text: C. Grainger Pierce, Jr. practices in the firm's Employment and Labor Law group. Mr. Pierce's experience includes employment litigation, employment policy and compliance assessment, ERISA litigation, insurance coverage litigation and commercial litigation. In addition, Mr. Pierce has successfully represented clients before the North Carolina Supreme Court and North Carolina Court of Appeals. He earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill. He has also served as an instructor in the Duke University and University of North Carolina - Charlotte paralegal programs. Career Highlights · Named a 2012 "Leader in the Law" by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly · Named among North Carolina's "Legal Elite" by Business North Carolina for 2010, 2011 & 2012 · Named a North Carolina Super Lawyers® "Rising Star" for 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013 News Dan Boyce and Grainger Pierce Profiled Following "Leadership in Law" Event Attorneys Dan Boyce and Grainger Pierce are profiled by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly for their 2012 "Leaders in the Law" designations. Nexsen Pruet Helps Employers Comply as Health Care Law Deadlines Loom To help businesses comply with deadlines of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Nexsen Pruet's Employment and Labor Law group is hosting seminars on September 25th in South Carolina and on October 3rd in North Carolina. Dan Boyce and Grainger Pierce to Receive "Leaders in the Law" Awards North Carolina Lawyers Weekly has named Nexsen Pruet attorneys, Dan Boyce and Grainger Pierce, to their 2012 list of "Leaders in the Law." "State doing more to enforce rules of workers' compensation" In looking at "a statewide effort to more strictly enforce workers' compensation laws," the Triad Business Journal called on Nexsen Pruet attorney Grainger Pierce for insight. North Carolina Attorneys Honored as "Legal Elite" Nexsen Pruet is pleased to announce that eight of its attorneys have been named to Business North Carolina magazine's "Legal Elite" list for 2012. Attorneys Recognized by North Carolina Super Lawyers® Nexsen Pruet is pleased to announce that nine attorneys from the firm's Greensboro and Charlotte offices have been named to the 2011 list of North Carolina Super Lawyers®. Two attorneys are named as North Carolina "Rising Stars." North Carolina Attorneys Named to "Legal Elite" List Harper Heckman and David Senter made the list in the Construction law category. Ben Kahn made the list for Bankruptcy law and Grainger Pierce is listed in the Employment law category. Three Attorneys Elected as Members Nexsen Pruet announced today that Dan Leonardi, Grainger Pierce and Travis Wheeler have been elected Members (partners) of the firm. "To Google or not to Google? That is the question" Nexsen Pruet Employment and Labor Law attorney Grainger Pierce tells the Traid Business Journal about the dangers of doing on-line searches to find out about job candidates. Nexsen Pruet Moves into New Space in Charlotte The firm's new offices will be located on the 15th floor of the Carillon Building. That's on the corner of Trade and Poplar Streets. "Nexsen Pruet makes uptown office move" The Friday, April 23rd edition of the Charlotte Business Journal features an article entitled "Nexsen Pruet makes uptown office move." Charlotte and Greensboro Attorneys Recognized by North Carolina Super Lawyers® Nine attorneys from the Charlotte and Greensboro offices of Nexsen Pruet have been named to the 2010 list of North Carolina Super Lawyers®. Four more attorneys are named as "North Carolina Rising Stars." Two Nexsen Pruet Attorneys Top "Legal Elite" List; Five Recognized By Business North Carolina Magazine Five Nexsen Pruet attorneys have been listed in Business North Carolina magazine's "Legal Elite." The listings appear in magazine's January 2010 issue. "Sick leave, unionization among key legislative issues to monitor" Nexsen Pruet special counsel Grainger Pierce is cited as a source for an article in The Triad Business Journal's Benefits Edge entitled "Sick leave unionization among key legislative issues to monitor." Grainger Pierce, Jr. Quoted about ADA Changes Nexsen Pruet Employment and Labor Law attorney Grainger Pierce Jr. is quoted in the latest edition of the Triad Business Journal. Grainger Pierce Joins Nexsen Pruet's Employment and Labor Law Group C. Grainger Pierce, Jr. has joined Nexsen Pruet in the Charlotte office and will serve as Special Counsel in the firm's Employment and Labor Law group. Publications Immigration Alert: E-Verify Is Currently Unavailable As of October 1, 2013, employers will not be able to access their E-Verify accounts because of the federal government's partial shutdown. Newsletter: Exchange Notice to be Delivered to All Employees by October 1, 2013 As part of the ongoing compliance efforts related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), employers who are subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) must provide notice to their employees of the existence of health insurance exchange marketplaces no later than October 1, 2013. Obesity as a Disability Under the ADA: Is it More Likely Now Than Before? In July, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a new policy that officially labels obesity as a disease, "requiring a range of medical interventions to advance obesity treatment and prevention." Two Supreme Court Rulings Improve Employer's Ability to Defend Against Harassment, Retaliation Claims On June 24, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down two critical decisions regarding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which improve an employer's ability to defend against employee claims of harassment and retaliation. Employment Law Update: Background Becomes Battleground The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently filed federal lawsuits against Dollar General and a BMW manufacturing plant in South Carolina based on the EEOC's revised guidance concerning use of criminal background checks. Employers Beware: NLRB Continues to Target Policies and Agreements The National Labor Relations Board continues its pursuit of employee handbooks and employment contracts in a series of recent decisions examining the lawfulness of confidentiality and alternative dispute resolution policies and agreements. To Pay or Not to Pay? The Test for the Unpaid Intern As the end of another academic year approaches, college students across the country are seeking summer employment opportunities. FMLA's Twentieth Birthday On February 5, 2013, the Family and Medical Leave Act turned 20 years old. Coinciding with this milestone, the U.S. Department of Labor has issued a new final rule, which codifies further additions and revisions to the FMLA. This newsletter highlights some of the changes. New I-9 Form Shows More Changes May be in Store for Employers On March 8, 2013, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a new two-page version of Form I-9, together with six pages of instructions. This article explains some of the notable features of the revised Form I-9. Update: Noncompete Agreements in SC are Worth More Than the Paper They're Written On In light of the restrictive nature with which South Carolina courts have historically viewed noncompetition agreements, many people assume they are not enforceable and, in essence, "not worth the paper they're written on." However, in January of this year, the South Carolina Court of Appeals upheld a physician's noncompetition agreement and expanded the scope of enforceable noncompetition agreements in this state. Employment Law Update: U.S. Supreme Court Set to Define "Supervisor" for Purposes of Title VII The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments in a case that could have a significant impact on employer liability. Specifically, as the result of an appeal in Vance v. Ball State University, et al, 646 F.3d 461 (7th Cir. 2011), the Court is poised to decide who qualifies as a "supervisor" for purposes of liability under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. 2012 Employment and Labor Law Final Exam Answer Key We received a great response to the 2012 Employment and Labor Law Final Exam. Thanks to all of our clients and friends who participated this year. 2012 Employment and Labor Law Final Exam As 2012 comes to a close, it is time to put your employment and labor law knowledge to the test with Nexsen Pruet's second annual final exam. We will send out answers to the exam in two weeks. Employment Law Update: Employers Face FCRA Update Deadline of January 1, 2013 Effective January 1, 2013, there is a new form that employers must provide prospective or current employees when conducting background checks subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Employment Law Update: Recent Cases Address Employer Efforts to Protect Confidential Information In recent months, both the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over federal cases in North and South Carolina, and the South Carolina Supreme Court have addressed the issue of protecting trade secrets and confidential information. Employment Law - Business Immigration Update Over the past few months, there have been several immigration developments that could have a significant impact on businesses in North and South Carolina. This update summarizes the key developments for employers. Employment Law Update - Employers Beware: NLRB Challenges Established HR Practices The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a number of recent opinions questioning and, in some instances, invalidating common employer practices and policies on the grounds of protecting employee rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The impact of these decisions on handbook disclaimers and investigative procedures is addressed below. Employment Law Update - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Upcoming Deadlines Require Employer Action After months of anticipation and seemingly endless public debate, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision upholding the key individual mandate provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). While the significance of the decision cannot be overestimated, the real import is its practical effect on employers. New Rule Makes "Reasonable Factors Other Than Age" Defense More Difficult for Employers On March 29, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a final rule making it more difficult for employers to establish a "reasonable factor other than age" defense for disparate impact claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Recent Guidelines for Employers of Active Duty & Veteran Service Members The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued timely and relevant guidance for employers addressing protections afforded veterans under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Keep Your Ears Peeled: Employment Law Update on the FLSA's "Anti-retaliation" Provision In this issue we describe and discuss a recent federal appeals court decision concluding that internal complaints about pay may be protected by the FLSA's anti-retaliation provision. Employment Law Update: Romance in the Workplace: You, Me and our Employer? As Valentine's Day approaches, here are some interesting facts for employers to consider. Recent Ruling that Class Action Waivers are Illegal Shows NLRB Remains Active On January 3, 2012, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that a class action waiver in a mandatory employment arbitration agreement is illegal. I-9 Compliance: Avoiding Traps of New Federal Security Features A redesigned federal document is leading to confusion as businesses try to comply with the I-9 requirement. Employment Law Update - January 2012 As employers plan for 2012, the inherent risk posed by departing employees presents an opportunity to reevaluate measures used to protect confidential information and trade secrets from the high cost of misappropriation. NLRB Delays Requirement for Employers to Post Pro-Union Notice On August 25, 2011, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued regulations requiring virtually all employers to post a large notice to employees informing them of rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), particularly their right to unionize. Employers must post the notice beginning April 30th, 2012. Employment Law Update - December 2011 The EEOC is processing a record number of charges and collecting record settlement amounts. It is pursuing an aggressive systemic enforcement program and focusing on hiring issues. In this edition we discuss what the EEOC is doing and some of the implications for employers. 