Muffin Tin Monday!

We're back!

Well, sort of ... it's been a while since we've participated in MTM, and although that makes me sad I am happy to share some pictures of my daughter's own attempts at creating an MTM for me (and for herself, too!)

Check it out:

And for more info on Muffin Tin Monday, check out Michelle's blog!

How to be Lost

No, not me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm just giving you a little taste of my 42nd read of the year:

How To Be Lost, by Amanda Eyre Ward.

I really enjoyed this book. The main character was, yet again, a young woman with problems. Problems like her family, her relationships, her career ... I know, I know. What didn't Caroline have to deal with?

The primary catalyst of the family turmoil was her missing little sister. Ellie had been missing since she was 5 years old. This loss, this disappearance, has been such a turning point for their entire family.

Caroline and her other sister, Madeline watched their family struggle to function, watched their own relationship deteriorate, and watched life pass them by. Madeline married, Caroline did not. What happened to Ellie?

With every possible face found in magazines and newspaper clippings, their mother swore that "this is her!" At some point Caroline takes a moment to look at the latest picture, and truly does think that this IS her. Ellie. Their long-lost sister.

Is it? Perhaps. Does she find her? Maybe. But either way the journey to the final page is an intense one. One that you'll enjoy, if you're up for a heavy family experience, and a dramatic protagonist (is that the right word?) as I've mentioned, yet another dark and extreme woman to lead me through the latest novel of my choice.

Pick it up. It's worth a read. You'll find yourself wanting more when you turn that last page. I know I did.

About me ...

I'm in the mood to do this after reading one over at Elisa's blog: Diary of an Unlikely Housewife. I'm ready to not think and just answer, and so I'm ensuring that I give you my true self.

So, here goes:

Name someone with the same birthday as you.

* My brother-in-law (how lucky did my husband get that he doesn't have to remember two dates?

Where was your first kiss?
* First true kiss was likely in the bedroom of a supposed good guy friend.

Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else’s property?
* Nope, never.

Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
* Yeah. In high school I used to smack my best guy friend around a lot because he was always trying to tickle me. It was just how we were together.

Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?
* Actually, yes. I was in chorus in SING in High School. I participated in that for all three years.

What’s the first thing you notice about your preferred sex?
* Eyes.

What really turns you off?
* When someone is rude to others. If you're rude to me, and it's all a flirting game, I can tolerate it. If you're rude to others, like friends, wait-staff, bartenders, people on the street, that's just an absolute no-go for me.

What do you order at Starbucks?
* Usually it's an iced chai latte, but yesterday I opted for a Peppermint Hot Chocolate. Mmmn. Yum.

What is your biggest mistake?
* My biggest mistakes in life made me who I am today, so I don't know what the biggest one would have been. I suppose that thinking that being open and honest with friends would give me a pass on having unintentionally hurt them, but then I learned that despite being labeled with the title of "best" it is all too easy to toss those years aside and forget what friendship means.

Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
* No, unless staying in a relationship that I knew was not "the one" counts.

Say something totally random about yourself.
* I am a whiz at entertainment trivia.

Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
* Hmmn, not that I can think of. I used to get called Annie by the old man down the block when I was little, maybe cause I have reddish hair, maybe because I used to like to sing the songs from Annie A LOT. But I forget which came first.

Do you still watch kiddie movies or TV shows?
* The channel formerly known as Noggin is on in my house ALL.THE.TIME. And I do like cartoon/animated movies. Although watching them two times in a row is a bit much, as is the every single day thing. I'm buying more so we can mix it up a bit. Wall-E and Bolt are grating on me.

Did you have braces?
* Nope.

Are you comfortable with your height?
* Eh, growing more comfortable (accidental pun there) as time goes by. I always wished I had a few extra inches and would ask my brother to stretch me a bit. In the legs.

What is the most romantic thing someone of the preferred sex has done for you?
* Stuck with me despite my fear of committing and losing a good friend ... again. Oh, and flowers on our very first official date was really quite special, as well.

When do you know it’s love?
* When you've stopped running, when you realize that all the reasons you think it's not and shouldn't be aren't true, when you forget the person you thought you loved before this one, when you're ready to move forward into the next stages of life together.

Do you speak any other languages?
* Some Spanish, some Yiddish, and American Sign Language.

Have you ever been to tanning salon?
* No, never.

Have you ever ridden in a limo?
* Yes, for my high school senior prom, my grandparents' funerals, and for my wedding (and the millions of weddings I have participated in, as well.) Why is it that limos are for good AND bad moments?

What’s something that really annoys you?
* When people feel the need to "one-up" others. There is the best skit on Saturday Night Live where Kristen Wiig plays a one-upper named Penelope, and while she is hilarious, most people like that grate at me pretty badly. Until I get to know them better, decide if I like them and can see the insecurities that cause it. Just can't help myself sometimes!

What’s something you really like?
* Books. I'm completely addicted. And potatoes. All kinds. Mashed, Idaho, Maine, french fried, sweet, casserole, baked, in the crock pot, skin-on-smashies, with or without butter and sour cream, cheesy, with gravy or without, hash browns ... get the picture?

Can you dance?
* I like to think so, or I like to dance. Is there a difference?

Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
* Yes. Not total emergency, but I was in a pretty bad car accident, our van and an 18-wheeler. Fortunately I just wound up with stitches on my ankle, and the EMT was really cute. It was a pretty freaky experience, though, because two of the three friends I was with were hurt much worse, and I really didn't know what was happening there. I think what was actually scarier was being lifted out of the van by some incredibly amazing (as opposed to just good) samaritans, who I never truly got to thank.

