Finished.

HALLELUJAH!!!!

I am done with my master's program.

Now, off to sleep for a few days....

Gift Idea: King Singers

This one is a gift idea in memory of Nathan who sang this for the Mr. 91st ward pageant!! Anyone remember that splendid event :-)?

On a serious note - these guys are a-mazing! If you want to have some great Christmas or anytime music look for the King Singers on iTunes - or if you're lucky maybe they'll be coming to visit a city near you!!

A gift appropriate for Sunday

Forgiveness.

One word that takes no money,

but,

it requires letting go of being right,

it requires letting go of being angry,

it requires expecting nothing in return.

It requires a lot of effort,

including prayer,

to a very willing Heavenly Father.

The gift of

forgiveness

is really a gift to three.

You.

The one you forgive.

Your Heavenly Father.

"Forgiveness is the economy of the heart...

forgiveness saves the expense of anger,

the cost of hatred,

the waste of spirits."

Hannah More

"He that cannot forgive others

breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself;

for every man has need to be forgiven."
Thomas Fuller

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/hannahmore129124.html#ixzz17whzSqIZ

For the Gents in your life...the Ladies as well

Looking for a nifty gift for your mister?

Check out the spiffy tie-tacks from Emersonmade.com.

They are handmade, 100% wool and linen.

Check out the gorgeous flowers for the Misses as well.

Best Socks in the World goes too.....

Today's gift idea is....

SmartWool Socks.

Don't be fooled by any other name.

Expensive? Yes.

Worth it? Most definitely.

Even if your feet sweat a lot

they won't get cold.

They won't get too hot either.

Your feet stay the "just right temperature"

in these beauties.

They are for all seasons.

You can get them for men/women/children/pets

(okay, maybe not pets)

and they come in all colors, styles, lengths and thicknesses.

I have running socks, skiing socks, ankle socks,

mid calf socks, socks for slacks, and socks for jeans.

Truly, once you go for SmartWool

you will never want anything else.

Too bad they don't make SmartWool nylons...

I *heart* SmartWool socks.

Where you can buy them:

www.amazon.com

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/

(they are on sale here! type SmartWool into the search box)

http://www.rei.com/

http://www.artisansocks.com/smartwool-socks/

(great!! selection here)

Things and 1 gift idea

Sad news first...

I did not get the library job I applied for in Missoula.

Sad or relieved...

I think I feel both.

Next,

my gift giving lists are coming few and far between

thanks to homework

(only 1 week left of school!!!

then I will be a Master....of Libraries).

So,

instead I am gong to try and post one gift idea daily.

Here's number one....

Michael Buble - Crazy Love CD

FAN-TASTIC!!

His voice could melt steel let alone butter.

It's clean, fun, romantic, and smooth!

(Some friends and I at his concert a few weeks back)

Kitchen Goodness

A compilation of some of my favorite cooking and eating related things. Enjoy!!

(again, add your own suggestions in the comments block - add a link if you can find one)

Penzey Spices - Fantastic gifts for the cooks in your life (and perhaps a little treat for yourself as well). Great for standard spices for baking and cooking but also has an extensive collection of Indian spices.

• Sunny Paris - Absolutely fantastic on scrambled eggs - wow! Works great sprinkled on roasted vegetables or in sauces too. You can't go wrong!!
• Pure Vanilla - This is real vanilla in its finest form. For those recipes that really need a quality shot of vanilla.
• Spice Gift Packs - 4-packs and 8-packs of various types of spices for any occasion and style of cooking.

Hot Chocolate

• Allegro Brand Indian Spice -available at Whole Foods Market
• Burdick's Hot Chocolate - The *Best* hot chocolate in the world - expensive, but if you love hot chocolate - utterly worth the price! Dark is incredibly strong - not for the faint of palate! White is sweet and dreamy! Milk - it's like a melted cup of milk chocolate.
• Godiva Hot Chocolate - This one wins second place for delectable hot chocolate! I prefer the dark - it's got depth without being bitter.
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipe - From Whole Foods Market. I love Mexican Hot Chocolate!

