the letter M

That letter meme that's going around just looked so fun, I had to request me a letter of my own. Thank you, Kim! She bestowed me with the letter M. So, I now need to list (List! Of course, no wonder I was so enamored with this little meme!) 10 things I love that start M. Chris also received M, but I'm going to try my darnedest not to "steal" any of his answers.

1. Maxidoodle! Like there was any doubt what "M" would top my list, huh?
My miraculous surprise. My mischievous little monkey. My cat-lovin' maniac. My baby.


















2. Matrimony and Maternal-ness. Just my way of saying how incredibly fortunate I am, how very much I love my little family. I have the most wonderful, supportive, loving husband. And I am blessed beyond any possible words...I'll never understand why I was given the honor of being mom to these three precious human beings, but I am so very grateful that I was.


(Rich and his mom)


(the munchkins)

3. Mice. Long ago, I had to face the fact that I never know what little critters my dear husband will bring home next. A few years back, it was mice. At first, I was slightly annoyed...not because I don't like mice, but because being consulted about something that is going to bring me more work would have been nice. But what can I say? They charmed the socks off me in no time! They are just the sweetest little things I could ever imagine. And there is something so incredibly stress-relieving about just watching them go about their business and interact with one another. (But as for the hissing cockroaches...can't say I've quite warmed up to them yet.)

4. Museums. Oh man, I love, love, love museums. My favorites are natural history museums and art museums, but I'm generally game for anything. Of course, the Jello Museum is pretty close by, and I haven't been there yet.

5. Making stuff. (Is that cheating?) It truly is something I love, and something I don't spend nearly enough time doing anymore. I love making stuff with paper and fabric and fiber and wood and well, just about anything. In fact, things that would normally end up in the garbage can or recycle bin are some of my favorite "materials" of all.

6. Movies. I'm not one of those people who can actually talk about them intelligently or anything. And I admit that I prefer watching them in the comfort of my own home. But I do love movies. Most any movie, really...I'm definitely not all that critical. Being easily entertained is actually a pretty fortunate trait to have. :)

7. Microbreweries. Actually, I'm not a huge beer drinker. Much more of a gin and tonic girl. But there's something so appealing about drinking little locally brewed beers. Maybe it just reminds me of the days when we had time to brew our own beer. Hmmm...we really ought to do that again...

8. Manicotti. At least when prepared by Rich, with ricotta and minced pepperoncinis. Mmmmm.

9. Make-Believe. No explanation necessary.

10. Mysteries, Memoirs, and Mythology. Well, there had to be some way to fit books into this list, didn't there?

***Note: Had I not put the "can't use anything Chris used" restriction on myself, my Mom definitely would have made the list!

***Another note: This was harder than I thought it would be.

Anybody out there that hasn't yet got a letter? If so, and if you'd like one, just ask and you shall receive.

must-read sci-fi/fantasy

Shamelessly swiped from Carl's. From The Guardian's 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read, comes a list of 124 must-read sci-fi and fantasy. Done as Carl did, the bold are ones read, the italicized are ones owned and sitting in the TBR piles.

1. Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979)

2. Brian W Aldiss: Non-Stop (1958)

3. Isaac Asimov: Foundation (1951)

4. Margaret Atwood: The Blind Assassin (2000)

5. Paul Auster: In the Country of Last Things (1987)

6. Iain Banks: The Wasp Factory (1984)

7. Iain M Banks: Consider Phlebas (1987)

8. Clive Barker: Weaveworld (1987)

9. Nicola Barker: Darkmans (2007)

10. Stephen Baxter: The Time Ships (1995)

11. Greg Bear: Darwin’s Radio (1999)

12. Alfred Bester: The Stars My Destination (1956)

13. Poppy Z Brite: Lost Souls (1992)

14. Algis Budrys: Rogue Moon (1960)

15. Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita (1966)

16. Edward Bulwer-Lytton: The Coming Race (1871)

17. Anthony Burgess: A Clockwork Orange (1960)

18. Anthony Burgess: The End of the World News (1982)

19. Edgar Rice Burroughs: A Princess of Mars (1912)

20. William Burroughs: Naked Lunch (1959)

21. Octavia Butler: Kindred (1979)

22. Samuel Butler: Erewhon (1872)

23. Italo Calvino: The Baron in the Trees (1957)

24. Ramsey Campbell: The Influence (1988)

25. Lewis Carroll: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865)

26. Lewis Carroll: Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871)

27. Angela Carter: Nights at the Circus (1984)

28. Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (2000)

29. Arthur C Clarke: Childhood’s End (1953)

30. GK Chesterton: The Man Who Was Thursday (1908)

31. Susanna Clarke: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (2004)

32. Michael G Coney: Hello Summer, Goodbye (1975)

33. Douglas Coupland: Girlfriend in a Coma (1998)

34. Mark Danielewski: House of Leaves (2000)

35. Marie Darrieussecq: Pig Tales (1996)

36. Samuel R Delaney: The Einstein Intersection (1967)

37. Philip K Dick: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968)

38. Philip K Dick: The Man in the High Castle (1962)

39. Umberto Eco: Foucault’s Pendulum (1988)

40. Michel Faber: Under the Skin (2000)

41. John Fowles: The Magus (1966)

42. Neil Gaiman: American Gods (2001)

43. Alan Garner: Red Shift (1973)

44. William Gibson: Neuromancer (1984)

45. Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Herland (1915)

