BYU Parent's Weekend 2010

Friday Jeffery and Della enjoyed a golf-cart campus tour.
When Lauren got out of class she joined them at the Museum of Art, then they took in a panoramic view from the top of the Kimball tower. When I finished my classes, the four of us went on a behind the scenes tour of the Bookstore and went bowling.

Saturday Lauren, mom and dad went to the "tailgate party" before the football game. We had a doughnut and hot chocolate while VocalPoint (a capella group) and the cheerleaders performed.

Cosmo insisted on some Kodak moments (well okay, some Canon moments.)

It was raining, but we were determined to watch the game against Wyoming.
Our tickets were at the tip top of the stadium, but we had a built in back rest.
When the game started, the stadium was pretty empty, but it filled up by the end.
BYU stayed ahead the whole game, but it got a little dicey
during Wyoming's push in the final minutes.

Midterms

Eek! I'm half way through the semester.
I originally hoped to post a blog about every two weeks, but as you may have noticed, that hasn't happened. In my mind I thought I would create a big summary of everything that happened in those two weeks plus photos. My realization today as I sat in Statistics is I should just squeeze in little posts.
So here is my thought today about taking Statistics. I generally follow the theory well enough, it is the application of formulas to word problems that gets a little hairy. Now that I am more aware of the study of statistics, I recognize it everywhere. It seems like the class is moving so fast, could we just slow the pace down a little, please? For heaven's sake, my second exam is next week!
For fun I will share the essay prompt from my History of Creativity class (which fills a Civilizations requirement): "Imagine a society/nation exists that has placed its emphasis on creativity rather than on territorial control and expansion. Write a 1-2 page foundational epic/myth for this society. What factors or event in the mythical origins of this society would lead to and encourage such a strong focus on creativity? Be sure to include these shaping factors in your story." I know you wish you were in my shoes!
Recently a friend asked how my classes were going. My response: I have not fallen asleep yet although I have been sleepy, and I have watched students next to me fall asleep. I like my classes and find them quite invigorating if not a tad overwhelming.
Well, time to get back to studying.

My goal was to post something about every two weeks, but my time is so precious, I hate to sit at the computer fussing with captions. My other problem is debating what is important enough to share that might be remotely interesting to others. Explanation over. Here is a crash course on some of our comings and goings in the last month:
Homecoming Spectacular, Parade and Football game.
Onion Days
Trip to Heber
Visits from Encinitas friends: Mendioroz
kidney stone
Semester almost half over. It's nearly time to register for Winter Semester classes.
Quilt show
Della-isms
Farmers Market/rain

Farmers Market Recipe:
Roasted Butternut and Gala Apple Soup
5 Servings

4 cups butternut squash, chopped
3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet butter
3 shallots, chopped
1/2 cups onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 Gala apples, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
salt
freshly ground white pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon clove
2 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel and seed butternut squash and cut into large chunks. Toss in a large bowl. Add orange juice, dark brown sugar. Pour into roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 1 hour or until tender.

In a heavy-bottom stock pot place sweet butter; chopped shallots; chopped onions; diced carrots; peeled, cored and chopped apples; and spices. Cook slowly over a medium flame, stirring frequently until very tender. Do not allow to color. Add 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable bouillon. Bring to a low boil. Add squash and juice. Cook for 5 minutes, add the heavy cream and simmer for 5 more minutes. Puree with a hand blender till very smooth. If too thick, adjust consistency with chicken stock; adjust seasoning as needed.

Garnish with sour cream and Asiago cheese if desired.