nothing of importance (my everyday blog)

a final post

2009-12-10T08:28:00.000-05:00

Taking deep breath. Okay.

It's sort of with mixed feelings that I say good-bye to this blog after almost four years. When I started this blog, I didn't actually even intend on blogging. I just set it up so I could comment on other blogs (yes, I really thought then that you had to do that). And then, once I did start blogging, I never really intended to be a book blogger.

Okay, truth be told, I've never considered myself a book blogger anyway. But...I met so many incredible people in the book blogging world. And some of the most enormous blessings of my life are the close, loving friendships I've made in this community. And I am most certainly not saying goodbye to those friendships!!!! But I am saying goodbye to the book blogging world. At least in a sense.

I could list the 154 reasons that have precipitated this decision, but honestly it doesn't matter. Bottom line, I just have never felt quite like I belonged, and even more importantly, I just want a fresh start. So, I'm going to be blogging at a new blog...not a book blog. Really, it's a good thing for me.

This doesn't mean I won't be reading any of your blogs though. Come on, I'm not into masochism...I love reading book blogs...and I'm not going to go cold turkey here. But I do need to shrink the number of blogs in my reader, for sanity's sake. Just know that if I'm still reading your blog, I DO NOT expect you to read mine. I've never quite bought into that idea that someone should be reading my blog just because I'm reading theirs. Seriously, if I'm reading your blog, it's because I enjoy reading it...I'm already getting my reward.

This is the hard part...in a way, I feel like I should leave a link to my new blog. But see, the last thing I want is for people to follow me over there because they feel like they "should." So, I think I'll just make this goodbye.

Thanks for the awesomely fun ride everyone! I'll miss you!

Santa was here!

2009-12-09T13:43:00.000-05:00

When I awoke this morning, all was looking and feeling Christmas-y. We had a beautiful new coating of the white stuff on the ground and the tree was lit and looking festive in its multi-colored glow. Unfortunately, as the sun began to come up, we saw that someone had not been in the holiday spirit last night...that fresh new coating of snow had obviously caused them to slide off the road and drive through the edge of our front yard taking out our mailbox in the process. Jerk! And I don't say that because they slid off the road...anyone can have a mishap driving on slippery roads. No, I say that because they didn't bother to stop. *sigh*

But, hey, that was not going to ruin my day. Annie volunteers at the library on Wednesday mornings, and I love just hanging out there working on school stuff (and browsing :D) until she's done. So, after a few snowballs thrown with the boys at the bus stop, Annie and I got ourselves ready to go. And when we left the library to come back home, I was a happy camper...as my browsing led to quite a wonderful haul of library loot!

And did the smile end there? No way! Because upon our arrival home, I found, in the mailbox that Rich had managed to precariously balance, at quite an awkward angle, in its hole, my Holiday Swap package!!!

Oh my goodness...talk about major spoilage here! I probably should have admitted when I signed up for the swap that I really hadn't been that good a girl this year. ;) I've never heard of the book, A World I Never Made, but I am ridiculously excited to read it...it definitely sounds like one I will enjoy. And of my, I wish you could see the little Jane Austen journals better...they are so adorable and I am utterly addicted to little journals. And dark chocolate...mmmmm...no promises that it lasts until Christmas though. And the napkins...how clever is that?!! And the too, too cute post-its and clip-tabs. This was just tooooooo fun for words, I tell you!!!

Honestly, I feel so utterly spoiled here. Many, many, many thanks to the most awesome Secret Santa ever: Beth Fish!!!! May every day of the holiday season bring you smiles as big as those you brought me today!

Many thanks, also, to Nymeth! I've had a glimpse at how much work she puts into the Holiday Swap, and frankly, I'm in awe. Thanks, too, to all her wonderful little elves!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

our holiday weekend--a visual

2009-11-30T09:22:00.000-05:00

I'd planned to try to jump back into the blogging world today with some mini book babble and whatnot, but life (or at least this damn virus, which technically isn't living) had other plans. I seem to have gotten the flu. :( I honestly can't remember the last time I actually had the flu...but I'm pretty sure that's what this is...fever of over 102, alternating between uncontrollable shivering and being thoroughly drenched in sweat, feeling as if my body was hit by an eighteen-wheeler and one of those wheels is still resting squarely atop my head, wheezing that reminds me of Annie in the midst of an asthma attack. Put simply, I feel like crap. But as mothers everywhere know, there's no such thing as a "sick day." Just figures that the boys don't have school today and tomorrow, huh?

Okay, okay...enough bitching and whining. Brain is not up to thinking. But hopefully I can handle uploading a few pictures from our long holiday weekend. It was a bit subdued this year...missing a dear friend and worrying about another...but we still managed to have a lot of family fun.

Cooking, and crafting, and wrapping. Oh my. (Started making Christmas cards, but yikes, I've got a long way to go. And I got my Book Blogger Holiday Swap gifts wrapped and ready to mail, but I'm thinking a trip to the post office is not going to happen for me today.)

The trees, big and small, went up. (The kids each have their own small tree in their bedrooms.)

Oh, how I love that sweet, angelic face to the right...despite the fact that "angelic" is quite misleading. ;)

And to this mom's eyes, this girl's beauty far outshines the tree itself.

Our "big" tree is decorated solely in ornaments made by family and friends. :D It's such fun chatting every year about who made each one. Even the pipe cleaner garland was created by Gray a few years back. And which I have to admit I thoroughly love...and not just because I adore its creator.

And tree decorating wouldn't be tree decorating without eggnog and Christmas music.

Baker singing along. This dog freakin' loves Christmas! (Especially opening presents.)

But he's not the only one who has been caught under the tree.

The cats, thus far, have stayed out of the tree. However, thanks to Lucky, we have had our first holiday mishap of the year, as evidenced in the before and after shots above.

And I managed to get a lot of other decorating done, too. Though I'm far from finished.

Here's to a happy holiday season for all.

a year without you

2009-11-25T09:28:00.001-05:00

I just don't have it in me today to write the words that deserve to be written about you, Dewey. I guess I'll never have the words. And that's not simply because my talents don't fall under the heading of eloquence. It's because you were both larger than life, and so very down-to-earth and human all at the same time. You were a sort of glue that held this community together. But not just any old glue...no, it was like the magical fairy dust version or something. :) Because you were such an incredible classy person. Nothing about the love of books was ever a competition for you. Nothing about blogging was ever about popularity for you. Things have changed since you died. And of course, change is the stuff of life. But I don't like so many of these changes, Dewey. And fair or not, I can't help but think how things might be different today in the blogging world if you were still here.

And honestly, as much as all that crap eats at me, it doesn't compare to the incredible void that stills haunts me because my friend Dewey is gone. I miss you so fucking much that sometimes I just can't stand it. I miss our e-mail chats. I miss your advice. I miss every damn thing about you. I'm so grateful to have Ana and Eva and Chris in my life. People who love you and miss you as much as I do. Friends that don't tire of sharing "Dewey stories." You're still such a part of our daily lives. I couldn't begin to count the amount of times we've said, "Oooh, I'd love to hear Dewey respond to that" (because we could always count on you for your incredibly intelligent and sarcastic insights) or how many times we've said, "I remember what Dewey said about that book" or how many times we've said, "Oh, how I wish Dewey had had the chance to read this book."

You know, I don't believe that you can actually hear me. And I know that you didn't believe it either. And yet somehow, I can't stop talking to you. And you know, I know you wouldn't even make fun of me for it. Well, if you did, it would only be with kindness and friendship behind it. ;)

Dewey, I love you so very much.

The Challenge That Dare Not Speak Its Name (GLBT 2010)

2009-11-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Amanda, one of my very favorite people, is again hosting The Challenge That Dare Not Speak Its Name. And this year, it's bigger and better than ever.

From the official blog:

The basic idea of this challenge is to read books about GLBT topics and/or by GLBT authors.

The challenge runs year-round, and there will be three levels of participation:
Lambda Level: Read 4 books.
Pink Triangle Level: Read 8 books.
Rainbow Level: Read 12 or more books.
You don't need to choose your books right away, and they can change at any time. Overlaps with other challenges are fine.

I'm going to shoot for the Rainbow Level. Since I am trying to cut down on the number of challenges I'm joining for next year, it leaves me room to go hog-wild with the challenges I really love, right? Yeah, in theory anyway.

Okay, since I cannot stand being beholden to a specific list of books to read, I'm just going to make a large, lovely pile of choices to choose from.

Ones I already own:

*Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters
*Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block
*The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
*Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
*Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
*Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
*Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
*Freak Show by James St. James
*Among Other Things, I've Taken Up Smoking by Aoibheann Sweeney
*Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger
*Orlando by Virginia Woolf
*Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
*The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Ones I'm hoping the library has, or I may break down and buy:

*Wide Awake by David Levithan
*Hero by Perry Moore (thanks to Ana)
*The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson
*grl2grl by Julie Anne Peters
*Luna by Julie Anne Peters
*Between Mom and Jo by Julie Anne Peters (thanks to Amanda)
*The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
*any Mary Oliver I haven't read (or even books I have read :D
*The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed by Judy Shepard
*Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith (thanks to Ana)
*Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers by Lillian Faderman (thanks to Eva)
*My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr (thanks to Amanda)

Ones I can't resist from other people's lists (to be added to liberally, I'm sure):

*Seeking Sara Summers by Susan Gabriel (from Amanda)
*Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne (from Amanda)

*****
Yes, I know, I'm supposed to be selective here when it comes to these reading challenges, but I swear, I am...this is just one I really want to do. Along with Women Unbound. And probably the Science Challenge if it's around again next year. And the World Citizen Challenge, if Eva hosts it again. And the Non-Fiction Five. And Becky's End of the World Challenge. And of course, Carl's Sci-Fi Experience, Once Upon a Time, and RIP. And some of the perpetual ones I've signed up for, like the Printz Project. I know, I know...that still sounds like a lot, but compared to the past couple years, it's not so bad at all. ;)

*****
*sigh* I'm still fighting with Google Reader. Nothing I've tried seems to work. After fighting with it yet again this morning, I finally got it to let me "mark all as read"...I'm hoping clearing it out will somehow do something. Yeah, I know, that seems mighty unlikely, but I'm desperate here. :(

Anyway, I figured it was a good time for a "marked as read" click anyway. I'm going to take a few weeks off from blogging here. I'm just so swamped right now. Hoping in a couple weeks, I'll have my act a bit more together and can come back full of vim and vigor and ready to celebrate the holidays with all of you!!!! :D

Hope you all have wonderful November! And Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who will be celebrating! As for what I'm thankful for...all my incredibly wonderful blogging friends!!!!

Christmas dreams...

2009-11-18T08:32:00.001-05:00

Max just came and asked me, "Mom, what's it called when you can see through things?"

I answered, "I'm not sure--do you mean x-ray vision?"

Excitedly, he answered, "Yeah, that's it. Thanks Mom!" And ran right out of the room.

My curiousity peaked, I followed, and found he was working on his Christmas wish list.

Santa didn't come through last year when Max asked for lasers that shoot out of one's eyes. But that doesn't seem to have dashed his hopes for a superpower Christmas this year.

a bit of blame...

2009-11-16T09:14:00.002-05:00

Before I hand out the first points of this latest round, I've got a quick question--has anyone else been having trouble with their Google Reader lately??? It's been driving me crazy! It will show me that there are updates, but won't actually let me see them or let me click over to the blog. If I shut down Firefox and restart it will let me read one, maybe two, blogs before it starts acting up again. Sorry to bug you all with my computer-ignorance, but the whole process of constantly having to restart my browser is taking up way too much of my severely limited blog reading time...and that is making me very sad, as I haven't had time to catch up with most people for such a long time as it is.

I'd actually like to spend these few minutes blog reading instead of posting, but as it is my goal to get our bedroom, the boys' bedroom, and Annie's bedroom super-cleaned this week so I can start Christmas decorating, I need to pass out the blame for these books so I can put them away and not have them sitting here on the desk.

Okay, here's the books that have entered my home during the last few weeks:

*The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. No blame here. I got it from PaperbackSwap because Annie and I are going to be reading as part of our history through literature unit.

*The Wild Things by Dave Eggers. Now despite the fact that this was a special, out-of-blue gift from my dear, wonderful friend Chris, I'm still going to saddle him with a point. Sorry, Chris! :) But it immediately went to the top tier wish list when you started telling me about how special this book was. So, had he not so very sweetly bought it for me, I would have bought it myself.

*The Cactus Eaters by Dan White. Another point I feel sort of bad shouldering a friend with, as I won it from her. Heehee--Megan, I'm sorry, but really I don't feel all that bad. ;) This is because I've had this book on my wish list ever since I read her review months and months ago.

*The Professor's Daughter by Joann Sfar & Emmanuel Guibert. Point for Amanda. I immediately went to our library's website and requested it, because Amanda's review left me so intrigued.

*Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. Luckily, I have a husband who likes to spoil me. He ordered this for me, after I heard an interview with Foer on NPR. I obviously wasn't very good (not that I tried to be ;) ) at hiding the fact that I desperately wanted this book. Guess a book buying ban isn't such a hard thing to handle when you've got a husband who breaks it for you. Anyway, point for NPR.

OMG. Can you believe it?!! No points for Nymeth!!! Or Eva!!! Something is obviously afoul in the universe...

*****
Oh, and one more thing I wanted to mention. I've given up on this year's reading challenges. I just couldn't even keep up with keeping track of what I'd read for what. Yeah, I'd joined far too many challenges, huh?
I am going to start over again next year. And be far more selective in what I join...so that I hopefully have a better chance of completing them. And that I definitely have a better chance of keeping track of them. ;)

catching up with bookish matters

2009-11-14T19:08:00.000-05:00

I feel like I shall never catch up. *sigh* I kept track--77 hours on homeschool stuff this past week. And of course, there's still three sweet munchkins that need me for all the normal things unrelated to school. Not to mention laundry and cooking and cleaning. Oops--scrap cleaning...I didn't really do any of that. ;) I know, I know...what a whiner I am!!!! And I hate being this way. I really do. After all, who isn't busy?!! We're all busy. All the time. So why I am feeling so utterly depressed and out of sorts these days is beyond me. And I apologize for all the bitching and complaining.

Anyway, I figured if I didn't soon do a bit of book babbling, I'd never get around to it. So, the quick, itty bitty version:

Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg.

There are so many issues in this world to care about, so many things that deserve our attention. So many things that literally cause me to lose sleep at night as I tumble them around in my head. But for me, the loss of biodiversity stands near the top of the list. And because of this, I want to thank William Stolzenburg for writing this book, a book that captures a piece of the story of biodiversity. I already had a halfway decent understanding of ecology and already understood the concept of trophic cascade. I already knew about many of the examples Stolzenburg discussed in this book, and yet I still found this book so very worthwhile. It was engaging, and it was heartbreaking.

Why do we need these predators we've historically been so eager to eradicate? The answers go so much deeper than many people realize, or care to admit. Honestly, I wish everyone would read this book. Everyone.

Monsters are Afraid of the Moon by Marjane Satrapi.

Okay, as silly as it sounds, this book sort of relates to the one above. It's the story of a little girl who "changes nature" by stealing the moon to scare away monsters in her room and the catastrophic consequences that occur. It is such a cute little picture book! Here's what Max had to say:

Me: Verdict? Did you like the book?

Max: Yes.

Me: Care to elaborate? What did you like most?

Max: Cats! And monsters.

Me: And monsters are good?

Max: Well, I like monsters.

Me: Did you like everything about the book?

Max: NO!!! I didn't like it when the cats got hurt! Or that the rats took over the town. I wish the cats had taken over the town instead!

Me: Anything else you want to say about the book?

Max: I like the pictures! And the Cat King.

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman.

Been weeks since I read this (back during the read-a-thon), but it has stuck with me. I absolutely adored this book. Everything about it. It had a very fairy tale quality about it (well, I thought so anyway). It was dark and sad and unsettling. And it was beautiful and hopeful and human. It is the story of a somewhat introverted, somewhat solitary teenage girl who looses all she ever knew and loved in the world. It's the story of how she tries to lose herself as well, but finds that she has more strength and courage and life within her than she ever could have imagined.

Really, I loved this little book so much that I'm already eager to read it again.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott.

Whew. This one is about as far from a "happy" book as you can get. If I had to choose one word, it would have to be "disturbing." But please don't think that I'm equating that with a judgment call of bad or good...I'm not. To be perfectly honest, I can't even decide if I liked it. I thought that maybe time would help me sort it out, but I read it back during the read-a-thon, which was weeks ago, and I still haven't got a handle on my feelings. I can say this without question--it was compelling! It most definitely kept me turning the pages. And a different ending (while I really "wanted" it to end differently!) would have ruined it entirely. I think the ending was the only realistic ending possible. Actually, I guess there's another ending that would have worked, but it would have been even more depressing. Gee. I'm oh-so-helpful, huh?

Anyway, I am definitely not one to keep Annie from reading books she wants to read. And I wouldn't stop her from reading this one either. But honestly, I won't recommend it to her. I know it would upset her. And while I sometimes "assign" her books for school that I know will upset her, there's always a reason or something to be gained from it. With this book, I'm just not sure what that might be.

*****
Well, crap. I've been trying to get this post finished for the past two days. I still haven't caught up on my book babbling. And I still have a bit of blame to dole out. But I fear if I don't just post this, it may never get done. But we'll just try another post later, I suppose.

this week I am...

2009-11-12T10:45:00.000-05:00

...missing all my wonderful friends immensely, and hoping you'll all remember me when life calms down enough to start blogging again.

...inundated in homeschool prep. Completely buried.

...elated over finishing quarter one's progress report (homeschool paperwork). And a day early at that. And grateful that Rich has volunteered to deliver it to district office tomorrow.

...making numerous lists of holiday prep work to be done. So many lists.

...pleased with the few gifts I've managed to get made so far.

...annoyed that just after I finished up with all my dental work, my front tooth chipped. Pretty big, jagged chip. Boys told me it looks like "an ugly old witch's tooth"...gee, thanks guys. ;)

...missing you all so very much. Yeah, I know I said that already. But it's just oh-so-true. And has me feeling oh-so-sad.

...hoping life is treating you all wonderfully!!!!

family book club 1

2009-11-05T21:00:00.002-05:00

We were supposed to have our first family book club meeting last week...but well, last week turned out to just be way too busy. (Lucky for our reluctant reader, as he hadn't finished his book yet.) So, tonight was the night. We headed out to Great Northern Pizza Kitchen. And while I brought the computer to tape a vlog of our interviews, I, uh, well, I couldn't remember how to work the video. So, Rich and I took turns trying to type our conversation. Frankly, written out like this, it seems pretty darn boring. So seriously, feel free to skip it. At the bottom is a horrendously embarrassing vlog of us, which we made when we got home and I had relearned how to do it. It announces our picks for next months family book club (and lets the world see what a total idiot I married ;) and how idiotically I tend to giggle and how red my face gets when I'm nervous). Again, feel free to skip it. In fact, I highly encourage skipping it.

*****
Rich chose Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling for Gray.

Rich: Who was your favorite character?

Gray: Hagrid.

Rich: What did you like about him?

Gray: He's funny. And he did something illegal.

Rich: What about what he did to Dudley?

Gray: You mean putting the pig tail on him? Yeah, that was funny. But I liked that he had a dragon.

Rich: Was there anything scary in the book?

Gray: No.

Rich: Not even the face on the back of the head?

Gray: No. That was funny.

Rich: Did you like when Ron had to play wizard chess?

Gray: Yes, because Ron blew up.

Rich: Would you like to read any more of the Harry Potter books?

Gray: No.

Rich: Why?!!

Gray: I don't want to read anything. (Gray is in a very crabby mood this evening.)

Gray chose Space Chimps: Mission to Malgor for Max.

Gray: Was your favorite character Ham III?

Max: No--Titan.

Gray: Why?

Max: Because he went flying on the treadmill. I want to have a treadmill so I can go flying.

Gray: I want to go flying, too. Who was your least favorite character?

Max: Guess.

Gray: Luna.

Annie: Why? Because she's a girl?

Max: No. Because she's not as funny as the other ones.

Debi: Is she the smart one?

Gray: Yes. My favorite character is Ham III, because he's the funniest. Did you like the book, Max?

Max: *shakes head yes*

Gray: Then how come you never wanted to read it?

Max: Because I always wanted to do other things.

