Visions of Sugarplums Danced in Her Head

Photo from www.surlatable.com

We put up our two Christmas trees (the "family" one and the "fancy" one) over the Thanksgiving break, and I had been toying with the idea of buying a smaller third tree to put my baking/cake themed ornaments on it. I've amassed quite a collection in the 10 years since I started my cake business, although until the last few years, it used to be much more difficult to find these kinds of ornaments.

So we were at Lowe's today buying more Christmas lights (so cheap), and they had these little table-top Christmas trees in urns. They were charming and not tacky/cheap looking like usual. $15 for a third tree. I was almost ready to buy it and had it in my cart, but at the last minute I put it back on the shelf. I suprised myself. It just wasn't something I needed, merely something I wanted. We do have two other trees after all. Sometimes it sucks to be a grown-up, because the kid in me would have bought that tree and had it decorated and on display in no time flat!

But I'll still be thinking about a cupcake/cake/candy/baking tree for future years. And maybe it will look something like this:

Photo from www.brentwood.thefuntimesguide.com

In Hiding

It's that time of the year for me--time for all the wonderful holiday things I've packed away to come out of hiding. The problem is, when you only use something once a year, it's really, really difficult to remember where you put it!

I bought an Advent wreath for the first time last year. I really wanted to start that tradition with the girls, to make the meaning of Christmas the most important part of the season. Today I found the pink and purple candles but not the wreath! Aaack! And this weekend is the start of Advent! (Deep calming breath) I have one more box of decorations to open; I will pray it's in there!

Now for the other 99 things that I did find but had forgotten all about:

• The gifts I bought for Thalia's teachers after Christmas last year. In the meantime, Thalia and I had bought other stuff to give them--oh well!
• Christmas craft kits so the girls could make gifts for our relatives. I was so happy to find these!
• Ornaments for our tree and for our friends' too. A welcome surprise.

Maybe this year, on December 26th when I start my Christmas 2009 shopping, I'll also start writing down what I buy and where I hide them for the next 11 months.

Getting To Know You: The Holiday Edition 2008

I love receiving the 'Getting to Know You' emails! I always answer the questions and forward to my friends, hoping they'll all respond, because I always learn something new about people I've known forever. This year, I am posting the Holiday Edition I'll be sending out to my friends and family (might as well get the ball rolling):

Getting to Know You: Holiday Edition

Fill out the questionnaire, replacing my answers with yours (of course!).

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like to do both. I have too much of both thanks to several years of selling both for school fundraisers at two schools!

2. Real or artificial tree? Artificial all the way. I find it sad watching a real tree slowly fall apart over several weeks.

3. When do you put up the tree? Either the day of Thanksgiving or day after. No later than 2 days after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually no later than the 2nd weekend in Jan.

5. Do you like eggnog? No way! I can't stand the smell of it; I think it's the nutmeg I can't stand. But amazingly, I bake tons of stuff with it and everyone just loves it, except for me!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I loved alot of my toys, and I love the memories of them even more, so I don't have any one favorite.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad. He has everything and wants nothing expensive.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we have 2. One is made up of dolls and the other is Fisher-Price. Very kid friendly.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I have to send cards--I sell them!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Pretty much anything given to me by my mother-in-law, especially the year she gave me the gift I had given her for her bday!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Miracle on 34th Street, 1994 version. I just love that little girl!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I shop almost all through the year. My shopping for the following Xmas starts on Dec 26 and usually ends in Sept. I like to have everything wrapped by Veterans Day in Nov.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Spritz cookies, Honey-baked ham, anything sinfully chocolate.

16. Multicolor or White lights on the tree? White.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Angels We Have Heard on High' to sing. 'Carol of the Bells' and 'Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)' to listen to.

18. Travel or stay home at Christmas? Travel.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We had an angel for 11 years and just bought a star last year!

21. Open presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Grew up opening Xmas Eve but now make my kids wait until morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Just about everything. Is that sad?

23. Favorite ornament, theme or color? My favorite ornaments are the ones we've bought during our travels.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Prime Rib.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Good health.

Black Friday

It's been generally understood that the day after Thanksgiving is the official start of the Christmas shopping season. This is probably still true, despite the fact that Christmas merchandise appears in stores as early as August and decorations go up just weeks after Halloween. When I was younger, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday because it meant getting together with loved ones, great food, and shopping!

