A Recipe for Success

Well, life is getting back to normal. Back to work full time, watching what we eat, not drinking and we joined a gym. WHAT ??? WE... Hubby & I joined a gym? Yes faithful readers WE did. I have been going to the little workout room at work and since Hubby couldn't join that one (doesn't work in the building) we joined a real, grown up gym. And the shocker is we actually got up at 5:45 this AM and went to the gym. Maybe this clean living is agreeing with us. Well, Ok after two days it is agreeing with us.

I have the usual resolutions, but one thing I saw on one of my favorite blogs, The Perfect Pantry

really caught my eye. This is such a great idea and really hit home for me the issue of childhood hunger. We may not have had much extra fancy stuff growing up but we always had a good meal on the table. I think instead of focusing on me me me for my resolutions I will try to add some things I will start doing, not just stop doing. Supporting my local food bank consistently seems like a good place to start.

After a whole year, well almost the whole year of following this blog A Year of Crockpotting
I am having withdrawals. I hope you are having fun visiting the Mouse, Steph! This is a very cool site and the best part is she gives the real low down or verdict on the recipes.

And since it is Tuesday, I will re-visit Ten on Tuesday this week, Ten Things I Want To Do in 2009. Per usual - in no particular order
1. Complete in a reasonable time (and not hurt myself) the Hyannis Half Marthon next month.
2. Remember my resolution to give back, I am starting training to volunteer at a local Hospice unit this month.
3. Not get sick on our trip to South America.
4. Think positive more than think negative.
5. Continue to care about what I eat, drink & exercise.
6. Never have my friends or family doubt how much I love them and how important they are in my life.
7. Finish at least 2 quilts and learn how to knit socks.
8. Make it to a couple of Red Sox games.
9. Go watch the 'Fins play somewhere fun.
10. Not slide off the driveway during our bad weather, which we happen to be having tonight. Maybe I should put that one at the top of the list?

Catching Up...

I can't believe I haven't posted since Christmas Eve. Well - I guess I can since our notsowildaboutblue did not work all weekend (shock!). I have been busy at work and trying to stay off my little blog anyhow so guess I will have to get a little patient about posting. And with less photos for awhile. Our Christmas was quiet, mellow and that was just fine with me. After the drama of the well it was nice to not worry about too much. Except slip sliding down our driveway but that will be a constant theme over the winter. I did not get the quilt I was working on done for Training Buddy & family which was a bummer. But once I realized it wasn't going to happen and I accepted that fact, I grew a hell of a lot more peaceful. So I wrote a poem as explanation and now have until Super Bowl Sunday to finish the darn thing - I'll post a photo when it's done. I also did not finish a knitted hat I started for Hubby about 3 weeks before Christmas while I was also trying to get the quilt done - I so like to stress myself out. He didn't mind & I finished it last night. I will post a photo sometime this week. Our plans for NYE are pretty calm - we'll be walking up to the neighbors to hang with them. Training Buddy, her Hubby & their Princess will be joining us & spending the night here. So I started to frantically clean until I found a skein of yarn, some needles & the pattern for a really cool martini dishtowel (link for the pattern is saved at work - I'll have to dig it up and post it later). Guess what I did - yep stopped cleaning & folding clothes & began to knit while watching the UCONN men's basketball team get killed by Georgetown. They, UCONN, not Georgetown, really played like crap. But, hey - did ya'll see them 'Fins? What a great game! I don't know how they will do next Sunday but we'll be watching and the best part is the Patriots are OUT OF IT !!! Ok - really that's the second best part, the first best part is we beat the Jets & Brett Farve played like he should have retired. I will admit I was doubtful about Chad Pennington in the beginning but he has been amazing. I so want to get on a plane and go watch the game but we got the bill for the well repair...$1,8000 ....ouch... we'll be watching the playoff game on TV. I am trying to label this post and it won't let me type "quilting" - just "quilting drunk". Hmmmmm wonder if Blogger knows me better than I think. Those are all my random thoughts for now - oh wait - we have no snow because it all melted, it was like 60 degrees here yesterday but we should get snow on NYE - any bets on Training Buddy getting stuck on the driveway?

Can I answer with only one word?

I'm really tired from watching the 'Fins win a rather ugly game - but hey they won! I looked for you Sherri but didn't find you in the crowd. I'm sure you had fun!

You know I heart a challenge So I was cruising over to one of my favorite blogs - So No Zen and decided to take on the challenge - answering this meme with one word answers. And those of you who know me know I can be rather verbose and have a story for everything - so here it goes.

