Classics Challenge: Wrap-up

Boy am I happy that this challenge lasted six months.  My pre-wedding lack of reading would not have allowed me to complete the challenge if it had been shorter (I was not able to complete this year's RIP.) But luckily I was able to read on in November and  December.  I changed my line-up midway through the challenge (what was I thinking with all of those chunksters?) but thankfully there are plenty of unread classics out there.

Here is a list of my completed books:

1.  The Handmaid's Tale (my modern classic)

2.  Wuthering Heights

3.  Frankenstein

4.  A Christmas Carol

5.  The Good Earth

6.  The Great Gatsby

My favorite book of the challenge was Wuthering Heights and my least favorite was The Great Gatsby.  I would love to participate in this challenge again.  I love the classics and this motivates me to read them.

Thanks Trish for hosting!  Great job!

Book Review: The Great Gatsby

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Originally Published: 1925

Read in: December 2008

Another book I have never read that most people read in high school is F. Scott Fitzgerald's  The Great Gatsby.  The majority of my classmates read this novel in my junior year of high school.  I'm not sure what we were reading in Mrs. King's class (I had amazing junior and senior year English teachers and I thank God daily that I chose the AP route) but it wasn't this book.

I can recall most of my classmates not liking the book very much. Maybe it is my lack of literary training, or my general preference for British literature, but I tend to agree with my 16-17 year old friends of yore.  I found the book slow and quite frankly boring.  Luckily it's small stature made it more bearable than some though and I was able to complete the book in a short period of time.

The story is told from the point of view of Nick Carraway, who rented a small cottage near the great and wealthy Jay Gatsby.  Nick meets Gatsby for the first time when attending one of his many lavish and popular parties.  A strange friendship then forms because Gatsby is in love with Nick's second cousin once removed, Daisy.  Daisy has a past with Gatsby and is married to a man named Tom, who is cheating on her.  Much of the action in this book revolves around these complicated love scandals.

At first I found this book confusing.  I was having trouble keeping up with all of the characters.  It picks up a bit about 100 pages in when the reader finds out more about Gatsby and his controversial rise to fame and fortune.  I found none of the characters enduring, which is not something I think Fitzgerald was aiming for, but I didn't like this quality nonetheless.  Overall I don't think I will be rereading the book anytime soon, and while it is indeed a classic, it's not necessarily my cup of tea.

This book completes the Classics Challenge!  A wrap-up post to follow...

Book Review: The Good Earth

Author: Pearl S. Buck

Date Originally Published: 1931

Read in: November/December 2008

My last two novels for the classics challenge are books that many of my high school classmates read, but somehow I missed out on them. I remember kids reading Pearl Buck's The Good Earth in ninth grade social studies classes.  My teacher did not assign this book.  I decided to read it because it won the Nobel Prize and it's a novel commonly assigned to teens in their courses.

The book follows the life of Wang Lung from the time of his marriage to the time of his death, during pre-revolutionary China. [Spoilers Below]  I was immediately drawn to the affairs of his family.  He experienced many hardships as a young man, mainly because of a meddling uncle and a drought. But with persistence and dedication to his land, he became very rich.  My favorite character by far was Wang Lung's first wife (he later takes a concubine), O-Lan, who birthed her own children (literally by herself) and was a steady force for the family.  Sadly, Wang Lung does not truly appreciate her until she is dying.  His tribute to O-Lan's death was a beautiful moment in the book.  While Wang Lung is tied to his land, his heirs are not.  Perhaps this is attributed to the revolution (which is only somewhat evident in the background) or because his sons were raised completely different from himself, in a life of luxury.  The sons' discussion to sell his land, nearly devastate Wang Lung near the end of his life.  While the sons reassure their father that they won't sell it, they smile in agreement behind his back to go against Wang Lung's wishes after his death.  [End Spoilers]

I thought this was a beautiful book.  If you're looking for a light and short classic read, I would highly recommend it.

Season of Giving

While there are many things in life that I'm frankly miserable about, Jon and I are very fortunate to have a secure living at the moment (knock on wood.)  Since last Christmas, we've been talking about donating to causes and we've finally taken the leap and have done just that.

This year we donated to two causes.  The first is fairly obvious.  I love Christmas... probably because I had such great childhood experiences.  Toys for Tots, a foundation of the USMC, is a wonderful program who is dedicated to helping kids during this time of the year. I hope we were able to help in some small way.

 

The second cause is very near and dear to our hearts.  The DRNA is a very special organization dedicated to placing dachshunds in loving homes.  Our children are far too spoiled to know how severely mistreated dogs can be, especially if they have the slightest medical problems.  We donated an emergency room visit this year and hope to give much more in the future.  Unfortunately, dachshunds are overbred to the point where you see a lot of them in animal shelters (this was not the case a few years back.)  I almost felt bad about getting our guys from a breeder, but I wouldn't give up Quincey and Meadow for the world, or our great experience with the breeder.

Anyways, if you are fortunate enough, I hope you consider giving to a cause this Christmas.  

November Books

Well, I feel like I made up for my reading rut this month.  I completed a whopping 8 books.  For the eighth review, see this post. Most of them were short and sweet, though, so I felt like I accomplished a lot.

First up was the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, The Subtle Knife.  This book continues exactly where The Golden Compass ends.  Introduced in this book, is one of my favorite characters, Will Parry.  Will is from our own world and is one of my favorite boy characters in all of literature.  This book is great because the reader travels to different worlds and also gets a better sense of the big picture and where Pullman is going.  This is both a former co-worker and my husband's favorite book in the trilogy.  I'm still completing my personal favorite, The Amber Spyglass.  I read it during my meal breaks at work, so it is slow going.

Next up was a book I've been meaning to read for a while, Small Steps by Louis Sachar.  This is a continuation of the book Holes although it focuses on a different character named Armpit. Armpit lives in Texas and is trying to rid himself of his bad boy image by taking small steps.  Unfortunately, trouble finds him in a ticket scalping scheme.  Through this, he meets a famous singer, who has many problems of her own.  A series of misunderstandings takes place before things are resolved and Armpit can continue his small steps.  This book was "meh."  It was a quick read, but not nearly as exciting as its predecessor.

