Because the Oklahoma school teachers are out on strike (protest, etc.), there was not public school today. This also meant there was not Seminary, either, for Analiese. My class had its video lesson. I have students in Texas as well as OK and most of them are homeschooled so I didn't see a reason not to have it. Plus, I want to get through the lessons and the second assessment before the middle of May and Seminary graduation.
We got a lot done at home on our normal Monday. Analiese still had her lessons because EPIC is a charter school and not affected by the strife in the capitol. However, while I remembered to get chicken out to defrost, I forgot to put it in the crockpot. Terrific, now what? I ended up making chicken macaroni and cheese, spicing it up with a bit of paprika and cayenne pepper. Jonathan usually dislikes mac and cheese for its blandness. He liked this one. I may experiment with other flavors in the future. How about Mexican mac and cheese?
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Still no teachers and no school which meant Analiese and I got to sleep in this morning. This was a relief. It was very windy last night and I had been up and down in the night with sinus pressure and pain.
The sister missionaries are coming to dinner tonight. I'm making crockpot pork carnitas for the first time. If I had realized I needed to cut it up in advance of cooking it, I would have purchased a boneless pork. It took a bit getting it all off of the bone. Ah, well, live and learn. It sure smelled so good cooking all day!
I also made chocolate chip cookies. It was the easiest "dessert" I could think of on short notice (I'd forgotten to figure it in yesterday when I was grocery shopping). That made my kids happy, though. And my husband; chocolate is always a winner here.
That pork was terrific! After coming out of the crockpot, I shredded it, mixed it with some of its juices and milk, and baked it (covered with foil) on a low heat in the oven for another hour.It was tender and juicy and flavorful. Everyone really enjoyed it. I had a second helping without the tortilla and fixings...just the wonderful pork! Definitely worth repeating!
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Another no-Seminary day for Analiese, though we've been reassured that it will be back on for tomorrow, per the Area Authority here. I totally understand, they don't want them missing out on the daily gospel instruction no matter how the public schools are functioning.
Yay! I finally got rid of over a month's worth of recyclables today when the truck came. It's not waste management's fault - it hits much closer to home. In the near-year of living away from us, Ken NEVER put out recycling (we didn't have that program in Altus). I don't mind doing my part, but with all the moving materials - papers, boxes, etc. - it was really stacking up. I had that bin cram-packed full! They only pick up recycling twice a month, so I had to pay attention for when they were really coming!
This evening I practiced the musical number I'm working on with the violin duet with them at the church. Oh, we all did so much better! The song was so spiritual, it gave me the chills. And somehow, we figured out the timing in the four measure section that had us hung up before. We're performing it this Sunday and, to be honest, I can't wait to share its beauty, reverence, and Spirit with the Branch!
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Seminary was on again, so I practiced the organ at the church while waiting for Analiese. I have subscribed to a BYU podcast (free) for church organists. It included practice music, assignments, etc. I feel like I'm back in school.
Ken took me to TB, after Analiese and I had had our walk, to be a "shopper." He wanted me to try their crispy chicken tacos...and test out their service. I ordered two, one of each sauce. One I liked, one I didn't. This gringa doesn't like spicy. But they did label them wrong, so Ken had to go talk to them.
This evening, the kids and I went to the University of Science and Arts Oklahoma (USAO) here in town to view their chalk art festival. I took lots of pictures of some of the really cool art.
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| So you know how big this is, that is Analiese at the top |
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| My favorite |
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| Natural to have lots of Native American art |
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| This one was bigger even than the whale! |
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| Buffalo! |
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| For Jonathan - Napoleon Dynamite |
Friday, April 6, 2018
It's supposed to rain today. The skies are gray, but no precipitation is in sight, yet. It's supposed to freeze tonight. This is Spring?
I was going to let Jonathan take the car to Walgreens since I only needed a vehicle for Seminary and Ken didn't have to be to work until ten a.m. (after having worked the night/morning until three a.m.). That is, until the phone call came at a quarter to six from TB. I had to go to Jonathan and apologize...and take him to work. Not happy with the TB people. Seriously.
The only real rain we ended up getting was a misty sprinkle when I picked up Jonathan from work and we dropped by the library. But I never needed a jacket all day. Not on our walk, not going anywhere. You never know temperature around here. It's all a big guessing game.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
So, the real storm hit last night. There was ice on the north windows when I got up in the morning. I could hear the little pit-pat sound of the tiny ice bits (not really snow) falling. The outside temperature said 25 degrees. Going out, I felt it.
I drove to the church this morning to practice our number for Sunday again. I saw white bits gathered in cracks on the ground, at the base of trees, and outlining roof tiles.
We had a late dinner tonight because Ken wanted us to "shop" TB through the drive-thru. He sat in the back of the van as I did the ordering. Then, he went back into the restaurant afterwards to tell them how they did. I don't mind doing it, but I really dislike eating dinner so late.
Sunday, April 8, 2018
We had another freezing night, but no precipitation. That stuff had melted away quickly yesterday. I had Jonathan take me to the church early in order to warm up my hands - literally - on the piano,
I ended up playing/accompanying for the meeting. That was fine with me. I needed all the practice and warming I could get. Yeah, I was getting a little nervous.
We had our musical number after the Branch President bore his testimony. Usually, we don't do musical numbers on Fast Sunday, but this is Sister Jones' last Sunday before leaving for home. The President made an exception.
Yes, I flubbed parts, but I managed to maintain my tempo. Actually, I didn't even really notice after one point when I got so caught up in the music and the Spirit - it was all so strong! I just flowed with it and didn't care, enjoying it for what it was. We'd borne our testimonies through music. It was wonderful!
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