tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29305855251779649232024-03-19T17:32:54.805-04:00(A) musingsAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-59758272502733722182018-06-15T12:23:00.000-04:002018-06-15T12:23:53.356-04:00Anybody out there?I had to dig thru some paperwork for find my password for this blog. I can't believe it has been four years since I last wrote something here. Four years. Four years. My God, so much has happened in the last four years! I honestly don't even want to get into it all right now. I mean, I totally have to change my bio since I am no longer a "40-something." Ugh. <div>
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I feel like blogging again would help me express myself. But does it count if no one else reads it? </div>
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I am currently in a FB book club that introduced me to NetGalley. It's a site that gives you advanced copies of books online to read and review. They tend to give more books to people who have a blog. These are people who blog a lot about books. I love books. I love to read. I love free books. So, I totally feel like they should be giving me ALL the books. So far, I have received two. I take it personally when I get declined. So, I am thinking about blogging about books here. Maybe it'll be good practice for creative writing. Maybe I will just cut and paste the little reviews I do on GoodReads.com. I don't know yet. I need to figure it out.</div>
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In the meantime, is anybody out there?</div>
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Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-72696988922479737882014-05-14T18:32:00.002-04:002014-05-14T18:33:21.433-04:00Putting it Out ThereWhat are your thoughts on Karma? I don't necessarily mean Good Karma comes to those who do Good Things and/or Karma is a Bitch. I'm asking about Putting "it" Out to the Universe. As in, if you want something good to happen, you put it out there: You let people know about your wants or you ask for prayers or hope that positive thinking brings about positive outcomes.<br />
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Here's what I'm getting at: Do you believe in what I ask above or are you of the "I don't want to jinx it" mentality?<br />
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I'm pretty much the "I don't want to jinx it" kinda girl. Granted it depends on what it is, but I usually do hold back on telling people about potential good news until it comes to be. Back when I was working, if I had a job interview, I would let friends (those outside of the current job) and my parents know and would say "wish me luck." When my husband and I put an offer on this house, I told my mother and asked her to pray that it got accepted (granted, that was also after a horrible year of living in a corporate apartment while our stuff was in storage and we were suffering through the housing market crash of 2008-2009 and we could use all the help we could get).<br />
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These days, it seems that whenever anyone wants to put it out there or just simply to ask for prayers, luck and good wishes, they take it to Facebook. I'm all for Facebook and am always checking it. I just don't post a lot -- mostly I post pictures when I've taken a trip or have seen some old friends. But, I find that lots of people will ask for prayers or either tell you way too much private information or be totally vague but still be looking for prayers/good wishes/whatnot (I can't stand the "Pray for me today" or "Today is gonna be a hard day" type of posts that are so vague and warrant attention and then the poster never actually states what the problem is -- annoying attention seekers). I'm fine with people asking for prayers for sick relatives. I'm fine with people asking for luck when they are taking a test. I'm totally fine with people asking for strength when they are up to their eyeballs in calamity in times of strife.<br />
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I just wonder how far to go, when to put "it" out there.<br />
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So, I'm gonna put it out there now. My husband is looking for a new job. We both really want to move back East. Do you put it out there and say, "Wish him luck," "Say a prayer for us"? Or do we keep our mouths and keyboards quiet and hope for the best? You know, not jinx it.<br />
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Normally, I'd keep this information to myself, but he is of the mindset that positive thinking garners positive results. I'm all for that; I'm just not sure I want to share those positive thoughts.<br />
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For sure, I'm not putting it on Facebook. I'm FB friends with some of my husband's co-workers so that's a big no-no. Plus, it's such a really big thing, I don't think I could handle the pressure of status updates. I don't think I want people checking in with me periodically with "did he get the job" questions. It's kinda like when I was trying to get pregnant -- I didn't tell anyone because I didn't need the monthly reporting on whether I got my period or not.<br />
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I'm babbling. The gist is, what do you tell people about and what do you keep to yourself? I'm all for asking for a little help from above, but I just think right now I've got to try to just get those prayers answered on my own.Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-14342130411039825012014-02-27T17:29:00.002-05:002014-02-27T17:29:46.347-05:00It's Always SomethingBeing a homeowner can really suck. Sure, being homeless would suck much more, but it's always something when you are a homeowner. Today, it's the motor on the water pump for the pool. Which is currently being replaced. For which I am going to have to write a check for $1350.00.<br />
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It's raining, FINALLY, in CA. So, after my workout, while I was drinking my coffee and relaxing, I heard a very loud noise. It was either the printer in the office doing its weird adjustment thing where it randomly turns on, cranks out a noise and goes off again, or it was pounding rain. I looked in the office first because it did sound like it was coming from that end of the house more so than on the roof from rain. Okay, not the printer, but hmmm, that noise is louder in the far corner of the office, near the window. Pull up the blind and OH MY GOD water is gushing -- GUSHING -- out of something in the pool pump area. GUSHING. Like a crazy woman, I dial my husband's cell phone scrambling to find my sneakers. I put on my sneakers while practically yelling into his voicemail, "Call me emergency pool pump." (Just like that, no commas, no pausing, no sense!). Then I dial his office number (which of course I have to look up because I never call him on that) and get the damn voicemail again. Same crazy-lady message. Then I text "Call me emergency." Thankfully he called right away as I was opening the back slider to try to figure out what to do. He calmly talked me through turning off some switches. Phew. Thank God that worked.<br />
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Not only was it raining, I was standing in water that was just about covering the tops of my sneakers and in order to turn the power off, I had to stand in front of where the water was coming out of the motor and basically got about as wet as I would have had I just jumped in the pool.<br />
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Because CA has been in a 100+ day drought, we are supposed to be rationing our water -- don't water your lawn so much, don't do too many loads of laundry. Thankfully they haven't asked us not to flush. Anyway, should the water company be keeping track in a future effort to fine offenders, well, oh boy, we are gonna be on their list after today! I can't even imagine how many gallons of water spewed out of our backyard today. And I kept thinking, what if I hadn't been home?? Wow, that would have been AWFUL. I guess it could have potentially flooded the house. Yikes.<br />
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(I'm thinking there's something to use here when I get attitude from the "What do you do all day?" haters that can't handle the fact that I don't work. I take care of things, bitches)<br />
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Well, the pool guy is here now, replacing the motor/pump whatever-it-is. I'm certainly glad he could take care of it right away and that the rain stopped so he could do it today. I'm just not looking forward to writing out that check. Bye bye tax return money that was going to go toward a vacation.<br />
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Dare I say that this "American Dream" of being a home owner is really a nightmare?<br />
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Sigh. It's always something….<br />
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<br />Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-85791227329482081272013-12-31T18:50:00.001-05:002013-12-31T18:50:50.967-05:00Happy New YearI'll be back in 2014. Until then . . .<br />
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<br />Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-90686672247735970182013-05-01T20:34:00.001-04:002013-05-01T20:35:08.845-04:00A Friend in NeedI was inspired today by LoonySuse at <a href="http://remoteappeal.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Remote Appeal</a>. I read her post about two of her friends who are moving and it got me thinking about making friends when you are a transplant. I have a lot of friends in my native Massachusetts. I went to high school and college there. I worked at several jobs there. I moved from Massachusetts to Florida when I was 36. I had to make new friends.<br />
