We went to a 70th birthday party for my Uncle Bob over the weekend. We had a super time! During the party, we were serenaded by my cousin, Alan. What a voice he has! Gorgeous playing, too.
I've been trying to make a conscious effort to digest more books lately. Sometimes I have a serious attention problem, which makes sitting in one place to read a book very hard. But, I've made a commitment to myself, and I'm doing pretty well so far.
So far, I've finished seven books. I'm in the middle of at least seven more, but they don't count until they're DONE!
So here's my list thus far.
1. Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
2. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
3. Fat Free and Fatal by G.A. McKevett
4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
5. Developing talents : careers for individuals with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism by Temple Grandin and Kate Duffy
6. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
7. Monk and the Blue Flu by Lee Goldberg
My goal is to finish the Snicket series and the Twilight series this year. I'd like to also finish the current Sookie Stackhouse books (by Charlaine Harris), but I'm not in any hurry.
I mentioned the other day that I've been reading a blog, I Will Teach You To Be Rich. Well, one of the excellent suggestions Ramit Sethi had on the blog was to purchase glasses from a place that doesn't charge an arm and a leg. I admit, I was skeptical.
I've worn glasses since I was five years old. My parents would take me to the eye doctor and then afterwards, we'd head to a store to buy new glasses. This was the routine. The people that worked at the office got to know my family over the years. It was a place I trusted. When I needed new glasses while in Kansas for college, I didn't really know what to do! It was unnerving. It was also the first time I realized how expensive glasses are!
The last pair of glasses I purchased cost around $300. We adopted our dog Daisy shortly after I got the glasses. One day during an afternoon nap, the dog woke up and was bored. The most intriguing thing she could find to play with were my brand new glasses. She chewed them into pieces. It was so heartbreaking. That was six years ago, and I hadn't been able to replace them since then.
I know that our eyes are very important and that we have to take care of them. We need to invest in quality to do so. I wasn't sure if a "cheap" place would give me what I needed out of my glasses. But, I decided to try.
Ramit mentioned this place. After going to the eye doctor and getting a new prescription from him, I came home and went right to the webpage. I carefully put in all the information, and had to do a few measurements with help from Skotte. Zip zip zip, and my glasses were ordered. Complete cost to me: $29.
So here they are - my new glasses. I couldn't be happier!
They arrived today, and so far, I am very happy with the quality, the cost, and the service. I think I can even afford a second pair, just for fun!
I adore me some scribbly-funny-pages. And I'm delighted at the recent post-modernist trend to transcend the humble dead tree media, which the fFormat is most known fFor embracing. "Web comics" is a cozy, delightful term for fFunny pages on the web.
But, I'm all about the intersection of meat-space and cyber-space.
A terrific example of this some-where-in-between stuff is fFreakAngels, a quasi-classic format graphic novel, presented in weekly chunks on the web, at a somewhat maddening pace. Every fFriday, another half dozen pages are posted. The story has been in progress over a year, and has only just started to get beyond exposition. You can start reading, fFrom the beginning, here: http://www.freakangels.com/?p=23.
fFreakAngels is interesting as a media experiment because, while it is being produced and directly placed on the web - where anyone may download the entire story at no charge -- there is a perpetual reminder that it will be assembled in a glossy, printed, glued and shipped, real live honest to gosh book. The entire thing can be read fFree to anyone online, but later, if you happen to think of it, you can go out and buy it. I love this approach: consumers get to try before they buy, and craftsmen get exposure through audiences who might have never otherwise picked up their work. Brilliant.
Oh, but is fFreakAngels any good? Well, I like it. It's about a bunch of kids who, fFor reasons as yet unexplained, were all born at the same moment, and, twelve years later, brought about the end of the world. Give it a read.
Lately, I've been watching a lot of British shows online on Netflix. Spooks (which is known as MI:5 in the U.S.), All Creatures Great and Small, Waking the Dead, and Hotel Babylon. I can't seem to get enough. I'm now patiently waiting as one disc comes at a time, since I've run out of episodes to watch online.
