Spring flowers

This morning the neighbors and I got together to clean up our bushes and such. Earlier this month, my immediate neighbor and I both planted some new flowers too. I don't have pictures yet of the one's we did ourselves but thought I would post these. I have a huge white hydragea already and after clearing out a few dying shrubs and a lot of old mulch I had room for two more. They aren't nearly as tall as my white one but they are quickly catching up. The new hydragea are colored "endless summer". The color of the blooms change based on the pH of the soil. So far mine are staying blue.

Two truck loads of dead branches and evergreen trimmings as well as one truck full of bagged grass and leaves all went to the recycling center today. Amazing how fall leaves can accumulate and survive the winter without disintegrating. The evergreen shrubs look much more controlled and less haphazard for sure! It felt good to be outside for a while and it was a beautiful morning.

I've been a bit bummed with our spring weather this year. Everything is beautifully green and the flowers are doing well but that's because we seem to have had endless rains. And the trigger for all the rain...me leaving work! Every day this week that I had a chance to leave early or had noticed a nice day developing it turned to rain, wind or grayness. The only benefit of it all was on Wednesday curling up with a blanket and a good book. I had started reading it on Sunday and only had about 40 pages done. I finished the rest of it that day in the rain and the rain cleared up in time for volleyball.

The rest of my weekends this month are full. I've been running since this morning and the next weekend's to come aren't going to get any better. The weekends will be filled with fun, friends, travel, the river, and a few surprises. I'm looking forward to it all!

Happy SPRING!

HNT...Once bitten

Any creative explanations for work for me? I could wear a collared shirt today, Thursday I'm stuck in scrubs. First time since the hair cut I've missed the long locks. But what a good night.

Happy HNT!

Non-fiction five challenge--The Children's Blizzard.

This was the second of five books I am reading for the Non-fiction Five Challenge. It took me nearly all of May to get to my first book and this one took me 2.5 days to finish. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin occurred on January 12, 1888 and roared across the country from Montana across to Bismarck, ND and then south-southeast across eastern South Dakota, western Minnesota, northeastern Nebraska and ultimately hitting Galveston, TX and dropping temperatures there to the high 30 degree mark.

High 30's would have been a God-send for the poor children of southern Dakota Territory, northern Nebraska and western Minnesota. The morning dawned with temperatures unexpectedly above zero. Parents finally let their kids head off to their one-room schoolhouses that morning and many left their coats and heavy winter wear at home in this welcomed break from the typical subzero January temperatures. By 3:30 pm temperatures had dropped 40 degrees or more with a driving, blinding wind so strong snow and ice were reduced to a powder. By dawn the next day hundreds of people were frozen to death, the majority of them school children overtaken by the storm while trying to find their houses.

At the time the storm blew through the Midwest was in it's infancy. The author often included the modern day references so the reader could locate themselves geographically. What made this so interesting to me is I grew up west of the area and am very familiar with the landscape in the book. I have friends and family who grew up in some of the towns most strongly affected by the blizzard. I also grew up in my own "Dakota Territory" blizzards and know exactly what a "snow day" meant for us...usually the snow came in the night but the wind howled across the treeless flatness relentlessly dropping temps to the 40 below or lower point easily; snow days were actually COLD days. These kids and teachers didn't have the prediction nor the communication instruments that now make planning things so much easier.

I was fascinated reading this story because I could literally picture the landscape in my mind. I could also picture these strong, independent frontiersmen doing what they knew to do...protect the children, the livestock, and only then yourself. Their were heroes, their were fools, their were near misses that cost lives, their were miracles that others survived. The children of the blizzard are still remembered today. A lot of the towns and homesteads so devastated by that storm are their today and are still fighting each season against the harshness of the Dakota weather.

HNT...a bit homesick

Why shouldn't I be happy? I have a great job, I have my good health, I have a boyfriend, I own a house. I travel, I have great friends, I have two pets that love me, friends and family that love me. But I'm a bit blue.

I want to be here...

With my feet spread out in good ole Montana dirt. I miss "home". I didn't grow up there but pretty much got adopted when I lived there. Montana runs in my blood. I miss it lately.

Happy HNT!

Rhubarb recipes

Since I was gone into the land of dial-up it wasn't until now that I reviewed most of my HNT comments. Looks like I need to leave you a few rhubarb recipes to enjoy! I brought another bag home from mom and dad's too so I'll have more to come.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake
One box super moist white cake mix (make as box instructs)
2-3 cups rhubarb chopped (mix into cake mix in the pan)
Topping: 1 cup brown sugar, 3-4 tablespoons cinnamon, and 1/2 cup pecans (chopped). Mix with fork and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 35-45 minutes

Rhubarb Apple Crisp
In a 9 x 13 pan cut up enough Granny Smith apples to thoroughly cover the bottom. Add in enough chopped rhubarb to completely fill the pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 to 3/4 cup white sugar. Add 1/4 cup water over top.

