Quotes from “Always looking up” - “Politics” Chapter

“As frustrated as we in the patient community are with impediments to progress put in place by George W. Bush, so too are you frustrated that we, the proponents, just don’t get it, that we’re missing the bigger picture. In that way, we two can empathize with each other, while not agreeing. This is why I brought into the political arena my concerns and my hopes that this work can produce cures and treatments, not to shame or ridicule those who disagree with me, and not to use the bully pulpit of celebrity to drown out anyone else’s voice. The opposite is true. What we want is a conversation. The only way for government to express the needs and desires of Americans is if Americans speak up and get involved. And as much as I want to make my own points, to express my own needs and desires, I know it’s crucial that differing opinions be given equal hearing.” (Page 77)

“Incurable disease is a nonpartisan problem that will require a bipartisan solution. The desire to alleviate suffering and save lives speaks not to our allegiance to any party or ideology but to our humanity.” (Page 79)

“The answer lies somewhere between faith and hope, between seeking change through a petition of God and seeking it through an exercise of political franchise.” (Page 81)

“It doesn’t happen to anybody for a reason. Sometimes bad things happen, but it’s how you deal with those things that matters.” (Page 83)

(Quoting Christopher Reeve) “Before a catastrophe, we can’t imagine coping with the burdens that might confront us in a dire moment. Then when that moment arrives, we suddenly find that we have resources inside us that we knew nothing about.” (Page 86)

(Quoting Christopher Reeve) ““Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool, or you go out in the ocean.” I tried toe-dipping, wading, treading, a few tentative strokes, and then, as if unconsciously following Chris’s advice, I found myself in some very deep, very rough water. Funny, Chris didn’t mention the sharks.” (Page 91)

(Quoting Christopher Reeve) “President Kennedy based his hopes on knowledge, and the projection of where that knowledge can take us. (...) NASA pulled off what only years earlier was sci-fi, in part, due to “a willingness not to buy into the conventional wisdom.” (Page 111)

“The foundation is about promoting and financing advances in Parkinson’s research, first, foremost, fully, and finally. Any politics needed to be on my own time, at my own expense, and under my own name.” (Page 112)

“Choosing to invest time, energy, and identity in the political process is an expression of hope. If something in our personal experience has informed or inspired us to believe that one direction or outcome is preferable to another, for not only the individual, but society as a whole, we put that belief into action through activism, advocacy, financial support of a candidate, actually running for office, or by simply casting a vote. The American political experience can therefore be viewed as optimism in the collective. Naturally, unanimity is rare, as reasonable (and not so reasonable) people are bound to disagree. Take it form me, things get a little intense when the swords come out and all you’re holding is a plowshare.” (Page 127)

Quotes from "Always Looking Up" - "Work" Chapter

“Then came success, and with it a new confidence in my craftsmanship and the courage to try new things; some with positive results, some not so positive, but never with regret.” (page 16)

“An actor’s palette is the entirety of the human experience.” (Page 16)

“I had sailed into waters too narrow and too shallow to turn the boat around. It’s not that I was totally unaware of what was happening; I was caught up in the emotion like everyone else. And I felt guilty too, knowing that by choosing to change my life’s direction, I had thrown so many others off course; hopefully not irreversibly, but probably unexpectedly.” (Page 20)

“The celebration added to my gathering impression of how the French view of sports differs from our own. Obviously they are not immune to the taint of commercial excess, rampant cheating, and egos inflated in proportion to salaries, but as much as they celebrate any particular athlete, their deepest reverence is for sport itself. Regardless of the fact that Lance [Armstrong] and his team had won before and would win many more times in the years ahead, the elegance of the evening made clear that a victory in the Tour de France was a moment to be savored.” (pages 41-42)

(Lance Armstrong talking about his foundation:) “You know, it’s not like we have good news every day in this fight. But we’re in it, we’re motivated, and ultimately we think we can make a difference.” (page 46)

“I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.” -Muhammad Ali (page 60)

The man in the mirror

"I believe we all live in a world of fear, because deep inside we all want something better or something more loving. And we're so afraid of not getting it. I know that because I've felt fear all my life. But today, I'm the man in the mirror. I look at myself and I make the change. I make a choice. And I choose that I will no longer give in to fear. I will fight these charges. I will not settle. I will not give money to my accusers. I will take a stand and I will not be afraid. Because I realize that I'm not alone. I realize that you are with me and you have shown me again and again that in the end love is more powerful than fear. So today I choose love. And I choose to believe in myself the way that you believe in me. So I say thank you. I love you. God bless you."

