Medium-well read?

I stole this from Susan's blog....

Key
1) Bold the books you have already read
2) Italicize the books you intend to read
3) Notes in parentheses next to note-worthy titles.

1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (started it)
2) The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
3) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4) Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
5)To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6)The Bible
7) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
8 ) Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
9) His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
10) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
11) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
12) Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
13) Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
14) Complete Works of Shakespeare (I've read some, not all)
15) Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
16) The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
17) Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
18 ) Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
19) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
20) Middlemarch by George Eliot
21) Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
22) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
23) Bleak House by Charles Dickens
24) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
25) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
26) Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
27) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 ) Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
29) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
30) The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
31) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
32) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
33) Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
34) Emma by Jane Austen
35) Persuasion by Jane Austen
36) The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis
37) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (started it)
38 ) Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
39) Memories of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
40) Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne
41) Animal Farm by George Orwell
42) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (I liked Angels and Demons more...)
43) One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44) A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving
45) The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
46) Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
47) Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
48 ) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
49) Lord of the Flies by William Golding
50) Atonement by Ian McEwan
51) Life of Pi by Yann Martel
52) Dune by Frank Herbert
53) Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
54) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
55) A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
56) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57) A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
58 ) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
59) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
60) Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
62) Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
63) The Secret History by Donna Tartt
64) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
65) Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
66) On The Road by Jack Kerouac (Couldn't un-italicize this one)
67) Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
68 ) Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
69) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
70) Moby Dick by Herman Melville
71) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
72) Dracula by Bram Stoker
73) The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
74) Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson
75) Ulysses by James Joyce
76) The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
77) Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
78 ) Germinal by Emile Zola
79) Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
80) Possession by AS Byatt
81) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
82) Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
83) The Color Purple by Alice Walker
84) The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
85) Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
86) A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
87) Charlotte's Web by EB White
88 ) The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
89) Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90) The Faraway Tree Collection by Enid Blyton
91) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
92) The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93) The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
94) Watership Down by Richard Adams
95) A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
96) A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
97) The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 ) Hamlet by William Shakespeare
99) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
100) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Who Knew?!?

Twilight Test from Dumb Spot!


Dumb Quizzes | MySpace Quizzes & Quotes | Make a Quiz

Bella Swan

You are Bella Swan, the apple of Edward's eye. You are very private, clumsy, sweet, and funny. You have a wonderful ability to accept people (or mythical creatures) for what they are. You have an amazing capacity to love, even though you can be too hard on yourself.

Updates

Pics coming soon...but Thanksgiving was great - food was amazing and company was fabulous!

I am having no end of fun here...

Stream videos at Ustream


and I love this....



more later -


oh - yeah - I have been a knitting fiend most of the weekend....

finished Turn A Square and almost done with my first foliage...

As I said, pics coming later this week.....

M

Got Gaiman??

No?

Well, we know I love Mr G...and one can never have too much G - so in anticipation of his new flick.....here you go....(I found this b/c of my friend craftygrrl)

First, turn up your volume...

Next, go here....

Then, try these:

- sweaterxxs : in honor of my hobby...you will love this one!

- stopmotion : the biggest smallest movie ever made, Coraline

- buttoneyes : let's meet the cast of Coraline

- moustachio : art of stop motion applied to a man's mustache in a short film

- armpithair : hair style is nothing random in Coraline

- puppetlove : Director henry Selick speaks about his love for puppets!


p.s.....here is a cool blog...

PRICELESS

MARCH 5, 2009 Good Date

A&TT CENTER Good Location

7:30PM Good Time

INTERNET PRESALE Good Karma

FINALLY SEEING JEFF DUNHAM IN PERSON!!!!!!!!!! PRICELESS

squee!!!

(This makes me want to dance on my little casted leg!)

Anticipation

I

CAN'T

WAIT!!!!!

Where the hell was my camera???

On the way to work this am, I saw two trucks that had me scratching my head....

The first one was a fish taco truck.

Not so bad. I have seen them before...I have eaten fish tacos. I like fish tacos.

The thing is, this truck had pictures on it. yes. fish.

To be expected...right?

OK - maybe I am just too sensitive - but it wasn't just any fish.

It was Ariel and Flounder. From The Little Mermaid.

It's just wrong.

The second truck was for a company called Sanitary Tortillas.

