May Reads

Here's what I read in May:
(the number beside each represents where I'm at for the year, so far...)

23. "Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit” by Charles Stanley
24. “Flee the Night” (Team Hope, book 1) by Susan May Warren
25. “Bad Cat: 244 Not-So-Pretty Kitties & Cats Gone Bad” by Jim Edgar
26. “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown (reread)
27. “Truth & Fiction in The Da Vinci Code” by Bart D. Ehrman

Ecstatic!

All of my life ... okay, not ALL... maybe just since I was a teenager ... I've wanted to have my very own Laptop computer. But, with the way our finances have been lately, that wasn't going to become a reality any time soon. :-?

BUT, apparently my DH's workplace is getting new computers, and they were - in turn - getting rid of some of the old hardware. Well, in that pile there just so happened to be ... a Laptop! DH asked if he could bring it home to his wife (that's me!!!), and they agreed to that. So...

...I now own my very own Dell Laptop!!!!!!!!! :-)+)

I've been playing on my new toy ALL day! LOL. I've - of course - transferred my Personal Library database from the main computer over to my laptop, and I've transferred a lot of my Writing files (my novel in progress, my writing tips, etc).

Mainly, my new laptop will be used for my Writing. I can take my computer into a quiet room, away from the munchkins, and I can write to my heart's content! :-)+)

I'm one happy camper! :-D

mizbooks
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Bookish Quotes: "Reading Lolita in Tehran"

READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN by Azar Nafisi, page 94:

"...most great works of the imagination were meant to make you feel like a stranger in your own home. The best fiction always forced us to question what we took for granted. It questioned traditions and expectations when they seemed too immutable."

...and from page 47:

"Every fairy tale offers the potential to surpass present limits, so in a sense, the fairy tale offers you freedoms that reality denies. In all great works of fiction, regardless of the grim reality they present, there is an affirmation of life against the transience of that life, an essential defiance. This affirmation lies in the way the author takes control of reality by retelling it in his or her own way, thus creating a new world. Every great work of art, I would declare pompously, is a celebration, an act of insubordination against the betrayals, horrors, and infidelities of life."

Dilemma

I used to lead a book club ministry through my church. The Page Skippers Book Club had a good two-year run, but we always had troubles. We had committed to reading only Christian books, and that made it very difficult for our members to get a hold of copies. None of us could afford to purchase our books, and the libraries didn't carry enough copies. We always ended up with only half of the group that had been able to read the book of the month, and the other half sitting there upset because they couldn't get a copy in time. :-? That, coupled with life getting in the way, brought our club to an end.

The problem for me is, though I was hesitant to *become* the leader of a Book Club ministry, once I got going, I came to really love it, and to really develop a vision of all it could be! God gave me a real passion for growing people through books!

I would still like to lead a Christian Book Club, but I'm scared. I'm afraid to fail again. I've been seeking out books that aren't necessarily labelled "Christian", but that have "clean" content (no foul language, no sex, etc), and that have great discussion themes. Books like these that The Page Skippers enjoyed were "Tending Roses" by Lisa Wingate, and "Letters for Emily" by Camron Wright.

A few that I've found that might be good are...

"Welcome to Higby" by Mark Dunn
"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith
"Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger
"The Testament" by John Grisham

[Do you have any more suggestions? Leave me a comment! :-)]

I need to get Gladys Hunt's book, "Honey for a Woman's Heart", out of the library again. It had some great suggestions, too!

I have been thinking about asking my new church if they have a Book Club, or if they'd like one started up. But, I'm very hesitant to do so. :-? I get sooo attached to leading a book club, that I get very disappointed if it doesn't work out.

More prayer ... that's what I need. I need to get on my knees and see if this is what I should do.

Comments welcome!

WWW...

What are you reading right now?

Just starting a reread of Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE. I read it in 2003, before the hype, and loved it! My f2f book group will be discussing it this month, so I need to read it again to refresh my memory.

What did you just finish reading?

Recently finished BAD CAT by Jim Edgar. A hilarious book filled with pictures of cats and kittens in funny poses, "saying" silly things. Very funny!

What will you be reading next?

I'll be reading TRUTH AND FICTION IN THE DA VINCI CODE by Bart D. Ehrman. This author is also a Historian, and I've read one of his previous books, so I trust his opinions. I want to have answers for the folks in my book group about why I believe certain things in THE DA VINCI CODE to be false.

Thank you to THE BOOK SPOT group for these Questions!

Passion ... Obsession?... Ah! Passionate Obession!

