Good morning!  Can you believe we are two days away from Thanksgiving?  My head is just buzzing with this information.  I am so behind… I swear I lay awake at night and make lists of what I need to do before Thanksgiving:

• shop for my cooking needs
• plan out a few afternoon movies

Thankfully we do not go anywhere so I do not need to travel or super clean the house or anything like that…. *whew*  It will just be my College Son, Chance, Al and I.  I am actually looking forward to the low-key day.

Then – my next list in my head involves that I leave the country next Wednesday:

• pick up prescriptions (malaria, Ambien)
• pack
• do not forget passports
• choose books to go with (gah! There may be a blog post in that one!)
• make dentist appointment (I have a tooth that has been bothering me and I do not want it to be a problem in a third world country…. uhhh…. no, no I do not!
• put together my guest posts for while I am away
• meet with house/dog sitter
• put away the massive pile of books on the table (just because I should)
• start tanning – and soon…. if I do not do this I will burn…

Anyway, that’s off the top of my head this morning….

So… this past weekend, Saturday actually, my friends that usually do Zumba Class with me all had things going on and I had made up my mind that since Saturdays are usually my one day I week that I have no commitments unless they are self-inflicted, that I was going to chill out a bit in the morning before I started running around doing errands.  AT 9:45 a.m. I was still sitting in my sleep plants with COFFEE CUP in hand thinking this is really the life when I received a text message from Heidi:

“We returned from the cities at 2:00 am this morning.  Just woke up.  I am going to Zumba.”

I looked at that message and thought for sure I had read it wrong…  she must have missed the word “not”, she must have meant I am NOT going to Zumba.  I text her back inquiring about the certain typo….

Nope.  Not a typo.  She was going and class started in 20 minutes.

GAH!

I called her and said I had not even showered yet.  She said just come as you are……

I looked down at my Scooby Doo sleep pants and thought…

uhhhh…. no…..

I don’t think I have showered so quickly in my life but I did it, skipped washing my hair just threw a bandanna on and out the door I went.  We both made it and I am glad I did.  Honest;y, I think we are getting better at the moves and we sure do have fun as I laugh the entire time we are there.  To me it is a bit amazing to think that I met Heidi 19 years ago when we were both Department Managers at Wal-Mart and now here we are learning Latin dancing together.

Ok… I am off… I have to shower, drive Chance to school and get myself to work in 30 minutes.

I bet I can do it.  😉

Good Morning Sunday people!  It is a little bit of a snow dust happening here in central Minnesota right now and of course I find that a bit annoying but what can I do?

I know…. I can look forward to this afternoon when Chance and I are going to go to Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows!

SSSSQQQQQQUUUUEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Sorry about the “sssqquuueeee” but seriously…. the movie has been out for three days and I have been chomping at the bit (what a gross saying) to get there.

Even better…. since our original midnight showing plan was axed, I wanted to up the ante so we are bypassing the local Brainerd Movies 10 with our noses in the air and driving the 30 miles to Sunset Cinemas to see the 1:00 showing.

I have never been to the Sunset Cinemas but have heard of the larger more comfy cushioned seats, and nicer theater all the way around.  I am drooling with anticipation!

Born in Brainerd, I never knew there was a different way to do movies and maybe that is true of all of us.  Movies 10 is a large dark theater with sticky floors that make your shoes make noises like suction cups as you walk to your seat.  The chairs are the hard old school ones that flip down for you to sit in them with a big cup holder for that over-sized beverage I no doubt purchased for just such a movie.  And it goes without saying that you do not put your purse on the floor as if you are lucky enough to be able to release it from its sticky grip after the show you are more than likely going to spill everything in it when it releases like a bottle rocket.

Ok… I may be exaggerating a wee bit…..

I know I am suffering from “the grass is always greener” symptoms but this is a great movie to try a new theater with so we are doing it.  I have been saying for over a year now I would like to try out that theater and the anticipation…..  well, need we go back to the sssqquuueeee?

