This is the third Christmas that I have thought more about Mary than about Jesus at this time of year.In particular, Luke 1:38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."I think about her strength of mind; of her faith in God. I think about how she was challenging everything in her life: her parents, her betrothed, her religion; her culture - in accepting this Holy burden.How afraid she must have been? What would...
Ok.. so a couple of weeks ago, I told you that I was sharing my menu with you and that worked pretty good.2 weeks ago, I did the next step in the whole, domestic goddess path. I did all my grocery shopping for two weeks which meant that I had to do meal planning for two weeks. This was interesting because A) who knew that 2 weeks of groceries would completely fill up the grocery cart? and B) who knew that it could be cheaper to shop for two weeks...
Couple of weeks ago, I went to a Mom's club biz meeting. They only happen once a month and I've missed the last couple. We've got a rule in the club that if you or your child are sick, then you don't attend club events. For the last two months, Phoebe has become ill a day or so before the meeting, so we've missed them. This month! HA! She's fine. She was great. At 10AM, we went to the meeting and learned a lot, talked to other moms, decided...
I'm trying to make our meals a little more interesting. I've added a fair number of new recipes to our repertoire in the last few months so we do have some different stuff... cooking at home saves money, is more nutritious - all that good stuff.I'm also making sure we eat more balanced meals, like you know, with vegetables and stuff.So in an effort to hold myself more accountable, I'm sharing this week's menu:Saturday: I bought a roasted turkey...
Yep, if you go to the blog, you'll see that it looks a LOT different. I'm playing around with the template and have branched out - har de har har - into some non-Blogger templates...My daughter has roseola. It's a common virus that cause really high fevers followed by a rash. The fever comes suddenly and then is gone suddenly. It is one of those random viruses that has you freaking out.Still trying to get the ceiling in our master bedroom fixed....
This child ticks me off.
I admit it. I have what I will call traditional views on children and food. Before Moo and I were married, I would often quietly critique how folks feed their kids.
This critique comes from a couple of different experiences I've had over the years.
Experience #1: When I was about 6, we went to a family cookout. The adults had steak. The kids were fed hotdogs. I have always had a love/hate...
I feel like I'm always telling you how busy I am and I don't have a lot to back it up with. For that matter, I'm always telling Moo that I haven't gotten anything done and then I look at the list of things I've done in a day and I wonder where my brains are. So I thought I'd walk you through a day with me...
5:30AM - Get up, get dressed.
5:50AM - Get Phoebe up and dressed and bottle
6:15AM - Take Moo to train. We've only got one...
Why is it that it rains almost every time I need to drag the garbage can to the curb?
Baby girl has some sort of rash. She's had it a couple days now. She appears to feel well otherwise. No diarrhea, fever, or rash anywhere else. I've got a call in to the pediatrician so we'll see...
Biz stuff: I am having a Stamp-A-Stack next week. A Stamp-A-Stack is an event where I provide all the tools, materials and instructions...
My goal for the next 12 weeks is to provide you with great ideas for both your creativity and your domesticity this holiday season. Each week, we'll address a certain area of concern here in Nervous Breakdowns and I'll show you a great card, gift or gift wrap idea on my creative blog.This week, we are going to look at organizing the Christmas season as a whole. I KNOW it's September and December 25th seems a long way away, but making a few decisions...
We are in the part of Georgia that experienced the recent heavy rains and flooding.
A few days ago, Moo's mom was put into the hospital for some pretty serious stomach problems. We rallied the troups and took the 3 hour trip south to their home to check on her, check on Moo's dad and check on Moo's sister who was also visiting. Everyone needed a good bit of checking :)
We had been experiencing a good bit of rain at this point. Nearly everyday there was at least a small thundershower so we didn't think too much when we left Friday afternoon to head south. Moo's mom was doing much better and we came home Sunday morning (Mom got out of the hospital Monday and is doing great!)
When we got home, things looked weird. I mean you could tell there had been a lot of rain. Our garage floor was a little wet and there was the remnants of heavy rain in the yard.
We got in and immediately found that our phone was out which meant that we also lost internet and cable. I'm ok losing the cable although I missed the season opening of House (dag nambit), but the internet was a problem. I work from home and it's my primary source of information, so I was bothered when the folks said it would be 5 days before the phone was repaired and because of how our phone/internet/cable was set-up, we needed to get the phone fixed in order to get the internet/cable back online.
This experience has me seriously thinking of the wisdom of combining utilities in one company... but I digress.
Anyway, we get home, it's been raining, we've got no outside communications and then.. well then comes the deluge. I have never seen/heard rain like that in my whole life.
