Just another one of those weird stories...

A couple years ago, on a visit to my mom, she was telling me about a book she had just finished reading-- it was apparently a fabulous book, and she wanted all of her daughters to read it. She had recently picked it up from a local garage sale, so she had the copy there to give to me. When she told me about the book (The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd) I mentioned to her that I had actually begun reading that same book a few years before, while I was housesitting for a coworker. I remembered enjoying what little I had read, but I had never had gotten around to finishing it.

She handed me her copy, and when I took the book from her, I felt as if I had actually held THAT copy before. I asked if it was my coworker who had sold her the book, but no-- it was someone else's garage sale. Upon further inspection of this particular copy, I saw that it had, at one point, in fact belonged to my coworker. Years before, I had actually held this very same copy of the book-- a copy that would eventually be passed through numerous hands before my mother bought it to give to me.

If you've never read the book, please do.  It's a phenomenal story about finding family (a mother, more so than anything else), love, and friendship in unexpected places. 

What do you think?  Coincidence that the very same copy of this book that I had begun reading years ago eventually found its way back to me (via my own mother)?  I like to think it's fate. Wonderful, fantastic, terrific, divine fate.  Something wanted me to finish reading that book.  Pretty amazing.

LYMTWCS, Madre :)

If You Only Had a Brain

They've been running a "Wizard of Oz" marathon on TBS lately... if you've never watched it, please do yourself a pop culture favor and indulge at least once in your lifetime.  This is a milestone movie, as well as a classic that everyone should be familiar with. I was getting lost down the yellow brick road this weekend, singing along to the songs and rattling off quotes from the Cowardly Lion (yes, I know... I'm that cool), when I stopped at one point and paid close attention to some of the lines in the movie.  One that struck my fancy was this:

"Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma." --The Wizard, The Wizard of Oz
 
I started thinking about many of the college students I'm surrounded by.  I'm not talking about my roommates or my close friends (definitely not you, my dear Leah... I rather "like" you).  I'm talking about those most precious gems of all the college kids... the ones who use "like" as every third word in a sentence or feel the need to use ridiculous college slang (no, not even classy enough to be called slang... really just a massacre of the English language).  Here are some examples:
 
1:
right [rahyt] adjective, noun, verb : 1) in accordance with what is good, proper, or just; 2) correct in judgment, opinion, or action.  
   Okay-- this is a generalization, but I'm prepared to take the criticism for it: College students are alarmingly oblivious to the actual meaning of the word "right" and its proper use.  They use it to express their agreement with some previous statement.  You may be thinking-- I do that all the time.  Don't fret.  I, too, use "right" to show that I agree with someone.  However, it's a recent college phenomenon to use "right" as a question to agree with someone, rather than as a statement.  Like this:  

   Courtney: "Those Ugg boots are amazing."
   Haley: "Right?"
   Lanie: (shakes head in disapproval)
 
2:
legit [luh-jit] informal, adjective : 1) legitimate; 2) (of a singing voice) trained in classical or operatic tradition.  
   College students also use the word "legit" to describe something wonderful or fantastic.  Do they know that "legit" comes from the word "legitimate?"  

legitimate [li-jit-uh-mit] adjective, verb, noun : 1) in accordance with established rules, principles, or standards; 2) born in wedlock; 3) of the normal or regular type or kind.

   Courtney: "That song is legit."
   Haley: "Right?"
   Lanie: (counts to ten, silently, and looks at ceiling)  

 
Okay, I only listed 2 examples (pulled from a treasure trove of countless college student-isms).  To be honest, most of the other examples were a little "raw" to be posted on my blog.  The point is this: just because you plan on being issued a diploma in the next few years doesn't mean that you deserve it. 

