#76 The Moon-spinners

The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a re-read but I don't think I've read it in 40 years. It has held up VERY well. The re-read was inspired by my recent trip to Greece. One of the places we stayed was Mykonos which is dotted with windmills. The windmills immediately reminded me of the 60's Disney classic -The Moon-spinners, starring Hailey Mills. I "adored" that movie to borrow a HM phrase. So, the movie is now in my Netflix queue and the book upon which the movie is loosely based, came home from the library with me.

Memory is faulty: I could have sworn that the movie/book took place on Myknonos, but the book is based in Crete. Nevertheless, I appreciated the Greek phrases, customs, etc. that I experienced for myself. Nicola Ferris is a secretary for the British Embassy in Athens and she and her much older cousin decide to spend the Easter holidays on Crete. Nicky arrives on Crete earlier than expected and accidentally gets involved with Mark, a young man who has been left for dead by a mysterious man dressed in Cretan costume. Nicky eventually ends up in the very small village of Agios Georgious where she and her cousin attempt to secretly help Mark. There is danger, murder, suspense, and romance, as well as the Cretan landscape and culture. This book was written in 1962, I believe, but it did not feel dated or old-fashioned. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and am looking forward to seeing if the very different Disney movie also holds up.

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Some Book Reviews

I told you I'd been reading a lot!

The Cold Light of Mourning: A Mystery by Elizabeth J. Duncan


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a first novel and it won a couple of prizes which is what attracted me when I saw it in my public library. I thoroughly enjoyed this "cozy" mystery. Penny Brannigan, owner of a small manicure shop, is a plus-50 spinster in a small North Wales village and she is mourning the loss of her best friend Emma, an elderly spinster who has just died. Meanwhile, Emrys Gryffd is about to be married, and his London bride Meg Wynne Thompson is not a popular choice. On the morning of the wedding, Meg Wynne turns up missing, and Penny is the last one to have seen her. Penny's memory becomes a crucial element in the solving of this mystery, and a number of interesting characters are introduced. I am assuming from elements introduced throughout the novel, that this is not the last of Penny, her new friend Victoria, and DCI Davies.

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I also read these two by Rhys Bowen;

A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Lady Georgianna is cousin to King George V, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and 34th in line to the throne. She's also just about penniless and runs Coronet Cleaning Services to earn a living. She is the only employee of her company and she attempts to provide her aristocratic clients good service while avoiding recognition. This is book #2 in the series that started with "Her Royal Spyness". In this installment, Queen Mary has persuaded Lady Georgianna to chaperone a Bavarian princess and attempt to get the Prince of Wales, David, interested in her instead of the dreaded Wallis Simpson. Princess Hannilore is quite a handful --- a shoplifter, an admirer of American gangsters, and just out of the convent, looking for "hot, sexy men." The usual mayhem follows --- with Darcy O'Mara coming to Georgie's rescue again. This is an entertaining, very-lighthearted series!

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And

Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The third entry into the series, "Royal Flush" sees Georgie back at Castle Rannoch, again on the Queen's business. This time she is sent by the Home Office to help investigate a series of near-miss accidents that afflict the royal family. The Court is at Balmoral which is conveniently located next to Castle Rannoch, so Georgie has a perfect cover. These books are not great fiction, the plots are far-fetched, but they are eat fun! Georgie has her own near fatal accident, and the plot hinges upon past history. Did the Duke of Clarence really die? Wallis Simpson makes her appearance at Castle Rannoch, and Fig actually welcomes Georgie to the castle.

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These next two appear to have nothing in common, but I think that they are similar in that both authors are gifted in portraying a landscape and culture authentically. I know that when I read these authors' books, I feel that I have experienced a different time and place, and that I want to spend more time in these places. I also find a similarity between Joe Leaphorn and Precious Ramotswe. Both possess great wisdom about the human condition, are forgiving of others' humanity, and are able to be open to the moment.

