new year's eating

2010 is going to be a good year. I can just FEEL it---LOTS of wonderful things coming for everyone! However, if I can increase the odds with a little extra good eating, bring on the traditions! :-)

It seems like every culture has its own favorite foods for eating on New Year's Day. Growing up in Pennsylvania Dutchland, the tradition called for a steaming pot of pork and sauerkraut. Served with buttery mashed potatoes of course. But now that I'm not a meat eater, I have had to explore other some other culinary options.

I so want 2010 to be a good year that this year I am cramming four traditions into our New Year's eating, although I'll serve them at separate meals. First, from the Italians, I'm making our family's favorite lentil soup. In Tuscany lentils are a New Year's tradition because their coin-like shape is said to bring prosperity in the coming year. Prosperity sounds good, so here's the recipe:

2 Tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped into little cubes (for some reason I think they taste better that way)

1 potato, chopped into little cubes (same reason as above)

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup lentils (pardina, the little brown ones)

3 Tsp, red wine vinegar

6 cups, veggie stock (or chicken, if you prefer)

2 cups, spinach, chopped

Pepper

Heat the oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, and when medium hot, add the onion, carrot, potato, and celery, sauteing for about 7 minutes, until tender.

Add the vinegar to the pan, using a wooden scraper to loosen any brown bits from the bottom. Then add the broth and lentils, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 40 minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach, and continue simmering until the leaves have wilted. Finally, a few twists of the pepper mill will finish the soup perfectly. Serve with cornbread.

Ok, that's New Year's Day lunch covered. For dinner, we'll combine both the Asian tradition of long noodles---eaten to ensure a long life---with more prosperity-bringing goodness courtesy of New Orlean's cabbage-eating custom by making stir-fried noodles. Using my own easy but supertasty noodle recipe, I will simply add some shredded cabbage or bok choy to the mix along with the peppers and carrots (cut in coins of course).

Lastly, here's an easy one for when the clock strikes midnight: in Spain the New Year is rung in with the eating of twelve grapes, one with each strike of the clock. If you manage to get all twelve down, twelve months of good luck are ensured for the coming year. Warning, though, be sure to buy seedless grapes or your 2010 will be the pits. ;-D

unsubscribe---just do it!

One New Year's "resolution" I have already started work on---paring down the number of e-mails I receive. For the life of me, I have no idea how I have ended up on so many people's subscription lists. But enough is enough, and the purge has begun!

Since Sunday, I think I have unsubscribed from at least sixty e-mail lists: retail, travel, charity, and recipe newsletters and special offers---adios! And now every time a new piece of junk pops up in my inbox, I immediately open the e-mail and remove myself from future solicitations.

Which is not to say I won't miss a couple of interesting reads in the coming year. But I would rather not have to scroll through the thirty, forty, fifty e-mails I have been receiving every day just to find the one or two that may be useful. And the "follow-up" folder where I have been stashing these almost-always unread e-mails for when I'd have more time (and you know that time NEVER comes), well that's being deleted, too.

I am applying the same principle to my Facebook lists as well. Friends and groups who post thoughtful and informative updates will stay active in my News Feed, but those who post just for the sake of posting or to push certain agendas are being hidden from my daily reading.

In general these days I find the Internet overwhelming. Of course there is limitless useful and thoroughly readable material available to keep my eyes strained to perpetuity, but when is enough enough? I feel like I've reached data overload. Thus, all the pages I bookmarked with the intent of revisiting one day (but again NEVER do)? Deleted. "Dusty" Firefox folders full of expired hyperlinks? Deleted. My lists of favorite blogs culled and those remaining organized by subject.

