2014 In Review

I


Following the example of Katieleigh @ cakes, tea and dreams:

in 2014, I…

• marked my four-year anniversary of Tufts University
• performed with PV in our fifth year of the Hingham Cabaret
• began couponing seriously and managed to acquire a pretty good stockpile
• started using both a FitBit and a CPAP, both of which have improved my health, though in different ways
• attended two days of my town library's book sales
• went on a lovely "ladies weekend" and drank martinis
• bought a new car 
• put Shannon's Book Bag on Facebook
• lost the center of my heart, my sweet Sheeni 
• painted our house a lovely sage green
• went into the studio and produced a CD with PV with over 20 songs on it
• began making an effort to workout more, focusing on being active not losing weight
• accepted and started a new position at work

2014 Challenges Results

Not a great year reading-wise...

2014 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Hosted by The Book Vixon
Challenge: Breaking a Sweat: read 11–15 more books (or 2,750–3,999 more pages)
Books read 2012: 47, Books read 2013: 35, Books read 2014: 30

Books to read 2014: 58

Books read in 2014: 30
Books remaining: 28 


I  beat the goal of 11-15, but not my personal goal of 58. But I beat last year's failure amount...so I'm gonna call this:
 
SUCCESS! KIND OF...




I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
Hosted by Book Dragon's Lair

Challenge: Adult - 36 Books
Books Read: 8
Books remaining: 26


FAILED!





What’s in a Name 2014
Hosted by The Wormhole


Challenge: 6
Books Read: 3
Books remaining: 3


FAILED!


1. A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After) - Early Decision; Breakfast Served Anytime, Leaving Time

2. A position of royalty (The People’s Queen, The Last Empress, The Curse Of The Pharaoh)

3. A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)

4. A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.):
Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy; Amy, My Daughter, To Selena, with Love

5. A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain): Rainey Royal




Ebook Reading Challenge
Hosted by Workaday Reads

Challenge: DVD - 25 ebooks
Books Read: 23

Books remaining: 2

FAILED!




2014 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 
Hosted by Escape with Dollycas
Challenge: Option A (the lazy way) - 26 Books
Letters Read: 18
Letters remaining: 8

FAILED!
 
 

Hosted by Lianne @ caffeinatedlife
Challenge: Occasional re-reader - 1 – 4 books
 Books Read: 0
Books remaining: 4

FAILED!

Complete 2014 Reading List:

• January:
• 1. Coreyography
• 2. The Truth About Cruise Ships
• 3. Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
• February:
• 4. Early Decision
• March:
• 5. Handbook for an Unpredictable Life
• 6. Incognito: Lost and Found at Harvard Divinity School
• April:
• 7. No Saints Around Here: A Caregiver's Days
• 8. Prepared For A Purpose
• 9. Breakfast Served Anytime
• May:
• 10. Part Goose, Part Swan
• 11. The Word Exchange
• June:
• 12. The Big Tiny
• 13. Dear Nobody
• 14. Amy, My Daughter
• July:
• 15.The Ocean at the End of the Lane
• 16. Rare Bird
• August:
• 17. Leaving Time
• 18. To Selena, With Love
• September:
• 19. Stronger
• 20. The Perks of Being A Wallflower
• 21. Fly A Little Higher
• October:
• 22 The Martian
• 23 My (not so) Storybook Life: A Tale of Friendship and Faith 
• 24. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
• 25. Getting Life
• November:
• 26. Dirty Bombshell
• December:
• 27. Normally, This Would be Cause for Concern
• 28. Rainey Royal
• 29. The Guys
• 30. Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde

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Deep Thoughts From A Hollywood Blonde - Garth

Title: Deep Thoughts From A Hollywood Blonde

Author: Jennie Garth

Published: Genre: Memoir
Rating: 3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.

Book Source: Borrowed from the library
 
Recommended if you like: Celebrity memoirs, easy-going humor, 90's television


What Its About: 
In her "tell-all" memoir, Jennie Garth tells her story...from her sudden rise to fame, playing Kelly Taylor on Aaron Spelling's Beverly Hills 90210 in the '90's, to her recent divorce from husband Peter Facinelli. 