Candy Cane Joe-Joes - This is heavenly Christmas flavor wrapped in a cookie - and it only appears at Christmas. Crushed candy canes folded into creamy frosting layered between two chocolate cookies! If you like Oreo's you will love these so much more!

Almond Roca - Toffy nutty chocolatey goodness wrapped in a lovely golden wrapper!

Yummy Cheese - Sugarbush Farms. Incredible cheese made in VT.

Maple Syrup - real stuff! - Sugarbush Farms. Read up on the Maple Syrup grades - the syrup gets darker as the season continues.

Lake Champlain Chocolate Carmels - Truly some of the best chocolates I've ever tasted.

WilliamsSonoma - Silicone spatula - The silicone spatula is one of the best all purpose kitchen tools. It works as a stirring tool, rubber scraper, it's dishwasher safe, and delightful to use!

WilliamsSonoma - Whisk - I love this whisk!! It doesn't rust, the tines stay put and it feels great in your hand. I suggest a little gift set of whisk, spatula and hot chocolate or dish towels.

Best Kitchen Drying Towels - I've got one of these fantastic towels. They suck up the water quickly and dry your dishes in no time flat!

• Christmas Dish Towel
• Dish Towel
• Dish Towel
• Dish Towel
• Flour Sack Towels: set of three
• Dish Towel

Mini Colander - A fantastic mini colander perfect for a single serving of washed fruits and veggies!

Flirty Aprons - A friend has one of these delightfully cute aprons. Want to add a little fifties flare to your kitchen - tie one of these on for size!

Red Plate Special - A perfect gift for anyone who deserves to feel special on any day!

America's Test Kitchen Website - Are you a fan?? If not - see what the fuss is about click here and watch an episode or two!

America's Test Kitchen Cookbook - I *LOVE* this cookbook. I've used it to bake cookies, breads, salads, pie crusts, meats.... etc. You can't go wrong with this fail-safe book. Better than any other all purpose cookbook!

Mexican and Yucatecan Recipes - My mom and I took a cooking class from the man who runs Los Dos in Merida, Mexico. His recipes are fantastic if you enjoy Mexican food.

Games Games Games

Well here it is, the start of my gift ideas. Check back every few days for some new ones.

And definitely, most definitely, if you have a favorite

game share it along with why in the comments!

(some of my favorite games)

I've arranged them by ages-ish (take that with a grain of salt)

and I've included where you can purchase said games!

Enjoy and let the games begin!!!

Young-uns and family:

• Apples to Apples - A classic game that lets each person decide what's the silliest, slimiest, scariest, grossest, stupidest, prettiest, happiest, well you get the idea. Can be purchased at: Target, WalMart, Amazon.com.
• Guess Who? - This is a great one for little ones who are learning how to notice categories and groups, as well as older ones who want to ask the question that will let them put down the most people. Can be purchased at: Target, WalMart, Amazon.com.

Medium-size and Family:

• Mastermind - Love playing this with kids. A two person game where one player creates a pattern of four with 6 different colored pegs. The other person has to guess the pattern by making the pattern herself. Very much a thinking game - I've played it with 9 year olds quite successfully. It's fun! Can be purchased at: Target, WalMart, Amazon.com.
• Scotland Yard - A fantastic game that pits players against the elusive Mr. X. Players roam around London using, taxi's, trains, and walking to capture Mr. X. A fantastic gamily game. Can be purchased at: Target, Amazon.com

Full-Grown and Family:

• Othello - A really clever take on Tic-Tac-Toe but infinitely more fun and tricky to play. Can be purchased at: Amazon.com
• Settlers of Catan - One of my favorites - a strategy building game. Your goal is to create the longest road and link towns together. I salute Celeste and Matt who first introduced me to this game. Whenever I play it I picture them!! Can be purchased at: Target, Amazon.com
• The Big Idea - It's a hilarious game - you'll have to read the website description to get the full effect (please pardon the company name, but I do laugh every time I think of how their executives introduce themselves at trade shows). They also have a "where to find a place that sells this game in your area" button - use it and enjoy! There are even free downloadable games. Have a browse through their website!
• Dominoes - You can't go wrong with Dominoes - so many ways to play them. Click here to learn how to play.

