Wizardry and Death

Apparently NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS!!! Haven’t been around, but I keep looking out for you all! Send me a message, let me know what my peeps are doing!

ஜ~§ Book Of The Day §~ஜ

Wizards First Rule

Richard Cypher’s decision to help a woman in the Upper Ven near the Boundary between the Midlands and Westland creates more trouble than first appears. The woman, Kahlan Amnell, seeks the help of a wizard in the Westland, and she brings with her dark news from the other side of the Boundary: Darken Rahl, Ruler of D’Hara, has brought down the Boundary between D’Hara and the Midlands. This menacing ruler continues his dead father’s quest for control by pressing war on the now vulnerable Midlands. Kahlan is attempting to find the great wizard who had left the Midlands for the Magic free Westlands due to the corruption of the government in his eyes, so as to have him Name a Seeker of Truth. The great wizard turns out to be Zeddicus Zu’l Zorrander, Richard’s longtime friend, who then proceeds to name Richard the Seeker.

ஜ~§ Quote Of The Day §~ஜ

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Winston Churchill

ஜ~§ Question Of The Day §~ஜ

What does the word Jenga mean?

ஜ~§ Word Of The Day §~ஜ

jingoism pronunciation\JING-goh-iz-im\

DEFINITION

noun

: extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy

ஜ~§ Poem Of The Day §~ஜ

Poem of Life

For My Grandmother

Life is but a stopping place,

A pause in what’s to be,

A resting Place along the road,

to sweet eternity.

We all have differnt journeys

Different paths along the way,

We all wer meant to learn some things,

but never meant to stay …

Our destination is a place

Far greater than we know.

For some the hourney’s quicker,

For some the journey’s slow.

And when the journey finally ends,

We’ll claim a great reward,

And find an everlasting peace,

Together with the Lord.

ஜ~§ Recipe Of The Day §~ஜ

Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon mustard powder

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

4 small skinless, boneless chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total), pounded to 1/4″ thickness

8 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 lemon, halved

Preparation

Place flour in a shallow bowl. Beat eggs in a second shallow bowl. Combine panko, Parmesan, and mustard powder in a third shallow bowl and season mixture with salt and pepper.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to bowl with beaten egg and turn to coat. Lift from bowl, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere. DO AHEAD: Chicken can be breaded 3 months in advance. Place between pieces of freezer paper or waxed paper and freeze in resealable freezer bags. Thaw before continuing.

Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet or a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook cutlets, adding remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan between batches, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Serve with lemon.

 

ஜ SPS ஜ

A Game of Grilling

HAH! My state was designated as the third Tax-Unfriendly State! Well technically it was for retirees, however, I’m feeling the sting personally!
In my recipe section I’ve decided to focus on some outdoor grilling recipes. It’s summertime, let’s celebrate it OUTSIDE!!! So you’ll be seeing a lot of grilling recipes for ya!

ஜ~§ Book Of The Day §~ஜ

A Game of Thrones

I’m sure by now EVERYONE has heard about either this book or the HBO series.  Fell free to discuss in the comments or link to a discussion blog of your own! Yummy goodness!

ஜ~§ Quote Of The Day §~ஜ

A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company. -Charles Evans Hughes, jurist (1862-1948)

ஜ~§ Question Of The Day §~ஜ

Would you rather be a vampire or a vampire hunter, and why?

ஜ~§ Word Of The Day §~ஜ

laodicean

PRONUNCIATION:
(lay-ah-duh-SEE-uhn)

MEANING:
adjective: Lukewarm or indifferent, especially regarding religion.

ETYMOLOGY:
After Laodicea, a city in Asia Minor, whose Christians were rebuked for their indifference to religion in Revelation 3:16 in the New Testament. Earliest documented use: 1633.

USAGE:
“How can we expect such vital realism from our pathologically Laodicean political class?”
Kevin Myers; An Irishman’s Diary; Irish Times (Dublin); Jul 19, 2005.

ஜ~§ Poem Of The Day §~ஜ

Messy Room
by Shel Silverstein

Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater’s been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or–
Huh? You say it’s mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!

