Barbara Thompson

I went to give blood tonight. I get emails and calls from the Red Cross all the time, reminding me that I should/could/can/may/ donate blood. In recent years, they offer incentives – gift cards and entries into drawings and T shirts (I wear my regular white Red Cross shirt a lot because it is big […]

I cooked! First, we shopped. We bought all the food. We planned meals, we made a list, and we bought so many things. The cashier did not look particularly astounded by our quantity of foods (I was), but I said we’ve been gone for over a month (not exactly true, but I was gone all

I do not live a simple life, according to organizers and declutter-ers of the world. I have lots and lots of stuff and I can never figure out why people are always trying to get rid of their stuff (or why other people are trying to tell other people to get rid of their stuff

It was winter today. It was cold and the wind was blowing a LOT (set off some car alarms in the parking lot and blew away all the traffic cones). I was cold, so I was sitting on the couch with my brand-new-from-the-Red-Cross blanket (prize for giving pretty much blood last year) (it came in

I always play little games (everything CAN be a game) every day at school to decide which student should take the attendance slip to the office (escaping the classroom is a major coup). Usually, since I am not in the same place, I just have them pick a number between….say…oh…2 and 2 billion. Or 5

Number one benefit of leaving Wales early: getting to go to the Elton John concert!!! I hadn’t done anything about selling or giving the tickets away, because I was going to wait until I was absolutely positive that I couldn’t go. To be completely honest, the back of my mind was plotting a flight home

I am always endlessly amused when kids ask me if I am subbing today. I always wonder what they think I am doing at school – just hanging out? I set an alarm to be showered and dressed and somewhere other than my house at 7am just for…not subbing? Hmm. Anyway, I went back to

That’s not Keith’s cornet case. I thought it was adorable. We went for dinner at a supper club (filet mignon is the Monday night special – sooooo good) before rehearsal. Everyone at brass band was very enthusiastic about our return, and it really didn’t seem like it was just the cupcakes they were excited to

Quite a many years ago I got a cupcake cookbook for Christmas. I decided to make a different cupcake every week for brass band rehearsal. I made over 40 different cupcakes over the two years I did it. During that baking/learning process was the first time I ever wrote in a book – I am

I really love Pannekoeken Huis. I am not sure, because I really love a filet mignon, but I think the Dutch Pot Pie pannekoeken is my favorite meal. I also really love chicken tchoupitoulas, which basically means (while I am a really picky eater) I am eclectic. I asked Keith before we left Europe what