Sinter Klass

This turned out to be a bit of a rant. Please accept my apologies up front.

Now that November is here, I can admit to the watching of Christmas themed movies (because who wants to admit that they’ve been watching them periodically throughout the year since…well, always?!). I LOVE holiday movies. If they’re themed Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, I’m a happy camper. H!A!P!P!Y!

It really sux is a little annoying that Netflix has so few of these movies from which to choose.  But, no worries as we do own several titles- shocker? Not at all. 

Yesterday, I watched Miracle on 34^th Street with Maureen O’Hara. You know, the 1947 one. My personal favorite (I adore Maureen O’Hara and wasn’t Natalie Wood just the cutest?! and no, I didn't watch it because of all this reopening of Natalie Wood's case-purely coincidental.). One of my favorite scenes is the one when Santa talks to the little Dutch girl. Remember?

I adore that scene. But yesterday, with all the horrid scandals revolving around adult role models and young people, another thought washed over me from the usual sentimentality. Yesterday as I watched this scene unfold I thought to myself that this is the way children should be treated by adults. This is the way a child should feel around an adult- safe and happy. Especially adults who have such influence over children like relatives. And authority figures. And teachers. And parents. And Santa. And coaches. No child should lose their innocence to such despicable actions against them.

Normally, I'm all about civil rights. But not in this case. I do not understand (nor do I care to understand) what goes on in the mind of any sick individual who mistreats/abuses children. It sickens me. I hate that it goes on. I hate that there is even such a thing. And I hate the people who inflict these demented actions on children. 

I am all for nearly any campaign to rid our society of such evil doers. I even have my own ideas as to what to do with these worthless people but I dare not mention any of them as you may find me rather demented myself.

There is no justification for this perversion whatsoever.

I have no idea why such a delightful movie led to this rant. This is the time of year for love and peace and joy. It worse than shameful that there are individuals out there whose actions try to rob of us of our enjoyment of the season.

What do I want for Christmas this year? I would love for Karma to take a great big bite out of any and every one who has committed one of those horrendous acts against a child. I would love for it to no longer be possible that people could even so much as think about harming a child in any way. I would love for all children to be safe from harm every single day and night of their lives.

And sometimes, I think how much I would love to have one of those perves standing right in front of me. I wouldn't even need much time. And I promise the punishment would be lasting and meaningful. 

TGIF HOP!

GIVEAWAY REMINDER:

Don't forget to enter to win a FREE copy of Cat Larose's new book!!!  PLUS, if you're involved in a book club, you can all sign up to win TEN FREE copies for the group AND Cat will join you via Skype for a discussion!

If you want to enter this contest just leave a comment after this post OR read Cat's guest post and my review of the book HERE and sign up in the comment section there.


Don't forget to tell everyone who belongs to your Book Club to enter the contest! You do NOT have to be a blogger to enter!
 

Ok, just in case anyone is confused--because I kind of was after I read the giveaway rules...

You need to leave TWO SEPARATE comments: one stating that you would like to win a copy of Cat's book and another one stating that you want to enter the Book Club Contest.  You can leave your comment(s) after this post or THIS ONE.

The BOOK contest will end on Wednesday, November 30th at midnight.

The BOOK CLUB contest will end on December 15th at midnight!

I'm linking up with-----

FOLLOW FRIDAY 40 AND OVER with JAVA over at NEVER GROWING OLD 

HUMP DAY HOPS!

Good GRIEF! Wednesday has come round AGAIN! Too quickly! And I am so far behind it's not even funny. The bedroom we were supposed to take a weekend to paint has turned into the nightmare from hell. I'll post about it once it's all said and done. But NEVER AGAIN just before  holiday where I have to cook everything!

Please know that I am trying my best to get around to catch up with everyone! It's just taking some time-in between that stupid room. 

Also, check my sidebar and enter the giveaway of Cat Larose's new book Any Color But Beige Living Life in Color! It's worth the read! Plus, Cat is responding to your comments!


