Hansel and Gretel at the MET in IL?????

Pleasant surprises are sometimes found in the strangest places! Who would have known that we could see a Metropolitan Opera performance in this corn field surrounded town???? But we can. HOW???? Fathom, Groundbreaking Cinema Entertainment makes it possible. Maybe a theather near you is participating??!!! Check it out.

Today we went to a local theather and saw a simulcast performance of the opera Hansel and Gretel. Performed at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. And it was good!!!

The opera we saw today was a modern adaptation of the orignal classic fairy tale. For more details about Grimm's story of Hansel and Gretl visit:
http://www.mordent.com/folktales/grimms/hng/hng.html
http://www.ivyjoy.com/fables/hansel.html

Our review - highly recommended going to the MET in your local comminity. Where else can you go the opera without having to dress up, pay high ticket prices, and eat popcorn and frozen cokes while watching an opera performance?!!!

Our Movie Review - Savoy 16 Guests

We decided before we even came to IL that we would go to the movies. And we have done that!!! Here is our movie reviews of what we've seen:

12/31 - The Great Debaters: B's review - Boring. T's review - Good historical piece. Did a good dramatizing the struggle. M's review - Excellent acting. Great way to supplement our current history curriculum. Think B would be great as a debater. Highly Recommended. **** stars

12/30 - Alvin and the Chipmunks: B's review - Hilarious. Great for kids. Loved the squeaky voices. Recommended. T's review - Children's movie. M's review - cute, but slow in some places. Okay. ** stars

12/29 - National Treasure: The Book of Secrets: B's review - Great movie. Action packed and keeps you on your toes. Great special effects. Recommended. T's review - similar to the previous National Treasure movies, just different story line. M's review - good action. Would love to visit the sets! *** stars

Wholemovement Geometry Class 101 - Beginners

Wholemovement Geometry - who said doing geometry during vacation was boring?? Not us!!! And I think our friends in California would agree. They are the ones who recommended this activity.

Okay, we are about two hours into this. My fingers are killing me and it has now been confirmed, I am spacially challenged!! But we are having a great time. Our friends recommended the dvd, which B got for Christmas, and the book. Between the dvd (visual and audio), the book (visual and words), and the three of us (audio and hands on) we are figuring it out. Can we say multi-sensory learners??

Since our plan is to stay in where it's safe on this New Year's Eve, we are going to order pizza in, watch movies on cable and fold and create. So check back in the New Year to see how we ended up ringing 2008 in!!!

Where Will We Work Out and get P.E. credit????

We are, again, in Champaign visiting T. He was home last week for Christmas. This week B and I traveled here for New Years. We are again spending some checking out the community to see what it will have to offer, once we move. Today we checked into community ed, fitness centers, and the University Rec IM facilities.

So what is it we want to do? M wants to have work out facilities and machines. A pool too. B wants to play racquetball. And we aren't sure but we don't think T wants anay part of this, but he did say he'd play racquetball too. We've also talked about learning to play tennis and squash. Off we went to find out he best possible places....

THE FITNESS CENTER: We found racquetball courts here, cardio equipment, a complete class list, free weights, and other machines. It is a little older facility. They have lots of equipment. No pool, but everything else we wanted.

Second stop: CRCE on the campus. We were pleasantly surprised! There is TONS of equipment, two pools, tons of basketball courts, 3 racquetball courts, 1 squash court, nice locker rooms, a padded track, classes, etc......Then we stopped at the desk and the 'tour guide' told us the university is building a brand new Rec IM center, that will open in May 08. There will be 12 racquetball courts!!!! Just an example of how this new facility will "drawf" the current building. AND they are keeping the old bulding open too!

Stop 3 was the Urbana Aquatic Center: This, again, was a beautiful facility. If B was going to be on a swim team this would be a perfect place for us. But other than the pool, there was no other equipment available.
Last stop was the UI Ice Rink: Mostly we just wanted to see what was here. Nice rink, but no other PE opportunities available.

Hands down, this is an easy decision!!! It looks like once we get moved we'll become members of the campus Rec IM. We can get membership because of where T works and we don't need to find a sponsor!!!! So watch our UofI, once we get here we are going to be taking advantage of your facilities. T and I need to relearn how to play racquetball (which we both did about 100 years ago). Then M wants to learn tennis and I think B will join me. And I'm guessing we'll all learn how to play squash. Let fitness begin!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!

This is how B has spent his afternoon, creating!!!! We'd like to wish everyone in our family, and friends too, a Verry Merry Christmas!!!! Follow the link below for a very special show. And B says, "turn on your sound."

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1434450761

Microbiology Pathology Lab - U of M

Our second trip to U of M today was with our 4H Vet Science club. We were invited to a special lecture/lab with Dr. Gordon. The kids got to learn a little about tissue pathology and then used microscopes to look at lung, heart and skin tissue. Each slide was then reviewed, in detail, by Dr. Gordon about the abnormalities on the slide. It was very I N T E R E S T I N G!!! Come take a look with us.

