Cajun Chicken Pasta

One of my favorite things to order when I go out to eat is some form of Cajun Chicken Pasta.  One of my favorite versions of this dish can be found at the Cheesecake Factory, Louisiana Chicken Pasta.  Crispy chicken, pasta, peppers and onions in a yummy creamy sauce...ringing in at a sweet 2352 calories.  I will not admit to anyone how many times I have eaten that particular dish.  Not even to myself.

So, I decided to challenge myself to find a yummy recipe that would not cause me to eat an entire day's calories (and then some) in one meal.  I researched a few different recipes and did some combining...for a first try, it turned out pretty darn good.

Ingredients:
6 oz. of boneless, skinless chicken breast; sliced into strips
3 teaspoons of cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 oz of uncooked pasta (I used bowtie pasta because that is what they do at The Cheesecake Factory)
2 peppers, chopped (I used one red pepper and one orange pepper)
1/2 of a medium red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups of fat free half and half
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper

Directions:
1.  Combine the cajun seasoning and strips of chicken and set aside while starting the pasta
2.  Cook the pasta to al dente.  Drain and set aside.
3.  Heat the oil in a pan (I used the one of my that looks like a wok, but isn't) and cook the chicken until it is done.  Take cooked chicken out of the pan and set aside.
4.  Cook the peppers and onions to your liking.  (I have no times here people...I cook by looking and tasting)
5.  Measure out the fat free half and half and mix in the cornstarch.
6.  Add the chicken back into the pan with the onions and peppers and stir.  Then add the half and half/cornstarch mixture and the spices.  (I measured the spices out ahead of time so I could just dump it all in the pan.)
7.  Add the pasta back into the mix and continue to stir until the sauce gets to you desired thickness.

This recipe would easily serve four with a nice salad and garlic bread to go with it.  And for dessert tonight, instead of cheesecake, was a Zantac because it was seriously spicy...for me.

Next time I make it, I might try and bread the chicken breast pieces and bake them and serve the pasta as a side.  While this recipe is good as it stands and I will make it again, one of the things I love about the Louisiana Chicken Pasta is the contrasting crunchiness of the breaded (and fried) chicken and the creamy pasta.

Y is for Youth in Revolt

Choosing 26 movies that I have never seen (one for each letter of the alphabet) might seem to some a strange thing to put on my list.  But I know there has to be someone that is reading this that is like me.

Hi, my name is Jodie and I am repeat movie watcher.  There are a chunk of movies that I will watch over and over and over and over again.  Usually I am doing something else when I am watching these movies, but not always.  Usually Joe is either gone or has his headphones on when I am watching these movies...well, because he has seen them already...a lot...without even really trying.  I considered not giving some examples of these movies, but in the interest of full disclosure I will share.  The problem that I will have with listing these is now I am going to want to watch them.  So...in no particular order, some of my favorite repeat watchers:

• Oceans 11, Oceans 12,  and Oceans 13 (preferably in a row but that hasn't happened since having Taelin);
• all of the Borne movies (I should probably be able to rattle them off, but I can't); 
• any of the Harry Potter movies (never tried them all in the a row...but maybe I should make that the replacement for the Rubik cube?)

This is certainly not the whole list and I completely understand that these are not necessarily the best films every made.  But I like them...a lot.  

The problem with this however is that I rarely want to take a chance and spend my time watching something I haven't watched.  This has always been true but it especially true with Taelin in the picture.  So, that is why watching 26 movies I have never seen before is on my list.

That being said, this weekend Joe and I watched Youth in Revolt.  It is a Michael Cera movie about teenage angst.  Aren't all Michael Cera movies somehow about teenage angst?  We got about half way through it and I turned to Joe and said, "There is no way I write about this on my blog."  It is rated R and has earned that rating in all it's teenage sexual frustration glory...and that is all I am going to say about that.  It was certainly not Michael Cera's best movie (it would be hard to beat Juno and Superbad) but it did have some funny moments and Joe and I were both glad we watched it.  