2011 Employment and Labor Law - Final Exam Answer Key Last week's final exam generated tremendous response from Nexsen Pruet clients and friends. Congratulations to our winners. 2011 Employment and Labor Law - Final Exam It's time to test your knowledge of the current state of employment and labor law. Pro-Union NLRB Presents Challenges to Employers: Employment Law Update - October 2011 Recent pro-union decisions and proposed rules by the NLRB pose challenges for employers. Wrongful Discharge Claims Limit Employment At-Will Doctrine in North and South Carolina: Employment Law Update - September 2011 Supplemental Employment in North and South Carolina is at-will, which generally means an employer can terminate an employee at any time without notice. However, both states have long-recognized exceptions to the employment-at-will doctrine, including provisions that an employee cannot be discharged for reasons that contravene the "public policy" of the state. Employment Law Update - August 2011 Supplemental This edition is about a United States Supreme Court decision that illustrates the importance of using clear wording when drafting employee invention assignment agreements. Employment Law Update - August 2011 South Carolina and North Carolina have passed state immigration laws mandating employment verification and imposing penalties for failure to comply. Employment Law Update - July 2011 Employers are increasingly disciplining workers over misuse of social media. At issue in so-called "Facebook Firing" cases is whether terminating employees for making disparaging online posts, and having policies prohibiting such posts, violates federal labor law. Employment Law Update - June 2011 This edition analyzes the EEOC's new final regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008. Employment Law Update - May 2011 The United States Supreme Court recently ruled that the anti-retaliation provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) extends to an employee's oral complaints. Employment Law Update - April 2011 In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that an employer can be held liable for employment discrimination based upon the discriminatory animus of a supervisor who influenced, but did not make, the ultimate employment decision. Employment Law Update - March 2011 A new U.S. Supreme Court decision allows third-party retaliation claims under Title VII. Employment Law Update - February 2011 This edition reviews inclement weather wage and hour issues. Employment Law Update - January 2011 Pregnancy discrimination claims are on the rise; and the NLRB proposes a mandatory pro-union poster for all employers. Employment Law Update - December 2010 New final regulations under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act were published by the EEOC in November and will take effect January 10, 2011. Employment Law Update - November 2010 This edition addresses the enforceability of non-competition agreements in the Carolinas. Employment Law Update - October 2010 This edition focuses on a recent lawsuit brought by the EEOC on behalf of an applicant who claims his employer discriminated against him because of his religion in violation of federal law. The applicant requested the employer make an exception to its grooming policy for religious reasons. The article also mentions steps employers can take to minimize the risk of religious discrimination claims. The Carolinas Insurance Litigation Review This issue of the Carolinas Insurance Litigation Review includes: "Challenging Policyholder Claims for Bad Faith and Punitive Damages" for North Carolina "Combating Policyholder Bad Faith and Breach of the Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing Claims" for South Carolina Employment Law Update - September 2010 Supplemental Part two of a two-part OSHA Update describing what employers can expect in connection with an inspection conducted by South Carolina OSHA and how to contest citations. Get Ready for New Guests: Federal Auditors to Come Calling Following a substantial increase in funding and a mandate to increase its enforcement activities, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) is planning to audit hotels, motels, and resorts across the country beginning on October 1, 2010. Employment Law Update - September 2010 The U.S. Supreme Court continues to issue rulings favorable to arbitration agreements in the employment setting. Employment Law Update - August 2010 Supplemental Part one of a two-part OSHA Update describing what employers can do to prepare for an inspection conducted by South Carolina OSHA. Employment Law Update - August 2010 This edition of the newsletter summarizes a Fact Sheet issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) setting out the agency's view of unpaid internships. Employment Law Update - June 2010 This edition reviews a recent decision by the Fourth Circuit federal appeals court examining who is a "supervisor" for purposes of holding a company liable for sexual harassment conduct by a supervisor. Employment Law Update - May 2010 On March 30, 2010, Governor Sanford signed legislation restructuring, and renaming, the South Carolina Employment Security Commission, and amending the state's employment security law. This month's update describes some of the changes that have taken place at the agency and in the benefits claims process. Employment Law Update - April 2010 Employer wins ADA suit brought by medical intern who could not perform the essential functions of his job with or without a reasonable accommodation. Employment Law Alert: The HIRE Act and FICA Taxation of Severance Benefits Hiring for the HIRE Act: Federal Legislation Offers Substantial Incentives for Bringing on New Workers and Important New Development Affecting FICA Taxation of Severance Benefits Employment Law Update - March 2010 This edition describes new audit initiatives by the IRS and DOL that focus on potential misclassification of workers as independent contractors when they are, in fact, employees, as well as potential misclassification of employees as exempt from wage and hour laws when they do not meet the requirements for exempt status. Employment Law Update - February 2010 This month's Employment Law Update addresses some of the legal risks associated with employee use of blackberries and cell phones after work hours or while driving. Employment Law Update - January 2010 As the new year gets underway, the January edition of the Update discusses four resolutions employers will want to consider. Employment and Labor Law: 2009 Rewind As we approach the end of 2009, we look back, scratch our heads, and ask, "What Happened"? Topics covered include: - ADA protections expanded - Immigration requirements and inspections increased - Miltary leave broadened - EEO poster revised - Other important legal changes this year Employment Law Update - December 2009 This edition addresses employment law issues arising from employee and employer use of online social networking sites. Employment Law Update - October 2009 This edition focuses on the EEOC's recent publication that addresses waivers of discrimination claims in employee severance agreements; the EEOC reminds employers and employees about requirements for valid and enforceable releases, especially when the releases are for employees age 40 and older. Employment Law Update - August 2009 This edition focuses on three Department of Labor opinion letters that address how cost-cutting strategies like mandatory furloughs and reduced workweeks may affect an employee's exempt status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. It also updates pending North Carolina legislation that, if passed, would require private sector employers to use E-Verify to check the legal status of new hires. Employment Law Update - July 2009 This edition discusses the U.S. Supreme Court's Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. decision, which recognized a more stringent standard of proof for employees bringing claims under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). According to the Court, a plaintiff asserting a disparate-treatment claim under the ADEA must prove that age was the "but-for" cause of an adverse employment action, as opposed to a mere "motivating factor." Employment Law Update - June 2009 Supplemental Starting July 1, 2009, private employers in South Carolina with 100 or more employees must comply with the employment verification requirements of the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act. Employment Law Update - June 2009 This edition focuses on recent court decisions striking down restrictive covenants for being overly broad and highlights the need to narrowly tailor non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. Employment Law Update - May 2009 This edition explains why many employers are seeking privileged legal compliance reviews of their compensation practices and documentation in the aftermath of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Fiduciary Duty Newsletter - April 2009 The Nexsen Pruet Fiduciary Duty & Trade Secret Newsletter deals with topics of current interest in these two areas of the law that are critical to businesses and the people who manage, own, and direct businesses. Employment Law Update - October 2008 This edition summarizes the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), which expands the protections against discrimination based on disability included in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADAAA in effect overrules U.S. Supreme Court decisions that narrowly interpreted the ADA. Events Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Employment Law Quarterly Breakfast Briefing 2011 North Carolina SHRM State Conference Employment Law Quarterly Breakfast Briefing Employment and Labor Law Webinar: 2009 Rewind Employment Law Quarterly Breakfast Briefings Webinar: Immigration Compliance & Enforcement Update "Hot Topics in Employment Law" Leave or Left - FMLA and Unemployment Benefits Starting Off Right: Helpful Tips for Interviewing and Hiring Civic & Professional Memberships · Board of Directors, Charlotte Area Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) · Defense Research Institute · North Carolina Bar Association · American Bar Association · Mecklenburg County Bar Association (Also at Greensboro Office)


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Crooked Lines
I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked paths straight. ~Isaiah 42:16
Bits of Wisdom
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
ending another chapter
Hasn't been too many months ago since we passed this milestone!
