Tales From Indiana

Calhoun's: Taste of Tennessee

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Adam and I are just about through with our vacation. Tomorrow we will make the last leg of the trip into Indiana and things pick back up first thing Monday morning. Currently we are in Goodlettsville, TN and to finish off the holiday eating before starting the "healthy" eating, I chose a place called Calhoun's for us to have dinner tonight. Boy am I glad I chose this place!! Here's the rundown of what we ordered:

Soft Pretzels with Beer Cheese Sauce (oh my gosh good!)
Southern Fried Catfish with Fries and Baked Beans (Me)
BBQ Ribs with Coleslaw and Baked Beans (Adam)
Key Lime Pie to go

First of all, the pretzels were amazing and the sauce was even better. It was fondue-ish and creamy and the beer wasn't overpowering. Fabulous!
The catfish was great as well with a batter that wasn't too thick and heavy in order to let the catfish taste come through. The french fries were even good with a seasoning that I can't quite place...not a cajun seasoning, but similar. And the beans...almost a chili flavor to them. Really Really good!
Adam's Ribs were something to talk about though! I am normally not a rib person...but I could tell that these ribs had been cooked extra well...not burnt...but well...and so I asked to try one. Man...the flavor! They weren't slathered with bbq sauce, which I liked, and the smokey flavor was tremendously wonderful. We haven't tried the key lime pie yet, but I'm sure it will be great just like everything else.

So...we are remembering Calhoun's for next time...and if you're ever in TN, scout one out! You won't be sorry.

A Night At The Symphony

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:02:00 +0000

I love having a husband who is a proffessional musician. Adam is a

trombonist with an orchestra here in Indiana, and today was my day

off...so I decided to go hear the concert tonight. I am so glad I did!

This concert started with a Beethoven overture...followed by Strauss.

The 2nd half was my favorite, though with Debussy and Stravinsky.

Adam was able to get loud on the Stravinsky which made for a lively

ending to the evening.

My favorite part of the whole symphony experience is the warm up. Adam

started this when we were dating, but he always plays "you are my

sunshine" if I'm out in the audience. It makes me grin real big!!

So that was my evening with my husband...and it was a night at the symphony.

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Cute Overload

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:23:00 +0000

One of my favorite blogs is Cute Overload where there are always adorable pictures of animals. This one in particular makes me want a puppy so badly! I even have the name picked out for the new puppy...

~What's that? You want to know the name?

Well...because I am a librarian, and I love books, one title that I'm reading currently is entitled Dewey: The Library Cat That Touched The World. I realize the story is about a cat...but the name could definitely work for a dog!

For more cute overload goodness, be sure to check out their blog HERE!

Testing some Gif Animation

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:54:00 +0000

I am playing with creating some gif animations in Gimp...We'll see how this works:

Edited to say:
It looks like it didn't animate. I'm stumped.

New Email Address

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:32:00 +0000

It is with a little sadness that I close my yahoo email address. It was my very first email address...and has served me well...even to see me graduate from college. Now, however, Yahoo seems to be giving more and more error messages and I just don't have the time to put up with it.

So....welcome to the new email address: beccalovesbooks@gmail.com

Please update your address books and I'd love to hear from you all sometime!

Becca

Test

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:48:00 +0000

Testing from my blackberry...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The movie: August Rush

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:37:00 +0000

Some of you may not be into watching a movie just for the heck of it...and some of you may not like music...but I cannot recommend this movie enough! It's been a LONG time since I've seen a good, clean movie that moved me the way this movie did.

Call me crazy, but this movie does a pretty good job of portraying what "moves" a musician...the adrenaline, the excitement, the emotion, ... and the fact that music is within us all.

If you do in fact watch this movie, shoot me an email and let me know if you liked it as much as I did!

Rebecca

Don't Mess With a Woman and Her Chocolate!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:00:00 +0000

I AM MAD! Picture this:
All day long, you eat well...All day long you think of the Snickers bar that was carefully placed and hidden on top of the refrigerator...All day long you eat well and think of savoring the chocolate when you get home from work.
You get the idea...right?
So imagine my surprise when I get home and look on top of the refrigerator and find that my chocolate has gone missing....no better yet, it has been EATEN *gasp!
For the next 15 minutes I walk around aimlessly thinking that the lovely and well thought of chocolate just might reappear. I look on the dining room table. I look in the kitchen. I look in the trash can for evidence. . . Nothing.
The husband calls. I come right out and say I AM MAD! He of course asks why. I explain. Sadly I get no remorse...just a nervous laugh.
What have I learned from this experience? Find a better hiding place for the much needed chocolate!