The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the first Joe Leaphorn novel. His character is introduced matter-of-factly, with no fanfare. In fact his character is not the main focus in this novel. I've read other novels in the series so I decided it was time to go back the the start. The main character is an anthropologist who has returned to the reservation to study Navajo witchcraft, along with a colleague who mysteriously disappears. Is it witchcraft or is there a different explanation? Once again the desert landscape becomes a main character as does the influence of Navajo culture.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I just love this series! Alexander McCall Smith has created a woman of great wisdom in Precious Ramotswe, and I look forward to spending an afternoon in her world. In this installment the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency has been hired to investigate potential sabotage in the Gabarone football league. Mma Ramotswe learns much more about football that she ever wanted to learn. She also has to deal with the loss of a precious part of her life. Grace Makutsi faces her rival Violet Sephotho who is trying to steal her fiance, and Mr. JLB Matekoni's apprentices finally prove their worth. As always the author masterfully evokes the place that is Botswana, and skillfully points out the clash between the modern world and the way "it used to be."

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It's Sunday Already!

Not really. It's actually a Monday morning. But mentally it feels like late Sunday afternoon, and I have to go to work tomorrow. I have this metaphor for summer break: from the last day of school in mid/late June to the end of June is Friday night. The whole weekend stretches ahead, full of possibilities and plans. July is Saturday. Yes, a few chores get done, but there's still lots of time to get everything in. Then August hits, and back to school looms. As of today, I have 3 full weeks left, and then BOOM! Right back into the routine of EARLY mornings and late nights, and little down time. I guess I'm getting tired of the long days and too short ME breaks. And it feels like I haven't left school yet. I'm still dreaming about my last class, I have been working on a summer project with 3 other teachers, I'm still dealing with some professional development issues, and every time I look at my school email, there's a message about something else that has to be dealt with. I should stop reading my school email!!

Plus the weather has been lousy. It's rained and rained and rained this year. Vegetable gardens are struggling with too much water and too little warm sunny weather. Outside plans have been moved inside. It's been depressing!

I looked at the list of summer goals that I set earlier. I've accomplished one of them completely (finishing Battlestar Galactica Season 2.5), and we took steps to start on the room renovations. A contractor came in last Monday to give us some estimates and ideas; we're still waiting for the verdict. The rest of the goals haven't even been started.

I'm still knitting what I started in June, the Twilight sweater, and my knitting buddy and I haven't been able to get together once yet this summer for a knitting session. Either I've been away, or she's been away.

Don't get me wrong. The highlight of my summer is a brilliant, blazing, highlight. Greece was incredible. I am still going through my pictures. I want to pull some into some sort of a powerpoint presentation for my students, eventually. I have to do a little more research because my notes/brain have gotten fuzzy with all the info I acquired.

I have been reading a lot too. I will post some book reviews eventually, probably a whole bunch at once!


So here it is, "Sunday afternoon". I'm beginning to realize that school is just around the corner, that relaxation time is limited, and that a lot of what I would like to do won't happen...

In Case You're Wondering

Instead of blogging, I've been vacationing!

From Greece July 2009

We spent 15 days in Greece on an amazing tour. We traveled from Athens up north to Meteora in Kalambaka, then into the Peloponnese to Delphi, Olympia, Epidaurus, Mycenae, and Nauplion, then over to Mykonos, Delos, and Santorini. We had a wonderful time, saw incredible scenery, visited numerous archeological sites and museums, ate terrific food, met some great people, and had a strenuously relaxing time! I say strenuously because we climbed and walked more than we thought possible in temperatures from 95-109°. I'm jet-lagged and have over 700 pix to go through, and mounds of laundry to finish, but it was so worth it! More later!

And Here's Another One!

Shanghai Girls: A Novel by Lisa See

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. Pearl and her sister May are "beautiful girls" in pre WW2 Shanghai. They pose for commercial artists, and enjoy life as "modern" Chinese women. Then their father goes bankrupt and sells them to his main debtor as brides for his American sons. Pearl and May find themselves caught in the midst of war with Japan as they begin their married lives with husbands in America. After a traumatic and tragic journey they arrive in Los Angeles to discover that their rich "Gold Mountain" men are actually struggling to survive as immigrants in a where being Chinese is being the dregs of society. The novel traces Pearl's struggle to come to terms with her life and circumstances, and follows her as she tries to figure out what she wants to keep of her Chinese identity, and she wants to adopt as American.