As always, fame is not what it seems. Garth opens up about the difficult adjustments she was faced with as her beloved father faced health issues, just a Garth hit her teen years, forcing her family to move her childhood home, a spacious ranch and the pain of leaving her older siblings behind, especially her closest sister.


Garth opens up about her first and second marriages and how they were greatly affected by her emotional issues, due to these losses, and talks of how she found herself faced with performing in a scripted "reality" series, just as her second marriage shattered and having to face the camera and appear happy every day, despite her pain. And, now in her forties, Garth talks of how she has found her way to moving forward, caring for her beloved daughters and animals.

The Bottom Line: 
A good read. The initial chapters about her childhood and 90210 are entertaining and read quickly. As her story moves into her personal life, failed marriages, and struggles to survive her very public divorce, the read becomes much more personal, deep, and emotional.

If, however, you are looking for some deep, dirty gossip..whether about her 90210 cast mates, or her exes, you are going to be disappointed. Garth has nothing but good things to say about her coworkers, though she acknowledges that age and immaturity played a large part in the rumor mill. As well, Garth is extremely kind to and respectful of her ex, Facinelli, accepting responsibility for where she may have caused the rift.

The teen sensation has grown up, it seems, and with this book you begin to realize just how deep Garth's thoughts truly go!



 


 

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Tuesday Tunes - 1/13/15

A good lyric is like a great book...

American Pie
Don McLean, Artist & Writer


A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step

I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died

[Chorus]
So bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey in Rye
Singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Verse 1]
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died

[Chorus]
I started singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey in Rye
Singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Verse 2]
Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me

Oh, and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned

And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died

[Chorus]
We were singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey in Rye
Singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance

'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

[Chorus]
We started singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey in Rye
And singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Verse 4]
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell

And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey in Rye
And singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Outro]
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play

And in the streets, the children screamed
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken

And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died

And they were singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey in Rye
Singin' "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

[Chorus]
They were singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey in Rye
And singin' "This'll be the day that I die"

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Mondays - 1/12/15

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Now Reading:

The Book Thief (Markus Zusak)

Just Finished: 

Last Night At the Viper Room (Gavin Edwards)

On Deck:
More letters!

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Gooseberry Island - Manchester

I recently read a book by Steven Manchester and quite enjoyed it. Check out his newest title:

Gooseberry Island
Brief Synopsis:
They met at the worst possible moment...or maybe it was just in time. David McClain was about to go to war and Lindsey Wood was there at his going-away party, capturing his heart when falling for a woman was the last thing on his mind. While David was serving his country, he stayed in close contact with Lindsey. But war changes a person, and when he came home very little had the same meaning that it had before – including the romance that had sustained him. Was love truly unconquerable, or would it prove to be just another battlefield casualty?
Gooseberry Island is the most nuanced, dramatic, and romantic novel yet from a writer whose ability to plumb the depths of human emotion knows few peers.
 

Author Bio: 
Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestsellers, Twelve Months and The Rockin' Chair. He is also the author of the award-winning novel, Goodnight, Brian, as well as the critically-acclaimed novel, Pressed Pennies, A Christmas Wish (Kindle exclusive), Wilbur Avenue (novelette), Just in Time (novelette), The Thursday Night Club (novella) and Gooseberry Island. His work has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN's American Morning and BET's Nightly News. Three of Steven's short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or their four children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing. 
Visit: www.StevenManchester.com
http://www.StevenManchester.com  http://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorStevenManchester


Paperback & Kindle
Nook & Paperback

• Gooseberry Island excerpt
   
• David had been home for six weeks when he pulled into the market, preparing to locate everything on his mother’s grocery list. As he approached the store, he spotted a young teenage boy walking out; he was holding a brown bag. An older man approached the boy and reached out his hand. David gasped and his dizzy mind immediately raced back to Afghanistan and the horrific beating of the young Afghani boy:
  
