A Cup Full of Smiles!

Ever wonder what HAPPY looks like?

This is it! 

 My Daughter-in-law reunited with her daughter after her father had disappeared with her after their divorce. Found, reunited and soon to be returned to her Mom. And his stunt earning him supervised visitation for (hopefully) the rest of his days. Court is Tuesday...and we will know more then.
The girls so happy about their "new" sister...and Emma is thrilled about not only sisters..but now a soon-to-be brother!  Kaylee sitting down and drawing her a picture for Nicki to take with her welcoming her to Team Hurst :)

Busy week.

Still reading my way through Pandemic...review soon...but WOW....just WOW!

And speaking of reviews...three film reviews...

First- Captain Phillips starring Tom Hanks...based on a true story of a container ship/foreign aid  accosted by pirates off the coast of Somalia.  Actually I recall when this event occurred.



Although the film starts fairly slow it picks up and by the end you are edge of your seat.  Hank's performance is unforgettable. Definitely worth the ride.

Second- The Butler with Forrest Whitaker and an All Star Cast. Oprah was amazing as Whitaker's wife. An incredible historical ficton piece which takes us from a Southern Plantation- through the entire history of the civil rights movement...and concludes with the election of Barack Obama. And I thought when I saw it that it was maybe the best piece of cinema I had seen for a long long long time...certainly worthy of an Oscar or 4...or more...a definite must see...and realistically, it probably will win Best Picture of The Year.

But then...Idgy and I conspired to see August: Osage County on the same day so we could discuss it over coffee and chat the next morning...

OMG!

This is what cinema was MADE for...Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts were perfectly cast...in fact the entire cast was...well perfect.  And for Idgy and I, who both grew up...putting the "fun" in Dys-fun-ctional families, it was

(her words)   It was like watching my Family Reunion. Only nobody shot anybody. (...she may win the dysfunctional family storytelling...she did have a family member who shot another during an argument at a family reunion once...lol)

(my words)   I watched the first 15 or so minutes thinking "My God...I grew up with these people"  No.   Really!

An in-depth look at the dynamics of a completely dysfunctional family. By the middle of the film both of us has started assigning names of people in our family (including ourselves) to the characters. So if you grew up in one of those Norman Rockwell Families...well...you might not get it. For the rest of us...it is eye-opening to see art imitate life. Your life.

But seriously...if this film doesn't walk away with a stack of Oscars...then the academy was sleeping through the entire thing!

Outstanding!

If you only see one film the entire year...this is the one. 

So...gearing up for Superbowl Sunday. Out this afternoon for brunch with Loretta and Judy and Lorraine...and to pick up the incidentals for the weekend which also included block assorted cheeses, fresh fruit, savory crackers and cold-boiled shrimp...thanks to Carol I still have plenty of really really good chocolate :)

Godiva!

The Broncos ~vs~ The Seahawks. Kind of interesting itself since both states recently legalized weed...making the after-party a win-win no matter who gets it! And James and I on the same side (again) this year...even though the Seahawks are the favorite...we are both casting our lot with the Broncos and Peyton Manning (...who is a bit like the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead...when he is good...he is very very good...and when he is bad...he is horrid...well at the very least he CHOKES.) 
 We will just have to see who shows up to Sunday's Game.

Glad that the Polar Vortex or whatever-the-hell they want to call the sub-zero January we just had...appears to be over. And saw this today...made me laugh...because otherwise you'd cry, right?

Have a Great Superbowl Weekend!

Go Broncos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

End of the Week Cup

                                              Go away...I'm hibernating!


More snow....seriously??????????????

Only 53 more days till Spring.

Oh well...the larder is stocked...the bills paid...a TBR stack on the end table...hot cocoa in my pottery mug and a warm quilt.  
Let the hibernation continue.

