2011 E-Book Reading Challenge

You know how sometimes you are sort of surfing blogs. You go from one to another to yet another and then you find something really fun and interesting but can't for the life of you remember exactly how you found it? That's what happened to me when I stumbled upon The Ladybug Reads and the 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge.

I'm going to "sign up" and see how many books I end up reading this year. I went back in my Kindle history to see how many books I have read so far this year...and I'm up to 17..and that's without even trying, LOL. Now that I know I'm part of a "challenge" I'll probably pick up the pace. Not that I think there are prizes or anything, not any that I read about..but bragging rights are just as nice.

I'm not going to post a book list or anything. I'm not that organized with my reading list. My moods change throughout the year as to what I want to read so..I'll leave it up to my whims. But I'll probably be posting more about it here as my list grows. For now, I'll list the books I have read so far via my lovely little Kindle.

By Author:

Pamela Clare:
Unlawful Contact
Hard Evidence
Naked Edge
Breaking Point

Kresley Cole:
Dreams of a Dark Warrior
Demon from the Dark
Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Kiss of a Demon King
Dark Desires After Dusk
Dark Needs at Night's Edge

V.K. Forrest:
Immortal

Jacquelyn Frank:
Seduce Me In Dreams

Jeaniene Frost:
Halfway to the Grave

Larissa Iona:
Pleasure Unbound

Tara Janzen:
Loose Ends

Sherrilyn Kenyon:
Fantasy Lover

Monica Mccarty:
The Ranger

Favorite Moments of the Day

Finally Friday!

Come on and play along!

1. If I could get away somewhere for the weekend I would go to...the coast. If its just the weekend we're talking about, and considering how long it takes to get out of Texas, I would run off to South Padre or Corpus for the weekend..rent a condo right on the beach and spend two blissful days with my toes in the sand.

2. Something I often rant about is...what DON'T I rant about?! I rant a lot about people (i.e. coworkers) not doing their job..which then means I have to do it for them. Waste.Of.Time. I rant about people abusing their kids, killing their kids, throwing away their kids. Seriously, did y'all read about the 18 year old that had a baby and threw it down the garbage chute? The baby survived thanks to landing on a pile of trash..no lie! That shit really PISSES ME OFF!

3. One item I need to have in my fridge at all time is...water. If you would have told me three years ago that I would answer this question with water, I would have laughed at you. It's all I drink now (except for the occasional glass of wine/margarita/soda).

4. My "life-saving" product is ...Colgate Wisp. I just picked up a package of these at the grocery store two weeks ago and I'm in love. They are wrapped separately, so you can just throw them in your purse and go. No water required, taste good, and they have a pointy end of that teeth-picking action.

5. A friend is someone who...likes you, the good stuff and even the bad stuff. Someone who doesn't get all butt-sore when you haven't called in a while. Someone who doesn't get jealous at the boyfriend/husband, kids, or other friends. Someone who really GETS you. Someone that will go to battle for you, who will hold your hand while you cry, who will tell you if you have a hair on your chin.

6. If I could write my own blank it would be..."At the end of a bad day, my favorite way to vent is..", "My all time favorite pair of shoes are....because...", "If money wasn't an issue, what would be your dream date".

7. My favorite kind of art is...the kind we make ourselves. At least, that's mostly what is in our home. Photographs, Pencil drawings, paint on canvas..you know, we've made it and hung it up. My sister has brought me back a few pieces from her travels, Paris and San Francisco, and we hung up postcards from Colorado..so I like destination art work as well, I suppose.

Lovely Thursday

Wee Bit Wednesday

{one} what’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?
Considering that I was married at 19, I didn't have a lot of experience with going out on actual dates.

{two} if you could be any other person for one day, who would it be?
Lady Gaga. What do you think it sounds like in her head?

{three} what is your favorite kind of cheese?
I grew up eating slices of cheese my Mom would cut off a huge ol' block of Cheddar..I still love me some good Cheddar cheese.

{four} do you remember your 1st grade teacher?
Maybe. Mrs. Potter? She was blonde headed and kind of mean.

