365 Days During 34

January 12th, 2010

2010-03-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

Time for Change

I learned a while ago to take photos of my students work and then I learned more recently to take photos of that work on display. This was a project that was a favorite of mine and I would have left it up longer, but the parents were starting to get antsy, wanting their child's work to head home with them.
*The last viewing of the Blow Paintings.

January 11th, 2010

2010-03-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

Gifts from the Great White North

Two of my favorite things that came back with me from my winter break back home. A new old looking North Stars t-shirt and my new favorite sweater. Both were gifts from my Mom, however the sweater was a much longer endeavor as she kitted it ( I do not get my knitting skills from her.) Thanks Mom !

January 10th, 2010

2010-03-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Successful Project

Here it is, the knitting project that took over my winter break! I am happy to announce that not only does it LOOK like a hat, it FITS like a hat and it is being WORN as a hat. These are all things that make a successful project in my book. I am tempted to do many more of these, but sometimes when you're at the top of your game, it's best just to let it be.
*Kevin sporting his new hat.

January 9th, 2010

2010-03-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

Holiday Space

For the first time in a long time, I got way into the holiday spirit this year and found myself actually buying things that were only associated with Christmas. I think this was perhaps because I had actual space to hang decorations up, and more importantly had a place to store it all once it was time to take it all down. As a teacher I have received some gifts that definitely belonged in the, "it's the thought that counts" category and have also some of the best and thoughtful projects I've ever seen. It was a bit hard to take them all down, so I gave myself until we were well into 2010 to do so.

January 8th, 2009

2010-03-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Remember Swinging ?!?!

I sure do and I loved it. Though it made me sick (thanks to being prone to motion sickness) I still did it as much as I could. I rarely get to hang out on the playground with the kids, but this was an unusually warm day and I needed the sun on my face.
* Some 5th graders playing a swinging game they made up.

January 7th, 2010

2010-03-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

Picasso Portrait Puzzles

*Each student draws a portrait, either self or made-up. After it is completed we cut it up along the lines and trade puzzle pieces. The result is a pretty cool art project with lots of crazy colors and eyes and noses all over the place.

January 6th, 2010

2010-03-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Almost a Hat

The second attempt at knitting has proven to be a bit more productive. I should admit that I have tried making this hat about three times, and have had to redo it three times. However on the fourth time my mom did a good amount of it, but I figured if you added up all the time I spent on the first three attempts, that it would basically mean that I made this one (that's my justification.) It's almost done, just have to bunch it all together.
*Yes, it is supposed to look squiggly.

January 5th, 2010

2010-03-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

Back to my Mountain Town

*One of Flagstaff's many outdoor supply stores, which is also something that greets me everyday on my way home.

January 4th, 2010

2010-03-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

Northwest Airlines - No More

Because a family member of mine was a Northwest Airline's employee I have been well aware of its situation and the certainty that it will no longer be with us. I was however surprised that when I flew out of Minneapolis this past January that I could not find a single sign or any representation that Northwest had been there. I went to the airport that day with the sole purpose (besides flying back) to find something with a NWA logo still on it. I knew it was just a matter of time, but I just didn't realize that I was going to be late.
*I just googled, Northwest Airlines and www.delta.com comes up.

January 3rd, 2010

2010-03-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

Baby's First Photo

*My good friend Nora is expecting a bambino in March sometime and I made her hold the ultrasound over her belly, promising her that I wouldn't get head in the photo. Look at that profile - amazing!

January 2nd, 2010

2010-03-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Volkommen till Lindstrom

*A water tower disguised as a teapot welcomes me back to my homeland every winter.

January 1st, 2010

2010-03-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hello 2010 !!!

Because Nora is sans alcohol these days, she volunteered to come get us very early on New Year's Day. I think I just found another good reason to have friends that are pregnant.

December 31st, 2009

2010-03-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

Goodbye 2009

The EXACT moment of the beginning of 2010 (Central Standard Time.)

No those were not all of my drinks, nor were they all Bekka's. We decided that because the service was fairly slow (or course, it's New Year's Eve) that we would order two drinks each at a time. Our table became quite full for three people.

December 30th, 2009

2010-03-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

It's Raining Babies

Babies and young kiddos are everywhere. It seems that the ladies in my life are having lots of them. This is great because, and I think most women will agree with me, baby/kid items are the best things in the world to buy or make. In a previous post I talked about my attempt to make a useful item for my friend and I realized why I'd rather make cute fun things that go on walls vs practical items.

*My friend Missy, excited to get a pair of boots for the baby that'll match the ones she got from her parents earlier in the week for Christmas.

*Missy's niece Avery being a good sport.

December 29th, 2009

2010-03-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

I Was Taught that it's the Thought that Counts...

However, I'm not sure when it comes to this. My super good friend Missy is expecting a baby and I wanted to make something useful for her upcoming baby shower. My mom suggested making a small (note the word, small) washcloth. Great I thought. I'd never knitted before and how can you go wrong with a small square washcloth? Well, I soon found out that it is definitely possible. The thing with knitting is that you have to pay attention to what you're doing, otherwise it doesn't work out. Period. I clearly was not paying attention and my square soon turned into a melted-looking kite shape. In the time it took me to make this, my mom made a sweater and a real square washcloth. While I was wrapping the various knitted gifts for my friend, my mom kept asking, each time I'm sure hoping for a different answer, "Are you sure you want to give her that one? Look, this one is square, you can just give her that one." Each time I said no. I knew Missy would appreciate my effort, or at least she would make me feel like she did.

December 28th, 2009

2010-03-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

Why not make a 6 ft tall Snowman ?

*Jordan and Mable making a gigantic snowman that's still shorter than him.

December 27th, 2009

2010-03-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

The One Good One

So today I got to babysit Ellie for an entire afternoon. My plan was to do a little photo shoot with her. Her plan was something else, which was normal for a 9 month old - to move around as much as possible. I set up a backdrop (blanket seen in the background) but it literally stayed there for about 1 minute. It was much more fun to use it as a toy. I soon realized that we would focus our time together on playing, sleeping and eating. Still not too shabby for an afternoon.
*I found out later that Ellie was getting FOUR teeth in when we hung out. Hence why every photo has fingers in the mouth.

December 26th, 2009

2010-03-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Share the Love

*I love the bottom photo because Lucy has taken over the blanket that was put down for Ellie to sit and play on. Lucy used to be the center of attention and now she has to share it with someone. She's definitely being a good sport about it, but she's not ready to let it all go, not just yet.

December 25th, 2009

2010-03-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ruby Reds and Blues

Christmas is just better with children (even if they have no idea why everyone is staring at them.)

December 24th, 2009

2010-03-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Progression of Christmas Eve:

Bader-Kortas-Gray Style

* The beginning of the end, as far as sugar consumption is concerned.

*Nothing says Christmas like a bowl full of butter and Velveeta.

*DRESSER. Home of the Dresser Fire Station, Dresser Elementary School, Soderberg's Hardware Store, The Village Pizzeria and....

