Dark Side of the Moon; S. Kenyon

Color me surprised. Yesterday, desperate to find something to read that would catch and hold my attention, I picked up Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon (who also publishes under Kinley MacGregor). Click link above for this book's page on SK's site. I just finished it. It has been ages and ages (over a month) since I finished a romance.

I think part of the reason this novel worked for me is the fact that this series is action packed and fast moving and less focused on being angst and emotion laden. At this point it seems like I need to look for more books that are action/adventure oriented than my more usual fare.

Set in present day Seattle, weekly gossip paper reporter Susan Michaels helps out her best GF Angie by adopting a hissing and growling stray tom cat. Things go rapidly downhill from there. Susan is accused of murdering Angie, among other exciting events. Meantime, Ravyn Kontis allowed his um.. needs to overcome his common sense and he got stuck outside at daybreak in his feline form. Susan adopts him and the adventure begins.

Kenyon sets these characters up with similar emotional needs, easing the time crunch problem neatly. In other words, because Susan and Ravyn have similar emotional needs and abandonment/loss issues they are able to bond with each other faster than other couples might. At least- that was my take on it. Too, the Fates decree who is the right mate/partner for whom thus forcing their decison when the couple might prefer to put it off for a while.

The reader also gets glimpses of Acheron's tortured relationship with Artemis. Let's face it, there are quite a few readers out there who keep up with this series simply to get glimpses of Acheron. Talk about tortured and emotionally scarred. Poor guy. The newest Dark Hunter is Nick Gautier, originally from New Orleans. Nick was out of time and place for two years and doesn't know about Katrina. He is also full of rage at Acheron and makes some truly stupid decions- thus neatly setting him up for a book later.

Anyhow, I liked it. Not a keeper, but then, so few are these days. At least I finished it.

GF Update #1

Update on Son's GF- Last we heard (Sunday night via her stepdad) she's still in ICU on a ventilator. Her kidneys are having a hard time. She's ok so far as we know. Only her parents are allowed to visit ICU, so we've not been up to see her yet. I'm hoping she'll be out of ICU by mid December so Son #1 can visit her for her birthday. She'll be 17. Son has their home phone number, but has been hesitant to call due to the holidays & work/school & travel time up to the hospital & not wanting to 'bother' anyone. If we don't hear from them by Sunday I think I'll have him call them.

Yesterday I mentioned I'd misplaced the Charles de Lint book I was struggling through. I found it in the kitchen at church last night. LOL No wonder I couldn't find it. Naturally I'd started another book, The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Excellent reading. Kinda scary. Eye opening.

Husband and I found this great Norlfolk Island Pine, about 3' tall, potted in a large plastic container. Snapped it up for only $14. If you've come by for a while, you know we live in a um..cosy little duplex. There is precious little floor space available to put up a Christmas tree. So our potted N.I.P will live on top of a table beside the piano. It hasn't been decorated yet. No one's had time to climb up into the attic to drop down the boxes of decorations.

This is the second year we've had a table top tree. Last year we had a great time collecting smaller scale decorations. We found that using what we already had made the tree look all out of proportion. This year we've found some more small, cute decorations to add a little variety. The biggest issue has been finding a place to display my collectionof M&M Christmas tins. I'm missing 3 or 4, but horizontal space to spread out the 15 + I do have was tough. The spinnet piano is just barely big enough. But then I have to find homes for the plants that usually live there. Around and around it goes.

Of course, outside I still have my Thanksgiving flag out in my garden. I want to put my favorite wreath on the door. I couldn't find my gorgeous, huge (36" across) pinecone wreath I found at a thrift shop (for $5!!) years ago. I still can't believe someone didn't want it anymore. Homemade, hand wired. In excellent condition. I think it's up in the attic. IIRC, the males in my family promised they would get it down anytime I wanted to put it on the door. That'll be this weekend. You think they'll be willing??

Another fun quiz~

I found this adorable little quiz over at Sum of Me. Click link above or the link on the results below. Click each little photo and answer the ???. First result is the Husband.

My results:











Generally speaking, the results are pretty accurate, I'd say. What about you ?

Beautiful day to Snooze

Today is the first day I've had a little while to sit here in front of the computer to mull over a post. I'm caught up with my errands and chores and obligations. The sun is bright, it's warm out. I believe I shall be a cat and curl up in the sun and snooze. At least until two forty five.

Then we're off to the races: pick up two younger children from school, supervise Son #1 while he drives us up to Arlington for the afternoon's events. It's Thursday, therefore- piano lesson, potluck dinner, bell choir and Son #2's choir. Wait for Husband to drive up to Arlington to await the end of choir (9:30) so he can drive #2 home. Meantime, I drive the older ones home and hustle them off to bed. Five forty five comes early for them. And me. The house is quiet. All is well. Pretty much. LOL

Not reading. The Charles de Lint hadn't held my attention well and now I've misplaced it. My father gave me a book to read, but it's sitting in Husband's car. I managed to get through the introduction, but now he's off to work (with my book for company) and I'm stuck.

Busy Busy Busy

I'm still around, just playing catch up with various obligations after a long holiday weekend. I hope to post tomorrow night.

New Discovery

If you go to Maili's her header had a white kitty wearing a fruit cut up in the shape of a helmet on its head. Turns out an astute reader told us it is a fruit called a pummelo.

While out shopping Black Friday I happened to stop in my favorite Asian/Latino grocer. Lo and behold, they had a big display of pummelos. I remembered Maili's photo and bought one. For curiosity's sake it was 20" in circumference and weighed 2 pounds 12 ounces and was a uniform medium lime green. After peeling the extremely thick rind, nearly an inch in places, it proved to be a giant green replica of red grapefruit.

Very yummy & a wonderful breakfast. Most likely excellent cut in half and baked with honey drizzled all over (my favorite way to eat a grapefruit).

An Authentic Thanksgiving

Great News! Son #1's best buddy/GF has finally received her much needed heart transplant. I realize that this means someone somehwere close to here has lost a loved one, but I thank God that they were selfless enough to recycle their loved one so that others might have a better, healthier more productive life.

Wednesday night at 10:30 GF called from Children's Hospital and said she was about to be wheeled downstairs into surgery. Thursday morning while we were in church GF's mom and dad called separately (they're divorced- I was pleased to see how much they each cared about GF's wishes that each called Son #1) to tell Son a)the donor heart was a good fit size wise; b) she went under the knife at midnight and was in recovery by 7 am Thursday; c) she would be in recovery for several more hours; d) after that she will be in ICU for several days and can only have her parents see her; and e) they will call and leave updates as often as possible.

Truly a spectacular Thanksgiving gift. One I am sure I'll remember for many years to come. A seventeen year old girl has been given an honest chance at a full and healthy life.

The Pumpkin

The Pumpkin
by John Greenleaf Whittier


Oh, greenly and fair in the lands of the sun,
The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run,
And the rock and the tree and the cottage enfold,
With broad leaves all greenness and blossoms all gold,
Like that which o'er Nineveh's prophet once grew,
While he waited to know that his warning was true,
And longed for the storm-cloud, and listened in vain
For the rush of the whirlwind and red fire-rain.

On the banks of the Xenil the dark Spanish maiden
Comes up with the fruit of the tangled vine laden;
And the Creole of Cuba laughs out to behold
Through orange-leaves shining the broad spheres of gold;
Yet with dearer delight from his home in the North,
On the fields of his harvest the Yankee looks forth,
Where crook-necks are coiling and yellow fruit shines,
And the sun of September melts down on his vines.

Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,
From North and from South comes the pilgrim and guest;
When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board
The old broken links of affection restored;
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before;
What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye,
What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?

Oh, fruit loved of boyhood! the old days recalling,
When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!
When we laughed round the corn-heap, with hearts all in tune,
Our chair a broad pumpkin, - our lantern the moon,
Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like steam
In a pumpkin-shell coach, with two rats for her team!

Then thanks for thy present! none sweeter or better
E'er smoked from an oven or circled a platter!
Fairer hands never wrought at a pastry more fine,
Brighter eyes never watched o'er its baking, than thine!
And the prayer, which my mouth is too full to express,
Swells my heart that thy shadow may never be less,
That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below,
And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin-vine grow,
And thy life be as sweet, and its last sunset sky
Golden-tinted and fair as thy own Pumpkin pie!

The Computer Story

This entire situation started last spring. Initially it was Norton. Now before you write & tell I was an idiot for letting it go- you're right. I was wrong to let it go at all.

BUT at the time I hunted through the pages & pages of Tech support both at Norton and at Dell. Pretty much it was a catch 22- Norton wanted info off the purchase receipt and I didn't have it (the computer was a gift from my in laws). Then, Dell told me they wouldn't help me because my husband was listed as contact person (or something similar)& I need to call Norton anyway. I asked Husband to call Dell support to fix Norton, but it never happened. I'm willing to nag about certain things, but isn't one of them. So I let it go.

Fast forward to this summer. The kids and I started having trouble playing certain online games. Occasionally I had trouble with certain functions. Again, enough to be irritating, but not enough to get me to nag the spouse (based on information I'd gotten directly from Dell). Hubby never uses the computer here unless he's playing Pogo or whatever, so what did he care?!

