I Love....

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I've loved the show "I Love Lucy" for as long as I can remember.  Since I was knee high to a grasshopper I've always been glued to the television any time Lucy was on.  Her crazy antics can always put a smile on my face, and even though I've probably seen every episode a dozen times, they never get old.

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You can imagine how excited I was this weekend since it would have been Lucille Ball's 100th birthday.  Google did a super awesome home page on Saturday in tribute to her, and Hallmark Channel played nonstop "I Love Lucy" all weekend!  It was great!  My down time was spent finishing up my great big crochet blanket project (which you'll see very soon) while watching. :)  It made for a wonderful weekend for me, and now I'm feeling recharged and ready to prepare for my trip home this week. :)   I still have a lot of things to do before I leave-- like cleaning (since I like to come home to a nice, super clean house), running last minute errands, cleaning my fish tank, getting my pups' stuff ready for their trip to the kennel, and packing-- but I'll get them done.   As Lucille Ball once said, "The more things you do, the more you can do."

I hope everyone else had as weekend just as wonderful as mine.  Anyone else watch Lucy?

Five Things Friday [#4]

I thought I would link up with Erika over on Rouge and Whimsy again this week for her Five Things Friday post.  If you're not familiar with Five Things Fridays, it's where you list five good things about your week or five things you are thankful for in an effort to focus more on the positives and not dwell on the negatives.  So... here I go....

1.  Even though I'm back to being on my own for a little bit since the hubby had to leave again, I can communicate with him this time. :)  It's amazing how much better phone calls make things.  They can brighten my day like no other.

2.  I've been a crazy crochet machine, and I've loved it.  I am ridiculously close to finishing the great big blanket I've been working on for a month, so I'm super duper excited!  It's such a neat feeling to see something so soft and warm and snuggly that your hands created with only yarn and a little hook.

3.  I've been able to really enjoy some time in the past week reading a lot.  Even if I can't get off the island right this minute, I can still have a little "mental vacation" and travel anywhere I choose.  In the past week, I've been to the American Southwest, Montana, and even London through my little reading getaways.  I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to take some time, throw on my bathing suit, and head to the pool with a book in hand just about any day of the week.  Such a relaxing thing to do!

4.  I'm going on a movie date this weekend with a good girlfriend.  We are going to see The Change-Up, and I can't wait!  I only hope it lives up to it's previews.  Cross your fingers. :)  Even if it's one of those movie where every funny part has been put in the previews, I won't mind.  A chance to go to a movie, get myself an Icee (and maybe some popcorn), and watch with a good friend is enough.  

5.  Finally, I'm getting super close to my visit home to Georgia!!!  Next week at this time, I'll be there.  I honestly can't wait.  (I still feel guilty about leaving my "boys," but I know they will be fine.)  I can't wait to see my family and enjoy some of the things I miss so much when I'm on this island.  It's gonna be great! :)

I hope every one of you guys had a fantastic week, and I hope you have a fantastic weekend!  Anybody have any big plans?

Snubbed?

Warning:  Today's post is a bit of a rant/question session dealing with literature-- yeah, I'm a nerd.  Read on if you dare...

For the past few days I've been a reading machine in an effort to "take a break" and get through my island fever.  

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I mean I read just about all day... for three days.  In that time, I read three  fairly long books.

And I think it helped.  It transported me to a new place where I met new people (if only in my head).

Now, I'm sure the next question someone would ask would be,"What did you read?"  Well, I read what my past teachers called "brain candy," and I loved every minute of it.  I am not ashamed to admit that I read some "romance novels" by Jodi Thomas.  They were set in Texas in the 1850s, and while the storyline may not always be realistic (that's not what I'm looking for when I look for an "escape"), the settings and historical details were certainly researched.   

For some reason, it seems there is a stigma attached to "romance novels" or "mystery novels" or "fantasy novels," and despite majoring in English in college, I'm afraid I still don't understand this stigma.  I certainly understand the value of well-written literature-- the kind that can be analyzed and discussed.  I've read more than my share of Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, and Faulkner, and I appreciate and respect such literature.  However, I still don't understand why other writers who write more light-hearted work for the purpose of entertaining so often get snubbed and belittled. 

Do writers of thrillers, romance, mystery, and fantasy really do nothing?  Do they do less research on a subject?  Are their writing styles and diction really so inferior?  Do they not plan and draft and revise their works the same way?  I don't understand.

