Saturday, June 23, 2007

Of Bread Baking and Microscopes

A few days ago, I was taking freshly baked whole wheat bread out of the oven as Teddy Bear (our neighbor) and Fire were eating lunch. Teddy Bear remarked how good the bread smelled. I told him it would be cooled enough to try it out after lunch.

The bread had cooled sufficiently in time for dessert, and as I grabbed for my electric knife, my finger scraped the blade cutting it in four places. "Ouch", I cried, as I showed the boys blood dripping from my finger.

I thought, "Why waste all this good blood...let's look at it under the microscope." Teddy Bear and Fire were excited at the thought. As we ran downstairs, I tried not to drip the blood on the floor. The boys grabbed the microscope, slides, and cover slips. I then demonstrated how to prepare a wet mount slide.

We were amazed at the tiny little disk-shaped cells coursing through channels of invisible fluid (plasma). The specimen showed cells upon cells proving to us that the tiny microscopic world definitely does have three dimensions.

I then prepared another slide with much less blood. By that time, the blood had begun to clot. It was interesting to note the differences between the first and second slides. (Who says learning has to be boring, anyway?)

Consecrated came downstairs in the midst of all of this unplanned excitement. He encouraged me to take care of my cut, which by that time had already clotted off.

Anyway, Teddy Bear finally did get his bread and he said it was yummy!!!

2 comments:

Kelli said...

Those boys must just adore having you as a mom!

Beautiful Grace said...

I adore them!!! I am blessed!!!