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Archive for November, 2011

The Opportunist

November 28, 2011

I’m so excited~ my friend, Tarryn Fisher, has published her long awaited novel, The Opportunist. I read this book in the early stages and am beyond excited that it is finally available to the public. Tarryn emailed me a few chapters to read earlier this year and I was so hooked that she generously sent me the rest of the book. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I also felt like I was getting away with something~ to be reading such a great story before it had even been published…

I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters long after I’d put the book down.

Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex -boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.

Olivia gets under your skin. She’s dark, hard and doesn’t trust anyone, but the more you get to know her, the more you desperately root for her. She loses the only man she’s ever loved and is so devastated that when she runs into him again, she can’t even fathom a second chance. Caleb is charming and the love he has for Olivia is so pure and unstoppable that the twists throughout are all the more shocking when the truth finally comes out.

It is SO GOOD.

This is my deepest wish~ I hope The Opportunist will become a bestseller, be made into a movie and that Tarryn will be the famous author she deserves to be.

Available for $3.99 on Amazon.com: Click HERE.

Posted in Books, November 2011 | 3 Comments »

I’ll Take a Jingle With a Side of Bell, Please

November 28, 2011

I’m in a sleepy stupor this morning. Greyley had to wake me up three times to get her off to school. Whew. Maybe there will be a nap in my future…or lots of caffeine. Both, if I’m lucky.

We had an excellent Thanksgiving celebration weekend. Would you like the rundown?

Thursday was so fun with our family…and all the delicious food. It’s always wonderful to be together. And chaotic. Friday, we played Phase 10 and Scattergories at Tosha’s…also good food. Saturday, we had lunch with friends we hadn’t seen in a long time and then Nate played out at the Aster Cafe. Sunday was a full day at church and then we played out at the Mall of America with the ABC Youth Choir. Good times.

Our “dress code” was ugly holiday sweaters. Or just ugly sweaters.

I think Nate’s outfit took the cake.

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

It was the candy cane turtleneck that took it over the top.

Greyley and I wore matching Christmas tree sweaters. Here’s the thing, though…they were so comfy! I have a feeling my ugly Christmas sweater will be making a home in my lounge wear selection. I’ll restrict it to the month of December, how’s that? What you can’t see from the picture are the tiny gold bells that jingle when you move…or breathe.

Everyone needs at least one outfit that jingles when you breathe.

I’m happy to see the sunshine is back! It makes the whole week shine with promise. Happy Monday, loved ones! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. XO

Posted in ABC Youth Choir, Christmas, November 2011, Thanksgiving | 5 Comments »

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Thanksgiving

November 23, 2011

I love Thanksgiving.

You’ve been hearing some of my innermost thoughts this past year as I’ve realized how simply being grateful can completely turn your life around. I’ve been on a quest to see the good even when I’m not feeling it. It began as a sort of, “Fake it ’til you make it,” kind of attitude and has turned into genuine gratitude for not only all that I have, but even for the hard places that got me to this point in the first place.

If you’ve been around this blog for very long, you know that I love lists. This seems like the perfect day for a list of what is making me happy and what makes my heart well up with gratitude.

Morning cuddles~ the best is if we can all four be part, but I’ll take any one of them I can get. I’m the “hot” one, as in, I get super toasty when I sleep, so everyone clamors to get close to me and take the chill off. It’s the best.

Clean, soft sheets~ newish ones from Bed, Bath & Beyond that I splurged on with my 20% off coupon. They actually FIT my bed, which is rare.

Cinnamon Orange Market Spice Tea~ Nate brought me a package of this from Seattle and it’s my new favorite tea. EVER. I placed an order. It has arrived. Dear Friend Who Loves It As Much As Me, I have some for you too~ you know who you are. XO

Hand Warmer Mug~ This was my other present from Nate’s trip to Seattle and I think between this mug, the tea and Peet’s, I just might survive this winter. It’s that good.

Time~ Things have been slower around here lately and it’s been wonderful to have time to reflect, be with family and friends, read, write, rest, breathe…

Health~ We’ve all gone through one bout of the funkus this month. I’m just coming out of one gross bout~ laryngitis and all, yuck!~ and it just makes me thankful for how long we were healthy this time and that our health IS getting better and better.

Indigo comes in while I’m writing this and sees his turkey at the top of the page and asks what I’m writing about…I tell him I’m writing about what I’m grateful for and he asks if I’m grateful for him.

Most of all, I say.

Well, where am I then? He asks.

