My very own fabulous best of 2012 list!

2012! My old friend! You had your pluses; you had your minuses, but I'm a glass-half-full kind of gal so let's focus on the good:

1. Best new favorite recipe: Curried cauliflower and peas. I'm calling it now: Cauliflower will be the IT vegetable of 2013. See it here: http://margaretfinnegan.blogspot.com/2012/06/for-durga.html

2.  Best movie starring one of my secret boyfriends: Salmon Fishing on the Yemen. Even when socially awkward, Ewan McGregor is dreamy.

3.  Best TV show: Sherlock. Benedict Cumberbatch: I know you bulked up for the new Star Trek movie, but I liked you just the way you were.

4. Best iPhone App: Star Wars Angry Birds. It's Star Wars! Those piggies have never been more vexing!

5.  Best book: Mine of course! It's still on special so buy it now! But if you already have it or just refuse to buy it on on principle, I recommend The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Finally, Achilles actions in The Iliad make sense, and the characters and writing are so painfully good that I may never write again.

6.  Best secret indulgence: Soft serve ice cream. Oh, why do you call me, you tower of white, creamy delight?

7.  Best decadent luxury that I never knew I wanted but now love: Seat warmer in my husband's new car.

8.  Best new blog: Stripedcatstudio.com. Lifestyle, design, and you can make your dog famous!

9.  Best new (to me) household advice: Keep your compostables in Ziplock bags in the freezer! Brilliant!

10. Best new mashup of my favorite song. This.   Listen to the words. Because there is no spring without The Waters of March.

Famous Author Interview: Margaret Finnegan

Margaret Finnegan is the author of the acclaimed (by her mother) novel The Goddess Lounge.  We talked to her in her spacious (when compared to a tent) home, where she served us Venus nipple cocktails and shrimp on a stick.

Intrepid reporter: Margaret, now that your novel, The Goddess Lounge, is touching the lives of literally DOZENS, how has your life changed?

MF: It's been a whirlwind!  Just the other day my brother-in-law said, "Congratulations!  You must be so excited."  To which I replied, "Shut up!  Leave me alone.  I'm not listening."  And then I hid in the garage.

IR: Ha, ha.  You are so funny.  Were you always this funny?

MF: No really. I hid in the garage, and somehow it got locked, and they only found me when they needed to do laundry, which was disappointing because I had been sleeping on a pile of tablecloths.  The floor was very hard after that.

IR: But how does it feel to go from anonymous blogger/writer to celebrity author and sometimes escort of Colin Firth and Ewan McGregor?

MF: I don't know what you are implying.  We're all just good friends.

IR: Come now. You can tell us.  We won't tell a soul.

MF: My, my look at the time.  Your shrimp on a stick is looking a little sickly.  Shall we get you another?

IR:  One more question.  Is it true that JK Rowling called to offer you advice on how to survive the media throngs?

MF: She didn't call.  It was at the secret famous authors' club.  Don't get me started on the initiation rituals.  But, believe me, you do not want to mess with Steven King when he's wearing a thong and holding a live chicken.

Margaret's Big Oscar Night

Image via WikipediaFirst of all, I want to say thank you to everyone for your kind and supportive words and thoughts. I know you've all been thinking about me and my secret boyfriend Colin Firth. Would he finally win his Academy Award after being so cruelly cheated last year? Could I take it if he lost? And what's with the Italian supermodel always by his side? Could she just give it a rest already?

Thankfully, as you probably know, he won. Of course he won. I never doubted that he would win. Being so tall and all.

Of course, I was also so grateful that my other secret boyfriend Ewan McGregor didn't show up. Imagine how awkward that would have been. It would have been Bridget Jone's Diary all over. You know, the part where my secret boyfriend Colin fights that lout Hugh Whatshisname! But it would have been my secret boyfriend Colin and my secret boyfriend Ewan: throwing punches, tearing each other's shirts, getting all sweaty.

Actually, maybe I could live with that.

No! No! Of course not ! I would have felt awful! And who would I root for? Colin? I mean it was his night. But I firmly believe Ewan should have been nominated for "The Ghost Writer," so you know, maybe if he won the fight it would right things just a little. Plus, they did make Colin look kind of old and dour for "The King's Speech," wheeras in "The Ghost Writer" I got to see Ewan's butt? Shouldn't that count for something?

But, luckily, it was Colin's night all along. And he sounded so self effacing and English (which is always such a good combination.) Besides, Ewan is probably motorcycling in Africa, so he's probably totally cool with Colin's win anyway. Ewan is totally big that way.

So, yes, you can stop worrying about me. I'm just fine, my secret boyfriends are fine, and my husband? He's a very good sport. In fact, the truth is, he's much better than my secret boyfriends combined! That's right. You read that, sweetie? MUCH BETTER. Ok. Oh! Honey, I think one of the children has your iPhone. You better check it out. Right now. No need to read more. I'm done. All done. Ok. So. Bye.

(Is he gone? Truth is, he is better, but no cute accent, then again, no Italian supermodel hanging off his arm either. So there you go.)

Joyology 101

Cover of Long Way Round

No time for wise women today.

Instead, let's talk joyology. Let's talk the study and cultivation of joy. This weekend, joy comes from tea with friends (very good for the soul and the spirit) and from settling down to watch "The Long Way Round," an 8-episode documentary chronicling Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's motorcycle trek around the world.

Have you seen this show? Fun. Fun. Fun. Think Ewan being serenaded by gun-wielding Russian mafiosas. Think Ewan dining on sheep balls. Think Ewan splattered in mud. Think Ewan -- and his butt -- bathing in icy rivers. And he hasn't even made it out of Mongolia yet!

(P.S. I think Ewan might be my new secret boyfriend. Don't tell Colin.)

Ok. That's me. How are you cultivating joy this weekend?