ஜ~§ Recipe Of The Day §~ஜ

Sensational Serloin Kebobs

Ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning
4 fluid ounces lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
2 pounds beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 green bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
skewers
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, stems removed
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 fresh pineapple – peeled, cored and cubed

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, light brown sugar, distilled white vinegar, garlic powder, seasoned salt, garlic pepper seasoning, and lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage. Reserve about 1/2 cup of this marinade for basting. Place steak in a large resealable plastic bag. Cover with the remaining marinade, and seal. Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.

2. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add green peppers, and cook for 1 minute, just to blanch. Drain, and set aside.

3. Preheat grill for high heat. Thread steak, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pineapple onto skewers in an alternating fashion. Discard marinade and the bag.

4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook kabobs on the prepared grill for 10 minutes, or to desired doneness. Baste frequently with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Brightest Blessings!

~S~

Smokin’ Hot!

My mother is getting first crack at the new Evanovich book, but I’ll give it to you on good authority that if you’ve not been reading this series … you really should. (also for you guys out there, many of my male friends have read these and think they’re hilarious!)

Currently I’m re-reading a trilogy that is a pretty easy and fun read. I’m also re-reading Dune and I’ll start on A Tale of Two Cities when I’m done with the trilogy.  Sometimes … I look through my bookshelves and I think … I can’t decide which one i want to read again, because they’re all so deliciously good!

Tomorrow is grocery shopping day … good thing too, because right now I only have Oatmeal. Speaking of food, or lack there of, I actually have had the grilled bacon jalapeno wraps … and they are delicious.  I made mine on my stovetop grill pan.  You can actually bake them as well, just bake them until the bacon is crispy.

So … because I don’t have a whole lot of news today … I’ll go ahead and answer my question of the day … Which book do I find myself regularly re-reading and why?

The book I re-read most frequently is ‘If Tomorrow Comes’ by Sidney Sheldon

I just love the story of this book … desperate woman tries to get vengeance for her mother, gets framed by a hooligan, ends up in jail, heroically saves warden’s child, gets pardoned, and lives a life as a world class thief! Intrigue, suspense, drama, interesting characters. Excellent book that I highly recommend.  Actually I recommend anything written by Sheldon!

 

So that’s the lot for today … more on the morrow!

 

ஜ~§ Book Of The Day §~ஜ

Smokin’ Seventeen

Janet Evanovich ~ Stephanie Plum Series

ஜ~§ Quote Of The Day §~ஜ

I love criticism just so long as it’s unqualified praise.
Noel Coward
 

ஜ~§ Question Of The Day §~ஜ

Which book do you find yourself regularly rereading, and why?
 

ஜ~§ Word Of The Day §~ஜ

babel

PRONUNCIATION:
(BAB-uhl, BAY-buhl)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A confused mixture of noises or voices.
2. A scene of noise or confusion.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Hebrew Babhel (Babylon). In the Old Testament (Genesis 11:4-9), people united in an attempt to build a city with a tower that reached the heavens. This displeased god who halted the project by confounding people’s speech so they wouldn’t understand one another. Earliest documented use: before 1382.

USAGE:
"While an excited babel of Spanish, German, Japanese, and Hindi emanated from the dozens of television news crews in the street, the response to Charles and Camilla’s I dos among locals was mostly We Don’t."
Glenda Cooper; In Windsor, a Royal Pain; The Washington Post; Apr 10, 2005.

ஜ~§ Poem Of The Day §~ஜ

Song

By James Joyce 1882–1941 James Joyce

My love is in a light attire
Among the apple trees,
Where the gay winds do most desire
To run in companies.
 
There, where the gay winds stay to woo
The young leaves as they pass,
My love goes slowly, bending to
Her shadow on the grass.
 
And where the sky’s a pale blue cup
Over the laughing land,
My love goes lightly, holding up
Her dress with dainty hand.

ஜ~§ Recipe Of The Day §~ஜ

 

Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Wraps

Ingredients
6 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (I don’t generally cut fully in half, I just cut off a sliver to make a little ‘boat’. Also I prefer red jalapenos and not green)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
12 slices bacon

Directions
1.Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
2.Spread cream cheese to fill jalapeno halves. Wrap with bacon. Secure with a toothpick.
3.Place on the grill, and cook until bacon is crispy.

Brightest Blessings!

~S~

Back on the Bandwagon Again!

