My 5 Best Qualities, because I couldn’t think of 10

Inquisitive
I want to know about things, about people, about ideas and thoughts.

Persistent
I never give up on something important. It may take me a million tries, but I will keep trying until I figure it out.

Diligent
I work damn hard.

Speed
I read fast. I learn fast. I work fast. I walk fast. I think it’s because I’m so focused on whatever I’m doing that nothing’s going to get in the way.

Good listener
When you’re talking to me, unless I have an open book (or an open nook) in my lap, I’m listening to you. I’ll remember what you tell me, because you, and by extension it, are important to me.

42

You were wondering about the meaning of life, right?  Well, there you go.

Yah. Okay, well, I know I haven’t been present much lately, if anyone is even still reading at this point, and all you’ve been getting are brief responses to Plinky prompts.  Things are crazy, as usual, and about to get crazier.  Work is work, as it tends to be, and I’m there 5 days a week working away. I’ll be getting some new processes to QA, so lots of learning, and we’re getting rid of two processes for which I spent hours this month preparing procedures manuals. Wasted days and wasted nights….

The writing project proceeds apace. It’s been fascinating, and I am very much enjoying it. I hope that it all comes out beautifully.

I’m in a cooking frenzy, or would be if I had as much time to cook as I wanted. I baked some banana bread the other day, and tried to healthify it a little bit.  I don’t know if the changes I made really did any good, but it sure tasted great, so here’s the recipe:

Faith’s Banana Bread

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sucanat  (you could probably substitute all sucanat for the granulated, but I wasn’t sure how it would affect the texture)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup soured soymilk (stir in a bit of cider vinegar and let it set for a few minutes)
• 2 large or 3-4 medium overripe bananas, mashed
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 1 cup sliced raw almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of large loaf pan. Mix sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat in the eggs until well blended. Stir in the bananas, soymilk, and almond extract.  Beat until smooth.  Add the flour, soda and salt, mixing well, then stir in the almonds.  Pour the batter into the loaf pan and cook for about 60-70 minutes.  Watch it closely that last 10 minutes or so; I used a glass loaf pan and mine burned a little on the bottom. No harm, though; I just sliced off the bottom layer and threw it in the bin and no one the wiser.

Chase is back in the hospital, which is not good news. I will be providing respite care, starting soon, I hope, and I’m happy about that.  His mother definitely needs time to get away, and spending time with Chase is usually a joy and a pleasure. And even when he’s being a stinker, I still love him madly.

That’s about all. I’ve been crazy busy but there’s not much to write about, hence the brief responses to Plinky prompts, as I said above. How’re you doing?

This Movie Always Makes Me Cry

I have to first preface this by saying this is the movie that I watch over and over (at Christmas). There are other movies that would always make me cry if I were to watch them again, which not being a complete imbecile I do not. Like Life is Beautiful, or Schindler's List, or Shadowlands. Capisce?

Anyway, White Christmas does it to me every time, turns me into a sobbing mass of sentimentality. Rosemary Clooney finding out der Bingle was actually a good guy. Vera whatsername with the great legs and Danny Kaye finally enjoying the smoochies. And the General getting the honour and recognition that his own country no longer paid him, from the men who served under his command. And the snow.

Seriously? What's not to love?

What I Believe (or Don’t)

Angel Moroni. Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos dias

I think I’d describe myself as something else. Seriously, though, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That’s a mouthful, and most people call us Mormons. My faith is something that defines who I am to a very large part. It’s difficult for me to talk about to people who don’t understand, because it is so precious to me.

That being said, there are plenty of things that I don’t understand. I have far more questions than answers. But I also have faith that some day the answers will be there for me.

The Funniest Movie Ever

Everything. The complete inappropriateness of everything, perhaps. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are an unbeatable combination.

Inconsistency: the one constant in my life

When I was in 11th grade in high school, my English teacher shared a quotation from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of litle minds.”  That immediately became one of my favourite quotations because I’m as inconstant as an autumn day.

I don’t know if it’s the bipolar or just one of my quirks. I’ll be passionately fascinated by something and will spend a lot of time immersing myself, studying, figuring things out, almost to the point of obsession. And then one day I’ll wake up and I’m tired of it. I’m finished. Ready to move on to whatever the next thing is.  This isn’t necessarily a good thing, and nor is it necessarily a bad thing. It’s the way it is. It’s the way I am.

