Eeling, anyone?

"Indulge your every whim."

So stated the wrapper from the Dove dark chocolate I had today. It seemed like a good idea, so, I did! It felt great to laze around on this rare, activity-free Saturday. I read a couple chapters in Contact by Carl Sagan (a good read so far), did some cooking for the week, hung out with Kindergarten and 1st/2nd Grade Teachers (hereon referred to as "the Arkansas Girls") and chit-chatted, and pretty much took it easy. The snow is blowing like crazy outside anyway, so I'm loving the forced relaxation time.

As stated in the previous post, a momentous event occurred in the village this week - the eels are here! It only lasts about a day because they will continue to move upriver. I knew it was a pretty valued occasion because the head volleyball coach told me to go see the eels immediately...which happened to be right in the middle of practice. Normally, she likes me to give the go-ahead for certain drills and be there to watch the kids' form.

"Are you sure?" I asked her.

"Yes, yes, you have to! Go now or you'll miss them!"

OK. So, I grabbed the Arkansas Girls and Math Teacher and we booked it down to the river to see what eeling entailed. The river is frozen over now, and we walked up to the trough that had been ice-picked for the eeling. The ice was about 5 inches thick, and the trough was maybe 15 feet long by about 10 inches wide. Some students were down there hanging out with the men of the village, and they seemed excited to see us there.

I asked one of my students if I could try my hand at it, and he took me over to the kiddie or "practice pool," as I called it. It was only about 5 feet long by 10 inches wide, and it was made nearer to the bank of the river so it was pretty shallow - only 3 feet or so. Some sixth graders showed me how to use the eel stick, and I gave it a shot. Check it out!

The main eeling trough. This is where the men did their work. Or sat on a snow machine, also called a "snow-go" up here.

Now, please try to refrain from laughing at the dorkdom that is this picture - one of the girls caught me with my eyes closed. Sorry for how dark it is, but this is the best we could get! The basic technique is to move the eel stick back and forth within the trough to hook the eels; nets are also used. With the sticks, one can catch up to five at a time. Again, my attempt was at the practice pool. The stick should be deeper into the water, but this was very shallow. I was hitting bottom as this photo was taken. I did not catch any myself, but perhaps next year! I wish Grandpa Al was still around; I wonder if he would have had any advice on the topic, or if he ever even went eeling himself. 

A sixth grader let me hold one of his catches. If you look closely, you can see the serrated edge that has been added to the eel stick. The rough edges snare the slow-moving eels. A student of mine claims they move about one mile per hour, and that he caught three gunnysacks full last year. There are only two or a maximum of three runs of eels per year - all within a 24-36 hour period - and then they move on up the river.

The kids raved about how eels make great bait, but also taste great too. Several people asked if I'd ever had eel and seemed flabbergasted when I said, "only in sushi!" The eels are battered and either baked or fried, and I hear they are delicious when dipped in seal oil. The mom of the above student offered to make them for me, so I'll let ya know if that happens! Another parent said she'd be thrilled if the school would serve eel soup on some Friday and invite the elders. In the past, the school has done just that; last time it was salmon stew. It's a quite cool thing when the elders come to the school. The kids tend to be better behaved and more attentive on those days.

So, that's my eeling adventure! Now, I'm off to my exciting night life - girls' night! We are going to watch a movie, paint our nails, possibly do some funky pageant hair for fun, and very probably venture to solve the world's problems, or at least those of our village, as we get hyped up on some Mexican mock-tails and Emergen-C drinks. Have a good one!

Snowed In

As I write this, I am currently snowed in at a different village. We are waiting for the call that our plane is coming to get us.

I went along on a volleyball trip at the last minute to see my team play. I was supposed to stay in Marshall to allow a student to travel, but one player cancelled the night before we left. Friday was a half-day, so I made it through the morning and then boarded a plane to Alakanuk with nine of our players. I was excited to see another village; I have friends here whom I met at the teacher training in Anchorage. Alakanuk is a coastal village downriver from us.

Just FYI: Alakanuk is pronounced [uh-luck-uh-nuck]. Hit the second syllable, but don't hit the -ck sound very hard; it's more of a guttural glaze. Do hit hard the last -ck sound. Try it. Good!