Also, I've been catching Mistresses and Ashes to Ashes on BBC America. Ashes is the follow up to Life on Mars, the original version. Unfortunately, I haven't seen Life on Mars, except the very last episode, which of course made no sense to me. But, I know enough about the show to be able to follow Ashes. I also love all of the 1980s references - the music, the fashion. It's fantastic.
Mistresses is growing on me. I didn't think I'd like it, but watched just to see what it was all about, and now I am a fan. The women are so interesting and so different, but have such great friendships with each other. Except when they don't... there are definitely things that I'd think a person would tell their best friends, and they keep things from each other sometimes.
Otherwise, I'm still watching quite a few shows, but I've dropped some. For example, I'll probably catch up on Heroes and Chuck once it's out on dvd. They weren't holding my interest enough. I am enjoying Dollhouse though, and NCIS as usual.
I've been spending a lot of time lately in meditation. Any time my mind gets too noisy, I close my eyes and clear my mind, or do any number of techniques that I have these days to refocus, recenter. I go into such a deep place that most times I fall asleep. I'm not sure what to think of this - it's inconvenient at best, but perhaps my body craves this kind of rest.
It's amazing to me now that I'm more aware just how distracted I get on a daily basis. Any number of things (people, noises, etc.) take me out of my functioning. But, I keep going back, telling myself how I'm worth the time and effort.
It gets easier with time, but I can see how this is a lifelong pursuit - the quest for a quiet mind. It's my yearning to know God through knowing myself. My critical self bucks up, blows fire, rages on - and after a while, I see it for the tantrum it is. I surrender and release. Back to the center.
While surfing the web perhaps a couple years ago, I came across a website called I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi. I was intrigued by the title because, hey, who couldn't use more money? I wasn't expecting greatness, but greatness was what I got!
Ramit is a graduate of Stanford, according to the website. He gives very simple, practical information. If you're looking for tips for frugality though, Ramit isn't the guy for you. He believes in spending money on your most important assets, whatever you think those are. If you have a shoe obsession, indulge that once in a while, but cut back on something that doesn't really matter to you.
His advice fits in perfectly with my website motto - In The Spice Rack ~ Where Life Is Flavorful. Make your life meaningful and full of whatever is your passion.
Ramit has published a book recently, and mine arrived yesterday! I immediately flipped through the pages, reading here and there. I am so excited to get the book. I can't wait to share it with my family and friends.
1. Sweden - Stockholm even! My great grandparents on my mother's mother's side were born in Sweden, and I have always wanted to go and meet relatives.
2. Scotland - My aunt married a bloke from Scotland, and his mum, whom I refer to lovingly as my Auntie, still lives there. I'd love to visit and see the beautiful countryside.
3. Salt Lake City, Utah - There is lots of talk about SLC. Some people love it, some don't. I want to go for myself and see what I think. I hear the area is gorgeous.
4. San Diego, California - I thought about transferring during college out that direction, but didn't. I have seen pictures of San Diego, and I think it's a really lovely place to visit. I'm not sure I'd like to live there, but I haven't been there yet!
5. Seattle, Washington - The Starbucks Mecca! Ok, I'm not really interested in Seattle for the coffee. I've long wondered what the atmosphere of this mystical city is like. How would I survive in a place that's so... wet? I think I'd love it, but I don't know!!!
6. Sydney, Australia - Again, I'm looking forward to seeing the beauty of Sydney! The Opera House, the amazing architecture, the waterfront...
7. St. Louis, Missouri - I've driven through, but never stopped - on my way to and from Wichita. I'd like to see the arch up close!
8. South Africa, Probably Cape Town - I've always had a yearning to see South Africa.
9. Springfield - The one from The Simpsons! Do I need to say more?
Back in the "old days," artists made these wonderful inventions called "CDs." Now, I won't further stress the brains of our younger generations by telling them about cassettes, records, and 8-tracks. CDs are still made today, but it's an iTunes Generation now, isn't it?
Anyway, being a musician, collecting music in the latest fashionable device was a need for me, especially as a teenager. Instead of getting an allowance, I was permitted to join Columbia House, which started my obsession.