About 10 pm, Moo says, "you need to come into our bedroom right now". There, I found a crack in our ceiling RIGHT OVER MY SIDE OF THE BED dripping water on my pillow. We got our giant bed out of the way and then placed a 5 gallon bucket under the drip to catch the rain. Meanwhile, the rain continued.
There wasn't a lot of sleeping that night. I don't know what bothered me more: the constant drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop all night or the fact that the rain seemed to get louder. Also we kept shining a flashlight at the bucket to see how full it was and had to get up to empty it about 4:30 AM.
It was still raining cats and dogs when we finally dragged out of bed. I decided I'd drive Moo into work since it was raining so heavily. I got Phoebe up and got her ready and then we left. The rain was bad. Not the worst rain I'd ever seen, but it just didn't relent the whole time I drove Moo in.
After Phoebe and I got back home, the rain got harder. Meanwhile, I am starting to panic. I don't have Action News to tell me that we're having a monsoon and I don't have weather.com to check so I'm starting to wonder what the hell is happening. Also, the power is blinking on and off and when it couldn't get any worse, the water goes out. I am in complete panic mode now.
I'm texting Moo every 10 minutes to let him know what's going on, getting on Facebook with my cellphone to post my paranoia, generally getting myself worked up.
In a bit of a panic, I decide to evaluate our sources. We've got a couple gallons of water stored away and our water pitchers are nearly full. I stuck a couple of buckets outside to catch rainwater for the potty.
Why is it that when you lose a utility, you instantly need to use that utility desperately? In this case, I was dying of thirst and needed the bathroom in the worst way.
As the day wore on, I realized that I had a radio! GLORY GLORY HALLELUJAH!! I can find out what's going on. Agh! There's flooding in some of the northern counties. The river is filling up and rain is still in the forecast.
Next day, there was flooding all around us. The interstate was closed down in several places and roads were blocked all over. Moo stayed home from work because he had to - all of our routes were closed. Wednesday was the same way. Major interstate still closed; alternate routes too but began opening as the day wore on.
Moo and I had plenty of time to evaluate our ceiling which thankfully didn't drip anymore but the damage was done. A giant ugly crack in the ceiling. I called our home owner's insurance company.
Thursday brought the telephone repair man. As soon as he looked at the box, he knew that we'd had a lightning strike and we found that our internet router and the outside box had taken a beating. Also, Moo's computer was dead. He hadn't tried to turn it on since we didn't have internet.
So Friday we got internet and cable back. The insurance adjuster came out that afternoon to inspect the damage. And this past Tuesday, we got a check for the repairs to the ceiling.
So what have I learned?
Always know where a radio is. Keep your cell phone charged. Have a small emergency plan. These kinds of things will keep you sane.
But also, I am aware AGAIN of how lucky and blessed I truly am. People lost their lives and their homes as a result of this. I am lucky and blessed.
A few days ago, Moo's mom was put into the hospital for some pretty serious stomach problems. We rallied the troups and took the 3 hour trip south to their home to check on her, check on Moo's dad and check on Moo's sister who was also visiting. Everyone needed a good bit of checking :)
We had been experiencing a good bit of rain at this point. Nearly everyday there was at least a small thundershower so we didn't think too much when we left Friday afternoon to head south. Moo's mom was doing much better and we came home Sunday morning (Mom got out of the hospital Monday and is doing great!)
When we got home, things looked weird. I mean you could tell there had been a lot of rain. Our garage floor was a little wet and there was the remnants of heavy rain in the yard.
We got in and immediately found that our phone was out which meant that we also lost internet and cable. I'm ok losing the cable although I missed the season opening of House (dag nambit), but the internet was a problem. I work from home and it's my primary source of information, so I was bothered when the folks said it would be 5 days before the phone was repaired and because of how our phone/internet/cable was set-up, we needed to get the phone fixed in order to get the internet/cable back online.
This experience has me seriously thinking of the wisdom of combining utilities in one company... but I digress.
Anyway, we get home, it's been raining, we've got no outside communications and then.. well then comes the deluge. I have never seen/heard rain like that in my whole life.
About 10 pm, Moo says, "you need to come into our bedroom right now". There, I found a crack in our ceiling RIGHT OVER MY SIDE OF THE BED dripping water on my pillow. We got our giant bed out of the way and then placed a 5 gallon bucket under the drip to catch the rain. Meanwhile, the rain continued.
There wasn't a lot of sleeping that night. I don't know what bothered me more: the constant drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop all night or the fact that the rain seemed to get louder. Also we kept shining a flashlight at the bucket to see how full it was and had to get up to empty it about 4:30 AM.
