Marriage Workshop

James and I just finished attending a marriage workshop given by the Army. The presenters were chaplains stationed in Idaho - mainly southern Idaho. It was really nice. We came up to CdA on Friday and my mom took Maiby. Then we checked in to our hotel and went to a class that night, then classes until 330 on Saturday and then a class this morning. It was pretty nice. The best part was the cost: $0!! Except for the $7 we spent on our date Saturday (which is why the classes ended so early - so people could have a date night). It was GREAT. And if anyone is ever given the opportunity to attend, I would definitely encourage it. The classes mainly focused on conflict resolution in marriage and working through problems....we don't really have conflict too often in our relationship - other than small disagreements over dishes, bathtime for Maiby, stuff that doesn't really matter too much - but in case we ever do have an argument or a fight we learned about some tools or methods to use to keep the focus on the problem and finding a resolution. It was a nice weekend.

Seven Steps to Being Prepared

So a couple posts ago, I had a link to a 72 Hour Kit giveaway. I was looking around that blog a little and found a great idea for getting emergency preparedness things in order. She has called it "Seven Steps." Each week for a year, she has 7 small steps to complete - these are as simple as making a list or reading an article...there are even some weeks that are rest weeks when you think about how much more prepared you are. I have started this plan this week, actually yesterday. I am getting really excited about this, and have also been working on getting our house in order (our storage closet is cleaned out and organized, and now I can get to all my craft things easier).

Anyway, this week (being week one for me) I:
1. made a list of items that use electricity and their replacements during an emergency
2. started putting change in a jar
3. bought a few glow sticks and batteries
4. went through the medicine cabinet and threw out expired meds
5. put a light source near our bed
6. marked all canned foods with an X
7. printed a list

That's it!! Isn't that great?? Next week includes: scavenger hunt around the house, make a list, put shoes under the bed, make another list, pick a shelf for food storage, buy 2 cans of food for each family member, and get some water together.

If you are interested in this great program, check it out HERE. She started the Seven Steps last January, so she is almost done, but since I just discovered her site I just started. Anyone want to join me?? I'd love the company.

snow pics

Okay, I have about had it with this....the snow pics are not posting and I am not trying again. 5 times is apparently my limit.

Being Prepared

I just found a great give-away of a superb emergency preparedness kit - check it out here to enter today! It's at the Totally Ready blog. Also, there is a TON of great info to check out.

Store Closing

By the way, Waldenbooks/Borders in the Palouse Mall is closing sometime soon. We went in today and EVERYTHING is at least 25% off, with some things up to 75%....if you are in the area you may want to check it out.

Snow

James built a wall behind our house out of the snow that was covering our patio - he was going to make a slide for Maiby, but it started raining the next day and the wall is disappearing. But this is what it looked like when we went out to play on it. Maiby really enjoyed walking in the snow. I thought she would get a little more upset about the cold and wet that happens when you use your hands to stand and your glove comes off and you end up with a handful of snow instead of standing...but she just rolled with the punches and had fun. We had to go inside for dinner after too long, but I'm sure there will be more snow fun to be had, especially if last year is any indication of this year's snow (still on the ground in May and snowing on my mom's June birthday).

Ok, so the pictures have to wait. I have tried 4 times to load them and they are not working. Sorry.

Basic Western Canon

This summer, my brother sent several people an email containing the Basic Western Canon and highlighted all of the books he has read throughout his life. He asked anyone interested to highlight the ones we have read and send him a copy back. I did, and it has been great going through the list and picking out more to read. There are many books there that I have wanted to read or heard about and sound good, and others that are just considered very important. Anyway, as the year was ending, I decided to update the list and send it back to him and figured why not post it here - not the list, just the ones I've read (the original list to choose from has more than 500 books).

Aesop's Fables, by Aesop
** Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
** Emma, by Jane Austen
** Persuasion, by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
** Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
** Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
** My Antonia, by Willa Cather
** O Pioneers!, by Willa Cather
The Great Gatsby, by F Scott Fitzgerald
The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank
The Gift of the Magi, by O Henry
The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
Macbeth, by Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain
The Time Machine, by H G Wells

** the starred books are the ones I have read off the list this year, and the rest are the ones I highlighted as soon as he sent it....BUT some of the other books I read this year that I really enjoyed were: Dracula (not as scary as I had anticipated), Les Miserables (learned more than I ever wanted to know about French history & most of it was pretty interesting....you don't even know a sewer system until you read that), The Historian (another vampire book, more exciting than Dracula), and of course the novels that I love by my favorite authors: Ann B Ross, Mary Higgins Clark, Jan Karon, and Joanne Fluke. Is anyone looking for clean and entertaining novels? I would recommend these 4 authors to anyone.