I've been wanting to participate in Carla's My Sacred Life Project, and I thought what better time to start than November 1st, when I also begin participating in National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo), too!

I'd like to thank Carla for the inspiration to show and talk about what is sacred to me. As she says, "It might be my altar, a candle I'm burning, my dogs, the garden, a friend, a book I'm reading, nature, something I did, someplace I went, something important to me, or, who knows, maybe just my morning bowl of Cheerios!"

I'm looking forward to this, and I hope you all will enjoy!

My Sacred Life
Day 1

Max is the one with the stubby tail and floppy ears; he's a mixed breed adopted him from Buddy Dog in Sudbury, MA. Wolf has a curly tail; he's a Shiba Inu and I adopted him from a co-worker.

Once I was a cat person; cats are easier for those of us that aren't so responsible; they don't have to be walked, they're ok on their own (with big bowls of food and water) if you decide you want to go out after work unexpectedly or even go away for a weekend. Cats are cool with that. Dogs? Not so much.
Dogs make you live in the present, completely.
Dogs have to be walked, or at the very least, if you're lucky enough to have a big yard, hooked to a run. But they can't hook themselves up; you're the one with opposable thumbs and YOU must do that for them.
You must brush them and feed them and pet them and throw toys for them! You must interact with them, each and every day.
I didn't have time for that when I was younger. I wanted to go, to see, to do. Now that I'm older...I've gone, I've seen, I've done and I don't feel that drive to HAVE to go out so much now. I'm more content and that translates into being the sort of person dogs like to belong to.

Don't forget ... the Friday Fill-Ins are over here now!

1. Walking in the woods is my favorite form of therapy.

2. If you get my voice mail you'll hear something pretty dang normal...once you get through the classical music (sorry, I totally don't know how to change it and can't figure it out)!

3. My favorite product EVER is my Canon camera .

4. I see something out of the corner of my eye often lately...little black or white things fly by...(think that's bad?) .

5. When I'm grumpy sometimes I like to be left alone; other times I'd like to be cheered up. If you can figure out which times are when...you're awesome.

6. Twirling my hair is my strangest habit. [do you disagree? discuss...]

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting the latest Connie May Fowler book, tomorrow my plans include absolutely nothing other than walking the dogs and Sunday, I want to bake an apple pie!

My Sacred Life
Day 2

I once said that I could be defined by my obsessions. I don't know that I'm obsessed (shut it!) with Johnny Depp (maybe his character, Captain Jack Sparrow) OR Alan Rickman (atho...as you all know I AM fond of Snape), but I certainly do enjoy both men's work on screen.

In the movie theaters this December will be Sweeney Todd. I've never seen the musical nor did I really have any desire to (I keep saying I don't care for musicals, although I've loved almost every one I've seen, the last being Les Mis, but that's a whole other story) but I am certainly looking forward to this movie. To see both of my favorite actors on screen together...well...can I just say WOOHOO!?!

Here's an excerpt from an interview with Johnny Depp...these two particular questions and answers intrigued me as I was very much a Dark Shadows fan back in the day (didn't care for another other daytime soap opera...just this one):

Q: And what about talk that you'd like to do a Dark Shadows feature, from Dan Curtis' old occult soap-opera TV series?
JD: If that comes to fruition, that's a dream come true, man. Barnabas Collins-- when I was a kid I wanted to be Barnabas.

Q: Why him? Why a vampire?
JD: I think a lot of kids did. He was super-mysterious, with that really weird hairdo and the wolf's-head cane. Good stuff.

Indeed! *swoon*

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I'm following my cousin's example and posting pictures of my grandmother, who was her grandmother's sister.

Grandma in her younger days

This is Grandma as I remember her most. I miss her a lot...she was always so loving and kind...and fun!

My Sacred Life
Day 3

I can't talk about where I'm going today, on the slim chance that by doing so I might spoil a surprise for someone! But...I was up til midnight baking whoopie pies last night as I promised to bring a dessert with me to wherever it is I'm going. Why did I choose Whoopie pies? They're one of her favorites and hopefully will make her smile. I made chocolate ones (traditional) and pumpkin ones (delish!).

Baking is one of my favorite things to do...measure this, pour that, mix togther and voila! A yummy something that someone will appreciate. What's not to like!

