The new health bible for women.

Women all over the world flock to Dr. Uzzi Reiss not only for his cutting-edge approach women’s health, but also for his attention to their individual needs.

An expert in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and other natural approaches to wellness, here Dr. Reiss brings his groundbreaking philosophy to readers everywhere, explaining how they can look and feel their best-and have the energy to get through their to-do list each day-by addressing four core wellness pillars.

As Dr. Reiss explains, to be a “natural superwoman” you don’t need to spend endless hours in the gym, give up delicious food, or even take a plethora of expensive vitamins and supplements. Simple lifestyle changes are all women need to reach their maximum potential. Dr. Reiss dispels the myths about hormone replacement therapy with scientific evidence explaining how-if women choose to use them-natural hormones are safe and can have incredible benefits. But nutrition; mental, physical, and emotional activity; and ideal mood balance are three other equally important pillars to prepare a woman for the challenges she faces every day. The Natural Superwoman explains:

- which hormones can enhance energy, sexuality, and memory, heal dry skin, help sleep disorders, and eliminate night sweats;
- why women should take magnesium instead of calcium to guard against osteoporosis;
- what foods help promote sound sleep, weight loss, cardiovascular and bone health, energy, memory, relaxation, and much more; and<

This book offers accessible yet authoritative information from a physician with more than thirty years of experience understanding and working with the personal needs of women. Penguin Group

MY REVIEW: I’ll be honest. I haven’t paid too much attention to all the controversy surrounding hormones and hormone replacement therapies. I figured that I would be jumping into all the info when I was older. After reading Uzzi Reiss’ The Natural Superwoman, I realize that waiting until I’m older is not necessarily the best thing to do!

In The Natural Superwoman, Uzzi Reiss shows us how to feel great, look younger, and have much more energy. He does this by introducing us to the four pillars of the natural superwoman which are Nutrition, Activity, Hormone Balance and Mind and Mood. Each one of these pillars is broken down and discussed thoroughly. Now, these are things we’ve all heard before, but Dr. Reiss has this wonderful ability to write in such a way as to make us see things even clearer than we thought we saw them! I often caught myself saying “Listen to this, Pete…” and, “ Oh my goodness! I have all these symptoms!” I really appreciate the easy-to-understand explanations of what each hormone and supplement does and how they interact. I swear, I understand it all and my eyes never glazed over even once! Lol!

I’m not one to read many non-fiction books, however, I’m glad I ventured off my regular path and read this one! Since it is just chocked full of extremely useful information, I’ll be keeping this one for our shelves. Only our favorites make it to the shelves! However, if I could somehow convince Dr. Reiss to move his practice to the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee, I’d be willing to part with my copy! Lol!!

CBS interview with Uzzi Reiss

Uzi Reiss’ Website

Visit more WW photos over here!

I’ll update later when the adventure has taken place. I imagine he will look the same but oh how much better he will smell!!!

UPDATE: The dog has been de-funked! I tried to capture some video of him running around our den…all over the furniture…up on to the walls…even on the ceiling! Ok…just kidding about the ceiling, but he was a complete freak after getting bathed. Of course, since you see no video that should be a good indicator that his crazy wild running around was not captured! He does smell all vanilla-like a yummy though….

Check out what everyone else has tackled this week over at 5 Minutes for Mom!

I love this song by Matthew West! It’s such a happy upbeat song. I heard it on the way back from dropping Pete off at the hospital…at the crotch of dawn. He’s doing his Ob/labor and delivery clinical right now and the dirtbag gets to hang out in the NICU all day long….holding the babies. I’m just a tad bit jealous right now…

Anyway, this is my favorite verse from the song:

I Got a picture in my head today
Of how Heaven might look someday
I see the people there so I pull up a chair
And their stories they blew me away

‘Cause I can see it on every face
Their evidence of grace
And as I listen it occurs to me
Everybody’s got their own thirteen

I’ve uploaded the video but you’ll have to click to next page because if I post the video here it will wonkify my sidebars…and that would cause me some stress! lol!! So go…

Read the rest of this entry »

Nik is putting on a polo shirt and has buttoned it up…all the way up:

Pete:  First rule, only Slingblade and other psychos button the top button….

