Summer Blog Challenge for August 6

**Do I have a favorite author?**

This is really a loaded question for someone who works in a library!  I have lots of favorite authors...depending on the genre.  We just had a questionnaire go around for a "staff pick" display at our library. 

Here are some of my favorite books--books that somehow changed my view of the world or, at least, have stuck with me for years and years:

• Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Masque of the Red Death, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat  by Edgar Allan Poe
• The Scarlet Letter and Rapuccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Any of the Post Secret books compiled by Frank Warren
• Garden Spells, The Girl Who Chased the Moon, The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

For Children / Teens, these are my recommendations...books I loved as a child:

• Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery -- This trilogy is by the same author as the Anne of Green Gables.  The Anne series is good, but the Emily series is AWESOME!  I read this three or four times between fourth and seventh grade...they are that good!
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• Charlie's Monument by Blaine M. Yorgason -- This book is out of print, but if you can get it for kindle or maybe find a used copy.  I've read this book seven or eight times.  It is about 100 pages but it teaches so many lessons about overcoming adversity. 

Now for the truth...for my own entertainment I read mostly romance...the smuttier the better.  Here are my favorite romance writers (the higher up on the list they are, the less smutty they are!) 

• Kaki Warner -- good, solid western romance
• Jayne Ann Krentz / Amanda Quick -- same writer who writes under different pen names
• Marianne Stillings
• Linda Howard
• Robyn Carr
• Jennifer Crusie
• Carly Phillips
• Jo Davis
• Kate Angell
• Rachel Gibson
• Susan Donovan
• Stacey Kayne -- She only has about 4 books published, but I sure wish she would write more!!
• Lori Foster
• Jill Shalvis
• Lora Leigh
• Bella Andre
• Shiloh Walker
• Lucy Monroe

See...loaded question for someone who LOVES to read!  Have a wonderful week, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge for August 5th

**What is your dream job**

I don't have one "perfect" job in mind.  I think rather than the actual work, I focus on how a job makes me feel.  My dream job makes me feel needed, yet respects my needs.  It is low stress--at least not harmfully stressful.  It makes me feel like I am able to make a small difference in the world.  It's something I enjoy doing.  While I sometimes think it would be great to be a prosecuting attorney or a dog trainer/groomer or a nurse or a civil engineer...at the end of the day, I know working part time at a library in a quiet Nebraska city is pretty darn wonderful!

Take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge

Aug 3 -- What Helps You Get Through Meltdowns...

I'm not sure if this prompt is means personal meltdowns or your child's meltdowns, but I am going with the "personal meltdowns."

• I generally overeat while having meltdowns...chocolate is always good.
• A good cry is great.  It releases a lot of tension.  As long as this isn't something that happens too often, then it really can be cathartic.
• I talk to friends and family that understand me and why I'm having the meltdown.
• EXERCISE!  When I decide I'm ready to get off my pity pot, the best thing for me is to go for a run or go to a Body Pump class at the Y.  Even when I fight exercise, I always admit that I feel SO MUCH BETTER after I've pushed my body.
• Watch a funny movie.
• Jam out to the tunes...drown out everyone else!
• I pet/cuddle with my doggies.  They love me even when I'm in the middle of a full meltdown.

Courtesy of http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

Have a great day, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 53

**HOW DO YOU BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT?**

Mostly, I just whine a lot! 

I stay inside as much as possible.  I think that when it is as hot as it has been this year, books are the best option.  I've been reading a bunch.  I should be sewing, but the heat this year has just sapped most of my energy.

It's not original, but that's what I do!

Stay cool, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 52

**BEST GARDENING TIP**

We put soaker hose around the plants to try to get the water exactly where we want it--at the roots, not on the leaves.  We also put down grass clippings to try to keep the weeds down between the plants...as you can tell from the picture, I still need to do some weeding, even with the grass.

