You Are What You Eat?

(Food, Inc. Take Part)

Gosh, I honestly hope not. Most of us really don't know what's in our food anyway. I just finished watching Food, Inc., a documentary about the food we eat and the giant corporations that control the food industry. It was a really good film and I urge you to watch it if you haven't already. For those of you with Netflix, you can watch it instantly online (hint, hint Dad). And if you've already watched it, lemme know what you think! Don't worry, it wasn't one of those shockingly disgusting slaughter-house type documentaries...there were a few parts that made me cringe, but really it wasn't that bad. The film did make me think more (as usual) and get angry (again) that these large corporations are controlling so much, selling contaminated food, and abusing animals AND the people who work for them. It makes me mad but the film ended on a positive note by discussing examples of how we, the consumers, can and HAVE changed how things are done.

This makes me want to grow tomatoes in my backyard now more than ever. It makes me want to buy locally.

Seriously. Go watch the film. Then ask yourself, are we really what we eat? Check out this website, to learn more.

So, did you see the film? What are you going to do to change things?

Happy Monday!

I hope you had a great weekend! I'm trying to fight off "a case of the Mondays" today and to do that, I've decided to find the good stuff and embrace it ... and I'm trying to ward off the crappy stuff by banishing it from my mind (insert comic book sound effects here).

The Good Stuff:

•  the sun is shining!!
• it's a balmy 19 degrees at the moment
• even though I have a giant pile of work to do, I just sent out a few necessary emails, gotten some things scheduled, and feel quite accomplished already! I'm going to keep that momentum going!
• I brought an awesome lunch today

This reminds me of what Liz (@ Mabel's House) had to say last week, except she says it a lot better AND has pretty pictures. :-) I totally felt this way last Thursday!

Happy Monday!

A Grand Entrance: Part 1

Remember the movie, What About Bob? You know, Bill Murray plays "Bob"... a hypochondriacal, highly anxious, codependent guy, overly-attached to his psychiatrist (and his fish). Well Bob had to learn to take "baby steps" and he kept saying it over and over: "baby steps to the door, baby steps up the stairs, baby steps on the bus..." Well, I feel like that with my back entryway transformation. Baby steps to an organized, neat entryway.

And so, I wanted to share with you a baby step I took this weekend. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this little thing. I actually get a little giddy when I walk through there now.

But first... some thanks are in order! You guys really got me thinking about some really great ways to make a small space more organized and user-friendly...and pretty. :-)

I love Erin's suggestion:

(The Company Store)

And I would totally do this if I could, but really that bench is a little too big for my space. Sigh. If only I had a little more space. But I am in love with the corner shelf, so who knows. Maybe I'll splurge...maybe.

A couple of you mentioned changing out my light and I really want to do that, I just need to find a cheap light that isn't ugly. So I've been keeping my eyes peeled. I also have some Goodwill mirrors I plan to spruce up to add to the space. What really got me thinking was all that unused space in that recessed area above the coats and going to the basement. So who knows, I may be adding a shelf and baskets there! Thanks for all your great ideas! Keep 'em comin'!

Now, back to my baby step. I didn't really mention it in my last post, but you can see it in my pic:

See it? No? It's that ugly accordian door...

Now? Yeah, not sure why it's there, but it gets in my way constantly since it took away like 4 inches of space in the doorway, so I was always bumping it. And the one time I tried to close the dogs down in the basement they just bent it and went through (I have a real door at the top of the stairs in the kitchen).

Anyway, I decided to take that ugly thing down. It was trickier than I thought because there are these little...brakets? (those gray things)...holding the track on and the "hinged" side, but that was hidden so it took a bit before I realized how that part came off.

Finally, I got it all off! Woohoo! Then I tackled the many, many screws that were in there...I used elbow grease and worked up a little sweat, but I got them all off! Now every time I go downstairs, I am nearly gleeful at that door being gone! I know, it's not that big of a thing, but I feel like it's made a world of difference.

Apparently I didn't take a full picture of the new and improved doorway, but I did think it was funny that once I got the track off, you can see three distinct colors! An orangey one in the basement, white under, and that pukey yellow.

It's a veritable rainbow of color around here!

Holy Granola Batman!

