Jam

This fall I decided to learn how to make jam with varied results. I'm done with jam making (I'm almost out of jars and need the last few for apple sauce) so here's how it went:

Strawberry jam: was renamed "strawberry sauce" for it's refusal to set. Later, though, I learned that after it had been in the fridge for a while it acted more like jam; Mum told me I had made "soft jam." It's good on toast.

Blueberry jam: most of it is also "soft jam" but still very good. I love blueberry jam!

Mint jelly: was only made because I grew mint on my balcony and needed to do something with it! It's pretty and seems to have set okay but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it!

Raspberry jam: I found the easiest recipe and it worked like a charm. I haven't tried it yet, but it smelled good and it looks good.

Peach jam: was an interesting experience. I didn't have quite enough peaches for any of the recipes so I had to guess at the amount of sugar to use. I think I used too much (because with too little it doesn't set so I was worried about cutting back too much) so it's sweet and somewhat sticky. It's good, though, and I would make it all the time just for the smell of cooking peaches. Plus, peach jam is so pretty!

That was my end of summer fun. I really like making jam and I like eating homemade jam! Plus, all the jars sealed nicely much to my delight!

Quote of the Day

Background: There's an elephant at the Valley Zoo here in Edmonton. Her name is Lucy. People seem to be very upset about her; she's not feeling well and she's all alone (she's the only elephant there) and they want her moved to an elephant refuge in the U.S. (question: why not leave her in Canada, say with the other elephants at the Calgary Zoo?). There may be more to the story, but I'm not really big on details when it comes to upset animal rights activists. Most of the time they are working on emotion and not facts. Besides, there are celebrities involved and I dislike the belief that celebrities are automatically experts and we should all listen to them

So...this morning, as I was waking up, I was listening to the radio, waiting for the weather report (because I like to know the weather before I get up) (for those who wonder, I listen to the country station; I like their music and they play the news/sports/weather every half hour in the morning so whenever I get up I can listen for the weather). There was a news story about Lucy; it seems some vet expert from the San Diego Zoo came to look at her and said that, because of her respiratory problems, it would be fatal to move her. As in: try to move her to the elephant refuge place and she will die. But Bob Barker (from the Price is Right) is still planning to come and lead a protest (or something like that) to insist that they move the elephant. Yeah, I thought, there's a plan: ignore the vet and listen to the celebrity "expert."

Okay, so after the news and stuff, just as I was thinking that I should get up the deejay said (it's not an exact quote, but as close as I can remember) (and you'll have to imagine the slightly sarcastic tone):

"It's not that I doubt the expert from the San Diego Zoo, but I sure am glad we're getting a game show host up here too."

And that is why I like the station's morning guys.

A List of What's Happening

1. My essay is pretty much done; it just needs one more read-through to find the small, hidden errors.
2. I was with the big kids (grade 4-6) for the first time in Sunday School today. The other teacher reviewed last year and my job was just to feed them. It went well! Next week I actually teach.
3. I made strawberry sauce this weekend from a basic recipe: try to make strawberry jam, have it refuse to set, rename it strawberry sauce!
4. On the other hand, the raspberry jam set nicely.
5. I'm trying blueberry jam next.
6. This month I'm off Fridays and working Saturdays and as a result I spend the entire weekend trying to remember what day it is.
7. I tried to hire a tall teacher at work but she bailed on me so I have the short teacher. I think we're doomed to never reach the top shelves easily.
8. Inspirational videos do not work on me. My boss sends them to us when we're having a sale to inspire us to do a great job and reach for the start and believe in ourselves...all the last one did was inspire me to quit my job and become an opera singer. Happily enough, that wore off quickly!
9. I am, however, inspired by the stories of great men and women who served God with their whole selves. Men like Hudson Taylor and Jim Elliot and William Carey. What they did mattered way more than the "believe-in-yourself" video people (like the opera singer).
10. I've been watching old episodes of "The Muppet Show." Some of their guest stars are really, really strange. Others are amazing. Dad loved "The Muppet Show" so we watched it weekly and gained an appreciation for the puppetry. As I watch I even remember bits and pieces.

Misunderstandings at Church

1. Announcement: "Sunday School will start again next week."
Child: "Next weeee-eeeek?" (very upset)
Mother: Tries to explain that there is still Junior Church and he will get to go to his class soon. Very soon. She hopes.

2. Teacher: Explaining the Parable of the Sowers...."The different types of ground represent people."
Perplexed Child: "We're ground?" (This same child (who is four) thought "paralyzed" meant "no legs" and was very, very impressed when the Jesus healed the paralyzed man who was then able to walk with no legs; he also took literally the "blood and body of Jesus" and was very upset.)
Teacher: "It's a metaphor." (Yeah, like that helped....)

The Crayon Mystery

Once there were 6 boxes of crayons. They were well used and greatly enjoyed by a group of Junior Church children. Last week I noticed that some children had 3 or 4 of one colour and none of certain other colours so today I sorted out the crayons.

There are now 4 boxes with 23 crayons, one box with 21 crayons, and a handful of broken crayon bits. In all it adds up to about 5 full boxes and at best 2 extra crayons. And one of the boxes has 2 of a few colours.

What, exactly, do you suppose happened to rest of the crayons?

Things Coming to an End

I know it isn't really the end of summer; after all, next week is supposed to be HOT. Still, it feels like the end of summer and such.

Summer classes have ended at work. On Monday we switch to fall hours (and since most schools go back Tuesday and Wednesday, any bets on how many children show up anyway?). I'm always happy when summer classes end and things go back to normal. People wonder what I do all day now: catch up on everything that got neglected all summer and keep up. There's always a pile of paperwork and new kids and parents and all sorts of stuff going on.

I wrote an exam today and I'm glad that's over! There were 7 essay questions and 2 hours to answer them. After I'd answered 5 questions I thought I'd better hit the "save without submitting" button just in case, then answered the 6th question. Then I went up to the first question to add in some things I'd forgotten before I answered the 7th question (which was really the 4th question but I'd skipped it)....only to find that the my answer to the 1st question had vanished! There was nothing we could do to get it back and the elder (who was proctoring) assured me that he would email them and say that I had answered it. After answering the last question, though, I saved again and the answer reappeared. I still don't know what had happened, but I had just enough time to add in the extra bits I'd remembered. I'm glad, because I didn't do well on that last question; it was to briefly discuss the Herods in the Bible. I had a Bible with me and I still only came up with 3 (it seems there were 5; I turned 2 of them into 1 person and I still don't know who Herod Philip is....anyone?). Oh, well, the other questions weren't so bad.

And last of all....this week marks my last week teaching Junior Church. I'll still run the program and I might fill in once in a while but I'm encouraging the teachers to trade with each other when they can't teach. I've been teaching this age (3-6 year olds) for 6 1/2 years now and I love them dearly. They're my babies! But in the spring I asked the elders if there was any way I could teach an older class for a change. I just wanted a break from the small ones and I like teaching older kids too. The elders were delighted to have me teaching Sunday School this fall (especially since I convinced them I didn't want to give up Junior Church altogether; I still have plans and a vision for that ministry) since the pastor's wife had been teaching the grade 4-6 Sunday School class and she needed a break. I think they had tried to get her off the previous fall but her replacement hadn't worked out so she had been teaching all year. Granted it's a pair of teachers and they take turns actually teaching but she has a lot of other stuff to take care of. So in September I switch classes and everyone is happy.

So there you go....I always think the new year should be in September!

From the Kids

One of the 7 year old boys at work was question one of the 17 year old girls about whether or not she has a boyfriend. After she told him she does not have one he asked:

"Did you always not have one......or am I a ninja?"