Wendy's Soapbox 

Attitude

Some days don't you just wish you could live in a greeting card?
Hallmark.com     Mary Engelbreit.com

How to make a Dammit Doll!

Books

2003 Summer Read-a-thon

Here are some of the books I read, I can't remember all of them,
each time I walk away from the computer I spot another book on the shelf
that I read summer 2003!    

Prey, Michael Crichton
     In Crichton's book Timeline, he first told us about nanotechnology.  This book takes the theory and runs with it, what happens if microscopic robots are let loose?  Read this book to find out!

The Ice Limit, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
     Once again they did it!  Science fiction thriller about a mysterious meteorite found at the edge of the ice limit.

Drowning Ruth, Christina Schwarz
     A book of reflection, depressing at times, but very real.

A Painted House, John Grisham
     Not the usual fast paced lawyer adventure!  A story set in a simpler time, a boy coming of age... I loved watching the main character grow up and how he learned from watching those around him.

East of Eden, John Steinbeck
     Put this on my all time favorite list!  The classic story of Cane and Abel, good and evil and how it is retold in our lives over and over again.

Cry The Beloved Country, Alan Paton
     I loved this book!  This story gave me a better understanding of the politics in Africa and why there is so much poverty today.

Mutation, Robin Cook
     Sci-fi thriller about genetics. 

From the Corner of His Eye, Dean Koontz
     Thriller-If you like Steven King you might want to try Dean Koontz.  This story shows how we are all connected and that what we do to others will eventually come back to us.

Bringing Down the House, The Story of the Six M.I.T. Student who Took Vegas for Millions, Ben Mezrich
     The sub-title says it all!  A quick read.  Nonfiction.

Toxin, Robin Cook
     Another Robin Cook Medical Thriller, this time about Ecoli!  I couldn't bring myself to eat meat for weeks after reading this book.

Deadly Feasts, Richard Rhodes
     Ok, so I didn't read this, Kenneth did, but he read much of it out loud to me.  This is an expose about Mad Cow Disease.

The Demon in the Freezer, Richard Preston
     This is the true story of the 2001 Anthrax Scare.  The book is written like a novel and very easy to read. I love the way Preston writes about each person involved, as if they are just characters in a Crichton novel!

 What's in my stack? (updated 4/04)

The Killer's Within:  The Deadly Rise of Drug-Resistant Bacteria
by Michael Shnayerson and Mark J. Plotkin

One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Small Things Considered:  Why There Is No perfect Design
by Henry Petroski

 

Crafts

I love crafts, unfortunately, I have not been blessed with any crafty talents!
  I believe some of us were intended to be the ones to BUY the art!
That would be me!  Or is that just part of my shopping addiction?
Anyway, I have been trying to learn simple crafts that I can accomplish quickly

   
This is a technique called "Swedish weaving" which involved no sewing, except to zig-zag the edges.  These are very simple ones and fun for beginners.

Culture

2003-2004 Season at the Theater

Oklahoma- Now I know what show all those songs are from!

Starlight Express - The Little Engine that could on Roller Skates!  The costumes were great and some good choreography too!  My only complaint is that the touring company had a cheesy 3D video for the race scenes since stage space is limited. I bet the show is better in Vegas on a huge stage.

2002-2003 Season at the Theater

Blast was spectacular! Forget Stomp,
Blast is Brass, Percussion, Dance and more! You must see this show!

Beauty and the Beast - I went totally prepared to hate it.  I loved it!
The costumes were so vibrant and the performace was wonderful.
I especially loved Lumiere!  O La La!

Seussical - It really isn't just for kids!  Quite Entertaining!

For more info see BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com

Faith

Learn about my faith -
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

For Fun..

My favorite summer time activity is to spend the night at the ballpark.
First,  you get to sit out on a beautiful summer night.
Second, baseball is slow enough that I can keep track
of what is going on and still talk your ear off! 
Third, I love to cheer for my team, GO MARINERS!  
(Oh and it is easy to tell when to cheer offensively and defensively... that is why I have a problem with football and basketball.  Did you know the teams goal changes side?  Wish I would have known that when I was a cheerleader! Hahaha!) 

Just For fun play Settlers of Catan

If you have ever forwarded me email,
you know I will debunk your Urban Legends

Homemaking

Martha Stewart  OK, so it is a Love/Hate relationship!

Do you know how to fly? Flylady.net

Weeknight meals were always 30 minutes or less for me,
but Rachael Ray opened me up to a new world of possibilities
Check her out on FoodTV.com

Did you know I have a phobia of telephone books?
(well news print in general)
 This is my best friend.  Questdex.com

Just A Girl

Favorite places to shop online are...
Amazon.com & IQVC    

Tupperware!  - I just couldn't leave Tupperware out!
I have been buying Tupperware since I was 16.
There is nothing like finding the perfect container for each leftover!

Dooney and Bourke  She who dies with the most purses wins!

Parenting

What is Attachment Parenting?  Ask Dr. Sears

Jean Liedloff, an American writer, spent two and a half years deep in the South American jungle with Stone Age Indians. The experience demolished her Western preconceptions of how we should live and led her to a radically different view of what human nature really is. She offers a new understanding of how we have lost much of our natural well-being and shows us practical ways to regain it for our children and for ourselves.
Though not written as a child-rearing manual, The Continuum Concept has earned a reputation as an excellent resource for parents and parents-to-be who intuitively feel that the parenting "techniques" of the modern era are inherently misguided. It has also been helpful to many adults — parents and non-parents alike — who hope to recover the natural state of happiness lost as a result of the modern child-rearing practices of their well-meaning parents.

 

Children's Programming  ~ There's nothing that bothers me more than a home with a TV on in the corner blaring stupid made up songs.  Half the time children are comatose in front of it, the other half it is just background noise.  What's the point?  If nothing else, I just can't stand to listen to some toddler shows!  Pop in a fun music CD and teach your child to entertain themselves.  If they don't figure this out sooner or later you will be trying to "entertain" them for the rest of their lives!  For the dangers of Teletubbies and other round puppets read Babes in TV Land

Pop Culture

Radio-

CoastToCoastAM.com  I started listening to talk radio when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade.  I used to stay up late listening to Bruce Williams answer financial, tax and other legal questions.  Eventually my insomnia led me to Art Bell and stories of aliens, ghosts, conspiracy theories, etc.  Coast to Coast with Art Bell ran for up to 5 hours over the midnight hours. He took unscreened callers live from his trailer in a small Nevada town.  Recently Art retired.  The show lives on with a new host, but will never be the same. There is no replacement for such an enchanting host.  I look forward to guests spots with Art in the future! 

TV-

CSI- Although the job completely contradicts my obsessions to avoid germs, dirt and all thing "contaminated" I would love to be a medical investigator.  I have always been caught up in the excitement of solving crimes and read cheesy crime novels like other women do lusty romance novels.  However, I cannot watch an episode of CSI without complaining about the lighting, techniques, wardrobe and lack of pony tail holders in the show.  This article sums up my feelings for the show.

CLEAN SWEEP! LOVE LOVE LOVE this show!  Mostly because we get to spy into other people's homes and see the junk they are hanging on to, and secondly because I would love to do a clean sweep for most of America!

 

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