A little historical detail

I was named Annabel after my great grandmother, Annabelle.  My mother didn't love the name so she took away an 'l' and an 'e' at the end.  She thought the original name was a good one for the family cow, the one you keep out the back for your every dairy need. 

Everybody called me Anna until I was 13.  I even remember talking about my name to my teacher when I was 5 - I thought the 'bel' part was a middle name, giving me two middle names.  On my first day of high school, my form room (home room) teacher asked me what I wanted to be called and I announced to the world that I had always been called Anna but I preferred Annabel.  

Most of the world didn't hear this and continued to call me Anna well into my 20s, no matter how many times I asked to be called Annabel.  I think I'd always said when asked: "My family call me Anna but I really prefer Annabel"  When I moved to Bangladesh, I didn't mention the Anna bit and I was firmly Annabel.  It works much better than my first approach.

Just before I went home last November, I sent a rather abrupt, almost shocking, email to my immediate family, who fail time and again to introduce me as Annabel.  I basically shouted at them over the interweb: I AM ANNABEL, NOT ANNA, PLEASE STOP CALLING ME THAT.  It all arose from nerves about travel, the tension that comes with planning weddings, and feeling so disconnected over here, on the other side of nowhere.   

It worked, I even got a few apologies and explanations.  On my visit home I was clearly introduced as Anna... bel (with a little pause, as they remembered).  I love you, family! Thanks for breaking an old habit for me. xx

Yum Yum Scrum - Cinnamon Rolls for Breakie!

When we first moved to the States, we stopped at Chicago airport on our way to Baltimore.  It's a pretty nice airport, with plenty of food options - not that I endorse buying food at airports.  It was there that Jbird first introduced me to the heavenly delights of Cinnabon.  I am such a sucker for bread.  I love baking it, but that only stems from my love for eating it.  I've especially enjoyed baking it this winter while I had a lot of time and it was too cold out to get in the garden.

In our first apartment (the worst apartment in the world), we had cable t.v.  I quickly became addicted to the Food Network.  It was there that I learned how to bake cinnabon style sticky buns.  Alton Brown, my favourite scientist style culinarian, has a great recipe for overnight sticky buns.  You can view the episode online here and then here*.  They are prepared the night before and just need to be popped in the oven for fresh buns for breakfast.

For a while, Jbird and I were positively addicted to Pecan Cranberry Sticky Buns, but at about 1300 calories per serving they just weren't practical.  I would always want two servings, my entire calorie intake for the day!  Now I make a slightly plainer style with a simple butter, brown sugar, and raisin filling.  We had them this morning.  Needless to say, half the batch was gobbled before lunch time.

NB: I'm not a calorie counter! I guessed all figures, including how many I should have per day. *Check out his "circle of love" at the end of the episode, I'm trying that next.

It's Time To Restructure

I have written and published 155 posts for this blog at the rate of a post every day since September 23rd in 32,957 words.   When I started, I wasn't sure where An Everyday Thought would go, or if I could keep it going.  It has survived a winter, at least, and I'm surprised to find that I still enjoy the process of writing, more than I ever thought I would. 

I had a few reasons for my desire to start writing through this medium: feel free to link back here to remind yourself of what those were.  Since then a few activities have been added to my life, making it less quiet than it was.  Today is the start of my new school year, so makes sense to me to cut back a little. I have decided to stop giving you a thought every day, and will now write just five a week.  Because my readership remains largely from New Zealand, I am going to stick to NZ weekdays.  I will post on Sunday afternoons which is the NZ Monday morning, through to Thursday afternoon, NZ Friday morning.  The name will stay the same.

I thought you'd be interested to know that my second largest readership is Russian - according to the possibly inaccurate statistics provider that comes with this site.  And then American. 

Spreading the Weeds

As a young tyke, I was often commissioned to work with my Aunty Mary in her garden.  Mum told me I was giving her company, but I was in it for the money, baby!  She's a pretty inspirational lady, often looking after us young 'uns.  As a former teacher, and a Christian, we have a lot in common.  Plus she's a generous lovely lady.  I love my Aunty Mary but she's not doing so well these days.