Now, come on folks…isn’t he the wisest dad around??

About five gazillion days ago, the Sassy Southerner gave me the Bodacious Blogger Award. Now, it’s my time to pass it on!

Momo Fali always has the best posts that make me cackle…a lot! I can’t even begin to pick a favorite post because they are all so very clever and funny!

Corey, over at Living and Loving Every Minute of It, inspires me (and teaches me!) to take better photos.  She is also leaves very thoughtful comments…that’s very nice!

Sonya, my dear friend who left me hanging while making our Jane Austen clothespin dolls, is a bodacious blogger too!  She writes well and I love to read her book reviews.  Mo Mhile Gra is her blog…don’t even try to say it, you won’t be able to! lol!  Sonya also has a homeschool blog:  My Thousand Loves

Becky’s Book Reviews–I swear to you, this gal reads 17 books a day…she has to because she is posting book reviews right and left!  She is hosting a lot of book challenges this year and you can see most of them in my sidebar.  I had to revamp my 19 Century Women Writers list because I did not check to see if the books I picked were actually published in the 19th century…sometimes my mind is not all there! lol!  Anyway…if you love to read, then you’ll love Becky’s blog!

As I was catching up on posts that I had missed over at Momo Fali’s, I came across her post titled “Darlingest Dog” and my heart skipped a beat.  There…at the bottom of the post…is a photo of her daughter’s favorite stuffed dog…and it just so happens that this same dog was Gus’ favorite also!  He would rub it’s ear when he was going to sleep.  And when he was in the hospital, Nasty Dog would be used to help him keep his pacifier in his mouth.  Often you could catch Nasty Dog propping up a ventilator tube or being a soft resting place for a little hand.  Sometimes Nasty would make his way down to Gus’ feet where he would get little toes poked into him.  Nasty Dog was a hero and now that Gus’ is gone he is certainly one of my treasures.  In the photo below, you can see Nasty Dog on pacifier duty.

Gus had Short Bowel Syndrome resulting from surgery.  He was awaiting a liver/small bowel transplant when he died.  He was 16 months old and dearly loved by all who met him.  I look forward to our reunion in Heaven…

see more reviews over here!

Sam and the Firefly by P.D. Eastman is a wonderful story of a friendship between and owl and a firefly. Sam, the owl, wakes up and is looking for someone to play with and he discovers a playmate in Gus, the firefly.

The story takes you on an adventure where Gus is writing words in the night sky. At first the words are fun, but soon, Gus starts to play tricks with his words! First Gus causes a “pile-up” on the highway. Then he causes a dilemma with airplanes in the air. Gus changes the marquee at the theater and people swarm to see the “Free Show”. Finally, Gus changes the Hot Dog sign to “Cold Dogs”. All the time that Gus is playing these tricks, Sam is trying to get him to stop. Gus does stop but not on his own…the hot dog man catches him and puts him in a jar and decides to take him away so that he will no longer play his tricks on anyone. Sam sees all this happen and he’s almost frantic trying to figure out a way to save Gus.

As the hot dog man is taking Gus out into the country, his truck breaks down…on the train tracks! Of course a train is coming! Sam gets a brilliant idea …he picks up the jar with Gus in it, drops it so that Gus is free. Gus is then able to write “Stop” for the train to see. Sam and Gus save the day!

The end of the book has both friends going their separate ways to sleep…so that they can meet back up to play in the evening!

I love this book for many different reasons. I originally found my copy at the Ronald McDonald House in Knoxville. Our son, Gus, was in the NICU at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. The book caught my attention because of the name Sam in the title. We had lost a little boy named Sam before Gus was born…seeing the name in the title made me smile so I picked it up and read it. Much to my surprise, the firefly’s name turned out to be Gus! Now that Gus has gone to Heaven too, this book is even more special! I love to think of them playing with each other like Sam and Gus do in the book…very neat!