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Then I moved from Florida to California when I was 40. And I had to start all over again.<br />
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Let me tell you a little bit about making friends when you are "the new kid on the block." I'll start with Florida.<br />
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Making friends in FL came fairly easy to us. We really clicked with our realtor and his wife -- she is my age and is originally from RI; we even had a friend in common (I was friendly in college with someone she was friends with in high school). Then came meeting folks in the neighborhood. Since the majority of our neighbors were also transplants, they were quick to come around and introduce themselves and to invite us to hang out. Our neighborhood was incredibly social, it turns out. Friday nights were "Happy Hour" nights, usually held in someone's driveway, involving beer and wine and bug spray when it got dark. It was fun and it was nice to be included. Technically it got to be too much after a while but that's another story.<br />
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Then, we made friends at work. My husband liked his co-workers and we would see one or two of them socially. I took a job right away that was a bad fit (nice co-workers, but ridiculous boss and lame job responsibilities) so I moved on from that about 9 months after our move. But, the next job was a home run. Great hours, good work and the most fun people. My friends from that job ranged in age (at the time) from 25 - 46. I enjoyed going to work every day. When my husband had to travel for his job, I'd go out for a beer after work with my co-workers. Fun stuff all around.<br />
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I miss my FL friends. But, thanks to texting, email and especially Facebook, I still can count many of them as friends. We have seen them a few times in the years that we have been in CA since we have family to visit in FL and we make the effort to see our friends there too.<br />
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I have been in CA for 5 years now. Know how many friends I have here? Two. Okay, three, if you count the couple (I'm counting them as one) that we are friendly with -- the husband works with my husband and they are transplants here from Massachusetts. We go out with them to dinner once every few months. We are going to their daughter's graduation party next month. That sort of thing. Yeah, other than a couple that my husband technically knew before moving here, I have two people I can count as friends. They live across the street.<br />
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And, I really count one more as a friend than the other. She is an awesome 60-something Mom to grown children and hanging out with her is like hanging out with my MA and FL friends who are my age. We go to lunch and we go shopping and we laugh a lot. She's not originally from CA. She has moved a lot for her husband's job. So, we are kindred in that sense. I think that helps.<br />
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I've come to the conclusion that people who are <i>FROM</i> CA just don't want to make new friends. Well, they'll befriend you if you have kids. And if your kids go to school together. So, I get jipped in that department. Defeated before I even start.<br />
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And, since my husband is senior management at his office here, the people he sees every day work FOR him. He doesn't want to hang out after work with people who report to him. And they feel likewise. None of them ever offered to take us out or show us around when we moved here.<br />
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I know it's harder to make friends when you are older. And when you don't work (that's me) and when you don't have kids. But it seems crazy that after living here for 5 years (and in this particular house/neighborhood) for 4 years that we really don't have friends. No one has a spare key to our house in case of an emergency. If the alarm goes off and the alarm company can't reach my husband or me, there is no one else on the list for them to call.<br />
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We are used to it, I guess. But it does bum me out sometimes. And I hope so much that it doesn't put a strain on our marriage. We really enjoy hanging out with each other, and we know a bunch of other couples that could NEVER spend as much time together, just alone as spouses, as we do. Kudos to us for actually liking each other. But, like I said, I do worry that he'll get tired of me someday. ;)<br />
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So, as I seem to be long on chatter today, I'll go on. At the end of March, I started taking workout classes at The Bar Method in the next town over. I've become friendly with a couple of women that go to the same classes as I do. I am so eager to make friends with them, I worry that I come off as too needy. Our "friendship" doesn't extend outside the studio, but I'm hoping one day it will. I'm hoping I get the nerve up to say, "hey, wanna go to lunch after class?" one of these days. Funny thing is, one of the women is new to CA, having moved here from NY (and East Coaster - yay!!). You'd think, given my situation of the past 5 years, that I'd be inviting her to do things on a regular basis. I just don't want to pounce. I kinda want to take it slow. It's kinda like dating, I guess. Just feeling her out to see if she might be interested in going to lunch someday. Ha. Well, I'm hopeful. I mean, the last gym I belonged to here, well, I was the youngest member. All my "friends" there were in there 70s. At least now I see and chat with women my own age.<br />
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I'll keep you posted if I ever do ask my "friend" on that lunch date . . . .Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-85459781469246659312013-03-29T14:57:00.001-04:002013-03-29T14:57:44.248-04:00Two Down(ton), One to GoMy latest obsession is Downton Abbey. Again, I'm late to this party, but I'm making the most of it. There was a glitch in my plans on Wednesday though. I had only Season two's finale to watch and the power went out! Arrrggggh! Usually when our power goes out, it's just a surge and it pops right back on. Um, yeah, not the case on Wednesday. The power went out at 4:50 p.m. . . . and didn't come back until 3:40 a.m.!!! Can you say FRUSTRATING and ANNOYING and ARRRGGGH. It was also a night when my husband had a work dinner scheduled so I was home alone in the dark.<br />
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When dusk started to roll in, I grabbed a flashlight out of the closet and started lighting candles. I'm thankful for my slight hoarding tendencies since I had about 7 Yankee Candles to light and put around the house. The only problem with that is the smell. One candle is nice. Seven scents is just too much. Can you say headache?<br />
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The power outage did make me think of Downton Abbey though. In the first episodes, they did a lot by candlelight (it was 1912). Man, their eyesight must have been strained. I read for a little bit, but I just didn't want to read by flashlight. Of course, my iPhone was low on battery. And how could I charge it? Can't plug it in. Can't even charge it in the car unless the car is running. And since I have an electric garage door opener, I wasn't going to sit in a running car in a closed garage! The iPad had battery life, so I played about 8 games of Scrabble before my husband finally came home from the work dinner.<br />
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Poor guy, I was a total crab when he got home. The boredom, the darkness, the candle smells -- it all got to be too much!<br />
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But, I was back on track with Downton Abbey yesterday. I finished up Season two and started Season 3 yesterday. Hoping to cram in a couple of episodes this afternoon. What am I going to do with myself when I'm finished with Season three???? ;)<br />
<br />Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-90080836005810861952013-03-28T12:07:00.000-04:002013-03-28T12:10:14.172-04:00Leibster Award<span style="font-family: inherit;">What a surprise and an honor: Suse at <a href="http://remoteappeal.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">LoonySuse</a> has nominated me for a Liebster award. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">"The Liebster Award is an award given to Bloggers by other Bloggers! That makes it even more special!"</i><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" /><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><b>Here are the Rules:</b></span><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">1. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.</span><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.</span><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">3. Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post.</span><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">4. Go back to their page and tell them about the award.</span><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">5. No tag backs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Let's see. I can do numbers 1 and 2. But, I don't think I can do number 3. The blogs I follow tend to have lots of followers. That bums me out -- it's only fair to give back. Well, when I have more time, I'll go in search of some more blogs to follow and will pass along the award. Meantime, on to numbers 1 and 2 . . . . </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white;">11 Random Facts about Moi</b></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I'm a Scorpio. And I live up to all the good and bad descriptions of Scorpios.