{five} who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
I don't call anyone, I just wait for Jeremy to get home.

{six} were you ever in a school talent show?
Nope. I have stage fright..bad. Last summer we had a family get together and we put together a skit that went over several generations of our family, who was born and married during that generation and what was happening in the world. I was the 60's, and all I had to do was walk up on stage and read off a piece of paper. I was SO freakin' nervous that I was shaking and felt sick. And that was in front of my OWN family.

{seven} who is your favorite fictional character?
Leeloo Dallas

{eight} can you open your eyes underwater?
Probably, but it doesn't seem like a whole lot of fun.

{nine} do you look at the keyboard when you type?
I do on the laptop sometimes. I'm still getting use to the compact keyboard. But not on a normal keyboard. I can remember when we were learning about ten key in my vocational education class and the teacher told us we would eventually be able to do it without looking..I didn't believe her.

{ten} when was the last time you took a nap?
I can't even remember. I'm not much of a napper. I can't seem to get my brain to shut off during the day, even if I have nothing to do..bored out of my mind. I might lay down, but I cannot go to sleep.

Tuesday Randoms

1. It seems that somehow I have held the PMS monster at bay. This would be 'hell week' as I affectionately call the week leading up to my period. But the usual moodiness (i.e. getting totally pissed off over everything and then crying myself into a heap on the bathroom floor in a matter of 2.5 seconds) has been wonderfully absent. I probably shouldn't question it..just roll with the happy's while I have them.

2. Lola's paw seems to be ok. The crack is still there but she hasn't been licking it or even limping. I think she will survive...I guess that means I will to (I'm a slightly over-protective Momma and will probably still bring it up to the vet on Thursday).

3. We are joining a gym this weekend! I am thrilled and intimidated all at once. I know it will be good for us. Eating right can only get you so far and both of us have been consistently sporadic with our workouts. But paying for a gym membership sort of means we HAVE to go. I can't let the money go to waste. It's like I want to do it, but I don't want to do it. You know what I mean? Hopefully it will help me lose these last few pounds that are keeping me in the 'overweight' category and get me all toned up!

4. I need a haircut in a bad way. My hair is a hot mess. I'm torn between cutting my bangs back off or just getting them trimmed so they blend better with the rest of my hair. I'd say they are about mid-cheek right now. I just know I have to do something. They get in my face, barely too short to tuck behind my ears, so I pin them back a lot of the time. I just need someone who knows what they are doing with a pair of scissors to please take pity on my poor hair and work it out!

5. Anyone ever watch 'Strange Sex' on TLC? I happened to catch about five minutes of it the other night. This man was suffering from POIS, Postorgasmic illness syndrome. Basically these poor people (a quick, very quick, google search seems to only include guys..so I'm not sure if women suffer from this or not) suffer flu like symptoms for days after they climax. Doesn't that sound so shitty? To experience something SO great, to experiencing something so crappy?! What is up with that? It's not right, I tell you, just not right.

Tomorrow is another day

Y'all, it is hot. Not just hot but hhoottttt-ta. My little weather icon is telling me it is currently 102 degrees...at 7:00 in the evening. Oy vey. Weather like this isn't good for anything except for sitting in front of the air vents.

It was even muggy at work today. I felt greasy all day long. I hate that. But I had to be doing better than the husband. He works in a warehouse, with no heating or cooling. Yuck.

To top the day off, Lola came inside licking one of her paws obsessively. After a quick inspection we found that she has a crack on her foot pad. It's not bleeding or anything but I rinsed it off with some warm water and antibacterial soap, dabbed a little ointment on it and TRIED to cover it up with some gentle tape (sticks to itself not to skin or hair). Yeah, that lasted all of two seconds before she had it off. She is on the floor, still licking. I'm trying not to stress out about it. The dogs already have a vet appointment on Thursday for their yearly vaccinations..I can bring it up then if I need to...right?

*breath in, breath out*

A Simple Life

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ~John Burroughs


{Pictures via my backyard and a zoom lens}

Little Bastards!