What, he wants his picture on this blog AGAIN?

OK.

And I tell him he’s all over the place. That he’s part of everything I’m thankful for, and so are his sister and daddy.

Well, now I should go ahead and show you this one…

And this one too…

Their unconditional love surprises me every day.

Thank you, Son, for hijacking my blog. I needed that burst of color.

Back to the list…

My parents~ for their abiding love for me and their sense of humor even when times are so tough. I love them so.

This one black sweater~ I want to wear it every day. It saddens me to part with it even for washings.

My Savita Socks~ Socks my friend, Savita, gave me that I want to wear every single day. Fortunately there are two pairs~ they’re brown, soft, thick and the coziest.

The Little Lady who lives in our lower level~ Otherwise known as my mother-in-law. She’s been so very good to me.

Those friends and family who read this blog every time I post~ I feel like you’re my closest friends of all…that you would care to hear what I have to say time after time and that you share your life with me…I am beyond grateful for you.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Take time to soak it in. Eat lots. Drive carefully~ be safe! And love with eyes and hearts wide open.

Posted in November 2011, Thanksgiving | 7 Comments »

Toofless

November 21, 2011

It’s no secret that there’s a bizarre Tooth Fairy at our house. Believe me, with time, things just keep getting more and more weird with this sprite.

We had some excitement last week with Indigo. One of his best buddies at school accidentally knocked out Indigo’s tooth with his backpack. Indigo thought his lip was cut since there was a lot of blood and when his buddy took a closer look, they were both dismayed to find Indigo’s front tooth missing.

Not only was the tooth knocked out, but it was also gone. He swallowed it.

Indigo was crying when he got off the bus. He hasn’t really loved losing his teeth, to tell you the truth. And to swallow it…well, that was just a little too much.

A couple good things to note:

*This tooth was a baby tooth. Hallelujah.

Actually, that’s the only really good thing I can think of.

Oh, wait…there was another. So, his buddy calls him up that night to check on him and I could hear him faintly through the phone~ he sounded very concerned. It took them about a minute of awkwardness and then they were laughing and making silly sounds back and forth. Indigo hadn’t had any hard feelings~ he knew it was an accident~ but it did help that his friend checked on him.

Since there wasn’t a tooth to hide under the pillow, Indigo and Greyley worked on making a tooth out of a paper towel. He hid it under his pillow that night and hoped for the best. The only problem was, I’m almost certain the Tooth Fairy might have come down with what I had all week~ a virus or something~ because she didn’t show! (If she felt anything like me, she was conked out in a cough medicine stupor, poor T.F.)

When nothing showed up a 2nd night either, Indigo and Greyley came up with a surefire plan to make sure the Tooth Fairy did NOT pass him by.

Since he didn’t have a tooth, take a look at the makeshift tooth…

Yep, that’s a nibbled candy corn.

Greyley wrote what was on Indie’s heart and he signed…very official, if you ask me.

By the way, the original nibbled candy corn WAS indeed gone the next morning. Indigo just happily reenacted that part for the pictures.

Apparently, it got to the Tooth Fairy and she really came through. (Actually, it was probably her trusty Assistant/Partner in Crime. I suspect the Tooth Fairy was STILL laid up. Don’t ask me how I know this, I just…have a feeling.)

Whoever it was, T.F. or T.A./P in C, there must have been some guilty consciences going, since it wasn’t quarters or a $1, but FIVE DOLLARS! Papa says it must be inflation…since the Tooth Fairy sure didn’t do that in my day or his…

Silly McSillyton on the right there…

Let’s take another look at that missing tooth…oh man. It’s a big change. He’s starting to come around to being OK about it. At first, he didn’t want his picture taken. We’ve all assured him he’s still cute as ever to us.

And you never know, in another month, he could legitimately be singing, “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth!”

Posted in Family, Kids, November 2011 | 10 Comments »

Remembering the Miracles

November 16, 2011

mir·a·cle

noun

1. an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

2. such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.

3. a wonder; marvel.

Every now and then, I have to stop and remember the miracles that have happened in my life. You’d think when something miraculous happens, the story would stay fresh and near to the heart forever…but sometimes, it fades. Sometimes, we even forget.

There are several loved ones in my life who need a miracle. My dad is one of them. He is not getting better since having bypass surgery in July. He has severe chest pains every day and his back is still in excruciating pain after two back surgeries in 2009. He has to go to the doctor just about every week and they are very concerned and perplexed. He needs a miracle.