My plea to all college students:

Grow up and act like an adult (because you are an adult, though perhaps Mommy and Daddy can't bear to cut the umbilical cord).  Gain some independence.  Develop a logically-thinking brain.  Read a book (not Us Weekly or People magazine).  Watch the news (not Keeping Up With the Kardashians or Jersey Shore)... find out what's going on outside of your apartment complex.  Use the English language as it was meant to be used, and attempt to refrain from tainting grown-up conversations with your childish slang.  If you're not going to get a job, then volunteer your time somewhere.  It'll be a good segue into the adult life that you'll soon find yourself drowning in.  In short, attempt to prove that you've earned your diploma.  PLEASE don't enter the "real world" armed with as little intelligence as the Scarecrow had.  If you only had a brain...

 There.  Rant complete.

It's Been Fun, 2010. Here's 75 reasons I'm thankful to be alive.

Dear 2010,
you’ve been good to me.  Ah, the holiday season is yet again quickly approaching.  Time for Tofurky and yams :)  Yessssssss!



This year I’m thankful for the following (and these are in no particular order):


1) my family

2) my friends—both new and old

3) My roommates (yeah, they rock... well, 2 out of 3 isn't bad)

4) Adam Barnes –without whom I might have very few friends in Kzoo

5) “The Flock”

6) the time I was able to spend with Harper

7) my job

8) the fact that I didn’t get any of those other jobs I applied for

9) Trader Joe’s

10) My Droid

11) My baking skills

12) The “cookies” at work (and the fact that I now know their names… well.. most of them)—you make my workday worth it :)

     a. “Beardie Boy”

     b. “The Last of the Mohicans”

     c. "Green Hat"

     d. “Fun Size Cookie”

     e. “Tattoos”

     f. “Hot Tall Guy”

     g. “Hot Tall Guy #2”

     h. “Charlie Brownie”

     i. “Dream Boy”

     j. “Prepackaged Cookie”

     k. “Pecan Sandy”

     l. “Baker’s Dozen”

     m. “Enable Your Cookies”

     n. “Galleta”

     o. And all the rest of you Fig Newties out there…

13) All my coworkers

14) Morning recess (yes, at my big person job)

15) Afternoon recess (no lie)

16) Nap rooms (can’t make this up)

17) Tofurky

18) Cookies

19) my new boots

20) running trails in Portage/ Kalamazoo

21) Oreos

22) Squash

23) Pandora radio

24) Theme songs

25) the Starship Honda

26) photos

27) Post-It notes

28) Sharpies

29) A vegan diet

30) Sawall’s Health Food Store

31) Hand sanitizer

32) Bath and Body Works

33) The fact that the restroom is almost directly across the hall from my office

34) The fact that I had braces in high school

35) Biggby Coffee

36) Tea

37) The big 24 oz pink water bottle that my sister let me “borrow” 7 months ago

38) Half marathons

39) Doctors

40) My iPod

41) FiveFingers

42) Facing my fears on a number of occasions (python-handler extraordinaire)

43) Jan, the lady who works at the Pfizer cafeteria

44) My desk calendar from my mom

45) Ireland

46) Lake Michigan

47) Silver Lake

48) The Office

49) Paintbrushes and canvasses

50) 804 Castlefort

51) 4296 Hidden Hills Dr.

52) Argentina

53) Mi familia Rosarina

54) Beards

55) My hair straightener

56) Guatemala

57) The fact that I’m involved in the Weiss/ Maurer, Tuthill/ Weiss, and Reinbold/ Palm weddings.

58) The Bavarian Inn Lodge (yes, that’s right… good things come from weird places sometimes)

59) Harry Potter

60) The Twilight saga

61) Sunny days

62) Cloudy days

63) My bed

64) Taco Bell mild sauce

65) Hot dogs (even though I don’t eat ‘em)

66) Falafel

67) Shawarma King

68) Chicago

69) Trains

70) Jeremy, the cleaning guy.

71) Bagels

72) Antibiotics

73) Facebook

74) Silk brand soymilk

75) LIFE—and a good one at that. Yeah, I’m living the life. And I’m thankful for that.

