Summer means homemade ice cream to me…even better when made with a hand cranked ice cream maker! Sure…we have an electric freezer. We most likely have two, but I still like the old fashioned kind of ice cream maker. Does it taste better? Well…

You bet it taste better…at least to me!

Now that I am a grownup, I know that any success that you really have to work towards is much more appreciated.

Maybe that is why I think hand cranked is the best. As a child, we had neighborhood homemade ice cream family parties in the summer. The kids each had a chance to turn that crank…it seemed like we had about an hour to contribute our muscle power to the ice cream. I really imagine that we each had about 15 minutes of turning time…there were so many of us. It seemed like my arm hurt for hours and maybe even days. The best part was when we took out the dasher. Each child dashed over to grab a plastic spoon! The kids were the first to try out the new batch of ice cream! Always delicious!

You might give it a try sometime! But don’t worry…an electric ice cream maker will work with the following recipe!!!

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OLD FASHIONED STRAWBERRY OR PEACH ICE CREAM

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

INGREDIENTS:

1 pint strawberries

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Mash strawberries with 1/2 cup of the sugar, reserve. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the salt, milk and egg yolks in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, just until bubbles appear around the edge. Cool to room temperature. Stir in cream, vanilla and strawberries.

Pour into freezer can, put dasher in place. Cover can and adjust crank. Place can in freezer tub. Fill freezer tub 1/2 full of ice, add remaining ice alternately with layers of rock salt (6 parts ice to 1 part rock salt). Turn crank until it turns with difficulty. Draw off water. Remove lid, take out dasher. Pack mixture down, replace lid. Repack in ice and rock salt. Let ripen several hours. Makes about 1 quart ice cream.

PEACH ICE CREAM

Substitute 4 or 5 peeled ripe peaches for the pint of strawberries (mashed peaches should measure 2 cups). Stir 1/2 cup of the sugar into peaches, reserve. The remainder of the recipe is the same.

ENJOY!!!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/dash/

The following is a true story about a creative adult who became a creative teacher. How happy and lucky we were to have many teachers like this for our own children! Thank you to the teachers who are spending their summer preparing for a new class, a new school year, a new chance to bring a sense of wonder to learning!

I clipped the article below from the newspaper on September 6, 1986. At that time, I had not yet started the loop of teaching elementary school from year to year. I was considering a teaching career, but I would need to go back to school to get the necessary certifications. I had received my BA degree in Journalism and Sociology and absolutely refused to get a teaching certificate.

“Who me? Teach? Are you kidding? I’m going to work at newspapers so I can interview interesting people and write stories that will influence the city and beyond. I’m going to be someone who brings about change. I want to do something important!”

Oh my goodness…I was a headstrong twenty year old when I made that statement to my mother and anyone who would listen! I did work at newspapers in the editorial department and also in retail advertising. I loved newspapers… the competition and the long hours. I loved working at newspapers until we had our first child and then our second child. I had the opportunity to teach in the Day School at our church. Eventually, I did go back to get my teaching certificates. Eventually, I taught at urban elementary schools with a high poverty rate and less than safe neighborhoods.

As it turned out…I did do something important…I became a teacher.

When I happened to read the following 1986 article, I had somewhat of an epiphany. I could see myself as the teacher in the article. I knew that this teacher was truly facilitating change in her community. I was fascinated by this teacher’s excitement and enthusiasm for the new school year… 

A 1986 newspaper article that changed my thinking about teaching…

“It was one of those days that would have been achingly perfect in July. But it was the end of August. So it was a feebler sort of perfect.

The tall woman with gray hair and and a deep tan set up her chair facing the water. Here in Chicago, that’s what we do at the end of summer. Our lake is on the wrong side. It’s to the east. So all summer long we are torn. We have to turn our backs on that gorgeous horizon and face the parking lot to get tan. But by summer’s end, we are bored with our tans. So like this woman, we turn our faces away from the sun, and treat our eyes and our souls to the splendid lake view.

But this woman wasn’t watching the water much today. She was much too busy. A huge tote bag sat next to her and she reached in to take her scissors and her stencils and her packs of construction paper. Then she started cutting. With great relish. The rectangles of rust and orange and yellows were briskly whittled into oak leaves and maple leaves. Autumnal shade of A’s and B’s and C’s started to fall from her scissor blades. And all the while, she chatted animatedly with her companion about her projects and aspirations for the group of third graders that walked into her room this week.