So, there you have it. My answers to this meme. I won't be so bold as to tag anyone who has completed it (be careful when reading Elisa's ... don't say I didn't warn you) but I will say if you want to be tagged, go for it. And maybe I'll tag some of my fellow blogger in their comment sections and give them the chance to go ahead and answer, as well.

Hope you enjoyed this little segment entirely about ME!

This is what happens ...

When your child, who absolutely NEVER ever naps, happens to nap two days in a row, and today won't wake up when your husband tries to nudge her a few times.

She remains awake at 10:30pm (although it sounds quiet up there, so dare I even begin to wish ...? But I shall not speak of it, for fear of the jinx!) and you are falling asleep on her floor, right next to her cute toddler bed. Coughing and blowing your nose like 900x. While your husband is off watching some Ninja movie.

Oh, the joys of motherhood.

I seriously think I am heading to bed. And as my daughter often says ... "Sweet dreams, Mommy."

Black Friday and Sweet Potatoes for Breakfast!

Anyone out there at 3AM last night? Was that an oxymoron? Not me. No way, no how. Even when I did go out shopping on Black Friday, I never left the house before 10. Seriously.

I used to love this day. Mostly because my mom and I got up somewhat early, but not nearly as early as these crazy shoppers nowadays. We would get ourselves ready and head to the mall. Any Brooklynites out there? Kings Plaza was our shopping haven. As a side-note, I used to work there when I was in High School. Maybe you saw me? But I digress.

So my mom and I used to do the majority of our holiday shopping on this day. We'd hit as many stores as we could, buy as much as we could carry, and sometimes had to go store the first stash in the trunk of her car in order to pick up more stuff.

The only thing I miss about the out and about Black Friday experience is that time with my mom. For the last few years of my living in NY I actually worked on BF. And so I would talk to my mom when I got to work. One year, without me, she was crazy enough to get out of the house at like 5AM. What? Who was this woman and what had they done with my mother?

Anyway, I wonder if she dragged my dad out anywhere this morning. This is actually his first year EVER home on BF. My dad lost his job before the summer, and unfortunately hasn't found a new one, and yet, fortunately, is "retired" now. But the whole point of that ramble is this was his first Thanksgiving not working, EVER. In my entire life, anyway, and then some, I'm sure. So it's certainly his first BF off. Pretty cool, isn't it? Actually, I'm kind of jealous. I think they're headed to my brother's today for a secondary T-day. We held this one year, and it was really nice. Wish I was there.

But, alas, here I am. I just ate the remainder of my Boston Market sweet potatoes for breakfast (with a few handfuls of stale Cinnamon Toast Crunch) and a few sips of sweet tea. Am I a Southern gal or what? (I kid! I kid!)

And my daughter, who woke up at 6 (AGAIN!) and wanted to come on down and 'eat something,' had a handful of popcorn for her first course, and is working on some mixed varieties of dry cereal for her second course. Although it appears that she's dropping some into her cup of water, but I'm so tired I'm actually okay with that. For now.

I have been doing some BF window shopping. Old Navy has some great deals online. $15 jeans (even for +size mamas like me!) and $5 fleece tops. And lots more, so that looks like it could work for holiday shopping for my nieces and nephew. Heck, maybe we'll even find stuff on there for the ILs? Now that would be a nice and easy shopping experience.

So, to those of you who head out into the real world, good luck. Although by now you're probably back in bed ... and for the rest of you, who are like me, pull that blanket up a little tighter and you'll be all set!

Sales, Deals and Steals!

So I have been super thankful and all that comes with the holiday, and I am also thankful for so many blogging ladies who take the time to sum up some crazy sales and coupon codes for the rest of us slackers.

A few that I have found from friends, and some I have found out on my own:

* 25% off at CrissCrossKidsignment -- this is the website I told you about here. Yes, these two ladies are friends of mine, so I am slightly biased in that regard, but OMG, seriously, I just bought 9 items for $25!!! From Gymboree to The Children's Place, and some items are NWT (new with tags, for those who don't know the consignment lingo!) So, do yourself a favor, pass along this steal of a deal to friends and family. And use the coupon code: blackfriday to get yourself 25% off! Happy Shopping!

* $3 in credit for MP3s on Amazon.com. Click here to get the code and submit it. And to find out more about the $5 albums available for download for Black Friday week! (Thanks Mom Saves Money, for the tip!)

* Another saving from Mom Saves Money, you can get a FREE photobook from Photoworks. And not a cheapie one, either! Receive a FREE personalized 20 page cover-photo book (a $39.95 value.) Use code BONNIE at checkout. Make sure to order item #3157086 to qualify for the discount.

* Old Navy has an online coupon code that you have less than two hours to use. $10 off of $50. Code is: ONTENOFF. So hurry up and save some dough!

* Oriental Trading Company is giving away 5 $100 Gift Cards every day to the SAME PERSON! That means should you be lucky enough to win, you'd win $500 in gift cards to OTC. How much fun would that shopping be!?!

* If you like bags (and who doesn't?) and shoes, and deals, check out 6pm.com. On their homepage you can find a link to subscribe to their daily savings e-mails, and you'll find yourself receiving discounted links to sales on Rockport, Dansko, and so much more. I was shocked at the crazy prices. They had random shoes on sale for around $2!?! What on earth!?! How is that even possible?

So, I'm not the best of all the frugal bloggers out there, but that's a nice start, right? So, happy shopping!

I am thankful for ...

