Beach Anniversary Weekend

I mentioned a while ago that the Husband and I were going away to celebrate our 20th anniversary (which was actually last month). After much deliberation and notes left pinned to the official "note peg" right in front of the door as you come in, we decided that a night at a beach would be perfect. Somewhere close (within half a day's drive) yet quiet, which was why we waited until what we hoped would be the off season. Eventually we remembered Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Fortunately, our hunch and the weather were both fabulous.

Surprisingly, the trip over the bridge on Rt. 50 on the far side of Annapolis was both uneventful and fast, even taking into account the traffic for the Navy home football game. For those of you who live outside of our area, this is a notorious traffic hangup spot on weekends. Anyhow, we managed a leisurely drive over to Chincoteague Island in enough time to register at the hotel (fortuitously located right outside the entreance to the National Wildlife Refuge (link in first paragraph above) and still have time to walk along the beach before dinner.

There were a few amateur surfers, anyone who tries to "surf" this far up the Atlantic Coast has to be an amateur. We laughed at them for wearing wetsuits in the warm water and because they persisted in trying to surf down the wave AFTER the curl had passed. The Husband, who once spent SIX WEEKS on Oahu playing soldier with the 25th ID, learned to gracefully fall off his surfboard on the North Shore of HI and judges all surfers by his teachers from that time. Yes, we were married then and no I couldn't go. I was stuck in freezing November Kansas with two young children and no money.

We found two empty horseshoe crab shells and watched a flock of tiny little birds hunt for sand crabs in the foamy surf- successfully. We marvelled at how much time has passed and how happy we are still. How time has both changed us and kept us the same. How our roles are changing this year. Our hopes for ourselves, for our relationship and for our children. I love the beach because you can see so clearly how far you have come and how far you have yet to travel. The vast and mysterious ocean provides both comfort and assurance and yet reminds you that time waits for no one.

Eat Pray Love; Elizabeth Gilbert

Photo found on Longitude Books

I know I know, it's all my fault. I should've known better than to rely on a book's back cover blurb when making a purchasing decision. Normally I'm a much harder sell. But, you know, I'm weak. I make more than my share of mistakes in this life. I bought this on impulse, after the husband teased me about leaving a bookstore without a new read. Then it sat on my bookcase for weeks.

I used to read a lot of travelogues. A few of which I've kept. I'm a devoted armchair traveler. There was (is still) no money being in the military & now a nurse- so not many travels outside of the US for us. Anyhow, perhaps my expectations were out of line, but this title is another DNF. Another review of this title can be found on Sum of Me dated October 1st. Link is also on my sidebar.

I simply find this book depressing far beyond my ability to set such feelings aside. I don't think it's sour grapes, "What did she do to warrant an entire year off?" Since that's a daydream I think many people have. I simply didn't expect to have to wade through this woman's emotional and psychological baggage while reading about her adventures. And let me tell you- she has some very serious amounts of baggage.

I've far too many unread books in my TBR to force myself to finish a book I dislike.

Fatal Attraction; Alicia Fields

Published in 2005 by Signet, Fatal Attraction (Aphrodite) is the second in Ms. Fields' The Goddesses series. I read the first book, Love Underground (Persephone), my thoughts HERE. Unfortunately, this one is a DNF. Aphrodite is portrayed as a sexually active, incestuous young teenager (starting at age 12) whose mother attempts to force a miscarriage. It is a testament to Ms.Fields' writing skill that I continued to read all the way until page 87. In a book marketed as a historical romance I don't expect or wish to read about incest, sexually active twelve year olds or attempted forced abortions.

In classical mythology Aphrodite is portrayed as an adult, the goddess of love, which to my mind doesn't equate with incest. It's all very unfortunate, really. I anticipated enjoying this book and I'm very sad that Aphrodite was given such a storyline. The mythologoical heritage of the stories of Aphrodite are rich and varied, the potential storylines are innumerable. Too bad this one didn't turn out better.

Edited to correct title Oct. 21st, 2007

Cover image found on eternalnight.co.uk

Blog Action Day- Local Farm Grown Produce & Low Phosphorus Detergent

The theme this year is the environment. What a huge and all encompassing topic. Everything turns back to our relationship with Mother Earth. Without her we will be lost. Originally I wanted to post about a large land conservation project (over 2,000 acres) near my home village in New Hampshire.

Then I thought I'd post about the efforts by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to get home/landowners to reduce use of fertilizers, manure etc. as well as wiser use of water resources, widening adoption of low phosphorus household detergents, etc. I remembered my Lovely Sister raised bay grasses in her science classes and took huge numbers of kids- any classroom size gang of middle schoolers is huge, as far as I'm concerned- to the Bay to plant the grasses. I remembered reading a newspaper article which said that many of those grasses were dying because of 'dead water.' I thought about water conservation in general.

As I floated around the CBF website I also discovered they urge homeowners to purchase fresh produce and flowers from local farms. Click here to see this page.This increases the quality of food on your table, assists smaller farms to become or remain financially viable, reduces pollution and reduces consumption of petroleum products. According to statistics I saw on the CBF most food travels over 1,300 miles before it reaches your local grocery store. Obviously this contributes hugely to air pollution & road congestion & has led to what I consider to be nutritionally deficient foods. Foods which were chosen because they travel and store well. Not because they are healthier, fresher or taste better, but because they travel and store easily. Iceberg lettuce- a total waste IMO- and tomatoes spring to mind.

So I floated around the web some more and discovered a website that allows the reader to input their zip code, resulting in a list of local farms which have various purchasing programs. Click here for a page listing other sources for locating community supported farms. I put in my zip code and discovered that a local farm sends quite a few shares (units of food purchasable by 'shareholders') to a large local food bank, as well as donating leftover produce to the same food bank. And there in a nutshell, is my blog action day topic- Locally grown sustainable produce. In other words, reduces air pollution & petroleum consumption while increasing food quality and overall health of the environment.

Related to this subject is the Slow Food Movement, link here. Graduate (my older son, for anyone new to my page) first told me about SFM when he returned from a pilgrimage to Oban Scotland, where he stayed with a hostel owner who rhapsodized about the SFM. How can we possibly go wrong by urging more communal mealtimes over delicious food? Humans are very clannish and suspicious of all whom we view as different, surely dialog over a meal table could only be helpful? We humans are losing our ancient linkage to the land resulting in the environmental illnesses we are surrounded by today.

So there it is, folks- go out there and sign up to buy locally grown, environmentally friendly fresh food. Links above. Next time you're in the store buy low phosphorus detergent, like Seventh Generation (listed as an example only). If you can't find that one, here is a link to a list of dishwasher detergent phosphorus levels, dated 2004. Here is a link to another list of detergent phosphorus levels, table halfway down the page.Eat dinner together as often as you can.

Hairstyle as Metaphor

Photo found on wikipedia.com


I rarely comment on politics here, although that may change as the U.S. 2008 presidential elections season looms larger & larger on the horizon. However, I came across this article today and I couldn't resist a question or two. Click on this link and read the article: iht.com.

Back now? I hope the link worked. It is a well known truism that a woman's looks and carriage effects the world's perception of her as both a woman and a professional. I understand and accept this, despite my own feeling that ability ought to be more important than wardrobe and make up. This isn't to say I'm anti aesthetics- one of my favorite indulgences is to make an appointment at the Lancome counter and get a make over.

However, if you read the article Ms. Tymoshenko (for a brief biography click HERE) and her handlers sound as if they are deliberately attempting to conflate purity, religion and politics via Ms. Tymoshenko's hairstyle, a long braid wrapped around her head, and her wardrobe choices, said to be predominantly white to better emphasize her 'purity' (specifically in reference to graft, apparently). To say I'm a little surprised and bemused at such antics is an understatement.

IMO this implies that Ms. Tymoshenko isn't or wasn't or couldn't be taken seriously on her own without such theatrics. I also wonder what such a facade hides. Who is she really beneath all this affectation? Are her fellow countrymen truly so easily manipulated?

On the other hand, of all of the news articles referencing Ms. Tymoshenko, it seems that IHT is one of the few who devotes an entire article to Ms. Tymoshenko's hair and wardrobe choices. A not so subtle attempt to trivialize her? A weak attempt to lighten the tone of the political climate in her home country? Column filler? Slow news day? Is this actually an issue widely covered inher country?

None of this is to say that U.S. politics, whether national, state or local is above equally cynical or manipulative behavior. I'm not claiming any special insight or supremacy. Just food for thought.

In the interests of full disclosure- I too have long hair that I mostly wear in braids, although I can't wrap it around my head. That would take more time and devotion and care than I can muster right now.

October 15

Please participate. Visit their blog HERE. On October 15 members of the blogosphere, such as ourselves, have been asked to post about an environmental issue close to their hearts. Much like Smart Bitches Day (each Monday) hopes to raise the content and tone of conversations about books, the hope of blog action day is to raise consciousness and concern about our little blue marble and how we're killing her.

