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Posts Tagged ‘Miss Jesikah’

Aug
18

Winter Edible Gardening

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Things to do

photo credit: Rachel Ford James via photo pin cc

My green thumb is holding a grudge against me at the moment. Due to one crazy spring and equally as crazy summer, my garden is not what I had envisioned or hoped for this year. I really wanted to make it right with my green thumb – such a helpful appendage when gardening. I tried to appease my green thumb by reading “Gia’s Garden”, an incredible resource on the science of ecological gardening. Although it made it happier, it was just not quite the same. So, I had to know something….I know some areas are blessed with the ability to grow edibles all year long, each season blessed with the fruits of their labor. Does our temperate maritime climate allow for such a pleasure?

photo credit: looseends via photo pin cc

Well…not exactly as bountifully in variety as other zones, but yes! I was delighted to learn that those living west of Cascades can enjoy a full Fall and Winter garden. I’m sure many of you already know the joy of winter gardening, but I have just embarked on a new and exciting journey. The Territorial Seed Company located in Oregon has a very helpful Fall and Winter Planting Guide for this zone, with suggestions on great plants to seed in July, August and even some as late as September and October. Their seed catalog notes those that grow exceptionally well in Winter such as the January King cabbage or the white winter bunch green onions. Additionally, they have how to videos on a variety of subjects and even have a free Garden Planner that sends reminders for planting/seeding and even helps you design the your bed for the ultimate harvest.

So for those who may have green thumbs demanding reparations for a neglected spring and summer gardening season….enjoy!

-posted by  Miss Jesikah, who looks forward to fresh greens from her garden in her holiday menu this December!

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Aug
3

A Shockingly Good Read

Posted in Bits and Pieces

I am a mommy by day, and a sleuth by night. Under the cover of darkness, while the children are dreaming, I put on my detective hat and enter the world of a well crafted crime scene in Seattle. I can only say that because if it was real, I would be horrified and question what the world was coming to (and be thankful I do not live in Seattle). But, in the name of fiction I am captivated.

Who knew I was so good at solving crimes? I knew it the first time I read a Nancy Drew novel and fell in love with the world of Sherlock Holmes and his deductive reasoning, as well as when I played the game of Clue. I have even played a character in a real Murder Mystery Dinner quite reminiscent of Agatha Christi’s “Mousetrap”. I simply cannot resist a whodunit, the thrill of figuring it out before the reveal, or the shock of how I could have missed all the clues.

If you are a looking for a dark and stormy night experience on a hot summer day (or night), I recommend the The Professor Bradshaw Mysteries (“Spark of Death” and “Fatal Induction”) which take place in Seattle at the turn of the 20th century (think Model T’s and women fighting for the right to vote).

Local Authoress Bernadette Pajer takes readers on a fast paced journey with a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington, who suddenly finds himself a suspect in a murder (book 1) and a rogue detective for another (book 2). In both stories Benjamin Bradshaw frequents familiar and beloved Seattle hot spots…before they were tourist attractions. There is even an intense scene that happens at Snoqualemie Falls and a drive through Redmond when it was still a small farming town.

The plot is well thought out, and told like an old-fashioned murder mystery (no disturbing CSI scenes with creepy serial killers); and the electrical inventions and devices in the novels are fascinating. It was truly an interesting era to live in. The characters are very well developed, providing much fodder for humor, wit and self-reflection. They beg to become a part of your home, and turning the last page is a bitter farewell. Thankfully, a third book is in the works so I don’t have to truly part with a sniff sniff quite yet!

Check out the YouTube trailer for The Professor Bradshaw Mysteries here and visit her website  to explore the world of Seattle in 1901-1905, with electrical inventions and the truly lovable Professor Bradshaw.

I recommend it will be a shockingly good read, and promise you’ll have a whole new appreciation for the light switch you use everyday without thinking.

-posted by Miss Jesikah who says – It was _______ in the ______ with the _______. Enjoy filling in the blanks with a good mystery read this summer!

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Mar
27

Episode 2: “Revenge of the Geeks”

Posted in Family, Product reviews, Things to do, Things We Love

In a neighborhood far far away, on the planet Google Earth, lived a family of Geeks (see Episode 1) belonging to the Nerd Class (we’ll get to that in a minute). It was a time of rebellion where the Geeks waged war on all that the Nerds had presented as entertainment declaring an upgrade of family values. Their anti-app battle cries filled Google Sky, catching the attention of the Toy and Game industry. Plastic toys with batteries were soon replaced by wooden toys that required imagination and fine/gross motor manipulation. An appreciation for the arts emerged inspiring a bard rising from the days of old, creating true artists, musicians, and writers.

Clusters of Geeks began meeting in homes to celebrate an age-old practice that humans for thousands of years have enjoyed – games. The type any techie neophyte or old school Nerd would applaud.

If you feel your inner-Geek resonating with the power of the not-so-dark side, here are a few recommendations from the Austrian game industry, a must for any who pride themselves in Geekdom. To be acknowledged by any in the Gamer Brotherhood (where you get a +5 speech craft for bragging rights), your game closet should include a game with an Austrian Game of the Year Award noted from the official Wiener Spiele Akademie (Austrian Game Academy), which is similar to our Academy Awards (no joke).

