welcome home

So, how exactly does one go about constructing these planters?

The cinder blocks are easily purchased at a local home improvement big box store like Home Depot or Lowe’s.

Succulents, small ornamental grasses, and mosses appear to do the best. In order to protect what’s underneath the cinder block and retain the potting soil, I would suggest either lining them with heavy perforated plastic and/or rabbit wire (black tarp sheeting you can buy to keep the weeds out would work, as well).

Another lower maintenance option is to use the cinder blocks in partly shady areas. If you aren’t prepared to water them everyday, the plants may bake to death in full sun. Some moisture retaining potting soil, such as Miracle-Gro, might help, also.

If you would like to eliminate the extra step and expense of lining the blocks for retaining the soil, just leave your plants in decorative pots instead of planting directly into the concrete blocks.

I think I’ve narrowed down where to place my new cinder block planters. Have you?

I would, however, highly suggest bypassing the metallic gold spray paint. Just my completely, utterly, unbiased opinion…

happy gardening,

christine

Shockingly Silent

August through June I have life on speed dial. Yes, like any good volunteer my phone “favorites” do include both ABC’s I work with, the CDD and the infamous SKRM number. Each week there are minutes to read, reports to review and endless emails dealing with chapter business. Thankfully I have two amazing advisory and corp boards that work so hard and share the load. They truly give so much of themselves I am blessed to have found such awesome sisters. Balanced with my Sigma Kappa “to do”  is the endless emails at work, conferences, grading, school events, grading, students  and yes still more grading…then here comes June. Nothing – sweet nothing…..no more late night emails, calls or texts. No more ideas in the shower (yes admit it you also have had some great ideas while lathering your hair) or mad dashes to Dunkin Donuts on the way to work–so often the drive through guy knows my order as I pull up. Things slow down just long enough for me to catch a breath, reflect and renew for another year ahead.

Summer of “The Violet Bubble”

Throughout the year we have the wonderful, sister-filled “Violet Bubble.” For collegians it is composed of meetings, rituals, recruitment, socials and philanthropy. Nights laughing with their sisters decorating another poster for some campus event. For alumnae it could mean monthly meetings, catching up with sisters via Facebook, time spent volunteering or attending COTS or Convention. My summer will have time in the bubble as I attend an officer retreat with Gamma Zeta, Northern Illinois University, a wedding with Sigma Kappa sisters from my chapter and my 8th Convention donning Diamonds and Denim to become a Diva for a night.. or two.

“Sons” of Summer

Alongside my sisters, I have two energetic (read: tire me out.every.day) sons. They are up at 6 a.m. ready to conquer a pool, a park and everything in between. We spend our mornings running errands and after lunch its GO time. Every day is spent with neighborhood kids playing in our pool (not some fancy one but its a large blow up that does just fine for me) or riding bikes and having the carefree summer every 6 and 3 year old should have. Time is spent on the T-Ball field cheering on our little leaguers to spending Saturday mornings at swim lessons. I do realize how lucky I am as a teacher to have some down time, but honestly there are still a lot of lessons to be planned, workshops to attend, and any work I can do on my “to do” list before that fateful August day when my 6-year-old becomes a first grader and my little baby becomes a pre-schooler and I, once again, turn into Mrs. D, teacher, instead of “Nate’s mom.”

How can I have a Sigma Kappa Summer and what ways are “good ways” to spend those precious summer days? Is there a trip to see a sister, alumnae event or perhaps a Convention in your future. How can Sigma Kappa contribute to those sunny summer days? One of our bloggers shared this website: http://deliacreates.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-bucket-list.html

The author shared a fantastic idea of a summer bucket list! She, her husband and their two boys sat around and brainstormed all the fun things they wanted to do that summer. Writing on clothespins using sharpie markers, they attached their summer goals to a bucket. Every activity achieved a pin was dropped in the bucket! What a fantastic idea and a way to get everyone involved, contributing and keeping things FUN! I think I’m going to try that with my boys and maybe bring it to the chapters I work with for a “Sigma Kappa Sisterhood” Bucket list. Now, off to get my “to do” started! Happy Summer Sisters!

Dreaming of Paradise

I can’t think of one mom I know that is not looking forward to summertime.  We are all NATZ: In A Tizzy. I start dreaming of summer in late April, and start counting the down the days at the beginning of May. Our family’s schedule is crazier in April and May than Christmas time.  Is anyone else like that? Please tell me you are! I feel like I need to hire someone from FedEx or UPS to do my logistics.