Spent yesterday evening with my middle "grand" enjoying a night of crafts and pizza and colouring and bubbles...never ever get too old to colour or blow bubbles!  Pizza delivery with a free 8" chocolate chip cookie. Her, finishing a Messenger Bag to give to her youngest sister. Me, working with a skein of the most wonderful chunky yarn to crochet my newest Infinity Scaft...soft and fuzzy...tiny threads of gold throughout. And using the leftovers to crochet her a mini one, as well. With whipped cream breaks, of course...story-time and filling the room with a cloud of iridescent soap-bubbles.

                                                  Messenger Bag

                                                 Chunky Mini Infinity Scarf

                                   

And this morning gazing once again across the frozen tundra that was once my North Patio Beach...lol.

The minute it reaches 60 again...I am grabbing a quilt and basking...I mean it. If I have to spread the quilt over the remains of the snowdrifts to do it!  After the snow and bone-chilling cold recently, I have actually had dreams about basking on the quilt in the warm sunshine.

Which is probably more realistic than the dreams that somehow our political process is going to heal itself, I suppose.

Between the cries of Bridgegate and Benghazi...is it any wonder if you told a child today they could grow up to be President they would run screaming...I mean really...

If Jesus Christ ran for President today the "Right" would be lambasting him for being a long-haired commie socialist...hanging around with 12 grown men...probably gay...tree-hugging peace freak...who hands out free healthcare.

While the "Left" would be busy trying to trying to convince him to embrace the "cause du jour" then lambaste him for telling them not to judge others and to try to love everyone...try and convert him to vegetarianism and to at least question the existence of God...and get him out of the robes and sandals...and put on this Armani suit...because damn...were you born in a barn?

JC: Why yes. Yes I was.

Hell, Christie and Clinton aren't even nominees for the Primary yet and both sides are raking the Primordial Ooze for all it is worth.

Insane. 
  
I am still hoping Elizabeth Warren will run.

And speaking of insanity...

Have you read the news lately? Really.

A tale of two corpses.

 One a young girl who died after a botched tonsillectomy recovery...declared brain-dead by a handful of physicians/neurologists and the court issuing a death certificate. None of which dissuaded her parents and their lawyer from moving the body to an undisclosed location (Note: Can you legally even DO that? I thought it was referred to as hiding the body.)- where the shyster lawyer claims she is "...doing much better..." Even though she is...well...dead and according to the last written hospital report starting to decompose. I feel extremely sad for the parents who are clinging to the last shred of hope...and their lawyer...well..if there is a "hell"...certainly, it is reserved for people such as him.

And the second? A corpse in Texas who has the audacity to be PREGNANT while assuming room temperature...which in Texas means that they will turn you into a "decomposing incubator."..and your family has nothing they can say/do about it...because every sperm is sacred...or some such. Anyway, the poor husband who is already reeling from the unexpected death of his wife (and trying to retain some semblance of normalcy for their other small son)  is forced to watch her slowly rot because everybody knows that Republicans are the party of less interference in your life...unless it has to do with vaginas...or foetuses...or gay marriage...or Christianity...or...well pretty much anything else they don't agree with...

(...thankfully this man's nightmare appears to be ending now that experts have said that the "baby" appears to be severely deformed and would not be viable after 9 months in a putrefied corpse...)

Ya Think?

Christ Wept.

Bringing to mind the late...great...gonzo...HST...

Have a lovely weekend...



Oh...and the continuing results from the 5:2 (Fast Diet) with this morning's weigh in revealing another pound weight loss. Not much longer now! Goal: Size 7/8 by July...and stay there :)




 

I CAN Do This!

A Cup of Frozen Tundra...

                            (...Currently 37 Degrees in Anchorage,Alaska...)

                           (...Currently -2 Degrees in Greencastle, Indiana...)


Any Questions?

Layered and bundled and scarfed and hatted and went out into the frozen tundra this morning for provisions.

"We can only see your eyes...are you Muslim?"

"No...just a Hoosier."

~sigh~

Yes completely...officially...without any reservations...OVER this whole winter thing.  
And did I mention there is more snow on the way?

