Knock that chip off ya' shoulda'

I wish I could figure out the exact person or experience that inspired particular students to believe every teacher is out to get them.  I'd go back to that moment and manipulate it or go back to that person and punch them in the neck; later justifying myself by explaining that teachers for years to come will spend a majority of their time working to repair what they caused rather than actually teaching the knowledge we have. 

Calculus never seemed so simple

There are some concepts in this world that are difficult for me to wrap my brain around. 

I've always had a difficult time understanding calculus.  The concept of "forever" is mind boggling to me; the depths of the ocean and the skies limits are hard for me to fathom BUT,

............... the other day I turned on Anderson Cooper for a moment and stumbled upon a segment they were running about "DIVORCE PARTY'S". 

Someone, please help me understand?

 

Guilty as charged..

Me:  "Convicted of turning me in to a vegetarian... How do you plead?"

Eggplant Patty: "Guilty as charged!"

Unassuming Confidence

Ultimate definition of unassuming confidence...?

I could never date someone that won't dance.  Please don't confuse won't with can't here.  The person who dances even when they can't demonstrates the perfect balance between complete self-confidence and unpretentious-ism; unafraid of being perceived as anything by those watching.

 I have found in many cases these characteristics follow them off the dance floor and throughout their everyday lives.  Have you ever met someone who dances even when they can't? 

Adoration

ADORATION

I have so much respect for teenagers who consistently demonstrate a maturity level beyond the years of their peers. PERIOD.

Hibernation Preparation

We here at American Honey Hideaway have spent the last week and a half prepping for hibernation.  I realize it's only Autumn, but Summers wreak havoc on most lake cottages, and American Honey is no different.  Because my cottage is so small and storage space is limited, I've been foced to become one of those individuals that store what they consider to be their "summer clothes" elsewhere during the winter and vice a versa.  I don't mind.  In the midst of packing everything up it sort of makes me feel as though I'm a snow bird, heading South for the winter months. 

Zoe doesn't care much for hibernation.  It restricts her daily physical activities; chipmunk hunting(still in search of that first kill, 3 years and counting), giant laps around the front yard, and wading in the swamp next door.  Needless to say, hibernation preparation also consists of me trying to help Zozo soak up every, single, teeny, little, last bit of outdoor recreation with frequent walks around the lake and fetch in the front yard.  

Sweet sweet salutation......

 

He's talking to you...

ROmAnS 15:1-2

Paul writes...

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us.  Strength is for service, not status.  Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"-Romans 15:1-2

What does it mean to be strong and able in faith?  

With all do respect...

My Grandma Mary has a library of cook books that would rival the resources in a library on a small college campus.  At one time she belonged to every "cook book" book club in the coutry.  In Grandma's defense, she probably read each of them front to back (including the forewords), and could direct you to the right place to find a recipe for anything from cajun stuffed manicotti to beef wellington.  I have my Grandma Mary to thank for passing on the pretend culinarist dream gene, or at least it's pretend for me... Grandma is an extraordinary cook. I think one of the things that makes her such a fantastic chef is her willingness to take risks with her recipes... I'll never forget the time I was home visiting from college and she sent me back to Columbus with tupperwares full of frozen soups, one of which, turned out to be Potato HotDog (talk about risky).  If you're interested in the recipe for Potato HotDog soup message me, and I can have Grams send that along!  It was actually really good! ;-)  Anyhow, she's passed this love of being in the kitchen on to yours truly. Lately, I've been compelled to imiatate restaurant foods and drinks.  Tonight, I decided to take aim at Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte's..... It didn't taste like Starbucks, but it was still delicious!  So, with all do respect Starbucks.... I think I'll save the $4.00 for a subscription to an online recipe club.  :-P

I had a 15 year-old

This week I've allowed the attributes of maternalism to take up residence inside of me.  The past two nights of staying with my Moms-Brothers-Youngest Daughter, have consisted of stimulating conversations about; bossy parents, Friday night high school football games, facebook, classroom project partners, letter jackets, and TV shows.  Sunday night we shared her queen bed.  "Shared" is a misleading term in this case.  My eyes were opened and I was brought to complete concsiousness on 3 different occassions throughout the night; 12:46am (stray arm on my hair), 2:41am (stray hand near my ear), and 4:30am (knee in my thigh).  Last night, I opted for the couch.

sweet vindication...