If you're here for Chats on the Farmhouse Porch or Get Wired Wednesday only, then scroll down.

First up this week is WEDNESDAY HODGE PODGE from Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.  This meme is fun and sometimes even poses a challenge (read: she makes us use our noggins!).   

1. What song reminds you of a specific time in your life and what is it about that song that makes you remember? Mostly it's the Christmas music from Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, the Rat Pack, Ella Fitzgerald...all of those take me down memory lane of Christmases past and every single memory is delightful! If I had to narrow it down to one song, it would be The Christmas song sung by Nat King Cole. I adore it to this very day. As a child I listened to it with my parents on the stereo (remember those? LOL) and at my grandparents. Now, Hubs and I love to listen to it while we slow dance in front of a fire and while sipping a little Bailey's Irish Cream. 

2. What's something you've given up on? Discovering the secret to keeping our kids young so they won't leave the nest. A total FAIL.

3. What's something you'll never give up on? I hardly ever give up on ANYTHING. I am one of those ridiculous people who always holds out hope about everything. Except number 2.

4. If you had to cook something from scratch in the next hour what would it be? Gluten free bread. Or gluten free granola bars.

5. Have you started Christmas shopping? Decorating? Listening to Christmas music? Shopping- no. Decorating- only for Thanksgiving. Music-most definitely! And Christmas movies!!! Of course, we watch those all during the year so I guess that doesn't count. AND, I may have been caught listening to Christmas music at random times during the year too. Nuts, I know.

6. What do you know about your parent's wedding? I know that it was held at my grandparents' church (my mother's parents) and that they played Clair de Lune, and that my mother made her dress (no pattern) and all her bridesmaids' dresses. Oh, and it was a night wedding-very dressy. 

Mother on her wedding day.

7. I can't believe I get so darn emotional and sentimental over the smallest things. But I do and I've always been like this. When I heard from Deanie and Birdie that their flights home for Christmas were booked, I was so excited I nearly cried! And then I started talking about Christmases when they were little and how quickly it was all over and then Hubs started getting teary. We are completely hopeless in this area! Maybe that's a better answer to number 2!  

8. Insert your own random thought here. Don't forget to visit my Book Review post and enter to win a copy of Any Color But Beige Living Life in Color. I love the author and feel like I have a new friend now that I've read the book! She's also returning comments!

Next up is a HUMP DAY HOP from Patrice at Everyday Ruralty called Chats on the farmhouse porch!

Questions:

1. Where would you take the blogger group for a chat, if they came to your house? We would go over to the beach! A mere 5 minute drive!
2. How do you handle "toxic people"? They're the ones  that are very difficult to be around and generally don't bring out the best in us. I avoid them and don't allow them into my home--I don't appreciate or need or want that negative energy where I live. There are only a couple of people like this that I know and they are related to Hubs. He doesn't like being around them either. It's like they literally try to suck the life right out of people. It's only two people- the rest of his family members are great!
3. In high school, were you the athlete, the cheerleader (actual or just your personality), the geek, the social butterfly, or lost? I was the geek who was a social butterfly. None of my friends all belonged to one said group- I had cheerleader friends, athlete friends, popular friends, unpopular friends, even some trouble maker friends...I also did not know color barriers.
4. What's your favorite thing made from apples? Probably an apple crisp. Love those. With vanilla ice cream of course! Or apple dumplings! Those are delicious too!
5. Do you do most of your shopping in stores or online? Probably about half and half. I prefer online because I can't stand crowds- people are rude and pushy and I'm the type to say something or push back and that's just not a good situation. :)

Last but NOT LEAST: 

I'm wired are you?

 It's so easy to join!

• Click the button and follow your hostesses- Victoria's Voice and Three Boys and an old Lady through GFC
• Follow our Guest Host Glamorous Without The Guilt 
  
• Link up at Victoria's Voice
• Follow some of the other great blogs (and leave a comment so they can follow you back!) 
• Copy and Paste the blog hop BUTTON on your blog so others can join in (this is optional) 
• And, while not mandatory, Victoria would love for you to leave her a comment that you joined the HOP!
• AND, if you let her know, you can be a guest host one week! 

