I adore making trifles. They are ALWAYS yummy and they ALWAYS look gorgeous.  Tomorrow is my office holiday feast…the day we gorge ourselves from noon until about 5PM…we all love each other so much in my workplace…no, really, we DO!

I thought I would share my Thanksgiving trifle with you…easy to make and truly yummy…this one is NOT low fat, low calorie, low NOTHIN!

Ingredients:

2 small boxes of Jello Pumpkin Spice pudding (available only during the holidays)

4 cups of milk to make the pudding

1/4 t. ground cinnamon added to pudding mix

2 cans of apple pie filling mixed with about 1 cup of raisins

2 small containers (or 1 lg) of Cool Whip

1 box of Spice Cake mix (need 3 large eggs, oil and water) bake as directed in 9X13 pan-cool and cut into chunks

1 bag (2 cups) chopped pecans and 4 T honey (mix nuts in honey on low heat until carmelized then cool on wax paper)

LAYER- in a large glass bowl or Trifle Bowl

cake to cover bottom –>   about 1/3 of pudding –> about 1/3 of pie mix with raisins –> cover with whipped topping and spinkle pecans on top

Repeat the layer a second time

Final layer  –>  cover the entire top of the trifle with the cool whip so it looks like it is iced and then generously sprinkle with the pecans

Cover tightly and let it sit in fridge for at least 24 hrs for flavors to blend….serve with a large spoon and extra topping if desired

YUMMMMMMMY!!! and EZ!

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/44672912@N03/

Oh, BTW, that is my baby brother! He is a competitive body builder.

I just got off the phone. I made a very important and gratifying appointment.  On Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 4PM I officially sign my retirement papers for the PA retirement system.

The finality of this is acutally tingling…I have the most ridiculous smile on my face as I type this…it is real, I am really going to do this and I am so SO happy, and RELIEVED.

Next week I get to start purging my office of all instructional materials that I will never, ever use again. I’m gonna take pictures of that and post those because I will be tripping the light fantastic in my office as I toss 36 years worth of teaching stuff.

Oh, yes, I am quite happy with time today!!

Probably the best thing Ronald Reagan ever said in his life.  I wish I was a bit more worldly (although I know I am a helluva lot more worldly than 99% of my fellow Americans), but, I wish I knew FOR REAL what sort of impact this statement has had…20 years later…in general, Americans are woefully ignorant of the REAL goings on in countries other than our own (and it is embarrassing to say how woefully ignorant so many are of their own country!) 

My hubby and I often have discussions about things happening in other countries and he ALWAYS assumes that they don’t do as much as we do or act in compasionate ways like we do or go to bat for other countries like we do (there is the assumption here that we are just these amazing d0-gooders). Now, he is a VERY INTELLIGENT  person, but I consistently point out that he has no reason to think that way because WE DON’T KNOW how other countries are acting or not acting. We only get a teeny tiny slice of their news/views…why is that? 

Why is it that it seems that Europeans know a whole lot more about us and what we do than we know about them?  How is it they get the news, but we don’t?  I’ve started to make a habit of listening to the BBC on XM-Sirius radio, to learn more, be more informed, understand the issues that others deal with…could it be that they are indeed more worldly than we are just by virtue of the fact that they all learn multiple languages (including English- sometimes the Queen’s English) in school?

I don’t know, but, I don’t like being ill informed…so, as I continue the retirement countdown, I am going to add one more thing to my ‘bucket list’…LEARN MORE about the entire world around me …I WANT to know…now that the wall is down and apparently down for good.

Sometimes I detest time; other times it can be sinfully wonderful.

Today, I hate it.  One week is simply not enough time to spend with a child who is across the world for most of the year.  Specs was here and gone in one very short week…I walked past the room this morning on the way to check the computer to make sure the flight arrived well and on time back in Belgium. And I had a very heavy heart. (yes, it did to both…arrived well and on time I think)

All of my students were happy to have me back after my week of H1N1/Specsitis, but, they also asked about the week and were anxious to hear all the little details…and I shared, but my heart was heavy at the end of it all.

More than once Specs mentioned that the next time she came back, the purpose was to get married. She won’t be my baby girl anymore…she will become someone else’s cherished soulmate; I can be pretty bad  at sharing sometimes…and that made me cry.

Damn, it is hard being a parent, and time doesn’t help one little bit. At least, not this time.

(please note, the generic version )

Oh, I’ve been away from Haiku Friday for a very long time. This past week, in class, a couple of students did a minilesson on poetry and had everyone in the class create a Haiku. I asked if I could share them with you. So, here are the EDHL 451 (Teaching Reading to Deaf/Hard of Hearing and English Language Learners) haikus. Hope you enjoy them!

Rosalie-
A rainbow so far
Rain is gone the sun comes out
It’s beautiful here

Danielle-
Seashell on the shore
What great stories you could tell
If only you spoke

Heather-
Water flowing down
Mist floating across the top
Mythical picture

Lauren-
The frog jumped high
High above the great, big Earth
Now forever stuck

Marie-
Spring brings cool raindrops
Making plants so very green
Spring is in the air

Meghan-
Thunder storms are fierce
I hide under mom’s down bed
Oh, when will this end?

Maria-
The bird that is pink
Flamingos stand on one foot
How truly unique

Alex-
The snow is falling
Fluffy snow covers tree tops
In pretty white swirls

Me-
Fluttering great wings
Music to the summer sky
Peaceful hearts and minds

’til I lock the doors on 205 Davis Hall one last time……..

Thought I would wait til the end of the week….the wicked 19 day cycle has been broken…maybe there is a god?!

I have waaaaaay to much stuff to do for school and no time for blogging…so, once again I am way behind on my reading and commenting…I’ll touch base with you good people ASAP…..

Best thing today….10 short days til Specs is home for a nice R and R visit…I cannot wait!

I had a period. A big period, but, just a period and that, of course, is a very good thing. So, I’m kinda busy with all kinds of stuff right now and I’ll probably be back on Monday with the 19 day cycle update…we shall see. Buh-bye.