Shopping at a reasonable hour, that is. When I was yonger, we didn't get up at 3 a.m. in order to be at the store by 4 a.m. for doorbusters. We left as early as possible to get a good parking space, but that was when the mall opened at say 9 a.m., not 5 a.m. But then, a few stores at a time, shopping became a marathon event starting with Thanksgiving day. Stores would stay open for days at a time (ie. Garden Ridge) or open practically in the middle of the night (ie. Walmart) to get an edge on sales.

I almost hate the whole day-after shopping thing now. What's fun about rising before dawn?

Thankful

Photo from countryaccentspa.com

Tonight is Thanksgiving eve, and I've already baked and frosted my pumpkin cupcakes (and licked the frosting bowl!), made Dallas's 'Company Sweet Potatoes' (messed up and had to start over), and whipped through my homemade Mac & Cheese recipe. I also picked up our favorite Pumpkin Cheesecake from Costco. I'm ready for tomorrow's marathon of eating!

As I'm taking a break from cleaning up after all of that, I am pausing to say thanks to God for all of my blessings: the gift of life, my husband, my girls, my parents, my brother and his new wife, many relatives near and far, old friends, new friends, new acquaintances who may become friends, good health, youth, shelter, nourishing food, clean water, education, employment, freedom, the future and good luck.

Thanksgiving isn't about the turkey, it's about giving thanks, and this year in particular, I have much to be thankful for.

In Mourning

Tonight Thalia, Carys and I had another "girls night" at Nordstrom Cafe Bistro at La Cantera. I was so disappointed with the food. My Rosemary Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich, which I order all the time, was a good 3 inches shorter than usual. I was actually still hungry when I left, which is not usually the case. The fries on the kids' meals were kind of over-fried-- over-crispy to almost burnt. Pathetic little strawberries instead of the lovely fat ones. The order taker forgot to place one of the girls' orders, and our waiter forgot to our silverware and requested condiments.

I hate when a favorite restaurant disappoints. It's like a broken friendship. Even the kids noticed it. Sad, sad, sad. I had actually noticed the slide in quality a few visits back but was in denial. What are we to do? We live not very close to any good restaurants, especially ones that are not part of a huge international chain. Nordstrom Cafe Bistro was a rare gem-- five minutes from my house, cloth napkins, friendly waitstaff who indulge my children. And it's at the mall, which is my natural habitat.

I'll be mourning the loss of a good place to eat that was also quite healthy. Maybe I'll give them another chance, but it probably won't ever be the same.

On the Cusp

I just discovered a new store/website that I love the other day: CUSP. As in "on the cusp of fashion." It's owned by Neiman Marcus, which I think is how I found out about it (I was browsing Horchow's site, I believe). It's like NM for the younger crowd. I'm actually not the target demographic for these stores, I'm probably too old, but I love the stuff on the website. It's like they weeded out the ridiculously expensive and the "stuffy" stuff that I would never buy and trimmed it down to just the cool stuff. I also like that there's not a huge, cumbersome selection online. Who needs to choose from dozens and dozens of jeans?

I'm currently looking at some Tory Burch bags on their site; good sales right now on some cute designs. I read that she is a "working Mom" which makes me like her more!

I rarely, rarely shop at Neiman Marcus, the actual store. I do buy frequently from their website, which does not have snooty hourly-wage employees. However, if a Cusp ever does open in Texas, I'd be very interested in shopping there. Somehow, I think it would have a completely different vibe from the posh, grandma-ish feel of NM.

Cusp has apparently been open for a couple of years now, but as I don't live in any of the cities they're located in AND I'm too old to be really hip, it's a nice new discovery for me!

Funny Weddings

I can't exactly post this on my 'business blog' but I really have to share this somewhere . . . The Return of the Funny Wedding Photos. I stumbled on this website while doing a Google search for something else, of course. These pics are SO funny and strange. It's really interesting what some people consider to be their dream wedding idea.

I particularly loved the faux wedding invitation at the end; OMG that could have been sent out by my own mother-in-law, only she wouldn't have been half that clever.