This is a side of history that is not well-known in mainstream American culture, and Lisa See evokes the terror, cruelty, and hardships faced by Chinese immigrants well.



I was disappointed in the ending - it felt rushed, and left me hanging, but the rest of the book was compelling and fascinating.






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Jody Picoult's Newest

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jody Picoult once again raises a moral/ethical dilemma that challenges a reader's beliefs. Did Charlotte's ob-gyn and best friend, provide the appropriate standard of care or did she miss a diagnosis she should have caught? If the diagnosis had been made earlier, what would Charlotte have done? Willow has OI or brittle bone disease, and by the time she is 6, she has already suffered over 100 broken bones. How has her illness affected her parents' marriage, and her older sister Amelia's life?



I really liked this book but . . .the ending annoyed me. It felt like a total copout. I found the central conflict very compelling and that's what kept me reading.


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DIY Church Service

Our church has been without a pastor for almost a year. Our long-time settled pastor left us a couple of years ago, and it took us a couple of months to find an interim. The interim resigned last fall, and since then we've been going it alone. We have a terrific team of leaders who have found pulpit supply, last winter we shared services with a sister UCC church for 2 months, and we've had a lot of lay-led services in between. Today was a real experiment. No pastors were available today --- our pool of supply pastors were either involved with General Synod, on vacation, otherwise booked, or no longer preaching. Our usual lay leaders were out of energy and ideas. So at council last week we decided to hold a very informal service. We had an organist to play some hymns, a soloist, and a reader to read the gospel lesson from the lectionary. Our fearless Nurture team Coordinator directed the proceedings. The lesson from Mark was read, and then the congregation was asked to meditate on the reading for a few minutes, and then invited to share thoughts. (Those members of the church who are in our church's on line "chat group" had been asked to wrestle with the passages during the week, so at least we knew that a few folks might have something to share.) This was a rather scary thing for us to do today ----- but it fit the "hope in the midst of fear" motif that Rev. Songbird wrote about over in her blog. The service was well-received. And we got good news today. The Search team has identified a candidate who will be preaching for us in mid July!!

Now the next challenge is the July 5th service. Again, we have been unable to find an ordained pastor to lead the service. I'm heading up a small group to lead this service. I found some terrific worship resources here and here. This last has some youth and adult Sunday school lessons, which we're adapting. We will give the congregation a copy of the Mark gospel reading and 3 questions to ponder, with room for folks to jot down thoughts. Then again, we will invite the congregation to share their thoughts. It's also a communion Sunday, and we will be adapting a communion liturgy. While we know this isn't exactly kosher, we also know that our congregation does not want to miss communion. (We did this once before when we could not find an ordained person to do communion.) So another scary moment. WE are so ready for a pastor! I hope we don't overwhelm whoever she or he is with our eagerness to hand over the reigns!

Book #63 -- A Rib-Tickler for Sure!

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this one! Lots of trademark funny moments -- MULTIPLE car burnings, Grandma Mazur moments, a take-down at the funeral home, a fire-bombing, you name it, it's in here.



Lula witnesses a murder and now the culprits are after her. She's determined to find the murderers before they find her so she can claim the $1,000,000 reward. She goes undercover, along with Grandma Mazur, and enters a BBQ cook-off. Bur first, both of them need to learn how to BBQ ribs! I don't think I need to say too much more. Stephanie is working for Ranger in this outing, fighting off her attraction, while wondering if she and Joe will make up after a huge fight over peanut butter.



Although these books are predictable (will Stephanie ever figure out that it's a bad idea to let her FTA get dressed before handcuffing him), that's also what I like about them. I know I'll have a couple of hours of escapist fun.


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Actual Knitting Content

I started the Twilight Short Sleeve sweater. Nothing to do with the book or movie, by the way. (I read the first one, and it just didn't grab me, so I think I'm in the minority). I'm using Valley Yarns Goshen in lake that I purchased at WEBS. I goofed when I bought the yarn about a year ago. I thought I'd bought 12 skeins, but eventually discovered I'd only bought 10. Of course I made this discovery just a week or so ago, and was quite concerned that I wouldn't be able to get more in the same dye lot. But WEBS had it, so I'm all set. I love this yarn. It has a great drape, it's easy to knit with, has good stitch definition, and feels good. I've used in a couple of other summer tops. Ut's a cotton, modal, and silk blend. The pattern is also a WEBS pattern.
It's knitting up quickly. I'm almost done with the back.