Ward's Bar.

*Miri, reminding us all that the night is over.

December 23rd, 2009

2010-03-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

Cut Outs pt. 1

Cut Outs pt. 2

*Taking the ordinary and spicing it up a bit.

December 22nd, 2009

2010-03-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Bon Bon Jovis

My little brother Jordan coined this term last year. Growing up these were always called, Peanut Butter Bon Bons. They were obviously loaded with peanut butter and looked like bon bons, so the name always made sense. However, it wasn't until Jordan called them Peanut Butter Bon Bon Jovis that we all made the BON Jovi connection. This is why I love my brothers, and why I love the Bon Bon Jovis.
*Mix some peanut butter, powdered sugar and butter and drop it into some melted chocolate and wax and you have a deliciously incredible treat. Plus you should be singing "Livin'n on a Prayer" to make the moment complete.

December 21st, 2009

2010-03-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

3 and 5 Months to Go

*Nora and Missy - two moms-to-be coming together for a little dinner party with some awesome ladies.

*Bekka's delicious and beautifully displayed dinner.

December 20th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Ellie-A-Thon Has Begun

Well, I'm back visiting family and friends for the holidays and am sure there will be a plethora of photos of my niece.
*Sweet Sweet Girl.

*My brother gets the photo credit here. I just wanted to post a photo of Little Miss and myself reading a very important book about dinosaurs that she has heard hundreds of times.

December 19th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Amazingly Empty Airport

I was all alone. It was the crazy busy holiday season at the airport and I realized I was all alone at one end of the concourse, there were 4 gates at this end. Gigantic storms were pummeling the East Coast and therefore making waves in the flying business in the West. Luckily all of my flights went well (I'm always thankful for this.) Eventually I was visited by a few men who came to watch the football games with me.
*Love the carpet.

December 18th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:28:00.001-07:00

Coming ...

December 17th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:27:00.004-07:00

Coming...

December 16th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:27:00.002-07:00

Coming...

December 15th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Can You See What's Wrong ?

*This sign stopped me enough to have me pull over and take a photo of it, however I didn't stop in and buy anything.

December 14th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

It's getting to be the end of the school year for 2009 and I'm scrounging the internet looking for fun winter projects for the both my students and myself. Snowmen made from old cd's were a big hit, making snowflakes out of q-tips was not. The latter was much more labor intensive and was a project I scrapped as soon as this photo shoot was over.
*My exciting evening of an elementary art teacher captured in this photo.

December 13th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

I Just Love it Here

*San Francisco Peaks with a fresh dusting of snow.

December 12th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:13:00.001-07:00

Coming ...

December 11th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:12:00.003-07:00

Coming ...

December 10th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:12:00.001-07:00

Coming......

December 9th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Kisses Galore

It is that time of year again where we all collectively decide that our sugar intake is below normal, so we must spend the next few weeks making and eating an insane amount of sugary cookies and snacks. Then after we gorge ourselves on all of the scrumptious treats, we collectively decide that we will never again do this to ourselves. That is until next December comes around and we must make the sacrifice again.
*For the record, these Peanut Butter Kiss cookies did not turn out. I used only whole wheat flour and melted the butter until it was boiling (both baking no-no's). Combining these 2 aspects of this recipe did not work with one another.

December 8th, 2009

2010-03-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Inn at Four Ten On a Snow Day

A snow day was called today, so I went for a walk around the neighborhood. I love seeing the town hunker down and move a little slower because of weather. This is a little Bed & Breakfast that I meander by often. It looks very quaint and sweet and I'd like to think that if I were coming to visit I would stay in this little place.
*I just googled this place and found that it is listed in the book, 1000 Places to See Before You Die. Cool.
http://www.inn410.com/

December 7th, 2009

2010-03-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

First Snow

Though I tell people all of the time, I don't think they believe me. It snows in Arizona, a lot. No it's not where the cactus are, but higher up, like where I live. In fact Flagstaff gets more snow than Minneapolis (FLG = 100" per year, MSP = 49" per year.) We do however get lots of sun here so a lot of that 100" melts fairly quickly. I have a feeling we are in for a lot more of the white stuff this season. I can feel it.
*Photo of a tree in my backyard.

December 6th, 2009

2010-03-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

Nesting Necklaces

I found the bead shop again. Like I mentioned in my previous post about art stores being my drug of choice, it seems that bead shops are pretty far up there as well. It started when I found a bead with a little nest and eggs. I have two good friends that are about to become Mamas and I decided it would be fitting for them to get a nesting necklace. So from there, that's what I did for the majority of my December evenings.
* Hard to see, but the above mentioned bead is on the right side almost in the middle, below the giant yellow disk.

December 5th, 2009

2010-03-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Stained Glass - pt 2

*Photo of a 5th graders finished stained glass piece.

December 4th, 2009

2010-03-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Resourcefulness

As I get more into this teaching deal I realize the materials you usually need are right next to you and you can save a lot of money. For example, there are many "tools" you can buy out there to make the perfect circle and I have to say that I have been tempted. Walking into an art store is almost like a drug for me. I see all the colors and shapes and think that I need it all. I fill up my cart with a tremendous amount of "must have" materials and then after an hour, reality sets back in and I realize that I do not need all of the aforementioned items, nor can I afford them. So I very diligently put everything away in the correct spots and end up buying a pad of paper and a new pen. I usually leave knowing that I didn't need all of those things, but wish I would have realized it before I spend an hour picking it all out.
*A sixth grader using a Metrodome souvenir cup to make a perfect half circle.

December 3rd, 2009

2010-03-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

Legos to the Rescue

There are times when I think it would be very hard to go to a school like mine as a kid because sometimes it is so small (about 20 kids per grade.) That's a great thing for parents, but sometimes kids need more variety. Then a day like this comes along and I wish that I had been a charter school kid. Besides the great athletic clubs at school (running & biking - both of which I'm a part of:) we also now have "Lego Club." Yes indeed. It is exactly what you think it would be - large tubs of legos put on tables and massive amounts of hands digging in to see what they can find. They do have "problems" or "projects" that they have to work on. In the above photo, their project was trying to figure out a solution to the erosion problem happening on the trails at the Grand Canyon. Not only did they draw a cross-section of the canyon, but they made a "team" of tourists heading down into the canyon.
*Presentation done for the school showing their Lego solution.

December 2, 2009

2010-03-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Fridge of Fame

When I moved last April I made a conscience effort to put only "important" things on my refrigerator because as I learned when I took things off of my last one, I tend to leave all that I put on. I know this is pretty typical of most people, but I had to scrape off the objects that made it on the last refrigerator, time had not been nice to them. After I took this I realized that it is a snapshot of important ladies in my life (with a few minor nods to some men.) On here you will find 3 photos of my unbelievably beautiful niece, my cousin's sweetheart of a little girl, the senior picture and announcement of my cousin Mackenzie who was a mere little thing when we lived together. Magnets and postcards from my great lady friends - Nora, Missy and Kate. Of course Jon and the boys make a small appearance as well.

