It's Not Easy Being a Sick Teacher

It's no fun being sick!  I woke up Monday feeling bad, but knew I had to go into work since it was our first day back from Spring Break.  Left school a little early, went home and lounged, but could I sleep?  No.  I woke up almost every hour on the hour!  I couldn't breathe!  However, I knew since we were having restaurant on Thursday, we had to get pies made.  So, into work I go on Tuesday.  Still feeling bad, but not totally horrible.  Needless to say, but I will anyway, my week has continued on in this fashion.  I have been here everyday, I haven't slept much at a time (last night was the longest between wakenings at 4 hours!!) Today, I feel HORRIBLE!!!  I am leaving school here in a few minutes to go to the doctor.  I know he is going to ask how long I have been like this and when I say since Monday, he is going to give me the look.  I am prepared for that look.  I know!  But sometimes you just have to do, push through and hold on until you just can't do it any more.

by the way, restaurant was wonderful!  We served Chips and Salsa, Green Enchiladas - with beef - Mexican style rice and beans and a variety of pies - how many varieties you ask - well, let me tell you.  I had purchased graham cracker pie crusts on sale after Christmas for cheap!  really cheap!  so we made:
 1. Peanut Butter with fudge topping, - this was a first for me.  one of my students found this recipe and it is a keeper!  definitely going into the recipe folder.
2.  My 8 minute cheesecake pie with fresh strawberries - this is always a winner in my book
3.  One of my childhood favorites, Pink Lemonade Pie, YUM!
4.  S'more pie - this was a new one - another student found this and wanted to try it.  It was a medium size hit and is also going into the recipe folder.
5.  Key Lime Pie.  this recipe, that a student found, is lacking something, even though some people liked it well enough.  I think my aunt's recipe is better.  I have it at home and I guess I need to add it to my school folder.
6.  chocolate Cream pie - another student find and it was a flop.  literally.  It ran all over the pie pan.  It needs some help or better yet, I think I will throw that recipe out.  I have a better chocolate pie that I will use next time.
7.  Caramel Banana Cream Pie - this one we combined a couple of recipes to create.  It was good, but runny.  It's a keeper with some major altering of the recipe.  it needs some help being more of a complete pie instead of a banana pudding.
8.  Cherry O Cream pie - I wish the students had made a couple more of these.  It's the standard pie from the 70's.

I think that is all of the pies we served yesterday.  It was a lot and when they ran out, we were out! I tried to stay out of the restaurant and kitchen as much as possible and just let my students run it since I was sickly and they, along with my aide, did a great job.  I could mostly sit at my desk and take in the money the waiters would bring me.  

It was a fun week in the kitchen, but I am so ready for a shot and some meds and my bed!  Can't wait until I can go to the doctor.  (Now, how many people do you know say that?)  I am glad I was here all week so my students could cook, but I have to get well so they can cook again next week.

Spring Break is in the Books!

Have had a GREAT spring break!  Started the week taking a two day class with Gail Garber.  The first day we learned how to draft our spectacular stars.  Then after a pot luck lunch, we began making our patterns and paper piecing the pie segments.  I think I got most of one finished before class was dismissed and we took Ms. Gail out to eat at the famous Barn Door steak house.  She was so impressed with the big block of cheese they serve that she just had to take a picture.  LOL She really enjoyed her prime rib and sweet potato fries, too.  Several of us returned to the church to continue sewing our stars and many finished them in time for the next days class.  Gail was so impressed with us! 

Frances' star block

Gerrie's first star block started last year, but finished this week

Donna's star block

Cathi's star block proving you can make magic even when you mess up!

Chelsie's first block.  She was the first to finish hers.

Chelsie's second star block.  She was bored waiting for us to finish so she drafted and made another.

Gerrie's second block drafted and made first and then she finished her other one. 

Glenda's star block

Liz's star block

Ruth's amazing star block.  This took some fussy cutting and patience!



Last, but not least is my star block

The next day we returned for day two of our class and circular borders.  Since not all of us were finished with our blocks, some of us got to have a 1/2 day class on free form drafting!!  Such fun!  She showed us how to draft and draw our curved pieces and then set us free to draw all we wanted.  She would bring us back from time to time - she did need to go to the other room and check on everyone else finishing up their stars - and teach us how to draft another area.  It was so much fun. After lunch, she taught us how to draft about 10 different circular borders.  Then we began making our patterns and sewing our borders.  That evening we took Gail to eat at Osaka's a Japanese steak house (okay, now that I see it in print, it looks like it would be similar, but they are totally different steak houses!)  Osaka's has the traditional Japanese cooktop there at the table and you get a show and dinner all at the same time.  Plus, the food is delicious!  However, it's really pricey.  It was at dinner that I found out Gail and I share a birthday!  She had never met anyone with her same birthday before and was really surprised.  I think she enjoyed her time with us here in Odessa and I know we all enjoyed having her come teach us for two days.  Here are a few of the blocks with their second and in some cases, third rounds. 



I was going to label them, but every time I try, it highlights everyone and then deletes a few.  So, Frances added dancing Kachina dolls to hers, Liz added a plain green border and then sewed a picket fence border to add around.  I added flying geese in two sizes and then added a squared up border and another small purple border.  I plan on putting it on point in the middle of a larger quilt.  Ruth added a thin green border and then purple points around hers and last, but not least, Glenda added a big/little border she calls Kristy's Mountains around her block.  It has been fun to see how each one has changed and grown. I can't wait to see what everyone does with theirs.  I do know that Frances is adding some big/little mountains around her Kachina's, Chelsie added some pointy dudes around her first one, Gerrie was adding a border around her first wheat one, but I can't remember off the top of my head what pattern she was using even though I assisted with color choices.  Donna is doing flying geese.  So, maybe by next month we will have some semi finished if not totally finished tops ready to be quilted. 

The rest of the week we had an extra quilt-in.  We sewed from 9 a.m. - 11p.m. almost every day.  Of course, not all of us stayed the entire time.  Some days I didn't get there until closer to 10 and some people left before it got dark.  It was a wonderful time with a lot, I mean a lot of people choosing to spend part of their week sewing up at the church.  (about 32 different people came through, with an average daily attendance of around 18) It was a great time and even though I didn't get anything done that I had on my list of things to do this week, I am looking forward to getting back into a routine.  Getting back in the kitchen with my students.  Ready to finish out this school year.