Tag: Morning Meanderings

Yes!  It is that time again and maybe, for me, the first sign of spring is indeed the Spring Library Sale.

Yesterday I was not able to be at the library for the opening moments which is crushing… but I did make it around 11 a.m. and came out with enough good reads that I am content until the fall sale… where I have already pre warned everyone – I am going and going in the morning to be a part of the excitement of the crowd that wraps around the library waiting for the doors to open… ahh yes, it truly is a part of the sale that makes it a complete experience.

SO – as per my tradition… If I go to the sale and bring home a box of books they tend to stay in that box.  Last year I implemented a fun win win with the library sale books that works for both you and I.  Below you will see posted all the books that I purchased yesterday at the sale.  Honestly I had a short time at the sale and with the crowd, I did a lot of picking out books that had appealing  covers and in many cases know little about the actual reads.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to pick my next read.  Below in the comment area tell me which of these books you would like to read.  On Saturday I will choose a winner using random.org and I will add the at book to my reads for next week and once read, I will mail it to you.  See?  Win Win!!!

Here are the titles of the books:

Their Eyes Were Watching God

V.S. Naipaul

A Catch of Consequence

The Dress Lodger

The Other Side Of Air

Breath, Eyes, Memory

About Schmidt

Finding Nauf

Six Pence House

The Beautiful Thing That Heaven Bears

A Child In Time

A Cup Of Light

The Elegant Gathering Of White Snows

Dance Upon The Air * a three book series I have loved for years

Face The Fire * The third book in the Dance Upon The Air series

The Glass Palace

Cutting For Stone

Rooftops of Tehran

The Beach House * read and enjoyed many years ago but willing to read again

Chateau Of Echos

The Knitting Circle

Murders Out Of Tune

The Last Kingdom

 

Have fun 😀

 

For the first time ever…. I am missing opening hour of the Brainerd Library sale.

I have an important meeting that I can not change.

I really thought I was ok with this as I don’t need any books.  Really.  I am good.  Yet, last night I was at the library and as I left I seen the room where they have the sale.  The books were pushed up against the glass panels at least 4 feet high…. boxes and boxes sorted by genre, author…. hardcover, paperback….

I think for a moment…

my nose was pressed to the glass.  (If you go – you may see my nose mark.)

 

I think I am going to try to pop in after the meeting.  I realize by that time the line will be around the building – they only let so many people in at a time… but maybe… just maybe… I will find a treasure or two.  😀

 

 

On a completely different note… today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.  I have a good friend Connie who has had AIDS since she contacted it through an emergency hysterectomy in 1981.  Connie has an amazing heart and I have met with her weekly as often as possible, to discuss her story – and what a story.

So today – this is for Connie and for all the women and girls out there who have been touched by AIDS.  This pump is for you.

 

It’s a nationwide initiative to raise awareness about the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on women & girls and encourages ladies to take action. While progress has definitely been made in the areas of AIDS prevention and treatment, women still represent 27% of all new AIDS diagnoses, with African-American women accounting for 66% of that group. This year focuses on this statistic, “Every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States.”

 

Good morning.  😀

Another lovely day here in Minnesota and no, I am not being sarcastic.  Currently 27 degrees I can not (WILL NOT) complain as yesterday at this time it was 9 degrees.  Looks like Saturday will much be the same and Brrr….. to the Polar Bear Plunge, but well… that’s days away.  😛

So…

my hubby snores.

Yup.  Al snores.  I don’t think it bothers me if I am already asleep but if I am just getting cozy….

I am not sleeping during the snore fest.

A couple of years ago I discovered that if I took a corner of his pillow and pulled just a wee bit that would cause him to roll over or readjust and the snoring would stop.  I was Queen of all those who snore and life went back to quiet nights and happy mornings…

Until two nights ago.

It started with the snores…

I did the pillow tweak.

A voice said, “Don’t pull on my pillow.”

Whaaaa…..?

“Don’t pull on my pillow.”

B U S T E D

For the first time since I started making happy sleep time for both of us with the “pillow tweak and sleep” I was discovered.  He did not want to hear about my successful run of two years (Gold medal worthy I am sure…) without him ever knowing the secret to my sleep success….

Oh well.  😳

Yesterday evening was Bookies book club at my home and between the delicious food (hello Gym membership!) and the fantastic discussion surrounding the book Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (review up tomorrow) it was a wonderful evening.

Oh course, right before Al went to bed he said,

“Don’t pull on my pillow.”

GAH!  I need a new tactic…… 😛

Good morning all!  Let’s get up and go go go!!!!  WOO HOO!!!!  I have been up all of ten minutes and ready to start a great day!  (Oh…. I sound a little like Richard Simmonds… I will tone it down a bit….)

Hmmm… maybe I will tone it down A LOT.