So far, I am liking my less-cluttered virtual world. It's a refreshing feeling to log on to a clean desktop and find no pressing matters in my e-mail inbox. But more importantly, my ultimate goal is to free up time for more pleasurable pursuits in 2010---more time for crafting and writing and gardening, for hanging out with the family, for puttering and letting my brain recharge. My days of data hoarding are being left behind with the decade, and I feel great! :-)

holiday sweets

How was your holiday weekend? As sweet and light as these fruit-filled fritters the husband whipped up yesterday for brunch I hope. Wow, were they fantastic! And the perfect cap to a wonderful Christmas. :-D

In the end, too, the Grinch was foiled because, on the 24th, the bank provisionally credited our account the amount that was stolen a couple weeks earlier---even more reason to celebrate! :-)

Our family present seemed to go over well with many of its receivers. Now that Santa has delivered all of this year's gifts, I can share what we decided to make this Christmas---cookbooks! Using Tastebook, we collected, photographed, and wrote instructions for many of our family's favorite recipes. We tried to include something for everyone (being a mixed meat-eating/vegetarian family, this wasn't too difficult)---even the dogs' beloved kibble mix is in the book! The cookbook was great fun to put together, and I suspect this first edition won't be our last. :-)

This week I turn toward looking back at the past twelve months. Although this year was full of many challenges, we survived with love and good humor and contented bellies. During this reflective period, I start putting together my annual list---not of resolutions exactly---but more of life priorities for the coming year. I also like to pick one thing to work on personally; for example, a couple years ago I decided to cut out worry and last year, whinging. On the top of the 2010 list: no fretting about lifestuff that is out of my control. :-) I'll share more of the manifest as the week continues.

For now, though, I think there is a piece of Christmas cake calling my name....

o come all ye faithful

The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth,
good-will to men.
---Longfellow

May your holiday season be filled with peace, love, and joy.
Merry Christmas!

waiting for christmas

Peaceful was the night
Wherein the Prince of Light
His reign of peace upon the earth began.
---Milton

Painting is Waiting for Christmas by Austria School (20th century).

christmas forecast

Unfortunately, we'll have to content ourselves with fotos of last year's snowstorm in place of a true white Christmas for 2009. The current forecast for the rest of the week is downright grim: Rain/Thunder/Wind, Thundershowers, Rain, Showers, Scattered Showers, Rain, Rain. You get the picture. Doesn't exactly conjure up images of jingle bells and reindeer and chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

But we're going to brave the Rain/Thunder/Wind scheduled for tomorrow as we'd planned a trip to the Big City for a bit of Christmas shopping. And it will be just a bit of Christmas shopping because we've yet to hear any word from the Houston police or the bank about the investigation or reimbursement of the stolen money. I have been telling myself that perhaps some very needy people are going to have a nice Christmas dinner courtesy of my bankcard; it's helped to lessen the bite of anger, an emotion that has no place especially at this time of year.

I am looking forward to the day out, even if it does mean sloshing through puddles and being poked by umbrellas on the Big City streets. My last project deadline was signed off and invoiced today, so I can turn my attention more fully toward the festivities. There will be packages to wrap and food goodies to prep in the next 48 hours, and then wow---only three sleeps before the big day! Oooooo, it's getting down to wire! Looking for some Christmas miracles under the tree this year. Even if Mother Nature insists on rain.

christmas bookpile

The beginning of every December, I add a pile of books to the basket I keep next to the bed. Their covers are worn and their pages well thumbed, but rereading these familiar stories is one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

There are the classics, of course, like A Christmas Carol and Gift of the Magi, but I also enjoy Agatha Christie's Christmas short story collections, especially The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding. I love her descriptions of the traditional English Christmas speciality foods, especially the all-important Christmas pudding. :-)

When in the mood for something more irreverent, I turn to David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice. His tales of being a Macy's Christmas elf are hilarious, and I also adore his version of the annual Christmas letter. So much fun, and just the ticket when the holiday could use a little comic relief.

I also enjoy revisiting a few of my favorite childhood Christmas stories, like Barbara Robinson's The Best Christmas Pagent Ever. Anybody else remember the Herdmans? Or put Vaseline on their eyelashes to make them shiny and longer looking? This book makes me still smile year after year. :-)

Finally, I managed to keep my Scholastic Book Club copy of The House Without a Christmas Tree by Gail Rock all these years, and was so thrilled when the original television movie with Jason Robards was made available on DVD. I so loved Addie and her spunk when I was a girl.