I'm continually frustrated by my Biblioholism. All at once, it both thrills me, and frustrates me. One minute, I'm buying new books to add to my collection, and my heart is racing because of my excellent discoveries! The next minute, though, I'm staring at my shelves upon shelves of books and wondering, "How on Earth am I ever going to get all of these read, especially if I keep bringing more in?!" It's a vicious cycle.

But, I can't seem to help myself! I LOVE books!!! I love looking at them, touching them, thinking about them, holding them, smelling them, reading them, immersing myself in them, talking about them, crying over them ... I just love books! They are my passion! :-?

I can sit for hours just staring at the titles on my shelves. Seeing them brings thoughts of either love or hate, if I've read the book, or thoughts of what adventures might lie between the pages of those yet unread. There's the thrill: wondering what I'll get from each book. Will I love it? Hate it? Will it make me laugh? Cry? Will I want to throw it across the room (though, I'd never REALLY do that!), or will I want to talk about it with anyone who has ears to hear me?

Ugh! I'm completely obsessed!

The Scrapping Bug

It's got me again. I'm itching to do more Scrapbooking. What stops me? Lack of supplies. :0(

I *did* get a few the other day. I got three new 12x12 papers, some alphabet stickers, and some Fall/Autumn stickers. I wanted to do some pages about my aforementioned "Furry House-Guest", Hickory, and so I went to the Dollar Store uptown and stocked up.

I've been reading the PAPER CRAFTS magazines. They're all about Scrapbooking. And, they're making me *really* want to Scrapbook! There are such cool ideas in there!

My favorite idea, so far, is to do a card or invitation, that has a "bookmark" tag somehow attached to the front. Some are in pockets, some are just under a ribbon. But, what a great idea! You get a card AND a gift, all in one! :-D

I finally learned how to do the Accordion Albums, too, thanks a June (or, maybe it was May?) issue. The instructions were for how to make an accordion album for Dad for Father's Day. Very cool! I always wanted to know how to make those! And, I'll be sharing that info with my Mom, too, as she also wants to know! :-D

Anyhoo. I have to wait, though, before I can do more on my Scrapbooks. Mom said she might give me a gift card for "Michael's Craft Store" for Christmas this year. And, Dad said he might give DH and I a digital camera! Awesome! Talk about your Scrapbooker's dream-gifts! ;-D

Delayed

Well, we were going to have our yard sale this weekend (finally - after three years of procrastinating!), but the weather has not been cooperative. So, looks like it will be delayed until next weekend.

I finally cleaned my garage. What a mess! But now everything is labelled, and I can actually find things! Yay! :-P

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On another note, I hosted a Pampered Chef Kitchen Show last Friday. Didn't do too badly. I'll be getting $45 worth of FREE stuff! That's always a bonus! I'm finally getting the piece of Stoneware that I've wanted forever, too! (the Glazed Oval Baker)

Yes, the stuff is a bit pricey, but it lasts forever. I've had most of my products (I used to sell it) for 4 years now, and they're all almost as good as if I'd just gotten them!

My recommendation? If you're going to buy anything at all from Pampered Chef, go with the Stoneware! The Bar Pan is especially convenient! Stoneware bakes your food evenly (no more burnt cookies! -- especially those special sugar cookies that come in the tube for holidays!), and the pan cleans up soooo much nicer than those old m-e-t-a-l pans. Remember how you'd have to scrub and scrub to get that burnt-on cheese off your cookware? Not with stoneware! Soak it for 10-15 minutes in hot water (no soap!), and the stuff just lifts right off! It's amazing! Pampered Chef has changed me ... I no longer TOTALLY hate being in the kitchen (I still don't like it, mind you, but I no longer *hate* it!) LOL

Books I'm Reading - Update

Finished reading Susan May Warren's "FLEE THE NIGHT". Gave it 4/5 stars. Recommended! :-)

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I'm still working my way through "SOUL TRACKER" by Bill Meyers. Last night, I came across a great quote:
p. 32 - "It was true, when it came to books and writing, he gave her plenty of leeway. Particularly with her mother gone. For Emily, reading was a way of affirming her emotions, of discovering what other women thought and felt. And her writing, no matter how emotional or over-the-top, was her way of exploring her own thoughts and feelings."

I liked this. It's very true. Reading is a way to connect with others. To see that you're not alone, after all.
Writing allows one to understand themselves, and to let it all out.

I love to write. To read, too. Both are passions of mine. Reading more so, of course, but I have always been a journaller, too. Sometimes I'll grab some lined paper, and I'll just ramble. It doesn't have to all fit together. I think they call that stream-of-consciousness. It feels good to just write.

Speaking of which, I really should do some more work on my novel-in-progress. :-? I've been slacking off. My reason? Lack of inspiration, or so I say. Could just be plain old laziness, too, though. ;-P

A Sad Ending

Yesterday morning, Hickory was sleeping. Every now and then, he would change positions, so I figured he was tired.