Leaving the village, we were ranked 3rd in our district. We played great Friday night, winning both of our games. We stayed in one of the classrooms and got up the next morning to play Scammon Bay, who is ranked 1st. We lost that match, but gave them their only competition of the weekend and proved we could hang with them. Our team played well and hard, and they knew it, so that is a good sign. We are now tied with another school for 2nd in the district, and Marshall hosts the regional tournament in a couple weeks. Guess who gets to be the Site Coordinator for that event? It will be a lot on my plate, but that's the way things are done around here. I will get a stipend about equal to a loan payment for doing that, so I said "sign me up!" Actually, it was sort of my turn anyway. The kindergarten and 1st/2nd grade teachers pretty much ran the last sports event.

After our match Saturday morning, we packed up and waited for the call to get on the plane. It never came. We knew by 3:00 pm that if no plane had made it to Alakanuk, then we were going to be staying the night. First, a blizzard in Marshall prevented us from leaving. Then, a second blizzard came through, hitting Alakanuk and grounding us here. At first I was a little peeved, because often it feels like our personal time as teachers gets robbed on the weekends; we are the ones running the games, planning and running the carnivals and dances, cleaning up after all these events, etc. Saying "no" doesn't feel like a reasonable option, because if we let these events fail, guess who hears about it? Parents don't often help, and students...well, some help and some do not.

OK, I am done venting now.

Being "weathered in" ended up being a bit of a blessing, because I got my lesson plans mapped out for next week, chatted with friends and family, caught up on some reading, and actually got more sleep than I would have had I been at our own village - the kids had a curfew, so I did too! The school fed us three square meals daily and put together a movie night, so we were well taken care of during our stay. Alakanuk's store is about three times the size of ours, so it was a fun trip to go see the variety they offer - dark chocolate at $7 a bar, all types of chips at $8.50 a bag, a decent amount of produce, and even some clothing. I bought some chocolate and - gasp - oranges! I haven't had a decent orange since, well, Anchorage in August. Needless to say, I'm super excited about that fresh fruit.

Another bonus of the trip was that the senior girls opened up to me. It's fun to get to know them outside the classroom, finding out what kind of music they like, which boys cause them trouble, and what they want to do in life. They are whip-smart, I tell you, but I only wish that they knew that fact and believed it more fully. Some of them do, but at the same time they are disheartened by what they see as a lack of freedom for them. To do well in school and leave the village for college is acceptable. However, to leave the village for college and not someday return to their own or another village is seen as desertion of their family and culture, which is an unfair burden to place on a teen. (I should insert here that this sentiment is not stated explicitly but definitely understood as an accepted social construct.) I was never anything but encouraged to go out and make my mark in the world, but these brilliant girls receive mixed messages. They work hard in school and are exposed to all kinds of ideas via the internet, so they truly are aware of various career paths. Even so, too many girls become pregnant shortly after high school; a pregnancy is a celebrated event, no matter the age at which it occurs.

To give you a better perspective, the 8th and 9th grade boys ask me why I don't have a "honey" or any kids at my age. "Don't you like kids?" they ask. "Of course I do; I'm a teacher," I tell them. "I just don't want them yet. What is wrong with that?" Generally, I get a confused look from them. The girls, however, give me a knowing one that says that they, too, would like to do other things with their lives, not necessarily instead of having kids, but in addition to it; doing so just doesn't seem like a viable option for them. That is not to say that the boys think of themselves as better than the girls; they just do not seem to be aware that girls also have goals in their lives besides having kids right away.

In this day and age, it both saddens and infuriates me that these girls still feel less valued and that they have less autonomy than their male counterparts in these the "great" United States of America, the land of opportunity. Yes, they do come from a different culture than the majority of Americans, but the looks on their faces say that they do not truly believe that kind of opportunity is available to them. It's a shame, and I'm thankful that my upbringing and community was devoid of it. If nothing else, I hope to teach these girls to be proud of themselves, to believe in their talents, and to go for their goals.

On a different note, some of the older kids have mentioned that they are frustrated with the lack of age-appropriate reading books that our library offers. Any chance y'all at TLC would be willing to donate some used books to our library? I'm not sure of any specific authors or titles right now, but I could ask. The girls have said that they are not that picky, but that they are a bit bored with the following themes: Aleutian, slavery, and "on the streets." As for the boys, right now I'm thinking science fiction, mystery, and/or some type of action would be safe genres; remember, these are outdoorsy types. Just to be clear, I'm not thinking along the lines of the Twilight series...the boys have definitely voiced their opinions on that one.

