Problem Books

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Over the past week, I have picked up a few books that have been real stinkers.  I didn't make it through many of them.  A couple, I hit just the beginning, middle, and end.  One, I didn't even make it past the first 10 pages.  Seriously, this is a problem in my quest to read 75 books this year.  I can't list the books on here - why do I want to denigrate the work of someone who worked hard, wrote a book, and got it published?  Just because I don't like it doesn't mean it's not a good book.

Fortunately, a friend gave me a recommendation on a book last week that I love.  I am almost finished with it, and hope to review it by Friday.  It's a really fun book!

In the meantime, I wanted to point out some books that I found while cleaning up my book blog: http://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/.   If you've looked through that blog at any length, you should have noticed the change in my own writing over time.  *ouch* Some of those older posts are a little painful to look at.  (for me).  BUT, I do want to point out that if I took the time to write a book talk, then I really enjoyed the book!

I really do need to revisit some of these books.  They were well worth my time!




Ghost Hawk
My Book Talk:
http://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/2013/11/ghost-hawk.html

A Soldier's Secret: The Incredible True Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero
My Book Talk:
http://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-soldiers-secret-incredible-true-story.html

Dragon Run
My Book Talk:
http://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/2013/05/dragon-run.html

Grocery Expenses Week of 6/30-7/6/201

There is one advantage to having a colonoscopy.  You don't eat a lot of food!  Since I was confined to clear liquids on Weds and no liquids on Thursday, and was really loopy on Thursday afternoon and evening, the family ate leftovers for dinner on those days.

What exactly was I thinking?

A funny thing happened, though.  My procedure was in the afternoon.  You sign a paper when you leave stating that you won't drive or sign legal documents for the rest of the day.  I really believe that list should also be expanded to grocery shopping the day after.  I was feeling the affects of the drugs for a good 24 hours after my procedure.  Husband and I went grocery shopping on Friday morning, and I came home with an interesting assortment of stuff.  He was the responsible one who actually made sure we had food that we could make into meals.  I was the one who had the scanner and the cart.  He was organizing stuff into bags, and I had my one bag that I was putting stuff into as we went through the store.  Would you take a look at what came out of my bag?  My husband didn't unpack it, he left it for me to discover once all of the drugs were out of my system and I was more fully aware of what was going on.  I remember buying some of this, but not all of it.


Here's the funny/odd thing.  Do you see the amount of gluten laden food?  I CAN'T EAT GLUTEN!! WHAT WAS I THINKING???    And check out that can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce.  Why?  I didn't get anything that would make that into a meal that I can find.  Maybe I thought they'd be tasty with the Cheerios that I can't eat?  At least I managed to pick up gluten free pasta to have with my BBQ sauce....

Expenses for the week:
Grocery Store:  $185 
Target                $24     (Monster Trail Mix, Sprite, and Jello)
South Mountain Creamery $15
(Disclaimer: I don't receive any compensation from South Mountain Creamery.  As I've said before, I am supporting my local dairy industry with humanely treated cows, and have done so for years now.)

Grand Total for the Week:  $224.  Whoa.... I suspect my binge of weird stuff had something to do with this  total.  What am I going to do with the Chilis in Adobo sauce?

What we ate this week:
Leftovers  (and lots of clear liquids on my part)
On July 4th, all of our kids were away at friends' houses, so husband and I raided the freezer, found two steaks and grilled those up and had steaks, watermelon, and corn on the cob.

source: http://www.thekitchn.com

Chicken and Brown Rice Bake:  (A freezer meal) I found the recipe here: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-chicken-and-wild-rice-bake-freezerfriendly-recipes-from-the-kitchn-216431.  Awesome, amazing wonderful recipe.  I can't find enough good things to say about it.  It's become a family favorite.

Spaghetti with husband's homemade sauce.

Pizza, made with husbands' homemade sauce.

Quinoa Pilaf with extra veggies and sunflower seeds.

How did you make out at the grocery store this week?

Greece Votes No

As a rule, I don't post often about politics.  But, this is a world event which I feel that we need to look at more closely.  There are some cautionary tales here for us, and we would do well to heed them.