Coming outside to find Aphids all over my potted plants is like flipping on the front porch light at 2:00am to catch your teenage daughter sucking face with some greaseball that dropped out of school and looks like a weasel in the face.
Get your grubby lips off my Hibiscus!

Relay for Life

I got there just as the Survivor Lap was starting.
I just had to stop so that I could grab a few quick shots.

Isn't she a cutie? Don't know who she is, but she was precious.

It was 7:15 by this time and I was suppose to be walking at 7:30. I had yet to find my team but it was hard to tear myself away from the Survivors lap. It was very moving.

There I am during one of my walks. I had to pose, of course. Thanks Mom for snapping a picture of me.

This is what its all about.

It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be to walk for two hours. My last 30 minute walk was not fun. I was tired, my lips were chapped, my hips and calves were screaming at me. I kept thinking about all the people, that I know and don't know, that have endured so much more than what I was experiencing. Compared to them and their fight, my painful walk was nothing. At the end of the evening, I walked a total of 6.something miles over a period of two hours, burnt 565 calories and raised $220.

It's a drop in the bucket, I realize. But I was greatful to be a part of it, no matter how small. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and the sheer number of people that were there blew my mind, made me happy. It made me feel like we're all in this together and hopefully someday we'll have a cure.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Play along!

1. People always tell me I look like...my sister. People think we are twins, which is funny because when we were younger we looked NOTHING alike.

2. Friends don't let friends...drunk text that cute boy, wear neon eyeshadow, pass out in a public restroom, go shopping alone.

3. A sunny day is perfect for...drinking margaritas on the back porch.

4. My favorite accessory is...my pearl necklace {don't be a pervert ; )}

5. If I could afford it I would...quit my job, fo sho, then probably throw money away on all sorts of ventures, photography business, cupcake business, art studio...and lots and lots of traveling.

6. The cure for boredom is...a good book, a good movie, or a good shag. OMG, I DID just type that...sorry, Mom. lol.

7. I am currently "in like" with...Pamela Clare..cannot stop reading her books, the new (and only) yogurt shop in town.

Well, Look At That

Do you see what I see? Over there on the left hand side of my blog? It's happened! I've officially reached 100 readers!

Queue the fireworks!
Queue the marching band!

Drinks for everyone!

And a smooch from Ryan!
Wait..what? Oh no, Ryan. I can't. I'm a married woman. A very happily married woman. I'm sorry to break your heart like that.

As promised I will be hosting a giveaway! Give me some time to get the details worked out {I swear this thing is going down soon}. I CANnot wait to announce all the details.

I just want to say thank you. I just had no idea what this would become when I started this blog nearly four years ago. I went from talking to myself to talking to y'all. Thank you for reading, and commenting, and posting on your own blogs. You make me feel so connected..even out here in the middle of nowhere, Texas.

Tuesday Randoms

1. Facebook has been throwing a hissy fit for the last two days. Eating status updates, taking forever to load pages. I hate when things don't work the way they are suppose to. Just work already!!

2. I had a crazy dream last night that a very large black woman (who I do not know in real life) was very mad at me for something I did years ago. She disabled the breaks on my car and I almost died.

3. I love my animals but I'm about tired of cleaning up after them. I came home today to a trail of kitty litter paw prints down the hallway. I guess its better than a hairball *sigh*.

4. I find it hard to let myself just BE in the moment. My mind is always days, months, years in the future. I can't help but think about all the stuff I want, stuff I need, stuff I wish I had RIGHT NOW. But really, I'm good and should enjoy what I have right now. It's hard. I'm impatient.

5. Full moon = Very tired Jinny. Time to bring out the eyemask (which I got from my dear friend, Julia..she is the hostess with the mostess).

6. I'm going to try making pot roast for the first time ever tonight. There is always Chick-fil-a if this plan is an EPIC FAIL.

7. This Friday I'll be walking in our local Relay for Life. This is my first time to participate but I can't wait.

8. Looking for some new workouts? Toneitup.com. You can thank me later.

9. I forgot to put on deodorant this morning. Please see #5.

10. I feel totally lame. There is more to this statement, but I don't really feel like getting into it. I'm just lame. Super lame. Or maybe I'm just super tired.

