Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Big Ole Birthday

Just wanted to take a moment and wish my lovely friend Kate a very Happy 30th Birthday!! She brings me laughter and support and cookies with oodles of frosting!!! She is the kind of friend that makes you homemade chicken soup when you are sick and tells you when you need to hear something. She is a giver and a sharer and she is sassy and smart, and styley and all around lovely!!!! Wishing you every joy this year my dear Cake!!!!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Corners of my home




I have seen several sites do just a few photos of the corners of their home, I think I may do this regularly...it would be good for mindfulness and living in the moment...
The first photo is my favorite! I went in to file some receipts and glanced up to find a little conga line party going on in the castle...this brought a big ole goofy smile to my day! They even took the time to pose them all...what I wouldn't give to be in a happy little conga castle party!!
Hope everyone enjoyed their weekends and are able to ease into the week ahead!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Baby Dinosaur...


Ok, so dinosaurs was the theme at the little one's school today and so she came home as ellasaurus rex...and I was mommysaurus rex and himself was daddysaurus rex...
Lunch converstation:
"mommysaurus rex?"
"Yes ellasaurus rex?"
"I love you mommysaurus rex."
"I love you too ellasaurus rex."
Lunch was leftovers from one of my favorite restaurants here in Midland http://genjijapenesesteakhouse.com which is one of the only times in my life that I love steak!! And I think they put crack in the yum yum sauce just so I crave it... all around a good thing, even reheats nicely and the little people like it and the vegetarian in the family does ok there as well...
It was ok. Interesting discussion but not so much a memorable book. The author was a bit sordid in life so some interesting biography information on him.
Found these really cool items on Etsy the other night...oh how dangerous Etsy is for me...very very dangerous!!!!
I have always loved Day of the Dead things so this really struck my fancy...http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9561900
And I would own any of the jewelry here!!! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9692081
That is all for now!! Enjoy your day!!!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Joy Mail!!




Oh today had such a lovely end for me...after running and picking up the elder statesman from school and then running the monkey to gymnastics...I finally got home to find one of the best mail days I have had in a long time!!! As you can see above, the lovely Erin at http://bluebirdbaby.typepad.com , totally made my day, my week even with the arrival of the wonderful tote bag that I won in her giveaway a while back. As if that perfect little bag , in those really great colors was not enough she packed in treats a plenty!!! Did I mention I have never had Green and Black chocolate before??? OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!! It has been absolutely all I can do to stop myself from devouring the entire dark chocolate bar!! And there was also this to die for seasoned popcorn! I have been licking the bowl I limited myself to!!!!!!!!!! And as if the yummy goodness of the snackies was not enough there is a clutch in there that is awesome! The colors and style are perfect!!! I am blown away, in case you couldn't tell by her generosity! You bloggers are a cool group of folks!!!
And as if that little boon in a bag wasn't enough, my book I ordered from amazon, Three Cups of Tea arrived. And not only book goodness but our first http://netflix.com selection arrived. Of course it is a shoot em up for Himself not all the lovely artsy selections I have in queque for myself! But for a mail day all things lovely and good and best of all NO BILLS!! Yeah!!
Then the lovely Elder Statesman arrived home from Ballet, and we all sat down to hot cocoa together...dinner was a broken affair with all the running and classes...but I rejoiced in the time to hear her talk and see how her day went and hear how her views are changing and celebrate in her new reader selection the wonderful Frog and Toad books! And she just looked so grown up with her hair all pulled back and her snuggle clothes on...did I mention she has started doing her hair herself?? Sigh...it is just going too, too fast for me...she just looks like a lady not a little girl any more and I am not sure I will ever be ready for all that is coming...

Monday, February 18, 2008

Yumminess...


Ok so we didn't get a photo of the loveliness that himself made for the dinner...so I defaulted to a jewelry collection picture...not even close but there you have it...just can't post without a photo...seems wrong...
Ok so the yumminess...today was a day that I would be home for around 1 hr. so the odds of homemade goodness coming from my efforts was zero...we would have been looking at peanut butter sandwiches or maybe even breakfast cereal! So last night himself said to leave him out a recipe and he would make it for dinner!! The poor man should never say this to me!! I always find that one recipe that sounds really great but I have no patience to attempt and dangle it out there for himself. And bless him he dives right in and says here you go... tonight's was http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6863.0 It was so, so good! You can tailor the veggies to family tastes and the crust could be anything really but himself upped the whole thing a notch and made the one he found at the whole foods site Simple Pie Crust...oh let me tell you it was all I could do not to eat seconds, thirds, and fourths!! And even better, the lovely ladies both liked it and the elder statesman said she would like to take it for lunch tomorrow!! Yipee!! And to make this whole thing even better, with today's meat recall and the scariness that is the beef industry, it is a meatless event!!
Next I have a recipe for flour tortillas I am hoping he gives a go...oh yeah this is me upping the bar!! Homemade tortillas!!! Woo Hoo!!
Speaking of Who....many thanks to Soulemama for the Who bread recipe...it was most delicious and a nice treat at work today the hint of cinnamon is lovely!!

