Merry Christmas from Moi Aussi !!!

This is my Merry Christmas post. Christmas came at us in an odd way this year, it came to soon after thanksgiving and it never really blossomed. Ironically, it's probably one of the first white christmases we've had in a decade. Yet, despite the snow, it simply does not feel like a holiday. I write this as i sit at home. mom and i decided to see each other next week since there is a family gathering then and i really didn't want to drive out twice. it's sort of like today is just another day, and that's weird b/c nothing has changed in me since last chrsitmas. i'm not depressed, nor has my faith failed me, i simply just don't have that holiday spirit. even at school the kids were subdued in their whole snata excitement routine. hardly any cards were exchanged, there wasn't any decor (not that at a middle school there ever is).

i don't want ppl to call me a scrooge or a party pooper, it's just different somehow. what i am looking forward to is the idea of the new year and the rebirth of time. The days will be growing longer with light. it's a time to start again.

so light the bayberry candles, wish in the new, make resolutions, plan for the new year!

Joyous Winter Solstice! Merry Christmas! Peaceful and Hopeful New Year! Blessed Epiphany!

This card from my mother was very beautiful and touched with sparkles!

The Official Blue Bloods trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1r-Tr0EG2Q

I just finished reading Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz. It is book three in the Blue Bloods series, and yes, it is about Vampires. The difference is that these vampires not only live among us, but they are the leaders of society. One was Miles Standish! Revelations is a bit more than Schyler the lead character learning more about her fellow vampires, it's also the opening to the apocolypse. Why is the apocolypse so fashionable in fiction these days? Or do I just subconsciously seek out fiction that follows this path? It does work for this novel because the vampires are described as fallen angels, so if you're thinking which vampire is the biggest baddy of all the fallen, you guessed right? Lucifer doesn't make a full appearacnce in book 3, but he'll be a player in book 4 (due out next year). And I get the feeling he'll be using one of the good guys as a vessel.

So can Schyler, the mysreious wild card half human, save the world?

There's plenty of mystery in these books, definately some romance, magical vampire powers, all tied in with angels who aren't warm and fuzzy. It's more sophisticated than Twilight. I honestly like this series more, but Twilight was the series that let me come out of the fangirl closet, so it will always hold a dear palce in my heart.

Randomness

So...what have I been up to? You know, I hate idle conversation and can be really poor at it, but then there are times when I just let loose and talk so much I never listen. You know, I'd love to find a balance someday. I bring up conversation because isn't that question typical to ask when meeting with someone?

So the truth?

I waste a lot of time relaxing. How? Mostly on the computer checking e-mails, favorite blogs and forums and having the occasional IM moment with Arina in Arizona. I can't say it's anymore a waste of time than TV, and do people feel guilty about that?

Anyway, I think my point is I'm in winter sloth mode which is bad....very very bad! Sure I've been into books and actually finished my 2 year long story (slow writer...yeh, I'm guilty). I've been attempting to hone my blog writing skills b/c I've learned there actually is an art to writing truly thought provoking and meaningful blogs. [No, duh! This is not an example!] I'd love to tell you cleaning my house is a new passion, but unless my mother wins the lottery, thus allowing me the remodel of my dreams, my perfectionism is never gonna let me grab full control over keeping this place clean enough to eat from the floors. Please, with 3 cats! Who you kidding?

At the moment....Anthony Kiedis is singing "Hump de Bump" that naughty boy still incites me to carnal thoughts! Yum! [thoroughly unnecessary for me to say?!?!?! :)]

My kissing ball either a) blew off in the wind or b) was stolen
This morning it was not in front of my step. I couldn't look for it because it was dark at 7 AM, and when I returned home at 5:30 PM, it was dark. I think she's long gone! And she was so pretty, my favorite decoration of the season.

And yeh! I'm not sending Christmas cards nor placing a Christmas tree. Cause I don't want to. That's why!

Winter approaches...December is feeling half over..a New Year looms ahead. I feel good about these things. Peaceful.

Peace to you!

Trying to customize the header

Bear with me!!!! I'm trying to customize the header to include a picture, but I want it to fit just so. also, beware my really boring posts lately. I'm sure I'll get creative again soon....just, like....don't wait for it...might go grey and old while you wait.

OH, and yeh...I'm glad Obama won. Just in case you forgot I'm a liberal. :P

Food!

Yummmmm! I'm eating a Kashi frozen pizza that I put in the oven. I highly recommend it!

More Books!

I'm taking two book classes at the moment. One that runs all year and hits on all the genres and another that is just Newbury winners. I read the following for the Newbury:

roll of thunder hear my cry
slave dancer
the grey king


They all were worthy of the award when they received it in the 1970's, but lately I have to ask what's up with the winners? They are a mixed group of novels and not ones I could whole heartedly support.

Roll of thunder is perhaps one of the best and most thought provoking childrens' books I have ever read. It's a historical fiction set in the 1930's south. Cassie is a 9 year old girl learning many truths about racism for the first time. She is a strong likable character, as are her brothers and her adult family. The characters are complex, never wooden, nor perfect. The situations are just what you might expect for that setting.

