Answer Me This, Vol. 20 - Ice, Ice, Slushie

Summer is here and Kendra over at Catholic All Year has done the entire internet a huge favor by bringing back probably my favorite link-up in the history of ever: Answer Me This! Every Sunday from now until August we will answer 6 questions as asked by Kendra and link-up to share our answers. It's the internet's favorite cocktail party and I'm so happy it's back.

1. At what temperature do you keep the thermostat set? Summer, winter, day, night?

I try to be conservative with energy but I have a very small house so it doesn't take a lot to change the temperature. In the winter I'll usually only turn the heater on at night to about 68F since heat rises and bedrooms are upstairs. In the summer when the temperatures get above 88 we turn the AC on and leave it at 76. The nice thing is that since during the day our house is mostly shady it doesn't kick on until the afternoon when my roommate and I are getting home and then when it shuts off in the cool of the evening we open up the windows. The heat wave that was killing us for a few weeks has finally abated and we can start doing that because we've had the AC on nonstop since it's been hovering in the 90s.

2. What is your favorite frozen beverage?

ICEEs, no question. I looooove ICEES. I cannot go to a movie without one in my hand, and I like it to be mixed red and blue. Note that it doesn't need to be an "ICEE" in particular; any slushie-type drink is fabulous as long as it isn't Coca-Cola flavored. Soft drink flavors and crushed ice in a blender don't mix.

I'm also a big fan of a frozen strawberry daquiri. Because delicious and rum. 

Efforts were made to secure a photo of me with a delicious ICEE. No such luck was had since Saturday was "Free Slurpee Day" at 7-11 and mine turned out to be awful. Never again, 7-11. Never. Again.

3. Where do you keep your keys?

In a basket by the front door. I put this pretty little end table to good use as kind of an "entry way/landing zone" so I have a basket for my keys (I have multiple sets for various things - it's nutty) and a basket for my glasses (too much eyewear!) as well as Gatsby's leash (yes, I walk my cat). Sometimes I have to clear away the clutter but it's been highly effective in preventing loss of keys and glasses, both necessary for driving. My purse and shoes get stashed underneath it with the cat carrier. 

 

4. Have you ever really been lost?

In life? Absolutely. Please refer to 3-4 years ago when I was a total hot mess of "lost."

Directionally? I have a pretty good sense of direction and don't get lost easily. I have, however, been lost at Target (mom almost left me there!) and I once got spectacularly lost on the other side of my hometown when I was 16 trying to find a gas station. I ran out of gas on the side of the road and had to call my dad in tears while my mother berated me for being stupid on the other end of the line. It was wholly unpleasant and I have since been really really contentious about having the directions for places in my head before setting out and having directions printed. I hate being lost and like knowing where I'm headed.

5. What is the last movie you saw in the theaters?

Ummmm...... I really don't want to say that it was The Fault in Our Stars last June but... I'm pretty sure it's officially been over a year since I sat in a movie theater with my ubiquitous Icee (it's become a ritual - can't see a movie without one anymore). I know my roommate really wants to see Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, an indie film that won some pretty big awards at Sundance (it looks like a good story, too) and I definitely plan on seeing Paper Towns when it comes out in about 2 weeks. Maybe I'll go see a movie when my Roommate is gone this weekend...
 

That's it for this round of Answer Me This!  If you have a blog, answer the questions and link up with us over at Kendra's in this post. Don't have a blog but still want to play? That's okay because the whole thing is made up and the posts don't matter - leave your answers in the comments either at Kendra's post or right here! I'd love to hear from you!



love,
Willow




*Note: The Answer Me This logo image belongs to Kendra Tierney over at Catholic All Year and is used as part of a link-up only. All other images in this post are property of Whitney Miller.* 
 

Yarn Along - Tali's Tallulah, Weeks 5, 6 & 7

Greetings! Obviously one of my favorite things is reading, but I'm also very fond of knitting. Ginny over at Small Things hosts a lovely little weekly link-up where we showcase what we're working on and what we're reading. Once you're done here, head on over and see what everyone else is up to!

Hooooooome stretch! I can't believe how fast this little sweater is going despite how much I've ignored it. I've picked up for the neck band and button bands and after I finish that there's just weaving in the ends and picking out the buttons. Talia has told me over and over that she wants purple buttons, though I may hold out on buying said buttons for a while longer since 3 year olds aren't known for their decision-making skills.

