There's something about Christmas.

     

I'm a sucker for a good romance.  Anyone who has browsed my DVD collection would know that, however my bookshelves have remained cheesy romance novel free.  Whew!  I can think of one childhood neighbor growing up who had every paperback romance novel known to man crammed into every inch of her basement.  As a child, I thought to myself, does she do anything but read?  I love the thought of reading hundreds of books but I thought reading cheesy romance novels was a waste of time.  It's better in real life, right?

Well, I've changed my tune.  There's something about Christmas that made me try another Debbie Macomber novel.  She's written many Christmas novels.  And in the last week, I've read three of them.  All of them were short and sweet, probably 250 pages or so.  Each with a leading lady who finds unexpected love as Christmas approaches.  Each story had different elements of Christmas that were fun to read and had me brainstorming ways to make my holiday jollier.  For example, There's Something About Christmas had be drooling for fruitcake.  Fruitcake!  Seriously.  Recipes were included in the book - one was for chocolate fruitcake...I must try this.  It sounds delicious!!

I also finished a Robert B. Parker novel.  This was a spur of the moment decision.  I had been talking to my mom about Christmas gift ideas for my brother.  He's a fan of the Jesse Stone series by Parker.  We now know he's more of a fan of the movies on CBS than of the novels, but the nonetheless I was intrigued by the series and decided to pick one up from the library.  Before my stroll down holly jolly lane with all of Macomber's books, I read Death in Paradise by Parker.  It was pretty good.  I almost think I liked it because I was reading it with the knowledge that Tom Sellick plays Jesse Stone in the movies.  I could visualize Tom Sellick and his mannerisms and drawl while reading the book.  I have another Parker novel checked out but I'm not sure I'll get to it... an explanation tomorrow.

In other news...Brent and I assembled our Christmas tree last night.  Brent did a great job putting on the lights.  Tonight we'll do the rest of the tree trimming.  Then photos will follow!

Sunday serenity.

Squish, squish.  Squish, squish.  I've heard snowshoeing is the best workout one can have.  I definitely got a workout today.  It's days like today that I wish I was in better shape.  At one point Brent and I were traversing a rather steep hill and I felt as though my legs would collapse and my heart would pound right out of my chest.  This was a much different experience than the first time I went snowshoeing.  The first time was nice and flat and I had better snowshoes.  This time was all uphill and then all downhill and the snowshoes were slippery and bulky.  Lesson learned!!  

Even if I did get my butt kicked, it was a lot of fun and very peaceful.  While we passed a lot of people on the trails, mostly it was the squish, squishing of our shoes to snow that kept us company along the trial.  We passed two lakes and got to watch the storm clouds roll in over the mountain tops.  By the time we trudged our way back to the car, the snow was flying!

After our snowshoeing adventure, we stopped off for some barbeque in Estes Park.  It was tasty but inside the place was cold and uncomfortable.  With our bellies fully we made the one stop in town that was necessary.  We stopped The Christmas Shoppe and wandered through the tree after tree of Christmas ornaments.  We settled on a cute one of Santa, which only a picture (to come) will explain.  I also found some mistletoe.  This was an achievement.  I've been searching for mistletoe for two Christmas seasons now.  Not as easy to find as one would think.  And this is real looking mistletoe not holly like fake stuff.  A picture will follow for this as well.  Once the place is all done up, I plan on trying my hand at Christmas indoor photography.  It's trickier than one would think...trust me!

We made one stop at The Barn (where most of Brent's belongings reside) and picked up his Christmas tree, which is bigger than mine by 2 feet.  By the time we returned, Brinkley Miles was very happy to see us.

The snow followed us from the mountains.  We have a light dusting of snow and I sit here sipping my coffee with gingerbread creamer thinking about all the stuff I'd like to accomplish in my next two days off.  I'll definitely be cleaning and attempting to deck the halls.  December is finally upon us!

Giving thanks.

I am thankful for ...

...Brinkley Miles.  He is the reason I go to work and the reason I want to come home.  He may be spoiled but he deserves so much better.  I will get you a yard, pup.  Some how, some way, I promise.

...Tulips...from Brent (he finally figured it out), from my mom, from Heidi, and from Vanessa.  You all rock my tulip lovin' heart!

...Scrabble.  Playing Scrabble involves some of my favorite people.  It usually brings laughter and memories, and for those hours of good fun every year, I am very grateful!