Next up was Amy Kathleen Ryan's Vibes.  I actually saw the author speak at the Colorado Association for Libraries conference.  She was very engaging and talked about how this, her second book, was marketed better than her first novel for teens.  Vibes is about a girl who is convinced that she can read minds.  She is weird and not popular and is comfortable with this situation until she is assigned to a year long project with an older popular boy, who just happens to be her estranged best friend's older brother.  She is also dealing with her (also) estranged father's return from Africa, and the discovery that he has found another woman.  The main character is very endearing and this novel is a great example of how books inspire empathy.  This was an excellent light read.

Up next was the book that inspired the movie (which I have yet to see) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.  This book is awesome.  I wouldn't recommend it though if you happen to be offended by strong language, because there is plenty of it.  While I refuse to believe that all teens stay out all night partying with bands (it makes me again realize just how boring I was as a teen) I thought it was a very true representation of the current teen culture.  Most of the songs are not real, so don't go searching your favorite music site for them because the bands don't exist.  Overall, if you're looking for a quick, action-packed book, without blood, guts, and gore, than this is the book for you.  I loved it.

I then decided to dive into some nostalgia and read the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.  I read a few of these books back in middle school and thought it would be fun to read the series again, because now I can read more (she still publishes these.)  The Agony of Alice details the life of Alice during her 6th grade year.  Alice moves to a different town in Maryland, which of course means that she goes to a different school.  When she finds out that she is assigned to the frumpy teacher instead of the beautiful teacher, she becomes a brat and rebells in various fashions.  By the end of the year though, she has learned from her mistakes and comes to admire the frumpy teacher.  She also acquires new friends and even obtains a boyfriend by the end of the year.  This book is cute.  I distinctly remember being read this book in sixth grade, especially the part where Alice first menstruates.  It was an awkward moment listening to my teacher skirt around that!

My absolute (and unexpected) favorite read of the month was Siobhan Dowd's Bog Child.  I read her A Swift Pure Cry earlier in the year and was extremely saddened to find out that she passed away in 2007 from breast cancer.  I had nightmares the first night I started this book, and felt deeply affected by it the entire time I read it.  The novel takes place in Northern Ireland (near the southern border) during the early 1980s.  While illegally digging for peat with his uncle, Fergus discovers a body in the bog.  After the body is excavated, Fergus and a team discover that the bog woman is from the bronze age and her body had been in the bog well preserved for a very long time.  As Fergus struggles with his A levels and a brother on hunger strike in jail (think Northern Ireland in the early 80s) we learn the story of the ancient girl through Fergus's dreams.  While this book has some very sad parts, I thought it was beautifully written and I'm sad that Dowd is no longer with us.

Last, but not least, was another Alice book (expect a lot of these in the future.)  It's the summer between sixth and seventh grade and Alice is struggling with the demands of having a boyfriend and all that comes with it.  She also continues her friendship with two girls she met in sixth grade, Elizabeth and Pamela.  Alice notes her jealousy of her friends' looks and often remarks on her own lack of grace.  She often wonders why her boyfriend Patrick is even interested in her.  She experiences many firsts during the summer and enters junior high semi-confident from these firsts, yet somewhat uncertain of the future.  Again, a cute book

Well, that is it for November.  December will not bring as many reviews, but it's all about quality, not quantity, right?

Book Review: A Christmas Carol

Author: Charles Dickens

Date Originally Published: 1843

Read in: November 2008

I have loved this story since I was a kid.  My first encounter was Mickey's Christmas Carol that we recorded from TV and I am kind of embarrassed to admit that I still imagine the D!sney characters in place of Victorian figures.  My elementary school performed the play and I remember singing songs with the school's chorus and danced in the "hoedown" scene for our production.  Fortunately, one person reading this blog will remember this production as well.

Sadly, this is my first encounter with the actual story, but I loved it just the same.  Thankfully, my previous encounters stayed true to the actual work.  The story details a grumpy old miser who is extremely adverse to charity and merriment in general.  On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of a dead business partner, as well as ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future who help him reverse his miserly ways. I won't say anything more because most people know the story and if they don't, I sure don't want to ruin it for them!

I loved this book.  It was a quick and easy read, and I plan on reading it during the holidays for years to come!

More For Your Viewing Pleasure

This is a much better picture of a cookie tray (this was made for hubby's work.)  

Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Volume 1, Issue 2

OOPS!

Well, I worked about 60 hours last week, so I failed to chronicle the actual cookie baking process. I did, however, manage to capture my first cookie tray.  I made it for a work Christmas decorating meeting and we had so much food that barely anything was eaten.  Regardless, I'm proud of my tray.

Anyways, on the cookie tray:

-Spritz

-Mexican Wedding Cookies

-Coconut Macaroons

-Fudge (in the shape of bells)

-Peppermint Bark

-The Sue Peter sugar cookie trees with buttercream

I left out cake pops and will add peanut cluster for a tray headed to Jon's work sometime in the near future.

Sigh, if only I could do this everyday...

Whoh

I'm not sure where the time went, but I have a lot to update!

I'm currently doing a lot of soul searching (I will not elaborate) and am very thankful to have a wonderful little family of hubby and the dogs to help me through my interesting anxieties.

I have a couple of days off this week, so I will do my best to update.

Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Volume 1, Issue 1

So, I've decided to blog about my Christmas baking escapades.  Every year, my mom spreads the Christmas joy by baking cookies and giving them away.  I plan on doing the same, only on a much smaller scale (I guess there is a bonus to not knowing many people here in Colorado.)

Since my work schedule is hectic, I had to begin somewhat early (well relatively not so because my mom started like 3 weeks ago) with cookies that would store well.  I hope to have made about 10 to 15 different kinds by the time I start giving away plates.