Idgy and I, gathering for our Morning coffee and chat...where it was 15 degrees in her deep Southern Tennessee town early today. And minus 1 here. Using the Great Gazoogle to look up the closest beach "to the Equator" (...Daini...only 4 miles South of it...sugar white sand...turquoise water...mind the "camel muffins"-photos showed camels strolling the beach...palm trees...and 85-90 degrees...) Toss in an umbrella drink and a couple of airline tickets and we're so there!

And if I hear one more person mouth the words

"I guess this proves that whole Global Warming Thing is a Hoax- hyuck...hyuck..hyuck"

I may drop the Zen for a moment and whang them with something right on top of their pointy little heads...

Seriously people. It's the WATER CYCLE, people. You learned it in, like, Second or Third grade.

Glaciers melt.

More Water in the Oceans.

Which means more water evaporating.

Which means more clouds and eventually

Rain and Flooding in some areas.

Snow and Ice in others when the water is hit by the colder Air.

And for some (like Africa right now) Extreme Relentless Heat.

That is why it is known as Global Warming and not "...my back yard..." warming, or"the temperature outside my window right now" warming.

And why everyone has to refer to it as Climate Change now...because you really can't FIX stupid. Thanks, Ron.

BTW...whether it is a totally natural cycle or is caused by industrialized man...or  bit of both...it doesn't matter one diddley-damn. What matters is how we are going to handle it as a Species.

Adaptation or Extinction.

And I have to say...right now, a lot of you are fiddling away while Rome burns.

"Scientists have estimated that over the course of Earth's history, anywhere between 1 and 4 billion species have existed on this planet. Be it through disease, genetic obsolescence, over-predation or any number of other factors, the overwhelming majority of these species are now extinct. Of these billions of species, roughly 50 million still survive into the modern era"
                                                                             -Discovery Channel

Yeah...that is right. It appears Mother Nature also happens to be a serial killer.

So as Lewis Black might remind us...we really aren't darling special little snowflakes...and we might want to quit debating about whether or not it is REAL...and work on what we are going to do about below sea level coastal cities...extreme weather events...and the like.

                                










Just ask any Woolly Mammoth you happen to see...

A Cupful of MEMORY

Ever forget things?
Lose your keys?
Go to the store only to come home saying "Damn...I forgot the ____________".

 ...if your answer is every time...don't feel alone...

Most everyone does.

With FRED this is compounded by the fact that the position he occupies now in my frontal lobe disrupts my short term memory. A lot. Written lists and prompts help. While discussing this anomaly with my youngest grown son last week he pointed me toward

Moonwalking With Einstein

Since my short term loss is basically physiological, I didn't expect much.

I was completely mistaken.

It doesn't solve every problem.
As a Nurse who aced the Math involved in Pharmacology in College...it is a bit sobering to realize that today I am completely unable to do even simple sums "in my head".

But hey...That is why Texas Instruments gave us The Calculator, okay? 

Foer uses a technique first discovered in 5th Century B.C to map memories through mnemonics and loci. He teaches us to use a "memory palace" and circumvent/use other parts of our brains for memory.

Read the following "list" of items to pick up or do before a weekend outing. (a sample)

Pickled Garlic
Cottage Cheese
Peat-Smoked Salmon
Five Bottles of White Wine
Three pairs of Socks
Three Hula Hoops
Snorkel
E-Mail Sophia
Dry Ice Fog Machine
Elk Sausage
Beige Stretch Cat Suit
Paul Newman's DVD Somebody Up There Likes Me
A Director's Chair and Megaphone
Ropes and a Harness
A Barometer

Fifteen Items. Commit them to memory by reading the list. Then turn away and see how many of them you can still remember after 15 minutes.

Not many, eh?

By constructing a "Memory Palace"  taking a memory of a place...house or road you know well and depositing the items in a memorable sometimes outrageous ways along the path...the brain uses different pathways and you can easily memorize anything you need to...with almost instantaneous recall.