This is the last piece of dialogue taken out of the Movie "The Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson story." Again, let me say that I was not what you;d call a fan of MJ., nor am I trying to defend him. I am supporter of human decency though, and I believe respect is the key to everything ("the "golden rule," right?). I personally thought the movie really wasn't that great and did not do justice to MJ. However, I believe the ending, though fictional, was the best part. Michael believed in himself enough to fight the charges against him , believed in himself enough to live his life and to love children regardless of what others thought. I salute him for that, regardless of how strange and sometimes twisted it looked to us. He fought for and stood by his beliefs... May we all have the strength and courage and bravery to do it too! I am not saying he was perfect, far from it, but then again, nobody is. I do think that we should all look at ourselves first before worrying about what such and such is doing. That's the "I do not judge" part of me coming to life. Call me too open minded or too tolerant if you'd like. Go ahead and judge me for it, you wouldn't be the first to do so. I'm so glad he has finally been put to rest. Maybe now we'll leave him alone. May he rest in peace.

September Card Exchange

This is a "remake" of a card I made for the 2008 Holiday Season. We were to make Christmas Cards for this month's exchange, so I cased my own creation! It is one of my favorite cards and I am glad my scrapping buddies have it too now...



Merry Christmas Star Wreath - Card Recipe

* Pattern Paper:
1) green stars: “In Santa’s Bag” by Around the Block (item # 00283)
2) red stars: “Christmas Embossed paper” by K&Company (item code 643077632271)
3) red and white stars: “Wild Berry Vine” by Bo-Bunny Press (designed by Jan Lenoy) (item # 12WBV499)
4) Gold Paper
5) Card background: “Christmas Swirl“ by K&Company (item code 643077632653)
* Ribbon: 1/8” red “Spool O’ Ribbon”
* Stamp: Stampendous!
* ink: Blazing Red Stazon
* star punch: Marvy Uchida Jumbo (green)

**Some of the papers mentioned on this recipe are outdated and might be hard to find.

Close To My Heart Party

Here are the projects we worked on during yesterday's CTMH party...

"My sister's wedding" album, made by Ev...

If you go back to the Sunday, August 30, 2009 post, you'll see what we have been handed out to make an album using someone else's photos. As mentioned in that post, I turned in photos of my little sister's wedding... Ev got to put the album together. And I discovered it today. And I cried when I saw it. I am such a cry baby. But my baby sister means a lot more to me than I can even begin to express, and not being at her wedding still bothers me to this day, especially after the events that transpired over the past 6 months. Anyway, here is the album with the photos I never worked on. And I am so glad that Ev was able to work on them and show her magnificent talent on this album. THANKS AGAIN EV!

6 months already...

Just the same way I thought about it on every 4th of the past few months, today marks the anniversary of my dad's passing. There is just something not right about today's 6 months anniversary though. I mean, half a year already... Will I ever stop missing him like I do now? Will I ever not feel that ever so little pang of pain in my chest when thinking about him? Gosh I sure hope so... I have come a long way in working on that pain since March 4th, but it sure ain't easy... I know things will never be the same; and I still have to make total peace with that. But as my father's daughter, he lives forever in me, and I owe him (and myself) to show less sorrow and instead to celebrate the life of the man my father was! Just the way he would have wanted it, I'm sure... This being said...:

Dad, I miss you more than you and I would EVER have thought. And I love you, always have, and always will.

P.S. Please note that I made it through typing the entire post without the hint of a tear coming up. Just a knot in my throat. That's a victory, for today anyway. I will be OK...

Classroom Photos

Here is my Preschool Classroom. We have worked hard to get it clean and organized. I know it won't stay that way, it never does... lol...

This is what you see when you enter:

Circle time area:

View from the teacher's desk:

The teacher's area:

Favorite Recipes...

LEMON BARS

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour
Yields: 36 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 ½ cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Combine the flour, 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, and butter. Pat dough into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly golden. While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, and lemon juice until frothy. Pour lemon mixture over the hot crust.
4. Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into squares.
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STUFFED MUSHROOMS WITH SWISS CHEESE

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 35 minutes
Yields: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
12 large fresh mushrooms
5 tablespoons butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup butter
½ cup chopped onions
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley*
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese.

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9xx13 inch baking dish.
2. Remove stems from mushrooms. Finely chop stems and set aside. Arrange caps hollow side up in the baking dish. Drizzle with 5 tablespoons of melted butter, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Melt ¼ cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the mushroom stems and onions, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Gradually blend in flour and heavy cream until smooth. Remove from heat. Mix in parsley.*
4. Generously stuff mushroom caps with the mixture. Top with Swiss cheese.
5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.
* Sandy’s note: I never use the parsley the recipe calls for. So if you are lucky enough to have had my mushrooms and like the taste of them ‘as is,” leave the parsley out.
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NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS:
¼ lb salt pork or bacon, diced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 can (10 oz) of baby clams, liquid reserved
Water
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large potatoes, diced (3 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS:
1. In 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook pork until lightly browned. Add onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add enough water to the reserved clam liquid to make 2 cups.
3. Stir flour into onion mixture until blended. Gradually stir in clam liquid mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Stir in potatoes and seasonings. Cover and cook until potatoes ate tender, abut 10 minutes.
4. Add clams, milk and butter. Cover and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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PARMESAN POTATO WEDGES

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder and paprika
¼ teaspoon pepper
Potatoes, unpeeled, and cut in wedges