Take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge -- Day 51

Day 51 **TALK ABOUT A FREE ACTIVITY TO DO WITH CHILDREN**

If you aren't already regular public library users, well now is the time to see what the library can offer you and your children.  Here are some of the great materials and services that many public libraries have:

THANKS to http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ for this awesome graphic!



• BOOKS -- of course, you all know this!
• AUDIOBOOKS -- many childrens' departments have a wonderful selection of children's audiobooks; many also have kits that have the book and CD together so that the child can read along.
• DVDs / VHS tapes -- Many libraries are phasing out VHS tapes, but they may still have a selection.  There are movies for children, teens, and adults.
• MAGAZINES -- why buy magazines when you can usually check them out at your library?
• FREE PROGRAMMING -- Most libraries have story times for various age groups; Some even have "Baby Lapsits" where the parent holds the infant while a story is read and other activities appropriate for babies are done.  Some libraries also have free programming during Christmas Breaks and Spring Break. 
• SUMMER READING PROGRAM -- If your library has a summer reading program, it is a great way to encourage your children to read throughout the summer.
• DATABASES -- You may be able to access all sorts of databases from your home using your library card.  Some that your library may have include a language program like Rosetta Stone or Mango, Chiltons Online, Tutor.com (free live homework help through college-level courses...math, science, proofreading papers, etc.), Ancestry.com or Heritagequest, and online encyclopedias just to name a few.
• E-BOOKS & AUDIOBOOK DOWNLOADS -- More and more libraries have access to services like Overdrive where you can 'check-out' e-books for you kindle, nook, or other e-reader or download audiobooks for your iPod or MP3 player.
• TUMBLEBOOKS -- If your library has access to this service, your child can have a book read to him/her on a computer or iPad.  There are also activities that go with most of the stories.
• INTERNET ACCESS

If you are really lucky, your library has a tactile learning area with puzzles and other learning toys.  What a great way to spend an afternoon!

Have a wonderful day, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 48

As you may have noticed, I've been kind of slacking off on the blog challenge...there were several prompts for which I just didn't have much of an opinion...so why waste the cyberspace?

Anyway, I thought I could add to today's discussion.

**5 things to do when the power is OUT**

This somewhat depends on the time of day and duration of the power outage, but here goes!

5 SHORT-TERM OUTAGE SOLUTIONS

• SLEEP
• Pet your animals...special one-on-one time petting the dog is awesome!
• Talk to each other with no interruptions!
• Look for the flash light...for us this usually takes the whole time of the outage...we turn on the flash light just as the power comes back on. 
• There is a reason that births go way up 9 months after a big power outage or blizzard. Get busy with your honey...

5 PROLONGED OUTAGE SOLUTIONS

• During prolonged outages, clean up the yard...weather permitting...some housecleaning can also be done like mopping floors and dusting...no excuses because you can't watch TV, get on the internet, etc.
• READ!!!  This should be happening even when there is not a power outage, but as long as there is light, you can read!
• Practice an instrument that has been sitting idle during your hustle-bustle life.
• Play card games or board games or outdoor games like tag
• Help those in your neighborhood who cannot help themselves--like the elderly--in any way you can; Even just talking to the can be helpful!

I'm very lucky because I have never been through a prolonged power outage.  I feel for those that do go through the big outages because it almost always is caused by extreme weather which can make some of my suggestions seem trite.

Have a wonderful day, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 40

**What is the hardest challenge you have been faced with?**

This is a really deep topic for my little fun blog, but here goes.

I would say that my greatest challenge has been a life-long fight for self-esteem...to believe that I deserve to live.  At age eight, my entire life dramatically changed.  I lost all semblance of stability, safety, and personal boundaries.  As a result, I felt entirely worthless and unwanted.  This all came to a head during my junior and senior years of high school.  I ended up in a juvenile ward for cutting, got out, got kicked out of my mother's home just before my senior year started, moved in with my biological father whom I hadn't seen in nine years in a town 200+ miles away, witnessed a domestic violence incident between my biological father and his wife, moved again to live with my Grandparents, and then attempted suicide. 

