Best Books of 2018

Another year, another list of my favorite books...

I read 127 books this year. Officially. Unofficially, I’d add at least 20 books to that number. I caved and got a Kindle Unlimited subscription and started using Overdrive a lot more so I borrowed lot of books I wouldn’t normally read, just to try them. Since I skimmed parts in a lot of them, I didn’t always count it as “read”. Anyway, back to the official list. There are 4 classics and 4 non-fiction on the list. I was going to say that’s 8 books out of my comfort zone reading, and maybe it is, but I think it’s more that I’m realizing that I do like a bigger variety of books, even though I definitely have my favorite genres. Even more surprising is that some of these made my best of list.

Lake Silence – Anne Bishop
I absolutely love the world of The Others and will be so sad when she’s finished writing these books.

From Sand and Ash – Amy Harmon
Lots of tears for this historical fiction set during WWII.

Frederica – Georgette Heyer
This one left me chuckling and I really liked it. I just always want a little more from her romances.

Parnassus on Wheels - Christopher Morely
Such a cute, feel good story about a woman who up and leaves her dreary life to run a mobile library.

The Drive: Searching for Lost Memories on the Pan-American Highway – Teresa Bruce
This one is a travel memoir that I just loved. I should read more travel books.

The Opposite of You – Rachel Higginson
This is one of the books I couldn’t quit this year. I kept coming back to it for comfort re-reading.

White Night - Ellie Marney
I love EM's writing. This book had me hooked from the beginning because Bo was such a nice guy.

Rough Justice – Kelley Armstrong
Pretty much everything I loved about the series is in this novella, plus none of the things that drove me crazy.

Lethal White – Robert Galbraith
I binge read this series and while parts of it were frustrating, I really liked it and this last book, so far, was great.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster – Jon Krakauer
I was riveted by this tale, even though it happened over 20 years ago, it’s still an amazing and horrifying story.

Wait For It – Mariana Zapata
This is the other book I couldn’t quit. Huge book hangover. I haven’t actually stopped reading it since the first time.


Ghost Hunter series - Jayne Castle
I binge read a ton of Jayne Castle this year thanks to Overdrive and I can't say they are great literature, but I don't regret it a bit. I even bought my favorite to keep.


Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik
This one frustrated me a bit during the reading, although I swallowed the last 200 pages in a binge. Then I couldn't stop thinking about it.


Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand - Carla Kelly
I started reading CK this year and she wrote some fantastic romances. The characters in this one actually talk to each other a lot.

This Fallen Prey - Kelley Armstrong
This series just keeps getting better and better. I'm so ready for the next book to hit the shelves in 2019. Just in time for my birthday!

Merry Christmas

The good news: we got snow last night! I had about 3 inches on my driveway this morning and it's still coming down. It will be a white Christmas after all.

I was playing Christmas songs on my piano yesterday after church and I ran across the song The Christmas Waltz. I don't remember all the lyrics but the one line "It's that time of year when the world falls in love" got me to thinking about the Christmas's of my childhood and what a magical time it used to be. As opposed to now as a grown up living by myself and dad's gone and mom lives in a different house. I'm not saying it's bad now. But there is definitely a magic about Christmas when you are young. At least there was for me. It wasn't just presents. It was all the traditions of the holidays, from candy making and popcorn cakes, to puzzles, and family and friends. LOL - we still do a lot of that now. I don't know why being an adult makes it feel so different.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to the festivities tonight. My family is having a laid back dinner together and then we'll do presents. I made mom's sugar cookies for dessert. They are the shape of Christmas trees and snowmen and I made frosting so we can decorate them before we eat them. Then tomorrow I'm going to take it easy and enjoy the day off.

Krampus

So one of the most fun things we did on this trip was see a Krampus run/parade. I didn't know they were a thing until a flight attendant on our way to Munich told us about it. And then I was disappointed because we were going to miss the one in Munich. We found out from some people we met on our Nuremburg tour that there was also one in Salzburg.


The website was not accurate with the time so we waited for almost an hour before the thing started, but it turned out to be worth it. The parade was loud and chaotic and crazy and I LOVED it.


I took so many pictures and videos but most of them are crap. I was moving too much or people got in the way, or it was too dark or lots of reasons. Still I have enough for me to remember it. Those guys have got to be having so much fun. Seriously.