 

Ravelry Project Page

Reading:
I'm still chipping away To the Field of Stars, though I admit I've been neglecting it. I actually left it at home when I was dragged off to Ely, NV so the 12 hour drive there and 10 hour drive back were both incredibly boring and extra painful for me. Sad sad. Then I wound up reading a couple of really fluffy novels just to give my brain something to do but I'm trying to get back to it!

 My trusty assistant...

That's it for me today. You can also find notes and detailed specs on this project on my Ravelry Page. What have you been reading and knitting lately? Let me know in comments and then head over to Ginny's to see what everyone else is up to!

 He doesn't understand how this isn't helpful...

Love,

Willow






*Author's Note: The Yarn Along button in this post is property of Ginny Sheller and is used with permission. All other images used in the post as well as text are (c)Whitney Miller and may be used only with express permission. See the About Page for details.*

Answer Me This, Vol. 19 - Freedom, Treason, and Ketchup

Summer is here and Kendra over at Catholic All Year has done the entire internet a huge favor by bringing back probably my favorite link-up in the history of ever: Answer Me This! Every Sunday from now until August we will answer 6 questions as asked by Kendra and link-up to share our answers. It's the internet's favorite cocktail party and I'm so happy it's back.

Seriously, I seem to be having the hardest time keeping it together with the blogging lately. I'm trying, people, I'm trying...

1. How did you celebrate the 4th of July? (Or, for you international types . . . Do anything fun this weekend?)
I actually participated in 4th of July-ness for a change! (It's a holiday I'm not overly enthusiastic about, but I seem to be warming up to it...) My roommate and I had a proper American breakfast of bacon and eggs and watched Yankee Doodle Dandy which was surprisingly interesting. Then we went to my parents' house and spent a few hours in the pool with my sisters, cousins, and niece and nephew. There was food and hilarity and I got plenty of Vitamin D. Then the roommate and I went back home to change/shower and then my family joined us and we walked down to the street for fireworks, which were frighteningly close and low-flying. I'm surprised the fire department didn't shut it down....

Pinterest

2. Do you sunburn easily?
Yes and no. If I don't wear sunscreen I'm doomed. Dooooooooomed. But if I do, I'll be fine. I might even get a little bit of color. Especially if I use this stuff (or just plain coconut oil) which my sister-in-law swears by:

Since I live in my office I'm pretty appallingly pale - for someone who used to get really, really tan in the summer - so I'm hoping that with the pool at my parents' house now I can get a bit of color back into my skin.

3. Hot dogs. Yay or nay?
I'm with Kendra on this: meh. I will eat a real, beef hot dog quite happily, but that weird stuff they feed small children? No thanks! I like my hot dogs with ketchup and mustard, sometimes sweet onions but usually not. My dad made really yummy hot dogs for the 4th and everyone had seconds.

4. Have you ever personally set off fireworks?
I had a great-uncle who was infamous (in the family at least) for going to Mexico and bringing back completely illegal fireworks for us. Not just cherry bombs and sparklers but things that didn't even have real names and full on rockets. He has since passed away but I have fond memories of running around with sparklers and firecrackers with the neighborhood kids. This was back in the 90s, though, when kids were allowed to have fun and learn consequences of recklessness on their own. (I'm looking at you, modern parents...)

5. Have you ever jumped off the high dive?  
Nope. I'm mildly afraid of heights. Don't get me wrong - I love skyscrapers and flying and roller coasters and all of that. In those situations you're either strapped in or have something to hold on to. High dives just leave you standing up high with nothing to do but fall and that freaks me out. I'm perfectly happy down in the water, thank you.

6. Do you do anything weird in your sleep? 
I've been known to sleepwalk, but not for a long time. I know that I sometimes talk in my sleep but not much. The weirdest thing I do is have really vivid dreams. When I was in college my roommates would gather around the kitchen table to listen to me recount my dreams of the previous night over coffee and breakfast.

My roommate sings in her sleep, though. It's kinda funny.

Pinterest

That's it for this round of Answer Me This!  If you have a blog, answer the questions and link up with us over at Kendra's in this post. Don't have a blog but still want to play? That's okay because the whole thing is made up and the posts don't matter - leave your answers in the comments either at Kendra's post or right here! I'd love to hear from you!



love,
Willow




*Note: The Answer Me This logo image belongs to Kendra Tierney over at Catholic All Year and is used as part of a link-up only. The "Union Jack" and "Minion" images are from Pinterest and have been sourced to.  All other images in this post are property of Whitney Miller.* 
 

Answer Me This, Vol. 18 - Home is Where My Appendix Isn't

Summer is here and Kendra over at Catholic All Year has done the entire internet a huge favor by bringing back probably my favorite link-up in the history of ever: Answer Me This! Every Sunday from now until August we will answer 6 questions as asked by Kendra and link-up to share our answers. It's the internet's favorite cocktail party and I'm so happy it's back.

