Polishing Mud Balls

Favorite Books Read - 2011

2012-01-30T10:10:00.003-06:00

“The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it” ― James Bryce

Here I am, adding myself to the book blogosphere masses with publishing my list of favorite books that I read during 2011. Albeit, I am late with posting my list, sorry. But, seriously, are you tired of reading such posts? No? I did not think so. Truly, we bookish people feed off of other book blogger’s lists. We eat them up. We discuss our likes and dislikes. We jot down titles of interest. It is our candy – these lists.

I have gone over my list of books read. That list is located on my handy bookmark which is featured in the photo above. This is a bookmark that I make every year. On this bookmark, I not only list the book read, I also give it a rating, and asterisk well liked reads, and circle the favorite for the month. I am unwilling to get all critical and analytical; I rate based on how well I liked said book according to my rating scale. I do not share my rating in my blog posts because I have found them to be very subjective, and not necessarily mean the same for each book even within a given rating year. Does that happen with you? XY&Z rates a 9 as does ABC but when I look at them both, I think, “They are not the same 9 rating – they are different – I like one better than the other – their audience is not the same, etc.”. I have that variety of conversation frequently. Yet, I do not change the rating because the rating stands with that particular book for its circumstance under which I read it, and for its audience. That is why I do not place rating in my posts. I hope what I say in a post will lead you to conclude if I liked the book or not and as to why. Not only that, I hope my posts help you conclude whether the book is for you or not.

Okay…okay…enough all that. Let’s get on with what this post is really about. Shall we?

….. My Bookish Year in Review - 2011 ……

My Top Ten Favorites for 2011
I read a total of 48 books. Not bad, but probably my worst year since 2008. Even so, with 48 only books read, it was a bit tough only choosing my top 10 books. My bookmark aided me greatly, but there are still a few more titles that I would add if 10 equaled 12.

The books are listed in order of when read; not by least to most favorite, vice versa.

The titles are hyperlinked to my reviews (where one exists)

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
Synopsis taken from Barnes & Noble:
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms blew me away when I read it last January. I was very much drawn into the story and captured with the allusion to Greek mythology, the gods, and the game of power. I liked the tale very much, and found many layers within this story. It did not rank high on the list of books I recommended last year, but recommend it I would.

   Madame Tussaud
   by Michelle Moran
   Description from inside ARC:
When Marie Tussaud learns the exciting news that the royal family will be visiting her famed was museum, the Salon de Cire, she never dreams that the king’s sister will request her presence at Versailles as a royal. tutor in wax sculpting. As Marie familiarizes herself with Princess Elisabeth and becomes acquainted with both Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, she witnesses the glamorous life of the court. It’s a much different world than her home on the Boulevard du Temple in Paris, where bread can only be had on the black market and men sell their teeth to put food on their tables. The year is 1788, and men like Desmoulins, Marat, and Robespierre are meeting in the salons of Paris, speaking against the monarchy; there’s whispered talk of revolution. Spanning five years from budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom.

I loved, loved Madame Tussaud, and came away from it with profound reading satisfaction. I went into knowing next to nothing in regards to the French Revolution. I came away enlightened. This is a well crafted, intriguing, and utterly engrossing story. I do not hesitate to recommend Madame Tussaud to anyone that I know who loves historical fiction. Actually, that would be true for anything written by Michelle Moran.

The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
Back Cover:
My name is Kvothe.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Can a book rock your world with incredible story, and prose that also includes an amazing character? Oh yes a book can, and this was accomplished by The Name of the Wind. Let me say, I think I am in a bit of author love when it comes to Patrick Rothfuss. Seriously, I do not think that man will do no wrong in stringing words together that in some shape or form grabs and maintains my attention. Only problem, because I loved The Name of the Wind so well, I have yet to read The Wise Man’s Fear for no other reason than the fact this unwise blogger deals with fear that the follow-up to a book well loved will disappoint. Umm…stupid, I know. Especially since it has been well-received. sigh…2012 will be the year for The Wise Man’s Fear.

Tigana
by Guy Gavriel Kay
Goodreads Description: Eight of the nine provinces of the Peninsula of the Palm, on a world with two moons, have fallen to the warrior sorcerers Brandin of Ygrath and Alberico of Barbadior. Brandin's younger son is slain in a battle with the principality of Tigana, which the grief-stricken sorcerer then destroys. Years later, a small band of survivors, led by Alessan, last prince of Tigana's royal house, wages psychological warfare, planting seeds for the overthrow of the two tyrants. At the center of these activities are Devin, a gifted young singer; Catriana, a young woman pursued by suspicions of her family's guilt; and Duke Sandre d'Astibar, a wily resistance leader thought dead. Meanwhile, at Brandin's court, Dianora, his favorite concubine and--unknown to anyone, another survivor of Tigana--struggles between her growing love for the often gentle tyrant and her desire for vengeance. Gradually the scene is set for both conquerors to destroy each other and free a land.

GGK is an author of fabulous talent. He knows how to craft amazing fantasy with historical undertones and Tigana is no exception. The writing is beyond superb. The story has a pace of its own which lured me in and kept me; a drug of sorts that I yearned for every day.
I loved this book greatly, and do not hesitate to recommend it but for some reason I could not bring myself to review this book. Actually, I know why, GGK has such great talent and weaves amazing stories that I felt overwhelmed by this one to where I simply thought that I could not do the book justice with my own words. Suffice it to say, I did write a small bit about this book that really summed up well why you should read this book too. My thoughts are hyperlinked to the book title.

Fire
by Kristin Cashore
Goodreads Description: Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.
Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.

Oh, Fire, how I loved your story. It took a bit to warm up to Fire’s story, but, warmed up I did. I very quickly found myself absorbed into her world with a rocking storyline, superb pacing, interesting and intriguing characters - Cashore has a fantastic gift for writing. Fire was a book that I thought of for several months before I figured out how best to express my thoughts – a letter to my friend. This review mode allowed me to share my enthusiasm for Fire in a way that my regular review mode would not allow. This book is seriously good.

Blackout
by Connie Willis
Inside Flap: Oxford in 2060 is a chaotic place. Scores of time-traveling historians are being sent into the past, to destinations including the American Civil War and the attack on the World Trade Center. Michael Davies is prepping to go to Pearl Harbor. Merope Ward is coping with a bunch of bratty 1940 evacuees and trying to talk her thesis adviser, Mr. Dunworthy, into letting her go to VE-Day. Polly Churchill’s next assignment will be as a shopgirl in the middle of London’s Blitz. And seventeen-year-old Colin Templer, who has a major crush on Polly, is determined to go to the Crusades so that he can “catch up” to her in age.

Blackout is a perfect example of how a group read can lead a reader – me – to a fabulous book that I probably would not have read otherwise considering it was not on my radar and I was not planning on WWII reading at the time. I am so glad that I went with my mood to read it. Blackout is truly unique in how it delivers historical information while immersing its reader into a fabulous crafted story. Blackout suited me so very well; a combo of time-travel and historical fiction blended together smoothly, and seamlessly. I look forward to reading in 2012 the next book, All Clear. Thank you CarrieK at Books & Movies for co-hosting this group read. While I was not a great participant, I did read the book and loved it.

Among Others
by Jo Walton
Inside Flap: Startling, unusual, and yet irresistibly readable, Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and SF, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.
Raised by a half-mad mother who dabbled in magic, Morwenna Phelps found refuge in two worlds. As a child growing up in Wales, she played among the spirits who made their homes in industrial ruins. But her mind found freedom and promise in the science fiction novels that were her closest companions. Then her mother tried to bend the spirits to dark ends, and Mori was forced to confront her in a magical battle that left her crippled--and her twin sister dead.
Fleeing to her father whom she barely knew, Mori was sent to boarding school in England–a place all but devoid of true magic. There, outcast and alone, she tempted fate by doing magic herself, in an attempt to find a circle of like-minded friends. But her magic also drew the attention of her mother, bringing about a reckoning that could no longer be put off…

Among Others frequently stood out to me on the bookshelves when I would visit my local bookstore. When it was on sale, I snatched it up. Not just because the cover appeals greatly, but also because one of my blogging friends loved it greatly – thank you Carl for bringing this book to my attention. If not for his review, I probably would have continued my bookshelf browsing admiration. I am glad that I did not because Among Others is simply a book not to miss. Walton crafted a multi-layered story which was delivered with intelligent thoughts, and dialogue. I tore through the book – breathing in the story while at the same time finding myself pausing over nuggets of truth as they hit me. This is an excellent story. Brilliant.

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
GoodReads Description: It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she discovers something she can't resist- books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found.
With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

Last year was a great year for Suey to have influence over my book reading choices and music interests. Thankfully, she is a fabulous friend, and I like, very well, her musical and book tastes. Not only was she influential in tuning my ear towards a fabulous musical talent. That talent became my Favorite Artist of 2011. She also was incredibly influential in my choosing to read, The Book Thief. I am so ever grateful for her persistence that I would not be disappointed. She was so very right. No…not just right…beyond right. The Book Thief is a book that no one should miss. An excellent story with many layers – deep reaching, and soul penetrating. This is a holocaust story with such uniqueness that nothing short of respect was felt for the subject matter. You know how the Diary of Anne Frank is read over and over again in the school system? I deeply believe that The Book Thief should be read with just as much frequency and same revere. Powerful, this book.

Slaughterhouse-Five
by Kurt Vonnegut
Goodreads Description: Slaughterhouse-Five is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.

This is a surprise favorite. Over the last few years, I have been hearing about Vonnegut, and I did not think his writing would be for me. Yet, I wanted to read one of his books to say that I did – a bit of a snobby bookish bent on that, I will admit. But, ha ha, the joke is on me. Not only did I like his writing, I found his concise manner greatly appealing. With clipped sentences, and time-travel sequences, Vonnegut crafted a bizarre story that kept me wanting to know more. I was intrigued, to say the least. An impression upon me was certainly left. I will be reading more Vonnegut stories.

The Way of Kings
by Brandon Sanderson
Goodreads Description: Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soiless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable

Blown away, I was. The epicness of The Way of Kings amazed me, and not just because of its vast scope of story, but also for all the detail embedded. Sanderson has enormous talent; he magnificently wove the threads of this story together. I am in awe, AND this is just the tip of the ice burg. If The Way of Kings is any indication, this is the start of an incredible and amazing series. I am glad that I have not waited for the series to be complete before embarking on this journey.

Favorite Bookish Experience of 2010:

Author Event: Patrick Rothfuss, was by far, hands down my most favorite bookish experience for 2011. I travelled 1 1/2 hours on March 9th in order to listen to this man speak, to meet him, AND to have my book signed. It truly was a fantastic experience, and I urge anyone who has a chance to attend any of his book signings to do so. I wrote in length about the experience, if curious, check my post out – Author Event: Patrick Rothfuss.

Favorite Book of the Year - 2010:

The Name of the Wind makes it to the top of my list purely for the fact of how incredibly engaged I became with this story. I really felt the story become apart of me as I read. Every waking moment, I found myself wanting to read this book, and when I could not, I was thinking of all that was going on. Kvothe, almost a year later, is a character that has stuck in my mind – he still ranks as one of my most favorite. I must thank Logan at Rememorandom for suggesting and influencing me to give this book a read. If it were not for his enthusiasm, I would have missed out on my favorite read of 2011. Whew! Glad I did not miss out.

~ For much of 2011, I thought The Name of the Wind was a shoo-in for this top spot, but the last part of year found myself reading two other books that became heavy contenders for this spot – The Book Thief, and The Way of Kings. Alas, I went with The Name of Wind because I was simply more engaged and connected with the story and character.

Favorite Book of the Month

Like I mentioned, I keep track of my books on my bookmark, and I mark which book is my favorite read for the given month.

January: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
February: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
March: Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
April: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
May: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
June: Fire by Kristin Cashore
July: Blackout by Connie Willis
August: Did not complete one book
September: One book completed, not a favorite
October: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
November: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
December: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

If interested, my complete list of books read in 2011 can be found here, Books Read 2011 This is where my books are listed until I can get a books read page up on my blog.

2011 Stats
~ genres are subjectively assigned, and a single book could be assigned to more than one genre.

Books Read – 48
Own - 28
Library - 7
Publisher / ARC - 13
New to Me Authors - 32
Female Authors - 30
Male Authors – 12
Historical Fiction – 8
Fantasy – 23
Paranormal – 2
Urban Fantasy - 4
Science Fiction – 5 (however, they were not solid sci-fi)
Dystopian - 2
Graphic / manga – 1
General Fiction – 2
Short Stories – 1
Romance - 3
YA - 17
Middle Grade - 4

~ I read far more books that I own than I realized. However, I did not keep track of books read already owned versus bought thus owned. Also, I am a bit surprised that I read 13 books given to me by the publisher or via NetGalley. I thought that number was much lower. My library stat needs to increase during 2012. My male author number is much lower than I realized. I thought that I tended to read books authored by a male rather than female. My stats prove otherwise. Goodness, I read far, far more Fantasy than I thought. Although, that is not too surprising as I do gravitate towards that genre. What was surprising is the few books that I read in Historical Fiction…only 8 in my second favorite genre.

~ For a neat, intricate yet simplistic way to keep track of books read, do check out Fyrefly’s Book Blog post - TSS: Track your reading!

I know many of you have shared your 2011 favorites, please do let me know if you posted your year in review. I would like to make sure to read your list.

“Get books, sit yourself down anywhere, and go to reading them yourself.” ― Abraham Lincoln

Sunday Post: Happenings…..

2012-01-29T21:05:00.005-06:00

~ This post was written on Sunday ~

Quote of the week..... “This good day, it is a gift from You. The world is turning in its place Because you made it to. I lift my voice to sing a song of praise. On this good day.” - Fernando Ortega, This Good Day

Outside my window..... a sunny 28 degree day that feels around 19 degrees according to weather.com I have been outside, and it is pleasant...well, it would be pleasant if not for the wind that is rather crisp and very chilling to the bones. The 14 year old, however, still managed to be just fine only wearing her hoodie as we traveled the stores.

Kid events.... Last Thursday night, Elliana’s school band held a spaghetti dinner to help raise funds. We went, out of obligation, and left feeling great about going. I had a preconceived idea that the spaghetti dinner would be blahish, but boy was I surprised. Yes, it was your average meal, nothing fancy, but the way the event was organized is what led to an enjoyable experience. Our meal was served by band student volunteers. We ate as we enjoyed listening to various songs played by the different sections of the band. Elliana plays trombone, her section of trombones sounded great. Truly, all the sections were wonderful. This was a eat, enjoy and go event. Not a sit throughout the whole night and listen to all scheduled. It was crowded so we did not stay beyond Elliana’s band, but I am sure the symphonic band members sounded wonderful too. The video above is of Elliana and her fellow trombone players. El is progressing nicely with playing the trombone. She sits first chair in her section. We are proud of her dedication to learning of this instrument.

A Zine..... Talyawren is once again putting together a zine. L at omphaloskepsis started a zine project last year with her daughter N which led to the creation of Talyawren. Elliana contributed, and the zine turned out beyond amazing. For this year, they would like the edition of Talyawren to be a way to thank those who would like to help them give a monetary donation to Door to Grace. Talyawren put the call out for collaborators, and Elliana once again jumped on the idea. Well, jump would imply that she submitted her contribution for consideration already. That is not the case. However, she immediately took to the idea, and this weekend she wrote her piece. I will be submitting her short story tomorrow after I see if I can edit it down from 1100 words to 600 words. Hopefully El’s piece will be of use to the zine. There is still time to submit, if interested then please do check out Talyawren.

Music infusing my brain..... Last night, Saturday - January 28th, I was afforded the opportunity to see David Garrett once again. For those who do not know, David Garrett is a violinist, and one whom I have liked for several years now. We had a great time. I do plan on writing a post about this event as my thoughts are far to lengthy for the space provided here.

More David..... do remember, my mom is a huge fan of DG, and she has a group of friends who are huge fans too. They are meeting up in Washington DC to attend a concert together, and to also enjoy time hanging with one another. My mom wanted me to go, but events of life dictate that I stay home - a decision made several months ago. In my place, Elizabeth - my 14 year old daughter- will be traveling with grandma. I am very pleased that she will be able to experience DC and DG with my mom. I hope they have a wonderful time. I am sure I will mention her experience here on a later post.

Books..... reading has taken a serious decline this month. Well, not serious, but certainly not what I hoped. Regardless, the three books that I did read were fantastic - top rate books.

Currently, I am reading Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov for the group read hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings. I am not officially participating due to my reading unpredictability. But, I am following along when I can. To be blunt, if not for the group read I probably would not be reading this book now. I am glad that I am therefore glad for the group read. I also am starting The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Yes, I had this on my current read list before, but I really did not even start it. I am very much in the mood to see how well I will like this one.

I am writing..... letters. I was reading The Sunday Salon at Memory’s blog - Stella Matutina. She wrote about a project called A Month of Letters, hosted by Mary Robinette Kowal. The idea is to dedicate February as the month to write a letter each weekday plus Saturday if you have mail service. This is 25 days of letters. I really like this idea, and very much want to give it a go.
If you would like to receive mail from me - a letter, a postcard, a picture, an article clipping I found interesting, etc. then please do fill out this form. If you would like to send me mail then please indicate that on the form. I will send a letter to all who sign up. If you receive a letter from me, feel free to write back if you want. A Month of Letters has great fun potential.

