My Life as a Stingray

Resolutions

2011-12-31T23:46:00.003-05:00

I always get all tingly at the start of a new year. It's so fresh and clean, no mistakes in it, no ANYTHING in it, just blank newness waiting to be mucked about it.

I know that's rubbish.

And also I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who, which explains the British phraseology. Seriously, if I had a British accent, I'd shut up even less than I already do.

Anyway, like I said, I know the whole idea of the new year being fresh and shiny and new is utter rubbish, because really, there's nothing special about tomorrow. It's just another day. But somehow it's so full of opportunities and choices to be made or not made or unmade or remade. It's just so darn EXCITING.

I am a resolution maker, and this year I have ~~three~~ four resolutions for my brand new, shiny year:

1. Organize. This sounds dumb, but we live in 1200 sq feet, and until the economy turns around, we're going nowhere fast. It's time to take this hodge podge of a house and turn it into a well-mannered, organized home.

2. Get Healthy - I'm little, but I am nowhere near as healthy as I wish I was. Starting tomorrow, I'm exercising, feeding my family more whole foods and no more eating cereal that changes the color of my milk. I may even start to buy *gasp* 2% instead of whole. The end goal here is to run a 5K next December.

3. Read. In 2010, I read 100 books. 100. I didn't set myself a reading goal last year and I read precisely five books. Or so. So this year, I'm cutting the goal in quarters, because I have doula training and work and a BABY. So, in 2012, I'm reading 25 books. At least. And only seven of them can be Harry Potter.

It's funny because there are seven Harry Potter books.

4. Word. As in "The Word". My relationship with God fell to the wayside when I became a mother, but if I want to raise up this little girl in the way that she should go, I need to make sure I am on the way that I should go. I miss reading the Bible every night. I miss the closeness I had with God.

So there it is. Organze. Fit. Read. Word.

OFRW.

Or WORF, if you prefer.

Actually, I do.

WORF: New Years 2012

Bird Sillouette Wall Art DIY

2011-12-14T18:59:00.001-05:00

When Paul and I looked into decorating Munch's room, I made a discovery.

Baby stuff is effing expensive.

It really is. Early on, I fell in love with the Bananafish Love Birds set. I love the birds and the leaves and the OMGITSSOCUTE of it all. Unfortunately, $179 on a fitted sheet, a dust ruffle, a bumper and a quilt makes my heart want to explode out of my chest. So, instead of biting the bullet, realizing that EVERYONE spends ridiculous amounts on baby bedding and purchasing the set, I settled on a pink, green and brown color scheme and that was that. We were even gifted a very cute bedding set from one of my class parents that matches the scheme perfectly:
I sort of detest this picture. It's way cuter in person. Still, as cute as the bedding is, I kept going back to that darn Bananafish. Something about the little birds and leaves and muted colors just speaks to my heart. So, instead of breaking the bank, I said "Well, maybe just the wall art. That's compromising, right?" Plus, look how cute it is:And then. Oh, and then. Did I mention that this piece retails on Amazon for $64?! Just let that sink in. I'll wait.

Once I recovered from my sticker shock induced coma, I grabbed Paul and the two of us marches ourselves down to Hobby Lobby. I love Hobby Lobby. My entire wedding was from their shelves.

Now, my version is a great deal simpler, but you could easily add whatever flowers/leaves/vining/color you wanted. You could even make the pieces fabric covered with a little bit of fabric and a stapler. It's really not tough stuff.

Here's what you'll need:
- Two 8x10 Canvases (I found a 2-pack at HL for $3.50)
- Two sheets of 8.5x11 Scrapbooking paper (I got four in case I messed up, but they only run about $.44 apeice)
- Ribbon (This is optional, depending on how you want to mount your art
- Mod Podge ( I used the matte finish, and it turned out well)
- Spongy craft brush
- Bird Template (I used this one from Under the Table and Dreaming)

This is seriously the easiest project I've ever done. You don't even have to print out the bird template. Just bring the picture up on your computer screen, zoom to the size you want it, and trace it onto printer paper. Cut that out and VOILA! insta-stencil.

Obviously, the first thing you're going to do is trace your birdie stencil onto the back, and I repeat, the BACK of your pieces of scrapbook paper. Don't do it on the front. The Back. Otherwise, you end up with pencil marks on your cute new bird.

Cut those out. I assume you know how to use scissors. Just be careful going around the rounded edges. It's easy to not round enough and end up with jaggedy edges. Not cute.

Note: Remember to trace your birdies so they are facing opposite directions. I almost made that exact mistake before I stopped and said "Wait...what?"

Now for the fun part. Using your spongy brush (I used the little one), apply Mod Podge to both the canvas and the back of your bird. I found that just a single layer on one or the other just doesn't cut it. Carefully position your bird and smooth out the air bubbles. I found that no matter what I did, I had a few air bubbles. I'm only fake crafty, so I'm not really sure how to remedy the situation, but they seemed to calm down a lot after I put on the sealing coat of Mod Podge and let them dry.

Let the Mod Podge dry for about 15 minutes, then put on a thin layer over the entire canvas, including the birdie. This will (Apparently) help seal the piece so you don't end up with a little birdie peeling off in a few months.

So, after all that, you should end up with something resembling....THISMy little birds aren't perfectly even, and I opted to go a LOT simpler than the original wall art, but I'm pleased with how they turned out. I don't even think I'll hang them with the ribbon. I like the simplicity of just mounting them on the walls.

If you wanted to do extra pieces, it would be super easy to just add them into the above instructions. If you wanted a fabric background, I would suggest using cotton and applique-ing, rather than Mod Podge, although I hear they make a type that works well for cloth, so have at it.

When we get her dresser/changing table in, these little cuties will hang above it. Soon and very soon.

Cosleeping, the story of how we became "those" people

2011-12-10T09:22:00.003-05:00

We cosleep. Munch sleeps next to our bed in a bassinet, and, in a month or so when she is too big, we will be taking the side off her crib and moving it into our room as a cosleeper bed.

I was always the first person to say that my child would be in her own bed just as soon as possible. I really was super judgey about parents who kept their children with them in bed past the six week mark, and I swore up and down that it would never happen in my family.

And then.

Munch came along and my boobs became the proverbial milkshake parlor. In the beginning, she slept next to our bed in a swing. At three weeks, like any good American, Kids-need-to-learn-to-be-independent parent, I moved her into her own bed in her room. She slept fine, but now I was getting up in the middle of the night, every two hours, walking into her room to nurse her, then rocking her back to sleep, a process that sometimes took the better part of an hour and left me in frustrated tears.

Finally, after a night of fruitless attempts at putting her back to sleep, I simply brought her back to bed with us. I nursed her on my side for a bit, then both of us snuggled into each other and fell asleep. I was astonished at how easy it became to keep homegirl asleep when she was with me. The arrangement worked so well that she stayed. BAM, we were suddenly not just a cosleeping family but a GASP, bed-sharing family. And when we were given a bassinet so that her sweaty little self didn't have to plastered against me all night (seriously. Munch is the sweatiest kid on the planet.), she stayed longer. It's just so darn easy to pull her into bed with me, nurse her and put her back (or not). I get way more sleep, and she sleeps great. Its also such a comfort for me when the Hubs is working late to just pull Munch into bed with me and go to sleep together.

She's four months old now, and there's not really an end in sight for our cosleeping adventures. When she's night-weaned, perhaps. Or maybe not.

It's a Problem

2011-10-07T20:48:00.004-04:00

It's Friday.

My girl is asleep upstairs and, because she has recently started sleeping through the night (knock on wood and thank the Lord), I have until 5:30 tomorrow morning to work on my novel, get laundry done, catch up on some rest.

But no.

It's Friday.

Which means I am busy with three things. One thing, really.

These

We cloth diaper Miss Alice's sweet little bum, and I love it, I truly do. The one problem is that Cloth Diapering can quickly become an obsession. I spend countless hours on cloth diapering websites and online stores, drooling over new prints and products that I want.

Our stash is pretty economical. We have Alice covered until she's 18 pounds or so, all for under $300. We'll probably spend a little under $100 more, and she'll be set for the rest of her diapering years. We don't NEED more diapers.

But look at those things. How could you not want more? And they're so cute that I want one to match every outfit she owns, and that can get a bit expensive.

So here I am, on Friday, entering contests.

You'd be amazed the things people give away on the Internet. To me, Friday means three things.

Fluff Friday
(this week is two itti bitti tutto's, normally over $20 apiece)

Thirsty Thursday
(Two Duo Diaper in Snaps. WANT WANT WANT)

Feed Your Stash Friday
(two Happy Heiney's. I don't even know if I like that brand, but hey, free is free.)

When I'm feeling super ambitious, I'll visit the cloth diaper round-up and just go nuts entering giveaways. I keep a Twitter account solely for the ability to earn extra entries by tweeting. I blow up people's newsfeeds on Friday, liking this post and that, posting status updates about various giveaways.

I've never actually won a giveaway. But it's happening. One of these days, it'll happen. The statistics say so.

Besides, how cute is this:

Unnecesarean

2011-10-01T21:49:00.005-04:00

I said in my last post that I still have a lot of anger and grief about my sweet girl being born via C-section.

I still do.

I'm not obsessing over it the way I was, having trouble even picking up my girl because I couldn't stop hurting and crying over her method of birth. No, I'm not there anymore. I'm enjoying being a mommy, enjoying my life. But every once in awhile, I still look at the way she was born and just want to cry over it.

Sometimes I do. But not always.

Even though I don't cry every time, I do tell myself, every time,

"Never Again."

Our next birth will be a home birth, barring an absolute emergency. I will not willingly put myself back in the hands of an OB who refuses to even consider a vaginal breech delivery. I will certainly not put myself back with a group that checked the position of my child FIVE TIMES by five different doctors and still missed that my child was breech. The thing I have come to realize is that obstetrics is moving away from vaginal delivery. And I don't think that's a bad thing. I'm getting to the point where I believe that every OB should have a 100% cesarean rate and that vaginal birth is no place for a doctor, especially not doctors that are so afraid of litigation that they cut for something as simple as a frank breech baby.

On a side note, the reactions I got to the word "breech" were incredibly varied. Anyone who gave birth within the last ten years looked at me with horror and said "Oh no! That's so scary!" Anyone who had given birth before that time said "Oh, my daughter/niece/son/nephew was breech and they had no problem delivering him/her. I wonder why they wouldn't let you try it normally."

But I digress.

Our cesarean went "well", meaning my baby was healthy, I was healthy, and my recovery, physically, was easy. Everyone tells me that I should be grateful, because all that matters is that I have a healthy baby.

But no one will listen to the fact that, emotionally, it was horrendous.

I feel like I was given no options, simply told that, because I hadn't given birth before, I couldn't deliver her vaginally. That my body, designed by an Almighty Creator, could not fulfill one of its basic purposes and give birth.

I feel like I was robbed of a normal birth because the doctor was unwilling or unable or to scared to help me, and because a cesarean is, for the doctor, so much easier. I feel like my doctor took the cowards way out.

I lost control of my contractions toward the end, because I saw no point in working with them and working through them anymore, if they were just going to cut her out of me. Where I had been calm, if in pain, but focused and in control, I was now terrified and in pain, unfocused and out of control.

I felt like a complete failure because I had worked so hard to prepare for her birth, only to have it ripped away from me by a doctor who would not do their job.

I felt completely out of control of the actual delivery. I didn't actively push my child into the world, she was removed from me, like something unwanted.

I didn't get the first precious minutes of her life. Instead, I spent those being sewn up, while she was taken from her mother and into a room to be examined.

My feelings were discounted by every single person I spoke to after the surgery, including my doctor. Each person made me feel that I was weak, failing in my emotional response the way I had during my delivery. That I was ungrateful for my healthy baby girl.

Like I said, Never Again.

30 BEFORE 30 - Have a Baby

2011-09-20T22:03:00.006-04:00

Done and done!

I didn't update at all during my pregnancy, mostly because life got hectic. I lost a job, found a job, started my novel in earnest, interviewed pediatricians, bought cloth diapers. It's been an exciting few months. But I'd say its been worth it.She's about a week old here, still in possesion of her gray eyes and newborn hair. The hair has since fallen out, to be replaced with hair that is her daddy's dark color though not, at this point, quite the same texture or amount. I'm sure that will come, to the bane of my future attempts at taming it. Her eyes have gone from gray to a very determined blue, again, just like her daddy, much to his dismay. He was hoping for brown, like mommy :)

My girl was born the day before her due date, via c-section. I still feel a jolt of anger and grief when I write that. She wasn't supposed to be born via C-section. I labored without drugs for nine hours before my delivery OB announced that, while I was dilating beautifully and my girl had dropped, she was breech, and breech delivery is something my OB does not "allow". I could have disputed it, and perhaps should have, but a woman in labor does not make good split-second decisions, and I let them cut me. I have a lot of regrets about that, which I may go over in another post. This post isn't about my regrets. It's about my perfect little success.

C-sections are odd things. I couldn't feel any pain, just tugging, which I found out later was **GROSS WARNING** the doctors removing my "guts" as my brother in law put it and placing them on my chest. Sick in the extreme. I had morphine in my spinal, which made me a little woozy, but I distinctly remember the moment she was "born". The doctor asked me if I was ready, and upon my emphatic "YES", I heard my little girl cry. I wish I'd been able to have a "right to the chest" moment, but when your arms are stretched out to your sides and the lower half of your body is numb and cut open, they don't exactly want to hand you your baby. They cleaned her up, and I did get to meet her before they took her off to the nursery for vitals.
They brought her to me within 15 minutes of my being post-op, and she was nursing within ten minutes of being with me. I will say that, other than the fact that I ended up with an "unnecesaerean", the hospital was very good about respecting my wishes. This picture is from the second day, probably less than 18 hours post op. Notice the lack of anything connected to me. I did everything I could to get off IV fluids and then GO HOME as soon as possible. We ended up going home 38 hours post-op. Less than two days. That's less than most vaginal deliveries. Take that, medical system
Our first family picture:

My girl is a month old now, becoming more and more alert, trying to hold her head up, still nursing like a champ. We are cloth diapering, something I'll cover in another post, but its going so well. I love being a mommy, but more importantly, I love being her mommy.

Green Olive

2011-01-10T14:03:00.002-05:00

That's my baby: A green olive.

On December 2, I took a ridiculously early pregnancy test and was shocked to see the faintest of all faint positives. Paul wasn't even sure he could see a line, and I spent the rest of the day in "pregnant or not" limbo.

The next morning returned a darker positive, the third morning, a definite positive, and the following day, a digital readout of "Pregnant" on a digital test.

So today I am officially nine weeks knocked up. It's the first morning in about five weeks I haven't woken up wanting to vomit, which is a plus, and I was finally able to stomach the delectable smell of Chef-Boy-R-Dee, which I love with all my heart.

It's a short post today, but I promise (maybe) to be better about posting, now that I actually have soemthing to post about.

OIh, heavens. I just became that woman who thinks she has nothing interesting to say unless it pertains to motherhood.

Saints preserve us.

It isn't that I don't love you

2010-12-09T20:48:00.003-05:00

I've just been so very busy, you see.

Working.

And writing the novel that's going to make me the next JK Rowling (AHAHAHAHA!! if only)

And Christmasing. I don't actually have a tree yet. We're supposed to get one this weekend because my parents gave us forty smakaroos. We spent it on groceries, but we're still buying a forty dollar tree. It's pretty much the same thing.

Christmas is in interesting thing when you're a young married couple. You've moved out, so you aren't the kids anymore, and the kids or sort of the focus of the whole Christmas season. And Jesus. I'll get to him in a minute. But for now, kids. We aren't the kids anymore, so the whole magic of that aspect is missing now.

