Tagged
June 10, 2008
I’ve been tagged by Jenny
The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
Each player answers the questions about themselves.
At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
a) What was I doing 10 years ago?
Well, I was working at Macomb Center. Ted and I were’t married or even engaged yet. I was living with my parents in good ol’ Memphis, Michigan. Ted and I were applying to Busch Gardens. I was 100 lbs. lighter.
b) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today:
1. Write more thank you cards
2. Look for a job
3. Continue cleaning and organizing the house
4. Write for 100 words
5. Call and check on Dad Easton
c) Snacks I enjoy:
I enjoy tomatoes, strawberries, granola, and pickles
d) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
I would build a family commune with underground tunnels connecting each house and the main house. (ask me about it. I know exactly what it looks like in my head!) I would pay off my parents mortgage since they would like to stay there (instead of living in my commune) I would TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL!!! I would pay Bee and Anthony and Autumn’s college tuition. Bee and I would open up our year round, sleepover art charter school and our coffee shop (which she will be in total charge of) And I would open a restaurant / grocery store that caters to diabetics.
e) Places I have lived:
Anchorville, Michigan
Fair Haven, Michigan
Chesterfield, Michigan
Ovid, Michigan
Memphis, Michigan
Clinton Township, Michigan
Newport News, Virginia
Harrison Township, Michigan
Mount Clemens, Michigan
I’m tagging Bee
100 Words
June 1, 2008
April 2008
1 – 4/1/2008 11:12PM
April Fool’s Day never did much for me, I never really understood the point of tricking people. I mean, A) It’s cruel and mean. B) it’s obvious to a fault, I mean, it’s the day EVERYONE trys to be clever and trick others and C) Where and how did something like this start? Did someone wake one day and say, “I think today is a grand day to try to fool everyone you know. In fact, I think everyone should do this on this day EVERY year!” I hate April Fool’s Day. It is such a massive waste of time.
2 – 4/2/2008 10:15 AM
I am so exhausted. My eyes want to close, my body, to lie down, my brain, to quiet. None of this will happen though, because I did not take my meds. My brain will not allow me to sleep. Whenever I get close to sleep, my brain screams at me for being weak and not sticking to figuring out the solution to the problems at hand. I don’t even really know what those problems are. I am so exhausted. I think about my warm blankets and all of my wonderfully squishy pillows and almost fall asleep just thinking about them.
3 – 4/3/2008 9:35 PM
It has been 19 months since the day you let us all behind. It has been 19 months since you decided that you were not meant for this place. It has been 19 months since your love of “Harold and Maude” became not a favorite movie, but a manual for suicide. The situations differ greatly, but the love remained the same. It as been 19 months, but it only feels like five, yet is feels like it’s been forever. It has been 19 months and time has not been kind enough to heal this wound. It has been 19 months.
MAY 2008
1 – 5/1/2008 10:19 PM
It had been some time since I had talked to her. It had been almost as long since I had let myself even think about her and all the turmoil that seemed to follow on her heels. Even so, when the call came, I wondered why I was so surprised. It was expected. In a matter of moments, the past’s hurt and anger melted away and I wondered why we had let so much time go by without resolve. We were both prideful and stubborn and somewhat ashamed of our actions. Now it’s too late to make it all okay.
2 – 5/3/2008 8:13 PM
She would have been twenty-five; She could have been a mom. After all, she wasn’t always careful in that area. She’d most likely still be addicted that helped her to numb the past. Praying, heroin, church, methadone, morphine, Xanax, love. Any addiction would do.
Would she have gotten better had she not killed herself? Would she have been saved by an epiphany or a miracle of some sort? Would a chance at motherhood have saved her life or maybe that would have created a whole new cycle of depression and sadness in a new generation? Now we will never know.
3 – 5/8/2008 11:38 PM
Many children feel as if the trusted adults in their life are infallible, and at some point while growing up and growing wiser, they discover that the adults that once stood flawless, strong and sometimes superhuman are just as lost and confused as they, the children, are themselves.
As far as I can remember, I have never seen any of the adults, or anyone else for that matter, as staggeringly heroic or extraordinary. Too often I worried because my mom was crying, yet again. I never felt as though any adult could keep us from the bad things in life.
4 – 5/16/2008 10:19 AM
Sometimes I wonder if my memories of important people and events are actually my real memories, or if they are regurgitations from what I have seen in photos or heard in stories. When I talked to my mom, I realized that in some cases, memory turned out to be just a playback of stories I couldn’t have known. The stories had come from the wrong point of view. That depressed me. Then, when I spoke of my last Christmas with grandma, mom and I both realized that the point of view of my memory could only have come from me.
5 – 5/16/2008 10:42 AM
The day Timmy was born, Seven years ago, was a day of joy that resurrected from sadness like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Little boy, almost lost, almost gone, beat the odds, heart beat strengthened, until the doctors knew the worst was over and the best was yet to come.
Now, he’s seven and rambunctious and as healthy and happy as can be. He doesn’t remember how close to death he was, but every time I look at him, I do. I see that helpless little baby struggling for a breath, struggling to live as all of us hoped.
6 – 5/16/2008 11:03 AM
I go to one sentence.com and I see “I have to choose between anti-depressants and weight loss, when half the reason I’m depressed is because I’m fat.” I feel for her. I know the feeling. I am on anti-depressants while trying desperately to lose weight. It is a battle, and it is slow, but I am winning. Someday, I will be able to tell young girls who are frustrated and about to give up, that there is hope. There is a way to beat both sadness and fatness. It’s not easy and I have fallen back, but it is winnable.
7 – 5/22/2008 11:37 PM
Just like that, her life is spent. Her time here, over. Just like that, agony extinguished and another one bites the dust. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, she didn’t live long, we’ll have to adjust. Just like that, her eyes grow dim and when that light goes out and her skin grows cold, we’ll forget to remember the virtues that she had and only dwell on the passed harsh months and we’ll cry thinking about her pain instead of celebrating her new life. Just like that, a husband becomes a widower and hearts break and several lives become emptier.
