January Book List & Contemplating A Swap

I can't believe how fast January has flown by.  Anyone else wondering where the month went? 

I got some pretty cool responses from my 2009 book list.  Two authors thanked me for reading their books.  How cool is that?!?!  I'm always looking for new books to read - so if you have something on your booklist that seems good - let me know!  I'd love to read it too and compare notes.  :-)

Here's my book list for January:

1. Hunted - P.C & Kristin Cast
2. Tempted - P.C & Kristin Cast
3. Dear John - Nicholas Sparks
4. Pilgrims - Elizabeth Gilbert
5. Souvenir - Therese Fowler
6. The Secret of Everything - Barbara O'Neal
7. Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz
8. Masquerade - Melissa de la Cruz
9. Revelations - Melissa de la Cruz
10. Why Moms Are Weird - Pamela Ribon
11. Jupiter's Bones - Faye Kellerman
12. High Tea - Sandra Harper

I wondering if I should start doing book reviews...but think you all might throttle me if I reviewed every book I read.

Now that everyone has made it past the holidays and can breathe a little, I think I want to host a swap.  I mentioned it on Twitter earlier in the week, and want the opinion of those of you aren't my Twitter followers (yet).  :-)  My ideas are: favorite book, stationery, favorite movie, journal, or cookbook swap.  Do you have any other ideas?  I want something easy, fun and perhaps a little spring-y.  Could you envision participating if one of these were chosen?

I See Dumb People....

OK... I'm pretty careful not to complain about work or give away clues as to my company's name.  Today, I'm breaking my self-imposed rules and having a *quick* bitch session.  Bear with me.

Dear, sweet co-worker B - you get emails for a reason.  Most of us know that emails are intended to READ.  Telling me and co-worker C that you don't read them - ON PURPOSE doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. Furthermore, declaring with pride that if it's too long or you don't know the sender that you immediately delete said email ticks me off.

We have jobs that require we pay attention.  And not only read, but respond and archive our emails.  I have every.single.email since I started with my company 6 years ago (except for a month of emails that got wiped out in 2007 during a computer upgrade...but let's not go there).  It makes me wonder if you're going to hang up on people if you don't think the questions they are asking pertain to you.  I'd also like you to please pay attention to the details.  We know it isn't fun sometimes - but you get paid to know what is going on with your customer.  Suck it up, buttercup.  Just sayin'.

On another note...I *stupidly* did the math on how much I worked in 2009.  Somehow, I fit just short of 16 months worth of work into a 12 month span.  And I find myself wonder how in the world I did it. Seriously!  I took three of my four weeks of vacation. It could have been worse if I gave up more PTO time.  The final thought on this... Um, can someone please PAY ME for all the extra hours I put in?  Being a salaried employee sucks sometimes.

My rant has ended. Sigh.

But while I'm talking about work - let me share that I don't know what I'm going to do in April.  Co-worker C is going on maternity leave.  I'm so, so, so happy for her!!  She's my sanity at work though.  We're really alike in a lot of ways.  I know that if something is bugging me; it's highly likely that it's bugging her too and vice versa.  I'm going to have to bribe her to bring the baby in to visit - so I can see what is likely to be one of the cutest babies in history and so I can do a microrant.  :-)

Is anyone else having a craptastic time at work lately?

THANK YOU

Last week I did a post about my mom having breast cancer.  I did it "for me", thinking that I wouldn't get much response.

I was sooooo wrong, and it made me realize just how much I love you guys.  From the bottom of my heart - thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you for letting me share; thank you for being supportive; more than anything - THANK YOU for every single comment, every single email, all the prayer and positive thoughts.  You are all amazing!  You shared your thoughts, your opinions, and your experiences.  YOU MADE ME CRY (in a good way)!!  I am so proud to know each of you.  If you lived closer, you'd get hugs and baked goods as tokens of my appreciation.  Let me know if you move closer - both the hugs and baked goods offer are open invitations.  :-)

And now, for a status report....

