The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
It took me a long time to read this book. I chose it for my book club's "American Classic" month. Although I found myself counting pages at times, plugging along at my own little turtle pace, and even getting frustrated and wanting to give up - I couldn't. So I think that says something about this book. If you are looking for a book that whisks you away and is full of action, this is not the book for you. However, the writing really is great. For a classic, the writing is quite modern, the dialect terrific, and the characterization phenomenal. The depth and range of the people you meet is, to me, what makes this book have staying power. I'm sure many people read this with a bleeding heart - much to my suprise, I didn't. The family in this book, the Joads, was not about self-pity, but more about strength. It showed a period in our country's history in a new light for me. On one side, you read about the Californians who were ruthless in wanting to exploit or drive out the migrant workers. On the other hand, you read about the migrant workers, who were extremely poor & hungry, yet still managed to be generous. What I will remember most about this book is Ma telling Rose of Sharon that "it isn't all about you, all the time." Touche'


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25 Random Things About Me

UPDATED!
*I thought of a few more interesting things....so I had to tweak the first one.

25 Random Things About Me


1.I once got my head stuck in between two banister posts at Sunday School.
2.I am a big fan of library books. Geeky, I know.
3.Which brings me to #3 – I worked at the Colonial Heights Public Library in high school and as a result memorized ridiculous amounts of Dewey Decimal Numbers (which I have since forgotten.)
4.I chew every hard candy I eat.
5.I had a gray tooth for a while when I was a toddler from hitting it on my tricycle's handlebars.
6.My swim coach growing up was the scariest woman I have ever met. I still have flashbacks of her deep, booming voice yelling, “SA-RAH”
7.My cat comes running if I sing loud enough. She especially loves Rent, Wicked, and Stevie Wonder songs.
8.I have really terrible eyesight.....really, really terrible. We're talking about a -8.50 prescription people.
9.I am knitting a sock. If it goes well, I might just knit another one. But, if you see me with only one sock on you'll know what happened.
10.I've been told I'm really good at tuning people out...some like to call it selective listening. I like to call it focusing.
11.I like to fall asleep during movies – which is why I really don't like to go to the movie theater.
12.I love Indian food.
13.Abraham Lincoln is my favorite U.S. President.
14.I am afraid of sharks (seriously) and will only swim in the ocean if I can see the bottom. I try to go out there, but it usually ends in me feeling panicky and having to come back in....sigh. I happen to be a really good swimmer, isn't it ironic...
15.I can't stand riding in a car, but love traveling.
16.I don't know how to whistle or roll my r's. Sad.
17.I make my bed everyday, even if it is after work occasionally.
18.I can't stand stacks of papers, but can't seem to avoid this at work.
19.I am married to a really smart guy, who also happens to be pretty humble – which I love.
20.I have all of my old koala bears. I keep them in my classroom, and my favorite ones are the ones my 2nd graders have given me.
21.I was born 3 weeks early, and my mom said my ears were like tissue paper. My ears are just fine now thank you very much. Oh, and I share a birthday with Prince or the artist formerly known as prince or that symbol or whatever it is he is using these days.
22.I overslept for a college English final once....oops!
23.If you get a belated birthday wish/card/present from me, don't take it personally I'm terrible at mailing things.
24.I never wear a watch.
25.I don't drink caffeine, and haven't in 8 years.

Superman, Fuzzy Socks, and Curling Up with a Cat

My dad had back surgery on Monday. No one likes it when people they love are hurt - especially if it is your dad. For those of you who don't know my dad he is Superman. I have always thought of him that way, and I always will. I'm sure my sisters can back me up on this. He can fix anything (no job is too big or small) and puts other people before himself. Going to visit him last night in the hospital I didn't know how he would be feeling. I knew that he had been in excruciating pain for at least a month and all we wanted was for him to feel better. Superman was down, and it was very sad. Much to my surprise, upon arriving in Richmond, I found Dad to be back to his old self again even mentioning a couple of projects he needed to come to Lynchburg to complete....oh geez....I'm not sure about that, but I'm happy to say that Superman is back! Hooray!