So, where did I start?

I think it would be only fair to my husband to start with his favorite cookie, the Mexican Wedding Cookie (aka Mexican Wedding Cake, Italian Wedding Cookie, and Russian Tea Cakes.) Most have likely tried one of these before.  It's basically shortbread with ground nuts rolled and baked into a ball, then rolled in powdered sugar.  I'm not fond of them because I don't fancy pecans but Jon can down many of these in one sitting.

I used my favorite lady's recipe and I think they turned out well.  Here is a picture of the small tin I allowed for Jon (some are already missing.)  If you make these, you can freeze them before you roll them in powdered sugar.  Bring them out when ready to serve and roll away (the cookies in the picture were rolled once, but I suggest twice to make them look nicer.)

Today I made one of my favorite Christmas cookies, spritz (also called pressed cookies.)  These are the cookies that you make with a cookie press and they come in various shapes.  I can remember these being made for Christmas since I was very young.  I also remember my mom getting really angry with the cookie press, so much that I have been making them for her for the past couple of years.  The picture below shows the snowmen holding trees (yes, they're snowmen, not something dirty) and my family's traditional pink flowers.

Anyways, these turned out nice as well, so I'm very slowly on my way to having enough varieties to make a proper cookie plate.

More to come...

Quick Update

-Well, I took the plunge and CHOPPED my hair. I think a good 8 inches came off and my hair hasn't been this short in about 8 years. I think I'll get pictures this weekend and post them. I didn't show one ounce of emotion when I saw all of the hair on the ground, although, it's been very weird to not really have much hair to run my hands through (well, I'm sure my hands would have gotten stuck anyways from all the tangles.) Jon likes it too, so that's a plus!

-Another Christmasaholic and I have been assigned to decorate our pretty library at work for the holidays. And we have money to spend. This could get dangerous.

-Thanks to Camille, I'm finally thinking about Thanksgiving dinner now that we're only a week away. Thus far, all I've gotten has been the small turkey. Since we're only cooking for ourselves, we have a small lineup:

• Turkey
• Homemade stuffing
  
• Green Bean Casserole
• Smashed Potatoes
• Homemade crescent rolls
  
• Pumpkin chiffon pie

So, very basic, but we will also be decorating for Christmas that day, so I'll live vicariously through reading about fellow bloggers' Thanksgiving dinners.

Other than the above, I've been a YA reading fool. Good thing my job coincides with the literature I prefer!

Taking a Rest

So I've only worked a whopping two days this week.  I worked around 60 hours last week and we had Veteran's Day off, so I've had a few WONDERFUL days at home.  The dogs sure seem to appreciate it at least.  

While I've gotten minimal housekeeping done (I'll be doing plenty this weekend) I have managed to get around to some baking, which has been woefully sidelined since I have moved here.  First up was making my very own pumpkin puree which is surprisingly easy.  I could have used the canned stuff, which is honestly just as good, but there is immense satisfaction in making your own.  From that, I froze a couple of cups to make a pie for Thanksgiving, and with the rest I made some wonderful pumpkin butter.  I got the above two ideas from a co-worker, and Jon and I are very happy campers now. 

Well the butter is useless without bread.  I've been in to bread making lately and made some simple white bread.  This stuff is heaven and I highly recommend it to anybody.  Bread making is so easy with the mixer and I look forward to experimenting more when I have another week like this in the future.  

I hope to bake some more this weekend, including making what shall be the beginning of CHRISTMAS BAKING!

Why I'm Like My Mom : Issue 1

So, most women experience this revelation as they get older.  I'm not sure why it's always such a shock to me that I'm just like my mom.  I have people tell me often that we're alike in many ways, but it always surprises me because we we're more likely to argue than my dad and I. Lately though, our similarities have been very apparent and I figured it would be a good topic to blog about.  So I'll post our random, and what I think are quirky, similarities at various points in the future.

So what is the subject of our first similarity?  SALES which lead to HOARDING

So I'm shopping in the grocery store this evening and I suddenly have four pounds of unsalted butter in my cart.  Now, I already have two pounds at home, and I will need more butter over the next month because (again continuing my mom's tradition) I will be making cookie trays and will need the butter.  The butter was on sale though for about half of what is normally charged and I was in a state of absolute GLEE over it.  I know I would have done the same thing though if I didn't need the butter.

I remember "cataloging"/taking inventory (I should have known I would become a librarian) of my mom's pantry growing up and constantly complaining that she had, for example, 5 bottles of ketchup (and didn't even realize she had that many.)  She would tell me that she got the items on sale and would store them away for later use.  

Perusing my own pantry and seeing the multiple cans of crushed and diced tomatoes (I use them a lot) and canned pumpkin, all purchased on sale, I realize that I am very much like her and should slap myself on the wrist for ever criticizing her purchasing habits.

 

October Books

The name of the game for October books was censorship. First, the nationwide Big Read was going on, and my library was a participant. Second, the first weekend in October was the conclusion of ALA's Banned Books Week.  All of these books (actually, I'm unsure about Ender's Game ) were challenged in libraries.

First up was our choice for the Big Read, Ray Bradbury's  Fahrenheit 451.  I read this book in high school and thought it was "alright."  After reading it a second time, my opinion still stands, mainly because this tiny tiny book took me a whole month to read!  Anyways, the book is about a world where fire fighter start fires instead of suppressing them.  It's about a world where books are banned, not simply challenged, but banned.  The main character, Guy Montag is one of the firefighters, but his life is forever changed when he meets his strange teenage neighbor.  From here, Montag begins to question his world, and the reader follows his decisions and expected consequences.  The book is really good, but I enjoy reading more about Bradbury himself since he has led such an interesting life.  I can't believe he wrote this book in a matter of days.  I think this book took me so long to read because a colleague and I ended up presenting at a children's literature conference on the novel and censorship.  Even then, I found it tedious at times.

