It Wasn't Me...

After using my new (used) sewing machine (thanks Margie :) !!) to sew an envelope out of a shower curtain for part of a wedding present, the pressure foot refused to remain or even raise up. I wonder if this is a common problem. Anyway, I hope to finally take it to the sewing machine store this week to get it looked at and repaired!

House Hunting

House hunting is an interesting process. In my mind, we are going to find a 1900 or 1930's home with all of the charm and none of the problems of an old house, at a most attractive price. Sadly, I believe that is not going to happen. Reality keeps trying to sink in, but I think my head is like clay soil sometimes, wanting to keep the water out. On the other hand, I have so much to be grateful for. For the first thing, we are able to buy a house, and it will be a nice house. Isma and I have been out two weekends and a Wednesday evening now with a realtor looking around northeast Fort Wayne at houses. We've found some promising homes and hope to make a decision before our lease is up in December. We'll keep you posted!

Home I saw on a bike ride near St. Joe River. Charming. Not for us, I do believe.

Fishing Expedition

This summer was Isma's first time fishing - ever. After learning how to use the rod and finding crickets for bait with Colin, we witnessed the first fish being caught (and subsequently released). Oh, the joy.

Pimientos de Padrón

One thing that is very different going from country to country is food. Certain produce items that are not available here are part of a cultural identity elsewhere, such as padrón peppers. There is even a phrase in Spain about them: "Pimientos de padrón: unos pican, otros no." (Pimientos de padrón: some are spicy, some are not.) My parents were kind enough to plant some in their garden that I had started indoors from seed. Wash, fry, add salt, and you're set to enjoy and laugh at those that get the spicy ones.

My Plant's New Home

This week was the first time this fall the temperatures were forecasted to dip into the 30's. That meant, of course, that my plants needed to migrate to their winter home, just as retirees fly to Florida for the winter. I have accumulated some plants, you'll notice, from the last migration. See here for the comparison.

Summer home - plant bench I built with Dad.

All ready to be filled.

Florida - plant style.

Last Light

Last picture, sun setting, time to leave the mountain.

King's Canyon - Part 2

After we finished our hike, met the park ranger, and browsed the nature center for magnets and postcards, I managed to convince our group to head down to the Hume Lake for a few minutes. Convince, I say, because we had to time things perfectly to be down off the mountain before dark. None of us wanted to be going down unfamiliar mountain roads without guard rails or street lights at night. Scary! The lake was beautiful, though, and definitely worth it. Can't you see it in the happy faces?

Light at the End of the Tunnel

At first it seems like the tunnel is all that is, or ever will be. 

But if you look closely, there is more. There is a reality in the distance.

I just wonder if heaven is a little like that - a beautiful reality you see when you focus outside yourself and the physical reality around you. 

King's Canyon

After a night in the outskirts of LA (we didn't get to see the city due to a fender bender the evening we had allocated for tourism), we drove through the fertile San Joaquin Valley and up into the mountains, to Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks. Kings indeed. Once the narrow windy road (with no guard rails I may add) broke through the clouds, we could see the immense trees towering over us. We had grabbed burritos and hamburgers at a roadside stand and sat outside without jackets, snow surrounding us, to eat lunch. Sometimes in February, the roads are closed to those without chains on the tire, but this year's lack of rain and snow left the roads and trails fairly clear. After lunch, we took a short hike to mingle with the ancient residents.

  

Ghost Town

(Disclaimer - these posts are still from February.)

The day we went to the abandoned mine town, Calico, I must have sabotaged my camera because all of my photos came out burnt by the light. I managed to salvage three.  

Our visit here was a stop off the highway en route from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. It was pretty kitschy and small for a not so small fee, but it was interesting to see the remnants of an old mine and imagine what life might have been like there in another time. I'm sure it was not that much fun, full of work, heat, and booze.

Zion National Park

Last February, Isma's parents came to visit. With sub-sub-sub zero temperatures, we took them on a trip out west instead of showing them the charms of the coldest winter in 100 years in Indiana. Our first stop was Las Vegas, which I do not like, so there are no pictures. The hotel room, however, was phenomenal. We spent our first Vegas day on a road trip to Zion. Below are some shots I took while we were there. A few more images of our trip are here: http://arenzanaphotography.com/blog/2014/03/06/some-news/.

Isma was cold and not wanting to pose for my picture.