December 1st, 2009

2010-02-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

Pomegranates and Persimmons

My aunt made this salad the night before Thanksgiving and it was delicious. I eat my fair amount of salads and it is always good to try a new one. This was also my first introduction to persimmons which I totally fell in love with. I tried to recreate her delightful salad, even browing and seasoning pumpkin seads and making the dressing. Below is the recipe.

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 c raw pumpkin seeds
2 Tb brown sugar
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp salt
1 lg clove garlic, peeled
2 Tb pomegranate juice concentrate
1 Tb lemon juice
1 tsp honey
¼ c pumpkin seed or olive oil
1 small pomegranate
1 lg head Romaine lettuce, washed and dried
2 sm shallots, thinly sliced
2 large Bosc pears, sliced
4 oz pecorino cheese, sliced

1.) Heat the 1 tsp olive oil over high heat for 1 minute in a medium nonstick skillet. Add the pumpkin seeds and toss in the pan until the seeds are popping and browning about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the brown sugar, tossing continuously until cinnamon and salt, then spread the mixture on a plate to cool. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week until ready to use.
2.) In a food processor, mince the garlic. Add the pomegranate juice concentrate, lemon juice, honey and the remaining ½ tsp salt and pulse to mix. With the machine running, gradually drizzle in pumpkin seed or olive oil.
3.) Cut through the skin of the pomegranate from stem to tip, dividing the fruit in quarters. Hold it over a bowl and pull apart the sections, then tear apart the pieces, gently freeing the seeds. Slice across the Romaine leaves into the ½ inch wide strips. Arrange the greens in a bowl. Top with the shallots, pears and cheese. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and top with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds.

November 30th, 2009

2010-02-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

Randoms

I returned to Flagstaff after a 14 hour drive from Sacramento. It is always a wonderful thing, to be able to spend quality time with family. I had a fantastic time with my grandparents and with my uncle Jeff's family. Though I am here in Flagstaff without any family, it is still a comforting feeling to know that I am only a days drive away from some very good people that I am lucky to call my family.

* This photo has nothing to do with the above writing except that I think mail trucks have really pretty cool graphics, especially when there are a number of them and it is dark out.

November 28th & 29th, 2009

2010-02-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

Good Times at the Diebels

To end the Thanksgiving weekend, we decided to break out the fooseball table and most importantly the Nintendo. During the summer of '87 myself, my brothers and my friends all played an insane amount of Nintendo. I played so much Tetris that I started dreaming about it. I have never before or since been such a good a soldier as I was during my stint playing Contra. I haven't played since that summer, but tonight I tried it again and as soon as that Super Mario Brothers music started I was transformed back to 7th grade. I was shocked at how much I remembered and then I wondered why I do I still have all of that useless information in my brain? Do I really need to remember where the secret free guys are? Is it really important to know how to warp to different worlds? Well, its not, but somehow my fingers remembered that to jump fast and high you push the right arrow with your left thumb and press the B button with your right thumbs. This I have a feeling I will know until I die.

*Tony and Molly kicking some butt on fooseball.

* Tony in the Treetop World.

November 27th, 2009

2010-02-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

Geocaching & Little Kid Fun

* Near Folsom Lake searching for coordinates.

* Tony scored!

*It says, "Geocaching-the most fun you can have with 12 billion dollars of military hardware."

*Molly finds a treasure (a pop can.)

*The geo-cachers at Folsom Lake.

* And the Lindsay photo shoot begins...

*Molly & Jason, the best aunt and uncle ever. Seriously.

* Sweet Adrienne

*The happy family.

* And let the leaf fun begin...

November 26th, 2009

2010-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Pleasures

*Look at that Love

* Molly and Jason's wonderful pie.

* Tressa's delicious rolls

*Jeff's (um, not sure what I can say about it) turkey

* Andrew, Adrienne & Grandpa lounging after feasting.

* Andrew and Lindsay (a girl after my own heart - she's in control of two cameras!)

*Look at that size difference of those hands !!!

*The great grandparents looking lovingly.

*Henry and Cody inspecting the freshly picked carrots.

November 25th, 2009

2010-02-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

Leaves, Leaves, Leaves

This is why a bazillion people live in California. It is the end of November and the leaves are still beautiful and the temperatures quite pleasant.
* My Aunt and Uncle's yard in Northern California.

November 24th, 2009

2010-02-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

Here We Go

It is the beginning of the Thanksgiving travel escapade. I drove from Flagstaff to Lake Havasu City where I met up with my Grandparents. From there we headed westard toward the Golden State and the adopted homeland of Governor Schwarzenegger. It was the start to a wonderful weekend full of good quality family time.

*Photo taken outside Tehachapi, CA.

November 23rd, 2009

2010-02-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

Always Looking

People think teachers work 9 months a year from 8:00 - 3:00 during those months. If you've ever known a teacher you know that is not true. I find that I am constantly looking around for good buys and always thinking about different lessons. Sometimes I feel very old because I do think about my job on my down time.
* Some classic games that I bought for Summer Camp (that doesn't start for another 7 months.)

November 22nd, 2009

2010-02-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

Really ?

I find what people put on their cars to be quite telling of their personality. I think these two stickers are very interesting - they are alright with blindly praying for something they've never seen and at the same time have no problem with bashing people who are on this earth trying to create a better life for everyone. Free speech is a wonderful thing, even if I disagree with what is being said, but I believe that negativity will never work.
*These bumper stickers were on the back of a mini-van.

November 21st, 2009

2010-02-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

Dollar Store Finds

I find myself this year wanting to decorate for Christmas. I think it has to do with the fact that I no longer have to eat, sleep, cook, draw and ultimately live in one single space. Though having a larger home takes more work I am enjoying the freedom of movement and the ability to hang things on the walls like cheap plastic awesome treasures from the Dollar Store.

November 20th, 2009

2010-02-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

Salt and Soap Come for a Visit

Today was a pretty special day at Mountain School. Author Lori Rome and illustrator Tanja Bauerle came to school to hang out with a bunch of 1st and 2nd graders. The Adventures of Salt and Soap is a true story about Lori Rome, a park ranger in the Grand Canyon, who came across two dogs that became known as Salt and Soap. The students patiently listened to her read the story. I say patiently because the whole time she was reading, the two dogs, Salt and Soap were sitting in the classroom as well. I'm not sure if there's anything children love more than animals and today was no exception. After hearing the story and learning how books are created, Salt and Soap were let out to enjoy the neverending love of children.
*Author Lori Rome reading her book to the students.

