A sticky situation

I made peanut butter cookies yesterday. Man, is that process a sticky one. No matter how neat I try to be there is still peanut butter on the counter, my fingers and all over Little Monster's face! While making them I had the bright idea to add chocolate whipped topping to some of them. Kinda like a peanut butter cup I was hoping. Actually it was really good! Even my dad liked them and he's not a big fan of PB cookies. Win!!

  

 It was like 25 degrees yesterday so on goes the thick tights and funny fuzzy hat. Got this from my mom last year when I still lived in California and so didn't have much opportunity to wear it. It's definitely getting its use this year.

 

Here's my cookie making (and fudge making) outfit.

 

dress: faded glory (walmart)

blouse: dfa new york (burlington)

tights: miley cyrus (walmart)

boots: nickels (thrifted)

hat: gifted (gee thanks! ;) )

 

 Yummy, scrummy peanut butter cookies. Recipe from my trusty Better Homes and Garden cookbook. I've used that sucker so much some pages are falling out and some pages seem to have food fingerprints on them (ewww!).  Before:





 

After: I set them in the frig to harden a bit and then...mmmmm....

Alright, going into the "big city" today to finish up the very last of the shopping. Gonna pick up some nourishment in the way of a big peppermint coffee. mmmm....peppermint...

linking up with: This 'n That Thursday at Katie Did What.

relax,
paulina

Holiday song of the day:

Good King Wenceslas - York Minster

Wrap dresses and wrapping paper

 

I'm so glad I went to Target last year after Christmas and stocked up wrapping paper and other stuff while it was all 50-75% off.

 

I have gone through three and a half rolls of paper and three rolls of scotch tape already and I still have a little bit more to wrap! EEEKKK!!

 

As I'm wrapping and carting presents to my Mom's house this what I'm wearing.

 

 

 

A simple black dress that's not technically a wrap but the skirt portion of it is.

 

 dress: thrifted (Goodwill)

sweater: Talbots (gifted)

shirt: Merona (Target)

tights: Target

booties: Kmart



 

I like this dress. It's of a stretchy jersey material with ample room for bust and bootie. I found it at Goodwill with the tag still on and they had like five other colors but I only bought the black as that's the color I wear most. Wore this through Summer and now through Winter with the addition of tights and a long sleeve. Definitely got my money worth on this baby!

 

Here's our haul so far. Gotta run into town tomorrow to pick up those last few gifts.

 

 

I know my Mom's tree is small (but cute). But hey, it makes the presents look really big! And yes, she is a big Betty Boop fan. Those are just a teeny tiny fraction of what she has. I opened the bathroom closet to look for something and a bag of Betty Boops fell on me. Boop boop de boop!!

 

linking to: Pleated Poppy - What I wore Wednesday and Create Hope Inspire - Wardrobe Wednesday

 

relax,

paulina

 

Holiday song of the day: (kids are learning it to sing to The Hubs since he won't be here for Christmas) *unhappy face*

 

Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

 

 

Menu plan and a new website

You don't have to be a mom to go to this new website I found on Sunday, it's helpful for all women or even the cook in your family.

momswhothink.com

Under the Food and Recipes tab there are all kinds of categories: 30 minute dinners, casserole recipes, chicken dinners, Sunday dinners even breakfast is covered. I happened to click on the 8 week menu plan. They have a dinner planned out every night for 8 weeks! With photos and recipes! There is even a healthier option category for the 8 weeks.

You can't go wrong with this website! You are bound to find something new or just get a kick start in the same 'ol, same 'ol. I know I did. I was on a tight budget for grocery shopping for these next two weeks and I was able to come up with 9 dinners at/or below $10 a piece using momswhothink  as a reference guide. Some items I already had on hand so that helped too. This menu plan is not including Christmas as I'm going to my mom's that day.

But, without further ado here is my menu plan for the next two weeks!!