I've been meaning to read more Judy Blume forever (ha) and finally picked up the pre-teen favorite Are You There God?  It's Me, Margaret.  This book is great.  I can remember being 11 going on 12 and worrying about much of the same things.  Reading it at twice the age makes the book a bit more comical, but I think almost any girl can identify with Margaret and her thoughts and feelings.  I'd recommend this book to any female.

Next up was another challenged book that I had previously never heard of, although it did receive a Newbery Honor, called Olive's Ocean.  Also, after reading it, I failed to see why it was in the top 10 for most challenged books for 2007.  It's about a girl who visits her grandmother during the summer with her family.  One of her classmates, Olive, was killed in a bicycle accident and had written that the main character was one of the nicest people in her class, although they did not have much contact.  As the summer goes on, she experiences a few firsts (kiss and heartbreak) and also figures out a way to pay tribute to her fallen classmate.  Overall, I thought it was a very good book, but fail to see why a kiss is worthy of challenging a book.

I had recommended His Dark Materials to a friend, who ended up loving the series.  Watching her read it for the first time made me want to pick it up again as well.  I think Lyra is one of the most well rounded characters in modern young adult literature.  The worlds and imagery Philip Pullman creates are beautiful.  The Golden Compass, which is actually my least favorite of the three, is about a fierce girl named Lyra who lives in a world where a person's soul is represented by an animal companion.  She also lives in a world where children are being taken by people called "gobblers" and nobody knows exactly what happens to them other than they have something to do with the mysterious "dust" which is definitely not something that one sweeps.  I feel very strongly about this series and most everything that he writes.  Just because I don't agree 100% with his religious philosophy (which is usually misunderstood and incorrectly reported anyways) doesn't mean I can't read his books, find some common ground with them.

Finally, I have been meaning to read the sci-fi YA classic, Ender's Game for a while.  It's a total boy book, but it had me hooked from the beginning. It's about a 6 year old boy named Ender Wiggin who is chosen to go through training to save the world from the alien buggers.  He is placed in school to learn combat, and moves up in the ranks very fast.  He is constantly manipulated by his superiors to the point where a good majority of his classmates do not like him at times. Does Ender persevere, or does he crack under pressure?  This book was written in the 1970s and is way ahead of it's time. The gaming systems are similar to present day  video game systems.  There is also a system similar to the internet.  I loved this book, and heard it is one of Card's best.

November should be a decent reading month.  More His Dark Materials and maybe a classic... should be fun!

 

Survey

I was tagged by Ashley…

1. What time did you get up this morning? 5:50

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds, although Jon has given me my only diamonds, so they mean a lot to me.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? I think Wall-E (for the second time) back in July

4. What is your favorite TV show? Doctor Who and Jon and Kate Plus 8

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? I think I have cereal the most. Sometimes I make waffles or pancakes, sometimes Jon makes something, and sometimes I drive to the Loveland Chick-fil-A (thank goodness they have them in CO) on my way to work

6. What is your middle name? Sue

7. What food do you dislike? Raw tomatoes, cooked carrots, eggplant, squash, cantaloupe, kiwi… probably a lot of things that are good for you

8. What is your favorite CD at moment? I honestly like classical music and Breakfast with the Beatles on Sundays if we’re running errands

9. What kind of car do you drive? 2004 Honda CR-V (Wonda—yes, deliberately spelled differently)

10. Favorite Sandwich? I tend to think sandwiches are best when they are made by somebody else, so whichever one I am not making…

11. What characteristic do you despise? There are many behaviors that I find annoying, but I’m fairly certain that I despise deliberate and (sometimes) petty hatred.

12. Favorite item of clothing? Is it sad to say house clothes because they’re comfortable?

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? There is a very large running list that Jon and I have created, but NZ tops it.

14. Favorite brand of clothing? J. Crew

15. Where would you retire to? I’m not sure, but I know I would not retire to Florida

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? Not sure… I always seem to be working on my birthdays.

17. Favorite sport to watch? I don’t watch sports.

18. When is your birthday? April 2nd

19. Are you a morning person or night? Definitely morning

20. What is your shoe size? 8 – 8.5

21. Pets? 2 dachshunds!

22. Any new and exciting news you would like to share with us? I was accepted into a Colorado Libraries’ Leadership program

23. What did you want to be when you were little? I remember the following: dog trainer, paleontologist, teacher

24. How are you today? alright

25. What is your favorite candy? I love candy… but Jon and I really love gummy stuff and M&Ms. My favorites are Swedish Fish and Peanut Butter M&Ms

26. What is your favorite flower? dahlias

27. What is a day on your calendar you are looking forward to? Christmas. Rather, the day we get our tree and decorate the house!

28. What is your full name? I have a very unique full name. This is especially so now that I am married… not going to display

29. What are you listening to right now? Matthew speaking to me.

30. What was the last thing you ate? Halloween fruit snacks… yay for toddlers trick or treating at the library!

31. Do you wish on stars? Shooting stars yes

32. If you were a crayon what color would you be? Hmmm… cerulean?

33. How is the weather right now? Sunny and warmer than expected for Colorado at this time of the year

34. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? A girl from Evans, CO

35. Favorite soft drink? Root Beer

36. Favorite Restaurant? Danthai back home in Georgia

37. Real Hair Color? Dirty blonde… yuck!

38. What was your favorite toy as a child? Rub-A-Dub Doggy! And My Little Ponies

39. Summer or winter? I like it all… but mostly the change of seasons

40. Hugs or kisses? I am not a touchy person… hugs

41. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla

42. Coffee or tea? Tea. Earl Grey please…

43. When was the last time you cried? My wedding reception when my cousin did her maid of honor speech

44. What is under your bed? Feathers and likely something that was dragged there by Quincey

45. What did you do last night? Jon worked on a cabinet set he’s building in a nook leading down to the basement for all of our entertaining stuff that we can’t fit in our kitchen. I wrote thank you notes and made dinner. I also read a few chapters of Philip Pullman.