Monday daughter reminded me (again) that the Apple update for her iPod won't load. Since it was 6 am I nodded at her and said, "Yeah. I'll figure it out later." Daughter took her giant turtleshell, otherwise known as her backpack) and trudged across the street to catch the bus. Hours later, attempting to evade laundry and housework, I tried to play my favorite game. No go. It won't load. Same error message Daughter's gotten.

That was it. The straw that finally lit a fire under my lazy behind. I called Dell. We had a little conversation about whether or not I could do this or Hubby. The tech didn't have any problems & told me whoever answered my call way back when should've helped me. UH. Great. Thanks. I've spent the last 6 months or whatever with computer problems because your company didn't train him properly. I said as much to him and he told me he'd file a form that reprimanded the tech. Whatever. Like that'll help me now, PAL.

Finally, after an hour and twenty minutes (I wrote down the time the guy picked up my call) of talking to guy #1 plus his supervisor, we decided the operating system had become compromised. They hinted they really wanted me to hang up and make back up discs and call them back so they could reload me and I'd have a new computer. Or I could wipe it all now and they'd reload all of our basic stuff (the programs my inlaws had paid for etc.) like it was new.

What do they think I'm stupid?! You want me to hang up and call again because of your convenience? That won't happen. I don't store pictures or letters or other similar items on the computer. No financial or business matters. Yeah, I'm old fashioned. I do our accounts on paper & I hate spreadsheets. Besides, I don't trust firewalls enough to keep our pathetic financial info private. Pretty much it was all stuff related to games & favorite sites and stuff related to surfing & gaming.

So they wiped the hard drive and reloaded it all & we're good to go. Except that it took me nearly two hours of precious surfing time. I was stuck interpreting computer tech-ese, I missed my lunch time and, worst of all, I was totally stuck with folding a couch full of clean linens.

OTOH, I'm still here. Relatively normal. Supposedly with a normal fully functional, non invaded computer. HAHAHAHA As if I believe that.

OMG~ I need a hug

I spent over an hour and a half on the phone with Tech Support this afternoon. All's well that ends well. *SNORT*. I'm here, though, and on the home computer so that ought to count for something. Story tomorrow.

On the bright side, Hubby and I just bought a 23 pound turkey for Thanksgiving. Turkey leftovers anyone?!

Procrastinators Unite

Turkey Day is Thursday. Christmas is only 4 1/2 weeks away. This is prime postponing season. You're probably familiar with the drill. "I can do that tomorrow." "I can't decide between ____ or ____ or ___, so I'll wait until later to get this person's gift." You and your spouse have a signifigant discussion about appropriate gift bag items for friends or last minute guests. So you table the conversation until LATER. Like you'll have TIME LATER. The line is too long. LOL

Somehow, when I was working a few years ago, I was one of those uber organized, finished everything by November first kinda people. I was working a job that involved regular contact with the public. By the time I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was turn around and go shopping/bake/wrap as soon as I got home. Not to mention the pleasantness of our fellow man during this most joyous and holy season of the year.

Now I'm a lady of leisure. Free to put my feet upon the couch and eat bon bons and watch soap operas and game shows all day. Free to volunteer for the PTA and Room Parent and this committee and that committee and this other committee. Without a care in the world. Happy to make cupcakes and brownies and triple layer complicated French gateaux during my long, work free days.

Once I stopped working do you think I maintained this habit of having Christmas bought, wrapped and organized by the start of November? *maniacal laughter* You're crazy. The first Christmas I wasn't working, we reveled in the time together, Hubby and I. We did it all as a couple. Because Husband is a nurse, time together was hard to find. Thus the new Bookwormom Tradition- waiting until mid December to prepare for Christmas.

This year is no different. Tentatively Hubby and I decided to do gift jars. Have we decided who gets what, how many, what kind, made lists of necessary items?? Of course not.

You have to truly love Christmas to put up with it all. Thank heavens, I really really do. Otherwise I'd take December off.

I'm a lucky woman

Let me say, first, that I love Christmas music all year. Never, ever tire of it. EXCEPT for the 'elevator' music versions of carols and songs etc. Little son has been diligently practicing Christmas carols for several weeks now. It has been so nice to sit here and surf while listening to him play. I'm also bullying the other son into practicing a couple of duets for the holidays.Only problem, one wants jazz & the other is heavily into classical. We'll figure it out.

If I can figure out how to post music files off of my computer, I'll add a button or something so you all can listen too. If anyone knows and cares to post easy non computer literate instructions... :)

Edited~I posted hints in the comments for the Guess this Book meme.

Guess these books

This meme has also been done at Jenster's and at Tara's and other places as well, but it's cute & fun. So here we go:

1. Grab the nearest book.

2. Open to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next four sentences on your blog along with these instructions.

5. Don't you dare dig around for that "cool" or "intellectual" book on your shelves. (I know you were thinking about it.) Just pick up whatever is closest.

I grabbed a couple of books off the top of Mt. TBR.

Book One:

"As for zoological gardens...do they not allow men to better understand and thus preserve unfamiliar and exotic species?"

"I only know what the animals feel."

"I concede that no one should be able to guess their emotions better than one of your profession. But in the case where animals are held in captivity, common sense tells us that making the creatures more comfortable and helping tham adapt to their new situation is by far the most compassionate and prudent approach."

"Prudent," he repeated.

Book Two:

She was shatteringly diappointed that their affair was not to be.

And last, but by no means least, the more she thought of those moments in the wood, the more she cringed in mortification. He'd witnessed her weakness, her silly, irrational, ungovernable panic; truly she didn't want to face him again. If he'd guessed what lay behind her reaction, he'd doubtless pity her; if he hadn't, he'd think she was touched.

Luckily, Skinner hadn't come to rouse her until late.

Any ideas, fellow readers??

TEENAGERS!!!

AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

Children. What can you do with them?! The college hunting Son #1 thinks he might be interested in minoring in music next year. Therefore, could Santa (ie: his dad and I) be persuaded to bring him a better quality sax? Of course, an upgrade, even for a secondhand sax, is very pricely. Christmas is what? 5 weeks away.

Oh,yes. Santa is made of money you see. In addition to tuition, room, board & fees Son needs a new computer for next year. Or at least several upgrades on the computer he already has. And perhaps dad and I could let him use the car? Because we- as boring stick in the mud employed parents don't need it, you see.

He's not a selfish or greedy kid at all. Just a typical American teenager who has no concept of the value of a dollar. Or of exactly how expensive these next four years will be. So, you know. Asking for a new sax, a new computer, and a refurbished car PLUS college money is no big deal. Mom will just write checks.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AFI Top 100 Inspiring Movies

I watched an AFI (American Film Institute) special last night with Husband. They chose a list of the top 100 most inspiring films. Click link above for complete list. Do you agree? Disagree? Think they forgot your movie? Can't believe a movie made the list at all?

Top 25 from AFI's Most Inspiring Movies:

1.It's A Wonderful Life
2. To Kill A Mockingbird
3. Schindler's List
4. Rocky
5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
6. ET
7. Grapes of Wrath
8. Breaking Away
9. Miracle on 34th St.
10. Saving Pvt. Ryan
11. The Best Years of Our Lives
12. Apollo 13
13. Hoosiers
14. The Bridge on the River Kwai
15. The Miracle Worker
16. Norma Rae
17. One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest
18. The Right Stuff
19. The Diary of Anne Frank
20. Philadelphia
21. In the Heat of the Night
22. Pride of the Yankees
23. Shawshank Redemption
24. National Velvet
25. Sullivan's Travels

I'm not really a movie person, so I've not seen many of the movies on the list. I can tell you I don't think Rocky should've made the list all. Neither do I understand sports or sports movies as a metaphor for mankind (life, etc). There are quite a few sports movies on the list, but I simply don't understand the affinity. Tell me what you think.

In the player today

Stomach Flu Strikes

Stomach flu strikes Bookwormom Central. Poor Son #2, vomited on the bus (into the trash can, thank heaven!) on the way to school. I was still over at the park, having just finished a morning walk when the secretary called, "You need to come pick him up. He was ill on the bus." Poor little guy. He was cheerful and talkative the whole morning, until the fateful bus ride.

So I picked him up and brought him home. He got his pjs on, without complaining, dragged his double bed size Spiderman blanket and his pillow out into the living room and promptly fell asleep for the remainder of the morning. Woke up long enough to eat some rice at lunchtime. Remember the BRAT diet? Bread, rice, applesauce and tea? Son had decided he was fine after all & scarfed down a plate of leftover wild rice while I was in my room flipping the mattress.

We had to pick up Daughter and Son #1 after school, so I piled him into the car with a dishpan, his blanket and fervent prayers that he wouldn't be sick again while we were out. He fell asleep again. We rushed around & picked up the other two kids, went to the grocery store & made it back home. Good thing too, buddy. He's made up for his quiet day with a vengeance.