Max chose The Warriors Graystripe's Adventure series of graphic novels by Erin Hunter.

Max: Who was your favorite character?

Annie: I liked Millie because she was really practical, and she took care of Graystripe when he was hurt. Plus she could really stick up for herself in a fight.

Max: Which of the three books was your favorite?

Annie: I liked the second, Warrior's Refuge, the best. It had the most interesting plot line, and it really kept me reading.

Debi: Do the graphic novels mirror the novels?

Annie: No, they tell different stories.

Max: Who was your favorite leader?

Annie: Well, they weren't really mentioned until the end.

Max: What was your favorite part of the series?

Annie: In the second book, when Millie and Graystripe taught the humans and the dogs to coexist with the barn cats.

Max: Did you like the books?

Annie: Yes, I really did enjoy them, Max.

Annie chose Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova for Debi.

Annie: Did you enjoy these books?

Debi: Actually I enjoyed them quite a lot. It surprised me how much I liked them.

Annie: So you didn't think you were going to like them much?

Debi: No, I just didn't think I would like them as much as I did...romance just isn't my thing, you know.

Annie: Who was your favorite character?

Debi: Probably Cristi. I also liked Beth.

Annie: Why did you like Christi?

Debi: She was sweet...a little naive...talented...genuinely a nice person. What did you like about her Annie?

Annie: That's pretty much why I liked her, too. Why did you like Beth?

Debi: She reminded me a little bit of me, except I'm not talented like her...she was super talented. But she tended to put other people's needs in front of her own. She was a people pleaser. Actually, I think that came out wrong...that's not so much why I liked her, but more about how much I related to her. And it made me all the more happy for the way her story turned out.

Annie: Did you like Emily?

Debi: No...

Annie: Was there anyone's personality that you didn't like?

Debi: Derek. Not much to like about a rapist.

Annie: Which of the three books was your favorite?

Debi: I'm not sure which of the books...but the story line with Beth and her Mom was one of my favorite parts of all.

Annie: What did you think of the scene with the scene with the confrontation between the kid and Lida?

Debi: I found that pretty interesting...I don't know how to say this...that kind of snobbery when it comes to books drives me crazy. He made it even worse by turning it into this racist thing.

Debi chose The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness for Rich.

Debi: Okay, one word.

Rich: Intense.

Debi: Yep. That's the perfect word. Are you glad I chose this for you?

Rich: Yeah, I enjoyed it. Definitely different than any book I've ever read. And it kept me awake for the read-a-thon.

Debi: Will you be reading the sequels?

Rich: Yeah, I think so. It's the kind of book that makes you want to go out and buy the sequel on the first day it comes out.

Gray: Did you have a favorite character?

Rich: Ben. And Manchee. He was such a good dog.

Debi: He reminded me so much of Bake. Well, the way Bake is with you anyway. So how many times were you surprised, or caught off guard, during this book?

Rich: Too many times to count.

Debi: Aside from "the" scene that rips your heart out, were there any others that really, really stand out? That are vividly etched in your mind?

Rich: Yeah, the end. And the one with Todd and the Spackle.

Debi: What about the noise?

Rich: That whole concept is just crazy, you know. Kind of bizarre. Like your worst nightmare, having your thoughts being transmitted.

Debi: To me, the thought of having to listening to everyone else's thoughts was far worse than having anyone be able to read mine. Just all that noise...I seriously was almost sick just reading about it.

Rich: Yeah, it reminded me of Musicophilia. There are people who hear loud music in their head ALL the time.

Debi: So, are you going to trust me if I should get your name again?

Rich: Sure. You didn't lead me astray this time. I loved the book you picked for me.

*****
(Sorry, the video is cut off again, you actually can see poor Annie if you click and watch it on youtube instead.)

New picks:

--Gray got Max again, and is giving him: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.
--Debi got Annie, and is giving her: Looking for Alaska by John Green.
--Rich got Gray again, and is giving him: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling.
--Annie got Debi again, and is giving her: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.
--Max got Rich, and is giving him: Space Chimps: Mission to Malgor.

The Best of John Bellairs...random thoughts

2009-11-05T06:42:00.004-05:00

The House With the Clock in Its Walls.

Me: What did you guys think? Did you like it?

Max: Yeah.

Gray: Me, too.

Me: Enough to try the next one?

Gray and Max: Yes!

Gray: Can we start it now?

Me: Maybe. What did you like most about it?

Gray: It was spooky.

Me: How spooky would you say it was? Too spooky? Not enough spooky? Or just right spooky?

Gray: Just right spooky. Too spooky equals scary. And scary gives me bad dreams.

(I personally have to agree with Gray. It really is "just right spooky"! Actually, I was afraid at times it might be too much for them, but they loved every second of it.)

The Figure in the Shadows.

Me: Verdict? Was this one as good as the first one?

Max: They were almost the same good.

Gray: I liked The House With the Clock in Its Walls more. But that was a really hard decision, because they were both really good.

Me: I liked this one, too, but for me I definitely liked the first one better. So, who's your favorite character?

Max and Gray, enthusiastically and in unison: Uncle Jonathan!

Max: No, wait. I liked the ghost in the last one.

Me: You did, huh? Would you like him so much if you had to meet him?

Max: No!

Me: So why Uncle Jonathan?

Max and Gray, again in unison: He's so funny!

Gray: Yeah, and it doesn't hurt that he's a wizard.

Me: Yeah, that is a bonus, isn't it? My favorite character is Mrs. Zimmerman. She's a spunky one. And she's always bringing everyone homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Max: Can you make some chocolate chip cookies?

Me: Hmmm...I sort brought that one on myself, didn't I?

Max and Gray: *grin*

The Letter, The Witch, and the Ring

Me: Okay guys, for me, this one was by far my favorite!!! What about for you?

Gray: Tie. This one and the first one.

Max: Mostly the first.

Me: This book had some pretty scary moments, but there were also some times when you two monkeys were giggling away. What made you laugh in this book?

Gray: Gert Bigger!

Max: The chicken! (We can't discuss this avenue any further for fear of spoilers.)

Me: Gert Bigger was a mean old bag, wasn't she? But sometimes you did just have to laugh at her. What parts did you think were the scariest?

Gray: Gert Bigger!

*****
Okay, so we didn't give you much of a review here. ;) But let me just say how much all of us enjoyed these three books. They were perfectly wonderful!!! Definitely a bit scary (especially the last one, in my opinion). At times humorous. With a bit of an old-fashioned feel (and I mean that in the very best of ways). Filled with wonderful characters, all of whom are slight misfits...the adults (Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman) content and truly happy in their oddity, while the children (Lewis and Rose Rita) struggle a bit with not fitting in. Truly, I love them all.

And you know what, it might sound silly, but I really think that The Letter, The Witch, and The Ring is a great book for the Women Unbound reading challenge. :D This book focuses mainly on Mrs. Zimmerman, a wonderful role model, and Rose Rita, a girl just reaching those teen years, struggling because she doesn't feel she fits in. She'd rather play baseball than date the baseball players. But she learns her inner strength, and becomes a bit more confident and trusting in who she really is. Yep, I love both these ladies!

Jar of Fools...random thoughts

2009-11-04T05:07:00.004-05:00

Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes.

This was a total impulse pick up at the library a couple weeks ago. Had never heard of it and didn't know what to expect from it. But it turns out that Nymeth bought this book at about the exact same time as I stumbled across it in the library...so if I hadn't stumbled upon it on my own, it soon would have made my wish list...that's just what happens nearly every single time Ana reviews a book! ;)

Anyway, I read Jar of Fools during the read-a-thon. And as I told Ana, I honestly couldn't figure out if I even liked it or not as I was reading along. At least not at first. But it wasn't really that I was actively disliking the book either. Yeah, I know, I'm totally not making myself clear here, and I apologize. See, it's not a happy book. But you know, I usually don't mind a sad book. In fact, I usually love sad books...when there's a glimmer of hope mixed in somewhere. And I think at first, I wasn't catching any glimmers here.

It's the story of Ernie Weiss, a down-on-his-luck, stage magician. He is haunted by the death of his brother. Ernie wants to understand his brother's death...in fact, this overpowering need to understand really sits at the root of the disintegration of all the other pieces of his life, from his career to his relationship with his girlfriend. And all the people that touch Ernie's life have problems of their own...from his ex-girlfriend, Esther, who struggles with their break-up as much as Ernie himself does...to his escaped-from-the-nursing-home mentor, Al, who is facing a life slipping further into senility...to a con man, Nathan, who sticks to this life of petty crime to provide for his daughter. For a short time, this sad little crew form a sort of a family.

Okay, so I said that at first I couldn't figure out if I liked this book. By the end of it, however, I knew. I knew I loved it. Yes, there were eventually a few of those glimmers of hope. But ultimately, I'd have to say that it remained a very sad book. A book about these very human people, people with flaws, people who hurt, people who love.

I wish I was better able to tell you about this book; I feel like I'm stumbling all over my words here. But I do feel better knowing that Ana will surely be reviewing it soon, and then you all will be able to get a better feel for what a wonderful book this is. Edited to add: Ana posted her totally fabulous, and much more insightful, review today, too. :D

October wrap-up

2009-11-03T06:15:00.003-05:00

Read:
YA fiction:
*Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys--from Dangerous Angels--by Francesca Lia Block
*Missing Angel Juan--from Dangerous Angels--by Francesca Lia Block
*Baby Be-Bop--from Dangerous Angels--by Francesca Lia Block
*Green Angel by Alice Hoffman
*Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Fiction in graphic novel form:
*Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova
*Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes

Adult fiction:
*All Quiet on the Western Front by Erica Maria Remarque

Watched:
On TV:
*Project Runway
--"The Sky is the Limit"
--"A Fashionable New Beginning"
--"Sequins, Feathers, and Fur, Oh My!"
--"Around the World in Two Days"
--"The Best of the Best"
*Penn-State/Illinois game
*House
--"The Tyrant"
--"Instant Karma"
*Criminal Minds
--"Reckoner"
--"Hopeless"
--"Cradle to Grave"

On DVD/Video:
*The Two Towers
*Rothko's Rooms
*Return of the King

Created:
Too lazy for photos this month. Crocheted one more cthluhlu (using this incredibly talented woman's pattern), crocheted eleven more pumpkins (using this incredibly talented woman's pattern, and designed one scrapbook page.

in the holiday spirit?

2009-11-02T07:13:00.001-05:00

Guess what time it is...yep, time to go get yourself signed up for the Holiday Swap!!!! It's hard to believe how quickly the holidays are coming, isn't it? But coming they are...so don't delay...sign-ups end November 12th.

Many thanks to Nymeth for bringing us this fun-filled event for the third year running!

Btw, is that button not just the cutest thing imaginable?!!

*****
And speaking of the delightful Nymeth, guess who won round three of the Blame Game. :D She seems to be unbeatable, doesn't she? But I must say that Chris certainly gave her a run for the money this round. And I'm afraid if I ever cut loose and throw this book buying ban out the window for a day, Eva will be in big trouble.

Anyway, I sent you an e-mail, Ana...when you get a chance, let me know how you'd like your punishment dished out. ;)

Blame Game 4 starts immediately, and will last through January 31st.

our spook day in photos

2009-11-01T13:31:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a howlingly, hauntingly happy Halloween!

All Quiet on the Western Front...random thoughts

2009-10-31T23:02:00.002-05:00

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.

You know all that complaining I do about how much work it is homeschooling Annie? How about some counter-argument? Well, aside from the joy it is to get to spend so much time with her as she's growing up, and the blessing it is that we're able to give her an education suited to her needs, there is the added bonus for me personally of getting to learn and/or relearn so many things, experience new things, and read books I likely never would have read otherwise. All Quiet on the Western Front is the perfect example. I know for many people this is required reading in high school, but it never made any of my assigned reading lists. And while I've long wanted to read it on my own, if I'm being honest, I have to admit that I likely never would have gotten around to it. If not for homeschooling.

And I really can't tell you how grateful I am that I finally did read it. While it is certainly one of those books where using the word "enjoyable" to describe your reading experience doesn't seem quite appropriate, I can definitely say that I think it is a wonderful, powerful, important book.

Many times I found myself reminded of Band of Brothers (the mini-series, not the book which I haven't yet read). Yes, I realize we're talking different wars, different times, and even different "sides," but in part, I think that was part of what made it so powerful to me. While All Quiet on the Western Front is a fictionalized account, Remarque did himself serve in combat in WWI, and was in fact, wounded several times. And yet despite the differences, there are some undeniable, and horrifying, similarities. Because both are told from the perspective of the soldier.

All Quiet on the Western Front is told by Paul Baumer, who at the time he enlists with his classmates, is a mere 18-years-old. He and his friends did not enlist in the war because they believed in it, but because it is what they're expected to do. It is the older generation, in particular, their teachers, who deliberately make them feel that it is their only choice, that to not enlist would be disloyal.

For us lads of eighteen they ought to have been mediators and guides to the world of maturity, the world of work, of duty, of culture, of progress--to the future. We often made fun of them and played jokes on them, but in our hearts we trusted them. The idea of authority, which they represented, was associated in our minds with a greater insight and a more humane wisdom. But the first death we saw shattered this belief. We had to recognize that our generation was more to be trusted than theirs. They surpassed us only in phrases and cleverness. The first bombardment showed us our mistake, and under it the world as they had taught it to us broke in pieces.

And as the war goes on, as their experiences in the trenches become their new norm, they come to realize that even if the war eventually ends and even if they survive it, they will never, ever be the same.

Albert expresses it: "The war has ruined us for everything."

He is right. We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts. We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in war.

This is such a completely human book. I know that I can never, ever possibly understand, or come anywhere close to understanding, through books or documentaries or anything else, what it feels like to live the life of a soldier in combat. But as with others whose shoes I've never had to walk in...those living in complete and abject poverty, those persecuted simply because they were born, etc....I don't want to shy away from their stories. There are vivid images in this book that I fear will haunt me...a scene involving wounded horses, a scene of a battle fought in a cemetery...and to me, they are but scenes in a book. What must scenes like this, viewed with one's own eyes, do to a person? I realize that empathy is still far from experience, but I still think it brings us closer as people to at least try to understand the lives of others.

This book though, while obviously very sad, and sometimes gruesome, does have lighter moments. Moments that even bring a smile to one's face. It's as if you come to very much appreciate the little things, as these soldiers must. And the closeness that the soldiers feel with one another is a very strong, and beautiful, part of this book.

We sit opposite one another, Kat and I, two soldiers in shabby coats, cooking a goose in the middle of the night. We don't talk much, but I believe we have a more complete communion with one another than even lovers have.

You may have noticed in the passages quoted, that the language is not fancy and flowery. It is certainly well-written and easy to understand. And I found myself very much appreciating its simple beauty.

Monotonously the lorries sway, monotonously come the calls, monotonously falls the rain. It falls on our heads and on the heads of the dead up in the line, on the body of the little recruit with the wound that is so much too big for his hip; it falls on Kemmerich's grave; it falls in our hearts.

Like I said, I am very thankful that circumstances finally "made" me read this book. I can definitely see why this book is considered a classic. It's a book that will stay with me. And though I know I've already inundated you with passages, I'm going to leave you with just one more. It is taken from the time when Paul receives two weeks leave and returns home to visit his family.

My mother is the only one who asks no questions. Not so my father. He wants me to tell him about the front; he is curious in a way that I find stupid and distressing; I no longer have any real contact with him. There is nothing he likes more than just hearing about it. I realize he does not know that a man cannot talk of such things; I would do it willingly, but it is too dangerous for me to put these things into words. I am afraid they might then become gigantic and I be no longer able to master them. What would become of us if everything that happens out there were quite clear to us?

*****
What others had to say:

*Fyrefly's Book Blog
*Book PSmith
*Shelf Love
*Reading Matters

If I've missed your review, feel free to leave a link in the comments, and I will happily add it here. Thanks.

a happy distraction

2009-10-30T09:01:00.001-05:00

No, I am not supposed to have anything to do with the blogging world this week. In fact, I am supposed to be avoiding the computer as much as possible. But dammit, when I heard about the Women Unbound reading challenge, it was just far too tempting. Last night when I first caught wind of it, I allowed myself to go look on-line and see if I could find a biography of one of my all-time favorite women. That satisfied my urge for that moment, and I was then able to get back to typing up today's EnviSci lecture. But then this morning, I had this wonderful, enthusiastic, and utterly contagious e-mail in my inbox from Eva, and I found myself completely powerless to resist...I simply had to go start pulling books from the shelves. (Okay, I'm such a dork...since I have an absolutely unconquerable list of things to do today, I timed myself. Yes, for real. I gave myself 1 minute to grab books for my reading list for this challenge. Which means, of course, the future will probably see me changing and adding to this list, but at least I got the fun of putting a list together. :D Hopefully, this post will get this out of my system, and I'll be able to concentrate on the things I'm supposed to be doing. Until Sunday, anyway, when I hopefully will be able to get back to bloggging and find out what you all have been up to this week.)

So here's what I've come up with for my tentative list:
*a biography of Rosalind Franklin, probably either Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA by Brenda Maddox or Rosalind Franklin and DNA by Anne Sayre
*Nobel Prize Women in Science: Their Lives, Struggles, and Momentous Discoveries by Sharon Bertsch McGrayne (a book I stumbled across last night in my search for a Rosalind Franklin bio)
--and then these are the ones I grabbed this morning (meaning that they won't be breaking my book buying ban like the ones above will :D)
*Subject to Debate: Sense and Dissents on Women, Politics, and Culture by Katha Pollitt (Will likely be my first read for the challenge as I currently have it out from the library. It's a collection of essays, and I want to thank Ana again for introducing me to it.)
*Promiscuities: The Secret Struggle for Womanhood by Naomi Wolf
From the back cover: In this provocative and highly personal book, bestselling author Naomi Wolf explores a subject that has long been taboo in our society: women's sexual coming-of-age. Promiscuities brazenly exposes the truths behind the conflicting messages directed at young women during and after the sexual revolution. Drawing on surprising examples from the ancient and recent past, along with vivid recollections of her own youth, Wolf show how our "liberated" culture still fears and distorts female passion. She also shares fascinating true stories that illustrate the fantasies and sometimes overwhelming realities women pass through on their way toward erotic and emotional discovery. A landmark book, Promiscuities is a call to women of all ages to reclaim and celebrate their sexuality.
*The Maternal is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood & Social Change edited by Shari MacDonald Strong (I've been wanting to read this one ever since Dewey's review. She loved it, and I just know I will, too.)
From the back cover: The saying is true: The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. And the world has never needed mothers more. World and national leaders can't agree on how to educate our children or empower us to feed our families, on how to join together as a global community or keep us safe. Fortunately, mothers--the most underestimated and unsung political group--hold the future in their arms and hands. Whether they're starting ambitious movements by taking on urgent matters that affect millions or speaking quietly within their homes and communities, the mothers in this collection are, like mothers everywhere, making a difference one person, one issue, one wrong-that-needs-righting at a time. For moms who are willing to fight the that good fight, The Maternal is Political is a comfort, an inspiration, fuel for the fire, and a roadmap to better future...for us and for all of our children.
*The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam
From the back cover: Born in a village deep in the Cambodian forest, Somaly Mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather when she was twelve years old. For the next decade she was shuttled through the brothels that make up the sprawling sex trade of Southeast Asia. She suffered unspeakable acts of brutality and witnessed horrors that would haunt her for the rest of her life--until, in her early twenties, she managed to escape. Unable to forget the girls she left behind, Mam became a tenacious and brave leader in the fight against human trafficking, rescuing sex workers--some as young as five and six--offering them shelter, rehabilitation, healing, and love, and leading them into new life. Written in exquisite, spare, unflinching prose, The Road of Lost Innocence is a memoir that will leave you awestruck by the courage and strength of this extraordinary woman and will renew your faith in the power of an individual to bring about change.
*Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik
From the back cover: Katrina Firlik is a neurosurgeon, one of only two hundred or so women among the alpha males who dominate this high-pressure, high-prestige profession. She is also a superbly gifted writer--witty, insightful, at once humane and refreshingly wry....
*Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino (Wasn't entirely sure if some fiction was "required" for the challenge, but this sounded like a great one to throw in.)
From the back cover: ...Natsuo Kirino, celebrated author of Out, seamlessly weaves together the stories of these women's struggles within the conventions and restrictions of Japanese society. At once a psychological investigation of the pressures facing Japanese women and a classic work of noir fiction, Grotesque is a brilliantly twisted novel of ambition, desire, beauty, cruelty, and identity by one of our most electrifying writers.
*Fearless Girls, Wise Women & Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from Around the World by Kathleen Ragan (Because, well, doesn't this book just sound utterly wonderful?!!)

