checklist

Santa visited: þ

Christmas movies watched: haven’t seen A CHRISTMAS CAROL or IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE yet and really those are the best ones.

Christmas presents purchased: þ

Advent Calendar: þ

Christmas cards: þ

Missing addresses found: þ

Late Christmas cards: þ

Presents for party attendees: þ

Menu for party: þ

Food purchased: þ

Guests invited: þ

Last minute invitations: þ

Presents wrapped: only about ¼ done, boo!

House cleaned: NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!

Vacuum cleaner picked up: þ

Porch cleaned: nope

Food cooked: eggs boiled for deviled eggs, but that’s it

 

You know what I’m noticing about this list?  There is very little to do with prayer or Jesus Christ on it.  I think that while I am busy being Martha, I should contemplate Mary and try to get my heart into the right frame of prayer and anticipation for the coming of the Christ child.  I vow to spend at least 15 minutes for 4 hours tonight in mediation upon my statue of Mary holding the Christ child.  I seem to have become lost in the material world and need to get myself back to the true meaning of Christmas.

 

funny little man

My little guy just makes me laugh.  

Friday night was “Bro and Sis” Night at our house.  N and Gman were working on building a castle out of a cardboard box on Wednesday but she had to leave before it was finished much to Gman’s disappointment.  As a palliative, she told him they’d have “Bro and Sis” night Friday night and work on the castle, he could take a bath in her tub [the only one in the house], and watch movies.  He was ecstatic.  I was a bit worried that she’d forget about it, but instead I did.  Hard to do because he kept bringing it up Thursday and Friday.  Friday when I picked him up we went to the vacuum repair shop to pick up the school vacuum that was being repaired but it wasn’t ready.  I called Gman’s grandma [Gma] and we were discussing coming over to her house for dinner when Gman perked up in the back seat and said, “But we can’t go to Gma’s house!  Tonight is Bro Night!!!!” [it quickly turned from “Bro and Sis Night” to “Bro” night – amazing how that works for 5 year olds].  So all plans were cancelled and we went home.  To the cuddly spot.  We turned on VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER [audio CD] and snuggled down with pillows and various blankeys under the blanket tent with the little light shining in the darkness.  Needless to say, I was out before the first track had completely played.  Gman was awake the whole time, listened and could tell me what was happening when I occasionally woke up and asked where we were in the story.  But then N got home and I was abandoned to sleep peacefully on the floor …. for about 5 minutes.  Every 5 seconds minutes he was upstairs telling me what they were doing and asking me to come and see.  It is with great shame that I admit that I told him to go away and let me rest.  But eventually I got up and made him dinner.  While I was “making dinner” – read heating up his hot dog – they were sword-fighting with kitchen utensils.  They had completed the castle by this time and Gman asked what they were going to do next.  N told him whatever he wanted and he turned to me to ask what they were allowed to do.  You should have seen his face light up when I told him they could do whatever they wanted … it was like I told him he’d won the lottery.  Needless to say, my little TV addict opted for a movie.  But he got N’s whole attention for the entire thing.  All weekend long he talked about how I said they could do anything they wanted.  It was magic to him.

Saturday was a wasted day.  Gman listened to almost the entirety of DAWN TREADER while Dad and I hung pictures [getting the house ready for Christmas].  He laid around in his underwear [until I made him put clothes on – I got cold looking at him], snuggling his blankey and sucking his finger.  In the afternoon we went to Target and bought N and J their birthday presents and a birthday ice cream cake for N.  Then we got Bernadette.  She’s the babysitter and he LOVES her.  We went out to dinner for N’s birthday [her choice – Mexican] while he played at home.  He hates having to behave in restaurants especially when they don’t serve hot dogs so he gets to stay home with Bernadette.  When we got home Bernadette stayed and we all had ice cream cake after singing and blowing out candles [with help from Gman].  Presents were opened and N got a HUGE, and I’m talking GINORMOUS purple ring – it went from hand knuckle to first finger knuckle, a tasteful purple pendant, and a multi-strand silver necklace with red and green jingle bells on it all from Gman.  Then J got dressed in her Christmas outfit – Santa turtleneck, Santa tights, bright green Santa vest, Christmas light necklace that actually blinked and could have the frequency of the blinking changed, and of course she borrowed Natalie’s new jingle bell necklace.  Gman thought she looked beooootiful.  J’s friends stopped by and were amazed at how big Gman is now.  Bernadette seemed to enjoy the company of the older girls and thanked Dad for letting her stay for cake, although, I think we enjoyed having her there more.