46. What are you afraid of? Standard Poodles, Checking the bathrooms at work before closing, hamburger helper, and a long list of real worries

47. Salty or sweet? I have an enormous sweet tooth

48. How many keys on your key ring? I think 4

49. How many years at your current job? 3 months

50. Favorite day of the week? Any day that Jon and I have off and we can hang out

51. How many places have you lived in? 1. Lilburn, GA 2. Athens, GA 3. Bloomington, IN 4. Snellville, GA 5. Fort Collins, CO

52. Do you make friends easy? I have become painfully shy, and I suspect that I always have been, so no.

53. What is a pet peeve? I have many, but none important enough to list.

54. We all waste time. What do you do that wastes the most time? The computer is hands down my biggest waste of time

55. Are you a nerd? I’m a librarian. hmmmm

56. Fiction of nonfiction? Hands down, fiction…

57. What is something that you miss? I need to write a blog about how unsentimental I am. But I do miss being within driving proximity of my mom.

58. Have any hobbies? Reading, baking, cleaning house. I hope to expand into other crafty endeavors soon.

59. What is something you're passionate about? I think if I have to narrow it down to one thing it would be intellectual freedom.

60. What is something you've learned from your current job? I have learned that I enjoy reference much more in a public library because people appreciate you help a lot more than frantic university students.

Tag yourself!

Reading

Sigh... one of the things I miss most about Georgia is reading. I was fairly steady here in Colorado until I started my new job. I now work a completely different schedule from Brenau. That combined with a bit more upkeep at home and 2 four legged friends to watch has severely limited my reading time. I can read during lunch breaks and sometimes I sneak in a chapter at home, but lately I've been finding myself drawn to the television, mainly because Jon is there and I want to spend time with him. I'll blog later about my "large family obsession" via The Learning Channel.

Anyways, I'm doing my best at the moment. I started Ann Radcliffe's Mysteries of Udolpho but the size frightened me, so I put it down. I recommended the His Dark Materials series to a friend here in Colorado and witnessing her reading it for the first time (she loved it by the way) made me want to read it again as well. So, I'm reading the series again and loving it. Also on my list are other YA favorites like Ender's Game and Small Steps (I liked Holes, but heard that this one isn't as good.) I have skipped Tale of Two Cities as my Dickens read for the year and will substitute it with A Christmas Carol during December. I also still need to read 2 other classics to complete the Classics Challenge, since I will not be able to finish R.I.P this year (very sad.)

Overall, I'm trying, but I'm much worse at balancing life and reading than most people. I'm very jealous of those of you who can and would like to know your secrets, because I'm obviously doing a very poor job with my time!

Making the Switch

Since people were very generous to us during our wedding, we were not only able to put enough money in the bank to be able to pay off our New Zealand trip (currently scheduled for November 2009) but we were also able to get one of these bad boys. We were planning to finance one as our Christmas present to each other, but we had enough cash to pay it off at once.

We're very excited. We both used Macs a ton in graduate school and I have been lusting after one for three years now. In fact, I was going to get one when I graduated, but my need to save was far too overwhelming at that point (it still is, but we splurged.) We got many congratulations in the store and I now feel like I've joined a new exclusive club or something.

Jon and I hope to become proficient at this machine, so wish us luck!

I'm Back!

I've decided to make the effort to blog more.  What is the point of having a blog if I don't even post?  In my defense, I've been trying to get used to a new state, job, and planning my wedding, which is now over, so I have time to write, or do I?  I have quite a bit to talk about.  I tend to lose interest in long blog entries, so I might be writing several small one topic blogs over the next few weeks.  Some of these topics shall include the following:

-My dogs

-Wedding

-Obsession with large families

-Books and reading (or lack thereof)

-Upcoming events

-Christmas obsession

I would like to blog about other things like work and politics, but just know that my work schedule is far more busy and full of professional development than I expected, and I chose a long time ago not to campaign, although I have enjoyed reading some interesting/informative posts (and some of the sometimes harsh comments) on blogs.  I commend you all for taking advantage of the first amendment (as a librarian, I defend this right everyday), but for now, I shall remain neutral.  

Anyways, I have the afternoon off, so maybe I'll post on one of my topics sooner rather than later!

I'm Married...

YAY!

Hmmm...

There are quite a few things/people (don't worry, you're 99.9% likely NOT one of them) on my "suck it" list currently, but time is definitely number 1 because it's truly getting the best of me.

I wish there were more hours in the day!

Mission 101 August Update

Confused?

Accomplished:
31. Host some form of a get-together once per quarter.
Had friends over for Labor Day
36. Watch the original Star Wars trilogy.
Now seeing the prequels (not as good)
43. Do not commute to any job more than 30 minutes, unless our financial independence relies on it. School would be an exception.
Just barely accomplished this one
61. Dog-proof the house.
72. Have at least a part time job by October, whether it be as a librarian or something else.
Currently a work-a-holic
79. Attend church more often.
99. Find a good and safe place to board the dog(s) when traveling.
Right now, they're set to go to the breeder when we get married.


In Progress:

10. Continue to pay bills in full and on time.
11. Continue to stay credit card debt free (neither Jon nor I have ever been in cc debt) and continue to only use cards for what we can afford.
16. Continue to contribute any small amount to the high interest travel fund.
17. Stay insured for health and dental even if unemployed.
18. Do not impulse buy books because they'll likely be donated within the year anyways.
24. Practice new cooking recipes to become a decent cook and not focus so much on baking.
25. Get used to high altitude baking.
29. Get a dog and successfully train and socialize it. (TWO!!!)
33. Watch all Doctor Who DVDs available on Netflix.
52. Eat red meat at the most twice per week, preferably less.
56. Never leave dishes unwashed.
84. Read 100 classic novels that I have not previously read. (2)

Failure:
45. Eliminate coffee to very special occasions and drink only tea for caffeine needs.
I drink coffee a lot more now than I did in Georgia. It only has skim milk added though, so I don't worry too much
46. Drink only one soda per week.
Yeah, we have some nice root beer in the house...