...My UW girls, Heidi and Bryn.  There aren't enough Scrabble tiles in the box to describe how much I enjoy having you both as my friends.  I am forever thankful for all the laughter, advise, and encouragement you have provided me.

...Mother Nature.  Superb work this year, Mother Nature!  I've spent more time admiring your work this year.  Your sunsets have made me grateful for living in this great state.  Your stars have made me grateful for close friends, campfires, and late night road trips.

...my bread machine.  There's something to be said about correctly mixing all the ingredients and the yeast.  I haven't bought a loaf of bread all year, and that is a wonderful thing.

...Green Acre.  It continues to foster family time and good memories.  From riding Grandpa's tractor to weeding Grandma's rose bed, I've enjoyed the time that allows my mind to wander and to remember my awesome grandparents.  I am thankful for gardening time with my mom and the laughter and fresh air that goes along with it!

...Jake, the horse.  I still don't like horses, but Jake was kind to me and deserves my thanks.

...FCPD.  I am impressed on a daily basis by the men and women that I work with.  Their dedication and compassion are inspiring.  I'm thankful for being able to work for such an exceptional organization and grateful for the security and benefits the job has provided me.

...The Poudre River Library District.  Ben Franklin had the right idea in creating public libraries.  I'm so thankful our local library system rocks.  I leave with arm loads of books and don't spend a dime.  LOVE it!

...Milo and his morning head-butting routine.  It's both annoying and endearing and I love him for it!

...a road trip of presidential proportions.  It was the perfect road trip.  I'm thankful we had no flats, no carjackings, no muggings.

...for GPS.  The above mentioned road trip would not have been what it was without the awesome GPS unit that guided us on our way.  We would still driving around Kansas City had it not been for the GPS.

...the skills of our helicopter pilot.  The flight around St. Louis was something I'll never forget.  I'm glad you knew what you were doing, kind sir.  I apologize for forgetting your name.

...for Benny's belgian waffles.  Independence, Missouri has a gem in you, Benny.  May your bed and breakfast always be bustling with new visitors and great stories!

...Rainman.  You and your shallow end of the gene pool friends not only provide me job security but remind me of how absolutely wonderful my own life is.  I've laughed almost to the point of tears because of the silly things drivers and their friends do and say.  I'm glad I can take it all in stride and find the humorous side of most everything.

...being a UW Cowboy.  Go Pokes!

...for tweed.  Not only is it a funny word that makes me laugh, but it makes me think of WNP, great friends, good coffee, and awesome conversations.

...102.5 and its 24/7 Christmas music.  It has gotten me more into the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas than I've been in years.  

... the Estes Park Wool Market, which introduced me to the awesome world of knitting.  I knew it existed, but the wool market made me want an owl studded pair of needles and stocking cap made with wool from a sheep I'll raise myself.

... Cold Antler Farm and all that it inspires.  It's comforting to know I'm not alone in my desire to live a homesteader life.  Give me land, give me animals, and let me work towards a more sustainable life.

...for my taste-tester, patience-tester, and repairman.

...for my incredibly family.  My mom, dad, brothers, sister-in-law, and nephew are the most supportive and entertaining bunch of people in my life.  I'm grateful daily to have lived such an awesome, close-knit life with them and I look forward to all the good times ahead.  I love you all!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

I've officially started Christmas shopping.  I think by this time last year I was almost done with the shopping.  It took a week of listening to Christmas music to finally get me in the spirit to go amongst the throngs of people.  About the only thing I accomplished was one gift purchased and adding what seemed like dozens of things to my wish list.  It had been a long time since Brent and I had wandered stores aimlessly.  A few intriguing things....

The Barnes and Noble Nook Color E Reader - this just came out like a week or so ago.  It's not likely to be on sale for a while but when it drops in price I think I'll be open to the idea of an e-reader.  Maybe by then our local library will expand their ebook selections.  It functions like an iPhone with a touch screen and fingertip zooming capabilities.  But unlike the oversized iPhone...the iPad, the Nook Color is more affordable.

I think what's most intriguing about e-readers is that it would kill a lot of the magazine clutter piles that accumulate through the year.  And there is a Lifetime Library online that holds all of the books and magazines in your collection.


Another thing that had me intrigued was the Soda Stream soda maker.  I don't drink soda regularly but this had me thinking of the delicious cherry soda I had at Clinton's Soda Fountain in Independence, Missouri.  It's essentially the same theory, adding flavored syrup to soda water, which is created by carbonating water.  The Soda Stream is the box store $100 gift of the season.