1 new movie down...25 to go!

Egg Drop Soup

I am kind of picky about my egg drop soup.  I don't like a lot of "things" in it.  I don't like soy sauce in it.  I do like peas and green onion in my soup.  I know all these things because I have tried several different recipes for  egg drop soup and have eaten many different versions at restaurants.  In addition to being delicious, egg drop soup is a great thing for me to eat when I make lumpia (think eggrolls...kind of) because it is really low in points and helps fill me up so I don't gorge on lumpia.  I found yet another recipe and decided to try it.  I changed a couple of things and here is what I came up with.  It was a hit with the crowd that was eating it...or they are just really good friends that tolerated my attempt.  

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 dashes sesame oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• a handful of frozen peas (I know...really precise)
• 2 tsp of cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 green onion, chopped

Directions

1. Bring the chicken broth, and sesame oil to a boil in a saucepan. 
2. While stirring slowly in one direction to get the soup moving, pour the beaten egg into the soup in a slow but steady stream. 
3. Gently stir in the peas. 
4. Combine the cornstarch and water together.  Stir into to soup to thicken.
5. Add green onion right before serving.
   

This recipe is going to be a keeper!

After much internal debate...I am abandoning a book.

I am not typically a book abandoner.  In fact, I can't really recall the last book I started and didn't finish.  But I have decided to embrace book abandoning.  I have been trying to read Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese since I finished House Rules.  I am 167 pages in and I quit.  I gave it a try, I really did but I am taking my bookmark out and putting it back on the shelf.  


I think it is a combination of the writing style and plot.  I am just not that into it.  So, if there is anyone out that has it on their reading list and would like it...please let me know.  I will even mail it to you. 


So...I am wondering, my friends...  Are you a book abandoner or do you stick with them to the bitter end?

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music. ~William Stafford

I saw this quote and it made me smile instantly.  Taelin will dance to anything.  She will dance to me mixing an egg when I am making breakfast, she dances to the windshield wipers in the car, she dances when there is a song playing whether it is fast or slow.  She hears a rhythm, regardless of where is comes from, and she dances.

When we moved Taelin to the daycare she is at currently, they had me fill out an survey about Taelin. What she liked, what she didn't like, what she was good at, etc.  As I teacher, I send these same kind of things out at the beginning of the year hoping to gain some sort of insight on the kids in my class.  One of the things I put on Taelin's survey was that she loved to dance.  When I picked her after being there a few days, the teacher in the room told me that I wasn't kidding when I said that Taelin learned to dance.  Apparently, the teacher had turned some music on and Taelin just launched right into her knee-bouncing dance.  Then, the teacher told me, Taelin all of the sudden just dropped to her stomach and began kicking her legs up and down and with a big smile on her face.  

When the teacher told me the story, I just started laughing because was Taelin was doing was The Worm. You know, The Worm. (google "the worm breakdance move" and you will be educated)  Joe takes the opportunity when it arises, to do The Worm down our hallway and Taelin always tries to do it too.  She just throws herself down and kicks her legs, convinced that she is doing exactly what her dad is doing.  

It makes my heart warm to know that she has such a spirit in her.  I wonder how much of that will be a part of who she always will be.  I know there will come a day (hopefully not too soon) that she won't hear a song to in everything she hears, but I hope that as she grows, she realizes there is always a reason to dance.

Favorite 50 Songs....and some other stuff

I talked Joe into helping me come up with the list of my favorite 50 songs for a couple of reasons.  First of all, he is the one that has the iTunes library on his laptop and second of all, there are a lot of songs that I really like that I can't remember the name of but he does.  He can't remember what he had for dinner last night but he can tell you the name of most songs within 5 seconds of it beginning.  So, one night this past week we set out to make a playlist of my favorite 50 songs.  We decided for the sake of organization that we would go alphabetically by artist.  We got through letter D.  I have 126 songs already in the folder.  There is going to be a problem.