To read more about this fabulous idea, do check out Memory’s The Sunday Salon post. You can also go on over to The Month of Letters to get the official low-down.

Recipe of the week ….. Broccoli Cauliflower Soup. Yum.Yum. Yum. I could eat bowl after bowl. This is definitely a keeper of a recipe - the whole family loved this one.

For my spiritual needs..... I have started my reading the entire Bible in a year journey. I am using a fabulous app - YouVersion - and following the Eat This Book reading plan. This is working out great. I am loving the simplicity, and the capability to read other reader thoughts and to write my own. However, reading the Bible via my iPad defeats my ultimate goal of reading my physical Bible, having it looked worn from reading with notes in margins and note cards of thoughts shoved inside....for my children, grandchildren to have an appreciation of my Bible....of reading the Bible through and through.

Links.....
Tar Heel Reader is an online “collection of free, easy-to-read, and accessible books on a wide range of topics”. Isaiah really enjoys these books at school, and we are starting use them with him at home on his ipad.

Fyrefly’s Book Blog posted TSS: Track your reading! I found the post to be informative and interesting. And, frankly, right up my keeping book stats alley. A book geek, I am.

Becoming Minimalist is a blog I stumbled upon. I like it and suits me well at this moment as I strive to keep stuff in proper perspective - minimal is good.

You have made it this far, congrats!

The following part is a far more personal side of this post. You will not hurt my feelings if you choose to skip reading this last section which is lengthy. I thought about creating its own post - decided against that because while I am filled with need to post these following thoughts, I also somewhat want to bury them with intent that a lurker who otherwise does not really read my posts will not then read this.

Me and my blog….. you may have noticed that I have been somewhat out of the loop as of late. Very little in way of posting on my blog and almost non- existent blog reading and commenting. Or, maybe you have not noticed. Regardless, there are several things heavy on my heart. The last four months have been witness to several lows, and troubling issues for which I am not going to go into all here. This last month - January - has been a very trying month. And the issue at hand, I will speak of briefly.

As some of you may be aware, my 8 year old son (IJ, Isaiah) has special needs. Apraxia, PDD- NOS, ADHD are his diagnoses. While you may have an idea of what those diagnoses entail, let me tell you frankly, a diagnose description does not tell all. The description is the starting point. Isaiah is complex. Always has been and most likely will always be. He brightens a room, but he could also darken it too. He has much to offer this world. While he is an expensive child to educate, he is worth every single penny. He challenges understanding and patience on a daily basis, but even so, I cannot imagine my world without this child in it.

January has been a month of troubles with Isaiah in school. The school is surprised, we are not. For us, it was only a matter of time before his "family life" crossed over into is "education life". The two are not exclusive because Isaiah's troubles are a part of Isaiah's disorders. Now that the school sees these issues, I am greatly puzzled by their response. I feel that we...that Isaiah...has been pushed into a corner to a certain degree due to policy and procedures. I feel the intensity for which we are dealing with could have been avoided, or for certainly decreased IF Isaiah was afforded the proper therapy. While I am a rational person, and I look for sound, and evidenced based ideas - I recognize that I am emotional about this issue at hand. I doubt I will ever let go of the feeling that Isaiah has been hurt by the lack of resource available to him. Right now I am very much consumed by this troubling month. I woke up this morning with the full realization that was starting to enter my mind this past Friday - I think I am literally becoming sick due to the troubles with Isaiah. Mind you, not all day nor every day, but enough. He is not making me sick...it is the troubles. I have woken several times over the last week very sick to my stomach. I can cry at the drop of a pin. I am living with a ball of anxiety in my gut. I have headaches that come and go. All of this is nothing really huge, BUT it is the first time that a situation is causing me to physically feel off. Not since gestating each child have I felt nausea in direct relation to a child.

Anyway, I write all this to let my blogging friends know where I have been...why I have "dropped off the scene" so- to- speak. For those who are my family and in-person friends, you already know my troubles. Thank you for the Isaiah help you give to us (me), even with listening.

My presence with blogging, reading blogs, commenting, and even emailing will be hit or miss for a bit of time. My mood and attention fluctuates for blogging. My energy, time and thought process is pouring into what options are available for Isaiah - what are his needs - what can we do for him. I do, however, have a few drafted posts needing finishing touches, and a few unwritten ones in my head, I hope to get those up. Posting is certainly on the slow boat.

For those close blogging friends - you have my email address. If you would like to be pulled out of the vagueness of this last part of the post, then please do email me. Otherwise, let it be known, I am exhausted with the troubles already and have no desire to go any further with public writing on the matter...at least, not right now. This part has served its purpose for me - therapy of sorts.

Song of the Week: This Good Day

2012-01-27T11:47:00.004-06:00

For week four of every month, my Song of the Week post will be centered around Christian music. For 2012, I would like to be a bit more purposeful with my music listening, and Christian music certainly has its place in my life.

I was unable to find a video of This Good Day to embed, so I will have to be satisfied with sharing a link to the song.

PLEASE do click over and listen to This Good Day by Fernando Ortega, AND then come back to this post.

This Good Day is one of my most favorite Christian songs. Actually, Fernando Ortega ranks on my favorite Christian artists list, and quite possibly the favorite. No matter my mood, This Good Day is always a good song to listen to. A good mood, I am uplifted further. A bad or so-so mood, I am reminded that no matter my troubles…. “This good day, it is a gift from You. The world is turning in its place Because you made it to.” And so…. “I lift my voice to sing a song of praise. On this good day.”

Many years ago, about 11, I took my oldest son- Benjamin – along with my mom and sister to Breakfast with Moody that featured Fernando Ortega. He was present during the morning radio show, and played live for those who were able to attend. It was a fantastic experience. Fernando Ortega was simply wonderful to hear live, and to speak with during a brief album signing moment. I would love to see him in concert.

If you listen to Christian music – which song is your favorite? If you listen to Christian music – do you listen often? If you listen to other music music that feeds your spiritual needs, please share.

Song of the Week: Have You Ever

2012-01-21T22:23:00.002-06:00

Trying to do something different with my Song of the Week posts. Not certain if my idea will really pan out into a good thing. Time will tell. Until proven as a not so good idea for this brain of mine, I am going to start theme weeks for this post.

Pandora week, this is. One week per month, I am going to feature a song that came to me by way of listening to Pandora. At first, I thought the song should be a new find, but I have concluded that it could be a familiar song that I have not listened to for a while but brought back to my attention through Pandora listening.

This you must know, Brandi Carlile is a favorite of mine. I absolutely LOVE her music. I have seen her in concert at least three times, she is fantastic and I blogged about her at least twice - Music Musings: Brandi Carlile and A Fantastic Show…Brandi Carlile. What occurred over the last year, in my quest to diversify my music, I did not listen to her much. What a shame. Upon listening to Pandora, I kept seeing my Brandi Carlile channel. I finally played it, and guess what…I miss listening to her music.

Have you Ever is a simple song yet has meaning. What that meaning is, I cannot tell you. But, I will say, for me, the meaning changes a bit with my mood and life, but it always resonates feeling.

Any finds this week for you by way of a radio service such as Pandora?

Song of the Week: Little Lion Man

2012-01-13T18:16:00.004-06:00

I am very excited, indeed, to share with you a new-to-me discovery. Last November, while listening to Pandora, I came across Mumford & Sons. I immediately took a liking to their music. I created a Mumford & Sons channel with far more immediacy than normal. That was a great move. I have been listening to this channel heavily since December. And, I will say, I like almost every song that pops up on the Mumford & Sons channel.

January 1st, I found myself browsing for music over on Amazon – a favorite place of mine to purchase music. I came across Mumford & Son’s album – Sigh No More, and I thought about it for a nano second before snatching up the disc. Sometimes, I do not buy my music in mp3 format, sometimes I need to have the album in hand – this is the case for this amazing band. I love this album! Love it! I love almost every single song.

It was very hard to choose one song from the album to feature on this post, but I wound up going with Little Lion Man mostly because it is readily available on YouTube, and because I really like this live version.

Talent. Talent. Talent. I would love to see them play live; they look fun. Writing this post, a thought came to mind - I can see myself becoming obsessive over this band; their music. It is a feeling that washes over me – utter enjoyment, reflection, emotion - when I listen to them that gives me that thought. Over the last two weeks or so, I have not let one day go by without listening to their music. Oh wait, I already am obsessed. A good obsession it is.

Sigh No More is this young band’s debut album, and I expect that we will see some more great stuff from them as time goes on - how exciting!

What do you think? Great stuff, or not?
No matter, I love them.

Side Note:
Do you have a Pandora account? If so, have you followed anyone? I am curious, how the following works. I think it would be great fun to follow others, that I know, to share music that is currently being listened to. Maybe come across something that I may not otherwise. What do you think?

Foundation Group Read– Part One

2012-01-09T10:40:00.003-06:00

Welcome to my thoughts on the first part of the Foundation Group Read hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings. This group read will consist of two parts for Foundation, book one of The Foundation Novels series by Isaac Asimov.

As some of you may know, I am not a big sci-fi reader, and immediately shy away from classic sci-fy books. Based on this, when I first saw Carl’s post for the group read I immediately decided that it was not for me. Then, for some reason, I gave a second look, and thought that maybe this book could be a good “get my feet wet” classic sci-fi read because it is only 244 pages. Add to that, Carl holds fantastic group reads. So, here I am, one week into my reading and very ready to give you a few of my thoughts on Foundation....thus far.

For our first round of discussions, Carl provided questions to answer. This discussion is based on reading about half-way into the book.

For the purpose of satisfying curiosity, is this your first time reading Foundation or have you read it before?
This is my first time reading Foundation. As I indicated, I am getting “my feet wet” in classic sci-fi, and I tend to shy away from these type of books. I always figured - if I am not sci-fi reader, then surely, I will be bored to death with a classic sci-fi book.

For those reading Foundation for the first time, what expectations did you have going in and has it met them or surprised you in any way?
I expected to be bored, but thought that since it is a short read at 244 pages then I could certainly muster enough motivation to get myself through the book. I wanted the experience. I wanted to read a sci-fi book of this nature and say that I did it. I wanted to be able say, with confidence - yep, classic sci-fi is not for me. I certainly did not expect the surprise that was in store for me - I am loving this book. It has been exciting, intriguing, and engaging right from the start. The style of writing speaks to me; works well. How did I ever think that I would be bored? That, I certainly am not. I am psyched, no pun intended or was it?

What are your thoughts about the structure of the novel thus far? (I am referring to the brief glimpses of different parts of the history of the Foundation with big time gaps between events in the novel)
At first, when I realized the shift in time occurred, and that we jumped ahead 50 years - I was disappointed. I wanted to know more about Gaal Dornich, the trial, and the path taken afterwards. But then, I quickly became engaged with the events on Terminus, and felt that the past was not neglected - it was blending into this portion of the book. Then, the story jumps ahead again in time by about 30 years. This last jump, however, did not bother me at all, but did take me a moment to acclimate myself to the fact that a jump in time occurred again. I was clued into this by reading the Encyclopedia Galactica passage in the beginning of part three, and with “In the forty years I’ve known you…” This last jump served to gain my attention even more because the intrigue seems to be building. The time gaps are filling in - one piece at a time - which adds to that sense of intrigue with the present as well with the past. My attention is certainly being held. Why is this all working - these jumps? I think because the writing is smooth, and the history of Terminus and the galaxy has not been neglected which actually are very integral to the current lives, and storyline.

What are your initial thoughts on the field of psychohistory?
At first, I felt that psychohistory was hogwash, mumbo-jumbo… a field made up by Isaac Asimov…and made the story somewhat crazy. Even so, it was explained, and blended into the story so well that before I knew it – psychohistory became believable. As the field gained believability, I thought this concept is working great, and works for a sci-fi book. And now, at this point of the reading, I think it is a pretty neat idea - a field that could make some predictions based on behaviors of a group of people by combining the sociology aspect with math, and history. You loose me with the math, but with the history and sociology - I am there. Pretty neat. Even though I think this is pretty neat, I would not actually like the reality of it. There are potential problems with predictions - a god like complex could happen with society.

What, if anything, is holding your interest thus far, what are you enjoying about Foundation?
I am greatly intrigued with how the predictions are being played out. Mostly, the undercurrents that say an uprising will occur on Terminus. The power control that is underway - the disasters, failures, etc that are bound to happen are making me so ever curious. Suspenseful.

What, if anything, are you not enjoying about Foundation?
The lack of strong character connections. While I do like the time jumps, they seem to happen right around the time I start making a connection. I am a character centric reader, so this could be a potential problem with me, yet at this point, the story is holding my interest. I attribute that to the quick pace, and writing style.

You may have covered this in answering the other questions, but if not, what are your thoughts/feelings about the Galactic Empire. Is it a practical thing to have a galaxy spanning government? Can you imagine such a thing and do you think it would work?
This is an incredibly huge concept for me. The Galactic Empire is an intriguing, and for the most part, believable as it is written. For my brain to wrap around the hugeness of the Galactic Empire, my mind could not help but wander into Star Wars as a foundation for the concept. However, this huge empire is just not practical so it is of no surprise to me that its power has been stripped away. The galaxy is simply too vast of a span for one power. Frankly, one government even for Earth would not be practical or achievable. Okay, maybe at some point in time it could be achieved, but for how long? The people would not truly have a voice in a large singular government, and the intricacies involved to rule an incredible span with a huge population would be too complex to avoid some sort of rebellion.

What are your thoughts on Hardin's creation of a religious system in which to house scientific ideas and technology while keeping the users of that science and technology in the dark?
Disaster waiting to happen. That was the thought that came to my mind when I learned of this religious system. The thought has not left.

To join in on the discussion, or just to see what others have to say about part one – head on over to Foundation Group Read, Part 1 (of 2)

2011: End of Year Music Roundup

2012-01-06T19:52:00.004-06:00

Oh whoa! First off, I royally bombed with posting weekly for my Song of the Week Posts. For 2012, I am going to improve my 2011 stats which are found at the end of this post. I would also love to increase conversation regarding music - what you are listening to, music new to you, etc. Any suggestions, on how to increase music related conversation, I gladly will accept.

Top 10 Favorite Featured Songs for 2011:
The song's title is linked to my posts.

1. Alla Luce Del Sole by Josh Groban

2. Oceano by Josh Groban

Josh Groban - Oceano from Aicha_Italy on Vimeo.

3. Yes by Coldplay

4. Solo Por Ti by Josh Groban

5. Voce Existe Em Mim by Josh Groban

6. All In by Lifehouse

7. Bratja (Brothers) -Fullmetal Alchemist

8. Princess of China featuring Rihanna by Coldplay

9.Someone Like You by Adele

10. Major Minus by Coldplay

My Favorite Music Artist for the Year 2011:
Josh Groban

Clearly, I had a thing for Josh Groban during 2011. I cannot deny it, my blog proves that he stole my attention away from other musical artists. He was featured at least six times on my blog during 2011 - not counting inserts in other posts. Not only did 4 out of my 24 weeks of Song of the Week posts find a song from Josh Groban, I also wrote a couple of Josh Groban music event posts. Also, I know for a fact, that I listened to him far more than my blog indicates.

2011 Song of the Week Posts:

Alla Luce Del Sole by Josh Groban

Care by Kid Rock

The NEW Canon Rock by Matt Rach

Influences of my Brothers - miscellaneous songs

Early 80's music

Oceano by Josh Groban

Bratja (Brothers) - Fullmetal Alchemist

Rolling in the Deep by Adele

Mushaboom, I feel it all, Honey Honey by Feist

Solo Por Ti by Josh Groban

Soundtrack Fest - Tremble for my Beloved by Collective Soul, Friends by Band of Skulls, Monsters by Hurricane Bells, Bach/Break from August Rush, This Time - August Rush - Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Yes by Coldplay

Animal Arithmetic by Jónsi

All In by Lifehouse

Voce Existe Em Mim by Josh Groban

If You Leave by OMD, Do Wot You Do by INXS, Need You Tonight by INXS

Major Minus by Coldplay Princess of China by Coldplay

Someone Like You by Adele

Something in the Water by Brooke Fraser

By and By by Royal Bliss, Here They Come by Royal Bliss

Other Music Posts...

Music Event - Josh Groban

David Garret week in lieu of song of the week

Gushing Over Josh Groban

Oh Yeah! Bon Jovi!

Surprises.....

~ I did not post one single song by Muse. What is up with that?

~ I did not post one single song by Bon Jovi - not including the music event post. What is up with that? I could have sworn I did, but alas, I cannot find one. Hmmm...I listened to them tons.

~ The Song of the Week feature was posted far less than I realized.

