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!"