Life in a cloud

4am

2009-08-10T05:06:00.003-05:00

I hate it when I get insomnia. There is absolutely nothing on TV this early in the morning. News and paid programming. Watching the news is good but not the same stories every 15 minutes. And for some reason paid programming really does make me want to call them up and get the best skin care stuff and weight lose program and oh! the kit to make a $1,000,000.

Finally around 5am "Angel" (the vampire with a soul) comes on TNT. I do forget that I can catch things online. And I suppose I should get used to this. I'll be up quite a bit feeding the baby soon enough!

40 weeks...

2009-08-10T04:55:00.005-05:00

and still pregnant. I thought my 38 week picture would be the last of my big belly. But nope. They are going to induce me later this week. I think I'm ready. I mean I guess I really have no choice now do I?

Baby Bibs

2009-08-03T13:43:00.003-05:00

Here are some baby bibs I cross-stitched for my baby (you even get a bit of Athena's tail and it looks like Alley's leg also has made an appearance!):

2009-08-03T13:35:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is my due date. I can't believe it is here! Granted he isn't coming. I still feel really good; no contractions; and just no signs he is wanting to make an entrance. I'm not good at waiting either. I'm ready or as ready as I'll ever be. The crib is made; diapers are put away; clothes are washed; I can't think of anything else to do! Part of me really wants to meet him; but there is another part of me that is so scared! I'm going to be a mom, and it was something I thought would never happen. I figured if it did great but never thought it would. And here I am. One day before my due date. I can't believe it. Hopefully the next post will be that he is here!

Jon Won!!

2009-07-25T16:58:00.002-05:00

I don't think I let the two people who read this blog know that my brother won the contest for his band to play at the Rothbury Festival. Here is a link to see him play the last song of their performance:
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/mornings/The_Vault__The_Tom_Butwin_Band and here is a news story about it:

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/entertainment/music/090703_butwin_band_debut.

Thanks to all that voted!

38 Weeks and still pregnant!

2009-07-25T16:45:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd take pictures every two weeks hoping that this will be my last picture but thinking it might not be! I really don't think this kid wants to join us, not that I really blame him!! He seems pretty content in the belly. I've realized I need to completely slow down and just rest. Last weekend I did too much and on Sunday ended up not feeling so good. Food is starting to make me sick again so I need to be careful as to what I eat also. I've finally brought a couple of bags down so I can pack for the hospital. I still need to get a few things. I guess I'm not in a huge rush myself. I'm physically ready to give birth; emotionally and mentally not so much. My life is going to change so much and I just never planned for this. Never thought I'd be pregnant. I'm looking forward to the change because I know it will be the best thing ever but also scared. I swear if there was a color wheel for emotions I'd be every color: scared, excited, irritated, bored, etc.

So here I am at 38 weeks:

36 Weeks Baby Bump

2009-07-09T15:13:00.005-05:00

I can't believe I am at week 36! I'm not completely convinced that he'll be early but I'm making sure I get certain things done by the end of next week just in case!

2009-07-05T18:48:00.002-05:00

For the most part I have enjoyed being pregnant...for the most part. Hated the first trimester but the second and third have been pretty good. I've got energy and my appetite is back (except for chicken - ew!). Right now though the ankles are becoming a problem. By the end of the night I don't have ankles anymore but instead cankles. I try to keep them elevated but at times I'm a little too busy to even sit and do that. I wanted to do some shopping today and made it to one store and said, "Forget it!". The heat doesn't help either though. I've got fans going all the time and would probably have the air conditioner on all the time but it isn't that hot and I like the fresh air.

So that is my big and only complaint about the pregnancy. My little bugger is doing good! Kicking a lot and letting me know he is getting ready to make his entrance whether or not I am ready!

Book Reviews - Gillian Flynn

2009-07-03T20:04:00.004-05:00

I just finished reading the first two books by the author, Gillian Flynn. They were both rather dark books. The first book is Sharp Objects. Here is a little bit from the inside cover: "WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls." Camille is a cutter who instead of just randomly cutting herself she cuts words into her skin. She goes back home to cover these murders but it isn't easy since she doesn't have a good relationship with her mother and doesn't know her half-sister at all. Fully understanding these different twists you had to read several pages into the book.

Her second book entitled, Dark Places is just as dark but maybe not as dark as the first one. Here is the blurb from that book: "Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived–and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her." This one I wanted to keep reading so I knew what really happened. Did Ben kill her family or was it someone else like the Kill Club suggests.

As mentioned both books are rather dark and not necessarily light reads. Both women in the book are damaged characters who act out sexually, violently, and other ways to keep the hurt and past at bay. Both have to come to terms with their past in order to move forward and heal.

Recycle Your Cell Phone!!

2009-07-02T09:21:00.002-05:00

I think it was in the issue of Real Simple where I found this website where you can send your no longer used cell phone in to be recycled for free! Go to: www.recyclemycellphone.org. They take care of your postage AND it is tax deductible!

Cell phones are potentially hazardous waste because they contain lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic. If thrown in the trash and sent to incinerators or landfills, environmental contamination can occur from combustion and leaching into soil and groundwater.

Sadly, less than 2% of old cell phones are being recycled today!

Some alarming facts about cell phones you might not know:

*The EPA estimates cell phones will be thrown away at a rate of 130 million a year by 2005 that equals 65,000 tons of waste containing toxic metals!
* There are more than 500 million used cell phones in the U.S. sitting in people's drawers or in our landfills.

New Book - Home Safe

2009-06-17T08:48:00.003-05:00

I read Elizabeth Berg's new book, "Home Safe". Here is a blurb about the book from her website, "Helen Ames is a writer who has recently lost the ability to write. And her husband. And her nestegg. Now she's worried about losing her daughter. The book looks at the nature of creativity, the mother/daughter relationship, and the surprising places one can find love and meaning."

While reading this I had wondered if this was about herself. Was she having trouble writing? And again when reading her website I discovered yes she was!

I think I've read all of her books, and this one wasn't one of her better ones. It is a book that one could read in a day though.

33 Week Baby Bump

2009-06-17T08:43:00.003-05:00

Sorry I didn't get this one taken last week. I was in Michigan visiting family, which was so much fun! Here I am:

According to Babycenter.com: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Baking and Cooking!

2009-05-29T11:21:00.002-05:00

I realized that it has been a LONG time since I mentioned what I've been cooking up at home. It has probably been due to the baby making it very difficult to be around food! But I'm feeling really good and have been on a cooking streak:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Zucchini Bread
Banana Island Bread
Zucchini Cookies
Coconut Cake Bars
Rhubarb Coffee Cake

This weekend I want to make Rhubarb bread and possibly Oatmeal Scottie cookies. Most of this I take into work since I don't need it around the house. And the people at work like it! Let them get fat!!

Last night for dinner I tried a new recipe: Creamy Shrimp with Corn and Bacon. It was very easy to make and quite tasty! I think I'll keep it around to make again.

Brother's Band Needs Your Help!

2009-05-29T11:11:00.002-05:00

My brother is a saxophonist in the Tom Butwin Band which recently played on a FOX station in Detroit. View the performance here: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/subindex/entertainment/the_vault.

After watching the performance vote for his band - NOW!

Winners will get the chance to play Rothbury 2009! Prize includes a 40 minute slot to open the festival on the Sherwood Court stage on Thursday, July 2, 2009, a 15 minute slot on the main stage, the Odium, on July 3, 2009, all access passes and camping accommodations. Some past performers have been Bob Dylan, DMB, John Mayer, Guster, Ben Harper, etc.

1. Go to: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/subindex/contests/fox_rocks
2. Click on “Vote Now”
3. Click on “Create an account”
4. Enter your email address and a password you want to use for the
contest voting.
5. A confirmation email will be sent to that account.
6. Once the email is received, open it and click the link to confirm
your registration.
7. From there, search for Tom Butwin Band in the list of contestants.
8. TO VOTE: click the open circle next to our name and scroll down to
the bottom of the page (entries are in alphabetical order). Then,
fill out the spam filter code and submit your vote!
9. Once you have registered, steps 1-5 don't have to be repeated.
Just log in with your email and vote!
10. YOU CAN VOTE ONCE PER HOUR, PER EMAIL ADDRESS.

Voting is open from May 27th to June 21st.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING HIM OUT!!

