Snow Day and Happy Day :)

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Okay,

I'm working on catching up my Lifeclass.

And getting ready for THE HAPPY PROJECT.

And planning a SUNDAY for His Glory.

And finished this little ditty for those of you that enjoyed the snow last week
The pictures with mountains of snow are on our camera, so we'll have to wait for those.

Jon Secada of "If I Never Knew You Fame" remakes Mr. Rogers Neighborhood theme music into goodness.


the HAPPY DAY project :)

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I happened to be up late catching up on the blogs I read and have missed dearly over the week without power.

I was at Meg's blog, which brought me to Joy's Hope and the Happy Day project.

Oddly, since the power has been out, it's been pretty happy around here.

Even in the darkness of things that don't always go right - we kept on keepin' on with our joy.

Now, it seems, a perfect time to share a little bit of it.

Won't you join in the fun?
happy day
I'm already scheming about how the week will look for us as we work to rebuild Mr. B's school and community, but more than that, we'll be completing these happy tasks together.

There might be some jello trees in the very near future of some of our wonderful neighbors. :)


Oprah's Lifeclass #20 - Joy Rising (SURPRISE!)

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This is for you: 
Joy

Get your touchy to class.
Tonight.
EVERYONE needs joy.
Especially after our week.
Or your week.
Or their week.
Get a little.

I felt my joy rising each minute of this week, even though it was tough.
I made the posters above for the families of Mr. B's school who helped us all week and really helped us keep the joy rising.

I was really emotional tonight and will catch up on the lessons from Tuesday and Wednesday that I missed while the power was out.

Oprah's 20th Lifeclass - ONE MORE WEEK LEFT!  AH!  But...there will be a second semester! :)
Let's let that be #1:
  1. Oprah's Lifeclass Semester #2
  2. Oprah's Lifeclass Semester #1
  3. LMG
  4. LBF and 4 year olds
  5. Snow in October
  6. Baking
  7. Candles
  8. Power
  9. Hot water
  10. Running Water
  11. Grocery shopping with someone else's list
  12. Cooking
  13. Interviews
  14. Friends in CA and OH and MA and IL and everywhere else.
  15. Biological sisters with warm houses and warm showers
  16. Good story telling grandmothers
  17. Cousins who call
  18. Bon Fires
  19. Mr. B
  20. Stories written by children who give me hope that a future filled with wisdom is around the corner.
Go TO CLASS!  I'll have a video tomorrow.

Dinner: Taco Casserole Recipe

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Now that the power has returned, we're back to baking.  
Cooking. 
LURRRRVE.
Tonight I did our neighbor's shopping and needed something quick.  Cue this SIMPLE recipe that I put in the oven while I emptied the neighbor's groceries.
From HERE: FANTASTIC Taco Casserole
Tweaked here:  I don't like black olives so I didn't put those in, and instead put chopped red onion on top with the tomato and green onion.  We enjoyed the crunch.  As well, we served with corn that we eventually mixed in.  I wouldn't mix it into the layers as I think that would make it soggy - but, corn is as GREAT side dish with this meal.

Yum YUM!

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 package of taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
2 cups monterey jack cheese
1 cup salsa
2 green onions chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 cups corn chips (coarsely crushed or chopped

Directions:


  1. 1
    Brown ground beef and drain.
  2. 2
    Add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions, adding proper amount of water.
  3. 3
    Put corn chips on bottom of 8x8" dish.
  4. 4
    Cook refried beans on stove until hot.
  5. 5
    Add 1 cup cheese and 1 cup salsa. Stir until combined.
  6. 6
    Pour beans over corn chips in dish.
  7. 7
    Add beef to top of beans.
  8. 8
    Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
  9. 9
    Sprinkle green onions and black olives over cheese.
  10. 10
    Bake in a 375 degree oven until the cheese is sufficiently melted ~10 minutes.
  11. 11
    Take out of oven and sprinkle chopped tomatoes on top. Wait 1-2 minutes and then serve.