People, I’m back again, getting back on the blogging bandwagon.  I know I’ve said that before, but it’s really time.  I’m also (as you can plainly see) getting back to my old blogging format, a little something for everyone.  I’ve also added a new category, book of the day.  This is going to run the gamut from children’s books to the classics and all those in between. You are all cordially invited to share your favorites in my comments section and I’ll work them in as well! (I’m all about blogger interaction!).  My next read will be Janet Evanovich’s ‘Smokin’ Seventeen’.

I have been terribly terribly lax in posting comments in all your blogs, and I hope to be changing that in the future as well!

I hope you enjoy!

ஜ~§Book Of The Day§~ஜ

Monkey Truck
by Michael Slack (Author, Illustrator))

Book talk: This paper over board book for toddlers has a silly monkey who is also a truck. Look at him go!

Snippet:
His overdrive engine
burns monkey gas.
REV REV
TOOT!

ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ

Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.
Paulo Coelho

ஜ~§Question Of The Day§~ஜ

What childhood toy did you desperately want that your parents refused to give you? Do you still think about getting one?

ஜ~§Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Aceldama

PRONUNCIATION:

(uh-SEL-duh-muh)

MEANING:

noun: A place of bloodshed.

ETYMOLOGY:

The term is derived from the name Aceldama, a potter’s field described in the New Testament. It was purchased by the priests with the money Judas Iscariot received for betraying Jesus. From Greek Akeldama, from Aramaic haqeldema (field of blood). Earliest documented use: 1382.

USAGE:

"Mickelsson describes Philosophy Department as a ‘treacherous, ego-bloated, murder-stained hovel.’ Ah, the groves of aceldama!"
Margaret Manning; Book Review; Boston Globe; May 30, 1982

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

The Ragpickers’ Wine

In the muddy maze of some old neighborhood,
Often, where the street lamp gleams like blood,
As the wind whips the flame, rattles the glass,
Where human beings ferment in a stormy mass,

One sees a ragpicker knocking against the walls,
Paying no heed to the spies of the cops, his thralls,
But stumbling like a poet lost in dreams;
He pours his heart out in stupendous schemes.

He takes great oaths and dictates sublime laws,
Casts down the wicked, aids the victims’ cause;
Beneath the sky, like a vast canopy,
He is drunken of his splendid qualities.

Yes, these people, plagued by household cares,
Bruised by hard work, tormented by their years,
Each bent double by the junk he carries,
The jumbled vomit of enormous Paris,-

They come back, perfumed with the smell of stale
Wine-barrels, followed by old comrades, pale
From war, mustaches like limp flags, to march
With banners, flowers, through the triumphal arch

Erected for them, by some magic touch!
And in the dazzling, deafening debauch
Of bugles, sunlight, of huzzas and drum,
Bring glory to the love-drunk folks at home!

Even so, wine pours its gold to frivolous
Humanity, a shining Pactolus;
Then through man’s throat of high exploits it sings
And by its gifts reigns like authentic kings.

To lull these wretches’ sloth and drown the hate
Of all who mutely die, compassionate,
God has created sleep’s oblivion;
Man added Wine, divine child of the Sun.

ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ

Quick Dill Dip

Enjoy this flavorful low fat dip anytime.
Prep: 5 min – Total: 3 hr 5 min

1 cup MIRACLE WHIP Light Dressing
1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE’S FREE or KNUDSEN FREE Fat Free Sour Cream
1 Tbsp. dill weed
1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes

MIX all ingredients; cover. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
SERVE with assorted NABISCO Crackers or vegetable dippers.

Makes 24 (2-Tbsp.) servings

Make-Ahead: Dip can be made a day in advance. Most vegetables can be cut up a day in advance as well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutritional Info Per Serving: Calories 45,Total fat 2g, Saturated fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 100mg, Carbohydrate 5g, Dietary fiber 0g, Sugars 2g, Protein 1g

Slainte

~S~

Welcome Back Crutcher!

Heya blogosphericals!

I’m pretty much back.  Well that is, I’m back to work … and I’m still hobbling around.

My surgery went great and OBVIOUSLY I woke up out of the death sleep they call anesthesia! Half the battle right there.  I have a nice little plate and a couple of pins to hold my anklet bones together, and all in all … it doesn’t look as mangled as I thought it would. 

Also, I think I can really pass off this Kung Fu fighting story I’ve been brewing.

(That’s right folks … I broke my ankle Kung Fu fighting, and I was fast as lightening, until Daniel San swept my ankle with the Crane move. DOH!)