For topping...mix one package DRY white cake mix with one stick butter, one cup brown sugar, and two tablespoons ice cold water. Mix just enough to make it crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the apples and rhubarb.

Bake until top is completely brown and juices of apple are bubbling. This recipe gets juicy so I like to serve it chilled instead of warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Non-fiction five challenge

I was a bit worried if I would get this done this month but a trip to Mom and Dad's in South Dakota with not much else to do but read let me finish this one. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was my first book for the Non-fiction Five Challenge...5 non-fiction selections in five months. I picked this one because I read a lot of murder/forensic fiction and thought delving into a true crime story would be fun.

The crime story in this isn't all that. Yes, a man is murdered in Savannah. Yes, a man is tried for his murder (4 times to be exact!). Yes, he's convicted. Yes, it's overturned. No, the crime story did not fascinate me. What did fascinate me were the people! Oh, the characters in this book!

The author is a Yankee who becomes fascinated with the little world Savannah is all on it's one. It's a city of pride, nostalgia, voo-doo, and hospitality. It's a city with a personality all it's own. The author tells the story of Savannah more than that of a murder and a messed up trial. Yes, the mistakes of the local prosecutors rival that of those in The Innocent Man. Yes, the defendant has money to rival that of OJ Simpson. But the people of the city are unique all to themselves without the crime.

I enjoyed the stories the author wove of the town and how if one looked hard enough every one was some how connected whether by blood, secrets, or prestige. The author's slow fall in love with the city reminded me of my own fall into love with Montana. I was an outsider but the people took me as one of their own...calling me a lost adopted Montanan. The people of Savannah took the author in and allowed him to weave a wonderful tale of their lives. That was the story worth reading.

I'm making a jump start on June's selection...The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin. Take the time to pick up a book or two this summer, it just might take you away!

HNT...Scorched

A co-worker brought me a huge bag of rhubarb. I love rhubarb. I made a rhubarb coffee cake on Monday and took it to work on Tuesday. It was devoured by 10:30 am. This afternoon I made a rhubarb apple crisp...two of them in fact; one for work and one for the neighbor. This is the end result. I caught the knuckle of my left thumb on the top rack. It blistered immediately. And of course it's right on the damn crease and it hurts every time I move my thumb. It's amazing I have any sensation left in any of my fingers from all the hot and cold shit I have stuck them in while cooking never mind the 3 months as a barista with the scolding hot espresso shots. Just one more scar to add to my culinary career.

Just an FYI: The rhubarb apple crisp is scrumptous!

Happy HNT!

The Food Meme

I was tagged with the food meme by Osbasso.

The rules:

1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you. Include the city/state and country you’re in.

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, USA)
Lotus (Toronto, Canada)
tanabata (Saitama, Japan)
Andi (Dallas [ish], Texas, United States)
Todd (Louisville, Kentucky, United States)
miss kendra (los angeles, california, u.s.a)
Jiggs Casey (Berkeley, CA, USA! USA! USA!)
Lee Ann (Birmingham, AL, United States)
Osbasso (Helena, MT, USA)
Moose (Rochester, MN, USA)

2. List out your top 5 favorite places to eat at your location.

City Cafe: Os has eaten here with me. As have guests from out of town that I have taken to this place. I first found it in October of 2003 when I flew back to Rochester to find a place to live and complete my new employee physical and such. I didn't have a car so I checked out places close. When i ordered a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert I was hooked. The atmosphere in the place is great too...rough stecco/concrete walls in a muted mustard, a moon mural with a bottle of wine, a great whine list, stall like booths, and a menu that changes seasonally.

China Star: Best Chinese take out in town. The portions are huge, the price is cheap and the flavor is to die for. I usually get two full meals and a snack out of one serving. I always get the crab rangoons instead of the egg roll. Fried or white rice depends on my mood. Favorite entree is Orange Chicken.

Rollie Pollie: This place has gone out of business because they opened in a bad location. The idea behind this place was deli sandwich shop but all the sandwiches were made in wraps. The hot ones were pressed onto a flatiron very quickly. The sauces, which I always got on the side, were very good and creative. The wraps came in different flavors and the "fillings" were unique. One of my favorites included turkey, brie cheese, and bacon. I miss it.

Michael's: This place is a legend of an establishment in Rochester. It's been here since the Mayo brothers were first operating. It's located downtown. Michael's is a steakhouse but all the elderly, rich "Clinic" patients frequent it on a regular basis in their best attire. But at the very next table you will find locals in jeans and a sweatshirt. The prices are more geared towards the "Clinic" clientele but the food is Midwestern steak done to perfection no matter how you order it.

