Well, I've finally got some updated pictures of the house that I can post on here. Sorry it took me so long but we've just been crazy busy! We've painted the living and dining rooms and we finally got our stove this past Thursday. We still have a lot of things to do around here but I figure if we do a major project every year for the next couple of years we'll get there slowly but surely and without breaking our bank accounts. Here's the front of the house...We haven't changed a whole lot up here because the landscaping in the front was already done when we bought it. We've added the mailbox and a few potted plants on the front step and really, I think that's all it needs right now. It's simple but cute. I would like to add planter boxes at some point but they'll have to wait until we get some of the major projects done. I also would like to get some patio furniture for the front porch. It is such a nice space and we want to utilize it as much as possible. Don't you love these built-ins and fireplace? I do! I'm pretty sure these are original to the house. The fireplace is gas and we're going to have to have it inspected before we try to use it (not that we'd be using it anytime soon!) but it's going to wonderful to have during the fall and winter months. It's a shame that we have to put the tv where it is right now but we're wanting to get a wall-mounted one to hang over the fireplace. It's amazing...Bishnu and I both agree on a design/decorating element! Who knows when that will happen again....lol! Anyhoo, the couch is positioned on the opposite wall and the paint color actually looks darker than this. It's called 'Crisp Toast'. I haven't put any pictures or decorations on the walls yet. And <--- this is our dining room. Well, part of it anyways. There's not a whole lot in here right now because we don't have a dining room table yet. The corner that I stood in to take the picture holds our conputer desk and chair. Don't you love this blue? We do! It's not quite this intense in real life. I can't wait to get the table in here and start decorating. There is also a big bay window in this room so I'll be able to put up beautiful drapes. The light fixture came with the house. Aren't we lucky? :o) Just to give a feeling of the flow of the house - Jonah is standing in the living room in this picture. The other doorway leads to our bedroom (turn right), the upstairs bathroom (keep walking straight) and Jonah's room (turn left). Now if you were walking from the living room and wanted to go to the kitchen, you would just walk straight through the dining room and voila! There it is! Our kitchen is a really good size considering the house was built in 1920-something. This picture was taken before our lovely stove was delivered this past week so just imagine it in the lower left-hand corner. The curtains came with the house also but I'm probably going to change them because although the kitchen looks just fine the way it is, I'm going to be painting in here too! I'm thinking either a yellow or green for the walls, white for the paneling and I haven't figured out what for the countertop yet. I'm loving the ideas of concrete countertops right now. They are pretty affordable and the concrete people can add color tinting or recycled glass for a little sparkle. The recycled glass is where I'm kind of leaning and *surprise!* Bishnu agrees on that with me too. Man, we're on a roll here...But the concrete countertop will have to wait also because really, there is nothing wrong with the one we have other than it's blindingly white.

Well, I believe that's all for now. Bishnu just brought me pancakes and they're screaming at me from the plate. Have a nice weekend all!

Jane Austen

What is it exactly about Jane Austen and all that she has written that entrances women, I wonder... Is it her characters, who are so real and remind the reader/viewer of very dear friends and aquaintances? Is it the beautiful clothing and surroundings that you can only imagine, or see if you are watching a movie adaption? Or is it the romantic storylines that embody so beautifully what women want in their love lives? I tend to think that it is a combination of all of these but vary in importance for each person. I love the books although I have not read all of them. It is so nice to watch the movies though...I've owned Sense and Sensibility for years now and one of my fondest memories with my friends is watching it with them. And since Pride and Prejudice was released in 2005 it is my new favorite. I love those tall, dark and brooding English men and Alan Rickman as Col. Brandon and Matthew McFayden as Mr. Darcy certainly fit the bill. They are exactly the type of men that I daydream about. Er...that is, if I would daydream they would do nicely. Which I don't, daydream, of course. *ahem*
Moving on...I'm planning on buying an biography about Jane Austen because it struck me the other day that I really know nothing about her other than she was one of seven children and she died young. And that is strange to me, seeing as how I like her books so much.
Which Jane Austen book or movie is your favorite?

Minnesota goodness

Well, we're back from Minnesota and we had a great time! It was wonderful seeing Bishnu's family and getting to spend some much needed time with them. They absolutely adored Jonah and all of his cars but he was still a little too shy to go give them hugs or lovies...maybe on the next visit. I really wish we could have stayed longer and that I knew more Nepali. Guess I'll have to break out my Nepali cd and book and get to practicing. And now I want to go to Nepal even more! Oh well...in time, I guess. Here are a couple of shots from Friday:

Jonah at the Munsinger/Clemens Garden

Aama, Papa, Bishnu, Me and Jonah

Some more of the beautiful flowers we saw

Roopa and Bishnu

That's only a few of what we took but I don't want to bombard you too much yet. I'm still trying to get the hang of this thing and I'll be adding more pictures in as soon as I get my other links figured out.

We're kind of at a standstill right now on decorating the house - our stove will be arriving on Thursday and we really can't do anything else until Bishnu and I both get paid. At least I'll be able to bake goodies soon. I'm still trying to convince Bishnu that a Kitchenaid Mixer is absolutely in the budget for the kitchen. He, however, begs to differ seeing as how we had to spend our stimulous check on kitchen appliances and have next to nil left over. And, of course, when he brings up that little nugget of information, I have to agree. My little hand-mixer will do just fine and mixes everything just the same. I just want one of those pretties! Preferably a yellow or white one...I know. I am shameless.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vv <----- this is Jonah's contribution to my post. Y'all should feel honored...He tore himself away from his Cars movies, no small feat by any means, to come see what I was doing and felt the need to push a few buttons.

And on that note, I'll go. Ta ta for now!

Books

I finished a wonderful book last night called Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn. It's a historical mystery with a dose of romance - just the kind I like best. :o) I picked it up at Walmart, not realizing that it was the second in a series (I don't like to start a book series halfway through - there's all kinds of things going on and I'm just anal that way) but that's okay because I really enjoyed it... I didn't really start reading mystery novels until I was in college due to a bad experience with a particular book that scared the heebie-jeebies out of me my sophmore year. I had sort-of inherited the book from my Mamaw Berty's collection after she died. Mamaw Berty was an avid reader. I mean, avid. Avid as in we still haven't read all of the books that we took from her house and she died in 2000. My father very forcefully put his foot down after the first two book trips home... :o( Anyways, Mamaw loved mysteries. The majority of her books was mysteries - classics and more modern series intermingled on her bookshelves and it was always a treat to just look. I can honestly say from personal experience that there is nothing better than finding another book lover and looking at what they have on their shelves. There's always the feeling that you might find something really good that you have never heard of or a classic that both of you like and can talk about. (Okay, insert nerd smiley...) Looking at Mamaw's bookshelves was wonderful - as a child I knew I wanted to read particular ones but realized I probably would not understand all of the nuances and references better suited for adults and not get the full effect. So I waited patiently. And now that she is gone it is hard reading them and wondering what her take on each particular one was. And now that I have graduated to mysteries, and historical mysteries in particular (Mamaw's fav), I feel so much closer to her at the end of each one. And miss her that much more.

Something new...

Okay, folks...I'm trying an actual blog out here...I love that all of my friends are on myspace.com but really, it's a little frustrating when the site is slooowwww and I can't load my pics directly onto my post. So we'll see how this goes! Please wish me luck because I've already confused myself beyond belief just trying to add links to my page...I have an uncanny feeling that this is not going to end well...