November 19th, 2009

2010-02-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Stained Glass 1 - The Start of Something Great

This is the beginning of a long project I did with my students. We looked at Louis Comfort Tiffany's Autumn Landscape - The River of Life stained glass piece. We decided to create our own stained glass. However the word "glass" made me apprehensive and I had to come up with a project that would look like stained glass but would in actuality have no glass in it. Even before we got to the "glass" portion each student would have to draw their stained glass. I kept referring to them as their coloring pages because they had to draw it with the idea that they would be filling in the majority of the spaces with color, hence no stick details.
*The beginning stage of the stained glass project.

November 18th, 2009

2010-02-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

Sand Turkeys (I guess I can handle those)

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and for the first time ever, I decided to do a turkey-type project for class with my younger students. Somehow in my mind this one was alright because it was considered a "cool" project. I was given about 1000 transparencies a few years ago and am constantly trying to find uses for them. For this project students put a simple line drawing underneath a transparency and followed the lines with glue and then put colored sand on top of the glue. We ended up with beautiful artwork that we all decided would look wonderful in a window. EXCEPT that the next day the dried glue pealed off to leave a blank transparency. Whoops. I guess they can't all be fantastic projects. However, the kids had a fantastic time doing it. So maybe it was still successful ?!?!?

November 17, 2009

2010-02-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

Words of Wisdom - 4th grade style

*I will never tire of these types of projects from children. I may also love them because I know the kids who wrote them, but these two made me laugh out loud.

November 16th, 2009

2010-02-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

The Boys are Back in Town (kind of)

*Not a very exciting photo, however it represents a very exciting time in the future. I will once again head to Vegas to check out the latest and greatest Bon Jovi show in early March.

November 15th, 2009

2010-02-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

Bread & Honey

Lately I've been feeling more domestic and thus needed to take a photo of my latest pride and joy - being able to successfully make whole wheat bread at 7,000'. Baking in Northern Arizona can be a little tricky with the lack of oxygen, so after many hours of letting it rise, punching it and letting it rise again I was able to enjoy my first loaf of homemade bread. I put on a heaping scoop of my friend Kate's homegrown honey and found myself reveling in my new accomplishment.
*Jacquie bread with Kate honey.

November 14th, 2009

2010-02-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

New Brighton, 1981

In honor of my Dad's 60th birthday I decided to scan in a photo taken in front of one of his childhood homes. Just looking at this photo makes me cold.
*Jamison, Me, Josh in front of our Grandma & Grandpa Kortas's house.

November 13th, 2009

2010-02-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Come on Crows, Kiss the Cook

To add the celebration of fall, Mountain School decided to have a Scarecrow contest. Each class had to come up with an idea and create an 8 ft tall masterpiece. Because I don't have a classroom (so I can be impartial and fair) and because I am the art teacher, I was asked to help judge the scarecrows in different categories such as "Most Creative", "Most Recycled", "Best Name" and so forth. Though I don't remember the above guy's name, it was my favorite for a few reasons:
1) the eyes were made out of star cookie cutters (I mean who doesn't want the excuse that you honestly have stars in your eyes.)
2) each student wrote out recipes which he has hanging from his left hand (not an easy task for 1st graders.) 3) this scarecrow was representative of this class as they do a lot of cooking lessons within the classroom (and they let me try their creations.)
*My favorite Scarecrow.

*An actual Scared Crow.

*This guy's name is P.O.E.M which stands for :
P = Peace
O = On
E = Earth
M = Man

p.s. Happy Birthday Mom !

November 12th, 2009

2010-02-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

Scary Silhouettes

I did a project before Halloween on silhouettes and ended up with some incredible results (both funny and creative.) We took a white piece of paper and created the background by mixing various shades of red, orange and yellow chalk together. We then put that gigantic mess away and cut out the border of a black piece of paper and then drew our "scary scene" out of the rest of the black paper and then cut it out. Normally I would not let a child have a subject matter like the one above but I've learned, as I'm sure most parents already know, that one must choose their battles with children. I asked the student who did the above piece of work what was going to happen next and he said, knowing to chose his words carefully, "Well, the flying ghost guy saves the card playing guy and then they have hot chocolate." I added, "...and they all lived happily ever after."

*A ghost watching a card game in which it looks like one of the players is going to have a pretty bad night.

* 3rd grader

* 6th grader (I love the witch in the upper right corner)

*6th grader

November 11th, 2009

2010-02-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

Red Rock Climbing

Sedona, Arizona.
Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. There's not a whole lot more to say about it. It is an endless sea of red rock and green trees. On this day we hiked up to an area that has 800 year old dwellings that were in very good shape, found thousands of pot sherds (of which I did not take, I've been advised on the the bad "juju" it would bring) and we also found 800 year old corn cobs. Pretty Amazing.
* On the hike down from the ruins we were treated to this view and Kevin decided to practice his Spiderman moves.

*From the inside of a dwelling looking out toward a canyon wall.

* An agave tree.

*Dwelling and cliff wall.

November 10th, 2009

2010-02-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

I've Never Seen an OZ like this Before

Sometimes when you search long and hard enough you really are treated to a diamond in the rough. This is how I felt when I found The Wonderful Wizard of Oz : A Commemorative Pop-up. Being a teacher, I've found that children's books can be both wonderful and overwhelming at the same time. Constantly being on the watch for a great new book to catch your students' attention is always on the forefront of my mind, so when you find something like this it takes hold of you. Robert Sabuda is the man behind this book of fun. He is an amazing paper artist and has teamed up with many classic stories and has created a new way of experiencing them.
*The Emerald City - Sabuda style

*There are also 3D glasses !!!

http://www.robertsabuda.com/

November 9th, 2009

2010-02-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

Looking Out My Back Door

A couple of days ago I did a post about the view out my front door. Well, here is the view looking out my back door (cue the Creedence song.) Though I am kept up many a night by these things (and I know I should be getting "used" to them, however I still have not) I am still very thankful for them. They are serving an obviously much needed purpose and I am glad that there are people crazy enough to pilot these machines.
*Ok, so this is not directly behind me, but if I look hard enough through the trees I can see them landing on top of the hospital.

November 8th, 2009

2010-02-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

Fort Hood

Again I (along with everyone else) am presented with a quandary. I pride myself with being able to see various points of view, but this one will never make sense to me. I can only come away from situations like this by taking the time to realize how lucky I am that
a) I don't think so horrible of the world.
b) I don't think that the way to solve a problem is by grabbing gun and murdering people.
c) my family was not injured.
If the "people" whoever and whatever they were that started/created religion saw the way it is manipulated and used selfishly and destructively today "they" would be horrified. I remember watching the first Late Night with David Letterman show that was aired after the September 11th attacks. He opened with a heart-wrenching statement that put into words what a lot of the nation was feeling. I remember he was referring to religious fighting and said "And if you live to a thousand years old, will that make any sense to you ? Will that make any goddamned sense?"
I may have referenced this before, but I'll say it again. My good friend Missy once said that she feels like she won the lottery of life. I hate to take her statement, but I think it is a pretty accurate depiction of how I feel about my life and where I grew up and how I get to live my life.
*Photo taken of the flags in remembrance of the victims of the shooting outside the Flagstaff Public Library on a chilly Sunday morning.