30-Day Challenge: Gratitude #3

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Day #3: Happiness
Material objects shouldn't be a source of joy.
However, in light of not having power, and not being able to use my laptop, I have found EXTREME happiness in my laptop cover and key ring.

Polka dots make me happy.
Ruffles make me happy.
Matching makes me happy.
You can get your own piece of material happiness here: XSBaggageandCo

Burrr and Beauty

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Okay, the post where I divulge that living without lights...
or heat...
or cold food...
is...
not easy.

Mr.  Belding's school is in CT.
CT is still without power, in a lot of places.
Mr. B's school is closed through the middle of next week.
Blessing.

Our...see what I did there...OUR families are incredibly supportive, and even though they've experience the same loss of power, showed up day after day to support their school.  Their classrooms, teachers, and principal.

RAMS.  You rock.

We shoveled snow.
Dry walled.
Roofed a little.
Worked with the National Guard to clear debris near downed lines.

Loved a lot.

Mr. B did something amazing.
Something he says any principal would do.
You decide:
  1. He called and got in contact with every teacher, para, or staff member from school.  Offered heat, places to find heat, and asked for help.
  2. Every person who agreed was given a list of name and cell numbers for each of the over 300 students in his school. (about 10 names and #'s per teacher/staff)
  3. They were asked to call each student, make sure they and their families were okay.  And assign school wide homework for each student.
  4. Their homework?  HAND write at a least one page about their experience living without.  Without school, or heat, or lights, etc.
  5. For every THOUGHTFUL, handwritten full page, he will award that student's grade an author point.
  6. Author points go towards that grade picking the Visiting Author in the spring.
  7. It's a big deal. :)
  8. Once the teachers had attempted everyone, they were to call Mr. B back and give him those names.
  9. We then set out to visit those homes to ensure that they were okay.
  10. By monday afternoon there were less than 30 families that remained unaccounted for.  
  11. We drove to, or near each of their homes and knocked on 20+ doors.
We found everyone.
:)

The students I met were ecstatic about the visit from Mr. B.
We brought cookies and flashlights and batteries.
Mr. B is that guy.

THAT guy.

Who can walk into a room and everyone, EVERYONE can feel his kindness.
I hope you have someone like that.

He would give his life for one his kids.
He proved that this week.

By Wednesday when we were still without power, I cried.
A lot.
Not about the power, but because kids had started to drop off what they'd written.

Get your tissues ready.

"Living without power has been finding out you're not alone." S.P

"I guess you never really appreciate what you have until you don't have it.  Or until you don't have anything else and what you do have, even you're annoying little brother, mean that much more." C. H.

"Do you hear that?  In the stillness?  All around you?  It's the love." E.M

"I've never loved something like that way I love reading.  Reading by the fireplace at night makes me think of Felicity and the American Girls." A.C

and my personal favorite:

"Mom 'cooks' the dinner.
Dad plays his guitar for us.
We laugh to the beat."
C.D

Yeah kid, Haiku is cool. :)

Here are a few stills about how we've been living.  In the dark, in the cold, and in love.






Oprah's Lifeclass #19 - Step Out of Your Box

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Did you make it to class night?
I did.
And boy howdy, how I've missed it.
A lot.

Anyhoozle.

Last night's episode was all about stepping out of your box, out of your comfort zone.

One woman said, and I loved, "If you want something you've never had, you've got to do something you've never done before."

The episode was very apropos, Oprah spent some time in colonial village in ME. 
With no heat.
No electricity.
No cold fridge.
Etc.

I thought, my colonial village was our home for the last 6 days.

We, fortunately faired better than Oprah, who lasted less than two days. :)

Do you ever think about your box?

I'm sure you do.

I identified with the woman who said she felt her weight was her box, a little.  Or dieting rather.  That control can be torture to give up.

But I more identified with the box I had enslaved myself in career wise.

It was hard to see letting go of teaching for a long time.

LOOOOOOoooong time.

I have a masters in it.
My aunt and uncle are principals.
I was good at it.
Really good.
I love my kids
My families
Our family.

BUT.