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I hate the taste and smell of Sausage. I just can't eat it.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I'm a HUGE fan of Coconut. Coconut flavored anything gets two thumbs up from me.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I am NOT a cat person. No fear of me ever being a crazy cat lady. Crazy's a possibility. Just without cats.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I love playing Scrabble on my iPad. I hate to lose and I make sure it rarely happens.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I do not play any instruments. Never have, probably never will.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I don't really enjoy talking on the telephone. I'll take email, texting and Facebook over phone chats.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I LOVE to read. I am always in the middle of a book -- I finish one and start a new one right away.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I can't stand to hear other people chew. Even if they aren't particularly loud eaters, I hate the sound of it.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I love to travel. I've been lucky to have been to some great places already and have lots more on my list.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I like to color. I prefer markers to crayons and I find it soothing. I don't do it often, but I admit to owning a couple of coloring books.</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><b style="background-color: white;">My 11 Questions to Answer:</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>Do you grind your teeth? </i>No, thankfully.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>If you could live in a different country, where would you live?</i> Well, I've been to Italy twice and I love it, so I'll start with Italy. It would be easier to live in an English-speaking country, but I am quite fond of Italy.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>What's your biggest pet peeve today? </i>Hearing the neighbors that live behind me right now. They are new and they are annoying. I guess they will realize how close we live when I start opening my windows and they hear how many times I drop the F bomb a day!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>If you could change your first name, what would you pick? </i>I would pick a name that has more than one syllable. Ann is too close to "and" so I often think I hear my name when people are just saying "and". I don't mind my name, but it is a little plain. I guess for now, I'd say Bridget -- that was my grandmother's name and it's not particularly common.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>In middle school, what were you like? </i>I was still pretty shy in middle school (painfully so when I was younger), but I had a good group of friends. I think it's around that time that I realized I had a good sense of humor and could make people laugh. I was a good student.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>Can you play an instrument? </i>Nope, see above (didn't read my questions ahead of time!).</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>Favorite food? </i>As a category, I have to go with Italian food. It's hard to be specific. In general, I love desserts, and (see above, again), I love, love, love coconut and caramel flavored anything.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>Favorite outdoor temp? </i>Mid-70s with sunshine, maybe a light breeze.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>What makes you happy? </i>My husband, music, dessert, my funny friends, pizza . . . . </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>Favorite TV show?</i> Since I'm in the midst of a Downton Abbey marathon right now, I'll start with that. I also love Cougar Town and Modern Family. The Good Wife is a good one too.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>What's the most important quality in a significant other?</i> Kindness. </span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Again, I feel pretty lame about not passing the award along. I really do want to but I have one more episode of Season 2 of Downton Abbey to watch before dinner. Okay, so my priorities are a little skewed. But, when I have more time to spend online, I really will start reading more blogs! Thanks again, Suse!</span></div>
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Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-25955110660223892652013-03-22T19:38:00.000-04:002013-03-22T19:38:24.397-04:00Down with DowntonI daresay I am hooked on "Downton Abbey." I know I'm late to the party, but better late than never! I just signed up for a free week of HuluPlus just to see DA. I have watched the first four episodes of Season 1. I doubt I can cram in the rest of Season 1 and all of Seasons 2 & 3 before my free week of HuluPlus is up, but I sure will try! After the free-week trial period is up, Hulu will cost $7.99 a month. If I have to pay just one month, it'll be worth it. NetFlix is about the same cost, but they only send out one DVD at a time -- and last time I was a member their streaming service wasn't so great (could be updated by now, but I'm really not into looking into it) -- and episodes on iTunes cost more than $7.99 for a Season, so I think I'm getting the best deal.<br />
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I love the way the women dress on the show. It's 1912. I was born waaaaay too late! I used to think I would have loved to be an adult in the 50s with all the full-skirted June Cleaver outfits, but now I'm thinking the early 1900s would have suited me well.<br />
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<br />Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-30808760064937843452013-03-20T13:31:00.001-04:002013-03-20T13:31:27.386-04:00Is it Really News?I just watched <i>Good Morning America</i>. While I like the hosts and enjoy their banter and chemistry, I call foul on some of the "news" that they report. Granted, the first 20 minutes is when the real news is aired. Lately it has been going downhill really fast after 7:20 a.m. By now I know the format: 7:00 - 7:20 a.m. actual news including political and world news is aired; then comes some around-the-country stuff including accidents and trials; and then at 7:40 they air some celebrity story before a bunch of ads and then finish up the hour with Play of the Day at 7:50 and then it's commercials for 5 minutes before another news refresher at 8:00 a.m. and onto the fluff hour. I'm calling foul on the celebrity "news" portion at 7:40 a.m. Sometimes it's about a celebrity stalking issue, which can be serious. But, today, the "news" was about Katy Perry and John Mayer. They <i>may have </i>broken up. <i>May have</i>. Really? That's news? Even if they DID break up, did GMA really need to spend 5 minutes on it? And, what makes it worse, is that there was not ONE SINGLE source who could confirm it. Their "experts" were "reporters" from celebrity magazines who just speculate on what MIGHT have happened and a bunch of gobbidaly gook about how she met his parents already and he gave her a ring once. What a bunch of crap. Maybe if they actually broke up, it could have been mentioned in the Pop News segment. But since no one knows for sure and since neither Katy's nor John's reps would comment on the story, <i>why</i>, WHY is this an entire news story?!<br />
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I'm all for Pop Culture news, stories and gossip, but in the right place at the right time. Like on Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood -- which I don't even watch! I love <i>GMA</i>, but I'm getting frustrated with the fluff.<br />
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<br />Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-1163422574844715832013-03-19T19:51:00.001-04:002013-12-31T19:01:45.442-05:00Today's MusingsI was driving home from the doctor today when I saw a couple walking their Pitbull. I have nothing against Pitbulls (they are ridiculously cute as puppies) and I know they have bad reputations because of the owners who breed them and teach them to fight and to be mean. That's all on the owner, not the dog. But, what gets me is that for the most part, it seems that their owners are so stereotypical. How often do you see the Ken and Barbie types walking a Pitbull? How often do you see Pitbulls playing with kids in a yard in the suburbs? I know I'm bordering on being racist here, but stereotypes are, well, stereotypes for a reason. The couple walking the dog today just looked liked punks: he was all baggy shorts and wide-brimmed baseball hat turned to the side. Her outfit was leaning toward hoochy mama status. Hey, they could be the nicest people in the world. But, they just fit the stereotype of Pitbull owners. It's not fair that the dogs get the reputations when it's their owners who are (most likely) those that should be reviled.<br />
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Oooh, that just sounds so bitchy. Oh well, I'm in a mood I guess. The day is getting drearier and so is my mood.<br />
