The Way I See Things

Mailbox Monday

Today I joined Mailbox Monday! In January it was hosted by Rose City Reader. Next week, MM moves to the Library of Clean Reads for February.

      MAILBOX MONDAY

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. (Library books don’t count, but eBooks & audiobooks do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists!

It is so much fun to see what everyone is getting in the mail.

Thanks for taking the time to visit ~  Please let me know if you have read either of these books - I'd love to hear how you liked them!! 

While some books I read are in the paper form, lately I've been getting more and more books for my Kindle.  So here is what arrived last week in my virtual mailbox:

1.   When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. 

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

2.      For the 20th anniversary of Card's Hugo and Nebula Award–winning novel, Audio Renaissance brings to life the story of child genius Ender Wiggin, who must save the world from malevolent alien "buggers." In his afterword, Card declares, "The ideal presentation of any book of mine is to have excellent actors perform it in audio-only format," and he gets his wish. Much of the story is internal dialogue, and each narrator reads the sections told from the point of view of a particular character, rather than taking on a part as if it were a play. Card's phenomenal emotional depth comes through in the quiet, carefully paced speech of each performer. No narrator tries overmuch to create separate character voices, though each is clearly discernible, and the understated delivery will draw in listeners. In particular, Rudnicki, with his lulling, sonorous voice, does a fine job articulating Ender's inner struggle between the kind, peaceful boy he wants to be and the savage, violent actions he is frequently forced to take. This is a wonderful way to experience Card's best-known and most celebrated work, both for longtime fans and for newcomers. 

 

January was a very Scrappy Month!

While I didn't blog about it much, I must say that January was a good month for getting some scrapbooking done!  I went to a couple of wonderful crops this month -- and I got a ton of work done.  For those of you who don't "scrap" you might be wondering what a crop is.  Simply put, it's a get-together of scrapbookers for the sole-purpose of working on projects.  There is a ton of creative energy in the crop room, and when I'm surrounded by dozens of creative people I think it gets my scrappin' mojo moving!  With all the bitter temperatures (not to mention the ridiculous amounts of snowfall) we've had in Connecticut, it seems only natural that I'd want to scrap photos taken in a warmer climate :) 

Below are a few of the layouts I finished this month. (you can click on any of the images to see them in a separate window.)  During the summer I was lucky enough to travel quite a bit.  One trip I made was to my old hometown of Houston, Texas.  I spent time with my dear friend Deidra and we had a blast.  We even took a spontaneous trip to New Orleans while I was there -- just serves as a reminder that YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD FOR A ROAD TRIP!

 (Deidra and I really had fun running around the city together -- we loved Kenny & Ziggy's Deli and even made time to get out nails done!)

 

(She took me to a real TEXAS steakhouse and I must say the filet mignon was outstanding!)

 

(It had been more than 15 years since I was in H-town and we decided a trip down Memory Lane to visit all three of my old apartments was in order!)

 

(a few of my favorite Texas goodies: Goode Co. bbq, pecan pie, Shiner Bock beer, and sweet iced tea!)

 

(when Deidra asked if I was up for a Road Trip to New Orleans I was psyched!)

 

(We loved staying on Bourbon Street -- the French Quarter is so much fun!)

 

(The street performers in Jackson Square always impress me but nothing compares to Aunt Sally's creole pralines and some beignets and cafe au lait and Cafe du Monde)

 

(It's true - GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN - and we did!  We especially loved our front row seats at the Cat's Meow Karaoke Bar!)

A Potpourri of Thoughts: My Week in Review!

  

Being sick stinks!  There I’ve said it.  It’s hard enough to be the healthy person who usually takes care of everyone he/she loves who is “under the weather” but when it happens to you it can be the worst feeling in the world.  I’m not sure what I have.  A bad cold for sure with some aches and pains thrown in for good measure!   Let’s just say that I have been feeling a little crappy for almost a week which is why I haven’t been blogging.  I feel like I lost an entire week and that is really annoying!

Believe me, I’ve thought of tons of different things I wanted to write about all week but didn’t have the energy to get up and sit at my computer.  Since you’re reading this you might be thinking I’m doing a little better . . . sadly, not really.  But what did change was the “dusting off” of my old laptop.  The reason I didn’t use it sooner was simple (a little pathetic but simple):  I couldn’t find the power cord.  It took me a few days to poke around all my old travel bags until I found it and now that I have, I’m back in business!

So today’s post will be a little potpourri of this week’s random thoughts! 

 
First I’d like to share with you some great tips I discovered this week.  I read a lot of magazines this week and learned a few things.  For instance:

• Energizer may make the best lithium batteries on the market BUT their MAX Alkaline batteries were rated very poorly.  Panasonic and Costco’s brand Kirkland performed better!  For a name brand, Duracell Ultra Advanced also performed quite well!
• Pomegranate Juice is not as wonderful as it claims.  The Federal Trade Commission recently filed complaints against the makers of POM charging that they made false claims about their products treating and preventing heart disease, prostate cancer, and others issues.   Stay tuned!
• If you’re looking for less expensive ways to clean your jewelry, try these tips: plain gold jewelry and pieces with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and amethyst can be soaked in mild dishwashing liquid and warm water.  For dirt that is caught in settings, use a soft toothbrush to clean it out.  NEVER USE WATER on pearls, opals or turquoise.  Instead, buff them with a soft, chamois cloth.  For silver, try a little non-gel toothpaste. 

