Addiction

Hello.  My name is Anne and I am an addict.  Its been, oh, 20 minutes since my last purchase and I swear, this time I'm done. What am I buying?  Seeds.  I am a seed addict.  I am enticed by the seed displays in every store I enter these days.  And I get about 8 gardening catalogs in which every page looks more appealing than the last.  Those photographers sure know how to make vegetables look good.  Veggies I would never eat in a million years suddenly need to be grown in my garden.  Perhaps I should add that I don't really have a garden.  Well, I guess technically I do, but its really small.  Its probably big enough for 2 or 3 tomato plants, some beans and maybe some peppers or something small like that.  Its certainly not big enough for pumpkins or anything vining.  So why do I keep buying seeds?  Good question. 

Tonight at the store, I bought 6 packages of tomato seeds.  I have this good friend, Lori, that grows tomatoes, peppers and herbs from seed and sells the seedlings.  Her plants are so healthy and cheap that it doesn't pay me to grow any of this stuff myself.  Except I'm a seed addict and bought some anyway. 

Do you see the little bucket of seeds in the background?  Its stuffed full of seed packets. 

If you look closely, you can see a packet of rutabagas.  Who in the world eats rutabagas?  Actually, me.  I grew 2 last year and cooked them up and mashed them with potatoes.  They were actually quite delicious.  Really underrated, those rutabagas. 

Last year I had a 1000 sq. foot garden in a little town about 15 minutes away.  I kind of neglected it and the farmer that owns the property mowed it.  The weeds were completely out of control but I have a plan this year.  Mulch.  And if I grow this garden again, I already have the cucumbers, squash, lettuce, and watermelon ready to go.  (Or they will be ready by the time its time to plant.) Oh, and of course, I'll have lots of tomatoes. 

I may be a hopeless case.  Who am I kidding?  I'll be buying seeds the next time I step into a store. 

Sunday Confessional

What I'm about to tell you I've never told another living soul.  It may get me kicked out of my family, and my children will disown me for sure but....

 I kind of like Miley Cyrus.

There.  I said it.  Now we shall never speak of it again...

More Favorite Stuff

I have some favorite movies that I watch repeatedly.  And some I've only seen once, but would recommend to anyone - so here goes the list:

The Wedding Singer  - Love, love, love this one.  Maybe its because I vividly remember the '80's, and the music from that decade.  I especially love where he's singing at a wedding after having been dumped at the altar.  This is a movie I pop in anytime I'm feeling sick or sad. 

Lars and the Real Girl - I've only seen this movie once, but I really liked it.  Its about a guy who can't bring himself to date a real girl so he gets a mail-order blow-up doll and treats her as if she is real.  Yeah, he's crazy, but the people in his community treat "her" so well, its really quite sweet.  Really.  See it if you are at the movie store and can't find anything that screams "rent me!" And Ryan Gosling is a cutie pie.

Serendipity - My very favorite movie, and coincidentally, the name of my blog.  (OK, not so coincidentally.)  Yes, its a chick flick, but its a really good one.  And John Cusack is a cutie pie. 

The Shawshank Redemption - Another favorite.  I remember the first time I saw it and was astounded at the way it turned out.  I won't give anything away in case you haven't seen it.  (But really, why haven't you seen it?  Do you have something against prison movies?  Do you not like Morgan Freeman?  How could you not like Morgan Freeman?)  And Tim Robbins is a cutie pie. 

While You Were Sleeping - I've always liked Sandra Bullock, but maybe even more so in light of the recent news about her husband.  Jerk.  What is wrong with him anyway?  I like this movie for many reasons, one of which is that it was filmed in Chicago.  Or parts of it anyway.  And Bill Pullman is... well... you know.

Music

Aint Nobody - Chaka Khan - A very old song, but one of my favorites.  Minimize and listen.   

Thinking Over - Dana Glover - this was in a Kate Hudson movie.  I think it was Raising Helen.  Anyway, Dana has a beautiful voice.