What tarot card are you?

You are The Wheel of Fortune

Good fortune and happiness but sometimes a species of
intoxication with success

The Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. You are lucky in all things that you do and happy with the things that come to you. Be careful that success does not go to your head however. Sometimes luck can change.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Found on Annie Kelleher's blog.

Another Milestone

Photo found on webshots

My baby turned 12 yesterday. I can hardly believe it, except he's as tall as his sister & his g'ma. All he wanted was to go camping with his dad and his brother, plus lots of cake and ice cream. Mission accomplished.

September Synopsis

In my post about reading goals, titled Downward Mobility for anyone interested in such things, I mentioned my hope to finish 100 books this year. After totting up it turns out I've read 61 (including September's books). I've not made much progress toward that goal, but I've not given up yet. Below are links to the two books I posted my opinion on:

Dark Possession, Christine Feehan

Stardust, Neil Gaiman

Below are three others I didn't have time to write out an opinion on.

Shall We Dance? by Judith Lansdowne~ A traditional Regency wherein the reader comes in on a relationship after the courtship is over, but the hero has unfinished family business which stands in the way of the HEA. Comes after Ms. Lansdowne's Quiggley book. Both hero and heroine are in their mid to late 30 's. I'm a fan of Ms. Lansdowne's & this book is very good.

A Season of Virtues by Judith Lansdowne~ Another traditional Regency featuring a young Earl as a sleuth whose sidekick is a school chum, toss in a loving but meddling mother, a circus equstrienne, and a family whose last name is Virtue and you have a light, enjoyable couple of hours read. Oh yes- also stars a swearing parrot.

Folk Medicine by D.C. Jarvis~ Urged on me by my loving husband, who is very interested in natural health, holistic medicine and organic foods, herbs and supplements. D.C. Jarvis was a family practioner (M.D.) in rural Vermont. This was originally published in 1958 & precedes other more recently published books addressing the same or similar issues. Appears to be well researched. Discusses the effects of bad eating habits and how many ailments can be relieved by common pantry items. Interesting, but most likely mainly to persons interested in this subject area or those who are interested in life in rural New England prior to the mid 1950's.

Edited to Add~ Total of 6 DNFs so far this year.
Only 39 more to go! LOL 0_0

Homesick

I spend much of the autumn and winter homesick for this beautiful place, this season. I have hiked to this summit, been on and boated past this island more times than I can remember. This place has a fierce and unrelenting hold on my heart and my soul. I used to think my feelings were merely childhood nostalgia for a place and a time never to be recreated. I took my husband home a few autumns ago and realized that my attachment to this place goes deeper than nostalgia. The phrase 'tied to the land' comes to mind. I think I understand a little more. I sat upon that summit and looked at my husband and said, "This is where I belong. This is who I am. This place is in my very bones."

Photos courtesy webshots.com

Updates

The Husband~ Appears to be on track to be the 'curve breaker' in both pharmacology and something called natural science, which is a combo of chemistry and anatomy and physiology specifically for nursing majors. He keeps telling me he doesn't remember very much, but he seems to be doing just fine so far. If only the girl behind him would stop chewing gum with her mouth open...He tells me half his class couldn't be bothered to read the syllabus handed out the first day & were thus caught unprepared for the first test. Surprisingly the prof wouldn't accept, "but I didn't read the syllabus!" as a reason to take the exam another day.

Graduate~ According to rumors he's settled in very well. His grandparents are keeping him busy. He's job hunting. I've only spoken to him once, so I'm operating on the theory no news is good news. The husband has spoken to him roughly once a week, and I'm told he's alive and well.

Anime Queen~ Claims she's doing fine so far in both chemistry and algebra, thanks mom. Bummed that her best buddy has a different bus this year and no shared lunches. :( Spent the first two weeks of school running around trying to have her schedule fixed. Obssessed with some anime character she calls Vincy (from Final Fantasy VII). Has gone from wanting to be a fine arts major to a writer. Misses her big brother.

Pianist~ Formerly Younger Son, but I can't decide on a better moniker than Pianist. Schmoozer describes him well, but has a negative connotation I dislike. Mostly settling in middle school with success. Says he's happy to have new friends. Doesn't like lugging his books around. Had to have a key to his locker for several days until his locker could be fixed. He's stuck with a teacher Anime Queen had, but one whom we found to be umm.. unprofessional & unhelpful. He's teaching a different subject, one that Pianist has no trouble with so I expect all will be well. Jerk teacher. Pianist has outgrown every pair of pants he has and is losing the chubby cheeks of his younger years.

Moi~ Scheduled to within an inch of my life. Busy. The learning curve on my new job is quite steep. The other day I discovered my new position was originally two separate positions, up until the jobs and duties were reorganzized earlier this summer. I feel better knowing that. I have felt really pushed trying to learn everything, but I had a good conversation with my manager and I feel better about things.

After I came home from the back to school night (see earlier post about schedules) I realized what bothered me about the parents that night. This was BTS night for Pianist, btw. Pianist and Anime Queen are in an academically demanding international curriculum, mainly because I want them to be challenged in school and they both qualified & were accepted. AQ is on the far end of this 5 year prep program & Pianist is just starting.

Anyhow, the difference is that during AQ's middle school the parents asked alot of questions and appeared to be very interested and involved. This year, most of the parents didn't ask anything, other than questions related to figuring out the online gradebook. Nothing about the workload, the curriculum, the expectations, the school environment. Zippo. Zilch. Very depressing.

Today's Schedule

5:45 am~ Wake up. Ok, peel myself out of bed, throw on some shorts & a t-shirt, yadda yadda yadda

6:00 am~ Make pot of coffee (Dunkin' Donuts or Gevalia or Melitta only), attempt to watch morning news & wake Younger Son up

6:25~ Take Anime Queen over to her bus stop. Shivering in the cool air 'cuz I'm tired and half asleep & was too damn lazy to dress properly. It's dark out this early in the morning and her stop is off the road, so I take her over there & wait until she's on the bus.

6:57~ Take son to bus stop. Again, same location as the A.Q. difference is, this time (even though it's only 25-30 minutes later) the traffic is heavy enough that he has trouble crossing the road, no one will stop, despite two cross walks. So I take him. Better by far than him turning into road pizza cuz my lazy ass wouldn't get up out of bed.

7:15-9:45~ Return to bed for brief nap. I didn't get home from work until 11 pm the night before & I can never fall asleep right away.

9:45 am- 12 pm~ Scrub bathroom, make bed, run malware & anti-virus programs, clean kitchen, make my lunch for work, shower, dress & get ready for work

12:15- 1:10~ Drive to work, call Hubby & chit chat along the way.

1:15- 5pm~ Work

5:15- 6:15~ Drive home, call kids in transit & make sure they're ok.

6:15- 6:40 pm~ Run inside, make sandwich & drink a glass of lemonade; kiss kids & tell them I'll return ASAP. Tonight is back to school night at Son's school & I'm only home briefly.

6:40- 7:05~ Drive over to his school & attempt to find a place to park where I'll be able to get out again. As if.

7:10- 8:15 pm~ Sit through overly repetitive teacher spiels for Son's academic classes. Skip PE and chorus in order to return home in time to kiss the kids goodnight. Dash outside only to realize my parking choice was great except for the fact that there's no lighting & I can't see a thing. Also, the car is on the far side of a cluster of trees. In the pitch black dark. Lovely.

8:20- 9:15 pm~ Drive home, with intermediate stop at 7-11 to buy a newspaper and a frozen fruit bar. Listen to the drunks argue with the clerk about why they deserve more beer. Call home to see if Hubby has come home from work.

9:20~ Rush back into the house in time to kiss the kids. Victory! My biggest and most important goal achieved.

9:30- 11:30 pm~ Read paper, surf, eat sherbet

11:30- Snore on Hubby's chest while he studies for a chemistry exam

In Memoriam

Image found on un.org




Image found on nndb.com

The world is a sadder place today.

Nickel Roast

First, let me pat myself on the back for making up a menu and a shopping list before going grocery shopping. Second, a gold star for remembering to bring the lists to the store. Let the story begin.

Last Sunday after church the kids and I went grocery shopping. Around and around we went (not in our usual store & so we played seek & find) crossing off as we discovered things. In the meat department I start digging through the pork roasts and pull one out of the back. Startled by a little green button I take a closer look. Only to discover the roast is priced at .05~ Yes that's right. A 4-5 pound pork roast for one nickel. The green button turned out to be a pop up thermometer.

Naturally I couldn't believe my eyes. So Younger Son took the roast to a price check scanner, which merely said "priced as marked." At the check out my clerk was all of 17, if you're generous, and didn't pay a half a wit's attention to the price of our precious roast. Which did indeed ring up for one American Nickel. Amazed and afraid the grocery store police would chase me across the parking lot accusing me of theft, I bundled My Precious into the car, kids too, and rushed home.

