BIRTHDAYS

I started off Tuesday with a trip to the dentist.  I really like my dentist, so I don't mind going.  It's just a cleaning so I'm really in and out.  She is a former Navy dentist, so has had a LOT of practice and knows what she's doing.  Besides, she is very nice and I like talking with her.

I got out of there a lot quicker than I had anticipated.  Since I hadn't eaten breakfast, I went home, got something to eat, and then headed for Shop Rite to get the cards and cake for work.

Neither of the birthday girls like cake except for carrot cake.  Carrot cake?  I HATE carrot cake.  BUT I found ONE cake.  Yes, there was just one cake left in the entire store.  I grabbed it before anyone else could.  I needed that carrot cake!  Since there were two birthdays (and by now I was running late) I just had them write "Happy Birthday" and left off the names and trying to get them to spell them right.  It worked.  I grabbed two "from the group" cards that fortunately were entirely appropriate for each of them.  I had a choice of three cards and one was masculine so it was good that the other two fit them just right.

I ran out of the store and picked up Diane R. exactly on time.  We got to work just as our boss was walking up the sidewalk.  Whew!

Around 3:00 p.m. we did the birthday celebrations.  It seems we always get together around 3:00, just before all the kids come pouring in after school.  I didn't really get a good picture of the cake, but here are a few I did take to show you.  I couldn't get Diane B. to turn around to show her face so you just see the back of her.

The birthday girls:  Diane B. and Clarissa

Jerry's not really going to slash anyone with that knife.  He's asking who wants to cut the cake.

Another shot of the birthday girls.

 After work Diane R. and I stopped off at Rite Aid.  And, of course, my stop for a couple of things turned into $30.  BUT, I got a bunch of food and a big bag of potting soil.  Since I have off today to take Joe to the doctor, I am going to spend part of the day repotting my plants.  I got Miracle Gro with fertilizer so I am hoping to give my plants a boost.  We'll see.  I will take new pictures of them in about a week so you can see how they are doing in comparison to the ones I took a few weeks ago.  (And some of them are not doing too good.)

On the agenda for today:  Cleaning the living room this morning, working on the book I'm editing and doing a load of wash.  This afternoon we will spend at the V.A. Hospital for Joe's consultation.  Tonight is Bible Study at church.  BUT I bought the cookies for tonight (little heart Valentines) instead of making them so I saved myself some time and work there.  It's always a busy day in our house.

FEBRUARY JULEP

It's that time again.  I got another Julep box.  I know it sounds silly, but I really enjoy getting a little "gift" in the mail every month.  It doesn't cost that much, the products are very good, and it isn't a bill!  I thought I would show you what I got in this month's box.

I ordered the orchid colored nail polish, the lip gloss and the blush/highlighter.  Julep always gives you a little gift and this time it was an extra glitter nail polish that I really like.

The one thing that I ordered and forgot to take a picture of was some heart-shaped nail decals.  I thought it would be cute for Valentine's Day.  I got some white ones and some red ones.  I was excited to use them and as soon as I polished my nails I put them on.  

But the white hearts on my wine-colored nails didn't look all that great to me.  I was to cover them with a couple of coats of clear polish to protect them.  I didn't have any clear, so I put a very light gold over them.  That turned the base coat a weird color and eventually peeled right off of the decal.  One of the decals then got caught on something at work and came off.  So I took off the other one and that was the end of that.

I have thought of using them as sort of a stencil.  I would put a light color on the nails, put the decal on, then paint a darker color over everything.  When it was dry I would peel the decal off and have a lighter heart painted on the nail.  We will see.  I'm always experimenting.

So here is the nail color I chose for February.  It is called "Rochelle".  I really like it a lot.  I've gotten so many compliments on it.  One nail got messed up but oh well...

 
Now it's off to get ready for another day.  I have to go to the dentist first, then run to ShopRite to get a birthday cake and cards for two of the ladies at work, and then a whole day of wonderful library experiences.  

At least I am taking tomorrow off to take Joe to an appointment at the V.A. Hospital.  I'm hoping to get a lot done around the house before we go since the appointment is smack in the middle of the day.

Then in the evening it's Bible Study.  It's going to be a busy day.

JANUARY READING LIST

Looking over things I realized that I never posted this last month.  So here is January's reading list.