It became a comfort zone.
And sometimes, comfort zones can be dangerous.
Because you never try something new.
You never see beyond the limits you place on yourself.
Boston Ballet is proof that stepping outside of your comfort zone can lead you to something you love or cherish.
The night before my first summer with the ballet, 8 years ago now, I was going into my Senior Year at University.
I applied, interviewed in Boston, and got the job.
But the night before, after the car was packed to move me there...
I didn't want to go.
I couldn't see myself there for 6 weeks.
6 WEEKS.
What if no one liked me?
Or I was bad at the job?
All those comfort zone questions creeped up.
What if I feel UNCOMFORTABLE?

The question tackled by Oprah last night was just that.
What IF you feel uncomfortable?
I mean, what if?!

You won't die.
Your life won't be over.
And, chances are good, that, like the Ballet, you'll only feel uncomfortable for a few moments, which will inevitably lead to feeling wonderful and new.

The Ballet wasn't always easy.
It wasn't.
There were days over the 8 years, especially early on, when my bags were packed.
Literally.

But I found grace there, and friends like you couldn't believe.
Mentorship like...wait....what?!
It's been amazing.

Someplace I'd never found, without first stepping out of my comfort zone.
Get outta' yo' box.
Get outta' your zone.
Get outta' your head.
You're nothing but trouble....

I mean.
Sorry, channeling TLC's Dear Lie there for a minute.

But you know.
Sometimes YOU are the only thing holding you back.
What is the one thing that if it didn't worry you, or scare you, or people wouldn't judge you, or you weren't uncomfortable, you would do?
What's stopping you?
Mine?
Well...you'll see. :)

30-Day Challenge: Gratitude #1

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#1 Favorite Food:
Sunflower Seeds
Because we need a little JOY to go on the JOurneY!

Oprah's Lifeclass #16 - Following Your Gut

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I'm going to tell you right now, sitting in the warmth of my Sistah's home for a few minutes, I want nothing more than to watch my Oprah.

Sadly, I can't get full episodes.
And, more over, I should really be telling you about the harrowing story of the last couple of days.
But I am tired.
And I'm stuck in an emotional wrecking ball of tiredness, moving forwardness, coldness, and perseverance that won't allow me to focus on that.

So instead, I headed to Oprah's Lifeclass to catch up a little.

Here's an MtMM if I ever heard one:
When you say No, and someone is trying to get you to change your mind, think why are they trying to control me:
"No." is a complete sentence.

The "Hmmm" is the warning sign.
The feeling itself is the warning sign.
Never allow them to move your somewhere else.

The two bolded sentences go hand in hand to the spring of 1996.
I was in the 6th grade.
I was home.
Now if you read my listening to your whisper post, you may be thinking, RENA, tell us you listen to your whisper voice here.

I did.  It wasn't so much of a whisper as it was Oprah's voice, loud and clear.  I had begun to watch her show religiously and not a month before was this episode about NEVER being moved from your location.  If they move you, they're going to kill you.

That was it.

I was out on the front lawn.
Looking back it's bizarre, because I lived in a heavily settled residential area with lots of neighbors and kids; but it was quiet.
And in a Kerri from Unforgettable way, I can visualize that BEAUTIFUL day, and look down either side of the street and across and no one was home.
No one was out.
My mother was working in the back yard, probably with her flowers or something, but I know she wasn't in earshot.
I can't tell you what I was doing exactly.
Jumping rope?  Wishing my friends were home?
I saw the ratty looking red car roll slowly down the street.
The driver and I made eye contact and I smiled.
The second circle around he slowed in front of my lawn, in front of me.
His passenger was a woman.
I remember her because she didn't talk.

OPRAH was screaming at me.
My whisper voice said TWO GIANT STEP BACK.

And I did.
Consciously.
Out loud, take two giant steps back.

"Do you know where Meadow Street is?" he questioned, so friendly.
"What?" I said.
"Come here, do you know where Meadow Street is?  We're lost."
In my mind, I'd grown up one street over from Meadow and knew exactly where it was.