Nearly ONE year since my last post... I'm giving blogging another shot.  I'm not one for making excuses, but I'm going to make one now.... GRAD SCHOOL!  Any time spent on the computer over the course of the past 18 months has been strictly business... work e-mails, grad homework, facebook (wait a second, facebook isn't business), regardless, other priorities took precedence over writing for pleasure.  If I were being COMPLETELY honest, blogging for me is more than pleasure...... it's a channel.  Hoping you'll stay tuned and signing off as...... "flakey no more".

Challenge Yourself...

Being brutally honest with myself...

Honesty: You will never reach your potential if you aren't willing to challenge yourself.
Brutality: What ways are you challenging yourself throughout your life's campaign?

Motivation

What motivates you?



-posted from kati's iphone

What if beds were still this small?

-altruism, be it

Education Reform

A Candid Conversation with a 5-year old

I made an appearance at a junior high volleyball game a few weeks ago and found myself in the company of an outgoing 5-year old with an unrestrained thought process. The candor with which she spoke, and gave me advice was wildly entertaining! Just as our debate about all-day preschool came to a close, there was a long pause in conversation followed by a long stare, which was followed by......

5-year old: "Kati, you have a weally small mouth."

Me: " Yah?"

5-year old: "It's weally small."

(Awkward silence...)

5-year old: "Were you born like that?"

Me: "Uh-huh... Thank you? I think?"

Excuses, Excuses...

I'm hoping the following pics will validate my absence from blogging over the past 9 days! :-)

Took a trip to South Haven with my best friend Charity!

Chilled in a red snuggie on the boat in the morning.

Thought deeply in the red snuggie on the boat.

Thank you bestie for taking me up!

Tell your best friend you love them today

Three ;-) of the most genuine, honest, absurd, enduring, accepting and compassionate Best Friends on planet earth!

Thoughtful Equations

OpiNion + EMpathY= Influence

Dinner Date...

Grilled Pork chop and peaches with a balsamic vinegar, blue cheese, sweet onion dressing and some sangria...Who better to share it with than, (cue dramatic-blind-date-dinner music) ZOE! Hope that sentence wasn't so anticlimactic that you stopped reading. Well, of course you haven't stopped reading if you're reading this.... Anyways! The truth is, there are a lot of "betters" to share dinner with, and if you happened to be one of the lucky one's, who has stumbled upon their "better," let them know it tonight! And... if you've found yourself making gourmet meals and having stimulating dinner convo's with an 8lb., jack russell.... Not to worry, there's a plan for you too! :-) Do your thing!

"I've become the person I swore I'd never be, but how did I get to this point? I've come to the conclusion it could only be one of three things; the desire for stimulating dinner conversation (but dogs can't talk), the result of being 27 and having some SERIOUS nurturing instincts, or the sheer enjoyment of serving dinner to someone who genuinely appreciates it with all they have." -Kati

How do you know you don't like it, if you don't try it?

This post is for all you burger and brat grilling fanatics....How about making zucchini patties an All-American summer time spread? The marinate is simple, and the results will keep your tongues waggin'!

I made the mistake of slicing some of the zucchini patties a bit thick. I'd aim for about as thin as you can cut them. They cook crispier that way, which I also like. My neighbor gave me a fresh basil plant at the beginning of the summer and this recipe gave me the opportunity to use it!

Ingredients: 2 tbs. White wine vinegar, 2 tbs. fresh lemon juice, dash salt, dash pepper, a couple leaves fresh basil, 1 tbs. fresh thyme, and 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions: Marinate for at least 3 hours and thrown on the grill

The Breast Milk Baby...

