...I mean CindyS (from Nocturnal Wonderings, if you don't know). She nominated me for the Lemonade Award. Aww, isn't she sweet? Yup, she is. :o) What is the Lemonade Award? Read on, peeps -




The Lemonade Award


1) Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post.

2) Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude.

3) Link to your nominees within your post.

4) Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5) Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award.


Hmm, I'm guessing I show attitude. And just what do you mean by that, Ms Cindy S?? Huh? Am I a clown? Do I amuse you?? Yes? Oh, okay then. GO ME!

I won't nominate 10 people but I will nominate a few - Katiebabs, JenB, Bridget Locke, and KMont, please step forward to receive your accolades! *applause from the crowd...or just me*


In other news, lightning reviews coming this weekend. I know you're excited.

Labels: cyber friends, lolcat, meme, silliness

...and CindyS does too! Heh.



As I mentioned earlier, Cindy tagged me with a Christmas Spirit Award. Awww...that's so sweet! I lubs da Cindy! And she's got the coolest Christmas-y blog template evar!

Here we go:

Here are the rules for the Christmas Spirit Award:

"You must be a true Christmas lover" to receive this award.
The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas.
Link back to the person who gave you the award.
List 5 things that you love about Christmas. If you can't limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space!
Pass the award along to as many people as you like. That can be 1 or 50. It's up to you! But keep the Christmas cheer going!
Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment.

Five Things I Love About Christmas:

1. The music - I'll admit I'm one of those people who has to listen to some Christmas carols along about July or so. Just because I can. :-p
2. The decorations - you've seen my monster tree. Do you need more proof?? I didn't think so.
3. The break - I usually take at least a week off from work, since all my family is about 6 hours from where I live. Yay! Off from work=awesomeness!
4. The visiting - I get to see ALL my relatives (with very few exceptions). Whether I love to see them and this is a chance OR whether I'm thankful this is the only time I have to see them, it's a YAY.
5. SANTA!! - 'nuff said. LOL

Who am I tagging?? Hmm...I believe it will have to be Mollie because she's had her tree up longer than I've had mine up. LOL

Labels: cyber friends, holiday, meme

...time for a meme! Psych! Heh. }:-)

I totally swiped this from somewhere (I don't remember where). I know everybody is crazy busy - remember, it's the happiest time of the year, peeps! - but, if you're in the mood to meme, GO FOR IT!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both! Depends on the gift. I love the way wrapped packages look but bags are way easy.

2. Artificial or Real tree? Artificial. I think I've mentioned (and posted pics) of my monster tree. It's a nine-footer! When I get all the ornaments on it, I'll post this year's pic.

3. When do you put up a tree? Veteran's Day weekend, usually (nine feet of tree, one of me...do the math).

4. When do you take it down? MLK weekend, usually (see reason above).

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope. Ick, ick, ick!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My bad memory, let me show u it. No clue. Probably a TV or stereo. I do remember receiving the coveted Baby Alive, though.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad! Hardest. Person. To buy for. Evar!

8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom. Since most of my shopping trips throughout the year are with her and since she isn't shy about pointing out things she likes...easy!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? A tiny ornament one.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Cards! I love cards...I'm a card-sender all year round.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Bad memory again. I don't remember getting anything awful ever.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I pick up stocking stuffers all year, as I find them. For big items, sometime in October.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yup, I'm not ashamed.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies! Honey-baked ham! All the usual holiday things, really.

16. Lights on the tree? Yup, lots and lots.

17. Favorite Christmas Song? Covered during last week's Friday Fun Fact. :-D

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yup! Can you? *skeptical look*

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel bear. She's pretty.

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve, the rest in the morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Lines! Lines everywhere! Filled with annoying people. Grr.

23. Favorite Ornament theme or color? I don't have a theme but there are lots of candy and cookie ornaments on my tree. :-D

24. Favorite dessert for Christmas dinner? Sour cream pound cake - yum!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A Wii!!! I've been soooo good, Santa!

