Sunday, December 19, 2010

Catching up

on old and new reading. Found out by accident that one of my favorite authors had not one but TWO new books in the series out! An embarassment of riches :) So now I'm up to date with the Sara Donati stuff (which has a cool tie-in with my all-time favorite author Diana Gabaldon's Outlander folks too...)

And of course when I run out of new, I re-read. Am almost done with an old Trouble For Lucia book by EF Benson -- a bit scary to realize that the characters who all seemed so ancient the first time around are actually just a few years older than me! And it being Christmas & all, I managed to buy large quantities of books for my children, all of which I want to read (how surprising!) so it's a 2 for 1 deal in that both kids AND I get to enjoy.... Some 3 book series billed as great for Rick Riordan fans for Gen as well as the CandyMakers and the new Wimpy Kid book for Chris. I just tried to weed Chris' overflowing bookcase to make some room, and sadly could only bear to part with about 6. Most of the ones that he's outgrown, I want to keep. I mean, how can you get rid of The Country Bunny and the Gold Shoes, or my prized Anatole books: they're classics! Of course, I'd happily get rid of the Captain Underpants & Star Wars books but since that's what turned the knob & got him hooked on reading, I guess I'll keep those too...

So 4 more days til Christmas, no unread books & no money til Friday. Guess I'll need to hit the library on the lunch break, although I'm not a big library fan -- I like having my OWN books... but I certainly can't go 4 whole days with nothing to read...

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Time for summer shlock

Not sure how it happened but have gotten suckered into yet another massive series of largish books. Humpf. So 2 down about 30 more to go. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles: story of a family from pre-Henry VIII to not sure when with a new book with each generation. No smut, a wee bit too much history for the average reader but it's nice to get a refresher for those of us who actually studied it about an eon or so ago. And other book blogs which will go unnamed have kept my ordering up, book budget blown, and my kids pissed as the daily packages are always "more stupid books for you, mom" Ah well, we all have our vices and mine is legal & non-fattening :) But Beth has reminded me of the joys of libraries (although ours is pretty awful) so that's helped the wallet a bit. Now if the horde of very very smelly homeless man who seems to live in the fiction room could perhaps sit in the non-fiction room occasionally, I might be able to browse longer. I can only hold my breath for so long.

Not sure if my kids are really mine. G wailed last night about the impossibility of finishing The Mango Shaped Space (she has about 40 more pages) in the next 3 weeks. I know she said she hates it but it's only 40 pages -- just DO it already and go on to something better. No sympathy from me.

C on the other hand will sneak books under the covers with a flashlight -- now that brings back memories and I am very determined to look the other way for that transgression! (at least until school starts)

Off to scour the internet for book 3.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Napoleon anyone?

I've been on a Bernard Cornwell kick lately reading my way through the Richard Sharpe series. Gotta love a series, especially a LOOOONG series. A bit heavy on the fighting but the hero is a British soldier who seems to have landed in every major battle of his lifetime, surprise surprise.... But nice escapism of the variety, how nice it is not to be dodging bullets, evil jettis and sinister double-agents... It's Mother's Day weekend and I don't have my children so have a large stack of books, some junk food and glorious weather. Must go and indulge in a lounge chair so I can eat my bon bons in comfort.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Cooking for others

Last weekend I spent most of Saturday cooking for Mardi Gras Spirits fundraiser for church. I arrived this morning thinking I would do the same thing only to find we had an hour's worth of work and then were done. Hmm... I now have a whole day free unexpectedly and no books saved up and nothing planned. I hate unplanned time. It's windy, cold and icky outside so I'm not going to hack back the hibiscuses (hibisci?). I'm not feeling very flush so I'm not going to check out that new consignment shop I drove by. I can't curl up on the couch with a book when I've got nothing saved. I could go and help C out by getting him into World 3 on Super Mario Bros. That would help the supermom reputation. I could cook something but am lacking ambition today. I'm definitely NOT doing laundry. So I'm putzing about on the computer.

Monday, January 18, 2010

I have to wonder what my neighbours think of me

My children are screaming about every 30 seconds -- quite an ear-piercing scream too. Apparently Super Mario Bros. is a shriek-enducing experience. My poor dog doesn't even lift her head anymore. We've had 4 tearful hysterical intermissions but they won't stop. Crack for kids.

The leaves are raked which I think means I'm free from any gardening duties for the next 3 months, right? I keep waiting for the garden fairy to put the darn pavers down over the "lawn" but no such luck.

I had high hopes for actually doing some service work as a family this MLK day but C was having a bad morning so I didn't think subjecting others to his moods counted towards doing the right thing. Marytrdom on my part doesn't count as service work, does it?