One day in the garden, I remember coming across oxellious with her. I don't know how to spell this, I can't find it on the interweb,  (Jbird for internet), but it's a hideous weed that will overtake your garden.  When you try to dig it out, if you happen to hit its bulb, it will fall apart into a million bulbs.  I'm talking a million, worse than you can imagine.  Leaving you to spend an age on that one tiny plant, trying to get all those little little bulbs out of the soil because they're sure to grow and multiply.  It took me a while to get the hang of this.   Stop pulling at them and dig deeper, Annabel, or you'll hit the bulb, it will separate and spread!  I AM, Aunty Mary, I am!  I remember specifically that I wasn't, because I'd already forgotten, or I was just trying to pull up the weed from its top, the bit that I could see.  She trusted me but I spread the weeds, I did!  

That's just a memory that I had this afternoon, as I was digging.  In my garden I have a similar plant, only the tiny bulbs aren't as tiny and I think I've been able to get most of them.  Spring isn't here but a teensy warm weather is, helping those weeds to grow - and the start of our spring bulbs. (!)  I've pulled another bagful of the things and maybe that's them, all gone? 

Here lieth an excellent analogy for sin which I'll let your own mind wander over, should you happen to believe in the existence of sin.

No More Coffee

You must know of my addiction to coffee from earlier posts, here or here.  I've also taken the liberty of tagging every post where I mention coffee and there are a fair few.

There have been a few instances in my day to day life recently where I have reacted more anxiously than I needed to, leading to some sleepless nights and needless tears.  I have also recently had a few coffees for which I had perfectly executed their preparation that I just didn't enjoy.  Because of these two factors, I have decided it's time to take a hiatus from my daily coffee(s).  Time to lower the anxiety levels and regain my love for that brown, mellow liquid.  I don't want to quit altogether, but will start having only decaf or half and half (split the beans from decaf and caffeinated) less than once a day.  

The End is Nigh

Is that title a little melodramatic?  It's the last day of school holidays.  I'm not sure what that means: school holidays aren't quite the same when your seasons are all upside down and inside out.  My trip to NZ is a distant memory, I don't have a tan, summery anecdotes, or any starting-school-again new clothes.  What did I do this summer?  Try not to mope?  Everyday, everything type stuff?  At least it was fuel for this blog.  

I'm celebrating by having lunch with my brand new friend, C.  It's our first date, is posting about it a little tumeke?*  I hope not,  she's a pretty courageous type of lady, prone to enthusiasm and writing.  Perhaps she'll appreciate it?  We're such new friends that I can't think up a good nickname for her because I don't really know anything about her except that if you tell her a word, she will be able to sing at least four words of a song that uses that original word.  That's impressive!  I haven't witnessed this personally as yet, but I have it on good account.  If you love everything musical (circa 1980s, '90s, '00s, probably), check out her blog, Ear Snax.  She has a new post almost every day and it's divine. 

*Tumeke: too much/awesome/over the top.  Whatever superlative type wordy thing you'd like, really.

I heart Mary Tyler Moore

I have been watching both of Mary Tyler Moore's two big t.v. sitcoms.  

In The Dick Van Dyke Show she plays a fresh faced, loveable, perfect little wifey for Mr. Van Dyke. I often feel jealous of their t.v. relationship.  Dinner is always ready when he arrives home, she doesn't often mind when the unexpected occurs, she helps him through his every strife.  They sleep in separate single (twin) beds - I think that might be my favourite part, it's so antiquated.  That and her slippers with 4cm heels.  He's his usual crazy self too.  Think Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on a daily basis.  Sometimes they sing, dance, or do comedic stints.  I find their five year old a bit annoying but I guess he couldn't just be written out of a family comedy.

Then there's The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  She's ten years older, ten years wiser. There's no singing and dancing but she's a fabulous single women, with a bachelorette pad ladies across the country all desired, and many brightly coloured, exciting outfits. This show is a little more cutting edge.  She has a fabulous career, lots of fabulous friends, often stays out late - though we're never quite sure what she was doing all night - and leads a fabulous life. 