* My daughter. She is a blessing, even on the days she makes me crazy.

* My husband, a great man, the love of my life, and a wonderful father.

* Our families, without whom we would not be who we are, and would not have the life that we do.

* Our health. Sure, I could stand to lose a few pounds, but I cannot and will not obsess over it. I am living my life and I am healthy (minus the swine flu weeks we had, and the secondary infections afterward, but we're better, I swear!)

* Our home. So many do not have the safety and security we do. I must remember that on those days that my house seems to be closing in on me.

* My husband's job. Yes, I may complain when he gets home so late, but his job is what gives me the opportunity to stay at home with my daughter. And for now, that is where I need to be.

* Our pets. Yes, we have a menagerie, and having lost one of our furry friends so recently I recognize how truly lucky we are to have the crew that we do.

* Friends. Near and far, old and new, friends who are there for you are the truest friends you can find. I'm truly grateful for those who have stuck with me over the years, and those who I have met more recently and turned into my own little support system. I hope they know how important they are to me, and I hope I can provide them with that same kind of support.

* And lastly, good food! Because our Boston Market meal is waiting for us while our daughter naps. And she never naps, but the poor child has been waking up crazy early the past week or so, and then sometimes waking up in the middle of the night, so we'll take the blessing of a nap when we get one. And my sweet potatoes will wait.

I'm also quite thankful for you, my fun and friendly readers. Those who follow, and those who just pop by when you can. Those who I connect with during weekly memes, and those who I stumbled across randomly through that ole' "Next Blog" link up top. I thank you for welcoming me into your world this past year, and I look forward to many story filled days ahead.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Writer's Workshop

So, this week's prompts from Mama Kat are as follows:

1. An ER moment.

2. Describe how your audition for a trashy reality show would go.

3. Something about freezing a moment. Describe your moment.

4. Write a story in exactly 101 words.

5. Write a poem about something you are thankful for.

I'm choosing #4:

She sat in the stairwell, sobbing softly into a handful of tissues. Dark and desolate, this was the place for her to be right now.

She flashed back.

"How COULD you?"
"I'm sorry."
"SORRY? SORRY?" She threw something.

What was it? She tried to remember. A bowl? No, nothing shattered. Just her heart. How cliche'. She laughed in spite of herself. A pillow? Too soft, why bother? Something smaller. Her necklace. She reached up to her neck, now bare. Raw. That was it.

"Don't do that!" She didn't even feel it. Was she bleeding? Who cares. It was gone now. Over.

-----------------------

So, there you have it. My 101 word story. It's been quite some time since I've written anything, so I'm thankful for this prompt that gave me a shove to do so. Hope you've enjoyed.

And a Happy (almost) Thanksgiving!

Wordless Wednesday!

KitKat for breakfast, anyone?

Guess who woke up in the middle of the night last night?

Guess who is cranky this morning?

I'm so tired, even though I did get her back to sleep in her own bed. But this whole *being able to get out of bed business* is a bit rough, especially when I wake up and she's right there beside me, in MY room! She is doing pretty well, and aside from a few early wake ups, she's been sleeping through the night in there. But she has continued to roll out of bed onto the floor nearly every night since we got the thing. I need to remember to bring my camera upstairs so I can document it for the record. She's so out of it when we pick her up and move her back into the bed, and hubby suggested a bed-like swaddle, where we use the blankets to at least "hold her in" somehow. And yet, in her sleep, she manages to break out of them and roll on down.

We've got padding on both sides, blankets and pillows, stuffed animals and random soft things, so she's been bruise-free. But man, the poor thing. We can't tell if she wakes up in the mornings on the floor, or in her bed, because she's not that clear when she's explaining it to us and waffles between both.

Mmmn, waffles, I would love a waffle right now. Have you heard about the EGGO shortage? I'm not kidding. Something about floods or bad weather in the area they're made, and therefore distribution is limited. I haven't figured out if this affects Aunt Jemima or generic, store-brands, though, and I hope not, as we're big on frozen waffles in this house. And yes, we have a waffle maker, but who really wants to deal with that mess? I mean, if you saw my sink right now you'd pity me. Seriously. I should say sinks, as we have the double, and my dishwasher is pretty full and needs to be run, although I JUST RAN IT.

And so, with my allergy angst kicking up again now that I'm healthier (horrific cough at night and horrible fits now and then, when eating, drinking, breathing, you know, the basics) than before and there's room for them, I sit here with itchy eyes, a cranky self and the wish that I had another KitKat in the pantry closet. In the meantime I may just settle for a CapriSun (fruit punch, blech!) and some dry Fruit Loops. Hey, don't knock it til you've tried it!

Countdown to T-Day!

I love Thanksgiving. I love doing nothing all day, eating a nice, big dinner (that Boston Market cooks for me!) and vegging on the couch.

Hubby just got our decoration up last night. I don't have a picture from today because it's totally pouring out there and has been since last night, but here's one from last T-Day!


He is standing a bit taller this year as hubby shoved a broom, uhm, up in there ... but I think it'll be interesting to see how the little one has grown!

What's your plan for the holiday?

Breast Cancer Awareness

This is absolutely amazing, motivating, inspiring and just plain AWESOME!

Who will it be? (again!)

OK, so now I'm at 59 followers! Who will be the 60th to click that follow button for me?

