My Thankful List by My Guest Sister Whitney

My Thankful List - Whitney, Age 23

A Apples. Especially Honeycrisp.
B Beer, Beatles, the Beach.
C Cooking, Caffeine, Chocolate, Cappuccino, mmm.
D DC, my current home! My perfect city for now.
E Egg Whites.
F Friends, friends, friends. I can't say this one enough. Mine are pretty freaking awesome.
G Girlfriends, an especially wonderful kind of friend.
H Huckins, my summer home & Hamilton, my college home. And I do love a good hug.
I iPods… keeping the soundtrack of my life on at all times!
J Jeans -- specifically 7's, Citizens of Humanity and Paige. I will spend entirely too much money on just one pair of jeans.
K Kashi, Kisses.
L Lattes, Laughing a lot, LOST.
M Maine, Music.
N NO homework on Sundays for the rest of my life. I honestly feel a wave of relief about this every Sunday evening.
O Older siblings… they are full of wisdom & support.
P Puppies.
Q Quentin (age 3) & Sophie (age 1), my Tuesday night dates.
R Running. My afternoon run everyday keeps me happy & healthy.
S Sunshine, Spain, Sarcasm, Salsa, Soft Serve.
T Trashy tabloids. Nothing better!
U UGGS! I don't care if the trend is over, they are pretty damn comfy!
V Vitamin water -- it works wonders.
W Wine, Wit, Woody Allen, WW.
X Xanax. No, I'm kidding. I don't know!
Y Youth -- taking advantage of it while I still can!
Z Zeppelin (Led) -- everyone needs to rock out from time to time.

Five Days And Counting......

Five days and counting.... another holiday program, a trip to Target, some shopping at my favorite local haunts "The Wee Loft" and some surf shops, a few hours working as a "travel agent" (thanks to my friend giving me some home office work) and one more day of school for my second grader and my sixth grader (my five year old finished today as of 2:30 p.m.) Now I'm mentally preparing myself to finish my two stories, creating some kind of family holiday card and finding time to bake cookies for a cookie swap, that I may or may not be able to attend due to church obligations and a football game starring my fantasy man Tom Brady. The game is at 1 p.m. and the cookie swap is at 4 p.m., so I may be able to do both, but if I can't find time to bake cookies, then I am out!

Time is what I need! Is it too late to ask Santa for a little extra time? I figure my Christmas wish list is used up on my big request. I really have been a good mother and wife this year and feel I deserve that special something or someone in my case, the very best, best quarterback that is.... "All I want for Christmas is a quarterback, a quarterback, a quarterback! All I want for Christmas is a quarterback, a quarterback, a quarterback! Tom Brady!" Okay, if he can't come for Christmas, then tickets to a playoff game or the Superbowl would be acceptable. Fifty yard line, Patriots side! Thank you! One dedicated mom! NO MORE PROCRASTINATING! 5,4,3,2,1!

Nothing To Do But Start What I Haven't Finished

What am I doing? Six days until Christmas and I am spending time in kitchen making Chicken Parmigiana from scratch, squeezing tomatoes into a pot and making a big mess, and baking Mississippi Mud Cake for the fifth time, when I should be writing my Spectacular Christmas Story and running and SHOPPING! A week ago I started writing my Christmas story and was pleased with my beginning, but a middle and an end, I can't seem to come up with..... Oh, and I have not written any Christmas cards either, something I usually pride myself on finishing by the first week of December. At this point, I will be lucky to have New Year's Cards and if I don't do those, then I may as well consider myself off many people's Christmas card list next year. What am I doing, I ask you? As a good friend put it yesterday, "My friend, you are procrastinating! Anyone that would spend their morning blanching tomatoes and squeezing them into a pot is avoiding starting something else!" Or in my case, finishing my Christmas story and finishing my Christmas shopping! HELP!

My Holiday Spectacular

Okay, this is just a quick blog to let my readers know that I am not on some kind of early Christmas vacation from the Mother Lode. I am actually focusing my energy on my "Holiday Spectacular," spectacular story that is, and running four miles a day to avoid looking like I should be sporting a Santa suit for Christmas. I hope everyone is well (avoiding the pre-Christmas flu) and not too stressed by the pre-Christmas shopping frenzy and to-do lists. A Mother Lode of warm holiday wishes!!!!!