Tonight our little Nickel Roast was braised in apple cider in the crock pot. Delicious.

Stardust; Neil Gaiman

I finished this a while ago, but due to scheduling issues I've not had time to type up my thoughts. I enjoyed it very much. It was quite a change from the tone and substance of others of Mr. Gaiman's work. I am surprised and delighted. The copy I have is the movie tie in edition. Stardust was originally published in 1999, the edition I have is published by HarperCollins and copyrighted 2007.

Somewhere in the UK is a little town called Wall which physically marks the boundary between Faerie and humankind. Mr. Gaiman remarks in his book that every land that disappears from human's maps reappears in Faerie thus making that world ever growing and unknown in size. That really captured my imagination- the thought that no people, no country has been wiped off the face of history. Somewhere those people, that place, is alive and well and thriving well apart from human predation.

Anyway, once every nine years in Wall there is a fair in the meadow where Faeries and humans meet and trade. One year a young man and an enchanted Faery enjoy one night of blissful happiness resulting in a basket on the newly married (after the fair) man's doorstep. Thus Tristran Thorne is a halfling raised as an human. Tristran has an uneventful childhood and youth, although he falls in love with the wealthiest young lady in Wall. One evening they are together when they see a falling star and Tristran promises the young lady he'll bring her the star to win her undying love. Sounds very cliched I know, but trust me when I tell you the treatment is unique and worth reading.

So Tristram sets off beyond the wall into Faery, looking for the fallen star. He has a series of adventures, gets involved in nefarious political plots, discovers the truth of his parentage and gets turned into a mouse. As I read this the legend of, link follows: Tristran and Isolde constantly ran through my head, although I am pleased to report this book has a happier ending than the legend.

Dark Possession; C. Feehan

Link to Ms. Feehan's page about this book HERE.I finished this one last week sometime. It fits the usual Carpathian mold, but reveals significant details about the struggle Carpathian and Jaguar (and others') struggle for self preservation. IMO that alone made this book well worth the purchase. All heroes have feet of clay somehow or another, and Vlad Dubrinsky is no exception. That's the only hint I'll give for those few people out there who haven't read this or those of you who will wait for the paperback.

This one is set in the jungles of South America. The hero is Manuel de la Cruse and the heroine is Mary Anne ____. Again, I'm forgetful so forgive my memory lapse. Mary Anne has appeared in at least two other Carpathian novels. She's a women's counselor who specializes in traumatized and victimized women. She has flown to S.A. to counsel a young woman who has suffered unspeakable violence at the hands of a renegade band of Jaguar shapechangers.

Manuel (Manolito) is one of the five de la Cruse brothers. He barely survived an attack in the Carpathian Mountains and has been buried in deep, healing soil on a tropical island in the middle of a river in the jungle. Trouble is while he was in the mountains he hypnotized Mary Ann and did a blood exchange with her which has initiated the physical and mental changes lifemates undergo. Problem being, Manuel did this against Mary Ann's wishes and without her knowledge. So she's freaking out a little at her reactions to what exactly is happening to her. Also? Turns out Manuel is only half saved. He's stuck between bodily life and spiritual death.

But why? Can Mary Ann address her legitimate needs for independence and understanding? Will she call Manuel onto the carpet for his deceit? What exactly are the origins of the plot to overthrow the Dubrinsky monarchy? Will Feehan ever return us to Europe or the US or will we be stuck indefinitely in South America? BTW, the Guardians? Totally cool. We'll see how things develop.

According to Ms. Feehan's website (see above) at this writing there will be a Carpathian book out next year, details currently unavailable.

Downward Mobility

IIRC, early in January I set an informal goal of beating last year's book total by at least one. After checking my previous posts, it seems I didn't actually make a published list of annual reading goals. Thank goodness~ I had 20/20 foresight didn't I? It'd be nice if I could do that (have accurate foresight) with stocks, though. LOL ;)

Last year I read 104 books, thus making this year's goal 105 or better. That means a minimum of 12 titles per month with one month 13. Even at my fastest I usually only manage 10 or so titles in four weeks. I don't think I'm gonna make it. Even to break 100 means 10 a month between now and Christmas. I'm unsure I'll make it, TBH. I hope so. I'd like to. I'll be disappointed if I don't. I'm trying hard to be realistic and honest though.

So I'm revising my goal to ..man this a toughie. To what? I'm mentally stuck on 100. As though that's some sort of magic number or something. SO.. OK 100 it is. That's still 10 per month. Starting now. Guess I'd better goet off the 'net and get reading!

The McJob

The job. It's sort of in the McJob category of employment, although it's a Federal McJob. Meaning I'd likely make more $$ working at a real McDonald's. However, it's a position where I'm supposed to be trained in all of the different sections of the business and then slotted into a place that best fits my goals and abilities and their needs. And then given a substantial raise.

I say supposed to be since this is a new hiring program and no one at work is willing to give out details of how exactly this new program works. I could look it all up online, but I've limited free time that I need to spend driving or cooking or cleaning or reading the newspaper or hiking with the kids or pretending I know 7th grade algebra. You get the picture. I plan to look it all up very soon- like tomorrow- since my situation at work changed this afternoon.

Anyhow. I'd been out of the workplace very nearly four years before I was hired. I knew that whatever job I got would be an entry level, a very basic 'yes i'm conscious and breathing' type job. I was ok with that as long as there was potential for advancement. Which, as it turns out, there is. And sooner than I expected. I think I've moved one rung up. Not a big rung, and no more $$, but it appears my boss thinks I can mutlitask and I'm not easily ruffled by the public or my coworkers. Which may or may not be true. We shall see.

Starting Monday I shall be learning to oversee the inmates of rung #1, facilitate their duties, make sure they have breaks and meals as appropriate. At the same time I will assist other employees and customers with all manner of transactions and issues. The most limiting factor being: in order to help the inmates of rung #1 I must remain in their immediate vicintiy. I cannot leave my station. However, issues arise that would be best and fastest resolved by going to the source, ie: leaving my post. Which I can't do. So I'm going to have to learn to work around this problem. Without appearing unhelpful or frustrated or hampered or unprofessional in any way.

I've already been warned that coworkers who've been there longer will mutter and be resentful and that I may be directly confronted with "What makes you so special?!" My manager has told me in no uncertain terms to be firm and unapologetic and to hold my head up and reply in a straightforward manner. She is older than I am, and a woman of color, so I'm sure has heard plenty of crap like that herself, but I was still surprised that she would tell me straight out. She was straight on though- my instinct is to play off negative comments with humor or by changing the subject or by putting myself down a bit. Anything other than a direct reply like, "I don't plan to stay on rung #1 forever. Deal with it." Which is exactly what my boss said to say.

My lovely and bright Sister, who was once my boss long long ago (and a good one too), has plenty of supervisory experience. I plan to ask her for advice if I run into any problems. Hopefully I'll live up to my boss' (and my own) expectations and I can make a go of this whole new working world. Next post about work we can talk about the really fun stuff- the commute, traffic, juggling of schedules, the scenery.

20th Anniversary

Twenty years ago this morning I married the man who would grow into my life so deeply I can't describe to you what it means or how we achieved it. I certainly never realized, at the time, what I was getting myself into. The most profound moment during the ceremony itself was when the priest took off her stole,wrapped it around our joined hands and said, "Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder."

We've hit the 'psychic' stage. You know, finish each other's sentences. Can tell the spouse's favorite family/childhood stories better than the spouse can. Make impulse purchases in the grocery store which, when brought home, the spouse says, "Thanks honey I was just thinking that ____ would be good right about now."

Happy Anniversary Darling~ May we have many, many more

August Synopsis

Totally pathetic. Even if you account for the fact that two of them were well over 700 pages apiece. Listed in the order I read them.



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; J.K. Rowling

Kushiel's Justice; Jacqueline Carey

The Road; Cormac McCarthy

Apples
by Grace Schulman


Rain hazes a street cart's green umbrella
but not its apples, heaped in paper cartons,
dry under cling film. The apple man,

who shirrs his mouth as though eating tart fruit,
exhibits four like racehorses at auction:
Blacktwig, Holland, Crimson King, Salome.

I tried one and its cold grain jolted memory:
a hill where meager apples fell so bruised
that locals wondered why we scooped them up,

my friend and I, in matching navy blazers.
One bite and I heard her laughter toll,
free as school's out, her face flushed in late sun.

I asked the apple merchant for another,
jaunty as Cezanne's still-life reds and yellows,
having more life than stillness, telling us,

uncut, unpeeled, they are not for the feast
but for themselves, and building strength to fly
at any moment, leap from a skewed bowl,

whirl in the air, and roll off a tilted table.
Fruit-stand vendor, master of Northern Spies,
let a loose apple teach me how to spin

at random, burn in light and rave in shadows.
Bring me a Winesap like the one Eve tasted,
savored and shared, and asked for more.

