It is a gorgeous day here in southern Ohio, and I am luxuriating in the fact that there is nothing on our calendar.  Jim is mowing the lawn, and I plan to spend the afternoon baking.  I have approximately three dozen frozen bananas in the freezer that are taking up way too much room.  (If anyone wants some banana bread, I’ll have about six loaves of it by the time I’m done.)

Can I tell you how much I’m beginning to hate flash cards?  I’ve done approximately 300 already for my next exam, and I have more than 100 to go.  Are they helping me study?  Yes.  Are they a pain in the butt to write?  Yes.  It’s a catch-22.

I can’t even begin to summarize this week because it just seemed like an emotional roller coaster.  We were knocked for a loop by an announcement from one of our friends.  But, as is the way of life, we were also sent three different baby announcements as well.  Holly finished her soccer season, so we can take one thing off of our social calendars, but we still have Connor’s soccer and her ballet to keep us busy for the rest of the month.

Did everyone catch my guest post at The Written World?  It was a lot of fun to write and share my favorite band with others.  I also went all introspective this week, which I think is in large part due to the book I am hoping to finish today – but more on that later.  My friend’s news and my high school reunion had me doing some major soul searching, and I came to some very painful realizations.  Who says that you never grow up? 

After this week’s FTC disclosure policy scandal, I’m left with the opinion that it just isn’t that big a deal.  So you have to say where you got a book?  Who cares?  We should be thanking the publishers and publicists and marketing companies anyway.  And it’s one additional sentence, people.  It’s not going to kill you type it.  Is it a dumb policy?  Yes, but complying with it isn’t going to cause me to stop accepting free books to review.  There are so many other things in life about which to worry.  

I was really hoping to have finished at least one book this week.  At 160 pages, Playing House by Fredrica Wagman should be an easy, short read.  It is not.  It is beautiful but can only be read in very small doses.  I am going to try to finish this one up today, in between flash cards and baking.  I’m enjoying it so much but the topic is too intense for me to draw out the pain and trauma anymore.  Besides, I am again at least two weeks behind on my book club read, Of Human Bondage by H. Somerset Maugham.  There is just not enough time in the day to do everything I want to do. 

Tomorrow is Amy’s Online Fall Festival and Recipe Exchange.  I’m really hoping to get some fab new recipes and will be sharing my pumpkin black bean chili recipe with everyone.  Trust me – it may sound disgusting but is the one thing that my co-workers have requested I make again and again.  I’ll also be sharing some pictures my son took in honor of the season. 

I have no idea what else this week will hold.  I have two more weeks until my next exam, so I should be spending more time studying and less time on the computer.  That and my husband expressed concern that I am ALWAYS on the computer these days.  (I can’t help it that there are so many fascinating people out there who blog such wonderful thoughts that keep me reading much longer than I ever intend to stay on the computer!)  I’m just going to keep plugging away at my various books and those damn flash cards, spend time with the family, enjoy the weather, and just rejoice at being alive.

Have a great week, everyone, and happy reading!