MENU PLAN
===================================================
Tuesday: Baked Pesto Chicken
sides: angel hair pasta, (instead of french bread I'll throw together a salad)
$6.93

Wednesday: Homemade Mac & Cheese
sides: mixed vegetables
$3.20

Thursday: Bacon and Cheese Quiche
(using sausage instead of bacon as kids like that better and 18 pack of eggs will be put towards baked treats also)
sides: home fries
$9.03

Friday: Chili Coke Roast
sides: mash, green beans
$10.58

Saturday: Honey Pecan Pork Chops
sides: corn, salad
$8.13

Sunday: Easy Chicken Stroganoff
sides: mixed veggies
$4.90

Monday: Bubble Pizza
$8.20

Tuesday: Merry Christmas!!

Wednesday: Tacos
side: salad
$8.10

Thursday: Breaded Baked Pork Chops
sides: stuffing, corn
$9.43


Make sure and check this site out! There are other helpful tips and ideas to find. This is now in my bookmarks!!

linking up with: Menu Plan Monday on orgjunkie.com




relax,
paulina

Holiday song of the day:

Shake up Christmas by Train

Christmas accessories and a Christmas concert

Last night was PickyPants' Christmas concert. She plays the trombone which is kinda funny because it's almost as big as she is!

This is what I wore.

green maxi dress (thrifted), silver sweater (Chadwicks), black booties (Kmart)

 

Yeah, I shop at Kmart. Sometimes they have really good deals and cute clothes, one just has to look. I shop everywhere. I'm not biased! ha!

I thought green (or teal as it's coming out in the pictures) and silver was festive enough for a school concert.

And I'm representin' the holidays with my accessories. I noticed later that Santa's little feet were knocked off. Oh well!



santa pin and snowman scarf

So the concert was cute. PickyPants did a good job. We left after the third act because it was getting late. I really only cared about her and once she was done we hightailed it out of there. I did get a recording of her part of the concert but I'll spare you guys! ;)


Here's a picture of her and her trombone afterwards.

She really likes playing it and I hope she keeps it up.

And here's some cute snowman the kids made to decorate the stage with.

Well...off to go get my layaway and do some wrapping.

I'll definitely need a "grown-up" eggnog to keep me sustained through all the wrapping tonite!

relax,
paulina

I just can't quit you.

Heard some news last week which kept me up most of the night I was so excited!

Phoenix has a new album coming out in April!!

AAAAAHHHH!!

Which means they will be touring next year!

AAAAAHHHH!!

I haven't seen them since 2010 and have been eagerly awaiting this news.

I was lucky enough to see them 8 times during their last tour and I hope to see them that many times again or break my record.

I have started working out, eating right, stopped drinking alcohol (ok, only once a week) and am now saving $100 out of each paycheck for my Phoenix fund. Will also be putting some of tax refund aside too. Already setting up babysitters, telling The Hubs to get time off and dusting off my passport - for those concerts in Canada, natch!

Now if you've heard of them or even bought Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix but have not seen them in concert I highly recommend that you put it on your to-do list for 2013. Their concerts are addictive!! The energy they bring, the French coolness factor not to mention they're four hot guys, what more could a girl ask for??



So, go! Please do!!

Maybe you'll see me. I'm always up front and slightly to the left. Make sure you say hi. I won't be hard to miss. Just look for the girl who's freaking out!




relax,
paulina

Gah! What just happened?!

O.K. something not so yummy just happened.

In my mom's refrigerator there is a cute cellophane package tied up with a pretty red bow. I eyed it and thought "ooo...yummy little gingerbread squares or fudge, no one will know if I just take a little piece."

I pulled it quietly out of the fridge, untied the cute little bow and popped a tiny square in my mouth.

Immediate horror struck my taste buds.

Not fudge, not gingerbread.

DOG BISCUITS!!

I start gagging and spitting in the sink, washing my mouth out furiously. All the while my Little Monster is saying "Mommy, what you doing? Mommy?"

I can't answer. I have dog biscuit all over my tongue and teeth. What just happened?! I'm gagging, retching, spitting.

Finally get it all rinsed out and start looking for something to get this nasty taste out of my mouth. Luckily I come across some Vanilla Whipped Topping for the cookies and so out of desperation (natch) stick my finger in and rub it all over my tongue, would have worn it for lipstick if that was socially acceptable.