I always keep my eyes peeled for new additions to my Christmas bookpile when scouring the shelves of thrift and used book shops---anyone have suggestions of titles to look out for?

in the genes

Four years ago my husband just finished a work contract for Nokia in Pakistan, and I joined him for an extended holiday traveling through the mountainous north of the country, along the border with Kashmir.

Not even a week into the vacation, our plans were derailed by a 7.6 earthquake that wiped out the only road and left us stranded until we could be rescued by military helicopter several days later.

My parents had been a little concerned about my safety on this trip, but this was not the scenario that had worried them previously. After my husband and I made our way back to Islamabad and could contact our friends and family, my mother expressed frustration that my father had spent the time while they waited for news of us in the kitchen, baking biscotti, making pots of soup, and frying up skillets of eggs and potatoes for breakfast. She couldn't understand how he could even think of food at such a time of worry and distress.

But I understood perfectly. Which was why, after the week we'd had, I was so happy yesterday to spend the most of the day in the kitchen preparing for a pre-Christmas dinner with friends. I started by making the sauce for the eggplant parmigiana. While the marinara simmered, I made smoked salmon pate, bleu cheese spread, and tapanade. Then I floured and fried the eggplant. As the hours passed, there were also eggs to boil, cheeses to grate, salad greens to wash and dress. And a chocolate cake to sample and approve (generously baked by my husband on Friday).

When I emerged hours later I was ready for a rest, but I also felt relaxed, satisfied, calm for the first time in days. The chopping and stirring and tasting and watching a dish come together was just the sort of therapy I needed. Oh, and the eating and good company last evening completed the doctor's order. :-) And just as my husband and I survived the earthquake shaken but not shattered, so we shall from this latest bump in the road. Until then, at least the family will all have very happy bellies.

holiday reboot

So the last few days have been interesting. Eventually someone from the Houston police department returned my calls and gave me the all-important case number, which we needed for the bank claim form. But I don't expect much more will be done by them, frankly. The amount stolen was just under the total needed to make the crime a felony, I've learned. The police officer also told me it would take seventy-hours for my case number to even appear in the Houston PD records.

The store manager has been helpful. He managed to pull all the information on the case should a detective ever contact him. One person made the seven illegal transactions, and apparently she did show identification for each purchase. Which has had me wondering, what exactly does my impersonator in Texas look like?

My hometown bank reminds me why it is best to shop local. I've kept my personal checking account there for twenty years even though I haven't lived in the area much of the time. And the care and compassion I have received from everyone at Nat Penn has done wonders to restore my faith in humanity.

The past few days were spent gathering all the information to complete the claim forms, so that the bank can reimburse the stolen money. The paperwork has been faxed, scanned, and mailed, but I have no idea how long it will take before our account will be credited. That said, we've done everything we can to right the thief's wrong, so it is time to put this horrible experience, along with a not-so-fabulous 2009, behind us and work on getting back some of the festive holiday spirit before the holiday passes us by!

I am one of those people who believe things happen to us for a reason, that all of life's experiences are given to us as a way to learn and grow. And I've been mulling over what lesson I'm to take from this ordeal. Because I can be fiercely independent, I like to be able to take care of myself and my family, and it is not easy for me to ask for help. But with this theft, I have had no choice but to do just that---rely on the kindness of strangers and the support and encouragement I've received from friends and family all over the world. I suspect of all the gifts I am given for Christmas 2009, this newly acquired bit of wisdom will be what I'll remember long after the wrappings and decorations have been store away.

a real-life grinch

The Happy Recessionist is not happy this morning, I'm afraid. The Grinch---in the form of a thief thousands of miles away---has stolen her Christmas.

