I know I usually don’t do movie reviews…in fact, the only one I can remember being enthused enough to write about (in a comment) was We Bought a Zoo.  However, my daughter and I went to see What to Expect When You’re Expecting this week, and it deserves a mention.

It’s just been one of those weeks.  The weather has been miserably hot, I was bored…and popcorn sounded good.  Even though the ratings weren’t all that great. It’s a chick flick…they never get good ratings.  Except The Proposal, and that will always be, in my opinion, the best one ever.

Frankly I’m not a big Cameron Diaz fan, and her character didn’t add much to the story (in my opinion).  Jennifer Lopez did better, but I’ve seen that same character in most of her other movies.  Dennis Quaid was a bit obnoxious throughout most of the movie-so much so that I wished his son would slug him.  He did, however, redeem himself a little at the end.  His trophy wife (played by Brooklyn Decker) was good, though.  Anna Kendrick (she’s a better actress than Kristen Stewart…really enjoyed her in 50/50) and Chace Crawford needed more screen time.  All the guys in the Dudes Group?  They were great!

However…

The best scenes in the movie were any that included Ben Falcone, Elizabeth Banks, and Rebel Wilson.  OMGosh!  They were fantastic!  I laughed so hard and so long at one point, I had tears in my eyes, and my throat hurt.  It could have been embarrassing, except everyone in the theater was doing the same thing.  That woman did not enjoy being pregnant!

My daughter and I both left theater in complete agreement…we’re buying it when it comes out on DVD.

No, it won’t win an award of any kind.  There’s a whole list of movies that are  better than this one was…but I’m still glad I spent the time and money to go see it. Any time I walk out of a theater still smiling, it was worth it.

I have to say that, watching the trailer, What to Expect When You’re Expecting looks pretty boring.  It’s not.

Okay.  Who stole the weekend?  It just hit me that today is Thursday…and not Tuesday.  And that means I forgot to share the answer from last week’s game.  Yup.  I lost some days this week.  Nope.  Not a drop of alcohol was involved.  It’s more to do with excessive heat and humidity.  When it comes to weather, my poor brain is unable to comprehend numbers higher than 79.  So when the first digit in the temperature starts with a 9, the zombie in me takes over.

What was that thing?  Does this picture make it more obvious?

It is…a firework (it just doesn’t look or sound right without the ‘s’).  Yup.  After downloading (uploading?) the contents of my camera from a spectacular display I saw on June 9th, I looked at this and laughed.  What in the world definitely fits this one!

There was actually only one person who guessed the correct answer, and that was a 12 year old cousin.  And now that I’ve had to add an extra post this week, I’ll share some of the prettier pictures.

Even with my camera set on ‘fireworks’ mode, they don’t come out exactly as we see them, but I still love the pictures.

I have never enjoyed most processed foods.  It’s just my humble opinion, but the high sodium content isn’t fit for human consumption.  At least as far as this human is concerned.  My children, on the other hand, love the stuff.  Especially an extremely salty cheeseburger macaroni concoction.  The only way I could gag it down was if I guzzled a gallon of water along with it.

So I’m used to looking for alternative foods for when they insist they need this type of garbage food.  But realizing that you have a gluten sensitivity, and being willing to cut it out of your diet, takes finding alternative foods to an entirely new level.

Early on, when days were so busy I’d just want something quick, I’d pick up a plain ground beef patty at Burger King, then make another stop at Wendy’s for a baked potato.  Let me tell you, do that a few times a month and it gets old in a hurry.  The food and waiting in line at two different ‘restaurants.’

So I decided to keep some sour cream in my refrigerator, along with small packages of ground beef in the freezer.  When the kids need fast food, I come home, brown the ground beef, throw in a little bouillon, a little milk and sour cream, and have it over instant potatoes, with a smoothie (for actual nutrition).  I’m pretty sure it takes less time to throw that together than it did to stop at BK and Wendy’s.

But it’s kind of a pain, and I often opt to just not eat at all.   All I can think lately is that it would be great if I could just heat up a frozen dinner, or open a can of something.  Something that tastes good.  And tonight I thought I hit the jackpot.

I’ve been passing on everything that lists ‘modified food starch’ in the ingredient list, because I’d read something awhile ago that made me think it was made from wheat.  But tonight I discovered that there is a law in the USA that requires food manufacturers to list wheat if it’s in the product.