Mom has heard from her surgeon with some not so great news.  The margins still aren't clear.  Her breast surgeon is fantastic and very informative about the three available options.

1. Proceed with chemo and radiation & see if that kills the still cancerous cells.
2. Opt to have another margin revision.
3. Move forward with a mastectomy.

After some careful thought, mom has decided for a mastectomy.  She is sure of herself and her decision...and we are sure of her.  Surgery is next Thursday.  It's still up in the air if reconstructive surgery will happen now or later.  Either way - she wants her boob job!  Come on.  If you're maintaining a positive attitude through all these procedures - you've earned a boob job!  :-)

Tuesdays At The Table - Chocolate Wheat Cereal Snacks

Happy Tuesday!  I hope you're all having a good week.  ;-)

Remember Andrea, the fabulous creator of Tuesdays At The Table?  Well, she had her baby!  Some of you are FaceBook friends with her and already know - but I wanted to share just in case.  Swing by and help welcome little Cooper to the bloggy world!

I found these little suckers in the Summer edition of A Taste of Home.  They are so good!

Chocolate Wheat Cereal Snacks

6 cups frosted bite-size Shredded Wheat
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Set cereal aside in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter.  Stir until smooth.  poor over cereal  and stir gently to coat.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and toss to coat.  Cool completely.  Store in airtight containers.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Sunday Scramble

The fabulous Tiney has started a new meme - Sunday Scramble.

Let the randomness begin!

1. The old school "Winnie The Pooh" theme song is my current cell phone ring tone.  Nothing significant, just love me some Winnie - and thought I'd share.
2. My beat my best string score in bowling by a landslide last week.  An 89!!  Go me!  Yes, I know that bowling is geeky - but I have so much freaking fun.  You blow off a little steam, chat with the girls, and do some AMAZING people watching.  As Heather said last week, "People watching at bowling is on the same caliper as people watching at Disney".  It's that good. *Update: My high score for a string was 89....not the ENTIRE game.  That would, in fact, suck.  And, it's candlepin bowling.  Smaller balls =harder to get a fantastic score.*
3. Any of you have a Keurig coffee machine?  If so - go out and buy Gloria Jean's Pomegranate Berry Fusion Tea.  It is sooooo good.  Actually, I know it's great iced.  I don't drink hot tea, so I can't tell how you how yummy it is hot.  But I imagine is still just as yummy!
4. Another awesome discovery?  Sticky Fingers Gourmet Apples.  These suckers are FABULOUS!!  A small company in upstate NY makes gourmet dipped apples (and other cool stuff), and when it arrives, they are so fresh that it's like they were picked off the tree already coated in caramel and chocolate!  Based on one little taste - I ordered some for myself and for a friend that is recovering from a nasty virus.
5. I'm committing myself to actually go on vacation this year.  Unfortunately, I don't have any brilliant ideas.  Any suggestions?

Drop by Tiney's to read her Sunday Scramble and everyone else's too!

Lucky Tag

I saw this on Amy's blog, and thought it would be fun to play along.  Drop by and check out her answers too.  :-)

8 TV Shows I Watch:

• NCIS
• Grey's Anatomy
• Private Practice
• Brothers & Sisters
• Bones
• Ugly Betty
• Ghost Whisperer
• Tabatha's Salon Takeover
  

8 Favorite Places to Eat and Drink:

• Cheesecake Factory
• Margarita's
• Rebecca's Cafe
• The Brew Moon
• Chipotle
• Panera Bread
• Bertucci's
• Rustic Kitchen
  

8 Things I Look Forward To:

• Knitting
• Reading
• Weekends
• Bowling with the girls
• Twilight: Eclipse coming out
• The new season of True Blood
• Cuddling with the pups
• Mom making it through treatment successfully
  