Two fantastic puzzle and game manufacturers are Pressman Toys and Ravensburger (click on either name and it will take you to their site where you can find oodles and gobs of new and wonderful games) look for them in your local puzzles and games store. If you don't have a local shop well, Target and the Internet are the next best thing!!

Sick Sick Sick

Today I am sick. Not a throw up sick. Not a temperature sick. But a good old chest cold sick. Chest colds and I go waaaaaaaay back. I always had chest colds and sinus infections as a kid. Thankfully, chest cold and sinus infection have chosen other targets as I've gotten older.

There!!! There it is, a good reason for getting older!!!!!

I remember long hot showers, chicken noodle soup, lots and lots of apple juice, naps and reading in bed as the way I got over colds as a kid (well, and the occasional trip to the Doctor for a dose of Antibiotics). Strangely enough, that's still how I get over colds today.

And you - how do you get over colds??

Good good life

Random tidbits...

1. Parents love you more and know you better

than anyone else. Take your troubles to them.

The advice they give has your best interest at heart.

2. I get to be home in beautiful Montana for 2 whole weeks

at Christmas and New Year's!! I don't know

if words exist to express how excited I feel.

3. I will be finished with school in 6 weeks

and, supposedly,

I will be a "Master" in school libraries!!!!

Wahooooooooooooo!

Now to find a job....

Stay tuned I am going to post my

First Annual Christmas List:

A guide for every age (and budget)

in a few....

October and Car Accidents

I'm not quite sure what it is about Octobers and cars

(for me at least).

Yesterday I was hit on my way to church.

Last year, in October, I was hit in my rental car.

The year before that, October again -maybe early November,

my brakes went south and had to be replaced.

What is it about cars and October??

Plus side:

I gave the guy who hit me

a pass along card and invited him to church,

I wasn't hurt at all,

though my car is ugly

it is completely useable!

So many silver linings!!

Head above water....barely

Gasp-air-please-gasp....

That is how I feel at the moment.

I am working.

I am student teaching in a high school.

I drive 45 minutes one way to student teach.

I have a class on campus once a week (my last one !!!!!).

In another week I start another student teaching experience in elementary and finish the high school.

I left at 6:45 am today. I returned home at 10 pm.

Only until December.

Hallelujah.

FHE and Parenthood

Tonight we had a fantastic FHE lesson.

Not the royal we, mind you, it was an actual group of single

adults who meet together every week and

partake of a lesson, discussion, friendship,

and of course, food.

The best part of tonight was feeling the spirit.

It was this little constant hum of warmth in my heart

as we listened to the teacher and then as we

listened to each other.

I love when lessons turn out so well!!

The topic was:

being mothers and fathers

(for the most part that was the topic, anyway).

Ironic, considering we're all individuals

who are neither married nor have children of our own.

Oh, but how lovely to learn that

eternally,

we are always mothers and fathers.

What a gift we have as children of God to be parents

and teach children -

our own

or our siblings

or children from church

or our friends children.

Click here to learn more about what I mean.

Ahhh, September has arrived!

September has arrived!

And with it...

*Student Teaching*

*Last Semester of Graduate School*

*Cooler air*

*Apples and apple picking*

*a new baby boy for the Schoenfeld Family (congratulations!!)*

*The wearing of socks (I can't decide if this is a plus or minus)*

*Back to school sales at Office Supply Stores*

This is a photo to remind me of all that is good about summer.

Ice Cream, t-shirts, sunshine, girl's camp, hiking, and fun!

(This was taken on our way back from our 4th year hike

at Girl's Camp-it was a toughie so we thought we all deserved

a little ice cream :-)

Happy Back to School Everyone!

I'm quilting, I'm quilting (say it like the Wicked Witch who is melting in the Wizard of Oz)...

For years, I have harbored a secret love.

Not many knew.

Finally, I succumbed...

Jo-Ann's had an awesome sale one day

on the fabric of my dreams

50% off plus a 10% off coupon!!!

Does it get any better????

No.

Anyway, I decided to make a new bedspread for myself.

The first picture is the the top of my new bedspread

(and is made from "the fabric of my dreams").

The second picture is the back of my new bedspread.