Labels: holiday, lolcat, meme, silliness

...but I'm LOVED!! Awww. Ames and CindyS love me! Yay! And I love them right back. It's a lovefest, I tell ya!

According to the instructions:
1) Add the logo of the award to your blog
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!


Yes! You can haz luv, too! Jeez. Nominate at least 7 others? I think I'm one of the last people to get around to nominating...still, you can never get too much love, right? Since everyone is already loved, I'm listing the blogs I check every day:

1) Ames' Thrifty Reader blog
2) Bookbinge
3) Cindy's Nocturnal Wonderings
4) Dear Author
5) Kristie and Katiebabs' Ramblings on Romance
6) Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books
7) The Good, the Bad and the Unread

I know I haven't been around much lately but I'll try to do better, honest! I even have ideas for topics - hard to imagine but true. :-D

Labels: cyber friends, lolcat, meme

Ames tagged me.

Here are the instructions:
Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 56. Find the fifth sentence. Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your journal/blog along with these instructions.

Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the closest. Tag five other people to do the same.

Here's page 56, sentence 5 of the most recent book I finished - plus the next, to finish out his thought):

"By Jove, you haven't changed a bit," he said and winked at her as he put her bonnet on her head. "Still the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

Maria wondered what Miss Dutton might think of that opinion, but she didn't voice her speculation aloud.

~from Laura Lee Guhrke's latest, Secret Desires of a Gentleman


In other news, I'm heading out of town tomorrow after work. I'm going to visit the 'rents - it's my mom's birthday Sunday - and then Mom and I are going to visit one of her sisters for the week. Wo0t! Shopping and eating and reading and sleeping, here I come!! I'll be popping in and out but I won't be around much. I'll have my phone with me as we're roaming, so I'll try to Twitter a bit.



Don't have too much fun without me, peeps!

ETA: I totally forgot to tag anyone! Duh. Okay - Holly, CindyS, JenB, Rowena and YOU - not-listed person, whoever you are.

Labels: cyber friends, life, meme, roaming

Cindy tagged me for the “6 unimportant facts about me” meme.

The rules are:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.
5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.


So here we go:

1. I want to win the lottery (just a small jackpot, thanks) but can't play because my state doesn't participate. :o(

2. My favorite color is blue.

3. I have recently become a Doctor Who fan.

4. I could be a hermit (with cable and internet access) and not complain.

5. I love to bake but don't enjoy cooking.

6. I love cool socks.

Hmmm...tagging more people. Okay, you (yeah, you) reading this right now - if you haven't already done this, consider yourself tagged. :-p

Labels: cyber friends, lolcat, meme

...courtesy of the ladies at Book Binge - and it's a contest too! I could win an eBookwise eReader (and, yeah sure, you could too...whatever). Wheeeee!

So, here we go:

1. What is your favorite Christmas romance to re-read each year?
I don't know that I have a favorite but I do enjoy Jo Beverley's Winter Fire. It's a pretty recent release - only a couple of years old, I think. Christina Skye has several books in her Draycott Abbey series that are Christmas-themed, too. I love that series!

2. What is your favorite Christmas movie/show?
The Grinch! The original cartoon, thank you very much...Dr. Seuss+Chuck Jones+Boris Karloff=MUCH WIN and AWESOME! ;-)

3. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
Peanut butter blossoms...best cookie EVAR! Perhaps not particularly Christmas-y but so very yummy!

4. When do you start Christmas shopping?
During the after-Christmas sales, of course! I shop all year long but I still have the last minute panic of having nothing for anyone. Sad, I know...it happens every year.

5. Do you re-gift?
Yup. And I keep the "from" tag on the thing to be re-gifted so I don't give it back. I also have the stack of gifts that may never be re-gifted because I don't know anyone who would want them. Yikes.

6. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Traditional: Joy to the World and It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Modern: All I Want for Christmas is You and Santa Baby

7. When do you get your Christmas tree?
When do I put it up? I start on Veteran's Day weekend...it's huge!

8. Wrapping presents: Love it or hate it?
Love it!

9. Who is the hardest person to buy for?
My dad.

10. Christmas tree: Real or artificial?
Artificial (see #8). I have Christmas-y smelling potpourri, though.

Anybody else want to play? Head on over to Book Binge and check it out!

