Fall Into Reading Question #10

Each Tuesday during the Fall Reading Challenge Katrina is asking  a question pertaining to reading.  It's been fun  getting to know people's reading habits and taking a look at my own.   This week's reading question from Katrina is:


Do you have multiple books going at once? Or do you prefer to stick to one book at a time?


I usually have several books going at once but of different genres.  I always have a fiction book on the go. Nothing new there.   But never more than one of those at a time, however.  That would just boggle my brain too much.  Then sometimes, key word being sometimes,  I have non-fiction teaching type book on the go though that really goes in spurts and takes me a lot longer to get through than a fiction.   I go through books at a ratio of probably 25 fictions to 2 non-fictions and unless those are biographies it is iffy whether I actually finish them or not.  Though this year I've been on a roll with the non-fiction have actually finished several from cover to cover.   I also, usually have a devotional or book that my bible study is doing going too. So yes, my reading life is just a bit of a juggle, but a good one.

Monday Mish Mash & the Double Chocolate Bundt Cake

As you can see, we have had a whole lot of snow around here. The chinook that started the big melt at the end of last week didn't hang around for more than a couple of days and then it snowed all day yesterday again.  So the roads are super slick from the melted mush underneath covered by a new layer of snow on top.  And tomorrow it again is supposed to be above freezing.  I have never seen so much snow in November, this is more what February might look like.  And I don't recall the weather ever being so bizarrely back and forth from one extreme to the next constantly.  Weird times.

With all the cold and snow and with December approaching this came out of hiding:

It's the file.  The RED file.  The file that contains all the holiday recipes that I use or want to try.  Every year I pull it out around this time and go through and choose what I, in theory, would like to bake or cook.  I have my traditional favorites like Almond Roca Bars, Scotch Shortbread and Spiced Nuts, and Crustless Quiche but I also like to try something new too. Then I make the Christmas grocery list so that I don't make myself crazy by not having the ingredients I need on hand when the mood strikes to bake something.  Wonderfully low cal stuff like butter, lots and lots of butter.  Nuts, lots and lots of nuts.  I usually end up making 3 or 4 batches of the spiced nuts by the time we eat them and I give them as gifts. Cheese, lots and lots of differend kinds of cheese.  And of course what is the Christmas season without a little antipasto and some kind of dip. Who needs a turkey, we can just graze all day all month long?!

Friday night my youngest had some friends over to celebrate her 16th birthday coming up.  Having a Christmas Day birthday is hard.  We've found that celebrating with her friends in November seems to work best before the Christmas  over busyness starts.  Mind you now that she is older, it is so much less stressful for me.  The girls just want to hang out, so as long as I keep the food and pop flowing, they amuse themselves with the Wii and watching movies and basically being silly.  Way less pressure than the parties of their younger days where I had to provide the amusement too.

And the cake requested actually turned out very well.  My Youngest Girl had requested a chocolate cake from, *gasp*, the box mix.  Okay, fine by me, nice and easy.  But that was just too everyday for a birthday cake for me.  So when I came across a recipe for Double Chocolate Bundt Cake in my travels through Food Gawker, and saw that even I could handle this one, I talked Younger Girl into it.  And then kept my fingers crossed that I didn't mess it up.   Everybody said how good it was and even hubby and son really, really liked it.  It wasn't anything fancy, but yet elevated the humble box of chocolate cake mix.   And maybe that is why it worked so well for me.  But it was moist and delicious.  I am so not a great baker.  So for those of you who struggle with ye olde birthday cake too, here's the recipe. I highly recommend it.  You can dress it up as you like.  My girl wouldn't even let me put a candle on it, much less sprinkles.  Oh how they change when they get "cool".

So, I'm off to start the week.  Lots going on this week, Parent-Teacher interviews, Ladies Christmas Party, my sister's birthday, Christmas decorating on the weekend.  All added to the regularly scheduled program around here so I better hop to it.  How was your weekend?

Friday's Fave Five #115

Sorry everyone.  We had an emergency with the dog and I totally forgot about posting.  Here's the link.  Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

1.  We did not have to say good bye to our beloved dog as of yet.  The doc is hopeful with trying something thing out and we hope it works.  For now our little guy came home with us and for that I'm really thankful!