Many, many thanks to the three incredible women hosting this challenge, Eva, Aarti, and Care!!!!!!

Okay, break over.

let the whine-fest begin...

2009-10-26T06:27:00.001-05:00

Just from the title, I'm sure you realize that it might be wise to just skip this post, right? Seriously, highly recommeded strategy.

Well, another read-a-thon has come and gone. And as much fun as it was, I now begin to pay the price for blowing off all the work I should have been doing instead. I'm not sure if I'm more exhausted from the read-a-thon and the exciting, draining, and ultimately sucky football game last night or from the thought of the week ahead. (BTW, Chris, I still sort of think that going out and celebrating by buying three books is somewhat akin to rubbing salt in my wounds! Oh hell, you know I love you anyway.)

Anyway, I may be a tad scarce this week. Which totally sucks, as I actually finished books (shocking, I know) that I could be talking about. Just going to be "one of those weeks."

Monday afternoons this semester are always a tad hectic...I have just enough time to throw together a very simple supper after picking up the boys from chess club so that Rich has enough time to eat it after arriving home from Annie's flute lesson before he has to run out the door to teach his night class. Today we also have to throw in Baker's birthday. Happy 7th birthday, Baker!

Tuesday is Gray's birthday!!!! Tomorrow, he shall be turning 9. Or so says the calendar, but I'm still somewhat in denial. Yes, that whole they grow up too fast thing rearing its ugly head. Am not ready at all, as in I haven't even wrapped his presents. Or even bought them all.

Wednesday should be fun...Annie volunteers at the library in the morning, and she'll have to just wait there and do some schoolwork when she finishes, because I will be in the dentist's chair having three more fillings replaced. Then that evening I'll be taking her back to the library for teen game night while Rich takes the boys to swimming lessons.

Thursday's pretty slow...Annie just has art class. Oops, and the boys check-ups.

Friday...if things ever get worked out, Gray will be having a friend sleep over. (They've been playing phone tag all weekend.)

And Saturday, of course, is Halloween. No, we don't have our pumpkins or candy or even all of Annie's costume. My parents are also coming to visit. We will be celebrating Gray's birthday with them. And Annie has to be at the library again, as she's helping with the Halloween party they're throwing for the little ones. And since my parents are coming, I actually need to clean, which believe me, at this point is a far bigger task than it should be...this place is currently a dump of epic proportions!

Okay, so I could deal with all of that. Not happily (I hate having so much running around to do), but I could deal and be fine. No, what has totally sent me over the edge here is the fact that I've reached the end of all the school prep I did over the summer...from here on out, it's a matter of just trying to stay one step ahead. And major #momfail this weekend. I honestly had no business blowing off all responsibilities. Because now I don't have today's EnviSci lecture/discussion plan finished, nor do I have today's history prep done. We'll get through the other subjects, and then I'll set Annie loose to just work on some of her long term assignments, but I will still be feeling incredibly guilty for dropping the ball. And I will be scrambling like hell, trying desperately to get us caught back up before this quarter ends and I have to write the damn quarterly report in a few weeks. Seriously feeling like my head's going to explode here.

So...end of bitching and complaining. Except to say that I'll be missing you this week, since I likely won't have much computer time. Have a fabulous week, everyone!!!!

Dewey's Read-a-thon 5 Final Update

2009-10-25T07:11:00.000-05:00

Since last post:

On the clock:

--Reading: 65 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 20 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 0 minutes

--Sleep (shame on me!) 0 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 39 (graphic novel) + 37 (fiction) = 76 total

--What I read: finished Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, started Fables: The Mean Seasons (Vol. 5) by Bill Willingham

Down the hatch:

--Food: piece of coffee cake

--Drink: two small cups of coffee

Cumulatively:

On the clock:

--Reading: 830 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 460 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 80 minutes

--Sleep: 155 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 797 pages (graphic novel/manga) + 63 (non-fiction) + 287 (fiction) = 1147 (total)

--What I've read: Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova, Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes, Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott,
and started both Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg and Fables: The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham

Down the hatch:

--Food: bowl of fruit salad, 2 pieces of coffee cake, 1/3 of a large cheese sub, 8 pieces of chocolate, slice of cheese pizza, 3 mozzarella sticks

--Drink: 5 small cups coffee, one big glass of water, one small frozen coffee, one glass of ice cold cola, glass of Fresca

Miscellaneous comments:
Well, this was the most I ever slept during a read-a-thon, and the most pages I ever got read during one (because I read so many graphic novels). It was fun having the whole family here this time, but definitely more distracting, too.
Congratulations to everyone who participated! Thank you to all the cheerleaders, and thank you once again to all those who worked so hard to keep Dewey's vision alive!

Dewey's Read-a-thon 5 Update 7

2009-10-25T05:40:00.000-05:00

Since last post:

On the clock:

--Reading: 0 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 15 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 0 minutes

--Sleep (shame on me!) 125 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 0

--What I read: nothing

Down the hatch:

--Food: nothing

--Drink: nothing

Cumulatively:

On the clock:

--Reading: 765 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 420 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 80 minutes

--Sleep: 155 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 758 pages (graphic novel/manga) + 63 (non-fiction) + 250 (fiction) = 1071 (total)

--What I've read: Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova, Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes, and started both Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg and Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Down the hatch:

--Food: bowl of fruit salad, piece of coffee cake, 1/3 of a large cheese sub, 8 pieces of chocolate, slice of cheese pizza, 3 mozzarella sticks

--Drink: 3 small cups coffee, one big glass of water, one small frozen coffee, one glass of ice cold cola, glass of Fresca

Miscellaneous comments:
Oops. Slept a little longer than I meant to. Oh well...no going back now, is there? Rich got back up with me though, so I guess after I go visit a few people, I'll head back in with him and read peacefully.

Dewey's Read-a-thon 5 Update 6

2009-10-25T03:16:00.000-05:00

Since last post:

On the clock:

--Reading: 30 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 70 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 0 minutes

--Sleep (shame on me!) 0 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 25

--What I read: still reading Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Down the hatch:

--Food: nothing

--Drink: nothing

Cumulatively:

On the clock:

--Reading: 765 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 405 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 80 minutes

--Sleep: 30 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 758 pages (graphic novel/manga) + 63 (non-fiction) + 250 (fiction) = 1071 (total)

--What I've read: Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova, Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes, and started both Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg and Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Down the hatch:

--Food: bowl of fruit salad, piece of coffee cake, 1/3 of a large cheese sub, 8 pieces of chocolate, slice of cheese pizza, 3 mozzarella sticks

--Drink: 3 small cups coffee, one big glass of water, one small frozen coffee, one glass of ice cold cola, glass of Fresca

Miscellaneous comments:
I hate to do it, but I just read the same paragraph in the neighborhood of ten times and I still have no clue what I read. Think I'll take a nap. Rich's alarm clock is set to go off in about an hour anyway, so I'll try to drag my lazy butt out of bed then. Annie gave up about 15 minutes ago and hit the sack, too.

Dewey's Read-a-thon 5 Update 5

2009-10-25T01:40:00.000-05:00

Since last post:

On the clock:

--Reading: 85 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 110 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 5 minutes

--Sleep (shame on me!) 0 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 68

--What I read: still reading Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Down the hatch:

--Food: 2 pieces of chocolate

--Drink: glass of Fresca

Cumulatively:

On the clock:

--Reading: 735 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 335 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 80 minutes

--Sleep: 30 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 758 pages (graphic novel/manga) + 63 (non-fiction) + 225 (fiction) = 1046 (total)

--What I've read: Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova, Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes, and started both Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg and Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Down the hatch:

--Food: bowl of fruit salad, piece of coffee cake, 1/3 of a large cheese sub, 8 pieces of chocolate, slice of cheese pizza, 3 mozzarella sticks

--Drink: 3 small cups coffee, one big glass of water, one small frozen coffee, one glass of ice cold cola, glass of Fresca

Miscellaneous comments:
Soooooo tired. Gray read for a couple more hours, but went to bed about midnight. Rich went to bed a little while ago, set the alarm for 5:30 (we'll see if he actually gets up). Annie is the only one who seems to be going strong.

Dewey's Read-a-thon 5 Dewey Mini-Challenge

2009-10-24T22:43:00.001-05:00

I knew Eva was going to host this mini-challenge again, and I kept telling myself that I should get my act together and decide what I wanted to write about ahead of time so I wouldn't sit here during the read-a-thon crying trying to put something coherent to "paper." But I didn't, and I'm sitting here crying, still not sure what to write about.

I miss Dewey so much. Every day. In a lot of ways. I think the book blogging world has changed a lot without her here. I think she was this sort of anchor, sort of an ideal. Not that she tried to be any such thing. She was just who she was. And who she was was someone very special indeed.

But as much as I miss her in the book blogging community, I miss her infinitely more as Dewey the friend. I miss our e-mail chats. Chats about everything under the sun. From homeschooling (she was always so supportive of me homeschooling Annie, and had great advice as she'd had homeschooled her son for a while) to pregnancy (we both suffered through difficult pregnancies, including both having had preeclampsia). From Thanksgiving turkeys to organic dark chocolate. From house guests to computers. Oh, and of course, books. :) One of the most treasured e-mails I ever received was just about a week before she died...she sent me a link to a slide show of photos she took during a walk through the woods with her husband. I felt as if I was getting a glimpse at her world through her eyes. I promised her we would come see those sights with her in person one day. But of course, that day will never come.

I miss you, Dewey. And I love you.

Dewey's Read-a-thon 5 Update 4

2009-10-24T22:37:00.001-05:00

Since last post:

On the clock:

--Reading: 80 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 90 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 10 minutes

--Sleep (shame on me!) 30 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 54

--What I read: Where The Wild Things Were--chap. 3--by William Stolzenburg, started Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Down the hatch:

--Food: nothing

--Drink: small cup of coffee

Cumulatively:

On the clock:

--Reading: 650 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 225 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 75 minutes

--Sleep: 30 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 758 pages (graphic novel/manga) + 63 (non-fiction) + 157 (fiction) = 978 (total)

--What I've read: Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova, Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes, and started both Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg and Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Down the hatch:

--Food: bowl of fruit salad, piece of coffee cake, 1/3 of a large cheese sub, 6 pieces of chocolate, slice of cheese pizza, 3 mozzarella sticks

--Drink: 3 small cups coffee, one big glass of water, one small frozen coffee, one glass of ice cold cola

Miscellaneous comments:
I can't believe I already gave in and took a nap. And I have to admit it hasn't perked me up one iota. Is it time for me to admit that I'm just too old for this? I know, I know, that's such a cop-out, huh? I'm not going to give up yet, but I'm beginning to think this may finally be the read-a-thon when I just throw in the towel and go to bed at some point.

Dewey's Read-a-thon 5 Update 3

2009-10-24T18:51:00.001-05:00

Since last post:

On the clock:

--Reading: 205 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 45 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 20 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 167

--What I read: Where The Wild Things Were--chap. 2--by William Stolzenburg, Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes

Down the hatch:

--Food: one slice of pizza, 3 mozzarella sticks, 2 pieces of chocolate

--Drink: one glass of ice cold cola (such a treat, as we normally don't buy pop)

Cumulatively:

On the clock:

--Reading: 570 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 135 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 65 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 758 pages (graphic novel/manga) + 50 (non-fiction) + 116 (fiction) = 924 (total)

--What I've read: Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova, Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes, and started Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg

Down the hatch:

--Food: bowl of fruit salad, piece of coffee cake, 1/3 of a large cheese sub, 6 pieces of chocolate, slice of cheese pizza, 3 mozzarella sticks

--Drink: 2 small cups coffee, one big glass of water, one small frozen coffee, one glass of ice cold cola

Miscellaneous comments:
It's waaaaaay too early to be this tired.

Dewey's Read-a-thon 5 Update 2

2009-10-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

Since last post:

On the clock:

--Reading: 150 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 90 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 30 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 142

--What I read: Where The Wild Things Were--preface and chap. 1--by William Stolzenburg, Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

Down the hatch:

--Food: 1/3 of a large cheese sub, 4 pieces of chocalate

--Drink: large glass of water, small frozen coffee (thanks Rich!)

Cumulatively:

On the clock:

--Reading: 365 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 90 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 45 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 616 pages (graphic novel/manga) + 26 (non-fiction) + 116 (fiction) = 758 (total)

--What I've read: Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova, Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, and started Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg

Down the hatch:

--Food: bowl of fruit salad, piece of coffee cake, 1/3 of a large cheese sub, 4 pieces of chocolate

--Drink: 2 small cups coffee, large glass of water, small frozen coffee

Miscellaneous comments:
Spending a lot less time updating this read-a-thon, but I kind of like it this way. Haven't done many mini-challenges either, but again, I'm enjoying the reading time. Loved Green Angel...what a precious little book.

Annie just finished her second book as well. Gray read for four hours straight until noon, and finished one book. Max read approximately 3 pages. Rich has split his time between two different books, but hasn't finished either yet. Of course, he was a sweetheart and took time out to take Gray to the big rock/mineral show that was going on in town. Gray came back grinning ear-to-ear, with several new minerals to add to his collection as well. Rich also surprised me by stopping and getting me a frozen coffee as well.

read-a-thon update 1

2009-10-24T10:58:00.002-05:00

Since last post:

On the clock:

--Reading: 215 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 0 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 15 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 616 (graphic novel/manga)

--What I read: Dramacon Ultimate Edition

Down the hatch:

--Food: bowl of fruit salad, piece of coffee cake

--Drink: two small cups coffee

Cumulatively:

On the clock:

--Reading: 215 minutes

--On computer (blogging, commenting/cheering, mini-challenges): 0 minutes

--Other (pet care, dealing with little boys, etc.): 15 minutes

Between the covers:

--Number of pages: 616 pages (graphic novel/manga)

--What I've read: Dramacon Ultimate Edition

Down the hatch:

--Food: bowl of fruit salad, piece of coffee cake

--Drink: 2 small cups coffee

Miscellaneous comments:

Wow. I can't believe it's so late and I'm just now making my first update. What can I say? I was just loving this book, and I simply could not put it down until I'd read the very last page! So, what do you think, do I count this as one book, or do I get to call it three since it was three volumes in one?
Okay, off to do some visiting. Hope everyone's having fun. :D

almost there...

2009-10-24T06:31:00.000-05:00

I can't believe the day has finally arrived. :D

And before we actually get started, I wanted to say a big thank you to those out there working their butts off to keep Dewey's spirit alive in her read-a-thon. (You know who you are.) And to all the participants who knew and loved Dewey, while we're missing her fiercely, let's not forget that this is a day to celebrate her and all she did for us! And for those of you who never got the chance to know Dewey, just know that you undoubtedly would have loved her, and know that she would have been so thrilled that you decided to join in this day of fun and sharing.

Okay, off to feed the dog, cut the coffeecake, dish out the bowls of fruit salad, and decide what book I'll be starting with. Have a truly wonderful day, everyone!!!!

yes, I married a smartass

2009-10-22T06:31:00.001-05:00

So, my darling husband did get my book signed for me. Here's the sentiment he asked the gracious Lois Lowry to pen:

a little of this, a little of that

2009-10-21T18:24:00.000-05:00

Dewey's Read-a-thon:

I know I'm not alone in feeling this big old tangled up ball of emotions right now. In fact, Chris just posted about this very thing. Missing Dewey fiercely. Aching over the empty place where she should be. And yet so full of love...love for Dewey, love for all the incredible friends who are feeling just the same as I am, love for books and reading and this wonderful celebration of it all that Dewey began as a gift to us. Chris used the word "bittersweet" and I think that says it perfectly.

I already posted a list of my read-a-thon pile books...but uhhh...I may have some additions. (You know, because the 20-some already on the pile might not be enough. Hahahahahahaha.) See, I went a little crazy at the library today. But I'll get to that later.

Now, as for food:

Feast your eyes on this...

Should I be in need for a little pick-me-up now then, I will look no further than this box of heaven. This enormous box of chocolate decadence was awaiting me on my doorstep when I arrived home from the library today!!! It arrived from this very sweet lady! I did some small thing to surprise her, both because she is just a genuinely lovely person and because she is a friend of the beautiful Pat. All I wanted was to put a smile on her face...but my goodness, look what she sent me. Should you read this, thank you again, Naomi! It was so very unnecessary, and yet is so very much appreciated.
Of course, I guess I can't live on chocolates alone (though I might willing to give it try!), so also in our line-up for the day will be: enormous fruit salad and a coffeecake for breakfast, subs for lunch, order-in pizza for supper, rotel dip and salsa and chips for late night snacking (all made the night before, of course). And I will prepare a pile of healthy snacks for the boys that they can just grab at will, so I won't have to cut up apples, etc. throughout the day (they are major league grazers).

My coziest pjs are freshly laundered and ready to be donned after my morning shower.

My charity has been chosen. RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network). For a lot of reasons, this just seems to the organization calling loudest to me at the moment. Because of all the heartbreaking stories I've heard this past month. And maybe because of my own story. And well, I just know this is a choice that Dewey would fully support as well. (Thank you, Ana, for bringing this organization to my attention.) Haven't decided what sort of system to go with yet...flat amount, by page, by hour, etc.

*****
Going to be a somewhat book-ish night around here. Rich and Annie are off to see Lois Lowry. And the boys and I are off to the book fair and storytelling event. I probably shouldn't say this, but I think Rich got the luck of the draw this time. But I know the boys and will have fun. And Rich is going to try to get Gossamer signed for me. :D

*****
Library Loot:

Haven't "looted" in a while. Been trying desperately to concentrate on my own books. But this breakdown was inevitable. I've been dying to go out and buy a huge old pile of books...damn this book buying ban. So this is sort of my escape valve. I realize that this isn't a big pile for most people, but I feel so dang guilty for checking all these out when I know I can't possibly get them all read.

Sorry for the sucky picture...guess you can't really even read those titles, can you? Here's what in that pile:

Subject to Debate by Katha Pollitt*
The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara*
I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti*
Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan
Blankets by Craig Thompson*
Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes
Cry Bloody Murder: A Tale of Tainted Blood by Elaine DePrince
Berlin: City of Stones (Book One) by Jason Lutes

(Books with asterisks are subject to blame. See below.)

*****
And finally, it's been a long time since I've passed out blame. Probably because I've really been quite good at not accumulating so many books. :D This round is almost over (if I'm not mistaken, it lasts until the end of this month), so there will possibly be one more batch to hand out before a winner/pusher is announced.

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff. Point for Megan! You know, if I'm not mistaken, this review was one of the very first posts of Megan's I ever read. :D (Book acquired through PaperbackSwap, which is allowed according to the terms of my book buying ban.)
High School Confidential: Secrets of an Undercover Student by Jeremy Iversen. Point for Kara! When she mentioned this book, I immediately added it to my wish list. She does not get off the hook simply because she was nice enough to send it to me. :D
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. Point for DesLily! Though honestly, I'm tempted to give her four points, as this is technically four books in one! Here's the post that sealed my doom. (Also acquired through PaperbackSwap.)
Subject to Debate by Katha Pollitt. Care to guess? Yep, of course, it was Nymeth! Though technically it was not this particular book she reviewed. First there was this review and then today, there was this review. However, this was the only one of Pollitt's books that our library had on the shelf.
The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Ernesto Che Guevara. Point for Jason! I have to admit that I used to be extremely intimidated by Jason. And now that I found out he's just as sweet and down-to-earth as can be, I'm afraid my book accumulation problem is only going to get worse...he reads some awesome non-fiction books. (As far as his fiction reading, well, that pretty much still intimidates me.)
I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti. Point for Eva! Normally, it's she who is racking up non-fiction blame points, but this time it's a fiction read. 'Cause like I could resist after this review...yeah, right.
Blankets by Craig Thompson. Point for Dewey! And you know, I sort of love that I'm wrapping up with a point for her...because, geez, I just love how much she still influences the reading of so many of us. :) Yep, Chris, bittersweet, for sure.

smile-worthy

2009-10-19T08:55:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I have to go to the dentist again today. And this time it even involves shots and drills and all manner of nasty things. I've already been sick, despite the fact that I knew better than to put anything in my stomach besides coffee. Uhh yeah. Way too much information. Sorry. Panic overload.