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Another musing: I was at the doctor, as I said, but it was a new doctor so I was doing the meet-and-greet, here's-my-family-history-of-diseases, here's-your-list-to take-to-the-lab-for-blood-tests. I like the doctor, by the way. She's young, which I like (but no so young that she seems like the bumbling idiot interns on <i>Grey's Anatomy</i>). She was easy to talk to and she seems efficient. So, what I'm getting at here is that in telling her about myself, I told her that I have been living in CA for almost 5 years. Five years! Yikes! I can't believe it. As a couple, my husband and I have not lived in any one place for that long. And I don't think either of us thought we would be in CA for more than 3 years. I recently mused about this on another blog (Hi, Suse!) and have been thinking about it for a while. Hearing myself say "5 years" kinda threw me today. Like admitting you're an alcoholic. Okay maybe it's not that severe. More like last week or so when I admitted I am a shopaholic! It's not a failure, per se, but it's just not what I had planned. Life is funny like that, I guess. It keeps moving forward and sometimes you just have to be like Dory in <i>Finding Nemo</i> and "just keep swimming."Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-12736830569701285762013-03-08T19:22:00.000-05:002013-03-08T19:22:19.153-05:00PatienceI realized as I sat to write this, that I actually experienced two ends of the spectrum of Patience today. Both annoyed me, but let me explain.<br />
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I live in a development. We pay HOA fees. So, basically, even though I hardly know any of the people that live on my actual street, I do consider anyone that lives in the development to be neighbors. There is a long (about a mile+) drive into the development. We are off a very main road, then our development's main road meanders along a hillside for that mile+ before there are any homes. I was leaving today to meet my husband for lunch. I stopped at the last stop sign before this stretch of road. As I was approaching the stop sign another car was approaching the stop sign to my right. A few feet later, this same car was on my ass. Tailgating. Really? This particular area, in this direction, is all down hill. And, the speed limit is posted in a couple of spots and is 35mph. Well, going down hill, you do naturally pick up speed. But, since there have often been police hiding at the bottom of the hill, I tend to hit the brakes when I start to go over 40mph. Like I did today. I guess that pissed off the person behind me because not only did she tailgate me, as we got further down the hill, with about a quarter of a mile left, she gunned her engine and passed me going about 60mph. Um, we're neighbors. Is that really necessary? Sorry if you're late, but that is not MY fault. Oh, and my guess is that she was trying to make the light at the bottom of the hill. She didn't. Haaa Haaa! She then proceeded to speed thru the green light when it turned, only to get stuck at the next red light. Since I was in another lane, she was actually about 5 cars behind me! Again, Haaa Haaa! Loser. But like I said, we live in the same development, not only should you abide by the posted speed limit (don't get me wrong, I often hate driving behind slow people, and am not always so mindful of the speed limit), but don't be jerky to your neighbors.<br />
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So that was patience experience number one: She clearly had none. And it annoyed me.<br />
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On to patience experience number two: I didn't have it this time! And I was annoyed.<br />
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I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond after lunch. I bought one thing. Of course I picked the wrong check out line. The woman in front of me wrote a check. A check. In 2013. WTF? First of all, I don't think stores should even accept them anymore -- the whole process is so time-consuming. First, the person has to take the time to write out the check (swipe, debit/credit card has been accepted already), then they always have to ask for the total AGAIN, then the store has to check ID and run the check through some screening process. Swipe and swipe -- two people could have been out of the store in the time it takes to get all this done. Sigh. I have no patience for shoppers who write checks. I mean, really, my father is 84 and he uses a debit card. It's the same thing people -- the money comes out of the same account as your check! Then the woman made some lame joke to the cashier and looked to me for approval. Yeah, right, you are so barking up the wrong tree right now. My hope is that my FAKE half-smirk conveyed my I'm-so-annoyed-that-you-wasted-so-much-time-writing-a-check-while-I-was-behind-you-waiting-to-buy-one-item feelings! Shut it and move along, lady.<br />
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On the plus side, the sun is shining, the hillsides are already a gorgeous green and I got to open my sunroof on my ride home. While much of the country is buried in snow right now, I'm happy to be driving the speed limit around here today, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the colors of Spring.<br />
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<br />Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-27092903043184349882013-03-01T16:49:00.000-05:002013-03-01T16:53:18.178-05:00Confessions of a ShopaholicMy name is Ann and I'm a shopaholic.<br />
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No disrespect to those that have serious addictions to alcohol and drugs, but I do think I have more than a slight inclination toward shopping, buying, spending. I really try to curb it, but some days I just can't. This week for instance. On Wednesday, my mother asked me my plans for the rest of the week and I said, oh not much, I'm trying to stay at home, not shop, trying to save some money. That was Wednesday. Know what I did yesterday? I went shopping. I bought some jeans at Macy's. In my defense, I got to use a $20 off coupon so instead of spending $69, I only spent $49 (I will always defend myself with my bargain shopping acumen!). Know what I did today? I went shopping. Online. At Macy's. The internet is gonna be the death of my savings account (and quite possibly my marriage if I'm not careful!).<br />
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See, here's the thing: As I said, I'm a bargain shopper so I can't resist a good sale or a good coupon/discount opportunity. When I was at Macy's yesterday, I tried on a sweater that was $108. No way was I going to pay that much for it (it was on a sale rack, but when I scanned it, the full price showed up). But, today, when I got an email from Macy's offering 25% that very department that the sweater is in (the "Impulse" department, which is one of the exclusions on the back of EVERY Macy's coupon ever published -- and, of course, the one department that I really like), I couldn't resist checking out the online offerings. And, really, it was meant to be because when I saw the sweater online, it was on sale for $79.99! And, woo hoo, I have in my hot little hands, a coupon code for 25% off that. And free shipping. I couldn't resist. Quantity: 1, add to cart, click and done. Sold.<br />
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Did I need the sweater? Hell no. Most of what I buy I do not NEED. But, I do get a little shopper's high when I get a good deal. I sometimes get a little buyer's remorse afterward too. Especially when we are having a lean month and I really shouldn't be buying clothes or accessories that aren't necessities. Do I need an intervention? Not yet. I think. Will I regret some of my purchases when we suck it up and get the exterior of our house painted and have to splurge for new carpets this Spring? Yeah, most likely I will. But, I will look really cute in that sweater . . . with those jeans . . . oh, and the necklace that I bought last week . . . . Sigh.Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-41503998823142440342013-02-14T17:50:00.000-05:002013-02-14T17:54:20.276-05:00Ain't That the TruthWhile I can't take credit for what you are about to read, I have to say it's true. I want to ask, "Why, when you are young, doesn't anyone warn you about menopause or what it's like getting old?" but I know that the answer would be that we just wouldn't pay attention to it anyway. We don't worry about our 40s when we are in our 20s. That is SO far off, we thought. I don't need to know about any of that NOW. I'm too busy having fun. Yeah. Sure. But, now, well that's a different story. Now it's too late. It's happening and there's no stopping it.<br />
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On a semi-related note, while I probably didn't think about my 40s when I was 20 something, I somehow feel like my 20s were just a few years ago! Maybe that's a good thing. Means I'm still young at heart. Right? Not that I'm grasping at my youth, clawing my way back . . . yeah, I'm going with young at heart.<br />
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Anyway, the following was sent to me in a "joke" email. Too bad it's not really a joke!<br />