Germany and Austria 2018

I just got back from a trip to Germany and Austria. I went with my mom because we wanted to see the Christmas markets. I don't even recall how I realized they are a thing. But earlier this year when I really needed something to look forward to, I did a bunch of internet searching to figure out where I wanted to go and we ended up in Barvaria. We stayed in Munich and did a day trip to Nuremburg, a day trip to the castles in Fussen, and then went to Salzburg for a few days.

I've got to say that by time we left, I wasn't very excited and it's not the best trip I've ever been on but I did have a good time. The thing is, you have to enjoy Christmas ornaments and decorating to really enjoy looking at the markets. And it does get to the point that when you've "seen one, you've seen them all" because they all have mostly the same and then some different things in them. My favorite were the manger markets because they had everything you needed to make your own nativity set. I could have had so much fun with that one...but it would have been hard to get the stuff home. Instead, I stuck with a few ornaments.

Munich

I didn't take that many pictures, especially of the Christmas Markets, because it was hard to get good ones.

Nuremburg

Salzburg

I also wanted to see Dachau. It was a rainy morning when we went, which kind of seems fitting, since it was quite sobering. I thought it might be, but you can't really predict how you are going to feel. I felt truly terrible when I went into the Crematorium. My mom didn't even want to go near it and I don't blame her at all. I just think it's so important not to forget how it happened so we don't let it happen again.

I'm just going to say that our trip to Fussen was kind of a bust. Not anything we could prevent, because it was all weather related. We only went into Hohenschwangau because I didn't get advance tickets to Neuschwanstein and didn't want to wait in the lines. We liked Hohenschwangau so that was fun. We were then going to go up to Neuschwanstein and just not go inside, but snow and sleet started coming down and we heard the buses stopped running and that Mary's Bridge was closed. Plus, we had warm clothes but when you get wet, it's just not any fun. So I can say I've been there and I don't feel any need to go back even though I didn't get the full experience. 

Neuschwanstein

Hohenschwangau

Nymphenburg Palace

I'll save my favorite part of the trip for tomorrow.

Social Media Break

I have finished a 10 day “fast” from social media. I stayed off (almost) all of my social media sites, plus blogs and podcasts too.  

It was super easy to stay off Facebook. I’ve not been on it much anyway. Twitter was easy. Pinterest was fairly easy. I do have a lot of recipes saved there so I grabbed a few during the 10 days, but it was easy not to browse. Instagram was a little harder, though I did it. I have that set up so I can see pictures of things that make me happy and I kind of missed it. GoodReads was hard. In fact I just plain didn’t make it. I did not realize this, but I don’t think I’ve decided on a book to read without looking at reviews for years, at least not for stand alones and first books in a series. I replaced podcasts with some audio books from the library and I had a hard time deciding which ones based only on the synopsis on the library website. Plus, I wanted to post the books I read because that’s how I keep track of them. I do stay off GoodReads for days at a time when I travel or go on vacation, but I just didn’t like not using it while I’m home and in my regular reading pattern. Kind of crazy to think about it. So I while I did limit my usage, I didn’t stay off completely.

Also, I probably get on social media more at work than at home. Oopsy! That is a crazy realization. I replaced some of that time with reading the news or reading up about other topics online when I needed a break. I missed some of my book blogs but others blogs I found I could do just fine without. 

The whole point of this was to take a break and figure out which, if any, of my social media habits were making me unhappy or having a negative influence on my life.  The results? I waste a lot of time on GoodReads. I should watch that a little bit better. The sites that don’t make me happy or feeling a bit negative are Facebook and Twitter. I already knew that about FB, so months ago I stopped logging in very much, and then maybe in September, I turned off all notifications on my phone so now I have to log in to see them at all. I love it. Twitter is like my negative news feed and I’ve realized it more now. I know I have the ability to change what I see so I think some changes might be in order before I get back on it. If I get back on it. I need that balance between knowing what is going on in the world and my own sanity, but I can get news from other sources.

So I missed some social media, but some I can do without. I did not fill that time with other, good things, but hopefully, I got more work done. When I logged on to a bunch of sites again this morning, I just thought Huh. I’ve been wondering what I’ve been missing, but the answer is: not much.