But I am not going to allow this mental meltdown to lead me down any paths as stupid as I did last week. Instead I figured it was a good time to focus on "good stuff."

*The Ask and the Answer...only a bit over a hundred pages in. Know a lot of shit is coming. Want to know so badly what's to come, yet realize I'm not going to like it. The events, that is. Not the book. Nearly certain I will continue loving the book.

*On a related note, Rich started reading The Knife of Never Letting Go last night. Squeeee. :D :D :D Doesn't it just make you downright giddy when someone you love starts reading a book you love?!!!

*This vlog. Okay, I hate that I caused Ana so much stress...really I do. But I am so very, very happy that she made this vlog!!! I probably shouldn't admit how many times I've watched it already. Kind of like the way I look at my pictures of our visit with Chris all the time. And Renay. Ahhh, I just have the greatest friends. :D :D :D :D

*This outfit. Just makes me smile. (And makes me wish that I could dress like her.)

*This vlog. Oh my goodness, how I love this video review!!! Amanda and her boys are just too adorable for words. Seriously. :D

*Okay, here's a no-brainer--the read-a-thon is less than a week away! :D :D :D :D So, so, so, so, sooooo excited.

*One more vlog. Eva simply could not be any cuter...I just love how she arranges her bookshelves! And what fun getting an in-depth look this way...feels almost voyeuristic. Anyway, it looks so pretty arranged by color. Wish I could do that, but I know I'd never be able to find anything.

*And speaking of bookshelves. Yes, I'm still in the process of rearranging our "library." Rich put a few more shelves in the former closet, so I'm going to be able to get all of Annie's books (not counting the massive number of books she still has housed in her bedroom, that is) into there. And this means, I will get one whole wall for my fiction! :D And Rich also built an additional bookcase for that wall this weekend...we're sneaking it in behind the door. Anyway, maybe when I finish rearranging, I'll post pics of the completed sections. Ahh, I just love playing with all the pretty books. :D

In fact, I think I will head off and do just that while I await my doom...

Dangerous Angels...random thoughts

2009-10-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block.

Is it silly to say that I just want to hug this book and carry it with me always? Well, in a sense, I will...for these books have settled down inside of me. I believe they may be the most life-affirming books I've ever read.

(Dangerous Angels is actually a collection of five short books: Weetzie Bat, Witch Baby, Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys, Missing Angel Juan, and Baby Be-Bop. Each of them could easily be read as a stand-alone...but seriously, you don't want to do that. Because each book adds so much to the richness of the others.)

When I said above that these books are life-affirming, I hope I didn't sound misleading. I don't say that to mean that these books are simply full of sunlight and butterflies and unconditional love. They are full of these things, but they are also full of sadness and loneliness and confusion. There is joy and there is heartache. There is acceptance and intolerance. There is life...in all its glorious and painful realities.

This collection of stories centers around this group of people who have come together as a family. Some share the same DNA, most don't. What they all do share is love for one another. They have names like Weetzie and Witch Baby and My Secret Agent Lover Man and Duck...and as odd as it sounds, it never seems odd. Francesca Lia Block has this way of making the "strange" seem not just normal, but perfectly perfect.

The Rose & the Beast is the only other book I've read by Block. I loved it as well, but in many ways, it has a very different feel. That collection of retold fairy tales was a bit more haunting and gritty. But her magic with words is apparent in both. I know not everyone agrees, but I find her writing utterly enchanting. I hesitate to use the word quirky, because I sometimes, perhaps unfairly, view "quirky" as forced. As trying too hard to be different. But there is nothing of that feel to Block's writing. Her uniqueness feels so genuine, as if she is just pouring herself onto the pages. (I can imagine no one else on earth who could make me feel the urge to go around calling things "slinkster-cool.")

But back to the stories. I think she says it best herself in Baby Be-Bop:

Stories are like genies, Dirk thought. They can carry us into and through our sorrows. Sometimes they burn, sometimes they dance, sometimes they weep, sometimes they sing. Like genies, everyone has one. Like genies, sometimes we forget that we do.

Our stories can set us free, Dirk thought. When we set them free.

Oh my, but what are the stories about. Everything. Coming of age, coming out, holding on too tight, and learning to let go, making mistakes, and learning from them, birth, and death, and listening to your own voice. You know, I have like fifty little slips of paper stuck in the pages of this book...so many beautiful passages and things I wanted to mention. But bottom line, I just can't think of any way to put all these swirling thoughts into a coherent form.

So I will just say "Dangerous Angels is a celebration of life" and leave it at that.

*****
Other thoughts:

Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot
Becky at Becky's Book Reviews
RaiderGirl3 at An Adventure in Reading (Weetzie Bat)
Valentina at Valentina's Room (Weetzie Bat)
Valentina at Valentina's Room (Witch Baby)
Valentina at Valentina's Room (Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys)

I'm sure I've missed some reviews. I apologize. But please feel free to leave a link in the comments, and I will be happy to add it. Thanks.

*****
I guess I'm out of hiding. Shouldn't be...that damn to-do list is nowhere near tamed yet. But I couldn't help it...how could I resist the premier of Ana's vlog?!!! I couldn't, and I'm glad I didn't! Ana, you are sooooo AWESOME!!!!

Anyway, I'll probably still be a bit scarce over this coming week, but I've been missing you all so much that it will be good to see what you're all up to.

Happy week before the read-a-thon to everyone!

my apologies

2009-10-14T08:59:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am still technically on a blogging break. But I have to go to the dentist this morning, and this has me feeling nauseous and unable to accomplish the things I should be accomplishing anyway. And since I was already in a state of overwhelming queasiness, I figured I might as well just wallow in it.

So, I now feel the need to apologize for subjecting you to this...my awful voice, my fifty-three chins, my constant looking at the ceiling because I don't want to look at myself, my lack of anything of substance to talk about, etc.

BUT...you all now owe me big!!! Because Nymeth made a deal with me...if I did a vlog, she would do a vlog. Hahahaha...she was counting on my wussyness to save her. And well, normally it would, but my odontophobia has me behaving irrationally this morning.

Ana, I'm sorry...but I so want to hear your voice and see that beautiful face of yours. Please, please, please try to not stay mad at me for too long. Please.

On a side note, as horrendous as this video is, I am so freakin' proud of myself for figuring out how to do it all on my own.

Edited: Okay, well I was really proud of myself, until I published this and saw that half my face is cut off. ;)

going into hiding (and the final cut for the read-a-thon pile)

2009-10-12T11:51:00.002-05:00

Ha. Making it sound like I lead a life of intrigue there, huh? ;) But no. I haven't stolen the secret plans for the doomsday machine or testified in a mob trial or anything remotely exciting like that. No, I've just gotten ridiculously behind on schoolwork and housework and giftwork and... I know, I know, could I possibly be any more boring?!! Anyway, it was with much pain and gnashing of teeth that I hit that "mark all as read" button this morning, knowing I just couldn't catch up before I start this self-imposed blogging ban. And likely I'll have to hit it again when I come back. *sigh* So if you all don't mind...just don't post anything for a while, okay? I just don't like missing out on what you all are up to! Oh, okay, okay, I guess that is an unreasonable request, but you can't blame a person for trying, can you?

Anyway, before I dive into that nine page to-do list I've made for myself for the week, I thought I should let you all know which books you chose for me to keep in my read-a-thon pile. There were a couple that didn't make the pile that I was really hoping would. But then, the chances of actually getting them read bordered on zilch anyway.

The ones in bold are the ones that made the cut:

1. Follow the rules. (Rules by Cynthia Lord)--I really like this first line, too...Melody was the only one who chose it though.

2. Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he stayed up all night, was seated at the breakfast table. (The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)--I have DesLily to thank for adding this one to the pile. And look, Pat, it is your favorite Sherlock Holmes!)

3. On a morning in mid-April, 1687, the brigantine Dolphin left the open sea, sailed briskly across the Sound to the wide mouth of the Connecticut River and into Saybrook harbour. (The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare)--I have to admit that this is not a sentence I would have picked in a million years (though I've wanted to read this book for about that long), but lots of you chose it. Louise and Megan and Eva.

4. What a lot of hairy faced men there are around nowadays.(The Twits by Roald Dahl)--So glad this one made the cut--I figured if I noticed the boys heads starting to sizzle and steam from too much TV and Nintendo, I could always take a break from what I'm reading and start reading this one aloud to them. Actually, I somehow knew Rich would pick it, but so did Megan and Suey and Eva and Annie.

5. I am telling you this just the way it went with all the details I remember as they were, and including the parts I'm not sure about. (Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff)--Chosen by Chris and Melody and Stephanie. (Hey Megan--this one's earned you a point when I eventually get around to another blame game post!)

6. The surname of the family was Cox, the father a very successful trial lawyer, but the target was the mother. (Cross Country by James Patterson)

7. The slaaf stumbled along the shore of Willow Lake. (A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi)--Chosen by Annie, who never ceases to surprise me. :)

8. "Mrs. Locke?" (Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez)--Was sort of hoping this one would get picked...this graphic novel looks to be scary enough to keep me up in those wee hours.

9. After a hard day, your steps become heavy. (Mijeong by Byun Byung-Jun)--Okay, Shanra, I'm curious...did you know what book you were picking here? I know you didn't like this book all that much.

10. My first anime convention...did not start out smooth. (Dramacon: Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova)--I need to get this book read by the end of October, since it's for our family challenge, so thanks Chris and Annie.

11. Dear friend, I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have. (The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky)--So many votes for this one! (Some influenced by their love of the book, I do believe.) Megan and Darren *crossing fingers that I spelled your name correctly* and Suey and Chris and Annie and Melody.

12. Midsummer: The long days begin in bright, rising mist and never end. (Go With Me by Castle Freeman Jr.)--Thanks to Shanra and Eva. This is a short little book of suspense, and I tend to like that late at night.

13. The promised me nine years of safety but only gave me three. (Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess)--This may be the most intriguing line of all to me. And I'm definitely not alone. This was a pick for Louise and Darren and Amanda and Suey and Shanra and Chris and Annie and Amanda and Melody and Stephanie.

14. This is how things look: Shady Pines Apartments, four shabby buildings tucked off the road near the highway. (Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott)--Thanks Kara...I'm glad this one made the cut.

15. Anyone who writes a book of science about great, flesh-eating beasts should be required up front to disclose their bias. (Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg)--Had a number of non-fiction in the original stack, and I'm happy that a few made it into the final pile. (Actually if my week goes as planned--which it seldom does--I'll have this read before the read-a-thon, because aside from just being really interested, it's for school.) This one caught the attention of Eva and Melody and Stephanie.

16. When he was thirty-six, Gregory Volfovich Chudnovsky began to build a supercomputer in his apartment from mail-order parts. (Panic in Level 4 by Richard Preston)--Another non-fiction. Somehow I just knew I could count on Jean to pick this one. Because it's the kind of thing that happens routinely in her home. Only her sons would have done this at the age of six, not thirty-six. ;)

17. Once upon a time, a scattered group of girls undertook the passage from girlhood to womanhood in a city built around a bay. (Promiscuities: The Secret Struggle for Womanhood by Naomi Wolf)--More non-fiction. Picked by Louise and Amanda and Annie and Melody.

18. That's a great idea! (Plenty Enough Suck to Go Around by Cheryl Wagner)

19. I opened the door and froze. (Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters)--A fairly short YA that sounds like perfect read-a-thon material. Chosen by Vivienne and Suey and Chris and Annie.

20. Here we go! (Freak Show by James St. James)

21. I was born in this house, and grew up here. (The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa)--If I'm going to read this one, it will have to be early in the day...the print is on the smaller side, which is a definite sleep inducer for me. Chosen by Amanda and Melody.

22. I once believed that life was a gift. (Green Angel by Alice Hoffman)--Looks like a good choice for read-a-thon...it's very short and it has a few beautiful drawings. Picked by Amanda and Chris and Annie and Amanda and Melody.

23. An owl called, its shuddering hoots repeating mournfully in the distance. (Gossamer by Lois Lowry)--Can't believe I haven't read this one yet. Thanks to Vivienne and Eva, maybe this read-a-thon will be my chance.

24. The forecourt of the Chinese Theater smelled of rain-wet stone and car-exhaust, but a faint aroma like pears and cumin seemed to cling to his shirt-collar as he stepped around the clustered tourists, who all appeared to be blinking up at the copper towers above the forecourt wall or smiling into cameras as they knelt to press their hands into the puddled hand-prints in the cement paving blocks. (A Soul in a Bottle by Tim Powers) Well, with an opening sentence like that, I'm not all that surprised that it didn't get chosen. Still, I can't wait to read this book one day!

25. How shall I begin this tale so you will get some sense of what manner of creature I am? (Nightmares & Fairy Tales: Once Upon a Time... by Serena Valentino) So thankful to Suey and Chris and Rich and Annie Amanda and Melody and Stephanie for choosing this one...a short, eerie graphic novel. Sounds perfect, doesn't it?

26. A Midwestern town. (Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge)--I have a feeling this is another perfect fall read-a-thon choice. And thanks to Stephanie, I may get to find out.

27. Like many fathers, mine could occasionally be prevailed on for a spot of "airplane." (Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel)

28. Science, reason, and rationality have, by nearly any recent measure, suffered serious diminishment in the public sphere. (Science Under Siege: Defending Science, Exposing Pseudoscience edited by Kendrick Frazier) Pouting a bit that this one didn't make the cut. This is a book of essays, and I thought they might be nice to slip into between other reading. Oh well.

29. Anyone living in the United States in the early 1990s and paying even a whisper of attention to the nightly news or a daily paper could be forgiven for having been scared out of his skin. (Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner) Probably won't get to this one, yet I'm still glad it's an option thanks to Shanra.

30. No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. (The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson) Kind of surprise this one wasn't picked...I really love that sentence!

31. This is my story about what happened to me last year when Mum got ill and Dad and I had to go and stay at Aunt Nan's and I had my weird dream. (Mirrormask by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean)--Like we even need to question that this is a good choice, huh? ;) It made the finals thanks to Amanda and Jean and Suey.

32. "Here they come," said Cecy, lying there flat in the High Attic dust. (The Homecoming by Ray Bradbury and Dave McKean) Another I just know will be perfect. :D Thank for picking it, Louise.

33. It was so weird. (Black Hole by Charles Burns) This one is high on "want to read now" list, so maybe this one will actually get read during read-a-thon. Picked by Jean and Annie.

34. "I'm off to school, Ma." (The Book of Ballads by Charles Vess) This poor book never makes the cut. :(

35. "Say what you will about our mutual ex-husband." (Fables: The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham) Chosen with no shenanigans involved *crossing fingers behind back* by friends who love me, Eva and Chris.

Okay, so that's still a mighty large pile for a gal who will be lucky to crank out three books in 24 hours, huh? Thanks so much for playing! And hey, if you feel like playing again, Annie's got hers posted for picking now, too.

See you all in a few (or more) days...I'll miss you!

Read-a-thon! Read-a-thon! Read-a-thon!

2009-10-10T09:23:00.004-05:00

Yes, that is a direct from quote from the lovely Trish.

*****
So many of us start anticipating the next read-a-thon the very day that the previous one ends. (Sorry for that extremely poorly written sentence...my brain is squishy this morning, and try as I might, I just can't seem to phrase it any more coherently. But I hope you get my meaning.) Seriously, to so many of us, Dewey's Read-a-Thons are literally some of our favorite days of the entire year. And I just can't go on with this post without again acknowledging the joy that Dewey continues to bring to our lives. I can't believe it's been almost a year since she died. And every day I've missed her. Face it, we'll always miss her. And you know, I have to think she wouldn't hold our tears over missing her against us, but I also think she would be much happier knowing that we continued to celebrate our love of reading with one another in a joyful manner. I can't promise that I won't cry a little, or a lot, feeling the empty space where Dewey should be, but I will promise that I will try to hold on to the wonderful gifts she so freely gave to us all in the creation of her baby, the read-a-thon. The gift of time set aside to indulge in a passion. The gift of sharing all the silly giddyness with friends. The gift of meeting new people and starting new friendships. For everything, Dewey, thank you.

*****
When the date for this read-a-thon was first announced, I thought that I wasn't going to be able to participate. Normally it would be the weekend we celebrated Gray's birthday. At first I thought I was okay with that. Until the official sign-up post went up, that is, and everyone started excitedly chatting about it. I'm ashamed to say that I went into major pout mode. :( But that evening at dinner, Rich and I were talking about it, and the thoughtful, soon-to-be birthday boy chimed in with, "Well, Mom, why don't we just celebrate my birthday the next weekend?" We explained to him that if we did that, he'd have to share his birthday celebration with Halloween festivities. And bless his sweet heart, he said that was okay with him. So, thanks to Gray, I will be able to participate in my fifth straight read-a-thon! :D

And this year, it's going to be even more of a family event here. This will be Annie's fourth read-a-thon, but in the past the guys have always taken off for fun adventures elsewhere. But this time, Rich is going to fully participate, and the boys are going to participate on a mini-scale. Gray has committed to reading at least 4 hours. ("But it's okay if I read more than that, right Mom?" :D ) And Max...well, if he meets his 1 hour goal, we'll be thrilled. Sort of a poster child for reluctant reader, this little guy is.

So, how are we going to pull this off, both Rich and I reading for 24 hours? (Or attempting to anyway...probably shouldn't count those chickens yet.) With a heaping pile of bad parenting. Yep, a huge stack of DVDs and extended Nintendo DS time. The boys will be overdosing on "screen time." Actually, hopefully they'll be doing all kinds of other things. But when the string of "Mom, can you play chess with me?" and "Dad, let's go play tag." and "Mom, can you make me some more cards?" and well, you get the idea...when this normal string of requests begins, we'll answer it with the electronic babysitter. Yes, I do feel guilty...but it's just one little weekend, right? It won't scar them for life or anything, will it? Come on, help me here people...

*****
Okay, and what is half the fun of the read-a-thon? Yep, putting together that lovely, teetering pile of books!

You've heard it before, you'll likely hear it again: I am a slooooow reader. Wish I wasn't, but I am. Thus, I really only need a pile of three or four books. Maybe five if they're all exceptionally short. But where is the fun in having a pile that small?!! And a person needs options, right? Right. However, this person probably doesn't quite need 35 options.

So, as Annie and I have both done for the last two read-a-thons, I'm going to ask you to help me weed down my pile with that little "first sentence" game. I'll post the first sentence from the books in that precarious monstrosity I've labeled my "read-a-thon pile," and you'll tell me which ones grab you. The duds will thereafter be eliminated.

Which ones would pull you in and keep you awake in the wee hours?

1. Follow the rules.

2. Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he stayed up all night, was seated at the breakfast table.

3. On a morning in mid-April, 1687, the brigantine Dolphin left the open sea, sailed briskly across the Sound to the wide mouth of the Connecticut River and into Saybrook harbour.

4. What a lot of hairy faced men there are around nowadays.

5. I am telling you this just the way it went with all the details I remember as they were, and including the parts I'm not sure about.

6. The surname of the family was Cox, the father a very successful trial lawyer, but the target was the mother.

7. The slaaf stumbled along the shore of Willow Lake.

8. "Mrs. Locke?"

9. After a hard day, your steps become heavy.

10. My first anime convention...did not start out smooth.

11. Dear friend, I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have.

12. Midsummer: The long days begin in bright, rising mist and never end.

13. The promised me nine years of safety but only gave me three.

14. This is how things look: Shady Pines Apartments, four shabby buildings tucked off the road near the highway.

15. Anyone who writes a book of science about great, flesh-eating beasts should be required up front to disclose their bias.

16. When he was thirty-six, Gregory Volfovich Chudnovsky began to build a supercomputer in his apartment from mail-order parts.

17. Once upon a time, a scattered group of girls undertook the passage from girlhood to womanhood in a city built around a bay.

18. That's a great idea!

19. I opened the door and froze.

20. Here we go!

21. I was born in this house, and grew up here.

22. I once believed that life was a gift.

23. An owl called, its shuddering hoots repeating mournfully in the distance.

24. The forecourt of the Chinese Theater smelled of rain-wet stone and car-exhaust, but a faint aroma like pears and cumin seemed to cling to his shirt-collar as he stepped around the clustered tourists, who all appeared to be blinking up at the copper towers above the forecourt wall or smiling into cameras as they knelt to press their hands into the puddled hand-prints in the cement paving blocks.