In my defense, I was being pretty liberal with what I put in the folder.  And two of my favorite bands, Cake and Counting Crows were obviously in the C section, which we did go through. But there is still going to be a problem.  

Another problem that I realized once we started, was that there are different songs that I love for different reasons. While I love Jay-Z's 99 Problems, I am in a little different mood when I listen to Hotel California by the Eagles.  I don't know what I am going to do about that...maybe subcategories?  This Type A lady likes the way I am thinking.....  We are going to do some more sorting starting with E tonight.  Fun stuff!

This week I was also able to cross off the list putting change in an expired parking meter when Taelin and I were at the library.  While fun to cross off the list, not something necessarily worthy of it's own blog post.  I mean really, are you going to come back if wrote an entire post about putting a quarter in a parking meter?  No, I didn't think so.

This week I also "gave a gift just because" to an old co-worker and sent a handwritten note to a friend that needed to know someone was thinking of her.  Nothing huge, but still something that helped me think beyond myself and all the things on my other lists that are more about getting the everyday things done.

Need to get rid of 100 things? Clean out a garage.

While I have been working quite diligently on my list, I haven't really been able to cross anything off other than starting the blog.  And if you are a list person, you know that pretty much the whole purpose of making a list is to feel the sanctification of a job well done..and crossing it off.  So, I looked down the list to see if there was something that I could tackle and getting rid of 100 things jumped at me. 

The garage has been bugging me lately.  With all the organizing and labeling I have been doing inside the house, I realized when I was exercising the other day that the garage needed my attention. So, since I have been home with Taelin all this week, I took advantage of nap time and dug in.  I can safely say I have gotten rid of 100 things...easily.

Unlike some of my other lists, I am not going to list all the things I got rid of.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  First of all, do you really want to read a list of stuff that was in my garage that I have either thrown out or gotten rid of?  No, I didn't think so...and I didn't really want to write it all down either.  The second reason (and the most important one) is that I am not sure I want to fully disclose to Joe all the things I got rid of. 

Now, all I need to do is organize what's left.  Organizers have been purchased, my labeler has new label tape, and thank goodness I have a week left. And, most important, I get to check something off the list!

Random Act of Kindness - March 2011

I have been trying to pay attention for an opportunity for a random act of kindness.  There have been a couple of times that I did something and thought "That's it!" until I realized that what I did was just something I should have done because it was the right thing to do.  So, I decided that the kindness I showed needed to be something I purposefully did out of the way of what I would normally do.  Enter...Starbucks Cake Pops.

A 12 hour parent-teacher conference day.  A 12 hour day in the spring time that results in very few of the parents you want to show up, actually showing up.  This 12 hour day definitely provided me with an opportunity to commit a random act of kindness for two of my many friends that were working.  So, off to Starbucks I went to get some of their new cake pops (which, by the way, I have unsuccessfully tried to make) for a little pick-me-up.  I committed a random act of kindness for myself and got myself some of their iced green tea (which I have also unsuccessfully tried to make) and headed off to the school.  Luckily, I was able to hand deliver the cute little cake pops, which were received with smiles and appreciation (which is what random acts of kindness are all about...making someone smile).

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have been thinking a lot about John a lot lately.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of him, it would be pretty hard to do that with Joe and Taelin around, but he has been on my mind and in my heart more lately.  Today marks the one year anniversary since my last hug from John.  I didn't know at the time that it would be my last hug.  He was out to visit us, before he was going to have to go back to work.  His surgeries were done and his radiation and chemo were over.  He had been declared cancer-free and was just working on gaining his strength back before going back to work.

The trip itself was last minute, rushed and chaotic.  Taelin was sick, Tucker went into kidney failure, Joe was working....on and on...  In the last couple of days of the trip, everything finally calmed down and we heading down to the riverfront to ride the carousel, or flying horses as John called them.  It was Taelin's first time and I think we have the entire trip on video.  He had so much love for Taelin there hardly seemed room for it sometimes.