No fool, she knew that beauty strikes just once,
hard, never in comfort. For that bitter fruit,
tasting of earth and song, I'd risk exile.

The air is bland here. I would forfeit mist
for hail, put on a robe of dandelions,
and run out, broken, to weep and curse — for joy.


Found via Poets.org

The Road, Cormac McCarthy

Certainly not for those preferring a lighthearted read. The Road is a commentary on culture and human nature after all that we know and much of what we believe in has been destroyed. In other words- post apocalyptic earth. A bio of McCarthy is is HERE. It is easliy one of the most profound and moving books I have read in several years. Do not let the fact that it was on Oprah's reading list deter you.

A father and his young son are heading south towards what the father hopes is a warmer climate that may possibly enable them to survive. The Road is their story. It doesn't detail what caused the total destruction of the pair's known world, TR merely allows us to watch them love each other in their new, awful, heart rending, mind numbing world.

The father's pain seemed more present to me, more..I was able to relate to him most. Not only because of his age & parental status but because he was forced to cope with so much loss. The loss of everything he knew: nature, culture, the human institutions that make society what it is, his family. The son, OTOH, is so young that the current reality is all he remembers. All he knows. He hasn't lost anything. That is one of the most awful parts of this book. Realizing that the post apocalyptic earth is the only reality this child knows. Will ever know.

Theirs is an eternal relationship, the father and the child. For me the child represented all of the positive traits one hopes that humanity is born with. Love, faith, compassion, curiosity, conscience, resiliency. The father: loss, tenacity, perseverance, caution, mistrust, love. The father was, like all adults, more of a mixture of good and bad. An amalgam of all that he has experienced.

The ending made me cry and gave me hope. Read this book.

Updates

Yeah, I promised to try and stop by more often, but as you can see- I'm a slacker. I just finished reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Excellent book. Very thought provoking. Also very dark. I'll post my thoughts as soon as I can.

Husband~ Began classes at our local community college taking a full time load (4 classes) last week. Paid for by his employer. He is currently topped out in his field and since he's only in his early 40's he'd like to continue to move up the career ladder- thus this in the first step. He already has a degree, but the academic powers that be deem those courses 'too old' for his current course of study and thus he's forced to retake some things. He's smiling though. It'll only help his GPA. Plus- he gets to listen to the babies (as he calls them) spout off about everything they think they're expert about. Meantime it's all he can do keep qiuet and not laugh.

Graduate~ Seems to be settling in at the grandparents' just fine. We moved him in last weekend. New stuff from Ikea, new clothes. All his books. The other g'rents are loaning him a car (plus the insurance!!) and will help feed him as needed. Today is the first day of classes. He's currently job hunting. I plan to call him before I go to work to see how things went. The house is quieter, the fridge is fuller. I miss him, his jokes. The way his eyes light up. Don't miss Kudzu though.

Daughter~ Wishes to be called Anime Queen instead of such a plain, non descriptive, boring parental label like daughter. After an event filled summer, the last week or ten days has been quiet for her. Kinda a nice wrap up I suppose. She's busy playing with photoshop and writing fanfics and trying to slow summer down. This school year she's taking both IB Algebra and IB Chemistry, so she doubts she'll have much of a life this year. Poor Anime Queen, she struggles with math & chemistry is loaded with it. The Graduate was her favorite math tutor, but he's too far away. Maybe he can help her via IMming?? It's a thought.

Son #2~ Also wishes a new moniker. Can't really think of one right now though. He too has had a busy summer- visited both g'rents, went to camp, went to Baltimore. His current favorite activity is MS Flight Simulator & X Box. He's also practicing piano somewhat diligently. We went on a hike a couple of days ago when the temps were down. Went down to the stream & found a couple of tadpoles and some teeny tiny waterstriders- who can jump over each other on top of the water (like crickets). Several cool looking mushrooms, we forgot the camera as per usual, so no photos.

Me~ Have been feeling run ragged. Between the job and trying to get Graduate settled and a family reunion and whatnot, the last several weeks have been a strain. At least one of my days off has been spent traveling up and down I95 hither thither and yon. And beyond yon once or twice. Hopefully now that school is about to begin I'll be able to catch my breath a bit. I hope. We'll see.

I am definitely reforming my procrastinating ways. I've had to. There is no'later' or some mythical 'tomorrow' when I'll have less to do. It's now or never. I'm rediscovering the joys of the hyper caffeinated life. I am reading so that's been a plus. What else? I live and die by the calculator in my purse more than ever before.

Work itself has been fine. The interior of the building is being renovated, which we're working through. That has proved interesting. We were given conflicting information regarding 'mandatory overtime' being paid or if we were to be given comp time or even if the time is truly mandatory or not. So far I am enjoying the job and it facilitates my personal and our family goals. It's funny though, I've been asked if I think the job is 'fun' or if I'm now magically 'fullfilled' by working there. To the first- as far as I'm concerned work is work and therefore not intended to be fun so the question is irrelevant. As to the second- I was pretty much fullfilled (as much as the next person I think) before I began. So no. Onward and upward.

Kushiel's Justice; Jacqueline Carey

This is the second in Jacqueline Carey's new Terre d'Ange series. I read the first first book, Kushiel's Scion, here. Carey's gifts are showcased in epic fantasy and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent reading this. Now I have to wait until next year for the next one. *SOB*

Imriel and his distant cousin Sidonie, who also happens to be the kingdom's heir apparent, have fallen headlong, passionately in love. Trouble is, Imriel's family history and his cousin's political heritage clash violently. Sidonie is under age when this whole thing begins, and besides- her mother is not likely to ever approve. Officially or unofficially.

Ms. Carey offers a unique and insightful look at dynastic marriages, one I came to appreciate after some intial scepticism. If one is raised from earliest childhood to understand that marriage has everything to do with politics, land, money or alliances then personal feelings, attraction, and mushy bullshit like love, lust and passion are totally irrelevant. And dangerous. Two total strangers are united into one of the most intimate relationships humans can create. This breeds insight and a certain level of perceptiveness that would unnerve most of us.

Toss into the mix a religion that teaches one and all, "Love as thou wilt." What are the consequences of disobeying this precept? Even if there are, seemingly, good and defensible arguments for said disobediance? Can your gods follow you across oceans? Hear the anguish in your heart when you most need to be heard? What about a faith practice resulting in believers who think they can see the future? A religion that engenders in its followers a belief that only they can see and preserve the future of an entire island? Hubris much anyone? And we all know pride goeth before a fall.

Kushiel's Justice has it all: lust, intrigue, enchantment, ritual, hot sex, political intrigue, religion, cross continent adventures, vengeance. The soul deep satisfaction of knowing you've found your soul mate. And what about Imriel's long vanished, much vilified mother Melisande? Who manages to rescue Imriel's sorry ass way the hell up in what on our maps would be Russia. Where does she come into this? Read KJ and find out!

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling

Potter #7. The end of an era. The best of the series. What else can I say?? I didn't really like the middle books in the series, between #3 and #6. I absolutely feel editing and pacing was drastically necessary for those books. #7, though, was a total package as far as I'm concerned. It goes without saying that it doesn't stand alone. Read a series synopsis first, but this one is well worth the effort. Go forth and read it.

Big News

Sorry I dropped off my blog for two weeks- there have been big big changes at Bookwormom Central starting in early July and I've been totally snowed under trying to adjust. Change is afoot and we're not all coping as well as we might hope.

As regular visitors know the Graduate is prepping to move out at the end of the month to start college. Oh the DRAMA! You just don't know. It's been hard in some ways. Trying to cope with GF's clinginess. I've started calling her Kudzu. You know, kudzu is the awful invasive plant that has taken over the Southern US and is nearly impossible to get rid of once it's in your garden. Seriously. Easier in others: getting his driver's license at long last. He's leaving next week. I don't think the reality will set in until he's actually out of the house.

The other news is that I've reentered the working world. The working outside the house world that is. Being a stay at home involves plenty of work, I know. I'd been home full time for four years and it was past time I pulled myself together and got a job. I hunted for a long time before I finally landed a job just this side of the Potomac up near DC. It's also nearly full time- one more full day a week than I'd intially been hired for. On top of that, my schedule has been changed twice in the four weeks since I've been there. There are alot of changes afoot in my new workplace and it has some of the 'old-timers' so to speak a little riled up, as they say.

It has all been hard to juggle is an understatement. Son #2 is only 11 and pretty much as far as he remembers I've been home with him and his siblings. I'd worked part time for 5 years (when he was between 2 & 7), but the schedule was nothing like what I'm doing now. Of course it's summertime too so they're all home during the day and that makes my absence all that more obvious. Fortunately Hubby's schedule is three days a week so he's been home with them more- which has been another thing to get used to. A good and wonderful thing I think. ;)

Anyhow, I've been reading. I finished Harry Potter and I'm in the middle of the new Jacqueline Carey. Both huge books, 700+ pages each. Which is doing zilch for my monthly book count. :( I've been surfing on everyone's blogs (I finally loaded everyone into my cell phone) during my all too brief lunch breaks. I've not had time to blog or post on others' blogs though. There just hasn't been enough time in the day, unfortunately. As time goes by I'm sure I'll get more proficient and I'll post more often.

