Book Awards 2009

The 2009 Book List is complete as of last week, and I finally read over 52 books in one year!  I don’t know why I was so slow in years past.  And once again, I didn’t read a lot of new books in 2009…but these are some of the best books I happened to read in 2009:

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, The Story of Forgetting by Stefan Merrill Block and City of Thieves by David Benioff.  My favorite book of the year was probably The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.

I also am really enjoying Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

Least favorite of the year?  Either Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan or Our Lady of the Forest by David Guterson.  Blech.

Here’s to another 52+ books in 2010….

Holiday Baking

I do work all week, but was lucky enough to come home early today and do some holiday party baking with Tim.  Kyla made these cookies for Halloween and they were fantastic, so we whipped up a batch this afternoon for a party tonight.  I think we both need to work on our decorating skills, but they are still pretty tasty.  Also, persimmon pudding is in the oven.  Persimmon pudding is one of those desserts you either love or hate.  I am a total convert, despite not having grown up with persimmons.

One more (long) day at work before three days off out of four.  I am looking forward to calling people, lounging, reading, eating and movie watching.

Better to Give Than Receive

I really enjoy shopping for and getting gifts for family and friends.  I love finding that thing that is just right for a certain person.  Its like you are creating a connection across the distances with things, which all sounds sort of cheesy, I admit, but true. I do have some great friends who live in far flung places.   And this year, I have gotten some AMAZING gifts from friends and family!  Handmade note cards (above, complete with coordinating address labels), awesome reindeer platter and plates, a personalized photo book, a book from a favorite author, a beautiful jewelry box, a sweet necklace, and some HONEY from people who keep bees on their land in Texas.  I am freaking amazingly lucky.  I have the best friends on the planet.  Thank you everyone!

I am working most of this week, save for Thursday and Friday, so I hope you all feel bad for me.  However, I am taking 10 days or so off starting next week.  Really looking forward to time both spent at home, and then back in IN with Tim before his Spring semester starts again.

Happy Solstice!

Holiday Knitting

So yes, here it looks sort of like a knitted blob, but in real life it is actually pretty.  My one Christmas gift that I made is finally finished, boxed and wrapped.  This totally counts as part of my Year of Making Stuff, but who is counting (I am actually awarding myself extra credit for the huge Middle Way quilt from this summer – so there).  I will post full photos once the proper owner gets to see it first.  Now I have to go and make one for myself.

Holiday shopping is 95% finished and boxes will be in the mail Tuesday.  We haven’t put a tree up since we’ve been back in Bloomington, but I did hang some indoor lights and stockings are hung on the bookcase.  Oh, and of course there are paper snowflakes too.  Dave’s Paper Snowflake Patterns are the best free ones online, and I’ve used them for years.  Many a library display has been graced with Dave’s snowflakes.  Why let the tradition die?

Sweet Spiced Pecans

Every time we make these Spiced Pecans, people ask for the recipe.  In fact, people are still emailing Tim from St. Mary’s asking for the recipe almost 3 years later.  They really are delicious and the recipe comes from Miles, Tim’s grandpa who I never got a chance to meet.  The recipe is pretty simple and perfect for the holidays (read: easy and make ahead), so I thought I would share.

Miles’ Sweet Spiced Pecans

1lb pecans

1 egg white

1 tsp water

1 tsp cinnamon

1tsp salt

1 c sugar

Mix the egg white and water together in a bowl.  Add pecans and stir to coat.  Sift sugar, cinnamon and salt together and add to the coated pecans.  Put in a lightly greased brownie pan and cook at 200 degrees for one hour, stirring a few times.

C’est tout!  Bon Appetit!

Thanksgiving Holiday

I was lucky enough to spend a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday in Houston.  I spent part of the time with Larissa and her family at her house, complete with delicious baked goods and a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.  The other part of the time I spent celebrating the engagement of one of my cousins, in a style I’ve never seen before!  The bride-to-be’s family is from India, and we were treated to a wonderful party.  As an added bonus to seeing cousins, aunts, and my mom, I was able to also see my great aunt and uncle.  I don’t have any grandparents left to visit or hear stories from, so it was especially meaningful.