In the Pink

Yes, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has come and gone, but my all-time favorite tie-in product will still always be this pink colander that my friend Amy gave me. It is probably used at least once a day, and I never tire of looking at it. That is the sign of a perfect gift at my house!

The Turn Of The Tide

In 1987 the book Free to Be A . . . Family by Marlo Thomas came out and a corresponding TV special aired as well; it was a sequel to the 1970s Free to Be . . . You and Me which I've never read. I was 16 years old when the second book was released and I saw the TV special one night. I must have wanted to watch it because I even video taped it. I absolutely loved this song, "The Turn of the Tide", that was written and performed by Carly Simon. I watched it over and over again just to hear the song. The sheet music is included in the book, which I also have. It's a hard song to sing unless you have Ms. Simon's fabulous voice.

To me, the song was an anthem for the youth of the 80s--that it was OUR world and OUR responsibility to help "turn the tide."

We cannot go on
sounding alarms
And rattling swords
and building bombs
And fouling the air
and the streams underground.
We've got to begin
to turn it around!
It's our right to be heard,
Our right to decide--
Here comes the turn of the tide.

Maybe our generation hasn't done everything it should or could have so far to turn it around, but we still have a responsibility to change what we can, however we can. This song is just over 20 years old, and while I may not have quite the positive outlook that I had about the world and the future when I was teenager, I have a duty now as a parent to bring about some meaningful change.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying this video again after so many years. It really brings back the 80s for me! Note the kids who sing between verses are singing in Russian! (This was the world in the mid 80s when the USSR was our enemy.) And Carly Simon looks great!

Prayers Please

Please pray for our friend, Steve Damm, who has had a really tough week. Steve is fighting brain cancer, and is truly the bravest, most patient, most uncomplaining person in the face of all of this. The Damm family needs everyone's prayers and positive thoughts right now. You can read their story on their blog, Check on Steve, and leave some encouragement and good wishes there too. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your prayers and thoughts.

Heel Wedgies

Image from kixbykatie.com

Heel Wedgie. Any woman who has worn slacks or jeans with mules, sling-backs, wedges and other backless shoes will surely be familiar with this very annoying clothing malfunction: it's when the hem of your pants gets caught between your heel and your shoe. Until this week, I didn't know that this fashion pet peeve had a name, nor did I know there was a solution. Thank God for fashion magazines clueing me in!

I saw an ad for Out-Ease Struts by Daryn in either InStyle or Lucky (can't remember now) earlier this week. That sent me searching for more information online, and I found a couple more companies who've similarly solved this fashion problem, most notably Kix by Katie. In fact, "heel wedgie" is a trademark of Kix by Katie so the other companies can't use it in their advertising. Too bad because it's a very clever description for stepping on your hem over and over and over again.

So the solution is basically these rigid yet somewhat flexible strips that attach to the inside back hemline of your slacks. Each company's looks a bit different, but they all profess to do the same thing. I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on these strips!

I was originally going to order the Struts because I saw their ad first, but now I think I'll try the Kix. I have a coupon code, and if you're reading this thinking you would like to try them too, feel free to contact me and I can share my code with you. Fashionistas unite against further fashion annoyances!

Odds & Ends

It shocks me that I've blogged for over two week straight, after previously blogging about an average of once every three months or so! There's nothing like a good challenge to force you to do something!

The problem with daily blogging, for me at least, is that I don't really have enough to say every single day. Thus the random stuff I've posted this month. But then again, my blog has been pretty random from the get-go anyway.

Art to Wear

sold by LoveYourSoles on Etsy

I heart these shoes. Dr. Scholl's Exercise Sandals take me back to the 1970s when my Mom and I had matching pairs! But ours were strictly the boring kind, not like these gorgeous ones.

I found these today on Etsy when I was looking for some examples of painted clothing and shoes to show my Girl Scouts. We are working on our 'Art to Wear' patch, and these shoes are definitely art! I love how clever and creative people can be.

Heavens to Etsy

Many months ago I discovered a site called Etsy (like 'Betsy' without the B) while on someone else's blog. If you're female and an artsy-craftsy type, you're probably already familiar with Etsy. If you grew up with a Mom who sold her wares or shopped at craft fairs or church bazaars, like I did, you will appreciate what a kick it is to see these all-handmade items sold in a very slick, high-tech way. Gone are the folding tables covered with crocheted potholders, ceramic soup tureens, and beaded ornaments-- Etsy vendors list their stuff using tags on a site with Flash interface and "widgets" (whatever that is). I LOVE IT!