I took Taelin down to the carousel this morning.  We rode three different times on three different horses.  At one point she looked at me and said, "Papa's horse?"  I stared at her, breathless for a moment and then just said "yeah" and then had to look away as my eyes filled with tears. There is no way she remembered.  There couldn't be, I don't even remember what horse he was riding that day. But for that moment, I wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe she did.

I found the Emerson quote above shortly after John died and it struck a chord with me.  I wish that we had had more time with John; none of us were ready, none of us were smiling.  There have been many tears since losing John and I know that there are many more to come.  At the same time though, there are many reasons to smile.  He left me with a lot of love and a reminder that the time I have left needs to be spent wisely.

I miss him dearly.  I miss his off-key singing and his laugh. I miss his friend chicken and the funny way he danced.  I miss listening to Joe and he banter back and forth, waiting to see which one of them them would crack up first.  I miss telling him stories about Taelin and I miss watching him watch her with more love than I thought every possible between two people.  I miss his hugs and his scratchy mustache on my cheek when he would say goodbye.  I just miss him.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

The fact that I started this book only 24 hours ago and have already finished it might suggest a couple of things.  It might suggest that it was really good.  It might suggest that I read really fast to get to the end so I would know what happened.  It might suggest that nothing else was accomplished in the last 24 hours other than taking care of Taelin and finishing this book.

Jodi Picoult is one of those guilty pleasures of mine.  She has written 17 books and they are all written in the same style.  They are deeply character driven.  They all contain an element of some socially relevant topic which she presents different viewpoints of through her characters.  They all have an element of a mystery, something unknown to the reader, that is revealed at the end, which is not always happy.  So, when I picked up House Rules last night, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into.

The main character in House Rules is a boy named Jacob that is diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.  The story follows Jacob, his mother, his brother, a police detective and a lawyer through the investigation and trial of the death of a college girl that had worked with Jacob on developing social skills.

House Rules isn't going to win any prizes, but I loved it all the same.  I am drawn to stories that show different perspectives of the same situation. I find it interesting to discover which characters I fine myself empathizing with and which ones irritate me.  Then I find it interesting to think about why that is.

Rubik Cube...What the @#&$ was I thinking?!?

Last week I bought a Rubik cube.  It is number 68 on my list...to complete a Rubik cube.  Let me rephrase that last sentence.  It was number 68 on my list...past tense.

I had Joe unpack it for me and do the mixing of the pristine six sided matchiness.  I had it for about two minutes, when I looked at Joe and said, "Why did I put this on my list?  I hate things like this."  I tried a few more minutes and then made a decision.  It is off the list.  This list is supposed to be about becoming a better person, looking for opportunities to live my life purposefully, taking the time to be kind to friends and strangers...this list is not for frustrating the crap out of me.

So, it is off the list.  It seemed liked a good idea at the time.  It was something other people had put on their list.  I don't know what I am going to replace it with yet....but when I figure it out, I will let you know!

Pesto

In 1997, a good friend made Joe and I dinner and made pesto using one of those "just add water" packets.  Needless to say, I didn't like it and have avoiding things with pesto since.  After making Chicken Marsala this past Saturday night, I was talking to one of our friends that had joined us and they shared a Walnut Spinach Pesto recipe they had just made.  Feeling high off of my success of Chicken Marsala, I confidently added it to the weeks menu, ending a 14 year boycott of pesto.

Then, I plugged the recipe into my Weight Watcher recipe builder to calculate the points...and, let's just say I would have had to REALLY like pesto to make that recipe and eat it for dinner.  And I would be hungry for it since I would have to eat 0 point foods all day in order to eat it for dinner.  But it was on my menu plan, so I had to come up with an alternate.  Enter...a Weight Watchers pesto recipe.  It was really simple to make (perfect for a weeknight), quite yummy and much easier on my points. 