Ultimately, the suicide attempt woke me up to reality.  I had an excellent therapist who really figured me out and said what I needed to hear.  In addition to the therapist's wisdom, the devastation to my Grandparents showed me what a selfish act suicide is.  Nothing that had caused me pain was caused by them; to the contrary, they were the only stable influence I had growing up.  Yet, when I was in the hospital for the suicide attempt, my grandparents came regularly (over 200 mile trip one way) because they loved me. 

I kept working on my "issues"--such an overused term.  I was so lucky to meet an amazing man who has continued to help me see that I am worth so much more than I sometimes believe.  He has provided all of the safety and unconditional love that wasn't a normal part of my childhood.  Before my Grandmother died, she said she was so happy I had found Trevor because he provided the stability I had always needed. 

I promised both my Grandparents and Trevor that no matter how bad things got, I would never attempt to kill myself again.  I take that vow seriously.  The good news is that I haven't felt that desperation for years and years. 

Like I said...a bit deep and depressing...I really need to come up with some perky stuff to put on the blog to overcome this moroseness!

Take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 39

**What are some of your biggest pet peeves?**

This post will show some of my grumpy side, but here goes...

*  If someone does a task/job, they should do it right.  If they are just going to do it half-right, they shouldn't  do it at all as it creates more work for everyone else.

*  Rude people/people who think they are entitled to special treatment for whatever reason...people who won't follow simple rules

*  Unsolicited advice...especially regarding how you should feel or act or heal after a personal trauma or tragedy...pushy religious advice regarding how you should feel or act or heal after a personal trauma or tragedy...

*  People who don't take care of their children, whether in public or private.  They don't realize the gift they've been given.

Well, I feel like I've got my grump on for the day.  How about you?  Now I have to take Shiloh to the vet because he has a big bump on his shoulder...vet bills could be another pet peeve, but I don't really mind them.  If I didn't have vet bills, it would mean that I didn't have my buddy-dogs...and that would be truly sad!

Have a great week, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Days 36 & 37

Day 36 **What is a holiday tradition you have in your family?**

We don't have a lot of "traditions."  The only tradition I could really think of is that on Christmas Eve we always have chili.  We often also have another type of soup available for those who don't like chili.  Sometimes I make cinnamon rolls or cornbread.  Everything has to be put away - dishes done - before the presents can be opened.

Day 37 **Something You  Would Attempt If You Knew You Wouldn't Fail**

Hmmm...I would probably write novels.  I use plural because I wouldn't want to write just one.  I have several stories in my head that run the gamut from serious to funny...romantic to literary.  Follow through seems to be my main problem.  I have so much I want to do, but I start things and then move on to something new.  Quilts, crafts, cooking, canning, writing, etc.

Lola...wondering why I am making her stand on two legs...



Summer Blog Challenge Days 30 & 31 ... gettin' behind!

Well, it finally decided to cool down a little bit in Nebraska!  We are going to be in the 80s this week...so they say...

Day 30 **a picture of your style or what you wish was your style**
I wish my style was classic like Audrey Hepburn or Natalie Wood.  However, I am much larger than either of those lovely ladies.  Oh, well.  ; )

Day 31 **Talk about something eco-friendly that you already do**
I take my own bags with me to the grocery store!  I love my own bags, and my homemade bags don't pollute the ground dumps or the waterways.

I check out books from my local library -OR- purchase e-books that don't use any paper at all.

We have a garden...buy local...grow local...etc.

Stay cool, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 33

**TRAVEL & PLANS YOU HAVE FOR THE SUMMER**

I am honestly a homebody, and I don't enjoy traveling.  We enjoy camping, but it is usually within a 40 mile radius of home.  Every few years we will go to a lake that is about 100 miles away...that's a huge trip for us!

We are attending a wedding in Omaha in a few weeks.  We also try to get to my Grandfather's house (180 miles away) once every two or three months.  Other than that, we don't have any travel plans in the foreseeable future.