Yes!  After salivating for the ready-made dinners my daughter loves, I was ready to jump for joy.  I could have the chicken and rice casserole she’s been eating lately!  It smells so good.  And I was so excited…and so hungry…that I made a late night dash to the grocery store to get a couple…one to have as soon as I got home, and one to save for the next time they were craving McDonald’s.

The thing about having to make your food from scratch…for almost three months…is that you apparently become very aware of flavors.  I sat down, prepared to inhale this dinner…and had to stop after the fourth bite.

All I could taste were chemicals, or preservatives-maybe both.  It was just awful.  Very strong, kind of bitter.  My nose was in heaven, but my taste buds wanted to cry…it was that nasty.

You read about how bad processed foods are for you, but like most Americans, I pretty much ignored the warnings.  Processed foods might not be as good as my cooking, but in a pinch, they were better than nothing.  And they didn’t taste too bad.

With my newly retrained taste buds, I know I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Now I just have to figure out a way to convince my kids to stop eating these chemical-rich, sorry excuses for food.

I’m also going to have to figure out something I can freeze for when I want a quick meal.  Cause the ground beef over instant potatoes is getting old, too.

Maybe clothing issues aren’t big deal for most people, but I’ve always found that finding clothes that fit right is a major pain in the neck.  (I’ll apologize to any guys who might stumble onto this blog today)

Just for a point of reference (because I’m well acquainted with this statistic), Wikipedia states that 5′ 3″ or less is petite, and 5′ 5″ and over is regular.  I am literally caught between the two standards at 5′ 4.”

Now you wouldn’t think that an inch either way would make much difference, but when it comes to jeans and slacks, it makes a big difference.  As far as length goes, petite jeans make me look like I’m going wading…and the hems on regular jeans are generally dragging the floor under the heels of my shoes.  I suppose I could fix that, except I hate hemming jeans.  Well…I hate hemming anything.

Waistbands can be another pain.  Taller people tend to have higher waistlines.  Pants and bras should not look like a jumpsuit.   Okay, so I exaggerated a little.  But I just measured and there are 3 1/2 inches between the top of my waistband and the bottom of my bra.  If the waistband hit me where it should, there would be 5 1/2 to 6 inches in between them.

Next on the list of clothing complaints is the placement of buttons on the front of blouses.  Maybe that also has something to do with being in the Twilight Zone when it comes to sizes, but unless I buy them too big, there is always a gap where there shouldn’t be a gap.

Not all wardrobe malfunctions are mine, thank goodness.  I took my daughter to see the doctor a couple of weeks ago and, while sitting in the waiting room, a woman approached me with a problem.  She was wearing a top made like a hospital gown.  Apparently she forgot to fasten the inside ties and wondered if I could help her.

My first thought was, “Ewwwww!  Are you kidding me?!”  It’s not that I have anything against helping people, but reaching my hands up under the back of a strange woman’s top….um.  Yeah, I don’t think so.  I can only assume that my thoughts were clearly reflected on my face because she grinned and said never mind.  Then she asked her husband for help.

Have you experienced any wardrobe malfunctions that you’d like to share?  I mean beyond the whole skirt in the back of your pantyhose thing…cause we’ve all done that at some point.  🙂

This is precisely why I wear flats.  Trust me, if I tried wearing heels, I would have shoe malfunctions like this regularly.

Now, since yesterday was Father’s Day, I’ll do a quick goal update today.  I learned a very valuable lesson last week.  If you are editing a ‘Read Only’ file, your changes won’t save.  In my defense, I didn’t even know I had a read only file of the book on this computer…but I sure was editing it for two weeks.  However, I did get half of it RE-edited.  And I also went on another picture-taking expedition.  Granted it wasn’t on the goal list, but accumulating photos for my blog is just a long-standing, never ending goal.

…is like…dark.  Yeah, I know, old joke.  But it’s a good lead in for today’s post.

I am honored to receive yet another blogging award, this one from two of my favorite bloggers, Marcy Kennedy and Fabio Bueno.  Marcy is an extremely talented writer, soon-to-be teacher to some lucky authors.  Fabio is also an immensely talented author, who also is a hero to his parakeets, and who is is willing to step out of his comfort zone for things like trapeze lessons. Thanks so much to both of you for bestowing on me the Sunshine Award. 