I cut 7 or 8 different fabrics

into 2.5" by 10" strips and sewed them together.

TOP of my soon to be new bedspread

BACK of my soon to be new bedspread.

When it's all sewn together,

I'm going to take the top, the back, and the batting

to a woman who will machine quilt it.

Yay for long arm quilting!

Boo, for the expense!

Oh well, it will be worth it.

Then I get to bind it by hand!!

Don't worry,

I'll add more photos when it's done.

Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light

Oooh La-La, Lovely Legs...

Do you know what Kankles are?

I had them.

Did you notice I said "had"!

Kankles are when your ankles run into your calves.

My sister tells me it is from lack of exercise.

I also have other lumpy parts

but I won't give them

special names.

That's just gross.

So, instead

I will

share what I am doing to get rid of Kankles and lumpy parts.

Interval Training

Ohhh - I hate running. But this only has a little bit.

I like how I feel at the end.

Eat within 30 minutes of finishing your exercise

and make sure

make doubly sure

you eat protein each meal.

The 20-Minute Workout

I love, love this workout.

It really is 20 minutes.

You will feel your muscles burn

(in a good way).

It doesn't require any special equipment

(instead of 5 lb. weights I use a full water bottle).

I still have a few lumpy parts.

But, my kankles are disappearing.

Yay!

I believe in Christ

I've had a lot of things on my mind lately.

The past, the present, the future...

you know, small things like that.

Tonight, as I worked on a quilt that will someday

be my new bedspread,

I decided to listen to a talk by Richard G. Scott.

He is one of 12 apostles of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Perhaps most importantly,

he's a special witness of Jesus Christ.

Listening to him share his own testimony of Christ

and of the blessing of repentance and forgiveness

I was reminded that I know the truth of those things too.

I know that Jesus Christ lives.

I know we have a Heavenly Father and that he loves you and me.

He loves the very worst sinner as much

as the new born child.

I learned that principle several years back -

that no matter what we do -

he loves us tremendously.

He always will.

That it is never too late to repent.

We have never done anything too wrong

that we can't be forgiven.

That is the blessing of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

His perfect sacrifice for each of us.

He did it, so we could repent.

So we could be forgiven.

So we could become clean again.

I will forever be in his debt.

It is His love I seek to feel

and His love I hope to emulate.

If you would like to listen

to Elder Richard G. Scott's talk

please click the link below.

Listen to Richard G. Scott's talk on Jesus Christ

If you wish to read it

please, click the following link.

Read Richard G. Scott's talk on Jesus Christ

It's my birthday!!!!! (tomorrow)

Yay for birthdays and surviving another year.

That's what a birthday is... a celebration of living another year!!!

So, here's to more birthdays and more celebrations!!!

Visitors

Yay for visitors!! Among the many wonderful things

about living in Boston,

is that soooo many people want to come visit!

Including one of my old kindergarten students and her mom

(she's getting ready to enter 5th grade now!!).

We had a blast!!!!

We......

went to a Red Sox game (they won!!).....

we went to the beach (notice the hats).....

again, notice the hats. They purchased these beauties in

the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport on their way here and

thought it would be fun to have matching hats.

Oh, and so that I would be sure to notice them

as I picked them up from the airport.

We had a remarkable number of people comment on them

as we went to the beach, museums, and tourist shops.

Big Bonus with hats like these:

when you scan the crowd searching for each other

all you have to look for is a sparkly hat!

Another day at the beach. I tried waxing eloquent with my camera

I have an unbelievable number of sand, rock, and ocean shots. This is one of them....

And lastly, my pretty bruise that I got from tripping and falling

onto something on the Mayflower II.

It matches my skirt, at least.

I was quite taken with the colors of my pretty not-so-little

bruise and was a little sad to see it fade away!

A Father Indeed

A wonderful man and the type of man every woman hopes to find.

Even in the city...

I love birds, ducks especially, but I'm not too particular.

The other day I was leaving the Boston Temple

heading for Trader Joe's and Whole Foods market.

I saw a bunch of folks with cameras staring up at a building.

Naturally, I did the same thing.

I saw this:

I was thrilled to see a wild bird's next in the middle of busy Cambridge, MA.

