A lazy Sunday

It's a Sunday and nap-time is imminent. The most productive thing that's happened all day is the purchase of seeds for the garden and a new houseplant. By far, the greatest things that have happened today are the completion of The Namesake which I've been struggling through since July and my son learning how to make homemade mashed potatoes. If I'm smart, I'll teach him how to make my favorite soups and then pay him to make them for me whenever I'm sick. Haha!

Things I see looming in the near future:

• painting at least half the living room and trim (I'm toying with the idea of tackling this one this week)
• making my first trip to IKEA (seeking a simple, clean, and more streamlined table to replace a bulky computer desk and will support two desktop computers and two chairs) What's pictured below is, I'm sure, what my two children think I'm creating for them; their gamer's paradise. Hahaha...probably not quite...

• Choosing and ordering a new computer for said table
• Updating the old resume and all that...again. Plus I'm going to have to suck it up and create a CV for myself, as pathetic as it will make me feel. (Not excited about this but it only helps me in the end if its done)
• Trying my hand at blueberry varenyky which start out something like this apparently (Not many ways that could go bad!)

• There may be an opportunity to attend a professional conference in September where I'll be given free shoes and be able to apply for a scholarship to attend an even bigger professional conference next year (Win/Win!!)
• one new pair of bottoms for the gym (currently stalking Lulu's, Gymshark, and FLEO)
• a completed mailbox installation (GEEZ!!)
• the creation of this requested birthday cake for my spouse (Butter Pecan Ice Cream Cake)

Sigh...The end of the year is looming as well as my birthday and two trips to see family and I feel a little sad every time I think of all that. Time is passing and I don't know what's coming next which is beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Oh well. This is life. :)

I've checked out eleven print books in the last week and even though I'm still in the middle of an audio book and an eBook, I'm off to choose a new one to read out of the group and plant my little baby seeds in the earth.

I'll leave you with a song as usual. This old favorite of mine came through Pandora the other day, got put on repeat, and fueled an entire workout, nice and steady.



Laters!!

On hold and cooking

Nothing much to say here right now. Most bucket list items are on hold because I'm letting the money rebuild itself a little from the whirlwind that was back to school. Got to keep it tight you know! :) Also, if you're wondering where all the grilled cheeses have been, I'll tell you. We got sick of crazy grilled cheeses and are taking a break.
Hmm, what else...
I scored three free cookbooks yesterday and its a good thing because I've been more and more in the mood to have a giant cooking spree. I think today might be the day and it'll only help me out during the week if my family already has stuff to eat. In my mind I'm yearning to make...

• my mom's enchiladas
• scalloped potatoes Edit: Decided on this cheesy broccoli rice instead and done!
  
• a cucumber/tomato salad. Edit: Done and marinating!
  
• all the grilled meats!!
• some really filling baked mac n' cheese OR
• a cheesey beef n' mac skillet. Edit: Done and behold the naughty cheesiness!!
  
• a ton of some kind of quinoa mixture. Edit: Done and marinating and for shits and giggles I whipped up another concoction with barley!
  

I'll be choosing something or a few somethings from this list to make today along with the rest of my food prep for the week. Edit: Chicken thighs and two big pots of rice done!

Edit: Also, this happened! My oldest wanted a cake today all for himself. I challenged him to make his own...so he did! It was his first try at a cake, was the cutest thing watching him bake, it looks adorably insane, and in the end he decided to share with everyone. Awwwww and done!!

Random and/or new things I did recently:

• Took my lunch hour at the beach one day and read a book in a comfy lounge chair under a big umbrella. Amazing but it got a little warm not being able to get in the water. I think I got it out of my system.
  
  
• Explored a Peterbrooke Chocolatier store. I ate some once with my cousin years ago and it had a lasting impression. I ran across the store, went in to explore, and discovered that the stuff is mega-expensive and everything was packaged to be given as gifts. Interesting enough and now I know but I didn't buy anything.
• Started reading a "dragon-shifter romance" book; a first for me! It's pretty shallow but really hot in some parts and was exactly the deviation I needed in my world of books.
  