I also don't understand why readers of these "non-literature" works seem to be looked down upon.  To me, reading is reading.  My eyes are still moving across the page, I'm still taking in new information, and my imagination is still being put to good use.  Why is it less important when I read something with a happy ending or a somewhat predictable outcome?  Aren't so many of the "classics" based on well-known archetypes which might make them predictable as well?  It just doesn't make sense to me.  I remember hearing some of my college professors saying very condescending things about the writers of anything but the classics, and it still bothers me thinking about it.  I truly think it's those kinds of attitudes that crush young people's attitudes towards reading in the first place.

Would it not be better to teach a young person that a book is just a portable personalized movie and that they can read any kind of story they want?  That they aren't "wrong" if they don't find Heart of Darkness or Crime and Punishment interesting?  That it's okay if they want to hear a story that's not full of death and some of the terrible realities of life that are found in As I Lay Dying?  Call me crazy, but I think it would be best to start accepting pretty much all forms of writing as acceptable reading. (Note, I mean within reason... I'm certainly not pushing "mature" literature or anything of the such, and I understand keeping things age appropriate.)  It seems to be acceptable to enjoy a "chick flick" at the movies, so why not a romance novel?  It's acceptable to enjoy mysteries and thrillers, so why not mystery novels?  And "Avatar" was a very well-decorated and respected movie, so why not science fiction novels?  It just doesn't make sense to me. 

Does anyone else feel this way?  Have any of you ever questioned this?  Maybe I'm a little nutty?

Tail Wagging Tuesday: Special Pup Feature- Sullee

Hello friends!  It's time for another Tail Wagging Tuesday special feature. :)  This week's furry pal belongs to one of my readers and new bloggie friends.  His name is Sullee, and he's a cutie.  Let's see what Amanda from Elf House Chronicles has to say about him.

What kind of dog is Sullee, and how old is he?Sullee is a Boston Terrier mix. I've had some vets say he is mixed with Shih Tzu and some say with Dachshund. I'm not entirely sure what he's mixed with - all I know is he is the cutest dog alive. He is around 8 years old. I don't have an exact age on him, but his foster mom thought he was about 1 year old when I adopted him. 

What is Sullee's story?  How did he come to live with you?Sullee is my rescue baby. When I was going to college in San Marcos, TX at Texas State University I was living on my own and really wanted a dog. I've always been a firm believer in adopting and not purchasing. My best friend at the time, Danna, started helping me look. She came across this website www.petfinder.com (which is one of the best tools ever for adopting any kind of animal) and we did some searching. I had the idea of a Boston Terrier because I heard they were great indoor dogs and I lived in an apartment. One day she called and said, "I think I've found you a dog." She sent me the link and it was love at first sight!! The picture on the website showed that precious little face all smashed up against the bars of a kennel - kinda like he was a furry little prisoner! At that point he was living in a foster home in Corpus Christi (which was a few hours from San Marcos). I contacted his foster mom and told her that I wanted him and we drove down that weekend to pick him up. Sullee was badly abused and had been found on the street, malnourished, living out of garbage cans. It took a little while to earn his trust - but once I did, he has been my faithful companion and sidekick ever since! 

How did Sullee get his name?I got the name Sullee from Monster's Inc. I now have his counter-part from the movie as well, Boo. 

What are Sullee's favorite things to do?  Any silly things he does or crazy quirks that make him unique?Sullee LOVES to play fetch. He came to me programmed that way. I didn't teach him. He is a fetching machine. He will do it for hours and hours. Sometimes he won't even come in from the backyard if he thinks there's a chance you might throw his toy just one more time! He also loves to go 'bye bye.' He's great in the car and loves to sit in your lap and look out the window. One thing that makes him 'unique' is his little under bite. His bottom teeth stick out - I think it makes him even cuter!

  

 

 

What makes Sullee so special to you and your family?  Particular times he's really "been there" or special things he's done?

Honestly, Sullee has been my sidekick and furry little angel from the moment he came into my life. He's been there for me through some rough patches in my life. He always can sense if I'm sad or upset and is right by my side, cuddling up and kissing my worries away! When I managed hotels, I traveled a lot and Sullee got to travel with me every where that I went. So, we've been on many adventures together over the years! In the last few years, I've obtained two additional rescue fur babies. Sullee had to go from being the 'only child' to an older brother! It wasn't easy for him - but we make sure he still gets plenty of one on one time by taking special trips to Grammy and PaPa's every once in a while for a long weekend!! 

I don't know about you guys, but I love a good rescue story!  Thanks so much Amanda for sharing Sullee with us!

If anyone else has a sweet furry friend you'd like to share, I would love to have them as a Tail Wagging Tuesday special feature.  Just e-mail me at TailsToTell [at] Live [dot] com, and we will set up an "interview."  :)

Island Fever?

I'm not sure what the exact definition of island fever is, but I think I have it.

I know... I know... No one wants to hear it because I live here....

