The quote I am living by…

“”It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new … There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.”

It’s an hour until dinner time. Your kids are screaming they’re hungry. They want something plain and yummy. You only have a few things in your refrigerator and only a few things in your cabinets. There’s a problem. What can you make that is quick, easy, and your kids will love? A few familiar ingredients and a little time in the kitchen and your problem is solved.

This recipe has been in my family for generations. It is a famous English dish usually cooked with minced meat or lamb and lots of carrots and peas. But as I’m sure a lot of your kids are… my brothers and I were picky when it came to food. This is the fastest and easiest way to fill your kid’s stomachs and get an instant, “yum Mom!”

First: The ingredients.

• 3-4 big potatoes
• 1 pound of ground beef
• ½ cup of whole milk
• 2 teaspoons of butter
• cheese (I recommend Velveeta)
• salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar

Second: You need an iron skillet. If you do not have that, a casserole dish will work; just make sure that it is safe to be put in the oven.

Third: The meat. Brown the meat, then drain the grease. Return to the skillet then leave on the stove with no heat.

Fourth: The mashed potatoes. *If you know how to make perfect mashed potatoes, use your recipe. If not, follow this one. Get a medium sized regular pot. Peel all of the potatoes skins and cut into half, make sure the big pieces are small enough to fit in the pot. Then fill the pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Put on the stove and boil, slightly covered until potatoes are soft (stick a fork in them if you’re not sure). Then drain all of the water out, all of the water. You don’t want the mashed potatoes to be watery. Then using an electric masher or a hand one, mash the potatoes as well as possible. When the mashing gets harder to do or the potatoes look dry, then add the ½ cup of milk, a little salt, a little pepper and 2 teaspoons of butter. Then a secret trick passed down by my mothers old babysitter, add a pinch of sugar (has something to do with the starch or something, just have faith). If the potatoes are still not smooth enough add a little more milk. Then use the fastest mode on your masher and get the potatoes really smooth.

Fifth: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then go to the iron skillet full of browned meat and evenly spread out the mashed potatoes on top of the meat. A good tip: plop down all of the mashes potatoes then spread slowly with a fork so that the meat does not get mixed into the mashed potatoes.

Sixth: Almost there! Add enough cheese to cover the entire skillet or pan, place into the heated oven for about 20 minutes (or until cheese is melted).

Take out of the oven, I suggest adding a salad and your kids’ favorite fruit on the side and dinner is served.

One final tip: Tastes best with ketchup.

2. An oral history project is to capture and learn about someone else’s life, to learn about how someone lived and how it shaped who they are today. It is gaining a better understanding and a story of someone’s past and sharing it with others.

3.

4. One of Vi Ingraham’s daughters had a white cat. “I’ll never forget that cat,” Ingraham said with a laugh.

One year Ingraham’s family was putting up their Christmas tree. Ingraham, a self proclaimed Christmas lover, always decorated with stockings and all the trimmings for the holiday.

“That cat came running in, came running down the long main hall… and jumped up on the top of that tree. Were all running to it trying to save it,” Ingraham said continuing to laugh.

Needless to say, a few ornaments were lost that Christmas.

But Ingraham always had animals and always loved Christmas.

Vi Ingraham- “A wonderful grandmother who loves to sing”

Side note: At first this was hard and then I couldn’t stop coming up with them:

Another for right now in my life: “Trying to fix my worrying problem”

And 2 for my life in general: “Doesn’t break me, Makes me stronger”    AND    ”What I need: Puppies and Love”

204 to 248 West 3rd Ave. Chico, Ca 95926

    The neighborhood is filled with signs on the front lawns that read, “Obama/Biden” and other democratic candidate propaganda. There are couches or chairs on almost every house on the block. Most of the houses are clean; mowed lawns, trimmed bushes, no trash on the driveway.

    One house is a pale yellow with dark maroon shutters and a matching door. Another is a tealish blue color with the same layout as the yellow one: small porch, screen door, drive way to the left.

    At one house there are many bicycles tied to the front railing, 2 satelite dishes on the roof, a navy blue Jetta and a white Volvo parked out front. This is obviously a college students house. The only one on the block that gave me the impression.

   The sore thumb. A house covered in landscape. Everything from trees to tomato plants to flowers to ivy. It is a pinkish salmon colored house, surrounded by gates and 2 black and white cats circling the front porch that is overly covered by plants. Reminds me of a suburban forest. There is an old school dirty white Mercury Tracer parked out front. A Chico local that retired here, might be the owner of this residence.

            I. She was around 20-years-old, reddish brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was focused. She stared at her papers, writing so fast as if she was on a time constraint.

            She was about 5’5, very slender, about 115 pounds. She wore make-up, had a hot pink binder and had the best accessory in the world; a dog lying on the floor beside her.

            Her tan pants, orange and white horizontal striped v-neck sweater, and her brown strappy high heels did not coordinate but it didn’t seem to bother her. She walked with a stride yet sat with a slouch.

            She had fair skin, dark over-plucked eyebrows and a few random placed dark brown freckles on her neck. Her silver earrings and cartilage hoop added to the effort of her appearance.