Could it be? Are there actually 1986 teachers who, after having been out there in the educational jungle for a couple of decades , are still so excited about the first day of school that they can barely wait to start molding those little minds?

Yes. This one’s name is Jean Hayden. She is 63 years old. And if the first day of school had come one minute later this year, she was going to burst. Jean has been teaching for 19 years. Before that, she was a lyric soprano, singing on the college circuit and with the Chicago Symphony. But at 42, this mother of two decided to switch gears, go back to school, and get her teaching credentials.

~Every September when those kids walk in, I am determined to give them the joy of continued learning– not just academics, but to savor the whole process of expanding their horizon.~

Hayden uses music in her class all the time. her students’ multiplication drills are done to different rhythms on the guitar she plays. Their cursive writing is sometimes done to strains of soft rock records. She is the only teacher at Avoca West in Wilmette who invites the children from special education classes into her room. She does it twice a week for ~songfests~. Because she feels it’s important for both group of kids to know how to deal with each other. Principal Harriet Ostlund says, ~Jean Hayden is one of those teachers who just infuses kids with motivation.~

Every June when the erasers have been pounded together for the last time, Jean tells herself, ~Boy, am I ready to forget about this room. Then by about the third week, the wheels start turning. I’m rolling it all around–what should I change, add, try. And by September on the night before school starts, I can never sleep. I’m too excited. I’m like a kid. Really. In fact I always make a new outfit and lay it out. This year it’s a white skirt and a bright red sweater.~

I thought you’d want to know about Jean Hayden. That there still are teachers out there like her. That there still are teachers who not only care, but are passionate and terrific and committed. Who sit on a beach in the tarnished gold of an August afternoon, cutting out little acorns and saying to themselves…

~Send ’em on in. I can’t wait.~”

The article was published in the Dallas Times Herald on September 6, 1986…written by Judy Markey for the News America Syndicate.

Some teachers always remember the significance of preparing for the future…studying about the past…looking at the view from a window…cutting out letters and acorns from a vantage point near the lakeside.

Some teachers have kept the joyous imagination of childhood within their personality. These teachers hopefully share their vastly unique view of the world through their teaching. Their classroom is the result of a myriad of moments spent in preparation.  

Someone out there will become a teacher this year…and a child’s world will indeed become a much better place! I hope that you will remember that teacher at the lake in Chicago and her total joy in teaching third grade children.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/loop/

It is true…we are going to be grandparents in December! Our daughter and son-in-law had the gender reveal at our farm last week…on the weekend that we had family friends enjoying time together. Although we found out about our grandchild on Easter Sunday, we had been waiting to let everyone know…that was a difficult task for me! When I have very important and exciting news, I want to share it immediately! I don’t know how, but I was finally successful with keeping a secret! A miracle!

And…the most wonderful miracle of all…our grandson! So happy!!!

Our family friends started gathering last Thursday at our farm. They were gathering for fun. They were gathering to be together for a few days. They were certainly gathering to celebrate. They were gathering because they simply wanted to work with the beauty of the outdoors surrounding them. 

Click on picture for slideshow!

Our farm…the place where our family friends have spent many a happy hour. And we have spent many a happy hour laughing and enjoying life with them.

These are the same friends that we spend Thanksgiving with every year. My husband’s parents and our friends’ parents/grandparents were best friends for years. They began the Thanksgiving tradition that continues today…more than 60 years later. Our children grew up with all of their children. Grandchildren are growing up with each other. 

A link to my November 29, 2016 post about our Thanksgiving celebration…

https://wordpress.com/post/kindergartenknowledge.com/11884

At the center of our friendship has been the anchor of our farm memories. It is one of our greatest joys to share the farm with our friends at any time of the year…at happy times, at difficult times, at the best times of our lives.

This past weekend was something that had been talked about for a while. Why couldn’t we gather together to work on farm projects? It was decided that the work would include clearing and tapering brush, taking down some fences, preparing for new fences, clearing some more trails thru the woods…or whatever else needed to be done! We had lunch together and went out to dinner…the children went swimming and fishing. 

All of the different generations arrived from nearby towns, various states, large cities, small cities. Some traveled many miles. We laughed, we talked, we remembered, we planned…the weekend was absolutely wonderful. 

Brush Bonfire!

FOR THIS…WE SAY THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/taper/

Zalipie, Poland might possibly be epitome of  the word “quaint”.   Every building and the majority of items in the town are painted by hand in the quintessential folk art style of Polish artists. Flowers are really the chosen subject and the results are a very pretty showcase of Polish culture.