It's time for Mardi Gras -- my gate is looking very naked and it's time for some beads. My little red wagon is rested, I've discovered that while Uggs really are hideously ugly, they are about those most comfortable boots that I've ever worn so I have the outfit, the wagon, the kids are ready.... so parade already!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

I am officially a Southerner now

This cold stuff is really getting to me. Me a born and bred Yankee who used to go out her window when the door was snowed in, who used to cross country ski to work, who had no heat in her apartment other than a wood stove is just flipping out with 27 degree weather and no snow.... I think it's the pipes that are doing it. Up North we know better and don't have water pipes outside unprotected. Down here, nope so everytime it gets below freezing, everyone runs around like a chicken without their head bleating about the pipes. I haven't slept well in 3 nights (keep getting up every few hours to make sure all the faucets are still dripping) and we have about 3 more nights to go before it's supposed to warm up around here. At least I got a box of books on Friday to keep me going!

So three books done so far and I still have one new one left to go. And I also haven't broken in my brand new baby crockpot but all I can think of to use it for due to it's size are soups & my kids just won't eat soup (unless it's chicken noodle) so I guess chicken noodle it is.... Always nice to have something burbling away and double points if there's something in the oven as well.... Maybe some cookies for lunches or I could try out that new King Cake recipe.... hmmmm. All I really want to do is huddle in bed with the covers pulled up high, a cold can of Coke and a bag of chips and the new book. Temptations tempations!

Finished two new Marcia Willet's (sort of a Rosamunde Pilchery type of author) and while their settings, timing and basic storylines were right up my alley there was a bit too much adultery and affairs going on to be too pleasant. But it was good to have new to me books -- I've been doing an awful lot of re-reading lately.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Brrrr

New Orleans is not normally cold. Well it's 25 with a 16 degree windchill. As of this morning, I didn't even own gloves. I have remedied that particular lack and have had a shortish argument with the furry members of the family that outside is Not where they want to be. After sticking their noses outside, they agreed rather quickly and hopped back on inside :)

Now reminding Harry of that at 1 AM which is when he remembers that he's normally and outdoor kitty at night is not fun. Howls and meows of outrage, me stomping about turning off alarms, chucking him outside, locking doors again, returning on alarms only to have him think twice about the whole thing about 10 minutes later is not making me fonder of the darling feline... Lucy on the other hand is being very good about it all with the exception of being a bit more restive with the tail. She is still so very grateful for having a home where she's allowed inside it's a bit pathetic.

So I think it's a chilly chili night, maybe even with hot chocolate and wrapped in blankets night. Because I have one more of the Riordan saga to go so I can keep up with my daughter on the ONLY books she's ever enjoyed/read willingly. Thank Goodness for that! Now to find her someone else like him that to keep that ball rolling....

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Challenges because well why not?

Like I don't read enough already, right? So I'm going to try and go out of my normal territory. Signed up for a Sci-Fi challenge from Stage And Canvas. I do read a fair amount of fantasy stuff (dragons and other worlds etc) but true sci-fi I think of robots and space ships so I'll see what I can pick. Now the 100+ Reading Challenge is one I don't think I'll have any problems finishing.




For me, staying home and reading/cooking is pretty much like breathing. So I'm going to challenge myself to get the heck OUT and do something good for me or someone else. So I'm going to go to the gym/walk the dog longer than our usual 6 blocks and work on volunteering more. I just got nominated for vestry duty -- guess that's volunteering. I'm going to cook for the Mardi Gras Spirits fundraiser and I'm doing more stuff at C's school -- well that one's enforced since his behavior is requiring a mommy present at field trips :(


Went and saw

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Cooking up a storm

Well it's a kidless weekend which usually means minor laundry and major cooking sprees. Three loads of laundry later and one batch of pretty darn awesome gingerbread, huge batch of pantry chili for church, pad thai, and hummus. Can you tell I cleaned out a cupboard :) What on earth I was thinking ending up with 4, count them 4, bottles of blackstrap molasses! And who knew Rotel is pretty darn spicy - bit much for the munchkins and little old ladies at church so I'm tempering it a bit with an infusion of spaghetti sauce and it's burbling away in the crockpot as I type.

Unfortunately my kids don't like gingerbread (although this is that really yummy super dark and spice-laden kind) and since I'm trying yet again to fit back into more than one pair of pants in my closet, I think that may be coming on down to church as well or I will scarf the lot...

Managed to clean a few windows and finally 4 years later take down the Christmas lights from the house. Oops, not sure how I figured I could slip that one by -- but no nasty comments from the neighbors - but then I do live in the South and we're big on keeping trees up for Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, Easter, and on down!

Hmm. Need to clean a hamster cage. What a happenin' weekend around here :)

A New Year

Just finished A Rumpole Christmas. I picked it up because of the cover -- love the font and pretty much anything of that era in BritLit is a good thing in my book. Well, it was a group of short stories and I just don't like short stories. Long stories, yes, good thumping roach-squashers of books yes but not little piddly ones. And at $23 for 161 pages 5x7 size, Bah Humbug. Other than that Mrs Lincoln, I actually did enjoy them. Nice little vignettes, love the She Who Myst Be Obeyed :) Enough to go check out Half.com to see about full-length versions even if they are mysteries. Oh and break open a bottle of Chateau Thames Embankment ...

Anyhoo, here we are at day two of the new decade and I've got 2.5 books under the belt. Par for the course around here.

Off for another attempt at exercise altough yesterday's stab is still causing me to walk like I;m about 4o years older than I am!