Pesto

    2 Tbsp pine nuts 
    2 cup(s) basil, leaves, fresh 
    1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth 
    1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese 
    1 Tbsp olive oil 
    2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), peeled 
    1/2 tsp table salt 

Instructions

    * Place pine nuts in a small skillet and set pan over medium heat. Cook until nuts are golden, shaking pan frequently to prevent burning, about 3 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate to cool.
    * In a blender or food processor, combine nuts, basil, broth, cheese, oil, garlic and salt; process until smooth and thick. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

World War II is not something I really know a lot about.  I am sure I took notes on it in high school and I have watched the Hollywood versions of several accounts.  I have read several books, mostly fiction set in that time period.  In college, I read Sky by Hanneke Ippisch for a children's literature class and at the time she was living in Missoula and she came and talked to our class.  But other than that, my knowledge sadly is pretty much limited to whatever you might find in high school text book. I think because of my self-proclaimed lack of knowledge, I am drawn to historical fiction books set during World War II. 

Sarah's Key goes back and forth (in a rather choppy way at times) between two characters in two different time periods.  There is a young Jewish girl in 1942 that is being rounded up with her family, minus her brother that locks himself in a cupboard with a promise from his sister that she will come back and get him and what I am going to declare a middle-aged, whiny, slightly unbalanced woman in 2002 living in France.  The author, in a fairly predictable way, brings the story of the two characters together. 

Frankly, I could have done without the second character...as you might have guessed in my above description. I would have much rather heard the story of the young girl entirely through her eyes.  I was most moved in the story by her character.  There were times I had to put the book down and walk away because my heart ached for some of her experiences.  I won't spoil the ending in case it is on anyone's to-read list, I will just say that you might want to keep a tissue or two handy if you decide to read this book.

There are a lot of secrets in this book among many of the characters.  In most cases, the secrets were kept as a way to protect others but it that was rarely the outcome.  When I was reading, I often thought about how things could have been different if they had all the knowledge they could have had.  It seemed that even those keeping secrets said they were protecting those around them, it seemed more, looking from the outside, that it was just as much a result of protecting the secret keeper.  Almost a selfish selfless act, if there could be such a thing.

Chicken Marsala

When I went to New York City a couple of years ago for the NCTE annual conference, I could see Times Square from my hotel room.  In addition to having an amazing view, I ate some of the most amazing food I have ever had in my life.

At one particular Italian restaurant that I wish I could remember the name of, the group of us ordered a family size serving of Chicken Marsala with angel hair pasta.  It was absolutely the best Italian dish I have eaten.  So, when I was trying to think of new recipes I wanted to try Chicken Marsala was on the top of the list.  I don't often cook with wine, not really being a wine kind of girl but I thought it would be worth a shot. And...it was!

I got this off of allrecipes.com and after reading the reviews I took the advice of others and doubled the amount of ingredients for the sauce so there was enough with the pasta.  I served it with linguine with olive oil and roasted garlic.  It will definitely be something I make again!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet basil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1. Pound chicken pieces to 1/4-inch thickness (place between 2 sheets of waxed paper before pounding).
2. Combine flour, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken; coat with flour mixture.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 8 to 10 minutes, or until done, turning once. Remove from pan.
4. Add 1 tablespoon oil and mushrooms to skillet. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Mix corn starch, wine, chicken broth, basil and onion powder; add to mushrooms. Simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes or until thickened.
5. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked linguine, if desired. 

Orupa

There is a fairly new restaurant close to downtown Salem called Orupa.  Since having Taelin I have created a new way of classifying restaurants.  There are restaurants you can take a toddler to without being hated by everyone else there and those you can't. Orupa would fall into the latter.  So when my GNO (girls night out) crew decided it was time for another night free of diaper bag purses and the ability to eat our food when it was warm, the girls decided to help out with my list and try Orupa.

