Heloooooo, lovely people.

Oh, how I’ve missed you.

Life is clipping away at a fairly rapid rate around here since school started and I can’t seem to get in the groove (funky or otherwise). After we finish school, I pretty much feel like all the juice has been sucked out of my brain ~ therefore, I must do something (anything!) that requires zero brain activity.

Would you understand the expression, “I have got to do something mindless or I’m going to lose my mind!” . . . .

Alrighty then.

I’m in love with this cookie cutter.

I bought it to make cookies for Cowgirl Princess’ upcoming birthday party.

This afternoon I decided I would go ahead and make them.

Um . . . . first, let me say that no one was injured in the making of the cookies ~ unless you’re counting my pride.

Secondly (and really the most important), I hate making sugar cookies.

There. I said it.

I know. Hate is a strong word, but I mean it. Seriously.

Ahem.

The cookies didn’t quite turn out like Eiffel Towers . . . more like deformed Christmas trees. I’m still coming to grips with it.

If my day had ended after the cookie fiasco, then that would have been bad. Very bad.

But, my hubby surprised me with a dozen red roses. Y’all ~ is that sweet or what?! He had no idea how perfect his timing was.

And then he took the crew out for a nature walk, which they greatly enjoyed.

How about you? How’s life these days? Busy? Slow? Groovy?

One of my favorite things about vacation is having extra time to read. Books are always the first thing I plan out when packing. Which books? How many? Is that enough? Should I bring just one more? Or maybe not ~ we could always find a bookstore . . .

I know. I’m a nerd.

I prefer the term bibliophile, but I can live with nerd.

I finished up Rob Roy the first day we were there. Honestly, I was concerned I might never finish it. It. was. sloooow. Nothing like Ivanhoe – loved that one!

I had been anxiously awaiting the release of Catching Fire.

Oh my! It did not disappoint.

Just like the first book, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire kept me up until just after two in the morning. After I dragged myself into bed, I laid there for hour after hour rolling the story around in my mind ~ trying to fit it all together, analyzing each twist and turn and hating the fact that I now have to wait, who knows how long, for the next book in the trilogy!

I love Jane Austen! Simply love her. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite out of all of her works.

I made hubby take an on-line quiz once to see which Jane Austen hero he would be.

Mr. Darcy.

Sigh. Of course, I didn’t need a quiz to tell me my man is dreamy. ;D

So, then I took the quiz to see which heroine I would be – um . . . not Elizabeth Bennett.

Marianne Dashwood ~ impetuous, passionate and perhaps a little over the top dramatic.

What?!

I have no idea what that quiz was talking about.

Ahem.

Kristen Heitzmann is one of my favorite Christian authors. Unfortunately, this book isn’t. It just didn’t have the same stuff or humph that her other ones have. Secrets, Unforgotten & Echoes ~ all awesome! She has way too many for me to list here – google her or search Amazon.com.

In my opinion, Amusing Ourselves to Death (along with Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World) should be on every high school reading list. Phenemonal, eye-opening read!