Rice Pudding

We only get it once a year. That's what makes it so delicious. It's a long standing Abel Christmas tradition. Mom makes it for Christmas Day dessert. An almond is hidden inside the pudding (two almonds now, accommodating for the large numbers) and the person(s) who get the almond receive a prize. There is simply nothing better than my mom's rice pudding topped with warm raspberry sauce!


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Christmas is coming...

...the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat...

Well, I don't have a goose myself, but I imagine there are fat geese out there. I'm also not planning to put a penny in anyone's hat. Given today's economy, a penny wouldn't do anyone any good anyway.

My sister and I finally got out tree up along with a few (a very few) other festive directions. Christmas is next week. I can hardly believe it. Every year seems to go by faster than the preceding year.





I am grateful for all we celebrate at this time of the year. It is a wonderful thing that we can celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world with the people we live.





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Happy Thanksgiving

Here are a few people I am thankful for. I wish everyone could have here.


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Brrr!!!

It's awfully cold. We have January temperatures in November, before Thanksgiving no less.



This was the temperature reading in my car this morning.


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Blizzard!

I hate this weather.



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fb

Dear Friends,

I deactivated my Facebook account today.

Sincerely,

Kirsten

Curses!!

It's a good thing I'm the punctual sort. This morning as I was leaving for a meeting, I was met with a foot of that cursed white stuff in my driveway. The snow plows that come through the neighborhood are fond of plowing it in such a way that it blocks the driveway. So, I was blocked in not only by the poor plowing job but also by the foot of snow there. Thanks to the help of my good neighbor, my side of the driveway was cleared off and I made it on time to my meeting.





When I came home from my meeting, both sides of the driveway were cleared but the snow shovelers had put the snow from my sister's side of the driveway on the street at the end so that it would be nearly impossible for her to get into the garage. I spent a few minutes clearing it so she can get in.

I'm just thankful my shoulder works well enough that I can shovel snow because I can't remember the last time we had this much snow before Thanksgiving.


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Halloween

The weather turned rainy and it's sort of on and off. We've never had many trick-or-treaters and I wonder if tonight will be any different. I'll just be sitting on the couch watching TV in my costume...I really enjoy Halloween.



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News flash!

This was the grizzly scene early Wednesday morning, October 27, 2010. Billions and billions of snow flakes cascaded to earth. The valiant grass nobly met the countless crushing blows of the flakes, surviving the awesome weight of the tiny but potentially life threatening white material. Temperatures plummeted. Those with stout hearts and undaunted courage donned sweaters and coats, braved hazardous road conditions, and marched triumphantly into their work places, braced for a new day.

There are heroes and then there are heroes. Tender grass blades beaten and trampled by their snowy nemesis hailed the sun's arrival that cold day as those warming rays waged war on their foe. It was the sun that emerged victorious after the fierce battle.

This humble author pays homage to the sun for sending forth its life-saving tentacles. May warmth and light ever be near!


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Oktoberfest

Our German teacher here celebrates Oktoberfest as any good and proper German teacher should. She takes good care of me and today she invited me to pick up some food from her. Yummy!!



Vielen Dank, Frau Martin!!

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I am left-handed?

Since my right shoulder officially went on strike, I have had to write on the white board in my classroom with my left hand. It's been quite the experience. At least I am managing to write legibly with my left.

Right shoulder, I miss you. Please come back to work.


Above is a sample of my left-handed writing.

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Ribbon Week Display

My awesome PTSA Reps put up the display for Ribbon Week. It looks pretty awesome.



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Fire!

This was the scene from the rear entrance of the complex where I live last night.




This was how things were looking this morning on my way to work.




So, yes, there was a fire. I believe it was triggered by some sort of training exercise at Camp Williams. Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes. Things were a little smoky smelling at my house but there was no need to evacuate.

A little lesson in preparedness for us here? I think so.

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Spiritual Therapy

The following are the contents of a message I wrote for my ward Relief Society newsletter this month.

Some time ago (I’m not sure when or how), I injured my shoulder. Not just any shoulder, mind you, but my right shoulder. The shoulder that’s attached to the arm that’s attached to the hand that does all the important stuff a hand does. For a couple of years I dealt with the pain that would creep up every now and then. I tried to avoid sleeping on it or over exerting it. I even altered my killer volleyball serve. It didn’t work. Over this last summer the pain went from annoying to bad. When I began having a difficult time washing my hair with both hands and putting on a shirt over my head, I started to really wonder about whether or not I should see someone about it. I even started thinking about how I would write on the board once school started again. Still, it wasn’t until a couple dear friends nagged me to death that I decided to get it taken care of. The doctor recommended physical therapy and I can tell you I was not super excited about it. I knew it was going to hurt; that it may not work.

I started physical therapy. The therapist assessed the damage, worked my arm a bit and gave me exercises to do at home. When I first started to do these exercises it was very difficult. I couldn’t do some of the exercises. Weights were eventually added to some of the exercises in order to build strength up in my shoulder. Over time, my arm and shoulder have regained some mobility. There is less pain. Now I can wash my hair without too much trouble, write on the board (if it’s not too high up), and even pull a shirt on over my head.