So that is my plan for this afternoon!  I hope you have a wonderful Sunday and I will see you later for a review and hopefully tonight when I post the It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading?

Happy Saturday!  Seriously… if you could see me now I am quite literally doing a dance in my p.j.’s.  YES!  Saturdays are my favorite day of the week.

• It is the one morning each week I do have to get up super early

• I don’t work on Saturday’s so any commitments are mine to choose

Saturdays to me are reading, writing, a movie or two, book reviews, time for breakfast, sitting in p.j.s a little longer than I should, staying in the house if I choose, dinner with hubby that for a change does not feel rushed, hanging with friends, indulging in a little down time…

ahhhhhh Saturdays!

This morning I am going to be shipping out books that people have won, and refilling my Giveaway box.  I have reviews to write and a couple of books I am looking forward to finishing.

None of this so far… has anything to do with my post title and I think that is awesome too.  😀

Here is my recent story.  A few days ago I realized that I had not heard from my pal Reagan from Miss Remmer’s Reviews.  When I looked at her blog I seen that I was correct, she had been M.I.A. and had not posted in a while too.  Reagan was one of my roommates in New York for BEA this past May and again in September of this year in Minneapolis for a Book Festival.  Due to these facts, I have her phone number.

I called her up and left her a “Heyyyyyy, just seeing how you are doing and making sure all is well” message.  She called me back shortly after that and we talked for about 40 minutes about the craziness of life, juggling commitments, finding balance, all the fun things we (or at least I) as book reviewers tend to have to sort through time to time.  It was fun to catch up.

I hung thinking that it is so cool that there are people in my life, Book Bloggers, who a year ago I did not know but now, I notice when they are not posting.  I feel for them when things are hard in their life.  My online friends.  I love it when people share what is on their hearts and when they pop in to comment here, I feel like I know a little about them and can check in with a “Glad you are feeling better, or welcome back from vacation – how was Florida?”

Anyway…. there’s a bit about me there too I guess… I just enjoy my bloggy friends.

Cookies.

Yes…. A couple (or has it been three?) weeks ago I had a girls weekend at our cabin in Finland, Minnesota.  We baked cookies and made crafts throughout the weekend and my plan was to come back and share with you a recipe or craft a day.  I have done a few, but still have not finished sharing with you that weekend fun….

So with no further ramblings from me – let’s get on with the cookie!

Pistachio Thumbprints

Looking for a melt in your mouth cookie?  My friend Sara brought this recipe to the cabin and these not only looked good and smelled amazing – they also melted  in your mouth.  (My mouth is watering just talking about it now!)

1 cup softened butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. almond extract

2 cups flour

1 pkg. instant pistachio pudding

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

2 cups finely chopped pecans

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Add egg and extracts; mix well.  Combine flour and pudding mix; add to cream mixture.  Stir in mini chips.  Roll into 1 inch balls; roll in nuts and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet.  make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.  Remove to wire rack and cool.

Filling:

2 Tablespoon butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 Tablespoons milk

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and milk.  Spoon into center of cooled cookies.

Glaze:

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tsp. shortening

Melt chocolate chips and shortening and mix well.  Drizzle over cookies.

Happy Saturday!

Good Morning!  I am truly thankful it is Friday!!!  I have had a super busy week and I am so glad to see that I arrived fairly unscathed to Friday morning.  I had a meeting o some sort almost every evening this past week.  Last night I had two tickets to go to the midnight Harry Potter release and due to unforeseen circumstances, we did not go.

I know, right?

So….. hopefully we will get there yet this weekend and I can give a “WOO HOO” report yet.  😀

In other random literary news, I received this list of the up and coming new releases.  Without having time to really look into these books, I would be interested in knowing more about #2, #5, #8, and #9.  I have read Fannie Flagg before and enjoyed the writing.

Any of these books catch your eye?

