Late!

"I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" - The White Rabbit, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

I am SO late this morning! I've not been sleeping well -- my hips ache something fierce, and they're worse than usual lately because I haven't been able to walk, so I toss and turn all night. Last night I tossed and turned, and at 2:30 a.m. finally moved to the couch (it's softer than the bed, and easier on my bones) and tossed and then... ahh... blessed sleep. But I slept through my cell alarm AND the coffee brewing AND the cat bugging me, so didn't get up until 6:15 a.m. !!!

Between all my morning chores, I'm only just getting on the computer.

A few things...

1. Ceri asked how I do the things I do. Ceri: I never stop moving, seldom do one thing at a time (the other night, I decided to spoil myself and sit and watch TV without a book or computer in my hand -- and after about ten mins I went NUTS, so grabbed my computer and started working, too) and frequently do more than two things (yesterday I baked cookies, washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen -- I mean, I have ten minutes between batches, I can't just sit and wait, can I?). I'm also very very big on to-do lists.

2. I'm going to do JaNoWriMo in January -- my goal will be to complete editing "Return to Stiller Creek" -- this is pretty major, since I'm changing the characters jobs around and have added two new characters and changed "whodunnit" in one case. Anyone want to join me, they are welcome. Set a goal and blog about it. Easy peasy.

And now... I need to go see why my DH isn't up. Have a great day!

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Your Holiday Wish is Being with Family and Friends

The holidays are near and dear to your heart. You don't need much to make you happy this time of year. As long as you're able to be near the people you love most, you are content. It's really that simple. You want nothing more than a full house of people celebrating the season. It doesn't matter if it's your house or not, just as long as everyone is there. And if someone doesn't happen to be around during the holidays, you think about him or her often. You get very sentimental this time of year.

What's Your Holiday Wish?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Yep... that's spot on.

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Healthful and Homemade

It's bizarre that the produce manager is more important to my children's health than the pediatrician. ~Meryl Streep

I do a lot of reading on nutrition. I typically always have a non-fiction book on the nightstand, and it's invariably about nutrition: human or pet. Recently, I've been reading what I've found to be the most (apparently) honest and unbiased book I've found on human nutrition ... though to call it a book about "nutrition" may be a misnomer. What it's really about is food ... and IMHO there is a vast difference between food and nutrition.

The book is called "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan and it's fantastic. He's written about how we get our food and what goes into getting our food. He covers corn (which is involved in nearly everything we eat), CAFO's (Confined Animal Feeding Operations aka feedlots), REAL grass fed/cage free animals (he featured a place called Polyface Farms, and I am in awe of their system and wished I lived in Virginia) and lastly, he covered hunting and gathering.

What was most interesting about this book was two-fold.

1. He's not a rabid anything. Most books I read on food and nutrition have an agenda that is clear and they beat you over the head with it. He's not anti-any kind of food (i.e. no "carbs are bad" or "meat is evil") and appears to have gone into the research of this book with a fairly open mind.

2. He was hands on (or as hands-on as he could be -- the CAFO's wouldn't let him onto the killing floor) during each segment of the book. He worked with a corn farmer, bought a calf to observe as it made its way through a CAFO, worked on Polyface Farms (up to and including slaughter) and hunted and gathered. He was quite open about his observations, even when they may have been less than flattering about himself.

The point of all this gabbing on my part is this: I've decided to embark on a year of living healthfully and as locally as possible. I've decided to try to eliminate as many processed foods as I can (and, as a result, eliminate as much hidden corn from my diet as possible) and learn how to make my own homemade versions of what I can. I'd like to share some of the nutritional tidbits I've learned and share with you my experiments (both failures and successes -- I've already had both) and I'll be sharing the book I've been discussing with some lucky people in a giveaway. I'm not sure how I'll give it away, or how often yet ... it's all still forming in my brain.

But, I've started a new blog for this, Healthful & Homemade, and I'd love for you to visit. The postings probably won't be daily, but they'll be regular (you might want to "follow" it so you don't have to check back unless there is something actually there) and I'll make it as entertaining and informative as I can.

Hope to see you there!

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What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West   Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I saw this on Maria Zannini's blog and had to try it. It pegged me!! Yes, I am from the west, California to be exact -- how did it know?

What about you?

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Let it Snow...

Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat. ~Author Unknown

Dru scared me on Facebook yesterday, talking about a snowstorm coming in. And then Michele chimed in with words about double digit snowfall. In a panic, I checked the weather (I haven't looked in a long time... I'm in denial) and was relieved to see that the worst of the storm is expected to stay south of us. They're calling for about 3" of snow.

