July in Review

Well, we've made it out of June - on to July!

AROUND THE HOUSE

Mitch decided to take our grill off the deck and store it in the garage instead.  I quickly claimed the newly empty space as my future outdoor reading  corner!

We finally became a toaster ovens household!  I was probably way too excited about this addition to our household.  I don't know what it is, but there's just something about a toaster oven.

I discovered Grey's Anatomy reruns and quickly filled up my DVR over and over again with them.  (Mitch and I have since joined the Netflix revolution and I'm now watching them there and leaving room on our DVR for my other 'programs.'  Also, I'm not sure why Mitch and I waited so long to hop on the Netflix bandwagon - it's fabulous!)

BOOKS

After reading Where the Heart Is, I thought I'd grab the other Billie Letts book I had on my shelf and give that one a whirl.  Sometimes you're not ready to leave an author after one book.  While I didn't think it was quite as good as Where the Heart Is, I did really enjoy Made in the U.S.A.  Letts knows how to write characters you fall in love with (I adored Fate).  And side note, how pretty is this cover?  I definitely want to read her other novels.

I had a love-hate relationship with Chris Bohjalian based on the two novels I picked up by him; Midwives is one of my favorite novels but I couldn't finish Before You Know Kindness.  I wanted to read at least one more (perhaps several more) of Bohjalian's works because of the impression he left with Midwives.  Secrets of Eden was definitely better than Before You Know Kindness but it was no Midwives.  This did restore my faith in the author, however, and I look forward to reading his other books on my shelf.

I heard so many wonderful things about A Man Called Ove and it did not disappoint. It was such a sweet, humorous book.  I highly recommend it.

CRICKETT

I needed to wash a couple of Crickett's stinkiest toys and she got very concerned about the whole ordeal.  It was so cute watching her.

A couple of nights later I was doing my own laundry and Crickett had to inspect every step of the process.  She may have developed some trust issues after that first night - ha!  Sometimes my little girl really impresses me with that memory of hers; the things she remembers when I'm absolutely certain she'll forget!  She is still showing a great interest in the laundry room to this day.

FAMILY

The Fourth of July holiday was spent with family.  We enjoyed the nice day and played some Yard Yahtzee at my parent's house and ventured out that evening to our city's annual fireworks display.

The second to last weekend in July was spent with my dad's side of the family out on the family farm for our now annual Fam Jam event.  As always, it was absolutely fabulous being in one of my favorite places on earth with some of my favorite people on earth.  I need to give this wonderful weekend it's own post.  Stay tuned.  (Hopefully not too long!)

MOTHER NATURE

We had quite a few storms over the summer and quite a few of them were rather intense.  The clouds with this particular storm were incredible; I'd never seen anything like them.  I almost felt like I was in a movie!  Mother Nature is definitely a talented (and destructive!) lady.

The bell flowers in our front yard finally started to really bloom (I'd been checking on them constantly since May - obviously I was very excited!)  I love their simple prettiness.  I should really try - and I mean, really, really try (because you have to work hard when you have a black thumb) - to get more flowers going around our house next year.  They are truly a joy to have around; it's hard not to feel calm and happy when looking at them.

June in Review, Part 1

June 2nd marked my 35th birthday and it was a very good day.

Before work I enjoyed a free Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's.  I LOVE Denny's scrambled eggs (with cheese) - they are so ridiculously delicious!  Definitely the best eggs I've ever had and will probably ever have.

I arrived at work to decorations and presents.  My office mates know me well; gnomes (and a gnome reading a book at that!) and sugary treats.  I also got several fun certificates in response to certificates I've awarded in the past.  It was a nice day for being at work and all.

I discovered a fun little Happy Birthday note on my windshield from a roller derby friend who recently started working in the building next to mine.  It's crazy how those little things can put such a big smile on your face.

I left work early so I could visit the chiropractor.  The weekend prior to my birthday I somehow managed to hurt my lower back by sitting around all weekend reading.  I was told that only I could manage something like that.  Ha!

After my chiropractor visit, I met my family for dinner.  Another free birthday meal, this time at a local 50s cafe - they have delicious popcorn and one of the best mushroom swiss burgers ever.  I definitely ate well on my birthday!

After dinner everyone came back to our house for cheesecake (yum!) and presents.  I'd been wanting Yard Yahtzee for quite some time and put the bug in my dad's ear that he could make me a set for my birthday if he was interested.  Well, I lucked out and he was interested.  I got two sets - a painted and unpainted set - both of which are perfect!  Almost too nice to play with!

In addition to Yard Yahtzee, I'd also been wanting a bean-bag toss game for quite some time.  My father-in-law granted my wish for this one.  Thirty-five is apparently the birthday for yard games.  And perhaps 36 is the year to actually play them (it's horrible, but neither game has made it out into the yard yet!).

And like Mother's Day, I forced Crickett to take a photo with me.  And like Mother's Day, she was thrilled about it.

