Best of 2009

I was cruising blogs yesterday and came across Gwen Bell's blog and her Best of 2009 challenge. I would like to say had I found the challenge earlier I would have participated, however given my blogging history this year it probably wouldn't have happened. So, I am going to do a modified version right now. While this year wasn't just filled with "bests" I like the idea of focusing on the bests...

Best Trip - Anniversary in Seattle with Troy. Hands down.Best Book - If I could only recommend one book that I read in 2009 is would most definitely be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. If you haven't read it yet. Go. Now.

Best Night Out - I've had several wonderful nights out - very fortunate with that this year. I'd have to narrow it down to a) going to see my friend, Raphael, play his last gig with his latest band back in March. It was so good to see him play again. OR b) girl's night with my book club ladies - saying goodbye to Tracey. Fun times, sad circumstances.

Best Song - I am one of those hear it on the radio/from a friend/etc...and then decide I love a song people. I tend not to buy albums and such.
Wild at Heart, by Gloriana and Smile, Uncle Kracker. These songs make my heart happy.

Best Place(s) - I am tempted to say home because I LOVE home. However, I am going to say Starbucks, Katie's Cupcakes, and the now closed (insert sad face) Treasury of Memories because these are all places I go with my best friend and just feel good. Small treasures.

Best New Food - I am going to go with a restaurant undiscovered by us until this fall. Espinoza in Sehome Village. Fun decor, nice people, a salsa bar and the BEST mole sauce I've ever had. Tea of the Year - My tea of choice has been Earl Grey with milk and sugar. Nothing beats it.

Word or Phrase - 2009 was....can this be summed up with one word? interesting, complicated, just the way it was suppose to be...

Best New Person/Start up - Well technically this "start up" started up in 2008, but I didn't go until 2009 and since then I've loved both the store, Sole Obsession, and it's founder/owner, Kelly. Best shoe store and shoe store owner EVER! Best Coffee - for at home I've fallen in love with the Starbucks Red blend. Otherwise it is a 2-pump cinnamon dolche non-fat, light whip latte from Starbucks when I go out (and possibly gingerbread or pumpkin spice a few times during the season).Learning Experience/Rush - So many, so many. My most memorable learning experience/rush is more of a general lesson. It is the lesson of being a mom of a teenager, it is quite a bit different than other ages. Archer still needs his mom and dad, yet needs his independence and needs to make decisions. Growing up, making new friends, making new friends that are girls (gasp), new social situations. I think we've adjusted well. He's a good kid, it is just filled with learning experiences for mom!

Best Laugh of 2009 - 2009 was filled with laughs. Our house is full of laughter, my best friends always make me laugh and my sister! oh she is hilarious! I am blessed with laughter.

There are so many more things that I could share, but this seems like plenty. 2009 was a good year, 2009 was a bad year...actually 2009 was just a year - filled with ups and downs and all arounds! Looking forward to 2010!

Happy New Years my friends!

"Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again." - Og Mandino

I'm feeling the need for gratitude today, so here goes. Right now I am thankful for:

• lilacs. still. I am savoring them while they are here, I know that all too soon I am going to look out back and POOF! they'll be gone.
  
• my friends. my family. my friends that are family. and my family that are friends. I love them all, even when they call me out on "stuff" and/or pop me out of my own little world and back into the 'real' world.
  
• coffee. (would any list, of mine, be complete without coffee? no. I think not.)
• Starbucks commitment to the environment.
• Trader Joe's Pomegranate Limeade. Yum. Try it.
  
• my husband. he is great. I am thankful for him everyday.
• a stack of books ready to be read.
  
• having work. I know I'm blessed even when I'm complaining about it.
  
• having work I enjoy. I know I'm blessed even when I'm complaining about it. (hehe)
• my boy. Archer is amazing...kindhearted, sweet, smart. I know everyday, without a doubt, that he loves me.
• my blog peeps. I love that I can take these long breaks, as I've been doing lately, and you will still be here for me. Thanks friends.

by the way...sorry about the random capitalization and punctuation. I just was writing as I felt the words come...crazy me!

"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." - Lewis Carroll

I've been on a little blogging break this week (I hope I'm back now!).

Some things I love right now (and luckily got to experience this week! WoooHooo!):

cupcakes (especially Trophy cupcakes).
I believe cupcakes are the best cakes...small, tasty, mmmm...yum.
A new little cupcake shop opened in town which is where
Lorinda (cousin in picture 3) and I will be
celebrating next week for my birthday.

my friends and being goofy. Even better being goofy with friends!

my cousin. You know I love her. And Starbucks.
Cousin + Starbucks = Perfection.

A new book by an awesome author. Love a new book.

Have a fantastic weekend. Do something fun. I am working on looking at my one little word for this year - refocusing and reflecting and possibly preparing a list of 35 things to do before I'm 36 (I love reading the posts at Hula Seventy about her lists and I thought maybe...). Lots of stuff running through my brain...just need to channel it (good luck to me!).

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” - Laozi

A few things I'm loving right now:

1. longer spring days
2. good books (I have been very fortunate in the book department lately. Go here and check out some of my latest reads).
3. great friends
4. a four day weekend (glorious!)
5. buds on trees
6. yummy drinks with a lovely friend tonight!
7. peeps. yep, the marshmallow kind. Yum!
8. tulips at the grocery store...splashes of spring
9. my new shoes 
10. a stack of new magazines waiting to be devoured
11. some new scrapbook supplies to create with
12. switching some stuff up at home to greet the new season(s)
13. paperbackswap.com 
14. friends who twitter (twitter is so much fun!)
15. cats who love to bask in the sun and pretend to be big, bad hunters until the birds are right in their space then they run! (that is the best!)