25. How shall I begin this tale so you will get some sense of what manner of creature I am?

26. A Midwestern town.

27. Like many fathers, mine could occasionally be prevailed on for a spot of "airplane."

28. Science, reason, and rationality have, by nearly any recent measure, suffered serious diminishment in the public sphere.

29. Anyone living in the United States in the early 1990s and paying even a whisper of attention to the nightly news or a daily paper could be forgiven for having been scared out of his skin.

30. No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.

31. This is my story about what happened to me last year when Mum got ill and Dad and I had to go and stay at Aunt Nan's and I had my weird dream.

32. "Here they come," said Cecy, lying there flat in the High Attic dust.

33. It was so weird.

34. "I'm off to school, Ma."

35. "Say what you will about our mutual ex-husband."

Thanks for playing...I'm sure you'll all pick me some winners. :D

*****
On a sort of related note...

Annie is a member of the Teen Advisory Board at our local library. And our library is one of the local libraries that helps sponsor the annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival each spring. Today all the sponsoring groups get together and participate in a fund-raising read-a-thon. (Pretty sure this 4 hour version will be a piece of cake for Annie...and a nice warm-up for the 24-hour one, huh?) Anyway, I wanted to thank all of you who so generously sponsored her! She's thrilled to be walking in there with such a nice list of sponsors and an envelope full of money. Thank you!

****
Okay, I'll finally shut up.

this is not a pretty post

2009-10-06T12:56:00.000-05:00

Rape is not a pretty subject.

Nor is rape a joke. Nor is it entertaining. Nor is it a figment of the imagination.

*****

Once upon a time, there was an eighteen-year-old girl who was raped. When she told her sixteen-year-old friend (because good heavens, how on earth could she tell something like that to her parents), her friend obviously had no clue how to react and ended up being dismissive. The girl shut up. She tried to forget. And really, she did a pretty good job. Unless you count the nightmares. Or the unexplained crying jags over nothing.

Girl goes to college. Time passes. Girl meets love of her life. All is good.

Except that it's not. Girl gets sick. She starts having trouble keeping food down. She loses weight. Lots. She has medical test after medical test after medical test. No answers. She sinks into a deep depression. She tries so hard to put on a happy face, because that is simply the kind of person she is. But she starts sleeping eighteen hours a day. Being asleep doesn't hurt. So she decides to take all the pills in her medicine cabinet. It's not so much that she wants to die; it's more that she wants to not wake up.

Girl ends up in psychiatric hospital. Which turns out to be the very best thing that could have happened to her. She meets one very insightful psychologist who suspects immediately that there is some sort of sexual abuse at the root of this girl's problems. The psychologist calls her on it, and the girl put up no resistance. Thus began a new strategy for survival.

*****

This post has been a long time coming. I've been strongly tempted to write something before, but, well, I hope you can understand why I would hesitate. So why did I decide to write it now? Because Eva wrote this wonderful post yesterday. She wondered if she was being too sensitive. And my heart broke. For her. For all of us. Because how is it that we are so conditioned to wonder if we're being too sensitive when we are upset by rape? Why do we doubt that that is a legitimate reaction to violence?

And she also quoted the statistic about 1 in 4 women being sexually assaulted in their lifetimes in this country. 1 in 4. And I think there are many people who just don't believe that. And I suspect there are many reasons for denial, and I'm not qualified to talk about them.

But I do know that while some women have these incredible voices and seemingly boundless courage in speaking out, there are other women who don't. I was raped 27 years ago. In all that time, I've told 7 people (not including the people at the psych hospital, etc.). The girl I told initially who brushed me off, later a boyfriend/now my loving husband, then my parents (yeah, sort of thought they might have wondered about the whole suicide attempt and psych hospital thing), and then, just in the last year, three dear blogging friends. Only seven people that have been a part of my life in the past 27+ years knew. I think it's easy to see why you may think you don't know anyone who has been raped, when you actually almost surely do.

Still, I imagine there may be people who are thinking, what exactly does she hope to gain from this post. I get that. Rape is not a comfortable topic. That, however, doesn't mean that it shouldn't be talked about. Being a survivor of rape is NOT something to be ashamed of. Oh, I grant you, this is one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm thin-skinned, and I'm not sure I'm ready for this throwing off of the protective layer I've kept myself wrapped in. This layer of public silence.

But if throwing off this layer of public silence can help even one person throw off that layer of private silence, then it will be so worth it. That layer of private silence that I first clung to, well, it nearly killed me.

snapshots of fall

2009-10-05T09:48:00.003-05:00

I have to admit that I've had a major case of the "blahs" lately. I'm sorry...I don't mean to whine. And I hate making excuses, but that's why I haven't been a very good blogger lately. I can't seem to keep up with my blog reading at all, and I really haven't been posting much either. There's certainly nothing wrong in my life, and I've actually been quite busy. Actually maybe that's part of the problem--maybe I've been too busy. So many things to do for so many people. Not the least of which is school stuff. Sorry again. Seems like I complain about school all the time. And I shouldn't. Because I know how very lucky we are to be in a position to give Annie the education she needs and just can't get at the local public school. But it is so draining... Anyway. I need to snap out of this funk!!!

And Susan unwittingly gave me a little boost this morning. When I read her post loaded with fall photos, I was inspired to grab my camera and head out into the yard. The funny thing is is that this is a yearly tradition with me. Every year I spend a morning taking fall photos in our yard. But it had never entered my mind this year. That's what the blahs will do to you, I guess.Anyway, thank you, Susan!

Okay, I admit I'm no photographer, but what the heck, it's never stopped me from posting pictures before. ;) Here's a look at autumn in our tiny little patch of upstate New York:

Very few flowers about now. These sedum seem to be the only thing blooming in our yard. And yes, I love flowers, but...

I actually tend to enjoy even more when they're dead.

And what's fall without changing leaves, huh?

And berries...

And fruit...

Okay, I apologize for the rotting apple picture, but I thought the lady bug eating away in there was just too cool. We have an awesome pear crop this year...we've been stocking our fruit bowl for the past couple weeks and still have tons. Going to make a pear crisp today. Big baking day around here actually--need to make brownies for this week's lunches and make banana bread as we've got some bananas going to the dark side.
And :D. I was so thrilled that I caught a shot (albeit a blurry one) of a couple of stragglers. So very fall.

And speaking of fall...I'm very excited about Dewey's Read-a-Thon. And if that doesn't snap me out this funk, nothing will. :D

September wrap-up

2009-10-01T09:57:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I didn't get all that much reading done in September, but it's a little hard to complain when you add a new book to your all-time favorites list, isn't it? Wonder if it was all that TV I watched...I feel like I watched more last month than I have all year. Of course, that does allow me time to crochet, because heaven forbid, I not feel productive at all times. ;)

It was a pretty big month in the book blogging world, with BBAW and Banned Books Week and all, huh? So many of you wrote wonderful posts about Banned Books Week! I feel a little bad that I didn't write anything here, because it is such an incredibly important issue. (I did write a post this morning that dealt with banned/challenged books, among other things, on our Living, and Loving Learning blog, but please don't feel the need to read it...it was more a sort of venting of frustrations kind of thing. ;) )

Read:
Graphic Novels (fiction):
*Ghost Circles--from Bone: One Volume Edition--by Jeff Smith
*Treasure Hunters --from Bone: One Volume Edition--by Jeff Smith
*Crown of Horns--from Bone: One Volume Edition--by Jeff Smith

YA Fiction:
*Pemba's Song: A Ghost Story by Marilyn Nelson and Tonya C. Hegamin
*The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
*Weetzie Bat --from Dangerous Angels--by Francesca Lia Block
*Witch Baby --from Dangerous Angels--by Francesca Lia Block

Middle Grade Fiction:
*The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs

Short Stories:
*"Madame Rosette" by Roald Dahl
*"Man from the South" by Roald Dahl
*"The Sound Machine" by Roald Dahl
*"Taste" by Roald Dahl

Watched:
On TV:
*Project Runway
--"Rumble on the Runway"
--"What a Woman Wants"
--"Fashion Headliners"
--"Lights, Camera, Sew"
*second half of Penn State-Syracuse game
*Penn State-Iowa game :(
*second half of Miami-Atlanta game
*House
--"Broken"
--"Epic Fall"
*Criminal Minds
--"Faceless, Nameless"
--"Haunted"

On DVD/Video:
*Silkwood
*The Fellowship of the Ring
*The Wire
--"Sentencing"

Created:

Crochet:

I realize Cthulhu isn't supposed to be cute, but this guy sure is. :P

Same photo as last month, but I made 9 more of them.

Scrapbooking:

Cards: (4 thank you, 2 birthday, 1 "just because"--a few of which I forgot to photograph)

on my mind this morning

2009-09-27T08:29:00.004-05:00

*Odontophobia anyone? *raising hand very high* I finally made myself make an appointment for a check-up. And I must admit I'm proud of myself for finally doing so. It's way overdue. The only problem is that I'm now having trouble sleeping and I feel like my heart is always pounding...and the damn appointment is still 2 1/2 weeks away. I am so afraid there are going to be major problems...

*I am not masochistic. Therefore, I will never watch Penn State play Iowa again. NEVER. Two years in a row of hopes shattered by them is enough. :(

*We've been trying to make this a fun weekend for Max (we don't generally do parties, but instead give them a weekend full of fun of their choosing). This, however, means I'm even further behind than usual in answering e-mails and reading blogs. But this probably won't be the day I catch up, as I've got much school work to sneak in between Maxidoodle requests.

Okay, and after all that whining, I do actually have something fun on my mind, too:

*I'm a big fat liar. Just a few days ago, I made myself a list of all the books I had to finish before starting new ones. But already I'm heading off course. See, the Stevens family has been inspired by Becky and Becky's Mom. We're going to try something similar to their challenges to one another, though we're picking out books we honestly believe the recipient will love. (We each have to have read the book we're recommending.) So Friday night, we drew names to see whom we would be picking a book for, and then yesterday while eating lunch at McDonalds (Ugh. But McDonalds playland is what Max requested.), we handed out our assignments.

--Max chose the Warriors graphic novel series Graystripe's Adventures by Erin Hunter for Annie.
--Gray chose Space Chimps: Mission to Malgor adapted by Lauren Alexander for Max.
--Annie chose Dramacon Ultimate Edition by Svetlana Chmakova for me.
--Rich chose Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling for Gray.
--And I chose The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness for Rich.

We've given ourselves about a month to complete our assignments. Then we're going out for pizza, where we'll discuss our reads and give out our next assignments. Maybe we'll even do fun little interviews like Becky and her mom. :D

*Also on the fun side of life, I'm finally getting back to work on the library. Doing some serious rearranging of books. Hopefully more weeding out. And Rich and I figured out a few places where we can add more shelves, and I designed something for him to build for the one area. I know...so not fair to poor Rich...I design and he builds. But believe me, it would be a disaster if we switched jobs. ;)

Bone...random thoughts

2009-09-25T08:51:00.001-05:00

Bone: One Volume Edition by Jeff Smith

Okay, I should be strung up by my toes...or perhaps baked in a quiche :D ...for never having talked about Bone. I finished it weeks ago, and just completely forgot to mention it. And it deserves to be mentioned!

Chris said, I believe it was when he reviewed the first of these books, that he had sort of avoided Bone for a while. I was the same way. I think I had the idea that they were too cutesy or simplistic or something. ***Bad Debi! Stop making assumptions!*** Well, all that changed when I happened to pick up the prequel, Rose, from the library several months back. I read it, and loved it, and never even realized until I'd finished it that it was the prequel to Bone. At that point, I ditched my reservations and immediately went and ordered this complete collection of Bone. But then, as often happens, it went to the shelf and languished due to the fact that I have so many damn unread books. Enter Nymeth. She reads it, loves it, writes one of her unbelievably awesome reviews of it. Back on the radar it goes. I became determined to get it read over the summer. And hey, determination (and a long vacation) paid off.

So, those preconceptions I had--cutesy and simplistic--was I correct? Well, no! In some ways, it definitely is cute...some of the characters simply beg to be picked up and cuddled. But no. The story, while humorous and fun and fantastical and delightful, is not pure fluff. Not at all. There is darkness, and there is evil. There is greed, and there is misunderstanding. There are difficult decisions, and there is war. And there is friendship and loyalty and courage and love.

The story starts when three cousins, Fone Bone, Smiley Bone, and Phoney Bone, are fun out of Boneville. They end up lost and separated in a land they know nothing about. But Fone Bone is befriended by a girl named Thorn, and comes to stay with Thorn and her grandmother, Rose. Rose is a tough, yet kind-hearted, woman. A woman with a world of secrets. Secrets that not only involve herself and her granddaughter, but really all the people and creatures of the land. And these secrets are about to come to light...

As I mentioned earlier, Bone is filled with wonderful characters. Characters I already miss dearly. I dare anyone not to fall in love with Fone Bone. And Rose is such a strong, loving, and complex woman, a woman that I wish I could be more like. And there's the wise, patient red dragon. And an adorable bug named Ted. And Bartleby. Oh how Bartleby stole my heart. I won't say more about him, because you'll want to get to know him all by yourself.

Hmmm...I really wish I could just read it all again right now.

*****
For more on the subject:
Nymeth of Things Mean A Lot
Chris of Stuff as Dreams Are Made On (Volume 1)
Beth F of Beth Fish Reads (Volume 1. Others are reviewed as well, so just search blog.)
Graeme of Graeme's Fantasy Book Review (Volume 1. Others are reviewed as well, so just search blog.)
Memory of Stella Matutina (fun post about fantasy gift recommendations)
As usual, I'm sure I've missed some. I apologize. Feel free to leave me a link in the comments, and I'll add it to the list. Thanks.

always my baby

2009-09-24T04:48:00.013-05:00

came as a total surprise

popped into this world too early

stole hearts from day one

will likely break some in the future

spitfire of epic proportions

with a mind of his own

obstinate times ten

well, more like times twenty

cat lovin'-est boy around

comic relief

instigator

marvel with his hands

in possession of a very short fuse

lovable times a bazillion

HAPPY SEVENTH BIRTHDAY!

always my baby

one thing at a time

2009-09-22T13:51:00.005-05:00

I've been in a bit of a funk lately. No, don't feel bad for me or anything...I really have no business complaining. Honestly, my life is a good one, and I know it. It's just a matter of feeling overwhelmed in all facets. So, instead of just moping away, I'm going to try to really tackle some of these things head on. Make a plan, get organized, and then plug away. And hope that actually doing something about it all makes me feel better.

And the first area I'm going to try to get under control is my reading. Because how pathetic is it that I've let my bad reading habits make me so miserable?!! And what I mean by "bad reading habits" is having too many books going all at the same time. I'm not naive enough to think that I can get back down to just one book at a time...circumstances won't allow that. But I'm going to make an concerted effort to finish up all the damn books I've got started, and then keep it down to four books at a time. Even that sounds bad, but it shouldn't be, as it includes: one "for me" book, one book that I'm reading with the boys, one book of short stories, one book for school. (Once I get things under control, it's the one book for school that will pose the biggest problem. I often have as many as three or four going for school at once, and I haven't quite figured out how deal with this. I'm hoping for a jolt of inspiration to hit me.)

But first things first. I must clear up the backlog. Realistically, I wouldn't be surprised if this took me the rest of the year. Or longer. *sigh*

In the "for me" category, I'm currently reading Oh Pure and Radiant Heart (Lydia Millet). Which despite the fact that I've loved it from the start, I've been reading it for the past two months. At least. And I've started (just barely) and am absolutely loving to pieces an unpublished book called Kesterwood. :D (I can't tell you how honored I am that DesLily has given me this treat!) After that, there are three books that I haven't actually started, but that for sanity's sake, I'm going to schedule in there. Want badly to read Dangerous Angels (Francesca Lia Block) for Banned Book Week. Will not be able to stop myself from reading The Ask and the Answer (Patrick Ness) if Rich buys it for me as he's threatened to do. And need to read A Circle of Souls (Preetham Grandhi) for review.

With the boys...well this category poses no problems. We're still reading A Figure in the Shadows. And we'll follow that with The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring. (Both by John Bellairs.) We've given up on The Scary Stories Treasury for this year. Yes, I'm still sleeping in the living room with Gray every night due to our venture into this book last month. ;)

Short story collections. Okay, this is where things start to get ugly. I've got soooo many started. I wish I was the kind of person who could just tuck them away on the shelves and be okay with that. But I'm not. They each sit there bad-mouthing me for ignoring them. So NO STARTING ANY NEW SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS until all started ones have been completed. ***I mean it, Debra Anne...if you start a new one, you will be punished by having to give away one you haven't yet started!*** That ought to keep me in line, huh? Here are the ones I have in progress: The Best of Roald Dahl, Night Shift (Stephen King), The Starry Rift (edited by Johathan Strahan), The Golden Apples of the Sun (Ray Bradbury), Dreams Underfoot (Charles de Lint), Everything's Eventual (Stephen King), M is for Magic (Neil Gaiman), Scary! 2 (edited by Peter Haining), and Wastelands (edited by John Joseph Adams). I'll just work my way through one, and then move on to the next.

And then there's school. *more heavy sighing* I have three books started that we're done actually using for school (I just had Annie read relevant sections). Two of them are even from the last school year. But I still would like to finish reading them myself. Africa: A Biography of the Continent (John Reader), The Scientists (John Gribbin), and Collapse (Jared Diamond). Then there are the books for the remainder of this quarter (ending in mid-November). The Epidemic (Jonathan Engel), 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa (Stephanie Nolen), and Cry Bloody Murder (Elaine DePrince) for health. And All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque) for history. And at least one, but hopefully two of these, for science--Where the Wild Things Were (William Stolzenburg), Out of Eden (Alan Burdick), and The Sixth Extinction (Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin). I can't even face quarter two yet.

Maybe organizing myself wasn't such a good idea. Now I'm just more depressed. :/ Pretty much sucks having no room left for whims. But hey, if I succeed, I will be such a happy camper, right? :D

and the ride is over...for now

2009-09-20T20:13:00.005-05:00

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness may well turn out to be my new favorite book. I'm going to give it a few more days or weeks to settle in before I finalize that proclamation to myself. But the fact that I'm even thinking that The Stand may be knocked from its #1 slot, a position its held for 30 years, is really saying something.

I've been talking about this book (here and here and here and here) throughout my reading journey. At the time I wrote that last post, I couldn't imagine that the experience could become any more intense. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I could not been more wrong. Something happened about three quarters of the way through the book that took the already broken pieces of my heart and proceeded to shatter them into slivers.

Admitting that I cried doesn't really mean much, because honestly, I cry during a lot of books. But "cry" isn't really quite the right word here. I sobbed. Truly sobbed. And then, when I finally got it under control enough to continue reading, I found the tears just weren't going to end. I cried through nearly every remaining page.

I would be lying if I said this was a pleasurable reading experience. It wasn't. It was intense. It was dizzying. It was raw. And it was real. And that's why I loved it. I loved it so very much. I realize that I haven't said anything about what this book is actually about. I just don't know how, because even some of the simplest things are spoilers. But it's a book about life. Yes, it's dystopian. There's elements of science fiction. But really it's about being human. About fear. About truths and lies. About gender. About love. About sacrifice. About loyalty. About violence. About mistakes. What is civilization? What does it mean to be a "man"? Is hope enough?

*****
Read more opinions here:
Nymeth of Things Mean A Lot
Chris of Stuff as Dreams Are Made On
Renay of YA Fabulous
Amanda of The Zen Leaf
Vivienne of Serendipity
Becky of Becky's Book Reviews
Sheila Ruth of Wands and Worlds
Lenore of Presenting Lenore
Aimee of My Fluttering Heart
I know there are more reviews out there as well, and I apologize for not getting them all. If yours is one I missed, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here. Thanks.

blindsided

2009-09-18T07:27:00.001-05:00

The Knife of Never Letting Go may well be the death of me. Okay, that's a tad melodramatic, huh? But I swear if this emotional gauntlet doesn't soon end...

I sat down last night with over an hour of time for "recreational" reading. Sounds heavenly, right? And yet I only managed about 20 minutes. Because I hit this scene that just devastated me. I just crumpled. Not outside physically crumpled. But inside, metaphorical implosion. And I just couldn't read on at that point. Just couldn't.