As with all awards, there are rules to be followed.  Include the logo in my blog post.  Link back to, and thank, the bloggers who nominated me.   Answer 10 random questions about me, or share 7 random facts.  And finally, nominate bloggers I admire…and who bring sunshine into my life.

Okay…so I’ll go with the 7 random facts (because 7 is 3 fewer than 10 things to come up with).

1.  I would never take trapeze lessons.  Yes, heights do factor into this, but a fear falling and breaking bones factors in more.

2.  I am the proud owner of a septic tank that must have been cursed sometime before I bought it.  Yes, a house came along with it…but the house is not cursed.  Just the septic tank.

3.  My favorite time of year is any month between October 1st and April 30th.  Yes, I prefer windchills over heat indexes.  I would rather deal with sweaters, candles and fuzzy socks than humidity, mosquitoes and flies.

4.  I go through stacks and stacks of 3 x 5 index cards every year.  I have notes written on them that I tape to the top part of my desk, my bathroom mirror (for the really important things I need to remember), and tacked on my cork board.  I use them for grocery lists, too.  If it doesn’t fit on the card, I’m not buying it.  That leads to next random fact…

5.  I hate shopping.  Yes, I’m a disgrace to my gender.  I think Amazon.com is an awesome way to do most of my Christmas shopping.  If I could get all of my groceries there, too, I’d never have to set foot inside another store.  Well, I do still like Hallmark and antique stores.

6.  You would never want to go through the drive-thru at a bank with me.  If each lane had one vehicle in it, I will always manage to pull into the one where the driver ahead of me is making payments on everything he or she owns.  And all the while, people are streaming through the other lanes as I sit there and wait.  And wait, and wait, and wait.

7.  The state I would most like to visit is Maine.  I don’t know why.

And now it’s time to share with you the names of a few bloggers who make me smile.  Take a few moments to check them out.  You’ll be glad you did!

First up is Colin Falconer.  Not only does he cover some very interesting topics, he does so with a a great sense of humor.  And he’s brought to my attention naked footraces…  I’ve got to check into those!  But only as a spectator…and only if the runners are men.

Next on the list is Shelli Johnson.  I love Shelli’s blog.  She shares a lot of good advice, pieces of her heart…and super good crock pot recipes.

Karen Toz is another favorite of mine.  I love that she blogs about whatever she wants to blog about.  From her kids, to writing tips, to what’s going on with her Nate Rocks books.

And I can’t forget Monique Liddle.  This woman faces physical challenges that would make most of us throw ourselves to the ground in despair, yet she handles it with a wonderful attitude and a smile.

Thanks again, Marcy and Fabio!

So we’re at week three in the What in the World?! Wednesday game.  Today’s offering is, I have to admit, a little weird.  It’s definitely not something you’d see around my house.  Well, once in a while…maybe.  Although I don’t remember ever seeing anything quite like this before.  Good luck, players.  I’ll post the entire picture next week.  (Yes, I know the picture is off-center, but Paint hasn’t liked me a whole lot lately)

I am so pleased to introduce everyone to one of my favorite authors.  I discovered her last summer on Goodreads…and have been chomping at the bit for each new release – that’s how much I’ve been  enjoying her series.  So without further ado, please make welcome Breeana Puttroff.

Hello, Breeana. I’m so excited to be a part of the tour for Seeds of Discovery, the first in your series The Dusk Gate Chronicles. Would you tell us a little bit about it please?

Hi Kristy. I’m excited to have you be part of the tour. Thanks so much for hosting me.

The Dusk Gate Chronicles is the story of a teenage girl who thinks her life is perfectly ordinary until the day she discovers a gate into an alternate world. At first, she thinks it’s just a lovely place with nice people, but she soon discovers that her connection to the world may be bigger than she thinks.

I just love the way that part of the story unfolds!  Can you tell us how did you come up with the titles for the individual books?

As far as the titles for the individual books, there is a running theme in the books about flowers. Quinn, the main character, has always had dreams about roses and dandelions, but she’s never understood them. As she begins to discover her connection to the hidden world, the connection becomes more obvious, so I tried to tie the titles into that theme.

I think you’ve done a remarkable job of that.  What genre do you generally write? Do you see yourself venturing into other areas at some point during your career?