Here’s what I have learned through this experience: We are sometimes injured spiritually without even knowing it and while there may be a little “pain” in the beginning we make adjustments so we can continue to function spiritually. Sometimes we live this for years. However, over time we sometimes become spiritually immobile. When that happens, we need help. We need a “spiritual therapist” to work our spirits a little and give us daily exercises that strengthen our spiritual muscles. It can be painful at the beginning, but eventually, we will again know how to use our spiritual gifts and talents.

Our spirits need constant nourishment and exercise. I pray we will turn to the Savior. He is the ultimate Spiritual Therapist.

Hermione

Several months ago, I sort of rescued my brother's hamster. He was a cute little thing, but mean. He had to be since he was living in a basement with cats. He died the other day. I was sad. I hope he was able to spend his last months in quiet. Stress free.

My friend and her cute kids asked if they could get me a new hamster. They picked an absolutely beautiful grey hamster with dark eyes and I had to name her. That was the hard part. Finally, after much thought....


Meet Hermione.

Thank you, my dear friends!

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Thanksgiving in August

My sweet sister invited me to dinner for this evening. Her husband, who prefers ham, is on a scouting camp out with his son and my sister wanted to cook up the turkey she had right along with all the fixings. Delicious!!



I guess it doesn't have to be November in order for one to enjoy a little smidgen of Thanksgiving.

Thanks, Sis!!

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Return trip

My father thought it would be fun to do a wee bit of sight seeing on the way home from CA. He was right. It was fun. We saw several historical sites and also drove around Lake Tahoe.


Monument near Sutter's Mill



Timber works-Sutter's Mill



American River




On the road view of Lake Tahoe's southern end.









First settlement in Nevada.







Nevada's Capitol building in Carson City.

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Grandpa Berg

In CA I got to see my only living grandparent. I took several videos and as soon as I can, I will post them. Here's a picture and it will have to do until I can post the videos.


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Happy Birthday baby brother!!

It seems to me that it took no time at all for my baby brother to go from this


to


It is difficult to believe, I know.

Today, as a special birthday treat, he is giving his baby a name and a blessing at Church today.

Love you buddy.

More Major Cute

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Major Cute

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Banana splits are...

YUMMY!!!!


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Rootbeer floats are....

BRILLIANT!!!!!!!

Who would have thought rootbeer and vanilla ice cream could be so amazing? Whoever it was, THANK YOU!!!!!!!


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The Petrified Forest

After hanging out at Westfield Mall in Fairfield, CA, we headed into Napa Valley. There we visited the Petrified Forest. I was amazing. There were ancient trees in the forest that were really something to behold.

The family.

California state flower.

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Columbia

We spent the day at an old California gold rush town named Columbia. We happened to catch the Sarsparilla Festival. We met up with my cousin and her family. It was a great time. The kids really enjoyed it and so did we adults.

Looking down the street in Columbia.

My cousin and her family.

"Panning" for gold.

Cuteness x 1 million.

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Good for you!

My almost 3 year old nephew watched me make a phone call to my dad. Here is the conversation we had after the call:

B: Did you call your dad?
K: I sure did.
B: Well, good for you!


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Thanks, again!!

A student added an addendum to the sentiment I found on the board earlier this week. It even rhymes!!



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May 24

It's snowing currently. But those of you who have ever read my blog know how I feel about that. Another post about Utah's wacky weather would be redundant. I am writing this post to thank the student who left the following message on my white board:






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To the mothers in my life:

I am honored to know many wonderful mothers. My best friends are mothers. Many of my sisters are mothers. Several of my cousins are mothers. All my aunts are mothers. Then there is my mother. She is the best of them all.

Mothers are kind, love unconditionally, help, support, cook, study, work, clean, buy things for you, teach, learn, set the example, defend, discipline, serve, lead, follow, mend, hug, kiss, laugh, cry...they do it all and then some.

I thank all the mothers in my life for what they do every day. Like Sarah Maclachlan sang, motherhood is an "ordinary miracle". Mothers just seem to inherently know and do. I have hope that I, too, will one day be a mother. I aspire to be the kind of mother that the mothers in my life are every single day.

Happy Mothers' Day!!!




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Much better

It would seem that spring has sprung. I know Utah makes no promises, but the view from my window has been much better these days. It has been lovely.



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Window View

This is what it looked like outside my window when I woke up this morning. I'm glad I slept through it. It's disturbing and it's enough.



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Hate Mail

As I was writing today's vocabulary test yesterday, I came across the following written in the 7th grade vocabulary book:



Aside from the obvious, I was disturbed by the errors in spelling. I mean, I'm a Language Arts teacher. Vocabulary and writing conventions are a part of what I teach. If students are going to express such displeasure, the least they could do is spell correctly.

All the evidence you need attesting to the fact that I'm a middle school teacher is the fact that the conventional writing errors bother me more than the actual message itself. I did not become a teacher to be beloved by my students. Yes, that can be a happy and favorable byproduct of my job, but the occassional hate messages...

I can live with them.

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Easter

Thus year Easter was spent with family. My brothers who live out of state came to Utah and so the whole family was together, minus a sister-in-law (we missed you April!) and it was lovely. We had good food, celebrated April bdays, and watched the General Conference of the LDS Church.

Hristos a înviat! Christ is risen!

Happy Easter!




















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