And then we were on to the next step. We all agreed that a 4-year college wasn't the best step. He loves history and art, but school - not so much. He had signed up for Aviation Maintenance on the Community College website (because someone told him it might be fun?) Then he thought about becoming an Electrician. My ADHD son around electricity didn't sound like the best career path, so we suggested Machine Tools. He seems to have an eye for seeing details that others don't.
One day, shortly after graduation we were shopping at one of those large warehouse chains when we ran into our Cubmaster from long ago, along with his wife and youngest son. I knew that he worked for a company that employed machinists, so I told him of the decision we were looking at: Electrician vs Machinist. With a little encouragement from his wife. ;-), Mr. P offered to take the graduate to work with him one day and show him around. Later in the week, they did just that, and the boy returned home certain of what he wanted to do...Machine Tools, it was! He scheduled his classes that afternoon on the Community College website. He even texted his schedule to Mr. P, who had said they might be able to find something for him to do part time at his company.
All was well until about 3 weeks ago, when the community college called and said that his classes wouldn't start until the spring. Now what? Well, look for work, I suppose. Once again he contacted Mr. P, but he didn't hear anything in reply. Then about a week ago, the community college called again and said he could reschedule his classes. Oh, and by the way tuition was due. So we took care of that. This kid took the money out of his savings and checking accounts to pay the tuition because he said he knew he'd do better if it was his money.
Then Sunday, Mr. P's wife called me. "P's boss is trying to get in touch with B....make sure he calls him," she said. He called yesterday and scheduled the interview for today. "I think I got the job," he texted me. It's a full time job, starting Monday, if he passes his physical. "On the job training for this kind of job is better than school," he says. A part of us is programmed to say, "You HAVE to go to school." But he is going to see about a tuition refund tomorrow.
He is excited and looking forward to this new chapter. I am, too. That's what we do as parents...raise productive members of society. But I suppose, though, this is kind of a signal that childhood and all that entailed is wrapping up real fast. I'm a little sad about that. But glad that we are moving forward.
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Sunday, August 3, 2014
remember me?
It's been a million years or six months since I last posted anything here. Sometimes I think about it, but then I get half way through a post or don't start it at all. I don't know what happened from the days of thinking, "Oh, I can blog about this." I suspect part of it is that my kids turned into real people. More or less.
But there are a couple of things from earlier in the year that I want to write down just so I remember them. Remembering is getting harder and harder, it seems. I think its because my brain is out of available memory space and there is a constant assault of information That's what I'm going with, anyway.
I am spending some wonderful, valuable, golden time with my BFF. I've been here before...it's been three years -almost exactly to the day - since I was here. But tomorrow I head home.
So let me download a couple of things from my memory...good things.
In 2013, towards the end of wrestling season, one of my sons' coaches collapsed during practice and died right there - on the mat. It was sudden, it wasn't pretty, and it was one of those parts of life you wish you could shield your kids from, but can't. Anyway...fast forward a year to the 2014 wrestling season. Our high school hosts a tournament every January, and this year it was renamed in honor of the coach who had passed away. Many of his family members were in attendance.
As I washed my hands in the restroom - of all places - a woman that I had never met before, introduced herself to me as the sister of the late coach. She said, "I just want you to know, I'm ______'s sister, and he always had such positive things to say about your sons. And I've heard other coaches say the same thing, too." We do our best raising our children, but sometimes it really is nice to hear something out of the blue so positive.
I hate it when people post on Facebook about how fabulously, wonderfully awesome their amazing honor roll, principal's list kids are, so I refrained from splashing that on Facebook for all the world to see. I think sometimes those people just want more people to say how awesome their kids are and it's because their parents are so great, of course. But it's here so I won't forget it.
I had another proud mom moment in April. There was an evening meeting for my son's internship program after school one day. There is a kid who lives in a nearby subdivision...his parents work nights...he asked for a ride. So we picked him up - not a total stranger, he has run cross country with my boys, rides their bus, etc. On the way home, my child wanted to stop at Chick-Fil-A. I was not interested in eating there(started Weight Watchers a month or so earlier), but I stopped so he could get something. I stayed in the car and let them go in.
Our ride-along buddy didn't have any money, and had never even been to Chick-Fil-A before. I was proud of my child, for doing the right thing (without me nudging him along) and buying a sandwich for his friend. After they got in the car, his friend said to my son, "I owe you, man." "Nah, that's OK...just pay it forward some day." It was another proud mom moment.
I listened to the 2 of them talk in the back seat on the way home. My boys and this young man catch the bus at 6 am, which is way too early, in my opinion. BUT, this kid wakes up even earlier and walks his sister - who goes to a different high school even further from home - to the bus stop at 5:30 because he does not want her to wait alone at that hour. It kind of gives you a little bit of faith in humanity that there are still responsible, selfless, giving people in the world.
Now I shall crawl back into blog oblivion...or maybe I'll come back and share my visit with my BFF. Just depends on what's happening in the world (my world). Tomorrow will be a travel day, and then the next day begins inservice days for school. RIP summer.
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Sunday, February 9, 2014
today's faves
Inspiration for this post goes to Meg at
Held By His Pierced Hands
. Her blog should really be in my sidebar....I just haven't updated recently. I love, love, love her writing and thoughts. In a recent post, she shared some of her favorites after someone had asked what her favorite parable was.
And since I seem to lack for ideas of my own lately, here goes.....
Favorite Parable: The Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32)
I think it is the story of most of us. I also remember reading it during our First Confession Ceremony/Celebration/Liturgy all those years ago in third grade.
Favorite Image of Jesus: The Good Shepherd
The fact that He leaves the 99 and goes off in search of the one lost sheep. So, not only does He welcome us back when we come to our senses, but He goes out, searches for us, and carries us back. See Matthew 18:12-13.
Favorite Bible Verse:
I'm pretty sure that can't be narrowed down to just one. Tops on the list: Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) Draw close to God and He will draw close to you. (James 4:8) Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. (Mark 9:24).
Favorite Bible Study:
Anything by Jeff Cavins and the folks at the Great Adventure. I have studied James, the Bible Timeline, Revelations, Acts, and Matthew (twice). Again it is difficult to pick a favorite, but James was short and had a great deal of practical application.