There is a long-standing legend that says the village residents noticed that soot and smoke smudges were taking over their cottages. The culprit was all of the village wood-burning stoves!

What to do? What to do? Paint over the smudges, of course!

The painters took a hint from the colors in their gardens and followed suit. They didn’t stop with the houses once the painting started. Everything imaginable is painted…water wells, dog houses, chicken coops, bridges, churches and kitchens! Flowers and more flowers are everywhere!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/polish/

Let’s just go ahead and blame Barnes & Noble for my new travel obsessions. Honestly, I was innocently looking for a log cabin house plan magazine. I love log cabins. Are we going to build a log cabin? Highly doubtful. I just like to look at the outside pictures, the inside pictures and the house plans…just in case someone decides that he indeed likes them. Notice that I did not name any names. One problem with finding the magazine that I wanted…

I saw the National Geographic titled “100 Best Destinations…Around the World in Four Seasons”! I suddenly realized how much I might be missing around the world. I quickly forgot the log cabin. I mean…how can we afford a really cool log cabin when we have so many natty and wonderful places to visit?

So…I have studied the National Geographic for hours and determined the top ten places that I HAVE to see. I found it practically impossible to choose only ten, but it is very necessary for me to visit the following places…

1. Edinburgh, Scotland…to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the world’s largest arts festival!

2. Alberta, Canada…for the Calgary Stampede, one of the biggest rodeos in the world!

3. French Polynesia…to Moorea…ah!!! the South Pacific!

4.  Copenhagen, Denmark…to Tivoli Gardens…especially in November or December.

5. Vilnius, Lithuania…at Christmas…when the lights and the snow make the scenery resemble a snow globe.

6. Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand…to walk on the skyline trails!

7. Western Cape, South Africa…to visit Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

8. Acadia National Park, Maine…to see Cadillac Mountain and join the Acadia Night Sky Festival.

9. Cornwall, England…to walk the Cornish Coast that winds past Celtic ruins and small villages.

10. Kassel, Germany…to see the place where the Brothers Grimm documented many folktales from the area…such as Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella and Snow White! Visitors can travel the Fairy Tale Route from Hanau to Bremen!

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***And…so many more fascinating places to visit! Another post may be extremely necessary!***

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/natty/

A Friend Who Made Such A Difference. Crystal (in the center) and her two children.

I will never forget when I first met Crystal before the school year started in 2002. She came to visit my school and meet me when we were on the first day of our teacher workdays. Over the loudspeaker in my classroom, the office clerk said…

“Mrs. Davis! Mrs. Davis! Are you there? You have a parent who wants to talk to you for one minute. I’m sending her to your room right now.”

Click, click…loudspeaker off. Oh no, I thought! My room was still in shambles with some furniture still stacked halfway to the ceiling. There were papers everywhere. There were manipulatives piled on the floor that truly needed sorting. I looked like a nutcase with my very disheveled hair pulled back, a too big shirt with another school’s name on it,  jeans splattered with yellow paint and to top the look off…I was sporting my just about torn-up, most comfortable sandals. I was a sight to behold and my room was totally (if at all possible) worse…maybe that statement is backwards.

Besides…how in the world did this parent know that I would be her child’s teacher? The class lists were not even out yet. Not even the teachers had any earthly idea about who would be in their class.

However, Crystal had been able to find out. Crystal evidently knew everyone in the office and they surely understood that she was concerned about her baby boy starting Kindergarten. So…someone placed him quickly on my class list and told her the room number. Within a minute or two, there was a knock on my classroom door and in Crystal walked holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Hello Mrs. Davis! I’m Crystal and you have been chosen to teach my son! Don’t worry! You are bound to like him a lot because everyone likes him a lot! Let’s have a little talk!”

And so began my friendship with the dynamic Crystal. She was outgoing, confident, smart, funny, a bit loud, sometimes a bit quiet, pretty and dressed like she was going to church. Actually, I felt like I was really in church with every subsequent conversation. I found that her faith was at the core of her family’s life. She had grown up in Pasadena, California and she had moved to Texas after she was an adult. She simply wanted every possible opportunity for her children, their dad, her relatives. They were a close family…then and now. She stayed for a long while that afternoon and helped me with my classroom. I was thrilled! What a great parent! And…I had not even met her child yet.

