Friday Gratitude

1. A big stack of books to read.
2. Allergy medicine to help with the extreme sinus pain I have been going through.
3. Migraine medicine to help dull the spiking pain in my head even a little - 3 days of migraines.
4. Peanut Butter cookies we have been enjoying this week that Michael's niece and nephew made last weekend.
5. Getting mail love! Socks! I participated in a sock swap with friends. I got bluish green socks with purple stripes that are oh so soft!
6. Michael being hooked on Joss-verse by watching Angel! (I am huge Joss Whedon fan - Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
7. Clean sheets on the bed...I love the smell of clean sheets! This set we got each other for christmas - 600 thread count - in terra cotta! So pretty!
8. My old ragged Teddy Bear that Michael gave me shortly after I moved here...I still at 39 years old sleep with a Teddy Bear at times and I love my ragged bear.
9. Being able to see my sister's last weekend!

Just randomness...

* Weekend was great! I loved seenig my sisters! We just hung out and talked. Well we went shopping too. We didn't pick very good places to eat except Sam's though. But really just happy I got a chance to hang out with them. We haven't done just talking like that in a long time and I really enjoyed it.

* I got a chance to go to Archivers to use my coupons while in Denver. I got some paper, a bucket of words (thinking of using in magnets), lots of things from their Hot Spot (1.99 spot) and then some metal bits and bobs.

* Eating Garden Salsa Sunchips right now and they are so good! My sister's bought them when we saw them this past weekend.

* Michael just went out of town for the day -- I was really wanting to go with him but with the migraines we didn't feel that would be best.

* Finished The Crimson Petal and the White. I am a little disappointed how it ended! Okay more then a little disappointed.

* Need to search down a recipe for the little
Southwestern Spring Rolls they serve at Ruby Tuesday (Flour tortillas filled with chicken, spinach, black beans, cheese, corn and cilantro. Fried until crispy and served with fresh avocado ranch.) Michael had them for the first time this last weekend and he was crazy about them.

* I have been struggling with my voice this week....it just keeps going out. I think this past weekend with all the talking I just wasn't used to that and so I wore it out!

Sisters!

Leaving in a bit to go to Denver. My sisters are flying in to spend the weekend with Michael and I! I didn't get to spend much time with my family when we were in North Dakota in October. It is great to get to spend real quality time with them. I don't get to see my family all that often so I will take anytime I get and I am thrilled!

Happy Valentine's Day

We really aren't celebrating Valentine's this year and it isn't because we are Anti-Valentine's or anything of the like....frankly it is because it has been a long week and we are leaving to go out of town tomorrow.

But I did want to at least leave my beloved....a Valentine message...

I love you very much Michael...
My heart belongs to you and I am blessed to be a part of your life!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Just...

This week is going to be busy and hard.

A good friend of Michael's lost her father and so Michael is working on the memorial video right now. Those are hard for to do but I know how much the families appreciate what he can do to capture the memories.

I am getting packages of cookies ready to send to friends for Valentine's Day. I made Valentine Bark, Cardamom Butter cookies with dark chocolate and espresso glaze, triple chocolate bite size brownies and shortbread cookies. (Pictures and recipes over on my cooking blog.)

I think I have some depression going on right now too. So feeling just out of sorts. Keep working to move forward.

I Heart Music

I am baking cookies to send friends and listening to Zeros + Ones and they were playing this song that I am really bouncing and dancing to as I roll out cookies. And I am singing the lyrics...

I am singing the lyrics

...I pause to think why do I know these lyrics. And realize it is a remake of a song that I enjoyed in high school -

high school

! Oh that makes me feel old...so old. The song was Ant Music by Hyper (original by Adam Ant). Adam Ant was my first concert (and saw him multiple times).

Tonight I have made some candy. Cardamom butter cookies are in the fridge to chill out over night. And then shortbread cookies are baking right now. I have ingredients ready to go for triple chocolate bit size brownies. And then I will make the cardamom butter cookies with dark chocolate and espresso glaze tomorrow.

I am really like all the music on Zeros + Ones. I want listen to some more many of the artists but Kaiser Chiefs - I really liked and I know I have heard them on this station before (SIRUS - Left of Center station.)

