Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Il Divo: The Promise - CD Review
A little while ago I signed up for the One2One network which I heard of through Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry. You should really check out both links - I promise you will not be disappointed.
My first product review is on the CD The Promise by Il Divo which was released on November
18th. I just got to listen to the CD in full over Thanksgiving and it was the perfect setting for this CD. I really wasn't sure what to expect as I had only briefly heard of Il Divo as Simon Cowell's project. I was impressed by the rich voices (and let's face it - good looks on the cover). The CD is not something I would pop in while I'm getting ready for a night on the town - but is perfect if you are having a group over for dinner and would like some rich background music. The songs on the album that really stood out for me was Amazing Grace and La Promessa. The music is full of emotion and when you listen to the sound of their voices blend together it's really beautiful. This is really a CD to sit down, relax and enjoy a glass of wine too. You can check it out here.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Katana
Meet the newest member of our family - she's been in our lives for three weeks now and we are starting to settle into a routine! Already I am deeply attached to her - she's just too cute not to love!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Back in Action!!!
We've found our honeymoon photos - so look for the Honeymoon Diaries to continue! I've updated the previous posts so they have photos!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Change
He won! He won! He won! I cannot put into words how I feel right now - so full of hope and emotion for our country. Reading the transcript from his speech last night puts tears of hope and joy in my eyes. America made the right choice. They just called my home state of Indiana for Obama - a first for Indiana since 1964!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Honeymoon Diaries: Part Two (very long!)
When you are flying from the East Coast to the West Coast it is almost guaranteed that you will wake up at an early hour. We were both awake a little before five in the morning and decided to find a little local diner to have breakfast.
The only place open was Denny's.
I kid you not. We drove around until about 5:30 or so and decided to eat at Denny's. We're spoiled here in Portland with Becky's Diner being open so early.
After resting a little bit back at the room - we stocked up on groceries at the local store after fueling up with Jamba Juice - which we both loved!
Now it was time to do some sight seeing! Chris and I packed a lunch and some beers and headed for the Heavenly Gondola - which happened to be right outside our hotel. I was really nervous because it's a 2.5 mile ride to the top. Chris was moving around a bit, but he reassured me it was perfectly safe - so I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the ride.
The gondola makes two stops - one at a viewing platform and then a little further up. What they don't tell you is that the viewing platform is where the views of the lake stop - when you go further up it is more of a recreational area.
Once we reached the top - we sat and cracked open our beers and enjoyed our lunch. They had music playing and a lot going on so it was good to people watch for a while. We then hiked around a bit - on the path and then we strayed a little.
When we had enough we took the ride back down. I shopped around Heavenly Village for a while and Chris rested before we headed on our sunset champagne cruise.
The cruise was on the Windjammer II which is a catamaran and included free champagne and beer for drinking. It was cool once you got out on the lake but they provide bean bags and blankets for you to use!
So being on boats before, I know I will get sick so I took a pill before getting on the boat. Chris also packed some green apples because he had read somewhere that it helps settle your stomach on boats. There was a fellow passenger who was feeling the waves....or the alcohol rather. So Chris offers her a green apple. She got sick after eating part of the apple. Time goes on and we're hanging out and we hear: "That asshole who gave me the green apple". Both of us start laughing and tell her it was Chris.
She of course was very apologetic and we chatted with them a while and then we took her photo to be published on this blog!
Our cruise ended and Chris and I headed for Harrah's to play some roulette - we actually did pretty well overall. I used to be a slot player, but after consistently losing have switched. Chris has his own method for betting roulette which usually is lucrative. What is not lucrative was the cost of drinks! $6.00 for a Corona...little did we know we could have gotten the drinks for free at the table. We were going to the bar!
For what it's worth - we both have only gambled when we go back to Indiana and there are no free drinks there!
So after a full day of events - we microwaved some burritos and headed to bed!
The only place open was Denny's.
I kid you not. We drove around until about 5:30 or so and decided to eat at Denny's. We're spoiled here in Portland with Becky's Diner being open so early.
After resting a little bit back at the room - we stocked up on groceries at the local store after fueling up with Jamba Juice - which we both loved!
Now it was time to do some sight seeing! Chris and I packed a lunch and some beers and headed for the Heavenly Gondola - which happened to be right outside our hotel. I was really nervous because it's a 2.5 mile ride to the top. Chris was moving around a bit, but he reassured me it was perfectly safe - so I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the ride.
