Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve

The long awaited day is here....Christmas Eve.  I believe we are ready for the festivities to begin. I've enjoyed a lovely week of baking, spending time with the kids and relishing in a slower pace. We attended hubby's office carry in lunch yesterday and enjoyed good food and good conversation. Today everyone is home and we will have our traditional meal before attending Mass tonight. The gifts are ready to be opened. The food is purchases and ready to be cooked. The camera is ready for its work. We are as prepared as we can possibly be!

I did manage to read another book this week. I snapped up Lili St. Crow's third Strange Angels novel, "Jealousy" and plowed through it. The oldest is now set to read it.  St. Crow is awesome as always. Gosh, can that woman write one mean story. Up next is "Beautiful Darkness" the second book from the duo of  Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I had the pleasure of meeting these two gals when the visited our library last year. Fun ladies and great presenters. The book starts off quickly and given more time, I'd be tearing through this one at a fast clip also.

I returned and then checked back out the Judith Rock novel, "Rhetoric of Death" and plan on reading it next weekend after our company departs. We are looking forward to my brother and his family visiting for a few days.

Merry Christmas to all!  May Love fill your hearts all year long and may tonight and tomorrow remind us all how important Love is.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

let the countdown begin

We had a very busy and productive day yesterday for the very first week day of Christmas break. The kids cleaned the house for me, I did the laundry, and we made another batch of Christmas cookies. Success!!

I'm off to the library this morning with the middle kid in tow to stock the bookstore. It has been doing great business the last several days and I've been told it has some 'holes' on the shelves. Well, we can take care of that in short order. Then we will reward ourselves with some Starbucks and then off to the grocery store we will go to get some things we need for the next several days.

I. Have. A. Plan.

I began reading "The Rhetoric of Death" but it is due back at the library now, so I have to return it unfinished. I will need to check it out again as I'm enjoying the story. Another amateur sleuth mystery, but this time set in Paris in the 1600's.

Okay..off to do what needs doing.  Posting may be sporadic over the next two weeks as I enjoy a more relaxed routine.

Friday, December 17, 2010

jingle bells

Just a few hours and the kids will officially be on Christmas break. Yeah! They are very excited, which makes me excited. The girls seem to be surviving their finals and the boy has parties all day today in middle school. No big tests to study for in his world.....yet.

I have a couple of errands to run this morning and some groceries to purchase. We have a weekend of baking planned and not much else scheduled.

All is well.....I hear the bells jingling off in the distance....Christmas time is coming!!!!!

Happy Friday.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

homebody

I stayed home all day yesterday and loved every minute of it. I think I'm turning into a hermit. It was so nice not to have to rush somewhere, squeeze things in and watch the clock. I made a delicious pot of vegetable beef soup. I baked a really yummy winter spice cake. The Christmas music was on and the good smells of cooking food filled the house. The dog was snoring away in his comfy chair. It was pure bliss. It will be the last quiet day like that until the New Year.

Today won't be so laid back. I have several appointments to keep and the evening concludes with the youngest kid's first ever band concert. Sixth grade band concerts are interesting events. The bad notes, squeaks, squeals and snorts make for some rough moments, but the progress you can hear when the Spring concert rolls around makes this winter time endeavor worthwhile.

My homebody self will be put away as we enter into the three weeks of holiday frenzy. I will bring her back out in January.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

baking up an event

I've decided to do some big holiday baking this year. When we traveled two years in a row, to Indiana one year and to Europe the next, I didn't do much baking. I think I might have made two holiday favorites and that is it. I did a little more last year, but with visiting my folks after Christmas, I curtailed the cooking then as well. I knew my mom would have plenty of yummy treats and by the time we got home, I'd be ready to scale back on the fun food consumption.

This year we are keeping our happy bums at home and I'm baking/cooking up a storm. Made some fudge yesterday. Think I will try some Dickens Christmas cakes today. A slew of other yummy treats are also scheduled to be made once the kiddoes are finished with exams. Skillet cookies. Apricot cookies. Cutout cookies. Kieflies. The list goes on and on.

I enjoy making these holiday treats when I have the time to enjoy the process. Like many things in life, doing something is often more fun when you aren't on a major timetable or have to rush through it. The activity moves from being a chore to being an event. 

I like events. I don't like chores. So, we will be baking up an event starting on Saturday. The ingredients are purchased and ready. The rolling pin is waiting. I've even dug out all of my Christmas CDs and put them in one pile so we can be inspired as we create.

Let the 2010 Baking Event begin!!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

the joy of netflix

Netflix is my guilty pleasure. It streams right to my TV through our Wii system. I also get movies in the mail from them. Yesterday, after I ran more errands than I had planned on running, I sat down to fold laundry and watch a movie called 'Winter's Bone.'  This film won the Grand Jury award at a recent Sundance Festival and was on some movie critic's list last year. I took note of it, added it to my Netflix queue and waited. It was worth the wait. Good flick. Subtle, intense, heartbreaking, interesting. Really well done.

On the other end of the spectrum, we've been watching 30 Rock, from the beginning, episode after episode. Definitely not subtle, but laugh out loud funny. Tina Fey is a genius and when you watch this show, it is pretty darn obvious why it swept the Emmy's year after year.

Not sure what I will watch today, or if I will watch anything, but Happy Tuesday!!

Monday, December 13, 2010

grave goods

I have such a book crush on the Ariana Franklin series featuring medieval lady doctor Adelia Aguilar. I love these books. In the third story, "Grave Goods", Adelia is traveling with her friend Emma and is summoned by Henry II to examine the bones from two skeletons found in a crevasse near Glastonbury. Rumor has it that they might be the bones of Arthur and Guinevere. Henry wants an answer and Adelia is soon wrapped up in not only a mystery involving the legendary king, but also several other unexplained events.

This was book number 96 for me this year. Yeah!! 

Not sure what this week will bring. I have a hair cut scheduled for today. A lunch scheduled for Thursday. A beginning band concert to attend that same day. No soccer for the girls as it is finals week and the coaches took pity on them. Plus, the weather is supposed to be brutally cold here....nightly lows in the teens just isn't normal for this region. Brrrrr.

We watched a good portion of 30 Rock's first season last night via Netflix. Hilarious. Had us all laughing.
So, as we slide into the Christmas holidays.....lots of random things going on. Sounds good to me!

Friday, December 10, 2010

all caught up

I made a to do list at the beginning of the week and I'm happy to say, it is all checked off and I'm caught up. I had a variety of small rather boring housekeeping tasks to accomplish. I'd put them off for months, but finally, as the year is coming to a close, I managed to get them started and finished. Yeah!

It feels good to know that my desk is purged of papers that are no longer needed or wanted. It feels good to know that the check book is balanced, and no I didn't let that go all year, just a few weeks. It feels wonderful to have compiled a fresh list of my wallet contents. The house is relatively clean. The laundry is under control. Bags of old clothes have been donated to Goodwill. Things are in their proper places and in good order.

My dearest friend and I were talking the other day and she said she recently told her husband that they needed to move. Why, he asked. Well, she said she needed the motivation to purge the house. Yep. We all tend to accumulate things, even the most diligently organized person winds up with cupboards that are filled with things that are no longer used or needed. It just happens.  We talked about "Toss it Tuesday" and "Throw Away Thursday". That is a concept a friend from high school uses to keep her home under control. One drawer, one closet, one bin at a time.  Slow and steady. A constant vigil.

I need to tackle two cupboards today as the plastic cups and containers that find their way there have seem to multiplied to the point where they spill out if the doors aren't properly closed. Into the recycle bin they will go. I have no need for 24 Booya's cups and 18 lunchmeat containers. Nope.

Next week is the mad dash to the end of the semester for the girls. The boy has an easier time, one speech to deliver and then party time for him.  I have a lunch scheduled with the library director. It will be what it will be. Then we will be on holiday and begin the Christmas baking. I'm looking forward to that and am going to coerce the kids into helping.

It is good to have a plan. It is even better to see the plan fall into place.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

wrapping it up

I'm a sucker for pretty paper, nice bows and beautiful gift tags. Heck, I'm a sucker for pretty boxes, packages, gift bags etc.  Those folks who work to make containers look good...I'm their audience. Sometimes it doesn't matter what is inside the package. How the package looks is what is most important. Crazy, right? 

I bought the most gorgeous wrapping paper last year for this Christmas. It is a beautiful cranberry red with white snowflakes and elegant black script. Simple, classic, so pretty.  I also bought red, black and white ribbon to use.  I've wrapped all the kid's presents thus far and haven't tagged one of them. I've color coded the ribbon so I know which gift goes to which kid.  It is our most recent holiday game.  The presents look stunning under the tree. Love it.

Today I will finish shopping for them as well as for my two nieces and nephew. Very fun stuff indeed.  More presents to wrap and make pretty.

The latest read, as I wrap up this year's books, is "Ghost in Trouble". This is the third Bailey Ruth Raeburn book by Carolyn Hart. Bailey Ruth is at it again, helping to solve another murder in her beloved Adelaide, Texas. Hart is an accomplished and experienced writer.....comfort food for the mind. I enjoyed the story.

Up next is another  mystery, but this is a more historical piece, and I think it might be a debut book.

Happy Thursday.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

yippy skippy

My to do list has now been all crossed off. Yeah!!  I have a few things to do tomorrow, but today will be an 'at home' day as I have a few small things to do as well as finish the book I'm reading and make a big pot of chicken and dumplings for supper tonight.

My current book is the latest Bailey Ruth story from Carolyn Hart. Bailey Ruth is a ghost, or as she puts it, a heavenly emissary.  She is sent earthside by the Dept. of Good Intentions to help solve mysteries.  My friend, Anne, suggested these books to me, and I've enjoyed them. I'm going to miss chatting about this latest adventure with her. In fact, Anne would be a great heavenly emissary and I'm sure she'd be a great candidate for the Dept. of Good Intentions.

