Autumn comes quickly in New England

School started--for teachers only--today, so my husband and I hiked for two hours on a local in-town trail yesterday. The sky was cloudless blue and the temperature in the high 70s in the morning. The sounds and fragrances and sights refreshed us for the work ahead.

Today, I reconnected with old friends and we anticipate in our series of meetings the fresh year of connections with young people, which will start next Tuesday, the day after Labor Day. I will reveal to you that I do not enjoy cooking, but I was asked to bring a salad to our faculty lunch today, and I discovered this utterly delicious rice concoction. Who knew rice was a salad ingredient? Anyway, this will be my standard "takealong" from now on:

Mediterranean Rice Salad

Rinse, cook, and cool 1 1/4 c brown rice in 2 1/2 c water

Chop the follow vegetables fine (1/4 dice mostly):
medium cucumber (1 c)
small red pepper (1/2 c)
2 stalks celery
6ish scallions (scant cup)
1/4 c fresh parsley

Prepare dressing:
1 1/4 c plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 c nonfat mayonaise
1 large garlic clove, pressed
2 T lemon juice, 1 T rice vinegar
5-6 chopped fresh mint leaves (or1/4 t dry)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix dressing into rice thoroughly, then add in all vegetables. Top w kalamata olives. Chill thoroughly--overnight works.

I paraphrased this recipe from a book left behind in Georgia, and will cite it ASAP. Meanwhile, try it. As my niece, Rileigh, says, "Try it! It's good for you! You'll like it!"

Thursday, August 23, 2007
Comment on today's class

I'm taking a class on information literarcy, and we explored unitedstreaming.com today. It took me more time than I wished to set up--I had less time to explore the site. That WAS frustrating, but, as usual, our teachers, Steve and Connie, came to the rescue. The real issue is my modern expectation of instant results, a result of increasing internet speeds, and not limited to me. We criticize kids for their inability to focus and a demand for instant gratification, but there's no wonder here. I think their brains are rewiring in that direction, one us older folk find hard to accept since we can't go there. Sandy (P.S. reminder to self: meet again 2 weeks from today, 3:15)

Introductions

I teach art at a New England high school, and I'm on the brink of my twentieth year this September. I'll be 60 years old this fall, too, and I became a grandma last year on July 4, with the premature births of our fraternal twins, Ian and Alex. I spent six weeks with them this summer and got a strong reminder of how wonderful new life is. I'd forgotten the softness of baby skin, the fright and wonder of learning to stand and walk on two little feet, the tragedy of bumping little heads on a floor. Boy, do I miss the boys!