Of course, sneaking food out of someones fridge might not be socially acceptable but in my defense they looked so good.

That's what I get.

relax,
paulina

Be careful what you wish for.

Snow, I'm talking about you.

Yeah, you with your so-called "Winter Wonderland." Why, you have whole songs and movies written about you. And Frosty for crying out loud.

What's all the fuss about?

I'll admit you were fun for the first couple of days. It was nice looking out my window watching you come down with a tasty beverage in my hand wondering if you would still be around come Halloween night. Walking in you listening to you crunch under my boots was a welcome, hearty sound. One I hadn't heard for a long, long time. Trying to build snowmen or a decent snowball out of your fluffy goodness was a laugh riot.

I ain't laughing now.

Do you see this face? :(   This ain't a happy face.

Living in California I always wished for a white Christmas. That was back when the closest we got to snow was big hailstones that melted an hour later.  That was back when I wished that there was snow in my backyard to go along with my White Christmas movie.

That was back before I had to drive in you. 

Now?

Now, you're nothing but big flakes that fall for 8 hours straight or more and that stick all over my car and driveway. Now you're something that I have to dig my car out from under. Now I actually have to buy these things called "De-Icer" and, God forbid, this strange apparatus called a....a...Snow Shovel!

Now when I absolutely have to go to the grocery store (because I ran out of TP and let's face it, one can only use paper towels for so long) I have to crawl along at a snail's pace (if there are any snails out there considering it's 22 degrees!). I have to put my car in this thing called "4-Wheel Drive." I have to end up turned the complete opposite way on the highway just when I left the theatre after seeing Skyfall and you fell from the sky the whole 2 1/2 hours I was in there (yes, everything up o.k. and no, luckily the kids weren't with me!)

I have to tear up my driveway just getting in and out. I have to feel the back of my car get a little squirrelly. I have to have an eggnog with a li'l somethin', somethin' in it to calm my nerves after being out in you.

I have to look out my window and wonder "Do I really need to go anywhere today? I do still have a roll of paper towels left and a cup of eggnog left." I have to screw up my courage and grip the wheel in a 11:00/4:00 o'clock position.

Snow, I refuse to be intimidated by you!!

But...Snow....

I hate driving in you!!

relax,
paulina

Menu Plan Monday

I was supposed to post this yesterday but time got away from me and then I got tired and wanted to watch Moonlighting.

I'm proud of my menu this week and of how little money I spent at the store. :)

I found a new way of shopping, I buy all the ingredients for dinners first then the extra stuff. I'm surprised at how little I end up spending compared to going through the grocery store in a systematic order. Or shopping when I'm hungry.

Always a plus!

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie. Go check out the plethora of menus and add your own!
==============================================================



Menu Plan

Monday: Grilled Cheese made with wheat french bread, tomatoes and green onions
sides: macaroni salad
$: 5.50
(helped that I had a big block of cheese already)

Tuesday: Macaroni and Cheese (homemade)*
$: 1.08

Wednesday: Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Pie*
(will add carrots)
$: 13.90

Thursday: Steak and Mash
$: 14.40
(steak was a li'l expensive but there were a lot in the package so it's basically two meals there)

Friday: Mexican Scrambled Eggs*
$: 5.30

Saturday: Tortilla Soup
$: free as I didn't have to buy anything extra to make this.

Sunday: Quesadillas with chopped ham and green onions*
$: 6.05

Monday: Frozen Lasagna
(first night in new home - gotta make it easy)
$: 11.00

Tuesday: Hot Dogs
sides: chili
$: 5.80
(still taking it easy - got unpacking to do!)

Extras: Banana Chocolate-Chip Muffins*

*'d recipes inspired by Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

Will showcase the chicken potpie later in week.

relax,
paulina

Theme Thursdays. Sticks and Scones

Theme Thursdays is hosted by Kayven at Reading Between Pages...

Each Thursday she picks a theme and we participators select a sentence from current-book-of-choice that fits said theme.