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.
2. Arrange potato wedges in a casserole dish.
3. Mix together all ingredients and drizzle over the potato wedges.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, covered. Occasionally check the potatoes and drizzle them with the juice sitting at the bottom of the dish.
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COOKIE DOUGH CREAM CHEESE DELIGHT

INGREDIENTS:
32 oz cookie dough, divide in half
1 box of cream cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
Vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Grease the bottom of a baking dish.
2. Spread ½ of a 32 oz cookie dough roll at the bottom of the dish. (You might want to oil up your hands because the dough is sticky!)
3. Put 1 box of cream cheese in a glass bowl, melt in microwave until really soft. Stir with fork. Add 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 egg, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Pour on top of cookie dough.
4. Spread the rest of the dough on top of the cream cheese mix.
5. Bake in oven at 375 degrees F for about 40/45 minutes, until the batter barely moves in the middle.
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CAULIFLOWER SALAD

INGREDIENTS:
1 small head of lettuce - well dried
1 sweet onion - sliced thin
1 lb of bacon - fried crisp and crumbled
1 head of cauliflower - dried
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS:
Arrange all ingredients in layers in a large bowl in the order they are listed. Ice with mayonnaise. Seal mayonnaise to the edges of the bowl. DO NOT TOSS.Cover and refrigerate for hours or overnight. Toss just before serving.
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BANANA NUT BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas (3 bananas)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (715 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8X4 loaf pans. Set aside.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Stir in nuts, eggs, bananas, oil, and vanilla extract.
3. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

"Always looking up"

That's it, I just finished Michael J. Fox's book, "Always Looking Up." Just like his first book, "Lucky Man," I found this one quite inspiring... I simply love the way he writes. I will share some quotes from the book at a later time, because I marked too many (one of my favorites: quotes!) and it is too close to bedtime to start typing them now.

A TEACHER'S PRAYER

Here is what I found when cleaning the preschool storage closet at the Y... I find it inspiring. Just what I need one week away from starting preschool classes.

HELP ME BE GRATEFUL
For the students who like to learn,
And feel challenged by those who don’t.

HELP ME BE THANKFUL
For the students I love,
And understand those I’m learning to love.

HELP ME BE MOTIVATED
By the students who learn to think,
And be committed to those afraid to try.

HELP ME BE INSPIRED
By the students who choose right over wrong,
And be patient with those who lack the courage.

HELP ME BE GENTLE
With the students who make mistakes,
And learn to forgive a difficult child.

HELP ME BE WISE
With the students building character,
And be unwavering with those without conscience.

HELP ME BE COMMITTED
To the students who are responsible,
And be persistent with those who value nothing.

HELP ME BE CALM
In the midst of violence,
And model self-control in the midst of anger.

HELP ME BE FAITHFUL
In the days of discouragement,
And be dedicated to make one child smile.


by Marsha Elyn Wright

Challenge album pieces, due October 3.

Here are the pieces to be used for the next challenge. this time we are making a small album with someone else’s photos. Which means someone else is scrapping photos that are mine. I turned in photos of my little sister's wedding. I am looking forward to seeing what the album looks like. By the way, Ev got my photos, and I got hers!

Come back soon to check out the album and its progress or final look!

Farewell

"He need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it" -Ted Kennedy, 1932-2009

Basic Grey kit

I bought a swatch mini album kit at the Scrapbook expo. On the back of the package of the album it reads: "In the beginning the Lord created chocolate and he saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the dark, and it was better.”

I found it very fitting, for my person anyway. I also thought it was very amusing to find it on that package. But then when you know that the name of the album is “Dark Chocolate Swatch Mini Album,” it all makes sense.

Here are some of the items included in the kit... I can't wait to actually use the kit! Soon, I hope...

Thought of the day

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!

Senator Ted Kennedy

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die." -- Senator Ted Kennedy, 1932-2009

Sunflowers

This is what we see when we look out the kitchen window towards the garden. Everybody knows how much I love, admire and respect nature. Those beautiful sunflowers simple make me happy and bring a smile to my face. We grow all kinds of things in our garden, but sunflowers are the most expressive, at least to me. I have taken a few of photos of them and will add more later.

Sunflowers 2

And here's what we do with them after we pick them in the field... We hang them to dry in the barn. They stay there all of fall and winter and then we use the seeds in the Spring to plant more sunflowers, to my delight!!!

Look at those 2... they have red seeds instead of black ones... weird... but then again, Paul can grow all kinds of weird stuff... lol...

Then there is the sunflower which actually has 3 heads. Weird, as I said...

Morning thought

Happiness is a grateful spirit, an optimistic attitude and a heart full of love.


==> I just read this line on someone's online site and had to copy it on here. It makes the early morning brighter...

BLOG HAPPY

Dang, I have been spending a lot of time on this thing called my blog... lol... That's to make up for the time when I wasn't using it I guess... I changed the look, title and header, because it is not going to be only about my scrap work. Everything that my heart feels like sharing will be on here. Hopefully you'll still enjoy the ride!
Take care everyone!