Friday Gratitude

Doing a letter for my Friday Gratitude...

~ G ~

giggles - you know giggles just make me feel good. Michael can get me giggle so hard that I can't catch my breath.
geisha - mysterious and beautiful they intrigue me.
good friends - I am grateful to have many good friends. Each and everyone of them give me more then I can put into words. Thank you!
grace - it is something I strive for. I have a friend to me epitomizes this word. And she inspires me to handle situations as well as she does...with such grace.
gustav klimt - I like almost all of Klimits works. I think as a little girl I saw the Kiss and that is when I became even more interested in art.
girly girl - I am a girly girl. I love to dress up and wear make up. And I am happy that I turned out to be a girly girl.
google - saved my butt on many ocassions.
garlic - I enjoy cooking and garlic is pretty much a staple in the kitchen...gives everything a lot of flavor.
Good Search - a search engine that gives to charity of your choice every time you use it!
green beans - They are my favorite vegetable. I love love love Green beans! I could eat them every night. So I am thankful for green beans!
german chocolate cake - I love the cake with the frosting. I haven't had it in years. Michael doesn't like coconut or nuts in things
Grandparents - I have/had great grandparents that gave me lots of wonderful memories

Colonial House

Tonight after watching Colonial House (only one episode left) Michael and I were discussing the episode. And so he starts to say, "Would you...." and before he could get anymore out I said, "nope!" He replied that was the quickest I have ever said no before. And so he asked me why I wouldn't want to do Colonial House.

I love watching Colonial House. It is interesting to see how people are dealing with it. To think about that time period especially after tonights episdoe where they had a Native American Indian tribe visit them and really put in their face what was done to Native Americans.

So although I am enjoying watching and thinking about that time period. I know I wouldn't make it.

• meat having maggots but scrapping them off - eating it (when I told Michael this one he laughed and said, "yes expiration date girl would have a problem with that" - I am big on expiration dates.)
• flies flies flies - there are flies on everything
• use of chamber pot - with layers of skirts - sorry it makes me wonder how they didn't get their skirts in it
• the living all in one room
• a toothbrush - someone was brushing their teeth with a piece of wood in the last episode
• just the hygiene in general squicks me when I think about it too long
• the rules of the time period - I think I might have some problems with too...yeah

I am sure there are many other things that I am missing but I am thankful for the people that got us here although not happy how they did it.

Sunday Sunday

We got up early to do grocery shopping. It has been almost 2 weeks since we went so it was needed. I have our pantry pretty stocked so I find stuff to cook but I was running low on many things. Something I had been craving is stew and I haven't made any this winter so I asked Michael how that sounded to him. He said that sounded really good so there is stew in the crockpot right now. We can have left over french bread with it and a bottle of wine. Yummy! Although I am very full right now we had a wonderful brunch. Almost every Sunday Michael makes brunch. He says "we" make it but really I don't call sticking sausages into the oven and pulling them out as really cooking and that is all I contribute to Sunday morning brunch. But usually when he is making brunch I am unloading the dishwasher so we are in the kitchen together and I really like that. We talk and joke while doing our things and then sit down and enjoy our brunch. A nice tradition.

I started a new book last night. A friend gave it to me over a year ago and truthfully it is a BIG book - hard back and so I kept it on the bottom of the stack. But I saw it peaking out from under my huge pile of books...knew that needed to be next. I need to get that read and back to her. It is The Crimson Petal and the White. So far I am not liking this guys writing style but I did just flip through and read some random pages and I think I will get beyond that soon.

Friday Gratitude

Really yesterday is the only gratutide I wish to express on this Friday. Yesterday was our anniversary. I have been blessed to give my heart to a remarkable man and share this journey with him. We have spent 4 years working towards dreams. I love you Michael in all ways always. Thank you for 4 wonderful years and many more!

Happy Anniversary

Today is our anniversary - 4 years we have been together. I still remember that first moment we met. I have a Kurt Halsey piece as my desktop wall paper that just for me sums up those first moments.

click on it to get a bigger view












Happy Anniversary Michael! I love you!