  
  There was movement three hundred yards out on the street below. Unusual, David thought. It was a teenage boy, maybe fourteen, carrying a burlap bag and hurrying home before dark. Never seen him before, David thought.
  In a flash, a man—a Taliban fighter—jumped out of the shadows and grabbed the boy’s arm, pulling him to the street and spilling the contents of his sack. As the teenager yelled for help, another Taliban soldier emerged from the darkness. The boy screamed louder, but not a single soul came to his aid…
  
  
  It only took a few seconds, but the whole scene played out in sequence in his mind—both men yelling and slapping the boy as he screamed for help; the slaps turning to a vicious beating until finally the boy was dead. He could almost hear Command say “Negative” again after he asked if he could intervene. He felt the anguish in his soul threatening to overwhelm him, but it was quickly replaced by a burning rage.
  His eyes filled with tears, David returned to the present and started for the man in a mad rush. He was three steps from the shocked stranger when reality clicked in. It’s the boy’s father, he realized. He’s…he’s okay.
  David’s body convulsed. He’d forgotten he was home, and the reality of it slapped him hard in the face.
  The man pulled the teenage boy close to him; both of them were frightened by David’s sudden charge toward them.
  “Sorry,” David said, though it sounded more like “Sigh.” Trying unsuccessfully to smile at them, he turned on his heels and hurried back to the Mustang.
  
  
  For the next hour, David sat alone in his car, trying to calm the physical effects of his anxiety. Once he’d reined that in, he spent another two hours beating back the depression that always followed in anxiety’s wake.
  His wasn’t sure whether the abyss existed within his heart or mind, but he knew that he was now filled with a great void—nothingness. There was no light there, only darkness. There was no hope, only despair. In time, he’d learned to embrace the silence, as the screams and whimpers of faceless victims became echoes that returned again and again, pushing the line of madness. Yet, the solitude was relentless, enveloping, merciless. It would have been better had I never existed, he thought, fearing another moment more than cashing in and leaving it all behind. No love, he thought, no peace. His memories were slanted in such thick negativity that his entire past would have been better off erased. And no one knows I’m dying inside, he thought, inviting another wave of panic attacks to crash onto the shore of his weary mind.
  He closed his eyes tightly and tried to calm the short labored gasps. Just ride the wave, he told himself. Just ride the wave.
  But in another room in his mind, he knew that even if he rode that wave—and didn’t crack his skull on all the rocks beneath him—he’d have to take the ride again and again. It didn’t take long before the jagged rocks seemed like the more merciful option.
  
