I am reading about 3-4 books a week. The next me book I will be starting is Emma and that will probably take me longer thatn most books. I have gotten so into JAne Austen I may add an addition Jane Austen related category.

I like them to have a crisp skin and tender inside So I prink them with a fork rub with a quality extra virgin olive oil sprinkle with kosher salt place on a cookie sheet covered with foil(do not wrap the spuds in the foil) Bake a 375 until tender usually an hour or so test with a fork for doneness

We are studying about the Cavaliers and Roundheads so I assigned SOTW book 3 chapter 12 to my son to read today. Being the absolutely wonderful homeschooling mom that I am, I myself had not read the chapter. Hey thats why I buy the tests for ds to take. To my defense I did read aloud the chapter on Charles the 1st in the Guerber text to him today. So he is reading the assigned chapter and yells from the next room - "Mom Charles the 1st lost his head exactly 359 years ago today. You must have really worked hard to make sure we where at this event in history today." Being the absolutely on top of things homeschooling Mom that I am without missing a beat I said, Of course dear and I am glad you appreciate all the hard work I put into homeschooling.;)

It might be bad for you, but it sure is yummy. We usually do hot wings, crab dip(with imitation crab), black bean dip, homemade bread for dipping since ds has braces and we can't do chips or raw vegies. I may also do a cheese or pizza fondue this year

I am up by 6:00 and go to bed at 10 or 11 Dh & ds are up at 5 am Ds does an hour of work on his own before I get up.

We enjoyed the book and found it very pleasant to read. The artwork is it's highlight. I think it could help give a weak reader confidence that they have read such a thick book.

I buy large packages of pasta, rice, beans, etc and build meals around them. Meat is more of a luxury at penny pinching times. I do stock up on meat when it is on sale. ie turkeys at Thanksgiving when they are 39cents a pound. I also, at times, I make bread from scratch. I cook most meals from stratch and avoid the pre-packaged stuff. This past week I bought a 5 lb bag of potatoes on sale for 99 cents Today I am making twice baked potatoes with the entire bag. My ds will eat them for lunch for as long as they last(usually not long)

I agree and well said!

I think the movie would have been difficult to appreciate if you had not read the book. Because I had just finished the book it was easy for me to sort out the characters. If I had not just finished the book figuring out one was who and how they were related and what their pasts and stories were would have been very difficult. Physically I did not think Billie Piper fit the part of Fanny. The biggest important story feature the movie left out was Fanny going back to live with her biological parents in Plymouth. This is critical to the story and they deleted it UGH! I liked the actors that played Edmund and Mary. I wasn't wild about who played Henry Crawford. Also in the book Tom goes with his father to the West Indies and returns early. I has dissapointed that they changed that story element. It didn't need to be changed and the story makes more sense the way it was written. Also I wish they would have included the indoor ball scene as it is important to the story and them dancing on the grass just seemed silly. All in all it was OK I enjoyed watching it and comparing it to the book.

TV Show - M*A*S*H Movie - The Money Pit Mini-Series Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth

I saw him in Sense and Sensibility a few months ago(yes I am way behind in the movie watching department) and I thouht he was wonderful. I remember him from Robin Hood and really enjoyed his proformance. I have requested Something the Lord Made from the library and it looks like a great movie. I would love to find the movie Truly Madly Dearly , but it seems to be impossible to find. So what are your favorite Alan Rickman movies?

My ds and I watched Master Commander with Russell Crowe this afternoon. Although I would not list him as a favorite actor we really enjoyed him in the movie. My list Alan Rickman Colin Firth Emma Thompson Orlando Bloom Tom Hanks Meg Ryan Robin Williams Susan Sarandon That is all I can think of at the moment.

I watched the movie on You Tube and have just finished the book. Most reviews for the movie say that if you are a stickler for the book you will be disappointed in the movie. The biggest drawback for me was Billie Piper in the lead, she just doesn't suit the character IMHO. That said I like the person that played Edmund. Basically they do take great liberties with the story line at some critical points. As I do not want to give the movie away to those who plan to watch it I will not mention specifics. You might want to go and watch a bit of it on You Tube before you invest the time this evening

Sometimes I ask myself the question...A year from now what option will be the best one? For this I would go with 3.

I even have two out of print titles that I will find it difficult to part with, they are Indians and Cowboys. I think the key to enjoying his book is really interpreting the illustrations. We will often read a page look at the illustration and read the page again.

I think Pa has a renaissance festival place that is a permanent fixture. I have not been to that though.

I think they are wonderful. I maily did them as read aloud, although at times I would have him read them. We just finished the John Smith one and it was great. We did timelines to go along with them and I think that help comprehension.

Allowance is tied to chores he must take out the trash and put down the trash can, vacuum the entire house once a week(3600 square foot house so this is a big job), empty the dishwasher, and get the mail(it's a half mile walk) and keep the humidifier filled with water. He also must keep his bedroom and bathroom clean and he does his own laundry. He has done his own laundry since he was 11. He is also generally very agreeable to doing most anything else I ask him to do. This includes washing the car, setting the table for dinner etc.

Oh the memories... Well the lunch box was The Partridge Family. One of my best memories of my father was him holding me on his shoulders(so I could see) at a David Cassidy concert. You have to love a dad like that. My dad died in 1972 so this memory is very special to me, I had, remember, did, or wanted many of the things mentioned on the list. I also remember watching Happy Days,The Brady Bunch, and After School specials(they should still show those) I can see myself now riding down the street on my banana seat bike, with my feathered hair and my pink comb in my back pocket(I still have the comb LOL) I also remember those little white shell necklaces(what were they called?) Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

I had so many emtions in reading your post. I wish there was more than a cyber hug I could do to help.

Also mixed vegies, Pumpkin Knot Rolls, Cranberries and salad

I am sure with settling into Hawaii and being pregnant her days are very full, I do must her on the boards.

Sams club has the best price on this in our area.

I cannot have sweets in the house because I have no will power over them.

I probably took a while for this situation to happen and it will take a commitment to clean it up. I strive for deep cleaning and then trying to keep it that way but it never seems to work out. The main thing I try to keep at a minimum is clutter. This way when I need to deep clean the surface junk is not in the way.