Weighty Issues

Last Saturday my 16 year-old DD (driving daughter) was legal
to drive alone in the car! Oi, I have more new grey hairs than I had last Friday.
She spent her Saturday in the car. She drove to speed skating practice with her
twelve year-old sister, then she drove home from there and then they both went
to the mall. I was a nervous wreck all day. She drove to practice again on
Sunday not so bad that day, but last night I kept watching the clock after 8:30
pm waiting for her to get home from work. Does it get any easier or will I be
grey hair before the end of the year?

Last night I made Penne with Sausage, Garlic and Broccoli
Rabe only I substituted spinach for the broccoli rabe because I forgot to buy
it. It was delicious! I had my doubts because I don’t usually like sausage, but
the turkey sausage was fantastic. Of course the youngest daughter and husband
didn’t like it. The husband said the noodles didn’t have enough taste. How
would he know he has a perpetual stuffy nose? The taste was perfect, if I do
say so myself. It’s a keeper for me because it’s quick to make from beginning to
end it took about 40 minutes. That goes quickly if you drink a glass of wine
and listen to music while you cook.

Currently I’m reading The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson. Not
sure I like this one, but then I’m only 40 pages in. I’m listening to Michael
Buble, newest album Crazy Love.

Quick weight update- Last update September 29, 2009

 

• BP is still
  averaging 115/65

• Weight down 8 pounds to 167 my
  goal through the end of the year    is to
  maintain this number.

• Waist is still 35 inches.

• BMI is down to 28% from 30%

• Cholesterol
  is the same 175 overall, HDL 65 LDL below 100. Before my thyroid medication, my
  cholesterol was 350 (anything over 200 is considered high, my HDL was below 45,
  and my LDL was above 100. HDL (the good higher is better) below 60 for women
  makes us more susceptible to heart attack and stroke. High LDL (the bad the
  lower the number the better) numbers increase your risk of heart attack and
  stroke. Hypothyroid can cause high cholesterol, so if your numbers are high and
  you have several symptoms for an over or under active thyroid get your thyroid
  function measured.

Until next time, live well now.

NaNo & Book Review

I’ve made it to NaNo Day 4! I am at 10K plus with word
count. I’m not sure I like writing the chick lit genre. I want to add something
from the paranormal realm. To keep myself on track I am using Post Its to jot
down my ideas for the unusual. I do like my characters and the story line if I
were to twist it toward the unusual is something I haven’t read.

I have a new item to add to my NaNo must have list. It’s
Greek yogurt! I’m giving two spoons up to the Chobani brand. It has up to 14
grams of protein! It really fills me at snack time or even as a breakfast. It
has 140 calories compared to other yogurts but the taste is far superior. It’s
all natural with no artificial anything. If you’ve not tried it you should
you’ll never go back to those other yogurts.

Arms of a Stranger by Giselle Carmichael nearly became the
worst book I’ve ever read. It would have been the worst had the last three or
four chapters not picked up in pace. That said I have a book mark that has the
word BELIEVE inscribed into it. I noticed I referred to it often while reading
this book and I’ve come to the realization that I did so to reaffirm my belief
that I could/would finish the book.

There was nothing special about this book. The characters
were flat. None of the people in the book popped off the page, well none of the
ones we were supposed to care about. The best character in the book is
Courtney. She’s outrageous and your first instinct is to not like her. This
character had fire and passion. Then there’s the hero’s name, Keithen what’s up
with that? All the other characters had normal names you didn’t have to stumble
over to read. An unusual name or spelling does not make a character different
or interesting. The dialog was stilted and boring. The scenery of the gulf
coast popped more than the story or characters.

What did come through is the author’s passion for the gulf
coast. It’s too bad that passion didn’t translate to her characters and story.

Until next time, live well now.

Reading and Writing

What are you reading? I have a list on the left and right
columns that show what’s on my bookshelf and what I’ve recently read. Currently
I am reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I must admit I’m not a Jane Austen
fan and the only reason I am reading this is that there are zombies! I have
seen the PBS adaptation of P & P and liked it. I am almost finished and the
book is only okay. I love the zombie parts but the rest of it is a tedious read.
I’m not a fru fru reader. I’ve never liked romance novels and after reading P
& P Zombies, I probably won’t read any other Jane Austen. In movie form, I
might sit and watch.

