What to read? Where to read?

I'm in a yahoo group that is a general interest reading group, although most of us tend towards paranormal / fantasy / sci-fi books.  What's generally referred to as popular fiction in the industry.  Anyway, one particular member likes to post general questions to the group to stimulate conversation.  Here are two recent ones, and my response.

Amy: We all obviously are semi-attached to our computers and are all readers.  Where is/are your computer(s) located? What type of things surround it?  Is it anywhere near where you keep your books?  How many of you have actual libraries instead of overflowing piles?

Me:  I have a room to myself in our house. It's a 4 bedroom, we have "our room", "his room", and "my room". Then there's the extra bedroom. Eventually, someday, it'll be a baby's room, but right now it stores holiday stuff, an extra bed, an extra desk, and 5 bookcases. One is half filled with books he owns (but never reads) and the rest are mine.

In my room I have all my craft stuff (mostly rubber stamping and scrap-booking) and my computer desk. I'm also one of those people who will cover ANY flat surface with stuff. So my work area (craft) and my desk are covered in stuff. Right now on my desk there are 15 books. Two I'm finished with, two I'm halfway through (one of which I'll finish), another four that I've read some of (short story collections), and seven that I haven't read yet, but most of those will be read soon, the others are "on the list".

Other things on my desk right now: stamp sets, data cds. music cds. one DVD, a calculator, candy, the box to my ipod dock, a stack of Sims games, an extra keyboard (for when I boot my mac in Windows mode), a wireless mouse I can't get to work, my checkbook, 2 camera, a happy bunny key chain (which says "Hiiiiiii Loser!" when you push it's button), stickers, two forks, camera case, stamp catalog, assorted papers.. and I think you get the idea!! (btw, thats not even half!) LOL

Amy: How do you decide on what to read? Do you read books because it's on a reading challenge? Do you read the books because of a reading group recommendation? Does it have more to do with what reading material is closest at hand? Are you more of a mood reader and keep picking up available books until something strikes a chord? Do you assign yourself certain types of books to read?

Me: I read whatever strikes my fancy. :)

Sometimes I see something at work (ok, a lot of the time I find stuff at work!). Customers will recommend authors. I like to read series, so I'll find one then go off in search of the rest. I just finished the Daughters of the Moon series (13 YA books). I found the first one for $3 in the bargain blowout.. got the rest at the library. I was kinda into the Betsy the Vampire Queen, but then got to a point in the story where there was a short story that I didn't have, so they got set aside for a while. I have it now, so I can read it then the rest of the Betsy books. In the meanwhile I got ahold of all of her (MaryJanice Davidson's) werewolf stories. 

If I'm not in the middle of something... when I finish a book and I haven't already picked out the next, I goto my shelf in the extra bedroom, and look at what I have that I've gotten in the near, and not-so-near past and just see what strikes my fancy from that shelf.

I've kinda entered into a werewolf phase... I just finished the Wyndham werewolves, and I've of course read all the Mercy books, but what else is out there? I prefer when a series follows one / a group of characters rather then jumping from character to character like MJD does. Oh, I've really liked the early Kelley Armstrong books, the ones on werewolves.

Anyway, there's a hint into how I think... that is if anyone followed any of that at all!

Mojo Monday Challenge #71

I did a challange!  This is my first stamping project (outside of my demo's stamping saturday) that I've done in I don't know how long!  It's for the Mojo Monday challenge, this one is number 71.

Trolling for ideas, I was browsing around the Always gallery on Split Coast Stampers when I came across this card by Lynda.  I really liked the color scheme, so I took it!  Sky Blue, Blue Bayou, and Real Red - and she got them from a color challange last year.  (yeah, these are last years In Colors, but I figured, what the heck!  I like them!)  

Designer paper is from the Patterns Pack (Winter Catty 08 hostess Set).  Stamp set is Always, ribbon is retired Blue Bayou double stiched grosgrain, 1 ¼" circle punch, scallop circle punch, scallop edge punch and one red rhinestone brad.  The card is 5 ½" square.

I hope you like it!

