A lesson in Paper Folding

Like Appleton Library, Kimberly-Little Chute had an artist-in-residence in September/October. Benjamin D. Reinhart, a bookmaking and box making professor, is the artist-in-residence in Kimberly. The Kimberly-Little Chute Library was offering several drop-in programs about bookmaking techniques. The first one was a basic book making class.

After doing the heart walk, I headed over to the Kimberly library to learn how to make a book. It turns out I wasn't making a book per se but learning how to fold paper to create different types of "books" that would be great for reports and/or book projects if I was a still a teacher. I did learn how to make 3 different types of "books".

The pocket book

This was a simple accordion book that had pockets on each paper where you could tuck in recipes, photos, or other mementos.

I really like this one. It's easy and it would make a fun recipe book. Instead doing a traditional accordion fold, you folded the paper to the middle a couple times to create an illusion of an accordion. If you the right size canvas or cardboard, you could a make a nice strong cover. Instant gift. 

The chain book

This one involved many squares of paper glued together to make a chain. We started by folding the paper in quarters and then opening it and folding it the opposite side on a diagonal to make the paper pop -- so it looked like a lotus flower or personally I think a frog. 

Then we glued like sides together to make a strand. 

This book could go on for ever just by adding more squares. It would also make nice holiday garland. 

The square

Okay that is not the name of this type of book but I can't remember what it is really called. I know it is a pain and I don't think mine turned out right because it never shifted the way it was supposed to.

We folded our paper into 16 squares using a lot of hot dog folds. 

Then we cut out the middle to make a picture frame.

Folding the corners and sides a certain way we ended up with a square that if you twisted it opened a different way. Mine didn't seem to play nice. This would be fun for a book report.

Despite not making what I would have thought of real books, it was a fun activity. I am glad I went and glad KimLit has their own artist-in-residence. Ben is a great teacher and am I looking forward to more artist-in-residence events at the Kimberly-Little Chute Library. 

Walking for a Cause

One day Marcie from the Heart Walk camped out in our break room trying to get people to sign up for the American Heart Association Walk that was like a week away. After ignoring her while I ate my lunch, I decided to ask the burning question I had "Did I really have to raise money or can I just walk?" -- I had nothing better to do and I can walk 3 miles easily. She said no but showed me how to raise money anyways because "it was nice if you did".

So despite my lackluster funding raising efforts, I showed up at Fox Valley Tech to do the Heart Walk with the very small team from work. I really expected to show up... walk.. get my picture taken.. go home. I didn't expect a whole pre-walk experience. You could learn CPR, get the kids some balloon animals, and collect a bunch of swag. After all the races I have done, I don't need any more swag -- pom-poms, squeeze balls, Frisbees.. just more stuff to sit on a shelf until I see someone to give it to. I let the people who really wanted the swag have the swag. Remember, I was only here to get my daily walk in. Heck I couldn't even think of anyone I was walking because of.

Throwing the Xi

After hearing some stories of heart survivors and getting our blood flowing with Move It to the Groove (well my really bad attempt at it), we headed to the start line to walk around Fox Valley Tech. One lap was 1.5 miles and two laps was 3 miles. Since I did the Fox Cities 5K in 49 minutes, I could do 3.2 miles in under 55 minutes to be back in time for pictures. I kept pace with our team leader, who always practiced his soccer footwork during the walk, and let him know I was going around again after we finished one lap. It was that or sit around for 25-30 minutes while we waited for our picture time. My team was pleasantly surprised I made it back in time for pictures.... I did it in 51 minutes or so.

Depending on when the Heart Walk is next year, I might do it again and maybe I will actually try to raise some money since I remembered that Mini-Tater and the hubby's partner are both heart survivors. Now I have a reason to walk besides just getting my walk in for the day. Or maybe I will go in a completely different direction and do the Autism Speaks Walk.. or maybe both. I just hate asking for donations.

4182. Go to Fan Appreciation Day at Miller Park

One of things I've always wanted to do, besides slide down Bernie's Slide, is go to Fan Appreciation Day at the Brewer's Game. Because Fan Appreciation Day is usually the last Saturday night home game of the season, we are usually busy. This year because the World Champion Cubs were at Wrigley North (aka Miller Park) I am pretty sure they decided not to give away all the prizes to Cubs fans so Fan Appreciation Day was moved to the last home stand of the season. The hubby decided since the Brewers were still Hunting October we should go. YIPPEE!!! Another baseball game....

Upon entering the stadium, we each received a scratch off card that contained some sort of prize -- game tickets, game used jerseys, autographed balls. Both the hubby and I won free tickets to early season games next year. The hubby will rearrange his schedule so we can go. The people behind us left their unscratched off cards on the ground and as we were leaving we scored 2 more sets of tickets for the same series.. but this time field box seats.