Labels: contest, holiday, meme

Ames tagged me for the desktop grab meme that's going around - and for the big scoop and instructions, surf on over and read them...lazy?! Moi?? Why, yes, thanks. Anyhoo, now that I'm back in the land of Wi-Fi, I can post mine. I apologize in advance for the boringness that is me. At least I'm seasonal!



Yup, dull. With the iBook, I've never let my desktop clutter up (my work desktop is just sad). For a long time I didn't have anything on it - everything could come up from the dock. Hmmm...maybe I should try to do a screen cap with the dock showing.

Here we go -



Still boring but doesn't it make more sense now? No?? Whatever. ;-)

I'll post more about my adventures later. Dinner calls.

ETA: I'm back! My mom and my aunt and I had a lovely week of shopping and roaming. Did you know that Macy's has lots of stuff on clearance for $2.99?? Like the formerly $99 skirt my mom bought and the formerly $89 pants my aunt found. Cool! We love the bargains!

Also, we visited the Newport Aquarium and visited the fishies and penguins and otters. I LOVE penguins! And aren't otters some of the cutest critters evar?

The leaf peeping was disappointing - no color change. Blah. And the weather was bizarre - when we arrived on Monday, the high for the day was in the 90s. The high for the day on Thursday?? In the 50s! I'm ready for summer to be over but it could leave a bit slower, I'm thinking.

That's it for now! I'll post the week's book report later in the weekend.

Labels: meme, pictures, roaming, silliness

...yeah, well - I never said I could sing, did I??

Anyway, the fiendish Devon tagged me for the book MeMe that's been floating around so here we go:

1. Total number of books I own:
According to the fabulous Readerware, I currently own 904 books (318 in the TBR and 586 Keepers or waiting to go to the UBS). Wanna make something of it??

2. Last Book I bought:
Jo Goodman's If His Kiss is Wicked

3. Last Book I read:
Suz's Heartthrob

4. Five books that mean a lot to me:


> Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses - I have an old, falling apart copy that was mine when I was little and I found a new copy of the same version (pictured on the left) before Thomas Kincaid's version took over the world.






> Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time - I believe my love for paranormals began here when I was 12 or so.










> Lynn Kurland's Stardust of Yesterday - just because it's my favorite. :o)








> Suz's Hot Target - the most balanced and cohesive of her books (and the first big supporting role for Jules...darn it, where are my Snoopies??).






> Emma Holly's Menage - well, reading that just opened up a whole new world of stuff, didn't it. Who knew I would like the kink? LOL











Anyone else who wants to do this one, consider yourself tagged!

Labels: 2 cents, book stuff, linkage, meme

So, I mentioned that I was going to steal the Book Bitches' idea of listing the best books of 2007 (so far). As I looked back over my notes - that were sadly behind, btw - and looked at the pile of books I hadn't any notes on, I could only come to one conclusion. Although I have read many good books this year, I haven't read many that were excellent. I knew I had been re-reading a lot of old faves but I hadn't exactly realized why...

Anyway, with that disclaimer out of the way, here are my top 7 of 2007, so far:

#1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling - I mean, honestly, could it have been anything else?! I think not. ;-)
#2 Natural Born Charmer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips - always excellent! Now if she would only give me Teddy's story...
#3 When I Fall in Love, Lynn Kurland - she's one of my very, very faves and doesn't get as much buzz as she could, says me.
#4 The Billionaire Next Door, Jessica Bird - proof that category romances don't have to feel flat or rushed or mediocre.
#5 Atlantis Rising, Alyssa Day - a strong start to an interesting series
#6 The Secret Diary of Miss Miranda Cheever, Julia Quinn - I'm a sucker for childhood crush stories. :o) I was afraid I would miss the Bridgertons but I didn't.
#7 Dead Witch Walking, Kim Harrison - enjoyable and intriguing. I haven't read the second book of the series but I have it on the pile, near the top.

Anyone else want to play??