We went on a Friday night and it was fairly busy.  There was a lot of variety on the menu but not so many choices that it took you forever to decide what to eat.  I ended up having beef tenderloin and it was really good.  The service was pretty good and the environment was pretty relaxing, although am pretty sure we had the worst table in the place.  We were right by the door and it was pretty chilly every time the door opened.

But, the one thing that I can say is that if you are wildly telling a story, using your hands for emphasis and you accidentally knock off an empty martini glass to the ground causing it to shatter into many pieces the staff will happily come over and take care of it without making you feel like a giant boob.  Ya know...just in case you ever find yourself in that situation.

A new box of 64 crayons...with a sharpener

When I was a kid, I loved to color.  I would imagine that I am not alone in that feeling.  It ranked right up there with collecting scratch and sniff stickers and playing with my Cabbage Patch Doll.  I was not very good at drawing (unless you wanted a scene with mountains, trees, and a quarter of a sun in the upper right hand corner) so I relied heavily on coloring books to fulfill my need to color (within the lines, of course).

I never really cared what my coloring books were (or at least I don't remember caring) but there was one thing that I cared a lot about...the box of crayons.  Every fall, when we would buy school supplies, I would get an extra box of new crayons to keep at home.  Every fall, the teacher asked for the 24 pack to be sent to school and every year that is what I got, like everybody else.  I loved my new boxes of crayons and took better care of them than anyone I knew.

I brought my school supplies to school, with my new school box (cardboard back then) and I would organize and reorganize my school supplies to find the most logical way to store them all.  Then, one year, someone brought the big box of crayons to school.  You know the kind, it was SO much bigger than the box of 24,  and while that was cool, it wasn't the coolest part.  The coolest part was that it had a crayon sharpener built into the back of the box.  Once I saw it, I wanted it.  I could hardly even imagine it...a sharp tipped crayon every time...it was brilliant.

But like many things, that brilliance came at a cost.  The box was bigger and better and of course it cost more.  Suddenly, my new box of 24 crayons, didn't seem very fun anymore.  And to make things worse, those kids that had the box of 64 crayons with the sharpener in the back took horrible care of them.  They didn't keep them in any order and jammed up the sharpener all the time.  Didn't they know what they had?

My mom, being my mom, saw no sense in buying me the bigger box of crayons.  I had been coloring just fine with what I had and now all of the sudden, it wasn't good enough anymore?  Nope, I wasn't getting it.  I remember the jealously I felt and how embarrassed I was that I only had the box of 24.

So, today, when I was at store killing time before picking up the pizza that wasn't on this week's menu plan, I stopped to pick up the coloring book that is on my list to complete.  And, I certainly couldn't get a new coloring book without getting a new box of crayons.  I decided on my way to the school supply section that today was the day that I was going to get my box of 64 crayons with the sharpener in the back.  But what I didn't expect, was that there was going to be a box of 96 crayons or a carousel of 150 crayons...and a mega box of 225.  Really, I thought to myself?!?  Who needs a box of 225 crayons?!?  Wait...what?

In case anyone is wondering, the next thing I am going to do after this blog post, is sitting down with my new coloring book, a cup of orange spice tea, and my new box of 64 crayons with the sharpener in the back.  And I am pretty darn excited about it.  Shhhh...don't tell my mom.

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. ~Seneca

Times are tough in school districts right now.  I am not interested in debating why that is or what we should do about it.  What I am interested in though, is how people seem to be treating people during such a difficult time.  People are going to lose their jobs.  People I think highly of.  People whose calling it is to be in a classroom teaching children.  People, who unfortunately, are being treated with less than the kindness they deserve.

Stranger still, is that the unkindness is coming from those around them.  Those who share a copier and lunchroom. Those who struggle with the same challenges and celebrate the same successes.  Those who, in the not so distant past, faced the same uncertainty.

I am going to assume, in the interest of optimism, that the unkindness is not being done deliberately.  I want to believe that if they understood the sadness and hurt their words caused, they would never have said them or would apologize for them.  I hope I am right.

