10 Random Facts Tag

I was tagged by Ceemee. I love tags! Here we go:

Here are the rules:
1. Each blogger must post these rules.
2. Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
3. Bloggers that are tagged need to write ten facts about themselves. You need to choose ten people to tag and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and also to read your blog.

10 Random Facts/Habits about ME:
1. I am not too fond of desserts but I love to bake- and I think I bake pretty well.
2. I cannot stand ugly hands and feet on men and women.
3. I need my coffee every weekday. For some reason, I don't feel the urge for it too much on the weekends.
4. Saturday morning to late afternoon are 100% mommy and kids time.
5. If I didn't need to work, the other activity that would occupy a lot of my time would be going to the gym (and since I don't have time, I do not do this).
6. I love movies- except silly comedies and too artsy art films.
7. I have kept some form of a diary every year since the 6th grade.
8. I have not given up on having that church wedding.
9. I need nights out once a week to stay sane.
10. Even when I thought I could do without this, my 'ME' time is still sacred.

This was easy: I am tagging Ree, Affie, Livi, Numi, Yanka. Ack! I only have 5 people. Oh well, have fun ladies!

Courage Again

Paolo Coelho in his Plurk said, "Courage is Fear that Prays". Wow. I mean WOW. That is impressive in the massive sense of the word. I like to think I am brave. But I don't KNOW that I am. There are actually a handful of things that really scare me. And when I am faced with those fears I... freeze. I don't think that's very brave. I also don't pray a lot. I am not religious, this I know. But I believe in God. I like to think I have my own spirituality, but again I don't KNOW that. What Paolo Coelho said is making me seriously think (yeah, as if I've ever stopped doing this, huh?). Maybe I'm really just chickenshit.

The Beginning of the Affair

Many of my friends have had ping pong arguments about who to side with in the Brad-Jen-Angie old, old, old love triangle. A few days ago, Jennifer Aniston made some comments about the whole affair in a Vogue article and this caused talks about the three involved to resume. Now, I've been thinking deeply about why I have the opinions that I have, why they are similar to others, but more importantly whey they are different from others. Here's what I've come up with:

Yes, Brad Pitt definitely had a big role in the whole mess. He is definitely not blameless. My admiration of Mr. Pitt went from 100% to roughly 50% after the whole affair. But seeing as I am not directly involved in the situation (gee, duh), I tend to gravitate more towards the roles of the women in this situation. And this, I found, is the root of my animosity towards Angelina Jolie and what she now stands for, for me. A friend of mine said, it wasn't her fault, the guy strayed, and the wife should be angrier at him for straying. But Angelina is a woman and so I expected her to have a certain amount of sensitivity and respect for her fellow woman. I am not saying that all women act, think, feel, or are the same. Not at all, but coming from the same gender should at least assure the person of some kind of affinity and fraternity. I am reluctant to say sisterhood but that is the best word I can think of at the moment. Regardless of whether or not they knew each other, the fact that they were both women should have been a consideration in the affair. It's like being betrayed by a sister- someone who shares the same gender history, stereotypes, hormones, etc. And because loyalty is so important to me, this kind of betrayal is unforgivable. So, as an outsider on the situation, Angelina Jolie does not stand for humanitarianism for me, she is not primarily an advocate for children (although her work is admirable). She is a poacher for me first and foremost, without respect or consideration for other women in committed relationships.

I don't think I explained this as clearly as I wanted to. Anyway, in the end, who cares about what I think about this matter, right? I just had to get it off my chest, finally. Just my two cents.

Looks Boring...

...but read the text!

You Are Chess

You are brilliant and shrewd. You can often predict what people will do in the future. You thrive in complex situations. You deal with contradictions well. You can have many streams of though going on at your mind at once. You keep track of things well. You are very patient. You have lots of endurance, even when your energy dwindles

What Board Game Are You?

Now this is more like it! I ROCK!

For Affie Also...

You Are the Bow Pose

You are an open hearted person. You seek connections and make them easily. You are naturally generous - especially with your love and your time. You have a knack for thinking up interesting ideas. You are an inventor and a creator. You approach everything in life with a relaxed attitude. You accept what you can't change.

What Yoga Pose Are You?

I have one thing to say....WTF?

Baby Food Update # 4

OK, my daughter is now a 1 year old and so I can now introduce more complex dishes. To be honest, I did this before my son turned one partly because his teeth came out early and so I felt more confident about his chewing powers (although baby's gums are really hardy apparently so I shouldn't have worried) and partly because I didn't know any better. With my daughter I was extra careful with textures and ingredients also because she is a lot more sensitive than my son, and thus more prone to allergic reactions. But, I feel confident now that she can handle more and different types of food. In fact she had a small portion of fettuccine carbonara over the weekend and it didn't seem to harm her. Plus, she loved it. So here are some dishes I am planning to introduce asap:

MEALS:

Fish and Veggie Parcel

12oz cod or other white fish
4oz mozzarella, grated
4tsp milk
2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 courgettes, grated
pinch freshly ground black pepper (optional)
few sprigs of dill

Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg F, 180 deg C.
Divide the fish into 4 equal pieces.
Cut 4 pieces of tin foil and place one piece of fish on each.
Add a little black pepper to each piece of fish.
Divide the carrots and courgettes equally between each parcel.
Do the same with the cheese.
Add 1tsp of milk to each parcel, plus a sprig of dill.
Wrap and seal the parcels and place on a baking tray.
Cook for 15 mins, then serve with mashed potatoes or brown rice.

Healthy Yogurt and Cottage Cheese Pasta

4oz green noodles
8oz plain yogurt
4oz cottage cheese
2oz scallions, chopped
1/2 garlic clove, crushed
1tbsp dill weed
2tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1tbsp butter

Cook the noodles according to the directions on the pack. Drain and set aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients (except for the butter) and puree in a food processor.
Warm through.
Stir the butter into the noodles, then toss the noodles with the yogurt sauce.


For finger food, I am thinking cheese sticks, peaches, and graham crackers. Oooh! I am excited!

(Baby food recipes courtesy of Homemade Baby Food Recipes)

That Thing Called Debt

About a year and a half ago, I took out a pretty substantial salary loan. My reasons back then were that I needed this amount to tide me over the 78 full days I was taking off for maternity leave. I didn't take all 78 days with my first born. I just took 30 days in fact and I've always regretted it. So I was preparing myself to do the opposite this time around. And that loan did serve it's purpose somewhat. It covered me the half month before I went on leave that I had to go part time and the other half month after the 78 days that I requested as an extension. Yes, it served me well then.
But today I live credit card free. This means all my transactions are strictly cash or debit card basis. And I find that I am surviving well enough. Ok, not better than before, but not worse either. The thing is, it's interest free and there is no accumulated debt. The times when I have no more cash and I have a need, my hubby somehow finds a way. And, while this makes me feel guilty, it doensn't increase this guilt or decrease it. This guilt is already there and I think it would take an entirely different thing to ease or erase that. Anyway, I digress. My point is, now that I see that it is entirely possible to survive (and I am referring to my situation only) with the cash I have, I regret getting that loan. The amount I pay every month could go to savings. I also know now that I can set aside that amount without too much pain. Ah, hindsight really is 20/20. I now have to find comfort in the fact that at least I am half way done paying off that loan. Perhaps a miracle will happen that will enable me to pay off the balance sooner. Divine intervention please!