Book Review: Frankenstein

Author: Mary Shelley
Date Originally Published: 1818
Start Date: August 27th
Completion Date: September 4th

Frankenstein is yet another classic novel that I have been meaning to read over the years. I initially knew enough about the book to know that Frankenstein is not the monster himself, but the creator of the monster. However, I had no clue of the novel's eloquence and emotion.

Most people know the story of Frankenstein. A man with a vision creates what he hopes to be the perfect human out of inanimate materials. When this creation comes to life, Frankenstein realizes that the new human is so ugly that he is terrifying. Confused and hurt by his creator's (and others) repulsion, the monster has a difficult time comprehending his new body, emotions, and not to mention language acquisition (could you imagine being born adult?) The monster develops a deep revenge for his creator and vows to follow him throughout events in his life and even seeks to murder Frankenstein's family and friends. By the end of the book, many lives are in peril and the novel serves as a reminder that nobody should mess with mother nature.

I enjoyed this book for many reasons. First, I admired the eloquence of all the characters, even the monster (to the point where I find myself sympathizing with him at certain points.) The book is beautifully written and the plot evokes some beautiful imagery and emotion. Second, Frankenstein is indeed the modern retelling of the Prometheus myth. He discovers something initially thought to be great and wonderful for society, but in actually many horrors come with his creation. Frankenstein himself, like Prometheus, also suffers consequences for his actions. Third, I think it's great that a classic novel was written as a result of friendly competition between great writers/poets when they were stuck inside during an unusually cold summer.

Most people have read this book, but I highly recommend it if you haven't gotten around to it yet.

August Books

I've somewhat given up on reading more than 3 books per month with my new life in Colorado. It's a sad, but true revelation and I should be happy that I'm even reading 3 at this point. I've already reviewed one book, but here is a recap of the others.

After Wuthering Heights, it was time to pick up the last in the Twilight Saga (have I mentioned that I think it's stupid that they call the series a saga???) Breaking Dawn. I've kind of stuck with the series, despite being constantly annoyed with the main character. I do love my vampires though and the imagery of the Northwest is always enticing. Anyways, I won't detail any of the plot because it would really give everything away. I will say that the book has A LOT to take in, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that Bella wasn't so whiny and desperate as she usually has been in the previous three books (granted, I realize that teenagers are this way, but it still doesn't mean that I can't be annoyed with her off and on.) I think the series was tied up nicely though and I'm glad that she decided to stop at 4 books. It's best to end well while you're still ahead I suppose.



I've been meaning to re-read some Madeleine L'Engle since she sadly passed away last year. I decided to read the Austin Family series because they always make me feel good and remind me of my childhood. Meet the Austins is a detailed account of the lives of the Austin family told by one of the daughters, Vicky. I think Vicky is one of my favorite characters in literature. She's sweet, but tempered and has many faults. Things get crazy for her family when a friend dies in a plane crash and the co-piolot's daughter is left without a home. The spoiled girl, Maggy, has trouble adjusting to her new temporary home, but eventually settles and dreams of a more permanent situation away from her rich, but uncaring biological family. The plot in these stories isn't the most exciting ever, but sometimes I need something simple and sweet. It was perfect for me as I started my new job.

I'm almost finished with Frankenstein, which I am really enjoying, and then it's on to try House of Leaves if I can stand the scariness!

R.I.P. III Challenge

I'm very excited to enter my second R. I. P. Challenge hosted by Carl. The challenge includes anything mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, horror, Gothic, and supernatural... basically my favorite books. I'm super excited!

I haven't quite decided which peril I'm going to do. Normally, I'd complete Peril the First (4 books) but I know with having just moved, started a new job, and getting two puppies, I'm not reading very much and what I am reading isn't being read too fast. Plus, I'm getting married in October, and I don't anticipate reading much during that month (which is sad, because I love October reading.) Regardless, I'll do my best because I finally live in a state that reaches fall before late November! Anyways, I'm going to try for Peril the Second, but will likely finish Peril the Third.

Below is my list of potential reads:

-Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (I've never read it)
-House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
-The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H. P. Lovecraft
-The Monk by Matthew Lewis
-The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe (also to be completed for the Classics Challenge)

It's a short list and most of these are classics, but I bet that they will keep me occupied for quite a while. Thanks Carl for hosting this awesome challenge!

Whirlwind

It's amazing how much my life has changed in one month. On July 16th, I was getting ready to go to bed on the eve of my departure from Brenau. Since then, I've driven across the country, started living with a boy, interviewed for a job, accepted a job offer, began said job (and worked 11 days straight,) lost a grandfather to cancer, got two puppies, and have had absolutely no time to read (I've been on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone since last Monday.)

I've dealt with things as best as possible. My stomach has paid the price of my ruined nerves and I expect to deal with the grief of losing a loved one next weekend when we drive to Illinois for the memorial service. Luckily, some of the change is good and is there to balance all of the sad and stressful events. I wouldn't change living with Jon or the pups for anything!

It has been cold (mid 50s) over the past couple of days due to some needed rain. Today it finally cleared up and I was able to take the dogs out back without my umbrella. The air was crisp and the Colorado sky was so pretty. I think it was my first "zen" moment since I've been here. I felt at peace and happy watching the pups run around, even though the potty training hasn't been going too well today (exceptionally, and I hope that they don't keep this up.) I'm really looking forward to fall here and all I can think about right now is making chili, reading some Gothic novels, and wearing coats and prettier clothes.

I'll take these zen moments when I can get them because before I know it, I'll be back to working on my ever expanding "to do" lists!

New (and very adorable) puppy pictures to come.

Book Review: Wuthering Heights

Author: Emily Brontë
Date Originally Published: 1847
Start Date: July 16th
Completion Date: August 1st

The first book I completed for the 2008 Classics Challenge (well, besides the bonus book) was Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. I've been meaning to get around to this book for over a year now (ever since I read and fell in love with her sister's Jane Eyre) so I'm glad this challenge helped me with my goal.