Baby Bump: 28 Weeks

2009-05-28T09:41:00.003-05:00

I'm a little late posting this picture. Work has been crazy!! They finally posted for my current job so I'm trying to get projects organized for the new person, plus figure out what I need to do for my new job.

I seriously think I look as if I have a beer gut! He's been kicking a lot lately. I had my first baby birthing class last night, and we were giggling because you could see him kicking through my clothes. So I would poke him whenever he did that and he'd kick again.

I feel good. I'm in the third trimester and so far so good. I am starting to get back aches and my ankles turn into cankles by the end of the day at times. I'm definitely in "nesting" mode. I have been so busy trying to get the house organized, cleaned and everything else before he arrives.

Book Reviews

2009-04-30T20:52:00.003-05:00

I got the books I requested at the library:

"Revenge of the Spellmans" by Lisa Lutz was funny like her other two books. She uses a lot of footnotes which I liked in the first two books but this one had way too many. And she referred to the previous stories a lot so you could pick this book up without reading the first two. There is going to be a fourth installment at some point so hopefully she do away with the footnotes and also the promoting of the other books "now in paperback". Kinda got old.

Maeve Binchy's book "Heart & Soul" was good. I like how she interweaves her characters lives together. She also refers to previous characters in her other books which is kinda neat. It is like she can't let go of these people she created. She also makes it seem like Dublin is a VERY small town and everyone knows each other.

I read Mary Higgins Clark's new book, "Just Take My Heart". Easy read; and very predictable. It usually takes me a little longer to figure out who the bad guy is and how things are connected but not this time. It is about a women who is prosecuting a man who she believes killed his wife. Yet as the trial moves forward she starts to be in her heart that maybe he is really innocent like he says.

Finally, I've just begun Joy Fielding's new book, "Still Life". It is about a women in a coma that can hear everything everyone says. What she thought was a hit-and-run that lead her to being in a coma, she discovers might be something more sinister. It's pretty good thus far.

Baby Update

2009-04-30T20:47:00.002-05:00

My baby boy has been kicking a lot lately. Last night while I was reading in bed he started kicking. The book was resting on my stomach and all of the sudden I saw it jump up a couple of times. Today at work when he was kicking I saw my shirt pop out a bit. He is very active! It seems to be in the morning and in evening, when I'm relaxing. Though if he likes dinner he gives me a few kicks. Then again he could be kicking me to let me know he didn't like it! I haven't seen any hands or elbows or feet sticking out but I'm sure in a few weeks that will be next.

Right now I do feel good. No more food sickness (though still no chicken), and I feel I've got more energy. Right now I enjoy being pregnant. I like feeling the baby move around and let me know he's there.

Baby Bump: 24 Weeks

2009-04-21T15:10:00.002-05:00

As you can tell, I'm getting bigger!!

According to Babycenter.com "your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon."

Poor Emma!

2009-04-13T11:00:00.004-05:00

Okay, the pictures that are getting posted are from things that happened last year! I know I've been really slow getting these posted up here and also put on my Flickr account. Sorry! So this is old news about Emma. She is completely fine. Still a spoiled brat!

This past November/December she had to have surgery to remove a pretty big lump on her belly. Thankfully it wasn't cancerous. It was a procedure where we dropped her off in the morning and picked her up that afternoon. The poor thing was so drugged! She was out of it, and would try to follow you around to the point where I felt I was forced to sit and watch TV because I didn't want her moving around (right forced!). We had to check a few times to make sure she was still breathing. That is how out of it she was!

Here are a few pictures of Poor Emma!

This one was probably taken the next day. As you can tell she is much happier! Though that cone around her was pretty funny! She was running into everything!

Kitchen Pictures

2009-04-13T10:54:00.004-05:00

I'm finally getting around to uploading some pictures to Flickr, and I also thought I'd include them in the blog. The first one is of the shelves I put up. They contain my salt/pepper collection, and some of the old Betty Crocker books that I love. The second picture is of the IKEA table I got before the holidays. It is so perfect for the kitchen! It can be folded out to fit up to four people. I love it!

Still not completely done with the kitchen but I'm getting close!

Its official: I'm a dork!

2009-03-30T15:42:00.004-05:00

I've placed two books on hold at the library and am eagerly anticipating their arrival. I get so excited every time Bev (head of circulation at Alcuin) stops by my office because I think she is dropping off one of those new books. Finally one of the two arrived yesterday, which is great timing because I finished the book by Madeleine Wickman, "The Gatecrasher". The book I just got is Maeve Binchy's new book, "Heart and Soul". The other book I'm waiting for is the third in the Spellman series entitled, "Curse of the Spellmans". I love those books!

It's a...

2009-03-30T15:37:00.003-05:00

Healthy baby! I went in for my ultrasound last week, and was told that the baby is developing right on schedule and everything looks good. All the measurements they took aligned with their books. I'm really happy to get that news! I feel the baby move or flutter around more and more each day. The baby was quite active during the ultrasound. It makes me think I might be in trouble! The baby made me gain 10 pounds in the last month (notice it is the baby's fault for my weight gain not mine and the ice cream I eat)! NOT HAPPY! It only really likes food that isn't that good for you (ring bologna? - gross!).

Oh! And I guess the other piece of news to share is that it is a boy! So I need to stock up on green clothes. Yes green. I had to think about this when my dad said he needed to know whether or not to buy "pink or green". No blue is allowed on his grandchild since that is the color of the University of Michigan, and green is Michigan State. If you know my dad this shouldn't strike you as odd.

A few of my favorite things...

2009-03-20T14:08:00.003-05:00

I suppose I've had a few cravings. Certain foods that I really like:

Chips - preferably Doritos but anything as long as they aren't plain...though I suppose plain would be okay as long as I had dip with it
Pudding - preferable vanilla or coconut cream
Bacon - I could eat that every day
Ring bologna - disgusting, yet so yummy
Chicken from a can - disgusting, yet I make that Asian Chicken appetizer (see previous blogs for recipe), so yummy
Waffles - breakfast staple right now
Ice cream - I was into cupcakes when I first discovered I was pregnant but now only want ice cream
Chipotle - always up for a steak burrito
Cottage cheese - yummy!
Chocolate soy milk - so yummy!

Things I can not eat (look at...smell):

Chicken (unless in a can - see above)
Hamburger - unlike chicken I can eat a hamburger but do not want to touch it; chicken don't want to touch or eat except if I buy it in the deli section; a couple fried chicken legs are okay but that is it!

Hmm...I guess that is it for the cravings. It is still hard to make dinners though. I thought sloppy joes (with turkey meat) sounded good. Made it up and it is still sitting in the refrigerator. Will freeze it for later consumption. Mainly I like my fruits and vegetables.

20 Week Bump

2009-03-20T14:06:00.001-05:00

I'm getting a little bigger...

Welcome to my office

2009-03-06T08:46:00.010-06:00

I've been going on and on (and on) about what a mess my office is at work. I decided to take some pictures as proof. All the documents that you see in the pictures need to be withdrawn out of our catalog and then either offered to our regional library (they have to keep all government documents) or tossed. Also, I have no idea what is in any of these piles. There is NO system whatsoever regarding how we put this on the floor. AND this isn't everything! We still have several boxes down in the basement that we need to take care of. Talk about job security! We shifted the entire government documents collection and in the process withdrew quite a bit of it. It has been a very busy month!

So, Welcome to the Government Documents Office:

(I tell the first years that my office has the "Love the Librarian" poster on it and why would you NOT love a librarian? They just stare at me blankly.)

Here is some of the microfiche that we've withdrawn over the last year. We are almost done with that project. Brother Paul still has a few to download and add to our catalog.

So this is my side of the office:

Here are various angles of all the crap I need to take care of:

(Front of Desk)

(Right of desk)

The rest are pictures of Brother Paul's 1/2 of the office:

(Front of Brother Paul's desk)

And finally government documents that we've recently received that I have no idea how to handle (we got a new catalog and it is all a mess for me!):

2009-03-03T15:10:00.004-06:00

Nothing too exciting happening around here. I can't get enough sleep it seems. I don't know if it is because I'm sick of winter or the pregnancy but I have zero motivation. I seriously just want to sleep. I don't necessarily sleep well at night so that might be why I feel tired all the time. I wake up quite a bit and am restless.

I called the doctor's office this morning. I was a little worried that I might have done more heavy lifting than what I should be doing (and I did). It felt like I pulled something and there was a bit of weird pain on my left side. Nothing to worry about. I probably did overdue the lifting of books and also I am probably stretching, making room for baby. We are shifting the entire government documents collection, and I've shifted a lot of it as well as pushed heavy carts back to my office of items we are no longer keeping in our collection. My office is a mess. I'm surprised I haven't gotten claustraphobic. it is a mess. They are looking to hire someone for my position (I'd change job responsibilities), and I really hope it happens so this mess can become there problem! Though I wouldn't do that because I'd feel bad. BUT I do think I should do something about the mess before people come to visit the campus. Don't want to scare them away from the job!

My belly is definitely getting bigger. I bought some new sweatpants so I could wear them this week (it is spring break around here so no need to look nice), and this weekend I'll shop for maternity wear. I am honestly not looking forward to it. I looked at Target on Sunday and they didn't have anything. Mostly spring. I can't wear that yet. We still have snow on the ground! I'll freeze! I've gotten recommendations of stores to shop at so I'll try those places. Plus I think I'll shop at Goodwill and Savers (a second hand store). It will be nice though to have clothes that fit me instead of push against my belly.

I'm still not believing I'm pregnant. It just seems so weird to be talking about this!

More Picture Frames

2009-02-23T14:57:00.003-06:00

I finally got around to downloading pictures from my new camera. These are frames I made for a friend for Christmas. I thought the picture of her daughter on Santa's lap would be cute in it. I have close up of the detail on my Flickr page if you want to see that. I need to make a couple of other frames very soon before I get too busy with other stuff.

16 Weeks Bump

2009-02-23T14:49:00.003-06:00

Okay, here I am probably not looking much bigger than last month but feeling a bit bigger! My clothes are all very tight, and I'm waiting until after spring break, which is next week, to go out and get some maternity clothes.

I also had my 16 week check-up which was extremely uneventful. I heard the baby's heartbeat and the doctor said everything was looking good (belly size-wise).

One exciting event occurred last night: I felt Pat* flutter! What an incredibly weird feeling!

(*Pat is the name of the baby until we know it is a girl or boy, which could be next month or when I give birth)

From babycenter.com: "Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop."

No new baby news!

2009-02-05T20:28:00.004-06:00

Nothing to report this week. I'm in the 14th week so I've heard (and read) that all my morning sickness (all day sickness) should be gone pretty soon. I'm actually only experiencing morning sickness right now, and that seems to be bad if I'm moving around. We have to shift our entire government documents collection at the library, so I was working on that this morning. A few times I thought I might lose it. BUT I can eat the dinners I plan for the week. No more stopping for mashed potatoes on the way home from work! That is very good news for me. I was getting tired of it. I'm still tired but I'm hoping that also will change. I heard the baby's heartbeat at my last appointment, and everything checked out good. They had a hard time getting the heartbeat because the little bugger was moving around a lot! It still seems very odd to me that I have a baby growing inside of me.

2009-02-05T20:17:00.004-06:00

I'm currently reading two books for one reason: the first book I was reading is part of a series about zombies and it was really giving me some weird dreams!

The series is "The Walking Dead" and is a comic book about zombies taking over the earth. No one quite knows how it started but they eat human and animal flesh. Only a few folks have survived. If one gets bitten by a zombie within minutes they become one also. If you die naturally you'll turn into a zombie. Only way to kill a zombie is to cut its head off. The library has all four books that are currently out, and I devoured the first three within two days of getting them. Then I decided to take some time away from the fourth book since I was having some seriously weird zombie nightmares. The reason I got into them is because Time magazine did an article about graphic novels, and I thought they said this was going to be made into a movie. I prefer to read the book before seeing the movie, for the most part. I didn't with "Little Children" (good movie) or "Atonement" (good movie). If you like graphic zombie books I suggest reading "The Walking Dead".

The other book I'm reading is "Rachel's Holiday". It is written by Marian Keyes. She is an Irish author and I've read several of her books. This one is pretty good thus far and is a very good destraction from the zombies. Here is a synopsis of this one:"The fast lane is much too slow for Rachel Walsh. And Manhattan is the perfect place for a young Irish female to overdo everything. But Rachel's love of a good time is about to land her in the emergency room. It will also cost her a job and the boyfriend she adores.When her loving family hustles her back home and checks her into Ireland's answer to the Betty Ford Clinic, Rachel is hopeful. Perhaps it will be lovely -- spa treatments, celebrities, that kind of thing. Instead, she finds a lot of group therapy, which leads her, against her will, to some important self-knowledge. She will also find something that all women like herself fear: a man who might actually be good for her."

Baby's First Pictures

2009-01-21T13:55:00.004-06:00

With the ultrasound yesterday they took pictures of the baby. Hopefully you can see what the little person is looking like at 12 weeks. If you mouse over the pictures and then double click, a bigger image will appear.

12 Weeks Belly

2009-01-21T12:21:00.004-06:00

At 12 weeks this is what is happening with my baby:

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. (From babycenter.

My pants are definitely getting tighter and I'm having a hard time buttoning them up!

2009-01-21T12:13:00.003-06:00

I had genetic counseling/testing yesterday. That was pretty stressful. The women I met with was named Joy, and she did not live up to her name. I get that she has to give you all this bad news but a little compassion or something would have been nice. Also, I didn't know all of my or Brenton's genetic history so I think she was a little upset about that because I truly believes she wants to know in hopes she can give you bad news! She was just on autopilot when giving information. I was already very stressed about this test and she wasn't really helping with the nerves.

After I was done with her, I had to get an ultrasound done. Wow! I still can't believe I have a child growing inside of me. I saw the little heartbeat go about a 100 miles a minute, and saw its little arm. It was quite active which at times made it difficult for the ultrasound person to get a good picture (she did though). I figure it was active because it was lunch time and it is sick of Mexican food! (I've been living off of burritos and mashed potatoes and gravy.) With the ultrasound they were looking at the neck and the fluid behind it to see if the baby had down syndrome. The doctor said everything looked really good! I still have to get my blood work back but I do feel as if some of this stress has been lifted off of me. You try to be positive and think I'm sure everything is going to be fine, and I did believe that but then doubt starts creeping up and then all the positive thoughts go away.

My next appointment is January 28th and I'll get a full physical and hear the baby's heartbeat.

Book Review: An American Wife

2009-01-12T14:08:00.003-06:00

I finally got around to reading a book. Though I think I may have read some others just forgot to post it.

"An American Wife" is written by Curtis Sittenfeld (she also wrote "Prep"). It is a story about a women whose husband becomes President of the United States. She is an only child; sheltered; became a librarian; remains quiet and out of the limelight...apparently it is loosely based on Laura Bush's life. She divides the book into four sections: addresses she lived when growing up. Not a lot of time is spent on the Capital Hill address. I was a little surprised when reading it that there wasn't because she skims over his whole run for the presidency, but she does tie it all in nicely so you don't feel as if you are missing out on anything.

Ms. Sittenfeld's website has many links to articles about the book as well as interviews.

This is definitely something worth reading.

Side Note: A colleague of mine said that Laura Bush has her own memoirs out, and the reviewer on NPR said to read "An American Wife" instead because it is more interesting!

2009-01-12T14:00:00.003-06:00

Nothing new to report on the baby front. My all-day sickness still exists but I do think it might be getting a little better. As I've told a few people, food and I aren't best friends like we once were but I think we aren't arch-enemies either anymore. I still have to plan meals one at a time but I think that should change in the next couple of weeks. Last week I survived on Chipotle burritos. Hmm...I may need to get another one of those tonight.

I had my first doctor's appointment last week. Not a big deal one. They just went over my medical history and gave me this binder to take with me whenever I have a doctor's appointment. Because I am over the age of 35 they will be watching and doing more tests on me. It is nice and scary. I talked to a co-worker who was exactly my age when she got pregnant and she felt the same way: they do scare you because of the age thing! But I'm trying not to worry about any of that.

My stomach is getting a little pooch to it. If I didn't tell you, you'd think nothing. Maybe I'm getting a little fat in the belly but that would be it. It is very exciting to see my body change. I don't necessarily enjoy waking up feeling as if I have heavy water balloons attached to my chest but I guess I'm just amazed by the process. To know something is growing inside me just blows my mind.