Sunday was the big day.  We went and saw Santa [and Mom finished the Christmas cards and got them mailed]!  Since Gman can’t read yet, Dad drew pictures of everything on his Christmas list for him.  He’s at a great age.  He still believes and was so relieved that he got to talk to “the man himself”.  He held his list [wouldn’t wander off with Dad like in years past because he was afraid he was going to miss his turn] in his little hand and couldn’t wait to get up there.  This year he trotted up there so excitedly, all on his own.  Didn’t need any encouragement to go sit on Santa’s lap from me, sob.  He smiled very nicely for his picture and got to tell Santa everything on his list [although Santa had to help him with Microscope].  He was beaming when he got done.  What a relief to tell Santa what he wanted.  We’d written a letter earlier in the season, but he just told Santa that he was being good and that he loved him.  He didn’t want to write out everything he wanted and so as the day started drawing closer he was worried that we wouldn’t make it to see Santa in time and then what would he get for Christmas?  Still, Santa plans to write him a letter and tell him that he needs to work on listening to mom a bit better but that all in all he’s been a very good boy this year.

So we had a good weekend.  The house is shaping up for the Christmas Eve party.  We’ve got the shopping list started and I’ll get to that tomorrow.  Christmas cards are finally out including a cute picture of Gman.  Presents are purchased and most have arrived via UPS or FedEx, although we are awaiting a few.  Some of the presents are even wrapped.  Not even close to being finished with that but I’ll work on that tonight.  Or tomorrow.  Okay, probably Thursday at midnight I’ll finally finish wrapping the girls presents because they open them Christmas Eve.  I won’t finish Gman’s until the last minute.  Do you let your kids open presents before or after Church?  I think we’re going with after Church and holding them hostage to good behavior.  Shouldn’t be a problem as we’re going to early Mass [8 A.M.] and he’s been really good in Church lately.  

