44 Things – Quarter 4

Yes, Quarter 4. In a few months I will be having another birthday! I have been so busy lately that I haven’t had much time for self-reflection, so I haven’t completed this thought yet. Let’s see what comes of it for now…

44 Things: Q4 – Things to DO or LOOK FORWARD TO! (July, August, September)

Fourth of July! Always a great time with family – relaxing time at the end of the dock, fireworks, great food and photo ops!
Plan a Book Fest! First annual? Bi-annual? Bookish food and treats? Crafts? Oh my! It’s coming right up, but it’s in the planning stages!
Ferragosto! I can’t wait for my made up mid-August celebration! More details to follow!
New York City! Looking forward to planning my annual trip to NYC! It will make turning a year older more palatable!
Books! Read and listen as much as possible!
Cosmo Girls! Start planning for 2013-2014!
State Fair? Go if I can!
Help Marissa move and get settled!
Ferragosto Ferragosto Ferragosto! I have a feeling it’ll be the best ever!
Sit down and … play piano or write poems or letters or play accordion… take time.
What do you think I should add to my list?

There were items from past lists that didn’t get done (closets didn’t get cleaned, strangers didn’t get conversations… ) but I am not one to beat myself up over undone lists. Most of the fun for me is imagining the possibilities and it is just bonus if they happen. Probably I should add “start thinking about being 45!” What will that mean? What fun things will happen?

“Summertime
And the living is easy
Fish are jumpin’
And the cotton is high

Oh, your daddy’s rich
And your mama’s good lookin’
So hush little baby now
don’t you cry

One of these mornin’s
You’re gonna rise up singin’
Then you’ll spread your wings
And take to the sky

But til that mornin’
Ain’t nothin’ can harm you
With your daddy
And your mammy
standin’ by.”
– George Gershwin and Dubose Heyward, Porgy and Bess

What’s Making Me Happy 4/16/13

Ah, a day off with little sleep. Hopefully tonight I will sleep soundly, waking refreshed for a long work day!

But here’s what’s making me happy:

Getting through overnights at work is always good… another month until it happens again!
I finished “Gone with the Wind” last night! Woot! It was a great book, unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of endurance with it, so I read it in shorter spurts than I would have liked. But I can’t wait to discuss it with others who have read it and to revisit the movie. So much to talk about! Scarlett’s coping skill of “thinking of it tomorrow” is something I have employed… sometimes things are just so hard to face that you have to divert attention elsewhere and move forward with plans tomorrow. It is spoken so often in the book… and it is the final sentence of the book: “After all, tomorrow is another day.” I’m so glad I read it.
Gone with the Wind cover (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Book club with the Preston gals was a lot of fun. We read a great book (“We are all Welcome Here” by Elizabeth Berg) and had great food – rum and Cokes, pizza burgers, cheesy potatoes, and Mississippi Mud Cake. Yummy! Always good to see those women!
Met girls from work for dinner on a Friday night! It was good to get together outside of work and to get to know them better. Hopefully it’s something we can do again and again! We celebrated having a Friday off before a weekend off! Doesn’t always happen! Maybe this Friday we will have a happy hour after we have supervision from 6-8pm! 🙂
I had a terrible cold during my weekend off, but enjoyed movies and reading… not a bad way to spend a weekend off!
Singing is always good… love the songs we’re singing in choir! Some river songs, medley style (“Old Black Water,” “Swanee River,” “The Old Folks at Home,” “Mood River” and more!) and some Irish songs (yay!) and “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.” Love it.
Had some good days off last week before my weekend overnight work. Good meals out, good cooking at home, good movie in the theatre (“Admissions”) and hanging out with Marissa. Good stuff.
A great post-tax-day out with Beth today – delicious breakfast at Burdey’s in Peterson (cinnamon roll pancakes – so good!) followed by shopping and fro-yo! Good stuff.

And coming up:

3 days of work ahead and a weekend off. No big plans (yet!), but just glad to have a Saturday, Sunday, Monday off!
Hanging out with the kids a little as Dana and Koni jet off to Vegas!
Starting in on my pile of TBR books – #1 is The Silver Linings Playbook! Yay! DVD comes out 4/30, so that’s something I”m looking forward to! Also have 2 book club books going – “The Accidental Tourist” by Anne Tyler and “Sick Girl” by Amy Silverstein (for work). Good stuff! I’m listening to the audio of “The Accidental Tourist” and I think it’s read by the slowest narrator in the history of narrators. Goodness. But it’s a good book!
The Accidental Tourist (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Planning a small graduation party for Marissa is fun… it sure is something to celebrate!
Have so many good shows to catch up on – so glad I still have my DVR! I’ll catch up with them sometime – so no Mad Men or Smash spoilers!