Recently, I've been importing all of my CDs into my iTunes library. We even made a database for this endeavor.
I was really interested in finding out who the top 9 Artists/Bands in our collection are, so I turned to Skotte, our resident IT dood, to figure it out. Here's what he came up with.
8-11 was a four-way tie between: Splashdown, Renee Fleming, Marilyn Manson, and Joshua Bell.
7. The Smashing Pumpkins
6. Primus
5. Ani DiFranco
4. Frank Zappa
3. The Beatles
2. Tori Amos
1. Pearl Jam
As you can tell, we have a pretty wide range of musical tastes. Now, if we could get Joshua Bell to do a project with Pearl Jam, that would be pretty sweet!
I started visiting a website called Gather about 2 years ago. In fact, April 1, 2007 was the date I joined the site, at the urging of a friend. I wasn't sure what I would do there, but she wasn't taking no for an answer. She created a group on Gather where its one mission was to think of one happy thing each day and write about it. And for her, I did this.
I have written many Happy Thoughts since then, sometimes taking breaks in terms of days, weeks, even months. But, I always think about what I would say if I were in front of the computer writing my Happy Thought. After a while, I started writing my thoughts not only for her, but also for me.
It has been quite a journey that I've taken on the past two years, and my thoughts were sometimes the glue that strung my days together. I look at life as a complete picture - I have ups and downs just as everyone does. Life isn't always happy. Perhaps a better title for my thoughts would be "Content Thoughts" or "Balanced Living Thoughts."
Then again, when I'm not on one end of the spectrum, deep in the dumps, I am fairly akin to Pollyanna, trying to see the good in life. I am my own "-ianna" - Heidianna. Even on the darkest, dreariest days, there is something amazing about a dark sky, lightning cracking down the horizon, or running outside to jump in rain puddles. The sun is two-fold as well... what can brighten a day can also burn a person to a crisp. As I have had third degree sunburns myself, I can attest to the excruciating pain that came with it. But, I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything in the world.
So you might be asking - What's your point today? I'm getting to it!
I stick with the title "Happy Thoughts" to thank my friend for inspiring me, and to hopefully inspire people to strive to see the good, and to live a balanced, content life, and see the whole of the picture. And as a daily reminder to smile back in the mirror.
I bought the book Cross Stitch Silhouettes by Adele Welsby sometime last year, because I loved the concept of cross stitching, but only having to use one color of thread, or using variegated thread. I'm on my second project now, and so far, they are turning out quite well. I was drawn to the book because of the cover, with the old fashioned silhouette of a man and woman, but the book contains many projects. There are animals, buildings, statues, and symbols of different countries, wizards, plants, and two sets of the alphabet. There are so many things to choose from!
I decided to try using a rayon thread because of its shininess. With my first project, I started using 2 threads, and it was quite thick. For my second project, I am using just one rayon thread. I always have the problem where my thread gets knotted up in between crosses. Does anyone have a solution for this?
I am using various patterns from this book to make Christmas ornaments, and also some decoration to add to stockings. I am considering making a couple of larger pieces to frame as well. You can adapt the patterns, or combine them, too. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in cross stitching, but want to take a break from having to use several threads at a time.
I've been catching up on a variety of shows this week.
Chuck - Nicole Ritchie and Ben Savage starred as former classmates of Sarah Walker, aka Jenny Burton, and the reunion ensues. While I thought Nicole looked beautiful, her acting was rather flat. Her action sequences with Sarah were exciting, but otherwise, I wasn't really buying it.
If "Candyman" Tony Todd recruited Sarah into the CIA, is it possible that Sarah had something to do with him being blown up? I need to go back and watch her reaction to getting the news now!
Heroes - Last week's episode contained my least favorite moment and my most favorite moment. I absolutely detest The Puppetmaster. Ok, I know we're not supposed to like him. I just couldn't help but wonder which writer was tickled pink to write such a misogynistic character as Eric Doyle. I was never so happy as when Claire was able to use the old "I'm not really dead" trick to escape!
