Happy Mother's Day!!

I celebrated yesterday.  Originally I took the day off (with a lot of arguing) so we could meet up with the Angie.  Then the Angie cancelled.  I then got Curt to agree to go to chileplants.com with me to pick up some tomato, pepper, eggplant and basil plants.  It's about an hour away, a nice drive (even in the rain) and I've never not had a successful plant from them.

Friday night, I was on the computer when Curt got home.  He asked if I started dinner, the answer was no - I was going to do burgers and salad.  He said he didn't feel like burgers.  I told him to look around the kitchen to see what he wanted.  he wanted me to look with him, I knew what we had!!  Then he decides he wants to go out to eat. OK.  Then he wants a hug???  WTF???  so I get up to give him a hug.  Well the entire time the Angie was hiding to surprise me!  SHe had taken the train up after working half a day and had spent the afternoon with her grandfather.. I screamed. Literally, like a girl.  Seriously, this is how people get shot... anyway, they tell me they have a surprise the next morning before we go to get the plants (they knew once I decide I'm getting plants, I'm getting plants) I thought it would be breakfast, but no, they are going to get breakfast after. OK. So I have a snack when I get up.  Curt promises it isn't slimy (yes hanging out with pretty much just boys most of my formative years has given me this fear of something slimy when I'm getting a surprise. (you should see what happens when they want me to close my eyes!)  The Angie says it might be a little slimy.

Turns out she was right, Curt lied, but it was OK.. Curt got the Angie and I hour long massages at a spa. with hot rocks. Phillipe was great (considering what he had to work with, relaxing is not really in my wheelhouse) I think I was an inch taller when I left there.  (at one point he tells me to relax my neck, I say it is, he says if it was your head would be touching the table.  I try and fail. He says how a bout a deep breath, then another, took about 8 or so. poor guy)

We went to get my plants, then while Curt went bowling, the Angie and I had what used to be our Dad is bowling girl's fun.  Yes, risotto and salmon were involved...


Thanks to the Angie for coming up with the surprise and Curt for making it all happen.  I love you both soooo much!!

Recent Food Pics..

While my friend Min and I eagerly (and might I add supremely patiently) await Curt inventing the fUSB (food USB) device for us to send food back and forth with, the poor woman and Fe have to settle for pics... here are some recent ones:

chicken and dumplings

Mexican rice with eggs, salsa, guac and sour cream

beef and noodles

roast beast, fresh mozz, prociutto, and arugula sauteed with chili flakes and garlic

 

ball sacks!

Made two ball sacks to hold balls of yarn for two shawls I'm working on.

Before Happiness

If you were wondering about my failed attempts at 21 days of 3 positive things - this book is the cause.  The problem I personally had was losing one of my best friends (no he didn't die) at least for now, and my inability to deal with the sadness that caused. (I'm slowly becoming able to be thankful for all the wonderful memories, and like Garth Brooks says in the Dance- I could have missed the pain but then I'd have to miss the dance.  And I'm seriously holding on to him promising to be in touch at some point in the future, and jealous of his faith that our friendship was meant and will be back someday)  But I can't hold that against the book, although this made it harder to read the last section than the first three I started prior to 3 weeks ago.

Before Happiness: The 5 Hidden Keys to Achieving Success, Spreading Happiness, and Sustaining Positive Change by Shawn Achor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A lot of happiness self-help books are basically a bunch of bunk in my opinion. This book actually gives you the tools to develop a more positive approach to life and even more valuable tools to help spread this positivity to those around you.

Simple things - 3 extra smiles per day, use the power lead (speak first not loudest), making stress work for you, map the meaning in your life, spot and stop the hijackers, do something altruistic, identify your x spots, make 70% your goal, keep your eyes on the beach not the rocks. etc.



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I making notes here, so I hopefully don't have to re-read the book when my frame of mind improves.

First - and this is really important - there is a difference between being positive within reality and being a blanket optimist. And positive realism allows you to make changes while pure optimism really doesn't.

The book is split up into five sections:

All the Way: My Life on Ice

All the Way: My Life on Ice by Jordin Tootoo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'm a HUGE fan of Jordin Tootoo on the ice (and really really really hoping the Devils keep him around awhile) After reading this book I'm a huge huge huge fan of Jordin Tootoo the person.

It's a very raw, open honest book, like if you sat down with some snacks and were just talking to him. I'm pretty sure some of the stuff he talks about wasn't easy to deal with.



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Poor Angeliques are water logged

The Bleeding hearts however seem happy: