Trying to get perky

Here I sit with a cup of coffee, trying to get perky.

Heh.

Today is busy to begin, and not-so-busy later. James' soccer game was cancelled, as it was scheduled for 9 and the U10 fields are apparently mucky. I haven't heard anything about Suzy's 10:30 game, so I assume it is still on. After the game I have to head over to the curriculum sale, where my friend Darlene is manning our combined table. There'll be an hour or so left of the sale, and then David and I will help tear down.

After that, I'm heading to the grocery store to ensure that there is yummy food in the house for Mother's Day that *I* do not have to cook. I have to exercise for 30 minutes today and plan my LAST Sunday School lesson for this year. Then I can relax.

Shall I back up a couple days?

On Wednesday afternoon, I met with my SOF coleaders at a coffee shop to discuss the way we'll divide up responsibilities for the upcoming year. Suzy came along with me since her siblings were all at art class.

Thursday most of the kids did double lessons so they could have Friday off. In the evening, both Suzy and James had soccer games and they both WON! This is the first game Suzy's team has won (1-0) this spring, so they were really thrilled. Suzy was energetic! James' team won 4-2 and he played solidly.

On Friday we headed out to some garage sales minus David and Bob. We didn't come home with anything earthshattering, but got a few bargains - another beanbag to sit on, a jean jacket for Bob, 2 shirts for Suzy and 1 for me, some books (of course! including a hardcover copy of one I lent out and never got back), a VCR (yay! Even though David did fix ours.), and a cute pair of earrings. I think that's it, but maybe I'm missing something. Oh yeah, Suzy bought two purses - for a dime each! And Emily hit up every free box she saw. lol Sorry, no pix!

In preparation for the book sale, I culled a few books from my overcrowded shelves. In the process, I also organized the 15 shelves of (mostly kid's) books I have upstairs. I don't know why, but the kids never seem to put a book back where it came from! Go figure. I threatened decapitation if they mess with the current organization.

In the evening, David and I headed over to the book sale to help set up and shop the other seller's tables - really the whole reason why I signed up for a table - the presale! I didn't find a whole lot though, a little disappointing. As a thank you for helping and tearing down, I offered to take David to a movie and he leaped at the chance so we went to a 9:40 showing.

OK, I better get off here and marshall the troops. Chores must be done!

Do I Know How to Party or What?

I had the MOST fun last night! My original plans changed. Instead of visiting one friend, whose family was ill, I ended up going out to dinner with an awesome friend.

A DELISH dinner at Don Pablo's was first on the agenda. Afterwards we went to a bookstore - one of the big ones, with a coffee bar and live music in the store, some good, some just so-so, and some really bad. But it was entertaining all the same. We browsed around together for a bit, looking for books for our book club and just good books in general. Then we split up and browsed on our own for a while

A few treasures in hand, we headed back to her house for a movie. It turned out to be TWO movies, a Dove bar, and a really late night. Into the wee hours, in fact! Among our exciting pasttimes was looking up words in the dictionary. Yes, we both find that intriguing. lol Did you know "telephonically" is really a word but "crabbily" is not?

At a time that I'm embarrassed to tell you, I stepped outside to drive home only to discover the world had been dusted with a coating of cold white stuff which made driving somewhat treacherous. I made it safely home, only seeing 3 other vehicles in the half-hour journey.

So, my big night included buying books and looking up words in a dictionary. ROFL Do I know how to party or what?

The Nitty-Gritty

I did watch the inauguration, about an hour of it anyway - the actual swearing-in ceremonies, Aretha singing, Rick Warren's benediction (which was the best part, imo), John Williams' music, etc... The kids and Bob watched too.

Bob has been a little better every day. He can sit up and sit down by himself now, which he couldn't do for about 4 days. Today, however, he has a migraine, which has pretty much flattened him. He spent most of the day in bed resting. I also have a headache, but a couple ibuprofen took the edge off. My back is about the same - just a nagging ache, especially when I bend over, at which time I groan like someone's sticking me with a knife. Not that I know what that feels like.

Have tried and failed to get into a number of books lately. Gave up on a few. Read the intro part to The Shack and it didn't grab me. I do intend to finish it, but I'm not in the mood. Reading The Jane Austen Book Club now, which was made into a movie. The movie version was the impetus for Dar and I starting OUR OWN Jane Austen Book Club, better known as The Rollicking Readers. Anyway, the movie wasn't all that good, and to be honest, so far the book is worse. Blech.

Watched Waitress last night. Though it made me cry, I didn't really like it. Not big on movies that condone extramarital affairs, even if the husband is mean and nasty, or senile and drooling. Whatever. Also watched Panic Room this week, which was better, but quite scary. Jodie Foster is always good. And, no, neither of those star Hugh Jackman . I can look beyond my current obsession, you know.

We have also been watching Planet Earth DVD's and they are awesome, but they'd be better on a TV that isn't all washed out like ours is. There's no way of fixing it. It's just the way the darn thing is. Old and stupid. At least it works. I'd like to replace it with something NICE AND BIG but Bob resists.

Let's see. I've been exercising three times a week in the mornings. Long ago, I taped some fitness shows off ESPN - the Fitness Pros. (See how long ago that was? I had CABLE then. It was when David was a baby, I think.) I liked them then and I still like them now, so I dug out that old tape and put it back into service. Once I get a month of this routine down, I'll take it up a notch, perhaps by adding a 4th day to my routine, or maybe by adding strength training on opposite days. Not sure yet. Once it gets warm enough (April?), I'll add walking to the routine.

I've also been counting calories and staying within my calorie limits almost every day. (I went slightly over a couple days and on scrapbooking weekend, calories are free, or so I've been told.) Candy has an amazing amount of calories in it! ACK! So anyway, hopefully results will follow.

I'm getting rather discouraged that we haven't heard the results from Bob's disability hearing. Apparently it doesn't matter to them that our whole LIVES hang on this decision and we really can't move ahead until we know. The hearing was September 16th, so that makes it over four months we've been waiting now. I hope there is not some simple reason why, like they don't have a report from a certain doctor, or something. Those things we could hurry along IF we knew about them!

David's bronchitis is a little better, I think. It's hard to mother a sick teenager. He resists at almost every turn, but then is surprised when he isn't healing.

And no one wants to play Word Twist with me. Wah!

OK, laundry needs folded, dinner needs worked on.

SWEET!

On the way back from Suzy's soccer game tonight, I stopped at the grocery store because I needed some powdered sugar to make the "candy corn" recipe I want to make with the kids. Of course, one can never get just one thing at the store, and of course I needed some chocolate.

Anyway, THIS is what I came out of the store with: Symphony chocolate bar, bag of powdered sugar, bag of sour gummy worms, jar of honey, bottle of strawberry syrup (like for milk), 4 pack of food coloring, bag of chocolate chips, box of 6 donuts.

Notice a theme there? LOLOL SWEET!!!

I also went to the thrift store and got a few books - Webster's New Thesaurus, a Harlequin romance (research, you know!), Sisterchicks on the Loose (Christian chick lit), 3rd Usborne Book of Puzzle Adventures (out of print!), Were-wolves and Will-o-the-Wisps: French Tales of Mackinac Retold, The Ragamuffin Gospel. So, there you are. Or rather, there are my books. :-)

I'm excited about a new thesaurus. I depend on a thesaurus a lot for my writing. Yeah, of course there is one in my word processor, but the more the better, imo.

Oh yeah, Suzy's game went fine. We lost again 0-1. One of our players was not there. David ref'd the game again. He does a great job with it! Suzy was very tired and I pulled her out of the 4th quarter because she was just walking instead of running and she looked just miserable. I think the night games are much harder for the kids in general. We played a 6:30 game which ended around 7:30 - late for six-year-olds, you know! She needs more sleep, in general, I think, because she has been melting down every afternoon. I'm going to have to try harder to get her to sleep before the big kids.

Weekend Ramblings

Sunday already? Where is the weekend going?!

Friday has vanished into the sands of time - I can't recall what we did! lol I do know that I sorted fall clothes to see what we already have and what we need. Oh, and the kids did a bunch of chores - the ones we usually do on Saturdays.

On Saturday morning, the kids tried on the sorted clothes. After lunch, we headed over to a friend's house. Her husband was hosting a gaming party - David participated in that - and the rest of us just visited and played the Wii off and on. We walked around the property and the kids caught several toads and frogs. Towards evening, we sat around a fire and chatted. Very very pleasant day! (THANKS SO MUCH for inviting us, S!)

Today we went to church and afterwards we had a short meeting for Financial Peace University. Bob and I will be taking that class on Wednesday nights. We're going to walk to two garage sales on our street and then head to the waterpark. It's sunny and 85 today! After that, we'll likely go out to visit Bob's parents as it is their 54th wedding anniversary today.

For Labor Day, we will be heading to the thrift store to take advantage of the 50% off clothing sale. A nearby town is having a festival this weekend and maybe we'll head over there and see what's going on. A used book sale at the library sounds tempting! We'll probably visit the waterpark one last time - Monday is the last day. And what else? No idea!

Can you believe summer is on its way out? It went far too fast!

We thought about camping this week Tues-Fri instead of starting school, but then I remembered - soccer. Oh yeah, I have to hold soccer practice. Yippee. But the weather is going to be soooo NICE. But then again, responsibility is a valuable trait as well. Sigh.

Tonight, I'll be posting my August reads over at Mirkwood - quite a pile of books this month! Not quite done with my latest Austen read. Ok, ok, I'm not even halfway. But that's not a problem as there are still a few weeks until our book club meeting.

I also have watched movies I'd like to review - Attila, The Last Legion and Catch and Release. I have a few more movies here to watch - some Horatio Hornblower DVDs, Amazing Grace (already watched once around Christmastime, but would like to see again, paying more attention, lol), and Casino Royale (have seen 2 or 3 times, but have had a hankering to see me some more James Bond!).

