Christmas & Bowl Game

We spent Christmas in BG this year, along with a quick trip up to Detroit for the Quick Bowl with the marching band. We missed seeing family in person, but we enjoyed video chats to catch up and open gifts together. Mark and I have also been thinking about how to make some new traditions together as we plan to keep celebrating Christmas locally. One thing that we tried this year and will probably keep: finger foods for dinner on Christmas Eve, along with a Christmas movie (this year: Miracle on 34th Street). 

Here are some highlights in photos! 

Decorations

our Christmas tree in the living room

mini Christmas tree in my office
(Mark also has one upstairs
that I didn't get a photo of...)

outdoor colored lights & luminarias

presents under the tree :-)

Food

special K, cranberry, and pb cookies

chocolate crinkles

eggrolls & pigs in a blanket
(for Christmas Eve)

pizza rolls (also Christmas Eve)

cinnamon rolls (Christmas morning)

egg casserole with sausage, green chile,
and cheese (also Christmas morning)

cornish game hens (the first time I've made these)

layered potato casserole

my plate at Christmas dinner

sugar cookies with icing

more sugar cookies
(the red & green ones are a new 
technique...needs some perfecting!)

Gifts

Mark & I exchange stockings...
both of us bought gifts that didn't fit

the opened stockings: Mark got me a tea sampler
(they're all delicious), and a travel mug for work

aftermath of opening gifts
from Mom & Dad Cook

Bowl Game

This was a two-day adventure (December 26-27), starting with an early morning rehearsal on campus, a 1.5 hour bus ride to Ford Field in Detroit, the bowl game itself (which BGSU lost), one night in a downtown hotel, and a visit to the Henry Ford Museum the next morning. We got back to BG by midafternoon, so we were home in time to do laundry and eat some Christmas leftovers for dinner. It was nice that I had the chance to tag along for this one: my first travel with the FMB (and definitely the most logistically streamlined bowl game our team is eligible for...even if it's not all that exciting for the students to go to Detroit). Still, it's easy to see that the band enjoys playing and spending time together. 

morning rehearsal at the field house on campus

more rehearsal, with a better view of the drumline

selfie with Mark in the BG endzone on Ford Field

selfie from the band section in the stands

the other school's band came over to mingle
with our band for a bit before the game

BGSU's pregame show
(notice the drumline on the screen)

Freddie & Frieda came through
our section and took lots of pictures

I tried to catch a selfie with them walking
through the drumline section behind me

BGSU's halftime show
(a shortened version of the video game one;
the drill showed up so well on the big screen!)

the other team's halftime show...they did this thing
where they gathered up into a really tight circle
(facing outward to keep playing)

big Christmas tree in the stadium
(which is a dome: yay climate control!)

BGSU band section from across the stadium

Prof. Waters talking to the band after the game
(outside the stadium, where we'd pick up
boxed dinners and load the busses)

view from our hotel room in downtown Detroit

we enjoyed having the king sized bed plus a little couch

the GM Ren Cen, right across the street
(we were here with my parents a few years
ago, as well as the Henry Ford Museum)

sculpture a few blocks from the hotel
(we took a short walk after getting checked in)

huge Christmas tree at the Henry Ford

it had themed ornaments, like this tractor,
and planes, trains, gears, etc. So cute!

a chandelier made of kitchen tools

Hallmark mini ornaments display (there were
cases and cases of ornaments in this exhibit!)

Christmas train display

part of a huge Lego display--this
was one of my favorite things

a bit of Unser racing memorabilia (an ABQ connection)

me with a giant train engine
(this museum is full of big things...like
trains & planes & farm equipment)

We hope you also had a Merry Christmas, and here's to the New Year!

selfie with Mark and our tree

Fall Updates 2023

Another fall semester has come and gone! Here are some of our highlights:

Teaching

I had a demanding but also great schedule this fall, teaching an online (asynchronous) grad class, an ESOL speaking/listening class, and two sections of first-year writing. My students, across the board, were wonderful! I had fewer issues with attendance and missing assignments than any time in recent memory, and lots of lovely moments in each class through the semester. The grad class was scheduled for just the first 7 weeks (still a semester's worth of content), so that made the first half of the semester a bit intense, but I was glad to have things taper off through the second half. The ESOL class was the same one I had in the spring, which gave me a great opportunity to refine the big curriculum update I'd just made. And I overhauled my grading system in first year writing, which I'm continuing into the next course in the sequence in the spring. Sometimes my job gets overwhelming, but I really do love it. 

the first time I've taught in a lecture hall 
(for my class of 25 students...not sure why we 
got put here, but I learned to love the lapel mic!)

a National Day on Writing project that my class
participated in (created by the UWP assistant director) 

after the last day with my last writing class

FMB

Meanwhile, Mark's continued his work with the Falcon Marching Band (FMB). This was the second season with our current director, who we're very thankful to have. It was also the 100th anniversary of bands at BGSU, so there was lots of extra attention on the band. If you want to catch up on performances, the FMB YouTube channel has all the halftime shows. The social media team also does a great job of posting updates on Facebook.