I alternately loved the part when Hiro is trying to outfox the Seer in Africa. I laughed and laughed. I am wondering if the Seer is sort of a trainer when the "heroes" eventually go to learn, or take a spirit walk, like Parkman did, and now Hiro. It was a good reminder for Hiro that he still needs to use his own mind to think!
Fringe - It's Olivia's birthday in the episode and we learn more about her own personal history, which included a jerk of a stepfather who she shot after he beat up her mother when she was 9. She couldn't kill him though, and now every year on her birthday, he sends her a card, just to let her know he's still alive.
The overall plot of this episode however concerns two women who had Bellini's Lymphocema, and searched for a cure themselves. The first woman ended up exploding, and killing everyone else in a diner with her. The second woman is missing, and it's a race against time to find her and make her an antidote so the same thing doesn't happen to her.
I like the feel of this show, and I especially like Olivia Dunham as a character. She is serious and methodical, but also compassionate. It's a rare mixture that isn't always welcome in agents, but she makes it work for her.
House - I will sum up the episode titled Lucky Thirteen by using a quote directly from the show: “Another life saved by girl-on-girl action.” Well, only sorta. Basically, Thirteen is faced with her own mortality, and the fact that her time is going faster than she first anticipated. This is causing her to make risky decisions in an effort to live her life as fully as possible. The reality is she's taking illegal drugs, partying all night, and having one night stands with strangers. She isn't doing any of the things that would help prolong her life.
In this episode, one of Thirteen's flings was trying to get House to take her as a patient when Thirteen took her home. She ended up having a seizure and landed in the hospital. The duo inspires gratuitous lesbian jokes. This episode also left me wondering - When will there be a Kutner episode???
Eleventh Hour - I wasn't sure what to expect from this show, but so far, I like it. This episode revolved around a family becoming paralyzed after ingesting a fungus. It was exciting to watch as they traced the fungus back to its originator. One of the topics that comes up is farmers trying to compete with industry giants like Dole and Monsanto. As a person who has allergies/sensitivities to many substances, including pesticides, I have thought a lot about GMO foods, and what "natural" and "organic" really means. Does labeling really help?
The best quote came from Dr. Hood - “Green food coloring, on the other hand, is a petroleum-derived triphenylmethane, nothing natural about it. Yummy.” Then he takes a big spoonful of green jello and eats it!
Ghost Whisperer - I don't have much to say about this week's episode. It was okay. One of the things I love about the show is Jennifer Love Hewitt. I tried to dislike Ghost Whisperer for a really long time because it replaced my beloved Joan of Arcadia. However, I give in! I love this show! Sometimes it's cheesy. Sometimes it makes no sense. But, it's my guilty pleasure. They took away my Moonlight vampire fix, so this will have to do for now. And, Jamie Kennedy is on the show, replacing Jay Mohr's Professor Payne, as Melinda Gordon's sidekick. I love Jamie Kennedy!
My Own Worst Enemy - I like the show so far. Christian Slater really pulls off the two personalities. This show was made for him! My husband thinks the show's premise is horrible, but it's working so far. The plot has taken us all over - Edward doing "the hummingbird" with Henry's wife, Henry having to torture information out of someone, Henry waking up in the middle of one of Edward's jobs... It's a mix of sweet, exciting, and terrifying.
Kath & Kim - Kath thinks her fiance Phil is cheating on her because she is feeling old. What is funny is the episode starts off with Kim telling Kath (her mom) that she is looking old, and then jumps to her mom's defense when Phil tries to make her feel better. Kim and Kath want to cheer themselves up, so they go out to a drag club. They hang with some very understanding and complimentary queens. Phil shows up, and a hip hop routine ensues!
You know, I didn't have many expectations about this show, and even after watching it, I have less expectations, but it made me laugh harder than anything else. At the end of the day, I really need a good laugh. If Seinfeld could have a show about nothing, then so can Kath and Kim! Well, I'll keep watching it at least. For now.