Oh, one more thing…since Gus was deaf, I learned how to sign this story and that was a lot of fun! I think it would be a story to “act out”…

The White Linen Nurse by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott was such a wonderful read! Seriously, I caught myself being on the verge of cackling quite a few times!

Basically, this book is about a gal who has been training to be a nurse and she’s discovered that she does not want to be a trained nurse at all! She complains that her “face is tired” and her “hands don’t match her face anymore”. She is a delightful character…simple and completely broken down to the point of hysteria over her predicament. Not to worry though because she ends up saving the life of Senior Surgeon and ends up marrying him. This is not a marriage based on love but rather one set up to help the Senior Surgeon with his home and daughter. Of course, eventually the two do start to have feelings for each other…..

I do believe that this book originally was published in 1913 and, at that time, was found to be offensive to those in the nursing profession. Not necessarily because of the portrayal of the nurses, but because of the curse words throughout! I read an e-book and there were dashes in the copy I read…a lot of them! I don’t know if these were curse words censored out or if they were actual pauses. Regardless, I found the book to be a completely fun read. In fact, I think it would make a wonderful stage production! I’d love to see White Linen Nurse and Senior Surgeon come to life…there would be quite a few hilarious scenes!!

Eleanor Hallowell Abbott has written quite a few other books. I will certainly be adding all of them to my TBR pile…..

Just a few days ago I finished Kathy McReynold’s book about Susanna Wesley.  It was a quick read chocked full of the writings of Susanna Wesley.  I was completely inspired with her faith as she persevered and endured many trials.  Not only did she lose her house to a fire, but she also lost several children…all of this and she still praised the Lord!

This book is a “keeper” and will go into our home library.  I think it is wonderful to read about godly women such as Susanna Wesley….what encouragement!

Henry Larsen Doriot

“Gus”

January 18, 2005 - May 31, 2006

I am happy!

I am happy that I got to meet Gus. I’m happy that I got to see his precious smile and his flirtatious ways. I’m happy that I was able to capture very expressive moments with my camera so I can continue to share Gus with others. I’m happy that we got to bring him home where he could interact with his siblings in a normal atmosphere. I’m happy that he would wiggle to get out of the arms of whoever was holding him when he saw me come in the room. I’m happy when I remember his fascination with a new plaything. I’m happy when I think about the special kind of communication we had since he was deaf. I’m happy when I think about how much he loved to get his central line dressing changed because of the smell of the chloraprep. I’m happy because he was such a complete joy to take care of and I’m so happy that he is mine!

So…what really happens when you take two little gals to Libby Lu’s to experience a “Libby Du”??

Shopping before the “Libby Du”

Getting ready to change into the “Superstar” outfits

At the makeup and nail station

Making layered sparkly lotion

Picking out 5 goodies for their backpacks

Sitting in the Princess Pod

Leaving Libby Lu’s…with matching necklaces!

I am in dire need of a new pair of glasses. It’s not because the prescription needs to be changed, it’s because our dog (the one that got ran over) chewed the ends of the stems…both of them. Now there is exposed metal and let me tell you folks, it’s not comfortable behind my ears! Lol!

So now’s the time. I’ve made a Great Discovery: www.ZenniOptical.com and I’m really considering giving them a try. The frames are much less expensive and at those prices, I could probably get several pairs for all my different moods! Lol!

I like the frames at the top of this post…I just wish they had these cool plaid stems! Really..I do…you think I’m kidding but I’m not! lol!

*posting about cool and inexpensive glasses is helping me purchase a laptop for Up the Hill Academy!*

Thanks to ColeenaBobeena, I remembered how incredibly fun it is to “Stumble Upon” cool sites like these:

Fun Paper Birds from Mckibillo:

Everyday Flirty Ideas has made this neat vanity tray earring holder:

Cool crochet art by Emily Barletta:

And thanks Pangloss for the completely handy Shakespeare Insult Kit! You Lumpish bettle-headed boar-pig!

Really, if you’ve not yet “Stumbled“, you need to do so! Completely fun!!