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10171" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Whether you are pushing 40, 50, 60 (or maybe even just pushing your luck), you'll probably relate.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10167" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mid-life is when the growth of hair on our legs slows down. This gives us plenty of time to care for our newly acquired mustache. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10165" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In mid-life, women no longer have upper arms, we have wing spans. We are no longer women in sleeveless shirts, we are flying squirrels in drag. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10161" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mid-life is when you can stand naked in front of a mirror and you can see your rear without turning around. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10158" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mid-life is when you go for a mammogram and you realize that this is the only time someone will ask you to appear topless. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10127" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mid-life is when you want to grab every firm young lovely in a tube top and scream, 'Listen, honey, even the Roman empire fell and those will too.' </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10065" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mid-life brings wisdom to know that life throws us curves and we're sitting on our biggest ones. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mid-life is when you look at your know-it-all, cell phone carrying teenager and think, 'For this I have stretch marks?'</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10177" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In mid-life your memory starts to go. In fact the only thing we can retain is water. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10180" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mid-life means that your Body By Jake now includes Legs By Rand McNally--more red and blue lines than an accurately scaled map of Wisconsin. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10183" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mid-life means that you become more reflective: You start pondering the 'big' questions. What is life? Why am I here? How much Healthy Choice ice cream can I eat before it's no longer a healthy choice?</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360860759275_10186" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">But mid-life also brings with it an appreciation for what is important. We realize that breasts sag, hips expand, and chins double, but our loved ones make the journey worthwhile. Would any of you trade the knowledge that you have now, for the body you had way back when? Maybe our bodies simply have to expand to hold all the wisdom and love we've acquired. That's my philosophy and I'm sticking to it!</span></div>
Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-49873889965933796662013-02-08T18:57:00.000-05:002013-02-08T18:57:12.310-05:00Just sayin'I saw this yesterday on one of the Facebook pages I follow. I think it was on FitSugar. One of the healthy ones anyway. It's a good reminder of important things.<br />
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<br />Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-69600973459468141282013-01-30T14:29:00.002-05:002013-01-31T20:17:00.711-05:00PI feel like this week is being sponsored by the letter "P". I need to Pack for a road trip to Paso Robles this weekend. I need (okay, maybe not "need" so much as "want") a Pedicure. And, I have to go to Physical Therapy for my knee (more on that coming up).<br />
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When we were in Hawaii in October, we met a great couple from Pasadena (again, "P") and we have kept in touch with them. We are meeting them in Paso Robles on Friday. It's about a 3 hour drive for us and them, so it's nice we found some Place "in the middle" to meet them. So, I have to Pack. I'm glad we are driving down, so there will be Plenty (I'm just going to keep capitalizing the Ps for silly emphasis) of room for me to bring far too many clothes, shoes and accessories! I usually do over-Pack, but at least there won't be a weight limit or luggage charge to deal with. Then again, if I bring too much, my husband might charge me! I live in jeans and running clothes so I'm looking forward to Putting on a skirt or two this weekend. Now I just have to motivate myself to get in that closet and Pick out a few outfits. </div>
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Speaking of running clothes. I'm wearing some right now even though I haven't been able to run in a couple of weeks. I hurt my knee around January 7th and now I am going to Physical Therapy to get healed. I am so bummed out about it. I was never a jock in high school or college. The most I ever did for exercise was take walks and do the occasional, trendy workout video (trust me, that never lasted for very long). So, it's quite funny that now that I'm in my 40s, running is my exercise of choice. I started running about 10 years ago but totally dropped it from my life when we moved to Florida -- too hot to run outside and I never even thought about joining a gym. Fifty pounds later and 3000 miles away, I found myself needing to lose weight and needing an exercise regime to keep me motivated. So, a couple of years ago, I took it up again. Slowly but surely, I increased my mileage, dropped the 50 pounds (and kept it off), and found a new hobby. I never realized how much I actually NEED running in my life until the last few weeks when I haven't been able to do it. It helps me Physically AND mentally. I'm really hoping that the PT helps and I that I can get back on the treadmill soon. I've been obnoxious at home because it has been stressing me out -- it's a vicious cycle really: running relieves the stress, but not running is causing me stress! Arrrggh! </div>
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So, I guess I need to add one more P to my list for this week and for the upcoming month of February: Positive Outlook. </div>
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I'm trying. But running would help. ;)</div>
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Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-56491469420712023552013-01-25T15:45:00.001-05:002013-01-25T15:50:51.351-05:00Welcome BackWell, it's been quite a while since I've been here. So, I'm welcoming myself back. Funny, when I started this blog, I did so in an effort to get myself writing more. That didn't last long. Not long ago, I reminded myself that I had this blog and I began to think that I should re-visit it and start writing again. I am not one to make new year's resolutions, but maybe this could count as one. Watch this space: I'm back!Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-5071646653114046872012-01-05T18:01:00.000-05:002013-02-14T17:54:45.488-05:00By the BookI'm a book nerd. I love to read. I always have. I've pinned a couple of things about books and reading on Pinterest. I have piles of books beside my bed just waiting to be cracked open. I keep a wish list of books on my Barnes&Noble.com account. I usually don't walk out of Costco with at least one book. I. Love. Books.<br />
<br />
So, yesterday, this quote popped into my head. I think I came up with it. I don't think I'm stealing it. It is:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Any room with books in it is a room with a view.</span></div>
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I thought it was similar to a quote that is attributed to Cicero. So I looked up quotes by Cicero. The one I was thinking of is: "<i>A room without books is like a body without a soul.</i>" Mine is close, his is a little more profound.<br />
<br />
That got me thinking about a picture I took years and years ago of an engraving on the side of the Denver Public Library. So I looked that up. That quote, made by Jorge Luis Borges is: "<i>I had always imagined paradise as a kind of library.</i>"<br />
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Cicero and Borges: men after my own heart. Book lovers. Readers. I'm really liking that I came up with the quote above.<br />
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Reading takes you places. Just ask Dr. Suess. He said, "<i>The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the places you'll go.</i>"<br />
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Gonna go grab my book and read for a couple of hours . . .<br />
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<a href="http://www.choice.com.au/~/media/Images/Reviews/Money/Shopping%20and%20legal/2009/Online%20xmas%20shopping/Books_iStock_.ashx" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.choice.com.au/~/media/Images/Reviews/Money/Shopping%20and%20legal/2009/Online%20xmas%20shopping/Books_iStock_.ashx" width="313" /></a></div>
Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-7749327465134362722011-12-28T17:53:00.000-05:002011-12-29T16:55:18.806-05:00Blog HoppingI'm still so new to blogging so I get excited when I find interesting blogs. I recently discovered Never Growing Old (<a href="http://nevergrowingold.blogspot.com/">http://nevergrowingold.blogspot.com/</a>) and am intrigued by Blog Hopping. From what I understand, someone posts on their blog, you copy it (questions, fill-ins) and link back to it. So now I know how Fill-in-the-Blank Fridays started at The Little Things We Do (<a href="http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/">http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/</a>). I hope I can remember to join in on Meet Me on Mondays and a few others.<br />
<br />
Today, it's about books. I love books. I am a little obsessed with books, I think. A friend told me about Goodreads.com about a year ago and I think it's such a great tool for keeping track of everything I read and plan to read. If you haven't been to Goodreads.com yet, and you love to read, I highly recommend you check it out. If you join, let me know and we can friend up. It's sort of like Facebook for the avid reader!<br />
<br />
So, like I said, today's blog hop (courtesy of <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/</a>) is about books. Here goes:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/www_wednesdays43.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/www_wednesdays43.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.385; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #003300;">To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…</span></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.385; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: green;">• What are you currently reading?</span><br />
<span style="color: green;">• What did you recently finish reading?</span><br />