What is making you happy this week?

The 4.11

Wine Wednesday - wacky! — Wine Wednesday – wacky!

So what’s the 411?
Does anyone say that anymore? Does anyone call information anymore?

What info can I give you today…

Musinex is my friend! I think that it has helped me feel better faster. Crazy, eh?
I work overnights this weekend so I’m in self-indulgent mode – gonna stay in my pajamas as long as possible on Friday!
I enjoyed my days off and had some adventures with Marissa!
Watched “Admissions” on free-popcorn Wednesday. It was pleasantly unpredictable, although the girl does end up with the guy in the end. Just a little surprising in how they got there!
Still plugging away on “Gone With The Wind.” Loving it and amazed at her writing… just wish I had more reading stamina! Hopefully I’ll binge on it tomorrow and make a big dent.
Have TWO “book club in a bag” sets – one for the old FC girls and one for work! Yay! So in the next few weeks I will be reading “The Accidental Tourist” by Anne Tyler (love her books!) and “Sick Girl” by Amy Silverstein. Just added two more books to my already towering TBR pile! Oh well!
Cosmo Girls tonight was another great time – green smoothies, do-it-yourself-henna, and chair massages. And of course, many laughs! Yay!
I will finalize my spring quarter list this weekend – we’re marching through April!
SOOOO looking forward to “The Great Gatsby” movie coming out! I can’t wait!

Finally, this photo booth was just too much fun today! Once the photos are taken, they replayed the video of you taking all the pictures! And look at my hair! It’s always so unpredictable… quite a flip I’ve got going on! We laughed so hard… lots of laughs today. 🙂

25 photo booths — Paparazzi Photo Booth!

What’s the 411 with you?

What’s Making Me Happy This Week 1/30/13

It’s been a few weeks… let’s see…

Last week, two movies in the theatre – both great and worth seeing! “The Impossible” with Marissa with Wehrenberg free popcorn Wednesdays and “Silver Linings Playbook” with Deadra with matinee junkies in the suburbs! I can’t wait to see “Silver Linings Playbook” AGAIN. I can’t wait to buy it!
Braving the ice to have a Walkie Talkie and HuHot at the mall!
Quiet and relaxing days away from work – maybe I’m getting my reading-groove back!
Foursquare chats with Troy – love that I’m his only follower! Love living vicariously through him – and can’t wait to get back to NYC to get some check-ins with him!
Good food, good wine, good movies and good chats with Deadra during her recovery from foot surgery last week – with some great Just Dance moves, as well!
January has felt sort of “normal” – not super-booked, so I’m getting things done at home and I’m reading and I’m enjoying it!
Pride & Prejudice turned 200 this week! Isn’t that amazing!
Going to Rushford and having choir cancelled – just a night on the couch with Mom and Marissa!

Looking forward to:

Hosting a Fiesta Baby Shower in a few weeks!
Going to work tonight (10:30PM) for my first day of Year Two at Mayo! Woot!
Groundhog’s Day – always a fun, obscure little holiday!
SocialICE is coming up soon! Looking forward to listening to music and enjoying the Minnesota winter with beverages!
Finishing the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice… it’s just so good. I find myself smiling while watching it.
Starting “Gone with the Wind” and “The Great Gatsby” – hoping for good reading groove in February!
Gave Koni “Pride & Prejudice” to read – I will have to prod her along so we can talk about it!

I know there’s more, but that’s all for tonight! Right now I’m happy that I will soon go find a drive-thru for one more cup of coffee to get me through the night! Have to recover quickly to work the weekend, so wish me luck!

What’s making you happy?

8 Ways Happy People Are Different From Everyone Else (inc.com)
Showbiz: Why Pride and Prejudice is as relevant today as it ever was (walesonline.co.uk)

In 2012…

In 2012 –

Life changed pretty drastically for me, with my (wonderful) new job! Aside from having a lot to learn about social work in the hospital setting (specifically Emergency Department), the unpredictable and crazy hours have caused the need for creativity and flexibility in getting in the fun stuff! But, never fear. I still manage to find time for fun!

