Hey Humble Readers...
I really shouldn't be blogging just now, as I have laundry, dishes, and packing to do... not to mention a baby to bathe! But I just wanted to pop on and let you all know that we'll be away until February 13th. I hope you all have a great week, and when I get back I have pics and video to post of Ginevra's baptism.
Can I tell you how excited I am for our wee girl to meet my grandparents? Yippee!
Be good, stay safe, and have a smurftastic week!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Awards Season!
Good Evening Humble Readers...
In the last couple of days, I have been bestowed two wonderful awards from some lovely new bloggy friends! Thank you so much, ladies, for thinking of me! Both of the awards have basically the same requirements, so I'm going to do both together.
MoonNStarMommy from A Page In My Book gave me...
Here are the rules for the acceptance of the award:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 other bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.
Alrighty then... seven things about me.
*****
Ginny has done really well with her vaccinations. She cried (read: SHRIEKED) when they did the three needles, but fifteen minutes later she was just fine. She's been a little fussy today, but so far no fever or any other side effects.
*****
Don't forget to stop by Dragondreamer's Lair and enter Kristin's giveaway! Who couldn't use $125 to spend at CSN.com?
In the last couple of days, I have been bestowed two wonderful awards from some lovely new bloggy friends! Thank you so much, ladies, for thinking of me! Both of the awards have basically the same requirements, so I'm going to do both together.
MoonNStarMommy from A Page In My Book gave me...
And Journey Girl from Donor Eggs Journey gave me...
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 other bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.
Alrighty then... seven things about me.
- I'm adventurous when it comes to food, but there are a few things that I just can't bring myself to enjoy. In general, fruit and meat shouldn't be consumed together. Turkey with cranberries? Ick! Ham with pineapple? Ugh! Pork chops with applesauce? *shudder* Don't get me started on chutneys with things like chicken curry. The one exception to the rule is citrus... because citrus fruits like lemon and orange lend themselves to savory applications. (I never said I made any sense).
- I love writing with fountain pens. I've only ever used cheap ones, but I dream of one day owning a really fancy fountain pen.
- On my life list... Go to Tanzania and work with the Lutheran Masai Girls School. It's a school that takes in abandoned/orphaned Masai girls. My college is affiliated with the school and I would love to go over on one of the trips they organize. I would also really love to go on safari.
- I used to collect postcards. I had them from all over the place, and had some pretty crazy ones. I wish I knew what happened to them all. I'd like to get back into it. Wanna help me?
- I used to be a cat person. Used to be. Right through junior high and high school, we always had cats. Then somehow I developed an allergy to them. Now I can't be around them for more than a few minutes without having my face puff up like a blow fish.
- I currently hold the high score on Wii bowling. That's right folks, I beat my Beloved! Woohoo!
- I am a wimp when it comes to throwing out the leftovers that sit too long in the fridge. I make my poor long suffering Beloved do it every time.
*****
Ginny has done really well with her vaccinations. She cried (read: SHRIEKED) when they did the three needles, but fifteen minutes later she was just fine. She's been a little fussy today, but so far no fever or any other side effects.
*****
Don't forget to stop by Dragondreamer's Lair and enter Kristin's giveaway! Who couldn't use $125 to spend at CSN.com?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A Really Groovy Giveaway!
Humble Readers, I have great news!
Kristin over at Dragondreamer's Lair is offering up a great giveaway... a $125 giftcard to CSN.com! Yippee! I don't know about you, but I can easily find a way to spend that at one of their 200+ stores.
Pop over and check out how to enter...
(but if you don't, that just means more of a chance for me!) :)
Kristin over at Dragondreamer's Lair is offering up a great giveaway... a $125 giftcard to CSN.com! Yippee! I don't know about you, but I can easily find a way to spend that at one of their 200+ stores.
Pop over and check out how to enter...
(but if you don't, that just means more of a chance for me!) :)
Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Jeopardy Training
Howdy Humble Readers...
I hope you are all doing well, and if you're snowed in, I hope and pray you still have power and lots of supplies, puzzles, and books to keep you busy.
*****
So, of course we decided that my Beloved has to go to the Jeopardy audition next month. He'll be going by himself because there is no way we could afford for all of us to go. Funny story... there are no direct flights from Calgary to Salt Lake, so he has to fly from Calgary to Pheonix to Salt Lake. He's going to be traveling for more than 7 hours just to get there. And that's just the air travel... it doesn't include the two hours it will take to get to the airport.
We've now begun a training program of sorts for him... it consists of watching Jeopardy together every evening, and working on things like using the form of a question and not answering until Alex Trebek finishes reading the clue. He's also started reading random sections from the various reference books we have, focussing on areas of knowledge that he's not especially adept at... like award show winners and other pop culture stuff.