Anyway… we had snow over the weekend and that is just depressing when I am sitting here waiting patiently for spring…. signs of spring (IE. grass, sun, flowers, and certainly no snow!)  And with our weekend snow (so annoying…) came poor road conditions.  Yesterday morning as I left my driveway, directly across the road was a truck with a plow and a cop car that didn’t look like a cop car other than he had a flashing light in his window.
As I sat there wondering what was the proper way to pull out of a driveway when a cop is right across the road (do I stay in the wrong lane until I am beyond him, etc….) I noticed why they were really pulled over.  A little to the left of my driveway was this:

 

 

 

 

No one was hurt, the driver (you can see his head behind the vehicle in the above picture) had just jogged back to his vehicle and was originally standing next to the guy with the truck and plow who I suspect pulled over when he seen what happened.  Yup… even in March roads in Minnesota can be no fun….

did I mention I am waiting for spring?

On a different and more soothing note, the Singapore Coffee recipe that author Cheryl Lu-Lein Tan sent my way and I posted over the weekend was….

YUM.

Smooth and creamy and I am sure not a healthy beverage with the sweetened condensed milk weighing in at 130 calories alone for 2 teaspoons… but definitely treat worthy.

 

 

 

Tonight is book club at my house and we are discussing the book Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez….  you can pop in later this week to read about the book, the review, and the food we brought to enjoy with it.  😀

Have a wonderful (AND SAFE) day everyone!

Good morning.

I would smile and let you in but right now my body is telling me “Oh no you did not!”

Well…. check off another new adventure from the to try list.

Yesterday morning I took my first ever Yoga class.  I figured how hard could it be right?  It’s just a lot of sitting around and stretching a little bit right?

Well let’s just say I feel it.    Ow!

Are my bones suppose to make a creaking noise when I move?  😯

For giggles…. I looked up Yoga this morning to see what the history is.

Yoga (Sanskrit, Pāli: योग yóga) refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines that originated in India.^[1] The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.^[2][3][4] Within Hinduism, it refers to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal towards which that school directs its practices.^[5][6] In Jainism, yoga is the sum total of all activities — mental, verbal and physical.

The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings,^[11] and is derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj,” meaning “to control,” “to yoke” or “to unite.”^[12] Translations include “joining,” “uniting,” “union,” “conjunction,” and “means.”^[13][14][15] It is also possible that the word yoga derives from “yujir samadhau,” which means “contemplation” or “absorption.”^[16] This translation fits better with the dualist Raja Yoga because it is through contemplation that discrimination between prakrti (nature) and purusha (pure consciousness) occurs.

Someone who practices yoga or follows the yoga philosophy to a high level of attainment is called a yogi or yogini

~Wikipedia

Ok then.

Let’s just say that I not going to be a Yogi.  😛

Overall thoughts: It was interesting and I was better at all the bendy stuff then I thought I would be for a first timer.  My balance is pretty good and I think I would do it again.  Friends tell me that while it seems to be very slow and paced (so not me….) it is surprisingly a good toning workout.

Did you try anything new this week?

 

Oh and if you have a moment, Sweet Cheryl over at CMash Loves To Read featured me today on her Sunday’s Shining Star.

Happy Happy Saturday!!!!

Did you know?

Saturday is my FAVORITE day of the week!

It is normally a no- work zone, a free pass, a WHATEVER day.

Man… I do like whatever days!

Here is this whatever days plan:

Currently coffee.  Big cups and straight black just the way I like it… but later… I will be trying the Singapore recipe from Cheryl (see recipe at the end of this post)

Next up:  Book review for this afternoon and a bit o’ blog hopping…. still so behind….

Get ready for YMCA – Zumba class at 10 am followed by 30 minutes of Yoga sounds like a good way to kick off the day

Brainerd Library…. think I am going to go and sit in it.  I know, right?  I never do that… but thought Laptop and I might go in and see what happens in the library (I bet there is reading!)

Stopping at store for dinner items for Al and I tonight and for the makings of the above mentioned Singapore Coffee for the below recipe of Singapore Coffee. 😛

Home until 4:30 when I do the pick up for the homeless program and then after orientation with my new overnighters I am home for dinner prep while listening to audio because honestly… I have to get the audio back to the library 😀

I am lovin’ this Saturday! And because I love love love seeing the yummy foody connections over at Beth Fish Reads for Weekend Cooking, I had to include the coffee recipe that I am so excited to try!

Here is Cheryl’s recipe (Cheryl author of the book A Tiger In The Kitchen and my earlier this week author chat)

Recipe: K.F. Seetoh’s Kopitiam Coffee 

• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons condensed milk
• 1.5 tablespoons evaporated milk
• 1.5 tablespoons ground coffee
• 3/4 cup hot water

Place sugar, condensed milk, and evaporated milk in a coffee cup, and the ground coffee in a cloth sock. Run hot water through the sock and into the cup. Serve immediately.

