If you're happy and you know it...

The other night as we were chatting away like we often do, my friend S shared a blog post with me from another friend of hers. The post was a meme about happiness (and included knitting and reading, two awesome things). I’m going to borrow that idea and share a short list of things that make me happy.

• Time with the hubby. Since he’s an over the road truck driver, the hubby isn’t home every day. In fact, he is only home two days a week. Often I will be working one of those days. This makes for a sad Ama, as it means less time together. So, what time we do spend together makes me happy…even when we are annoying one another.
• Spike. I love my puppy boy. I will readily admit that I am more than a bit crazy about him. Yes. I talk about my dog a lot. He is my baby boy. While he snores loud and is often stinky, I love his bouncy little self.
• Books. For those who know me and who have viewed my other blog, this is a big DUH. I’ve always been a voracious reader. The BA in English Liberal Arts? That’s because I like to read. The career choice of librarian? It’s a book thing. Books have long been a source of entertainment, education and escape. One of my fears is actually losing my sight and not being able to read (Yeah. That’s a bit silly, I know).
• Music. Once upon a time I dreamed of being a singer. I couldn’t imagine life without music. I still can’t, though I no longer dream of singing on a big stage (well, not too often). Music can transport a listener to a different place and time…much like the written word can.
• Crafting. I collect crafts and supplies. Knitting. Scrapbooking. Stamping. Beading. I could possibly open a craft store with what I have. Maybe I should. I go through spurts of doing each craft, sometimes overlapping. It’s a creative outlet.
• Friends. Both the old and the new. While I enjoy my time alone, I equally enjoy being surrounded by good friends, talking about anything and everything. I’ve been blessed with some very caring people whom I am proud to call my friends. Some I have known for over twenty years. Some I just met recently. All are special and wonderful in their own way.
• Food. I love good food. Maybe a bit too much, but c’est la vie. There is something about a well prepared dish that can really enhance an experience. For instance, on my recent trip to Boston, my friend R and I ate at a Dim Sum restaurant. The experience was very cool in and of itself, but the fact that the food was delicious just made it even more memorable. I love food. I love eating it (obviously). I love making it, too. There is just something about preparing a dish and having it well received that is good for the soul. Ah. Food, glorious, food.
• West Virginia. I grew up in the Northern Panhandle of WV. It will always be my real home. Yet, every place I have visited in the state has felt like home. The very ground calls to my heart and I never want to leave. I dream of owning a plot of land on a mountaintop, overlooking the green valleys…listening to the rustling trees of the forests…breathing the fresh mountain air (ok…maybe a bit tainted with the pollution of the steel mills and coal mines, but that’s the good stuff, right?).
• My family. Yes, they often drive me crazy. That’s part of family, though. We are always there for one another. My sisters and I have grown closer as we’ve all become adults. I can’t imagine either one not being in my life. I only wish they lived closer.

I love...

...mid-afternoon naps with the hubby and puppy boy. Which is why I am shutting down the computer and heading off for one now!

just saying...

Three day weekends rock.

Something new

Tonight is going to be fun. Not only am I meeting up with a large group of knitty friends (yay! Knitting!), but we are going to get Indian food. This is a first for me. While I've wanted to try Indian cuisine, I've never really had the opportunity to do so.

So, I am excited for an evening out with good friends and (hopefully) good food!

All you need is Love...

The past couple of weeks this song has been going through my mind a lot. I've even caught myself singing it out loud...in public! Then, a few days ago a friend on one of the message boards I frequent titled her new journal All you need is love. ACK! Thank goodness I love the song, because it will be stuck in my head for ages now.

Speaking of love...

I've been reading the book Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman. What an amazing love story! The two were completely devoted to one another, despite their differing opinions about religion and science.