sort-of failure

We watched TV last night.  We had an ice-day and were home from work and school all day.  We played Mouse-Mart [Wal-Mart for mice run by Gman as Mr. Jenkins and staffed by Tutter Mouse, Kerchemal Mouse, Harry the hunter mouse, Ollie the Opera Mouse, Charlie the Church mouse, Dr. Conio, Coonie, and a whole cast of others who show up to buy things – Mr. Jenkins always knows what aisle they are in].  We talked to N before she left for work, when she returned because she forgot something, and when she returned again because she had fallen on the ice and her hair needed to be refixed before she could go to work.  We talked to J who called to tell us that she too had fallen on the ice – glasses and coffee flying – thankfully no broken bones in either case, just a few sore tailbones.  We went Shark hunting.  We figured out which pictures we wanted to hang downstairs and carried them down and cleaned them.  Mom and Dad hung pictures [bare walls since we returned from the 2009 flood] while Gman listened to audio CDs in the cuddle spot.  We ate soup [mom], stew [Dad], and peanut butter and crackers [Gman].  We wrapped presents.  We cuddled in the cuddle spot [walk-in hall closet, behind some boxes we made a tent with a blanket, pillows, a cuddle blankey, a pillow pet, mom and boy, turned out all the lights – except the Christmas nightlight] while listening to audio CDs.  We listened to several kids books on CD [PETER PAN, SAMSON AND DELILAH – which includes lots of 1960s sing-along hymns – thankfully I fell asleep during it].  We baked homemade bread to go with the homemade soup we made on Wednesday [Gman made his own soup – picked out all the ingredients – I advised or said no depending on what he wanted to put in.  He ended up with chicken, potatoes, onions, parsley, tomatoes and onions – and then put the whole thing through a blender.  I put in too much water – should have used chicken stock - so it was bland, but once I surreptitiously put in some spices and barley, it was quite yummy.  My French Onion was AWESOME].  Gman played with the flour on the counter making castles and rubbing the bread with flour.  Gman played in the sink, pretending to wash dishes and asking for “ingredients” to add to his “sink soup” – since I generally have to take a bite, I didn’t give him any ingredients – ick!  Gman continued to play in the water, went upstairs, retrieved his shampoo and proceeded to wash his hair in the sink [this counted for his bath/shower this evening as we hadn’t done anything strenuous and therefore didn’t require the full deal – I would have let him go without anything, but he was enjoying dunking his head into the full sink so much, how could I say no?  We ate dinner – salami [Gman] and soup [homemade French Onion topped with homemade bread and Mozzarella cheese, MMMmmm].  Mom worked on writing out Christmas cards.  By 7PM I was exhausted, despite the nap.  So I caved and let him watch a movie [HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON – which is the superdy-duperest movie ever] while I continued to work on Christmas cards.  Then we got the bad news about our friend’s son right before bedtime.  Teeth were brushed, prayers were said, a book was read, cuddling ensued – more cuddling than usual as Mom was reminded of how fragile life is.  So all in all, I don’t think it was a complete failure.  I could have caved earlier in the day and let him sit there and rot his brain the whole day.  One movie after a long day of fun and productivity doesn’t seem out of line.  Or am I just trying to justify myself?

May his soul rest in peace

Please pray for the family of hubby's best friend, especially his son. The young man was killed in a burglary this afternoon. We are all reeling in shock. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Success!

No TV Monday and no TV Tuesday!  Monday was soccer practice and then straight to bed as the little monkey was exhausted [not from soccer as he mostly walks around despite the manic energy of his fellow athletes].  Tuesday was the library where we borrowed many Christmas and winter books.  Also The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Wind in the Willows on Audio CD.  Mama got several books she’d been waiting for as well, The Help, Still Missing, and an artisan bread baking book, something like Artisan Baking in 5 minutes a Day. 

But honestly, G wouldn’t have gotten to watch TV anyway, even if Mama were being lazy.  He’s having trouble at school with the “keep your hands to yourself” rule.  He and his little buddy play kind of rough together and can’t seem to stand near one another without giving each other noogies, etc.  The fact that said little buddy is a girl is what makes it difficult.  I’m not overly worried about it.  Little Buddy is several inches taller than Gman and is the youngest of 4 kids.  I’m sure that she’s used to some rough play.  Still, it is a rule at school so we’re enforcing it at home.  If I get a note home [sent an index card with all the days left in this month written on it, if it comes home with an X through the day, he couldn’t control his hands] there’s no TV.  Both nights there was an X on the card.  I’m not always good at staying the course when it comes to self-control [i.e. not watching TV], but I am excellent at enforcing rules I set up as consequences.  Sometimes I rethink the consequences and decide I’ve been too harsh, but even then, the consequences stay for that instance and then get changed for future incidents.  If I’ve said if you do there is no TV, and he does it anyway, then there’s no TV.  If I said, you have to take the icky medicine if you cough again, then it’s icky medicine time when the coughing starts.  But if I’ve said, let’s don’t watch TV tonight and I’m tired and he’s persistent, I may give in.  Can someone be “semi-consistent”?

Bad Mama!