Obviously, it’s hard to stay rehabilitated after you’ve gone through a rehab program. Just ask all these stars who are in and out of programs weekly. It’s really sad…I can’t even imagine.

One method that may tell you How to STAY Rehabilitated After Rehab, is the Sedona Method which is a technique where you let go of your emotions…you release all the bad emotions, well, actually I think you release ALL of your emotions. Sounds interesting…might be helpful to some of these folks really struggling right now….

This day…a bazillion years ago…my wonderful husband, Pete, was born!  Well…really it was only 46 years ago and that’s not too long ago…long before I was born though! lol

We love you and we miss you….really, a guy shouldn’t have to work on his birthday!!

Check back tomorrow for all the photos from the shindig!

I love the paintings of JoHannes Vermeer so when I came across Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland, I just knew I had to add the book to my “pile”.

These neat little novel is about a Vermeer painting and the affect it had on it’s owners. Written in reverse chronological order, you read about the people who have owned the painting and how they felt about it…how it changed them and drew them in. These stories take the reader all the way back to the inspiration of the painting, Magdalena…Vermeer’s daughter. The stories are wonderfully woven so that they interconnect with each other…quite clever of Susan Vreeland! Obviously, she is a superb storyteller!

Here are some of my favorite lines:

“In the mirror I saw him looking at me, sitting on the edge of the bed without his breeches and without his stockings too, so his thin hairy legs dangled off the end of the bed like a spider.” lol!! pg.92

“He lived so badly, it seemed, because he always came into the moment encumbered. He almost had a mind to turn around and catch up to her, but he walked on, taking a circuitous route in order to pass under the dappled leafiness of the lime trees lining the canals.” pg 209

“In a sudden movement his wife rushed over to take away Geertruida’s glass of milk. ‘No, leave it, Catherina. Right there in the light. It makes the whole corner sacred with the tenderness of just living.” pg 223

**Vreeland, Susan, Girl in Hyacinth Blue. New York City: Penguin Putnam, Inc, 2000.

I love the last line…so when you are visiting me and you see things like a half-full glass of milk, a pile of laundry…whatever…just know that it’s the “tenderness of just living”! lol!

I also learned several things from this book: the workings of windmills and about the past French fashion of tying a red velvet ribbon around necks in order to express sympathy for those who were beheaded. Entertaining and educational!

I will certainly be reading more of Susan Vreeland’s “art mingled with literature” books! Neat!

Being warm is important to me! I know people who will insist on wearing layers of clothes inside their homes in order to not have to heat their homes as much….I can’t do this. Don’t even ask me to! It completely slays me to be cold and I refuse to wear all those layers of clothing which end up binding me to the point that I’m unable to move…kinda like Randy in the movie, A Christmas Story. Remember when his mom dresses him in his snowsuit?? Yep…that’s how I feel!

We spend a lot of time in our den which is probably the coldest room in the house since it’s a closed in garage. Over the years, we’ve purchased several space heaters and they’ve worked fine. However, this room heater looks so much nicer…and it has a remote!

Of course, if we were to change things around a bit, we could hang out in the “multi-purpose” room where there is a fireplace and we could install those neat ventless gas logs. That would be the only way we could use the fireplace since it is basically a wreck and would need a lot of repair work. Besides…I like the fact that with gas logs you don’t have to stoke the fire. I’ve never done this before, but I really have no desire to do so…doesn’t look that exciting to me! Lol!

Whatever is done….I just want to be warm!!

*dreaming of warm room heaters is helping me purchase a laptop for Up the Hill Academy!*

Learning about different cultures has always been of interest to me and Nahid Rachlin’s book Persian Girls has certainly fed my desire to know more about Iranian women and their roles.

Opening with a scene of her aunt Maryam in the midst of her nightly Islamic rituals, Nahid Rachlin’s memoir, Persian Girls, pulled me into a story about two sisters who ended up going down completely different paths. Nahid had been a gift to her aunt Maryam from her biological mother, Mohtaram. She lived with Maryam for nine years until her father came to take her back home. Of course, both Maryam and Nahid were devastated, but that didn’t make a difference. Nahid’s life changed suddenly with comfort coming only from a new formed relationship with her sister, Pari.