Song of the Week Stats:

~ 20 weeks plus 4 weeks highlighting Christmas albums = 24 weeks

~ Josh Groban = 4 weeks + 2 other music post

~ Adele = 2 weeks

~ Coldplay = 2 weeks (3 songs)

Again, 24 weeks worth of Song of the Week posts is rather pathetic. I am going to try to increase my post count for 2012. Even so, I am pleased with my choices for 2011, and have greatly enjoyed listening to them as I wrote this post.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

2012-01-05T12:22:00.004-06:00

"People aren't' supposed to look back. I'm certainly not going to do it anymore." p. 20 (ebook)

Slaughterhouse-Five
by Kurt Vonnegut
copyright: 1969
publisher: Random House Publishing
format: ebook
pages: 275 print pages
source: library

Goodreads Description: Slaughterhouse-Five is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.

First Sentence:
All this happened, more or else.

My Thoughts: This is one great, bizarre, and interesting book. I loved it. Not only was it bizarre, it was weird and crazy with a dull, wasteful, and emotionally blank main character - Billy - who experienced many horrific, disturbing, and haunting moments during the war. Not only that, Billy’s marriage was very bleak, and his wife was pathetic. Their lives, in a large way, were meaningless which I found disturbing. Still, the book was engaging, and I found myself not being able to put it down. I credit that aspect to the incredible writing talent of the author - Kurt Vonnegut. Truly, his prose, and ability to draw me into the story was magnificent.

You may be thinking, at this point of my post, that this book sounds depressing, and dull. It is not. This book is bizarre more than anything else, and that aspect of the book is what intrigued and engrossed me into the storyline. My mind just kept wanting more.

I kept wanting more because not only was I captured in the incredible bizarre nature, I also really liked the shifting in time - the nonlinear delivery of plot. I liked it very well. I liked the writing style very much too; short clipped sentences...concise, to the point, matter of fact ... which all really mean the same thing with a bit of difference and all gave the book its tone.

This book does indeed have time-travel sequences, but I looked at it as more of shifting points in time. I liked how the story took me from one point then right to another. This shifting in time kept the story interesting, and moving, and was not once confusing. I will point out - as I was reading through the story, I started to come to the opinion that this story does not have time travel. It is a metaphysical thing, for certain, but a metaphysical thing for a loon.

I do not think that Billy really time-traveled. He did, in his own mind and that was all. I certainly gained an impression that he was a character who was not motivated to do much in life. He wanted to abandon life early on. He did things and became things as they fell into his lap. He did not really do anything out of ambition at all. His appearance, I am sure, reflected this aspect. He was apathetic. He was dull and wasteful. Not dull in an uninteresting way, but dull in enthusiasm. I think the narrator/Billy was nuts, and that is how I viewed the character. Yet with all of those negative character qualities, I liked reading his story.

While entrenched in Billy’s world, I did appreciate learning about his part of WWII - Dresden. It opened my eyes up to this aspect of the war. It should be noted, I like war stories, anyway. Plus, I like history. So of course, those aspects worked very well for me, but I must once again point to the talented writing of the author. His ability to embed these facts of history into Billy’s story is what makes this war story stick in my mind.

There seemed to be no true point to the story - nothing much really happened yet things did happen.The story felt meandering, and it worked for the style of writing, pointlessness. Yet through the meandering, and pointlessness, there were many life experiences of the character which were relayed to me well.

Overall, this is a great book. I cannot fully explain way except that it left an impression. The pointlessness, and meandering aspects worked well for the style of writing, and it worked well for Billy’s story. There were no moments of boredom or wishing the author would just get on with it. The story is not dull at all.

Bottom Line: Bizarre, and incredibly engrossing. This is not a book to be missed. Would this be a book for me to re-read? Nope. BUT, it is a book that I have found myself recommending to others, and I gifted it to two people for Christmas - my dad, and Suey. I hope they will appreciate this bizarre story as I did.

Book Cover: Gotta tell ya, I am not loving it. There is nothing about this book cover that draws me to the story. I will say, I think it is very cool how he writes/draws his signature.

Side Note: As a reader who just reads a story for what it is and does not look for some deep hidden meaning - I did not come away thinking of this as an anti-war story. I think people see it as such because they have background knowledge of the story or author. I think people come away thinking of it as such because that is how the story is touted. I really knew nothing of this story before reading it. I did not know what Slaughterhouse-Five refereed. I did not know anything about Dresden. I read this story, as I read most of my stories, because I came across a person or a blog post stating how much the book was liked which in turn made me curious enough to read it myself. The point is, I did not know what it was about; not really. The first time I realized that this book is considered an anti-war story was when I came across the Goodreads description. Besides, I think war could be all those horrible experiences described in this book so just because they were embedded into the story does not necessarily equate a view point of anti-war.

~ Haruki Murakami has a similar writing style, and was reminded of him while reading Slaughterhouse-Five. Murakami stories captivate me, and yet, there is not much going on...no real point...yet a point is there.

Note Worthy Quotes:

"My wife and I had lost our baby fat. Those were our scrawny years. We had a lot of scrawny veterans and their scrawny wives for friends. The nicest veterans in Schenectady, I thought, the kindest and funniest ones, the ones who hated war the most, were the ones who really fought." p. 13 (ebook)

"I have told my sons that they are not under any circumstances to take part in massacres, and that the news of massacres of enemies is not to fill them with satisfaction or glee." p. 18 (ebook)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (and Giveaway)

2012-01-03T23:54:00.002-06:00

“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.” p. 607, hc

The Way of Kings
The Stormlight Archive: Book One
by Brandon Sanderson
Copyright: 2010
publisher: TOR
format: hardcover, and mass-market paperback
pages: 1007 (hc), 1258 (mmpb)
source: own both

Goodreads Description: Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soiless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable

First Sentence:
Kalak rounded a rocky stone ridge and stumbled to a stop before the body of a dying thunderclast.

My Thoughts: The Way of Kings is grand. Grand in style, depth, pace, world-building, prose, story, and characters. This was all pulled together magnificently. A world - a story of brilliant epicness was created. Reading this epic story has left me in utter awe of Brandon Sanderson’s talent.

Sanderson crafted a story that was far from one dimensional yet not confusing at all. He crafted a story that paid attention to detail yet was not bogged down. His fabulous world-building was amazingly interesting in simple and intricate ways. The details were well-balanced which never left me feeling like Sanderson was droning on. This ability to create a fabulous world was made even more so by the fact that the story remained front and center - not the world-building itself.

The story...umm...wow! It evolved with smooth pacing and unfolded page by page with suspense, intrigue, and action. The story grew as each of the several story lines developed. While these story lines were independent, they converged into the larger story with a subtle naturalness that set my mind whirling with incredible satisfaction. The various story lines were brilliant in that they were each able to seamlessly give the reader (that would be me) an incredible view of the world and its troubles, cultures, and events. These perceptions were shown via the unique individual story lines of the main characters. These story lines, when put together, gave an incredible complete story without reader confusion.

The war scenes were written with attention and balance of showing the prelude to battle, the battle itself, and the after effects. Not only were the war scenes great, attention was paid towards relationships - formed, broken - simple they were not. Honorable and dishonorable intentions were seen throughout. The fantasy elements were unique - I loved the concept of the Lost Radiants, the shardblade, the shardplates, the lashings, stormlight, and the spren. There were more elements than just named, and not only were they unique - they made sense and fit the story - they were believable.

As the story moved along, so did my understanding of what was, what is, and ideas formed of what will be. The Way of Kings does not spoon feed information, rather it was woven within the story and characters. My eyes were riveted upon the pages.

The characters were top-notch. Fascinating from the first page all the way to the last page. What struck me with awe was how the main characters evolved - grew and developed - much depth. One dimensional characters - there were none. Facets of each character was discovered as many layers were peeled away as the story progressed. With each step of the way, I gained more understanding of the characters. I was greatly intrigued by each, but not by each all the way through. This struck me too. While, Kaladin was a favorite from the start and still remains. I thought I did not care for Shallan only to see her story progress - enlightened, I started to understand her better - by end of the story, I liked her greatly. Sveth is a character of enormous intrigue, and one that I do not have fully figured out. Part of me is hoping that he will not remain a puppet, and the other part of me looks upon him with sadness and disgust. It is a testament to Sanderson’s talent in that first impressions of a character changed and grew. I went from not liking or sort of liking a character to either liking, and/or having great appreciation.

Kaladin is a favorite but Dalinar is the character I most admire. I must admit, I am a bit startled by this because he is an example of a character that I felt somewhat lukewarm towards in the beginning. By end of story, I came to look upon him with a sense of amazement. As Dalinar’s layers were shown to me - understanding was gained. He is a man of great worth. He is to be respected, not because he demands it, but because he has earned it. Perfect he is not - errors have been made - but he has learned. I hope that he does not crumble. I worry that he will as time goes on because I hold him high above the others. He is inspiring.

I could go on and on. There is so much to say, but I have certainly expressed enough and then some for one post. Let me finish by saying.….

For me, a sign of a brilliant story is the depth of writing achieved by moments, actions, and decisions that make me pause to ponder what was just read, and to assimilate the awe felt. I paused many times throughout this book.

Bottom Line: Brilliant! Simply, and magnificently brilliant. The Way of Kings is Grand - simply put. Not only was I beyond satisfied with this epic creation, I was left in awe.

The Cover: Can I love an actual physical book as much as I love this one? Don’t think so. The cover itself is fantastic and by end of story I was far more intrigued. The actual hardcover was embellished with a sword on the front cover. The pages are smooth and feel rich. The maps, charts and illustrations gave me a rush of fantastic delight. The actual physical hardcover book is beautiful to my eyes. Let me note, the mass-market paperback is missing all that beauty - the images are not produced with the same awe.

Side Notes: This is not a story to be missed, but I fear that it will be missed by many just because of its massive size. I encourage those who love fantasy, especially epic in nature, to not pass this one by based solely on the number of pages. Indeed, it took me six weeks to read this one, but let me tell you this - it was extremely worth the time. The first 4 weeks were during August, and my reading was not going well in general. I made it through the first two parts of five. I finished this book in December. In two weeks, I read parts three - five. I did not speed read, rather, the story’s pace lent itself to the ability to polish away three parts in two weeks. I did not read all day - only in chunks here and there. What I am saying, this book is very doable to read in parts. You do not necessarily have to read it straight through. You can set it aside if a break is needed to feel a sense of reading accomplishment. I do not recommend setting it aside because it is compelling, but it can be done. So, if the massive amount of pages make you shy away from this one, then think about reading it in parts at a time.

~ I am not a huge fan of prologues, especially lengthy ones. As a rule, I tend to want to skip them, and usually find them a waste of reading time. Let me attest that the prelude and prologue of this story should not be missed/skipped. These were one of the most exciting I have ever read. Rich with detail and action. I scrambled to truly understand what was going on - not chaos just layers of depth. I am glad that I did not succumb to my usual rule.

Note Worthy Quotes: There are many - I will restrain myself.

“Say what you mean and ask for what you want.” p. 52, hc

“Authority doesn’t come from a rank.” Kaladin said, fingering the spheres in his pocket.
“Where does it come from?” (Syl)
“From the men who give it to you. That’s the only way to get it.” p. 257, mmpb

“Act with honor, and honor will aid you.” p. 376, mmpb

“If we do nothing with the knowledge we gain, then we have wasted our study. Books can store information better than we can - what we do that books cannot is interpret. So if one is not going to draw conclusions, then one mights as well just leave the information in the texts.” p. 572, mmpb

“Death comes to all. But life comes first. Cherish it. Death is the destination. But the journey, that is life. That is what matters.” p. 610, hc

“One did not write the ending of a lifetime of faith with a sloppy last chapter.” p. 712, hc

“If I should die,” Dalinar said, “then I would do so having lived my life right. It is not the destination that matters, but how one arrives there.” p.980, mmpb

“Protesting simply draws attention to the issue.” Dalinar said. “the finest defense of character is correct action. Acquaint yourself with virtue, and you can expect proper treatment from those around you.” p. 1022, mmpb

From My Shelves Giveaway: I own both the hardcover and mass-market paperback. I do not need nor want to keep both. I would love to pass on my copy of the mass-market paperback. Let me warn you though, the cover is slightly creased, and a bit worn. I do not handle mmpb gingerly as I tend to throw them around in my bag. This one traveled many miles with me and it shows not terribly so, but it certainly is not in pristine cover condition. The pages are in great shape.

All you have to do is fill out this form.

Ends on January 25th.
Open to US/Canada mailing addresses.

Winner will be emailed and announced in the comments of this post.

Sunday Post: Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T14:16:00.007-06:00

In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want.
- Irish Toast -

For many people, January 1st seems to be a time for reflection, and I am no exception. For the last several years, I have written resolutions/goals and have joined in on numerous challenges. For the last several years, I have not accomplished much of what I hoped. Not total failures, but mostly, wrong direction and too listy. This year’s motto will be in line with the Irish Toast, and with the mindset of simplicity and minimalism.

2012 Motto of the Year: Focus on the simple, the minimal, the doing, the living.

2012 Verses of the Year: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” – Isaiah 30:21, NIV

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
- Jeremiah 29:11, NIV

The motto, for me, means that I will try to live life in a more simplistic, minimal way while focusing on the now of the doing and the living of life. I have a habit of planning, and thinking, and listing, and planning….but the doing and the living get lost somewhere in all of that. Life can be crazy. Life can be full of chaos. Life can be of change. Live be of stagnancy. Life can be dull. Life can be fun. Life can be unfulfilling. Life can be enriching. Life can be full of wants. Life can be too self-centric. Life can be of loss. Life can be of gains. Life is for living – for doing. To quote from one of my favorite books read in 2011… “Death comes to all. But life comes first. Cherish it. Death is the destination. But the journey, that is life. That is what matters.” The Way of Kings, pg 607 (hc).

Focus on the simple, the minimal, the doing, the living…. I want to live the journey. So while my motto has potential to help eliminate the craziness of stuff, and clutter of unproductive thoughts, and attitudes - I know, that I cannot live the journey on my own accord. This is where my verses of the year comes into play ….Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” And… For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

While I will not stop my planning and thinking and listing – all of that is good and wise – I do need to keep in mind that the Lord has already done this for me and that living my story and choosing which paths to take will do me no good if I rely only on myself. Relying on God’s accord, and the listening to His voice gives room for the doing and the living. This is not always easy to do – the listening and relying - I fully admit as my life attests. But, I do believe that He has outlined my story for me to live.

I hope to maintain focus on my year’s motto and verses as life does not lend itself to ease, lack of of difficult choices, and lack of questioning. Life does not always lend itself to an easy path of living.

To keep in accordance with focusing on the simple and the minimal, and the living of life….I am not going to make grand lengthy resolutions or goals. The ones I do make will remain personal, minimal and simple. But, I do have a few that I will share here.

1. New Year Journal – make an entry
This will be the place, from now on, where I write out my summary/reflections from the year prior (2011), check to see if goals/wishes from prior year came true or were met, and then write a few goals/wishes for the coming year (2012).

This idea came from a book I read last year, Coming Up for Air.

2. My 2012 Book Manifesto
I shared my manifesto last week, and I do hope to accomplish what I have laid out.

3. Bookish Plans for 2012
The idea with these plans is to help maintain focus on the simple and the minimal, and on the doing and the living. While also – hopefully – enriching life and eliminating/decreasing the needing and wanting of what is the newest and latest.

I do wish, each and every one of you, a Happy New Year that finds you never in want but in extending friendship.

I wish you a Happy New Year that finds you living your journey.

2012 TBR Pile Challenge–the Elliana edition

2011-12-31T00:20:00.004-06:00

My daughter, Elliana - age 12, is an avid reader. Her book collection has become quite HUGE over the last several years. In line with My 2012 Book Manifesto, I am encouraging her to read further into her TBR pile rather than wanting new (to her) books to read. I am not going to cut her completely off from book purchases throughout 2012, but I certainly would love it if the majority of her reading was from her TBR pile and the library. She agrees, and has accepted the TBR Pile Challenge.

Due to her age, I have not officially signed her up on a challenge hosted by another blogger, instead, I am holding her accountable with this post here on Polishing Mud Balls.

Guidelines: The only rule I set in place for her was that she must already own the book. No restrictions on length of ownership or published date.

Her prize if she accomplishes this goal - a gift card of her choosing to purchase 2 books which will not count towards her book purchase limit for the year.

Elliana’s 12 Books:

1. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

2. A Crack in the Sky by Mark Peter Hughes

3. Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. LaFevers

4. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

5. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

6. North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson

7. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

8. Blackbringer by Laini Taylor

9. Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor by Willow

10. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

11. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

12. The Dark is Rising Series by Susan Cooper

Read Aloud Books:
Books that she wants her and I to read together

1. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

2. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherine M. Valente

~ Her list will be updated throughout the year to indicate when a book has been read ~

Side Note: I must give Elliana props for accomplishing an amazing goal for 2011. Congrats to her….she read the entire Bible during 2011. She completed her reading on December 30, 2011. Yay!!!!

Please wish Elliana luck in completing her 2012 TBR challenge. But, mostly wish her tons of fun while she reads throughout the coming year.