Meantime, I've missed you all and I hope to make the rounds and post too! LOL

July Synopsis

Below I listed the books I finished in July, there were also 3 DNFs but I forgot to write them down before I took the trade bag to the UBS & thus I have no idea what they were except- YUCKY. LOL ;)

I am still running behind on my yearly goal, unless I really get a move on I won't make it. The original goal was to read 9 books a month which would put me over the total I read last year, but only just. As of early July I had to up the total to 10 per month for the remainder of the year to meet the same goal. I am not making it, obviously. :(




1.Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

2. Ironside, Holly Black

3. Much Ado in the Moonlight, Lynn Kurland

4. A Lady of Expectations, Stephanie Laurens

5. Yours Until Dawn, Teresa Medieros

6. Jacob, Jacqueline Frank

7. Snow in Summer; Tess Farraday

Updates

Husband~ Continues in the same routine. Sounds boring I know, but for many years while we were active duty we wished for 'the same old boring routine.' And now we have it & we're treasuring it, believe me! His family is having a mini reunion on the 5th of August and he plans to go with the kids. I have a previous commitment I can't change, but I expect to hear all about it upon their return.

The Graduate~ Is finally taking formal drivers ed lessons. The State of VA has enacted many changes to the teenage ritual of licensing (all of which I think are a great idea). Combine this with Graduate's noncommittal shrugs whenever you ask him if he wants to drive and..voila. I have a late teen who is just now getting on the road. I don't know if my nerves or our insurance budget can stand it. He's likely moving out of the house for college the first week of August so our summer is eventful.

Daughter~ She informed us she will be going to Otakon 2008 as soon as she returned from Otakon 2007 a few days ago. She squirreled away her pennies for months so she could buy anything she wanted. The trip was one of her GF's bday gifts & so Daughter only had to pay admission. Apparently the trio spent most of their time waiting in lines, but it seems she enjoyed herself and that's all that matters.

Son #2~ LOVED camp. Had a wonderful time and wishes to return next year. Claims he never showered. Claims he kissed two girls from the camp next door. Hard to believe two girls let him close enough to kiss them if he didn't shower, but those were his claims. Has returned to practicing piano with verve and gusto. Thank god, because his whining was getting on my nerves. Is eating me out of house and home and has no clothing whatsoever that actually fits him.

Me~ I'm finally reading again, as you can see via the book reviews. I hope the trend continues because my TBR is actually shrinking a bit. Not alot, but at least it looks presentable now. LOL ;) About 300 titles I think. Nearly all of which I bought on the cheap at the UBS (used book store for the uninitiated) or at library sales over the last 5 years. Ok. TBH, those are only the romances. I have TBRs for fantasy, sci fi and mysteries as well, but those are less than 50 total. Honest.

Snow in Summer; Tess Farraday

I found this in a library sale bin and bought it for ten cents. SIS was published by Jove in 1999. I guess it wasn't too bad for the price, but this is much more a gothic than a romance and thus I feel cheated. Ms. Farraday did fine writing it as a gothic, and as such I would have enjoyed it. However, I was expecting a romance and from that genre perspective I was very disappointed, TBH.

Miranda Fairfield is living in her aunt's estate in rural, mountainous California while said aunt and Miranda's parents are away on a cruise. This is a typical American small town- everybody knows you and your family and every time you breathed ever since you were a tiny child. It goes without saying that these same people don't mind rehashing your past whenever it is inconvenient. Miranda was raised in this town and up until now had been happy teaching in the city several hours away.

Christopher Gallatin is a ghost in search of his heart. Without his heart he is unable to move on to whatever afterlife there might be. He's been hunting for it for about 500 years. Hercule Poirot he isn't. Somehow, Christopher discovers Miranda may have his heart, but he can't find it on the estate. So he coonvinces her he's an author writing a book and rents the upper floor of the barn to use as a studio. All the better to search for his lost heart.

That's the set up. Mysterious, vaguely threatening happenings abound as soon as Miranda arrives in the little town. Her past is dredged up by a local harpy working at the village paper. However, Miranda can't decide which guy wears the white hat and which guy wears the black hat. Will Christopher convince her he's on her side in time? And how might it be possible for Christopher and Miranda to end up together? I was disappointed the amber necklace wasn't featured more. I was also disappointed that the method whereby Christopher becomes 'real' wasn't discussed more.

Jacob; Jacqueline Frank

This is the first in the Nightwalker Series, written by Jacquelyn Frank and published by in. I've had it on my shelves quite a while & I have the next one, Gideon. I've heard there was some controversy surrounding it, but I didn't follow it at the time and now that I've read it I don't see what it might have been. This is fiction after all- the author's creation & wht she says goes, etc.

Anyhow- Isabella Russ is a librarian living in NYC with her sister. One night she literally falls out a window into Jacob's arms. Thus triggering her initiation into the heretofore unknown world of the Nightwalkers. My biggest issue is that Isabella takes everything in stride without much trouble assimilating all of the new &, to my mind, what should've been controversial or at least hard to believe, information and lifestyle. And she doesn't make much fuss over skipping out on her sister without any notes or phone calls, no matter that the Nightwalkers 'planted a suggestion' that Isabella was out of town.

Jacob is in charge of protectiong humans from monthly predations by the demons in the Nightwalker world. He is the most honorable, upright, just, etc. and is resposible for dealing out punishments to those who transgress. Thus he is somewhat isolated and lonely, as he isn't necessarily popular. In some quarters he is a bogeyman type figure. After rescuing Isabella, amazing and unlooked for changes occur which stem from Isabella's appearance.

I enjoyed it alot. Then again I love paranormals & my quibbles weren't too bad. I hope Gideon is just as good.

Thursday 13 #30-Around the Capitol Building June 2007

Photo courtesy of Webshots.


About five weeks ago the kids and I went downtown so the Graduate could sit through a job interview at an environmental NGO on Capitol Hill. Link to info about Capitol Hill as a neighborhood, as opposed to what you hear about in the news, HERE. The rest of us walked a few blocks away and sat on a bench in the shade to see what could be seen. It was a Wednesday between 5:40 and 6:45 pm. He was offered the job but ended up declining it due to commute problems. He was bummed 'cuz it sounded fun, but the hours were bad. Even though he's 18 I was not comfortable with the thought that he'd be downtown as late as 10 pm nightly. Fortunately he agreed with me!

The purpose of Thursday thirteen is to get to know fellow bloggers better. Click link in the title above to see a list of other participants. Leave a link in the comments and I'll link to you here.

1. Joggers- 56

2. Rollerbladers- 2

3. Police Dog- 1

4. 1 Sparrow trying to fly away with a tissue to build a nest

5. Cyclists- 53

6. Motorcycles- 4

7. Buses- 30

8. Motorcade- 1

9. Photographers- 4 Mostly with the tourist group, no 'pros' as it were

10. Joggers with their dogs- 3

11. Helicopters- 5

12. Cabs- 63

13. Segway tourist groups- 1 Segs in the City looked like tremendous fun!!

Yours Until Dawn; T. Medieros

Published in 2004 by Avon, this is the first Teresa Medeiros novel I've read in quite a long time. Link in the title is to Ms. Medeirios' page about this book. And I was very pleasantly surprised, TBH. The older ones I'd read left me..stale I guess. To use a more current word- they were *meh*. Not great, not awful, and they didn't leave me wanting to read more Medeirios books either. However, YUD remedies my impressions & quickly. I have quibble or two, but nothing that truly put me off.

Gabriel Fairchild, Lord Sheffield, returned from the war blind & with facial scars. Like many societies, he was then shunned by his peers and by his family before being forced to convalesce at a remote estate. Two of his most loyal retainers have been given the job of hiring 'nurses' (and I use the term lightly) to care for him. Miss Samantha Wickersham, former governess, is hired to help nurse him back to health. Gabriel is wallowing in self pity and blunders about his shrouded and filthy home like a bear who has hurt his paw. Samantha, through sheer stubbornness, helps turn Gabriel around mentally which helps him learn to cope with his blindness and scarring.

BUT- is she who she seems? What is she hiding? Gabriel eventually realizes there is more to Miss Wickersham than there appears, but he is content with her as she presents herself and refuses to push her for details. I had a quibble or two with how Gabriel's blindness is dealt with and I also had a quibble or two with Miss Wickersham's scheming and plotting, but in the end- Ms. Medeiros trumps me and deftly and with great heart hands us all an HEA. First keeper of 2007.

Quiz Time!

Via Marg at Reading Adventures, I took this little quiz & it came up with the following:

You're The Things They Carried!

by Tim O'Brien

Harsh and bitter, you tell it like it is. This usually comes in short,
dramatic spurts of spilling your guts in various ways. You carry a heavy load, and this
has weighed you down with all the horrors that humanity has to offer. Having seen and
done a great deal that you aren't proud of, you have no choice but to walk forward,
trudging slowly through ongoing mud. In the next life, you will come back as a water
buffalo.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Quite a downer aren't I??

A Lady of Expectations; S. Laurens

This is an older title by Ms. Laurens. It was published by Mira in 1995. Her page says they are hard to locate, but I found mine in the drugstore down the road. I find that I like Ms. Laurens' older, shorter works more than many of her new ones. A fellow romance reader pointed out that this might be because they aren't part of her Cynster series & I think that is a valid observation. This is a medium length Regency- longer than a traditional but shorter than standard long Regencies here in the US. I understand these were written for the Harlequin Mills & Boon in the UK so I surmise that is why they are different from the others in this subgenre.

Jack Lester and his brother have a reputation around the Ton as needing to marry a wealthy heiress as their family circumstances are 'straightened.' However, Jack Lester has been playing the Exchange and *gasp, horror!* with the assistance of Mr. Webb Jack has managed to recover the family fortunes. Now the problem is, he needs a wife and an heir. Poor Jack- he wants a wife not a gold digger. How to find one before word gets around that his family fortunes have been resurrected?

Sophie Winterton is a young woman in her early twenties whose mother died shortly after her society debut and thus was forced to retire to the country for mourning. Her father is a paleontologist (or archeologist, I can't remember which) who has at long last come out from mourning and gone abroad to study. Unlike many other romances where the daughter is either dragged along or abandoned or whatever other unlikely circumstance, Sophie's father leaves her with her maternal aunt and her family. A loving and caring family setup which isn't often seen in fiction. Too boring maybe? Anyhow. Sophie has no money, but wants a marriage where she loves her husband.

The plot is a chestnut in the romance community and yet Ms. Laurens portray Jack and Sophie as real, three dimensional people who have legitimate goals and needs and viewpoints. Sophie seems a bits stiff at times and I missed a taste of Ms. Laurens' spiciness, but overall I think this better than many other Regencies I've read (and they're some of my favorites).

Much Ado in the Moonlight; Lynn Kurland

Published by Jove in 2006, MAITM is a contemporary paranormal ghost & time travel romance. Link in title is to Ms. Kurland's bibliography page on her site. Before reading this I looked over all of my keeper & TBR shelves and realized that other than Christine Feehan I have more Lynn Kurlkand books than any other romance author. That's not to say all of her books are keepers, but you can't beat consistency either. A huge plus, IMO. Ms. Kurland is an autobuy though, a feat Ms. Feehan was demoted from.

Victoria McKinnon is an off Broadway NYC theater director who is given an opportunity to direct Hamlet in her brother's castle in Scotland. Unfortunately, Connor MacDougal is the resident garrison commander/laird in charge. Never mind that he's a ghost. Can Connor get rid of Victoria? Will Victoria fall prey to the schemes of one of her actors? Will the Boar's Head Inn trio of matchmaking ghosts succeed again?

I love Ms. Kurland's books and as usual she delivers again.

Ironside; Holly Black

I finally got around to reading this one after it sat in my library return pile for two weeks. Ironside was published this year by Margaret K. McElderry Books. The sequel is Tithe, although Valiant comes between and is linked. Click title above for link to Ms. Black's page about Ironside. Click here for my thoughts on Valiant. Click here for my thoughts on Tithe.

Kaye continues to grapple with being a changeling: feeling out of place everywhere, insecure, etc. Luckily she still has Corny and Gram on the human side and Lutie-Loo and Roiben on the fairy side. Feeling pretty much like a teenage human that she was Kaye makes several errors in judgement leading to the main adventures in this book. Corny shares the spotlight with her- a nice touch I thought. He's a unique character and as Kaye's friend deserves fleshing out. Roiben also struggles with resposiblity and duty and conflicting feelings about both his sudden ascencion to the throne and about his relationship with Kaye.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit, although I wish the story centered more on Roiben as opposed to Kaye & Corny. Not necessarily their relationship, but his conflicts and political struggles within the courts. More insight into his psyche would have been a nice touch too. Still, I am very satisfied with this episode in the story. The ending was a deft touch I thought. Wrapped up and yet with a hint of uncertainty about the future. Very nice.

Good Omens; Pratchett & Gaiman

I'm finally reading!! YAY~ This book is hilarious and yet manages to sneak in a serious thought or two. Good Omens reminded me of Piers Anthony's work, in the sense that there are lots of puns & cultural references. Similarities end there though. FYI, I've not read Terry Pratchett's books so I missed any and all references they may have made to his work. I think I need to borrow a few of his books from the library, though. I love satire. Plus my lovely Sister reccommended him to me ages ago. For some reason I can't get the link field in the title to work so here is a link to Terry Pratchett's page about Good Omens.

Good Omens is satire disguised as a comedy of errors. What happens if the antichrist is born, but is then 'misplaced' into a normal family? What happens when two angels, one fallen and one of the heavenly host, become friends after millennia on earth? Is it possible to be so far on opposite ends of the spectrum to be able to turn around and find your opponent metaphorically and ideologically standing beside you? Ultimately- can the Armageddon be stopped once it has begun?

Much much lighter in tone and content than it sounds, I promise you. A couple of budding romances thrown in for good measure. An excellent beach read. Highly recommended.

Thursday 13 @29- Observations about Germany

Brought to you by Daughter, newly returned from Munich and Berlin Sunday evening. Please keep in mind, Daughter is 15 & this is her first trip outside the U.S. Click here to read my previous post about Daughter's trip.

Thursday 13 is a regular feature on Technorati whose purpose is to enable bloggers to get to know each other better. Leave a link to your 13 in the comments and I will link to you here. Click link in title above to see a list of other Thursday 13 participants.

1. The ice cream is much, much better than ice cream here- even Ben & Jerry's. Favorites are mango and tropical.

2. Veal blood sausage is gross. *Mom aside: Daughter is pretty much vegetarian anyhow, but apparently this came as part of a meal*

3. America is filthy. Germany sparkles. *Mom again: The Graduate said this about Scotland too. It would seem that we're pretty much the armpit of the industialized world as far as litter and general cleanliness goes.*

4. There is quite a bit of green space within the city limits & it's easy to feel like you've escaped into the countryside.

5. More people use bikes or walk or take public transit than in the U.S.

6. Every *Mom- EVERY??* department store has a food store in the bottom.

7. The hostels were very clean and don't deserve the "dirty" reputation they have. * I think she means hostels in general, not German hostels specifically*

8. Schnitzel is excellent as is German macaroni and cheese. *I told you she'd figure out how to ask for macaroni and cheese while she was there!!*

9. Fresh cheese and bread are the best way to begin a meal.

10. Minerwasser is everywhere.

11. Nuclear bunkers are very claustrophobic and dark. Not to mention scary.

12. Always sleep on a 9 hour flight.

13. German subways are much more efficient than ours. *DUH!*

6 Month Statistics & June Synopsis

Below is a compilation of everything I've read this month (in the order I read them), also listed are three DNFs. Below is a little breakdown of what I've read by genre & subgenre. The goal was to have completed 55 books by July 1st.Which I failed by 9 titles.