This morning I sat here and surfed watching Son across the room. He's eleven now. When did he grow enough that he stretches from one end of the big couch to the other? He's sure to be tall and thin like his brother- they're almost exactly the same height at the same age. We've officially entered the stage where you can barely keep the child properly clothed, they grow so fast.

He's outgrown nearly all of his pants. What he didn't outgrow, he's torn up or stained playing outside. That's what childhood is all about, right? Playing so hard over the summer that your parents grumble at the start of the school year. He's too big to wear jackets, as well. You've seen the teens on the corner waiting for the bus shivering in the chily fall air because 'I'm too cool to wear a jacket?' Son #2 has started trying that one too. 'I'm not cold mom. It's warm out.' Yeah and I'm a yeti, kid.

Veterans Day

In Memoriam for all the dead, known and unknown; especially Elias A. McQuaid, WW II and Spc. Sheldon Myers, South Korea 1992 and Robert Quillian 2006. Honoring William ______, who took Husband's place when 235 Armor went to Iraq I in 1990 & 1991.


by BekkaF

by BekkaF

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


by jnipooh2

by llflan

Down in the Valley

Husband and I took Son #1 out to Teeny Tiny College #4 (for TTCs 1 & 2 & 3, click here) this morning. We started with a bang- missed the alarm and woke up 40 minutes late. Too late to eat b'fast, we stopped for coffee and donuts- breakfast of champions! Could've skipped it altogether though. The college was kind enough to lay out a huge spread in the vestibule of the auditorium.

Most of the students were there for the conservatory half of the school, but Son is interested in the paraprofessional medical majors (pharmacy. physical therapy, etc). Son does play two instruments, but isn't interested in continuing to study music at that level, although he doesn't rule out minoring.

So you traipsed around much of the school, led along like good little sheep. Unfortunately many of the buildings & classrooms were locked. Bad form to have an open house and then not have rooms available for people to see. Two large new buildings under construction. Lunch in the cafeteria. Not too bad I guess. I've not eaten cafeteria food in ages, so I'm not much of a judge.

Highlight of the tour was entering the chapel. Inside, a string ensemble was rehearsing with a soprano and a music professor. Absolutely fabulous music. I could've sat there and listened all day. I'd enjoy driving out there just for the music, TBH.

We returned home late in the afternoon to remember that we'd invited the neighbor down the street to spend the night. Lovely. I barely tolerate this child when I'm not tired. Tomorrow is an early day at church, so we'll be out the door quick enough, but *waah* I just wanted to sit on the couch and veg and hibernate. Just us.

Reading, slowly

I've got book blahs again. I've picked up and put down three or four titles over the last couple of days. I finally settled on Memory & Dream by Charles de Lint. I guess I'm about 20% of the way through.

So far it revolves around a gifted painter who is mourning the death of a close friend. At the time of the friend's death (five years previous), the artist drastically changed the style and content of her work and has never explained why. Suddenly two things happen- a misdirected letter from the dead friend arrives in the artist's mailbox and a mutual acquaintance has a business proposition revolving around the dead friend's literary works.

The book switches both present and past tense by chapters. It helps promote an air of mystery, and induces (in this reader at least) a slight impatience. A desire to rush along pell mell to the end. So far I've managed to resist rushing along. I'm trying to concentrate on savoring every word every phrase every morsel.

Pigloo Le Ragga des pingouins 2006

Too damn cute to resist. En francais even. LOL

Ode to the Sparrows

Found at the link above, reproduced in honor of the flock of sparrows who entertained Husband and me a day or two ago.

Hardware Sparrows
by R. T. Smith


Out for a deadbolt, light bulbs
and two-by-fours, I find a flock
of sparrows safe from hawks

and weather under the roof
of Lowe's amazing discount
store. They skitter from the racks

of stockpiled posts and hoses
to a spill of winter birdseed
on the concrete floor. How

they know to forage here,
I can't guess, but the automatic
door is close enough,

and we've had a week
of storms. They are, after all,
ubiquitous, though poor,

their only song an irritating
noise, and yet they soar
to offer, amid hardware, rope

and handyman brochures,
some relief, as if a flurry
of notes from Mozart swirled

from seed to ceiling, entreating
us to set aside our evening
chores and take grace where

we find it, saying it is possible,
even in this month of flood,
blackout and frustration,

to float once more on sheer
survival and the shadowy
bliss we exist to explore.

McVane/Maili is back!!!!!

RUN OVER THERE and say hi!!! I kinda got the impression she didn't think anyone would miss her. She' sooo wrong, poor mite (to borrow a phrase from her, lol). I checked her blog daily for months..Anyone who reads steampunk romance, please dash over there & give the girl a recc or two or three. I don't read them, but she wants new ideas.

Shapechanger's Wife; S. Shinn

Off the top- according to a Dear Author interview, Ms. Shinn does not have a website. Kinda old school, I guess, but hopefully it helps her write faster. A girl can hope, right?

The Shape Changer's Wife was published in 1995 by Ace Books. Only 200 pages long, it's a deceptively zippy little book. The story runs along two levels- superficial or deep. Whichever suits your fancy. This title has a mythical tone to it that reminds me of Patricia McKillip's work. SCW is my first full length work by Ms. Shinn. I read part of a story a while ago & enjoyed it, but never pursued her works further.

The basic plot runs this way. Sorcerer's apprentice decides he wants to learn to shapechange, but Sorcerer A refuses to teach the apprentice this skill and steers the apprentice to Sorcerer B. Apprentice toodles off to Sorcerer B's place and commences to learning whatever Sorcerer B will teach him. Pretty soon though, apprentice realizes the people at S.B's are kinda..odd. Not only that, the local villagers dislike all of the inmates at S.B.'s.

What has Sorcerer B done? What are his motives? What is the moral and ethical dividing line between knowledge and action? If you love someone is it still love if you force them to be someone they aren't?

Unfortunately for me I borrowed this from the library. Shape Changer's Wife would be a keeper for me if this one was mine. If I can find one at my UBS I plan to buy one.

More Award Winners

AKA- more ideas for your 2006 Christmas gift list. Your own wish list or as gifts for others.

Hurston-Wright Legacy Awards

Fiction~ My Jim by Nancy Rawles. Remember Jim? Huck Finn's companion down the river? Sadie, Jim's wife, tells this story.

Nonfiction~ Mirror to America by John Hope Franklin; autobiography.

Contemporary Fiction~ The Long Mile by Clyde W. Ford.

Debut Fiction~ Freshwater Road by Denise Nicholas.

To my lasting shame, these awards have been given since 1990 & I've never heard of them. Long list 2006 nominees here. Category winners for the following years:2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 are also available on their site.

Family Day

Daughter and I spent the morning doing girly stuff- we played with makeup. It was fun. She is very fair, like her father, and I'm olive complected so our palettes are totally different. I bought her a few new colors: peach blush, navy & grey eyeliners, brown (not black! which looks overdone on her) mascara. The aim was to show her alternate ways to wear eyeliner that emphasize her eyecolor. A GF of hers resurrected the old 70's trick- line the interior edge of the lower eyelashes with black. Which then bleeds down her cheeks and makes her look like a racoon & pisses off the father.

We also put a magnifying make up mirror in her room & all of the little accessories a girl needs. Sharing a bathroom with males is the bane of a girl's existence. Hopefully now she can practice in the privacy of her room without worrying that she'll she rousted out in the middle. I put her copy of Bobbi Brown's Teenage Beauty on her desk. Thank goodness, never once does it advocate racoon eyeliner. Unfotunately, the father still doesn't like her to wear makeup, but he agrees today's results were better than the racoon eyes. I just need to buy her some lip glosses.

Son #1, he of the crazy October dash through New England, took the SATs this morning. First, let me rant- THESE DAMN TESTS ARE FLIPPIN' EXPENSIVE!!! More money than I think they're worth, but the tests are embedded into the educational establishment in an amazingly incestuous manner. Anyhow, Husband dropped him off this morning & I picked him up at one. Other than being hungry & drowning in laundry and homework the Son #1 has nothing to do. LOL Oh yeah. He needs to practice driving at some point too.

Son #2 did his morning chores & started washing his linens. Dumped his pillows into the washer..and one of them exploded. Not completely. One side of the pillow was shredded. We laughed & laughed. You'd think the manufacturer would use fabric sturdy enough to survive a washing machine. NOT. I'll have to buy him a zip up case for it. The other pillow is fine. Clean and puffy and smells good. Rollerblading is the new fun activity. Preferably on the brand new back deck just added on Friday afternoon by our landlord.

Husband taught a class at work. This time it was the 36 week Childbirth class. You know the one. "You are pregnant. Labor is called labor because you will have to work hard and it will hurt. Even with an epidural, you will have pain. Not discomfort, PAIN. Real labor and childbirth are not like 'A Baby Story' on TLC."

Husband is such a professional. I'd just stand up there and say, "SHUT UP and STOP WHINING. Women centuries over have had babies without all of our advances. Be a woman and DEAL WITH IT." This is why the Husband teaches. LOL ;)

Handbell Choir 101

We're still handbelling. Handbells in the image are nearly the exact ones we use in our choir. If you've been around a while, you may remember that all of the children and I joined the brand new handbell choir last spring (2005). FYI, I can't read music and am tone deaf. However, I can count up to sixteen. I'm only responsible for my two notes & keeping up with where we are in the music. God bless him, our music director is sooo patient. Only two of the intial eleven ringers were able to read music so the learning curve for the entire choir has been enormous.