I don't think I need to elaborate.

mmmmmm

You Are a Pumpkin Latte

You are always up for a celebration. You are a very festive person. You look forward to every holiday, and you are nostalgic for good times after they're over. You appreciate the small things that make life special. You love little treats. You often look at the world with childlike wonder. There's so much to enjoy!

What Flavor Latte Are You?

New math

Can you tell me the result for this word problem....


What do you get when 1 US size 7.5 right foot acts as a speedbump for a 2006 Toy0ta Pr1us driver's side rear tire?

hmmm...? Can you?

lol...I can...

......sigh

Remember - it's in the eye of the beholder....

I just stumbled across this website....made me smile.

warning: it may not sit well with everyone..... Si se puede...

'nuff said.

Copy/forward/repost this sentence into your blog/email/whathaveyou if you're in a heterosexual marriage/relationship (or if you think you might be someday), and you don't want it "protected" by fools who think that gay marriage hurts it somehow.

A GOOD day!

I knew it was going to be a good day when I woke up today.


Really.


I did.


For a couple of reasons...

1 - I knew I didn't have to talk my boss into letting me transfer.

2 - I knew I didn't have to pack up all my worldly possessions for the move...to Canada, that is.

But little did I know how good a day it really was going to be....

The icing on the cake.....

this.....



2008 Gingersnap Lattes are IN!!! Extra-hot, venti version, to be precise!

Yes - a little different from the Gingerbread lattes.... uses the same syrup - just with candied ginger on top, so by the time you finish the latte, there are nice little chunks of ginger in the bottom of the cup. YUMMY.

Just goes to prove - there really are many wonderful benefits of living here.... in addition to the other one today.

Glad to be back in blog-land.

Missed it.

A Long Time Ago....

In a galaxy far, far away [queue music]...

There was a man and a woman. They had one beautiful little girl they loved very, very much, and they wanted another child so the family would have even more love and happiness.

They tried. And tried....and tried.

Finally, while living in a place worlds away from home....they found out that there was a little bundle of joy on the way.

A little skirmish/minor war broke out. For safety reasons, the woman and their little girl and bundle of joy were put on a plane and sent back to the US for safety reasons. No worries...Daddy will be home in plenty of time for the new delivery. Home by early March. Baby due in April.

All will be good....

February 27 rolls around. The woman feels sorta funny. Husband is still thousands of miles away. She is worried. Could this be it? It is really early...crap.

Sure enough. The bundle of joy has had enough and is ready to join the game! So at 1130 EST on February 27, nineteen sixty - ..um...something.... Their new little daughter arrives.

Very tiny. About 4 1/2 pounds. Lungs not developed. Prognosis very bad.

Telegram sent to the dh. Baby early. Send name so we can baptize just in case.

Dh sends telegram back - sending love and my name. (I got the telegrams when I turned 21- talk about cool)

Needless to say - it all worked out - baby girl grew up happy and healthy and surrounded by great family and super friends!

Thanks for being so strong mom. You did a great job holding down the fort way back then...till dad got back; a gal could not have asked for better parents - I don't know what I did in a previous life to have two such amazing parents this time around - but damm1t - thanks a million. (and thanks for putting up with me for all these years. Sorry about all the gray hairs I gave ya....)

Happy Birth-Anniversary to me! (my first portrait - dig the couch)


And this year's celebration got off to a special start on Tuesday night - met some friends for SnB night and was pleasantly surprised with some nifty prezzies and these gorgeous flowers from a dear friend!! Thanks buddy!


I will blog later this week about my recent trip.....with some very special travel companions.

Whip it...Whip it good

Hopefully you got my nod to Devo.... (now that song is in my head...crap)

OK - it has not been the best week for me - just generally bleh.

But I have had a few rays of sunshine getting me through - Enid and Michelle! Thanks gang.

So...I have been trying to figure out what to get myself...My little ole 4GB ipod is just not big enough. I really want one of these....80 gigs of utilitarian music storage....they even have 160 gb...hmmmmm and video can be stored here too.....

but these are really tempting me.....32 gigs of yummy fun.....ooh...shiny.....pretty colors....

crap. I just don't know. - granted, the fact that the ipod classic is 1/2 the price is leaning me in a certain direction...ugh.............. if you have either - I would love your input. The goddess of all things ipod has given her input already. and yes...my partial music collection on the laptop is already 20gig...so I am guessing I have about 35 GB of music....not to mention all the movies I have....


Yeah - I know I am supposed to be posting something re food...right. ok - here it is. Because the week has been bleh...so has the kitchen.... but I still have something yummy for you to try...