I just made granola for the first time... but it won't be my last, this granola is AWESOME! Seriously, it's cooling on the counter and I just ate a few spoonfuls all by itself. Yum.

I did a little search for "granola" and came up with more than a few options, but settled on this one here. I did make a few changes, and I just realized that I baked it at 350 instead of 325 (I guess I was distracted, but it turned out fine). I bought a bag of mixed dried fruit - cranberries, cherries, and blueberries- and used 2/3 cup of that instead of the fruit listed in the original recipe. You can make it with whatever combo of fruit and nuts as you want. Be creative!

Easy Homemade Granola
adapted from "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole almonds {Note: I used slivered almonds, and they worked fine.}
1/3 cup whole hazelnuts {I left these out completely and just adjusted the baking time a little.}
1/3 cup golden raisins {As I said, I used mixed fruit instead of the raisins and cherries.}
1/3 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon and salt.
In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined. Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them: Gather up some of the mixture in each hand and make a fist. Repeat until all of the oats are coated with the honey mixture.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the almonds over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.


Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. {This is where I took the granola out to cool.} Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the raisins and cherries over the granola and use your hands to transfer it to an airtight container. Granola will keep for one week.

Enjoy!

I Hate Thoroughly Dislike My Entryway

The back entrance to my house drives me nuts.

Pottery Barn

Oh no. No, that's not mine. That beautiful, organized, and gigantic entryway, is definitely. not. mine.

No, this lil' beaut is my pride and joy (sob). This is the view of the back door looking down from my kitchen. It's actually very clean right now. There's usually an extra bag of dog food or something sitting right there in the corner.
 

 Just in case you think you may have missed something, you didn't. Here's another shot... from the basement steps looking up to the door.

Right off the stairs to the basement, there is this little recessed area that has a little ledge and some hooks for coats and whatnot...

This little recessed area is only about 6 inches deep. And it's usually got more stuff hanging and sitting on the ledge, but in a fit of organization, I cleaned some stuff out.

That's pretty much the whole thing, folks. I could barely get decent pictures. To complicate things, there is usually a dog

or two

in the way.

So what are my issues with the space? Good question.

It's small. I can't realistically do anything about the size, but I can figure out some ways to maximize the space.

Usually messy. Like I said, sometimes extra dog food sits there, shoes, stuff to go in the basement or out to recycling, etc. I need some storage solutions for a small area.

Not enough coat hooks. And no one knows where to hang them. That's an easy one to fix.

Poor lighting. (I think the pukey yellow color is partly to blame for this.) The ceiling is really high so the light fixture is too.

Pukey yellow wall color. Not that it currently matches my kitchen anyway, but I probably won't be painting in here until I decide what color the kitchen will be.

That's the list at the moment. (Well, I don't like the floor much either... it's kind of beat up and ugly. I'm not changing the floor any time soon, though, so I'll cover it with rugs or something.)

I do have a couple of ideas... but I'm willing to take some suggestions! Any fantastic small-space organization tips you want to share? Do you have a small space that drives you nuts?

The Strangest Thing Happened on the Way to Work Today...

I got locked IN my car!

Not my car, but I do drive one like it.

I pulled into a parking spot at work, turned off the car and prepared to exit the vehicle. But the door didn't open!

I thought someone was playing a joke. A first-day-back-at-work joke. (Not the most logical thought, but it was early and freezing.)

Tried again, to no avail. My door just wasn't moving. At all. I clicked the unlock button...even though it unlocks when I turn off the ignition.

No luck.

I thought the door froze shut even though I had the heat on all the way to work. I decided I had to get out the passenger side, but a woman parked next to me at that moment. Not wanting to look like an idiot, I pretended to be busy until she left, then climbed over to the other side and got out.

When I went around to my side, I saw a big shard of ice wedged perfectly in the door handle so that the handle was lifted. The door was able to latch closed (obviously) but because the ice was wedged just right, the latch couldn't move and the door couldn't open.

Though I still don't know how the heck it got there... did you see the handles up there? (Had I been thinking properly early in the morning in single-digit temperatures with a windchill factor, I would've snapped a pic with my phone before dislodging the ice. Ooops. My bad.) How does a sharp shard of ice manage to get wedged in there just so?

Anything freaky-deaky like that ever happen to you on the way to work? Do tell!