Wonderful - Gary Go.  I have nothing to say about this, I just like it.

Wonderful World - James Morrison - poor guy.  How many times do you think he's been asked about his name?  Its a good heartbreak song. 

And speaking of heartbreak songs, this is just about the saddest song I've ever heard.  But Keith Urban is a cutie pie so...

Tonight I Wanna Cry

And a happy Keith Urban song:
Somebody Like You 

Stuff
If they're only serving one beverage in heaven, its coffee with this creamer. 

And just to be clear, it IS the Peppermint Mocha flavored creamer. 

Quest

 I'm on a quest to find the best perch in the world.  And by world, I mean West Michigan because, lets face it:  I'm never gonna travel the world.  So everytime I go to a new restaurant, I usually get the perch.  I developed this thing for perch when I was pregnant with my oldest child.  People joke about craving weird stuff when they're pregnant but all I wanted was perch.  That's not so weird is it?  I would order the perch at the old Aron's every Wednesday for lunch when I went there with my mom.  They used saltine crackers in their breading and it was soooo good. 

But then Aron's closed and my quest began.  So far, I've narrowed my favorites to 2 locations:  Hobo's and 750 Grill, both within walking distance of my house.  (And considering they both serve alcohol, this may serve me well at some point.)  However, I haven't looked outside of Muskegon County so there may be some other restaurant that's got even better perch and how will I know if I never find it?  What if I'm missing out on the Best Perch in the World and and I go the rest of my life without knowing it?  Oh dear.  Just the mere thought leaves me anxious and feeling desperate.  I feel a road trip coming on...

Progress:
Goal #1:  I'm working out on a fairly regular basis, running a couple of times a week, walking the rest of the time.  I should be ok to run a 5k by May. 

Goal #2:  Right on track.  Notice how vague I am?  I have all 3 of my kids telling me they need a bunch of money.  The oldest needs a housing deposit for college in the beginning of May, the middle needs the balance of her Africa trip paid, and the youngest needs money for camp and a mission trip he has coming up this summer.  I think I can foresee some paid yard help in their futures! 

Happy
I planted a bunch of seeds about 2 weeks ago and most of them are sprouting quite nicely.  I'm toying with the idea of renting the 1000 sq. foot garden again this year, so I have a head start on some plants to put in.  Yes, they're indoor seedlings and the problem is, I have nowhere to put the trays of seeds so they get sunshine and warmth.  So I've been rotating the trays between the front window, the kitchen counter and the dining room floor.  Its worse than having a baby!  (Well, not really, but its still a lot of work!)  But growing stuff always makes me happy!

Stuff I Like

Here are some random things that I like.  Maybe you'll like them too.

Music:

• The Ascension by Robert W. Smith - I heard this played by a local high school band last week and just loved it.  Minimize your screen and do something else on your computer while you listen.  At least listen at about 3 minutes in when the band sings.  Very haunting.
• Peter White's Walk on By - again, minimize your screen and just listen.  This is one of my favorite artists.  He's an amazing guitarist. 
• October by Eric Whitacre - more classical music.  This was played by both of my daughters at separate times in their band and its a really beautiful piece.  It takes a little time for the song to start because it begins with some faint chimes - trust me - its really pretty. 

Enough music for now.  I have millions of songs that I love but I'll ration them. 

Products:

• Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners.  If you use your crockpot a lot, (or at all) this is a real time saver. Especially if you cook anything gooey or cheesy.  You just line the crockpot with one and when you're done, you throw it away. 