Stay tuned for more June happenings, (although they're obviously not going to be as exciting as my birthday happenings)!

May in Review

One of the goals on my 101 in 1001 list is to blog 101 days in a row.  I made this goal to motivate me to get caught up on posts I've been meaning to write (some for years!) and I figured now would be a great time to start this challenge since I've gone over two months since my last post.  So, without further ado, here is the first day of (hopefully!) 101 days of memory and thought sharing.

May in review:

1.  I got my eyes checked for the first time in nine years.  My prescription didn't change but now I actually have one that will allow me to order new glasses.  Hopefully my prescription doesn't expire before I get around to doing that!  I'm not known for getting things done quickly - obviously.

2.  I forced Crickett to sit with me and then forced Mitch to take a photo of us together for Mother's Day.  I could practically see the love oozing out of them that morning!

3.  Our little girl had 23 bad teeth pulled.  I felt so bad for her - I mean, can you imagine getting knocked out and then waking up woozy and missing almost all of your teeth?  I imagine it would be a bit scary.  But of course our little girl was a champ through it all.  You could tell she felt crappy that evening but her tail still wagged and the next day she was back to excitedly bouncing around in circles for marshmallow treats.  It only took a couple of days for her to start eating hard food and she hasn't had any issues since.  We are very lucky to have this happy little trooper in our lives.

4.  Like one of my April thrifting trips, I found a true gem again in May that I couldn't justify buying.  I mean, how fabulous is this table?  I fell in love instantly!  As I stood staring at the wonderful style, visions of a bright, cheerful paint makeover entered my head.  Unfortunately, reason quickly shoved those thoughts aside and made me accept the fact that I had no where to put this piece.  I begrudgingly walked away.  I have no doubt it found a great home.

5.  Facebook reminded me that two years ago I was enjoying Confetti Cake Blizzards (sometimes in delicious waffle cones!).  I miss this Blizzard flavor so very much; it quickly became my favorite and nothing has compared to it since.  I hope they bring it back some day.

6.  Both our pear trees started growing a ridiculous amount of fruit in May.  I think this year was the earliest they've ever started growing and it's definitely been the year they've produced the most fruit.  Despite some crazy storms and windy days this summer, we still seem to have a good deal of nice fruit left hanging.  Will be awesome to get to eat whatever makes it!

7.  After a poll at work (everyone there knows my love of gnomes runs deep and I informed them that the summer is when gnomes come out to visit), it was decided that my official gnome decorating season would begin Memorial Day weekend and end Labor Day weekend.  So, for the last two months our house has been filled with all sorts of these cute little guys (and even one girl!).  Gnome season is a very adorable season!  And because it makes me chuckle: After posting this photo on Facebook with the caption "Gnome season has begun,"  my father-in-law commented with "I think you need to exchange the one on the right.  It doesn't match the others."

April in Review

Here I am again, writing a summary post because I didn't get my butt in gear and write during the month of April.  One of these months I'll stay on top of things.  Okay, we all know that's not true but it never hurts to dream, right?  So, here are some tidbits from April.

1.  My coworkers and I have tried every special flavor of Oreos that we've been able to get our hands on.  The latest flavor was Strawberry Shortcake: quite tasty!

2.  My dad gave my mom this library puzzle for Christmas and after seeing it completed, I thought it would look great hanging on the wall in my library.  I wanted to complete the puzzle myself, though, so I could take credit it for it (who doesn't want puzzle bragging rights?) and because I did have to admit it looked a little fun.  It took me a little less than two weeks and I was right - it was fun.  I know I said after doing my last puzzle that they aren't for me but I think I may have to retract that statement.  I think I may have enough patience to do one puzzle every winter.

When I start a puzzle, I always wonder which piece will be the last one; being the nerd that I am, I had to document it.  And since I knew you'd be wondering what piece it was, I figured I better share the photo here.  You're welcome.

Puzzle glue has been purchased and hopefully one of these days soon the gluing gets done and a frame purchased.  Then it will be on to hanging this and all the wonderful book prints I've purchased; it will be so much fun to have my library one step closer to being complete (and not quite the mess it currently is!).

3.  I have several vases and other containers like the one below that needed some filler so I took the plunge and joined the "I'm an old lady and decorate with fake flowers" club.  I'm not going to lie, I love my fake flowers and the pop of happiness they add to my spring decor.

We had quite a few dreary, rainy days in April but things remained cheerful inside thanks to these beauties.

4.  Occasionally you run across some true gems while thrifting but can't justify buying them.  This vintage lamp was certainly one of those gems.  It was so ridiculously pretty but for $50 (I suspect it was worth quite more based on age and condition) and no real good idea of where to put it, I had to take a photo and move on.  I do suspect it went to a good home.

5.  My coworkers and I got to talking one day about losing the ability to write with our dominant hand.  The discussion then turned into a little "write with your non-dominant hand" activity.  I'm in big trouble if there is ever a point when I can't use my right hand; this left-handed business isn't pretty.

