Swiped from Dawn… thanks Dawn!
Pick one!
1. peanut butter or jelly? Both, silly! Can’t have one without the other 🙂
2. hiking or swimming? Hiking
3. football or baseball? FOOTBALL!!!!
4. christmas or thanksgiving? Both, but if pushed, Christmas
5. grade school or high school? High School
6. summer or winter? Winter
7. romance novel or mystery novel? Both!
8. mickey mouse or barney? Mickey, please make Barney go away!
9. road trip or airplane? Road trip
I haven’t been able to come up with 13 of anything lately, so I haven’t been playing along with the Thursday Thirteen meme. Instead, I’ve really been enjoying this book-related meme. Click here to go play along 🙂
Booking Through Thursday – TLC
What kind of care do you take of your books? Let’s review, shall we?
1. Are you careful with the spines? Or do you crack your books open to make them lay flat? I’m very careful with my books, whether they are mine, borrowed from a friend or family member, or from the library. It’s just something I was raised with, you take care of things and they will last. I’m as careful as I can be with the spines, but sometimes, on small paperbacks, they will crack a little and be a little worn out from being opened. I don’t crack them open intentionally to flatten them out. Never.
2. Do you use bookmarks? Or do you dog-ear the corners? If you do use bookmarks, do you use those fashionable metal ones? Or paper? I am a bookmark user! I never dog-ear the pages, and only rarely will I use a scrap of paper to mark my place. I have several bookmarks, and a new book “thong” from a dear friend, and I love to use those to mark my place.
3. Do you write in your books? Ever? If you do, do you make small marks, or write in as much blank space as you can find? Pen or pencil? Highlighter? Your name on the front page? OK, sounding like a broken record here already, but no, I don’t write in my books, or highlight them, or write in the margins. I didn’t even do this with books or workbooks in school, any more than I had to. I don’t like to mar or degrade my books in any way. The only exception to that is that sometimes I do write my name in the front, or a small inscription if the book is a gift to Tim (I’ll write the date, like Valentines or our anniversary and the year). I’ve had to start putting my name in some of them, because I’ve had some misunderstandings about loaning my books and not getting them back 🙁
4. Do you toss your books on the floor? Into bookbags? Or do you treat them tenderly, with respect? Well, I tend to treat them pretty well. I must admit that I will stack them up on the floor, on the nightstand, in the bookcase, or shove them into a bag or my purse to take with me.
5. Do you ever lay your book face-down, to save your place? Rarely, I mostly always use bookmarks.
6. Um–water? Do you bathe with your books? Hold them with wet hands? Read out in the rain? Anything of that sort? Rarely, if ever. I haven’t done that in a long time. And now a days, I think if I were to read in the tub, I would probably take a magazine and not a book.
7. Are your books lined up on a bookshelf? Or crammed in any which way? Stacked on the floor? They’re mostly in bookcases, because I’ve been working on that since Christmas. But I do have some piled up in a pile on the floor of my bedroom. I’m a piler. Piles everywhere. 😀
8. Do you make a distinction–as regards book care–between hardcovers and paperbacks? Not really, I treat all my books really well.
9. And, to recap? Naturally, you love all of your books, but how, exactly? Are your books loved in the battered way of a well-loved teddy bear, or like a cherished photo album or item of clothing that’s used, appreciated, but carefully cared for? Cherished and cared for, especially the hardbacks.
10. Any additional comments? Nope, I feel like a broken record, plus I did this book meme below yesterday, so this is pretty redundant!!!
I saw this over at Debi‘s place a couple of weeks ago, and filed it away “for a rainy day”. Thanks for letting me swipe it, Debi!! I love any and all things bookish!
Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?I read all three, but I probably prefer hardbacks. I do like the larger size of paperback that I’ve been finding more of lately. Bigger than the traditional 4×6 or whatever it is, but a bit smaller than a hardback.