Where is your cell phone? purse
Where is your significant other? work
Your hair color? brown
Your mother? awesome
Your father? alive
Your favorite thing? home
Your dream last night? none
Your goal? contentment
The room you're in? office
Your hobby? quilting
Your fear? dark
Where do you want to be in six years? home
Where were you last night? parade
What you're not? unhappy
One of your wish-list items? wealth
Where you grew up? Montana
The last thing you did? ate
What are you wearing? clothes
Your TV? plasma
Your pet? cats
Your computer? on
Your mood? tired
Missing someone? yep
Your car? truck
Something you're not wearing? Birkenstocks
Favorite store? bookstore
Your summer? happy
Love someone? yes
Your favorite color? purple
When is the last time you laughed? today
Last time you cried? weekly

Fillin Friday

Another Friday - I need about 3 extra Fridays this month to finish some Christmas projects I got going. And to think I promised myself less stress this year - HA!



1. Friends are the best thing ever - I've got great ones!

2. Good health; it's nothing to take for granted.

3. I'm ready for going out to dinner tonight & enjoy the company of an old friend and a new friend.

4. Old Spice (my Dad used to wear it) is one of my favorite perfumes or aftershaves or smells.

5. The oldest ornament I have is , since my brother doesn't read this - I have the blue Silent Night ball!!! A very big deal in our family and it was wanted by both of us - Mom likes me best, she gave it to me!

6. Take some hot tea, honey, lemon & whiskey, mix it all together and you have an awesome hot toddy.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner then working on Christmas gifts, tomorrow my plans include running....gulp.... 8 miles and packing up gifts to mail and Sunday, I want to work on Christmas gifts, watch the 'Fins win & enjoy the Niantic Christmas parade!

The port is gone....

Ok - it FINALLY snowed Sunday, we woke up and there was snow on the ground but we must SEE it snowing before we can drink the port. So around 11:00 Hubby yells rather happily - "It's snowing - can we drink the port?!!" And even thought it was 11:00 AM we had a couple of nice glasses of port ( thanks again Lizard family!) and then we went out for a walk while it was snowing. It was beautiful! And on Saturday - I met Training Buddy and we ran our 7 mile training run and I didn't die. I couldn't believe how good I felt afterwards but admit I am so sore now. I really think running up to 8 miles is more mental than fitness as long as you have a baseline of ability. So now I'm screwed....

I saw this meme on Carole's blog and really like it. It gives me a lot to write about without thinking too much and that's good - we had Reiki Buddy and her husband over for dinner last night - it was really nice, we had a great time, lots of good food, conversation and wine. They left at a reasonable hour but I was all wound up and had to watch football/Sports Center/'Fins highlights until midnight.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? It depends, I use both.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real! It's not Christmas with an artificial tree - we cut ours down this weekend at Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree Farm.

3. When do you put up the tree? This year we put it up early, usually we don't get our act together until a couple of weeks before Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down? The Saturday after New Years.

5. Do you like eggnog? Love it! Love the Starbucks Egg Nog Latte ( Venti with an extra shot, please) Love it with dark rum.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? No special gift really stands out - I always got good stuff from Santa.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My brother.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Our friend Nose Dive - I usually shop all year and I see things all the time she'd like.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, but it's glass so I didn't put it up this year - Nelson would have it in pieces.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail - I didn't send any out last year as we had company for the entire month of December. If I get my act together we mail them from the Christmas Festival in Bethlehem, CT so they have a special cancellation seal. I wasn't that organized this year but maybe we'll head over this weekend - we love to go to GW Tavern.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Probably a London Fog rain coat from my ex-monster-in-law. She bought all her kids expensive gifts, like paying off their car, big screen Tv, diamonds, etc. ( Her husband died and I think she spent all his life insurance money on the gifts). Anyway - my marriage was on the rocks and when I opened that gift I knew it was over. The next week the ex asked me for a divorce - on the phone while I was in Montana - and he was in Florida. I think the monster-in-law had a borderline personality disorder anyway... And the divorce was the best gift the ex ever gave me.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim, we also like Scrooged with Bill Murray - it is 80's fabulous...

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year - I try to pick up things when I am on trips or at craft fairs. I usually get about 75% of it done before the fall.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so - I did give gifts my ex- boss gave me to the Goodwill store. They were too ugly to re-gift.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything - I love pot lucks at work.

16. Lights on the tree? Yep - white & colored.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Carol the Bells although the Garmin commercials are trying to ruin it for me. I'll Be Home for Christmas always makes me cry so I like that one too.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I prefer home but when we've traveled it's always been interesting. Like when we were at my brother's and they "forgot" to shop for Christmas dinner stuff ( although his mother-in-law made the turkey - Thank God) and we had to dig in their bare cupboards (because they really don't cook much) and had Rice A Roni and Jello made with tonic water as side dishes. That was memorable..

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Sure, but I’d have to sing to do it. ( I liked your answer, Carole!)

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning!

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? My brother NEVER gets our gifts to us in time for Christmas. For some reason it bugs the hell out fo me every year. I don't even care what we get - just get them to us by Christmas!