  
  ~~~
  
  
  Enough time had passed for Lindsey to realize David was not coming after her. He’s obviously in a lot of pain, she thought, and doesn’t want to burden anyone with it.She shook her head. But I care way too much about him to let him go through this alone.
  With Craig’s permission, she slammed David’s front door behind her and marched through the living room into the kitchen. “Don’t you dare play the coward with me, David McClain,” she shouted before even reaching the room.
  As she expected, David had been staring out the kitchen window into nothingness. With tear-filled eyes, his head snapped up. “Don’t you ever call me that word…ever!”
  She stared at him for a few long moments before her heart softened. “Then go ahead, tell me that you don’t want to see me anymore and I’ll leave you alone forever.”
  He looked at her with tormented eyes but didn’t say a word.
  “But you can’t, can you?” she said, her entire insides starting to tremble.
  “It’s not you,” he vowed. “It’s me. I’m just not…”
  “Don’t you dare feed me that tired line! I spent a year praying for you…writing letters and wishing for us to…” She stopped, trying in vain to contain her emotions.
  His face looked panicked, as his mind obviously spiraled out of control to gather the right words.“I don’t have the words,” he said in less than a whisper.
  “After the first time I came here, I thought for sure you’d chase after me,” she said. “I’m not stupid, David. I realize something happened over there thathas you all twisted up. But I also thought that once you saw my face, you’d…” She stopped again and began to cry.
  David placed his hand on hers. She started to pull away, but he stopped her, intertwining their fingers. “Lindsey, please…please don’t say anything until I finish. Just hear me out. Okay?”
  “Okay,” she said, her tears threatening to flood her face.
  He took a few deep breaths. “I've given this a lot of thought, and I want you to know that I've never lied to you…and I don't plan to now.” He shook his head. “I’m so messed up right now, Lindsey, I can’t even explain it.” He could barely hold eye contact with her. “I really hope we can be together someday…more than you can ever imagine. But I’m just not ready yet. I…I need to heal,” he stuttered.
  She took a deep breath and held it.
  “Torn isn't even the word for what I’m feeling over this,” he babbled on. “The last thing I want to do is hurt either of us.”
  “I don’t think we have to say goodbye, though,” she said, feeling the panic of desperation creep into her soul. “Don’t you remember the night we shared on that bench?”
  His eyes grew even more distant. “I really wish things were different,” he said, “that life didn’t have to be so difficult.” He shrugged. “Time will tell, I guess.”
  “You guess?” She returned his shrug to him, perturbed.
  “Lindsey, I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that I don't want to destroy any chance we might have at it …just because I might not be ready for it yet.” He grimaced. “I need time to find myself, okay?”
  Lindsey, the child of a PTSD victim, shook her head. “You don’t have to find yourself, David. You just have to remember who you are…who you’ve always been.”
  He nodded, tears streaming down his face.
  Lindsey took a deep breath and surrendered. “David, I’ve told you the way that I feel for you and what I want for us. That’s all I can do. The rest is in your hands.” She peered into his dull eyes. “I can only hope that you’ll think of me every day, as I will you. I hope a lot of things, David.” She paused to collect herself. “Most of all, I hope the day will come when Afghanistan is behind you and we can fall in love all over again and catch up on all the things we’ve missed.” Mimicking him, she shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. I guess time will tell.” She pulled her hand away from his and felt her heart rip clean out of her chest. “Until then, you’ll be in my thoughts,” she whispered.
  “I’m so sorry, Lindsey,” he sobbed, his shoulders rocking.
  “I love you, David,” she said and, with one final attempt, grabbed his chin and forced eye contact between them. “Now tell me you don’t want to see me and I’ll leave you alone,” she whispered.
  As he looked at her, Lindsey could clearly see the anguish in his eyes.
  “You can’t, can you?” she said, hopefully.
  His tears continued to leak down his cheeks. “I don’t want to see you…for now,” he said, and turned his eyes away from hers.
  It felt as though someone had just slugged her in the gut. “Okay,” she gasped and ran out of the house crying harder than she’d ever cried before.
  
  
  Long after Lindsey had run out of the kitchen, David remained catatonic—until he grabbed a drinking glass off the counter and threw it onto the floor where it broke into a hundred pieces. Enraged, he began smashing everything he could get his hands on in the kitchen. At the end of the violent outburst, he collapsed to the floor and began to weep. With his head in both hands, he screamed, “I love you, too, Lindsey.”
  Day turned into dusk and, like most nights, just beyond the sobs and sniffles the world turned quiet and black.
  
  
  ~~~
  
  
  After four or five weeks of self-imposed solitary confinement—a punishment filled with death-defying panic attacks and long, treacherous tunnels of depression—David decided to reach out to the men he had served with. They’re the only ones who can relate, he thought. And I wonder how they’re doing…really doing?

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Sunday Salon - 1/11/15

If you are interested in other Salon posts, visit the Facebook page to get links.

Life:

This week was pretty good. I returned to work for two days (just enough time to catch up on emails and problems) and then had the opportunity to attend a work- related conference (on campus, but away from my desk) for two and a half days. The conference was good, a bunch of review and some new learning too. Of course, having just returned from vacation, this caused even more back up...but I was able to catch up pretty well on Friday afternoon. This coming week, however, does look to be busy...perhaps a bit overwhelming.  But we will see.