And speaking of...Ames tagged everyone for a middle name meme, so I'll do that one - because my middle name is short. LOL Here we go:

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged, you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

LOU (Oh yeah, like I would make that up.) Anywhoo...
L - LOLcat addict (my middle name...let me show you it)
O - Origami-challenged...seriously, I got an origami-a-day calendar last year and didn't make it past March. Sad.
U - Uncontrollable reader. Just try and stop me from reading...anything, anywhere. If nothing is available, I'll go back over favorite scenes in my head.

By the way, did I happen to mention that Force of Nature comes out in less than 2 days?! Break out the Snoopys!!


ETA: Hey, CindyS - where are you?? Your blog isn't loading on My Netvibes. :o( Nevermind, Ames explained. :o)

Labels: book stuff, linkage, meme

...so Cindy tagged me to do a music meme. Now that the 'rents have headed northward I can do it. :o)

The instructions are: List seven songs you are into right now, no matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your LiveJournal along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

Okay, here goes (I won't be doing the cool video stuff some people did because I don't think all my songs are YouTube-able) in no particular order:

1. Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne It's just too bouncy, isn't it? :-D
2. No Sleep Tonight - the Faders It isn't everywhere like it was a little while back but I still enjoy it.
3. Candyman - Christina Aguilera I enjoy the swing vibe it has going and doubt that it will ever be a hit on mainstream radio. LOL
4. Hard Times Come Again No More - Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer & Mark O'Connor w/ James Taylor The whole Appalachian Journey CD is fabulous but this song is the one I find myself humming.
5. Devoted to You - Linda Ronstadt Did you know she has a lullaby CD?? With soothing treatments of rock hits, no less. It's very enjoyable, says me. :o)
6. 455 Rocket - Kathy Mattea I'm so not a country fan but I do make an occasional exception and this is one of them. The bluesy vibe and lyrics are fun.
7. Us Amazonians - Kirsty MacColl Any song with the lines: "I punched him out and brought him to this hut; but I know he'll thank me when he wakes up" has to be a winner! LOL

Well, there you have it peeps! Am I tagging anyone?? Nope. But if anyone wants to do it, go for it!

Now, for the little bit more portion of today's blog:

I mentioned earlier that I had some new to me authors to recommend so here goes:
Cindy Miles is new to me (and everyone else I think since her first book just came out in May). She's writing paranormal/time travel stuff. It has a very Lynn Kurland vibe and I love me some Lynn K so I liked it. The debut book is Spirited Away and is similar, in some ways, to Lynn K's Stardust of Yesterday (probably my very favorite book EVAR) so I liked it. I'll pick up her next book when it comes out in the Fall and see if I continue to like her stuff. Not a lot of steam in the first one, FYI.

Another new-to-me author I tried recently is Kelley St. John. I read a Harlequin Blaze called Kiss and Dwell (the first in a trilogy, btw) and liked it enough to be on the lookout for the rest of the series. Again paranormal (I was on quite the paranormal spurt there for a while) but this time with steam. ;-) I may check out one of her single titles, too...even though the Mountain is groaning already and threatening to avalanche all over my house. LOL

Well, that's it for me today, peeps! I'll be around more now that my company is gone and the scrapbooking is finished.

Labels: book stuff, meme

Darn it! ;-)

Okay, here goes...

Four things About ME!

Things you may not have known about me:

1. I wanted to be an artist when I grew up (before a sad realization regarding my lack of talent).
2. I sleep with a nightlight but then cover my eyes.
3. I don't like to drive (I prefer to be driven...obviously, I had a chaffeur in a previous life).
4. I am a fountain of useless knowledge (some of you already knew that, I think).

Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. check-out clerk
2. bank teller
3. general assistant/go-fer
4. government paper-pusher

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. The Princess Bride
2. The Philadelphia Story
3. Sense and Sensibility
4. Serenity

Four places I have lived:
1. Richmond, KY
2. Texarkana, TX
3. Fairfax, VA
4. Huntsville, AL

Four of my favorite foods:
1. peanut butter
2. french fries
3. fried chicken
4. roast turkey

Four places I'd rather be right now:
1. the Bahamas
2. Italy
3. Australia
4. around-the-world cruise

Four people I tag:
You'll be glad to hear this one dies with me (unless someone who hasn't already answered really wants to). ;-)

Labels: meme

The VISIONS OF HEAT meme

1. Which psychic power would you most like to possess?
I would like to be able to be invisible - and fly. Or just fly. Do those count as psychic powers? I guess they are more "special" powers. Hmmm...I'll go with the answer that ties to the next question - see the future.

2. If you could see the future, what would you like to see?
Well, lottery numbers, of course (not that my state has a lottery....grrrr!) and which stocks, etc. were going to skyrocket. Yeah, I shallow and greedy...what's your point?? ;-) Also, dangers, hazards, etc. to my family and friends that I could prevent/help them avoid. And I agree with Cindy, very clear visions, please! No deep symbolism or anything...I would waffle too much about what it might mean.

3. Imagine you woke up one day and could shapeshift - what would you shift into?
Something that flies - but that wouldn't attract undue attention - like a blue jay or cardinal. Nothing that is a nuisance or is tasty and therefore hunted. :o) Or maybe a cat...a very pampered, lazy house cat. Or, if I lived near the ocean, I would like to be a dolphin for a day.

4. What kind of a paranormal creature would you invite over for dinner if there were no limits on who you could ask?
Some werefolk would be interesting, I think. And maybe a vamp or two, if they promised no biting. Think of the stories they could tell, assuming they've been around for a while!

5. Which future innovation do you wish would hurry up and get here already? i.e. flying cars, a transporter, computers with artificial intelligence, an auto chef?
Transporter! I love to travel but it's such a hassle and the actual getting to the location is a waste of time that might be spent actually seeing stuff. And who wouldn't LOVE an auto chef?!

This meme was begun by Nalini Singh to get the word out about her next book, Visions of Heat (releasing March 6). Want to play, too, and enter to win a $50 Amazon voucher plus an ARC? Click here for details.

As you can see from my "Patience is a Virtue" area on the right, I was already excited about this book, so I'm glad to do what I can to get the word out to people. You haven't read any of Nalini's stuff?? Shame on you!!

Labels: contest, meme

I wasn't tagged but I've been a bad poster and I currently lack inspiration so I'm doing the latest MeMe. :-D

Contemporary, Historical, or Paranormal?
I love them all but I'll admit paranormals hold a special place in my heart.

Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?
MM if I can...but, since I lack patience, HB if I have to. TS just annoys me (although I have a few of those too).

Heyer or Austen?
Well, neither, really...but, if it has to be one or the other, I have actually read a Heyer (The Grand Sophy) and it was okay. I love the movies based on Austen, though. Am I showing my shallow roots if I say I prefer books to have sex? ;-) Traditional Regencies don't seem to have the same pay off as other romances set in the Regency period. Yup...shallow, that's me.

Amazon or Brick and Mortar?
If it is a bookstore, I'm there. Although, I will say I prefer BN.com to Amazon for books.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Well, we don't have Borders, exactly. Ours is still a Waldenbooks, so it would qualify as a Borders Express, I suppose. But I go to both...any bookstore, anywhere!

Woodiwiss or Lindsay?
Both, back in the day. Now?? Neither, really. Does Woodiwiss still write or has she passed away? I'll check and update. And the last few Lindsays I read were disappointing.

First romance novel you ever remember reading?
Gypsy Lady by Shirlee Busbee. Yikes! But before that there had been countless, unremembered Harlequins. :o)

Alphabetize by author Alphabetize by title or random?
In a perfect world, with plenty of space and time to maintain? Alphabetize by author. In my life? Originally alphabetized by author then crammed onto shelves so they don't fall off (as I add to my Keepers or re-read old faves).

Keep, Throw Away or Sell?
Keep - if I love it or if I enjoyed it and it is part of a continuing series. Sell - everthing else. Throw away - never!!! Well, maybe if it was damaged beyond repair. But that's the only time!