It was a good thing that I had a snow day today because I was quite exhausted after our turn around trip. (I'm still not sure how Ryan has made it through the day...) However, I didn't have too much time to mope around before I was off to meet Heather at the Y for a quick workout before she headed to work. This gave me a little jump start to my day. A day I am proud to say without TV. My book club is reading The Last Lecture this month and I was determined to finish it so Colleen could borrow it. So I put on my favorite (and only) pair of green fuzzy socks and curled up in a chair and started to read. Molly decided that she wanted to join me so she jumped up and read with me too. I can't even tell you what a treat it was. Complete peace and quiet with my furry friend and fuzzy socks.

After I got up she decided that Ryan's vest was the perfect rainy day spot - and that is why I love her.
Shortly after I realized that I never pressed start on the washing machine so the 4 loads of laundry I was going to brag about quickly went down to only 3. *Sigh* Back to reality!

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
A great read, I loved the way his stories were tied up into these tiny bundles - it felt like I was sitting at the kitchen table talking with family. So many things in this book echo lessons my parents have taught me through their own words and actions. I was worried that after reading I would feel depressed, but this book was quite the opposite. I loved his humor and his occasional in your face attitude. What a gift not only for his children, but for all of us as well.


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A Week in Retrospect

Watching this inauguration through the eyes of my 2nd graders was really hilarious. Our country's important day was very impressive. Everywhere I went, I was bombarded with reminders the historical significance this day held. It was a very powerful moment, and it was hard not to be awash in emotion. For me, it was a reminder that no matter what you believe in the end - we can come together when it really counts as a peaceful nation. But, you can only take so much of that kind of blubbering on before you need a catharsis. Luckily, I had a bunch of kids around me. Most of the teachers around the school were tuned in the the inauguration at some point or another. We turned it on around 11, and watched it through lunch. It was very exciting to watch, but I could only be so invested with every 2 seconds a student shouting:

Student "Who's that old guy?"
Me "That's George and Barbara Bush"
Student "Why are there two George Bushes?"
Me "They are father and son."
Student "Who is that guy with Hillary?"
Me "That is Bill Clinton. He was the president before George Bush."
Student "Well, who is THAT guy?"
Me "That is Jimmy Carter - he also used to be president"
Student "Oh - how much longer are we going to watch this?"
Me "Well, Barak and his family will be coming soon. Then, he will make a promise to be the best president he can."
Student "Oh. Mrs. Knapp, do you want to be the president?"
Me "No"
Student "Why? You are really smart."
Me "Well, I like being a teacher. Besides it's too stressful being the president."
Student "But you could live in the White House"
Me "That would be pretty awesome."
Student "Yeah, and you would have a bowling lane AND a movie theater."

At this point the Obamas arrived and all of the kids were silent watching the First Kids. That is when it hit me that what is real to them is a couple of kids getting to move into the White House. I loved that this day represented something different to me than to my students. This day means something different to our parents and grandparents than it might have to us. But what we need is everybody's experience blended together to make a complete experience. You don't realize that you are a part of history until you look back and realize that you have stories to tell about things that have happened in the world. You were there. I think it is a gift to have been an American alive to see the swearing in of our first African American president.

Student "Who is that lady singing?"
Me "That is Aretha Franklin. She is a really famous singer."
Student "Why is she wearing that big bow on her head."
Me "I have no idea."

Surprises

I love surprises - especially being in on a surprise for someone else. Usually I am very bad at keeping surprises. I get so excited inside that I just feel like I'm going to bubble over. I will drop hints like, "Boy do I have a surprise for you." OR "I can't wait until your surprise comes." Ryan is very hard to surprise, probably because he is always around. Because I have to be so sneaky with him it makes it even more fun. Well, for his 28th birthday he already had his present picked out. What fun is that? So, my amazing friend, Heather, helped me pull off the surprise for him. Well, I take that back - I basically did nothing. She did all of the work, so she gets full credit on this one!

Heather is a fabulous baker. Back when we used to teach together I would get really excited when she would bring me her homemade banana & chocolate chip muffins or brownies. YUM! Lately she has gotten the fancy, theme cake making bug - and let me tell you. She is really good. So, I had asked her if she would make a camera cake for Ryan's birthday. When I saw this thing, I could not believe my eyes. It was PERFECT...down to the tiniest detail. I loved it so much and couldn't wait for her to show it to Ryan. When it was time for the cake, Heather brought it in to him and the smile on his face was perfect! He loved it! I was so sad to have to cut into it...but it was really delicious, and even had TWO layers - yellow & chocolate.