I sometimes find myself missing Mr. Van Dyke on her solo show, but then again, she is able to shine so much brighter without him over-shadowing her.   I'm sold out on which show I prefer.  Equal brilliance.

A Borrowed Holiday

It's interesting to observe the days which Americans treasure, recognising that what we learn from television at home in NZ of how they celebrate it to be true here in the States.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentines Day: all holidays we don't celebrate at home except in a token kind of way.  The supermarkets here announce each impending holiday with a new display the day after the last holiday, Easter has surfaced with the passing of V. day. 

Today, just over a week after Valentines day, the little girls I sometimes babysit wanted to get dressed for school in their Valentines outfit.  Tights dotted in tiny hearts, another big heart on a pair of socks, pink and red shirts and sweaters.  Their Valentine heart balloons bob on strings in their bedrooms.  Pink iced sugar cookies sit in the fridge.  What did you get for Valentines Day, H.?  I ask the eldest.  "A whole bunch of stuff," comes her ready reply.  "I got candy, there were jelly beans, chocolates, and more candy.  There was a tonne of candy. I got lots of cards and we had a party at school!" 

A day brightened while the weather is harsh.

Reading Stone

I'm a month ahead of my book club's read because they're reading Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society for February AND I was borrowing one of the member's copies the March book while she read February's book.  I've just finished it and it was really, really, really good.  Interested?  Keen to know the book?

It's called Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verchese.

The author is from the medical world and the book is based around a family of doctors.  Five doctors and a couple nurses thrown for good measure.  I normally hate gore, it makes me feel faint to read about it, or see it on telly, or talk about it, but Mr. Verchese managed to have me lost in the story.  Before I knew it, I'd been through an operation and come out the other end.  Smiling.  Or crying.  Depending on the described scenario.

The family are all foreigners, of sorts, or expats, which was probably the part I could relate to the most (and helped me get through all the blood and guts).  They're from India originally so I learn about that great place that I love visiting.  They live in Ethiopia, where I've never been. One of the sons moves to America for a spell, and his expats views of these fair shores are shared.  

I could go on about it, I feel as though I have been living it for the passed few days, but I'll save my comments for our meeting next week  and merely recommend this great read to you.

The Pastry Chef

I was searching for a good home-made chicken pot pie pastry when I fell upon this little marvel.  It possesses the elements of croissant folding that I'm so enraptured with, producing a delightful soft and flaky pastry.  I give the butter a good beating with the rolling pin to help it become more malleable, as Julia Child taught me.  

New Zealanders: try the process, but use a NZ recipe for your quantities.  I suggest Annabel Langbein's though I don't know that it's any better than any other.  It's merely flour, butter, salt, and chilled water, after all.  She adds a little baking powder too.

I have tried to lessen the butter quantity but Jbird and I are sure to suffer from heart problems later in life.  Roll on summer, and a desire for fresh, raw vegetables.

My Trusty? Stead

Do you remember my mentioning the two wheelers we use as our every day transportation?  Jbird found mine sprawled over the grassy verge, with failed brakes, and loose handle bars.  He tightened the handle bars and managed to regain the left brake (back wheel).  It's a cute powder blue girls bike that can and will.  The lightest one we've had. I adopted it as my own.  

I have had a long standing relationship with that one brake Jbird had fixed.  After braking, and often while still in motion, a wire chord - my own technical term - would often pop out.  I learned to check it and pop it back in as was required while I rode.  It was both frightening and exhilarating.  As I got better at fixing while in locomotion, it became more exhilarating than frightening. 

The other day, the brake popped out completely.  I thought it was done for, but Jbird took some tools to it and it seemed to be better than ever.  No more popping out wire chord! 