This week it's about "walking" (stepping, running, etc...)

That being said, here is my li'l snippet:

"She came walking up the steps by the dentist's office as stealthily as a cat, and just as quietly."
Sticks and Scones, Diane Mott Davidson, pg. 286

I've been reading Sticks and Scones, my first Goldy Schulz, caterer/amateur sleuth, book.

I like the unique factor of the menu that Goldy is going to cook up is at the beginning of the book and that recipes are scattered throughout the story. (awkward sentence there but you get the picture)

I do not like Goldy. She is paranoid, snoopy and a major cop-caller. But I guess after being involved in 9 other murders and attempts-on-her-life (I'm only assuming here as this is the 10th book) I have to give her being paranoid.

I do not like that there is so much going on this book; who shot out her window? who stole the stamps? what's her ex-husband up to? (Oh, that's another thing, Goldy seems to have been married to an fidelity-challenged, abusive type of guy for an indeterminate amount of time. Why, Goldy, why did you stay so long? I've puzzled through that while reading.) is the castle haunted? is her now-husband cheating? And on top of all that Goldy has two luncheons to cater and some mysteries to solve, ahead of the detectives nonetheless. Whew! What a busy girl!

I do not like that the one recipe I was really interested in trying, Chicken Croquettes, was not in the book. I had to look that one up on allrecipes (which the kids ate up, by the way!). Although I am interested in trying out Huevos Palacios, basically a frittata with chili (which Tom, the husband, not Goldy made for breakfast).

With only 62 pages or so left, I will stick it and found out whodunit but don't know if I would pick up another.

Plus, I just gotta find out if that castle is haunted.

relax,
paulina

Reading: Mary Higgins Clark

well....i've been away from the blogging game for awhile. a long while.

miss me?

you don't have to answer that.

now, that i'm sitting here my mind is a complete blank.

i put on the Daft Punk station on Pandora to get me in the mood.

i've also fallen away from all my book challenges i set in the beginning of the year, maybe i can catch up.

maybe.

lately i've been reading Mary Higgins Clark. never picked up her books before. I've been getting my Grandma the books on CD while i would read the book. then we compare/talk about it.

Have read No Place Like Home and just finished Where Are You Now?.

Where Are You Now? is a whole heck of a lot better than NPLH. With NPLH I guessed who it was from the beginning and how it ended - with a marriage - just pissed me off. With WAYN? i didn't guess who it was so it was a bit of a page turner for me and I finished it whithin a week, which for me is saying a lot. didn't like how it ended in a marriage (again) but since I saw that one coming a mile away I wasn't too mad.

i like how the chapters are short so that I can read like 10 chapters at a sitting and not get too bored. when i start to get bored i flip ahead, so that's when i know it's time to put the book down.

i finished this one before Grandma has finished her CD's and i'm dying for her to finally finish. She finished NPLH before me and to tell you the truth, because i found that one extremely boring and annoying i just went ahead and skimmed through the last couple of chapters to get to the real meat of the "whodunnit." Which wasn't a surprise like I said.

i'll probably read a couple more but i tell you if they keep ending in marriages i'm going to throw in the towel.

relax,
paulina

Reading: Murder of a Bookstore Babe

Finally finished my first cozy mystery of the year.

Came out last year and it is #13 in the series. Basically it's about this chick, Skye Denison, who is a school psychologist in a small town, she has dated/is dating the two hottest guys in Scumble River and she stumbles across murders.

In this one a new bookstore is opening up by a couple that is from New York City (new york city?!) and the town is up in arms about it because they don't like newbies, especially newbies that are going to take business away from their own mom&pop stores.

It doesn't take long before a dead body turns up in the bookstore. So the question is, was the victim the intended victim or not?? Oh, and who did it of course.

At just 243 pages, I'm surprised at how long it took me read this little paperback but I finally got through it and have now completed book #1 for the cozy mystery challenge and the letter M for the A-Z.

Now, the challenge is to find mysteries that don't start with Muuuurrrrderrrr.