Yes, I'll be picking it back up today. Of course. I couldn't stop this ride if I wanted to. But it's got me thinking...why am I so emotionally invested in this book? Seems like a question that with a little self-knowledge I should be able to answer. But I can't.

Yes, I care about the characters. I do. But there have been plenty of other books in which I care deeply for the characters and still yet don't have this kind powerful reaction to reading.

Yes, the story is fast-paced and suspenseful. But I used to read "thrillers" on a regular basis. Every bit as fast-paced. Definitely suspenseful. But I never had this type of personal connection.

Yes, there is a big chunk of the picture missing. I'm anxious to find out the "why" of everything that is happening in the story. But I don't think that is the ultimate grip on me either.

Is it a massive combination of these and other factors? Or is it some intangible that I'll never quite understand? And does it really matter? Do I need to understand my reaction to somehow give it more credibility? I'm not sure that I do. The experience is real whether I can define it or not.

What about you? Have there been books that have just turned you into an ball of nerves? Where your emotional experiences with the book have felt nearly suffocating? And if so, could you even put your finger on why?

Maybe I'm just going off the deep end...

a hodge podge and a half

2009-09-17T14:09:00.001-05:00

We're out of here tomorrow as soon as the boys get home from school. Going to surprise Rich's mom. So much I've been trying to get done before we go, as I know I won't get much accomplished over the weekend. One of those things is finally, finally, finally getting caught up with everyone's posts. "Caught up" just never seems to happen anymore though. But I did the best I could. Certainly has been a fun week around here, huh? Thank you Amy, for all your dedication and hard work in pulling it off...and well, for being the sweetheart that you are! And thanks to all those who helped her with BBAW as well!

*****
School is already kicking my butt, so I've had very little time for "recreational" reading this week. I'm only about halfway through The Knife of Never Letting Go. I'm hoping to be able to finish it in the car tomorrow (note to self: don't forget book light!). Seriously can't get over how much I'm loving this book. Honestly don't know if it's just me, or if it's entirely the book, or if it's some combination of the two...but this book just has my emotions in overdrive. It's so raw and powerful and compelling...and I don't even know entirely what the hell's even going on yet!

There was this paragraph that I read this morning that just hit me. One of the saddest things I've ever read in a fictional work. I found myself reading it again. And then again. Like I somehow didn't believe that something could be this sad. I'm so curious, to any of you who have read the book, did this passage hit you as well? I don't think it gives away anything about the story to share it here:

Maybe our story will turn out differently if we take the left fork, maybe the bad things that are waiting to happen to us won't happen, maybe there's happiness at the end of the left fork and warm places with the people who love us and no Noise but no silence neither and there's plenty of food and no one dies and no one dies and no one never never dies.

*****
Oh my gosh...I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you. Yes, I'm beaming with pride at myself. See, the best, and man, I do mean the very best, library sale in the county is going on this week. And I didn't go. Rich and Annie went. But not me. Any freakin' idea how hard it was to say no?!! But I did it!!!

I think the willpower involved in this book buying ban ranks right up there with the willpower it took to quit smoking all those many years ago. Oh shit...I gained almost 50 pounds in the year following quitting smoking. I gain one lousy pound and this ban is history! ;)

giving thanks

2009-09-15T11:15:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was our chance to show our love to the many wonderful book bloggers who didn't make the shortlists for the BBAW awards. Wow...the posts were wonderful, weren't they? And I don't even have to ask how many of you doubled the subscriptions in your readers, do I? All hands are raised, I'm sure.

But as I wrote my post yesterday, I couldn't help but feel a little sad. For one thing, there are just so many people who brighten my days on a regular basis...and if I read your blog, that means you're one of them! So I used the only method I knew to select out who to highlight..."randomosity." But the other thing that made me sad is that so many of the people that have honestly, truly become my closest friends were shortlisted...so I couldn't gush all over them.

Well, I'm going to do that today...

Ana a.k.a. Nymeth...Though I have never seen her beautiful face in person, she is undoubtedly one of the very best friends I have ever, EVER had! We've laughed together, and we've grieved together. She is a bottomless well of support. Oh my goodness, I can't tell you how guilty I feel about the crap I dump on her...but she never complains. She listens to it all, and then miraculously finds the words to make me feel better. And it's always so comforting to find someone who sees the world in the same way you do. I swear, there is not a single thing about Ana that I don't love. She is intelligent, and thoughtful, and generous, and open...and dammit, I'm starting to cry here because I honestly don't know what I ever did to deserve such an incredible person in my life.
Of course, she has been living hell on our floors...and when we go crashing down through to the basement under the weight of all these books, she had better fly herself right over here and help us rebuild. ;)

Chris...He's Ana, in boy form. :D Don't worry, they both know what a tremendous compliment that is! Of course, Chris and Ana are very individual people...it's just that the feelings I have for them both are so strong. Chris is one of the kindest, most genuine people on the planet! You know, with Rich and Ana and Chris, I think I could face any challenge that this world could throw at me...and that's a feeling I wouldn't trade for all the money in the world. I got to meet Chris in person. :D Was it awkward or uncomfortable? Did it take us time to warm up and feel at ease? HELL NO!!! Because Chris on-line = Chris in person. There's no pretense there. It felt as if we'd known each other forever. And I will cherish those two days with him always! Of course, we'll be getting together again...there is NO doubt about that! Friends like Chris just don't come into one's life very often...and I am so very blessed that he came into mine!

Renay...I don't think I've ever been quite so intimidated by any blogger as I was by Renay. And you know, I almost hate using that word "intimidated" because I worry that it has a negative connotation, and I truly don't mean it to. So let me explain...I never felt I could possibly have anything to say that the incredibly awesome Renay would want to hear. Going the equation route again: Renay = fabulously cool, while Debi = total dork. But guess what! While these descriptions remain true, it didn't stop Renay from liking me. :D I was lucky enough to get to meet Renay in person, too. And holy crap, I just love her all the more! But for all this babbling here, I haven't really told you what makes Renay so special to me. Renay has one incredible voice! She doesn't pull her punches. She reviews books like no one else I've ever read. She makes me think...always. Even when I think my eyes are already wide open, she manages to pull them open even wider. I don't know quite how to thank her for that, because it's one of those gifts that is truly priceless. And don't let her fool you...sure, she's strong and she's opinionated and she's just too cool for words...but she's also got a heart of gold.

Eva...Eva is such a ray of sunshine in my life! I probably shouldn't admit it, but I feel almost maternal towards her at times. I'm guessing that's because she and Annie remind me so much of one another. And as I've told Eva before, I can't possibly think of a better role model. I worry about her incessantly, probably to the point that I drive her crazy (though she would never admit it)...but I can't help it, because I just cannot stand the fact that she suffers with such pain. But while I worry about her, it is she who ends up making me feel better about myself. She's so incredibly intelligent that at first I was definitely greatly intimidated by her. But she refused to let that stand...she somehow managed to make me stop degrading myself by comparison. Now, instead of feeling stupid around her, I take joy in all I can learn from her. Can I say it again, what a ray of sunshine she is...because warmth and light and happiness, that's Eva!

Carl...Talk about the epitome of giving. It seems like a lifetime ago when Annie and I met Carl through the first Once Upon a Time challenge. Because who could possibly believe that so much could happen in just a couple short years. Over this time, I have grown to love Carl and his family more than I can say. He totally won my undying friendship in his selfless gestures to a little girl. I've tried to tell him, but I'm not sure I've ever been able to convey the true extent that the impact his encouragement, and generosity, and respect, had on Annie. A little girl who always found herself feeling a bit different from her peers. But all that was just the beginning. The gifts I've received from this incredible guy are boundless...from the horizon-expanding nature of his posts both on books and on art to the reawakening of my long-buried love of horror, from the endless fun he provides us all through his awesome challenges to the encouragement he abundantly offers...but the most precious of all, is truly his wonderful friendship.

Trish...There is no possible way on earth that one cannot fall in love with Trish! Those of you who know her, I'm sure you'll agree. For those of you who don't, well, I dare to go meet her and see. Always, always, always, Trish makes me smile! :D And not just itty bitty smiles either, no, we're talking the ear-to-ear variety here. It's one of those ineffable qualities. Honestly, I can't describe it. She exudes warmth and friendship and positive feelings. She's so open and welcoming and gosh darnit, she's just as adorable as can be!

Amanda...I haven't known Amanda nearly as long as I've known these other friends, but already I can't imagine my life without her. Truth is, she sometimes reminds me of me, only in a much more polished form. :D Honestly, there's so many thing I love about her...her passion for her incredible family, her talent with a pen (or keyboard, if you will), her willingness to disagree with the "majority" about a book, her worldviews, her love of all things HP...seriously, this list could go on and on. But on a selfish note, there's also the fact that she has a knack for making me feel good about myself...she somehow seems to sense my insecurities and bolsters me just when I need it (and I have no idea if she's even conscious that she does this).

Okay, feel free to call me a major league sap here. I just read over what I wrote and I'm sitting here with tears flowing freely. I feel so undeniably blessed to have each and every one of these people in my life. Yeah, and don't ever try to convince me that on-line friends aren't "real"!

And to those of you above, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Dewey...You know how much you belong on that list. I still miss you so much it physically hurts. I guess it will always be that way. Because I will always love you.

so many wonderful blogs

2009-09-14T12:27:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's finally here! Book Blogger Appreciation Week. And today, we've been asked to highlight some of our favorite blogs that didn't make the shortlists for the awards. This is a good time to make a confession. I don't feel like a book blogger myself. Yes, I love, love, love books...reading them, talking about them, reading what other people have to say about them. But a.) I don't write wonderful, intelligent book reviews...I babble, and b.) I don't even limit my babbling to books, as anyone who reads my blog can attest. I'm just one of those little bloggers who blogs for purely personal reasons...to have fun, to "hang out" with friends, to create a little record of my time on earth. In other words, I am not one of those awesome book bloggers whose blog is filled with beautifully-written, insightful reviews and author interviews and book news, etc. I do admire those bloggers...I can't even imagine the time and dedication involved...but it's not who I am.

But why do I mention any of this at all? Well, because part of being this little blogger that I am, also involves the fact that I just don't read that many blogs. A fact that kills me. Honest. I know that there are probably hundreds of blogs that I could easily get addicted to if I let myself. There are just so many freakin' cool people in this book blogging world!!! But I've had to be tough on myself...I've had to make myself keep my blogging world on the small side. Simply because I'm in the midst of one of those tremendously busy periods of my life. We all go through them, so I'm sure you understand. And I can honestly say that I feel truckloads of guilt for not reading more of the wonderful blogs out there and for not commenting on every single post of the blogs I do read. But every time I try to expand my world too much, I find myself stressed, and fighting to hold onto my sanity, and starting to lose the joy that blogging gives me.

Sheesh...see, this is what I mean about babbling!!! Could I not simply have said, "There's too many freakin' awesome book blogs out there for me to keep up with, but here's a few that didn't make the shortlists that I positively adore." ?!! Yeah, I think that would have worked. And you know what, even with the small number of blogs I read, I can't possibly mention all the ones I adore. So I'm just going to choose 9 (because 4 and 9 are my favorite numbers, but 4 isn't enough) totally randomly from my google reader. And it truly makes me sad to leave anyone out, because honest and true, if I read your blog it means I love it.

DesLily of Here, There, and Everywhere...Wow, what an interesting life she's lived! She tells the greatest stories, writes fun book reviews that leave me immediately with a feel of whether it's a book I'd enjoy or not, and takes wonderful photos that always make me smile. Did I mention that she's just a sweetheart of a person to boot?!!

Melody of Mel's Reading Corner...Oh my goodness, I wish I could put into words the kind of person she is. The best I can do is to say that she's a ray of sunshine. There is something about Melody that just exudes warmth and happiness. Yeah, even in her book review posts!

Vivienne of Serendipity...Another sweetheart. Hey, I think we've got a theme going here! :D So much I love about Vivienne...her sense of humor, her lovely local expressions, her personal way of writing that just makes you feel like you're sitting down with her chatting. And I love reading her reviews, and hearing about her family, and drooling over her scrapbook pages, and...

Stephanie of Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic...Oh what can I say...Stephanie is just so mega-cool. I adore her! We love the same kind of books, but even more importantly, we feel the same way about the world. She's so crazy busy living life and doesn't generally get to post every day, but every time she does post, it's just a pure treat!

Susan of You Can Never Have Too Many Books...Susan is so down-to-earth and friendly, and her blog is so homey and welcoming! We, too, have much the same taste in books, so I always look forward to what she has to say about her latest reads.

Care of Care's Online Book Club...Oh my, Care is such a doll! Seriously. She's adorable and funny and reads such a cool variety of books. And while math may not really be my thing, I so love her math geekiness! Adorable, I tell you. Adorable!

Megan of Leafing Through Life...No one makes me laugh like Megan does!!! I kid you not. And she's just as sweet and friendly and approachable as a person can be. And she reads these books that I always think initially are "too sophisticated" for me, but her reviews are so awesome that she ends up making me want to read them after all!

Staci at Life in the Thumb...Is it really dorky of me to say that I want to grow up and be just like her? (I'm ignoring that fact that I'm older than she is, of course.) Okay, I'm not sure how to put into words why I love her so much. Yes, she's incredibly sweet. Yes, she's obviously very smart. Yes, she's down-to-earth. Yes, she reads an incredible amount of books (and she scrapbooks!) But there's something else...some intangible that I can't explain. Maybe it's self-confidence or poise. I don't know, but I find her utterly charming!

Kailana of My Written World...Well, there is the fact that she is definitely one of my reading idols...seriously, the amount of books she reads is astonishing! But it's way more than that. I love the way Kelly talks about books...she's got a real personal style that really appeals to me. And it's not just when she talks about books either. She's just such an open, friendly person, and I love her to pieces.

Lots more bloggy love to be found here.

in the pages yesterday... (and a perilous short story)

2009-09-13T08:36:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to be reading for school. But, well, that just didn't happen. The small amount of time I had for reading yesterday went to The Knife of Never Letting Go. I'm willing to bet that all of you who have read it fully understand why school reading just didn't stand a chance. Anyway, I finished Part II. The pace, which has really been quite fast from the start, has continued gaining momentum. Honestly, to this point, I don't think there has been a single page even bordering on dull.

I'm impressed with Ness's portrayal of Todd. He feels so utterly authentic to me. I was almost happy to read his outburst during this last section. And Manchee...how can you not love Manchee?!! He reminds me so much of Baker. Not in looks. I have Manchee pictured very differently physically than our beagle baby. But in personality...well, I just very much see Baker "speaking" just like Manchee. Of course, this is unfair of me--I can't pretend to really know what goes on in another creature's mind.

*****
Earlier this week, I read another short story, "The Sound Machine," by Roald Dahl. Another winner. With an RIP feel. Not quite scary. Not quite creepy. But definitely unsettling. I have no idea how to talk about it without giving too much away. But it was very interesting, the focus on sound. Which plays such a role in TKONLG. (Yeah, I just love those neat little coincidences.)

*****
Okay, must run. I turned on the TV when I got up to see if my football game was going to be on TV today. But in the process, I saw that all three of the LOTR movies were being played today. One thing led to another, and we decided to spend today and the next two Sunday mornings watching the movies. (Thank you again, Carl!!!) Rich has never seen them, so it will be extra fun getting to watch with him. Of course, the boys will undoubtedly make us take a break part way through for second breakfast. ;)

Happy Sunday, everyone!!!

little miss four-eyes

2009-09-12T13:33:00.000-05:00

Annie got new glasses last night. She absolutely loves them. And so do I.

They are SO HER!!!!

just experimenting here

2009-09-11T19:51:00.000-05:00

Okay, so even during the best of times, I'm exceedingly slow at finishing books. Yes, because I read so slowly...yes, because I have so many books going at once...yes, because school is back to kicking my butt and reading time is short. But whatever the reasons, the results are the same...I just don't get books finished to talk about at nearly the rate as most of you. And the fact is I've never been comfortable calling what I do end up writing "book reviews" anyway. Hence, my use of the term "book babble."

And as I was sitting reading The Knife of Letting Go yesterday, I got sort of sad. Not because of the book, but because I wanted to talk about it with someone! And I got to thinking that by the time I finished the book, all these powerful feelings I was having now might have changed (after all, I have no idea what the rest of the book will bring, right?) And by the time I actually got the book finished (the slow at finishing books thing here), I might not have that great a recollection of my feelings throughout. So then my little brain said, "Well, who said you have to wait until you finish a book to talk about it?"

This thought has danced through my head for the past day, and I finally decided that I was just going to go with it. So I've decided to just experiment a bit. I'm just going to babble a bit about the book(s) I happened to read the previous day. That is if there's anything I feel like babbling about. I fully realize that this might not make for satisfying posts...like I said, I'm just experimenting. And please, please, please...even those of you who are my dearest of friends...please do not make yourself read my babbling if this turns out to be a stupid idea, okay? I mean it--promise me!

In the pages yesterday...

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.

Okay, so I finished Part I. Which really isn't that big of a chunk (64 pages out of 479). But wow! Seriously. This book is so freakin' intense! I'm not sure if I've ever had such a visceral reaction to a book right from the start.

Part of it is the whole concept of Noise. And it's explained right at the start of the book, so I don't think I'm giving anything away by talking about it. See, in Prentisstown, everyone can hear everyone else. Not just their voices, but their thoughts. Their truths, their lies, their memories, their fantasies...all unfiltered. Never ending. This just makes me squirm. Literally. Inside and out. Honestly, it's almost too much to bear. I suspect there's a good chance if I lived in a place like that, I'd opt for suicide. And I don't say that lightly. Noise drives me crazy. I cannot stand to be in crowds...I get nauseated...both because of the physical closeness of so many people and because of the noise. I'm not one of those people who has to have the TV, or even music, on in the background. If I'm listening to music, I want to listen to it. I want sound to have meaning. Otherwise, I prefer silence. So this whole concept, and the way Ness was able to convey it, just put me on edge. And on edge is exactly where Patrick Ness wants the reader...or so I'm guessing.

But that wasn't all. There's an intensity to this book that I don't know quite how to put into words. I wasn't comfortable as I was reading...I was all keyed up. But as bad as I may be making it sound, I was enjoying the experience. Well, at least after the first couple pages when I got used to the writing style. I wasn't really bothered by the first person. And it was easy enough to get used to the misspellings and Todd's unique voice. Though, being petty here, I will admit that the double negatives bugged me. Anyway, back to the enjoying. It was so incredibly compelling. And towards the end of Part I, it was certainly more than a little exciting. Suspenseful.

Oh yeah, and then there's this little surprise that caught me totally off guard. :D

I have no idea where this book is going, but I sure am eager to find out.

I give up

2009-09-10T14:37:00.008-05:00

I tried to post about all the books that I dragged home with me from vacation. Actually I did post, but I deleted it. Because no matter how hard I tried, I could not get things spaced right. And photos kept disappearing. And well, I just got too frustrated to fight with Blogger any longer. Life's too short and all that.

So here's a much abbreviated version of that horrendous post.

Points go to:
*2 to Chris (for The Photographer and for Miejong)
*2 to Nymeth (for The Wizard of Earthsea and for East)
*1 to Kailana (for East)
*1 to DesLily (for Igraine the Brave)
Sorry for no explanations. And no links. I'm still fuming at Blogger. And yes, I do realize it's probably just me, not Blogger...but I've had so many problems with Blogger lately that I just feel like blaming them. ;)

I will try again with their back-to-school pics:

The morning the boys went back to school. Somehow it just didn't seem like a good sign. Foggy. Slightly, or not so slightly, eerie. But I'm happy to report that all went well.

The one and only "sort of" smiling photo I managed of them that morning. But that's okay...they cooperated for that one so I gave them free reign to have their own version of a photo shoot for the rest of the 100 pictures I took.

Which is why I ended up with photos like this. :D

And I certainly don't want to leave my sweet girlie out. This is Miss Annie arriving home from her first day of school. (She already loves her Children's Lit class...like there was any doubt she would.)

those back to school blues

2009-09-08T10:35:00.004-05:00

Let me just admit it...I'm selfish.

Tomorrow the boys go back to school...and I'm miserable. I don't want to be miserable, but dammit, I am.

Yes, I am excited for them. They both have incredible teachers this year. (I know because they each have the same teacher as they did last year.) They both have great classmates. (Again, the same ones as last year.) Gray is starting violin this year. They're both excited about chess club. It's a good thing.