New Releases in Literature & Fiction
	Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon Read more Great House by Nicole Krauss Read more Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King Read more Sunset Park by Paul Auster Read more The Distant Hours by Kate Morton Read more The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart Read more Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie Read more Mary Ann in Autumn: A Tales of the City Novel by Armistead Maupin Read more I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg Read more Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak Read more

Good morning!  My apologies to all my blog subscribers when you sat down for your Morning Meandering in your email yesterday morning and found I did not exist.  I did start a post yesterday morning but was in a hurry to get to work and planned to activate during a break in the morning…

well, that break never came.  😀

I do love my new position at work, it appeals to the creative side of me, but also includes times when I need to participate in evening events and this week… there are three of those.  SO…. that would explain my absence yesterday.

Moving on…

I had a wonderful time checking out what people are reading this past Monday and found a few treasures that appealed to me.  I would love to share with you what I found:

Set in 12th century Korea, this is the story of Tree-ear who lives under a bridge with his disabled older friend Crane-man. Tree-ear becomes fascinated with the potter’s craft and longs to create Celadon ceramics. However pottery is a trade passed on from father to son and Tree-ear is an orphan. He works long and hard hoping to become an apprentice.

Thank you to Jan at Eating Y.A. Books

 

 

In the midst of a Katrina-like disaster, 10-year-old Dinah and her siblings, teenager Zeke and toddler Rebecca Ruth, find themselves cut off from society, with only their distant cousin for company. To distract the siblings from their predicament, Gage begins to tell them the story of the skibbereen, the creatures generally known as tooth fairies. His story focuses on What-the-Dickens, an orphaned skibberee whose adventures bring him into contact with a house cat, a bird, a tiger, and a variety of humans, including Gage himself.

Thank you to Mardel at Rabid Reader

 

 

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, Reichl focuses on her life as a food critic, dishing up a feast of fabulous meals enjoyed during her tenure at The New York Times. As a critic, Reichl was determined to review the “true” nature of each restaurant she visited, so she often dined incognito–each chapter of her book highlights a new disguise, a different restaurant (including the original reviews from the Times), and a fresh culinary adventure.

Thank you to Michelle at Red Headed Book Child

 

 

A debut novel for the British Ghanaian writer tells of a dark childhood in an apparently safe Devon boarding school.

In the interview Yaba Badoe tells Nicola Barranger about how her work has been 18 years in the creation and how a tragic event in her own childhood drove the narrative in her True Murder.

Drawing on her rich family heritage Yaba also discusses how Ghanaian traditions inform the novel bringing together West Africa and South West England.

Thank you to Amy at Amy Reads

 

 

Agnes McMillan and Janet Houston were convicted for shoplifting. Bridget Mulligan stole a bucket of milk; Widow Ludlow Tedder, eleven spoons. For their crimes, they would be sent not to jail, but to ships teeming with other female convicts. Tin tickets, stamped with numbers, were hung around the women’s necks, and the ships set out to carry them to their new home: Van Diemen’s Land, later known as Tasmania, part of the British Empire’s crown jewel, Australia. Men outnumbered women nine to one there, and few “proper” citizens were interested in emigrating. The deportation of thousands of petty criminals-the vast majority nonviolent first offenders-provided a convenient solution for the government.

Crossing Shark-infested waters, some died in shipwrecks during the four-month journey, or succumbed to infections and were sent to a watery grave. Others were impregnated against their will by their captors. They arrived as nothing more than property. But incredibly, as the years passed, they managed not only to endure their privation and pain but to thrive on their own terms, breaking the chains of bondage, and forging a society that treated women as equals and led the world in women’s rights.

Thank you to Mari at Bookworm With A View

 

That is the beautiful thing about seeing what other book lovers are reading.  I love to see the books not yet known to me and read the excitement and experience of the book through another’s thoughts.  It was a great week to find new titles that appealed to me.

Have you found any wonderful “must reads” while reading other blogs recently?