A Sky Full of Stars

12-of-12: December 2011

2011-12-12T20:36:00.000-05:00

I wasn't sure I'd get this 12-done today. BUT, I HAD TO!

Today marks the end of 12-of-12 creator, Chad Darnell's, 12-of-12 Project. He's got a ton of new stuff on his plate and can no longer produce this monthly photo event. I participated for the first time in October 2008 and the 12-of-12 has been a pretty regular occurrence since then. I've really enjoyed playing along and thank Chad for starting it all. (This may not be the end of the 12-of-12, maybe just hosted by a different person... stay tuned).

So as I mentioned in my first line, I wasn't sure I'd be able to complete my 12-of-12 this month. It's Monday, after all. But it wasn't the day of the week that worried me... after I got a few miles from home this morning I realized I forgot my camera. OOPS! But, I compensated by using my iPhone. All of today's photos were taken on my phone, edited, too.

7:30-8:30am - Buffalo, NY
Here I go... off to work!

Approaching Buffalo, on the I-190 Northbound

New Courthouse (*and some Occupy Buffalo campers)

8:30am - I arrive at work, The American Red Cross, Buffalo

786 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY

How lucky am I to call this place my new "home" - I started my new job with the Red Cross a few weeks ago.

My view to the left

My view to the right

4:45pm - Heading home
Just before the sun sets I arrive at my car, while it warms up, I snap one last shot of the former Clement Family Mansion.

5:30pm - at Home
Lots of puppy chores to do tonight - clean ears, trim nails, etc - but before I do that, I grab a little treat (my last reminders of my trip to Hawaii)... ya gotta love the name "Island Hula Yummies"!!

A little aloha in every bite!

7pm
Nails & toes are done... time to refill the bones & return them to the freezer for tomorrow morning. (each kid gets one when the hubby leaves for work - there's one more hidden in the house somewhere, gotta find that sometime)

nom nom nom nom nom nom

The "new guy" - Brokk - he's been with us for 2 weeks

The princess, Mackie.... who loves peanut butter (and her new little brother)

7:30-ish

Time for a little TV...

Can you guess?

I thought this shot was pretty cool, even tho you can't tell what it is....

until you see this screen

So, that was my uneventful day in pictures. I was hoping to get one more of the kids hanging out together, but they decided to do other things while I watched TV. Hope you're having a good December so far - Happy Holidays & Happy New Year. Hope to see you in 2012!

... oh, the 12-of-12-of-2012... such an exciting thought!

12-of-12: Fail

2011-11-13T07:20:00.001-05:00

I had such good intentions to complete the 12-of-12 yesterday... but also a HUGE to-do list. The to-do list won, unfortunately.

BUT... I did get a couple interesting shots in first thing in the morning.

6:30am @ home - The moon was beautiful! My camera focused on the trees, but I still like the effect.

7:30am, leaving home - My sister asked me to watch her kids for the morning, so off I went to her house. This is a shot of the same hill you saw in October... far fewer leaves and, yes, snow on the ground. (We got about an inch Thursday night).

See the moon?

.... and that's the end of my 12-of-12. (frowny-face)

There is A LOT happening in my life in the next couple weeks which I suspect contributed to my lack of inspiration this month. You'll hear all about them in future posts... hold tight till then, I'm SURE there will be plenty of pictures to make up for those lacking today.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend... see ya next month for Chad's final installment of the 12-of-12.

Turn the Page... Tuesday

2011-11-01T20:30:00.003-04:00

Hello November! (and hello 11/1/11!)
It's the first Tuesday of the month... that means book review time with Adrienne and Turn the Page... Tuesday!

You might be interested in knowing... I have an alarm set on my phone to remind me about TTP...T every month on the first Tuesday. I was prompted to post at 7:45 this morning... I even went to read Adrienne's post, then get started on mine... then... oops... I got distracted (probably by something shiny) and didn't RE-remember to post till just now (7:43pm).

BUT, it's still Tuesday, so I guess I'm not late!

I'm in the middle of two books, again, this month. Two VERY different books, I might add.

hmmm, which to comment on first...

I know! I'll talk about Born to Run by Christopher McDougall first.

www.chrismcdougall.co

This summer, I have had no fewer than three people suggest I read this book... including Arienne! (a marathoner friend was another, and my Triathlon club, too)

I'm about 1/3 of the way through and so far, it seems to be more of a "hunt" than a book about running, tho I see where it's going because we have just met one of the amazing members of the "Hidden Tribe" and I suspect this is where the story is about to take off.

I've been running now for almost 2-years... I still don't consider myself a runner, but I do enjoy the calorie burn and the amazing physical change my body has gone through since starting it. I'm hoping Born to Run has a few secrets to share about additional ways I can be a better runner... even if it's all in my head. :)

I'm looking forward to finding out what happens in the rest of the book. Stay tuned!

Also, I'm reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22

I thought I had a copy of this on my book shelf, but after a couple days of searching (not 48-hours of searching... I would check the shelf, not find it, leave, go back, check again), I came to the conclusion that we didn't own it. I wasn't sure I wanted to own it, so I did something I haven't done in a LONG time... I went to the public library!

Side note... WOW, the library has changed a lot since I was there last. I used self check-out... where you just place the books on a little "scale" and *POOF* the computer lists the books you are taking home and posts them to your account. NEAT-O!

So, after I got over the euphoria of borrowing books the new-fangled way, I started Catch-22. Set during WWII, the main theme of the book is the ass-backwards reasoning and bureaucracy of government and war. For example, you can't fly bombing missions if you're crazy, and only crazy people would WANT to fly missions. But if you ask not to fly you're obviously NOT crazy, so you have to fly them... and things like that.

I'm not loving it. I understand the power of the story (the insanity of war) and why it made such an impact on the literary world... but I'm not devouring it like I have other books.

Side note #2... 2011 is the 50th anniversary of Catch-22, so that's kinda cool.

Anyway, I'm reading Catch-22 for our Book Club meeting next month. I'm wondering if the discussion will change my feelings about the story, or if it will just reinforce my current opinion.

I may rent the movie before our meeting later this month... I read that Alan Arkin does a great job as Yossarian (tho he didn't really think so), and that it's quite a good adaptation of the book.

HOWEVER... I'm not finished with the book, so who knows, maybe things will change before I'm done. I'll have to let you know next month.

Till then, happy reading!

12-of-12: October 2011

2011-10-12T20:27:00.004-04:00

Fall is in full-swing here in Western New York... the leaves are changing to beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows. We've had beautiful summer-like weather this last week... until today.
Today, we had drizzle that turned into rain.
BOO!

Oh well, I think I still got a few nice shots that show you how awesome our fall foliage looks right now.

But first..
6:30am
Time for P90X: Shoulders & Arms and Ab Ripper X. I'm totally loving this program this time around (first did it in 2009). Today is Day 10 & already I'm feeling stronger!

Self-portrait thanks to the camera's self-timer

9:30am
Okay, workout done; now on to the fun stuff...
Even with a little rain, the ski slopes are beautifully colored.

You definitely want to click on this image to see the full-size view

Old Glenwood Rd, look at those REDS!

Time for a little shopping.
Off to the Farm...

'Tis the week for pumpkin picking

... and Farmer's Market!

It's been an excellent year for apples

I could not believe my eyes... $5.00 for these stunning Mums!

Noon-ish
My parents met me at the market, and they brought me presents! My totally talented father made these gorgeous redwood tables for my back deck. I'm SO excited to use them... and bummed that today's rain made that impossible.

Thanks, Dad!

While I snapped photos of the tables, the little princess sat on her thrown with her new pumpkins and mums.

Mackie in her favorite spot

Oh. Guess what else the rain brought down.... LEAVES!

You'd never guess I cleared off the driveway just a few days ago. Do you see it?

Where's the driveway?

3:30pm

Off to the Library!

I haven't been here in a while and WOW have things changed. I got myself a new library card and selected a few books... but what blew me away was the "check out". You simply put your books on a scale-looking thing and the titles automatically pop up on the computer screen in front of you. Amazing!

I'm ready for Book Club!

6pm

My friend & neighbor had to be away from home most of this afternoon & evening so she asked me to stop by and feed her dog and the two she was babysitting. No problem! Lucky for me, these three would rather play in the warm, dry house than outside in the cold rain. So I brought the camera along.

Sitting pretty: Chestnut, Shadow, and Teva

... and then the insanity begins.

Once everyone was back in their crates, tummies full and ready to relax, I made my way back home... but not before I snapped a quick shot of "the aftermath".

Your "baker's dozen" shot of the day

For more 12-of-12 info and photos, check out Chad Darnell's site. Hope you had a good 12th - see ya next month!

Autumn Days

2011-10-10T09:35:00.002-04:00

Welcome Autumn!

Turn the Page... Tuesday

2011-10-04T20:37:00.003-04:00

My entry for this month's Turn the Page... Tuesday (brought to us by our good friend, Adrienne over at Some of a Kind - Thank you, Adrienne!) should be pretty short and sweet. Not because I haven't been reading, but because you already know the two books I read in September - I mentioned them in last month's post.

First, I finished The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (pronounced deh-zoot). From the Author's website, a summary of 'Jacob' is as follows:

http://fujiland-magazine.blogspot.com

The year is 1799, the place Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor, the “high-walled, fan-shaped artificial island” that is the Japanese Empire’s single port and sole window onto the world, designed to keep the West at bay; the farthest outpost of the war-ravaged Dutch East Indies Company; and a de facto prison for the dozen foreigners permitted to live and work there. To this place of devious merchants, deceitful interpreters, costly courtesans, earthquakes, and typhoons comes Jacob de Zoet, a devout and resourceful young clerk who has five years in the East to earn a fortune of sufficient size to win the hand of his wealthy fiancée back in Holland.
But Jacob’s original intentions are eclipsed after a chance encounter with Orito Aibagawa, the disfigured daughter of a samurai doctor and midwife to the city’s powerful magistrate. The borders between propriety, profit, and pleasure blur until Jacob finds his vision clouded, one rash promise made and then fatefully broken. The consequences will extend beyond Jacob’s worst imaginings. As one cynical colleague asks, “Who ain’t a gambler in the glorious Orient, with his very life?”

I found the story to be quite interesting. Life at the end of the 1700's was full of so much struggle and change; placing the story in this location showed, yet another perspective of this. As always with historical fiction, I am fascinated and disheartened by all the politics of the world. So many games people played.

The characters were extremely vivid. There were the obvious "bad guys", but each one (good and bad) were quite realistic. Mitchell did an excellent job with the language, as well... For example, the dock workers spoke in their "lower" language", there was the interplay of language between the interpreters, and (of course), the political language between the parties.

I must admit, early on in the book I was a little overwhelmed by the details of the story. Mitchell obviously took painstaking effort to describe the trading world between Japan & the Dutch... my book club felt the same way. The strange thing is, at the end of the story, there's a lot of "glossing" over the details - like he lost steam and just wanted to finish the book. (I honestly didn't mind that, but it seemed quite a contradiction from the beginning).

Speaking of book club - one thing that came up in the discussion that I didn't catch while reading was the use of poetry, namely Haiku. I have never been up on poetry... I'm just not geared that way, I guess... but I can respect it. When Jackie & Jen mentioned the Haiku's scattered throughout the book I was blown away. THIS is why I love book club, I learn things from others that I would have never gotten from the book alone.

The group gave the book an average rating of 3.5 (out of 5, 5 being best). I would say if you're interested in historical fiction about life in a very politically controlled area of the world in the late 1700's/early 1800's, this book is something you'd like to read.

wikipedia.org

Second, I completed Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley.
This book has been on my shelf since I got married and it was on my hubby's shelf since high school. I have always wanted to read it.
I got my chance this month because I am leading the discussion for Book Club on October 19th! YEP, the group chose it as a selection!

I flew through this story. It's a short book, only 209 pages, and it moves pretty fast. If you've only known about Frankenstein from the movies or TV, then you DON'T know the story. at. all.

I knew a bit of what the story was about (btw, Frankenstein is the scientist, not the monster); I knew it was a sad story, that the monster wasn't really a "monster", but that was about it.

That said, there is still SO much to talk about... and my post is already REALLY long.
Let me try to sum up the millions of thoughts in my head about this book (and it's author).

wikipedia.org

- Mary Shelley had a roller-coaster of a life up until the writing of Frankenstein (at age 19) - she grew up without her mother (her father was not very involved with her either), she eloped with a married man (Percy Shelley) at age 16, her first child died, her 1/2 sister committed suicide, and Percy's wife drowned.
- The story of Frankenstein is marketed as a Horror story... but I see it as a tragedy.
- The question of "Just because you CAN do something, does it mean that you SHOULD?" comes to mind. This, knowing that scientific research has lead to remarkable discoveries... Mary seems to be posing the question of "Are there discoveries that shouldn't be made?"
- The creature... could he have lived a good life if Frankenstein had reacted differently to him as a being?
- I can't help but be drawn to the thought of bullying - such a prominent topic these days - I'm not exactly sure why. I think it's because I sympathize so greatly with The Creature. His words throughout the story are gentle and compassionate. He is intelligent and simply yearns for companionship and love. He becomes "a monster" because he is shunned by his creator and the world of humans, banished to live in the snowy mountain caves... alone. Maybe it's the isolation and misery he feels that strikes the bullying chord in me.

I highly, highly recommend Frankenstein. It's a heart-wrenching story, but one that makes you think. It's wonderfully written by a unique woman who got the idea after spending many days hanging out with Percy Shelley & Lord Byron... being taunted into writing a "ghost story".

So much for short and sweet this month... sheesh.
Hope you read some good stuff recently, if you haven't go get Frankenstein... NOW! ;)

At it again

2011-10-03T11:51:00.003-04:00

Racing season is over (I think).
I ran my last 5K this past Saturday, the Autumn Challenge in the park in my "backyard".

And guess what?!

I took 2nd place in my age group!

WOO HOO!

(little secret... I'm not exactly sure how many people were IN my age group, but it was very few)

The day was rainy and cold (42-degrees F), so I suspect many folks opted to stay home in their cozy beds than come out and run around like a crazy fool.
But THIS crazy fool did, and I had a great time (35:07) and scored some great goodies.

SO, then the obvious next question is...

What do I do now?

No more "training" is necessary, per se, but I'm loving my new-and-improved 20-pound lighter body and want to keep it slim and strong and healthy.

With the days getting shorter and the temps dropping (it's only going to get into the upper-50s this week), the amount of outside time could be limited. So, the hubby and I decided to break out the P90X DVDs.

Yep. We're going to jump into the insanity that is P90X... again. (Our first attempt, in 2009, went quite well.)
It's a great muscle-building program, but very intense.
I have the time to commit 90+ minutes a day to these workouts, but we'll see if the hubby can (with his 10-hour work days).

My goals... I have two.
1) Maintain my weight (I have a little more fat I'd like to lose, and want to build muscle... I suspect that should balance in the pounds-department).
2) I want 6-pack abs.