The Canadian Honker: This is directly across from the hospital. They are famous for their Coconut Cake. It's so moist, comes in gigantic servings, and tastes like nothing I have tasted before. I also am fond of the Honker Melt. Sourdough bread, turkey, bacon, and coleslaw. They cater a lot of events in town as well and on the weekends they have live music (usually one man shows). We usually end each quarter here when the boss takes the residents and I out to lunch.

3. Tag 5 other people (preferably from other countries/states) and let them know they’ve been tagged.
Those with their feet up on the coffee table or desk as you read this
Those of you with cats
Those of you who have planted any flowers or plants this spring
Those of you road tripping for Memorial day
Those of you that have eaten ostrich (yes, I have and it's very good)

Makin' a trip of it

This morning I needed to drive to Minneapolis/St. Paul to drop the boyfriend off at the airport for a conference. I decided earlier in the week I need to make a trip out of it other than just stopping long enough to leave him and his bag at the terminal doors. I tried to find contact info for a gal from work who moved up their with no avail. I knew a couples gals who I knew for sure would be around. On Wednesday I started up a chat with Sandi to see if I could crash her weekend with Chelle.

These two know how to throw a girls' weekend. They have a kick-ass suite, their computers rigged out in the room, and a party is goin' down. They were kind enough to let me crash it this afternoon and we headed out to lunch together. It was a good time and we even got the hostess to click a picture for us. These two gals are amazing and I'm in awe of their friendship...Thanks for letting me tag along briefly today!

The Things I Wear HNT 4...Killers

Last night three of us went to see The Killer's live. What a great show! The opening acts were horrendous though so we wasted time goofing off with the camera. This was supposedly an "accident". I saw it and insisted it needed to be my HNT this week. That's another recent jewelry purchase. I'm addicted...The only problem with last night is that I got to bed at 1 am and was up at 6 am. I'm posted and I'm heading to bed.

Happy HNT!

A day for nothing

I'm busy. I thrive on being busy. I have a tendency to put things off unless I have multiple things to accomplish. Only when I am really pressed for time due I most efficiently use the time I have. Last week was busy. With a call day from hell, meetings, housesitting, a church event, etc., Monday through Saturday evening was pure chaos. Saturday night I got home around 6:30 pm and I swear I just stared for at least a hour at nothing coming down from it all. I actually crawled into bed after a glass of wine around 9:30 which is very unusual for me.

Sunday morning was a perfect morning for sleeping in. There was a thunderstorm late on Saturday night and Sunday morning dawned on the dark side a bit. It was also cool. I didn't wake up until 8 am and then stayed in bed until 9:30. I moved to the couch, wrapped up in a blanket and started watching a movie. I woke up again around 11. I moved back to bed for 45 minutes. At noon I drove to the gym and got a great massage. I got home around 1:30 pm. I snoozed on the couch again for another hour or so. Watched a little more TV, read a bit of a book, snoozed again.

I have not taken a day to do nothing for so long. It felt good but at the same time each time I woke from a little snooze I felt a bit guilty as well. Is that just a curse of the idle mind? I managed a conference call last night and watched the Survivor Finale with a friend but even that was pretty mindless. Today, I feel a bit refreshed.

A day for nothing felt so wonderously good. I need more of those...

Tagged...

I'm wearing a blue shirt, I have green eyes, and I love lattes so I guess I'm stuck doing this one :) Thanks, Lime.

What was the name of the teacher that was most influential in your life from grades K through 6?
Probably Mrs B in 5th and 6th grade. I went to a very small school and Mrs B taught both 5th and 6th grade in the same classroom. She taught more than the "usual" stuff. The words "shut-up" were NOT allowed in her classroom. We had to memorize poems...real literature. We learned geography by self-directed projects not writing papers. We could give a book report by acting things out instead of just reading a paper out loud. Her classroom was interactive. We only had commador pet computers at the time but she let me play "where in the world is carmen sandiego" when I had spare time. She let me check out "older student" books from the library. Not to mention in the summer as a kid Mrs B also baby sat us and let us make "pop" with this little machine thing and a powder mix. We also played Mousetrap at her house. That was fun too.

She still goes to my hometown church and even though I'm near 30 I still call her Mrs B. She asks me to call her M, but she will always be Mrs B.

Did you argue with teachers? (I saw this question on another meme somewhere else)
Duh. My goal in high school geometry was to do the proof in less steps than the teacher. Sort of took the same approach in college calculus. Two of my favorite college courses were Bioethics and Moral Theology where the purpose of the class was to argue.