46. William Golding: Lord of the Flies (1954)

47. Joe Haldeman: The Forever War (1974)

48. M John Harrison: Light (2002)

49. Robert A Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land (1961)

50. Frank Herbert: Dune (1965)

51. Hermann Hesse: The Glass Bead Game (1943)

52. Russell Hoban: Riddley Walker (1980)

53. James Hogg: The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824)

54. Michel Houellebecq: Atomised (1998)

55. Aldous Huxley: Brave New World (1932)

56. Kazuo Ishiguro: The Unconsoled (1995)

57. Shirley Jackson: The Haunting of Hill House (1959)

58. Henry James: The Turn of the Screw (1898)

59. PD James: The Children of Men (1992)

60. Richard Jefferies: After London; Or, Wild England (1885)

61. Gwyneth Jones: Bold as Love (2001)

62. Franz Kafka: The Trial (1925)

63. Daniel Keyes: Flowers for Algernon (1966)

64. Stephen King: The Shining (1977)

65. Marghanita Laski: The Victorian Chaise-longue (1953)

66. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu: Uncle Silas (1864)

67. Stanislaw Lem: Solaris (1961)

68. Doris Lessing: Memoirs of a Survivor (1974)

69. David Lindsay: A Voyage to Arcturus (1920)

70. Ken MacLeod: The Night Sessions (2008)

71. Hilary Mantel: Beyond Black (2005)

72. Michael Marshall Smith: Only Forward (1994)

73. Richard Matheson: I Am Legend (1954)

74. Charles Maturin: Melmoth the Wanderer (1820)

75. Patrick McCabe: The Butcher Boy (1992)

76. Cormac McCarthy: The Road (2006)

77. Jed Mercurio: Ascent (2007)

78. China Miéville: The Scar (2002)

79. Andrew Miller: Ingenious Pain (1997)

80. Walter M Miller Jr: A Canticle for Leibowitz (1960)

81. David Mitchell: Cloud Atlas (2004)

82. Michael Moorcock: Mother London (1988)

83. William Morris: News From Nowhere (1890)

84. Toni Morrison: Beloved (1987)

85. Haruki Murakami: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle (1995)

86. Vladimir Nabokov: Ada or Ardor (1969)

87. Audrey Niffenegger: The Time Traveler’s Wife (2003)

88. Larry Niven: Ringworld (1970)

89. Jeff Noon: Vurt (1993)

90. Flann O’Brien: The Third Policeman (1967)

91. Ben Okri: The Famished Road (1991)

92. Chuck Palahniuk: Fight Club (1996)

93. Thomas Love Peacock: Nightmare Abbey (1818)

94. Mervyn Peake: Titus Groan (1946)

95. John Cowper Powys: A Glastonbury Romance (1932)

96. Christopher Priest: The Prestige (1995)

97. François Rabelais: Gargantua and Pantagruel (1532-34)

98. Ann Radcliffe: The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794)

99. Alastair Reynolds: Revelation Space (2000)

100. Kim Stanley Robinson: The Years of Rice and Salt (2002)

101. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997)

102. Salman Rushdie: The Satanic Verses (1988)

103. Antoine de Sainte-Exupéry: The Little Prince (1943)

104. José Saramago: Blindness (1995)

105. Will Self: How the Dead Live (2000)

106. Mary Shelley: Frankenstein (1818)

107. Dan Simmons: Hyperion (1989)

108. Olaf Stapledon: Star Maker (1937)

109. Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash (1992)

110. Robert Louis Stevenson: The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886)

111. Bram Stoker: Dracula (1897)

112. Rupert Thomson: The Insult (1996)

113. Mark Twain: A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court (1889)

114. Kurt Vonnegut: Sirens of Titan (1959)

115. Robert Walser: Institute Benjamenta (1909)

116. Sylvia Townsend Warner: Lolly Willowes (1926)

117. Sarah Waters: Affinity (1999)

118. HG Wells: The Time Machine (1895)

119. HG Wells: The War of the Worlds (1898)

120. TH White: The Sword in the Stone (1938)

121. Gene Wolfe: The Book of the New Sun (1980-83)

122. John Wyndham: Day of the Triffids (1951)

123. John Wyndham: The Midwich Cuckoos (1957)

124. Yevgeny Zamyatin: We (1924)

Yeah, that was horribly embarrassing... Guess I better go do some reading.

a fresh start...

At least that's what I'm hoping for. I have to admit that I have just been in a horrible funk the past week, and despite the fact that I knew I needed to snap out of it, I just couldn't. I've been so unbelievably stressed about school...I was already behind for the quarter, and losing everything on the computer made things exponentially worse. And our go-to computer guy let us know on Friday that he was unable to retrieve anything. He did give us the name of the one place he knew of that probably could...but I don't think we can afford it. Anyway, on top of that, it seems like we're dreading the phone ringing...worrying that it's the call saying that my BIL finally succeeded in his suicide by alcohol.

Okay, all of that sucks. But it's time to stop letting it drain the joy out of daily life. Heck, Annie decided Friday evening that she wasn't going to let loosing her novel keep her down...so with half the month gone, she decided to start NaNoWriMo all over again. You know, maybe she won't reach her 50,000-word goal, but I'm damn proud of her for trying! And with that kind of role model, how can I possibly keep moping around here, right?

So, Happy-Thing-#1:
The Book Bloggers Christmas Swap.



Nymeth is once again hosting the swap, this year with help from Dewey. (Two of my very favorite people!) I know most everyone has already signed up, but if you haven't go check it out. But hurry...the deadline to sign up is November 18th. It really was such fun last year. As much fun as receiving a package in the mail (thanks again, Lynne), was reading everyone's posts as their gifts arrived! So festive!

And Happy-Thing-#2:
Bellezza tagged my with the Kreativ Blogger Award.



Along with the award comes a meme of sorts:

7 Things I Did Before:

1. Made crafts to sell in a craft mall.
2. Hiked a piece of the Appalachian Trail on my honeymoon.
3. Felt as if I had a well-functioning brain.
4. Read almost exclusively thrillers.
5. Kept an immaculate home.
6. Smoked.
7. Worked as an optician.

7 Things I Do Now:

1. Home school my daughter.
2. Read just about anything.
3. Am thankful that I manage to keep the bathroom clean.
4. Wonder a great deal about what has become of my previously well-functioning brain.
5. Spend too much time on the computer.
6. Get up between 4:00 and 5:00 each morning.
7. Count my blessings!

