It’s been 10 days since I got my Kindle for my birthday, and I have to say I absolutely love it. After I had it for a few days, I decided to order a cover so I could take it with me and not worry about it getting all scratched up. After taking a look at all the Kindle covers, I settled on the Amazon cover.

One thing I love about my Kindle is that I read more. I don’t have much time in my day for reading. I know, you’d think that with three little kids I’d have all the time in the world for reading. Crazy how it just doesn’t work out that way. Anyway, I love how I can just pick up my Kindle, slide and release the power button to wake it up, and I am right where I left off. This saves me so much time so when I have 15 or 20 minutes, I can get a few pages in and if I have to put it down quickly because my 19 month old has decided to climb onto the dining room table again I can do that without fear of losing my place.

What’s really cool is that there are a number of books that I can download for free. That’s right. For free. Zero. Nada. There are a number of classics that have been converted into digital and are available to Kindle users for nothing. I downloaded several Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I’m in book heaven right now.

I have to say, next to my Blackberry, it’s my favorite gadget because it’s so mom friendly.

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I’ve been gone a while. Sorry about that. I’ve reached a point that I feel as if I have nothing interesting to say. I can’t tell you why. When I think about how long it’s been since I’ve written a post, I want to get online and write, but I just haven’t had the energy.

I wonder if I’m feeling a bit burned out. My brain is always active so I sometimes feel as if I need to take a break from all the constant activity. Yes, blogging means I’m sitting at my laptop and typing with my fingers, which is not the most active thing someone can do. But it means my brain is on all the time and the past few weeks I’ve felt as if I need to let my brain relax a bit. Let it slow down and enjoy some relaxation. Like reading a novel. It’s been so long since I’ve read a good novel and now that I have my Kindle, I’ve been finding myself reading more and I like that. I just started reading some Sherlock Holmes books that were free for Kindle. I feel as if I want to slow down and not feel so married to my laptop.

So, I guess I’ve been taking an unintended blogging vacation and didn’t even realize it. But I think it will be over soon.

I hope you’re all having a great Fourth of July. Please remember our members of the military who are missing their families serving so far away from home today. We had several members of the military come into our livery today and we gave them a discount as we always do.

Whatever you’re doing with your family today I hope you have a lot of fun.

Today Little Miss Throwsafit turned a big corner. Normally she crawls or walks on her knees around the house, but today she started to stand up and walk everywhere. It was so cool to see her on her feet walking from room to room like a normal four year old. Well, she doesn’t walk with the same ease that other kids do. Her gait is wider and stiffer and she still keeps her hands up in front of her to help her keep her balance, but as far as I’m concerned she looks great. Periodically she falls but she laughs, stands up, and keeps on trucking.

Just two years ago, she wasn’t even mobile. All she could do was sit on the floor and rotate in a circle. She wasn’t army crawling or even creeping. Today, she’s walking without her walker.

Amazing.

Today is my birthday and as you can tell by my title here, I am 42 years old. I am still amazed at how fast forty two years have gone by. Nonetheless, it’s been a good forty two years and I have a lot to be thankful for.

I have had a quiet day today. I took my daughter to her physical therapy appointment and then got my hair colored and cut. Right before I headed to my hair appointment I stopped by the post office to get the mail and saw that the birthday present my husband ordered for me arrived. He was a bit disappointed that the contents was printed on the outside of the box. He was hoping to surprise me with an Amazon Kindle. How cool is that!

The Kindle is a “wireless reading device.” In other words, it’s an iPod for books, so you can download books directly from Amazon and read them on the Kindle. Here’s an image from Amazon:

This video that offers more information.

I love my new Kindle and have already downloaded two books, Mark Levin’s Liberty and Tyranny and Glenn Beck’s Common Sense. The text is so easy to read and it’s very easy on my eyes. I love that I can change the text size, too. As I’m reading, I can place the cursor on a word and get the definition or I can highlight passages and makes notes.

It’s very cool.

Happy Fathers’ Day  to all the dads. Whatever it is you’re doing today, I hope you’re having a great time.

Earlier today, I drove an hour to Mejier in Gaylord and bought  him some Chimay beer that he likes. It’s a beer brewed by Trappist Monks in Belguim. The monks and their brewing process is really interesting.