Off to shower and go for a ride to deliver some delicious goodness :-)

My Sacred Life
Day 4

Well, the surprise party was a surprise! Course, I was late but that's me. Always late. Didn't so much matter in this instance, so it was all good. Pat was my best friend waaaay back in high school...so she knows me pretty well ;-)

I gave her a book, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon, an imp of a BPAL fragrance, Scorpio 2007, and a 2 ml bottle of Winter 1972, not so much for the scent...more because September 1972 was when we first met, and by winter...oh my the adventures we had. She appreciated the whoopie pies, too, another blast from our teenage past :-)

I left about 7 pm-ish...and boy is it dark back in the woods of the north country! On the way home, I was going to stop at my cousin's...she lives maybe 20 minutes away. I was driving along, minding my own business, when I noticed, in my rear view mirror, blue flashing lights. Great, fine, I'm getting pulled over. Hmmm...maybe those couple rum & cokes I had weren't such a good idea! Oh, crap, do I even have my registration? Did I put the new one in the car? Crap! So I hand over my license & paperwork to the cute cop, and ask him why he'd pulled me over (for once I wasn't speeding, thank [insert diety here] for the fact it was raining. He told me that my rear right light was out. Oh, thank you! I had NO idea...lalala (didn't have a valid sticker either, cause I keep forgetting to go get it done, thank [insert diety here] that it was a NH cop and not a MA cop). He let me go, just asked me to get it fixed. No problem, officer!

I go on my happy little way...get about, oh, five minutes down the road...when I get pulled over again, this time by a state cop. We go through the rigmarole again, and I mention to him that I'd just gotten pulled over not five minutes ago. He replies, "You might get pulled over five MORE times AND the next guy might not be as nice as me...he might give you a 23 dollar ticket." Heavens no! Not that! Damn, NH is way cheaper than MA.

Finally, I make it to my cousin's house. We have a good laugh about me getting stopped twice, her hubby offers me a drink, I decline, saying, "What if I get pulled over again?" We laugh at the thought.

We visit awhile, I play with the dogs and after about an hour, I hit the road for home. I get about a mile from her house...and BAM, I get pulled over AGAIN! I tell the cop what happened, we smile at each other ironically and he lets me go.

PHEW!

Today, I cleaned, shopped, took a walk, and baked Dad an apple pie (it's not pretty but it tastes good) to go with his dinner of pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts.

How was your weekend?

Memes...love 'em or hate 'em?

My Sacred Life
Day 5

I love memes! I pronounce it meemee, whatever, they're fun! I know some of you dislike them and think they're mere blog fodder...but I respectfully disagree. I like them for getting to know folks better. If you think about it, a meme functions much like a prompt. You can elaborate on your answer or not. I'm selective about memes, and this one is one of my favorites: Manic Monday, hosted by my blog friend Lisa. This is what she has for us this week:

Describe yourself in one word: Quiet.

What is your favorite kitchen utensil and why? My 7" Santoku knife!

Those hollow recesses make for clean slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing and man does it work; this sucker makes quick work of anything from carrots to meat to...well...just...keep your fingers out of the way, k?

What is the one thing that frightens you the most about growing old? Just one thing, huh? Well...I guess becoming homeless is my greatest fear. I'm working on my finances now (better late than never) and hope to have things straightened out in a year.

Thanks, Lisa, for coming up with such an interesting meme!

My Sacred Life
Day 6

I love rainy days...as long as they don't equal a month, as it did in Japan. All June, all rain, all the time. After awhile, ANY sound you love would get a bit irksome if you heard it all day and night EVERY day and night.

But...I woke up this morning, early for me (6:40 am MaryEllen!!!) and decided to catch up a bit on my reading. How comfortable to be in a nice warm bed, snuggling with a plush shiba inu, listening to the rain fall just outside your window and reading a good book...ahhhh.

When it rains, it brings back memories of walking a mile to school in a raincoat and rubbers (hey, it's what we called 'em back then), splashing through the puddles. For some reason, it's also a bit of a melancholy memory...not sure why...maybe all that walking?

Do you like rainy days? Do they bring back memories for you? Wanna share?