The lady who stands next to me is a teeny French lady. She's adorable. Whenever she gets lost (which is often) she mutters under her breath in French. Boy was she surprised to learn I could understand her. LOLOL :0 Husband is desperately trying to rearrange his schedule so that he can come hear us during rehersals Thursday nights.

Currently we're trying to learn three pieces for Christmas. Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella, Carol of the Bells and Good Christian Folk Rejoice. They're all really fun to play. I just wish we had enough ringers to play the full five octave version of Carol of the Bells. We only have three octaves so it took our director a while ot find a version for us.

So how does one ring in a handbell choir? I thought you'd be curious. Because we're beginners, we get one bell per hand, thus one note per hand. You always hold the same note in the same hand. Then you learn which dots on the music are your bells. When we started we used two different colors and marked up our sheets terribly. That way all we'd have to do is count and ring whichever hand the music called for. Keeping proper time, that is. Assuming you've paid proper attention & not gone mentally wandering far afield. Like making grocery lists in your head or hoping your cell phone won't ring during practice or idly pondering the plot of Lost.

That was actually my biggest problem. Playing requires sustained attention in a way that I wasn't used to. I was embarrassed to learn that my attention span has totally evaporated over the course of my adulthood. I'm slowly developing my attention span muscles, so things are better that way. It's kinda hard though when you're trying to learn new French curse words being quietly muttered in one ear by the cute teenytiny little French lady. I still mark my music, unfortunatley. Makes it easier. It's a crutch I guess. Too bad 'cuz I'm hanging onto my crutch.

Daughter has progressed immensely. She began in the same place as I did, musically, although she isn't tone deaf. Now she can read music and keep time and place properly. She knows what the Italian words are & what the arcane musical squiggles mean. I'm so proud of her. She's wonderful and amazing, my beautiful daughter.

The Sons you ask. Don't you love the sons too? Well, yes. I do. Most of the time. They are boys after all. However, the crucial difference would be that they've both been taught to read music. Son #1 has played alto sax since he was 11 & acoustic guitar. Son #2 is a gifted pianist & sings like an angel. Therefore I'm not so easily wowed by the sons' handbell progress. Get the little one to sing for me, then I'm impressed. Convince older Son to bring the sax home and play for me? Then I'm enthralled. Handbells? Not so much. This picture shows the ones older Son plays.

This page has a jpg of a totally cool 7 octave handbell choir, playing original music written just for them.

Heads up Ladies

Anne Stuart fans- she's posted a column on her newest book Cold as Ice over at Squawkradio.com. Interesting reading. Just bought this one, BTW.

Under the Mistletoe; M. Balogh

An impulse buy gone wrong. I'd already read three of the five short stories in this holiday anthology. It's my own fault. I saw it in the grocery store & thought,"Wow! A MB Christmas title. I've not read this one." Dropped it into the cart and away she goes. Discovering too late I'd read most of it already. Ah well. I can always trade it later.

The five short stories are: A Family Christmas, The Star of Bethlehem, The Best Gift, Playing House and No Room at the Inn. These are traditional Regencies & feature the usual cast of plots: unhappy marriages, overbearing parents, stranding at a remote inn due to weather, etc. Balogh is a master, though, and I have to say that I enjoyed the rereads (the first three stories) quite a bit. My favorites were the last two. One of which features a remarkably pouty, willful four year old child and the other reminds me how a single event or short time period can cause a person to rethink their modus operandi and their priorities.

None are particularly realistic, but then originality isn't strictly necessary especially when we're discussing Christmas romances. After all- Christmas is the ultimate happily ever after season of them all. Or at least- it ought to be, if it weren't for meddling relatives, poverty, bills, etc. etc. For me, Christmas reads are all about comfort & familiarity & the love triumphing over all.

Costume Party

Sorry about the lack of photos from the marathon. Once I got there I kicked myself for not bringing it. It didn't occur to me that people would dress up and run. Next year I promise. Honest!

Last Saturday night our church held a Halloween party. Mainly for the kids, but there are more than a few adults around who like to dress up too. Oldest Son went as Keanu Reeves from the Matrix, Daughter was a 'goth Arwen' and Son #2 went as a mad scientist complete with plastic test tubes full of mysterious potions. Which I later discovered was blue kool aid & hot sauce.

Someone dressed as a Venetian Rat Catcher (don't ask me what that is, ok? She was wearing one of those 'il nasone' masques from Venice. Similar to the ones found here. The ones with the hook noses) came up to me later and asked, "Do you realize the mad scientist is drinking hot sauce out of his test tube?!" I just smiled. Yes my son is weird. LOVES spicy food. Thai, Korean, Latin American. All in their native spiciiness. None of this 'easy on the spice' wussiness for him. Bring it on. Kid loves it.

Anyhow. At the last minute the kids asked me what I was dressing up as. I yanked an old costume out of my closet & took off. Way back in the day, when the older two kids were little I made themed costumes for the three of them to wear. One year Husband was a packet of M&Ms plain candies & Daughter was a blue M&M. Another year he went as a clown and she went as a dalmatian. Pirates. You get the idea. I saved those two adult costumes. The kids' costumes I gave to my sister for her children.

I went to the party as the packet of M&Ms. Most other adults rented or bought costumes. I was one of only a couple of adults in homemade duds. My buddy went as professor McGonagal (spelling?) from Harry Potter. So I won a prize (chocolate! YUMMY) for best homemade adult costume. I was surprised & embarrassed, though. The letters were dirty & it was wrinkled & well.. I enjoyed my chocolate.

Marathon News

The Husband is home safe & mostly sound. Physically anyway. LOL ;) A few blisters, but intact. It took him 6 hours & 20 minutes. The weather was sunny but windy with strong gusts (up to 40 mph, I think), especially out on Haines Point. According to the chip on his shoe he ran 12 minute miles for the first 13 and then 15 minutes a mile for the last half. He said he walked a while, but began trotting again once he realized he would beat the bridge cut off time. Because of traffic, the 14th street bridge would reopen at 1:45 no matter how many runners were left on the course. He made it across before then though & he was happy 'cuz that was his primary goal (other than finishing in the first place).

The kids and I waited in the stands near the Netherlands carillon & the Iwo Jima memorial. I think we picked the barf spot, though. No less than four people threw up over the fence across the road. The most popular women's costume? Wings. Man's costume? Superman. Funniest costume? An older man dressed as a bee complete with wings and antennae. Or the elderly Asian man completely dressed in pink, kinda like the pink Power Ranger, only with lotsa whiskers. Quite a large number of men & women & one preteen boy running to honor lost loved ones or unit members KIA in Iraq or Afghanistan. One guy ran with a huge POW/MIA flag.

Two wheelchairs being pushed by runners. One dad ran with his three sons in a triplet stroller & wearing a giant backpack. One guy with his entire left leg a prosthesis ran the 10k (6 miles). Lotsa wheelies (chair racers): several older, a couple of women. The wheelies need to figure out a good place to put a sign with their name on it, so the fans can cheer better. Runners often put their names on the front of their shirts so bystanders can cheer for them by name. I like to cheer for the wheelies especially, and names would make it easier.

There was quite a lot of diversity out there (more so in the 10k). The youngest marathoners were 14- one boy & one girl. The oldest was over 80 & finished just behind Husband. The 10k had more range in weights and body types. Quite a few middle school (grades 6-8, ages 12-14) and younger kids on their own or running for the school track team ran the 10k. Older folks, folks who walked the 10k. Super thin, quite heavy. People who looked agonized every step they took. People who looked like they were out for a casual Sunday stroll. One guy skipped rope the whole 10k. Another juggled. Quite a few women cried the entire last quarter mile (right in front of us).

Husband says we're all doing the short course (the 10k) next October. Including the kids. HAHAHAHA. He's funny.

Costume Party news tomorrow.

Wish Us Luck

Tomorrow's the big day. Husband is running in the 31st annual Marine Corps Marathon.

If you're inclined please send us any good wishes, extra energy, etc. He'll be on the course between 8:40 am and 2 pm. 26 miles is a long way to run. Will update on the Halloween party we attended at church (where I won for best adult homemade costume!!). I was more than a little surprised, to be honest. Be back tomorrow evening to update everyone on what happened.

Lazy Friday

Husband is off today & Monday- second four day weekend in a row! YAY! He got all of the kids off to the bus & crawled back into bed with me. My very own hero. Getting up on his day off. He knows I hate getting up at the crack of dawn. So we got to sleep in late. Or take an early nap, depending on which one of us you're talking about.

We took the Metro into DC to pick up his race packet. Sunday morning is the Marine Corps Marathon & he's running. He says his goal is to get over the bridge before it reopens at 1:45 pm. It'll still be six miles after that.

