Moving Fast

I've managed to be a "Super Woman" this past week...I even made dinner every day and pre-made dinner for the rest of the week! Go Me! Reason being, I want to do NOTHING this weekend!! Like stay in my PJ's all day Saturday and Sunday. I think it may happen...I'm trying my best to make it happen. Today is "Operation Clean House/Do Laundry!" As I'm nearing the end of the semester for school...I will be Busy! Super busy...I will be headed off to Second Grade in January. I'm in the Home Stretch....a few more classes (7 to be exact) and I will be an "Official" Teacher.

Maybe if I'm Lucky I will get Rockin' Kids like these.....

I'm kinda OBSESSING over The Black Keys at the moment! 

 

Thanksgiving

The long Thanksgiving week has come to an end…I have to say, fall is my favorite time of year – especially Thanksgiving!! The decorations, the music, the food, the holiday spirit – I love it. So I thought I’d take a moment to talk about Thanksgiving traditions and what Thanksgiving means to me. Leading up to the Holiday there is a lot of decorating that takes place…and I have to admit I put my tree up before Thanksgiving this year. It was a first but I was eager to have it up in our new home.

Thanksgiving morning Ralph and I hang in our Pj’s until we have to get dressed for the day, literally until about 12pm! We snuggle up in the big chair, Ralph with his oversized snowman mug full of Starbucks coffee (via the Kurig) and I with Hot Cocoa. We watch the Macy’s day parade and discuss our favorite floats and acts, although this year there didn’t seem to be as many performers…Martina McBride was fabulous.

There is always the food, of course. But it’s not just the act of eating Thanksgiving dinner. The hours of preparation and the delicious smells that fill the house that entire week are just as important, as are the leftovers that last for days. We always go to Ralph’s mother’s house for Thanksgiving but this year I cooked an entire Turkey for our home too. (30 Pound Butterball to be exact). In my family, the cooking of Christmas cookies and other various treats has always begun the day before Thanksgiving…We have been mixing and rolling the entire week!

The week leading up to the big day I leave little notes around the house for Ralph to find…I talked about this last year, you can read more about it HERE!! I think he LOVES it and he actually left me a couple this year too. We watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Laughed as we talked about our childhood.

Then there’s family…For me, Thanksgiving has almost always involved time spent with extended family. Playing boards games, sitting around talking about life, doing puzzles, sometimes not saying anything at all, just being with one another. The wonderful thing about family is, I not only have my own family I also have Ralph’s family too. That means getting to enjoy even more moments. This year Ralph’s mom got a new puppy, a little German Shepherd named Sierra. Lots of nephews running around, Ralph’s niece, she’s hysterical. Family is important to us.

The history of Thanksgiving is important as well. Ralph is pretty “Historical” and likes to know his roots. He has spent many hours hunting down generations before him. Thanksgiving has me talking about how much we have to be thankful for. This is something we do often although it is ever present on Thanksgiving Day. I actually didn’t go Black Friday Shopping this year, I really just didn’t want to. It seems almost crazy to be so thankful one day, giving thanks for things that aren’t really “things” at all, for example, friends and family. Then in the wee hours following we are ravaging the stores for material “things” that we feel we need so badly. Odd.

I’ve been so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life it was so refreshing to bring the wheels to a grinding halt and relax! There was so much lounging around this week…I feel so energized for Monday morning. Back at it but only for four weeks…Then it’s time to rally around for Christmas celebrations.

I’m bummed that there is something wrong with my good camera, so I really slacked on getting a lot of pictures this year, the few I was able to capture were from my ipad, Ralph’s phone and a few that came out on my camera. I really need to find a place to bring it and have it fixed before Christmas. I think if I ship it to Cannon, I won’t get it back in time.

**First Left Over Recipe.... TURKEY SOUP! 

 Ingredients

• 1 leftover turkey carcass (from a 10- to 12-pound turkey)
• 2 quarts water
• 1 medium onion, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Directions

• Place the turkey carcass in a stockpot; add the water, onion, salt and bay leaves. Slowly bring to a boil over low heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours.
• Remove carcass; cool. Strain broth and skim off fat. Discard onion and bay leaves. Return broth to the pan. Add the carrots, rice, celery and chopped onion; cover and simmer until rice and vegetables are tender.
• Remove turkey from bones; discard bones and cut turkey into bite-size pieces. Add turkey and cream soup to broth; heat through. Yield: 8-10 servings (about 2 quarts).

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope you were able to sit back and really appreciate all you have to be Thankful for. G’night.

Blogging Funk

Blogging Funk…

Yes, it’s happened. I’ve been in a weird funk the past two weeks and haven't really wanted to Blog...or do anything really! I guess I will rewind and tell you why.

Two weeks ago: I checked my “Blog” e-mail which I have neglected this month, wish I hadn’t!! I saw the subjected header URGENT. I open it up and this is what it read “Hello Sarah, I'm contacting you from Bon Appetit. We saw your homemade candy buttons and thought they were adorable. We want to include them in an upcoming feature about homemade branded candy. We will need your permission to do so. Also, we were wondering if we could use your photo to syndicate this feature on Yahoo! Shine. We will link directly back to your blog, of course. Please let me know as soon as you can, as this feature is running tomorrow.” 

BON APPETIT!!!!!! Ugh….The disappointment really set in as I realized this would have been AMAZING!!! I went to the book store two days later and saw a Bon Appetit magazine and wanted to cry! How did I let this slip through my fingers…why hadn’t I checked my e-mail in so long!! My Mom and Dad always makes me feel better as they said the typical things, “You should be happy they even asked” “Good things come to those who wait”, “Better things will come along.” in a cry baby- Stomp your feet kind of way- I cried “I don’t want better things; I want to be in BON APPETIT!!!” “I want my picture to be on the cover of Yahoo Shine!” I have to admit I actually had no clue what Yahoo shine was and had to goggle it…but I wanted it! :/ 

I e-mailed her back (two weeks LATE) and said how sorry I was and would love to be a part of it. Twenty minutes later I received 12 crushing words, “Sorry, without your earlier permission, we weren't able to run your recipe.” -------Devastation, in one sentence. 