 

 
 

I also enjoy participating in the Writer’s Workshop on Thursdays so I was really bummed when I was too sick to participate on the hop.  Still, I had some thoughts for one of the prompts: 

3.) Describe a time when you felt left out.

I have always felt connected to people.  I’ve been blessed to have good friends in my life for as long as I can remember.  I have a wonderful, loving husband and two amazing sons.  My life is good.  So, you might wonder what it was about THIS prompt that grabbed my attention.  I suppose it was because I had to REALLY think about it. (Which is a GOOD thing!)  It’s not a feeling I have often BUT I do remember a time not too long ago when I did feel left out.

Ever since I became engaged to my husband, I learned about his annual tradition of a father-son bonding trip.  He and his older brother would take a trip with their dad to some place for a long weekend and watch sporting events.  I thought it was a really great tradition and was happy for them.  I didn’t feel left out at all – I had NO INTEREST in joining them.  A few years into our marriage we had our first child – a wonderful boy we named Brett.  Twenty months later we had our second (and last) child – another wonderful boy we named Dylan.  My brother-in-law also has a son.  When the kids were young I had some wonderful weekends with the boys while their Dad went off on his annual bonding trip.  Until one year . . .

Yes, you can guess what’s next.  The three young boys had grown up and were now OLD enough to join their dads and grandfather on the big weekend trip to Boston for basketball, hockey, and football!  They were all so thrilled and, while I was happy for them, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to feeling completely left out.  My mom had passed away a few years earlier and I had no daughter of my own to go away with.  That weekend was a tough one for me and I was mad at myself for feeling that way.  If they didn’t go on the trip because I was feeling left out, I would have felt worse.  After all I really did and still do think it’s a wonderful tradition.  I’ve come to understand that while the feeling of being left out can really hurt, it  hurts less if you understand that it’s not personal.

 

 

For my THURSDAY THIRTEEN, here are 13 websites I visit every week (sometime every day):

1.  Facebook
2. My blog host – typepad
3. Ebay
4. Amazon
5. The Weather channel
6. New York times
7. Yahoo
8. Google
9. AOL (I still have an e-mail account with them) I’m slow to change sometimes!
10. Flickr (love seeing and sharing photos)
11. YouTube (I’ve learned so much on YouTube – just amazes me!)
12. Movies.com (I like to watch the trailers sometimes!)
13. Blog Hops (I love participating in weekly memes and then visiting different blogs to read their posts)

 

 
Finally, my FRIDAY FLIP-OFFS:

 

To Mother Nature . . . FLIP OFF!  I can’t take any more of this snow!  Seriously!!!  Twenty inches in December and three feet just in January.  I have no where left to put it!  No more, please!!

To the driver who didn’t stop when my son was walking in the road to get onto his bus . . .  FLIP OFF!  The bus stop is buried under four feet of snow and there are no more sidewalks.  When the yellow bus has stopped, you’re supposed to hit the break and stop driving.  You almost hit my kid you nut!  And then when you realized your mistake you stopped IN FRONT OF THE BUS!  Now you blocked the bus so you still have to continue driving!  ARGH!!!

To those rotten germs that are getting everyone sick . . . FLIP OFF!  We are all sick and tired of being, well, SICK and TIRED!  Just go away!

 

That’s all for now peeps!  Thanks for tuning in as always!  -- Dawn

Writer's Workshop: The BIG KID in my house

 

The Writer’s Workshop prompt I chose for this week is:

 1.) Something unique you love about your significant other.

 

My husband (of nearly 18 years) is one of the greatest people you could ever meet.  If you asked his closest friends to describe him, you might get some of the following answers:  1) SMART.  Graduated in the top ten of his class from law school and is an excellent negotiator.  2) LOYAL.  If he cares about you, he will always take your side.  A great friend to have “in the trenches.”  3) SPORTS FANATIC.  He loves his NY Yankees, NY Knicks, and Philadelphia Eagles but he's also just "a fan of the game" (all of them I guess!) and watches more ESPN and live games then anyone I know (except for my oldest son - a chip off the old block apparently!)   He also screams loudly at the TV when someone messes up (even though I remind him that they really can’t hear him!) 4) MOVIE GUY.  Tries to see every movie that comes out and rarely listens to critic’s reviews.  He has no problem going to the movies alone (which is good because I don’t want to see nearly as many films as he does).  5) EASY-GOING.  He has  tons of friends and it’s easy to see why – he’s just really easy to talk to. 

 So, what is UNIQUE about my guy?  He definitely has a serious, adult side but in private, I get to see his other side.  You see, he’s really a big KID at heart.  Most men his age (early 40s) aren’t into playing games at the arcade anymore but he still loves to go!  In fact when we win lots of tickets, he is usually the one that wants to get the gigantic stuffed animal while I’m thinking a set of coffee mugs might be better!  (The kids usually side with him – shocker!) He's still a huge wrestling fan and gets just as excited as his sons before a big show!

