Meat Pies and Australia Day

The snow is mostly melted, there are only a few icy snow banks lying around.  But it is still cold!  This morning dropping Tom at school is was still 16F outside which is -9C.  A funny came through from Craig Raeside via Leslie "Many are cold, but few are frozen!" (Well, I enjoyed that!)

A tree directly outside our back yard.  Everything looks very pretty with the snow.

 

Clement Park Lake, not far from Columbine High.  The snow has melted away but the Lake is completely frozen



Another angle.  These pics were taken at about 8am, with outside temp at -9C.  Didn't stay long!!
















 This past week became busy!  I attended a CubScout Committee meeting, which essentially planned out the activities for the coming year.  I have a new friend called Heather who is also a cub leader.  During the planning, I asked her 'what's a weeny roast?'  Which she laughed at!!  A 'weenie roast' is a sausage sizzle using pop dogs or precooked 'dogs' using a stick over a fire!!  She thought 'sausage sizzle' sounded hilarious and refered to it during the rest of the meeting!  (There are so many different names for the same thing.  I'll have to write them down and include a list in the next blog!)
The next evening was a den combined activity to a local fire station, where 'Fireman Bob' (as opposed to Postman Pat) showed our troop around.  The kids really enjoyed it, and so did I.  I can see I'm going to have fun teaching these boys how to pronounce some words (like Australia) with an Australian accent!!

My art class was fantastic.  I fear this is going to get very boring as I rave on how much I am enjoying learning this skill each week.  I have been very pleased with my new painting, and am in the process of doing it again to practise some of the techniques.  Chuck, the art teacher, was very pleased with my first effort and it was critiqued along with others in our class group.  I need to use correctly weighted paper so the colour doesn't pool and need to work on my trees, because no two trees are alike! Cool! He said the next one should be 'tremendous'. Well, thats a high expectation, but I really appreciate the encouragement.  I have some drawings of the girls (ie Chloe & Zayla) that I would like to watercolour if I can be brave enough. 

Second effort... the original shows stronger colour

.. the kitchen table as my art studio!

On Thursday my lovely friend Donna, picked me up and patiently showed me where to grocery shop!  She showed me Cosco's and Sam's Club.  They are both huge warehouse places with bulk food items piled very high. So many items, grocery & non-grocery.  I have never seen so much food or variety.  What a great place to get food storage items, and general groceries buying in bulk.  I have to go back with Rick and join one, perhaps take a short clip to show here.  Amazing...  I need to be a member to shop at these two places, an annual fee of $40 or $50 to get great discount prices, but since we're here for a while, I might as well.

On Friday, Heather picked me up and we went to lunch!!  Now this is quite the lifestyle you have to agree! We met up with 5 other mums and 3 cute little girls and ate ate the Sweet Tomato Salad Bar (that's 'sweet to-mate-o'), all you can eat salad, soup & dessert.. Very nice.  Oh, I could get used to this - art classes, shopping, lunch... just when normally, I would be back at work sifting through invoices, general ledger journals, banking and budgets.

On Saturday evening Rick & I attended an Exchange Teacher induction session for all of the 7 Australian exchange teachers here in Denver for this year.  It was really lovely to be in a room full of Aussie accents and being able to compare experiences so far!  We learned a bit more about our Visa requirements and Teaching conditions and other helpful tidbits, eg, we should not ever turn off the furnace that controls the central heating, like we might turn heat off in Australia to save energy.  If we do, or let the heat drop below 60F (15.5C), the pipes will freeze!  Hmm thanks for that one!!  Rick is on a J-1 Visa, and myself and the kids are on a J-2 which is essentially to gain a cultural professional experience.  If at anytime Rick needed to leave the country,eg family emergency, we can't stay here without him, or we would be illegal aliens!! And if we want to hop over the border to visit Canada, we have to notify the education agency so we can have the correct paperwork to reenter the USA.  So it looks like we need to get cracking and organise our summer itinery!  Rick would definitely like to visit Montreal, where he served his mission.  (I love tagging along!!)


Westridge Elementary - The reason we are all here in the USA!!

Westridge Elementary -  low lines, central plan design



Columbine High School as I'm driving out!

This meeting was followed by and Australia Day Party at someones home, where everyone who has ever gone to Australia as an exchange teacher from Denver, came, including 2 who have just returned from being away in 2010.  It was excellent being able to talk to people who love the things we love!!  We received offers of accomodation and help for our travels here.  We continue to find the people here very kind and extremely generous.  There was also a pile of winter snow clothes for the taking to use.  We just leave them behind for the next group at the end of the year.  This is so helpful!! There are activities organised by the exchange throughout the year so we can catch up.  The first one is this coming Saturday: Snow-shoeing at Estes Park about 2 hours drive north from here into the Rocky's.  (Wish me luck getting the kids up before 6 on a Saturday!!)

On Sunday, I was invited by another new friend Michelle Ballard, (Michelle B also!) to attend the BYU Women's Conference in late April with her and 2 others. A 2-day conference staying at BYU in Utah!  I am so very excited for this opportunity.  (Suddenly not feeling quite so homesick!!)

I have been trying to capture the squirrels.  Rabbits and squirrels  are frequent vistors to our yards and pathways.  Very cute they are scampering away and playing at some game.  But they are very quick and by the time I grab the camera they have moved on.  Here is a poor movie effort, but hopefully enough to show Chloe & Zayla the squirrel in Grandma's tree!

Mr Rabbit, very tame, down by Clement Pk lake

There's a squirrel in my tree, with a long bushy tail!

Tom & I have had a hankering for a meat pie! (funny, I should say that after talking about rabbits and squirrels!! Beef is the preferred option!)  I even dreamed I was eating one the other night. Silly!  They don't have them here, the closest thing I have found is called a 'pot pie' which is a fairly deep pie in a foil plate, chicken & veg.  The pastry is more like a short pastry however, like you find on a custard tart, but not so sweet.  I found some frozen pastry sheets, but only 2 to a pack for $5.00 so I decided I would have to make my own.  Has anyone made flakey puff pastry from scratch??  Well, I never had.  I just love the frozen sheet pastry you BUY!!  Anyway, thanks to the Australian Women's Weekly recipes online, I have a great recipe.  I tried it out yesterday, a little time consuming since I used muffin tins -  but they turned out like large party pies and were a hit.  Now I have an order for a dozen for Rick to take to school for Australia Day tomorrow!!  (I have started something now!) Hopefully I get quicker at making them!! 


My first attempt at flakey puff pastry from scratch!



Tom approved!! (they didn't last long between everyone!)

Sarah, Tom & I all had severe sore throats during the week, but have recovered now..  I'm not surprised, since this is the second back to back winter, in a new country with new germs.  I think we have done well considering.  Well, I have a painting to finish, another to start and some pies to make.  Might add some Anzac Biscuits to the order. I'm starting to really appreciate the 'solitude', there really is much to do!!

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY EVERYONE!  (We'd better review 'Advance Australia Fair'!!)