For the above mentioned (sample) list I used the pathway from the parking lot into my apartment...then the apartment itself. My narrative follows:

Just by the car I noticed pickle and a bulb of garlic (pickled garlic) and as I walked up the walk I noticed a cottage that appeared to be made entirely of cheese (cottage cheese) as I reached the front I saw a Salmon swimming upstream in my neighbour's fountain...beside it was an old man named Pete smoking a pipe...(Peat-Smoked Salmon)...as I walked through the hallway to my door I noticed one two three four five six bottles of white wine lining the way (Six bottles of white wine)  as I reached the door stacked against it were three pairs of white athletic socks (3 pairs of socks) As I stepped inside I almost tripped over 3 pink Hoola Hoops the girls left by the door (3 Hoola Hoops ) and I looked on my table wondering who had left their snorkel out. (Snorkel) and was stunned to see Sophia Loren sitting by my laptop computer (E-mail Sophia  Billows of fog came from the kitchen and I realized I had left the dry ice machine running (Dry Ice Fog Machine) and when I opened the freezer to my surprise there was an Elk sitting cramped in there next to the frozen sausage (Elk Sausage) As I walked into the hallway I couldn't help noticing that Sophia had slipped into a stretchy beige catsuit and nothing else (Beige stretch catsuit) and Paul Newman was standing near her with his blue eyes upturned to the sky muttering "Someone up there LIKES me!" with a lascivious smile on his face. (Paul Newman's: DVD Somebody up there likes me) As I passed my bedroom I glanced in to see Al Pacino sitting in a director's chair with a megaphone in his hand (Director's Chair and Megaphone) as I walked straight into the bathroom I was dumbfounded to see a maze of ropes and a harness to transport you to the shower (Ropes and Harness) and from the shower head hung a barometer (Barometer).

Thus...fifteen items completely commited to memory by simply weaving a story along a well known path.

(...in fact I may never get that damned ELK out of the freezer in my mind...)

Foer went on to explain that using the same construct you could virtually remember/memorize anything important...any list...no matter the length.

Try it yourself, using your own memory palace and narrative.

Chris proved this point by reciting for me in order Shakespeare's Complete Body of Work. (play names)

Incredible stuff. 

Still making my way through the book on this long weekend...but can instantly see where it could be used adaptively to circumvent impaired short-term memory.

Also joined Luminosity this year...can't hurt...might help :)

Now will someone help me move this Elk...









 

Another cup of 5:2...

Weighing in this morning...and above is my total weight loss since beginning the 5:2 Diet.  Thirty pounds. A bit more than 2 Stone.

And I try to imagine  having carried those groceries around 24-7. It is no small wonder I feel better. More energy. And my CBC/BMP Triglyceride and Cholesterol levels were (in my doctor's words) 

PERFECT

And I am continuing on the 5-2 (or FAST Diet) this year. My target remains between 125-130  (another 10 to 15 pounds) then i will switch to the 6:1 Maintenance.

This morning I read a couple of articles written in The New York Times that prompted a rant and a couple of letters to the authors of fore-mentioned articles.


One went as far as ridiculing it as “trying to have your cake and eat it too.” 

The other likened it to self-abuse and hinted at anorexic behaviour. 

Dear Folks at the NYT:

I beat anorexia years ago...trust me.

and 

Why yes...I did manage to have my cake and (on non-fast days) eat it, too. Thanks for noticing!
It was delicious :)

In my opinion, the reason this works and so many many many have failed is a combination of factors.

It removes foods from "good" and "bad" catagories. Food is not depicted either as a comfort or the enemy. Kind of the Zen of Dieting.

It comes without the "oh..I blew it" guilt or self-flagellation.  Eat too much on a Fast Day...or take a Holiday...you just pick up exactly where you left off. It is that simple.

It is sustainable and easy. 

And yes...on the non-fast days you can still enjoy Cream Brulee or one Perfect Chocolate Frosted Cupcake :)

Celebrating the re-emergence of my waistline and transverse abdominal muscles and seeing the beginnings of lines again, at 53...