More than the cake, or suprising Ryan, though I felt very lucky to have a friend like Heather. A friend that I can call anytime and will help me out with anything. She is the best surprise that happened to me in Lynchburg - a kindred spirit and a lifelong friend. :o) Thanks Heather! You ROCK!

Totally Tubular!

Those double pointed needles can haunt me no more! Call me the knitting ninja because I knitted in the round last night. I made a tube, and I want to add that I used 4 double pointed needles to do it. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities. I am no longer limited to flat pieces. I'm well on my way to hats, mittens, socks, and even sleeves. Hooray!

Unfortunately, my first attempt at a sock didn't fair so well. I got messed up somewhere along the way, but I saved my first tube and decided that a failed sock was no reason to be down because a successful tube complete with ribbing was exciting enough for one evening.

Suzanne's Knitting Shoppee

Those of you that know me are aware of my new love: knitting. I haven't been doing it for long, but I am very drawn to this relaxing hobby. I love that you can take it anywhere. I love that there is always something new to learn. I love that it brings people together. And, I love the feeling of accomplishment you get from completing a project.

My good friend, Ashley, happened to mention this article about a local knitting business. She was getting excited about learning to knit herself, and liked the idea of having a place you could go for help if you needed it!

I was out shopping today feeling kind of sorry for myself after I learned that not only had one of my favorite Lynchburg restaurants officially closed, but also a cute boutique as well. MAN! I decided that I would go home empty handed, not wanting to go to the mall only to be disappointed when I was reminded that the Gap had closed, too.

That's when I passed the shopping center where Suzanne's Knitting Shoppee was. I quickly turned into the parking lot, and followed the signs to the side of a strip of shops. I parked and ran in. The article mentioned above did not do this place justice. I looked around, noting the floor to ceiling shelves & racks that held some of the most interesting and most colorful yarn I had ever seen. Prices and labels were handwritten. Completed and partially completed projects were tucked around the store. "Isn't this beautiful?" an elderly woman asked me from her seat on a small bench. I would come to learn that it was knit by Suzanne herself as well. The two women continued to chat quietly about what they had been up to and what everyone was working on in the knitting class. A cup of tea aromatically sat perched on a small table.

I continued to admire all of the different yarns. "Now this is really something," the same woman commented now admiring a shawl, which was very cool. I said that I didn't think I was ready for projects like that yet, being that I was a beginner. That's when Suzanne got up and said, "Oh there's nothing to this!" I laughed and told her that I had just taught myself the knit and purl stitches before Christmas. I felt like I had stepped into a hidden treasure. Suzanne and I continued to talk about what I had knitted, and even gave me a few tips for next time. And there we were two strangers from two very different generations sharing something. There was no pressure to buy, no rush to get in and out, just the murmur of a quiet, first conversation. I pointed out a couple of yarns that interested me and she would comment that this one was hand dyed or these had the richest colors. I told her that I loved her shop and couldn't wait to come back to pick out supplies for my next project. She smiled a deep smile and said, "It was so nice meeting you."

I can't wait to go back, and maybe next time I will bring along a project so I can stay awhile.

School Closings

Why is it that no matter how stressed you get at work, if you get a snow day it makes everything worth it?

I think all jobs should get snow days! They are like little presents all wrapped up with fun! Yay!

Flambe

OMG! I just had a mini heart attack. So Ryan is making "Boeuf Bourguignon" for dinner tonight. No, not BEEF borguignon...BOEUF bourguignon. What is the difference you ask? Fancy French Spelling, of course!

Ina Garten (who I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) states in her Barefoot in Paris cookbook:

"I never really liked beef bourguignon. After cooking for three hours, the meat was stringy and dry and the vegetables were overcooked. So, I tried to solve the problem and came up with a delicious stew that cooks in an hour and a half. The good news is that it's even better the second day, so it's great for entertaining."

Well, that sounds easy enough. But, when she says it cooks in an hour and a half she really means it has to cook for an hour and a half AFTER you complete steps 1 - 20 all of which say, "add this and cook for a minute, add this and cook for 10 minutes, add this and this and simmer for 5 minutes"...you get the idea. 1.5 hours would not be the total cooking time, more like 3.5 - 4 hours from start to finish.

