Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Today at the Trader Joe's (LOVE!), I was in the parking lot finishing up a call with a friend when the car (a Mercedes) next to me swung its door open and boom.  The door hit the side of my car.  I was seriously annoyed.  I turned around to see who let that happen and it was a little girl.  She was probably around 7 or 8 years old and clearly the door was too heavy for her.  I got out of my car to say something but then her mom got out of their car.

She was finishing a phone call and clearly this woman is a queen bitch.  She was rude on the phone to the other person.  She was rude to her kids.  I felt sorry for her daughter and her younger sibling.  So I didn't say anything.  I imagined how the mom might have reacted if I had said something.  She probably would have been a total bitch to me or she would have been terrible to her daughter.  So I let sleeping dogs lie.

But, seriously.  I wonder why most of our car's dings and scrapes have to happen when I'm the one driving.  Urgh.  Probably because I drive more than Mark does but still!!  

But in this case, I let it go.  I prefer peace for me and peace for the little girl more than anything else.

What would you have done?  Let it go?  Said something?

Always in our hearts...

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Hurricane Irene 2011: Sending Good Thoughts to the East Coast

The saying is supposed to go, "I left my heart in San Francisco" but this weekend with many of my closest friends and family on the East Coast my heart is in DC.  I also own a home in DC so I'm a little concerned about it too.  But, I know that everything will be OK.

The media keeps saying that this is one of the worst hurricanes to come through DC in 50 years or something like that.  I don't want to disagree but in DC I have been through at least one hurricane in recent memory.  In fact, there was a hurricane in 2003 that I absolutely remember had wind gusts 60mph and higher.  I stayed home from work and after the storm was over there was millions of dollars of damage.  I remember going to the movies after it was over and it was tough getting through the streets because of downed trees and power lines.  The Metro closed because the water rose and flooded the rail system that the trains couldn't run.

So, while I totally agree that this is not a good storm to pass through DC, I think the media is once again getting carried away (at least with how it will affect non-coastal areas) and doing a good job of getting people really riled up.  At least I hope I'm right and it is a less intense than predicted.  Whatever the outcome, I am sending good thoughts to all of my friends on the East Coast especially those along the coast because no matter how intense the storm is...facing a storm that looks like this is never good:

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Be safe friends!

xox,

Sarah's Key: The Movie

Last summer on my honeymoon, I read Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay and wrote a review of it for AskMissA.com.  Shortly after I learned that the book was being turned into a film.  I was so excited because it is a beautifully written story about a piece of history that more people should know about and with characters who you will fall in love with from the beginning.

I went and saw it yesterday afternoon.  Mark had to go into the office for a couple of hours so I had him drop me off at the theater and pick me up when he was done.  It was a great way to pass a gray and dreary Sunday afternoon.  The movie stars Kristin Scott Thomas, who is wonderful as Julia Jarmond.  The actress who played the young Sarah was fantastic.

The movie follows the book very closely but I have to say that I enjoyed the book slightly more than the movie.  I won't go into detail about the story as you can read my review of the book...I highly encourage you to see the movie for yourself!

Bring tissues and enjoy!

Appalled but Not Surprised

This morning's Today Show had a piece about a French underwear designed who created a line targeted at little girls under the age of 12.  The "lingerie" is provocative and way too sexy in my opinion for young children.  Even more shocking are the ads that were created to promote the "lingerie."

Since I personally don't find them appropriate, I won't insert any of them here.  But, you can find images of them on The Today Show's website.

However, having grown up in a household with a European parent and spent a LOT of time in Europe, I'm not too surprised.  Europeans in general are much less modest than Americans and are much more open to sexuality in general.  Nudity is a common occurrence found on television and print ads - and don't forget that most beaches in Europe are topless and sometimes nude.

That said, I think that there is something to be said about bringing young children into the situation changes the game.  There are already too many images and ideas that bombard us and can cause problems with children emotionally/psychologically and this is yet another situation that can add to it.

These ads would definitely not fly here in the United States.

What do you think?  Are you OK with these ads?  If so, why?

Ummm....clearly I've lost my mind

A few days ago, I posted a list of goals that I set at what I thought was the start of the "halfway mark" through the year.  Well, my lovely husband pointed out that the first half of the year had ended one month prior.  He pointed that out to me while laughing hysterically - I was probably laughing harder than he was when I realized the error of my ways.

Honestly, someone I know - not too well - told me that she created her own list of goals for her second half of the year that very day.  I believed her.  I didn't think twice about it not being half way through the year.

So, I've learned several funny lessons that I should've already known at my age: 1) July is the mid-point of the year and 2) I need to double check information before trusting it.

Geez!  I've lost my mind.  At least I'm laughing my way through life.  I'm still going to try and cross all of those items off of my list - I'll just have one less month to get them accomplished!

One Year Wedding Anniversary Trip

The traditional one year wedding anniversary gift is something made of paper.  So, at the end of June, Mark and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary a little early with the purchase of plane tickets to Kauai, Hawaii.

On our honeymoon, we spent much of it exploring Europe with a few days at the end relaxing on the Cote d'Azur (France) and Lake Como (Italy).  We realized that as much as we love exploring, there is something to be said about relaxing and just doing "nothing."

A secret beach near Princeville - we never found the real name of that beach

Nearly, immediately, we knew that we wanted to plan a trip for our first anniversary.  And, we knew that it would be spent relaxing on a beach somewhere.  As March and April came around, we started to explore our options and came down to two potential destinations: French Polynesia and Hawaii.  Ultimately, we chose Kauai because of how close it is to San Francisco and the cost.  A trip to French Polynesia is still on our list.  We'll take that trip another time in an "off-season."