Today was Day-1. I finished my workout about 45-minutes ago and already I can feel my arms getting a little tight (today was the Chest & Back workout - lots of push-ups and pull-ups). Looking forward to tomorrow... Plyo, my favorite workout. We'll see if I'm able to sit up, however, the Ab Ripper workout is a killer.

I'll see you tomorrow for Turn The Page... Tuesday where I fill you in on all I've been reading as of late. See you then!

Take it... to the limit....

2011-09-19T14:12:00.000-04:00

The 8 in the Rough is touted as...
"...a fun, challenging and almost endless course of twists, single track, a bit of wide xc ski trail and park roads. It's not flat, and it's not dry. Pack your energy and have at one of the most exciting, hard core trail runs of the season in Western New York!"
...and they ain't lyin'!

Yesterday, I learned my limit.
A friend, and fellow runner, put it into perspective today (more on that later).

But first, here's the story.
You know I've been running a lot this summer, more than I ever have before.
I'm getting better at it, tho I still don't consider myself a runner.
I have to work hard at it - it doesn't come naturally like swimming or biking.
Running really challenges me.

But I LIKE that challenge.
I like being stubborn and saying "no, dammit, I'm not giving up"... even when I feel I'm making no progress at all.

Oh.. and you also know I've been totally digging trail runs, right. (No? Go here)

SO, when I was signing up for races this summer and saw "8 in the Rough" - an 8-mile trail run in my "backyard" I thought... hmmmm, might be tough, but might be a fun challenge, something to shoot for.
So I signed up.

I honestly wasn't sure how well I'd do in this race. I never ran this distance before (5.5 and 6.5 miles were the closest I got - and one was in a rain storm (with lots of thunder & lightning) where I was literally running for my life).
One thing I did know was the awesome feeling I get when I run the trails. I wondered if this "high" could carry me through the 8.5 miles.

And if the race was strictly a mental game, I could have done it.

But, it isn't.
So I didn't.

I made it to the 6.5 mile mark (I had actually started walking around 5.5, but there was no way out of the race except forward, so I kept moving).

What happened? My hip started to really bother me.
Yep, the same hip I injured last year two weeks before my 1st triathlon. (I blogged about it here)
It was okay when I walked, but the pain flared up when I ran.

So when I came out of the woods, I bagged it. I turned in my tag and went home.

Did I feel defeated or disappointed. Yeah, a little, I guess.
But more importantly, I felt proud of my accomplishment. I completed 6.5 miles on a VERY challenging trail.

My friend and fellow runner (who I mentioned above) perfectly put it into perspective for me...
The 6.5 miles we ran on the trail today, equate to about 12 on the road.

Wow.
This made me really proud of my run.

AND
I learned a few things while I was out there...
I learned that I'm not ready for that big of a challenge (yet). Maybe I'll never be... we'll see what next year brings.
I learned the REAL reason why I run - for fitness, for calorie burn, and for the trails,
and I confirmed that I'd rather be slow and happy runner (without pain) than push myself to place 18th in a race that really means nothing in the grand scheme of life.

That won't stop me from running in organized events... it's fun to run with others in a friendly competition... but I won't let it break me if I finish dead last or DNF entirely.

It's all about getting outside, being active, and having a good time.
Hope you had some good times outside this weekend.

12-of-12: September 2011

2011-09-12T18:54:00.004-04:00

I wasn't sure I'd complete my 12-of-12 today.

I spent much of the morning doing a brick (bike/run) workout, so I was tired.
Plus, I was all "snapped" out from taking pictures at the Dirty Girl Mud Run on Saturday (click here to see those).
Plus, it's Monday, and I didn't really have anywhere "special" to go... until I decided to take my puppy-girl for a walk in the park.

Sprague Brook Park in Glenwood, NY is a gem.
It's huge. It's beautiful. And, most days, it's so peaceful.

Today was no exception.

Being a Monday, we had the trails almost entirely to ourselves. We walked along at a leisurely pace and tried to capture some of the unique aspects of "our woods". Here's what we found...

Eastern Newt

Coral Fungus

"Thumb Tack" Mushrooms

Cute & Fuzzy Fungi

First Fallen Leaves

Trooping Funnel

Mossy North Side

I hope you enjoyed your walk in the woods with us. Come back next month when the leaves promise to be in their full Fall splendor!

Thanks, Chad Darnell, for starting the 12-of-12 Project!

Dirtiest 5K to date

2011-09-10T20:14:00.002-04:00

I'm kind of surprised that I'm still awake...

Yes, it's only 8:00pm, but it's been a busy day.

A DIRTY day, too.

Today was the Dirty Girl Mud Run!

3.1 miles of mud, sweat, and obstacles... made for an AWESOME good-time!

So here we are... all pretty and clean... ready to run...

Me and my sister

Team Brave Tarts

3000 women... need many port-o-potties

We're all checked-in... it's time to RUN!

... and then the obstacles begin...

(apologies for any of the low-res photos...
I was using a throw-away camera during the run - to catch ALL the Dirty Girl action!)

The Barn Burner

Water Pit

The Wall (highest section is 8' tall)

Blurry action-shot, on the trail

Tire Pump

... then a little more running...

The weather was nicer than it looks here

... then back to obstacles!

Utopian Tubes

What?! More running??

Slip-n-Slide

Cargo-net climb

Me, snapping a photo of Jamie (pink shirts)

My photo of Jamie!

Finally... we arrive at the finish line...

What an amazing day... this run was all about fun... and it exceeded all my expectations.

I can't wait till next year!

Extra special thanks to my Dad, for being our team-photographer at the start/finish lines. He took a bunch of great shots with my Digital SLR.

Turn the Page... Tuesday

2011-09-06T09:49:00.001-04:00

It feels like Fall today. It's crispy cool, there's a chance of rain, and I'm all snuggled up on my pillow seat talking about books. So nice.
It's also Tuesday, September 6th - the first day back to school for many of the kids I know. AND... it's Turn the Page... Tuesday (brought to you by our good blogger-friend, Adrienne). Check out Some of a Kind to learn more, or to join in each month to talk about the book(s) you're reading.

So what did I read in August?
As usual, my eclectic tastes took me all over the world (and the time-space continuum).

I finished Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson. It was the final book in his Sprawl trilogy based in the future where people jack into computers to live (and trade and steal) in an alternate reality. As I've mentioned in previous posts, it's The Matrix meets Blade Runner... and so much more. I quite enjoyed the final chapter in this series, happy endings for most of the characters and a nice wrap up of the plot lines. I'll admit, Gibson's writing style is not the easiest to follow all the time (it feels like you've walked in on conversations sometimes - missing the important explanations so you have to "catch up" while reading), but this challenge adds to the intensity of the stories.
If you're into sci-fi dystopic worlds, read this trilogy... it won't let you down.

I was let down, however, by the second book I read... Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors.

www.pbs.org

From the Author's website -

Set at the height of the Mughal Empire, Beneath a Marble Sky recreates the remarkable lives of those responsible for the Taj Mahal's existence. From the famous lovers who inspired it, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, to the architect who designed it to the man who sought to destroy it, Beneath a Marble Sky recounts the stories of those who oversaw the rise of the world’s most famous building.

Maybe I shouldn't say 'let down' - more like 'not wowed'.

This book had been on my shelf for at least two years. I don't remember if it was a hand-me-down from a friend or if I picked it up in a book sale... but from the blurb on the back cover it seemed to have an interesting story to it. I had hoped this could be a book I recommended to my Book Club. It sounded like it had everything we all love to talk about - historical fiction, character interactions (the political side of romance, for example), and a setting unlike the one we live in.

It just didn't seem to grab me... it felt predictable and unoriginal. I didn't LOVE any of the characters or root for them to succeed. I wished I had been given that feeling, but it just didn't happen.

After Marble Sky I had to make a choice... read one more book that I could use as a Book Club recommendation or move on to The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (our September Book Club selection). I tried to do both.

I started Jacob de Zoet. I'm a few chapters along in it.

I also started Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

We all "know" the story... but do we really know it? I've never read the book, but I hear it contains a lot more than the story of the crazy doctor who creates a monster. It's about the struggle of life and acceptance, the quest for immortality and the conflicts in science. I'm also curious to read it because the author is a women. Writings like this, by women, were very rare in the early 1800s. I want to know (and want to talk about) Mary and why she created a story like this. I hope it's selected by the Club, but if not, I'm certainly going to read the story on my own.

That's all for this month, thanks for stopping by. I think I'll go make some tea, snuggle up with the dog & a blanket and read for a while. Hope you have a chance to do the same.

99/100 Challenge - Success!

2011-09-05T15:46:00.000-04:00

It's September 5th - the last day of the 99/100 Challenge.

First, many thanks to Elizabeth & Tee for throwing down the gauntlet this summer.

So, how did I do?
Well, see for yourself... here's the grand-sum total of all my activities these last 99 days.

Want to see EVERYTHING (all my workouts, that is)? Go here.

As you can see, thanks to the Challenge (and a couple Triathlons thrown in there), I made it!

115.2 running miles

I'm SO proud of myself.

I still don't love to run, but it's become a very important part of my life. I didn't run yesterday and I was yearning to go (the plan was to do a long trail run again, but my sore muscles from Saturday's strength-training workout and the rain stopped me from going). I never would have thought I'd actually WANT to run.

I should point out... that in addition to each of us achieving great levels of fitness, there was a "not just about me" reason for this challenge... to help others less fortunate than we. Elizabeth and Tee selected Shepherd's Pantry (food pantry serving the south coast of Massachusetts in Fairhaven) as our cause. I decided that I would donate 1/2 of my running mileage to Shepherd's Pantry - which brings my amount to $57.60 (I'm going to round it up to $60).

$60 is actually a pretty interesting number since many of the races I participated in this summer cost $60-70 to join. So, it only makes sense that I pay my 99/100 Challenge "entry fee" like I did with all the others.

So what's next on the list of challenges?? This coming weekend is the Dirty Girl at Emery Park (5K with obstacles!! Can't wait!) and the following weekend is Sprague Brook Park's 8 in the Rough (haven't committed to this 8-mile trail run yet, but I likely will do it). October is another (5K) trail run at Sprague Brook the Autumn Challenge so, you won't see my running mileage drop off any time soon.

How about you? What's your next challenge?

2011-08-17T13:03:00.002-04:00

Playing with Blogger... trying out some new formatting and backgrounds.

I think I like it.

Do you?

12-of-12: August 2011

2011-08-12T21:56:00.007-04:00

What a day!

We had a plan (picked out a couple good geocaches to go after)

and then our plans got all turned around.

But that didn't seem to matter, we had a great time and took some amazing shots!

We also broke the rules for the 12-of-12 this month...

Two of us were snapping photos (the hubby and I).

We took a TON of shots (171 for the day)...

and we couldn't edit them down any further.

So we figured, since we're making up our own rules today....

and since there were two of us, you get 24 photos! :)

If you want to get more info on the 12-of-12,

visit Chad Darnell's site, he's the one who started this fun little project.

So where did we go and what did we do?

We spent this afternoon "lake hopping" around New York's Southern Tier.

We traveled through Cattaraugus & Allegany Counties, at first looking for geocaches...

then just looking for cool places to visit.

BTW... for each photo below, you can see a full-size version by clicking on it.

To hunt our first cache, we stopped at the Harwood Lake MUA (Multiple Use Area). Harwood Lake is a 34-acre man-made lake used for flood control in Cattaragaus County. The website says there are mowed paths... but except for this first entry into the park... there wasn't much mowed.

Trail?

Once beyond the tunnel of brush, we found this guy...


Eastern Kingbird

The nicely mowed trail soon ran out...

I'm 5'4... these Joe-Pye Weeds were HUGE!

And we could no longer see a path to the cache we sought.

So, we bushwhacked through the tall weeds till we came to an opening...

and found Harwood's Meadow

A gentle Monarch Butterfly

and Bumble Bee

on thistle

What's this?! A dog on a bale?

loving the tickle of the grass

... finally arriving at Harwood Lake!

The skies weren't really than ominous - just the clouds playing tricks.

We had blazing sun not moments before the 1st photo was taken.

From here, we visited Lime Lake in Machias, NY. The lake is almost entirely inaccessible to non-homeowners, so we were only able to catch a glimpse of the area.
Be sure to view the full-versions of these next three shots... SO MUCH DETAIL you don't want to miss!

Dragon Fly

Lily with Honey Bee

Two bees or not two bees

We skipped the geocache in Lime-Lake, thus ending our caching plans.

So we pulled out our trusty map and said "Where should we go next?"

then... "Hey! What's this place???"

We had found the Hanging Bog Wildlife Management Area

... and off we went.

On our way, we met these beauties...

... then we arrive!

Hanging Bog Wildlife Management Area, New Hudson, NY

Look closely at the letters of this sign...

What's a Hanging Bog, you ask?

After parking the car, we walk over to the bog.

About a million frogs go flying into the water as we approach (I'm not kidding).

The Hanging Bog

Bog Frog - got one!

Lily Pads

We wandered around the bog for a bit, then decided it was time to head for home.

This last shot is of Rushford Lake in Rushford, NY.

It's another lake that is hard to get to unless you own lakefront property in the area.

But if you take Slusher Hill Road out of Hanging Bog WMA, you'll get this awesome view.

Rushford Lake

That was our final stop of the day - our lake-hopping adventure coming to an end.

Thanks for sharing our 12th with us. Come back next month and see what we're up to then!

Happy Trails

2011-08-07T07:59:00.013-04:00

What do you get when you combine Rocks, Ruts, Roots, and Running???
A wicked good time!

If you know me at all, you know that running is not my thing.
I've only been running (seriously) for about a year. I never liked running before... actively disliked it, actually.

This dislike has continued for a long time. I was really hoping it would go away the longer I ran. But, for example, at last month's triathlon, my run time was mediocre (again) and I really felt miserable throughout it. Much of my problem was mental, but some of it, I'm certain, was physical. I realize that running on hot asphalt with the sun beating down on me makes it very difficult for me to run. However...

I have recently discovered my love of trail running!

Here's what happened...

The week after our triathlon, my training partner, Jan, took me to our local park to run the cross-country ski trails - for a change of pace and to up our mileage. She had a 2-mile loop mapped out that we would run twice (for a total of 4-miles). All but about 250-feet was in the woods, surrounded by trees that provided great shade.

We made it through the first loop, warming up and watching for obstacles, then started loop #2.
I felt great.
I barely felt winded, I wasn't struggling to continue.
I felt like I could run for hours!

Was it the new scenery?
Was it the trees that I love to hike and walk amongst?
Was it the company?

I think it was the shade.
I think it was the coolness of the forest.
I think it was the "cushion" of the trail.
and most importantly... I think my mind was in a really good place.
And all of this together makes me want to run.

How could it not? I LOVE spending time in the woods. I go for long walks there with my husband & family as often as possible. It is my happy place.
SO, it seems only natural that I could be happy running here as well.