 

All week, hubby and I waited not-so-patiently for the adoption folks to call or email. After checking our references they finally did Friday morning and we got to pick up our new babies yesterday. They have not yet come out from under the bed all day. I am hoping turning out the lights and reducing the sound on the TV will make them more comfortable...so I am typing in the dark essentially.  Forgive any errors...

 

They must have to piddle by now...right? Or be hungry? Or thirsty?  Oh I hope they settle in soon and realize we love them so! 

I promise some new pictures when we can finally get some!

Blogging:

I finally finished my first read of the year, Last Night at the Viper Room, which was really good...though similar to a video on Youtube I watched. More about this soon. I also started reading The Book Thief, which I hadn't gotten too yet. I hear its wonderful, so I am excited about it.

I moved ahead with that list of Challenges that I mentioned last week. Its a work in progress...so if you know Challenges that are not on it, feel free to let me know! Also working on a handful of other changes this month which will hopefully make the blog more interesting and fun to follow. I will be posting my 2014 review and new goals for the year this week, check it out.

How about you? Any new blog plans for 2015?

Have a great week.

S

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Saturnday Savings - 1/10/15

**DEAL OF THE WEEK**

Bayer Aspirin

Regular price = $2.99

No sale...

but, I had a coupon for $10 of 3 items (from that manufacturer)

Making them...

FREE!!

 

There are web sites online which will hunt down the deals for you! All you have to do is prepare...and shop!

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Normally, This Would be Cause for Concern - Fishel

Title: Normally, This Would be Cause for Concern: Tales of Calamity and Unrelenting Awkwardness

Author: Danielle Fishel

Published: Genre: Memoir
Rating:  3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.

Book Source: Borrowed from the library
 
Recommended if you like: Celebrity memoirs, easy-going humor, 90's television

What Its About:
Not so much the "memoir" everyone seems to be touting it to be, Normally, The Would be Cause for Concern is more anecdotal and witty stories from the life and acting career of Danielle Fishel, Topanga Lawrence in 1990's Boy Meets World.  From first losing, and then getting a second chance at, her life changing role, to driving mishaps, to awkwardly tripping at a Hollywood party and being "saved" by an ever-attractive, but much younger, Ben Afleck, Fishel shares these stories with a casual and chatty style that shows her to be just as entertaining and down-to-earth as the beloved character she portrayed and has recently resurrected, albeit 20 years older.

The Bottom Line: 
Entertaining and fun, but not earth moving. Will be enjoyed by fans, but will mostly leave readers wanting...more. A quick read, that serves as filler between a couple of really good novels.

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Tuesday Tunes - 01/6/15

A good lyric is like a great book...

Moments
Emerson Drive, Artists
Sam Tate, Annie Tate and Dave Berg, Writers


I was coming to the end of a long, long walk
When a man crawled out of a cardboard box
Under the E. Street Bridge
Followed me on to it
I went out halfway across
With that homeless shadow tagging along
So I dug for some change
Wouldn't need it anyway
He took it lookin' just a bit ashamed
He said, You know, I haven't always been this way

I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that plane ride coming home from the war
That summer my son was born
And memories like a coat so warm
A cold wind can't get through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments

I stood there tryin' to find my nerve
Wondering if a single soul on Earth
Would care at all
Miss me when I'm gone
That old man just kept hanging around
Lookin' at me, lookin' down
I think he recognized
That look in my eyes
Standing with him there I felt ashamed
I said, You know, I haven't always been this way

I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like the day I walked away from the wine
For a woman who became my wife
And a love that, when it was right,
Could always see me through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments

I know somewhere 'round a trashcan fire tonight
That old man tells his story one more time
He says

I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that cool night on the E. Street Bridge
When a young man almost ended it
I was right there, wasn't scared a bit
And I helped to pull him through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
Oh, lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments

I've had my moments
I've had my moments
I've had my moments

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Bout of Books 12 - Count Me In!