Slave Dancer was a new one for me. Very well written by Paula Fox who has a beautiful ability to turn words. Another historical piece set in 1840's in the south. Jessie is kidnapped to play fife on a slave ship to help exercise the human cargo. He learns a lot about the evils humans can put upon each other.

Finally, the third was one of a series by Susan Cooper. A boy is born human only to awaken to his old self at age 11. He is an immortal soul called an "old one" and he is the last. Now he must play his part to fulfil the prophesy. It's a fight of good versus evil. Will Stanton befriends Bran and together they get a magical harp which is part of keeping the evil at bay.

For my other class I have four on deck. I nearly made my 50 book quota by Columbus Day. I think from this point on I will list books read by each month.

Halloween Randomness

Happy Halloween to all those who like to celebrate the weird just one day of the year!

It's an odd "holiday" and I use that term loosely since holiday really means holy day and there is nothing holy about Halloween. But it is an odd holiday, isn't it? At least today I got to wear black and orange and a spider ring all day.

Makes you wish you were goth. Then every day would be Halloween!!! :)

But 38 year old goths are....tres passe! :(
(We can read about Vampires, just not look like them!)

At least old geeks can like weird books and TV shows like Supernatural. Last nights episode "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" was...well...GREAT! :) There were witches, a demon, some zombies, and a couple of angels wanting to smite a town. And there was Sam and Dean trying to stop the disaster and save humanity. Yeh, it is my favorite show of ever because I've never followed a show that actually has a plotted course. All the episodes work together to make a completely connected story just like the chapters in a book. It's a great show if you like weird, if you like hero journeys, good versus evil, free will versus destiny questions, or enjoy all of this being played out by two attractive main characters. (ok, that last bit was shallow)....

.....Really though, each episode gets me thinking like reading a book would. I like that in my fictional world. Season 4 is currently on and it's like reading book 4 of a series.

Anyways...I digress, but Halloweeen! The day of the year when weird is okay! As Sam said, "Everyday is Halloween for us." Yep, that's so.


So happy halloween you freaks! :)

Redneck Woman

This is Central New York in October

Where do I begin? Should I follow Julie Andrews’ directions and “Let’s start at the very beginning….a very good place to start?” Or should I start at the end and reflect? Either way, I present my observations on the strangeness of regionalism in New York State.

I mean you expect regionalism in a state as large as Texas-it’s practically it’s own country, but in NY? But it’s alive and well, and I have to say it’s what makes this state (and yes, even this nation) so darn interesting.

My younger self would have died rather than shout at a filming video camera: “Git R Done” (did I spell that right?) But I’ve learned not to sweat the small stuff, and if you can’t make fun of the obvious then who will?

They might look innocent, but it was all their fault for getting me started!

So really, do I begin with Git R Done or perhaps: “We snuck out before the dollar dance!” I’m not sure, but in between there was a lot of country music, some sort of fedora that looked more from “The Blues Brothers” than Nashville, and of course…chicken riggies. Cause let’s face it, when in Rome. No, I mean not literally, we were in Little Falls. And my spell checker doesn’t recognize riggie..so does that mean it isn’t really a food? I digress, no I don’t, because food is a huge part of what defines a region and Central NY has carved a niche for itself in the Chicken Riggie Universe! A region that gave us Utica Club and tomato pie just had to add something more to its illustrious line up. OK! So Riggies taste good, they’re like chicken caccitore when made by some and like penne ala vodka mixed with chicken.

Ready? Steady.....

THROW !!!!

By the time the camera came around and my cousin suggested we all shout Git R Done I knew I wasn’t in Albany any more . So, yeh, Dorothy felt out of sorts being in Oz, but at least she’s traveled to an imaginary land. Me. I’d gone 70 miles down the Thruway! 70 miles shouldn’t mean a noticeable change in accent, gas prices, and wedding traditions, but strangely it does. And I’m okay with that-just amused. And so damn amused I started laughing at 3:30 and was still stopping when I arrived at my mom’s 5 hours later!!!!

So I dubbed it the hillibilly weekend. I mean where else can you discuss the logistics of creating an outdoor latrine (leave the bark on) over several courses of dinner and no dancing..?

Honest…we got the family reunion planned during the down time. And here I was worried I’d have to do one more pain in the ass kick line to NY NY ! HA! I don’t think so! We didn’t dance at all. Nope….couldn’t have if we wanted to. [with the exception of the before mentioned dollar dance] . And I'm just saying it was a relief. Lately there's been nothing more than the typical songs to dance to...and I'm bored with it. So this-well maybe it was serendipity II ?

Mom and her upside down tomato experiment!

So by Sunday morning I’m thinking how do you top off this kind of weekend? How do you keep the laughter alive? And it was a tall task being a 3 day weekend and all. So Sunday, while target practicing with a 22 (that’s a rifle for all you suburbanites), I wondered, what more can I add to this zaniness? Well, my first hunt was a success. I killed a tomato. Blew off half its head. I said to my mom, “I really can’t see any reason to kill an animal. I mean, the last one I killed was a snake I beheaded with a sharp rok back in ’84. But I’m older and wiser now (though always remember, it’s not dead until the head is gone)!