7 Things I Want To Do:

1. Make more time to do the things I love to do, like reading and scrapbooking.
2. Sleep through the night.
3. Lose weight.
4. See my children grow into happy, responsible, caring adults.
5. Continue learning.
6. Remember to find the joy in every day.
7. Grow happily old with Rich, the love of my life.

7 Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex:

1. A genuine smile.
2. A kind heart.
3. A love of learning.
4. A willingness to be goofy.
5. A down-to-earth manner.
6. A supportive nature.
7. A love of all his fellow creatures on Earth.

7 Favorite Foods:

1. Rich's awesome stir fry
2. tortilla chips with queso dip
3. my SIL's chocolate raspberry bars
4. stuffing
5. brownies with vanilla ice cream
6. chicken and dumplings
7. homemade waffles

7 Things I Say Most Often:

1. "I love you."
2. "Thank you."
3. "Enough!" (Baker's command to stop barking...it does little good.)
4. "Sweet dreams."
5. "You're so cool!"
6. "What do you guys want to eat?"
7. "Wash up."

And, now, 7 people to tag for this award:

1. Annie, who is such a talented creative writer...just wish she would share more of her writing on her blog.
2. Nymeth, who writes the most exquisitely beautiful book reviews I've ever read.
3. Carl, who writes more passionately about the creativity of others than anyone I've ever read. You cannot help but be inspired when you read his posts.
4. Jean, who has all kinds of creativity spewing forth from her, but I'm going to focus on her gorgeous quilts as she shares them on her blog.
5. Dewey, who is the most creative community-building guru in the whole of the bloggy universe.
6. Quixotic, who designs and make beautiful cards.
7. Ali Edwards. Okay, her blog is not one I've ever commented on, yet I read it faithfully. She has long been my biggest creative inspiration. And it's more than her amazing life art...it's her whole outlook on life, her personality, her willingness to share her gifts with the world. I absolutely adore this woman!

(By the way, I know some of you don't really "do tags"...and that's just fine...I just wanted to share those blogs that inspire me creatively.)

And finally, Happy-Thing-#3:
We finally started putting our "library" together. We've had the room emptied for the past couple weeks, and we'd been waiting for me to paint it. But I finally had to admit to myself that I just didn't have time to do it now. And I couldn't stand having bookcases and boxes and bags and loose piles of books stacked all over the house waiting to be put in their new home. So we hauled in all the bookcases, and started filling the shelves. Rich is going to put up some more shelves today, so we'll be able to make even more progress. But we need to get a few more bookcases before we'll be able to move everything in. Then we'll need chairs, if we actually want to sit in there to read. :) And we have a rug all picked out, and we want to find some bamboo-type blinds, but those things will probably have to wait a while. Anyway, it's just so very exciting to finally have it coming together! And hopefully, I'll have some pictures to share soon.

that damn six random things meme

Oh okay, I shouldn't be so negative here. I actually love that meme...when anyone else does it, that is! I really do think it's so fun to read these bits and pieces about everyone. As for me, well, I've been tagged to do it before...and conveniently "forgot" to do it. Honestly, it's just that I am so truly boring that I can't think of anything to say. And please, please, please, don't tell me I'm not boring...I'm really not looking for that. Believe me, I'm living it...I know I'm boring! Anyway, this time it was Annie that tagged me...and she won't let me conveniently forget.

I thought maybe I would try to spice it up by using pictures, each of which was taken in my bedroom today. And you can tell me what you think any or all of them say about me. At the bottom, I'll tell you what they're really about. (Yeah, I know, this was absolutely a pathetic attempt at "spicing up," wasn't it?)






*********

So, what do I think they say about me?

1. Picture of my favorite pair of shoes. First, it shows that I have really big feet! They didn't use to be quite so large, but grew a half a size with each kiddo. I hear that's not uncommon. Secondly, they say that I totally dress for comfort. I am definitely not much for fashion. Hmmm...so why do I love Project Runway so much?

2. Picture of about half of my current TBR pile. Well, it definitely says that I need to learn a little self-discipline when it comes to buying books!

3. Picture of a totally goofy little plastic jack-a-lope. Evidence that I'm totally sentimental. I know it's tacky plastic figurine. But I absolutely love it! It sat in my grandparents' basement for as long as I can remember. They loved traveling in their camper, and this was a silly souvenir from one of their trips. I miss them soooo much.

4. Picture of a really old ladder that hangs on our wall as shelves. The fact that I love it points to the fact that I would fail horribly if I ever decided to enter the interior design field. Also shows how much I love handmade things, like the little scoop that Rich made for me the first Christmas we were married.

and on the schedule for today...

If all goes according to plan (yeah, like how often does that ever happen...), Wednesdays are for list-mania. (It's also my day to update my 50x50 blog, but unless you're in need of an effective cure for insomnia, I'm thinking that doesn't hold a lot of interest for anyone but myself.) But, back to the list thing, most weeks this will probably mean "good stuff" posts. But not today. Instead, I'm "borrowing" from the lovely Nymeth. A few days back, she did a meme-ish thingie for Banned Books Week. And despite the fact that Banned Book Week is now officially over for this year, I decided to do it anyway. (Gee, I'm such a rebel...HA!) I always love reading these kinds of lists on blogs and seeing what everyone has read. I'm usually too embarrassed to do them myself because of how few I've read. But I decided that embarrassment is highly overrated, and I'm just going to play along anyway. (Besides, this may be the first list of books where I've actually read more than 10% of them.) Anyway, the idea is simply to go through the ALA’s list of the 100 most frequently challenged books from 1990-2000 and mark the ones you've read.