I also knew it was on the other side of town and if you were lost on our side street of another side street, then you'd need more than directions to get there.
This was a ploy to get me over to the car.

"Let me get my mom, hang on." I said turning and running, full tilt to the back yard, screaming MOM at the top of lungs.

I heard him shout, "Oh no, you don't need to..."
But I already had.
My mother was annoyed with me, but she came around front anyway and talked to the man.

A few seconds later he drove away.

I stood beside my mom and asked her what he wanted.
Directions to town he'd told her.
He hadn't really listened to her, she said.
Weird she said.
Weird, I said.
I remember I told her about my Whisper Voice and Oprah's voice.
She didn't think it was anything like that.
Inside, I whispered to myself, "Because I didn't let it become anything like that."

It was empowering as a little girl to know that when something struck me as not right - I had the POWER to make it so.

I also realized at that moment that I have the opportunity early on.  If I listen to that voice early on, it can dissipate.

Do not allow the desire to be nice to override the tiny voice inside telling you something is not right.


30 Day Photo Challenge: Gratitude

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I made this for Mr. Belding before the power went out.
Today seemed as good a day as any to present him with it at the blog spot.
We still don't have power, but we have amazing family and community support.
You can make your own in Powerpoint or picnik.com or wherever by grabbing the Blog Candy from shabbyblogs.com: 10 things I love about you

On this note of love - I'd like to start the 30 Day Photo Challenge: Gratitude, a little late and a little later.
Favorite food will come later tonight.
You could and should join us.  
Zoom in here: Positively Present

Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies

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The title of this post is also known as: "We Don't Need No Stickin' Chocolate Chips"
Although - that title is IRONIC, as the only thing we really needed WAS chocolate chips, hence - breaking into the hallowen candy to finish the cookie off.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup backed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extra - 3 if you love the stuff :)
2 cups WHOLE WHEAT flour and 1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda DISSOLVED in 2 teaspoons of hot water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of crumbles or food processed REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
1 cup chopped pecans - or walnuts if you're lame :) - or none if you're allergic - which you shouldn't really make these if you are because you're going to use PEANUT BUTTER CUPS and PEANUT BUTTER :)

 Here we go :)

Shout out to the BAKING BUTTER CRISCO.
This ain't yo' Gramma's shortening - but it IS the best baking butter I've found.
Le sigh.
Shout out PAMPERED chef all purpose measuring cup.
One Side Liquids
One side dry stuff.
Both sides warm my heart.
Whip Butter and sugars together.
If you are an adult person you may have a BEAUTIFUL "we got married mixer" and I am jealous of you for that. 
Big time.
LBF and I used a hand mixer, which he also found to be a lot of fun. :)
Yum, Yum, Yum. :)
Secret Ingredients
LBF LOVED opening these up and putting them in the food processor.
He may or may not have eaten a couple on the way
(*This worked out just fine considering Halloween was canceled due to the storm and rescheduled for next monday, we'll have plenty of time to get more candy.)
Miss Molly Del Pilar in her halloween costume as Gingerbread Man's Best Friend.
Or Gingy Puppy as dubbed by LBF.
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla.  Add to batter the baking soda/water mix and salt.  Stir in flour, Peanut Butter Cups, and nuts.  Roll into balls, and press with fork onto parchment paper on cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges look done.  Beacause of the wheat flour, I just take them out at 11 minutes and lift the parchment paper off the sheet to the cooling rack.

We, LBF and I, added peanut butter with a little powered sugar mix to the bottom of the cookie.
And dipped it in granulated sugar.  
And someone little devoured cookies before they were cool.
Oh, Miss Molly ;).


Mother Nature's Mothering in Pictures

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Mother Nature's Mothering Part #1

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*This part of the post as written on Saturday.  
SO much has changed.
It feels like a lifetime ago.
The power is still off, and the power company says maybe next Saturday. :(

So, second post is forthcoming. :)

And it snowed.

A
LOT.

I woke late Saturday morning.

It had been a late evening and I had decided to gift myself a late sleep.

When I headed downstairs around 11, I found Mr. Belding was in the kitchen and snow was starting to cover the ground.

