Friday's Feast #9 -181

Appetizer

Who was the last person you hugged?

My hubby as he went off to work this morning

Soup

Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.

When putting lotion on your skin in the morning and night don't forget your feet.
Feet take the most abuse on the body and need some love and affection too.
I have foot cream on the dresser beside my bed and the last thing I do nightly before climbing under the covers is to massage some cream all over my feet.


Salad

What does the color yellow make you think of?

Sunshine, warmth and happiness!

Main Course

If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around?

Nature all the way. The beauty in the world around us is breath-taking!

Dessert

What was the longest book you ever read?

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Enjoying the story helps with the length of the book though....you get lost in the story.

For more feasting check out Friday's feast

Booking through Thursday #9

Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one . . . I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)

When I first read this question, the name that popped into my head was Scarlett O'Hara. I have had a love affair with this character and all her flaws since fourth grade when I watched the movie in the theatre with some girlfriends. Oh I know, Scarlett is selfish and self-absorbed, but she is also independent, strong willed, persistant, courageous and a risk taker. Most of these qualities are associated with men, not women, in older literature. It was refreshing for me as a young adolescent to see that women could be all that and more. Scarlett's flaws just make her more loveable in my eyes. Her experiences showed me that being human means taking failure with success...and just to push through.

Other women characters I admire would be Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. She is a lady who is comfortable in her own skin, despite what society (and her mother) expect of her.

Then there is Anne of Green Gables. She is merely a girl when her story begins but her love of live, drama, imagination and desire to be loved leads us, the reader, on a journey of human experience. She is very endearing.

Herominie Granger is another female character I just adore. Watching her grow up through the Harry Potter series, she stands out as someone who possesses many qualities I find necessary in the real world. She is kind, compassionate (do not forget her fighting for the rights of house elves), smart, devious and commited. She morphs before our eyes and grows into these traits along the way.

My list would not be complete without Jo March from Little Women.
She is another female character who is not your typical flower. She is strong willed, lively, a writer, energetic, almost tom-boyish in nature. She has an intense love of family that will not be denied. And once again she is not afraid to live by her rules and not those decided for her by society.

I am noticing a theme here...most of my beloved female characters are ladies who buck the system and live by her own rules and not that which has been decided is right for ladies. Is that my subconscious rebelling to the establishment? LOL I do know that I am drawn to those that believe strongly in themselves and follow their dreams wherever that may take them.

Who is your favorite female character?
Check out Booking through Thursday for more favorite heroines.

Wordless Wednesday #7

Tina's Tuesday - Gotta Love E-mail

How many email accounts do you have?
5

How often do you check these accounts?
3 I check daily and 2 I check whenever the urge hits

What was one of the best or worst emails you have ever got?
I love e-mails from friends and family...they are among the best
The worst are some of the crappy spam e-mails that enter my mailbox on a daily basis.

Menu Monday - February 24 to March 1

Another week! Another menu!
Last week was a true bust!!
With my daughter out of school for the week and me feeling a bit under the weather, I am not sure if we followed the plan at all. We ate out a couple times, once because we got a call from my old University roommate...a great time.

I knew we had eaten out a bit too much when DD asked to eat meals at home. LOL
That is always a sign that menus for home haven't been followed.

So let's try this again this week.

Sunday: Shake and Bake Pork Chops, baked potato, salad
Monday: Meatballs, rice, broccoli, salad
Tuesday: Tuna casserole, peas & corn
Wednesday: Hamburger pizza, salad
Thursday: Baked potato soup, biscuits
Friday: Thai chicken wraps, veggie sticks with dip
Saturday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad

For more menu ideas check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Tag - Your It!!

Was browsing through my weekly list of blogs when I came to Stephanie's

She has tagged me before and I must admit I didn't follow up with it. Feeling the guilt this morning, I decided to take her challenge/tag and run with it. Plus it looks like it could be fun.

