Day One Hundred Twelve: Pantry Curry

As happens all too often, I looked up as it was beginning to get dark outside and thought, "Oh dang! I've got to put something together for dinner." I rushed to the kitchen and frantically flung open the pantry and refrigerator doors searching for anything that would work for feeding a hungry crowd and that wouldn't require too much hands-on time, since I still needed to drop off and pick up kids from practice. In the pantry, I spied two containers of dehydrated vegetables that we took camping with us this  summer -- specifically one container of sweet potato pieces and one of butternut squash. I snatched them up and dumped them in a pan with water and started to boil them. I had no plan, and I'm definitely usually a recipe cook, but I didn't panic. I dumped in some chicken broth and made a little sachet of fresh thyme to throw in. Then, as the veggies began to soften, I started grabbing things out of the pantry -- curry powder, cloves, tummeric, salt, pepper, cayenne, coconut milk. On the spot, I decided I was going to make a curry. It turned out quite delicious, and even though the panicked dinner experience was nothing new, this particular dish was a new one for our family.

Sweet potato/butternut squash curry topped with bacon and cheese

Day One Hundred Eleven: Bedtime Excuse

Bedtime stalling is certainly nothing new around here. It's pretty much a nightly ritual, and I thought I had heard just about every excuse in the book. But tonight, I heard a brand new one. When I went to tuck Clay in, he told me that it felt like there was "brown" in his throat. "Brown?" I asked. "Yes;" he replied, "I can feel colors, and brown is not a good one." This was the first I had heard of a throat problem, and certainly the first time I even knew brown could be a throat problem.

Day One Hundred Ten: Mad Lib

Today, in my Essentials class, I used a Mad Lib that I wrote myself to review some of the concepts we've been working on this semester. I have never written a Mad Lib before, and it was fun but harder than I thought it would be. As with all Mad Libs, it was so silly when we filled in the blanks, and we had lots of laughs.

Day One Hundred Nine: Civil Air Patrol

It wasn't that long ago that I had never heard of the Civil Air Patrol. And yet tonight I found myself at one of their meetings. Of course, I was only there as an observer and a supporter of one girl's dream to attend the Air Force Academy at some point in the not-too-distant future. I love how my kids are constantly introducing me to new things!

Civil Air Patrol drills

Day One Hundred Eight: To the Rescue

Jeff took the boys to the family ranch this weekend. On the way back, the van broke down completely and there weren't any options for rides or rental cars. So, in another case of the First picking me rather than me picking it, I hopped in the car and made the two hour drive to go pick them up. They were glad to be rescued, and I was so thankful they had broken down in a very safe spot, away from the crazy holiday weekend traffic.

Day One Hundred Seven: Mother/Daughter Movie Night

Tonight I got to go the movies with just Ruth and my mom, which has never happened before. We had so much fun hanging out together and seeing Murder on the Orient Express.

I'm so thankful for these lovely ladies and for the chance to spend some quality time with both of them!

Day One Hundred Six: Black Friday

I do believe today was the first Black Friday shopping I have ever done (and actually it will be fine with me if it's the last), and really it was sort of a fluke. After my mom and I picked Ruth up from her riding lesson, Mom mentioned she needed to pick up a hair dryer since hers had died this morning. The next thing we knew, we were surrounded by Black Friday sales and were actively participating in the shopping. In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that we only went to one store, which was just enough to collect this First and pick up a pair of sparkly cat ears, which we obviously needed because they were 50% off. 😉

Sparkly cat ears for the Black Friday win!

Day One Hundred Five: Traveling Thanksgiving

This was the first time we've had a flying travel day on Thanksgiving, so instead of a more traditional celebration, we celebrated at an airport and on a plane. But, we had the opportunity to upgrade to first class, so it was a pretty nice treat! And, as a bonus, our plane arrived about an hour ahead of schedule, which never happens! I'm so thankful I got to spend this day with my people doing what we love to do most!