As you can see, I've had plenty of time to think this weekend. I don't have pictures for this post because I'm sure you all know what a blizzard looks like. We've been told that we will definitely fly today, which is good because I would like use my own shower and cook my own food again. I probably will not be fully ready for the week, but, eh, that's nothing new. Thanks for reading!

Quarter Two is Underway

Hey folks. It's November!

Well, I made it through quarter one, and immediately after it ended, I escaped to Anchorage for six days to attend a health conference. The timing was perfect; I broke up a fight, completed report cards for the first quarter, and then practically sprinted to the airport that Friday after school. Below is just some "moosing" around waiting for the plane at the "airport." The clearing behind me is where the plane lands and takes off. (I apologize for the moosing pun; it's a popular one around here.)

I took off on a 6-seater and landed in Bethel; shortly thereafter I boarded the plane to Anchorage. On that flight, I sat next to the nicest woman named Bea, who also happened to be a teacher. We ended up chatting and she gave me several resources (some on the iPad) to try in the classroom to help our angriest students use their words. In Bea, I made a friend and an additional contact in Anchorage. Alaska is huge, but it's really a small place, people-wise.

I arrived in Anchorage and a friend picked me up from the airport; we then went out to eat and I ordered my first beer in two and a half months: an oatmeal stout from The Brewhouse. My friends, few things have ever tasted as great as that brew! This friend who graciously took me there later told me that I was totally over-stimulated by the restaurant--driving on actual pavement to get there, the lights, being served a meal that did not include fish or rice, and sitting in a room that held more people than actually populate my village - all of it put me a bit on edge. Apparently it was written all over my face, and I was tense and jumpy in such a lively and loud place. Also, not used to having my water glass refilled, I managed to pour it down my face and shirt about three times in a half-hour. Impressive. But ya know, I've always found that to be annoying...why must the water glass be filled to within millimeters of the top? I never finish the glass, and it seems like a waste. Plus, the inevitable spill happens to those of us who are limited in our motor skills. Whew...just had to get that out!

We got together the next day to watch the Minnesota-Husker football game at a "Nebraskan Alaskan" bar where - you guessed it - Nebraskans who now live in Alaska gather to watch sports. (There are, to say the least, many, and they are loyal...most of them sported Nebraskan Alaskan fleeces and caps.) It was the first game I've seen all football season! Again, the experience was slightly overwhelming - I do not even have a TV now, and all of a sudden I was in a bar atmosphere surrounded by 10 HD TVs. I'm convinced that those kind of TVs are just not the best for one's brain or anxiety level. However, I adjusted after a few minutes and began to enjoy myself. I even saw a high school pal working on the sidelines for the Huskers, so that was fun!

One of those Nebraskans is a retired Air Force dentist/hippie who is now pursuing his Ph.D. in agronomy - soil science, basically. Turns out he grows all types of potatoes, carrots, and beets to test the soil. Guess who returned to Marshall with enough potatoes, carrots, and beets to make moose roast through the end of the year? I love that the Midwest "nice" is alive and kicking way up here in the tundra! Greg, the aging Nebraskan-hippie-soil farmer-dentist, was a blast to hang out with and couldn't get rid of his produce quickly enough. That little taste of home is much appreciated.

The health conference was put together very well. I came back with practical information and pre-made lessons that I can easily use in my classes. One of the speakers was into applied neurophysiology, and I think I want to be her when I grow up. She spoke about how bullying, fear of lack of food, and domestic violence all affect the brain from infancy, putting the child quite literally into his primal brain, and how we can and must address that reality in the classroom. Unfortunately, all of these things apply to my students in some way. I definitely appreciated the opportunity to learn about how I can help these kids battle such daunting issues. I've already been tapped to share at our next staff meeting the valuable information I've learned. Wish me luck with that!

I also had the chance to see the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. It was a beautiful day to see the base, and it was completely unlike what I thought it would be. I had imagined barracks and such. Nope. It was actually pretty pleasant. Below is a picture of one of the several lakes within the base.

Not too bad, huh? Again with the crazy reflections in the waters up here. I just can't get enough of it!

