Snug Slug Activities

Naomi Hendrickson

  • Fiddler on the Roof

    Naomi Hendrickson

    Known as one of the greatest musicals of all time. I’m not the only one who thinks this, it is generally acknowledged by many people.

    My younger brother is currently attending a hybrid high school thing, and for part of his homework last weekend he was told to watch the 1971 film version of Fiddler on the Roof. I don’t know how he got to 17 years old without seeing it, I personally watch it at least once a year, and even participated in a community theatre production of the stage show back in 2012, but it happened somehow.

    The story follows Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman living in early 20th century Imperial Russia. He and his wife have five daughters, three of whom are at a marriageable age.

    Many of the main themes of the story center around tradition.

    If you are familiar with the Jewish faith, you will know that it involves a lot of tradition and things being done in very specific ways.

    A question that Fiddler on the Roof asks is “is it still right to honour the traditions of our people when they hurt the people that we love?”

    Another question is “Can we break with tradition and still honour God and our people?”

    All of the troubles and joys faced by the characters in this story are accompanied by some truly spectacular songs. “Anatevka” and “Far From the Home I Love” never fail to make me cry. “The Dream” terrified me as a child, but I now find quite fun. “Matchmaker”, “Tradition”, and “If I Were A Rich Man” are fun and catchy. Learning the dance for “To Life” and the bottle dance at the wedding have been on my to do list for nearly two decades. And we can’t talk about the wedding without mentioning “Sunrise, Sunset”.

    I should probably stop before I list every single song…

  • Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot

    Naomi Hendrickson

    Being the correspondence of two young ladies of Quality regarding various Magical Scandals in London and the County

    By Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

    I have read this book many times over the last several years, and I love it every time.

    It was written in the style of letters between two characters. Each author wrote as one of the characters, set against the backdrop of Regency Era English Society, with a little bit of magic thrown in.

    I can see how it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I find it absolutely delightful. It is full of humor and heavily focused on the characters themselves, who I find charming and refreshingly sensible.

    This book is the first in a series, so if you like it I encourage you to keep going. The second book, The Grand Tour, is equally delightful. The third book, The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years Later, was the weakest book in the series in my opinion, but still worth reading.

    YA Fantasy and Fairy Tale Retellings are definitely my go to genres, this book fits neatly into that first category while also having all the appeal of a Regency romance ala Jane Austen.

    I find that I am going back this year to old comfortable reads, books that I read over and over as a child or teen and haven’t revisited in years. This book more than held up to my expectations and I am enjoying diving into this series again.

  • March is Reading Month

    Naomi Hendrickson

    March is recognised as National Reading Month, and its purpose is pretty straightforward: to encourage people to read, particularly children.

    March was chosen as reading month to coincide with the birthday of Dr. Seuss. While as a man he was slightly problematic, as a children’s book author he delighted children and parents all over the world. My personal favourites of his books include Horton Hatches the Egg, Green Eggs and Ham, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. (As a bonus, my least favourites are The Cat in the Hat and Fox in Socks.)

    I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I had forgotten until a couple of days ago that this was reading month. I have, however, been trying to read more this month.

    If you remember my post about my reading goal for this year from January, I said that I wanted to keep track of my reading as a way to monitor my mental health. If I get to the end of the month and I haven’t finished a book, what is going on?

    In February I did not finish a book. I know exactly what was going on, but it was still kind of nice to have that measurement in place. I am by no means “over” my Dad’s death, and don’t expect to ever be, but both my parents instilled me with a love of reading.

    At the bottom of his obituary where people sometimes ask for donations to a specific organization in leu of flowers, my family put this: “In memory of Jack, you are invited to participate in one of his favorite activities: create something, do a crossword, read a book, watch a movie, sneak some junk food when you think no one’s watching, laugh, and hug your children.”

    My goal for this month was to try and remember that I am still alive and take the time to stop and enjoy things.

    I know this post probably took a turn from where you thought it was going to go, but I promise the next few are going to be cheerier.

  • Pi Day

    Naomi Hendrickson

    While it may not be recognized by everyone as an official holiday, I observe Pie Day every year.

    Pi(π) is a Greek letter that is used to represent a mathematical constant, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi is about 3.14, and so March 14 (written in the US as 3/14) came to be known as Pi Day.

    What better way to celebrate Pi Day than with Pie?

    We kept it small this year, just two pies, on account of Pi Day falling in the middle of my work week.

    We started by going savoury with a classic chicken pot pie.

    Chicken pot pie is one of my Mum’s favourite meals, but to be honest, I don’t make it often. It is relatively simple, but pie crust is not something I am particularly good at, likely because I do not practice enough. This pie turned out delightfully and was enough for a couple of meals.