<span style="color: green;">• What do you think you’ll read next?</span></div><div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.385; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: green; font-family: inherit;">What are you currently reading? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm about 100 pages away from finishing "This Must Be the Place" by Kate Racculia. I like it, but I don't love it. There are several main characters: Amy and Arthur and Mona and Oneida. Amy and Arthur are married, but Amy dies in the first few pages of the book. Arthur finds a shoebox of memorabilia in Amy's closet after she dies and realizes he really doesn't know anything about her past. Amy and Mona were best friends in high school. Oneida is Mona's teenage daughter. Arthur travels from LA to NY to meet Mona to find out about Amy and to find out WHY he doesn't know about her past. I guess what I don't love about the book is actually Amy and Arthur. I'm not fond of them. I'm interested enough to finish it and find out the whole story though.</span></div><div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.385; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">What did you recently finish reading? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">About a week ago, I finished "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley. Cute story. A little too over-descriptive at times. Found myself skimming those paragraphs that just seemed to over-do the flourish about a location. If it's not necessary to the plot, I skim!</span></div><div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.385; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What do you think you'll read next? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I have SO many books piled up beside my bed, I'm not really sure where to start. Maybe "The First Day of the Rest of My Life" by Cathy Lamb. Her books are always fun. I also have several Douglas Kennedy books in the pile. No shortage of books in this house!</span></div><div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.385; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Happy reading!</div>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-63280173697441746012011-12-14T16:46:00.000-05:002011-12-29T16:56:10.237-05:00More Like the Grinch than FrostyWhile I love the sweet sentiments of Curly Girl products, I've gotta say, most days I'm in an Erin Smith Art mood. Today for example, this was my Facebook status:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUUg2zPyPd33pKqy-pfbEqA97UvOpyMJOnzwbv8w2FnKjiV5sYcudmDHmSfO_57KWcLowdT69kO1Zqh57ufPlIr1DpXtizCV3gcVXnROKOFD0Ix-ivrzO9M4SGNQq-h2JI5nIHXpYDFgy/s1600/flames_mag_375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUUg2zPyPd33pKqy-pfbEqA97UvOpyMJOnzwbv8w2FnKjiV5sYcudmDHmSfO_57KWcLowdT69kO1Zqh57ufPlIr1DpXtizCV3gcVXnROKOFD0Ix-ivrzO9M4SGNQq-h2JI5nIHXpYDFgy/s320/flames_mag_375.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><br />
I mentioned this one in an earlier post, but feel the need to repeat it:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youneedadrink.com/store/images/products/1547_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://www.youneedadrink.com/store/images/products/1547_large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
God, I love this stuff. One more for the road:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oscarandlibbys.com/wp-content/uploads/erinevilthoughts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://www.oscarandlibbys.com/wp-content/uploads/erinevilthoughts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Thank you, Erin Smith for being so entertaining. And spot on. You can view all of Erin's work here at: <a href="http://www.erinsmithart.com/">http://www.erinsmithart.com</a>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-8885878788674393522011-12-07T18:09:00.000-05:002011-12-29T16:56:47.405-05:00At Your ServiceLeigh and the staff at Curly Girl Design (<a href="http://www.curlygirldesign.com/blog">www.curlygirldesign.com/blog</a>) are embarking on a "Send Love" project in an effort to send love to women currently on active duty in the military. Here's an excerpt from the Curly Girl blog about the project:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6d6e70; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If I know a woman in on active duty in the military who would love Curly Girl Cards, then I'll bet you guys do!! Let's send them some love and color shall we?? Here's the deal:</span></i></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Send us the <strong style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">full military address</strong> for the<strong style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> woman or women you know, currently serving active-duty</strong> (we will certainly send to active-duty men too, if you think they would love to get a Curly Girl Card....pink envelopes are equal-opportunity day-brighteners!) along with an email love-note to them. We will print out your email and enclose it in a Curly Girl Card and send it off to them for you! On us!</span></i></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Send emails to: <strong style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span id="eeEncEmail_XukBbGOtxp" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="mailto:info@curlygirldesign.com" style="color: #6d6e70; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">info@curlygirldesign.com</a></span></strong> (mark the subject line: <strong style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">SEND LOVE</strong>) by Monday December 5th 10am EST</span></i></div></div><br />
When I first read this I thought about my niece-in-law who is a nurse in the U.S. Air Force, serving in Germany. I admit that initially I thought that I wouldn't submit her name because she isn't literally on the front lines, living on a base and facing enemy fire every day. But then I realized that she is away from her family (thankfully, my nephew - her husband - was just transferred to Germany -- she was there for a year without him) and she is on active duty and she IS serving her country. Here's the email I wrote to Curly Girl in order to send love to her:<br />
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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Dear Leigh & Curly Girl staff,</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>When I first read on your blog that you were sending cards to women in active duty, I did think of my niece-in-law, but thought that the cards should really go to those serving on the front lines, seeing war every day. Then it hit me, she is too. She is a nurse in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Germany. When she and my nephew married three years ago, she was working in South Carolina. Since she was not administering to many wounded soldiers, she opted for a transfer to Germany to work out of the base in Rammstein. I realized today, that while she may not be physically fighting a war, she is still fighting. She is fighting for the lives of every soldier that is injured and is lucky enough to be in her care. I'm very proud of her and very proud that she is part of my family. </i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Here's a copy of what she posted on Facebook today -- so you can see how wonderful she is:</i></span></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>"<span class="yiv67682218Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 12px;">So I was woken up out of a dead sleep to fly downrange. Instead of being grumpy I realize what an honor it is to be able to rescue a hero and provide quality care to them while transporting them somewhere safe. God bless our troops in harms way and continue to remind those stateside of the sacrifices that the military makes for them EVERYDAY!!!!"</span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="yiv67682218Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="yiv67682218Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 12px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">It feels good to Send Love. She deserves it.</span></div></div>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-26019469159540263352011-12-02T20:17:00.000-05:002011-12-29T16:59:12.570-05:00Orange you glad . . .I remember a knock-knock joke from when I was a kid that goes like:<br />
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Knock-knock. Who's there?<br />
Orange. Orange who?<br />
Knock-knock. Who's there?<br />
Orange. Orange who?<br />
Knock-knock. Who's there?<br />
Banana. Orange you glad I didn't say orange again?<br />
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Totally inane. But, I love orange - the color, not the fruit - so I guess that's why it has stuck with me. As much as I love the color, I do think I'm rather subtle about my use, for a lack of a better word, of it. I have a few things in the house that have orange accents, like a small painting of a pumpkin and a framed photograph of the poppies posted above (proud to say I took that picture myself). I also have a really cool long, rectangular, block candle on my kitchen island that is orange (darned if I could find a picture of it on Google Images - I thought everything was on the internet?!) that nicely accents the black and green marble countertops. Anyway, after Pinning (have you checked out Pinterest.com yet? Be warned, it's a time killer!) a couple of orange eye-catchers, I decided to add them here. They make me happy. Here's a few orange bits of joy:<br />