Morning (and afternoon and evening) Sickness

2008-12-29T15:41:00.003-06:00

It isn't that bad...but I do get ill to my stomach and think to myself that I'm glad I'm near a bathroom. I went to work today and brought along snacks. I swear I am hungry an hour after I eat. I started jogging. It felt good but I also realized I should do this at night. In the morning, I'd have to get a little something to eat first and then I'd be able to jog. Immediately after jogging I need to eat again. The only food at this moment that doesn't make my stomach cringe is cereal and eggs. Preferably Captain Crunch (I know not real nutritious!). Everything else I can eat but it takes a few bits before my stomach realizes that it likes it. And I need to stay away from chicken. Looking at it, smelling it, pictures and recipes of it all make me sick! I was cleaning out some recipes and found some for it, and I almost lost my dinner. Everyone says this is good (morning sickness) and will end in a few weeks. I hope so! I have to fly to Denver in a couple of weeks for a conference, and I don't have time to be dealing with this in my meetings!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T12:08:00.003-06:00

Well for the two people that read my blog I've got some exciting news. Remember a few posts ago how I mentioned I wanted a baby, well I'm not going to get the baby I wanted (four legs and fur) but instead am going to have a baby-baby. I'm pregnant! I found out a couple of weeks ago, and am about 8 weeks along. I was in complete shock the first few days. It still doesn't seem real to me though the morning sickness reminds me that it is! This was not planned at all. I always thought if it happened, fine, but never in a million years did I figure it would happen. I've had a couple of procedures done on my "lady parts", and was told it would be hard to conceive. Apparently not. Three home pregnancy tests confirmed that!

My family knows and is excited. I'm excited...nervous...worried...hormonal! Definitely experiencing the hormanal changes: one minute depressed, next happy, the other want to scratch Brenton's eyes out. And I'm tired. I know some of this will change in a month or so. I'm trying to just take it one day at a time, and enjoy it all though. August 8 (due date) will be here before I know it and then my world is going to change drastically!!

Don't mess with us librarians

2008-12-16T09:37:00.002-06:00

Thief Messes With the Wrong Librarian

Ann Arbor District Library director Josie Parker fractured her leg but she stopped a thief from stealing a collection box of money donated for her library's Family Book Club. (Details.) To view the surveillance camera video of Parker pursuing the thief who got away go to http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2008/12/12/dnt.mi.donation.thief.wdiv?iref=videosearch.

Creativity?

2008-12-02T16:09:00.004-06:00

I have no idea where all this creativity is coming from. I don't think as a kid I was able to sit still for a very long period of time and create anything! Now, I wish I had more time to work on knitting, sewing, picture frames, baking...

But back to the creativity...where is this coming from? All of the sudden in the last few years I've gotten to be a bit crafty. I'm not complaining just surprised maybe. I never thought of myself as that creative of a person, and I honestly don't view what I'm doing as that creative. I just enjoy it, and I suppose that is all that matters.

I'd actually like to start selling the picture frames. I did sell a couple to a friend of mine which was very exciting (and stressful). Here is a link to all the picture frames I've done thus far: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahroseg/sets/72157608739498551/. Some you've seen; some I just did. I just finished up yesterday a Christmas one. I hope to take a picture of it tonight before I mail it out to my friend, and then I'll add that to the link above.

2008-12-02T15:51:00.002-06:00

I know I've been super lazy about posting. I have a lot to say but no time to say it! I'm not even going to promise that I'll be better because we (me and the two people that read this) know I probably won't. I always think I have more time than what I have. And I honestly don't understand why I don't have more time! So I work, big deal! And I don't have children, so where does it all go? I always thought I was better with managing my time but maybe I'm not so much. It might be something to work on as a new years resolution.

My other obsession...

2008-11-17T14:04:00.004-06:00

I love old Betty Crocker books. I think it all started when I got the "Cooky Book". From there I've picked only a few up at either the Friends bookstore (I've been lucky to grab them right away since I do the sorting), garage sales or antique stores. I try to focus on 1st printings, 1st editions but 1st editions are harder to come by. Some of the things that were being made are just blame gross: tuna jello salad?! But the tips to keep your working husband happy are very funny!

Gadget

2008-11-07T12:40:00.004-06:00

Here is the little man that started my obsession with adopting:

I know several (if not all) people in my family find my love of animals strange. Look at this dog though! How can you NOT find love in your heart for it? I am hoping to get my pomeranian sometime this spring. I decided to wait until after I am off the Friends of the Library board. It will give me more time to spend with it. I already know where I'll go to get it. There is a really nice place in Idaho that breeds dogs. I may contact them now since in the contract you have to sign it states that if you do not want your dog anymore instead of giving it to the pound you must return it to them. It might be nice to see if they have a dog a little older than a puppy so I don't have to deal with the whole potty training thing. If not, I'm ready! I've been reading and researching so I know what to do!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T08:06:00.000-05:00

2008-10-08T13:35:00.004-05:00

I am thinking of adopting a baby. Crazy! I baby-sat a two year old a couple of weeks ago, and have not stopped thinking about him. He was just so cute, sweet and good! I realize that babies aren't always good (I'm not that naive!). The fact that I can't get him out of my mind though makes me think I really do need to adopt. I guess my biological clock is finally ticking away!

So I looked in the paper, and found a baby girl that I can adopt. They would even fly her to me though I'll probably go and pick her up (if I end up getting her). I decided to call her Elizabeth. I think she'll get along with everyone else in the family in time. I'm sure they'll be some jealously issues I'll have to deal with but in time everyone will get along.

Here is a picture of her:

She is a purebred pomeranian (or pom pom), which from what I have read are very intelligent animals. Easy to train and good watch dogs. I'm going to read up some more on them, and also on how to potty train them. They also won't be big. She'll probably be around the size of the cats, and even lighter than them unless I overfeed her of course!

I'm keeping my eye on her and hoping she doesn't get sold anytime soon!

Minnesota Zoo

2008-09-23T21:07:00.005-05:00

I went to the Minnesota Zoo in May with my friend Carolyn, Osman and their son Ty. I finally got around to posting the pictures on Flickr for everyone to see. I think I did a pretty good job matching the animals with their correct names. I would like to go to the Como Zoo in St. Paul next year to see some different animals. I always feel sorry for the animals in the zoo though. They look so bored and miserable. If you select the photo in Flickr you can actually see the animal better. Some of the pictures look like I took a picture of grass!

Athena

2008-09-23T19:56:00.003-05:00

I know several members of my family (and probably society as a whole) hate Athena. I can understand why. She can be a bit tempermental; grouchy; and not very friendly. But just look at her! She is just very misunderstood is all and is really a very sweet and cute kitty!

Garden Update

2008-09-23T19:32:00.003-05:00

Well, fall has arrived and the garden is finished. Check out the Flickr photostream to see how my garden grew! For my first ever garden, I'm pretty happy with my outcome. I managed to get zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, snow peas, carrots, lettuce and I think that is it! I enjoyed just watching it grow! It was exciting to see how much had grown overnight. I planted more vegetables but not everything came up. Next year I'm going to do things differently. Definitely start earlier in buying my seeds. And probably not plant as many zucchini or cucumbers. I ended up giving some of those away. A co-worker of mine lives about 4 blocks over from me, and we've talked about working together on our gardens. She plants certain things; I plant certain things. It seems to make some sense! We can then share what we grow! So while fall is here I'm already thinking about next year and how I can get my garden ready!

2008-09-08T13:55:00.003-05:00

Not that I want to start a political debate because that isn't the reason I started this blog but I do have to point out something about John McCain's new VP pick, Sarah Palin: she is into censorship!

Here is a quote from an article about her:

"Shortly after becoming mayor, former city officials and Wasilla residents
said, Ms. Palin approached the town librarian about the possibility of
banning some books, though she never followed through and it was unclear
which books or passages were in question.

Ann Kilkenny, a Democrat who said she attended every City Council meeting
in Ms. Palins first year in office, said Ms. Palin brought up the idea of
banning some books at one meeting. They were somehow morally or socially
objectionable to her, Ms. Kilkenny said.

The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to resist all efforts at
censorship, Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly
after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show
of support." (full article "Palins Start in Alaska: Not Politics as Usual" http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/24943)

If I wasn't a librarian, I still do not think she is right. Even if she suggested that "conversations about banning books were rhetorical", the fact that she SUGGESTED it makes me think that she has no problem with it!

I have a real problem with people wanting to remove books from libraries. If you don't want your child to read something, that is your choice but you don't have the right to decide for everyone else.

