Who's Your Audiencehttp://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/en-US2009-01-07T13:13:09ZSquarespace Site Server v5.0.0 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Kingsdown Kontemplationhttp://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2009/1/5/kingsdown-kontemplation.htmlWho's Your Audience2009-01-05T19:36:19Zmap. Hubby and I had the honor and privilege of living in this quaint village for two weeks over the Christmas holiday. This is a totally different way of life than the hustle and bustle of every day Lexington. Take a walk down the roads of Kingsdown on a brisk early weekday morning and you will be greeted by one of its many residents with a happy "Good morning" or dare I say it, a "Merry Christmas!" Compact cars lined the roads with no more room for a customized Hummer than a delivery truck. The butcher...yes, I said butcher...was something out of a Sweeney Todd production sans Mrs. Lovett's meat pies, of course. Turkeys hung in the back of the shop and all family hands were on deck to make sure the villagers' daily meat requirements were met. Next door the hair dressers clipped away while across the street, the post office girls served up sherry and biscuits (that's cookies to you and me) on Christmas eve. I could get used to this life. Ah, if only I were a successful fiction writer, I could wake up in pajamas and enjoy a cup of tea before meandering to my sun room to write. Someday perhaps. Meanwhile, enjoy the sights of Kingsdown. 
Look closely and you will see that this charming dwelling is called "Well Cottage." Perhaps that's because a WELL is located on the front porch! It is my understanding that in England, houses have names, not numbers, although I think that tradition may be changing with the times. Please correct me if I am wrong on this fun fact.
St. John's Church was built by a nobleman in 1850. We did not walk into this particular church but over the next week or so, you will see plenty of Norman and Gothic-inspired architecture in the churches that we visited. 
Do they really call it FOULING?
We were lucky in that it didn't rain until the day we left. On many days, the thermostat read 3 degrees (C). Thanks to the jackets given to us for Christmas by my mom (as well as long johns, gloves, mittens, scarves, hats, and hoods), we stayed mighty toasty. This weather ain't for wussies! Every morning, hubby and I woke up, downed a cup of java, then headed out to Kingsdown Beach. Depending on the direction we went, the walk took about 40 to 50 minutes. The waves of the English Channel crash upon the beach as the white cliffs of Dover stand gloriously in the distance. Here we are standing just on top of the cliffs overlooking Kingsdown Beach.
The beach is lined with pebbles, not sand, and we trudged through the pebbles each morning to get our daily workout. Thank goodness for the pebbles because they kept my weight at bay despite all of the wonderful traditional English food that was prepared on a daily basis by Ma England.
As time permits, I'll share more of our trip to Kingsdown.
]]>Even Stinkies Deserve Thankshttp://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2008/12/14/even-stinkies-deserve-thanks.htmlWho's Your Audience2008-12-14T14:32:24Zdog natural dog biscuits christmas
I regret that I did not write down the source of this peanut butter dog biscuit recipe. It may have been the Lexington Herald Leader, may have been Martha Stewart Living. If anyone recognizes the recipe and knows the source, please feel free to let everyone through the comments feature. I made a batch for my mom and dad's stinky, Max, and also had enough left over for my own stinkies. They loved them so much that they licked the floor where the biscuits once were for a while after ingestion. If you have a stinky you love, try them. This batch yielded about 40 biscuits and is heart healthy!
1 T Baking Powder
1 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup Milk
Set oven to 375 degrees (F). Mix above ingredients together then roll out and cut out cookies. Place cookies (biscuits) on greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
]]>My Own "Blogs of Note"http://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2008/12/11/my-own-blogs-of-note.htmlWho's Your Audience2008-12-11T19:52:00Z
The Max Files - A gentleman contemplating life from the South end of Africa. I love the pictures. They simply whisk me away from the doldrums of work and take me to a place completely different from where I am. I just discovered this blog and have so far not been disappointed.
Mrs. Who's Open Book - This chick's blog is hysterical! A teacher by day and blogger by (probably) day, night, and weekend, Mrs. Who places a consistent smile on my face...almost daily! For Fun Fridays spotlights links to virtually any silly mindless thing to waste your time away.
The ELFF Diet - If you ever need dieting inspiration, this blog is the place to visit. As you can see from her picture, this lady is in a great state of health! But she wasn't always this fabulous. Read her story and gain motivation! She'll get you working out if no one else will!
Moose on the Loose - So she's a friend of mine. She also has lots to share. Dive into her adventures in parenting and take a gander at her recipes!
Kalofagas - Talk about cooking! If you like Mediterranean food—and we all know I do—this guy has the insider scoop! Complete with pictures, this blog connects relationships and living with the foods we choose to digest.
The Pioneer Woman - Once a city gal, the Pioneer Woman met a rancher, fell in love, and now lives out in the middle of nowhere...which is why her blog is so rich! Photography, cooking, gardening, ranching...she covers it all. The bassett hound, Charlie, is totally worth checking into.
I'm always looking for new brain food. If you have any of your own "Blogs of Note," let me know! I'd love to check them out.