My Sacred Life
Day 7

I really didn't want to go to work today. Ever have one of those days? I finally dragged myself into the shower, got ready and drove to work. Once there, however, I found I didn't want to get out of the car. So I started reading a book I picked up a couple days ago, The Problem with Murmur Lee by Connie May Fowler. I can tell, just from the first few pages, it's gonna be a good'un. After finishing the first chapter...still not in the mood to go in, so I put my seat all the way back and stared out of the moon roof and then the windows...looking out at the world. This is what I saw. Not so bad...and I heard the birds chirping, the leaves skittering across the parking lot, blown by the wind...and finally felt good enough to go inside.

Oh and don't forget...it's Wednesday! Have you played?

Thirteen of my favorite designs for my blogs
(as designed by GoofyGirl Designs and Webundance)

1. In the middle we have Mad Mad House (only reality show I ever saw)

2. Top left is "lilacs"

3. Followed by "percy" (aka Robert Plant)

4. "snape1" (my fav of the Snape ones)

5. "winter"

6. Second row left: "Friday Fill-Ins" (featuring one of my photos)

7. Followed by "charlie" on the right

8. On the left, next row is "shiba in a field" (featuring one of my photos)

9. Followed by "What is it Wedsnesday" (featuring one of my photos) on the right

10. Bottom row, left is "fond of pirates"

11. Followed by "pets" (featuring my photos)

12. "snape2"

13. And finally, "bilbo" (my first!)

Do you have a favorite?

My Sacred Life
Day 8

It was sooooooooo cold this morning! I almost didn't bring a camera with me on my morning walk with Wolf. My purse, where I usually keep my small HP, wasn't willing to give up its contents (i.e., couldn't find the damn camera). So I grabbed Dad's small Canon and off I went.

I don't really care for the freezing cold...anything below 40 is too cold to me. But I'll put up with it because I really dig the four seasons in New England! I like my summers hot, my winters cold, my autumns chilly and my springs filled with the promise of sunshine and warmth.

Wolf, however, would like it to be snowy and cold 365 days a year. Weirdo!

Don't forget ... the Friday Fill-Ins are over here now!

1. Plans and schedules aren't my strengths.

2. I'm happy when things are spontaneous.

3. The last thing I drank was licorice and spice tea.

4. One of the most valuable things in my life is my dog(s).

5. I like anchovies on my pizza.

6. Dear November, please don't get too cold; and don't go by too fast...I'm not ready for December yet.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting out of work, tomorrow my plans include wedding dress shopping (with Megan, lol!) and Sunday, I want to have fun!

My Sacred Life
Day 9

Last night I was restless. Not in the mood to read, or watch tv, or talk, or sleep. I should've hopped in the car and driven to the beach...but it never occurred to me.

I watched a bit of ER...and it brought back such horrid memories of living with my first ex-husband. He was an alcoholic...somewhat controlled as he'd've had to have been in order to function in the military. Prior to him joining the military, though, I can remember nights where he'd call me in a panic to tell me he didn't know where his car was. First time it happened, I thought it was stolen. Then I realized he'd gotten so drunk he didn't remember where he left his car...a good thing given how drunk he'd been at one bar or another.

So this morning, even though I got up late, I decided to take Wolf for a walk, clear my head and whatnot.

I saw this milkpod fluff and thought it looked rather angelic.

I felt much better when I got home :-)

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This is my friend, Michelle; she used to do a lot of yoga...I don't think she's so much into it now. We had a great day this day, hanging around Boston! And she'll probably kill me when she sees this post LOL!

My Sacred Life
Day 10

I spent the day shopping for wedding gowns with my friend, Megan. She tried on...oh about 10 or 12 all told...but I think she fell in love with number three. I can't describe it other than to say her face just lit up when she looked in the mirror...she looked like a princess in it! There was one other she liked a lot, too...but the service at the second store, after the SUPERB service we had at the first, might have colored the experience a bit.

Afterwards, we had dinner at a Mexican place, played trivia at the bar, and I stopped for this shot on the way home. Far from perfect, but I like the lights reflected in the river.

Hope you had a great day, too!

My Sacred Life
Day 11

Wolf and I headed up to the beach today; Dad had mentioned he'd heard on the news the waves were really big...wow! They sure WERE! Surfers are pretty much a rarity around here as the waves are never big enough for them. This guy had a hard time getting past the crashing waves to join his three buddies. Wolf did NOT appreciate seeing someone in the water; in fact, ALL the dogs I saw on the beach barked their heads off at him LOL!