    For dessert, I made a chocolate pie. Chocolate pie is more my forte; I made my first one over twenty years ago when I was a child and have made them regularly since. While I normally do a nice, simple chocolate custard in a graham cracker crust, this year I went a little fancier.

    This year I made a dark chocolate custard in a quick puff crust topped with Swiss meringue. I think I might need to practice this one a little more…

    It tasted great, although very sweet and rich. I would describe it as decadent. I do think it would have been better with a cookie crust, something nice and crumbly to add some texture.

    This was my first time making Swiss meringue, and I think it’s safe to say that my technique needs some work. I think I underwhipped it slightly, which led to the topping wanting to slide off as soon as it was cut. It tasted good, though, and was delightfully marshmallowy.

    With a graham cracker crust, this would have been reminiscent of a S’more.

    Also it was a circle, so, you know, Pi.

    Fun books about pi and/or pie:

  • Those Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines

    Naomi Hendrickson

    Earlier this week I visited the Kalamazoo Air Zoo with a few family members. This was not my first visit, and it will certainly not be my last.

    My previous visit was last October during the Michigan Museum Association Conference. I went to the Air Zoo for a restoration workshop, then again for one of our evening receptions.

    The restoration workshop was an absolute blast and gave me a renewed appreciation for aircraft and flight. I got to learn about restoration techniques and practice a few of them on an SBD-1 that crashed into Lake Michigan in 1942. It was recovered from the lake in 1994, and after over 50 years submerged underwater, it was in need of a lot of work. It passed through several museums before arriving at the Air Zoo in 2021. It is currently being restored by a large number of volunteers and experts.

    Photo of SBD-1 being pulled out of Lake Michigan in 1994, taken from the Air Zoo website.

    One of my favorite things that I got to do was riveting. Rivets are kind of a “bolt without a nut” that are used to bind the sheets of aluminum that make up the body of the aircraft together. Rosie the Riveter is a famous figure from the WWII era who was used to encourage women to work in the factories manufacturing aircraft for the US military.

    I learned recently that my great-grandma Olga (Northrop) Crivea was a Rosie the Riveter during WWII. Grandma says that she remembers waiting at the front gate of the farm for her mother to come home from the factory every day. She would see her walking down the road wearing the classic coveralls and bandana on her head. Grandma Crivea passed away in 2007 at the age of 92.

    After a long day at the museum, we finished up with some spaghetti and a movie, the 1965 film “Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines”.

    I loved this movie as a child and finally managed to find it on DVD.

    It holds up to my memories of it. It is a fun romp with some fun slapstick comedy, a sprinkle of racial stereotyping, impressive stunt work, and some very cool aircraft.

    Though I hadn’t seen it in over 20 years, I still apparently know all the words to the theme song, a real testament to the power of music.

  • Skunks

    Naomi Hendrickson

    I saw four dead skunks in the same day last week. (Not the cheeriest way to start off, I know.) It got me wondering if skunks hibernated and if the sudden warm weather had woken them up. As I thought, I realized that I knew very little about skunks, which quickly sent me into a research spiral.

    Photo credit: Tom at birdphotos.com

    I learned that skunks are not true hibernators, but they do go through a “dormant” period where they den up and sleep while not eating very much. This is not considered hibernation because they do not enter torpor, meaning that there is no decrease in heart rate or temperature to conserve energy. To put it simply, hibernation is not sleep. In the winter, skunks sleep more.

    Skunks have great smell and hearing but absolutely terrible eyesight. This is why they are often the victims of vehicle accidents.

    While they are sometimes classified as carnivores skunks are actually omnivores; they’ll eat just about anything, including acting as scavengers. They have long claws that they use for digging, ripping apart rotting logs, and pinning down prey. They are one of the main predators for honeybees, scratching at the front of hives to lure out the guard bees so that they can eat them. They’ll eat the honey if they can get to it too, but they’re usually after the bees themselves.

    Honeybee at hive entrance, 2015

    Of course, we cannot talk about skunks without talking about the smell. Skunks are famous for their main defensive weapon, a stinky spray produced in their anal glands. They can spray with great accuracy for a distance of up to 3 meters (almost 10 feet!). This spray is known for its strong and unpleasant odor that clings to whatever it lands on. This spray can even have a temporary blinding effect.

    Skunks are very mild-tempered and spray only in self-defense; it is usually their second choice after running away. If a skunk feels trapped or threatened, it can produce about five to six successive sprays. After this, it takes up to ten days to produce another supply. In urban areas, it is most often dogs who get sprayed by skunks. If your dog gets sprayed, you can contact your local humane society for help neutralizing the stink.