2.  Gotta love where I live.  -27*F(-17*F) for a week and then 2 days later a very fast turnaround to  2*C(36*F).  We get the fun of snow and cold and then just when we can't stand it anymore, here comes the Chinook.  A chinook can actually warm the temperature by up to 20 degrees within an hour.  The only thing is you have to like it windy, because a chinook is wind!  And it was howling yesterday but today is lovely warmth.

3.  Evenings off.  I actually had a few evenings with no obligations, nowhere to be, nothing that needing doing.  It was really nice.

4.  Fridays.  I am so happy it's Friday today and though I'm really like my job and love the kids that come here everyday, I'm glad the house will be peaceful tomorrow.

5.  Fast food.  Yes, I know fast food is not good, but after a tough day yesterday, I had cooked supper and our vet appointment was right at supper hour.  That pizza sure tasted good and I was so thankful not to have to think of something to cook.

Are any of you at Black Friday?  I can't even imagine.  We don't have that where I am.  Our sales like that are usually the day after Christmas.  I can't imagine shopping those sales either.  LOL.  Have a great rest of your holiday weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American blogging friends.  May you have a wonderful holiday reflecting with those you love on all that you have to be grateful for.  Enjoy your day!

And the winner is...

Oh my.  This girl so should win the infamous mirror ball trophy of Dancing with the Stars!  This is a way better performance than a lot of them have shown over the years.

Fall Into Reading Question #9

This week our hostess, Katrina, is asking:

Once you begin a book, do you feel compelled to finish it? Or have you been known to give up in the middle of a book, to walk away from a book that is just too annoying, boring, etc.?


I used to be totally obsessed with reading the whole book, unless it was really offensive. I'd feel guilty if I didn't.   My curiosity compelled me and I just had to know what happened.  Sometimes I just kept going thinking it just had to get better, had to grab me at some point or had to redeem itself in my eyes somehow.  Now with so many books waiting to be read in my book basket and on my Want to Read list, I've just come to the realization that life is too short to keep forcing myself to read something that is just not enjoyable or is just not a book suited to me.  If it's a fiction book, I'll push through for quite a few chapters, even if it's hard just to see if it changes and grabs me, but then I put it away.  If I think I might get into it a little better at another point in time, I make note of that, but I no longer feel guilty for closing the covers on it.

With non-fiction, I'm not so good at finishing them to begin with, although this year seems to be a record for me for finishing non-fictions.  Biographies I tend to enjoy more in this category but even those I have no qualms about laying down if the book is really irritating me or if it just gets offensive.  Teaching books that repeat themselves continually throughout I have no qualms about closing.  Sometimes I may come back to them, most times not, although there has been the exception.

Bonus Question: We have less than one month left in Fall Into Reading 2010! Can you believe it? If you’d like to share…how are you doing? Are you on track with your goals? Will the upcoming holidays derail your reading plans?


I'm doing really quite well with the challenge.  I've already completed 6 out of the 10 I had listed,  one of those being non-fiction.  I've finished another non-fiction that I had come in for review and am in the process of finishing up a third non-fiction for review.  Three non-fictions in one challenge! And I've read each one totally.  It's a miracle!   Because of review books coming in, my challenge was upped to 13 books instead of the original 10 but I must say I'm pretty much sticking to my list.  I've been on a real roll with reading not just this challenge but all year so hopefully I'll finish my whole list.

Monday Mish Mash

-It is frigid here.  -19*C or -2F.  It's been snowing since last Tuesday.  Some days we've been shoveling twice a day.  I like to shovel.  But not twice a day.  I made my teenagers do it.  One of them may or may not have been grumpy about it.  Hard to believe I took this picture a mere month ago.

-The sudden cold and snow has put me in the mood for Christmas shopping instead of hiking in the riverbottom.  I'm almost done!  It feels so good.  I feel so much more relaxed.  Now I just need to not even look in the flyers as they come or I'll second guess myself and make myself crazy.  Of course I also have a Christmas day birthday I need to buy for.  That child's party with her friends is this weekend coming up.  Yikes, I have to bake a cake.