Anyone else who wishes to join in...by all means do...but Emily I tag you personally. I know you have a book just to the side of you :-)

The Rules
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages.
2.Open the book to page 123 and find the 5th sentence.
3. Post the next 3 sentences.
4. Tag 5 people


Book - Bastard Out Of Carolina by Dorothy Allison

Page 123...starting at sentence 5

Tears began to run down my face.
"Bone?"
"Auntie, don't ask me."

How much am I worth dead?????

$4765.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

Friday's Feast #8 - 180

Appetizer

Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?

No I have not played practical jokes on anyone. I am no good at jokes.
Plus having been on the receiving end of practical jokes...I know how destructive they can be when they go too far.

Soup

What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?

I have some novelty salt and pepper shakers...but they are mainly for decoration.
My main duty shakers are the grinders for peppercorns and sea salt that you can get at Costco. I love the fresh ground taste. And it makes me feel more like the chefs on the Food Network ;-)


Salad

Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?

We are taking a family trip to Disneyland in April.

Main Course

What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?

I have a variety of lotions/creams throughout the house.
Jergens, Nivea and The Body Shop butters are my favorite.


Dessert

Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name.

Chocolate explosion: Take a piece of chocolate fudge brownie and place it on a plate
Place a scoop of chocolate chip mint ice cream on top.
Drizzle with chocolate fudge sauce and chocolate shavings.
Enjoy!!!

Friday's Feast #7 - 179

Appetizer

Name one thing that is unique about you.

What is unique about me is my loyalty to friends and family & my ability to forgive.


Soup

Fill in the blank: My favorite _________ is __________ but I like _________ too.

My favorite pastime is to knit but I like to read too.

Salad

What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings?

Mainly oak but have some alder wood too.

Main Course

Who do you talk to most often on the phone?

Hubby, cousin and aunt


Dessert

What level of responsibility do you have in your job?

My level of responsibility is high with my job. I am the CEO of my family. I ensure the house runs as soothly as possible as well as helping to raise a healthy, happy child who will be part of our world's future. I consider my job to be a pleasure and one of the most underappreciated but important roles of society.

Booking through Thursday # 7 and #8

Still playing catch up from last week's removal from the world. LOL



Here’s something for Valentine’s Day.

Have you ever fallen out of love with a favorite author? Was the last book you read by the author so bad, you broke up with them and haven’t read their work since? Could they ever lure you back?

After pondering this question for some time I must admit that there is only one author that I can truely say that I have "fallen" out of love with. That would be Danielle Steele. As a girl I would absorb her books at an increasingly speedy rate. However, as I entered university and was exposed to a larger world of literature, I must admit her books became boring and predictable. I was shocked at how each book seemed to flow in the same manner.

Now that being said....I still will read her books from time to time. I usually gravitate towards her literature when I need a simple escape from reality because I find she doesn't require must from me the reader.



All other things (like price and storage space) being equal, given a choice in a perfect world, would you rather have paperbacks in your library? Or hardcovers? And why?

Surrounding myself with books has always given me a thrill. I love having books around to read, to look at and to enjoy. And at the moment most of my books are paperback. The reason....cost is usually the main factor,

But as I look at my collection I must admit the books I treasure the most are the hardbacks. They seem to stand up to the marching of time better....comparing books my grandmother has passed down to me. And they are just gorgeous on a bookshelf with their spines all standing in a row.

SO given the choice hardback would always be my choice if price was not a factor.

Tackle it Tuesday!

Tackle it Tuesday has helped me focus on the things that require my attention, but I am finding many of the jobs I choose are ones that require more than an hour or a day to complete.

With this in mind....my Tackle it Tuesday will probably be a continuing story for the next few months. I want to declutter, reorganize and decorate this house to truely (and finally) make it ours. I have three projects to tackle this week.