I got an email and a phone call from B&N yesterday. The big book order for the Anne Babin Book Club in a Bag program is on its way. I really hope we can make a go of this endeavor. Once the library gives me the green light to go public, I am going to put a huge effort into this. Huge. Whatever it takes. 

Off to enjoy the day...cooking, a book, maybe a movie and a closet or two to bring under control.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

the art of making lists

Apparently I'm not alone when it comes to list making. I posted a comment on facebook about the simple joy I feel when I am able to cross a line item off my to do list. Ahhh. That sweet feeling of accomplishment. Nothing like it. Several of my friends agreed as they are list makers too.

A long time ago, Franklin planners used to be all the rage. Folks would go out and buy a special calendar book and then try to prioritize their day and their to do list with an ABC ranking system. Don't know what sort of business Franklin is doing this days. I'd imagine that the smart phone technology has put a major crimp in their business, but perhaps they've developed a Franklin app, and all is well in their world.

I never used the Franklin system, even though one of the banks I worked for at the time of its heyday offered a seminar on the concept.  I just stuck with plain notebook paper, a pencil and a plan.

You write down the stuff you need to do. Then you go and get it done. Cross the items off the list. Enjoy the feeling of satisfaction. Start it all over again as needed.

Now, granted, not every day needs a to do list. But, there is something very tangible about writing down what you need to accomplish and seeing those words stare back up at you from the paper. I feel more accountable when I have a list in hand.

My list yesterday had only two things left on it by the time my girls arrived home from high school. I should finish those two things today along with a few other things I need to do. And if all goes well, I can sit down and enjoy a cuppa tea, a cookie and a bit more of the latest Carolyn Hart mystery later today.

Monday, December 6, 2010

The Serpent's Tale

I read the second book in the Ariana Frankling medieval mystery series over the weekend. It was every bit as good as the first one. Yay. One of the things I need to do today is put holds on books 3 and 4 and have them sent from our neighboring library. This story featured Queen Eleanor, and while I didn't particularly care for her personality in this novel, it was fun to see the author's take on one of my favorite queens.

Now a mother, Adelia is happy living in the Fens and is somewhat content being away from her lover, Rowley Picot, the current Bishop of St. Albans.  He is sent to summon her to yet another convent to investigate yet another murder, but this time it is the 'fair' Rosemund, Henry II's mistress.  She's been poisoned and all attempts made to make it look like this deed was done at Eleanor's behest.  But, all is not as it seems, and as winter sets in and the Thames freezes, the action heats up and the bodies pile up.

Good stuff.

On another note, I'm anxious to get a recipe for potato leek soup. We attended the Advent Lessons and Carols program last night at church and the soup supper afterwards. Another mom I know, made the soup from a recipe shared by the new associate priest, who happens to be a trained chef. It was delicious...even the kids loved it. Cream. White Wine. Potatoes, Leeks. What is not to love??

Okay off to begin a very busy week. I have a lot to do and am determined to accomplish a lot. Happy Monday.

Friday, December 3, 2010

100 books this year

I'm closing in fast on my goal of reading 100 books this year! The Anne Rice book is number 94. Yeah.  I've tried to read a  variety of genres and next year on one of the facebook pages I enjoy, a different genre a month will be a new goal for the participants. Sounds like a good plan to me.

The donations yesterday were marvelous. We have some books that were pulled from the library inventory and are less than six months old. Amazing. For example, we have four copies of the latest Janet Evanovich book to sell...at $2.50 each.

I'm going to lunch today with some of the gals, I'm sure we will have a good time. I also have lots of errands to run. I'm putting off cleaning my house as I need to get some cleaning gloves. My fingers, now that we are in drier weather, are starting to crack already. I've tried all sorts of lotion and cream, but keeping them out of water seems to be the first step. So, I have a legit excuse for my dusty house and less than sparkling bathrooms.

Happy Friday!!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

when every word matters or how Anne Rice writes

I picked up the latest Anne Rice book, "Of Love and Evil" at the library yesterday. This is the second title in the Songs of the Seraphim series. I was a bit surprised at the length of the book. Coming in at 177 pages, this is more of a novella than a novel. I've only read about 40 pages thus far and I now understand why the story is so much shorter than most of her other stories. Every word matters. Talk about a lesson in lean, but lush writing. We are talking a master's class in between the covers of this book.

She has packed so much power and insight into such few words. The word choice. The sentence structure. Incredible.  The only thing I can liken it to is dessert. Sometimes you have a dessert and you finish the slice or serving and think....hmmm, I could eat two more of those. Other times the dessert is so rich, dense, complex and heavy that you struggle to eat half of it.

That is this book. I'm going to read this one slowly and savor each and every word.

She is in New York right now doing the news shows, interviews and book signings. I caught her interview on GMA with George Stephanopoulos via a link she provided on her facebook page.  Great interview. Her faith 'journey' is very interesting to me, perhaps because she was kind enough to exchange emails with me several years back when her first Christ the Lord book came out.

Happy Thursday....the weekend is sneaking up on us.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

short and sweet

Lots and lots to do today starting with taking the dog to the vet bright and early. Hoping for a good report there as we've found two 'lumps' on his underbelly and I'm a bit concerned.

Then I have the Friends meeting.

Sigh.

It is going to be a long day.

******UPDATE****** Our dog is okay, just some fatty/tumor deposits and the vet is very sure they are nothing to worry about. No needle biopsy needed at this point. Yeah!!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

torment and other stuff

I read Lauren Kate's second book in her Fallen series yesterday. "Torment" was a quick read, and I skimmed some of the parts of the book. Luce has been whisked away by angel-boy, Daniel to a special school on the California coast. She will be safer there than at Sword and Cross, the school she attended in the first book.  Several of the angel and demon characters from Fallen make a reappearance in this story, but the far more interesting characters are the new ones. Luce makes new friends, questions her undying/reincarnated love affair with Daniel and begins to question if her future is as cast in stone as the angels would make her believe.

In other news.....the tree is lit and trimmed. The front door and holly bushes are lit and decorated. The fireplace has stocking hung on it and my every growing collection of Christmas books arranged in a huge laundry basket in front of it.  We are in countdown mode.

Hard to believe that 2 years ago we were counting down to our Europe trip. What an amazing vacation and experience that was. I think about it often, especially this time of year.

Happy Tuesday...lots to do today..but first, time to rally the troops.

Monday, November 29, 2010

mistress of the art of death

I find the best treasures in our donation piles at the library. A couple of weeks ago, a cover featuring a woman standing over a skull caught my eye.  When I realized it was a medieval mystery, the book came home with me.  Since then I've learned this title is the first in a series.  Of course our library doesn't own the series, but our neighboring town's library does and I've already requested the second book be sent over.

Ariana Franklin's heroine is a female doctor, a foundling raised by a Jewish doctor and his Christian wife. Adelia, trained at her father's side, becomes quite adept at 'reading' the dead.  Medieval forensics was based mostly on observations and intuition, but Adelia shows us that a whole lot can be told with careful looking.  She is sent from Sicily by King William to Henry II's England to help solve a string of murders, the victims all children in Cambridge.  Of course the Jews have been blamed and as the entire town's Jewish population is hiding behind the castle walls, their money making enterprises have now put a major crimp in the financial dealings of that region. Hence the king's interest and his request to borrow a 'death reader' from the medical school in Salerno.

Franklin does a great job with providing an interesting assortment of characters, some wonderful settings and plenty of action.

Well done.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

happy thanksgiving

As we feed our tummies with the wonderful food of the holiday and give thanks for all of the culinary delights on our tables, let us remember to give thanks for the many things that feed our soul.

Enjoy the holiday. Give Thanks.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

democracy in action/inaction

You know you live in the buckle of the bible belt when it is okay to drink beer on one side of the town square, but not the other. And when 'small and less intrusive government' Republicans pass up the chance for retail tax revenue because it might not be family friendly.  Or because the Baptist minister tells them that it isn't family friendly.

Or, you might know you live in the buckle of the bible belt when a procedural vote to approve a basic housekeeping measure regarding the ordinance is voted down. Yep. Just. Vote. No. Vote No to all of it, just to be safe something doesn't slip by you.

It doesn't matter that 15 folks spoke in favor of the ordinance and only 4 spoke against...but that was obvious when one alderman voiced his opinion, from the bench, BEFORE the public comment portion even happened. Ahem.

The look on the other two aldermen's faces was priceless....those yahoos voted No on a housekeeping measure? Really? As in cleaning up policy and procedure already in place regarding beer licenses for existing establishments in town? No??  Guess not. Wallow away in your ineffiecieny, we just spout off about advocating smaller more effective government. Why use only one sheet of paper when ten sheets is far better?

So, you can have beer and wine on the east side, but not the west...just wine over there. No beer because beer drinking, especially the light beer variety, leads to stabbings, just like it did in 1970 at the pool halls, on paydays, back in the day....Seriously. And make sure in narrow, historic buildings you cram 48 seats in an eating establishment, because 25 might lead to anarchy.

And forget about paying for a $600,000 renovation on a white elephant of a building with no parking via tax revenue and rental income from private parties that might serve alcohol. Check into other revenue streams...hope all those Baptist kids are lining up to reserve the space for their birthday parties. No brides or grooms or corporate gatherings will be allowed, unless they like to toast with grape juice.

Good grief. Beam. Me. Up.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

wicked appetite

Before books are shelved on the 14 day racks at the library, they sit on a cart at the end of the circulation counter. I always peruse that cart before I leave. My stop there paid off yesterday as I was able to snag the latest Janet Evanovich book, "Wicked Appetite." Fun. Fun. Fun.