A Fun Weekend

Last weekend I went to the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City for the first time. I’ve always wanted to go but with finding someone to go with and figuring out schedules and things, I just never did. So I went by myself and I had a great time.

I took Friday off work and hit the road around 10:00 am. On the way, I stopped to go shopping, and then a little later I stopped at the Cove Fort visitor’s center. A nice sister missionary took me through the place. When I got to Cedar City, I checked into my hotel and had enough time to go get something to eat and go figure out where to park on the SUU campus.

The first play I saw was The Liar. It was a comedy about a guy who can’t (won’t or doesn’t want to?) tell the truth and a case of mixed up identities. It was funny. It was written in the 1600s but translated into English and “updated” a bit for modern audiences. They rhyming speech was hilarious, as was the fun modern updates, such as a light saber duel.

On Saturday I was a little lazy in the morning but ended up at the Frontier Homestead State Park museum. I always love seeing any part of history and pioneers are a big part of my history. I liked the museum with the old houses, log cabins, and carriages, etc. Then I wasted some time on campus and went to my next play: The Foreigner. I have seen that one before and it was still so funny. They did a great job with it. It’s about a shy guy whose friend decides to help him out by telling people he doesn’t speak English. He then overhears all kinds of things. It’s funny, but also has a great message about the value of people, no matter where they are from.

After that, I drove back home.

I would totally go again, but I’d do things a little differently next time. First, I’d make it a 3 day weekend. It’s a lot of driving for 2 days. There were a bunch of things near Cedar City I thought about seeing, but didn’t really want to get back in the car for a drive. Making it into 3 days would help with that and give more time to see other stuff, plus go to the plays. I’d also look more into the festival itself. I did go to one orientation before my second play, but I didn’t realize the lectures and things they do, or the timing of them. It’s my own fault, but I would have liked to attend some of those also.  Plus, I didn’t actually see any of the Shakespeare, and I’d like to do that, especially if I could go to one of the lectures/orientations to become more familiar with whatever play I was seeing. There are only about 5 that I’m really comfortable with.

People keep asking me who I went with and I say nobody. I go to movies and plays and other stuff by myself at home all the time and I travel for work by myself but haven’t done a lot of solo travel for fun. As I do travel by myself I’m slowing seeing why people love it. It’s pretty freeing to do what I want to do and when and just going instead of having to find weekends that work for multiple people. The downside is not being able to split the cost of a hotel room, but I think I can handle that.

My Favorite Things, Fall 2018

Now that fall is officially here, and it’s almost October, I’m thinking of my favorite things, both old and new, that I’m ready for.

Music:

One of my favorite pieces of classical music is Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens. Nothing says October to me like this piece. I’m pretty sure there is an old cartoon of skeletons dancing to this music somewhere and I can totally see it. (There is. I found it on youtube – it’s from the 80’s.) I also love The Village soundtrack around this time of year. It’s beautiful and haunting.

Perfume:

I am loving James by Rosie Jane. It’s supposed to be inspired by fall and I believe it. The scent is fig and gardenia, but I get a lot of fig when I wear it and to me it just screams jumping into a pile leaves.

As it gets a little colder, I have some more chocolate fragrances to play around with, including my favorite: Guerlain’s Elixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin. I don’t know why, but I like them best in Fall/Winter.

Books:

A few years ago I started reading books specifically for Halloween and I think it’s a fun tradition to continue. I have Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White on my list for sure.  I finished The Moonstone a few months ago and I really liked it so TWiW is a must read. I’m also debating on 2 other classics: Dracula or A Picture of Dorian Gray. Of course, I’ve got a bunch of mysteries of all sorts sitting on my bookshelves and I have an urge to throw in a little paranormal romance to round things off.  

Movies:

October is a great month for old horror movies too. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), The Birds (1963), The Bat (1959), and multiple other Vincent Price movies will all be watched.

Podcasts:

And of course, I will get out and walk a lot more now that it is cooling down. Walking means I listen to podcasts. I need to catch up on a few of my favorites: By the Book for comedy, Women Who Travel and Extra Pack of Peanuts for travel, Stuff you Missed in History Class, and You Must Remember This for random history, along with a few book podcasts.

It looks like it will be a busy October. I’ve still got work, friends and family, and theater to do also. I can’t wait.