-Hubby's birthday was yesterday.  We gave him what he wanted and that was a relaxed, no stress day.  We holed up in the house in our jammies, yes we skipped church.  I know, I know.  But I had woke up with a huge headache.  But my son, who is faithful as all get out, went with his aunt.  I love him for that.  Anyway, hubby opened and enjoyed his gifts, then we had a nice lunch at a new restaurant, and came home and relaxed and watched a movie of Hubby's choice.  I didn't bake a cake.  He got free dessert at the restaurant.

-A comment from last night's Amazing Race had me and son cracking right up.  After an excruciatingly hard task the all girl team was exhausted but trying to get to the next point before the other team who was not far behind them.  The one girl kept talking and nagging the other girl to hurry up, etc.  The second girl took it for so long and then finally told her hyper team member:  "I won't make a very good team mate if I'm passed out!"  The other girl promptly hushed up.  LOL.   Made me wonder if if I push my kids like that sometimes and all they want  is to tell me they won't make good teens if they're passed out.  Hmmm, food for thought.

-I've decided I hate grocery shopping in the frigid cold.  It's all to do with pushing the heavy buggies in the snow packed parking lots.  Ugh.  I also need to make a new plan for my grocery shopping.  What I'm doing is no longer working well for me.  It needs shaking up.  Shaking things up is hard.

-Love the new posting edits for Blogger.  Now that they have the kinks worked out.  I love that you can make your pictures extra large if you want.  And how easy it is to put them where you want them now.  Thumbs up!

So that's about it for my mish mash of thoughts and happenings from the weekend.  How was your weekend?

Friday's Fave Five #114

1.  Things that make me laugh.   I cannot stop watching this video.  It cracks me right up.




2.  Things that make me feel special.  Hubby came home bearing this gift for me.  Just because Christmas is coming & and because he knew I'd like it.

3.  Things that make me feel better.  Like a great massage.  I mentioned about a month ago but a good massage is almost a necessity for me.  I've always had upper back/shoulder/neck issues and working with little ones where a day can include a lot of lifting, a good massage can make a huge difference.  I've had pain in my shoulder blade area for about a month, pain that was waking me up at night and that seemed to really show up when I layed down.  My massage lady pinpointed it (believe it or not it was radiating from my rotator cuff area), worked it out and now I feel great.  No more night pain.

4.  Things that relieve everyday stress.  Like a night out with the girls.  We went to a decorating store's Customer Appreciation Night and then to Starbuck's for a coffee.  It was a fun night full of laughs and sharing and just enjoying the company and looking at Christmas decorations.  And I spent all of $4.  Yes, my hubby was very happy, too.

5.  Things that make me feel appreciated.  Like the simple gift of a Starbuck's coffee on the first morning of a winter storm delivered to me by a dayhome parent.  I know I already mentioned it this week here, but the thoughtfulness really touches me and makes me feel really appreciated.

What are your five favorite blessings from your week?

Book Tour ~ It's No Secret

"It's No Secret" by Rachel Olsen


Publisher's Summary:
Are you tired of life as usual?

Done with feeling exhausted—or worse, bored? Ready to trade your issues and hang-ups for greater intimacy and fulfillment? Then it’s time you did some digging for biblical “bling” and discovered the shining secrets to life in God’s kingdom. Rachel’s writing is lighthearted and fun, but she’s serious about helping you uncover biblical secrets that can make your life shine. This book will help you:

o Overcome the comparisons and competitive urges that leave you lonely

o Accept help from others

o Discover God’s surprising source of spiritual beauty and strength

o Embrace your need for rest

o Find adventure as you yield wholeheartedly to God

o Dig into the Bible for yourself and understand what you find there

Grab your Bible and a girlfriend, and come discover twelve secrets the world doesn’t know.