Favorite Liturgy:
This is an easy one....Holy Thursday...the Mass of the Lord's Supper. It is beautiful. It begins with an open, empty Tabernacle. Even without the customary washing of the feet - an option that our pastor chooses not to exercise - there is so much symbolism and richness. It is a Mass that doesn't end...at least not right then. It concludes with Adoration, at the end of which the priest removes the Blessed Sacrament from the Tabernacle, leaving it empty as it was at the beginning of Mass. A bonus on Holy Thursday is the Chrism Mass, which is held early in the day at the Cathedral. Simply beautiful.
Favorite Prayer:
This would have to be the Prayer of St. Francis...Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred..... I don't know why it's my favorite. I'm pretty sure I don't know it by heart in its entirety, nor do I pray it regularly. Maybe it's the structure, the poetic nature, or just the simplicity, and the image of what we should all be.
Favorite Sacrament:
Of course, the Eucharist is the hands down (or hands-out) winner. What is not to love? Our God making Himself present to us - condescending to us - to be consumed in order that He can consume us. But a really close second would have to be Reconciliation/Confession/Penance. It is that one-on-one with Jesus. That combination of nervousness and anticipation. The grace, the encouragement, the warmth, the fresh start. It is so worth it. Every single time.
Favorite Penance:
I have had many that are thought-provoking and/or helpful, and my current priest never assigns the "say 3 Hail Marys" variety. My favorite, though, "Go and bask in the silence and let Jesus speak to you."
Favorite Catholic Musician:
That would be Matt Maher. Love, love, love. And my favorite of his songs, "Deliver Me." Loosely based on the Litany of Humility.
Favorite Catholic Devotionals:
This awesome series. There is something for each day of the year that matches up with the Scripture readings for the day. Things that make you think, but presented so that normal people can understand. In Conversation With God. I got most of my copies from eBay.
Favorite "Catholic" thing to do:
Adoration. This is the best thing ever. Whether the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in a monstrance or simply present in the Tabernacle of whatever random Catholic Church you find yourself at. What do you do when you go? You can just sit in the Presence. You can kneel. You can kneel then sit. You can pray prayers you know. You can just sit and gaze. You can tell God everything that is on your mind. You can sit and listen to God whisper in your ear. You can read. You can write (one of my favorite things to do). You can ask for forgiveness. You can ask for wisdom. You can ask for help. You can surrender. You can praise Him. You can thank Him. You can do all of the above. It is amazing the answers that come. The peace that comes. Amazing.
Favorite Lenten Practice:
The best Lenten "penance" ever was daily Mass. I started part way through Lent one year, and committed to 3 days a week (because our parish had Mass at 6:30 am 3 days a week and I could go and make it to work at the required 7:05). This was absolutely the best thing ever. I was hooked long before Lent was over and felt like someone had been keeping this little treasure a secret. It's not a penance. It's a gift. And it's certainly not just for Lent.
And that, boys and girls, are my favorites for now. I'm sure there are more that I could add....and maybe I will....
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bible study
Friday, January 3, 2014
13 for 13
I was going to compose something profound about the year in review, but this seemed like a better option. Especially since its been a while since I've written anything bordering on profound. Thirteen pictures...from 2013.
1. My boys at a wrestling meet. It is such a hard sport to appropriately photograph in action. I love that they enjoy it as brothers. They say wrestling teaches a lot about real life. It became a little too real, however, when one of their coaches had a heart attack and died during practice in early 2013.
2. The Eagle Project for Son #1 was completed. Merit badges remained, but at least this part was done.
3. In the spring, I made a decision that I never thought I would make, and elected to leave the place where I had worked for the past 24 years. In retrospect, it was an unexpected blessing.
4. This was the key to my sanity while working at that place. Almost every morning, before work, I could find 10 or 15 minutes or more...sometimes an hour.... to sit in the peace and the Presence. It was at Mass in this church that I first had an inkling that God might have something different planned for me for the coming year.
5. It wasn't the school where I thought I might be going. But I prayed to know the "right" one, and in the end, it met every one of the specifications (both serious and not so serious) that I had on my Perfect School list.
6. Kid #2 got to spend 2 weeks at the National Boy Scout Jamboree. He is a character.
7. Kid #1 turned 18. I was so excited that he would be able to sign all of his own back-to-school paperwork when school started. He also worked 2 jobs this summer: a 7:30-4:30 internship with the computer repair folks at the school board and then a 5:00-11:00 or so job at Sonic as a carhop. We didn't see much of him!
8 &9. Totally enjoyed a visit from the grandkids. There are 6 of them...4 of them are seen in these pictures.
10. We don't always get back-to-school pictures. Its a hectic morning for all of us. But they let me snap one out of the car window as they waited for the bus. I have a junior and a senior! How time has flown. Speaking of time...it's about 6 a.m. in the picture, which is why they don't look too alert.
11. This was a long road - working on the Ad Altare Dei religious award. But we finally finished it up and our pastor presented our little group with their medals one Sunday morning. The lighting in the picture is not great, but we were proud.
12. Son #2...full of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Smelling the sweet scent of chrism.
13. A half-way decent family picture at Son #1's Eagle Ceremony. Finally!!
Lagniappe: Visiting with my Granddad. He is 97 and looking good!
Gotta include one more bonus pic. This one was a "selfie in the sacristy". Altar servers before the Easter Vigil Mass. I like the little guy looking up to the older servers. My guys have served at the Easter Vigil for the past 7 or so years. They do it willingly, but each year I think, "this might be the last time.". That growing up thing.
It was a year. Closed doors and new beginnings. Goals achieved, gifts received. Through it all, God is good!
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Thursday, November 28, 2013
in all things give thanks
Happy Thanksgiving!
Several weeks ago, we had a homily at church, stressing the ALL in "In ALL things give thanks." Most of us can say that we are thankful for the good things in our lives, and probably even remember to acknowledge God's role in that good fortune. But that is precisely the point...we are to give thanks in ALL circumstances, not just those that we judge to be good.
Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not even sure I'm a 100% at giving thanks for the things that are "good", and I KNOW I've got a long way to go before I'm very grateful for financial problems, or backstabbing co-workers, or self-centered people, or aches and pains. But as I knelt in church today before Mass, gathering my thoughts and trying to hear God's wisdom, that was exactly what I heard. Doesn't God always take care of us? I know that He does when we get out of the way and let Him. However, it is not always in the way we would have chosen. In the last month at church our sacristan has had a stroke and relocated to an assisted living facility and the lovely lady that does our schedule for lectors and ministers of Communion has been diagnosed with stage IV cancer in her lungs, liver, and kidneys.
Are we supposed to be thankful for strokes and lost independence? For cancer and lives interrupted? But from a distance, I know that God can take painful circumstances and work miracles in the midst. An acquaintance of mine passed away in October...she had fought stage IV lung cancer for nearly 5 years...doctors had given her a 15% chance of surviving a year. She had 3 young children. The miracle was not a cure, but a witness; so many were inspired by her battle, by the way she placed everything in God's hands. Good did come from trials and sorrows. But being thankful seems like a stretch.
I remembered a scene from The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. Corrie and her sister were in a Nazi concentration camp, and are housed in a building that is infested with lice. In all things give thanks. "Lord, we are thankful for the lice," they prayed. Later they realize that the guards totally avoid the building because of the lice. Lord, thank you.
In my own life, I can look back and see how good has come from things that I never would have chosen. 9-11 is what gave me the incentive or motivation to make things right in my spiritual life. There have been other trials and losses and difficulties over the years that I would have preferred to avoid. Yet, I can sometimes look back and think, "Oh, this is why I had to go through that!" But even then, gratitude - if it comes at all - is often very much delayed.
Lord, help me to be grateful. Help me not to ask you "why", but to understand "what" I am supposed to learn or to become from the difficult things in my life. Help me to give thanks in ALL things.