Don't ask me why on a Tuesday night he wants to make a meal that takes a good 4 hours to prepare. Sometimes he just gets these wild ideas and after 4+ years of marriage, I just run with it because there is no stopping him. I think maybe this time he is celebrating the arrival of his new telephoto camera lens - early birthday/anniversary/'09 christmas present. And might I add that he is whistling as he cleans up the dishes now that the stew is in the oven. That is sick.

But, I'm sure you are wondering where the mini heart attack comes in. Enter step 15ish "Add the Cognac, stand back (yes, it was also in italics in the book), and ignite with a match. AKA - FLAMBE

Now, we have flambeed in our house several times. No big deal. It is fun and festive and makes a delicious bananas foster. However we have never flambeed with this intensity. I have no idea how someone would do this with a match because as soon as the flame ignited the alcohol a gigantic flame shot up to the microwave that was over the stove. I just knew for sure that it was going to ignite the kitchen cabinets. Usually, you get a big flame and then very rapidly the flame extinguishes. Well, not this flame - it must have been working out because I swear this thing kept going. Ryan then decides it will be a great idea to stir it with the wooden spoon. Um, okay. But, like I mentioned before, after 4+ years of marriage, I know that there are some arguments not worth having - besides a pot bursting into flames with Ryan holding the accompanying ignited spoon would have made a great shot with the new telephoto lens.

To ease your mind, the flames did eventually retreat, and no spoon ever caught fire. But Ryan did look back at me with that mischievious smile and say, "maybe next time we will do that outside."

Goodbye T-Rex...

Disclaimer: I could have included this into the previous blog, but I really think that this deserves a blog of its own.

Saturday afternoon was the last day of the Knapp Aquarium as we know it. For four years, Ryan and I have lovingly and more recently grudgingly taken care of a 30 gallon freshwater tropical fish tank. We started out with one little sprig of java fern (a low light, natural plant) and ended up with a java fern that is covering half of the tank. We've had danios, tetras, gobies, barbs, platys, an upside down catfish, and a lovely, sweet, perfect algae eater named T-Rex.

Back when we were first married and in our apartment, we thought it would be fun to have a fish tank, and it was! We didn't even mind scrubbing the obscene amounts of algae that coated the sides of the tank relentlessly. But, then we got Molly, and let's just say a cat is a lot more fun than fish. We didn't neglect the fish, but they just became an afterthought. Then, we bought a house, and by the time we were ready to move we were so over being fish owners.

Not wanting to be unnecessarily cruel, we decided to try and move the fish, water, & tank to the new house. It was only across town after all. Secretly, I knew that the chances of the fish surviving the move or surviving for very long after the move were slim to none. I did an inner evil laugh (Muwahaha!) thinking that it wouldn't be long until we were fish free! We decided that we wouldn't buy any more fish, but instead just let the tank run its course. Well, apparently Ryan and I have blue thumbs because flash forward two and a half years and here we are with a THRIVING fish community.

There was only one fish that I really loved, T-Rex. He had grown from a mere 1 inch back in our apartment to a good 3 1/2 inches. He was awesome. Always moving around working hard to keep our tank clean. He was the perfect fish. We didn't even bother naming the other fish because we just didn't care about them....until one tetra got an air bubble in his stomach & swam vertically (we called him Verti). T-Rex was definitely the Danny Zuko of our tank - very cool! Well, T had rocking health and wasn't going anywhere. And saying this out loud (or in writing) seems very harsh. But, Ryan and I were just spent. Now, I know that in life, you can't just give back your children or even your cats and dogs just because you are sick of them. But it was a bunch of fish. So we did the right thing and called our local fish store (which is really amazing)! They said that they would take back the fish. YAY! So we fished them out, said our goodbyes to T, and headed to the store. I will admit that I was a little sad, maybe even a little guilty, but I was so freaking happy to be getting rid of the eye sore of a fish tank in our living room! Ryan took in the fish, and the guy working there was even like, "Cool fish! We need fish to put in with our live plants. We won't sell them, but leave them in the tank to help the plants grow." So, Ryan and I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that T would be living out the rest of his life in a posh fish retirement - surrounded by tons of live plants and being taken care of by people that love fish. That makes me happy, and I hope it makes T happy too!

So, goodbye T, you were one heck of a fish! MWAH!

What a Week!

