New Building Dedication

The R. Michael Shanahan Center for Teaching and Learning has been up and running since the semester's start, and this past Saturday the HMC community celebrated the dedication of the building. After the opening speeches and presentations, attendees wandered the structure finding goodies to eat in various places, listened to presentations, and enjoyed the new space which so clearly defines the campus center now. It hadn't occurred to me that there was no one central place on campus for the HMC community to gather (there had been several places, but not very centrally located). Now there is such a comprehensive place - smack in the middle of campus - with a variety of purposes. Besides classrooms, a recital hall, a small art gallery, you will also find a cafe (with Starbucks coffee), tutoring and writing center, the Math Department, Admissions and the President's Office and other places I have forgotten. 

President Klawe receiving the LEED award for the building

President Klawe receiving a certificate from Claremont's Mayor

A talk about how Pixar uses math in animation given by the parent of a current Mudder

Performance by the Psyko Taiko drummers - a 5C group

Performance by the Claremont Shades (a 5C a capella group)

One of the many plaques to be seen around the building

Desserts

Friday night we had some HMC students over for a little dessert party. In the past we have served a TJs cheesecake to students, but I wanted something different this time, so I checked out my cousin's pinterest site to come up with some ideas. I wanted finger desserts so I didn't need silverware, and these are the recipes I came up with. First I made Peanut Butter Cup Brownies which are even better than Costco Brownie Bites, and about the same size. I was happy to use the tiny muffin tins that I had purchased for my daughter's wedding shower just over a year ago. They turned out very well, and I was happy to discover that Nestle sells a bag with a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter chips.

I also made Cheesecake Yogurt Cups. It was supposed to be lemon, but I used raspberry yogurt instead of vanilla. They worked out just fine and I topped them with fresh raspberries. The third recipe will need a little changing if I am going to make them again. These Caramel Apple Grapes looked so darn cute, and they taste pretty good, too, but next time I will make sure to add some pre-crushed peanuts and set them apart from each other since after they harden, they like to stick together, if they are close to each other. 

Now that I have been in the kitchen recently, I probably won't come back to baking until the holidays.

Martha Redbone: Levitt on the Lawn

Last November I heard a piece on NPR about singer/songwriter Martha Redbone. I was especially intrigued by the way she used poetry by William Blake set to the music of her Appalachian roots. After listening to a few of her songs online, I was so taken with her work that I bought her entire album The Garden of Love on iTunes. I rarely buy an entire album, but I have listened to this one many times already.

So, when I saw a poster at HMC saying that she would be giving a free concert at Scripps, I had to go. The concert was part of the Levitt on the Lawn series sponsored by the Levitt Pavillion in Pasadena. Liz Levitt Hirsch, a Scripps alum, is part of the Mortimer Levitt Foundation which encourages community through music by providing free outdoor concerts.

Along with many other lawn-sitters, I enjoyed the live music from Redbone's album, especially when she added some improvisational sections to the songs I already enjoy. There is something so much better about live music than recordings.

Now that I am aware that Scripps has two of these concerts every year, I will keep them on my radar! 

Coyote

Yesterday when I was driving along Oak Park Ave., I saw this coyote. Being as there was no traffic, I stopped and watched him for a bit. I thought he might be pretending to have a hurt paw, but then when I got out my camera to snap a video of him, it was clear to me that he had been in some sort of altercation from which he did not emerge completely intact. Notice not only the dangly paw, but also the blood on his back.

Swiss Watching

Although I did not actually read this book, H read aloud the most interesting parts of it to me. In preparation for our sabbatical next year, we think it would be wise, not only to brush up our German, but to also have a heads-up on fitting into and trying to understand the culture of Switzerland.

This book was written for Brits who are moving to Switzerland, but the advice would seem to work well for Americans, too. The one chapter that has stuck in our minds is the way in which one attends a social function. First of all, according to this book, Swiss do not go in for small talk, so please refrain from mentioning the weather.