When I am overwrought with the helplessness of it all, I pray. Please, God, I do believe you’re there and that you can take care of all of this. Please. Help! Sometimes, nothing happens. Nothing gets better and even at times, things get worse.

I think about Job and that doesn’t always help. The poor man. I don’t want to learn all those life lessons! I don’t want my dad to suffer. Period. And then I think about how life is often simply complicated and hard. It isn’t all God’s fault when bad things happen. He sure gets blamed for an awful lot, though.

As I’m sitting here writing this, Nama (Nate’s mom) comes in and says her purse has been stolen…with her credit card already charged up a few hundred dollars, etc.

Yep, it’s one of those seasons.

Today, I’m trying to remember the miracles. I need to remember the miracles.

Indigo is the biggest miracle of all. This is one that I will never forget.

My friend, Michelle, writes about surviving cancer and the double miracle of getting pregnant after that…

The miracle that my brother is back in my life…

The miracle that even though my daughter still gets migraines, they are SO much less frequent than they used to be…

And there are so many more…

The fact that there is NOT a war veteran living in my barn…

I broke the law and did not go to jail.

Having 2 of these is nothing short of miraculous. Thank you, Matt McPherson!

And this love story that is actually a bigger miracle now than it was the day it began… Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

It really does help.

If all the good and bad were hanging on a seesaw, the good side would be dragging the ground and the bad would be teetering up in the sky…

And speaking of Job~ he had the right idea…he trusted God in the middle of it all.

I am going to try to do that.

Posted in Grateful Heart, Miracles, November 2011 | 12 Comments »

Silent Night

November 13, 2011

Last Thursday night, I had the honor of attending Minnesota Opera’s world premiere, Silent Night. While I’ve enjoyed the opera before, this particular opera took me to whole new level of appreciation for the art.

Silent Night is based on the 2005 French film Joyeux Noel, a depiction of the true story of The French, Scottish and Germans having a night of peace on Christmas Eve in 1914. I couldn’t imagine how the story would be anything but heavy and dark~ and there were definitely heartbreaking moments~ but there was humor sprinkled throughout the story, as well as themes of honor, integrity, goodwill and true love.

The music is written by Kevin Puts and the librettist is Mark Campbell. They spoke to us (over sushi appetizers at Sakura~ thank you!) and I was impressed by their passion for the music. It was a huge ensemble, with the 67-piece orchestra and a large, predominantly male cast. Conductor, Michael Christie (Wuthering Heights) was back in full form. Between you and me, I solemnly confess that I am now a full-fledged fan of these three men…

When I saw the stage, I knew I was in for something special…it was a magnificent rock structure that revolved and changed into different sets before our eyes. (Set designer: Francis O’Connor)

There were many exceptional voices. I especially enjoyed the lighthearted banter between these two~ Andrew Wilkowske as Ponchel and Liam Bonner as Lieutenant Audebert…

But this guy…Oh My Word…his voice took my breath away. First of all, in a chorus of men, with a variety of melodies going at once, it was beautiful, but hard to distinguish some voices from the others. However, every time tenor William Burden sang, his voice rang out crystal clear. He has an absolutely gorgeous voice.

I was also amazed by Karin Wolverton. As one of only a few women in the cast and the female lead, she had to have a commanding presence to be heard and she more than filled these shoes. Her piece at the end of Act 1 is simply stunning.

Her outfit is pretty great too, right? (Costume Designer: Kärin Kopischke)

It seems I cannot say enough good things about the night. I am not exaggerating~ it far surpassed any opera I’ve been to thus far.

For all of you Girly Muse readers, there is a significant coupon (again, thank you, fine Minnesota Opera folks!) to attend Silent Night this Tuesday, the 15th. Details are as follows:

Limit up to 4 seats regularly priced $50- $110. Online: Enter blog20 and click “Add Coupon”. You will see your savings applied. Do not complete order if coupon does not load. Service charges and other restrictions may apply. Offer valid for the 11/15 performance only. Offer expires 11/15. For additional information call the Ticket Office at 612-333-6669, M-F, 9am-6pm.

Silent Night will be performed at The Ordway through November 20th. It is most definitely worth the trip.

Posted in Music, November 2011 | 3 Comments »

Shopping, Music and Naps

November 11, 2011

I’m off to The Library again today…

Here’s a look at my space. It’s a peaceful place, surrounded by musical instruments and books. What could be better?

