2009

I am so bad at my blogging lately. I have been busy with my mom and the girls.

#3 went back to school on Monday. It was so hard getting up early again. It was dark and way to cold to get out of the bed. #1 and #2 are still home and have to go back to their schools on Sunday. I am not looking forward to that. The house will be quiet again and I will be lonely and watching too much bad TV.

I am looking back at 2009 today......

the good, the bad and the ugly.

the big events in 2009:

#2 graduated from high school, I sent two kids to college, my house got quiet and empty, my mother in law passed away, my mother was diagnosed with cancer

the worst thing that happened:

I know my mother in law passed away and my mom was diagnosed with cancer this year also, and I am not minimizing that, but when Cleo, our St. Bernard died in January, unexpectedly, I was so heart broken. We discovered she was sick around midnight one night and less than two hours later she was gone. She was my 4 legged, 180 lb. baby and such a love bug. It was devastating to me, I think because it was so unexpected and I was not prepared for the loss.

the best thing that happened:

I may have to skip this one.... NOTHING really wonderful comes to mind. I am looking forward to a better year.

favorite movie:

Julie and Julia.... loved it. I cooked for days after seeing it.

worst movie:

so many to choose from... but I'd have to say sitting through Transformers was like punishment. The Man of the House said I snored. I know.... not very ladylike.

favorite TV shows:

The Amazing Race, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Top Chef, CSI, Modern Family, What Not to Wear, Platinum Weddings and True Blood to name a few

favorite restaurants:

Brio, Mura, Bonefish Grill and Cafe Capistrano

favorite book:

probably a James Patterson book or Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

This is a wonderful book about two Chinese girls, their families, their secret language and the practice of foot binding in China. I have the sequel in my stack of books and hope to get to it soon.

new places I went:

the Man of the House had a conference in Hawaii and we tagged along (poor #1 is still not over the fact that we left her in Chapel Hill because of school)

favorite new products:

I love these things. I keep them in my car and purse.

....I also love this garlic peeling tube. I bought mine through Pampered Chef, but have seen them in stores. Garlic and toothbrushes..... go figure!

I use my garlic peeler to make my family's new favorite home cooked meal:

Braised Short Ribs

You can't see them well,

but there are about 20 short ribs swimming around in there.

After bubbling away in the oven for over three hours , they melt in your mouth.

and last but not least.... my favorite and much needed "beauty" product:

Earth Therapeutics Hydrogel Under-Eye Recovery Patch

I keep them in the fridge!

It has been an emotional year and there have been a lot of changes, many we did not wish for. I am just soildering through each day, one step at a time, taking the good with the bad.

Hope you all are keeping warm!