Here are a few academy winners from Wiener Spiele Akademie (you might be surprised by a few that are familiar):

Spiele des Jahres (“Game of the Year”)

1995 – Settlers of Catan

2001 – Carcassonne

2004 – Ticket to Ride

2009 – Dominion

The Academy also has winners for family games, children’s games, multi-player games, two-player games…games for wizards, games for elves, games for space cowboys, games for those who like to wear capes simply because capes are cool (hey, don’t knock LARPers, where would Renaissance Fairs and Highland Games be without them!…Nerds, you’ll have to use your apps to find out what a LARPer is, teehee!). There are also games awarded by the Golden Geek Award and other various academy spin-offs which you can search and review at Board Game Geeks.

Most “Game of the Year” award winners are great for elementary age children as well. The family of Geeks who live in a neighborhood far far away, have 7 and 9 year old boys who are Padawan gamers one day hoping to belong to the Jedi Knights of the Gamer Brotherhood, like their mommy and daddy. Their favorite right now is Carcassonne followed closely by Dominion.

Other note worthy games celebrated in the Gamer Brotherhood include:

“Munchkin”, a fabulous game poking fun at Dungeon and Dragon based RPG’s (and the only way you’ll get to wear Boots of Kick-Ass and get away with it); “Forbidden Island”, where players work together to retrieve artifacts before an island sinks into the abyss (go Indiana Jones style Team Spirit!); “Citidels” a layered game where each round players are secretively a thief, assassin, the king, architect and other characters all using their skills to build the biggest city (get the expansion and play the king and your friends will have to say “Your Excellency” when addressing you or forfeit their turn); and “Pandemic”, another cooperative style game where players try to eradicate disease from claiming all of mankind (hmmm….was this inspired by Stephen King’s “The Stand”?).

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who would like to thank The Academy for bringing the Glory Days of Geek Gaming back to her home. Do you have Spiele des Jahres games in your closet?

 

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Feb
7

Episode 1: A New Hope

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Family

In a neighborhood far far away, on the planet Google Earth, lived a family of Nerds who later became Geeks (we’ll get to that in a minute). It was a time of much celebration as Nerds had risen among the classes to rule and reign, bringing their overactive imaginations, battle glory, competitive spirits, and advanced technology to the masses. Children no longer played with typical toys of generations past, instead preferring AI technology for playmates. The most common were Angry Birds, Swampy, Zombies, Spartans and Master Chiefs. Many learned to read sounding out words like, A..A..Android, and N…N…Netflix. Small self-lighting devices replaced books and family libraries.

The Nerds saw this and although they did not want to remove technology from Google Earth, decided to gift the cheerful citizens with interactive face-to-face play once again. Going back to their roots of hero feats, battle strategy and role playing, they created a realm of board games sure to bring eye contact and non-abbreviated conversations back to the dinner table. This created a faction within the Nerd classes. New Wave Nerds prefer technology where they can instantly +1 their friends or do status updates in all they do each day; but the Geeks remembered Friday nights with pizza and board games and cherished the laughter and original human interfacing….with no technology whatsoever.

If you are a Geek (or perhaps a closet Geek, don’t worry we won’t reveal your secret to your savvy Nerd friends), be sure to check out this website for Board Game Geeks. Many games featured come with familiar hardware like dice, cards you hold in your hand or flip over (also called card drafting in Geek Speak); and boards with pieces that move as the game progresses…and moved by your own gross motor movement, too! You can join blogs, create an account posting the Geekiest games you own sharing your own reviews and even search for a new and exciting game sure to please the whole family.

Stay tuned for the next episode where the Geeks go the battle and declare victory over many new board games that have emerged from the Austrian Board Game Academy.

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who is an old school fantasy Nerd and has always stayed true to her inner-Geek. She still does not have a phone that has apps! Imagine that ;-)

Image: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Jan
11

The day a man leapt through a window for me.

Posted in Bits and Pieces

I frequent the drive-thru Starbucks by my house often and know the brew crew…and they know my name, my van, and even the drink I order the most. That Starbucks is like my “Cheers”, where everybody knows my name. One of the baristas, during our conversation, forgot to give my credit card back to me before I drove off. With a serious brain fog desperately in need of a good cup of Joe, I had not even thought about my card. As I rolled up the window and driving away I hear “Jesikah!”, so I stopped and looked in my mirror saw him waive my credit card out the window. I waved back to let him know I heard, then planned on parking and walking in.

The rest is a memory I will cherish forever: I look in my mirror one more time and I see him leaping through the drive thru window as another car is pulling up (the car saw it coming and crept in slowly, no Starbucks barista was harmed). He is at least 6’ 2”; a tall man! He comes bounding toward me waiving my credit card in the air. Then he leaps to my window, takes a formal stance, bows and then says, “Madame, your card”, gives me a boyish smile like he is oh so charming. The only stupid thing I can think of at that moment, “I could have walked in, but thanks, that was awesome”. I’m so very clever in chivalrous moments ;-) He replies (boyish smile still in place), “But that was so much more fun”, then turns, and runs back to the drive-thru window and climbs back in, not going back in through the front door.

My morning is complete. I can now say, I had the man who made my morning coffee leap through a window for me with a wink and a bow!

Although our teachers do not have drive-thru windows to leap through for you, I know they cherish each and every child that walks through their door. We want you to leave every class blessed and with a smile on your face with memories and stories to share with your friends and your loved ones!

Have a funny story to share? We would LOVE to hear it! We may even post it : ). Share a funny customer service story, a funny memory or even something hilarious your child did or said (children are great resources for humor); and we’ll give you a special $10 voucher toward tuition or merchandise. Share with your friends and when they register and we’ll make it $25 for each of you! Send all funny stories to jesikah@studio3music.com and stay tuned for more!

-posted by Miss Jesikah, who looks forward to sharing a laugh and a smile with you, so be sure to send a funny story her way!

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