Anytime I'm feeling decidedly uncreative, I wander over to Etsy, and then I feel EVEN MORE UNCREATIVE! ha! Seriously, the women (and they are almost all female artists and crafters) who create and sell on Etsy are amazing.

And the best thing about anything you buy through Etsy is that it is guaranteed to be handmade. Never any questions about whether it was mass-produced in a factory somewhere in China. Many of Etsy's items come from the US, and you can do a regional search and buy from someone in your own state.

These are not your granny's crafts. Yes, there's knitting and crochet and ceramics and needlework, but many of the artists have taken them to another level, either through the materials they use or the unique design.

Growing up, I'd seen my share of not-so-creative wares sold at fairs and bazaars, and have even bought my share of them to support a cause or just to be nice. But the stuff on Etsy is good stuff, and I heart alot of it! I like mass-produced stuff too, don't get me wrong, but there is something really special about buying something that no one else will ever have. How cool is that?

Ugh

Today I took my Girl Scout troop on a hike to the top of a mountain with an observation lookout tower. We walked almost two miles round-trip. About halfway up the mountain, I felt a sudden twinge in my mid-back. Uh-oh. It was a twinge that was similar to the one I had last week when unloading some Costco-size purchases from the back of my car. When that happened, I spent the rest of the afternoon lying flat on my back. Unfortunately, this morning our Girl Scout hike wasn't even halfway over.

I said nothing to my husband or the other parents. I said nothing to the girls. I realized that I could move my back in certain ways and the pain wasn't excruciating, but if I moved a particular way, it nearly made me double over again. So I carefully made my way up to the top, a little slower than I had been walking but pretty much the same. I was dying to just stop and lie flat, but that was just impossible.

On the way back down, I whispered to Dylan what had happened with my back and that I could hardly stand it. This was after having played a quick game on the trail, climbed up the observation tower, the trip to the primitive bathrooms, and a snack activity where we made our own "Walking Salads" (trail mix). There is also a playscape with a rock climbing wall at the base of the trail, so I couldn't even escape after the hike--the girls would not be denied the chance to play!

I finally did make it home, took a really hot shower, and lay down for about 40 minutes . . . until it was time for a friend's baby shower which I could not miss. I even put on my high heel sandals that I can barely walk in--why not really be miserable and yet fashionable all at once?!

I got through the afternoon and evening with very much Motrin and will power. We went out for dinner and even some shopping. And I gradually forgot about my back, except when I felt the twinge again. Busy Moms just don't have time for bad backs! Needless to say, I am looking forward to some down time tomorrow. I've got too much planned next week to make room for a uncooperative back.

Jezebel

Some of the YA books reviewed recently by Fine Lines on Jezebel (photo from Jezebel.com)

The name Jezebel usually conjures up images of wicked women. It's a provocative name. It's also the name of a website that I absolutely love and can't get enough of. An old friend, Sarah, got me hooked on this site when she recommended it in September.

Jezebel's tagline is: Celebrity, Sex, Fashion for Women. Without Airbrushing. It's a bit like People Magazine for the feminist/liberal/thinking gal. And once I start browsing on their website, I can't stop! Because there's so much to read and catch up on, even if I visit daily. In the past 24 hours, for example, there have been 62 posts on Jezebel's site.

My favorite feature on Jezebel is Fine Lines. Each week, they review classic Young Adult books (circa 1970s and 1980s) from an adult female feminist perspective, and since I must be pretty close in age to the author (probably a bit older), these are the same books I grew up with and adored.

I hope everyone I know visits Jezebel, particularly if you were a hopeless library geek like I was in the 80s and want to revisit some favorite reads from back then. Like its name, its content is provocative, strong, assertive. Hussy!

Good Hair Day

Well I am back from my haircut, and I love the way it looks. Of course, I always love it right after it's been properly blow-dried and styled! It will never look this good again. haha

The 'senior stylist' I requested turned out to be a lovely woman who graduated from my high school the same year I did! It was fun reliving the 80s with her. I will definitely go back.