I'm not sure what kind of birds they are

but I'm fairly sure they're not the

typical Boston birds: Canada geese, pigeons, crows, robins, etc.

Hawks, maybe.

What a precarious looking ledge.

It doesn't seem to be bothering them any....

Boston Pops

I had a band teacher in high school who was ...

well, simply put - awesome!!

Every spring we played a pops concert complete

with tables on the gym floor and kids serving food and soda.

We played the funniest and most entertaining things.

One year he dressed up in a powder blue tuxedo to conduct

(complete with a ruffled shirt).

All of this was brought back to my mind

after my recent attendance at a Boston Pops Concert.

It was a stunning performance.

It was a tribute to America and patriotism.

They had the flag from the Twin Towers in NY.

It's tattered edges and insides mended with american flags

from other towns across America who also faced disasters.

They had rescue workers (including a rescue dog!!)

who had helped rescue

and recover at ground Zero.

Do you remember singing

"This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land"

in elementary school?

Arlo Guthrie, the son of Woody Guthrie, who wrote the song,

came and performed.

He sang his own music

as well as that famous song of his father's.

He told a lot of jokes.

He was very funny.

The world premier orchestral piece written about the

3 Kennedy brothers Bobby, Ted, and Jack

was performed and narrated by 4 amazing actors:

Cherry Jones, Robert DeNiro, Ed Harris, and Morgan Freeman.

The music was powerful,

the words were taken from speeches

given by each of the three brothers,

and the photos accompanying it all provided

a true view into history.

All in all, an amazing night.

And - the best part -

getting $15 tickets to the "cheap seats".

I may not have had the best view,

but it was good enough for me!

As my mom said,

it doesn't matter if you can see or not,

as long as you can hear!

Fireflies - Glow in the Darkness

Memories

I went to the

Eric Carl Museum of Picture Book Art

on Saturday with some friends

to see my favorite

storyteller:

Jay O'Callahan

He turned one of his stories

into a picture book.

"Raspberries" - it's great

(but his original version is even better!!)

The illustrator is the great grandson

of Grandma Moses.

I loved the museum and seeing my friends

and meeting Mr. O'Callahan.

This morning I woke up missing someone.

Someone I likely won't see or talk to again.

I'm supposed to move on and forget.

But, sometimes

I just don't want to.

You asked for it....

Sorry for the close up of my derrier but you can see the flying ducks the best at this vantage point!!

Don't neglect to notice that I have on my duck wellys (i.e. duck rubber boots).

And of course what post would be complete without a full size photo of yours truly in the duck pants. Here are a few of the responses from friends:

"I can't let you go shopping by yourself."

"You're not six anymore."

"I think you'd be perfect for that show 'What Not to Wear.'"

Blogs, blogs, blogs!!

If you are interested in the rantings and ravings of a future librarian you can also read my library focused blog at: http://gslis.simmons.edu/blogs/admissions/author/karenbingham/

It's a group of blogs for the admissions at Simmons College - my current and soon to be former (yay for graduation!!!) university.

The sun is shining - hallelujah!

I'm a big girl now!!!

A few exciting things this weekend....

1. I have signed all the paperwork and will soon be living in my own apartment - no, I won't own it, but I will be living there alone. It's a studio - but it's absolutely darling AND I get to have a duck bathroom again!!! Ahhh, the simple joys of life..... and speaking of ducks and simple joys in life....
2. I went shopping at L.L. Bean on Saturday to celebrate finding the perfect little apartment. I wandered finally making it to the sale section and learned that on top of the already discounted goodies there was an additional 30% off all markdowns (SWEET!!). And then, to my great joy and amazement, I found a pair of reddish/orangish corduroy pants with little mallard ducks embroidered all over them. That gem of a find was only made more complete by the addition of some sale priced duck embroidered flip flops. Did I purchase them? What do you think.

When I told my good friend A.G. over the phone what I'd purchased I heard her gasp - and then say, "I can't let you go shopping by yourself again."

Who could pass up pants like those??

Helping those in Haiti

Help those in Haiti receive fresh water and basic necessities. Donate now at LDS Philanthropies 100% of your donation goes to those who most need it. Donate what you can - I just did.