Closet Clean-out!

Hi All!

This weekend I decided to do it. I decided to clean out my closet. I have been putting this particular task off for a LONG time - since I stopped teaching in January of 2007, in fact.

I went through everything in the closet and then, on a roll, hit the armoire too! At the end of the chaos I ended up with two big boxes full of clothes to donate to Goodwill.


This one looks a bit empty but I took this picture before cleaning out the armoire. Trust me - it was FULL when we toted it off to Goodwill!

Wow - who would have thought I had so many clothes to get rid of???

Not teaching anymore allowed me to get rid of a bunch of clothes - I figure if/when I start again I will need to go shopping anyway since this stuff would all be out of style!

Trisha

Voice Update: Still doing really, really, really well!

Happy Days . . . The Musical

Hi All!

Hubby and I just got back from our most recent musical (actually, we just got back from Wal Mart but that was on the way back from the musical so it still counts, right?). This time is was "Happy Days."

Did you even know that it was a musical? I had no clue until it ended up on the schedule for this season. A television show made into a musical. Interesting.

sdgfh

Well. Let me just say that while this musical had its moments such as the superb singing of "The Fonz," Joey Sorge, and "Pinky," Sandra DeNise, the wacky men of the Leopard Lodge with Chachi as the Leopard Cub, and the very amusing plunger parade (how can you go wrong with a plunger parade???), that is pretty much all it had - moments.

sdfgh

In all fairness, I must admit that the good natured "jabs" the musical took at the television show (a reference to Fonzie "jumping the shark" and the half hour format) were amusing but many of the younger people in the crowd no doubt missed the humor in the comments.

sfgh

However, overall, the show left me feeling like it was trying to stretch the concept just a little too far. The premise was a bit weak, the saving of Arnold's from demolition to make a mall parking lot, and was solved a bit simplistically, declaring Arnold's a historical building after attempting to raise enough money to outbid the contractor and failing. After all, why didn't they just declare Arnold's a historic landmark in the beginning and just end it? I know, I know. If they had done that, there wouldn't have been a musical.

sfgh

Frankly, that would have been fine with me. Other than strong performances by Fonzie and Pinky, the rest of the singing (and the songs) were weak and the ensemble numbers felt sparse with the minimal cast. The dancing was okay and the costumes were good replicas of 50s wear while the sets were adequate.

sfgh

I think it would have been better to leave Happy Days in television reruns rather than trying to break into the musical business.

sdfgh

On that note - if you have absolutely nothing better to do - it was "cute" but won't be making the top ten in my or anyone else's book of musical greats any time soon.

sfgh

Trisha

sfgh

Voice Update: I am still working the exercises and my voice is rewarding me! Yeah!

By Jove . . .

Hi All!

Don't hold your breathe but . . . .I think Skor has figured out the whole "don't bother Mommy while she is sleeping" thing. I know, incredible, right?


This morning, Skor came in and meowed twice and then plopped down (and I do mean PLOPPED!) next to me and promptly went to sleep!

There was no attempting to claw my face (really kneading with claws). There was no trying to eat my earrings. There was no walking on my head. It was SOOOOO refreshing!

Now, I know that there will no doubt be set-backs in this training but . . . I am just happy that I could sleep while Skor was sleeping. I didn't have to wake up at 5:00 in the morning and STAY up!

Congrats, Skor!

Trisha

Voice Update: I was a very good girl and read out loud and did my exercises yesterday! Yeah, me! I am still climbing out of my SD funk but I think it will soon be all better. Having to work on stuff for the support group meeting on June 27th (in case anyone out there is reading this and lives in the Dallas area and would like to attend the SD support group meeting - contact me for more info!) is making me work through stuff. Now, I don't know if attending the meeting and having people questions my voice will throw me back into the pool o' funk but . . . I am getting better!

Two! Plus "And I Was Doing So Well!"

Hi All!

Do you remember when I told you that I am "taking care of" a flowerbed in the neighborhood? What I do is deadhead the Coreopsis so that they bloom again. You know - these things . . .