First Kill !

I’ll get back to the whole animal thing in a sec…not done yet with the joy of central NY. We walked in the woods…”there’s a bear in the woods.” Says neighbor Bob. “oh, nothing will happen to us while mom has her trusted shalleileigh and I have my sapling cane to bop it on the nose. Do I make big for a bear or small and non-threatening? Oops IDK…..guess we’d be ****’d if the real deal showed up. Not like we can do a fly over and hit it from the air like “she who will not be named.” Of course if you’re really loud I suppose you can just scare the bear away. So we walked along and sang the Sound of Music together….ah inspiration. “Doe a Deer..” hold on!!!! You’ll get your turn soon enough.

Julie Andrews sings…”let’s start at the very beginning…” Well, maybe she got it wrong. So how exactly do you top off the perfect Hill Billy weekend? With a hoe-down, tractor pull, monster trucks? Nah! Silly!!! You hit a deer! You know “doe a deer, a female deer……” Damn sound of music! Was maybe not the best choice for a theme song. If it’s a red neck weekend then a Gretchen Wilson tune may have been more a propos (and we can invite her to the reunion, yee haw)! Did all our singing manage to ward off the bear, but summon the deer? IDK.

What I do know is my question of how to put closure to a dazzlingly funny time [believe me I really honestly haven’t been in such a mood in ages] was answered early Tuesday morning when said female deer accusted my little Japanese car [don’t you dare be pissed little deer that I don’t drive a Chevy or a Ford]. Thank god she didn’t wipe out my new tires!!!! That’s all I’m saying given that I just spent $ 700 on brakes and such the day before.

Now I truly thought Monday would have been the “red-neck closure” defining moment, but alas it was not to be though I did overhear a tooth less cashier say “Git R Done” that was about all Saratoga had to offer. So back to Tuesday and reckless deer with no respect for foreign autos and you have the world’s luckiest piece of serendipity as deer girl did her damge and ran away. I was able to drive off and all ended well. So I have to ask: “Does that qualify as ‘Git R Done’?”

Second Kill ?

What the heck does that mean anyway? What I do know is this girl….former central NY livin, country hatin’, liberal leanin’, woman said it on camera ! Shouted it with glee! What I also know is that I had fun immersing myself in the flow that was a region with it’s own culture, it’s own method of happy. It was family….and for one long weekend in October….I was home.

What exactly does it all mean?

Presenting......

There they are folks! The first babies to be dug from the earth! And yeh...they're red skinned, but orange inside. I haven't had a chance to eat them yet, but they look really good! This is just from the underside of one plant. I guess I have a lot of digging to do in the next week or so!

Random thoughts

A few minutes ago I was walking about on my lawn. I hadn't really explored my back yard in the three weeks since school started. It was still there. We'd had rain last night and the lawn carried that warm, damp spongy texture as I walked upon it [barefoot of course...is there really an alternative?]


Water droplets glisened on the grass...mostly showing green hues...and reminding me of God's presence. [I'm trying to describe the thoughts that were in my head ten minuites ago~bare with me].


I love that late summer/early fall feeling . Winter hasn't won her war of death and there is still growth. The nastursiums and the impatient flowers were in full bloom despite the loss of the rose of sharon. My new baby peach tree and her garden mates were still showing health and promise. All my rose transplants have leaves.



I guess gardening makes sense because I'm the eternal optimist. To me, coaxing some half dead thing back around is success.





To continue with my randomness I scanned some old pictures in. One was of 3rd grade. Mrs. Green was my teacher. The best one I had; the only one who knew I was a slacker. I brought up Mrs. Green yesterday to a student. Asked him if he knew how to check his subtraction. Told the class how Mrs. Green had taught me and how she was the best for being tough and loving. Then one of my girls pipes up: "Like you." What a sweet compliment, b/c honestly, I wasn't fishing for one there. I hope I do live up to Mrs. Green's standards of teaching: being demanding, trusting the students, letting them take ownership, using humor and love. That's what she did.

Serendipity

I had the chance to experience Serendipity yesterday. As I was walking back from Lark Fest (more to that in a moment) I was thinking how nice it would be to drink a Red Bull on this fine late summer day. Yes, a Red Bull would be a good substitution for eating or drinking anything (and I had been good as I wove my way past countless vendors and regular folks carrying cans of beer and other libations). Yes, what a perk up to this warm sunny day and my little 2 mile walk. And so it happened…I look up to see two girls parking the Red Bull car at the curb. [I was walking the sidewalk past Washington Park~gorgeous place, completely underrated] So I sauntered up and asked if they had free samples…and yes they did. A whole can of the fruity-tart stuff of goodness. J Serendipity and two dollars saved! It made up for the overcrowded atmosphere down on Lark Street. I was darn glad I’d entered the packed street from a side street (I don’t know which one…the one with Planned Parenthood at the corner) and not at the end because if I had I’d probably still be walking there. Let’s say it was not the place to be for a cluster phobic or an agoraphobic. I think I managed to look at some silver rings, but at $15 a pop I wasn’t that needy for something I didn’t need. So I found my way out and walked back through the park. And the flowers! Wow, they were spectacular. Nice to know my taxes do at least provide for some intense landscaping in this little city. Which reminded me of how thankful I was to live in this little city and have health to walk two miles and vision to see the flowers and peace to enjoy it all.