In her Stephanie Plum series, she has a few books called the 'inbetween the numbers' stories. These are more like novellas in length and feature a character named Diesel, who is quite hunky and also a bit magical. Diesel must have received a lot of fan mail, because Evanovich has decided to base a new series around him and a cupcake baking young woman named Lizzy Tucker.

Trademark Evanovich pacing, dialogue and humor reign supreme in this first book. I sat down and read the entire thing yesterday afternoon. Good Stuff.

Although I didn't review them, I did read two books last week. I read a Cat and Bones adventure from Jeanine Frost. Enjoyed it.  I also read a very interesting take on the Romeo and Juliet story by Anne Fortier entitled "Juliet."  Good book.

Off to enjoy that first cuppa and maybe convince the dog that he can fetch the paper even though we are in the middle of what seems to be monsoon like rains. Wowsa.

Happy Tuesday.

Monday, November 22, 2010

J.K. Rowling! Thank you!!

Thank You for the gift you have given the world. Harry and his friends first came into our lives one Christmas. My parents gave my family the first three books as a gift and our adventure in your world began. My daughters have grown up with Harry, Ron and Hermione and the books have helped them learn to love reading.

They went to see the first part of the final movie on Friday night with a group of girls every bit as enamored by your stories as they are. Hubby and I took the youngest on Sunday. The books and the movies are part of our child raising experience. Your world is part of our family memory. 

I don't think, when you held that very first book in your hand, you had any idea of how important these characters would become.

Game changer. Not just for you....but for all of us too. So, thank you. Thank you for writing them and thank you for not listening to all the 'No' answers from those first few publishers.

Books can change the world. Yours have.

Friday, November 19, 2010

harry potter

The excitement level has been steadily building all week. Heck, if I'm honest, it has been building in my house for months. It began when they discovered film #7's movie trailer on YouTube and has now reached fever pitch. The tickets are purchased and the older two are set to sit for 3 hours and lose themselves in the first part of the movie adaptation of the final Harry Potter book. Hubby and I will be taking the youngest on Sunday to enjoy the movie.

They are so excited they are actively pursuing establishing a high school club for Harry P. This club would be complete with a muggle version of quidditch and all. They have even chatted about what type of volunteer work they would do as a club. They have a faculty sponsor. Serious business!

Hats off to JK Rowling. When you look at her 'story' and the stories she created then shared with all of us, it almost seems like divine intervention combined with a lot of human perspiration.  Phenomenas are like that. Wow.

So, Harry and Ron and Hermione, I can't wait to see you again on the big screen!  Happy Weekend:)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

good news on all fronts

Yesterday was one of those banner type of days. The weather was perfect for hubby's office open house. They had a good turnout of folks who came over to wish them well and see the new place. I was able to network with some folks about my eventual return to the workforce. Hubby got a lead on a possible speaking engagement in the Spring.  The oldest called with the awesome news that she was accepted into the National Honor Society!!  Middle kid was recommended by the toughest English teacher in the high school as a possible tutor for a freshman girl who is struggling with sentence diagramming. Plus, tonight she will be inducted into the Beta Club! The youngest had a good chess match at his club. 

Good news on all fronts.

Off today to sort and stock at the bookstore and then we are having a farewell lunch for one of the ladies who is moving back home to Kentucky.
Happy Thursday!!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

running away

I ran away from home last night, kidnapped my husband from work, took him out for a bite to eat at our fave little restaurant on our town square and then over to the mall for some Christmas shopping. It. Was. Lovely.

Just what I needed. Ahhhhhh. A bit of spontaneity in my very scheduled life.

We may not get to sneak away, run away, hide etc. like that until after the holiday season is over.

So, my meeting yesterday went well and we hope to pare down our Friends website to a two page presence by year end.  It will be much more manageable and I hope we can find someone to take on that duty. If not, we have a plan to phase it out entirely and move some more content to the main library site.

I returned a book to the Library and came home to make dinner, do laundry and read a bit.

Hubby's office is having an open house at their new location today. As he asked me to invite some of my friends, I will be there for the duration. The rain has stopped, so if the temps rise a bit, it should make for a very pleasant four hours.

Happy Hump Day....Wednesday is here.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Link Soup

I am facebook 'friends' with Anne Rice and she posted a link to this article about libraries. Now, granted, they focus on major metropolitan libraries on the coast, but I can see these changes trickling down, so to speak. I've actually had conversations with library staff about these concepts and how they might be implemented. Change.  Is it good? Is it a no call?

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-libraries-20101112,0,6514361.story

It is raining, raining, raining here today. Makes it hard to clear the cobwebs and sleep out of my head. But, I need to wake up and get ready to move. I have a meeting this morning with the volunteer who manages our website. She spent countless hours building it and has spent even more time taking care of it.  She is ready to start stepping away, so we are in the process of streamlining the site down to two manageable, bare bones pages. The problem is the majority of our volunteers are not interested in learning how to update the site and care for it. They like the idea of having it, but it takes work and that isn't so appealing.

I am also beginning a job search. Yep. I think it is time I became gainfully employed again and bring in a paycheck. Not sure what direction I will take, but 'work' is on the horizon.

Monday, November 15, 2010

not enough time

The weekends are never long enough. Mondays seems to also share that problem. I always have more to do on a Monday than time will allow. Unless I perfect cloning. Unless I have one of those cool time rewind gadgets Hermione Granger uses in Harry Potter to take a double class load during her fourth year.

Today is no exception. Ugh.

But, I'm going to make my list and hope to get the vast majority of it done before 2:30. The oldest has a 'friend' coming over for math tutoring....need to be around for that one.

Didn't finish reading my current book selection, but I hope to be able to get back to it, at least for a few pages today. I'm enjoying the beginning of Anne Fortier's novel "Juliet". Yep, and it is about THAT Juliet along with a modern day version.

Off to make my list. Happy Monday.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

reading out of order

I finished reading the first Lady Julia book from Deanna Raybourn last night. Reading these novels out of order didn't bother me in the least.  I think I've found a new series and a new author to add to my ever growing favorites list.

"Silent in the Grave" was a wonderful read full of all the twists and turns a good mystery should contain. Add into that wonderfully vibrant characters, great dialogue and just about perfect plot pacing and you have a winner of a book.

It is Veteran's Day today. The kids are off from school and I have my  normal Thursday things to do. The middle kid has her first club soccer practice of the season. The youngest needs his allergy shot. The oldest has homework to finish.  Ho hum, ho hum.

I was thinking about Veteran's Day and wondering how many American families have Veterans or relatives currently serving. I wonder if that number has dropped as a percentage of our population or risen. I would think it has dropped as the draft is no longer an issue, but perhaps I am wrong. I'm sure I can find the answer with a bit of digging around online.

My family has a lot of veterans in the many generations that are still with us. And in my generation, I have cousins who have served and a brother still serving.  I wonder if that is going to become an uncommon American experience.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

busy day

Here we are at Wednesday already, and I'm not sure where Tuesday went. It was a busy day from start to finish as the kids' schedule was out of sorts which then threw my daily routine into the dumpster by 6:00 AM.

The youngest had to be at school very, very early to serve a detention for being tardy to his third period class. He had to sit and do social studies worksheets for an hour....perfect reminder for him about being on time. He is not eager to repeat that experience.  The other two girls were gearing up for the soccer banquet. So, I had errands to run for them while they were at school and then shoe shopping to accomplish for the middle kid once she got home.

The banquet was really very nice. The food is catered in by a local Italian restaurant and is quite yummy for banquet food. Hubby went this year with me; he's missed the last two years due to travel. He enjoyed the experience as well. It was really neat to see the oldest get her varsity letter. Several of the girls' friends won 'awards' this year...and the JV squad was recognized for the amazing season they had. They had a combined record of 16 wins and only 1 loss. Woot!!

Today I need to stay home and work here. No errands, I hope. But, who knows that can change once everyone starts climbing out of bed.

I did manage to find the first book in the Lady Julia Grey series at the library. I'm reading it  now and am enjoying it just as much as the second title. I also spied a Bernard Cornwell new release on the 14 day shelf, but by the time I got back to it, it was gone. I will have to keep my eyes out for it next week.

The book club meeting on Monday went really well and they are excited about our new book club in a bag program for 2011. The titles were selected and once I arrived home I was able to compile a list of them, along with the authors and the ISBN numbers so I can order them once we receive our institutional discount card from B&N.  Full steam ahead on this project.

Happy Wednesday!!

Monday, November 8, 2010

lady julia grey series

When I found "The Dead Travel Fast" by Deanna Raybourn in our donation pile, it looked like a novel I'd enjoy reading, so it came home with me. In scanning the book's back cover blurbs I learned Raybourn also writes a series featuring an amateur sleuth, Lady Julia Grey. Hmmm. I thought those sounded like good reads also and jotted down the titles to see if the library owned them. Well, before I could check to see if we had them, I found the second title in our donation pile. Yippee.

Most authors of series will do a decent enough job recapping what came to pass in the first book as they set up the second book.  Raybourn is no exception and I was able to read this novel, "Silent in the Sanctuary" without feeling lost in the larger plot/character arcs.

Lady Julia is one of ten children in the eccentric March family....they inspired the saying "mad as a March hare."  She is a recent widow, her husband having been murdered. This death is the basis for the first book from what I can tell.  At the opening of book two, Julia is in Italy with two of her brothers enjoying the country and resting.  They are called home to England by their father for the holidays. An assortment of friends and family are visiting the March ancestral home, Bellmont Abbey.  When one of the house guests turns up dead in the abbey's sanctuary, Julia along with Brisbane, the man who helped her solve her husband's murder and has since stolen her heart, have only days to unravel what has happened.

Raybourn does a wonderful job juggling a wide assortment of characters. I fell in love with the Marches and am now on the hunt for the first book, "Silent in the Grave."