Summer Happenings

Ratings: 1-5 (low to high)

• Germanfest (3.5...only because of friends)
• Strawberry Fest in Coldwater, MI (4.5)
• Riverfest at IPFW in Fort Wayne. Ever seen a cardboard regatta (real people in cardboard boats racing on a river)? Hilarious! (5)
• Doing legal paperwork (1)
• Having all paperwork completed (5)
• Learning the ins and outs of Microsoft Excel at the public library (4...it makes me feel smart!)
• Interviewing and not getting calls back (2)
• Applying to jobs (1.5)
• Finding a job position where I am happy! (5.5...I started July 8th)
• Isma actually liking his math class. (5)
• A coworker who gives me free produce from his garden. (5)
• Going to the lake. (4.5)
• Fourth of July with Collins clan!! (5)
• Going to the pool. (4)
• Finishing some projects. (4)
• Collins Family Treasures "auction" to help my grandparents move. (4)

I'll share some of the projects that I finished recently and pictures from Coldwater coming up! 

Early Summer "Garden"

Dad dug up a volunteer tomato plant from the vegetable garden for Isma and I. So far, it has given us a grand total of 2 ripe red cherry tomatoes. Whoohoo! There are many green ones, though, now.

I received this chair for Christmas one year, but it is now loved but much past repairs. Dad fixed it twice, and now it can rest in peace and help my herbs get much needed sun. Dad and I made a table for the plants in late July to supplement the chair; I'll post pictures later.

Germanfest

Summer is almost over, and I have yet to post about any of it! In the next few posts I hope to get you up to speed on how our summer has been going!

Germanfest, not Oktoberfest, as it is in July. Isma, Jose, Arielle, and I decided to explore half of the contingency's meager German heritage and celebrate with leiderhosen-clad people by eating pretzels and bratwurst while listening to polka. It was overpriced, and I'm sure we won't go again, but it was nice to spend time with friends! Strangely, one of the highlights for me was realizing that there was brick pavement under the dirt where we had parked...I wonder what other treasures were buried there...

Outside Garden

...leads to outside problems.

My green villain.

I don't know where they come from, but they keep eating the arugula. That's for Isma and I to eat. :(

Midwest Safari

As the car slowly rolled down the gravel road, Isma, Mom, Dad, and I kept a watchful gaze for any deer heading out to steal the farmers' crops. The sun and the moon shared their place in the sky as the dust left a trail behind the vehicle. We tried to get close to the deer, but each time they lifted their white tails and bounded away. Mom laughed and told Isma that they really did bounce like kangaroo. Colin was convinced that kangaroo and deer were one in the same when he was younger. 

As our safari continued, we spotted a mother racoon halfway between the trees and road leading her babies through the soybeans. The perfect line of baby racoons and mothers silhouetted against the night sky caused Dad to stop the car as we watched. Of course Isma, with his love irrational of racoons, was entranced.

We passed many Amish homes and fields, full of cows, horses, and goats. One goat was tied up outside the family fence and straining to eat the tasty tops of the grass. I remember Grandpa Vance talking about his goat being used as a lawn mower too.

As we turned the corner to head back to the lake house, Dad stopped the car so we could look at the strangest cow we had ever seen. The bull/cow's horns were about 2 feet long, and the calf's horns weren't much shorter. I have never seen one like it. Isma commented that everything REALLY was bigger in the US.  I wonder what it would be like to bullfight with a bull like that...

News

Last week I left my teaching position. It was a difficult decision. I mean, we had a month left of school, the kids would have to have a substitute, and I might upset people at the school. However, stress and work hours had came to a point that I was feeling sick, having daily headaches and frequent migraines, and finding it difficult to get through the school day. So, I resigned. 

I thank those in my family that were there to support me and even send me a card from Michigan. After grading those last papers and handing them off to the substitute after entering the grades, I've been feeling a lot better. I'm feeling my old self again, something for which I'm grateful (and Isma is too). After working about 80 hours a week, it's been strange to have so much free time. Hopefully I'll find a new, less stressful, position soon.

Ukraine Adoption

Awhile back I wrote a post (see it here) about a friend, Crystal, whose family is trying to adopt a little boy from Ukraine. They plan to travel there the end of May or mid-June. Here is a video about their last fundraising effort to pay for all of the adoption and immigration paperwork.



If that doesn't work, you can try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=C38j47huM80#t=0s

Decomposition

As part of our ecosystem unit, I took the class outside to collect leaves in varying states of decomposition. Kids didn't get them very decomposed. I think they didn't want to get messy. After getting back upstairs, they put them in order from least to most decomposed in small groups. It was a fun activity to blow off some steam and complete the energy cycle.

Poster donated by a student.

Some Writing Charts

Sloppy hamburger

hangs on my wall

reminding of paragraphs

and bad school food.