spooktacular...

It was a relatively quiet/sane day today. I hope the rest of the week goes as smoothly. I picked up some Snickers even though I don't get trick-or-treaters.

w.w.w. wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading? I started my book group's November selection: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. And I stalled out on Audrey's Guide To Witchcraft not because I don't like it but because other books got in the way; and I am listening to Diane Keaton's memoir while knitting.

• What did you recently finish reading? I haven't finished anything!!!

• What do you think you’ll read next? I need to finish up the ones I've started!

happy halloween...

ten things tuesday...

Ten things on my bucket list:

birthday meme

1. as you get older, are you jazzed about your birthday? Yes, I am. I've earned the right to celebrate my life!

2. do people usually remember your birthday? Not especially. And that's all right, although, through the magic of facebook it can be overwhelming to get 100+ wishes

3. an ex-coworker used to begin 3 mos. before her birthday flat-out reminding us that it was coming up. it's amazing what no self-esteem does for you. anyway, do you know anyone who pre-announces their birthdays? I had a colleague like that, too, but now I guess I'm the one... although it's not like I'm demanding a party or festivities or anything

4. what was your best birthday? why? my 40th birthday was my favorite. I celebrated for forty days (twenty before, twenty after) and really focused on doing small things to make myself happy, celebrating who I am. Plus, all my friends and colleagues got into the spirit and we had theme parties for lunch every day! It was really special and memorable.

5. what was your worst birthday? why? The year everyone forgot. Even my dad forgot. I was sad. I don't remember when it was, just a couple years ago.

6. name your best birthday gift. I buy myself fantastic gifts every holiday. I got myself an iPod for my birthday this year. I will post a photo later.

7. name the best birthday gift you've gotten for someone else. I got my sister a spa day for her 50th birthday this year--pedicure, manicure, massage, facial, blow out for her hair, and some new clothes.

8. as i age, i value SLEEP as a priceless commodity. i didn't get any for my birthday, however. what do you want this year for your birthday? I wanted chocolate cake, or a whoopie pie. I got neither.

musing mondays

Click here to play along.

• Do you have people online that you often discuss the books you read with? Not just book groups, but individual readers who share the same taste in books? If so, what do you like best about this? If not, do you wish you did?

Some friends and I started an online reading group because we were always yapping about books through emails and decided if we started our own group we could be organized and include everyone interested. It lasted for a couple of years and then time and life got in the way and it got disorganized and people started feeling guilty for not participating and we decided to disband. While it lasted, it was a lot of fun. Having it organized as a group was a good idea, instead of frequent emails that didn't always get forwarded or copied to everyone. And unlike my in person reading group, we all had the same taste in books so it was never a chore to read the selection.

Oh, there's a blog that I follow because every book she recommends has been one I thoroughly enjoyed!

votes for men

I don't remember where I saw this. It's awesome.

sunday stealing

(click the icon to play along)

Sunday Stealing: The SCARY Meme

1) What do you think is the best costume for Halloween? something creative and clever

2) What would an alien think of humans if it came to Earth on Halloween? it would depend on where it lands... but mostly, I think it would think we know how to party

3) Who Would you haunt? hmmm... I can think of one ex-boyfriend who deserves a haunting

4) Are you afraid of the dark? no, I don't think I ever have been, either

5) Do you pass out candy, or hide with the lights off? I would pass out candy if any kids came here. It's one more chance for me to buy my favorites.