]]>Falling Back to Sleephttp://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2008/12/9/falling-back-to-sleep.htmlWho's Your Audience2008-12-09T13:30:46Zsleep techniquesAnymore I find myself waking up in the wee hours of the morning...and I'm wide awake! I lie there and lie there and toss and turn and think about what I need to do the next day and about life in general and why we're here and on and on until...finally, I decide that I need to relax and just get back to sleep. Without sleep, I'm just a crumpled ball of misery when I wake up in the morning and that's just not good for a relationship!
I've discovered a new technique to get back to sleep. In my mind's eye, I think about my toes and start imagining them in a totally relaxed state. My toes, in turn, start to relax. As they relax, I imagine that they are transitioning from flesh color to a soft greenish-purple. Once I get that visual in my mind, I move up my foot to my ankle and apply the same technique. When I come to a point on my body that is sore or tight, like my back, for instance, I imagine that area relaxing and turning a soft pink. In fact, the last image I remember from last night was my lower back turning a hushed, muted pink.
While I wasn't totally rested this morning, at least I wasn't a grumpy pants. And the sleep I did get was full of dreams. That means I achieved REM.
I told Hubby about my technique this morning and he said I should write about it on my blog. I said, "won't they all think I'm nuts?" I think his response was that they already do so what's it matter!!
Happy sleeping everyone!]]>Funky Finger Monsters Mentionhttp://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2008/12/8/funky-finger-monsters-mention.htmlWho's Your Audience2008-12-08T19:55:48Z
What trip to the skating rink would be complete without finger monsters? And Hubby bought me two. I named them Wellington and Fred. I loves me some finger monsters.]]>Weekend Warrior Wakes up Worn Out!http://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2008/12/8/weekend-warrior-wakes-up-worn-out.htmlWho's Your Audience2008-12-08T13:26:22Zlaser tag roller skating pork loin
The pork loin stuffed with figs and roasted pine nuts was a hit at Firefly! But boy, I'm sore!
Remember I said that we were going to finish our Christmas shopping this weekend? Yes, we braved even the mall on Saturday before LizzyBee's birthday bash. Needless to say, by the time we arrived at Champs, we were both knackered! Nonetheless, we ordered some sustenance (in the form of grease grease grease) and braved the wooden rink. Way back in 6th grade, I was a mediocre skater at the roller rink in Madisonville. Today, I'm still mediocre but considering my ripe ole' age of 40, I didn't do too bad! Hubby's claim to fame is inline skating in San Diego but in Lexington, Kentucky on roller skates, he didn't do too bad either! He went around the rink a few times as he promised me he would then sat on the sidelines discussing world events (at least that's what I'm guessing they discussed with those serious faces on the benches).
I don't know how long I was up on skates but have to say it's great exercise, if you can stay on your feet! I only fell once and I really don't remember the details of that fall. There were some little girls involved...and I swear one of them kept hitting on my husband! They start earlier and earlier these days, kids. Neither one of us knew what to think about that—and we're not going to worry about it.
We also played laser tag...well, we were played in the laser tag arena. The kids that were on the opposing team figured out if you just follow the same person around all night, you can continue to shoot and rack up lots of points. The problem with that is, there were more than one of us! Up the ramp and to the top of the arena then down to the lower depths of the maze we ran. By the end of it all, I was ready to go home and chug a glass of water! So that's what we did.
The next morning, I was beat. We got up and had some breakfast. My plan was to get settled around 10:00 a.m. to a day of freelance. Needless to say, around noon, I ate a cup-a-soup and then passed out like I was drugged! I slept for a full two hours then laid around on the couch after that. It was until around 4:00 that I got my second wind. At that point, the only reasonable event to partake in was cooking the pork loin! So that I did. The best part of the meal, I think, was the gravy. The pan drippings were a blend of beef stock, white wine, onion, and carrots. I threw that all in a blender with a couple of tablespoons of cream and spiced wine..voila! Ramsey would have been proud (or at least wouldn't have spit it out). I had made the lemon-oregano potatoes before so knew that they would be delicious...but the pork loin was to die for! Hubby is eating the rest for lunch today.
And so today it's Monday and I'm back at work. My thighs are STILL sore from Saturday's events. Guess I need to start doing lunges again!!]]>Friday Flummadiddlehttp://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2008/12/5/friday-flummadiddle.htmlWho's Your Audience2008-12-05T15:44:59ZFriday and that means that it's going to be a pretty light day at work. I usually work on the Intranet, which was thankfully set up by my coworker and friend. I keep deleting HTML code and she patiently goes in behind me and figures out where I've screwed up then fixes my flub-ups. It's pretty mindless work but I've discovered a feature on NPR that allows me to listen to various NPR broadcasts while I work. The Year in Music is being featured right now and I'm especially digging the jazz albums. Aaron Perks and Vijay Iyer, in particular, are gems.