If someone were home right now to snap a photo, I would show you all my gorgeous new hair!

Hair Drama

I recently vowed to reduce the number of haircuts and color jobs I usually have in a year's time as part of our family's "recession bail out plan." I wrote this in earnest, of course, but my hair is seriously out of control and I will need to at least have it trimmed.

The reason why I haven't done so already in 4 months has less to do with saving money, although I have, and more to do with the fact that my beloved hair stylist with whom I had an on-again, off-again relationship moved away in August! Boo-hoo! Four months ago I had decided to go to him exclusively for my haircuts after a humorous hair incident involving an associate of his at the same salon.

Earlier this spring, Emily (not her real name) at Salon FooFaLa (also not the real name) cut my hair, just a little trim as I was still growing it out for my brother's wedding. I'd actually been to her a couple of times already and she'd cut my hair in late summer/early fall. however, when I went back to her in April, this is the conversation we had:
Emily said:Your hair is uneven. Whoever cut your hair last didn't cut it evenly.
I said: Are you sure?
I thought to myself: YOU cut my hair last!
Emily said: Oh, yeah, it's definitely uneven.
I thought to myself: OMG! YOU cut my hair crooked!
I said: Oh. Ok.

So when I decided to cut off 6 inches this summer, I requested Roger (not his real name) again. I told him, on the sly, the story about Emily and my crooked hair. (Her station was next to his.) He laughed and said that would never happen again while he cut my hair. Roger is the most precise hair stylist I have ever met. He cuts and measures and cuts and measures and then checks it all again. All was well with the world again.

But when I returned later in the summer for another cut, he had moved away rather suddenly! Boo-hoo again!

So tomorrow I'm trying a new gal at the same salon, NOT Emily of course, and I specifically requested the most senior stylist. This probably means I will pay the highest price ever for my cut, but it may be worth my peace of mind. So much for our savings plan!

Appliance Love

And doesn't this look just like me?!
From The Apron Queen's Flickr photostream

I do 100% of the cooking, but luckily only half of the clean-up. However, the half that I do in the kitchen always involves loading and unloading the dishwasher. Our house came with a standard builder-grade GE dishwasher; in other words, it was a piece of crap. After exactly 5 years and 1 week of life with this dishwasher, which did a sorrier and sorrier job of cleaning as time went by, I announced to Dylan that we would have a new dishwasher installed in our kitchen before Thanksgiving.

I am very rarely that decisive when it comes to large purchases. But really, what is the point of hand washing all your dishes after they've come out of the dishwasher? Well, Dylan picked up the ball and moved even quicker than I would have thought--two days later, he suggested we pick out a dishwasher at Lowe's. I thought we would just go take a look at what was out there, but Dylan had already researched the different models online at Consumer Reports and picked out one that was highly rated and a good buy: a Bosch.

Bosches are known for being so quiet when in use that you don't even realize they're on. But beyond that, they are just a treasure chest of cool features you never knew you needed. Adjustable top rack, fold-down dividers, cutlery basket that can be "reconfigured" in a bunch of different ways . . . it's too much, it's too much!

Here is a pic of our newly installed (today!) Bosch 500 Series Evolution Dishwasher which is like the Mercedes-Benz of dishwashers compared to our former pathetic GE model:


It holds up to 12 place settings of dishes and stuff, more than our old one would hold, so it will likely take longer to fill up. Even so, I can't wait to wash something! Wait--it has a Half-Load Option! How cool is that? Saves on energy and water consumption that way. It's so easy being "green." haha

So indulge me in my excitement about our new kitchen appliance! Is it sad to be so excited about a dishwasher? A sign of maturity? Or just tired of doing the dishes after doing the dishes? Life is looking brighter and squeaky clean at our house.

Girl Scout Cookie Overload

Photo from Google Images

This year, from January to March, was Thalia's first ever Girl Scout Cookie Sale. Because I am her Girl Scout leader, and because we were all so excited about the cookies, we bought quite a few boxes for ourselves. My business also ordered a case to donate to charity, and all I can say is thank God those cookies didn't end up in our house too!