But ahhhh, summertime, it’s para, para, paradise.  (We’ve been listening to a lot of Coldplay, can you tell?) Summer is a chance for this momma and children to take a big breath for a few short weeks. No need to be up at the crack of dawn to get ready for school, and there is no staying up late for schoolwork. (Unless you’re a senior who has decided to load his last year in high school with AP classes. That is another story for another posting!) By the time May gets here, the fam needs some time to recharge our proverbial batteries and then gear up for the next school year.  We don’t quit everything in the summer, but we are more laid-back than during the school year. We spend a lot of time reading, going to Summer Blast a.k.a. vacation bible school, my children are on the local swim team, and I really try to keep my house clean. This last thing is very hard, and I’m not as successful as I want to be. Five against one are not fair odds. Oh well, the mess is just for a little while.

What are some of your family’s favorite things to do in the summertime?

My children do not like the beach…boo! They like going to a lake instead. Their reasoning is that there is no sand and there is not anything big enough in the lake to eat or sting them. It does make a little bit of sense, and where we live there are several lakes in less than an hour or hour and a half driving distance. (I just miss the great breeze that comes off the ocean.) We swim, ski, kneeboard, jump off big rocks, and visit with friends. It is a great way to relax and unwind. (I still have to clean, but the whole fam helps, so it makes it a little easier.)

Right now, I’m dreaming of a hot steak fresh off the grill after a day of doing very little; right now, I’m dreaming of yelling for my children to swim faster at a swim meet; right now, I’m dreaming of cookouts and laughter with friends. But I’m stuck in reality, dreaming of para para paradise, but still celebrating life!

This is the first time I have tried this, and for me…I think it came out wonderfully. Three main ingredients that you will need will be

• Apples
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients

The first step to having a wonderful dessert for a hot summer night will be to cut the apples into slices. I like for them to be a little bit more thick. This kind of reminds me of apple pie filling. But healthier…before the ice cream.

Apples sliced and covered in cinnamon.

I baked the apples at 275 degrees for two hours. At the one hour mark, I flipped the apples over and then covered that side with cinnamon as well. I baked the apples for the last hour checking on them every 15 minutes. The thinner the slices, the crispier the apples will become. You can make apple chips this same way, just cut the apple more thin.  Take them out of the oven and top them on top of your vanilla ice cream and you have a delicious sweet summer dessert.

Have you all made these before? Do you have tips on what you like to do when you make sweet apple chips or baked apples for ice cream? Is there other fruit that you would like to try this with? Also, what recipes or crafts would you like for me to try? I have several things lined up for the next couple of months, but I would love to hear what you all have to think or would like to see.

I hope that you all have a wonderful summer and don’t forget to let me know what you all think!

Love always in the Dove

–Lisa

Summer is right around the corner, 

Summer is also about the pool and beach, and while my girls might not be taking their books to the beach, you can bet I am! I personally enjoy a light book that is easy to follow, as we all know how many times you will get interrupted while there. I will also admit to preferring paperbacks over hardcover for easier transportation. I have even been known to pick up favorite books in both types to have a travel copy! Many of you now have e-readers, those I have been told are great for travel, and while I have seen them at the pool and beach, I am not sure if I would like that. (if you have one let me know your thoughts!!)

So what to read…

If you haven’t already discovered her, let me introduce you to Mary Kay Andrews. She has nine books out, all but the newest I can recommend easily. The most recent Spring Fever is on my list to read this summer. Her books are full of great female characters with such heart and soul that you can’t help but cheer for them in their misadventures. These are all stand-alone books, which makes them great for relaxed reading (no trying to remember who did what in the last novel).

Another favorite author of mine is Lynn Kurland. Her time travel romances will leave you wanting to pick up another one, and fortunately she has written a large quantity with a duo family timeline to assist you along your way. Her newest book All for You, which is next in my stack of books, is sure to be a fun romp through current and medieval England.

I try to throw in one book that will challenge my brain a bit. This summer it’s that classic I promised myself I would read this year that has been sitting on my bedside table staring at me for the last few months! I also generally read one or two off my girls’ school reading lists. I like to know what they are reading, as I am not always in agreement about what the Young Adult genre feels is appropriate, plus it’s great for starting dialog.

What will you be reading this summer?  How and where will you be reading it?

What was the main reason I never felt like a second class citizen in the geek world?

Two words: My mom.

Although both of my parents were always very encouraging of anything I wanted to do, I think my mom was the more geeky influence of the two. She never earned her bachelor’s degree (which is partly my fault, since she was a stay-at-home mom for many years) but she was always a geek at heart. My dad has done pretty well adopting new technology over the years, but I don’t think he craves it like Mom always did. For example, when I was in high school, she and I sent away for a TS1000 computer so we could put it together and tinker with it. He watched, amused, from the sidelines, but didn’t jump into the project.

