What I'm Reading

It's the time of year when I start snuggling up in the evenings to a good book. Normally I read only one book at a time but right now I'm actually reading three.

Way before Twilight I had a thing for vampires. While browsing new paperbacks over the weekend I discovered Thomas Emson's "Skarlet" and decided to pick it up. The plot? Dozens of people die after taking a new drug called Skarlet. Forty-eight hours later, the dead wake up and begin butchering the living for their blood. It's Blade meets The Walking Dead.

My friends Joanne & George Belev gave me Invisible Acts of Power by Caroline Myss for my birthday. Myss explains how we become channels for divine grace and a conduit for miracles through kind, compassionate, generous actions, or, as she calls them, invisible acts of power. When we act compassionately, without a private agenda or expectation of credit or reward, God works invisibly, anonymously through us. And as we move from visible acts, such as giving a friend a helping hand, to invisible acts, such as prayer and healing, we undergo a profound journey of personal empowerment.

About a year ago I decided to read The Bible from beginning to end, reading just a few chapters every day. My good intentions were thwarted by the difficulty I had understanding it. So when my daughter got me this book for my birthday, I was thrilled. The Story is The Bible written as a novel, is easy to read and understand and I've learned so much. I'm taking my time with it and really enjoying  it. There's a workbook out now that I'm thinking about purchasing before I get too much further into it because I think it'll reinforce what I've learned.


I recently finished 50 Shades of Grey. What can I say about this book that you haven't already heard? I am looking forward to 50 Shades Darker which I've read has a lot of surprises.

Fall and the Domestic Goddess

I love Fall - everything about it really: the cool, crisp air, the changing leaves, pumpkins, apples, mums. For some reason, Fall brings out the domestic goddess in me and all I want to do is make and bake. So this weekend I got to it. On Saturday I baked Pumpkin Bread (recipe below) that filled our house with smells of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. I hung my Fall wreath and decorated our dining table with fall decor - I still need to purchase two candles for the candle holders but I think it still looks great.


 I started knitting about seven years ago and have yet to move beyond a single hat and scarves. So I found a simple (and cute) mitten pattern, picked out some super soft yarn and started knitting my swatch so that I can check my gauge. If you're new to knitting, the best way I can describe gauge, is that it's a way to measure how closely my tension matches what the pattern calls for using a specified needle size. If my stitches are greater or lesser then I will have to change my needle size so my gauge is as close as possible to the pattern's suggestions in order to ensure that the garment is the proper size. In any case, I'm really excited about making the mittens which should be a "quick knit" and if so, it may turn out that I begin mass producing them as Christmas gifts.

Not to stop at pumpkin bread and knitting, today I made some turkey chili, producing a nice slice in between my index finger and thumb in the process. I think I may need a stitch or two but I was to busy to sit at a doctor's office so I masterfully bandaged the cut so that it stopped bleeding and aside from the throbbing, I think it's okay. The chili turned out wonderful and I made enough so that I could freeze it and have some during next Sunday's football games - another reason to love Fall.

Here is the pumpkin bread recipe. Taste of South called it "cake" but it's really a bread made in a bundt pan. I made it and shared it with friends who loved it. Enjoy!

Heavenly Holiday Pumpkin Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup all-vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Garnish: Confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In another large bowl, beat sugar and shortening until light and fluffy, a full 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add pumpkin, mixing well.

4. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, alternatively with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.

5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 50 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Dust cake with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

High Five for Friday!

1.I bought some mums, gourds, and a pumpkin to spruce up my front porch and kitchen.









2. I received my September Glossybox!













3. I had some Honeybee's frozen yogurt with my husband.





4. I got these super cute Seychelles booties from Zappos.










5. I just love Frank Sinatra and have been listening to his "Best of the Best" album all week.

A Visitor in My Back Yard

While taking my dogs out this morning something caught my eye in our pond and I wondered over a bit closer. Was it an alligator? Nah. After a second look; yep, it sure was. I ran in and grabbed my camera and snapped this shot before he went underneath the water. Some people have stray cats in their back yard....we have alligators. Not to worry, we are familiar with them and have a beautiful fence that surrounds our back yard to protect our doggies (and us!)