• Did a little boxing for cardio in the gym. This was something totally new and of course super fun!
• Took a couple naps in my car. I've discovered that this method of sleeping will produce the most ridiculous version of myself possible (which I find humorous as long as no one else sees). As in, head back, mouth waaaaaay open, and/or crease marks all over my face. I'm so tired lately, I can reach REM state in in under two minutes!

Its my one day off for the week so I'm off to enjoy it but I'll leave you with my newest jam for the week. Afro B- Drogba (Joanna)

I'll be back another day!

Beginnings and endings

Today was the first day back to school for my littles! It was an exhausting but successful morning and I'm proud of us all for getting through it. Honestly, having one enter middle school today was harder than when he went off to Kindergarten for the first time. Either that or time has softened any hard emotional memories of that time. May my boys have a good year...

Word came down the pipeline today from two of the South Korean bases I contacted about care packages! I've an address now and a list of things that have been requested and/or are popular. The list includes travel sized:

• toothpaste & toothbrushes
• razors
• nailclippers
• deodorant
• hand sanitizer
• body wash & lotion
• non-perishable snacks
• candy items (NOT chocolate)

I also learned which were the best boxes/sizes to send and found these and other helpful info on the USPS website here. It looks like I can fill out the customs form online which is convenient, boxes are free, and will only be charged as domestic shipping for any APO address which I have. I'm wary though. lol I feel like they're going to really get me good when it comes time to ship! $$ Will try to pick up a couple boxes tomorrow and will fill them little by little. Feels good and will be fun!

The mailbox post is officially painted and dry. A couple quick YouTube videos today showed me that I need another small piece of wood to attach the actual mailbox to said post. (Booooo! I thought I had everything!!!) At least another step in the right direction's been made.

As for books, I finally let the Breasts book go. I skimmed through the last couple chapters that had initially interested me but there was a lot of cancer talk and less of what I was looking for. It was time to move on and let someone else read all about the boobies.

Yes, Please also came to an end today. I liked it, a lot, and would give it a solid 4.5/5 stars! She made me giggle, think, feel better, gain insight, relate to her in some ways, and more. Well done, Amy!

Still going here. It was a day for beginnings and ends. Lol I finished Strong is the New Pretty. I have strong doubts that the quotes in the books actually match up with each girl as they're laid out. Plus, I noticed a few of the girls and/or groups are photographed a couple times and not sure if the names match. I'm also pretty sure such profound statements, as were occasionally encountered, aren't coming out of most girls under the age of 10. Nevertheless, as I mentioned in my last post, what matters more to me were the messages I needed to hear of which there were many and I loved all the images.

That's enough for now but I'll leave you with a quote from the Bible I ran into today that hit the good spot!

"though the mountain may crumble, you will not..." -Isaiah 54:10

I have NOOOO idea if this is accurate and am too tired to fact check myself at the moment. The point is, it helped me today. So there!!!

Books, books, and more books!

Hmmm, let's see, let's see, let's see...

We'll start at the beach. I had an opportunity to go to the beach by myself the other day and took it!
Did it cost me a little money? Yes.
Did it cost me a little time? Yes.
Did I feel the "mom guilt"? Yes.
Was it mind blowing and worth every second? Yes!

I haven't laid out on a beach and soaked in the sun by myself in over a decade. On that day, I took one hour of the day to do just that. I was just another girl on the beach and it was surreal. I read a chapter in a good book, ate a big juicy apple, listened to the waves, watched sea gulls and jumping fish, thought about the lives of the people who are always walking by on a beach, floated in the waves, watched big fluffy clouds collide, and napped a little. Then, I packed up and went home as if nothing had taken place. I'm still carrying it with me though. Its a good memory and it reminded me that life doesn't always deal out bad things like flat tires and broken appliances. Sometimes life gives us random good things, too!

I'm working on a new bucket list item which is to send a care package to a soldier. The USO website gives some directions on how to do this here. Today, I sent emails to all six of the listed bases in South Korea. Why South Korea? Because it's my beloved land of all things KPop, KDrama, and Korean food of course!!! ;) More on this when I hear back from one of them.