The gondola makes two stops - one at a viewing platform and then a little further up. What they don't tell you is that the viewing platform is where the views of the lake stop - when you go further up it is more of a recreational area.
Once we reached the top - we sat and cracked open our beers and enjoyed our lunch. They had music playing and a lot going on so it was good to people watch for a while. We then hiked around a bit - on the path and then we strayed a little.
When we had enough we took the ride back down. I shopped around Heavenly Village for a while and Chris rested before we headed on our sunset champagne cruise.
The cruise was on the Windjammer II which is a catamaran and included free champagne and beer for drinking. It was cool once you got out on the lake but they provide bean bags and blankets for you to use!
So being on boats before, I know I will get sick so I took a pill before getting on the boat. Chris also packed some green apples because he had read somewhere that it helps settle your stomach on boats. There was a fellow passenger who was feeling the waves....or the alcohol rather. So Chris offers her a green apple. She got sick after eating part of the apple. Time goes on and we're hanging out and we hear: "That asshole who gave me the green apple". Both of us start laughing and tell her it was Chris.
She of course was very apologetic and we chatted with them a while and then we took her photo to be published on this blog!
Our cruise ended and Chris and I headed for Harrah's to play some roulette - we actually did pretty well overall. I used to be a slot player, but after consistently losing have switched. Chris has his own method for betting roulette which usually is lucrative. What is not lucrative was the cost of drinks! $6.00 for a Corona...little did we know we could have gotten the drinks for free at the table. We were going to the bar!
For what it's worth - we both have only gambled when we go back to Indiana and there are no free drinks there!
So after a full day of events - we microwaved some burritos and headed to bed!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Honeymoon Diaries: Part One
I'm finally starting to chronicle our honeymoon trip out west. No time like the present and I really want to get it all down before I forget.
Our first day was a travel day starting off with a very early (6:00 am EST) flight out of Portland. After a bumpy first leg at which Chris and I were dreading our next six hour leg - we had some food and waited for our next flight at JFK. We flew Jet Blue which was great because they had the televisions in the back of the seat. For a long flight you cannot beat watching TV the whole time.
We landed in Oakland, CA around 1:45 pm their time (4:45 pm EST) and picked up our rental car and got on the road for the three hour drive to Lake Tahoe. And on the road we stayed - we hadn't factored in it was a Friday in California and that means a lot of traffic (which this picture does not show).
After about two hours in traffic and our stomachs growling. We stopped here:
For fast food, it really is a good burger - but I didn't know until this past week you could custom make your burger with sauce and onions. We hit the road again and Chris and I were confused, have we been on the road so long we've driven to Indiana???
This happened when we went to Montreal too. As soon as we hit the Canadian border, the hills flattened into farmland and it looks just like where I grew up. Finally, we hit the El Dorado National Forest which we got to drive through to get to South Lake Tahoe. The smell of the pine trees filled our car and we just took in all the lush forest and the land.
Finally, around 7:00pm (10:00EST) we were in Lake Tahoe. It took us a little while to get to our hotel and settled. The best part was the valet parking was free because we were owners of the time share! It's really the small things that make me happy.
Our villa was great - we had a full kitchen, fireplace, a jacuzzi in the bedroom, and a huge bathroom!
Once we got settled in, Chris and I headed downstairs where they have these huge fire pits set up. We relaxed with some Fat Tire and enjoyed the fire for a while and walked around before retiring to our room for the night! Let the honeymoon begin!
In the next installment: Why do I have this look on my face?
Our first day was a travel day starting off with a very early (6:00 am EST) flight out of Portland. After a bumpy first leg at which Chris and I were dreading our next six hour leg - we had some food and waited for our next flight at JFK. We flew Jet Blue which was great because they had the televisions in the back of the seat. For a long flight you cannot beat watching TV the whole time.
We landed in Oakland, CA around 1:45 pm their time (4:45 pm EST) and picked up our rental car and got on the road for the three hour drive to Lake Tahoe. And on the road we stayed - we hadn't factored in it was a Friday in California and that means a lot of traffic (which this picture does not show).
After about two hours in traffic and our stomachs growling. We stopped here:
For fast food, it really is a good burger - but I didn't know until this past week you could custom make your burger with sauce and onions. We hit the road again and Chris and I were confused, have we been on the road so long we've driven to Indiana???