A Colorful Review, A Guest Post...and a giveaway!

Fun trailer, right? You should read the book!

I could tell y'all all about the fantastic way the author threads color through the book and relates it to life. I could tell about her dreams and her little red suitcase. I could tell all about the way she grabs your attention from the beginning of the book and holds it to the very end. I could tell you how, at the end, you are ready to dive right in to the sequel (Hint, hint Cat!). I could even tell you all about the amazing cities and experiences she has lived in and through. But I won't.

You can discover all of that by reading the book yourself.

What I will tell you is that, after reading Any Color But Beige Living Life in Color, you will feel as though you have made a new friend. A friend you are interested in and care about. A friend who makes you think and observe life closer. A friend who has opened up her life to you and shared her ups and downs; her loves and heartaches; her travels and her home; her bold decisions and her wrong turns...it's all in there!

And so, without further ado, I give you a guest post from Cat(therine) Larose! (Oh, the giveaway rules follow Cat's post)...

Recreating Yourself – Encore!

We recreate ourselves constantly whether we realize it or not. It happens naturally as we live our lives. Outwardly we go from daughter, to wife, to mother. We graduate, we work, we earn money, we raise a family and, in the process of living, we raise ourselves. These are the facets of our life that the world sees. We’re “on script” so to speak.

But there are times when the script doesn’t match the internal voice of our character. That is the time we start rewriting our scripts, adjusting our personal narratives and changing ourselves.

Sometimes we make small and incremental changes in dialogue, like learning to say “no” when all our lives we’ve been saying “yes.” Sometimes we change our costumes, like getting into shape and upgrading our looks so we suit our new roles. And sometimes we make fundamental changes, like changing careers, going back to school or leaving the safety and security of life as we know it for the unknown – performing without a net.

Change, and the act of re-creation or reinvention, are never easy. When we’re going through it we often question our motives, our sanity and our judgment –and rightly so. It’s important to make sure that change is warranted because change for the sake of change is counterproductive. It’s like changing four quarters for a dollar – you’re no further ahead than when you started.

Naysayers, family and friends among them, who are stuck in their own personal ruts, will warn you off change and call your decisions into question. Don’t second-guess yourself! Don’t let “analysis paralysis” rule your life either!

Six years ago I recreated my life. As an international color marketer I was busy adding color to everyone else’s life but my own so I rewrote my script, changing my character from a long-time married suburban wife, to a single woman living in cosmopolitan Montreal.

I didn’t do it overnight. In fact, I thought about it for 13 years before making a change that I knew was unavoidable. Once made, I never looked back. Everything changed: my outlook, my attitude and my approach to life. I rewrote my inner dialogue from negative to positive, gave myself a new setting, and added an interesting cast of characters to my love life.

For the first time in years I knew what it felt like to be fully alive. I took my life off autopilot and started flying solo, free to feel the full range of emotions I had been avoiding for years: love, lust, longing, happiness, sadness and, finally, contentment.

Recently I completed my memoir Any Color but Beige: Living Life in Color. When I read it, I am amazed at the number of recreations there are in my life. I didn’t realize it as it was happening; it’s only now in retrospect that I can see the metamorphosis, the gradual pushing of boundaries from the safety of a beige chrysalis to a world awash in color. And this is only just the beginning because the one thing I realized when I finished the book was that as long as I’m alive, I’m never really done.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “There are no second acts in American life.” He was wrong, not only are there second acts; there are encores and lots of them. So take a bow and get ready for the next performance.

AND NOW- THE GIVEAWAYS!!

I have TWO ! 

FIRST: You can win a copy of Cat's book Any Color But Beige Living Life in Color (you can chose print OR e-book copy)

SECOND:  is a Book Club Contest that will be awarded on Dec. 19. 
 
On Monday,December 19 at the end of her WOW Blog Tour, Cat Larose will be awarding a special Book Club Prize !  