Today, it failed me completely.  Luckily I had just got done with the steepest part of my ride but I was still on a downward slope, and about to go through a STOP SIGN.  Seriously.  Luckily I was in Bloomington's downtown area where, sprawling with students, drivers are super slow to avoid accidents and being sued, as only Americans know how.  I yelled and motioned at the car about to go through the intersection "my brake has failed my brake has failed!"  I'm sure their wind shield and my accent were enough barriers for them not to understand, but my continuous forward motion and hopefully distressed looking face stopped them in action.  I got through the intersection, foot braked, and jumped to safety.

Note to self: Must. Stop. Riding. Broken. Cute. Powder. Blue. 

Alphabetical Know-how

I mentioned last week that I planning to start reading for one of my classes a bit earlier than the university calendars dictate.  Well, I did.  The first few chapters were pretty heavy going.  Full of big, hard to understand vocabulary, grammar, and ideas.  I thought I might drown.  But I've been enjoying it more as my head has repositioned itself into the subject matter: children with emotional and behavioural disorders.  

The reading I did yesterday was all about preventative measures in early childhood/pre-school, from age about three, when the disorder would first start to become obvious.  In her commentary, my lecturer mentioned that behavioural disorders are more likely to happen in children that don't have letter recognition (i.e.: don't really know their alphabet and can't recognise different letters).  NOT because they're not smart, but because of the amount of talking and communicating that happens at home - or is not happening.  She also mentioned that socio-economic status isn't necessarily directly linked to behavioural disorders.   Rather, it's the amount of stress that is occurring at the child's home, and how it's dealt with.  As we all know, stress can happen in any/every household.

I thought it was a well written, super interesting article, and I'm excited to start the essay for this paper.

As a side note, my comment "essay for this paper" directly translated into Americanese is: "paper for this class".  That one always makes for an interestingly confused conversation.

An Un-Willing Hairdresser

When I first met Jbird, he was a 15 year old who seemed to have a different hairstyle every month.  Dreads, a green backwards mohawk, black spikes.  They went well with his unusual piercings and weird punk/skater clothes. Eight years later, when we started dating, he had long hair that he sometimes tied up in a ponytail. 

I can't remember how we decided this but I cut off his ponytail early on in our relationship and I have been his hairdresser ever since.  I can only remember him going to the barber twice - once for our wedding, and another time this passed NZ winter just before a concert.  I threw a tantrum because we didn't have any scissors that would actually cut.  That barber cut it far too short and it looked kind of dorky but I loved it.  All the layers were so much tidier than the ones I make. 

The barber is cheap, right?  If he got a barber cut every two months, it would cost us about a dollar a week.  But he says I'm practicing my skills for all the kids we're going to have.  "Annabel, think of me as a live model.  If we have lots of kids, imagine all the money we'll be saving if you can cut their hair."  My response was that he'd better be earning top dollar by then and I'd send them all to the hairdresser. 

My tools are a pair of $3 scissors, a comb, a rain coat, and a bar stool.  Today, for the first time, I nicked his ear with the scissors, drawing blood.  I asked him how he can bare to sit so still when I'm near his ears, he says he can always feel the scissors on them and he's always expecting me to nick him.  

The haircut always starts off pretty uneasy, I feel unsure that I can succeed, I'm quiet and stressed. Somehow as the time passes, the tension relaxes and we laugh together.  I feel completely trusted.

Listia

When we first moved to Bloomington in August last year, I didn't have much to do and I found a website offering free stuff: Listia.com.  If you don't have any money and you have a lot of time, or a lot of spare stuff lying around that you want to get rid of, this is the site for you.  It's an auction site, similar to ebay, except that credits are earned and spent, rather than money.  A lot of the items have free shipping, too.  

Initially you are given quite a few free credits for doing things like going through an orientation.  Unfortunately, after that initial zing of credits, the best way to earn more credits is by listing auctions and sending things to people but Jbird and I don't have many items we don't want.  I put some mugs up for a while, just to get the credits for listing an auction, but I didn't make them appealing because I didn't really want to lose them. 

While I was using the site, I won a couple of auctions of different seeds so I'm all set for the spring.  I wonder when I can start planting.  We had snow this week so I don't think it will be for a while yet.

p.s. If you want to sign up to Listia.com, please please please let me refer you first as we will both get extra credits.