22. Favorite ornament theme or color? No real theme, my Mom gives us homemade Santas ever year so we have those all over the house. My favorite ornament is a homemade ornament from my quilting buddy, Emily. She made it when she was in her 80's. I loved her like a Grandma and every year that is the first ornament I put on the tree and the last one I take off.

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? A sewing machine I can use to machine quilt - I believe it is under the tree already.

24. Angel on the tree top or a star? Tree topper - no angel or star.

25. Favorite Christmas dinner? Prime Rib, Crown Pork Roast or Turkey. This year it's turkey since we didn't get any leftover from Thanksgiving.

Catching Up and Ten on Tuesday

I'm baaack! We had an uneventful but pleasant vaca in Florida. The cats survived with their very capable house/cat sitter and now life is back to normal - whatever that means. I thought I'd share some old photos from the Thunder in the Valley event we went to. (I didn't take any photos on vacation and we only saw the beach from the bar stool at Lou's Blues.)

Aren't those ladies cute with their Moodus #1 sign? I was cracking up. We had a tailgate party across from the cemetery. And not just any old cemetery - this is the First Church Cemetery - go and read about Venture Smith, a former slave from Africa who bought his freedom and was buried here. The second photo is of the Essex Sailing Masters. I love those boys with their tall hats and boots! They just look like they have money.

Ok - the topic today is 10 Ways to Save Money - something I am not that great at but I think it's pretty common sense.

1. Take your own lunch to work.

2. Don't go out to eat very much.

3. Use your local library - seriously I read a lot and this is the best thing ever.

4. Watch your fav pro sports team on TV - not hard for me to do as the 'Fins only play up here 1-2 times a year.

5. Buy stuff on sale.

6. Stay away from tempting stores.

7.Get TiVo and record lost of shows - you'll never need to go to the movies.

8. Use Netflix.

9. Make your own homebrew.

10. Go for a hike in a state forest off season - free parking!

Ok - now I have to try and catch up on all my blog reading - it's good to be back!

Ten on Tuesday - we'll be doing that on Wednesday

Yoowwza - it's already Tuesday. Well - ya got to know I'm happy about the 'Fins game on Sunday. And Shana, I was a loser and did not complete my long (5 mile) run on Sunday because I am a loser & started to watch the football game with a glass of wine in my hand. But I ran yesterday and actually am going to hold all my thoughts for this post until tomorrow so I can go and run now (on a treadmill which is boring but it's dark so there you have it).

I've been a bad blogger...

I hate it when my favorite blogs don't get updated. I forget these people most likely have lives outside of entertaining me. So for all my dear readers I apologize - usually Ten on Tuesday wakes me up and gets my arse motivated to post something. Or when the 'Fins manage to squeek out another win.But I've been busy and then tired. Hubby & I have been car pooling since my truck stopped running so I've been hanging with him (unless I'm at work). And now , on our 3rd year anniversary, my truck will be ready for me to take home and there will be no more "forced togetherness" on our drive in to work or home after work. We are going to go out for a hamburger tonight to celebrate the 3 year anniversary thing, however.

I have included a photo of our favorite hot dog stand in CT. When we moved up here from FLA we were surprised at the New England obsession with hot dogs. People are very loyal to "their hot dog joints". We drove by this place for almost 2 years while we were working on our house before I finally couldn't stand it one day & stopped. And let me tell you - these dogs are great! They park this trailer in a parking lot on the side of the road ( next to a Subway shop which is sort of funny) so if you are really lucky sometimes you get to see them driving down the road and it does make you feel extra special - I don't know why, to see the hot dog going down the road on their way to the parking lot (open at 10) or on their way home (close at 2). They are also open seasonal so when you see them in the spring it is hopeful and when they tell you they will only be open for another week ( like they did Saturday) it's a little sad that another hot dog season is over. They have been doing this for 23 years - WOW! So thank you Hot Dog Lady for another great season and for giving me extra incentive to keep running so I can burn the calories from two cheese hot dogs with relish, ketchup and horse radish mustard!

Have you voted yet??

Wow - I have so much to write about today - the first being the election, of course. I woke up early this morning, and was really, really excited to go vote. Hubby & I went to the polling place in town and were shocked to see traffic jams and lines out past the street! All of this at 6:20 AM. It was a festive atmosphere and I really did feel like I was part of history - WOW! We live in such a great country.

It was a good thing my day started out so amazing because on my drive to work, something very funky happened to my truck and the engine died about 10 minutes from work. I don't know what happened but it felt big..... and expensive. My most amazing Hubby came and picked me up, AAA picked up the truck and I arrived at work by 10. So, dear readers, cross your fingers that my truck only had a "minor" issue.