About the Author:
Rachel Olsen is a writer, editor, and speaker on staff with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She writes for and serves as senior editor of their popular online devotions, “Encouragement for Today,” with a readership of more than 300,000. She also writes for and serves on the editorial board of the P31 Woman magazine. Olsen is a national women’s speaker and enjoys interacting with audiences at women’s retreats and conferences from coast to coast.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book.  It's written in an casual, conversational style but has lots of solid biblical based teaching for women. Truths that never change but offered in a contemporary way for our everyday issues.   Hitting on twelve areas that all women deal with at some point, the author leads us to finding our answers in the Lord and connecting to Him and to our sisters in Christ.  Each chapter is followed by a short study that further encourages the reader to dig into the Word for themselves and make it real in their own lives.  I liked how each chapter brought nuggets of truth that created more of a desire to search out the scriptures for myself for what God was saying to me about the different areas.

Thank you to B&B Media Group for the book for review.

"It's No Secret" is available for purchase at David c Cook here.

FIR Question #8

On Tuesdays, Katrina, our lovely hostess for Fall Into Reading, asks a question pertaining to something about reading.  Now I am fully aware that today is Wednesday.  I just am not getting my blogging act together lately but I like the questions.  So here we go a day late.  Katrina wants to know this week:

Where do you get the books you read?  Are you a faithful library patron?  Or maybe a bookstore junkie? Do you exchange books with friends or family members?


I will take my books where ever I can get them.  I'll take them new or used or borrowed from the library.  It just does not matter.  As long as I have books.

 Of course my favorite way is new.  I love the look and feel of new books.  I love the smell of them.  I love the thought of being the first one to crack that book open and go through the pages.  I usually get those new books from the local bookstores or from publisher's for review.  I've never bought off the internet.  I think mostly because I'm scared to even get started on that.  It would just be way too easy for me to get carried away.  There is something about making the effort to go to a bookstore that keeps the spending on new books somewhat in check.  Once you get me in the store, though, all bets are off and I have a hard time not walking out without at least one book.  I am very much appreciative of the publisher's review books and being able to pick and choose which ones I want to do.  It's been a real blessing over the last couple of years.  But again I have to show restraint in order to be able to read those books by the assigned date and that is hard.  :v)

Perusing the local library is something I do on a regular basis.  I've loved the library since I was a kid and you will find me there at least every few weeks.  Again I have to show restraint there as I tend to take out way more than I can read in the alloted three weeks time.  I take full advantage of their interlibrary loans and being able to put books on hold over the internet.  In fact, when I go through everyone's reading lists, I make my own list of books I'd like to read and start putting them on hold at the library.  The church library also gets my patronage.

While at the library I always check out their "Booktique" where you can purchase used books for under $4. You never know what treasure can be found there for cheap.   I've gotten my daughter a whole series of about 10 books there for about $2 apiece when they are about $35 -$40 each in the store new.  Once in awhile I go their biannual sale.

Now I have to come out and admit, I don't like loaning the books I own.  There I said it.  But the books that I hang onto are favorites and ones I want to keep because the stories have meant something to me or I really liked them and I feel at sometime I will reread.  I have had issues in the past where I have not gotten books back and months later have had to ask for them back.  (I hate having to ask for them back).  There's even been times where I've found out the person I loaned them to has loaned them to others and has no idea where they've gone. Or they've come back water or food stained or the spines ruined.   That has really bothered me.  So I figure if I can't loan it without releasing it in my mind as if I've given it away, then I just don't loan it.  I do have one friend whom I loan to who understands that and feels the same way, and she has been very faithful to read the books in a decent amount of time and get them back to me in the same shape I gave them to her.  My sister is the same. On the same token, I don't ask to borrow people's books.  So there, now my selfish secret is out.

So where do you guys get your books?

It's Here!

We've been spoiled too long this year.  We knew it had to come sometime.  I mean, this is Southern Alberta and all.  No getting away from it.  And arrive it did.  With a vengence.

Old man winter came a knocking in the middle of the night, howling and scowling and making his presence felt.  And heard.

I knew I should have got to cleaning out the flower pots and beds last weekend.  But I think I was in denial, the weather was so nice.  So I was pretty giddy with happiness when a dayhome parent came bearing this gift in hand this morning:

Warm, spicy gingerbread, no less.