How I entertain myself..

So there I was..

walking home from work, and looking all kinds of cute. I only live two blocks away from where I work so I usually walk myself home. Sometimes the shoes I decide to wear for the day aren't exactly the best for walking the street. I could always bring a pair of flats to slip into at the end of the day for my quick five minute walk home, but I don't. I am, however, always very careful in the walking. I pay a lot of attention to the street and my feet. But sometimes, no matter how careful I am, gravity wins out and I fall. We've lived in this house for about 8 years or so and in all that time of walking back and forth to work I can count on one hand how many times I have flat out fallen on my ass. But this time has been the worst by far.

So, I was nearly home..off the busiest street and onto my quiet little street..thank goodness. I was only a house down from my own. I was feeling good. The work day had gone by quickly, the weather was nice. I was looking so cute in my outfit, olive green tank top with brown braided belt, covered by a cream colored short sleeve cardigan..matched with my Levi's and an adorable pair of cork-heeled wedges. I was thinking of even taking a picture of my outfit to post here. And with that thought in my head...it happened. My ankle rolled. I lurched forward trying to catch my balance and save myself from toppling over, but it was too late. It happened in the blink of an eye but seemed to go in slow motion. I had my house keys in one hand and my empty coffee mug in the other. One of them had to go so that I could try and break my fall with something other than my face. So my coffee mug went flying and my purse went sailing over my head as I let out a yelp and fell down.

It was not graceful.

It was not pretty.

And if any of my neighbors had seen they would have hurried over to make sure I was ok because I landed like a ton of bricks. But none of my neighbors were outside..hallelujah..and I didn't see any blinds being shuffled or bent as I picked myself up. Everyone missed it. Good for me, bad for them..because it probably looked hilarious. I was laughing at myself as I did the walk of shame the rest of the way to my house and promptly texted my husband.

Me:"I just busted my ass walking home"

Jeremy: "LOL (thanks honey), whatd you do"

Me: "I just fell off these stupid wedges"

The knee of my Levi's had a very pretty skid mark on it. Without the jeans there would have been lots and lots of blood. And my wedges, well..their a little scratched up too. The palm of my hand was throbbing and my knee looked like this:

Days later my knee is now a lovely shade of mottled purple..it matches my top. The bruising on my pride might take a little longer to heal.

And We're Back!

*shew*

That was the first time, since I've started this blog, that Blogger has been down like that. I was starting to have withdrawls.

Now, back to business as usual.

Wee Bit Wednesday

{one} what profession have you always admired?
I've always had great respect for most of our religious leaders. Priests, ministers, pastors, deacons. What ever you call them for your preferred religion. They give a lot of themselves to serve their communities in whatever capacity they can, working long, long hours without a whole lot of pay (sometimes no pay).

{two} what would the title of your memoir/biography be if it was written today? Hmm..I guess it would be called "She Only Looks Sweet and Innocent". Because people seem to be surprised to find out certain things about me. I would never classify myself as a wild child, but I've had my moments of doing uber-stupid, rebellious things. And also because if I wrote a book about my inner monologue people would discover what a bitch I really am.

{three} how far do you commute to work?
Two blocks. I can see my work building from my front door.

{four} are your earlobes attached or detached?
I don't even know what this means. How can you have detached earlobes? Are there people out there walking around with floating detached earlobes?

{five} do you eat the unpopped kernels of popcorn at the bottom of the bag?
Nope.

{six} what is the strangest gift you’ve ever received?
I got nothing. I can't thing of a single ODD gift!

{seven} what is one tv show that you wish hadn’t been cancelled?
Invasion. It was just starting to get good.

{eight} what is something that you are saving money for right now?
What aren't we saving money for? Dental work (such a rip off!), the guest bedroom (which is really just a room right now because we do not have a bed in there), new tattoos....

{nine} what hobby would you like to take up?
Flower arranging? I really do wish I knew how to take a few bundles of flowers and turn it into a masterpiece in a vase.