As for books, I went a little crazy as of late. I do recall saying I was getting antsy. ;) I've checked-out no less than twenty-five books from the library in the past three days and have my eyes on a few others. I'll share some of my randomness.
First, I found myself deep in the stacks looking through some amazing photography books. I was totally lost in Jonathan M. Singer's Botanica Magnifica so what did I do? I checked it out and brought it home with me because all library books need love and we love them by checking them out! :)
Here's the cover and a peek of  the images inside.

This book is huge by the way, maybe two feet tall. I told my coworkers if a guy ever got me flowers that looked like anything in this book, I might be too scared to touch or smell them, but he would get 10,000 bonus points for originality!!

I picked up this book that crossed my path and have been dabbling in it a little. Haven't spent too much time in here yet.

I can't remember how I ran into this next one but I went through a third of it today and had to work pretty hard not to drop a tear. 

Whatever it may or may not be, there are some messages in this book that I've needed to hear lately. Love, love, love.

I'm feeling something super smutty and ridiculous coming soon so stay tuned! My reading has been way too serious lately. I'm off to eat but I'll leave you with a Kpop song I love in honor of my South Korean care package mission. :) 

Until next time!!!

Blaaaaah I don't have a title blaaaaaaaahhh

I found the freaking mailbox post I wanted after four different attempts at multiple stores. It took weeks! What is this? Mailbox season?! Gaze upon my prize...

Weird story about it...As I'm checking out at Lowe's with my giant 6' tall mailbox post in the cart along with a shiny new black mailbox, the woman running the transaction first asks me if it was mine or theirs.

I paused LOL and then explained that the post was theirs (Lowe's) and I would like to buy it. She then asks me if its a cross...

Another pause...Do they sell giant crosses at Lowe's? I wasn't sure how to respond at this point but I went with it and told her nope, it wasn't a cross. I guess that cleared everything up for her because I was out the door in no time with no other strange questions. It made me laugh and I wanted to hug her later for being so odd. Well, maybe not hug, but something. My kid's going to paint the post for me so more on this later.

I finally got myself to the movie theater again and caught TAG. So ridiculous lol. Next up will be a Bollywood which show here at one theater on Sundays. I haven't been able to go to one in over a year now I think. Miss them!

Also knocked something off the ole' bucket list!! I wanted to tube somewhere in Florida so I set up an excursion to Itchetucknee Springs and did the thing!

It was amazeballs and my oldest and I loved every second of it. My spouse? Not so much. Though he said later that he had a good enough time, I laughed so hard at one point during the experience because his face was soooo concerned. He looked concerned when he saw the sign that said there were alligators. He looked at all vegetation and wildlife with concern. Every time we floated close to the edge of the spring he got concerned and when we saw a snake there was a lot of concern. LOL My youngest was the same though maybe not yet as extreme. Oh well. Different strokes for different folks! Would definitely like to go again but maybe alone this time so I can relax a bit more and enjoy nature.

Still reading the same books but I'm getting antsy. The Breasts book pissed me off by telling me that breasts don't fully develop until they've gone through a complete pregnancy and that somehow this process theoretically may help reduce our risk of breast cancer later. Also, that after growing to mammoth sizes, when breastfeeding is over, something like 80%(?) of breast tissue just...disappears!! First of all, that's great, really great...NOT. Second, (as I look down at my chest) so this is fully developed breasts? PASS!!! The book has been cast aside in disgust for the moment. Lol.

Too tired to go on! Now, get out of my face. I'm going to bed.

MJ in my ear

Can we just talk about Michael Jackson right now? I mean, can I get random like that? Of course I can!

I was born here in the 80's so I kind of grew up with Michael Jackson. He was just kind of...everywhere! I like MOST of his songs (I think), he's the king of pop, and I'd even go so far as to say he played some small part of my sexual awakening as a young girl. :o He taught me about Dirty Diana and the way a woman could make him feel. That making changes starts with the Man in the Mirror. He made me feel like a badass when I listened to Bad and he taught me something about AIDS, race, sex, confidence, and we all tried to learn his cool dance moves. 