6) What Scary movie do you like best? I used to love scary movies... Carrie is such a classic... but I also love The Shining... and I saw The Village last week and remembered how creepy it was

7) If you had to wear a costume for a week, what would you be? something easy to move around in, nothing with a mask

8) What do you think about Ouija boards? they can be a lot of fun

9) Have you ever told ghost stories around a fire? no, but we used to tell ghost stories in a dark basement

10) Trick? or Treat? treat... definitely treat

11) Have you ever been in a haunted house? yes, I didn't feel anything

12) What would you do if you saw a ghost? *shrug* hopefully not over-react

13) Question 13, should we have skipped this and jumped to 14? no, definitely keep the 13

14) Are you brave enough to walk into a grave yard after dark on Halloween? sure

15) Do you like chocolate? what kind: I like alllllll kinds of chocolate

16) Who would look better in a clown costume? Obama or Romney? Romney

17) Are you in the path of Frankenstorm? no, I'm too far north to get much more than heavy rain

18) Post a link to any other blog: Tywikiwdbi is always interesting

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

are you a lava lamp or a disco ball?

You Are a Lava Lamp

You are dreamy, relaxed, and contemplative. You like to get lost inside your own head. You never know where your thoughts will take you, and you consider reflection to be a wild ride. You're happy to sit and be alone for long periods of time. You only do well with others who are like minded. You appreciate other peaceful, creative types. Great things can come when great minds get together.

Are You a Lava Lamp or a Disco Ball?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

nice day...

This morning I started these mittens at a mitten seminar/class. I can't wait to finish them! The class was at a local yarn store (LYS) called Yarnia of Maine and there were three other people, just the right size for a class like this. The shop has new owners so they're enthusiastic about offering different classes or seminars each month. Next month is toe-up socks, so I'll sign up for that!

Then my bestie and I got together for dinner--her daughter had a Halloween party in the neighboring town so we got to hang out and talk while the party went on.

No nap!

saturday 9

Over The Rainbow

1) Do you ever fantasize about flying, beyond the rainbow or anywhere else? not like me flying with wings, but I often dream about being on a plane flying away

2) Do you think you have seen The Wizard of Oz more than 10 times? yes

3) Which Wizard of Oz character would you most like to dress as for Halloween? Glinda the good witch

4) What will Trick or Treaters get when they come to your front door? mini Snickers and a few Jolly Ranchers

5) Did you ever TP a neighbor's house or indulge in other acts of Halloween vandalism as a kid? (Don't worry, that statute of limitations is up.) I did TP my biology teacher's (and neighbor) house but not for Halloween, we did it for his birthday

6) Who annoys you more -- people who never respond to your texts/emails, or those who never look up because they're always checking their texts/emails? those who are always glued to it

7) Who was the last person you hugged? hmmm... one of my students was having a bad day

8) What two colors do you like to wear together? brown and orange

9) Did your alarm clock wake you up this fine Saturday morning? yes, I had to get up for my knitting class on mittens

this

friday fill-ins

Join the fun here!

1. Oh, that can't be true.

2. It's a sure sign of an election year when the only commercials are political.

3. Are we having rain again??!.

4. My heart loves what it loves.

5. Do you believe in love? I do!

6. I'm a great listener.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing from the week, tomorrow my plans include a mitten class at a LYS and Sunday, I want to write a psychology test!

fly by...

Dad had a procedure (not an emergency) and is staying one more night in central Maine because his doctor didn't want him traveling a long distance after the procedure. So, I'm on Maggie duty. Thus my preoccupation and lack of posting. I miss having my own computer and am still not great at using the iPad for posting.

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.

They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

Unorganized guest speaker.

w.w.w. wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading? I started my book group's November selection: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. And I stalled out on Audrey's Guide To Witchcraft not because I don't like it but because other books got in the way; and I am listening to Diane Keaton's memoir while knitting.

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished reading Knit One Pearl One by Gil McNeil. I love knitting stories!

• What do you think you’ll read next? I need to finish up the ones I've started!

nerdness

My baby turned 79997 today!

fingers crossed

I just got home from my dental appointment. I ended up having a partial root canal. Hopefully this will relieve quite a bit of the pain. And I wasn't too much of a wreck, the dentist kept saying I was doing a good job. I tried to keep calm and keep breathing.

Thank you, my dear blog friends for holding my hand through this.

ten things tuesday...

Ten things that begin with P:

1) Purses. I adore my Miche bag. So glad I got it. It lets me change my purse whenever I feel like it.