The novel is not by any means a happy one because it is centered around almost lifelong revenge. Heathcliff, the main character, is a foundling raised by the Earnshaw family who lives at Wuthering Heights. While Heathcliff and his foster sister, Catherine, become quick and inseparable friends, his older foster brother, Hindley, resents him. This is ultimately realized when the children's father dies a few years later and Hindley takes over the estate and forces Heathcliff to work as a hired hand. While this is a blow to Heathcliff's ego, he is more hurt by Catherine's friendship and eventual marriage to Edgar Linton, a neighbor at Thrushcross Grange. After Hindley dies, (at this point Heathcliff has taken over Wuthering Heights because Hindley has taken too many loans from Heathcliff) Heathcliff seems focused only on revenge, and draws mostly himself, but servants and children of all adults involved as well.

I enjoyed this novel, although not quite as much as Charlotte's Jane Eyre (but that's not saying much because I think Jane Eyre is my favorite book.) The complexity of the characters' relationships and the consequences of misunderstandings, the insanity displayed by many of the characters, and even Heathcliff's dark physical appearance create a (to me) beautiful Gothic setting. I tend to love the Gothic though, and I don't recommend reading this book if one is in a paricular bad mood or feeling down.

Overall, I'm glad I read it. I think my next Brontë will be Charlotte's Villette.

July Books

I was able to complete 4 books during the month of July (Wuthering Heights missed the deadline by one day.) For the fourth review, click here.

First up was another Anya Seton novel. Dragonwyck takes place in America during the early to mid 1800s and is centered around a farm girl, Miranda, who happens to have wealthy distant relatives. The rich cousin, Nicholas, writes to her mother giving one of the daughters an opportunity to live at Dragonwyck, a large manor near the Hudson river, as a companion to his daughter. Upon arrival, Miranda's naive notions of both life as a privileged person, as well as life in general, really stick out. Miranda witnesses a profound unhappiness between Nicholas and his wife. Since Nicholas shows her more affection, Miranda develops feelings for her cousin, that are realized after Nicholas' wife mysteriously dies. Miranda is sent home, only to have Nicholas come and pick her up a year later as his wife. Only then does Miranda open her eyes to truly bizarre behavior and events at Dragonwyck. But is it too late for Miranda?

After finishing The Handmaid's Tale, I decided to try some nonfiction (which is a rare event for me.) I saw that Your Own, Sylvia was in one of those "Teens Top 10" lists made by YALSA, so I decided to give it a whirl because I did enjoy reading The Bell Jar last year. Basically, the book is a bunch of free verse poems told by different people involved in Plath's life, or poems by Plath herself. The poems follow her life chronologically. The poems were surprisingly believable and not at all cheesy. I even got the "I'm-a-total-douche" feeling from Ted Hughes after the two had been married for a while. What I really liked about the book were the biographical snippets at the end of each poem. This book was one of those fast reads, and I'm glad I picked it up, if only to read some nonfiction. I struggle with any sort of poetry, but I enjoyed this.

Last, but not least was my very first Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I picked up A Study in Scarlet both because it was the first Sherlock Holmes book, and because my mom had it lying around the house. The book is very short and details the initial meeting of the famous duo, Holmes and Watson, a murder in London (complete with words on the wall written with blood) as well as the origins of the crime which take place in Utah during the 1800s (just when the Mormons were settling.) I thought the novel was brilliant, especially how Doyle included the American back story. I will eventually get around to more of these.


August should begin a month of new classics, as well as children's/young adult rereads. I plan on reading some Dickens, as well as rereading on of my favorite Madeleine L'Engle series, and last but not least a rereading of all the Harry Potter novels in anticipation for the 6th movie.

Mission 101--July 2008

Remember my 101 goals??? Well, this all started for me on the 18th, so here is my in-progress update for the end of July.

Completed:

36. Watch the original Star Wars trilogy. Absolutely LOVED it! I am intrigued by the prequels, but have not heard good things...

38. Go to at least one festival (food, Renaissance, etc.) My parents and I attended Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming and had a blast! We did not see the rodeo though...

43. Do not commute to any job more than 30 minutes, unless our financial independence relies on it. School would be an exception. My new job's commute will be somewhere between 25 and 30 minutes... cutting it close!

72. Have at least a part time job by October, whether it be as a librarian or something else.

In progress:

2. Pick up some form of sewing or knitting and have one project completed. This will likely be "in progress" for a while, but I learned how to crochet! I have a pattern as well. It's a pound puppy, remember those??? But I need to get the basics down before I move on to a complicated pattern, so it's going to be a while.

10. Continue to pay bills in full and on time.

11. Continue to stay credit card debt free (neither Jon nor I have ever been in cc debt) and continue to only use cards for what we can afford.

17. Stay insured for health and dental even if unemployed. I may have a new job, but there will be a gap in my insurance, so I got some individual insurance to cover that period of time.

25. Get used to high altitude baking. NOT EASY!

56. Never leave dishes unwashed.

84. Read 100 classic novels that I have not previously read. I'm currently on number 1. I need to get to reading!


Thinking about it:

61. Dog-proof the house. This needs to happen, and soon!

66. Make a set and realistic house cleaning schedule and stick to it.

Tagged

I was tagged by Camille to do one of these what I would like to call, "Old Folks Quizzes" since it dates back 20 years...

Tag yourself if you want to do it as well!