Example: My sister and I used to sleep in the same bedroom on Christmas Eve and watch Christmas movies (Annabelle's Wish? The best/worse/best/worse Christmas movie on the planet. It's about a cow who turns into a reindeer. Seriously. Also, it's important to note that I just spelled "reindeer" as "raighndeer" The spell check suggested that I really meant "Straightener". Mercy). I usually fell asleep mid-Grinch, but still. It was a Yuletide slumber party once a year. Also, we always got brand new PJ's. Last year we tried that, and at nine, we both looked at each other and said "Yea, I had to work today. I'm going to bed." We didn't even sleep in the same room. She slept in her old bedroom and I slept in mine with my husband.

Childhood = gone forever.

I feel like this problem of missing magic could all be solved by having our own children, because really, kids get the joy and magic of Christmas. But while we are neither kids nor parents, we're stuck in Holiday limbo.

On the bright side, my Mommy still fills my stocking on Christmas Eve, although last year she did it while I was still awake and sitting on the couch. I watched her do it. Seriously Mom, how am I supposed to believe in Santa Claus if you do stuff like that. You're killing the Virginia in me, that's what. I told her that, too. Her response was that she was tired and wanted to go to bed. Apparently tricking us into thinking a fat man leaves presents every year was easier when we went to bed at seven thirty. I say her excuses find no sympathy from me.

Never

2010-11-30T15:21:00.002-05:00

Tell a mother or a nanny of an ADHD child that it is ridiculous to medicate a child.

The next time someone informs me as such, I'm going to direct them to my charge at homework time when he has skipped meds.

Then I am going to kick them in the shins.

Here's the thing.

2010-11-23T11:36:00.005-05:00

Here's the thing.

I love Harry Potter.

LOVE.

When I finish reading one of the books, I am overwhelmed by this sadness that just clings for days because I have to come back to reality and realize that the world isn't real.

It's incredibly healthy of me.

I'm very well-adjusted.

Anyway, with the seventh movie now half out (it was amazing, by the way), I am overcome with emotion at the fact that, after this July, it will be over.

OVER.

I can reread the books, and I will, but they will say the same things they always have.

The beauty of the HP universe is that it is so vast and there are so many stories waiting to be told in it. She has hinted at possible doing a few more, and to that I say PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!

The point of all this is that a dog jumped at me today.

Stay with me.

A dog jumped at me today and left a gash on my forehead about a quarter inch long. When I had the bleeding under control, I took a look in the mirror and OMGITSLIGHTNINGBOLTSHAPED.

Vaguely.

I can only hope against all hope that it scars.

NaNoWriMo: A sad, sad update

2010-11-17T17:07:00.002-05:00

I lack something.

The common folk call it "stick-to-it-ivness"

I call it that too, but I like to say "the common folk"

I really do have none. My husband and I never did finish The Love Dare, I didn't finish the RIPV Challenge in October, I've never finished a Nest book challenge. Look at my "100 books in 2010" list. I'm at 96 and completely stalled out. And now, it's looking like NaNoWriMo will be the next thing tossed into my "Yea, I was going to do that once" basket.

I have a good reason though.

I started off strong.

I wrote well.

Then I realized...

I detest the characters I wrote.

DETEST.

As in hate with an almighty passion.

I very nearly just had her throw herself off a cliff because she's so darn annoying.

So I have scrapped that story. But I refuse to give up!

In a burst of determination, I went back to the drawing board and started over with an entirely new idea. It's going well, but I'm only about 500 words in, so we'll see.

Things That Bother Me About Harry Potter #2: How have Fred and George never been called in to a disciplinary hearing about underage magic outside school? Haven't they been developing Puking Pastilles and whatnot for ages?

Things That Always Bugged Me About Harry Potter

2010-11-15T13:23:00.002-05:00

#1.

"If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my - my teddy bear into a dirty great spider because I broke his toy broomstick."

This seems like a rather advanced piece of transfiguration for a five year old, which Fred would have been at the time, especially considering he wouldn't have had a wand at the time.

Although, it's possible that he didn't do it strictly on purpose. It isn't unheard of in the Harry Potter universe for young children to do things on accident when they are angry or scared.

Also, I would like you to take this moment to appreciate how very much I love this series, because oly true love is able to care so much about something so ridiculously irrelevant.

I voted today...

2010-11-02T18:32:00.001-04:00

did you?

NaNoWriMo

2010-11-01T10:24:00.003-04:00

As I have mentioned, I am an aspiring writer, which basically means that I like to write, but don't have the wherewithal to actually finish anything so it can be published. I'm also incredibly critical, and can't manage to get through a few pages of prose without going back and hyper-editing everything.

The buck stops here, darn it.

For the month of November, despite the fact that I have never completed an internet challenge ever, I am participating in National Novel Writer's Month. The challenge, basically, is to write a 50,000 page novel in a one-month time-span. They make a point of informing you that what you produce will probably be beautiful, lovable crap, because instead of editing and trashing, you are supposed to just throw criticism to the wind and write with nary a thought to commas splices and plot holes.

I'm nervous, because you actually have to submit your novel, which means that people are going to read it, which is something I have never allowed. Ever. My husband, who I love with all my hart, has never read a word that I have written. Except when he was cleaning our bedroom and found my old journal from eleventh and twelfth grade. He read that. And laughed at me. Out of love, I'm sure.

The point is, I'm writing a novel. I'm doing it, and you can't stop me.

It's Late

2010-10-23T23:23:00.003-04:00

It's late, so please note the following:

I just got home from a concert where my father drank his weight in cranberry and vodka, then begged for a burrito on the way home. I love my family.

I have been thoroughly berated for referring to my ovaries as "broken". So I retract that statement. My ovaries are lazy and have the collective work ethic of a paraplegic sloth.

I am a wig-dying failure. I will never be a Cosplay genius. Also, if you know how to dye a polyester wig, please enlighten me. It mostly still looks blond, only with maybe a disease whose symptoms include sickly purple streaks.

MY laundry is not done and I am ignoring its pleas for washing. I have a blog to update here.

My nails are super pretty. I would take a picture, but I haven't a camera. Please take note of this and add it to your Christmas shopping list

Gone with the Wind = awesome book. Slow read.

The end.

Love ya.

Good night.

and Good luck.

Discovery

2010-09-27T14:42:00.002-04:00

SPOILER ALERT: All seven Harry Potter novels

I am a nanny. During the day, it is just me and the littlest kiddo, who is 15 months. In the afternoons, I get her brother, T, who, despite his lack of Robin Hood knowledge, is a generally good kid. I've gently coaxed him this year into almost enjoying reading, and had the pleasure of introducing him to the (life-changing? spectacular? mind-blowing?) Harry Potter novels.

It is an amazing thing to watch, in him, the same process I went through when I was first discovering the books. He hasn't seen the movies. He doesn't know about Snape killing Dumbledore, about Voldemort coming back, about Umbridge and her detestable faux-sweetness, about the epic battles that make up the last three books. I sincerely hope no one spoils it for him.

He is most of the way through the third book, and is still where we all were, thinking Sirius Black a murderer, not knowing about the Time-Turner or that Lupin is a werewolf, certainly not realizing Scabber's true identity. Voldemort is still, at this point, a bad guy in the distance, his return not even a possibility on the horizon. T is busy coming up with theories, most of the dead wrong, but who's theories weren't dead wrong at this point?

I am loving his shock at each new revelation, his loyalties toward certain characters, and his predictions of what is to come.

Potter for President, that's what.

Because I need something else to waste my time...

2010-09-22T13:49:00.003-04:00

www.fabric.com

Your welcome.

Excuse me, I need to go sew something.

Shuggling

2010-09-20T10:17:00.003-04:00

I am an aspiring writer.

And by "aspiring" I mean that, while the baby I take care of sleeps and I am supposed to be doing laundry, I plug in my portable hard drive and type.

It's a glamorous life.

Anyway, one of the ~~tribulations~~ joys of writing is that the characters and such don't always do as you tell them. Take Levi, for instance. He is my protagonist, and one of my favorite characters. His story is supposed to be written in the third person, but he will insist on telling it himself. I have finally given in, and in the process of going back over the last 15 or so pages and switching the "him"s to "me"s, I came across this sentence:

"He bent and began shuggling my papers into a pile"

"Shuggling"? What on earth is "shuggling"? Did I mean juggling? shrugging? Was I trying to be presumptions and make up a word? What does it mean?

I can only assume that I meant "shuffling", which makes sense, and that my finger slipped over to the G by mistake.

The moral of this story, children, is always proofread your work. If you don't, you may find that you've shuggled it all up.

Mockingjay - Midpoint

2010-09-16T13:51:00.002-04:00

I'm only three chapters into Mockingjay, and Katniss...

Oh Wait.

Spoilers.

Sorry.

Anyway. Katniss is driving me INSANE.

"I'm emotional and sad and my response is to be useless and ungrateful to everyone around me!"

Unacceptable, Katniss. Get your s**t together.

Dogs

2010-09-15T10:03:00.001-04:00

I don't like Dogs.

Actually, that's not true. I like little dogs. Sweet, fluffy, lick-your-face-with-their-tiny-tongues dogs. Those are sweet, and hardly count as dogs. More like canine-esque kitty-kats mixed with a bit of gerbil. Big dogs, on the other hand, make me break out in emotional and mental hives. This is incredibly inconvenient, because I am apparently a dog-whisperer. I have never met a big dog that didn't think I was just the most amazing, wonderful thing it had ever met and proceed to ignore everyone else in the room until I had petted and loved on it.

I work as a nanny in a home with a Pit Bull and a Chocolate Lab that I detest. To say that I hate these dogs is an understatement akin to saying that Hitler was a painter with some anger issues. They are my own personal Marley. They jump, they drool, they steal the baby's toys (and eat them), and they wait until right after I put the baby down to find something offensive in the street that must be immediately barked at. My hatred, which I do all I can to project toward these animals, has absolutely no affect whatsoever on the drooling, obnoxious love they insist upon showing me. I suppose I could find greater meaning in this, something about how dogs love unconditionally, blah, blah, blah.

But I won't. If I did, I would have to admit that she does, in fact, have redeeming features, which, while it may or may not be true, I refuse to do.

I like cats quite a bit, although I wish I could get through a bowl of cereal without a furry face in mine asking "You gonna finish that milk?" To which I sulkily reply "Apparently not"

A Story

2010-09-15T09:47:00.005-04:00

I'm going to tell you a story.

When I was little, my sister and I used to go to my grandparents ranch/hay farm/house in the summertime. Not every summertime, but a fair few.

Anyways, usually my cousins, who were fantastic, would join us, and a fun time would be had by all.

During these trips, if there were no adults accompanying us to ruin the fun, my cousins and I would get to sleep in the "Little House", which was a small one-room cabin that stands on the property. We aren't sure how it got there. All we know is that the Little House, with it's circa-1985 electric blankets, dodgy plumbing and rattling, boggart infested heater, has always been there, and being able to sleep in it was the epitome of grown-upedness, second only to being allowed to sleep in the 1985 Winnebago.

This particular trip, for whatever reason, we had been allowed access to the Little House, and my cousins and I were having a super-groovy dance party. We had all watched "Stepmom" that morning, and we were now obsessed with the song "Ain't no Mountain".

Somewhere during this party, we thought jumping on the bed would be a good idea.

After all, this is childhood. Jumping on the bed is ALWAYS a good idea.

How very wrong we were.

About ten minutes into our jumping extravaganza, there was a jarring thud, a horrific breaking sound, and the bed became about six inches shorter on the top right hand side.

OMG

Upon further inspection, it was discovered that we had put the bed through the floor of the Little House.

OMGOMGOMG

Children break many things.

Toys

Books

Electronics

Bones

But never, in my entire 12 years on the planet, had I managed to do permanent damage to an actual structure.

As the eldest, it fell to me to approach my grandmother, most wonderful woman on the planet, and explain to her that I had broken the Little House. I don't know why I didn't finagle my younger cousins into doing it. Or my sister. Maybe I tried, and they, like intelligent people, said "No Way, Jose"

I don't remember what happened the rest of that day.

I do know that we slept on couches in the big house that night.

The end.

TV is BACK!!

2010-09-14T13:25:00.002-04:00

I am not a big TV watcher. I don't judge those who are (Just kidding, I totally do.), I just don't have the emotional wherewithal to commit to watching a show for an entire season.

However.

Oh, however.

There are two (actually three, but I don't get Comedy Central, so one of them doesn't count) shows that I have been countig down too since last May. And next week, they are totally back.

Big Bang Theory has moved itself to Thursdays, which means I can't watch it with my husband, but so much the better. Who needs boys, anyway?
Oh, Sheldon, how I've missed you and your anti-social ways.

More importantly,

GLEE!!!

Tuesday nights

Oh, Happy Day

Mr. Shuster is back to save the day

And also Puck, with whom I am in love

Also, I didn't mean for that last part to rhyme.

The point is, my life is about to become a bit more reclusive on Tuesday and Thursday nights, so don't call me.

I mean, you can, but I won't answer unless its a commercial, and as soon as the show is back, you are getting hung up on.

I still love you, you know.

You always hurt the one you love.

Jules

2010-09-12T16:27:00.006-04:00

I love this girl:

She is my best friend

She was my bridesmaid

She is my movie date and my silliness partner, and she puts up with me being utterly ridiculous, all the time.

She didn't smack me when I asked her if I could sing Ave Maria at her wedding, even though she is neither engaged nor Catholic.

She sits next to me in church and laughs with me when the pastor says he's going to go "mug" people.

She even came to Kohls with me once and picked out my husbands tie because I didn't want to go alone.

She's super.

And I love her.

BOOK REVIEW: The Road

2010-09-10T07:09:00.004-04:00

My first RIP V review! YAY

The Road.

Post-apocalyptic.

Pulitzer Prize.

Viggo Mortenson.

Wait. Strike that last one. He's only in the movie.

This was my first foray into the world of Pulitzer Prize-winners, a genre that always brings to mind stuffy men in monocles, smoking pipes and saying things like "Good show!" and "Right-O Old Chap"

I'm really not sure what that says about me.

The Road is about as far from that image as I think it is possible to be. Except maybe Christopher Moore. But I think we all know he's not winning a Pulitzer anytime soon.

Anyway.

The Road.

I had a hard time, at first, deciding whether or not I was enjoying the book. On the one hand, it is dark and depressing and there is so little humor or happiness in it. It's very gray reading, if that makes any sense.

On the other, the love between the father and son, the struggle to continue living and surviving, the pure effort that each day brings, is so incredibly palpable that this book is almost impossible to put down.

As with any post-apocalyptic novel, there is the occasional step into man's inhumanity to man, but it never becomes the whole story. The cannibalism, theft and murder that some of the world has descended into is only ever a step along the journey, the trouble of one day before moving onto the next. I appreciated this in the book. I also appreciated that nothing was solved. This was not a story about fixing a broken world or rebuilding one society from the ashes of another. It was the story of one man wandering the world with one boy, trying not to make a new life, but to survive the old one for as long as they can.

I wouldn't call this "Pleasure Reading", necessarily. I didn't really enjoy it in the traditional way that one enjoys a book, and to say that I enjoyed a book that contains so much darkness and unhappiness would sound almost like sacrilege anyway.

The best I can say about The Road is that, while not really an "enjoyable" book, it is a good book. Maybe even a great one.

Highly recommended as a one-time read.

RIP V Challenge: The Book List

2010-09-08T09:01:00.003-04:00

After many recommendations from the wonderful readers in my life, I have chosen the four books I will be reading for the challenge.

1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Image Source

Recommended by: My SIL, Sara

I'm 95 pages in, and while it is slow going, It's a very good read so far. It took me a little while to get used to the fact that Mr. McCarthy doesn't use quotations and that the Man and the Boy don't have actual names, but I've gotten over it and everything is alright again.
Also, every time I read the author's name, I misread it as Cormac McLaggen, who is a fictional Hogwarts student, not an author. I have read Harry Potter far to many times.
2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Image Source

Recommended by: Goodreads

It's about Vampires (sort of), and who doesn't love a good vampire story?

3. Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice
Image Source

Recommended by: My Uncle Lance

His actual recommendation was "Anything by Anne Rice", and this seems to be one of those "read before you die" books.

4. Firestarter by Stephen King

Image Source

Recommended by: My mother and sister

I've never read anything by Stephen King, but apparently this particular title is very Koontz-esque, and I do love Dean Koontz.

I have the first one on loan from my SIL, and the other three waiting for me at the library. Should be a good two months.

RIP V Challenge

2010-09-02T13:54:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure how I didn't know things like this existed, but they DO!

It's like Christmas in September.

Image Source and Also to figure out what I'm talking about

By "things like this", I mean book challenges. I like nothing better than to be given guidelines. I love them. Put me in a library and say "pick anything you want", and I crumble into an incoherent wreck, rocking in the corner. Say "find something that means guidelines x, y and z", and I'm a kid on a scavenger hunt.

It's totally healthy and well-adjusted of me, I'm sure.

I don't normally read scary books (unless you count Harry Potter as scary, ~~which I do~~ which no self-respecting adult does), but I am at the end of my to-be-read shelf, and I need inspiration. This challenge seems like just the thing. Plus, it forces me to read outside my quite narrow book-comfort zone. I'm not really sure where to begin. It feels like cheating to start with something like Twilight, which, while about vampires, is about sparkly vampires, which negates the whole "scary" thing a bit. I do like Sherlock Holmes quite a bit, and that seems like a relatively calm entrance into the world of spooky/scary/creepy stories. I must let myself in gently.

I'll try very very hard to remember to review the books as I read them. This isn't strictly a "book blog", but who am I kidding? I rarely talk about, you know, my life on here. Mostly I just talk to you about books I read, movies I watch and my feet swelling for no apparent reason.

The point is, I'm enabling my terrible habit of writing about books rather than about me. This is a terrible thing for me to do, as no one could ever have enough me.

I'm still going to do it. Scary books! Scary book reviews! Book Challenge!

Huzzah!

Twilight by Pattinson, Robert 1986

2010-08-31T11:17:00.003-04:00

Before last night, I had only seen Twilight ~~5 times~~ ~~3 times~~ ~~twice~~ once, and that was when it first came out. At the time, I was completely enamored by it, somehow missing the spider monkey line.

Stupid line.

As time wore on, I found myself inexplicably growing to hate the first movie in the saga. This grew and grew until all I knew was that Twilight was Bad. As Bad as a movie can get.

Anyway, it's three or four years later and I couldn't remember if I hated the movie because it was awful or because popular opinion said I should.

So I checked it out from the library.

It's not bad, really. That spider monkey line is still...you know...in existence, and it turns out that Robert Pattinson himself picked that line out as the one to say, which was the worst move of his career, but the movie wasn't terrible.

Of course, I watched the entire thing with commentary, so that may be what made it bearable.

Also, I cut my own hair with the kitchen scissors last night. The bangs are cute. The rest?

Well, the rest will remain in a ponytail until I can get it fixed.

30 Day Blog Challenge is a bust

2010-08-30T10:11:00.003-04:00

Well, I've given up.

I was bored, and I couldn't imagine that you, who are not living my life, could be interested in the challenge if I was not.

I'm sorry if you were.

So, here's the update on my life, since that's what blogging is really all about.

Today is the first day of my new part-time second job. I'm still nannying during the day, and now, some days, I'll be driving over to a local public school, picking up J, a sweet little girl who I've known since she was four and keeping her until 10:30 or so. It's by no means steady work, but it is extra cash, and I'm in for anything that will get our debt paid off earlier than expected.

Credit card debt is what's wrong with America. Or at least, it's what's wrong in our house. And it's standing in the way of my new hardwood floors.

Currently reading: The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. It's reminding me of Twilight a bit, honestly, in that I recognize that this isn't great literature, and it's not even particularly good writing (odd, since I love Garth Nix), but the story is so engaging that I don't want to stop. Also The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman, much to the disgust of Jerry Falwell and Christian leaders everywhere.

30 Before 30 update: I'm trying to work more consistently on my manuscript. It's going well in my head, but my brain, lacking thumbs, cannot hold a pen, and when I try to transfer thoughts from brain to hand, it comes out sounding a bit like literary Jell-O.

Husband update: He is still yummy and wonderful.

Camera update: I need one. badly.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 9

2010-08-26T13:19:00.002-04:00

I took this picture...This is my wonderful husband and my niece. She was only five here, if my math is correct. It was only two years ago, and I can't believe how big she is.
What I love about this picture is how he plays with her. He has always been the Uncle to be jumped on, roughhoused with, attacked from behind by four people under the age of six. His willingness to be silly with his nieces and nephews is on of the things that made me realize I could spend the rest of my life with him.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 8

2010-08-25T09:57:00.002-04:00

This Photo Makes Me Sad, but not Angry...

Image Source

These photos break my heart while still making me swell with pride over the bravery of each man and woman who enlists in our armed forces with the full knowledge that coming home may never truly happen for them. Want to know what true joy is, though? Follow the image source link to The Pioneer Woman and look through the five "Coming Home" posts. I dare you not to cry.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 7

2010-08-24T09:43:00.004-04:00

A Photo That Makes You Happy

This was taken by Krystal Blase of West House Photography as part of a Father's Day Mini-Session with my mother, my sister and I. I'm not entirely sure what is going on between my sister and me in this shot, but it's the personification of our relationship. Lots of fooling around, lots of laughter.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 6

2010-08-23T13:50:00.003-04:00

20 Things That Make Me Happy

I'm doing this with pictures. You've been warned.

20. Babies. Especially the one I take care of. She has delicious jelly-filled cheeks. I can't post a picture of her precisely, but here is an adorable generic baby:
19. Show Tunes. Like, for serious. Give me music I can belt it out to, and I am set. No picture. Sorries
18. Taylor Swift. Because her music makes me want to drive my non-convertible car with the top down.

17. Honey Nut Cheerios. They are delicious.

16. Hyperbole and a Half. Have you read her blog? For serious, go read. Like, now.

15. Kittens. Mine especially. They are snoogly and adorable. I don't have any pictures of them though. They won't hold still long enough. Oh, well.

14. Building things with my own two hands. I am le handy, thanks to Ana at Knock Off Wood. I built a bookshelf.

13. Weddings. I went to one Saturday, and I don't have any pictures yet, but I love weddings. A LOT. Here's one from mine:12. My niece and nephew. I have seven nieces and nephews, but these two live very close and I get to see them often, and they just light up my day every time.11. The Color Pink

10. My Husband' Family. I love them. They are the bestest inlaws EVAH

9. My Family. They are also the best Evah.

8. Movie dates with this chick:7. The Pioneer Woman. I want to marry her.

6. Books of all shapes and sizes.

5. The fact that my librarians know me by name, face and occupation.

4. That the summer is over and two of my charges are back to school.

3. Writing

2. Living Life

1. This kid. He makes my heart beat a little faster:

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 5

2010-08-22T09:41:00.000-04:00

My Favorite Quote

I have two of these. Both by Englishmen.

This one was on a poster in my American Lit classroom in High School, and I have loved it madly ever since.

Don't be content with things as they are... Don't take ‘no' for an answer. Never submit to failure. Don't be fobbed off with mere personal success or acceptance. You will make all kinds of mistakes, but as long as long as you are generous and true, and also fierce, you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her. She is made to be wooed and won by youth. - Winston Churchill

This one I wanted read at our wedding. Paul vetoed it, saying it didn't sound wedding-y enough.

If the old fairy-tale ending "They lived happily ever after" is taken to mean "They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married," then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be "in love" need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense-love as distinct from "being in love"—is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened ...by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be "in love" with someone else. "Being in love" first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.
- C.S. Lewis

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 4

2010-08-21T09:34:00.001-04:00

My Favorite Book

I have seven, actually:

It sounds hokey, but I am not exaggerating when I say that this series changed my life. Kind of. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little.

It's still amazing.

I've written on this blog about these books, which is a feat, let me tell you, considering that they usually just render me speechless. If you go back to about February, you'll find the Harry Potter re-read posts.

On second though, don't even do that. Just go read them. Again.

My preferences, in descending order:

7. Chamber of Secrets
6. Sorcerers Stone
5. Goblet of Fire
4. Order of the Phoenix
3. Prisoner of Azkaban
2. Half-Blood Prince
1. Deathly Hallows

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 3

2010-08-20T11:38:00.003-04:00

My Favorite TV Show

I feel a smidge silly titling them like this. It feels very third grade essay. Such is life, I suppose.The truth is that Paul and I only have about four channels, so we don't get to watch any of the super ~~juicy~~ trashy TV that is on the premium channels. Which may b a good thing. We had the Style network for about a month when we first signed up with our cable company, and I spent every hour I wasn't working watching Wedding shows and The Dish. Incidentally, Topanga has glammed up a bit, yes?
Since I don't have access to all the latest gossip and such, I turn to two of what I feel are the best made shows on TV. Poor people's TV, because who even knows what's on the other channels.

Glee
Glee. The quirky, adorable summer romance that you know isn't going anywhere, but that you just can't let go of, because it's going to be wonderful while it lasts. Or something. When the season is going, I play the soundtrack nonstop. I finally manged to convince the hubster that it is a worthwhile show. We watch together now, and I've actually heard him humming the tunes when he thinks I'm not listening. I know the truth though. I heard him call Puck a douchebag when he told Quinn she was fat.

The Big Bang Theory

If Glee is the quirky summer romance, Big Bang Theory is...something else, but better. I'm really no good at analogies. I'm not even really sure I spelled analogies right. Sheldon would know, I'm sure. There's really not much to say. I just love it so very very much.

I'd also like to throw out an honorable mention to the only reason I would ever consider getting HBO, and NO it is not True Blood, that show is awful. Awful, I say.

Entourage
Look at him. Isn't he delicious? And he has a driver names Turtle. TURTLE.
And also I love E. And Ari Gold. And Drama. Vince is kind of a maroon, but he is so yummy.

30 Days of Blogging - Day 2

2010-08-19T10:37:00.002-04:00

My Favorite Movie

I'm so embarrassed, I really am. I'm so ashamed, i almost don't want to tell you, but I'm going to, because that's kind of the whole point of blogging.

I am in love with this movie. In LOVE. I could watch it again and again and it would never get old. I'm not sure if its because it has Paul Rudd in it or maybe it's Seth Rogen or the fact that I am obsessed with pregnancy and babies. Who knows. All I know is that I am going to be watching this tonight. My husband thanks you.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 1

2010-08-18T00:01:00.005-04:00

My Favorite Song

My usual answer to this is "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn, and while I still LURVE that song with a passion, I've lately gotten to know Switchfoot again, after a long parting of ways, and one song has been on repeat for the last few weeks.

Gone by Switchfoot

She told him she’d rather fix her makeup
Than try to fix what’s going on
But the problem keeps on calling
Even with the cellphone gone
She told him that she believes in living
Bigger than she’s living now
But her world keeps spinning backwards
And upside down
Don’t say so long and throw yourself wrong
Don’t spend today away
Cuz today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone,
Like history is
Gone, just trying to prove me wrong
And pretend like your immortal

She said he said live like no tomorrow
Every day we borrow
Brings us one step closer to the edge (infinity)
Where your treasure, where’s your hope
If you get the world and lose your soul
She pretends like she pretends like she’s immortal
Don’t say so long
Your not that far gone
This could be your big chance to makeup
Today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone,
Like history is gone,
The world keeps spinning on,
Your going going gone,
Like summer break is gone,
Like Saturday is gone
Just trying to prove me wrong
You pretend like your immortal your immortal

We are not infinite
We are not permanent
Nothing is immediate
We’re so confident
In our accomplishments
Look at how dark it is

Gone, like frank Sinatra
Like Elvis and his mom
Like Al Pachino’s cash nothing lasts in this life
My high school dreams are gone
My childhood sweets are gone
Life is a day that doesn’t last for long

I just love the whole "seize the day"message here, that our time here on earth is comparatively short and that we need to be focusing on what matters rather than on what we can get or how much fun we can cram into our lives before we die.

The highlighted portion is my absolute favorite line in the entire song. So fantastically good.

30-Day Blog Challenge

2010-08-17T12:31:00.001-04:00

I found this over at Mommy Needs a Wand, and decided to participate as well. Could be fun. It starts tomorrow so stay tuned!

Day 1 – your favorite song

Day 2 – your favorite movie

Day 3 – your favorite television program

Day 4 – your favorite book

Day 5 – your favorite quote

Day 6 – 20 of my favorite things

Day 7 – a photo that makes you happy

Day 8 – a photo that makes you angry/sad

Day 9 – a photo you took

Day 10 – a photo taken over 10 years ago of you

Day 11 - a photo of you recently

Day 12 – something you are OCD about

Day 13 – a fictional book

Day 14 - a non-fictional book

Day 15 – your dream house

Day 16 – a song that makes you cry (or nearly)

Day 17 – an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)

Day 18 – my wedding/future wedding/past wedding

Day 19 - a talent of yours

Day 20 – a hobby of yours

Day 21 – a recipe

Day 22 – a website

Day 23 – a youtube video

Day 24 – where I live

Day 25 – your day, in great detail

Day 26 – your week, in great detail

Day 27 – my worst habit

Day 28 – whats in my handbag/purse

Day 29 – hopes,dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Day 30 – a dream for the future

Literary Twin

2010-08-10T15:06:00.003-04:00

About ~~six~~ ~~nine~~ ~~twelve~~ a long time ago, somewhere or other, I was asked who my literary twin was. And when I say I, I mean that I was part of a large poll that included the question "Who do you feel is your literary twin?"

I don't know what I answered, but whatever it was, I was wrong.

I know I was wrong because I know I didn't answer "Anne Shirley", and there is no question that she and I are the same person, barring hair color. And a BA.

I have just reread four of the eight Anne novels by LM Montgomery, and I giggled as I read, just because I was seeing myself in the pages. Idealistic, dramatic, prone to stopping in the middle of a task because my imaginings had gotten in the way. It's as if someone bottled my childhood character and wrote a book about her.

It isn't even just my childhood character, though. I still imagine things, constantly. Ridiculous things, too, the same as Anne. I am only slightly less vocal about it than she is, and I don't believe I ever kissed a flower.

I even married Gilbert Blythe, although he says his name is Paul.

The funny thing is that, as I have grown up, I see more of Marilla Cuthbert in myself, especially in the way I deal with the children I care for. No-nonsense, firm, not given to flights of fancy EVER. I was a bit appalled at fist, but I'm not altogether sure that it's a bad thing. I just have to be careful to temper the Marilla with the Anne.

I do love reading the Anne books. I feel that, if I could only step through the pages into her world, she and I would be "kindred spirits" together.

The Case for Twilight: Part 1

2010-07-29T14:00:00.005-04:00

Men hate Twilight. This is, gender profiling aside, truer than the commonly accepted fact that men like football.

They hate Twilight for any number of reasons. Topping the list is the fact that the vampires "sparkle", which seems like an awfully trivial reason to hate an entire franchise. I think its a front, by the entire male population, to avoid the real reason they hate it so much.

They're jealous.

Somehow, these two fictitious characters have captured the heart of women everywhere, and here you are, men of the world, still scratching your collective heads regarding everyone with two X chromosomes. It's frustrating, men. I understand. I do. But lets be proactive here. Really, if you stop glaring at Robert Pattinson and muttering the words "Vampires don't sparkle" under your breath, you might, might, be able to take a few tips. Maybe.