The fall time change has my internal clock quite befuddled. I woke yesterday at 3:50 and today at 4:40. I hope that by tomorrow I am adjusted to the 'new' time and can stay in bed for a few more minutes. Although, the quiet and peace in the house at 4:00 in the morning is enjoyable!!  Busy week this week for all of us.  The oldest will have school work to make up. The youngest will have school work to make up as he was ill on Friday, but was recovered enough to make the long awaited trip to the space center in Huntsville, Alabama. He loved it.  We have a soccer banquet to attend. The middle kid has her first club soccer practice of the year with her new coach. I have a book club meeting to visit so I can explain the new program.

A wide variety of events will make this a very interesting week!

Friday, November 5, 2010

heaven's spite

Wow. Wow. Wow. 

Lilith Saintcrow is one heckuva writer and creates the most amazingly wounded and damaged, but strong female characters. And in the current urban fantasy field , she has to rate as one of the best. Her plots are packed with non stop action. The book grabs you by the throat on page one and doesn't let you go until the final sentence. Maybe.

Jill Kismet has been kicking hellbreed butt for five books now. The next title, Angel Town, will conclude this series. But, back to "Heaven's Spite."  All hell is breaking loose, yet again, and the only gal who can keep things buttoned down is our girl, Jill.  But, all is not as it seems and Jill soons learns secrets that will shift her reality and make her ask questions better left alone.

These books are not for the faint of heart or the queasy stomach set. Saintcrow's version of urban fantasy has a lot of horror elements to it. Dark. Gritty. Violent. Down right scary.  But, if you want a story that refuses to compromise, and a writer who never pulls a punch and puts her characters through hell, brings them back and then does it all again...check Saintcrow out.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

one and done

The oldest girl sat on the bench and watched her team lose 4-0 in the first round of state play. From what the newspaper reported, they out shot the other team 8-6, but were not able to find the back of the net. Guess it was cold and rainy too as the kid said she was glad I made her take two big trash bags with her for wet, muddy soccer gear. She said they came in handy. Hmmmm, mom may still know a thing or two!! Ha Ha.

But, instead of coming home today as they should....I guess our principal, in his ultimate wisdom, said the team can stay today and shop or maybe go to the aquarium. What the F????? They lost. They should be coming home. They should be in school tomorrow.

She wasn't too happy about this and her dad and I are really not happy. Arghhhhh. 

Of course the middle kid, when hearing the news, said it sounds like fun to her and is just one more reason she wants to make varsity next year.

Maybe the principal is really a teenaged girl in disguise. That could explain a lot.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

new books

I made a trip yesterday to B&N as the middle kid needed a book for an English project. Of course, the Friends store didn't have a copy. Yep, I had to pay full freight for "The Alchemist." Ugh.  But, while I was there, I found the latest Jill Kismet novel by Lilith Saintcrow...which I happily paid for as I checked out. Yeah!!

Something to read on a rainy afternoon and morning....go, Jill, go! Kick some hellbreed butt!!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

behind door number one....

Not sure what today will have in store for us.  The oldest kid boards the bus for the state soccer tourney. Their first game is tomorrow. If they win, they play Thursday. If they win that one, they are in the championship game and play Saturday.  I seriously doubt she will see any playing time, but the experience is going to be interesting for her.

The middle kid is busy getting ready for club soccer. She and a team mate are working out every day after school. Treadmill, elliptical, ab work. Yep...I'm sure they are managing to have some fun too.

I have my meeting this morning with the Library director regarding the program the Friends would like to begin to honor Anne.  I put together my proposal yesterday along with Wednesday's meeting agenda. Keeping my fingers crossed that they will be willing to partner with us, but if they aren't, we are going to do this one solo.

Hubby was dismissed as a potential juror yesterday. He didn't make the cut for criminal court and was held for civil, but they managed to seat a jury before they got to his number. So, he is now done for the next ten years. He said it was interesting, but he was tired when he arrived home. He said it felt like being in an airport all day waiting for a flight.

Youngest has chess club this morning. When he comes home this afternoon, I will be treated to the play by play of the match.  He is very excited for his big field trip on Saturday to Huntsville.

I didn' do any reading yesterday, but did watch a movie called "Ondine" starring Colin Farrell.  Pretty good once I managed to 'tune' my ear to the Irish accents.

Monday, November 1, 2010

History and Mystery

Susan Holloway Scott has a knack for taking a royal mistress and bringing her to life. She does it again in "The Countess and the King, A novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James II." Those crazy Stuart boys really knew how to woo the ladies during Restoration England. Katherine Sedley wasn't James' only mistress, but her unconventional upbringing makes her a very interesting figure. Not a beauty by the day's standard, she relied on her wit and intellect to navigate the court.  Good reading.

Deanna Raybourn crafts a nicely told Gothic mystery in "The Dead Travel Fast."  Theodora travels to the Carpathians to visit an old schoolmate who is engaged to marry the local Count.  Uh huh.  But, wait, all is not as it seems as science, reason, folklore and superstition clash. This plot has a nice twist, interesting characters and a wonderfully atmospheric setting.

The first week of the month is always extremely busy and this week in no exception. Between stocking the pantry, getting the oldest soccer girl ready for the state tournament, Friends stuff and more, the days are going to fly.  Better start making my lists.

Friday, October 29, 2010

frantic friday

The first whirlwind has departed the house. Yikes!  Oops...just got stopped again...guess they are stuck in the driveway.

Laurel and Hardy have nothing on us this morning, and on that note...

Enjoy the weekend.
Happy Halloween.
Lots of tricks here this morning and not so many treats!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

tick tock

The clock is winding down on 2010. Ack.  Once Halloween arrives and departs, the remainder of the year is going to come rushing through. The calendar is already looking quite full for some weeks in November and December. It really isn't too early to start shopping for Christmas. I have been making my lists and checking them, if not twice, at least once.

Coming up for us is.....

state soccer play
jury duty
friendly soccer matches
band practices
Turkey Day
band concerts
The ACT
Holiday Home Tour
Birthday Parties
Christmas Parties
Christmas
and on, and on and on.....

But for right now, silence reigns golden in my home. At least for another ten minutes.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

new Alys Clare series

I love it when I find a new series of novels from an author I enjoy reading. I was totally excited to discover an Alys Clare novel on the new book shelf at the Library. I read several of Clare's books in her Hawkenlye series years ago. That series featured an amateur sleuth who was also an abbess. Good stuff.  This new series is set in medieval England just after William the Conqueror's death and our sleuth is a young girl from an ancient family...as in she is not Saxon, or Norman but a true 'native'. The first novel, "Out of the Dawn Light" is a wonderful blend of magic, history, plot and character. I can't wait for the next two titles to learn more about young Lassair, her friend Sibert and their interesting families. I hope the library gets them, but if not, I've already checked online to see how much it would be to order them.

This book I just finished is number 84 for the year. I have 16 more to read before year end to hit the 100 mark.  Guess I'm on a mission.

My meeting went well. We were all in agreement. We didn't dissolve into complaining too much. We enjoyed a nice lunch afterwards. It. Is. All. Good.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

champagne tastes on a beer budget

And I'm not talking good beer...no fancy packages with nice glass bottles imported from overseas. I'm talking cans of generic! That seems to be my theme for the week. Frugal. Thrifty.  Ignore those extra letters, those are 'four' letter words.

Yep, I have a Friends executive board meeting today....about money.  How much we spend. Where we spend it. How we donate it.

Here is another 'four' letter word: budget.

Ack. Ugh. Ick.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to make everyone happy? To not have to budget? To not have to compromise? To be on the same fiscal 'page' as everyone else?

Oh hell, what is a few thousand dollars between friends, right?!

Monday, October 25, 2010

four books in a week

My TBR pile is in a sad state at the moment. I finished all four of the library books I checked out two weeks ago. What an eclectic pile of novels.

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater. Undead and Unfinished by MaryJanice Davidson. The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.  Here is the rundown: not as good as the first, good, excellent, so-so.

I need to count the titles I have read and see how close I am to 100 novels for 2010 and decide how I'm going to reach my goal.  I do have a new YA novel to read, the sequel to Beautiful Creatures found its way home with us after a short visit to B&N over fall break.  I'd also like to read the 7th Harry Potter book before the movie comes out...maybe.  I'm still debating that one.

Fall break was wonderful. I enjoyed my alone time with the middle kid. The other two and hubby had a nice visit with family up north. Then the second half of the break we were all together...or as together as we normally are with multiple schedules etc to accommodate. We even had a bit of rain yesterday to end our 60 plus days of drought.

Here we go, launching into a new week, refreshed from vacation and ready to tackle what the days will throw our way.

Monday, October 18, 2010

hiatus

Taking a break this week from the blog, ya'll......Happy Fall Break!!!!

Friday, October 15, 2010

fall break

When school began in August, it seemed like fall break was years away. With the last bell today, the week long vacation arrives. The oldest and youngest are headed up north with hubby. A college visit is in store as well as family visiting. The middle kid is staying put with me and the mutt. She contracted a 'fungus' and is in the midst of treatment....and may have to go back to the doctor on Monday if Dr. Mom doesn't think it is looking better by then. Ugh.

But, we are determined to make the best of it and will enjoy some time for just the two of us.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

middle school open house

The movie "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" arrives in our mailbox today. The timing is perfect as I was just escorted around the middle school by my youngest for his Open House night. I met all the teachers, two of them taught our oldest back when she was in 6th grade.  He showed me his routine and after walking the halls with him I can understand why he was late to class at the start of the year. He goes back and forth across the third floor all day long. His trek from the main building to where he meets for band is also a long haul. But, he seems very comfortable now and was greeted by a lot of kids as we toured and chatted.

All of the moving classes and hallway traffic will serve him well once he arrives in high school.  Talk about a maze, the middle school building is not laid out in any semblence of order. You actually have to go down some stairs in order to go up a different set of stairs in order to get to certain areas. Nuts.