Once I got home, my husband left with our six year old to go play nine holes of golf at Garland in Lewiston. When he gets home, I’m making him a recipe from Pampered Chef he really likes called Mexican Chicken Lasagna.

SERVES 8 , 1 lasagna

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided
• 1 medium onion (about 2/3 cup chopped)
• 1 (28 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 12 (6 inch)  corn tortillas
• 3 cups cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
• fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Chop cilantro with Chef’s Knife. Place cream cheese in Classic Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Add cilantro and 1½ cups of the Monterey Jack cheese; mix well using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. Chop onion using Food Chopper; set aside. Spread 2/3 cup of the enchilada sauce over bottom of Deep Covered Baker. Pour remaining enchilada sauce into Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl; set aside.
2. To assemble lasagna, using Sauté Tongs, dip four tortillas into enchilada sauce in mixing bowl and arrange over sauce in baker overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over tortillas using Small Scoop; spread using Small Spreader. Top with 1 cup of the chicken and one-third of the onion. Repeat layers one time. Dip remaining four tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese.
3. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until center is hot. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro. Cut into squares using Utility Knife; serve using Mini-Serving Spatula.

Steve loves his recipe and it’s so easy.

Today was an interesting day.  Light purple clouds swirled in the sky, allowing some large drops to fall periodically, but nothing heavy. It just allowed for some very pretty photographs.

These are some photos from Alcona County. A storm is a brewin’.

On the way home I stopped to take photos of what looked like a little entry into the woods:

Whenever I see woods like this, I always seem to stop and wonder what is in there? The woods make me want to go walking to find out. Where does it go? What animals make the woods their home? Is there a little house somewhere in there? It’s an adventure I would love to pursue some day.

Today Little Miss Throwsafit is four years old. Four! It’s a cliché to ask this but it’s so true: where has all the time gone?

On Saturday night, we celebrated LMT’s birthday as well as my dad’s who turned 66, I think.  I’m losing count.  Isn’t that terrible.  Anyway, here are a few pictures from our little party:

We made a jello cake, which is white cake with holes poked in with a fork. We then pour jello on top of the cake so it soaks into the cake. The frosting is Cool Whip. It was all very moist and light. 

LMT shows off her happy birthday hat. It’s a tradition in our family that you wear the hat at your birthday party: 

Here she is:

Time to blow out the candle.

I just realized that I didn’t get any pictures of my dad. Oops! Sorry dad. Next year we’ll make sure we include you.

My parents and my brother are up this weekend for a bit of fly fishing, golfing, and grilling out. We’ll be celebrating my daughter’s 4th birthday (it’s June 8th) and my dad’s 60-something birthday (it’s June 9th) tomorrow. Today my mom, Little Miss Throwsafit, Littlest One, and I spent some time at Gaylord and did a little shopping at the Old Spud Warehouse, a really cool, eclectic store. I’m hoping my brother and I get the chance to go down river sometime tomorrow. I’ll update with a few pictures later.

My article at Pajamas Media about spring coming to the Northwoods is up! Here’s an excerpt:

As I stood at the kitchen window that faced south toward the gravel parking lot of our canoe livery and fly shop, I felt the breeze drift in. I stopped what I was doing, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. The freshness of the air was glorious.

Even though my two younger children were at the dining room table waiting for lunch, I made myself stand there and embrace the warm air. It only takes one Up North winter to learn that you do not take a moment like this for granted. After a few slow, deep breaths, I could sense it. Pine. There is nothing more invigorating than the scent of fresh pine as it lingers in the air. It’s one of the reasons I love living Up North.

Living in northern Michigan requires a kind of hardiness of spirit because the winters, while breathtaking in their beauty, are something to endure. To appreciate what it is like to travel the long journey of the winter months and come out on the other side to spring, you have to experience it fully by living in the Northwoods. It is not enough to come up for a weekend or two. You have to feel the transformation of the air, as crisp fall days slowly turn cold and then bitter. You have to witness the snow that falls before Thanksgiving, continues until early April, and is punctuated by hearty snowstorms. By the time March arrives your bones ache for spring, and any sign no matter how small gives you hope that warm, leisurely days on the river will soon arrive.

I’d love it if you read the rest and gave me your thoughts.