Well, I took Hubby to see the flowerbed the other day in the car. He said "That's nice but, what about the other flowerbed?"

What? ANOTHER flowerbed? Sure enough, right on the other end of the rather large island was another flowerbed with more Coreopsis plants! How did I miss this when I was walking? I guess I just didn't look over there. Talk about being narrow minded! In this case I guess I was narrow sighted!

Anyway, I have now begun deadheading in the second flowerbed, too. I was thrilled when I looked this morning and the plant had lots of new buds on them. About two days ago they were nothing but dead flowers!

Those buds put me in a good mood yesterday morning. That mood was heightened further by my visit to the Deaf Action Center. My friend Tricia met me there and we had a good time visiting with people. One guy was a political refugee from Iran! Interesting stuff!

I stopped at the grocery store on my way home and picked up a few things. Then I headed home with all kinds of thoughts about dinner in my mind. I had decided to make beef quesadillas from my own recipe (which means I basically winged it!

Anyway, I started dinner (after Hubby was home) and while it was in the oven I chopped tomatoes and lettuce for the topping and prepared two pretty looking fruit bowls. Satisfied, I played the piano for a while as I was waiting.

Just before the food was ready, I went back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up and found that the garbage disposal was dead. Well, it would give a faint whine and then . . . nothing. Hmmm. I figured it was probably jammed but wanted to wait for Hubby so he could fix it. I just wasn't in the mood.

In came Hubby and I told him the news. He immediately said, "What did you do to it?"

What? Is it just me or does that question seem a bit loaded? What did I do to it? I tried to turn it on and . . . nothing. I didn't do anything to it! It frustrates me because whenever something goes wrong which I need to point out to Hubby, it automatically becomes my fault.

And I was doing so well!

***Editor's note: Hubby is a WONDERFUL man. He is loved and cherished but . . . when he blames me for things I couldn't possibly be responsible for . . . it irks me! I am just venting today!

Skor Update: I think he is getting the picture. He is really doing well with the not massaging the face thing. The not eating earrings seems to be a bit harder for him to grasp. I think that is his "last resort" attention getting behavior and he is not too happy about giving it up! We will keep working on it!

Trisha

Voice Update: I read out loud again yesterday and did massage. My voice is really pretty darn good. My SD funk is SLOWLY lifting. It is still lingering around but since I have to do more work to get the support group meeting on the 27th organized, I can't ignore it like I would like. I guess that is a good thing!

**8 Editor's Note: Hey - what is up with this little guy? He seems to be tagging along on my blog!

Flowers!

Hi All!

Since I am in a sort of a "funk" I decided to make this a pretty blog with lots of nice flowers!

This is a Zinnia which I have had my eye on for a while. It finally bloomed!

My Hydrangea is having a tough time blooming but look at how hard it is trying!

These pink Calla Lilies just catch my eye every day! They aren't in my yard but . . . pretty!

I think this Balloon Flower was afraid to open all the way! This IS my plant! Go, Balloon Flower, go!

Okay, so this technically isn't a flower but it is so neat I had to include it!

Ever since I got my purse camera I have become obsessed with the sky, clouds, and sunsets. I need to start doing that My Sky thing on Fridays because I have a trillion pictures (slight exaggeration there!) already!

Skor Update: Well, he keeps trying to snag my earrings. This morning we had quite a "training" fest. He would grab and I would smack. I didn't have the energy to throw him off the bed but . . . I need to do that!

Sarah - I wanted you to know that I found the word avuncular in the book The English Patient so it is being used out there! Oh - UPDATE YOUR BLOG!

Trisha

Voice Update: Despite my SD funk I did find time yesterday to slip in some massage - my neck is much looser than I would have thought it would be! I also did some reading out loud which seemed to calm me down from my funk a bit. I still don't feel like facing the whole SD thing but I do seem to be warming up to it a bit. We will see how it goes.

Time For More Book Talk!

Hi All!

It is that time again! Time for book talk! This time I have quite a stack of books to talk about so, sit back, grab a favorite beverage, and enjoy!

First up is I Went To Vassar For This? by Naomi Neale.