I'm such a dork, I know, but I can't help myself. I'm a little OCD when it comes to round numbers. ;)

When I see people out there who have hundreds upon hundreds of followers I am truly amazed. I read their blogs and think to myself, wow, what is it that draws SO many people to this writer? Because we truly are writers, despite what people may think. We share our deepest moments, our most intense thoughts, or perhaps just our flightiest and dorkiest ideas, but still ... we write. Whether it be daily, weekly, even less than that, we put ourselves out there and let it be known who we truly are. So, here I am, in all my glory. And I thank you for joining me for the ride!

With tears in my eyes ...

I just finished an incredible book.

The Middle Place, by Kelly Corrigan. The book itself was the story of Kelly's battle with breast cancer and the parallel story of her father's battle with bladder cancer. The family life of a woman who is caught between being a mother and a daughter, a place I know so well in my own life.

And I am crying because at the end of the book, past the epilogue, Kelly shares an essay with her readers that, without welling up too much, is one of the most beautiful essays I have ever read in my entire life. She talks about being who she is, and the women in her life, and the way we, as women, go through stages of friendship.

We have history together, knew each other when we were kids, stood by as we lost family members ... grandparents, cousins, long-lost relatives. We journey through life together, move along through other relationships, friends, boyfriends, lovers, exes, enemies ... we move out of our homes, find our own place in life, meet the man we're going to marry! Time goes by, we become moms, ourselves. Recognize what our own mothers may have experienced all those years ago. Support one another through postpartum depression, healing, loss, anger, anxiety, things we'd never have imagined in our futures so many years in the past.

We lose touch, move away, battle things out. And then there is the illness, the parent, the aunt, the relative. A pain that nobody but your friend can understand. We reconnect. Find a way to hold on a bit tighter this time. Things may never be the same, or they will be ... someday.

Kelly Corrigan shares these kinds of sentiments and so much more. I wish she was my next door neighbor and friend. I hope she has the continued support and love she needs from family and friends, and that they all stay strong, as Corrigans do.

If you're looking for a heart-warming true story, I definitely recommend this one. I'm only sorry I waited so long to actually pick it up and read it, but perhaps there were parts of my own journey I needed to experience before I could truly feel her story. And so, now I have and I can honestly say it's one of my favorite reads of 2009. And for that, I thank her!

It really sucks ...

When your daughter wakes up at 4AM, you've only just gone to bed at around 1, and your hubby has to work the next morning. Staying up with her til 5:30 or so, getting her to finally get into and STAY into bed and falling back to sleep. I am so on edge this morning, it's enough to get me to start drinking coffee!

I just want a few minutes of computer time, now yes, I'm sure I've been on for longer than a few minutes, but child, just eat your breakfast!!!! It doesn't help that she "wants music" this morning, so I have Laurie Berkner singing in the background of the start to our day, our dog wants to come in and go out more times than a mom should have to get up and do a repeated motion and my child is now feeding him some of her turkey sausage and egg-white, which will probably give him the poops. As if he doesn't have those enough on his own!

I have no soy milk, am too lazy to make tea (I'm out of chai anyway) and not in the mood for cocoa. I have no Coke in the house, so no caffeine there, either. And to top all of that off I stupidly stepped on the scale this morning and the weight I lost when I was sick, well, some of it came back. I'm far from happy about that, and honestly don't want to eat anything today at all, but then I realized, well, I'm hungry, dammit!

So, happy Saturday. I think I'm still doing well on NaBloPoMo or whatever it's called. I haven't missed a day in November yet, but that's my norm. December will be much less bloggy for me, since we plan to do some traveling. Nah, don't get all excited, not a vacation, but we will be thrilled to visit family, so that has to count for something. As for a vacation, a REAL vacation, someday that will actually happen for us again. Somewhere warm and toasty and beach-y and so forth. And yes, I know beach-y is not really a word. Who cares?

Yours in friendship and grumpiness ...

Books I have read so far this year ...

#1-33

#34-36

#37-39

And my most recent additions:

40. Second Chance, by Jane Green

41. Girls in Trucks, by Katie Crouch

42. How to Be Lost, by Amanda Eyre Ward

43. Dirty Little Secrets from Otherwise Perfect Moms, by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile

44. The Middle Place, by Kelly Corrigan (in progress!)

So I am really close to hitting 50, although 100 seems kind of far away. We'll see what happens as we get through November, and I'll be writing an actual review for *How to Be Lost* later today.

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

As I mentioned before, I stumbled across this great weekly writer's workshop over at Mama's Losin' It.

This week's choices are:
* A Thanksgiving to be remembered...
* Describe the most destructive thing your pet has done.
* Describe in 1000 words or less a time when something happened and you knew that life would never be the same.
* Share a diary entry from when you were 13...feel free to make one up!
* Describe a moment you felt embarrassed by your parents.

I absolutely have tons of diaries and journals from age 13. And up until just now I thought they were at my parents' house back in NY, but I actually think they're around here somewhere. Hmmmn. But since I can't think of exactly where they are in my home, I'm going to skip that entry (and maybe save it for another day!)

So I'm going to share an experience about something that showed me life would never be the same again. Hopefully I can keep it under 1000 words ...

As simple as life seemed, things would be forever changed on that morning of September 11th. Perhaps this is a cliched way of answering this, but having lived in NY and worked in NYC at the time, I think it's giving due diligence to the question.

September 11, 2001 was a clear, blue morning. I walked up from the Subway, crossed over to the McDonald's across the street and picked up one of their fruit and yogurt parfaits, and crossed back over towards my office. Firetrucks sped by. Sirens blared. I still had no clue.

Once in my office and settling in at my desk a colleague came over and said, 'A plane went into the World Trade Center.' We all rolled our eyes, remembering a week or two earlier when some genius had tried to parachute off the Statue of Liberty. Or something like that.