Bookish Plans for 2012

2011-12-30T15:07:00.005-06:00

Books...books...books. I love books - no surprise there. Several years back, I discovered the book blogging world, and oh my, the world of books opened up to me so much more than I could have dreamed. With the discovery of the book blogging world, book challenges became a part of my reading life. Over the last several years, I have learned, I do not complete challenges - for the most part. Why? I just cannot abide by a list especially since my reading moods overtake.

The following are my bookish plans for 2012.
For each plan, I will briefly explain my intent.

My 2012 Book Manifesto

Logan at Rememorandom posted about his 2012 Book Manifesto. I like his plan, and it fits well with where I am at in my thoughts on wanting to decrease accumulation into my life. Also, it fits well with where I truly would like to focus my bookish life.

I am going to take Logan’s lead.

My 2012 Book Manifesto.

The following three challenges, bookclub, and other reading will keep in line with my manifesto.

2012 TBR Pile Challenge hosted by Adam at Roof Beam Reader.

I have HUGE TBR pile, and I did not do very good with decreasing said pile during 2011. I am determined to decrease it during 2012. This TBR challenge is the motivation, and the help that I need to hopefully stay focused on my 2012 Book Manifesto.

Adam has set up specific guidelines for this challenge. I like these guidelines because it forces me to choose older books that have been sitting around waiting for some reading love.

For further information and to see my book list for this challenge - please see my 2012 TBR Pile Challenge page.

Yes, yes....I am signing up for two TBR type challenges. Why? They have their distinct differences which I think will help me stay motivated to read through my TBR pile rather than the newest book rave of the year.

The 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge is hosted by several bloggers, and they have come up with a way to keep motivation going throughout the year. At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.

This Challenge is Hosted by:
Evie from Bookish - @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read - @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home – @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading – @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea - @alouetteuette
Christa from Hooked On Books - @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - @mermaidvisions

For further information and to see which level I chose for this challenge as well as my book list - please see my 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge page.

A Classics Challenge is hosted by November’s Autumn.
Not only do I want 2012 to be the year I concentrate on my TBR pile of books, I also want to read more classics than I did during 2011. Besides, this one looks fun as November’s Autumn has added a neat twist.

For further information and to see my classics reading list - please see my A Classics Challenges page.

Reading To Know Bookclub
I do love bookclubs, and I do enjoy reading Carrie’s blog - Reading to Know. When I saw her post for a bookclub, I was intrigued. I looked over the list of books, and thought....I am interested...this should be fun and a challenge. Beyond that, I do not feel any pressure to read every book.

Here is a bit about the bookclub:
I asked a handful of other bloggers that I know fairly well to each take a month next year and choose a book for the rest of us to read together. These other bloggers will host the bookclub discussion each month here at Reading to Know.
Again, each month we'll read and talk about their selected choice! Each individual will lead the discussion but the common meeting ground for the group will be here.

The Books:
January - Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias.
February - Running Away to Home by Jennifer Wilson
March - The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
April - Any title by P.G. Wodehouse of your choosing
May - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
June - A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter
July - Any book in the Chronicles of Narnia series (as part of the Chronicles of Narnia Reading Challenge hosted annually at Reading to Know)
August - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente
September - Professionalizing Motherhood by Jill Savage
October - Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
November - Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White
December - A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

For further information and to join up - please see Reading To Know Bookclub.

Beyond all that I have listed, I do plan on participating in group reads that come my way that gain my interest. I also will continue with my Wheel of Time buddy read that I have going with Suey at It’s All About Books. There are also smaller challenges that occur throughout the year that I may join.

I should not forget to mention - I will be reading something in regards to the Bible. Either, reading through the Bible using some sort of plan, OR reading through Charles Swindoll’s Great Lives series.

Whew! This is all enough for me. I am certain some spontaneous books will be thrown in throughout 2012.

Happy Reading to you all during 2012!

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

2011-12-28T13:04:00.002-06:00

"The heart must make choices." p.293

Darker Still
Magic Most Foul, book one
by Leanna Renee Hieber
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Format: paperback
Pages: 317
Source: library

Back cover: New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

First Sentence:
Sister Theresa handed me this farewell gift with such relief that it might as well have been a key to her shackles.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed my reading of Darker Still. It was a fantastic blend of finding one's place in the world along with paranormal elements, and sleuthing. The pacing was suitable for the tale, although, there were moments that I read quicker just because it was slightly dull, but those moments were very few. Mostly, from page to page, I felt intrigue with what was going on, and how it would all turn out.

I absolutely adored Natalie - our heroine with a twist - she was unique, well-grounded, and endearing. Her interactions with her father, Mrs. Northe, and Lord Denbury fit the mood and flow of the story almost perfectly. Not only did I find her narrative appealing; she gave the story its believability.

What I loved best about this story was truly the eeriness and unique storyline. I really was enthralled by the paranormal events. I was truly captured by the eerie sense felt throughout. Intrigue was maintained.

This is the second book I have read by Hieber, and the second time I have been struck by her writing style. She has a fabulous gift for writing in the Victorian setting while embedding an incredible eerie, mysterious and unique elements through out. Not only that, the narratives are spot on for maintaining this mood throughout the entire book. Hieber knows how to stay true to her tone, and pace while bringing unique stories alive. I am definitely going to continue to read books by Leanna Renee Hieber. Her books do not disappoint.

Bottom Line: If you are in the mood for a unique Victorian, paranormal coming- of-age book, then this book is for you too. Be prepared for an eerie mood that draws you into the heroine's world. Be prepared to walk away with a sense of reading satisfaction. Be prepared to want to read more books by Leanna Renee Hieber.

The Cover: I liked the cover - it was interesting enough to attract my attention. However, I think it portrays Natalie in a far more glamorous light than how she is in the story. Still, it caught my attention and that really is the purpose of book covers, right? right.

The Day After….

2011-12-26T19:12:00.004-06:00

~~ Josh Wilson – Jesus is Alive ~~
My favorite Christmas song for the year – 2011.

Two packed whirl-wind days has left me exhausted. Those two days seem to take forever to arrive, but go by so very quickly. Considering the state of my tired mind, I am just going to randomly list out our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

~ Christmas Eve was a working day for me. I was able to go home fours hours early which allowed me to go with Robert to his family’s celebrations.

~ We arrived home, on Christmas Eve, around 9:30 pm. The kids tucked away in bed by 10:30 pm. Wrapping of presents commenced around 11-11:30 pm and ended around 3:00 am. Yes, this is a yearly tradition…late night gift wrapping while listening to Christmas music, and helping Santa polish away his cookie treats.

~ Christmas morning, 8:00 am, blurry eyed I was, but Christmas morning activities must be started.

~ We read The Advent Book straight through – the Christmas Story must be read first before gifts. Once done reading, presents were opened. It seems all were satisfied and happy with their bounty.

~ Christmas breakfast was served. A yummy apple french toast was enjoyed.

~ Morning clean-up, resting a bit, looking over our bounty, and cooking were all done before heading off to my brother’s home for some more family fun.

~ Christmas afternoon – evening was spent with my family. The Varsek clan enjoyed gift giving/receiving, and dinner. Happy Birthday sung to Jesus; cake, pecanut pie, cheesecake and other goodies devoured. A packed day that found us back at home close to 7:30 pm.

~ Monday, the day after, found us spending time at home – playing, cleaning, going through numerous photos, annoying one another, playing, reading, eating, blogging, eating, and then….back to bed soon.

~ All in all, a good Christmas season this has been. Our advent journey was good – some hits and misses, and yet again – we read from The Advent Book throughout the season.

~ Food, I must give you a few dishes that I made and turned out quite good.

French Toast Apple Bake – so very yummy, prepared the night before.

Caraway Cabbage and Pasta – this was not the biggest hit, but I like it very well.

Spinach and Feta Casserole with Brown Rice and Parmesan – yum, yum, yum.

~ What did I receive? Some nice stuff.
To name a few….

iPod Nano (yay!)
The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett (very excited about this book, thanks to Memory’s review)
blender (umm…more for the kids than me, I think)
jammies (can always use more)
shirts and cardigans (definitely needed more)
food storage containers (not boring as it sounds – I love storage containers…yeah, I’m weird that way - my mom and dad know it)
several other things that I like very well.

~ Music….oh where or where was my last Christmas Album of the Week post? Oh, it was in my head, but the busyness of the day(s) made writing the post impossible. The 4th favorite album was hard to decide – I do own 20+ Christmas albums. The Choice?

Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Christmas Eve and Other Stories

I do love this album, and it suited this season and last week very well with its upbeat tracks.

A few more photos for you….. and more to be viewed here, if you so desire.

Merry Christmas! …. the day after.

Song (Album) of the Week: Stormy Weather presents… Doo Wop Yule Pop

2011-12-16T12:59:00.002-06:00

Oh wow! One more week left to feature my favorite Christmas albums. Amazingly, Christmas is almost upon us. I must admit, Christmas music is what is helping me greatly to maintain the Christmas spirit this year. Does not music do that for you – help with your mood, uplift your spirits? Now time for my third favorite Christmas album of 2011….

Stormy Weather presents … Doo Wop Yule Pop was purchased many years ago – 1999, I do believe. I bought this album on a whim. I saw it while shopping in a specialty type children toy shop that is now closed. They were playing the music in the background, and I loved the catchy doo wop sound. I did not realize that this album would be part of our Christmas music favorites. It is. I would say, this is probably the children’s first choice, and it usually is my first choice too when I want to play something fun with the children in mind. No, wait, it is second – Hanson still is the first choice even in this scenario.

I had terrible troubles locating any music featured on this spectacular album – which is still available to purchase, I might add.

I cannot find any links to full length songs. So, sorry to say, I am linking you up to last.fm where you can sample the album.

Doo Wop Yule Pop

Our favorite songs:

Doo Wop Yule Pop
Hardrock, Coco & Joe
White Christmas
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
A Yule Tide Aire

Actually, we like them all. Take a listen to the snippets, and tell me, what do you think of doo wop?

Sunday Post - 'Tis the season to be sick

2011-12-11T20:09:00.004-06:00

~ This post was written on Sunday evening ~

Quote of the Week...... And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.
- Abraham Lincoln

Outside my window..… it is dark with crispness and chill in the air – 36 degree but feels like 29 degrees.

I am listening to..... Once Upon A Time – I am not paying attention much knowing that it is being recorded on my dvr.

I am reading..… Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Current audiobook..… The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan. I have listened to this book only once this past week. I am wondering, if I skip this book – will I miss much in the series?
Books I've finished…..Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber.
Books started.... several I have started. My reading goal is to finish those books by end of this month. Crossing my fingers that this does happen.

I am thinking..… of how people survived back in the 1700's. While a cold is not life threatening, it is extremely inconvenient when it is one that knocks you down. I wonder, how did those in the 1700's manage their life duties when a kicker of a cold hits them? For us, modern day conveniences have allowed us to not worry about needing to cook all day for our dinner - from scratch. The conveniences have helped us wash our clothes in a fraction of the time and far less laborious. Medicine of today helps to minimize some cold symptoms; sometimes. Tissue of today is disposable and softer on the skin. So many things of today has made our lives so much more manageable - how did people of the 1700's do it? What were their tricks? This is how my mind works - often, in many circumstances, I wonder about the lives of those in 1700's especially in comparison to ours of today.

Favorite Things of the week….. online shopping. Not that it is really a favorite, per se, but it certainly beats hoofing it from store to store. Although some store shopping is fun, but only some. My tolerance level for the hustle and bustle is low...generally, shopping is not a favorite activity of mine.

The Challenge…..Yes, another week has gone by with no gain made in my challenge areas. My only defense, truly, is that i have not been feeling well. Once i can breathe easily without going through boxes of puff tissues (lotion enhanced tissues is the ONLY way to go) then I will definitely start tackling the 100 workout. The electronic area of decluttering is being put on hold - I REALLY NEED to go through the toy bins - toss, set aside, and giveaway in preparation for the few new items gained.

Recipes of the week ….. Elizabeth is very much the chef in the family. She cooks frequently, and many times will choose recipes that i would never attempt because they look complicated or off the beaten path. She takes an adventure when cooking and we - her family - are the lucky ones who get to eat her creations. Creations they are...very yummy almost always. This past week, she made several things. Vegetable stir fry with a fabulous sauce. Not the the biggest hit as the sauce is packed with heat, but I thought it was great.

The following were hits, and so very yummy too.

Zucchini quiche – I do not have the recipe right now, but know it was good, and she made her own homemade crust.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese – I so love zucchini and this dish is excellent.

Potato Pancakes – she tweaked this a bit. I think she used Jiffy pancake mix instead of flour. These are fabulously tasty.

Golden Breakfast Bruschetta – oh goodness, this is so very scrumptious.

Not only does she cook - she bakes. Evie bakes too but seems to not bake much lately. Elizabeth created a fantastic cake for Robert's 47th birthday. A very yummy six layered cake.

Family Matters..… I am so sick of being sick. Seriously, it has now been two weeks of this pestering cold that is not only disturbing my sleep but it also making my head groggy - sharp I am not these days. Three weeks ago, started this round of illness in the home with Grace hacking all over me every night. Now, she is sick again but with the intestinal yuck stuff, my cold seems to get better then flares up terribly, and now Isaiah, Elliana, and Evie seem to be getting sick too. Ugh! My wish now is that we get this seasonal gunk out of our systems now, and that Christmas day will find us all healthy and joyful.

Beyond the illness yuck, this past Thursday was Elliana's seasonal band program. Elliana sits 1st chair of the trombones in the Concert band which is compromised of all the district's 6th grade band students - many kids, and about 10 play the trombone. She took a test which was in part of how the seats were chosen. El achieves most of all she puts her mind to - an exceller she is. The program itself was lovely - nice to hear the variety of levels - beginner, concert, and symphonic.

Things I Hope to Accomplish.….maybe I need to toss this section aside. It seems I never accomplish what I list here - life gets in the way. Work is on the agenda - two shifts mid- week - I am certain that will be accomplished. :)

Our advent celebrations….. St. Nicholas nights were a hit - the two younger children were fascinated with the concept of St Nicholas, and laying their shoes by the window. A few nights were a bit blah, but then so were some of us - illness does that to you, makes you feel blah. Without the advent calendar and plan in place; I am certain last week's advent focus would not have occurred at all.

Birthday time.....yes, we have just celebrated another birthday, and that would be Robert's. He is now forty- seven years old. Geesh, forty- seven. Wow! One thing, he and I both stated, he is looking old now. Not super old, but older than he has in the past. For many years, he looked much younger than the age the numbers claimed. Now, I do believe, he suits the numbers - in a good way. Elizabeth made him a great meal of potato pancakes, and bruschetta AND a fabulous birthday cake. I gifted him a tv - a need as our old dinosaurs are slowly croaking. A good birthday he had, I do believe, and he agrees.

The Blog Report....

I posted my thoughts for one – Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy.

My month long focus on Christmas albums for my Song of the Week posts continued.
This week, I featured Josh Groban - Noel. A fantastic album that I listen to every year.

I have a From My Shelves Giveaway - Troubled Waters.
Click on the link for details on how you can enter.

Links....

The King's English - daily devotional - The approach looks interesting and a bit refreshing. I downloaded a sample to see how I like it. This is the time of year when I do start thinking about reading my Bible in a year or opting to do focus devotionals. This one may be an option.

Uncage the Soul Productions - Finding Oregon - This is a timelapse video, and very cool viewing it is. I recommend viewing in full screen mode.

Why You Shouldn't ReTweet a Reply - Twitter Wisdom from @UnMarketing - posted by 5 Minutes for Mom.

Of Santa and Jesus posted by a deeper story
A fantastic post that takes a look at the debate of do you do Santa in your home or not? a deeper story is quickly becoming a blog that I frequent daily.

Wolfsangel by M.D. Lachlan a review posted by the Little Red Reviewer. I have had my eye on this book for months but hesitated to read it, for whatever reason. Now, after reading this review, I am certain that I will read it.

Photo credits.....me, and Elizabeth

Song (Album) of the Week: Josh Groban–Noel

2011-12-09T21:08:00.003-06:00

Christmas music is filling our ears, and oh how I love the sounds. Many Christmas albums are gracing our music shelf, and for the next few weeks, I will be highlighting my favorite four of the collection. Well, my four favorite for this year - 2011.

No question about it, after Hanson – Snowed In, Josh Groban’s Noel is my next beloved Christmas album. I love his voice, this is no secret. But, did you know, Noel was my very first Josh Groban album? Did you also know, it remained my only Groban album for years? Thankfully, that pitiful state of only owning one Groban album changed. I owe that change to my friend – Suey – because, last year, she gifted me Groban’s self-titled album.

That gift plunged me into Groban music love.

Okay, so, yes…I posted Little Drummer Boy last year, but guess what folks…I LOVE THIS SONG! Seriously. First off, Little Drummer Boy has always been one of my most favorite Christmas songs since I was a young child. THEN, hello….Groban is singing.

What Child Is This? is probably my second or third favorite Christmas song of all time. I remember, as a child …young kid, loving this song greatly. I would play Evie Karlsson’s Christmas album, and listen to her version of this song over and over again. Side note to you all… this singer – Evie – does not pronounce her name the same way as my Evie. Anyway, I truly do love Groban’s version, but I have a very soft spot for Evie’s version.