And that’s why it was all serendipity!

Back to School

I'm experiencing my first "Sunday Night", you know the dreaded: "The weekend is over" [sob sob sob] I've noticed these evenings aren't too bad if you think you have accomplished alot and if the whole next week is planned. Well, I do think I did okay. Saturday I ran for 30 minutes and made an appointment to meet with one of the trainers at the gym. My house was already tidy, but I did do the grocery shopping, and as it was raining I stayed in and read more than half a book. I also paid bills and looked at my finances. Yeh, okay, could have done a heck of a lot more. Sunday was better. I got up early. Organized a cupboard, mowed the lawn, went to a craft fair, took a 2 mile walk and updated my blog! :)

I have my clothing and lunches planned for Monday and Tuesday and I know what the essential question is for ELA for this week.

Two Garden Updates and Several Pix

Well I did what I wanted this summer and took good care of my yard and garden. It became a favorite hobby again and there was plenty to show for it. I created the start of the Japanese garden, added a three tiered section to the front bank, added more flowers to the front bank, saw the success of the demon rose, successful nastursiums and the little rose impatienes are still alive. I added a peach tree and 4 blue berry bushes. And then there is the sweet potatoes (see blossom pix below)! :)

I've eaten tomatoes and cucumbers from my garden. Both excellent and they took care of themselves (gotta appreciate that in a garden).

My sweet potatoes are in blossom a little bit, but I still don't expect to eat them until the end of September at the earliest.

Sweet Potato
Blossom


Here are pictures of the amazing morning glory i got to grow up the sign in my front yard. There were two plants. They take quite ahile to get to blossom too, like the sweet potatoes that i think they are related to.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

I was bored the other day and reminded myself of how amusing it is that all actors can be traced to Kevin Bacon. I found this link that let's you enter an actors name and generates the links. Very handy! http://oracleofbacon.org/index.php

Check it out! And for the history of the phenomenon here is the wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Degrees_of_Kevin_Bacon

And just for fun...here's a pix of him young and wet! ;)

Time's a Wastin'

Oh No! Two weeks from this day i will b back at school. Summer is almost over. Today i have to finish the 2nd day of a 2 day conference at R'ville. The speaker is Heidi Hayes Jacobs who is extremely motivational. So getting back into the school mind set is beginning this week. I'd write more, but i have to get ready for it. More later......

the history of me and TV

anyone who knows me knows i never watch TV...in fact i sometimes really hate it's manipulative quality (it's addicting, especially all those commercials), but was that always so?

First off: we had 4 channels where i lived: 2,3,5,&9 and no PBS. I never watched Seseme Street. So it might not be shocking that my earliest memory was of Days of Our Lives. I remember when Hope was a baby and her mother Addie was hit by a car while crossing the street with her. I was 4 years old.

Next, I'd say there were the weird shows of the 70's i watched with my dad. I say next because my memory of them is really fuzzy, so I doubt i was much more than 6: In search of and UFO. Yeh, somewhere in there was Police Woman, Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman....i credit them for the strength i possess and the belief in myself. They were great role models for young girls. You know, it was the 70's and we still were convinced we could change the world. And 2 of the 3 heroes were not entirely human...i digress, b/c there is a theme. I easily grew to like weird shit.

Before i continue, i need to say that the muppet show deserves it's own paragraph. Variety shows were to the 70's as reality tv is to the early 21st century. So they make a kids variety show: The muppets. And it's actually witty, funny, and tries to be up-to-date with pop culture.....y'all realize Alice Cooper (in make-up) was once a guest host?

Forward a year or two or somewhere in between and i'm watching Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island reruns after school along with Bewitched and this intriguing show my grandfather told me abot. Intriguing? Well, it was set in an Austrailian Women's Prison. But each week i really needed to know how the butch lesbian and the woman who killed her husband for cheating on her were fairing...i mean it mattered! But my dad was a litle angsty that his 10 year old watched such foder..however, well, i watched for awhile until Bo and Luke Duke took center stage in 1980 when i was 10.

Yep! my first hottie crush was john schneider. Probably the only time i lusted for a blonde. Then my grandfather got cable: I want my MTV!!!

In the 80's it was Cosby, FAmily Ties...then came college:

In Living Color was new, rare and watched every thursday night before we went out. Jim CArrey was still funny: Fire marshall bill and homey da clown...J Lo as a fly girl. The world became a little more brown and all was GOOD! And the talk show vied for popularity. Remember Arsenio Hall? The Olsen twins were newborns when i went to college and we watched them on Full House....and did we watch 21 Jump Street? I don't remember.