And if you're gonna run... why not test yourself every once in a while with a little race, right??

That's when I discovered that there was a new 5K race coming to a nearby town.... the "Dirty Girl".

www.godirtygirl.com

It's not your average 5K... there's mud and obstacles. And mud.
But the great thing is, it's all about fun. (Go check out the website.)
That's what I want from a race.
So, I recruited my friends and sister to be on a team with me and we're all registered for the event.
But I can't get instant gratification from this race, it's not happening until September.
... cue Kathryn and her invitation to run in the Boston Mud Run!

http://www.quarkquark.com/mudrun/

This 6K race is advertised as a "European-Style Cross Country Run" - a 3.5 mile trail run with hills and stream-crossings and mud, mud, mud! Pools of it all over the trails. If you're careful (like I was this year), you could avoid getting too dirty... but there were some who WANTED to play in the mud (and wanted to share with others). If you visit the event's website and check out the photo page, you'll get a sense of what some people look like when their run is done.

I want next year to be different - I want mud in my shoes and in my hair. :)

We didn't score an land-speed records that night, but we had an excellent time doing it - AND we celebrated with ice cream afterwards. Who doesn't love ice cream after a hard workout?! AND, the registration fee went to a good cause - the Boston Rescue Squad. AND... we all got great shirts! I'm wearing mine as a badge of honor.

So, I'll still be running on the road occasionally... but I think for the most part you'll find me in the woods... either walking with the dog, the hubby or the family or running along with my thoughts... in my happy place.

Happy Trails!

P.S.... here's the map of the Boston Mud Run, in case you'd like to try it yourself. (Be sure to check out the elevation information, too. HA!)

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&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/?location=Eden, NY"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Hikes in Eden, NY&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; 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Turn the Page... Tuesday

2011-08-02T15:40:00.001-04:00

I know I said this last month... but WOW, time is flying!
I was checking out my blog-roll this morning when I saw Adrienne's TTP...T post and couldn't believe it was the first Tuesday of the month already.

I don't have much to report this month (far less than June's TTP...T). My reading has stalled a bit. Triathlon training is continuing into July since I was roped into a second event on August 27th. Not sure if that is the reason for my single read or if it's just summer stuff taking over all my free time or the fact that I'm so exhausted by the end of the day that I can't read... who knows.

http://project.cyberpunk.ru

Regardless, I'm finishing up William Gibson's Cyberpunk "Sprawl" Trilogy, Count Zero is done and I'm working on Mona Lisa Overdrive. (This is one of the books on my "on the shelf waiting for me for TOO LONG" reads.)

MLO takes place 8-years after Count Zero's adventures. I'm barely into the story and have met a new cast of characters... and I'm pretty sure one from Neuromancer, tho she has a new name.

This is another high-tech mystery of sorts... I'm waiting for all the "matrix" story lines to be fully explained as well as the finger (finally) pointed at the bad guys. Tho, like in real-life maybe all the good guys aren't all good and the bad guys aren't all bad. We'll see.

If you'd like to know more about the story line, you'll have to visit Amazon (or some other book site). I don't have enough of it to really share at this point.

In other news... I lead the discussion for The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton at my Book Club at the end of July. The book received a 3.7 average rating (5 being the best) from the group. I was pretty pleased by this rating since I was the one who suggested we read it. I recently gave my copy to my good friend, Elizabeth, who told me she's loving the first 150-pages. I can't wait to talk with her about it!

The next Book Club book is The 1000 Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. I'll be diving into this one soon for our September meeting.

Hope you're having a great summer - see you next month! To see what others are reading (or to participate), visit Some of a Kind. Thanks, as always, to Adrienne for the idea!

Carrots and berries and kale, oh my!

2011-07-19T09:45:00.005-04:00

A couple weeks ago, the hubby and I watched a movie about two guys who lost a ton of weight and "got healthy" just by drinking juice from fruits & veggies. This "juice fast" was all they consumed for 60-days or longer. They were observed by doctors throughout that time and had blood tests measure important hormone/body chemical levels. One guy, who started out at almost 430-pounds, dropped his weight by about 200# while simultaneously, getting off a bunch of the meds he was on for various health issues.

The movie was interesting... a bit infomercially (selling the juicer and the book), but it had one point that that really hit home for us...

Raw vegetables are good for you.

That said, neither of us feel we get enough veggies in our diet. We try, but sometimes we just don't try hard enough. And we don't eat poorly (I can't tell you the last time we ate at one of the major fast-food places - it has to be close to 10-years), but could we be healthier if we tried to follow the "Strive for 5" lifestyle?

Then we asked the question... should we get a juice extractor and have a veggie-smoothie every day?

I posed this question to my friends on FaceBook.

For the most part, the response was the same... too expensive, too much work.

OKay... sure.
I can see their point.
BUT...

Veggies ARE more expensive than junk food. If I make this a priority for me, and my health, then I should be able to make it work. Right?

Too much work? I don't know. I didn't have a juicer at that time, so I had no idea what if would be like to process fruits & veggies and then clean up the machine. Yes, I'm sure it's more work than buying pre-made juice, but it can't be that much less work than cooking up a veggie for dinner.

Long-story-short, I really wanted to try juicing. When talking with a friend, I found out that she had one that she never used and would be happy to give it to me. HOORAY! Now I can "try it before I buy it" (which is awesome, because my research has shown that a decent juicer costs about $200.)

And try it, we did... I went to my local Farmers Market & grocery story and bought Kale, Cucumbers, Apples, Grapes, Carrots, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Celery, Broccoli, Beets, and Blueberries. Each day (for the last 4 days) we've taken a mixture of these things and made juice out of them. We spent a little over $50 on fruits and veggies, I estimate it should last the two of us about a week.

Ya know what??? It's not bad!

Yeah, it looks terrible... swamp green in color.
And yeah, Kale tastes a bit like grass, but it's REALLY good for you (lots of micro-nutrients) and mixed with other stuff, you don't notice it as much as you would if you ate it alone.

Clean-up, too, is easy! The machine comes apart, you pull out the "pulp" and rinse the components. That's it. Leave it on the counter to dry, and you're ready to go the next morning.

So, we're going to keep trying this and see what happens.
Will we feel healthier? Will we have more energy? Will we lose any weight?
I don't know.

All I know is that I'm taking a step in the right direction to put more nutrient-dense foods in my body... and that's the point, isn't it?

Do you juice? Got a favorite recipe? I'd love any feedback you'd like to share.

99/100 Challenge - Half way there!

2011-07-14T08:29:00.001-04:00

I crossed the 1/2 way mark this morning...

my 2.7 mile run put me at...

50.6-miles!

WOO HOO!!

Special thanks to Elizabeth & Tee for starting this challenge.

For more information, to donate, or to get involved (yes, you still can!), visit their sites.

12-of-12: July 2011

2011-07-12T21:40:00.001-04:00

Today's 12-of-12 is being renamed to....

"My Summer Vacation"

It was a day filled with summertime activities.

It started out with...

CHERRIES!

This morning I made Cherry-Almond Jam...

Jam: Before

Jam: WIP

Jam: Done!

Next... Cherry Pie!

Pie: Before

Pie: After

Mid-day, I took time to relax.

Hangin' in the Hammock

My view from the Hammock

Finally, it was time to burn some calories...


Self portrait: Safety first!

First hill (it's steeper than it looks)

View of the golf course

Almost home - cooling down

If it was a little earlier, I'd grab a piece of pie to celebrate burning 500+ calories over my 16.1 miles of riding, but since I'm trying to lose a little weight, I'll save those calories for another time.

If you'd like to learn more about the 12-of-12 project, visit Chad Darnell's page. He's the one who started it all - there you'll find other 12-of-12ers from around the world, too.

Hope you're having a great summer. See ya next month!

Catching up...

2011-07-09T16:21:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's been a week since the Triathlon. Time really flies in the summer time.

Well... there was that little holiday in there, too. Hope you had a fun 4th of July - celebrating your independence in your favorite way. I did. We spent two days in Zoar Valley, NY... walking in the woods and swimming in the creek.

Zoar Valley

Since I created my Activity Tracker (found on the sidebar on the right), you don't really need a daily account of my swim-bike-run training. Besides... I didn't think I'd be "training" after last weekend... but my hubby and friends talked me into completing a 2nd Tri this summer - Big day #2 is August 27th. This one is exactly the same as last weekend's tri, just in a slightly different location (we can almost say it's "down the street" from the 1st one).

I was thinking about doing a Tri in Massachusetts... but I decided against it... mainly out of selfishness. I'm going to visit Elizabeth (and family) at the end of July (barring any drastic schedule changes), and instead of having to go to bed early, leave the house early, then be exhausted for the remainder of my visit, I'll just go and watch the event. Maybe. I'd much rather hang out with my pals than worry about swimming in the ocean or my transition times or, or... anything else.

Speaking of Elizabeth... she's the one who started the 99/100 Challenge. I'm happy to say that I'm perfectly on track to finish the challenge by Labor Day. Today is Day 41 of the challenge and I've logged 43.7 run-miles thus far. HOORAY!

I expect I'll be even further ahead of schedule over the next couple weeks since my run training has stepped up a bit. You see, I didn't love my performance during the run part of the July 2nd Tri. Granted, it was hot and humid, but I don't think that was why I didn't blast thru the run. It was mental. I was dreading the run... something I thought I was over.

So, my focus in July is to get "really good" at running... improve my speed, improve my distances, improve my overall attitude toward the sport. I think I have the fundamentals (form, cadence, etc)... now I just have to get my head right.

I can do this.
I will do this.

I don't have much more to report... so, here are a few shots from the event... special thanks to my mom, photographer extraordinaire!

Me & my Tri-buddy, Jan (post-race)

Don't forget - Tuesday is the 12th - so you'll see me here that day, participating in the 12-of-12 with 12 photos of the day.

Till then... it was nice catching up with you.

Turn the Page... Tuesday

2011-07-05T16:14:00.004-04:00

Oh my gosh... it's the first Tuesday in July!
It's Turn the Page... Tuesday with Adrienne!

It was a mish-mosh month of reading... two books that probably couldn't be more different. The first was a recommendation from a Book Club buddy, the other from my hubby - a sci-fi guy. Tho very different, the social commentary from both authors was quite thought provoking.

So here's what I read in June...

www.tchevalier.com

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

I didn't know this was "historical fiction" when I started reading. How pleasantly surprised I was when I found out. I found the story interesting, albeit a bit depressing at times. How hard it must have been for these scientific women who lived in a time when social class and gender were such limiting factors. Tho I don't know how much of the "relationship" side of the story keeps to reality, I get a sense that it's probably pretty close. I can imagine the challenges the "old spinster" and "young working class girl" face when dealing with their need for love and affection, again, in a world that makes it so difficult to find (or act upon) love.

Here is a summary from Tracy Chevalier's website:
In 1810, a sister and brother uncover the fossilized skull of an unknown animal in the cliffs on the south coast of England. With its long snout and prominent teeth, it might be a crocodile – except that it has a huge, bulbous eye.
Remarkable Creatures is the story of Mary Anning, who has a talent for finding fossils, and whose discovery of ancient marine reptiles such as that ichthyosaur shakes the scientific community and leads to new ways of thinking about the creation of the world.
Working in an arena dominated by middle-class men, however, Mary finds herself out of step with her working-class background. In danger of being an outcast in her community, she takes solace in an unlikely friendship with Elizabeth Philpot, a prickly London spinster with her own passion for fossils.
The strong bond between Mary and Elizabeth sees them through struggles with poverty, rivalry and ostracism, as well as the physical dangers of their chosen obsession. It reminds us that friendship can outlast storms and landslides, anger and and jealousy.

From 1810, jump to "the future" with...

Neuromancer by William Gibson
I believe this is the first "Cyberpunk" novel I've ever read. Written in 1984, the year of the story is uncertain. There's been a big war (WW III?) and technology is everywhere and in everything. People are "jacked in" to the Matrix and have the ability to buy tech-implants and enhancements to their bodies and minds. Computers are an essential part of daily living - and in this story, there are two AIs (Artificial Intelligences) that need an intervention.

Imagine movies like The Terminator, Blade Runner, The Matrix, and Escape from New York (if you're not into the Cyberpunk genre), this will give you a feel for what Gibson's world of Neuromancer & The Sprawl is like. Interesting possibilities for the future, if you ask me.

Here's a bit from Gibson's website:

http://www.neuromancer.org/

Case was the hottest computer cowboy cruising the information superhighway--jacking his consciousness into cyberspace, soaring through tactile lattices of data and logic, rustling encoded secrets for anyone with the money to buy his skills. Then he double-crossed the wrong people, who caught up with him in a big way--and burned the talent out of his brain, micron by micron. Banished from cyberspace, trapped in the meat of his physical body, Case courted death in the high-tech underworld. Until a shadowy conspiracy offered him a second chance--and a cure--for a price....

BTW - Gibson, from what I understand, is credited with coining the word "cyberspace" - which shows how influential his stories have been in the technology world.

I'm in the middle of "Count Zero," the second novel of Gibson's Cyberpunk trilogy right now. It's loosely connected to Neuromancer. We'll see if there's more as I get further along in the story.

That's it for this month. See you in August. Happy reading!

99/100 Week 4: June 19 - 25

2011-06-25T18:32:00.003-04:00

Here's my mileage for the fourth week...
of the 99/100 Challenge

Before I list everything, tho, I thought you might want to see the new handy-dandy spreadsheet that I created to help me track mileage.

Click here to see my Activity Tracker!
Pretty nifty, eh? I know, really not that exciting, but it's helpful - and it does math better that I do.

I was VERY busy this week...
Tthis week was the final push before I back off a bit for next week's "taper week". The one-week countdown to the TRI has begun. I've even gotten my Tri-bag out of the closet and started loading it up with stuff that I'll need (so I won't forget it when I have to leave next Saturday at 5:45am).

Sunday, 6/19 - Dad's Day was a rest day for me. I ate too much and exercised too little, but I was with family, so it's all good. Oh wait! I did do 15 burpees this day... so that was good.

Monday, 6/20
   BIKE - Blasted 16.1 miles of hills on the bike today... wore a new shirt and got sunburned. Oh well.

Tuesday, 6/21
   RUN - 3.8 miles, baby!

Wednesday, 6/22
   WALK - 2.5 miles - out with a friend and her bullmastiff, Hippo.
   SWIM - 0.7 mile (1200 Yards) - New pool! Springville is closed for the summer, so off to Holland we go! Interesting tidbit - this is considered "open swim" instead of "lap swim", so there were a bunch of random people doing random things in the pool (swimming, floating, playing basketball), so it really made me work to keep my swimming in-line, much like open-water swimming.