Talks are under way and a 'town hall' style meeting is happening tonight to discuss the future of our middle school.  The facility is located just off our town square.  The county is in favor of building a new school as the current one has been added on to so many times it doesn't meet any current building code. The oldest part of the campus is very old. It originally served as a women's college way back when. It eventually became a k-12 facility...then the original high school...and now a middle school. Each transformation included a renovation. Now it is a hodgepodge of architectural details and quite 'ugly' and in some cases not student friendly.

The new school would be built a mile south on land the town currently owns and uses as a park. The current school would be traded out to the local university for a suburban campus.  It could be a major win-win for all involved.  A new school for the 6-8 crowd and a usuable building, renovated yet again, for folks interested in taking college classes. The historic square would get a group of folks traveling through with money to spend and the middle school kids would actually have a cohesive, up to date, user friendly campus.

I hope to make the meeting tonight.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

ballad

I picked up Maggie Stiefvater's "Ballad" yesterday along with three other books. Love those moments at the Library when I find exactly what I'm looking for in less than 15 minutes. Score!

It was a good thing that errand took such a short amount of time as the other errands I had to run were all over town. In addition to visiting the library, I also stopped into the vets, Costco, the doctor's office, two pharmacies, Aldi's and hubby's office.  It was a busy morning.

Once I was home and had the laundry going and dinner cooking, I did read a bit of "Ballad" and let myself get pulled into Stiefvater's YA novel.  I really like this gal's writing.  This is the sequel to "Lament" and focuses on Dee's friend, James and his encounters with Faery.  Good stuff.  I'm on the waiting list to get the sequel to "Shiver", Stiefvater's werewolf story.

Today is the final soccer game of the JV season.  Only the younger daughter is playing in this match, but the older one is set on going, in war paint, and cheering on her teammates.  Should be an easy win for the soccer ladies and a nice way to close out the season.

Club soccer will start soon, but they will enjoy a few weeks off before the 'real' season begins. 

Happy Wednesday!!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

library spending

I got an email yesterday from the library director asking for a large chunk of money. Interestingly enough, the amount requested is almost exactly what the book sale earned. I'm sure she had a ballpark number given to her by someone. Ugh.

Of course that puts me in the 'lovely' position of having to stall on her request. Several of the members would like to use the money for putting together book club reading bags for the Friends book club as well as other area clubs.  Some of these folks also see a need to refurbish the foyer of the library. It is looking very dated and in some cases extremely worn out.

Is this the time we push our wishes ahead of the director's?  I indicated to her I was gathering information on some possible projects and her response set my teeth on edge.  She does not want any projects taken on that might cause work for the staff. Okay. Really? 

I did learn the requested funds are for more history books.  Of course this will amuse the membership as the Library withdraws books at such a rapid clip we can't keep up with getting those titles out of the way at times.  Interesting times ahead. Dangerous waters. Lovely.

Monday, October 11, 2010

philippa gregory's red queen

I do love reading about the Tudors and when I found Philippa Gregory's latest book about the families that immediately preceded the Tudors to the throne of England, I knew I would be entertained.  The War of the Roses was an interesting period in English history. Related by blood, marriage and political alliances, these factions fought on all fronts for the ultimate prize.  Margaret Beaufort, a Lancaster by birth and a Tudor by her first marriage, gives birth to a son. The culmination of two lines and an obvious choice for the throne, Henry must wait for the perfect situation to present itself.  His mother helps that situation become reality. Gregory takes some poetic license in the novel and lays the blame for the Two Princes death in the Tower at Beaufort's doorstep. To this day no one knows for sure who killed the two boys.

It is difficult to create a protagonist who isn't easy to like and who isn't even sympathetic. She does a great job with Beaufort. The coldness of political marriage, the icy ambition, the calculation and scheming, are all supported by the wonderful character development she does with Margaret. She has Margaret fancy herself as an English Joan of Arc who is tasked by God to bring about the monarchy of her son, Henry. 

Gregory is one of the current masters at creating very readable and entertaining historical fiction and she does it yet again in "The Red Queen."

Friday, October 8, 2010

wide world of sports

If you are of my generation and older, I'm sure you remember hearing Jim McKay do the voice over commentary on ABC's Wide World of Sports opening segment.  Who can forget the whole, "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" line along with the picture of that skier crashing down the mountain side.

My soccer girlies got to experience the agony part last night as they experienced their first loss of the season against a very, very good team loaded with seasoned players.  Yep, most of their opponents last night were actually girls my oldest daughter, goalie girl, plays with during the club season. In other words, they are double rostered juniors.  Our team of freshman and sophomores just couldn't keep up at the end and with only 7 minutes to go, they blasted a shot on us. Goalie girl made the initial stop...full out extended, had the ball, but when gravity took hold and she crashed back to earth, the ball skittered out of her gloves. She scrambled to get back up and reclaim it,  but with no one close enough to help her clear it away, the ball got tapped back into the net. 

The stuff of nightmares.

She was in tears. Sobbing. This was a big game and even though the Team gets scored on, she takes each one that goes past her personally. This was only the third ball, all season, that she hasn't stopped.

Her teammates were super supportive. One girl even grabbed her chin and told her, "Repeat after me...this was not my fault. This was not my fault."  Parents even told her, "You made the initial stop, the defense should have cleared that ball."

Her sister, who made some beautiful plays including an amazing cross that in any other situation would have lead to a goal, played a fair number of minutes.  With 21 girls on the bench for the game, the rotations and substitutions came fast and furious as this coach is apt to do.  Of course, that doesn't allow for any defensive or offensive rhythm to set in amongst the players on the field. A fact that was noticed by the younger daughter's club coach...a former professional player from England.  I think he used the term..."what in the bloody hell, he's substituting again??" 

I think we are all ready for club to start.

They played hard. They played with heart. They played with passion.  But sometimes that isn't enough and you have a loss at the end of regulation time.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

preview sale

The Fall book sale is well underway. We unpacked and organized a TON of books yesterday. I worked on hardback fiction along with four other devoted Friends and we were able to get the books out and on the tables in a loose alpha order in just under 5 hours.  Today we will finish fine tuning the tables and group titles/authors together.  We've already filled the floors under the tables with those books that seem to multiply in the dark storage areas. We have yards of Grisham, Steele, Clancy, Higgins Clark, Francis etc.  We had over 20 copies of The Da Vinci Code this time. Good Grief!!

But we also get books that are from authors who might not be so well known. Mid list authors, debut authors, foreign authors.  Our Town reads...a lot.

Tonight is the Preview Sale. We allow members to shop from 5-7 and we are trying a new approach this evening and allowing non members to buy a shopping pass for $5 instead of joining the group for $10. Believe it or not, some folks join just to shop early. This way, we don't 'waste' time adding them to the membership rolls and mailing them info etc. Just let them come and get their books and leave happy!  I hope it is a win-win and we may even see our sale numbers go up as a result once we work out the kinks and publicize the idea.

Regular sale hours begin tomorrow from 10-6.  We usually gross around $6,000 on this sale and I hope that we do at least that if not a bit better. The weather is going to be great and folks are looking for bargains in this economy. 

We have great books at incredible prices! What more could a reader want?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

paranormal jackpot

I hit the paranormal jackpot with the books I found at the library last week.  First up was a collection of stories edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni LP Kelner. It never fails that when I read one of the books these two gals has edited, I find new authors to make note of and read in the future.  "Death's Excellent Vacation" was no exception. These shorts stories all revolve around the concept of a vacation and take off in amazing directions from there. Lots of good writing, lots of new names to look for on the shelves. The collection contains a new Sookie story as well as a great take on gargoyles from Lilith Saintcrow.

The other two books in my jackpot are both YA novels. The first, "The Eternal Ones" tackles reincarnation with such a great set of characters I hope a sequel is in the works.  I've not read Kirsten Miller's books before even though I purchased her Kiki Strike books for the YA collection when I was on staff.  The story revolved around Haven Moore and her realization that her childhood dreams of a girl named Constance and a boy named Ethan are actually past life memories.  The story moves from the hills of east Tennessee to New York City and even across the pond to Europe.  YA readers will love this one. Star crossed lovers, evil villains, small town prejudices. It has it all, but in a good, good, way.

The next novel, "Shiver" from Maggie Stiefvater is the first in a series about werewolves in Minnesota. Yeah for setting books in places other than NYC or LA.  Grace has been intrigued by a golden eyed wolf since she was 11 and attacked while on her swing set.  Sam is the werewolf who stopped the attack and has watched her ever since.  Talk about romance...this book has it and some to spare.  Stiefvater writes with a wonderful lyricism.  The second book is "Linger" and I will be looking for it today.

Three up and three down....and all good.  Just like winning the jackpot.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

I've got nothing....

My mind is racing too fast this morning to even attempt to try and create a blog entry.....so why bother?  Here is a link to an author I enjoy who has written about a ninja/Matrix squirrel inhabiting her backyard. The posts about the squirrel are hilarious...and her advice on writing is wonderful. Enjoy.

Lilith Saintcrow's journal

Monday, October 4, 2010

mums and more

Hubby and I planted four gorgeous yellow mums and spread two bags of mulch in the planter in front of his new office building.  The firm is relocating to our Town this week and he has spent the last three weeks fixing things in the new space in anticipation of the move.  We worked a bit outside and made a huge difference. It looks very nice.  I'd like to get a flat of pansies and put them in the two planters on our front porch. I need that splash of color.  I did buy a huge tub of bird seed and am waiting for the birds to find out the feeder is full and open for business. I expect some feathered guests this morning.

With the girls' soccer trip to the center of our state called off, they ended up working most of Saturday. That unexpected pay check will be nice for them and the weather on Saturday was perfect for refereeing soccer games.