My next era in tv was Seinfeld which is so classic nothing in my mind will ever compare!!!!!! Yes, it was sponge worthy!!!!! Probably the only night i made sure i was home for the shows.

The era of HBO TV began Sex in the City, 6 feet under, Sopranos. Incredible shows! And of course there was the X=Files, where lots of weird shit happened, but half of it was explained logically. After 2002 i no longer had cable. This is when i actively stopped watching TV.

Now, You tube provides me with quite some info. I've even watched a few Anime (Deathnote)and a few music videos (cause MTV no longer plays music...where's the irony in that?)

But i just learned of Supernatural. I haven't seen the show on TV, only in DVD, but i love it. X-files always teased with the strange, but rarely delievered. Every episode of Supernatural provides bad guys, weird stuff and brotherly love/angst. Perfect show for my style. Ironically i watch it though video until season 4 begins.

For the first time in ages i am hooked and can't wait. So i guess, you never know.

Next year when i buy a new LCD digital TV i plan on getting cable again. Hmmm, i wonder if i'll watch it?

I wanna give up some thanks to the DGS

You know...ppl love to diss the garbage collector and say..."oh there's a thankless job for the ex-felon." Well I say no. Give your garbage collector respect, yes, even if he is an ex-felon. Geez, don't you think most people just want to be forgiven and allowed to move on with thir lives? Do you think people just look for things to go wrong? At least these guys are out working. And picking up my crap, which at times is way too heavy (rainy wet grass anyone) or stinky...3 boy cats!!! for anyone to deal with. They just took away about half a tree I'd put out there Wednesday.

Where I grew up the garbage collector was this sweet older man whose grandsons attended school with me. He was respected in the community, and his grandsons were bright, well adjusted students at my school. My point? Why must we judge someone on their work? That is so wrong when we know that we must see the person as an indivdual, when we need to open our eyes......

Picking Peaches

This was at Fix Brothers Orchards south of Hudson. It was gorgeous out! I'm going to be eating lots of peaches for some time! We picked 54 pounds!

Home of the Brave

Let me start by saying: you definately should read this book!


Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate is about eleven year old from the Sudan who has resettled in Minnesota with his auntand older cousin Ganwar. They live in the city in a high rise and feel far away from the rural life they always knew. The author creates a lighter atmosphere by describing the language barriers and cultural differences that would have made Kek’s transition difficult if he were not so optimistic. Hard memories of family lost come through on occasion like when Kek and his class visit the zoo.

He states: ...”but I am not alone. My family is with me, and every sight is something they cannot see, and every hope is something they can not feel. To carry them, unseen as wind, is a heavy burden.”

His thoughts are complexfor his age, and he carries the guilt of a survivor, still, he is ever optimistic. His optimism and love of cattle lead him to a job on the outskirtsof the city. It is there that he becomes closer to his cousin, but also where he learns nothing lasts forever and there is always change.

The author does an excellent job of weaving his grief with his hope and in the end Kek’s ability to: “find the sun when the sky is dark” makes this a story of triumph.


Five stars! Middle School and up!

Some garden picture updates

As i sorted through which pictures to add here, i was not happy with my work. The gardens really look lovely in person, but the pictures do them little honor. This first picture and the second are of what will in the future be a Japanese garden. There are two Japanese maples which i plan on keeping small, a butterfly bush and something with the name japonoca .

The birds love the feeder! I get lots of sparrow, and some black colored birds. But my yard is still lively with birds zooming in and out. I finally saw a hummingbird! So I made sure to fill up the drinking feeder. I also have goldfinches and mockingbirds. Pretty good for a city.

This picture would have been nicer if i'd thought to turn the bell! There's a bird atthe top of the bell. So much for winning at the art show! ;)

That's my lavender, my pride and joy. I have two clumps of it.

And the final picture is the update of the sweet potatoes. They were planted about June 1st and they have made vines all over their mounds. I think every plant lived. There must be about 18-20 in there. They have not yet blossomed, but I can see they are getting very close.

I'm waiting for my morning glory to go into full bloom. I've had a few. That will likely be my next garden update.

What my mother doesn’t know by Sonya Sones

Sonya Sones knows fourteen. Her main character
Sophie is the voice of a girl experiencing all that her
age offers, from her infatuation with Dylan, her thoughts
about the geeky kid Murphy (which waiver form
compassion to curiosity), to her near trouble with a
cyber pervert. Sones writes the experience perfectly.
Favorites: The Mockingbird: “trying on one voice
after another, pausing briefly between each one, to
see if he’s attracting the girl bird of his dreams…”

Sophie dances with a masked man at her Halloween
dance and she falls “in love” but can’t figure out who
it is. Over Christmas vacation she meets up with
Murphy at the museum and they realize they have
a lot in common. They slowly start out as friends,
but by New Year’s they are as close as a couple
can be. This is where I started to cry. Murphy is a
school outcast, but Sophie sees the real him. But will
she be able to continue to date him once they return
to school and the cruelty of others who have pegged
him as a loser?