The thing about Twilight is that it speaks to 95% of women in ways that society has made a bit taboo. I'm not talking about the oh-so-controversial over-protectiveness that borders on the obsessive, although that is part of it. No, what I'm referring to are four very basic longings that secretly reside in the heart of most (I would say all, but a few are still vehemently in denial) women. It's important to note that I don't think that Twilight is the model for a perfect relationship. I myself would never date a vampire. It is also important to note that this is not an advertisement for Twilight. I am not trying to convince anyone to read anything. Twilight is rather horrifically written, to be honest. I simply understand why those who read and love it, myself included, do so.

This is simply a friendly note the men of the world, explaining the insanity. I'm only exploring the first today, but I'll go through the other three later this week. Or every Thursday for a month. Or something.

To Be Beautiful

Bella is the personification of how every woman has felt, does feel or will feel about herself. Not particularly pretty or smart or worthwhile. EVERY woman has felt this way at one point or another. Even women who grew up in supportive, loving homes sometimes look in the mirror and say "Icgh". It's not low self-esteem or self-degradation. It just is.

Bella is, in her own self-estimation, shockingly average. She does not see herself as anything special, and whether or not she IS special or beautiful or smart isn't even the point.

The point is that the man she loves sees her and calls her beautiful. Not just beautiful, but more beautiful than any woman he has ever known. Topping this is that he says it with complete honesty and conviction. We know that Edward sees her and truly sees the most beautiful woman in existence.

Women long for this; to be called beautiful, to be considered beautiful, is important. It isn't just a physical thing, either. We want to know that you see us, really see us, inside and out, and see us as beautiful. This isn't to say that women are or should be insecure and requiring of a man's approval to think that she is beautiful. I am not speaking of the woman who sees herself as worthless or ugly. That is a whole different ballgame, with a whole different set of rules. I am speaking here of your every-woman. The one who is confident in herself, but only most of the time. I am a relatively confident woman. I am secure in the fact that, while I will never model for Victoria's Secret, I am far from unfortunate looking. I can look in the mirror and know that I look nice, but I want my husband to notice. I want him to say it. I want to know that he sees me and sees a beautiful woman.

So, the next time you are ready to scoff at the absurdities of Twilight (and I would have the utmost sympathy for you. It is rather absurd), look at the woman you love instead, and see that she is beautiful, and let her know.

BOOK REVIEW: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

2010-07-24T15:52:00.005-04:00

GoodReads Description: In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrate...mIn Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her.

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

I'm not sure what to think, really. It had all the good elements of a good book. Dystopian? check. Zombies? check. Overbearing religious society controlling the lives of everyone it touches? double check.

It had all that, and, to be fair, it was well-written and engaging and all that. Worth the read, for certain. There are many an OMG HOW WILL THEY ESCAPE moment, several very, very heartrenching passages, and a zombie infant. It really doesn't get much better. The book is a bit confused sometimes, isn't really sure if it wants to be an adventure or a romance, and so, instead of combining the two, contents itself with being an adventure story that is constantly threatening to turn into a romance, before the adventure beats the romance back into the shadows with the festering arm of one of the undead.

Mary is our main character, and she is brave and inquisitive and unsatisfied to go along with the status quo simply because it is the status quo. She has a great deal of strength and righteous indignation, which I found fantastically refreshing. She finds a way out of her gated village into the Forest of Hands and Teeth to find the Ocean her mother told her about as a child, and dreams of a world away from the Unconcecrated (Zombies), away from the Sisterhood (the Catholic Church) and away from fear (take your pick). Other than the fact that she is a bit whiny and ~~a lot~~ a bit self absorbed, she is a likable, sympathetic character.

But

She confused me a bit, I must say. For one thing, there is this odd love triangle...thing, going on. Mary loves Travis, who loves her too, but only sometimes, even though he's really engaged to her best friend. Travis's brother Harry loves Mary, and she loves him too, kind of, and could maybe be happy with him but she loves Travis. Sometimes. What's never made clear is WHY exactly she loves Travis so very much more than Harry, who has been, it is made clear, her best friend forevah, and who, it must be remembered, wants to marry her, whereas Travis is going to marry Mary's best friend Cass until he decides halfway through the book, for no apparent reason, that he has loved Mary all along and Harry decides he has loved Cass all along and suddenly we're playing musical partners while our brains yell "Then WHY haven't we been doing this since the beginning?!"

And then your brain explodes.

Secondly, and this is a minor complaint, the secondary characters weren't as fleshed out (hehe. zombies. fleshed out. hehe) as I would have liked, but really, the book was a good read, and not a terrible way to kill a summer day.

30 BEFORE 30: Have a Baby and a review

2010-07-23T14:11:00.004-04:00

Don't get excited. My womb is dusty and empty, sadly. Mostly dusty, probably. I haven't gotten a chance to tidy up in there in awhile, and finding a uterus maid is just ridiculous.

Anyway.

Doctor Connor, who looks like a mix between Santa Claus and Bilbo Baggins, found out that I had not had an...ahem...menses...in 70 days and said something to the affect of "Good gracious me! This must be remedied!" and prescribed me Provera. In case you don't know what that is, it's awful. It's basically strait progesterone to send my body the message "RESET!" I am experiencing PMS on crack, which means that I spent all of last night telling my husband to "STOP CONTRADICTING ME!" But I'm not "THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT KNOCK IT OFF BEFORE I STAB YOU OMG I'M SO SORRY I'M EMOTIONALLY UNBALANCED" You're not emotionally unbalanced. You're beautiful "STOP CONTRADICTING ME!"

Yea. It was bad. I'm better today, possibly because there is only one more gosh-forsaken pill in that terrible bottle, and its for tomorrow morning and then I never have to see it again until the next time my body says "Wait...what was I doing?"

Which could be sometime next week, honestly. I'm not sure whether my body skipped out on all the lessons on puberty or if its just really lazy and only pushes the right hormone buttons when it feels particularly compelled by the spirit, which is to say never.

On the bright side:

Inception is the best movie I've seen in a long time. It was better than Avatar and I want to marry Leonardo Dicaprio.

My husband has agreed to put in wood floors with our tax refund huzzah!

I talked my best friend in the world into going to Quebec with me. I actually don't think she's convinced, but you really can't argue at 30000 feet. So there, Jules. So there.

30 BEFORE 30: The Lord of the Rings

2010-07-16T13:21:00.002-04:00

I finished The Fellowship of the Ring not five minutes ago. I won't waste time with a review. Suffice to say that Everyone should, at some point, read The Lord of the Rings. Read The Hobbit first, though, or you'll be completely lost.

I watched the film adaptations of LOTR before I read the novels. I don't usually do this, but, when the movies came out, I was 14 and had already attempt to read the books, only to find that, even with my advanced reading abilities, they were beyond me. Even now, at 23, it took me a good two and a half weeks to get through.

Reading this after watching the movies has given me new appreciation for Peter Jackson. With the exception of Tom Bombadil, the film is incredibly true to the book.

But we aren't talking about the film.

Let me just talk about Mr. Bombadil for a moment. What a fantastic character. He is silly and ridiculous, while somehow managing to also be wise and powerful. My favorite part of his character, however, is his love for his wife, Goldberry. It isn't the main point, or even a secondary point in the passage, but every time Tom speaks, he ends his thoughts with some variation on "I have to get home, Goldberry is waiting!" It just struck me as so tender and sweet.

I very much enjoyed this reading, now that now that I've given it the attention it deserves.

Onward, now, to The Two Towers. See you in two weeks.

Belated Father's Day

2010-07-12T09:04:00.006-04:00

My sister and I both moved out in the past year. She got her own apartment, and I got married. This Father's Day, we thought it would be a good idea to take pictures for my Daddy of all his girls. This is him, by the way.

That's right, my Dad could kill your Dad with this giant machinery. That aside, he is pretty awesome. He is the best papito any girl could have. And he loves his girls. So his girls got together and took pictures. Well, WE didn't take them. Krystal with West House Photography took them, because she is amazing. Here are a few.

Clothespins: an update

2010-07-10T20:45:00.003-04:00

Posting has been so light recently. I blame it on not owning a computer.

I went to a girlfriend's bridal shower today and, using the handy tools of trickery and deceit, DOMINATED in the clothespin game.
That bag I'm holding? Full of bath stuff. FREE bath stuff. In a super Klassy bustier purse that I will carry everywhere. And the beautiful girl in the background? That is sweet Liz, on whom my trickery and deceit was used.

Bazinga

In other news, a week and a half ago, I started on my 30 before 30 task of reading through the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have complete determination in this, but, when doing any strenuous activity, it is important to pace oneself. So I have read 130 pages of Fellowship of the Ring and three of the four Twilight "novels". I feel like I'm on the right track.

Bad Blogger

2010-06-23T13:09:00.004-04:00

I am so sorry, my adoring public (all nine of you.) I have been a terrible blogger and have forgotten to update recently. It's been busy.

Paul went to E3 last week, leaving me home alone and super jealous that he was gallivanting around LA while I am stuck here in the Not-So-Deep South. In addition to meeting someone named "Starkiller" (I'm not sure who this is, but every time Paul relates the encounter, every man within 100 yards suddenly has their heart ripped out), he ran into this guy:

I know. I'm super jealous. I told him not to come home. He almost didn't, either. If United Airlines had their way, he'd still be in Chicago, sleeping on an airport bench.

But he's home now. HUZZAH

My birthday was this weekend, forever proving to me that I have super awesome friends.

I'm building a bookshelf that I will tell you all about as soon as I finish it.

And I saw Toy Story 3 last night. Totally worth the 11 year wait. Brilliant.

BOOK REVIEW: Graceling

2010-06-14T09:45:00.006-04:00

I finished Graceling, by Kristin Cashore this week. I'm really enjoying what's happening in the Young Adult Genre recently. Stories in that area are becoming more imaginative and adventurous. It's refreshing.

So. Graceling. My husband bought it for me for my birthday this year, and I powered through it in about a day and a half (If one thing can be said for the young adult sector, its that the books are easy to get through).

In 10 words or less, the world in the book is populated by normal people (the ungraced), and a handful of "Graced", or people who are distinguished by a special gift. Katsa, our main character, is a Graced fighter, with speed, skill and stamina to spare. She and Po, the male lead, travel together to discover the mystery behind the kidnap of Po's grandfather. On the journey, they discover a terrible secret about a neighboring king and set out to rescue his young daughter from his treachery.

The story has many great points. It's a story of bravery, friendship, love, and discovering the fact that, even when you feel trapped by circumstance, you have choices. The characters were crafted beautifully, with all the shortcomings that make a good character seem real and human. It had all the ingredients of a great story.

Then I met Katsa. Don't get me wrong. Our female protagonist is strong and brave and wants, more than anything, to fight for what is right in the world.

However...

Katsa drove me to distraction, she did. I have little patience for protagonists who will insist that they need NO ONE's help, that they are not DESERVING, they are not WORTH it. Obnoxious is what it is. Also that she has decided that she will never marry, so she and her love interest decide that the obvious solution is to simply be each others lover. That way, there is no commitment, but they can be....intimate. I'm sorry, but really? Maybe I'm a prude or old-fashioned, or whatever, but that seems like a shady message to be putting in a book aimed at teenagers. A sequel is coming out, though, so maybe she'll change her mind.

It's a decent read, but I recommend checking it out from the library rather than purchasing.

Verdict

2010-06-11T14:57:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm not married to it, but it will work. And it had better. I have never had so much trouble updating blogger, ever.

Everytime I tried to update the new template, I would, of course, go into my blog, delete the HTML that was my old background, then put in the new template. When I would preview, it would look lovely (except for the fact that my darn blog name is too long. curses). When I would save, my old background would magically paste itself back, and I would have an odd purple/grey/yellow/pink with birds thing going on. Quite disconcerting.

It took six tries, but now the template is in place, no random backgrounds are tring to insert themselves, and I am happy.

I may need to rename the blog. I hope this won't upset anyone terribly.

It's too long, you see.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-06-11T12:35:00.002-04:00

I am a blog schizophrenic. I never can seem to commit to one layout. I do love my yellow and pink with my little birdies, but then I saw the layout over at Wife on a Budget and had total blog envy. Then I saw the button for the place she got her template.

Then I saw the word FREE

Thus, new look. Coming soon. Will it last? Couldn't tell ya.

Kisses!

Memoirs

2010-06-11T08:46:00.002-04:00

I do love a good memoir. Unfortunately for any memoir, I measure them against the writings of Frank McCourt, which makes for a rather unfair standard. Frank McCourt is amazing. Really amazing. For a memoir, being compared to Frank McCourt is like being told to paint a picture with the knowledge that you will be compared against Renoir. It's really just not fair. But have you read his books? He mixes tragedy and comedy so perfectly. I have found myself laughing and crying AT THE SAME TIME while reading his books. If you haven't read them, I highly recommend each one. They truly are phenomenal.

Anyway, the point is that I am currently splitting my time between two memoirs (and The Book Thief. It's an obnoxious little bugger, always begging for attention, but I don't want to hurt its feelings), one by Kristin Chenowith and the other by Ellen Degeneres. I'm enjoying them both (sort of), but am having varying amounts of success getting through them. Ms. Chenowith's is cute and breezy, like her, but I'm finding a hard time really caring. It just isn't as engaging as I might like. I read it because she is a goddess on Broadway and because I someday plan to steal her vocal cords for my own. Ellen Degeneres's book is side-splittingly funny, but is written as a string of essays, rather than as a narrative, which I always find a bit unnerving. I get emotionally involved in a story, and suddenly it changes, and we never get any resolution. What on earth is a girl to do?

Oh dear, I seem to have never come to the point. I'm not entirely sure I had one in the first place.

Whiny-Pants

2010-06-05T21:48:00.003-04:00

I knew this was going to happen.

The year started off great. I was reading a book every few days, actually internalizing almost everything, getting emotionally involved in everything I read (Except Multiple Blessings. I'm almost positive that Kate Gosselin is an automaton)

And yet, here we are. I have been slowing down in my reading since April, and I haven't been able to read anything since "It Sucked, and the I Cried". Incidentally, this isn't like when I read Harry Potter and then take a reading fast for two weeks. That has everything to do with being mentally exhausted and grief-stricken. This has to do with being in a rut. I shouldn't be in a rut, you know. School is over, summer is here, Glee and The Big Bang Theory are both wrapping up seasons, leaving my weeknights wide open. I do have Lost on my XBOX, but, really, how addicting can it possibly be? The point is, I want to read. I love to read. I just can't find anything that is hooking me in.

I tried "Running with Scissors". Not happening for me. At all. I hated the first 10 pages, pushed through to 50, and decided life is too short to read books I clearly hate.

Then David Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty Someday". It came highly recommended, but reads like someone telling a story you don't really want to hear. What's worse is that everyone but you thinks the story is fantastic, and you're left wondering if its you or the world who has the problem.

The the first book of the Pendragon Cycle, "Merchant of Death". Promising, but as much as I love Young Adult fantasy, even I need a break now and again.

So, here we are. Me and "The Book Thief". Young Adult. Fiction. World War II.

Sounds like a possible winner. But it's sitting in the other room, and I'm talking to you people. I'm avoiding it. Like that kid in high school who was a tiny bit creepy and wanted to take you to homecoming. You know he's there, you would just rather he didn't look at you and breath all heavy.

30 BEFORE 30: Domestic Mission Trip

2010-06-03T13:13:00.005-04:00

This past week, I was in Naples,FL. It isn't Italy by any means, but it does, allegedly, have more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world. I have a hard time believing this fun fact, but, really, who am I to judge where millionaires decide to live?

Many people I told about the trip expressed confusion over my decision to go to a Floridian city to spread the gospel of Christ. After all, Florida is part of the Bible Belt, and, if you spend any amount of time in Jacksonville, you'll notice that there are as many choices of church here as there are condiments at Subway. The interesting (I suppose) thing about Florida, though, is that, somewhere around "South of Orlando", it ceases being a southern state and turns into an extension of the northeast corner of the United States, meaning that it is surprisingly unchurched.