In 2012 –

There were milestones –

I had a job interview on Jan 4, got a job offer on January 12 and started a new job on January 30 (.8 limited tenure, turned full-time permanent in May)
Mom turned 65 in February and celebrated as she loves best – with all her children and grandchildren
My 25^th Class Reunion was held during Rushford Days at the Hoiland Mill
Five years have passed since the Rushford Flood
Marissa started her final year of college – majoring in Biology! What’s next? I can’t wait to see!
Twenty-Five years of marriage were celebrated with Ellen and Dallas
I got a new car on November 30, putting my old car to rest after 207,000+ miles

There were things to do with kids –

The St. Paul Winter Carnival with Deadra and Maya, the parade and the ice sculptures
Gracie and Trajan playing basketball
Ethan and Macy tumbling with their gymnastics
Trajan and Gunnar playing football
Gracie, Trajan and Gunnar playing softball and baseball
Gunnar’s Confirmation of Baptism
The Minnesota State Fair with Deadra, Marissa, Maya and Gracie – lots of good food (and drink) on a stick and people-watching
Concerts and plays and programs… fun to see as many as I can!

St. Paul Winter Carnival - brr! — St. Paul Winter Carnival – brr!

Minnesota State Fair - the girls and the guys! — Minnesota State Fair – the girls and the guys!

There were concerts –

Take Note! performances on Over the Back Fence and Rushford
The Dweebs at Rushford Days with Gracie and Marissa
Civic Theatre Patio nights on Fridays with Sarah
Thursdays on First outdoor concerts
Jeremy Messersmith “Supper Club Tour” with Marissa
Glen Hansard at First Ave with Marissa and Emily and Andrew
Bruce Springsteen at Excel Center with Koni, Kristine, and Teri
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Lost Christmas Eve concert with Marissa, Dana and Koni, Trajan and Gracie (a Merry Christmas to me!)

Bruce Springsteen, girls' night out, November 2012 — These girls are ready to rock!

There were plays –

“Gruesome Playground Injuries” at Civic Theatre with Sarah
“Chicago” at Rochester Civic Theatre with the Cosmo Girls
“Priscilla Queen of the Desert” in NYC
“Once” in NYC – TWICE! June and October
“Newsies” in NYC
“Peter and the Starcatcher” in NYC
“Nice Work if you Can Get It” in NYC
“Philadelphia Story” at Lanesboro Commonweal with Deadra and Beth
“Don’t Hug Me” a Minnesota Musical at Lanesboro Community Theatre
“You Can’t Take It With You” at Rushford Days by RASA
“Avenue Q” in NYC
“Forbidden Broadway” in NYC
“Bring It On” in NYC
“Our Town” at St. Mary’s University
I LOVE THAT THIS LIST IS SO LONG!

Post-Broadway dinner at Sardi's — Post-Broadway dinner at Sardi’s

There were trips and excursions –

The Ice Bar is always fun in February
Bagpipes at Binkies , St. Patrick’s Day Silliness
Des Moines Derby Dames are still fun to watch, although we know fewer dames
The Kentucky Derby / Cinco de Mayo party was a fun event at Sarah’s with Beth
NEW YORK CITY – twice! A Broadway bonanza dream come true!
Ferragosto 2012 was a blast – good food, good drink, good friends at the end of the dock!
Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery – good times with great girlfriends
Door County and a Haunted Hotel (Kewaunee Inn) – not too scary for me!
Cosmo Girls monthly night outs are always an adventure –Random Acts of Kindness in December was especially fun!

Bailey's Harbor store - and a great motto! — Bailey’s Harbor store – and a great motto!

There were books –

See the new page of Books I Read in 2012
Author Paula McCain at the Rochester Public Library discussing “The Paris Wife” – a favorite book from 2011
Author Julie Kramer at B&N discussing her new book – a new series to read
Maeve Binchy passes away in 2012 – a sad loss!
World Book Night was celebrated in 2012 by handing out copies of “The Book Thief”
By the skin of my teeth I made my (amended) reading goal of 30 books in 2012

World Book Night - The Book Thief — World Book Night – The Book Thief

There were movies –

Another post for them soon!

Happy 2013 to one and all! More adventures to come!

12/21/12: What’s Making Me Happy This Week (walkietalkiebookclub.com)

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