Thank heavens.

Though, to be honest, a little snow would be welcome. The "snow" we have on the ground is actually pretty much solid ice, and DD can't sled nor can Dd go potty easily (she tries to squat and slips around, poor puppy. She needs doggie cleats).

Worse, we aren't burning in our stove to heat the house right now. DH has been keeping an eye on our chimney, and it's already starting to build creosote to the point it worries him, PLUS it looks like there is a problem with the chimney cap. Since we're both a little worried about chimney fires, he called the guy who did our chimney last spring. He agreed to come check things out, but not until the 30th -- so we're heating with oil for now, which is a bummer, cuz we can't keep it as warm.

*sigh*

Ah well -- at least I HAVE heat. Things could be worse.

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You Are a Vintage Christmas Card

You find Christmas to be the most peaceful time of the year. The holidays relax you. Some people may get stressed out or frazzled, but not you. It's like you're celebrating a completely different holiday. You take pleasure in the small things the holiday season has to offer. Candy canes. Happy children. Your favorite Christmas music. Christmas may be more complicated than it used to be, but you refuse to get mixed up in the drama. You're bringing simple holidays back.

What Kind of Christmas Card Are You?

Hmmm.. not really, lol!

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Who's Tripping Down the Streets of the City?

Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. ~Pepper Giardino

Am I showing my age with that title? And, does everyone know it's Windy? *G*

The wind here lately is driving me bonkers. It's bad enough that it's about 8 degrees outside, but then add in cold, 40 mph winds and it's unbearable. DD and I dropped off our recycle stuff yesterday, and by the time we got back into the car, we couldn't feel our faces or our fingers. Another five minutes out there, and I would have had frostbite, I swear!

It makes it impossible to take walks or play with the dog (who is bouncing off the walls). I can't take Dakota to the mall with us to go mall-walking, her agility class is done for the next two weeks. It's awful. And I want it to stop NOW.

/endrant

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Going to be baking a lot over the next week. And cleaning. We're hosting Christmas (which I prefer -- I really don't like to drive all over the place. I'm such a homebody), and that requires a little extra attention to tidiness (not that we're slobs, thankfully, so it won't take THAT much extra elbow grease).

I also need to make my annual donations to Samaritan's Purse in all my in-law's names, as it's the only gift they allow me to give them. DD loves to go through the catalog and choose. "Let's buy chickens!" or "Ooh... blankets, let's get those." She also donates a little of her own money toward at least one gift, so it's both fun and educational.

Speaking of DD, she's decided to use her income from Distinctively DD to earn her own Nook. I downloaded a couple of books for her to read on it, and she's absolutely loves it. It's a huge amount for her to save, but she's determined and so far hasn't spent any of her money on anything else. She'll be spending most of her Christmas vacation making new items for the store. I'm also looking into creative ways to use her nature photography and make it into something we can put there (note cards are leading the pack at this time). I told her that I'd like to see the numbers in the store hit at least 100 items (it's at 34 right now), so she has her work cut out for her.

I feel a great amount of relief at being done with my shopping (I'm SO glad we have the ability to shop online nowadays) and have sent out my cards. Christmas planning was very stressful this year and it came WAY too fast.

Are YOU ready?

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You Are Warmly Compassionate

During the holidays, you take time out for yourself and the people that you love the most. You try not to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. You prefer to stay inside your warm home as much as possible. You believe that the holidays are all about the little things. Being and reconnecting with those closest to you. People are important to you, not gifts. Love is the best gift in the world.

The Christmas Tree Test

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

Hmmm... about 50/50 ...

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Excitment at Agility

Most pets display so many humanlike traits and emotions it's easy to forget they're not gifted with the English language and then get snubbed when we talk to them and they don't say anything back. ~Stephenie Geist

I believe in animal rights, and high among them is the right to the gentle stroke of a human hand. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

We had an exciting night in agility last night. There is a little Yorkie in there who was brutally attacked by three huskies when he was a puppy (actually, they treated him like a toy grabbing him and tossing him around -- but from his POV? Definitely an attack). Since then, he is VERY aggressive with big dogs. His owner is frustrated by it, and wants to do something for him, because it's clear he's not happy (he's always so uneasy if there are big dogs around). He's the sweetest dog I've ever met when it comes to people -- most Yorkies can get a little snippy if they're put out or annoyed, but he doesn't. Still, it's just not safe for him to have this problem.

