On the Rise Baking.

Hey Everyone, I thought I would share my aunt's website with you.  She makes some amazingly delicious wedding cakes and runs her own coffee and pastry shop in Worcester, Mass as well.  Become a fan of her on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/On-The-Rise-Baking/167042696234 or just check out some of her work.

 
 Here is a link to her website too: http://www.ontherisebaking.com/.  Mmmmmmmmm...

City Envy

So I saw an article today that rated Dallas as #9 for most hated cities in the United States.  I found it rather amusing since it was listed along with Miami, New York, LA, D.C., Atlanta, Austin, St. Louis, etc. - which are all cities that people, do in fact, love.  Then I realized the article was written by The Houston Chronicle and it all made so much sense (especially as to why it wasn't on the list itself).  Besides being one of the fattest cities , most humid, and  polluted cities in the country, Houston is apparently also one of the most jealous. And for some reason people from there hate other Texas cities, especially Dallas.  Not really sure why, it might be that we beat them at sports (even when we don't have a real head coach) or it might be kind of like that UT/aTm relationship where aTm hates UT but UT doesn't really give a flip about aTm.  All I have to say to Houston is hook 'em horns...

Notable things I've done today.

Today I did a few things that haven't happened in awhile, so since their occurrences are so sparse, I thought the world should hear about them. *author's note: notice that the title says "done," not attained, achieved, or something that implies anything of real accomplishment - just "done"...because if that were the case then my life would probably be much more miserable than I have led myself to believe. Here are those 7 things that are apparently not very common in my daily life.  Please don't judge...

7. Shaved my legs (For the first time since Sizzler!). It's winter, I wear pants a lot, and now that it's cold I can really use that extra layer of insulation, so why would I do something I hate doing?


6. Went Running. It's been a long time my friends.

it's a love/hate relationship

5. Washed my hair.  Dare I say how long it's been? As I texted Becca Farmer my day count today she sent me some good advice: "Fight the good fight." She's right, there are more productive things I could be doing then seeing how long I can go without washing my hair. I caved.

4. Ate some raw garlic.  I decided that instead of feeling like crap I would try to scare off this bug with the miracle plant...as well as all my friends...and vampires for that matter.

3. Threw away the conditioner bottle before the shampoo bottle. I know, weird right? I mean, is that even allowed?

2. Did not make fun of the new guy at work/trick him into doing something that will possibly get him fired. Let's just say it was his own loss he wasn't scheduled to work today. I'm just sayin...

1. Brought some Bruce back into my life. I remembered that no matter what crap is going on right now, whether good or bad (yes crap can be good at times), I am so glad I was born in this country. Enjoy.



Also, I've noticed that the majority of these things have to do with my personal hygiene, which apparently has been slacking as of late (to put it lightly). Can I just say "oops...I'll get to work on that"?

It's a sick, sick world we live in.

Why is it I always want Chick-Fil-A on Sundays?

Auguries of Innocence

I was going through my house looking for our copy of the Brothers Grimm and, naturally, this took my quite awhile since we have like 2,000 books or something ridiculous.  And of course I didn't find it, but I did discover a lot of books I didn't know we had, as well as a handful of books we have multiple copies of.  Here are 7 of those off the top of my head.

Atlas Shrugged: 3
Huckleberry Finn: 3
Anything by Og Mandino: at least 5
Lord of the Flies: 3
Rich Dad Poor Dad: 4
All the King's Men: 2
King Rat: 40?


That last one might have been an exaggeration, but nonetheless, we need to keep better track. And the search wasn't a complete failure because I did find a copy of my favorite poem and wanted to share it.  It's a little lengthy, but enjoy.

Auguries of Innocence by William Blake

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

A robin redbreast in a cage
Puts all heaven in a rage.

A dove-house fill'd with doves and pigeons
Shudders hell thro' all its regions.
A dog starv'd at his master's gate
Predicts the ruin of the state.

A horse misused upon the road
Calls to heaven for human blood.
Each outcry of the hunted hare
A fibre from the brain does tear.

A skylark wounded in the wing,
A cherubim does cease to sing.
The game-cock clipt and arm'd for fight
Does the rising sun affright.

Every wolf's and lion's howl
Raises from hell a human soul.

The wild deer, wand'ring here and there,
Keeps the human soul from care.
The lamb misus'd breeds public strife,
And yet forgives the butcher's knife.

The bat that flits at close of eve
Has left the brain that won't believe.
The owl that calls upon the night
Speaks the unbeliever's fright.

He who shall hurt the little wren
Shall never be belov'd by men.
He who the ox to wrath has mov'd
Shall never be by woman lov'd.

The wanton boy that kills the fly
Shall feel the spider's enmity.
He who torments the chafer's sprite
Weaves a bower in endless night.

The caterpillar on the leaf
Repeats to thee thy mother's grief.
Kill not the moth nor butterfly,
For the last judgement draweth nigh.

He who shall train the horse to war
Shall never pass the polar bar.
The beggar's dog and widow's cat,
Feed them and thou wilt grow fat.

The gnat that sings his summer's song
Poison gets from slander's tongue.
The poison of the snake and newt
Is the sweat of envy's foot.

The poison of the honey bee
Is the artist's jealousy.

The prince's robes and beggar's rags
Are toadstools on the miser's bags.
A truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent.

It is right it should be so;
Man was made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know,
Thro' the world we safely go.

Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for the soul divine.
Under every grief and pine
Runs a joy with silken twine.

The babe is more than swaddling bands;
Every farmer understands.
Every tear from every eye
Becomes a babe in eternity;

This is caught by females bright,
And return'd to its own delight.
The bleat, the bark, bellow, and roar,
Are waves that beat on heaven's shore.

The babe that weeps the rod beneath
Writes revenge in realms of death.
The beggar's rags, fluttering in air,
Does to rags the heavens tear.

The soldier, arm'd with sword and gun,
Palsied strikes the summer's sun.
The poor man's farthing is worth more
Than all the gold on Afric's shore.

One mite wrung from the lab'rer's hands
Shall buy and sell the miser's lands;
Or, if protected from on high,
Does that whole nation sell and buy.

He who mocks the infant's faith
Shall be mock'd in age and death.
He who shall teach the child to doubt
The rotting grave shall ne'er get out.

He who respects the infant's faith
Triumphs over hell and death.
The child's toys and the old man's reasons
Are the fruits of the two seasons.

The questioner, who sits so sly,
Shall never know how to reply.
He who replies to words of doubt
Doth put the light of knowledge out.

The strongest poison ever known
Came from Caesar's laurel crown.
Nought can deform the human race
Like to the armour's iron brace.

When gold and gems adorn the plow,
To peaceful arts shall envy bow.
A riddle, or the cricket's cry,
Is to doubt a fit reply.

The emmet's inch and eagle's mile
Make lame philosophy to smile.
He who doubts from what he sees
Will ne'er believe, do what you please.

If the sun and moon should doubt,
They'd immediately go out.
To be in a passion you good may do,
But no good if a passion is in you.

The whore and gambler, by the state
Licensed, build that nation's fate.
The harlot's cry from street to street
Shall weave old England's winding-sheet.

The winner's shout, the loser's curse,
Dance before dead England's hearse.

Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born,
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.

Some are born to sweet delight,
Some are born to endless night.

We are led to believe a lie
When we see not thro' the eye,
Which was born in a night to perish in a night,
When the soul slept in beams of light.

God appears, and God is light,
To those poor souls who dwell in night;
But does a human form display 

To those who dwell in realms of day.

The Black Keys - Tighten Up [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Not sure if this is cute or creepy...