Amazon or brick and mortar? Both! I love Amazon, and browse there often. I have tons of wish lists, including a “books seen on blogs” wish list! But I also love going into a bookstore and browsing, maybe having a cup of coffee, and looking through all the books. Bookstores and libraries are like drugs for me 🙂
Barnes & Noble or Borders? Can I possibly say both? I have a Borders card and prefer to shop there because a) their card is free and b) they send me coupons! I don’t like having to pay for a card at B&N. BUT – the Borders here is a lot further from my house, and the B&N is closer, and going to be much closer in the next year. They’re relocating the current B&N to a mere mile or so from my house later this year.
Bookmark or dogear? Bookmark, I never dogear any book I read. Never.
Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? This is hard to believe, since our DVD’s are sorted alphabetically, but I don’t sort my books. I do group them by author, and sometimes genre, but I don’t alphabetize them. GASP!
Keep, throw away, or sell? Mostly keep. I do occasionally sell some books in a garage sale, donate them to Goodwill or the library, but mostly I keep them.
Keep dustjacket or toss it? I always keep the dustjacket on our books.
Read with dustjacket or remove it? I read them with the dustjacket on.
Short story or novel? I don’t read much in the way of short stories, so novel.
Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? See above, I don’t really read short stories
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? Believe it or not, I haven’t read either yet. But I have given our niece and nephew a bunch of the Lemony Snicket books and one day, I might borrow them back from them and read some of them 🙂
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? Mostly when I’m tired, but I do try to get to a stopping point. If I’m reading before bed and about to nod off, I will just stop where-ever.
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? Hmmm, not sure, maybe a mixture of both
Buy or Borrow? Both. I buy them new at bookstores, buy them used at library sales, borrow them from friends, and especially, borrow from my local library.
New or used? A year ago, I would have answered New. But now that I’ve discovered the library sales at my local library, I would have to say both!
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? Great question. Another mixture of both. I must admit, I am a sucker for a good book cover. An intriguing cover will draw me in every time. Mostly, I buy books from authors I already read or who have come on a good recommendation. I tend to prefer to try new authors by utilizing my local library. I do love to browse, I love browsing at bookstores, even discount stores like Target, Walmart and Sam’s, and I love to go to the library.
Tidy ending or cliffhanger? Easy one, tidy ending. And it better be happy!
Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? All of those listed. I love to read and read every chance I get. I mostly read at night before bed, but if I can, I will read at any time during the day.
Standalone or series? I read both, but I love series books.
Favorite series? Ooh, tough one. There’s so many I love and so many I’ve started and not completed. Favorite so far would have to either be the Mitford series by Jan Karon or the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?Hmmm, not sure. I mostly read mainstream type books.
Favorite books read last year? Gosh, that’s too hard to narrow down. I read 70 books and I just looked through the list, and I could easily name 15 or more books as “favorites”. Some of those would be The DaVinci Code, The Red Tent, the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury, the Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, and the list would go on and on!
Favorite books of all time? Gosh, these are hard! September and Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher, The Testament by John Grisham, all of the Mitford books by Jan Karon, and on and on and on
Habit-Forming
What are your reading habits? Do you tend to read at specific times during the day, or does it vary from day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute?
I am a creature of habit, to be sure. My sister once coined the phrase “routinized” about me, which means I stick to a routine, like clockwork. I do break out from time to time, but the majority of time that I spend reading is in the evenings, before bed. Sometimes, if there’s not much on TV or Tim doesn’t coerce me into watching a movie, I will read earlier in the evening. But mostly, it’s just a half hour or so before bedtime. The only other time that I might read is on the weekends, when Tim is playing golf, hitting practice balls, or at the driving range. I am not a golf fanatic like him; I’d rather spend my time reading.