1.The Perfect Husband, Jeanne Savery

2.A Sprinkle of Fairy Dust, Elizabeth Bevarly, et al

3.The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold

4.Valiant, Holly Black

5.Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold

6.The Hallowed Hunt, Lois McMaster Bujold

7.The Dragon King's Palace, Laura Joh Rowland

8.The Sharing Knife:Beguilement, Lois McMaster Bujold

9.If Angels Burn, Lynn Viehl

10.Once A Knight, Christina Dodd

11.Ithaka, Adele Geras

12.The Wind Dancer, Iris Johansen

13.My Wicked Fantasy, Karen Ranney

14. Clerk's Tale, Margaret Frazer

15. To The Castle, Joan Wolf

16.A Play of Isaac, Margaret Frazer

17.The Bastard's Tale, Margaret Frazer

18.The Widow's Tale, Margaret Frazer

19.The Hunter's Tale, Margaret Frazer

20.The Semptster's Tale, Margaret Frazer

21.Hunter's Moon, O.R. Melling

22.The Summer King, O.R. Melling

23.Wildwood Dancing, Juliet Marillier

24.They Call Me Naughty Lola, ed. by David Rose

25.The Traitor's Tale, Margaret Frazer

26.Blood Red Horse, K.M. Grant

27.P.S. I Love You, Cecilia Ahern

28.The Faery Reel, ed. Datlow and Windling

29.Oceans of Fire, Christine Feehan

30.Green Jasper, K.M. Grant

31.The Dark Mirror, Juliet Marillier

32.Waifs and Strays, Charles de Lint

33.The Summer Country, James A. Hetley

34.Dreaming of You, Lisa Kleypas

35.Hannah's Garden, Midori Snyder

36.Monsoon Summer, Mitali Perkins

37. Fortune's Fool

38.Skinny Bitch, Barnouin and Freedman

39.Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman

40.Turtle Diary; Russell Hoban

41.A College of Magics; Caroline Stevermer

42.Dangerous Tides; Christine Feehan

43.Face Down Beside St. Anne's Well; Kathy Lynn Emerson

44.American Gods; Neil Gaiman

45.Assassin's Apprentice; Robin Hobb June read

46.Deadly Game; Christine Feehan June read


DNFs

1.Dream Hunter; Sherilynn Kenyon

2. A Factory of Cunning; Philippa Stockley

3. Secrets of the Night; Jo Beverley


Total Books Read- 46
Chick Lit- 1
Diet-1
Historical Mysteries- 11
Horror-0
Fantasies-11
Humor-1
Literature- 1
Thrillers- 0
Mythology based romances- 0
Fairytale Romance- 1
Fantasy romances- 1
Traditional Regencies- 1
Historical Romances (Incl. long format Regencies)- 3
Paranormal Romances- Vampire-1
Paranormal Romances- Wicca- 3
YA Paranormal/fantasy-7
YA romance-1

DNF- 3

I'm off by 1 & can't figure out what I miscounted or forgot. I'm too cranky to sit here and recalculate a third time- so like it or lump it! LOL ;) Husband wanted to know how many pages it adds up to, but I'll have to go back later & add that in.

Deadly Game; C. Feehan

Uh. Yeah. So this is the only book I've finished all month. I'm about a third of the way through a Neil Gaiman and maybe three chapters into a biography of the Prophet Mohammed. Since today is the last day of the month I think I'm SOL with them. :( One of the worst reading months I've ever had. Or at least one of the worst reading months since I've started the blog.

Onward re: Deadly Game. This is the newest Ghost Walker book, published in February of this year by Jove. TBH I read the first two books in this series and stopped because I'd approached them from a romance genre viewpoint and this series simply doesn't work that way for me. Ghost Walkers work quite well as military thrillers (as long as you can suspend reality) with romantic overtones, but not strictly as romances- strictly my opinion of course.

Mari is a female Ghost Walker from a secret separate group of GWs , a psychically enhanced 'supersoldier' whose entire life has been coordinated, organized and manipulated by a maniacal, evil scientist who just happens to be funded by the U.S. Gov't. *Aside- in real life I really despise conspiracy theories* Mari Smith and Ken Norton meet up while on different missions to protect the same Senator. The result of which is they spend part of the novel trying to figure out who is telling the truth and who is working on the side of the evil scientist. The evil scientist is like a comic book evil villain. No redeeming virtues at all.

There is some violence, an attempted rape, outright murder and a scuzzy "dr's exam" for those of you who like to know about such things. This go around these things didn't bother me. I think it is because my perception of Mari is one of a strong and capable person whose entire life has been manipulated but who has maintained strength and dignity and integrity despite all of these problems. I've had serious problems with Ms. Feehan's heroines in the past, but of late either I've gotten more tolerant or the ladies are more rounded and whole and significantly less damaged. Take your pick.

Ken, to me, is similar to the Carpathian Jacques in Dark Desire Ms. Feehan's second book in the Dark series. Each man has been physically tortured and is permanently scarred both physically and emotionally from the cruel treatment they've survived. The heroines each provide a measure of sanity- a grounding in the real world, a sense that there is still goodness worth striving for.

How can you tell the difference between friend and foe when all you've been taught has suddenly been thrown into question? Is it possible to learn about yourself as an individual while maintaining a serious relationship? Who can you trust when the chips are down? This book has strong Carpathian type overtones to me- the whole 'wounded hero- grounding heroine' scenario; the invisible psychic superglue; etc. Deadly Game worked for me though (as did Dark Desire).

Hiking in DC

Ought not be done in 95 F heat, let me tell you. We survived, though. As regular readers know, our Daughter is away in Germany with her church youth group. As preparation we decided to go to the Holocaust Museum before she left. Now- several years ago I used to regularly park in Ft. Myer and walk this hike when the older kids were elementary school age. No one had serious problems with the distance & the youngest was pushed in a stroller. We walked through the Museum of choice and walked back through Arlington National Cemetery to the car. We always enjoyed our little outings and I didn't remember the walks as being arduous. So we figured, "Hey. The kids are older now, the HM doesn't look too far up the Mall. Let's just walk this one."

Fast forward past a few years. The route follows. If you have DoD stickers on your vehicle, it is possible to drive onto Ft. Myer, park, and walk through Arlington National Cemetery and walk across the bridge (with an enormous half nude female statue at the end- which grossed out Son #2 no end let me tell you). Once you're over the bridge you're near the pencil (otherwise known as the Washington monument), the shell and the tidal basin edged with cherry trees. Walk a few blocks to the right, when coming from Arlington, and there's the HM. Near the Mint. By map it looks to be a relatively reasonable walk. It is a relatively reasonable walk- as long as you're not in a hurry and it is cooler than 95. I also recommend the ability to walk a minimum of 5 miles at a single stretch.

Anyhow- ANC, like the Zoo, is built sloping down a hill (or up the Hill depending on where you start from). Following the roads (as required; no shortcutting through the actual grave sites) it is roughly three quarters of a mile from where we parked to Memorial Dr. which leads you over the bridge into DC. From the edge of the George Washington Parkway over the bridge to the opposite shore is approximately a mile. I'm guessing here, but I think the distance from the DC side of the bridge to the HM is roughly another mile- lightly shaded. I was able to measure distances up to the DC side of the bridge, but not through the Mall to the HM. So- round trip our 'little walk' turned out to be 5 1/2 miles!

The National Park Service has installed water fountains every couple of hundred feet along the pathways, so we didn't expire from heat exhaustion. Luckily Husband had purchased to large cups of ice from the HM cafe, so we had plenty of cold water to drink along the route back to the car. The problem is, The Graduate has a long looping stride which comes naturally to persons well over 6'2", the Daughter has short quick strides and likes to keep up with Graduate so they can share earphones & moan about how bitchy mom really is. And Husband? As a nurse he regularly zooms all over his assigned floor for 12-14 hours a day at work.

Where does this leave Son #2 & me? In the caboose. Waaaayyyy waaaaayyyy waayyyy behind. I'm not normally a slow walker, but I wasn't about to leave poor hot whiny "OMG mom are we there yet??" Son #2 in the caboose alone either. So every once in a while the Husband would slow down and wait for us or the older kids would stop to wait for directions or wait at a fountain for us. "Jeez mom! You didn't used to be so SLOW~ what's the problem? Are you getting old?" Thanks a lot guys. I feel so much better now.

The Son #2 and I- we survived. I kept hearing that old disco song I Will Survive in my head as we trudged uphill back through Arlington Cemetary. We made a little game of trying to spot the oldest year on the tombstones as we passed. We walked by a judge who presided over the Nuremburg trials. A fresh turned grave with a tiny palstic marker at the head. Watched the caisson roll by over the hill in the distance. Heard taps. Every time we go to Arlington I hear the echoes of tears and the sighs of those finally at rest. They remind me that all of the little trials we go through every day won't mount to a hill of beans (to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca) in history.

Daughter Update

Daughter is currently in Germany with her pilgrimage group from church. I thought perhaps other people might be interested to hear about their adventures. If not, come back another day!

They flew to Philly and then on to Munich- after a two hour delay on the tarmac. The email said the delay was due to problems with a connecting flight? Dunno. I'm sure the Daughter was totally hyped on a Monster and an entire pack of strawberry pocky. Pocky- spelling is also listed as pocki- is Daughter's favorite candy, usually bought at Wally World and smuggled into school. Also eaten in huge quantities at sleepovers.

Anyhow, they landed two+ hours late, but apparently all was well otherwise. No lost luggage, kids or anything else. Then the entourage (totaling nearly 20 people when you count all of the chaperones) attempted to decipher the subway system. Which sounds like it rivals the Tokyo subway for complexity. The token machine 'ate' a 50 euro bill before giving the group the passes it needs. Which is close to $80 US, I believe. *gulp*

After unpacking into the hostel they went for a walk around the area and ate at a local pub. Next day they went to Oberammergau to see the playhouse where the famous Passion Play is held every 10 years. Click here to see website. Sunday they attended church, met some refugee kids affiliated with the church, wrote postcards, and had a picnic, took a nap and then climbed the Tower of St. Peter's. Click here for link. Click here for automated cam of view from tower. Saw the glockenspiel move. Next day they went to see Neuschwanstein.

