Random thoughts on everyday life

Last Thursday/Friday, the girls and I made an 18-hour drive to Gainesville, FL, for The Swimmer’s national swim meet.  That’s a long way.  It wasn’t quite as hard as I thought it might be, considering how much I dislike driving.  Having three crazy people in the car was a big help.  It kept things interesting.

The meet was held at the University of Florida.  Notice The Swimmer’s alligator mascot on the top of the sign.  This is Gator Country, people, and they take it very seriously.

We spent most of our time either sleeping or at the pool…where we weren’t allowed to take photographs.  Lame.  Alright…I understand the reasoning behind the rule…but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.

But…in case you’re interested…and I know you are…here are a few photos from their regional meet and their last exhibition before nationals.

Most of the teams they competed against had more girls, which put our group at a disadvantage, but they worked very well together and made a great team.

This is called a hybrid, which just means that they are head-down in the water. The more underwater work a routine has in it, the more difficult it is. Bet you couldn’t have guessed that.

A not-so-terribly-sharp photo of a lift.

“How do they do that?” you may ask.

Like this! My thanks to Brandon Hale for this underwater pic.

Part of the individual and team scores are taken from the figures portion of the meet. I will take the opportunity here to brag on The Swimmer. This was her second season to compete, and at last year’s regional meet she placed last in her age group in figures…not unexpected since she was still a beginner. This year she placed fourth out of sixty-five competitors, ahead of many, including some on her own team, with much more experience. She has a very proud mom.

Congrats to PTX…Region South Champions!

I almost forgot to add that our 11-12 team finished fifteenth out of thirty at the national meet. Last year they were twenty-seventh. Quite an improvement!

PTX is hosting a beginner synchronized swim class on Saturdays during the month of July at Northlake College in Irving. Girls of all ages are welcome to attend the class. The cost is $50. If you are interested, please call me!

I have more photos of our stop in Vicksburg and another post about some very important lessons I learned on the trip which I will post later.

Until then, stay out of the heat.

Encourage one another,

As I posted last week, I’m participating in Carrie’s Narnia Reading Challenge at Reading to Know.  I’m really excited about this challenge, as I’ve never read the entire series before.  I am starting with The Magician’s Nephew. It’s the first book chronologically, but if you’ve never read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, read that one first.  This one is more along the lines of prequel, answering the “How?” and “Why?” questions of Narnia.  If, like me, you read and loved The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe but always wondered about the origins of the lamppost and the wardrobe and how the White Witch came to Narnia and why it is that the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve who are the ones who must drive her out, you need to read The Magician’s Nephew.

Each time I read one of C.S. Lewis’ works, especially the Narnia books, I see it in a new light.  As I read The Magician’s Nephew this time, I was impressed by the difference between the unselfish actions of Digory and Polly and those of Digory’s Uncle Andrew.  Andrew, who discovered the vehicle for entering the other worlds, is not willing to risk himself to explore those worlds but is perfectly willing to experiment with defenseless creatures and to use Polly to trick Digory into exploring for him.  When he finally does enter himself, he thinks only of exploiting Narnia for his own gain.  Digory, on the other hand, is interested only in finding something that will help his mother who is sick and may be dying, and he risks even that to fulfill Aslan’s request.

This is my second time to read The Magician’s Nephew, and I think I appreciated it more this time through.  Overall, it’s a much quicker read than TLTWT, which isn’t all that long itself.  You still have plenty of time to join Carrie and the rest of us for Reading to Know’s Narnia Challenge. Click on the button below to find out the details.

Encourage one another,

I haven’t posted a recipe in quite a while.  It’s summer, and it’s hot and I don’t like to heat up the kitchen…but I’ll make an exception today.

If any of my siblings or cousins read this, here is a question for you…

Do you remember Grandmother’s oatmeal cookies?

I remember standing in her kitchen in the house on 11th St. in Friona…the one where the front door froze shut in winter and where the snow drifts were as high as the house that one time…and watching her bake those cookies.  They were thin and chewy and are possibly my favorite cookie of all time.

I didn’t think they would be so hard to duplicate.  I’ve tried at least a half a dozen different recipes looking for the one that was like Grandmother’s.  None of them were.  Too cake-y, too cinnamon-y, too gooey.

I hadn’t had them in years…decades really…so the thought of asking my aunt if she knew if the recipe still existed never really crossed my mind.

Duh.

After our last trip to visit family in Lubbock, between  my mom and my aunt I came away with not only this treasured recipe but Grandmother’s recipe box as well.

Thank you, Mom and Bonnie!

And so…without further ado…here is the best oatmeal cookie recipe ever.  And I do mean ever.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Beat shortening and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. Add egg, vanilla and water to sugar mixture and beat until well combined. At slow speed add dry ingredients to sugar/egg mixture. Stir in raisins by hand. Drop by the tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet about 2″ apart (cookies will spread) and bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges are browned.  Makes about 3 dozen.

The recipe card I have doesn’t have the cinnamon, the nutmeg or the raisins, but they all belong.  It doesn’t have the directions, either, but these worked very well.  It does have the small amounts I have written here, but if you want them to last until they are cool, I recommend doubling the recipe.

Go heat up your kitchen and make these cookies right now.  You won’t regret it at all.

I love you and miss you, Grandmother, and these cookies remind me of you.

Encourage one another,

Good Monday morning from Florida!  It’s been a fun few days here at The Swimmer’s national synchro swim meet, and I have to admit that it hasn’t been as unbearably hot as I was afraid it would be.  It has been humid, though, so humid that just being outside for a minute or so you start to feel it dripping down your back.

So…that brings us to our random question for today:

Is it the heat or the humidity?

Leave your answer here by clicking on “Comments” below.

Encourage one another,

Classics Bookclub at 5 Minutes for Books is reading Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca in August, and I’m really looking forward to that one.  I read it once before, but that was years ago.  I don’t remember too terribly much about it other than the ending…which was not what I had expected…but more about that one in August.  In anticipation of Rebecca I picked up My Cousin Rachel at the library to whet my appetite for a little mystery and gothic romance.  I am happy to report that it did not disappoint.

The story is told by Philip Ashley, the orphaned cousin of wealthy British landowner Ambrose Ashley, who for health reasons goes to Italy during the long winter months and there meets and marries his cousin, Rachel Sangaletti.  She, a widow whose husband died in a duel and left great debts, shares Ambrose’s love of plants and gardening.  Ambrose never returns to England after their marriage, telling Philip that his health is not good and won’t permit him to travel home.  The last two letters he receives convince Philip that his cousin is in grave danger, and he travels to Florence to try to help him.  When he arrives, there is no sign of Rachel, only a servant at the villa who tells Philip that Ambrose has died.  The entire Ashley estate is left to Philip, since Ambrose did not rewrite his will to include his new wife. The circumstances of his death are somewhat questionable, and Philip is determined that Rachel will have no part of the Ashley wealth…until he meets her.

If you are a fan of the Brontë sisters, I believe that you will enjoy this one, as it has a sort of Jane Eyre-ish feel to it…not in the story but in the mood.  Ms. du Maurier’s skill as a writer is excellent, even in telling the story in a man’s voice.  Maybe it was because I had read Rebecca that I was better able to anticipate where the story was going, but this one did not seem to me as quite as mysterious as the more famous novel.  I read one review that said this one was more suited to be a novella, and I would tend to agree with that.  It could have been shorter and not lost much at all.  If anyone were thinking about reading these two stories, I would suggest reading My Cousin Rachel first.  It is not quite as good as Rebecca but most definitely worth reading.

Encourage one another,