I believe that having a geeky female role-model throughout my childhood kept me from assuming that only boys liked math or science. I remember my mom reading books like The Dancing Wu Li Masters, which explained mysticist interpretations of quantum physics, and The Cuckoo’s Egg, a 1989 book about cybercrime. She never made a “honey do” list for my dad, since she liked to fix stuff and build things; she was slowly, but steadily, collecting all the Time-Life books on home repair and improvement. She was always learning new things (like off-set printing and orthoptics) in her part-time jobs. She would happily give my friends impromptu demonstrations of how polarized lenses worked whenever we went to see movies that required 3-D glasses.

But in addition to her geek streak, she was also the epitome of compassion. If there was a stray cat that needed saving, she’d take it in. In fact, she took in a few stray people over the years too. One example: When my brother and I were still in elementary school, she went to the emergency room because of a sewing accident. While in the waiting area, she met a hiker who was there for a broken leg. She offered to let him pitch his tent in our backyard until he had recuperated. And she was always willing to defend those who couldn’t fend for themselves. One of the boys in our neighborhood was complaining of an earache. She asked why he didn’t go to the doctor. He said his parents thought he was exaggerating, so they wouldn’t take him. But she believed him, so she drove him to the emergency room. Turned out his eardrum was perforated. Left untreated, he might have become deaf in one ear. Boy, did she give that kid’s parents a talking to!

My mom was such a dynamic person that it was quite a blow when she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of sixty. She didn’t just roll over and take it, though. She and my dad heard that doing puzzles could help to slow down the disease. So she did puzzles. She heard that learning a new language could slow down the disease. So she started studying Hebrew. Perhaps all that fighting worked, since despite the fact that she lost the ability to verbalize, she retained her good humor and love of music until the disease took her last June, at the age of 70. As the family gathered around her bed to ensure she wasn’t alone for her final days and hours, we celebrated her life by telling stories of how compassionate, forgiving, funny, and geeky she was.

The last thing I told her before she left us was something my grandmother said to me many years ago as I was working through her “honey do” list during a visit to Oklahoma:

I thought you might turn out to be a lady, but it looks like you’ve turned out just like your mother. Only interested in tools, math, and engineering.

I don’t think she meant it as a complement, but all I can say in response is:

Thank God for that!

Today’s Live Sigma Kappa guest blogger is Teri Centner. Teri is an alumna of Theta Lambda Chapter at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of the DC Sigmas Alumnae Chapter. Teri also volunteers for Sigma Kappa as online community coordinator.

www.tervis.com

How much water would you say you drink per day? I know that I consume at or around 72 ozs. per day on the days that I am not exercising. Add a workout, and I am looking at over 100 ozs. It is common knowledge that we should be consuming 64 ozs. (or 8 glasses) of water per day, but I am reading more and more that the number for women should be around 91 ozs! A great way to kick off summer is to be aware of all of the ways we can add value and quantity to our daily fluid intake.

I find it to sometimes be a burden to drink just water. I am one of those girls who prefers juice, and loves an ice cold Coca-Cola. Does this even count towards my total? Yes, it sure does.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies indicates that the recommended 91 ozs. be from all beverages and foods. This is good news for us this summer. Here in the southern states, we enjoy fresh, seasonal watermelon and citrus at our picnics and cookouts. These can all be great sources of hydration, but also contain essential nutrients to preserve energy. Having fresh fruit as part of the meal makes it convenient to manage hydration levels, and it is delicious.

Additionally, those flavored drinks that are high in sugar and low in nutrition are just that! Though they do not directly impact hydration levels, they may not provide the essential nutrients needed to maintain ideal body function. Try adding mint, lemon, berries or even frozen fruit to add value to your beverage–they also go great with water to create a natural “super drink” that looks beautiful and tastes good too!

It is always a good idea to increase your intake of fluids during exertion or even when you are not sweating during activities in the pool or shade. Lack of sweat is not a lone indicator of hydration level. Some signs of dehydration to pay attention to are listed below:

• headache
• change in mood or lack of energy
• muscle cramps
• concentrated urine

Be sure to observe your family or friends as well. Everyone’s body won’t hydrate the same, so some people need more or less attention than others.

I have linked some great information sites to the bottom of this post so that you can obtain additional information that I felt would be useful from the same places that I read from. As always…

Live on Purpose and Live Sigma Kappa.