Gammy Legged Ducklings

I have made a lot of amigurumi creations but they're always gifts for someone's children.  So under the guise of Valentines day, I made us two little love birds.   

I didn't have a pattern.  Creating something without a pattern is always a bit tricky so they took me longer than I intended.  I decided to put rice in their bodies so they actually stand up, causing me no end of pride.  Somewhere along the way, they became ducklings. The webbed toes were really hard to design, I had to remake them a bunch of times.  No matter how hard I tried, the fourth foot would not turn out like the other three.  Somehow the boy one is taller than the girl one.  We also know she's a girl because of a pink star button on her front and her pretty blue/green button-eyes.  The boy is wearing a little tie. 

On presentation to Jbird, he wondered "and what will I do with these?"  Well, Mr. Bird, they will sit on the piano and reside over our house.  When we fight, they may just learn to fly.

A Love Story

While lost in the mind wobblying vast library of NZ On Screen, I came across this little treasure...Buffalo by the Phoenix Foundation.  I love every song I've ever heard by this band and the memories of our relationship abound.   

One of my strongest musical guides, Mr. Coulson's daughter, sent me their two first albums while I was living in Bangladesh.  They're a Wellington band and she was living the urban life in Wellington.  I assume she saw them around town often.  She left me love struck, wanting more.  

I finally got to see them play live in NZ when Jbird and I were newly dating.  Jbird was late to the concert because he was being paid top dollar to play piano at a fancy restaurant.  While I waited for him, I met an unusual cat-loving couple who'd met on the internet.  She had a fabulous name, Zelga, and was from the Netherlands, having moved to NZ for her love.  The next time we saw her, at another gig, she'd broken up with that love, dyed her hair bright tomato red, and could be heard playing ukulele originals on bFM as a guest on one of the early evening Drive shows.   Jbird wore his Pirates of the Caribbean t-shirt, leaving me wondering how much I really knew him.

The next time I saw the Phoenix Foundation live was at the Rhythm and Vines music festival.  He had free entry because he was playing in a string quartet with some of our buddies for one of the acts, Jonny Love.  I am Jbird's number one fan but I was secretly there for the Phoenix Foundation.  I rocked out to them while Jbird played ultimate frisbee under a gorgeous NZ sun.  Jbird and I were engaged - I'd grown to love the t-shirt, and the boy.

A little while later, Jbird and I got married.  The string quartet played at our wedding (sans Jbird).  My love for the Phoenix Foundation remains one-sided.

Character of a Harpsichord

As one of his electives for this semester, Jbird has chosen to take harpsichord lessons.  The normal harpsichord professor is on sabbatical so there are two fancy visiting profs that he is very excited to learn from.  Last night one of those teachers, Byron Schenkman, played a faculty recital.  

Even though I should know better, I can't help but think of the harpsichord as that twangy sound coming from the back of a baroque orchestra.  It was lovely to have my impressions turned around: he played a beautiful concert, which he'd obviously taken a lot of time to prepare for, giving character to this ancient instrument. 

One suite that he played had been transcribed by an early composer, Jean-Henry D'Anglebert, from Lute music.  It makes a lot of sense, they're both plucked, after all.  But if you look at the instruments side by side, you wouldn't expect them to be able to create music that sounded the same.  

It made me think of how bizarre and impossible it is that the modern piano/pianist is often expected to attempt to reproduce the sound of an entire orchestra while it accompanies solo instruments.

Reflections on Relieving

While watching the short film, Manurewa, yesterday, I was reminded of my relieving/substituting days while visiting NZ during the American summer, NZ winter.  The liquor store featured in the film is only 100m from a school where I taught for just one day.   It was a tough school but I was somehow able to enjoy my day there.

I had always thought that relieving in schools would be the worst job a teacher could ask for.  Ever.  Yet somehow I was excited by the prospect when we made our first visit home after moving to the States.  The visit was about 4 months long and we wanted to make as much money as possible.  I ended up working the very day I got home.  Motivated by money and ten long months of nothingness which had dwindled my self esteem to the size of a pea.