Okay, I said what I had to say. I will try to stay away from future posts that deal with politics. I do not want to start a debate on this.

2008-09-02T21:39:00.003-05:00

My cousin Kris sent me this a long time ago and I meant to add it to the blog. It is one of those email questionaires where you tell people about yourself and then you are supposed to send it around and send it back to the person who sent it to you. Finally here is your replay Kris!

Here goes:

1. What is your occupation? Librarian

2. What color are your socks right now? Bare feet!

3. What are you listening to right now? Students typing on the computers.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Peanuts

5. Can you drive a stick shift? No

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Purple or red

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Tess (co-worker)

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? yes

9. How old are you today? 36

10. Favorite drink? Fruit punch or orange pop

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Michigan State football or basketball

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Many times and many colors

13. Pets? 2 kitties and one extremely pathetic dog

14. Favorite food? I have too many favorite foods!

15. Last movie you watched? Miss Pettigrew live for a day (it was good)

16. What do you do to vent anger? Run and bitch to friends

17. Favorite Day of the year? Thanksgiving

18. What was your favorite toy as a child? BARBIES!!

19. What is your favorite, fall or spring? fall

20. Hugs or kisses? hugs

21. Cherry or Blueberry? both

25. Current living arrangements? House

26. When was the last time you cried? Maybe a few weeks ago

27. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes

30. Favorite smell? the smell after it rains or a nice fall morning and spring smells and roses

31. What inspires you? my friends

32. What are you afraid of? Life

33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? cheese

2008-08-29T21:30:00.004-05:00

I know I said I'd post every week in an earlier post, well I lied! Get over it! Honestly, nothing really exciting is happening.

Let me give you a few updates though:

Work Update: School started this past week, so I've been busy getting library instructions scheduled. I had one this morning for a psychology class. It went well and I do enjoy doing them. Still working on the microfiche project for government documents. I swear that is never going to end! Other than that, nothing major happening there. I'm the Information Literacy Librarian (just got promoted to that this past spring), and I'm still trying to figure things out.

Friends of the Library Update: This has seriously been taking up A LOT of my time. The new public library opens September 8th (soft opening) and the big grand opening is September 20th. I finally got bags ordered for the Friends Bookstore, and that was a hassle. I have to make posters, membership forms, organize the bookstore, and I'm sure there are a few other things I need to do before the grand opening. I'm starting to get a little stressed about it all. I would have liked us to have more in the bookstore for the grand opening but I just didn't get organized earlier enough. Oh! I also need to find someone to do our newsletter. I probably could do it, but right now I just don't have the time. One positive: we have a new logo and once I make the phone call probably a website! Again, I just need to make the time to get us going on that.

House Update: Tonight I painted the upstairs hallway/landing. I just did it white. It looks good I think. I have some touch up to do tomorrow. I also painted the ceiling. I think it might have brightened it up a bit. Then I just need to get the hand rail back up and the coat rack. The carpeting will eventually get ripped out and the wood floors will be refinished. I'd like to go to IKEA and get some bookshelves for all my cookbooks, and make the landing a little neater. It sorta becomes a dumping ground for me until I take the time to clean it up. I'm going to reframe my prints from...hmm..I'll have to look that information up and get back with everyone on it. There my favorite prints - I love what this artist does. I've actually bought some as gifts for people.

I think I've updated you enough for now. I'll probably do some more this weekend.

So stressed...

2008-08-13T11:36:00.003-05:00

My goal this summer was to make curtains. Seems simple enough but oy! I'm stressing out over what color curtains to get. You'd think that with my mom being an interior designer it would have rubbed off on me - it didn't (seriously my mom does great work - check out her website at www.interiorsbydianeinchesaning.com/).

I stress over what color to pick for paint; curtains are stressing me out; and don't even get me started on finding things to decorate the house with. I'm still looking for frames for some sheet music I bought last fall! I found one but haven't found anything else I like. All very stressful. It takes me FOREVER to make a decision on something.

Granted, I would say it has been only recently that I've started learning to dress myself but even then that is hit or miss at times, so is it a surprise I'm so stressed about picking out material for curtains?!

Happy Smurfday!

2008-08-07T13:30:00.002-05:00

The Smurfs are celebrating their 50th birthday! On October 23, 1958 the Smurfs made their first appearance in a story of Johan & Peewit in “Le Journal de Spirou”. Their creator Peyo had worked previously at a number of drawing jobs.

What the Smurf is a Smurf?

Far, very far from here, in a little village full of mushroom-shaped houses live the Smurfs. The little characters are three apples high, have blue skin and are dressed in white trousers and a cap. Yet they are a happy, easy-going bunch - give or take one or two.What the Smurf is a Smurf?

Far, very far from here, in a little village full of mushroom-shaped houses live the Smurfs. The little characters are three apples high, have blue skin and are dressed in white trousers and a cap. Yet they are a happy, easy-going bunch - give or take one or two.

Find out more about individual smurfs, how to speak smurf and job opportunities at www.smurf.com.

Have a smurf day!!

2008-08-07T13:26:00.001-05:00

I'm surprised mine didn't make the list:

The Top 25 Blogs from Time Magazine.

Book Reviews

2008-08-05T10:28:00.002-05:00

I recently finished reading two books: one a graphic novel/comic book collection and the other about aliens taking over our body.

The first was the Watchmen, which is about costumed adventurers, who are "superheroes" yet do not have any superpowers. They got together because they were sick of the crime in the city. One guy though does have superpowers because he got zapped with all this nuclear energy (Mr. Manhattan). Anyways, a nuclear war is happening, Nixon is still president (it is 1986), and someone is going around trying to kill these adventurers. Within the strips is another comic strip getting written, which mimics what is happening in the Watchmen script. It is a dark comic which after seeing the trailer for the movie, it looks like that will be just as dark AND seeing some of the effects as true to the novel as they could (which I read in Entertainment Weekly (my entertainment bible), the director really did stick to the comic book version of the story). The movie will be out in March 2009.

The other book I read I think more people will probably prefer. It is The Host by Stephenie Meyer. She wrote the very popular young adult series "Twilight" which is about vampires. The Host is about these aliens who take over human bodies (hosts) with their souls. They are non-violent souls, except the whole taking over the entire earth population. The host's minds are read by the souls to discover where other humans are hiding, and then eventually the humans thoughts go away. But in this soul's host, the human won't leave and the love she has for her boyfriend and brother consume the soul until she goes out to find them. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens!

Movie Reviews

2008-07-31T16:15:00.003-05:00

I've been to a few movies this summer. So here are some reviews:

Hancock - not bad. I think I read where this is a dramedy, and I would have to agree. If you are thinking you are going to laugh very hard, no...not really.

Wall*E - YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE! It was so good (I cried!). "EEEVA" "WALL-LEE" Go watch it!

The Dark Night - Wow! Heath Ledger was amazing! The move was so good but very dark. His take on the Joker was so good and creepy. It is over 2 hours long but goes very fast.

Hell Boy 2: (I can't remember the rest) - I had just borrowed Hell Boy from the library, so decided after watching that I needed to see the second one. The first was good but it was a lot of background information, where the second had more of a story of good vs. evil to it. And it ended where I'm sure they'll be a third installment!

We think Wall*E looks a bit like Emma!

Goodwill Grill

2008-07-31T16:11:00.002-05:00

I love our Goodwill Grill! I have been a grilling fool since we got it! I've done steaks, chicken, hamburgers, brats, potatoes, asparagus, and corn. LOVE corn on the grill! I swear it is probably the only way I'll eat it from now on. I do have a question so if anyone can answer please do:

If you wanted to grill the corn and then put it in a salsa, would you just wait until it cools to take a knife to removing the kernals or is there another way?

Vacation...all I ever wanted!

2008-07-31T16:02:00.005-05:00

Last week I took a week off of work. It was wonderful! I didn't go anywhere due to anxiety over the idea (working on getting over that) but it was nice to just stay around the house and work on it. I wanted to get the kitchen done since I've only been working on it for probably nine plus months. Of course it didn't happen either.

Instead I helped build a fence on the side of the garage in the alley. We pulled out several lilac bushes (which did make me sad and extremely sore), and built a little area by the garage there where Brenton can store his auto parts. He had them in the yard prior to this, and after he moved them over it really did make the yard look nicer. It also made us realize we have a huge backyard!