This happened when we went to Montreal too. As soon as we hit the Canadian border, the hills flattened into farmland and it looks just like where I grew up. Finally, we hit the El Dorado National Forest which we got to drive through to get to South Lake Tahoe. The smell of the pine trees filled our car and we just took in all the lush forest and the land.
Finally, around 7:00pm (10:00EST) we were in Lake Tahoe. It took us a little while to get to our hotel and settled. The best part was the valet parking was free because we were owners of the time share! It's really the small things that make me happy.
Our villa was great - we had a full kitchen, fireplace, a jacuzzi in the bedroom, and a huge bathroom!
Once we got settled in, Chris and I headed downstairs where they have these huge fire pits set up. We relaxed with some Fat Tire and enjoyed the fire for a while and walked around before retiring to our room for the night! Let the honeymoon begin!
In the next installment: Why do I have this look on my face?
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Butternut Squash Risotto
Since returning home on Saturday was also our introduction into fall, I have been trying to experiment with new recipes. Personally, I've never really been a fan of butternut squash - I always eat a little but it's never been something I have been crazy about - until this recipe! I got the recipe off of Simply Recipes (as well as the photo - but mine looked the same I promise).
Ingredients
6-8 cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided into 4 Tbsp and 1 Tbsp
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, and finely diced
2 cups arborio rice (can substitute medium grained white rice, but arborio is preferred)
1 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped chives or garlic chives
Salt
Method
1 Heat broth in medium sized saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Melt 4 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan; add onion and butternut squash. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
2 Add rice to onion and squash. Cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine. Cook, stirring constantly until wine has been absorbed by the rice or evaporated. Add a few ladles of broth, just enough to barely cover rice. Cook over medium heat until broth has been absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3 During the last minutes of cooking, add remaining tablespoon of butter, 1/3 cup Parmesan, and chives. At this point the rice should have a creamy consistency. Add salt to taste. Serve with remaining grated Parmesan.
Serves 4 to 6.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Pictures!!!
Our professional pictures are up and ready to be viewed. We own the high resolution photos - but our wonderful photographer set up a great website to go through them with ease. I can't say enough about Cristina Hajosy. She was great to work with and helped us get through our shots and to the reception on time! So go here to view the photos. To log in use portland and wedding day as the password!
This week I plan on updating the blog with our adventures from the honeymoon - there is a lot to write about and some great photos!
This week I plan on updating the blog with our adventures from the honeymoon - there is a lot to write about and some great photos!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Chris and Char are married!
The day was so amazing! I cannot begin to put into words how much fun the whole day was and the gratitude we have for all the hard work people put into the day to make it special. Here are a few photos - more as they come in:
The reception hall sign:
Arriving at the reception hall:
After the first dance (which we did at the beginning of the reception - the lights were not dimmed at all - I needed a beer):
With our good friends George (next to Chris) and Rusty (next to me):
Cutting the cake:
The reception hall sign:
Arriving at the reception hall:
After the first dance (which we did at the beginning of the reception - the lights were not dimmed at all - I needed a beer):
With our good friends George (next to Chris) and Rusty (next to me):
Cutting the cake:
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
OH MY COD!!! (as in Codzilla)
Now it's time to recap the bachelorette weekend. So I knew we were going to Boston for the b-party but that was about it. I'm going to use photos to try to bring you into the weekend and the debauchery it entailed.
This is our group at the train station - bright and early on Saturday morning. We have Kate, Michelle, Valori, me, Julie, Nicole, Shalimar and Shana. Not pictured are Deena and Amanda.
Starting off our train ride was me giving Shana a shoulder massage - I was curious as to how many of these I was going to have to do.
The real fun started when our gracious bartenders Shana and Julie made us all mimosas...now the party was starting.
Now, I'm going to skip ahead but when we got into Boston we met my good friend Amanda who flew up from North Carolina at the hotel and headed out to brunch at a fabulous place call Aquataine. We then went down to Long Wharf and took a ride on Codzilla. It was high energy and great fun for everyone.
We hung out a bit and had some drinks before heading back to the hotel to get ready. Getting ready in bachelorette terms=Champagne funnels.
After showering and heading out to dinner it was on to Jaques Caberet. Where there was a little of this:
And this:
And that is where we start to get fuzzy...I do know that I had a great time and enjoyed four bites of my food when we went to Chinatown at 2:30am. I don't remember the last time that I was out that late and I paid for it the next day.
It was a rough morning and train ride back to Portland. But NOW I can get married!