The goody bag was pretty full already, but the vendors gave out a whole buncha other stuff too. Water bottles. T shirts. Socks. Ipod/mp3 armband holders. Sport Jelly Bellies. Fortified sport drinks. Power bars. Smuckers jelly. Pens. Medicine. Listerine (so your spouse will kiss you after you've crossed the Finish Line). We aren't going up for the pasta dinner tomorrow. The kids and I have a Halloween party at church & Husband plans to go to bed early.

I got sooo motion sick on Metro on the way home.*green & sweaty the whole way* Goodness, it was horrible. I have inner ear problems on one side, and that doesn't help anything but I perked up a little when Husband said he didn't feel too great either. Misery loves company. I had plenty of time to get better on the car ride back home. Rain had been spitting on and off all day but was now pouring down. Thus traffic was lovely. We both had plenty of time to recover.

5 Truths Meme

I was tagged by Jenster. A whole buncha others have done it too. Five tidbits about myself. Only gonna tag Tara and ag since I can't remember who's done this and who hasn't.

1. I've managed to work myself into a catch 22. I want to return to school and finish the degree I started twenty years ago, but I'm paralyzed with fear. Just the thought of setting foot on a college campus to do something for myself is incredibly, powerfully frightening to me. Yet- I feel stuck in a rut and I actually want to finish school. But I'm too damn scared. So I sit here in my rut & redecorate. Want to finish school-too scared- feel stuck-want to finish school- feel scared.. Rinse and repeat. Add multiple excuses for variety.

2. I hate answering the house phone. The answering machine & caller ID are two of the best recent inventions. I love being able to screen my calls. I've gone days without answering the phone. It's lovely.

3. I'm a wanna be tech junkie. If I had the money, I'd buy that $600 video-internet-game- Blackberry phone I saw on Amazon yesterday. Really. I've got six games on my cheap little phone. Plus three jazz ringtones. I've gotten addicted to cell phone Tetris.

4. I'm thinking of getting rid of my romance TBR. There I've actually admitted to it. I don't want to read all of those romances, but I can't quite part with them either. I guess I'm kind of a hoarder.

5. I set up my birdfeeders on my front porch so I can surf and watch the birds fight over the seed & the suet as I sit here at the 'puter and surf & talk to the world. I've tons of feathered friends- starlings, jays, woodpeckers, sparrows, cardinals. A local cat sits among my plants and eyeballs the flying snacks. I don't think he's caught anything yet, but it's not for lack of trying. There is also a grown squirrel, Nutkin, who started out as a baby last year but since I provide him a free buffet he's stayed. Now he's got a full, bushy tail & isn't afraid of anything. Including the cat.

Nesting

Are you a nester? Usually a word used to describe late pregnancy home related activities, Husband says nesting ought to be used for for 'everyday' women (ie: those of us lucky enough not to be pregnant) as well. Apparently, I 'nest' regularly as a symptom just before I menstruate. He looked at me the other day, just before the storage room adventure and Said," You must be due soon. You've been having cravings, you're testy (he's soo diplomatic:)) and you're nesting." I frowned at him, momentarily stunned, and counted on the calendar. Sure enough, any day now..

I don't know why I was surprised that he's aware of where I am in my cycle. After all, there must be plenty of observant, caring husbands out there. Not to mention the fact that he works in women's health and is the only male on his floor. I guess I've just assumed I was walking around in my own private little fog. I was WRONG! LOL

What else? Oh yes, he wishes me to publicly admit, via the blog, that I, a born and bred Yankee, actually told him I missed sweet iced tea while we were in New England. We also decided that if we ever manage to move up there permanently he ought to open a cafe/grill/small eatery and call the 'Turncoat' or 'Johnny Reb's Southern Home Cooking' or some such silliness. Capitalizing on his Southern heritage, as it were. And the fact that he'd be betraying his heritage by moving north of the Mason Dixon line. I'm not sure he could survive without Krisy Kremes though. God- my FIL would absolutely kill me if I took his precious only son 'UP NORTH'. Poor man.

So what was today's nesting activity? Just in case you're curious. I made several weeks worth of hot breakfasts & froze individual portions in the small freezer. Fresh biscuits, sausage patties, scrambled eggs, pancakes and bacon. Plop each serving into a quart size Ziploc, ie: one biscuit, sausage & eggs, etc. Put all the little baggies into a large plastic container, in this case a dishpan & a large plastic rectangle, and place containers into freezer. Rules- one baggie per person per school/work day morning. That way they last longer. From start to the end of cleanup it took me roughly three hours to make what should be between three and four dozen individual breakfasts for the family. See, I don't cook before 9 am. Hate the sight of food at all, unless it's coffee or cold cereal and juice. I want the others to eat well though. So this is my compromise.

Husband calls during the cooking. "What are you doing?"

"Ah.. I'm cooking breakfasts. You know, eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, biscuits."

Incredulous, "You're cooking eggs? You really are broody aren't you? Have you started yet?" This last kinda curious & hopeful. I get other symptoms (LOL) once my time starts. Oh, the reason he was so shocked that I cooked eggs? I never eat eggs, well not since we lived in TX, and hate to cook them 'cuz they smell.

"YES, I'm cooking eggs. Can you come from work early?!"

Miles, Mystery & Mayhem; L.M. Bujold

I finally managed to finish this one. I'm slow I know. In more ways than one. This is the second omnibus, composed of three previous works: Cetaganda, Ethan of Athos and Labyrinth. I discuss the first omnibus here.The first and last directly tell a Miles story, the middle one details a Dendarii stationer's spy mission against a black market genetics dealer who has also shown up in previous Miles adventures.

This particular group of books is more themed than the previous ones. Cetaganda deals with genetic manipulation and problems arising from concentration of power into a small group of individuals. Miles and his cousin Ivan have been sent to a week long diplomatic funeral on Eta Ceta IV. Cetagandan society has evolved into a highly compartmentalized tiered society. Ivan and Miles are there merely to polish their diplomatic skills in what ought to be a simple week's events. Unfortunately, they become embroiled in a complex scheme involving ancient secret keys, women who float around in opaque bubbles and Ivan's hormone fueled adventures. At the center of it all- who started this and why? And why involve Barrayar?


Ethan of Athos is more of an espionage/thriller type tale, taking place on a space station. A small agrarian planet buried in the back of beyond in the universe needs fresh ova cultures to help their men have children (via uterine replicators- an extension of test tube conception). There are no women here. Women are forbidden even as tourists. Women are the vessel of all that is evil/corrupt/weak etc. You get the picture. So Athos sends a scientist out into the universe (filled with these evil, horrible women) to buy new ova cultures and find out why they were gypped. He gets to a station & is then assaulted. The remainder is a study of life on a station. Commentary on genetic manipulation, single sex societies and the growth of ties between persons whose interests diverge and yet they need each other.

Labyrinth also involves genetic manipulation, the side effects of said manipulation and ethical boundaries. Miles has been sent to recover a top secret scientist off of a planet. The scientist refuses to leave unless Miles rescues the scientist's 'experiment', which has gone haywire and must be destroyed. Then follows Miles' and the other Dendarii's efforts to accomplish these goals.

I have to admit I didn't analyze the moral and ethical issues discussed on a superficial level by these novels. I read them strictly for story & character content. Unlike the Asaro novels (which often contain large amounts of physics), Bujold's novels don't inspire a great desire to delve deeply into the issues the novels bring up. I am now burning the Miles candle at both ends. I just borrowed the most recent Miles book, which features his wife, from the library.

Beavers & Bees

Otherwise known as- another uber busy day. Oh, and why don't ants have a 'busy' related saying?! They've been shortchanged I tell ya. It all started off with a desire to start sewing, old fashioned of me I know, Daughter's furry lavender cape. Problem- where is the fabric? In the storage room. O. M. G.

The room is a disaster. Crap piled in there willy nilly. You know the drill- throw it in and slam the door closed. "I'll organize it next time." Only next time rarely arrives. Well, today was next time.

I love to organize. Only thing is you have to drag everything out first. Husband likes to keep empty appliance boxes. Just in case I guess. I don't really understand this, to be honest. We're not leaving for at least three to four more years, so unless it needed to be returned why keep the box? I put aside Husband's winter clothes box. Three hours & much cursing later I found Daughter's fabric.

Why cursing, you ask? There are three bikes hanging from the ceiling. None of which I can take down myself (I'm too short, even with a step stool). So I had to redo it all pushing the bikes aside every time I had to rearrange something. Great for the muscles though. All of the ones I thought had wasted away? They're still here. Sore now.

Ok. Took a break & ate a huge burrito from Chipoltle. Found it in the freezer. I think it was Husband's stash. OOPS. LOL Started a boatload of laundry. Repotted four plants. Divided one overgrown spiderplant into three separate pots. Transferred two dozen pansies into my favorite clay planters outside. Tormented Son #2, the charming eye rolling one, into watering my newest babies. Then made him pick up all of the trash that blew into the yard. And homework. And practice piano. Poor tortured soul that he is, he only had 15 minutes to rollerblade with his buddy. Boo hoo.