2) Pinterest. One of my favorite websites. A lot of the graphics I use here I find there.

3) Pomegranate. My favorite fruit. It wasn't until 2000 that I first tried it but it became my favorite.

4) Pineapple. My second favorite fruit. There is nothing like fresh pineapple. I can eat a whole one by myself, in one sitting.

5) Puppies! In my next life, I hope to be a pampered pooch. I adore pictures of puppies and puppy toes and the smell of puppies.

6) Pizza. Another of my favorite foods, I like the idea of pizza. It is versatile and can be healthy or not.

7) Peanut butter. A staple.

8) Potatoes. Especially when they are locally grown or produced. I love them mashed, baked, fried, chipped... yum!

9) Psychology. I'm interested in my own therapy journey and delighted to be teaching it. Even though it's a lot more work.

10)

Peonies. They are my favorite flower.

whining

I surrender. I called the dentist and got some pain meds. And an emergency appointment. So, tomorrow is my annual physical and then the dentist. Ouch. Hurts.

musing mondays

Click here to play along.

• Do you ever get crushes on fictional characters? Name one (or a few), and tell what you liked…

There have been a couple "heroes" of romantic-comedies (aka chick lit) that I had a crush on. Actually, the book I just finished had a character I would have dated.

ouch

This pain is really driving me crazy. Tomorrow I'm going to call the dentist. Even though I hate taking pain killers, I can't go on like this.

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

sunday stealing

(click the icon to play along)

Sunday Stealing: The Who Are You Meme: Part two

Part 2: Growing Up

15. How would you describe your childhood in general? chaotic

16. What is your earliest memory? playing with my teddy

17. How much schooling have you had? I have a couple of classes toward a masters

18. Did you enjoy school? mostly

19. Stop and count, Since you were born until today; how many homes have you lived in? 4

20. While growing up, did you have any role models? thee were a couple of women in my life that I looked up to as strong, single women

21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family? my sisters and I bickered as sisters do, today we're very close

22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? happy

23. What were your favorite activities 3 years ago? reading, watching TV, playing on the internet

24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display? I have no idea

25. As a child, were you popular? I don't know if I was popular but people knew who I was

26. When and with whom was your first kiss? my next door neighbor and we were three or four, we were going to get married

27. Describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today. until I took education classes, I never thought I'd be or wanted to be a teacher

28. What’s next? I have some school work to do

finished reading...

The third installment of The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club series. Jo and her family and friends are in fine form, although this book was slower than the previous in the series. What I like about Jo is that for a young widow she's not desperate to find another husband, unlike some books in this genre. One thing I didn't like is that there isn't quite as much knitting in this book as in the others. This book, in particular, made me want to visit England and make my way through the quaint coastal towns.

not again...

I started my second round of antibiotics because of tooth pain. It hurts with a vengeance.

saturday 9

The End Of The Innocence


1) "The End of the Innocence" is one of Crazy Sam's favorite songs. Do you like it? Loathe it? Or is it before your time? I used to love this song, it takes me back to a particular collection of memories

2) Obviously Don Henley was a smoker back in the 1980s. Do you smoke? Are you a former smoker? Or did you never start? I was a casual smoker but have not had one since December 27, 1998

3) Childhood is generally considered an innocent time. In what town did you spend yours? my hometown here in Northern Maine

4) Do you abide by "innocent until proven guilty?" Or did you come to your own, pre-trial conclusions about famous defendants like Casey Anthony and OJ Simpson? I try to keep an open mind--but infamous trials like CA and OJ make it difficult

5) Is there an old TV show whose cast you'd like to see reunite? wouldn't it be fun to know what all the Walton kids are up to?

6) Do you know how to ride a horse? no, although I have ridden a horse

7) You're ordering ice cream. Cup or cone? depends on the temperature outside, but generally cone

8) Do you believe a gentleman should help a lady with her coat? it's nice

9) Which search engine do you use most often? GTS = Google That Shit!

gotta say...