Memorial Day Weekend Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:56:00 +0000

What a day!
I am one that loves to sleep in...and we definitely started the day right by sleeping in this morning before grabbing breakfast and hitting the road. It was close to 9:30 by the time we got in the car to head to Cracker Barrel for our yummy morning grub. The only downside was that we were next to a VERY rowdy group of people...and I'm a grump in the morning as it is (although I think I've gotten better about that), so we ate quickly! We went back to the hotel to grab Dit, check out of the hotel, and head down to the southern-most part of Indiana for our Lincoln memorial tour that we had planned.
Enter Lincoln City, IN...the boyhood home of President Abraham Lincoln. Here there is a museum and park area that holds the site where Lincoln's mother is buried as well as a replica of the homestead where he grew up. The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial was a great place to spend Memorial Day eve, and it was especially nice since I just got finished reading Mary by Janice Cooke Newman. This historical fiction work helped me to really get to know the Lincoln family.
Once we finished with the LBNM, we decided to make a quick trip across the road to the Lincoln State Park to see the Pigeon Baptist Church where Lincoln would have attended and where his sister Sarah is buried. I've taken pictures and will definitely get them up soon.
Dinner was in order after all that walking! We chose Ruby Tuesday and had a nice meal...but I'm still stuffed! We then came back to the hotel...to our lovely room with a jacuzzi ...and I promptly relaxed and pampered myself in the heavenly tub. I must have one someday!
On TV there is a memorial special being aired from D.C. ... and again I'm reminded of what Memorial Day is. I have always loved History, and days like tomorrow really bring out the importance of those who have served our country, and have helped to make this country so great. Abraham Lincoln knew that this country was great...and in his great words:

Photo from Library of Congress collection (Lincoln's First Draft)
The words of Lincoln read: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal."
Tomorrow we are heading to Kentucky for our final Lincoln trip, and then it's home to get ready for the work week.

Memorial Day Weekend Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sun, 25 May 2008 02:56:00 +0000

Adam and I have decided to make a quick getaway for the Memorial Day weekend. We knew that we didn't want to spend a ton of money...and with gas prices at almost $4.00, we knew we didn't want to go far. Bloomington, here we come!
I worked this morning (Sat.) and then hurried home with extreme excitement! I simply couldn't wait to get on the road and out of town. I had packed everything the night before and even Ditters knew something was up and that we were heading somewhere.
Adam and I decided to put Dit in the hotel once we got into town, and then find somewhere to eat. We were HUNGRY! We didn't want to do too much backtracking, so we chose something on the way to our "drive" and it just happened to be absolutely delicious. Right by the Monroe County Public Library is an Indian restaurant. I hadn't had Indian food in a very long time, and we can't get Indian in Muncie, so I was glad that's where we decided to go. We started with a Vegetable appetizer of some sort (I can't remember the name of the dish) and it was definitely a great start. I chose the Butter Shrimp as my meal and adam chose a Lamb dish of some sort...a curry I think. It was absolutely scrumptious! We had some garlic and cheese naan on the side to sop up the wonderful curry sauce and then finished off the meal with a small rice pudding. YUMMMMMY! Once we were through, we got back in the car to make our trip through Brown County and the Yellowwood National Forest.
For Adam and I, Bloomington has some great memories for us. When we were first married, Adam started his Doctoral program at IU Bloomington which brought us to the wonderful state of Indiana. We grew together as a couple and Bloomington served us well. I was working as an after-school care worker at a Christian school in town, and was also working a home-based business. This meant that I was home quite a bit. Adam was practicing a lot and going to classes at IU. We didn't have a lot of extra time, but had enough to make a habit of taking evening drives to see deer. We LOVED it! The hills of Bloomington are so beautiful and peaceful that words or pictures just can't do it justice. So, with this Memorial Day weekend ahead of us, we decided to do what we most loved and take a drive to see deer again. I tried to get a few pictures, but they were a bit blurry. I'll see what photoshop can do once I get the chance.
We are now back in the hotel...Ditters is asleep on the couch and both Adam and I are on our computers. It's nice!
Tomorrow, it's off to the Lincoln memorial house...and more updates to come.

