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Readding list december 2015

I’m going to try to knock off some of the books on my started to read list.

Currently reading

  • Tales of the female nomad by Rita Golden Gelman
  • On writing by Stephen King
  • The desert and the blade by S.M Stirling
  • The Aeronaught’s windlass

There are also quite a few e-books on kindle that I want to get through too, but I’m going to focus on the paper copy ones I have from the library first.

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How I almost died

Right after Christmas flush with about $50 to spend I went to my cities downtown shopping district. First I had to pay fines at the library, then since I had some time decided to get a coffee, that led to browsing at one of the clothing shops and checking out a new restaurant that had opened. All in all a nice leisurely shopping trip for a Saturday afternoon. On the way back the wind had picked up, making a cold day into a frigid one. I was walking to the bus stop and had my head down, I was fine until I got to this  weird round about that has like 5 entrances and a weird middle. I was past the first crossing and checked no cars were coming and started across the second part. Out of nowhere a truck passes inches from my feet. My heart pounding I think that if I was walking just a little faster that I’d be hurt or dead.

These past few weeks I have made a point to double check and triple check any crossing that I need to. So be cautious out there!

<a href="https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/close-call/">Close Call</a>


2015 Reading challenge

READING CHALLENGE 2015:


Current projects

1 Rake leaves – Why do more fall after I’ve used up all the bags?
2 Clean Grandma’s and Uncle’s house – ongoing.
3 Prep for winter – I put away all my summer stuff and then the next day its in the 70’s.
4 Prep for NANO, read about all the different ways to organize a novel, knowing that I’ll probably do none of the advice and just write a stream of consciousness thing anyway.
5 Check if smoke alarms carbon monoxide detectors work, remember to replace batteries.
6 Spray for spiders at grandma’s and cousins place
7 Donate clothes that don’t fit
8 Organize my books
9 donate books to Library’s book sale
10 Buy a pumpkin, Halloween supplies, a pair of gloves and a hat.

Winter checklist

1 Complete fall list

2 Organize craft bin

3 Donate Jeans that don’t fit anymore

4 Go to Library book sale

5 Clear up kitchen clutter esp tupperware

6 Exercise more

  • Watch yoga cd’s and return them to library
  • Do bycling on the bike while a load of laundry dries, up the resistance
  • Walk with toddler more often, take him to park on sunny days
  • Go to gym 2x month
  • Log stuff on fitocracy.com

7 Make a monthly menu plan

8 Bake bread using Dough book and experiment using bread maker

9 Read more often

10 Draw more often, try to get back into Zentangles again, fill up sketchbook

 

 


I’m planning to participate in NANO this year!

I’ve been aware of the National Novel Writing Month for quite a few years now, and always something got in the way of my novelistic aspirations. Sometimes it was school, or work, sometimes it was that I just didn’t have the time or energy. This year I should have a few free hours a day, and I already have a few ideas floating around. I’m a bit undecided between a post apocalyptic fairytale story, or a sci-fi space empire war things, or a few other small ideas that have been floating around in my head for some time. I’ll have to write a outline and it seems that the best program out there is Scrivener so I’ll be posting there a lot. I’ll post it here after I’ve gotten it to as far as I can 50,000 words. I’ve only written poetry ans small blog posts but I am excited. The people over at http://nanowrimo.org/ have been very supportive and inspiring. I’m http://nanowrimo.org/participants/nicole-bulger over there.



A positive experience today

I love seeing the birds in the woods behind my house, almost everyday their songs wake me up. I love to see their flashes of color, today a young robin was singing from my porch gutter, and a swift yellow thing was eating worms in the garden.


Things I am grateful for today

Berries that grow wild along the path.
Swimming pools that are open.
A dog that is happy to see me.


My cottage in the woods

Reviving Bricks

You just inherited a dilapidated, crumbling-down grand mansion in the countryside. Assuming money is no issue, what do you do with it?

I have often thought about something like this, there are many fallen down, old dilapidated houses and cottages around my town. My family had a construction business and I know how to fix some things. I also know what I don’t know which is electric, gas and plumbing. I would start by getting an inspector just so I know what the dangerous parts are. I would struggle with just jumping right in and trying to fix all what I can in a tornado of anxious work and procrastinating and dreaming of making this just the right house for me. There would have to be woods and a vineyard or orchard, I would like a largish but not too big garden, just enough for me to work on it with a little help. I would love to have or install a pond. There is a pond on the way to see my sister that i just love, enough for swimming or carefully stocking of fish. The place would have to have enough windows as I don’t like a gloomy house
If the house was a family place I might contact distant relatives to see if they wanted any heirlooms, but with my family that might start a lot of arguments I guess that this is only a dream and not real, it sounds like a lot of stress.
But the best thing would be to turn it into a bed and breakfast, I am not enough of a loner to stay in it myself and would like the busyness of taking care of it to share with others, knowing that after a short while they would be gone on their way soon.