 

 I’ve written several
novels, 13 to be exact. I’ve edited revised and rewritten 10 of them. Seven of
those 10 suck completely; the only salvageable parts from the others are a
couple of characters from each story. Two of the three left are making the
rounds to agents. The last one I’ve been working on since 2007 and I made the
decision to file the manuscript for the time being. I’ve reached a plateau on this
manuscript. I’ve rewritten the entire novel twice. As it currently stands, my
story doesn’t resemble the first draft in any form. I know I’m not finished
with the novel, but I need some distance to figure out what is wrong and/or missing.

 

During the month of October, I am going to flesh out the
story and characters for my next novel, number 14. I am going to use index
cards to build the plot and storyline. This is a different method for me
especially since I usually write by the tip of my pen. Something needs to
change so I’m changing my method. By the end of this month, I will have the
bones of my next novel and then I will NaNoWriMo through the month of November.
I’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month every year since 2003 and
every year I have written at least 50 K to win the challenge of writing a novel
in a month. I have a blast participating. I hope that my preparation will aid
me in finishing a more complete novel than in past years.

 

Tell me what you’re reading and will you NaNo?

 

Until next time, live well now.

50K Knocked Off and 30 to Go (NaNo goal Complete)

Yesterday I finished NaNo. I reached the 50K mark in 14 days, that beats the 18 days it took me last year. I reached the finish line according to NaNo guidelines but I am far from the complete story. Actually I’ve only reached the middle. I’ve completed NaNo five years prior to this year and the major difference with my sixth NaNo is that I’ve learned to write with more detail and the research I did the week before writing began definitely pushed my story along. And I’ve learned to leave a note in the story to remind me that I need to fill in later if my research didn’t cover something.

I’ve made the 50K goal of NaNo and now it's on for me to make the next 30 to 40K by November 30th.

In the midst of NaNo I finished reading my 63rd book of the year. It was Holidays on Ice, by David Sedaris. It opens with a funny story about working at Santa Land at Macy’s in New York but then goes into darker tales of the holiday season. It was an amazing read but if you’re looking for laugh out loud you’ll want to read something else because the stories while funny in places are much darker.

Until next time good writing and reading!

Too Hot, Too Cold

Every house has room that’s either too hot or too cold right? We do and it’s my teenager’s room. In the summer it’s too hot and now that winter is coming she’s already complaining it’s too cold. We use a reversible fan but what I think the problem is that her room faces the sun all day during the summer which makes it hot (plus she leaves her PC on) and then in the winter the sun doesn’t hit from the same direction which makes it colder. Anyway…yesterday the DH and I added an insulating film to the windows. It’s supposed to help keep the heat in the winter and keep it out during the summer. I guess we’ll see if it works.

We’ve lived in our home for almost seven years and I’m starting to think they forgot to insulate the walls in that room. It wouldn’t surprise me with all the things we’ve already corrected since we moved in. Yesterday we replaced the caulk around the windows and I was afraid if we continued to scrape one of the windows it would fall out. Another item to add to the already long TO DO List, the next item on the list is to reinsulate the attic. I see where we can get a tax credit if we use Owens Corning, but what if I want to use a greener product? I’ve been searching for the answer but haven’t found it yet.

I’ve added two more books to my recently read list on the right and that brings my total books read for the year to 62. I finished the Nonprofit Kit for Dummies last week. It was an easy read with good information. I also finished Mrs. Miracle this morning, Debbie Macomber. This was the Christmas pick for my book club. We wanted a feel good book or something that made us laugh. I don’t like the romance genre and this fell into the category. It was written well, but predictable. I would have preferred to read Holiday on Ice by David Sedaris, at least I would have laughed and he is anything but predictable. Well, I’ll be reading it later this month after I finish NaNo.

I am almost to the 26K mark. I’m ahead and I might be further along if I were writing longhand like I normally do, but I decided to write directly into Word. I find it much harder to type and think. When I write longhand I just write not worrying about spelling or if the grammar is correct. Last year I was almost finished with my 50K, not the story. Oh well I will continue with my experiment so that I can say I’ve tried writing with my laptop.

Until next time good writing, reading and home improvement.

Books and Writing

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve blogged! I’ve done tons of writing and reading since my last entry. I’m halfway through the first draft of my newest novel. I hope to have it finished by October 31st. I am doing my own NaNoWriMo this month. I also plan to do to NaNo in November.