What I’d Say to My 16-Year-Old Self

Oh gosh–um, dump Tony. That was a seriously messed up situation. And don’t even start with Casanova or Lepecker (names changed to protect the guilty). Don’t cut 50% of your classes and write your own excuses because (a) you will get caught and (b) you will get caught. Don’t mess with the VOE, just keep going to college prep courses. And when you graduate, know that there is such a thing as financial aid, and go to university at 17 instead of waiting until you’re a whole heckuva lot older. You can pass math if you have adequate instructors and tutors. And you’re going to seriously love acting and dramaturgy, so take some classes and get involved. take voice lessons–you can sing adequately, and with some instruction might be able to learn to sing well. And your love for dance will never die, so keep doing it so you don’t get fat and unable to do it. The phone company is not the place for you, so don’t even think of trying to get a job there. Save money. Don’t feel like you have to spend it all. And just be sure you’re in Salt Lake City in 1989 so you can meet Joe.

Oh! And the damned cramps aren’t all in your head. You have endometriosis. Make the doctors listen to you and put you on birth control so the endo won’t take over your girly bits and keep you from having kids. And if ten doctors won’t listen, go to eleven. And so on. They’re wrong to say it’s all in your head or that once you get married and start having sex they’ll go away or that after you have your first kid they’ll go away. They are all wrong. Stand up for yourself.

And dye your hair purple and dye it pink and dye it blue and be as crazy as you want to while you’re young.

Don’t go to Minnesota; you’ll hate it there. Don’t go see Van Halen with Derek.  Travel, even if you have to ride a Greyhound bus. See the things you dream of seeing. Do what you dream of doing. Don’t believe what other people tell you about yourself.

I think the whys are self-evident.

In defense of my vice: terminal addiction to books

Book Addiction

I was young. Way young. When it started, my descent into depravity was caught on my dad's old movie camera. I stared at him, innocent of anything but his intrusion as I sat on my potty, a huge book covering my lap. It got worse–a few years later I was covering my bed-side lamp with a blanket and sneaking books under the covers in a desperate attempt not to get caught reading after I'd been sent to bed. Then I was reading in the tub, thank goodness no one invaded my privacy there, and I only dropped a couple of books. Soon I was reading morning, noon and night. I'd get sent outside to play, and I'd climb a tree and read a book. I'd be sent to the table, and ordered not to bring a book with me, so I'd read the back of the cereal box. If I was stuck in a bathroom without a book, I'd read the back of the shampoo bottle. Even now I'd rather read than clean, rather read than go to concerts, rather read than visit the dentist, rather read than work. I have books in the kitchen, books in the living room, books in the bathroom, books in my home office, books in my car. And now with my Nook, I have hundreds of books in my purse. I go to Barnes & Noble on Friday nights to read.

I'll never quit. Never! I'll quit reading when you pry my cold, dead hands off my book!

What's More Important

The illustration has little to do with where I live. Of course, when it's a billion degrees here, I frequently wish I lived in Antarctica…

Nature Antarctica 19

Where I live is far more important to me. However, I don't really have much of a choice in where I live, so I guess it's a moot point. I make a living working in quality assurance, and quite enjoy it, and I'm starting to make some money writing, which I enjoy even more.

Life is good!!!!

I was not tagged by Janet and I found the questions interesting

1. What would your perfect day consist of? A very late breakfast with Joe; lunch and a movie with Liz; and shopping till my feet fall off with anyone who wants to join me. And then a 90 minute pedicure while I read my Nook.

2. How would you describe yourself if you were an item of clothing?  A pair of very quirky extremely funky high heeled loafers that you’d wear with dress shorts and a gauzy white shirt and a suntan.

3. What hobbies are you currently working on? Writing, interior decorating.

4. Walking in the woods in wellies or barefoot on the beach? Barefoot on the beach, but only if it’s not too hot and is pleasantly breezy.

5. Have you ever hugged or sang to a tree? Um, yes, and I don’t do drugs so I have no excuse except my maudlin over-romantic  nature. I even wrote two poems to that tree. :blush

6. Growing your own veggies or nipping to the supermarket? I tend to have the black thumb of death, so definitely the supermarket or the farmer’s market.

7. Have you found anyone exciting in your family tree? I can’t recall his name, but he was a Tory in the Revolutionary War, and when America won, he up and left his family and moved to Canada!

8. Slap up meal in a posh restaurant or fish ‘n’ chips from the wrapper? Posh restaurant, definitely.

9. Which element do you most resonate with Earth, Wind, Fire or Water? Wind. I’m very changeable.

10. Do you believe in fairies? I pretend to, and it works for me.

I’m supposed to pass this on…so anyone who’d like to do it, feel free!