Monthly Archives: October 2010

What I did on my work day…

Today several of my colleagues and I redid the teachers lounge. Wish I had before shots because this was so plain and dull. We painted a wall orange/red and put a saying and wall applique, we covered the bulletin boards with pale yellow fabric and framed the harsh metal trim with a wood frame, we decorated above the counters with antiques and coffee items and added little tins to the tables for napkins and salt & pepper, them we did a final cleaning. I hope this will provide a calm environment for the teachers to have lunch- it is a much improved place to be!

  • This weekend mom and dad went to Troy, NY  for dads reunion at Rensselaer.  Mom said they had a great time.

  • Linda got the fence finished and we got our outside lights up (pictures coming soon)- above is a friend who came to visit for our upcoming dinner party.

  • Kameron has a cold and is not feeling well- feel better soon and update us on your football games.
  • What’s up with you?

Caprese Tartlets…

Ingredients

  • 8 slices white bread
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (approximately 2-inch ball), thinly sliced
  • Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling, optional
  • 8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
  • Special Equipment: Muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the crusts from the bread and using a large spoon or rolling pin, gently press the slices of bread down flat until they are thin and almost doughy. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil. Press the slices in the muffin tin, to form tartlet shells. Set aside.
In a small bowl, using a fork to combine, mix together the cream cheese, garlic powder, dried basil, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy. Drop about a teaspoon of the cream cheese into the bottom of each muffin tin. Bake the tartlets until golden and crusty, 12 to 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, liberally salt the tomato slices. Once the tartlet shells are golden, remove them from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Place a slice of mozzarella on top of the cream cheese, then layer on a tomato slice or two. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, if using. Garnish with basil chiffonad.

Linda and I liked these very much and as crazy as the white bread sounds- it makes a great shell-try it!

    What’s up…

    • Mattie made National Honor Society

    • Karen is selling a DROID X by Motorola. It is available at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. The Android-based DROID X by Motorola features a 4.3-inch high-resolution screen, an HD camcorder, a 8 MP camera, 3G and Mobile HotSpot capabilities, and enterprise features. DROID X also comes with 8 (GB) onboard memory and a 16GB memory card which is expandable up to 32GB.  Linda and I each got one. Linda hated it and went back to her old phone. I love mine and am keeping it, but don’t need 2 phones. This is one of Verizon’s top selling phones (as close to an iphone is you will get on Verizon). If interested, make me an offer.

    SOLD!

    RIP Buffett…

    We were very sad to hear the news that Buffett was not doing well and the decision to put her to sleep was made. She was 12 and 1/2 years old today and will be greatly missed by all but especially her family, Kay, Bob & Delaney. Our thoughts are with you all…

    A Loan From God

    God promised at the birth of time,
A special friend to give,
His time on earth is short, he said,
So love him while he lives.

    It may be six or seven years,
Or twelve or then sixteen,
But will you, till I call him back,
Take care of him for me?

    A wagging tail and cold wet nose,
And silken velvet ears,
A heart as big as all outdoors,
To love you through the years.

    His puppy ways will gladden you,
And antics bring a smile,
As guardian or friend he will,
Be loyal all the while.

    He’ll bring his charms to grace your life,
And though his stay be brief,
When he’s gone the memories,
Are solace for your grief.

    I cannot promise he will stay,
Since all from earth return,
But lessons only a dog can teach,
I want you each to learn.

    Whatever love you give to him,
Returns in triple measure,
Follow his lead and gain a life,
Brim full of simple pleasure.

    Enjoy each day as it comes,
Allow your heart to guide,
Be loyal and steadfast in love,
As the dog there by your side.

    Now will you give him all your love,
Nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call,
To take him back again?

    I fancy each of us would say,
”Dear Lord, thy will be done,
For all the joy this dog shall bring,
The risk of grief we’ll run.

    “We’ll shelter him with tenderness,
We’ll love him while we may,
And for the happiness we’ve known,
Forever grateful stay.

    “But shall the angels call for him,
Much sooner than we’ve planned,
We’ll brave the bitter grief that comes,
And try to understand.”

    Buffy is back with her Dad, Skeeter and her best buddy, Kodi.  Here is a picture we took back when we were running trials with them.

    (Left)Kodi, (middle) Skeeter, (Right) Buffy.  Seeing her back when she was like this makes me happy.

    Kay

    What have you learned?

    “I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”

    “I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”

    “I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.”

    “I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as ‘making a life’.”

    “I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.”

    “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.”

    “I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.”

    “I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.”

    “I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.

    “People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.”

    “I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.”

    “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”