I did manage to get started on the kitchen Sunday. We redid the trim work around the door frame that goes upstairs. We also took out this shelf that was probably secure but didn't look as if it might be. And then since the hallway going upstairs has a connection to the kitchen (?), I painted it blue. I think it looks nice. It is almost a blue/grey. I thought it would look nice next to the yellow. What do you think?

New frame work around door:

Hallway:

Please don't EVER feel sorry for her!

2008-07-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

Ducks in my backyard?!

2008-07-11T12:27:00.006-05:00

There were ducks in my backyard in the spring. I came home from work and Brenton was like, "I have to show you something". Neither one of us can figure out how they got in, but after a few hours they were gone. I was glad they decided to stay in the yard for a few hours because our street can be busy.

Picture Frames

2008-07-11T12:15:00.007-05:00

When I was out in Anaheim for my library conference, I stayed a couple extra days to visit my friend Lynn. I have known Lynn for 14 years! Wow! We lived together for a few years when we were living in East Lansing; going to school or at least trying to go. She is with a great guy, Chip, who I enjoy hanging out with. I made for their sons, Axel and Thor (due on Wednesday, July 9!) a couple of picture frames. And here they are:

I was really happy with how these turned out. I'm going to make a couple other ones very soon (look for one Lynn and Carolyn) which I can't wait to start!

2008-07-07T15:10:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I last posted. I had been busy getting ready to go to ALA in Anaheim, CA. I had things to take care of at work and the house before I left. Now that I'm back I'm going to start making it a priority to try to write something if not once a day AT LEAST once a week! I've got some pictures of the flower gardens to post and some other things that I've been working on around the house. I totally forgot to take a picture of the birthday present I sent to my Grandmother. That was a lot of fun to put together. I made cards out of the pictures I took at the conservatory and put them in a wood box for her which I painted and glued flowers on. I also lined the box with fabric. I'm making another one for a friend of mine. Maybe I'll remember to take pictures of that when it is done! I made picture frames for my friend Lynn which I'll post later this week.

Now I am busy catching up with work things so I'll write more about my trip out west later!

What's your secret?

2008-06-11T08:37:00.003-05:00

We had a marketing workshop yesterday at work that talked about graphic design and how to use it in some things we create for the library. One book they mentioned was PostSecret Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives due to the way people designed their postcards. Really what this book is about is a project Frank Warren started where he placed postcards around local community centers, libraries, and other public places asking people to share a secret, one they have never told anyone. The secrets are really eye-opening and the designs are wonderful. Some of the secrets are very strange, but others are sad. Some I can relate to, they are my own secret that I've never shared; others, I think, "what the hell?". Either way if you haven't heard of this project you really need to find the book and learn more. You can also visit the blog at PostSecret .

Popular Librarians

2008-06-04T15:03:00.004-05:00

I've really gotten into the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (better late than never!). I know I should have been into this when it first came out but I thought it seemed very silly. And okay, it still is but the episode last night made me laugh so hard! It was the one where Buffy (vampire slayer) and Spike (evil vampire) were under a spell and were going to get married.

Anyways the point of this post is that Giles, Buffy's watcher, was a librarian in the show which made me think how many other shows, movies and songs featured librarians. Well, being a librarian and all, I decided to do a little research on the matter. I went to the all powerful Google, and did a search for "librarian" AND "popular culture", and found a lot of references to us! The information I found on the wikipedia entry entitled, Librarians in popular culture gave me quite a bit of information on how librarians have been shown through-out pop culture. Other sites of interest:

Article from Entertainment Weekly EW's list of librarians depicted in pop culture

Website entitled, Image of Libraries in Popular Culture that goes into detail (provides bibliographical information if you'd like to learn more!) about libraries and librarians in pop culture

And finally, another article from Entertainment Weekly entitled, 18 Sexy Trips to the Library Stacks

Librarians Rock! Seriously, how would Buffy have fought all those demons and vampires if Giles wasn't around doing all the research for her?!

Finished a book

2008-05-30T08:47:00.002-05:00

I just finished the new book by Joy Fielding, "Charley's Web". I liked it! It made my heart race a bit at the end of it. Here's the blurb about it from the jacket of the book:

"Charley Webb is a beautiful single mother who writes a successful and controversial column for the Palm Beach Post. She's spent years building an emotional wall against scathing critics, snooty neighbors, and her disapproving family. But when she receives a letter from Jill Rohmer, a young woman serving time on death row for the murders of three small children, her boundaries slowly begin to fade. Jill wants Charley to write her biography so that she can share the many hidden truths about the case that failed to surface during her trial. Seeing this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Charley begins her jour-ney into the mind of this deeply troubled woman."

Definitely a good read!

Desserts!

2008-05-30T08:38:00.002-05:00

I made All-in-One Strawberry Shortcake on Monday. It was very easy to make and I assume it tasted well because I brought it into work, and within a couple of hours it was gone! I also made Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies which contain rice crispy cereal. I liked the peanut butter cookie part but the cereal got a little funny when you baked it. They were still good but I think I would take out the cereal.

I've tried to find these recipes online but they are no where! So if you'd like them let me know!

I think this weekend I might make Chocolate Cake. I've been craving that lately probably since I haven't made it in a long time.

Another new recipe

2008-05-27T11:47:00.002-05:00

I would probably make this once a week if I could...well, actually I made it two times last week! I LOVE this recipe I found in my magazine I get from Kraft. It is Easy Asian-Style Chicken Appetizers. I do put it on my crackers but I've also been known to make a sandwich out of it. So yummy!!

CNN.com Article

2008-05-20T16:04:00.003-05:00

Brenton can now be found on CNN.com in the article entitled, "Gas prices drive Geos from clunkers to chic". Also a picture of him and Emma accompany the article. It is mainly about a women who bought a Geo Metro to save money in her 100 mile commute to and from work. At the end of the article is a little bit about how Brenton is buying and selling them. He's got some really good quotes in there like this one:

"Gas prices are definitely driving increased popularity in the Metro, which at times wasn't cool," he said. "Now the coolness factor is stemming from the fact that you're getting 50 miles per gallon and never having to fill up."

Does this mean I'm going to be driving around in one soon? No. He has zero patience in teaching me how to drive one (they are sticks). He tried last spring, and after a couple of times stalling it, we both broke out laughing and called it quits. But I may trade in the Silver Slut for an automatic Geo Metro. Not as good as the sticks when it comes to gas millage but probably better than what I get now. I probably buy gas every couple of weeks (which I realize is VERY good) but I bet if I had a Geo I'd probably only have to fill up once a month. We'll see. I am having a hard time parting with the Silver Slut.

House Update

2008-05-14T14:13:00.005-05:00

Nothing new to really report here. We've been mainly working outdoors. I've planted part of our garden (potatoes, onions, lettuce and peas), and will probably plant the rest this weekend. I've planted some flowers around the West Nile Virus pit (or what used to be that), and then dug up the grass in the front by the curb (see picture). It was dead and I read an article in my magazine about how trying to grow grass can be hard for the environment. So, I dug it all up and decided to plant bushes, annuals and perennials. I hope to plant some stuff that is native to Minnesota. We'll see. Have great ideas but unfortunately time and money play a part in them!

As you can see though from this picture I did a pretty good job digging up the area by the curb. I was pretty sore when I was done with that! I think next winter I'll do some serious weight-lifting so I am not that sore from doing things like this!

What I'm reading...

2008-05-14T14:03:00.003-05:00

Right now just magazines. I have two months of Glamour to catch up on. A month of Real Simple; a week of Entertainment Weekly ; and, about three weeks of Time.

But I did finish a couple of books recently. The first was the Curse of the Spellmans. I think last summer I recommended reading "The Spellman Files". If you haven't YOU NEED TO! Both books are hilarious! The Curse continues with the Spellman's and their crazy spying antics. Love these books!

The second book I recently finished was Mary Higgin Clark's book Where Are you Now?. It was an easy read and it was fine. All her books are fine. They are all about the same.

Still need to finish "Julie & Julia", and will be starting Joy Fielding's new book after I catch up on all my magazines!

New Recipes

2008-05-14T13:53:00.004-05:00

Now that classes are over with I actually have time to try some new dishes on Brenton. I made Spicy Shrimp Cups, and came home from work with all the shrimp eaten but the rest of the cups still there. So I won't be making them again. They were alright. I wasn't too bummed out by us not liking them.