Movies the kids have here to watch: Nanny McPhee, Short Circuit, Thunderbirds.

Reading Meme

I was just thinking last night how I would love to answer a good meme. This one is about reading - how apropos! It comes from the blog of Angela Elwell Hunt, an author I enjoy reading.

She says: This meme comes from Linda. Feel free to use it on your blog if you like!

1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
My mom read to me a lot and taught me to read by age 4. It sort of took off from there! LOL

2. What are some books you read as a child? I read lots of series books - Trixie Belden, The Happy Hollisters, The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Dana Girls, Cherry Ames, The Triplets. I also remember some books - true stories of nurses, true stories of heroic horses, and such. And of course, The Chronicles of Narnia, which just about defined my childhood. I read SO MANY books. I remember one summer I read over 100 books for the summer reading program.

3. What is your favorite genre? I read many kinds of things, but not much sci-fi. I really enjoy mystery novels, especially with a comic element. For a while I read a lot of "cozy" mysteries, but I am getting bored with them now - how many dead bodies can one person stumble across? lol

4. Do you have a favorite novel? The Lord of the Rings

5. Where do you usually read? At the table, at work, in the recliner, on the porch swing, and yes, even in the bathroom. Never in bed.

6. When do you usually read? Whenever I can - while I eat usually. On my breaks at work sometimes. After work sometimes.

7. Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time? Definitely I read more than one book at a time.

8. Do you read non-fiction in a different way or place than you read fiction? No, I read it the same way. If it's good non-fiction, it's just as compelling as fiction.

9. Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library? I check them out of the library or get them on paperbackswap. I also buy them used. Sorry, starving authors, but my $10/hr job doesn't allow for purchasing a lot of new books. I REALLY have to like a book to buy it brand new.

10. Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them? I don't buy a lot of fiction since I don't often re-read fiction. Otherwise I do keep most of my books, maybe 80%. I always have a pile of books for sale and for swapping.

11. If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child? I have read quite a few of my favorites aloud to my children - not the series books. I've read aloud Gone Away Lake, Key to the Treasure, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Homer Price, Mr. Popper's Penguins, The 21 Balloons, and lots more.

12. What are you reading now? I just finished Persuasion for my book club. I also read Journey, the 3rd book in the series about Joseph by Angela Elwell Hunt. I am reading Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist. I have two other books sitting here that were recommended to me by family members and neither one is calling my name.

13. Do you keep a TBR (To Be Read) list? I do now, since I found Shelfari! Also I made an 888 reading list this year and that has helped me when I've been at loose ends for what to read next. Also I am in a Jane Austen book club and that means I will be reading all her novels this year.

14. What's next? I'm hoping Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility for book club. Other than that, I'm not quite sure. I have a stack and something waiting for me at the library.

15. What books would you like to reread? The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis, the Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, She's Gonna Blow by Julie Ann Barnhill, Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich, The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon. I will re-read all these before the end of the year, except maybe the Evanovich.

16. Who are your favorite authors? J.RR. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Diana Gabaldon, Janet Evanovich, Francine Rivers, Jeffery Deaver, Ted Dekker

That's it! Feel free to be tagged!

Dichotomy

This was a productive weekend in some ways, and lazy in some others.

On Saturday, we slept in. Then we went to the post office and the library. In the afternoon, we cleaned house. I started cleaning my bedroom and got the urge to straighten the bookshelf in there. I realized some books were in there that ought to be in the living room. And when I went to the living room, there wasn't any room, so I had to take some books from there and put them in the bedroom.

So, the upshot was that I organized my downstairs bookshelves by subject. Then David and I went to one of those resale video game stores to see if he could sell his GameBoy Advance and all his games. (He wants to trade up to a PSP.) They didn't offer what he wanted, so he didn't complete that transaction. Then we went to the grocery store, picked up some Little Caesar's pizza, and came home to watch The Three Musketeers (Disney version with Mickey Mouse).

Because of the ice forecast, I hadn't planned to get up for Sunday School and when we got the call that church was cancelled, I was still in bed. I slept in again. When I woke up finally, I had a book plot all planned out from a dream. But by the time I tried to write it down, all that was left was a name - Amy. Darn!!!

Most of the day today was spent editing my book. I've edited 79 pages now with about another 40 to go. (The page count keeps increasing because I am messing with the paragraphing.) This is the second editing. I have a good friend acting as beta reader for me - telling me what's clear and unclear, where I need something more, where I have too much of something. I also chatted with her today in IM for several hours - a luxury we don't get too often now that our lives are busier!

We also watched National Treasure - one of our favorites - and the kids poked around in the Special Features.

I also roughed out a schedule for the upcoming Sister Weekend with, who else, my four sisters. (and my mom and my brother and his wife!)

I've put Matrix: Reloaded's special features in the DVD player and I am going to keep editing until I fall over. :-)

Tomorrow I planned to take the kids to a free museum day. However, it occurred to me tonight that a lot of schools are probably off tomorrow and the free day may be a little crowded. So, we may reschedule that.