October 30, 2007

NaNoWriMo

those of you who are faithful "staying the course" readers may have heard me ramble about National Novel Writing Month before. well, it begins on wednesday, and i just don't know what to do. i mean, i say i'm busier than busy and have no time to do anything but work and be a wife, but i REALLY want to do nanowrimo. my first year was in 2004 and i WON! (thank you carrie!!!) 2005 and last year i just sort of peetered out for various reasons, and i HATED it. i want to win again. i want to get 50,000 words out there in some sort of story form or fashion. I WANT TO WRITE! *sigh* i will confess that if i do it, i will more than likely cheat and use the 6K or so words i already have on the story i was working on last year. big deal. it's not like the nanowrimo police will come after me or something.

so anyway, who's with me??? come on! i know someone out there has always wanted to write a novel. and if "no time" is your excuse, then i will tell you that it's proven that people with "less time" actually prove to be more productive in the process. it's true. you have less time to procrastinate, and if you set your mind to it, all sorts of time suddenly appears for you to work on it! so COME ON!!! sign up, create a profile on the nanowrimo website to motivate yourself, and let's get going!!! WAHOO!!!!

October 23, 2007

never any time...no time....i'm so excited!!!!

hello world. if you can tell me what my subject is referencing, i will send you a cookie. well, maybe i will give you a cookie (or whatever is lying around) if you come to my apartment. i don't have time to send things in the mail.



anyway, COLIN AND CAROLINE ARE ENGAGED! shoot. i am so excited!!! and they called the other night and she asked me to be a bridesmaid. i cried! i haven't been a bridesmaid in forever! i was surprised since i don't know her that well, but i'm so honored to be a part of their day. i'm, like, uber excited. :)












in other news, i'm not really one to talk since my blog has been so quiet lately, but i'm SUPER disappointed in all of my blogging friends. all of them seem to be dead, and this makes me sad. some have promised pictures with no follow up. some have not posted since april. that's 6 months. that's half a year. that's 3-1/2 years in dog years!! that's a long time. hello? wake up fellow bloggers! i miss you!!

even though a few weeks ago i was looking suspiciously at everyone that i saw over the weekend, i still have not figured out who "anonymous #1" is. if they ever reveal themselves, who knows what might happen?

"chronic pain": Chronic pain was originally defined as pain that has lasted 6 months or longer. More recently it has been defined as pain that persists longer than the temporal course of natural healing, associated with a particular type of injury or disease process. here's the rest of what wikipedia says about it. we'll see where this road takes me.

in other, yummier news, i can't remember if i've posted about this before or not. but i have discovered and tweaked the most incredible granola recipe ever. in the history of the world. best EVER! i wanted to share it with you, my people. i originally got the recipe from a fabulous bed and breakfast in north carolina, but i don't want to get in trouble for telling the world about their recipe, so it will remain nameless. (or will that get me in more trouble?) besides, i changed proportions on a couple of things. so doesn't that make it okay? anyway, make it. immediately.

Granola
4 C old fashioned oats (NOT quick oats)
1/2 C chopped pecans
1/2 C slivered almonds (sliced or just chopped works well too)
1 C sweetened flake coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C clover honey
1 stick butter
1/2 C craisins
1/2 C cherries
1/2 C dates
1/2 C raisins

Melt butter and honey together in microwave safe bowl. Mix remaining ingredients except dried fruit in large bowl. Whisk honey-butter well and pour over dry ingredients. Combine well. Spread onto a walled cookie sheet or large baking pan. Bake at 275 for 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes - or until golden brown. Cool completely. Add dried fruit. Eat immediately! But store the leftovers in an air-tight container.

*notes and tweaks: the recipe calls for 90 minutes. if it's on a cookie sheet and it's spread out a lot, it will take less time - maybe 60 minutes or so. if it's in a deeper baking pan, it will take 90 or more minutes. just bake it until it's light brown. it will get a little browner while it's cooling - (not sure how that happens). i prefer it to be more golden than brown...i don't like it too crunchy. also, the 'better' the honey, the better the granola. if you can find home-grown (grown?!) honey, it's the BEST. store-bought honey will do fine though.

October 11, 2007

FALL

I HAD TO WEAR A JACKET THIS MORNING!!! and not just, like, a jean jacket. i wore the lining to my ski coat. it was not chilly this morning. it was COLD!!! i think it was 41, and the high today is 68. SIXTY EIGHT!!!! i feel like this summer has lasted my entire lifetime. i live for cold weather, and it's finally arriving!!!!!!

WELCOME FALL!!! :) :) :)

in other news, if you have been on a walk to emmaus or chrysalis flight, please email me before tomorrow (friday, october 12). lyddy444@gmail.com. thanks!

October 03, 2007

doctor

hello! yes, i'm still buried. but i wanted to ask for prayer please. i'm going in to see the rheumatologist tomorrow morning! i was originally scheduled for oct 30, but there was a cancellation - halleluia!! i don't have time to give details, so if you don't know what's going on, please just pray that the doctor can figure out what's wrong with my arms, shoulders, back, etc. it's been going on for three very long years.

thank you!!!