The Kohlmans

Today is a good day. A few issues at work from last week are getting resolved. I have actually been productive since I got home at 4:15; I am finally on top of things, master's-wise. (For now. I'd better not get too cocky.) Supper is in the crock pot.  And because of those last two things, I have a couple of requests. 1. What are your favorite crock pot meals? We need some suggestions because 1) we're getting stuck in a rut, meal-wise, and 2) I don't use the thing nearly enough. Disclaimer: we like meals with meat in them and not a whole lot of unusual ingredients (and, yes, I know it's not that healthy to eat meat all the time... Brad has come a looooong way in the pickiness arena since we got married, but there's a limit to how far I can push things). 2. There may not be many of you who can answer this question, but I know at least a couple can (Hi, Jody and Jill!). I'm taking a children's literature class this semester. Well, technically it...

Facebook tells me that "today is your birthday." Thank goodness. I might have forgotten otherwise. (This is funny because I actually love my birthday wholeheartedly and would never forget it or want to skip celebrating.) In celebration of my 26th birthday, I am sharing 26 random things about myself, in no particular order other than that in which they occur to me. It seems like a conceited thing to do, but, hey, you read this blog about me. Right?! I did this last spring with 25 random facts . I'll try not to duplicate any, but that might be tough. 1. I love crime shows. Love them. So far, I've watched every season of Law & Order: SVU on Hulu Plus. (Season 13 is now airing.) Now I've started watching Body of Proof and Prime Suspect. Unfortunately, both these shows are in their first season. 2. I never really saw myself as a "crafty" person until this fall. Then, suddenly, I started to find things that "I can make for less." And then it...

I have one, if it's not too late. If you were suddenly appointed the head of the United States Department of Education, what would you change about the education system here in America (I know it's too broad, what would be the FIRST thing you'd change)? This is a great question. Oh, there's so much that could be improved. There are so many ways we could grow. And it's tough because, technically, education is a function of the states (since it's not explicitly given to the federal government). Hmm... not that it's stopped anyone before. Hands down, though, the first thing I would do is begin work to replace the No Child Left Behind law. There was a great article in Time that matter-of-factly explains the issues that schools are facing. NCLB has such a negative connotation in schools that it might be best to completely leave it behind. Just about any reform would be a step in the right direction, though. Maybe. Basically, it boils down to... 1. S...

What's your absolute favorite meal? This is a tough one. I love food. I mean, I LOVE it. And I'm not a picky eater. Right now, I would really love broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl. That sounds good. Or, a Chipotle burrito bowl with chicken and pretty much every topping. Given one week of vacation and unlimited funds, where would you go? And to sort of tag off of that, where in the United States would you most like to live? (Kansas not included.) I think I would go to Northern Ireland in the spring. I was there once, in January, and it was beautiful. I can only imagine how green it would be in a different season. We didn't get to do much sightseeing, so I would love to just be able to drive around the countryside and stop to enjoy the scenery... and take millions of pictures. When I was younger I really wanted to live in Oregon. I'm not sure why; I think it just sounded cool because it was on the coast but not trendy like California. Now I know that the P...

Well, I got a few questions... I'll answer them all, since none were too crazy or personal. :) We'll start with the dog. Katy asked: What sort of training (attempts at training) do you do with your dog? So far, she's learned to sit, lie down, stay (most of the time), not chew on Mary and Joseph's heads, and catch treats and sometimes toys in her mouth. We are still working on not chewing up printer ink. I don't train her. Brad does. He watches YouTube videos to learn what to do. We have a clicker and cheese. After she obeys/performs the desired action, he clicks and gives her the cheese. Eventually, he weans her off the cheese and just clicks. After a while, she learns to do it without any reward, other than praise. We want her to learn not to jump on people and to stay in the backyard but aren't really sure how to teach that. She just gets soooo excited. Brad's also tried "shake," but it's not going anywhere. He read that, becaus...