To recap:

Greece has been attempting to pay back billions of dollars in debt over the last few years.  Austerity measures have been put in place in order to raise the money to pay back the loans.

Last week, Greece missed their payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and became the first developed nation in the world to default on a loan.

Yesterday, a referendum was held, and the People of Greece voted to reject the proposal put forth by the European Union for a bailout.

Withdrawals at ATM's have been limited to 60 Euros a day (about $67, US), and there are fears that all cash will soon disappear.  Banks have been closed for over a week.

What the average Greek is seeing:

Many stores are no longer accepting credit or debit cards.

No cash.

Food, gas, and other items are disappearing off of the shelves.

Our lesson:

Two years ago, our government played a crazy game of blink.  Remember the Sequester cuts and the government furloughs?  This was a battle over our debt payments and cutting budget spending.

Husband and I were directly impacted by the furloughs.  I was substitute teaching at the time, and you know, that really doesn't bring in a lot of money.  Definitely not enough to cover the mortgage payment.  It was enough to cover gas so that I could get back and forth to work.

For a month, we lived off of the food we had on our pantry shelves and in our freezer.  To make it fun, we called those meals "What Was That?"  I would pull some random, unlabeled freezer bag out of the freezer, thaw it out, and make it into dinner.  (I've since gotten much better at labeling.  Now I KNOW what THAT was!)

Creditors really don't care that you don't have an income coming in.  They want their money.  We had been paying ahead on our mortgage and asked the mortgage company if we could not pay until the furloughs were over.  (We were almost a year ahead on the mortgage.)  No dice.  They expected their payments, or they would begin foreclosure proceedings.  Same with the auto insurance.   Auto insurance in mandatory, and I called to ask if we could delay payments by a month.  No dice.  Payment not received by the due date, and we would be cancelled.  Thankfully, the electric company was willing to skip a month payment, and due to the furloughs, they agreed not to charge us a late fee.  The credit card companies were more than happy to help - "No payment, no problem.  Extra fees will be accrued, and interest will be charged on the entire balance."  Also, if we had missed a payment, they were going to raise our interest rates.  AND - they encouraged us to pay our mandatory bills - like the mortgage - with a credit card.  At 19% interest.  YEAH, RIGHT.

Anyway, the furloughs ended, and the sequester ended.  Money started coming in again.  But, we walked away with a couple of hard lessons:

1) Get out of debt. 
Not just the credit cards, but the house, and auto loans.  We've got a couple of credit card balances we're paying down, but after the furloughs, we agreed that getting the house paid off was a priority.  We need to own our house outright.  What if the furloughs had gone on for another month?  Would we have lost our house? 

2) Always keep a little food on hand. 
I enjoy canning and freezing.  We always have a full freezer.  We are fortunate in that we are able to stock up on items when they are on sale.  Because of the furloughs, I found that I had a solid six weeks of food in the house.  I was so glad to know that was one thing I didn't have to worry about.  This morning, I was looking at pictures of empty grocery shelves throughout Greece.

3) Have some cash in savings.
The "experts" recommend having a 3 to 6 month supply of cash on hand.  We had enough to cover one month of mortgage payments.  Honestly, I don't know if this would help if we were to be in a situation like Greece.  I've heard conflicting reports about their ability to access banks electronically and pay their bills online.  I've heard nothing that I'd be willing to quote as reliable one way or another about this.  Either way, I think having some cash in savings is a good idea.  If you lose a job, a car breaks down, or the house needs a new roof, you don't have to fall back on a credit card.


I'm sure there are some larger life lessons going on here that we will all see played out over the next few weeks.  Everyone should be paying very close attention to what is going on in Greece.

Sources:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33406001

http://www.ibtimes.com/greek-referendum-live-results-update-no-vote-set-win-61-says-greek-interior-minister-1996182

http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Greece-still-cash-starved-after-decisive-no-6367753.php

http://news.yahoo.com/sugar-flour-rice-panicked-greeks-stock-essentials-175737930.html

My Favorite British Actors

I began this list on Wednesday night, once I was past the "no eating" moratorium imposed by my doctors.  I worked on it Thursday morning before my procedure, and a little bit on Thursday once I got home, with plans of releasing it on Friday morning.  Daughter took a look at what I had written on Friday morning, and  decided that I was still under the influence of some of the drugs the doctor had given me.  I decided it would be best (for me) to wait, and then recheck spelling and grammar before I released it.  A good thing I did!  It wasn't spelling and grammar that got me, though.  I rambled a lot more than usual.  A LOT more...