The album I would listen to much, and Evie’s version of What Child is This? that I loved so much. I sure do wish I had this album to enjoy now, and to share with my children. If I did, I am certain it would rank in my top four Christmas albums.

Onward to more Groban Christmas music love….

So, I love the album, Noel, so much that I could not decide which song to choose as my last song to highlight. Since I was unable to decide, I figure I would share another song I love of Groban’s that we listen to during this season. So what if Believe is not on Noel? It is featured in one of our favorite Christmas movies – Polar Express.

Listening to Christmas music has helped greatly to put me into the Christmas spirit. Does it have the same kind of effect on you too?

Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy

2011-12-07T23:47:00.003-06:00

"One's life is nothing more than a string of moments. Each life is like a string of pearls." p.97

Love Begins in Winter
by: Simon Van Booy
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Harper Perennial
format: paperback
Pages: 226
Source: own

Goodreads Description: On the verge of giving up anchored to dreams that never came true and to people who have long since disappeared from their lives Van Booy's characters walk the streets of these stark and beautiful stories until chance meetings with strangers force them to face responsibility for lives they thought had continued on without them.

First Sentence:
I wait in the shadows.

My Thoughts: I am not a big short-story reader. Matter of fact, I tend to not like them much. Love Begins in Winter made me reconsider my short-story avoidance. Truly, Love Begins in Winter captured and mesmerized throughout. A lovely collection of life nuggets told through relationships.

What impressed me greatly was Van Booy's writing; gifted he is. The rhythm and flow of the words gave beauty, meaning, and depth to each story as each main character was filled with some sort of longing and loneliness. I was embraced by the simplicity of thought and connection; the difficulties of finding and maintaining. I was awed by the depth that caused me to ponder throughout.

Many times, the story ends and I was left scratching my head with "what?" It was as if I had just finished reading poetry and could not figure out the intended meaning, yet, I felt like meaning was permeating my mind. A meaning for me, and maybe a different one for you. Sometimes not upbeat, yet, not necessarily melancholy - matter of fact tone captured my reading mind. Each story touched me in subtle yet powerful ways - beauty was spoken through seemingly simple stories of average lives; life meanings packed into simple snapshots that translates and can descend upon us all. Each story seemed to be about nothing much, but the opposite is true; life nuggets.

Bottom Line: I loved Van Booy's storytelling; mesmerizing with rhythmic and beautiful prose. A very good collection of short stories.

Book Cover: I like it well. For me, it added to the feeling of each story; they complimented.

Side Note: The back of the book contained the following sections: About the author, About the book, Read On; insights, interviews and more. I really liked these sections. A nice touch that did give me insight and entertained.

Note Worthy Quotes: My pen flowed; many quotes were written out onto my notecards. For the post, I could not eliminate so I went with the abundance.

"Grief is a country where it rains and rains but nothing grows." p.26

"Music is only a mystery to people who want it explained. Music and love are the same." p.22

"The strings vibrate when the bow is near, as through anticipating their lover." p.3

"Solitude and depression are like swimming and drowning." p. 31

"I didn't fall in love with Bruno then. I had always loved him and we were always together." p.49

"You can't put a price on the rituals of love, because you never know what will happen next." p.83

"People's expectations of coupling may be too grand, and thus disappointment, loneliness, and often pain are the inevitable adjuncts of something we thought would be the ultimate answer (an emotional cure-all) to our ongoing fears. Many people who feel an emotional emptiness when alone for long periods look to marriage the way someone financially poor views winning a jackpot." p.93

"We perhaps might learn to view those we have special feelings toward as being our companions rather than our saviors, companions on the journey back to childhood. But there is nothing to find. We must unravel. And in the meantime -- lower our expectations of each other (and ourselves!) in order to 'love' more deeply and more humanly." p.93

"Age is a plow that unearths the true nature of things. But only after the moment has passed and we are powerless to change anything, are we granted wisdom. As though we are living backward." p.174

"He imagined writing out the story of his life across each length of white. What words would he choose; would there be things he wrote that weren't true; would there be spaces for things he wished he had done, people he wanted to meet, but who never came?" p.182

Sunday Post on Monday - colds suck, but activities and giveaways are fun….

2011-12-05T19:11:00.004-06:00

~ This post was written on Monday morning~

Quote of the Week...... Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life. -Joel Osteen

Outside my window..… it is cloudy, and 37 degrees but feels like 31 degrees. It looks like it may rain. All in all, the weather feeds into a blahish mood. ugh.

I am listening to..... various youtube videos mentioned by follower bloggers such as Jenny at Alternate Readality. Jenny posted a Muse song on her Sunday Salon post. Muse is one of my favorite bands. But, Jenny, I must tell ya, this is not one of favorites of theirs, but each to their own. :)

Sort of along the lines of listening, I read a post by Alita.Reads - Record Collecting for Girls by Courtney E. Smith An interesting post which caused me to be very curious about Last.fm. I don’t fully get Last.fm, anyone care to enlighten me? For the record, I do get Pandora.

I am reading..… This past week, I have not read. Not really. I pick up a book, read a few pages and find my mind is wandering. Thoughts are elsewhere; I am tired, I have been sick, I sleep. Hopefully this coming week will be better for reading. I will choose from my books started which is basically any book listed on my blog’s left sidebar.

The bigger issue is this, I loose interest in a book if I am reading it for too long. I am struggling a bit with Return of the King and not for any good reason. Each time I pick it up, interesting story comes my way. Yet, when book is not in hand, my mind does not want to read it. I am forcing myself to pick the book up which is creating an issue for other books that I want to read. I need to finish Return of the King because if I do not, I cannot enjoy the other books. ugh. Not ugh for Return of the King though ….ugh for this silly issue of mine. Anyone else have any silly reading issues like mine or otherwise?

I Am Thinking..… The Christmas spirit is eluding me. With life as it is these days, I am struggling with focusing my mind on the season as it should. I need to get into the mood - focus on the importance -because I know that if I do not by end of the season, I will kick myself.

Favorite Things of the week….. Contac cold and flu day caplets - the nighttime ones sent my brain into a fuzzy blur in the morning hours.

The Challenge….. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! The challenge from last week was NOT accomplished. I did start, that counts for something, right? right. Sooo... I will still challenge myself to organize my electronic life. PLUS, I am going to start my new workout plan - 100 Workout. Anyone care to join me? I am certain that the 100 Workout will kick my butt the first several times, but worth it I am sure it will be. Here is a twist to the 100 workout - 100/200 Workout Challenge.. And, a nice way to build up to actually starting at 100 for the 100 Workout.

Recipes of the week ….. An unimpressive cooking week. Nothing to share.

Family Matters..… Over the weekend, Grace spent time with Grandma and her two cousins (SA, and SM). They went to see a production of The Nutcracker. This is a tradition that Grandma is starting with the girls. They had a great time, and memories were built. Isaiah and Elliana visited Reindeer. Robert took them as I was working. This was a huge hit for Isaiah - very excited as he is not only a big deer kick, but he also is on a big Santa kick - writing multiple letters every week to Santa. Of course, I am writing what he tells me per staus quo of a line of questioning. His list is small and direct as is Evie’s, Elliana’s, and Ben’s. I wish I could say the same for Elizabeth and Grace.
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Things I Hope to Accomplish….. the completion of this last week’s challenge - see above.

The Blog Report.....
I have a winner for my From My Shelves Giveaway - The Iron Fey series. Congrats goes out to Rachel at Paper Cuts.

I have two new From My Shelves Giveaway - Coming Up for Air and Troubled Waters.
Click on the links for details on how you can enter.

I started my month long focus on Christmas albums for my Song of the Week posts. This week, I featured Hanson - Snowed In. Love that album! Love it!!

Today, I posted about our Advent Season Celebrations.

Links..… As I mentioned last week, IJ has been granted an iPad from CASANA. He will receive a speech/language app, but I know that he will be able to use the iPad for more than speech. I am on the hunt for educational and motivational apps. So, the following links are for ipad apps that I have come across that may be of some interest, or may not.

Finding Good Apps for Children with Autism I have not gone through these links yet, but I am hopeful that there is something there.

Toco Hair Salon - Christmas Gift - Grace is loving this mindless FREE app

Tap Tap Ants - free app for a limited time.

Other Links of interest....

The Happy Housewife posted about Free Christmas Music on Amazon I downloaded Ava Maria by Celtic Women

Best Buy: Reward Zone iTunes Giftcard Offer - take 10% off the regular price of iTunes $10 gift card multi-packs

Photo Credits….. My mom (nutcracker), and Robert (reindeer)

Advent Season Celebrations

2011-12-05T10:39:00.006-06:00

Advent Season is upon us. Last year, I made an Advent Calendar. It was a project that required Jody and I to pull an almost all-nighter, but worth the time it sure was. Now, we have a great calendar that is versatile and can be used every year.
You too, can make a calendar and it is not too late. Check out my post for details - Advent Calendar: If I can make one then you can too!

This year is getting off to a slow start, mostly because the Christmas spirit is eluding me. Thank goodness that I already have this calendar as it is proving to be a motivator. I have been struggling with which direction to take this advent season when it dawned on me that I should have my own alone time focusing on the meaning of Christmas. Then, I found the direction that we will take with the children. From there, I found a list of our resources for the season, and now I am sharing. They may prove interesting and/or helpful for you too.

To help me personally connect to the season beyond nightly activities and reflections with the children. I will be using, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem, and The Journey: A Season of Reflections. Both resources compliment, and are broken down for a four week advent journey. I have read through the first week, and find myself grateful that I chose this resource. It is suiting my needs, nicely.

For the family/children, I needed to choose the activity ideas to stuff the envelopes. Ideas such as those found in this post, Advent Season: Days 1-6 recap and ideas. And I needed to decide if we would read nightly from The Advent Book, as we have for the last several years, OR take a different route for our readings. I chose a different route for this season.

For our readings, I decided to utilize Focus on the Family - Thrivingfamily.com - Countdown to Christmas. This is a nice resource. Not only does it give daily readings, it also gives a practical lesson to emphasize the message of that day’s reading. We have decided to utilize the reading portion daily, and the lessons only if they suit our family’s need for that day. For the digital version, click on the link provided above, and just fill out the form. You then will be taken right to it.

Resources for our Advent activities:.

St. Nicholas Center has fabulous and abundant ideas for celebrating St. Nicholas day at home - this day occurs on December 6, 2011. This means, tonight (Dec. 5th) the children will lay out their shoes, and we will be doing a reading about Saint Nicholas. We will also hang a paper snowflake on our front door. December 6th will find us Building-A-Box for Operation Christmas Child. This is a nice alternative for helping a wonderful project by Samaritan's Purse. While I am speaking of Samaritan’s Purse, why not consider giving a gift of donation from Samaritan’s Purse Gift Catalog for your child’s teacher gift. I did this for Isaiah’s educational team last year, and they loved the idea. We will be doing the same, a gift of soccer balls which has importance in Isaiah’s life thanks to his team. And, by way of this gift, soccer balls can then have importance to those who would otherwise have none. By the way, Isaiah’s team consists of his teacher, teacher assistants, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and social worker.

Links to lists of ideas for Advent Activities:
a peek inside the fishbowl
Loobylu - End of Year Ideas
Jordan Ferney - Advent Calendar Ideas
We Be Sharin’ - 70 Ideas to Enjoy with you Advent Calendar

Our List of Activity Ideas:

~ Nightly, read selected scripture

~ Nightly, follow Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar that Mom gifted us. A neat computer program, short and simple.

~ Write out Christmas Wish List

~ Drink hot chocolate while listening to Christmas music

~ St. Nicholas ideas as described above (2 nights)

~ Quench our thirst with homemade “Hot Apple Cider”.

~ Read Aloud one entry from Letters From Father Christmas ( 3 -4 nights)

~ Attend Elliana’s Band Concert

~Hunt for a treat (hide quarters, or $1 bills and another time) (2 nights)

~ Christmas Tree Hunt - find tree, bring home

~ Christmas Tree decorating

~ Watch a Movie: A Charlie Brown Christmas

~ Celebrate Dad’s Birthday (Dec. 10th)

~ Celebrate Aunt Darcy’s Birthday (Dec. 15th)

~ Watch a Movie: Polar Express

~ Unwrap and eat a special piece of chocolate (1 piece/bar per person)

~ Make gingerbread houses

~ Make peanut butter pinecones and hang them out for the birds

~ Ice Cream Sundae Bar (invite Grandparents over for this treat)

~ Go view Christmas Lights - on State Street, Christmas Tree Land in Kenosha, or Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanical Gardens

~ To prepare selves for the blessings that will be received on Christmas day, pick at least one item (toy) to donate for another to enjoy.

~ Read Owl Moon and go for a night walk - maybe the local forest preserves)

~ A Trip to the store with money to put in the Salvation Army pot

~ Watch a Movie: The Nativity Story

~ Celebrate Christmas Eve with family

~ Write a note on December 23rh or 24th to be placed in Christmas stocking before being packed away. Note can be reflective on the year, and/or hopes for the following the year. I plan on writing a card to each of the children.

~ Read through the entire Christmas Story utilizing The Advent Book and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus on December 25th

How will you be celebrating this Advent season?

Song (Album) of the Week: Hanson – Snowed In

2011-12-02T09:37:00.005-06:00

It is that time of the year; Christmas music fills our ears. I love Christmas music and have many albums to prove that fact. My music has been pulled out for the season; my general music has been put away. For the next four weeks, I will be highlighting my four favorite Christmas albums. Well, my four favorite for this year - 2011.

Hands down, by far, my most favorite album year after year is by Hanson - Snowed In. This album was casually bought without knowledge that I would love it so. I do not own any other Hanson albums which seems a bit surprising based on how well loved this album is.

Every song lifts my mood . Every song fills me with holiday cheer - with Christmas feeling. Every song I like very well and many I love.

It seems my Christmas mood has not found me yet this year - I hope the cheer in this album helps get me into gear.

Choosing which songs to highlight on this post was difficult. I went with the two that struck my mood today.

I know you are loving Hanson – Snowed In as much as I. Take a look at my post from last year for more Hanson songs that I love on this album. (sshh...they are probably my top 5 favorites on the album)
Song of the Week: Merry Christmas Baby

What is your most favorite Christmas album?

Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn (Giveaway)

2011-12-01T12:32:00.002-06:00

"You must welcome bounty whenever it comes, hunti man. It is often inconvenient. But if you insist on accepting it only when it suits your schedule, you will find yourself very poor." p.27

Troubled Waters
By Sharon Shinn
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Penguin Group
format: Hardcover
Pages: 391
Source: own

Back cover: Zoe Ardelay receives astonishing and unwelcome news: she has been chosen to become the king's fifth wife. Forced to go to the royal city, she manages to slip away and hide on the shores of the mighty river.
It's there that Zoe realizes she is a coru prime ruled by the elemental sign of water. She must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king, but a woman with power in her own right. But as Zoe unlocks more of the mysteries of her blood-and the secrets of the royal family-she must decide how to use her great power to rise above the deceptions and intrigue of the royal court.

First Sentence:
Navarr Ardelay's body was laid to rest in a blazing pyre, as befit a Sweela man who owed his allegiance to flame.

My Thoughts: I was immediately drawn into this story with the fantastic narrative. Zoe won me over with her love and devotion towards her father. Zoe won me over by filling me with curiosity. Who truly was Navarr Ardelay? What happened to cause is exile? Why must Zoe marry the king? The beginning pages built the foundation for Zoe's story - much was going on, yet, calm is felt. The description and pace fit my reading style well. Troubled Waters definitely captured me by end of chapter one.

I knew going into this book that it would be a fantasy story. I was slightly wrong - there were sci-fi elements which greatly intrigued. For instance, there were conveyance vehicles (called smokers) which run on fuel made up of ingredients in specific proportions. The world was very interesting - 5 essential elements, society, Capitol city, palace life - it felt much in the way of a fantasy realm yet modernized with the sci-fi aspects. I did not always get the elemental powers. I had a strong idea of the concepts and beliefs, I just did not fully grasp the Prims (5 chosen leaders of the 5 essential elements) - their ability to have great power upon being named the elemental Prime confused me slightly. How do they come by such power? I have an idea but for Zoe it all seemed a bit too convenient. It seemed to happen to easily. The mix bag of fantasy and sci-fi worked well for my mind.

The story itself made sense on the whole and for the most part was tightly woven. I really loved the first half of the book. The second half became a bit wildly - the tightly woven story loosened up a bit. Zoe, I liked well. Darien,I liked well too. He was a good strong secondary character that added to the intrigue and interest in Zoe's world and life. For me too, as the reader. He caught my attention. Zoe's ability to discern and make good decisions, her compassion towards others, her determination and integrity were all aspects that had me cheering for her success. Yet, for a small portion of the book, she felt all out of sorts for me. She seemed to be a bit all over the place - a bit wild with her powerful abilities - I think that may have been the intent. I did not like it and that was when the story started to unravel a bit for me. The relationship between Zoe and Darien was good,and certainly attracted me, but wishing for more I was even though I was not ultimately disappointed. Even with some of my nit picking issues, I was hooked. I wanted to know the outcome.

