Oh April, where have you gone?

I have to say this list thing is working out for me. If I hadn't started using lists more effectively I think I would be freaking out a bit right now. What with 6 days until my roommate moves in (Hi roommate!), and 9 days until I have my garage sale.

Wait -- okay, yup -- still freaking out a bit. It seems it was only 30 days ago I still had a month to get stuff done (heehee -- thirty days? a month? -- get it? okay, I am going insane here).

I have all day tomorrow to finish cleaning up the yard. And my mom and I are going to build some garden beds for the vegetable garden out at the farm -- that should be interesting. (If I remember my camera I will have some photos next week. If I am still functioning next week, that is.)

Then the rest of my weekend is going to be devoted to making the house a little more livable so my roommate (Hi roommate!) doesn't have a heart attack when she walks in the door. That would be very, very bad. :-)

Very bad.

What a deal

This past weekend I went up to the Cities to visit a friend from college. When we were discussing possible weekends for the visit she agreed to this past one with the condition that I be willing to attend some rummage sales with her.

I agreed, of course!

One of the best deals of the weekend:


It still had the store tag on it:


I bought it for $2.00! 94% off!

Judging a book by its cover

These books caught my interest by their beautiful, unique, or otherwise eye-catching covers:


Title: The thirteenth tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Pub Date: 2006

Genre: A little bit mysterious

Plot: A biographer interviews one of a famous and mysterious author-- now a recluse.

I started this book but it was on a reserve list and I didn't get a chance to finish it. It was very good up to the 10th or 12th chapter (I think it was the somewhere around there). One of these days I will get back to it . . .




Title: Garden spells
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Pub. Date: 2008

Genre: Psychological/Domestic Fiction

Plot: "In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit." (via Barnes & Noble)

Sounds good so far, huh?!? Every person I have talked to that has read this book has enjoyed it. The second book by this author -- The sugar queen -- is also on my to read list.



Title: The little giant of Aberdeen County: a novel
Author: Tiffany Baker
Pub Date: 2009

Plot: When Truly Plaice's mother was pregnant, the town of Aberdeen joined together in betting how recordbreakingly huge the baby boy would ultimately be. The girl who proved to be Truly paid the price of her enormity; her father blamed her for her mother's death in childbirth, and was totally ill equipped to raise either this giant child or her polar opposite sister Serena Jane, the epitome of femine perfection. When he, too, relinquished his increasingly tenuous grip on life, Truly and Serena Jane are separated--Serena Jane to live a life of privilege as the future May Queen and Truly to live on the outskirts of town on the farm of the town sadsack, the subject of constant abuse and humiliation at the hands of her peers. (via Barnes & Noble)

Look at that pretty cover! I find the plot of this story intriguing. Sisters, small town. Plus I want to hear more about this sadsack that Truly lives with -- I really wanted to use that word in a sentence! Heehee.



Title: Hangman blind
Author: Cassandra Clark
Pub Date: 2009

Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction

Plot: In November 1382, the month of the dead, Abbess Hildegard rides out for York from the Abbey of Meaux. This is no ordinary journey—it is a time of rival popes, a boy king, and a shaky peace in the savage aftermath of Wat Tyler’s murder—and Hildegard has embarked on a perilous mission to try to secure the future of her priory. (via Barnes & Noble)

I am a little picky on the historical fiction I read. I like my historical fiction to be a good blend of engaging storyline and historical research. I am going to try this one because it is one of loveliest covers I have seen a while!

Catch up

I was out of town this weekend . I didn't a chance to check e-mail, read my feeds, etc. because I was enjoying visiting with a friend (more on that later).

I had a bucket load of things to go through this morning. Why, you might ask did I not start last night when I got home?

I was going to -- in fact I had the computer all booted up and ready -- until the lightning storm began. I decided to err on the side of caution and just go to bed early.

Anyway, here are a couple links that caught my fancy:

• I don't know why this post caught my eye but it did. I really don't use a briefcase or backpack everyday (only on the days I walk to work). I do only pack the essentials . . .
  
  
• This is so clever! I'm trying to think of a way I could implement it into my own gardening scheme. Such as it is. Actually it really isn't much more than weeded gravel beds at the moment. But it is weeded!
  
  
• As someone eliminating clutter in her house I found this link useful. Now I can start some recycling piles!
  
  
• Last one -- sent to me by the sister -- I already have plans to make some bagels and yogurt. Mmmm . . . doesn't that sound yummy!
  

The lemonade war

The lemonade war by Jacqueline Davis is a delightful read. The story is about a brother and sister (Evan & Jessie) in the last days of summer before the new school year begins.

I found this book to be fun. I actually learned a bit about business as well! Evan is a concerned about the upcoming year because his sister Jessie will be in his grade (& class) -- she is skipping a grade.

Because of some miscommunications, they start a lemonade war -- whoever makes the most money selling lemonade will win all the money.

Along the way there is marketing strategies, business math, and even a little bit of business ethics thrown in.

Plus, I'm always a sucker for a good ending.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pub. Date: April 2007
ISBN: 9780618750436
Age Range: 8 to 10
192p (via Barnes & Noble)

Looking to the weekend

I have big plans this weekend. I am going to the cities to visit a friend from college. Yea!

