tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281626974550447932024-03-19T04:58:02.984-04:00Are We There Yet?"An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself."
--Charles DickensAndreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-82693957991112178502012-12-12T01:37:00.001-05:002012-12-12T01:40:11.806-05:00Same As I Ever WasDid you ever realize, "all of a sudden" that you are just really the same person you have always been? (In case the title doesn't ring a bell, it's a line from a song ["same as it ever was"] Once in a Lifetime...by the Talking Heads...and if that name doesn't ring a bell, you must look them up on YouTube.)
Here I sit, late at night, trying to enter my hours (the curse of all private Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-21384320771819811072012-08-21T13:34:00.000-04:002012-08-21T13:34:28.677-04:00Growth and ChangeHow is it that time flies by so quickly? I can remember my adorable cuddly toddler boy like it was yesterday, and this Spring he graduated from high school. I guess all kids grow and change. So for us, this also brings a huge change. For almost eleven years, in the back of my mind has been this goal of sorts: when my only child is 18 and graduates from high Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-72500848984524132552012-05-01T15:19:00.004-04:002012-08-22T18:18:42.630-04:00Again, it's been a while. Life's been busy. Where to begin? Perhaps the most pressing on my mind right now: I was happily training to run the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon (May 20 in Fredericksburg, VA) and looking forward to my first 10 mile run on Easter (April 8). Then, on Saturday morning I was just Jazzercising away, tripped over my big feet and sprained the tarAndreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-81218359068426708222012-02-23T23:37:00.000-05:002012-02-24T10:41:29.779-05:00Starting to Get ExcitedI was just going to stop by the store for some milk, a frozen pizza and a few apples, I swear. Unfortunately, (really unfortunately for so many reasons) there's only one of those mega-stores whose name I'm not going to use here...to pick up a few things. And I'm easily distracted I guess. But who wouldn't be distracted by such exciting scenes as these:
I wandered--or I should Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-16710410398576533512012-01-02T19:29:00.006-05:002012-02-24T00:45:29.177-05:00Welcome 2012So this is the new year. I've generally though of even years as better than odd years; they seem to treat me better I guess. Let's hope this year straightens itself out pretty quickly; it's rare that I've had such an incredibly crappy first 40 hours of a new year so here's hoping....
Regardless, I've been sketching out how I'd like my 2012 to go. I finished off 2011 with 254 miles total (Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-84776016225904286992011-12-06T22:51:00.004-05:002011-12-07T12:13:47.007-05:00The Deep Black EarthFall is a wonderful time for the gardener. I am in love with the richness of the season and the potential I can feel for next year. While most of the garden around here is settling down into dormancy, there are still some things to do.
I'm very happy with my little trees, all of which I planted (or transplanted) when they were tiny. A walk around the yard shows the Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-1420050902921421412011-11-30T17:23:00.003-05:002011-12-04T01:22:06.041-05:00The Helpby Kathryn Stockett
I'll admit it. The movie ads introduced me to this novel. In case you haven't seen them, "The Help" tells the story of Black women who worked for white families in early 1960's Mississippi.
This time period is one I have studied extensively so even a fictional account of it drew me in.
Just to give the reader context, Mississippi in the early 1960's was Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-69275435827843298992011-11-25T23:58:00.000-05:002011-11-25T23:58:48.586-05:00Thanks for the Sales?Thanksgiving. I am thankful for so many things. My son, my husband, my home, my family, my health. We had a great visit with my sister and her family and a fantastic dinner with them. Of course there's never enough time, and too soon we rushed homeward to have lunch with our special girl from Guatemala. She's growing soooo fast! There again, our visit was far too Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-16870163760577372432011-11-19T13:14:00.003-05:002011-11-19T13:25:03.376-05:00Ultra Concentrated JoyJust cleaned my kitchen. It's something I often do first thing on a Saturday morning, right after an invigorating Jazzercise workout, which always gets me up and moving and feeling great. Here, Jazzercise is at 8 a.m. on Saturdays, so (barring a necessary trip to the store, which frequently happens) I'm home by 9:10 and raring to go. This morning after scrubbing the counters, I Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-16890197993752931162011-11-18T17:17:00.003-05:002011-11-18T17:45:20.581-05:00Exhilarating FallWell, here I am again. I decided I wanted to write but needed a new space (prior readers will know why). The new title has so many meanings--which will probably become clearer as time goes on. For now, though, I'm just glad about my decision to start fresh and free.