Thursday, 6/23
   RUN - 5.3 miles - my longest distance ever! (Sadly, I cannot say that I ran the whole way... but I did manage at least 4-miles, I walked up the big hills)

Friday, 6/24
   *BRICK*
   BIKE - 7.0 miles (averaging 13.2 mph! WOO HOO!)
     RUN - 1.5 miles (at approximately 6 mph!)
This is about 1/2 the distance for each event in next week's triathlon. I went out first thing in the morning, without "fuel" and still felt pretty good at the end of the 45-minutes it took me to finish. I'm excited that next week (when I'm properly sugared-up), I'll be really ready to go.

Saturday, 6/25 - Rested today. Well, if you can call hanging out with my niece and nephew "resting". We were on the move all day!

Totaling up the week, it's my highest mileage week since I started keeping track.
38.4 miles for the week. Wow!
Of those 38.4, I ran for 10.6 of them. Wow, again!

This week really helped me get back on track for the 99/100 Challenge. Currently, I'm sitting at 32.2 miles of running in 4-weeks. 67.8 miles to go by Labor Day (Sept 5). Woo hoo!

My Fitness Pal: A Review

2011-06-21T16:09:00.003-04:00

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

A little over a month ago, a friend introduced me to "My Fitness Pal" a website and app for my phone (she introduced me to a LOT of apps that day, but that's another story). MFP had become her best friend for weight loss: tracking calories and exercise, so she didn't have to.

Now. I'm not "dieting".
I don't believe in it.
I think diets are really terrible ways to make people feel like their doing something good for their bodies, when in many cases, people are starving themselves or going through some strange nutrient-deficient 10-day "cleanse" blah blah blah.
No. I believe that in order to lose weight, your calories in must be less than your calories out.
Oh, and in order to not have our bodies go into starvation-mode, there cannot be too huge a deficit.

I also feel that I need to lose some weight. Not much, but since the scale has been slightly on the rise these last few years, I thought having a tool that could help me figure out my calorie imbalance might be useful.

Useful?! THIS APP ROCKS! Everyone should use it. I'm totally serious.
Why, you ask?
Here's what I love about this app...

It's SO easy.
To start, you input your height, weight, age, goal-weight, and activity level. Then, it calculates what your average daily calorie consumption should be (with details on how many carbs, protein, and fats).

From there, you track your foods and exercises.
This is a little time consuming at first (for foods) because you really want to measure everything. Is that a tablespoon of salsa or two tablespoons? How much peanut butter are you REALLY putting on your sandwich? Is that steak 6 oz or 8 or 12? Those things are important to know.

But as I mentioned... this is EASY.
For example, once you know that you've eaten 4-Tbsp of Tostitos All Natural Chunky Salsa, you just do a search on My Fitness Pal and voila! you know how many calories (and other nutrients) you just consumed.

Click on the pix to see a large screen-shot

You do this throughout the day, and the tracker keeps you up-to-date on where you stand for calories (consumed & remaining). You can plan the rest of your day accordingly.

Here's what my food intake looks like for today:

I haven't had dinner yet, but you can see that I've got 954 calories to "spend" for the rest of the day. I'm excited... I might have ice cream later (and not feel guilty).

You'll see at the bottom of the Food Diary shot that there's a message to me (*You've earned 540 calories from exercise today.)

Yep! I did!

I ran for 45 minutes this morning, then took the dog for an hour-long walk.
So, not only is this easy, but the program is SMART!
It can calculate (a rather good estimate, in my humble opinion) how many calories someone will burn for each minute of exercise.
You can see here, that my running at 5mph burned 397 calories. (YES!)

It then adds those calorie expenditures to your overall calorie goal. (Yes, burning more calories means you can EAT MORE calories!)

Finally... probably the most important reason why I LOVE MyFitnessPal... is it works!
As I mentioned at the start of this post, I've been using the program for a little over a month.
And guess what!?!?
The scale has started to move in the OTHER direction.
It's not going up any more!
I've lost 5-pounds in just under 5-weeks.
I really do believe it's because I've paid attention to my calories in and calories out.
I think it's due to My Fitness Pal.

You can even have "friends" who you can share your weight-loss journey with and support each other.

I can't think of anything that I don't like about MFP. I guess I would like to be able to see a full "calendar" of activity/food tracking along with weight... but that's nothing I can't live without. It has other reports you can see that are okay - I'm sure others find them more useful that I do. But hey, that's great! The more tools, the better.

So, visit www.myfitnesspal.com today and sign yourself up. It really is an amazing tool - if you dedicate yourself to it (like anything).

99/100 Week 3: June 12 - 18

2011-06-18T17:49:00.004-04:00

Here's my mileage for the third week...
of the 99/100 Challenge

This was an AWESOME week, full of "bests" and a strong feeling of success. This week solidified my belief that I'm going to do well this year. I'm actually looking forward to the Tri, because I know I am ready.

Two weeks from today, we'll see how well I actually do.

For now, here's what I've been up to this week.

Sunday, 6/12 -
   Run - 1.0 mile run
I did a "speed trial" - asking how fast can I run 1.0 mile? Answer - 9:36 (not bad!)
* I also did 15 burpees. Don't know what a burpee is? Click here. Why am I doing burpees? My cousin is doing the 100 burpee challenge (yes, ANOTHER challenge). It's a 100 day program where, at the end, you do 100 burpees in a row. Think it's easy? HA! Try doing 15. Try doing 10! Hell, try doing 5. You'll see they are NOT easy.

Monday, 6/13
   Swim - 0.85 miles (1500 yards)

Tuesday, 6/14 - Rest, yes... I forced myself to take a rest day. It's getting harder and harder to do.

Wednesday, 6/15
   Run - 4.8 miles (yes, this is correct... almost 5-miles! I constantly ran for 4.0 miles, and had some walking/running intervals for the other 0.8) This is a new milestone for me... a new "longest run".
   Walk - 2.0 miles (Mackie needed a walk... so off we went for a nice easy hike in the woods)
   Swim - 1.0 miles (1800 yards) - I SWAM A MILE! It took me 45 minutes, but I did it. Pretty proud of this milestone, too.
** Wednesday was a VERY good day! **

Thursday, 6/16
   Bike - 10.0 miles (this was ANOTHER good day. I figured I'd just do an "easy 10", but once I got started I felt very strong, so I went with it and pushed myself. I finished in 48-minutes, averaging 12.5 mph).
   Hike - 2.5 miles (in the woods, uphill, both ways). Good time with my sister and her 4-legged child.

Friday, 6/17
   Hike - easy 1.5 miles in the Forestry.
   * 15 Burpees *

Saturday, 6/18
   * BRICK * Bike - 6.7 miles then Run - 1.9 miles

For a grand sum total of 32.25 miles this week.
My total running miles were 7.7, leaving me with 78.42 miles to go (before Labor Day).

Interesting little side note... I totaled up my mileage for the first 3-weeks of the 99/100 Challenge... if one was to include ALL activities (not just running)... I'd be sitting at 99.95 today. SO CLOSE!

Tis the Season... for JAMMING!

2011-06-15T22:18:00.005-04:00

I can't tell you how many people has asked for my jam recipes. Usually it happens after someone has tried some and fallen in love with it. I must admit, I LOVE all the ooohhs and yummmms I hear when people taste my jam. It makes me so happy.

There really is nothing special to my recipe for any Jam. I (basically) follow the Sure-Jell Low-Sugar recipe (contained in the box of Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin), with a few modifications. All of the "processing" directions I follow pretty closely. It's the ingredients that are altered.

So.. for example, Strawberry. My personal favorite.

The recipe says -
6 cups of crushed strawberries
4 cups of sugar

I make my jam with -
9 cups of (mostly) crushed strawberries (I use a potato masher to bust up the berries, leaving some almost whole and others pulp)
~ 3 cups of sugar (I scoop out four "almost" cups... I measured with my most recent batch and my cups are more like 3/4 cups)
I use butter with the fruit - about 1/2 Tbsp.
I don't skim off any foam (tho usually, I don't get much, if any) before ladling the mixture into jars

That's it! Those are the only differences. No magic, or ancient family secrets.

However... there are a few things I've learned over the years that help make REALLY YUMMY jam -
- Fresh fruit. I try (tho it doesn't always happen) to make jam from perfectly ripe fruit. My strawberries were processed within 24-hours of being picked. I use "seconds" for nectarine/plum/apricot because I don't care what they look like, I just want tasty fruit. (I also try to only use locally-grown fruits. Nothing from the supermarket, just farm-fresh fruits.)
- Let your "rolling boils" roll... give them a little time to build. Don't rush to add the remaining sugar or hit the 1-minute timer. I've found that it's really hard to overcook jam.
- Don't worry about EXACT amounts of fruit or sugar.
- I use the "inversion method" to seal the jars. After filling and screwing on the lid/rings on the jars, turn the jar upside down and let sit for 5-7 minutes. Once that's done, flip them back to their upright position and let them sit for the next 24-hours. Listen for the "pop" and cheer when you hear it - your jar is sealed!

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask if you have any questions about jam-making. I'm no expert, but I've been doing it for a while and may be able to assist.

Happy Jamming!

12-of-12: June 2011

2011-06-12T21:13:00.003-04:00

Any other Sunday this month and I likely would have brought you twelve stunning photos of waterfalls, rolling hills, hiking adventures or some other cool travel destination.

But, today, we had a guest arriving at 2pm, so we stayed home and cleaned up, cooked, then entertained. So, you all get 12 pictures taken around the house... examples of what we have to offer here in Western New York State.

First, the flora...

Rhododendron - the last blooms

Beacon Silver Dead Nettle

Happy little Hosta

New Blue Spruce

My Big Backyard

And, now, the fauna...

Mackie - making sure we don't have squirrels or chipmunks in the yard

Squirrel!

Chipzilla!

Can't see me

Peanut Face

Stump Speech

CHUBBY (and comfy) Gold Finch

That's all I've got for you this time. Come back next twelfth and see what's going on. If you want to join in, visit Chad Darnell's blog at this link - he's the one who started all this "12-photos on the 12th day of each of the 12-months."

99/100 Week 2: June 5 - 11

2011-06-11T17:48:00.006-04:00

Here's my mileage for the second week...
of the 99/100 Challenge

Sunday, 6/5 - Rest

Monday, 6/6
   Swim - 0.91 miles

Tuesday, 6/7 - Rest

Wednesday, 6/8
*BRICK* Bike - 11.0 miles & Run - 1.8 miles

   Swim (open water) - 0.25 miles (400 meters)

Thursday, 6/9
   Walk - 2.14 miles

Friday, 6/10
   Run - 4.08 miles (of that, ran 3.5 continuous miles - my longest run yet!)

Saturday, 6/11
   Walk - 1.32 miles (trail walk with Mackie)
   Bike - 13.5 miles

For a grand sum total of 35.0 miles.

As for the 99/100 Challenge... I'm a bit behind on running miles at the moment because I'm trying to make sure I hit all three Triathlon events. Three-weeks till the big day. I'm still feeling VERY good about my progress and am expecting to blow last year's time out of the water!

My total running miles were 5.88, leaving me with 86.12 miles to go (before Labor Day). Will just keep on keepin' on!

Turn the Page... Tuesday

2011-06-07T08:54:00.003-04:00

Hello Book Lovers!
I'm sorry I've been away these last few months.
But now, I'm back and have caught up on a lot of reading, so here are my reviews.

For those of you who don't know about Turn the Page... Tuesday, visit Adrienne's blog at Some of a Kind to learn more... then play along!

I've completed FOUR books since I last blogged about them back in February.

www.stieglarsson.com

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
This is the 2nd in "The Millennium" Series - where we learn more about Lisbeth Salander's dysfunctional family and upbringing. The story was far less interesting than the first book (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) in that the story dragged, you didn't really care about the characters, and you kept waiting for something to happen. That something did finally happen (in the last 50 pages of the book), but it was a long time coming. If I hadn't felt compelled to finish it before I watched the movie by the same name, I could have easily just put it back on the shelf without a need to go back.
I have The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest waiting for me, but I don't know if I'll make time to read that for a while, if ever.

rebeccaskloot.com

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
I have mixed feelings about this book. My Book Cub read it for our May meeting and it seems many of my fellow members were conflicted about it as well.
The story starts in the 1940s/50s when Henrietta "donated" her cancer cells to science (without her consent or knowledge). Ms. Skloot's investigation tracks the HeLa (Henrietta Lacks) cells and Henrietta's very poor, uneducated, and highly dysfunctional family for 50-years.
We learn of the numerous scientific breakthroughs attributable to the HeLa cells (vaccines, AIDS research, etc), but then have to weigh that against the ethical issue of taking Henrietta's cells without her consent. Then, there's the question of money - how many scientists achieved money and prestige from these ill-gotten cells? Should it matter, since the studies are helping so many around the world?
It's funny - for me, my struggle was not the bio-ethical issue raised by some, it was more of the story itself. This should not have been a full-length book. Instead, it could have easily been made into a journal article or paper. Explain the science and mention the family - not create a long, drawn out drama. I gave the book a 3.0.

www.charlaineharris.com

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Sookie is BACK!
I finally bought last-year's Book 10 in the Southern Vampire Series. What fun it was to get back to Sookie and her strange world. "Big thinker" book this was not... but a nice, light, almost-summer read. Plus... I was quite pleased that poor Sookie didn't get too bumped around this time. In fact, she seemed to be a rather strong character in this episode.
Ha! I just noticed that the title is really quite appropriate this time... lots of family stuff in Dead in the Family.

www.katemorton.com

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Ohhhhh, what a wonderful story! You MUST read it!
Kate Morton puts the essence of The Forgotten Garden perfectly on her website -

... a lost child.

... a terrible secret.

... a mysterious inheritance.

This book follows the lives of three generations - all with their strengths and quirks... and more dysfunction. But you fall in love with each of them (even the "bad" ones) and can't wait to turn the page to find out more. In addition to the main story, the author includes "fairy tales" written by Eliza, the main character, that illuminate the feelings (or the truth) behind the story.
I have recommended this book as my Book Club's Summer Read - I'm excited to lead the discussion and hear what the ladies have to say about it.

I can't wait to see what others have read this month - I'm working on Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier now - which I KNOW one of the TTP...T participants read recently. I'm a little less than half-way through, so I expect I'll be talking about it next month.

Thanks for visiting! See you in July!

Weekly wrap-up

2011-06-04T12:26:00.003-04:00

Here's my mileage for the week...
(kicking off the 99/100)

Monday, 5/30
   Run/walk - 4.0 miles
   Creek-walk - 2.0 miles (Saw the most spectacular waterfall at the 1.0-mile point. Amazing!)

Tuesday, 5/31
   Cycling - 15.4 miles

Wednesday, 6/1
   Hike - 1.5 miles

Thursday, 6/2
   Hike - 1.44 miles

Friday, 6/3
   Hike - 3.52 miles

Saturday, 6/4
   Run - 4.07 miles (VERY proud of my two 1.5-mile run intervals during this workout)
   Walk - 0.77 miles (cut short due to rain, thunder & lightning)

For a grand sum total of 32.7 miles.