I have made two new chicken dishes the last few nights and we both REALLY like them! Neither take super long to bake and are a little rich, but so tasty! The first recipe was Artichoke Chicken. Looking at the picture one might go "eww" but it is very good! The second chicken recipe was Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts. I used fresh spinach and didn't stuff the chicken but instead just spread the mixture over the top of it. I also didn't wrap the bacon around it but just placed that on top of the mixture. Still turned out good!

Both recipes, as I mentioned are rich (mayo, bacon, cheese!), but so good! Probably not something to have all the time but definite keepers. I'm trying really hard to try recipes I haven't done before. The artichoke chicken recipe I had printed out almost two years ago, and finally this past week made it! As I have the time I'll continue to try new recipes and post the ones that have gone over well!

Latest Tulip Update!

2008-05-14T13:48:00.003-05:00

My tulips have come up and are blooming! They look so beautiful. I'm so happy at least some of my flowers came up. I don't think I'll have any daffodils (bummer) nor whatever else it was that I planted. But at least I got something!

Here are a few pictures I've taken the last couple of weeks so you can see how they have progressed to just one or two to them all almost being in bloom:

Brenton is in demand!

2008-04-29T18:56:00.005-05:00

Brenton was on the news out of Minneapolis this evening! The Associated Press picked up the MPR story, and it is very popular!

Check him out at http://wcco.com/consumer/econo.cars.money.2.711647.html

Celebrities in the Household!

2008-04-28T08:30:00.002-05:00

For the two people that read this blog, you know that as President of the Friends of the Library, I was in a couple local articles. Well, not to be outdone, Brenton went and called MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) to talk to them about the rising cost of gas, and these cars he sells called Geo Metros. He appeared on the station this past Friday. Tim Post came to our house on Tuesday, and spent a couple of hours with Brenton. Mr. Post did a great job with the broadcast and article. Check it all out (with pictures!) at: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/04/23/geometro_man/

There is also audio so you can even listen to the broadcast if you'd like!

Yes, both of our heads are getting too big for our little house!

Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

2008-04-21T16:04:00.006-05:00

I went to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory a couple of weeks ago. Located in St. Paul, it had a beautiful display of spring flowers for people to enjoy, and it was great to enjoy them. I went on Sunday the day after we got dumped with a lot of snow (hopefully our FINAL snow fall). Lots of people were out enjoying the sunny weather, and I took over 70 pictures of flowers. Here are a few (view the rest on my Flickr photostream):

And one of me!

Tulip Update

2008-04-16T13:51:00.002-05:00

Since I've planted over a billion tulips (okay maybe not THAT many - it just felt like it after awhile!), I check them every morning to see how may are popping up. And it is another way to prolong going into work!

Today the count is up to 24! Many look pretty good even after being buried under a lot of snow from last week.

Now if only some of the other stuff I planted would start coming up because I honestly can't remember what all I planted!

Emma taking a bath

2008-04-14T18:07:00.003-05:00

Poor pathetic dog!

Tulips

2008-04-14T14:30:00.003-05:00

Well, I thought I'd show you what my tulips (all nineteen of them!) were doing last week Tuesday (April 8, 2008):

This is what they looked like on Sunday morning (April 13, 2008):

Gotta love 6 months of winter.

2008-04-14T14:19:00.002-05:00

I just finished reading "Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult. It was about a death row inmate from New Hampshire who wanted to give his heart to a young girl after he had been executed. The young girl's father and half-sister was killed by the death row inmate. It was about the death penalty, religion, faith and beliefs.

It was a good book, but I've read other books by her I've much rather preferred. I've been trying to include all the books I've read (or am seriously reading) on my Library Thing shelves. I've realized I'm much better announcing what I'm reading on my blog than adding them to my online bookshelves. I am going to try to be better though. I just added today that I'm reading "Julie & Julia" by Julie Powell which is about a "30-years-old, living in a rundown apartment in Queens and working at a soul-sucking secretarial job that's going nowhere. She needs something to break the monotony of her life, and she invents a deranged assignment. She will take her mother's dog-eared copy of Julia Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she will cook all 524 recipes. In the span of one year."

I'm thinking I might start a little less intense and maybe pick a Southern Cooking or Cooking Light book and make all of those recipes. I'll keep you posted if I actually go through with it...

2008-04-01T19:27:00.003-05:00

We've been busy remodeling the kitchen. We put a new back door in and WOW! Did that ever bring in some light for us and make that space look a little bigger. We also have most of the trim work done. A little more needs to be put up. I plan to spend this weekend painting what we were able to put up this past weekend.

We also put a new light fixture in the kitchen. We had this huge ceiling fan, and now that it is gone it really makes the space a lot bigger. One disappointment though: no bead board for the ceiling! We tried but the glue didn't want to stick and the nails didn't either due to the plaster. At some point (years from now) we'll have to redo our ceilings, and I hope at that point to add the bead board to the ceiling in the kitchen. I knew it was going to look so nice in there if it would have worked!

Now that the kitchen is almost finished I need to go on a decorating spree!! I've got some ideas...which I'll have to share with you all later since I can't remember the artist whose print I am thinking of putting up in the kitchen. Here are a couple of pictures for you:

We love IKEA!

2008-04-01T18:51:00.004-05:00

Brenton and I heart IKEA! This place has great furniture that is not expensive, easy to assemble, and other fun gadgets! We've gotten a few ideas for the house by spending a few hours walking around IKEA. AND they have a restaurant where you can get Swedish meatballs, french fries, and all sorts of other goodies at a reasonable price! It is a serious date night for us when we go there.

Last time we were there, we decided to play around a little bit. They have bathroom displays, and the toilets always say:

So here is Brenton...well you can see from the picture what we did!

Did I mention we are dorks?!

Chuck Norris Rocks

2008-04-01T18:45:00.003-05:00

For those people that are Chuck Norris fans, this site is pretty funny: http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/.

Look at some of these facts:

Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

Chuck Norris doesn't actually write books, the words assemble themselves out of fear.

When Chuck Norris talks, everybody listens. And dies.

And my favorite:

Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

Zombies in Plain English

2008-03-24T12:17:00.002-05:00

I discovered this video when trying to find another video to post on the schools blog.

Yes, not only do I maintain this blog, I also maintain the one for the CSB/SJU library (http://csbsjulibrary.blogspot.com/) which is obviously more educational...well for the most part. I'll probably add this zombie video next year for Halloween.

It is by Common Craft, where they break things down in plain english for people to understand. There are videos on how to create blogs, RSS feeds, social bookmarking and this one on zombies! Hilarious!

Want to learn more about zombies? I'd recommend watching the movie Fido which is about a boy and his zombie (sorta like a boy and his dog except zombies).

Read all about it!

2008-03-17T15:12:00.002-05:00

The Citizen Times, a supplement to the St. Cloud Times, did an article about the St. Cloud Friends of the Library and our big donation for the new library. You can read the article at:

Citizen Times article

It has a picture of me giving the big check to a member of the library staff! Very exciting times!

What are you reading?

2008-03-11T13:41:00.003-05:00

I don't normally do this, but I am reading three books right now. The first is the biography of Edith Piaf, a singer from France who was successful before and after World War II. I saw the movie about her entitled, La Vie En Rose it was very good. Her life was so tragic! The actress who portrayed her in the film went on to win the Oscar this year for it.

The second book I am reading is Now you see him by Eli Gottlieb. So far so good. Interesting read so far but this book by Ann Patchett sorta had gotten my attention.

I read her book entitled "Run" recently and really enjoyed it. The library has "The Magicians Assistant" which is about a women who married a man who was in love with another man. Both men have died, and she is mourning the loss of her husband, when she discovers that he has family (he lied and said his parents were dead). I'm not terribly far in it, but so far so good.

Beautiful day!

2008-03-11T13:36:00.002-05:00

It is a beautiful day here in Minnesota! We are having a serious heat wave with the temp being 42 degrees! Now if it would only stay that way. They are predicting the temperature to be in the 30's for the remainder of the week (still not bad - at least it isn't in the negatives!). Tomorrow might be a little crappy if we get the wintery mix. Until then...yeah sun!

Spring Flowers

2008-03-03T13:47:00.002-06:00

I can't wait until spring when I can plant flowers and vegetables! I'm already getting ideas for gardening. I'd like to try doing some more container gardening on the deck. I've found some really nice patio furniture and a grill but am going to hold off buying anything yet. I think if I bought those things now my head would explode from having to wait until the weather got warmer to actually use them. My head sorta feels like it will explode when I start thinking about working outside in the garden. I'm like I was once at Christmas: so excited to run downstairs and open presents up; to see if I was really good or not!