 

Thanksgiving lunch at the airport with my greatest blessings

First Class Thanksgiving Dinner

Day One Hundred Four: The Holocaust Museum

The Holocaust Memorial Museum is disturbing and chilling, but it is beautifully done and so moving. I feel privileged to have this on my list of Firsts.

The Holocaust Museum

Desecrated Torahs 

This collection of shoes extracted from one of the concentration camps was one of the most moving displays to me.
The shoes were taken from prisoners before or after the Nazis murdered them, as were all other items of any value.
The shoes just seemed so basic and human and personal and the act of taking them so brutal and petty.

Day One Hundred Three: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Today was my first time to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and I really loved it. It was so well done and was such an inspiration.

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope"

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness..."

Day One Hundred Two: Arlington

I'm not sure how I've never made it over to Arlington National Cemetery on previous trips to D.C. but today was my first time to experience it. It took my breath away, broke my heart, gave me chills, made me proud, and caused a well of thankfulness to rise up within me for the sacrifices that have been made for my freedom. I'm usually not easily moved to tears, but it was impossible to not be moved in such a way as we walked through the grounds. We also had the privilege to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was moving in its own right.

Arlington

The changing of the guard

Day One Hundred One: National Museum of the American Indian

There are so many great museums in D. C. and today we spent several hours at the National Museum of the American Indian, which is one I have not seen before. It was really well done, and we had a wonderful time.

National Museum of the American Indian

Totem poles

Counting system of South American tribes known as Khipu

Day One Hundred: Lincoln's Cottage

It was another day with multiple Firsts, but I'm choosing my favorite thing, which was Lincoln's Cottage. The Cottage sits about three miles outside of D.C. on the beautiful grounds of the Soldier's Home and adjacent to the original National Cemetery. The Cottage was a retreat of sorts for Lincoln during the Civil War, but it is also where he did much of the important work of writing the Emancipation Proclamation. The tour was fascinating and the guide really brought Lincoln to life for us and challenged us to think and act on "brave ideas," just as Lincoln did. I have always admired Lincoln and his presidency, but today he rose in my estimation even more.

Lincoln's Cottage

A life-size statue of a larger-than-life man

The National Cemetery

Day Ninety-Nine: National Gallery of Art

We did lots of things today that I've never done before, but for the purpose of this post, I'm just going to pick one: The National Gallery of Art and Sculpture Garden. (You can read about the other stuff on my other blog, if you're so inclined.)

First of all, let me say, I can recognize if I like a painting/drawing/sculpture or not, but I do not really have what people might call "artistic skills." Somehow, though, I have managed to give birth to a child who absolutely adores all things art and genuinely appreciates so much about it. He picked up a brochure when we entered the building and immediately created a scavenger hunt for himself with it. I may not have appreciated all the art in its own right, but I loved experiencing the art galleries with my little art lover, and I enjoyed trying to help him find the things he was looking for. We did see lots of lovely and interesting art, and we visited with an artist who spends a few hours every Friday trying to copy paintings in the museum as a way of improving his skills. After viewing most of the galleries, we had a picnic in the sculpture garden, enjoying the art there and the beautiful day.

National Gallery of Art

Watching an artist work

I really liked this mosaic, which represented the skin colors of actual people.
I love how the different skin tones complement each other so well.
This is the kind of beauty humans were made for.

A lovely metal tree in the sculpture garden

Day Ninety-Eight: Library of Congress

Today was my first time to visit the Library of Congress, and I was was very impressed. It is a beautiful building, and it houses, among other things, Thomas Jefferson's personal library and a copy of a Gutenberg Bible, which were both of great interest to our group. We also enjoyed a special exhibit featuring courtroom art and the view into the Reading Room. 

Exploring Thomas Jefferson's Library

The Reading Room in the Library of Congress is gorgeous!

One of three Gutenberg Bibles in the world printed on vellum

The ceiling at the main entrance

Day Ninety-Seven: Flight to D.C.