However, keeping to the original plan of running 100 miles in 99 days, I'm also going to track just my run miles. My 8 run miles this week puts me at 92 to go. Yay!

BTW, four-weeks from today is the Triathlon. Today's run has made me feel quite confident that I'll be fully prepared for the event this year.
... let the countdown begin!

Birthday shoes!

2011-06-03T20:00:00.002-04:00

My hubby will have a birthday soon... so today we went shopping for his present. He's been talking for months about Vibram's FiveFingers... you know them as the shoes with individual toes.

He's terrible at waiting for presents and these shoes require precise fitting (you really have to try them on to know if you like them and if you have the right size). So, off to the store we went.

Here he is... enjoying a nice beverage on the back deck... in his new VFFs. He says he's going to wear them to work tomorrow - we'll see what kind of reaction he gets.

I'm thinking about possibly investing in a pair for myself... not yet, tho. When I do, I'll be sure to post a picture of my funny feet.

Counting down...

2011-06-02T09:26:00.000-04:00

I'm a month away from my 2nd Triathlon.
I'm completely confident about my equipment - bike, especially.
I feel good about my swimming ability.
and... I'm getting there for the run.

The next 3-weeks will be the deciding factor on how much improvement I can make at the race.

I'm excited to see what's going to happen.

99/100

2011-05-29T19:28:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is Memorial Day... May 30th.
99 days from Memorial Day is Labor Day... September 5th.

Between those two days I've been challenged to run 100 miles.

Thank you, Elizabeth. (said sarcastically?? No.)

I'm currently working on preparing for the Triathlon on July 2nd. The run is my weakest event of the three. I can ride my bike for miles and miles and not feel like I'm gonna die. I am comfortable swimming 1/2 a mile at a time. No biggie. Running, on the other hand. UGH.

What better way to improve than run, run, run?

So, tomorrow morning, before the hubby and puppy wake up, I'm putting in 4-miles and start the week off on the "right foot."

Want to join the challenge??? Visit Elizabeth's site and sign up. C'mon, it's good for you!

12-of-12: May 2011

2011-05-13T14:12:00.002-04:00

Hello again!
I know, it's been quite some time.
Too long.
A lot has happened in the last few months.
Maybe someday I'll write about it. Maybe not.

In the meantime, yesterday was the 12th!
Since I had my camera and a fun day planned, I thought it appropriate to return to blogging with the 12-of-12!
If you aren't sure what the 12-of-12 is, visit Chad Darnell's site where he'll tell you all about it and you can see other cool amateur (and not so amateur) photographers shots from the 12th.

So, what was my 12th like?

10am at Home

It started out with some yard work.

While I was out in the yard, I notice some really cute flowers all around.

Forget-me-nots

Blooms on the Forcythia

Periwinkle Myrtle

11am at Sprague Brook Park

Then, Mom and Dad arrived and we headed out to the park for a nice hike...

Mom, Me, and Mackie

I call this the "Pi" tree.

We didn't worry about it falling on us, it's been this way for YEARS.

Along the way, we found some gorgeous Trillium.

Mackie took a break while we took photos.

You might have noticed that one member of our "pack" is missing - sadly, we lost our baby boy, TaterBug, to bone cancer on March 11th. We miss him terribly, but are helping each other heal everyday.

As we were leaving, Dad said "Look at the goats!"
Hey!
Those aren't goats! tee hee

A little later in the day, and further down the road, this guy decided he needed to cross.

(No, I didn't help him, he was big and scary.)

5pm at home

Caught up on Facebook, and a little Scrabble.

7:30pm - Play Ball!

My sister's team needed a substitute player... since I was available, that player was ME!

My nephew stole my glove at one point... so I tried to snap a picture...

but he wouldn't hold still (I like this shot, tho).

I didn't get home till 9:30pm, and since my day was quite full, I was too exhausted to post last night.

But what a great day! Friends, family, and lots of outside time.

The weather was PERFECT, by the way. 75-degrees and sunny.

We had a couple sprinkles of rain during the game, but nothing that couldn't be overlooked.

Thanks for visiting! Hopefully I'll be back again next month, if not before.

TRI-ing again!

2011-03-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

It's official. I signed up for my 2nd Triathlon. July 2nd is the big day.

It was about this time last year that I signed up and started training for last year's event. As you know from previous posts, my effort was good, but not good enough to hit my timing or fitness goals.

A Tri-in-the-Buff, July 2010 - NEWBIES!

2011 promises to be different:
I'm able to run a 5K almost non-stop (unlike last year when I was learning how to run and could barely run for 60-seconds straight)
I'm back to swimming every week (and the "new pool" shouldn't close early this year).
The bike is in the basement on my indoor trainer (so I won't have to worry about weather or darkness).
I'm ready.

Oh yeah.. and I'm motivated!
I want to do well this year. No breakdowns. No injuries. Just a solid time to complete my swim-bike-run.

If that's gonna happen, I better be off to get to my Saturday morning workout.

For baby one and baby two...

2011-02-27T19:03:00.001-05:00

... one in pink and one in blue!

Yep... more babies on the way!
These are for my friend who's expecting twins.

The shower is in two weeks... babies should be here in about about eight.

These should help keep these little ones warm and snugly.

Can't wait to meet them.

Making pretty things

2011-02-18T19:32:00.000-05:00

SUCCESS!

I can finally post a picture of my first completed crochet project...

a shawl for my Mom-in-Law.

This was an excellent project for a newbie like me -

and it was a FREE pattern from Lion Brand, the Lavish Lace Shawl.

I used Vanna's Glamour, Onyx.

12-of-12: February 2011

2011-02-12T21:21:00.001-05:00

I love when the 12th falls on a Saturday... I can take my time and enjoy snapping away throughout the day. I had LOTS of plans for the day, some happened, some did not. All-in-all it was a great day... and as soon as I'm done posting, I'm going to finish it off with a snuggle and a movie. (Better hurry.)

But first, thanks, as always, to Chad Darnell for thinking of this fun project. It's been a blast.

9AM - Time to make the muffins!
I've been looking forward to these yummy treats for a week... Raspberry-Lemon Muffins that use yogurt & cottage cheese instead of milk and only 1/4 cup of oil. Mmmmmmmm!

All ingredients - ready to go!

Goldfinches share their morning with us

LOTS of snow - the bar across the door is 3' tall

Muffins are ready!

1:30PM - Time to play outside!
My sister and her kids were supposed to come out to see us this morning... but the falling snow made the roads too nasty for her to make the trip. The dogs still needed some running around, tho. So we played in the BIG snow in the yard.

Awww... poor little grill, so sad that it's all covered up for the winter.

HAPPY GRILL!

I made the kids a Puppy Habi-Trail (yes, the snow is THAT deep)

Using the trails to get to Mom...

... and puppy treats!

5PM - Time to finish chores!
I was going to try to make this a "theme" month... Fe-blue-ary - where all the pictures are of something blue... but, alas, I failed. I got a couple blue things, like this...

Boring... I know... but I needed squirts in my car

... and this beautiful shot of the evening sky... (if you look closely, you can see the ski slope in the distance)

Much better!

7PM - Time for dinner with my Valentine!
We celebrated Valentine's Day tonight instead of waiting till Monday... more YUM!

Now it's time for me to go snuggle with my Valentine... and fuzzy Valentines, too. Hope you're snuggling with yours.

See ya next month!

Turn the Page... Tuesday

2011-02-01T08:36:00.000-05:00

It's February folks!
Tuesday, the 1st!
So, as you all know from Adrienne's blog at Some of a Kind, it's Turn the Page... Tuesday!

Not much to report today... I haven't finished any books and I've barely started the one I'm on. BUT, I have met the two main characters and I'm looking forward to reading more. My only real problem is (awake) time.

I'm almost done crocheting a gift for my mom-in-law (more on that once it's finished and delivered), so any waking moment not spent at work is taken up by my H-hook and yarn. As soon as that's done, I'm back to the book.

What book, you ask?
Well, I'm following Adrienne's guidelines and picking up a book on my shelf. It hasn't been there long.. maybe 4-6 months... but it's calling me. It and it's two mates.

I started Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy in late-January and met The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I'm getting to know Lisbeth and Blomkvist now... she's barely a character at the moment, just a caricature, but from all the hoop-la, I'm sure there will be much more to learn about her.

I'm doing my best to resist watching the movie before I finish the book. That shouldn't be too difficult since my Netflix queue is pretty full. But, BOY, am I excited to know what's so hot about these books.

Guess I'll have to keep reading to find out!

just a little ripple...

2011-01-16T09:24:00.003-05:00

Many thanks to my good friend, Elizabeth (for demonstrating), and a perfect stranger, Lucy (who has an AWESOME tutorial on her blog), for helping me learn to crochet a ripple.

I'm two days into working on this blanket and already I'm LOVING IT!

12-of-12: January 2011

2011-01-12T21:27:00.004-05:00

I just visited my 12-of-12 set from January 2010.

Then I checked out January 2009.

Seems the 1st month of the year is snowy, dark, and either lazy or sick.

This year isn't much different.

6:30am

Well, except one thing...

A NEW JOB!

Today was day-2 of my new adventure. Here's what my new digs look like....

outside...

and inside...

... now I know things look VERY sparse at the moment.
It's only my second day, so I haven't brought any fun personal stuff in yet.
But I will. And then maybe I'll retake some shots in a future 12-of-12.

It's been pretty snowy the last couple days.

I think we've seen about half a foot so far this week with more on the way.

7pm:

Finally home from work (the snow really slowed things down).

Dogs are fed and now it's my turn.

I got my favorite salad - Fuji Apple Chicken!

Jammie time!

For a bit of irony, I give you 'The Biggest Loser' Show & dessert

Kids are just as lazy tonight...

And finally... my newest project... I'm crocheting a blanket/throw... with fun little ripples!

Not a very exciting Wednesday, I know. But there are other 12-of-12ers out there...

you should visit Chad Darnell's website to see other (more exciting?) submissions or to learn more so YOU can join in next month.

Stay warm! See ya in February!

The BBC 100 List

2011-01-05T08:07:00.004-05:00

Have YOU read these books?

A couple of months ago, I was tagged on FaceBook to participate in this "experiment". Earlier this week, my blog-buddy Ticklebear posted the list to his site and challenged others to post as well.

Below is the list of books from the BBC's "Big Read" - a Top 100 of sorts. From what I hear, the BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed below. I'm not sure where this info comes from, but I can attest to the abominably LOW number of books I have heard friends/colleagues say they've read (or not read). I also found it fun to see how many I could check-off the list.

Here how it goes:
If a title is BOLD, it means I read the book in its entirety.
If a title is ITALICS, it means i started reading, but didn't finish.
If a title is UNDERLINED, it means I saw a movie or other adaptation of the book.
If a title has a plus (+) next to it, I plan to read it soon (in the next year or so).

Here are my results...
1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte +
4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell +
9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller +
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck +
29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Graham
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34 Emma – Jane Austen
35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere
39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood +
49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52 Dune – Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville +
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle +
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

My totals come to:
Read & Completed: 31
Read & didn't finish: 6
Movie/Adaptations: 21
To-Read List: 6

Not bad! I've read 5-times as many books as the BBC had expected. HA! Take that literary drain on society! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to read my book. :)

Turn the Page... Tuesday

2011-01-04T08:18:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how much reading you can get done when you're not working and when the weather is chilly enough that once you're done walking the dogs, you all just want to snuggle up and read.

It's the first Tuesday of the year! The first Tuesday of January! So it's the first Turn the Page... Tuesday for 2011. Don't know what TTP...T is? Visit Adrienne at Some of a Kind for more info, then join us!

So, on with the reviews...

The first book I read was Jamie Ford's Hotel at the Corner of Bitter & Sweet (photo from Jamie's website). I hadn't heard of this story till it was suggested for our January Book Club meeting. I was leery at first, because it was another story about WWII and I was anticipating more of the same. But, boy, was I pleasantly surprised.

The book could not be more perfectly named - every character, location, and interaction was both "bitter and sweet". From the family relations (3-generations worth), to the love story, to the social and political story lines, it all made me smile and sigh.

Before 'Hotel...', I'd never delved into the Chinese-Japanese-American relationships in the United States in the early 40s. I knew OF the Japanese camps, but not the details; I was aware of the conflicts between the Japanese and Chinese throughout history, but Jamie masterfully took this history and painted on personal faces of this strife & suffering... and triumph (?) in the end of love and tolerance.

When I rate this book at the meeting, I plan to give it a 4 out of 5. I highly recommend it, it's a good read.

Today, I'm almost finished with Book 3 of the Mortal Instruments trilogy, by Cassandra Clare (photos from her website). Aimed at young adults, this set is fun, quick, and action-packed. It revolves around a girl named Clary & her interaction with a race of people called the Shadowhunters, magical "superhumans", protectors of "mundanes" (regular humans) and killers of all things nasty - demons, mainly, but will take out the occasional vampires, werewolf or other beastie, if necessary.

In Book 1, City of Bones, Clary learns of her "Sight" when she meets the local family of Shadowhunters (one of whom is drop-dead gorgeous, but quite arrogant - Edward Cullin, anyone?). Poor Clary's world changes SO dramatically in just a few short days after seeing her 1st Shadowhunter - her mom is kidnapped, she's attacked by demons, she has to negotiate with vampire and so much more. Like I said - action packed - and a fun twist on the "alternative reality" genre. I jumped right into Book 2.

Book 2 is filled with destruction and mayhem... for everyone. Everything that everyone has thought was true has been shattered and they're seeking the truth. Valentine is back and he's systematically draining the blood from each of the races (warlock, vampire, fae, and werewolf) to complete his evil plan. He must be stopped!
Throw in a little teen love and forbidden love and you got yourself another lightning read.

Finally, here I am in the middle of Book 3. Clary is trying to save her mom who is in a coma. There's a new man in her life - who I suspect is evil. And now the city is burning. There are only a couple hundred pages left... I'm excited to see how this will all wrap up in the end.
I hope the good guys will win, but will there be a twist? Will Clary end up with Jace? Will Simon save the day?

This has been a fun couple weeks - breezing through an easy read in a world so different from mine. Its been a nice visit, but I'll be happy to come back to reality soon. I think.

What I should read next? I got Larrson's Millennium Trilogy and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay for Christmas, so maybe I'll pick up one of them. I'm also learning to crochet, so maybe I'll take a reading break and work on my Double Crochet stitch. NAH, I can do both!

Happy New Year! Happy Reading!

Crochet

2011-01-02T17:05:00.001-05:00

See... told ya I was learning!

Welcome 2011!

2011-01-02T08:48:00.000-05:00

2010 is now just a memory. But, wow, was it filled with some interesting stuff!

I'll begin with my most memorable moment. About a year ago, the hubby and I started contemplating a vacation. A REAL vacation... travel to a far away place, staying for about a week, with no people, no work, no cell phones. We found it at Sequoia National Park and the surrounding area. It was the most perfect experience - perfect weather, perfect food, perfect hikes, a perfect "honeymoon". We're trying to think of where to go next that might compare to this adventure. It's gonna be tough.