Sunday was supposed to be our festive day to be spent making decorations and decking our halls. After six days in front of the computer, I was looking forward to a little creative time with paper, scissors, thread, ribbon, Elmer's---a good old-fashioned arts & crafts sesh.

The husband realized we could use an extra string of twinkle lights, so I decided to pop out for a quick walk, some fresh air, and a trip to the local bazar. Along the way, I realized I should probably stop at the ATM for some extra cash.

As I waited for the transaction to finish, I looked up the graying sky and decided I'd better bring the laundry in when I got home. But there was no familiar sound of the bills being counted---"Operation Denied." "Huh? But I just was paid Friday," I thought. Then I told myself perhaps you entered the PIN incorrectly, and so made a second attempt, paying much closer attention to every button I pressed. "Operation Denied."

I check my wallet and found I had enough money to buy the lights, so I darted in and out of the five and dime and then went straight home to call the bank. Despite my husband's reassurances that it was probably just a computer glitch, my gut told me something more serious was wrong.

But of course, the bank has limited customer service hours on Sundays, so I had to wait three hours before I could speak to a human. Three long hours during which I fretted, brushed the dog to keep busy, fretted some more, went to the store room to look for more decorations, fretted again, argued with the husband (who was tiring of my fretting), calmed myself with a cup of tea, and then finally called the bank, a minute after the CS department opened.

There was not good news on the other line. Sharon told me the account had been blocked because of suspicious activity, and then asked if I had made seven purchases at a Kroger's in Houston the day before.

I've never been to Houston. I live thousands of miles from Texas, on another continent, on the other side of a rather large ocean. I most certainly had not been shopping at Kroger's in Houston the day before. That would have been the Grinch who wiped out our bank account.

Sharon immediately closed the account. I will most likely not receive a new bank card until after Christmas. I then had to speak to the fraud department, to verify with them that I would be filing a claim. Sharon then directed me to a web site with forms to fill out and fax. I burst into tears because my emotional reserves were already running on fumes. More than a year of having your husband unemployed can do that to a person. Sharon, bless her, started to cry, too. Goodness knows the struggles she's faced the past year. Before we hung up, she said she'd call tomorrow to check in on me.

After having a fairly sizable meltdown, I managed to conjure up a bit of sense and fight and went online to find the phone number of the Houston police department. I spoke to some very nice people there and was given the phone number of a sergeant in the forgery department to speak with today. At the very least, we can try to find the Grinch.

So I know it's not the end of the world, that we'll probably get all the money back eventually, that we're lucky to have a lot of love and support from others in the world, that there's plenty of food in the pantry, that there's enough money in the emergency piggy bank to pay the electric bill due tomorrow, that we'll be ok.

As I was relating the tale to my mother last evening, we talked about all the people who are having tough times this holiday. Yesterday our neighbor told me she's looking after her granddaughters while her son has had to take a job a hundred miles away. So many people relying on food banks and assistance and charities....

Which brings me to my request: to help me get this Grinch off my back, for all those people who have already emptied their emergency funds and are having a really hard time buying their kids winter coats and food for their Christmas dinners---please consider giving whatever you can to a local charity that is helping people in your community this holiday season. It would mean the world to me if a little good could come out of my family's thus far not-so-jolly Christmas.

I promise we will eventually get to decorating our house, once all the forms have been completed, signed, and submitted. But in the meantime, let's all stick it to the Grinch, ok?

"the north wind doth blow..."

"...and we shall have snow." So reads the caption on this ad from an early 1920s copy of Women's Home Companion magazine. Regular readers of the blog know that I collect women's magazines from the first half of the twentieth century because I love the glimpse into our history, the sort of which is typically not covered in textbooks. I love to see what people were eating, wearing, making, reading, watching, loving, and needing. Much has changed obviously, but so much too is the same, as you'll see as I dip into my December issues this month. Take this ski outfit being modeled, for example:

How many kids today can imagine their great-grandparents wearing A&F, eh? ;-)

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!!!

anniversaries

Today we celebrate our wedding anniversary. And I do mean celebrate because, despite all our lives' ups and downs, the husband and I are still strong and solid as the Rock of Gibraltar, where we took our marriage vows.