8 – 5/23/2008 3:40 PM
You waltz into town in your camouflage clothing, holier than thou, taking charge like you actually give a damn. Months go by and you don’t call your dad and you don’t support your family. When the end is near, you come in and act like you are the keeper of the family, the king of our little kingdom, the person to whom all should run to and bow down to. I resent that you take credit for the messed we’ve cleaned, the tears we have shed and the support we have given as a family, and you still don’t care.
9 – 5/23/2008 4:04 PM
I remember when I was young, running into my grandmother’s waiting arms, feeling safe and loved, and in the next moment, I am cold and I realize that she has been gone and in the ground for over twenty years. It’s at those moments that I miss her most, when I would have loved to have her guidance. I have noticed that I am growing to be a lot like her. There are days when I talk to my mom a lot about grandma, only to realize that my mother has stopped listening because it hurts too much to remember.
Another Project 101 in 1001
June 1, 2008
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 organising 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 Focussed. 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.
My Reasons for Making a List
1. I love lists!
2. These are things (at least most of them) that I really need to do. This is good motivation
3. I need to actually finish somthing in life. This is a way to do that by finishing many smaller things
This is a project of “things to do” in 1001 days, rather than books to read. I can already tell that this project will be a lot harder to complete than any other project I have started thus far. The numbered items are the origional 101 and the rest are other items that I am hoping also to accomplish. They are NOT part of the 101 and will not replace any of the 101.
*** Unless otherwise stated, the numbered goal time frame is 30 days anythin unnumbered is considered above and beyond the 101 ***
Start Date: Friday, June 13, 2008
End Date: Friday, March 11, 2011
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
“What’s an EARTH for, but to make a heaven of.” – Anonymous (Environment)
1. Start recycling
2. Plant a garden
3. Buy (or make) and use reusable grocery bags and stop using plastic bags 0 of 15
4. Put up a clothesline to use for laundry
5. Watch and photograph the sunset and sunrise at least once each season 0 of 4
6. Reduce my carbon footprint
7. Set up outdoor compost bin
8. Start using only rechargeable batteries. Until I can afford to switch, take old batteries to Post office for recycling.
9. Switch over to cloth napkins. 0 of 28
Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day
Build a bat box
Go stargazing at least once a season.
“Why DO Birds Suddenly Appear, Every Time You Appear” – The Carpenters (Relationship)
10. Have a weekly date night. 0 of 143
11. Watch at least 1 sports event with him, in its entirety, at least twice a month. 0 of 66
12. Go see a movie he wants to see.
13. Go on a real vacation
14. Go camping with another couple
15. Have a candlelit dinner (possibly outside)
16. Don’t make him do any indoor chores for a full month
17. Go fishing at least once a month with him. 0 of 33
Take the train somewhere and stay the day
Go hiking at Stoney Creek with Ted
Role play in public
“I’ll Be There For You, When The Rain Starts To Pour” (Friends and Family)
18. Send birthday, anniversary, sympathy, thank you and thinking of you cards and presents on time and without missing a date.
Send “just because” letters or packages to a friend (send at least 5)
Send someone flowers or a plant
Go see parents at least once a month. Preferably twice. 0 of 33
Reconnect with aunts, uncles and cousins.
Take photos of all family events.
Have 1st annual midsummer night’s dream party. (2nd Saturday in October) 0 of 2
Bake someone a surprise birthday cake
Take Trinity flowers every year on her day (September 3rd) 0 of 3
Have a day with just Christy and me
Host movie or game night 4 times a year 0 of 4
Make a shadow box for Jenny and Andrea 0 of 2
Host a Girl’s Night (Jenny and Bee, Wendy)
Have a Tea Party at a tea place with Jenny and/or Bee
“It is not real WORK unless you would rather be doing something else.” - J.M. Barrie
19. Get a part time job
Participate in a large protest or a large support event
Volunteer to help in a political campaign for a person/cause I believe in.
Create a very well written resume including cover letter
March in a gay pride parade
Pick at least one cause fully and truly, and actually get active within it.
“MONEY, It’s A Hit. Don’t Give Me That Do Goody Good Bullshit” – Pink Floyd
20. Start putting 20 dollars a week away into savings. 0 of 143 (total at the end = 2,860.00)
21. For every complete item on this list put $5 to a savings account and for every incomplete item put in $10
22. Track cash spending.
23. Save up for a car.
24. Start clipping coupons.
25. buy 2 lottery tickets a week 0 of 143
26. Start a “piggy bank” for my silver and don’t touch it. Put it in savings when it gets full
27. Get a credit card and use it responsibly
28. Start paying off student loans
29. Create a budget and STICK TO IT!
Get renter’s insurance.
“It’s A Beautiful Day In This Neighborhood, A Beautiful Day For A Neighbor.” (Charity/Community)
30. Buy only local produce
31. Explore Mt. Clemens COMPLETELY!
32. Give blood on a regular basis
33. Donate to a food drive
Buy 50 flowers and hand them out randomly to 50 people 0 of 50
Buy a “To Write Love on Her Arms” shirt
Donate to a Donors Choose project
Make a virtual tour (with photos) of Mt. Clemens for my pen pals (with a map so they know where they are)
Go to at least 10 graveyards and clean up plots that are neglected
“Having good HEALTH is very different from only being not sick.” – Seneca the Younger (Personal Well Being)
