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Sunday, August 30, 2009

Cowabunga Cowgirl

One of my friends in the FP has horses. Seven to be exact. And last week she offered to let me go riding with her while she trained one of her young horses. (I don't know horse lingo, so I'm writing this in layman's terms...and poorly constructed ones at that).

Note to my 10 year old self: riding horses is still as cool as you thought it was, except better because you actually fit on the horse and can even swing yourself up into the saddle unaided on the first try.

Thanks to my friend, I didn't just get to be cool and ride a horse, I got to look cool (a rarity) too. She brought boots for me and I found a pair that mostly fit. I've had trouble before with cowboy boots: while hypothetically the boot is the right size for my foot, I can't get my foot into the boot. I attribute it to having high arches (though it could be incompetence, me being a city slicker and all), which make it practically impossible for me to smoosh my foot down into the foot-space because I get jammed up in the ankle-space (layman's terms, remember.)

Somehow (read: with much tugging and grunting and pulling) I managed to get the boots on my feet. And then I got to walk around all cool and cowgirl like and ride all cool and cowgirl like. My cool and cowgirl like self deflated though when I went to remove the boots. My friend had to get out of the car, kneel down in my driveway and physically pull the boots off my besocked feet. She was laughing at the idea of my neighbors watching the event, so it took a little longer than expected to yank the boots off (that, or the fact that she had to squat on a practically vertical driveway and pull with all her might while trying to not fall hard on her backside when the boot finally flew off). I, meanwhile, was giggling and offering words of encouragement such as "Pull HARDER! YOU CAN DO IT! GO, FOOT, GO!"

So much for my cool and cowgirl like image.

--Lu

Monday, August 24, 2009

Playlist Update

Last week I started listening to music at work. It's the first time I've tried it on a regular basis. Until now, I've avoided music altogether because I didn't want to have to veto most of the songs requested/brought in by the tweens I work with.

It all started in one of my desperate forays into our little town library. I found four CDs that I couldn't resist.

Billboard Top Hits 1975 -- 1979 (I know that's 5 CDs, but, actually, 1977 is awol so it wasn't really an option)

I checked them out on a whim more than anything else.

And...I've loved listening to them! For instance, right now Abba's Take a Chance On Me is playing. And I just sang along to Dream Weaver by Gary Wright and I Go Crazy by Paul Davis.

Oh man. What about Reminiscing by Little River Band?!

More surprising than my own enjoyment is the fact that the tweens recognize and LIKE some of the songs too. When pressed, they'll say, "Oh, it's on a commercial," or "It's in that one movie."

Maybe I like the CDs so much because because I grew up listening to those songs. To be frank, on most days you'll catch me avoiding 70's music. I hardly ever dredge it up from the depths of my ipod playlists.

But this time...
It's just, once I started listening it brought back, well, not really memories per say...more a feeling. The songs feel comfortable, familiar, safe--like an old friend.

P.S. Um, the music videos, well, they don't convey that same feeling. The Abba one made me snicker and possibly roll my eyes at the awful 70's clothing and the hazy lighting (does that really make women more attractive? I've gotta ask The Rock about that). That doesn't change the fact that the song is AWESOME! --Lu

Note to Self

1 and 2/3 cup of oil cannot be substituted for 2/3 cup oil. Even the delicious goodness of brownies cannot overcome such an error.

Better luck in the future.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Another Email from Moo

AHEM:

Lilo: [pulls a strange looking rag doll from her backpack] This is Scrump.
[other girls gasp in horror]
Lilo: I made her. But her head is too big, so I pretended that a bug laid eggs in her ear, and she's upset because she has only a few more days to...

***

Lilo: [Sitting at a table with Stitch] David! I got a new dog!
David: Auwe... You sure it's a dog?
Lilo: Uh huh... He used to be a collie before he got ran over.


And this is a picture of the shnazy Stitch humidifier!!!


Love,
Moo

Monday, August 17, 2009

Annual Seattle Weiner Dog Races!

They briefly featured this on the news tonight. It looked so funny that I just had to let all y'all know about it (scuze the y'all---Pure Country happens to be on CMT). The video file seems to be kind of large, so it's best to just wait for it all to download before watching.