First there is my recipes. The binder and the black recipe box are my present system...or lack there of. The binder is full of strips of paper of recipes I want to try and recipes I have tried...some have failed and some have been successful. The yellow box is my new organizing system. It is larger than the black box. So this week I plan on throwing out the recipes my family doesn't like and moving all family favorites over to the new box. I will also start a file for "recipes to try". The yellow box also needs its final finishing touches to make it more personal.





We decided to finally splurge and get the flat screen tv for the family room. For the tv we found a nice entertainment unit so once again I am putting together furniture. The table part was easy to assemble and I was on a high thinking I might actually complete the table quickly. Oops! Thought it too soon. As I start putting together the surround for the tv...what do I find? A piece missing! Sigh! After a phone call I am told that "no" it couldn't be as easy as to just have to go to the store to get the part. No! I have to phone the actual store across Canada and have them send me the piece. So once again a furniture piece is waiting patiently for me to finish assembling it. The man on the phone promised to express mail the piece so with any luck it should be here today or tomorrow and I can finish what I started.



And the final project of the week is my daughter's closet. Ugh! In our previous house I had installed an organizer to use the space properly. This house, I bought the organizer but in my craftroom it sits...once again a project waiting patiently for me to pay attention. LOL So since DD has this week off, we will be tackling her closet. As you can see she uses her closet as a catch-all and her clothes are stored in my craftroom. So first we must sort, and purge what is there, remove the existing rod and patch the walls, paint (once she agrees on a color) and then add the organizer. Hopefully if the stars are in alignment it might be finished by the weekend.

Wish me luck! This is a busy week.

Tina's Tuesday - Party Time

What was the last party you attended? When?

October....my cousin's wedding reception...good reason to party.
Family, friends and lots of music. What a celebration!!!!

When is the next party you're going to? What is it?

Not much of a party person so I have no clue when the next party will be.

Have you ever attended any costumes or themed parties?

Yes I have attended both costume and themed parties.
The most fun are era themed parties.

Tina's Tuesday - The Last 5 things

What were the last five foods you ate?

Pizza, Theatre Popcorn, Glosette Raisins, Oatmeal,and an Apple

What were the last five songs you listened to?

Leanne Rimes - Nothing Better to Do
Myle Cyrus - See You Again
Ashley Tisdale - He Said She Said
Garth Brooks - The Beaches of Cheyenne
Timbaland - Apologize


What were the last five things you did in the past few hours?

Checked e-mail
Slept
Watched WWE Raw with family
Vacuumed
Went to movies...."The Spiderwick Chronicles"

Menu Monday (February 17 - 23)

I have learned a very important lesson! Last week I was lazy beyond belief...I didn't feel like practicing guitar. I didn't feel like posting on my blog. And I didn't feel like making a menu for the week. Lesson learned.....not creating a menu leads to uncertainty, chaos and not always having the necessary food items in the house.

So last night I sat down with my list of family favorites, torn out and copied recipes that have intrigued me and my new cookbook and planned out 4 weeks of menus.
Oh it is not written in stone that those will be the foods eaten on the assigned night...there will be nights that no one is really hungry or nights with unplanned activities or even nights we are just not in the mood for what is planned...but atleast there is a set plan in action.

Sunday: ordering Panago Pizza
Monday: BBQ beef, mashed potatoes, veggie
Tuesday: honey dijon salmon, rice, asparagus
Wednesday: cranberry pork chops, baked potato, salad
Thursday: turkey soup, buns
Friday: ribs, rice, salad, corn on the cob
Saturday: Thai chicken wraps, salad

I will let you all know how meal time goes this week. Until then, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie to get inspired to make your own menu for the week.

Someone got spoiled yesterday!

And I feel very blessed.

Happy Valentine's Day!

What movie is your love life like?

Your Love Life is Like Casablanca

"Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time." For you, love is never finished. If you've loved someone once, you'll always love them. You're an old fashioned romantic... even if your relationships don't end up as romantic as you'd like. Your love style: Traditional and understated Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Complicated and ambiguous

What Movie Is Your Love Life Like?