So, why have I unsuccessfully been fighting back tears the past couple days just thinking about it?!! Yeah, I guess it's that whole selfish thing, huh? Bottom line, it just isn't as fun around here when they're not around. :(

I guess I should count myself lucky though...Annie will be around! At least on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She's still being homeschooled, and we're both really excited about the upcoming school year. She actually started her school year today. She's taking another class at the community college this semester. Children's Literature...and man, am I jealous! Anyway, this means I prepare her assignments for her other classes and send them with her on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and she spends her day on campus.

So anyway, if I get this depressed each fall when school starts, how I am ever going to survive when they all move out?!! I'd like to say that I will feel nothing but overwhelming joy for them moving on with their lives, chasing their dreams. So yeah, that means I really need to put in some work on this pathetic selfishness of mine, don't I?

haunting shorts

2009-09-06T16:55:00.020-05:00

I never got a chance to read Carl's short story post from last Sunday until Friday morning, but when I did, well, I was instantly itching to pick up a couple volumes of scary short stories and hide away in the library for the day. But we had a trip to the local zoo on slate for the day, so that just wasn't an option.

But...I did the next best thing I could think of...I grabbed Scary Stories Treasury to take along with us. This is actually a collection of three books, books in which Alvin Schwartz has collected and retold numerous scary stories from folklore. The stories are rather short, and we all took turns reading them aloud (well, except for Rich, as he was driving). It was really great fun! And we managed to finish the first two sections of the first book. Schwartz called the stories in the first section "jump stories," the kind of stories you can tell your friends and make them jump. Our collective opinion--they were o.k. But the next section contained ghost stories, and these ones we all loved! There was a story about a ghost wolf (Annie's favorite, of course), a story about a mysterious house, a story about a mysterious creature and the aftermath of getting too close to it, a story about lovers torn asunder, and my favorite, a story about a ghost seeking justice for her murder.

The art in this book is by Stephen Gammell. And it is fabulous! Fabulous! It's beautiful and haunting and sometimes downright creepy. But don't take my word for it:

One slight problem. I knew all along that this would be a book we needed to read during the daytime, for no way would Gray ever be able to sleep if we read these at bedtime. Well, turns out the whole "just read them in the daylight" strategy wasn't enough...guess who's had to sleep in the boys room with them the last two nights. Oh well.

Last evening, I decided I really wanted to dive into a nice RIP short just for myself. So I grabbed The Best of Roald Dahl (thanks again, Ana!) off my nightstand and finally cracked it open. But I'm afraid to say that the first story, "Madame Rosette," was a disappointment. In fact, I didn't really like it al all. But it wasn't really fitting for RIP anyway. So today I started the second tale, "Man from the South." Holy crap...it was sooooo good!!! And so very, very fitting, with all its delicious creepiness, for RIP. It drops this little bomb near the beginning, and this left me squirming inside and out throught the rest of the story. I was reading as fast as I could to find out how it would turn out, yet by the time I got towards the end, I was afraid to turn the page for fear of what might happen. And no, the ending did not disappoint!

And finally there's Pemba's Song: A Ghost Story by Marilyn Nelson and Tonya C. Hegamin. Which really isn't a short story at all. But I swear that's sort of how it felt. In fact, when I listed this book as a possible RIP read, Eva commented that she wished this book had had more complexity to it. After reading it, I know exactly what she meant by that. I wish this book had been three or four or five times as long as it was. And I wouldn't say that if I didn't like the story. But I did...there was a lot I liked a great deal about this book.

Pemba, a teen forced to move from Brooklyn to the small town of Colchester, CT, is having a tough time. She's had to leave her best friend and her boyfriend behind, and she's not particularly happy with her mom about it all. Pemba feels very authentic to me, and frankly, I adored her. And I felt for her. Because, as if things weren't bad enough, strange things start happening to her. She wakes up in the dusty old attic of their new house and has no clue how she got there, she starts getting horrible headaches, she sees someone else's reflection in an old mirror. And she's afraid to talk to her mom about these things because of what happened after her father died.

I don't want to give away any of the story, so I'll stop there, but I will say this worked well for RIP. It wasn't actually scary, but well, as the title says, it's a ghost story. :D

Sunday Salon...the ban

2009-09-06T11:26:00.010-05:00

Okay, I know I've tried this book buying ban kind of thing before. And every time I tried, I truly had good intentions. And still I failed. But hey, that's no reason not to try again, right? And I'm hopeful, really I am. For one thing, I have a lot of inspiration this time around:

1. Nymeth's post about tackling her TBR mountain. Yeah, and I suspect I was not the only one who had a nerve struck with her post. ; ) Seriously, isn't it just easier to face a monster head on when you've got friends doing battle along with you?

2. This:
Our once lovely library. Now there are books piled on the floor and books piled on the table and books scattered through the rest of the house... I'm in the midst of trying to rearrange it a bit, and weed it out a bit. But the bottom line is that there are just too many books for the amount of shelves. It's just become overwhelming. And not nearly as fun to be in there because it's like running a gauntlet just to get to a chair. :(

3. Reading the book Affluenza. Yep, it was the final kick in the pants I really, really needed.

Now I'm not claiming that I now have a will made of iron or anything. In fact, to help ensure success, I'm starting slowly. Very slowly. And I plan on rewarding success heavily to further motivate me. My goals are to buy less. And to tame the TBR piles to levels where I don't have to feel guilty about bringing more books into this house.

So, to buy a new book, I must:

a. If they are books from my TBR pile that I plan to keep, I must read 10. Or...

b. If they are books from my TBR pile that I will then give away, I must read 5. Or...

c. If they are books from the library, I must read 8.

d. PaperbackSwap doesn't count...but I can't buy credits.

Like I said, I'm starting slowly. But I'm hoping that success will lead me to realize that it's really not as hard as I imagined. And thus I will be able to raise those numbers without it leading to failure.

If I really follow through here, I guess there will be less blame to hand out, huh? Of course, I do still have this big box of books sitting here that I brought home from vacation...some of those have blame attached when I finally get around to it.

Anyway, wish me luck...

itty bitty book babble

2009-09-05T11:34:00.056-05:00

It's hopeless. I'm never going to get around to writing individual posts about the books I read on vacation. But since I'm counting most of them for challenges, I feel like I should say something. Even if it's just to say, "Read this book!!!"...because that's definitely how I felt about a few of them. Hadn't realized I went so heavy on the non-fiction. Anyway, in the order I read them:

College-Prep Homeschooling: Your Complete Guide to Homeschooling through High School by David P. Byers, Ph.D. and Chandra Byers.

Since there are nearly as many reasons for homeschooling as there are homeschoolers, no book about homeschooling is going to be perfect in every way for every person. While the authors try not to inject their personal philosophy into this book, it's still there in subtle ways. And their reasons for homeschooling definitely don't align completely with ours. But that's okay. It did mean that certain parts of this book were not as relevant to us as they may be to others. I do think this book has a lot to offer. Both to people who are not sure if homeschooling through the high school years is something they want to attempt and to those who have already made the decision. There are sections on learning styles, on teaching methods, on creating a high school curriculum, and more. Personally, the section that I found most helpful (and honestly, the reason I bought the book to start with) was about preparing for the end. It included things such as keeping transcripts, what to include in a portfolio, and writing course descriptions. Bottom line, while much of the book was about things we already know or things that don't particularly apply to us, I think I got my money's worth from the book, and I will definitely be referring to it from time to time over the next few years.

Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog: The Quirky History and Lost Art of Diagramming Sentences by Kitty Burns Florey.

You know, this is a case where the title pretty much sums up the book. Jean lent me this book a long time ago, and I decided it was about time I got it read and returned to her. Thanks again, Jean! This really was a fun read. Kitty Burns Florey is quite an engaging writer, and she had me chuckling on many an occasion. However, if you don't know what diagramming sentences really is, if you didn't have to do it in those middle school years, I'm not sure if it would be nearly as entertaining. (Of course, I could be wrong there...as she definitely talks a lot about grammar, and writing in general, as well.) I guess it says something that she has me wanting to relearn some of the intricacies of sentence diagramming and pass it along to the kids, huh?

The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci.

Okay, this is one of those books that I really want to say, "Just read it!" This book first came to my attention because of Becky's review. And then when I mentioned I bought it, Renay ~~threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't read it~~ strongly urged me to read it. Damn...am I glad I took her advice! I actually read this one aloud to Rich while we were traveling. And yes, he loved it as much as I did. In fact, at one point he said, "Damn. I really need to be reading more YA!" :D I'm really struggling here to try to find the words to describe this book. There's mystery. There's family problems. And friend problems. There's stereotypical characters...yeah, to be honest, they really were stereotypical...but dammit, I loved them anyway, probably because they reminded me so much of me and my friends in high school (Torey, our main character, privilege personified, who does a lot of growing; Ali, the cheerleader turned school slut; Bo, the thug with the heart-of-gold he keeps hidden from the general public). I know I've seen people claim that their high school was not clique-ish, and it's not that I don't believe them. But mine was. And this school very much had the feel of my high school (yes, I really can remember back that far ;) ). And though it may sound contradictory, I found the story to be both unique and still a bit predictable. Yes, predictable...but dammit, I still loved it! :D

Death: At Death's Door by Jill Thompson.

This is sort of an offshoot of the book Season of Mists, the fourth book in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series. In Season of Mists, the Endless come together for a meeting, and then we follow Dream through the events that follow. In this book, Thompson takes a look at what Dream's sister Death, as well as siblings Delirium and Despair, are doing during this time. To be perfectly honest, I had sort of mixed feelings about this. It's not that I didn't enjoy it...I really did. It just doesn't come close to the love I had for Season of Mists. At Death's Door has a much lighter, humorous tone. It was playful and simply didn't have the depth of Season of Mists. But then, it was wasn't meant to. Even as I was reading it, I was trying to figure out how much someone would understand if they hadn't read Season of Mists. I'm not sure I came up with a real answer. I think having read Seasons of Mists would give one a lot more insights. But then again, not having read it would free one from the constant comparing that I couldn't seem to avoid. Oh whatever. I do want to say that the art in this manga-style book totally charmed me!

Normal: Transexual CEOs, Crossdressing Cops, and Hermaphrodites With Attitude by Amy Bloom.

Another one of those books that I just want to scream, "Read this!" I just want everyone to read it, and not just because it is so good, but because I think nearly everyone could learn something from it. I found myself constantly talking with Rich about it as I read. At one point while I was reading the last section, he said, "Yeah, male/female is simply a false dichotomy." But yet it's still such a prevalent notion. We just had to wonder if the intolerance and the hatred could finally be eradicated if people just learn that gender is a continuum. What can I say...I can't stop hoping... Anyway, it's a wonderfully written book, and it's fascinating...so fascinating that it nearly killed me to put it down. Okay, I know this is a total cop-out, but I'm going to direct you to Eva's wonderful review, which is what led me to pick up this book in the first place, because I pretty much think I agreed with her on everything she said. :D

A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge by Josh Neufeld.

In graphic novel form, A.D. tells the story of seven New Orleans residents in the days leading up to, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. Josh Neufeld went to MS after to Katrina to help. I imagine it was impossible to not be changed in some way by that experience. And he was ultimately compelled to bring some of the stories to the world. The people who so graciously shared their stories with Josh Neufeld came from different walks of life, lived in different parts of the city, and chose (or were forced) into different actions in the advent of the hurricane.
While each of these people survived (obviously), most of them experienced a great deal of loss. It rips your heart out to read. And of course, it's overwhelming to think that there are thousands upon thousands upon thousands upon thousands of personal stories that we haven't heard. I bought this book while I was in New Orleans, and Chris bought a copy, too. I imagine our reading experiences will be drastically different. For I will never know, can never know, what it was truly like to be there. To live this. But that is why I think books like this are important. And I think all the people who suffered, in New Orleans and in Biloxi and in Gulfport and in countless other places, all deserve to have someone listen to their stories.

Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic by John De Graaf, David Wann, and Thomas N. Naylor.

Another "Please read this book!" book. The reason I happened to pick it up right now was because I was hoping it would be a good supplemental read during our population and consumption unit for environmental science this coming school year. Well, not only is it perfect for school, it was just a damn good read. My only complaint: while it wasn't actually repetitive, it did at times feel repetitive (if that makes any sense at all). But it was still so very worth the time it took to read it. It's a somewhat humorous look at a very serious subject...our passion for acquisition. It compares our overwhelming consumerism with a disease...discussing symptoms, causes, and treatments. And its approach was one of common sense. It was powerful, but I didn't find it to be preachy. And I do have to say it was motivating...while we're not terribly materialistic people to start with, this book has had me looking for ways to minimize our consumerism. But you can guess where that's leading, huh? Yep...I'm be announcing my new book buying (my biggest weakness!) "sort of" ban tomorrow...and I'm hoping you'll all help keep me in line.

*****
Read more:
C.B. James of Ready When You Are, C.B. (Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog)
Rebecca Reid of Rebecca Reads (Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog)
Becky of Becky's Book Reviews (The Body of Christopher Creed)
Renay of YA Fabulous! (The Body of Christopher Creed)
Amy of My Friend Amy (The Body of Christopher Creed)
Bibliovore of Confessions of a Bibliovore (The Body of Christopher Creed)
Nymeth of Things Mean A Lot (Death: At Death's Door)
Fyrefly of Fyrefly's Book Blog (Death: At Death's Door)
Megan of Working Title (Death: At Death's Door)
Diana Dang at Stop, Drop & Read (Death: At Death's Door)
Eva of A Striped Armchair (Normal)
C.B. James of Ready When You Are, C.B. (Normal)
Kathrin of Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic (Affluenza)

--I apologize for any reviews I may have missed. If you've reviewed one of these books, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it. Thanks.

vacation photos, part IV

2009-09-05T08:30:00.037-05:00

Okay, you'll be grateful to know this post should be the last. No, I don't promise to stop posting our goofy faces altogether...but at least this will be the end of the vacation pics, so you should get a break for a while.

Vacation: Day 9

Spent mostly in the car, on our way north again. But we did detour off the highway, onto the Natchez Trace Parkway (one of Rich and my favorite national parks) for a bit. We really wanted to take the kids to Cypress Swamp, which is just north of Jackson, MS. Arrived in Memphis, TN late afternoon.

Vacation: Day 10

Memphis Zoo. One of the big reasons this entire vacation came to be was because of the YaYa and LeLe, the pandas at the Memphis Zoo. Gray loves bears, all bears. But pandas...wow. After the zoo, we met Renay!!!! Sorry, she asked me not to post any photos, but I can tell you that, yes, this incredible woman really does exist. And she's as sweet and adorable as can be! Thanks again, Renay!!! You have no idea how much it meant to have you drove over and spent time with me!!!

Gray petting a skink.

Komodo Dragon.

One of Maxidoodle's favorites. Surprise, surprise. ;)

Max began channeling his chimp cousins. He kept this up all day. Just ask poor Renay. ;)

Awwwwww.

Vacation: Day 11

Spent the morning at Shiloh National Battlefield. Then drove up through TN and most of KY.

Vacation: Days 12-13

Drove to Cleveland OH. Morning/early afternoon of day 13 were spent at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. We love this museum!!! Then drove to PA to my parents, where we spent the night.

Vacation: Day 14

After spending the morning and early afternoon with my wonderful parents, we head home to NY.

Thanks again, for Bacon-sitting, Mom and Dad!

The end.

vacation photos, part III

2009-09-03T16:46:00.039-05:00

Vacation: Day 7, part 2

Yes! We finally get to meet Chris! He wrote a very sweet post that pretty much talked about all the awesomely cool stuff we did, so I won't repeat any of that. But what he didn't tell you is what a truly special, truly incredible, truly sweet-to-the-very-core-of-his-being person he really is!!!!

By the time it was getting close to Chris's expected arrival at our hotel room, I was just beside myself. I was nervous, yes. But way, way, way more excited. I paced around that room and probably drove everyone crazy. ;) And the second I opened the door, well, it was like I'd known him all my life! Honestly, I really have no words to describe how much I loved spending time with this sweetheart of a human being!!!! The only down side? Well, I have missed him every single minute since we left. :(

And just so you know I'm not biased, my entire family fell in love with Chris, too!!! And I think you'll be able to see that in all these photos. :D Seriously, Chris is so fun, and he made every one of us feel welcome! Not to mention that he is a primo tour guide!!! Wow...what a way to experience the city. Seriously.

Chris, I love you! Hope you enjoy the pics! (I will of course be sending you that disc.)

Chris helping Max test the spooky tale about the slaves' quarters.

Oh okay, I know I already posted this photo, but I love it so much I had to stick it in here, too. :D

Walking in the French Quarter.

In Jackson Square.

What a lucky woman I was to get to see New Orleans with these two fellas!!!!

I hate, hate, hate seeing myself in pictures, but you know what...I'm gonna treasure this one.

Not sure if you can tell, but Maxidoodle loved his alligator sausage.

This picture just doesn't begin to do this Borders justice. It is absolutely gorgeous, housed in an old mansion.

Vacation: Day 8

Beignet Heaven!

New Orleans has the coolest graveyards!

Lake Pontchartrain.

Partners in crime. ; )

Love this guy!

Sorry Rich, but that face is so goofy that I just couldn't NOT post this. ; )

Did I mention that we had fun? :D :D :D :D :D :D

vacation photos, part II

2009-09-03T14:48:00.012-05:00

Vacation: Day 7, part 1

Yes, I'm evil...I'm going to make you all wait until the next post for pictures of Chris.

(We arrived in New Orleans late Saturday night, so we didn't do anything but get settled into the hotel.) Since Chris had to work until 3:00 Sunday afternoon, we pulled out the old atlas to see if we could find a bayou to visit. We found Bayou Segnette State Park, which is where we spent our morning and early afternoon.

Just a cool spider.

Of course, we had to take this trail first. ; )

A few random photos of the park.

Grasshopper sex. The grasshoppers in LA are enormous!!!

Faces that make my heart smile. :D

vacation photos, part I

2009-09-03T10:19:00.025-05:00

I'm going to beg for your forgiveness in advance in the event that I overpost today. Because, well, I'm feeling particularly chatty. And well, I have lots of things I could bombard you with in addition to vacation stuff--book reviews I'm behind on, blame to be passed out, my new book-buying rules, etc. The good news for you is that I have lots of other stuff I have to get done today, so maybe you'll be spared after all. ; )

*****
Vacation: Day 1

NY to PA (to drop off Baker at my parents) to Antietam National Battlefield in MD.

So wish I could just sleep like this in the car. :D

Antietam.

*****
Vacation: Day 2

Spent the morning and early afternoon at Antietam. Left MD, traveled through WV, and into VA. Made it to Jean's gorgeous home in the late afternoon. While I got to meet Jean (who happens to be Rich's cousin) last summer when we met up at Gettysburg, this was the first any of us got to meet her family. And what an awesome family they are!!! (A photo of their good-looking mugs is shown under day 3.) We hung out at their home for a while, and then headed out to this awesome Chinese restaurant that had oodles and oodles of choices for the vegetarians among us. Then we headed to UVA and walked around the lovely grounds.

Miscellaneous shots from Antietam.

Rich trying to pull Max's extremely loose tooth with chopsticks. (Max lost two teeth on vacation, and another the day after we got home.)

Shot of one of the beautiful serpentine walls on the grounds of UVA.

*****
Vacation: Day 3

After a scrumptious breakfast at a local favorite, The Tavern, we hit the road. Drove the rest of the way down through VA and down to Cleveland, TN.

Those good-looking mugs I mentioned earlier.

*****
Vacation: Days 4-5

We spent two fabulous days hanging out with our old friends Bill and Deborah, staying at their home. We ate a lot, played a lot, and just hung out. On the afternoon of day 5, we met up with some other old friends, David and Judy, for lunch. And then went for a nice walk. (No pics of our friends because I haven't asked permission to post them.)

Random photos from Cleveland, TN.

*****
Vacation: Day 6

Spent mostly in the car. Left Cleveland in the morning, and stopped at our favorite ever used book store in Chattanooga, TN, before heading through GA and into AL. Stopped in Helena for a quick visit with our sis-in-law and nephews. (Again, I haven't asked permission to post photos.) Then on through AL into MS and finally into LA.

Oh, how I love this place.

Evening in southern MS.