This is our group at the train station - bright and early on Saturday morning. We have Kate, Michelle, Valori, me, Julie, Nicole, Shalimar and Shana. Not pictured are Deena and Amanda.
Starting off our train ride was me giving Shana a shoulder massage - I was curious as to how many of these I was going to have to do.
The real fun started when our gracious bartenders Shana and Julie made us all mimosas...now the party was starting.
Now, I'm going to skip ahead but when we got into Boston we met my good friend Amanda who flew up from North Carolina at the hotel and headed out to brunch at a fabulous place call Aquataine. We then went down to Long Wharf and took a ride on Codzilla. It was high energy and great fun for everyone.
We hung out a bit and had some drinks before heading back to the hotel to get ready. Getting ready in bachelorette terms=Champagne funnels.
After showering and heading out to dinner it was on to Jaques Caberet. Where there was a little of this:
And this:
And that is where we start to get fuzzy...I do know that I had a great time and enjoyed four bites of my food when we went to Chinatown at 2:30am. I don't remember the last time that I was out that late and I paid for it the next day.
It was a rough morning and train ride back to Portland. But NOW I can get married!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Our weekend
Our weekend was stupendous here in Maine! The weather was great (after a not so great first half of August). As usual our weekend was filled partly with working on the house and what I thought was my last trip to the craft store before the wedding. However, I think one more will be in store later this week - most of our stuff is DIY so I should have gotten stock in AC Moore. Chris's bachelor party was on Saturday - the guys have kept this 'top secret' from all of us women and Chris. I can say that a great time was had by all. It was all at Rico's place and included poker, horseshoes, wiffleball, tons of beer funnels. I'll leave the other stuff out - this is a family blog after all - but he had a great time and even came home with a blow up 'mini-char'.
Yesterday aka recovery day we went down to Pirates Cove and played a round of golf. Chris won, but I did score a hole in one on the 18th hole. Now, as a kid if you did that you won a free round - I guess times have changed. We then went out for sushi and got to sit outside and enjoy the weather and then we walked around downtown Portland for a while.
I haven't talked to much about the wedding on here, but wanted to share a few things. One is this great photo from the shower here in Maine. Shalimar, my soon to be sister had just opened the umbrella I had gotten her and the other girls for hosting as the photo was taken. I love this photo. I had two wedding showers - one in Maine and one in Indiana with my family. The one in Indiana was great because Chris was there with me and got to meet a lot of my family that he hadn't met in prior visits. It was great to be home and see everyone as most will not be making the journey here in a couple of weeks. Or rather 19 days. I don't know where the time has gone but I'm trying to hold on to every moment. I feel like I'm on a train that is going to fast. I can't wait to be married to Chris but want to savor all the moments leading up to our wedding day.
Oh - and look at Boston the bachelorette party is headed down there this weekend!!!
Yesterday aka recovery day we went down to Pirates Cove and played a round of golf. Chris won, but I did score a hole in one on the 18th hole. Now, as a kid if you did that you won a free round - I guess times have changed. We then went out for sushi and got to sit outside and enjoy the weather and then we walked around downtown Portland for a while.
I haven't talked to much about the wedding on here, but wanted to share a few things. One is this great photo from the shower here in Maine. Shalimar, my soon to be sister had just opened the umbrella I had gotten her and the other girls for hosting as the photo was taken. I love this photo. I had two wedding showers - one in Maine and one in Indiana with my family. The one in Indiana was great because Chris was there with me and got to meet a lot of my family that he hadn't met in prior visits. It was great to be home and see everyone as most will not be making the journey here in a couple of weeks. Or rather 19 days. I don't know where the time has gone but I'm trying to hold on to every moment. I feel like I'm on a train that is going to fast. I can't wait to be married to Chris but want to savor all the moments leading up to our wedding day.
Oh - and look at Boston the bachelorette party is headed down there this weekend!!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Time to read!
So this is a fun little book list - I don't know that I will have a lot of them read as they are mostly classics but there are some fun ones on the list too!
The rules:
1) Bold those you have read.
2) Put an asterisk next to those you started but didn't finish.
3) Italicize those you intend to read (or have started and intend to finish).
4) The ones you LOVE are Green. (My fonts are not working right so I didn't do this!)
5) Reprint this list in your own blog.
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling*
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible*
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare*
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez* - sorry this book was just SLOW
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (Such a unique book!)
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
The rules:
1) Bold those you have read.
2) Put an asterisk next to those you started but didn't finish.
3) Italicize those you intend to read (or have started and intend to finish).
