What's Your Passion?

My friend and fellow blogger, Jen recently posted about her passions. I have decided to be very uncreative and "copy" her post. Imitation is the biggest form of flattery, right?


What are your passions? What are my passions? Jen says that they can change and I feel that's true.


1. New Orleans - My first visit in 2002 changed my life. I fell utterly and completely in love with the city. I emersed myself in it. I love the music, the architecture, the history, the food, I even love the smell (as gross as it can be on Bourbon Street). I have taken to reading anything I can find on it. I was devastated when Katrina hit only 4 short months after my second visit. I love the city and would do anything to have a second home there in my retirement years.

2. Books and Reading - If you know me, you know that I feel naked without a book. I always have to have a book with me. It doesn't matter if I'm at a baseball game or going to a restaurant, I have to have a book with me. I love to read. Reading is like breathing. I can't live without it. I will read anything. As long as I'm reading, I'm keeping my mind active. I obviously love fiction first and foremost. I also love history books. If you saw my collection of books about the Titanic, you'd probably think I was a nut. At last count, it topped 80 different books. I can't learn enough. There's too much out there. In a fantasy world, I would have a room that was a library like in old homes and had such high shelves that you have to have one of those rolling ladders to reach anything. I love my books however, I have come to realize that in this day and age, I might actually benefit from getting an eReader; perhaps the Kindle. I think I'm moving toward keeping the books that I really love and buying those that I love and moving away from buying everything I want to read and then hanging on to them forever. As much as I love them, some books aren't worth the space they take up or at least they're not worth the space for so long.

3. Crafting - I love to craft. I'm no good at it but I love it. My mom is spectacular at it. She does everything. She bakes, makes gifts, does beautiful gift baskets, sews, scrapbooks, quilts, crochet, papercrafts, everything! None of it is tacky either! I have an entire room at my house which is my crafting space. Although it was put together when I was pregnant, I haven't used it. In fact, it's just my catch-all room right now. Part of the problem is I didn't have a radio or tv up there to listen to and I hate the quiet. Now I have one of those little portable boom box things for my iPod so I can listen to a book or something. Hoping to get the cable run up there as well. I don't have time for any of it. Knitting, I love it, finally kind of got the hang of it but there's no time to work on a project! Crochet as well. It's a lot faster but I haven't had the opportunity to do anything. My scrapbooks are obscenely behind. That may change. A girl (you can see her blog here) I went to school with and that I'm going to be in a wedding with invited me to a local open scrap she goes to every last friday of the month. I'm going to go this week. I'd like to at least get a couple of pages done. I'll post the results :)

I suppose that's it for now. Nothing life changing or worthwhile. As my friend Jen says that she's passionate at being a good wife and mother, I am as well. I'm no good at that either but I try. I worry most about Emily. I want her to be a good girl and I doubt myself anytime she gets sad or upset. I just don't want her to be what I call "a sticky-kid." Sticky kids are the kids that kind of never had rules and stuff growing up and just kind of got dirty and had kool-aid rings around their mouth and got in trouble and stuff. I don't want her to be a sticky-kid. My husband, he knows I try to be a good wife. At least I hope he knows. Lord knows we've been through enough that has tested me (no, nothing like Tiger Woods or anything..other stuff) but I try.