So, off we went. I arrived four days late to the party, but managed to be in on most of the ministry that went on.

Thursday: No ministry, just a relaxing evening of turning the surprisingly large bathtub of our vacation-rental-master-suite into a Jacuzzi. Three of us managed to fit, and I'm pretty sure the bubbles were made out of hand soap and shampoo.

Friday: While Gem and I sang Jesus Loves Me on the radio (I still hold that we were completely set up), Trip Vince and his crew gave out snowcones to local kids. I'm still a bit dubious of the message this sends to children. We spend an awful lot of time drilling into them never to take candy from strangers only to then use sweets as a ministry tool. I was amazed that no helicopter parent swooped down to ask why a man dressed as a Creamcicle was giving their child sugar-topped ice.

We ended that day by taking lunch to some local firefighters and chit-chatting with them about the various aspects of firefighter-dom. Turns out they're pretty cool kids. And they are happy to pile all their gear onto tiny Asian girls. I'm not Asian, incidentally, but my friend Gem is, and really, how cute is she? If my house burns down, that's totally who I want coming to my rescue.

Saturday: Whistler's Cove! We set up shop near the pool of a local apartment complex and enticed the local children to join us with promises of games and candy. It was a fantastic success, full of face-painting, games, crafts, and balloon animals. We managed to share two Bible stories with the local kiddos, one about the Good Samaritan, and the other that was more a conglomeration of several stories. I think it was supposed to be the one where Jesus provides Peter with an enormous catch of fish, but, really, with as much time as Jesus spent on boats, it could have been anything.

Sunday: Church and the drive home. I'm almost positive that, at some point during the week, there was also trip to Cracker Barrel and a Game Night involving questionable hand motions representing Gene Simmons, but, to be honest, I was too exhausted to stock it away in memory. The week resulted in at least one family that is now bringing their children to church, several firefighters who know that the church appreciates their work even if it means they can't make it to church on Sundays, and a community that is beginning to realize that the church cares for more then their tithe.

Follow-up

2010-05-20T15:02:00.005-04:00

My own lack of faith amazes me sometimes.

After the financial disaster from a few weeks ago, we were devastated. It was going to put all our family-making plans on hold, as well as cause me to have to find a new or second job to make ends meet.

Yet here we are, only two short weeks later, and each and every bill is being met, one of them following a letter from the IRS informing us that they shorted us about $500 on our 2008 return (funny, that's exactly how much we need for the only bill we hadn't found a way to pay yet)

How great is my God? And where do I find the audacity to question what he is doing? He has proven, yet again, for the hundredth time in my life, that he is faithful, that he will provide, and that I never need to worry.

Also, on the day "The Crisis", I heard this song, and it reduced me to tears. It's an account of a real woman, poor in the worlds eyes, but provided for by the king.

All I Need - Caedmon's Call

Did not catch her name
Did not catch her tears
It hit me like a train
When her story hit my ears
Mother of eight sons
Father off to war
Got no home address
Just bricks on a dirt floor
Jesus is all I need

Tiny plot of land
Corn stored up in piles
Years it doesn't rain
They just stay hungry for a while
No fatted calf to kill
She made a feast of cuy and corn
She said, "Who else knew my name
Before the day that I was born?
Jesus is all I need
Jesus is all I need."

She bragged about her boys
How they're growin' into men
How they learned to praise the Lord
Old Style Ecuadorian
To buy the new guitar
They had to sell the swine
Said, "My boys go to school on a foreign angel's dime.
This world calls me poor
I bore my babies on this floor
He always provides
Sure as the sun will rise.
So I'll sing Him songs of praise
'Cause I know He'll keep me in His gaze."

Rain poured from the sky
We raced back to the van
There were tears in the eyes
Of this poor, forgetful man
Mother of eight sons
She knows the peace of God
Lord, help me learn to lean
On thy staff and thy rod
Jesus is all I need
Jesus is all I need

Birthday

2010-05-20T00:01:00.005-04:00

This is my sister:

Isn't she beautiful?

We're very close.

See?

It's her birthday today. She's 19, and I love her so.

Happy Birthday, Rikka!

Application

2010-05-18T13:37:00.003-04:00

I haven't filled out a job application as anything more than a formality in almost five years. My last actual "Can I have an application?" was when I applied at KFC, which, it has to be said, really didn't turn out well for anyone involved.

I was hired on the spot for every job since, and was actually offered my nannying position.

And yet, here I am, age 22, steady income, stopping in at the mall, Target and Barnes and Noble with the words "May I have an application?" I'm mildly terrified.

I am, however, keeping my fingers crossed for Barnes and Noble. If I can't work at the library, a bookstore is a close second.

Valley

2010-05-17T12:51:00.005-04:00

The interesting thing about being a practicing Christian is that the phrase "Everything Happens for a Reason" takes on a whole new brand of meaning. Because we believe in an actual being who takes a definitive interest in our lives, patterns emerge that seem to have the holy thumbprint on them. Frustratingly, the reason for certain things happening doesn't often become clear until much later, which gives one cause to empathize with the children of Israel when God said "Yea, walk around the wall, then shout and blow your horns. The walls will fall down, I swear". For those that don't know the end of the story, the walls did fall down, and the day was won for the Israelites.

In a world without walls that need tumbling, we have other trials that seem to be just as daunting. Take Saturday, when Paul and I received three, count em', three bills we were not expecting, all of them 3 digits, and one of them edging in on four. We can't afford any of them.

I have no earthly idea why God is choosing right now to allow this to happen, or what he is trying to tell us. Perhaps we have gotten so proud of ourselves overcoming debt that we have forgotten who the praise really goes to, and He is now knocking us back, Gideon-style, to remind us that the battle, financial or otherwise, is his, not ours. In case you are unfamiliar with the story, when Gideon was readying himself to take the Hebrew army against the Mideonites, God told him to send all but 300 men home, so that it would be obvious that their victory was miraculous. Sometimes God send us into these situations with the knowledge that to overcome them would be a miracle.

Whatever the reason, we are being given, in this admittedly horrific situation, an opportunity. It hit me recently that God is not a passive entity. He is active in our lives, constantly molding and teaching and giving opportunity to grow. Maybe out of this will grow a testimony to his faithfulness, a newly remembered trust in his promises, or a humility in the knowledge that the battle is always the Lord's.

My prayer now is that we rejoice in the fire and in the valley, and that, though we are afraid(which we are) and discouraged (which we definitely are), we will remember that God has never failed us.

Measuring a Year

2010-05-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

Four years ago, I saw this guy across the room in my new Chorale class. Isn't he phenomenal looking?

He was wearing a Jesus T-shirt and cussing up a storm. "Cute" I thought "Very cute. But nope". I don't often get prophetic on you, but right as I wrote him off, a tiny voice inside said "Look again. That's him". So I did. And I looked a little too long. I think he though I was a creeper. He started to draw close to God over that summer, and by the next October, we were dating. On May 1 of 2008, we were engaged, and on May 16th of 2009:

I love him more and more, deeper and different, every day.

Happy Anniversary, Paul!

Apology

2010-05-14T13:07:00.005-04:00

It's very upsetting when you are angry at someone for very good reasons, and you have thought all day about what you will say to them when you next see them about how terrible they are and how long-suffering you have been, and then they show up at your work with the words "I'm sorry, I was being dumb. I love you so much"

Because then you're the jerk.

But really, how can you stay mad when you have something this darn attractive apologising:
Love you, my love. Forever and ever.

Sherlock

2010-05-11T09:55:00.004-04:00

All I wanted was a copy of A Study in Scarlet by Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle. It's not a huge request. But, apparently, libraries only stock like, four copies of classics in a library system of six buildings.

My library does not stock A Study in Scarlet...by itself.

No, I went in for a Sherlock Holmes book and found myself exiting with a textbook-sized behemoth labeled "The Annotated Sherlock Holmes, VOLUME 1!!!" It's 688 pages of maps, introductions, and annotated narrative, rather than just, you know, a book. Every time I open it, I feel like I should be taking notes for an analysis of Mr. Holmes's cocaine addiction (which he totally has, by the way. Homeboy uses cocaine, opium, constantly smokes. Why do we even like him? Oh, yes, because he's played by Robert Downy Jr. Yum).

Reading this version is really like watching a movie you've never seen before while being forced to listen to the audio commentary. You can probably pick up the general idea of what's going on, but you don't catch the better part of it, because you're too distracted by the director going on about how wonderful he is. Only in this case, it's lots of academics who just luuurve Sir A.C.D and would like to gush about him in the footnotes. Except they aren't footnotes, it is precisely half the page, divided vertically, so that I find myself accidentally skipping from narrative to notes midsentence. Furthermore, the notes assume that you have not only read, but are familiar with the entire adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and make little asides to things with nary so much as a spoiler alert. Thanks a ton, William S. Baring-Gould.

Also, I have a habit of accidentally filling my head with little anecdotes and then popping them off in everyday conversation, invariably lading to that head-bob everyone does when someone has effectively ended a conversation, causing the dreaded "awkward silence" It's terrible, and I, knowing myself, know that I will somehow have managed to make this happen with my new found Holmesian knowledge before the month is out.

In spite of all this, I love Sherlock Holmes. I do. He is such a fantastically ridiculous character, and I love him. I truly do.

I also checked out Crime and Punishment, written by a Russian man whose name I can't quite pronounce. Apparently I have gone on a Classics reading kick that I forgot to inform myself about.

Projects

2010-05-06T13:02:00.005-04:00

I love projects. I love the idea of having an end goal, materials, and a set of directions to get you from start to finish. I think it's the Type A personality in me that I've squished and smothered under years of procrastination and forcing myself to be "artistic".
That said, I'm terrible at starting projects. I have lots of great ideas and plans, but very little a) time b)money c)get up and go. I'm just not motivated in a practical way. I love to think about things, mostly because, in my head, I can accomplish an entirely made-over house for free, and with no effort on my part. Sadly, when I open my eyes, I still have horrific carpet, cheap tile, and a generic Target TV console. It's enough to break your heart, really.
THAT said, I've decided to change. It's my May 6 resolution. I have a whole list of things I want accomplished before Paul and I add to our family (which won't be happening this month, by the way. Thanks a ton, mother nature. Also, I hate you).
Here's my list, in no particular order:

This Bed - I have a love affair with Pottery Barn. It's a secret. I'm not even sure Pottery Barn knows, although maybe it does, because every time I go in that store, all the associates can smell the poor on me and give me the stink-eye. This particular bed is a knock off of one I've been coveting at Pottery Barn for the past forever, but could never find for under about a million dollars. Well, here it is, for the low. low price of "Do it your own self". And $120. The Pottery Barn version sells for at least $1190.

These bookshelves - My current nightstand is a baritone case. With an actual baritone in it. As bohemian as that sounds, it's pretty low on the functionality scale and even lower on the "Wow, it totally looks like you put thought and care into your decor" scale. These bookshelves are small and low enough to be considered nightstands, and they have SHELVES. No drawers though. I have a tendency to make messes of drawers. It's a disease.

This Media Console - Another Pottery Barn item. I have wanted an apothecary table ever since that episode of Friends where Phoebe talks about how evil Pottery Barn is. And maybe it is. But this apothecary table is quite lovely.

There is also a changing table I want to build. Sadly, I have nothing to change on a changing table. Soon and very soon

All these plans are from Knock-OffWood.com. She's fantastic. You should check it out.

BOOK REVIEW: The Hunger Games

2010-04-23T11:57:00.005-04:00

Awhile back, I spent time cheating on the NE Florida Nest board and wandered over to the Nest Book Club board. (FYI: it turns out I'm a one-board kind of girl.) While there, I heard a ton about a series called The Hunger Games. I didn't give it much thought until I was in Barnes and Noble with my mother and saw it sitting, quite unassuming, on the Young Adult shelf. To pass the time, I pulled it off the shelf and skimmed the back cover.

I like to think that I was hooked from there.

Here's what the goodreads description says:

"In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place."

I don't know what has happened to the young adult genre since I was a young adult, but whatever it is, I LIKE IT. Susanna Collins pulls no punches. This book is ruthless and bloody and real while at the same time managing to pull every heartstring you possess, but in a non-sappy way. I haven't been so incredibly engrossed in a book since the last time I read Harry Potter. I can't say that last part too loud though. It sounds like sacrilege. As the book ended, I was suddenly grateful to one of my sweet librarians who, upon checking this book out to me said "I'm going to go ahead and just reserve you the second book. You're going to want it." How very right she was.

Hunger Games kept my attention for all of four hours, which was the amount of time it took me to read from start to finish. I'm not bragging about my reading ability. I am, admittedly, a quick reader, but Hunger Games flew by for me because it was so quick to pull me in and engage me in a highly imaginative storyline. The villain is a society that one can truly bring itself to hate, while still finding sympathy for those who have been fooled and twisted by its lies.

Lovely.

PS: I just finished the fourth Odd Thomas Book. If Dean Koontz doesn't put out the fifth one soon, I'm going to march myself out to California and stage a sit-in.

Koontz-ophilia

2010-04-19T11:45:00.002-04:00

I've never much liked suspense or mystery novels. They make me feel a bit dumb, to be honest. I have no eye for detail, which means that I miss all the clues that would lead me to the inevitable conclusion. They also tend to make me paranoid. I read Shutter Island, and for several days, was nearly convinced that everything I was seeing was an elaborate setup concocted by my caregivers. Paul thought I had gone a bit off my rocker, but c'est la vie.

Dean Koontz is well on his way to changing all that. While I still have no desire (at ALL) to read any other suspense or mystery novelists work, I am devouring every Koontz novel I come across.

It started with Odd Thomas, which I listened to in my car. David Aaron Baker is far to old to ever play Oddy in a movie, but his voice is perfection in the role. The story sucked me in from the beginning, I had my mind completely blown at the climax, and I cried like a baby at the end. I powered through Forever Odd and Brother Odd, as well as picking up False Memories, Prodigal Son and City of Night.

What I love about his books is that, for the most part, you find out what is going on right away, because (with the exception of the Odd Thomas books), the story is told from the side of the protagonist and the antagonist. Even while the protagonist is muddling away tyring to piece everything together, the reader is, for the most, in the loop. Which, by the way, makes the occasional surprises even that more shocking when they are revealed. those surprises, though, are wonderfully satisfying, because they tend to come out of nowhere. You don't spend half the book worrying over them before they come to pass. They just jump into the story out of the ether to make sure your mind has been sufficiently blown.

Another element that I have fallen in love with is that of multiple narrators. Usually I find it a bit frustrating, with all the jumping about from point-of-view to point-of-view, but Koontz does it just enough that it moves the story along without feeling sluggish or complicated, even in the Frankenstein series, which, at my last count, has gone through something like eleven narrators, though at the moment, he is only using six.

I have found myself suggesting Dean Koontz to anyone and everyone who has the misfortune of asking me for a book recommendation. He has been added to my list of go-to authors, a rather short list, if truth be told. Francine Rivers is on it, as well as CS Lewis and Christopher Moore, when I am feeling generous. The Odd Thomas books have been added to my list of "read-agains", joining the ranks of Alice in Wonderland, The Hobbit, Life of Pi, Redeeming Love, and, at the very top, almost out of reach of any others, the Harry Potter series.

PS: He's also good if you are studying for the SAT's. Macabre? Paladin? Not everyday words, if you ask me.

Graduation Time!

2010-04-19T11:38:00.004-04:00

Last Tuesday, my husband picked up my cap and gown from the college. This weekend, I picked up my (way more important than the cap and gown) graduation dress! I haven't bought a new article of clothing since my rehearsal dinner dress, so this is quite the big deal.

I've spent five years trying to get a two year degree, and, next semester, I will have to take two more classes to recieve my Child Development Associate, and then another two semesters for my Database Development Specialist Certificate. Regardless of the work I still have to do, May 8th, commencement, is the culmination of five years of work and finally being able to say that I am a college graduate. I am quite proud of myself.