Mmmm...the house smells so good, I'm baking orange marmalade spice cake. Co-workers will be happy tomorrow!

Happy Veterans Day to all veterans :-)

My Sacred Life
Day 12

Because I had such fun at the beach yesterday, I thought I'd include another picture from it, one that others seemed to like very much, as well.

Since I enjoy this meme so much, I'm making it a part of "My Sacred Life". Yes, I didn't take a picture of it...but rules are made to be broken, no? Anyway, here's Manic Monday, hosted by Lisa and this is what she has for us this week:

What family traditions or customs would you most like to see preserved? Funny you asked this...I was just talking to my cousin last night about our family tradition of having plum pudding for Thanksgiving. It was always on the table, made with love by my aunt (her mom) and it's not quite to everyone's taste, but we LOVE it.

What do you feel is the least sexy part of the body? Nostrils. GAG.

What keeps you awake at night? Why? (This could be worries, recurring thoughts, pain or any other distraction. Read into this any way you wish.) Not much LOL! I usually don't have a difficult time sleeping. Call me well-adjusted if you must. ;-)

My Sacred Life
Day 13

Coming home last night I was flipping through the radio stations...do you know they're playing Christmas songs already??! I like to start listening the day after Thanksgiving...when I start decorating the house for Christmas. Although...I did listen all the way home!

And speaking of Christmas...I'd really like to do all my Christmas shopping on Etsy this year. Please take a look at Etsy :: Showcase and see if anything catches your eye. Then let me know! You'll have til December 7th. Because I'll pick one random person to send something to. Or maybe two...possibly three, cause I'm a fan of odd numbers. My way of spreading the holiday cheer :-)

Just keep it under $50.00, wouldja? Waaaaaaaaaay under ;-)

That is all.

OMG my stomach hurt from trying not to laugh really loud here at work! If only Wolf would have the same reaction to this thing!

From Cafe Writing: Give me seven of your favorite words. You don't have to explain them, but it's more fun for readers if you do.

1. Vicar: Only with an English accent :-)
2. Relish: It's such a happy word!
3. Echo: It's cute and little and has good memories for me
4. Utensils: Makes me think of one of my favorite rooms in a house, the kitchen
5. Occlumency: "From the Latin "occlude," meaning "to close, shut up, close off." Ok, it's not a real word...but I love the preciseness of it.
6. Diaphanous: It's sparkly, all dressed up :-)
7. Absinthe: I love the way this word makes my mouth move, plus I love the taste of it, not that I've ever had REAL Absinthe...

My friend ME picked Option Six: However enticing it is, it would just agitate him to see me participate in this nonsense.

My Sacred Life
Day 14

I want a new drug
One that does what it should
One that won't make me feel too bad
One that won't make me feel too good

I went to see my new doctor this past Monday...0730, in my world, the @$$ crack of dawn. This is the first time we've met, and oh my...the news is NOT good, people.

I gained 20 pounds in six months. TWENTY. POUNDS. And I was fat before! Holy COW and I do mean COW. So my doctor and I, we talked about this weight gain. I said I know I should eat better and work out, but I can't bring myself to do either. She asked why and I said...um...I don't know? Standard answer for when I really don't want to delve deeper into why. But she picked and prodded, no easy task when it comes to me; a typical Cancerian with a THICK shell and very accustomed to side stepping and burying my head.

Here's the truth: I know I need to lose weight...but I'm embarrassed to go to the gym. Why? Cause I'm fat & ugly and I figure the people at the gym will laugh at me. They will laugh and snicker and think to themselves: "Why does she want to lose weight? She's so ugly it doesn't matter if she's 100 pounds or 300 pounds. Ugly is ugly." Yup. That's what I think.

I'd like to be able to think that people would think to themselves *sounds of crickets chirping*, i.e., they're not thinking of me at all, which is probably the case...and maybe this new medication will help.

Cause you know what? Ugly or not, my weight is not healthy and I'm of an age now where I need to really do something about it. So maybe I can go to the gym with the attitude that I need to lose weight to be healthy...yeah, that's it!

Wish me luck?

Also, don't forget...it's Wednesday and you know what that means...time for What Is It Wednesday! Have you played?