November 7th, 2009

2010-02-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

My New View

Rightly so, I used to brag about the view from my old house. The San Francisco Peaks were out my front door and it was a sight I still miss. However tonight I was treated to a beautiful display of sunset colors out my new front door. How can I ever complain ?!?!
*The new fall colors of my life.

November 6th, 2009

2010-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

I Think Martha Would Be Proud

No, I do not want to be Martha Stewart, but I must admit that I do like the way things look when she's done with them. I like sleek even looking things (sometimes quite the opposite of my personality.) Even though I have lived in my place for about 6 months, tonight was my first mini-dinner party. Greek salad with homemade dressing and pita bread was on the menu along some sweets to round the evening out.
* I just counted and 8 of the objects on the table (not including food) were acquired at 8 different times from 8 different places. Very unMartha-like and very Jacquie-like.

November 5th, 2009

2010-02-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Up Up and Away

Today was another great day at work. Most teachers are scroungers and scavengers, we have to be creative in order to teach with limited funding. Charter schools do even more of this because our funding is different than "regular" public schools. Luckily my boss believes in having "Specials" like art (me!) and P.E. The P.E. teacher at my school is amazing. Like I said before she has limited resources, yet those kids are constantly moving and having fun.
*A 3rd grader flying through the air during an obstacle course during the Jump Rope for Heart day.

*Hulu-hooping contest.

*Jumping rope to jump rope.

November 4th, 2009

2010-01-25T14:45:00.000-08:00

Book Clubs are really for Boozing and Eating

At least the book clubs that I belong to, which is why I belong to them.
*Photo taken of a delicious apple tart/french toast concoction getting the powdered sugar treatment that my friend and fellow book clubber Gina made. Unbelievably wonderful.

November 3rd, 2009

2010-01-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

Am I in School ?!?!

I ask because right now I feel like it. I am currently reading four books at one time. Though I pride myself on multi-tasking, reading is usually not grouped into that category. Sometimes I am very linear in my thinking and can only think about one thing at a time. Clearly this is one of those times. All of these books were given to me with great recommendations and so I feel I need to read each of them, however I have a feeling I will not get through them all as more books keep coming out that I know someone will tell me that I have to read!!!
* "Salt, "Valley of the Dolls", "Moloka'i", "The Birth of Venus"
- As of this writing
I'm reading "Salt" every once and a while - reads like a bit of textbook, but fascinating.
I gave up on "Valley of the Dolls" - I just didn't care to finish.
I finished "Moloka'i." One person told me it was one of her favorite books ever. I thought it was very average, however I did learn a lot about leper colonies (yeah, not a pretty subject)
I finished "The Birth of Venus" and again thought it was average. I read this book for a book club and have realized that I have a selected view on what I think is a good book and that differs with most. Not sure exactly what type that is but when I figure it out I'll write a blog on it.

November 2nd, 2009

2010-01-25T14:25:00.000-08:00

I Cannot Live a Lie

Not that I ever tried to.
I love all of those tape and remember hours and days listening to them.
Today I was cleaning out a closet and came across and box of mixed tapes that have been sitting in that box for over 10 years. I cannot seem to let these bad boys go. If I do not keep them in a box in the closet they will inevitably end up in a dumpster behind the used bookstore that I sell them to and I love the too much for that (however I have not actually listened to them for over 10 years.) In my art classes I do a lesson the history of how music is recorded and listened to and I bring in a record, an 8-track, a cassette tape, a cd and then of course an ipod. I love showing them how smaller the devices get (I use Billy Joel's "The Stranger" because I have it all of the above forms.)
*An excerpt of my awesome musical taste, preserved on cassette tapes. This prompted me to go on Netflix and request "High Fidelity" and was comforted in the fact that I am not alone.

November 1st, 2009

2010-01-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

Oh Brett - You Give Us Hope

It is a very hard thing, this growing up on the border of two states. Trying to explain to people that I technically grew up in Wisconsin, but lived 5 minutes away from another state from which that state gave me more identity than the one that I had a street address in. The closest "city" to us was Minneapolis and St. Paul ("The Cities" as those of us on the outskirts of them call them.) Having a dad from Minneapolis who cheered for the Vikings, Twins & North Stars, receiving all of our television and radio stations from The Cities and paying thousands of dollars to get an undergraduate degree in Minnesota, it became a clear choice to side and identify with Minnesota on most things. However I had friends that lived houses away that were clear Wisconsin supporters so there was never a real good explanation on how some of us are Viking fans and others are Packer fans. I admit I do flip flop between the two when they're playing other teams, however when they're playing each other, it's Minnesota all the way. Plus back when I was in Elementary school I told everyone (ok really I only told the boys) that my Grandpa knew Bud Grant - the Viking coach at the time. I'm not sure if I made that up or if I truly thought that because he worked near Minneapolis and knew a guy who had a van with the license plate "Vikes1" that he and Bud were the best of friends. Much to my sadness I can report that my Grandpa did not know Bud Grant.
*Photo taken inside a dominantly Packer bar in Flagstaff during a Packer vs.Viking game.
FYI - something I find interesting about all of this "living on the border" though there's confusion on which football side you cheer for, 95% of people from Western Wisconsin are Twins fans. hmmmmmm

October 31st, 2009

2010-01-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

All-Hallows-Eve

Yes, I spent this Halloween dressed up as a . . . can you guess ?!?!?! I went as a 1989 Skid Row groupie. Not at all surprising which is why there is no photo of me dressed up, since I have worn this "costume" for the last 15 years. I put costume in quotations because all the the pieces of my costume are clothes that I have in my everyday closet, no getting out the specially marked boxed labeled "Halloween clothes" for this one. Included in my ensemble was a -1989 official t-shirt from above mentioned concert, black crazy tights and large gaudy jewelry (for the record I really am an open book.) However what struck me about this night, as it always does on Halloween, is how we treat death. For most of us death is not something we look forward to or think about on a daily basis to which I'm not sure if that is good or bad. However on the last day of October we find it normal, in fact necessary to wear/draw/look at skulls, gravestones and ghostly images of what we may or may not end up looking like in the afterlife. Then on November 1st those images are gone for another year. Just interesting to me.
* Photo taken at a sports/college bar in downtown Flagstaff.

October 30th, 2009

2010-01-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

One More Munch

* A close to finished piece.

October 29th, 2009

2010-01-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

Screamin' for a New Idea

So it is getting close to Halloween. I like holidays, but I do not necessarily like holiday crafts. Usually crafts are cutesy things that require a lot of glue, the use of sharper tools and a 1:1 ratio of adult to child. So for those reasons I tend not to do a lot of "crafty" projects in my class, plus I like to say that I paid $20,000 to get away from the term "crafty" and instead prefer the term "artsy." Yes this is just semantics, but again lots of money and time was paid for this definition and I will milk it for all its worth.
* For a Halloween project I enlisted the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch who is most notably famous for his "Scream" paintings. The artwork did turn out pretty creepy, but still pretty arty and definitely not at all crafty.