Case in point, last night.

He was on the course, off leash, when a class participant came in late. She runs a border collie who is a sweetie BUT is also very alpha and doesn't put up with any crap. The Yorkie looked over and saw her come in an next thing I know... a blur passes in front of me and he attacks the border collie! I couldn't believe that none of the people near there tried to break it up. The BC's owner pulled her to her hind legs so she couldn't hurt the yorkie (cuz she wasn't putting up with his crap and was going for him as viciously as he was her) and the instructor ran over and yanked the yorkie off. He was fighting to get away and she gave him what for ... when he finally calmed down, he was so ashamed.

Poor thing -- it's just a complete knee-jerk reaction for him, and it's going to get him killed.

So, I talked to his owner about helping him. Dakota is so completely beta dog and so utterly laid back. He's actually attacked her a couple of times and she just moves away and looks at him like, "What? I just wanted to play." But she doesn't take it personally, she's not afraid of him and whatnot. So I offered to get together regularly and start desensitizing him around big dogs. Thing is, and the owner realizes this, too: she can NOT hold his leash when this is going on, because she anticipates his behavior -- she's tense and worried, and I really think that passes to the dog.

Her sister has a little Yorkie, too, and is very calm, so we'll probably work together instead. We'll see... nothing will happen until after the first, but this poor little critter really needs to get his doggie head on straight, because otherwise he is a sweetheart.

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Got my Christmas cards out (mostly) yesterday. Finally. I'm usually the person who sends them out the day after Thanksgiving, so this was really upsetting me.

To be honest, I'm just ready for Christmas to be over now.

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You Like the Holidays

You definitely have a good time during the holidays, but you aren't obsessed with them or anything. You shop for a few presents and participate in a few traditions... but that's it! You may be accused of being a grinch, but you're simply not a fanatic about holiday traditions - especially commercial ones. You get into the spirit of the season by being kind, compassionate, and not clogging up the stores!

How Much Do You Love the Holidays?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

So so...

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Finding the Happy

The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. ~Benjamin Franklin

ACK! No more guest blogs or interviews! I nearly forgot -- sheesh. I have to think of something to write...



Hmmm... not working. Maybe this will help?



Yep... that helped.

Here's something about me: I'm not typically a jolly person (ironic, really, since I prefer to read AND write romantic comedy) and really have to make a point of looking for the happy stuff (the bad stuff is so much easier to see, isn't it?). I think that's why I love "It's a Wonderful Life" so much -- George can't see any of the good stuff for all the bad stuff standing in his way. It takes having all the good stuff stripped away for him to realize that it was even there in the first place. I've watched this movie three dozen times, maybe more, and the end still makes me cry.



Then there are two country videos who say the same thing. Even if you're not a big country fan, give these a try.

"You're Going to Miss This" by Trace Atkins - sorry, embedding is disabled but this one really gets me...



So my goal is to shove aside all the bad stuff to look for the good stuff hidden behind it.

How about you? How do YOU stay happy?

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You Are An Elf

You are highly creative and artistic. You are good at working hard. While you love to work, you also love to play. You have a naughty side to you! You love pulling pranks and teasing people. You always seem to be getting into some sort of trouble. People can rely on you to be industrious and responsible... but you're going to have fun while you're getting stuff done.

Are You An Elf or a Reindeer?

Hmmm... pretty close :-)

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Finding Time

The best way to get something done is to begin. ~Author Unknown

I checked out a book at the library on Saturday that sounded like something I really could use.



Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the time to read it! LOL... It is sitting nearby, mocking me, as we speak.

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DD has been thoroughly enjoying the snow (the dog loves it, too -- so I'm in the clear minority here). Check out her entertainment yesterday afternoon in our backyard:





Normally she'd have Dakota chasing her down the sledding trail, but for these videos I was looking for something solo.

I rather miss the carefree days of youth. I watch her and think about puking and breaking bones and cold... I'm an old fuddy-duddy.

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You Are a Hawk

You have a fighting spirit, and you don't back down from any challenge. You aren't scared of getting in the mix. You aren't necessarily violent, but you understand why violence sometimes is necessary. It's a cruel world out there. You are a natural debater. People may find you belligerent, but you just like to argue. It's not personal. You rather have conflict than pretend to go along to get along. You stand up for what you believe in.

Are You a Hawk or a Dove?

Uh... yep...

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