Short Report

SLOGGING THROUGH: This is going to be a short post. We're in the homestretch of preparing for a community event we're helping organize. It will be a luncheon on Thursday, with proceeds to benefit the homeless and hungry.  It's a 'first annual' type of event, and we're not sure if there will be 40 or 200+ guests, so we have to be prepare for anything.

I've been working away on tabletop items and logistics, Annabelle has been churning out artwork, and CJ has been doing whatever is asked of him.

As part of the program, we're going to leave blank cards on the tables for guests to write positive messages or draw little pick-me-up pictures that we'll include with the items donated to a local food bank and shelter. 

Bee has been producing some things to help others get their creative juices flowing.

Tomorrow, we'll be making multiple pots of soup. Can't wait to have those lovely smells in the house!

SAD ANNIVERSARY:  All over the Internet, people are making mention of today being the 35th anniversary of the murder of John Lennon. Dec. 10, 1980, was definitely a 'day-the-music-died' date.

When we were in New York City a couple years back, we went by Lennon's longtime former residence, the Dakota building, and across the street to Central Park, where part of it is named Strawberry Fields and there is a Lennon memorial.

We were there on a random weekday afternoon, and there were dozens of others paying their respects. Lennon is too-long gone, but he is definitely not forgotten.

YESTERDAY ONCE MORE:  On Monday, we took a cool tour of the Theo Chocolate factory in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. Today, the kids took a moment or two to share three things they learned yesterday.

Here's CJ's summary ... 

Theo Chocolate is a local company that makes chocolate bars and other chocolate candies. According to their website, they are "dedicated to making our world a better place. And we’re finding ways to do it through our passion—bringing out the best of the cocoa bean." Recently, I went on a tour at the Theo factory. Here are three things I learned about chocolate: 1: Theo Chocolate's name comes from a tree scientifically known as Theobroma cacao. Theobroma cacao grows in multiple places, 3 of which Theo specializes in: the Congo, Peru, and Panama. It can take a long time for a Theobroma tree to start producing pods, and the substance that is inside the pods can be eaten by itself (although it apparently doesn't taste like chocolate.) 2: Theo Chocolate also buys and sells cacao nibs from the three areas I listed before. Cacao nibs can be called the "base" ingredient in chocolate, andthey can be eaten on their own. However, with no vanilla or sugar they taste bitter, and there was flavor diversity in nibs, too (for example: the nibs from the Congo had more fat, and the nibs from Peru were more acidic and even more bitter.) 3: I also learned that there is an important difference between what is legally classified as "chocolate" and what is just classified as "candy". As far as I know, if it is made of less than 20% cacao, than it is just candy and not chocolate. Although it could still be called "chocolatey!" or say that it "tastes like chocolate!", but they could not call it chocolate.

Annabelle's report was exceptionally brief ...  

1.       Cocoa beans cannot be turned straight into chocolate; they have to be washed, roasted, and many other things before they are liquefied.2.       Cocoa beans are not naturally sweet; you need to add sugar, and if it’s milk chocolate you also add milk powder.3.       Dark chocolate (or any chocolate with 70% cocoa or above) is actually considered a health food.