Friday's Feast #6

Friday's feast is experiencing some technical difficulties so a couple regulars decided to step up to the plate and fill in the void us feasters were sure to experience this week.



Bethany created some freaky friday questions.

What are some of your favorite websites?
Yahoo groups...mainly A Loving Home
Facebook to catch up with friends and play Scrabble
Heritage Springer Owners Association
And numerous blogs I like to browse through

If you had boy/girl twins today, what would you name them?

I am a sucker for family tradition so it would probably be Anton and Sarah....my grandparents names. Both names have been handed down for generations.

What was your favorite grade in elementary school? Did you have a favorite teacher?

My most memorable grade was grade one. I didn't attend kindergarten like many of my classmates and it was a thrill to be in school. Also, I was blessed with Mrs. Rolfson as my teacher. It was her final year of teaching and she was a surrogate grandmother for all her students. I still remember sobbing at the end of the year because I couldn't imagine anyone being a better teacher than she was. She helped me to look forward to learning for years to come.
What types of punishment did your parents use while you were growing up? Which were most effective on you?

Can you parallel park? Did you have to parallel park for your driving exam?

I didn't get my drivers license until I was in my mid-30s. I remember practicing repeatedly with my husband to master this necessary item in passing my exam. The practicing sessions often ended in tears because I feared failing this all important task. Well I was able to parallel park for my exam and to this day I do everything in my power to avoid testing this skill anymore. I am sure I could struggle through if I needed to but I "hate" this skill with all my heart.



Bonus: Use this site to find where you should live. What are your top 5 and have you ever been to them before? ~~~~~
1. Las Cruces, New Mexico
2. Baltimore, Maryland
3. Oakland, California
4. Portland, Oregon
5. Chico, California
And no have not been to any of these places.



Gabriel also added questions.

Appetizer - What would be your most treasured memory of your childhood?
I have many treasured memories from my childhood. I grew up in my grandparents home with my aunts and uncles (my mom was the oldest girl). So I was lucky enough to have a housefull of "parents", "aunts and uncles" and "brothers and sisters" all rolled into one. Often the lines of relation were blurred but that is okay...I was well loved by all and knew I had someone on my side at all times.

So if I must state my most treasured memory of childhood, I would say it is that I was loved!!!!

Soup - When was the last time you just 'bit your tongue'?

I bite my tongue often. LOL I am the mom of an emerging teenage girl. That should explain everything.

Salad - Name that silly fact about you that was unknown...until now.

My bathrooms must have the toilet seats closed and toilet paper rolling from the bottom. It drives me crazy if it isn't!

Main Course - You're a superhero, but with 'non typical' superpowers. What would your super powers be, and what would you like to be called?

I would have the power of adding extra time to each day when needed and I would be called Time Infinite!


Dessert - World Cup final, Olympic Games, Superbowl, World Series, NBA finals, Stanley Cup... which one would you like to play in?

If I had any talent when it comes to sporting events I would want to participate in the Olympic Games. Don't think they have knitting or cooking as a competing sport yet.

Friday's Feast #6

Booking through Thursday #6

Okay, even I can’t read ALL the time, so I’m guessing that you folks might voluntarily shut the covers from time to time as well… What else do you do with your leisure to pass the time? Walk the dog? Knit? Run marathons? Construct grandfather clocks? Collect eggshells?


Reading has always been my escape from reality for as far back as I can remember. But there are days where I wonder where the people on my reading lists get their time. There still is only 24 hours in a day right? How can someone read 20 or more books in a month and still have time to eat, work, play, run errands, look after their home, sleep and relax?

I can tell you that reading is only one of my many hobbies. Knitting, sewing, painting, listening to music, watching movies, playing games with my daughter, cooking, and computer time is just a few of the many other activities I do with my time. If one book gets read each month I am happy and if 2 or more is completed, I am just thrilled!

My tastes are much too diverse to focus only on one activity for fun.

If you want to see what others do with their time check out Booking through Thursday

Wordless Wednesday #6

Tackle it Tuesday!