Anyhoodles.  I went through most of the blog posts that I’ve missed, if I didn’t comment, don’t be offended sad, as I didn’t have a lot of time.  9 days away from the computer really puts me behind!!!

Now for the real ankle news.  As I said the surgery went off without a hitch.  After my surgery I recouped at my mom’s house for a few hours, and then my niece took me home and stayed with me that first night. 

My instructions were to lay supine with my foot elevated over my head.  (gutter heads … not that way!!!) Apparently lack of blood flow to the foot aids in healing! (Who’d a thunk it?)

So … I gave my niece a few little chores to do around the house so that I would have some room to move when I was able to.  She didn’t do much, I paid her anyway. 

9 days later, I’m back to work.  I can’t put weight on my ankle for another three weeks.  I’m hoping the doc says I can start walking at my next appointment.  Crutches are really annoying!

My mom picked up the new Nora Roberts Bride series book, and I buzzed through that and 3 other books during my confinement.

Today is my first day back … overnights … at work, I’m tired and ready to go home and fall dead asleep in my beddy bye!

I have a product that I’m in love with that I’ll try to blog about in the next few days … until then …

 

ஜ

 

~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ

The heights by great men reached and kept, were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

I Will Survive on Wine and Roses

Now … I don’t profess to be as profound or as potentially prolific as JD Salinger who wrote ‘Nine Stories’ but I have six little ditties here for your enjoyment today … (and actually I didn’t even write them.)

How do these people  survive?

ONE
Recently, when I went to McDonald’s I saw on the menu  that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. ‘We don’t have half  dozen nuggets,’ said the teenager at the counter. ‘You don’t?’  I replied. ‘We only have six, nine, or twelve,’ was the reply. ‘So I can’t order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?’ ‘That’s right.’ So I shook my head and ordered six  McNuggets (Unbelievable but sadly true…)

TWO
I  was checking out at the local Walmart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those ‘dividers’ that they keep by the cash  register and placed it between our things so they wouldn’t get  mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked  up the ‘divider’, looking it all over for the bar code so she  could scan it. Not finding the bar code, she said to me, ‘Do  you know how much this is?’ I said to her ‘I’ve changed my  mind; I don’t think I’ll buy that today.’ She said ‘OK,’ and I  paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had  just happened.

THREE
A woman at work was seen putting a credit card into her  floppy drive and
pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired  as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was  using the ATM ‘thingy.’ (keep shuddering!!)

FOUR
I recently saw a distraught young lady  weeping beside her car. ‘Do you
need some help?’ I asked. She  replied, ‘I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can’t get into my car. Do you think they  (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?’ ‘Hmmm, I don’t know. Do you have an alarm, too?’ I  asked. ‘No, just this remote thingy,’ she answered, handing it  and the car keys to me.  As I took the key and manually  unlocked the door, I replied, ‘Why don’t you drive over there and  check about the batteries. It’s a long walk….’ PLEASE just lay down before you  hurt yourself !!!

FIVE
Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift.  One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, ‘I’m  almost out of typing paper. What do I do?’ ‘Just use paper from  the photocopier’, the secretary told her. With that, the intern  took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the  photocopier and proceeded to make five ‘blank’ copies. Brunette, by  the way!!

SIX
A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher  if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid had  eaten ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl  and he should be fine, the mother says,  ‘I just gave him some ant  killer…..Dispatcher: ‘Rush him in to emergency!’

Life is tough. It’s even tougher if you’re stupid!

Oh dear … I was just laughing and laughing at these.  Unbelievably funny stuff that!

I was really exhausted driving to work last night, and throughout the night could NOT find my second wind!  I did not go to the gym this morning because of that.  I needed sleep … good deep ‘lock the dogs up and put in the earplugs’ sleep!  (I’m writing this at 3am and using past tense as it will be long past that before you all read this, so I’ll let you know how the whole sleep thing went at a later date!)

Tomorrow is my niece’s birthday party … and as per usual I’m completely flat broke.  I’m supposed to be getting a monetary certificate at work, as I was recognized for my absolute genius. 

Actually … I was recognized for my ability to conjure the patience of JOB (Job is the guy from the bible and is not used like ‘I’ve got a job’ It’s pronounced J-OH-b) while helping this woman out that has absolutely no clue how to do her job after 10 years of working it!  Seriously … that’s my biggest pet peeve about Unions … and another story all together … moving on. 

