timing is everything

I juggled dishes, ingredients and family members in order to complete all the cooking for the holiday weekend. I always set an ambitious menu. I never rely on only tried and true recipes. I have to sprinkle in a fair amount of new dishes, just to keep me on my toes and to make the whole endeavor more of an adventure. Luck held out for me and the four new recipes I tried turned out well.


Timing is everything when I take on the task of Thanksgiving weekend meals. I started cooking on Wednesday and wasn't finished until our guests left yesterday. Hubby did help with preparing the Friday night meal as I was at the movies with the kids and the in-laws. Which, by the way, don't bother seeing Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. Horrible movie and even their acting skills along with the skills of Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Mary Steenburgen couldn't save it. Oldest daughter gave it two thumbs down.

This week is going to be a busy one, but I have to finish the Christmas gifts for my mom, grandmother and brother. Those genealogy trees are getting done, printed and stuck in the binders I bought two weeks ago.

I'm also going to jot down some story ideas I've had of late. It is better than nothing and if I can't plant my butt in the chair long enough to edit Maddy Blue, I've got to do something. This is getting ridiculous and I'm totally at fault. Liz, thy name is lazy-butt writer.

Avenging Angel is almost here

When I moved to the Mid-south over five years ago, I joined the local RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapter. Through them I met a wonderful and talented woman named Kim Smith. Kim and I have journeyed down the writing life path since then. I've sort of stopped to pick daisies alongside the road, but she has been so dedicated and persistent. Her devotion has finally paid off. Kim's debut cozy mystery, Avenging Angel: A Shannon Wallace Mystery" is going to be published by Red Rose Publishing in December.

I remember when Kim gave me the first few pages of this book. I read those words and just knew. She had found her voice. This was the book she was meant to write, it was magic. I can't wait to have the opportunity to buy this book...in e-book format and then in print.

I'm so darn proud of her. She is my inspiration, my B&N coffee buddy, and my friend.

By the time came to bake the pies it was close to 7:30 and I was too tired to start. I did however get a bunch of other things prepared for the next two days. Today I'm hauling the kids to the doctor's office so we can all get flu shots. Then we are coming home so I can cook and they will clean. Just another exciting day in my home!

I don't plan on blogging over the next four days. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

this and that discoveries

As I am blogging today, I obviously survived the trip to Wally-world yesterday. I arrived at 8:50 and was out of there by 9:15. The site to store service area was easy to find and the items we ordered, three rolling duffels for the kids, were in and quickly loaded into my cart. I'm not a fan of this store, but the service was good and pickup was convenient. So, if you need to shop online and want to save yourself the shipping cost, thumbs up to this option of site to store free delivery.

Other things I discovered yesterday.....bread is way more expensive at Wally-world versus Schnucks. Unreal.

Butternut squash is hard to find this time of year, but I'm determined to make the roasted squash soup my neighbor served a few Thanksgivings back. It was yummy. I found one squash at Wally and one at Schnucks.

After I talked with my mom yesterday, she passed along the fact that her father mentioned he wondered if his cousins were still around. These folks would have been the children of his father's brother. So, I looked up my Grandfather's uncle, Ezra Self, and found his tree on ancestry.com. A few short clicks later, I had a phone number for my Grandfather's cousin, Marcia Ann. Gave her a call and spoke with her for a good twenty minutes. Hung up and called my Grandfather and passed along her number. He's over 90 and she is in her 80's and they haven't spoken in decades. They were both thrilled. I hope her daughter calls me as she has grave marker rubbings from some of the Selfs buried in Missouri. What a fun and productive good deed to do.

Tang is hard to find. I love to make what I call Friendship Tea out of Tang, lemonade, instant tea and spices. I drink gallons of it in the winter. I found only one small container of Tang yesterday. Bummer. Is Tang going away??

I'm procrastinating on coming up with a plan for Paris. I've looked at the online two and three day self guided tour recommendations and I just can't settle on an approach. Yikes. It is overwhelming because I just keep thinking, what if we never get to go back and I miss seeing something? Yes, quite unreasonable because I know I can't see it all, but that thought keeps lurking in my head and stopping me from making choices on how best to spend those hours we are in Paris. Arghhh.

I'm off to the bookstore today then home this afternoon to start preparing for the big feast. I think I may do some pies tonight as well as start chopping up other ingredients.

a trio of book bits

B&N knows how to suck me into a store and part me from my money. They sent some great coupons last week so while I was out hunting for boots, I ventured in and left with a hardcover and a paperback. I proceeded to read both over the weekend plus finish the paperback I'd started earlier in the week.

Up first....Laurell K. Hamilton is a wonderful writer and storyteller even though I wish she'd infuse some of her stories with more out of the bedroom action. In the latest Merry Gentry novel, "Swallowing Darkness," I'm happy to say that the bedroom takes a back seat to the other developments in the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Merry is finally preggers with twins, fathered by I think 6 different men....don't ask, this is a fairy tale. Of course she is in danger and all sorts of magical attacks, defenses and happenings occur. My favorite aspect of this book has to be the vision Hamilton creates of the courts and the Sluagh. The details and descriptions of the settings and the way she develops such interesting character personality facets is really amazing. I loved the ending and while it appears that the books could be complete at this point, Hamilton has blogged that more Merry stories are to come. I'm glad as one of my favorite characters returns at the end and I must read more about him.

Next, Charlaine Harris had a mystery series she did in the mid 90's called the Aurora Teagarden books. The basic premise is a small town librarian becomes an amateur sleuth. I found books two and three at our last book sale and then purchased book four at B&N. 'Roe' is out to solve the mystery surrounding "The Julius House." The house's former occupants just vanished almost seven years ago. As the house is her new home, a wedding gift from her hubby, who is quite mysterious in his own right, she wants to learn what happened. These stories could be called 'cozy mysteries' but I think they have a bit more grit to them than some of the cozies I have read. Good easy read for a cold winter's day. Roe is a delight and Harris knows how to plot a book.

Finally, I finished "Carpe Demon" by Julie Kenner. This was the demon hunting soccer mom book I wrote about last week. Well, of course, no soccer is in this book which is a bummer for this soccer mom. Instead the teenage daughter is a cheerleader...what?! All in all, the book was okay. I won't read another one as I just don't care for the whole mommy-lit genre it seems. It was cute, but I finished it more because I started it than because I was entertained. Just not for me.

The finale of HBO's True Blood was good. I was glad they wrapped up the murder mystery in the first half hour and then spent the next half hour setting up season two. My favorite scene had to be when Pam and Eric dropped Jessica off at Bill's. That was too funny. The new season will start in the summer. Alan Ball has said that he would veer from the books at this point, but from this finale, it seems that several plot lines may continue forward. My hope for season two is to see more of Eric. I just have a thing for tall, blonde undead Vikings.

Speaking of undead things, demons, evil fairies and murder....I have to walk into Wal Mart today....if I don't blog tomorrow, you'll know what happened!!

By the way, I bought boots at the Clark's store and also a pair of walking shoes. Merry Christmas to Liz from the hubby for the next few years! Pricey, but my word are they comfortable.

the Twilight teen movie phenomena

The oldest daughter and I hit the theater by 6:10 for the 6:40 movie. Young girls were already lined up for the 7:20 show, which was sold out.

The best way to describe the movie is 'squeal.' They squealed at the start of the movie. They squealed when Edward came on screen for the first time. They squealed when Edward and Bella looked into each other's eyes. They squealed and then shrieked at the first kiss.

It wasn't the three teens I was with doing the squealing. It was a whole lot of preteens doing the squealing.

The post movie review from the girls I was with: cheesy, Edward had major bad hair, they loved the casting for the other Cullen kids, good scenery, the kid who played Jacob wasn't a good pick, Edward and Bella were way too awkward/stilted with each other either due to bad acting or poor direction.

The adult reaction was pretty much the same although my neighbor added that unless you'd read the books, the movie didn't make sense in parts. She found herself filling in information 'voids' from her knowledge of the stories.

All in all, it was a fun night out with my daughter., but unless you are a hard core fan, save your money until it comes out on DVD and then rent it. Or if you are in need of hearing hormonal young women squeal, shriek and swoon...go see it this weekend.

off to the movies

I've blogged a bit about the whole Twilight book phenomena and how when I was working at the library (and getting paid to do so) I ordered the book and read it before I was even allowed to put it out on the floor. When the system works right, the library would receive books before they were actually allowed to be sold or circulated.

I'm a sucker for vampire novels...pun totally intended. I read Anne Rice when I was in high school and moved on to read any fang driven story I could find. I read Twilight and enjoyed the teen angst in the novel. Was it the best vampire story I'd ever read? No. Was it the worst? No. Was it the best written book I'd ever read? No. Did I think the YA girls would love it. YES! It was Romeo and Juliet with a paranormal twist. Forbidden love is one of those universal Joseph Campbell-esque themes.

As I continued to read subsequent Meyer offerings about Edward and Bella, I slowly became disenchanted with her characterizations. I borrowed the last book from a friend and was glad I did. Because it wasn't mine, I didn't pitch it across the room and damage the wall or the book. Some of the themes in the books are disconcerting. Teen marriage and pregnancy should not be glamorized. The age gap and the control issues surrounding the protagonists should give a mature adult pause.

My oldest daughter and I have enjoyed lengthy discussions about the characters in these novels, how they act and react, their emotions and their thoughts. She succinctly stated at one point that Bella needed a spine; she was a total drama-mama.

So, why then would we fork out the $20 to see the movie. Well, she decided she wanted to see it and I decided I would go with her to see it. The opportunity to talk with her about relationships, feelings, emotions, boys etc. is important. More important than my attitude towards the themes in the story's arc. I have no doubt that the books and the movie will be cafeteria fodder for weeks to come. She will want to join in this conversation and needs to be able to speak in an informed fashion about both book and movie.

With that in mind, we are off to see the 6:40 show with two other moms and their daughters.

the trip to europe

Sort day at the library again, but that isn't what is on my mind.

The weeks are flying by as I try and finish buying what we need for our trip. Hubby and I ordered luggage yesterday. We've never purchased a set before, just used handed down pieces from our parents and a set of fabric pieces I bought at a warehouse sale. We both wanted something more sturdy and on wheels for this trip. Now the trick will be packing. I want to pack fairly light as we will have access to a washer/dryer at my brother's house. My idea of light and the hubby's are usually two very different things. Then add the kids into the mix, well let's just say I hope to have the suitcases packed well before we leave!

I do hope to blog from over there. I know I will have access at my brother's, but not sure on free computers while in Paris and Fussen. I don't mind paying a bit, but we are trying ot stay on budget during this trip. So, posts might be more of a bulk nature instead of a daily diary.

I'm still on the hunt for boots. The pair I ordered from Lands End didn't fit the way I wanted the to. My left foot is a bit longer than my right. If I move up a size, they would be too wide. Bummer. They were nice looking boots.

Procurement day went well. The pantry is full again and I should finish up today at Schnucks after I'm finished at the library.

Got a good coupon in the mail from Barnes and Noble...I may have to check out what I can use it for online. I love giving books for Christmas and each year I give my children a new holiday themed book. We have quite the collection....three books times nine years....plus a few I've picked up just because they looked cute and were on sale.