A-to-Z of Me!

Borrowed from my friend, The Wino That I Know.

A. Age: 39... ::cringe::

B. Bed: Queen Size...King would be better...or even California King someday!

C. Chore the you hate doing: Dishes that can't be done in the dishwasher. I avoid them like the plague.

D. Dogs: My first dog was Ziggy, a Miniature Schnauzer. I got him when I was young (5-7?). He bit everyone except for me. He made an early departure from my life. (To this day, I'm not sure what became of him...and not sure I want to know.) Second dog was Zach, a Collie. Beautiful dog that loved to eat anything, including the wiring/cord to the refrigerator, boxes of kleenex, etc... Fast forward to 10 1/2 years ago, when we got Max, a Golden Retriever. He's my dude. I'd love another dog, but not sure we're quite ready.

E. Essential to Start Your Day: French Vanilla Coffee Coolatta. I'm trying to cut down...

F. Favorite Color: Purple. Always was, always will be.

G. Gold or Silver: Silver or white gold.

H. Height: 5'4"ish

I. Instruments you play: Um, yeah...next question?

J. Job title: It's a bit nondescript and would bore you.
K. Kids: Two stepchildren -- a boy & girl (or more appropriately, a young man and young woman!)

L. Live: Taxachusetts, I mean Massachusetts. North of Boston.

M. Mother's Name: Let's just say it's a fairly common name spelled in a not so common way...courtesy of my grandmother.
N. Nicknames: Walter. :)

O. Overnight Hospital Stays: Zero. ::knocks on wood::

P. Pet Peeves: People who think they're the only ones on the road. Hang up and drive!

Q. Quotes from Movies: "This isn't a democracy, it's a cheerocracy." Bring It On. "Look at you...you have a baby...in a bar." Sweet Home Alabama.

R. Right or Left Handed: Right

S. Siblings: Zip, zero, zilch. Although, on many occasions, to press my buttons, my father has made reference to a sister...

T. Time You Wake Up: Let's just say later than I should.

U. Underwear: I'm blushing-- yes, I wear it...lol.

V. Vegetable you hate: Beets.

W. What makes you run late: Forgetting something, which I'm known for.

X. Xrays you've had: Knee & ankle.

Z. Zoo Animals: Zoos depress me to some degree, but I'm an animal lover...as long as it's not of the snake variety.

Eight is GREAT!

Eight years ago today I said "I DO!" I'm so glad I did!

R.I.P. Sophie Louise

On July 30th, 1999, a petite little thing came to my parents' house to start the second part of her life. She was named Sophie Louise and became the queen of the castle. Courtesy of my dad, here's a photo of that first day:

Sophie was adopted by my parents and given so much love. Sophie had quite a personalilty. She was stubborn. She was a show-off. She was quiet. She was afraid of fireworks and loud noises. She dug a hole to China in my parents' backyard. For a little girl, she had a lot of life. She also had more nicknames than one could count:

Sophie, Sophie Louise, Sopher, Sopher McDopher, McD, Louise, Lou Lou, Peanut, Peanut Potpie, Snapping Turtle Girl, Poopshootle Penny (yes, really), and many others that I'm sure my parents had for her that I'm not thinking of right now.

At almost 15 years old, Sophie began to decline. Her mobility was seriously impeded and she seemed confused and unsure of where she was. My parents had to make a difficult decision and send her over the Rainbow Bridge this morning at 9:30am PST. She was lucky to have them and they were lucky to have her. I was lucky to have known her and hugged her and snuggled her when I visited my parents.

She was a trailblazer in a way. She was the first Greyhound my parents adopted and have since adopted three more (Zeke, who passed away, Artie, and the newest member, RayRay.) Because of my parents' experience with Sophie, I believe it allowed them to open up their hearts and homes to these other Greyhounds. You just couldn't help but love Sophie.

I'll miss you, Snapping Turtle Girl.

Early Graduation Gifts

I've been trying to think of a small gift to treat myself once school's over. Well, I didn't need to think too hard, because today it stared me right in the face (from the sale shelf, nonetheless!)

I love them! I'm hoping to snag a glasses case on eBay or even from the Vera Bradley site, as this pattern (Slate Blooms) is on sale! I can use it now, too, as I think it's fall-ish looking. Yay!