*****
Okay, I guess I've bored you all enough for now. But guess what happens on day 7...yep, I finally get to meet Chris!!!! :D :D :D Whom I've missed every minute since we had to leave! :(

reassessing

2009-09-01T13:30:00.004-05:00

Whew. Finally unpacked. Caught up on the laundry. The massive pile of mail has been dealt with. Menu made, and groceries stockpiled for the week. Even managed to knock out the shopping for the boys' mile-long list of required school supplies. But I just can't seem to defeat google reader. *sigh*

So, in keeping with my newly formed list of goals (#2), I'm clicking the mark-as-read button.

Now I realize that many say that goals should be specific and measurable. And I do understand how that can make it easier to see one's progress. So maybe I shouldn't actually call these goals. More of a new way to approach life.

#1--Create more.

#2--Stress less.

#3--Cook more. And cook healthier.

#4--Spend less. And spend more wisely.

#5--Be more accepting of who I am.

#6--Take risks.

#7--Live a varied life.

Yes, our trip invigorated me. Can you tell? :D And the start of a new season helps, too...sort of like the feeling of starting a new year.

Damn, I love the feeling of optimism!

better late than never

2009-09-01T08:28:00.098-05:00

Being out of town, and out of the loop, I missed all the beginning excitement over the start of RIP IV. Oh well. Just means I still have reading everyone's lists to look forward to, right? While it's probably downright impossible to pick a favorite challenge, this may well be mine. It's definitely right up there in the top.

I know I've said it before, but I really, truly love every season of the year. And I feel so blessed that I live in a part of the world where each season shines. Ah, but fall. There's just something very special about it, isn't there? (The only downside I can think of--and it's a big downside--is that the boys go back to school.) Anyway, as much I already adored the sheer gloriousness of fall, Carl's enthusiasm just intensifies the joy! As does RIP.

RIP allows me to go back to my youth. Apart from all the assigned reading of middle school/high school, this was the kind of reading I did. I couldn't get enough. Somewhere along the line though, the stories of fearful suspense sort of disappeared from my reading. Until RIP II (sadly, I missed out on the first). Wow...another thing I am forever grateful to Carl for. (The list of things I am forever grateful to Carl for is enormous, by the way...but tops is for his friendship!) Yep, Carl reawakened my love of horror. And broadened it, too.

And RIP, as with all of Carl's wonderful challenges, brings out the camaraderie in all its participants. Okay, so it's hell on the wish list. But isn't that really a good thing, too? ;)

This morning seems the perfect time to finally put together a pool of books to choose from, as it is feeling particularly fall-like this morning with temps only in the mid-40s. We even bought the fixin's for our first batch of chili of the season...mmmm. (Rich's chili is just soooooo delicious!)

Okay, okay...back to books here. The one rule I've made for myself is that all books must currently be in this house...in other words, no buying! (Confession time...I came home from vacation with sooooo many new books. Bad me. Of course, a great deal of it is really Chris's fault. And not just because he *made* me buy books, but because he gave me a huge bagful! Anyway, I mention this because I figure I'll just go ahead and award any blame for the books in my pool right now.) And I'm shamelessly copying Chris's idea of just posting pictures of the books, though mine won't look as pretty as his because I have no clue how to put them together in a nice collage.

(Okay, Debi, just shut up already, would you?!!!)

Surely there ought to be something to catch my interest there, huh? ; )

5 of these came home with me from vacation (The Rapture--thanks Chris!, Voodoo Season--bought in New Orleans, and Spook, The Wyvern Mystery, and The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder--all from used book store)

2 of these come with blame attached (point to Chris for his review of Voodoo Season and point to Nymeth for The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder for getting us hooked on John Bellairs)

2 of these would be rereads if I get to them (Night Shift and Ghost Story)

3 of these I already have started (Night Shift, The Figure in the Shadows, and M Is For Magic)

13 of these are short story collections, 5 are graphic novels, 2 are non-fiction...

blah, blah, blah...yeah, enough already, Debi...

August wrap-up

2009-08-31T18:17:00.000-05:00

August made for a better reading month than July. Unfortunately, I didn't get a lot of them reviewed as I just read them on vacation. Do hope to get some of them reviewed though, because they were just so damn good. Like Normal. And Affluenza. And The House With the Clock in Its Walls. And...

Read:

Fiction:
*The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (Classics '09, RYOB, homeschool)

YA fiction:
*The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

Middle grade fiction:
*The House With the Clock in Its Walls--from The Best of John Bellairs--by John Bellairs

Fiction graphic novels:
*Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg (Graphic Novels extra, YA Challenge '09)
*Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and Nathan Hale (Graphic Novels extra)
*Death: At Death's Door by Jill Thompson
*Out from Boneville--from Bone: One Volume Edition--by Jeff Smith
*The Great Cow Race--from Bone: One Volume Edition--by Jeff Smith
*Eyes of the Storm--from Bone: One Volume Edition--by Jeff Smith
*The Dragonslayer--from Bone: One Volume Edition--by Jeff Smith
*Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border--from Bone: One Volume Edition--by Jeff Smith
*Old Man's Cave--from Bone: One Volume Edition--by Jeff Smith

Non-fiction:
*College-Prep Homeschooling by David P. Byers, Ph.D. and Chandra Byers
*Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog: The Quirky History and Lost Art of Diagramming Sentences by Kitty Burns Florey
*Normal by Amy Bloom
*Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic by John De Graaf, David Wann, and Thomas H. Naylor

Non-fiction graphic novels:
*Pedro and Me by Judd Winick (GLBT Challenge, Non-Fiction Five, Graphic Novels extra)
*A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge by Josh Neufeld

Short stories:
*"Phantom Pain" by Lydia Peelle (100 Shots of Shorts)

Picture books:
*Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess
*The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
*The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean

Watched:

On TV:
*Project Runway
--"Welcome to Los Angeles!"
--"We Expect Fashion"

On DVD/Video:
*The Wire
--"Game Day"
--"The Cost"
--"The Hunt"
--"Cleaning Up"
*Masters of Science Fiction
--"A Clean Escape"
--"The Awakening"
--"Jerry Was a Man"

Created:

Scrapbook layouts:
(Forgive the crappy photo.)

Crocheted:
One for my Mom. One for Annie. But I'm so in love with this little guy that I want to make one for everyone I know. :D

home again, home again

2009-08-30T17:25:00.004-05:00

3,440 miles spread unevenly over 14 days. New friends, old friends, family that doubles as friends. Multitude of fun and minimum of hassle. Sorry it's over, yet happy to be home. Refreshed, yet exhausted.

More details to follow when I find my way out of all this unpacking and the mountains of dirty clothes.

Can't wait to see what you've all been up to! (But I'm really scared to check google reader.)

we interrupt this vacation...

2009-08-24T08:43:00.004-05:00

to share this awesome photo of two of my favorite people:

Yes, we're in New Orleans!!!

And in case you're wondering, Chris is even sweeter in person!!!! Doesn't seem possible, does it...but I swear it's true!

we're off...

2009-08-16T15:36:00.004-05:00

First thing tomorrow morning, we're hitting the pavement. Should be back in about two weeks. Hope everyone has a super fantastic, perfectly wonderful second half of August!!!!

See you soon, Renay, and even sooner, Chris, and soonest of all, Jean! I SO CAN'T WAIT, Y'ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rapunzel's Revenge...random thoughts

2009-08-14T09:26:00.010-05:00

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale (who are wife and husband), with artwork by Nathan Hale (who is no relation to the authors).

So, could this book be any more wonderful? I'm honestly not sure that it could. It charmed me completely!

*The story: Adventurous. Humorous. Delightful. Incredibly unique fractured fairy tale.

*The heroine: Believable. Endearing. Always strong, and it was wonderful watching the way she grew to believe it.

*Other characters: Jack--despite his thieving ways, it was impossible not to love him. Gothel--the perfect villian...so easy to hate. Multiple minor characters that I adored.

*The art: Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous.

(Just a taste.)

*Miscellaneous:
1.) Unsurprisingly, finding out Rapunzel's birth name warmed my heart.
2.) This book was from the library, but I definitely want to buy it for Gray for Christmas!
3.) Definitely a feel-good, but not saccharine sweet story.
4.) I've loved every book I've read by Shannon Hale, so why haven't I read more?!!

*Other opinions:
--Kailana at The Written World
--Shelley at ChainReading
--Becky at Becky's Book Reviews
--Puss Reboots
--Alison at So Many Books, So Little Time
--Robin at A Fondness for Reading
--RaiderGirl3 at An Adventure in Reading
(I'm sure I missed some. Feel free to leave a link in the comments if yours was one, and I'll add it to the list. Thanks.)

Janes in Love...random thoughts

2009-08-13T11:11:00.023-05:00

Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg.

It's always a bit hard to talk about a sequel, isn't it? Or that could just be me, I suppose. But Janes in Love pretty much picks up where The Plain Janes left off. We're still following the exploits of P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art In Neighborhoods), a group of somewhat misfit high school students who perpetrate "art installations" in their town.

As I sat reading this last evening, Rich interrupted and said, "That sounds like quite the amusing book." Until then, I hadn't realized how often it had me giggling. And yes, humor does play a part. But really this book is so much more than that. It's about so many things, really. Dealing with fear. Taking chances. Following your dreams. The difference that art, and creativity, and beauty can make. Falling in love. Sticking with those you love. And friendship. The ups, the downs, and real gift that friendship is.

The thing about having a good, true friend is that it's ok if you cry so hard that snot runs down your face. Because their arms are strong and their heartbeat is loud...and you can be your smallest and ugliest in front of them.

I loved this book! I'm tempted to say that I enjoyed it even more than the first, but I'm not sure that's quite true. I think it might be truer to say that I loved the first book even more than I did previously because of this one. Honestly, I think you need to read both. They really belong together.

*****
For more opinions:
--Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings (The Plain Janes)
--Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings (Janes in Love)
--Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf (The Plain Janes)
--Eva at A Striped Armchair (The Plain Janes)
--Amanda at Zen Leaf (The Plain Janes)
--Amanda at Zen Leaf (Janes in Love)
--Susan at You Can Never Have Too Many Books (The Plain Janes and Janes in Love)
--Kailana at The Written World (The Plain Janes)
--Lenore at Presenting Lenore (The Plain Janes)
--Alison at So Many Books, So Little Time (The Plain Janes)
--Alison at So Many Books, So Little Time (Janes in Love)
(If I missed your review, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here. Thanks.)

The Jungle...random thoughts (very random)

2009-08-12T17:04:00.024-05:00

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.

*I first read this in high school. Didn't remember it all, but definitely remembered the gist. I believe that love it, hate it, or fall somewhere in between, once you read it, parts of it will always stay with you.

*Many will probably think I'm cruel for making Annie read this for school this year, as I know many complain that they were forced to read it in school, but it honestly is such an amazing, if horrifying, look at the U.S. during the early 1900s. I just spent weeks putting together a unit on this period of time, using multiple videos, non-fiction books, etc....and all of it, to varying degrees appears in The Jungle. As part of our study of 20th century U.S. history, we will be reading various works of fiction. I think that seeing history through literature is incredibly valuable. And there is no denying that this book allows one to vicariously live history through its pages.

*There was extreme racism in parts of this book. Part of the times? Sure. Still despicable.

*Personally, I think the first three-quarters of the book is much more interesting than the final chapters. The end is where Sinclair really got up on his socialist pulpit. And it's not that I personally have a problem with socialism (how many enemies did I just make for admitting that?), but reading page after page after page of socialist speeches just ended up boring me nearly to tears. I definitely found the portions more directly about Jurgis and his family far more compelling.

*I thought the way Sinclair sort of beat the reader down throughout the first three-quarters of the book was brilliant. Not pleasant, mind you. But, and maybe it's just me, I couldn't help but feel that he was wearing me down, sucking the life out of me, in just the same way that, as poor immigrants in the early 1900s, the life was being sucked out of Jurgis and his family. At the beginning of the book, there were scattered beautiful, tender moments. But those moments became fewer and fewer until they ceased to exist at all. It had a truly powerful effect on me.

*Probably goes without saying, but yeah, I was definitely grateful to be a vegetarian while reading this.

*And for some much less "random" looks at The Jungle:
--Inkweaver Reviews
--Charley at Bending Bookshelf
--Lauren at Wading Through 1001 Books
(Okay, so I actually couldn't find that many. I'm guessing there are more out there, so if you've reviewed it, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here.)

sigh

2009-08-12T07:08:00.003-05:00

How many days in a row can I write "catch up on blog reading" on my to-do list and still fail to accomplish it? I'm obviously shooting for a record. :(

blame update

2009-08-10T15:06:00.017-05:00

Man, the old to-do list is out of hand this week. But what did I expect...no one ever said that preparing a family of five for a two week road trip wouldn't take some work. One of those tasks, of course, is packing my books. Nothing like tackling the fun jobs first, huh? :D Only problem is that that means I have to update my recent acquisitions and point the finger at those at fault first. Since I'm currently feeling this pathetic mix of lazy and overwhelmed, I'm just going to make this short and sweet. Well, as short as is possible with this ridiculous pile of books, that is. And I apologize for the lousy photo (that whole lazy thing again).

*The Joy of Spooking: Fiendish Deeds by P.J. Bracegirdle. No points...just sounded like a fantastic one to read with the boys.

*The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine by Somaly Mam. No points...after reading the blurb on the back, there was no way I could not buy it.

*Fearless Girls, Wise Women, & Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from Around the World edited by Kathleen Ragan. Again no points...again just couldn't resist.

*A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi. Point for Chris. See, I'd stopped accepting books for review, but this one sounded so good that I hadn't deleted the e-mail about it yet. Then I saw Chris got it, and I mentioned that fact. He urged me to accept it...thus he's going to have to suck up the point for it. ;)

*A Soul in a Bottle by Tim Powers. Another point for Chris. I've had this on my wish list since his review. Then he went and joined PaperbackSwap and listed it...of course, I scarfed it right up. Oooh, and what a beautiful little book it is!

*True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff. Also got this one from Chris on PaperbackSwap. But I guess I can't get away with laying a point on him for it. Picked it up for the Printz Project.

*If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson. Point for Susan. Picked this up from PaperbackSwap, 1.) so I could read it before its sequel which I'd checked out from the library and 2.) because it's on Susan's "unofficial list of great YA by or about women of color."

*Trapped! Cages of Mind and Body edited by Lois Duncan. No point. Impulse pick up from PaperbackSwap.

*The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. Another point for Susan. Yep, another from her list. Yep, another from PaperbackSwap.

Hmmm...I'd really like to deny existence of these next five. Because they came from BookCloseouts YA sale. Yep, I went back again, even after that massive haul I made the first time around. I know, I know, I should really be ashamed of myself. My intentions were good though...I only went to pick up a few more presents for Annie and Gray. And five more for myself really isn't that bad, is it?

*Shooter by Walter Dean Myers. No point. I'm really excited to finally read something by him.

*Sexy by Joyce Carol Oates. No point. Just sounded really good.

*Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins. No point. But it is for the Printz Project.

*The Stones of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston. Point for Eva. Of course. :D One of these days I'll get a hold of the first one so I can actually start reading them.

*Monsters Are Afraid of the Moon by Marjane Satrapi. No point. Oh, I am so excited to read this with the Maxidoodle! Which means you can guess what kind of animals are in it, huh?

*The Night Watch by Sarah Waters. Point for Nymeth. Like she could ever come out of blame session unscathed. ;) Another PaperbackSwap acquisition.

And finally, there's another bargain pile. These all came from Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller. Many of them of for school, so I don't feel the need to claim any personal responsibility for those.

*Postwar America: A Student Companion by Harvard Sitkoff. No point. For school.

*American 1908 by Jim Rasenberger. No point. For school.

*The Biodiversity Crisis: Losing What Counts edited by Michael J. Novecek. No point. For school, though I definitely would have bought this one anyway.

*Now and Forever by Ray Bradbury. No point. Like resisting Ray Bradbury is even possible.

*Virgin: The Untouched History by Hanne Blank. Another point for Nymeth. My, oh my, oh my...what are we going to do with her?!!

*Watchmen by Alan Moore. No point. Though I honestly could hand out a half a dozen. This is one of those that really felt like a group effort. ;)

*Water: The Drop of Life by Peter Swanson. No point. For school.

Pedro and Me...random thoughts (and then some rambling)

2009-08-09T06:31:00.013-05:00

Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned by Judd Winick.

Pedro, being Pedro Zamora. Me, being Judd Winick. Both of whom appeared on MTV's The Real World: San Francisco. I have to admit, I've never watched a ton of MTV. (Factoid which proclaims my ancientness: MTV didn't even exist until I was a senior in high school.) And I never watched much more than a very occasional episode of The Real World. Until that year, 1994. I still by no means watched every episode, but something about that year drew me in far more than any other season. That something was Pedro. I honestly cannot imagine that anyone who watched didn't fall in love with Pedro. Pedro Zamora was special.

And this book is special. It's a story of friendship. Of courage. Of incredible giving. In graphic novel form, Judd Winick brings Pedro back to life and shares with readers the undeniable gift he was to this world. The book begins with chapters about Judd's and about Pedro's childhoods...two childhood's that could not have been much different. Judd was born and raised in a middle-class family on Long Island, New York. Pedro was born in Cuba. At the age of eight, his family boarded a boat and came to the U.S. Well, part of his family did...at the last minute, passage was denied to his five oldest siblings. And this was not the only tragedy of his young life. But you can read about it all yourself, and I strongly recommend you do read this book!

The rest of the book focuses on their lives once they arrive at the house in San Francisco, where they will spend six months getting to know one another, and growing to love one another in a powerful and beautiful friendship. I love so much that Judd didn't paint himself out to be some sort of "perfect" guy without fears and doubts. I appreciated his honesty about the fact that he was nervous and unsure when he found his roommate was HIV positive. In his own words:

Of course I'd be fine. I'm liberal boy and had decided that I was okay with this. Problem? Not me. I'm okay with this.

I'm informed. I subscribe to both Rolling Stone and Spin. I've seen An Early Frost and Philadelphia. The very special episodes of Thirtysomething.

I'm okay.

Well, I wasn't okay. In truth, I was terribly uninformed; but no AIDS hotline or doctor could begin to tell me what I was going to learn in the next six months.

Pedro learned he was HIV positive at age 17. He died at age 22. How many lives he saved in between those two events, I can't say. But I'm guessing it was many. Because after the initial shock and denial, Pedro spent his time educating people. And that is what led him to apply to be on The Real World in the first place...what a better way to reach millions of people all at once. And he did reach millions. He touched the lives of countless people. And of course he touched the life of Judd Winick and his other housemates in a very profound way. This is that story. It's no surprise that it's heartbreaking. But ultimately, it's a book brimming with love.

*****

I have a point of blame (a.k.a. thanks) to award for this one. Part of our health education this school year is going to focus on the human stories of HIV/AIDS, and I had this book on a list of possible reads. After reading Amanda's review, I knew this one would definitely be one of the books we would end up reading.

I do have other points to pass out as well. I really need to get on that. As well as trying to catch up on my blog reading. I'm sooooooo far behind. :( Since we're heading out on vacation in a week, I've been trying to get a bazillion things done. Especially for school...it seems like the new school year is barreling down upon me at tremendous speed.

But I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about our trip!!!! Not only are we going to get to see Jean again (giddyness abounds!) and finally meet her guys...not only are we going to get to spend a couple days with some wonderful friends that we haven't seen in a few years...but guess what...I get to actually meet, in person, two of the most amazing bloggers, two of the most amazing people period, I've ever had the privilege of calling "friend." We're heading to New Orleans...and I'm sure you all can guess who's going to be our own personal tour guide! Of course, we'll be hanging out with Chris!!! At least until he gets sick of us. ;) And as if that isn't already the treat of a lifetime, I then get to meet Renay!!! I'm so hoping some of her sheer awesomeness will rub off on me! You know, I'm somewhat surprised I'm managing to get anything done around here, because I am so overwhelmingly excited about this trip I can hardly think about anything else! Ana, you know what could make this trip even better...if you flew over here and went with us!!! We have room in the car...I'm so not kidding!!! And Eva, are you sure you and your mom can't make it?!! Of course, I really do understand, but man, did I have my hopes up!!!

Okay, before I hurt anyone with the overuse of exclamation points (though certainly you can see the necessity of such punctuation), I suppose I'd better sign off here. Hope you all are having a fantabulous weekend!