Reading wise I’ve surpassed 52 books read this year! For my book club we just read and discussed Big Trouble, by Dave Barry and Night by Elie Wiesel. Big Trouble was a huge stinker! Normally I enjoy reading Dave Barry but this; his first novel was poorly written and edited. He says at the beginning of his book he had no clue how to write a novel. Well that should have prompted him to do what all of we wanna be novelists do…and that is research and learn the craft. If I submitted his novel I would have had no chance at publication. Writing a novel is different than writing humorous essays. Now if you want a fun and wonderfully written book by Barry try reading The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog (2006).

That same night my book club also discussed Night, by Elie Wiesel. I found this to be an excellently written book. It broke my heart. I felt like I could almost walk in his shoes. There were times when I cried and when I wanted to shout at him for not doing enough. It’s a thought provoking read. It’s a quick read too at 121 pages and well-worth it!

Our next book at book club is City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau. I loved reading this book. I was hooked and immediately went out and bought the second book in the series. It’s a wonderful story and one I highly recommend whether you’re an adult or child.

Until next time good reading and writing!

Hanna Came and...

Hanna came and left my area with almost seven inches of rain. Our basement did take on water, but we were able to use huge fans to push the water to our sump pump and keep it from filling the entire basement. Yesterday I sprayed a natural anti-fungal to help prevent mold and today I will reapply. If it stays dry this weekend I’ll get the DH to patch an area on the front porch that I believe is part of our water problem.

Saturday could have been much worse and I’m thankful it wasn’t. Since I couldn’t control the rain or the fact that it was seeping in my basement I decided to read. I finished Dave Barry’s first novel Big Trouble. Well, the title foreshadows the book. I was quite disappointed. This novel was in Big Trouble from the start. Too many subplots and the POV were convoluted. Stephen King said he fell out of his chair laughing, was that his polite way of saying, ‘Dave, my friend stick to humor from life essays?’ Because that’s my thought, now I’m trying to decide whether to take the time to read his novel Tricky Business.

My next book club book is Night, by Elie Weisel. I read this a while ago and was moved to tears. It’ll be interesting to see if I have the same reaction with my second reading. This book is also on my 15 year old’s 10th grade reading list. She is a reluctant reader so I’m interested to hear her take on this horrific time in history.

Until next time good reading!

The Picture of Tedious...Err Dorian Gray

I finished my book club book yesterday (#46) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. It’s too bad that the novel didn’t read like the story had been retold in movies or other novels. Oscar Wilde’s writing is verbose. I realize that might have been the styling of the 1890’s but even back then he was slammed in the reviews. I will say that it was definitely better than The Piano Tuner that I read earlier this year. Thankfully it was a short read.

Now I can move onto a fun read! My book club is going to read Kathy Reichs, Death Du Jour. I’m a huge fan of the show Bones so I’m betting that I will love this book.

Next week summer vacation ends for my kids. Both of my kids are now out of elementary school. My youngest is excited and anxious about moving on to middle school. I’m sure she’ll be fine after she goes to the school Thursday to pick up her schedule and take a walk through. My oldest is entering her sophomore year! She’ll get to play in the land of the PSAT this year and visit her first college night. She’s not anxious at all, no that feeling goes to her parents. We’ll have to get over it and make sure we can help make her dreams come true.

Until next time good reading and happy back-to-school!

Another Book Read

I've finished number 44! It was the second book in Garth
Nix’s series The Keys to the Kingdom: Grim Tuesday. It’s a young adult book in
the Fantasy genre. The second was as action packed if not more than the first.
I loved the pace and for the younger reader I think the pace is crucial. Most
kids that I know don’t want to read anything that is slow or boring and Nix’s
books are neither. Boys as well as girls will enjoy the series. Young Arthur
Penhaligon is likeable as are the secondary characters he meets along his
journey. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series and Nix’s
previous books.

I’m waiting for my next book club book Oscar Wilde’s The
portrait of Dorian Gray to arrive, which means I need to figure out what I will
read next. I could read another Coben because I know it will read quickly and
will be well written or I could start Kathy Reichs Déjà Dead. I’ll have to
review my list and see what I connect with.

Until next time good reading!

43 Books Read

I finished my 43rd book. I’ve read a few
stinkers, but most have been decent. Then there have been a few that just blew
my mind and 1000 White Women was one! I am a fan of books that use the Wild
West, Indians and so forth but 1000 White Women was more than a Wild West and Indian
story. It’s a fantastically written story with nuggets of truth. It’s written so
well that it’s hard to wrap your brain around the fact the book is fiction. May
Dodd and her female cohorts are written with such depth you think they have to
be real. I highly recommend 1000 White Women, by Jim Fergus.