34. Get another tattoo (Start with Trin’s Tattoo)
35. Set up a weekly workout routine and follow it. 0 of 143
36. Track weight/fitness goals
37. Start eating more organics
38. Start eating less meat
39. Give up soda
40. Spend one FULL day a month without TV, telephone and computer
41. Get my passport
42. Draw up wills, living wills and POA’s
43. Go a week without swearing. Put 10¢ in savings every time I do.
44. Recertify in CPR
45. Paint my toenails at least once a month 0 of 33
46. Buy 2 corsets that make me look better. O of 2
47. One word… Yoga
48. Wash face when I wake up and before bed DAILY
49. Go vegetarian for an entire month 0 of 30
50. Keep a written journal for the entire 1001 days, missing no more than 4 days per month. 6 of 1001
51. Watch at least 1 documentary a month 0 of 33
52. Drink nothing but water for 1 month
53. Be able to jog a 15 minute mile with no stops or breaks
54. Be silent for 1 full day (try for 1 full week, but 1 full day, 24 hours, is all that is required) Day of silence is April 17th 2009
55. If under 3 floors, ALWAYS use the stairs
56. Shave my legs and armpits every 3 days. Not every 3 months
57. Do Project 365
58. Get up really early one day a week. (Mondays)
59. Find a sushi I like. I actually have to really, honestly, TRY different types of sushi
Make my own “spa” products.
Take a self portrait each week 0 of 143
Learn belly dancing
Have a chapbook assembled and published
Go to bed earlier/Get up earlier (Up at 9:00 Sleep by 11:00)
Have a spa day every 2 months (and the whole day must be used for actual spa day. 9 am – 4 pm) 0 of 16
Brush 2 times, floss and use mouthwash daily
Learn basic first aid
Start “counting marbles” need 2,392 pebbles or marbles
Buy and use a juicer
Go out to public social places and deal with (and learn to overcome) the anxiety
Throw myself a 30th birthday party (So I can embrace being thirty) August 23, 2008
“Let’s have fun and do what thrills you Please don’t waste another day “(Hobbies)
60. Update blog at least once a week 0 of 143
61. Keep a digital journal of my 30th year, beginning on my 30th birthday and ending on my 31st
62. Make 10 homemade gifts 0 of 10
63. Write 101 haiku 0 of 101
64. Participate in A Day in the Life on Flickr
65. Complete NaNoWriMo
66. Blog every day for one month
67. Finish crocheting a complete, adult sized afghan
68. Join a genealogy group
69. Start writing songs
70. Paint on canvas and actually hang it up
71. Make the Trinity quilt
72. Finish 100_snapshots (lists one and two) 31 of 100
73. Write 100 words daily for one month for the 100 words challenge 0 of 30
Go to an open mic night every other month 0 of 33
Tie Dye a bunch of panties and tee shirts.
Do gravestone rubbings.
Make and hang a pretty welcome sign.
Make a sundress that fits me correctly
Start painting
Get a video camera and start using it
“Another summer day Is come and gone away In Paris and Rome But I wanna go home” (Home)
74. Paint living room
75. Decorate
76. Get frames and put up pictures
77. Create a daily chore list and stick to it
78. Make our bed PROPERLY for an entire month 0 of 30
Buy some original art. Or at least some that are not poster type art.
Buy (or make) and use a kitchen table
Make REAL curtains for all rooms except bedrooms
Get a filing cabinet for craft crap.
Keep my plants alive
Vacuum twice a week minimum
“Twenty years of SCHOOLIN’ and they put you on the day shift” – Bob Dylan
79. Learn to play guitar
80. Learn French
81. Learn basic sign language
82. Learn Photoshop
83. Improve my typing speed
84. Learn and properly use and spell 2 new words per month 0 of 66
85. Learn how to drive a stick shift
86. Get a degree
Learn to make soap
Learn to crochet granny squares
Learn about politics (American and otherwise. Include types of government)
Learn Ballet
Go to the DIA every 3 months 0 of 11
Go to the science center 2 times a year 0 of 5
Go to the zoo at least once a year 0 of 3
Go to any museum 3 times a year or more 0 of 8
Learn more adjectives. Quit saying so many “phenomenal” s and “fantastic” s
Read a at least 3 banned books per year. 0 of 8
Use Rosettastone and finish it!
Learn how to use Furoshiki
Buy a keyboard and learn to play well
Increase my typing speed to 80 wpm
Learn to play the harmonica
“Organize, organize - we must realize that we must work together to make our world better” (Organizing)
87. Begin doing one list every day. (A non to-do list) 0 of 1001
88. Buy photo albums and put pictures in albums in some kind of order. DONE
89. Write it down!
90. Create a cookbook of my favorite personal recipes (not to sell)
91. create daily to-do lists 0 of 1001
92. Get an organizer/planner and use it regularly
93. Get a large fire box (for important papers)
94. Actually file my bills properly. (Even in an accordion file)
95. Go through videos and DVDs and get rid of ones I don’t want or won’t watch
Keep my camera and MP3 Player with me at ALL times
“’Tis Hallowe’en of all the year, Dark Hecate doth hold most dear” (Spiritual)
96. Learn to meditate
97. Dance daily 0 of 1001
98. Actually practice (Sabbats, Esbats and everything in between) my faith
99. Establish some holiday traditions
100. Practice deep breathing exercises monthly 0 of 33
Send a secret to Postsecret 1 time / month for 1 year 0 of 12
Go ghost hunting at least twice / year 0 of 5
Start and use a faith journal
|
Visit the Sri Balaji Vedic Center (Hindu) 2567 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights Michigan 48310 Visit The Bharatiya Temple (Hindu) 6850 Adams Road, Troy, Michigan 48098 Visit Linh Son Tu. Buddhist Temple 4820 E 9 Mile Road Warren, Michigan 48091 Visit The Midwest Buddhist Meditation Center 29750 Ryan Road, Warren, Michigan 48092 Visit Blue Water Community of Mindful Living (Buddhist) 2713 Hancock Port Huron, Michigan 48060 Visit Dhammasala Forest Monastery 14780 Beardslee Road, Perry, Michigan 48872 Plan my funeral Keep track of my “moon cycles” for a year Start a dream diary Have “Tea Time” at least once a week. 0 of 143 Begin and FINISH “A Year and A Day” |
“And when you find Wily, make him eat dirt” (Random)
101. Participate in and finish NaBloPoMo
Go on a weekend trip with zero plans and go wherever the road takes us
Make a time capsule
Learn how to make, then begin to wear saris.