Every half inning there was a drawing for prizes. About 6 lucky tickets were drawn and your section, row, and seat number appeared on the scoreboard. You actually had to pay attention to scoreboard to see if you won. Prizes ranged for autographs to coolers to tickets to a suite. The grand prize was a Chevy Equinox. Neither the hubby or I won.. not that we were expecting to win or came to win. Some people bought multiple tickets just to try to win. The hubby didn't think this was fair... sell tickets to people who actually want to be there.

Despite being in a chase for the last wild card spot, there wasn't really a play off atmosphere in Miller Park. Maybe because the game sucked and the Brewers had slightly more offense than the last time we sat in the nose bleeds but still couldn't get a guy home. They gave up way too many runs in the 3rd inning to make a game of it. The real reason the hubby wanted to go to be part of the play off atmosphere at Miller Park and he was greatly disappointed. 

I'm sure there will be more play off atmosphere chances before I die at Miller Park... and maybe another Fan Appreciation Day. I know the hubby wants to be part of real play off atmosphere and we both want to see play off and World Series baseball... some time before we die....

Salsa Fun at the Library

I stumbled across a library program at the Kaukauna Library about salsa. Initially I thought this was about salsa dancing but it turned out to be about canning salsa. I debated going as I really didn't want to learn how to can salsa.. I wanted a good salsa recipe. The one time I made salsa it was good but it wasn't amazing.

Since I got everything done and had nothing better to do, I headed to Kaukauna. When I got there with a few minutes to spare, no one else was there. I was like "great just my luck.. I'm going to be the only person here". Luckily another young women who actually had a purpose to be there.. she had a ton of tomatoes in her garden.

The program was exactly what I thought it was going to be.. all about canning tomatoes. I did pick up some good tips and learned a few things if I ever got that itch to attempt canning salsa. Honestly though it wasn't my cup of tea. The program there was a good enough and very informative. The lady from the UW-Extension office even provided what not do with some humorous stories.

Personally I found the highlight of the evening was the salsa tasting at the end. The librarian brought her secret recipe plus the recipe from the UW-Extension office. The secret recipe was amazing and all the librarian would tell us it came from the Bell recipe book. The other recipe was too sweet.

Despite it not being the program for me, I really like that the libraries in the area do offer programs for gardening and canning. I may not be into these things but they do benefit some people. I learned a few things and it wasn't really a complete waste of my time. I will continue to seek out interesting programs at the area libraries.

Sassy Salads Making Party at the Library

Browsing the library calendars as I do, I saw there was a going to be wine pairing event at the Kimberly-Little Chute Library. I was excited and couldn't wait to sign up. Apparently their plans changed and we went from wine to vinaigrettes. It still sounded promising and even though I am not a vinaigrette person, I was excited to learn how make one. Who knows maybe I would find one I liked.

Produce with Purpose, located near Fond du Lac, provided all the fresh vegetables for this class. Megan, our wonderful instructor, introduced me to some new vegetables -- a sweet Italian onion, candy striped beats, white beats, and black peppers which are green on the inside.

Instead of lettuce, kale was the green of choice. I avoid green leafy vegetables that are healthy and trendy... ok I really avoid most green leafy vegetables.

I put on my big girl panties and a made my first kale salad complete with onion, cucumbers (gotta have cucumbers), 3 types of sweet peppers, 2 types of beets, and a pear slice -- just because I could.

The key to a good vinaigrette is remembering the 3 to 1 ratio -- 3 parts oil to 1 part acid and having a good emulsifier like honey or jam. Regular vegetable oil worked best unless you wanted to bring out the oil's flavor. Vinegar or citrus juice was a good acid. Honey, syrup, jam worked well as an emulsifier -- something for the oil and acid to cling too.

I opted for white balsamic vinegar as my acid and honey and raspberry jam for my emulsifier. I found the jam was too tart by itself and add some honey to bring up the sweetness. I still had a tart flavor but it was the right amount of tartness.

The making of the vinaigrette is a chemistry lesson that may or may work out perfectly. It is a test of pouring the oil into the acid/emulsifier mixture and stirring everything together at the right speed so it blends together and not merely layers. Layering is good but then it would require you to stir your dressing before using it. If it is blended perfectly you can serve it without having to stir it before drizzling it on your salad.

Mine was almost perfect but did have some separation issues.

The salad was really good and the dressing was amazing. I am still not ready to run out and buy kale to make it at home.