            Sweet, girly girl, animal lover, focused, smiled at new people entering the computer lab. It is 1:15p.m., she rushes out the door, maybe to fix her make-up or maybe to play fetch with her dog, or maybe to turn in the paper she wrote frantically. Either way looks like someone who says “please” and “thank you” every time necessary.

            II. Comic books and dragons; not the topics of everyone’s research, but it was his.

            A young guy, around 24-years-old, 5’8, 140 pounds, sounds average right? He had a messy ponytail of plain brown hair that reached to his shoulder blades. Thick glasses were slouched down on his nose while he searched through pages and pages of dragon pictures.

            He has a birthmark on his left forearm, an odd shape, kind of looked similar to a dragon. His left hand rested on his face while his legs wobbled.

            He was done with dragons, on to comic books. They were different comic books that do not fit the stereotypical superhero role but consisted of little big eyed people yelling at creatures.

            He had no facial hair but looked grungy, short fingernails, and dirty white Reebok sneakers. He wore a plain faded black t-shirt that looked as if it had been watched 10 times in hot water and light tan pants.

            He carried a nice, clean black leather book bag around his chest and looked bored. His life may be boring but his imagination shouldn’t be.

II. Girl- in her 20’s

            Sweet

            Organized

            Girly Girl

            Middle class- nice clothes but not designer clothes

            Animal Lover

            Drives a Jetta

            Irish- reddish brown hair

            Straight

            High maintenance

            Did not fit stereotype

            Hair pulled back

            Random outfit

The way she had make-up on and plucked eyebrows and high heels made her seem girly and high maintenance to me. She seemed sweet because she smiled at everyone she looked up at and she had a dog that looked well taken care of.

II. Guy- in his 20’s

            Nerd

            Straight

            Middle Class

            Grungy

            Loves rock music

            Likes science fiction movies

            Rides a bike

            Did not fit stereotype

            No facial hair

            Nice, clean leather book bag

The glasses and long messy hair made him seem grungy. The fact that he was looking at pictures of dragons and comic books seems nerdy. He seemed bored because he had no real expressions, happy or mad or sad or anything.

I. 1. Shell- Technological- Entertain- Use

            This object is a tiny shell. I put it in this category because people find shells along the beaches they walk on and most people go to the beach for entertainment and fun.

2. Fortune- Ideological- Folk Wisdom

            This is a fortune from a fortune cookie that reads, “Good beginning is half done.” I put it in this category because fortunes remind me of old folk stories. Just like horoscopes, they give people a “fortune” look of what the future might hold.

3. Rose pin- Ideological- History

            This object is a pin with a rose on it and the word “rose.” I put it in this category because I thought it might be from the “Rose Bowl”, a famous college football event or the “Rose Parade,” another historical event.

4. Coin- Sociological- Economic

            This object is a coin from England, with Queen Elizabeth on it. It is worth twenty pence. I put it in this category because it is money, which is associated with economy.

5. Tiny sunglasses- Technological- Entertain

            This object is a tiny toy pair of purple sunglasses. I put it in this category because the glasses are from a small toy of some sort that is used to entertain children.

6. Bell- Technological- Entertain

            This object is a tiny bell of some sort. Looks like it could be part of a cat toy or dog toy. I put it in this category because bells are for noise and if it is a part of toy, then it’s to entertain.

II. Bonnie remembers growing up and feeling as if there was nothing better than walking along beaches and finding treasure. She’s traveled near and far to find all types of shells: Mexico, Southern California, and Hawaii.

            Her happiest memories from anytime in her life are finding what the ocean “threw up.” Her shells mean so much and the memory along with them, that she saves all of her shell finds and every time she picks those shells up, she remembers where she was and what she was doing in her life, when she found that shell.

-Story idea-

            How objects make you remember things in your past. One object that you keep will remind you of a certain time in your life.

III. Once a bratty 14-year-old girl, Halie did not understand the importance of her parents. Her father took her and her family on business trips with him and she remembers thinking how boys and make-up were what was important then.

            As Halie picks up a coin from England, she remembers a trip her family went to in England and how she was young and unappreciative of the travels she was able to go on. Now she appreciates life and culture and all the places she has seen. “Not everyone is that fortunate,” Halie said.

-Story idea-

Growing up you learn to respect elders, cultures, family. Traveling and what it means to people.

“I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I know. How you been?”

“Good. Same stuff, different day.”

“Ya, ya, I know. Workin’ all day?”

“Since noon.”

“Ya it’s my day off, gotta take the bus to Raley’s.”

“For groceries?”

“Among other things.”

“Well thanks Joe”

“Good-bye hun.”

• The two people having this conversation were in front of me and on the side of me on the bus. The first person was the bus driver and the lady got on and sat in the first seat so they could talk. They obviously knew each other because they said hi by first names.
• The first person was in his bus driver uniform, about 50-60, his name was Joe, he had a cigarette in his ear, dark mustache and gray short ponytail. He sounded bored but was helpful to people that asked help with directions.
• The second person was a woman about 50-60, red hair, lots of freckles, wearing a bright green baseball cap, a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, jean keds with socks, glasses that get darker in the sun and she was smiling a lot.
• This conversation was at about 4 p.m. Wednesday while the bus was driving from Nord Ave. to East Ave.
• Story ideas

1. How much people ride the bus? They ride the same bus everyday they become friends with the bus driver.

2. How hard is it for people 50-60 years old to ride the bus? The B-line has handicap accessibility but seats are not that comfortable. Is it hard on the older crowd?