We’ve all known Murphys, and most of us have had
the chance to see them as human, but do we? Or do
we worry what others think? Sophie makes the mature,
brave choice in the end! And I’m still sobbing even
though I’m relieved.

Lord Loss by Darren Shan

Scary cover and scary inside, but also a bit of a mystery which draws the reader in. The demon images are very strong at the beginning, but they do not just come to scare you, the scene exists for a reason, which is explained later in the book. In fact every question the boy has gets answered.

This book might scare people and probably already got
banned somewhere for it’s demon imagery. The voice is
engaging, and it reads easily. However, it’s likely high
school and up. Has some great higher vocabulary. The
adult characters are kind (most notably Grubbs’ uncle)
and not patronizing.

The Thirteenth Tale

This one was difficult to get through. The characters’ overly dramatic (and at times physiological) reactions brought to mind both Jane Eyre and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. It was a romantic mystery in which a dying author enlists the help of a book seller’s daughter to write her biography. She is known for not telling the truth; so Margaret, her biographer, has a challenge ahead. It think what bothered me most was the drama in all the situations. The author, Vida, and her twin appeared most of the time to be insane (as did the parents) and their whole world made little sense (likely the use of all the fiction the woman made her life into). I almost could not believe that this odd little twin could develop into the eccentric author.

Though this book is called a ghost story sometimes it is really not. The ghosts are only in the characters’ souls.

Use with Students: This is really an adult book or a free read for an interested high schooler.

Soul Moon Soup by Lindsey Lee Johnson

This verse novel provides us with a brief snippet of one of the
darkest times in Phoebe Rose’s life. Phoebe and her parents
appear to have spent their entire lives on the move and semi-
homeless. The year Phoebe is eleven her father leaves and she
and her mother are left completely homeless. As they shuffle
from shelter to shelter, Phoebe grows increasingly silent and
hopeless. Finally, one day she looses their only suitcase (or
burden as her mother calls it). Her mother puts her on a bus
to her grandmother whom she’s never met. She isn’t sure if
the woman will prove to be a witch or an angel, but she gives
it time. Meanwhile, for the first time ever she seems to be able
to lead a normal and more certain life. Still she longs for her
mother. There are new friends and experiences and some
frank truth about the how and why of Phoebe’s mother leaving.

It’s a story of reconciliation, but not an easy kind. And you
never really know if it’s going to be okay in the end. It flows
well as a verse novel and the author uses many metaphors to
describe the simplest things: “So I look at this scrap of deep
green carpet, and pretty soon I see a tiny velvet forest.”
There’s warmth in her language: “The moon spills down a
silver path across the water….stars and moon in a pearly broth.”

This book reminds me of Monkey Island; especially given the
solutions aren’t simple for either character. This could be read
by middle school children both independently or in a group.

By the River by Steven Herrick

By the River is a verse novel about a young teen age boy. It's a fairly gentle book, there aren't any earth shattering moments. But it's easy to relate to the kid as he negotiates friends, bullies, his own budding sexuality, his relationships with parents and other adults (his mother has died and he misses her). I liked how he learned about itgrity, family and friendship (he was poor) and what a strong person he was and would likely grow up to be.

There's a scene where he is really enjoying nature and watching this miraculous flight of butterflies. Then this rich brat comes aong and kills them with his tennis racket. So of course our main character smashes the racket and the rich kids dad makes him pay, nver understanding what really happened. Our boy stays strong and proud, never bitter. 4 of 5 stars.

Trying to Be Productive

Having the whole summer off can be a good and a bad thing. I really really have to make lists and set goals to keep focused. But all and all it works. This weekend was a little lazy. Friday was a crazy busy gardening day, I can't say that was a loss and I also completed two verse novels. Saturday, I cleaned until 3 and then went to Carrie's for a BBQ. That was fun. We played a little pool volleyball, ate a lot, enjoyed Corona's. Ended up staying the night. Today was rainy and yucky so I did more house cleaning and way too much playing on Facebook!

Tomorrow is my school web page creating class and golf. Tuesdays is all mine. Better make myself a list! :)

Quinoa Salad (pronounced: keen-wa)

QUINOA SALAD


6 oz. quinoa
12 oz. water
Follow directions on box for cooking time (Place both the quinoa and the water into a covered saucepan, bring to boil, lower to simmer, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring rarely. You know they're done when the ring separates from the grain)


8 oz. feta (crumbled)
can of chickpeas (rinsed)
cucumber (chopped)
sweet red pepper (chopped)

To your taste:

dill weed
lemon juice
olive oil
salt & pepper

And add what you like:

red onion
celery
artichokes

It's really that easy!

Check out my Slide Show!

I think these pictures tell it all. We had such a super time. I'd have to say it was very laid back and relaxing, and I didn't even spend too much money. :) We went out to dinner twice. I had sea bass the first night in Chatham (can't remember the name of the place)! And in P-Town we shared our dishes; so we had crab cakes, lobster salad, calamari, tomato and mozzerella. Then, on our last night we grilled chicken and had quinoa salad.