Needless to say, we still have quite a few boxes left, and at the same time, this week are gearing up for Cookie Sale 2009. Uh-oh. We need to get rid of these cookies. I served several flavors at our recent Girl Scout Pot-Luck at our house, but we still have so many left.

I remembered tonight that I have this awesome recipe to use up Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, and I am posting it just in case someone else out there ordered a few too many cookies too:

Thin Mints Pizza Supreme

From Every Day with Rachael Ray, April 2007 (but I got the recipe originally from my friend Casey's friend Kathryn who is a great cook!)

1 18-oz pkg refrigerated choc chip cookie dough
1/2 box Girl Scout Thin Mints (about 20 cookies)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (6 oz)
2 Tbsp. heavy cream or half-and-half

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12" pizza or 9x13" baking dish with parchment paper. Using fingers, press cookie dough to fit pan. Break Thin Mints into quarters and gently press into dough. Bake until golden brown, 15-20 min. Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a double boiler, whisk together the white choc chips and cream until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Using a fork, drizzle the topping over the cooled pizza. Cut into slices.

So easy! I am going to be making this one several times during the Thanksgiving-to-New Years rush. Cookie Sale starts January 1, 2009, so I'll just have enough time!

My Space

Out of roughly 37 posts in the past three years, I've posted about my kids/family four times; the rest have been about me or stuff I was thinking about. I had no idea what this blog would really be about, what direction I would take it in, when I started it. Clearly, it would seem that I forgot I even had a blog at times! A few months ago I decided that my family should have its own blog, and this one would be my "me-blog", my space all for myself.

The family blog has really flourished! My kids have known about it from the start, and they love to see themselves online(!), so they keep me blogging. The blog is family-friendly and mainly written and updated so our friends and family scattered everywhere can see pics of the girls as they grow and read funny little tidbits about our daily life.

My personal blog, as I now think of it in my head, is a little harder to define. I often have no idea what I should write about, especially now that the family and my kids have their own showcase elsewhere on the web. And perhaps that says alot right there about how I see myself. What am I besides a Mom and Wife, my "official" roles in life right now? Well, I also run a business on the side-- but wait, my company has its own blog too, in addition to a bonafide website run entirely by me, the very amateur webmaster!

About two years ago, I got a Facebook account due entirely to my teenage cousins who seemed to exist solely on Facebook. I knew no one else for a very long while on Facebook who wasn't in college, high school or just young! Now, everyone I know or have known is on Facebook. It's hit critical mass with the 35+ age group! And it's alot more fun now. I use to check my facebook account every few months, and then it became every week, and then a couple of times per week, and then daily, and now it's all day long. Facebook is great because it ties together all the different people I've known through all the different phases of my life--childhood friends, relatives, long-lost high school and college pals, ex-work colleagues and now Mom-friends.

My blog is kind of the opposite of my Facebook page, because there is no immediate social interaction going on. This is all about me, just me, and I have no idea if anyone reads this stuff or if I'm writing into the void. I know within seconds sometimes if someone has read my Facebook comment. I admit, I like the immediate gratification aspect of that! I can blog about anything, everything, often nothing, but there's no feedback. Now, I know there are bloggers out there who get dozens or hundreds of comments per post, to let them know how they're doing. I am not one of them! So sometimes, I feel like I'm just writing aimlessly, like a little tiny dinghy out in the big sea.

Even so, it's nice to have your own spaces in the world.

Stuff I'm Reading

Ever since my not-so-recent blog about my Romance D.I.K. list, I've been thinking about a D.I.K.-Part 2, a list of contemporary fiction that I'd like to have with me on my desert island. Can't do it! Too many great books to list! And "fiction" is too broad to have to narrow down to a dozen or so titles. So I'm borrowing an idea from a British writer who I like and respect very much but I fear is not well-known enough here in the States--Nick Hornby. I love all of his books, and I love the way he fleshes out his characters in his fiction, whether it's a young boy or middle-aged mom. They're so real. But it's one of his non-fiction books that gave me the idea for "Stuff I'm Reading."

In The Polysyllabic Spree: A Hilarious and True Account of One Man’s Struggle With the Monthly Tide of the Books He’s Bought and the Books He’s Been Meaning to Read, Hornby took about a year's worth of columns he wrote for Believer magazine and turned into a cool book. The idea is simple--he writes about stuff he's been reading and books that he's bought in the past month. Brilliant.