I am distracted over all of the above, but wanted to quickly remind you that Rachel’s Holiday Shopping Boutique is TOMORROW at Mt. Zion Lutheran in Minneapolis. I’m excited to see all the pretty things and happy to be seeing those of you who have mentioned you’re coming. It’s going to be great fun. Come keep me company AND get your Christmas shopping done! There will even be an area for the kids to buy their Christmas presents in peace.

The charitable beneficiary is The Michelle Project, an organization that helps people with financial need become more self sufficient.

Greyley and I have been working hard to get new merchandise ready for tomorrow after our show last weekend. There are some pieces I like so much, I ~~sorta~~ hope they ~~don’t~~ sell. I do wear the rejects, after all.

After this weekend, I will need a nice, long nap.

Posted in Christmas, Creativity, Fashion, November 2011 | 3 Comments »

Beatrice, Oh Beatrice

November 10, 2011

I’m at The Library today.

Remember? Where I fell in love with Beatrice, the B3?

That was back when I had more hair and less phone…and less weight, now that you mention it!

Ahhh, Beatrice. She is so much more dependable and delightful than Ethel, who I have to coerce, threaten and cajole to get her to not complain and just play every Sunday morning.

We’re going to be recording today and tomorrow. Send up some prayers that the music magical goodness will flow and we will get it done excellently and speedily.

Posted in Music, November 2011 | 3 Comments »

A Little Wednesday Encouragement

November 9, 2011

Whenever I have a blue day,

I just look at this picture and know…

That things could be a LOT worse…

Posted in Confession is Good for the Soul, November 2011 | 11 Comments »

A Cow Horse and Other Interesting Things

November 8, 2011

Hello! It feels like I’ve been gone for ages. I haven’t, it’s just that I’m addicted to my computer and when I take even a short break, it feels like forever. It’s good to be back and the break was great too.

Saturday was so fun. The Wild Ruffle Pop-Up Shop was a huge success. It stayed busy the entire time…

I put these pictures on Instagram (my latest fun addiction!) and Facebook, so for some of you, this is old hat. ha! But silly me, now that I have this high-falutin’ phone, I can’t seem to remember my trusty camera. (Grr!)

Me and my girl setting up for the show…and look, there’s Elaina on the right!

Our hard work paid off…we had too much stuff! Our table was overflowing.

Greyley got new business cards. (Look up just a smidge!) So cute! And speaking of Greyley…her headbands were a HIT. This is the first time she’s sold the headbands at a show (remember the friendship bracelets, collaged vases, fairies and knitted hats?) and everyone LOVED them. It was beyond fun to see her so excited.

She added the feather ones to her collection, which did really great, but she still outsold them by far with the wire headbands.

She’s a bit concerned because we have another show coming up this Saturday~ Rachel’s Holiday Boutique ~ and she sold most of her inventory. I have to get back to work this week too…a good problem to have. Whew. So thankful!

On our way home, we saw a cow horse. It caught us off guard so much, we had to turn the car around to get a better look. Right as I pulled over and snapped the picture, he began moving. So pretty. So freaky. Wish you could see all of him~ it’s the mane that just makes you shake your head and go, “What is wrong with this picture?”

You know…not that actual picture, but…

Ahem, anyway.

While we were out, Nate and Indigo were spending time with Dave/Crockboy, Nate’s best friend since forever. We haven’t seen Dave and Terri in ages, so it was such a treat to be able to spend the whole day together. Indigo was trailing Dave by the time I got home~ he met a kindred spirit and will be his buddy for life.

We spent time looking at this…

It was so peaceful…so wonderful to be with dear friends. My heart was full. We lingered over the fire, talking and laughing. Greyley did a mean Hula Dancer wobble head impression on a log…you know, the good stuff.

Later, we found a great restaurant~ The Local in Minneapolis~ I want to go back there! The Chicken Curry was delicious. And finally, we ended up at The Dakota where Nate went onstage at midnight (ugh) with Erica West. Such a fun show.

(Billy Franze, Erica West, Kevin Anderson, and Nate)

And hey, we gained an hour.

For such a busy day, my heart felt like it had been on vacation. It was healing, being with such dear friends. To have that time together was such a gift.

Now, onto this week…I always like that first morning after we fall back, but then don’t care for being ready for bed at 8:30 PM the following nights. This week should be interesting. It’s another crazy one. Maybe next week will be calm again. Oh, how I hope. XO

Posted in Family, Fashion, Friends, Fun, Girlyness, Headbands, Jewelry, November 2011 | 6 Comments »