I have traveled to Washington D.C. a couple of times in the past, but this is the first time I have made the trip by plane. (It is also the first time I've had to check a bag in quite some time. We packed in carry-ons, but the overhead bins were all full, so they forced us to check our bags at the gate.) We will be here all week seeing the sights, and I'm sure there will be many great Firsts while we're here.

Day Ninety-Six: Grocery Shopping

Obviously grocery shopping isn't anything new for me. I basically feel like the grocery store is my home away from home. I have "my" stores that I frequent and am very familiar with. But, while waiting on a child to finish an activity on the other side of town, I decided to pop into a grocery store I never had been in. The brand was the same as one of my regular stores, but the layout of the store and even some of the products were completely different. If I hadn't read the sign before going in, I might have thought I was truly visiting a new grocery store. Clearly, this isn't one of my more exciting Firsts, but I thought it was so curious to have such a different experience in a store that seemed as if it should have been familiar.

Day Ninety-Five: Personality Test

I guess this is the week for Firsts that are similar to, but different from, other Firsts. Yesterday, I had the charcoal mask, which was similar to the homemade face mask, but different enough to count as a First. Today I did a Meyers-Briggs type personality test, which was different enough, but not too different, from the Enneagram. I have probably taken a personality test like this before, but I honestly can't remember when or what the result was, so we're just going to act like this is a totally new experience, okay?! For those of you familiar with the Meyers-Briggs labels, I am an ISTJ, and the description of that personality type seems like it fits me fairly well but not perfectly, which makes sense since for some of the traits I only show a slight preference in that direction.

Day Ninety-Four: Charcoal Face Mask

Early on in the Year of Firsts journey, I made a homemade face mask and transformed myself into the Incredible Hulk in my bathroom. Today, while Ruth and I were out shopping, she suggested we get some charcoal masks. This was my first store bought face mask and the first time Ruth and I engaged in this beauty treatment together. Ruth got one that had to be painted on, and I got a paper mask that just had to be laid over my face, which explains why they look different in the picture. They were pretty tingly so we didn't leave them on for the entire recommended time, but we did have fun with our little at-home spa treatment.

Getting beautiful

Day Ninety-Three: Junior Brown

For more than a decade, Jeff and I have been saying we'd like to see Junior Brown, who is one of our all-time favorite musicians, perform live. He plays in Austin pretty frequently, and when we lived in that area we would periodically look up his schedule and try to figure out how to make our schedule interact with his. To no avail. The other day, when one of his songs came up on my Spotify station, I thought to myself, "I wonder if he ever plays in Dallas." One Internet search led to another, and eventually, I found him playing at a classic car show in Denton. It was a day when our schedule was free, so we immediately put this event on the calendar. And today was the day! As a bonus, a classic car show was also a first for me. We had so much fun seeing the cool cars and listening to the fantastic music of Junior Brown!

The one and only Junior Brown

Day Ninety-Two: Axe Throwing

I'm not even sure how Jeff heard about axe throwing being an up-and-coming sport, but once he knew about it, that was the activity he wanted to do for his birthday. Age restrictions dictated it be a date night activity, and tonight we finally got to slip away to Richardson to give it a shot. I can honestly say it is an activity I had never even considered doing before, mostly because I didn't even know it was a choice! We had so much fun, and Jeff even sank two bullseye shots!

Crazy Axe Lady and Involuntary Axe Catcher ready for axe-tion

Warming up

Bullseye!

Day Ninety-One: Meals on Wheels

I have been wanting to volunteer with a Meals on Wheels organization for a while. But life is what it is, and I just haven't been able to make it happen. Today, I finally got to meet the local director and go on a ride-along to get a feel for how a route works and to begin to understand the process for delivering the meals. They have lots of volunteers and aren't able to give me my own route at the moment, so for now, I will be acting as a substitute. I'm really thankful for this opportunity and am glad the stars finally aligned for me get involved.