Posting late this week, sorry. I got dragged to the middle of nowhere in Eastern Nevada last week and it feels like I'm still catching up on life, let alone the blog. On to the questions!
 
1. How long have you lived in your current home?
I have lived on Jacaranda Lane (not the real name of my street, but might as well be) for 4 years now. I have yet to really finish "unpacking" or learn the names of more than my absolute immediate neighbors. This doesn't bother me, though, because the not-immediate neighbors are way more transient and short-stayed than I am it seems. I've thought about moving out many, many times in the past, but ever since my uncle moved out and I realized that I actually like it here, I've been okay with staying. This is not my for-ever home, though, but it's a good for-now home.

  2. How do you find out about news and current events?
This is shameful: Twitter. I get Tweets from certain celebrities, actors, and public figures sent straight to my phone so sometimes I wake up in the morning and there's a dozen or more tweets about the same thing. Also Facebook tells me things sometimes, too. If neither of those is quick enough on the draw, I know my roommate will fill me in when I get home. I actually like hearing news from her because she's able to tell me really awful things without making me super sad about them because that's why I avoid news in general: I'm trying to keep the sadness at bay.

3. Would you be able to make change for a twenty right now? For a dollar?
Nope. I'm that typical millennial who almost never carries cash. I have plenty stashed at home for emergencies, but I feel really vulnerable if I'm carrying around lots of cash. It's like, "Hey, muggers, please come steal my purse!" and I'm just not a fan of that. I have recently started carrying smaller bills (tens, fives, and ones) because I feel silly going to Del Taco or something for a $1 burrito and using my debit card to pay for it. That's kind of dumb.

4. What's the craziest food you've ever eaten?
I'm not the most adventurous eater (not picky, just not super adventurous) but I had some really gamey venison in Germany several years ago (like, really gamey) which was a bit much for me, and I've had squid and octopus and the usual "exotic" foods grown-ups scare 5th graders with. I also ate catfish in New Orleans (I never thought I'd actually eat catfish) and it was one of the most delicious things I've ever consumed. I'm working towards being more adventurous and not always getting "the usual" when I go out to eat. I'm pretty good at eating like the locals when I travel, though.

5. Which of the commonly removed parts have you had removed? (tonsils, wisdom teeth, appendix, etc.)
I am currently (not) missing:
Wisdom teeth - all of them - from the summer before I started college. Extremely painful, came out of anesthesia hysterically crying and disoriented, and couldn't take the Vicodin because it made me violently ill and threatened to undo my stitches. Also, I couldn't kiss my boyfriend for 2 weeks. When you're 18, two weeks is an eternity.

Source

Appendix - removed 3 years ago this past April. I went to urgent care thinking it was an abdominal infection or something (this had happened twice before mind you, and both times they said it 'probably wasn't as bad as you said it was' and gave me a shot of antibiotics and sent me home. I hate doctors). After a pregnancy test and lots of vomiting they let me go to the ER where I took two more pregnancy tests before they determined it was clinical appendicitis and gave me morphine and scheduled surgery. You can read all the details of how awful that whole experience was HERE. (Warning: I was under the influence of a lot of painkillers and cabin fever so there's quite a bit of swearing in that post - sorry.)

6. What's your favorite sport to watch on TV? 
Basketball. Lakers' basketball. Otherwise, I don't like watching sports on TV. I'll attend a volleyball game or watch a minor league baseball game if I have people around me to talk to between interesting things. Generally speaking, though, I'm not a sports watcher or enjoyer. At all.