When I was in Boston, I was had the chance to hear the author speak, as she won the Morris award for the book (in the category of best nonfiction for young adults). There were many in the audience, myself included, when she remarked on the adage "write what you know". She said that she likes to write, not what she knows, but what she wants to know more about; however, with this book she realized that she was also writing what she knew, as she, too, has a wonderful, devoted relationship with her husband. Coincidentally, her husband is a science-minded person (and Pulitzer prize winning author of The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time) and she has a degree in religious studies.

Continuing on the topic of love...

I can't help but think of my husband and me. In just a few weeks we will have been together for ten years (and married for a bit over seven). We've encountered many stresses over those ten years, including unemployment, living in separate states, career changes, buying our first house, financial issues and infertility. Through it all, though, we have stood together, hand in hand, and worked our way past the bad to find the good. Perhaps it is true. All you need is love.

so close...

As I was laying in bed last night (with a very cuddly puppyboy), I realized that I didn't post yesterday. It's almost the end of the month and I miss a day. Bah.

BTW: Happiness is a snuggly pet. Especially if that pet is my 24 pound Boston Terrier.

Monday, Monday...

It's Monday, and the start of a new work week. I was working today, which means I have a three day weekend coming up. Now that is something to be excited about!

Yay! again

• hubby is home (until tomorrow morning- that last part is not so yay)
• puppyboy is home.
• the parents got us a Wii for a combined Christmas/birthdays gift.

Yay!

The hubby is home! I haven't seen him since before the Boston trip.

It's kinda funny, though, that on the train trip to Boston it seemed like he was following us. While we were in Boston, there was a time that he was only a few miles away. On the way home, it was almost like he was following us again - at least the first part of the trip. This is because his weekly run usually goes between Indy and Hartford, CT with trips up to Boston.

We are going to get the puppy boy today. I'm so glad. I've missed both of my boys over the past two weeks. It will be good to have the whole family home again.

home sweet home

One of the best things about being home after a trip away? Being able to cook your own meal.

Granted, I hate the cleaning part afterwards, but I love to cook. I enjoyed nearly all of the food in Boston. I did not, however, enjoy the lack of veggies with some of the meals. Thankfully I took lots of clementines with me, so at least I had lots of fresh fruit (and something healthy to eat).

Tonight I made a chicken pot pie. It was quite yummy. Not nearly as yummy as the chicken pot pie that R's mom made for us Tuesday night, but still hit the spot. As usual, I made enough to feed a small army. Guess I know what we will be eating much of this weekend!

I used organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, diced sweet onion fresh sliced baby bella mushrooms, frozen corn and lima beans, frozen carrots and frozen potatoes O'Brien (with peppers and onions). I cooked the chicken, onions and carrots in a can of low sodium chicken broth and then used the liquid left at the end to make the gravy. I used refrigerated pie crust for the top.

Best of the Best - Youth Media Awards, part 3

There are so many reasons I love to attending conferences like the one I went to this past week. It is more than the free swag (though that is awesome – especially the books!) and learning opportunities. It is more than networking and being with people who are just as excited and passionate as I am about libraries. It is the revival of that passion. It is also the inspiration to return home and ignite that passion in others.

As I stated in a previous post, Monday I attended the Youth Media Awards. It is events like this that help to revive my excitement over my career choice. How could it not? The YMA is all about the best in youth media over the previous year. I’m a children’s librarian. It stands to reason that I would be excited to find out which books, video and audiobooks were considered to be the best…especially since I have read a ton of them just for fun.

The video winner wasn’t a surprise. I was on the committee that picked it. Don’t Let the Pigeon Ride the Bus by Mo Willems is an excellent picture book. The video was even better.

I had my hopes for the Newbery and Caldecott winners and they were brought to life. I was beyond happy to find out that When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead was the Newbery pick and The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney was the Caldecott winner. From the moment I read these books I wanted them to be the winners. They are that great.

To add to the excitement and inspiration of the event, the winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award (Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal), Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, was sitting just a couple of rows behind me. When they announced the winner, several people from other awards committees jumped out of their seats and ran to congratulate her. The overwhelming joy was contagious. Even though I do not personally know her, I had tears in my eyes!

