Hump Day Happiness 12-3-14

Half-way through the week, that's worth celebrating! Here are a few miscellaneous happys for you:

If you still have Thanksgiving leftovers in your fridge, you can throw them out. You should throw them out. We made it three days before we caved and bought a frozen pizza. Is my Cub Sweetheart the only man who believes leftovers expire only after you've finished eating them all? Perhaps I need to make him gravy more than twice a year. Anyway, a fridge with some empty shelves feels nice.

I finished reading 'And the Mountains Echoed' last week, by the same guy who wrote Kite Runner. It was good writing, but not terribly cheerful and a bit confusing. Maybe holidays aren't the best time to read books that switch back and forth between the present and fifty years earlier, because my attention span might not be completely at its best. I also read, and ended up partially skimming "If I Stay", the book coming out as a movie any day. Less than stellar writing, didn't love it, but perhaps the movie will be better?

I'm now reading Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. Other, earlier versions have been made into a movie. I so hope this one will be. I was hooked within a few pages, and wish I could curl up somewhere and read it slowly, savoring every word, to the last page. Absolutely engrossing so far! I've also recently started listening to National Public Radio, or NPR as the rest of the world calls it. I heard an interview last night by the author, Akhil Sharma about his book, 'Family Life', a fiction story based on his real life. and it's on request at my library. It was just named to the 100 Notable books of 2014, so I'm looking forward to that. It sounds thought provoking. I've also got "All The Light We Cannot See", from that same list, waiting on my nightstand.

Like losing ten pounds, or mop every Monday, reading through the Bible in a year is often on my resolution list. I've made it through several times, but not in the recent past. So I attempted it again this year. I'm behind, but making progress. The plan I'm using gives you all of December to read through Proverbs, but I already did that back in the summer, so I'm using this month for catch up. And the guide (click here to download a PDF) is cute as all get out.  I printed mine out on card stock, folded it in half and stuck it in the front of my Bible. I plan to shoot for it again in 2015, because I always get so much new out of it every time I do.

For ladies only, did anyone else know that mammograms can be done in 3D now? I've had one every single year except one for the past twenty, and this year they asked me if I wanted 3D. It was an extra $75 that insurance didn't pay, but they covered the rest, and they told me it helps prevent false positives and also helps with detection, up to 40% improvement over the standard method, so I thought it a fantastic way to spend $75. The pinching, smushing stuff felt exactly the same - a small price to pay for preventative health care. I asked the technician, and she told me, yes, 40 is still the year to begin getting them, and every single year after that. As a thought, if you are a man reading this, tell your wife, tell your mother, tell your daughter. Spread the word!

I cooked homemade donuts yesterday with our two grandkids. You can buy donut pans, made by Wilton, at Amazon (click here). (I bought mine at Michaels for slightly more with a coupon which made it even-steven) and use this recipe from Barefoot Contessa (click here) to make the cinnamon sugar donuts. They're quick, easy and yummy, even when you let a three and four year old do all the measuring, try to make them gluten-free and overfill the pan. Even then!

Lastly, if you have an extra thirty minutes this week, or maybe even more so if you don't, give yourself a treat and spend some time at this blog: Pozy Gets Cozy (she's on my sidebar too). Her blog is beautiful, featuring quilts and food and nature and the most beautiful chubby-cheeked little girl. It'll feel like a vacation if you pour a cup of tea and browse through a few of her posts.

On a funny-not-so-funny note, our 8 lb Shih Tzu has wreaked havoc on our brand new electric blanket. The last one we bought was in 1990 and I finally forked over the money for a new one, one month ago. Lily has a thing for plastic, and has, twice this week, chewed through the wires. So we're thinking we'd prefer not to have our bed catch on fire and unplugged the controls. Tiny teeth, but apparently still mighty teeth... there you go!

Well that's it for me - I'm busy, busy up in my sewing room making all sorts of Christmas presents, the house is looking more Bah Humbug than Father Christmas right now, and of course there are always books calling my name. Hoping you'll remember to take a few  minutes, every single day of this wonderful holiday season, to remember what Who it's all about.

Blessings,
Bev