1. My family and friends: Since I have such a small family, my friends really do become my family.
2. My dogs: I pink puffy heart both my dogs!
3. My cameras: I love taking pictures! They're not high quality arty shots, but really, I don't care.
4. My car: It's fast, cute and has a great sound system.
5. Mac and cheese: Kraft out of the box, baby, none better!
6. An ice cold beer: Especially on a hot summer's day
7. Coffee: The smell, the way little bubbles form at the top when you pour it into a mug or cup...yum!
8. My sense of humor...or maybe not LOL!
9. Money: It'd be nice to not need it, but hey, it provides me with mac & cheese and beer!
10. Toilet paper (just sayin'!)
11. My blog: I've met so many interesting people through my blog...some I've met in real life, some just through commenting and emails (Julie). Thanks for your comments, I really enjoy them!
12. Music: Speaking of music, I went to see Van Halen recently...and holy MOG were they GOOD! Eddie Van Halen, a guitar god, not quite up there with Page, but still damn good.
13. Johnny Depp ;-) Nuff said! Altho...I gotta say, I'm totally looking forward to the movie "Sweeney Todd" coming out this December...Depp & Rickman...ooh!

My Sacred Life
Day 15

Stop!!!

Last thing I knew it was Halloween (which snuck up on me) and now...now it's a week before Thanksgiving!!! Granted, Thanksgiving is a week early this year...but still. I didn't realize turkey day was fast approaching until last night either. People doing their Thursday thirteens were talking about being thankful (and I was thinking how much I enjoyed the positive vibes). But it wasn't until I came upon one blog that spelled it out by saying that next Thursday was the day that I realized it. No WONDER my brother, who visited last night, said: "See you on Thanksgiving."

Can I wake up now and join humanity? Sheeeesh!

Don't forget ... the Friday Fill-Ins are over here now!

1. The things I give thanks for this Thanksgiving are many and varied.
2. My Thanksgiving traditions include cooking, eating and cleaning
3. The best part about Thanksgiving is having two days off from work.
4. My favorite Thanksgiving food is the chestnut stuffing!
5. Um...I plead the 5th was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to me on Thanksgiving.
6. After the meal, I clean up and put things away.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include getting my hair done and Sunday, I want to grocery shop for next week!

Today's entry inspired by Mrs. G!

My Sacred Life
Day 16

1. Tomatoes: Freshly picked from the garden, nothing better! These tomatoes are in my garden right now; the lovely Laura says if I pick them and put them in a paper bag, they'll ripen. We shall see!

2. Birthdays! Speaking of Laura, today is her birthday! Go wish her a happy one, please, if you're so inclined.

3. Laughter: This commercial had me laughing so hard! I love to laugh; it seems to me fun is vastly underrated in life.

4. Friends. These particular friends celebrated their 20th year since college graduation last year...and kindly let me tag along :-)

5. Grilled cheese sandwiches: Especially with bacon and tomato...comfort food extraordinaire!

6. Angel Perfume by Thierry Mugler. I know it's supposed to be a sweet, foody scent...but on me it smells like Christmas trees as well :-)

7. The ocean. The scent, the sound, the power...it rejuvenates me!

What are some of your favorite things?

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My Sacred Life
Day 17

This is the 84th Saturday Photo Hunt; the theme is "I love...";

I love brussels sprouts and pinecones, old recipes and salty chocolate, smiling dogs and traveling, a good cup of coffee, cool shoes, and of course, photography!

And I love my cousin who is celebrating a birthday today out on a cruise ship! Go wish her a happy birthday, if you so desire :-) Happy Birthday, Maribeth!!! Love you!

My Sacred Life
Day 18

And I'm in the mood for a meme...luckily, Claudia tagged me :-)

7 random and/or weird facts about me:

1. I love mint chocolate chip ice cream...but it has to be white, not green.
2. It takes me forever to finish a bottle of diet coke...if I ever come to visit you, you'll find a bottle or three in your fridge (small ones, not a 2 liter).
3. I'll try tasting almost anything food related, which is how I put natto, sea urchin roe & chitlins in my mouth (not at the same time, and my rating is: yuck, yuck & yuck!)
4. It's impossible for me not to personalize my workspace, as anyone who's ever seen my office can attest to (think the Captain Jack Sparrow cardboard standup is overdoing it?).
5. If I love a movie, I can watch it over and over and over. Same thing for music...it takes a really, REALLY long time, if ever, for me to get sick of either of these things.
6. I enjoy the attention my dog, Wolf (seen above), gets when we're out walking, because I HATE/DETEST/CAN NOT STAND to be the center of attention and would much rather any attention be on someone else.
7. I can only learn about things that interest me...ask me about the stock market or how cars work and I'll yawn and fall asleep (believe me, I wish those things DID interest me), but ask me about the different kinds of olive oil, how many races of Elves there are, or what Snape's mother's name is, and I'll rattle it off in a second.