{ten} how many times a year do you get really dressed up?
Over the last several years its been about once or twice a year. It's like pulling teeth to get Jeremy into a button up shirt...nevermind a tie or slacks.

Put Your Paws Up

I was able to watch Lady Gaga's Monster Ball at Madison Square Garden thanks to HBO On Demand. Who needs to spend all that money on a ticket when you have HBO? I would have totally bought a ticket.

Anyway, my husband isn't a fan. He is old school heavy metal all the way. So Gaga pop is really not his mug of beer. Every once in a while he would poke his head in the room to make a passing comment.

Jeremy: 'I bet you that audience is 80% women and 20% gay men'

Me: 'Oh honey, the audience is way more than 20% gay'

Sweet Memory

It must have been nearly four years ago. My Mother-in-law had come to pick me up from work to take me some where..I don't remember where, probably a doctors appointment. My nephew, Mack, was in the back seat. If it was four years ago he wasn't in school yet but hanging with Nanny for the day.

It was around this same time of year, right after Mother's day. We probably had just celebrated the weekend before, with gifts for my Mother-in-law and Grandmother-in-law. We hadn't been talking about Mother's day but from the backseat my nephew says,

'Why didn't Jinny get anything for Mother's day?'

My Mother-in-law and I sort of glanced over at each other. It's not exactly a super touchy subject, but for anyone that has ever suffered through infertility, hearing the words..cold,hard facts..can sometimes sting. My Mother-in-law took the lead. 'Well, honey. Jinny and Jeremy don't have any kids.'

Mack sat there for a minute processing that information.

'But she has Duke and Lola.'

I smiled, so did my Mother-in-law. 'Yes she does.'

The next month, when Father's day rolled around, Mack had made all the Dad's little beaded animals. Jeremy got a fish, its still hanging on his rear-view mirror. And I got a mouse. Not for Father's day..but as a belated Mother's day gift.

I Am Strong..

The first thing I did this morning, after grabbing a cup of coffee, was go to postsecrets.com to read the weekly post secrets. Of course, they were all about motherhood. One of them read, 'I am strong because my mother is strong'. I can totally relate to that post secret, except for me it is no secret. I AM strong, and it IS because my mother is strong.

Over the years I have met so many people who take their parenthood for granted. They are selfish and put their needs before their kids. I'm not sure why they think its ok to waste their money on stupid stuff...like tattoos...instead of paying their bills or investing in their child. I'm not sure why they think its ok to pawn their kid off on other family members so they can pursue THEIR education. I'm not sure why they think its ok to party, to do drugs, to spend all their time with friends and boy/girlfriends instead of taking care of their kids. I'm really not sure how they think its ok to pop a baby out and pretty much say 'I don't want to do everything in my power to be the best I can be, to do everything I can, to fight as hard as possible to raise up this child that is part of me....here you can do it' (and I am NOT talking about adoption).

My Mom put her life on the back burner to make sure she did everything she could to give us everything we needed. It meant working, a lot. It meant having very little social/love life to speak of for a very long time. It meant depending on the kindness and charity of others and swallowing your pride to ask for help when it was needed. It meant putting aside your wants and sometimes even your needs to do for your kids.

I know it wasn't easy for her. She was tired. She was frustrated. I know she felt like a failure sometimes. But never once, EVER, did I see or hear or feel like my Mom just gave up. Never once did she pawn us off on other family members because she just couldn't handle it. Never once did she neglect us, forget about us, or let us go without because she wanted for herself. She did, and has always, lived and worked for us. Giving up was not an option.

She has taught me what it means to be a woman. A very strong, independent (even with help from friends and family) woman. She taught me that we do what we must, even if its hard..even if we don't like it, even if we feel like we can't go on. She taught me that we must always stand strong under the pressure that is life, that we must always FIGHT and move forward, that we must do what is right, and that we must never ever give up.

My Mom is my super-hero..and I am strong because of her.

Carrie Bradshaw would die.

I was inspired by Tangled in Texas as she showed off her mad organizing skills. I've mentioned my closet before..and the very limited real estate it is. But now I will show you..and you will see what this fashionista has to deal with.