76) cupcakes

77) Earth Balance buttery spread

78) Lip dubs like this

79) Cooper and his hugs

80) forgiveness





Oh, I'm sorry... I know I said only 75 things.  I can't help but be overly gracious :)

Commencing Countdown, Engines On

Okay, judge all you want. You know the song "Space Oddity" by David Bowie? That song scares the daylights out of me. Yep, David Bowie is solely responsible for the conception of my all-consuming fear of being lost in space. Irrational? Maybe. But a very real fear nonetheless. There you go, another item on the list of Lanie's Biggest Fears; here's a snippet from the list:

• People dressed as animals (including, but not limited to mascots)
• Clowns
• Rodents
• Being lost in space
• Initiating a conversation with cute boys

Thank goodness I don't have to face these fears every day (and perhaps I'll never have to worry about being lost in space). 

The Cheese to My Macaroni

I was watching the movie Juno the other day-- one of my favorite movies.  I love Juno's character, and I LOVE the story.  I'm also crazy about the soundtrack.  Ubercool songs. 

Oh, and fantastic quotes.  For example:

• "As far as boyfriends go, Paulie Bleeker is totally boss. He is the cheese to my macaroni."  Granted, I'm vegan and therefore I stay away from macaroni and cheese, but perhaps someday I'll find someone who's the velvega to my macaroni (that's an inside joke for you who know me well and are familiar with the fake cheese I make). 
• "Look, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person is still going to think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with."  Who doesn't want that?

The following lyrics are from "All I Want is You" by Barry Louis Polisar-- you can find it on the Juno soundtrack.  Fantastic stuff.  Really, though, what more could you want?

If I was a flower growing wild and free

All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.

And if I was a tree growing tall and green

All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I was a flower growing wild and free

All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.

And if I was a tree growing tall and green

All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,

The rumble of your water would be my call.

If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow

Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod

If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.

If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug

And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.

If you were the love, I'd be the desire.

If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,

And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

A Touching Story

Some people call it OCD.  I call it "staying sanitary."  I'm a firm believer in anti-bacterial hand gel (Purell, hand sanitizer, whatever you call it-- it's all the same).  I use it religiously (and yes, I will refrain from eating until I sanitize first-- even if I just washed my hands).  Perhaps that borders on obsessive... then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  And when I behold my sanitized hands, it's a beautiful thing.  It's a running joke with my coworkers and friends-- I've got more bottles of hand sanitizer than I know what to do with.  I find bottles of hand sanitizer everywhere: in my car, in my jackets, in my purses, in my shoes (yes, I'm serious)... And that's not even counting the stashes I've got in my desk drawer at work, in my lunchbag, and lined up along my bathroom sink. 

And thanks to Bath & Body Works, they have a fantastically yummy-smelling line of PocketBacs, which are pocket-sized hand sanitizers in all sorts of amazing scents.  Each scent is a different color (and some are sparkly!) to allow coordination with my outfits, if I so choose :)  At only $1.50 a pop, these things are CHEAP, and they make great little gifts for anyone (and B&BW often has sales going-- 5 for $5... can't beat that!).  Besides the cutesy little bottles of sanitizer, you can also get PocketBac holders (or "holsters," as I so affectionately refer to them) for only $0.50 each.  See?  Clean hands on-the-go are pretty inexpensive. 

A few of my favorite B&BW hand sanitizer flavors are Twilight Woods, Midnight Pomegranate, Fresh Lemon, Warm Vanilla Sugar, and-- my all-time favorite-- the CUP CAKES collection.  These babies are the best-smelling things you'll ever clean your hands with.  With flavors like Coconut Cream, Blue Chiffon, Lemon Glaze, Red Velvet, and Strawberry, you'll never want to go without sanitizing.  (Word to the wise-- Strawberry is less-than-satisfactory... it may suit your taste, but definitely not mine.)  I'm currently using the Red Velvet Cup Cakes PocketBac, and yes, it smells like I just finished baking a red velvet cake. 