These are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

And as we all know how I feel about rules, seven of you consider yourself tagged if you'd like to play along!

Thanks, Claudia, I was wondering what I'd write about today!

My Sacred Life
Day 19

Since I enjoy this meme so much, I'm making it a part of "My Sacred Life". Yes, I didn't take a picture of it...but rules are made to be broken, no? Anyway, here's Manic Monday, hosted by Lisa and this is what she has for us this week:

What is your least favorite day of the week and why? I'd have to say Monday. After two days off from work, it's always a bit of a sticky wicket to get back into the work frame of mind.

What's the best way to end the day? Downing an ice cold martini? Tempting though that might be, the best way to end each day is to lay in bed and read for a bit. It's soothing and gives me my needed quiet time.

Which animal would you have left out of the ark? Skunks!!! They're beautiful, but OMG the stink!

My Sacred Life
Day 20

There's something about the first snow of the season that's magical. It makes me giggle and want to go out and make snow angels! It's pretty with the autumn colors shining through.

Which picture do you like best? It's the same one, with different photoshop techniques applied.

It's snowing!!!

My Sacred Life
Day 21

On my walk with Wolf this morning, I noticed little areas of snow left over from yesterday's brushing and thought it looked beautiful! It was almost as if I'd been transported to a place where the plants were covered with glittering diamonds.

Imagine that!

Got almost all the ingredients for tomorrow's big meal...except two of the most important: chestnuts and cranberry sauce!!! So I'll have to brave the stores again today.

For those of you that celebrate Thanksgiving, are you ready?

It's Wednesday and you know what that means...time for What Is It Wednesday! Have you played?

1. Turkey breast: First time not making the whole turkey, but it's just the three of us, so...
2. Ham: Why not?
3. Butternut squash, braised in cider
4. Fresh rosemary, from the bush I rescued from outside and brought to the plant lady at work (I'm using that in the squash dish)
5. Brussels sprouts, chestnuts and shallots in a brown butter sauce
6. Stuffing, which also has chestnuts in it...and celery & onion, too!
7. Mashed potatoes (I don't like gravy, but I'll have some for Dad & my brother)
8. Cranberry sauce: from the can...I like it better than homemade LOL!
9. Pumpkin pie, made from roasted pumpkins and with a graham cracker crust; I also substituted some black molasses for some of the sugar. It's in the oven now!
10. Apple crisp: oatmeal, maple, brown sugary goodness, topped with
11. Vanilla ice cream
12. Coffee
13. Gingerale

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it!

My Sacred Life
Day 22

We had a great day today. I cooked and washed, cooked and washed, and I still had a sinkful of dishes after the meal.

Wolf, of course, could barely contain himself with all the delicious smells. I staged this photo when I was done cooking. Isn't he so cute?!

After eating, we vegged out in front of the tv and watched the latest Die Hard flick...lots of spectacular crashes, good plot. I give it a thumbs up.

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, i hope it was filled with good food and excellent company.

Ahhh...another day off tomorrow AND it's a payday! Life is good :-)

My Sacred Life
Day 23

Left the house at 9:30 am and didn't slow down til about 11:30 PM...phew, what a day! Met Michelle at Barnes & Noble, bought four books, had a cup of coffee and a chat, and headed to Megan's to pick her up. Drove to Medford, hopped on the T and headed to Faneuil Hall, where we wandered and took pictures and had lunch at Wagamama.

Then we walked around and took more pictures and headed to the North End where we had cappuccino and drinks and dessert. Sufficiently warmed, we walked over to the Four Seasons, where we ended the evening with a cheese plate, a martini and a nice glass of Sancerre.

Ahhhh...Christmas time in Boston!