What subject did you favor in high school?
Building Trades was fun. We got to learn how to draft, use power tools, and the class project was building a garage for an elderly woman in town.

Did you attend a university and if so, did you attain a degree?
Yes, Masters in Physician Assistant Studies

Do you learn best through books, by watching, or hands-on?
Usually hand on or with pictures. I'm very visual.

Has education been an ongoing process for you?
Definitely!

What seven people are you tagging to do this?
I doubt seven people will even read this so whomever wants to can fill it out.

The Things I Wear HNT 3

If you have read the post below you know that today got a little down and dirty at work. That's when I feel like I have had the best day. So yes, I did come home in my surgical blues (technically, against hospital policy) and I wil not answer what could possibly be on them if someone notices a spot and asks what it is but doesn't that necklace look nice with the drab hospital scrubs?

happy HNT!

Why I do what I do

Today....I

1. Saw first mummified foot
2. Took care of SUV versus semi-truck patient
3. Took care of grain truck versus train patient
4. Took care of moped-vs car patient
5. Saw a proximal and a distal humerus fracture in two separate patients
6. Saw a guy who jumped 12 feet to "get away"
7. Explained to a retired doctor why it had been four hours before we saw his friend with a hip fracture

Doing 2-7 between 3:30 pm and 9 pm tonight! Just awesome....

I smelled it, but...

I didn't deal it...

At first there was just a whiff. A hint. Was it there? Yeah, I think I smell it? Then, then...ooohh, yup, I smell it! The full nostril clearing whiff. A completely distinctive ordor. It could only be one thing...

Happy Spring!

A request

I read Kelly on a regular basis because she is as obsessed with books as I am. If you have a chance, head over to her site and give her a shout and a hug. It's her anniversary today but this weekend her brother-in-law lost a long battle with cancer. She could probably use a hug. Thanks

Moose revealed

Poor Lime got tagged about five times with this list of five so I thought I would let her ask me a few questions too. It's taken me a bit to get them since I was home in South Dakota with dial-up only! For gosh sakes, dial-up is slow! Anyway, here's my go at her questions...

1. First of all, I have always wondered how you got the nickname "moose?'
You've all seen pictures of me, I'm not the size of a moose. Sometimes I am as awkward as a moose but neither of those are how I got my nickname. My grandparents traveled all summer long and if they left town I was in the backseat. Except for one trip. My grandmother is from Maine and they always went the first week of school to get out their and spend a few weeks in the fall to watch the colors change. Mom and Dad refused to let me go because I would miss school. Grandma took to bringing me home stuffed "meese". Then I went to college in Montana with my stuffed "meese" collection. Also a lot of moose stuff there to be had. My collection grew from not just stuffed "meese" but to moose everything including the nickname. My maiden name was "Kahl" pronounced "call" so the email of moosekahl came to be followed by customized Moose Kiss license plates and so forth. So...I'm Moose :)

2. Second, your love of all things moose-ish makes me wonder if you are familiar with Harry & David's 'Moose Munch' snack and what your opinion on moose tracks ice cream is? what other moosey delights do you enjoy?
I've never HAD Harry and David's Moose Munch but a lovely lady with a very kind heart sent me a box this week while I was away and I plan to make lunch out of it :) I do love moose tracks ice cream though...it's like a speciality version rocky road with a bit of everything. Nuts, peanut butter, caramel...what more could you ask for?

I think my favorite moose delight has to have been the Moose Nuts my friend Rachel gave me though...you can't help but put on a naughty grin when you are chewing away on chocolate covered moose nuts.

3. I know your mom has been seriously ill and her health is in decline. Would you share the greatest lesson you have learned from her?
Never give up. This woman knows what she wants and does it. She went to college after high school to be a nurse because back then that's what women did...you went to college to be a teacher, a secretary, or a nurse. It's not what she wanted though. She quit after just a few years of working as a nurse so she could run the farm with my dad. She wanted to be outdoors ranching and farming so she did it.

She was diagnosed with cancer in February of 2001. The statistics gave a 2 year survival rate of 20%. This past February was 6 years. 6 years with an incurable cancer that has made everything hard. In the early years, you know what she did the day after chemo? She went out in the field and raked alfalfa on the tractor all day. Now she's bound to a bed or chair pretty much and it's literally killing her to not be "doing". She's a doer.

Now, I'm a stubborn, go-getting doer too!

4. I love non-fiction and i was excited to read why you chose the books you did. How is that non-fiction reading challenge coming along?
Yesterday was the official day one of the challenge. I have decided to read Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil first. I've been on a forensic fictional spurt lately so I might as well continue with the non-fiction version. I'm fascinated by "normal" people so I'm even more excited to delve into the mind of "abnormal" people who commit such crimes.

