Melissa's Reading List

While making Adria's reading list, I kept finding books that I would love to read or reread, so I thought why not make a list of my own. It'll keep me from wandering the library wondering what to read next.

The Penelopiad
The Robber Bride done August 2, 2006
Sense and Sensibility
Pride and Prejudice
Mansfield Park
Emma
Go Tell It on the Mountain
The Good Earth
Death Comes for the Archbishop
The Awakening
The Last of the Mohicans
The Red Badge of Courage
Bleak House
Great Expectations
An American Tragedy
Rebecca
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Three Musketeers
Invisible Man
The Sound and the Fury
Madame Bovary
Howard's End
A Passage to India done July 18, 2006
Lord of the Flies
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
The Scarlet Letter done July 21, 2006
The House of the Seven Gables
The Blithedale Romance
The Marble Faun
The Torrents of Spring
The Sun Also Rises
A Farewell to Arms
To Have and Have Not
For Whom the Bells Tolls
Across the River and into the Trees
The Old Man and the Sea
Adeventures of a Young Man
Islands in the Stream
The Garden of Eden
Steppenwolf
Siddharta
Les Miserables done Aug. 14, 2006
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Brave New World
The Portrait of a Lady
Dubliners
Ulysses
A Separate Piece
To Kill a Mockingbird
Main Street
Babbit
Of Human Bondage
Gone with the Wind
Cry, the Beloved Country
The Jungle
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn doneJuly 24, 2006
East of Eden
Of Mice and Men
Kidnapped
Catriona
The Master of Ballantrae
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Vanity Fair
Slaughterhouse-Five
The Invisible Man
The Island of Doctor Moreau
The Time Machine
Ethan Frome done July 4, 2006
The House of Mirth
The Age of Innocence
The Picture of Dorian Gray

Adria's summer reading list

I came up with Adria's reading list a few days ago. I got some of the books from Joan Carris's site, and others, just remembering books I have enjoyed over the years. She is excited about it! I don't expect her to read them all in ten weeks, but she might surprise me!

• The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
• Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
• Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
• Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
• Anne of Avonlea - L. M. Montgomery
• Anne of the Island - L. M. Montgomery
• Anne of Windy Poplars
• Anne's House of Dreams
• Anne of Ingleside
• Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
• Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
• The Cider House Rules - John Irving
• The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgkins Burnett
• The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Watership Down - Richard Adams
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
• Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
• Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller
• The Black Stallion - Walter Farley
• Run, Boy, Run - Uri Orlev
• Diary of Anne Frank - Anne Frank
• All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot

Cory's Crystal Anniversary Gift

Here is what I gave Cory for our fifteenth anniversary. It is a bush bar with crystal ion fog lights! Remember I told you about my anniversary gift and that the tradition is to give something crystal? So we managed to retain the tradition on both sides, while giving non-traditional gifts!

Where I Am From

I am from dusty poetry books,
from The Hobbit and pick-up-sticks.
I am from cedar shakes, nudes in the bathroom,

from willow trees and supper in the sun porch.
I am from stewed rhubarb, and the strawberry patch in June.
I am from euchre games and harvest moon boot dances, stacks of 78's,

and Rudolph flying through the night sky.

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I am from rattle snakes on the Bruce Trail,

and questions answered with a question.
From used book stores and train stations and bird watchers.
I am from Boiler Beach and bagpipes,

rabbit paprikash, raspberry jello and caesar salad.
From a meat stealing grandpa, Aunt Ada's main course dessert,

and matching polyester dresses.

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I am from treks through the cemetery, squished pennies,

and stone wall building.

I am from biting chipmunks, blue dragonflies,

flying hamsters and yellow Fiats.

I am from auctions, butcher blocks and Tuesday chip nights.

I am from love.

I am from the hands of my Creator.