References: Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, WebMD, Urinecolors.com

So, the term staycation isn’t new (it first started popping up into the vernacular a few years ago). The idea behind the term has been around for much longer- taking time off of work, but staying close to home. But I think it becomes more and more of a pertinent idea for many of us who still want (or more importantly, need) to take a vacation, but are looking for more affordable options. Statistics suggests that only 57% of Americans take all of their vacation days. Don’t be in that 33%!!!

Put your feet up, you're on vacation!

I think the tricky thing with staycations is making them feel like a more traditional vacation. Too often, I’ve fallen in the trap of taking some time off work, in need of a break, only to find myself working twice as hard at home. It could also be tricky to keep things fresh and interesting in an environment you see day in and day out.

Some thoughts on making a staycation worth sending a postcard about:

• Don’t get sucked into errands, DIY projects, cleaning, etc. If you need a day or two at the beginning or end to get stuff done, make sure to keep the major ‘non-vacationy’ stuff to a bare minimum during your break. We need vacations to relax, recharge and get out of our normal routines.
• Find unique attractions in your town. I’m a big museum person, so I love discovering unusual museums like the Ancient Spanish Monastery in Miami (the oldest building in the Western Hemisphere), The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, The Museum of Bad Art in Boston, or my all time favorite, Marsh’s Free Museum in Long Beach, Wash. Or, if museums aren’t your thing, check out neighboorhoods, shops, restaurants that you’ve never tried before. There is probably something weird in a zip code near you.
• Explore the great outdoors. Summer, especially for those of us in the north, is a great time to get outside. Have you been to all the state and national parks within driving distance of where you live? Camping close to home can also be a great option. If you don’t have a lot of camping equipment- not to worry, most stores like Eastern Mountain Sports and REI let you rent tents and other larger items.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore- less than 90 minutes from Chicago!

• Check out hotel deals for your area. I find it very relaxing and exciting to stay in a hotel, even if for only a night, and even if it’s only a few miles from where I live. Many hotels have more affordable rates during the week, or you may find buisness-oriented hotels have weekend deals. Popular sites like Priceline.com or Hotwire.com can often snag you really inexpensive hotel rooms, especially if you’re not particular on specific chain or location within town.
• If you’re vacationing with other people, assign each person a day to plan. I’ve done this a few times with my family, and it’s always interesting to see what people come up with. It also takes some of the planning stress off of you, if you’re like me and like a good plan. You could even have themes for the days to up the ante. Beach Day, International Day, Oldest ______ in Town Day, Free Day, Famous Residents’ Day- so many possibilities! I’m sure this community of sorority girls could come up with some killer themes (and t-shirts to match!).

What makes a good Staycation?

What would your ideal Staycation look like?

Remember the poem now and those feelings?

I pay my alumnae dues for the same reasons I fought to memorize that poem each year. I pay because I am grateful for my “when the bottom falls out” sisters who I call when I need a listening ear and non-judgmental heart. I pay because I value my memories and my future adventures. I pay because I’m grateful Sigma Kappa helped me to walk confidently out the front door.

Sigma Kappa is a part of me and I am part of her.

Money is tight. Believe me, I get it. I greatly value one extra night of not cooking and hitting the nearest take-out place. But I also know the amazing feeling of being a contributing member of Sigma Kappa. I value the feeling of giving back to the organization that changed my life. I want to thank Sigma Kappa for teaching me to interview and be interviewed during recruitment. I want to thank her for teaching me to work with different personalities and backgrounds. I want to ensure that other young women are receiving the support and resources needed to develop into independent and confident women.

Less than 3% of alumnae pay their dues.

Less than 3% of our membership pay dues. But it is more than just paying $25 a year (that’s it – national dues are ONLY $25 a year!). It’s more than being eligible to win one of five Kindle Fires (although you can and you should!) Paying your alumnae dues is about you being a part of the sisterhood knot. It’s about you holding tight to your part of the string so that no one falls through the cracks. One day, I hope my daughter will stumble up the same back stairs, find loving arms to support her, and walk confidently out the front door. I’m willing to support Sigma Kappa today to ensure so my daughter can join tomorrow. I ask you today, is Sigma Kappa part of your lifetime or just a college memory? If she is just a memory, I hope you take her out, dust her off, and embrace the lifetime legacy of Sigma Kappa. Remember what it feels like to be a part of something bigger than just you, while at the same time something so personal and close to your heart.

Are you willing to Live Sigma Kappa?

This post was written by Amy Denson, National Vice President for Alumnae