5. Since you are in the medical field can you please explain why childproof caps are so easy for kids to get off and so maddening for adults to remove?
It's all a conspiracy. Those companies know adults can't get them off. It's a con technique to keep kids at home. They are working with the FBI, the CIA, the DEA to keep kids at home to care for their ailing parents. It's an attempt to fix a generation that is forgetting their parents and all the stuff they did for us. It's an attempt to keep kids off the streets and out of the law enforcements hands. They can get there drugs from mom and dad now. Grandpa Jones too. And if the poor adult does manage to fumble their way into the bottle they spill half on the floor and have to go to the store to buy a new bottle for more money in the pharmacy companies pockets. Like I said...Just one big conspiracy :)

Made it back

I'm tired, I'm emotionally exhausted, I'm glad I went back to SD to see mom. Too worn out for any details now but I'm home. Yeah! Tomorrow I "get" to go back to work.

The Things I Wear HNT 2

I don't technically wear this. But it's a sign of my faith and I carry my faith with me everywhere.

This is my mother's mothers' rosary. I say the rosary multiple times a day. I mumble it when I have nothing to think about in the car, I say it in my head in the OR when I'm holding a limb forever. I also use it to go to sleep. I rarely actually hold the rosary when I say the rosary. It's more of a mental mantra for me. Only when things get really bad, really stressed, really too much to handle do I take the rosary physically into my hand. It's really bad now and I've found myself falling to sleep with it in my bed and waking with it curled up under my pillow. At least I subconsciously tuck it away.

Tomorrow I am driving home to spend through next week with my mom, longer if things get worse. She said I should come home before Memorial Day so I'm going home. I'll be saying my prayers and if you have time and feel that you can, give a little one up if you can. Thank you.

Happy HNT

and she slept...

I fell asleep reading last night at 7:15. I woke up at 9:30. I walked down stairs, turned off the kitchen light, walked back upstairs, turned off the bedside lamp and slept until 4:30 this morning until I had to go to the bathroom. I did that, crawled back in and slept until the 6:30 alarm. I feel so rested! Wow!

A new friend

I was presented with a new friend today. Meet Zeus the Moose

The last week has been hell. My massage therapist can probably best describe how it has affected me because he spent an hour just on my back today and still didn't get all the knots out. I didn't cry when he was digging into my intercostals but it sure burned. I'm on my second round of ice now but at least I can take a deep breath again without my back screaming at me.

Those who follow along know my mom has been sick for a long time. There have been good periods and bad periods over the last 6 years. We have now reached the point where bad periods outnumber good ones. Mom has been in the hospital twice in 10 days. They moved a hospital bed into the farm house this week. I have vacation planned to go back to South Dakota over Memorial Day week. Mom and dad called on Wednesday night and said if I could plan to come sooner I should. Mom actually agreed it was a good idea to come sooner. That is NOT a good sign.

Whenever I have had serious stressors in my life my friends have pulled through. My friends are spread all over the damn country though. Nonetheless, they have always been there for me and when they haven't been able to physically be by my side, they have given me a stand-in. That's where Zeus comes in...I met a friend for lunch today after my massage and she presented me with Zeus. I'm going to take him along on the trip to South Dakota this week.

Zeus is joining a long line of inanimate, stuffed critters who have gotten me through the rough spots. There was the ivory bear from my RA when grandpa died, the moose from my boyfriend on my 21st birthday who looked like he was 20 years old on the first day he was bought, there's the panda bear from "that" HNT post. Zeus sounds formidable so hopefully he's up to the task of consoling me through the next step.

The Things I Wear HNT

I have quite the collection of jewerly. A lot of things I have made including this piece. A lot of it I got from my grandma. Most of it I have picked up at random stores, shops, and from gifts. I thought I would do a series with the various things I like most. Figured it would give me quite a few HNT's to fill space. Hope you enjoy the series. Happy HNT!

Whatcha' think?

I've had the new do now for almost a week (tomorrow). Here's a couple views from the front. I've figured out a few ways to fix it over the last week and I'll try to remember to take pictures of them when I do them. Last Friday I flew out the back for some volume and gooped up the sides with "hair paste" to tuck behind my ears. I really liked that one. Saturday I picked up a new narrow flat iron to try to make it all "shaggy" too. I'm having fun with. The best part...even when I blew it all out it only took just under 10 minutes. I love it!

Non-Fiction Five Challenge

It must be the spring and the sense of potential. Because I have expanded my own "to read" pile I have been exploring other's "to read" piles. When doing so, I found the Non-Fiction Five Challenge and have decided to participate. Go to the link to find the rules and how to enter.