1/2/14: Updating. My sacristan friend seems to very happy with his new living quarters, from what I've heard.
My friend diagnosed with Stage IV cancer is likely very happy with her new home, although we miss her greatly. She underwent surgery on December 20 with great hope that the tumor could be removed and the remaining cancer successfully treated with chemo. Her heart stopped after surgery, however, and could not be restarted. She had told her husband that she might be "spending Christmas with Jesus" and she was totally OK with it.
The thing to be thankful for is that she felt had no symptoms from the cancer and never had any pain from it. She had time to prepare for her death and to wrap up loose ends, and we got to hug her and tell her that we loved her. The rosary held at the school where she worked and the memorial Mass held at our small parish were attended by hundreds. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. Her husband told me, "keep praying."
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Sunday, August 18, 2013
fresh starts
The school year has begun and for the first time in 20 something years, I am at a new school, in a new classroom, with a new staff, and new students.
The classroom I am now occupying is awesome. If it had a sink, it would be just about perfect, but I won't be picky. I have 4 window unit air conditioners. I have an area along one side where my computers are housed, a main room, a closet, and another room, which can be used for small group instruction or a time-out room.
I spent a lot of time in the closet. It was a mess! Days were spent before school started...trying to make some sense of it....
It is better. Not perfect. I still have boxes of my own to unload...and school started before I could get them all unloaded.
Did I mention that I love my students?? I have 7 of them right now. I think we will get along just fine. Complete strangers have come up to me and told me how glad they are that I am in this class. Apparently the classroom atmosphere was different last year.
I am struggling to find my feet, but that is always the case at the beginning of the year. Moreso this year, because I don't have experience with the curriculum that other teachers with this type of class use. Going to spend the day tomorrow with a friend who teaches this class at another school. Hopefully, that will help...
I manage my way to and from without the GPS, now. And I found the nearby Dollar Gen...bought some cleaning supplies there one day.
I have two teacher assistants, and that has helped me to feel comfortable. I also have a colleague from my old school who is here...a familiar face. People have been nice. But as I sat in the auditorium for a faculty meeting after the first day of school, I wondered how long it will be before I could count some of those people as "friends". Fresh starts...
It has been an amazing journey - the last 4 months. A journey I never planned to take. Sometimes God has been in the driver's seat....other times he has sat in the passenger seat and navigated. There have been plenty of billboards along the way letting us know we are on the right path. My supervisor shared with me that the job was open for "only a few days" before she heard that I had filled it. It made me wonder what had happened if I had been called on the first day they started placing us...instead of the third. Maybe this job wouldn't have been available. I marveled at God's timing. But now it seems like we are pulling back into the driveway. The let-down feeling after vacation....when you have to go back to the real world, when you still have laundry and unpacking to do.
But in the end...I have a sense that I am where I am supposed to be...and that was my prayer all along. Things will happen when they happen. And all will be well. I am blessed to be where I am.
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Thursday, July 25, 2013
a break in the clouds
This is long. It is rambling. And it is somewhat repetitious. It is mostly a place for me to get things out of my head. (Because there is already not enough room in there as it is!) The pictures are some I've taken this summer. You can read as much or as little into them as you wish!
The last year or so have had some rough patches. But right now - and for the past few months - there seems to be a "break in the clouds" and I will take that for the gift that it is.
I have blogged about some of the events that have taken place in the last few months, but to do so as the tapestry is still being woven has left some gaps and missing threads. I truly have felt like I was watching someone else's life unfold, and it has been amazing for me to watch.
School has been bad for a long time. It has gradually gotten that way, over a matter of years. Our 'demographics' have changed. A "failing" school nearby was closed a few years ago, and we absorbed many of those kids when we were already struggling to keep above water. No one ever answered our SOS calls. The people I have worked with have, for the most part, been awesome, and that is one reason why I have stayed. I think that happens in many struggling schools - the teachers band together and support each other because they don't get the support from anywhere or anyone else. So while things were challenging, this school year was the first time ever in the 24 years that I had been at the school that I requested a transfer (requesting to transfer is NOT the same thing as actually getting a transfer...it just opens the door for you to pursue it).
This past year, I regularly calculated the amount of days remaining until retirement. The formula went something like
(3.5 x 182) + r
, if r = the number of days remaining in the year. I never purchase alcohol and rarely drink, but this year by the Thursday of testing week, I was rummaging in the kitchen drawers for a corkscrew. I was sure the pain in my neck and shoulders would require professional assistance. I could barely turn my head or tilt my head back to drink.
Married life has also not been all sunshine and rainbows for some time now. Without dragging all of that out, lets just say that someone's expectations exceeded someone else's capacity to give. And that some people seem happiest when they are miserable. And that misery seems to expect company.
In mid April our principal stood before the school board and explained that she needed to be able to pick her own team of teachers and that she needed teachers that could teach these "children of poverty". The school board, by a narrow margin, granted her permission to "reconstitute" her staff. We would all need to reapply for our jobs and be interviewed if we wished to stay. Having been told earlier in faculty meetings that we need to "own" the students' lack of achievement, it was the proverbial final slap in the face for many. All of the blood, sweat, and tears we had given for years was so unappreciated.
I assumed that I would stay. I had my reasons. I had *only* 3.5 years remaining. I didn't want to start over somewhere else. I didn't want to move. Better to stay with what you know than to go with what you don't know. But truth be told, you can boil those reasons down to two: fear and laziness.
The pain and stress in my shoulders and neck intensified.
Nearly a week later - on April 23 - I was at daily Mass at the church near my school. The first reading that day was from the Acts of the Apostles, and the first few sentences were something along the lines of the good that happened because of those who were scattered by persecution. The Gospel spreading because of those who were persecuted. This resonated with me, because by that point, it had become apparent that many on our faculty (good) were going to choose to leave (scatter) because of the attitude and treatment (persecution) they had received.
It was NOT a lightening-bolt moment. It was just a quiet, "hmmm, that's interesting" moment. I was at a point where I didn't even realize that I had a decision to make. I just assumed it would be made for me. If the principal wanted me, I would stay; and if not, I would go. There is adoration after Mass on Tuesdays, and I had a few minutes before I had to be at school, so I stayed. I jotted a few questions in my journal. I said a quick prayer to be open to God's plan. But I wasn't planning on making any life-changing decisions - at least not that day. I had no idea what opening the door just a little bit had done.
When I got to school, I chatted with a co-teacher friend about 8th grade math and inquired about her plans for the coming year. She was not returning. I went on about my business for the day. I can not explain what happened, but sometime before lunch, the thought formed in my head, "You do not have to come back here next year." (Was it that quiet whispering voice of God?) By the time I went on lunch duty, I heard those words coming out of my mouth, "I'm not coming back here next year!" And it felt good!
As I drove home from school that day, I noted that I could turn my head without pain. That, alone, was confirmation of my decision. It has been nearly 3 months since that day, and that pain, that stress has NOT returned to my body. One of my co-workers noted later that it "sounded like a healing". Maybe it was!
I walked into my house, dropped my keys on the counter and said to my husband, "I'm not going back there next year." "Good," was his reply.
The next day I went to Mass at my own parish. I am sure the homily was not very memorable to most who attended that day, but all I could say when he finished was "wow!" My good priest, had chosen to preach on how we hear the Spirit. It starts as a seed planted in the Liturgy (just like at Mass yesterday). Then it is nourished by prayer (staying for Adoration) and in talking with others (like my friend before school and other teachers during the day). "We seldom hear God speak to us in a booming voice" (I sure didn't), he went on. The Spirit works through ordinary things. The more he said, the bigger my smile got. It was as if he had been following me the day before. I had to email him and tell him "thank you", even though I'm sure his homily was in no way intentional...more like following the Spirit. More confirmation.