It's getting closer. When I drove by the bank the thermometer said 54 degrees. Spring is almost here. While I am one of the "snow" people (as in I don't hate it) I am ready for Spring. Longer, warmer days and new growth - what is not to love? 

mish mash on Monday

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after."
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

This is truly going to be one of those "this and that" posts. Not a lot going on here. Due to weather and attitude I haven't been out and about much. Been holing up and staying home.

1. On Saturday I went to my friend Susan's house for the afternoon. She is teaching me to knit. This is the start to my very first washcloth. I am almost finished with it now. I have to say, knitting is fun, addictive even. And anyone who knows me knows I love paper - the scrapbook store is like a little piece of heaven on earth. I can see the yarn stores becoming that way...I really can. This picture isn't great, it was taken with my cell phone, however it shows that a) I can knit and b) the cool orange/yellow/white yarn I picked up for my first project. Fun, fun. Thanks Susan!


2. I met my mom this morning at Starbucks. Gotta love that. She was up for the day, teaching CPR, errands, etc...So, before her busy start we met for a little breakfast, coffee for me (of course), and hot cocoa for her. I use to see my mom at least once a week and since she's moved it has been closer to once a month. I still drop by the house and see "the kids," however it is so not the same. I miss my mom, BUT here she is...today!

3. I just found out my grandma, my only living grandparent, had a mild heart attack sometime in the last few days, not sure quite when, but she is doing well and is in the hospital making nurses question their profession! The quote is for her. Grandma did NOT want that tea they gave her, she doesn't like tea, coffee for her (and of course my coffee-lovin' cousin did the duty and smuggled some in...naughty, naughty. I would never do such a thing. hahahehe!).

4. Big Love starts Sunday. HBO. Be there. 'Nuf said.

5. I found Shimmy on FitTV. Now that is some fun stuff. I am glad I am doing it in my living room...I do not think I should be doing this anywhere in public or even at home in front of people. I know my friend Katrina has done belly dancing classes - she is much braver than me. However, I am lovin' the shimmy at home.

review & to do

This weekend was really fun! (How is that for a catchy beginning sentence? Makes you want to keep reading, huh?)...

Saturday morning Troy and I dropped Archer off at my parent's house while we had a day trip to Bellevue. Troy had to pick up a *gun* (surprise, surprise) and thought we could make a day out of it. I hadn't been to Bellevue square since Archer was a baby (I know the horror) - so we spent a few hours wandering around. I love, love, love spending time in Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma. We were very good though and limited our purchasing to a few (obviously much needed) items. I hate coming home knowing I spent too much on things I don't really need. This trip was perfect - browsing, inspiration, writing down some books to check out at the library!

We ate at the Cheesecake Factory (uh...YUM)! I had the most delicious Mango-rita - I am sure Troy could replicate it if he truly wants to make me happy!

The loot - sometimes the bags just make me happy!a litte of what was inside those bags (Archer's legos were taken out)

On the way home we stopped by Joel and Katrina's house to visit and drop off a birthday present for Madeline. We love to visit with them - don't see them nearly often enough. Well...maybe...getting Troy and Joel together is sometimes an iffy scenario! (haha)

When we stopped to pick up Archer he was evidently not ready to leave Grandma & Grandpa's house. On Sunday I asked my mom to pick me up a compost bin at the Re-Store before she brought Archer home, however a compost bin is evidently a very personal item and she didn't want to pick it out...So, a trip to Bellingham for me was necessary. My mom said she saw a compost bin in the Fred Meyer ad for only $34.99 so we went there and picked up this beauty!

WoooHooo! Jerrie's got herself a compost bin! I decided against a pile for several reasons (smell, neighbors, being right here, smack-dab in the middle of this town). My initial plan was for a pile, but I think this may make everyone just a wee-bit happier! Anyway...I am excited by the compost bin! (I can cross off one of those items on my "100 things to do" list. Yay!)

Well...that is is...our weekend all wrapped up this Monday morning.

Monday's to dos: go to the library (for real...wasn't that on the list last week?), clean off the kitchen table.
There. That is it. If I can do those two things I will have accomplished two much needed tasks. My books are overdue, I have a few to pick up which will expire tomorrow - good incentive to go. My kitchen table is in the kitchen, somewhere. Oh, I think it is under all that *stuff* there. I think I can see the legs. Ya, it needs some help! Wish me luck!

good news & bits 'n pieces

The good news: The "real" computer (aka "big" and "mine") is ready for pick up (still under warranty for 27 days!)! Yay!

Bits 'n Pieces: 

• we have used zero throw-away water bottles in the last two weeks 
  
• my pumpkins are growing (after Spazz ate the blossoms off of them a few weeks ago I was a little concerned)
• the fireworks booth begins on Saturday - love the fun of fireworks, thankful we live somewhere we can still light them off
• I have a whole lot of pictures on my camera ready to come off and make their way onto a blog...
• I found Seventh Generation supplies (just a few, but some nonetheless) at the local Ace Hardware store
• going to see The Love Guru with Archer today
• hopefully a trip to Village Books is in the cards today. I have almost $4o.00 in VB money! I really want The Big Green Purse and something fun...Any ideas?

Happy Thursday! Enjoy the sun.