Here's my five non-fiction choices to read between May 1 and September 30. I'm looking forward to expanding my horizons a bit.

1. Measure of a Man by Sidney Portier
2. Children's Blizzard by David Laskin
3. Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila
4. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
5. Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Here's why I these are challenges for me.

Measure of a Man is a spiritual autobiography written by Sidney Portier. Mr Portier is "before my time" but I recognize the name. I don't know him as a man. I don't read biographies either.

Children's Blizzard is a historical piece about a devastating winter storm which killed hundreds of people in South Dakota, where I grew up. While I grew up in South Dakota, when I left, I really left. It's where I'm "from". When I refer to "home" I'm often talking about Montana b/c that very much felt like home. So I'm adding this to my list to learn more about what came before me in South Dakota.

Interior Castle is questionable in the terms of "non-fiction". In my mind, it is non-fiction. St Teresa of Avila was a mystic I studied when I was in college. I was exposed to excerpts only of her work in a very short 6 week summer course on women mystics in general. Mystics reach a darkness and utter dispare during their lives. Lately, I've been somewhat down. On the flip, mystics then become enlightened. I'm going to look for some enlightment through the words of St Teresa of Avila.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a challenge for me because I normally like to read fictional crime because I don't like to imagine that some of the crime and murder stories I read our real. But this story is real. What a challenge to try to understand the mind of a killer.

Infidel struck me as I was roaming through the store because of the beautiful woman on the cover. But as I read the dust cover I found out the author is a Somali woman. Somewhat oddly, southeast Minnesota has a significant Somali immigrant population. I don't know a lot about their culture but I do know the reasons I end up meeting these people as patients is because of the horrible political unrest and violence in their country that has led to horrible, life changing injuries. I want to see this through the eyes of a woman willing to challenge the "system".

So there's my list. I have four of them already, I'll pick up the last when it's been out a while longer.

Whoa...what just happened

I read a lot. I read a wide variety of books. Some books are just okay. Some books I don't finish. Some books I have to start over before I can get into them. This book, I have to tell you about!

I just finished Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. I was blown away. You know that feeling you got at the end of watching "The Sixth Sense" for the first time. This book gives you THAT feeling. I was enjoying to book, particularly pages 250-300 or so as all the pieces were coming together and I'm 'getting' it. I didn't 'get it'. I finished turning the last 10 pages or so and was like, "whoa...what just happened? For real? Wow?"

I love it when a book does that. I haven't read a book that did that for a long time. You need to read this book. It's about a young woman who is attacked while bike riding and turns to her photography after the attack. She works in a homeless shelter and gets left with a box of photos by a resident who dies at the beginning of the book. She wants to track down the story behind the photos. I won't tell you any more. You need to read it.

Wow! Now a new adventure when I get to start a new story this afternoon. Yippee...and the weather's a bit gray so what better reason to curl up with a book. Have a great weekend everyone.

HNT...revealed

It was about time...I don't really have "habits". I need change, keep things moving, keep myself on my toes. I've been itching for a change. I got it! Happy HNT!!!!

SURPRISE

Stay tuned for a big surprise...

Monday, Monday

I have added even MORE books to my "to read" list! I can't read them fast enough lately. I slumped for a while last month but I'm devouring pages again. So I'm leaving you with a quick meme stole from My Utopia and I'm going to keep reading! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

1.Whats your name spelt backwards? ellociN

2. What did you do last night? Drove home from Duluth and moved into a friend's house to dog sit for the week

3. The last thing you downloaded onto your computer? The newest iTunes.

4. Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery? ew...no

5. Last time you swam in a pool? at Wisconsin Dells in January

6. What are you wearing? Purple windpants, a Carroll College sweatshirt and my slippers

7. How many cars have you owned? Patch, my Saturn currently. Mom and dad owned the rest.

8. Type of music you dislike most? Vulgar worded anything. Otherwise I'll listen to most about everything.

9. Are you registered to vote? Yes and I have never voted a straight ticket.

10. Do you have cable? Digital cable with a few extra packages added.

11. What kind of computer do you use? Dell laptop

12. Ever made a prank phone call? Yes

13. You like anyone right now? More than they know.

14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? I skydived on my honeymoon. I will NEVER bungee jump.

15. Furthest place you ever travelled? England, Scotland, and Wales

16.Do you have a garden? No, I don't have time.

17. What's your favorite comic strip? I like Cathy and For Better or Worse

18. Do you know all the words to the national anthem? Yes

19. Shower, morning or night? Morning

20. Best movie you've seen in the past month? Wild Hogs

21. Favorite pizza toppings? BBQ Chicken

22. Chips or popcorn? Kettle boiled chips or buttery movie popcorn

23. What cell phone provider do you have? Sprint

24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? Why and how do you do that?

