Year End Contemplations - Of a Mostly Bookish Nature

I will probably do a proper year-end Sleeping with Bread post sometime in the next few days; however, I thought I'd get the blog-posting juices flowing with some meandering thoughts. Maybe if I just start writing, without worrying about creativity and cleverness, something creative and clever will start coming out eventually!

First things first... some sidebar info:

New Scenic View - a little British Comic Relief wit Catherine Tate and David Tennant.

A New Quote - from atypical brat's progeny

I also just updated my sidebar with books I've been reading. It looks like I finished about 28 books for the year. I suspect that is a middling average number. I look at the list and some of the books seem like they were read ages ago. I see that I read fewer and fewer books toward the end of the year. (School of course). I can see that the last few books of this year have been what my husband might call "light and fluffy." (You have to hear him say light and fluffy in his silly accented way to get the full impact.) In general, I have been all about romance and period dramas, not just in books, in viewing as well--from two versions of Pride and Prejudice, two versions of Jane Eyre (I don't care what anyone else says, Charlotte Gainsbourg is a stellar Jane and William Hurt, although physically not the type and a wee bit too long in the tooth, a heavyweight contender for Rochester.), Wives and Daughters, North and South, and moving into the 20th century, but still a period drama, Foyle's War. I'm just finished with Series 2. Thanks goodness for Netflix. I love Michael Kitchen.

As the year ended, I also got sucked into the vortex of some 19th century inspired fan fiction. (Imagine me cringing a little here as I write this.) It has been a lot of fun. There is a lot of really bad stuff out there. Many uses of the words frisson, tendrils, ministrations, ambit, etc. Some of it has been quite nice, though. It has been a way of staying in a well-loved story and imagining what happened next to Jane and Rochester or Margaret and John. Through the fan fiction board, I also became acquainted with a fan fic writer who ended up getting a publishing contract. Two of her books have been published so far. You'll notice More Than Love Letters in my sidebar by Rosy Thornton. I haven't read her second book yet, but MTLL was a fun romantic comedy written in the form of emails, meeting minutes, etc. There are some laugh-out-loud moments and I actually got a little teary at the end. Rosy and I have engaged in a little of our own email correspondence and it has been a treat to e-meet an author. (Hi Rosy!)

Back to books... I realized as I was looking over the book list that there are many books which I have bought this year but have not yet read. I think in 2008, I will convert my book list to show books bought AND read--that will be interesting.

Well, this post is getting long. There is more to contemplate than my reading habits for the year. I find that Christmas and New Year is a time I spend thinking about my Uncle L.T. I also made some resolutions for myself last year. Resolutions I failed at meeting. Utterly failed at meeting. But I also experienced a lot I didn't expect to. There is definitely alot of yeast for that Sleeping with Bread post I have rising, ready to bake.


Well, this post did some meandering but I don't see much in the way of creative or cliver--maybe next time! ;)

Christmas Joy

Merry Christmas to the Blogosphere... Here is a clip of something I find sublime in the truest sense of the word:



I'll be seein' y'all around!

November update with lots of () and ...

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted since the day after Halloween! I think that is definitely the longest bit of time between posts on this blog. I am a little chagrined to think of all the time I spent bemoaning how little time I would have for blogging when I started school. I actually managed somewhat nicely until November. Multiple papers, out-of-town visitors, etc. conspired to finally knock the wind out of my blogging sails. My Google reader regulary informs me there are as many as 180 posts to read. 180 posts??!!!! I periodically hit "Mark All As Read" and move on.

School is slowing down though. I have: one paper to write this week (reporting on my teaching of a reading comprehension strategy to three students); one Power Point presentation showing a lesson plan which incorporates technology in the classroom (Guess what? My lesson involves blogging!); four chapters from my content area literacy book; and, one online response project. That's it. After those few assignments I will have completed my first semester of grad school. Yeah me! (And, of course, yeah! Paul, Marley and Colin for having to live through it!)

Marley Update: I've had many people ask my about Marley. I pretty much left everyone with a Strep Throat cliff hanger. She perked up within a couple of days of being on her antibiotics and has been fine ever since. I has some apprehension because about day 7 of her medication she went on strike and refused to take the pills. We got one or two more in her after that and I intended to call the doctor to either get his okay to stop or a prescription for some liquid meds to finish her out. Of course, I became distracted and never got that call made. She hasn't had a relapse and it has been a few weeks, so I think we are out of the woods on this one.