I listened to MJ on repeat today but only my two favorite songs. No, that's not right. I have three favorite MJ songs. I'll put all three here but I only killed the first two today. They fit the mood somehow. Ready? We're off!

This song comes from the middle of a movie MJ did (I think...all my MJ stuff is mixed together lol). I watched it somanytimes!!! I think it was called Moonwalk. I don't feel like looking it up right now and its not important. These creature people would probably be super creepy to me if I hadn't grown up watching them lose their minds over MJ so many times. Haha. Anyway, I skipped to the music today but another favorite of this video is the end. The dance off between MJ and his disguise was epic for me when I was a kid. I remember trying to copy everything (my brother always seemed much better at this) OR I'd sit and watch transfixed! On top of everything else is the song. Love this song so much still and its a proven fact that it will make me drive faster, run harder, and do more of the things, whatever those may be!!

How great is this next MV! Ah...the whole song/video combo just gets to me still. The lyrics in this song grew on me more and more as I got older and I had more and more people in my life who I wanted to "just leave me alone". Mike really sold it to me, too! I can still feel his hurt and frustration when he's screaming and pleading. Just gets you right there. Well done MJ, well done. :) Also of note is the terrifying mouth that I was sure would chomp him every single time and when he blew my mind at the end and I realized that HE WAS THE RIDE. Symbolism!! Again, kudos.

Last but not least is the MV that had me GLUED to the screen as a young girl; another from the movie I mentioned earlier. I had a crush on MJ back in the day. I'm pretty sure a lot of girls did. His voice was too soft in real life, he was kinda weird and kinda small but when he was doing his thing, he was doing. his. thing!! He had that confidence on stage and while dancing that drew me right in. That and all his crotch grabbing, pelvis pumping, shirt ripping, lip biting, taped fingers, hat pulled down low, leather pants, chains and zippers. I'm pretty sure those all played a part as well... LOL

This is a cover for a Beatles song but I always like this version better...obviously. ;)

Mike got even weirder later, bad things came out, and now he's dead but this Mike from my childhood...he's still pretty great. :) Thanks MJ.

Some things

Helloooooo out there!!!!...out there...there...the.... That was an echo. Did you get it?! Lol Jokes...smh. Moving on!

My boss and I had a short, impromptu chat the other day about work, husbands, kids, stress, and womanhood. Incidentally, now close to retirement and single, she's getting rid of old tableware and a discussion began about how cathartic it would be to break all those plates and things instead (e.g. throw them, smash them, use them to shoot skeet). You get the picture and ahhhhhh, it was sweet. The next day when I arrived to work  I found this plate with my name on it; slightly cracked, hand-painted, and adorned with a sticker. I'm going to break this innocent plate and it's going to feel good...stay tuned. Lol (Note to self: become this kind of boss one day.)

Ukrainian Folk Tales has wrapped and now resides on my annual, digital bookshelf within Goodreads. Do you think that stopped me from delving into another book even though I'm still in the middle of two others? No, it did not! Amy Poehler's, Yes Please, has been making me salivate for months.

I caught it available as an e-audiobook the other day, jumped all over it, and have been chuckling during commutes ever since! Yes, please!!

Opportunity has fallen into my lap once again at work so I'll be using this coming week to work extra from home to complete an extra project or two, take advantage of those opportunities, relax, recharge, and have a little fun dammit! Summer's almost over!!

I'll leave you with a painting; Hieronymus Bosch's painting Garden of Earthly Delights. I ran into this section of the painting in a book at work this week. You'll have to enlarge the image to see but there's a lot of weirdness going on in this painting and I'm a true sucker for hidden weirdness in paintings! It begged me to look it up so I did.

I found the rest of it (below) and spent quite a bit of time studying each section. The guy/girl who's bent over with flowers sticking out of his/her butt is a fave. Find that one. ;)

Headed to the land of napping for a bit. Byeeeee!