4) The ones you LOVE are Green. (My fonts are not working right so I didn't do this!)
5) Reprint this list in your own blog.
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling*
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible*
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare*
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez* - sorry this book was just SLOW
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (Such a unique book!)
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Monday, July 28, 2008
Farm Aid!!!!
About twenty minutes ago I get an email from our good friend Ed - as an early wedding present Ed and his wife Deena got us all tickets to go to Farm Aid which is taking place in Massachusetts this year! This is SO exciting for me - I support the local family farmer over factory farms any day of the year so the support is going toward a great cause. But DAVE MATTHEWS and JOHN MELLENCAMP?!?!?! A girl is in loooove. Chris has never seen Dave Matthews live - so that means he's never seen how much of a freak I am when I hear his sweet sweet voice - it's like he's singing to me! Although I may have to contain some of that love for Chris's sake - the concert is the weekend after we get married :-) Look at all that great talent in the photo below! I just heard that Kenny Chesney is going to be there too!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Cherry Tomatoes
When I was little, probably about three, I remember going to my grandparents house in LaPorte, Indiana and my Grandpa Woody letting us go into the garden for one cherry tomato. And I remember sneaking out to get more. This is one of the very vivid memories I have from that time and of him as he passed while I was young. Now I'm all grown up (so to speak) and for the first time in a long time have a garden where I live.
This garden is amazing - last year I did a small plot with herbs which turned out to be one of the best things I did. A lot of those herbs rooted and came back this year even with the 100+ inches of snow we received this past winter. That's pretty much still my contribution to the garden. Oh I planted a few flowers, but mostly I hand out the cold ice water and provide sustenance!
Chris and our friend Maurice have worked countless hours on our garden - they have staked out cool plots that utilize and enhance our yard and on many weekends will put all the love into these plants which we are beginning to enjoy. Maurice has put so much care into starting a lot of these crops back when there was still snow on the ground. He's taught me a lot about plants and gardening and has helped Chris add to his knowledge. We have all kinds of crops - onions, pumpkins, sqaush, tomatoes (even cherry), carrots, lettuce and on and on. It's wonderful!
The magnificent photos you see in the post were taken by Maurice!
This garden is amazing - last year I did a small plot with herbs which turned out to be one of the best things I did. A lot of those herbs rooted and came back this year even with the 100+ inches of snow we received this past winter. That's pretty much still my contribution to the garden. Oh I planted a few flowers, but mostly I hand out the cold ice water and provide sustenance!
Chris and our friend Maurice have worked countless hours on our garden - they have staked out cool plots that utilize and enhance our yard and on many weekends will put all the love into these plants which we are beginning to enjoy. Maurice has put so much care into starting a lot of these crops back when there was still snow on the ground. He's taught me a lot about plants and gardening and has helped Chris add to his knowledge. We have all kinds of crops - onions, pumpkins, sqaush, tomatoes (even cherry), carrots, lettuce and on and on. It's wonderful!
The magnificent photos you see in the post were taken by Maurice!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Did you know...
that today is National Employee Health and Fitness Day? I didn't either until I started getting emails about a lunchtime walk around Back Cove. Our company has recently decided to incorporate more wellness programs and it's been really refreshing. They have brought in chair massage and Pilate's on a regular basis!
Deena and I have been doing Pilate's on the Ball for about a month now here: Pure Movement Portland www.puremovementportland.com (For some reason I cannot hyperlink right now).
I love the class and we tried out the Barre class last week. Naive us thinking it was going to be very ballet like - it kicked our butts. We'll go back though!
Have you looked at my book links? I've changed them - I highly recommend Love Walked In. It is the first book in a while that moved me. I finished it and needed to talk about it with someone - so I passed it on and then it got passed on again. I should have chosen it for a book group pick, but at first I didn't think it would be that great. It was though
Deena and I have been doing Pilate's on the Ball for about a month now here: Pure Movement Portland www.puremovementportland.com (For some reason I cannot hyperlink right now).
I love the class and we tried out the Barre class last week. Naive us thinking it was going to be very ballet like - it kicked our butts. We'll go back though!
Have you looked at my book links? I've changed them - I highly recommend Love Walked In. It is the first book in a while that moved me. I finished it and needed to talk about it with someone - so I passed it on and then it got passed on again. I should have chosen it for a book group pick, but at first I didn't think it would be that great. It was though
Friday, May 16, 2008
An A to Z
A - Attached or single? Engaged
B - Best friend? Am I dork right now if I say my fiance?