Overall, this getaway was quite therapeutic - I got in a little shopping, sleeping in some mornings, and even managed to close down the hotel bar one night. Don't worry Mom, I only had about one bottle of wine. :) The bartender, Bea (another helpful woman named Bea...hmm, is the universe trying to tell me something, or was it just taking care of me?), saw me the next day and said, "Oh, my little flower girl!" I was hesitant to ask what that meant, but figured I should. She said, "Oh, you were just so happy, talking about anything and everything, ordering chocolate cake, and chatting up everybody - retired pilots from Pittsburgh, weary travelers who just arrived, even the bellboys!" Sheesh. Fantastic, Susan. Now, those of you who know me know that that's not my typical disposition. I had a great time though; it felt great to cut loose. Clearly, I needed to converse with someone - anyone, really - about something other than living in the bush. And yes, I did order a bottle of cab and the richest dessert from the beginning with every intention of consuming each and every drop and crumb. Mission accomplished! That gluttonous indulgence should hold me for a while.

I returned to a winter wonderland of a village. A blizzard had come through since I'd left, and the river even started to freeze over - all in just six days! The ice continues to crawl slowly by us. We have classroom bets going as to when it will freeze solid enough to go ice fishing. I did see the cutest sight upon my return. Check out the little mailman below:

Pretty precious. This little guy seemed like he couldn't wait to mush - neither puppy nor kid. Puppies run amok daily, some of them sneaking into the school for warmth. Sadly, I don't think many will last the winter. That is what I've been told, so I am preparing myself now.

Well, that's a quick update on me! With one quarter under my belt, I think I've started to scratch the surface in terms of figuring out how to teach these kids best. It's going to continue to be a challenge, as we are already talking about switching up the schedule to accommodate some kids' needs. I thrive on the fact that each day is different; I just hope that we can find the right schedule and situation for the kids.

I want to take a second to thank you all for your support and your unbelievably kind e-mails. I don't know that I've earned them, but I do save them and read them over and over when I need some strength. Alaska is beautiful, but being from the Midwest is a gift. Love to all!

A Day in the Life

Life is slower-paced up here, as is probably expected. I thought I'd try to give you an idea of a typical day here.

6:00 or 6:30 am: Days begin quietly. The mornings are calm; it's dark until 9:15 am right now. It is so nice not to hear any cars in the morning. I get up, get the coffee going, make breakfast, and get ready for the day. I do not have a microwave, so I usually make oatmeal on the stove because it's quick and requires little brainpower. I do, however, have to pay some attention to the process because my stovetop has one setting: turbo. Water boils in under two minutes and the oatmeal will burn by about five minutes total, so I try not to walk away while anything is cooking.

This is my house with Kindergarten Teacher posing for you.
I lucked out by getting a 2-BR house to myself. That will
change when we move up to the new housing this fall. 

Other teacher "barn" housing nearby.

7:15ish: Leave for school. It is about an eight-minute walk. We all have first hour prep, which is nice because I just am not able to speak successfully at that hour of the day. And, truth be told, I usually have some things I still need to plan or print.

8:45 am: The bell rings for first period, which is the elective class.  I teach Health, and this class consists of six or seven 7th-12th grade girls, depending on the day. After that, I have two 70-minute classes of science, first the 8th-9th graders and then the 10th-12th graders.

Side note: I say just "science" because our district uses the level system; this basically means I run around like a chicken with my head cut off, teaching several topics at once. I have 7th graders at the 5th grade level, and 10th graders at the 7th grade level. Just two students are in biology, which is level 11. The kids are grouped mostly by age, but somewhat by maturity as well. The widest level spread is my most mature group (thankfully), in which levels span 7-11.

I generally have groups at the same level working on their own projects in the morning.  It is not out of the ordinary for basic chemistry, the rock cycle, and cell structure all to be happening at the same time. Teaching this way requires a lot of prep time but very little actual lecturing time, though I try to do that occasionally to keep kids on track and mix it up a bit.

12:15 pm: Lunch - time to breathe a bit and switch gears for the younger classes of the afternoon. I usually bring mine.

12:50 pm: Two more afternoon classes for the younger grades. The first is mostly 7th graders, the second is mostly 8th graders with a couple 9th graders thrown in. Since they are younger, I keep the afternoon classes together in terms of content. It would be chaos otherwise.

3:20 pm: Homeroom for 10 minutes. I have my first longer 'block' group of the day for homeroom, and they always keep me on my toes. Most of them are 9th graders and have lots of energy.

3:30 pm: The bell! Most days, I just sit at my desk and hope that I can find a few minutes of quiet. Other days, students come in to chat or just to sit and draw; apparently I have the best colored pencils on the second floor. I am happy to let them hang out and chit chat with me or each other. While they do that, I check my email, attempt to process the day and get ready for tomorrow.