Quick as a bunny

It must’ve been the quickest 1800 miles in Bookwormom Central history. Eleven states. Three colleges. Several relatives- one of whom I’d not seen since he was eight He’s quite the cutie , too. One graveyard in the pouring rain. One tire that had to be replaced due to torn tread. What else? No cell service while we were in Maine. All sandwiched between 11 pm Wednesday night and 9:30 pm Sunday night. I’m a little tired. How about you?

The following is a list of observations we made while on the road:

1. 2 extremely obese men, think Sumo wrestler weight, fighting at the gas station Wed. Night as we were heading out of town. Don’t know what they were fighting over- Son #1’s theory is that one of them had just eaten the last Twinkie.

2. How do we always end up in Jersey at 2 am?

3. The huge cemetery beside the Jersey Parkway is creepy looking at 3 am, even when zooming by at 75 mph

4. Wish we could’ve seen the beautiful Hudson Valley, but between 3-5 am NY is bloody pitch dark. LOL We probably drove right by Tara’s house.

5. It was overcast and foggy the entire morning- a perfect foil for the gorgeous foliage. Which was still awe inspiring despite being past peak.

6. The VT gas station attendant who was amazed by our Dept. of Defense gate & inspection stickers. For once I wished Husband was a spy or spec. ops again or something. Just to see the young man’s eyes bug out even more.

7. You know you’re not in Suburbia anymore when the signs beside the road warn drivers “Moose Crossing”

8. VT has snow the day after we were there. *boo hoo hoo*

9. The hotel was so full that we couldn’t check in early. We’d been on the road 10 hours and desperately wanted showers & a nap before Son #1’s interview. Alas it was not to be.

10. The elderly man zooming along the sidewalks on a Segway. Tree branches and small dogs no obstacle.

11.Son #1 & Husband met a grocery store clerk who wanted to go to college at William & Mary (Husband's & my alma mater). It is indeed a very small world.

12. Sgt. Russell Durgin spray painted on a overpass on NH route 9. May he rest in peace & may the good Lord hold his family in the palm of His hand.

13. The water in Chocorua Lake was warmer than the air. The lake assn. Has beautiful benches & tables beside the lake. Free for public use.

14. If you’re ever in the Conway, NH area, check out the guy who does custom carving - he has a huge bear & an indian face (totem style) made from whole sections of trees. Quite impressive.

15. Torrential rain in ME Friday. Hard enough that bubbles and waves blew across the puddle outside the motel door.

16. We were passed by a giant double column of motorcycle riders.. we estimate at least 60 bikes. The weather was bright and sunny, and we figured they enjoyed the sunshine as much as we did.

17. There is a Giant indian statue beside I 295 near Yarmouth ME. Note: site chosen for photo, not accuracy of commentary.

18. The seawall in Biddeford is carefully piled, unmortared boulders. Very easy to climb atop & sit down upon, although cold on the derriere.

19. In a restaurant both Husband & the man at the next table had the same order number- thus followed many cheap date jokes.

20. In PA massage parlors are free to advertise on highway billboards. “Truckers Welcome” at all. Diseases free too I’d imagine.

21. Husband fell in love with the granite edged sidewalks.

22. Lukoil (the Russian energy giant) has bought up all of the Getty gas stations in this general region (PA north to ME).

23. I hadn’t seen Gulf gas & convenience stations since I was a girl & I’d assumed Gulf was out of business. Wrong. They seem to be alive and well in New England.

TTFN

Otherwise known as- we here at Bookwormom Central have gone leaf peeping and college hunting in New England. Regular posting oughta resume Monday the 23rd, maybe Sunday night. We'll see. Tentative itinerary? Southern New Hampshire to see a teeny tiny college smaller than Son#1's high school. Then onward to Maine to see at least one, possibly two other teeny tiny colleges. Along the way? Possible hiking & detour to pay my respects at my grandparents' graves. Also hoping to purchase a gallon of grade B dark maple syrup. Maybe maple candy. A treat for the the children left behind, plus a gift for Son#1's Best Buddy- stuck at home due to recent serious surgery & heart disease.

Books enjoying the ride? Miles Murder and Mayhem by Lois McMaster Bujold, second omnibus in the Vorkosigan series. And what else??? Dunno yet. I still need to read a boo for Angie's challenge.

Have a wonderful weekend, all! See you Monday~

July, Aug. & Sept. Summary

A quarterly summary of what I've read, listed in order by the date I read them. Also available on archive buttons on the left, alphabetical by author's last name.


1.Black Ice, Anne Stuart

2.One Good Knight, Mercedes Lackey

3.Faerie Wars, Herbie Brennan

4.Peep; Scott Westerfeld

5.Inkheart; Cornelia Funke

6-8.3 Books

9 & 10.2 More

11.Irresistable Forces, Catherine Asaro

12.Fool in Love, Eloisa James

13.Thoedora; Sara Blayne

14.Bewitched; Heather Cullman

15. Quantum Rose; Catherine ASaro

16.Catch the Lightning; Catherine Asaro

17. Tithe; Holly Black

Young Miles; L.M. Bujold

Young Miles is an omnibus of two previously published Miles Vorkosigan books plus one Miles short story: The Warrior's Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning and The Vor Game. The omnibuses put Miles' books together internal chronolgical order- which is nice. No more hunting all over the internet for chronolgical lists.

The story begins with Miles at 17, trying valiantly but failing the physical entrance test for the premier military school on Barrayar. Subsequently Miles escapes his grandmother on Beta and the rest of his adventure begins. Space opera at its best.

At 17 Miles suffers from all of the expected flaws of the young. Especially young people whose parents have money and connections. Namely: the conviction that they will live forever, that credit and your good name are enough, blithe inattention to nuances and ethics, dragging others into his schemes pell mell & damn the torpedoes. Miles seems to suffer from ADD terribly. Genetically unable to pay attention for more than five minutes, Miles is restless and suffers the consequences. Not to mention the chip on his shoulder about his height.

As is to be expected, Miles grows signifigantly in maturity over the course of Young Miles. He learns to read people better. Well, he learns that he needs to read people. He learns that his actions and attitudes have far reaching ripples. Learns that power and responsiblity are heavy at times and never to be taken lightly. Miles firmly believes that sometimes doing the right thing trumps following orders. A difficult stance to maintain in a militaristic culture. Somehow, though, Miles inspires those around him to strive. An admirable and rare trait. Miles is a fully rounded , human character, not a stereotype. I appreciate that most of all, I think.

It was difficult to finish this one. The first section, especially, was hard. I find seventeen year olds who pull a prank on the 'rents, their gov't & a whole bunch of others with credit cards and a ton of chutzpah tough to swallow. I liked the middle section best, despite the fact that it is the shortest. In The Mountains of Mourning Miles learns the true extent of his feudal obligations to the people of his land, how the ripples of decision making reach far and wide. Much growth, here in this little nugget.

Reader Network

Is back up. Bev says she has fiddled with it and hopes she has fixed the glitches. Suisan has posted at Bev's & on the board. I need to reset my password though. My avatar was gone too. Those are minor issues though. Go check it out.

I also added two new links to my sidebar- Suisan and Good Reads (Devonna). Gotta love a pol who's into dressage. And any woman who quotes Baudelaire and D. Erasmus (you know him- the buy books first & everything else second guy)? shoulda been on the sidebar ages ago.

Guilty/Innocent Meme

Found this at Jenster's and at Cindy's. Kinda cute. Different questions.


1. Dated outside your race?
Guilty- I've dated a Native American & a Latino. Delicious

2. Singing in the shower?
Innocent. I'm tone deaf

3. Spit in someone's drink? Innocent. Disgusting. Never offend your waiter

4. Played with Barbies? Guilty. Had the pool & the car & the house & ...


5. Made someone cry? Guilty. I tend to be overly blunt when I get really, really angry. Sue me.


6. Opened your Christmas presents early? Innocent. I used to snoop around the closets & under the bed & in the attic & in the basement beforehand though. LOL


7. Lied to a friend? Guilty. "Those pants really look great." or "No pizza & ice cream aren't cheating on your diet."


8. Watched and cried while watching a soap opera? Innocent. I watched soaps but never cried. Too cheesy!

9. Played a computer game for more than 5 hours? Innocent


10. Ran through the sprinklers naked? Guilty, age 12 and under. Innocent as an adult.


11. Ate food that fell on the floor? Guilty- cookies & candy & chips. Unless the dog got there first.


12. Went outside naked? As an adult? Innocent


13. Been on stage? Innocent


14. Been on stage naked or close to it? Innocent


15. Been in a parade? Innocent


16. Been in a school play? Guilty- 3rd grade


17. Drank beer? Guilty. Don't much enjoy it though.


18. Gotten detention? Guilty- once for smoking once for...can't remember the other one. It was in 7th grade though.


19. Been on a plane? Guilty. LOVE to fly.

20. Been on a cruise? Innocent

21. Broken into a house? Guilty. My own. Also, our car. I lose the keys often.


22. Gotten a tattoo? Innocent


23. Gotten piercings? Innocent


24. Gotten into a fist fight? Innocent


25. Gotten into a shouting match? Guilty. Why argue quietly?

26. Swallowed sea/pool water? Guilty. It's unavoidable.


27. Spun yourself in circles to get dizzy on purpose? Guilty

28. Laughed so hard it hurt? Guilty


29. Tripped on your own feet? Guilty. Most memorable time was falling onto my hands and knees in the middle of the sidewalk while eight months pregnant with Son #2.