Gotta say that the Robo-calls have stopped! I'm so glad I voted Wednesday.

friday fill-ins

Join the fun here!

1. I hope I can get all caught up with my lesson plans this weekend.

2. What to do when I'm not sure what to do.

3. Boy I sure did enjoy knitting group last night.

4. Remind me to call my parentals this weekend.

5. What does the mitten class cost.

6. It makes me happy that voting stopped the robo-calls.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sitting around, tomorrow my plans include the Breakfast Club and Sunday, I want to finish up my lesson plans!

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.

They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

Political phone calls.

my civic duty is done...

Hopefully, the robocalls will stop now that I voted. Because I'm an Independent, I've been getting calls from both sides.

w.w.w. wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading? I started Knit One Pearl One by Gil McNeil. And I stalled out on Audrey's Guide To Witchcraft; and I am listening to Diane Keaton's memoir.

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished reading A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn. Another fun Chet & Bernie mystery.

• What do you think you’ll read next? My book group's November selection: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.

ten things tuesday

Ten things that begin with the letter O:

1) Oranges. I have a love/hate relationship with oranges. I really hate peeling them but I love a fresh one. And I enjoy orange in sunsets and clothing.

2) Oatmeal. I was an adult when I fell in love with oatmeal.

3) Oceans. I'm amazed by the emotions I have when I'm around an ocean. It pulls me yet I hesitate. I have dipped my toes in the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, North Sea, Irish Sea, English Channel and Strait of Gibraltar.

4) Olives. I didn't appreciate olives until I was in Spain and ate fresh olives at almost every meal. And the olive trees are so lovely!

5) President and Mrs. Obama. I love them as a couple and I support the President.

6) Owls. I notice that owls are making a comeback. Especially for school decorations.

7) Open minds. Nothing pleases me more than giving information to students and expanding their horizons, opening their minds.

8) Oyster crackers. Sort of like saltines. They're delish in soup.

9) Oprah. I appreciate her. Who she is, what she stands for.

10) Otters. I love the adorable pictures of otters holding hands and baby otters.

postsecret

Oh, how I wish I had known. It would have been worth the 8 hour round-trip drive.

smells like fruit

I'm a BzzAgent and haven't participated in a campaign for awhile. I am product testing Glade Expressions and will continue to use these diffusers even after the campaign. I like how it makes the whole room smell clean and fresh. Actually, it makes my whole apartment smell good.

musing mondays

Click here to play along.

This week’s musing — courtesy of http://cmashlovestoread.com — asks…

• Do you have a system as to which books to read from your “requested review pile? What is it? What about when there are too many to read in a certain time frame? {apologies to those who don’t review}

I don't review and this pressure is why. I've only been asked to review one book and it was over my summer vacation so I was able to read it at my leisure.

nothin' much

It's been a hanging around kind of weekend. I knit up this scarf for my bestie. I've been watching Netflix and Syfy all day. Just hanging around.

And I think it's time to appreciate George Clooney.

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

sunday stealing

(click the icon to play along)

Sunday Stealing: The Who Are You Meme

1. What is your biggest pet peeve? currently it's political robocalls

2. Where and when were you born? I was born at the hospital at 11:22 am

3. Where did your parents meet? at summer camp

4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like in four words? 3 older sisters and: They're my best friends

5. Where do you live now, and with whom? in a cozy, if cluttered, apartment all by myself

6. What is your occupation? I teach high school social studies

7. Write a full description of yourself. uh... in the words of Donna Summer: she works hard for the money

8. To which social class do you belong? I'm a teacher... I'm lower middle class, I suspect

9. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? sulfa drugs and phobias

10. Are you right- or left-handed? right handed

11. What does your voice sound like? I've been told it's pleasant

12. What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently? "well, it's like this..." "Yes, you may go to the restroom..." "Turn to page 394..."

13. What do you have in your pockets? nothing

14. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? I have phobias and like routine