Halfway...

2010-04-06T09:22:00.004-04:00

As of March 29, I am halfway to my goal of 100 books in 2010.

HUZZAH

Originally, I was going to post a whole collage of the book covers of the 50 books I have read. Then I remembered that I don't have time for that kind of nonsense. SO, we are giving out prizes instead for books that stood out to me. We'll call them the Raizers

In the category of Cried-Like-A-Baby

Nominees:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Redeeming Love

Odd Thomas

Echo in the Darkness

Winner: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Without giving away the ending, I cried for, triumphs as well as tragedies, for joy and for sadness, and was left with a sense of loss as well as fulfillment when I put the book down. Odd Thomas gets an honorable mention for making me bawl my eyes out in the front seat of my car, in my driveway, making my neighbors think I am mentally unhinged,

For Made-Me-Paranoid-as-an-Agoraphobic-Chihuahua

World War Z

Shutter Island

I, Robot

Winner: Shutter Island. While World War Z did make me a bit wary of the woods and cause me to check my back seat for the undead, Shutter Island had me seriously contemplating my own sanity and wondering if everything happening was only a part of my own psyche. I have never been so suspicious of my husband in my life.

For I-Had-A-Hard-Time-Not-Lighting-the-Book-on-Fire

Never Let Me Go

InkHeart

Multiple Blessings

Winner: Just all of them. Never Let me Go was horrific, and Multiple Blessing was an eyeroll beginning to end. InkHeart was redeemable only because it was an interesting plot made horrible by sub par writing.

Top Five Books of THE FIRST HALF:

5. Water for Elephants - Beautifully engaging, richly charactered, sentimental without being sappy, and an elephant as a heroine. How can you go wrong?

4. Life of Pi - I believe this book is on the 1001 books to read before you die list, and for good reason. So imaginative, and thoughtful enough to make you wonder if you are living your life purposefully and with love and faith. Beautiful.

3. Outlander - I have never fallen in love with a hero quicker than I fell in love with Jamie Fraser. Even when he's beating Clare senseless, I couldn't help but love him. The story is intricate, sometime maddeningly so, but the beauty of the storytelling and the romance of the love story makes it completely worth it

2. Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors, and this is only one of three of her books that I read this half. The love between the two main characters (or, more accurately, the love the male lead has for the female lead) is so pure, so beautiful, so selfless. The idea of taking someone back, no, actively seeking someone who has betrayed you, with the intention of taking them back and loving them, is so foreign, but at the same time so perfectly right. I cried buckets at the end, by the way.

1. Odd Thomas - I cannot say enough about this book. I don't even know what to say other than READ IT.

2010-04-05T18:13:00.002-04:00

My feet are swollen.

More specifically, my LEFT foot is swollen. My right was is fine and normal sized, while my left looks like someone inserted a helium pump somewhere beneath my big toe.

I'm not sure how this has happened to me.

Anyways...

Here is a fun fact that everyone at my husbands birthday party learned last weekend:

I am super awesome at Bioshock cupcakes.

When I am outrageously drunk, I will knock things over, tell everyone I love them, reveal secrets that I was never supposed to reveal, and talk to you about my ovaries. and Cervical Fluid. You have been warned.

After a night of drinking until three, I will wake up the next morning at nine, ready to face the day like the chipper little chipper that I am.

Also, Mom, I know you read my blog, and I'm sorry you had to read this one. It all needed to be said. And really, you have no one but yourself to blame. I am, after all, having my leg licked by your dog right now. Which is poor payment indeed for my feeding him. You would think he would be more grateful. The point is, Jojo licking my leg is enough to drive anyone to drink.

My Literary Loves

2010-03-29T11:32:00.002-04:00

I have a habit that my husband just hates. Don't get me wrong. I understand why he does it, and if he did it, I would hate it too.

I fall in love with other men. Often.

Happily, there is no way for Paul to feel threatened by this, because none of the men are real. They are all characters in literature. Paul hates it, mostly because he feels compared to them, and feels like I get angry if he isn't perfect, but it isn't that. I like to think that I see my sweet husband in some of these men, and that is why I love them so.

It could also be that Jamie Fraser's accent is oh-so-yummy.

I love many men, all for different reasons.

I love Jamie Fraser for his passion, his ability to vocalize what he is feeling, his intense protectiveness, his love of God and his accent

I love Odd Thomas for his unfailing sense of humor, his humility, his conviction of what is right, and his unending singlemindedness in love

I love Edward Cullen for his intensity and his old-fashioned ideas about what love should be.

I love the Weasley Twins for their unfailing sense of humor in the face of death, their enterprising spirit, their bravery and, in the end, their sacrifice

I love Marcus Valerian for his hard-headedness, his willingness, in the end, to buck tradition and marry a slave, his love that carried him to Judea in search of a faceless God, and his zeal for Christ at the end.

and finally

I love Mr. Darcy, because really, who doesn't?

As a end note, I love my Paul because he is Paul, and he is mine.

MRI Day

2010-03-24T08:38:00.001-04:00

It's MRI day.

Prayers are welcome.

Domestic Worry

2010-03-22T10:18:00.004-04:00

My sweet husband, who is equal parts patient, kind, strong and a veritable laugh riot, has an MRI this Wednesday.

They are checking for a tumor. Or an Alien invader, which, after reading The Host, doesn't seem that unlikely to me.

When he mentioned the word tumor, I burst into immediate tears, causing B, who is nine months old and does most of the crying around these parts, to stare at me like I'd lost my mind. He followed the "T" word with the word Benign, which, admittedly, he should have led with, but c'est la vie.

According to the doctor, my husband has either a benign tumor pressing on his inner ear, or Menier's Disease. Menier's, however, is a rather horrifying way to live life, has no cure, and would eventually rob my musician husband of his hearing in the affected ear. A tumor in that particular area is relatively easy to remove and would leave few lasting affects.

At the moment, and with the above info in mind, we're quietly chanting "Come on, Tumor!"

I have peace at the moment, after much prayer throughout the whole of last week and this weekend. I know that whatever the outcome, God will take care of us, as he always has. I also know that my God is a god of miracles, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't praying for one.

If you are my reader, and you pray, please do. I'm unsure what to ask you to pray for. A tumor? Healing? A miracle?

My mother, I think, put it the best when she said "We'll pray that he will be well"

I couldn't have said it better, I think.

Guilt

2010-03-18T14:54:00.002-04:00

I may be the worst wife ever.

Tomorrow is my Paul's birthday. He'll be 24. YAY him.

I do not have a present, a card, or anything resembling a cake. I'm a procrastinator, and now I am less than 24 hours from my sweet husbands birthday with no birthday accoutrements. Apparently I will be hitting up the mall after work.

The End

BOOK REVIEW: The Host

2010-03-17T13:06:00.004-04:00

Just finished The Host by Stephanie Meyer and let my just say, Hallelujah, she does have some writing ability. After reading the cluster f*** that was Breaking Dawn, I was quite worried.

I won't go so far as to call it "great", but the moral dilemma brought up was interesting. I grew up reading Animorphs, which is essentially the same concept. Alien invaders = tiny wormy creatures that need a host to survive. Only these creatures, which call themselves "Souls" aren't malevolent, the way the Animorphs Yearks are. They come to various planets in hopes of exploration, colonization and learning, rather than conquest. None of their previous planets have had the force of will, the feeling of individual or the concept of freedom needed to put up a struggle or form a resistance, so it felt more (I assume) like cohabitation than hostile takeover. Enter the Human Race. Apparently the Human race has a higher emotional platform than other species (speci?), which means that the takeover on Earth requires more work, and that there are humans who fight back. The Main character, named Wanderer, is placed in a host, Melanie, who does just that. But instead of feeling hatred toward Wanderer, who is, undeniably, a parasite, we feel conflicted. We know Melanie deserves her freedom, but is it really Wanderer's fault that she can't survive without a host? She doesn't want to cause pain. She honestly thinks she is doing the right thing, and when the knowledge that the human race is not a good candidate for takeover makes itself apparent, she attempts to put things right. It's an interesting look at what happens when two sides conflict, but neither is inherently wrong. We are so accustomed to every story having a clear bad side and a clear good side, but I think Meyer's point is that sometimes there is no clear winner in the moral battle. Sometimes (read: almost always), both sides have heroes, both sides have monsters, and neither side has a monopoly on "right". This story is one of the few I know of that truly gives both sides of the coin.

Also, it turns out that Mrs. Meyer has bought herself a dictionary and looked up the word chagrin, because not only did she only use the word once, but she used it in the correct context.
For those of you who haven't read Twilight, Bella is constantly "chagrined". Even when she's not.

Literary Constipation

2010-03-16T12:17:00.002-04:00

I'm blogging a lot today. Possibly because I'm not reading, which is quite the anomaly for me.

I've picked up several books since my HP re-read, and haven't been able to hook into any of them. It's a bit discouraging, really. And obnoxious. There is nothing worse than wanting to read, sitting down with a book, and finding yourself unable to care about anything that is going on. Perhaps I am still distraught over poor Fred.

Books I have tried (and failed) to read over the last week and a half:

- Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carrol
- The Host by Stephanie Meyer
- Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
- City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
- My Life in France by Julia Child

My brain is feeling a bit slushy in it's disuse. Soon it will be sloshing about in my skull and running out my ears.

Enjoy that visual this lunch hour.

Au revoir.

Education Continued

2010-03-16T12:00:00.002-04:00

I've made a decision.

I'm getting my CDA first. That way, if something happens and I can't get my B.S. right away, I am still more attractive to the Child Care Industry than someone with only an AA or a High School Diploma

Next Spring I will transfer to FSCJ for my BS in Early Childhood Education and pray that by the time my internship comes up, I will be in a situation where it is pheasible. If it isn't, I'll see if I can intern for Florida Virtual School.

As much as I love literature and writing and would love to major in English, it simply isn't pheasible for me to work all day and go to school all night. I barely see my husband as it is.

Education

2010-03-16T09:45:00.003-04:00

I finished my AA this winter, which, after five years, is quite the accomplishment, I suppose.
Now, though, I'm dealing with the decision of what to do next.
I have three main choices, none of them exactly what I want, and none of them with exactly what I need for them to fit into my life. I have an incredibly busy life, so the ideal program is available online, with few out-of-class requirements.

Career Goals:
- To teach.
- To work in a library

Education Options:
- B.S. in Early Childhood Education.
Pros: Highly Specialized Degree; Allows me to pursue my passion; Entire degree (almost) available online
Cons: Requires a full day, one-semester internship that I cannot afford to quit my job to accomplish

- B.A. in English
Pros: No Internship; Allows me to get college credit for reading and writing, which I do anyway.
Cons: Little to none is available online

- CDA
Pros: only two classes left to completion. available completely online, no internship
Cons: Not a bachelor's degree, would not allow me to teach at a higher level than Pre-K

Decisions, Decisions.

Psychosis

2010-03-15T14:44:00.003-04:00

Going without facebook blows.

I could end this entry right there, because it basically says it all, but I like to hear myself talk.

I have roughly 2 1/2 weeks left of Lent, and I am about to implode from lack of info about other people's lives. Maybe it's God telling me I need to stop facebook stalking my ex-boyfriend. It's ok though. He's fine with it. And also, I facebook stalk everyone. Even my Husband. You know, the one who lives with me.

I'm a little worried that I'm going to go back to Facebook and find 64 comments from various people, all wondering why I am so rude and haven't gotten back to them. Then all the unrequited comment people will hate me and I will go back to facebook with only six facebook friends. Facebook stalking six people = superlame.

Contrawise, I could go back to facebook in a few weeks to be greeted by absolutely no notifications other than the weird ones that the odd side of my family sends, all along the lines of "Joe threw a feather pillow at you! Throw one back" He's my uncle...so ummm....no. No incestuous pillow fights for me, thanks. I digress. I will go back to facebook to face zero communication, and instead of assuming that everyone knew I was going without facebook, and so knew contact would be pointless, I will assume that no one loves me and will go on a deletion rampage and end up with only six facebook friends.

It really is lose-lose.

I suppose I could be rational and adult about everything, but there's absolutely nothing fun about that.

At all.

Finances

2010-03-12T12:30:00.003-05:00

Paul and I have horrific credit. Until a month ago, we had a large debt owed to my parents and three maxed-out credit cards. It's a sad fact that, when we were young (by which I mean a year ago and before), we had an emergency or two, and then proceeded to treat our credit cards like free money on our honeymoon. In case you haven't guessed, this is a stupid, stupid idea, and will land you at the mercy of the Card Services department of whatever institution is issuing you a line of credit. They are generally nice people, I've found, but I still really don't want to talk to them.
However, about six months ago, I discovered the Dave Ramsey plan. I knew the plan wouldn't work for us in it's original form, given that we were living, literally, right at our means. There was zero extra money, and the Dave Ramsey plan really needs a tiny bit of extra money to get it going. However, tax season was looming, and, with me paying estimated taxes and the fact that tax law has really never been nicer to poor folk like us, I knew we could expect a good chunk of change, which would serve as the catalyst for The Great Debt Payoff.
Happily, I was right. We were able to pay my parents all but $500 that we owed them, and they were gracious enough to cancel the rest. With the extra money that would have once gone toward paying my parents, we payed off our smallest credit card and closed the account (I, for the record, do not care that closing a card hurts your credit. There's very little that could damage my credit and make it worse than it already is). The next card is relatively small as well, under $1000. We should have it paid off within the next three months. Following that, we move on to our biggest debt, a maxed-out BoA MasterCard that has been looming over us since our honeymoon. It's due to be paid in full by next May.
We are far from out of the woods, and I sincerely doubt that anyone will extend us credit for the next seven years, but I am taking comfort in the fact that we did something about our debt before we were buried beneath it, and that there is an end in sight.
The moral of this story, kids, is that credit cards are great for building up credit, which in turn is great for buying things like houses and cars. However, it's easy-peasy to see the plastic as free cash and just start throwing it around. Don't.

Notifications

2010-03-11T10:07:00.004-05:00

I just got a text from Library Elf (which if you don't have, you should get. There's nothing like a text message in the middle of the day letting you know your book is available.) Telling me that Forever Odd is due back.

Forever Odd is an audiobook. Meaning that my "reading" time is limited to my 20 minute commute (total, not each way) to and from work each day and a 45 minute commute to and from school three times a week. Audiobooks are not ideal for people in my driving situation. They're meant for people who do a lot of driving, which s a little pointless, because if I need to go anywhere that would facilitate me listening to an entire audiobook during my commute, I'm going to fly instead, thank you.

But I digress.

The point is that I am not finished with Forever Odd, and when I went to renew, I COULDN'T, because some person has put a request on it, with no thought to my convenience. Selfishness, that's what it is.

I suppose this means I need to find an excuse for extra driving today. I simply can't picture myself sitting in front of my television, listening to a CD on the XBOX. It doesn't feel right.

Harry Potter re-read: A finale

2010-03-11T08:46:00.002-05:00

I shouldn't even say this, but, as always, possible, probable spoilers

There's little to say about Deathly Hallows. Actually, there's too much to say about Deathly Hallows, but it amounts to the same thing. The range of subject matter and emotion could, with a lesser author, make a book terribly convoluted, where this one, while complex, never leaves you with a sense of "wait...what?". Except in the good way that JK Rowling is so good at.

The romance is beautiful, the death truly heartbreaking, and the triumph exhilarating. I close Deathly Hallows almost mournfully, saying goodbye to these amazing characters.

Whenever I finish the final Harry Potter book, I sit weepily for a few hours, lamenting over the fact that it isn't real. ho-hum.

PS: A lot of people hated the epilogue. I quite liked it. It gave closure.