I’m supposed to get this Amex gift check, which I was hoping to use to get my niece a b-day prezzie, but I don’t think I’m going to get it in time.  If I don’t … I’m just going to tell the family that I was unable to get out … or I was asleep longer than I had intended to be  or something … and bring a gift by at a later date!

(I’d like to thank the academy for recognizing genius when they see it, thank you!)

Since TV is picking up … I think I’ll include a brief  What I’m Watching and What I’m Reading statement on each post, if anyone’s interested in discussing television or the book I’m reading they can let me know. 

Last night was Criminal Minds, Human Target, Psych, Modern Family and Ugly Betty (so sad UB is cancelled).  Currently I’m reading Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind.  (Legend of the Seeker series is based off these novels)

Now … on with the rest …

ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ

“It’s funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they’ll do practically anything you want them to.”

J.D. Salinger

ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

What is your top-ten song list? What was it when you were a kid? Is there any overlap?

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Interdict

PRONUNCIATION:
(noun: IN-tuhr-dikt, verb: in-tuhr-DIKT) 

MEANING:
noun: A prohibition, especially a formal one, as by a court, church, etc.
verb tr.: To prohibit or stop.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin interdictum (prohibition), from interdicere (to prohibit), from dicere (to speak). Ultimately from the Indo-European root deik- (to show, to pronounce solemnly) that is also the source of other words such as judge, verdict, vendetta, revenge, indicate, dictate, and paradigm.

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

The Rose Family

The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple’s a rose,
And the pear is, and so’s
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose –
But were always a rose.

Robert Frost

ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ

Cod With Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients
1-1 1/4 pounds Pacific cod (see Note) or tilapia fillets, cut into 4 pieces
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup white wine
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Preparation
Season fish with 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic and 1 teaspoon thyme; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 1 minute. Add wine, tomatoes and the fish to the pan; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the fish is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.

Transfer the fish to a large plate; keep warm.

Whisk cream and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to the pan, along with the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Divide the fish and sauce among 4 shallow bowls.

Tips & Notes
Ingredient note: Pacific cod, aka Alaska cod, is sustainably fished and has a larger, more stable population, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (seafoodwatch.org).

Brightest blessings,

Surry

Heart’s Tide

Well, whatever is going on with the site, I can work around it. So … moving on. Today is going to be a relatively boring blog day. I don’t have any new stories or anything. I did regale my co-workers with the “Surry-ella” situation at my mom’s … they found it quite funny. So we’ll just be moving on with the rest for this afternoon.

BTW … today is another big awesome salad day!!! YUM!!!

~**~**~**~**~

ஜ~§Quote of the Day§~ஜ

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.
John Lubbock

ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

Sometimes it’s the thought that counts, and other times it’s the thing itself. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received, thoughtful or otherwise?

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Remora

PRONUNCIATION:
(REM-uhr-ah)

MEANING:
noun:
1. Any of several fishes of the family Echeneididae that have a dorsal fin modified in the shape of a suction disk that they use to attach to a larger fish, sea-turtles, or ships.
Also called sharksucker or suckerfish.
2. Hindrance, drag.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin, literally delay, from remorari (to linger, delay), from re- + morari (to delay), from mora (delay).

USAGE:
“Ryder has been a remora to the Heathers but boils over and, with Slater’s crucial aid, kills one kind of accidentally.”

ஜ~§What I’m Reading§~ஜ

JK Rowling: Tales of Beadle Bard (I’m reading a single tale a day)

ஜ~§What I’m Watching§~ஜ

More Re-runs, Mid-season replacements don’t start until the end of January. I’ll post a list of the shows I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

Heart’s Tide
I thought I had forgotten you,
So far apart our lives were thrust!
‘Twas only as the earth forgets
The seed the sower left in trust.

‘Twas only as the creeks forget
The tides that left their hollows dry;
Or as the home-bound ship forgets
Streamers of seaweed drifting by.

My heart is earth that keeps untold
The secret of the seeds that sleep.
My thoughts are chalices of sand;
Your memory floods them and I weep.