I found myself saddened by all the oppressiveness these sisters had to endure. Pari wanted to be an actress but her father would not allow her to do so…Nahid was not allowed to read certain books or write certain things. Of course, the whole arranged marriage thing makes me shake my head in complete wonder. Not only are marriages arranged, but very young girls are taken as wives. Seriously, nine years old is just not old enough to marry! Fortunately, neither Nahid or Pari had to marry at such a young age, however, Pari was forced into an arranged marriage that eventually failed. Nahid, avoided the whole arranged marriage situation when her father allowed her to move to America to attend college.

As Nahid struggled to “find her place”in America, Pari basically disintegrated in Iran. Her marriage was horrible and much to her father’s dismay, she gets a divorce and loses custody of her son even though he should have been with her. Again, another area where women are oppressed! It was depressing to see how Pari’s life had spiraled downward into hopelessness. Eventually, Nahid recieved the news that Pari had died so she returned to Iran to find out what happened and why.

I walk away from this book thankful that I have been able to choose my husband, my career, my likes and dislikes…everything. I am thankful that I have not experienced such oppression as Pari did. I also walk away with a sweet image of a dear bond between sisters…no matter what the circumstances. I hope that writing about Pari has brought Mrs. Rachlin some healing…

Read what others are saying about Persian Girls and if you’ve read the book and would like to discuss it, you can do so here!

You can also read more about the author, Nahid Rachlin at her site.

See more WW over here!

and to see more of this cutie named Zeke, click here!

Samuel Finn Doriot

January 9, 2004

born sleeping at 19 weeks

A Dream

A dream is a wish your heart makes,
When you are fast a sleep.
In dreams you will lose your heartaches,
Whatever you wish for, you keep!
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through!
No matter how your heart is breaking
If you keep on believing
The dreams that you wish for,
will come true!

from Walt Disney’s Cinderella

This month I have “celebrated” author Thornton Burgess by reading to Isabelle. In this story, we were introduced to some of Mr. Burgess’ animal characters: Sammy Jay, Unc’ Billy Possum, Jenny Wren, Ol’ Mistah Buzzard and of course Mistah Mocker himself! Isabelle’s favorite characters were Mistah Mocker and Sammy Jay…my favorite was Unc’ Billy Possum because his lines were so fun to read. This story is only one of many that Thornton Burgess has written.

The Quick Story:

Mr. Mocker and Unc’ Billy Possum trick all the “folks” in the Green Forest and Green Meadow. Sammy Jay and Sticky Toes the Tree Toad both fear they are going crazy because, even though they sit still with their mouth tightly shut, they hear their own voices! Later, they find out that it’s just Mr. Mocker the Mockingbird that has come up from “Ol Virginny”. Not only are Sammy Jay and Sticky toes tricked, but eventually all the folks are tricked which leads to lots of dislike in the neighborhood. Unc’ Billy seeks out counsel from a wise friend who tells him to throw a party to introduce Mr. Mocker and to apologize for all of their antics. Everyone accepts the apology and welcomes Mr. Mocker into the group. Nice folks, they are!

My Thoughts:

Isabelle and I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will certainly be reading more of Mr. Burgess’ stories. I have always loved personification, or anthropomorphism, of animals and Thornton Burgess definitely had the ability to make that happen in this story.

About the Author:

Thornton Waldo Burgess was born January 14, 1874 in Massachusetts. In his lifetime, he wrote more than 170 books and over 1,500 stories. He was a conservationist and loved to write about nature and animals. His long-time friend Harrison Cady illustrated his books and stories. Thornton Burgess died on June 5, 1965.

Links to Explore:

Thornton W. Burgess Society

Bedtime Stories for Children

Project Gutenberg titles

Quilt inspired by Bedtime Stories for Children

Today, seven years ago, we welcomed our sweet little Isabelle into our family! She is a complete joy and has kept us laughing since day one. Her compassionate heart and desire to serve others has been both a help and a gift to all of us..really, who doesn’t like to be served their dinner!