I tried logging onto CNN. Nothing. MSNBC? Nope. Yahoo! had no answers, but at least was up and running. I somehow managed to bring up IM to talk to my almost-husband. I spoke to my mom and told her we were okay. I was able to connect with a friend who worked further downtown. I called her sister to let her know she was alright, since nobody could reach her. I walked over to the CEO's office. Several people had gathered in there, as we had a view of the towers from that window. We watched, together, as the second tower fell. I looked around the room. A co-worker lost his son that morning. In that very tower.

I can still remember the shoes I was wearing. I can remember my closest friend, his wife calling his name as she approached our building, having walked from Battery Park. Chills. She was okay, she was here. I can still see them hugging. A friend and I started walking. We walked and walked. My feet hurt. People stopped and gathered around TV sets in store windows. People cried, walking through the streets. The city stood still, and yet moved in ways you could never imagine.

My husband walked over the 59th Street Bridge that day to get home. This walk, after watching that second plane fly by his office windows. Knowing, at that point, that this was no accident. So while he saw the plane headed in my direction, while talking to his friend who was in DC, I sat there trying to figure out what the heck was happening. With a few quick IMs I learned he had to leave his office. We're being evacuated, he wrote. What? Evacuated? My office was let out shortly after.

I can remember the exhaustion, emotion and pain I felt as I approached 53rd Street. Suddenly I heard the rumbling of the subway beneath my feet. Oh, thank G-d. I wasn't sure I'd make it home. I had already walked so many blocks. I was lucky, and squished onto a train heading towards Astoria. The passengers were numb. We all looked at one another, looked out the windows. Still not truly understanding what had just happened.

Once off the train I walked to my apartment. He was already home, waiting. We hugged, cried, zoned out completely. I can vividly remember crashing on my bed, staring out the window at the skyline that would be forever changed. I called my family, remember speaking to my sister-in-law, talking about how things would never be the same. Years later, as we became parents, we recognize that our girls will never know the city we knew. Never see that beautiful skyline. How horribly sad. How terribly scary. How quickly things would never be the same.

Wordless Wednesday!

Girls In Trucks

So, I finished my 41st book for 2009. I ended up skipping over Dune Road and reading something else instead. Girls In Trucks, by Katie Crouch. I really enjoyed it. It was an interesting story, and the primary character was strong, insecure, twisted, fearless and without fear, all at once. She was quite the combination, as were her interesting friends.

Sarah Walters grew up in the South. She was a Camellia, something you were born into, something that your fellow Southern girls shared with you, and something your mothers instilled in you. Although she didn't seem to love being a Camellia, she still followed the rules. Or the ones when it came to other Camellias.

The rest of her life? A total disaster. What was she wishing for? What did she hope for? For herself? Her family? Her friends? And her future?

OUT of the South, for one. So she relocated up North. Lived in NYC for some time. We journey through her various relationships with her, and her lack of relationships, as well. Her jobs, her obsessions, addictions, we follow her on a path that doesn't really have a direction. We want to help her, hug her (she hates girl hugs!) and shove her at the same time. At least I did.

It's the kind of book that leaves you thinking about where the character ends up, past the pages of the book. What becomes of her? We don't truly find out, but the story is worth the read just the same. So if you are looking for something new to read, and are up for something fresh and different, give Katie Crouch a chance. You'll be glad you did!

Anyone else ..?

Surprised at how much they like this song?



I mean, first of all, I'm kind of surprised that I like Taylor as much as I do. She's not my favorite country gal, by any means, but I really like this song. Well, maybe I'm just a bit of a dork. Or maybe I'm not a closet country fan anymore ... and maybe I laugh just a little when I listen to it since, after all, she's only 19, and yet reflecting back to when she was 15, a mere 4 (yes, FOUR) years ago.

And yet, here I am, watching it for the first time. Well, I guess it's the second time, since I just watched most it before I embedded it in this post ... my first video, I never knew how to do it before. Thanks, Yahoo!

Anyway, if you're a fan, enjoy, and if not, well, skip over it. And don't hate me because I would be Taylor's friend. After all, she's BFFs with Kellie Pickler. ;)

Not in the house!

Yesterday I was sitting on the couch and bouncing a ball. I was sort of attempting to dribble it, but it's a DORA ball, so it's not like I was going for a professional record or anything. Anyway, suddenly I flashed back to my parents telling me not to bounce in the house. Not necessarily not to play with it in the house, but not to bounce it.

See, my parents, although we are homeowners like they were, had tenants to concern themselves with. So bouncing a ball in the house meant we were bouncing a ball on top of our tenants' heads. Most of the noises we made in our house probably sounded like thunder or a stampede to them! It was just my brother and I, and not like we had ten kids rolling around every day or night, but still ... can you imagine what that sounded like?

So I consider the differences my daughter and I will share once she's older. Are they differences because I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and she is growing up in the Triangle area of NC? Or is it just our way of life?

* I grew up in a 2-family house. She is growing up in a 1-family house. No downstairs to concern herself with. And yet, no basement for storage, either. Although we have a garage. And my parents have a flight of 13 steps to get INTO their home. We have 1 step to get onto our little porch. Growing up we had to walk down a windy and twisty staircase inside our home to get to our basement, and then the backyard. My daughter opens the door off of the kitchen and she is out in our backyard.

* Our basement was the best! We had a ping-pong table, pool table, and an above ground (4ft) pool in our backyard. No basement, just a sandbox and baby pools, for now, here in NC. Hopefully we'll join a pool facility of some sort when she gets older and add a swing-set to our yard, as well.