I was almost shaky as the deputy principal showed me around - I wasn't sure that I could remember how to teach.  Luckily it was a sweet, small class of 8 year olds, who had some experience on the ukulele.  That became our treat at the end of the day - a class ukelele sing-along.  I learned from there to put on a confidant face and the confidence would catch me at the next corner.  Stickers and a sense of humour helped too.  

I don't know if not teaching has given me some perspective on being a teacher, helped calm my nerves. Or maybe that first honeymoon day in a classroom, when you can share stories about what you're doing, and show genuine interest in what they're doing, is enough to keep you mostly in the class's good books.  

I found that I could show up at a brand new school, at 8:20 in the morning.  I would spend the next 30 minutes rushing around, sometimes unable to find evidence of a daily timetable or prior work,  meet members of my class for the day, suss out the photocopier and reading materials, and be ready to teach until 3 by 8:50. 

I learned early on that relievers are often lumped with play ground duty.  These are normally the bane of the everyday teachers' existence, but I came to recognise it as a kind of reprieve for two reasons.  I didn't have to sit quietly in the corner of the staff room like a Nigel-Nobody as the other teachers try to get as much adult interaction with their friends as they could into the short break.  It became my preferred way of relating to my surrogate class, a time when I could find out their teacher's secrets for the rest of the day, and keep an eye on those 'naughty' behaviours that pop up with any reliever.   

NZ Media

Every Saturday my friend brings her troop of boys for piano lessons.  Only two of them are learning so we play with the three that aren't in the background.  Actually, we drink tea, chat, and knit.  And try to keep the boys a little bit quiet while Jbird teaches. 

This morning, we got onto the subject of NZ movies (didn't even mention LOTR).  I was telling her that we were going to see Boy tomorrow, as IU's showing it, one time only, on the big screen!  We are very excited about this opportunity.  It screened in NZ our first year here in the States and we watched it on the plane on our way home that 'summer' (NZ winter).  On a tiny screen on the back of the seat in front, sipping a Villa Maria sav. blanc. The drone of the plane's engines ringing in our very souls.

I recommended she watch The Piano and Whale Rider.  She had seen Once Were Warriors, and been horrified by it, as was I, though I know it speaks of the truth.  

NZ is a tiny little world and I happen to know the editor for Whale Rider, David Coulson, because I went to school and have remained friends with his daughter.  I'd wanted to recommend an American movie he'd edited but I had to look up it's name, North Country.  During that search, I was reminded that he also worked on Vintner's Luck - which I am yet to see.

Much to my delight, during my search, I discovered a website where I found a whole bunch of New Zealand stuff that will play for me over here.  TVNZ on demand does NOT play internationally, which is a huge sore point for me, but NZ on screen does!  I was able to watch an entire short film that Mr. Coulson worked on, Manurewa, which made me cry. 

Now I'm giddy, lost in NZ media bliss. 

A Happy Cupcake

I've been inspired recently to bake cupcakes.  I know, I'm a little behind the get go as they've been a popular bake for a few years now.  It's because I've made quite a few bad batches in the past which has put me off baking them.  So now I'm being particular about my recipes, choosing those that are carefully constructed, and following each step meticulously.

I want to experiment with pretty decorations but I seem to run out of steam by the time I put the frosting on.  Last week, Jbird and I trialled creating little musical symbols out of melted chocolate and popping them upright into the frosting.  It was easy and effective. 

The recipe I've been using recently has whisked egg whites folded into the batter, making for a light, soft cake.  If only it weren't deliciousness in a little paper cup, I'd move onto a new flavour. 

I'm Stumped

I'm stumped about what to get my father for his birthday.  Dad, any ideas?  He has everything he needs.  If he doesn't have it, he buys it.  Does anyone else have a similar problem with anyone in their family?  