3. How the bus drivers attitude affects the bus ride. A friendly bus driver means a friendly ride and vice versa.

Conversation 2

“That’s the car I want.”

“That’s a piece.”

“Small ass rims.”

“I would take everyone out in that hot rod.”

“Next thing you know I’d be flying by you.”

“I’d get you.”

“I’d catch you.”

“You see my scraper yesterday?”

“Ya. Kayla tried to ride it first day I got it.”

“You ain’t got no scraper, no beat, no nothing.”

• The two people having this conversation were to the side of me, sitting on the next bench. They were in a group of kids, looked like they just go out of school and they were just waiting for the bus.
• The first person was a girl around 13 or 14 years old. She was sort of tomboyish, and on the heavier side. She was wearing jeans, a red shirt, and black Nike’s and she had her black hair in a short ponytail.
• The second person was a boy around 14 or 15 years old. He had blonde curly hair and he was wearing a black shirt, black hat, black converse, and sunglasses. He was sitting on his bike next to the girl.
• This conversation was at about 4 p.m. Wednesday while were at the 2^nd and Salem bus transit.

Story ideas

1. The slang language that teenagers use today. Is it worse or better than in the older days? Is it appropriate to use in public?

2. How the way kids talk and act today is going to affect their futures. With myspace and facebook and kids putting all their information out there, is that dangerous for their future, especially if they do not act appropriately.

3. Kids who do not have parents to pick them up after school. Where are their parents or older siblings? Does it bother kids to have to ride the bus home?

Conversation 3

“Hey. What? It’s Eric, Megan said you called, you were looking for me.”

“I’m on my way to your house.”

“I’m on the bus right now.”

“What took you so long to call me back?”

“Ya sure. I got your pump for you.”

“Ya got it right here.”

“If you want. Anything you want.”

“Funny, I was going there tonight.”

“I’ll be there in a minute, alright?”

“Ya okay, okay.”

“I love you. I love you.”

“Ok bye.”

This guy was having a conversation on his cell phone.

This conversation was at about 4 p.m. Wednesday while traveling from 2^nd and Salem to Nord.

He was wearing a white tank top, jean shorts and a black bandana with some sort of symbol on it. He was young like in his early 30’s, missing some teeth, had a bandage on his chest like he had some sort of surgery on his chest. He had a rough scratchy voice with tons of tattoos on his body; I did not get close enough to him to see any of them in detail. He looked intimidating a little scary but his conversation was nice and he was playing with the baby that was sitting in the seat in front of him with his mom. He was talking in a baby voice and trying to get the baby to laugh.

Story ideas

1. How you can not judge a book by its cover. How people may look scary but when you get to know them or see them in action with others, you get a different impression.

2. Why people talk too loudly on their cell phones. Do they care what others hear them talk about?

3. This guy seemed to be in a hurry so a story about how long the bus takes and if it is worth taking in a hurry.

Hits home now but not then

            It was four days until Jen Neadly’s 19^th birthday. Her parents were going out of town, which means the same to a lot of teenagers: party time, kegs, friends, and music, all of the usual party ingredients. But when Jen woke up on the morning of September 11, 2001, it wasn’t like any other Tuesday. “I remember we had company staying with us so everyone was up early watching the news,” Jen said. She was scared; scared about more attacks and scared about her party not happening.

            “It’s sad how I thought that way,” Jen said. Now she knows it was a huge reality check, that America can not just do whatever without any consequences. “There are others out there to worry about,” Jen said. Seven years later, Jen is a few days away from turning 26 and has a three year old daughter. “Now it’s her future I worry about,” Jen said while gazing at her peaceful child sleeping in her stroller.

            A lot of people have grown up since 2001. Kids then may have kids of their own now. If people were not too worried about the September 11^th attacks in 2001, are they now in 2008?

Number one priority

            She wakes up, gets her two young kids up for school (one is in the first grade and one is in the third grade), she is just enjoying the routine of the morning. Her husband is up early, has an early meeting, he’s taking a shower listening to his waterproof shower radio. All of a sudden she hears, “I can’t believe it!” She runs in the bathroom and yells, “What?” Planes just hit the World Trade Centers,” he said. She runs in the room, turns on the television, which is usually off in the mornings and sees with her own eyes what is happening in New York City on the fateful morning of September 11, 2001.

            “I had to take my own kids to school and I had to work as a parent aid in a second grade classroom that morning,” she said. She knew the kids were too young to understand, all the kids. “The parents were the upset ones,” she said. She doesn’t remember much about that day, just the worry of her own kids and her students at school. “It’s something everyone will remember,” she said.

            Liz Colson has always worked at a school, loves being a mom and having a family, she juggles her life well. When tragedy strikes, what’s your number one priority? Is it your job or your family at home?