It was still raining cats and dogs when we finally dragged out of bed. I decided I'd drive Moo into work since it was raining so heavily. I got Phoebe up and got her ready and then we left. The rain was bad. Not the worst rain I'd ever seen, but it just didn't relent the whole time I drove Moo in.
After Phoebe and I got back home, the rain got harder. Meanwhile, I am starting to panic. I don't have Action News to tell me that we're having a monsoon and I don't have weather.com to check so I'm starting to wonder what the hell is happening. Also, the power is blinking on and off and when it couldn't get any worse, the water goes out. I am in complete panic mode now.
I'm texting Moo every 10 minutes to let him know what's going on, getting on Facebook with my cellphone to post my paranoia, generally getting myself worked up.
In a bit of a panic, I decide to evaluate our sources. We've got a couple gallons of water stored away and our water pitchers are nearly full. I stuck a couple of buckets outside to catch rainwater for the potty.
Why is it that when you lose a utility, you instantly need to use that utility desperately? In this case, I was dying of thirst and needed the bathroom in the worst way.
As the day wore on, I realized that I had a radio! GLORY GLORY HALLELUJAH!! I can find out what's going on. Agh! There's flooding in some of the northern counties. The river is filling up and rain is still in the forecast.
Next day, there was flooding all around us. The interstate was closed down in several places and roads were blocked all over. Moo stayed home from work because he had to - all of our routes were closed. Wednesday was the same way. Major interstate still closed; alternate routes too but began opening as the day wore on.Moo and I had plenty of time to evaluate our ceiling which thankfully didn't drip anymore but the damage was done. A giant ugly crack in the ceiling. I called our home owner's insurance company.
Thursday brought the telephone repair man. As soon as he looked at the box, he knew that we'd had a lightning strike and we found that our internet router and the outside box had taken a beating. Also, Moo's computer was dead. He hadn't tried to turn it on since we didn't have internet.So Friday we got internet and cable back. The insurance adjuster came out that afternoon to inspect the damage. And this past Tuesday, we got a check for the repairs to the ceiling.
So what have I learned?
Always know where a radio is. Keep your cell phone charged. Have a small emergency plan. These kinds of things will keep you sane.
But also, I am aware AGAIN of how lucky and blessed I truly am. People lost their lives and their homes as a result of this. I am lucky and blessed.
My father was one of the smartest people I've ever known - and one of the most irritating.My father was a great skeptic and questioned all things around him. He was a student of religious and political texts and his opinions were well formed as the result of constant study and thought. Once he had an opinion, very little could change his mind.He once told me, "Never be a sheep. Sheep are often led to slaughter."As I grew up and evaluated the great...
There's a lot of talk about healthcare these days. A lot of it is political rhetoric, most of it is pure nonsense. It's hard to look at it and see what needs to be done.I think we can all agree that healthcare costs are out of control. For one thing, it's nigh impossible to shop for healthcare based on price. What does your doctor charge for a visit? Don't know? You only pay for a co-pay? Yep, me too.But here's the thing: if you are a private...
So I'm pretty busy here at the ranch.
I've become a regular domestic goddess cooking regular meals, cleaning the house and whatnot. I am an entrepreneur with my new crafting business. I'm making new friends in my Mom's Club group. And I'm a full time mommy and wife.
And blissfully happy. Really. I am incredibly happy. Me. Who thought I'd be bored stiff by the time baby girl was a year old. But it turns out that all this busy-ness suits me.
Baby girl has become a walking champ and roams around the house giggling with me behind her. She's got a mouth full of choppers and has cut all but 1 of her 1 year molars. (I think she's cutting that one now.) She still takes 2 naps a day and of course, she's been sleeping through the night since she was 2-1/2 months old.
I'm going to start talking more about the business here soon. The purpose of this blog has always been as an outlet for me and as entertainment and education for you dear reader. Perhaps you all will educate me as well and let me know what you think of things?
That's it for now. I hope to get around here a little more often. I'm working on a schedule - yes, stay at home moms - NAY - WORK AT HOME MOMS need a schedule for work versus playing with their gorgeous daughters.
I've become a regular domestic goddess cooking regular meals, cleaning the house and whatnot. I am an entrepreneur with my new crafting business. I'm making new friends in my Mom's Club group. And I'm a full time mommy and wife.
And blissfully happy. Really. I am incredibly happy. Me. Who thought I'd be bored stiff by the time baby girl was a year old. But it turns out that all this busy-ness suits me.