Moo

Monday, August 10, 2009

Cooking Fun with Julia

Hi Friends!

NPR has an interview with the screen writer/author for the new Julie and Julia movie, along with a few clips.
The clips don't give away the plot, they just dish out good characterization. And they're really funny----ESPECIALLY the meltdown one.
I think all of us can relate. I was guffawing up my sleeve over it. Real life and all that.

Enjoy!
Love,
Moo

P.S. This is Lu: watch the "Meltdown" scene (found on the left side of the NPR story page). The crying is so funny because haven't we all Been There?!!!

Can't Wait

I just finished reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The book is wonderful!

I'll quote the jacket blurb because it's much too late to think of a coherent summary myself:
"January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she'd never met, a native of Guernsey, the British island once occupied by the Nazis."

The book is written as a collection of letters which makes for difficult reading at first, because the characters reference things you know nothing about, but...stick with it. All will be explained.

The post script to the first letter told me that I would almost certainly love this book, so I'll share it with you. The letter is written by the heroine, Juliet Ashton: "I'm reading the collected correspondence of Mrs. Montagu. Do you know what that dismal woman wrote to Jane Carlyle? 'My dear little Jane, everybody is born with a vocation, and yours is to write charming little notes.' I hope Jane spat on her."

A heroine with that kind of personality gets bonus points! And I can't write about my favorite parts of the book without revealing too much. We'll just have to discuss them after you've read it.
--Lu

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Because I won't leave this subject alone.

I'm not going to mention the name of the movie/book I'm talking about in this post because the Rock would banish me to another part of the house (Just kidding, he's asleep already. I wait till now to do my subterfuge. All the while he blissfully travels through dreamland, unaware.)

Even if you don't like Twilight (oops, I said I wouldn't mention it, oh well), you might get a kick out of this short post.

And in case you want to banish me for even mentioning the T word, I'll give you this fresh from my garden to restore good feelings.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Dealing With Dragons


I think I've avoided this book before. Because of the title. I'm not particularly fond of fantasy literature that is enamored of dragons. But, I have a wise friend who, before telling me the title of the book, told me the gist of the story, and that made me want to read the book.

I'll list a few of the chapter titles for you so you can get a feel for the story:
"In Which Cimorene Refuses to Be Proper and Has a Conversation with a Frog"
"In Which Cimorene Receives a Formal Call from Her Companions in Dire Captivity"
"In Which Therandil Is a Dreadful Nuisance and Cimorene Casts a Spell"

Dealing with Dragons is the first of five books in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Hooray that the series is complete, and that copies are readily available because it was published a while ago.

Dealing with Dragons opens by introducing us to Princess Cimorene. "Cimorene was the youngest daughter of the King of Linderwall, and her parents found her rather trying...As for the girl's disposition--well, when people were being polite, they said she was strong-minded. when they were angry or annoyed with her, they said she was as stubborn as a pig."

Cimorene doesn't want to be a simpering, bumble head the way a princess is supposed to be. So, to avoid her fate, she runs off and volunteers to be a dragon's Princess. The dragons are impressed by her ability to make Cherries Jubilee and one agrees to accept her as her princess.

You can (and should) find out the rest of the story by reading the book yourself.

--Lu

Princess Bride, the short version


I've been holding onto this little treasure for a while...or, rather, I found it, then lost it, then found it again. So. Here you go.
You're welcome.

P.S. Remember how when I went to the BYU and told friends back home that quoting the Princess Bride was a requirement for admission? And they believed me. Right. They must have known enough BYU freshmen to realize that it is one of the most over watched movies at the BYU. (I wonder if it still is?)

P.P.S. I haven't watched the movie (or read the book) for years now because one summer I watched it so many times in a row that I maxed out my taste for it. We got to the point that we'd watch the Fast Forward Version, which meant that chunks of the movie (if not the whole thing) was fast forwarded while my friend Sar summarized the dialog. Except the Inigo Montoya part where he says, "And he gave me this, and this." That had to be said verbatim.
--Lu