun breaks through and the trees look lovely with all the frost on them.
Today was a good day - a day off. I didn't get out and volunteer, but I did get some things done at home. slowly chipping away at the backlogged work that I need to get done. And now of course I have two more grant proposals in the works. I will need to be more careful about letting them sneak up on me.

I have been reading The Power of Now as my "bathroom book" It is pretty good for that - you really need to take it in short bursts and then just reflect on it. I am also reading a biography of Florence Nightingale. quite interesting! Quite an amazing woman.

In between, I am watching some TV - the pre-inauguration activities and also the Australian Open Tennis Tournament.
So that's my life.

Some catching up!

I didn't realize that I hadn't blogged in so long! Time flies when you're having fun! Except that it wasn't really. I had some weird digestive tract ailment for several days - thankfully it seems to have gone, but while I had it I felt nauseous, sick, headachy, stomach upset, etc. - and now just when that has finally gone, the last couple of days my back has been killing me. I took two long walks today, and have made a commitment to keep doing it - Riley (the dog) is really happy about that decision.

The reason my back is aching is that I sat for nearly four days working on a grant proposal that finally went in on Monday at 3pm - a full 2 hours before the deadline! I just can't sit like that, my back just won't take it.

So today I took the day off and just stayed at home. It was a lovely day - 50 degrees and sunny and I enjoyed most of it.


We had our new hottub delivered and it is sweet!! Here it is: It's the one on the bottom right - the Jetsetter. I couldn't seem to find a separate picture. Oh well ...:(











I am just waiting for it to heat all the way up and I will be in it! My back will love it. We also got DirectTV today. I am not so happy about that. The TV has been on in the living room most of the evening. I muted it twice, and then my better half unmuted it - then promptly left for the "boys room" leaving me to listen to it! this is exactly why I hate TV. but then, when Wimbledon is on I will be happy.


I talked with my brother Jeremy today too. He is a bit bored I think since he is not working having been laid off before Christmas.


He will possibly be in the US on a consulting job in March in Florida- I am trying to convince him that he would like to come and visit me.

He also sent me a couple of photos of me from Jocelyn's wedding earlier this year. Here they are:


You may notice my mother in the background of this one, and Jeremy to my left.












This next one is just of me - trying to understand the Portugese ceremony I think.






























I have also spent quite a bit of time this past week looking at Greek tourist guides. I am hoping to go to Greece this July - to a professional meeting for about 5 days - and then perhaps see a bit of the Greek Islands before coming back to the US. It has been fun to browse the books and try to decide where would be fun to visit.

Support Public Radio

Public Radio Market is a good place for book suggestions. They have a list of best books for 2008, both fiction and non-fiction. Plus, any purchases made there support Public Radio.

Here's the link for it -
Public Radio Market.

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