A Trip to the Library

Yesterday I had the brilliant idea to take the day care kids to the library! By the time the last child arrived, it was 10:30am, and it took us another twenty minutes to get out the door. Off we go, two in the stroller with the three bigger ones walking. The walk there wasn't so bad, but the walkers were tired by the time we arrived. We stopped in the shade and had a drink before we went in. Inside, the kids were great. They each picked two books to take back to my house, and I picked some for them too. Then we read a story. We stopped at the family washroom for a pee break and then headed out to the playground. It was noon by this time, and we had a long walk home. So I told them we would walk for a bit and stop at another playground for a break. Whew! It was 1:00pm by the time we got home and we all were tuckered out. We had a quick lunch and then off to bed. One girl had an earache all through naptime and afterwards, she seemed really sick, and I was worried that I had given her heat stroke or something. But all the kids had hats and sunscreen, and we had plenty of water. All the other kids were acting fine. When this girl's parents came in the door she just had a meltdown, so I worried all night about her. This morning , however, she is back to normal! I will not be taking the kids to the library for a long time again. It is just too far. And I think getting on the bus with five kids and a double stoller would be just waaaaaay to hard! So we will stick with trips to our closest park for now, and I'll continue to head to the library myself for our story time books.

more menu

big dogs and cucumber salad

chicken, baked beans, cauliflower

steak, rice, three-bean salad

slow cooker stuffed peppers

spaghetti

pork chops, rice, greek salad

steak, carrot salad, couscous

Auntie Gail

Today is my auntie Gail's birthday. I haven't seen her in a long time. I need to make the effort! I have such great memories of trips to her house when I was a kid. It was a really fun place to visit. And Uncle Barry is one of the funniest people I know. They are an awesome couple! Their son Brad, and his wife Anita, live only about an hour away from me, and now he has two boys, and we really don't see them often enough either. I really miss that connection. I guess, as a kid, our parents make the arrangements. And as a grown-up now, I still feel a bit like the kid when it comes to calling or inviting. Does that make sense? Anyway, Auntie Gail, I miss you and Barry. Happy Birthday!

No Bake Cherry Cheesecake

1 pkg cream cheese (250gr), softened

1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

9 inch graham pie crust

19 0z can cherry pie filling

In large bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Add Eagle Brand and blend. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into crust and chill 3 hours or until set. You can use a ready-made crust or make or your own. Instructions would be on the box of graham crumbs. I cut the slices and then top with the cherries, rather than topping the whole pie. Delicious and easy!

MP3 player

Did I tell you what Cory gave me for our anniversary? Well, here it is! An MP3 player! The traditional gift for the 15th anniversary is something crystal, and since I am not exactly a traditionalist, the crystal part is the LCD screen on the player! I love this little machine! I have 440 songs loaded on it at the moment. I usually just put it on play all and random so I never know what song I will be surprised with. I can also listen by album or song or artist. Pretty cool stuff! I can also hook it up to the stereo in the kitchen. Dishes get done so much more joyfully when there is good music playing!

This Week's menu

Here is our menu for the week. I try to have this figured out before we go shopping so that I know what to buy. I keep it posted on the fridge all week, so that I don't forget about something in the back of the fridge. Adria takes care of her own breakfast and lunch, so I don't have to worry about that... well, I have to make sure I buy her stuff to make her lunch with... but I don't have to make it!

Monday
Cory's breakfast: coffee, cereal, bagel with cream cheese
kids' breakfast: not needed this week
Cory's lunch: ham and havarti sandwich, banana, yogurt
kids' lunch: lasagna
kids' snack: granola bars
supper: garden salad and sausage on a bun

Tuesday
Cory's breakfast: coffe, cereal, bagel with cream cheese
kids' breakfast: not needed this week
Cory's lunch: chunky beef soup, banana, yogurt
kids' lunch: pb or cheese sandwich, granola bar (picnic at park), water
kids' snack: apples, water
supper: tomato basil chicken with rice and green beans

Wednesday
Cory's breakfast: coffee, cereal, bagel with cream cheese
kids' breakfast: not needed this week
Cory's lunch: chicken sandwich (from supper last night)
kids' lunch: pizza, milk
kids' snack: muffins, water
supper:woo hoo supper at my mom's!

Thursday
Cory's breakfast: coffee, cereal, bagel with cream cheese
Cory's breakfast: not needed this week
Cory's lunch: salmon sandwich
kids' lunch: grilled cheese sandwiches, milk
kids' snack: granola bars, water
supper: spicy orange pork chops, garden salad, homemade bread, mixed veggies, cherry cheesecake
(birthday celebration dinner)

Friday
Cory's breakfast: not needed today
kids' breakfast: not needed this week
Cory's lunch: not needed today
kids' lunch: pancakes, milk
kids' snack: muffins, water
supper: spaghetti, garden salad, garlic bread