 

He's the guy that NOT only wears the sombrero when he's in Mexico but will jump up and join the mariache band during a show!

 
(can you guess which one is MY guy?)

He’s the BIG KID who wants to taste 4 flavors before ordering his ice cream and then get 5 different toppings on his cone!  He loves goofy candy dispensers and keeps them in his office.  He’s the first one in the family to try on the silly hat in the store,  and REALLY enjoys  dressing up in costumes for family photos! 

   

My husband just loves to be SILLY sometimes and its one of the things I LOVE MOST about him!

  

 

(Semi) Wordless Wednesday: January 19th 2011

Not sure I was unhappy before I used the bathroom at this local Japanese restaurant, but I was smiling when I left!

Ten on Tuesday: Favorite Games From Your Childhood

 

So I checked my e-mail this morning and found a note from Carole Knits, the host of TEN ON TUESDAY, with this week's topic:  Ten Favorite Games From Your Childhood.  With the winter weather being so harsh, this seems like a good time to remember how much fun it was being a kid!

 1.  LIFE.   This was one of those very long, fun games.  I remember always wanting to be the doctor (for big bucks) and I still remember spinning the wheel as hard as I could. 

 

 
2.  BACKGAMMON.  I think I first learned how to play this game with my Mom around the same time I was playing Candyland.   She said I was the luckiest doubles roller in the world!

 

 

3.  SORRY.  I'm not sure what it was about this game that I loved so much.  I just wanted to be red and "2" was the Magic Number!

 

4.  CLUE.  Miss Scarlett in the Dining Room with the Wrench.

 
 

 5.  MS. PAC-MAN.  I always liked the little yellow dude eating the ghosts but when they added a BOW and called it "Ms." I was completely hooked.  Can't begin to tell you how many quarters were spent eating little dots around the maze!

 

 
6.  BOGGLE.  A little nerdy perhaps, but I loved all those annoying 3 letter words.  It was one of the few word games I could play with my entire family and not feel too "young" to compete!

 

7.  MILLE BORNE.  A french card game that my parents taught my brother and I when we were kids.  It's an auto-racing theme and all the players are in a road race.  I loved it so much that I found the game online and taught it to my kids when they were in grade school.   COUP-FERRE!

 

8.  UNO!  Those WILD DRAW 4 were always the killer. I remember playing this game with large groups of people at the beach club.  Adults and kids would play together for hours.  Don't forget to call Uno!

 

9.  OPERATION:  Watch out for that funny bone!

 

10. HANDBALL & CHINESE HANDBALL.  I still have great memories of playing chinese handball during lunch break during Junior High School and spending way too much time at the Handball court after school.  Loved it!

 


 
 Well that was a fun look back!  Did we love any of the same games?

What were some of your favorites?

Monday Musings: Have You Ever Seen A Song?

 

Last week a friend of mine shared a youtube clip with me that I thought was fantastic.  It was  a video posted by a college student who was taking a sign language course.  For her class she signed Cee Lo Green's song "F**k You".  Now I have heard this song on the radio many times but SEEING it was . . . something else!  What do you think? 

(Please remember that you will hear the EXPLICIT lyrics when you play this video so be mindful of those ears around you!)

 

Flashback Friday: The Little Hoopster

 
 
Flashback Friday

 
 
 It's hard to believe sometimes that it's 2011 and my first born will be turning 15 years old in less than two months.  As I've watched him grow up I've noticed so many changes in him.  From the obvious physical ones (he's not small enough to hold in my arms anymore!) to smaller ones:  foods he loved/hated/loved again; music he enjoys, books he reads, subjects in school that are his favorites, friends he's made along the way, etc. 

Still, the one thing that has NEVER changed about him is his LOVE for basketball.  Even before he could crawl he loved to hold little toy basketballs.  Once he started sitting up, one of his favorite toys was a basketball game that let him drop the plastic balls through the net.  As soon as he learned to walk, his favorite toy was his basketball hoop.  When I say favorite, I mean he could play with it for hours.  I remember taking him to Gymboree classes at 18 months old and while all the other kids were crawling through tunnels and climbing towers, he was standing 3 feet from the basketball hoop in the corner of the room and taking shots.  It was always amazing to me that he had such a strong passion for one thing when he was so little. 

As I get ready to watch him play for his freshman high school basketball team later today, I can't help but think back to my little "hoopster," who, despite growing up way too quickly, is still the same passionate player I've always admired!  Today's Flashback moment is one of my favorites of him -- he reluctantly paused from practicing to smile for the camera!

 

 

No matter how old he gets, whenever I think of my big guy playing basketball, I think of where it all began . . . in our family room! 

Thursday Thirteen: 13 Favorite Snacks

 
Hello Everyone!

Dieting is never fun!  The worst part of it is that all you do all day is think about food.  For me, I think about my favorite "snacks" -- all the ones I won't be eating for awhile :)  So for today's Thursday Thirteen, I thought I'd show you what 13 things I'd love to have right now!

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Wordless Wednesday -- The Snow Storm of 1/11/11 - 1/12/11