Now I am back to the daily grind, where I hope to pass along that enthusiasm for children’s literature to the patrons of my library. Who knows? A future Caldecott illustrator or Newbery author might be the child who comes to storytime tomorrow.

Best of Boston

Last week I was in Boston. While there I managed to see some wonderful historical places...and eat some delicious foods.

One of the best meals I had was also one of the most expensive. My friend R and I went about town on Thursday, and stopped at the Omni Parker House hotel. We had a late breakfast, so weren't overly hungry, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to eat at this historical location. Not only were Parker House rolls developed there, but also Boston Cream Pie.

R and I both ordered Boston Cream Pie. Additionally, I ordered a crock of French Onion soup and my usual unsweetened, fresh brewed ice tea with no lemon. R also ordered hot cocoa. Our server brought us a basket of Parker House Rolls and Boston Brown Bread.

Our meal's total: just over $34.

It was totally worth it.

R and I both took photos of our dessert. Even though I was stuffed, I ate every bite.

Reinventing

Recently I came across an online article about 101 new uses for everyday things (like lemons, coffee filter and vinegar).

“What a great article!” I thought. I liked it so much that I immediately passed it along to a friend, telling her that I wanted to share it on my blog.

That was the plan. Then…I checked out the site it originated from. Or, rather, the section of that site. What a wonderful site! In addition to the 101 new uses article there were many more similar articles encouraging readers to think outside the box. The site? Real Simple Magazine. The section? Home & Organizing: New Uses For Old Things.

Granted, some of their new uses are ones that I had already known about (like using coffee filters to clean your windows – no lint or streaking!); however, I did learn a lot of additional uses for common household objects. One of my favorites is using post-it notes to clean a keyboard. You just run the sticky side between the keys to collect crumbs and bits of lint.

Check out the site. Maybe you’ll find some new uses for old things, too, and while your at it, you might learn the best way to do something new.

Best of the Best – Youth Media Awards, part 2

And the winners are....


All listed here. More later. It's time to pack and get to bed, as I have a long train trip home tomorrow.

Best of the Best – Youth Media Awards, part 1

Very bright and early tomorrow morning I will be attending the Youth Media Awards. This is the third time I’ve attended the event at ALA Midwinter Meeting, but the first time (and hopefully not the last time) I will attend as a committee member.

Many have likened this event to the Academy Awards for our field. Librarians, publishers, authors, illustrators and others in youth media fields will be anxiously awaiting the results. The awards given can make an unknown author an overnight success.

You can watch the awards online by going to this website.

Nearly anyone who really knows me will tell you, I'm not a morning person. Far from it. I often sleep through alarms, and find it hard to think coherently when I first get out of bed. Yet tomorrow morning I will need to be bright eyed and wide awake in time for a 6:30 a.m. photograph. Good gods. I'm sure I'll look a fright! At least I won't be the only one, as I'm sure there are many on the various awards committees that will be too nervous/excited to sleep much tonight.

Candle Care 101 - Trim candle wicks.

Before lighting your Gold Canyon candle, you should trim the wick to 1/4 inch. When candle wicks are too long the candle will create excessive smoke, turning the jar black. This should be done every time you are going to burn a candle.

Black Jars can also be caused by burning a candle in a draft or near or below a fan causing the candle to burn unevenly. So always burn candles out of a draft.






This five ounce Heritage candle is nearly done. Before it is burned again, though, the wick needs to be trimmed.
An inside view before trimming the wick.



Place the Gold Canyon Wick Trimmer inside the candle, making sure that the wick is in the notched area. Then snip.


A nicely trimmed candle, all ready to be lit.

Music to move your soul

On one of the message boards I frequent, someone recently started a thread about what songs get to your core. “What a great idea for a blog post!” I thought, “Especially when the month’s NaBloPoMo theme is best, and I’ve been kinda slacking in that theme.” So, here are just a few of the songs that just move me.

