I’m definitely not finishing a book tonight, so…

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
When this book came out, I heard it described as Twilight meets To Kill a Mockingbird. That’s pretty apt. It’s about a teenage boy in a small South Carolina town, which is turned upside down by the arrival of Lena, a volatile girl with strong, mysterious powers. It wouldn’t necessarily make my all-time favorites list, but while I was reading it, I couldn’t get anything done. Really great.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out by Neta Jackson
The Yada Yada series ends with a wedding! I enjoy these characters, but I had to shake my head at some of the goings-on in this book. Thankfully, some of the characters were shaking their heads too. All in all, a good ending.

When Life and Beliefs Collide by Carolyn Custis James
Based on the title of this book, I assumed it was about trusting God in hard times. It sort of is, but the real focus is the importance and influence of a woman’s theology (what she believes about God) to her faith walk, her life, and everyone around her. It’s structured around the story of Mary of Bethany (sister of Martha and Lazarus). This is one of the most important, and empowering, books I have ever read. I could talk about it for hours (I already started to here) and want to buy a copy for every Christian woman I know. Now I need to get the rest of CCJ’s books.

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
This is a short and beautiful novella about a teenage dad and his baby daughter. The action is divided between past and present, so you get gradual snippets of what happened and why he’s raising a baby by himself. It seemed very realistic, and the hopeful, pro-life message was strong but subtle. The Printz Award was well-deserved!

Eleven Kids, One Summer by Ann M. Martin
A nostalgia read – I loved Ten Kids, No Pets as a kid and I was happily surprised to find a sequel at a thrift store. It’s about the now eleven-kid family’s summer adventures on Fire Island. It was cute, but I’m not sure I would have loved it even in my younger days. It lacked the structure and plot follow-through of the original.

The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
This month was fairly bleah for me emotionally, so I decided I needed a good dose of the Ladies’ Detective Agency. This is the most recent installment, which I hadn’t read yet. I love these books SO MUCH. They’re funny, comforting windows into a simpler (but not sugar-coated) life. I was excited to discover that the next book will be out in March, and I have high hopes that Mma Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti will get married at last.

Books for January / 2011 year to date: 6

4 Comments + Posted in: book reviews, reading

One of our most prominent local radio stations recently started spoon-feeding music to the masses on a new level. A recorded, perky voice says the artist and name of the song, followed by a snippet of the chorus… IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED by the ENTIRE SONG. The addition of the sample bothers me on several levels. It’s like saying, “We know you’re not willing to wait until the chorus if you don’t recognize this song, and heaven forbid you listen to something unfamiliar, so we’re going to get your attention on the front end.” This is also a station for which “Top 40” is too broad a term – more like Top 20 or 10 – so it’s not like you haven’t already heard the song there multiple times.

They use the same recorded voice and sample to tell you that songs are coming up “IN FIFTEEN MINUTES!” It almost worked on me yesterday, because I wanted to hear “Animal” by Neon Trees. But then I remembered I already had it on my iPod. Bwahaha!

I think the whole thing might annoy me less if a live human was doing it. It’s the robot radio aspect that pushes it over the edge.

3 Comments + Posted in: music

This is one of the soups I made last weekend. I’m still happily eating leftovers – the recipe yields a LOT. I even froze some of it. I don’t really like beans, but in this soup they’re so well-balanced and flavorful that I hardly notice them! And the cooking couldn’t be easier.

Taco Soup
from A Year of Slow Cooking
(sadly, this recipe hasn’t made it into either of the cookbooks)

Ingredients:
2 cans kidney beans (I used less-intense white kidney, or cannelini, beans)
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans corn, undrained
1 large can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilies
1 packet taco seasoning (I used about half the packet)
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 lb ground turkey or hamburger
Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips/strips, sliced avocado

Directions:
1. Brown the meat if you’re using it (the recipe works without it). Drain the fat, if necessary, and put the meat in the Crock-Pot. Sprinkle the seasoning packets on top of the meat.

2. Drain the beans and rinse well (because they’re seriously gross straight from the can :P). Add to the pot.

3. Add the corn, tomatoes, and Rotel, and stir. Depending on your preferences, you might want to add water to make the soup soupier. I did.

4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. The recipe recommended a lower setting to allow the flavors more time to blend, and I agree! Stir, and serve with the toppings listed, or whatever else you want.

4 Comments + Posted in: food

Because my brain has temporarily frozen over, and any clever ideas are trapped beneath the surface.

I’m in the midst of a bathroom remodel. Don’t feel impressed – my wonderful brother is doing all the work for me. I’m great at painting and basic stuff, but when it comes to ripping whole rooms apart, count me out. My contributions have been shopping for the new stuff, and a little spackling. :P The project is on hold at the moment, because after I finally chose and ordered tile (a process that should have been much less dramatic), I found out that the bullnose edging tile is backordered for two to three weeks. So we wait. I’ll have pictures and a lot more information when it’s all finished!

We had another snow last week, and more is moving into the area this afternoon. People are starting to complain, but I like it. It’s nice to have an authentic winter! Snow does cause problems, but it’s fun, looks pretty, and is far preferable to plain old overcast cold. At this point it’s also the only thing keeping me from going postal on winter.

I made a trip to DSW, determined to walk out with flat, suede, scrunchy boots. Instead I found these beautiful (and surprisingly comfortable) Rampage Bronx boots. My existing black heeled boots had just started falling apart after a long life, so it was a semi-justified purchase.

I’m still hoping to find flat boots cheap at Target, but their in-store shoe selection has been almost nonexistent since all the local stores remodeled. I hate the online-only trend in fashion retail. Surely I’m not the only woman who really has to try things on before buying. On the plus side, this is more backup for my personal retail lobby: international sizing regulations. Can you imagine knowing that your size is your size everywhere? It would open a whole world of fashion possibilities.

3 Comments + Posted in: domestic, fashion, winter

There are so many different ways to be connected to people. There are the people you feel this unspoken connection to, even though there’s not even a word for it. There are the people who you’ve known forever who know you in this way that other people can’t because they’ve seen you change. They’ve let you change.
– from My So-Called Life

This weekend I hosted a ladies’ soup night for my community group at my new church. Several of my good friends were there, plus other nice girls whom I don’t know as well (yet). It was just a few hours of sitting around eating and talking, but it made me feel so blessed. I used to be intimidated by the thought of having more than one or two people over, but I’m finding that I love it now when my house is full of people and laughter. I’m less worried about whether everything is perfect. I’m loving getting to know people at my new church. I feel like I’m finding real community, and I’m so thankful.

But most of all, the night reminded me how thankful I am for my friends. These women have laughed and cried with me, reassured me, inspired me, defended me, reminded me of what’s true, and encouraged me in pretty much every way. They’re helping me to thrive, and I’m a better person because of them. It means more to me than I can ever say.

I don’t plan to indulge in virtual group hugs on a regular basis, but this is what’s inspiring me today. Plus, the fact is, I’m a mushy and cheesy person. Most Hallmark cards (and even some commercials) make me cry. So my readers might as well know what they’re dealing with. :)

4 Comments + Posted in: friends, thankful