October 28th, 2009

2010-01-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

They Made It !!!

Though they took a detour through the Panama Canal, my Mom and Craig finally made it back to Flagstaff. Unfortunately it was not a "Chamber of Commerce Day" because it was cold and windy and tiny snowflakes were trying to make an appearance. However I was very happy to have them here if only for a day.
*The Young Retirees.

October 27th, 2009

2010-01-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

One More Trek Though the Canyon Completed

I've decided that photos taken with the self-timer still count on the 365 Days During 34 blog. By the end of the trip I had no extra energy to try to take more than 1 of these photos, hence the crookedness of the photo. I call these (not-so-masterful photos) "The Proof Photo" - the one that says, "Yes, we did manage to carry ourselves and our gear up to the top and we can still manage a smile." And why shouldn't we be smiling ?!?!? We spent four days inside one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. I lead a very good life and I am well aware of it.
*Exhausted hikers at the New Hance Trailhead
FYI - The other 6 Natural Wonders of the World are :
- Mount Everest (Nepal)
- Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe)
- Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
- Northern Lights
- Paricutin Volcano (Mexico)
- Harbor of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
I know this is just someone's list, but I think it is a good one to start with. Why not try to see them all and then go from there ? It's always good to have a goal. :)

October 26th, 2009

2009-12-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone Says it's Easier Going Uphill. (I don't believe them.)

With one last look at the river it was time to load our packs onto our backs and head out of the canyon. A hike from the river to the rim in one shot is a good goal. Luckily it was the end of October so we didn't have to worry about having the sun beat down on us. We took our time and headed up next to some of the most beautiful red walls I have ever seen. Unfortunately at this point I had run out of camera battery power and realized that I would have to remember the colors in my mind. At that point in the trip I was just fine without taking any more photos as I was using all of my energy to put one foot in front of the other and continue that motion for a few hours.
*View from the campsite

October 25th, 2009

2009-12-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

The Mighty Colorado

I say this all the time, but really everyone should make their way down to the Colorado River at least once in their life. It is an incredible force that luckily keeps on crashing into rocks and canyons every second of the day.
*Colorado River rushing into everything in its way at New Hance Rapids.

*One of the greatest campsites ever.

October 24th, 2009

2009-12-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

What Were They Thinking ?

On the second day of the trip we found mining caves. The park service has left some of the original tools used for mining in the caves, however there are giant barricades not letting you in very far. Though it was disappointing to have big metal gates impeding our sense of adventure, it is understandable that the park has to do this. There are too many yahoos out there who will try to steal this stuff and then sue the park service when they get injured trying to do so. Most of the mines within the canyon are not conveniently located on or near the rim. Most are down many miles of trails which means that all of the materials found within the mine have to get back up to the top. I don't think I could have survived in that community. I think I would have taken one look at where the mine was and realized that it would have been too long of a haul for me. Back in the latter 1800s there was a thriving mining community in the canyon, however after only a few years it was determined that the process and energy it took to get minerals out was too costly and inefficient to continue. Although there are no active mines within the park boundaries now, the land just outside of it is in danger of new drilling projects as the price of uranium rises.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32004574/
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/Grandview_Trail.pdf
*An old mining car in Last Chance Mine.

*We collected water right out of the rocks at a place called Miner's Spring. Most of the time water in the wilderness needs to be filtered, but this water had been filtering for years through the rocks of the canyon walls. Quite possibly the best water I've ever had.

*Getting deeper inside the canyon.

*An agave plant showing us the way.

October 23rd, 2009

2009-12-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

Back to the Canyon (Grandview-New Hance Loop)

It is fall in the Grand Canyon and time for another trip inside the canyon walls. My brother posted on my Facebook page that, "I go the Grand Canyon the way he goes to Target." Unfortunately I don't get there as much as that, but I can say that I can go from sitting on my couch to sitting on the rim in about 1 1/2 hours. This was a trip that I was very excited about because I was getting to see a part of the canyon that I had yet to see. Some people ask if it all looks the same and my response is a resounding, "Hell No!!!" Anything can look different and interesting, you just have to change your point of view. The trails that we took are not super popular for tourists as they are not maintained, which is what we were looking for. Besides insane beauty on this trip, I was able to see my first cave within the canyon. This is why I love the canyon, it is always presenting new places to explore. For this blog entry and others I've decided to forgo the one photo a day and add a few more - too hard to narrow them down.

*View from our campsite on Horseshoe Mesa as the sun was setting.

*Yes, this is how we got in there.

*One of the many "rooms" within the cave.

*Inside the cave there were many signatures of those who had come before us. The Kolb Brothers founded a photography studio on the rim of the canyon in 1903. This was one of the greatest parts of the trip for me. Check out http://www.grandcanyon.org/kolb/kolbbrothers.asp to learn more.

*Our shadow against the outside of the cave wall.

October 22nd, 2009

2009-12-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

Back on Track

Back to photographing everyday.
* Here's a shot from my front step. I do love living in town, but I miss my view of mountain. I am trying to embrace the city and the differences it can give me, so I thought I should show my new view. Still not too shabby.

October 21st, 2009

2009-12-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

Forgotten Day (3)

Another scanned photograph.
Maybe it's that years have gone by and I'm getting older and so much more nostalgic, but I can't get over how cute my brothers were. However when I look at this photo and see Jordan's smile (on the right) I do remember what a stinker he was. I probably think of him as a stinker because he's 5 years younger than me, but I think you have to agree that the look on his face is definitely telling you that he's just done something he wasn't supposed to do. Josh on the other hand (on the left) looks like the sweetest thing on earth (other than the fact that he's squeezing Toby's neck.) Good Times.

October 20th, 2009

2009-12-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

Forgotten Day (2)

Another scanned photograph.
*This photo was taken at my Grandparents' house in New Brighton, MN. Growing up an hour away in Wisconsin, I could never understand how people could live in a city because the houses were so close to each other. At our home in Wisconsin, we had plenty of yard all around us and I felt like it was our own little private estate. Even though my Grandparents lived in "the Cities" they had a wonderful side yard and backyard that we played in all the time. There were great things about the city I soon realized, like the alley behind their house that I thought was so cool and the city bus - wow, so exciting! I still remember waiting at the bus stop with my Grandpa, putting the money in and being so nervous that I was going to pull the cord at the wrong time and we would get off at the wrong stop (always a worrier I guess.) I was amazed that the bus would take us from their house all the way into downtown Minneapolis. The IDS building was always on the agenda and back then you were able to take it up the to top floor. We may have had large yards in Wisconsin, but we didn't have views like that. In this photograph my brother Jamison is on the right and our older cousin Becky on the left and my dad in the background. I have absolutely no idea what is going on other than that, but that's what I love about it. Kids having fun in their Grandparents' yard on a nice fall day. From an artistic point of view I love the shadow of the trees on the grass.