C - Cake or pie? Cake.
D - Day of choice? Sunday
E - Essential item? Chapstick - all natural
F - Favorite color? Purple, but I love brown right now
G - Gummy bears or worms? Bears
H - Hometown? Michigan City, Indiana
I - Favorite indulgence? A frosty mugged microbrew
J - January or July? July
K - Kids? Ah...some day.
L - Life isn’t complete without? Taking time to enjoy it!
M - Marriage date? 9-13-08
N - Number of brothers and sisters? Two brothers
O - Oranges or apples? Oranges
P - Phobia and fears? Snakes and Looking down from a high point
Q - Quote? "Be the change you want to see" -Ghandi (It may not be exact)
R- Reason to smile? Spring is here
S - Season of choice? Fall
T -
U - Unknown fact about me? I hate public speaking - oddly I do it all the time
V - Vegetable? Corn
W - Worst habit? Finsihing peoples sentences
X - X-ray or ultrasound? X-ray
Y - Your favorite food? Mexican
Z - Zodiac sign? Leo
B - Best friend? Am I dork right now if I say my fiance?
C - Cake or pie? Cake.
D - Day of choice? Sunday
E - Essential item? Chapstick - all natural
F - Favorite color? Purple, but I love brown right now
G - Gummy bears or worms? Bears
H - Hometown? Michigan City, Indiana
I - Favorite indulgence? A frosty mugged microbrew
J - January or July? July
K - Kids? Ah...some day.
L - Life isn’t complete without? Taking time to enjoy it!
M - Marriage date? 9-13-08
N - Number of brothers and sisters? Two brothers
O - Oranges or apples? Oranges
P - Phobia and fears? Snakes and Looking down from a high point
Q - Quote? "Be the change you want to see" -Ghandi (It may not be exact)
R- Reason to smile? Spring is here
S - Season of choice? Fall
T -
U - Unknown fact about me? I hate public speaking - oddly I do it all the time
V - Vegetable? Corn
W - Worst habit? Finsihing peoples sentences
X - X-ray or ultrasound? X-ray
Y - Your favorite food? Mexican
Z - Zodiac sign? Leo
Monday, May 5, 2008
A Meme
Amy and Beth have both done this meme and as I really want to write a lengthy post my brain might explode which I don't think would be a great idea.
So here it is!
Where is your cell phone? Sitting in front of me on my desk. My work cell is sitting about five feet away on a table.
Your significant other? Chris is my best friend and companion. He's very patient and understanding (most of the time) when I'm cranky. He loves me for me which is something I didn't think I'd find in someone. He can make me laugh when I'm sad or frustrated. He's so talented it's scary. He can do almost anything. He's very modest.
Your hair? Long and driving me crazy. It's past my bra straps which is the longest it's been in a while. I think after the wedding I will cut it and donate it.
Your mother? She is my other best friend. I love her so much. It's hard being so far away when all you really want is a hug from your mom. I get my worrying and panic mode from her ;-)
Your father? My dad would do anything for me (and my brothers). He's strong and someone you can talk to. Both mom and him are so hardworking. He can be stubborn and we are very similar when we get upset - I get this from him.
Your favorite thing? The people in my life.
Your dream last night? I had a stress dream about work.
Your favorite drink? Water and milk. I love love milk.
Your dream/goal? I'd like to pursue my creative side more. I am good at making things when I put the time and care into them. I'd like to make this my primary income someday.
The room you are in? My office at work.
Your ex? The guy I dated before Chris I think is still in Portland. We don't talk and just say hi when we run into each other.
Your fear? Losing the people I love.
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Hopefully Chris and I will have a child or two and we'll still be in Portland.
Where were you last night? I got home from spending time with Val and the kids and I worked for a couple hours. Chris and I watched Atonement.
What you are not? Patient.
Muffins? I love muffins but don't make them a lot. I made lemon poppy seed muffins Saturday before I went to Val's but our oven burned the bottom.
One of your wish list items? A king sized bed.
Where you grew up? Michigan City, Indiana
The last thing you did? I ate my lunch.
What are you wearing? Khaki pants and a black fleece. I wear this probably three days a week.
Your TV? It's old, we don't watch a lot. We only have 13 channels.
Your pets? A turtle named Red.
Your computer? It's a mac. It's Chris's and I think it can be slow. But I use a PC all day so it's hard to go back and forth.