Pinterest

That's it for this round of Answer Me This!  If you have a blog, answer the questions and link up with us over at Kendra's in this post. Don't have a blog but still want to play? That's okay because the whole thing is made up and the posts don't matter - leave your answers in the comments either at Kendra's post or right here! I'd love to hear from you!



love,
Willow





*Note: The Answer Me This logo image belongs to Kendra Tierney over at Catholic All Year and is used as part of a link-up only. The "Evil Appendix" comic is from Awkward Yeti and is used with permission. The "Basketball Season" t-shirt image has been sourced. All other images in this post are property of Whitney Miller.* 

52 Lists, Week 25

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 25: List Your Favorite Summer Activities
Summer is in full swing here in So Cal and while many people (I'm looking at you, people in school) will be gallivanting about chasing down ice cream trucks and organizing picnics in the park, I will be languishing in an office, remaining as pale as though it were still January. However, there are some summer activities I enjoy on my days off, and here's that list:

• BBQ-ing
• bike rides at the beach
• watching fireworks shows
• going to Disneyland
• spending a day at the pool
• camping
• hiking
• visiting the farmer's market
• going to the county fair
• going to the OC swap meet (followed by an afternoon at the beach)
• stargazing
• concerts in the park
• toasting marshmallows (and friends) at bonfires
• eating tomatoes from Mom's garden
• roadtrips
• going to the lake
• eating hot dogs and potato salad
• binge-reading poolside
• experimenting with summer cocktails

I especially love a good mint julep, with properly crushed ice and good bourbon. Yum.

*My camera capabilities are currently out of order so I will update a photo of my list when they are restored. Sorry for depriving you of my fantastic photography skills.*

How about you? What are your favorite ways to pass the time and keep cool in the summer? Got any great cocktail recipes I should try out? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  

Yarn Along - Tali's Tallulah, Week 4

Greetings! Obviously one of my favorite things is reading, but I'm also very fond of knitting. Ginny over at Small Things hosts a lovely little weekly link-up where we showcase what we're working on and what we're reading. Once you're done here, head on over and see what everyone else is up to!

I got so much knitting done this week and I'm quite proud of myself. I had almost 3 hours of knitting time at my Saturday night babysitting job plus another 3 hours on Sunday night. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my smaller size needle on Sunday so I didn't get to start on the ribbing of the hem on the body until Monday. Monday turned out to be quite successful knit-wise because I had to take my Oma to check-up with her optometrist and wound up sitting in the waiting room for about an hour working on the ribbing. Monday night was more babysitting so I got even more of it done and after a couple more rows I'll be ready to finish up the sleeves! So much knitting!!!

Reading:
I'm still working my way through To the Field of Stars and I'm still really enjoying it. There are a few things about it that aren't so wonderful, but on the whole I'm really enjoying it. It's reading like a real story instead of a travelogue or guidebook (so it's refreshingly different from my last two Camino reads) and I'm really loving Fr. Codd's writing style.

In other knit-related news, I got a new knitting bag! I'd been using a cloth tote/shopping bag for a long while and it was falling apart. Julie at Knitted Bliss ran a post about her sponsors for the month and one of them is Madbird Knitting & Accessories who makes knitting bags and totes and the like, and there was a discount code offered so I figured I'd look. They're rather pricey but the fabrics are so beautiful and the totes are really sturdy, plus I really needed a new dedicated knit bag and I had a discount code so I went for it and bought the large butterfly tote. (Apparently the butterfly one is sold out but I've linked to one that's the same size and type in a different fabric.) It even came with a small zippered pouch for notions and a built in yarn guide that snaps so you can change the yarn you're working with whenever you want! And the tote itself has a magnetic closure which is really nice, and longish handles. Look at it!

Isn't it preeeeeeeeeetty? Here's a collage of all the features:
 

I'm not making any money from this post or all the linking, I'm just really excited about my new knitting bag. I'm definitely looking forward to using it when my knitting group starts our next sweater project at the end of the summer. It's the perfect size for a medium to large project like that (a blanket would be way too big but a sweater should fit nicely!).




Whew! That's it for me today. You can also find notes and detailed specs on this project on my Ravelry Page. What have you been reading and knitting lately? Let me know in comments and then head over to Ginny's to see what everyone else is up to!

Love,

Willow






*Author's Note: The Yarn Along button in this post is property of Ginny Sheller and is used with permission. All other images used in the post as well as text are (c)Whitney Miller and may be used only with express permission. See the About Page for details.*

Book Review: Camino de Santiago - Practical Preparation and Background

Stats:
Author: Gerald Kelly
# of pages: 144
Original Publication Date: July 4, 2011
Publisher: Createspace (self-published)
My Copy: Second Edition April 2015

My obsession with El Camino de Santiago de Compostela continues with this fantastic little guidebook by Camino veteran Gerald Kelly. I really enjoyed it. Truly.