Baby girl has become a walking champ and roams around the house giggling with me behind her. She's got a mouth full of choppers and has cut all but 1 of her 1 year molars. (I think she's cutting that one now.) She still takes 2 naps a day and of course, she's been sleeping through the night since she was 2-1/2 months old.
I'm going to start talking more about the business here soon. The purpose of this blog has always been as an outlet for me and as entertainment and education for you dear reader. Perhaps you all will educate me as well and let me know what you think of things?
That's it for now. I hope to get around here a little more often. I'm working on a schedule - yes, stay at home moms - NAY - WORK AT HOME MOMS need a schedule for work versus playing with their gorgeous daughters.
My parents were divorced December 1999. In the divorce decree, my dad had to pay for my mother's health insurance through COBRA for 18 months. Fast forward to the winter of 2001, my mother fell at work and hurt her back. She crushed 2 discs and nearly crushed a third. Her employer had good Worker's Compensation insurance and she was given really great care. Because of the damage done, surgery is ruled out but pain management seemed to keep the...
Moo and I decided way back around November or December of last year that we would wait until after baby girl was a year old to make a decision about whether or not to try to have another child.It really is strange to phrase it that way. It took us two years of trying to get baby girl. I monitored my cycles using a crazy fertility monitor, tracking software and thermometers for over two years in the hopes of getting pregnant. It finally took reading...
Time for a random update of what's going on at the Nervous Breakdown ranch.
- Moo's toe is completely healed - hallelujah!
- Remember when I ran over my toe in February and had to
have the toenail removed in March? We'll a couple of weeks ago, I did it again. This time, I stubbed my toe on the couch and knocked the nail almost completely loose. Took a trip to urgent care and got the nail removed. If you're into looking at sick things, you can see the pic of my toe here. - I have started my business full time. I am still doing a lot of groundwork type stuff. You know setting up my books, making contacts, that sort of thing. I've done one workshop and have another one scheduled later this month. If you're interested in card making, scrapbooking, making gifts, etc. drop me a line. I can help you host your own private workshop. If you'd rather just take a look, check out my creative blog at www.hyppychick.com
- Baby girl is coming up on her first birthday. I KNOW! This year has flown by. She's so different than the lump that I first held on July 16, 2008. Moo doesn't like it when I say that newborns are the larva of humans. I mean, they don't do anything but eat, crap and sleep. They can't even turn their heads at first. And to top it off? Take a close look at several newborn babies. You'll notice they all look strangely the same. I mean sure you can pick out the essence of uncle Charlie's nose or grandma Smith's eyes, but they all look mostly alike.
- Baby girl is now drinking
- pretty reliably - from a sippy cup. We tried every sippy cup in the world trying to figure out which cup to use. This one says it's most like drinking from a regular cup; that one says it's leak proof. This one has complicated valve things that look easy to lose; that one is all one piece but a terror to clean. We finally had success with a simple cup that had no moving parts and no valves. It's not completely leak proof but she willingingly drinks from it. - Walking:
hmmmm.. what to say about walking. Can she walk? She take a few steps and has been known to toddle across the living room. But I'm not sure I classify her as a walker yet. If she has any distance to go to, say, grab the remote control, then she takes a step or two, drops to her knees and ZOOM! She's off.
First edition of this is here:3. What to do when your baby girl, who has been whining most of the night in her crib at grandma's house, wakes up at 4 am with a 102.8 fever. However, I feel vindicated because even the doc at urgent care didn't see that she had an ear infection. Took the regular pediatrician digging the ear wax out of her ear to see it. Bad mother. Bad. B...
It's been a million years since I blogged, but seriously, I have so much going on but none of it really lends itself to a post...We just got back from DisneyWorld. Yes, this obviously lends itself to a post and I AM writing it, but it's not done and I don't know when it will be done. We had a great time by the way.Moo got a massive blister turned ulcer on his toe while at WDW. We're doing a lot of running back and forth to the doc. Moo has diabetes,...
What does your mother smell like? Smell is one of the most primal of our senses capable of reviving intense memories and emotions.My mother, gone now 5 years, smelled of cake donuts and My Sin perfume.When I was kid, she worked for a large Income Tax preparation company during tax season. The rest of the year, she was a stay at home mom. During tax season, she'd go by a local bakery/restaurant and pick up scrambled egg and cheese biscuits for...
I am working on some crazy ideas right now. For one, I am getting my work at home business started (look for more about this in the next few days) and I am in the midst of preparing for a giant Disney World trip. I also have a ninth month old (!) intent on killing herself. I say that because no matter how often I vacuum the floor, she manages to find the one thing she shouldn't and promptly puts it in her mouth. I then have sweep her mouth with my...