I liked Troubled Waters well enough that I devoured it in two days. But, I do have a few reservations. I wish the relationship between Zoe and Darien did not feel slapped together at the end. I wish the story did not become unwound. Still, I came away thinking that overall, Troubled Waters was good and did enough to gain and keep my interest.

Bottom Line: a good story even with some convenient turn of play, and rushed plot towards the end. A few issues with the story I had, but entertained and engaged I was. While I did not love Troubled Waters, I liked it well enough to be intrigued with the story, and how the author crafted Zoe and her world. I will read more stories by Sharon Shinn, for certain.

The cover: not loving it. Zoe looks possessed, and maybe a bit crazed. While she does become a bit wild, I never thought of her as a crazed character. Besides, I do not like seeing the "face" of characters on covers - sort of ruins it for imagination.

From My Shelves Giveaway: In light of my desire to make room on my bookshelves; I am offering this book to anyone who would like to read it.

All you have to do is fill out the form.

I will randomly draw numbers.
Ends on December 29th.
Open to US/Canada mailing addresses.

Coming Up for Air by Patti Callahan Henry

2011-11-30T11:05:00.003-06:00

“That’s the thing of the Holy Spirit - you can try and explain it all away, but then there are somethings that have no explanation, that are mystical and perfect, things that no list in the world will make clear.....Life...exactly the same. Somethings are beyond our understanding.”

Coming Up for Air
by Patti Callahan Henry
copyright: 2011
publisher:St. Martin’s Press
format: ARC paperback
pages: 255
source: publisher

Goodreads Description: Ellie Calvin is caught in a dying marriage, and she knows this. With her beloved daughter away at college and a growing gap between her and her husband – between her reality and the woman she wants to be – she doesn’t quite seem to fit into her own life.
But everything changes after her controlling mother, Lillian, passes away.

First Sentence:
There are both wonderful and awful moments in a woman’s life.

My Thoughts: Coming Up for Air greatly satisfied. Ellie’s journey of emotions - truths and wishes - were beautifully written. Her life is a mess, and I was captivated. This is not a fluff read - plot may be simplistic but the real issues are not; there is depth. Many times throughout the story, the prose gave me moments of pause - to soak in the richness of thought, and to ponder the words. The pace of the story enabled Ellie’s journey to flow naturally; believability is felt with the path she takes, and choices she makes. Her interactions with those in her life are real felt, and meaningful. The unraveling of her mother’s past was fascinating and enlightening - I was incredibly intrigued. More than anything, the words “spoken” throughout this story are powerful, deep-rooted, real and passionate.

Bottom Line: I was greatly satisfied with this story: a nice mix between finding oneself, relationship navigation, and a touch of history. What keeps coming to mind is the beauty of the prose; the richness, and depth that gave me several moments of reflection. A moving story.

The cover: I think it is somewhat blah. I get the suburban suffocating feeling, but it does not spark interest for the story. The title suits the story well, but is somewhat lost with the author’s name.

Side Note: I LOVE it when I come away from a book with a very neat idea. An idea that I can implement into my own life. Within this story, a character keeps a journal. This journal is written in only once a year - every New Year’s Eve. It is a summary of the year (concise summary), and then goals/wishes for the following year are written. The goals/wishes from the previous year are checked to see if they came true or were met. A neat concept, and one that I can see myself doing starting this coming New Year’s Eve.

~~ I read, Coming Up for Air, last June/July. My impressions were written down on note cards which is my favorite method for drafting my thoughts. The note cards are stuffed into the book until I am ready to finalize my thoughts. When I finished reading this book, an idea for a re-read surfaced. The prose was such that I feel I could loose myself into the story yet again. I still feel this way several months removed from my first reading.

~~ I do not read too many contemporary fiction novels, and when I do, I want to be utterly and thoroughly swept into the story. Yes, that is true for all books that I read, but even more so with contemporary fiction. Reason being, the stories are “real world”, “real time” and I do not always care too much to read about “real time” life events. Not only that, I critique far too much; questioning the realism/believability of the story. For me, it is hard for a contemporary book to swept me into the story, because far too often, I am left sighing with dis-interest. Or, I was not drawn in as it was too mushy, weird, or off the beaten path. Simply put, the story was not realistic; it was cheesy. Due to my harsh leanings, it takes a good contemporary story - prose and plot - to satisfy.

Note worthy Quotes:
“we make our choices and then we live with them. Everyone does.” p.6

“My need for Hutch had once been rooted deeply into my bones so that I’d felt the desire not as a part of me, but as me completely.” p.12

“with every wish fulfilled there is something lost.” p. 24

“Love is not wanting and needing; it is knowing you would give your life for the other in a way that is absolute. It is knowing that there is not a day that will ever go by - for the rest of your life - when that person will not be on your mind or in your heart.” p. 160

“...that’s a choice everyone has. They can wish for what they want in their life or they can face the truth, but sometimes you can’t have both.” p.206

Giveaway: In light of my desire to make room on my bookshelves; I am offering this book to anyone who would like to read it. Impromptu giveaway - leave a comment stating that you would like to receive this book. If more than one person requests the book, I will randomly draw numbers. I will leave this giveaway open until December 8th. If no one requests the book, then on my shelves it will stay – for now.

Sunday Post–Thanksgiving and more….

2011-11-28T11:08:00.002-06:00

~ This post was written Saturday night & took until Monday to post~

Quote of the Week: “It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than resentful over what is withheld–one attitude or the other becomes a way of life.” - Elisabeth Elliott (see post under Links)

Outside my window..… dark - not cold, slightly warm, dare I say - 51 degrees and rainy. (today, Monday, it is 37 degrees, and feels like 32 degrees…crazy)

I am listening to..... a hockey game. I am so involved in the game that I can tell you who is playing....not.

I am reading..… The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien – I am going to concentrate on finishing this book.

Current Audiobook..… The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan – I am starting to wonder why I am reading this series. Thanks to Suey, I will stick with it, otherwise, I would be greatly tempted to stop.

Books I've Finished….. None

Books Started.... Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester

Books I Want to Start….. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

I Am Thinking..… that I am getting sick. My throat is starting to bother, and my head hurts. I bet I am going to come down with some illness that has been festering inside of GD. She has only hacked all over me for the past three nights. While writing this post, GD woke and puked all over our bed. Oh such joy of parenting.

Favorite Things of the week…. my iPad...still. This handy device is incredible. So many things to do on it, and so many things to learn. I am a geek.

What I learned this week... how to properly transfer music and photos from my iPad to my itunes on the computer. Benji gave me the rundown.

The Challenge…. organize my electronic life. I have a list and order of what to do. Benji helped to order the list.

Thanksgiving..... was my parents’ 49th anniversary and a very nice day it was. A long day, but very nice. We cooked several dishes, and the house was cleaned before we left for my brother’s home. It is so very nice to return to a clean house. Darin is always a great host; a mess we create with our large family of 22. The food was fabulous and conversation lively. Elizabeth challenged Uncle Doane to a checkers game; this is not new. Doane, I do believe, was the champion this time around. Charlie Brown Thanksgiving show was played while crafts and other activities entertained. The children were all good which includes IJ. He had a good day - that is huge. Calm and peace was in the air - very sweet.

The menu: Kosher Turkey for those carnivores, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, Herbed Green Beans with Cranberries, Corn Pudding, Salad, Cranberry-Apple Relish, Cranberry-Orange Sauce, Stuffing (carnivore and vegetarian), Tofurkey (see below), Fruit Salad, Real Pumpkin Spice Soy Latte (see below), Pumpkin pies, Cranberry bread. Yummy food.

Recipes of the week ….. Tofurky.
It sounds weird, but I am here to tell you....this is a very yummy main dish. A great way to enjoy the holiday with those who are eating turkey. I really liked it. Leftovers have been good too.

Ingredients: Tofurky Roast, 1 can cranberry sauce, 1 package dry vegetarian onion soup mix, 16 ounces vegetable broth and 1 tablespoon garlic powder (optional).
Directions: Mix together - cranberry sauce, dried soup mix, and broth. Place mixture into crockpot. Then place tofurky in the center. Cook on High for about 2 hours. Baste every so often. Slice and enjoy.

Real Pumpkin Spice Soy Latte
The recipe is for one drink. I, of course, made many more than one...about 12. In the process of pouring the latte for everyone, I managed to burn my thumb. It was one of those stupid moments. I knew my thumb was being burned as the hot latte was flowing upon it. Yet, I could not stop pouring. My mind told me, if I moved the cup then the latte would go all over my brother’s floor, yet my thumb was hurting. Stupid moment, the flow of latte ended once the cup was full. The latte turned out great, and everyone enjoyed this treat. The bit of thumb scalding was worth it. Click on the link and scroll down to the bottom of the page for the recipe.

Family Matters.... My brother, Doane, has been here visiting the family. Very nice to have him join in on our Thanksgiving celebrations. It have been a long while since that has occurred. This coming Wednesday, he will make his trek back home to Israel.

End of October had me hustling to mail an application packet off before a November 1st deadline. The packet? CASANA - IPADS FOR APRAXIA pilot project. CASANA is piloting a program to see what the benefits of an iPad/applications, if any, are for children with Apraxia. Forty chosen recipients will receive an ipad, warranty coverage for 2 years, protective case, and speech/language applications. In return, the recipient will utilize the ipad and applications with his/her speech therapist. A pre-survey and post-survey will be filled out by the SLP and parent. Webinar, and consultations are available as well. We filled out this paperwork in hopes that IJ would be one of the lucky recipients. CASANA received about 200 applicants, and on Friday, we were informed that IJ was chosen! I was beyond thrilled and shocked. We received this great news via an official CASANA letter. I am still in shock. Our letter of agreement will be mailed in on Monday. Once our pre-survey is completed, CASANA will send IJ his iPad. Technically, CASANA will be lending IJ the iPad, but once our post-survey is completed then the ipad’s ownership will be transferred to IJ. This is simply amazing because we believe an iPad has great potential for IJ - not only for his apraxia needs, but also for his academic needs. Time will tell, and will updates will be posted. As for IJ, he is quite happy about the news. He has asked numerous times for us to read the letter to him. GD was a bit envious until she was told that it would be for IJ’s schooling needs.

Things I Hope to Accomplish... the completion of this week’s challenge - see above. AND, well...not getting full blast sick.

The Blog Report.... not much to report.

Links.... Tim Challies posted about The Beauty in Words. I am fascinated by language - the use of words; idioms, vocabulary, expression well written. I am fascinated by Bible translations - what makes one better than the other? I want a well translated version that keeps the meaning and depth of the original language.This post explores these areas that fascinate. You too may find this post interesting.

A Lesson from a Grumpy Old Lady - a lesson indeed on gratitude, and so very true- posted by Girls Gone Wise. Quote of the Week was found in this post.

Photo Credits…. Benjamin and me

Sunday Post on Monday - Happy 70th, and more…

2011-11-21T11:29:00.006-06:00

~ This post was written Monday morning~

Outside my window..… cloudy, 40 degrees F and feels like 35 degrees. My weather channel app tells me that it should be and 54 degrees with a low of 47 on Thanksgiving. Shall see.

I am listening to..... the calm of the morning.

I am reading..… Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber - very much enjoying, The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien – behind on my reading, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester – a pause has been taken and plan to get back to it this week.

Current Audiobook..… The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan – not liking this one to much, tell you why later, but know this….it is same annoying stuff of earlier books.

Books I've Finished….. None

Books I Want to Start….. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

I Am Thinking..… the time change has messed with me. It gets dark by 5pm and my motivation plummets.

I Am Thinking ... I need to drink more water. Basically, I am drinking none. I am drink coffee non-stop. Reason? See above time change issue.

Favorite Things of the week…. iPad apps, more specifically, Paperless Lite. A to-do list app that I think will suit me very well. If so, then I will purchase the full version.

What I learned this week... the difference between the B&N Nook Touch, Kindle Touch, and the reading apps for iPad. A blog post is being crafted in my mind about these e-readers.

The Challenge…. last week, I told you about my personal challenge of not turning our furnace on until at least after Thanksgiving. I am here to tell you that I cracked. Yes, I did. We had a couple of very cold days…low 30s as highs. We had to turn it on. But, we are not setting it higher than 60 degrees, and that is working out just fine.

Recipe of the week ….. Meaty Cabbage rolls.
I love this recipe. I can eat it non-stop. Of course, I tweak it for our vegetarian needs - smart grounds and vegetable broth. Also, I cook it all in a large skillet instead of making the actual roles and baking. The ingredients mix well together - chopped cabbage cooks down nicely in the broth. At times I add the rice to the mix and other times we have choices - mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice all do well with a spoonful or two of the dish on top. It may not look the prettiest but it is oh so very yummy.

Family Matters.... IJ’s music class – the entire 2nd grade – held a music program for his school this past Thursday. I attended as well as grandma and cousin, SM. I find great joy in seeing IJ participate – standing with the typical 2nd grade kids, and singing. It brings tears to my eyes to witness something so simple in life that parents of typical kids take for granted – the ability to stay with a group, participate, sing, and do hand motions as directed. This is a huge thing for IJ – not so huge for other children. It is joyous to me – these simple things. IJ did great, for two and half songs. He was exuberant during the first song, so-so with the second song, and flat out bored and only stood there for the third song. During that third song, I saw a look wash over his face. I knew, that instant, he was done. No more would he do. Off the stage he came, and with adamant shaking of his head…he would not go back. He sat with me for the rest of the program. He insisted that he must go home with me. He did not – aggression did come out – he was fine in the end – I picked him up early from school – I was fine. Still, the first two songs were good – I will take what I can, and celebrate those moments of success.

My dad turned 70 years old, November 20th. We celebrated his birthday. I was able to leave work four hours early – vacation time – in order for my family to join my sister and her family, along with my two older brothers as we gathered at my parents home for dinner and cake. My siblings and I are going in on a gift. The coordination of which gift to give was something else, but we have it settled and on Thanksgiving will present our dad his gift. As for me, I feel very blessed to call this man my dad. He has walked this earth for 70 years, and has been my dad for 42 of those years. I have far more good memories than bad. I have memories of him actively participating in my life, and then with the lives of my children. I truly am blessed to call Duane my dad.

Things I Hope to Accomplish... Creating the Thanksgiving menu, and then cooking the meal. This year, my parents’ anniversary is on Thanksgiving. My sister and I decided to cook the meal so that our Mom does not have to be in the kitchen all day. Mom is still cooking the turkey – her request. My sister and I will take care of everything else. The menu must be settled upon…today. Our challenge – cooking for carnivores, vegetarians, and kosher. Wish us luck. Wish our family luck since they will be eating our creations.

The Blog Report.... posted my thoughts about A Wizard of Earthsea - By and By .... Here They Come were my Songs of the Week

Links.... ‘Tis the season to be signing up for book challenges. I am thinking of only doing ONE challenge if any at all for 2012. I have yet to decide. The following are ones that interest me….

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge – hosted by Evie at Bookish
The 2012 TBR Challenge – hosted by Adam at Roof Beam Reader
Classics Challenge – hosted by November’s Autumn

~~ There is a few differences between the two TBR Challenges.

This looks good – Pixar’s next film, Brave.

Photo Credits….. taken by me, and my daughter – ED.

Songs of the Week: By and By ... Here They Come

2011-11-18T11:26:00.005-06:00

I have not heard of this group, Royal Bliss, until this week when Robert brought them to my attention. I like them well. I learned that they played locally – Great Lakes Naval Base – during the July 4th celebration 2011 event. It would have been good to see them live…and cheap… a free event, but we missed it by one day.

By and By – Royal Bliss

This song has been played several times during this past week. I like it, but it is rather melancholy. Still, good.

Royal Bliss seems to be on the hard rock side of the music block. I use to listen to hard rock a lot, but now only when it fits a mood.

What have you been listening to?

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin

2011-11-15T21:55:00.005-06:00

“It is very hard for evil to take hold of the unconsenting soul.”

A Wizard of Earthsea
The Earthsea Cycle, book one
by Ursula K. Le Guin
copyright: 1968
publisher: Bantam Dell
format: mass market paperback
pages: 197
source: own

Back Cover: Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

First Sentence:
The island of Gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked Northeast Sea, is a land famous for wizards.

My Thoughts: A very good tale that I found to be very intriguing; adventurous and entertaining. It did take me a tiny bit to get into the book, and there were moments my mind wander ever so slightly. So, while I was not fully overwhelmed, I was, interestingly enough, engrossed. I found myself enter the world of Earthsea and that of Ged. The fantasy element of magic was well developed and added to the intrigue. I appreciated the development of this story; the rules, life and training of a wizard. While I did not always fully understand the intricacies of Earthsea and the magic - I did understand enough to appreciate this tale. It all worked very well, and made sense throughout.

The writing is superb as it slowly drew me into a descriptive world. This world was realized with information and cultural understanding as the prose seamlessly crafted the world, customs, people, and issue at hand. Le Guin is certainly gifted with the economical use of words, and sentences.