30. Cried yourself to sleep? Innocent. If I'm that upset I can't sleep.


31. Cried in public? Guilty. I'm a very ugly crier. Hideous red nose. Very embarrassing.


32. Thrown up in public? Innocent


33. Lied to your parents? ER..INNOCENT. No one lies to their parents.


34. Skipped class? Guilty. Especially in college.


35. Cried so hard you threw up? Innocent. Sounds really gross BTW.

Children's Literature Awards 2006

Following is a list of 2006 children's literature awards given this year. There are many other groups out there who review & awards children's literature who have not yet named there 2006 winners. Horn Book Magazine has a comprhensive list, as does the ALA. Start your Christmas shopping now!



Audiobook Hall of Fame Award
Awarded to recognize a lasting contribution to the audiobook industry.

2006 The Harry Potter series, narrated by Jim Dale


Mildred Batchelder Award
Awarded annually by the American Library Association (ALA) to the publisher of the most outstanding book originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country and subsequently translated into English for publication in the U.S.

2006~
An Innocent Soldier by Josef Holub, translated by Michael Hoffmann

Honor Books~
Nicholas, written by René Goscinny, illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé, and translated by Anthea Bell; and When I Was a Soldier, written by Valérie Zenatti and translated by Adriana Hunter.

Pura Belpré Award
Awarded every two years to Latino writers and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience.

2006 Author Award~ The Tequila Worm Viola Canales

Honor Books~
César: ¡Sí, Se Puede! Yes, We Can!, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and illustrated by David Diaz ; Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart written by Pat Mora and illustrated by Raul Colón and Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards
Awarded annually for excellence in literature for children and young adults.

Fiction and Poetry~
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

Honor Books~
Yellow Elephant: A Bright Bestiary by Julie Larios, illustrated by Julie Paschkis; and Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy

Nonfiction~
If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty, illustrated by Steven Kellogg

Honor Books~
A Mother's Journey by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Alan Marks; and Wildfire by Taylor Morrison


Caldecott Medal
Awarded annually to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book.

2006~
Chris Raschka for The Hello, Goodbye Window, written by Norton Juster

Honor Books~
Rosa illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Nikki Giovanni; Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth; Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride by Marjorie Priceman; and Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems illustrated by Beckie Prange, written by Joyce Sidman

Edgar Awards
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards honor the best mystery writing of the year.

2006 Young Adult
Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein


Will Eisner Comic Industry Award
Awarded annually to honor the best publications in the comics industry.

2006 Best Publication for a Younger Audience
Owly: Flying Lessons by Andy Runton

Coretta Scott King Award
Awarded annually to African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults that demonstrate sensitivity to "the true worth and value of all beings."

2006 Coretta Scott King Author Award~
Julius Lester for Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue

Honor Awards~
Tonya Bolden for Maritcha: A Remarkable Nineteenth-Century American Girl, to Nikki Grimes for Dark Sons, and to Marilyn Nelson for A Wreath for Emmett Till, illustrated by Philippe Lardy


MacArthur Fellowship Award
Honoring "extraordinary originality and dedication in...creative pursuits."

David Macaulay, author of Mosque, The Way Things Work, and many other children's books on architecture and engineering.


Newbery Medal
Awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

2006~
Criss Cross, Lynne Rae Perkins

Honor Books~
Whittington by Alan Armstrong, illustrated by S.D. Schindler; Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti; Princess Academy by Shannon Hale; and Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott



Andre Norton Award
First awarded in 2006 by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to recognize an outstanding young adult science fiction or fantasy novel.

2006~
Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black



Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Awarded annually to a work of historical fiction set in the Americas.

2006~
The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich

Michael L. Printz Award
A book that best exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.

2006~
Looking for Alaska by John Green

Honor Books~
Black Juice by Margo Lanagan; I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak; John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth by Elizabeth Partridge; and A Wreath for Emmett Till written by Marilyn Nelson, illustrated by Philippe Lardy

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
Awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished informational book.

2006~
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H. L. Hunley by Sally M. Walker

Honor Book~
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

E.B. White Read Aloud Book Award
Awarded annually by the Association of Booksellers for Children to “reflect the universal read aloud standards that were created by the work of the author E.B White in his classic books for children.”

2006~ Older Readers~
Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

2006 Young Adults’ Choices
Annually awarded by International Reading Association and selected by young readers across the country.

1. Alosha by Christopher Pike
2. Are We Alone?: Scientists Search for Life in Space by Gloria Skurzynski
3. Back Stage Pass by Gaby Triana
4. The Beckoners by Carrie Mac
5. The Boy Who Couldn’t Die by William Sleator
6. The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon
7. Can’t Get There From Here by Todd Strasser
8. Contents Under Pressure by Lara M. Zeises
9. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
10. Cruise Control by Terry Trueman
11. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
12. The Dragon’s Son by Margaret Weis
13. Emako Blue by Brenda Woods
14. Fighting the Current by Heather Waldorf
15. Going for the Record by Julie A. Swanson
16. Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning
17. How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller by Julia DeVillers
18. Jude by Kate Morgenroth
19. Leap Day by Wendy Mass
20. Midnighters: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
21. Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn
22. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones
23. Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot
24. Remember D-Day: The Plan, the Invasion, Survivor Stories by Ronald J. Drez
25. The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman
26. So B. It by Sarah Weeks
27. Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler
28. Who Am I Without Him?: Short Stories About Girls and the Boys in Their Lives by Sharon G. Flake
29. Worlds Afire by Paul B. Janeczko
30. The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty

Literature Prizes 2006

Man Booker Prize:

Winner:The Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai

Also nominated: Kate Grenville's The Secret River, M J Hyland's Carry Me Down, Hisham Matar's In the Country of Men and Edward St Aubyn's Mother's Milk.

Nobel Prize in Literature: Orhan Pamuk

Quill awards:

Debut author: Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, Julie Powell

Audio Book: Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog,
John Grogan

Children's Illustrated book: If You Give a Pig a Party, Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

Children's Novel, intermediate level: The Penultimate Peril, Lemony Snicket

Teen Novel: Eldest, Christopher Paolini

General Fiction: A Dirty Job: A Novel, Christopher Moore

Graphic Novel: Naruto, Volume 7, Masashi Kishimoto

Mystery/Thriller/Suspense: Twelve Sharp, Janet Evanovich

Poetry: Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem: Maya Angelou

Romance: Blue Smoke Nora Roberts

Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror: A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Diana Gabaldon

Religion/Spirituality: Mama Made the Difference, T. D. Jakes

Biography/Memoir: Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, John Grogan

Business: The Girl's Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch): Valuable Lessons, Smart Suggestions, and True Stories for Succeeding as the Chick-in-Charge, Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio

Cooking: Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats: A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners, Rachael Ray

Health/Self Improvement: It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider, Jim Henson

History/Current Events/Politics: An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore

Humor: Don't Make a Black Woman Take off Her Earrings:
Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life; Tyler Perry

Sports: Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game!:
A Woman's Guide to Loving Pro Football; Holly Robinson Peete


National Book Awards Finalists: Winner announced Nov. 15
Edited Dec. 4th- Winners in BOLD

Fiction:
Mark Z. Danielewski, Only Revolutions
Ken Kalfus, A Disorder Peculiar to the Country
Richard Powers, The Echo Maker
Dana Spiotta, Eat the Document
Jess Walter, The Zero

Nonfiction:

Taylor Branch, At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68
Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone
Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl/u>
Peter Hessler, Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China’s Past and Present
Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

Poetry:

Louise Glück, Averno
H.L. Hix, Chromatic
Ben Lerner, Angle of Yaw
Nathaniel Mackey, Splay Anthem
James McMichael, Capacity

Children's Literature:

M.T. Anderson, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party
Martine Leavitt, Keturah and Lord Death
Patricia McCormick, Sold
Nancy Werlin, The Rules of Survival
Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese

Thursday 13 #20- Gardening

Fall gardeniing chores & assorted fun activities. Leave a link in the comments & I'll link to you. Click link above to see other Thursday 13 participants.


1. Weed

2. Plant new spring bulbs- unless like me, you're late, in which case you're undecided & will have to wait until Nov. to plant your spring bulbs

3. Feed bulbs

4. Top dress entire garden with compost or composted manure

5. Plant pansies & set out mums- unless you've the hardy mums , in which case all you need to do is sit back & enjoy

6. Bemoan the fact that you can't find Icicle Pansies this year (probably 'cuz you're late as per usual). Icicle pansies will take a frost as long as they get sun & water. Here in my section of zone 6 that means they'll often last all winter.