Yummy

I know this is quite after the fact, but I couldn't share these edible Christmas gifts earlier because, well, they were Christmas gifts! I apologize for the quality of all these pics- I took them quickly with my camera phone.

I don't usually do any baking for Christmas because Mom bakes more than enough for an army and because of the traveling I've had to do at Christmas. However, this Christmas was focused less on stuff and more on spending time together, good food, and good fun. I still wanted to do something, so I baked!

I whipped up some Cranberry Buttermilk Scones, which are pretty easy, very tasty, and freeze well (which was important because I had to freeze mine until the big night), though obviously they're better fresh from the oven! I got the recipe from Erin years ago and make them every now and then. Each time I do, I curse myself for not making them more often.

Cranberry Buttermilk Scones (makes 12+ depending on how big or small you cut them)

3 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp sugar, divided

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 c. cold butter or margarine

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. dried cranberries

1 tsp grated orange peel

1 tbsp milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in butter. Stir in buttermilk until just combined. Fold in cranberries and zest. Turn onto a floured surface, then divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a ball and pat down into a 6" circle. Cut each circle into 6 (or more) wedges. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with milk. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar, sprinkle liberally over scones. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes: I typically make the mistake of pulling out my electric mixer for this when really, you could do everything with a wooden spoon and your two hands. Or use your dough attachment for your mixer...I have one, I just never think to try it when I make these. Also, I usually just zest the whole orange and use all the zest. I like 'em zesty! But you can adjust to your taste. I also usually have a lot of cinnamon and sugar left so I sprinkle a little more on top while still warm. I also think this would be yummy with blueberries and lemon zest (though I haven't tried it).

To go with the scones, I made some Cinnamon Honey Butter. I saw the recipe here (her pictures are waaaaay better than mine) and loved the idea, so I got some baby food jars, some material, and tied them with jute. In this picture, there is obviously no butter...and I didn't have the jute yet. But you get the idea.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

2 sticks of butter at room temp
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Make sure the butter is room temperature and soft. Use the whisk attachment on the mixer and whip the butter. Add the powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon. Whip it together, then scrape the sides of the bowl and whisk. Whip again. Repeat if needed, making sure everything is combined well.

Notes: I'm not sure how long this will keep. It's easier to spread at room temperature, but if you don't eat it up immediately, then store in the fridge. I haven't tried it yet, but I hear it goes well on rolls, pancakes, waffles, muffins, you name it!

There you have it! An old favorite and new favorite! Let me know if you try these recipes out... Enjoy!

Steals & Deals

Happy New Year! I feel as though my first post of 2010 should be important and profound...but it's not. It's pretty typical. :-)

I hope all of you enjoyed a lovely New Year's Eve, whatever you did. I spent some time with my brother (who was in town for a few days) and friends. Had a few cocktails, ate a lot of food, and laughed a lot. New Year's Day was quiet...I needed to recover from the previous evening!

I'm dreading going back to work tomorrow. My time off has been absolutely lovely and I'm just. not. ready. to go back yet. So yesterday and today are days of cleaning, organizing, and being lazy for one last day. And a little pampering too.

I've been taking down Christmas decor and packing it in my new giant storage box that I got on the cheap from Target. Love those sales. Since I finally have a house to decorate, I've been trying to catch stuff on sale after the holidays for next year. I am not going to bore you with all the stuff I got, but I do want to share a couple things...

Like my new tree topper (for my new tree). I decided I loved it so much, I wasn't going to let it sit in a box all year long.

So I put it up on top of my kitchen cabinets. Now I can enjoy it year round! Yay!

Of course, while out shopping, we checked my favorite thrift shops and I snagged a couple more of these old Ball jars with the zinc tops. For 69 cents each! Some places sell these babies for $4 or more! I have loved these blue glass jars ever since I got one from my Grandpa's house a long time ago. This one won't be staying there for long...I've got a very specific purpose in mind for my growing collection. 

Did you snag any great deals after the holidays?

Remembering...

A mother...  a daughter.

A sister... a wife.

                                 A friend.

Today I'm remembering Linda. She died 11 years ago today. My sister-in-law who had been around for more of my life than not that she felt just like one of us.