"The moment you walk into the room is moment of truth. It's not about dress codes, because the Swiss rarely have those, or about being late, where a simple apology is enough. It's all about saying hello. At any gathering in Switzerland, every guest's first duty is to go round and greet everyone. Faced with a crowd of people, most of them strangers, you might be temped to lurk in a corner until you spot someone you know, or wait for your host to make the introductions. Bad idea. What you should do before anything else, and that includes getting a drink, is introduce yourself to everyone, regardless of how long it takes. ... This custom is possibly the real reason most Swiss people are punctual. It's much easier to stand around chatting or drinking and make all the newcomers come to you for the introductions."

Of course, leaving the party also has its formalities. Think of the above in reverse, and try to remember everyone's name....

Gabby Giffords Honored at Scripps

Gabby Giffords was honored at her alma mater, Scripps College, last week as the third recipient of the Ellen Browning Scripps Medal (along with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor). This medal "is awarded to a woman whose accomplishments have made a significant and positive difference in the possibilities available in women's lives, enabling all women to live more confidently, courageously, and hopefully."

As shown on this news report about this event, Scripps has a graffiti wall which is signed by all graduates. When I walked over to the wall today, I found the class of 1993 with no problem, but I did not find Giffords' signature, although you can see it in the video. I will have to go back sometime with someone who has a better eye than I.

Hidden Claremont: Shoes from Around the World

I read somewhere (Facebook?) that the Petterson Museum at Pilgrim Place was opening a show of shoes from around the world. What's not to love about 1) a free museum 2) a close-by museum 3) the Pilgrims at Pilgrim Place 4) a collection of shoes?

The weather being perfect today was invitation enough to warrant a stroll to the Petterson. The sweet docent who was there told me that this exhibit will be around until after Thanksgiving (and the Pilgrim Festival), so locals have a little time to peruse this collection. If you don't make it over before the Festival, the museum will be open during the Festival and is worth the 10-minutes or so it takes to enjoy the shoes.

These knit slippers reminded me of the "booties" that my Gramma used to knit for all of us each year.

iOS 7

I'm not what you would call an early adopter. I enjoy letting other people work out the kinks of a new product before I plop down my money. So, I will not tell you that I was in line today for the newest iPhone. Heck, I don't even have a previous iPhone.

Anyway, I decided to download the new operating system for iPad/iPhone/iWhatever last night on my iPad, and it's not too much different than the previous one. Swiping has changed a little bit, but it's not too hard to figure out, and the apps work the same way as they did before.

I guess one of the new features of this operating system is the filters in the camera, and though I don't take many photos with my iPad, I thought I would try it out. Here is a picture of a rock and its shadow with one of the filters and the enhance button. I don't think this will be a time sink for me, but it's nice to have it if I want it.

Earthquake in the Wee Hours

We will not be getting phone calls from friends and relatives in other parts of the world on these little quakes we had this morning. At 4:45 we were awakened by a 3.8 temblor that apparently was in LaVerne, just four miles from Claremont and 3 miles north of Pomona. (I wonder why they don't just say where it IS, rather than what is is close to. LaVerne is really a place, guys.) Twenty minutes later we felt another one, probably the one that was 3.7. 

Of course, I went to Facebook first when I woke up (because KVCR did not report any quakes), and people had already posted about it, so I knew that it had been close. It was a short, jarring shake. Then I turned on the local tv news, and there was a brief mention, but even the LA newsroom said that they had not felt it, so apparently it was not worth mentioning.

Oh, yeah, no damage, so not really a story. But it does serve as a reminder to us all about the nature of where we live!

German Wednesdays

Today is Wednesday - Beginners Day at German Table in Oldenborg. You knew that from last Wednesday's post. Again, it was great to work on our spoken German, and perhaps one of these days we'll be brave and go on a day that it not for beginners.....

Anyway, in preparation for German Table, we thought we should learn/relearn the German Alphabet. Instead of looking up the pronunciation, I thought there ought to be a youtube video of it. Of course there is. If you can imagine it, it will be on the internet.

Actually, there are many videos that pop up if you search for German alphabet song, but this is the one that I liked the best.