I do plan to spend a lot of time canning/freezing fruits and veggies this summer...if we can keep the plants alive.  It is extraordinarily dry this year, but they haven't told us not to water, yet.

And, some sad news.  The baby robins didn't survive this extreme heat we've been having.  Poor babies!

Have a safe, fun Fourth of July, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 32

**SHARE A POEM YOU HAVE WRITTEN OR JUST LIKE**

My cousin Maddie spent the majority of her life profoundly handicapped.  Her mind was normal, but she was unable to communicate with most people, and she couldn't control most body movement; She had trouble controlling her body temperature; She suffered from seizures.  My Aunt Nancy adopted Maddie as an infant.  Maddie could communicate with Nancy with eye movements.  Her body finally gave up last year.  As she was dying, this poem came to me; at Nancy's request, I read it at her celebration of life last July.

When I get to heaven, things will be so different for me.



I will sing!


I will laugh!


I will dance!


I will make new friends, and I will TALK their ears off!


I have so many stories to tell, opinions, thoughts…
and EVERYONE will be able to hear and understand me.


I will go to the mountains and YELL…
just to hear my beautiful voice echo back to me.


When I get to heaven, things will be so different for me.


In life I have dealt gracefully with pain,
but I won’t know pain any more.


In life I have dealt gracefully with being wheelchair bound,
but I won’t have a wheelchair anymore.


I don’t ever have to sit again…unless I want to.

In life I have known great love from my mom, my family, my friends.
I know that will never change.


I will still be around at times—
to comfort my mom,
to remind her of the good times we had,
to remind her of how much I LOVE HER,
to let her know I miss her, too.


When I get to heaven, things will be so different for me.


I will play!


I will run!


I will jump!


I will roll in a meadow of wildflowers,
watching the beautiful colors dance in the sunlight.


I will play in the snow! I will dance in the rain!
I will swim and ride a bike and eat blueberries if I feel like it.


I will do all the things I’ve always wanted so much to do!

I have quite a long list of things to do,
and I will start at the top, or maybe in the middle…

As an aside...Today is the day that I married my honey.  Happy Anniversary, Trevor!  You are my everything.

Have a wonderful holiday week, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 28

**HOW DO YOU DO YOUR LAUNDRY?  GIVE YOUR LAUNDRY TRICKS.  SUBMITTED BY ERIN @ FOR HIM AND MY FAMILY**

To be perfectly honest, I feel that laundry is the bane of my existence...I dread doing laundry.  I don't mind putting the clothes in the washing machine or dryer, but I detest folding everything and putting it away.  Procrastination tends to be the name of my laundry game!

That being said...here are my "tricks"

• If your husband has a really dirty job and has the option of uniforms...just pay them to wash his clothes.  My husband works on semi trailers and comes home covered in fifth wheel grease and animal feces of all kinds...I don't want that in my washer.  If you miss some grease, it is pretty much guaranteed to ruin something you really love the next time you wash.
• I save a DVD I really want to watch until I am doing the folding of the laundry...my incentive for folding everything.
• Every six months I turn all of the clothes hangers the wrong way on the closet rod.  If the item is still "backwards" when I turn everything around again, then I know I haven't worn it in six months.  It's a good time to make a decision as to whether it is really worth keeping or if it is time for the donation sack.
• I have a magic marker by where I fold laundry.  If I find a sock that is holey, I put an 'X' on it so I know it has become a rag.
• We try to purchase the same kind of socks every time so that if one sock has a hole I just have to wait until another one is holey and I have a "new" pair.  I'm pretty easy on socks, but my husband wears steel toe boots and walks A LOT as part of his job, so there are usually holey socks with each load.
• I run one load each week with some baking soda and white vinegar to help clean the machine and keep it from smelling musty.
• Once a month I wash my shower curtain with two towels, 1 cup of white vinegar, and 1 Tbsp of liquid detergent.  It comes out like new!

I really think the solution to my problem is for someone to come up with a machine that folds and puts away my clothes.  Since I haven't heard that anyone is really working on that, I guess I'll just keep bribing myself to fold the clothes with DVDs from the library. 