Read with dustjacket or remove it?
Remove it.

Sookie Stackhouse or Anita Blake?
Neither. I made it to Blue Moon with Anita but I had to stop. I read the first Sookie book and enjoyed it...but not enough to read the rest, apparently.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
Chapter breaks - and wow do I hate it when authors break a chapter right in the middle of a scene! Or scene breaks if I'm really tired or if it a book by one of those annoying authors I mentioned. ;-)

“It was a dark and stormy night?” or ?“Once upon a time”?
Once upon a time. :o)

Crusie or SEP?
LOVE them both! But SEP wins by a smidge.

Buy or Borrow?
Buy, almost always. My reading tastes don't coincide with my friends' very often so borrowing isn't often an option. And my library isn't convenient.

Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse?
Yup. Reviews from people with similar tastes, recommendations from trusted sources and browsing in case anything fell through the cracks.

Tidy ending or Cliffhanger?
Tidy!! A cliffhanger is okay for the (very rare) mystery I might read but that's it.

Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading?
In a perfect world (can you tell I don't live there??), any time is a good time! However, in my life, nighttime.

Series or standalone?
I'll admit, I loves me some series. But sometimes a good standalone is just the thing.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
I think everyone has heard of most of my faves. :o) But, a very old, early, early fave was a Harlequin (before they had all different kinds, even) called Every Wise Man, written by Jacqueline Gilbert.

Anybody else want to play??

*ETA* Ms. Woodiwiss is still alive and well. :o)

Labels: 2 cents, book stuff, meme

Now, sure, you know I just was in the Mediterranean (not literally!) last fall (check the October archives if you haven't seen the pics)...but what's a girl to do when someone calls and says "Are we doing Hawaii this year or not?? I need to do Hawaii!"??? She starts planning a trip to Hawaii! I'll admit, at first I was kinda MEH about it but now I'm getting more excited. :o) We're cruising over - roundtrip from LA. Wheee! Has anyone done that? Tips and advice are welcome!

Maybe we'll see stuff like this:

Labels: meme, vacay

Since I'm starting a 4-day weekend (w00t!), I'm in a bouncy mood. Apparently, that means I want to be snarky. LOL

I think we should play "Remember When" and wax all nostalgic and stuff...and if snarkitude ensues along the way, oh well. }:->



I'll go first -

Remember when the possibility existed that Elizabeth Lowell would actually finish a series before moving on to the next one?

Now, before someone gets upset, she was an early fave of mine. I loved (and still love) her early category westerns (unfinished series) and her sci-fi stuff (unfinished series) and her medieval series (again with the unfinished!). Are we sensing a theme?? *singsong* I think we are. */singsong*

I have made my peace (mostly) with the fact that these series will never be finished but it still annoys me when it pops into the front of my brain. Perhaps I'll blog in depth about it someday. Hmmm...

Anyone else want to play? You don't have to be snarky. :o)

Labels: 2 cents, book stuff, meme

...I wouldn't want to be left out or anything. :o)

In 2006 I read:

131 books (although this doesn't include ebooks or re-reads...so bump that number up by a good bit)
13 new-to-me authors (including some that are now on my must read list - like Nalini Singh and Anne Gracie)
57 contemporaries (28 of which were paranormal/fantasy)
51 historicals (29 of which were set in the Regency era)
14 category romances (amazing - this used to be all I read)
36 paranormals (assorted time periods)
15 books that I rated as excellent (including The Devil in Winter, Passion, and Much Ado in the Moonlight)

Hmmm...I must be in Cindy S's boat with the other paranormal sluts. Of course, I knew that about myself already but seeing number that back it up is something else.

I'm going to do better about keeping track in 2007. I used to keep track of the ebooks and re-reads and I'm going to again. Honest!

So, best new-to-you author you discovered in 2006? Mine (I get two...because I can): Anne Gracie and Nalini Singh.

Labels: book stuff, meme

...I stole this from Stacy. :o)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate, definitely! Egg nog?? Ick!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wrap almost always - unless it's something huge.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
I'm in between - my lights are red, green and white (I love Target!).

