Mask Parade

There are so many parts of Sycamore's mask parade that I love, but I realize part of what makes it work so well is the fact that it can be outside.  It almost like the kids attend an enormous school because they can include the outdoor area for work and play.

I love that the costumes reflect what is being studied in the classroom.  This class is doing state projects, which is why you can see the Sears Tower and the Idaho Potato Museum.

I love that the kids don't have to worry about costume rules, like no devils and no weapons and nothing too revealing.  There is no worry about students being excluded because of religious beliefs since it is a mask parade and not Halloween parade.

You might recognize the black Adidas under this saber-toothed tiger.  A.'s class studied prehistoric life, including mammals and early humans.  They marched to I Am a Paleontologist, by They Might Be Giants, which they had recorded earlier in the week.

The other thing I love is seeing all my Sycamore friends.  The only person missing was Melanie, who often helped the class write and record original songs.  I'll end with a snippet of the Sycamore song, written and composed by the late Melanie White.

Solar-dryer, follow-up

Remember that beautiful magnolia blossom I saw while hanging up laundry?  You can see the change of seasons by looking at the next phases.

If you could zoom in (and if you weren't affected by protan colorblindness) you could see the red seed pods on the tree.

Here is one phase, although the pinkish part is hard to see.

Here is the next phase.  Food for the winter for somebody.

Blood, again

Yippee!  The iron-fortified cereal did the trick!  Only one more pint and I will have donated eight gallons.

I've donated three different places recently and haven't decided which I like best.  There is the local church, about a mile away, which doesn't open until 1 p.m.  I like to go early so I can be done before school is out, but everyone else likes to go early, too, so it isn't the most efficient place.  I like going to the Y, which is five miles away, but has long hours, short lines, and good freebies (like free soccer tickets).  Sometimes I go to the permanent Red Cross facility, which is almost nine miles away, but has a nice set-up and is open almost any day I am available.  Such a dilemma!

Space shuttle Endeavour

I love this video!  We got to see a slightly different version today when we went to the California Sciencenter.  Members had three days to see Endeavour (why the British spelling?  because it is named after HMS Endeavour, Captain Cook's first ship - but even NASA has misspelled it) and we reserved a 9:45 spot this morning.

Before seeing the space shuttle museum patrons have a chance to learn about food in and food out in space, learn a bit about who has been on the missions, and watch the video, which did a great job of building the excitement to see the real thing.

After all the anticipation, it was still great!

I think this might be a replacement tile.

I loved seeing each little tile and wondering what all the information meant.

From the point-of-view of a nine-year-old.

This is the engine from the solid fuel booster rocker.

I learned that each mission of each shuttle had its own logo that included the names of the astronauts.  I didn't take a picture of all 130+ designs, but here are some.

I must not be the only person who likes them because the gift shop had a selection of patches for sale.

Another find from the gift shop.

What a great day!  We had some time afterward to explore other parts of the museum, including the new (to me) aquarium area.

Did you know this was on the end of a sea star's ray?  They are the eyespots!

We also had a chance to watch an IMAX movie - Mysteries of Egypt with Omar Sharif.  Much more enjoyable than the one about the destruction of the polar bears' habitat.

I renewed our membership today and can't wait to go back.

Happy U.N. Day!

How are you celebrating?  Maybe you could start by reading this.  Then you can have cake.

STATEMENT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE SPOKESPERSON FORTHE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLYNew York, 24 October 2012
President of the General Assembly's Statement on United Nations Day

United Nations Day allows us to pause for thought on what this noble organization has achieved in its first 67 years of existence, but also to focus on the many challenges that we continue to face as a family of nations.
The General Assembly lies at the heart of this family—at the heart of the United Nations System.
It is the only forum where all Member States come together as sovereign equals to advance the aims of the Charter.  That is why this day is so significant.
Let us be reminded on this occasion that the maintenance of international peace and security was enshrined by our founders as the first stated purpose of the UN, in order to make it possible for human beings to live in greater prosperity, under a reign of peace founded on justice and universal respect for international law.
It is my hope that on UN Day, that vision remains at the core of the Organization.

I didn't have cake, but I did go to a United Nations Association (UNA) event last week, co-hosted by the League of Women Voters and held at International Place on the CMC campus.

These were the centerpieces on the table and people did donate.  My kids used to carry these on Halloween and I still have papers they wrote, counting each type of coin.  I think we won't carry it this year because no one is prepared and it is very awkward for everyone to wait while the adults fish around for money.

The UNA event started with the reading of the preamble.  It sounds so good.

PREAMBLE
WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED

• to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and

• to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and

• to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and

• to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

AND FOR THESE ENDS

• to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and

• to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and

• to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and

• to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,

HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS
Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.

A poster with more recent goals was on display.  It doesn't seem so controversial, but it must be or we wouldn't have had the event.  Jordie Hannum, the Deputy Director of the Better World Campaign (BWC) was there to tell us about how hard he lobbies for the UN and how we should be writing our elected officials.  I thought he was convincing, but I don't think he had to work hard to persuade me.

If you are interested in learning more, you can can go to the UNA/USA site here, or the UN site here.

Two more weeks

Seen in the neighborhood.

