December « 2008 « 2 Things @ Once

Archive for December, 2008

Best Books Read in 2008

Posted in Books on December 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Every year I include a list of book recommendations with my holiday cards. It’s become a tradition, going on 16 years. Here’s my list for this year, with links to my reviews: The Way We Live Now Anthony Trollope (1875) The Full Cupboard of Life Alexander McCall Smith (2003) Little Children Tom Perrotta (2004) The [...]

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But What About My Naptime?!!

Posted in The Cute on December 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

For the last two days, Wee-J has cut her regularly scheduled nap time by an hour or more, to just 90 minutes. And that’s on the long side. I’m hoping it’s the excitement of the holidays and the lingering effects of her cold, because otherwise, I don’t like where this is going.

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Review: Mama Mia! (2008)

Posted in Film on December 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Mama mia, was this terrible. Yikes. I was embarrassed for everyone involved. I love Meryl Streep and she can sing, but ugh. The plot was ridiculous. The dialog and most of the acting smacked of over-the-top theater, as if they were all still playing to a packed Broadway venue and not a more intimate film, [...]

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Saturday 3 p.m. ~ Welcome Back to Chicago

Posted in Saturday 3 p.m. on December 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Driving back from my Kentucky Christmas, about an hour out of Chicago we ran into rain. Rather than the ice-cold I’d expected, the temp was in the mid-50s and there was a tornado and thunderstorm watch in effect. Like I’ve said many times, this is the strangest winter weather I can remember in forever. Traffic [...]

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Heading Back Into the Heart of Winter

Posted in Life in General on December 27, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Today, I’m back on the road, leaving Kentucky springtime and pointing the car north to Chicago, the land of ice and windchill. It’s been a great break and a much needed, relaxing few days spent reading, chatting with friends, and eating great food. Tomorrow, it’s back to wearing three layers, laundry, and caulking the bathtub.

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Buffalo Trace

Posted in Travel on December 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Karen’s birthday request was a trip out to Frankfort to tour the Buffalo Trace Distillery. This was my second distillery tour and I really enjoyed it. It’s not only an interesting tour of a working factory (unfortunately, it was a holiday, so we didn’t see any actual production going on) but it’s a treat for [...]

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Merry Christmas All!

Posted in Life in General on December 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Wishing you all a peaceful and relaxing day surrounded by the people and food you love.

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Christmas in Kentucky

Posted in Life in General on December 24, 2008 | 1 Comment »

I’m on the road, slogging through the snow, sleet, rain and what-all to get to Kentucky for Christmas. It was kind of a last-minute decision, but once I’d decided no amount of weather was going to hold me back. Happy trails all!

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Review: James Monroe

Posted in Books on December 23, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Gary Hart (2005) Finding a biography of the fifth U.S. President was no easy task. James Monroe (he of the famous Doctrine) hasn’t been a popular topic for biographers. My choices came down to a 700-page tome, a bunch of books geared toward grade-schoolers, or this installment in “The American Presidents” series. This slim biography [...]

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Ah, I Remember How Much “Fun” Knitting Is

Posted in Life in General on December 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

After nearly three hours of knitting, an hour and a half of which I should have been in bed asleep, I’ve decided I don’t like the way my “simple” knitting project looks and I’ll have to rip most of it out and start over. And just like that, a Christmas present turns into a birthday [...]

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