Yeah yeah I know. It's been a couple - well a few - days. Moo and I took little girl to grandma's house weekend before last and when we got home, little girl had the sniffles. I think she picked up something at play group the Friday before.Anyways, she was sick. Feverish, snotty, sneezing and the most pitiful coughing I've ever heard. Took her to the doc to confirm a cold and that's it. By Wednesday, Moo wasn't feeling too good. I was congested...
When you are pregnant and right after the baby is born, everyone and their brother is giving you advice or telling you how your life is about to change. The best advice that Moo and I received however, came to us via our internist. He said:Remember, she came to live with you, not the other way around.I think of this advice on a daily basis. I think people put way too much emphasis on their children and I don't think it does the kids any good....
Moo and I have been getting ready for an upcoming trip to Walt Disney World (henceforth to be referred to WDW) for about 3 months now. The trip itself is mostly paid for - our package included hotel, park admission and dining - so we have only to pay for getting there and miscellaneous stuff.
Over the next few weeks, I'll show you some of our preparation, but I'll start with the food packets. Little one is on solid food for 2 meals a day and is doing great with nibbles from mine and Moo's plate.
To begin with, we thought of everything we might need in a day and then started breaking things down into activities and from those activities, we determined where we could start making kits. The food kit was born of this brainstorming.
This is the kit as it will be packed each day. Moo and I spent a while last weekend putting these together so they are already to go. We'll just put this in our diaper bag and we'll be ready for a meal with little one!
Here you see the contents:
2 baby spoons
2 handy wipes
1 disposable bib
1 container of food - this is a container of carrots
1 biter bisquit
3 paper towels
and the zip top bag it was all stored in, this will be used for trash at the end of the meal.
Here's another view of the carrots, biscuit and towels...
And another view of the bib - now unfolded, the spoons, handy wipes and zip top bag.
I'll let y'all know how these work on the trip...
Over the next few weeks, I'll show you some of our preparation, but I'll start with the food packets. Little one is on solid food for 2 meals a day and is doing great with nibbles from mine and Moo's plate.
To begin with, we thought of everything we might need in a day and then started breaking things down into activities and from those activities, we determined where we could start making kits. The food kit was born of this brainstorming.
This is the kit as it will be packed each day. Moo and I spent a while last weekend putting these together so they are already to go. We'll just put this in our diaper bag and we'll be ready for a meal with little one!
Here you see the contents:
2 baby spoons
2 handy wipes
1 disposable bib
1 container of food - this is a container of carrots
1 biter bisquit
3 paper towels
and the zip top bag it was all stored in, this will be used for trash at the end of the meal.
Here's another view of the carrots, biscuit and towels...
And another view of the bib - now unfolded, the spoons, handy wipes and zip top bag.I'll let y'all know how these work on the trip...
I have never thought of myself as beautiful.My husband thinks I am. And my mother thought I was. But I have never thought of myself that way. When I look in a mirror, I see only flaws. My face is crooked - my nose is slightly crooked, my ears are crooked. I've always thought my eyes were too intense.
It's not that I believe that I am ugly. I just don't think that I am beautiful.
How is it then, that I believe that this child is beautiful?
When the truth is that she looks a lot like this child?
I didn't think my parents were ugly. I thought they were very attractive people. My mother always had her hair done and I rarely saw her without makeup. My father was a very handsome man.
In the face of my own child, I see my parents. The same serious eyes of my father (although she's got Moo's Mom's eye color) and I believe that she'll have dimples like my mother.
Why can I see the beauty in my child's face when the beauty I see is much of what I see in the mirror? How can I teach her to see her own beauty when I am unable to see my own?
My daughter turned 8 months old earlier this week. In the last few days, she's managed to cut her top two front teeth, learn to pull up and break my heart.She's babbling a lot. Ma-ma, ba-ba, bwa-bwa, squealing, screaming and misc other noises are her favorites. I don't think the sounds mean anything to her but are just fun to do. However, when she's standing in baby jail (the pack and play) crying and screaming MA MA just breaks my heart and...
Last night I hosted my local Mom's club card group. This is a bunch of ladies that get together once a month to make cards and have fun. I'll post my card tomorrow, but I wanted to share the cake I made with you.
INGREDIENTS
* 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments
* 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
* 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
OPTIONAL
* 1 capful of Vanilla extract (not optional for me, but might be for you)
* 1 (11 ounce) can of mandarin orange segments to garnish cake
DIRECTIONS
Yes, it uses a cake mix. If you are cake snob who only makes your own homemade concoctions, then you'll have to figure out how to adapt this to your needs.