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My Sacred Life
Day 24

This is the 85th Saturday Photo Hunt; the theme is "Hot";

Hot is what I wish it was...22 degrees outside, brrrrr!!! I'm going to bake a cake, just for the heat from the oven. I'd roast a chicken, except for all that leftover turkey and ham. But the pies ARE gone...so cake it is!

Don't forget ... the Friday Fill-Ins are over here now!

1. I enjoy photography more than anything else.
2. Blogging satisfies my need for being heard (or seen or read!)
3. When I look at a full moon, I feel amazed! Last night's was gorgeous, rising up over Boston.
4. If I want a snack, I usually reach for a bag of chips or maybe some peanut butter on bread.
5. The most recent movie I saw, Live Free or Die Hard made me gasp at some of those wild crashes!
6. If only I had enough money to live the way I want to.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to last night I hung out with friends, tomorrow today my plans include keeping warm and Sunday, I want to walk the dogs!

My Sacred Life
Day 25
it's the Charlie Brown arrangement ;-)

What a weekend! I bought a bunch of books, almost finished one, saw a movie, went shopping, took some pictures, met friends...I was social! Hey...it happens every now and then LOL! I almost went shopping today again, but I thought a nice, peaceful walk in the woods was in order. The dogs and I had a great time, and I picked some pine needles to spruce (pun intended) up the place.

Did you have a good weekend?

Red berries

My Sacred Life
Day 26

SarcasticMom came up with Weekly Winners, and here's how you play:

Every Sunday, post your favorite photographs on your blog. It doesn't matter what they are of - just whichever ones are your favs from the previous week (Sunday - Saturday).

[The only photos I absolutely do not want linked to this Meme are pornographic photos or otherwise extremely graphic photos (such as death/violence, etc.). You will get banned for this, and yes, I will be checking. Please, just use your good taste and common sense.]

So here are the rest of my favs from last week (I love this idea!!!)

It looks like the sage is covered in diamonds...I love this picture!

Prepared veggies, waiting to be cooked

Cappuccino, cannoli, anisette & water...delish!

Fresh rosemary, I just love the smell!

Funny Bones, my favorite snack cake. They were in the vending machine at work...I just HAD to ... yes, I know they're VERY bad.

On the radio tonight, driving home from work, I heard a rumor...an AWESOME rumor, one I HOPE is true...wanna know what it is?

Led Zeppelin will be touring next year!!!

My Sacred Life
Day 27

Took a day off from work today...I'm still depressed that I have 60 hours...60 HOURS of vacation time left. First time EVER I've not used it all up. Sigh...

So anyway, I got the tree up, lit and tinseled...not sure if I'm going to put on any other decorations other than crystal icicles. Doing good for having said I wasn't going to put it up this year :-)

Woke up at 330 am ... do you all know how QUIET it is between 330 & 430? FREAKY quiet, that's how quiet!

My Sacred Life
Day 28

Ooops, my bad, I'm two days late with answers to the lovely Lisa's Manic Monday. Here's what she has for us this week:

Which personality trait has gotten you into the most trouble? [hahaha HOW appropriate!] Probably my procrastination. Or my lackadaisicalness (my, that's a long word) as pertains to things I don't like doing.

If you had to gain 10 pounds what would you eat to gain the weight? HAHAHA...like THAT will ever happen!!! Anyway...I'd eat lots of pasta and bread. *rolls eyes at Lisa*

How is your private self different from your public self? It's not...I'm pretty much the same privately as publicly inasmuch as what you see is what you get. I mean...I don't walk around braless (much) publicly, and I certainly don't pee in public (much) or engage in wild sex (anymore) in public, but other than that...

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Thanks to a suggestion from Michelle, I asked my boss for some Mondays & Fridays off in Decemeber, and she graciously agreed. So I'm off two Mondays, the 3rd & the 10th and three Fridays, 14th 21st and 28th! Woohoo!

Last night, I went to see The Song Remains The Same, an old Led Zeppelin movie, which was playing at a few theaters in the area. It was definitely hokey in some parts, but the concert parts were amazing. My friend said anyone who could watch Page and Plant and not be turned on was dead inside...I totally agree! Those boys were HOT! Watching the intensity on Page's face as he fingers fly over his guitar...*fans self*. WOW!