Every year I say the same thing: I can't believe it's been so long. And as soon as I say or think those words...I feel the loss. I feel the span of time. I glance over at her picture sitting there on my little shelf and remember her laugh, her bright smiling face, her caring nature. And I feel the dull ache of loss.

But I will still remember her today. I remember the lasagna cook-off she had with a couple others in my family... hers was the best and she was so secretive about that recipe. I remember her crazy, infectious laugh, her GIANT belly when she was pregnant with Ryan, and how she took me driving when I was still learning. I also remember her excitement when I was going to my first prom... she had already been through so much and was pretty sick, but she came over the day after and laid on my bed and wanted to hear everything.

Linda was beautiful, courageous, and loved by everyone who met her. She was taken too soon. So today I remember her.



**To honor her memory and the memories of countless others, I'll be making a donation to the American Cancer Society again. So many people have been touched in some way by cancer. Consider making a donation here, or if you want to keep it local, find your office, and check for events or fundraising efforts in your area here.

2009: What a Rollercoaster!

Where exactly did 2009 go? I can't believe we're about to ring in the New Year! And oh my, doesn't 2010 sound so...out there? I mean, remember watching those movies back in the day (e.g. the Back to the Future series) when they'd talk about the year 2000 or 2010 as "the future" - flying cars, futuristic gadgets, whole meals in pill form?

Wow. 2010. Weird. (And I'm not just saying that because it's the year I turn 30!)

Anywho, I thought I would take a minute to reflect on the past year. I filled out this silly thing a few days ago and it asked me to describe 2009 in 1-2 words. My 2 words: Roller. Coaster. Let's take a look back, shall we?

January: I started the New Year off with high hopes for a new job back in my home state of WI. I braved the cold, icy weather and traveled out for an interview early in the month. By the end of the month... a job offer!! Hooray! I would finally escape the ever-tightening clutches of my evil boss...thank goodness! I also started this little blog! Such meager beginnings... it's come a long way...

February: Dissertation defense! Finally! The month was full of celebrations, packing, and goodbyes. I left my job a little earlier than planned...again, thank goodness.

March: With the help of family and friends, the truck and car were packed tightly and off I went to Wisconsin. In torrential rain. Then snow. Good times. I dove right in to my new job. It felt like I knew my new coworkers forever. As if things weren't crazy enough, I also decided I was going to buy a house.

April/May/June/July: These months felt like such a blur to me. I was essentially homeless. Yes, my good friends were kind enough to let me stay in their guest room for a long time (thank you!), and yes, my parents lived just an hour and a half away, but I didn't have my own place. My furniture was in storage. I had limited clothing options. I didn't have my dogs. I didn't feel settled. At. All. Plus I was seriously hunting for a house during this time. I made not one, not two, but three offers on houses before one finally stuck. Woohoo!

August/September: Renovations. Home improvements. Still didn't feel very settled, but I got to see my family a lot! My friends Nacole and Jason visited in August, which was so awesome. I missed them so much, so it was great to be able to hang out for a couple days. Work kicked into high gear and left me feeling exhausted a lot, but I still had time for projects! :-)

October: New carpet. I finally started unpacking for real and settling into my new home. Took a trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul for a conference (which wasn't great) and got to hang out with my brother, which was the best part anyway.

November: Lots of projects here and there, more nesting, and many many trips to thrift shops. I have an addiction. Spent an afternoon at my alma mater to give a little talk to a couple of classes. Also got to reconnect with some faculty members, which was a lot of fun. My mom, sister, and I had our first annual Black Friday Craft-a-Thon when we made book wreaths. And I had a couple of helper elves come visit and magically decorated the house with snowflakes while I was gone to work.

December: Snow. Snow. Snow. Lots of work on projects, a little Christmas shopping, and some baking too! Quality time with family, too much food, and a week-and-a-half off from work! Woohoo! I need to take more vacation, more often.

So that's it. My year in review. It's really no wonder time flew by. And why I was exhausted. It was a year full of stress, excitement, goodbyes, tears, newness, and surprises. I'm hoping 2010 is a little calmer...though I've got some big ideas for the New Year. Check back later to see my 2010 To-Do list!

Oh Christmas Trees...