When Brent and I were wandering through The Cupboard in Ft. Fun and passed the Soda Stream.  Then an employee walked by with a push cart with about 20 of them stocked high.  I think the components for making old fashioned soda could be arranged for cheaper.  HUGE bottles of syrup are available at Sam's Club for $6, which is what the small bottles of flavor cost for the Soda Stream.  The website claims a bottle makes 33 cans worth of soda.  It's a good deal in comparison to the $5 12-packs at the grocery store but the make simpler and homemade voice inside of me says I could do it even cheaper.  We shall see.  Like I said, I'm intrigued.

In other Holly Jolly news, I've purchased supplies to make a wreath.  This will be an interesting crafty for me.  I wouldn't say I have any decorative skills.  Every once in awhile I have a brilliant idea but for the most part, I'm no Martha Stewart.  I'll take pictures of my final product.  I'm hoping for it to have some personal flair.  I'm ready to get to decorating for Christmas but need to throttle back until my next weekend.

For now, I'm content with baking for the evening.  Making one of my favorites...pumpkin white chocolate chip bars.  I've also got ham in the crock pot!!

Baking, knitting, and peddling.

This weekend I made apple scones, homemade sandwich buns, BBQ shredded pork, and country fried steak.  All but the shredded pork were new endeavors for me.  The scones and buns were a success, but  I could use some help in the country fried steak realm.  My breaded exterior lacked flavor and fell apart from pan to plate.  

The scone recipe was easy and I can see using this every other week or so with more than just apple.  My logic - a scone at Starbucks is $2.  Plus the $4 coffee and that's a $6 pit stop.  My simple recipe yielded 12 scones less than $3 total.  My goal - no more Starbucks pit stops.  I just have to take the time on my days off to prepare for my work week ahead.

With all this good food, it's a good thing I picked up my totally awesome recumbent exercise bike.  I love it.  I've peddled each day I've had it.  Mom is joining in my challenge to ride to Disneyworld.  We'll compare notes every month or so and track our progress across the country.  I've already browsed two magazines while riding and watching Gilmore Girls.  Eventually, I will be knitting and peddling.  I say this because I started a knitting class last night!

There is a really quant little yarn shop in Ft. Fun called Your Daily Fiber.  In browsing the internet yesterday for a beginner's knitting class I found one through this store....and it started last night.  I arrived to class early and picked out my needle and yarn.  I then learned to cast on and knit.  This, I already taught myself via YouTube, but I learned a different cast-on technique and also was using circular needles rather than regular needles.  Why you ask? My first project is a stocking cap - easier to make on circular needles!

Also in the knitting category, I just finished reading Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber.  This was a fun, easy read about the goings-on on Blossom Street near Seattle.  Calling Blossom Street home is a yarn shop, bakery, book shop and all the characters that go with them.  It was a good read, but it was almost too cliched for my taste.  Each woman in the book was portrayed as a whiny, worrying, and longing woman.  Each desperate for the white picket fence life and (no surprise) they all get what they desire in the end. I'm all for the happy go lucky, but this was dripping with too much cheese.  I did like how all them knew each other through knitting though - a knitting group.  That would be nice to spend time with a consistent group of familiar faces every week doing something for fun and not under pressure (like grad school).

Next up on the reading list is a Robert Parker novel.  My brother is a fan of the Jesse Stone character so I thought I'd give one of his novels a reading.  So far, the book I chose, Death in Paradise is pretty good.  And now that I'm thinking of it, I'm off to read more of it.  Good night, folks.

Halloween Photo Recap

Better late than never!  Halloween at Heidi and Jason's house was a blast!!  We dressed up, ate goodies, carved pumpkins, and had a great time catching up!

I also got to hang out with the cutest little marshmallow monster from Ghostbusters!!

Disneyworld or bust

I mentioned I quit the gym.  I'm a natural quitter if you haven't figured it out.  I start things with grand plans and then they come crashing to a dismal end.  I know it - nobody has to point that out to me.  But for all of my failed attempts at trying new things, I've had many successes when I live outside the box and try new things.  I ran a half marathon in Disneyworld because of a wild and crazy plan.  I LIVED in Disneyworld because of a wild and crazy plan.  I see a theme here...  

So, what's my next wild and crazy plan?  Peddling to Orlando, FL and back.  What's this? Absurd, you say?  Not when I'm doing it from the comfort of my living room!  