Click here if you’d like to go participate in Booking Through Thursday and play along at your blog 🙂
I love these things! As seen here, a couple of weeks ago at Dawn‘s blog. Thanks Dawn, for letting me swipe it 😀
1. Name six things in your refrigerator. Skim Milk, Calcium fortified OJ, pepper jack sliced cheese, Coffee-mate flavored creamer (currently, gingerbread and low-fat cinnamon), Hoisin sauce, Wishbone FF Italian Dressing
2. Name six things in your freezer. boneless skinless chicken breasts, ground deer meat, ribeye steaks, frozen broccoli, Morningstar corn dogs, Boca spicy chicken patties
3. Name six things under your kitchen sink. homemade glass cleaner in a spray bottle, 4-09 cleaner, Cascade dishwasher gel, Palmolive dish soap, antibacterial hand soap refill bottle, Glad kitchen garbage bags
4. Name six things around your computer. Cordless phone, speakers, Dazzle card reader, PILES OF PAPERS!, remote to small tv, Saints cup with pens and pencils
5. Name six things in your medicine cabinet. Tylenol PM, Equate Tylenol (Walmart generic brand), Equate Advil, q-tips, Neosporine, Soft Lips lip balm
6. Name six things on or around your nightstand. Lamp, Guideposts 2007 daily book, iPod clock radio, Hallmark heart shaped thing Tim gave me one year, magazines, books
I won’t tag anyone specifically, but please let me know if you play along at your blog 🙂
Stolen from Sadie. Thanks Sadie!
SILLY MEME
1.When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? Ugh, I’ve put on a lot of weight since Christmas 🙁
2.How much cash do you have on you? I’d have to go look, but probably about 24 dollars. I rarely keep over 25 or 30 cash in my wallet.
3.What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? More, Core, Lore, Store
4.Do you label yourself? Yes, it’s that low self-esteem thing I have going on
5.Bright or Dark Room? Bright during the day, I like the blinds and curtains open. At night, I tend to close them, and turn on some lights, so mostly I like light. The only time I really like to sit in a dark room is when we’re watching a movie or I’m sleeping!
6.Why is there always a missing question? Huh? What question? Where did it go?
7.What does your watch look like? gold and silver, slim, Seiko
8.What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping!
9.Where is your nearest 7-11? Not a 7-11, but there’s a gas station with a convenience store about 1 block from our house
10.What’s a word that you say a lot? No! {to Beau, if he’s jumping or digging or generally being a bad dog}
11.Who told you he/she loved you last? Tim
12.Last furry thing you touched? Beau, the wonder dog!
13.How many rolls of film do you need developed? None, but don’t even ask me how many YEARS behind I am on printing out digital pics
14.Favorite age you have been so far? I have no idea! Each year with Tim is wonderful and a blessing for me. I spent far too much of my life without him, so I enjoy every single day we have together
15.Your worst enemy? Any chocolate hiding in the house, calling my name!
16.What is your current desktop picture? one that came with XP, blue water, island with palm trees
17.What was the last thing you said to someone? “do you want some more coffee” to Tim as I walked past him into the kitchen
18.The last song you listened to? “Every Mile a Memory” by Dierks Bentley
19.What time of day were you born? I think around noon, on a Sunday. I think I was born when my grandmother was in church, but I’d have to look it up to be sure
20.What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Get upset 🙂
21.Do you consider yourself kind? I hope so, I try very hard to be kind and considerate
22.What’s your life motto? Ah, that a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a Heaven for. Or the one that Tim and I use on our website – “Choose to Be Happy!”
23.Name three things you have on you at all times. When I leave the house, I always have my keys, my cell phone and my wallet. Inside the house, I probably don’t have anything on me at all times except my wedding band and some form of clothing, hehehe!
24.Can you change the oil on a car? No, but I can keep track of it on our chart and tell Tim when it’s time for him to change it 🙄
25.When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it? Hmmm, a real letter and not a card, thank you note or something? I have no idea, it’s been a long time!
I won’t tag anyone specifically, but I’d love it if anyone out there would like to play along. Be sure to leave me a note and I’ll stop by and check out your answers to this silly meme!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Feast One Hundred & Twenty Eight
Appetizer
If you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn? Toss-up between piano and guitar. I’d like to learn how to play both of those. Unfortunately, I am not musically inclined. I can’t carry a tune and I don’t know a thing about notes and how to read music. I love music though, and singing, and have always wanted to learn how to play something.