#1 Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
#2 Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
#3 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
#4 The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
#5 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
#6 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
#7 Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling (not sure if I should count this one or not as I haven't read the entire series yet)
#8 Forever by Judy Blume
#9 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
#10 Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
#11 Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
#12 My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
#13 The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
#14 The Giver by Lois Lowry
#15 It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
#16 Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
#17 A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
#18 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
#19 Sex by Madonna
#20 Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel (again, not sure if I should really count this, as I only read the first one)
#21 The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
#22 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
#23 Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
#24 Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
#25 In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
#26 The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
#27 The Witches by Roald Dahl
#28 The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
#29 Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
#30 The Goats by Brock Cole
#31 Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
#32 Blubber by Judy Blume
#33 Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
#34 Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
#35 We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
#36 Final Exit by Derek Humphry
#37 The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
#38 Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
#39 The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
#40 What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
#41 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
#42 Beloved by Toni Morrison
#43 The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
#44 The Pigman by Paul Zindel
#45 Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
#46 Deenie by Judy Blume
#47 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
#48 Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
#49 The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
#50 Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
#51 A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
#52 Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
#53 Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
#54 Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
#55 Cujo by Stephen King
#56 James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
#57 The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
#58 Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
#59 Ordinary People by Judith Guest
#60 American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
#61 What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
#62 Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
#63 Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
#64 Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
#65 Fade by Robert Cormier
#66 Guess What? by Mem Fox
#67 The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
#68 The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
#69 Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
#70 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
#71 Native Son by Richard Wright
#72 Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
#73 Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
#74 Jack by A.M. Homes
#75 Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
#76 Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
#77 Carrie by Stephen King
#78 Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
#79 On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
#80 Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
#81 Family Secrets by Norma Klein
#82 Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
#83 The Dead Zone by Stephen King
#84 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
#85 Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
#86 Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
#87 Private Parts by Howard Stern
#88 Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
#89 Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
#90 Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
#91 Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
#92 Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
#93 Sex Education by Jenny Davis
#94 The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
#95 Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
#96 How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
#97 View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
#98 The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
#99 The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
#100 Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

getting around

I absolutely love Raidergirl3's It's Tuesday, Where Are You? Posts, and yet I can so seldom remember to join in the fun. Scatterbrained, that's what I am.

But I'm on board today...

*I'm on one horrifically creepy patch of land in The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. Shudder.

*I'm hiding behind a screen, trapped in a ballroom full of witches in The Witches by Roald Dahl.

*I'm in a hospital room, awaiting news about a recent eye surgery in "The Blue Lenses" by Daphne du Maurier.

You know, frankly, none of these places are particularly happy places to be. But such is life during R.I.P., huh?

photo fun

Oh how excited I was to see Medbie's post this morning! Seriously, you should pop over and see the exquisite photo she took! I just love, love, love viewing other people's photography. And I love to dream that someday when I grow up I'll be able to take gorgeous pictures myself. And no, I'm not being self-deprecating here...I just know I have a long way to go.

Anyway, I not only got to see Medbie's beautiful photo, but I learned about a photo meme, Lens Day, that I hadn't previously heard of. I used to play along with a couple other photo memes from time to time, but I really like this one, because it gives you a week to post your photo for the theme. The other one's were supposed to be posted on a certain day, and well, that's just not always feasible.

This week's theme: flower



(Taken Sunday at Tinker Nature Park.)

where in the world?

Ever since I first heard of RaiderGirl3's It's Tuesday, Where Are You? meme-ish like feature, I've been wanting to join in. Despite the fact that I'd be reminded every week when I popped over to Somer's, I still couldn't seem to get my act together enough to join in. Until today, that is!

So where am I?

I just made my way, along with Larry and Rita, out of the Lincoln Tunnel into New Jersey. Thank heavens that ordeal is over! (Seriously, that "scene" have given me the heebie-jeebies ever since the first time I read it nearly 30 years ago!) --The Stand: Complete and Uncut by Stephen King

I'm sitting in Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor with Major Anderson, who's wondering how on earth this can possibly end well. --The Civil War by Geoffrey C. Ward

I'm headed off to church in Mozier, Alabama with a very reluctant young boy named Sonny. --Sonny's House of Spies by George Ella Lyon

I'm at the Thompson house in Gettysburg, PA looking at a map with Generals Lee and Longstreet. --The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Ah, the exciting adventures to found amidst the pages. Wonder where next week will find me?

Thanks, RaiderGirl3!

summer goals meme

Becky just tagged me with Summer Goals meme, which was started by A Year of Reading. Seems like the perfect opportunity to try to organize my thoughts a bit. I know many people already feel like summer's here, but it doesn't quite feel that way here as the kiddos are still in school. So I'm going to take the literal route and make these my goals for June 21st through Sept. 22nd (I think that's correct anyway).

These goals do not have to specifically involve reading, by the way, but I think that's the direction I'll head. Please don't compare my list to Becky's list, as I'll come out looking like quite the slacker!

1. Finish up the challenges which will end during that period or shortly thereafter.
*Banned Books Challenge ends June 30th (still have 2 books to read)
*Heart of a Child Challenge ends July 14th (still have 2 books to read)
*Southern Reading Challenge ends August 15th (still have 3 books to read)
*It's the End of the World Challenge ends Sept. 15th (still have 3 books to read)
*Novella Challenge end Sept. 30th (still have 5 books to read)
*Non-Fiction Five Challenge ends Sept. 30th (still have 4 books to read)
*Celebrate the Author books for June, July, August, and September (4 books)

2. Have a ball during Dewey's Read-a-thon! This will be an easy goal to accomplish!

3. As we are trying out a year-round schedule for Annie's home schooling this year, it means I'll have lots of reading to do for that. Specifically, I'll add as a goal: read lots and lots and lots of poetry. (Poetry is going to be our focus for the first quarter of literature.)

4. Find solutions for housing all the hundreds of books lying in piles around the house. (One would think that having bookcases in literally every room in the house, except for the upstairs bathroom and the laundry area, would be enough, but apparently it's not.) Solutions are likely to include a combination of both more bookcases and giving away lots of books.