Harry Potter re-read; an update

2010-03-10T10:07:00.003-05:00

Spoilers. yup.

Half Blood Prince makes me weep. Big, fatty, mournful tears.
I'm not even sure what to say about this book, except that JK Rowling, beginning with the fifth book, took the series to a whole new level of epic. Suddenly it's not just a little boy with not so little issues. Now we're tackling the price of war, the fact that sometimes everything does NOT end up ok, and sometimes, it's not fair who lives and who dies.

Before discussing the big moments, though, how wonderful is the normalcy of school life? Harry still has to deal with difficulties on the Qudditch pitch, piles of homework and the madness of the inner workings of the female mind. Life does not stop moving simply because evryone is in mortal peril. It's so beautifully, perfectly, adolescently normal. Now, onto business.

Dumbledore's death makes me dissolve into tears every time I read it, because it just isn't fair. This book is our first look into Dumbledore as a real, fallible human being, rather than a mentor and benevolent patriarch. He has pain and suffering, he has a past, he makes mistakes, and this is our first chance to see that, and suddenly, he's gone. The sense of hopelessness at his death is awful. Through the entire series, we've gotten the feeling that Dumbledore is all that stood between Voldemort and the Wizarding world. With him gone, that protection ceases to exist. Plus, Rowling's descriptions of the grief each character feels is beautiful and painful at the same time...Hagrid, especially. This huge man, sobbing as though his heart has broken, is somehow more heartbreaking to me than any of the rest of it.

What I love about Rowling is how sympathetic she makes her villains. Voldemort is one of the most hateful, horrific villains ever created, and yet, in the reading of HBP, one finds themselves almost feeling sorry for him. What a terrible childhood, a terrible life. Malfoy, too. We never feel an ounce of sympathy for Malfoy until this book, when we find that, though he has chosen a master who knows nothing of love, Draco does not lack the ability to feel it and act on it himself, as he seeks to do exactly the wrong thing for precisely the right reasons. Murder is never acceptable, but what choice can he feel that he has when the threat of his parents death looms over him? Suddenly, this irrefutably obnoxious bully of a boy is the object of our anger, but also of our pity, and hopefully, of our empathy. What would we do in the same situation? I think Rowling's point is that very few people are truly evil. Mean, yes. Bullies, yes. Foul and terrible, yes, even that. But for the most, even beyond the prejudices and the cruelty, there lies a humanity and an ability for love and compassion, even if it is limited to one's own family.

Sigh. I always have to take a little while after this book before I read anything else...Deathly Hallows IS out in my car, though, and there's really no point wasting time...

Huzzah!

2010-03-08T13:08:00.001-05:00

My beloved Green Background is back, AND I have three columns. Happy Day.

If you'll excuse me, I have to go finish reading HP and the Order of the Phoenix.

How very rude of you to interrupt me at it.

Excuse the Mess

2010-03-07T17:16:00.000-05:00

I'm in the process of updating my blog look. Forgive the constant change of colors...and my attempts at three columns (coding...ugh)...and the fact that my background doesn't match my banner. It will all make sense someday.

Maybe.

On a side note, I'm not sure I like the blue, but they don't make the green in a three column format, and heaven knows I'm not about to attempt to code my own backgrounds.

Oh, JK Rowling...

2010-03-05T12:31:00.000-05:00

There are major spoilers in this of the Harry Potter books. Maybe. There might be, so if you haven't read them, I don't recommend reading this. (ETA: Yea, major spoilers. Don't read it if you haven't read the books. Just don't)
Also, this isn't a review. It's just me babbling on about the book. I give all the Harry Potter books five stars, and of course you should read them. Duh.

Now, to business

I just finished Goblet of Fire, and, after wiping away the tears that Dumbledore's end of the year toast to Cedric Diggory tend to bring, I looked back on the book and realized, again, why GoF is one of my favorites of the series (next to Deathly Hallows).

For one thing, who wasn't completely fooled by the whole Mad-Eye Moody thing? When Voldemort is going on and on about his faithful servant stationed at Hogwarts, you're thinking, the whole time "Snape! He HAS been bad, this whole time! I knew it!!" But then it turns out that it was really Barty Crouch Jr, masquerading as Moody, and your mind has been blown, Potter-style.

Also, S.P.E.W. You have to love how beautifully fair-minded Hermione is, and how dedicated to her cause. I also love that this has almost nothing to do with the actual storyline, but it gives this amazing sense of reality to the whole thing, in a "See? He isn't always saving the world! Sometimes he's stealing food from the school kitchens!". Brings the whole thing back down to earth a little, and gives you a good giggle over the ridiculousness of the whole thing.

And Rita Skeeter. What a fantastic character. Not as hateable as Umbridge, or as terrifying as Voldemort. She isn't evil, but you certainly want to give her a good slap. Her whole story is great. For one thing, I didn't even notice the Beetle references the first time I read the book. They are so small, I don't know if anyone did, and so, of course, when Hermione randomly slams her hand down in the Hospital wing, she just seems like she's a bit crazy. For another, this whole storyline, other than setting up plot points in Order of the Phoenix, of course, shows off another aspect of Hermione's personality. After seeing how very capable of revenge she is, I don't know that I would ever want to get in her way...ever. Hermione really comes into her own in this book, and, as she is one of my very favoritest characters, I love it so very much.

The adolescent awkwardness of this book is absolutely delicious, and the beginning buds of the Ron/Hermione relationship are so entertaining to watch as they struggle to blossom.

I leave you today with one of Dumbledore's greatest speeches:

"We can fight (Voldemort) only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open. Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory"

A - Z New Authors

2010-03-04T14:29:00.001-05:00

For those of you who pay attention to my sidebars (though I don't know why you would.), you may have noticed the new list labeled A - Z new authors in 2010. As if reading 100 books in 2010 and participating in the Nest Book Challenges wasn't enough, I've decided that at least 26 of my books need to be new authors. I'm allowing three of them to be authors I read for the first time this year, but before I started the challenge.

Rules:

1. Authors must be new to me, meaning I have never read any of their work before.
2. Pen names and audiobooks are acceptable.

Q should be interesting...As should Z

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Lent Update

2010-03-04T09:01:00.000-05:00

Paul and I are terrible at the Love Dare. We need a rethink.

As it turns out, though, we are pretty good at Lent. Neither of us has touched our respective "give-ups" since Lent began, which was 16 days ago.

OH!

Do you know that in Lent, Sundays DON'T COUNT?! They don't! Sundays are traditionally feast days, so they aren't counted in with the 40 days of Lent, which means that, really, I am giving up Facebook for 47 days, rather than 40. I feel a bit cheated.

I hope Jesus is satisfied with what he's done, that's all I can say.

Loveable, Furry, Old Grover

2010-03-03T08:56:00.000-05:00

This was one of my favorite books as a child, and one that I credit (no lie) with making me love reading as much as I do. One of my best childhood memories i my mother reading this to me, and barely being able to get through the book because I was laughing so hard.

It is a very sweet and hysterical little story about facing your fears, and I love love love love it.

I am, however, a little embarrassed to admit that I checked it out from the library yesterday and read it aloud to my husband on the way home.

Oh, and while I was checking it out, I asked my husband "And do you know who the monster at the end of the book is?!" His response was "You?"

Thanks honey. For the record, it's Grover. Duh. My librarian, the one who knows my name, thought it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard and then told me I need to work at the library because she loves me. If only, if only, I say.

It's not a total loss, though, because he DID laugh when I read it to him. More at me than the book, I think.

Harry Potter Re-read (minor spoilers)

2010-03-02T12:39:00.000-05:00

I am a self-proclaimed Harry Potter fanatic. I have frequented Mugglenet, read fanfiction, written fanfiction, predicted plot points and loopholes, shipped for Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione, attended Midnight premiers, and bemoaned omissions in movie adaptations. Now that all seven books are released and I have had time to heal from the heartbreak brought on by the end of the series, I am doing a reread. This, of course, means that all my other reading projects are on hold, since I feel that I can do the series the most justice by reading it strait through.

It's interesting, the things one notices when rereading the series. For instance, in Sorcerers Stone, for the first half of the book, one would think this was just going to be a happy story about a young wizard and his jaunts through a new world. While Voldemort is mentioned in passing in the beginning, he isn't introduced as a current threat until halfway through the book, when Harry serves detention in the Fobidden Forest. Another presence that is surprisingly absent is Malfoy. We don't run into him much in the first book, it's just known that he is a terrible little boy who wants a good beating.

Chamber of Secrets gives us our first clue, briefly, in passing, almost unnoticed, to the secrets we don't discover until books six and seven, when Dumbledore is asked "Who is opening the Chamber of Secrets?" and he answers "Not who. The question is how" To one who knows how the story ends, it is as if we see Dumbledore's wheels begin to turn and watch him realize that this threat is greater than he imagined.

I am picking up the third book at the library today. My original copies were all first editions, and, sadly, were read, literally, to pieces. Prisoner of Azkaban, which my sister still has, has to be read in two separate pieces, as the middle has fallen out. It is common, when reading that particular copy, to have to keep a pile of loose pages next to you, in order to search through them each time you encounter a missing bit of dialogue.

Hopefully I'll remember to post my observations as I work my way through the series. Stay tuned.

Evangalism

2010-02-25T11:57:00.000-05:00

Evangelicals are an interesting lot. They also get a large amount of bad press, so I thought I'd come to their aid and clear up a few things.

The problem is that there is a great aversion among the general public to people forcing their opinions on other people. Usually this doesn't actually translate to forcing anything. Rather, it is a euphemism for "They think I'm wrong!" We, sadly, live in a world that believes the logical fallacy that all viewpoints are equally true, and that if you have the audacity NOT to believe that all viewpoints are equally true, you are forcing your opinion on people.

By the way, I call it a logical fallacy because it is. All viewpoints cannot be equally true. It's impossible. It's closely related to the idea that something is true for you because you believe it. Sadly, as much as I may believe the sky is green with red polka dots does not make it so, even for me. But I digress.

Evangelicals. There are several factions of them that take it too far. The Westboro Baptist Church comes to mind (I will not link to that horrific website. Google it if you're curious), as do the many crazies who stand on street corners, damning all they see to a fiery eternity. These are not the evangelicals I would have you think of. Think of the quieter evangelicals. The ones who cling to their faith and truly believe that you should believe in it as well. The ones who may have argued with you (for the record, they shouldn't have) over Christianity's validity and grew increasingly frustrated as you refused to convert. I have been that evangelical. We are seen as a bit pathetic and misguided. Why can't they just let people think what they wish and leave everyone to their own beliefs? Why do they have to insist that everyone believe as they do? What judgemental people!

Here's the scoop on that. Most evangelicals are not aiming for judgemental. They ascribe to a belief that, for one, claims inherently to be the only way to salvation. There is no way around that claim in Christianity, and it is made, not by Christians themselves, but by the cornerstone and deity of the faith! Christ did not claim to be a way, or even the best way. He claimed to be the ONLY way. For two, they are commanded to tell other people. Not asked, not suggested. Commanded. For three, you have to understand the way the evangelical sees the world. The evangelical see themselves (or should see themselves, if they are honest) as a sinner whose only salvation was Christ. Therefore, they look around at the world and see a world full of people headed for a terrible, horrific fate. To an evangelical, it's as if the whole world is dying of cancer, and they have been handed the cure, but no one will believe them. An evangelical feels like they are screaming "This doctor cured me! He gave me the cure, and I don't have to die! I'll take you to him! He can cure you too!!" and everyone else just says "I don't see this doctor. I don't believe you!" as they continue toward a painful death, trying myriad other cures that do not work or work for only a little while, when the true cure is so easily given. Try for a moment to empathize with how frustrating that must be, for someone who truly believe in only two roads, and sees the majority of the world headed down the wrong one.

The evangelistic spirit does not seek to be right, or to "win" by converting X amount of souls. Yes, there will be those whose pride gets in the way and who debate with you and lose sight of the message, but cut these some slack. By their own admission, they are not perfect, only forgiven.

Sadly, today's evangelical finds little opportunity to proselytize loudly. In today's world of "believe what you will, but leave me alone", the mere mention of Jesus's name is enough to shut down the communicative channels, sometimes permanently. Most have been reduced to being "lifestyle witnesses", living well and hoping someone will someday ask.

I am a terrible evangelical Christian. I struggle with the daily life of someone who strives to be like Christ. I struggle internally with my faith. But I know the road I am on leads to paradise, and I wish you were on it with me. To all those I have not done a good enough job of telling this to, forgive me.

This post is dedicated to Daniel Ian Rosoff, for whom I did not do enough. For him, I was and am burdened with a love that is as close to Christ's love for humanity as I ever care to come. I pray constantly that someone better than I will show him the way to Christ.

It is also dedicated for Kicae, for whom I did just enough. I look forward to the day I see him again, and we will need no interpreter.

2010-02-24T09:48:00.000-05:00

I love the girl who writes Barefoot Foodie. I hate her a little too, because she is riotously funny, something I will, sadly, never be.

I'm supposed to be reading Emma right now. Or The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm procrastinating.

Emma apparently inspired the movie Clueless, which I have never seen. The Count of Monte Cristo inspired the movie The Count of Monte Cristo, which I have seen, and also which has Jesus in it. It really does.

Anyway, That's all for today. Have a super one.

Temptation

2010-02-22T13:42:00.000-05:00

I followed a link today only to have myself redirected to a picture on facebook. It was a horrifying picture, which is what I get, I suppose.

Anyway, according to the little red flags at the top of the page, I have four messages and something like 13 notifications. It was all I could do not to say "To heck with Lent! I'm not a Catholic!!"

But I remained strong and navigated away.

I'm not sure what it says about my life that I am suffering withdrawels from digital media. It's a little sad, really.

Audiobooks

2010-02-18T15:23:00.000-05:00

I rediscovered Audiobooks last month, during an unsuccessful hunt for the book "Marley and Me" in print at my local library. They had it only on Audiobook, and so, being that I had a "Winter Book Challenge" challenge to complete, I checked it out.

This is not a review of Marley and Me. If it were, I would just have to tell you that I hate dogs, but I still spent most of this book in tears. Also the guy who reads it must have been someones cousin or something, because he is the most stoic and most gay reader of audiobooks that I have ever heard . A stoic gay is truly something to be heard.

I digress. I'm on my fourth audiobook at the moment, Alice I Have Been, by Melanie Benjamin (incidentally, this is a pen name, which is proclaimed loudly in her author bio, right next to her real name. Tell me, is there even a point in writing under a pen name if you're just going to tell everyone who you are anyway?).

The thing I've grown to love about audiobooks, especially ones told in the first person, is that it is (obviously) like someone telling you their own story. It seems a little silly to say that, but it's truly what I love about them. I connect to the characters better, and i all feels a little more real to me when I listen on audiobook.

The obvious trouble with audiobooks is that so far, almost all of them have made me cry, and, as everyone knows, the moment you begin to cry in your car, you begin to feel that there is a giant yellow arrow pointing to you, alerting all the other drivers in the vicinity to your weepiness. I actually play it up a little, hoping that someone in the next car will feel oh-so-sorry for me. I'm an attention whore like that.

Lent

2010-02-17T08:55:00.000-05:00

Lent.

My Husband and I celebrate, if you can call 40 days of self-denial "celebration". Which I can't.

This year, despite my mother-in-law's urging to "take something on" instead of give something up (As I told my mother, there are only so many slots in my life, and they are all full), I am giving up Facebook. My sweet link to the outside world. My dear facebook. I'm not a face-to-face social animal. I need the protection of the internet to form "meaningful" "relationships" with other "people".

I'm a little broken up over it, actually.

Paul is giving up video games, which I know is as hard for him as giving up facebook is for me. I can see this while thing ending in a giant compromise about 20 days in, for both of us.