My Dad's birthday isn't until May but my family who are reading this should refrain from all judgement.  They have an American guest coming on the 21st of this month and she is going to be my pack horse.  I plan to send her three birthday presents, weighing less than a total of one pound/half a kilogram.  But first, I must think of a most suitable present for my Dad.

On Hold

I am on hold with my university.  Earlier today, I was on hold with a possible scholarship provider.  They are both NZ companies and they both think they can play the same generic NZ dub beats to me each time I call them as I sit for 20+ minutes and I won't be annoyed.  

Well.  I am.  Partially because the sound quality is terrible, and every 20 seconds they pause it to tell me they'll be with me shortly and a new song starts. I'm also annoyed because I have more paperwork to complete that nobody pointed out to me.  The process of applying for this scholarship has taken two months.  It's like trying to climb through a giant tub of spaghetti. 

It has been shortly.  They are not with me.  I hardly ever get to listen to dub in an organic context, this is a sad replacement.

Here We Go

I have prepared the study, drawn up an action plan outlining each course with readings and assignments.  Jbird put into use an old little flat screen t.v. as my dual computer screen.  The book shelf is loaded with books and course material.  School starts on the 27th but I've decided there's nothing stopping me from getting a head start and I started reading yesterday.

For those people out there who're interested, my courses this year are: Facing Big Questions in Education, Assessment for Learning and Teaching, and Understanding Learners with Behaviour Difficulties.  They are full year courses, asking for three essays each, finishing sometime in October.

Ahhhh...so much learning to be done.

More Early Music

We were treated to another early music concert yesterday, again played on authentic early instruments.  This one was from the classical era with works by Handel and Mozart while last week's concert was a baroque orchestra.  This meant that the orchestra was slightly larger.  There were wooden flutes, valve-less 'natural' french horns.  I was also able to see the spike-less cellos which were held solely between the knees of the performers.  There was no harpsichord or organ included in the basso continuo section. 

The highlight of the concert was definitely the concerto - Mozart A Major Piano Concerto, played on a pianoforte.  Unfortunately the soloist had some issues with turning her page but she was a very strong player and luckily she didn't really need the music.  There is some debate on whether this would have happened but she joined in with the basso continuo during 'tutti' parts (where everyone is playing together). These days, the composer asks the the pianist/soloist to wait during these sections of music.

Jbird played a pianoforte in DC last year but we were in a small room and he was playing solo piano so I couldn't really observe the huge differences between a modern instrument and that early piano.  I could almost imagine being in the audience when the genius Mozart play his piece to the public for the first time.  Almost. 

Superbowl Sunday?

I don't have much time.  For sports, or to write this post - so my research is limited.  I do know that Indianapolis is hosting the Super Bowl game this year.  It's a game where the National Football League and the American Football League champions fight it out.  This years' teams are the Giants from New York and the Patriots from New England.  The ads/commercials during the game are a huge deal because so many people watch the game.  They're expensive and showy. 

Superbowl Sunday has become a de facto holiday for Americans and if you know Americans, you know holidays are all about the food!  The common Super Bowl fare would be chicken wings, chips and dips, sandwiches, beer, chilli dogs, all those good football watching foods.   Click on this link for some images if you're interested.  

All my recipe web sites are promoting Super Bowl food so I couldn't resist making buffalo chicken for a guest last night.  Hot sauce slathered over fried chicken which you then dip into a blue cheese sauce.  Celery sticks are also dipped into the blue cheese, I think they help calm down the hot sauce.  I used this Martha Stewart recipe and they were delicious.  Our guest brought a really dark beer to share which paired beautifully.

Ah, Food, how I try not to worship thee.

end note:  At the international student's Super Bowl party we went to tonight, we meet an ex pro NFL player (now chaplain for the IU team) AND some college players from IU.  We were given a run down on the rules by the ex players' current wife (it's all to do with ten yard lines and downs), there were potato chips galore and all of that 'good' food I suggested plus more.  We also learned that Americans will consume 20 million pounds of potatoes and 8 million pounds of avocados tonight alone! 