At 2pm, he was still napping, so I picked him up out of the cage with the intent to get some food into him. He was very limp and barely breathing!

Quickly, I rushed him over to a friends' house (he cares for squirrels in his yard all the time), and we force-fed Hickory some goat's milk. Hickory, by this time, was barely alive. After a couple of hours, Hickory seemed to be coming back around. He even crawled up my chest a few times while I cuddled him to keep him warm.

But, just before 6pm, Hickory took his last breath and passed away. :*-(

I've been barely able to function ... I miss the little guy SO much! He'd become part of our family, and we'd just decided to keep him and release him in a few weeks ourselves. :-( I'm completely heartbroken over his passing.

This could've been prevented had we known he was so young. We were told that he was approximately 6 or 7 weeks old, and therefore able to eat on his own. So we fed him apple pieces, and let him have water. When I got him over to my friend's place, though, my friend said he was much younger (only about 4 weeks), and was needing to be nursed by his mom, still. If only we'd known... :*-(

Furry House-Guest, continued!

Well, the wildlife rescuers aren't able to come until Monday, so we've gotten to enjoy Hickory's company for the weekend.

He's soooo friendly! Every time I'd leave the room yesterday, he would cry and cry! So, I went in and picked him up out of the cage, and then he fell asleep in my arms. :0) So, that's where he spent most of yesterday ... curled up in my arms. He wouldn't let me put him down! As soon as I put him back in his cage, he would cry. I just can't stand to hear him crying like that, so I cuddled him. :o)

Right now, Hickory is all curled up in my husband's arms, having a sleep on the couch. It's just too cute!

We took Hickory outside to enjoy the sunshine earlier. He crawled around in the grass for a bit, and then he climbed into my hand. So, I sat on the deck, and Hickory sprawled out on my lap, and then he fell asleep. He's just the sweetest little guy, and it's gonna break my heart to have to give him up tomorrow. :o( BUT, I know that it's best for him. He needs to be where he can be taken care of properly, and where he won't be so attached. He will need to be released into the wild again, some day, so it's best if he can go to people who are able to withstand his little pleas for attention. :0?

For now, though, Hickory has become part of the family. He loves us, and we've grown to love him. :o)

Furry House-Guest

Yesterday, while walking home from the bus-stop, some people were standing on the sidewalk, looking at something. Upon coming closer, we saw the little guy ... a baby Squirrel!
I told the 3 adults standing there how I'd rescued a baby squirrel 7 years ago. It had lost its mother, and so I kept it in my hamster-cage for 3 days (fed it, etc) while waiting for the wildlife rescue people to come and get him. I'd named my baby squirrel Chesnut. :-)

These people asked if I still had my cage, and I said yes. So, they suggested that I get it and take this new baby squirrel home to await the wildlife rescuers again. And, this is just what I did. :-)

He's the sweetest little grey squirrel! We've named him Hickory. :o) He loves to eat pieces of apple, and gulped the water we gave him! :P

This morning he's been screeching to get our attention! He's very loud! I feel bad that the poor little guy lost his mama. :-(

We'll be delivering him into the hands of the Wildlife rescuers on Monday. Until then, he's our furry little houseguest. :o)

Flee The Night by Susan May Warren

My current read. Recommended! :o)


Other books by Susan May Warren:
"Happily Ever After"
"Tying the Knot"
"The Perfect Match"

Co-Written with Susan K. Downs:
"Ekaterina" (The Heirs of Anton)
"Nadia" (Heirs of Anton, book 2)
"Marina" (Heirs of Anton, book 3)

Roller Coaster Ride

My emotions have been on a roller-coaster ride lately. I think it's just stress and lack of sleep. One minute I'm happy or content, the next minute the world is out to get me and I'm bawling. In case you're wondering, no, I'm not expecting. But, lately it's felt like it! LOL. I'm not usually so moody! (or, so I believe! LOL)

A lot of things have been getting to me lately. I shouldn't let them. But, I do. One thing, in particular, is lack of enough money to take online courses and get my MLIS degree. Yes, I want to be a Librarian. Go ahead - laugh. But, it is honestly what I want to be. My husband thinks I'm nuts. He thinks I will get bored, and won't enjoy that. But, when you consider the fact that I can lay on my bed for hours just staring at the books on my shelves, I think it's safe to say I won't get bored working in a Library. :o)

Anyhoo. Perhaps my reading slump, as of late, has something to do with the blues I've been experiencing. It depresses me to not be in the mood to read. :o(

Current read: "FLEE THE NIGHT" by Susan May Warren.

It's a good book, so hopefully it will pull me out of this "slump".