I think this is my first shot at this, but since I will be reading anyway...count me in!!!
 
For those that don't know what Bout of Books is...

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 5th and runs through Sunday, January 11th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 12 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

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Sunday Salon - 1/4/15

If you are interested in other Salon posts, visit the Facebook page to get links.

Life:

I woke up today at 6:30am (never happens!) and 3 hours later, it was 8 am.

Yeh, do the math... I'll wait.

Why does this never occur on work days?! Usually, you wake at 5am and five minutes later it's 7:30 and time to get up! And why is it only on the weekends that my body wants to wake up early? During the week, I always want another couple of hours of rest. Oh well, I guess since it is my last day of vacation, it's ok to force myself to stay awake...that way, I might actually be tired at a normal hour tonight, rather then sliding into bed at my regular 1am vacation bedtime.

I have finally, mercifully kicked my stomach bug. And, so far at least, hubby seems to have managed to avoid it. 2015 is already looking up! We ended up calling some local friends and inviting them over for New Years last minute, no pressure.  And even though they all had plans, they all managed to make it. So it was a pretty fun New Years after all. We got Chinese food and drank to our good fortune, some more than others, and watched the ball drop. All made it home safe and sound!

We then spent New Years Day with my family celebrating my missed Christmas, which was lovely. My family gave me awesome kitchen gifts (new pots and pans, a food chopper) too, and they were awesome. You know you're officially getting old when you actually enjoy that everyone gives you housewares!  And I did, in fact, cook myself that Christmas dinner...and then some. I was so hungry after being sick that I planned a ton of meals and have cooked all but one. I have already cooked and frozen:

Trisha Yearwood's Mac and cheese

A Middleeastern beef and green bean dish (for hubby)

Chicken and dumplings

Shephards pie

Turkey dinner, corn pudding and roasted red potatoes

No cook chocolate and peanut butter bars (Trisha again, so good!)

A pork loin with peas and potatoes

Spinach Lasagne

and Two Bacon quiches

Um, yeah...I was hungry!

Planning eggplant parm and three types of cookies...and banana bread soon. My freezer is plenty full and we will not be needing to cook dinner for a few weeks, at least!

I was hoping to finish off my first read of 2015 today, which I am absolutely loving. But something more pressing may have come up...

The other day, hubby suggested we pop over to Petsmart and pick up some new fishies for our dwindling tank. We did so and brought home a bunch of new friends. Of course, I couldn't help but pop over to the adoption center because I am drawn to cats and dogs like a moth to a flame!  One quick look and surprise, they had two young sisters awaiting a forever family. We just happened to be talking about exactly that, two sisters. And though they will never fill that aching whole left by our lost kitty, they would certainly find new places of joy and love in there.

We sent several emails and an application and this Saturday, we got to meet the two gorgeous little tortie babies (about 5 months - young enough to look like kittens, but old enough to be house trained and spayed). We put a save on them and await their checking our references. I expect my friends will overload them with positive comments. And I have a good record with our vet...so hopefully they will be our forever babies soon!  Yes, 2015 is certainly being good to us so far!!

So today, I spent the rainy, snow-covered day cleaning and preparing the house for potential kittens, which Sheeni was clearly not. I still have to look at each and every item on each and every surface with a fresh eye...could they knock it down, would it break, is everything they have access to safe, etc.?! Though I was not wanting to spend my last day of vacation cleaning, it's a labor of love well worth it!!

Blogging:

So along with trying to finish up my first read of the year, Last Night at the Viper Room, I was thinking about changes to the blog I would like to make. So I went in search of that weekend event when everyone updates their blogs...and could not (cannot) for the life of me remember it's name or when it is. Is it worth waiting or should I just dig right in now while I'm motivated? 

This made me realize that there is a need for a blogging calendar and perhaps a grand list of challenges for us book bloggers. Unless someone can point these out to me as preexisting, they may become part of my blog in the future! I also have some other ideas that will be be incorporated as soon as I can get everything else done...ha!

Enough for now! Have a great week.

S

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