Other than that, life is, you know, what you might expect. Paul is gearing up to hit the road after being home for weeks (lovely, lovely weeks). Colin prepares for his driver's license permit and behind-the-wheel driver's education. (Theoretically I am happy for him and ready for him to drive. Seeing as how he has not actually driven a car yet, it remains to be seen if my theoretical acceptance will translate into actual acceptance that my baby...sniff... boy... sniff... is DRIVING!!!!

Oh yes, life-wise, tomorrow, 11/26, is my birthday. 43. In spite of all the good things going on in my life, I face 43 with less enthusiam than 42. I can't say why. I know I've enjoyed being an age that equates to the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. What does a has-been Ultimate Answer do when she leaves that magical number behind? I guess we'll find out this year.

There is so much more to blog...

• I never got to finishing BubandPie's tag of five influential books...
• I've been on a period costume drama DVD binge: both Pride and Prejudices (Firth vs. MacFadyen: I have my definitive fave, but at the risk of an all out Darcy War, I will remain silent as to my preference), Wives and Daughters, North and South (again!)...
• I've also been reading all those books (as ebooks of all things).
• School! I've learned so much about content area literacy and adult developmental education. I am enjoying what I'm learning and am excited to share some of it here...
• Sleeping with Bread. I've not baked my bread of gratitude here for such a long time, yet there is so much to be thankful for...
• In January, Paul and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage... so much to blog about that!

I've missed the companionship I get in the blogosphere. I wish I could have kept up with everyone and kept everyone up-to-speed. But well, isn't there some saying about wishes?

School is winding down... I'll get back in the swing of things. At least until January 18th when my spring semester starts and I am taking 9 units. (9? Oy!)

In the meantime, I leave you with this poem... just because I like it:

There Is A River by S.A. Griffen

there is a cheerful ignorance

a chance meeting and

luck like gold that cannot be

mined or stolen
a common atom
a dance
and stars that trick the

water with their

certain magic
do not wash your wars in it

take your holy rituals to the

precious fountains built by your

agencies of fear
press your

wine from the fallout

and drink victory
for yes
there is a river

a giving river that will

sing you safely
a river of

light
final

fast

and

free
where you can

disrobe

and leave your casual sadness

walking sideways at the

shore
meet me there

whoever you are

and we will agree to

swim it

together

Halloween 2007: 101.7 Degrees

Medical Update Below

Fortunately, this was after trick or treating. Well... it perhaps wasn't fortunate for all the people she came into contact with. I feel so bad for her, she is really in a bad state. Her head hurts, her tummy hurts, her throat hurts, she can't get comfortable. Poor Supergirl! There must have been some Kryptonite in the candy!

************************************
The next day...

Marley's fever continued to rise last night and it was clear she was in a very sorry state. Because we knew there had recently been a couple of cases of strep throat in her class, we took her in to the doctor first thing this morning. With a temp of 103 (45 minutes after acetaminophen), a red, swollen, pus-y throat, swollen glands, and a headache, the doctor felt comfortable diagnosing strep throat without doing a throat culture. He's been Marley's doctor since the day she was born and has been through her febrile seizures and the resulting antagonism she has felt for anyone in a white lab coat since then. She handles things much better now, but the doctor told me that in addition to her having every clinical sign of strep, it was also Marley--which I took as meaning that he knew she would not easily allow her throat to be swabbed.

So, after 48 hours on antibiotics or 24 hours without fever, she'll be cleared to go back to school.

Yeah Cefzil!

I fell in to a burning ring of fire...

I was wrong.

There are not fires to the north, south, and west of me.

There are fires to the north, south, west, AND east of me.

Lest you become too alarmed. I cannot see any fire. I cannot see any smoke.

But I can smell smoke. The Air Quality Management District is advising all people to stay indoors as much as possible. The kids have to have recess, lunch and P.E. inside. Can you imagine how much fun their teachers are having?

Here is a handy little fire map I downloaded from a news site. I drew a wobbly little star in MS Paint to show our approximate location. We truly are in the middle of a ring of fire.



One thing on my mind during all this, other than my burning eyes and lungs, is all the firefighters who are working so hard and who are so overextended. A state of emergency was called for Southern California today. There are too few resources to fight this many fires, over such a large area, all at the same time. I'm not Catholic, but I might just ask the patron saint of firefighters, St. Florian, to intercede on behalf of the men and women of the California Fire services.

So much life, so lttle time to blog...

