What I've been reading...

In commenting on a blog that I read, Beauty that Moves (http://beautythatmoves.typepad.com/beauty_that_moves/ check it out!) I wrote about some books that I 've been reading. It's actually just the tip of the iceberg!! So I thought I'd copy the reviews here and add a few more...

-Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (excellent, had me laughing and crying out loud. A young girl from a dysfunctional familly goes to live with her great aunt in Savannah, Georgia. What a cast of characters!)
-The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (beautiful, lyrically written. And the food descriptions were fabulous. I didn't want it to end.)
-Blackout by Connie Willis (Sci-fi. Gripping and exciting BUT has a horrible clffhanger ending and the rest of the book isn't out until October 2010. Frustrating to say the least!)
-In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke (dark and haunting. What happens after a plague dessimates the population. What makes a family. I loved this book, although I didn't love the ending, because I felt that it ended too soon and stops short. I'm hoping Kasischke writes a sequel.)
-Balancing Acts by Zoe Fishman (Women and yoga. Need I say more. Nothing too deep here, but it was entertaining. Although I did find the dialogue a bit mundane and simplistic.)
-The Things that Keep us Here by Carla Buckley (Another dark novel set during an epidemic. Didn't love this one as much as Laura Kasischke's. Still, it was worth reading.)
-The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (I may be shot for this, since so many people really liked this book but I didn't love it. I couldn't seem to get invested in the characters and had to force myself to finish it. Interesting premise and the story itself was okay but all in all, the book left me cold.)
-Shanghai Girls by Lisa See ( I don't usually read alot of fiction set in Asia, but the book sounded interesting so I picked it up. Set just before the Japanese invasion of China and ending in the late 50's in America this book was really good. I learnt so much from it. And it was extremely well written. Loved it.)
-Good Things, Table Manners and The Sweet Life by Mia King ( I really liked these books. The first two are based on the same characters, so read Good Things first. Sort of fluffy, but good for reading when you want to lose yourself but don't want anything too heavy. I like the way these women pull themselves up by their bootstraps and change things in their lives. Inspirational in a way if that's what you're attempting to do in your own life.)
-The Girl who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen ( Just like her first book this one is set in a magical place that makes you wish you lived there. Her characters are quirky and interesting and she writes them in a way that you feel you know them. If you need some magic in your life, read this one and her other two as well.)
-Angels of Destruction by Keith Donahue (A little girl shows up at an elderly woman's house in the middle of a snowstorm. Who is she? Is she an angel? Really well written book. Intriguing concept. Illustrates the need for connection that we all feel. Loved this.)

That's it for now. Not because I haven't read any other books lately but because it's time that I get up and get some work done!!

Schedules

Along comes fall and everything changes. Kids go back to school or start the homeschooling year or as in my case, both. In the summer I try to get all my cleaning, grocery shopping and other errands out of the way in one day. Impossible to do during the school year. So, time to set up some new schedules. We'll see how it goes!


House routine

M -Launder sheets and towels. Water plants. Clean 2 bathrooms. Dust, sweep, wash floors etc... on main floor. Collect garbage. Put out recycling.

T -Take out garbage. clean kitchen. cooking and baking projects.

W-Do groceries, get gas and run other errands. Clean upstairs.

S -Kids clean bedrooms and rec room. Vacuum basement and change kitty litter.


Workout routine

M -functional fitness exercises, long walk/hike

T -ff exercises, strength training, short walk

W-ff, walk/jog

Th-ff, strenth training, short walk

F -ff, walk/jog

Sa-ff, strength training


Nathan homeschool routine

M -grammar, spelling, math, canadian history, art

T -grammar, spelling, math, canadian history, cooking, french

W -grammar, spelling, math, american history

Th-grammar, spelling, amth, french, creative writing, science

F -poetry, literature, creative writing, science

Christmas Eve

We had a wonderful Christmas. The first for our new family. On Christmas Eve we hosted a buffet dinner including grandparents, my brother with his family and the Chef's sister.