And now for the tagging:
*Nymeth--a. I wouldn't blame her for ignoring me since I still haven't done the 6 random things meme, though I still plan to, and b. she's going off to Brazil so maybe she doesn't want to set any goals except for having fun, fun, fun, but c. I hope she'll do it anyway :)
*Chris
*Eva
*Jean

the read-a-thon meme

In honor of Dewey, who hosting her 2nd 24 hour Read-a-thon, here is a Meme for all of us to pass around until the big day (June 28)!

If I had 24 hours to read, my goals would be:
*To be honest, the most important thing is just to unwind and relax and enjoy a little down time. It's a rare treat to get to read in segments of more than a few pages at a time. Often it's only a paragraph or two. So I'm just looking forward to getting lost amid the pages! But I am hoping to get more read than I did last time around. Now, being among the slowest readers on the planet, I have no hope of knocking out stats like Eva with her 85 or so pages per hour (yes, my skin is glowing an ugly green right now!), but I'm hoping to do a few things smarter this time. Like making drafts for my hourly updates ahead of time so I can just go plug in numbers and maybe add a few thoughts. Like making smarter choices in my reading. I'd love to break 1,000 pages, but that's probably quite unrealistic for me. (I think a lot of people are happier about the later start time, but it's going to work against me, I'm afraid. Not trying to make excuses ahead of time or anything. Just worried that I'm going to be fighting the drooping eyelids a bit earlier than I did last time.)

This is what I am going to have to do to get 24 hours of reading:
*Well, I'm lucky to be married to a fabulous guy! He volunteered to haul the munchkins off camping. Isn't he the best?!!

If someone asked me for recommendations of “can’t put down” books for the read-a-thon, I would recommend:
*Hmmm...I know Becky already mentioned this one, but I'm going to second her on it, and say Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer. I'm reading The Quickie by James Patterson right now, and it's definitely moving fast, both because of his trademark short chapters and because of the fact that things keep happening making it hard to set aside. Beyond that, I'm sort of drawing a blank here. But as has been said before, a supply of short, light books is definitely in order. YA are a good choice. And I think I may work on my short story and my novella challenge lists this year. Also, not sure if this applies to everyone, or just to old people like me, but make sure to have some books whose print is not minute for those hours when your eyes are blurring.


If you participated in the October 2007 read-a-thon:
For you, what was your favorite part of the October read-a-thon, and why?
*This question is sooooo hard to answer! Seriously, I loved every little thing about it. Well, except for that one period of time when I was fighting so hard to stay awake. The sense of community was wonderful! And the real life being alone was heavenly! (Yeah, I know, that sounds awful...but as it so rarely, as in next-to-never, happens, it was a real treat!) And simply being able to read more than 5 or 10 minutes straight...ah, what luxury!

How many hours/books/pages were you able to read in the Read-a-thon?
*Oh sure, just had to throw this question in there to embarrass me. :)
--Minutes (this is actual reading time): 958...that's 15 hours and 58 minutes. I did take an almost hour-long nap, and the rest of the time was spent on challenges and visiting other readers.
--Books: Finished one I had started (A Time to Kill). Read one full book, albeit a short one (The Halloween Tree). Started one book, but the words were way too small for the wee hours of the morning (The Cobra Event). Started, and almost finished, another book (The Wright 3).
--Pages: 660...which averages out to just over 41 pages an hour. Yes, I'm a pathetically slow reader!

I'm afraid I have no one specific to tag...seems as if everyone participating has already been so. But if you haven't...well, that just changed.

And if you've been thinking about joining in, you really, really, really should! I know it sounds downright silly to say, but it truly was one of the highlights of my 2007! Thanks again to our wonderful hostess, Dewey!

Geeking...week 4

I love this week's Weekly Geeks theme:

Choose a political or social issue that matters to you. Find several books addressing that issue; they don’t have to books you’ve read, just books you might like to read. Using images (of the book covers or whatever you feel illustrates your topic) present these books in your blog.

But I'm totally wimping out. Just like I've been wimping out with the meme Eva tagged me with a few weeks ago, in which I was to talk about the five issues that I care most about. I'm not wimping out because I don't care, but because I want so badly to be able to communicate eloquently about the things that I care so much about, the things that tend to cause my occasional insomnia. I worry that if I try to talk about such important issues, and do so poorly, it will do more harm than good. Really, Eva, I've spent hours trying to compose a post to answer the meme, to talk about the issues that matter to me. I actually only chose three because the first one was so many things rolled into one: 1. the state of the planet, from global warming to the loss of biodiversity to chemicals that cause endocrine disruption, etc., 2. poverty, and 3. giftedness (though I hate that term), from educational to emotional issues. But what I just wrote may be the closest thing to a post answering the meme that I'll ever get published.

Anyway, here's my cop-out post answer to this week's theme...

Books on my wish list on the subject of biodiversity loss:


The Diversity of Life by E.O. Wilson. This one's actually in my TBR pile, not my wish list. Anyway, it is supposed to one of the best books ever written on the subject of biodiversity and biodiversity loss.











The Root Causes Of Biodiversity Loss edited by Ian Johnson, Alexander Wood, Pamela Stedman-Edwards, and Johanna Mang. This book goes beyond the scientific reasons for biodiversity loss, such as pollution and habitat loss, and delves into the socio-economic reasons why people have chosen or are driven to degrade their environment.
















The Economic Value of Biodiversity by David Pearce and Dominic Moran. O.K., I admit it, I really don't have any burning desire to read this one, but I did think it was another interesting facet of the story.




The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth by E.O. Wilson. This book provides an interesting look at how disparate groups of people can come together and work for change.




















Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity by Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein. And finally, why it should matter even to those who couldn't care less about other species.