The secret to cake mix success is, however, VANILLA EXTRACT. Seriously. If you want to add richness and a homemade flavor to a cake mix cake, add a capful of vanilla extract - NOT VANILLA FLAVORING.
The finished cake is quite pretty. Sorry for not getting a photo before we dove into it. I also had a piece of this cake this morning with coffee and whoa buddy it's tasty.
INGREDIENTS* 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments
* 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
* 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
OPTIONAL
* 1 capful of Vanilla extract (not optional for me, but might be for you)
* 1 (11 ounce) can of mandarin orange segments to garnish cake
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil and mandarin oranges with juice. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
- To make the topping: In a large bowl, beat together whipped topping, pineapple with juice and dry pudding mix until blended. Spread on cake.
- You can serve this cake immediately after icing, but it's really better after sitting in the fridge overnight.
Yes, it uses a cake mix. If you are cake snob who only makes your own homemade concoctions, then you'll have to figure out how to adapt this to your needs.The secret to cake mix success is, however, VANILLA EXTRACT. Seriously. If you want to add richness and a homemade flavor to a cake mix cake, add a capful of vanilla extract - NOT VANILLA FLAVORING.
The finished cake is quite pretty. Sorry for not getting a photo before we dove into it. I also had a piece of this cake this morning with coffee and whoa buddy it's tasty.
Can't think of any one topic, so here you go:I'm hosting a small get together Monday night. The first thing you need to know is that I LOVE being the hostess!! I want to serve something yummy to nibble on so I'm going through ALL of my appetizer recipes. This doesn't sound too bad until you know that I've literally got hundreds of recipes and then when you add the countless recipes that look good online - well you see my problem.daylight savings...
I am a huge reader. I read everything from religous books to political to humor to vampire fiction.
I got this hunger for books and reading from my parents. I don't have many early memories that don't involve my parents and books. My earliest memories of bedtime is settling down to my own book while my parents read their books. I asked my mom about this memory one time and she said that I was about 3 at the time. In fact, I don't remember NOT being able to read.
Mom read romance, mystery, and what she called "Love in the Family" - true crime type novels. She read Janet Louise Roberts, Stephen King, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Ann Rule, etc. She always had a book going until her brother passed away in 1990. She said after that that she just couldn't concentrate anymore. She eventually was able to read magazines and Reader's Digest and towards the end of her life, she could read books again. At the end, she loved Janet Evanovich and I got her a cd player so she could listen to the Stephanie Plum books.
Dad was a different kind of reader. He read everything from Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples to James Bond to Philip Jose Farmer to James Michner. He loved EVERY kind of reading material. Another thing: he was reading at least 3, if not more, books at any given time. He had one in the bathroom, at least one next to his chair in this living room and at least a couple in the bedroom.
I'd go to the local used bookstore with him a couple times a month with a bag of books to trade in. He'd carry in 10-15 books and come out with 6-7 books as well as a couple for me.
Like my dad, I generally have at least 2 books going. Generally, one of the books I have going is an old favorite. I tend to read my favorites until they fall apart and then I get another copy. Among my favorites are:
Interestingly enough, I also love audio books. When I was driving back and forth on my commute from Hell at my last job, audio books helped save my sanity. I've got a number of favorites that I have in audio and paper versions.
The reason I'm writing about all this besides to let you in on how my brain works is because my husband got one of these:
It's called a Kindle 2
and it's a digital reader. I want one, but I can't tell you why and these things are NOT cheap. Furthermore, I don't know that I need one.
Hubby can justify it. He rides public transportation to and from work. It could save him a lot of time and energy. Additionally, he's a writer and wants to publish some of his work for Kindle so in that way, I think he needs it.
For me, it's like an iPhone. It's cool. It's really cool. But I don't need it. I can't think of a single reason that I can't use what I already have. Also, I really LOVE books. I love the way that old books smell. I love the feel of the paper. I love the ragged edges of a well loved book.
What books do you read and are you considering a Kindle?
I got this hunger for books and reading from my parents. I don't have many early memories that don't involve my parents and books. My earliest memories of bedtime is settling down to my own book while my parents read their books. I asked my mom about this memory one time and she said that I was about 3 at the time. In fact, I don't remember NOT being able to read.
Mom read romance, mystery, and what she called "Love in the Family" - true crime type novels. She read Janet Louise Roberts, Stephen King, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Ann Rule, etc. She always had a book going until her brother passed away in 1990. She said after that that she just couldn't concentrate anymore. She eventually was able to read magazines and Reader's Digest and towards the end of her life, she could read books again. At the end, she loved Janet Evanovich and I got her a cd player so she could listen to the Stephanie Plum books.