Fall is Here

Yay! It’s officially fall. Even though it is still in the 80’s and everything is dry and we’re still on fire, it will get better. I’m praying for rain. We need it. Plus, it won’t feel like fall until it gets cooler and a little wetter. I’m dying to get outside to walk on my lunch breaks though. It’s almost cool enough.  I’ve got some books lined up for October. :) I’m going to savor this time of year. I’ve been trying to cut back on the sugar so I’m trying to decide what to do about my hot cocoa drinking. Maybe I can find something decent tasting with less sugar in it. Or I’ll get my favorite kind and not drink it as often. Decisions, decisions....

Post Labor Day

Woohoo! September is here. Finally. I spent Labor Day weekend doing things around my house and cleaning it. Read a book. Nothing too crazy. It was a nice break from work though. Now I’ve got a busy month ahead with some work travel and fun travel. I’m sure it will be over before I know it.  

For the first time ever, I’m heading down to the Utah Shakespeare Festival. I’ve never been and I’m excited. I’m actually not seeing any of the Shakespeare, but what can I say?  I’m seeing two comedies though and I think it will be fun. I’m not an expert, but doing comedy on stage requires real talent and timing.  Plus, I just bought tickets to see Sweeney Todd at the Pioneer Theater. I’m super excited about seeing that one on stage. So, a little travel and a lot of theater in the future.

Hey, August

August is halfway over and I, for one, can’t wait until September. I really can’t complain. It’s been a good summer and has gone by so fast. I’m just ready for fall weather. I want to wear long sleeve shirts and eat lots of homemade soup. Plus, between the heat and the wildfire smoke in the air, it’s kind of been a nasty couple of weeks for being outside.  

My kitchen is in complete disarray right now. I had a little gas leak and ended up having to get a new range. Well, that or find parts and someone to fix the old one. So while I was buying appliances, I got a new dishwasher too. LOL – I really should have paid for installation, but my sister was with me and she’s cheap and believes in doing things for yourself. Which is a very good way to be, I’m not knocking that. It’s just that I’m terrible at that type of stuff and don’t have the tools so I would rather pay someone to do it for me. Anyway, between my schedule and hers my new appliances are waiting for me and it will probably be this weekend before I get everything hooked up completely.  

I did have fun last weekend taking my 5 yr old nephew to the Weber county fair. I couldn’t get any of the other kids to go with me. He had a blast in the big bubble.

I managed to talk my 12 yr old niece into entering some of her artwork into the Box Elder county fair so I guess I’ll be going to that one also just to see it hanging there. It will be a good way to end the summer and I am sooooo looking forward to September through December.

Happy 4th

I don’t know why, but it finally feels like I’m having a summer. Since yesterday (Wednesday) was a holiday, on Tuesday night I went to the drive in movie with Vanessa, Lizzie, Kiana, and a few of Kiana’s friends. It was pretty fun, even if I didn’t get to bed until 3:00 am. I slept in and then went to Perry to my sister’s house and we had Navajo tacos and Lizzie put fake 4^th of July tattoos on my arms. Then we put the sprinkler under the trampoline and I jumped a lot and was running around with the kids. I could feel it a little bit last night, but today it hurts to move. LOL – I’m so old. My knees can’t take it.  It was a good holiday, even if I’m going to be taking it easy for a day or so. Totally worth it.

Living In The Moment

Not very long ago I was listening to a podcast…and I can’t remember which one. It was about traveling. They were talking about taking photos and how sometimes you should just put the camera down and be there in the moment instead of trying to take the perfect picture. I didn’t think much of it because I usually snap the pictures and put the camera down because I am not a very good photographer. But then I thought about how sometimes I look at a place and think about the picture it could be and even I can get caught up in the picture instead of the moment.

Anyway, on Saturday when I was in Yellowstone, I saw this concept in action. We made it back from our geyser walk just in time to see Old Faithful erupt. We were to the side and had a great view and did not have to be packed into the main crowd. Everybody was standing there with their phones up and ready. Once it erupted, I took a few pictures and then put my phone in my pocket. We watched for a bit and then started to walk away and I noticed that almost everybody was watching the geyser erupt through the screen on their phone. What? We were watching this amazing part of the earth and they saw it through a lens instead of being there watching it live. Some of them were using the video function and just held their phone and looked around it but I still seems like they were not really focusing on what was happening and instead on getting it recorded.