It's the little things!

A Happy Cup

A wonderful beginning to the week...spent with my daughter-in-law, Nicole.

Aiden is a busy baby...all thumps and bumps and squirms. And she came with good news! While James is finishing his training she will be living nearby. And the happiness doesn't end with just us...the grand-daughters called while she was over, excitedly asking

"Is Nicki STILL there?"

And immediately magically appearing at my door!

Her mom and I talked, and she will be here from Colorado when it is time for the baby to be born...and looking forward to seeing Emma (...my 3rd honorary grandchild!) soon!

And she has decided on a "theme" for the baby's layette...with Carter's Green Elephant Ensemble...

Seriously challenging my skills with appliqué.

But Green Elephant, it shall be :)

So after a few days of coffee and chat and a lot of time spent talking baby stuff and feeling him stretch and roll and kick...it's time to get back to the day to day...already in progress.

A fresh dusting of snow...and temps back in the teens here. Working on the Zen II manuscript and have a tentative release date of March 22nd in the works. A full month earlier than I had planned.  Dedicated both to my late husband and my younger (also deceased) brother, Gary.

More anon...



 

A Sleepy Saturday Cup

and a pre-introduction.

                                                     "Aiden Hurst"


My soon-to-be Grandson, who has now been named!

Let the quilting and appliqué begin!

Nicole reporting that the baby is all thumps and bumps and squirms now. James currently waiting for a load in Miami and then on the road again.

"It is green and warm and beautiful...there are flowers blooming, Mom!"

Repeating Gail's words like a mantra this morning...only 67 more days until Spring.

Relieved as temperatures have finally crept back up to the normal range and the rain is beginning to melt the "Snow Alps" in our parking lot and on the roads. It was a long long long week.

Undecorated from the holidays and looking a bit bare here...soon to begin the before-Spring cleaning. And force some bulbs for early colour.  Because Spring is far to wonderful a Season to spend cleaning, that's why! Yes...the general windows and airing out will have to wait...but so much can be done now. And the annual declutter...because...where the hell does it all come from.
Cyber and all.

 And for everyone who has ever wondered just where and when our flying cars were going to arrive...

The answer is NOW and The Terrafugia :) The aero-car. (...hearing the Jetson's music in my head...)

We are living in amazing times!

So have to admit the Fast Diet didn't quite make it through the last week's forced hibernation- and subsequent Carb Fest. Homemade Bread...Chili...Warm Fruit Cobblers. Instead of losing the usual 2 pounds I have actually gained 1.5 back. Not to worry, though. Just starting back in today where I left off. That is the beauty of the 5:2. 
Adjustments are easy to make.

Thursday, when we did brave the elements for supplies...I was delighted to see my copy of Sue Monk Kidds new book The Invention of Wings...and proceeded to devour it in two days.

Spanning the period from 1803-1838 this historical fiction novel follows the lives of Hetty, a young slave, and Sarah (her very reluctant owner) and both of their struggles to be

"Free from the Abominations of Slavery"

Well researched and written. An exceptional story.

Highly recommended.

Wishing everyone love and light and an exceptional weekend!

 

Hibernation

DAY FOUR...

So that's it then...we're most definitely "through the wardrobe", eh?

Not quite sure at what point yesterday my Magical Winter Wonderland became Narnia...complete with The White Witch and - 15 degree temperatures...but here we are.  And it is beautiful from the inside...with a steaming hot cup of cocoa and Tucker-Cat sprawled in a basket with a warm throw.

Huge kudos to the electric company for NO power interruptions.
Several of our friends weren't so lucky. Whatever they charge for electricity is not too much when the temperatures are in the negatives.

And kudos to all the business, schools and churches who have opened their doors as shelter to those without power or the homeless.

And we have been baking.

Bread.

A Breakfast Casserole.

Baked French Toast.

Beef Roast.