Ethel M. Hewitt

ஜ~§Recipe of the Day§~ஜ

Roast Beef w/ Scallion-Caper Green Sauce

Ingredients:
1 (3-pound) bottom-round beef rump roast
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (from 1 bunch)
2/3 cup mild olive oil
2 tablespoons drained capers (in brine) plus 2 tablespoons brine

Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

Preparation:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 500°F.

Pat roast dry and sprinkle all over with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Roast, fat side up, in a roasting pan 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue to roast until thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 120°F, 35 to 45 minutes more. Transfer roast to a cutting board and let stand, uncovered, 15 minutes.

While roast stands, stir together remaining ingredients, a slightly rounded 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and a pinch of salt.

Thinly slice meat across the grain and serve with sauce.

Brightest Blessings,
~S~

If you’re viewing in a reader … come on in and leave a comment, silly!

On the Grasshopper and Cricket

I’m back in my own place, done moving from place to place for a while. I took a 2 hour nap today, it was heaven being back in familiar surroundings (not that my Mother’s house isn’t familiar, but you know what I mean) and in my own bed.

My mother’s dog is a riot. I usually get up about 9:30 in the morning. (Unless I was up late late late the night before). I let her out in the morning, and then by about 10:30 in the morning she’s ready for her ‘nap’ and goes into her ‘box’ (crate). It’s like clockwork … she’s such a funny little dog.

Today is my Friday … YAY!!! Two glorious days off, and back in my own place. I have a LOT of TV to catch up on. I didn’t have my spreadsheet available to me at my mom’s so I completely forgot what was on and at what times. I’ll play catch-up tomorrow and Thursday.

That’s all the news, on to the rest!!!

ஜ~§Quote of the Day§~ஜ

Punishment is now unfashionable, because it creates moral distinctions among men, which, to the democratic mind, are odious. We prefer a meaningless collective guilt to a meaningful individual responsibility. Thomas Szasz

ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

Field mice always sleep facing northwest. Kangaroos can’t walk backwards. Female hyenas have penises. Let’s face it, nature is weird. What’s the strangest thing you know about the animal kingdom?

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Intrepid
PRONUNCIATION: [in·trep·id] adj.
MEANING: 1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something.
ETYMOLOGY: 1627 (implied in intrepidness), from L. intrepidus “unshaken, undaunted,” from in- “not” + trepidus “alarmed.”
USAGE: “They were a team of intrepid explorers.”

ஜ~§What I’m Reading§~ஜ

Nora Roberts: The Pagan Stone

Synopsis: Shared nightmares, visions of blood and fire, and random violence plague the longtime friends andQuinn, Layla, and Cybil, the women bound to them by Fate. None of them can ignore the fact that, this year, the demon has grown stronger — feeding off the terror it creates. But now the three pieces of the bloodstone have been fused back together. If only they could figure out how to use it.

A gambling man like Gage has no trouble betting on his crew to find a way. And though he and Cybil share the gift of seeing the future, that’s all they have in common. Were they to take their flirtation to the next level, it would be on their own terms, not because Fate decreed it. but Gage knows that a woman like Cybil — with her brains and strength and devastating beauty — can only bring him luck. Whether it’s good or bad has yet to be determined — and could mean the difference between absolute destruction or an end to the nightmare for Hawkins Hollow.

I’m actually nearly done with this book and I’ll be moving onto a new one shortly. I’m looking forward to the ‘Final Battle’. I’ll write a bit of a review on the series once it’s completed.

ஜ~§What I’m Watching§~ஜ

Fringe, NCIS, 90210 and Eli Stone

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

On the Grasshopper and Cricket

THE poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the Grasshopper’s–he takes the lead
In summer luxury,–he has never done
With his delights; for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills
The Cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,
The Grasshopper’s among some grassy hills. (1816)

John Keats

ஜ~§Recipe of the Day§~ஜ

Easy Italian Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 of a medium head cabbage, cut into wedges (about 12 ounces)
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 4 1/2-ounce jar (drained weight) sliced mushrooms, drained
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2 to 2 1/2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks), skinned
2 cups purchased meatless spaghetti sauce
Grated Parmesan cheese
Hot cooked pasta (optional)

Directions:
1. In a 3-1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine cabbage wedges, onion, and mushrooms. Sprinkle tapioca over vegetables. Place chicken pieces on vegetables. Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. If desired, serve with hot cooked pasta.

Brightest Blessings,
~S~

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