* We have a multitude of pets, maybe because I grew up without any (minus the occasional fish or two.)

She is so young that it's not easy to assess the various comparisons that we will make later on, but I just thought about those few that differ our living environments and figured I'd point them out. I could go on and on about my own experiences in NY and NC, but I'll save those for another post.

Regardless of what kind of home we live in, what our backyard is filled with and where we live, we both absolutely have been surrounded with people who love us and take care of us, and that, no matter where we are/were, is a given!

Awards for me, and for you!

A HUGE thank you to Tami over at Hearts Make Families for giving me two wonderful awards recently.

First she passed along the Best Blog Award.

And then she gave me the One Lovely Blog Award.

I am encouraged to accept these awards and post them on my blog. I also (of course!) have to include a link back to the blog I received them from. So if you'd like to visit Tami, and I strongly suggest you do, check her out here:




Then I would be encouraged to pass the award along to 15 (!!!! I'm going to reduce that number, as I don't think I've got that many newly found blogs to celebrate right now!) blogs I have just recently discovered and be sure to contact them to let them know they have been awarded!! This part can be difficult, but I think since both of these awards go to new and recent blogs I have found, I should have a handful I can pass them along to.

So, here's my list, I hope you enjoy them as I have:

1. Discovering Me ~ A blog by NYC girl, who, being one myself, has captured my attention with her fun blog!

2. Smart Pumpkin Patch ~ Great activities for toddlers from a real mom!

3. Mama's Losin' It ~ I am quickly addicted to this blog and her weekly writing meme. Definitely check it out!

4. The Bloggerhood of the Traveling Not So Fat Pants ~ looking for a way to find yourself a pair of jeans to grow out of [in a good way?] Check out what's happening here!

5. Girlichef ~ Absolute Yum. Great pictures, great recipes, great stuff.

6. Adventuroo ~ The adventures of a friend, she gives you a play-by-play of some great things to do in the outdoors, along with wonderful pictures.

And to my nominees, please know that I offer these awards with no obligation for you to pass them along, etc. The first time I received awards I was so overwhelmed that I didn't do anything for a while, and then I posted a thank you, but I never passed them along. Today I'm feeling motivated, so I'm passing them on to you fine bloggers, but if you don't do the same I won't be upset, hurt or anything like that. The LAST thing I want is to cause you any undue pressure! Blog without obligation!!! I know I do! :)

*Adding, I have to say it felt very odd and a little cheesy to be posting on these blogs to tell them that *I* gave them an award. I hope that you bloggers know I really don't mean this to be a pain, but just wanted to let you know I love your blogs!

Big Girl Bed

We bought a toddler bed for my daughter today. Spent the evening rearranging her furniture, reorganizing her room, and setting things up just right. Her crib is still in there, and hubby had taken the side off of it, but she was leaving the room, so I told him we had to put it back on, because maybe she was not ready. He is in there with her now, and has been for a little while, so we'll see what happens. I have a feeling I'll be summoned soon, but I am more than happy to let him take this one.

I know she is going to test me, and I know I'M not ready, but someone was selling their bed, mattress, sheet set, mattress cover, and waterproof cover, along with some extra sheets, for a steal of a deal. So we bought it, brought it home, and tah dah! Big girl bed.

Wish us luck, though. 'Cause there is no way in heck I can imagine this child actually making it through the entire night in this bed tonight. Especially since last night she would have been up at 4, but I ignored her (yes, I did, and I'm proud) until she fell back and then she woke up after 5 and proceeded to scream for me til I caved. I went in, soothed her a bit and dropped her back in that crib so she could fall back to sleep. Now if this happens tonight there is no way I'm going to pop her back into the bed so she can easily escape. But, man, I'm so not ready for this!

Any tips of the trade from more experienced moms and dads out there? Fill me in!

Has she changed too much for me?

Or have I changed too much for her?

Jane Green used to be one of my favorite authors. Then for a little while I fell off her bandwagon, I wasn't able to focus on reading her books, with the occasional story trickling in now and then. But yesterday I finished book #40 for 2009!

I read Second Chance, one of her more recent novels. And while I liked it enough, it wasn't old school Jane Green to me. Maybe it's because the old chick-lit that I used to read and love was vicarious living. Single women, living it up in London (or somewhere) and living the kind of life I either thought I had, wanted to have or just enjoyed "watching?" I'm not quite sure where the change in taste came, as this book had a little bit of everything, and honestly should have meshed with me in the stage of my life that I am in now.

I remember reading Babyville, thinking, okay, I'm married, not yet a mom, but I can relate to some of this, I can look back at reading [and LOVING] Jemima J, Mr. Maybe, and even Book Ends. I actually also really enjoyed The Other Woman, and Swapping Lives. But this book just wasn't up to par for me. I mean, I finished it, I didn't hate it, I liked it just enough, but it didn't flow the way her other books have.

I actually have Dune Road on my list for #41, and I hope I enjoy it more than I expect to at this point. Both of the hardcover copies were on sale in the Bargain Books section online at BN.com, so perhaps I should have known better instead of taking advantage of the deals? I guess I'll decide that once I get through the next one and I'll come back and let you know!

Comfort Foods

I am all about using food to comfort myself. I noticed as I ate several pieces of open-faced grilled cheese for dinner last night that I felt so soothed when I ate it. I could have probably kept going and made my way through a loaf of bread, a stick of butter and a package of american cheese slices, but fortunately I didn't. I just waited for today's lunch, and had some more.