It's a beautiful place, but it's also a very tiny speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  The entire island I live on is a single county.  Back home, I don't think I ever stayed in the same county for more than a week without at least venturing out for something, so I certainly never stayed there for months at a time. It's beginning to make me feel trapped and a little claustrophobic.

Those feelings are making me feel very much like I'm in a rut.  There are only so many things I want to do on this nearly 600 square mile rock alone.  You can't go to the beach everyday, and hikes or touristy things aren't so much fun by yourself.  

This rut-- which probably stems from such a monotonous routine-- has really started to effect my creativity.  It's beginning to seem like no project can hold my attention.  I have a half finished furniture remake, a 3/4 finished crochet blanket, a few nearly completed beanies, and a few paintings that I'm trying like crazy to get through.  The motivation just isn't there.  

And when the motivation isn't there, the work's not that great.  And if the work's not that great, I'm not going to waste my time on something I'll have to redo.  Therefore, I've tried to take a few days this past weekend to re-group.  I literally just sat around reading, walking my dogs, or lounging at the pool.  I needed something to reboot my system to get a few things done before I can fully recharge on my trip home to Georgia in a little over a week.  Hopefully it will work.  

Anyone else ever find themselves in such a rut from being in the same place way too long, no change in scenery, or just plain monotony?

Just for giggles, I thought I'd share a ridiculous photo from my reading rendezvous this weekend.  My sweet Duke has no idea that he's 80-some-odd pounds.  He thinks he's the size of a chihuahua and that it's okay for him to crawl up in my lap like one.  I think he's just a little too big.  What do you think?

A Sneak Peek...

I was MIA yesterday.  I really didn't have a lot to say.  Nothing super exciting was going on, and I am in the midst of half a dozen time consuming projects.  However, I did decide I would pop in today to share some of what my past few days have looked like. 

Warning... When you see this photo, you'll probably say "oh sheesh... that's a hard day's work," but I'll tell you, my hands wouldn't agree with you.

As you can see, I am still being overwhelmed by my current crochet obsession.

If you look closely, you'll see my feet (propping up in the recliner seems to be my most comfortable stance for crochet).  You'll also notice a little red and white lump to the left of my feet.  That's Murphy.  He loooves snuggling beside me feet when I act like a granny and work on these kinds of projects.  On the TV, there's also an episode of Little House as background noise.  Gotta have my Hallmark...

I've been super duper inspired with my crochet craze, so I've been trying to ride this wave of inspiration as long as possible.  I decided I would make some things to put in my shop since fall is right around the corner, so I've been stocking up on yarn...

Lots of yarn... In a variety of colors. :)

So far, I have a few finished products to show for it, and I thought I'd give you guys a little sneak peek of what's to come.

I've been experimenting with variations in patterns and different color combinations.  I've had fun, so I hope everyone else will like them too. :)

Happy Friday everybody!  Have a great weekend!

Thrills to Nil

Well, it's just me and the dogs again for a little while.  I'm not super bummed this time because I go home to Georgia in two and a half weeks, and the hubby will be joining me during my visit.  Then it will be another few weeks, and we'll have a little more time together out here in the middle of the ocean.  

I'm not complaining at all about this little stint.

It is weird, though, when he leaves it's like my house feels different.

I know that might sound really strange, but it's true.  It's like one minute it's lively and filled with laughs, and the next it's quiet and dull... or maybe that's just my mind.  It's hard to tell.  Either way, it feels different to me, and it takes a few days to get used to it again.

In the meantime, I've been falling back into my "alone" routine with the help of the Hallmark channel (gotta have my Golden Girls), my crochet hook, my "emergency" single serve DiGiorno cheese pizza (yes... I keep one of those in the freezer for "those days"), and a milkshake made with homemade Yoohoo ice cream. (side note:  I don't eat crap like that all the time.  I'll be going on a nice 5 mile run to make up for some of it shortly.)  My "jump" back into the swing of things seems to be working, and I'll be fine in my little routine in no time.  

Since I brought it up, and since it's super yummy, I thought I'd share the recipe for YooHoo ice cream.  My mom shared it with me, and we loved it, so we made it a few days ago before the husband left.

Remember this stuff?

Well, if you liked it when you were younger like I did, you'll love the ice cream.  Plus, it's super easy to make!

Here's what it takes:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 quart of heavy whipping cream

and 2 cartons or a 12-pack of YooHoo (or if you live in Hawaii like me and Yoohoo isn't always available in cartons, just buy what you can find and fill the freezer to the "fill line")

Simply mix these ingredients in a 6 quart ice cream freezer, and follow the freezer's instructions. Then, enjoy!

Happy Wednesday everyone!