Sluggish

I caught the "cooties" (the spring bug) from the school.  That's right, I have been sick for the last 4-5 days.  I woke up on Friday with a severely swollen throat, killer headache and itching ears.  Thankfully the strep test was negative.


Fast forward to Tuesday.  I'm feeling a bit better.  Actually I feel better than I have since last week, although I'm still not there.  I spent the weekend resting, napping, orange juice drinking and eating soup.  


I am hoping to have another good night's sleep and feel even better.

Bare Bones, by Kathy Reichs

I just finished reading Bare Bones, by Kathy Reichs.  This is another in the Bones series of novels.  In this installment Tempe and her detective beau Andrew Ryan are investigating strange bones that are found in South Caroline.  There are animal bones, drug and exotic animal trades and, of course, murder.  


This is a great read.  If you love Bones, read this installment.

5QF February 24, 2012

1. What's your favorite way to spend down time (alone or with a significant other)?  Reading, listening to music and watching Bones

2. Are you the kind of person that wants things more as soon as you know you can't have it?  Not so much.  I think and want something for a long time and then when I decide I really want it, I find a way to get it.

3. If you were given $1000 to spend on yourself, what would you buy?  Books, music, Bones (i.e.  see number 1)

4. Do you ever go out to eat by yourself?  Nope.  If I am alone and get food out, I do take-out and eat at home.

5. What company would you want to do a blog review for?  I've never thought of it.  I guess I should look into blog reviews.

Time flies....

I woke up and it was Monday, and now it's Thursday night!  Time flies when you are having fun.


Work has been busy with meetings prepping for state testing, regular classroom assessments and the related minutia of mid-February.  Lent began yesterday with Ash Wednesday.  We had activities at church on Tuesday and Wednesday.


Weather has been crazy.  We had ridiculous winds Tuesday night into all day and night Wednesday.  There were gusts up to 80 mph.  Part of the awning and a light fell at the school (about 4:45 pm, so there were no students).  We had to rescue the dumpster can twice and gained a basketball in our yard.  We lost power last night for about 30 minutes.  Outside of town the power was out all night.

The History Thief: Ten Days Lost, by JS Nagle

Tonight I finished another novel.  The History Thief:  Ten Days Lost, by JS Nagle, was an Amazon freebie.  It was long (took me two weeks to read), but really good.


The novel follows several story-lines that do not seem to connect at the beginning.  I honestly wasn't sure who to root for until the last quarter of the novel.  The book has religious and church history, action, spies, conspiracies (many and complicated), kidnapping and more.  There are plot twists that are important in all thrillers as well as people who are not who they seem.  

I don't want to say too much in case someone decides to read it, but I will give it a "thumbs up"!  If you choose to enjoy this novel, let me know what you thought. 

Update on life...

This week has felt super busy!  I've had physical therapy three times.  My foot is hurting me a bunch - I'm glad that I get to see the doc on Monday.  


I've had work.  The kids make the long days go by fast.  Today we got to see the drama students preform a play and hang out to celebrate our athletes too!  


The weather is beautiful.  A little chilly, but sunny.  The air is crisp, but spring is on the way.


Daisy got a bath and is fully and pretty.  We also washed her blankets and she is not happy about that.  Also, Bobo has been retired and given a title.  Yes, Sir Bobo the First is officially retired.  


I am heading into a three-day weekend filled with chores, church, doctor appointment, relaxing and reading.  Also, my BFF has her birthday tomorrow!  Happy birthday!!!

Article Update

I have not accomplished very much in the way of my article this week.  I don't know where the week went.  Maybe it went to caring for Daisy, PT, work, reading a good book and the many details of my life.  


I feel like my list of things to accomplish gets longer and nothing gets crossed off!  What I am really stuck on is finding copies of archaeological and field reports of sites in Europe that focus on early Christian sites and/or other religious sites of the 1st-3rd centuries.  I would really love to be able to read a bunch and to see sketches, photos and site drawings.  My research focus of the moment - the first of many I am sure - is to see how these religions incorporated and used the same locations.  What did they decide to keep?  What was destroyed?  What was forgotten or built over? 


My goal for this week is to be able to at least discover where I might be able to find some of this information.  My current ideas include archaeological magazines (our library possibly), University websites and/or publishing houses, European publishing/digging groups (Facebook to link to their sites). 

Daisy - The Brat

I have to share with you all about my brat, um, pup.  I had just sat down and began to paint my nails and watch a movie.  Daisy was in the kitchen.  I hear this rustling of a plastic grocery sack.  I go into the kitchen and see Miss Pup with a cheeseburger squeaker in her mouth.  She had gotten into the pantry (which was open because she never goes in there), found the bag of the extra and old squeakers, and helped herself to one!  What a brat!  Gotta love her though.

5QF February 10, 2012

Welcome to this week's edition of 5 Question Friday.  It's Friday and here are our questions...

1. How often do you shave your legs in the winter?  I probably shave every 10-14 days in the winter.  My dry skin gets really horrible if I let my legs get hairy!