6.  I know it's only mid May but The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin has the potential to be the best book I read this year.  I would venture to say it may even be one of the best books I've ever read.  I can't recommend this one enough.  Also, the cover is simply gorgeous!

7.  For our April gathering, my girlfriends and I decided to try out a new "attraction" here in town, a real-life room escape game.  You're taken into a room with your team, the door is locked behind you, and you have an hour to find clues and solve puzzles that will help you escape the room.  We chose Pirate Cove:

"The media has been in a frenzy lately, reporting on the latest antics from America's self-made billionaire, prankster, and eccentric philanthropist, John Buckingham.  Buckingham, who has been known to share his wealth in outrageous publicity stunts (like the time he rented the Goodyear Blimp and dropped millions of dollars over neighborhoods of Los Angeles), has lately taken to dressing, acting, and talking like a pirate.  In a press release, Buckingham claims to have hidden "possibly the most valuable treasure ever," in an old clipper ship that he has permanently docked near his ocean side mansion.  Residents have flocked to take a turn at discovering Buckingham's Billions, but so far, none have succeeded.  Today, you and your crew are going to have 60 minutes to search for the elusive treasure."

This scavenger hunt puzzle was quite challenging but a lot of fun.  It was pretty cool once you could see the clues coming together and leading other places.  I wish we'd had a little more time in the room, though, because it took a bit of time just to get oriented and figure out how to get started.  Unfortunately, we ran out of time and didn't escape the room but we were close and the game master explained the remainder of the puzzle we had left which was nice.  I'm glad we got to see how it all played out.

There is another version of this game available - a blackmailing boss! - and I think it would be fun to try it now that we have some experience with this type of activity.

8.  And because it's hard not to share photos of Crickett, here are a couple from April that just crack me up.  Our little girl is such a character.

Thursday 13: February & March in Review

I never wrote much in February and March (who's surprised?) so I thought a good Thursday 13 would be to share a few random tidbits from those two months.

1.  JJ Watt, need I say more?  As often as football is on in our house during the season, I can't believe I'd never seen him before February!  I may have to start paying more attention to this sport!  (Just kidding, if I need to see Mr. Watt there's this wonderful thing called Google.)

2.   A February girls' night with a delicious dinner - salad with homemade dressing, garlic bread and pasta - and this amazing almond cake for dessert.  Seriously, my friends can cook and bake!  We also played more Tenzi and I'll say it again: I HIGHLY recommend this game.

3.  Mitch hosted a Super Bowl party in which he was the only one invited, just the way he wanted it.

And while Mitch watched the "big game," Crickett and I watched the PuppyBowl.  For a few minutes anyway, until I was tired of listening to my silly little girl growling and barking at the television.

4.  During one of my thrfiting lunch breaks in February, I stumbled upon this little guy.  I could barely contain my excitement; he's so ridiculously cute and I love having him in my library!

5.  I was introduced to a new game called Codenames.  It is a lot of fun; I highly recommend this game as well.

6.  While bowling in a law enforcement charity event, I scored over 50 points each game!  It was probably one of the best days I've ever had bowling.  I mean, look at these scores: 78,77, 82, and 89!  I think it's time for me to join a league.

7.  The glorious time of year when Girl Scout cookies arrive.  Yum, yum, yum!

8.  During one of my thrifting lunch breaks in March (yes, I spend a lot of my lunch breaks thrifting), I found this cutie.  Another great addition to my library!  It's such a thrill to find these book related knick knacks that I can take home and display in my favorite room.

9.  Some of my sister's amazing art work is being displayed at a local pub and I joined my parents and a girlfriend to help her celebrate her opening evening. It was a nice evening; great company and beautiful surroundings.

10.  Mitch and I got a new computer.  I must say, I sure do love the keyboard - it's quite fun to type on.  Strange how different keyboards can be, isn't it?  We also made the switch to Windows 10 which I like.  I think this is the first time I've been excited about upgrading and updating our technological devices and services!  Progress!

11.  I love tasting the new flavors that companies develop and while it has generally been the different Oreos that I've tried, I was quite excited when I heard (and eventually found) the Strawberry Shortcake M&Ms.  They were fabulous!

12.  Crickett's highlight of the month:  One of her favorite toys had a bit of surgery done by Mitch and my mom (Mitch did the cutting open and removal of the broken sound ball, my mom added extra stuffing and did the stitching up) and now Mr. Raccoon is getting even more love and attention than he used to receive!  So much cuteness!

13.  I finally read The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis (it's been on my list forever) and while I didn't particularly care for the book (not much substance paired with poor writing), there was a paragraph that I loved and thought described my feelings perfectly:

"She liked to document her life.  Every trip, every family vacation, she was the one with the camera.  It was a way of remembering the fun, prolonging the experience.  And sharing the photos with people was like giving a gift."