Back in the saddle

Okay, so it's time to really start writing again.  Only 1 problem, I don't feel like I know where to go with this anymore.  Any suggestions??

In lieu of something great to blog about, I'll just tell you about life.  We have had 2 snow days in the last 2 weeks of school and I still have NO interest in going to work.  One of my 2 concerts has been snowed out twice and rescheduled for Feb. 17th!!  Ridiculous if you ask me...which no one really did.  I'm frustrated about it and there really is nothing I can do.  I'm trying to keep the kids motivated when I'm completely uninterested myself which makes every morning that much less motivating.

I am continuing to go to the gym.  I did well last week, with a 1.2% loss.  I'm just about done working with the nutritionist, I don't think that the same meal plan for 12 weeks is what I want my life to be.  It's a great basis for most days and has helped me in eating breakfast and lunch every day as well as portion awareness/control but not realistic for me.  I like to cook and try new things way too much!

I love my new Kindle...I hate wanting to buy books all the time.  I'm trying to read the free ones and use that resource but am finding that most of them are "inspirational" which can get old quickly.  I don't mind an occasional reference but the last one was a bit much for me.

Okay...so I would love recommendations for blog topics, new recipes for healthy eating and cheap/free books that are Kindle compatible.

Book club!

As a kid my sister Erin nicknamed me "Read-y Head"  I'm pretty sure it was in retaliation for something mean I said to her, but it stuck because it was true.  I love to read and there are times when it's all I want to do.  This year I did a lot of reading for school so I didn't read as much for pleasure as I would have liked so this goal is good for reminding me to do something I really love.  My beach trips gave me time to catch up on books I'd been wanting to read, and I still have a stack on my bedside table waiting to be read (or finished.)  Here's my list so far of the books I consider "real literature."  I will admit to some pieces of brain-candy in between some of these, I do love a good trashy chic-lit read now and then!

The Sharper Your Knives, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Finn
     A great memoir from someone who attends the Cordon Bleu in France.  I love the stories about the teachers, the successful (and some failed) recipes and how much work it takes to learn the classic French techniques.


House of the Seven Sisters

     Pretty good story,  a quick read.  The relationships between the sisters, their lives and the family bakery that they run...I really like it

The Wise Woman by Phillipa Gregory
     This one creeped me out a bit but was good.  I got hooked on Phillipa Gregory with The Other Boleyn Girl a few years ago and will read just about anything she writes.  The Virgin Earth is still my favorite by her, I think.

The Girl with The Dragon Tatoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larson
      These  are two of the biggest summer hits so I won't say much.  I loved them both, they're very intense and were GREAT beach reads as well as being well written!  Now I just need to wait for the 3rd to come out in paperback

The Spanish Bride by Laurien Gardiner
    Another Catharine of Aragon story.  I am ADDICTED to novels about Henry VIII, his wives and daughters.  This was a great one, though it's always a sad story. 

The Winter Prince by Cheryl Sawyer
  I love period English stories...can't really tell you why.

Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
    I really didn't love this as much as I wanted.  The story is well done, but I think Amy Tan has written better books. 

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy
    I really enjoyed this.  It wasn't a challenging read, but the intertwining stories in the books are so great.  I loved that it took me more than the first half of the book to really see how all the short stories were starting to touch on one another.  I don't think I've read anything by her I didn't like.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave
     There is nothing on the book to tell you what it's about...so I won't ruin it.  Just read it.  The book is great and really emotional.  Thanks to Erin for passing it on!

Okay, so there are the first 10 books.  I'm going to try to do a better job of tracking books because I know there have to be more than these...I'm just blanking at the moment.  Also...do you think I can count books that I read for my grad classes but was surprised to like?  If so, I'll have 2 more to add...Gung Ho! and The Outsiders.  

I'm off to do some more relaxing.  I'd love some recommendations for what to read next...I'm planning to start Racing in the Rain this afternoon.