Here is the tip to spice up your dips....

Add one of these

with this (the middle size)



and this (one envelope)



(sorry any vegans out there....)
mix well - and let it sit in fridge overnight.

The ham makes a nice addition to your run of the mill onion dip!! I made some for superbowl - yummmy.

(it was gone before pics could be taken)

Waxing Nostalgic...or should it be Knitting Nostalgic

This is a very special day for me.

Back on this day in 1906, a very special person came into this world. She was here for 98 years. I lost the joy of having her around back in 2004 and have been missing her oh so much ever since.

She was Caroline....and she was my grandmother.

I learned many important things from her...

Be fearless - don't worry about getting hurt or scraping your knees. Despite what my mom wanted, the tomboy in me always came out - I wonder where I got it....? (hint - she is the one on top!)

Embrace who you really are; dance to the beat of your own drum - don't worry about what others think the 'norm' is. I wonder how much of a scandal this was when she brought it home....and boy was she a hottie!!!

Love fiercely and with all your heart - this was her lifelong sweetheart. I can only hope I will be as lucky....

Embrace all that life throws at you - you can handle anything that comes your way.

And the most important thing she taught me (and my father when he was a little boy).... the joy of playing with sticks and string!

Back when I was 11 or 12, I was smitten with a certain Brit - Tom Baker to be exact. Every Saturday, I would work in my dad's office as a receptionist and after we closed the office each week, we would go get Jack in the Box taco's and go home to watch Space 1999 and Dr Who. Well, I developed a crush on Dr Who and decided I needed a Dr Who-esque scarf....like this one....



So Caroline taught me to knit. And this was my first fo!

Pretty basic. 4 different yarns, 6.5 feet of stockinette stitch and ribbed edges. Damn good job weaving in the ends. Looking at it now, I actually did a damn good job. Even if it is acrylic.

Caroline was even better....here are some of her fo's:

A vest

A dress

A wrap

A cardigan

Are you getting the idea she liked cables?

No matter what I am making, every time I pick up the needles, I feel just a little closer to her and it makes me feel like she is here with me while I work on my wip.

Caroline - I cherish all the time I had with you .... and I still miss you every day.

Eye Candy Friday..and Ear Candy too!!!

These are one of my fave listens from AZ. Before these guys hit the big time, I spent every Sunday night from 10p-130am with them at a little dive bar. Ahhh....Enjoy!

Contest - o - rama!!! And what it means to be me...

First, stop over at A Few Stitches Short and My House of Wool for some wicked contests/giveaways! Mention I sent you - Please!!!

- late note - here are a few more -

La Verna needs thoughts of spring, The Spirit Trail is giving away cashmere (ugh...this dilutes my chances of winning - but for you, reader...sigh...it is worth it!), and put on your thinking caps for this one!!!

Second, I got this from Kent last night - sorta scary how close to the truth this hits....

What Mary S****** Means

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated. You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way! You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Whip it up Wednesday!!!

This is a new feature for the blog...I hope you like it!!

Each Weds, I am going to highlight something yummy that I have 'whipped up' in the kitchen. And in most cases it will be pretty frugal in cost and time for prep.

Last week it was PIE, cherry PIE! This week it is a different kind of pie.

QUICHE! (pronounced kwichie- then it is not so frou-frou).

OK - so here is the recipe....(I cannot always promise a recipe)

1 box Pills#ury ready to make pie crust, thawed
1 pkg chorizo or sage breakfast sausage
1 1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese
1 c chopped onions (I used green onions today)
mushrooms (if you want - I was not in the mood today)
garlic powder (to taste)
paprika
4 eggs
1 c whole milk

Preheat oven to 450

Unroll one pie crust and put in pan. Tuck the extra crust under and smoosh the rim of the crust. Prick sides and bottom. Bake 10 min. Let pie crust cool.

While crust is baking, cook sausage. Drain. Let cool. Once cool, mix with the onions, cheese, garlic powder.

Spoon sausage mixture into pie crust. (if you have alot of meat - you can increase cheese and onions and make two quiches... and you will need to make another batch of egg/milk. I did that tonight...well, tried to - the 2nd crust sorta shrank during the pre-baking process - so it was a really small quiche - it still cooked for 50 min.)