The One Leg Lamp

All I want for Christmas is a leg lamp (and Tom Brady)! Only the coolest leg lamp from one of my all time favorite Christmas movies, "A Christmas Story." It was a few years ago around Christmas when I saw my first authentic leg lamp. My three older kids and I were in the car and we drove past a store with a leg lamp in the window and my oldest daughter started yelling as we drove past, "The leg lamp, the leg lamp! Mom, its the leg lamp!" Since I was driving, I missed it. We were on a one way stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, so I had to turn around and drive around the block to see if she was right about seeing the lamp, and lo and behold, there was one in the window of one of my favorite local surf shops, Girl in the Curl! I was in shock, I couldn't believe these leg lamps actually existed. Oh, what fun it would be to own one, but I have four children and leg lamps are "FRAH-GEE-LAY!" Oh, dare to dream!

My Review for "Mothering Heights" and BVHE

LOST: The Complete Third Season/ The Unexplored Experience

Created by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof
Starring Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Michael Emerson (Ben), Matthew Fox (Jack), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie) and Terry O’Quinn (Locke)
ABC DVD
Amazon $59.99
Reviewed by Liza Marchant

LOST is probably one of the most, if not the most, cerebral series on television today. LOST is more than just a series about a group of people being stranded on an island, but a show about a group of people who are metaphorically and philosophically “LOST.” The show challenges the most well-read viewers with parallels to literature as well as questions the bounds of good vs. evil, fate vs. freewill, black and white, life and death, rebirth, redemption and salvation. My advice: Get LOST on your couch with this seven-disc DVD box set and discover or rediscover the secrets of the island, the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, the “others” and the bonus features.

LOST: The Complete Third Season is the LOST fan must-have! As any true LOST fanatic knows, each episode contains subtle clues that can easily be missed the first time around. I was more than thrilled to receive my pre-release DVD box set (as was my husband if only to free up the 23 hours of memory I had used for LOST episodes on our DVR) and continue my Post-Thanksgiving malaise “crashed” on the couch watching all 991 minutes of the seven-disc set.

For me, it was a great recap of what may have been the most pivotal season of the series in answering questions about the island and who the so-called “others” are, as well as shedding more light on the “Dharma Initiative.” I would have to say my favorite episode is “The Man Behind the Curtain” (a reference to one of the my favorite stories "The Wizard of Oz") where we see how Ben the leader of the “others” arrived on the Island and how he became the leader of the “others” with a shocking ending (I don‘t want to be a spoiler for those who haven‘t seen it.) I know fans were disappointed by the slow start of the series last fall, but all twenty-three episodes are worth a second watch.

What makes owning this collection priceless is the viewer’s access to the bonus features that aren’t shown on television. As a writer and avid reader, I really enjoyed the bonus feature “The Lost Book Club” where the creators and actors discuss the show’s special relationship with literature and the connection with books like "Of Mice and Men", "The Turn of the Screw","A Wrinkle in Time," and "Watership Down". To the observant fan and viewer, this only enhances one’s view of the plot and subtleties of the show. The other bonus features or should I say “juicy tidbits” include deleted scenes and behind the scenes discussions about the plot and clues from various episodes that make this DVD set a key companion to the true “Lostie.” I really enjoyed the glimpses behind the scenes. Of course all would be "LOST" without having all twenty-three episodes at one’s fingertips.

I recommend that all LOST fans add this collection to their holiday wish list! If you have never seen the show, I recommend purchasing season one and two which are also available on DVD (a key note mentioned several times on the season three DVD!)

10 out of 10 Binkies

The Mother Lode on the Baltimore Ravens

Apparently the Baltimore Ravens have stopped trying to win football games since they failed to beat the New England Patriots last week. After watching Peyton Manning score the first touchdown in last night's game against the Ravens, my husband and I decided to watch a movie together. When I checked the score later and saw that it was 44-7, the Indianapolis Colts lead, that pretty much confirmed my initial feelings that the game was a no-brainer. The Ravens really saw no reason to win knowing they have no shot at playoffs and beating the Colts, what would that mean anyway? If they had beaten the Patriots last week, that would have meant something. That would have proved the Patriots were "beatable", but trying to beat the 10-2 (now 11-2) Colts, what would that mean? Nada!

Lucky Lawrence Scores

I am not sure what to say other than I am completely jealous of Lawrence. To be so close to Tom Brady at one of the most exciting games of the season leaves me with one question: How did you get the ticket? Okay maybe more than one question. Will you be going to anymore Patriot games and can I go with you?