2. Valentine's Day cards for your spouse: funny or romantic?  I used to think romantic, but I think funny this year.  Valentine's should be a big deal, but it is so not for us.  Maybe we are just so busy in the late winter with church and work!

3. What are you most looking forward to about spring?  Warm days.  I want the days back where I can wear a sweater and jeans and be comfortable.  No more biting winds.  No more frozen nose/eye lashes/face/ears.  I want my warmth.

4. What's your favorite way to pamper yourself?  I love to buy new books that I enjoy.  Now that I have my Kindle, it is easier and cheaper to pamper myself.

5. Does your tax return go into savings or do you spend it instantly?  We don't plan on having a refund, but once we do our taxes, we have plans for how to spend it.  This year is 1/2 back into our estimated tax and the other 1/2 for things for the house.

Many Happy Birthdays!

Here is my blog shout out to the Dads in my life.  They all 3 have birthdays this week!


Other Father - I missed your bday on the 7th online, but have a great and happy one!


Father-in-Law - Your birthday is today!  I hope that you have a joyful and relaxing celebration.


My Dad - Happy almost birthday on Saturday.  I hope you get a chance to do something for yourself and relax.  Enjoy your day!

To shoe or not to shoe? That is the question.

I haven't blogged about my foot/ankle injury in a while, so I thought I would take this sunny Sunday afternoon and do just that.

I have been feeling increasingly better in the foot/ankle department.  I am still continuing my 3 days a week physical therapy.  The PTs have been encouraging me to try to wear a shoe.  Last weekend I did just that:  I wore both tennis shoes to the library.  I was in the shoes for about an hour before I could not tolerate it any more.  I felt like my toes were "choking each other".  It was home and back on with the boot.

PT this week had been pretty good.  I am getting stronger in my ankle and able to tolerate more pressure on my foot.  I am still having a bunch of pain when I put weight on the ball and toes of that foot though.  I woke up to about an inch of snow on Friday and decided that I was done with having cold toes!  I wore my shoe all day on Friday.

When I got home from work, I took the shoe off and elevated my foot.  Not bad for my first full day.  Saturday I also wore my shoe while we ran many errands and did a bunch of chores at home.  This morning I wore my shoe to church.  By the time church was over and we were having fellowship, my foot had swollen quite a bit and my ankle ached.  I came home and put on my boot and elevated.  I never thought I would say that the boot feels good, but I am saying that today.

Maybe I over did this weekend and maybe not.  We'll see how I feel tomorrow!

Taxes, Parvo Shots and Cleaning

In the last 24 hours, we have taken care of a lot of chores and errands.  On Friday evening, we sat down and figured out our taxes.  Friday evenings are our least stressful evenings and it was time to tackle the taxes.  We worked hard, but were able to do our taxes on our own...a success for a clergy family!

Saturday morning we ran errands.  One of the vet clinics in town was holding a rabies/parvo clinic where you also license your pup.  We went down and got Daisy her parvo/distemper shot and got her 2012 license.  She behaved very well.  There were tons of pups and people.  The hardest part was the waiting in line.  Daisy even did good for the vet to give her a shot.

We have also spent much of the day running errands (library, grocery store, etc.).  There has been some relaxing in there too.  We've also done a bunch of cleaning including sweeping and dishes.  It really feels good to have accomplished so much!

I Want It Now!

This week's book was a memoir about the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie.  I Want It Now!, by Julie Dawn Cole, is the recounting of events leading up to and surrounding the filming of the classic Gene Wilder movie.  Julie Dawn Cole played Veruca Salt - the spoiled and pampered girl who winds up down the golden egg shoot in the factory.

I thought the book was pretty cool.  There were lots of behind-the-scenes and personal photos.  There are many stories and incidents from Ms. Cole's experience during the filming.  Some of my favorites include that they were not able to communicate with the actor who played Augustus because he only spoke German and they only spoke English, the rivalry between Julie and the girl who played Violet over the attentions of Peter (Charlie Bucket).  The recollections she shares of seeing the sets and the magical world of Wonka are great.

This book is another of the Kindle freebies I have gotten.  The writing is more like sitting with someone in their kitchen looking at photos than a traditional biography.  The book is good and I liked it.

5QF February 3, 2012

1. What have you done recently that you are proud of?  I have started work on my article/book! 

2. What is your favorite way to work out? Or if you don't workout, what are you wanting to try?  My favorite is running.  I'll do a treadmill or trail/road run.  I'm still frustrated and bummed that I can't do that yet.  Hopefully things will be better soon with my foot.

3. If you knew your best friend was cheating on spouse would you tell?  I'm not sure.  I think I would talk to her first and encourage her to talk to her spouse.

4. If you could afford a live-in maid or nanny, would you have one?  I don't know that I want live-in, but I would be happy if someone came over once a week or twice a month to clean.  That would rock.

5. Do you stress out about birthdays (specifically the age) or do you enjoy them?  So-so.  I don't like getting older, but I'm still young so I am enjoying that one.  I stressed a bit with my husband turned 30 last year.  But, we made it through that one!