What I liked:
1) The protagonist seems to be a slightly chubby woman with a healthy appetite who's comfortable with herself. I like that she's not a "skinnie-minnie-with-an-attitude", that type gets real old after a while. (am I right, ladies??)

two nuggets of wisdom I came away with:

2) "...a closed mind is often accompanied by an open mouth." Father Burns, pg. 226

3) "...any relationship is under the control of the person who cares the least, not the most." Skye Dennison, pg. 239 (This struck out to me, and as I thought about past relationships it really rang true...just something to think about....)

What I didn't like:
1) With the aforementioned number one being said....I really didn't like Skye's personality. It seemed slightly vanilla to me. The Chicago Tribune called her a "charming heroine." I didn't find her all that charming, she seemed so Pollyanna. I really wanted Skye to have a flaw (other than the few pounds). She doesn't have a whole of wit and it seems like she takes other people way too seriously.

2) The small town attitude. This takes place in Scumble River and Skye is related to almost half the population what with all the cousins and such and apparently her mother is the town's biggest gossip and knows all the news that's fit to know. Skye's mother got annoying half way through. I'm not a small town girl and the whole "everyone knowing each others business" grated on my nerves. (although The Cat Who...books don't annoy me, go figure)


I most likely won't be visiting Scumble River in the near future. I came, I stayed three weeks, I'm hightailing it out of there!!

With my book reviews comes Theme Thursdays hosted by Reading Between Pages..., this week the theme is  very:

"Skye shook her head. Her brother was excellent at existing in the here and now, but he had never been very good with the concept of future consequences." Murder of a Bookstore Babe, pg. 83

Next on my TBR list: Tinker Tailor...and Paranormalcy.

Get reading!

relax,
paulina

Eating: fill in the blank: Tyler Florence is ---------.

a pretentious snobbish boor.

in my humble opinion.

Checking the mail one fine day, you come across a dinner party invite from Tyler Florence (because as luck would have it (good or bad take your pick) he lives on your street). It seems that he just got back from one of his many fabulous vacations and he's eager to try out some new recipes on his neighborhood friends. "Oh, no." you say to yourself while cringing a little inside, because, dear reader, this invitation is a double-edged sword.

You know from past experience that Tyler Florence can be charming, very hospitable and he is a chef so there is that whole free food thing, but....

You'll have to endure endless (and boring) stories and slides of where exactly, down some hidden alley cafe that he only knew of, he was inspired, who he was inspired by, what dishes made him cry out with joy, what sunsets made him weep, every single person he met and so on and so on....

All of the dishes will look good but only half will actually be eatable (or 1/4 as I found out) the rest won't have much flavor at all. But it's a crap shoot on which is which.

You might be offered something like:

1) Black Eyed Peas with Stewed Tomatoes - (very thick, I could stick my fork up in it and was actually kinda bland)

2) Fennel Sausage Hush puppies - (blame The Hubs a li'l on this one as he made them really big, but fennel? really?? and sausage? is it really a hush puppy with all that crammed in it?)

3) Chili Cheese Dogs - (the chili was very ketchupy and bland, Cupcake thought it tasted more like Sloppy Joe mix and who wants that on their hot dog, I ask.)

4) Mexican Street Tacos - (go down to week 6) (the best one! it tasted close to a taco truck taco, I should know being the connoisseur of roach coaches/taco trucks that I am, and I had to stop myself from licking the cutting board. The Hubs did overcook it to where it was well-done, recipe calls for med., but as that is exactly how I like it I loved it!)

See what you're faced with?!

On one hand there's free food, friends and a chance to try some new, hopefully good, dishes.

On the other there's Tyler Florence.