8 Things That Happened Yesterday:

• WAY too many meetings
• Watched TV
• Knitted
• A little online window shopping
• Wrestled a plastic container away from Meadow
• An impomptu department lunch
• Paid bills
• Thanked heaven for caffeine

8 Things I Love About Winter:

• The smell of snow
• Watching the dogs play in the snow
• Hot chocolate
• Snow days! (though very rare)
• That snow makes everything look new (for a while)
• Cuddling up with a good book
• Short, sleepy days
• Knowing that Spring is right around the corner

8 Things on My Wish List:

• A real vacation
• Pay off bills
• Help my friends and family
• Buy a house
• Find Prince Charming
• Get a promotion
• More hours in the day :-)
• Write a book

8 Things I'm Passionate About:

• My family
• My friends
• My dogs
• Reading
• Crafting
• Blogging
• Photography
• Cooking

8 Words/Phrases I Use Often:

• Thank you
• SERIOUSLY?!?!
• He/She had an attack of stupid
• I'm like a walking post-it note
• Love
• Drop it! (directed towards the dogs)
• Eventually, I'll learn to say "no"
• Of course I'll help

8 Things I've Learned From the Past:

• Give of yourself, as much as you can
• Surround yourself with people you can trust
• When in doubt; laugh.  It'll be funny later.
• It's OK to cry now and then
• Friends and foes are found when you least expect it
• Find joy in the small things
• Time is a precious comodity
• You can't fix stupid  :-)

8 Things I Currently Want/Need:

• Money Tree (this was Amy's but I totally agree)
• To find the perfect pair of jeans
• More books
• More hours in the day
• A hug
• A new TV
• A massage
• A mani/pedi
  

I tag all of you!  Let me know if you decide to participate.  I'd love to read your answers!!

Cuz She's My MOM!

I'm trying hard to do bright, cute posts lately... but today is not one of those posts. Back to our regularly scheduled "happy" tomorrow.



Instead, I'm going to share with you something I wish I could have shared with you in October and should have shared with you in December.  My mom has breast cancer.


My mom is amazing. She's always been healthy - in fact she never even felt this lump. Why you ask? Because it's right along her chest wall. I credit my mom's diligence in annual mammograms for finding this problem so quickly. In a way - she's really lucky. The breast cancer is between Stage I and Stage II. Totally treatable.  However, it's Grade III - the cells are irregular and grow quicker.


My lovely, fabulous, upbeat mom has been through a lumpectomy and three margin revisions now. In the process has also had a port put in, had a punctured lung and aspirated bile on the surgical table. Through it all, she has managed to smile. Last Thursday was the lastest in margin revisions, and we now have news that the margins still aren't clean.


Realistically, I know she's going to be fine. It means either another margin revision or (likely) a mastectomy. I'm joking with her that she gets a free boob job if she opts for the mastectomy. But every now and then - I have "holy crap" moments.

What would I ever do without her? How can I best support her through another surgery, chemo, radiation and HER2 treatments? Why won't these cells just STOP growing?!?!


Thank you all for letting me get this off my chest (I know... NOT funny). I'm totally ok is you don't comment, want to comment but don't know what to say, etc. I'm stressed. I'm optomistic. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little scared.

I just appreciate you letting me share. And a big thank you to Kirstren, Jane and Tiney. They did know and have been awesome support as I support my mom.

Tuesdays At The Table - Beer Dip

Happy Tuesday!  I was blown away by the number of participants last week.  Way to go!! (And THANK YOU!!)

Based on your feedback, we will have a theme week from time to time.  Rest assured, that I'm happy to have any recipe that you contribute on "theme weeks".  If they happen to go along with the theme - all the better.  A theme is just a fun little twist.  :-)

With that said - I'm all ears on what you'd like to see for themes!  Best brownie recipe?  Fastest casserole to prep?  Most cost efficient entree?  Best dish to cook with kids?  Leave a comment or email me if you have any suggestions!