I let the boy watch too much TV last night.  3 movies in fact.  I was a slug and I feel asleep in the easy chair and let him watch PETER PAN and when that was over I let him watch ALADDIN.  And then after dinner I let him watch HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.  In my defense he did spend about 45 minutes outside shoveling snow [for fun] – not much of defense is it?  It was miserable here, snowing and blowing all day with steadily dropping temperatures.  I think I could have come up with a better way for him to spend the afternoon, however.  It was pure laziness on my part.  I know he enjoyed it, but he probably would have enjoyed painting his letters [wooden block], playing Candyland [but only if he won], or reading books [me or an audioCD, whichever].  I have to stop relying on the TV so much.  That is my resolution today:  no TV watching this week.  Tonight we have soccer [not really practice, more learning the skills to eventually play], tomorrow we have a quick stop at the library which I just decided to let be a long stop at the library and getting our Christmas pictures reprinted [they had the “s” in pray for us cut off so now it looks like a weird text message “Pray for u”].  Wednesday I’ll see if my mom’s interested in having dinner with us [preferably my house so that I can control the TV], Thursday I’ll have to think of something, and I am so tempted to make Friday night after dinner Movie night.  I think I will.  Not due to laziness, but if I can accomplish 4 days without TV – pure torture for my TV addict, the boy deserves a treat after going to school all week.  He tells me it’s “challenging” – Preschool mind you.  Saturday night is N’s birthday dinner so Gman will be home with the babysitter [he prefers it to going to a grown up restaurant].  By the time we get home, sing our rendition of “Happy Birthday”, and blow out the candles, it will be bedtime.  Sunday is Gram’s house so we can play in the basement and watch football in the afternoon.  The following week is Dad’s week, so I will let him decide if he wants to use the animated babysitter, but I’m guessing he won’t.  If he’s hunting I don’t know if I’ll be drop off or pick up.  I’m off work from just before Christmas until after the new year begins so we’ll see how much fun stuff we can do with cousins, aunt and uncles, and maybe fit in a hunting trip with dad.

My Heart's at Home Daybook, December 10, 2010

Outside My Window ...
still City Hall Parking Lot.

***

Towards a daily rhythm ...
I don’t know that I am attempting anything big, just little things.  Getting ready for Christmas, but not stressing about getting everything done for Advent.  I figure that things will pick up as Gman gets older.  Now if we do the Jesse Tree a few times, light the Advent candles at least once a week, and let Gman put a figure on our Nativity Advent calendar, that’s enough.  I try and do some little thing around the house … sweep floors, wipe up counters, make the coffee, empty dishwasher, make favorite meals, etc.  Not all at once, but one or two a day.

***

I am thankful for ...
My husband.  He loves me so much.  He puts up with my neuroses and tries his very best to be a good father and husband.  I am so blessed.

***

From the kitchen ...
Nada.  We’re going to the movies so I see popcorn for dinner….which will probably cost more than getting into the movies.  Oh well, a holiday celebration.

***

To live the liturgy...
I bought a bunch of saint biographies….St. Rita, St. Monica, St. Dominic, St. Benedict, St. Gertrude, etc.  My goal for the new year is to read more theological non-fiction and not rot my brain with junk.

***

I am wearing ...
a light blue polo, brown pants, brown knee-high boots, and a red lanyard with my nametag, security ID, and 3 keys on it.

***

I am creating ...
nothing.  I am avoiding my job.  Need to get back to work.

***
Towards a real education ...
Sending my boy to a traditional Catholic school.  I think that is the best thing I can do for him.  Still working on my faith myself.
***

Bringing beauty to my home ...
with my joyful personality and bright smile.

***

I am reading  ...
books advertised in “BAS BLEU” and online book company.  I read their descriptions and if it sounds good, I get the book from the library.  So far, they’ve been okay, but I haven’t been overwhelmingly impressed

***

I am hoping ...
for a pleasant weekend with the boys.  No yelling, whining, or tantrums would be nice.

***

Around the house ...
Christmas is coming.  We will make Gman’s stone handprint for Gram this weekend, maybe make a huge batch of chocolate covered pretzels for home, school, and work, and maybe wrap some presents.  Gman loves to wrap.  He is Captain Tape.
***
One of my favorite things ...
the internet.  I get to connect with people.  I seem to have trouble doing that in person.