So, in honor of the dreary weather, my dreary self and my yummy dinner/lunch, here is my Top Ten list of comfort foods. I'm probably going to have to do some rearranging to get them in some semblance of order, but I'll do my best!

10. French fries with mozzarella cheese and gravy. It's so old school, it's not even something I normally eat. But this was a huge diner item for me back in the day. Back in my high school days, when tons of us would head to the diner after hanging out and grab a plate of these, arms reaching across the table and digging in, dipping and munching. Flashes me back to a carefree time.

9. Pizza. It may not be considered comfort for some, but give me a nice huge slice of NYC pizza, heavy with cheese and sauce, and I'm feeling safe at home.

8. Stuffing. Simply said, Stove Top makes me happy. I ate so much of it during my pregnancy, it was seriously making up about 1/3 of my intake for 9-ish months.

7. Matzo Balls. The kind my dad makes. Huge, fluffy, big as a rock. SO delicious.

6. Soup. Pretty much cream of anything makes me extremely warm and content.

5. Chocolate. Seriously, do you have to ask?

4. Freshly baked cookies. Not much smells as good as a batch of freshly baked cookies coming out of the oven. Let them cool down enough so as not to burn yourself, but have them be warm enough that they're still soft and chewy. Oozing with chocolate chips. Ah, joyous day.

3. Macaroni and Cheese. I know I sound like Joey from FRIENDS, but consider this: pasta, good! cheese, good! Together? Good! (Review the "Trifle" episode if you're confused!)

2. Grilled Cheese. Nothing better than a diner-style grilled cheese, except maybe with some tomato inside. Or some turkey bacon in there, now that's an idea. Mmmn. But, as you can tell from my earlier remarks, home-style open-faced grilled cheese makes me just as happy.

1. Mashed potatoes. Without a doubt the most comforting of all foods. Works as a side or solo. With gravy or without. Add butter, cheese if you want (though I normally don't) and just dig in. Mashed potatoes make me so happy, I'd eat them every day if they were available. (Adding that pretty much ANY potatoes make me happy, french fried, sweet, baked, etc. but this is the topper of that entire list!)

So, there you have it. My Top Ten. What's yours? Leave me a comment with your favorite comfort food, or write your own Top Ten and let me know where it is so I can come by and read it!

Wordless Wednesday!

Allow me one more day ...

Rest in Peace, Shakan. I miss you terribly already.

Sad Day

I lost a friend yesterday.

I am so terribly sad today, kind of numb, I guess, as my very first pet passed away yesterday. My cat, Shakan, who was my little old man cat, my sometimes total pain in the a$$, and the cat I often complained about when it came to doing his business wherever he wanted, well, he's gone to a better place, I suppose.

Many friends know who he is, because he was the one member of our menagerie who stuck around when you came over, let your kids chase him and tug his tail a bit, while he stayed on our counters for higher ground. He could pretty much sleep through anything, also, and probably slept through many a packed playdate!

He became my pet as soon as I moved out of my parents' house, literally within days of moving in with friends. I've had him in my life for 12+ years, and that's even longer than my husband! He's been with me through break-ups, moves, marriage, adding our dog, several other cats and a kid to the mix, and it's really suckky that he's passed. I'm so sad and puffy-eyed. He's been sick for a while, we even had him on meds for years, but these past weeks we noticed he was more lethargic, and not his spry self, and I put a call into the vet yesterday, but he passed before they got back to me.

I haven't addressed this yet with my daughter, but she will notice, she's sharp like that. The vet did give me a book called Cat Heaven, which I read last night by myself and bawled through. But I think I'm not yet ready to broach the subject with her, because it's so fresh and raw.

Thanks for listening, and here are a few pics of him throughout the years. He was a beautiful cat and suffered some over the past years, losing weight and whatnot, but he was and will always be my very first baby. I'll miss you, buddy. I already do!

Just a quick post to update with my most recent reads for my 2009 list:

Here are #34-36.

And #1-33.

And for my most recent reads:

#37: Accidental Happiness, by Jean Reynolds Page

#38: We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle, by Celia Rivenbark

#39: Girls of Riyadh, by Rajaa Alsanea [in progress, I'm on page 196 and have under 100 pages to go, so I guess I'm jumping the gun with this one, but I hope to finish it before this week is up!]

Hope I'll be able to hit 50 by December 31st, we'll see how that goes, though!

It's Official

When you leave Urgent Care with three prescriptions it's probably time to take yourself out back ... I'm also figuring it's time to have hubby trade me in for a younger model. Must be being so soon after my birthday or something, but I'm feeling ancient.

Basically, post-swine flu I have an upper respiratory infection, a sinus infection and bronchitis. What a fun diagnosis, don't you think? Thankfully my daughter is getting better, although that leaves her with a ton of energy, and me with, uhm, NONE. None whatsoever. None.

Anyone want a 2-1/2 year old for the week? Seriously. Call me. I'll send her via mail, with a SASE, so you can easily return her. Hmmn, I could make it my very first giveaway! No? No takers? She's a sweetie, I promise. I just don't foresee a great week ahead. Sigh.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Talk tomorrow. Yours in sickness, AND in health, whenever that may be!

Am I the only one?

Who eats a Dorito by biting off the bottom corners first, then the top corner, and THEN I bite into the actual chip?