A Special Afternoon Tea

I was once so impressed by something my friend Mrs. McLean had either baked or cooked, that I exclaimed: "One day, you're going to cater my wedding!"  I wasn't dating anyone of interest at the time but when it came to the time of my wedding, she reminded me what I had said and offered to stand by my request.  

I was reminded of this when I went searching through our inbox for a corn bread recipe and came across this little gem: 

All righty, here we go, I'm gonna make for you:

Savouries:

* Sushi sandwiches: probably salmon & cucumber; salami & carrot

(don't worry, that's just an easier way of formatting the sushi, not like I make a molenberg sandwich with rice and wasabi)

* Satay pork meatballs with sweet chilli dipping sauce

* ham & pineapple pizza pinwheels

* roast vegetable mini pizzas

* savoury pies / mini quiches: chicken & leek; bacon & egg; corn & capsicum; curried apple and onion

Sweets

* apricot fudge

* mini muffins: mango yoghurt; blueberry & macadamia

and there's these mini pavlovas which are really cool-looking but which I acknowledge are really too fiddly but they look so cool that I haven't quite managed to convince myself yet to cross them off the list. So I might make them or I might not.

And that, plus a few other bits and pieces, (including mum's homemade strawberry punch, and dukkah and oil bread dip), was the afternoon tea directly after our ceremony.

Unfortunately, I was so busy - cutting the cake, taking photos, listening to the drums, smiling, and greeting greeting greeting - that I didn't get a single bite!  It was very good, from all accounts.

What a special thing, to have a friend like that.

Definitely, Maybe

Jbird was away for more than 12 hours today and I had a kind of lovely girlie day all to myself with no plans on my schedule.  Sometimes those days don't turn out too well but I was okay today. How does one express a smile without images?

I finished making my last Christmas present (and it's not yet February!), started a new crochet project, popped down to the library to read the newspaper and pick up some literature (recipe books, magazines, DVDs - I already have a few books on the go), had a video chat on skype to a lovely cousin-in-law and her bubs, and didn't bake anything except corn bread for my black bean chilli (how American am I?).  

It ended with the lovely movie: Definitely, Maybe.  From the makers of Notting Hill and Love Actually.  I'm not sure how I ever missed seeing this one when it first came out.  It's full of lovely shots of New York and that tough little actress, Abigail Breslin.  She's from Little Miss Sunshine.  It's the kind of movie Jbird will be happy he missed while I am wondering about buying it for our DVD collection.  

The Squeak

There is a certain squeak. Upstairs. When it is happening, it is constant. You could think all sorts of things but Jbird has been upstairs to investigate and he heard wii type sounds and people, obviously playing wii type games, through their door.  Now it is joined by some rigorous thumping.

There are a number of ways we could react to this annoying sound.
1. Ignore it.  In the process, I must not allow myself to be bugged by it and learn to tune it out.  I know any number of reasons why I am not the best neighbour in the world.
2.  Bang on the ceiling with the broom stick and shout up at them.  This is not a very nice reaction, they probably can't even hear the squeak like we can.
3. Go up there, knock on their door, and let them know about the squeak.  Ask them to move their wii game to another position.  This may stop the problem, but it might also lessen the enjoyment of their game for them.

Right now it is so insistent. And loud.  But it's not all the time. At least we know what it is.

I'm going on a walk

Last year, one of our very lovely friends from Baltimore, M. Cobb, decided she wanted to go on a really long walk.  So she walked from Maine to Georgia.  !!  Following the "A.T." (Appalachian Trail).  It was a massive feat and took her from the end of June until a week or two before Christmas. 

Can you imagine walking that far?  Your blisters would form blisters.  Your knees would disintegrate.  She had a pretty great support team in her family, friends, and new fiance.  He proposed on the trail (!what a story!) and they're getting married in October.  You can read all about her journey and view some lovely photos from her time by checking out her blog, Southbound.  Unfortunately she hasn't quite got around to posting about the last part of her walk, she must be too exhausted.  

Love you, M.  We're glad you're home, safe and sound.