Thanks everyone who came last night - it was so fun to have an excuse to hang out outside and woman-talk :) So... here is our next book - an anthology of short-short stories called Sudden Fiction International. All the stories have fewer than 2000 words. I was thinking that when we meet next at Caroline's (I think we decided on August 28th) that we could all have our favorite 2 stories picked out to discuss. Here is a link to the book on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0393306135/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248458107&sr=1-1

"The List"

I decided to post "The List" on our blog so that we all know what order we are in. We can use this post as a reference when I forget to bring to my planner.

Lindsey

Nikki

Emily

Kelly

Becky

Caroline

Jenn

I think Caroline and Becky switched at sometime because their names were erased and then switched. I can't remember why???

News

So....

We're coming back to Utah!

But we need a place to live. And in my opinion, apartment hunting = worst form of torture in the world. I think I'm too picky. But is it really picky when you're deciding the place you're going to live for the next while? Ok, maybe it is picky, but is that a bad thing? I'll let you decide. Here's a general idea of what we're looking for:

• A place with character (which, in my book, usually translates to being an old house)
• A place with no character (which usually translates as being new) but will let me paint the walls
• Somewhere between Provo and the point of the mountain
  
• Preferably a house (not a basement!)
  
• If not a house, then an apartment that is not close to being a basement that will let me paint the walls
• 2 bedrooms
• A kitchen that has space for 2 people to be mixing things at the same time
  
• Rent that isn't higher than around $800
  

Any ideas? Do you have any friends that might have any ideas of places for rent?

The Good Earth

Has anyone (who still lives in Utah) finished the book yet? I'm on a wait list for it at the library, but I'm scared I won't get it in time. If anyone will let me borrow it will you let me know. Thanks!

Emily

A contest!

I don't know if you guys look at Caroline and my cooking blog, but you should. And we're having a contest right now where you can win one of the very best dessert cookbooks in the world. Check it out!

Real Report from John Hopkins

I found two article that go along with the email I received.  One is from John Hopkins public health center discussing the email that was apparently not from John Hopkins and the other is from the USDA.  Click on the attached links.

Cancer Update From John Hopkins

My mom has been telling me for about a year that reheating things in the microwave on plastic is bad for you.  She heard that it was a possible cause of birth defects.  Well today I got an email that gave me another reason not to use plastic in the microwave.  I at least want to look into this matter a little more.   

> 
> Subject: Fw: CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS
> 
> 
>Bottled water in your car is very dangerous!
> On the Ellen show, Sheryl Crow said this is what caused her
> breast cancer. It has been identified as the most common
> cause of the high levels of dioxin in breast cancer tissue.
>>
 Sheryl Crow's oncologist told her:
>women should not drink bottled water that has been left in
>a car.
>>
>>
>>
>> The heat reacts with the chemicals in the plastic of the
> > bottle which releases dioxin into the water. Dioxin is a
0A> > toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue. So please be careful and do
> > not drink bottled water that has been left in a car. Pass
> > this on to all the women in your life.
> >
> >
> >
> > This information is the kind we need to know that just
> > might save us! Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass
> > bottle instead of plastic!
> >
> >
> >
> > LET EVERYONE WHO HAS A WIFE / GIRLFRIEND / DAUGHTER
> > KNOW PLEASE!
> >
> >
> >This information is also being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center ...
> >
>   No plastic containers in microwave.
> >
>   No water bottles in freezer
> >
     No plastic wrap in microwave.
> >
     A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
> >
>   Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.
> >
>  Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases 
    dioxins from the plastic.
> >
>   Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at
> > Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health
> > hazard.
> >
> >He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.
> >
> > ;He said that we should not be heating our food in the
> > microwave using plastic containers...
> >
>   This especially applies to foods that contain fat.
> >
> > He said that the combination of fat, high heat,and
> > plastic releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into
> > the cells of the body...
> >
> >Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware,
> > Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food.. You get the
> > same results, only without the dioxin .
> >
>    So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups,
> > etc., should be removed from the container and heated in
> > something else.
> >
> > Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the
> > paper.
> >
> > It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning
> > Ware, etc.
> >
> > He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food
> > restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. 
      The dioxin problem is one of the reasons...
> >
>   Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran wrap,
> > is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. 
     As the food is nuked, the high heat causes p oisonous toxins to
> > actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.
> >
> >Cover food with a paper towel instead.
> >
> >This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!

Kelly Dyed My Hair

Kelly and I don't have much to do around here so we decided to dye my hair for entertainment purposes.   I have never dyed my hair before and Kelly has never dyed anyones hair.  We wore garbage bags to protect are clothes.  I think I was pretty brave considering how scared Kelly looks in this picture.  Kelly did a really good job and we had a lot of fun.  

 Finished Product!!  What do you guys think??

A Few Thoughts on Blogging

So, I sit here trying to come up with something to say for my first blogging experience ever.  In the past I have given many reasons why  I don't blog.  

Reason not to blog #1:  My kid hates it when I sit at the computer for longer than 30 seconds at a time.  

Reason not to blog #2:  I don't feel I have anything fun, clever, or interesting to say. 

Reason not to blog #3:  I don't know how to "upload" pictures and I don't know what "upload" means.

Reason not to blog #4:  I'm not a very good speller and I can't find spell check on this blasted text box.

To overcome my fear of blogging and discover what it is that makes it so popular, I decided to tackle these obstacles one by one. 

#1:  Jace is asleep and I told Kale if he interrupts me in the next 10 minutes he will have to take a bath.  Since he hates bathing as much as his mom, this has been effective so far. 

#2: I did some research on blogging before I started so as to have a "fun fact" to contribute to this site:  One of the first examples of blogging comes from Orsen Scott Card's book Ender's Game when the two characters Valentine and Peter create what are essentially political blogs on the "nets".  I thought this was interesting because we read that book.

#3:  Okay, no time now to overcome this obstacle.

#4:  I learned how to spell the word "obstacle".

#5: My real reason for blogging is because I just love my book club friends and I really want to stay in close contact with each of them.  

See!  I'm really giving this my best shot!  Okay, I'll begin working on my next post.  Who knows, maybe there will be pics.  For now, Kale woke Jace up so I have to give a bath and feed a baby.

Later, 

Nik