This week I'm sharing a fun dip.  It's another Taste of Home recipe that is super easy and yummy.

Beer Dip

2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup beer (or non-alcoholic beer)
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, ranch mix and beer until smooth.  Stir in cheese and serve.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Laura's White Elephant Swap

A day month late and a dollar short...

I was blessed to participate in Laura's White Elephant Christmas swap.  She's fantastic and I wholeheartedly suggest that you all read her blog.  My sincere, sincere apologies go to her.  She has been amazing in her kind follow-ups.  Laura deserved a prompt post - something I didn't deliver for a multitude of reasons.

Without further ado- I share with you the goodies that Christina sent me.  She was most generous; certainly embrassing the giving Christmas spirit.

First up is the Christmas card that Christina (along with her husband Johnny, and their furr-kids Corky and Poe) sent out.  It was accompanied by a lovely letter.

Here are all the foodie type things that I got.  Most impressive is the bag of mints (right corner) that Christina made in her papercrafts class.

Christina sent presents for the pups (a book of activities, a frisbee, squeeky toy and a raincoat!) as well as two beautiful frames and a cookbook.

Here's a better picture of the cookbook, stationery and frames.

As I mentioned before - Christina was quite generous.  Many thanks to her.

Wordless Wednesday

Carmella, Meadow and Beckett love to run and play in the snow.  Well... MOST of the time.  :-)

The top picture of Beckett taking shelter under the gas grill is my favorite.  :-)

Tuesdays At The Table - One Step Ham Casserole

Happy Tuesday, ladies!!! 

There were a whole lot of new faces last week.  WELCOME!

I've had a few thoughts about "theme weeks" - favorite dessert, best crock pot dinner, etc.  But, I don't want to limit you.  What do you think?  Do you prefer sharing the new recipe that you have on tap?  Or would the occasional "theme week" liven things up?

Let me know you're thoughts!

This week I'm sharing an easy ham casserole.  It's not exactly healthy... but it tastes good.  :-)

One Step Ham Casserole

1 1/2 cups milk
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of celery soup
2 cups cooked ham (diced)
1 cup elbow macaroni (uncooked)
1 can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
2 tablespoons diced pimento
1 tablespoon dried minced onion or 1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In an ungreased 2 quart casserole, gradually stir milk into soup.  Stir in ham, macaroni, mushrooms, pimiento and onion. 

Bake, covered about 40 minutes at 375 (until macaroni is tender).  Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes (until cheese melts).

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Read Much?!?!

Going into this year, one of my goals was to make time to read more.  At the time, I thought I had read about 70 books.  In fact, that's what I told Sara.

I lied.

I read 115 books in 2009...though a few were "re-reads".  This year, I'm going to let you all know (once a week or so) what I've been reading.  Please know that I occassionally read books that inspire intelligent thought.  But most of the time - it's chick lit.  Don't say I didn't warn ya!  :-)

Below is my reading list for 2009.  I'll let you all know what I've read so far in 2010 at some point next week.

1. Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Healing, Humor and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon - Nick Trout
2. We Were The Mulvaneys - Joyce Carol Oates
3. P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern
4. Love, Rosie - Cecelia Ahern
5. The Red Tent - Anita Diamont
6. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
7. The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown
8. Angels & Demons - Dan Brown
9. Knitting Under the Influence - Claire LaZebnik
10. The Art of Racing In The Rain - Garth Stein
11. Kiss The Girls - James Patterson
12. Along Came a Spider - James Patterson
13. Jack & Jill - James Patterson
14. Four Blind Mice - James Patterson
15. Pop Goes The Weasel - James Patterson
16. Roses Are Red - James Patterson
17. 1st to Die - James Patterson
18. 3rd Degree - James Patterson
19. 5th Horseman - James Patterson
20. All That Remains - Patricia Cornwell
21. Cruel and Unusual - Patricia Cornwell
22. Point of Origin - Patricia Cornwell
23. Cause of Death - Patricia Cornwell
24. Black Notice - Patricia Cornwell
25. The Last Precinct - Patricia Cornwell
26. From Potters Field - Patricia Cornwell
27. Body of Evidence - Patricia Cornwell
28. Postmortem - Patricia Cornwell
29. The Body Farm - Patricia Cornwell
30. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
31. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
32. The Tiara Club - Beverly Brandt
33. Record Time - Beverly Brandt
34. Thanks for Nothing, Nick Maxwell - Debbie Carbin
35. The Godmother - Carrie Adams
36. Change Baby - June Spence
37. How To Be Cool - Johanna Edwards
38. Scot On The Rocks - Brenda Janowicz
39. Nights in Rodanthe - Nicholas Sparks
40. In Her Shoes - Jennifer Weiner
41. Little Earthquakes - Jennifer Weiner
42. Certain Girls - Jennifer Weiner
43. Chasing Harry Winston - Laura Weisberger
44. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
45. Pilgrims - Elizabeth Gilbert
46. Blowfly - Patricia Cornwell
47. The Dogs of Babel - Carolyn Parkhurst
48. Shoe Addicts Anonymous - Elizabeth Harbison
49. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry
50. The Guerney Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer
51. Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas - James Patterson
52. The Booster - Jennifer Solow
53. Nearlyweds - Beth Kendrick
54. The Second Assistant - Clare Naylor & Mimi Hare
55. The First Assistant - Clare Naylor & Mimi Hare
56. Un-Bridled - Eileen Rendahl
57. Fashionably Late - Beth Kendrick
58. Exes and Ohs - Beth Kendrick
59. The Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs
60. The Sweet Potato Queen Wedding Planner - Jill Conner Browne
61. The Smart One & The Pretty One - Clare LaZebnik
62. Everything Nice - Ellen Shanman
63. Dating Game - Beverly Brandt
64. The Importance of Being Married - Gemma Townley
65. Spa Vacation - Theresa Alan
66. Marley & Me - John Grogan
67. Off The Menu - Christine Son
68. Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson
69. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
70. New Moon - Stephanie Meyer
71. Eclipse - Stephanie Meyer
72. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer
73. My Favorite Mistake - Beth Kendrick
74. The Pre-Nup - Beth Kendrick
75. Babe in Toyland - Eugenia Seifer Olsen
76. Dogs and Goddesses - Jennifer Crusie
77. Now You See It - Allison Lynn
78. Tulle Little, Tulle Late - Kimberly Llewellyn
79. The Position - Meg Wolitzer
80. Breakfast with Buddha - Roland Merullo
81. The Art of Keeping Secrets - Patti Callahan Henry
82. Acts of Love - Emily Listfield
83. You'll Never Nanny In This Town Again - Suzanne Hansen
84. The Private Patient - P.D. James
85. Turning Tables - Heather Macdowell
86. The Blonde Theory - Kristin Harmel
87. Bad Heir Day - Wendy Holden
88. Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris
89. Living Dead In Dallas - Charlaine Harris
90. Club Dead - Charlaine Harris
91. Dead To The World - Charlaine Harris
92. Dead As A Doornail - Charlaine Harris
93. Definitely Dead - Charlaine Harris
94. From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris
95. Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris
96. A Touch of Dead - Charlaine Harris
97. Holly's Inbox - Holly Denham
98. The Lost Recipe For Happiness - Barbara O'Neal
99. The Hazards of Sleeping Alone - Elise Juska
100. American Fuji - Sara Backer
101. Bunco Babes Tell All - Maria Geraci
102. Heart In The Right Place - Carolyn Jourdan
103. Time of My Life - Allison Winn Scotch
104. Is That a Moose In Your Pocket - Kim Green
105. Love is a Four-Legged Word - Kandy Shepherd
106. Fire Me - Libby Malin
107. A Highlander Christmas - Janet Chapman
108. Family Affair - Caprice Crane
109. Nantucket Nights - Elin Hilderbrand
110. Sundays at Tiffany's - James Patterson
111. Unravelled - Robyn Harding
112. Marked - P.C & Kristin Cast
113. Betrayed - P.C & Kristin Cast
114. Chosen - P.C & Kristin Cast
115. Untamed - P.C & Kristin Cast

Have a book recommendation?  Let me know!!