I propose that you run out to the nearest Bath & Body Works and get sanitized.  Now.  With cold/ flu season approaching, it's imperative that you take the appropriate steps to protect yourself from as many viruses as possible.  Here's a few tips for staying germ-free:

• Make sure your hand sanitizer has at least 60% alcohol (my Red Velvet has 68%).  This percentage will kill the flu viruses on your hands.  However, some viruses are airborne-- so load up on Vitamin C too, while you're at it!
• It's a myth that germs/ viruses will develop a resistance to hand sanitizer, leaving you more susceptible to them.  The main ingredient in hand sanitizer is alcohol, and it's proven that bacteria will NOT develop a resistance to alcohol.  Good news!
• Even if you wash your hands with soap and water, you could actually only be getting rid of the visible dirt and grime-- most people, when washing their hands, won't do it correctly.  Here's a link to the CDC's approved hand-washing technique (go on, sing "Happy Birthday" in the bathroom at work/ school... you know you want to).  So follow the CDC's advice, wash your hands properly, and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.  And quit spreading germs :)

Healthy hands are happy hands.  So stay healthy and happy this flu season, and your days will be merry and bright!

The Farmers Will Love You (and so will I)

If you haven't journeyed to your local farmers market... well... it may just be too late to do it yet this year (depending on where it is you call home).  But come spring, make it a point to get out there.  I'm a big proponent of patronizing "the little guy."  (I would MUCH rather buy my produce from the farmers market or the local health food store than from, say, Wal-Mart [and I say "Wal-Mart" with a cringe... every time])  The farmers market is a happy place, a place where you can find:

• delectable baked goods
• artsy jewelry and housewares
• brightly colored fresh-cut flowers
• the most fabulously fresh fruits and vegetables you'll find anywhere, and
• (for you carcass-loving carnivores out there) sometimes jerky and cuts of meat, or the opportunity to order some. 

The farmers market is also a great place to people-watch; there are so many different people coming and going.  If you work somewhere like Pfizer or Stryker, you're likely to stumble upon at least one person you work with-- the farmers market is a very popular place (and rightly so!).  A few quick tips for your sojourn to the Kalamazoo Farmers Market:

• Parking is free--and you can park anywhere in the parking lot, or along the streets, or at any of the area businesses.
• Some of the vendors will supply plastic shopping bags (or something similar) for you to tote your goodies.  But I suggest bringing your own bags (you get bonus points if you go green and bring your own reusable shopping bags [my favorites are from Trader Joe's and Whole Foods])
• The market is an open-air market, so it's outside, and it may be cold-- so dress accordingly.
• One word: TALK!  Make conversation with the vendors there-- it's a great way to meet new people and find out where your food is coming from. 
• Go hungry-- that is, don't eat a huge meal before going to the market.  Many vendors offer samples (yay!) and you'll be more likely to sample and buy all kinds of wonderful goods if you've got a few hunger pangs driving you.
• The market's hours of operation are as follows:
• June thru October: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 7am-2pm (plus Tuesdays in August from 3:30pm-7:30pm)
• May & November: Saturdays from 7am-2pm
• The market runs from the first Saturday in May to the last Saturday in November (we've still got a couple weeks left!)

The fresh flowers at the Farmers Market

Farmers Market

Veggies galore! (Yes, I felt like I was in paradise...)

Fresh flowers and veggies



Baked goods - my favorite thing in the world.

Flowers, flowers, and more flowers

You can find any veggie you could ever want here.  And the freshness factor is out of this world.

 Here are some links for the farmers markets I've been to (and they're all fabby):

• Kalamazoo Farmers Market
• Frankenmuth Farmers Market
• Ann Arbor Farmers Market

And if none of these markets is close to you, use your resources (I know you can use Google) and find one near you.  Happy shopping!