I think I am now ready to start my day.  Let old man winter make all the stink he wants!

Friday's Fave Five #114

Hello everyone! It's Friday already. Holy, where did that week go? It has gone by so fast. Fast or not, Friday means it's time to take a look over our week and recall blessings great and small and pick our five favorites to share. Details are here if you are new.

Well, this has just been one of those weeks that not a whole lot was going on outside of the norm but there were some difficult things thrown into the mix. So I'm really glad for this exercise that makes me more aware to look for blessings in the more mundane weeks and through the rough moments of life. So here I go:

1. Big kisses from a sweet one year old. One of my dayhome kids, when she is going home, puts her lips into the biggest, cutest pucker you ever did see and leans right in to give me a kiss. Makes my day.

2. Making it home. That would be making it home from the downtown core after hearing an awful thunking in the van. I was so glad, after experiencing the thunking and the chugging that the van made it home with no issue. I did not fancy being caught downtown by myself at nighttime with a broken down vehicle.

3. Friendliness in my car club person who answered my call and from the tow truck driver who came to take my van out of my driveway and take it to the transmission repair garage. When something bad happens it's so much easier emotionally when you have friendly, smiling folks who act with some empathy towards you.

4. Still bbq'ing in November without having to wear a parka while I'm doing it. We bbq'd burgers for company on Sunday. It was a beautiful day. A bit cloudy, a little cool but I was out there cooking with no jacket at all. I can't remember the last time, if ever, being out there bbq'ing in November let alone without having to wear a coat.

5. Friends who are encouraging. Nothing beats a friend who encourages and uplifts with their words and actions. The journey in life is so much easier when there is someone in your life who just naturally is an encourager and cheers you on. I hope I am that for someone too.

What have your favorite things been this week? Have you had a rougher week like me? I encourage you to look back and find those smaller things that might be hiding but really are blessings when you search for them. If you do a post, sign on to Mr. Linky to the specific post please, not your home page, so that we can come and visit. Have a great weekend everyone.

Fall in Reading '10 Question #7

Katrina at Callapidder Days has a really fun question today on her Fall Into Reading '10 Questions Series. She asks us today:

"How did you get into reading? When and how/why did you really become a reader?"

It seems reading and libraries have always been a passion of mine. In fact, thinking on it, I can't believe I did not become a librarian or book store owner. My earliest remembrances of reading were the Little Golden Books. I remember having several of them and sitting looking at all their cute pictures before the letters made words for me. I still remember getting my very first library card and "signing" my name on that yellow card. I was so proud of that thing and used it as often as my mom would take me. If I had to pinpoint a time that I "became" a reader, I think it would have to be getting that card. It opened up a whole new world to me. I didn't just have to look at the few books we had at home, but now there was a seemingly limitless amount I had access to. I couldn't get enough.

In elementary school was when reading was really established as a lifelong love for me. I loved library time and my reading interests were varied with everything from picture books to comics. Around grade 5 I started to volunteer to help the librarian at school. I quickly learned how to shelve the books according to the Dewey Decimal numbers and I spent many a happy recess and lunch hour pouring over all the books as I shelved them. The problem was just choosing one or two when it came time to take them out. Little House on the Prairie was a favorite as was a story about a girl named Jessica that I just can't remember the title of now for the life of me.

I think about grade 6 was when the "series" bug bit me and I found the Donna Parker and Trixie Belden books. I spent every penny I had at the small department store in town on them and was so happy when I had the whole collections. I read them over and over again. I don't know whatever happened to those and was really sad when I didn't have them to give to my girls when they hit that age.

What spurred you guys on to become a reader?

Monday Mish Mash, with a Recipe

This weekend went way too fast for my liking. It was busy from the get go which I don't really like but at least it slowed down enough for me to watch the Amazing Race last night. I am now officially sad as one of my favorite teams ever got eliminated. Sigh. Why do I get so emotionally invested with these people? Now I don't know who I want to cheer on. I'm thinking maybe the father/daughter team or the doctors team. Such a dilemma.