Studious boy :)
Dr. Gordon
Class of 4H Vet Science Members (and some students from an Ypsi group)
Melenoma cells
4H Vet Science Group

Taste Of Asia - Stearns Music

Today we got to enjoy two wonderful (and very different) educational opportunities at the University of Michigan. We got to study World Cultures and Arts at the music school and micropathology at the medical school. We are so fortunate and will truly miss UofM when we move to IL!! Come on along on our Asian trip

Percussion session in the Gamelean Room. We learned about the Lion Dance and the gong and drum music that goes along with the Lion Dance. We participated in a music machine and made our own version of music using the pot lids and beaters and keys that we brought along with us. And B even got his STOMP experience working into the discussion.

Looking for instruments that match our Chinese writing lesson.

The second half of our visit was a focus on Chinese Opera. We learned about the characters, colors on masks and the fact that the mask/costumes and music are really what defines what is going on on the stage.

Then some of our students were transformed!!


And who might this be?

Today we got to enjoy two wonderful (and very different) educational opportunities at the University of Michigan. We got to study World Cultures and Arts at the music school and micropathology at the medical school. We are so fortunate and will truly miss UofM when we move to IL!!

Michigan Great Lakes International Draft Horse Show

We ventured to MSU Pavillion today (and our friends who we used to do so many wonderful things with in Lansing crossed our minds). We visited MSU for the Michigan Great Lake International Draft Horse Show. B is more convinced than ever that we should get him a pair of draft mules, so he can start training for pulling and riding!!! Since it wasn't long ago, you may remember on previous blog posts, we have recently seen a draft horse pulling contest. And during a farm tour we saw a 6 hitch team of belgian horses. At this event there are TONS of classes, from dynomometer pulling, to wagon pulling, to plowing events, etc. B really wanted to see the big teams work and then the heavy weight draft teams pulling.

Our evening of viewing began with the unicorn hitch of belgians. Unicorn meaning 3 horses and the front hitched horse is a single horse (versus double in other classes), followed by a double hitch of horses. Below is the winning hitch for this belgian unicorn wagon hitch class. (for more on unicorn hitch you can visit http://www.ruralheritage.com/reading_room/dictionary.htm, and click on the U)

Beautiful percheron in the unicorn position, waiting to enter the ring.
Here is the 6 horse hitch of Belgian horses that we saw when we went on the farm tours in Grass Lake in September. They ended up 5th in their class.
This is a 6 mule hitch. Not draft mules like B wants, just regular size mules.
B wanted to see the 6 and 8 horse hitching teams work. And he was NOT disappointed when the 8 horse teams entered the ring. Due to the length of the teams and wagons, they had to judge 3 teams, then they left the arena and the last 2 teams came in. This was a team of Clydesdales. This team won the 8 team class.

8 horse hitch of belgians.
Another 8 horse hitch of belgians.
3 of the 5 teams in the 8 horse hitch class.
All 5 of the teams in the 8 horse hitch class. It was pretty awesome to see all these teams together in one arena!!!! I, too, was not disappointed!!!
Earlier in the day they had outdoor plowing and field events. We didn't get an opportunity to watch these. But this team is the winning seated plowing team. And it's owner was named 2007 Plowman of the year (he is not pictured, but the lady standing with the team won 2nd in her class).

And the Pièce de résistance of the evening. PULLING!!!!
There were a total of 21 heavy weight teams. We're talking BIG teams. Most were between 4700 and 5800 pounds.
After the 2nd round of pulling, at 3800, about 10 teams were out. Unfortunately, it was 10:30 and we still needed to drive home. So we ended up not being able to see who won. But we were, again, amazed at the power of these horses. B has not waivered in his want to become a "teamster."

Cranberry Fields Forever

I am sure in 1967 if the Beatles knew about cranberry bogs, the lyrics of their song, "Strawberry Fields Forever" may have been different :) It might have went something like this:


Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Cranberry Bogs.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Cranberry Bogs forever.


Today we went to South Haven, Michigan for the Cranberry Harvest Festival at DeGrandchamp Farms.



Young cranberry plants, which are generally planted in June. At full growth, the plants are only about 6-8 high, but very dense. They are vine types plants, so runners off the main plant will produce more plants. Plants will produce for approximately 7 years.


Cranberry fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Division:Magnoliophyta
Class:Magnoliopsida
Order:Ericales
Family:Ericaceae
Genus:Vaccinium
Subgenus:Oxycoccus
Species: Vaccinium erythrocarpum, Vaccinium macrocarpon, Vaccinium microcarpum, Vaccinium oxycoccus





Unflooded cranberry bog.
Flooded cranberry bog.
Cranberries under the water, still attached to the plants, waiting for the wet harvest.

Wet harvest tractor. Yes, they drive this right out into the water.
Havest begins.
This is what happens after just one swipe down the bog.
Once the tractor does it's job, the bog workers have to "clean up" the edges of the bog to get the berries that the tractor can't get.

The inside of a cranberry is hollow, which makes it bouyant and helps the harvest process.
This bog is going to be dry harvested. They dry harvest part of the crop because it allows us to store the cranberries for further use (like Thanksgiving and Christmas). In this bog, they will use a machine that they walk behind to harvest the berries. This field will not be flooded.
Dry harvest machine.
Front of dry harvester.
Cranberry bog waiting for dry harvest.

Sorting and packing facility.