Monday, January 12, 2009

Dancing Pencils

I love watching student writers. Fingers pluck keyboards. Pencils dance across the page, sometimes not fast enough to get down every idea. This is a distinct sound, lead on paper, transferring thoughts. Hands resting the head are placed on foreheads or cheekbones, feet tapping, earbuds neatly hid down sides of faces. Sometimes, they stop to think and stare off into the distance, or out the window. Sometimes they hand over journals and ask their neighbors opinion. Sometimes, brows are furrowed, and sometimes, smiles creep across faces. But the pencil still dances. I love watching student writers.

Come from behind Winners...a Tribute to Whitney and Caron

Where did we go wrong? Was it when we played the King too early and couldn't catch the three? Was it when we forgot about the Big Joker being able to trump the Little Joker? Was it when we bid 7 three times in a row and thought we might have a shot at winning our first match from a negative 8 deficit? I don't know, but Wanda and I could not seem to get our cards to fall in the right places together. And neither could Caron and Whitney. They got smoked so bad by Dad and and Tom the first game that they were finished well before our game and had to spend some quality time in the kitchen munching on cheesecake bites, fruit and dip, and chips and guacamole. (Of course, this didn't upset them at all.)

When Wanda and I finally lost and were met with the other first losers, we thought our game was going to turn around. We had come back from the negatives to actually playing competitive, so we figured our luck would come with us to our new table. And yes, it did. We lost that game in another landslide.

So Dad and Tom beat Faron and Spencer, and went to the table to play Caron and Whitney, who had to win two games in order to claim the championships. And this, much to everyone's dismay, they did. They both pocketed a whopping $7.25 and left full and happy.

During the championships, the rest of us, not too interested in watching someone else play, decided to play 9 rounds of Mormon Golf. This got a little intense when Wanda, a new player to golf, was kicking the daylights out of all of us. She did end up winning, but not before I got to hand out 20 points to everyone! :) (Oh, and so did Wanda, but since she won, it doesn't count, right?) :) Next time, we'll have to play for a few quarters.

Here are some super easy and super delicious recipes that were big hits Saturday night. They are perfect summer and spring recipes, but I think everyone was craving fresh fruit in the dead of winter.

Super Easy/Super Delicious Guacamole Dip
2 avocados
1 Roma tomato
1 lime
salt

Peel and mash the avocados, dice the tomato and add to the mixture. Slice the lime in half and squeeze one half of its juice into the mixture. Stir. Add salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips (I'm in love with Tostitos Multi-grain.)

Super Easy/Super Delicious Devonshire Cream Fruit Dip
1 small Hiland whipping cream
1 cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar

Whip the cream cheese, (yes, it will stick in your beaters), add the whipping cream and when a little fluffy, add your sugar. Whip to your desired consistency. Serve with apples, grapes, kiwi, and other fruit of your desire.