Last week I read a Young Adult (YA) novel by Garth Nix
called Mister Monday and enjoyed it and will start the second book of the
series tomorrow called Grim Tuesday. Mister Monday was fast paced and packed
with action from beginning to end. The main character Arthur is 12 with a
serious asthma problem. He is pulled into another realm because The Will says
it’s so. This is a wonderful book for young and old. I definitely recommend if
you’re looking for a fun fantasy novel.

With 20 weeks left in the year I am 9 books from finishing
52. If I keep going I should finish the year with 63 books read. I realize
there are others who read more than one a week but this is a huge
accomplishment for me because I’m working outside of the home, writing a novel,
taking care of my family and home. It feels good to read and do it just because
I want too.

Until next time good reading and writing!

Boring Book

The birthday redo is complete. DD actually did most of the painting because she said I want to paint too. I gave up my painting control and handed her a roller and said have at it! She did a fantastic job. Yes, I was a tad surprised because she is always in such a rush to finish things and painting is not something you rush if you want it done right. I’ll be photographing her room this weekend.

I’ve been struggling to finish a book. I’m reading Anne Tyler’s, Digging to America and I am bored. I’m can’t figure out what is captivating about this story? I find all the characters boring and whiny. If I wasn’t reading this for my book club I would just put it away for my trip to the used bookstore, but I will finish it today and then I will read something fun by Harlan Coben. I’ll need to try and read two books by the end of the month to stay on my book a week or more paces.

The family and I are still struggling to bring Dexter back into the main family environment. He does well outside but the moment we get into the house he doesn’t want to share the family room and kitchen space with Wyatt. He’ll block the walk way and growl at Wyatt. Once or twice he’s lunged. I removed both Wyatt and Josie to the back porch and then escorted Dexter to the dining room and then let the others back inside. It breaks my heart because our vet says nothing is wrong with him medically even though we’re almost positive we’ve witnessed a few seizures. She suggested an MRI and while I wish I could I just can’t afford to spend $1800. What I will continue to do is work on training, management and getting them comfortable with sharing the main house again.

For now though the dogs are sleeping and I have a novel to write. Until next time, good reading, writing and DIYing!

Finally, OBAMA is Declared the Candidate!

Finally we can get on with the general election campaign! I hope McCain and Obama can leave the mud slinging behind and concentrate on the issues. I want to know what they are going to do to improve the quality of living for the middle class. Don’t tell me you’re going to fix health care, show me your plan and tell me why it’s going to work. Don’t tell me you’re not going to raise taxes because I know they will be raised. Don’t tell me you’re going to pull out of Iraq by such and such date because it’s not that easy. Don’t give me a gas tax break for the summer; I want a long term fix. In short don’t just talk at me, show me your plans and how you will implement them and get the government to follow your lead! And finally Senator Obama please find someone other than Senator Clinton to be your running mate!

School is almost over. Officially my kids have six days left
of school, two more full days this week and four half days next weeks. I too
get the summer off. Well I took it off because I didn’t want to work the summer
camp. I’ll be spending my summer going greener with my daughters and hopefully
finish my 11^th novel.

I’ve finished another book! Well, last week I finished The
Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. It was a wonderful read. The
characters had depth and the whole story was layered well. I’ll be discussing
this book tomorrow night with my book club and it appears we’re attracted to
first books because over the last 14 months over half our books have been first
books and Knitting Club was no different. I bought Kate Jacobs next book last
night, it’s called Comfort Food and from the front flap it sounds delicious!
(ha, ha) By tonight I should have our next book club pick finished and that one
is Joshilyn Jackson’s third book The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. If you’ve never
read her books, you should! Each one is better than the last and I love The
Girl Who Stopped Swimming! If I’ve counted correctly I’ve read 37 books so far.

Until next time good reading, writing and politicing!

29 Books in 20 Weeks

We’re 20 weeks into the year and I just finished reading my
29^th book! I’ve been trying to add the books to my recently read
list on the right but it’s not working at the moment. So I’ve updated my Book a
Week page.

The next book for my book club is the Piano Tuner; I was
totally disappointed in this book. If you want a history of Burma then go for the read. I
expected more story and less of a history lesson. Not a book I’d recommend. I
apologize to my book club for suggesting it. Our next two books are Friday
Night Knitting Club and The Girl Who Stopped Swimming.

May 14^th my girls and I posted our first blog
entry on Greentastic, No More Plastic and today my 15 y/o wrote her first post,
a review of Burt’s Bees skincare.