Your life? Is blessed.
Your mood? Slightly cranky. I've felt this way the past couple of days and have my reasons (bloating, work, household work). I'm anxious about my work load right now and not having enough time (yet here I am doing this). I'm good though at just being cranky for a few minutes and getting over it.
Missing someone? Yes
Your car? 2000 Ford Focus
Something you are not wearing? Short sleeves - what gives it is May?
Favorite store? Jcrew - I'm always on the sale section.
Your summer? Busy. We're going camping and to Rangeley lakes again. Wedding stuff, birthdays. It's all fun stuff but we are trying not to overbook. We say this every year and we always overbook.
Like someone? Most people I meet.
Your favorite color? Purple
When is the last time you laughed? At lunch today. We were talking about elderly people that lip kiss.
Last time you cried? Last night when I got home and saw the pile of laundry sitting there.
So here it is!
Where is your cell phone? Sitting in front of me on my desk. My work cell is sitting about five feet away on a table.
Your significant other? Chris is my best friend and companion. He's very patient and understanding (most of the time) when I'm cranky. He loves me for me which is something I didn't think I'd find in someone. He can make me laugh when I'm sad or frustrated. He's so talented it's scary. He can do almost anything. He's very modest.
Your hair? Long and driving me crazy. It's past my bra straps which is the longest it's been in a while. I think after the wedding I will cut it and donate it.
Your mother? She is my other best friend. I love her so much. It's hard being so far away when all you really want is a hug from your mom. I get my worrying and panic mode from her ;-)
Your father? My dad would do anything for me (and my brothers). He's strong and someone you can talk to. Both mom and him are so hardworking. He can be stubborn and we are very similar when we get upset - I get this from him.
Your favorite thing? The people in my life.
Your dream last night? I had a stress dream about work.
Your favorite drink? Water and milk. I love love milk.
Your dream/goal? I'd like to pursue my creative side more. I am good at making things when I put the time and care into them. I'd like to make this my primary income someday.
The room you are in? My office at work.
Your ex? The guy I dated before Chris I think is still in Portland. We don't talk and just say hi when we run into each other.
Your fear? Losing the people I love.
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Hopefully Chris and I will have a child or two and we'll still be in Portland.
Where were you last night? I got home from spending time with Val and the kids and I worked for a couple hours. Chris and I watched Atonement.
What you are not? Patient.
Muffins? I love muffins but don't make them a lot. I made lemon poppy seed muffins Saturday before I went to Val's but our oven burned the bottom.
One of your wish list items? A king sized bed.
Where you grew up? Michigan City, Indiana
The last thing you did? I ate my lunch.
What are you wearing? Khaki pants and a black fleece. I wear this probably three days a week.
Your TV? It's old, we don't watch a lot. We only have 13 channels.
Your pets? A turtle named Red.
Your computer? It's a mac. It's Chris's and I think it can be slow. But I use a PC all day so it's hard to go back and forth.
Your life? Is blessed.
Your mood? Slightly cranky. I've felt this way the past couple of days and have my reasons (bloating, work, household work). I'm anxious about my work load right now and not having enough time (yet here I am doing this). I'm good though at just being cranky for a few minutes and getting over it.
Missing someone? Yes
Your car? 2000 Ford Focus
Something you are not wearing? Short sleeves - what gives it is May?
Favorite store? Jcrew - I'm always on the sale section.
Your summer? Busy. We're going camping and to Rangeley lakes again. Wedding stuff, birthdays. It's all fun stuff but we are trying not to overbook. We say this every year and we always overbook.
Like someone? Most people I meet.
Your favorite color? Purple
When is the last time you laughed? At lunch today. We were talking about elderly people that lip kiss.
Last time you cried? Last night when I got home and saw the pile of laundry sitting there.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Lillian Rose
Is the newest member of our family. Valori delivered her on Thursday morning April 10th. She is 20 inches long and 8.5 pounds. We are very excited to be her Aunt and Uncle!
Photos to come shortly (but trust me she is too sweet!).
Photos to come shortly (but trust me she is too sweet!).
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Alive
So I should start by saying that before we left on vacation we had yet another snow storm. This winter alone we have broken many records and gotten over 100 inches of snow. Our plane went to take a turn and slid on ice (nothing big, if you didn't look out the window and notice we weren't on the runway path you would have never known) the morning we left and we were stuck for an hour. We were DONE with winter.