***

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
a movie tonight with DH, Gman, N, school cleaning, a Christmas party, and dinner with Gram and Aunt K on Sunday.

***

Here is a picture thought I am sharing~

This never shows up, but I thought I’d try it anyway.

Trouble brewing

Gman is getting in trouble at school lately.  He can’t seem to keep his “super-esophageal ganglia” to himself in line, he coughs during prayers, story time, and nap/quiet time, and he was throwing toys at the ceiling at school.  The toy throwing is easily explained as it has been very cold out and the kids have had to stay inside.  No running or rough play and when you’re a young boy, that’s tantamount to physical torture.  I think that he should be fine today as we talked last night and he usually turns things around when he gets a note home.  How long it will last, well, I can’t say. 

The coughing thing is annoying but I don’t know if there is anything I can do about it.  Took him to the doctor who said his throat, lungs, and ears were fine.  Probably just a habit he developed.  So now we’re threatening him with medicine.  He is the pickiest eater every, hates all things medicinal or even sweet [Tylenol, etc].  So I bought some gummies for him that I am going to make him take every day.  He will hate it, but maybe then he’ll work on not coughing.  I don’t want to give him a complex, but I do want him to stop annoying people.  A lady in the library the other day asked me if he had asthma.  I said no and then she was really rude [okay, she did have some reason as he is terrible about covering his mouth when he coughs] and asked me to “make” him cover his mouth.  I wanted to be snarky once I thought about it and tell her that he had emphysema or something and see how she took it.  Instead I used it as a lesson and asked him, AGAIN, to cover his mouth.  I think seeing someone be rude about it [and I didn’t let him see that I thought she was rude] was useful.  He’s doing better covering his mouth.

I sent a note back to his teacher asking her to help with the “hands off” rule.  I gave her a note card with every school day left for the year.  Every day he can’t control his hands, she puts an “X” through that day.  I look at the card when he gets home and if there is no “X” he gets to watch a bit of TV after dinner, an “X”, no TV.  And in our house, let me tell you, that ranks right up there with the physical torture.

Tangled

Going to see the movie TANGLED tonight with Gman and hubby, maybe even N.  J can’t make it as we are going too early and she has to go home and let her dog, Phoebe Bouffet, out.  Irritated with N.  Keeps drinking all the hooch in the house, maybe leaving enough for one drink in the bottle.  Does that mean she didn’t drink it all up and doesn’t have to replace it?  I don’t think so.

 

Got some “free” firewood today.  Tree cutter gave hubby some stuff he had cut down and hubby gave him $20 for not only giving it to us but also for delivering it.  The other hunting buddies don’t ever seem to have to pony up for this kind of stuff when they all benefit from it.  Why is that?

 

I foresee trouble on the horizon.  Hubby wants to go “hunting” with me and Gman the week between Christmas and New Year’s and my sister will be in town and when she leaves, my brother comes in.  Going to get in trouble with Gram for going, but oh well.  She wasn’t exactly nice the other night.  She really depressed hubby when all he was looking for was a bit of affirmation.  Besides, I really enjoy going and I don’t know if I’ll have another chance before the weather gets icky.  Maybe will see if nephew would like to come along.  That could be fun.

 

Not hating my job lately, more like …… severe ennui.  And no reason for it as I have lots to do.  I just don’t want to do it.  Sloth, thy name is Kiwi.

 

Got addicted to Facebook quizzes last night.  Apparently I am the 7^th Deadly Sin of Anger, I am the TV mom Carol Brady, I am the Disney Princess Belle, and I am the word “astute” in the dictionary.  I also tried to see who I would be in Harry Potter and was delighted to find out …. Harry Potter.  Woohoo.  I’m the hero.  Now all I have to do if find out which Hogwarts house I would be in.

lugbriousness

Gman's favorite descriptor - Superdy-duperdy - as in .... that's superdy-duperdy hard or I'm superdy-duperdy tired.

Lush or mother?