Have you ever had that feeling where you're just bursting full of thoughts and images you want to write about--so Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-84587941402020838972011-06-04T21:50:00.000-04:002011-11-18T01:27:42.464-05:00Garden Flowers, Early JuneI've been just so busy--as always--sounds like a broken record I guess. Haven't had time to do much of anything but work. BUT today was sort of a sick day. I didn't feel great so I took the time to rest pretty much all day. This evening I walked in the gardens (unweeded as they are) and took a few photos. To be candid, I took them because a far away&Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-87055103646668683172011-04-21T00:38:00.000-04:002011-11-18T01:27:42.464-05:00Recent ObservationsAgain, it's been a while. That would be because I haven't had a chance to slow down enough to write! This creates the risk of a flood from the thoughts to the page of a rambling, potentially random bunch of observations and updates. I'll do my best to avoid such a brain dump here--but there's so much!The April 6th news of Glenn Beck's TV show ending restored my Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-53010304978820513182011-03-22T23:18:00.000-04:002011-11-18T01:27:42.464-05:00Some Progress to ReportI'm still here--not dead or anything--just too busy to write for the last month. (It's pure coincidence that my last entry was exactly a month ago.) So, here's an update on my progress: for February, walked 21.44 miles, did 6 hours of Jazzercise. To date in March: walked 22.29 miles, did 5 hours of Jazzercise and one hour of hot yoga...and logged it all on Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-55171260981759060012011-02-22T16:29:00.000-05:002011-11-18T01:27:42.465-05:00PrioritiesHave had some busy times recently, and a shift of priorities. I have set my mind on getting back into a healthy mode of life and lose the extra weight I've carried for almost 3 years, and this time I'm not letting anything distract me or get in my way. It seems almost silly to have to say this. Who in their right mind would let distractions get in the way of a healthy Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-80032827523047547912011-02-15T12:58:00.000-05:002013-12-18T08:37:38.634-05:00Tradition Revived--Cappelletti in BrodoOne quest for my adulthood has been to find a recipe for, and make, my grandmother's cappelleti. I remember going to her house as a child around Christmas time, hearing her tell about how she, Aunt Anne and Aunt Mae had spent time together and made the Cappelletti....mmmm, always music to my ears! Now, I wish I had been able to spend time with them, cooking--how much I would have Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-27397268170556761632011-01-28T21:51:00.001-05:002011-11-18T13:23:06.002-05:00Spandau: The Secret Diariesby Albert Speer
The secret diaries of Hitler's architect--later his Minister of Armaments--which were written during the 20 years Albert Speer spent in Spandau prison.
This tome and I have had a long relationship. I first acquired it back in the late 80's, fascinated by the prospect of a window into the mind of a man who spent years with Hitler. While in school, I started this book,Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-16921185253663493112011-01-27T18:46:00.000-05:002011-11-18T01:27:42.465-05:00Snow Day RevisitedWhat a beautiful snow we had here! It really messed up the roads, but almost everything was closed so we didn't have to go to work. So, I took a nice walk outside (another mile plus for the big race) and took a few photos to share. The first two were in the development (where private plows cleaned things up)...This is how the "real" roads looked (above); it was no Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-67963829796520062482011-01-16T16:03:00.000-05:002011-11-18T01:27:42.465-05:00Be a Light to the WorldWhat a beautiful Sunday morning we had here! Sunshine, snow melting, a cold crisp breeze.... And we had an interesting Sunday School class and a great reminder from the church service that we are to be the Light of the world. John Wesley (English theologian, 1703-1791) preached about many things, including the proper use of money. We had a challenging discussion on his Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-72027428617941515342011-01-02T15:04:00.000-05:002011-11-18T01:27:42.466-05:00Christmas ImagesWe've been having a fun and busy time around here...how about you? Here are some Christmas images I captured to share... First, new kitten Fuzzy lounges by the gifts in the morning. (New since August, it's a relative term.) Some of my favorite ornaments: the little wooden nurse Nana gave me way back when I first became a nurse; the new baby boy ornament now 16 Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-64048920423553801842010-12-21T23:50:00.000-05:002011-11-18T01:27:42.466-05:00Christmas is Coming...I really like to prepare for Christmas--in the spirit of Advent, not the spirit of self indulgence. Advent is preparation, a season of preparing for the arrival of the Christ child. Preparing one's heart for the miracle, which is far more important than preparing for celebration of the holiday with family and friends. I've barely had time for either this year, Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-41128535037622781692010-12-20T23:46:00.000-05:002011-11-18T01:27:42.466-05:00Merry XmasYou must watch the clip to appreciate the title!While I've been too busy to write (and really do any Christmas preparation...what happened to that basic "rule" that the office "slows down" in December? It's gone, at least around here) someone has been observing and writing quite well. Below is a clip from The Colbert Report that struck me. If you aren't familiar, Stephen Colbert uses a Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-58594652195250048632010-11-29T23:31:00.001-05:002011-11-18T13:24:32.143-05:00Scent of the Missingby Susannah Charleson
This is the enthralling story of a woman who brings a bright and rambunctious puppy into her life to become a search and rescue dog.
There is something refreshing about reading nonfiction when the writer knows her subject, believes in it, and lives it. When that's the case, the passion and knowledge come out through the pages and draw you in. Ms. Charleson is Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-68654211111890249942010-11-28T16:02:00.000-05:002011-11-18T01:27:42.466-05:00ThanksgivingWhen I caught up on my blog reading yesterday it was good to see how many of my fellow bloggers had posted on Thanksgiving and what they were thankful for. So, although late, here are my Thanksgiving thoughts.Ok, so I've been staring at the screen not knowing what to write. My first impulses were to list my son and his successes, my husband and our relationship, my siblings and our families, our Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-64104834239783747252010-11-21T18:09:00.000-05:002011-11-18T01:27:42.467-05:00Another Big MilestoneThis morning marked another big milepost in the life of a person. My son, 16 and a half years old, left the house on the first morning of his first "real" job. I don't know if I mentioned that this past summer he tried to get a job in the nearby beach resort community, but the economy was so bad that adults and college students had already flooded the market. (The Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228162697455044793.post-88402835496727322912010-11-19T11:14:00.001-05:002011-11-18T13:29:05.175-05:00The Robber Brideby Margaret Atwood
A novel that explores how darkness can slip in unnoticed, disguised as something completely different and then grow slowly in place, fully entwining itself, until it's too late.
Perhaps I should first confess. I went looking for books by Margaret Atwood after doing the "I Write Like" analysis which I heard about on public Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000632281014476258noreply@blogger.com1