We spent a lot of time doing other mini-vacations & day trips, also to some pretty cool spots - The southern coast of Massachusetts, Woodstock, Zoar Valley, and Allegany State Park. You can see pictures of many of these trips in earlier blog posts.

Twenty-Ten was also the year of The Triathlon. I think it was February when my coworker asked me to join her in participating in a sprint-distance triathlon. I remember thinking "Oh, no. I don't run. I can't do that." (biking and swimming, no problem.) Then she says "the run is ONLY a 5K" and the gears start turning. "Maybe I could do this. It might be a fun challenge. I'm in pretty good shape and I have till July to train."

SURE! I'll do it.

The rest is history. If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know what happened. You know of my injury in June and my lackluster performance at the Tri. But since that day, I think I've worked out the bugs: the bike is fixed, I'm running 3.1 miles at least once a week, and I'm excited to try again. This year, the event is July 2nd... exactly 6-months from today.

So, what's the plan for 2011?

Well, first thing I need to focus on is getting a job. Yes, after 3-years of surviving multiple layoffs from my company (every 6-months), I finally fell to the largest downsizing the company has ever had. 1400 sales people were let go in December, including me.
But, ya know what? I'm okay with it.
It has given me a chance to explore new avenues and (hopefully) find a new career that I'm going to love. I have not been passionate about my work in a long time - I'm SO ready to get that back.

Fitness is going to remain high on the list of "to dos" for 2011. I have a treadmill now and an indoor bike trainer, so I never have to worry about weather or darkness again, if I don't want to (and I can no longer use either as an excuse not to work out). I'm working on a plan to keep healthy and strong and be totally ready for the Tri in July (and maybe some other events in between). I'm working on building my running to 8K (5-miles) at a time so that the 5K is a piece of cake.

As for the blog... I'll try to post every couple weeks (if not more), especially if there noteworthy stuff to blog about. I'm going to continue participating in a couple of monthly blog-related events like... the photo-snapping 12-of-12 and virtual book club Turn the Page... Tuesday. Who knows, maybe there's something else out in the blog-o-spehere that I should join for yet another reason to blog? We'll see.

Finally, I am also leaning to crochet, so you might see a crocheted craft or two here in 2011. I have a number of pregnant friends who all need blankets, so the craftiness will definitely be out there... you'll see those posted here once each project is done.

All-in-all, I think 2010 was a pretty good year despite some disappointments (can't be perfect, right?). I'm hoping that 2011 is just as good or better - good health, good friends, good times.

Cheers!

It's (another) girl!

2010-12-21T16:27:00.001-05:00

2010 (and 2011) are going down in my books as the "Year of the Girl". So far, all of my friends who are expecting or have given birth have had girls! It's amazing and strange and wonderful.

This has meant (and will in the next few months), the creation of baby girl blankets for each of them. You may remember my knitting project from the summer... the new owner loves having it over her lap while sitting in her swing, from what I hear.

Here's my latest project. How fun! How easy!

I completed it earlier this month, but since I didn't give it to Mom till today, I thought it best to wait to post it (in case she visited the blog before today).

This is definitely not my last "no-sew-throw"... especially since there are more babies on the way!

12-of-12: December 2010

2010-12-12T17:55:00.001-05:00

Mmmmm, it's Sunday. A day for rest and relaxation after a very busy week.

Today's also the 12th - the day we have fun snapping pictures of the day as we participate in Chad Darnell's 12-of-12. So, off we go to our favorite place - the Erie County Forestry - for a nice hike. It was 40-degrees today and a little rainy, but that didn't stop us.

First, we make our way to the top of the hill...

My girl's paw prints and my size 6s

Sap lines are up and ready for the Spring thaw

The kids are way ahead...

Mackie

...but stop and wait at the bridge.

This next shot is a repeat from a previous 12-of-12; October 2009

Believe it or not, some trees still have their leaves

Stubborn Beech

... and the water is really moving today from rain and snow-melt.

So peaceful... we had the woods all to ourselves.

TaterBug

Here's one more October 2009 repeat...

Now we're home... snugged up inside with a nice fire and mug of tea...

... and another favorite winter activity... puzzle-making!

A View from the Porch:
The start of December brought our first significant snowfall of the year. Since then, it's snowed on-and-off, leaving us with almost a foot of snow. You wouldn't know it today, however. The rain and temps in the 40s has made everything a soggy, melty mess.

You can even see "steam" rising from the snow in this shot.

So, that's the end of the 12-of-12 for 2010. I am happy to say I was able to participate every month this year! I'm also happy that Chad is going to continue the 12-of-12 tradition at least another year.

All the best for a happy & healthy holiday season.

See you next year!

Turn the Page... Tuesday

2010-12-10T08:36:00.001-05:00

Okay, I know. It's Friday. I had every intention of getting this post done on Tuesday, but I just couldn't swing it.

Let's just say, it's been quite a roller-coaster of a month so far. Maybe I'll blog about it later... but not today.

Today is for books... yet another piece of my life I've neglected recently. I'm back to reading for enjoyment instead of reading for obligation, so I hope I'll have some good stuff to share next month.

For this month's TTP...T, however, I simply get to say that I (finally) finished River Horse: Across America by Boat by William Least Heat-Moon.

As the title suggests, this is the journal of a man (and his crew) who cross the United States via the American waterways. They stopped at various towns along the way and comment on noteworthy or historical places & events (Lewis & Clark's expedition is referenced often.)

The story was interesting, and enjoyable, but not very exciting. Now, if I was on this trip, I would have hoped it would be rather uneventful. No run-ins with wild animals or bad weather, no overturned boats or seasickness. But, as a reader, it was a bit of a chore to get thru the voyage.

We read this for Book Club; our meeting was last week. Out of 30 people, 1/2 did not complete the story due to the "bore factor." The other half seemed to agree that it was a story of a man's indulgent trip, not very thrilling to the reader, but interesting nonetheless. Average rating was 3 out of 5. This was my rating as well.

So, if you're looking for the meandering read of a unique travel book, you might like River Horse. If you're looking for action-packed suspense... this is definitely NOT the read for you.

Again, sorry for my delay in posting. Thanks to Adrienne at Some of a Kind for leading this virtual book club every month. Join in next time!

C25K: Complete!

2010-11-21T13:04:00.002-05:00

It took a little longer than the prescribed 8-9 weeks (12 to be exact), but I did it.

I completed a 5K, yesterday.

It wasn't a full "running" 5K... I started out with 1/4 mile warm-up walk, then ran thru to the 3.0 mile mark, then walked the remaining 0.1 for my cool down.

It was a nice way to finish week 12 of the Couch to 5K Running Program.

Next week...
The warm-up & cool down won't be included in my time/distance.
I'm going to warm up, reset the counter and run the full 3.1 miles.

My goal has now changed... to run an 8K (5 miles)!

12-of-12: November 2010

2010-11-12T20:55:00.001-05:00

It's Friday and the 12th of November. That means it's 12-of-12 time!

What better way enjoy the 12th of the month? I know! Take the day off from work and start the long weekend off with a road trip. Even MORE exciting was the weather. Temps in the mid-60s today (almost unheard of in Western New York State, in November).

Oh, don't let me forget to first thank to Chad Darnell for starting the 12-of-12 and keeping it going all these years. Visit his site to learn more about the project and how you can participate!

6:30am at home:
Starting the day off right with a little run. 2.72 miles, to be exact. I'm working my way up to a 5K (and maybe, later, an 8K). Sorry for the blurry shot... I didn't realize I had the camera on the wrong setting till after the workout was over. Oh well, you don't want to see me & my "running face" anyway. :)

... shower up, have breakfast, then chuck the hubby & pups in the car, and off we go!

Noon - 5pm at Allegany State Park, Salamanca, NY:

Today's visit was our second to Allegany this week. We were in the Red House Area on Sunday, then today we made our way down to the other "developed" section of the park, Quaker.

But first, a stop at Red House... the lake was calm as glass...

At Quaker Lake, we're reminded that this is a man-made environment. The Dam (with water-regulating spillway) turned this valley into a 275-acre lake.

Have I mentioned it was a warm day today?
With temps in the 60s, everyone came out to play.

The Ladybugs...

and the Ruffed Grouse (this little guy was seriously flirting with someone).

Our last stop of the day was Science Lake... named after the Science Museum nearby.

Can you see the moon in the sky and the reflection in this 1st photo?

What a surprise! As we finished up our hike around the lake, we found this little guy (gal?) and two friends swimming around their dam.

Back at home, 6:30PM:

Neither of us felt like cooking after our busy day, so we got an order of Wings (being from Buffalo, we don't call them Buffalo Wings) to go and headed home. We were obviously hungry, because we devoured them in a matter of minutes. YUM!

Sorry, folks, there's no "View from the Porch" this month. I forgot to take a photo before we left today, and it was way too dark to get a shot after we got home. Oh well... maybe I'll snap a quick shot tomorrow morning and post it a little late.

Thanks for stopping by! See you next month!

LOVE = Treadmill

2010-11-09T20:42:00.001-05:00

I never thought I'd say this - but I am totally LOVING this machine!
It's been almost three weeks that I've been using it to continue my running workouts (since it is WAY TOO dark and cold to run outside at 6:30am).

Monday-Wednesday-Friday I am out of bed at 6am, dressed and ready to run at 6:30.

For the last week (or more?) I've been running 20+ minute intervals (no walking). This week I hit 30-minutes of running!

30-minutes.
Running... for 30-minutes straight!

The last time I ran this long without a walk-break I hurt myself (see my Pain. No gain. post). But today I feel strong and almost ready to try a 5K run.

Monday's workout was the first 30-minute run of the week. Tomorrow, I'll do it again. Then again on Friday. My distance is only about 2.5 miles of running (2.75 with warm-up and cool-down), but that's because I haven't pushed myself faster than 4.4 mph. Within the next couple weeks, I'll up the speed a bit and, hopefully, get to 3.1-miles in my 40-minute workout.

If I haven't said so recently... the Couch to 5K Running Plan WORKS!

I am living proof. I have never been a good runner (I'm still not a great runner), but this program is exactly what someone like me needs to succeed. Now, I haven't completed the program in 9 weeks like it prescribes, but I'm close (I started about 12-weeks ago)... AND, I'm going to get there, just at my own pace.

A friend of mine asked me to run in Buffalo's Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. This is an 8K race (5-miles). I KNOW I'm not ready to run the 5-mile course, but she says she's going to walk some of it... so maybe I'll join her for a Turkey Trot-Walk-Trot-Walk.

Treadmill Running

2010-10-28T19:28:00.000-04:00

I am now the proud owner of a fantastic "gently used" treadmill!
HOORAY! (Thanks, Mom & Dad G)

The mornings are quite dark now and the temps are falling (and so is the rain). I don't mind the cool temperatures (it's quite nice, actually), but the darkness is too much. I worry about cars not seeing me, even tho I wear the most obnoxious day-glow yellow jacket available and there might be "crazies" out in the dark who want to steal me.

So, about a month ago I decided I would start my search for a treadmill. It didn't take very long once I posted a note about my search on Facebook. I got a number of recommendations and then an offer I couldn't refuse. My in-laws hadn't used their treadmill in a long time and were happy to get it out of their house. So, with that (and an offer of a pick-up truck and manual labor from a friend - also on FB) I got myself a treadmill.

It was delivered last Saturday. :)

Monday I re-started Week 6 of the Couch to 5K Running Plan, now running INSIDE!

I learned from a friend that running on a treadmill is different from running outside. (I kind-of figured that was the case since one doesn't need to propel oneself forward on a treadmill, just lift your feet. "Just" - hahah) He suggested I bump the incline up to 5% to get the same workout inside as outside.

So, I did. I also estimated my average speed at 5.0mph.

HA!

This machine kicked my @$$.

Less than 1/2 way through my run I was sweating like crazy and totally out of breath. I brought the incline down to 3% and reduced my speed to 4.0mph. I finished the run strong and happy that I completed Week 6, Day 1.

On to Day 2. Wednesday. I started this day at 3% and 4.0mph. I learned during the session that I could increase my speed by increments of 0.1 (instead of 1.0mph - read the owners manual. I don't need no stinkin owners manual) and thus bumped my run speed up to 4.2. This made for two challenging, but "comfortable" 10-minute run intervals.

Tomorrow, is Day 3. 25-minutes of running. No walking. I'm a little anxious about it, but am going to do my best to complete the run without any walk time. I'll let you know how it goes.

So, what have I learned so far about treadmill running?
* It's a completely consistent. When I run outside, I can slow my pace if I'm tired. When the treadmill says 4.2, I run 4.2. No slacking off.
* I need to find something to watch while I run. Minutes feel very long when I'm just staring at the walls.
* I can focus on form instead of watching for rocks, sticks, woolly bear caterpillars or other obstacles.
* I can run all winter... now neither rain nor sleet nor cover of darkness can stop me.

HOORAY!

12-of-12: October 2010

2010-10-12T21:50:00.005-04:00

Today I had a plan.
Tho it was a work day, I made time to have fun and get some interesting shots on this 12th day of October. I had to, today is my 2-year anniversary of participating in the 12-of-12 Project!

So what did I do after I got out of work at 1pm?

I went to the Buffalo Zoo, of course!!

I couldn't believe it... I'd snapped over 300 photos during the day... it was SO difficult to pick only 12. If you'd like to see the large set of my favorites, you can visit this link.

As always, if you want to see the full scale version of the photo, just click on it!

THE END

Can't forget the View from the Porch... Nothing really exciting this month -

The REAL excitement comes when you take a look at "our hill"... check out this incredible fall foliage!

Many thanks to Chad Darnell for starting the 12-of-12 Project. If you want more information or want to participate, visit his website. Extra special thanks to Chad for announcing that the 12-of-12 will continue till at least December 2011.

C25K: Week 5 Update

2010-10-08T07:56:00.000-04:00

I did it!
I finished Week 5 with a HUGE success!

But first... here's the story.
I run/walk Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Up till this week, all three days have been the same (the same run/walk times, that is).

This week had a structure like this (after a 5-minute warm-up):
Day 1 - Run 5 minutes, Walk 3 minutes, Run 5, Walk 3, Run 5, cool-down.
Day 2 - Run 8 minutes, Walk 5, Run 8, cool-down.
Day 3 - RUN 20 MINUTES, cool down.

Today was Day 3.
Today was DAY 3... and I did it!

I can't believe I ran for 20-minutes in a row.
No, that's not true.
I thought I could do it.
I just wasn't 100% sure.

I'm SO happy.