My goal is to make sure I see things and enjoy them in the moment. There is nothing wrong with taking the picture, but I need to make sure that’s not all I’m doing. I still remember my trip to the Louvre and how there are only a few things where I stopped and actually saw them. The rest of the time I was snapping pictures. If I ever get the chance to go back, I will remember to leave the camera in my bag.

A Little Roadtrip

I took Friday off work and my mom and I did an impromptu trip up north. She wanted to go to Jackson, WY so that’s where we stayed. That part of the trip we had kind of planned out beforehand. I didn’t let her leave super early in the morning so we got there and checked in the hotel in the afternoon and then walked around the touristy town square.

Castle Geyser

 Saturday morning we got up and went to breakfast and then started driving towards Grand Teton National Park. Those mountains are so beautiful. But since we had a full day and we were so close we headed up to Yellowstone instead. I haven’t been there since I was a kid. We decided to do Old Faithful and walked around the geysers there. It was fun. And crowded.

Old Faithful

Lewis Falls

Then we drove back to the Tetons and saw a few of the lakes. Jenny lake was so crowded people were parking on the highway so we skipped that one and went and saw Menor’s Ferry historical sites and then drove over to Mormon Row, which is some old barns and houses still standing from an old Mormon settlement.

Grand Tetons and Jackson Lake

Sunday morning we got up and got ready to leave and stopped for donuts and went back up to Jenny lake.  It was a little cold that morning and I was the idiot who forgot my jacket. Most people there that early were there to hike and they were all dressed up in coats and hats. LOL I had a t-shirt and sandals on. I’m glad I didn’t miss it though. It was so nice. 

Jenny Lake

Grand Teton

We are thinking it might be fun to do a family trip up there one year instead of the Oregon coast.  My mom actually has a national parks pass that she’s never used. Dad had her get one, maybe thinking they would go somewhere, but they never did. She had it with her so it was nice to get into the parks with the pass, especially since we could go back the next day when things got crowded.

Memorial Day

I had a nice Memorial Day weekend. I did spend a little time thinking about those we honor on this holiday. We had a family BBQ on Sunday and I jumped on my sister’s trampoline for the first time in a while. I don’t remember playing on it last year. LOL – but of course I’ve aged since my last birthday and this time I could feel it in my knees. Luckily, I still recovered quickly.

My sister wanted to drive up to the Smith-Morehouse reservoir so I went with her yesterday. It was nice to get out. The mountains are so beautiful. We had never been there before.

 

 

 

 It was nice weather for the drive there and for a bit of the time we walked around the reservoir. Then it started to rain. We walked around the campgrounds in the rain and ate lunch in the car. We definitely want to get the family back up there. I think they would really like it. I know my dad would have. It was a great little mini road trip.

Mother’s Day

Yesterday, my mom and I drove up to Park City. We went shopping and had lunch. Mom had never been to the Olympic Park or historic Main Street so I showed her around. It’s changed quite a bit since the days she would go up there to ski as a teen/young adult.

It rained off and on the whole day. Utah is so beautiful this time of year. We took the “back way” to Park City on the way there, up I-84 through Morgan. The rain stopped long enough for some sunshine to come through and everything was wet and green. Park City didn’t have much sun, in fact we had a bunch of fog roll in but it was still beautiful also. The rain didn’t stop us from having a good time...and spending too much money. :)  We’ve decided to go back with the family sometime this summer.

Last night I had the urge to make grandma’s crescent rolls so I mixed up the dough to refridgerate overnight and then rolled them out this morning. I was just thinking about mother’s day and how I don’t remember mom actually teaching me how to make the rolls but I know I helped at times. Some of my happiest childhood memories are of the holidays and the table being full of pans of rolls raising, covered with those white potato sack dishtowels. I liked to peak under them to see how big the rolls got. She would get up at 5:00 am to roll them out and let them raise and cook for dinner (we always had Thanksgiving dinner around 1:00 pm or so). My mom has always been an early riser. I remember waking up during the summer months and hearing her go in and out of the back door as she picked vegetables from the garden and brought them inside. She always did it early before the sun got too hot. I don’t get up that early to make rolls and mom’s rolls are better, but I like that I can carry on the tradition of making rolls for family gatherings.