25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Yes

26. Orange Juice or apple? Orange

27. Who were the last people you sat at lunch with? My aunt and her friend Marilyn yesterday

28. Favorite chocolate bar? Mars Bar with Almonds which you can rarely find anymore

29. Who is your longest friend and how long? Jami...16 years or so

30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Probably last summer sometime

31. Have you ever won a trophy? Yes and I have no clue where any of them are.

32. Favorite artist? Any nature photograher

33. Favorite computer game? Wii Sports Bowling and Wii Play Cow Racing :)

34. Ever ordered from an infomercial? Nope

35. Sprite or 7-UP? Either but really prefer Ginger Ale

36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work? Yes

37. Last thing you bought at the store? A new stack of books to read

38. Ever thrown up in public? Yes, unfortunately more than once.

39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love? True love, I can't stand money

40. Do you believe in love at first sight? No

41.Can exes just be friends? I'm doubtful

42. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? Do my patients count?

43. Did you have long hair as a young kid? Very. Cut it off in second grade because it would pull my head back when it was wet and give me a headache.

44. What message is on your voicemail machine? Not really sure, something about leaving me a message though

45. Where would you like to go right now? Home with Heather, pizza sticks and Beaches

Bookworm Meme

I stole this from My Utopia and then Lime so I figured I better get it posted before EVERYONE has it on their site. I'm a book nut...Nerd I Am :)

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback? Whatever intrigues me on any particular day

Amazon or brick and mortar? Mostly brick and mortar...especially quirky little local privately owned little bookstores

Barnes & Noble or Borders? We don't really have Borders around where I live so B & N it is.

Bookmark or dogear? I use the dust cover if it's a hard cover book. I dog ear paperbacks. I think a book that looks used is a good book.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? I group authors together but that is as organized as my shelves get.

Keep, throw away, or sell? mostly keep. Right now I've been into giving away. Should really try to sell.

Keep dustjacket or toss it? Keep them

Read with dustjacket or remove it? It becomes my bookmark.

Short story or novel? Novels...short stories don't give me 'enough'

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? Would prefer different authors, similar topics.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? Harry Potter...I have the last one on pre-order already.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? Whenever I can't keep my eyes open or remember the previous page...whichever comes first.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? I need "dark and stormy", I don't believe in once upon a time anymore.

Buy or Borrow? I'm more likely to buy.

New or used? I use to NEVER buy used books...now, I realize how much money I spend on books. Used is perfectly fine unless I just can't wait.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? A little bit of everything. Mostly a browser.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger? I like an ending...I don't do well with books that just end. For example...Kite Runner was a wonderful story and then it just came to and end. I feel cheated when a book does that.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? Mostly at night but afternoons on the weekends are always a treat.

Stand-alone or series? More of a stand alone but I do have several authors who have created repeating characters whom I have fallen in love with.

Favorite series? Several...My first series faves came with the Nancy Drew books and The Babysitter Club when I was a pre-teen. Then came Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta novels, more recently Kathy Reichs Bones series, and I just ordered The Dead Triology by McKinty!

Favorite children's book ? Velveteen Rabbit

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? The Alieniest by Caleb Carr

Favorite books read last year? Eat, Pray and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Favorite books of all time? i just can't, I've read so many

Least favorite book you finished last year? Anything I HAD to read for work :)

What are you reading right now? Double Bind and Dahli Lama My Son

What are you reading next? I have a whole list, depends on what I feel like when I finish what I'm reading now.

new books!

Nothing makes me smile like a stack of brand new books to read (even the kitties enjoy the benefits)...I needed a pick me up and so I asked the boyfriend to join me at Barnes and Noble for the afternoon. Figure we needed some time together but was too scared to go home and just "talk" yet. We did eventually go home, read our books together, ate dinner and talked about what we needed to talk. I feel a bit better.

Now I'm at home and I have two bags of new books to read :) I started Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. I'm 75 pages into it already and I'm hooked. Here's what else I got:

Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus on CD for this weekend's road trip
The Memories We Keep by Walter Zacharius
The Patron Saint of Lairs by Ann Patchett
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila, Translated by E. Allison Peers
Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass

There is something about the potential a stack of brand new books brings with it. The anticipation of a new story through another's eyes. The chance to put yourself into situations you might never experience for real. A chance to see how others live. An opportunity to escape into the pages. A new book has a smell too. When you mention the smell of a "new car" to someone, almost everyone can conjour up the aroma. The same is true for a "new" book as opposed to an "old" book.