Such an interesting experience, too.
The first 5-minutes were tough. I breathed funny - because I hadn't got my rhythm yet - I struggled on the first hill, and I had to keep repeating "I can do this. I can do this" to myself.
The middle of the run was GREAT! I felt like I could run for miles and miles.
Toward the end, I could feel my legs getting a little tired... not too tired (and maybe it was all mental), but they knew it was the longest they've run in a while.
Finally the 20-minutes came to an end. I ran a few extra seconds because I could - it felt good.
Then, I walked.
Then, I blasted my way up the last hill... WOW, that felt AMAZING. It was the best hard run I've ever had.
Then, I walked the rest of the way home... feeling on top of the world.
HOORAY!

The Couch to 5K Program REALLY works!
I also need to thank Robert Ullrey whose Podcast "Podcasts for Running" help me track my running time each day of the week. If you're thinking of starting a running program, Robert's podcast is GREAT. I downloaded mine from iTunes.

Turn the Page... Tuesday, September 2010

2010-10-05T06:27:00.000-04:00

Did I say I'd have more time to read in August? Yes... because I thought I'd have finished the baby blanket by then. Well, I was wrong. I just finished the blanket this weekend. So, now the fall reading can begin - that is, unless I find myself a new project to distract me.

I'm only a little further into River Horse (by William Least-Heat Moon) from where I was last month. I started to getting into the meat of "the journey across America by boat"... but then I got distracted.

I'm also working on reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin to read for the October meeting of Book Club. I'm 1/3 into this one, as well - Greg has recovered from his climbing mishap and is now on a mission to help poor, rural children of Pakistan get an education. So far, so good.

Photo from ThreeCupsofTea.com

BUT, ya know what?
I have a confession to make.

I feel like I'm chasing book club selections and not sitting down to read one book at a time. I'm rushing through the books to try to "keep up" with the club. When I rush, I can't enjoy myself or the story.

SO... here's my plan.
I'm going to finish Three Cups of Tea before I move any further with River Horse (or any other book).
I'm also going to stop reading any book that I don't find interesting or compelling.
I'm not going to force myself to read a book just because my Book Club is reading it.

I'm a slow reader. I want to enjoy what I read and not feel like it's an "assignment".

I hope I will have meaningful contributions to 'TTP... T' in future months. Sadly, today, I don't have much to give. I need to wait till I'm done to comment on these stories.

Hope you enjoyed your reading this summer. Please visit Some of a Kind to see what others are reading... then play along!

A little over a month

2010-10-02T22:30:00.000-04:00

It's been 5-weeks that I've been steadily working my way through the Couch to 5K Running Plan.

This last week was a bit messed up due to my work schedule (two very early mornings), the weather (rain, rain, rain), and slight pain from other workouts (plies - ouch). But, I'm proud to say that I ran for 11-minutes straight today, the longest consecutive time I've run since the triathlon (probably about a mile and a half).

So, what has the last month been like? Well...
* First, the change from barely being able to run for 60-seconds to running for over 10-minutes is a pretty good feeling.
* I have seen some good changes in my physique - especially in my stomach & legs - they're shrinking!
* I haven't changed my diet much (still working on increasing the healthy stuff and reducing the high-sugar stuff). Even so, I've lost a pound since September 1st. heheh... one pound. It's not much, but it's a move in the right direction.
* I'm motivated to continue. Yes, there are times when I hurt before, during and after a run, but I'm want to succeed so badly (completing a 5K and then doing well in the 2011 Triathlon), that I will not give up.
* I'm working on making sure I take "time off"... I run 3-days a week, most weeks. Then I try to squeeze in another workout sometime during the week (a long walk, bike ride, cardio dvd, etc). Since I'm not very skilled at running and I don't want to hurt myself, I'm trying to manage activities so that I get the most return from my "investment" without any setbacks. I'm doing okay, but as I mentioned above, I changed my schedule a bit this week because of pain.
* I focus on form. Not only do I want to run, but I want to run properly. I focus on form throughout my run to be sure I'm not doing anything that might hurt rather than help.
* Like everyone, I have good days and bad days. Days when I feel strong and days I wonder what the hell I'm doing. But all-in-all, I'm happy I'm trying again. I don't love running, but I feel good when I do it and hope to be able to happily run a 5K in the next few months.

If you're trying to improve your health & fitness... if there's one piece of advice I can give, it's to keep going. It doesn't matter if you're the fastest or thinnest or most athletic. The only thing that means anything is that you're doing your best and having fun along the way.

More updates next month!

Woodstock: The big Finale

2010-09-26T09:21:00.001-04:00

If there's one thing I love about travel, it's being able to see things I can ONLY see at the location to which I'm traveling. That's what made our final day in Woodstock SO INCREDIBLE.

Our first stop was a bit of a teaser. We drove up to Kaaterskill Falls trail but didn't have time to see the big falls (Katterskill) this day (had to get home). However, we DID have time to see Bastion Falls since it's so close to Route 23a. Tho smaller than it's sister Falls, Bastion is still quite beautiful. Next time, we'll make the 1/2 mile hike up to the top falls.

... so happy to share my weekend with Elizabeth!

Then off to the BIG FINALE!

Imagine you are a brilliant sculpture who just bought a now-defunct bluestone quary. Then you start building ramps and walkways out of this stone to exhibit your sculptures. Then, imagine the work grows to such a size and complexity that it becomes a work of art in and of itself. This is what you get... Opus 40. You will want to click on the photos to see the full-size images.

One man, Harvey Fite, created this beauty from 1938 - 1976

The Monolith is 9-tons, lifted entirely by traditional 1930s quarrying tools.

The bluestone covers over 6-acres

Not one drop of cement or material to hold the stones in place... just balance and gravity.

If you are ever in the Woodstock, NY area you MUST visit Opus 40.

It is simply breathtaking - beautiful and peaceful - and the PERFECT way to spend an afternoon.

Woodstock, Day 2

2010-09-22T20:08:00.002-04:00

Saturday was a full, full day in and around Woodstock.
How full was it?
Overflowing! And WONDERFUL!

We started with a casual breakfast at the Inn. Good natural foods, gourmet coffee, and a promise of perfect weather. Then we walked around the corner to Mower's Saturday Flea Market - a marketplace that's been around for over 30-years!
As I always like to buy a "local" souvenir (hand crafted by folks from the area I'm visiting), I was SO happy when I found Davin Butterfield of Butterfield Pottery. I would have liked to buy a full set of dishes from him, but I settled on this little creamer. (It was perfect for maple syrup on our french toast this past Monday morning).

We returned to the Inn to drop off our goodies, then back into town we went to explore "downtown" Woodstock. In and out of shops & galleries we went, people-watching all the while. And if you can believe it... the whole town smelled of incense (would you expect anything else?). It was amazing!

Okay... here is when my story of my adventure in Woodstock takes an unexpected turn...
Instead of chilling out in the land of the hippies, I got "high" with Elizabeth.
No. Not that way.
We got high in the altitude way.

I'll explain.
As you know, I'm a geocacher. I use million-dollar satellites to find ammo-cans in the woods. Since I can't go anywhere without looking for a cache, I brought a long list of possible finds with me.
The most interesting looking cache (as well as the most challenging) was one called the Overlook Mountain House Cache. To get to the cache location, one must hike 2.4 miles up Overlook Mountain. (and then to get back, you need to hike down.) I didn't know if either Elizabeth or I were up for such a hike. BUT... after seeing the photos posted by previous cachers I was SO excited to try it. But was E?
YES!
Fortunately, she shares in my love of cool old "creepy" structures, so she was willing to make the hike to visit the ruins of the Overlook Mountain House (and maybe find a cache).

So UP we went.
The hike itself was nothing spectacular. (For a nice pictorial of the trail, visit The Bridge & Tunnel Club site.)
However... it was a tough, tough climb. The phrase of the day was "it just keeps going up" - just when we'd get to a flat spot, it was only a few hundred feet before the steep climb started again.
But, BOY, was it worth it.
Here's what we found when we arrived at the top of Overlook. (Click on the photos to see a larger version.)

The Overlook Hotel:

The 1928 Building:

From here, we went up a little bit more to the lookout point. OMG. What an incredible view.

We certainly weren't the first ones here...

... and I'm SURE we won't be the last.

So... all-in-all we climbed almost 1600' in about 90 minutes. I think we calculated about 800 calories burned over the 4 hours we were hiking around, which was perfect, because we REALLY enjoyed ourselves at dinner that night.

So ends day two of the adventures in Woodstock. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of the trip in my next blog entry!

Woodstock: Three days of...

2010-09-20T14:09:00.001-04:00

... Peace.
... Adventure.
... Relaxation.
... Fun!

It had to be almost a year ago when, my friend, Elizabeth, had a great idea... while our husbands are away, why don't we play? So we made plans for September 17-19 to drop them off at the Ashokan Center for their thing, then off we went to stay in the quaint Woodstock Inn for a "girls weekend". Today, I am home, relaxing and thinking about what a wonderful time we had. I can't wait to do it again. In the meantime, I'll share with you some of my favorite photos from the trip.

First... we drop off the boys... but not before a tour of the Ashokan Center. The Center is dedicated to teaching people about history, nature, and arts. There are a number of historical buildings on campus, including "The Homestead" where people used to come to live as 1820 homesteaders.

Our first stop, the remnants of the Pulp Mill, from the late 1800's.

Then a short hike to the Homestead.

And finally, a visit to the historical farming area...

The dinner bell rang for the boys, so off we went to our weekend "home away from home", the Woodstock Inn on the Millstream. (to see photos of the Inn, click on the link & visit their website)

What ambiance! From our adorable little room to the beautifully maintained grounds, we were bathed in relaxation and serenity. Plus, we had Bonnie... the most wonderful Innkeeper around.

Aside from dinner, this was the end of our first day in Woodstock. I slept like a rock that night, in my tiny little bed, with excitement and anticipation of the adventures we would have on Saturday. I'll post photos soon... c'mon back and see.

12-of-12: September 2010

2010-09-12T21:47:00.003-04:00

Hello from the new home of my 12-of-12 photos! I'm approaching my 2-year anniversary of 12-of-12 participation and decided after last month's submission that I no longer wanted my 12 on a separate blog from my main site. SO... from now on, please visit me (and my 12-of-12 shots) here.

For those of you new to the 12-of-12, it's a fun photography project started by Chad Darnell that goes something like this... On the 12th of each month, you post 12 photos that represent your day. You do this for all 12 months. There are other rules (more like guidelines), but you get the gist. Visit Chad's site to learn more or see photos from other 12-ers around the world.

September's 12th falls on a Sunday, so the hubby and I planned a full day with (hopefully) lots of photo opportunities. We were not disappointed. Even with a bit of rain in the morning, we got a TON of shots... so many so, that I'm totally breaking the "rule of 12" because I couldn't shrink my set any further.

So without further ado..

12:12am at home

Last night we watched 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' with Jack Nickolson. Interesting film. I didn't realize how long it was. It was 11:45pm when it ended. Since I'm not usually awake this late, I had to stay up a little longer to get an early shot on the 12th. I felt this was a good time for today's project.

9am at home

Good morning!! Had a special treat this morning for breakfast... Cranberry Honey Oatmeal bread/toast with our coffee. YUM! It tasted extra nice after my somewhat soggy and chilly bike ride.

1pm in Fredonia, NY

It's Concord Grape season in Western New York, so that means a road trip to Fredonia to Lasecki's Farms (a small family farm, the kind we like to support). We got our grapes from them last year and they were AWESOME! This year we learned that we could PICK OUR OWN! We grabbed a couple baskets and some shears and into the vines we went.

Look at these beauties. They smell heavenly and taste even better. (So sorry this isn't smell-o-vision, folks).

3pm at Evangola State Park, Irving, NY

Our road trip continued up Route 5 to the park and beach! No, 65-degrees & windy doesn't really make it a normal beach day, but it was PERFECT for the pups. The beach is closed for swimming which means dogs have a chance to romp in the surf. This is the south cost of Lake Erie.

The hubby and I had dueling cameras today - he was taking a picture of this tree when I snapped mine of him.

After our walk on the beach, we did a bit of geocaching! Here are the kids relaxing (crashed-out) after their hike (with their find, of course).

On our way out of the park, we saw this cool old covered bridge. I don't know the story behind it, unfortunately. I couldn't help playing with the "antiquing" effect in iPhoto.

Mr. and Mrs. Whitetail Deer wished us farewell as we headed home.

8pm at home
Dinner's done, time for one more 'to do' before sitting down to publish my 12-of-12. Turning those fresh-picked grapes into jam.

A View from the Porch
Last night's and today's rain prompted mixed feelings... kind of a bummer to not have a super sunny day for picture-taking, but we were so happy because we REALLY needed it. It's been a dry, dry summer. Not much change in the yard since last month... but didn't want to leave this shot out of the series.

It's 9:45pm now. It's been a great day, but now I'm ready to relax and enjoy the last hour-or-so of the weekend with the family. Hope you had a great 12th - see ya next month!

Turn the Page... Tuesday

2010-09-07T07:22:00.000-04:00

Is it really the 1st Tuesday of the month already!?! WOW. August flew by!

Well, if it IS the first Tuesday, it can only mean it's "Turn the Page... Tuesday" time. Many thanks to Adrienne at Some of a Kind for starting this fun virtual book club of sorts. Check out her page today and then join in next month!

So on with the books....
If you ready my entry from last month, you know I was working on completing David Copperfield. I'm happy to say I did it! All 900+ pages. Whew. This was a lonnnnnnnng one. Completely satisfying, however. (I would have been very upset if I read all that without a satisfactory ending.) I found out, too, that D.C. was originally published in 30-page "episodes". That would have been a PERFECT way to read it. Just enough to keep you interested without making into the ONLY thing you do in your spare time.

Also for Book Club, I read Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. This was an incredibly quick ready (maybe it just felt that way after all the "olde English" in David Copperfield) and quite enjoyable. It was a book of struggle during the 1930s-40s for two sisters from Shanghai who end up in Los Angeles after being married (in arranged marriages). I thought of my own sister many times when reading about Pearl & May's relationship (and perspectives of each other, especially in the eyes of their parents). I guess sisters will have similar feelings - no matter where or when they grow up.

This weekend I started a new book, River Horse by William Least Heat-Moon (Penguin Pub). This is yet another Book Club selection. The story is true - Heat-Moon journeys across America in a small boat, taking waterways throughout. So far, I have only met the boat (the Nikawa) and his co-pilot (Pilotus), but I'm looking forward to their adventures. It seems amazing that this is possible - I can't wait to find out more.

I'm almost done with my friend's baby blanket, so hopefully next month I'll have more books to talk about. Sadly, I haven't figured out how to knit and read at the same time. Oh well - multitasking is SO overrated. :)

HAPPY READING!

C25K

2010-09-03T07:38:00.000-04:00

I am SO happy to say that I successfully completed week 1 of the Couch-to-5K Running Plan!
Now, I know... it's only the first week. BUT...