ANGELS AT THE TABLE by Debbie Macomber (2012)
In this joyous and whimsical holiday novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber rings in the season with the return of Shirley, Goodness and Mercy, delivering love, laughs and a charming dose of angelic interventions.

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy know that an angel's work is never done, especially during a time as wondrous as New Year's Eve.  With an apprentice angel, Will, under their wings, they descend upon Times Square in New York City eager to join in the festivities.  And when Will spies two lonely strangers in the crowd, he decides that midnight is the perfect time to lend a heavenly helping hand.

Lucie Farrara and Aren Fairchild meet after banging into each other -- seemingly by accident -- in Times Square on New Year's Eve.  They immediately hit it off and find they have a lot in common.  But just as quickly as they're brought together, another twist of fate tears them apart, leaving Lucie and Aren with no way to reconnect.

A year later Lucie is the chef of an acclaimed new restaurant and Aren is a successful columnist for a major New York newspaper.  For all the time that's passed, the two have not forgotten their serendipitous evening -- and neither have Shirley, Goodness, Mercy and Will.  To reunite the young couple, the angels cook up a brilliant plan:  mix true love, a second chance, and a generous sprinkle of mischief to create an unforgetable Christmas miracle.

I love Debbie Macomber's angel books.  My friend, Debbie, introduced me to her writing with one of the angel books and she has been a favorite author of mine ever since.  This book was a Christmas gift a couple of years ago and I just now got around to reading it.  It was so cute and so enjoyable.  I love books that are just a good story.




CELEBRITY CHEFS
This incredible cookbook showcases more than 90 deletable yet doable dishes and drinks created by an array of talented kitchen stars.

Celebrity Chefs is filled with many delicious recipes  Start with the flavorful appetizers that will create a memorable beginning to a meal, such as Emeril Lagasse's Herbed Goat Cheese Buttons.  There are fabulous salads and soups you won't want to miss, like Lidia Bastianich's Mussel Super Soup, Rick Bayless' Spinach Salad with Bacon & Roasted Mushrooms, Carla Hall's Winter Salad with Pears, Aged Cheddar & Almonds, and Marcus Samuelsson's Farro & Orange Salad.  The entrees feature mouthwatering pastas and risottos, fish and seafood, poultry and meat, as well as terrific side dishes to pair them with.  They include Mark Bittman's Pasta with Funghi Trifolati, Ree Drummond's Comfort Meatballs, Bobby Flay's Pulled Pork with Black Pepper Vinegar, Amanda Freitag's Strip Steak with Herb Butter & Tomatoes, and Wolfgang Puck's Shepherd's Pies with Lamb. And you'll find luscious desserts to bring any meal to a memorable close, such as Todd English's Apple Crepes.  This book also includes wine and food pairings by bestselling wine author Kevin Zraly, along with cocktail recipes from top restauranteurs and mixologists.

The remarkable chefs and recipes in this cookbook have appeared in the pages of Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Town & Country, and Woman's Day magazines.

With helpful cooking tips from the chefs and gorgeous color photos, here is a recipe collection you'll enjoy and refer to time and again.

Yes, I am one of those people who actually read cookbooks.  There is so much I enjoy about doing that.  This one was good.  I copied down the recipes that I thought I would actually make.
  


AN HONEST LOVE: A Hearts of Middlefield Novel
by Kathleen Fuller  (2010)

Carefree Elisabeth Byler doesn't always fit the mold of a serious-minded Amish girl, but she loves the Amish faith and is excited to join the church.  When Elizabeth accidentally winds up in harm's way, Aaron Detweiler must forgive himself for a mistake he made as a teenager and use that experience to help save Elisabeth.

Elisabeth's brother, Lukas Byler, is the man of Anna Esh's dreams, and he's asked her to marry him.  But Anna has a secret she can't bring herself to reveal -- there's a real possibility she will not be able to bear children.  She knows how much having a family means to Lukas, yet her fear of losing him trumps her good judgment.  Although she knows she should tell Lukas before the wedding, Anna fears that once he  learns of her deception, the man she loves with all her heart will no longer love her.

Another good Amish book.  Although I enjoy reading this genre, I found this one rather confusing.  There were two "romances" going on at the same time.  I kept getting the names mixed up and wondered why Lukas was talking to Elisabeth about another woman and then realized (again!) that they were brother and sister.  In spite of my confusion, it was a good story.  I am going to try another of Kathleen Fuller's books to see if it was the way she wrote or if it was me causing the mix up.