Okay for weeks I have been fighting the untamed beast of my hubby's den. First it was the painting. It took forever to find an idea for color and then after painting one wall my vision changed and I had to find another color to coordinate with the rich chocolate brown I fell in love with.

Next came the desk. It tried to defeat me! I began to tackle this project 2 weeks ago but became disheartened when some of the pieces didn't fit the way I wanted. I walked away, got a new determination to finish and today.....I finished the desk!!!



Flying high from success I decided also to tackle a new project this week.
Our TV cabinet has become a catch-all for all the papers, books and crafts that get left on the couch.





BEFORE








AFTER




Now I feel energized to accomplish some more around this house.
To find more inspiration from completed projects check out Tackle it Tuesday

Tina's Tuesday - Favorite Holidays

1. What is your favourite holiday and why?
Christmas
This time of year has always been my favorite. The sights! The smells! The sounds! The sentimentality!!! Also, Christmas holiday is not just one day...its a season...a whole experience. Family, friends, festivities, fun! I love it all.
I start preparing for this holiday months before in anticipation. I emmerse myself in the moment.

2. What is your least favourite holiday and why?
April Fool's day.
This holiday just seems nasty to me. I can take jokes as well as anyone however, sometimes the joking goes too far and people forget about others just to get ahead of others. Who can outdo whom? There is nothing caring, loving or sentimental about this holiday at all.

3. What day would you declare a holiday? What holiday would it be?
I would declare "Me" day and it would occur on a different day for each individual. It would fall on their birthday. The holiday would be a celebration of a person's own birth. I find quite often people forget how special they really are. This holiday would celebrate the day that such a unique person was born. I can't think of anything better than remembering how miraculous birth is and how each person is special in their own way.

Menu Monday - February 3 - 9

Another week gone...another menu planned.

Last week wasn't our best. Oh don't get me wrong, the intensions were all good, however the plan of actions just misfired occasionally. Monday's soup turned out more like a hamburger soup than a beef barley...so I am on the hunt for another recipe. Tuesday's stirfry was good. How can a stirfry go wrong? Wednesday's pizza ended up Thursday's pizza because after eating out for lunch on Wednesday no one was very hungry come supper. Friday's chicken was replaced with fast and easy McDs and Saturday's spaghetti ended up put off until this week because we went out for supper instead. Not a very successful week. Maybe this week will be better.


Sunday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad
Monday: baked potato soup, cheese bacon biscuits
Tuesday: short ribs, rice, broccoli
Wednesdy: chicken florentine, corn muffins
Thursday: cheese, bacon and potato pierogis, sausage, coleslaw
Friday: hamburgers, potato salad, corn on the cob
Saturday: nachoes


Don't forget to add to your menu ideas by visiting
I'm an organizing junkie

Friday's Feast #5 (178)

What is your favorite kind of cereal?

Kashi Go Lean Crunch

Soup
When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?

Paint for hubby's den

Salad
What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?

To be quite honest how can a person pick just one!?!?!?

I love European commercials. They have a sense of abandonment that North American commercials don't have.

Want a good giggle go to YouTube and watch some of the commericals they have. Today I watched what many are calling "The funniest commercial". It starts with a family climbing in the car, buckling up and turning on the car. Mom, Dad, and two little girls. A song comes on the radio. I won't repeat the wording but lets just say the language is inappropriate for kids. The dad starts to bounce to the music and smile, followed by the mom and then the two girls...they drive away enjoying the beat of the music. It is a commercial for learning English. Thank goodness!!! LOL

I love commercials with children.

One of my favorites is the commercial with moms sitting around the table chatting as a little boy is playing...only to find out that he is playing with a vibrator...LOL

And well there is always the yearly assortment of Superbowl commercials to see.

Main Course
Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).

Nutmeg Hamster

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I haven’t visited with my aunt since before Christmas.

For more feasting visit Friday's Feast