spoken from the heart.

yes, i am one of those crazy people who loves to read biographies. i am almost halfway through this book and absolutely love it. laura bush is an incredible woman and i have enjoyed learning more about her. it is fascinating to read about life on the campaign trail, being the first lady of texas, then the first lady of the united states, the 2000 election, and 9/11 from her perspective. i am inspired by her supportive nature, commitment to her family, humility, honesty and class.

a favorite line from the book:

"life's largest truth may be that everyone faces tragedy. learning to accept those tragedies, learning to accept that life is riddled with events large and small, events that you may cause or that may happen to you, events that you can never control, is perhaps the hardest lesson of all. in that wrenching fact, i have faith that no one is ever alone."

i heart harry potter

"the stories we love best live in us forever, so whether you come back by page, or by the big screen, hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." -jk rowling

i am a harry potter FAN.


HP7 part 2 was AMAZING to say the very least, and going with friends to see it at midnight made it even better.

it's true,

i love to watch cooking shows. it's probably a good thing i don't have cable because i would spend way too much time watching food network.

i especially love this one:

america's test kitchen is seriously the best cooking show out there. they make excellent recipes that don't have crazy gourmet ingredients that require you flying halfway across the world to buy. they use foods that people actually have in their pantry. the other awesome thing about ATK is that they develop each specific recipe and try it 50 different ways until they get the perfect one. it's like food science research. i watched an episode yesterday and the chef said it took them 6 weeks to come up with the perfect tomato sauce recipe. cool huh?
sorry. just had to give them a little shout out.

basically every night my dad and i watch these late night cooking shows on channel 11.3. we are WAY cool. and really good cooks after getting tips from the "pros". so come over sometime and we will open up our 300 something page america's test kitchen recipe book and make something scrumptious.

random rambling

today while i was teaching swimming lessons one of the girls said:
"teacher! (because for some reason kids can't remember my name) will you reach my ponytail holder? it's at the bottom of the pool."
so i dove down and retrieved her "ponytail holder"...I always called them elastics...so which is right?

is it
soda or pop?
ponytail holder or elastic?
sack or bag?
thongs or flip flops?
cream rinse or conditioner?

english is confusing.

the star spangled banner

the fourth of july is my favorite holiday. i love america. i'm so lucky to live here. 

yesterday we sang the star spangled banner in church and i decided it's a shame we don't sing all of the verses of the national anthem, because i am very partial to the last verse. 

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!