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I just bought these for myself and already have received compliments on them at the gym. They are more vibrant in person. I think they sorta glow!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqOXNMqFGpRlOaUtODCPNFeUyp-IVDP6W6kkvz76OxdheUGJvkvrx-NTmryqaGSA4wrlJr0lyfgVC6yVUtqTHChcFcLDMhOmc2L0VjvCsTa3DC0lh1KaNKnML8R1x4tAvJPzV92cLUTS4/s1600/IMG_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqOXNMqFGpRlOaUtODCPNFeUyp-IVDP6W6kkvz76OxdheUGJvkvrx-NTmryqaGSA4wrlJr0lyfgVC6yVUtqTHChcFcLDMhOmc2L0VjvCsTa3DC0lh1KaNKnML8R1x4tAvJPzV92cLUTS4/s320/IMG_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I got these in the Spring from Kate Spade. I didn't wear them nearly enough (the orange ones, obviously!).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s64159.gridserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/042511-kate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://s64159.gridserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/042511-kate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I found this ring on the Sundance Catalog site. I so wanted to add it to my Christmas list because it is on sale, but sadly, they don't have my size. Still makes me happy to look at though.<br />
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<img alt="SOL DESIRE RING" border="0" height="319" id="largeImage" src="http://ii.sundancecatalog.com/sundance/images//products/en_us/detail/54483.jpg" title="SOL DESIRE RING" width="320" /><br />
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And, I found this fun purse on Etsy.com. The seller is Teddy out of Thailand, if you are interested (gotta give Teddy credit, right?!).<br />
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<img alt="Orange leather handbag / purse / shoulderbag / Candy / tftateam" height="252" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.195210390.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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I think these Tory Burch flats are pretty cool. Might have to save my pennies for a Spring purchase . . . .<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.saletoryburchreva.com/picture/Tory%20Burch%20Ballet%20Flats%2081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.saletoryburchreva.com/picture/Tory%20Burch%20Ballet%20Flats%2081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div>And, my dream purse is anything by Hermes in their signature orange. I mean, even their packaging is a gorgeous shade of orange!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://21showshoes.com/Upfiles/hermes%20bags_18-2636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://21showshoes.com/Upfiles/hermes%20bags_18-2636.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Clearly, I'm a fan of orange. I know I posted about it in October in regards to Halloween decorating. Guess I must be missing it a little now that the house is decked out for Christmas in reds and greens! I might just make this a regular feature - maybe a little monthly pick-me-up. Glad that just a bit of color really does brighten up my day.<br />
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</div>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-29002471983069930672011-11-28T17:20:00.000-05:002011-12-29T16:57:32.427-05:00I Love a Good Sale!I have a bit of a shopping problem. I shop. A lot. BUT, I pride myself in being a bargain shopper. That being said, I love a good sale! However, I did NOT venture out at midnight on Thanksgiving to partake in Black Friday madness. No way! Instead, I sat in the comfort of my home the day before Thanksgiving and today, Cyber Monday, to do some sale shopping.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="190" id="il_fi" src="http://thegeeksftw.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/sale.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></span></div><br />
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I somehow managed to buy a couple of things for myself while buying Christmas gifts. A little bit of "one for you, one for me"! Is that wrong? I mean, it (er, they) were on sale! I did get some great bargains for the Christmas gifts I bought. Old Navy and the Gap had sale prices on Wednesday, with an additional 15% off and free shipping over $50. Granted to get over the $50 I did have to add a little something for myself. I was already buying four gifts for a little over $40 so I had to bump it up to $50 for that free shipping. I actually love free shipping more than a sale price. Combine them and I'm over the moon.<br />
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Anyway, I bought a couple of gifts for my husband online today using a coupon and free shipping (now if I could just get rid of the darn sales tax . . . ). And, I, um, bought myself something too. It was 30% off! I couldn't NOT buy it. Right? I mean, if I told my husband to buy it for me for Christmas, he wouldn't buy it today and he'd pay full price. I'm saving us money!<br />
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<i>(Sometimes, I actually think I could be a shut-in. Just give me access to the internet, TV and grocery delivery [for the record, I haven't tried this . . . yet] and I'd be all set.)</i><br />
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I think the gifts I bought will bring smiles to the recipients' faces. I do actually put a lot of thought into my shopping and gift giving. In fact, I think I wouldn't have actually found a couple of these gifts if it weren't for the internet.<br />
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I still have a few small things to get, like stocking stuffers for my husband and parents. But the bulk of my shopping is done. And it's not even December! Woo hoo. Aside from the gifts for my husband - and myself - the majority of the gifts have to be shipped to friends in other states. So, now I just have to wait for all my packages to arrive, wrap them up and then go wait in line at the post office!Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-7761451866433495262011-11-18T19:00:00.000-05:002011-12-29T16:58:13.307-05:00Another Fill-in-the-Blank FridayI've just got home after spending nine days in Arizona. I have lots of ideas swimming around in my head to jot down, but right now, after paying bills and catching up on mail and email and Internet trolling, I'm too foggy to to put down any individual thoughts. So, it's time to borrow from <a href="http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/">http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/</a> for another Fill-in-the-Blank Friday. Here goes:<br />
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<div style="color: #333333; font-family: futura-pt-1, futura-pt-2; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56v7y3qElT-IDa6If-XYW2cexHgeYc6WSr6dh-nIFHScQWyU7CpVt2CJrK4uLQreGnoBsJwJO5J9JCIVzLwo8Qe-4qN0AyaMf-j70nMoxgW2x65FZeTtcQM1xnPjaHZ5RS03UkqhFPn4/s1600/blanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #666666; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56v7y3qElT-IDa6If-XYW2cexHgeYc6WSr6dh-nIFHScQWyU7CpVt2CJrK4uLQreGnoBsJwJO5J9JCIVzLwo8Qe-4qN0AyaMf-j70nMoxgW2x65FZeTtcQM1xnPjaHZ5RS03UkqhFPn4/s400/blanks.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="300" /></a></div></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: futura-pt-1, futura-pt-2; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: futura-pt-1, futura-pt-2; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">1. <b> A nervous habit I have is </b> picking my left thumbnail. I don't bite it, but I will tussle with its ridges which always leads to it breaking. I do put it between my teeth, which is weird, I know. I don't bite it, just sort of push on it. That also leads to it breaking. Poor nail, there is not much hope for it. Unless I splurge for a manicure, then I'll leave it alone. Until the nail polish starts to chip. Then, it's history.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">2. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b> Something that makes me sad is </b>the puppies I saw in the mall in a store in AZ. So freakin' cute, but it's really sad to see them cooped up in their glass-fronted cages. It looks like it smells inside those little boxes. Most of the puppies were asleep, and while I know pups sleep a lot in general, I just couldn't help thinking that maybe they were drugged. I hope the store owners truly care about and care for the dogs, but it's just so sad. </span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">3. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b>Today I am thankful for </b>my husband's patience and ability to put up with my moods; money in our bank accounts; just the thought about sleeping in on Sunday!</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">4. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b>My favorite room in my house is</b>, based on color alone, the powder room! It's only a toilet and a sink, but the color is the color of Sedona (I was just there on Tuesday, so I can really attest to the likeness!). We had a guest bathroom in our FL house that was the same color. It's this great terra cotta orange. Now that I think of it, I think our guest bath in MA was this color too! We call it the Arizona bathroom, for the color and because we have pictures of a cactus and the red rocks of Sedona on white shelves in there. Corny, I know. But for comfort, my favorite room is our den/great room. We have a huge sectional couch in there; the fireplace is in there; and we have to softest, coziest throw on that big ole couch that we bought last year at Pottery Barn. I snuggle under it every night. Even in the summer, when the a/c is cranking away. Check it out at: <a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/faux-sheepskin-throw/?pkey=cdecorative-throws">http://www.potterybarn.com/products/faux-sheepskin-throw/?pkey=cdecorative-throws</a></span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">5. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b>I can't stand </b>a lot of things! But, I can't focus on one particular thing right now. In an effort to be positive, I'm just going to let this go! Big step for me!