I posted a link to this advertisement on my facebook wall, simply to gain some insight about what the Mother's of my network thought about it.... Some of the comments really cracked me up!


Kara Williams, Mother of two adorable girls writes, "Inappropriate. They want kids to "experience motherhood"?!? Uh... what's next, we'll have them stay up until 4:00am with a crying doll and have them simulate birth? I am all for breastfeeding, but feeding your babies in front of their older siblings is a great way to promote it. Weird...."

Sue Polly, Mother of 3 grown children, and now Grandmother of 6 beautiful grandchildren says,"My kids always pretended to breast feed their babies. I don't think they need a special doll-but hey, why not? I guess we don't even think anything about pretend bottles to feed dolls."

Brittany Johnson, Mother of two, cutesy Grace and baby boy Luke, commented, "It's creepy and incredibly inappropriate. Grace learned enough just watching me feed Luke. She certainly doesn't need a doll to enforce it!"

And lastly, my best friend Charity writes, "Way to stir the pot Kati...lol. You love this discussion...a bit much in my eyes, but what do I know...I have a little boy :-)"

I have my own opinion about this suckling dolly... The fact that the child places a bib with stars that cover the nipples like pasties is enough for me to leave this one on the shelf! :-)

Simple additions for big change...

I rarely do any intentional shopping for new home decor. Most of the new additions to American Honey's walls are knick knacks that I stumble upon and fall in love with, even if I don't have the perfect place picked out for them when I buy them, I know I will eventually work them in somewhere. I found this wooden whale at an antique shop and picked it up for $10.00.... I love the Cape Cod feel it gives off.

I purchased this sailboat blueprint off ebay a couple months ago but hadn't found the right frame for it, until I was cleaning and re-organizing my shed last week. This window was removed from American Honey when I was remodeling last summer and I saved it for an occasion just like this.

The finished corner. I still need to get the blueprint hung on the wall, but you get the idea. I love the nautical blue's of the lampshade and the blueprint together.

It's a Pretty Life

Zo and I finally found a Friday with NO plans... That was boring, so we made our own! Her balance was better than mine as we cruised around Pretty Lake. I transformed my wind-surf board in to a paddle board and managed to stand most of the way around the shore-line.

Precious Baby Boy

May 17 my twin sister Jami and her husband had their 2nd baby.... This time a boy. After two generations of Todd's being dominated by the X chromosome this little guy has truly been a blessing and an interesting experience for all of us! He's almost two months old so he's beginning to develop a little personality all his own, but rather than describe it to you I'll just let you in on his name because I feel like it says so much about him. Asher Hans Beck. Complete stud. Big sister Avery has stepped in to the role well! Her favorite things to say are, "He so cute, Asher so cute," and her favorite thing to do is kiss him hard and shove his bink in his mouth. They are such aggressive lovers at age two. Unfortuantely for Asher, he can't escape Avery like the cats do when she runs to aggressively love on them! Below are some pics I've captured over the past two months of this little Casanova! We love you baby boy!

Natural Sea Wall

One of my biggest goals for American Honey HideAway this summer was to finish landscaping my shoreline, and thanks to a few good friends the seawall is almost complete. My long time friend Neal Wolheter and his wife Lydia donated the rocks from their field and even helped me haul the stones down to the lake with one of Neal's farm toys. I recruited another one of my good friends, Jon Mitchell to help with the loading and unloading early Saturday morning! I'm so blessed to have friends who are so willing to help me with my mini projects like this. It's all about being resourceful. :-) The picture is of the boys unloading... I have to finish setting the rocks so stay tuned for the finished product!

There was a Farmer, had a dog, and AVERY was her Name-O

Look out Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion!

Itsy Bitsy Spider Remix

My niece Avery singing her own rendition of "Itsy Bitsy Spider," she will be 2 on July 10th.

Jamie Oliver Shows School Kids How Chicken Nuggets are made

You should really think twice before sacrificing your health for convenience...

Sunday ambitions...

The beginnings of a Sunday project! Why buy one that's already put together when you can buy one that's in one hundred pieces and put it together on your own?