My "New" Car...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:08:00 +0000

It was the spring of my senior year in high school. I was getting ready
to graduate (a very exciting time!) and had applied and was accepted to
a college in Houma, LA which was a 45 minute drive from my home. Mom
was working as a single mother driving to three different elementary
school as the music teacher. I knew there was no way I would be able to
get to college unless I carpooled.

Thinking back now...there were ways, I'm sure, that I could have done it...but at the time I thought I needed a car.

Dad and I, since he left, hadn't had that great of a relationship. Our
conversations with each other were few and far between and I always
felt that I was the one initiating everything and keeping the
relationship going (I still feel that way). I was so nervous to ask,
but thought, it couldn't hurt any worse than it already is. The worst case scenario is that he will say no to a car. So,
I asked Dad for a car. I explained the situation very clearly and left
it at that. I think I waited a good 3 weeks or so before he called
again after saying he'd "think about it." Those 3 weeks were the
longest 3 weeks ever! The whole time I was thinking that this would be
the end of mine and my Dad's relationship. But...to my surprise, he
pulled through...more than I ever could have expected.

Dad and Carolyn planned to drive down for my graduation. The final
phone call with him left it open to the imagination...he simply said We'll see what we can do when we get there. I
was perfectly fine with that. They stayed in a hotel in town...and
since I didn't see them often anyway, I had no idea what vehicle they
were driving. The night before graduation, Dad took Ben (my brother)
and I out to dinner (while my poor mom stayed home). We had a great
dinner with good conversation about plans and memories and such. The
mention of a car never came up. Finally, I went home and spent the
night before the BIG DAY.

The graduation ceremony was nice...long...and exciting all in one. I
vaguely remember bits and pieces of the ceremony. Afterwards, the rush
to find family members on the lawn and in the lobby was chaotic, to say
the least...but I found Dad and Carolyn standing by their car as if
they were ready to scoot on out of town. What came next, no one could
have prepared me for! Dad gave me a hug and told me he was proud of me.
I hugged Carolyn too. Then, he handed me the keys. I looked down at the
keys, and then back at him, confused. He said...It's yours. I grinned...and probably started jumping up and down...I don't really remember, but he said take it for a spin. So, there I stood...with my new car... (a toyota camry, 2 door, with a cd player and a sunroof) thinking I'm in total heaven.

To this day, I still have that car. It has been through one wreck (not
my fault), and a hit deer (not one, but two deer running side by
side)...but still runs perfectly fine. The new leather smell has long
gone, and the door handles are a sight to see, but I still consider it
my "new" car (1998-present).

Out On the Town With Ditters

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:42:00 +0000

It was Petsmart's 50th Birthday this past Tuesday. They advertised some
fun stuff for your pup...so of course I had to take Ditters!

We stood in line for a good 20 minutes or so waiting for our lovely picture to be taken. You can see that Dit's ears are back a little bit...tail still wagging though...just a little nervous with all the other dogs present. He did SO well though! (I'm a proud momma). Sadly, after this picture was taken, Adam and I were informed that we could no longer take pictures inside the store. Hmmm. So sadly, I was unable to get MY version of the "free" photo taken...but I will scan the one they took soon and try and fix some things (like evil green doggie eyes).

After our Petsmart trip we headed over for Doggie Night at Ritters. So Ditters got to go to Ritters!

People around us with their dogs were giving us a nice smirk while taking this lovely picture. I'm sure they were thinking..."ok, this gal got a picture of the sign, and now the dog in front of the sign, what's next?" Who cares...I was having fun!

Ditters was waiting so patiently for his ice cream...and probably did every trick in the book that he knows to make SURE he got his treat! It was hilarious to watch him go through the trick routine...ending with a happy smile!

Ah success!

We really had a great night...but I think every day should be doggie day!

Why Librarians Shouldn't Be Genealogists...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:47:00 +0000

Just a quick post to say I am fully addicted to the wonderful hobby of genealogy. The problem enters when the person that is fully addicted is also a reference librarian. Why is this a problem you ask? Here's why:

I love to research...but I MUST find the answer/information when researching
I love to find new information...but this information usually leads to another round of information and another round of information...*ahem, you get the idea!