    Skunks are a vital part of our ecosystem, yet they are often misunderstood and treated as pests. Like anything, we have to find ways to coexist.

    If you are looking for some cute and fun skunk stories, check out the books below!

  • Updates

    Naomi Hendrickson

    I got my car back on Thursday, February 6. They replaced the starter and said that everything should be fine for now, and I certainly hope that they’re right.

    I received my inheritance money from my rich great-uncle who died in 2008. It totaled around $9,000, which for me is kind of a life-changing amount of money. I am using half of it to pay down my student loans and putting the rest of it into my emergency savings.

    Life has continued to go on, despite the fact that I wish it would stop for a little bit so I can have a break.

    I slipped on the ice a couple weeks ago and sprained my ankle while also managing to scrape a good amount of skin off my shin. It is healing up okay, but I’ve been feeling a little stir-crazy not being able to take Hamlet for his walks every day.

    Overall, everyone is getting by, one day at a time.

  • Naomi Hendrickson

    My father passed away unexpectedly last week. My mother and I found him after work.

    He had laid down for a nap and never woke up.

    The EMT said that he passed peacefully.

    The last ten days have been long and busy. There is too much to do when someone dies, and so many expectations that are placed on the surviving family. I just want time to be alone and to mourn, but funeral arrangements must be made, other family members must be supported, and nothing in life stops to give you the time that you so desperately need.

    Sometimes I can’t figure out if I am feeling too much, or nothing at all.

    I know that my life will go on and that someday this hurt will not be quite so present.

    Grieving hurts, but it is important, and I will try to remember that.

  • Failure Soup

    Naomi Hendrickson

    Saturday morning my car wouldn’t start again. I assumed it was the battery, that it had gotten damaged in the cold a couple of weeks ago, but jumping it didn’t work, so the day got tricky. The whole weekend turned into a transportation nightmare. Too many people who all had different places to be at different times.

    For supper that night, I decided to make a quick chicken and rice dish. When I got back from picking up other people who were kindly letting me borrow their car, it was soup. It was not intended to be soup, but I decided to roll with it. When my mother asked what was in it, one of the ingredients that I listed was “failed okonomiyaki sauce” from earlier in the week. She had gotten distracted while I was talking and turned back with the exclamation, “You’re feeding me failure soup?!”

    After some laughter and further explanation, we both decided that failure soup was a very appropriate meal for how the week had been going.

    The soup then thickened up and became the rice dish it had originally been intended to become, further cementing the name “Failure Soup.”

    I got my car towed to the shop on Monday. Later that afternoon they called me to say that no one in the shop had any idea what was wrong with my car. They said it was great when they got in a vehicle that helped keep their guys humble by reminding them that they don’t know everything about cars.

    I haven’t heard any more since then, so I assume it is keeping them stumped.

    My car is named Parker, and I miss it terribly. I also hate having to constantly borrow other people’s cars just so I can get to work.

    Hamlet was very concerned about the tow truck guy stealing his car and watched from the window the whole time, throwing out some warning barks when he felt they were necessary.

    Yes, the window is duct-taped together. Someone leaned against it with their nose so often that the pane got partially pushed out.

  • My Fair Lady

    Naomi Hendrickson
    Photo Credit: Sauk Theatre promotional photo

    The show last night was delightful!

    I had never seen “My Fair Lady” performed live before, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

    My oldest sister and her son, my oldest nephew, accompanied me to the theatre.

    We met at Dairy Queen before the show and had some blizzards. I had the French Silk Pie blizzard. It was good, but maybe a little underwhelming. I liked the bits of graham cracker crust that were mixed in; they added a nice crunch, and the chocolate shavings were delightful, but I think that the blizzard itself could have been a little more chocolatey.

    We then went to the theatre and had an absolute blast. The show was long; the first act alone was almost two hours, but well worth it. The actors did a fabulous job. There were a lot of familiar faces on the stage, but there were some new ones too, and they were a wonderful addition to the stage.

    The orchestra did a great job, but then, they always do.

    The costumes and set were good too. The set was built by one of my younger sisters, so I might be a little bit biased.

    I forgot how much I loved the music from this show.

    I know that in context it could be considered a little creepy, but I love the song “The Street Where You Live”. It feels like a reminder to stop and admire the little things that are around you every day and you don’t notice.

    Another favourite song is “Show Me”, which is again because of the message and emotion behind it.

    The show runs all of this weekend and next. I may well find myself going again.

    My nephew seemed to really enjoy it, despite his initial reluctance to go. It can be hard to find the motivation to do things when you’re 16, so I’m really glad he agreed to come. I could hear him laughing from the other side of his mother, although I think he was a little unsatisfied by the ending…