As I told my co-workers of my decision in the following days, I received responses ranging from high-fives to sadness to questioning if it was really God that I was hearing. One of my favorite responses was from our 80-something year old clerk...the only person who has been there longer than me. "Good for you!" she said. The next morning, I found a fortune-cookie sized slip of paper in my box from her. I taped it to an index card and stuck it on the door to the cabinet behind my desk.
As the year drew to a close, my co-workers and I began to dream of what might await us beyond our current situations. There were a huge number of resignations and retirements during the school year throughout our system, so chances were excellent that there would be some desirable positions available. If we chose to be displaced, we had to be placed somewhere, and we had first choice of what would be available.
"Don't work for a woman." (that piece of advice from a woman)
"Get off of this side of town." (From our campus cop)
"It's a matter of you choosing who you want to work for."
"Don't go to a 'D' or 'F' school."
"You might like a mild/moderate class." (from my friend who taught the mild/moderate class at our school)
"I think I might like a school where children actually bring pencils to school."
"My dream school will have its own Brainpop account," I messaged a co-worker one night. "Way to dream big," she replied.
"I want a good boss," I had texted one of my old [good] bosses.
"Where are you going? What are you going to do?" people would ask. "I don't know," I would reply with a smile. "They have to put me somewhere and I'm sure God has a plan that is better than mine. I'm sure wherever I end up, there will be a reason." I stuck with that line throughout. "God has a plan." People would tell me that they were praying for me to get a "good school" and I would ask them to simply pray for me to know the "right one" when it presented itself. But truthfully almost anything had to be better.
On May 6, ironically the first day of Teacher Appreciation Week, at a faculty meeting that lasted past 5 pm, as a huge roach crawled across the ceiling in our library, we were given papers to sign indicating whether we would (a) reapply for our jobs (b) voluntarily be displaced or (c) resign or retire. Nearly 2/3 of the faculty checked the second option. Only 6 core teachers of 19 asked to stay, and one of those has since accepted a job in another system. Words like "blindsided" were whispered in the coming days, but I don't know if that was really the case. However, I am glad the task of filling the shoes of those that chose to leave is not mine. Other schools are gaining some wonderful teachers.
The next day, I returned to Mass at the church near my school. "Sometimes it is better not to stay," said the pastor in his homily. The Biblical reference was to the Ascension of Jesus, who could not stay with His Apostles, but the application to my life was too obvious to be missed. I had to hug him after Mass. After 24 years, I had chosen not to stay. More confirmation.
Married life continued to limp along. Things were seemingly calm on the surface, but the anger and resentment leap out of any writing I did at that time. My good confessor had told me months earlier to offer the anger to God every day. He said it wasn't wrong to be angry, but to offer it so that Jesus could help me channel it. And every day, to ask God to help me be as patient with
as God is with me. And so I did. About mid-May, with all the other stresses of special ed paperwork and moving and planning my last Honors night, my frustration with married life was overwhelming. "I can't fix it. Only God can," were the words that ended a long, ranting journal entry - I guess that is where I channeled the anger. Those are true words. In our weakness is often when God's power is shown.
Maybe it was that day, or maybe it was a few days later, I stood in front of the tabernacle in the quiet, empty church, and told God the same thing: "I can't fix it. You show me what I need to do, but you are going to have to handle the rest, Lord, because I am fresh out of ideas. You made him. He's yours. You fix him." I think sometimes God gets right on those prayers...the prayers of desperation or surrender. It didn't take him long before he showed me what I
do. It was something I knew already, but haven't done nearly enough of. I have had the sense for quite some time, that "this kind only comes out by prayer."
Later that morning, I met up with one of my favorite substitute teachers at school. She is an older black lady, and there has been a connection from almost the first time she subbed for someone in my classroom. We have had good conversations, and I love talking to her. So that particular morning, I went out of my way to visit with her while she was standing outside of a classroom. She started to tell me about a book that she had gotten the night before from her church library (where I had just visited hours earlier) that she could NOT put down. "The Power of a Praying Wife," she said. "Please, you HAVE to read it," she begged. "OK, God, I hear you," I thought. When I got home that evening, I dug out the Amazon Gift Card I had gotten for Christmas, downloaded the book, and began to read. It was good.
Sunset over the Mississippi River 7.9.13
The school year was wrapping up. Packing picked up steam. The week before Mother's Day, I had placed a box on one of the desks in my classroom and labeled it "Give Away Box". I explained to my students that they could take anything they wanted out of that box. Two items that were placed in there early on were a half burned candle in a cute container, and a kind of ugly yellow flowery coffee mug that I had used to hold pens and pencils. Things I neither wanted to throw in the garbage or move. Two different kids plucked them out of the box, and each kid asked me if I had some wrapping paper. They were so proud to have something for their moms for Mother's Day. It was sad and sweet all at the same time.
The Give Away box became two, and then covered a couple of desks, too. I have a friend starting her own homeschooling business, so her husband came and picked up much of it. I emptied filing cabinets (except for one drawer I had no idea what to do with). I bagged the contents of my desk in ZipLocs and wiped out the drawers. The closet gradually emptied. I threw away so many things. Finally it was done. The room echoed. There was a little twinge of sadness, but mostly relief.
I had heard about a potential opening at a middle school 4 minutes from my house. It met one or two of the requirements on my list. It was a mild moderate class in the back of the school somewhere. I dropped off a resume and a cover letter and even interviewed with the principal, but the teacher who was leaving had not yet resigned. I did what I could to make that job happen, but it did not. So I assumed God's answer on that one was "no".
When Human Resources began to make the long-awaited phone calls, I once again found myself in the quiet church. All along, I had prayed to know the right job when it came along, but now it was crunch time. "How will I know?" I asked out loud to the good Lord. There was silence. But I clicked open my journal (it is on my iPad and is one of the best things ever). I made 2 lists:
Jobs I Would Say Yes To
Jobs I Would Say No To
. There were 4 on each list.
Finally, I called HR, because they didn't seem to be calling me, and they started fumbling around for openings I was qualified for. There were not many. A self-contained class at School J, I automatically dismissed because it was "too far" to drive. Others I said "no" to because they were worse than what I had left. Nothing on my "yes list" was offered. There was one more - one that I had put on my "no" list. But it seemed like the lesser of the evils being offered. So in the heat of the moment, I accepted it.
When I met with the principal that afternoon, I found out that I had not gotten the whole story from HR, and that I would also be teaching 2 regular subjects in addition to 2 Special Ed classes. I regretted the choice almost immediately. The planning and paperwork would have been epic. The next morning, June 21, I set to work trying to find out if the spot at School J was still available. I emailed the principal. I called. I put the address in my GPS and drove to the school. Took the chance that someone would be there, and ran into the principal and another staff member. It felt right. By that afternoon, the change had been made and I was elated.
As the weeks have passed, I have had time to process it, and check the items off of my wish list.
Male principal. (Don't work for a woman.) Check.
On the other side of town. I think it is the furthest point away from my old school. Check.
Not a D or F school. It's a D, oh well. (Editing to Add: In October new "grades" came out, and the school improved to a "C")
A Mild/Moderate class. Check.
In the back of the school, out of the drama. There is a garden outside my door. Check.
At a school where kids bring pencils. To be determined.
With its own Brain Pop account. I checked it out, and it worked! Check.
Principal with a soul. I have heard promising things. Check.
Decent supervisor. Again, I have heard good things. Probably a check. (Editing to Add: Check.)
When I look at that list and see that God answered my prayers, pretty much down to the most ridiculous detail of having its own BrainPop account, I am in awe. (There is still something in the back of my mind that thinks that may all go out the window when actual people show up, but for now, I am going with gratitude and answered prayers.)
Sometime in the midst of this, things began to be better on the homefront. It is a superficial kind of better, but I will take that for now. It is a happier attitude, acceptance, a smile. I do not know why. I don't know if it is prayer, or medications, or a reaction to my lack of stress. But whatever the cause, it is something to be grateful for.
I am looking forward to the coming school year with hope, instead of dread. God is so very good!