I'm really looking forward to reading everyone's posts for this week. I'm sure they'll be more enlightening than mine, and I'm sure my wish list will do a fair bit of growing!

procrastinating

Why I'm putting off reviewing the one book I've actually finished in the last two weeks is beyond me. Just can't seem to work up the brain power. Anyway, this movie meme that's been floating around (and which I saw most recently at Dewey's) seemed like the perfect way to put it off a bit longer. So anyway, here's how it goes:

1. Go to IMDB.com and look up 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Post three or four official IMDB “Plot Keywords” for each.
3. Then, you guys guess the movies (no looking them up!)

#1-asthma, hostage, media circus, pizza delivery (Dog Day Afternoon--guessed by Stephanie)

#2-autumn, corpse, cover-up, painting

#3-eyeglasses, one day, racism, switchblade (12 Angry Men--guessed by Rebecca)

#4-bookstore, revenge, royalty, speedboat

#5-barefoot, Christmas, heist, limousine (Die Hard--guessed by Stephanie)

#6-insanity, novel, sledge hammer, snow (Misery--guessed by Rebecca)

#7-butler, disguise, fog, invitation

#8-epic, eye, horse, mission (Lord of the Rings--guessed by Gail)

#9-cannabis, compulsive liar, confession, conformity (The Breakfast Club--guessed by Rebecca)

#10-cow, decapitation, helicopter, paleontologist

I haven't done very well at knowing anyone else's, but I'll bet more knowledgeable movie buffs will have no trouble with these.

more babbling...and hopefully a book review or two

I think I'm going to have to quit reading, so I don't have to write these book reviews anymore. It wouldn't be nearly so agonizing if I could just do a decent job at it. But then again, if I had to be good at something to do it, I wouldn't be left doing much at all. Ooooh...I think that thought just triggered my 6 Word Memoir.

Finding acceptance and contentment in imperfection.

I was so glad Becky tagged me with this one. Ever since I first heard about these 6 word memoirs on NPR a few weeks back, I've thought I'd like to write one. But I never actually took a minute to stop and really think about it. Turns out I didn't really need to stop and think about it though...seems as if when it was ready, it just popped out on its own.

Boy, I am really babbling here, aren't I? I guess now I should maybe go ahead and post the meme, huh?

6 Word Memoir

1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag five more blogs with links
5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

So, there you go the official blog-meme version. But now I'm pretty much going to blow off the tagging others part. I do hope EVERYONE will do it...they are so much fun to read!

Well, that was a nice diversion. But here I am with that darn book review still to write. Okay, let's just get this over with...


Notes from a Small Island: An Affectionate Portrait of Britain, by Bill Bryson. One of the reasons I've been dreading writing this review is the amazing mix of feelings I have about this book. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. Or more appropriately I should say, at times I loved it and at times I hated it. I gained nothing magical from this book, and I don't suppose it really has left me with anything lasting.

But I do now understand why Bryson is such a popular guy. (This is the first book of his I've ever read.) The man is funny. I'm sure to tally the number of times he had me laughing out loud, I'd have to use a few toes to go along with all my fingers. But even while I was laughing, I was beginning to get annoyed. By about half-way through the book, I just got fed up with his bitching and complaining. It wasn't even that I disagreed with him. And some of his rants were actually quite hilarious. But I just started feeling like at times the tone of the book was leaning too heavily to the negative...I mean his subtitle is "An Affectionate Portrait of Britain" after all. And in Bryson's defense, it really does come through quite strongly how much he loves Britain and the people who call it home. In fact, the last couple of pages left me a little weepy.

I guess I should have explained the basic "story" here first...Mr. Bryson, born and raised in the U.S., moved to Great Britain as a young man. He lived there for 20 years, marrying and starting a family. He and his family decided to move to the U.S. But before he left, he wanted to travel the through Britain one last time. So he sets off on a 7-week journey through England, Wales, and Scotland, visiting sites and cities he's seen before and many he hasn't. He travels by train, by bus, very occasionally by rental car, and by foot. This book is the story of this journey.

Okay, now back to my rambling thoughts. It was wonderful to hear about each city's unique flavor. It was wonderful to learn a bit about each city's history. But inevitably, Bryson found himself voicing the same complaints. Mostly to do with the loss to "progress" of the historical sites and buildings and overall feel in each city. As I said, it's not that I disagree. I find that a horrible loss as well. But it got to be like the proverbial broken record. Go to another city, walk around, complain about the horridly ugly new buildings.

In a way, I feel like I'm not being fair. Because there was so much about this book I really did enjoy. But then again, as I got farther and farther into the book, I found it harder and harder to make myself pick it up and read it. Yeah, I know, this is far from a helpful review, huh? Sorry about that. I guess it does say something that I still would really like to read A Walk in the Woods (which was the book I'd meant to read in the first place, but couldn't find it in our myriad of bookshelves when the time came).

Hooray! Along with filling in my "N title" for Joy's A-Z Challenge, this also finishes up Ariel's Unread Authors Challenge. I really enjoyed this challenge a great deal...for one thing, it got me to finally read some classic authors that have been embarrassingly absent from my previous endeavors. My list included The Halloween Tree (Bradbury), The War of the Worlds (Wells), A Christmas Carol (Dickens), I Was a Rat (Pullman), Animal Farm (Orwell), and Notes from a Small Island (Bryson). Thanks, Ariel, for hosting such a fun challenge!

By the way, and this has nothing to do with anything, but we didn't get the predicted amounts of snowfall. Ended up with 10 inches, so I can't complain too much (though 16 still sounds like more fun...oops, that's sort of complaining, isn't it?).

challenges, memes, and contests...oh my

Will I ever learn?!! Ever?!! Why is it that I cannot stop myself from signing up for all these reading challenges?!! Like I wasn't in totally over my head already, I've gone and signed up for 4 more in the past couple of weeks. On the bright side, I know I'm in good company with this little obsession!

Chris, who happens to exhibit slightly more control than I when it comes to signing up for reading challenges, tagged me with one of those fun little book memes. I don't know why, but I always enjoy reading these.