For The Love of Jewelry

I love jewelry.

Love, love, love. 

I was cursed (or blessed; it's all about perspective) with an affinity for jewelry since birth.  My dad's parents bought me two infant rings for my Christening.  I still take them out of my jewelry box from time to time.  They make me smile and think of my grandparents.  :-)

These days I wear three rings.  A thin band that has 8 diamond chips in a little wave pattern that I bought in England about 5 years ago, an eternity band of diamonds and rubies that I got when I turned 25 and a simple gold band that the 8 oldest grandkids on my dad's side of the family each bought when my grandma passed away almost 10 years ago.

Now... I'm telling you all that to give a glimpse of the sentimental value that jewelry has for me.  Every piece I own has a story.

Guess what?  When JC came home from Afghanistan, he presented me with this. 

A ruby!  Isn't he the best brother EVER?!?! It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it's between 1.5 and 1.75 karats.

Here's the thing... I don't know what I want to do with this fabulous stone.  I like simple; I like classic designs; I'm pretty sure I don't want to break the stone into a pair of earrings.  Any suggestions, my friends?

Tuesdays At The Table - Spice Cake

Happy New Year!! I know that I should post something healthy this week.  But before I transition back to actual meals and something at least quasi-healthy... I want to share one last recipe that was a hit in my family during the holidays. 

This cake recipe was given to me by a friend of my mom's...and this year it disappeared just as soon as it was cool enough to eat by all sorts of family and friends over the past month.

Spice Cake

1 box (10 oz) seedless raisins
2 cups (packed) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup crisco
2 cups warm water

Boil all above ingredients for about 5 minutes (until raisins plump up) and let cool.

1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs (beaten)
2 cups flour
1 cup walnuts (chopped)

In a large bowl combine the above cooled mixture with baking soda and milk. Mix in the eggs, then slowly add the flour.  Stir in the walnuts and bake at 350 - approximately 25 minutes for muffins, 35-40 minutes for baby bundts or an hour for a 9x13 pan (greased and floured).

What's cooking in your kitchen?

 

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 

It seems I'm late to the party the past few weeks.  And, again, I feel the need to apologize.  Life has been a bit of a rollercoaster lately (don't worry...it's mostly good stuff), so blogging has taken a bit of a back seat.

However, I'm determined that because you are all so important to me (and you ARE!) that blogging will remain a priority in 2010.

If I was a good girl - I'd make resolutions.  But, I think I'll pass.  There are lots of things I'll be working towards, but nothing that I really want to define as a resolution.  This year I'll be working towards: walking more (I just got a pedometer), drinking more water, trying to become less of a workaholic, getting to travel a bit, catching up with people I've lost touch with, and lastly - either getting a promotion at work, or leaving.

Utter randomness, I know.  :-)

Speaking of random - how in the world do I have 201 followers?!  I think I'm boring!!  But THANK YOU, for finding either my pictures of the pups cute enough, my weekly recipe meme appetizing enough or me just plain worthy of reading.  You are all fabulous and I love you for it.

I hope that 2010 will be kind to you.  I know some of  you will be getting married; some of you will be adding to your families; some of you will be looking to make some life changes.

For 2010, I wish you love.  The love of your friends, your family, and your fellow bloggers.

Oh, and if I've missed anything important in your lives in the last few days, TELL ME!!  I'll get around to reading all the backlogged blog posts eventually... but I want to hear about the important stuff now.  :-)