The school.  To the right is the new teacher housing that is being built.
The move-in date is rapidly approaching!

I am usually back to my house by 6:00 pm. If I haven't gotten enough exercise running around my room, I'll pop in a workout DVD to clear my head for half an hour. Then it's supper time, and I usually try to convince myself to go back up to the school to use the internet. Some nights internet wins; others, we teachers throw in a movie. If I'm really lucky, I get to spend a few precious minutes practicing guitar or indulging in a tiny bit of recreational reading.

My evenings may change soon as I have added a new title: assistant volleyball coach for the high school Mixed Six team! Mixed Six is - you guessed it - a team comprised of three boys and three girls, and boys can have only two consecutive hits. I was tapped for this position simply because I am the first teacher here to have any sort of volleyball experience. I've only helped a few days, but practice is from 6-8 most nights. I am already sore from playing with these young'uns, but it's been so much fun! Even better, I get a bit more respect in the classroom. Hey, whatever works, right?

Below is just another shot of the sky from my classroom. If you tire of these, let me know. The sky just seems bigger here, if that makes any sense at all.

So, that's generally how my day goes. Each day is different and challenges me in a new way. Daily, my kids teach me more than I teach them. The mix of teachers we have here is starting to gel, and I am excited for the year ahead.

Just one week remains in the quarter, and next week I go to Anchorage (all paid for by the district - bonus!) for a conference on the school environment's impact on children's health, and how that affects their learning. Five days in the city will do me some good; I can't wait to have a little wine, beer and access to cable television! 

Seal flippers? Um, yes, please!

This morning during first hour, the principal came to me and asked if I'd be interested in any seal bones to articulate, or put together, either as a class project or to have as a resource in the classroom. Well, by golly, of course I would! I figured he knew a guy who had access to one, and went about my morning.

I didn't expect to have access to any seal parts as soon as I would. The principal found me with about 10 minutes left in my lunch break and said, "They're butchering the seal now! Get to the Yup'ik room if you still want those bones - they are about to cut them up and eat them if you don't speak for them!"

So much for a few minutes to relax...I hurried to the Yup'ik room where the cutting was taking place. Buster, a hilarious fellow and the school handyman, looked at me and said, "Hi Sunshine, how are we today?" (Unfortunately, I cannot clearly communicate how he says this sentence; it is always in one breath, without pauses, and just below shouting level. Perhaps a better representation is "HI SUNSHINE HOW ARE WE TODAY?" The only variation is that other days he calls me Nichole, "Sugarplum," or, if he is speaking of me to another person, "that there woman." I'm starting to get that my name is not too common up here.)  Buster is a wiry yet boisterous character, and I have one of his sons in class. More on him in the future.

Anyway, Buster and another woman, one of the elders in the community, were working on the seal. They cut up the blubber into a bucket, where it will eventually change into oil at room temperature. Seal oil is a precious commodity here; it will be shared amongst the villagers as equitably as possible. Buster gave me the flippers to use in class and offered to boil the bones for preservation. The principal, a student and I rinsed off the flippers and the tail, and I rushed upstairs to meet my afternoon class, bag of seal parts in hand. I gave a brief talk on adaptations and the students then got to play with the flippers. It was a pretty good lesson, and fit right in with our current theme. Also, I have found that if I put whatever I am talking about into terms of bear, salmon, moose, wolf, or seal, I have 'em hooked, which is half the battle of teaching here. Or anywhere, really.

No pictures right now, but they will be up as soon as I get my hands on them!  Hope this story shed some light on how a typical day goes for me. Thanks for reading!

Life in a Screensaver

Most of the leaves are gone now, and we expect snow to cover everything soon. In light of this reality, this post will focus on the beautiful scenes I've been able to capture in my experiences so far. Most are my images; some are from other teachers.  Enjoy!

Sunset on the beach at Mountain Village. This picture doesn't even really do it justice. 

Same sunset as above, just a few minutes earlier. 

Beach at Mountain Village.

Winding slough on the way to the airport. 

Canoe trip from a few weeks ago. I am the second one from the left. Accompanying me L-R are Special Ed Teacher, the visiting public health nurse from Bethel, and 4th-5th Teacher. 

The water was spectacular. I wanted to ski, but the water temperature probably would have made me cry.

Canoe trip from two weeks ago. No, I'm not winking, that's just my lazy eye. 