Book Meme Rules

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

Okay--closest book happens to be Blaze by Stephen King.

The baby stirred only slightly.
Now the window. Blaze lifted it, and was confronted with a storm window beyond that.

Not the most interesting of passages this time. Oh well. And as for tagging, I guess I won't pick five people this time, but I do hope everyone decides to do it...like I said, I just find these fun to read.

And finally, anyone signed up for Annie's What's in a Name Challenge, today is the last day to enter her first contest. Annie and I have been having fun reading everyone's responses to her first question!

not your average reading meme

Stephanie, who just happens to one the sweetest, most adorable bloggers out there, tagged me for this interesting reading meme. The meme was actually started by Eva (A Striped Armchair), whom many of you already know and love.

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

The books that immediately come to mind are Colleen Gleason's books. Remember, the question did say "irrationally"?!! So, what's holding me back? The fact that they're shelved in the romance section. Why can't I get past this? I honestly don't know. I've read so many wonderful reviews of her books, by people whose opinions I trust implicitly. Heck, I even have her first two books (autographed copies even!) sitting on my shelves. And one of these days, I will overcome idiocy on this matter...I promise.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

Hmmm...this is really tough, mostly because social events just make me extremely uncomfortable. So I think I'll just have a laid-back barbecue in our back yard, and invite a few laid-back characters. Shadow (American Gods) and Larry (The Stand), both laid-back fellows with good hearts, each of whom has enough of an edge to make them really interesting. And to round things out, August (The Secret Life of Bees), because, well, I just loved this woman. Another down-to-earth character who could really spice up a get-together.

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realize it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

Babbitt. Maybe I would feel different if I read this book today, but back in high school I truly believed that being made to read this book was a form of cruel and unusual punishment.

Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?

I honestly can't think of any. I'm the first to admit that I'm not a well-rounded reader. There were, however, a few required reads back in high school, that I probably didn't give my full attention to...Ethan Frome, for example, comes to mind.

You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalize the VIP).

Crap. This one's just too hard. Maybe And The Band Played On. Yes, it's the story of the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, especially in the U.S. But it has lessons to teach us about so many things...humility, bigotry, misguided intentions, selfishness, greed, etc.

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

Another tough one. I think I could be happy with whatever ability the good fairy gave me. Maybe Chinese?

A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

My immediate thought was The Stand. But I'm afraid once a year might take away some of its magic for me. So I'm going to say The Lorax. Hope it's not cheating to choose a Dr. Seuss book. I truly love this book and its message.

I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

Okay, and this one's tough for an entirely different reason...how to limit it to one thing! Book blogging has opened so many doors for me. I've grown to love fantasy; I've read more non-fiction than I have in many years; I've entered into the world of graphic novels; I've read more classics than I have since high school; I've discovered new-to-me authors, like Neil Gaiman and Ray Bradbury, that I adore. I simply can't believe how much my horizons have expanded in the past year!

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leather-bound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favorite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

I think my vision is pretty stereotypical. A huge stone fireplace. Big comfy chairs and loveseats. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lining all the walls. And, of course, the rolling ladders. An area with a huge table to spread out books and papers. Favorite framed photos and travel finds interspersed amongst the thousands of books. Ahhh...if only.

Tag 4 people for this meme...

Jean of Runs with Scissors...and a Sword (Haha...I can do this now that you have a blog!)
Kara of Calm and Chaos
Chris of Stuff as Dreams are Made On
Nymeth of Things Mean A Lot

just plain boring...

I've come to the conclusion that that is simply the best phrase to describe me. So, how did this revelation come about? Well, revelation is not the correct word...I've known I'm boring for quite some time. I just didn't quite realize how boring I am until Dewey tagged me with "7 weird facts about me" meme-y thing. She has this really interesting list posted, but I've been racking my brain for the past few days and can't come up with a single thing that is not totally snooze-worthy. (In other words, please feel free to stop reading this post now.)

7 possibly weird, but so not tantalizing things about me:

1. I don't own a dishwasher. I don't even want a dishwasher. Washing dishes is one of those household chores I actually enjoy. I enjoy ironing, too. But rarely have to do much anymore as Rich prefers the "rumpled professor" look and refuses to allow me to iron his clothes.

2. As much as I do love movies, I can't seem to make myself actually go to a movie theater. I have a hard time sitting still, and always seem to need to be doing something with my hands. Seriously, the last movie I saw in a theater was Lethal Weapon 3. When was that? Early 90's, I think. So many times a movie comes out, and I get soooo tempted, but I just can't ever seem to follow through.

3. I don't sort laundry. Which doesn't seem to fit into my personality. I'm so darn particular about so many things, so not sorting laundry just seems to go against "the real me". But we just have so much stinkin' laundry around here that I can no longer be bothered. Besides that, I have been working very hard to let go of some of those "anal retentive" tendencies.

4. Dewey mentioned on her list that she despises shopping. Ditto for me. (Unless you count book stores.) I don't want to steal her answer, but this did lead me to a few other stereotypical female traits which just don't apply to me. Rich has twice as many clothes as I do. Rich has probably four times as many shoes. Rich takes twice as long to get ready for the day. But each of those things is more a reflection on me than it is on Rich. Add to that, I'm not a jewelry person. Not that I don't like jewelry...I can particularly appreciate fun, funky, artsy jewelry...but I just never wear it.

5. Despite the fact that Rich's parents offered to send us wherever we wanted for our honeymoon, we chose to hike on the Appalachian Trail.

6. I despise talking on the telephone. Just can't stand it. Don't know why. Have never owned a cell phone. Can't imagine ever owning one. Hate driving, too. Only do it when I have to. And I don't even know how to pump gas...how pathetic is that?!!

7. My favorite beverage is Wegmans brand diet tonic water. I drink a liter nearly every day. In the evening, I occasionally add gin...but for the most part I just drink it from the bottle (the tonic, that is, not the gin).

