30 Days about Me - Favorite Book

This has been the hardest question so far, in fact, I wrote part of it while I thought about all the books I’ve loved in my life.

I grew up reading and never stopped, being raised by two teachers I got the bug for the solitude and adoration of getting lost in a really good story. Now that I am older, I read every night to my daughters when they are with me, I read magazines, blogs, books, and poetry. My favorite relaxation on a winter day is leather arm chair, my blankie, the fireplace roaring and a great book. It’s pure bliss. Give me some tea and a banana and I’m a happy cookie for a few hours.

I fell in love with On A Pale Horse in High school and I think I had it checked out from the school library for most of the school year. I loved the Incarnations of Immortality series; Piers Anthony has a way of weaving his stories together and immersing the reader in a world that is fantastic and believable.

When Rabbit Howls is an amazing story about the human mind’s ability to handle adversity; I have read this about 30 times. Truddi Chase survived the worst of mankind and never knew she came out of it with “extra” parts of herself.

Then I fell into the Sword of Truth Series (adapted into the TV program called Legend of the Seeker). Oh how I love Terry Goodkind. His ability to create prophesies and the reluctant hero is beautiful. I’ve fallen in love with Kahlen and Richard, the stories that Mr. Goodkind shares with us. If you get the chance, check out the series, it’s worth the addiction.

However, the one that pulls at my heart strings when I see it, the one that I cry every year when I read it to my kids, the one I’ve held onto for my whole life is ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by: Arthur Rackham Copyright: 1931

(Photo courtesy of An Enchanted Cottage)

(Photo courtesy of An Enchanted Cottage)

The way this story reads, how it smells and the older photos brings me to a different time. It’s absolutely my favorite read!

How about you? What is your favorite book(s)??

Aloha Friday - 10/22

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday.

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My question is:

What do you do to encourage self esteem in your daughter, niece, granddaughter, etc?

This is an area I am not the best in! I have 5 daughters, the first and second daughters weren't my best work.

I've tried to teach them confidence, positive self thinking and beauty techniques. I think I lacked in some areas. Being a bit too harsh when critiquing their hair or an outfit.

My 19 year old seems to be slowly pulling out of the teenage angst and hatred of her own body. She's learning that we are our worst enemies and that the only person who will love her in the mirror when she wakes up in the morning is herself.

I've started to learn to halt the harsh ideas I have about my own body. I could stand to lose a few pounds, firm up that under bicep area (WHAT IS THAT??) but I'm also learning to keep it to myself. My kids don't need to know what I think about myself... they need to learn to love what THEY see.

30 Days about Me - Favorite Television Show

Television was not a big thing in my house growing up. Even if it was, I would have still been locked up in my room getting lost in a book than in front of the tiny square box fighting with my brother over what we were watching. Luckily, I grew up in the 70’s, there were not a lot of options.

My parents watched, “All in the Family”, and I remember watching that with them, and not understanding a lick of the short man yelling at everyone who came into his house.

I watched Saturday morning cartoons like Shazam, The Electric Company, Batman (Whack!) and Banana Split.

It wasn’t until I moved out of the house that I started watching TV more. I got into soap operas, which were addicting, but a year later I grew bored of them. Then around 20 I fell in love with “Friends” They were beautiful people with idyllic jobs, and lives that I’d craved. I watched it with my friends and in the last year of Mom’s life (My ex-husband’s mother, she was one of my best friends.), we watched it every Thursday together. It was heartbreaking when she died suddenly before the last episode aired, she would have loved it.




Then there was “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Scrubs”, “Sopranos”, “Deadwood” and here recently my current addiction is “True Blood”.

Oh…. That show is beautiful; the storyline is full of everything a good show needs. Love, lust, vampires, werewolves, fairies, seers and violence, it has people you love to hate and more importantly those you fall in love with! So… a simple question ends up with my current favorite show… “True Blood”




What about you? What is your favorite show?

Have you joined in the 30 days about me MeMe?? Leave me a comment with a link and I’ll visit!

Facebookers:
~Read this post here on my blog to see video and photos~

Wordless Wednesday - Fall Photos

Thanks for visiting, don't forget to post and link up at
5 Minutes for Mom.

All about me in 30 days - Favorite Movie

I remember going to small independent film theaters with my father. I was his movie partner, in my childhood I didn't go to the movies and see anything that was kid related, from the time I was old enough to read I went to subtitled art films and movies with amazing soundtracks though horrible acting.