So at the end of November, and hopefully each month to come, I'll be sharing my Books Bought (or Borrowed) and Books Read!

I Heart Blogs

Today I added a blog roll (see side bar), a self-updating list to help me keep track of some favorite blogs out there. I don't know very many people personally who blog, but I am a fan of very many others in the virtual world who spin a good yarn. I've listed all my personal friends and their blogs, including my friend Janine whose blog got the ball rolling for me 2 years ago.

It's interesting how many blogs I can't live without these days. I get antsy when I don't get my daily fix of other people's lives. Is that weird?

I'm sure I'll be adding to the list as I find more blogs that I love!

Mrs. O

Photo from Mrs. O blog

Another fashion-forward blog I'm enjoying--Mrs. O. Yes, Mrs. O spends lots of money (sometimes) on her clothes, just like Mrs. P supposedly did. But Mrs. O paid for them herself! No wealthy donors footing the bill or unsuspecting aides surreptitiously using their own credit cards to throw off the trail. (Mrs. O is a Harvard-education lawyer who worked for a living, for God's sake--she probably has some money in her bank account, unlike the used-to-be Miss Alaska.)

Photo from Google Images

And according to the Mrs. O blog, sometimes Mrs. O just likes to buy off the rack like everyone else, even online in the middle of the night like I do! J Crew on sale! (I can relate to that. I can't relate to $150,000+ spending sprees at Neiman's for my entire family paid for by someone else. Not that it wouldn't be nice. But nice doesn't make it right or ethical, does it?)

Then there's Mrs. Obama's "dress" from Tuesday night's victory speech. It was the kind of dress that made you cock your head to the side and say "huh?" It's also an expensive dress--Narciso Rodriguez. The next day I saw the dress on a runway model; it looked awesome on her. On Mrs. O's very tall frame, not so awesome.

But this is America! She can wear whatever she wants! And I'm hooked on her clothes blog anyway. I think Mrs. O's style will be a nice change from Mrs. B, who for the past 8 years has pretty much looked like a very sweet, slightly boring librarian.

Photo from Google Images

Lieberman

Photo from Google Images

At our house, the name 'Joe Lieberman' is greeted in the same exact manner by Dylan and me in which Jerry Seinfeld greets Newman, the overweight mail carrier on his eponymous show. Lieberman. Often followed by the words loser, jerk, shmuck, traitor.

I stumbled upon this piece about Lieberman's "fear" if the Dems win 60 Senate seats. It was amusing. So basically, it's not the survival of America that's in doubt--it's Lieberman's political career. Even more amusing were the random comments after the article. This was one of my favorites:

Lieberman is such a sad figure, maybe even sadder than Bush.

Lieberman is like a guy who was on the debate team when they sucked, and he quit and joined the chess club just as the debate team started winning. And no one on the chess club likes him, they just pretend to like him because he makes fun of the debate team with them at the lunch table.

I still get nauseated when I think about the fact that I VOTED for this creep in 2000. Ick, ick, ick. This is also the guy who was McCain's #1 choice for VP nominee this year; Sarah Palin was apparently an afterthought compared to Joe. And I still think he looks like Alf's Dad.

Photo from Google Images

Photo from Google Images

Election Day

I missed my chance to vote in 1988 presidential election by only 4 months--I turned 18 in March 1989. It was a real disappointment to me, especially as I was taking the state-required senior Government class at the time. The teacher was young and irreverent, and she made government and politics interesting. I couldn't wait to vote in an election, any election. The first election I was eligible to vote in was a school board election a few months after my birthday. I was so excited to cast my ballot at the mall.

Although I haven't been as diligent about voting in every minor election since then, I haven't missed a presidential or governor's race since 1992. I love to vote. I love receiving my voter registration card in the mail. When I was within a certain age group (ie. younger), I used to tuck blank voter registration cards into '18th birthday' cards or 'congratulations on your new address' cards, trying to encourage my friends to do their civic duty too. I love receiving the sticker at the end of the quick voting process and will proudly wear it all day. (In fact, my 'I Voted' sticker from the 2004 election is still stuck to my bathroom mirror.)