Kidnap gnome. send postcard to owner. return gnome safe & sound (again)
Re-create ophelia portrait with Bee
Send a message on a balloon once a month 0 of 33
Create an actual plan for my commune and school (with business plan and drawings)
Buy a mini tape recorder to audio journal about my past. Stories that I have told 100 times.
Buy and install bookplates for any books I will be lending out.
Don’t use myspace for a week
Make a “day in my life” video
Get involved in local theatre group (If I can find one)
Go to at least 2 concerts a year 0 of 5
Put random things inside the books I mooch out or return and stick them also into random places.
Go to 4 festivals or galleries a year 0 of 10
The Lowdown
May 28, 2008
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I have been using this blog to keep track of my progress in this little book reading escapade, and reviewing the books that I have read. Read the ABOUT section for how this blog came about.
I started this blog on August 7th, 2007, and have reviewed all the books I have read since January 1st, 2007. It has now been over a year and I am loving this challange. I think this may be the first challange to myself I have ever kept so long.
I do not plan to read these books in this order. I may also add or subtract books from this list. As I start a new book. I will put it in the order I am reading it. Please send me suggestions on good books to read. I am always very grateful for suggestions. My cousin, Lisa, has already given me several great suggestions, so now it’s your turn. I have several spaces yet to fill.
Start Date: January 1st, 2007
End Date: September 27th, 2009
Here is my progress so far:
1. The DaVinci Code — Dan Brown 1/1/07 - 1/3/07
2. The Bell Jar — Sylvia Plath 3/6/07 - 3/7/07
3. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter — Kim Edwards 3/7/07 - 3/10/07
4. Cut — Patricia McCormick 3/10/07 - 3/10/07
5. Running With Scissors — Augusten Burroughs 3/10/07 - 3/18/07
6. Augusta, Gone — Martha Tod Dudman 3/18/07 - 3/20/07
7. The Mermaid Chair — Sue Monk Kidd 3/20/0/7 - 3/21/07
8. Secret Society Girl — Diana Peterfreund 3/21/07 - 3/22/07
9. Go Ask Alice — Anonynous 3/26/07 - 3/26/07
10. Girl in Hyacinth Blue — Susan Vreeland 4/5/07 - 4/7/07
11. The Passion of Artemesia — Susan Vreeland 4/9/07 - 4/12/07
12. Paint It Black — Janet Fitch 4/12/07 - 4/20/07
13. My Sister’s Keeper — Jodi Picoult 4/21/07 - 4/24/07
14. The Pact — Jodi Picoult 4/25/07 - 5/1/07
15. The Plain Truth — Jodi Picoult 5/2/07 - 5/9/07
16. The Probable Future — Alice Hoffman 5/19/07 - 5/26/07
17. Two Little Girls in Blue - Mary Higgins Clark 5/27/07 -5/29/07
18. The Ice Queen — Alice Hoffman 5/30/0/7 - 6/1/07
19. Nightshade — John Saul 6/2/07 - 6/8/07
20. Find Me — Rosie O’Donnell 6/17/07 - 6/17/07
21. Amy & Isabelle — Elizabeth Stout 6/18/07 - 6/30/07
22. Cider House Rules — John Irving 7/2/07 - 7/8/07
23. The True Stories of Law and Order - Juré Fiorillo & Kevin Dwyer 7/26/07 - 7/31/07
24. I Never Promised You A Rose Garden — Joanne Greenburg 7/31/07 - 8/7/07
25. Cradle and All — James Patterson 8/7/07 - 8/9/07
26. The Birth Of Venus — Sarah Dunat 8/12/07 - 8/16/07
27. Daddy’s Little Girl — Mary Higgens Clark 8/17/07 - 8/18/07
28. The Photograph — Penelope Lively 8/19/07 - 8/23/07
29. Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchousen by Proxy Child — Julie Gregory 8/24/07 - 8/28/07
30. Aimee — Mary Beth Miller 8/29/07 - 8/29/07
31. Identical Strangers — Elyse Scheim 8/30/07 - 9/5/07
– can you tell that this is when I gained custody of a 5 month old?!??! –
32. A Darker Place — Lorie R. King 9/6/07 - 10/2/07 (shit…)
33. Dear Professor Einstein (Albert Einstein’s Letters to and from Children) — Alice Calaprice 9/17/07 - 9/17/07
34. The Man Who Shorted Out The Electric Chair — Mitchell Symons 9/28/07 - 9/29/07
35. The Nanny Diaries — Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus 10/3/07 - 10/4/07
36. Velocity– Dean Koontz 10/5/07 - 10/14/07
37. The Haunted Tea-Cosy: A Dispirited and Distasteful Diversion for Christmas — Edward Gorey 10/6/07 - 10/6/07
38. The Lovely Bones — Alice Sebold 10/17/07 - 10/27/07
39. April Shadows — V.C. Andrews 11/5/07 - 11/9/07
40. Girl in the Shadows — V.C. Andrews 11/9/07 - 11/12/07
41. Asylum — Patrick McGrath 11/21/07 - 12/4/07
42. The Girl in the Green Glass Mirror — Elizabeth McGregor 12/5/07 - 1/20/08
43. Grave’s End — Elaine Mercado 1/9/08 - 1/20/08
44. The End Of Alice — A.M. Homes 2/18/08 - 2/29/08
45. [Challange Book #1] Charlotte’s Web — E.B. White 3/5/08 - 3/10/08
46. The Woods — Harlan Coben 3/10/08 - 3/14/08
47. [Challange Book #2] The Twits — Roald Dahl 3/14/08 - 3/14/08
48. The Sex Club — L.J. Sellers 3/14/08 - 4/06/08
49. What Was She Thinking [Notes On A Scandal] — Zoë Heller 4/6/08 - 4/13/08
50. Secret Societies — Inside The World’s Most Notorious Organizations — John Lawrence Reynolds 4/13/08 - 4/15/08