Then there were some movies that stuck with me. "Blade Runner" - was instrumental in me NEVER wearing a see through raincoat.. Y'know... just in case.

The greatest memory I have with my father was sitting next to him, in a theater with the sound of a waterfall coming from all sides. My father's excitement to see this movie, "The Mission" about Indians he worked with in South America and an epic tale of the Jesuit priests and their fight against unfair claiming of lives.

As he sat next to me and the soundtrack from Ennio Morricone filled the empty spaces, my heart skipped a beat. The drums, and the storyline captured my soul, as it still does. I watched tears stream down my father's face at the ending scene... it was the first time I realized my father was human.

Daydreaming about Design - CSN Stores

Dave built me this gorgeous dining room table that seats 8 adults (with ease) and that is just on the bench seating, we haven’t even found the right chairs for the heads of the table yet. However when we have dinner parties, people mingling and eat appetizers on the bar stools we have at the bartop.

We had some of Dave’s baseball team mates over to the house for a dinner about a month ago. Nothing says, “Welcome to our abode” like steaks, grilled potatoes, salad and grilled bread. It was a delicious meal and made me feel wonderful when they looked around and said, “This place is so cozy and comfortable.”

I love the home Dave and I have built together, it’s a warm, safe place for us and our kids. It is always a work in progress! We have our ideas of what we want and I’m looking for ways to decorate the walls that don’t include painting (neither of us are fond of painting).

That being said, I like to “window” shop. Which is really internet shopping while I drool on my computer. CSN is one of the stores that I spend hours on at home. So what items are my weakness?

How about my first choice, a dutch oven, I have wanted one of these for a long time now! Stews in the winter would be outstanding if made in one of these, better than the thin pan I currently own.

I need a great clock to go above the dining room table so that I can get that wall decorated and give us something to look at.

And a new chaise lounge for the back porch.

Oh, and new curtains for the dining room because the rose pink ones are driving me insane!!

What changes would you make to your home? And where do you like to “window” shop?

~I received a monetary, gift card, item compensation for this post~

All about me in 30 Days - Favorite Song

This was a tough one, I am not a huge music freak but I do love to trance out with a bit of techno when I can get into the "right place" to do so.

I used to go clubbing twice a week when I lived in Texas, we had a large group of friends that went together and met up every week. Some of us drank, some of us didn't, some of us went out to eat afterward and some went home to their families. We all had a year of our lives that things were immersed in a college lifestyle of carefree living.

During that year I fell in love with this song. It is a true question of why we dream. What do we gain from those dreams and how it's impossible to stop. Our imagination is the one thing that is "ours", no one can claim it or interfere with it, even if they disagree with our dreams or goals, they can't change them unless we let them.

It's called "Castles in the Sky" by: Ian Van Dahl

The video is a bit weird, but next time you are looking for a good workout song, or something to listen to while driving... try this one.. the beat is amazing and makes my heart sing EVERYtime!

All about me in 30 days

I found a cute meme over at Simply Stacie who found it at Nolie’s Place called All About Me in 30 Days. It sounds like fun so I thought why not give it try! It’s 30 days of posts on a different focus and it’s all about YOU! I think it’s a great way for us all to get to know each other a little better. I invite you all to join me! I will start tomorrow with my Day 1 post.

Here’s the post line-up:

· Day 1 – your favorite song

· Day 2 – your favorite movie

· Day 3 – your favorite television program

· Day 4 – your favorite book

· Day 5 – your favorite quote

· Day 6 – 20 of my favorite things

· Day 7 – a photo that makes you happy

· Day 8 – a photo that makes you angry/sad

· Day 9 – a photo you took

· Day 10 – a photo taken over 10 years ago of you

· Day 11 – a photo of you recently

· Day 12 – something you are OCD about

· Day 13 – a fictional book

· Day 14 – a non-fictional book

· Day 15 – your dream house

· Day 16 – a song that makes you cry (or nearly)

· Day 17 – an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)

· Day 18 – your wedding/future wedding/past wedding

· Day 19 – a talent of yours

· Day 20 – a hobby of yours

· Day 21 – a recipe

· Day 22 – a website

· Day 23 – a youtube video

· Day 24 – where I live

· Day 25 – your day, in great detail

· Day 26 – your week, in great detail

· Day 27 – my worst habit

· Day 28 – what’s in my handbag/purse

· Day 29 – hopes,dreams, plans for the next 365 days

· Day 30 – a dream for the future beyond the next year