The Mother Lode on the NFL: Patriot Games

What's going on in the NFL? Have the commentators lost it? I know the New England Patriots haven't. They are 12-0. Yet, lately all I hear about is how the Patriots are being "broken down" and the other teams have finally found "the way" to beat the Patriots. But has that happened? No. So what's the deal? The Patriots have won all of their games. Maybe the reality is that the Patriots are finally playing teams that want to win. Frankly, all of this talk about the Patriots being "broken down" leads me to question, did people actually believe other teams were not capable of beating the Patriots?

Okay, I know the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens have had less than mediocre seasons, but they are the only two teams in the NFL (that have played the Patriots) that have stayed within a field goal when losing to the Patriots (remember the Indianaplois Colts lost by 4.) The question I have, is did they come so close because they figured out the "secret to stopping the Patriots" or because they are capable of playing good football?

I believe all of the teams in the NFL, minus one or two, are capable of winning at any given time. As fans and viewers, we witness this week after week. The spreads are out there. There are teams that "should win" and don't. In fact, sometimes its the underdogs that have the blowout victory of the week. Reviewing last week's games, the Miami Dolphins were favored by a slight margin over the New York Jets. But who won? The Jets won 40-13. A twenty-seven point margin. Was that inconceivable? Were people shocked? Miami stinks. How about the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos? Denver was favored, but Oakland won 34-20. This happens. Teams that aren't favored to win, do, making the spreads seem insignificant.

Sure, the Patriots came out strong early in the season. They had some huge wins, but realistically do teams often win by twenty to thirty points week after week? I suppose only if they are playing teams like the 2007 Miami Dolphins. (Oops, I didn't say that!) The twenty point spreads in favor of the Patriots have become insurmountable. Case in point, they were favored by 20-22 points over the Eagles and the Ravens and only managed to win by three. Is this because New England fell apart? No. They played against two teams who played like they wanted to win. In fact, if I were an Eagle or a Raven, I would have been pissed that my team was the underdog by twenty points. If those spreads weren't a slap in the face and motivation to play tough football, I don't know what would be?

Its a given, the Baltimore Ravens are notoriously known for their crappy offense, but they are also known to have one of the best defenses in the NFL. That is how they ended last season with a record of 13-3. So, why is it suddenly so inconceivable that a team with their great defense would not be able to contain the New England Patriots? And can't people remember, especially the commentators, that teams play harder near the end of the season. Even the teams with losing records like to take away playoff hopes for the teams that have a shot at making it. Here's how I see it, the Ravens and the Eagles didn't somehow unlock the "secret to stopping the Patriots" they just went out in did what they were capable of all along, playing good football.

The Reviews are In and My Husband is a Star!

From "BACKSTAGE WEST"

Almost, Maine December 05, 2007
By Eric Marchese

John Cariani's 2002 play, a set of vignettes about the nature of romance, is fresh, funny, and insightful. The scenes are slices of love that look at those who feel said emotion's ecstasy, endure its folly, and undergo everything in between. Cariani's wonderfully constructed, well-written schema delivers seven successive scenes that unfold concurrently, at 9 p.m. on a Friday night in the middle of winter in the small Northern Maine town of Almost. Director Steph N. Davis' cast of four -- Albert Bohorquez, Sean Marchant, Bettina Saam, and Sherryl Wynne -- portrays all 17 characters, and although some of the scenes may have played better using additional actors, these four give finely nuanced performances that suit the textures of the material, presented strongly and with great self-assurance.

Maine native Marchant adds authenticity through his accent, creating several memorable portrayals, none as indelible as that of a man whose girlfriend of 11 years decides to end the relationship when he seems to shy away from marriage. Reminiscent of a heavyset Alec Baldwin, Bohorquez is fine as a repairman who helps a literally brokenhearted woman move on in life and funny as a lummox incapable of feeling physical pain but wary of the emotional distress romance can inflict. Wynne shines as a tomboy whose longtime best friend (Bohorquez) wants to move things to the next level. She and Bohorquez are also well-matched as a long-married couple desperate to regain the magic in their marriage but unsure how. The biggest revelation of this cast is Saam, who essays five distinct roles, giving each a reading worthy of a starring role. She's much like Holly Hunter: a tiny but mighty emotional powerhouse. She's paired twice with Marchant, twice with Bohorquez, and guided by Cariani's words and Davis' hand, they work something close to magic.

Presented by and at the Orange Curtain Theatre, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano.

The Icing on the Cake: Finding the Recipe!

I tell myself I am only going to eat vegetables at the birthday party and the soccer party. Its bad enough its that time of year where I have obligatory holiday parties that I have to attend, but my kids parties? Now I have to factor those in too?