Rita Rocks - I love Nicole Sullivan. She is so cute, and totally hilarious. When I found out she had a new show, I knew I had to check it out. This episode found Rita's daughter, Hallie, trying to prove she's mature enough to watch her younger sister while their parents go on a mini vacation for a weekend. Rita puts in a nanny cam to see if she can trust her oldest daughter. Rita gets caught, of course.
The thing I liked about this show was the warm, happy, family oriented feeling. It was an entertaining 30 minutes, and something parents could watch with their kids, and discuss what happened. I'll tune in again!
I finally caught up on Boston Legal. Denny is still causing trouble, and Alan is still being a womanizer. Actually, Denny Crane spends a lot of time worrying that his "mad cow" disease (Alzheimer's) is winning. There are a number of touching moments between Denny and Alan revolving around the mad cow. We even witness one of their sleepovers in last week's episode. I don't recall seeing them together in pajamas before this. There are other characters in this show of course. I'm just currently stuck on them. I've always loved the great writing in this show, especially the sharp closing arguments. This season is no exception.
Three British shows that I have been enjoying on our local Public Broadcasting System channel are Rosemary & Thyme, Executive Stress, and Fresh Fields. I've seen all of the R & T episodes several times, but still enjoy them. The other two shows are new to me.
Hopefully, next week I will catch up on some other shows such as: Doc Martin, Cold Case, Easy Money, Eli Stone, Life on Mars, NCIS, Numb3rs, Primeval, Sanctuary, Pushing Daisies, The Ex List, Big Bang Theory, The Mentalist, The Simpsons, The Starter Wife, and Valentine.
This made me think about what my husband has taught me. In my mind, he is shameless!!! If someone is thinking about getting rid of an item, he will immediately ask for it. This has bothered me for a long time. I am of the school of thought that if you need something or want something, you should provide it to yourself. To me, it kind of looked like begging. For him though, he is never disappointed if the person says no. If he didn't ask, he wouldn't know.
Now I am wondering if his asking is more than just a difference in our personalities. Maybe the asking is hardwired in him. As a woman, I was taught to be polite, discrete, kind. It wasn't polite to ask someone for their personal belongings.
My husband and I have been married now for ten years, and I find it necessary to ask for things. My husband isn't a mind reader. It actually hinders me to be polite with him. I have to ask for what I need within the context of our marriage. And, that has moved beyond just my relationship with him. I do the same with my parents, my brother, my friends... Fifteen years ago, I would have been embarrassed or crushed if I asked for something and was denied. Now it's just par for the course, and I don't take it as personally. And, the more I ask, the higher the likelihood that someone will say yes!
Burned by Carol Higgins Clark is just one of many books in the Regan Reilly detective series. I started reading the series right from the beginning, back in the early 1990s.
As you might have figured out, Regan Reilly is a detective, located in Los Angeles. In this book, Regan is getting ready to fly back to New York where her fiance, Jack Reilly (no relation!) is living. They have wedding details to firm up. However, a freak snowstorm in the East puts that plan on hold. Instead, Regan receives an invitation from her best friend Kit to fly to Hawaii and have some girl time together before the wedding. Kit is stranded in Hawaii until the storm lets up.
Mystery follows Regan where ever she goes, and the trip to Hawaii is no exception. The Waikiki Waters Playground and Resort has had Dorinda Dawes writing a newsletter for them... until she turns up dead. The manager asks Regan to look into her death. Dorinda was not a well liked person. In fact, she had interviewed Regan's mother, famous novelist Nora Regan Reilly, years before, and ruffled Nora's feathers.
Add into the story a hot guy that Kit is interested in, plus a very strange group of tourists who comes from the very rainy Hudville, and Jazzy the kind of ditsy house-sitter, and you have the makings of a very peculiar Hawaiian Girls Weekend for Kit and Regan.
For this book, I would give it a solid 3.5 coriander seeds (1-5, with 5 being the highest). Burned is a fast read, and quite enjoyable. If you like mysteries, you might really enjoy the Regan Reilly series.
This is a pretty fun site, if you're looking to win some neat things. It's time consuming to check to see if you won, but if your time isn't limited, I say go for it!