So, as you can see, this can present a real problem for one such as me. Last night I had to MAKE myself stop researching and go to bed; otherwise I would be a zombie today. I could have easily stayed up till 4 or 5 in the morning happily reading about my lovely ancestors. So what will I be doing today while I'm having down time at work? More research of course! It passes the time quickly (which is unfortunate when you love to research)...and I will feel like I have accomplished something too!

~Happy Researching to all

Booking Through Thursday: Vocabulary

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:53:00 +0000

This week’s Booking Through Thursday question is:

I’ve always wondered what other people do when they come across a
word/phrase that they’ve never heard before. I mean, do they jot it
down on paper so they can look it up later, or do they stop reading to
look it up on the dictionary/google it or do they just continue reading
and forget about the word?

For me, it's all about context. On the rare occasion that I still can't figure out what a word is, I will use my dictionary dashboard widget...complements of my wonderful Mac computer...and that will satisfy my immediate need to know what the word means. Surprisingly...or maybe not surprisingly...I forget a lot of what I look up. Big words just don't "stick" in my vocabulary.

National Library Week...and what I've been up to

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:29:00 +0000

This is me...in Second Life. I am brand new to SL, and the only reason I downloaded the sim client...onto my flash drive might I add... is because ALA (the American Library Association) had a GREAT line up of events planned for the week. So far I have attended:

~3 Storytimes at The Pond
~A Virtual Presentation given by Doug Johnson (Blue Skunk) that covered all things Copyright
~A Scavenger Hunt that was SO fun
~and a relaxing Tai Chi session to help all of us stressed-out librarians unwind

There are still so many more activities planned on ALA Island for this week. I hope to make most of them cause this is just TOO FUN!

Just a side note, if you can't tell by the photo, that is a picture of me standing in front of the Cleveland Public Library in Second Life. It's pretty awesome that libraries are having such a presence here!
To learn more about Second Life, visit THIS website.

Carnival Of Genealogy: Genes and Traits

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:30:00 +0000

This is my very first carnival to participate in, but I had to jump in with this question just because it seemed so fun! I was intrigued and ended up talking with my mom about some traits that may have been passed down to me. Here's what we came up with:

Appearance
I definitely look like my mom...pretty much the spittin' image of her. It was pretty freaky this past Christmas when I visited her after not seeing each other for a year. She opened the door and it was literally like looking in a mirror. It was the first time that I could see for myself how much we really do look alike! There are a few differences though where I am a little like my dad. I'm shorter, like my dad, where my mom is very tall. I also have my dad's hands and his nose.

Peronal Qualities
From my mom's side of the family, the women (especially mom and my grandmother) were very reserved/modest and quiet-spoken people. In recent years I have begun to come out of my shell, but I still have that initial introverted way about me.

Music has always been a BIG part of my life...and I was initially a piano performance major in college. Mom taught me piano from a very young age, and in talking with her over the phone for this blog post, I learned a lot more about her side of the family. When mom was growing up, she had many people coming through her house, groups of people, that would practice around her family piano. Uncle "Dude" sang in a quartet which was probably the first time that mom heard how harmonies fit together. Mom's sister and brother (Uncle Clyde and Aunt Carolyn) were a part of the Sing Out Georgia group and they would practice at the Parker household as well. Uncle Johnny (mom's uncle) was also a hymn writer for some of the older Baptist hymnals. My dad was also musically inclined...but sadly I don't know much about his side of the family.

Are you happy and you know it...clap your hands..... Mom also informed me that when I was a baby, and even a little girl, the thing that people would always remember about me was that I laughed all the time. I never cried...just laughed...ALL THE TIME! Cool huh! I suppose I'm still a pretty happy-go-lucky gal, and according to mom, this comes from her dad (Pawpaw) who was a fun-loving kinda guy too.

So I suppose this is me in a nutshell. I had loads of fun talking with mom and gathering information. It's always good to sit and listen to a good ole' story every now and then.

For more Carnival of Genealogy entries, head over to Creative Gene.

Photo Hunt: Twist(ed)

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:24:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite groupings of pictures and such. I have it in the door entry-way and it always brings a smile when I look at it.

In keeping with the theme of this weeks' Photo Hunt, I chose this pictures for the iron that has been twisted to make the "READ" sign and the candle holder. The pictures have nothing to do with reading, but because I'm a librarian...I couldn't pass up the sign!