I seem to recall Ken Jennings (I think it was him, anyway) saying that it was important for him to practice clicking. He used a highlighter pen and clicked the cap on for every answer. I guess we need to track down a highlighter... :)
Do you all have any other suggestions for Jeopardy training?
*****
I found out something a little disturbing in regards to our trip this week to K-town. I can take prepared formula through airport security, but I have to be prepared to taste it in front of the security personel. Ick! I wonder if they'll let me have Ginny taste it?
*****
I recently signed us up to start earning air miles, after I found out that my mom did all of her Christmas shopping with her miles. I've become a bit obsessed with finding ways to earn the maximum points. I've transferred my prescriptions, signed up for magazine subscriptions, and bought a ridiculous amount of yoghurt this past weekend because they were on an air miles promo. Am I nuts? I think so.
*****
Do any of you play Wii Sports Resort? I'm addicted to the Island Flyover game, and I'm missing just one point of interest. It's driving me crazy!
I hope you are all doing well, and if you're snowed in, I hope and pray you still have power and lots of supplies, puzzles, and books to keep you busy.
*****
So, of course we decided that my Beloved has to go to the Jeopardy audition next month. He'll be going by himself because there is no way we could afford for all of us to go. Funny story... there are no direct flights from Calgary to Salt Lake, so he has to fly from Calgary to Pheonix to Salt Lake. He's going to be traveling for more than 7 hours just to get there. And that's just the air travel... it doesn't include the two hours it will take to get to the airport.
We've now begun a training program of sorts for him... it consists of watching Jeopardy together every evening, and working on things like using the form of a question and not answering until Alex Trebek finishes reading the clue. He's also started reading random sections from the various reference books we have, focussing on areas of knowledge that he's not especially adept at... like award show winners and other pop culture stuff.
I seem to recall Ken Jennings (I think it was him, anyway) saying that it was important for him to practice clicking. He used a highlighter pen and clicked the cap on for every answer. I guess we need to track down a highlighter... :)
Do you all have any other suggestions for Jeopardy training?
*****
I found out something a little disturbing in regards to our trip this week to K-town. I can take prepared formula through airport security, but I have to be prepared to taste it in front of the security personel. Ick! I wonder if they'll let me have Ginny taste it?
*****
I recently signed us up to start earning air miles, after I found out that my mom did all of her Christmas shopping with her miles. I've become a bit obsessed with finding ways to earn the maximum points. I've transferred my prescriptions, signed up for magazine subscriptions, and bought a ridiculous amount of yoghurt this past weekend because they were on an air miles promo. Am I nuts? I think so.
*****
Do any of you play Wii Sports Resort? I'm addicted to the Island Flyover game, and I'm missing just one point of interest. It's driving me crazy!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Resurrecting the Book Reviews: January 2011
Howdy Humble Readers...
It's been a year since the last time I did a book review post, and I'm thinking it's time to bring them back. I haven't been reading as much or as fast as I used to, which is annoying, so I'm hoping that doing book reviews will help motivate me.
This month's books are a varied mix, and there's something for everyone here.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (5 out of 5 hairy hobbit toes) - In the final installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy, a series written for teens, Collins brings together all the threads that have been left dangling after book 2. A fantastical story of life in a dystopic North America, revolution is in the air and Katniss Everdeen is the unwilling posterchild for the rebels. Can she keep her family safe from the manipulations of the evil Capitol and the leaders of District 13? Can Peeta ever recover from the torture and brainwashing he's been subjected to? Will President Snow be deposed? All the questions are answered in a fast-paced, action-packed, and incredibly well written manner, and given the glut of vampire fiction out there for teen readers, I loved this series for being something so different.
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League (3 out of 5 hairy hobbit toes) - What really struck me when I was reading this book was the idea that this information used to be passed from woman to woman as a part of our daily lives, but after the advent of formula it was all but lost. I liked this book for the practical advice, the how-to parts of this book. What I didn't enjoy was the quasi-political, preachy tone of the book. The idea that breastfeeding is always this blissed-out, peaceful, zen bonding time between mother and child is misleading and misguided. I found myself in tears of disappointment and frustration when I was reading the introduction because I felt like such a failure for not meeting up with the high standard depicted. Ultimately, I give this book points as a reference tool, but it's not something that I am going to use often.
Luther's Small Catechism (with explanation) by Martin Luther (4 out of 5 hairy hobbit toes) - The last time I read this was waaaaaaaaay back in college, when I had to read it for a theology course, and before that waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I was in confirmation classes. I started reading it this month in preparation for Ginny's baptism, and I just ended up re-reading the whole thing. The basics of Lutheran theology, laid out in Luther's typical format of questions and answers, are simple to understand and broken down into easily digestible sections, while still being thought provoking and eternal. I liked reading this now, many years later being many years older. It's fun to see how my understanding has grown as I've gotten older, and how the philosophies remain the same.
