Book Review: The Mists of Avalon

Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Date Originally Published: 1983
Start Date: May 16th
Completion Date: June 12th

My last book for the Once Upon a Time Challenge is also one of my all time favorites! The Mists of Avalon is basically a retelling of Arthurian Legend from Morgan le Fay's (Morgaine) point of view.

My first taste of King Arthur was T. H. White's The Once and Future King back in the tenth grade. I wasn't very bookish in high school, and I had to read the book as an assignment, so I wasn't exactly interested in the plot. I imagine that I would thoroughly enjoy the book today, but my 15 year old mind found White's version left much to be desired.

Fast forward three years or so as I'm browsing my local book store. I came upon The Mists of Avalon and recall class discussions and positive reviews, so I decided to give it a try. I fell in love from the first page. MZB manages an emotional retelling of the legend that is also unique for its sympathy to Morgaine, who is normally portrayed as a sorceress. The book also features other women such as Igraine, Morgause, and Gwynhwyfar, some who had previously been auxiliary to the legend. She also portrays several religious truths, without being biased towards one particular form of worship. She finds common ground between the Pagan and Christian religions. She also expands on this theme in other books in the Avalon series (these books aren't as good overall though.) I

Anyways, I fell so in love with this novel, that when the time came to planning my England trip three years ago, I knew I had to visit at least one of the landmarks mentioned in the book. So, I dragged my aunt and cousin to Glastonbury to see the Tor, what was left of the abbey, and the Chalice Well gardens for one day during my week based in Reading, which is luckily a train hub.

We ended up climbing the Tor, which was much more difficult than I thought it would be because it was fairly cold and very windy. While my cousin discovered her fear of heights, my aunt and I enjoyed the view of the country and the town filled with New Age shops and vegetarian restaurants. Also, apparently Marion Zimmer Bradley's ashes were also scattered there.

The abbey ruins were beautiful. Pictured above in the background is the oldest intact dining hall in the world (or the country, I can't remember.) King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's supposed graves are also here, but my camera decided to die before I could actually take a picture of the site.


The Chalice Well Gardens attract a lot of Pagans and Christians alike who come to drink the red water (it's supposed to have healing properties) and see the Chalice Well. It was a beautiful and interesting place.

Overall, we really enjoyed our trip to Glastonbury. My aunt was happy to visit a place that she previously would not have considered, and I was excited to see many of the places I had imagined while reading The Mists of Avalon.

This was a great way for me to end the Once Upon a Time Challenge. I will definitely be back for the R.I.P Challenge in the fall again this year, because Carl's challenges are always so much fun!

2008 Classics Challenge

Well, in my 101 goals for 1,001 days, I promised myself that I would complete 100 classic novels. The 2008 Classics Challenge hosted by Trish is a good place to start. Plus, I finally have reason to dive into my never ending TBR classics pile. The challenge runs from July to December 2008.

I'm going to complete option 1 and read 5 classics. I will also complete the bonus read (actually I will read that book first, since it is on loan from the library and I'm moving to Colorado on July 18th) of a book not necessarily considered a classic, but should be, or will be someday.

Anyways, here's my list:

1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë-- Yes, I've never read this before. I loved Charlotte's Jane Eyre, and expect Emily's tale to leave me just as enthralled.

2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens-- I'm convinced that I need to read one Dickens novel per year and have heard great things about this one.

3. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh-- I am eagerly anticipating this book.

4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley-- Another classic I haven't gotten around to yet... likely to be completed for Carl's R.I.P. Challenge as well.

5. The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe-- Gothic 18th century goodness and will likely also be completed for Carl's R.I.P. Challenge.

Bonus: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood-- I loved The Robber Bride, so I expect to enjoy this one as well.

Thanks Trish for hosting the challenge!

Mission 101

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Start Date: July 18th, 2008
End Date: April 15th, 2011

Creativity:

1. Experiment with food design and making food look pretty (and taste good too.)
2. Pick up some form of sewing or knitting and have one project completed.
3. Draw and paint again .
4. Ask Jon to teach me basic photography techniques.
5. Ask Jon to teach me basic Photoshop techniques.
6. Make something with the bulk of dried lavender I accidentally bought last year.

Financial:

7. Establish a ROTH-IRA to supplement any retirement earned through an employer.
8. Start contributing to a cause... likely something to help animals and people who help animals (Humane Society or some ASPCA.)
9. Make an effort to tithe more.
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.
12. Pay off Wonda, my car.
13. Get Jon a new car/truck, and only after my car is paid in full to avoid two car payments.
14. Prioritize major purchases for the house and only purchase another major item when the item of higher priority is paid in full.
15. Only dip into high interest savings either in a dire emergency or to use towards school.
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.