So, it is with that, I am going to try and follow old Seneca's advice and when I come across a human being, whether I know them well or not, I am going to try and exercise kindness and be thoughtful about what I say before I say it.  It is hard to not think of ourselves and how we will be impacted by whatever is coming down the road and I am not saying that we shouldn't consider ourselves. But, I do think it is important to understand the weight of our words...whether they are kind or not.  We are all too important not to.

Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

Today I finished reading Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls.  One of my favorite reads in the last few years was her first book, Glass Castle, so I was excited to put this on my "to read" list. 

While I enjoyed Half-Broke Horses, it isn't one that I would run out and read again anytime soon.  Nor, can I think of anyone that I might recommend it to.  I think my opinion has more with the fact that I was expecting a follow up to Glass Castle and it wasn't at all.

The story was focused on Jeannette's grandmother's life.  There were a few times that I thought of my own grandmothers, noting similarities and differences, which was fun.  I think one of the best parts of the book was that we were introduced to Jeannette's mother, Rosemary, who is a major character in Glass Castle.  Maybe I just need to reread Glass Castle....

Anyone read Half-Broke Horses?  Opinions?

On www.goodreads.com I have been keeping track of books that I have read and books I want to read.  If you are a reader and are interested...go check it out, and then friend me!

Next up, is Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. 

Where to Start? Now that I have started...

I realized today that I need to come up with some sort of organized way of keeping track of what I am working on and what has been done.  (Not because there is some sort of rule about it, but rather that I am a bit Type A about that kind of thing...hmm...that might make it on my list of things I sometimes don't like about myself.)

Anyway, what I have decided to do is to bold any things that are complete and italicize those things are in progress.  So, with that in mind....here is an update!

I am currently reading two different books. The first being Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Wall (who also wrote Glass Castle, which I loved).  The second being Notebook Connections by Aimee Buckner (who also wrote Notebook Know-How, which I loved).  So far I am liking the first...and LOVING the second. When I finish them I will give a little more information that will make me sound less like I'm a third grader trying to get out of answering a question and more like an adult with an intelligent opinion.  Or at least I will try to...

Today, I also sent a card to a friend that is going through a difficult time with a very fresh loss.  It was a little strange I have to admit, actually writing in a card with a pen vs. typing an email or sending a text.  There was something about needing to be more present and thoughtful. There wasn't a backspace so I had to be a little more aware of what I was writing. 

I was so glad to see that there are some people that have decided to follow me on this journey, at least for the time being. It is motivating and provides me with some accountability. Plus, it makes me feel a little less crazy....more writing for someone to read vs. me talking to myself.  So, thank you for all the encouragement!

The List

I have been a list girl for quite some time.  I love making lists and crossing things off.  If I am feeling stressed or overloaded with too many things to get done, there is nothing that helps me more than making a list.

I have also been a wanting-to-start-a-blog girl for awhile too.  However, I couldn't on earth imagine what in the world I would blog about.  Enter...Charlie Capp, my soon-to-be brother-in-law.  Last week, when looking at his blog for an image from a card he had made, I noticed something I hadn't seen before. He had a list of 101 things that he wanted to accomplish in 1001 days.  Do I need to say it again?  There was a list.  I went to www.dayzeroproject.com.  There were a lot of people that had made lists.

So...I made a list.

The first thing I did from my list-start a blog.  And for me, I hope it will be a blog about my journey to complete, in 1001 days, the 101 things I put on my list.  Some of the things on my list will be easy and some will be more difficult.  Some will bring me great joy and others are sure to bring tears.  But in the end, checking this list off isn't what I want this to be all about.  I hope to learn more about myself and others around me.  I hope I stop and enjoy the little things before I don't have to the chance to enjoy them.  I hope those that mean the most to me, will know it. 

One thing done...100 more to go.  I have 998 days to finish the rest. Join me, won't you?

