Monday, January 29, 2007

New CD's are Definitely Pennies from Heaven

I love Amazon! I just treated myself to a little pre-birthday present. I got Carly Simon's "No Secrets" and Carole King's "Tapestry." I'm totally in a funky 70's chicks phase right now and we're talking the original albums--the ones that made them legends--not the greatest hits or new recordings. The classics. Fun.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

January Piercings

Well, I don't know what it is about me and January and nose rings, but it's on my mind again. I want to get my nose pierced! For anyone who might be reading this not knowing the history, last January I got a nose ring--just a tiny diamond. I LOOOOOOVED it, and it was so fun having Abby along for the ride and moral support. But I had to take it out 4 days later because of infection and I was devastated. I haven't considered trying again because to have it pierced was no big deal, but to have it removed was excruciatingly painful. But here I am, a year later, considering...If I had money in my pocket, I'd probably go today...

You're only young(ish) once.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

"Lady In the Water"

I finally got to see M. Night Shyamalan's latest today. I'm a big fan of his movies, ever since "The Sixth Sense" scared the bejeezes out of me. This one was the usual Shyamalan fare: slow moving plot, lots of silences, interesting camera angles, etc. I LOVED "The Sixth Sense," liked "Unbreakable," thought "Signs" was okay, until they actually showed the alien, which basically ruined it for me (although I did appreciate the twists at the end), and then LOVED "The Village" again.

As far as "Lady In the Water" goes, Paul Giamatti is amazing, as always, and I'm loving that Bryce Dallas Howard (Iris from The Village) is in this too because I just think she's an interesting actress. This movie was different from the others in that it didn't have a major twist or surprise at the end. In my opinion, the theme of this story is that the goofy people, the boring people, the weird or interesting people, the people that you may look right through every day around you--they all have a purpose. There is a meaning for everyone. Everyone has their own little piece of the larger story.

M. Night Shyamalan actually used to tell this to his daughters as a bedtime story, then had a book published, then turned it into a movie.

It took a while to get into it, but by the end, my heart was full, my spirit was soaring. What a weirdly inspirational movie!

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Game Over

First the Ohio State Buckeyes, now the New England Patriots. Football is a fickle friend...

Thursday, January 18, 2007

My Heart is Full!

It's snowing! So far this winter we have had NO SNOW, and I don't know if I can explain to people just how difficult it has been for me living in a place with no snow. We had a few flurries one day in the fall, and since then, nothing. Even now, it's only flurries, but at least it's still light out and I can watch while it lasts.

MY SNOWFALL
My eyes behold its beauty
As my hand Reaches out for its touch,
While my face
Feels that certain tingle
That makes me love
Snow so much!
My heart embraces its coming
The way a child frolics In the fallen snow!
My beautiful snowfall
Brings joy to my spirit
And sunshine to my day.
It doesn't matter
Whether it be a blizzard
Or a dusting of flakes,
Snow falling from the sky
To me looks the same
Any old way!
Snow, my ever lovely snowfall!
Be it Valentine's Day, President's Day,
And yes, Be it Groundhog Day!
Let it snow I walk in it,
As well as sing in it!
I play in the snow
And build my favorite snowman,
Then chase
Each falling flake
As fast as I can!
Each breath of air
Feels crystal clear
Making Winter so very dear!
Each descending flake
Falls as if it were
A blessing from the angels,
Appreciating this gift
Of nature from God,
More than any other
Man created pleasure!
Let it snow
As well as
Let the winds blow!
I wait for the snow every year,
And can't stop smiling
When it finally appears!
Snowfall, my snowfall!

--Holly Bianchi (Age 11)

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Rut Be Gone!

I've been a cooking maniac lately! It feels so good to be out of a rut and be on to bigger and better things. My goal has been at least two new meals a week, since I have all these great cookbooks, but this week I did four. I've been cooking with fresher ingredients, and it actually makes cooking more fun. To have to chop up the rosemary, smash the garlic cloves, etc--that's way more fun than getting dried herbs and spices out of the cabinet and my bottled minced garlic out of the fridge. So here are the new meals we ate over the past week:

Penne with spicy chicken alfredo
Chicken piccatta with whole-grain mustard roasted potatoes
Risotto with tuscan chicken
Garlic roast chicken with rosemary and lemon with pesto smashed potatoes

Some of them are keepers and some of them aren't, but it's great trying new things and finding out!

Friday, January 12, 2007

Coffee Timeline

I realized the other day that my relationship with coffee has been an ever-evolving one. I don't know what got me thinking about the details of me and coffee, but here's what I came up with. In high school, I drank it once in a while, with a friend here and there, or on really cold days while slinging Christmas trees. Once I got to college, it was purely social. I didn't need coffee everyday, but I drank it mostly nights, when I went out with friends. There were many late nights at Perkins, Daylin with her pitcher of tea, Diana with her pitcher of decaf, and me with my coffee pitcher straightup. It was also in college that I was introduced to the wonderful gas station cappuccino, which is a little too sweet for me now, but delicious when combined with half regular coffee. This is still a road trip staple for me. Once I started working full time, that's when the everyday coffee came about. Not because I needed the caffeine, but because it was nice to have my mug waiting at my desk for me everyday, ready to be sipped all morning long. It was just habit. I got into bad habits though--drinking about 4 cups a morning and once in a while in the afternoon. That ended when I quit my job to have a baby. I went down to two cups a day, which I maintain to date. I still didn't need the caffeine, it was just love of the flavor and of being able to hold a mug everyday. Holding a mug provides a lot of comfort, for those of you who don't know because you don't drink hot beverages (Mark!). Once I had a second kid, THAT'S when the need for caffeine kicked in. I needed that jump start in the mornings. I still do need the caffeine, but I realized this week as I was thinking about this, that more than anything right now, for me, coffee holds the promise of a new day, a fresh start... Maybe it's because my kids are getting bigger, and there are so many changes around here. They need constant interaction, they are constantly learning, and they get that from me--all day long. I have been learning that I mess up as much as they do. I have a short fuse, I am learning to be a teacher since it doesn't come naturally to me, and I'm learning how to love my kids for the fact that they are little people with huge personalities, not just because they are my children to raise. So I try to sit with a cup of coffee every morning, not just sip on the go as I do things around the house. My kids are starting to figure out that for 15 minutes, Mom can sit and not get up--no filling cups, no changing pullups, no untangling necklaces or helping with lincoln logs. And as I sit there sipping, I'm thinking, What will we do today? Everyday is an adventure and everyday I have a fresh mug and a clean slate.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

I can't even think of a title...

I have writer's block.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Post-Christmas Yum

Well, I'm up to my ears in 11 new cookbooks this Christmas. So much happiness here. =) Hmmm, where to start, where to start...