Food:

19. Bake at least one confection per week, excepting vacations.
20. Grow an herb garden.
21. Bake bread more often and learn how to hand knead.
22. Better icing technique and piping skills.
23. Attempt a fancy pastry like a napoleon or an éclair, or reattempt the French macaroon.
24. Practice new cooking recipes to become a decent cook and not focus so much on baking.
25. Get used to high altitude baking.
26. Bake a soufflé (stole this one from Amanda.)
27. Start getting milk products from a dairy delivery service instead of the grocery store.
28. Learn how to cook an authentic foreign dish.

Fun Times:

29. Get a dog and successfully train and socialize it.
30. Get a bike and use it.
31. Host some form of a get-together once per quarter.
32. Have board/card game nights as much as possible.
33. Watch all Doctor Who DVDs available on Netflix.
34. Go see a drum corps show if they come to Denver at any point, since I haven't been to one in a while.
35. Watch one watered down horror movie with Jon... during the day time... when it's sunny.
36. Watch the original Star Wars trilogy.
37. Attend some sort of theater event.
38. Go to at least one festival (food, Renaissance, etc.)

Health/Environment:

39. Pick up an activity/hobby that requires exercise and/or being outside.
40.Walk as much as possible.
41. Join a club of some sort in Fort Collins to meet new people.
42. Make an effort to get out more.
43. Do not commute to any job more than 30 minutes, unless our financial independence relies on it. School would be an exception.
44. Continue using reusable bags at grocery stores.
45. Eliminate coffee to very special occasions and drink only tea for caffeine needs.
46. Drink only one soda per week.
47. Replace all lamp bulbs with energy efficient ones.
48. Get a physical once every 3 years.
49. Go to the dermatologist every other year.
50. Wear sunscreen when exposed to the sun for long periods of time.
51. Learn to ski (I've never tried.)
52. Eat red meat at the most twice per week, preferably less.
53. Eat at least 3 servings of fruit/vegetables per day.
54. Start stretching and become limber again.
55. Learn how to shoot a gun.


Home/Organizing:

56. Never leave dishes unwashed.
57. Plant flowers and bushes around the house and maintain them to become a better gardener.
58. Decorate tastefully for Halloween, Christmas, and Easter.
59. Do not decorate for Christmas before the day after Thanksgiving (yeah, I might fail at this one.)
60. Devise a storage system for kitchen items.
61. Dog-proof the house.
62. Put up dry wall in the garage and devise an organized system for Jon's stuff.
63. At least make plans to have the basement refinished so Jon can have his office/man cave.
64. Get a bedroom set.
65. Establish the guest room.
66. Make a set and realistic house cleaning schedule and stick to it.

Learning/Career:

67. Consider schooling for possible new paths and try to avoid student loans to finance education.
68. Pick up French and Italian again, or learn Spanish, as it is more practical.
69. Read at least 3 history texts, mainly in European history (one on England, one on France, and one on Eastern Europe.)
70. Take a business or entrepreneur course if switching careers.
71. Re-read The Elements of Style by Strunk and White since I'm awful at grammar and writing, as well as other grammar books.
72. Have at least a part time job by October, whether it be as a librarian or something else.
73. Vote in 2008 election.

Personal:

74. Get married and change my last name.
75. Make an effort to start my marriage off on the right foot by establishing alone time, us time, and keeping communication open.
76. Establish a living will.
77. Consider pregnancy or adoption by the age of 29 (having a child by 30.)
78. Be less private about my relationship with God, but do not overstep boundaries and do not rub religion in people's faces.
79. Attend church more often.
80. Get to know the in-laws better, as well as my own family.
81. Learn how to drive a stick shift.
82. Have my hair cut at least 5 inches sometime after the wedding.
83. Make an effort to be more social and pursue quality friendships.

Reading:

84. Read 100 classic novels that I have not previously read.
85. Read one book outside of my comfort zone.
86. Read and complete a Tolstoy novel (Anna Karenina was a failure for me.)
87. Read all current and past Printz, Newbery, and Caldecott Medal Winners.
88. Attempt the Lord of the Rings trilogy again.

Travel:

89. Visit at least 10 national parks that neither Jon nor I have previously visited.
90. See New Zealand.
91. Visit at least 2 of the 4 states I have left to see in the U.S. (Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, Idaho.)
92. Get back to Europe, preferably England again, but I wouldn't complain if I visited Prague, Greece, or Italy either.
93. Camp at least once per year.
94. Go to Dinosaur monument.
95. Take the Colorado Train
96. Drive through Independence Pass.
97. Take Jon to Devil's Tower and Little Bighorn.
98. Renew passport (can't travel internationally without it!)
99. Find a good and safe place to board the dog(s) when traveling.
100. Go home at least once a year.
101. Visit the Northeast again during summer.


Poor Jon... I'm kind of drawing him into this as well. I'll give periodic updates on completion of any of these goals.