New Year's Resolutions 2015

It's November.  I made these resolutions 11 months ago.  If I weren't keeping track of them here on the blog, they'd be long forgotten, sitting at the bottom of a drawer somewhere.  I'd look back at them again in a few years, and be filled with regrets for not even trying to keep them.  As this year of "interesting" events comes closer to an end, I am beginning to think that I need to take the "Have More Adventures" resolution OFF of my list for next year!

1) Exercise More, Walk 500 Miles.
This is a massive fail.  Torn ligaments in my ankle these past two months have limited my mobility just as much as the fall that hurt my knee way back in the spring.  Although I'm in Physical Therapy and I've gone back to Yoga, I don't think there's anyway that I'm covering the additional 460 miles I had hoped to cover by the end of the year.

2) Lose 10 pounds.
I have many, many more than 10 pounds to lose, but 10 is a good start.  As of this morning, I have lost  6 pounds this year. Progress, progress.  And I'm happy to see it!

3) Remodel the Hall Bathroom.
We still haven't gotten a plumber in to fix the plumbing yet.  We're having trouble finding a date and time when we can be home when the plumber doesn't already have an existing appointment.

4) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt
Done and done! 

5) Clean and Organize the Family Room in the Basement
Not only have we finished the family room, husband and I are making some significant progress on the big, messy room.  We had hoped to have that cleaned out last year, but it never happened.  No kids at home this year means that nobody has the excuse of needing to be at a kids event instead of working on cleaning out that pile of crap.

6) Cut Back on the Time I Spend on Social Media
Vindication on this goal: According to the article, 7 Everyday Habit that Improve Mood, (Cooking Light Magazine, Oct. 2015), Facebook was associated with a decline in overall happiness.  This is from a 2013 University of Michigan study.  If you've got time, read the entire article.  It's worth it!

The site was associated with a decline in overall happiness and life satisfaction in a 2013 University of Michigan study. - See more at: http://simmerandboil.cookinglight.com/2015/10/28/7-everyday-habits-that-improve-mood-according-to-science/#sthash.Fvwf3bVL.dpuf

The site was associated with a decline in overall happiness and life satisfaction in a 2013 University of Michigan study. - See more at: http://simmerandboil.cookinglight.com/2015/10/28/7-everyday-habits-that-improve-mood-according-to-science/#sthash.Fvwf3bVL.dpuf

7) Read 75 Books This Year
As of today, I am up to 68 books.  I'll be getting to 75 well before the end of the year!  I'm on the waiting list for Jimmy Carter's latest book.  You know, when you start at number 500 on the waiting list, it takes a while to get up to number one!

8) Get out of debt, pay college tuition without going deeper into debt.
We are making significant progress on the next big debt we are paying off.  Have you ever used Dave Ramsey's "Snowball Method" of debt payoff?  He explains it much better than I do.  In short, you put your resources towards paying off one debt, while still paying all of your other bills on time.  As soon as the first debt is paid off, you go for the next one, with the resources you were spending on it before, PLUS the resources you were spending on the first debt.  I'd like to say we'll have this paid off by the end of the year, but realistically, it looks like we'll be paying it off in April or May of 2016.

Thanks to the Maryland Pre-Paid College Trust, and kids who work to make up the difference between the trust, their scholarships, and the final balance, we are not going deeper into debt with college tuition.  Personally, I am thrilled that they are taking ownership of their college education.  When you put that much into it, you tend to value it more.

9) Spend More Time With My Family
Going to visit the oldest one soon.  I can't wait to see him.  He seems to be thriving in Graduate School!  The weekly family Skype calls have been a hoot.  It's so good to see all of the kids at once!

10) 365 Grateful
You can see the images I have shared publicly on Flickr.


11) Replace the Car that was Totaled
Working on this one. I really want to pay off that debt from #8  before we buy a new car, but I'm not sure we're going to be able to hold out until April. The Civic needs a new timing belt, and the cost of replacing the timing belt would be a very decent down payment on a new car.  Just how long do we want to kick this can down the road?

12) I Will Maintain My Friendships
I still have one more friend I haven't seen in a couple of years that I really want to sit down and talk with, and then I can honestly say that I have contacted every person I intended to get in touch with this year.  (As well as a few bonus other friends that I hadn't seen in many, many years.)   We've found fun and unique ways to stay connected, and build stronger friendships.