51. The Vagina Monologues — Eve Ensler 4/14/08 - 4/14/08
52. A Wolf At The Door and other retold fairy tales — Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling 4/20/08 - 4/21/08
53. The Stepford Wives — Ira Levin 4/22/08 - 4/22/08
54. Gone For Good — Harlan Coben 4/02/08 - 4/28/08
55. No Second Chance — Harlan Coben 05/02/08 - 05/14/08
56. Just One Look — Harlan Coben 05/15/08 - 05/18/08
57. Anastasia: The Riddle of Anna Anderson — Peter Kurth 05/16/08 - 05/21/08
58. Twins A Novel — Marcy Dermansky 05/19/18 - 05/19/08
59. Girl, Interrupted — Susanna Kaysen 05/27/08 - 05/28/08
60. City Ghosts — Mary Beth Sammons & Robert Edwards
61. A Density of Souls — Christopher Rice
62. At Risk — Alice Hoffman
63. Open House — Elizabeth Berg
64. Shoot The Moon — Billie Letts
65. Me & Emma — Elizabeth Flock
66. Songs in Ordinary Time — Mary McGarry Morris
67. The Resort — Bently Little
68. Tulip Fever — Deborah Moggach
69. The House Next Door — Anne Rivers Siddons
70. Sam’s Letters to Jennifer — James Patterson
71. Briar Rose — Jane Yolen
72. The Bad Seed — William March
73. Light Before Day — Christopher Rice
74. The Bridges of Madison County — Robert James Walker
75. Practical Magic — Alice Hoffman
76. Rebecca’s Tale — Sally Beauman
77. September Sacrifice — Mark Horner
78. The Last Time They Met — Anita Shreve
79. Nighttime is My Time — Mary Higgins Clark
80. A Cry in the Night — Mary Higgins Clark
81. Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities — Alexandra Robbins
82. Wicked — Gregory McGuire
83. River King — Alice Hoffman
84. All Through the Night — Mary Higgins Clark
85. Moonlight Becomes You — Mary Higgins Clark
86. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister — Gregory McGuire
87. Mirror Mirror — Gregory McGuire
88. Before and After — Rosellen Brown
89. Girlfriend In A Coma — Douglad Coupland
90. Under The Rose — Diana Peterfreund
91. Prozac Nation — Elizabeth Wurtzel
92. The Other Boleyn Girl — Philippa Gregory
93. The Falls — Karen Harper
94. The Tenth Circle — Jodi Picoult
95. The Keeper of Lime Rock — Lenore Skomal
96. Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette — Judith Thurman
97. The Witch of Cologne — Tobsha Learner
98. A Map Of The World — Jane Hamilton
99. Surrogate Child — Andrew Neiderman
100. Here On Earth — Alice Hoffman
101. Midwives — Chris Bohjalian
______________________________________________________________________________
Start Date: September 28th , 2009
End Date: June 26th, 2012
102. Blue Diary — Alice Hoffman
103. The Time Traveler’s Wife — Audrey Niffenegger
104. The Pilot’s Wife — Anita Shreve
105. Duplicate Keys — Jane Smiley
106. Pure — Rebbecca Ray
107. Diana: Her Story — Andrew Morton
108. A Widow For A Year — John Irving
109. The Painter — Will Davenport
110. Perfect Match — Jodi Picoult
111. Salem Falls — Jodi Picoult
112. The Witch’s Grave — Phillip DePoy
113. Lucky - Alice Sebold
114. Artemesia: A Novel — Alexandra Lapierre
115. While I Was Gone — Sue Miller
116. Speak — Laurie Halse Anderson
117. The Hand Maid’s Tale — Margaret Atwood
118. Written on the Body — Jeanette Winterson
119.
120.
Girl, Interrupted — Susanna Kaysen
May 28, 2008
I loved the move, and even though it was completely different from the movie (or maybe BECAUSE it was) I loved the book just as much. I give it 7 of 10
Amazon.com
When reality got “too dense” for 18-year-old Susanna Kaysen, she was hospitalized. It was 1967, and reality was too dense for many people. But few who are labeled mad and locked up for refusing to stick to an agreed-upon reality possess Kaysen’s lucidity in sorting out a maelstrom of contrary perceptions. Her observations about hospital life are deftly rendered; often darkly funny. Her clarity about the complex province of brain and mind, of neuro-chemical activity and something more, make this book of brief essays an exquisite challenge to conventional thinking about what is normal and what is deviant.
Anastasia: The Riddle of Anna Anderson — Peter Kurth
May 21, 2008
Informative, but slow. I still think this woman MAY have been Anastasia. There are too many things that point in that direction. Who knows. Read the book. 5 of 10.
New Challange
May 20, 2008
I know this sounds silly, but I am kind of in a rut. I am adding a challange to help me get into reading a bit. I found a great article on the 100 books every child should read. Many of them I have never heard of before, some I have heard of but sadly, I have never read, and some are old favorites of mine. I want to read each one on this list. Yes, I believe I will count some of them toward my goal. If they are especially small, I will add a few together as one. I now have my nieces and nephew in town for some time and I love reading to them. This will be fun. Here is the list:
The London Telegraph recently published their list of 100 books every child should read.