Until next time good writing and reading!

Greentastic Coming Next Week

The bulk of the painting is complete in my kitchen! Today I
have a few touch ups to make and then I can move everything back to its proper
place. I’ll need to find switch plates, hinges and pulls the old ones will not
do with the new fresh color. I’d love to find enough used pulls but that is
proving tough but I will keep looking. Look for the “Green” kitchen makeover on
Greentastic, No More Plastic.

Next week my daughter’s and I plan to launch our Greentastic
Blog. My youngest is excited but my oldest is having an attack of the “I can’t
do this”. She can do anything and she does it all the time. She doesn’t like to
write and it is her weakest area but when she works at it she does exceedingly
well and I’d like this blog to act as confidence builder for her. I stressed to
her that she doesn’t have to write a novel, but I would like to see at least
one 100 word post a week. She’s into fashion so I’ve asked her to be our Green
Fashionista. So far she likes that so we’ll see how it goes.

Tonight at book club we will talk about the fabulous book
Water for Elephants. What a brilliant, beautiful story! I can’t wait to read
more of Sara Gruen’s books.

Until next time good reading, writing and DIYing!

Books and Blog

Last Thursday I had hoped the big dryers in the basement
would be gone, but alas the basement was still wet. It didn’t and doesn’t look
wet but underneath the surface was off their meter so the ServPro people will
be back today to check. Our washer and dryer survived the water so I’m doing a
week worth of laundry today. Hopefully the last four days with the dryers
blowing in the basement did the job and they’ll pack them up.

I finally finished Devil in the White City! Oh my, this book bored me to tears. I found the attention to detail over the
top. While details are needed I really didn’t need to know how many times they
poured a foundation. I really didn’t need to see lists or read the details of
permits. It’s finished and thanks goodness. Next book club book is Water for
Elephants and it was a wonderful and beautiful story! I can’t wait to discuss
it next week.

My girls and I are gearing up for summer! We’re going to blog
about our efforts to green our home and life. We’re going to plant a small
garden and do it organically. We’re also starting a compost bin and we’ll also
be using worms to compost our dog’s poop. Greentastic, No More Plastic ~One
Family’s Path to Creating a Green Scene will debut soon.

Until next time good reading and writing!

Finally! My Green Friendly Family Room

I finally have the after photos of my family room ready!
Though I still have one wall next to my TV that I need some kind of art work
for, what I did photograph will give you a good idea of what the DH and I
accomplished. On the walls we used Freshaire’s Slender Reed (Eggshell). We
installed new four inch white baseboards after we installed the spice colored
bamboo floor.

The art on the walls was moved from my bedroom. I figured
I’d enjoy it more while I was awake. I reused and painted some cube shelves I
was no longer using in our closets. I painted them a green apple color that
I pulled from the new formaldehyde/chemical -free rug. I plan to add a few
plants and maybe an orchid or two, I only hope I don’t kill them with my brown
thumb. Below are the photos-

Before

After

After

After

Close up of the bamboo floor.

I’m in the process of repurposing the smaller black bookcase
in the before photo. I repainted the outside with left over Freshaire paint and
added doors. I’ve painted the doors the same apple green as the cubes. I have
one more coat of green to add and then I will fill my new bookcase turned
cabinet with small kitchen appliances I have on my counter. I’ll post a photo
when I finish the last coat of paint.

BOOK A WEEK UPDATE

This past week I finished reading book 21 and 22. Both were
on the subject of going green. The first Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach was
a quick and interesting read and different because he used his money sense to
show the reader how to make money from the green changes we make. Book 22 was
called The Green Parent, by Jen Savedge and it’s a wonderful resource for anyone
but especially for parents or someone just starting to make the switch.

I’m still wading through Devil in the White City,
I don’t want to forget about it but I am tempted to drop in my yard sale pile. The
next book for my book club is Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, I have 100
pages left to read and so far I have loved every single page! WFE is definitely
in the running for my favorite book of 2008.

Until next time good writing, reading and DIYing!

Office Cleansing Started

I started clearing my desk this morning. I took all the
piles of crap and put them in my clothes hamper because I didn’t have a box
large enough to move it all to my family room. I spent close to three hours
today sorting through the junk mail and shredding bills. I filled one black
trash bag with trash and shredded paper. I ended up with one small stack of
papers to be filed. The sad part is my desk is still covered. Now it’s covered
with stuff I think I still need. Tomorrow I will go through what’s left again.