For more entries or to participate, head on over to tnchick's blog...

Have a Great Weekend!

Thank you....

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:43:00 +0000

...to the most supportive husband in the world!

I have just officially completed my undergraduate program by submitting my very last paper. It feels like a weight has been lifted...and I am one happy-go-lucky gal right now. Graduation is scheduled for May 10th, and I can't wait. It will be great to reunite with some of my classmates from my Cohort and my mom is planning on coming into town as well. So why the thank you? Well, I informed Adam that I had completed and submitted my paper...and this is what he sent back to me in an e-card:

I just wanted to let you know how proud I am of you. I always knew that you could do anything that you set your mind to. I am very excited about this next phase of your career and I want to support you in every way possible. Always know that you are the most important thing in my life and I will always love you.

Adam

So, a BIG thank you to Adam for being the best that anyone could ask for...and I hope to always make you proud!

Works For Me Wednesday (easy chicken dinner)

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:45:00 +0000

I have been doing more and more cooking lately...but when you get home at 7pm, you definitely want something fast!

My friend Heather asked me to post what I had for dinner last night since we chatted about it together before I headed home. So heather...this one's for you!

Easy Hot Chicken "salad" with Tostito Chips

-Use leftover chicken, shredded, or canned chicken
-Grated Cheese
-1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
-A little Mayo
-Onion, chopped
-Garlic
-Salt, Pepper

Keep in mind that this is a throw together with what you have meal. You mix it all together...heat it up in a skillet on the stove top, or in the microwave, and then eat with a little sour cream and chips.

This easy peasy meal was scrumptious and quick. Two things I absolutely love...and it definitely works for me!
For more Works For Me entries, go to Rocks In My Dryer.

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:23:00 +0000

It is finally looking like Spring here in Indiana!

I don't know what kind of bush this is...but I love it!

My Tulip tree is about to bloom

My very favorite flower...the Daffodil!

Spring Reading Thing 2008: Kidnapped by Jan Burke

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:18:00 +0000

This title was a little hard to get into, but the middle to the end packed a suspenseful punch that kept my attention. I am a big fan of mystery titles in general and had never read anything by Jan Burke before. I don't really know or remember what spurred my interest in this title, unless it was a recommendation, but overall I'm glad I read it.

If you are interested in reading an overview of this book, you can read it HERE.

Because this is a Spring Reading Thing review, feel free to check out other entries and lists HERE as well.

That's it for now...and just an FYI, I've already strayed from my original list, but at least I've gotten through 2 of my 3 "to finish" reads.

~Happy Reading!

Photo Hunt: Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:33:00 +0000

This picture was taken about a year ago when visiting my mom in Georgia. The lake looks just like a mirror/glass to me!
To see other pictures that were posted for this event, visit tnchick's website.

Booking Through Thursday - Lit-Ra-Chur

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:57:00 +0000

When somebody mentions literature what’s the first thing you think of? (Dickens? Tolstoy? Shakespeare?)
Do you read literature (however you define it) for pleasure? Or is it something that you read only when you must?
I tend to think of literature as being "the classics." I begin to pull names out of my head such as Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, The Scarlet Letter, etc. I remember reading a lot of literature in High School...but loved it. I haven't read much literature lately, but have started reading a lot of historical fiction.

For other entries for Booking Through Thursday, head over to the blog and check them out!

~Happy Reading~

Works For Me Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:04:00 +0000

I have only participated in WFMW once before. With that said, I understand that this weeks' post is supposed to be "the best of"... but I just don't have anything to pull from. I sure hope it will be ok for me to post this instead!

I am a recent convert to Firefox. I realize that to some this may come as a shock...but I just haven't needed it until now.

First of all, I use portable firefox at work and love it. I'm able to take everything with me on my USB device...and this just WORKS!
Second, there are many firefox addons that I love as well. One firefox addon that I am beginning to love more and more is ScribeFire. I am using right now in fact to write this post! It really seems to be a VERY simple way to blog...and it's all done right in your firefox browser.

So, as you can see, firefox definitely works for me! (hehe...that rhymed)
For other great ideas, scoot on over to see Rocks In My Dryer and the rest of the gang at Works for Me Wednesday.

This is just a test...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:37:00 +0000

I'm trying ScribeFire...a firefox addon... to see how it works. So far it looks like it will be very helpful. I'm all about making it easier to blog and share!