It should be noted that this book is self-published and has a few typos and a couple of formatting issues. This is inevitable when dealing with a self-published work (a mark of the sad state of the publishing world in my opinion) but honestly they weren't really problematic. Mr. Kelly opens the book stating that it's self-published, and that efforts have been made to correct any and all errors, so the few typos that persist weren't too irritating. The only issue that truly frustrated me consistently was the way the text ran almost all the way into the crease between pages. This made the text in those areas difficult to read and I found myself bending the spine considerably more than I like to with slim paperbacks. Otherwise, the self-publishing thing wasn't an issue.

I really loved the way the book was set up, so that you didn't need to read it cover-to-cover if you didn't want to. It's a short book to begin with, but I think the way the chapters and sections are worked makes it invaluable as a reference guide. The first (very brief) section introduces you to the Camino - what it is and why people walk it. The second section is all about preparation: what to bring, how to pack, how to prepare, and how to get to Europe if, like me, you don't live on that particular continent.

My favorite part of that section was that instead of making a comprehensive list of everything you need, Mr. Kelly broke it up into three: the essentials, things you can bring if you want to, and what to leave at home. He also doesn't really push specific items or brands, but rather offers the pros and cons of a variety of options and allowing the reader to make an educated decision about what might best work for him or her. I found that to be an intelligent and considerate format and I greatly appreciated it both as a reader and as a prospective pilgrim.

The next part was all about walking the Camino itself. Mr. Kelly wrote about what a typical day on the Camino looked like, and what the hostels are like. He wrote about what to eat and where to buy food, when to drink the wine and when to stick to water. He talked about the potential dangers people face (mostly heatstroke and heart attack) and a variety of ways to deal with blisters. It is a lot of information to digest but it's broken up into bite-sized chunks and generally well-written. He covered a lot of topics but again, all of them fit into pretty small sections and sub-categories and it's easy to bookmark the sections I want to go back to.

After the main section on the day-to-day of the Camino there are shorter sections on other pilgrim routes in Europe, nature and architecture, as well as a chapter on the history of Spain. Some people found this section unnecessary or too long and boring. While I skimmed through most of this section myself, I felt that it is important for non-Europeans to understand Spanish history in order to better understand the nature of Spain today. The history lesson is followed by a Spanish phrase guide as well as some explanation of the differences between Castilian, Galician, and Basque Spanish as well as the variety of regional dialects spoken in Spain. The phrase guide is useful and I liked that instead of trying to teach rudimentary grammar Mr. Kelly simply offered a list of common words and phrases that the pilgrim needs. I personally plan to brush up on my conversational Spanish in the next two years anyway but I like that this phrase guide is available.

I loved that this man walks the Camino every year (or close to it at least) so he actually knows what he's talking about. He's also tried and tested a variety of different walking styles and brought a variety of different equipment with him, and he's also talked to other people about their Caminos and what worked for them. Obviously I won't know what will work best for me until I actually go, but having a variety of opinions to draw upon will likely be quite helpful in two years' time.

I don't have any quotes to share because this book wasn't really the quotable kind. There were parts that made me laugh, but out of context they don't make sense.

Recommended Reading Level: Teen+ but mostly Adult. It's all about packing and walking almost 800km and exchange rates and blisters and I wouldn't give this to somebody under 18 just because unless they were getting ready to walk the Camino for their 18th birthday/high school graduation, they'd be bored to tears.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars. I have to deduct because the typos and formatting issue of the type running right into the crease were annoying. Also, while I did enjoy reading it, it didn't completely captivate me like a 5 star read would. Because it's a guidebook. Can't be helped, sorry.

Who Should Read It: People who plan on walking the Camino anytime in the future, people who plan on backpacking through Europe anytime in the near future, people who like practical guidebooks, people who like books about preparing for a very long walk, people who are considering walking the Camino for the first time.

Further reading to consider:
The author has a website where you can download a guide to a variety of Caminos for free (a donation is suggested but if you want it for free it's available but really, make a donation if you do!) at CaminoGuide.net. 

I'm already reading my next book on the Camino, this one written by a Catholic priest. I'm looking forward to a religious perspective on this crazy obsession of mine.

For more of the books I've loved, hated, and reviewed, please check out my Book Reviews tab.

Happy Reading!

Willow 





*Note: I am not now nor have ever been an associate or acquaintance of Mr. Gerald Kelly. This is an unpaid, unsolicited review of a book I genuinely liked and wished to share.*