• I’m Your’s - Jason Mraz
• Lucky - Jason Mraz
• Rhapsody in Blue- George Gershwin
• Feelin’ Love - Paula Cole
• Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright
• More than Words - Extreme
• Landslide – Stevie Nicks or Dixie Chicks. Both are great
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo Ole'
• I'll Stand By You - The Pretenders
• Danny’s Song – Loggins and Messina
• There is Love (The Wedding Song)
• Give me one reason - Tracy Chapman
• I'm The Only One - Melissa Etheridge
• Come into My Window - Melissa Etheridge
• Smile – Glee cover is my favorite
• O Holy Night
• Ave Maria
• Amazing Grace
• Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major

Going to the Movies

The hubby and I watch a lot of movies, though he is more of a movie hound than I am. During the summer blockbuster season, we often go to the theaters three times a month. We also have a collection of over 250 DVDs. So, it’s save to say we like to watch movies.

A short list of my favorite movies we’ve watched over the past year or so:

• Up
• G. I. Joe
• Gran Torino
• The Wrestler
• P.S. I Love You
• Star Trek
• Juno
• Zack and Miri Make a Porno
• Extract
• Sweeny Todd

As you can tell, we are both fans of comedy and adventure type movies. Hubby likes horror movies as well. I rather have suspense than horror. I can do without all the gory blood shots. That’s why two of my favorite scary movies are The Others and Stir of Echoes. Lately I rather watch something that is going to make me laugh than something that is going to make me cry or hide my eyes.

Simply sensational scents

I’ve been at this candle thing for about 4 full months, and now it’s time for a new catalog. This means new scents and products. I have the sample pots for nearly all of the current scents, but I really don’t know them all yet. So…this post is dedicated to three of my favorite scents that were in the last catalog (though some are still be available).


Pineapple and Cilantro

This was one of my first Gold Canyon candles. The scent is only available in the pillar series. When the box arrived, I was amazed that I could smell the candle even through the sturdy box that surrounds it. Then I removed the golden yellow candle from its container, closed my eyes and inhaled the fragrance. My goodness. My mouth immediately started watering and I could practically feel the ripe pineapple and peach juices dripping off my chin. It was amazing. For weeks afterwards, my mouth would water just talking about the candle.

(This scent is currently available)

Gingerbread House

Ah…the spicy scent of ginger mixed with the delicious aroma of brown sugar make for one yummy scent! I have this bit of scrumptiousness in both a scent pod and a five ounce heritage candle. It is also one of the scents that I have an extra sample pot of, so I keep one in my office at work. When I want to make the office smell extra nice (usually when someone heats up a strong smelling lunch in the break room across the hall), I just open the little sample pot. The aroma is strong enough to fill the office without knocking me out.

Warm Welcome

Almonds. Cherries. Vanilla. Cinnamon. Who doesn’t enjoy these three fragrances – especially when blended together? This scent is available as a Comforts of Home candle and as a Scent Pod. I have both. I initially purchased this scent as an 11 ounce candle, but knew before it was finished burning that I needed to get the larger 20 ounce. It’s that heavenly.

(This scent is currently available)





As I become more familiar with the new catalog, I will post about some of my newer favorite scents.

Picture Book Pizzazz

Last night six children and four parents attended my library's Picture Book Pizzazz/Mock Caldecott. Of the ten books reviewed, the top picks were the same for both parents and children…just in different order.

Books reviewed:

• Chicken Little
• The Mouse and the Lion
• All God’s Critters
• Duck! Rabbit!
• Birds
• Pelé, King of Soccer / Pelé, el rey del fútbol
• Tsunami!
• All the World
• Otis
• Kiki’s Blankie

The children chose Kiki’s Blankie as their winner. The parents chose Duck! Rabbit!