Returning home, most of our snow is gone and birds are starting to live in our birdhouse but yesterday was the day I felt the most alive.
I've been running indoors all winter and while its still a little cool (40's) I went around Back Cove yesterday. As soon as my feet hit the trail and I took a deep breath of the cool fresh air - I felt energized. Alive with energy. That is the only way I can describe the feeling. It was so powerful that even when I was tired I was so appreciative that my body ables me to do this that I am alive to be able to do it. I hope I can recapture that same feeling today, but if I can't I know it's there in me all the time.
Returning home, most of our snow is gone and birds are starting to live in our birdhouse but yesterday was the day I felt the most alive.
I've been running indoors all winter and while its still a little cool (40's) I went around Back Cove yesterday. As soon as my feet hit the trail and I took a deep breath of the cool fresh air - I felt energized. Alive with energy. That is the only way I can describe the feeling. It was so powerful that even when I was tired I was so appreciative that my body ables me to do this that I am alive to be able to do it. I hope I can recapture that same feeling today, but if I can't I know it's there in me all the time.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Where we have been
Chris and I just returned from our vacation. We went on a cruise for 7 days with my parents. From swimming with stingrays in Grand Cayman, to relaxing on a beach in Honduras, mountain biking in Belize and a scooter ride around Cozumel it was absolutely wonderful! The best part was being able to spend time with my parents - my mom was awesome on the bike!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Ahem...Check...Check
So I really didn't think anyone was actually checking in here -- but as my sister-in-law commented and a few others have told me I needed to update. Not only to keep in touch, but also for myself. I haven't really done any projects this year and tomorrow I am breaking the sewing machine back out as I've made a little space for myself in our office. It feels as though we've been pretty busy here in the WirePoul household - work has been extremely busy for me and Chris has finally gotten over the flu bug that it seems everyone has been infected by. He's also been redoing our cabinets while I tackle the wedding plans.
I'll take photos - I finally have broken into the digital camera age and ordered a camera that will be here shortly! I don't like posting without putting photos on the site.
So don't give up on my blog yet - there is more to come!
I'll take photos - I finally have broken into the digital camera age and ordered a camera that will be here shortly! I don't like posting without putting photos on the site.
So don't give up on my blog yet - there is more to come!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Goals....
So with the new year - I put a goal to try to finish a project a week. These projects can range from organizing our coat closet in the entry way to organizing our spices to finishing a project that we may have started at an earlier time. I assume given our history that there will always be multiple projects going on and it's nice to be able to say I finished that project. The first one that I really finished this year was a wedding present for our friends Shana and Chris. They were married on September 22nd last year. The fabric is from Amy Butler. The pattern for the pillows I improvised as I went. The coasters are based from Bend the Rules Sewing (see link at the right to purchase the book!).
I have a few projects that I would like to work on this weekend...so hopefully another one will be completed!
I have a few projects that I would like to work on this weekend...so hopefully another one will be completed!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Long time, No post
Hi! How have you been? It's been a really long time since I've posted a real post with news and pictures - I thought it was time for a little update. The holidays were wonderful. We spent a lot of time with friends and family and ended with a quiet New Years Eve celebrated with only each other....and my cold. And now the New Year brings relaxation and a lot of actual work. This is the busy time of the year for me with reports due to the Maine DEP by March. It's a lot of year end wrap up - which will mean working some weekends - luckily though its only for a couple months. Luckily I get to come home, relax in our living room and enjoy my new end tables that Chris made me for Christmas! They are absolutely beautiful.
He's also started refinishing our dining room table. I helped a little bit by sanding with him late one night. Photos to come when it's all finished!
Oh and other new - we set a wedding date which is exciting and plans are under way. We are actually getting married in a cemetery. There is a chapel - the Wilde Memorial Chapel - in the cemetery that the City rents out and it is perfect for what we want. Great woodwork and stained glass windows and it's a little smaller to make for a more intimate ceremony. Very Exciting!
He's also started refinishing our dining room table. I helped a little bit by sanding with him late one night. Photos to come when it's all finished!
Oh and other new - we set a wedding date which is exciting and plans are under way. We are actually getting married in a cemetery. There is a chapel - the Wilde Memorial Chapel - in the cemetery that the City rents out and it is perfect for what we want. Great woodwork and stained glass windows and it's a little smaller to make for a more intimate ceremony. Very Exciting!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Happy New Year!!
It occurred to me that I hadn't posted in 2008. More news and pics to come later this weekend, but for now Happy 2008!
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