 

I know, I know... most people are putting their Christmas decorations away, and here I am, creating new ones! But I've been itching to make some jute Christmas trees ever since I saw them oh-so-many blogs (like here, here or here, for example)!

While mom, my niece, and I were out shopping for after-Christmas deals, we got some jute, styrofoam cones of varying sizes, and more hot glue sticks. I also really love the look and texture of this plain ole twine I had laying around, so I thought that might also make a great tree, too. Basically, you just wind the jute/twine around the cone, gluing as you go, making sure the string stays close together. Simple, right? It took a few minutes to get the hang of gluing the jute onto the cones, but once we got going, it went pretty well. I definitely burned my fingertips during this little project. The twine was another story. It is thinner than the jute and seemed to sort of roll away, so we used a LOT more glue on the twine tree. Oh, and I burned my fingers a lot more on the twine tree.

The tips of these cones are flat, and I really wanted a point, so I fashioned a tip out of an empty paper towel roll and glued it to the two larger cones (for the twine tree, I covered the tip in white paper, so you couldn't see a color difference). I also wanted to have a star on my tree and I had seen some very cute, very little, star ornaments at Target (ah, Target).

Cute, right? So voila! We had stars for the tops of our trees. I only wish I would've bought another couple of packages of this little glass ornaments. They're so cute!

 Like I said, my mom and niece were in on this project too, and I think they had fun. My niece made a small cone tree for her dad and she wanted to add some red ribbon to hers, which is also very cute. Actually, my mom is finishing another small cone as I type!

Oh, have you seen this pic in the West Elm catalog? Same concept, right? Yes, they are gianormous, but $99, really?? Excuse me, $69.99, on sale now.

I love how the trees turned out and plan to leave them out for a while longer, instead of putting them away with some of the other decorations!

So, have you already packed your stuff away? Anything you're planning to leave out for a while?

I'm linking up with:

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer...

...is singing loud for all to hear!
Yes, a line from my very favorite Christmas movie, Elf. No, I haven't really been singing...yet.

I just made taco dip! Hooray! There was a panicky moment earlier when my mom thought she did not have the prerequisite taco seasonings...{GASP!} ... but luckily my brother next door had some. It was a Christmas miracle!

A minute ago, my 19-year-old neice...we shall call her "Betsy", to protect her identity... called my mom's cell phone. Mom usually answers the phone on holidays by saying "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Thanksgiving" or whatever fits. I wanted to be helpful so I answered her phone and decided to shake things up a bit...

Me {in my most professional, yet cheerful voice}: "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"
"Besty": {Long silence. Crickets chirping.}        "Whhaaat?"
Me: "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"
"Betsy": {Long silence. Crickets chirping. Finally, some unintelligible stammering.} "I, uh, I..."
Me: {Uncontrollable silent laughter. I finally handed the phone off to Mom}.

Merry Christmas everyone! And remember... there's room for everyone on the Nice List!!

Christmas Traditions

In my family, for as long as I can remember we've celebrated on Christmas Eve. Over the years we've done various things in the evening, but we always end up at my parents' house to open presents, eat food, and sometimes play games. There are certain things that mean Christmas to me, whether on Christmas Eve, or during the holiday season...

Movies. Yes, I do love the classics, like White Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut, and It's a Wonderful Life and I try to watch them with my mom, but for me, Christmas isn't Christmas without Elf and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! I've seen each of those movies hundreds of times (even multiple times each year) and still laugh at the best parts. Of course, A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original version, please) are also important ingredients, though I don't own the Grinch on DVD yet. I DO own the CD version and listen to it at least once (usually while traveling) during the season. I actually just added Home Alone to my collection too!
 
A tree. For most of graduate school I didn't have a tree since I was gone for most of the holidays/winter break. A couple years ago, I bought this little potted Norfolk pine because I just couldn't be without a tree anymore. It's grown a lot since then, nearly died a few times, and survived a cross-country move. It's my own little Charlie Brown tree! Maybe next year I'll have a big tree...maybe.

Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp. My sister has us over for Christmas Eve lunch for homemade Alfredo, with salad and bread. Mmmm. Love, love, love it. Honestly, the recipe is super-easy, but it never actually tastes the same when I make it.