Not Pregnant Anymore

Turns out that the pregnancy wasn't viable from the get-go. It just never developed... at least that is the prevailing theory. :)

I want in for my first ultrasound (u/s) in late May at 8w5d and they could not find a heartbeat nor see anything on the screen. They rescheduled another u/s for a week later and drew some blood... my blood work came back as I was very pregnant and there should definitely be a heartbeat. So, the second u/s is when I was 10w2d and there was still nothing to see and no heartbeat. Being overly cautious, my doctor wanted one more u/s, which was performed when I was 12w2d. Between that, and my falling blood levels of betaHCG, it was determined conclusively that I had miscarried. It was diagnosed as a "Missed Miscarriage" since my body so far had not done anything about it itself (although because my blood levels were falling, my body "knew' something was off). A D&C was scheduled for that Friday (4 days later) at 12w6d. Well my body actually did start to miscarry naturally very early Friday morning, which made the surgery that much easier on me. I only needed two pain pills total, I took a days worth of some med to shrink my uterus, and a weeks work of antibiotics.

I have another doctors appt next week, as a follow-up, but we have been told that we can try again to get pregnant in three months. DH and I are okay with the miscarriage, as I said at the beginning, this was never viable to begin with, and it was never "real" to either of us. We will get it right the next time though!! LOL

-dana

Expecting...

Yep, as you can tell by the ticker at the top of the page, DH has really done it now... he's knocked me up! Of course this is something we have been wanting for quite a while, and have been trying since October (although if you ask him, we've been trying for only a couple of months!).

I found out I was pregnant on my birthday (I turned 35). I had saved the test for that day specially, I figured if it was positive, then that would make it even more special. And if it was negative, I could go ahead and really party for my birthday! LOL

But baby is in fact on the way.

I have set up a profile on whattoexpect.com and it has a blog feature, so baby stuff can be viewed there.

More later!

-dana

Meet Cera

I'd like to introduce the newest member of our household, Cera. She is about 7 weeks old, give or take, (she's the puppy of a stray, and her birth was not witnessed). I got her though a storefront at a local mall which has animals for adoption Thursday through Sunday. I've been bugging DH about getting a puppy for months now, and I decided to stop in after work today. There were 6 puppies from 4 litters there, that I imagine had only arrived hours, if that, before. While I was there, three were adopted, Cera included.

She's a boxer mix, and her adult weight is going to be somewhere between 30 and 55 lbs, I'm hoping on the smaller end as the dog we already have, Maxie, is 35 lbs. She's sleeping right now, she and Maxie were playing in the back yard earlier and it wore her out. I'm so glad they get along, I was afraid they might not. In fact, when they were first introduced, it looked like they weren't. Maxie growled and snapped at her, but within an hour, were playing. Maxie wants to play rougher with her then she can handle right now, she so young. But she'll get there.

Here are a few pictures, and a 4 min video of the two of them playing. If you care to watch. :)

Survivor Time!

Yes people, it's almost time for Survivor to start its newest Season. And that means, it's time to start my bi-annual Stampin' Up! Survivor Hostess Pool! Ya ready for it?

Hmm, don't know what I'm talking about? Ok then, it's simple really. For an modest fee, you get assigned a player from the show at random. Then you win prizes based on how your survivor does. I've been doing this for several years now and it's always a lot of fun. I'm taking sign-ups through the 4th of February, so if you are interested, shoot me an email. If you are interested in running your own with your friends/family/downline/upline/customers, I'll be happy to send you the details as well, and you can use it to construct your own game.

See ya around the TV!

-dana

Birthday Treat Bags

I made these treat bags for my co-workers. We have 6 people at work with January birthdays... that's about twice what we usually have. The training supervisor and I have got together and this year are going to make a slightly more of a big deal about birthdays. Normally, they get a paper balloon on the wall that everyone can sign, it's got their name and their birthday date. Well, I am going to start bringing a birthday cake each month as well (store will be paying for it). I was going to make cards, but we made a treat bag at my upline's stamp camp the other day, and I decided to case her and make some for the co-workers. They are so lucky! :)