She is a true lover of animals…just ask our dog, Jack! He is daily pampered (I’m not sure if he would agree but he copes!) at Belle’s “Doggy Daycare” which is located in our den bathroom. We often hear her say, “No, you can’t have another juice box!”…lol!

She is easily amazed and loves science.

She also loves ravioli…look at her mouth! lol!

She has a way of getting herself into unfortunate situations, but don’t we all?!

She loves to take photos of herself.

Like her mom and Papaw, she is a complete glory hog!

One day she is going to be a great mommy! She loves to take care of others and often is the first to come running with a bandaid if you have a booboo.

She has a real knack for creating beautiful Gingerbread Houses.

We are all so pleased to have Belle in our family! We are truly blessed with the most awesome little girl around!!

 I have always wanted a stand mixer.  Every Christmas…well, really every time I walk by the display at Proffitt’s, I drool over the stand mixers!  So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to find out about this neat contest! Completely Cool!!

A Cowboy’s Wife is having a contest on her food blog! You can win a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer and she’ll ship anywhere so everyone is eligible!

The Prize:

The winner will receive a brand new
Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt. Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pineapple Yellow!!

About the mixer:

From Hamilton Beach’s “Eclectrics” line, this all-metal stand mixer comes with a host of accessories - a Flat Beater for cakes and cookies, a Dough Hook for bread and a Wire Whisk for whipped cream or pudding. The 4.5-qt. stainless steel bowl comes with a Pouring Shield that helps prevent splattering while in operation. The pouring shield has a built-in chute for adding ingredients. Powered by 400 watts, the stand mixer has a two-way mixing action to ensure all ingredients are incorporated into the mix. The quick-release, tilt-up head assists when removing the bowl. 9 x 14 x 14-in. When you’re ready for a kitchen re-do, don’t call in the carpenters! Instead, “counterscape” your kitchen with Hamilton Beach’s retro-designed, affordably priced electrics in happy, sun-saturated colors. Their “Eclectrics” line includes updates to those classic appliances from the 1950s. All of their “Eclectrics” are available in six colors: Apple Green, Moroccan Red, Pineapple Yellow, Intrigue Blue, Sugar White and Licorice Black.

Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs with salad

Tuesday:  Belle’s Birthday…she has not decided on the meal yet!

Wednesday: Albondigas with tortillas

Thursday: Mini Cheesy Meatloaves, potatoes and green beans

Friday: BBQ Pork Sandwiches, baked fries and veggies and dip

Saturday: Birthday dinner out!

Sunday: Low Carb Coq Au Vin, mixed field greens

Breakfasts:

• wraps
• Pig Slop
• oatmeal
• omelet
• whole wheat pumpkin muffins
• cereal

Lunches:

• quesadillas
• egg salad sammies
• tuna and crackers
• veggie burger
• avocado and pineapple sammie

Snacks:

• cube cheese
• hard boiled eggs
• broccoli woccoli
• popcorn
• pretzels
• fresh fruit
• mandarin oranges
• goldfish
• muffins

See more Menu Plans over at Laura’s!

Well, folks…here it is: my first official finished book of the year!! 49 more to go! Woo Hoo!

This book, One Small Sparrow by Jeff Leeland, has been on my shelves for some time now and I’m so pleased that I finally read it instead of skipping over it one more time!

This book is about a little boy, Michael, who needed a bone marrow transplant. The Leeland’s insurance would not cover the transplant so they were forced to completely rely upon the Lord for the monies to fund the procedure. (I can’t even imagine how they must have felt and I feel so blessed that we did not have to do any fundraising for Gus.) People found out about the family’s need and shortly thereafter one of Mr. Leeland’s sudents, Dameon, emptied his savings account and gave the money to start the fund to save baby Michael. With only $60, Dameon started a ripple that led to more and more people donating money. In four weeks, the entire amount needed to do the bone marrow transplant had been raised!