Of course now, I am feeling generally crappy physically but am downing the oj in a last ditch effort to not get sick.  Maybe its just allergies.  Maybe the humidifier will help.  Right?

3/50 Project and Quilt/34

Tim’s boss and his wife recently had a baby girl, what better excuse to make a super sweet modern quilt AND Year of Making Stuff Item #34?  I made 6 different blocks with 7 different fabrics and played with the layout.  The fabrics are a nice mix of mellow pinks I had on hand and some fat quarters I received from Regina as a gift, which includes the browns and golds.  I love the total effect.  Today is a gorgeous sunny day…the kind where it was sort of hard to take a good photo of a quilt with lots of white in it.  As always, it looks better in person.

My mom recently told me about the 3/50 Project.  There has been some arguments recently in our city council about banning chain stores downtown.  Some arguments against maintain that chain stores are beneficial to our local community because they are employing people who live here.  We want people employed.  However, this website claims that out of $100 dollars spent in a chain store, $43 stays within the local community.  Compare that to $68 that stays in the community if the $100 is spent at a local brick and mortar store.  Nothing is contributed locally if that money is spent online.  I am lucky to live in a city that does have great local stores and restaurants, but I could do better at supporting them, especially the stores.  I very rarely eat at a chain restaurant, but again I am lucky that there are great local eateries within walking distance to my job and home.  I am trying to do more grocery shopping at my co-op instead of Kroger, and thinking about holiday gifts purchased at local stores.  Think about where you spend your money.  It really might make a difference.

Peaceful

This has actually been finished for a few weeks now, but finally got a chance to wash and take photos.  This is for the daughter of one of my coworkers, and I love all of the juicy colors!  Super cute. Its hard to tell from this picture, but all of those stars are made up of fabric with tiny little dots on them too, to compliment the big polka dots around the border.  #33 of Year of Making Stuff. Woo!  I am definitely slowing down though…think I need a few quick projects.

Last weekend Cynthia came in town to visit and we were able to meet up on Saturday afternoon to catch an IU football game with Abby, Erik and two of their girls.  The weather was beautiful and we had a great time.  Of course, we had an even better time late night at the Vid, but there is mighty little photographic evidence of that, for which we are lucky I think.  It does make me sad though that so many of my beloved friends live so far away!

Speaking of friends, Jenn and I went climbing today and I did even better than last time by far!  I reached the top on all of my four attempts and generally felt stronger and more confident as to what I was doing.  I think Jenn is also getting more comfortable with me as her partner!  It is scary to have to hold someone up at that height!  Again, my hands and forearms are a little sore, but it was a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.

Wild Thing Halloween

I can’t believe it is November!  Had a great Halloween…we had lots of trick or treaters, and I had a great time out with some friends.

This week is going to be busy and I am looking forward to a visitor late in the week!  I also have plans for a new quilt.  I was able to use my extra hour today before work to go and get some white muslin that I have been meaning to pick up for quite some time now.  Tonight I will probably sketch out my new plan.

Mind Body Spirit

In an effort to find some exercise activities to supplement my daily 2 mile walk, I have been trying a few things before winter really sets in.  I still walk to work in the winter, but there isn’t much else in the way of exercise.  When the weather is nice, its easy to fit in another long walk or bike ride.  But I am afraid that my nice days are now going to be few and far between.  So I’ve tried both Zumba and Bollywood dancefit classes recently at Panache, and you know what?  I really like them.  It is a combination of aerobics and dance, but the music is pumping and while it isn’t exactly like dancing at a club, it feels really good to move to music.  And after months of talking about it, today Tim and I met up with Jenn at Hoosier Heights to do some wall climbing.  We had the official lesson, and Jenn helped us along with her experience and we had a great time.  I won’t be able to use my hands tomorrow, but it was worth it to climb to the top of the wall!  I never think of myself as a gym person, but yay to finding indoor activities that I actually like.

Tomorrow I will carve pumpkins (they are already scooped and ready to go) and put the final touches on my costume which will involve freezer paper stencils…my favorite!  Also maybe some quilting.