Life has been busy. This news is no surprise as I've been droning on and on about it for weeks and weeks.

It's good, but it doesn't allow for much bloggy relationship building.

So, here are a few bullet points:

Izzy the Incredible just did a blog makeover for me at my family blog: So Cal Cinema. Check it out when you have a chance. It is very retro and fun and just my style.

While I still have a lot to do for school, my first ginormous paper is turned in. I don't know what grade I'll get, but I'm getting to the point where an assignment is not inducing quite so much intestinal distress. I'm proud of the preparation and work I did on the paper and I hope the teacher appreciates it, too!

There's been no time to bake up a Sleeping with Bread post, but I did make a cake from a mix and my daughter says I am the best cook ever. (Oh! How low the standards of a seven year-old!)

I'd love to start a series based on my Surprised by Waltzing post. I got the idea after watching Superman: Doomsday with Marley. (Slightly inappropriate at times, I have to say.) In the special features of this recently released animated movie, the decision to kill Superman in the comics and how they brought him back to life elicited that feeling of joy in me which I described in the waltzing post. The community of the team working on it moved me. The emotional involvement the artists and writers still feel is incredible. There are a couple of occasions where they are moved to tears as they describe scenes from the comics. Tears formed in my own eyes as I watched. You never can tell when joy is going to jump up and get your attention.

As if there were any need to confirm my geek status, I watched Transformers the Movie... and of course, I loved it. Optimus Prime is the coolest AutoBot ever!

Fires are raging -- all around us here in So Cal. We are literally ringed with fires to the North, South and West of us... probably to the East as well but I'd have to look it up to be exact. There are other parts of the country where you experience the smell of fire entwined completely with the air and ash adrift on the wind. I don't know how many places, though, experience this once to twice a year. This is a particularly bad batch of fires. At least one area is burning thanks to the sick minds of one or more arsonists. This is also the first time that I know someone who had to evacuate. Fortunately it was just for a few hours. The wind was so fierce last night that we lost a portion of the fence and some shades. A neighbor lost a tree. People are encouraged to stay inside and use the recirculate function on their air conditioning units.

It is definitely Fall in So Cal.

Life, the Universe, and Everything: Friday Night Catch Up

Life:

I promised to be back Friday and I sometimes keep my promises.

My brain is still drained, sprained and otherwise constrained.

Still, I soldier on...

The week really hasn't been that bad. Mostly, I am just tired. I spent about 11 hours working on a paper last Sunday (insert impressed noises here) and when I went to bed for the night, the body was willing but my brain was like a frozen computer and I couldn't find the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys. I finally went to sleep at 4:00 a.m. If this is the impact that paper writing has on me, I'm going to have to have a writing curfew to allow for four hours recovery time. The rest of the week involved extra hours at the church office, catching up on sleep, Paul traveling, etc.

This morning I woke up after some fitful sleeping and thought to myself that I didn't see how I could possibly put clothes on, make lunches, and drive the kids to school.

So I didn't.

We had in impromptu LUE family vacation day. It was AWESOME!!! Why was it awesome? Because the kids got along all day and I was able to leave Marley with Colin while I went to the chiropractor and store. After I got home, I lazed around in my pajamas, watching tv and napping off and on. HEAVEN!!

Of course, there was a cloud to my silver lining. Marley was too well-behaved, too cooperative, and too self-sufficient. It couldn't last and it didn't. But that's okay. She's bathed and waiting for Daddy to come home with her Krazy Kryptonite purchased from THE BIGGEST MALL IN THE WORLD!!!!

the Universe:

I officially do not know what is going on in the universe. Last night, my bleary eyes were scanning internet headlines and I found myself reading headlines which were follow ups to news stories I wasn't familiar with.

I think this might be a grad school phenomenon.

Everything:

BubandPie tagged me for a book meme and because I am at reduced capacity, I am going to do it in installments.

Installment One:

What was the last book I read?

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham. I recently read The Painted Veil and loved it, so when this selection came up for my book club, I was excited--until I saw the 600 pages or so I had to read. It took me quite a while to plow through this book, but it was definitely worth the effort. Philip Carey grew on me and I found myself alternately frustrated at him for spending too much money or going back to Mildred or broken-hearted for him because of the lack of warmth and understanding in his life. The historical context interested me also with references to the rise of the German philosophers, changes in religious thought toward the end of the 19th century, and post-Impressionism in France.

Stay tuned for installments Two through Six: Five Meaningful Books I've Read.