Talking about government and elections was not something we really did as a family when I was growing up. As immigrants, my parents were not eligible to vote, and although they paid taxes and contributed to their community in various ways, were a bit removed from the democratic process. The first time I voted in 1989, I was proud to be the first person in my family to do so. And I grew up with stories from parents about how elections were done in their homeland, the Philippines--the buying of votes, fraudulent ballots, election-related violence-- made me realize how different the process was here in this country. How we take the peaceful transition of power for granted. And as I got older, studying elections in history and democracy around the world also made me realize that there are people who crave the freedoms and rights we so carelessly disregard, such as our right to vote.

I voted on the second day of early voting, eager to avoid he predicted long lines. I took one of my two kids with me; she complained the whole time. I felt, as I always do, proud to cast my vote again. I also wished that I had done more research on certain down-ballot races; in my pre-parenting days, I would have!

Yesterday, the day before the election, a caller on the Diane Rehm Show on NPR stated she was still undecided and didn't know what she should do. She was young, probably college-aged, and lived in Missouri. I was annoyed listening to her. Here she was, at the end of the longest campaign ever, still undecided?! All the information was out there, accessible in every possible media. All the opinions of each candidate's character and trustworthiness were out there, from everyone and anyone you could ask. Lazy. I hope she made it to the polls, but I suspect she might not have.

I guess I don't understand when people don't vote. Some people in other countries, who don't have that privilege, would fight for that right, maybe even die for it. A record number of eligible voters did cast their votes today, and in the weeks leading up to the election. It makes me very happy to have that one thing in common with so many other Americans. So many young people voted and enthusiastically took part in the process, maybe just not the caller from Missouri.

We turned on CNN to watch the election returns at 6pm this evening. Thalia, who had heard and learned much about the presidential race at school, was keenly interested in watching it. She stared at the pie-charts with the red, blue and orange (other) slices. "Who is Other?" she wanted to know. She noted the rising number of electoral votes on the bottom of the screen for Obama. It was really cool to watch the early returns with my 7 year old child, who had voted online at a kids' website about the election process earlier today. She voted for Obama, but could have gone either way really, and that was her choice to make. Someday, too soon, she will be old enough to cast her own vote for president. I want her to reach that decision using her brain as well as her heart, to utilize all the available information and resources out there. I don't want her to be a clueless, undecided voter on the eve of election day, but an informed, confident one who proudly casts her ballot. And even if her vote isn't the same as mine, I hope she'll get the same thrill I do when I vote.

Photo from Google Images

Things I've Bought That I Love

Photo from Google Images

I love the show 'The Office.' I didn't always, but it grew on me very quickly. I think the reason I didn't just love it instantly was because the setting and the characters were a little too real--dingy, boring office with not-beautiful, very ordinary-looking people. Just like EVERY OFFICE I'VE EVER WORKED IN. And Pam . . . I was "Pam" at several places of employment . . . I felt her pain. I indignantly noted to Dylan, the first time we watched the show, how unattractive the characters were. This is TV for pete's sake! He replied that it was just like a real office, and over time, the people you work with start to look nicer, prettier, better-looking, etc. because you just get used to them. hahaha

Anyway, one of the funniest characters, although not a main one, is the Indian-American, Kelly. I see her as an Asian-American airhead, and have known several like her. So funny! Her story line with Ryan-the-temp-turned-executive cracks me up. It turns out that the actress who plays her, Mindy Kaling, is also a comedy writer and was originally hired as a writer for the show. (That explains why she does not look like your typical "actress" and hooray for that). Mindy also, coincidentally, loves to shop, and writes a blog as Mindy Ephron called Things I've Bought That I Love. Although the blog hasn't been updated in a while, there are some great posts. Lots of shoe love going on for sure. The funny thing is that she writes just as you might expect 'Kelly' to!

I hope Mindy/Kelly/Vera (her real name is apparently Vera) finds time to post something new soon. I have enjoyed back-reading her posts! I love to shop too.

NaBloPoMo

November is National Blog Posting Month! I only found this out yesterday! So I am going to attempt to post a blog at all of our sites (this one, The Sweet Spot and With Four You Get Eggroll) each day. I may not be able to keep up with all of them, but I'll give it a shot! I probably needed to try this a while ago to develop the daily habit of posting something!

Trying Something New