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yup - fake, though. :o)

5. When do you put your decorations up?
I start on Veterans' Day weekend - stop screaming! - I have a 9-foot tree that I decorate by myself, usually (unless I con someone into visiting). It has to be done in stages, people! I usually finish the weekend before Thanksgiving but I don't turn the tree on until after.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Although not, technically, a holiday dish - chicken and dumplings is my favorite, I think. We only seem to have it at a large family gathering of some sort so...

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Hmmm...I'll agree with Stacy on this one. Watching all the TV specials - especially Rudolph and Charlie Brown.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't think I understand the question...what truth about Santa?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yup! Usually pajamas. LOL

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Did I mention it is a 9-footer?? LOL It has to be systematic, peeps! Furniture has to be moved, carpets rolled up, then the ladders come in and I'm off!

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it when it starts on Christmas Eve and keeps going all the next day! The rest of the year, no thanks!

12. Can you ice skate?
Well, I have...and I didn't injure myself or anyone else. But I've only been, like, twice. I'm in the South, you know. ;-)

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
At the moment, no...I'll ponder.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
I love going home and hanging out with the family. It just wouldn't be Christmas without all the visiting.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
I love to bake Christmas cookies but I don't eat many of them (I get tired of them while I'm baking)...but my favorite to eat is my mom's sour cream pound cake - Christmas or any other time! Yummy!!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
The big family get-together. It's usually a few days after Christmas - but ever so festive!

17. What tops your tree?
Ariella Angelfrost. :o) Boyd's Bear topper - blonde bear in a red velvet dress with white fur trim and white wings. She's so pretty.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
Both!! Nothing better than finding exactly the right gift for someone - unless someone finds exactly the right gift for me!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Traditional - O Holy Night; other - Santa Baby and All I Want for Christmas is You

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Yum!

Anyone else want to play??

Labels: holiday, meme

Since this has been floating around, I'll play too. :o) It's one of the few things I can do on my PC while the iBook is in the shop getting a bigger hard drive (oh, the pain! I miss it so!!!!).

5 Yummy things:
1. My mom's fried chicken
2. Chocolate mousse
3. French fries
4. Ben & Jerry's vanilla caramel fudge ice cream
5. Sour cream pound cake

5 Songs I Know by Heart:
1. the whole Carpenters' Christmas album (no rudeness about the Carpenters, please - best Christmas album EVER!)
2. Part of Your World from the Little Mermaid
3. No Sleep Tonight
4. Over the Rainbow
5. Sin Wagon

5 things I'd do with a lot of money:
1. Sail around the world
2. Buy a beach house
3. Buy a beach house for parents (well, my mom would like it so...)
4. Buy a flea market for my dad
5. Quit my job and never look back :o) (that should be at the top of the list, yes?)

5 places I would escape to:
1. the Caribbean
2. the Mediterranean (yeah, I just got back...so?)
3. Tahiti
4. Australia
5. Iceland

5 things I would never wear:
1. Daisy Duke's (seriously, no one should wear these!)
2. bell bottoms (see comment above)
3. lame' (have you noticed that without the accent mark it reads LAME??? Do I need to say more?)
4. tube tops
5. platform shoes (I've made peace with my height, thank you)

5 favorite TV shows:
1. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
2. Gilmore Girls
3. Boston Legal
4. Lost
5. Grey's Anatomy

5 things I enjoy doing:
1. reading
2. watching TV
3. traveling
4. baking
5. playing on the internet

5 favorite toys:
1. iBook
2. iPod
3. DVR
4. digital camera
5. PDA

Anybody else who wants to play - have at it!

Labels: entertainment, meme

I've noticed several people have been posting about the sizes of their TBR piles...so I thought I'd join in. :o) First I had to get caught up on my database of books read this year and clean up my Readerware. Do you have Readerware?? It's awesome! Anyway, my TBR totals up to *trumpets sound*267. Of course, that includes any number of anthologies that I've read part of and keep telling myself I'll finish up eventually.

Labels: book stuff, gadgets, meme