The Library

So my niece likes to send me email. It's pretty funny. She's a cute kid and I can't believe how fast she's growing up. I invited her to a library book sale with me and we went last night. The SL city library is huge compared to what she is used to. The Spring sale isn't that big but we did manage to find a couple books each. Then we went and wandered around the library and rode in the glass elevators. Liv had never been in one before. She loves libraries and reading. She has been reading the Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter. I got her a couple of them for Christmas and tried to read one to see what it was like, but only got a page or two. Not my kind of thing. I never did really enjoy talking animals. She likes fantasy and there are a couple of series' I would really like to have her try. I guess I just need to take them to her and let her see. If she doesn't like them it's ok. I'll be disappointed a little bit because I love them so, but I can see that the books I loved at that age may not exactly appeal to her. Still, it's worth a try.  I spent so many hours at the library when I was growing up. There are books I still don't own that I fondly remember checking out many, many times. Or hiding on the upper level sitting on the floor reading books from the non-fiction section (mostly about music). LOL - we did have some reading chairs but they weren't in spots I wanted to be. Anyway, good times and good memories.

Spring Odds & Ends

The managers at work decided to give us Good Friday as a paid holiday this year (took away our floating holiday which I wasn’t happy about) so I had a 3 day weekend for Easter. I pretty much wasted Friday by sleeping in, going for a nice walk, doing a little shopping. Then I had the kids sleep over. It’s the first time they have slept over since I got my new floor and I might have been a little anxious that they didn’t spill on it. They didn’t so it was fine. I had 5 kids stay with me and it was a little crazy but not too bad. I think they had fun. They are old enough now, and with that many of them, I let them all sleep downstairs and I slept upstairs in my own bed so I actually got a little sleep.

On Saturday I had my 5 year old niece for the day and we spent a few hours at the park. It was such a nice day and she had a blast at the park. I told my other sister we need to take a picnic and take all the kids back there when it warms up just a bit more.

Only a few more weeks and I can plant flowers. One of the hostas I planted last year survived the winter (possibly 2 of them survived) and so did the ground cover I planted. I can’t remember the name of it but it is spreading ever so slightly which is what I wanted it to do. I can’t wait to get some color in there.

I’ve been buying books like crazy and really need to stop. A lot of them were used, but still. I bought one more bookshelf in February to match my others thinking it would be a good space to fill in eventually. Yeah, it’s filling up a lot faster than I through it would. LOL something about an empty shelf I just want to fill. I am loving my library and am so glad I changed my house and added that room.

March non-Madness

Yay! Spring is officially here, even if the forecast is still calling for snow.

I finally went to the eye doctor a couple weeks ago. Yep, I need reading glasses. I picked them up on Friday. I had no idea if I wanted reading glasses that I only use for reading or if I wanted glasses I just wear. So I got ones I take off and only wear for reading. LOL – it’s kind of annoying because I can’t see anything except the book in front of me with them on. So maybe I made the wrong decision. I don’t know. But I see far just fine so maybe it is what it is. I haven’t decided yet if they help me when I’m playing the piano. I can’t keep them on long enough because while it helps with the music, it’s weird looking down at my fingers. That may just take some getting used to.  I do like them for reading though. It’s definitely an improvement there.

I’ve been on a huge Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle book binge. Overdrive has a bunch of them. Back in the late 90’s when I first started reading contemporary romance types of books, I didn’t really care for her style. That could have something to do with the fact that I liked historicals better back then. Now, I’m picky about the historical books I read and I’m liking the quirks in her books. Maybe it’s just that I’m reading older books but they do seem slightly dated but it’s in a way that doesn’t bother me. I dunno… it’s funny how tastes change over time and how some books will always be favorites but others don’t work at certain times.

I am loving my Overdrive account. Borrowing books with a click of the button is so much fun. Plus, I can try a bunch of books without leaving my home, and if I don’t like them, it’s super easy to return them.

Vacation Dreaming

I think I might have figured out the perfect trip to take this year. It came to me this morning and I’m feeling kind of giddy over the whole thing. It’s kind of been bugging me that I have no vacation plans this year. I mean, I have one week kind of figured out and we want to do a family camping trip but that will be a weekend, at the most.  People at work ask where I’m going this year and so far I’ve said “nowhere”.