Soup
Have you ever mistaken a person for someone else? Yes, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone up to someone and spoken to them, and been mistaken. I think I’ve just glanced at a distance and thought they were someone else.
Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets? I’m sure a lot of people would disagree with me, but I think I do pretty well if the secret is important. Probably an 8 out of 10. Now, if it’s not important or something I feel like I can talk about, then I will definitely spill to either Tim or my sister. It just depends on what it is.
Main Course
What’s the closest you’ve ever been to a dangerous animal? Not very close. Unless you count the zoo or the safari ride at Animal Kingdom in Disneyworld! 😀
Dessert
When was the last time you lost your patience? I couldn’t pin down the date or time, but {sigh} it does happen. I do get frustrated and upset and lose my patience more than I should. It’s a bad habit and one I’ve tried to work on. I think I’m a little better than I used to be, but I still have a long ways to go. Some things are just really ingrained in me 🙂
TBR
How many unread books do you have in your house, right now? (Your own books, that is–not ones that belong to other family members–and not counting things like school books, if you have them.) Clearly, an estimate will do. OK, instead of an estimate, the OCD in me had to run into the den and my bedroom to look on the bookshelves and my nightstand. My quick eyeball count is about 35 books, but that does include all of the John Grishams we own in our collection, that I’m not sure I’ll get around to reading. That does include a few books I have borrowed from my mother-in-law and a friend, so the actual count is probably closer to 30, really. 🙄
To the best of your recollection, what is the OLDEST unread book in your collection? How long has it
been waiting? That would be some of the hardback John Grishams that we own, but I have not gotten around to reading. Some of those are 3 or 4 years old. I buy them new for Tim when they come out, and because we like to own all of the Grisham books in first edition, hardback (since he’s a local boy, “done good” and we both like that genre of legal thriller). After that, the oldest is probably some of the ones I bought last summer at the bookstore and haven’t gotten around to reading yet.
Do your TBR books (that’s “To Be Read,” if you didn’t know) haunt you, make you feel guilty that you haven’t read them yet? Just a little, but not really. I like having books here on hand to read, when the mood strikes me. I usually get the majority of books I read from the library, but sometimes I like not having to go and get them and return them. But, I think the library really helps me. Checking out a book and knowing it is due back in 3 weeks really propels me to read a lot more, as opposed to knowing I own a book and it’s in my TBR pile and I can read it anytime. Something about a goal, or a deadline.
Oh, and library books don’t count . . . not unless you absolutely don’t have ANY other unread book except what you checked out last Tuesday.
I saw this at Dawn’s and also at my sister Gail‘s blog. Thought I would play along… I won’t tag anyone specifically, but if you do play, please let me know so I can come check yours out. 
Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following…They must be REAL places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can’t think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.
Your name: Stacy
1. Famous Athlete: Steve Young, Steve Smith
2. 4 letter word: Surf, Snow
3. Street name: Sunflower Avenue, Saddlebrook Drive, State Street
4. Color: Sage green, Sky blue
5. Gifts/presents: Scrapbook supplies, Scrabble game
6. Vehicles: Saturn
7. Tropical Locations: Solomon Islands, South Seas, South Pacific
8. College Majors: Sociology, Special Ed
9. Dairy Products: Sour Cream
10. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Spoons, Snowglobes
11. Boy Name: Scott, Steve
12. Girl Name: Sandra, Susan
13. Movie Titles: Superman, Spiderman, Sleepless in Seattle
14. Alcohol: Scotch
15. Occupations: Seamstress, Science Teacher, Stewardess
16. Flowers: Sunflower, Snapdragons
17. Celebrities: Sandra Bullock, Suzanne Sommers, Sharon Stone
18. Magazines: Southern Living
19. U.S. Cities: Seattle, St. Louis
20. Pro Sports Teams: SAINTS!, San Francisco 49’ers
21. Something Found in a kitchen: Strainer, Skillet, Spatula
22. Reason for Being Late: Sleep late
23. Something You Throw Away: Single Socks
24. Things You Shout: Stop, Stay
25. Cartoon Character: Snoopy, Spongebob Squarepants
Friday, January 19, 2007
Feast One Hundred & Twenty Seven
Appetizer
Which television shows do you just refuse to miss? I have a really long list of shows that we watch, but some of them I’m ok with missing an episode or two. I won’t miss any of 24, Lost, Survivor or Battlestar Galactica.