50 States? 50 Blogs!: Alaska

photo credit

Arctic Garden Studio

Now let's face it, I'm no Julia Child. Heck, I'm not even a Suzy Homemaker. Cooking and gardening are NOT my forte. Therefore, I did not think I'd feature a lot of blogs on those subjects in this whole "50 States? 50 Blogs!" thing. I could not not feature this blog. Here's why:

• Things that caught my eye about this blog:
• The clarity/colorfulness/vividity (is that a word?) of the photos. The photos make the subjects (mostly food) come alive. In the Beet Hummus post (and I'm no fan of beets), it's like it's right in front of me on my table.
• Nicole (owner of Arctic Garden Studio) and her partner have two VERY cute dogs: Brody and Arrluk.
• Nicole's a woman after my own heart. As she mentions in the "Welcome" section of the blog, she loves living in Alaska, but in a cabin, but is all about the indoor plumbing and running water. While I think it might be fun to live in Alaska for oh, say 3 months, the place I'd live would HAVE to have indoor plumbing and running water.
• Like my "40 Before 41" list, Nicole has a "Bucket List" that she shares (which she had created before going off to college.)

• Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• My blog isn't a cooking blog (in any way, shape or form), but I love, love, love the Recipe Index. I do have a few recipes, so maybe as time goes by and more are added, I could do this.
• I like the fact that there's a "menu" on the main page with "Home," "Welcome," "Recipe Index," "Links," and "Bucket List." This helps to de-clutter the sides of the blog and let the posts stand out.

Whether you're looking for some scrumdelicious recipes or some beautiful photos (of a lingonberry, nonetheless), check out Nicole's Arctic Garden Studio!

Jumble o' Thoughts & Random Pic Thursday

• It's hard to believe that it's already September. This year seems to have flown by.
• School starts for me tomorrow. I'm not thrilled about going back, BUT it's my LAST class. For ever.and.ever. (OK -- maybe not EVER -- especially if I take a cooking class like I want to.) But, you catch my drift.
• I *just* figured out that there's a Hobby Lobby within an hour or so of my house. I'll be making a pilgrimage there shortly.
• Thanks to Tropical Storm Irene, a lot of my friends and family in western Massachusetts are under water, have lost power, etc... They're in my thoughts and here's hoping things get back to "normal" soon.
• Words with Friends is on the verge of taking over my life. Step.away.from.the.iPhone/computer.
• I'm looking forward to October 6th. Not only is it my mom's birthday, but she'll be here visiting me AND it's the first game of the season for the Bruins and the Championship banner will be hoisted to the rafters in the Garden.
• I'm really liking this whole "50 States? 50 Blogs" thing. I've had fun finding blogs for the next few states. Stay tuned -- I've got some cool ones!
• It's hard to believe that the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is coming up. Will you be doing anything to remember it? A neighboring town is having a gathering/remembrance ceremony in its downtown, which I'd consider attending, but I have class that day.


• Red Sox/Yankees games are exhausting but a MUST watch.

Random Photo Thursday

These two party animals? My great aunt T. and my great uncle A. (T. is my Dad's Mom's sister. Got that?) T. and A. are pretty much infamous in our family. If you look closely, you'll see a Winston in T.'s hand and a G and T (Gin and Tonic). These were here signature "accessories." A. is missing his pipe in this picture, but he's got the trademark bowtie and drink in his hand. (His drink of choice might have been G and T, also, but I'll have to consult with family on that one.) T. and A. owned a "camp" (basically a cabin on a river) in a nearby town and when my Dad and his siblings were little, they'd spend lots of time in the summer with them. When they reminisce, they have some funny stories to tell.

I was lucky enough to spend a week (or two?) with T. and A. when I was younger. They had sold the camp long ago, but their house had an inground pool, which was quite a treat. I learned how to play A LOT of card games, found out where to buy the cheapest booze and cartons of cigarettes in tax-free New Hampshire, was only allowed three minute showers, taught not to flush if it wasn't "necessary", and heard tales of their travels to Cuba, China, and other exotic places. Oh, and what 5th grader doesn't love Coquille St. Jacques (or has ever heard of it or can spell it???)

They were quite a pair. I miss them...and their kooky Christmas gifts. (Square egg maker anyone?)