The drive wasn't too far, just under 4 hours, and we were lucky most of the time to have mild traffic, even up to P-town.


I'd go to Cape Cod again, maybe next time I'll be more active, and bike.

The Cats of Catskill

Call it serendipity! But then again, isn't that what living is all about?

I had just gotten my hair cut in Leeds and should have been headed north on I-87, but I was jonesin for an iced coffeee. So I drove east, hoping to find a DD, but none appreared. Being me, I continued (gas prices be damned when I need iced coffee)!

I ended up in the old village of Catskill. I must say, I've never been there, and I've been just about everywhere. Well the best part was that they have a summer display of cats! Like Saratoga's horses (only better, cause I like cats more) there were various themed cats all along main street. I've included a few of my favorite pictures here and the link where you can see them all!

See! Serendipity offers the little things in life!

Catskill's Cats

50 Miles

OK, so I thought, if I can sit on my fat *ss and read 50 books then I should spend equal time on my feet running. So my goal is to run 50 miles by the end of the summer vacation. I'll keep record here of the miles ran and walked:

July 3, 2008 49 miles to go: 3 miles walked
July 8, 2008 48 miles to go: 3 miles walked
July 12, 2008 46 miles to go: 1 mile walked
July 13, 2008 46 miles to go: 4 miles walked
July 25, 2008 44 miles to go: 2 miles walked
July 26, 2008 44 miles to go: 4 miles walked

OOPS! It's notthat I haven't run...just I forgot to update. I'll be running the Susan Komen 5K in October; so I've been practicing. Rough estimate: 12 more miles to add here, and lots of walking.

So:

September 7, 2008 32 miles to go: more than 10 more miles walked As of yesterday I was able to run non-stop for 30 minutes which is my threshold of knowing I am ready for a 5K.

50 Books Project

Start Date: Memorial Day Weekend 2008
End Date: Columbus Day Weekend 2008

Goal: To read 50 books in the set time period and post a synopsis of each either on my blog. Goodreads, or both.

List:

1. Boys that Bite by Mari Mancusi
2. Running Back to Ludie by Angela Johnson
3. Brimstone Journals by Ron Koertge
4. By the River by Steven Herrick
5. Vampire Knight Manga I-IV by Matsuri Hino
6. (every two Mangas will equal one book)
7. Lord Loss by Darren Shan
8. Vampire Kisses I
9. Downtown Boy by Juan Herrera
10. Vampire Kisses II
11. Eternal Sabbath Manga I-VIII
12
13.
14.
15. Loose Threads by Lorie Ann Grover
16. Society of S by Susan Hubbard
17. Blue Bloods by Melissa DeLa Cruz
18. Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
19. Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Sandell
20. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
21. Soul Moon Soup by Lindsay Lee Johnson
22. Jump Ball: A Basketball Season in Poems by Mel Glenn
23. Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Wayland
24. One of those hideous books where the mother dies by Sonya Sones
25. What my Mother doesn't know by Sonya Sones
26. Foreign Exchange: A mystery in Poems by Mel Glenn
27. Mists of Avalon by Marian Zimmer Bradley
28.
29.This title counts as four due to it being 876 pages
30. and the length of time needed to read each page.
31. Vampirre Kisses III: Vampireville by Ellen Schreiber
32. Vampire Kisses IV: Dance with the Vampire
33. Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
34. Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith
35. Year of Disappearances by Susan Hubbard
36. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
37. Empire of the Sun by J. Ballard
38. Mordred: Bastard Son by Douglas Clegg
39. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
40. Vampire Knight #5 by Matsuri Hino
41. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper



First Review: Boys that Bite:


Fun! Would be one quick word to describe this teen based vampire story. Mancusi uses the voice of Sunny to tell this light and mostly humorous story of mistaken identity. Sunny, the identical twin of goth loving Rayne, who had signed a contract to become a vampire, was bitten by Magnus instead. Now Sunny understands that Magnus got caught in a case of mistaken identity, but still, she wants out of the eternal agreement (once bitten always a life mate). After awhile though, Sunny gets crushing on Magnus and by the end of the story she’s back to being human, but dating the Vampire King.

Fun, light, easy and quick.

Vampire quality: Mostly the good guys, dark only, blood without killing from volunteers, some relationship to Druids.

# 2: Running Back to Ludie

It read like a first draft that needed more detail. It felt too short for me to connect to it. Basically a young teen wants to know the mother who left her. Finally she is allowed to visit and it isn’t as exciting as it seemed. But she’s happy to have made a connection. Now she won’t think of a blank when someone says mother, now she has Ludie. Ludie is portrayed as dysfunctional from the point of view of the girl, but you have to wonder why she would not only leave her daughter, but never visit? And after completing the book I still don’t know. Did I read too fast? Maybe, it is a verse novel. But if I only skimmed the surface so might young readers whom this book is aimed at. Angela Johnson’s book: First Part Last was wonderful, so I didn’t expect to be so disappointed in Ludie.