I was at home with the boys all day yesterday.  I wandered into the kitchen around 1:30 PM after going to 12:10 Mass [Holy Day of Obligation – Feast of the Immaculate Conception – No School] and noticed the open bottle of wine on the counter [not open as in uncorked, but open as in previously uncorked and now just sitting there mocking me].  Does it make me a lush to say that I was really tempted to have a glass?  Does it make me a bad mother to admit that I mentally counted how long it would be until 5 PM?  I love Gman.  I used to think I would love being a stay-at-home-mom, but now I don’t know.  I guess I could do it, but is it horrible that I’m sort of glad that I can’t?  We all function so much better with a schedule and I am notorious for not being able to stick with one.  I can make them.  Give me a sheet of paper and a list of things that need to get accomplished and you will see schedule perfection.  I have a beautiful home cleaning schedule in my basement.  Never used it but bought all the things to make it, sat down and made it, and then let it gather dust.  Going to school Gman gets the structure he needs, Dad gets to accomplish things that he wants to, and I ….. I still think about wine.

Book Meme

1. Favorite childhood book?
   A Little Princess – Frances Hodgson Burnett, or all of the Little House books.
   
   2. What are you reading right now?
   Just finished The Girl Who Stopped Swimming so I am currently between books.
   
   3. What books do you have on request at the library?
   The Help – Kathryn Stockett

Still Missing – Chevy Stevens

I’d Know You Anywhere – Laura Lippman

Room: a novel – Emma Donoghue

Live to Tell – Lisa Gardner

The Two Towers [audio CD] – J.R.R. Tolkien

Artisan bread in five minutes a day – Jeff Hertzberg

Artisan Breads – Eric Kastel

Artisan baking – Maggie Glezer

The Tiger in the Smoke – Margery Allingham

A Duty to the Dead – Charles Todd

An Impartial Witness – Charles Todd

Julian of Norwich – Amy Frykholm

The Secret Wife of Louis XIV – Veronica Buckley

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating – Elizabeth Bailey

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise – Julia Stuart

Cut to the Quick – Kate Ross

Close Range: Wyoming Stories – Annie Proulx

4. Bad book habit?
leaving them open-faced, splayed?, instead of using a bookmark.  Drives my hubby crazy.

 

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Aside from a bunch of superhero books for Gman

The Lodger – Maria Lowndes

Brokeback Mountain – Annie Proulx

Greatness to Spare; the heroic sacrifices of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence – T. R. Fehrenbach

The secret language of churches & cathedrals: decoding the sacred symbolism of Christianity’s holy buildings – Richard Stemp

The Levee – M. K. Shuman

Peter Reinhart’s artisan breads every day – Peter Reinhart

Lost to Time: unforgettable stories that history forgot – Martin Sandler

The girl who stopped swimming – Joshilyn Jackson

The Leavenworth Case – Anna Green

The captain and the enemy – Graham Greene

In the Shadow of Gotham – Stefanie Pintoff

Why Shoot a butler? – Georgette Heyer

Angel with two faces – Nicola Upson

Black Sheep – Georgette Heyer

Churches of Soulard – Joan Huisinga

The skinnygirl dish – Bethenny Frankel

Uncommon Arrangements: seven portraits of married life in London Literary circles 1910 – 1939 – Katie Roiphe

The copycat crime – Devin Grayson

Hello Goodbye: a novel – Emily Chenoweth

An Accomplished Woman – Jude Morgan

An expert in murder – Nicola Upson

The island – Elin Hilderbrand

The Tower Treasure [Hardy Boys book 1] – Frank Dixon

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
It depends. I usually have only one but if it’s not holding my interest I’ll start others.  I may finish reading the original or I may give up.  Or I may feel guilty and leave it sitting around for months and then pick it back up.

 

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes, but it's more a result of reading blogs than writing one. I now read a much greater variety of books and am much more likely to hit the library's website to place a bunch of things on hold that I've seen recommended on one blog or another.