I joked to my family we were going to have a kale/beet/pear salad with a cherry vinaigrette for Thanksgiving. Needless to say, no one really liked that idea besides my cousin. The hubby gave me weird looks when i finished up my salad with dinner later that night.

I am no longer scared of kale or vinaigrettes. I am planning on keeping my recipe sheets just in case I even have an itch to try one again.

Anytime I can try new foods and make new foods/things on someone else's dime, I call it a successful night. I am glad the library offered this kind of program and hopefully they will continue to do so in the future.

More Art on the Town Fun

With the busy summer I had, I never had a chance to get to Art on the Town in Appleton until the last one -- PARKing on the Town. PARKing on the Town allows artists to set up shop to work or display their work in parking spots on College Avenue. I met Danielle downtown for some much needed fun.

Last year, we had so much fun at PARKing on the Town -- we made buttons and flowers, fished, collected art supplies, and wrote out of bucket list adventure. I was expecting more of the same and was seriously disappointed. 

After saving Danielle from "the terrible band", we start our way down the Ave. We passed someone selling jewelry but didn't stop to browse to do to lack of funds. A few spots down the Ave we stopped to chat with a nice potter for a bit. I would have loved to try throwing a pot. 

There wasn't much between the potter and the end of the Ave except for a roving musician or two. Heading back up the Ave, we saw a few more musicians. I get that Art on the Town features all sorts of art forms but I wanted to make things. I wanted to leave my mark. I really didn't see any place to do that. Even where we wrote out our bucket list last year was featuring music this year. 

We walked up a little farther so I could out a few statues. I love public art statues. They are fun and make fun pictures.

However, as we headed back to Houdini plaza, I found the lone place that allowed us to create some artwork for free. One of the board painting places was offering free board painting. You got a 9x13 inch board to paint that was already stained and whitewashed. By the time we got there, there was 1 black board and several blueish-gray boards left. Danielle snatched up the black board and I got a blueish-gray one. Most of the stencils were the same either something about Love or Family. Danielle scored a fun stencil. I really wanted the home sweet home one but they were out of that one.

 

Being a board painting pro, I didn't bother waiting for the instructors. I instructed Danielle what to do and how to peel off her stencil. We had fun time painting our boards. I am not quite sure I went with the right color combo but it still looks good. 

Painting boards was the highlight of PARKing on the Town... those and the random ballerinas. I'm glad parking was free after 6 in Appleton but it would have been a waste of good change otherwise. We only spent an hour downtown because there wasn't anything to keep our interest. Hopefully next year it will be better and maybe I will be able to go to more Art on the Town events too. 

Baseball Stadium Tour 2017: Miller Park

We try to get to Miller Park at least once every year since you gotta go see your home team. Because of the hubby's schedule, our trip to Milwaukee usually has to wait until September. We had our date all picked out and then MillerCoors had to go buy 15,000 tickets and give them away. One of the dates was the date we wanted to go and I told the hubby to be online to get tickets at 9 am. When I check my e-mail later at work, not only did we have tickets for Wednesday but he bought tickets for Monday night too. I guess when they were free he couldn't pass up the deal. Me, I'm over baseball at this point and wasn't feeling 2 more baseball games. Oh well.. I put on my big girl panties, Brewers sweatshirt, and went to cheer on the Brewers.

I was impressed on what the Brewers did to Miller Park. They upgraded the concourse. It is more modern and less industrial at least on the main level. There are new concessions including several AJ Bomber locations and a frozen custard stand. They opened beer gardens spaced out around the concourse so everyone can get their favorite brews. I even saw some seating areas to eat around the concourse.

There are also new statues around the park.. these might have been here before but I just noticed them.

Since the Bud Selig was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Brewers honored him with The Selig Experience -- a short movie about how Bud brought baseball back to Milwaukee. Even if you are a not a fan of Mr. Selig, if it wasn't for him Milwaukee may not have a baseball team and we'd all be Cubs fans. The movie was fantastic and once it was over, there was a mini museum of Selig and Brewer treasures. I am really glad we stumbled upon this experience and I know the hubby really enjoyed it too.

Monday night we sat up in the family section in Terrace Level. It was nice not having beer vendors hawking beer all night. The view was great... the game wasn't. McCuthen got things started for the Pirates in the first with a home run and the damage continued there. I didn't help that the Brewers only had 3 hits all game.

Tonight we sat in the Loge level down the first base side. Again the seats were good. The game was much better. The Crew ended up winning -- keeping them in the pennant and wild card race.

Yes I may have grumbled about going to two games in a week but it was the first time either of us have been to multiple games in a series. It was kind of fun. We will keep going to Miller Park as the schedule allows every year. Who knows what changes the Brewers make during the off season....