brown goat
the life of city dwellers with a healthy obsession with natureArchive for books
rules for my unborn son
i just stumbled upon this amazingly applicable blog, 1001 rules for my unborn son: let’s get some things straight before i get old and uncool! it’s a blog revealing everyday maxims about how to be a great man, such as:
* eat lunch with the new kid.
* ask your mom to play. she won’t let you win. (i love this one in particular since david and i joke (well, i joke, but i think david is actually worried) that because i am so competitive, i will probably be the hardest critic and biggest fan of my children (and hubby!)).
* all drinking challenges must be accepted.
*bring your mitt to the ballpark.
*never underestimate your fertility.
* feel free to crash a tailgate. (our baby boy already has a onesie that says “future tailgater”)
*make time for your mom on your birthday. it’s her special day too.
*learn to pronounce french words correctly.
and, i could go on and on. it’s a great site that is heartbreakingly sweet and wise and the best news of all is that the blogger has now written a book about his blog that comes out october 27th!
i am dying to have it! it couldn’t be more appropriate.
a day off
i hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. i had a great one, even though i was flying solo on friday and saturday while david was away at a conference.
i am still reminiscing over last week, when i had a lovely and rare day off in the middle of the week since i worked over the weekend. i spent the day wisely and got everything on my to-do list crossed off, but also still relaxed and enjoyed my time away from work.
the day started with the a reading of the new york times (wednesdays are my favorite because of the dining section and i especially enjoyed the julie and julia article: film food, ready for its “bon appetit”- wouldn’t it be so much fun to be a food stylist—i would love that job! and mark bittman’s recipe (i LOVE all his recipes…i really must get his cookbook) stone fruit patchwork bake. i plan to make this soon and will share my results…
next, i ordered lots of decor stuff for our baby boy’s room! i am so excited to get everything in its place and then just be able to sit in the room and enjoy it all. i will post pictures as each part of the room is complete. i think the crib area will be the first one finished, so i look forward to sharing it with you soon. i, then, finished the book i had been reading (for way too long)…a walk in the woods by bill bryson. it was very good, but i am happy to be moving on to my next book (which i started within minutes of finishing a walk in the woods)- consider the oyster by mfk fischer. already, this book makes me long to be near the sea.
i made deliciously tasty granola too. it’s so simple and so good, every time i make it i wonder why i ever buy granola! i combined 4 cups of toasted old fashioned oats with 1 cup of chopped pecans, 2 cups of whole almonds, 1/3 cup of light brown sugar, 3/4 cup of olive oil (this is the secret to extra tasty granola), 1/2 cup of honey, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. i baked it on 350F for 45 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes. yummy!!! and, it will keep in a tupperware for up to 2 weeks.
i even had time in my day to take a walk with sadie, nap for an hour, talk to dad, make a lovely dinner, and watch top chef masters. it’s all in a day’s non-work!
a time to resolve
a brand new year. a clean slate. 365 days full of endless potential. it’s time for my 2009 resolutions. i should start by revisiting my life list…it’s been awhile since i checked myself to see how many of my goals i have accomplished. and then, i will add a few more things to it. after all it’s a life list, surely not to be accomplished in a single year.
the list:
read more books– i did not read as much as i wanted to this year, not even close. my summer time goal was 17 books by year’s end…i read 6 (eat, pray, love; marley and me; animal, vegetable, miracle; the great gatsby; the art of simple food; love in the time of cholera). pathetic. i have lots of books sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read and was lucky enough to get 13 books as birthday and christmas presents. 2009 goal: read 25 books.
learn how to play my keyboard–i learned one song by mates of state and had a lot of fun playing. i will play more this year. maybe my goal will be to include an audio version on the blog of a recorded song by lew and i by year’s end.
find a sewing machine and learn how to sew–the pretty pink sewing machine was purchased and set-up, but i haven’t touched it since. pillows will be made by year’s end. PROMISE. i will include a picture as proof.
practice yoga more often–ahhh. this one i did accomplish. i am practicing ashtanga two to three times each week.