</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">6. <b>If I had an extra $100 to spend on whatever I wanted today I would </b>treat myself to some new sweaters. It's getting cold now (well, it's in the 50s and 60s, and to me, that's cold!), so I'm wanting to stock up on warm and comfy clothes. And, since I had a birthday last week, and since my parents and my in-laws were generous with cash gifts (the all live in MA, so I really don't mind getting a birthday check - no sense in them buying and shipping a gift), I technically do have $100 to spend on myself. But, then again, I did splurge on a pair of Tory Burch flats while I was in AZ. So, that $100 really should go into the checking account. It should. But, we'll see . . . </span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Here are my cute new flats:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/ToryBurchLLC/TB_50008668_252?$trb_detail$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/ToryBurchLLC/TB_50008668_252?$trb_detail$" width="279" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">7. <b>The last person I hung out with was </b>my husband Jim. This is par for the course. We laugh at ourselves about how much time we spend together. We are a bit inseparable! Comes with having moved to CA and not knowing anyone when we got here. Sadly, we've been here a while and still don't have regular friends to hang out with. Thankfully, we enjoy each others' company and we like doing things together. We did spend time with friends in AZ though, so other than Jim, the last person I hung out with was Megan. And Mark, her husband. And Taiya and Alexa, her amazing 6-year-old twins. Back up to number 3, I'm thankful for them too. They are kind and they make me laugh and they make me feel loved. </span></span></span></span></div>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-50056211138888167872011-11-04T19:45:00.000-04:002011-12-29T16:58:52.524-05:00Fill-in-the-Blank FridayTrolling the few blogs I follow, I found this neat, little Fill-in-the-Blank questionnaire thingy. First, to give credit where it's due, I found it at: RED locks & BOLD frames (<a href="http://katerees711.blogspot.com/">http://katerees711.blogspot.com/</a>). And from there I found that it originated at: the little things we do (<a href="http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/">http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/</a>). I am amazed at how many people have posted it on their blogs. Add me to the list! Here goes:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Pniy0YzBzwdSevbK3srxRU3sDnwtp9L7qmJe8IcMCH2pw3Y2eUJmHVuxVrI9K-APRrkRFdnlY0Z7QuOBX0r4ymuMq33vptsOKVZpTcReXFaXp9AiarLPQrhR8koyA3__kLcmt_7MRsI/s1600/fill+in+the+blank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Pniy0YzBzwdSevbK3srxRU3sDnwtp9L7qmJe8IcMCH2pw3Y2eUJmHVuxVrI9K-APRrkRFdnlY0Z7QuOBX0r4ymuMq33vptsOKVZpTcReXFaXp9AiarLPQrhR8koyA3__kLcmt_7MRsI/s320/fill+in+the+blank.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> My favorite thing about this week was/is </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">being able to wear my new boots today! My husband bought me a most extravagant and totally fun pair of Jimmy Choo motorcycle boots in July (July!!) and I am finally getting to wear them today! I have trouble with boots -- my calves are too big for my size 6.5 feet. I can NEVER get boots to zip. Never. These fun little kicks only come up to mid-calf so I am finally, FINALLY, sportin' some boots. Kick ass ones, to boot (ha, to boot!).</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">2. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Colder weather makes me </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">cold! But I do love a new sweater. In fact, in honor of my upcoming birthday, I treated myself to two new sweaters at the yearly Women's sale at Nordstrom on Wednesday. I never shop at Nordstrom, but I can't resist a good sale. The sweaters were both half off! Woo hoo. Bring on the nip in the air!</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">3. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Three things that make me terribly happy as of late are </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">no re-runs (I'm pretty much addicted to TV); money in our checking account (sigh of relief when there is money left over after paying the mortgage, with room to spare for above-mentioned sales and such); the thought of getting an extra hour of sleep this weekend when we turn the clocks back for daylight savings.</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">4. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>If I could only wear one kind of shoe for the rest of my life, I'd choose</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">flip flops. I also choose to live in a climate that allows for year-round flip-flop wearing. I know I just waxed poetic about my snazzy new boots, but put a gun to my head, and I am going with flippers.</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">5. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b>My personality type is</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">a weird mix of introverted and extroverted. I was incredibly shy when I was little -- I wouldn't talk to men (probably should have hung on to that personality quirk in my 20s), wouldn't speak out loud in class (got over that around 3rd grade and quite made up for it by 6th grade when I drove my teacher, Mr. Anderson, CRAZY). And on the flip side, I have had extreme moments of being extroverted in high school, college and in present day. But, I still revert back to the shy girl sometimes. I don't like to go to a party where I only know the host but I'll talk to anybody in Target or at the gym. Go figure.</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6. </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have a serious problem resisting </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">a sale! I can justify the purchase of most anything if it is bargain priced! </span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7. </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My favorite color to wear is </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">a toss up between grey and purple (for the record, my all time favorite color is orange, but it's not the top choice of most fashion designers -- I do own some fun orange clothes, but it doesn't make a regular appearance). Purple was my favorite color as a kid. So much that I would actually NOT use the purple crayon because I wanted to make it last. Grey can be kinda dull, but I have some really cute sweaters in various shades of grey, from light, oyster grey to warm, cozy, charcoal grey. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: futura-pt-1, futura-pt-2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></span>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2930585525177964923.post-21537562940551809652011-10-27T17:10:00.000-04:002011-12-29T16:59:35.836-05:00-ationsInspiration. Motivation. Dedication. I need these -ations! It's gotta start with the inspiration, I think. I need to find something that will inspire me and then motivate me and then I can apply the dedication.<br />
<br />
The other day, I read one of the blogs I follow, Hippo Brigade, and I thought, "Oh, I wish I could write like that." I read her writing and I say to myself that she writes how I think. Then I try to put pen to paper (well, fingertips to keyboard) and nothing comes out. Or something comes out and it's not witty.<br />
<br />
The inspiration and the motivation need to come hand-in-hand. I have to get inspired by something and that will motivate me -- to write, to run, to work out, to bake, to just get off the couch. I need a kick in the pants!<br />
<br />
I'm thinking about joining a new gym. The gym I currently belong to is super affordable, but that also means it's super limited. I really only use the treadmill. There aren't any classes there and I'm never motivated enough to use the free weights or the machines. So, I got a two-week free pass to a huge gym that is closer to my house and has rooms and rooms of equipment and cardio and offers classes. So, the inspiration is there, I guess - I've been inspired to try something new. Now I need the motivation.<br />
<br />
Sure, I went to the gym yesterday. But I used the treadmill. Nothing inspired there.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow I'm going to take my first spinning class. I'm nervous. I've never done it before and I'll be the all-around newbie in the class. I know gyms can be clique-y and that makes me shy. I'm hoping that after I make it through the class, I'll be motivated to try out some other classes.<br />
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I know that I'm motivated enough to go to the gym five days a week, since I've been doing that for about two years now. Last year, I ran my first 5K. I had a goal and I reached it. Then I went on to run five more in a year. Now I need a new goal. Plus, my body is getting tired of running five days a week and it's letting me know! I'm starting to think that I've skipped the inspiration step. I'm motivated to burn calories, but what inspires me? What's the push?<br />
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Do I need to start cutting pictures out of magazines of women with great bodies to hang on the refrigerator? My husband might like that. I don't know if that's enough to inspire and motivate me. I give in to my food cravings far too often and think that I could probably overlook the hot bodies and say that I'll just start over tomorrow.<br />
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So, what is going to inspire me? What will inspire me to write? What will inspire me to be creative? What will inspire me to change my workout? I need to think on this . . . and hope for a little divine intervention . . . or inspiration . . . .Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023258924055896853noreply@blogger.com0