Dad was a different kind of reader. He read everything from Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples to James Bond to Philip Jose Farmer to James Michner. He loved EVERY kind of reading material. Another thing: he was reading at least 3, if not more, books at any given time. He had one in the bathroom, at least one next to his chair in this living room and at least a couple in the bedroom.
I'd go to the local used bookstore with him a couple times a month with a bag of books to trade in. He'd carry in 10-15 books and come out with 6-7 books as well as a couple for me.
Like my dad, I generally have at least 2 books going. Generally, one of the books I have going is an old favorite. I tend to read my favorites until they fall apart and then I get another copy. Among my favorites are:
- The Wolf and the Dove
by Kathleen Woodiwiss
- Shanna
also by Kathleen Woodiwiss
- Heir to the Shadows (Black Jewels, Book 2)
by Anne Bishop
- Anne of Green Gables
by Lucy Maude Montgomery
- Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
Interestingly enough, I also love audio books. When I was driving back and forth on my commute from Hell at my last job, audio books helped save my sanity. I've got a number of favorites that I have in audio and paper versions.
The reason I'm writing about all this besides to let you in on how my brain works is because my husband got one of these:
It's called a Kindle 2
and it's a digital reader. I want one, but I can't tell you why and these things are NOT cheap. Furthermore, I don't know that I need one.Hubby can justify it. He rides public transportation to and from work. It could save him a lot of time and energy. Additionally, he's a writer and wants to publish some of his work for Kindle so in that way, I think he needs it.
For me, it's like an iPhone. It's cool. It's really cool. But I don't need it. I can't think of a single reason that I can't use what I already have. Also, I really LOVE books. I love the way that old books smell. I love the feel of the paper. I love the ragged edges of a well loved book.
What books do you read and are you considering a Kindle?
Over the next month and a half, I have a giant to-do list.I've got all kinds of stuff going on: an upcoming DisneyWorld trip with an infant, a consignment sale I'm taking part in, a couple of date nights, hosting my Mom's club card club, Spring cleaning, etc.As such, I've started writing everything down. I used to write all my tasks down every day. But being at home, most days my calendar and task list are pretty simple: set-up bottles and formula,...
We spent the afternoon with our friends. Their son, almost 20, is in the Navy and about to be shipped off to Hawaii. Life must suck when you have to work in Hawaii.Baby girl did just great despite not taking much of a nap. By the time we were ready to leave, she would lay her little head down and then pop back up again. There was just too much going on to sle...
Last night, I did something thoughtless. I'm not going into details because it was really stupid of me and for the sake of the parties involved, I'm not going to get into it.Because I was a bonehead, I caused my dear husband, Moo, worry and pain.You are the most wonderful, understanding husband in the world. Even when I could see that you were VERY angry with me, all you wanted to do was hold me close. I never meant to cause you pain. I never...
Random brain dump:In follow-up to yesterday's post regarding the Bachelor, I can honestly say that I am glad that the Bachelor Jason Mesnick seems happy with Molly. I wish them all the luck. He's still a prick.I have a giant to-do list for the next 45 days or so. We're going to Walt Disney World next month (!!!!!) and I have meetings and appointments galore before that. So, I'm trying to get a lot of things done like spring cleaning, getting...
I have spent the last six weeks watching the Bachelor. I have been rooting for Melissa since the VERY FIRST SHOW. I thought she was just adorable and I could clearly see that she was the best chick there. So, last night, when bachelor Jason got down on one knee, I was pleased and excited that he was proposing to Melissa.Then my world crashed to the ground. He broke up with her SEVEN MINUTES later only to make up to the girl he sent home.What...
It's not often that we get a major threat of snow in Atlanta. The first thing you need to know about possible snow in Atlanta is that we have no idea what we're doing and we've had just enough experience with icy weather to know that we don't know how to drive on it and we might lose power. So we go to the grocery store and stock up on those staples: bread and milk. I don't know what we plan to do with the bread and milk but we by golly have it.Today...
Picture it.
Sicily, 1983: A beautiful young girl skips down a road on a warm spring evening. Her dainty feet are bare and caressed by the warm breezes. And yet, as fate would have it, she stubs her big toe, cracking the nail and tearing the cuticle. The foot bleeds profusely and despite her best efforts, she finds herself in a emergency room later that evening. The doctor, a handsome faced man with the body of a god, makes a grim determination. It will have to come off - the nail, not the toe. The young girl accepts her fate and the convalescence afterward with amazing grace. The nail grows back, but something is wrong. It grows back crooked and begins to cut into the surrounding flesh, infecting it. Another doctor, this one grizzled with age and full of experience, performs delicate toenail saving surgery and corrects the problem. The girl, now a voluptuous young woman, thanks the surgeon for saving her toenail.