I ask this question many times a day. "Does anyone have a question?" "Any questions?" "Questions?" I usually get no response. I'm hoping today is a little better. Amy asked her blog readers what burning questions they want her to blog about. I've tried a similar tactic before and got nothing. She got lots of great ones. Will I? Ask me your questions. I want to blog more, but I'm just not sure what to write about, what you want to read. So.... what do you want to know?!

These are a few of my current favorite things... the hearts that my Scentsy warmer makes in the wall. my Scentsy warmer . my blooming African violets (all three have flowers right now). my dog... especially when she drags her blanket, bone, and squeaky bear out of the crate to snuggle with... I've learned from our experiences with Jazzy to never say never. a working display screen on the treadmill (between the part that didn't have the correct holes and the console going out, we're collecting quite the graveyard of treadmill parts. good thing proform is generous with the replacements). my Columbia omniheat coat . It's amazing. the new lightbulb in my sewing machine... it's a little tough to sew without the light, but I did several "custom orders" without it before Christmas. a printer. haven't had one since June-ish. There's my round-up of a few of the new-to-me (and some old-to-me) things I've been enjoying lately.

Yesterday we completed the first of my 2012 goals. We made laundry detergent. I got the recipe from Jamie; it's found at this website . But, it's so simple I'll post it here, too. 1 c. Borax 1 c. washing soda (I had to go to three stores to find this... it's in the laundry aisle; there was only Arm & Hammer brand) 1 c. grated soap (I used Ivory) Stir well. Use 1 tablespoon per load. We used it on a load of towels yesterday, and, by all appearances, it works great. (I wanted to use it on something that I didn't care if it got spots or anything, just to be safe for the first load.) We have an HE machine. I didn't do a cost breakdown (maybe I will eventually), but I spend less than $10 on all the "ingredients." We made two batches and have enough of all three for at least one more. There's enough Borax and washing soda for several more. This one is a definite success... Sometime soon I want to make my own all-purpose cleaner ...

Don't you just love a good list? I sure do.  I've never been one for New Year's Resolutions. Maybe it's because I feel like I'm setting myself up for failure. Or maybe it's because I'm lazy. It could be, perhaps, that I am easily distracted and change my mind. I might just be content with who I am and where I am in life. Regardless, I just haven't ever really done it, except for when I gave up facebook. For a year, until I had to have it for class discussions in college. So this year, instead of any resolutions I decided to make a list. I'm kind of a list person, in case you hadn't noticed. This is my list of goals for 2012. I know full well that there is a large chance that I won't accomplish all of these goals. But I might as well make the list so I have some purpose. And it will give me things to blog about.   Random story: at Zerger Christmas , the wife of one of my second cousins (complicated enough relationship for you?!) asked ...

My other Christmas project this year was for my Grandma Lu. When they sold their old house , I tried my best to help her rid her life of fabric scraps, with one goal in mind: make Grandma a quilt. She's made so many quilts and wall hangings for others, but she doesn't make many for herself, and not many have made them for her. So, when I saw the piles and piles and boxes of fabric, I knew that it would be perfect: a scrappy quilt made for Grandma from her own scraps. (Little did I know that I barely made a dent, and she has a whole closet full of scraps in her new house.) I enlisted the help of my family, sending them fabric to cut into squares. Everybody who received a package sent it back, in nice, neat sections. And, I would be remiss to not mention the fact that I kind of left it, mostly pieced, at my mom's house. She pretty much finished it, including the border and binding (inbetween which she found someone to machine quilt it, so that it would be finished for C...

Jeff's Christmas present, modeled by Brad. It was sooooo easy! I don't remember where I found the directions, though. tshirt scarf for me.... directions are here.  No sewing was involved, just good scissors, a few tshirts, stretching, looping, and tying.

I memorized this, the last stanza of "Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant, my junior year of high school. The words still come back to me at times, and it seems particularly appropriate at this time of year, when resolutions and growth and change are on the minds of most all of us.  So live, that when thy summons comes to join The innumerable caravan which moves To that mysterious realm, where each shall take His chamber in the silent halls of death, Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.