So, a couple of days late, here is my list of favorite British Actors.
(I watched a lot of BBC on Weds. and Thurs., hence the list.)

David Tennant

http://howtotrainyourdragon.wikia.com

An amazing actor with a huge talent, Tennant first came to the attention of many Americans with his portrayal as the tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, beginning in 2005.  You can currently spot Tennant in the United States in Broadchurch.

Tom Hiddleston

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Best known to U.S. audiences as "Loki" in the Avengers movies, Tom Hiddleston is a tremendous character actor whose most recent credits include War Horse, the Avengers, Thor, and Crimson Peak. 

I think why I adore Tom Hiddleston the most is the absolute way he has embraced his fame.  He has no trouble at all dressing up as Loki and heading off for promo events with young kids.  Staying in character the entire time, Tom will banter with the kids as Loki and take whatever they dish out at him.

Martin Freeman

http://showbizgeek.com/meet-mrs-watson/

Do I really need to say more?  Bilbo Baggins, John Watson, the U.K. version of The Office, and Fargo.

He's a very big talent, with a fantastic delivery that reminds me in many ways of Bob Newhart. 





John Cleese
You don't know who he is?  Didn't he have something to do with Monty Python?
Ummm.... yes, and so much more.  Seriously, if you don't know who he is, or what he's done, take some time out of your day and watch some Monty Python.  You can find his website here:  http://www.thejohncleese.com/

www.facebook.com

 

 

 

Preventative Maintenance

You know, we stress preventative maintenance on our cars to keep our investment running longer and more efficiently.  But, do we stress preventative maintenance on ourselves?  It's a lot easier to catch problems early and take care of them than to wait until it becomes a chronic problem that dominates your life.

Honestly, I have done a half-assed job of keeping up with my health over the years.  I go to the dentist every 6 months.  I get a check up every 5 or so years. And I got my mammograms. Other than that, I tend to stay away from the doctor's office.

This is the year I turn 50.  In anticipation of this momentous occasion, and my decision to have at least 60 more very productive years in my life, I have decided that it is time to start taking my health seriously.  To this end, I had a colonoscopy today.  (end---hahahah---- yeah, I'm still a little loopy from the drugs!)

The prep was not as bad as I was expecting.  My Doctor gave specific instructions on when to stop eating things.  High fiber foods- raw fruits and veggies, nuts, etc, were to be pulled out 4 days before.
Three days before, I stopped eating beef.  Two days before, I ate as light as I could.  Well cooked veggies, tuna, salmon.  And then came the fun of the clear liquid diet yesterday.  I won't lie, I was hungry and grumpy and headachey most of the day.  I powered through by remembering my Mom's surgery.  I swear, I can still close my eyes and see the wound and the damage caused by a colon that had ruptured due to colon cancer.  

Funny thing is, the colon cleanse was pretty darn easy.  I have problems with gluten.  BIG problems with gluten.  Honest to goodness, the colon cleanse was more gentle than what happens if I happen to have something with gluten in it.

Today was simple.  Went in, changed into a gown, laid down on a bed.  Rolled on my side, chatted it up with a nurse, and then went out like a light.  Woke up 30 minutes later.

I did have polyps.  3 of them were removed.  One of them was big.  1.5 cm. 
That big one?  It was in the EXACT SAME SPOT as my mother's tumor.

That polyp would have sat there, slowly growing for years, unknown by me until the only options were ugly, life changing options.

The peace of mind I have this evening is unbelievable.  There was something that could have been a problem, and now it's gone.  Granted, I have to go back in 3 years, but I will gladly go back, knowing that the procedure is easier than getting a root canal.  (Yeah, there's a joke there, too...)

Colon cancer is one of the most treatable cancers, if it is caught early.  I'd like to hope that the polyp wasn't cancerous.  If it was - hey - it was caught when it was small.  And it's gone. 