Sure we have our little battles and occasional snarky/petulant moments, but mostly we are a team on this journey called life. For much of my young adulthood, I never thought I would get married, or that I wanted to. But I was lucky enough to have that chance encounter in a cafe in a city far away from my home with a person who changed my mind, who could love me and think me gorgeous just the way I am each and every day, let me be the person I need to be.

He's busy in the kitchen now, whipping up my personal requests: homemade pizzas, salad, and chocolate mousse (I TOLD you I was lucky), allowing me to have a few minutes of quiet time before the party officially begins. Best go open the bottle of chianti, eh? Happy Anniversary, Darling!

homemade holidays #1

Anyone else remember these? Collecting the stacks of Reader's Digests from your grandparents and lugging to Girl Scouts, Sunday School, arts & crafts class?

When I saw this photo on re-nest, I was instantly transported back to 1975 and could suddenly feel those matte printed pages between my Elmer's glue-tipped fingers.

If you've never made these fun magazine Christmas trees, the easy instructions can be found here. Any magazine will do, but needless to say, I'll be off hunting for Reader's Digests this weekend, when our decorating extravaganza begins. :-)

to shop or not to shop

Pretty crazy idea, eh, ESPECIALLY at this time of year. But after the second bout of long-term unemployment in the past decade, our family has learned, much out of necessity, that a trip to the mall or an hour on amazon.com is not always the best answer for us.

We recycle, freecycle, scour eBay and consignment shops, and if we do need to make a trip to the local shopping emporium, we make sure we're getting the best value for our money. And we also know what it is that we really, really love, what brings true pleasure to our lives.

That is not to say we aren't sometimes stopped in our tracks by a bit of beauty in a shop window. But like this dress I spotted while on holiday in Venice, I would rather either wait until I can find an item on eBay or make it myself and instead fill my oversized suitcase with handmade pasta, which will remind us of a fabulous trip and make our bellies happy (not to mention, costs a whole lost less than the dress).

But I know, I know, you have stockings to fill and people you love who expect gifts under the tree, plus that Pollyanna you signed up for at the office---lots of shopping in the next few weeks for many of us. But perhaps afterward, come resolution-making time (AND credit card payment due dates), you'll want to make time to read this article, which I found recently at care2.com. There are 10 great ideas listed for getting you out of the habit of shopping 'til you drop and perhaps adding more money to your savings account. And of course freeing up time to spend with friends and family---which really, at the end of the day, is the gift we most want.

holidailies and giving

After almost a week of blogging vacation, I am back. 'Twas a very needed break---after NaNoWriMo AND NaBloPoMo, I couldn't string more than three words together and have them make any sense.

But somehow the calendar has turned and Holidailies is upon us. This is my third year participating, and I encourage all bloggers to sign up and participate. :-)

Because I decided several months ago to make our family's gifts this year, our free days and nights of late have been busy putting the finishing touches on several projects and getting the international packages ready to send in the next few days. Despite a bit of grumbling yesterday when I may have said to my husband, "Remind me next year when I suggest we make our gifts that we could just send everyone gift cards and be done with it in 35 minutes," I am really pleased with how everything is shaping up. (And after all the gifts have been received and opened, I'll share with you some of what we've done. :-)

If you too find yourself with a mean case of the grumbles in the coming weeks, here is an article that reminds us about the importance of giving AND notes that daily giving can actually make us healthier. And coincidentally, the subject of the article is the founder of the web site I mentioned recently (and is posted in the sidebar), 29-Day Giving Challenge. I finished my 29 days last month during the writing frenzy, so I didn't have a chance to share some of the neat experiences I had here. I will be sure to do so soon, and in the meantime, read the article and consider taking a 29-day challenge of your own. 'Tis the season. :-)