11/29/13 Editing to add: When the "School Report Cards" were issued in October, my new school moved up from a "D" school to a "C" school. Now even that can be checked off of the list. Everything I asked for, I received, through no merit of my own. Glory be to God!
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Mickey Mouse Cupcakes
For the cupcake:
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup oil (vegetable, canola or extra light olive oil)
1/2 cup buttermilk
(or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice- add acid to the milk then set aside for 5 minutes before using)
For the Chocolate Cookies:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup cocoa
3 or 3 1/2 cups flour
Easy French Dip Sandwiches
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef consomme
1 cup water
1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
8 slices provolone cheese
4 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise
Hokkien Noodles with Tofu, Honey & Soy
serves 4
Hokkien noodles are fresh wheat based noodles that are a lot like fresh fat spaghetti. They are usually in the chiller section of the supermarket, although I have seen some that are shelf stable in the Asian food section. If you can't find hokkien noodles any other thick wheat based noodle would work well or even some spaghetti or bucatini.
If you're not a fan of tofu, feel free to substitute in finely sliced chicken breast or even beef.
1lb (500g) fresh hokkien or singapore noodles
10oz (300g) firm tofu, chopped into large chunks
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
6 green onions, finely sliced
1. Place noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 1 minute then massage to loosen into individual strands. Drain.
2. Heat some peanut or other vegetable oil in a large wok or frying pan. Add tofu and stir fry until golden brown. Mix together soy and honey in a small bowl then add to the wok.
3. Stir and allow to cook until slightly reduced. Toss through noodles and green onion and serve hot.
Raw Blackberry Lemon Lavender Cheesecake
Makes one 6 inch cake
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3 soft medjool dates, pitted and chopped
2 1/2 cups raw cashews (preferably soaked overnight)
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/3 cup plus 3 Tbsp agave nectar
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp coconut oil (warmed to liquid)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract and seeds from half a vanilla bean (other half reserved for topping)
2 Tbsp organic dried lavender flowers
1 cup fresh organic blackberries
Blackberry puree:
1/4 cup blackberries
1 Tbsp agave nectar
Cream Topping:
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces (preferably soaked overnight)
1/2 cup coconut water
3/4 cup fresh young coconut meat* (or additional soaked cashews if not available)
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla and seeds of half a vanilla bean (the other half of the one you used for the filling)
1/4 cup coconut oil (warmed to liquid)
Summer Beet Stacks
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4 beets, small to medium sized
4 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup walnut oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
salt & pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Scrub, rinse and pat beets dry then rub with a small amount of olive oil and wrap tightly in foil (two beets per foil packet). Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until beets are tender and easily pierced with a knife. Allow to slightly cool then carefully remove skin. (The beets will stain your hands and clothing! So I use rubber gloves.) Set aside.
3. In a small, dry frying pan toast walnuts until slightly browned. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and walnut oil then season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
5. Once skin is removed slice beets width-wise into three or four sections (depending on the size of the beet.)
6. In layers, alternate beet slices and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle stacks with balsamic walnut oil vinaigrette, fresh thyme leaves and the toasted walnuts. Enjoy.
Long Boy Burgers
2-4 (6-inch) sub rolls, split in half lengthwise
1 1/4 cup cornflakes, crushed
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 cup whole or lowfat milk
6 tablespoons ketchup, separated
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes
Makes 5-6 servings
500 grams spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente)
1 pound chicken breast fillets (skinless and boneless, sliced into 1 inch chunks)
For the chicken marinade:
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)
- Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinate for 20 minutes (if making this dish in pronto) or over night (if making this dish the next day… much better).
- Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.
For the garlic gravy:
½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes
1. Place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.
2. Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.
3. Add the flour and cook for a minute.
4. Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked spaghetti into this sauce.
7. Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake
2 cups Oreo crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4x 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 bag mini peanut butter cups
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
15-20 mini peanut butter cups (saved from the cheesecake ingredients)
Stacked Brownie Reese Cookie
Break Apart Refrigerator
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mini Resse Peanut Butter Cups
Brownie Mix
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Press one cookie square in each muffin cup
3. Place a Reese cup upside down on the cookie dough
4. Top with prepared brownie mix filling 3/4 full
5. Bake for 18 minutes
Spiked Rainbow Ribbon Jello
See More Jello Recipes
4 1/2 cups water, divided
6 3 oz packages flavored gelatin dessert mix
3 envelopes plain gelatin (6 tsp gelatin powder, divided)
3 cups flavored rum or vodka, divded
1 1/8 cup vanilla yogurt, divided
Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue
6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Spring Wild Rice Salad
Serves 8
Almond Dressing:
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup almond butter
zest of one lemon
scant 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
scant 1/4 cup hot water
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
4 cups cooked wild rice*
1 cup cooked yellow split peas**
1 bunch chives, chopped
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Cheesy Enchilada Stack
1 lb. Lean ground beef
2 (10 oz) can Red Enchilada Sauce (Our favorite is the Old El Paso brand)
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 (8 oz) bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 (16 oz) can refried beans (or you can make your own, check out my mom's recipe for her famous homemade refried beans!)
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies1 bunch green onions
Fabulous Long Wedding Dress
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Metallic Glitter Bracelet
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Avocado Fries
1 avocado, sliced into ¼ inch slices
½ cup milk
½ cup flour
1 egg, beaten
Canola oil, for frying
Lime Sriracha Mayo
½ cup mayonnaise
Juice from ½ lime
Sriracha, or other spicy chili sauce
1. Fill a skillet with oil until it's about ¼ – ½ inch full. Heat on high until oil sputters when a drop of water is dropped in.
2. Place the milk, flour and egg into three separate shallow dishes. Beat about a tablespoon of water into the egg mixture. Take a slice of avocado and dunk in milk, then the flour, then the eggs, then back in the flour. Place each slice on a plate until you've dunked the whole batch in batter.
3. Slowly add the slices to the oil. You don't want to overcrowd the pan, so stop before they all start touching each other. After about a minute you'll see the edges turning brown, this means it's time to flip them over. Allow to cook for another minute and then remove them from the skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
4. To make the mayonnaise, mix together the mayo, lime juice and sriracha. Add the Sriracha to taste depending on how spicy you want it. Serve along side your avocado fries and enjoy!
Carrot Cake Bars
10 medjool dates, pits removed (about 5.5 ounces)
2 cups shredded carrots (from about 5 medium carrots)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon double-strength vanilla extract (or 2 tsp. regular)
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat flour, or gluten-free flour (such as brown rice flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
Fat Free English Muffins
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 3/4 cups bread flour (I have used AP and it works well)
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 ounce yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast)
1. Put all ingredients into the pan of your bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Set to dough cycle for oven baking or white cycle for bread machine baking.
2 FOR BREAD MACHINE BAKING: after final rise spray the top of the loaf with water and sprinkle cornmeal on top.
3 FOR OVEN BAKING: Preheat oven to 400*. Grease a one quart bowl with solid shortening or cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes.
4 Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
Zucchini Cakes
1 large zucchini, grated
1 large egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt/pepper to taste
1 tbsp Adobo spices
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Chicken Parmigiana
1 egg, beaten
2 ounces dry bread crumbs
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.
2. Pour egg into a small shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken into egg, then into the bread crumbs. Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.
3. Pour 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce into a 7×11 inch baking dish. Place chicken over sauce, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top and return to the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Broccoli and Italian Sausage Egg Muffins
1 pound Italian Sausage (sweet, mild, hot variety depending on your preference)
1 cup broccoli florets
8 large eggs
1/4 cup milk (or half and half depending on how you're feeling that day)
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
salt & pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese as needed
Lemon Bars
See More Lemon Dessert Recipes
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the crust: cream the butter and sugar. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Gather the dough into a ball then flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides.
3. Bake the crust until very lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
4. Leave the oven on. While the crust is cooling start making the filling.
5. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set.
