Happy Mothers' Day

Happy Mothers' Day to all you mothers out there, past, present and future!
I hope you all had a great day. DH and DD got me my favorite candies and we had a cookout with DH's parents at a park near their house. The weather was so great, and it was nice to be outside.

Alas, my allergies flared up in the evening. I could hardly breathe! We spent the evening watching Food Network. Being outdoors wore us out, though. I was so tired when we got home. I almost lay down to take a nap, but it was 5pm when we got home and that was too late to be taking a nap. LOL

Thursday Thirteen #19

Thirteen TV shows I'm watching lately "Lost"--getting more and more intriguing! "Stargate Atlantis"--although this show is sometimes boring, I still enjoy watching it. "Stargate SG1"--I was there in the beginning, so I decided to be there at the end. "Dresden Files"--It's over for the moment, but it was a great filler on Sci-Fi. (Based on books by Jim Butcher, it made me want to go buy all the books!) "Painkiller Jane"--the plot needs to pick up if I'm going to continue to watch it. "The Tudors"--interesting series on Showtime about King Henry VIII of England "BSG"--on DVD since "Battlestar Galactica" isn't going to return until Jan. 2008! "Drive"--although I thought this series was going to be a cheesy ripoff of "Cannonball Run," it turned out to be quite different--Cannonball Run meets Lost. I am annoyed that Fox canceled the series without giving it a chance, but at least the additional episodes will be shown on July 4th. "Flip this House"--a series on A&E about house flippers, this show makes me want to remodel my entire house. I like to see what people do with the houses on the show. "Mythbusters"--makes me like science! "Robin Hood"--on BBCAmerica, a new take on the character of Robin Hood. It's fun to watch on a Sunday night at 6pm, when nothing much else is on. "American Chopper"--the OCC guys make me laugh "Dirty Jobs"--I cannot believe Mike Rowe used to be an opera singer.

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Book Review: "Fat Girl"

"Fat Girl" by Judith Moore is a memoir—about the pain of growing up fat during the 1940s and 1950s. At 208 pages, it is a quick read.
The narrator says she was thin until her parents divorced when she was four years old. Through several chapters, the reader learns of the narrator's constant abuse at the hands of her mother and maternal grandmother. She turns to food for comfort, which spirals into a cycle of yo-yo dieting throughout the rest of her life.

There are a few people in her life who treat her with respect, but deep down, the narrator feels ashamed of herself for being unable to lose the excess weight and keep it off.

The descriptions of food are wonderful; food porn, I would call it. This book may be triggering for some people, as the author does describe details of an abusive childhood, and also a molestation encounter.

I highly recommend this book!

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Other People's Stuff

So, in my last entry, I was bemoaning the fact that the house felt like a cluttered mess. DH did get things cleaned up, with DD's help. They straightened up the computer room and her bedroom, which really weren't all that messy. The thought of the mess was more overwhelming than the actual mess. However, guess what we've been doing lately...



That's right: going to auctions and buying other people's stuff.

Actually we've gone to four auctions in the past two weekends, partly just to get out of the house, but we also ended up with two great finds. The first was a library desk for only $175, which probably cost three times that orignally. I couldn't believe I won the item. The second piece was a lighted, mirrored curio cabinet for $70. It stands about 8 feet tall. Again. I couldn't believe I won the item. I didn't need the desk—I already have an antique rolltop desk that had been my grandfather's—but it was in too good of condition to pass up. If it had been more expensive than what I paid, I wouldn't have continued to bid on it. Same way with the cabinet. But I have a use for the cabinet. I can house many of my Fenton glass baskets and candy dishes in it. We were talking of buying a new one, but this one is probably much nicer than any we could have afforded to buy brand-new.

In other news, DH's grandfather passed away in mid-April. I haven't felt much like blogging or writing or anything else lately. It was expected; he had been sick with emphysema for years. All the same, losing a family member is difficult. It's been stressful to say the least.

This weekend, we will probably be going to another auction, just to get out of the house. I like to look through other people's belongings to see what kind of person they were/are. Both sales we attended this past weekend were moving sales, and one last week was also. The other one was a storage facility cleaning out non-paying people's stuff. We got a futon and a small, one-man kayak. :)

Also last week, we finally bought the lavender paint for DD's room. We found some cute Tinkerbell stick-on border and cutouts at Wal-Mart to add to the room once we're finished painting. It will be adorable. It was definitely time for the Noah's Ark theme to go.

We still have more spring-cleaning to do. The garage needs to be organized. The house is somewhat of a mess since I haven't felt like doing much of anything lately. Although I would like to live a minimalist life, it seems that I can't help but acquire more stuff. What can I say except I like the thrill of the hunt!

Looking for a good inspirational book to read? Check out Sue Monk Kidd's collection of essays titled "Firstlight." It is an awesome book, and not just for Xtians. A person of any faith would enjoy reading it. And if you're in the mood for a classic novel, read Theodore Dreiser's "Sister Carrie." It tells the story of a small-town woman who becomes a stage actress in the 1890s. She becomes a "kept" woman, almost accidentally, who eventually learns how to make it on her own.