Distant Hours by Kate Morton (4 out of 5 hairy hobbit toes) - I really enjoyed this book, once I was finally able to get into it. Like in her other titles, Morton has set this story in multiple time periods. At times you are in 1992, then in the late 1930's-early 40's, and other times you're in the period just following WWI. Once I got into the rhythm of the story, I was engrossed. The story of the Sisters Blythe, three elderly women living in a decrepit castle that holds a multitude of secrets, and of the young woman who is trying to find out how her mother's life is intertwined with the castle, twists and turns and takes you to all sorts of unexpected places. From present-day publishing houses to the evacuation of London during WWII, whispered secrets and hints of ghosts walking the halls of Milderhurst Castle, it takes until the final chapter to find out why Thomas Cavill never arrived that stormy night in 1941, and what Juniper Blythe and her sisters had to do with his disappearance.
*****
I hope all my friends to the east are stocked up and prepared for the storm they are predicting to hit you later today. It's another sparkling clear winter day here on the frozen flatland, but it's still crazy cold. We are under a wind chill warning today, with temps dropping as low as -45C. Ugh! Glad that I made that big pot of soup yesterday. Stay warm, wherever you are, and stay safe!
It's been a year since the last time I did a book review post, and I'm thinking it's time to bring them back. I haven't been reading as much or as fast as I used to, which is annoying, so I'm hoping that doing book reviews will help motivate me.
This month's books are a varied mix, and there's something for everyone here.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (5 out of 5 hairy hobbit toes) - In the final installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy, a series written for teens, Collins brings together all the threads that have been left dangling after book 2. A fantastical story of life in a dystopic North America, revolution is in the air and Katniss Everdeen is the unwilling posterchild for the rebels. Can she keep her family safe from the manipulations of the evil Capitol and the leaders of District 13? Can Peeta ever recover from the torture and brainwashing he's been subjected to? Will President Snow be deposed? All the questions are answered in a fast-paced, action-packed, and incredibly well written manner, and given the glut of vampire fiction out there for teen readers, I loved this series for being something so different.
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League (3 out of 5 hairy hobbit toes) - What really struck me when I was reading this book was the idea that this information used to be passed from woman to woman as a part of our daily lives, but after the advent of formula it was all but lost. I liked this book for the practical advice, the how-to parts of this book. What I didn't enjoy was the quasi-political, preachy tone of the book. The idea that breastfeeding is always this blissed-out, peaceful, zen bonding time between mother and child is misleading and misguided. I found myself in tears of disappointment and frustration when I was reading the introduction because I felt like such a failure for not meeting up with the high standard depicted. Ultimately, I give this book points as a reference tool, but it's not something that I am going to use often.
Luther's Small Catechism (with explanation) by Martin Luther (4 out of 5 hairy hobbit toes) - The last time I read this was waaaaaaaaay back in college, when I had to read it for a theology course, and before that waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I was in confirmation classes. I started reading it this month in preparation for Ginny's baptism, and I just ended up re-reading the whole thing. The basics of Lutheran theology, laid out in Luther's typical format of questions and answers, are simple to understand and broken down into easily digestible sections, while still being thought provoking and eternal. I liked reading this now, many years later being many years older. It's fun to see how my understanding has grown as I've gotten older, and how the philosophies remain the same.
Distant Hours by Kate Morton (4 out of 5 hairy hobbit toes) - I really enjoyed this book, once I was finally able to get into it. Like in her other titles, Morton has set this story in multiple time periods. At times you are in 1992, then in the late 1930's-early 40's, and other times you're in the period just following WWI. Once I got into the rhythm of the story, I was engrossed. The story of the Sisters Blythe, three elderly women living in a decrepit castle that holds a multitude of secrets, and of the young woman who is trying to find out how her mother's life is intertwined with the castle, twists and turns and takes you to all sorts of unexpected places. From present-day publishing houses to the evacuation of London during WWII, whispered secrets and hints of ghosts walking the halls of Milderhurst Castle, it takes until the final chapter to find out why Thomas Cavill never arrived that stormy night in 1941, and what Juniper Blythe and her sisters had to do with his disappearance.
*****
I hope all my friends to the east are stocked up and prepared for the storm they are predicting to hit you later today. It's another sparkling clear winter day here on the frozen flatland, but it's still crazy cold. We are under a wind chill warning today, with temps dropping as low as -45C. Ugh! Glad that I made that big pot of soup yesterday. Stay warm, wherever you are, and stay safe!
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