Ready to be stained...



The finished product...

Location:Pretty lake

Young ladies

The lady lakers hard at work in June!

Location:N 055 E,LaGrange,United States

Mobile Blogging

My old pantech phone recently suffered some catastrophic injuries.... the term catastrophic meant to imply, injuries that it won't recover from, injuries that it won't recover from meant to imply, full submersion in a hot tub for approximately 7 seconds. While I was distraught to witness this, after all, my pantech had been such a loyal friend, this incident gave me permission to pull the trigger on one of the new iphones. I'm in the process of linking my phone to "Keeping Up With Kati," this could very well be the cure for my frequent verbal diarrhea. :-) Stay tuned.

Hiatus...

Pardon my absence... I have returned to the office.

Naming the Smoker Craft...

This is a cry for help... I need some assistance in the naming of my pontoon. Options are below:

1. The Anne Bonney- I like this name because of it's meaning. Anne Bonney was a female pirate. According to several online sources, Anne, took what she wanted from the world and never made apologies. I like this because it means she was a strong woman, but I dislike this because it seems to be an immature mindset. I guess I could perceive the facts how I wish too.
2. The Alvilda- Like Anne, Alvilda was also a female pirate.... I think I like her story the best. Alvida's parents kept her locked in her room, and set two poisonous snakes to keep away all but the most ardent of suitors. The most persisant and brave fellow turned out to be Prince Alf of Denmark, and though he passed the test Alvilda's parents were none too happy about the match. Deciding she wasn't ready to be wedded to some stuffy Prince, Alvilda took advantage of her parents' irresolution and hightailed it out of there. She joined a crew of cross-dressing women, but had barely got started in a career in terrorizing the Baltic coast when they came across a crew of pirates that had lost their Captain. They were so impressed by her capable skills that they voted unanimously to elect her as their new leader. With these fresh reinforcements beneath her ruthless guidance, this formidable woman became such a nuisance to the merchant trade that her former betrothed, Prince Alf, was dispatched to bring the troublesome pirates to justice. Alvilda and her crew fought back to the best of their abilities, but in the gulf of Finland they were bested at last. Prince Alf and his men boarded the pirates' ship, where hand to hand fighting ensued. After sustaining heavy casualties, Alvilda's crew succumbed and she herself was taken captive. With her beauty concealed by a face covering helmet, she was taken prisoner, and it was only when this helmet was removed that Prince Alf realized who the scourge of the seas had been. For her part, Alvilda was so impressed by how Alf had fought in battle that she married him on the spot. She went on to share his wealth and throne as Queen of Denmark, and together they had a daughter, who they named Gurith. Whether little Gurith followed in her mother's ocean going ways is not known. (http://www.katyberry.com/Dorianne/pirates.html)

3. Oh Buoy

4. Nauti Gull

5. Green Eyes

6. Pretty Gull- The lake I live on is called Pretty Lake, so just keeping the theme.

-If anyone has any more suggestions hat might go along with the name of my cottage, they are welcome.... American Honey Hideaway....

It really is THAT simple

I know! Rather than getting wrapped up in political correctness and walking on egg shells all the time.... Why not stamp yourself with the "EMPATHY TRADEMARK"? It really is that simple.

Me and my little spuddy's...

-First attempt at dehydrating potato's in progress...
-Review to come...
-Keeping fingers crossed for an unadultered potato chip.

"The oppressive commentary of teenage girls...And what I wish they knew"

"She only did that because she wants people to vote for her for Prom Queen."

"I don't give a shit what she said to me, if she opens her mouth one more time, I'm gonna hafta have some words with her."

"All those middle schoolers want me. It's like, can they make it more obvious? Staring at me when I'm walking up the stairs." -announcement to entire class, while she is wearing booty shorts

"She's a ho. She's like a mixture of a little bit hillbilly and a little bit redneck... ho"

"I'm too fat to run the mile Miss Todd"

"My parents don't care what my grade is"

"I heard she was working for some cleaning business and they make you wear lingerie while you clean"