On Ground Hog day - February 2nd for those of you not in the States - while I was ensconced in my favorite rolling office chair, I had the misfortune to roll the chair's wheels - WAIT FOR IT - over my own toe. Yes, I rolled a chair over my toe WHILE I SAT IN THE CHAIR. Do not ask how I did this. The details are sketchy at best for me.
Anyway, when I could breathe again - I didn't mention that I had stopped - I began to shout many appalling things like: MOTHER OF PEARL and HOLY ZARQUAN'S SINGING FISH!! While I was extremely proud of myself for not saying words in front of my young daughter that rhymed with buck and bit - you know the ones - I knew that I had seriously injured myself. After a few minutes more, I was finally able to pull off my shoe and sock. The toe was red and bruising appeared later in the day and I had some mobility so I didn't really worry about it. The pain mostly passed and although the toenail turned blue, I wasn't really worried.
Fast forward a few weeks to this past weekend. I stubbed the same toe and didn't think anymore of it until I took my socks and shoes off before bed. I had a bloody toe. The blood seemed to be coming out from under the nail. I did some basic self care, but the fact r
emained that the toe was red and the blood just wasn't going to stop by itself.
Yesterday, I went to see a podiatrist who looked remarkably like Dudley Moore when he was in Arthur. He took the nail off. Just like that. Well just like that after he put 3 shots of Novocaine in my big toe and grabbed a big pair of pliers. I've been through this before WITH THE OTHER FOOT. So I know the drill: I have a giant bandage on my toe and I'll have to soak it and change the dressing for a few days.
The thing is, my daughter is becoming quite mobile in the last few days. I need to post the video of her standing up but she's crawling a bit and seems fascinated by my FEET. Yes, including my sore toe.
Under the best of circumstances, I have ugly feet. I now have the joy of having ugly feet minus one toenail.
Sicily, 1983: A beautiful young girl skips down a road on a warm spring evening. Her dainty feet are bare and caressed by the warm breezes. And yet, as fate would have it, she stubs her big toe, cracking the nail and tearing the cuticle. The foot bleeds profusely and despite her best efforts, she finds herself in a emergency room later that evening. The doctor, a handsome faced man with the body of a god, makes a grim determination. It will have to come off - the nail, not the toe. The young girl accepts her fate and the convalescence afterward with amazing grace. The nail grows back, but something is wrong. It grows back crooked and begins to cut into the surrounding flesh, infecting it. Another doctor, this one grizzled with age and full of experience, performs delicate toenail saving surgery and corrects the problem. The girl, now a voluptuous young woman, thanks the surgeon for saving her toenail.
On Ground Hog day - February 2nd for those of you not in the States - while I was ensconced in my favorite rolling office chair, I had the misfortune to roll the chair's wheels - WAIT FOR IT - over my own toe. Yes, I rolled a chair over my toe WHILE I SAT IN THE CHAIR. Do not ask how I did this. The details are sketchy at best for me.
Anyway, when I could breathe again - I didn't mention that I had stopped - I began to shout many appalling things like: MOTHER OF PEARL and HOLY ZARQUAN'S SINGING FISH!! While I was extremely proud of myself for not saying words in front of my young daughter that rhymed with buck and bit - you know the ones - I knew that I had seriously injured myself. After a few minutes more, I was finally able to pull off my shoe and sock. The toe was red and bruising appeared later in the day and I had some mobility so I didn't really worry about it. The pain mostly passed and although the toenail turned blue, I wasn't really worried.
Fast forward a few weeks to this past weekend. I stubbed the same toe and didn't think anymore of it until I took my socks and shoes off before bed. I had a bloody toe. The blood seemed to be coming out from under the nail. I did some basic self care, but the fact r
emained that the toe was red and the blood just wasn't going to stop by itself.Yesterday, I went to see a podiatrist who looked remarkably like Dudley Moore when he was in Arthur. He took the nail off. Just like that. Well just like that after he put 3 shots of Novocaine in my big toe and grabbed a big pair of pliers. I've been through this before WITH THE OTHER FOOT. So I know the drill: I have a giant bandage on my toe and I'll have to soak it and change the dressing for a few days.
The thing is, my daughter is becoming quite mobile in the last few days. I need to post the video of her standing up but she's crawling a bit and seems fascinated by my FEET. Yes, including my sore toe.
Under the best of circumstances, I have ugly feet. I now have the joy of having ugly feet minus one toenail.
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