9. Least favorite book you read this year?
If I don’t like a book I generally don’t finish reading it.  See above.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins.  I really liked how the heroine suffered from PTSD.  In so many novels the hero or heroine goes through harrowing experiences and the next day they are just fine.  I like that the heroine in this book was affected by what she went through and then had the strength, over time, to keep going on.  I like that she was human.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
rarely.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
non-fiction and really heavy philosophy or theology [which is amusing since I have a degree in philosophy]. And horror, I hate horror stories.  And things that deal with psychic powers to some extent.  I really hate the genre of romance novels that use psychic powers [favorites of my mom and younger sister].

13. Can you read on the bus?
no reading on moving vehicles – even stories to the boy – makes me motion sick.

14. Favorite place to read?
curled up on my couch under a blanket.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I lend them to family since I know where to find them.  I don’t have a lot of friends that read the same things I do.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
often, even my Missal.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Nope.

18. Not even with text books?
I would highlight in school and then never go back and read the highlighting.  No point in writing in the margins if I’m not going back to read it.  I can usually remember where something is in a book and read around until I find what I’m looking for.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English.  It’s the only language in which I am literate.

20. What makes you love a book?
plot.  characters.  Good writing.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I have to love it and think about it when I’m done and rewrite any parts that I didn’t like or didn’t live up to my standards, etc.  Same for movies.

22. Favorite genre?
It used to be fantasy/science fiction but I think more drama these days.  I wish I could say Saint Biographies or treatises on faith, but nope.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
see above.

24. Favorite biography?
see above.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I’ve skimmed but I can’t commit to reading a full book.  Even when undergoing much trial with Gman, I couldn’t make myself read a whole parenting book.  I checked them out by the dozen from the library and then only skimmed the ones and the sections that I thought applied.

26. Favorite cookbook?
I have so many.  The Joy of Cooking, or The Fannie Farmer Cookbook or Southern Living [all of them].  Unfortunately when our house flooded last year and the water drained down from the second floor into the basement it ran in a path through the stairwell.  My books were under the stairwell and got drenched.  Ironically enough, I had just rearranged my cookbooks so that my favorites were on the top shelf, uncovered by an overhanging shelf, and those were the books that got ruined.  I guess God was helping me to let go of some of my materialism.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or nonfiction)?
It wasn’t a book, it was a journal article, a short biography of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Diet Pepsi, in a 24 fl oz bottle

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I think it was Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.  I don’t think it was the hype so much as my expectations.  I loved The Hunger Games so much that there was no way the 2^nd book could live up to it.  And truthfully, I have rarely found the 2^nd book in a series to live up to the first.  The 1^st and 3^rd in trilogies are usually the best in my opinion.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I generally don’t read critical reviews.  I find that critics look at stuff that doesn’t matter all that much to me.  I do read reviews from other bibliophiles on their blogs or on Amazon, but I usually do it after I’ve already read the book.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I don’t like to do it, but I will.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Italian and Latin.  I love the Italian language.  I wish I was fluent in it.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The only one that comes to mind is The Elegance of the Hedgehog, but now that I’ve read it, it doesn’t seem intimidating and I can’t remember why I found it so to begin with.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
War and Peace

35. Favorite poet?
Auden, Keats, Victorian poets

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Generally between 25 and 50 [which is the limit at our library].  Usually about ½ are for Gman.  Last year they didn’t have a limit and I could get over 100 for me and Gman.

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
often.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Talia, Katniss, Sara Crewe, Tamrissa Domon, the list could do on forever.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Miss Minchin?  Eltrina Razas? Uriah Heape?  President Snow?  Again, another list that could go on and on.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Whatever I can get from the library in time.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
a few weeks when I’ve not had a chance to get to the library.  I may reread a bit here and there if I can find something in the house that catches my interest.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
I can’t even remember the name of it.  It was for an English class in 19^th or early 20^th century literature.  The entire book revolved around an incident where the hero[?] if you can call him that, was climbing on a windowsill, the window slammed down and cut off the tip of his penis.  Does this sound familiar to anyone?