I purchased this book at the school book sale for the cover and the title. I have never read a book by Naomi Neale before so I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Luckily, it was a good experience for me.

The premise of this book is that a Vassar educated woman is thrust backwards in time due to an accidental explosion. The main character, Cathy Voorhees, finds her luck going bad, very bad. Recently fired from her promising advertising job, Cathy returns home to microwave a meal - she doesn't know how to cook. Not realizing that the meal she pops in the microwave is in a metal container never meant to be microwaved, Cathy finds herself the victim of an explosion during which she gets knocked out by a flying microwave door.

When Cathy wakes up, she finds herself in the 1950s living the life of a totally different Cathy! While the clothes of the era make Cathy look fabulous, the rest of this life leaves her . . . baffled.

While this book will probably never win a Pulitzer for literature, it wins my vote for a super beach read. It is classic chick lit and is a fun read from start to finish.

Next on the pile is Sweet as Sugar, Hot as Spice by Kimberly Raye.

This book is another that I picked up at the school sale for the cover. Again, I have never read any books by this author so . . .once more I found myself thrust into the unknown.

Linc Adams, a NASCAR driver from a wealthy family, and Eve Farrel, the owner of a video company which produces how-to sex videos, discover that they can help each other out of sticky situations and decide to get married - for pretend only.

Linc's family wants him to quit "messing around" with NASCAR and return to the tradition of politics - starting with a run for mayor. Marrying Eve with her rather scandalous profession seems like just the thing to get the voter base to turn against him and towards his best friend, who is also running for mayor. Eve's mother, a staunch feminist, has seen two of her three daughters do the unthinkable - get married. Eve is her last hope and by marrying Linc, Eve attempts to distance herself from her mother.

Will their plots work? Will Linc and Eve be able to maintain a "pretend" marriage without getting involved with each other? These are the questions which evolve in the course of the book.

Again, this is no prize winner but, it isn't unreadable. It isn't really my kind of "chick lit" but it wouldn't be bad for a beach read. Not my first pick for beach read simply because of the rather trite concept and the "interesting" background of Eve (which, by the way, isn't too explicitly detailed in the book).

Up now is The Lakeside Cottage by Susan Wiggs.


Having previously read one of Susan Wiggs' books, and enjoying it, I decided to pick this one up at the sale.

It was worth it!

Kate Livingston, a single mother of a very active son, Aaron, travels to her family's lakeside "cottage" to spend the summer as she does every year. This year, however will be a little different. Due to recent moves, the rest of her family will not be joining Kate and Aaron this summer leaving them alone in the palatial cottage.

A bit unhappy about missing her family, Kate is determined to show Aaron a wonderful summer. This plan is almost derailed when she finds a stranger living in the cottage. After almost being scared to death, Kate finds that the stranger is a young girl, Callie, who is part of the cleaning crew and who has no where else to go. In a spur-of- the-moment move, Kate invites Callie to live with them for the rest of the summer. After all, there is plenty of room in the "cottage."

Another unexpected surprise is the handsome man, JD, who is staying in the cottage next door. While he is mysterious about his past, for good reason, he intrigues Kate and seems like a good father figure for Aaron.

Can this be a good thing?

Susan Wiggs write a good book! These characters are believable and seem like they could by your friends. There are twists and turns throughout the book which leave you guessing. A superb example of perfect "chick lit." If you haven't read a Susan Wiggs book, I suggest that you check one out!


The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje is the next on the pile o' books.


Once more, this is a book sale purchase. Having heard of the movie (but never seeing it), I decided to see what the book was like.

Not really knowing what to expect other than what I had seen long ago on the movie previews, I went into this book with an open mind. Which soon got a little cloudy.

The story about Hana, a nurse who is dealing with the death of her father during the war, a severely burned patient who can't remember his name, a friend of Hana's from the past, Caravaggio, who has had his thumbs cut off by the enemy, and a bomb diffuser name Kip from India, is full of flashbacks and jumps into the future.