About a week later…two new interesting/EXCITING E-mails pop up…One from a popular run Webpage which ran a story about my hula hoop chandelier…made me feel better, but still not Bon Appetit.

THEN…..

                            Last Night…. I get an E-mail from Fox News Editor and Producer for Fox News Lifestyle Magazine….Getting excited for this one. I will be sure to let y’all know when it goes down. I guess it’s True….

I'm officially moving on from my funk and Bon Appetit. Leaving it at "When one door closes, another one opens." Putting to much time and energy in something that has passed is not good for the soul.   
HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!! 

Fate.

The Story:

This morning my best friend Sandra was calling me to say “Good morning” per our usual routine of giving each other a call in the morning. Sandra called me from her house phone and punched in my number; it rang and rang no answer. She hung up.

                                             10 Minutes Later…..

Her phone rings.

                                         The wrong number had called back. Sandra assuming it was me greets the person on the other end with the sweetest/chiper “Goooood Morningggggg” as she usually does. The caller says Good morning in a very surprised way, they very quickly establish that she had called the wrong number. The woman on the other end did not seem to mind, as she said how pleasant Sandra was. Somewhere in the conversation it was said that Sandra was calling me to tell me how great her day went yesterday at her new Dance school.

Fate:

                     The woman has two children, lives 10 minutes from the Studio and would LOVE to come to the Dance School....as her children have been asking their mom to sign them up for DANCE!!!What in the World. I had Goosebumps all over my body as these two strangers came together or rather  “found one another” after "have a great day and god bless", they hung up….You start to really wonder…..  How did ONE digit off of mine end up being a Local woman, with children, that want to do dance. Mind Boggling!

SANDRA’s Dance at Studio 28 is Officially Open. She is on week TWO! The students are adorable, Zumba is Kickin’ butt and Everyone is Loving Miss. Sandra!

Here is a quick glimpse inside...

The Waiting Room.

The Studio.

 So HAPPY for my Best friend.

 In awe of how much she is capable of getting done every day! I’m tired after hearing about her days…Imagine teaching Zumba/Dance at 9:30 A.M. on a Saturday, getting beautified than stepping on Stage with her Band Novera for hundreds of people that night! She is one busy lady, and she loves every second of it!

Proud!
If you are Local, stop by!! You can also visit Sandra's Dance at Studio 28's Website HERE!!
 

Mission Statement: Sandra's Dance at Studio 28 promotes confidence; positivity, determination, and team work, while helping our students find a strong sense of self. We provide an outlet for your performing passion. Let go, be free, and share you. Let’s Dance!

This Dance Studio is for EVERYONE, any age! Y'all HAVE to try Zumba..Wondering what Zumba is?? Zumba Fitness is the Latin inspired dance fitness program that has literally spread across the world!! Sandra is Zumba certified and has began shaking it up with all those who attend. Here is a glimpse of what Zumba looks/sounds like....

You're a What?

I’m a LIBROCUBICULARIST! Who knew there was a name for it….I LOVE to read in bed. It’s calming, Snuggling in my cloud of soft sheets and comforter, with the ceiling fan humming above, my two pups curled up next to me, the soft glow of my wooden lamp, perfect.  My bed side table is stacked with books, my purse has a book in it. Then I realized when someone got in my car and said “What is this??” The “This” was a book on CD!! I’m in the car a lot and I love to catch up on reads that I haven’t had a chance to get too, by multitasking I’m able to get through a few chapters on my way to work, the grocery store and even on my way to dinner. I’ve always been a reader, I love books. Trying to get into the “virtual” world of books has been tough. I like to flip pages, I like the smell of books…I guess I will eventually have to get used to it because I think books "Real Books" may be a thing of the past in the next decade or so. But for now I’m embracing all the books I can get my hands on and or have time to read!

Song I'm Loving Today;

 

 

Bucket List's and Eddie Vedder

      It's no surprise....I’m getting excited for the Holiday’s…actually I can’t wait.  We have been having weird New England weather. Actually I think I said that last year…New England Weather is kind of Amazing! We really see it all…Yesterday we had a freakish Snow Storm 5 days after The Hurricane that ripped through. Ralph and I took the dogs out who were both frantically running through the snow; they loved it!! It totally got me into the Christmas spirit…So much in fact I wanted to go back outside and make Snow Angels with Ralph…we didn’t, but we will ;) This weekend it’s going to get to almost the 70’s can you believe it?!?! Seems crazy and really makes you wonder what’s going on with the environment, scary. I’m taking full advantages of this weather to push Ralph into doing the lights outside! No one wants to put lights up on a house in the freezing cold, maybe if I “promise” not to turn them on till AFTER Thanksgiving he will put them up! I on the other hand have been doing some serious organizing…Ralph thinks I went “Label Maker Happy” and YES there are labels on everything! Preparing for the Holidays always makes me super happy. Getting excited for The “BucketList” but won’t go to {Christmas} Crazy until after Thanksgiving! I’m trying out a new Turkey side dish recipe tonight…if it comes out good I will share tomorrow! :o) 

Happy Friday Everyone

P.S. Along with Christmas Music (yes really)…I have also been obsessing over Eddie Vedder, again. It’s Crazy how you can hear a song that you forgot about and remember how much you REALLY Loved it/or ALL of it!! Friday Night and we are Rockin’ in the Free World!! But for now a little Society....

And YES that is Johnny Depp.....LOVE!!!!