So, I'm asking you - what kind of preventative health measures have you taken for yourself lately?

This is the only body you've got.  You need to take care of what you have!

Book Review: Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories

Well, this was a fun book!  I was browsing through the children's section of the library last week when I found this beautiful book sitting on a shelf display.

This gorgeous little collection of Vietnamese Folk Tales has been lovingly illustrated.  Each tale has been handed down over time, through a rich oral tradition.

The tales of bravery and beauty, in which integrity, hard work, and honesty triumph will win your heart as they bring to life the great cultural heritage of Vietnam.

Reading this book is a wonderful way to spend some time with the beautiful people of Vietnam.  Whether you read these stories with one of your own little ones, or by yourself, this will be time well spent!

2015 Resolutions

There's nothing like public accountability to keep you honest about your resolutions.

Without any further ado, here are my 2015 resolutions:

1) Exercise More/Walk 500 miles
I began the month of June barely able to walk.  I could put pressure on my knee, but I was so out of shape, it's not even funny.  I've been slowly building my stamina back up, walking in the parking lot at work if I have extra time.  Those short little distances are the little hops.   They do add up, but I really need to pick up the pace this month!

Total walked in June: 13.7 miles.  Total walked in 2015: 32.73.

June totals walked: 13.7 miles

2) Lose 10 pounds
No weight loss this month, sad to say. Gotta pick up the pace on the walks.

3) Remodel the Hall Bathroom
The money in the savings account is getting closer to the target for this.

4) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt 
I have just 4 blocks left to quilt, the outer border to finish, and then bind it off.  The deadline for this is Aug. 12. I WILL have this finished on time!


5) Clean and Organize the Family Room in the Basement.
Done and done.  I'm working on the big messy room in the basement.  I'm trying to decide if some of this stuff is worth selling, or if I should just give it all to the White Elephant Sale at the church?  I'm also surprised at how much of this is just going straight into the trash.  OK, maybe not THAT surprised.  There is a lot of useless crap down there.


6) Cut Back on the Time I Spend on Social Media.
I took the apps off of my phone.  Without access on my phone, I access social media once a day, in the afternoon when I have my downtime.  (Some of us call it nap time, but hey, whatever floats your boat!)  You know, I spent the first 40 something years of my life without social media.  I really don't need to spend that much time on it now, either.  Most of what I'm getting in my feed is advertisements, and I really don't like the fact that Zuckerburg is mining my data for his own personal gain.  (targeted advertising)

7) Read 75 books this year.
I am making excellent progress towards this goal this year!  I'm already past the halfway point, and there are still 6 more months to go!  You can see the books I've read, and find links to the ones I've written reviews on here: 75 Book Challenge 

8) Get out of debt/Pay college tuitions without going deeper into debt
The kids have scholarships, but there's still a balance that has to be covered.  Oldest child is on his own for Graduate School, but the two youngest children still have tuition that needs to be paid. We refuse to allow our children to graduate from school with debt.  This month is a challenge.  There are 2 tuition payments that need to be made.  (I've written at length about this in the past, and will do so again next week.)

9) Spend More Time With My Family
This will most likely be the last summer all of my kids are home for the entire summer.  Believe me when I tell you I plan to enjoy every single moment of it. 

10) 365 Grateful
You can find me on Flickr:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/librarynut/
I've recently added a few more pictures.  I do keep the ones with my kids and their friends private, however, so I think there's probably a lot of pictures on Flickr that you are not able to see.

11) Replace the car that was totaled.
This ties in with #8... those tuition payments are looming..... I'm holding off on purchasing anything until we make the tuition payments.

12) I will maintain my friendships.
This one is a great joy!  I love connecting with my friends!
(I just wish I hadn't had to write it down in order to make it a priority.)

13) I will have more adventures.
I'm having a colonoscopy tomorrow.  Does that count?  How about the mammogram I had 2 weeks ago?  Maybe you don't count them as adventures, but give me a break here.  I've got to find a fun way to think about this.

14) Craft More
All of my efforts this past month have gone into finishing oldest child's quilt.  No dilly dallying on other projects this month!

How are you doing on your resolutions for the year?