1. Start a blog

2. Kayak in Hawaii

3. Take a photo a day for one month 

4. Read 50 books

5. Jump in puddles with Taelin

6. Write a letter to someone I admire

7. Write a love letter to my husband

8. Write a list of 50 things I like about myself (50/50)

9. List 10 things I don't like about myself (and how to figure out how to improve) (10/10)

10. Make a list of 101 quotes that inspire me

11. Make a list of 101 things for which I am grateful

12. Make a list of all family and friends Birthdays and Anniversaries

13. Take Taelin camping

14. Complete a coloring book

15. Get to my goal weight

16. Write a matron of honor speech that will make my sister both laugh and cry

17. Bake and decorate sugar cookies

18. Bake a cake from scratch

19. Try 50 new recipes

20. Go to a wine tasting

21. Leave a 100% tip

22. Watch a movie at a drive-in

23. Complete a 1000+ piece puzzle

24. Ask 5 friends to suggest one book, and read them all

25. Pay off my student loan

26. See a Broadway show

27. Commit a Random Act of Kindness Every Month

28. Get rid of 100 things

29. Donate to Toys for Tots

30. Buy flowers for myself

31. Go on a picnic
32. Kayak on a river

33. Host a themed party

34. Learn a new word every week

35. Simplify my life in 10 tangible ways

36. Try glass blowing

37. Visit Crater Lake

38. Visit Yellowstone National Park
39. Eat at 10 new restaurants

40. Take a cake decorating class

41. Take a cooking class

42. Buy flowers for someone else just because

43. Send 50 handwritten cards

44. Make a list of my 50 favorite songs

45. Build a sandcastle

46. Volunteer somewhere

47. Make a font out of my handwriting

48. Go skiing again

49. Watch 10 documentaries

50. Go to a movie by myself

51. Start a garden

52. Submit a photo to failblog

53. List my top 10 movies

54. Scrapbook an album of John for Taelin

55. See a stand up comedian live

56. Play and finish a game of Monopoly with Joe without cheating

57. Learn to juggle 3 balls

58. Build a fire on the beach

59. Pay for the person behind me at Starbucks

60. Update my blog at least once a week

61. Go on a water slide

62. Have a family portrait taken

63. Take a Yoga class

64. Start a daily gratitude journal

65. Play bingo

66. Visit an art exhibition

67. Go sledding

68. Complete the 100 snapshot challenge (24/100)

69. Visit a butterfly garden

70. Renew my Passport

71. Make Mexican Chocolate ice cream

72. Put change in someone's expired parking meter

73. Visit the San Diego Zoo

74. Learn to use chopsticks properly

75. Redo the bedroom: paint, new furniture, new bedding

76. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen starting with each letter of the alphabet.

77. Make a gingerbread house

78. Write a letter to Taelin about how Joe and I met

79. Take a picture with Joe in a photobooth

80. Make jam

81. See the Nutcracker at Christmastime

82. Walk a cancer walk in memory of John
83. Inspire someone to make a Day Zero List

84. Take Taelin on a train ride

85. Teach a class for OWP

86. Take a picture with Santa

87. Give away 5 copies of my favorite book to 5 different people

88. Take Taelin to the World Beat Festival and watch a music performance

89. Spend a whole day at the beach

90. Build a blanket fort

91. Hike an unknown to me trail at Silver Falls

92. Write a fan letter

93. Finish a wordfind book

94. Maintain my goal weight

95. 26 Things Photograph A-Z Theme-Summer 2012

96. Complete a December Daily scrapbook

97. Buy a lottery ticket

98. Hike to the M in Missoula

99. Give 10 "just because" gifts (10/10)

100. Finish writing another 101 things list by the end of 1001 days

101. Celebrate Day 1001!

And off we go...

So, here I am...my first blog post.  By starting this blog I have officially kicked off my 101 Things in 1001 Days list.  1 down...100 to go.

Stayed tuned as I juggle my life as a wife, mother, sister, daughter, teacher, friend...and find a little bit more about being Jodie.