So far, my husband has won two stickers, and I've won a couple stickers, a tshirt, and a Starbucks gift card.
I wasn't sure what to expect from Bollywood/Hollywood, but I wasn't disappointed! It was definitely worth watching. On a scale of 1 to 5 coriander seeds (with 5 being the highest), I'd give it a solid 4 coriander seeds!
Here's a synopsis. Rahul lives in Canada (Toronto, I think!) with his mother, grandmother, sister and brother. He falls in love with a woman, and gets blessings from his mother and grandmother to marry her, but they are reluctant. However, she passes away in a freak accident before they can marry. After this, his mother and grandmother insist that he marry a girl who is Indian, and Hindi specifically. He absolutely refuses, and so Mom and Grandma get out the ultimatums! If he doesn't agree to get married soon, his sister's wedding will be cancelled. His sister urgently needs to get married, so he finds someone to pretend to be his fiancee until after his sister is married. Wacky hijinx ensue!
This is a very touching story, which crosses many cultural borders. There are many wonderful moments. The music is very beautiful. The dance scenes are fun to watch. Grandma often quotes Shakespeare. There's also the girl who keeps popping up to say, "What a bunch of losers!" For anyone that has seen it, or sees it after reading this, my favorite character is Rocky. I've seen the actor who plays him in several other movies, too.
As I was sitting at my computer this morning doing my usual round of checking websites, my dad yelled to me that FedEx was at the door. I found a package waiting for me on my front step from General Mills! It's not every day you get a package like this, so I called my dad over and together we opened the small box.
Inside, we found a box of 100% Natural Progresso® Chicken Broth and coupons! During the winter, we make and eat a lot of soup. I really love homemade soup on a cold snowy day. I am anticipating many bowls of yumminess this fall and winter!
Sometimes Scott makes ramen and then uses broth instead of the packets because the sodium is less. Sometimes I just have some broth with chicken, rice, leeks and carrot pieces. I bake chicken and rice at the same time using broth and water for added flavor in the rice. I can find so many uses for this!
I discovered while cleaning out "All Programs" in my Start Menu that I had Scrabble on my computer! I had no idea! So I played a newbie game, and won. I usually play with friends who kick my behind all over, so this was new. I had a great time too!
A few weeks ago, Scott and I decided to organize our comic book collection and see what we were missing. Boy, that was a project! Six hours and 4 boxes later, we had a hefty list of "needs" and the rest were well organized and nestled comfy in their bags and boards.
Yesterday, I sat down to make a nice typed list of our "wants" and stumbled across this website.
The Comic Book Database is awesome! They already have loads of comics in their database, complete with covers. You can also easily add a cover if one is missing. I was able to search and determine how many comics were in a series thus far, making my list far more complete for when we actually take it to the store to start filling in our comic book series holes.
The best part - the datebase is free! You can make a donation, which I probably will, as the site has to be a huge task to regulate.
I am so happy. A project which would have taken twice as long is now twice as complete, as I also have a list of the comics I DO own, as well as my "wishlist."
If you collect comics, I highly recommend giving this site a look!
I am the dog-mom of a five year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Daisy, and a cat-sister of a Blue Point Himalayan Cat named Niko. These two animals fill my life with so much love and laughter. I never feel a pang of loneliness when they are around.
Every morning, I get up and immediately take Daisy outside. We greet the day together - frosty blasts or warm sunshine. We'll take it all. Daisy is always excited to explore regardless of my feelings on the matter. A trip around the driveway, or around the yard might be in order, with many stops to collect smells and treasures. I have found many interesting and beautiful leaves, pine cones, and flowers on our journeys. Daisy has literally taught me to stop and smell the roses, figuratively and literally!
Midday is often spent with Niko sunning himself on the bed while I am crocheting. Like any other cat, Niko has his own mind, and will do as he pleases. Thankfully, that often means spending time with me! I pet and brush him daily, and talk to him just as I talk to any of my friends.
The rewards of having an animal in your life are so wonderful. Here is a link to one such place that helps pets find people!