This.....is my closet. Well, not MMMYYY closet. I share it with Jeremy. So, really, only half of it is mine. No, I'm not kidding.


When we moved in to this house there was only the standard metal bar in this closet. Obviously, that wasn't going to work for us so we've had to be a little more creative with our storage. Thanks goodness shoes come with shoe boxes.


See that box that looks like its throwing up cute sandals? That is my sandal box. Even though my closet is tiny, the floor can sometimes turn into the Bermuda triangle for flip flops/sandals/flats.


Yes, those are my BRAS hanging on the back of the closet door. I couldn't bear shoving them in a overstuffed drawer (we have a dresser with four drawers..two are his and two are mine..that and this closet is truly the extent to our clothing storage).


I DREAM of the day we have a wonderfully large, humungo closet. Big enough to SLEEP in! Or at least room enough to stack shoe boxes all the way to the ceiling.

Wee Bit Wednesday

{one} when was the last time you used a pay phone (if ever)?
It was back in high school, maybe 10th grade sometime. So..15 years ago..about.

{two} did you ever fail a subject in school?
Yep, I failed Algebra I. I had to take summer school classes to bring my grade up to passing. I HATE MATH!

{three} where do you go to get your favorite hamburger/cheeseburger?
It's a local place that also has the best seasoned fries.

{four} have you ever served jury duty?
No, but I barely registered to vote last year. BUT..oddly enough my husband just received a jury summons in the mail today. Freaky.

{five} how old were you when you moved out of your parents’ house?
18. My Mom didn't think I was ready. Jeremy wasn't sure he was ready. I told him I was moving into an apartment with or without him {he did move in with me}.

{six} what is your favorite color to wear?
This is SO boring, but I love to wear grey.

{seven} do you have a pair of shoes that you wear all the time?
I have a cute pair of silver jeweled flat sandals. I know "jeweled" makes them sound sort of fancy, but they are casual but cute. They are like my flip flops, I wear them all the time.

{eight} do you enjoy talk radio?
Nope. Unless Kidd Kraddick in the morning counts..which I don't think it does.

{nine} if you could turn one unhealthy food into a healthy one, what food would it be?
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream

{ten} who is the best speaker you’ve ever heard in person?
Hhmm, my choices are very limited. I guess I would have to say the Sweet Potato Queen, Jill Conner Browne. Southern and sassy.

Looking for the happy

Now that the PMS monster is gone {for now} the dark, ugly clouds of DOOM AND DESPAIR have receded. I can breath again. I can feel the sun shining. I can hear the birds singing. I can laugh. And my breaking point is back up where it belongs.

I can step back from the pin point my life becomes for that week. I can see more than just that little pinhead of sadness, regret, jealousy, and anger. It's not always easy to step away from the edge. To give myself a moment to dwell on the ugly and then willfully turn away. But I have to. For me, there really is no other choice.

Source: seasidecreative.com via Jinny on Pinterest

This whole infertility thing is putting a real hink in my 'get everything you want in life' plan. Sometimes, I want to let myself wallow in self-pity {sometimes I do wallow}. Sometimes I get SO angry at every other single person that has been fortunate enough to have kids. It's not very fair of me but the feelings are there anyways. Sometimes I feel so betrayed by my body, because it doesn't do what it is designed to do..what it is made to do. Sometimes I feel overwhelming guilt that I can't make my husband a Dad, that I can't make my Mom and grandparent, that I can't make my sister and aunt.

Anger, betryal, guilt, sadness. This is the ugly, ugly edge I speak of. "Fester, fester, fester. Rot, rot, rot." {Name that movie! Oh, I'll just tell you..French Kiss..if y'all have never seen it, go out and watch it now. So funny and cute}

Of course, I cannot allow myself to fester or rot. I have to let go of what may never be {I still have hope, please don't misunderstand} and embrace what is. I have to find happiness in others happiness. I have to celebrate victories, no matter the size. I have to invite the silliness and laughter in. I have to rejoice in the wonderfulness that is my life right now.

Source: jamesann.tumblr.com via Jinny on Pinterest