Good Things

Traci's List of "good things" thanks to Martha Stewart:

1. French Almond Macaroon Recipe: Mine likely taste as good as Martha's, but they're definitely not as pretty. This was my first time using a pastry bag, so the shapes were somewhat off, not to mention that I didn't grind the almonds finely enough, so they look a bit bumpy. I think I'll be able to do much better next time. I'll consider this go-round a moderate success. Actually, I've rarely failed at one of her baking recipes. I just need more practice.

2. Wedding Planner: Martha's wedding planner book is beautiful and has helped educate me, the reluctant bride (not that I'm reluctant to be a bride, but I was scared to plan a wedding) on all aspects of the big day. I chose her wedding planner over others because after years of reading her magazines and baking and cooking with her recipes, it felt like finding a familiar face in a crowd of people I didn't know. It has helped me pick flowers, a cake, a dress, and has revealed all of the little things that need to be done before October 18th.

3. Lowe's Paint Samples: Martha has a line of colors at that blue and white home improvement store, that are simply beautiful. Jon and I have exclusively used her colors so far in painting our house in Colorado, and intend to use more when we paint the master suite in April.

I can't help but admire Martha (and her staff who likely come up with a good portion "her" ideas these days.) She came back from her jail sentence even more successful than any of us could have hoped for. She can laugh at herself (she even had Ana Gasteyer--anybody remember the topless Christmas special???-- on her show a few years ago.) My aunts are obsessed with her. They even went to New York in 2006 for some big Martha fan weekend. My Aunt Gink (it's a nickname) couldn't even speak when she shook Martha's hand, and my Aunt Jean told Martha that she loved her. My mom isn't her biggest fan (my aunts suspect that she resents Martha) but it still doesn't stop her from subscribing to her main magazine. I'm likely somewhere in between. Not obsessed, but thankful to her for making my baking and home life a bit brighter. Every time I watch her make something, it is indeed a "good thing."

Il neige

Snow and the south do not mix.

Okay, so I can understand the excitement when it snows in Georgia because we just don't see the fluffy white stuff often enough. It is really pretty and such, so don't think I'm a sour puss for letting people experience some joy in their life.

One minor thing I get annoyed with is the frantic rush to the grocery stores to get milk and bread. I realize that it rarely snows in Georgia, but you're likely not going to be stuck at home for days and days without food. Plus, you have to drive to the store, which brings me to my next point.

DON'T DRIVE UNLESS THERE IS A DIRE NEED TO GET FROM POINT A TO B! I closed last night in Gainesville, which actually got a few inches of the white stuff. The drive home on I-985 was scary at some points for the following reasons:

1. We don't have snow plows. In Colorado, all of the main streets and interstates are well maintained (I noticed this in Indiana.) We're not prepared in Georgia, so there's virtually no plowing, which means visibility is much less, and the roads are slicker.

2. People drive as if the roads are dry. Do you drive differently for a rain storm? YES! It's even worse in the snow. Granted, I had to learn a few lessons driving on the back roads in Indiana that luckily didn't end up in injury, but they were still scary. Drive SLOWLY, especially on bridges. I saw 5 different cars pulled over on the side of the road. There was even a flipped truck.

I understand that there are always freak accidents, and some people can't help running off the road, especially when their tires are worn. But some people drive too fast and the next thing they know, they are riding in the forest.

The point of my rant is that it is much less safe to drive on Georgia snowy roads because we aren't prepared to deal with snow. If you live in the south, stay home if you can because we can't handle snow or ice. I know people laugh when Georgia closes schools for a bit of snow, but imagine trying to drive to work without that snow plow working the main roads 24-7?

Did you Know?

I am a penguin classics WHORE! I can't resist the paintings on the covers with their black background. The look so beautiful on my shelves. Which leads me to my to be read pile...

Here's my reading list for the year so far (note that I alternate a classic and/or adult book with a YA book:)

1. Little Women (in progress) by Louisa May Alcott
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
3. A Room With A View by E. M. Forester
4. Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp
5. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
6. I am the Messenger my Marcus Zusak
7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (reread)
8. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
9. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
11. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (I'm trying to get through them all this year)
12. The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
13. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
14. The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman
15. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
16. The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman

I anticipate these to keep me company through March or April.

Starving for Updates

This blog is in dire need of an update. I have not been throwing any bones lately, so I'll do my best and update with lists. Maybe if I do a few list-y posts, (I can always muster up some initiation to complete a list) I'll be able to form a normal update again by say, February.

So here goes a list of current thoughts:

-I'm getting the baking bug again, but my work schedule is getting in the way. My mother and I both ordered this fancy cake decorating contraption though so I might have to force my way into the kitchen sooner rather than later. Anybody need a cake?

-Wow, the '08 election is going to be very interesting. Since I'm not impressed with certain candidates on either side of the political spectrum, my hope is that one person I like and one person I despise will be on the final ballot so I can actually choose a candidate.

-January is hard core wedding planning month. I tried on a wedding dress for the first time earlier this week (it was a size 2, so I naturally couldn't fit into it) and Jon, my parents and I are headed to Illinois MLK weekend to meet with the vendors we picked to hash out details, and pick out a cake (the most important part.)

-My heart goes out to Meredith Emerson and her family. It really pisses me off that women can't feel safe anywhere anymore. We should be worrying about bears and mountain lions (well maybe not in Georgia) in nature (and even they rarely pose a threat) not shady men. As a dog lover, I feel really awful for all of the things that the poor lab witnessed.

-Taking pre-cana classes has given me a good opportunity to research Catholicism. I'm learning more about my religion now than I did in the years of CDD I took. I'm also learning that you are much happier with things when you take what you want from them (and let go the stuff in which you don't agree.)

That's it for now... more to come, maybe even some themed lists!

2008

Hello New Year. So sweet of you to arrive. I'm all about a fresh start. Your predecessor was better than many, but that doesn't mean that I'm clinging to the past or not willing to welcome you with open arms.

Here's to a wonderful, safe, and happy 2008!