Soup
Who did you last speak to on the telephone? Our nephew Zack 🙂
Salad
How many pillows do you keep on your bed? 2 for sleeping, and a whopping 7 on there for looks. The 7 get tossed in the corner at night, only to be put back the next morning 🙄
Main Course
Name one addition to your computer (software, hardware, etc.) that you’d love to have. A nice big external hard drive to store lots of photos on
Dessert
What is your favorite foreign food? probably Chinese
One of my favorite blogs to read is Karen’s, over at Write from Karen. I love her take on things, the witty articles, comics and fun things she posts, her book reviews, the little sneak peak we get into her family life, the questions she poses, and really, most everything she writes. Karen has a new blog going, called Blog Talkers, that is designed to get bloggers blogging. She asks a new question each week and you have the entire week to respond. That’s a great timetable for a procrastinator like myself, LOL!
This week, during week 3, Karen offers this question:
Do you consider yourself a high-maintenance, or a low- maintenance person? Why?
No-brainer for me. I’m definitely high-maintenance. Ask anyone who knows me in “real life”. I think I’m difficult to get along with, and I do require a lot of attention from the people I love. If that doesn’t make me high-maintenance, I don’t know what does. I don’t particularly want to be this way, but I do accept that this is the way I’m wired, and have learned to live with it. I think I come by it honestly, I think my mom was high-maintenance, and I learned it from her (is that passing the buck, or what?!) Tim, thankfully, has learned to live with it too. He’s great when I go into high-maintenance mode. He’s very patient and understanding with me. Tim has the longest fuse of anyone I’ve ever met and puts up with so much from me. I often quote him one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies, “You’ve Got Mail”. Tom Hanks is on the treadmill, talking to his buddy about Meg Ryan (while she’s on TV, protesting his big chain bookstore). He says to his friend “She’s a PILL!”. I tell Tim that’s what I am. I’m so glad it’s a pill he’s able to swallow.:lol:
Great question, Karen! Be sure to go check out her blog and her Blog Talkers blog too, good stuff!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Feast One Hundred & Twenty Six
Appetizer
What comes to mind when you see the color orange? Sorry, boring answer. Halloween, pumpkins, etc, if it’s the regular, bright orange. There’s a shade of orange I love, like a burnt orange, that I see in a lot of home furnishings and I love it. Unfortunately, Tim doesn’t like orange so I haven’t been able to use it to decorate much.
Soup
Did you ever get in trouble while you were in school? If so, what was it for? Not that I can remember. I was a MODEL child 🙂
Salad
Which topping(s) make up your perfect pizza? My perfect pizza is a Hawaiian one, with pineapple and Canadian bacon. I also love white pizzas, with spinach and Alfredo. Yummy!
Main Course
Do you believe in UFOs/aliens/etc.? Why or why not? I don’t rule out the possibility. If God created us here, I see no reason why he couldn’t have made life elsewhere and we’re just not ready to find them yet. The universe is a tremendous place, but God is ever larger and I haven’t ruled it out.
Dessert
What color is your bedspread/comforter/quilt? Burgundy and dark green with some beige thrown in.
One of the nicest and sweetest bloggers on the block (Susie of SusiePie fame) has tagged me with this meme. If she knew me better, she’d probably not want to know what I think, LOL. Just kidding! This one is pretty mild, and pretty fun to boot! Thanks Susie 🙂
1. As a child, what did you always say you wanted to be when you grew up? For the longest time, I wanted to be a pilot. Fly airplanes, fly into space, be an astronaut. I don’t remember ever wanting to be things like a doctor or a nurse or anything like that. I think I knew, even at a young age, that medical stuff, needles, sickness, pain, etc were not areas that I would be any good at!