• Nexxus Dualiste - I was having a very hard time finding a decent shampoo this winter.  I know, I know.  With all of the world's problems, shampoo is a minor issue, but I found this at Meijer's and really like it.  Its cool because the shampoo and conditioner both have two-sided chambers and when you depress the top of the bottle, two different colored products come out.  Its a gimmick, I'm sure, but cool none-the-less. Besides, it leaves my hair really easy to handle. 
• My pressure cooker.  I have 3 pressure cookers;  a 4 qt cooker, and a pressure canner, both of which I received from my Mom when she moved.  The little one is really nice but rather small.  The canner is nice for, well, canning but its too big for a meal.  I bought a 10 qt cooker last weekend at my church's auction for $9.  Yes, its used, but its the perfect size for a family meal.  Don't let the stories about exploding pressure cookers scare you.  Its only happened a few times to me, and a fresh coat of paint on the ceiling is always welcomed anyway.  Just kidding! I've never had an issue.  A pressure cooker is the next best thing to a crockpot. The time to cook a roast is reduced to about an hour, and it makes the meat really tender.  You should try one!

TV shows:

• Parenthood - This is on NBC Tuesday nights, after The Biggest Loser. (which is another favorite)  Its a really good show with believable characters and some rather funny moments interspersed with drama.
• Paranormal  State -  I've always loved a good ghost story and this is an hours worth of it.  Although, if there were really ghosts, wouldn't we have seen one in one of these episodes by now? 
• Tool Academy - my guilty pleasure, thanks to my teenagers.  A truly stupid show, but entertaining too.  Some of these guys really are tools.
• The Bonnie Hunt Show - I love this woman!  She's so funny!  Unfortunately, her show has been cancelled, and its no longer available on my local stations as of January.  It was good while it lasted anyway.  By the way,several people have told me I remind them of Bonnie Hunt.  I take that as a compliment! 

That's enough of my favorites.  What are yours?

Progress:
Goal #1:  I ran twice last week.  Hey, its a start. 
Goal #2:  I'm making the last payment towards my first bill this weekend.  Then its on to the next one.

Happy
The weather here in West Michigan has been relatively warm.  48 degrees today!  Its nice to see the grass, even though its brown and ugly, and I'm getting anxious to get out and work in the yard.  The other day I was at Meijer's to buy some #2 pencils for DD #2 to take the ACT test.  I ended up in the seed aisle and bought 4 packets of seeds. (I can add that to the tremendously large stash of seeds I have from last year.) And today, while at Sam's Club, I was looking for a bathroom remodeling magazine and ended up buying 2 gardening magazines.  I nearly bought a magazine about raising chickens in the backyard, but decided thats just a bit radical for my neighborhood.  There's probably an ordinance against it anyway.  I just love the promise of spring and summer in the air!  And while I don't really believe in reincarnation, I'm pondering the possibility that I may have been living on the prairie in a previous life.   You may call me Half-Pint. 

Z-day

I love my co-worker, Kate.  She's a good nurse and a hard worker and she makes it fun to come to work.  Last year I learned something about her that I never knew.  She is afraid of zombies.  Seriously, I'm not making this up.  She wants a zombie-proof room in her home so that she can live without fear of zombies getting her.  She knows that zombies aren't real; its just one of those things. 

As a joke, we were looking up zombies the other day and found that there are a host of web-sites dedicated to zombie preparedness. (They refer to the day the zombies attack as Z-day). Who knew?  Next year, I'm taking her to the zombie-walk in Grand Rapids.  I figure that if we stop for a few drinks on the way, it'll be a good way for her to face her fears.  Either that or it'll be really entertaining for me! 

Sunday Confessional

I have never liked the circus.  In fact, those words just aren't strong enough.  I have always hated the circus! I don't know why; I don't remember having a bad experience there, or being attacked by clowns or anything, but even pictures of the circus make me shudder.  I mention all of this because the circus just came to town this week. Dredged up all of those bad feelings.

A few years ago when I was doing my student teaching, my first graders (along with half of the school children in town) went to the circus for a field trip.  I would rather have been eaten by cannibals.  To me, it was a complete waste of not only the gas to get to there, but the time they spent out of the classroom. And I'm not an animal rights activist or anything, but it really bothered me that they had those trained elephants and lions. I feel bad that these animals have been taken out of their habitat and taught to behave in ways unnatural to them so that people can be entertained.   Am I the only one that feels this way?  Probably not.  Maybe I need therapy.