3 things

3 things that I’m grateful for:
1 That I played an instrument and know something about music.
2 That I took gym in High school, though I might have hated it then it is really coming in handy in my life now that I want to get back into shape.
3 My family, even though most drive me crazy sometimes, I would be awfully lonely without them.


Achievement journal entry

My recent accomplishments: I applied for a job and got an interview, I think I did ok, I talked a little about myself. Perhaps flubbed a few questions but hopefully seemed enthusiastic and suitable for the job. Entry level but have to start somewhere.
I’m going to not let it worry me and keep being positive.


crochet motifs

I’m thinking of making a lace coverup for summer.

These are the patterns that I’m thinking of doing:

I’m still undecided, but know that I’m either using a bamboo yarn or bamboo-cotton blend.

 


Recipe Strawberry banana peach fizzy smoothie

ingredients

6-7 strawberries

1 banana

1 cup frozen peaches

1/2 cup ice

2-3 tsp sugar  or honey (or leave this out)

Directions:

Take the strawberries, banana, peaches, and ice blend in blender. Add to this fruit mixture a half can of ginger ale, and sugar or honey to taste. Enjoy!


Day 10 letters : Someone you dont talk to as much as you’d like

Someone I don’t talk to, certain cousins of mine, too much difference in age or life circumstances, we talk at birthdays, or holidays but not enough otherwise.


Day 13 letters : someone you wish could forgive you

I really don’t have anyone Ive harmed too badly, If their mad at me its for a reason and the reason is bs.


3 things that I’m grateful for

1) Living in the US

2 Living in a small city

3) Living near family


Dinner Frittata

Tonight I made an Italian favorite the Frittata, is like a omelet but baked. You can put any veggie and/or meat into one and it’ll come out fine.  Today I felt like asparagus and onions would be good, plus I had leftover Easter ham.

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter or oil

5 oz asparagus

1/4 medium onion

salt

approx. 6 oz ham cubed

5-8 eggs

mozzarella cheese 2/3 cup

Directions: Take a medium 9 inch oven save frying pan, melt the butter, fry the asparagus and onions until they are a little softened. Meanwhile preset your oven to 325F (Some people like to cook them more, or caramelize them I like vegetables with a little crunch) add seasoning, I used salt and garlic salt, plus a spice packet that came with the asparagus, scramble your eggs, a smaller number makes the frittata smaller, more and you’ll have a thicker pie. When the vegetables are done to your liking, (keeping in mind that they’ll cook more in the oven) add the eggs and the mozzarella cheese. Let this firm up on the bottom, then put the pan into the oven and bake for  about 15 minutes or until firm. You might want to add more cheese when it comes out. Let cool down for a minute or two and enjoy.


Poem 3 wind/air

What is this force that pushes me?

Why does it spin the leaves around in a playful circle?

How long have the birds used it to travel, to hunt, to move to play?

Where does it begin or end? Nowhere and everywhere it is wind.

Gently it curls about my feet, strongly it whips my hair,

The trees that bend live longer than the ones that break in the path of the storm.

People are like this too, but those who do not bend sometimes cause others to bend for them,

the strength of their will is a storm that leaves destruction and carnage in its wake,

but lets the forest of humanity have some room to grow.


Poem 1: water

Water everywhere! By the lake I sit, ripples forming from my feet dangling off the dock, waves formed by boats break against the shore. The grass gleams in the morning dew, clouds race heavy and laden overhead. The sun is a seldom seen visitor peeking once or twice then hiding behind its veil of storm clouds and mist again. It is summer, summer in the Appalachian mountains of upstate NY, more bright but never too hot, water is everywhere I see.


50 Word story challenge response

I walk along the path so muddy from recent rains, the dog is happy his tail is a helicopter, new furry friends with their owners are met, geese are chased, kids run by playing and screaming, pond water is drunk, the rest of the afternoon is slept away in sunlight.

Challenge here:http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_writing_challenge/fifty/


Doing something new everyday 2014 – Cooking

I’m trying to get out of this rut of doing the same old things and cane across other people who try new to them things every day. Today I wanted to make a from scratch desert or cake. A few days ago I tried out a doughnut recipe and it came out great, so much so that I wondered what I ever saw in store bought. Yesterday I made a mango and papaya smoothie, never having had tried a papaya before.

Today I will be making something for dinner that I usually make out of a box.