This year, Mark came up with the concept for the video game show, and the drumline was featured in "Sing, Sing, Sing" in the homecoming show. Mark continued to write all of the drumline parts and coordinated all the sound equipment needed for the shows. We continued our tradition of hosting the drumline for an end-of-semester gathering, where, as usual, the sausage dip was a big hit. It's really fun for me to see the way these students enjoy spending time together, and with Mark. 

aerial view of the "100" formation in the
homecoming show (photo from BGSU)

the drum majors wearing uniforms from different
decades at homecoming (photo from BGSU)

a rare photo of Mark on game day
(photo from FMB photographer)

aerial view of the band performing at the Alumni
Gateway for homecoming weekend (photo from BGSU)

video game halftime show (I think this is Tetris)

selfie at a warm, sunny football game

the new FMB hype video playing
on the big screen in the end zone
(one of the drumline students
made it, and it's awesome!)

homecoming halftime with alumni
(a record number of band members on the field)

fireworks at the end of the
homecoming halftime show

the western show (can you make it out?
It's a horse that galloped across the field)

Sounds of the Stadium concert

Drumline photo at the Band Banquet

Mark and Lisa finding out they've been named honorary
members of the Alpha Xi chapter of Tau Beta Sigma

selfie with Mark at the Band Banquet

Mom & Dad Cook Visit

In September, Mom & Dad came for a long weekend. We got to check out the Black Swamp Arts Festival (that's 2 years in a row they've been here for that weekend) as well as go to a football game so they could see the band/drumline. Mom and I also had proper tea at the Swan House while Mark and Dad took care of a few small projects around the house. 

Freddie & Frieda at the Black Swamp Arts Festival
(photo from BGSU)

at the Swan House with Mom

tea and a scone

our tiered tray

after the game with Mark

the chalk walk at Black Swamp Arts Festival

Mark with Mom

Friends & Other Fun Stuff

Here are a bunch of other things that made a fall a fun season:

live stream of the solar eclipse at the balloon fiesta

live stream of the balloon fiesta
(visit Albuquerque & UNM balloons)

Common Meal dinner group at City Park
(and a surprise visit from a friend who lives in AZ now!)

at MJ the Musical with friends in Cincinnati

the MJ program and a view from our
seats way up at the top of the auditorium

selfie with Mark in our new car!

our new Toyota Rav4 hybrid (we love it!)

at the Swan House again, this time with friends

another delicious tea tray

selfie with friends in Swan House hats

touring the mosque in Perrysburg 
at the International Festival with friends

lunch at the festival

\

dessert at the festival

with Angela in front of stained glass

with friends in front of the mosque
(it's such a beautiful building!)

at the Toledo Zoo during harvest fest

BGSU volleyball game with Mark

lunch with Lucinda & Julie
(who was visiting from out of town)

lunch with Damon (he met up with us
while he was in the area for a short work trip)

beautiful fall colors on campus

BGSU swimming & diving meet
(I had one swimmer & one diver in my class)

Six, our first Broadway in Toledo
musical of this season

me with the giant tree at the
Toledo Zoo Lights before Christmas

me & Mark at the Toledo Zoo lights

Thanksgiving

I've already posted about our trip to NYC for the Macy's parade with the Band Directors Marching Band. We also had a delayed Thanksgiving meal at our house and put up our Christmas decorations that weekend. 

the band marching in the parade

selfie with Mark and the NYC skyline

our Thanksgiving dinner
(salad, homemade rolls, roasted chicken, cranberry sauce)

pumpkin pie for dessert
(and our Christmas tree in the background)

And here we are, less than a week from Christmas! We're not travelling to see family, but we will be headed to Detroit with the band for a bowl game. And we're looking for other ways to celebrate the season together. It's certainly nice to have a change of pace and some time to refresh between semesters.

Thanks, as always, for reading, and have a merry Christmas!