Hmmm….. I think I am going to have to buy a sock too….. 😛

Oh and one last thing… I love Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot and mostly enjoy  plucking through old pictures that seem to speak to me….. well, you know I am sooooooo tired of winter so had to go this way today:

Stop by and see Alyce At Home With Books and add your own Saturday Snapshot!  I can’t wait to start riding again!  😀

Good morning!

Friday’s here!

I am heading to the gym this morning and happy about it.  (Surely that must be a sign of Spring?)  Then I am hanging out with my friend Wendy for catching up and girl time.   In girl code that is manicures and pedicures and maybe we will grab a salad after that…. this is something I rarely do so it just sounds fun 😀

I may then take a walk through Best Buy and look at my options on laptops for when the day comes that I need to make that purchase.  Yes, I am still on my original one… odd but it is working just fine now.

Later tonight hubby is talking me out for seafood buffet and I am super excited – we both love seafood and while it is about a 30 minute drive to get there – it is worth it.

I have a lot of reading to catch up on this weekend…  I need to finish Wench for Tuesdays book club, and I really want to finish The Eyes Of The Heart today or tomorrow…. I was hoping to have it done by now but this week I feel like I have been tired…. and I don’t know why… I just have been and going to bed early which is usually prime time reading for me.

Ok – I am out… hope to get some “blog reading” time this weekend too… I am so behind.  😀

Good morning.  😀

It was nice sleeping at home last night – in my own bed.  When I serve for our week with the homeless we stay overnight in a church.  The Sunday school rooms are converted to bedrooms for the families, and for the host overnighters.  On Tuesday night I was the host overnighter.  Usually there are always two of us that stay overnight as hosts, which is fun as that becomes catch up times with friends while we hang out before we sleep.  This time however, there is one lady in the program with her 4 month old baby girl and I stayed alone.

I would have never dreamed that I would sleep in a church and now it has become this inside joke as that is the taboo thing to do, fall asleep in church.  I can tell people proudly – I have never slept in my own church( due to our buildings layout we are not able to host there) …. however there are four others in our area that I can say that I have.  😛

We sleep on cots that travel in a trailer from church to church.  It isn’t that bad other than the fact they are super narrow and when guys stay over night I can imagine they must be really uncomfortable.  One couple that serves brings their own air mattress when they stay overnight.  Probably not a bad idea…

Anyway…

that is where I was on Tuesday and then in the morning I drove the guests to the day center where they go seven days a week from 8 am – 4:30 to do laundry, shower, and work on finding affordable housing and jobs if they are not currently working.  It really is an amazing program and has a 92% success rate in our community that once people are back on their feet and in homes with jobs that they remain that way and do not fall back into homelessness.

Our group serves once a quarter and after this week I think our next time is in July.

 

Today will be nice, I have work and then a  workout and then HOME.  Yes…. that’s it… no meetings tonight… and that feels good 😀

I will leave you this morning with this discovery I found at Barnes and Noble on-line… Rachel Ray reading Green Eggs and Ham:

 

Morning….

Why why why why am I so tired?

I had a whole weekend of leisurely writing and yes don’t tell my husband who believes I worked like a fiend writing all weekend, but I napped too!  SO why on this Wednesday morning am I feeling like I am coming off a 20 hour work shift?

Last night I stayed in town as it is our serving week to stay with the homeless.  There is no reason why I should not have had some good quality reading of blog time as from 8 pm on I was alone, just me and Laptop (yes – LAPTOP, I will get to that in a minute…. ) but when I tried to read through some of the Monday Meme posts…. I was just ….

tired.

As for Laptop…. if you have been around this weekend you know he died on Sunday afternoon.  Yup.  Would not turn on.  I have had some opportunities the last couple weeks with Laptop and I think I know his issue…. even took pictures of the broken wires (very CSI of me!) to show how he died.  I even… and this is harsh so be warned…

I even pulled his plug.

Then…

Tuesday evening as I was preparing dinner I sat at the table and pushed his power button, just like old times… and

a message came on the previously blank screen:

Plug In – Your Battery Is Dangerously Low

So – well…. wow!  I ran for the plug-in and when hubby and Chance got to the table I told them do not look directly at it…. but look…. Laptop is BREATHING!

It’s a March Miracle!

I realize I am still probably on borrowed time so my plans to invest in a new one are still in place and I have now emailed myself all important documents off this one so I can no longer say “yup…. there went my book.”

I have another busy evening tonight but Thursday is looking promisingly uneventful and I do plan to read the Monday posts as I am in need of my book fix. 🙂