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Can't stop Baking



Ok so I can't stop baking today!! I have to because I need to go to work but I am on a roll and am finally back in the kitchen! After all the ick, I haven't felt much like pottering around in there!
I received my new http://vegetariantimes.com magazine last week and there are months I make nothing out of them and months like this that I have flagged all the recipes to try! Today I made the banana chocolate muffins, and the French Pain D'Epices, I also have a loaf of WHO bread (compliments of http://soulemama.typepad.com) in the machine as we speak. The banana muffins got rave reviews from the little ladies (I haven't tried those yet) the Spice muffins are very layered and yummy, and the WHO bread will not be done till I am ensconced at work...but tomorrow morning breakfast will definitely be a toasted slice!!
Above are photos of the Barefoot Contessa's cake we made for Valentine's day I did change the frosting just a bit, it called for an egg yolk which didn't sound real yummy to me to eat some raw egg on top of such a lovely cake so I added a little olive oil instead and it was fantastic!! And the other photo is my little yummy aiding in clean up!!
Hope you are all safe and warm this dreary February afternoon! Wishing you smells of baked goods wafting through your home!!

Friday, February 15, 2008

A Day...



It was in fact a day...and it is in fact nearing over...
The doctor's appt. yielded antibiotics for a big ole sinus infection for me and a note for a day off work tomorrow...and we just watched the girl's movie choice A Quest for Camelot (Friday nights are our family movie night) which they are now re-enacting. And after they are safely tucked in their beds himself and I are going to watch Becoming Jane...and with any luck I will find a way to sleep tonight it has been eluding me the past few evenings...

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Love, true love,



Yes, it is love, true love, anyone who gives me breakfast in bed with fresh brewed coffee...sigh..
Did I mention I am woefully spoilt???
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! To you all! May your day be filled with appreciation and happiness for all those in your world who touch your life... there are so many people in our days that show us love in the smallest ways... and to those many people I say thank you and you are loved!
Ok my Hallmark moment is over...wishing you all days of pink hearts, childish "you are awesome" valentines in the guise of Hello Kitty and Princess pinkness, conversation hearts that say only your favorite things in only your favorite colors, and chocolatey goodness like the cake I hope to bake now!!! http://www.foodtv.com the Barefoot Contessa's Beatty's Chocolate Cake...

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Winter...


Oh, the mixed feelings that winter brings me...on one hand it gives me time to turn inward and rest but on the other it brings days of anxiety and worry and fret...will I make it to work today? How early do I need to leave?? The slip and slide of life to work is never a good day... But then there are days sitting, staring out the window watching the big flakes fall and transform our little city lot into art!! The hush and quiet and the pureness of that new fallen snow... but living in Michigan, this year we have had more than our share of the peace... But today...there was a gift in the world of snow...SUNSHINE!! Oh, the feel of a little sun on my face after so many days of grey and howling winds...and the beams dancing across the floor and playing shadows through the lace curtain...yeah a little sunshine makes winter a little easier to like...

Sunday, February 10, 2008

UNCLE!!!


Ok that is it!!! I give! I want to be done being sick! If it were not Sunday I would be beating a path back to my lovely Dr. (I say four weeks is enough really!) I got about 2hrs sleep last night, and now have a few new symptoms as if it weren't awful enough before but lets add some sneezing and watery eyes! Oh yeah I am looking stunning! Watch out supermodels of the world there is a new queen in town!! If I were a baby I would be crying my eyes out! And now I think our last domino is falling, himself shows outward signs of cough and incoming ick...
Sigh...beached on the big blue couch!!!