Braving the crowds at Costco on Saturday was officially not a favorite thing this weekend. I always say I'm not going grocery shopping or to Costco on Saturday but somehow I found myself there. Oy, it was crazy in there. And I spent way too much money, blowing most of the grocery budget there. Ugh. I did get a few Christmas gifts I wanted though, and at a good price too, so I guess that made the horrendous crowds and lineups worth it. So far I have been really blessed with the Christmas shopping. I have been finding great deals on things I had in mind and I'm so glad I've been looking early. Can't tell you about the great deals though 'cause you never know just who might be reading. Ahem, family, cough, cough. And don't bother looking people, it's nowhere on the property! The elves have it stored off site.

Hubby and I watched a program on raw food diets. It was very interesting that's for sure. Now I am not anywhere near the point where I am ready or willing to go that route but it sure did make us start thinking about the variety of vegetables we eat. And how we tend to automatically cook them all especially in the winter time. Raw food advocates believe that cooking of foods and bringing them higher than 115*F kills enzymes naturally found in the food that your body needs to function and heal itself properly. I don't know about any of that but then I watched a food network program that mentioned briefly how important it was to have some raw food everyday because of the enzyme thing. So yesterday instead of cooking up the beautiful bag of brocolli florets that I just had, I made a salad out of it. And it was delicious and everyone, company included, raved about it. Nary a spoon was left out of a big bowl. So I thought I'd share it with you. Sorry no picture, it was gobbled up too fast and I think the company would have thought I was a little "touched" if I had been taking pictures of our food.

BROCOLLI SALAD

-approximately 6 cups of raw brocolli florets (bite sized pieces)

-1/2 cup raisins or craisins

-1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

-6 medium sized mushrooms, cut in slices

-1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces, slightly chopped

-1/2 small white or red onion, cut in thin slices

-3/4 cup lite mayonaisse

-1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp. sugar

-1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp. vinegar

To toast the sesame seeds just throw them in a small fry pan. Toast over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally until nicely golden or light brown. Don't leave them as they turn color all of sudden.

To make the dressing, start with the smaller amount of sugar and vinegar and then adjust according to your taste. You can also use raspberry vinegar to add a dimension of flavor. Whisk together well and let sit a few minutes. Dress the salad starting with about 1/2 cup and then add more as desired.

So do you guys eat lots of raw veggies or do you tend to automatically fall to cooking them. Or do you eat veggies at all?

Friday's Fave Five #113

Sorry guys. Not sure why this did not autopost at midnight like it was supposed to. Here it is!

Hard to believe it's Friday already, but here we are. Time to look back over our week and find those blessings that touched our lives in the last week. If you are new and need the details, just click over here first and then join us. To all who so faithfully join in and those who occasionally pop by, it's nice to have you back again this week.

1. The weather. Here it is November the 5th and do you know what the temperature was here in Southern Alberta? A balmy, beautiful 23*C. That is 73 in F. Unheard of for my area. The sky was beautiful blue. And there was nary a breeze. It was gorgeous!

2. My golden trees...

...with hints of red

3. The piles of leaves said trees make. I love the crunch, the smell and the fun that all those lovely leaves make when raked together. Those leaves provide hours of fun for the dayhome kids as jump into, slide onto, roll in, throw around and drive various and sundry trucks and vehicles through them. Hubby, now he's not so thrilled with cleaning them up, but I'll do the raking, any day.

4. My new glasses. I can see! I can see! My other glasses have been seriously driving me nuts for about the last 6 months at least. I couldn't see to read with them so I was taking them off and laying them down constantly so invariably I spent more time looking for the darn things than anyone would want to do. And looking far with them made my eyes so tired. I majorly needed a new prescription. The frames were starting to look a bit ragged with the color starting to come off where I handled them so it time for a total new set. And I love them.

5. Almost normal blood pressure reading at my check up. I was so surprised. But I'll take it. Those Omega 3 pills must be working.

What were your favorites blessings this week. Whether they are obvious or you have to dig a bit, take a moment to recall them. Don't forget to link your post on the Mr. Linky. Have a great weekend.