The spread... Not shown is the delicious New England Clam Chowder that the Chef made.

The kids got there first.

The new crew.

Menu for the week-Jan.14 to Jan.20

Here's to another week. More fun and games involving way too much driving since the bus strike is still going on. There are 6 kids in this house going to 4 different schools who all need rides twice a day. The schools range from one end of the city to the other. Then there is the oldest who has appointments and meetings anywhere from 4 to 7 times a week.

With the increased traffic because there are so many more cars on the road, I'm looking forward for this strike to be over in more ways than one.

Breakfast

Th -fried eggs and toast

F -cereal

M -bacon and cinnamon toast

T -muffins and hot chocolate

W -bagel and boiled egg

Lunch

same as last week

Dinner

W -egg rolls and vegetable fried rice

Th -burgers, coleslaw and oven fries

F -baked fish, green salad and potato salad

Sa -easy thai supper

S -roast beef, green beans, roasted potatoes

M -chicken with cranberry sauce, mashed white beans and sugar snap peas

T -lentil soup and homeade bread

Dessert

W -lemon cakes

S -german chocolate cake

T -chocolate chip cookies and ice cream

Baking

Zuchini and pineapple muffin

chocolate chip cookies

***There were some changes in last weeks menu plan, as usual. You know what they say about best laid plans!

On friday we ended up having fried perch, hash browns and coleslaw, courtesy of my Mom. (Thanks Mom) For baking I made peanut butter chocolate chip muffins instead of banana and I made my Granny's oatmeal cookies not chocolate chip.

For more menu plans, check out OrgJunkie.

Menu for the week -Jan.7 to Jan 13

Breakfasts

-fried eggs and toast, juice
-cinnamon toast, bacon, tea
-cherry coffecake
NO BREAKFAST COOKING BY ME ON THE WEEKEND!
-smoothie and bagel
-oatmeal, juice
-muffin, hot chocolat

Lunches

kids choose from:
1. cold cut sandwich or cold cut, cheese and crackers or cheese/tuna/egg salad sandwich or soup/leftovers in thermos.
2. jello, pudding, yogurt or fruit
3. granola bar or chewy bar or rice krispie square or cookie
NO LUNCHES COOKED OR MADE BY ME ON THE WEEKEND!

Dinners

W -chili and garlic bread, carrrots and celery sticks and dessert
Th -smothered pork chops, mashed potatoes, broccoli
F -eggs with cheese,onions and peppers and oven fries
Sa -thai supper with ground beef
Su -chicken pot pie, salad and dessert
M -salmon with maple cream sauce, roasted potatoes, peas
T -turkey noodle soup with bread

Desserts

apple crisp
ice cream

Baking

chocolate chip cookies
banana muffins

Where I've been

It's been a long, long time.

This is some of what I've been doing:

We've moved here.

And cleaned up 3 years of neglect in the yard,

And put in a huge vegetable garden and many flower gardens.

To get ready for the big event in August. The chef and I got married in the yard with 70 guests in attendance.

But now I'm back!!!!!!

Summer reading

Here is my summer reading list. Of course, more books will probably be added as the summer wears on but this is my must read pile. A couple of the books listed aren't out yet which is why they aren't in the picture. Some of these I've bought, a couple are from the library and a few have been gifts. There are also a couple that I am waiting to get from the library, those are the ones with the LONG waiting lists.



There's nothing like the reading bug!



*Intellectual Devotional by Kidder and Oppenheim

*History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer

*Whitehorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

*Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

*Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris

*Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

*Gap Creek by Robert Morgan

*Hot Flash Club chills out by Nancy Thayer

*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling

*Elizabeth by Eileen Dunlop

*The Emperor's Children

*Animal, Vegetable and Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver

*Miles from Nowhere by Barbara Savage



Oh and the two read alouds for the younger kids are "The Penderwicks" and "Tom Sawyer"