In fact the weather on Sunday was perfect for winning a soccer game, which is what they did! A bit of revenge for some of the girls as they got a 2-1 victory over a team that they tied 1-1 in the very first game of the season.  Up this week, two incredibly tough games versus our major rival. Then the season, for them, is over.  Club conditioning will start about a month later. I'm sure they will enjoy the break.

Lots of cooking going on now that the weather has cooled down. Made a homemade mac-n-cheese on Saturday with the boy. Pretty good stuff. Had that with some steak on the grill, some asparagus and a salad. Happy tummies all around.

Up this week is the big fall book sale for the Friends.  It is going to be fun to see what treasures we unpack and what folks buy.  The sale is truly a community event with so many merchants helping us to help the library. We see faithful customers who shop every sale. It is like a biannual reunion of sorts and books are the catalyst.  I will be missing Anne this week.  She loved to work the sales and manned the check out counter on Thursday nights. I spoke with her husband yesterday and expressed how much she enjoyed that part of the sale. He agreed. He said he has taken to sitting in her old reading chair and using her favorite lamp and memories of her enjoying a good book in that spot comfort him.

So, this week is all about books and soccer with a dash of 'living' thrown in for good measure.

Friday, October 1, 2010

friday, already?!

I wasted the week and am now under the gun to get tons of things done today. Arghhhhh.  I've made my list and have a plan of attack.  Now, to just finish my clone and the time stretching machine so the plan can work.

But, even if I didn't use my time wisely this week, it was still a good week.  Homecoming dress issue resolved. First allergy shots for the boy. A win for the girlies' soccer team. Back flower beds cleaned. Good food cooked and served. Laundry under control. Dog walked. Books read. Friends business attended to.

So, maybe the week wasn't a total waste after all!

Happy Friday and Good weekend to you.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

the homecoming dress debacle....resolved

When I saw the UPS truck pull in front of the house yesterday, my stomach started to get queasy. That brown truck meant only one thing, or in our case two things.  The dresses were about to be delivered. I accepted the plastic bag (when did some stores stop using boxes) from the nice man and carried it into the kitchen. I carefully opened one end of the package and pulled out two smaller plastic bags. I said a prayer and hollered to the middle kid that her dresses had arrived.

No response.

I called out again and this time walked to her room and knocked on her locked door. Oh yes, she locks her door when she studies. The squeal issuing forth from behind the door guaranteed that this time she heard me.  I was allowed into her room and we opened the bags and shook out the dresses.  She tried on her third choice dress first. It fit. It looked cute. She smiled.

Then she tried on her second choice. It fit. It looked really cute. She posed. She twirled. She grinned. She flipped her hair.  She stood on tiptoes to mimic heels.

"Ohhhh Mommy, this is the ONE!"

Thank the good Lord and all the saints in heaven.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

lament

I finished reading the two LA Banks "Crimson Moon" novels. Ehh.  I liked them, but I won't go searching the shelves for any more of them. They were okay. I might give some of Banks' vampire huntress novels a go and see if those are better.

I've heard a lot about Maggie Stiefvater and her YA books are hard to come by at the Library. They are always checked out.  So, when I found "Lament" on the shelves, I grabbed it.  Good. Stuff.  I have a thing for evil faeries and Stiefvater delivers not only those, but takes traditional faery lore and embellishes it in such a seamless way the original concepts are enhanced. Lots of good faery story details in this one and all the elements are incorporated in the plot.

This book has it all and I can see why teen readers are gobbling up Stiefvater's stories. Romance. Intrigue. Sacrifice.  Basically the same formula that propelled the Twilight books into super stardom, but I like these characters and their world.

In other news, the dress debacle shenanigans continue as my darling daughter is now dreaming she goes to homecoming without a suitable dress and is forced to wear one of my 'old lady' dresses. Oh. Yes. She used those words this morning, then back pedalled into saying that it was a dress that even I didn't like and refused to wear. Nice attempt on the save....hahahahahaha.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

southernized

Our temps, like most of the country, have been unseasonably hot well into September. That steamy trend was finally broken over the weekend and the kids left for school yesterday with the thermometer reading a nice number in the 60's. Today it is even cooler, and my laptop weather bug is saying we are at 54. Wooooohoooo.  Cool. Crisp. Fall.

Freezing!!!!!  Yep, we actually heard our darling daughters say they had their heater on full blast yesterday for their morning drive to high school.  It was Freezing. Not Chilly. Not Cool. It was the "F" word.

We've been Southernized.  After 8 years in the south, or as this region is called, the mid-south, our blood has thinned to the point where 62 feels Cold.  Yikes!!

So, how much will out of state tuition cost us to send them back north so they can experience the land of their birth and be reintroduced to the concept of Yankee/Northerner? How much will it cost to let their bodies adapt to the concept that 62 is not Freezing? In fact, 62 is exactly 30 degrees warmer than Freezing and is just a lovely early Fall temperature.

Maybe I should start playing the lottery.

Monday, September 27, 2010

the homecoming dress debacle

I'm not sure when I stopped enjoying shopping for clothes, but I'm guessing it happened about the time my middle kid decided she was more than capable of selecting her own garments. So, that would be about 15 years ago when she arrived on the planet.

My darling fashionista hauled me over to the mall yesterday so we could begin the search for a homecoming dress. Long gone are the days when a new sweater from the Limited satisfies the teen aged girl's need to look 'haute' for a football game and dance.  No. Now they need a party dress to attend the dance and forget about going to the game. That time is spent locked in the bathroom with enough cosmetics to make Lady Gaga proud and a flat iron hot enough to make grilled cheese.

Before we left I suggested we do a bit of preshopping via the internet and take a look at her favorite store's website. This website has lovely party dresses at a reasonable price, but they don't carry them in the local store. You have to take a chance on size and fit and order online.  She found two dresses she really liked and it gave her an idea of what to expect at the major, fancy, department store. I closed the laptop and we drove to the Mall.  There is a reason Mall is a four lettered word.

She tried on 8 dresses at the big store and we left after putting one on hold. It was a bit snug in the top so we decided to try the other major department store and see what they had. They had a whole lot of nothing compared to the first store. She did find one dress, marked down to an amazingly reasonable price.  I thought it looked adorable on her....and truth be told the price tag helped my enthusiasm. But, it had a halter neckline/tie and she didn't care for that. I could have modified the tie and made it look like shoulder straps, but then she decided that the classic black bodice with an ivory skirt was just too ordinary and plain.

Off we went to two other stores. She tried on one more dress which didn't fit her hips properly and at that point we were two hours into the search. I suggested we come home and order a couple of dresses online and see if one of those wouldn't work. 

An hour later we placed the order only to find out the dress of first choice won't even be available for shipping until the day before her event. That. Won't. Work.  I made a phone call to their Help center and a lovely woman helped us delete that dress, (sob, sniff, tears) and replace it with dress number three. Her second choice dress was available and ready to be delivered. The help desk lady even threw in free express shipping so the dresses will arrive on Friday for my fashionista's perusal. She wound up with a solid black satin dress and a black and purple brocade dress, both strapless and both very adorable.

I hope to heaven that one of the two dresses will fit and be The One.  We can return them to the local store if they don't meet her approval and get a full refund, but then that will mean another trip back to the mall. I'm even hoping that they both fit so that she can keep one in the closet for the winter semiformal dance and thus avoid a trip to the Mall in January.  I was about done in yesterday with the tulle, the satin, the sparkles, the ruffles, the pleats and the straps. Anything to avoid another party dress buying trip in the near future sounds perfect to me.

Friday, September 24, 2010

and she scores....

Beautiful left footed strike makes its way into the back of the net....oh yeah!  The girls won last night's game 4-0 and my younger soccer chick scored our second goal of the night. A sight to behold and what made it even more special was that she had so many friends there in the stands to see it.  Her old soccer coaches from her Cougar's days were there as well as a former team mate.  Good times on the pitch last night.

I did not even open a book yesterday and with the housework I need to accomplish today, unless I move at a high rate of speed, I doubt I will have the chance to read today.

I'm also expecting the cable people to arrive as we are switching our phone provider over to them and bundling our services into a 'deal' they have going for the next year.

Happy Friday!!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

bad blood

Big bad harvest moon last night brought out all sorts of lovely things.......howling included.  Speaking of things that howl, I finished the "Bad Blood" novel by L.A. Banks. This is the first in the Crimson Blood series.  A lot was packed into this novel, so much world building, myth building etc that at points my head was spinning. I'm hoping the second novel is a bit more 'settled' now that we've been exposed to the concepts that support the plot. 

On the soccer front, the oldest rec'd a red card last night and can't play in today's important game. A bad dropped ball led to her out of the box which led to her fouling a player, and as the last defender...instant red. She thought her sweeper was behind her which would have allowed her to foul and only get a yellow,
but stop the easy shot and force a PK.  It all went south, in a very bad way. She kept her cool and let the ref get in her face, really in her face, and card her up. Her father lost his cool and was asked to leave.

Soccer drama to the max. Apologies have been extended all around. So, off we go into Thursday and the final game of the week.  Thank goodness.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

and a goal to tie

Middle kid knocked one into the back of the net yesterday to tie up the game. She was at the right place, at the right time and used her LEFT foot.  Awesome. The team had to settle for the tie as no one else could put one in, but it is better than a loss.

They play again tonight, but the big match is Thursday. They are getting ready to stomp on St. B's. and avenge a poor showing against that team a few weeks back.

In other Library news......a small, but important group are getting ready to approach the director about refurbishing the foyer. They've never liked the way it looked, and I have to agree. It has no sense of space, direction, cohesion or theme.

I started reading my first ever L.A. Banks novel.  "Bad Blood" starts off quick and is quite the whirlwind. Tons of world building in extremely short order. I'm enjoying the novel and the characters. I have the first two in the Crimson Moon series.  Might have to suggest they order Banks' vampire huntress novels. I've heard good things about those books.