Hubby brought home some original Doritos tonight and I snagged a few. With how I've been feeling I haven't really been eating normally, so they kind of constituted my dinner. Until later when I decide I want some toast or something equally as bland. In the meantime I've also had two Dove chocolates, milk, although he brought me both kinds. I'm guessing he figured that he'd better, since the bottom of the mini-grocery list said: CHOCOLATE, PLEASE.

Anyway, I can remember from my teenage years sitting over a bag of Doritos with my brother and munching away. And I still eat them the same exact way.

How about you?

Hot dog for breakfast?

That's OK, right? To feed your kid a hot dog for breakfast? I mean, I tried to give her a cinnamon roll, but she shared it with the dog. So now, after her hot dog (and dip, of course, for what is a hot dog to a child without dip?) she is working on my bowl of dry Cinnamon Toast Crunch while watching her favorite move, BOLT! I guess my breakfast style is cinnamon today, while hers includes beef product?

Anyway, what is the worst that could happen, right? At the very least she's getting some protein.

Argh, gotta run. She (OF COURSE) just spilled the entire bowl of cereal all over the couch. Some days I have to ask myself, why? Just ... why? Well, TGIF, anyway!

10 Reasons I Can't Sleep at Night

OK, so I just heard about this meme on Mama's Losin' It. Basically you choose one of the 5 options, blog about it and link back to her site. Sounds kind of cool, so this week I figured I'd give it a shot!

The 10 reasons why you can't sleep at night seemed like the easiest first option to try, so, here goes:

10. This cough. (Falls in at #10 since it's seasonal.)

9. Nasal/breathing issues.

8. My mind. It won't shut off. Seriously.

7. My daughter. Not always, but sometimes she wakes up. Sometimes she starts crying in her sleep. It keeps me awake. I can't help it.

6. The dog. Sometimes he just needs to sleep on TOP of me. Or more often than not he's on top of my blankets. Somehow in the dead of sleep a 50 lb dog seems to weigh about 200 lbs. How is that even possible? [I totally could have added my many cats here, but I decided that even their nipping at me and laying on my chest, back, butt, side or head is less frustrating than trying to get those blankets back!]

5. The new song from The Office. I'm serious. Have you not seen this yet? You MUST. I learned about it from a fellow blogger, so I say Uh, thanks, Amanda! Here's her post: If you love The Office...

4. Snoring. Not just hubby. My own. It leads to hubby giving me a small push to get me to turn over and possibly stop snoring. Sorry!

3. Television. Sometimes I'm just up watching whatever I might have to get through. See, as much as I love my DVR, there's a lot of pressure that comes with owning one of those!

2. A great book. I'll read until my eyes are falling closed and my head is nearly smack down in the actual book. Last night I started reading We're Just Like You, Only Prettier, by Celia Rivenbark. I got too far into it at such a late hour, and seriously didn't want to stop. Bad me. Bad bad me.

And the number one reason I can't sleep at night:

1. The INTERNET. Need I say more?

Wordless Wednesday!

Do you do soaps?

This question sounds somewhat loaded, and I realized it as I wrote it. I could have two meanings.

One, do you use soap when you bathe or shower? I mean, seriously? I probably have not used actual BAR soap in years! Except maybe when I'm at my parents' or my ILs' houses. I'm a shower gel, shower creme, scrubby, sudsy, every product under the sun kind of a gal. I'm also addicted to products. But that's a whole 'nother post.

Now, what my actual question is about, is soap operas. Are you a fan? Is this a dying genre of television? So many old school soaps have gone the way of the 8-track (I'm old, I get it.) For example, this year Guiding Light, a show I'll admit that I never liked, but still have to recognize that it ran for like 70-something years!!!! ... ehem ... went buh-bye. No loss there for me, but what if that ever happened to General Hospital? What would I do? I'd be DEVASTATED. I'm serious. Devastated.

I have been watching General Hospital since before I was born. And my daughter can say the same. Well, some day she will be able to, I hope! I swear that when she was an infant she turned and looked at the television when the theme song came on and looked back at me with a smile. Like, *I totally know what's coming!*

How would I live without Jason Morgan? I mean, seriously, people, if you don't know who I'm talking about you're missing out. Look ...

See? He's hot. Plain and simple. H-O-T.

And it's not just him. Sonny Corinthos. Who, you ask? Another hottie. So what if they're both mobsters? I really don't care. And if that makes you question my moral code, so be it.

Nikolas Cassidine. The brooding prince. What do you mean there shouldn't be a prince on television? What do you know, anyway?

OK, and lastly, check out Dr. Patrick Drake. Sigh. I probably could have found a larger image, but it might have burned up my screen. Or your eyes. And then I'd have to go to the doctor. Who, sadly, and undoubtedly, ain't THIS hot!

So, anyway, I love my GH boys, and I love the show. I'm addicted. Can't miss an episode. These are my confessions. Take them as you must. Look at me differently, I don't care. I'm a soap fan. And I'm proud!!!

**Images all found on Yahoo.com.**

Still Tired ... Still Sick

My daughter has been napping since 3:21. Why am I NOT napping, you ask? Well, she is in my bed, but that's not why. I just couldn't fall asleep. Don't you hate that? I know I do. Really ticks me off. I'm glad she napped, esp. since she woke up crazy early (d@mned daylight savings!) but man, I'm so thrown off myself here. Grrrrr.

Hope everyone else is germ free! Happy Monday!

NaBloPoMo

Do you know what that means? Yeah, I barely know myself, but I signed up, so that's why I'm posting, despite being as ill as you can imagine, and then some.

Check it out here: National Blog Posting Month.

Hopefully this counts as my first entry for the month. Peace out!