Remember how I love fall.

LURRRRVE it.

Autumnal air, smells, colors, nature, etc. etc.

And it SHOULD, in my mind still be Autumn.

HOWEVER…

I also LURRRRVE snow.

A
LOT.

Call it a New England thing.

I wasn’t born and bread, but I was certainly bread with New England in my blood.

Snow in October sounds a little ridiculous.

I however, did a happy dance.

Mr. Belding was already on the phone with the city where his middle school is because there was a chance they’d use it as a shelter for the over 80,000 in our area without power.

Sadly, later in the day, Mr. B’s school was hit with some MAJOR tree damage. 
We got the call that the Cafetorium (Cafeteria and Auditorium) had been pretty much caved in by the trees on its side. 
Any part of the space not touched by the trees was quickly filling up with snow and would eventually sustain severe water damage.

Mr. B put on his Superman boxers and headed out in the already 14” of snow to go see what to do.
When he got home around 9pm tonight, he was really defeated.
The roads he said were pretty bad and the school was even worse.
He has to make a decision tomorrow with the Superintendent if they can structurally resume classes on Monday.

Budget wise, this mess is a nightmare.
They’ve cut back so much already.
I told him I’d come in and volunteer wherever needed.
Just hand me a hand saw and put me to work.
We’ve already had a few of his “highly involved” families…read FAVORITE families call and ask what they can do. 
A few of them will meet us over there tomorrow.

We’ll take prayer worriers that we can find the joy in the discomfort we’ll feel over the next couple of days.
Someone was killed by a downed power line.
So I found joy in being alive, being with family, and being relatively dry.

I got the call around 11:30 from LMG’s mom asking if I could save her life…hahaha, not really, but take Little Buddy Frank for 2 hours so she could drag herself, LMG, and Ellie out in the snow for a birthday party. (DID SOMEONE SAY CANCEL!  OYE!)

Anyway, it was a pottery party and LMG really wanted to go. 
It was smack in between Little Buddy Frank’s naptime and she couldn’t picture getting out alive with a 7-year-old high on sugar, a toddler, and an infant.
We put LBF down for a nap at Mr. B’s townhouse, which is legit maybe 10 minutes from the pottery place – perfect. 
He watched Charlie Brown for a second and slept like a champ.
I got ready to do some baking with him because Mr. B’s house isn’t really kid friendly.
When he got up I attempted baking with an almost 4 year old, which I was sure was not going to be ½ as fun as baking with LMG.
It was.
It was better.
LBF is just as adorable and talked up storm.
Had a MAJILLION questions about everything.
Even Miss Molly Del Pilar was smitten with this little one.
He couldn’t get over her Halloween costume.
“Dis is her christmas dress?”
“Gingy puppy.”
We read a few books and then LMG and Ellie and Mommy arrived.
He wanted to share our cookies so we put a bag together for them.
LBF said, “See ya’ ‘morrow, kay?” and waved to me as they rushed to the car
Kay, budster.
I love those kids.

It’s almost midnight and our power has been out since around 5pm.
Mr. B and I lit candles and hunkered down with our laptops, that have a little bit of power left J, to do some work and watch a movie.

51% on my Mac probably means another hour or so.
Joy for my Mac J.

The snow has been such a quandary because it is BEAUTIFUL.
Life in a snow globe beautiful.
BEAUTIFUL.
Snowflakes the size of softballs beautiful.
The trees even looked beautiful.
The sound of the trees outside cracking and falling down every 20 seconds or so…not so much fun.
We’re keeping out fingers crossed tonight that nothing comes IN the house.

The trees in Mr.B’s neighboring yard are dangerously close to his second floor.

Eek.

Anyhoozle.

We’ll be okay.

And I’ll tell you – candles and your Mr. B on a chilly, snowy night, along with freshly baked new recipe cookies – that I’ll share with your later – and some hot cider…not a bad Saturday night.

Hope you are warm in body and heart wherever you are.

Feeling hopeful about what the sun will bring on Sunday morning.