So things are still on mostly level ground in my life with a few pebbles in the path. Until the pebbles are cleared, I'll watch my step. In the meantime, I'm going to read.

any one understand?

so much for things looking up. i'm lost, confused, and don't know where to turn or what to do next. like I said earlier, I know what I want but someone else doesn't. uncertainity hurts so bad when it hits you up side the head after you thought you knew what was going on. how come I have to care so much? how come I have to love so much? how come I want to make it work? lot's of how comes and now a single answer it seems. just tears, stress, and no one really close by that really understands. how come?

No picture...just a meme

Dirty Little Secrets -- Answer Truthfully. I edited it some.

1. The phone rings; who do you want it to be? The boyfriend, I'm tired and just want to hear his voice.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? Yes, drives me nuts when they are scattered.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? Talker

4. Do you take compliments well? Not usually...forget to just say thank you and instead fumble all over my words

5. Do you play Sudoku? Only if it's readily available, I won't search out books and such

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? Yeah, I'd bitch for a bit but I have the know how to make it for a few weeks.

7. Do you like to ride horses? Yeah but don't have the time or the money for that hobby anymore

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Never. First trip was as a junior in college to Yellowstone. I fell in love with it.

9. What was your favorite game as a kid? Gin Rummy with my grandparents

10. If a person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, would you go for it? Definitely absolutely NEVER! Been on the burned end of that and still recovering.

11. Have you lied to get out of a date? Yes

12. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you? yes, I find different religions interesting

13. Do you like to pursue or be pursued? A bit of both

14. Use three words to describe yourself? committed, over-achiever, faithful

15. Do any songs make you cry? I don't have enough time to list them all

16. Are you continuing your education? Eventually...going to take a death investigations course sometime in the next few years

17. Do you know how to shoot a gun? Not really.

18. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed? Not counting my husband…my purse so I wouldn’t have to get all my identification replaced.

19. How often do you read books? Every single day

20. Do you think more about the past, present or future?The present into the future right now, hence I'm not sleeping well!

21. What is your favorite children's book? Velveteen Rabbit when I was little, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys as a pre-teen

22. What color are your eyes? Green

23. How tall are you? 5 feet 8 inches

24. Where is your dream house located? The top of a long driveway in the middle of the woods on top of a mountain in Montana

25. Have you tried sushi? Yes and I don't really like it

26. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth? Yes

27. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden? Last Friday night

28. When was the last time you were at Church? Saturday

29. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
My accountant's office...maybe 4 miles

30. What was your favorite job? Barista at a privately owned local coffee shop in Helena, MT

31. Do you look like your mom or dad? A bit of both and I notice more of each as I get older.

32. How long does it take you in the shower? 8 minutes (I know because I have it down to a science in the morning)

33. Can you do the splits? Nope

34. If you could fast forward your life, would you? Scared to right now

35. What did you do for New Year's? Had to bail on the romantic weekend so I invited a house full of friends over for chicken lasagna and a lot of wine and champagne.

36. Do you think The Grudge was scary? Not so much scary and just annoying loud and unreal. Hated it.

37. Could you relate to a character in Mean Girls? Never watched it.

38. Do you own a camera phone? Yes, can't seem to buy one without these days.

39. What do you buy at the movies? Popcorn with extra butter, root beer, twizzlers

40. Do you wear your seatbelt? Always

41. What do you wear to sleep? Any sort of pj pant and tank tops

42. Anything big ever happen in your hometown? Nope...300 people don't cause much big

43. Ever been to L.A.? My entire senior class went for 5 days for senior class trip.

44. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads? I pay now, use to download from wherever

45. Are you a gullible person? Nope, I have trust issues so I doubt pretty much everything until I can confirm all details

46. If you could have any job what would it be? Medical examiner

47. Are you easy to get along with? Most days...I have my moments

48. What is your favorite time of day? 11 pm or so...when I can curl up with a good book in the dark and quiet with just a little lamp and my kitties purring on my lap

Spring sprung

Spring sprung this weekend! YEAH!!!!

The last month has been wet, gray, and yucky. Not to mention the emotional turmoil of the past month for me. It's been hard. I'm doing my best to stay positive and the best remedy has been keeping myself very busy. My house is also very clean now. The weather over the last two days has allowed me to open my windows and air things out. I also worked outside in the garage and have this serious itch to clean it all out.

The last month has definitely had more downs then ups. It's amazing what a little sunshine and fresh air can do for one's psyche though. Clears out the cobwebs, dries a few tears (or sometimes a lot), gives things a new shine and outlook. I still don't know what the near future holds for me, I know in my heart what I want and I'll hold on to that because it feels safe. The rest, I can't control and for me that is the hardest part of it all. All I can do is be true to myself and keep both my heart and my soul busy...if spring cleaning is what I need to do it, I guess that's what I'll do.

Have a great week!w