I haven't seen her in a while and I am excited to catch up. She has two kids now I this will be my first time meeting them. Yea!

We are going to some garage sales on Saturday. And we will probably talk a lot the rest of the time!

Now I need to go pack . . .

Lists

At the end of March I started creating a weekly to do list. It would help me to focus on the bigger projects I wanted or needed to complete during the week.

I created the list on Sunday evening (or sometimes even before that) to be started Monday. As I completed each item I checked it off the list.

This list:

• helps to keep me focused on things that need to be done
• helps me to see how much I have accomplished during the week -- this is a benefit I didn't count I
• helps me plan out my week and the days in it
• helps me to get tasks done
• helps keep procrastination to a minimum (who me, procrastinate?) :-D
  

My to do list has been very helpful. Last week I missed updating on Sunday -- it really threw off my entire week. Now I am playing catch up. And I only have a day to do it. Argh.

Project 3

Aren't these adorable?? I am going to visit a friend this weekend and I wanted to bring something fun that her kids might like. I got the recipe from Bakerella. They are just as fun to make as they are to eat.

Across the net

• Although I have watched the occasional Star Trek, I have never considered myself a Trekkie. I couldn't resist this little bit of fun (via ReadingAdventures)

I look pretty good as a starship officer . . .

• This sad and slightly disturbing story is from one of my news feeds.

And two fun videos (via mental_floss):

I would definitely go see this movie . . .

And a little sweetness . . .

Project 2

This really wasn't a project but it sounds better if I call it that. I made Tortilla Casserole from the Campbell's Kitchen. Or a variation of the recipe.

I didn't add quite as much salsa in and I added onion, and some other things . . .


Please excuse the photos -- not the best -- but this dish is very delish and less messy than regular tacos!

Busy, busy

I realized that I haven't been posting every weekday lately. Last week I was working, working, working and by the time I remembered I hadn't posted I was already in bed with my eyes beginning to close.

Project number 1:

I have been cleaning out my flower beds. I am almost done I have about 10 feet left. This is what it looked like before:



Lesson learned: When they say it is easier to weed a little each day rather than wait until it gets overgrown, they mean it. Blah. I should have done this last year!

Unto Ceasar

The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.
~Albert Einstein

I have to say today is not my most favorite time of the year. However, today is bearable because of this:

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Romans 13:1-7

From the web

I was going to post something completely banal about my flowerbeds but I just finished reading my daily reader feeds and thought I would share a couple things from today's reads instead. (Don't worry I will save my exciting flowerbeds for another day.)

First up, this list was linked via mental_floss. All the items on here are great things to know. I am sure I never new all of them when I was 18. And it is quite possible that I haven't grasped some of the concepts even today.

And then, I watched this video also linked via mental_floss:

Susan Boyle - 47-letnia śpiewaczka z brytyjskiej wersji "Mam
by luloczek

It made me laugh, it made me cry . . .

Tomorrow we will be back with our regularly (or maybe not so regularly) scheduled flowerbed.

My lilac's a-bloomin'

A deal and a question

My deal of the day:

I'm a purse fiend. I have stopped buying purses just because I like them because it is just no practical. But I am very picky about purses. I have been looking for a new one for a month or so.

I found one today at Goodwill for $1.25!

---

I have been listening to the audiobook The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. One of the major themes of the story is time travel. It has got me wondering:

If you traveled in time, would you rather travel into the future or into the past and why?

Back in the tennies again

It was so beautiful out today.

I walked to work. I should have yesterday but I snoozed a little too long. (Oopsie!)

My day seemed just a little bit better for walking to work.

It comes and goes

I get cleaning/organizing moods. When I get one of these moods I go at cleaning and organizing like there is no tomorrow: dishes get washed (mostly by the dishwasher), laundry gets done, clutter is put away, closets are sorted.

Unfortunately, there is a tomorrow. My life intervenes and it usually puts a damper on my cleaning/organizing mood. Despite how it may seem I do have a job that I am required to be at and other activities and obligations that take me away from organizing and cleaning (besides who wants to organize and clean every moment of the day?!?). But all those things interrupt my mood. My mood becomes a slump. A slump that is hard to pull myself out of.

I'm in a slump. Surrounded by piles of stuff: garage sale items to sort, piles of stuff in need to go through, Christmas decorations to be stored. I don't even want to think about my kitchen right now. Let's just say the dishes are not piling up and leave it at that.

Tomorrow is coming and I'm hope one of my moods is coming on . . .

A sound to make you smile

Things I like about this video:

• The song (of course)
  
  
• The unexpectedness of the moment(s)
  
  
• The SMILES on everyone's face -- makes me smile myself
  

I have no idea

What is so exciting about empty bookshelves . . .

Organizing

Over the years, I have accumulated a lot of junk. There are boxes here that I don't think I even opened when I moved in (4 years ago?) .

Blah.

I am planning on having a garage sale in a month or so to get rid of some of this junk. (By junk I mean stuff I have that I never look at, use, or think about.) Anything that isn't sold is going to GoodWill or the garbage.

Making me laugh . . .

In 40 years, when I'm a grumpy old man, my excuse for frugality will be 'I was a Recession kid.'

-Unknown (via Frugal for Life)