The characters, while all not well developed, added flavor to the story, and to Ged’s life. Each character had purpose to the overall sense and understanding. Ged is a fantastic character, one for which I am glad I spent time. The reader watches him grow from a very rash boy to a young-man who pauses with thought and purpose; he becomes more and more intriguing. Ged is riddled with darkness, yet, maintains a core of resilience which appealed to me greatly. I feel that I have just skinned the surface of his life; much more depth is waiting to be explored. There are more stories within Ged to be told.

I look forward to reading more of Ged’s life journey; adventures, growth and love (I hope). I look forward to immersing myself once again into the world of Earthsea.

Bottom Line: Do not let the small size of this book, 197 pages, fool you. This book packs a powerful punch; short in length, but not short in depth or description. While a quick read, it is not lack-luster nor light. A very good tale, indeed.

The Cover: I love this cover. It not only grabs my attention, it fits the story.

Sunday Post – cold weather is in the air

2011-11-13T19:54:00.005-06:00

~ This post was mostly written late Saturday night ~

Outside my window..… Pitch black sky with season feeling of cold weather change.

I am listening to..... GD sing the “ABC” song while taking a bath with the backdrop of wind gusting, leaves rustling (both which sound like approaching winter)

I am reading..… The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester

Current Audiobook..… The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

Books I've Finished….. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Books I Want to Start….. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

Quote of the Week….

Source: modernhepburn.tumblr.com via ibeeeg on Pinterest

I Am Thinking..… about my “How long can we go without turning our heat on?” challenge. The goal – to not turn it on until December 1st or at least until after Thanksgiving…will this goal be met? It is a fun challenge for me, weirdly. The last few days have been a challenge with the 30ish degree weather. But, bundle up – cook on the stove and oven – do loads of laundry….all is well. My personal belief is if we have several more days of 30ish degree weather during the remainder of November then the heat will probably be on before goal date. Shall see though, we do own sweaters and socks…you know.
I do this type of challenge for our A/C in the summer.

Favorite Things of the week…. my iPad. Yes, I have new iPad. Our computers were starting to die, and many of us are wanting to be on them. We decided that an iPad, and new desktop were order. A Mac Mini was brought into the home too. I have not played around on the mac mini as my iPad has been keeping me busy.
Any iPad app suggestions?

What I learned this week... not much, really. My mind has been a bit all over the place. But, I will say, I am having a great time keeping a small 3x5 vocabulary notebook. I write down words that I come across in my readings - words that I am unfamiliar with and want to look up and know.

Recipe of the week ….. Tofu Sloppy Joe. Do not let the name deter you from trying this recipe. It is so very yummy, and everyone in my home loves it which includes the carnivores.

Tofu Sloppy Joe
(Recipe courtesy of my sister – Darcy)

Ingredients:

~ 2 lbs extra firm tofu
~ 1 cup onions, diced
~ 1 cup green peppers, chopped
~ olive oil
~ 1/4 cup ketchup
~ 16 oz tomato sauce
~ 1 can diced tomatoes
~ 1 teaspoon or tablespoon chili powder (I do not really measure )
~ 1 teaspoon green tobasco sauce (I use whatever hot sauce I have on hand)
~ Wheat Kaiser rolls (we use whatever is on hand, but I like mine over rice)

Directions:

1. If necessary – drain and press excess liquid from tofu.
(I use extra firm tofu by Wildwood – there is no excess liquid)
- mash and sauté in pan
- set aside

2. Sauté onions and green peppers a few minutes or to desire texture

3. Add mushroom and sauté extra 2-3 minutes (we do not use mushrooms)
4. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and seasoning (chili powder and tabsco) Also add 1/4 cup of ketchup. Simmer about 5 minutes.

5. Add tofu. Simmer.

6. Toast them buns

7. Bon Appetit!

Family Matters.... it snowed on Thursday and was pretty cold. Nothing big in way of snow, but there were huge flakes falling in the sky early in the morning. IJ woke to this beauty and immediately insisted that he must play in the snow. I told him, “IJ, the snow is not sticking on the ground. There is nothing to play in.” He did not care, and to top it off, he insisted that he MUST wear all his winter gear…so he donned his snow pants, snow boots, winter coat, hat and gloves. He played almost all day outside in this gear…in the wet, muddiness of our yard. The next day, IJ insisted that it is winter, and that he must ice skate. Out came his skates and on they went…out the door to our “skate” rink, IJ went…ummm…. to the mud rink is more like it. Besides wanting to play in the snow, IJ is still much into fires – the lighting of them. Candles are not safe here in this home. We thought we got rid of them all; seems one strayed into hiding to only be brought out by “sparky” to light not only the wick but paper thrown in too. The fire was so hot that the glass broke. No more candles exist in this home….or so we hope.

Things I Hope to Accomplish... the decluttering of the home. I am going to take one area of the house, each week, and declutter something every day in that said area. This week, I am going to declutter my electronic life. Yes, that area is in desperate need of organizing and dumping. Benjamin will be home from school on Thanksgiving, so I would like to have our external hard drive in order for him to set up the mini mac for regular back-ups. I have a list of how to organize our folders, and sub-folders. Beyond the document electronic life, I am going to organize the photos a bit better. Fortunately, for the last couple of years, I have been using Lightroom which creates folders neatly. I need to neaten up the years prior. Starting in January, I am going to backup our photos onto an SD card – per month – by month. This was Benji’s idea, a good one I do believe.

The Blog Report.... I am hosting a giveaway, posted my thoughts about Linger, Something in the Water was my Song of the Week, posted my thoughts for the first week of The Return of the King read along.

Links....

Logan at Rememorandom posted – a few weeks ago- Dream Lover, a review. Within his post, there is a link to a neat short movie called, Dream Lover. Make sure to view the movie after reading Logan’s thoughts.

BookBrowse looks like a fun site to browse. I discovered this site via a fellow book blogger, but I do not remember who…could it have been Suey???

5 Minutes for Books.com posted about an intriguing graphic novel, The Last Dragon. I want to read this one.

Pancakes & French Fries has month series on decluttering, 31 Days of William Morris

Nesting Place series – 31 Days of Lovely Limitations

365 Less Things has weekly posts for a Mini Mission Monday. (browse the “mini missions” tag for more missions)

Photo Credits….. first two, and last taken by Benjamin. All other photos taken by me.

LOTR: Return of the King Read along–week one

2011-11-12T21:06:00.004-06:00

For the past three months, I have been reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have been kept motivated because well…the books are good, but honestly, mostly my motivation has been thanks to the Lord of the Rings read along hosted by Little Red Reviewer, and Geeky Daddy. Granted, I have not been a stellar participant but I have kept with the reading.

For The Return of the King, I am hoping to participate weekly via posts discussing my thoughts to questions asked for that week’s reading. Crossing my fingers that I maintain this weekly goal.

Please note – this is my first time reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy. My answers to the questions are based entirely on my first thoughts without much deep thinking. I tend to not read to terribly deep into stories and especially when it is the first time I have read said book.

This week’s questions focused on Chapters 1- 6

1.With the company that went with Aragorn through the Paths of Death. Would you have volunteered knowing it may be curse and ghosts haunting the paths?

Nope, I admit, I would not have volunteered. Although, with that said, if I felt an extreme amount of loyalty towards Aragorn, then yes, I would have suppressed my wimpy feelings.

2.What were your thoughts of Merry and Pippin in the preparation to the Battle of Gondor. It seemed that each ruler just thought that each hobbit could not be a contribution to the battle.

Let me say, I do not care much for Pippin, but I do find myself liking Merry. I was impressed with Merry – naïve bravery which wound up being a very good thing for others.

3. Did you think that the preparations to the Battle sparked your interest and all or did you find that the flow was bogged down a bit?

I will admit, I am having a tough time feeling the Tolkien love. I do not think his writing style is fully agreeing with me, so yes, there are patches in this story that have bogged me down a bit. Fortunately though, there are many other patches, and aspects that flash sparks of intrigue. The preparations to the Battle was one area that did bog me down – ever so slightly.

4. I thought that it was great that both Eowyn and Merry made it to the Battlefield. Yet against orders of the King and made a huge contributions. What did you think both of them doing this and would you have done this if it was you?

Like I already mentioned, I like Merry…a lot, I should say. And, I should tell you now, I like Eowyn a whole too. I like them both for what they represent – the underappreciated. Merry for being small, and Eowyn for being female. Beyond what they represent – I like the characters for who they are…plain, simple, and determined. So, with all of that said, I was thrilled to see their contributions during the Battle. I was thrilled. Their roles is one of the reasons why I liked this part of the book as much as I did. I will also say, I cannot wait to read more with Eowyn.

5. What do you think of Denethor's rash decision to send Faramir to hold Western Osgiliath against the hosts of the Enemy that outnumbered their own greatly?

I do not care much for Denethor. I think that he is thoughtless when it comes to Faramir. I do not appreciate how he has ordered his boys in preference and has made no secret of that order. Granted, Denethor could be reacting to his grief, but I think not…at least not entirely. Faramir, to me, seems to be the more honorable of the two brothers, or at least he is willing to not let greed over take nor follow into folly except when he went on the mission that truly was one for his death. I like Faramir, greatly. I hope that I continue liking him.

~ Overall, I am having a tough time getting into this book. There certainly have been moments of gripping intensity for which I can only imagine how it will play on the screen. I am certain those moments will translate into nail biting, ear plugging, eyes squeezing shut for me. There are moments of character love, and moments of great appreciation for the world created. Yet, I am not finding myself absorbed into the world where I cannot wait to read the next moment...to where I cannot put the book down. I do have hope though, I am thinking this book is just starting to pick up in gripping, absorbing, page-turner intensity to where I will plow through to the end because I just cannot stop reading. That is the hope, anyway.

Song of the Week: Something in the Water

2011-11-11T11:00:00.003-06:00

Caspette of The Narrative Causality recommended at song, Something in the Water. I went searching for said song, and came across one by Brooke Fraser. That is how I came across this week’s Song of the Week. I am not certain if this is the song Mandy was referring to, but this one greatly agrees with me.

Fun, and catchy song - my mood lifts upon each listening. I do, indeed, like Something in the Water very, very well. Besides the catchiness of the song, I really like Brooke Fraser, and have for several years now.

Thanks Mandy for leading me towards this song.

Have you, recently, discovered a new-to-you song, or artist that was recommended?

What have you been listening to this week?

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-11-08T19:54:00.005-06:00

“You’re beautiful…thing about Grace was that words like that meant more to me than to her. They were throwaway phrases to her, things that made her smile for a second but were just … gone after that. too corny to be real. To Grace, these were the things that mattered: my hands on her cheeks, my lips on her mouth. The fleeting touches that meant I loved her.” p.98

Linger
The Wolves of Mercy Falls – bk 2
by Maggie Stiefvater
copyright: 2010
publisher: Scholastic Press
format: hardcover
pages: 360
source: own

Goodreads Description: In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, inLinger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.
At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

First Sentence:
This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.

EJ’s Thoughts (age 12): I really liked Linger. I thought the new wolves were very interesting, but I did not like Cole. I thought he was annoying, and bothered Sam. I liked how Isabel had her own chapters plus she was not very mean in this book as she was in Shiver. The ending was sad and really made me want to read the next book, Forever. Overall, this book was one that would not let me put it down. I think my friends would like The Wolves of Mercy Falls.

My Thoughts: I liked this book. I liked it well. It did not knock my socks off, but still, the story was good. I remember loving Shiver, the first book in this series. And what I loved about it was the uniqueness of the story - not your typical werewolf story. This still holds true for Linger. I still like Grace and Sam, but am leaning more towards Sam. Grace annoyed me at times, mostly because she holds on to a secret¹...a fear...rather than sharing it with Sam. Bad move Grace. Sam is impressive with his maturity considering the fact that he is a kid too, and a kid who is on his own and has never thought about adulthood as a human. Yep, he impresses.
The parents - blah. ² I had issues with them in Shiver and those issues continue. It got a bit better because at least they have a bit more presence but still...they are not going to win any parent of the year awards. Sort of sad, really. I loved the additional presence of Cole and growing presence of Isabel. They added dimension to the story.

Linger, it is simple and straight forth with a pace that flows. The point of view shifts with every chapter which I like very much. Quick chapters that compliment the previous and following ones. They were like snapshots of a character’s place in the story; their thoughts, feelings, worries, and plans. These frequent POV shifts created the reading pace; kept me moving along, kept my attention – maintained interest. The storyline was good although it was not very strong – lacked depth at times. I was struck by how the teenage sexual tension was related and served up – written very well. The ending packed a punch, and thankfully it did so because up until the last fourth of the book, I was not entirely connected to the plot. The ending certainly left me eager to move on to the final book, Forever.

What I LOVED best about the book is Maggie Stiefvater’s writing. This is no surprise. Every book of hers that I read - the writing impresses greatly. The lack of storyline depth was made up by not only the frequent POV shifts, but also with the writing ability of the author – she achieves lyrical and poetic written beauty throughout. ³ This capability of hers is what captivated and kept me in the story.

Bottom Line: If you read Shiver and liked it well then you must read Linger. It is not the best Stiefvater book but it is good.

The Cover: I love the covers. It adds mystique and intrigue. The covers most certainly draw my attention and curiosity. The Bonus of the book it the font color. I LOVE that the font color matches the cover; Shiver is blue, Linger is green and Forever is red. Very cool aspect and greatly adds to my reading experience.

Our Thoughts on Shiver

Footnotes - Spoilers:

1. Here is the deal. Grace thinks that her body is trying to shift into wolf form. She has the physical signs. Yet, she is keeping this great concern - fear - to herself when she should be telling Sam who is the one person that could really help her. Annoying.

2. The parents were pretty much absentee in Shiver. Amazing how much the teenagers were able to do without any parental input. I was glad to see their presence a bit more in Linger, BUT my gosh...give me a break...Grace’s parents go from basically absentee to putting their foot down without discussing anything with her AND then leaving her to go to a convention which does NOT require both parents to attend , and that was also AFTER discovering Sam stays with Grace every night AND Grace was incredibly sick a few short days prior. Weird and priority problems. Isabel’s parents are far, far worse. ugh. I appreciate books, greatly, who can achieve the growing angst of teenagers along with a balance of parental presence, guidance and support. This would be my biggest issue with this series. Nit picky to some, but a big deal to me - obviously.

3. With every Maggie Stiefvater book that I have read, I have always come away thinking that her writing is lyrical, poetic - beautiful. With every book, I have said this. I was thinking, while reading this book, Stiefvater’s musical and artistic background must influence her writing - her musical and artistic capabilities flow through her pen.

From My Shelves Giveaway: The Iron Fey Series– The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen

2011-11-08T09:05:00.007-06:00

Instead of collecting dust and taking up space, the idea is to share with others those books that are sitting on my bookshelves that are extra copies, ones that I probably will not re-read, and nor will my children.

This month, I am giving away my copies of the first three books in The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. There will be one winner.

The Iron King
My Review

Back Cover: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart

The Iron Daughter
My Review

Back Cover:Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

The Iron Queen
My Review

Back Cover: I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

Guidelines:
* Open to US/Canada mailing addresses
* Contest ends on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:59 CST
* Winner will be announced on this blog.

To Enter, Please fill Out the form:

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Suey at It’s All About Books is hosting a giveaway for The Iron Knight. Go to her blog to enter for your chance to win book four of this series.

Sunday Post on Monday - bookish thoughts and other tid-bits

2011-11-07T12:55:00.007-06:00

Outside my window..… Colors are vibrant, the air is crisp with the scent of autumn. I love the feeling this season provides; anticipation of change, brisk steps, and beauty in all senses.

I am listening to.....silence, and the random plane flyover…sweet. I love silence.

I am reading..… The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester

Current Audiobook..… The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

Books I've Finished….. Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy

Books I Want to Start….. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

I Am Thinking..… my reading tastes have changed; ever so slightly. I do not have patience or desire for YA books much these days. Not to diss the YA realm, but for me, they are falling short in depth of story. I cannot put my finger on it exactly, but I will say that I have grown bored and antsy with teenage love angst - lack of parental support and nurturing - same story different book reality. There was a time that these simple, quick and fun reads satisfied; no longer. Granted, I am not the demographics these books are published, but even so, I find that I am desiring more for not only myself but mostly for my daughters. I am desiring books that provide substance of writing, story, and character - depth. I think that I may be in the minority here as I am see glowing raves about some YA books that I feel are greatly failing in depth. I should point out, I do realize that not all YA books lack qualities that I desire. I have read two books in the past month that have been most excellent and they can be YA categorized. Still, I think excellent YA is lacking depth in quantity. Quandary - locating more excellent YA books, and not just formulary type raves.

What I learned this week... a way to keep track of how much I am spending during a grocery trip - use hash marks for each dollar spent. For example, an item cost over a dollar but under two, I place two hash marks on my grocery list - a running tally of sets of five is kept with ease. This method gives me freedom to not keep in my head the bill total as I shop along, and gives me no worries about if I am calculating correctly. This method is simple math 101 calculations - counting in sets of five. It is working out fabulously and is helping me to greatly reduce impulse buying while increasing my decision making power for which item to choose. Thanks Jody for this tip.