Day Ninety: italki

Today was my first time to experience italki, an online language learning site that connects potential language learners with native speakers of all kinds of languages for an immersion type experience. I sat in on Jeff's class but was encouraged to participate as I could. I was kind of a nervous wreck, since my speaking Spanish is even worse than my reading Spanish. But I got through it with the help and patience of both Jeff and the tutor, a very sweet Venezuelan woman, who now lives in Peru. It's pretty amazing how small the world is and how connected we all are. If my bravery holds out, I will open my own italki account and try to dive into Spanish a bit more.

Day Eighty-Nine: Translate an Article

Jeff has been taking online Spanish classes for a while and has been encouraging me to try it out as well. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been quite rebellious about doing this for mostly unknown reasons. But, I finally agreed to sit in on a class with Jeff tomorrow, so tonight I spent some time doing the homework, which was to translate an article about discrimination in schools in Spain towards immigrants and ethnic minorities that mirrors discrimination in other parts of daily life. I have not done any serious Spanish study in quite a long time, so it was a struggle to get through the article, and I was tired after I did it. But, I did it (with a little help from Google Translate). Talking in class tomorrow will be an entirely different matter, but at least I'm taking baby steps.

Un informe en espanol

Day Eighty-Eight: Warabimochi

We celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday tonight at our favorite revolving sushi restaurant, and we had so much fun! And, of course, there were plenty of new things to try, though the official First for today is warabimochi, a Jello-like substance covered in toasted soy powder that doesn't really look very appealing and feels very odd in the mouth, which is meant to be a dessert. I didn't actually dislike it, but I don't feel like I need to have it again. Yay for Firsts and good times with family!

Getting our sushi on

Sushi loving kiddos

Warabimochi

Day Eighty-Seven: Ninja Warrior Contest

We spent a portion of the afternoon watching Clay and Max compete in Ninja Warrior contests, which was a new experience for all of us. The gym where Max takes gymnastics was transformed into a giant obstacle course, and the kids were divided into age groups for the competition. It was so fun to watch, and I was so proud of both boys!

Little Monkey Man

Ninja Clay

Max was made for this

Max got 2nd place overall in his age group

Day Eighty-Six: New Wine

This isn't terribly interesting or exciting, but we did try a new Australian wine tonight, which we really enjoyed. And, to paraphrase Dr. Seuss: a First is a First, no matter how small. It was fun to get to share this First with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, who are here visiting this weekend.

Day Eighty-Five: Watermelon Margarita and Chocolate Pinata

Tonight we had dinner at Uncle Julio's, a new-to-us Mexican food restaurant in Grapevine, to celebrate me being freed from my knee brace after six long post-surgery weeks (and about four pre-surgery weeks). I had a delicious watermelon margarita, which was a new flavor for me. And, after dinner, we ordered the Chocolate Lover's Pinata, which was a very fun and unique twist on dessert. And that doesn't even get into the wonderful food we ate between the two! We had such a great time, and we are all so very thankful that my mobility is returning!

Uncle Julio's

Watermelon Margarita

Max loved getting to whack our chocolate pinata

The incredible contents of the pinata

Day Eighty-Four: Expletives

One of Weston's (and my) favorite things to do in Grammar class is to "stump the teacher" by coming up with the wackiest, most verbose sentences he can think of and then have me parse and diagram them. Sometimes he'll have a very wordy, but not overly complicated, sentence that I can work through quickly, and this is disappointing to him because "there were so many words." But sometimes, he comes up with a doozy, and I truly have to work my tail off and employ all kinds of online and offline resources to figure it out. And this is, of course, thrilling for him. Today, he really gave me a challenging one, and I had to search around for quite a while to figure out one part of it. When I finally found the answer, I had to do a double take because the thing was called an expletive. I have seen countless sentences with these so-called expletives but, until today, never knew what they were called or how to diagram them. It was an exciting discovery! So, the next time English Grammar makes you want to use a four-letter word, you'll know that expletives are indeed acceptable.  😉

*Explanation of expletives from Grammar Revolution*