On the first day of school, her son was the first to arrive. O’Shea…the sweetest and the most handsome child imaginable. He shook my hand and told me that he was glad to meet me. He found his name on a locker and put his backpack away. He was able to find his name on a table and then quietly sat down. Amazing! I remember thinking…”Wow! I can’t believe that this is a five year old!”

We had a wonderful year…a fun class who were eager to learn. Crystal continued to help every chance that she had…she was at school for every event, for every party, for every program. O’Shea turned out to be a born leader…just like his mother. He was already athletic beyond reason. The physical education teacher said that he was clearly the fastest runner that he had ever had in elementary school. I would have a difficult time getting O’Shea to line up from the playground. He would always tell me…

“Wait a minute, Mrs. Davis! I am having a race with myself! All that I had to do was to mention LUNCH and he would run over to the sidewalk immediately!” 

After O’Shea graduated from Kindergarten, I would talk to his mom from time to time. The family moved to a new house and no longer were in our attendance zone. Oh goodness…it is so rewarding to keep up with a very special family. When Facebook came along, I was able to know more about what was going on in their lives. Crystal and O’Shea are one of the reasons that I like Facebook so much.

O’Shea was a star football player in a large Texas high school, made good grades and was given a “full ride” athletic scholarship to Colorado State University. Crystal asked me to write a letter of recommendation to the football coach about O’Shea. I was so honored!

Colorado State is very distant from Texas and his parents missed him so very much, but their pride in his achievement was enormous. They have attended many of the football games…no matter how far. Some parents are incredibly supportive of their children and perhaps should teach classes in parenting skills. I have always thought that Crystal should be a teacher or perhaps a psychologist. Indeed, she has been working on finishing  a college degree. She talked about going on to graduate school.

I write “talked” in the past tense because Crystal lost her life last Sunday in a tragic motorcycle accident. She and O’Shea’s dad rode Harley motorcycles and had been in Houston for the weekend. They often rode to other cities to gather with fellow Harley owners, so she was very accustomed to riding on the highway. Unfortunately, her tire had a blowout and she lost control. Her motorcycle rolled over several times.

I was heartbroken to hear the news as were her countless numbers of friends. She touched so many lives and helped so many of her friends through difficult times. And yet…she knew how to fully celebrate life…how to find joy in a child’s smile…how to love with all of her heart.

To O’Shea…I want to tell you how much your mother loved you, how proud she was of you and how she would want you to try your very best in every obstacle that you face…for life is inevitably full of obstacles. She would want you to find your smile again…remember her beautiful smile? She smiled so freely and so sincerely and she smiled so often! Look for your smile, O’Shea…your smile is still with you…and so is your Momma!

Love from your Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Davis

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/distant/

Fear and struggles in life can leave a person empty. No doubt about it. Sometimes, the smallest struggle can seem monumental. Sometimes, the smallest fear can seem monumental. We have all felt this way. Worry about small happenings can border on behavior that considers only ourselves. In light of recent occurrences in our world, I think that we need to broaden our scope. 

Take the time to look at the big picture. Think of a way to help someone in need. Most likely…there are families in your own town that are struggling to survive.

Find them. Help them. Talk to them. Survival can be a gift. A gift from you. 

Share a message of hope…just one step towards a sense of peace. What else can we personally do at this moment in time? Take the first step.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/survive/

Charm School was an important class for twelve and thirteen year old girls in my hometown. We grew up knowing that Charm School was most likely going to be a part of our middle school years. The class was not associated with our regular school classes at all. Charm School was taught so that we would know how to make a good impression on others…to know what is right and what is wrong…to grow up to be “proper”.

Now I know that many people needed and still need to learn how to be “proper”!

Charm School was just like taking tap dance or piano lessons. Only in Charm School, we were expected to be total young ladies at all times…not so easy when you are still playing baseball with all of the boys in the neighborhood! Plus…playing in the creek…the ultimate un-ladylike place in town.

Poor, poor teacher…she had her work cut out for her with our group! The same lady had been teaching the class for years and she was the epitome of decorum. The teacher gave us a quote on the first night of our class and we repeated it every week. It happened to be a favorite quote that my mother told me many times from before I even started elementary school. She must have thought that I might need some assistance in the charm area someday! I had a big brother so I was going to stand up for myself…no matter what!

So…THE QUOTE helped!

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Our Charm School Quote…

The world is like a mirror

Reflecting who you are 

And what you do.

So give to the world 

The best that you have…

And the best will come back to you!

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Words for anyone to live by…especially in  the world we live in today!

https://dailyprompt.wordpress.com/prompts/impression/