Recipe of the week …..This is a yearly treat - a yearly tradition....Pumpkin Soup. So very yummy, and such a Fall delight.

Family Matters....not too much on the front with the children. Last week was Halloween, of course, and we had a nice time trick-or-treating with my sister and her family as we always do every year. After the treating, we had dinner at my parent - Pumpkin Soup and salad. It was a nice time.

Things I Hope to Accomplish... decluttering the house - focus areas of the week are the clothes and kitchen. I also hope to have all the children’s Christmas wish lists in hand and for my gift buying planning to commence...my goal is to spend little while giving big...you know, big in the sense that the item is truly wanted by the receiver not that it necessarily costs big.

The Blog Report....slowly, but surely, I am getting back into the groove of posting, reading blogs, and commenting. Last week, I posted about an excellent book, The Book Thief, and this coming week, I hope to have two book reviews up; both I liked, but neither did I overwhelmingly love.

Links....

Suey at It’s All About Books posted about Questions on Book Marketing Strategy

Alison’s Book Marks brought to my attention the book The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Macker. Yes, it is YA but folks, mind you, my above thoughts did not say I was giving up YA.

L at Omphaloskepsis posted Calling All Artists. Take a look at a fabulous idea that I KNOW will have fabulous end results.

Photo Credits….. first and last post photos – Benjamin taken on November 1st and 6th. The rest of the photos – taken by me on October 31st.

Quote of the Week....

“Age is a plow that unearths the true nature of things. But only after the moment has passed and we are powerless to change anything, are we granted wisdom. As though we are living backward.”
Love Begins in Winter, p.174

Song of the Week: Someone Like You

2011-11-04T09:27:00.003-05:00

I have not listened to much music this week; started an audiobook. I was very tempted to highlight another Coldplay song, but decided to save it for later. It is a great song.

For this week, I chose a song that fits a book that I am reading. This now makes two weeks in a row when a song came to me that matched up with a book that I am reading. That does not ever happen to me much less twice.

Someone Like You by Adele

I do not own any of Adele’s music and why, I ask myself. The answer, not sure. I am puzzled because I do like her voice – her music. When I came across Someone Like You, the book Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy popped into my head. The song does not fit the book perfectly, but the mood of the song fits the rhythm of the story.

What have you been listening to this week?

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2011-10-31T09:25:00.006-05:00

“I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.” p. 491

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
copyright: 2005
publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House
format: paperback
pages: 550
source: own

GoodReads Description: It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she discovers something she can't resist- books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found.
With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

First Sentence:
First the colors.

My Thoughts: Excellent! Excellent! ¹Beyond Excellent! Just as the description states; “It’s just a small story really” Yes, I agree. A small story, really, but oh so much more than that.

It is not simply about WWII – there are so many layers; the emotions and thoughts provoked are still with me even several days from finishing the book. While the story rolls along in a calm and subtle pace, I realized, there was nothing subtle about The Book Thief. The layers extend into a depth which is found on each page throughout the story; abandonment, poverty, compassion, sacrifice, honor, determination, right/wrong, war, genocide, death, and power of words. Indeed, The Book Thief was deep reaching and soul penetrating.

This is story was uniquely narrated by Death; he was able to approach this story with respect that it deserved. He gave meaning to the grim realities of those who lived during the era of Nazi Germany. He used color to give description and connection to experiences² which helped to evoke emotions; impact was made. He also showed readers perspective of the time through the life of Liesel and those who surrounded her. His draw to Liesel enabled me , the reader, to connect to this time-period in a way that I have not done before. The voice of Death was a unique approach; the mood, pace, and flow of the story was set, maintained and brilliantly done. Death worked well for me.

Liesel’s story was intimately told as she and her family gave witness to the trials of the time; they did not fall in line with the propaganda. I was drawn to Liesel, and breathed her emotions. She gave the story its character; grit, grim, struggle, determination, compassion, resilience. She was the center and foundation for the rest of the story to be told; for others to be known. From her, we met the rest of the characters - Hans, Rosa, Rudy, Max, and the mayor’s wife along with several more. Hans was my favorite with Rudy right behind him. I have a soft spot for Max, and grew to love Rosa while a feeling of pity was felt for the mayor’s wife which makes the ending all that more emotional. Hans warmed my heart with his good nature, and ability to love and show compassion to others. An amazing man, he is. Rudy is a best friend, through and through. I was touched by all the lives within these pages. I felt tremendous emotion on various levels.

Like I have stated, The Book Thief is deeply layered with much to take away. For me, the power of words is deeply felt throughout the entire book. Words read. Words spoken. Words thought. Words are powerful.

Bottom Line: An excellent story this is. The writing is cleverly fantastic, and the storytelling is unique. This is one of the best Nazi Germany era stories that I have read. Frankly, this is one of the best stories that I have ever read....period.

The Cover: Not so impressed, on first inspection. Upon completion of the story, the cover makes full sense, and I like it well.

The Title: I will admit, I did not give the title much thought, and felt it rather dull. Upon completion of the story, I now find it to be very powerful.

I Read This Book Because: Suey @ It’s All About Books, my blogging friend, raves about Markus Zusak. She has raved to me about The Book Thief. She has wanted me to read this book for a long time now, and I promised her that I would read it. Now, I am wonder why it took me so long to get to it? Goodness, I lost out for months.

I Admit: I had no idea what this book was about. I thought it would be thriller/ mystery sort about an actual for profit book thief. For the life of me, I could not figure out how a story could be written around a book thief, and what type of books would this thief steal. How could this create a brilliant book to be raved about? Ummm....yeah, I was way off base in my thinking. I was sooo not close. I laugh at myself. This is what can happen since I do not read the book summaries. I choose books based on recommendations and blog posts, and once chosen, I very rarely read the book’s summary again - if I did at all.

Book Worthy Song: Major Minus by Coldplay. When I first heard this song, I thought, this song goes well with The Book Thief. Then, I read a bit about Major Minus and knew it fits well.

Note Worthy Quotes:

“He was a rich man who was tired of letting life pass him by - what he referred to as the shrugging of the shoulders to the problems and pleasures of a person’s time on earth.”

“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.”

“Usually we walk around constantly believing ourselves. "I'm okay" we say. "I'm alright". But sometimes the truth arrives on you and you can't get it off. That's when you realize that sometimes it isn't even an answer--it's a question. Even now, I wonder how much of my life is convinced.”

“A small fact:
You are going to die....does this worry you?”

“People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and ends, but to me it's quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. Waxy yellows, cloud-spot blues. Murky darkness. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them.”

“The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn’t be any of this. Without words, the Führer was nothing. There would be no limping prisoners, no need for consolation or wordly tricks to make us feel better. What good were the words?”

Footnotes:
1. The problem with reading an excellent book is choosing the book to read next. The chances of the next book falling far from good is very high. Seeing how The Book Thief is a YA book, I needed to be careful if choosing another YA book. I chose not to go with a YA book since they can be iffy in depth. Another book set in WWII era? Nope. That would be tough as well for not comparing. I pondered which book should be read next for almost two days before I decided to go with an Urban Fantasy book that has been raved about.

2. When Death first starting using color, I was reminded of a post by Carl @ Stainless Steel Droppings - Color Me Curious. Many colors are admired, and appreciated not solely on the color itself, but due to its connection with a moment, an item, an activity. Color is powerful.

Song of the Week: Major Minus and Princess of China

2011-10-28T11:51:00.004-05:00

Oh yeah! This week, Coldplay released their 5th album - Mylo Xyloto. Psyched I was, and so very incredibly pleased to obtain the album. I have been listening to it all week - about a dozen times already. This album grew on me and grew on me quickly. For many of the songs, I can hear the influence of Viva la Vida but I can also hear old Coldplay - Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head, X&Y. I really like this album well. I like it so much that I cannot tell you one song of dislike. Yes, true, I am ranking the songs in preferred preference, but not one song do I think...”ugh, I don’t want to hear that one”.

I am liking Mylo Xyloto so much that I am thinking it may rank as one my favorite Coldplay albums. Time will tell.

Choosing the song of the week was a bit difficult so I chose two. For both of these songs, I pretty much already know the words. That should indicate to you that I like them a whole lot.

Major Minus
This song fits great with several books that I have read. I get this one. Then, I discovered through reading WikiColdplay, that the song was “inspired by New York graffiti and the White Rose Movement - a group of German children in World War II who printed anti-Nazi flyers - and he (Chris Martin) admires people who speak out and express themselves in negative environments”

Princess of China featuring Rihanna.
I really do love Rihanna’s voice but at first was a bit disappointed with how much she is featured in this song. Then, I decided that I loved that aspect. Still though, I think this song would work well on its own - without Rihanna. Coldplay disagrees, It was then dropped from the setlist because, according to the Oracle: "It simply didn't sound the same without Rihanna. It was written with her in mind." taken from Wikicoldplay It is their song so who am I to tell them what to do? I will enjoy it via my mp3 player.

Side Note:

~ ~ When I am reading books, I do not need to know how things fit. I figure, as the story goes along, the author will provide the information I need for understanding. Most times, that does happen. With music, for whatever reason, when I like a song, I need to KNOW what the lyrics mean before I commit fully to the liking. I mean, what happens if the lyrics have some raunchy meaning or some entirely different meaning than I thought.... gasp...AND I liked it??? Not good. So yep, I need to know lyric meanings - have an understanding. For several songs in the Mylo Xyloto album, I was trying to figure out the lyrical meanings. What do they mean by “hurts like heaven”? Huh? Heaven hurts? I don’t get it...heaven does not hurt or least it does not from what I envision. There are a few other examples. But guess what? I decided... I don’t care if I do not completely understand what the songwriter was intending. I do not care. I like the music, I like the words, I like MY meaning so I am going with it. Anyone else have this issue or am I alone on this one?

~~ While I am loving this album, I am not loving the title that much. What is up with Mylo Xyloto? Can you pronounce it? I am having a difficult time. By the way, according to Coldplay’s website, the title is pronounced My-lo Zy-letoe

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

2011-10-26T15:26:00.003-05:00

Rosemary and Rue
by Seanan McGuire
copyright: 2009
publisher: DAW Books
format: e-book
pages: 284
source: own

Goodreads Description: October "Toby" Daye, a changeling who is half human and half fae, has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the Faerie world, retreating to a "normal" life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world has other ideas...
The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening's dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening's killer.

First Sentence:
The phone was ringing.

My Thoughts: Rosemary & Rue is a good story; entertaining, and unique. But, it is not memorable. I was expecting far more than what this urban fantasy delivered. The reason for my expectations? I have heard nothing but very great things about this story. I guess, I expected to be blown away, and blown away I was not. Even so, it is a good urban fantasy story. I am glad that I read it as it fit into a good book reading slot - right after one of the best books read in 2011 and before a young adult book of great favor. So, being that this book was the filler read in a sandwich - it was most definitely a good story, indeed.

What I liked - a unique take on the urban fantasy flavor; faeries had an order, a society. I liked how the society was organized and ruled. That was done fabulously. The characters of October, Tybalt, and Sebastian added great twists to the story. Of course, October is our protagonist and she was pretty interesting; half- human, half-faerie. I liked her well enough - did not love her - but she was intriguing enough that I was certainly hooked in. The tone of the story was another factor for why I devoured this book in a matter of two days. The tone reminded me greatly of Mackayla Lane from the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. I think it was October’s matter of fact determination to solve a mystery, and the gritty way it was delivered as to why the thoughts of MacKayla came to mind because the two protagonist are different as well as their storylines. Beyond October’s tone, the pace of the story kept things moving, and I kept wondering who killed Evening. I would start to formulate an idea only to find myself wondering about another unique character of the faerie society. Although, I must admit, towards the ending, I had a pretty good grasp on the culprit, but even so, the ending was quite good. This was a “hook you in and keep you” storyline that flowed well, made sense, and kept me curious. I wanted to know the ending.

What I did not like - While I liked October’s tone, her narration did not give me any “character love”. I felt fairly detached throughout the entire book. I was not ever really worried about her. She had beyond amazing luck which helped save her from death a few times; a little too convenient for me. I did not fully feel her angst, worries, fears, love or joys. I need to feel some sense of attachment to a character; feel involved in their life, know them, understand. I am a character centric reader so this is important factor for me, and it did not fully happen with Rosemary and Rue. I liked October well enough, but I did not have any “character love” for her, nor much connection with the secondary characters. For this reason, the book fell slightly flat. I say slightly because the story itself was intriguing enough to help make up some of this lack of full “character love”. Besides, the characters were entertaining.

On the Fence I am. I am not certain if I will go forward with the other stories in the October Daye series. While I was not blown away by this book, I did think it was good, and it was quick paced. I am wondering if the next books will lead to some character development that will allow me to not feel as if I am looking in on the story from above. I am wondering if the next books will allow me to have some “character love”. On the other hand, the story was entertaining enough that I think I could certainly read more about October and her world as she finds herself sleuthing out another mystery.

The Bottom Line: Rosemary and Rue does not rock the world like Mackayla of the Fever series, BUT it is a good story that fit the bill for a quick paced, entertaining, interesting, and unique urban fantasy. Excellent as a filler book; between two books that take some reading commitment, and thought.

Cool Aspect: There is a Pronunciation Guide. I liked it, and referred to it a few times, but not while in the middle of reading.

The Prologue: I was hooked in with the prologue.

The Cover: “meh”. It does not do too much for me. Actually, it sort of fades into the urban fantasy covers of the day - nothing special.

The Title: Usually, by end of the story, I get the title. I do not really get this title. Yes, it was mentioned briefly in the story so I have an idea. I just do not get how it really fits.

Sunday Post on Tuesday….Randomness

2011-10-25T17:27:00.005-05:00

Autumn…I love the Autumn. The atmosphere is busting with change – colors, scent, and texture. I love how the leaves change colors, and fall to the ground. The animals are scurrying around to ready themselves for the frigid season to come. I love to take walks in woods during the Autumn. The crunch of the leaves underfoot give ambience to the scent in the air that hangs with the crispness that the cool weather brings. I love to visit the lake and watch the waves tumble into shore – a difference there too; forceful, crisp, chilly, beautiful. I love to take in the sights.

The sound of the leaves rustling in the air is different too, then coupled with the fact that the sky darkness earlier and earlier each night all gives way to the feeling of wanting to curl up to a book with a blanket snugged up tight.

Autumn is one of my favorite season, and leads up to my most favorite – Winter.

Books…. I have not read many books this year. I counted – 38 only. This month, I have read five books this month, AND two of them will most very likely wind up on my Top Ten Favorite Read books for 2011. A pretty good October reading month. One of my personal book reading goals was to read the Lord of the Ring trilogy, AND I am very excited to say that I will accomplish that this year. I am participating in a group read which has been helpful – very motivating for me, AND may be the only group read that I complete rather successfully. Return of the King reading schedule is here thanks to Geeky Daddy.

Along the line of reading books, I am reading book blogs…blogs in general…more this month too, and have been thrown in a comment here and there.

Kitchen… I have made a few good meals, lately.

Black-Eyed Peas with Spinach and Herbs was absolutely delicious!!! I will be doubling this recipe next time. We had this over rice. So very yummy!

Crock Pot Vegetarian Split Pea Soup is yummy!! However, it does take longer than 4 hours to cook.

Slow Cooked Pumpkin Chili looks very good. I will be making this one on Friday with a few variations; vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, Smart Ground instead of ground beef. Looking forward to this one.

Kids…. IJ will participate in his last soccer session for the season this coming Saturday. The V.I.P. Program of the AYSO has been excellent and such a wonderful experience for IJ. His buddy, a wonderful young girl – maybe about 14 years old – did such a fabulous job with him…constant reinforcement and encouragement. I hope she will volunteer for the Spring session and that she will be IJ’s buddy again. The involvement in the soccer program is directly due to IJ’s social worker. She greatly encouraged us to give this a go. Frankly, she is the best social worker that we have come across; kind, caring, understanding, but more importantly…she really wants the most for her children…thinking and coming up with ways to help them…to help IJ.

Links….
The League of Extraordinary Writers posted about Classic Teen Reads for the YA Sci-Fi Reader

Passages to the Past is giving away The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer It looks very interesting.

The Perpetual Page-turner posted Look, I’m Just Not That Into You Anymore. She asks if you have ever re-read a book to only discover that you do not love it anymore?

Robin McKinley post the announcement that you don’t want to hear and she was right…I did not want to hear it. BUT, I am glad that there is good news within that post.

The New York Times article The Fierce Imagination of Haruki Murakami. While I have not read all his works, Murakami is one of my favorite authors. I really love the way he writes. This was an interesting article and I enjoyed reading it. Thanks to L at omphaloskepsis for putting this article on my radar.

Finally….. I have new phrase that I have been pondering. I think it speaks volumes, and the posts that I have been reading in regards to the phrase have been thought provoking…to me.

The Grass is always Greener where you Water it