50,167

50,167 words. Needless to say, it's been a busy month. Lots of very early mornings so that I could get in my writing time. And I still had to play catchup and write for about fifteen hours yesterday---not an exaggeration! But what a great feeling to FINALLY finish, on my seventh attempt. :-)

Even more exciting, though, is how much I learned about writing in just thirty days. And how much less afraid I now am to work out my ideas and make them come alive. I think the most thrilling experience was feeling, as I approached the 40,000-word mark, the blood start the pump through the veins of what had started as very two-dimensional, cardboard cutout characters. I can't wait to start on my revisions. Really. :-D

Also, a big thank you to all the readers who've stopped by from NaBloPoMo this month. It was great to see new people visit and commenting. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

Congrats to all the NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo winners!

what i'm thankful for #7

Every new morning, ripe with possibility, promise, and hope.

what i'm thankful for #6

A house full of happy (and supercute) fur bundles. :-)

what i'm thankful for #5

The wonders of nature. I was about to pick off what I thought was a twig from my husband's sweatshirt before this little guy reared up and let his true identity be known. (He was returned to the outdoors safely, btw.)

what i'm thankful for #4

A Happy Thanksgiving feast surrounded by loved ones!

what i'm thankful for #3

My hot water bottle, which helps take the chill out of the coldest nights of winter.

what i'm thankful for #2

Yoga (and my collection of yoga DVDs). Because no matter how chaotic and out of control my life and the world become, I know that when I roll out my trusted mat, all will be well.




Photo from the yoga journal.

what i'm thankful for #1

Clementine season!

foto spot #18

From a Sunday afternoon drive earlier this year.
Hope you're all enjoying what's left of your weekend! :-)

planning the feast

Soon after I gave up eating meat, the family was visiting my brother on Cape Cod. After lunch one day, we went for a stroll and came across an independently owned bookstore, so of course I had to go inside and have poke around.

There I found exactly the sort of book I had been looking for, and not surprisingly it was written by the folks at the Moosewood Collective. Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates is a collection of holiday recipes, organized by season, featuring all the well-known favorites, as well as some fun extras like Diwali, Cinco de Mayo, and Setsubun (Japanese Bean Day). A section is included on foods to make and gift, like pear-raspberry preserves and our dogs' favorite homemade dog biscuits.

For Thanksgiving, both a vegetarian and vegan menu are provided. At our home, we roast turkey legs for our meat eaters, who then enjoy our dishes as their sides: polenta, sauteed greens, cranberry sauce, potato filling, and veggie au gratin, like the one picture above. Not to mention freshly baked rolls and pumpkin pie. Yum, I am getting hungry already and still five days to wait until the big day. :-)

If you're stuck on ideas for your family's (non)turkey dinner and don't have the time/money/space for yet another cookbook (which I totally understand), here is another menu I found on the Food Network's web site. Lots of tasty-looking suggestions there, too, yum.

Finally, when you are doing your holiday food shopping, do try to pick up a few extra cans---whatever your budget allows---and swing by your local food pantry on the way home. Not surprisingly, with so many people still out of work, more are relying on food banks to feed their families, and donations are MUCH appreciated. In the spirit of the holiday, it's the least we can do.

home for the holidays

From now until (at least) the New Year, I'm going to post more features on charitable organizations whose good work could use our help. Yes, even our sad, laid-off, and unemployed help.

Today I ask you check out Let's Bring 'Em Home's web site. This nonpartisan nonprofit raises money to pay for US soldiers' plane fares, allowing many American families to spend their holidays together who otherwise might have not been able to. Last year $63,000 was raised and paid for 72 flights home. I know money is tight this year, but do consider donating whatever you can---every dollar counts!

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!

the right to hang

I know I try to keep a happy vibe on this site, but this article today made me angry, not to mention seriously wonder about people's priorities.

We have not had a clothes dryer for eight years. In sunny weather, we hang our laundry outside among the posies (as you can see). In the winter and rainy weather, we use the three retractable lines we installed in our washroom. I don't miss having a dryer at all.