Nearing the end of this branch...isn't that a crazy reflection?

We beached the canoe and braved the mucky banks to explore the tundra a bit - 4th-5th Teacher nearly sank and lost her boots as we got out, but we survived. Shortly after this picture was taken, I slipped as well but did a quick 180-degree turn and caught myself on a tree branch. 4th-5th Teacher said, "You're pretty scrappy like a cat so I don't really worry about you, but I sorta feel like I should have my hand on your collar, just in case!" Sounds about right.

Just too cool not to include. 

Sunset view from near my front door.  Definitely a pleasant goodbye to any day. 

And now two pictures from the week in Anchorage in August - more to come in the future!

The Chugach Mountains - we took a day trip to view the Portage Glacier.

Double rainbow - first I'd ever seen. 

Produce & Popcorn Cakes - Special Treats!

Hola!

It's Tuesday. I had a pretty good day today, and we leave tomorrow for a district-wide inservice in another village, so it's a short week. It will be good to get out for a couple days and see some friends from other villages. I'm only worried that the good behavior I've seen this week will be forgotten over the four-day weekend. We shall see how it turns out!

This may sound silly, but I've been wanting to post about the subject of fresh produce. You see, it is something we do not take for granted here. The vegetables sold at the co-op only last a couple days (both at the store and on the counter) and they are fairly expensive. They will do in a pinch, but both variety and freshness are usually lacking.

Luckily, there is an organic farm in Bethel, and they will send a box of random vegetables for a fair price. We do not choose what they send; whatever is in season is what we get, which is kinda cool- it adds some mystery and anticipation to the whole ordeal. The last time we got one of these boxes, there was a special announcement over the intercom system at the end of the day: "Teachers, there is a box from Bethel. I repeat, a box from Bethel." This odd message was just cryptic enough to get me out of my classroom for a much-needed break.

When I got to the principal's office, where the highly anticipated box was sitting, untouched, there were about three other teachers in there. We waited for two more. It was almost ceremonious. We did not want to ruin the moment for anyone. As 4th-5th Teacher opened the box she'd ordered, Math Teacher gasped. He prodded at the lettuce that spilled out of the top as though he had never seen it before. My own eyes were nearly as big as saucers. I think my jaw even dropped a little. It was like we were looking at a newly discovered species. Or gold. (Take your pick.) We all looked at each other, thinking, "Is it real? Can I really have some of that? What should we do with it?" All of a sudden, the day was forgotten and our energy renewed by the thought of....a SALAD! I wish I had a picture of all of us crowding around the precious box, gazing in wonderment at its contents.

A rare salad before dinner. This was actually brought by our
mentor teacher, and we ate every last bit.

In addition to about three types of lettuce, the box contained kohlrabi, parsnips, potatoes, and beets. I'd never had kohlrabi or fresh parsnips before, but it was all good. Absolutely no complaints. We divided up the produce and went on our way. I never thought that getting a box of vegetables could make my day, but stranger things have surely happened.

OK, enough about veggies. For those of you who have been fortunate enough to enjoy my Grandma Ruby's popcorn cake, I hope this next section makes you proud. I've been meaning to master the art of crafting these delectable cakes, and I think I'm on my way. I hit a couple snafus, as evidenced below by the fact that the air popper cover blew off, throwing popcorn everywhere. You can laugh. I did. After cleaning up this mess, I set about making the caramel.

To make this addicting concoction, real cream is required, which is not available here. My mentor teacher brought some to me just for this purpose. I got to work, confident that I would remember exactly how to make the caramel from the times I had helped Grandma. 

No dice. As it boiled, I continued reading the directions: "Boil until soft ball stage." Huh?

I called Grandma in a panic because I had no clue how "boil[ing] until soft ball stage" would appear, nor do I have a fancy shmancy candy thermometer. Of course, it didn't occur to me to call her before I started boiling the stuff, so thank goodness she was home and answered the phone. Laughing, she talked me through it, and I'm sure she'd approve of how it tasted. Turns out it's not so hard to recognize, but I did call her just in time; "soft ball stage" doesn't take too long to reach. I also sustained a nasty burn on my forearm in the process, but it was worth it. I was due for another accidental self-inflicted scar, anyway. 

Here's the proof! So tasty. Didn't last long, and made another
for the last teacher potluck. 

Overall, it was a success. So, that's it for today! Thanks for all your encouragement and emails.  Keep 'em coming!