November 1 was the start of the Freeze yer Buns Challenge which we will be trying. Especially after we got out first gas bill since June - over $3.50 a gallon, so over $400 - OUCH! The goals of the program are on the above link at Crunchy Chicken's blog - go check it out! We do have the advantage of having a ton of firewood to supplement our fuel use but don't burn the fire 24/7 since I don't work from home anymore. We'll see how we do when it starts to get real cold - it was 60 degrees today.

And finally, Ten on Tuesday - here's my list (in no particular order) of Ten Things I Love to Talk About!

1. The 'Fins - here's your victory song, they beat Denver Sunday - YEA!

2. The Red Sox - not so much in the off season but only 100 days until catchers & pitchers report to spring training!

3. My awesome friends - love you all!

4. My wonderful family - especially when you drive me nuts, baby bro!

5. My kitty kids - guess I need to post photos some day.

6. Reiki - it really is a cool thing & I believe it helps people

7. Good books I've read

8. The fun blogs I follow - see most listed to the left

9. Good music - especially performers I haven't heard

10. Adventures I've had while traveling

Ok, if you haven't done it - do what half of the world only dreams of doing

GO VOTE!!!

Happy Samhain Eve !

Ok - for those of you who don't know what I am talking about - you can go to this web site to learn all about today, an ancient holy day. And for those of you who think, oh gosh - here she goes down the non-Christian road; that's not where I'm taking you. Even today's trick or treating has it's roots in pagan rituals.I've never really cared for Halloween, except when I was a kid, of course and got lots of candy. But even those days are distant memories to what kids today experience, group parties instead of all of the neighborhood trick or treating or trunk or treat, which to me seems like the laziest way to get candy, even though I suppose it's safe. ( and for you who again are freaked about the pagan vs. Christian thing? Many trunk & treats are sponsored by churches - so there!)

Whatever - with no kids I get to do what I dang well please so Hubby & I are going to a friend's house, my reiki buddy where we will no doubt have a marvelous time, practice some reiki healing like good witches and remember fondly those friends and family who are no longer with us.

Here is my Friday Fill In - hope you all have a great weekend!

1. My favorite food seasoning is salt.

2. Fred Eaglesmith(playing on the radio now) is music to my ears.

3. Lucky is something I feel every day, and blessed.

4. My relationship with friends and family is something I take very seriously.

5. Many people forget what's really important; see number 4.

6. My brand new Birkenstocks was the last thing I bought at the store.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner with friends, tomorrow my plans include my first "long" training run for a half marathon and dinner with some more friends and Sunday, I want to sleep in then watch the 'Fins win!

Monday Monday...

Like that title hasn't been used before! The weekend here in New England was beautiful - but we had a little drama. All my favorite sports teams? Well they didn't do so well. Dice K pitched a great game on Friday, Josh didn't do so well Saturday but the rest of team didn't help him either. I was so dang tired from staying up and watching them lose Saturday nite/Sunday morning I slept until noon on Sunday. And the 'Fins barely lost (no victory song this week) and Tony finished 11th so is 7th in the Points standings.

I was trying to sew a quilt top after a couple of martinis and got a really bad thread lock ( very bad - your machine freezes up ) and had to take it to a repair shop. There is danger in quilting when drunk!

The bees were looking for food and found all the old hives we have in the garage so when the door was open, in they came. We probably had a couple thousand bees spend the night in our garage last night so I couldn't get to the laundry room to do laundry (yea!)



But we did go to Gouveia Vineyards and enjoyed a nice bottle of rose and a beautiful view of fall. And really - if those are the only problems I have - I'm pretty damn lucky...

Why can't they win so I can get some sleep?

Man ......I'm tired. Those dang Red Sox started late & played late last night and then they went and lost- but don't tell my hubby they lost. We TiVo'd the game and stopped watching at 11:00, the score was still tied and it was the 8th inning. Because I couldn't handle the not knowing - I already checked on line and found out what happened. (My boy, Tony Stewart won at Talladega too - don't tell him we haven't watched the race yet!) But the 'Fins won! Every time they win I'm going to link 'Fins to the Dolphins fight song so you can all enjoy it - YEA!
Otherwise things are clicking along, we might get out first frost tonight, so the plants need to come in & we need to start dragging wood in for the fire. Mondays are when I go to see how much weight I lost over the last week - I'm not too optimistic tonight as we enjoyed some good food & wine this weekend. Oh well - I'm sure a scotch egg isn't over 2-3 points - what's that my food calculator? - it's 8 points - oh shit...Tonight will most likely not be good. Maybe if I run the 20 miles to get there it might be better - ya, right.
Sox play tonight at 8 - Jon Lester is pitching - go SOX!!

Miami Has the Dolphins.......

Yea!! We actually DOMINATED the game!! Yea for us! Yea for Coach Sparano - his first NFL win. I'm going to enjoy it - just in case this is our only win this season. How 'bout them 'Fins??