2. If you had to choose one thing that you’ve always dreamed of doing, what would it be? What is stopping you? To go into space. See question #1 about wanting to be an astronaut. Maybe now, Tim will strike it rich one day and we can be space tourists, LOL. What is stopping me – myself, earlier in life for not pursuing this type of dream. Not enough discipline on my part, I’d say. As for the tourist part, obviously money is a huge impediment!
3. Who is your biggest fan? I hope it’s Tim, but I honestly have no idea. I don’t think I would have any fans.
4. What bible study or book (besides the obvious-the Bible) has most impacted your life to date? I must admit that I can’t really think of a proper answer for this one. I don’t read much non-fiction or study books of any kind. I’ve got a couple that I want to read, but I haven’t read them yet. Maybe I can answer this one better in a year or two. As for Christian fiction, most every book I have read by authors such as Karen Kingsbury and Lori Wick have left me with a sense of peace and renewed faith. I really enjoy this genre and read a lot of it, because of the positive aspects I feel when I read this type of book.
5. When are you the happiest? One of the happiest times I’ve had in recent years was when Tim took me to the mountains to celebrate my birthday. We had a wonderful time! It was my birthday and I got some nice presents, we went out to eat for breakfast for my birthday, he cooked me a juicy steak that night, we had a great cabin with a big hot tub on the deck, we went hiking and sightseeing and I got to take tons of great photos of fall foliage, etc. As for the day to day kind of happiness, I’m happiest being at home. When things are quiet, I have a good book, some down time and maybe a cup of yummy coffee or cocoa.
OK, I’ll tag Stacy, Cam, Dianne and my sister Gail for this one. If anyone else would like to play along, I’d love to come visit yours, so just leave me a note that you’d like to play. Thanks again to Susie for tagging me!
Friday, January 05, 2007
Feast One Hundred & Twenty-Five
Appetizer
Which celebrity (or celebrities) do you think will make headlines this year? Probably the same ones who annoy me already. Like Brad and Angelina (although I think they will adopt another baby this year), Paris Hilton, poor dumb Britney Spears, etc. I just hope Tom Cruise stays in the background and doesn’t come out and jump on any more couches and drive me batty.
Soup
They say that good things come in small packages? What is something little that you think is great? A Godiva truffle!
Salad
Name a song that makes you want to dance. Black Horse and a Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall
Main Course
What is your favorite font? Hmmm, haven’t thought about fonts much since I haven’t been scrapbooking. I used to like using Tabitha or Comic Sans for journaling though.
Dessert
If you were to write a do-it-yourself article, what would it be about? How to waste time on the computer every day??? 🙄
Friday, December 29, 2006
Feast One Hundred & Twenty Four
Appetizer
How do you usually celebrate on New Year’s Eve? Well, we’re now officially “old married folks”, I guess after you pass 10 years, you get to call yourselves that, LOL! I’m not one for partying, and I really don’t like being out when half of the drivers are intoxicated, so I prefer to stay home. We stay in and watch TV or a movie and sometimes, if I’m lucky, I”ll get Tim to work on a jigsaw puzzle with me (something I used to do years ago with my sister at the holidays, that I still love to do!) The last couple of years, I am not sure we’ve even stayed up until midnight!
Soup
Name one thing unexpected that happened to you in 2006. Finally, after 3 years of waiting and begging, we got another dog. Beau the wonder dog is now part of our little family!
Salad
Where was your favorite place that you visited in 2006? We only went on one vacation, so I can only pick from that trip. I’d say Savannah and Tybee Island Georgia. It was beautiful there!
Main Course
What resolution is your top priority for 2007? I don’t make resolutions, but I am going to continue to do as much reading as I can. I love to read and love getting lost in a good book 🙂
Dessert
Using just three words, describe 2006. Another Year in Paradise 😆
Go here and enjoy the feast yourself!!!