Well, my first week back from vacation was very eventful. It is always hard to come back from 2 weeks off. I had gotten used to staying up late and sleeping in. It was great, although very difficult once my alarm rang on Monday. It seemed I didn't have a minute to spare with work meetings or social meetings of some kind or another. With two meetings on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, and two more on Thursday, all I did was race from one place to another, barely having time to sit down. Things will slow down this week (thank goodness)! I really don't know how people keep up this kind of schedule all the time. As much as I love being out and about & socializing, there was nothing that I wanted to do more than curl up on the couch with Ryan (and Molly) on Friday. That's exactly what we did. I think I was asleep by 9:30. It was amazing! After a pretty restful and low key weekend, I feel ready to face this week with a little more energy. Plus, I need to rest up for Ryan's big birthday celebration on Saturday! Yay!

Across the Universe

Ryan and I have had this movie from Netflix since late August and while at one time I was really excited about seeing it, I just couldn't bring myself to sit down and watch it. We had been really bad about watching movies this fall both too busy or just too tired to actually enjoy one. Finally biting the bullet on Saturday we put it in the DVD player. I knew it was going to be an "artsy" one. But, other than that, I really had no expectations. I really just wanted to see it because of the Beatles music. My girlfriends in I back in high school loved the Beatles and because of that I have a ton of their albums and know many songs by heart. I still have a soft spot for them. I don't know if it is good memories or good music and in all honesty it probably is a little of both. I am always quick to defend the Fab Four to anyone who pokes fun, but that's nothing new as I am quite used to people making fun of my choices in music mostly because of my Rob Stewart devotion and vast knowledge of Broadway music. (What can I say? I'm a little dorky, but I've never denied it.)

But back to the movie...

I was a little skeptical at first - I thought incorporating all of those songs might be a tad forced and a little cheesy. But, it was surprising how naturally all of the songs fit into the fabric of the story (which wasn't a very intricate one, but a sweet one regardless). I could have done without all of the psychedelic dream sequences, but hey, I understand, the Beatles were quite psychedelic themselves as witnessed on many of their later albums -- most of which had strange songs or lyrics..."I am the eggman....I am the walrus..." (which even John Lennon admits to writing while tripping on acid so I rest my case). BUT, let's put the drugs aside and get back to the heart of what I am trying to say.

The Beatles spoke so clearly and honestly through their music that it helped to define two important decades. That is why this movie is so cool. Do I think the writer should take credit for having the brains to put it all together? Sure! But, I think the real credit should go to the Beatles, themselves. It was almost as if without knowing it, they were telling the story of a whole generation. The other part of this movie that was so fantastic was the new arrangements of the music. It was as if I was hearing some of the songs for the first time and understanding the emotions in a fresh and sometimes different way. So, kudos to the actors for their performances and the musicians for the arranging. Other than those two things I could really take it or leave it. But, if you are a Beatles fan or Beatles newbie, you should at least give it a shot if for no other reason than to experience the music.

Pennies for Peace

During December it came up in my 2nd grade classroom that I was reading Three Cups of Tea. My students wanted to know if I liked to read nonfiction and I mentioned that I was in the middle of reading a nonfiction book. Well, of course they had more questions, most importantly: What was it about? I started telling them it was about a mountain climber named Greg. He had tried to climb a really big mountain, but got sick on the way up and couldn't make it to the top. I told them how a family in Pakistan had helped him get better. I went on to tell them how Greg made a promise to come back and build them a school (since they didn't have one). We looked on the map and talked about what it would be like to not have a school. Well, my class was hooked. It seemed like every couple of days they wanted to know about Greg and his school. "How did he get money?" "Did he really sleep in his car?" "How did he get to Pakistan?" "Did he have enough money to build that bridge?" "How did he get his supplies out of that locked building?" If I didn't read enough to give them an update they would scold me and say that I wasn't doing my 20 minutes of reading homework and wouldn't be getting my free pizza! I couldn't believe how taken they were with this stranger's mission. I wanted to do more with them. That's when I talked to my principal about setting up a Pennies for Peace campaign at our school. Pennies for Peace is a fundraiser aimed at getting schools involved in Greg's cause. You can find more detailed information at the following link: Pennies for Peace. I'm excited to take on this project with my second graders and my school in the upcoming months. These are the small things that make happy I can make a difference through teaching.