The Dusk Gate Chronicles are YA Fantasy, and they’re the only books I’ve published, so I guess that’s the genre I usually write. I could see myself experimenting with other genres later on, possibly into YA Science Fiction, but right now I have a few more ideas for the YA Fantasy genre.

So long as you continue writing for this series for a while longer.  I’d like to see many more books about Eirentheos and the characters we’ve come to know and love.  So tell me, how much of you and your life do you put into your stories?

I’m sure no writer can avoid putting their own lives into their stories, but there is nothing in any of my books that is specifically about my own life, with the possible exception of the little girls who are in the Dusk Gate Chronicles. The character of Quinn’s little sister, Annie, specifically, is semi-inspired by my own daughter, who is around the same age as the character.

Quinn Robbins was prepared for her mother to be angry. After all, she’d disappeared for two days without warning; to visit the world on the other side of the Dusk Gate that nobody else knows exists.

What she wasn’t prepared for was seeing her mother calmly sitting there, waiting for her return, as if Megan Robbins somehow knew the secret, too.
And she really wasn’t prepared to have her mother not speaking to her, not sharing whatever she knows.

Now, with her mother not talking, her best friend mad at her for disappearing, and her boyfriend, Zander, suspicious and confused, Quinn is left with only one person to turn to.

William Rose had told Quinn she was making a mistake; that lying to her family and friends and risking everything to visit his family in a world where she didn’t belong was only going to lead to heartache.

But that was before – before she’d dropped everything to be there for him when he needed her. Before her strange dreams and her special brand of persistence had helped rescue his brother. Before the kiss that Quinn and William aren’t talking about.
And before he discovered that everything he ever thought he knew was wrong.

Now, they’re on the verge of discovering a secret about their pasts that may just change everything about their futures, and Quinn and William are both about to find themselves deciding between who they always thought they were, and who they’re meant to be.

And they just might be making some of those decisions together.

I can’t get into video games.  Perhaps my reflexes aren’t what they need to be, or the games just don’t interest me.  I’m guessing it’s  a combination of both, but mostly due to the latter.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy games, but usually they have to be along the lines of Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, and Mah Jongg Dark 3D over at MyYearbook (recently changed to MeetMe).

When I’m bored, I can spend way too much time playing Mah Jongg, but even that gets old after a few games, so I sometimes find myself scrolling through the message board on Yearbook (sorry, I’ll never get used to MeetMe).  I can usually count on finding a funny joke or two, but all too often I find my jaw dropping.  No offense to anyone but…

Why is it some women have so little respect for themselves that they’ll post pictures that could almost qualify as porn?!

Every time I see one, I start feeling really old, because every time I see one I want to scream, “There’s more to you than your breasts!  And if the only guys you can attract can only be attracted by pictures like that, they’re not worth having!” 

My daughter and I discuss topics like this on a fairly regular basis.  I tend to be a little conservative in my expectations regarding her wardrobe.  I’m not saying she should dress like a nun, but neither do I think she should dress with an emphasis on certain parts of her body.  Not that she’s bad about that (much), but I do make a point of drawing attention to girls who seem to be ‘advertising.’  Especially when creepy older guys are the ones taking notice.

You know the guys I mean, too.  They give you the willies just looking at them.  And there they are, ogling these young, half-dressed girls.  Even the not-so-young, because there are plenty of attractive women in their 30’s and 40’s who are ‘showing off,’ too.

But it’s the young girls that worry me the most.  Of course Hollywood doesn’t help matters.  When I see some of the celebrities these kids look up to, I’m just stunned.  These singers and actresses don’t seem to have a clue about the impact they have on their fans.

Am I the only person who remembers a time when women didn’t want to been seen as just ‘sex objects?’  Because it doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago.  Now it’s like that’s all they want to be seen as.  And it really scares me.  I mean when I’m shopping and see sexy clothes for grade schoolers??!!  Are you kidding me?!

Girls (and ladies), some guys aren’t into that.  The guys worth having, anyway.  Check out this post at Backwoods Mom…if you want an opinion from a nice looking young man.

So tell me, am I being a prude?  In some ways, I’m sure that I am.  On the other hand, I see too many news stories that make me wish girls took their safety seriously.  That important issue aside, though, I just wish they’d respect themselves more.  (Yeah, I know.  I didn’t just step into hot water here…I dove in…)