Yesterday I finished my dummy book on home based business.
Most of it I knew in theory. I’ll keep the book because it has good
information. That’s 18 books read 34 to go.

Until next time good reading, writing and decluttering!

Got My Paint!

Saturday evening I found out that our local Home Depot already had the Freshaire paint in stock. I was excited; I don’t have to wait to paint! Yesterday morning after our early run to Lowe’s to purchase the bamboo floor we headed over to Home Depot for paint. Turns out HD had the paint in stock for two weeks and lucky me was the first customer to purchase it. I had the pleasure of watching the poor workers look for the pre-measured color packets that are used to tint the paint. These packets of color contain no VOC’s just as the paint (Volatile Organic Compounds). After about fifteen minutes they found the packets and five more minutes of prep and shaking the paint we were on our way. Most workers would have given up and said they didn’t have the packets and sent us on our way with out our paint, but Robin and Valerie hung in there.  I was so excited to have my paint that I started cleaning and prepping the room before I took before photos. Before I go any further I’ll snap a few and post them later.

We also purchased our new flooring and we were surprised to find that this Green renewable product uses high VOC glue! Lowe’s didn’t have an alternative so we will install the floor using a flooring nailer which we’ll rent next weekend. We have 216 sqft of floor to lie which I figure will take us at least one day but no longer than the weekend. Eventually we’ll extend the bamboo into our living and dining room.

On the Book a Week front I finished A Spot of Bother on March 19th and that brings my total to 17 books read 35 to go. I found it well written, especially the dysfunction of the family, I also found a few parts disturbing to read, especially the part where the father harms himself. I actually gagged while I read it! I found the book engaging but I must admit I enjoyed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night much more. Even so Mark Haddon is an author I will read again. Currently I am reading the Dummies Guide to Home Based Businesses and I’m also slogging my way through Devil in the White City. Devil is the next book for my book club and yikes it’s hard to read. Larson has left no stone unturned, it reads as if he included every single piece of research…BORING! Thankfully I have until April 3rd to finish it.

Until next time good reading, writing and DIYing!

Ridge Vent DIY

The winds have diminished and most of our roof is in tact. The ridge vent was toast! Boy those vent sure lets in quite a bit of wind when it’s not secure. This morning the DH and I went to Lowe’s and purchased a new ridge vent and then we came home and I promptly sent him up on the roof to replace the damaged one. Approximately one hour later the DH had finished the fix. Now hopefully it’ll stay put during the next high winds and keep the rain out. Next project is to pull the attic insulation that got wet over the last few days, YUCK!

Since I’m on the DIY topic I thought I’d update on my hottie potty, it’s all fixed! The plumber fixed the pipe and the DH cut and hung the new drywall and then I came in after and primed and painted. You’d never know that a repair was made.

I’m also in the process of choosing paint colors for our entire first floor. I thought I had the colors I wanted but then found out that they don’t come in a Low or No VOC paint! I’m trying to do this green for the environment but also because of my lung problems. When I find what I want color wise I’ll write about it and share the places I checked out as well as what I used. I’ve decided to choose neutral colors because we just might move in the next couple of years and it would be nice if I only needed to do some touch up later.

My oldest DD and I are also in the middle of redesigning her room. We just purchased a new full sized bed and mattress, mirror and side table. She’s also chosen some art that we are recycling from a large art calendar that I have. Since her colors are grey/blues and brown I plan on making our own frames for the art from the scraps I’ve kept from other projects. Once we start painting for that project I'll post more.

14 books read 38 to go on my Book a Week in 2008!

Until next time good reading, writing and home fixin’!

Live Web Crash?!

Were you one of the many hundreds that lost the connection to Oprah’s live web chat? What was your reaction? I was one that lost the connection. I knew it was going when my streaming started to dip below 300 and because the picture froze. Eventually it went black then came back up and I was met by a woman talking about her heavy periods and then it went black again. It all started for me around 9:18 and went black by 9:30 and by 9:35 I decided to go to bed slightly disappointed but also comforted by the fact that I’ll be able to download the entire show this afternoon. What I did see and hear was fantastic!

I decided to read Full Moon by Jim Butcher. I want a light read, something that brings me nothing but fun and joy. Right now that’s Full Moon. I’m also discovering that right before I start to write a new story I like to read books that are light, funny and even dare I say sweet. Now Full Moon falls in the light and funny range and sweet is usually something I avoid not because it isn’t good but because it’s not what I truly want to read unless it is handled with a sense of humor.

Until next time good reading and writing!