6. Let cool to room temperature then cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
4 cups butternut squash puree (i.e. Farmer's Market Organic canned)
1 1/2 tbs. sel de cuisine (features cinnamon, rosemary, and salt)
1 tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 short whole wheat lasagna noodles
sliced cheese to top pieces (optional – but not really)
Pesto Pasta Salad
4 cups uncooked spiral pasta (use rice pasta for wheat-free version)
1 cup fresh basil pesto
2 Tbsp chopped green olives, or olive tapenade
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted (or fresh if you can get them)
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
Several fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Make sure the water is salted (at least a half teaspoon per quart). Remove pasta from heat and strain when pasta is cooked, but still firm (al dente).
2 Put pasta in a big bowl. Mix in fresh basil pesto, green olives, and pine nuts. Gently mix in cherry tomatoes, peas, fresh basil leaves and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill or serve at room temperature.
Yield: Serves 6-8.
Chicken with Bacon, Mushrooms & Cheese
Honey Mustard Marinade:
1 c. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1 c. honey
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. sliced mushrooms (10?12 mushrooms)
2 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper
8 slices bacon, cooked
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley


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The Mayor of Station SquareTalk0
8,617pages on
this wiki
this wiki
|This character exists primarily or exclusively within the Sonic X anime or comic continuity.
Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity.
The Mayor of Station Square appears in the Sonic X episode "Missile Wrist Rampage".
When Dr. Eggman invaded Station Square with E-23 Missile Wrist and order to meet with the mayor of Station Square, the mayor arrived and told he would not be blackmailed by him. When Missile Wrist destroyed a building and covered the mayor in smoke, Eggman asks if he would hand it over the city now, but the mayor states his charter does not allow him to surrender the city.
The mayor finds running the city from City Hall to be a tough job, but he does listen to its citizens, only to complain about all the hard work he has to do later.
Sonic X characters


text: Quick View Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese January 30, 2012 | Trade Paperback In stock online from $15.85 Winner of the Canada Reads People''s Choice award and the First Nations Communities Reads program and short-listed for the International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award. A Globe and Mail top 100 book of 2012 Saul Indian Horse is dying. Tucked away in a hospice high above the clash and clang of a big… See Details $16.68 / $15.85 lowest price*, or used from $17.21was $21.95


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By 2015, 75 percent of the world's employees will be young people (ie., the Millennial Generation or Gen Y). The prospects for economic prosperity for this generation are not particularly encouraging, and yet Millennials have high and positive expectations.
If we could point to one trend that paints a rather dark picture, it is the coming boom of large numbers of young males with few prospects for economic success. According to a Bank of America/Merrill Lynch report, market turmoil is coming in 2015 due to an underappreciated huge male youth boom (ages 15-29), and the problem is there aren't enough jobs globally to employ them (180 million in India, 170 million China, 160 million in Africa). The reports goes on to conclude that the more angry young men there are to fight over opportunities and marriageable women the greater the negative impact on economic and social structures.
At the same time, Millennials are optimistic and connected. According to Erica Dhawan, an MBA student at MIT and MPA at Harvard, specializing in Gen Y, and a featured speaker at the recent World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland: "Technology has convinced Millennials that a single person's voice can make a difference." She goes on to argue that Millennials want to be coached, not supervised and mentored formally by older generations.


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Feb. 6: Daily Headlines Video
Date: February 6, 2013
by: Eddie Kirsch | Web Editor
Design & Dine
+From the backyard of Jamie and Cindy Krider
Meet the third of three finalists for the Design & Dine Contest presented by ArtisTree and Michael's On East. Jamie and Cindy Krider are asking for your vote to win a $10,000 Backyard Makeover from ArtisTree
Daily Headlines
+SMR secures use of Viking unit
Prospective tenants already are inquiring about the space.
+Sarasota considers changes to its 2050 growth plan
In 11 years, only one project has been completed under Sarasota's 2050 Plan. Developers are seeking modifications make development more viable.
+VIDEO: Sarasota Military Academy performs during lecture series
The Sarasota Military Academy drum line performed at the Ringling Library Association's Town Hall Lecture Series at the Van Wezel Feb. 6. Watch a video of the performance.
+Brass Tacks: Maestro Andrew Lane
Maestro Andrew Lane doesn't toot his own horn, but he does cheer on the success of Sarasota Orchestra.
Business Observer: 26 Issues for only $25
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29 Santa Jaws at Mote Aquarium
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
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6 Longboat Key Gourmet Lawn Party
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
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6 Santa Jaws at Mote Aquarium
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13 Santa Jaws at Mote Aquarium
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
PHOTO GALLERY: Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship Service
On Nov. 25, the 34th annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service was held at St. Armands Lutheran Church.
Cumming heads back to school
Where in the world is Longboat Key Police Chief Pete Cumming?
Toys for Tots seeks holiday cheer
Toys for Tots needs help to make Christmas wishes come true for local children in need.


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In today's Whiteboard Wednesday, Lital Asher-Dotan, Product Marketing Manager for UserInsight at Rapid7, will discuss the topic, "Why Timely Threat Detection Equals Real Money".
Watch this video to learn how much money an organization spends on average to remediate a data breach and how long it takes them to do so. Learn how you can detect threats faster and save your organization money by using UserInsight for fast, automated, threat detection across your network, cloud, and mobile environments.
Read Video Transcript
Hello. And thank you for joining us for Whiteboard Wednesday. My name is Lital Asher-Dotan and I'm Senior Marketing Manager at Rapid7.
Today, we're going to talk about why timely detection really matters, because at the end of the day, it means real money to your organization. So you may need to justify why you need to spend money with your management on detection tools. We wanted to help you in understanding and putting some framework to your boss on what a breach could look like and could cost your organization.
Today, it's very clear that there are two trends that happened at the same time, and your organization is probably facing them. While, on one hand, your organization is moving towards cloud services, towards mobile devices, working with a lot of external vendors enabling them to be more productive in working seamlessly with you. Therefore, your network expands and there is no more a closed firewall, but rather a perimeter and all of your users are being a point of that perimeter that you need to secure.
At the same time, a second trend is all about the attackers' mindset. They become sophisticated. The market out there for compromised data is huge. People are making a lot of money out of breached data, and there is a huge incentive for them to go and break into your network. This is why attackers are becoming so much more sophisticated, and all attacks that we see become very much deceptive and very much hard to detect and go for longer periods of time.
Attackers could use social media. A lot of data that is out there, data that is being leaked in other breaches outside to go and compromise accounts in your organization and easily get into your network, and get, for a long time, undetected.
That's not surprised that we've seen a huge increase in the amount of breaches that happened in 2013. Actually, the amount of successful cyber attacks that we saw versus 2012 was 20% more. The time that it took to resolve a certain attack, or vulnerability, was at least 32 days and it cost $361,000 on average per organization to resolve it. Huge amount of money, if you think about it, per day. I'm not talking about just per event, so do the multiplication and understand how huge those breaches could be. And the average cost to resolve a cyber attack seems like $11.56 million per organization, and it's up 78% within the last three years.
So with that, I would say you really need to think about the huge threat that your organizations are facing these days. The need to enable productivity, while at the same time, defending your organization, because you could see how easily those attacks are being monetized to a huge number of dollars.
Thank you and hope to see you again next Wednesday.
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Whiteboard Wednesday videos


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Wear this SKINS A400 Men's Compression Long Sleeve Top with A400 long tights or shorts to improve your performance like nothing before.
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Sizing Information for SKINS Clothing:


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Orange scarves are the color of the sun and give off positive, cheery vibes. When you wear an orange scarf, you're making the world around you a little bit brighter. Our patterned scarves thrive in bold, bubbly tangerine hues, like the way flowers in the field live for sunshine. Pick up one of our orange scarves and you'll bask in the sunlight, even in gloomiest of winter. It's about time you radiated fashion!


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He was supposed to be taking a nap in our room. I put him in our room because I didn't want him to wake up his baby sister. It was anView full post »
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