#3 Brimstone Journals

I think the hardest thing about this book is the characters. There is an enormous cast! Keeping them all straight is made easier by the author’s kind almost stereotypical behavior of many of them. There’s a lot of anger and ingnorance in this town! It all will come to an explosive finish if one of the characters doesn’t do the right thing! Will he, or not? I’d have to say it would be hard to find a main character and that’s ok b/c the author did this to show everyone is responsible for school violence. And that message did come across. However, the quick end and the sense that no one really learned much made for a bittersweet tale, but then, that’s life.

I've seen it all!

I read an article stating that the women of the Texas sFundementalist Sect had launched a clothing line. Ok, sign me up fast for that fashion! And yeh, there's actually a website http://www.fldsdress.com/ where you can order online. I think they know this is mostly for "their" people, but I found it a bit amusing. There's something about the way they wear their hair that is spooky to me. It's that flipped and pulled back style. I mean how do they all get that down so perfectly? I don't think I really want to know.

What a Beautiful Day!

I had to share b/c today was just so pretty and fun. No, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, but I did accomplish everything on my list! So I guess maybe that is why the day is so good.

It was lovely weather (80-28 degrees) and just so sunny!

I weeded, mowed, and best yet, trimmed the spireas! They are maybe 80% done to my liking. I will trim more later. I ended up with 8 green bags at the curb. Then at 7 PM I sat on my lounger eating my favorite meal** and reading a silly book called Vampire Kisses. The sky was a perfect azure, the birds trilled their "come to dinner song", the yard looked gorgeous and life was oh so good.

I even cleaned inside this morning. Guess what I am saying is that I love full days.



** Favorite meal is talapia fried with garlic, lemon and olive oil, mixed with shiritaki noodles, pea pods, water chestnuts and dressed with Shweschun sauce!

Joseph Popp Butterfly Conservatory

Gouldian Finch


Blue Morpho

This beautiful place is in central NY near Oneonta. In fact it is 1/2 mile from the famous Brooks Barbeque restaurant on Route 7. It's a new place, and I hope they do well. Inside there is a special room filled with butterflies and birds (and a few cool reptiles)!

I really liked how peaceful it was. Mom and I walked abound there for over an hour and we know we still missed some of the species. You have to look under ever leaf and in the air and on the floor. It was especially fun to see if a butterfly would land on you.

They do! They seemed to like me.

A little girl who entered summed it all up

[imagine a 5 year olds voice]:

"It's so beautiful!"

Mulberries!

Last year, Charlene and I discovered what we called a blackberry tree. I finally learned it is a mulberry tree. This picture shows what it looks like. I've read they are totally edible. so tomorrow, I will go eat one.

Maybe I ought to explain...

Sometimes, I might use this blog to show how much I enjoy vampires. Please understand that this love for those who are conflicted and not neccessarily evil, is more common than you think. But I'm much more into the fiction which shows a "good" vampire, not an evil one.

YES! The more I talk to people about what they read, the more I realize there are many of us out there who enjoy the lit and the anime that exists. Simply...is it yet another way to enjoy the bad boy image we love most: Vampire?!

I like bad boys......yep! It's been an on going thing with me. My first one was Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. I was 12 and ready to learn the meaning of my name. My name was Sandra, 'helper of mankind'...so there they were, those poor sad little bad boys..........I was 12!!!!! What did I know? Taken in by those who seemed to need understanding. My career path chosen! ('course I was pretty hell bent on being a doctor at age 12..........why mom and dad, did you not feed me to that fire)?

Flash forward, and Sandi discovers two things: Vampires (lovely conflicicted souls... ) & Teaching special eduction. I won't mention marrying the bad boy, DUH, that does not work at all.

I've found my calling in life. I love the kids I work with and believe that it is the duty of a special educator to believe in, protect, and advance the population we work with.

But when I need time to indulge in the fantasy world....I'll take Edward or any other lovely vampire anyday! :)

School's out for summer...school's out forever!

Yep! Another summer vacation begins. This one was touched with the sadness of having to say bye to my friend Mike who just retired this year. I really don't think I know how I even feel yet, but I know I'll feel a huge void in September. Bon Chance Mike! You know how to enjoy retirement. I wish you many years of health!

I really hate change, but I endeavor to embrace it. Today was such a mixed day.

Teaching is an odd carreer in that you have a fixed timeline. You get two new years in a way. September and January.

Teachers really need the time off...trust me, we do!

The Demon Rose

Redemption even exists in the natural world. I present to you, the "Demon Rose". Every year for three years in a row she would make only a few buds which would dry and whither before ever blooming. And then just today I happened to walk to that side of the house (I rarely go on that side) and I couldn't believe my eyes!!!! Isn't she a beauty?!?!?!? This weekend I have quite a lot of weeding in store after all the rain and humidity we've had!

It's been a great year for roses. Look at the other pictures I've added. I just dug up one at Mom's. She's an old-fashioned double pink with a great scent. She was so extensive underground that I hope I got enough of the root. She was traumatized, but it was cool today which should help her bounce back.