What do you do?

relax,
paulina

Another rousing round of "songs i'm diggin' "

ever heard a song and then like it so much you gotta listen to it over and over again? in the same day?

that's what happened to me today.

was listening to radio lounge.fm and heard a song that i was immediately struck by and promptly looked up on youtube and played it over and over. told Cupcake about it when she got home and she was like "yeah, i've heard of it and totally like it." we looked up the official video on bing and i have been playing it constantly ever since.

can't get it out of my head, wanna sing it on karaoke.


gotye - somebody that i used to know (feat. kimbra) | www.akilli.tv

another song the girls introduced me to that i wanna hear over and over is:

Awolnation: It's not your fault

and of course, i loooove this one. it came out during the summer and i had it on constant replay. I put it away for December and just today took it for a spin. still loooove it. looked up the official lyrics today as there was one or two lines i couldn't, for the life of me, decipher. now that i know what he's saying, i think it's even more cute!

Martin Solveig: The night out featuring Thomas Mars

the lyrics just in case: http://www.lyricsmania.com/the_night_out_lyrics_martin_solveig.html

cupcake and i reminisced about the last time we saw Phoenix and we got all excited and started jumping up and down, waving our hands and screaming. (yeah, I can totally act like a 14 year old)

i can only wonder what the neighbors were thinking.....

relax,
paulina

p.s. yes, gotye is on its 50th rotation

Menu planning: week six

Thought I'd join my fellow menu-planners this week.

Even though I've been slow on the blog front I've still been planning my weekly menu. The great thing is now I have pages in my notebook full of menu plans and grocery lists - makes things so much easier when I'm stuck and I can go back and refresh my memory on a great dinner we had and see the ingredients right there!

Today I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday @ I'm an organizing junkie.

====================================================================
Menu Plan Monday:

Monday: Lasagna, The Hubs recipe - lets hope he doesn't put too much ricotta in it :p

Tuesday: Mexican Street Tacos-new recipe from Eat This Book by Tyler Florence -

Wednesday: Tostados
sides: spanish rice

Thursday: Ham Greek Salad w/hard boiled eggs - new recipe

Friday: Ham and cheese quiche
sides: simple salad, kiwi-strawberry pops (for dessert)

Saturday: Pulled pork sandwiches - crock pot
sides: homemade onion rings

Sunday: Potato soup
sides: homemade bread - I'm trying my hand at making my own...wish me luck!
===============================================================

I'll be showcasing Tuesday's dinner Wednesday. I have some words to say about 'ol Tyler Florence's cookbooks.....(grrrr....)

relax,
paulina

Reading: challenges, challenges, everywhere challenges!!

Without further ado here are the 2012 reading challenges I'm participating in:

1. Harlequin Silhouette 2012 Reading Challenge hosted by Islandgirl reads Romance.

2. Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge  hosted by Yvonne.

3.  Speculative Romance hosted by Book Chick City

4. Finishing the Series Reading Challenge also hosted by Yvonne

and while I'm reading these I'll be adding to:

5. A-Z Book Challenge hosted by Babies, Books and Signs.

This is the first year that I'm doing any reading challenges. I'm actually pretty excited and got a cozy mystery yesterday to start things off with. Unfortunately I got a speculative romance on audiobook which is not allowed, so.....

Please join us and sign up!! Click on the links for more specific rules from the original source and keep up with my progress here.

While browsing through the library yesterday I thought of two more reading challenges:

1) Danielle Steel Reading Challenge - how many can you read??

2) Books into Movies Reading/Viewing Challenge - read the book and watch the movie adaptation. Which do you like better? How many can you do?? I got this idea when I picked up "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy".

Is anyone doing challenges like this? Would you be interested?

Well, off I go to read....and read and read and read and....

relax,

paulina

Reading: The Serpent and The Moon

The Serpent and The Moon

Being not all interested in history in high school, you'll probably be amazed at what I don't know/remember. Since 2011 I've dived into learning more history, French history to be exact. I started with Napoleon, went to  Louis XVI and am now in the 16th century with Henri II and his great love affair with Diane de Poitiers.

And now that I'm the one saying what I learn, I'm way more interested and retain the information a lot better!

So. This takes place during during the reign of Francois I and his son Henri II. Henri was the third son born and did not have a very affectionate childhood as his father was always out with the military or partying and his mother died with he was young. Henri was sent to Spain with his brother Francois, the Dauphin, when he was 6 for six years. He came back a changed man (boy), as imprisonment will do to you. And who was there to greet him with a loving embrace and kind words? Why, Diane de Poitiers that's who. The one constant throughout his young life. She was there when he was born (being 20 years his senior) and was in charge of his and his siblings well-being in the nursery.