(#2) The Twits, by Roald Dahl 3/14/08 - 3/14/08
Burglar Bill, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter
Yertle the Turtle, by Dr Seuss
Fungus the Bogeyman, by Raymond Briggs
Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss
(#1) Charlotte’s Web, by EB White - 03/05/08 - 03/10/08
The Story of Babar, by Jean de Brunhoff
Winnie-the-Pooh, by AA Milne, illustrated by EH Shepard
Stig of the Dump, by Clive King
Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild
Howl’s Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones
Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling
The Borrowers, by Mary Norton
Struwwelpeter, by Heinrich Hoffman
The Magic Faraway Tree, by Enid Blyton
Danny, the Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl
George’s Marvellous Medicine, by Roald Dahl
Underwater Adventure, by Willard Price
Tintin in Tibet, by Hergé
The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
Erik the Viking, by Terry Jones, illustrated by Michael Foreman
When the Wind Blows, by Raymond Briggs
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, by TS Eliot
The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes
The Owl and the Pussycat, by Edward Lear
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
The Worst Witch Collection, by Jill Murphy
Peter Pan, by JM Barrie
The Water Babies, by Charles Kinglsey
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I’m The King of the Castle, by Susan Hill
The Wave, by Morton Rhue
Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
Bambert’s Book of Missing Stories, by Reinhardt Jung
The Firework-maker’s Daughter, by Philip Pullman
Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
The Silver Sword, by Ian Serrallier
Cue for Treason, by Geoffrey Trease
The Sword in the Stone, by TH White
A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K LeGuin
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by JK Rowling
The Chronicles of Narnia Box Set, by CS Lewis
His Dark Materials Box Set, by Philip Pullman
The BFG, by Roald Dahl
Swallows and Amazons, by Arthur Ransome
Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now, by Lauren Child
The Railway Children, by E Nesbit
The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde
Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell
Just William, by Richmal Crompton
Jennings Goes to School, by Anthony Buckeridge
Comet in Moominland, by Tove Jansson
The Bad Beginning, by Lemony Snicket
Call of the Wild, by Jack London
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll
The Outsiders, by SE Hinton
I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
The Owl Service, by Alan Garner
The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Arthur Conan Doyle
Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte
The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, by Mildred D Taylor
A Kestrel for a Knave, by Barry Hines
The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien
War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo
Beowulf, by Michael Morpurgo
King Solomon’s Mines, by H Rider Haggard
Kim, by Rudyard Kipling
The Road of Bones, by Anne Fine
Frenchman’s Creek, by Daphne Du Maurier
Treasure Island, by RL Stevenson
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
Anne of Green Gables, by L M Montgomery
Junk, by Melvin Burgess
Cider With Rosie, by Laurie Lee
The Go-Between by LP Hartley
The Rattle Bag, ed by Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes
The Song of Hiawatha, by H W Longfellow
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
True Grit, by Charles Portis
Holes, by Louis Sachar
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
My Family and Other Animals, by Gerald Durrell
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman
Carrie’s War, by Nina Bawden
The Story of Tracy Beaker, by Jacqueline Wilson
The Lantern Bearers, by Rosemary Sutcliffe
Twins A Novel — Marcy Dermansky
May 19, 2008
I couldn’t put this train wreck down. It was not the greatest book I have ever read, actually, it’s one of the worst, but it was a train wreck. An absolute train wreck. It’s the first time in forever that I have read a whole book one day. I give this book a 4 out of 10.
From Publishers Weekly
Two teenagers struggle with identity and self-determination in Dermansky’s entertaining debut.To the casual observer, twins Chloe and Sue are exactly the same—even their father mixes them up sometimes. Of course, Chloe understands that they’re very different people, but Sue wants nothing more than to be one with Chloe, whom she’s convinced is prettier, smarter and nicer. The chapters alternate between the voices of Sue and Chloe, moving quickly but seamlessly through their high school years with their attendant dramas and tragedies. It feels primarily like Sue’s story, though, because it is her desire to hold on to her perfect intimacy with Chloe that sets the plot in motion. And it is Sue’s voice—variously deadpan, yearning, and frequently repetitive to good effect—that carries most of the novel’s emotional weight. (Though Chloe has her moments: “I did everything for Sue. She needed me as if I were the oxygen she breathed, but she didn’t understand what it cost me.”) While some aspects of the tale seem unlikely (the twins’ blithely neglectful parents and extremely generous friends, for example), this is balanced by an overarching fable-like quality to this moving and well-written story of two girls learning to accept who they are.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Just One Look — Harlan Coben
May 18, 2008
Another great read by Harlan Coben… I was a little less thrilled about this ending. Though the twists and turns were awesome, the inevital loss of a beloved character left me a little bitter. No answered questions about him… Hmmm… Anyway, I give this book 7 of 10.
From Publishers Weekly
Just one look at Coben’s latest stand-alone thriller (after No Second Chance) highlights the author’s customary strengths (swift pacing, strong lead characters) but also his weaknesses, including limited originality and, in this case, a plot so complicated that many final pages are devoted to sorting it out. The premise is simple enough: suburban housewife Grace Lawson collects some pictures at the local Photomat; inexplicably, one is an old print depicting her husband, Jack, with other college students; when Grace shows the photo to Jack, he drives away-and disappears. Grace’s hunt for her missing husband, whom we learn has been kidnapped (but why? and Coben fans will note that the author’s last novel also hinged on a kidnapped family member), sweeps her back into a nightmare she thought she’d escaped: the evening years ago when she survived a rock concert rampage, occasioned by a shooting that left many dead. Meanwhile, Eric Wu, a-dare we say?-inscrutable martial-arts killer who has snatched Jack for reasons unknown, menaces assorted folk. Eventually Grace, aided by a Gotti-like mobster whose child was killed in the rampage, gloms on to Wu, as well as on to Jack’s sister, a high-powered attorney who, it turns out, is representing the guy who started the rampage by firing his gun. Only he didn’t start the rampage after all, and then there’s the rock star who vanished after the shooting and resultant mayhem-what’s he now doing on Grace’s doorstep? This is all as complicated as a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle and about as hard to figure out, although in the midst of the murk there are some wonderful character touches. Coben can write thrillers that lift readers off their seats; this one, alas, will have them slumping.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
No Second Chance — Harlan Coben
May 14, 2008
Ahhh… Another fantastic journey by way of Harlan Coben… Mystery, Intrigue, Romance and Murder… ll of my favorite aspects rolled tightly in a neat little package. So far I have not read a Coben that I have not liked… 8 out of 10.