In place of video games and facebook, we are starting the Love Dare, which we began on Valentine's Day. It's endorsed by Kirk Cameron, who is, dare I say, the Tom Cruise of Christianity, albeit slightly less creepy.

Also I need to start reading my Bible again. Apparently there's some good stuff in there.

Good Samaritan

2010-02-12T12:24:00.000-05:00

I took my charges on an outing today, the first time I've taken B anywhere in my car. We went to the public library, not only my favorite place, but a good place to look for biographies on Scott Joplin, which is what T needed.

The trip went well, but it was cold and raining when we left, so I left the kiddos under the library awning so I could go get the car. When I pulled up, T got in, I got B in her seat, and then, it began. A car was waiting behind me, making me feel nervous, as if I took more han three mintutes, and angry soccer mom would come charging out of the car at me. In my worry, I failed to notice that my seven books and my purse were still sitting in the basket of the stroller. The stroller stoutly refused to fold, but I wrestled into submition, all the while giving apologetic smiles to the driver of the car behind me.

After three failed attempts to get T to push the button that opens the trunk, I ran around and did it myself, internally swearing at his 11 year old lack of vehicle knowledge. That's when it happened. I lifted the stroller into the trunk, and six books, a book on CD and a red stamp pad fell with myriad thumps, to the wet pavement. At that moment, I was cold, wet, nervous about my imagined screaming soccer mom, and now my library books were in a wet heap on the ground. I put my head in my hands and felt the tears welling up in my eyes.

Then a car door slammed. I looked up to see a man about 30 coming my way, bending to pick up my books. He said nothing except a soft "no problem" in responce to my stammered, tearful thank you's. I slammed the trunk shut, he climbed back into his van, I climbed into my car, and both of us drive away.

Whoever he is, I hope he knows that he completly made my day and renewed my faith in people. Thanks, Library Man.

BOOK REVIEW: Odd Thomas

2010-02-10T11:31:00.001-05:00

I waited to do my Monday book review, partially because I forgot, but partially because I wanted to wait until I had finished Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. Rarely do I find a book so blessedly amazing as this one was.

The story is that of a young man named Odd Thomas. He sees what he calls the "lingering dead". Basically ghosts who still have unfinished business here or who love the world too much to move on. He also sees Bodocks, evil spirits that gather whenever and wherever they sense impending violence and carnage. After a strange visitor visits to the cafe where he works, Odd finds himself racing to stop the deaths of hundreds of people.

The book is beautifully written, managing to combine humor, love, and tragedy in a perfect balance that never seems forced. It is over 60 chapters long, and yet I never felt that it was dragging along or that nothing was happening. I laughed out loud at certain points, yelled at Odd to "Run!" at others, and, when the tragedy struck, I sobbed. Nothing recommends a book to me more than it's ability to find myself so entrenched in it's pages that I weep for the sorrows of fictional characters. To date, I have only had this happen with five books. Six now, with Odd Thomas.

This book will break your heart, but I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Superbowl

2010-02-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

As my beloved Chargers opted not to make it to the Superbowl this year, I wasn't insanely interested, except for the commercials, which, sadly, I missed most of due to my SIL's recent acquisition of Sims 3. It's fun, if less than user-friendly. However, to review:

Previews: The previews for Alice in Wonderland and the Wonderful World of Harry Potter have me salivating for both. The one for AIW in particular was simply lovely. The preview for Robin Hood was decent, but after having read Stephen Lawhead's Hood, I don't know that I'll be satisfied with a film rendition of anything else.

Commercials: Doritos was the victor this year, with the little kid and his order to "Keep yo' hands off my mama, Keep yo' hands of my Doritos". Snickers came in a close second, if only for the use of Betty White, who I can't believe is still as alive as she is.

Tebow: The whole world just needs to knock it off with the whole Tebow thing. I didn't see the halftime show, but the controversy leading up to it was preposterous. To all the Anti-Tebow Ad people - Shut up. CBS can show whatever they want when they are the ones airing the Superbowl. They are a television station. They aren't required to be non-partisan, and Tebow's mother is certainly entitled to her freedom of speech, and the church which funded the commercial is free to spend their money however they want. To all the Pro-Tebow Ad people - Shut up. Gloating over this woman's freedom of speech is not classy. If a Pro-choice woman had done what she did, you wouldn't be talking about her freedom of speech, you'd be yelling about how inappropriate it is for someone to push a political agenda during the Superbowl.

The Saints - Well played, Gentlemen. Well played.

Have You Read It?

2010-02-05T14:49:00.000-05:00

If you haven't ever read A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers, you should. Go buy it. Or get it from the library. Something. Just read it.

I don't often cry from books, but even on my fifth or sixth reading of this one, which it is, I still cry at least seven different times. The characters are so perfectly real and alive that you feel as if you are reading an account of true events rather than a work of fiction. Not just true events, but events that happened to a dear friend, which is what Haddassah, Marcus, and even Julia, terrible, petulant Julia, become as you read the book. I know the end of the story, which comes in the second book, An Echo in the Darkness, but I still cry at the end of VITW. It gets me every single time.

So yes. Read it.

Can I Just Say..

2010-02-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

Stephen Lawhead is slowly becoming my favorite author. I am currently in the middle of Hood, and it is blowing my mind. In a good way.

Sadly, however, when asked by T, my oldest charge, what I was reading, this is the conversation that ensued:

T: Whatcha reading, Ms. Rai?
Me: Hood. It's a reworking of the story of Robin Hood.
T: Who? (side note: WHO!?!?!?!?!)
Me: Robin Hood.
T: *blank stare* (at this point, panic is rising in me)
Me: Robin Hood...you know, legendary hero..."rob from the rich to feed the poor"?
T: He STOLE from people!?
Me: *sigh*

People ask me why I want to be a teacher. This is why. Because kids don't know who Robin Hood is.

Followers!

2010-02-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

Five people follow my blog. I'm actually quite thrilled about that. It satisfies the needs of the attention whore in me.

Observations for today -

- The Diva Cup = Woman's greatest invention. It's not gross, I promise.

- Eight months is the awesomest age on a baby. B (my charge) is basically the coolest kid ever.

- I've read over 6000 pages this month...well...not this month. Last month...the one that ended two days ago. That's a heckava lot of pages. That's a dissertation...times 3...or 6. How long is a dissertation?

- I have the best librarians. I went to the library yesterday, accompanied by my husband, who NEVER goes to the library, but took the opportunity of sneaking kisses in empty aisles, which made me feel like we were in high school. It was not a bad feeling. Anyway, we were getting ready to leave, and one of the librarians walks by and says to me "They sang your song on the Grammys last night, and I thought of you!" I don't need to ask which one. My name is Rhyannon, only one letter different that the title of the Stevie Nix song "Rhiannon". What astounded me is that this woman, who sees hundreds of people a day, remembered not only my face, but my name, and rememebred it enough to want to let me know that Taylor Swift and Stevie Nix did a duet of my song on the Grammy's. Hows that for making a girl feel special?

BOOK REVIEW: Elfland by Freda Warrington

2010-02-01T09:19:00.002-05:00

I finished Elfland by Freda Warrington earlier this week, and it has to be said that it has renewed my faith in the fantasy genre. Fantasy has a tendency to be sappy and eye-rollingly laughable. Elfland is neither.

The basic premise is we share our world with a much older race called Aetherials. Many of them have chosen to live on earth in a human form, but they can travel between their world and ours by way of lychgates throughout the world, and every seven years, by way of The Gate. At the opening of the book, Lawrence, the Aetherial Gatekeeper, senses a great threat behind the Gate, and seals it and all the lychgates, allowing no one to come in or out. Rosie, Sam, Jon and Lucas, four young Aetherials, are trying to find a way to open the gates without allowing either world to be destroyed by the evil that lurks within.

The story is complex, but in a way that reminds you of real-life stories. Life is never just one storyline, but many that weave in and out of one another, each one affecting all the others. Elfland is this way. The complexity is at times confusing, but not overly so, and the story is comprehensive enough that no one story feels as if it was undertold. The world Warringotn creates is rich and tangible, making you wonder if Elemental beings really do hide out in the trees and under rocks. The characters have their faults and their victories, and no one, much as in life, is exactly how they seem on the surface. The characters deal with drug abuse, infidelity, murder, questionable sexuality, incest and unclear motives. Warrington manages to fit all this into a book that is under 500 pages, without ever being overwhelming. It's a great read, though not a quick one. Set aside several days or even weeks, depending on how fast you read, before picking up this book.

This week I also read: World War Z by Max Brooks, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, Sloppy First by Megan McCafferty, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Judgey Jeudi - Haiti and one day late

2010-01-29T13:07:00.000-05:00

Today I read a facebook status that read thusly:
"Shame on you America: A country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and veterans without medical treatment yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations. 99% of people won't have the guts to copy and repost this, but I do!!!!!"

I stared at it for a moment, thinking "There's no way someone can have posted this. No way." But they did. Apparently, many people share this opinion, and I can't help but wonder: What the F***? (I do not curse, but I will certainly imply it in this situation).

The status has the laughable audacity to compare the situation of the poor in our own country to that of the poor (read: everyone) in Haiti. That comparison is ridiculous at best. There is a system in America for the poor, for the elderly, for the veterans. Is it a perfect system? Of course not, but at least we have a government in place to try and correct the failings in those systems. On any given day, in any cty in America, the homeless of our country can find a place that will give them food, shelter, clothing, free medical care and , in many places, the opportunity to gain an education. Will all the poor in our country avail themselves of these things? No, but the point remains that the resources exist, and are free to those who would come. The elderly have resources from the government as well, and while Veterans do find themselves tied up in beuracratic red tape, their medical care is FREE.

In Haiti, especially after the earthquake, there is nothing. Nothing. In place of a soup kitchen, they are recieving food drops that sometimes have to sit on the tarmac because there is not enough manpower to transport them to hungry mouths. In place of medical care, the sick and injured are in tents, on the ground, with scant medication and fewer supplies. The infastructure that could have provided for the destitute and displaced is gone, crumbled to the ground by the earthquake and aftershocks. This is not New Orleans after Katrina, which had an entire country of fellow Americans to help them rebuild. Haiti is not just one city, but an entire country that now has to start from square one. They have no fellow Haitians that were unaffected by the disaster to help them rebuild, and if we, America, with some of the wealtiest citizens in the world, do not help, who will? Should we stand by in our comfy homes, watch them suffer and say "We've got problems of our own!" right before we flip on the XBOX?

The American method for caring for our poor and elderly is far from perfect, and sadly, there are some who slip through the cracks in the infastructure. But the point here is that there IS a system. There IS help available, wheras in Haiti, there is nothing, and to refuse help, based on the argument of our own poverty, is nothing short of ignorant, ethnocentric and hypocritical. Without assistance, the entire country of Haiti will slip through the cracks, leaving America standing sheepishly by, saying "But we had our own poor!".

Bibliophilia

2010-01-27T09:39:00.000-05:00

As a child, I loved to read. I loved it. I read everything I could get my hands on, and, with very few exceptions, I was allowed to read anything I wanted, with never a mention of reading levels or something being too mature for me. I read things that were too old for me (Outlander when I was 14) things that were about right (All the Chronicles of Narnia at 9 - 12) and things that were too young for me (The Mary Poppins books at 13). I was picky about the genre of the books I read, but that's alright when you're young. It's probably what kept me away from the Stephen King and Tom Clancy on the shelves. I loved fantasy and romance, as well as silly books that made me laugh. I loved the written word, and was highly encouraged in this by my mother, who had been reading to my sister and I since we were infants.

I read a great deal up through high school, but tapered off once I got to college, and very nearly stopped when I got married. Marriage makes you poor, and I could no longer afford to go to the bookstore and buy whatever by heart desired. This year though, I have rediscovered a beautiful thing: The public library.

I have become a frightful addict to this institution. No more than two days goes by that I am not in the library, returning, borrowing or picking up one of my many holds. I know the librarians by sight now, if not yet by name, although, if this habit of mine continues, I could see that happening very soon.

Somehow new steps have been added to my routine. When I walk out the door, I check, not only for my keys and cell phone, but for my library card as well. My daily internet rovings include The Nest, Facebook, Blogger, and now Goodreads and the Public Library Site, to look for and reserve new books.

I had forgotten how much I adore reading. With this new, constant stream of literature, my mind, which had begun an alarming descent into slushy disuse, now buzzes with activity, thinking of what I have been reading, what will happen next, and when I will get a chance to sit and read a bit more. Reading not only transports me while I read, but throughout my day. It is, cliche though it may be, an escape, but more than that, a tool for keeping my mind busy as the monotony of the day drags on. It is something that is indescribable to a non-reader, but those who have found themselves lost in the written word understand.

Now, if you'll excuse me, Elfland is waiting.

What I am reading now: I, Robot (audiobook) by Isaac Asimov; Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin; Elfland by Freda Warrinton

BOOK REVIEW: World War Z

2010-01-26T10:48:00.001-05:00

I waited a day because I really wanted to review World War Z, and I only finished it ten minutes ago.

We're fond of Zombies right now. First it was Ninjas, then Penguins, then Pirates, and now everyone is into Zombies. Zombies are both comical and terrifying. Comical because, in a movie, nothing is funnier than the living dead shuffling after some poor sap, arms raised, moans loud and pathetic. Terrifying because, really, if a killing machine was coming at me, bent on the goal of eating my brains, I would literally pee my pants.

World War Z is an account of the fictitious zombie war, which takes place in an alternate present day. Rather than being a narrative, it is a collection of interviews with survivors of the conflict. The result is an account that is at times heartwarming and comical, but mostly just terrifying. I actually had a dream last night that my family and I were trapped underground with zombies closing in around us. I was bitten and woke up right after realizing that my husband would have to shoot me so I didn't become a danger to everyone else. That is what this book does to you. That said, I recommend it to anyone. It is incredibly well-written, engaging, and exceedingly hard to put down. The writing is so realistic that it makes you a bit paranoid, watching the trees a bit and checking your backseat for the undead before climbing into your car.

This is one of the best books I've read this year, and definitely makes the top 25 I've ever read. Even if you aren't a typical fan of Zombies, this is a good read.

My Life as a Stingray

Resolutions

Bird Sillouette Wall Art *DIY*

Cosleeping, the story of how we became "those" people

It's a Problem

Unnecesarean

30 BEFORE 30 - Have a Baby

Green Olive

It isn't that I don't love you

Never

Here's the thing.

NaNoWriMo: A sad, sad update

Things That Always Bugged Me About Harry Potter

I voted today...

NaNoWriMo

It's Late

Discovery

Because I need something else to waste my time...

Shuggling

Mockingjay - Midpoint

Dogs

A Story

TV is BACK!!

Jules

BOOK REVIEW: The Road

RIP V Challenge: The Book List

RIP V Challenge

Twilight by Pattinson, Robert 1986

30 Day Blog Challenge is a bust

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 9

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 8

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 7

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 6

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 5

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 4

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 3

30 Days of Blogging - Day 2

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 1

30-Day Blog Challenge

Literary Twin

The Case for Twilight: Part 1

BOOK REVIEW: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

30 BEFORE 30: Have a Baby and a review

30 BEFORE 30: The Lord of the Rings

Belated Father's Day

Clothespins: an update

Bad Blogger

BOOK REVIEW: Graceling

Verdict

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Memoirs

Whiny-Pants

30 BEFORE 30: Domestic Mission Trip

Follow-up

Birthday

Application

Valley

Measuring a Year

Apology

Sherlock

Projects

BOOK REVIEW: The Hunger Games

Koontz-ophilia

Graduation Time!

Halfway...

My Literary Loves

MRI Day

Domestic Worry

Guilt

BOOK REVIEW: The Host

Literary Constipation

Education Continued

Education

Psychosis

Finances

Notifications

Harry Potter re-read: A finale

Harry Potter re-read; an update

Huzzah!

Excuse the Mess

Bird Sillouette Wall Art DIY