13) I Will Have More Adventures
 I am marking this one as OFF THE LIST.  October has been the month of physical therapy.  I tore ligaments in my ankle, and I've spent a LOT of time in Physical Therapy this month.  Hoping beyond hope that the tear heals and I don't have to have surgery on my ankle to repair the damage.  I think this falls under the category of "Be Careful What You Wish For"!

So, in addition to the "fun" of therapy, husband and I have had a couple of adventures of our own.  We've been to visit the Central Maryland Apple Orchards, Ball's Bluff Battlefield, and the Western Maryland Scenic Railway.  We've had lots of fun exploring new places this fall!  I just wish I was approved to go hiking!

Ball's Bluff Battlefield

14) I Will Craft More
My nephew is graduating from high school next year.  I have made him a black afghan.  Not sure if it's what he wants or not, but it should keep him warm - and that is the goal, after all!  Luna has developed an abiding love for that blanket, and curls up on it every chance she gets.  I'm going to have to run it through the wash before I give it to him just to make sure all of the cat hair is off!

I've begun cutting the squares for daughter's quilt.  She graduated in June, and I meant to give it to her before she started school in September... I'm a little behind!

Princess Luna is laying on my nephew's blanket.

Random Pictures

It's been a while since I've posted random pictures of my world.  I have a few new fun ones that I thought I'd like to share with you!  As part of my quest to keep my friendships up, I got together with a group of friends - we were all Girl Scout Moms together - and we went to a Bag Bingo to support our high school chapter of the Future Farmers of America.  (FFA)  I usually go to these things with the full expectation that I will never win anything, but that it is a great way to spend a fun filled evening with friends and catch up.  I know that the money I spend is going to support the group that is running the Bingo, and to me, that is a fair exchange.  Imagine my surprise when I actually won something!  I got this writing kit - with a pen, a journal, and a bag.  I do believe that writing every single day is important, and I am thrilled to have a journal to write down the things that I might not write about on the blog!  Some stuff that I write or think really doesn't belong on the internet for everyone to see!

Our leaves are coming down at a really quick pace.  The crunch, crunch, crunch of leaves underfoot is my favorite part of fall!  I really enjoy raking them all into piles and jumping in them!  Crunch, crunch, crunch!  First comes the gorgeous color while the leaves are still on the trees, and then comes the fun of playing in the leaves after they fall!  It's a win win for everyone!  I'm even crazy enough that I enjoy raking the leaves.  It's a pretty awesome whole-body workout that's fun to do.  I only wish shoveling snow was as fun as raking leaves!

These are dragon fruits.  Have you ever had one?  I love their look - so wild and crazy, but I can't bring myself to actually buy one and cut into it to see what it tastes like.  If you take a whimsical look at the fruit, you can see the tail sticking out of one end, and the head on the other.  I like to think the green leaves sticking up look like dragon scales.  We were at Wegman's when we took these pictures.  I'm not sure what the prickly ball things below are.  That's one very enjoyable thing about walking through the produce section at Wegmans - you've got the expected fruits and vegetables, and then you've got the really fun ones, too.  The next picture below this one was also from Wegmans.  I love their marketing.  This display was set up by the cheese section,

Princess Luna is really, really missing her girl.  She's been cuddling up on my lap and sleeping a lot.  I think she's just adorable when she curls up like this!

The tree across the street from me in its full, glorious autumn splendor.  Good golly, how I love this tree!  Believe it or not, I did not run this picture through the filters.  This is how the tree looks in the fall.  I think because it was a cloudy day the colors really stand out more.

Finally, a picture of the library where I work.  It's a very small, highly specialized library, and it's full of character and characters.  I love this time of the morning - while it's absolutely silent before the students arrive.

Frugal Friday

This has been a stellar week.  I discovered a Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer's Market down the road from where I work.  The prices were phenomenal, but my BIG FIND of the day was the bulk foods store within the market.  Next time I go back, I'll be better prepared with a list of the spices I need.

Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer's Market:   $7

3 cloves of garlic, 3 red beets, a huge box of ginger, a bag of spinach, and a bag of sweet peppers.
I refilled our ginger jar with this box.  It was a perfect fit!

Cook Once, Eat Twice

This is a nifty little strategy where you cook one big meal or roast one night, and then use those ingredients to make meals on other nights.

This past week, we roasted a chicken and made a big pot of vegetable soup.

From this combination we made:

1) Chicken Pot Pie with left over chicken and the rest of the vegetable soup.

2) Spinach chicken salad with leftover chicken and the spinach from the Pennsylvania Dutch Market.

3) Chicken Broth with the bones of the carcass.  Several hours in the soup pot later, and I had a batch of chicken broth that I turned into broth cubes to use later in recipes.


Laundry

Now that the weather is cooler, it's taking longer for the laundry to dry on the line outside.  Regardless, I'm still drying clothes outside.  I put the wash through at night, after the rates drop, just before I go to bed.  This week, I've been running the laundry outside in the dark.  I have the clothes on hangars, and I've been taking them out and hanging them up by flashlight.  It takes me a good 10 minutes to do, but that spot gets some fantastic morning sun.  Since it's fall and the sun has shifted, it's not getting that afternoon sun that REALLY gets the clothes dry fast.


Snacks

Hands down, one of my favorite snacks is Cranberry Walnut Power Balls.  I found the original recipe here on Common Sense Homesteading.  I've modified it a little bit for my own taste.  I don't like walnuts, so I use chopped pecans instead.  Another problem is that I can never find mini chocolate chips.  So, I use the soy free, dairy free chocolate chips so that the girl can eat some, too.  You know I use gluten free oats in the recipe.




Spice Mixes

We are out of taco seasoning mix.  Rather than buy one of those expensive little envelopes that have some questionable ingredients, I make my own.  I follow this recipe that I found here on All Recipes.  I use an old spice bottle to hold the spices in.  A full bottle usually keeps us in spices for 6 months.


Salad Dressing

I'm thick into the middle of a diet, and that means lots and lots of salads.  Unfortunately, I love salad dressings.  They are expensive and full of additives that I really don't need.  I found a great recipe on All Recipes for Italian Dressing.  I really like this recipe, as I mix up a large quantity of dried herbs and store them in my cabinet until I'm ready to use them.  When I need some dressing, I mix a couple of teaspoons of the spice mix into vinegar, olive oil, and water and shake it well before serving.  (I especially like the fact that I can keep the sugar in, use a sugar substitute, or use absolutely no sugar at all - it's MY choice!)

Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I am into my "acquire turkeys" mode.  Our grocery stores run a promotion that allows you to get a turkey for free if you've accumulated a certain amount of grocery points.  We're working towards our first free turkey.  I like to see if I can track down at least 3 turkeys to cook with over the course of the year.  Good thing we have a big freezer!

Halloween Candy

my favorite candy bar.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

What is your favorite Halloween candy?  Let's be honest, even though we're adults, we all have our favorite Halloween Candy, and we tend to buy that on Halloween, just "in case" we don't give it all out, then we won't mind taking care of it.


When I was a kid back in the 70's, the variety of candy that was handed out was vastly different than it is today.  Red Hots, Good and Plenty, Mike and Ike, Tootsie Pops, and Hundred Thousand Dollar Bars populated our bags, in addition to McDonald's Trick or Treat Prizes and homemade popcorn balls and caramel apples  (Remember, this was a more innocent era.  Popcorn balls were still handed out, but I remember when and why we had to stop giving out homemade goodies for Halloween.)  When Dad was stationed in Ohio, our next door neighbors still made caramel apples with crushed peanuts - but she brought them around to the kids - and handed it off to the parents - during the afternoon of Halloween, so we would know who it came from.

My favorite Halloween candy back then was the little fun size Krackle bars.  In our family, nobody liked the Special Dark bars, and Dad used to hoard those.

When my own kids were little, during the 90's and early 00's the nature of Halloween Candies had changed.  More candy was chocolate based, and more people handed out coupons for free fries or other treats from the fast food restaurants in town.  The people in our neighborhood added a twist, and we'd get toothbrushes and toothpaste samples from the dentist, and passes to the gym from the personal trainer.  We gave out our own packs of non-candy treats.