From Publishers Weekly
Supercharged by a father’s fierce drive to rescue his kidnapped daughter, Coben’s third stand-alone thriller proves far more gripping than his second, Tell No One. Marc Seidman, a plastic surgeon near New York City, wakes up in a hospital to learn that he has been gravely wounded, his wife shot dead and his infant daughter, Tara, snatched. The ensuing narrative, which shuttles between third person and Marc’s first person, covers more than a year in Marc’s hunt for Tara and climaxes twice with his fumbling of payments in response to ransom demands, plunging him into despair. A smartly drawn supporting cast supports Marc in his quest, including an old girlfriend-an ex-FBI agent-who reappears in his life; Marc’s lawyer, who’s also his best friend; a cop/FBI duo who for a while suspect Marc of engineering the snatch and ransom demands; and a working-class hero who joins forces with Marc near the end of his hunt and steals every scene he’s in. On the villain’s side lurk several shady folk, including a psychopathic former child star and her hulking boyfriend. The plot is overly complicated, and there’s a revelation at book’s end that veteran thriller readers will have sussed out long before. Those flaws matter little, though, in the face of the emotional onslaught of Marc’s gut-wrenching, self-questioning, relentless narration, which will carry readers like a tidal wave through the novel’s twists and turns. What Coben’s thriller lacks in originality, it makes up for in sheer vigor; few browsers or dippers will put this down.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Photo Post 5
May 12, 2008
Photo Post 4
May 11, 2008
This is a big one, I was out with the girls and we saw tons of photo ops… I am hoping I can convince a fellow photographer to join the community…
Anyway… Onto the show…
#10 - Blue
#12 - Growth
#29 - Covered
#31 - High
#36 - Yellow
#59 - Two
63 - Decrepit
#65 - Dream
#73 - Rust
#87 - Wait
#89 - Distance
#94 - Home
#99 - Time
Photo Post 3
May 10, 2008
#1 - Safety
Photo Post 2
May 9, 2008
# 58 - Field
# 68 - Smirk
#67 - Smile (And yes, my dog DOES smile!)
Photo Post 1
May 9, 2008
#7 - Love
Introductions May Be Unneccesary…
May 9, 2008
I am Aimée. I am participating in a “thing” called 100_snapshots on Livejournal. The goal is to capture 100 moments in time using the community guidelines. You can find the guidelines and join the community here. I will be posting my photos both here and there. Enjoy. And don’t fucking steal anything!
Gone For Good — Harlan Coben
April 28, 2008
Oooh… Harlan Coben did it to me again… He told me a story that kept me on the edge of my seat and came throug with a great ending. It’s the 3rd Coben book I have read and I will continue to do so. Though it IS true that many of his books seem to be the samke type book with the same type characters, the stories themselved vary greatly and his characters always feel so real. New favorite author? Me thinks so… I give this book a 8 out of 10.
“The ugliest truth, in the end, was still better than the prettiest of lies.” So says Will Klein, whose search for his missing and allegedly murderous brother, Ken, leaves him doubting the actions of everybody he’s ever loved.
Eleven years ago, Ken fled his family’s suburban New Jersey neighborhood after Will’s ex-girlfriend, Julie Miller, was raped and strangled. The Kleins eventually convinced themselves that Ken perished on the lam. But as Will discovers, the facts are not so simple. On her deathbed, his mother tells him that Ken is still alive. Then Will’s girlfriend and “soul mate” disappears too, only to have her fingerprints turn up at a New Mexico homicide scene. How are these tragedies connected? And what’s their relationship to the recent appearance of a contract killer known as the Ghost? With help from an abused ex-hooker, a former white supremacist turned yoga guru, and Julie’s younger sister, Will finds himself in a tightly twisted plot that turns on double identities and misplaced trust and that forces him to dig for the courage he was always sure he lacked.
Although the premise sounds much like that of Harlan Coben’s last book, the acclaimed Tell No One, and the books’ ingenuous protagonists are nearly interchangeable, Gone for Good quickly establishes its separate but equally suspenseful identity. This is a tale of manifold deceptions guaranteed to show its readers up as suckers, and to make them love every moment of the experience.
The Stepford Wives — Ira Levin
April 22, 2008
As always, Mr. Levin creates a place of serenity, only to shatter that serenity with utter and total wonderment. I love the stories of Ira Levin. Until now, I had seen several of the movies based from his books. Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives and Sliver. But reading his masterpieces are always far better than the already fantastic film versions. Bravo, Mr. Levin, Bravo! 8 of 10.