October 19th, 2009

2009-12-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Forgotten Day (1)

Apparently I took a few days off of taking photos, so I opted to post some older photographs that I found last year and scanned into the computer (technology really is wonderful.)

*My brother Josh (the one in the back with a sad and big lower lip) and cousin Tony (the proud driver.) My cousin Tony always had cool stuff and this photo is evidence of one of those things - his own go-cart. I'm not sure if my Uncle Jim made it, but I know it always made our day when they showed up at our house, driving their Lincoln Continental with a make-shift trailer behind it carrying the go-cart. Ohhh, those were good days.

October 18th, 2009

2009-12-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

The Fame and Glory

A couple of friends and I decided to head out on the town this Saturday night. After a filling dinner downtown, we decided to hit a club that has live music and dancing but as we were headed there we were sidetracked by a banner of the side of another bar that said, "Flagstaff Firefighter Calendar Night." Never ones to pass by an enticing sign, we headed into the busy place where the "models" of the calendar were available for autographs. I put model in quotations because this is Flagstaff and we are about the most unmodel-like place on earth. Not that there aren't attractive people who live here, it's just that we're a mountain town that usually places functionality above fashion. The calendar was created as a fundraiser so it made all the swooning girls around the firefighters more tolerable. It's amazing what putting someone in a photo on display will do to that person and those around them. I can see how when you are a celebrity your world becomes so distorted. My friends and I are were not taken aback by any of the calendar boys, but we enjoyed it enough that we didn't ever make it to the other bar. Oh, and there was a DJ and there was some Bon Jovi played and there was some dancing. All in all, a pretty excellent night.

*A local Flagstaff firefighter signing his calendar page.

October 17th, 2009

2009-12-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

Mountain Biking (Jacquie-style)

This fall was a busy time for physical fitness in my world. Besides doing running races and heading up bike club at school, I still found time and energy to take my bike up the mountain. I titled this blog entry "Mountain Biking (Jacquie-style)" because I am not a giant fan of mountain biking (even though I live in a great place to do it) but this ride was on a Forest Service Road and therefore making it a way easier ride. We decided to make the 14 mile loop up to Lockett Meadow and the Inner Basin. My thought at the beginning of a bike ride is that it'll be way faster than running so I don't really look at mileage. This is true, but I do forget that it still takes effort and uses muscles that you're not used to using. My point - it was harder than I thought it would be. However, the good thing about going up a mountain is that the second half of the trip is downhill. But because we didn't have an early start, our downhill was during the late afternoon and completely in the shade. Saying that my hands were cold by the end would be gigantic understatement. The trip down would have taken a shorter amount of time if I hadn't stopped every few hundred feet to take photos of the amazing leaves, but I knew with the cooler weather and shorter days ahead that I wouldn't be able to make it back up (and down) Waterline Road this fall.
*Kevin adjusting his bike before the start of the ride.

*Aspen leaves littering the road.

*Kevin looking over the trail we had gone up earlier in the day.

October 16th, 2009

2009-12-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

Ms. Jacquie's Bike Club

For seven weeks in the fall I decided to offer a bike club to the students at my school. At the end of the school day I collected the kids, had them eat lunch in my art room, checked over bikes and kids to make sure both were in proper working order and headed out for an adventure. One of the reasons I love Flagstaff (besides the sunny weather) is for the magnitude of trails all around. Both paved and unpaved trails make a maze within and outside of the city. I was able to take the kids on 2 hour bike rides that rarely ever went on roads. Unfortunately Flagstaff's weather in the spring has much to be desired, as the winds usually take over, but if we have a calm spring I will definitely revamp bike club as it became a great success for the kids and a wonderful way for me to spend an afternoon.
*If we had time at the end of our ride, we'd go to "the hill" where the kids could do "tricks."

October 15th, 2009

2009-12-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

Effort Appreciated

Tonight I headed out to a local sushi restaurant in hopes that it would look appealing to me. It took me a whole 2 seconds to remember that my tolerance for sushi (the veggie kind) is in the negative range. I have been taken out to very nice sushi restaurants with hopes from my friends that I will like it, but I have to say that after a few attempts, meaning I tried every veggie friendly option on the menu, I am one of the few in this world that cannot stand the taste of sushi. I swear it tastes like Windex. However with that being said, I do love the way it is presented and am a big fan of how pleasing it is to the eye.
*My poor attempt to photograph the beautiful sushi that night. In the excitement of getting to the restaurant I forgot to take my camera, so this is what the take home sushi looked like.

October 14th, 2009

2009-12-14T13:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Hour

I'm not sure why, maybe it is because we always feel like there is so much more to do and we can't leave early, but my fellow teachers and I do not do happy hour very often. This day was an exception as a beloved student teacher was done with her term at Mountain School so a group of us made the arduous effort and headed out to a local bar to have an afternoon drink. After a few drinks, I think we all realized that we should celebrate the end of our day like this more often and perhaps even make a habit of it.
*Ms. Nicole demonstrating that "once a teacher, always a teacher" as she explains something to us, all the while using large wild hand gestures that her students know all too well.

October 13th, 2009

2009-12-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

My Mom's Wedding

I cannot take credit for this photo - my friend Aimee took it the day that my mom married Craig. It was a cloudy, chilly and somewhat rainy fall day in Wisconsin, but just as the wedding was to begin, the sun broke through the clouds and was shining over the ceremony. It was a fantastic day that brought together two people who found each other a little later in life. Timing really is everything.
*October 13, 2001 (scanned photo.)

October 12th, 2009

2009-12-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

I Swear I Did It !!!

Here is my race tag from my latest race. Sometimes I just need to remind myself that even though I don't ever think of myself as a runner, I always finish, even if it takes me a while to get across the finish line. Usually the running becomes the easiest part and setting the goal ends up being the hardest part of it all. Life in general seems to be the same way.
* Race number from the 2009 Soulstice race. Someday I plan to have a room where all of my race numbers get a place on the wall.

October 11th, 2009

2009-12-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

Picture Canyon

Lately I've been hanging out in lots of canyons . . . which makes me very happy. Right outside of Flagstaff is an amazing place called Picture Canyon. It was once inhabited by various groups of people who at some point left markers that they were there. It is called Picture Canyon because there are endless petroglyphs lining the rock wall of a canyon. I could easily get addicted to researching this topic as there is no real answer to what certain objects mean and interpretations of them could go on forever. In this area there were lots of swirls (one of favorite subjects) and images of turtles, lizards, arrows and people. I cannot divulge the directions to this spot (I would get in trouble) but think it should also be called "Secret Canyon" as you most likely would only be able to find it if you went with someone who knows what they are looking for. Luckily I had my own guide who showed me hundreds of images.
*Petroglyphs depicting a stick figure with a bow and arrow hunting an animal, a couple of lizards and a wavy line.