Lot's of people have wild and crazy ways to motivate them while they get in shape.  They run a mile in honor of every casualty in a war.  Or ride around the globe.  I have chosen to ride to Disneyworld.  This is feasible given I have approximately 519 days until my family and I actually go to Disneyworld for Moxon's big birthday bash.  As the car drives, it is 1,894 from Ft. Fun to Orlando.  That would be 3,788 miles in total.  

Once I pick up my awesome recumbent exercise bike, which was the only thing I really used at the gym, I will start my journey.  My schedule has stabilized (for the moment) and I'm going to use my lazy mornings to my advantage.  And seeing how I HATE winter with a passion, I can envision warmer times while peddling in the comfort of my living room.  

I can read while peddling.  Maybe even knit while peddling.  I can certainly watch my morning Gilmore Girls episode while peddling.  Anywho, I'm very excited about this.  And if all goes well, by the time I arrive in Disneyworld with the family, I'll be swimming pool ready!  

  

Old Man Winter

Has arrived.  This saddens me greatly.  I hate winter.  Despise winter.  There are few moments where I like snow.  My long high that I've had during fall time quickly came to an abrupt halt last night when the temperature dropped, the wind kicked up, and the snow started swirling around.  It made me blue.  There are never enough layers to make me enjoy winter.

The idea of snow is great.  Watching it fall from the warmth of my house while drinking coffee is great.  Standing out with Brinkley Miles while he does his business in the snow is not great.  Scraping icy windows is not great.  Working out amongst the crazies in the snow is not great.  Sigh.  Boo winter.

Snow only makes me wish Christmas was here, but I still have to wait six weeks.  I'm already scheming my Christmas decorating for the year.  In the next few weeks I'll be sorting through my Christmas decorations and getting rid of stuff that I've never used or cared for and adding to the supply and gearing up for a post-Thanksgiving decorating fest!

And with that I'm off to clean snow off my patrol car.  Sigh.

True Blue

It's almost like meeting up with an old friend whenever I pick up a David Baldacci book.  He's the only author that I've consistently read.  If someone ask me to name my favorite authors, he would be one of them.  His books are mostly crime driven suspense novels.  Like most authors, he has a few different series which have the same characters.  True Blue came out last year and I just got around to checking it out from the library.

The last Baldacci book I read was mediocre, which had me cautious in selecting another one.  I guess I didn't want to taint my affinity for Baldacci's writing.  True Blue restored my faith.  It was a great book!  And I truly hope that Mace and Kingman become another series.  Both are strong characters and the relationship between them was well built.  A little more spark of romance between characters would have been nice to read.  I'm not so sure why Baldacci always skirts around his characters appeal towards one another.  I think that's what I find most disappointing about some of his books.  Just write a nice romantic scene for once, gosh dang it!

Anywho, in True Blue Mace and Kingman work their way around Georgetown and other D.C. areas trying to solve two murders and erase framed ex-police officer, Mace's felony record.  It was predictable.  I'd guessed the murderer from the beginning and knew their would be an underlying romantic element to Mace and Kingman that Baldacci would not bring to fruition.  The structure and relationships are all predictable.  But the story is told well enough that those faults don't matter.

I will have to keep watch to see if Baldacci decides to write another Mace and Kingman story.  I don't think I'd wait a year to read it.  I've found the secret to new releases.  My local library lists all of the incoming new releases on its websites and shows how many copies have been ordered.  Once it's listed, anyone can place a hold on a copy.  I'm currently slated to receive both Sarah Palin and George W. Bush's latest books when they are released in the upcoming weeks.  Once they are released, I'll get a copy the week its released while hundreds of others will be on the wait list.  I think it's pretty sneaky anyway.  And you can't compete with the cost - FREE.  Whoo hoo!

And with that, I'm off to chose a book of the shelf and read.

I voted.

I'm not a political maniac by any means.  I care more about what happened 60 or 70 years ago than I do about what happens today.

I root for underdogs.  Underdogs kicking ass is what changes our path.  Citizen soldiers whooping fancy boy Redcoats... underdog victory!  Isolated doughboys marched into the fields of France to take on the behemoth German Army... underdog victory!  Truman's whistle stop campaign in '48 ... underdog victory!

There's something truly awesome about the peaceful way in which we pass the torch in this country.  It's both inspiring and comforting to know that when the election is over and power changes hands from person to person and party to party, the process continues without armies colliding and the guillotine coming out of storage.