Booger says "Thank Goodness for air conditioning!"

Have a great evening, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Days 26 & 27

It's super hot here in Nebraska!  Record highs all around!


Day 27 **What does your significant other do that makes your heart melt? Submitted by Rachael @ Little Britches**


I adore my husband, so a better question may be what doesn't he do that melts my heart...but some of the greatest things are:

• he's my Snake Hunter...he doesn't make fun of my hysterics...he just takes care of the snake and comforts me
• he loves me just the way I am
• he always tells me he loves me
• he makes me feel accepted and safe

Day 28 **What's the best gift you've ever received? Submitted by Leah @ Crunchy Farm Baby**


For my tenth birthday, my Grandmother bought an upright piano for $50.  It was pea green.  Grandma stripped off the ugly paint and stained it with a deep wood stain.  I was absolutely ecstatic!  I loved music so much, and I was so excited to take piano lessons.  I took piano lessons for many years.  As a senior in high school, I played for the swing choir. 


The green shows through some of the intricate parts of the legs; it reminds me of the love and devotion my grandma had for me.


Have a wonderful day, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 25

**IDEAL DAY OF "ME TIME" WITHOUT THINKING OF MONEY, TIME, OR ANY OF LIFE"S OTHER NORMAL STRESSES**

I'm pretty simple and cheap...My ideal day is a beautiful day by the lake with my butt parked in a lounge chair, sipping a cold beverage (probably Peach Fresca) and reading a book; then, listen to some tunes while I nap.  Take the dogs for a little walk once or twice.  Those kind of days are definitely the most relaxing!

OR...an auction with awesome stuff

OR...when it is snowing out, I love to make homemade bread or cinnamon rolls and cuddling on the couch reading a book

Shiloh...just chillin'

Hope it's cooler where you are than it is here!  Take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Days 22, 23, 24

This month has been crazy busy, so I apologize for getting behind in my posts!

Lola looking svelte after her haircut.  I actually got a picture before she ripped her hairbows out.  The bows are usually out during the car ride home from the puppy parlor.

**WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP**
A better question would be what didn't I want to be when I grew up...I always had something new that was the perfect job for my future.  A few that I remember are teacher, anthropologist, veterinarian, truck driver, rancher, lawyer, and nurse.  In high school, I became totally enamored with becoming a naval officer...which didn't work out.  I went to college for a year with a double major listed of nursing and psychology. 

As an adult, I decided  just wanted to be happy.

**FAVORITE BLOG POST BEFORE STARTING THE SUMMER BLOG CHALLENGE**
I had two or three favorites, but I decided that "yo-yo push pins" was probably my fave so far:
http://sewrecyclelove.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-was-cruising-through-anthropologie.html

**FAVORITE ECO-FRIENDLY THING TO DO**
This has to be taking reusable bags to stores instead of using plastic.  I cringe if I forget to take a bag or two with me.  I have tons of reusable bags so that I don't contribute to plastic bag pollution.

Mama Robin had 2 babies late last week...they look dead in this picture, but they are just sleeping.  Mama was off looking for food for them.

Have a great Monday, and take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 21

** MOST RECENT WORDS OF WISDOM THAT STUCK WITH YOU **

"Don't say you don't have enough time.  You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein."

-H. Jackson Brown

OR

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.”

― Paul McCartney

Keep thinking good thoughts, and take care of you.

Summer Blog Challenge Days 19 & 20

I held off on doing day 19's post because it is **SOMETHING YOU ARE PROUD OF IN THE LAST FEW DAYS**  Well, since I have been fighting a massive sinus infection...the only thing I am proud of is that I survived...whomever or whatever was trying to dig my eyeballs out with a wooden spoon has finally left me!  YAY! 

I rarely just *watch* TV--If I have the TV on for me, I am usually sewing, doodling, surfing the internet, playing games, etc.  However, when my head hurts like it has the last few days, about the only thing I can do is just watch TV.  I have completed the first and second season of the Inspector Lynley mysteries.  I am starting to think in an English accent...startingn to use words I've never used before like "ponce" and "bugger off"...