All four of the characters live, temporarily, in a villa in Italy which has been bombed almost into rubble. The water is cut off and there is little food besides what they can grow or scrounge. While the war, World War II, has moved out of the area, the remnants can still be seen in the landscape and the thoughts and memories of the characters.

Each of the characters seems to be searching for something in the book and their interaction with the others helps them find themselves in different ways.

Okay, I might get blasted for saying this but . . . I didn't really enjoy this book. The characters were superbly written and the circumstances they were living in were described well. However, the jumps forward and back and the darkness of the characters' thoughts, memories, and feelings left me a bit cold. Not divided into chapters but rather sections, the book seems disconnected. I had a difficult time keeping the stream of the plot straight in my mind. By the end of the book, which I reached by sheer will-power, I was left with more questions than answers.

Perhaps Michael Ondaatje intended his book to have that impact. I don't know. All I know is that I find myself with very little desire to see the movie after reading the book.

A friend of mine insists that the movie is MUCH better and that I should see it. I don't think I will. I just think . . . blah.

On a lighter note is our final book for this session, Vision in White by Nora Roberts.

I know, I know! The past few Nora Roberts books I have read haven't left me feeling to inspired to read more but I guess I am eternally hopeful because I picked this book up at Wal Mart when I saw it. I had heard about it on a podcast (Barnes and Noble Tagged) and was curious to see if Roberts was getting anything fresh and different written.

Luckily, this book surprised me. While there is a whiff of formulaic writing in it, it doesn't follow the same path as most of Roberts' other books. The concept is fresh and I found the book a very good read.

Four childhood friends, Mac, Parker, Laurel, and Emma, form a Wedding Planning company which features each of their specialties. Mac is the wedding photographer. Parker is the organizer. Laurel is the chef. Emma is the florist. The four live on Parker's family estate and run the business from her rather huge house. The four friends each bring different personalities and talents to the partnership and this makes their business one of the best.

This book, the first in The Bride Quartet, focuses on Mac, the photographer. Mac, short of Mackensie, accidentally runs into a "friend" from school, Carter. Mac doesn't really remember Carter too well since he was several years ahead of her but, when she meets him again, there seems to be a bit of a spark.

I enjoyed this book and am actually looking forward to the next in the series. If you are a Nora Roberts fan, or even just a wedding fan, pick this book up. It is a refreshing departure from the tired "norm" and shows why Nora Roberts is such a popular author.

That is it for now!

Skor Update: Skor is still not massaging my face but has decided to try to eat my earrings. I am determined to break him of the habit. This morning he got shoved away from my ears. Once his head "thunked" into the headboard and woke Hubby up. We will see if Skor learns this lesson soon!

Trisha

Voice Update: My voice is doing well. However, I am in a funk about the whole SD thing. I don't want to deal with it. I want to ignore it (and that tends to get me in trouble!). This is a little difficult since I am planning the June 27th support group meeting. *sigh* I lead such a difficult life!

Carrot Cake Adventure

Hi All!

Yesterday, I baked a cake. Not from scratch but from a Duncan Hines mix. I should tell you the Hubby is extremely suspicious of my cake making skills for some odd reason. He won't let me make him cakes for his birthday and doesn't normally like any cakes I make for other occasions.

This time, I think we had a break through!

Hubby was the one who cut the coupon out for carrot cake and cream cheese frosting. He really likes carrot cake!

This cake was very luscious. The frosting wonderfully creamy.

Yum!

Hubby ate up his piece and even considered taking a piece to work for his lunch today. Impressive. He even said that he might like it if I made this cake again sometime.

High praise from Hubby!

Skor Update: Last night/this morning Skor did well. He came in and jumped up on the bed but didn't try to get at my face at all. He did snuggle into my neck but not anything too violent. Do you think he got the idea from only one night?

On another Skor topic - Hubby had a good laugh when scooping the litter box yesterday. Apparently, Skor took his favorite toy mouse and buried it in the litter! Talk about a weird find!

Trisha

Voice Update: Still holding my own and doing well. Having some problems with words starting with Cs but Susan says it is because I block my air flow. I am working on it!