7. Hunt all over for unique & unusual gourds, pumpkins, corn cobs & similar autumn related decorating items.

8. Lust after your neighbor's gorgeous morning glories, still heavily blooming.

9. Only until you remember your moonflowers (same flower family) are still going strong & are covered with buds.

10. Enjoy frog hunting from the comfort of your porch- we've at least four tiny green froggies living among my plants & flowers

11. Marvel at the ugliness of Christmas decor at the garden center. Think bright red & neon purple glittery tinsel like 8' trees. OMG.

12. Wish desperately you could justify/afford the 75% off rattan & iron outdoor furniture. However, since you live in an aprtment, there's no way.

13. Buy hyacinth bulbs for sequential forcing over the winter. There's nothing like the smell of fresh flowers to keep you going in the dead of winter.

Changes Coming

Currently playing with new templates etc. Please bear with me!

Worrywart

As a parent and as a wife I find myself a professional worrywart. Things both large, "Are we carrying enough life insurance? Will DC be hit by terrorists while we're in town?" and small, "Did Son #1 have money for lunch? Has Daughter passed her math test? Is Husband safely at work yet?" flow through my mind on a regular basis.

Yesterday I took all of my kids plus the boy down the street to a small college fair up the road a pace. Boy up the street wants to enlist in the Navy. Considering his family situation, I hope he does. Even factoring in the current military & political situation, his best chance at a productive future is to get out of here & the military is his best opportunity.

Anyhow, Son #1 & boy up the street stop by a little table manned by Montana State University. This institution seems right up Son #1's alley- very outdoorsy, beautiful, programs he's interested in, they take 'average Joe' kinda kids, small town atmosphere, study abroad options. Cheaper than private colleges. He was so excited he was jumping up & down when we returned home. Seriously- I've rarely seen him so pumped up. He's already looked up their application online.

Now don't get me wrong. I want him to go away to school, preferably to a place where he can challenge himself & have a good time & where he can be a young adult on his own. Montana is a tad further away than I expected though. Most of the colleges he's concentrating on are up in New England. A full day's drive, if not overnight, from here. BUT- I have alot of family up there. People he could turn to if he had a problem, wanted a homecooked meal, etc. No such safety net in Montana.

Husband has already smiled at me & told me I'm being a 'momma hen' as he puts it. I realize he a) hasn't applied or been accpted yet and b) hasn't made any final decisions. I am the family worrywart though. I think I'll be taking Zantac indefinitely.

Cordelia's Honor; L.M. Bujold

This is an omnibus edition comprised of Shards of Honor and Barrayar both originally published in 1986 and 1991 respectively. I borrowed this from the library, as the Vorkosigan saga has quite a large cast and my book budget is tight. I first read Ms. Bujold's short story telling of Miles' marriage & the love life of one Sgt. Taura in Irresistable Forces. I decided to find her other material- initially concentrating on the Vorkosigan family & not on her new Chalion series .

The series is set up around Miles Vorkosigan & his adventures, very similar to mystery series in the sense that they weren't written in internal chronolgical order (meaning starting at the beginning of Miles' life & moving forward). I was advised to begin with this volume as it details Miles' parents' courtship & also relates signifigant background material (such as how Miles became physically deformed).

Cordelia Naismith, a Betan native, is on a planetary exploration mission when her scientific crew is ambushed and killed. The only survivor, she is taken prisoner by one Aral Vorkosigan, of the planet Barrayar. Now, the planet Beta seems to be to be similar to Europe socially. Liberal, well eduacted, high standard of living, slightly condescending to anyone not from Beta. Barrayar, OTOH, is emerging from a long period of galactic isolation & as a result it culturally, politically & socially backward when compared with other planets. Barrayar is given to violent political strife & its people are very agressive & seem to have a chip on their shoulder because they are often looked down upon.

Barrayar has claimed this planet, but not announced this fact to other planets. Thus Cordelia's scientific mission is viewed as an 'invasion' despite the fact that no one knows the Barrayarans have claimed the place. On these grounds Aral takes Cordelia prisoner. They then come under attack from Aral's people. Now they must evade Aral's people, keep a desperately wounded man alive, overcome the attempted coup & get up to Aral's ship.

What follows is a convoluted space adventure complicated by politics, war, honor and extreme cultural differences. Cordelia views Aral's culture as backward, violent & warmongering, but this is tempered by her appreciation for his values & behavior. Aral appreciates Cordelia as his equal intellectually & the fact that her sense of honor is at least as great as his even if she often approaches decisions from the opposite viewpoint. I definitely had a sense that Cordelia & Aral liked each other perhaps lusted after each other, but weren't really together enough initially to develop a strong relationship.

Not until after they marry does Cordelia begin to appreciate how much responsability Aral has or how dangerous his life is. Ms. Bujold, in the second half, does an excellent job portraying Cordelia's troubles adjusting to the reality of being a political wife, learning to get along with Aral's father, the lack of privacy, her concerns that Aral is overworked & overstressed & underappreciated. Cordelia's feelings of cultural isolation & bewilderment are apropos too. Being a Yankee & living across the South for nearly twenty years now, I completely related to Cordelia feeling culturally lost. Because they were both adults entering into the relationship, there is a minimum of angst which I was thankful for. Cordelia married Aral with her eyes open, if not fully informed.

Now that I'm up on Miles' parents, his family & political background, the reasons for his disabilities, etc. I'm ready to continue glomming Ms. Bujold's Vorkosigan series. Via her website I read there is another Miles book coming late 2008 or perhaps 2009. The third Chalion book, The Hallowed Hunt is out as well.

Family update

Coming tomorrow, hopefully, thoughts on Lois McMaster Bujold's Cordelia's Honor. Also results on my attempts to glom Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series especially now that Rosario has offered advice & insight (see comments on previous entry). First thing in the morning I'm hunting the library for Fire Rose.

Son #2 has just turned 11. He had a quiet birthday this year. A friend spent the night & they stayed up past all reasonable hours playing XBox & Gamecube. Next morning I made sure to take them to the park & run them around. Just in case they weren't tired enough. HAHAHAHA Needless to say, he was exhausted that night. He just got the first grading period interims & as usual he's doing well academically.

Daughter feels like Sisyphus repeatedly rolling the rock uphill, only in her case every year. Poor baby. She struggles mightily with math & we're frantically trying to teach her not to freeze during exams. Poor darling. She can do it, she just needs confidence. On the brighter side, she's putting together a portfolio for the local national park. They've advertised for an artist to submit drawings for a coloring book. I've my fingers crossed for her. We've had great talks walking through the park & sitting together while she draws.

Son #1's GF/best buddy is currently in Children's Hospital in DC awaiting heart surgery. She's 17. She's on the transplant list. She's a great girl- funny, giggly, trying desperately to be a regular kid. Please say a prayer or two for her. She deserves a chance to be an adult & live a full & rich life. Son #1 himself is fine. Cruising through AP Chem pretty well. Getting ready to roadtrip with Husband to New England in ten days. They're college hunting. Or rather, Son is college hunting.

Husband & I are perking right along. Same as adults everywhere, it takes alot to shake up the routine.

Wizard of London; M. Lackey

Certain elements of this story reminded me of Katherine Kurtz & Deborah Turner Harris' Adept series, but Ms. Lackey puts her own stamp on things. Set in England during that wonderful exploratory age of steamers & trains, Wizard of London has an ensemble cast featuring two schoolgirls, several Indians, magic, fairies & mystical creatures. BTW, this is book four of the Elemental Masters series. Yet again I have started a series bass ackwards.

This version of life has three types of people: plain humans, humans with psychic talents (clairvoyance, telepathy, etc) & humans with elemental talents (water, fire, earth or air). The first category doesn't concern us at all in this story. The second two do. The little girls in question, Sarah & Nan, are psychically gifted. Sophie is a medium & Nan is to be a 'Warrior of Light' when she grows up.

Basically the set up is this- Sarah & Nan attend a school where their talents can be nurtured & trained & protected. Despite this they are attacked. Somehow the headmistress manages to protect them, although only with the help of friends long in her past. Mixed into this is a sorceress who will do anything to remain young & beautiful forever; her male protege, who is really dumb as a brick, IMO; two birds as the girls' familiars; fairies & ..ta da!! My favorite- Puck.

The similarities to Kurtz & Harris' work is superficial & relates mainly to terms used: elemental powers, warrior of light & a few general themes. WOL seems to stand on its own, apart from the others in the series. Well, I don't feel as though I've missed anything from the previous three like I did when I accidentally got Anne Bishop's Pillars series wrong. It's a fascinating glimpse into a little world I'd like to get to know better.

Thursday 13 #19

Given the heartbreaking & traumatic events of the last ten days or so, I've decided to focus on things to be thankful for, in no particular order:

1. Family

2. Faith

3. Friends- especially cyber buddies

4. Health

5. Stable circumstances (jobs, finances, home, etc)

6. Hope- sometimes this is the hardest to hold on to

7. Forgiveness- I have trouble sometimes

8. My books

9. Pets past & present

10. Good conversations

11. Beautiful weather

12. Gardens

13. Arts- fine, dramatic, music- art uplifts the spirit & reminds us of our potential

Leave a link in the comments & I'll link to you. Click link above to see other participants.