In the car I prepare myself for what could be a potential food nightmare. Two parties in a row and then a pre-theater dinner with my girlfriend. Pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, dip, cookies, birthday cake, soccer cake and maybe even alcohol (very common at Southern California parties.) In the car, I repeat to myself as if in some ritualistic silent prayer, "I will only stick to the vegetables. I will only eat vegetables. I will only eat vegetables. Think carrots. Think tomatoes. Think sugar snap peas. Avoid chips, no matter how much you think you want them, you don't. Do not eat chips. I will not eat chips, dip, pizza, hot dogs or hamburgers and under no circumstances will I touch any cakes! Absolutely NO CAKES!"

Good intentions and self-made pacts and reality are two different stories. At party number one when the hot dogs and hamburgers came out, I felt pangs of hunger and I failed to stick to my vegetables only plan. I blew it! Although, I managed to save myself from the cake, because I don't like ice cream cakes. But then, just I was patting myself on the back for staying away from the cake at party number one, I found myself at party number two with another cake in my face.

What I wasn't counting on was my dear friend tempting me with her homemade cake (a rare commodity in Southern California.) How was I to turn my friend down when she took the time to bake? I have to admit at first glance I was tempted to play the full card. The cake did not look appealing. In fact, the cake (which my friend would be the first to admit) looked ugly, if you can call a cake ugly. Could she not decide what kind of frosting to use and then use both vanilla and chocolate? The cake looked like a chocolate and vanilla swirly mess with the names of the girls on the soccer team written over it.

I figured I would try a bite. Then I would smile and say "great cake" and when she was not looking I would toss the rest. Who knew that I would later refer to this cake as "a drug in the form of a cake?" A cake I would obsess about for the rest of the weekend and probably the rest of my life. I was really blindsided by how the marshmallow and chocolate butter crème frosting complimented each other. The cake was dense, moist and fudgy and when combined with the frosting could only be described in words as "sinful." Sinful in that it tastes great and comes with the taste great price tag: all the fat and calories to boot!

I vowed as I was eating the cake I would never ask for the recipe, but as soon as I made the vow, I found myself telling my friend she could make me this cake for Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, my birthday, my children's birthdays and on and on and on. Any holiday or occasion that requires a cake! She laughed as I warned her, "Under no circumstances, no matter how desperate I seem, are you to give me the recipe for this cake!" Like any good friend she promised. She would never allow me to have her recipe. Or the recipe she obtained from her friend Carline (its a good thing I don't know Carline), who obtained the recipe from a neighbor.

And just as those promises were made, I found myself going home with the cake leftovers.
Okay, I admit I have no willpower and when the cake was offered, I “so” needed more (can you tell I have an eleven-year-old by my language?) I really felt I needed to have some samples, so my husband could taste the cake I claimed I was never going to know how to make, but wanted him to know existed. I had enough to share and have one last indulgence and then I made another pact I would forget the cake. I would block the cake out of my mind. How? I was not sure, but I figured I would find away, even if I needed a hypnotist. Well, I would not go that far....

As I left the party with the last three pieces of cake, I did what any responsible adult in Southern California would do after overindulging. I made a date to exercise. "We will walk about a hundred miles on Monday? Right?" I asked my friend. "After all you are the one who tempted me with your cake creation." She agreed to help me with my post excess caloric intake exercise.
I left feeling confident that if I didn't share the three pieces of cake with my husband, there would be redemption on Monday in the form of a long walk. Although, in an attempt to avoid temptation, I phoned my husband to let him know I was bringing him treats. Or
“one piece of cake” is what I said. In the end, my husband ate two pieces and I only had one. I somehow, by the grace of God, managed to have some willpower.

I survived Sunday without calling my friend for the recipe (even though I thought about calling) and on our Monday morning walk I reminded her of her promise to never give me the recipe. We joked with another friend about how the cake was "sinfully good." Then my friend slipped and called the cake by name. "Mississippi Mud Cake," she called it. I thought to myself, I had heard of "Mississippi Mud Pie" but I was convinced there was no way that "Mississippi Mud Cake" could be the name of her cake. I knew it was only a matter of time before I had my answer. The internet. If she was right, I would have the recipe. I had made her promise to never give me the recipe, but I never promised myself I wouldn't find it.

I couldn't walk fast enough without making our morning walk a run. I was on a mission. If her name was right, I would have the recipe of the "sinful cake." If she was wrong, I would be saved from a lifetime of temptation to bake it. As soon as I got home, I found the answer! TO BE CONTINUED........