This affected Henri greatly and he devoted his life to making Diane de Poitiers his "Lady" and, later on, making sure she knew how loved she was.

Henri was forced into an arranged marriage with Italian Catherine de' Medici when they were 15. Unfortunately for Catherine she fell in love at first sight. Henri had had his eye on Diane since he was 12 and so Catherine made little impact.

Diane and Henri eventually succumbed to having a physical relationship. The writer believes that Diane probably resisted at first since she had known Henri since he was a babe. But eventually even she couldn't resist this hunk of a Prince who clearly worshipped the ground she walked on.

Catherine, while not beautiful, was very street-smart and book-smart and finally came to realize what was up. Not wanting to embarrass the love of her life, she sat and waited. "Hate and Wait" became her motto. Diane, also not wanting to embarrass anyone, worked hard to keep the relationship between her and Henri on the down low. As she was Catherine's head Lady, she had to keep a poker face at all times.

The three settled into a love triangle of sorts. Henri would spend time with Diane (known as The Moon), who would then make him go up to his wife and once that "duty" was done Henri would slink back down to Diane. Everyone ended up living like this for 23 years. Catherine (known as The Serpent) gave birth to 9 children.

Henri II's reign lasted 12 years. I think he tried to be a good King but his obsession with Diane lead to his complete dependence on her and her opinions. She essentially ruled the King. I haven't quite finished yet (30 pages to go) so won't leave you with a spoiler!

Things that struck out to me:

1. Nostradamus was one of Catherine de' Medici's fortune tellers.
2. Francois I and Henry VIII died the same year.
3. The author, HRH Princess Michael of Kent is descended from both Catherine and Diane (read to find out how!).
4. I have come away with a good idea for a tattoo. "Qui me alit me extinguit" - it's a French Renaissance saying about the paradox of how love bring both pleasure and pain.
(goes with my "Secundus ut nullus" tattoo - well....haven't gotten it yet....)

As this is Thursday I'm going to participate in Reading Between Pages... Theme Thursday. This week's theme is NEW.

"During these later years, most of her creative energy was spent on the gardens of Chenonceau, importing new varieties of flowers from America."
The Serpent and The Moon - pg. 343

relax,
paulina

blank pages.....

I hate staring at this blank box.

My mind, though full of thoughts only minutes before, becomes stark and barren. Tumbleweeds drift through and the theme from "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" echoes through the lonely landscape.

I feel the same way when I open a new notebook. I open it, the cover is still stiff, and I gaze upon the clean sheets of paper. My mind goes blank. I panic. I was just brimming with lists and goals and the subtle excitement of a clean, fresh notebook. But the blank page intimidates me. What do I really have to say? What is so important that I have to make a list for it and document it anyway? My handwriting is horrible and I hate to mark it up with my haphazard chicken scratch.

I like notebooks. The prospect of what they could be filled with fills me with hope, "this time I'll be organized. this time I'll fulfill my goals."

I buy them, bring them home, open them up, rejoice in that new notebook smell and.....theme song again, please.

I have found a way around this.

I don't write on the first page.

I go a couple of pages in. There the pages don't mock me with their vast open space, twittering quietly to itself "I knew she couldn't do it" like that first page seems to do. I see the lines ready to be filled, I'm thinking of lists again and I'm off to the races, as they say.

I wish I could do that here. You don't know how many times I sat in front of this screen pounding out a line or two only to backspace it all away. Thinking the whole time that these ideas for posts don't sound as good in black and white as they did in my head.

Then I give up and go stream something instead.

If I could just flip a few pages here I would be fine and you'd have more posts to read.

Considering this is the first post of the year, maybe I gotta think of like that first writing in a notebook; hard to start but once that first (or in my case, tenth or eleventh) page is written on it gets easier and easier to mar those once beautiful pages with my chicken scratch.


relax,
paulina