Day 20 is **A PICTURE OF YOU WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG**


August 1980, Age 5 years 10 months

Hope everyone is having a good week and keeping cool.  Take care of you!

Summer Blog Challenge Day 18

**A Recipe You Love**

One of my very favorite meals is called a runza.  We have "Runza Restaurants" in Nebraska, but I don't think it is a widely known dish outside the Midwest.  I usually make runzas on Nebraska football Saturdays.  It just screams fall to me, but I went ahead and put a batch together so I could share it with you. 

I've never actually followed the "filling" recipe exactly because I am usually making 4 or 5 batches of dough--so that there are enough runzas for the neighborhood.  I followed it exactly this time so I could see if it makes what it says.  The recipe said it would make 18-20 runzas, but I found it only made 14 runzas (with 1/3 cup filling per runza.)  Whenever I leftover dough, I make a few cinnamon rolls.  If there is just a little bit of dough...then Trevor fries it and dips it in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.

Runzas

Dough:


4 ½ - 5 cups flour
½ cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 pkg yeast (or 4 ½ tsp of yeast)
¾ cup milk
½ cup water
½ cup butter
2 eggs (at room temperature)


1) In a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast.


2) Heat milk, water, and margarine until warm (110 – 120 degrees F). Pour into the flour mixture.


3) Add eggs. Beat with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Then beat with electric mixer on high speed for 3 minutes.


4) Stir in remainder of flour. The dough will be soft and sticky.

5) Knead until smooth. Cover and let rest for 20 min. Punch down the dough, and then allow to rise for about 1 hour before filling.



This is the dough before it has risen.



Filling:


1 ½ lb hamburger (browned & drained – seasoned to taste)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 small head of cabbage (shredded -- I used a little over a pound of finely shredded cabbage)
Velveeta Cheese (sliced)


1) Mix together hamburger, onion, and cabbage and sauté until the vegetables are soft. [I do this in a large skillet on the stove top; The mixture doesn’t need a lot of stirring—just cover and let heat. The original recipe says to do this in an oven set to 350 F. Original recipe also states to top the mixture with sliced Velveeta…return to oven 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese…cool. I do it a little differently. But this is certainly one way to accomplish cheesy runzas.]

2) Allow the mixture to cool enough to be handled.


3) Roll out the dough (I divide the dough in two to make it easier to work with) and cut into 6 inch squares (approximate…not scientific). The dough will probably shrink up after you cut it from the big rolled out piece, so I usually roll it again when I have a square cut out.

4) IF you didn’t add the Velveeta to the meat mixture, put down a piece of Velveeta.



I cut a slice of Velveeta and then cut the slice in half...it's plenty of cheese.  When I put the finished runza on the cookie sheet, I put the cheese side on top so the cheese filters down through the filling as the runza cooks.

      a. Fill with meat mixture (I use 1/3 cup per runza), fold over and pinch sides/bottoms together working dough to completely enclose the hamburger mixture.

5) Bake on a greased cooking sheet for 15-20 minutes at 350F. (Cook until the dough is the color you like…I like them pretty light, but my hubby & in-laws like the bread to be dark brown.)


6) When you pull the runzas out of the oven, brush the top of the bread with butter.

You can serve with ketchup, mustard, etc. I eat them plain. Trev always wants ketchup.


The variations for this recipe are endless. I’ve sauteed mushrooms and onions with garlic and butter—added hamburger and cheese and filled the runza dough that way. As long as there isn’t too much moisture (aka…sauce) you can use this dough to make pizza pockets or taco burgers.  Also, some people just put the filling in a casserole pan and place a layer of rolled dough over the top.


This is also the dough I use to make cinnamon rolls. The only difference is that I add an egg or two. This makes the dough even softer and yummier.

Let me know if you try it...Let me know if you like it.

Have a fun Monday, and take care of you!