bike more often–to be done starting in the spring when the days get longer and the weather a but easier on the hands and lungs.
take sadie on more walks–YES…another accomplishment. promised her that i would keep this one up.
run when my knee is not hurting–only a few times, but it felt good. sadie is my partner in this one.
a few additions or resolutions for 2009:
take (and pass, i hope) the certified nutrition support clinician exam–the thought of studying seems overwhelming, but i would love to be able to check this off my list of career goals
continue to eat better food; to patronize local producers and artisans; to buy even less from supermarkets than i do now; to think even more carefully about everything i put in my mouth
take more pictures–and post them more frequently in my flickr photostream. please check the actual blog site regularly for current snapshots of our life since all the picture updates don’t get emailed.
post more recipes–i have had several readers request recipes for things i have mentioned in my blog. i promise to make this a frequent part of my future blogging exercise.
read at least two articles from our home delivered new york times EVERY DAY!–as lew would say, if i could just stop straightening, cleaning, or organizing, i would have plenty of time to find out more about what is going on in the world! so, this year, i promise to stop doing all those things for at least the amount of time it takes to read some of the paper.
i would love to know some of your resolutions. please share them with me in the comments section. i am continuously inspired by all of the things that we all do.
once again, happy oh nine. i am looking forward to a wonderful and accomplishment-filled year.
progress on my list
the list, revisited:
read more books; learn how to play my keyboard; find a sewing machine and learn how to sew; practice my yoga more often; bike more often; take sadie on more walks; run when my knee is not hurting
we are in the height of summer…with all intentions of reading more books, i sadly report that i have only finshed two! a bit behind, but boy the first two were great-love in the time of cholera and a re-reading of the great gatsby. i am currently reading a confederacy of dunces and still have every intention of reading more, but there is always other stuff to do…
we joined netflix and i am now obesessed with brothers and sisters! seriously, i can’t get enough of it. i am only on season one, so no give-aways, PLEASE-but i have never watched something that consistently makes me laugh out loud, smile uncontrollably, and cry all in one 43 minute episode. in fact, i never watch anything that makes me cry, yet this show does it. that damn war…
and, big news (and quite helpful for making progres on my list) my sweet mom gave me a sewing machine! so now i can get started on yet another thing…first, learning how to sew and then making pretty new things.
plus, i am advancing in my yoga practice and think i will start the mysore class (advanced ashtanga yoga) in the next few weeks, i am biking in the mornings and enjoying the hills and the cool morning breezes, and faithfully trying to walk sadie multiple times weekly.
life has so many fun things to spend time on…i could never be bored.
i just need 5 more days in the week to fill with stuff to do!
i passed!
i passed my rd exam last friday and feel like the weight of books and school have been lifted off my shoulders. after a battle to graduate and get my thesis finished, i was able to sit for the exam about 5 months after my anticipated graduation date and i passed without too much sleep loss.
within 24 hours of being granted the title of registered dietitian, i began making a list of all the things i want to do with all my new free time (thanks to my personality that requires me to always be busy and organized!). conveniently, the new york times had published an article the morning of my exam about the book 1001 books you must read before you die. if you haven’t seen the list, you should really check it out: the list.
david and i poured over the list, counting the number of books we have each read (a lame total of only 29!) and then i quickly made a goal for myself of 17 books before the end of the year (starting after i finish my current book). that’s 1 book every 12 days, if i start at the beginning of june. never have been able to do that before, but its somethng to shoot for. i will keep you updated on the books i read and my progress. currently, i am finishing love in the time of cholera by Gabriel García Márquez. i have 130 pages left, better get through those last pages before this sunday or i will have less than 12 days per book!
my list of “fun things to do” continues with:
learn how to play my keyboard (currently working on a mates of state song)
find a sewing machine and learn how to sew (just ordered fabric yesterday and hope to begin my first project soon)
practice my yoga more often, bike more often, take sadie on more walks, and run when my knee is not hurting
here’s to a new life without school- no thesis, no tests, no papers, and no exams!