The 350 degree oven giving a boost to the overworked furnace and keeping the place snuggly-warm. Besides it smells wonderful...and tastes even better.

Filled the pantry last Thursday and intend on hibernating until at least Wednesday. 

Self-amusement takes the form of throwing a boiling cup of water outside (where it actually does turn to dust in the air) and soap bubbles...that freeze in the air and tinkle-crash to the ground. And the non-weather related standbys...reading...writing...the phone...the Internet...cooking...et al. 

And checking out this year's new rides, of course!

Presenting the 2014 Stingray Vette!
Not quite this

But so few things are.

Still pretty fine :)

And the Gardening Catalogues have started appearing out of nowhere...so taking a bit of time for plotting and planning the Spring gardens. And my bulbs that were stowed in the outdoor patio shed are inside...ready for forcing. February colour.

With the exception of the herb basket for cooking, I am going to work on a larger cuttings garden next year. Fresh flowers for the table most of the year.
And enlarging the frog spa a bit more. I found the perfect cascading rock fountain to accompany it. 
 

It sounds amazing and the little ledge outcroppings are wide enough for small potted vines.




                The frogs will be thrilled.

And it will be a nice addition to the gardens.

Also picked up a boxed set of acrylics with a French Easel to use on the patio this summer. I really really enjoy acrylics! Nice discovery. May pull a Monet and paint my flowers and Frog Spa...lol. (...with considerably less talent, mais oui...but no less enthusiasm...) Inspired by a re-read of "Idgy's" gift to me Monet's Years at Giverny.

One of my very favourite Impressionists of the late 1800/ early 1900's

Today's recipe

Baked Stuffed Raspberry French Toast

 (...if you don't care for Raspberry...you can substitute Peach...Cherry...Blueberry or Apple...)

Dip bread in egg mixture as if you were preparing Regular French Toast...layer it in a baking dish...top with slices of cream cheese 1/4 inch thick until bread is covered...top this with another layer of eggy bread and bake until bread/cheese mixture is golden brown. Top with warm Raspberry Topping (pie filling) and serve in wedges. Before serving sprinkle lightly with confectioner's sugar and a dollop of whipped cream!

Enjoy!

 If you keep repeating it...you can make it your year, too!

(((hugs)))

Carla

Snow...snow...snow...

But in Colorado this week...well let's just say the GRASS really is GREENER!

Or in the words of John Denver "Rocky Mountain High"

As Colorado becomes the second state to legalize recreational marijuana. All together there are 21 States and the District of Columbia that have legalized it in one form or another.

To quote Dylan "The Times They are a-Changin' "

And with the dispensaries...has already budded (pun intended) The Cannabis Tourism Industry. Bringing us

Matt Brown co-owner of the newly formed My 420 Tours offers the complete pot experience...including sampling of different strains, oils and hash, a tour of a growing site, edible pot products (even pot truffles), a concert, a pot-friendly hotel and hands on growing labs/courses. The tour spans four days and costs range between $600-$900 dollars. All transportation is provided.

One dispensary delights in saying it made over 10K in only the first few hours on product alone.

And let's face it...if you grew up in the 70's...there are now amazing career opportunities in the fields you specialized (or knew someone who did) in. People actually get paid to clean weed.
Who could have imagined!

And forget the zip-lock baggies...now sold out of Apothecary jars and looking as respectable as your Grandpa's pipe tobacco shop. 


Maybe THIS explains the weather this week.

Watching this morning as more snow blows in...adding to the 4" already on the ground. We are suppose to have 7"-12" before it is done with us today and temperatures dropping to double digit negatives.

Hibernation sounds better and better.



Baking homemade basil, oregano and garlic- herbed bread and have minestrone soup simmering. The house smells like a trattoria and Tucker is curled in a tight ball sound asleep.
Life is Good.

And (musing) no wonder the Fall DS Gathering is in Colorado this year :)

                   (...omg...I am pretty sure I owned this top in the 70's...)

The First Week's Cup

Spent last night relaxing in the last dim glow of the Christmas tree.

