My Book List

Without thinking too hard about it, think of 15 books in the next 15 minutes or so that have impacted your life. They are the ones that stuck with you through the years. Maybe you can quote them, maybe not. Maybe you pick them up and reread, maybe not. The point is, they stick with you for some reason. I have one on my list that sticks because it helped me understand what kind of a reader I am, and what kind of books/characters I don't like.

• The Outsiders, SE Hinton
• Mere Christianity, CS Lewis
  
• The Book of Mormon
• To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
  
• Fahrenheit 454, Ray Bradbury
• The Diary of Anne Frank
• Jonathon Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach
  
• The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
  
• Peter Rabbit series, Beatrix Potter
• A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
• A Child Called It, Dave Peltzer
• Flag of Our Fathers, James Bradley
  
• Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
• Dr. Seuss, most anything for different reasons
• I Learn to Read and Write the Way I Learn to Talk, Marlene Barron
  

Thank you to the Jensens for the reminder that reading really is a part of who you are. "Reading becomes part of who you are in a way that nothing else can", Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail.

I thought about adding some parenting books and self-help books to the list, but I just couldn't. That kind of therapy, while shapes who a person is for some people, just isn't me. I know plenty of people that would scream how wrong I am, but too bad. Those aren't the books that stick out in my mind and I can't recall the names of them. Only one, Confronting The Myth of Self-Esteem, is in my memory bank and that's because it basically gave me confirmation that what the world sees as self-esteem is a bunch of crap. It didn't shape me, just boosted my self-esteem. A-ha!

Your turn. I look forward to seeing other people's lists.

Tamale Heaven!

Oh, my freakin' heck of a good tamale. I have died and gone to tamale heaven, and I didn't even know there was such a thing. I'm not even really a fan of tamales, and I am cravin' these babies. I had 2 for breakfast yesterday... and the day before... and sometime last week. The only bad part is that I have to share with Payton. (jerk!)

A couple of weeks ago I had a discussion with Nickie that I had bought all the ingredients to make green corn tamales at Christmas time but I just didn't get around to making them. Long story short... she took all my stuff, added some of her own stuff, and wa-la... tamale heaven! Moist, cheesy, and in need of absolutely NOTHING, not even salt. (and I think all tamales need salt!)

Because the green corn with cheese were so scrumptious, I tried her meat ones as well. Hello! She uses a mixture of beef and pork and it is seasoned deliciously. The masa in these ones did need salt, but there was so much meat that I didn't bother. I think my family will be quite happy with their dinner this evening.

So, since my local Mexican food-friend-caterer and her parents moved away, there's a new kid on the block. Nickie makes and sells tamales for $2 each if anyone is interested. I believe she has a fresh batch ready to roll as I type.

Tasha's Birthday Wish List

It cracks me up that Tasha dictated a gift list to Kyra one one day. I found it on the fridge (with bullet points):

• pokemon (she won't be getting these)
• wallet (for what?)
• jewlery (spelled incorrectly, by the 12 year old)
• slip 'n' slide (to replace the one that got eaten by the dog last year after she used it once)
• bathing suit
• sun glasses
• stuffed animals: dogs, horses, cat, bears, fish (again, NOT going to happen. The last thing Bill wants in this house is more stuffed animals)
• rollar blades (again with the spelling!)
• notebook
• markers-Sharpies if you can (oh, I can, but I won't... can anyone say PERMANENT?!)
• bakugan (Bill didn't even know what these were)
• toy computor (ugh, spelling)
• portable CD player (to replace the one she lost on the way to Disneyland, the day she got it)
• CD's
  
• scooter (probably one with handle grips would be nice)
  
• bike (non-princess is the request)

And if that were not enough, I believe there is a list somewhere of what kind of a party she wants. I said, "you think you're having a party?" She knew I was kidding, but we did have to discuss a few details... like you're not having a slumber party with boys and girls, many of whom do not have a good track record with overnights and/or boy/girl parties.

I should really get on the party details, her bday is in 11 days! Ugh.

Gotta Love the Irish

Just try to find a dessert recipe that is classically Irish that does NOT call for some type of alcohol. I dare you! Try it. Irish creme brownies, ice cream, fudge, you name it, it's Irish if you add Irish cream to it. I found a fabulously delish looking chocolate cheesecake with a secret Irish ingredient- Guinness beer. There was another cake with beer in the batter and Irish cream in the frosting- yes, yes, let's double up the booze.

Shortbread? Yeah, ok. But that's Danish and Swedish too.

Sugar cookies? Really? Everyone makes those so unless I want to dye 1/3 the dough green, 1/3 the dough red, and spend hours making them look like the flag of Ireland, sugar cookies are out.

It sure would be fun to get all the quilting ladies schnockered and see what it does to all their sewing. Tipsy quilters, we could laugh about that all day. I guess I'll make potatoes instead.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Irish-Potato-Casserole/Detail.aspx?prop31=5

How Did Bill Score THESE Tickets?

A couple of weeks ago Bill came home and told me he got us tickets to a Mercury game. Cool, I like women's basketball and you usually get to sit pretty close for a decent price. He said it was for all four of us if we could get my mom to watch Payton. OK, whatever, we'll figure it out when the time comes. He knew absolutely NO specifics, so I waited.

So Tuesday was the night. Kyra had to decide to miss her Honor Choir practice, and Tasha missed a softball practice. We debated not going, but went anyway. We got there REALLY early because he was told to get there by 6. There were a lot of people wearing Sun's orange, but I figured people just didn't have Mercury attire. I mean, they are women. Who buys sports attire to support a women's team, right? Anyway, Tasha has to pee really bad, so while Bill trots around the main lobby trying to find who to talk to about our tickets, a security guard sneaks us into the bathroom and waits patiently for us to come out.

Bill finds us. He's in shock. The Mercury's season doesn't start until the summer. We'll be seeing the Sun's play from BOX seats. What?

So, here is the box:

Where we sat and ate snacks:

And Tasha could do this:

So Bill and I could do this:


I'm glad we decided to go. And the Sun's even won!

Everything's a Whistle

I know that boys are supposed to turn everything into a gun or a sword or some sort of weapon, but that is not the case for Payton, yet. So far, he turns everything into a musical instrument of some sort. He got a harmonica for Christmas which he plays wonderfully. He found a Tupperware straw in the drawer last week and immediately made it make that very enjoyable (not!) whistling noise. Today, I caught him on camera phone making this tiny construction cone hum a tune. And this doesn't go into everything that he turns into a drum! This boy's got talent I tell ya. Future musician on my hands, I hope.