Studying at a stuffy old desk in one's room is so yesterday. The new way to study for final exams?

It must work because Son came home with an 89% on his final for his EMR course. Younger Girl writes her Biology final today. Hoping all that fresh air and sunshine and the higher elevation will produce good results for her too.

Brain Fog: Menopausal or Otherwise

I have been such an erratic blogger lately. I'm not sure what is up with that. I know I haven't been sleeping real well for the last couple of weeks because of upper back pain issues. So the time that I usually blog which is early in the a.m., has found me with literal brain fog. I can't think of a thing to blog about, well not anything that would even seem fairly interesting. I tried switching it up and blogging in the evening but that hasn't met with any better results because I'm just so tired my brain is on slow speed by that time. My days are so busy with the dayhome kids and then everything my own growing teenage/adult children are up to that not much brain space is left. Add to that responsibilities I take on at church. Well. I'm surprised I remember to put my mascara on in the morning. Oh yeah, I've missed that on occasion to. Or maybe it's menopausal brain fog. Don't laugh. It's not an excuse. It was actually on the news a couple weeks ago in their health report. And it's real, people! I am living proof.

For example, I leave one room to get something from somewhere else in the house and by the time I arrive there I have forgotten what I went for. My house is not that big! It takes all of 5 seconds to get from one place to another. So frustrating.

Another example: names disappear right out of my brain when I need them. This doesn't mean I can't remember someone's name whom I've just been introduced to. No, it's names of people I've known for years and sometimes see very often. It somehow just turns to nothingness when I need to recall it. When I'm introducing a new dayhome parent to one I've had for years, or someone I know at church to somebody new. So embarrassing.

And again: When I'm talking to hubby or the kids, I'll be telling them something and mid sentence I'll forget what on earth my point was. These little lapses make my otherwise detail oriented personality very upset. And it makes them look at me very strangely. My wonderful detail laden stories now have a split second hole in them. So maddening.

They said on the news that this lasts up to 5 years. 5 YEARS! So that would make sometime around 2014-15. That's a long time to wait for my witty repertoire (yeah right) to return to it's former glory days here on ye ole blog. So be the excuse lack of sleep, overbusyness or menopausal, guess I better start carry a notepad around and jotting ideas down as soon as I have them rather than waiting for an official blogging time. But then, with the way it's been, I'll probably forget where I put the darn notepad down last. Sigh.

Moday Mish Mash

Well Halloween is gone and done for another year. Thank goodness. I have to be honest, I actually hate halloween. There I said it, wrote it for posterity's sake. Now I don't have to think about it for 365 more days.

I actually started some of my Christmas shopping on the weekend. It's a nice defense mechanism against Halloween weekend 'cause I do love Christmas! And throw in the fact that it's also Younger Daughter's birthday on Christmas Day so an early start is pretty essential for me to keep me sane. I couldn't believe all the people who had the same idea as me. The Christmas aisle at Costco and the Toys 'R Us were full of people literally loading their buggies with Christmas items and gifts. I have to wonder if they were out to avoid Halloween too. I was out to find hubby a birthday gift also because it's his birthday in November but this year I have no clue what to get him. I saw some radar detectors at Costco which I thought he'd want for sure, but he shot the idea down, as he did the GPS idea. Two things I thought he'd really like. Sigh.

I finished the book "The Help" this last weekend. What a great read. I'm really glad I finally got around to it. If you want to read my review of it it's up here at my book blog. Just scroll down to #39. Holy smokes, I've actually read 39 books this year. That's a record for me. And I have to say I've pretty much enjoyed every minute of it. I don't know how I went through those couple of years in the '80's where I didn't read anything unless it was a heavy duty Christian teaching book. Now, looking back, it doesn't even sound like me. Interesting.

And speaking of book blog, is anybody else having trouble with Blogger and adding colored text? Since they brought in the newly revised posting test, I'm having a heck of a time on the regular version getting colors to work. My book blog's gone from cheerfully colored to boring black text. Anyhoo, if anyone's figured it out, let me know.

So that's about a wrap from my exciting weekend. How about you guys? How was your weekend?