And it is Wednesday. Yippee:)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

abby and ophelia

I'm well into what I think might be the final Abby and Ophelia mystery by Shirley Damsgaard.  This has been a nice series. These books always deliver good characters, solid sleuthing and nice pacing.  I don't believe I have enough pages left to see me through a visit to the license branch today, so I most likely will take another book as I attempt to get a car titled and plates switched. Ugh.

General consensus in these parts is that the hot weather needs to exit stage right and allow fall to take center stage.  It is freakishly warm and all of us are ready for a cool down.

I'm anxious to see an article in our local paper about the Friends. I submitted an article that touched on a variety of topics including Anne's death, the upcoming fall sale and the store's third anniversary. The editor contacted me and after asking for more information we agreed that because of the nature of the piece, it would be best for it to appear with her byline. Yeah!  I wasn't happy with the flow of the article and I'm hoping that she can work some magic once she adds her ideas.  She was a dear friend of Anne's as well and we had already spent time talking about how difficult it would be to write an article about her. I'm so thankful for her help.

Off to wake the troops and begin the official day.

Monday, September 20, 2010

reading list

I'm off to the library today to search out some books to read this week. I finished "Magic Bleeds" and came away impressed yet again with the talent that is Ilona Andrews. I really like her (actually it is 'their' as Ilona is a hubby/wife duo) voice and the balance struck between gritty, tough action and character development and interaction.

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is still on my nightstand and I've managed to read a few more pages and am somewhat intrigued by the novel, finally.  But, I do need to find some other things to keep myself entertained as yard work is still not on the horizon. The temps continue to soar and the rain continues to stay away. I think weeding, at this point, would require a jack hammer or at least a chisel.

I scanned the library catalog and then B&N for some names, new and old.  I'm on the hunt for Shirley Damsgaard's final Abbey and Ophelia novel.  I've put on hold the latest from Casey Daniels.  I've also got two YA books to search for, one from Kirsten Miller  and one from Maggie Stiefvater.

I also put the latest from Phillipa Gregory on hold. Nothing more fun than to throw a little Tudor historical fiction into a mess of paranormal mysteries.

Two soccer games this week. Only one is at home. We've traveled for almost every game so far this season and I will be so glad when that portion of the schedule is over.

Friday, September 17, 2010

and for our next act.....

Friday. I've been waiting all week for you.  What took you so long to get here?  Time to clean the house, make some dinner and watch some soccer.

After I got home from Costco yesterday, I read a few chapters in "Magic Bleeds" and then had to get ready to go to a ribbon cutting for the new courthouse my hubby designed. It was a wonderful evening and everyone who toured the new facilities were so complimentary of the building and the vision he and his co-workers had for the project. So neat to hear. I'm so proud of him!

I think my flower beds are a lost cause this year and I'm ready to clean them out, get some mulch and wait for next year. I may begin that process tomorrow.

Girls play a BIG match this afternoon at 3.  It could be UGLY.  Ack. Ugh.

I've been on the computer too long already today, better go and get moving.  Happy Friday and Happy Weekend.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

magic bleeds

Yippee!!! I arrived home from our second soccer game of the week to discover the delivery man had left me a small package on our front porch. The book I ordered from B&N had arrived.  The fourth Kate Daniels book by Ilona Andrews is now in my hot little hands and ready to be read, or devoured in my case.  Soooo excited.

It is so fun to find a 'new' author to enjoy and even more exciting to find them when they already have four books out. Nothing worse than getting hooked by a story and an author then have to wait a year or more for the next installment to arrive.

I didn't get hooked on Janet Evanovich until she had written Stephanie Plum's tenth story. Reading all of those books was such a joy and I spent a week immersed in the Plum-tastic world Evanovich crafted.

I think we are home from the soccer pitch tonight.  They need to rest up for what will be a huge battle of a game tomorrow afternoon against an awesome team from the center of our state. Both girls are playing really well and I couldn't be more proud of their efforts.

And it is Thursday!  Stock the store, stock the pantry!  Read, read, read!!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

mockingjay

I am not going to summarize this book as I really don't want to provide any spoilers for the third and final novel in the Hunger Games trilogy.  Suzanne Collins is yet another author who has lured adults into reading YA books and with the coming movie based on the novels, I'm sure more readers over 18 will discover Katniss Everdeen.  I was not in the least disappointed by "Mockingjay." However, I can understand why some reviewers/readers may not fancy the novel.  It is dark. It is gritty. It is honest. It does not have any canned 'and they all lived happily ever after' bits in it.

Somber. Sobering. Sad. Heartfelt. Mature. It does have all of those themes/emotions and more.  I'm not sure exactly what some readers expected. The book delivered pretty much what I guessed would happen and in the manner it would happen. In my mind, the final plot points could not unroll in any other way. In many ways it was predictable, but not in a cliched or poorly written way. Revolution and war have universal elements in them as well as universal human reactions to the death and destruction they hold.

I was only a bit disappointed with the treatment of Gale. I would have liked a different resolution for him. But, this is Katniss' story, not his.

All in all, I don't think you can measure this book alone. It is part of a series and the three books need to be taken as a whole.  Good. Stuff.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

katniss

I hightailed it to the Library yesterday to pick up my reserved copy of "Mockingjay."  Once I got home I had a few things to do, including finishing the Karen Harper book, "The Queen's Governess," before I could start reading the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy.

As I mentioned yesterday, I enjoy Harper's take on Tudor England. She does a wonderful job giving life to major historical figures as well as developing the personalities of the supporting cast. I love Harper's Elizabethan mystery series featuring the queen and an assortment of her secret privy council members.

"Mockingjay" plunges right into the action with Katniss visiting the bombed remains of District 12.  I'm only a few chapters into the story, but am already understanding why reviews have been mixed for this novel.  I anticipate finishing it today and returning it soon as I'm sure the hold queue is long.

Monday, September 13, 2010

roll with the punches

The youngest has an appointment with the allergist this morning. This is a recheck visit and possibly the beginning of allergy shots for him.  As I have no idea how long we will be there, and the last visit was 3 hours long, I've not made any plans for today.  I will just have to roll with the punches and see what I can accomplish when I finally return home.

I finished reading the two Patricia Briggs books featuring coyote 'walker' Mercy Thompson. I love this series.  Up next is a Karen Harper historical fiction novel based upon Kat Ashley's life. Kat was the woman who raised Elizabeth I after Anne Boleyn's execution.  Harper is a wonderful Tudor England novelist and I actually prefer her novels to those from Phillipa Gregory.

Apparently the author visit at the Library on Saturday didn't go over very well. Only 3 people attended the program by Mark Grisham....the 'famous' last name didn't bring the readers out.  But, as an indoor program was competing with a huge college football weekend and lots of outdoor kid sports, I guess it was sort of inevitable.  Still, I hate to see programs not have a decent number of attendees.

The Library called me to let me know that my reserved copy of "Mockingjay" has arrived. Yippee....I'm anxious to read the novel as reviews have been all over the chart on this final book in the Suzanne Collins trilogy.  I actually read an interesting article comparing Bella Swan of "Twilight" fame to Katniss Everdeen from the "Hunger Games" series.  I didn't agree with the author's conclusion, but it did provide a different perspective on these two female protags and how they might be perceived by the reading audiences.

Off to get ready for the day, even a Monday can be okay if the sun is shining and the air is crisp.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Christie, Fitzgerald and Wells

Gosh, September is a good time for writer's birthdays. The three folks in the blog entry title were all born this month. Astrid Lindgren was also born in September. Who doesn't love her darling character Pippi Longstocking?  I'm trying something new on our Friends facebook page and attempting to update the daily status with some tidbit of book related information. I think Friday will be random author trivia. If I can come up with a theme for each day, it will make it easier on me and provide a rhythm for the posts. 

Stocking the store was a blast yesterday since we had so many good books to choose from and to place on the shelves. That donation we received this week really kept us all busy and brought big smiles to lots of faces.  Nice!

I'm well into the Patricia Briggs book. I do love her Mercy Thompson series. Good stuff all around. I may venture out to B&N today and buy the fourth Kate Daniels book by Ilona Andrews.  I passed along the copy of the "Gargoyle" to one of my Friends buddies and she is thoroughly enjoying it. Sharing a good read with friends is such fun.

Not sure what is up for the weekend. The soccer girls are refereeing the small fry recreational games. The rest of us will have to find things to do. Somehow I don't think that will be a problem.

Happy Friday. 

Thursday, September 9, 2010

kick it into gear

We've had two gray and dreary days in a row, which has caused a great deal of sluggishness for my offspring. Slow as molasses in the winter time. Yep.

But, I'm feeling pretty darn good. Got my hair cut yesterday and I feel so much better. Worked with some friends on a large book donation then went out to lunch with them. Fun.  I get to go back today and help stock the store before I run a few errands and come home to do chores here.  I'm all set to make some crumb coated ranch chicken for dinner and whip up that long awaited buttermilk pie for dessert.

I also need to write the newspaper article I should have already submitted. Oops. But, I feel confident I can knock it out and get it sent.

Then, who knows...maybe read some more in the Patricia Briggs novel I started last night after I got home from the soccer game.

Speaking of soccer...the oldest got yet another shutout in the goal and the middle kid scored her first goal of the season.....WOOT!!!!  Wahooooo.

Over and Out.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

somedays you are better off not going to the mailbox

The mailbox held two treasures for me yesterday. One was a bill from the youngest's allergist and the other was a letter from the bank. Lovely.  I need to call the first and see what we can do differently at our appointment next week as our insurance doesn't fully cover CT scans....yikes.  The bank letter just means jumping through some hoops, doing some paperwork and signing some papers as an account we have is no longer offered and they want to get that vehicle converted into something different.