Levin was a hot commodity in the 1960s and 1970s, cranking out horror potboilers like Rosemary’s Baby, The Boys from Brazil, and this 1972 title, all of which share the common theme that people aren’t always who or what they seem. This slim volume finds protagonist Joanna and husband Walter and kids leaving the wicked city for the bucolic town of Stepford. Despite its ideal facade, the sleepy little storybook town actually is more wicked. Joanna soon notices that her female neighbors are all body and no brains and seemingly exist only to do housework while their husbands gather nightly at a mysterious men’s club. Even worse, it appears that the women who moved there just before her suddenly begin morphing into hausfraus built like swimsuit models-and she’s next! It’s hard to tell if this is a stab at the feminist movement or simply a male fantasy, but it’s a fun read and will keep you turning the pages. Note also that a new feature film based on this story is in the works.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
A Wolf At The Door — Various Authors
April 21, 2008
I am an avid lover of fairy tales. I read them all as a child and again as a teenager and now, frequently, as an adult. I have recently discovered the “adapted” fairy tales and I am totally in love. Old tales made new, completely new tales… It’s a whole new world to get lost in. Some tales are not for children, but this book can totally be enjoyed by young and old alike. GET THIS BOOK IF YOU LOVE THE FAIRY TALED!!! 9 of 10.
This well-written collection revisits both familiar and lesser-known stories with creative revisions by a variety of familiar writers. The tales range from Jane Yolen’s comic “Cinder Elephant” to Garth Nix’s downright creepy “Hansel’s Eyes,” in which the witch no longer eats children, but instead harvests their organs for sale. It’s easy to recognize the traditional tale in most instances, but some are likely to be unfamiliar to many readers, particularly Katherine Vaz’s “The Kingdom of Melting Glances,” based on two Portuguese tales. Tanith Lee’s “A Wolf at the Door,” set in the next ice age, and Janeen Webb’s “Ali Baba and the Forty Aliens” enter the realm of science fiction. Neil Gaiman’s “Instructions” is a poem of advice for those finding themselves in the midst of fairy tales. Gregory Maguire’s “The Seven Stage a Comeback” is a song in which the dwarves consider taking back Snow White. The diversity of content, style, and tone makes this an excellent collection for sampling. Most of these stories ask readers to think a bit more about fairy tales and what they may be saying to and about us. Overall, Wolf is enjoyable reading for those who like fairy tales, particularly fans of revisionist versions who don’t expect humor in every story.
Ellen A. Greever, University of New Orleans, LA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
This was a VERY well written book. I got not only insight into these secret organizations, but a history lesson as well. Until I read this, I had no idea what the difference was between a Snni and a Shite. I still don’t know MUCH… but I do know a tad bit more. I suggest anyone love loves the mystery of secret societies READ THIS BOOK!!! 7 out of 10.
Canadian mystery writer Reynolds’s irreverent guide lacks an overarching thesis or philosophical dimension yet is packed with playfully presented information. The author begins by describing the 11th-century Iranian-based cult known as the Assassins, noting its obvious parallels with al-Qaeda. Next, he traces the history of the Freemasons and the Illuminati, observing that “[a]ny review of U.S. history encounters Freemasons lurking behind every treaty, battle and statute.” He then proceeds to sketch the complex history of the French cabal the Priory of Sion; details the belief systems of the Druids and Gnostics and their differing attitudes to secrecy; and explores how followers of the Kabbalah, “neither a religion nor an organization,” came to be considered “secretive and sinister” (Reynolds comments lightheartedly on how “the Kabbalah was transformed into a supermarket of pious accoutrements” by the Kabbalah Center in L.A.). Chapters on Triads, the Mafia and Yakuza are adept in their focus on immigration and minority cultural traditions in American society. Reynolds is most provocative when drawing links between Skull and Bones and the CIA. He closes with a brief history of conspiracy theory, anti-Semitism and the risks of paranoid allegations. B&w photos
The Vagina Monologues — Eve Ensler
April 14, 2008
It began by watching an HBO special on “The Vagina Monologues” That inspired me to read this. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not a DIE HARD feminist, but this book and its stories were amazing. I would like Ms. Ensler to publish more of these stories, even just the interviews. It made me love my Vagina again. All women should read this book. Thank you Ms. Ensler. You are a great woman! 9.5 of 10.
“I say vagina because I want people to respond,” says playwright Eve Ensler, creator of the hilarious, disturbing soliloquies in The Vagina Monologues, a book based on her one-woman play. And respond they do–with horror, anger, censure, and sparks of wonder and pleasure. Ensler is on a fervent mission to elevate and celebrate this much mumbled-about body part. She asked hundreds of women of all ages a series of questions about their vaginas (What do you call it? How would you dress it?) that prompt some wondrous answers. Standouts among the euphemisms are tamale, split knish, choochi snorcher, Gladys Siegelman–Gladys Siegelman?–and, of course, that old standby “down there.” “Down there?” asks a composite character springing from several older women. “I haven’t been down there since 1953. No, it had nothing to do with [American president] Eisenhower.” Two of the most powerful pieces include a jagged poem stitched together from the memories of a Bosnian woman raped by soldiers and an American woman sexually abused as a child who reclaims her vagina as a place of wild joy
What Was She Thinking [Notes On A Scandal] — Zoë Heller
April 13, 2008
Another sad, sad letdown… The entie book was great… leading up to a conclusion, a turning point, a … blank pages??? That’s it??? I wished for much, much more… Curse you Zoë Heller. 4 of 10 stars.
Barbara Covett, a sixtyish history teacher, is the kind of unmarried-woman-with-cat whose female friends sooner or later decide she is “too intense.” Thus when a beautiful new pottery teacher, Sheba Hart—a “wispy novice with a tinkly accent and see-through skirts”—chooses Barbara as a confidante, she is deeply, even rather sinisterly, gratified. Sheba’s secret is explosive: married with two kids, she is having an affair with a fifteen-year-old student. The novel, Heller’s second, is Barbara’s supposedly objective “history” of the affair and its eventual discovery, written furtively while she and her friend are holed up in a borrowed house, waiting for Sheba’s court date. Barbara has appointed herself Sheba’s “unofficial guardian,” protecting her from the salivating tabloids. Equally adroit at satire and at psychological suspense, Heller charts the course of a predatory friendship and demonstrates the lengths to which some people go for human company.
Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker
Update #5
April 13, 2008
~Stick to 1500