And it still might be nowhere, but I now have a specific dream in mind. All I’ve done so far is a quick google search for the time period I need and probable city to fly in and out of. But I think it can be done. I can’t say anything to anyone yet because I don’t want to jinx myself. LOL Well, I did call my mom because she would be up for this one (there would be shopping involved J ) and she is definitely on board. It’s way too early to plan anything for sure. So much in life can change, but now I have lots to dream and think about and later this year I can make it a reality.

It’s a nice change to feel optimistic instead of the winter blues.

Some Nostalgia

I recently watched, or listened to in the background, the Netflix series The Toys That Made Us. It was kind of interesting. The first episode was about Star Wars action figures. I was too young to play with them, and my mom didn’t buy us those kinds of toys. My brother is 5 years younger than me so by the time he was playing with that kind of stuff, it wasn’t Star Wars. I do remember when mom finally started buying “boy” toys, my sisters and I took them away from him and played with them because we thought they were cooler. :)

I did, however, play with Barbies. I did not like dolls that looked like babies. I had a few of them growing up but I didn’t like them as much. When I finally got a Cabbage Patch doll, I wasn’t that impressed and I thought her name was stupid: Dana Rana.  I didn’t want to play with a baby, I wanted to play with barbies or paper dolls that were older. It’s kind of fun looking back and thinking about the fun times I had with my barbies. I know I had a Malibu Barbie, Great Shape Barbie, Diva, from Barbie and the Rockers, and my favorite: Peaches & Cream Barbie. Those are the ones I remember. I know we had a lot more because my 2 sisters had them too. One year I got the swimming pool for Christmas and my sister got the RV. Never fail, my brother ended up pulling their heads off and then they didn’t go back on correctly so they had no neck. After that, we would cut their hair and my mom would get mad at us.

Sometimes I wish my mom would have saved some of our toys, not because they would be worth money - we played hard with them, but just for the nostalgia factor. But then I think why? I still have a few of my stuffed animals and they are kept in a box in the back of the closet. It would be the same way with the toys. It’s not like I would play with them. Some years ago I found some of the Ginghams paper dolls that I used to love and bought them and they sat in a box also. I just don’t play with toys any more unless I’m playing with my nieces or nephews and those aren’t the kinds of toys we play with now.

I have a Pinterest board devoted to toys, books, cartoons, etc. of my childhood and it’s fun to look back and remember every once in a while.

Finally February

Yay! January is finally over and it’s birthday shopping month! So far books and perfume are on the list but my carry on size luggage broke last month when I used it so I’ve got ideas about replacing that too. I’ve also got some local and not so local charities to donate to. I’ve been looking at cheap flights to places for a weekend but nothing is really jumping out at me. I’ll have the stiches out of my mouth next week so I’ll be able to eat normal again. And I haven’t had a Dr. Pepper since last August so I’m splurging and getting one for my birthday. LOL – the carbonation will probably kill me because I haven’t had it for so long.  I went back to spin class last week after my illness and mouth issues were finally over. It is nice to be back (still sucks to get up in the morning) and even though the seat is still hard, it’s not like starting all over. A little thing I am grateful for.

So Far...

The year is starting out with a bang. A crappy bang.


I had to go to St. Louis for work last week. I flew out on New Year's Day. It was like 5 degrees in St. Louis. I was still trying to get over being sick and decided to go for a walk along the river in St. Charles because I didn't want to sit in my hotel room. And I got sicker. More sick?

I believe this is from the Lewis and Clark state park but I could be wrong.

I went to the doctor after I got home who put me on a z-pac and finally my cough is clearing up. But then I had my second oral surgery yesterday. My mouth is sore but it doesn't truly hurt. I'm sitting with an ice pack on my face to try and keep the swelling down. I feel I'm better prepared this time around with the soft foods I have to eat so I hope it doesn't drive me too crazy. I think this weekend is going to be pjs and books while I deal with the swelling and bruising.


The good news is that Aunt Jenny, my Christmas cactus, is blooming. She has a bunch of tiny little buds on her right now. A couple more weeks and they'll be open. I can't wait.