Today it is time to "undeck" the halls and snuggle everything back into boxes until next December.  Truth be told I love the decorations and glow and would gladly keep them up until Spring...but January and February are my cleaning and organizing months...so it is "back-in-the-box" till next year.

My " Spring Cleaning" always occurs far before Spring proper. Too many lovely things to enjoy in Spring to spend it polishing and vacuuming and tossing. And as minimalist as I've become it is unreal what accumulates in a year...both in real clutter and cyber. Toying with a series of "In Ten Days" articles to submit to the glossies throughout the year...and maybe put together later in book form later.

Through the sub-zero temps Tucker hasn't strayed much further than rushing out to do his business and then velcro himself to the back of the sofa.

And the warmer it gets inside the more he stretches out...like spreading butter. Liquid kitty.

Hosted the first brunch of the year yesterday...fixing Greek Chicken and Potatoes...Salad with Crumbled Feta...Turkish Coffee and Greek Yoghurt with Honey and Walnuts for afters.  Also traded skill sets with Loretta who is teaching me about fashion/style and I am teaching her how to use a computer.

With her nodding enthusiastically and self-satisfied about my  new caramel slouch boots and crinkle scarves and how well they went with the birthday "Nicole" bag. Accessorize ...accessorize...accessorize...is her battle cry.

"Let me see your jewellery, honey." 

REALLY? 
(...shit...you aren't kidding...are you?)

She showed up with her new Michael Kors from Christmas...lol...and then overjoyed as she made her first online purchase yesterday...opening up a new cyber-world of shopping for her (...which I sometimes suspect was the actual reason behind her learning to use a computer anyway...)  Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? I am acquiring fashion sense...and she just bought an Italian Espresso press. From Italy.  @@  

(shaking my head)


Writing goals for winter. 3 pages a day five days a week (including editing). So far so good.
May finish the Zen series sooner than I expect.
 In a queue for the latest Dan Brown Novel and a new offering from Sue Monk Kidd.
 The books of this week taking a decidedly Non-Fiction turn with a pair of (new) technical writing discoveries. "Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life" by Dani Shapiro...and "Handling the Truth: On the writing of Memoir" by Beth Kephart. The latter proving very informational/helpful with my second novel I am working on (memoir) entitled "The Ashes".

So...snow on the ground...Tucker curled up on a chair snoring loudly...and cocoa in hand...this tree isn't goiing to untrim itself!

Have a Wonderful Weekend. 
I'll be busy organizing and writing...and trying to find those earrings Loretta suggested...lol!




Oh and thinking about STYLE...had to share a picture (shared by Carol) of the latest and greatest Challenger. 2014...Flamed and Full Blown!

                                     Is this a "sexy beast" or what???

                                              Best flame job- ever.
 

Welcome 2014

And here we are...a bright shiny new YEAR!
Full of possibilities.

And I've decided 2014 is going to be OUTSTANDING! 
Because I am going to make it that way!

And resolutions have given way to Goals...because a GOAL is something you work toward. A Resolution is much easier to toss by the wayside or break.

So here are my 2014 Goals.

To Continue to Practice Zen Living (...being mindful...in The Moment...know there is always Enough...Gratitude...Compassion..."

To be Proactive Financially (paying things in advance) and to continue the $50.+ a month to help someone else who needs it much worse than me.

To Continue the Fast Diet...doing the Alternating Fast until I reach my target weight...somewhere between 125-135...and then maintain it through 5:2 or 6:1 and exercise.

To Attend at least ONE Writer's Retreat, One Zen Retreat, and One Photography Retreat  during 2014.

To add (observe) a Day of Silence to my week. Every week.

To Spend more time with Friends and Family this year.



 That is about it. 

Oh...and keep walking and breathing, of course :)

 And finish my second Zen Living Manuscript.

Wishing Everyone a Wonderful New Year...and remember...MAKE IT SO!

"Don't look back...you're not headed that direction"