I think I may have mentioned some of these things in memes in the past, but as I said, I'm simply not a fount of interesting tidbits. But hey, it probably is weird to be this incredibly boring, huh?

tagged...

Laura a.k.a. orgjunkie tagged me earlier this week. Now I know most of you probably already read Laura's blog, but if you don't...well, you really should! She's a true organizational guru! And she's really funny to boot! I'm pretty sure it's impossible to read her blog and come away not wanting to go organize something!

Anyway, I feel terrible that it's taken me so long to do this...but it's a hard one! So here goes..."Seven Things I Love About Me"

1. I have a kind heart. Rich often tells me that I'm the nicest person he's ever known. I'm not sure if that's really true. But I do try very hard to be as kind and thoughtful as I can be. The busier I get, of course, the harder it is to work in some of those extra "just because" acts of kindness, but I do continue to try.

2. I have an open mind. I'm willing to listen to other points of view. I easily admit that I don't have all the answers. I'm willing to listen to advice, even if I ultimately choose not to take it.

3. I'm a good wife. Seriously, Rich will be the first to tell you that. Of course, he makes it easy, because he's such a wonderful, supportive, incredible husband.

4. I'm a good mommy. Not perfect by any means, mind you, but good. I really wish I yelled less. But I spend a lot of time with my munchkins. We read, we play, we craft, we talk, we learn. I make a lot of effort to make holidays special. And lots of everydays special, too.

5. I'm creative. No, I'm not a talented artist. I probably don't rise above average in any particular art form. But I create.

6. I'm down-to-earth. I am definitely not materialistic. I buy all my clothes (well, not underwear, etc.) from thrift stores. I'm not a jewelry person...well, not expensive jewelry anyway, though I do love the treasures my monkeys make for me. I prefer wildflowers to roses. I would much rather go hiking than go shopping.

7. My dimple. Just one. A big one in my left cheek. Don't know why. Just 'cause it's different I guess.

Whew! That was not easy! But just like Laura said...why is it so much easier for us to list our faults as opposed to our good points? I don't think most men would have such a problem, but maybe that's being a bit stereotypical. Anyway, also like Laura, I'm going to tag a bunch of people...because I think we all need some self-affirmation now and then. And I can't wait to read what you all have to say. So "what 7 things do you love about yourself?" Kara, Carrie, Stacy, Gail, Melissa, Jennifer, and Dawn.

a fun little book meme

Amanda tagged me with this fun little book meme. Amanda, by the way, has to be one of the most voracious readers on the planet, and she's always writing great reviews on her blog.

The Rules Are: Post your responses. Tag anywhere from 1-5 friends. Leave comments to let them know they've been tagged. Come back and leave a comment when your post is up. Ok, here goes:

*Next 5 books on your to be read shelf:

1. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards
(for the Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge)

2. Call of the Wild by Jack London (for homeschooling)

3. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan (for the "The Non-Fiction Five Challenge")

4. The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett (for the The Spring Reading Thing Challenge, and because I've been dying to read it ever since I read Chasing Vermeer)

5. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Kidd Monk (for the Southern Reading Challenge)

--I do, of course, reserve the right to change my mind. The whole woman's prerogative thing, you know.


*Last 4 books you've read:

1. Before I Say Goodbye by Mary Higgins Clark

2. We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda by Philip Gourevitch

3. Just Jane by William Lavender

4. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke


Last 3 books you've borrowed (library or friend):

(Wasn't sure if this meant that I'd already read, or ones I still need to read. I'm going the read and returned route.)

1. Before I Say Goodbye by Mary Higgins Clark

2. Executive Orders by Tom Clancy

3. Pablo Picasso by John Beardsley


Last 2 non-fiction books you've read:

1. We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda by Philip Gourevitch

2. George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides by Rosalyn Schanzer


The 1 book you wish everyone would read:

I'm afraid I just don't have a clue how to answer this one. Sorry.


And I will now tag Kara, Stacy, and Gail. I know they all love to read...though they may have already played.

Thursday Challenge

This week's Thursday Challenge topic is FOOD.



Ice cream...good for wearing as well as eating.

10 on Tuesday

I really like this week's 10 on Tuesday topic...it will be a lot of fun to read everyone's lists. But I'm not sure how to answer it myself. Because, well frankly, I'm (a.) an open book already and (b.) pretty darn boring as well. But I'll give it a try.

**10 Things Most People Don't Know About You**

1. I love eating those little dinner mints mixed together with salty nuts. Or chocolate covered pretzels. Just love that sweet/salty combination.

2. I was blond until about age 5, when my hair started turning darker, eventually reaching a medium to dark brown. Now it is generously sprinkled with gray. (Though I do very sporadically color it.)

3. I swelled up so bad (due to preeclampsia) when I was pregnant with Annie, that the little toe on my right foot actually split open. I also drove Rich a little crazy because I talked funny because my tongue was so swollen.

--Please feel free to quit reading at any time...I don't want to bore anyone to sleep here.

4. I'm very low maintenance...don't like jewelry, prefer wildflowers to roses and the like, buy all my clothes and shoes from thrift stores, etc.

5. I hate crowds, talking on the phone, and in general, social situations where I don't know many people.

6. My labor was induced 5-6 weeks early with Annie, Gray, and Max (again due to preeclampsia).

7. I scored 1220 on my SATs despite (or maybe because of?) being "under the weather".

--Argh. This is so hard. I have absolutely nothing of interest to say! This is oh so pathetic!

8. I have really ugly thumbs. They look like overly long big toes.

9. I used to walk in my sleep; I still occasionally talk in my sleep.

10. My not-so-secret longing was to have sang back-up in a Motown group. (Too bad I can't sing.)

And there you have it...10 little known facts about me. Bet you wish you still didn't know them, huh? Happy Tuesday!