Drinks at sunset at the St. Regis, Princeville

This trip was exactly what we were looking for on a relaxing vacation.  We spent hours at the pool and on the beach.  We snorkeled nearly every day.  Our favorite place was Tunnels Beach (one of the best places to snorkel), where we saw tons of tropical fish and a few sea turtles.  We hiked the Waimea Canyon and kayaked the Wailua River.  We picnicked by a waterfall.  All in all, it was the perfect anniversary trip full of adventure and fun - which reflects our life together nicely.

Snorkeling at Poipu Beach

 I can't wait to see what adventure we'll take next!

*All photos taken with our camera by one of us or by a kind stranger.

One Year Ago...

A year ago, on August 7, 2010, I walked down the aisle of a very old church in Hintertux, Austria and married the love of my life.  The last 365 days flew by in the blink of an eye - I can't believe it has been an entire year.

In that time, we became a true family. We fulfilled many of each others wishes, shared in some heartache, created new dreams and are planning many more adventures.

Right after our first married kiss and before walking up the aisle to life together!

My sweet Mark, I can't wait to see what the next 365 days and the next 365 days and the next...bring to us.  I savor each moment of our marriage one day-at-a-time so that I can keep extending the joy which has not left me from the moment we were pronounced husband and wife.

Happy one year anniversary of fun and laughter in our marriage!  I love you more and more with each day...and I look forward to what life brings us next.

Halfway Mark

I was reminded that yesterday, August 3, was the halfway mark of the year.  There are so many things that I want to accomplish before 2012 starts.  Here are some of my (mostly) fun priorities:

1. Learn to knit a hat
2. Cook a full Thanksgiving dinner

3. Sign a couple of more clients (I currently have three smaller clients - two longer term, one project)
4. Plan a fun vacation for us my parents at Christmas
5. Sign up for an art, writing or language class
6. Buy a new pair of running shoes and start running (again) - I need to get off the indoor treadmill and get outside
7. Start volunteering again
8. Sell my condo - it is sitting empty :(
9. Finish writing my children's book
10.  Bake homemade bread at least once

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Now that 2011 is halfway over, what is on your list?

Children's Book Review: Abe's Lucky Day by Jill Warren

Article first published as Children's Book Review: Abe's Lucky Day by Jill Warren on Blogcritics.

As a former graduate student studying early childhood Montessori education, I would definitely share the peace education message of Jill Warren's Abe’s Lucky Day with the preschool-aged kids in my Montessori classroom.

In a nutshell, peace education teaches kids how to treat the world and the people around them with respect and dignity no matter where they are from, what their socio-economic standings is, what their religious upbringing is, etc. Abe’s Lucky Day does just this and from the perspective of someone who themself is struggling. The book follows Abe in his daily effort to keep warm and find food all the while coming across others who are struggling as much or more than he. This is a pay-it-forward type of story.

Overall, Abe’s Lucky Day tells an important message for preschoolers in an easy to understand and likeable manner. The illustrations by Kalpart depict real people through caricature. One of my only complaints about the illustrations is that Abe looks a little creepy for a children’s book but I suppose realistic since he is a homeless man.

  
Abe’s Lucky Day is a great book to have on a bookshelf in your classroom or your home. It tells a nice though altruistic story of a homeless man surviving and doing good for others.

I would definitely share this with my preschool aged Montessori students.

Gettin' Lucky

For Mark's birthday weekend extravaganza, we kicked the weekend off with dinner and some fun with friends on Friday night.  Mark's a pretty low-key guy and doesn't like a fuss made over him so we didn't tell our friends that it was his birthday.  We met for dinner at Foreign Cinema, which is in the Mission in San Francisco.  We sat outside under the heat lamps and ate some delicious food and drank some yummy cocktails.

On Saturday, I took Mark for dinner at 5A5 Steak Lounge for dinner.  We had an amazing dinner with a bottle of excellent wine.

For our birthdays, we decided that we would exchange experiences (i.e., concert tickets, trip, etc.) instead of gifts, which we would save for Christmas.  But, this year, there are no concerts of interest and we just took a 10-day vacation so we decided not to go away.  I didn't want my sweet husband to go empty handed for his birthday so I got him Apple TV.  He opened it and looked and the box and had NO idea what it was.  I explained it to him and he still didn't get it.  We'll see if he keeps it.  LOL.

On Sunday night, I made Mark his favorite Sunday night meal: taco night.  I pulled out all of the fixings: grated cheese, sliced avocado, cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, sliced jalapeno peppers, etc.  We watched Arthur, which I thought was hysterical.  I love cheesy movies.  I never really had seen Russell Brand in action and he is quite funny and likable.

Well, Monday was Mark's actual birthday.  In spite of celebrating my husband all weekend long, I made him lasagna from scratch (except for the pasta noodles).  I used a recipe that I've made before from Paula Deen.  It is very meat heavy, which my meat eating husband loves!  It is super simple but a little time consuming.  And, I could use a lasagna baking dish to prevent the cheese and sauce from spilling over the sides.  It was a hit, once again!  I served it with a nice side salad with lettuces, cherry tomatoes and Gorgonzola cheese.  You should definitely try this one.

In my mind, Mark's birthday weekend was a hit and we both were lucky to enjoy the wonderful weekend!

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Lots O'Meat Lasagna by Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
• 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
• 1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 9 oven-ready lasagna noodles
• 2 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, combine ground chuck, sausage onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain.
Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley, and eggs.
Spoon 1/4 of sauce into bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture over noodles, top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.
Bake 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Happy Birthday to Mark!

Happy birthday to my sweet husband!  May the next year be filled with dreams come true and lots of adventure...All of my love.

One year ago, we celebrated M's birthday in Austria