The Twenty-Year Meme

20 years ago I:

1. Lived in Lilburn, GA

2. Was getting ready to go into first grade

3. Had my mom crimp my hair every day

4. Had a Chihuahua named Currie

5. Played wiffle ball with my brother and dad in the front yard

6. Was in love with my newly pierced ears


10 years ago I:

1. Still lived in Lilburn, GA

2. Was getting ready to enter my junior year in high school

3. Was likely at band camp for my second year on the color guard

4. Had a “country” boyfriend

5. Could drive by myself

6. Was pretty much attached to Adrian, Paige, and Ashley T.


5 years ago I:

1. Lived in Athens, GA, but wasn’t actually living there

2. Was entering my senior year at UGA

3. Was marching my age-out season with Carolina Crown

4. Was about 25 pounds heavier, mind that most of it was pure muscle

5. Was the most tan I’ve ever been

6. Only thought about color guard


3 years ago I:

1. Lived in Bloomington, IN

2. Was working an internship in Quincy, IL

3. Was probably the most miserable I’ve ever been (and I made myself that way)

4. Was getting ready to enter my second year of graduate school to become a super librarian

5. Had just completed Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

6. Had short hair


So far this year I:

1. Have read 39 books

2. Left my job at Brenau :(

3. Have been engaged for 9 months

4. Moved to Colorado

5. Secured two wonderful puppies and am eagerly anticipating them

6. Interviewed for jobs and received one offer


Yesterday I:

1. Met with Jon and a priest to discuss pre-cana

2. Made breakfast for dinner

3. Cleaned out the pantry and refrigerator

4. Asked our breeder 500 questions about the dogs

5. Kind of, not really, watched Magnolia with Jon

6. Forgot to make the bed


Today I:

1. Am in the process of making French bread (haven’t figured out this baking in high altitudes thing yet)

2. Hope to hear from my job about my background check

3. Hope to see pictures of puppies

4. Plan on having steak for dinner

5. Hope to talk to Adrian via email

6. Will pay my credit card bill


Tomorrow I will:

1. Clean something

2. Unpack something

3. Read more Wuthering Heights

4. Take a walk

5. Watch a netflix movie

6. Plan a meal


In the next year I will:

1. Still live in Fort Collins, CO

2. Become a mommy to twin doggies

3. Get married

4. Plan an overseas trip

5. Become more active in both the community and in general

6. Take up crocheting

Decisions, Decisions

Well, it's been quite a week for me. I'm not even remotely settled, mainly because I've been spending time with my parents. Time just seems to slip away from me as it usually does and tomorrow will mark one week in Colorado.

Yesterday was huge. I received a job offer from a nearby public library system. I accepted it because this is my chance to do outreach to the community, even if it is not the county I live in, while I still have the flexibility in schedule to do so. I also liked the people who interviewed me. They were in a tight situation, yet still managed to crack jokes. The people I worked with were the key to my happiness at Brenau, so hopefully things will go well over the next few weeks, because I'm not a fan of starting new jobs (I hate the learning curve.)

I also visited puppies for the first time yesterday. Jon and I were unbelievably excited to pick the little boy, Tony, who I've been eying for weeks. He's spunky and sweet and was definitely the biggest show off in the crowd. We even got the first family photo. He will be named Quincey, a name for one of my favorite characters in literature, as well as the name of the town (spelled differently) where Jon and I will be married.

Quincey

It was a great experience, but we definitely fell in love with a little girl puppy as well. Her name is Meadow and she has the sweetest eyes and is super chill. I'm pretty sure had Jon not known that I wanted Tony so badly, he would have snatched her up. She definitely struck a chord with me as well, so today after a plea for advice from Ashley (Jon's best friend who got us interested in dachshunds) Jon called our breeder and it looks like we'll be taking her home as well come two weeks from now when they're ready to go.

Breeder's picture of Meadow, since we didn't snap many photos of her on our visit

I cried when I found out we were going to be taking her home because it felt like we made the right decision, despite knowing how overwhelming this situation is going to be. Jon and I were going to get two dogs eventually anyways, and I feel a lot better knowing that they have that brother/sister bond, so they should get along while Jon and I work, etc.

So, we'll be welcoming two, instead of one, lovely dachshunds into our lives come two weeks from now!

Getting Settled

Well, I made it to Colorado. My last day of work was on Thursday and leaving Brenau was the only time I teared up throughout the entire move. I will definitely miss the sarcastic outlet and the laughs. Friday my parents, my brother, and I loaded up the moving truck in record time and my parents and I left Snellville at 10am. We spent the night in Mount Vernon, IL. The next day was spent maneuvering Missouri, and a large chunk of Kansas, including a stop to see the world's largest prairie dog in Oakley, Kansas. Awesome.

We arrived Sunday and we've been going full speed since then. I don't think it has quite hit me that I'm really going to be living here now, instead of vacationing, mainly because my parents are here for the week doing just that. I really did enjoy my two years back in Georgia, but it's time to move on. I have to figure out how to live with a boy, meet new people, and drive in the snow (again.)

I miss everybody in Georgia, but being with the one you love is definitely worth it.

Oh and R.I.P. Estelle Getty. Thank you for being a friend!

Crazy

This personal update will be in list form.

-Moving to Colorado on Friday! We should be in town come Sunday afternoon. Wow, there is so much to do before then, including:

• Work 25 hours and make sure everything is in place for the next person who will arrive in August. Sadly, I was the only person doing this nature of work at the library, so I might be taking some phone calls or even coming back at some point in August.
• Try on altered wedding dress and pray that it fits.
  
• Pack. I'm still not finished. Granted, a lot is done at this point, but my wardrobe and other essentials are still around and I have many boxes to take down to the garage to await loading on the truck.
• Prepare for a job interview at 1pm Monday. I did this in Georgia too. I got back from Indiana one day and interviewed the next day.

-Rosie the chocolate and tan dachshund had her puppies! Okay, so she had them 4 weeks ago. There are two boys, two girls, all chocolate and tan, and 3 of them are long haired dachshunds! Jon and I have taken a particular liking to the long hairs, so this is good news for us. We will visit sometime next week and should actually get the dog come mid-August.

-I'm currently reading Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. I like it so far and for once, I have no clue what I'm going to read next. I might do one of Madeleine L'Engle's series, or I might dive in to Harry Potter again, which I will have to do sometime soon since the 6th movie comes out in a few months.

That's all I have at this point. The move is pretty much taking over my life!