::faithful

Praying for

• friends who are struggling – depression, their spouse’s illness, cancer, job loss, upheaval – that they all find peace
• family, that we truly appreciate and love each other
• aging parents, that we make the right decisions with the utmost compassion

• Thanksgiving with my family
• sunshine
• winter blue skies

::healthy

Pumpkin pie happened, but so did a lot of cycling, walking, dancing and cartwheels.  I’m afraid to step on the scale.

::creative

Christmas decorating. The boys pulled down the boxes this weekend and we’re decking the halls.  Er, make that the rooms.  Our house doesn’t have any hallways.  I hope that Mr. Pea decides to put the outside lights up this weekend when it’s supposed to be EIGHTY degrees.  Much nicer to hang fake icicle lights in the heat than climbing up on a ladder when it’s freezing cold with a 30 mph breeze blowing.

::delicious

• Turkey Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Chicken quesadillas and Black Beans
• Baked Ziti with Zucchini and Italian (chicken) Sausage
• Pizza Night for the boys…Mr. Pea and I have a Grown Up Party!!
• Meatloaf with Roasted Tomatoes, Smashed Taters and Peas

::fun

Ridiculously blurry snapshot of The Architect and Princess Pea dancing Gagnam Style in the hotel hallway.  There are pictures of me doing cartwheels in the same hallway on the SDCard, but I’m not posting them here!

Ridiculously curly hair and caffeinated smile in my Mom’s Kitchen. I was teaching The Architect how to make gravy.

::looking ahead

Back to School for the boys!  Time to start tutoring and reviewing with Chris for his mid-terms.  It’s a long, drawn out process with him.  Company Christmas Party this weekend:  it’s going to be a mystery dinner theater sort of event.  Fun!  A few hours trail building with the boys, The Architect has a workshop to prepare for a Robotics Competition in January, Mr. Pea is working and the girls are both back at school studying for finals.  My current lot of Senior Project students are making their project presentation to the Advisory Board.  Their final technical presentation is the next week.

Remember the teaching job?  It got pulled.  The Dean decided he wanted to teach the class himself. On the bright side, he already has me scheduled as a guest lecturer for the lessons on presentation skills, resume writing and professional development!

Linking up at Suscipio – come join us!

::faithful

Praying for

• Dad, who, in his own words is “Bored Out of My Skull”.
• Mom, who is holding up GREAT!!
• DirtBike, who is struggling with school and who needs more help with learning than we are able to provide
• the right education specialist for DirtBike, that we find one!

• Thanksgiving with my family
• work that is steady, challenging and interesting, all at the same time

::healthy

It’s still good!  I’m back below my scream weight, back to normal!

::creative

Creative Cooking this week. First, I’m participating in a Chili Cookoff Tomorrow.  Last year I made vegetarian chili, and won second place.  I’m still bringing a pot of non meat chili for the vegetarians in the office to enjoy, but I’ve also found an award-winning chili master willing to share her  recipe, and I have high hopes.

Secondly, I made the Best Cranberry Sauce Ever.  E.V.E.R.  Just one small ingredient to the pan and WOW!! It’s amazing.

Finally, I tried a new recipe for Spicy Butternut Soup. I made a huge batch and it’s on the menu this week.

::delicious

• Spicy Butternut Soup
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Chili
• Thanksgiving Day – Brined, Roasted Turkey, Apricot Ginger Glazed Sweet Potatoes, Sautéed Green Beans with Caramelized Scallions and Mushrooms, Stuffing, Pumpkin Pie

::fun

That’s me and Kips the engineer who works for me, right after our annual company Turkey Bowl Flag Football Total World Domination Game.  We’re taking Pies in the Face for the bounty on our heads.  Yes, the bounty on our heads.  Much betting, trash talking, wagering and placing of bounties occurs around the office in the week leading up to the game.  All monies are donated to charity.  With the company match, we raised $6,000 this year!  And in case you’re wondering, no I did NOT play football.  I was the referee!! (Thanks to Tim May for the picture. I snagged it off your site, Friend!)

::looking ahead

Time off of work – Three and a half days of time with my family. Thanksgiving!  I can not wait to see my parents – and Dad is looking forward to the distraction.  His doctor says he can sit at the table for dinner!  Yeah! No school for the boys this week, and both girls will be coming home for the holiday.  We’ll go to the Parade of Lights on Friday, a long-standing family tradition. Mr. Pea and the Boys cut down four trees this past weekend and next Saturday will be spent cutting down more dead trees to prepare for Christmas bonfires.

Linking up at Suscipio – come join us!

::faithful

Praying for

• Dad, for an expeditious recovery from his ankle reconstruction.  I know it hurt a lot, and staying in bed and off the foot for eight weeks is going to be tiresome.
• Mom, because, well, because Dad being bed-ridden and cranky for eight weeks is going to be tiresome!
• Grandma Judy Darling, for stamina and healing as chemo continues
• Michelle, as she continues her battle against the cancer that is now spreading
• Students preparing for mid terms and finals
• Our country, that we finds a way forward

• cold!  frost!
• friends new and old
• opportunities to gather with family
• yarn and needles
• a sewing machine
• This:

::healthy

It’s all good.  More veggies on the table (and onto the plates!), no junk food in the pantry,  and back to regular exercise.  I don’t think I’m going to make my year-end goal of being able to do ten pull-ups, however, I can now do a hundred push-ups.

::creative

Mom’s Pretty Knitted Thing is almost done!  That’s a good thing, since I intend to wrap it up and carry it north when we all head to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving.

The Last History Fair Project EVER!!!  The school our children attend(ed) has an annual History Fair, and all sixth and eighth graders are required to participate.  Projects consist of an enormous research effort, rough drafts, a multitude resources to be found, a formal paper and a gigantic exhibit. It starts in September and ends in November. The projects will hijack an entire family, as research and writing of this magnitude needs a family effort for backup and guidance.  The projects will take over every computer and flat surface in the house, seemingly right up to the moment we stuff the Thanksgiving turkey and place it in the oven.  (Up until this year, the project was always due the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. ACK!!!)  There were a few years when we had two projects going at the same time.  DirtBike’s project this year is our eighth and final project. Doesn’t DirtBike look thrilled?  He’s barely awake, as the projects have to be delivered to the Parish Hall and set up before school, 7:15 am.

::delicious

• Beef and Vegetable Soup
• Pork Enchiladas
• Roasted Chicken, Green Beans
• Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Tomato Soup
• Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage and Zucchini
• Pizza and Salad
• Clear the Freezer and Pantry in Preparation for the Holidays – a smorgashboard of leftovers, odds and ends and random frozen bits (that ONE eggroll in the freezer…)

::fun

Okay, this fun is from a few weeks ago when the girls were visiting.  We went to the Dallas Arboretum to see the Chihuly exhibit.  I am absolutely awestruck at the sheer tenacity of these enormous glass sculptures.  Yes, glass.  Outdoors. In Tornado Alley.

The yellow sculpture is about 30, maybe 40 feet tall, and just as wide. I have more pictures, and am going to try to squeeze a few moments to make a complete post.

::looking ahead

Finishing a water distribution system model that has been tying up all of my brain cells at work for the past few weeks; bike rides this weekend; pulling down more dead trees and stacking firewood.

Linking up at Suscipio – come join us!