Taco dip. After all the presents are opened, we pull out tons of food, including taco dip. Mmmm. My younger sister and I usually try to "forget" about bringing it out, because that means it might just last a little bit longer...which means more left over...but everyone knows what we're up to. It wouldn't be Christmas without taco dip. Yum. 

Christmas stockings. When I was a kid, our stocking always had a HUGE orange and apple inside, which honestly wasn't my favorite part when I was young. Now our stockings are filled with all kinds of useful (and fun) stuff, like contact solution, cooking utensils, chapstick, lotion, and on and on. It's fun opening each little present...you just never know what you're gonna get!

Christmas Day leftover taco dip breakfast. Yes, it has become a tradition for my sister and I to pull out the leftover taco dip and eat it when we wake up. Now that she is married and has her own place in town (and I stay with my parents, since I live out of town), I try my best to wait for her... or at least save some. 

Christmas Day breakfast. On holidays we usually have a big breakfast/brunch with hash browns, eggs, kielbasa, fresh rolls, and whatever else my mom decides to throw in (like hot-from-the-oven blueberry muffins). Yummy. 

Music. I've been enjoying a lot of Christmas music on Pandora this year, but I have my collection of holiday favorites, too. Christmases past have found me and my brother enjoying holiday hits on loooong car trips, singing and acting goofy... I kinda miss that this year!   

So. Those are my favorites...what are yours?

Sinfully Sweet

No, I'm not talking about cookies or other delectable holiday goodies. Fooled you, didn't I? I'm not even baking cookies... I never do since I have to travel for Christmas. Besides, last time I tried making a ton of Christmas cookies, they didn't look pretty (they tasted great), so no one few wanted to eat them (more for me, fools).

But I digress.

I'm talking about having a random day off after a crazy-busy semester.

Ahhhhh. 

Is it just me, or is there something about having a day off that feels naughty or mischievous? Being home when everyone else is at work? I slept in this morning and sipped my coffee leisurely instead of hurriedly slurping it down, which is typical for a Monday morning. And boy does it feel good.

I'll be honest though... I did pretty much the same thing all weekend...but doing it today, Monday, feels ... oh-so-much better.

It wasn't really even my choice to have the day off today. They are doing some flooring work at the office and it may or may not involve loud noise and noxious fumes, so we were told to take the day off. Hooray!

I  have some things I need to do today, errands to run and whatnot, but I'm tempted to crawl back in bed with a book and another cup of coffee...

So, is it just me? Does anyone else feel this way on random days off?

Was Henry VIII Nuts?

Image courtesy of amazon.com

I just finished Philippa Gregory's book, The Boleyn Inheritance, another in a series about the Tudors (others include The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Virgin's Lover, The Queen's Fool, and The Other Queen).

From the back of the book:

Three women who share one fate: the Boleyn Inheritance.

Anne of Cleves: She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.

Katherine Howard: She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.

Jane Rochford: She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.

Gregory initially started the series with The Other Boleyn Girl, The Virgin's Love, and The Queen's Fool, then wrote the other books, out of chronological order. I had read the "first" three (above) and loved each book (though I refuse to see the movie version of The Other Boleyn Girl). The first three books were easy to get into and I read them quickly; similarly, The Boleyn Inheritance kept me interested for all 514 pages. The story was told by three women, which was different from the other books, but I think it made this book more interesting. Gregory wrote in three distinct styles, so while each character had her own unique point of view and story to tell, it was clear who was narrating.

I also appreciate Gregory's committment to researching the history of her subjects- I've read a couple of interviews with the author in which she has talked about her research and where the line between fiction and fact has blurred. Each time I read one of Gregory's books, I've wanted to read more of her writing AND I've wanted to learn more about the history behind the stories. (Honestly, after reading the first three books, I read The Six Wives of Henry VIII and The Life of Elizabeth I, both (nonfiction) by Alison Weir and I've had a documentary on my Netflix list for a while). And now, I'm thirsty for more!
So tell me, have you read any of these books? Have you ever read historical fiction that has left you wanting to know more about the time period, people, etc.?

Hmm. To Finish, or Not Finish?

Update 12/20/09: I returned the book to the library. I just couldn't finish it. Thanks for weighing in!!

Happy Tuesday! The sun is out and even though it's "quite brisk" (as a coworker said), I'm glad for the break in the cloudy, snowy weather.