Note: The pilgrims themselves are incommunicado with the parents. The chaperones in this group have been sending one email daily with details of the group's activites. They seem to be having a good time. Learning to live "in community" supposedly- which makes me wonder what hijinks the kids have been up to. When The Graduate went to Iona with the church a few years ago, we had only one or two emails & that was it. It has been nice to 'watch from afar' so to speak.

Quiet Weekend

To quote Etta James, "AT LAST!" YAY!!! Daughter is away on her pilgrimage, Son #2 is safely arrived at my parents' house & the Graduate is currently at work. It's only Graduate, Hubby & I all week. Amazing. I might even be able to read something.

Bumperstickers

Seen recently on vehicles in our area:

1.Some people are alive simply because it's illegal to kill them. Seen on a vehicle parked on Capitol Hill in DC.

2.Support search and rescue- get lost! Seen on a jeep

3. I have to describe this one. You've seen the navy blue bolded capital W with the numbers 04 after it? Referring to the Bush- Cheney reelection campaign in 2004? The version we just saw is a navy blue bolded capital W with 'orst' after it. WORST ever. We had a great laugh when we saw that one.

Edited to correct formatting problems

Updates

The Graduate~ Received his precious diploma June 12 during a mercifully fast graduation that had speeches & awards etc over and done within 2 hours. For 560+ grads. We were quite impressed. The GF had received hers (after quite a battle with the school system, apparently, due to her serious illness) several days before. We, all 5 of us, the GF, my MIL & FIL & SIL & niece, went out to dinner afterward, which the ILs sneakily paid for (with a *huge* thanks! from us. The stadium job is turning out to be only 2 days during the stretches when the team is in town, so another job search is on. Him and every other teenager around here.

Daughter~ Just left this morning on the church sponsored pilgrimage to Germany. We squeezed in a visit to the Holocaust Museum to fill her in on relevant information as WW II has played a huge part in the formation of modern Germany. The museum is not for the faint of heart. It isn't graphic per se, but definitely roasts your heartstrings & makes you angry about the Balkans, Rwanda & Darfur. We had to forcibly remove Daughter's fanfic notebooks & take them to a GF's house. The idea of the pilgrimage, obviously, is to leave your comfortable & familiar things behind you to explore other cultures & push your boundaries & deepen your faith. Which would've been hard for her to do if she'd had her head buried in her fanfics. I did buy her a journal & a sketchbook to record her thoughts in though. And told her that drawing might be a good way to meet people in the hostels in Germany. Now if only my BIL (or my Mom) could've taught her some basic German. Like- "Where's the mac & cheese?" & "Where's the ladies' restroom?" or "I'm lost & I don't speak German!"

Son #2~ Is due to visit my parents starting Saturday. I've been told there's painting in the air, the upstairs hallway I believe. Also, deckwashing and vegetable gardening. Soon afterward he'd due to go away to sleep away camp up in the mountains near the WV border. It'll be his first time (he's 11) away from the family. Like Daughter, he too will be pushing boundaries & comfort zones & learning how to get along with others. I already copied out his reading list for next year, lucky boy!, although I've not purchased any titles yet. He only has to read 2 (I think), but he's on the waiting list at the library for three audiobooks of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books. Plus there's the new Harry Potter book & movie. I can see Son #2 putting me off until August with the required reading. Easily.

Husband~ Is still battling away with the former employer. The wheels of bureaucracy grind oh so slowly. The new job suits him to a T, but the 12 hour shifts are routinely 13-14+ hours. He's exhausted after his usual 3 day stretch. He says it's like going from Econolodge healthcare to the Ritz, though. The place is amazing. They've already put him through a pharmacology refresher & a disrhythmia course with seminars on the newest insulin dosing and research.

Oh yes, funny family story. The FIL loves to try & pull the wool over his family's eyes about what his drs. tell him about his illness. The newest one being diabetes. Husband calls his dad one day, by coincidence his dad was waiting for meds at the local pharmacy. FIL tries to tell Husband, "My Dr. says it's ok if my sugars are too high. It won't seriously effect my other illnesses or make me feel worse." Husband braeks out into guffaws of laughter, tears running down his face, turning bright bluish-purple (sounds scary, but he looks just like a giant blueberry). He holds the phone away from him for at least a minute. "Dad. You don't expect me to believe that BS do you?! I'm a nurse. Remember?" The FIL was not best pleased. At ALL. We however, found it quite quite funny. And sad.

Remind me to tell you about the 6 mile hike we took. In 95 degree heat. Also- not read a damn thing in the entire month. Next Thursday I've a neato 13 about stuff I saw around the Capitol last Wednesday. I think.

10 Commandments for Drivers

An insightful someone, perhaps with too much time on their hands, has issued a list of 10 Commandments for drivers. He is obviously slightly behind the times as the list does not address drivers who yak on their cell phones or have both buds of their headphones in, etc. Possibly could be categorized under #3, but for emphasis ought to have its own number. Also # 10 ought not only be for driving!

Here are the "Drivers' Ten Commandments" as listed by the Vatican's Office for Migrants and Itinerant People:

1. You shall not kill.

2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

4. Be charitable and help your neighbour in need, especially victims of accidents.

5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

7. Support the families of accident victims.

8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

10. Feel responsible toward others.

Quick drive By with poem

Still haven't had a day at home to catch up on anything. If you've sent me email, snail mail, called me, left a note in our mailbox- I've fallen off the world & can't catch up. Seriously. I don't understand how the merry go round spins so fast or for so long, but I hope to begin catching up on all of my chores- including the blog- starting Friday.



Te Deum
by Charles Reznikoff


Not because of victories
I sing,
having none,
but for the common sunshine,
the breeze,
the largess of the spring.

Not for victory
but for the day's work done
as well as I was able;
not for a seat upon the dais
but at the common table.

OMG- Make it stop!!

I am so behind in chores, errands, laundry, gardening. I had to make a surprise trip into DC last evening. I want just one day when I can sit down & read & listen to CDs & relax- but that's not likely to happen until Sunday at the earliest. Meantime, I hope to return soon w/ a cute list of stuff I saw last night while in DC. Updates coming soon. Maybe.

Busy, busy, busy

Son# 1's GF graduates from HS tonight. Last night was the last
handbell practice before Sunday's performance. Last night and today
were also the organization and set up for tomorrow's parish wide
community yard sale benefitting Daughter's class pilgrimage. Saturday
morning I also have altar guild before the sale. Sunday is the last
handbell hurrah, church and the annual end of school year picnic.
Monday my in-laws arrive for 2 days. Tuesday Son graduates from HS. My
parents will be in town too. After the ceremony we're all going out to
dinner. I'm sure I'll be certifiable by Wed. at the latest. I'm not
likely to post again before next Wed. Have a great weekend!

Assassin's Apprentice; R. Hobb

Written by Robin Hobb and published by Bantam in 1995, Assassin's Apprentice is the first book in the Farseer Trilogy. This particular volume seems to me to be a classic coming of age tale, but I'm unsure exactly where the other two books will go. I have a theory or two, but no definite ideas. I've not read any of Ms. Hobb's works before; I wrote her name down on a little post-it & then forgot about it. Found the post-it a few weeks ago and took the name to the library- and here we are!

Fitzchivalry Farseer is the illegitimate son of the soon to be former heir to the throne of the Six Duchies. Prince Chivalry is forced to abdicate due to his supposed infraction (before he married his wife- aptly named Patience). The Farseer family doesn't abandon the nameless child, but neither do they name him or properly care for him either. Fitz takes his name because it directly alludes to his birth (the name Fitz is given/taken by illegitimate children) and it's better than being called Bastard all the time. For many years Fitz is left to molder in the stables with the dogs and miscellaneous animals. Not fully recognized or cared for as a young child ought to be. Yet he surmises many of the circumstances surrounding his birth due to deliberate cruelty and the unthinking comments made by elders who ignore the children in their midst.

Over the course of his 'tween and early teen years Fitz is surreptitiously taken under King Shrewd's wing and educated and better cared for. He is also apprenticed to the King's chief poisoner, a mysterious man named Chade. By degrees and painful lessons Fitz learns a measure of his proper station in the King's household. He learns who his enemies are. However, the price Fitz pays for his tenuous position in King Shrewd's household is very high. Will it be worth it in the end? Can he pay the price demanded of him? And what of the awful sea raiders and their damaged prisoners? Will King Shrewd and Prince Verity defeat them? And what noxious substance is Prince Regal addicted to?

I was a little surprised at the Puritan-like giving of trait names to characters (Prudence, Patience, Verity, Charity, etc) but I was immediately absorbed into Fitz's tale. Far too late did I try to unravel the complicated political intrigues surrounding him. The tale is primarily told about Fitz, and being a child for much of it, the political aspects were casually hidden in the background while the reader roots for Fitz as he struggles with yet another facet of castle life. The clues were all there, but I ignored much of them until farther into the story- when I realized I really ought to have paid more attention! Definitely recommended. I've borrowed the next book in the trilogy already.