I come away from this book reminded of God’s magnificent and perfect provision for us during difficult times. I also come away with the reminder that one small act of kindness can cause a ripple that has no boundaries.Jeff and his wife, Kristi, are founders of an organization named Sparrow Clubs. A Sparrow Club is established in a school or youth group…a local child needing medical assistance is adopted by the local club and the children in the club go out and do community services and jobs in order to raise money for the child’s medical expenses. The money to pay for these jobs and services is provided by a local business. Basically, a business agrees to set aside money and the children in the club go out and work in order to make that money available to the family. I think this is a fantastic idea because not only are funds being raised for medical expenses, but the children doing the work are learning compassion. I have asked Pete to read this book and then we are going to be praying about possibly getting a Sparrow Club started here locally. I would love for my children to be involved in something like this.

This book is certainly a “Keeper”!

Please be sure to visit the Sparrow Club site to get all the details and to watch some really moving videos. Sooo neat!

Appetizer
When was the last time you received a surprise in the mail, and what was it?

Oh, gee…that’s a hard one!  I really can’t remember the last time I received a surprise in the mail.  I do remember a time though that my parents bought a gift certificate to a scrapbooking store and left it at the store so that I would be able to use it on my next purchase.  That was cool because when I realized I had a gift certificate, I went on a mini-shopping spree!

Soup
If you could have a summer and/or winter home, where would you want it to be?

Pete and I have always dreamed of owning a home on Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I.  Of course, any island would do…. 

Salad
Pick one: pineapple, orange, banana, apple, cherry.

Pineapple….with rum and nutmeg! 

Main Course
Describe the nicest piece of clothing that you own.

My wardrobe is bleak right now, but I do have a wonderful red sweater with snowflakes on it that my dh bought for me. 

Dessert
If you could forget one whole day from your life, which day would you choose to wipe from your memory?

 I would never want to forget any of my days…not even the ones that were intensely painful for me:  the day when Gus had the surgery with horrible results, the day Gus died, the day we found no heartbeat on Sam’s ultrasound….all of my days have been planned and ordained by the Lord and I would never want to erase them.  I can see the Lord’s hand in each one of those hard days…

You can read other Friday Feasts over here!

I have always thought that being able to play the piano would be nice, but I feel like I don’t have a lot of time to learn. Belle is learning the basics from a friend in the neighborhood and I am just thrilled for her and I really hope she develops a genuine love for playing.

I’ve been looking at a site where all of us busy folks can learn to play the piano. There are several different courses…well, actually, quite a few courses! You can even receive a free e-mail newsletter focusing on Piano lessons & piano chords. I think it would be neat to take the “Praise and Worship Courses”, but I better stick to a “Beginner Course”! lol!!

These courses might be good for homeschoolers too. Neat!

 I have been scrapbooking for years.  I like scrapbooking, but I absolutely hate to get all the supplies out and then put them away.  Because of this, I haven’t worked on our books in forever.  Soooo…I decided to take a leap and give this whole digital scrapbooking thing a whirl!

I first checked out all the digital scrapbooking software.  Since our budget is very tight right now, I decided to take another leap and try out some free programs.  I don’t even remember what I tried, but I didn’t like them!  There wasn’t much that the programs would do…just the basic stuff.  I need more! lol!

After talking myself out of it several times, I took another leap.  I downloaded  GIMP(which is FREE!) and jumped in and played around with it…with success!  Those of you who know me well know that these are just the things that make we want to stick forks in my eyes…I refuse to read instructions or manuals so anytime I set out to figure out a program, I am fairly well lost and end up having a meltdown.  This time, I’m proud to say, all went well and I was able to figure it all out and create this neat scrapbook page!  It’s a little wonky, but I can work on that….

I got these digital papers and elements over at the Shabby Princess…and they were FREE!! Completely cool beans!  I’m hooked!!

I am only doing this because my dear, sweet friend Sonya is such a complete JA fan and I was starting to feel left out! lol!! This mini-challenge is hosted by Becky from Becky’s Book Review!

For this challenge I’ll be reading the two following novels. I also plan on watching all six Masterpiece Theater movies. Fun!

• Emma
• Pride and Prejudice