October 10th, 2009

2009-12-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

Soulstice

Today was the annual "Soulstice Race" up on the mountain and it turned out to be quite unsual as the weather was beautiful for a change. It was a fantastic day for a run/walk through the woods. At the end of every race I question why I didn't bring my camera along the way to take photos. However, I do always have it in my backpack ready to take the photo to prove that I've finished. I decided that this photo of my friend's little girl was way more cute than the photo of me, so I'm publishing this.
*Avery pounding some Cheerios.

October 8th, 2009

2009-12-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Blow Paintings

I just can't seem to get enough of the aspen trees! Thank God I live in Northern Arizona where we have a plethora of them. This project ended up being a great success, so much so that I expanded it all the way down to 1st graders. We started the artwork by doing some step-by-step instruction where they painted the trees and various horizon lines with black watercolor paint (they weren't allowed to draw in pencil first - sometimes they get too caught up in precise details.) After the base of the painting was done, it was time to float around the room with straws and blow the leaves onto the painting. Students dripped paint onto the paper and then blew it around with their straws. Currently the paintings are adorning the walls of the school and once I take them down, I will take photos of the finished pieces. I ususally try to do different projects every year, but this one I think is a keeper and will be created every year.
*a 3rd grader iworking on her creation.

October 7th, 2009

2009-11-16T16:36:00.000-08:00

Disturbing

I think I'm turning into a conservative old lady. I do not have patience for people who are deciding what we, as consumers, wear, read and sell these days or for the people who are buying into it. My school, like all others always needs books, so every fall and spring Scholastic Books sets up a book fair at the school in which the school receives 50% of the profits in the form of books for the school. One day I was walking down the hallway and this poster caught my attention. It is promoting the book fair and showing the books that will be available to buy. The title, "Boys are Dogs" and the tag line, "If only boy training were as easy as puppy training" is insanely insulting to everyone around. I can let the title slide by, as I think most young girls have thought that boys are gross and therefore on the level of dogs, but I can't let the "training" line go by. I feel like it is not meant to be taken as tongue and cheek(the way it would have been 10 years ago), but instead it is a power struggle play between men and women and in this case boys and girls. I don't think I'd feel this way if I didn't have Kindergarteners at my school wearing bras or 2nd graders wearing make-up. Parents who condone this behavior, or who say in their smug and not at all concerned voice "my little girl just wants to be all grown up and she's only 8," comment makes me scared for the way girls have to grow up - in the shadows of their mothers who still want to be young and fun. Since I'm on the subject - there is absolutely no reason for anyone younger than high school to be reading the Twilight series. Do 7th and 8th grade girls (or in my case at my school 5th & 6th grade girls) really need to think that there's only a a good and evil way in men ? Or to blur the line between caring and controlling ? I don't think so. Instead they should have crushes on long-haired rock-n-rollers. Remember this is all coming from a conservative-leaning old lady.
* My rant.

October 6th, 2009

2009-11-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

Another Perfect Peaks Day

Every fall Mountain School picks a day to head into the San Francisco Peaks and spend a day in Hart Prairie. I remember my first Peaks Day at Mountain School. I had only worked there about 2 weeks or so and was amazed that anyone would take children out of the school and bring them into an environment without any fences or barriers. It was a cold and rainy day and I remember thinking that maybe the ladies at this school were a little crazy. Well that was six years ago and I'm the first one to tell you that it is the greatest day at Mountain School. During those six years at the school I have become the teacher that I am today, one that gives children responsibility and rules to follow and also has faith in them. For this Peaks trip I got to be just the art teacher and was able to give a couple of lessons about clay, leaves and watercolor painting. We created awesome magnets while sitting underneath the golden aspen trees. I was done early and strolled through the woods and took hundreds of photos, all of which I'm sure that I already have from past years. However I always feel the need every fall to take photos of what looks like gold coins shimmering in the sun. Luckily I made it back in time to watch the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers. A game I'm sure they won because I wore my TC visor all day.

* A student magnet on the edge of a rock overlooking Fort Valley near Flagstaff

October 5th, 2009

2009-11-16T15:50:00.000-08:00

Capital Christmas Tree Project 2009 - Pt 4

October 5th - Deadline Day. Turns out I only had the patience and time to do 30 of these. Amazing, even though I know how much time it took me, I still look at these and think, how in the world could that have taken the better part of 3 days ? I'm pretty good at staying on task if I have a deadline. Now it's time to wrap and box them up. I can only imagine what people thought when they opened the box and looked at them. No they're not dainty or simple, but they are full of character and color. I called the man in charge of this whole deal and he informed me that once he sent them off to D.C. he had no idea which ones would actually go on the tree(s) since they had asked for 3000 ornaments. I didn't tell my students that, I led them to believe that if I chose theirs, that their artwork was going to D.C. and it could possibly be seen by the President of the United States. I like to believe that I didn't lie to my students, I just gave them an early present from Santa.
* My living room taken over by vinyl records. During this ordeal at my house I kept thinking how glad I was that I wasn't living back in the cabin where I had approximately 15 feet of space to work with.

October 4th, 2009

2009-11-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

Capital Christmas Tree Project 2009 - Pt 3

Day 3 and getting closer. The ornaments had to be able to hang by themselves, so today was spent cutting wire, looping through the middle hole, twisting it together, adding beads and then making another loop at the top. Yes, these will not be "normal" looking ornaments, but then again, really does anything that looks "normal" ever stick out to you ? Do you remember it ? Usually not.

* Ornament ready to be shipped to Springerville, AZ and then to the White House. This image is depicting a bridge that the 4th graders and I crossed a couple of weeks back on our way home from our jaunt down the Colorado River. The bridge is crosses the Colorado River just south of Lees Ferry and is very high and very scary (that's a fact and not an opinion.)

October 3rd, 2009

2009-11-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

Capital Christmas Tree Project 2009 - Pt 2

After the 100 ornaments were narrowed down to 40 it was time to make these ornaments weatherproof. This is where, again, I need to remind myself that I get in to things too deeply, but I had already started it so I had to keep going. Because they were made with oil pastels the pastels had to be "sealed" to the record. Normally I use a wonderful substance called Mod Podge that acts like a glue and a sealer and goes on easily with a brush. Well, unfortunately it did not work on this because when it was brushed on it also moved the colored pastels around, therefore making a big mess. The next thought was to use s kind of sealer that comes in the form of spray paint. Easy enough you'd think except that I can't use that stuff at school (fumes) so I would have to do it at home. I have a little patio backyard so that wasn't an obstacle, but unfortunately the rainy weather became one. I spent my entire Saturday morning and afternoon spraying records in between rain showers. Then I spent my entire Saturday night putting a second coat on all of them - in my house because the rain wouldn't let up. I know it clearly states on the can not to spray indoors, but I had a deadline and art to finish, a few less brain cells would have to be my sacrifice.
* 2 of the 40 records chosen.
Left - Arizona state flag. Right = everyone who doesn't live in Flagstaff's vision of what Arizona looks like.