Whip eggs and milk together (I use my La Machine - whipping for 45 seconds). Pour over mixture in crust. Lightly sprinkle paprika over egg/sausage mixture in crust (helps it to get nice and brown - did you know that is how to get your turkey really browned - use paprika all over it - sorry, I digress).

Bake for 50 min at 325. Let cool 10 min. Serve. Enjoy.

Here is the pretty quiche.... I was worried it would not turn out since the crust cracked and alot of the egg mixture seeped below the crust - but it worked out fine!!


Here is the side view - see the egg against the pie pan...

Here is the sad little one I made for my dinner.

Total cost - approx $9.00 for two quiches...
Chorizo $2.00, 6 eggs 1.09, 1 bunch green onions .63, crusts 2.29, milk 1.00, cheese 2.00.
Prep time was about 45 min for cooking sausage and mixing etc. 50 min baking time.

ENJOY - I hope you like the new feature!!!

I IS SMART?

Thanks Janna - nice to know that diploma from Trinity is still good... :) I don't want to think how long it has been since high school...ugh - hint - 20 yr college reunion is this year....EEK!!

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

You paid attention during 91% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

On the film front - saw two good musicals this weekend - Dreamgirls and Hairspray. One of my buds could not believe I still had not seen Dreamgirls - knowing how I love music. He tied me down in front of the screen and forced me to spend some quality time with music..I have to say I really liked the music!!!! ...and the ipod has been updated with the film and broadway soundtracks for Dreamgirls - thanks for the loan buddy!

How Freaky Is THIS?!?

SO - I get the comment from Bezzie on yesterday's blog, mentioning that she thought this week was National Pie Week.

Not only is it this week....National Pie Day - was YESTERDAY.

Freaky, huh?

Guess that is why I was moved to make a pie....and I am especially pleased since I invited a friend over for some late night pie and sent some home for their other half...AND I sent 1/2 a pie home to the 'rents today as well.....

for your perusal.....text in purple is how I participated..!

Perform Random Acts of Pieness

and Celebrate National Pie Day on January 23

Share pie. Whether you make or buy pie, share it. By its very nature, pie is meant to be eaten with others.

Pay it forward. Hand out pie slices to strangers and encourage them to do the same for others. It could spread the peace on earth and goodwill to mankind that we all hope for.

Be a good Samaritan. Buy an extra pie at your local grocery store and give it to the person behind you in line. You may just change their life!

Reach out to new neighbors you haven’t met and bring them some pecan pie – it says your thoughtful. Stay awhile to get to know each other over pie and fill them in on the neighborhood.

Indulge your co-workers. Bring some pie to work – you’ll create a lot of good rapport and maybe even get a raise.

Surprise your significant other at work and bring him or her a pie to share with their coworkers.

Say thank you. Know a special someone who deserves some thanks? Maybe it’s a friend who did you a favor, your child’s teacher or your postal worker. What better way to say thanks than with a warm hug wrapped in a delicious crust?

Got a crush? Invite the “apple pie of your eye” for some pie and get to know each other better. But make it chocolate – most Americans believe it’s the most romantic pie. Before long, you may be calling each other “sweetie pie.”

Delight your family. Share the love and share your favorite memories together over a warm, fresh pie. Have older family members talk about the history behind the family favorites. Start a new tradition and publish pie memories and recipes, then send them to family members.

Spend time with your kids and make a pie together. Let them pick their favorite pie and show them how it’s done. They’ll be proud of their creation and have fond memories of you as the best parent ever for years to come!

Get caught up with friends and invite them over for some afternoon pumpkin pie. You can dish on all their latest news.

Throw a pie potluck get-together. Have everyone bring their favorite pie and exchange recipes. We’ve heard of events where more than 100 folks come with 100 pies. Have a contest to see who can come up with the most pie songs. The winning prize? A pie!

Hold a charity pie-throwing or pie-eating contest or a pie auction. You can donate the proceeds to your local community food bank.

Hold a pie-making contest. Invite the best pie makers in town to compete for prizes in various categories. Ask cooking teachers, pastry chefs and pie lovers to be judges. Be sure the kids are involved – you can include pie poetry and pie art contests for them.

Register for the 2008 American Pie Council (APC)/Crisco National Pie Championships

Eat pie. Whether you make it yourself, buy it at a supermarket or bakery or order it at a restaurant, perform a random act of pieness on yourself and enjoy some pie on National Pie Day – it’s great with lunch, dinner or as a late-night snack.