This & That

It's my last week of freedom before school starts again & I'm trying to fit in lots of fun/relaxing activities.  It's a big semester -- my very last one of grad school.  I'm taking a cataloging class, comprehensive exams and doing my practicum, which is a hands-on school library experience.  I'll be working in middle & elementary school libraries to see what really goes on in the daily life of a librarian and decide in which type of school I'd like to work.  I've been really looking forward to my practicum for a long time and excited that I finally get to do real library work.  So, I've spent time this week organizing the details of the practicum in addition to homey activities.  It's not very cold here, but I sure do feel like snuggling in a cozy house right now.  It's  a state of mind, this winter cozy-seeking-ness. 

A big part of this is cooking & baking, as I mentioned in my last post.  Believe it or not, I was itching to bake cookies (after the dozens I baked in December, you'd think that I'd be over it), so I made up a batch of chocolate chip pecan cookies two days ago.

I received The Barefoot Contessa Foolproof cookbook as an early birthday present (yay!), so I've been trying out recipes from there.  Last night was salmon & lentils from an earlier Barefoot book & the orange braised carrots & parsnips from Foolproof...

Yumyumyum.

I've been reading a lot.  The latest was The Real Mrs. Miniver, which is a biography of the woman who wrote the book Mrs. Miniver which was turned into a WWII classic movie.  I know, pretty esoteric, but I'm a geek for anything having to do with Britain during the war.  More in the mainstream was Dearie, the latest bio of Julia Child and Dark Places, an older one by the author of Gone Girl.  So, I've read bios & a pretty dark book -- I'd say it's time for something more uplifting, less serious.  Maybe Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin?  That sounds uplifting, doesn't it?

Here's something uplifting -- a rousing game of Life with your family:

Except I don't recommend letting the 7 year old be the banker.  Just sayin.

Comments

[Martha]

Ha haaaa! I want to get that game!! I love the look on Glen's face in that photo.

Mmmmmm.....the carrots and parsnips!!

[Cindy]

Your picture made me go buy some parsnips!