Tomorrow Hubby and I are planning on finishing the Christmas shopping no matter what. We are flying to England in a couple of weeks but plan to celebrate with my side of the family on the 14th. That means everything needs to be purchased, wrapped, and ready to go by that Sunday! After the shopping extravaganza, we are headed to Champs for LizzyBee's 29th birthday. The theme is Foxy & Fine at 29. Should be good times and hopefully I won't bust my tush (that's an 80's classic word!) or get tagged too quickly playing laser tag. I do plan to munch down on the biggest cheeseburger and fries I can find. Hopefully the menu at Champs will comply with my plans.
Sunday will be a day filled with freelance, freelance, freelance. I have about 22 more articles to write before I fly away across the pond. I think I can pound out about five of them in an afternoon. I'm also going to cook pork loin stuffed with figs that day with oregano-lemon roast potatoes. This was requested by Hubby when I asked him to thumb through my Williams-Sonoma Mediterranean Cookbook and pick a meal. After much deliberation (and a pouty lip when I said the seafood bouillabaisse was too expensive to tackle for a regular ole' Sunday) he settled on the pork. Of course I will let you know how it is. Should be quite tasty with white wine and cream as the base.
I found a new website. Ya know who Gwenyth Paltrow is. She came up with a concept called Goop that's all about taking care of yourself and self-love. I like the look of it and the concept. The site is a little lean right now, though, but I'm sure with all the marketing folks working for her that it will beef up in the next year. Keep your eye on it. I have good feelings about it.
We are off in an hour or so to celebrate Christmas with the office at Murray's. It's your normal mid-priced fare. Seems to me that you should never go places like that without trying a glass of wine as recommended by the sommelier but I don't think that's going to happen between 12 and 1:00 today. Merry Christmas everyone!!]]>What I Bought at Lunch Todayhttp://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2008/12/4/what-i-bought-at-lunch-today.htmlWho's Your Audience2008-12-04T18:09:18Zaging
- Creme conditioner
- Leave-in conditioner
- Saline solution
- Contact lens cleanser
- Facial bleach
- Age spot creme
- Hair spray
- Concealer
- Foundation for aging skin
Am I too into myself? I think I need to make like Sasha Fierce and start singing "If I Were a Boy."
]]>Oh That Fantastic Fish Oilhttp://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2008/12/1/oh-that-fantastic-fish-oil.htmlWho's Your Audience2008-12-01T16:25:35Zfish oil
I can only attribute this to fish oil. Besides the ton of lotion that I lather on my face daily to try and alleviate the signs of aging, the only other addition I have made to my daily regimen has been the fish oil. Now, I have to point out that fish oil has not diminished the lines in my forehead or made me look ten years younger, but apparently it has improved the appearance of my skin. And if my skin looks healthy, perhaps that's a reflection of what's going on...inside!]]>Things I'm Thankful For This Thanksgivinghttp://www.whosyouraudience.com/blog/2008/11/24/things-im-thankful-for-this-thanksgiving.htmlWho's Your Audience2008-11-24T19:40:10ZI'm hoping everyone out there has a great holiday. With Thanksgiving coming up, it always makes me reflect on the things I'm thankful for. This year, I have so many things that I cannot list them all. There are the usual suspects...and then some that are obscure!
What are you thankful for in 2008?
I'm thankful for my husband. He is the coolest.
I'm thankful for my family. And I have a big one—One mom, one dad, one Pa, one Ma England, three sisters, three brother-in-laws, two nieces, two nephews. Over the course of the next week, I will see all but Pa & Ma England...but I'll be seeing them in the next month!
I'm thankful for my dogs and my cat. There's nothing like the sight of your animals when you walk in the door...always glad to see you, always loyal, and always wagging their tails (or singing with it, in the case of the cat).
I'm thankful for our family pets. Besides mine, we have 5 dogs and one cat in our family. And others who have gone the way of the clouds: Napoleon, Snoops, Sam, Mr. Marbles, Stinger, Squeash, Molly, Jade (she may still be around but was given to another family), Buddy, Dylan. Did I miss any?
I'm thankful for all of my incredible friends, each with their own unique personality and talents. You know who you are.
I'm thankful I have a job. It seems every other week I'm hearing that this person has been laid off or that company has downsized by 300 people. I'm getting used to have a little money in the bank. Let's hope it stays that way!
I'm thankful my job is in Lexington. Although my daily commute is far, I enjoy having access to a city during the week.
I'm thankful I have a lot of freelance gigs. Freelance gigs really do challenge me to think outside of my comfort zone. Plus, every little penny that I make through freelance goes into savings for a goal that I have with my hubby about a year from now.
I'm thankful for music. Music calms my nerves, cheers me up, keeps me company.
I'm thankful for my bed. I heard someone say that once and thought she was crazy. But when you think about it, it's an important part of your life.
I'm thankful for sushi at Kroger, for I eat it at least twice a week for lunch. It's a low-calories, healthy alternative to fast food.
I'm thankful for my health. Sure, I could exercise more, but you're reading a blog from a girl who has weighed 100 pounds more than she does today at some point in her life.
I'm thankful for football...not the American kind. It's hubby's greatest passion. And I like it too!!
I'm thankful that I'm finally getting to take a decent vacation. I went straight from one job to another with no break inbetween. That was ten months ago...and before that, the last vacay I had was eight months prior...whew! It sure will be nice.
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