Something Big!

I have matriculated! I am going back to college at Augsburg. I'm excited and overwhelmed at the same time.

I first went to Augsburg in September of 1981. (At freshmen orientation I noticed a cute boy named Paul.) Augsburg is a private, Lutheran college in Mpls. I lived on campus for 3 years and off campus as a senior. I went through ceremonies in a cap and gown and everything, even though I was a few credits short. (They let you do this.)

Anyway, I never got all those credits. I have been this close to a Biology degree for 24 years! I have taken classes at the U, Anoka Ramsey Community College and one other college. I'm still trying to figure out which one. I took Gen. Chemistry SOMEWHERE in the summer of 1983, because I took Organic that fall. Macalaster says it wasn't at Mac. I still haven't heard from Hamline. It's hard to ask a school if you ever went there without sounding ditzy at best.

It's so funny to be back there. I spent over 4 years of my life on that small campus, and some things look familiar, but some don't. They have done a lot of expansion, but still. The funniest thing is that I realized I have put all my college years in a big box in my head marked "Failure" and locked it. I now have the opportunity to take something out of the box. When I explained to a professor that I was a 25-year senior, and a cautionary tale, he replied that on the contrary, I was an inspiration. Yeah, I cried.

I realized I belonged there. I have a history at that school. Not only did I go there for 4 1/2 years, my husband went there. My mother-in-law and father-in-law went there. My sister and her husband went there. It's MY school.

So, I'm at the weekend college and taking one class during the week. It's "The Lutheran Heritage". I'm taking this because according to my transcript, I signed up for this in 1985 and got a 0.0 as a score. I must have never gone! If I retake it and get a decent grade it will help my GPA. It is also having a another effect on me.

I have been thinking for years that I was a bad Christian because I don't seem to think like the other Christians at my church. For example, last Sunday, the parents of the 9th graders were asked to participate in the youth group meeting. This involved kickball and a game played in the hallway and everybody sweating on and smacking balloons at each other. I hated it. Everybody else seemed to love the "Fellowship". I hate fellowship. I hate modern Christian music, radio and TV. I thought something was wrong with me. (Did I mention the box in my head is a BIG box?)

For this class, we are reading the important books and papers of the Lutheran religion. As I read them, I realized that I believed it all! Really believed it, and belief is the key here. "Saved by Grace, through Faith" and I have Faith! (Who knew?) All the things I don't like are just details.
So I got that back, too.

I'm a little worried that I've been gone so long that I won't know how to do all that college stuff. Footnotes, and the like. I've already written a paper for the Lutheran class. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who used the phrase "naked trollop in the kitchen" in a paper on Martin Luther. I'll let you know how I did (maybe).

The downside is, I have NO time. I have to plan everything days in advance and be super-organized. I know, welcome to your world, huh? I'm making good use of my crockpot, because when I finally make it home after teaching this year's 3-year olds (one word- YIKES!) and going to class in Mpls, my brain is banana pudding. It's nice to come home to a yummy smell and dinner already made. This recipe was in the strib. I thought the sauce was kind of runny, so I thickened it with corn starch.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

1 (3 1/2 lb) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 carrots peeled and diced
2 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
4 fresh parsley sprigs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 3/4 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbls milk
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or other herb)
Sour cream, for garnish

Put the chicken and everything up til Bisquick in the crockpot and add water to cover. Cook, covered, on high for 3 hours or low for 7 hours, until meat falls from the bone.
Take chicken out of crockpot and let cool enough to handle, then remove meat from bones and discard bones and skin. While chicken is cooling, mix bisquick and milk, stir in parsley. Drop the batter by tablespoon into the liquid in the slow cooker. The dumplings should be just submerged. Cover and cook the dumplings on high for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove dumplings and add chicken back in. Thicken with corn starch if desired. Serve chicken in sauce over dumplings. Sour cream may be added for garnish. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I didn't think it needed it!