Author Archives: elaine

Bumpdate – Weeks 25/26

Lot’s going on around the house and in my head about this baby girl the past couple of weeks. First, we are more focused on the household preparations.  Dan did some garage sale-ing and picked up a changing table and a … Continue reading

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Nuture Shock

I decided to pick up a book about child rearing since I guess I will be rearing a child soon enough.  Nuture Shock was a random pick since it was available from the library as an audio book.  This book … Continue reading

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Bumpdate – Weeks 23/24

Can’t believe this baby girl is 24 weeks already!  Here’s what’s going on in her world: She is moving more and more.  I got to see my bump move on it’s own this week.  Crazy! She makes so many random … Continue reading

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Nashville

Let me tell you, Nashville is a lot different when experienced with child as opposed to with a desire to drink bourbon and dance your heart out.  Thankfully, it is a blast either way.  I travelled to Nashville to celebrate … Continue reading

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Bumpdate – Week 21

My perception is that the bump gotten much bigger this week.  As Dan puts it, “Baby got big!”  I have really enjoyed feeling our little baby girl move on a regular basis, and Dan even felt her once too.  I … Continue reading

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Derby 2012

Well, I’m posting this on Oaks Day 2013, so just about a year later.  We certainly were up to some different antics last year!

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Outliers

Just gave the audio book Outliers a listen and thoroughly enjoyed it, just as I did The Tipping Point a few years ago.  Malcolm Gladwell is really good at writing about really common sense things and making it interesting.  I … Continue reading

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Keely’s First Birthday

Dan and I had the pleasure of joining our friends Wade and Erika to celebrate their daughter’s, Keely’s, first birthday near Phoenix, Arizona.  Keely is not only the cutest little girl, but she also our God daughter.  It was a … Continue reading

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The Other Wes Moore

The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore, is one of my favorite recent reads.  This is an autobiography/biography combo into a couple of lives so different from my own.  The book challenged some of my own pre-conceived notions about the … Continue reading

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Riddhi’s Wedding

It was so awesome to see the SWE gang at Riddhi’s and Amit’s wedding in Chicago!  We all ate our fill of Indian food, caught up, cheered for Riddhi and Amit, and got to meet little Hazel.  The girls were … Continue reading

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The Girl Who Played with Fire

Gotta admit that I really am enjoying the Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larsson.  The Girl Who Played with Fire was more enjoyable than the first book, yet it is equally twisted.  I always make myself take my time on a series … Continue reading

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Bumpdate – Week 19

I haven’t had a whole lot to say about the bump for a while, but I think this week has been a fun one as far a pregnancy goes. I hugged Dan the other day and he noted with surprise … Continue reading

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Room

Another book club read was Room, by Emma Donaghue.  This was intriguing, but it’s not a favorite.  It moves slow early on and then I thought it ended without resolving my curiosity about the characters and their situation.  It definitely … Continue reading

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Vegas

Last month I had the pleasure of spending a week out in Vegas for a work conference.  The conference was definitely worthwhile, and I can’t imagine a better setting for such an event.  Vegas really impressed me, in part because … Continue reading

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Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe (Fannie Flagg)

I just read this one for the book club, and it was a fabulous read.  Anyone else I’ve mentioned this to has said how sad the book and movie are.  I beg to differ.  There are definitely some sad parts, … Continue reading

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South of the Border Veggie Chilli

Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil, divided 1 large diced white onion (about 3 cups) 2 diced poblano peppers, seeded 1 diced red bell pepper 1 diced yellow bell pepper 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced 2 tablespoons minced cilantro stems … Continue reading

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Ft Myers, Florida Trip with the Kratohwils

Mom and Dad treated themselves to a month in Ft. Myers this year and we worked it out so the whole family could spent a long weekend together.  We all enjoyed seafood, sunshine, and gorgeous sunsets each day. We enjoyed … Continue reading

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First Trimester

The News On January 3, we confirmed our suspicions and confirmed that life as we know it will forever be changed. Positive preggo test. Wow. Now I know we have dated forever, been married for 1.5 years, and even planned … Continue reading

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Cake Decorating

A couple of years ago, my mother-in-law Faye gave me some cake decorating supplies for Christmas.  She showed me some basics, but they didn’t really stick.  So when my friend Lucy convinced me to sign up for a cake decorating … Continue reading

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Cutting for Stone

I finally finished Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.  This book makes the top 10 list for a couple of my friends.  I wouldn’t rank it quite that high, but it’s definitely a work of literature.  The writing is beautiful … Continue reading

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