The prize includes 10 copies of her memoir Any Color But Beige, a guide on how your book club can enjoy Any Color But Beige, a virtual visit from Cat Larose, and several other surprises.  

If you want to enter this contest just leave a comment after this post with the words “Book Club Contest” in the message. 

You can enter to win both the individual contest for one copy of Any Color But Beige and the Book Club Contest but you have to leave two different comments.  

Don't forget to tell everyone who belongs to your Book Club to enter the contest!
 

I will choose (randomly) a name and submit it to WOW! by Sunday, December 18. That name will be entered as a semi-finalist and entered into a drawing at www.random.org.  

Ok, just in case anyone is confused--because I kind of was after I read the giveaway rules...

You need to leave TWO SEPARATE comments: one stating that you would like to win a copy of Cat's book and another one stating that you want to enter the Book Club Contest. 

The BOOK contest will end on Wednesday, November 30th at midnight.

The BOOK CLUB contest will end on December 15th at midnight!

Want more about Cat? She'll be featured at various places this week:

Wednesday, November 16 @ Musings from the Slushpile

Cat Larose is giving away tips on speaking or "Dear God, Please Don't Make Me Sound Stupid" as well as a copy of her memoir.

http://blog.juliealindsey.com

Thursday, November 17 @ Misadventures with Andi

Andi, who had misadventures all over the world, reviews Any Color But Beige--a memoir full of traveling. Return tomorrow for more fun!

www.misadventureswithandi.com

Friday, November 18 @ Misadventures with Andi

Inspired by Cat Larose's globetrotting? Your next trip will be great if you follow Cat's recommendations for the five things everyone should have int heir suitcase. Also enter to winAny Color But Beige to read on your next trip!

www.misadventureswithandi.com

Tuesday, November 22 @ Selling Books

Learn everything you wanted to know about Cat Larose, author of Any Color But Beige.

http://SellingBooks.com/

Author's Websites: 
                                                
Catherine Larose’s book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9vh0IkE3YU&feature=related

Catherine Larose’s blog: http://cafegirlchronicles.wordpress.com

Challenge Day!

Today is the end of the NINTH week of Biz's Holiday 2011 Challenge and the end of the EIGHTH week of Give Yourself the Best Gift and the Christmas Dress Challenge! (All buttons are on my sidebar but you can just click the links to get to their blogs OR click the links above!)

Here we go!

Check-In for ALL CHALLENGES:

• Drink 64 oz of water daily: YES!
• Exercise at least one hour 7 days/week: YES!
• Keep daily calories between 1200 and 1400: YES!
• Post daily exercise and food on livestrong.com: YES!
• Post weekly results: YES!
• No food after 8:00 pm: Check!
• Eat slower: Eh, so-so.
• Three days of strength training exercises: YES- sort of. It's not exactly strength training but it does require strength of the physical and mental type--I'm talking about DIY home improvement here. UGH.   

Here's the calorie breakdown:

• Monday: 1126
• Tuesday:1188
• Wednesday:1327
• Thursday:1270
• Friday:1127
• Saturday:1227
• Sunday:1112

Total calories for the week: 8377 
Total CARDIO for the week: 24.29 miles AND 9.51 hours (NOT fantastic, but DIY home improvements took priority...again- UGH)
Weight total for Biz's Holiday Challenge 2011 week NINE: 0 lb (for a NINE week total of: -16.5 lbs)
Weight total for Give Yourself the Best Gift and Christmas Dress Challenge week EIGHT: 0 lb (for a EIGHT week total of: -14.5 lbs)

Please know that a ZERO loss is perfectly fine with me! As long as the scale does NOT move UP, I'm a happy camper! 

Now, if we can just get this one project done. Did I mention UGH when it comes to DIY home improvements?  I'll post the tale and some pictures at some point. This week. I HOPE. 

At least y'all know that I'm still alive. AND that I have not killed Hubs. :)

Remember y'all: One day at a time!