I need some help here... I've been trying to get into Toni Morrison's book Beloved, but I'm having a really tough time with it. To me, it seems as though the story is all over the place, there are flashbacks that seem to pop up out of nowhere and I find myself backtracking to see if I missed soemthing, and the language is, for lack of a better word, weird. The reviews I've read, in a variety of places, seem mixed. The people who hate the book, apparently hate it with a passion; those who love the book, apparently love it so much that they have few words to describe it.

So, the reviews aren't really helping me decide whether I should finish it or not.

It's won awards, including the Pulitzer...

I still think the book sounds interesting and meaningful...here's a description, from goodreads.com :

Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Filled with bitter poetry and suspense as taut as a rope, Beloved is a towering achievement.

And yet, I have little desire to pick up the book and finish it. I rarely leave a book unfinished. Grrr. It doesn't help that this book is also on a couple of my "lists." Ugh.

Have any of you read it? Thoughts? Anyone want to try to read it with me and push me along?

Help!

PS- I'm basically sucking at my Bookwarm Challenge list. At this point, it's probably NOT going to happen before 12/31/09. I've been reading a LOT lately...just not much on one of my "lists."

Today I Feel...

Tired. It's Monday. Lately it seems as though I've been trying to prolong the inevitable (i.e., Monday) by staying up a little later on Sunday night. Bad idea.

Hopeful. It's finals week and the end is truly in sight...we all (students, staff, etc.) need a break. I'm looking forward to time off for the holidays!

Worried. As if 14 inches of snow wasn't enough...we now have freezing drizzle and a little more snow. It's supposed to stop fairly early, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the drive home is OK since the temp is going to drop.

A Project Here, A Project There...

This weekend I worked on a few odds and ends...like hunting for snow boots which I did NOT buy because I was shocked by the price AND the fact that Fleet Farm was jam-packed with people... who apparently were also buying boots. Oy.

I also worked on my new personalized pushpins for my new bulletin board. Aren't they pretty? They were super-easy to do and basically free, since I had all  most of the supplies (can you believe I didn't have any Elmer's glue?). A good friend of mine made some magnets like this for me years ago and I still use them (thanks Erin!), so I thought these would work just as well.

First, I gathered a few flat pushpins/thumbtacks I had in my office stuff, as well as a couple of buttons and those glass flattened marble thingamajigs. I also grabbed the Elmer's, some magazines and scrapbook paper, sandpaper, and my heavy-duty E-6000 adhesive.

A Tail of 2 Puppies

According to weather.com, it was -1 when I woke up this morning. That's without the windchill factor. The puppies are having a tough time with the snow, but Montey more so than Lilly, since his feet are pretty sensitive. They trot out quickly and come back quickly, slowed only by their numb feet.

So imagine my surprise when I let Lilly out for a second time and I saw this...

At this point, it was -3 degrees, with a windchill of -13. And there sits Lilly, enjoying a nice morning on the deck,

watching the geese fly overhead, like it was nothing. She sat there long enough for me to go to the living room, grab the memory card for the camera, put it in the camera, return to the kitchen, and snap a few shots.

Wintery Delusions

delusion [di-loo-zhuhn]
- noun, a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact

Remember when I was knee-deep in snow yesterday? Shoveling, snowblowing, heaving, grunting? There was a moment when I asked my neighbor if she knew what the rest of the forecast for the week looked like. She replied, "Cold. The snow should be ending, though." Yet, even though she said it would be cold, I was thinking of warmer days, melting snow, and even had a brief vision of actually seeing our driveway again...my poor car looking less like a popsicle than a car...

Wait. What? Melting snow? Warmer days? Huh?

It hit me last night...after 7 years in Colorado... I was just expecting the snow to go away sometime soon...melt in a few days, a week, soon.

Oh, Heidi. Poor, poor, Heidi.

It was bitterly, squeaky-snow cold today. So cold that the dogs kept alternating which paw they'd hold up to give it a "rest" from the cold snow. My windows are all frosty and I worry that my back screen door hinges are going to snap when I open the door.

The women at work reminded me that we'll have this snow until March.

It's gonna be a long winter...and I may be in for a bumpy ride.

Maybe my delusions are a form of self-preservation??