Will it be safe in two weeks?  I have been turning off political news for quite a while now because I don't need to hear the preparation for the debate, the actual debate, and then the dissection of the debate.  I don't care what Romney said about the Olympics.  I don't care what Obama thinks of the Hoover Dam.  It is too much.  

On the other hand, today I heard a different story that made me turn off the radio.    Only 62 more days of Christmas stories.

Serendipity

Such a long post for such a little picture.

When we returned from Denmark we wanted to adopt some of the habits of the Danes.  We bought some candles and we bought a picnic table.  When I returned to Denmark last summer I visited the thrift stores looking for something Danish to bring home and found candle holders.  They were a little on the heavy side, but they weren't very big.  Everywhere I went I saw candle holders like the one pictured above, but they were glass and they seemed so common.  It seems the moment I set foot on the plane I yearned for a little glass votive candle holder.  Surely I would find one in a US thrift store.  I have kept my eyes open for the last couple months and found plenty of goodies, but not what I was after.  I went to IKEA for the third time in my life and I found some candle holders I liked, but not the candle holder.  The hankering remained.

Until today!  I had read about a yard sale and didn't think I had time to stop by, but a window opened and the sale was right by the grocery store so I hopped on my bike and headed over.  Things were nice, but pricey until I found it!  It had an IKEA sticker, but no price.  The owners had sold some sort of cover with it, but the other customer had not taken this base.  They said I was welcome to have it.  For free!  It was like having an itch scratched, like having thirst quenched, like finding the missing library book.  Ahhh.

License Plates

A. holding an Ohio plate from 1910 (photo taken June 2009)

A. became a member of the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) in kindergarten and still enjoys the hobby, even if soccer and Legos compete for his attention.  He and I have been to a few meets where people sell, trade, and display plates.  While we are definitely in the minority (age and sex), we are warmly welcomed and we appreciate how many people take time to teach us about the pursuit of the just-right plate.

A. setting up his plates.

More plates for sale.

Last week there was a meet that was local and after the soccer game so we packed up and headed to an amazing spot tucked away between two railroad tracks.  A. found some plates for his birth-year run (one from each state from the year he was born - should they all be passenger car plates or is a dealer plate okay?  should they be natural plates or is it okay if there are a few stickers on top of each other?  what about states that don't have dates, like NJ and NY?).

At the end of the meet there was a meeting and an auction of plates donated by members.  With money from selling some plates A. was able to buy a 1980's plate from Madrid and a 1915 plate from California.

And that house in the background?  Incredible!  You see more pictures here, and read a bit below (click to enlarge).

A member of ALPCA had read that the house joined the national registry for historic landmarks and was taking pictures when the owner came out.  They chatted and the owner said he had an old license plate that had belonged to Dr. Ensign.

This is amazing because it is a pre-state issue, is in great shape, still has a bit of the leather on the hook, and even has the official metal tag issued by the city.  Too bad the picture of the car is a side view.

One thing led to another, the owner offered to host us, and we all gathered to discuss license plates.  I was able to be part of a short tour and loved seeing some of the historic medical tools and items that his daughter had saved.  I hope we go back.

Founders Day

Pomona College invited the entire community to celebrate the 125th anniversary of its founding.  The best write-up was by David Allen, who writes for the area newspaper.  A more formal list of events is here, and includes a quidditch game, a fencing demonstrations, music, art, viewing the solar maximum, and a tour of the new electron microscope.

Teaching about magnification up to 800,000x!

I love Cecil Sagehen
(almost as much as
U of Delaware's Fightin' Blue Hen)

Dinner was part of the event, as were rides on the carousel. 

Each dinner came with two fortune cookies (which were not the main dessert because that was the ice cream bar and birthday cake - see the bottom of the post).  Maybe the best fortune (not shown) was R.'s, which said, "It's your lucky day.  Bring this to the stage for a prize."  She ended up with a foam pig, which she kindly passed on to a girl who had received an unkind fortune.

Skyspace is fabulous - we'll show you when you visit us.

Outside Big Bridges, where Taylor Swift will play tonight!
(photo by M. Mitchell)

No candles on this cake. (photo by M. Mitchell)

Fall

Just the other day it felt like summer would never end, but now I have on wool socks and am baking.  I know it is really fall because I have the cookbooks out and am ready to make real meals again instead of making only what doesn't heat up the kitchen.  In the last few days I have made

rolls for dinner tonight

• bread
• rolls (twice - the first was a bit of a disaster and I felt the need to try them again)
• stew (two different kinds, including one from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home, one of my favorite cookbooks)
• caramelized apple pecan pie (from a NY Times recipe, but it was still easy)
• apple crisp (from a recipe I received at a wedding shower)
• potato onion frittata (from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures, another favorite - my copy is really my older sister's and she is on a cookbook tour in China right now and not using it)

Good riddance

We pay for trash based on the size of the container at the home - small, medium, or large.  Usually I set out our small container every other week, but sometimes I have so much I ask a neighbor to share space.  Thanks to my father-in-law, I learned that our community offers free pick up of over-sized loads up to three times a year.

The recycling container is to the left.

Today we got rid of a deteriorating folding table left by tenants over a year ago, a screen door removed about a year ago, and an incredibly large, heavy, and unusually shaped pallet that came with our picnic table over a year ago.  Good things go from those who wait.