There also is the cost savings. The woman in the article says her family of five saves $83 a month by hanging their laundry outside. Not to mention the reduction of carbon emissions.

Our neighbors all hang their laundry as well. Nobody cares about the others' "unmentionables" on the line. We chat in the mornings while we put up the clothes. Laundry lines shouldn't be dividing communities; they should be bringing them together. When I grew up (not that long ago), there was a clothesline in every backyard. So how did this practical and eco-friendly bit of homecaring suddenly become "trailer trash"? As my wise grandmother would have said, "It boggles the mind."

P.S. Another laundry tip: use white vinegar in place of fabric softener, about 1/3 cup for an average load. Don't worry, your clothes will NOT smell of vinegar afterward. :-)

holiday freebies

Busy, busy here now that my work computer has been rebuilt and I am playing catchup on more deadlines than I care to think about. But at least there is crafty stuff to help me unwind in the evenings.

Speaking of, 30+ FREE holiday patterns here at Lions Brand, sure to keep your sticks busy from now until the holidays. :-)

foto spot #17

Monet's "Water Lilies", Paris.

happy days

When I was a kid, 8 pm on Tuesdays meant one thing---Happy Days (followed by Laverne & Shirley at 8:30, of course. And then bedtime). To start this week, here are 10 ways to have your own happy days, courtesy of Richie and Joanie's TV mom, Marion Ross (and have you seen her lately? She looks FABULOUS!).

*Clear your clutter: every morning take out the garbage and gather up old newspapers.

*Send a letter to a friend---a REAL letter, not e-mail.

*Make time for a 40-minute walk (This I will vouch for: on the days I make time for exercise I always have more energy and am better able to handle problems that pop up later in the day.)

*Spend sometime in the garden. (Or at the very least outdoors.)

*Give your pet some "sugar". (Absolutely!)

*Learn something new.

*Eat right. (PLEASE, it's the best thing you can do for yourself!)

*Buy new underwear.

*Escape, just for a little while. (Just a few hours in the city does the job for me :-)

*Fix what's broken.

Happy Monday!!!

floss? you will now.

Need yet another good reason to floss your teeth regularly---how about adding 6.4 years onto your life? I think I may have FINALLY convinced my husband of its merits after years of defending my dental hygiene regimen (I've also only ever had one cavity in my 40+ years, btw).

Flossing was just one item in a recently published study of easy things we can do to stick around a bit longer on this great planet. Here is a sample of some of the others:

*Get a hobby + 2 years
*Take vacations + 1-2 years
*Sleep in + 2 years
*Lose the flab + 3-4 years

For the complete list and more details from the study, see here.

for the birds

Although I am not a fan of the plastic bottle, I do like whenever a creative idea emerges to give trash a new purpose in life. Like this handy gadget that allows you to turn a soda bottle into a bird feeder. Highlighted recently on one of my favorite web sites, unclutterer.com, the soda bottle bird feeder is currently on sale at amazon.com for $9.95. Check it out, before the first snow fall.

tgif fun

Looking forward to this weekend even more than most. I think it was my work PC having a stroke Wednesday morning, resulting in my technonerd/husband having to spend the next sixteen hours rebuilding my computer so that I could make a deadline yesterday, that zapped all of my extra reserves. Tomorrow night's curry fest with friends cannot arrive fast enough. :-) For now, though, I am calling it an early night and so leave you with a comic that made me smile today (enjoy more of the strip here). Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!

now that's hot!

remember to say thank you

Today is the day set aside to honor and thank our veterans, although we should probably do so every day, as well as thank their families, who share in their loved one's commitment to service. From The Happy Recessionist and her family, THANK YOU!!!

Here are also two links for more information about veterans' services: US Department of Veterans Affairs and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Tons of good information at both, and IAVA also has suggestions in case you are looking for ways to commemorate this important holiday. Veterans, again thank you for your service!