* I feel GREAT! No pain anywhere.
* I focused on form... I didn't worry about how far I ran or how fast, I just kept my attention on proper running technique.
* I'm looking forward to next week. (I have decided to limit my running workouts to the 3 days/week (as suggested), I'll do other things on Saturdays/Sundays - at least for a while).
* I've been good about resting. Okay, pretty good. Yesterday, we got our delivery of 4 cords of firewood and I spent almost 2-hours stacking it yesterday after work.
* I'm trying to be good about eating. My sweet tooth sometimes takes over and I have a cookie or chocolate or ice cream (or all three), but I try to select more veggies than "empty" carbs as often as possible.

Again, it's only week one. I see this as a great step in the right direction for me. And so far, so good.

Geocache Pouch

2010-08-29T07:51:00.001-04:00

Thank you, Stormdrane!
This guy is amazing. He can do ANYTHING with paracord. Seriously.
Not only are his pieces highly functional, but they're beautiful, too.
Oh, and THEN, he teaches everyone (including me) how to do it.

Yesterday, I set aside some time to rebuild a geocache that needed replacing. The container hangs in a tree, so it needed to be resistant to the elements (rain, snow, mud... birds). I found a small plastic Lock-n-Lock (R) container, but then needed help getting it to hang.

Enter Stormdrane's Blog.
He had just the thing... and a tutorial!
I found his post describing Cow Hitched Paracord Waterbottle Sleeve and used it and a previous post to put this together:

I am SO excited to get it into its place. I am CERTAIN I'll get comments from geocachers on it (if they find the cache). In fact, the only thing I'm worried about is that someone will take it because the pouch is so cool. We'll see.

Thanks, again, Stormdrane. I really appreciate all the work you do.

Couch to 5k

2010-08-28T19:03:00.002-04:00

Here we go again.
I'm going to make another attempt at running (er, jogging).
I have no plans for the remainder of 2010 to participate in any running events. I just want to continue to work on my fitness level in the hopes of shedding a few more pounds. That, and if I want to do another triathlon next year, I need to work on my running skills.

My plan is to start the 'Couch to 5K Running Plan' this week and work up to a 5K (3.1 miles) by the time the snow falls. I'd LOVE to be able to build up enough strength & stamina to run 5 MILES, but I'm not sure that's in the cards.

I used the C25K plan earlier this year to train for the triathlon. It works well (tho I stopped the plan about half-way thru and just "ran" as the event got closer... maybe not such a good idea since I injured my hip during my first 5k). This time, I'm sticking to the plan.

Will keep you updated... wish me luck!

That's some snail!

2010-08-13T18:40:00.002-04:00

Last month, while on Cape Cod, I came across these ADORABLE snails made of metal and stone.

I wanted one... but I was NOT about to pay tourist prices to get one, especially since my husband is a blacksmith in his free time and knows how to move metal (and has a lot of it laying around the garage).

So, I asked for a lesson on how to use the forge and the basics of moving metal. That was a couple weekends ago. Today, I took a half-day off from work and spent the afternoon playing around, finally ending up with this...

Isn't it cute?!?

I had an idea in my mind of what I wanted it to look like. I wasn't sure I had the skills to move the metal the way I wanted it to move. It didn't turn out exactly the way I imagined. But, I am SO HAPPY with the result. I definitely want to make more!

12-of-12: August 2010

2010-08-12T21:09:00.002-04:00

I wasn't sure what kind of shots I'd get today...
... it started out a little rainy, then got sunny.
... it's a work day.
... I didn't have anywhere particularly "fun" to go.

But, it's the 12th, so I needed to gather 12 photos for the 12-of-12. For more info, visit Chad Darnell's page... he's the guy who started this all & who posts the links to other 12-of-12ers.

6am:
Time to sweat with Debbie Siebers.

7am:
Since I'm in the basement (with the camera), I stop at the "Wall" and snap a shot of all the yummy goodness that I've been making since June. What's your favorite jam? Apricot, Cherry, Cherry-Almond, Nectarine, Blueberry, Blueberry-Nectarine, or Strawberry?

8am:
Walking out the front door, camera in hand, and who is visiting my Rose of Sharon? The hummingbird! (see her just to the right of the highest flower?)

9am:
UGH! I hate road work. It happens ALL SUMMER LONG in Buffalo, NY. Maybe it's because we have 8-months of winter!??!
I couldn't help but think of Frankenstein when I saw this cement "face". The rain even gave if the look of hair.

work...

(nothing to see here)

work...

6pm:
Home again & I have a couple new flowers in bloom this month.

Got a little "artsy" with this shot. My dad made me this bird house years ago... but it was never occupied. Now it sits just outside my front door.

7pm:
It was a warm & humid day today. What better way to cool down that with some "light" reading. I'm almost done with David Copperfield by Charles Dickens; page 814.

From where I'm sitting... the world looks like this... ahhhhhhh.

Then, I moved to another chair, to see things from another angle...

(this squirrel had to be almost 100-feet off the ground!)

View from the porch:
The Trumpet Vine has flowered (making my front yard Hummingbird Heaven) and the new grass is growing. It wasn't a spectacular year for my flowering plants... but with all the shade we get, I shouldn't be surprised. Maybe next year, I'll add more hostas to the gardens; they love shade.

Hope you're having a wonderful August. See you next month!

I Sea

2010-08-08T19:49:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I spent the weekend hunting sea-glass with the lovely Elizabeth on the south-coast of Massachusetts. I returned with so much that I was completely overwhelmed.... and in need of a cool glass jar to house them.

Well, this weekend, I stopped at an estate sale and found the PERFECT container. I added (most of) the sea-glass and placed it in its new home - my seascape bathroom. It looks wonderful next to the quohog & other shells I picked up while at the beach.

Thanks, E, for a fantastic weekend!

Turn the Page... Tuesday!

2010-08-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

I finished one book during the month of July. I started a knitting project this month, too (see my earlier post).. for a baby shower this weekend. YIKES! It's not done!

This month's book (and last one of its kind for a while) is Book 9 of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, Dead and Gone. I ripped though it, completing it in less than a week (on July 11th). It wasn't however, because of the "gripping" content. It was mainly because it was so darn hot, I couldn't force myself to do anything. Seriously... vacuuming went undone, didn't walk the dogs (not that they wanted to), lawn growing without mowing. It never gets into the 90s around here. It didn't quite reach it this past week, but with temps in the high-80s and 90% humidity, it sure felt like it. Reading was my only option.
So anyway... about 'Dead and Gone'. It was okay... the books have definitely gone downhill since books 6/7. The story has just fizzled. No mystery, no fun love story, a few new characters/creatures but even they are lackluster.
Book 10 just came out... it's only available in hardcover. I'm going to wait till the paperback comes out to get it. I'm just not that interested.
Not to give up on Charlaine, however, I got the first in another series... the Harper Connelly Mysteries... with Book 1, Grave Sight. Haven't started this one yet. Maybe I will this month, maybe Ms. Harris will have to wait a bit.

I've also made progress on David Copperfield. I'm about half-way through now. My Book Club is meeting on the 18th of August so discuss it. Not sure I'll make it all the way, but I'm giving my all and really enjoying it. David is in a better place than he was earlier in his life (it was miserable), and some old characters are doing new things. Fascinating!

The others mentioned last month are still "in the works" but definitely on the back burner. I'll get to them when I can. But for now, I need to get my hands back on my needles... I have a LOT of knitting to do before Saturday.

Thanks for visiting. To learn more about Turn the Page... Tuesday, visit Some of a Kind. Then play along!

Oh, Baby!

2010-07-21T07:43:00.000-04:00

It's a GIRL!

No... not me.

My friend, Sara, will be a mom in a few months... and here's what I'm making for the little one. I hope I can finish by next week, Saturday. That's the day of the baby shower. But if not, I'll show her the WIP and tell her it will definitely be complete by the time the new addition comes.

Oh, baby!

12-of-12: July 2010

2010-07-12T21:21:00.001-04:00

It's Monday... BLAHhhhhh!
So, does that mean boring workday photos?
No No No! NOT THIS MONTH!

I planned my day so that I'd be around Niagara Falls - The Falls - at lunch time, so you are in for a visual treat today! That, AND, I have a new 18-200 lens for the camera (since I broke the original 18-55 last week; dropped it on the stone driveway. Oops). So I was excited to try it out... and what better place than Niagara Falls?

But first, the important stuff. Many thanks to Chad Darnell for starting the 12-of-12 Project! If you want more information or want to participate, visit his website then get out your camera!

Sooooooo... do you wanna see my pix?!?!
Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?
Of COURSE you do!

6:30AM @ Home:
Okay, so I have one boring Monday picture. My first-thing-Monday-morning ritual is my weekly weigh-in. Now, I'm not all hung-up on my weight, but I do use it as a barometer. Over the years I've determined "my range" - if I get beyond that range, I need to kick the workouts up a notch.
This photo also follows one of Chad's original 12-of-12 rules... the 12-of-12er must be in at least one shot each month (can be just an arm/leg/face/etc).

Like my pretty pedicure?!

Now for the really good stuff...

12:00-1:00PM: Niagara Falls State Park, Niagara Falls, NY

As always, if you'd like to see larger versions of the photos posted here, click on them to enlarge them. Also, if you're interested in an aerial "map" of the park, with points-of-interest labeled, visit www.exploringmonkey.com for this amazing shot. (Thanks, Exploring Monkey!)

It was a slightly overcast day, with a chance of rain, so the colors aren't as brilliant as they might have been had it been sunny.

I started at the eastern Pedestrian Bridge and crossed over the American Rapids to Goat Island. The Niagara River breaks into two branches that form the three waterfalls.

Then I followed the foot path to Terrapin Point & the Canadian Falls (also known as "Horseshoe Falls" because of it's shape).

It's amazing how close you can get to the water. Just past the guardrail is the fast-moving Niagara River.

On the right side of this next shot, you can see the Maid of the Mist - a boat that takes you to the base of the Falls.

On the north side of Goat Island, are the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Below is the American Falls.

Looking down to the base of the falls. On the left side are the people visiting the Cave of the Winds, where you can go "behind" the Falls (and get a spiffy yellow poncho, to keep!).

The beautiful Bridal Veil Falls...

But wait...
There's someone out on in the water...

Hey Lady!

NO... don't do it!!

You have SO much to live for!!

WAIIIiiiiiiitttttt!

Tee hee... it's just a duck.

"Living on the edge"

5:30PM @ Home:

I was hoping to have a beautiful lush garden to share with you today, but the dry weather hasn't been kind to my plants. We've had plenty of sun and warmth, but I haven't watered, so the garden is a little sparse. Here are a couple shots from around the yard.

Lovely Day Lilies

My 1st Hollyhock! (almost)

Black-eyed Susan (and friend)

Not sure I'll get to this tonight (posting 12-of-12 photos is taking some time...), but I am working on a new knitting project. It's going to be a baby blanket for an expectant friend. Her shower is next month, so I better get a move-on.

The more important item of note is the bag... my wonderful & talented niece, Emma, drew/colored/painted the picture, then her school had the artwork printed on stuff. Now I have a perfect tote for the yarn, needles, etc. LOVE IT!

And finally -

The View from the Porch

As I mentioned earlier, the heat has really dried everything out. If it rains tonight or tomorrow, like the weather people predict, I'm sure the flowers will really pop! But for now, my lawn is dry and my gardens meager. OH, but there is one change you might notice. Yesterday the hubby and I removed all the old, rotten railroad ties that bordered the walkways and replaced them with large stones. I'm so happy with the way it turned out. Now if the grass would fill in, it would be perfect!

If you're keeping track, yes, there are 13 pictures this month. I couldn't help it. It couldn't decide on which one to bump out, so I left them all in. I actually took 84 pictures today, but some of them didn't turn out or were dups or weren't worthy of posting here with this month's "full" set.

Thanks for visiting! See ya next month!

Turn the Page... Tuesday!

2010-07-06T20:49:00.001-04:00

I have a lot to report on this month! I had quite a bit of reading time since I was not able to train for almost 2-weeks. That, and car maintenance visits, dentist appointments, etc - places to sneak some reading in.

As always, many thanks to Adrienne over at Some of a Kind for the great idea of Turn the Page... Tuesday. For more info, or to participate, visit her site. (Go there... you'll like it!)

So... what did I read this month?

First... my Book Club Book for July - The Help by Kathryn Stockett
What a wonderful and frustrating book. I adored the characters (well, most of them.. Hilly), but am saddened by what I expect to be a rather truthful explanation of the situations in which the "Help" live. It hurts to know that people once felt (and some still feel) that skin color makes one group better or worse than another. I'm very excited to discuss this book with the group - I'm VERY curious to hear everyone's perspectives on equal rights, racism, and segregation.
BTW, I'm going to give this book a 4 out of 5 when we rate it at Book Club. I suspect it will get similar ratings from others... but we'll see. Sometimes these gals surprise me.

The second book I finished was none other than one about our good friend, Sookie!

From Dead to Worse is book 8 in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Series. Lots of resolutions in this book, lots of action, but not much else. Poor Sookie didn't really have a story line... she was just in the story - know what I mean? I suspect this was a "wrap things up and set things up (for the next book)" kind of story. We'll see what book 9 brings about... I might get to it in July, we'll see.

After these two books, I started a bunch more...
My book club is having a "Big Book Challenge" this year... reading a heavy, dense, many page book. It will be "due" in mid-August, I think. That's when we'll discuss it.

For this challenge, the group picked David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I'm about 100-pages into the story and am slightly losing interest. It's not that the story is not interesting, but it is not the most uplifting of stories. I'm not giving up on David, tho. Ya never know what the next 700 pages might bring. Besides... if it doesn't kill me, it only makes me stronger. Literally - this book weighs a TON! (tee hee)

Okay, what else?
Oh yeah... I went to two library book sales in the last few weeks!

One of the many books I picked up (for myself) was Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I've never read any True Crime books before, so this was fascinating to me. It tells the (true) story of two man, living parallel lives during Chicago's shining hour - the World's Fair of 1893. One is the architect of the buildings used for the fair, the other is a cold blooded killer who used the fair to lure women to their deaths. Here, again, I'm only part way into it (yes, I'm reading too much at once), but it's captivating me thus far.

Finally... (also at the book sale), I found a book I think might be for my niece. Tho, I will likely hold on to it till she's between 10-12 years old (a more appropriate age for the story).

This book is Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass. I'm really enjoying this young-reader "mystery/adventure" story about an almost-13-year-old boy and his BFF, Lizzy. Jeremy receives a mysterious box from his dad (who passed away 5 years ago) about a month before his 13th birthday. Problem is, the keys to open the box are lost (and there's no other way to get inside without destroying the contents). So Jeremy & Lizzy go in search of them. I'm only 1/2 way through, so I don't know the meaning of life yet, but it's been a fun ride so far.

Is that is? Yes. I think so. I picked up a BUNCH of other books at the sales, but haven't done much more than glance at the covers. It's terrible that I only have so many hours in a day... there's SO many good books to read. I know I'll never get to them all. * sigh *