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Gman and hubby but not much else.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The Lord of the Rings trilogy or Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, because who doesn’t like looking at Viggo Mortenson or Colin Firth?  Emma with Gwynneth Paltrow [even though I really don’t like her as an actress].

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Pride and Prejudice with Kierra Knightly, Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
I can’t remember and I wouldn’t admit it if I did.  Let’s just go with …. way too much.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Often.  Sometimes I read the end before I even start the book.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If it just didn’t catch my interest.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Divided into genres, then alphabetized by author’s last name, then the genres are alphabetized.  I also have a shelf for my favorites.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I used to keep everything but hubby hates clutter.  Now I give away anything that I don’t plan to read again, didn’t like, ruined in the flood, or is not of monetary value.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Brothers Karamazov, War and Peace, Watership Down, all sorts of theology and philosophy that my hubby wants me to read so we can discuss it.  I think I fried my brain in college.  I don’t want to read anything heavy anymore.  I feel like 10 years of reading textbooks has make me avoid anything overly intellectual and hubby is a massive brainiac.  Reading is a pleasure and escape for me.  I work full time, take care of Gman and the house, take care of hubby and the girlies, etc.  I don’t want my reading to be work too.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
Nothing comes to mind but I’m sure it’s out there.  I can remember being angry at a book, I just can’t remember which one it was.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Elegance of the Hedgehog.  Loved it so much.  It was like reading a Merchant/Ivory film.  Even translated, the words were just lyrical.  It made me think of all those times when a moment just holds you, a quiet comes over you and you are balanced in time…..looking at a redbud tree covered in a purple mist just waiting to explode into leaves, the sound of Gman’s breathing in the dark nightlight lit room when I wake in the middle of the night, the sound of bare feet walking over the hardwood floor after hubby gets home from work and starts up the steps at the end of the day…..no background noise, just the music of God’s great gifts to me.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Usually the 2^nd book of any trilogy.  Not to say I hated them, just that they don’t live up to the first or third.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
see above.  And I really like young adult stuff that’s supposed to be too young for me.  Silly, but I really do.  I think because I spend so much time on the children’s floor of the library where they all are.

Woodpeckers

Dad, Gman and I returned from our camping trip today [just overnight]. Gman's first hunting trip. Went out to the blind for archery, sat with Dad, fell asleep for an hour. No deer wandered by, but fun nonetheless. On the way home Gman fell asleep in the car. You have to know this is unprecedented - even as a baby on a 6 hour trip to see his cousins, he only slept an hour. When he woke up he asked to watch a movie tonight. I was okay with that, we've had a few busy days. Then out of the blue he asks why he can't watch "My Little Pony". I have no problem with it, but Dad hates it and thinks it's evil. See PIERCING THE DARKNESS by Frank Perretti and see why. So I said, he couldn't and that should be the end of it. No dice. He kept asking and I said they were evil and did all sorts of bad things, etc. I was mostly being faecetious and trying to convince him that it wasn't a big deal. I could see the little wheels in his mind working, and then he said matter of factly that the ponies were good. I didn't respond, so he said "I'm going to keep saying it until you find it annoying". Don't worry Little Man, I found it extremely annoying [as well as amusing that he knew just what to do to push my buttons].

Prince Caspian

When watching the movie PRINCE CASPIAN with Gman the other day he became upset at the battle scene where several of the “good guys” are left behind to die at the hands of the merciless archers, the “bad guys”.  Not crying, but confused as to why the heroes didn’t fight and win like the majority of other movies.  When one centaur man tells a centaur woman that her husband won’t be coming back – just through a headshake – Gman began to weep copiously.  I immediately began to comfort him and ask him what was wrong.  His response, “This movie is inappropriate for me.”  Needless to say we turned it off and watched HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.

Ahhh....the simplicity of children

“My life will be much better tomorrow when I make a bigger hand puppet.” – Gman