I also might have to make another trip to Home Goods. They have some pretty nice containers. This store is like a TJ Maxx but for home decorations. I would say it is well worth a trip if you have one near by!

New video on YouTube

2008-02-26T21:46:00.002-06:00

I created another video for my government documents. You can view it below if you'd like. Nevada State Library and Archives posted a couple of my videos on their website. Yes, I'm feeling pretty cool!

2008-02-26T21:38:00.003-06:00

I think the reason I was so depressed there a few weeks ago is because I was coming down with the flu! I think I wrote about how sad I was on a Tuesday evening, and that night I had the chills really bad. I was able to work the next day (Wednesday) but on Valentine's Day forget it! I had a fever, chills, congestion in my chest and a head cold! Six days later I finally felt well enough to go into work for the entire day. The flu that is going around is kicking everyone butts! Hope you don't get it!

So I'm feeling better though still wishing winter would just end. It looks like Thursday we are going to get some more snow. I would be surprised if we didn't get some more snow in March so I'm mentally preparing for it just in case. Winter won't end for at least another month I'm sure. The nice thing is that in April or May I'll hopefully have a nice surprise: my tulips I planted in the fall will all come up!

2008-02-13T09:12:00.002-06:00

I decided I want to be a bear and hibernate for the rest of winter. I figure I have enough fat on me to last until at least Easter. At Easter I can get a good meal, and then hibernate for another two weeks.

I drove into work crying because I don't know if I can take another day of being cold. Last night I woke up FREEZING and pulled my heavy comforter over me and slept with it on the entire night. I am tired and do not want to go out to do anything. I'm exhausted by the time I come home at night because I have to "pretend" to be happy. On the outside I appear like everything is okay; on the inside I just want to crawl in a hole and sleep.

And while I said I was okay with snow I didn't realize how much we are getting: 4-6 inches! I knew it was going to be a LONG winter when we got our first snow in early November!

Another frame

2008-02-12T18:41:00.000-06:00

I didn't sign the back of this one because I forgot so when Steph sells it at her garage sale no one will truly understand how the frame is really worth the whole 50 cents she puts on it!

Still cold...

2008-02-12T18:29:00.000-06:00

I'm depressed. Really, really depressed. I wish I wasn't but this cold weather is really bringing me down(read more at Record cold for northern Minn). It was FREEZING again this past weekend (-40 below wind chills). Weather like this does not make me want to venture outside and if I do only for a very brief amount of time. I have a picture from my cruise last year on my desktop of the ocean hoping that would help my mood but it hasn't. I am tired of this cold! We are supposed to get some snow tomorrow which I'm actually okay with. As long as the temperatures remain above zero and even better if they get above 15, then life is good. I'm trying to stay busy even though I've got no energy.

Does anyone know when spring will be here?! I'm not sure how much more I can take of this frigid winter!!

How cold is it here?!

2008-01-30T10:16:00.000-06:00

The temp this morning was -17 and the wind chill was -40!

2008-01-29T21:14:00.000-06:00

Hey Dad! Didn't know you had your own website?

(My father does not have his own website. I'm not sure he even knows how to turn on the computer!)

I love music!

2008-01-29T21:00:00.001-06:00

I love listening to the radio at work. I usually tune my computer in to Impact 89FM which is the radio station from MSU (Go State!). I love alternative rock what can I say!

They've been down for over a month now so I thought I'd check out Pandora.com. This radio station you create is free. You tell them the artist you are interested in listening to and they will generate a radio station that plays other artists that are similar. I have 11 stations created (here are a few): Amy Winehouse,Rooney, Hot Hot Heat (love them!), and one of my favorites which is Erasure! This station plays tons of New Order, OMD, Depeche Mode, When in Rome and other great dance hits of the 80's.

I've also just ordered two new CD's both soundtracks. I saw the movie "Juno" this weekend and everyone MUST see it! Extremely funny and very sweet! The music for the soundtrack is fun and quirky. The other movie I watched this weekend (out on DVD) is "Once". It is a movie set in Ireland about two people coming together for a week to create music. If you like David Gray you'll want this soundtrack. I can not wait to get it!

Eliminate unwanted catalogs!

2008-01-24T15:35:00.000-06:00

Found this site when I was cleaning up some of my RSS feeds I have saved in Bloglines.

Catalog Choice-Eliminate unwanted catalogs is free and will let the companies know to stop sending you there information.

I haven't signed up for it because I sorta like getting the catalogs I receive. And I also recycle those I don't like. And those that I would like to order things from but I can't afford anything I recycle those as well.

Like the changes to our blog?

2008-01-21T17:43:00.001-06:00

Well, thank you very much!

Unfortunately I can't take all (or probably any) of the credit. I view my friend Sarah's blog, La Vie en Ross to find out what she has added and then try to add it to ours.

I'm going to keep spying on her blog and adding things to ours that I like, and also see if there are any other widgets I can add. It is sorta fun!!

2008-01-21T17:29:00.000-06:00

I painted this weekend. Yeah. I really had nothing else to do considering it was -18 degrees at one point outside. Yes, you read that correctly: 18 degrees below zero. That is the "holy crap! what the hell am I doing here?!" degree!

I painted the window trim that Brenton had worked on about a month ago in the whatever you want to call it room. It looks really nice, and like I told him it is okay if it isn't perfect because someday I'll be hanging curtains up. Someday. Some day very far away from today.

The other area I painted was the bay window (not the window itself). I used a shade called moon mist which is a very pale yellow. It really made the room more bright! I love it! It makes me happy or puts me in a cheerful mood! I am thinking of doing yellow in the downstairs bedroom but am not sure if I am using too much yellow around the house. Actually the color would be so nice in the bathroom! Might be a paint job for this weekend!

The curtains have got to get made soon because I can not stand those shades!!

I'm going to buy a fern to hang up in the bay window to block a little bit of the sun. I don't want shades for that area.

2008-01-21T17:28:00.001-06:00

I made this picture frame for my friend Burdette's birthday. I think it turned out pretty good!

Tootsie Roll Pops - Does anyone remember this?

2008-01-17T14:29:00.000-06:00

We have this question board at work where students submit random and sometimes weird questions for us (not me) to answer. One student asked, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?", which I told Molly three because that is what the owl said. She had no idea what I was talking about so I found the commercial on YouTube:

If you really want to know, apparently there has been three actual scientific studies done on this. To read about them go to http://www.tootsie.com/memoriesLicksMachine.html

Life in a cloud

4am

40 weeks...

Baby Bibs

Jon Won!!

38 Weeks and still pregnant!

36 Weeks Baby Bump

Book Reviews - Gillian Flynn

Recycle Your Cell Phone!!

New Book - Home Safe

33 Week Baby Bump

Baking and Cooking!

Brother's Band Needs Your Help!

Baby Bump: 28 Weeks

Book Reviews

Baby Update

Baby Bump: 24 Weeks

Poor Emma!

Kitchen Pictures

Its official: I'm a dork!

It's a...

A few of my favorite things...

20 Week Bump

Welcome to my office

More Picture Frames

16 Weeks Bump

No new baby news!

Baby's First Pictures

12 Weeks Belly

Book Review: An American Wife

Morning (and afternoon and evening) Sickness

Merry Christmas!

Don't mess with us librarians

Creativity?

My other obsession...

Gadget

Happy Halloween!

Minnesota Zoo

Athena

Garden Update

So stressed...

Happy Smurfday!

Book Reviews

Movie Reviews

Goodwill Grill

Vacation...all I ever wanted!

Please don't EVER feel sorry for her!

Ducks in my backyard?!

More posts...I promise

Picture Frames

What's your secret?

Popular Librarians

Finished a book

Desserts!

Another new recipe

CNN.com Article

House Update

What I'm reading...

New Recipes

Latest Tulip Update!

Brenton is in demand!

Celebrities in the Household!

Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

Tulip Update

Emma taking a bath

Tulips

We love IKEA!

Chuck Norris Rocks

Zombies in Plain English

Read all about it!

What are you reading?

Beautiful day!

Spring Flowers

New video on YouTube

Another frame

Still cold...

How cold is it here?!

I love music!

Eliminate unwanted catalogs!

Like the changes to our blog?