More Ramblings...and a bit of Sunny Days

Some things seem to be brightening up. It looks like I'm going to Kentucky with my mom, bebe', cousin Karen and Aunt B. Hey...it will have to pass as a vacation. Lookout Harlan County, here we come!
Granny's headstone has been installed ... finally. I haven't been to see it yet. Sometimes I feel just blank about it but then I get really sad. It's like sometimes it's more real than others. I know those of you who have lost someone might know what I mean.
On a happier note, bebe' is getting her 5th tooth! It's little edge has popped out of the gum. She is getting to be quite the little girl lately. She sits up and acts like such a big girl. She likes to play Pop-Up where she is sitting on my lap kind of squatting like and then she "POPS" up straight and laughs and laughs. She also loves her toys. She especially loves her Zoo activity play toy that sings songs and she can put the animals on a turntable and watch them go 'round and 'round. She is also very interested in me talking. She will sit in my lap and just stare at my lips and touch her fingers to them. It's super cute when she does this while I'm singing her nighttime songs for bed and she's very sleepy.
The beasts dogs went to the vet this weekend. Theodore is at 74 lbs and is in great health for what the vet terms "middle-aged", at 8 years old. What impressed me most is how impressed they were with his teeth! They thought we had been having them brushed regularly. I love the pooches but I'm not too keen on the idea of trying to scrape their plaque. The doc said his teeth are like 98% of perfect! Sweet! Oreo is a whopping 76 lbs. He is very thick. I don't know any other way to say it. He's thick. Like a log. He did very good and has only been itching the last 2 days because they gave him a dog biscuit and those make him itch (boo...). Other than that, everyone is in fine health! Thankfully our animals are in good health as it is so costly to take them to the vet. Once a year I can handle. I believe in maintenance...just like with any vehicles :)
BFF and I are back in business on eBay. We took a break..well, I took a break because my lazy butt just couldn't get motivated to post anything. I listed 3 items and wouldn't you know that within 48 hours, 2 of them had sold! Yay! I'm looking forward to selling more and we are looking into other opportunities for selling as well. Also, BFF needs to get her etsy store up and running too. I'd like to get started but anything I did for etsy would have to be small and quick to make.
Speaking of quick to make (as if this post isn't long enough), I have decided on what I am doing for Christmas for my husband's family this year. I hope they go over well. I doubt they read this blog but I'd hate for anything to get leaked early. I don't care so much if they know what they're getting, I just don't want them to not like it ahead of time LOL.
Well, I will try to be more regular about posting. I've been in a deep funk the last few weeks and I'm trying to pull myself out.

OH! One last thing....Phillipa Gregory's latest book came out today The White Queen!

OMG, I can hardly wait to get it!!

Randomlings

I'm a little restless today and felt the need to post (as uninteresting as this may be). I did have a lot of fun making new Face-In-Holes last night. You can check them out here.
Also, I suppose I better watch what I say on Facebook as it seems I'm being "tattled" on. Some people seem to think I'm really "down" lately. Well, maybe I am but I write what I feel at that particular moment. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm really down. I am, but not that bad.
In other news, I am enjoying the latest books I'm reading. Right now I am reading Pillars of the Earth. I'm listening to Maeve Binchy's Heart and Soul on my iPod and really enjoying it. I owe a big thanks to Danielle and my mom for loaning me so many audio books. Danielle by sharing her DVDs and mom for checking them out at the library for me.
Until next time....

Roots Followup

--Finished Roots yesterday (as audiobook). Took so long because it is hard to read such atrocities and I am fortunate enough to have been able to "take a break" from listening about it when I couldn't handle it. They (Kunta's family) couldn't take a break and I'm so glad I finally read this and really now seem to understand the plight of slaves. Sure, I've read books before with slave characters or freed men of color but there was something so personal about this story that it just seemed to finally sink in to me how it really was.

--One of the awesomest books I've ever read. Read it. Really.

Hey Jude

Well, I was going to write an open letter to a relative of mine who was going to do something with my Granny's dog without really any thought for the rest of us. However, it seems that issue has been resolved to the satisfaction of all; at least for now. Therefore, my rant would me misused and it would be very wrong of me to go off about it.
In other news, I am reading one of the best books I've read in a LONG time - ROOTS. I am only halfway through it and I suggest you read it if you haven't yet. It was always on my "must read in this lifetime" lists but thanks to Danielle (holla!), she provided the audio version to me and I am hooked.

I cannot believe people kept other people as slaves. I mean, I know about it from school and just common knowledge but reading this story, I still cannot fathom that this actually happened between real humans. It's absolutely sick. Unbelievable story though. Please check it out.
Going on a tangent, because Roots is probably the most well known mini-series of all time (although my coworker had no idea what Roots was..never heard of it and yes she's only like a year younger than me), I implore you to also read the North and South trilogy and then watch that mini-series.

Civil war + Patrick Swayze = ~~awesomeness~~

Peace Out for Now

**I might add that the title of this blog is relevant but probably not to those who read it.