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Slouchy Day


Oh, I would so love to stay home today snuggled under the freshly changed sheets and quilts...but alas I have a day of work still ahead of me!!! And I am having a very slouchy, don't care what I look like day, not so good really when I am supposed to look all polished and professional (yes even on a late Sat. night shift! The govt. knows no weekends!!) So I have put on an outfit that just fits all the technicalities of professionalism but allows me to curl up...and to not assist my already blase mood it keeps SNOWING!!! We are running out of places to shovel it to!!
At least I received my latest issue of http://vegetariantimes.com. I was subscribing to this magazine before Himself ever decided to go veg! Good thing we all aren't complete carnivores! It is already pretty difficult to find my balance making dinners for us all... and even though I love veggies and really do not eat a lot of meat there are a few things I just simply will not give up, like BACON!! Or a really good bbq... or even shrimp...so I will just continue on my omnivore path!! But thankfully there will be something good to peruse on my breaks tonight.
So keep warm and have some slouchy, snuggle time on my behalf!!! More from the ward later!

Friday, February 8, 2008

Snuggle days



Oh, today is one of the days I love most in the world. I get snuggle time with one of my most favorite ladies in the world.... We are having a jammie couch day full of tea and snacks and drawing and writing and talking and hugs and yes I admit a little TV...oh and don't forget "String Bear"...
Mind you the bad part is this snuggle time comes due to the extremely high viral load my house has at the moment. (cough drops have become a food group for me!!) Himself is the only one not showing outward signs of the unshakable coughing ick that seems to be rampant in our area at the moment...so our motivation levels are all very, very low! So not much is being achieved in our little corner of the world...although there needs to be food cooked!! Hmmm chili sounds good...I make mine with Yves veggie ground round as Himself is a vegetarian...
Yesterday I actually got a date with Himself, we got to see Juno and go have a coffee... Juno was ok, not as fantastic as the hype for it but the soundtrack is really great and I really enjoyed Ellen Page and all the teen speak. Then that evening we took all our little people and some of their friends to see The Water Horse. This was a movie that got very little press in our area and was really wonderful! Although the setting (Scotland) made himself homesick, not helped really by my Valentine's gift to him from http://www.foodireland.com they have all the Irish "memory" foods. And their prices aren't too scary! We got one loaf of the Brennans bread and with one bite we were almost in tears with memories and longing...sigh... and right now if you order before Valentine's Day and type in LOVE in the coupon code they give you 5 dollars off your order!!
I should be writing my letter for the http://www.themodernletter.com. This is a project that pairs you with another participant each month to encourage the art of real letters and communication! I was always a big penpal girl in school so this is fun and you only need write two letters for the month one to the address you are assigned and one back to the person who writes you. Plus this aids my love of all things stationery and paper!!
Ok onto food and tidying!! Enjoy the day!

Monday, February 4, 2008

SLEEPY!!!

Oh my! What a little superbowl party can do to us the next day!!! Wiped out seems like an appropriate phrase! Himself skipped the festivities but us ladies were all done in today! The fact I am upright at the moment and typing speaks miracles to the powers of denial! But we ate, and we ate some more (I love!!!!!!! Superbowl food!!! ) and today we worked and schooled and all made our way to the comfy couch for a snuggle...so I am going to make my way up the stairs have a nice warm shower, put on my jammies and call it a day! Yes it is only 7:20pm...but I give!!

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Weekend of Spirit




This has turned into a weekend of spirit...I have found myself surrounded by two groups of very different but both very incredible women. I am fortunate to have found a voice and an outlet for all the blessings I find myself with every day.




Imbolc/Brigid's day was today so in honor of the Goddess/Saint of poetry, healing, and fertility we lit candles and meditated and most of all just breathed!!! Sometimes that is the best way to honor what is good in your world just to breathe it all in and fill your entire being with the feeling of contentment!!


Tonight, my lovely friends came over in order to create candles. We all had been talking about Grandparents and family members we missed and pets that we wished were still with us and even in one case a parent who was gone...and someone said the funeral home makes candles from pictures for you...when my head had an aha...we could do our own, modge podge and some color copies and all my endless craft supplies...and so our ancestor night came to be. I always keep an ancestor altar in my home. It is a place I go to remember and ground and feel my lovely Gran still with me. I light a little incense, a candle (or two depending on the issues at hand) and burn a little sage to cleanse ...and I ask them all to watch over our family and keep us safe...it brings me peace in days that sometimes have very little...and it allows me to honor those people who have made me who I am... so tonight my candle had a photo of my mother's parents on one side and my father's on the other with the words wisdom and honor on the sides...
I feel so full...having the opportunity to invite such love and spirit and energy into my home and to know it has given happiness and peace to those who have entered is such a gift...yes it was a weekend well spent in refilling and renewing...I am thankful for my friends and my home...