A vivid memory I have is of my kids, all sitting on the living room floor and sorting their candy.  Our daughter traded away all of her chocolate, but she was a shrewd negotiator.  She ended up with the pencils, crayons, bubbles, and candy necklaces that her brothers scoffed at.

What we're giving our for Halloween this year!  Image: Amazon.

Even though I tend not to hand out candy, that doesn't mean our house isn't full of candy this time of year.  I have a jar full of candy corn that I snack on occasionally.  I also have my favorite candies: fun size Snickers bars and full size Dark Chocolate Coconut bars.  (think Mounds bars, but with the yummy twist of Dark Chocolate.)  And I wonder why I need to lose weight?

I usually pick up 2 bags of the fun size candy bars.  Why?  Because I like to bake Christmas cookies with them....

I'd really like to conduct a very unscientific poll right now.  Among the people who read this blog, WHAT is your favorite Halloween Candy?  Please put a note in the comments.  I'm really, really curious!

Things Only Military Brats Understand

For those of us who grew up in the military!   Many truths in here!  And the immediate bond with other brats is something that never goes away - not even when we're adults.  Years later, it's still an instantly uniting experience!

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month-
is coming up in November.  The challenge is to write a 50,000 novel during the month of November.  You can join the fun by going to the NaNoWriMo website and signing up.  When you join the community, you are getting together with a large group of people who all are promising to sit down and write a book during the month of November.  You keep track of your word count daily, until you finish your book.

This year, I am planning on writing down the stories from when I was teaching and subbing.  I have a store house of stories, and I'd like to write them down before I forget them all.  I worked in 2 very different settings - inner city schools before my kids were born, and then rural schools - in the system where we now live - a few years ago.  Their stories are poignant, funny, and heartbreaking, and need to be told.

What about you?  I'm sure you have a story to tell.

Get ready, get set......

Book Review- The Cat Who Books by Lillian Jackson Braun

Image: Amazon

This post contains affiliate links. All purchases made through this link support this blog, and will be added to the Remodel the Hallway Bathroom fund.

Have you ever read "The Cat Who Books?"  These sweetly wonderful little mysteries were written by Lillian Jackson Braun.  She wrote the first 3 in the 1960's - at the same time she was a career woman, working for a Midwestern Newspaper.  Publishers were not thrilled with her books at the time, because they did not feature enough sex and violence for the prevailing cultural climate.

In the 1980's, she decided to revisit The Cat Who books, and see if maybe there was a demand.. and thus began a sweetly wonderful set of mystery books.

The first three books were set in an urban area in an undisclosed Mid-Western City.  The hero of the story, Jim Qwilleran, was a down on his luck newspaper reporter who was trying to find a new lease on life.  His luck begins to change with his association with the intelligent Koko, and later with the adoption of sweet little YumYum - both Siamese Cats who were adopted under tragic circumstances.

Image: Amazon

In the second iteration of the books, Qwill has inherited the Klingenshoen Fortune.  The fortune came to him with one stipulation, that he live in Moose County - located 500 miles north of everywhere.
The adventures that follow him in Moose County are whimsical - as only small town life can be - and filled with mysteries as he unravels the various tragedies and travesties that seem to follow him into his new life.

Familiar faces make repeat appearances in the books, and become welcome characters that you enjoy watching grow and change over the course of the books.  Lori Bamba- cat whisperer extraordinaire, and her husband Nick figure throughout all the books.  Arch Riker follows Qwill from the urban hell down below and becomes a prominent player in Qwill's life in the North Country.  With each of the cast of characters making repeated appearances in the books, you find yourself coming home to a wonderful place in time each time you open a book.

I always find that a part of me yearns to find Moose County and move there myself.  Of course, I live in my own variation of Moose County - a rural community in Maryland - and we do have our own unique cast of characters that inhabit our daily lives and routines.  I think we all have that cast of characters, but I think they stand out more in small towns than they do in large urban areas.

Braun passed away in 2011 at the age of 97.  (Think about that - 97!)
She wrote 29 Cat Who books.  She worked for the Detroit Free Press for much of her life - and her love of newspapering shows through in her portrayal of Qwill's character.