After dealing with those two pain in the butt issues, I do get to have my hair cut. Yeah!! 

Still reading the third Kate Daniels book.  I only have about ten pages left, but when the words starting blurring and I read the same sentence a few times, I decided to put it down and go to sleep.

Off to read the paper...happy Wednesday!!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

bic also known as butt in chair

I need to sit and go through our membership lists today and compare it to our online mailing list for the Friends. This will not be fun.  We've had a lot of 'cooks' involved in the membership coordinator job for the Friends since the gal who initially took on that monumental task, and did a wonderful job with the work, became sick with cancer.

We now have someone maintaining the rolls, but we split off the work involved in maintaining the online list for the emails we send out to the members.  I get to work on that for the time being. 

With our fall book sale approaching, the sale manager will also be using the list and comparing it to her list...I'm sure she will find errors, deletions and all sorts of problems.

That is my task for the day.   I hope I'm up for the challenge.  I'd like to finish the work in short order so I can get back to reading the third Kate Daniels book. 

Monday, September 6, 2010

ilona andrews' urban fantasy series

I picked up three Ilona Andrews books last week on one of my trips to the library.  This series features an alternative version of Atlanta where magic and technology switch on and off causing all sorts of havoc with the lives of the humans and other creatures who live there.  Kate Daniels is a magical mercenary, a trained warrior who can be hired to eliminate a variety of problems.  Andrews does a fabulous job world building and her character development is top notch as well.  Not sure why this author never hit my radar before, but I'm so happy I found these books on the library shelves.

We enjoyed a great potluck/cookout with our neighbors yesterday. It is always fun to get together with them for food and conversation. The kids all enjoyed playing together, even the teens, and we wrapped up the evening with a fire in the firepit, some smores and a nice cool evening breeze.

Happy Labor Day.....the unofficial end of summer and the start of fall.  Here is to nice, clear and crisp weather ahead. Cheers.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Sarah Palin and Vanity Fair

I just finished reading a news article summarizing the new Vanity Fair piece on Sarah Palin.  That old saying that even bad press is good press is going to prove true yet again.  Of course, from a journalistic standpoint, I really dislike articles written about anyone when the subject of said article is never interviewed. But.....and here comes the big but, everyone on the planet is defined and viewed through other people's lenses.  Yep. We do define ourselves, but our actions and our interactions also define us and all those folks around us are the ones who accumulate that knowledge and share it with others.

It is possible to get a picture of who Sarah Palin really is by examining what the people who interact with her have to say.  I'm sure some of them have an axe or two to grind. No one moves through life without irritating other people.  But I'm guessing that some folks were probably fairly objective in their comments and just relayed their Palin stories.

It is really too bad that Palin didn't grant access to the writer.  It would have lended another dimension to the article beyond the soundbites and carefully groomed comments she usually makes to the media. A good reporter shadowing her would have been able to gather the details to paint a real picture of who this woman is.

I'm not a Palin fan, in fact, I find her distasteful on many levels, but I know that this article will serve to keep her in the spotlight.  In fact, I purposefully used her name in the title of this post just to see what my stats do on the blog.  Blogger now has a very nifty stat feature that monitors how many page views a blog receives. My highest blog view post came when I titled one entry 'attention span'.  Timing is everything and I'm sure that with the start of school lots of parents and looking for info on that topic and if they bothered to read my blog would have learned in short order that the post had nothing to do with academic learning and everything to do with a middle aged mom who needed a break. Who knows, I might even get some comments from pro-Palin supporters.

Friday is here at last which means a bit of cleaning, a lunch out with a neighbor and a cross county rivals football game tonight.  

Enjoy.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Library excitement...along with some football.

I keep seeing these posts about 'the boys of fall' all over facebook.  Yep, lots of serious football fans out there and they are more than ready for the college and pro seasons to begin.  Of course I'm more partial to the 'girls of fall' as my two are well into their soccer season, the true football, at this point.  They won their game last night in an easy match as their other JV cohorts did in a separate match across the county. So, lots of happy young ladies today as victory was sweet for all of them.

The Friends meeting went very well yesterday and was attended by close to 30 people. Always good to have a full house.  We gave money to the library for a new Ellison die cut machine, a last minute request as their machine became broken to the point where it was not fixable any more.  We also supported a new effort to purchase family passes to three area art museums which will now be available for 'check out' to our patrons. With these passes families can visit these institutions for FREE.  How neat is that?!  I'm excited to be able to take all of us on a field trip to these venues and avoid the admission charges.

We also finished donating our big gift to the library for their basic needs in this new fiscal year.  The hope is that the director can get all of these monies accepted by the library board this month and be able to spend the money before month end.  The library board is horrible at meeting on a regular basis and if things weren't in place now, it would be January before she had another opportunity to present the donations to them. Unreal.

As I drove home yesterday I realized I need to get busy on an article for the local paper outlining all of the Friends efforts to date.  I hope to have the article published before our big fall book sale and thus cover a variety of exciting things in one piece.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

really good

I finished David Anderson's "The Gargoyle."  Really. Good. Read.  Here is the basic rundown: a drug addicted  porn actor/director drives his car off a cliff, suffers horrific burns and meets a woman while he is in the hospital who is convinced she was married to him in medieval Germany. She proceeds to tell him not only their 'story' but also the story of other lovers from across the world and in the process helps him to heal...on the inside.

It was a wonderfully written book and a gripping story.  Good Stuff.

Friends of the Library meeting today and then a soccer game tonight. The oldest ended up playing yesterday for the other JV squad. The mix of girls from the two squads proved formidable and we won 4-0. I so wish they'd ditch this idea of two teams and just let these girls play together. There is a dynamic from last year that has been lost with the divisions they instituted. The girls know it. The parents know it. UGH.

Wednesday...already.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

big time

Big time in store for me today. Yep, it is procurement day. I am headed to the grocery stores to refill the pantry.  The menu is planned for the month, the list is made and I think I'm sort of, kind of ready.

Still reading "The Gargoyle."  Yesterday I ventured into the library after I dropped the boy off at Scouts. Of course I came home with six books to read....three by an author who is new to me. Whooopeee:)  Exciting to find an urban fantasy novelist I've not read before.  I also picked up a Karen Harper I'd missed reading and two Patricia Briggs books I'd not read before.  Score. Still no sign of  "Mockingjay" at the library. Drats.

Not sure if I will have myself plopped on a bleacher tonight or not.  The whole JV soccer experience has been a real mess this year and the oldest might have to be in the goal tonight for the other JV squad as their keeper is still injured. But, of course, no one has said anything to her yet about having to play. We are just guessing that she might.  Some organization and communication would be so nice and refreshing. 

Off to conquer the aisles, freezer cases and produce bins.

Monday, August 30, 2010

read, walk away, read some more

I've been reading David Anderson's "The Gargoyle" since Friday. I'm still reading it. No, this book isn't a door stopper ala "The Passage."  It is simply one of those books you read slowly because you need to put it down and walk away from it every other chapter.  Intense. Horrific. Beautiful. Raw. Stunning. Captivating. Honest.

I've learned more about burn victims than I probably ever wanted to know. Note to self...don't read some parts while eating anything.  But, I'm also simply enjoying the writing. Beautiful writing. At my current pace, I should finish the book tomorrow.

Up for today, a bit of housecleaning, a few errands, lunch out with a neighbor and hoping it rains for the girlies sake as they could use an afternoon off from soccer.

Friday, August 27, 2010

fresh air

When I opened the front door to let the dog out so he could fetch the morning paper, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that the humidity had dropped and the air was cool. What welcome relief after the sticky and hot air we've dealt with over the past several weeks.

I found one of the books I had my eye on in our book store stocking closet. I've borrowed it to read and will return it next week. I found the other title in the library.

The library book, "The Late, Lamented Molly Marx" by Sally Koslow, was an easy and enjoyable read.  Molly Marx has died and left behind her beloved 4 year old daughter, a philandering husband and an assortment of family and friends.  As Molly exists now in the "Duration" she watches as they grieve and she revisits pivotal moments in her life, moments when her relationships, and how she dealt with people, steered her short and very human existence.  I enjoyed this novel. Koslow writes about flawed, lovable, normal people in an endearing yet realistic way. Nice.

Today, after the dog and I enjoy a stroll through the neighborhood, something we haven't done in way too long, I will begin reading "The Gargoyle."  Up next week is another attempt to get into "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." I heard from another avid reader who encouraged me to stick with the novel, it gets better.

Okay. Will do.  Enjoy Friday and the weekend!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

a regular thursday

Looks like I might have a normal Thursday this week. I plan on going to the Library and helping stock the store as I normally like to do on this day of the week. I've been absent for three weeks due to a variety of issues, the main one feeling ill for the past two Thursdays. I look forward to being back in the stocking closet and putting books on the store shelves.

I finished the final Percy Jackson book we had here at home.  We only own books 1-4 in the series as number 5 hadn't come out in paperback when the first four were gifted to us. I may search out number 5 at the library along with two other titles I've been thinking about reading.  I tried a page or two of the Larsson book again and my head just isn't into that type of story at the moment.

A quick stop at the store to get a few essentials and then I'm bound for home, hopefully with books in hand and a smile on my face.

Because tonight the older two darlings get recognized for their academic achievements from the past school year....and I need to be in good cheering and clapping form for that special event.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

attention span

I still haven't returned to reading the Steig Larsson book and have been enjoying the Percy Jackson children's series instead. Sometimes lighter is better and for right now, I'm happy to have these books to enjoy.

Last night was the back to school event at the high school. I skipped it.  First time ever I have not attended any back to school events. I was too tired. Hubby didn't get home until late.  Guess I will find out what I need to know second hand.

My attention span this morning resembles that of a gnat's....so no point in continuing this blog post.