I have another project started also, a gift for someone, but I'm having trouble getting gauge, and it's a surprise, so that's all I'll say about it for now. I'm almost done with another jacket. All I have to do is pick up 349 stitches and knit the button band and shawl collar, but I've got that on hold til I get a longer circular needle to do that!

So that's where I am with my current knitting projects.

#62 - Miss Harper Can Do It

Miss Harper Can Do It: A Novel by Jane Berentson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Annie Harper is 25, teaches 3rd grade in Tacoma, WA, and her long-time boyfriend has just been deployed to Iraq. She copes by keeping a journal which she hopes to publish as memoir - "Wartime Alone Time: When Abstinence Fights for Freedom." ** Annie chronicles the pain of separation, the guilt of leading a "normal" life while a loved one is in danger, email fights with her boyfriend, the adoption of a pet chicken, making new friends in unexpected places, and life with her students. Over the course of the 392 days of separation, Annie experiences a revelation or two. This is very funny, quite realistic, and a page-turner! I especially enjoyed the very informative footnotes which provided much of the 'back story', and the appendices made me chuckle. I learned some interesting facts about chickens and about water too!





** Footnote: As Annie's life changes, the title of her proposed memoir changes in keeping with circumstances.


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Book Review

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
DI Jack Spratt is on the job in the Nursery Crimes Division. He's accompanied by Sergeant Mary Mary, and they are investigating the suspicious death of Humpty Dumpty. DI Spratt's department is in imminent danger of being disbanded due to his inability to get convictions for the 3 pigs accused of gruesomely murdering a wolf, and because he's responsible for the inadvertent death of at least one giant, although some say he killed more. Jasper Fforde's wacky sense of humor shines throughout this first installment of the Nursery Crimes series. If you've read his Thursday Next series, you will definitely enjoy this one.


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Some Summer Goals

At last the school year is over and there is a breather. I know that a lot of folks think we teachers have it easy --- 3 months off, etc. but all of us who teach know that isn't really as true as it looks. We actually have 8 full weeks off, plus a few days on either end. In that time, yes, we get a chance to unwind, decompress, relax and have some fun. But most of us also have to get professional development training, new units prepped, old units modified for the incoming students, catch up on professional reading, and go in to our classrooms to prep them for the next year before we're officially on the clock. So while we may look like we're at ease, most of us have lots of professional tasks to do. We're just not inside the 4 walls of the building surrounded by our students. I think that was the biggest challenge to overcome when I first started teaching --- just how much work HAS to be done when students aren't in your classroom. My husband just rolls his eyes now when we are traveling on vacation and there's a museum or activity available "that's just perfect for my kids. Let's go check it out."

So on top of all the usual professional tasks that I have lined up these next 8 weeks, I have a few "personal" goals to accomplish.

1. Get started on renovating 2 upstairs bedrooms that are sorely in need of new ceilings, new wallpaper, new flooring. We live in a 100 year old house which we bought almost 30 years ago. At the time, the bedrooms were in okay shape, and we promised our boys that we would repaper their rooms with more boy-appropriate paper. They have grown up and left home, and the once pretty floral paper is way-past pretty. The plaster ceilings have cracked too. (It wasn't that we were ignoring the renovations, they just weren't the first priority - kitchen, bathroom, family room, garage collapse one winter, all were more pressing.)

2. Declutter the house as much as possible

3. Establish a new, organized office space for my husband's business, and for me. This included buying an ergonomically correct computer desk. I spend a lot of time at the computer both for the business bookkeeping, and for schoolwork. I realize half my back/shoulder issues are because the keyboard tray isn't wide enough to hold the keyboard and the mouse, so I spend too much time stretching between surfaces when I'm entering bookkeeping data.

4. Visit with my knitting buddy regularly and actually do some knitting together.

5. Find a regular, uninterrupted meditation time and get the practice firmly established so that I can keep it up when school starts again.

6. Finish watching Battlestar Galactica. I am only at season 2.5.

7. Get a handle on my diet/exercise routine. I have gotten way off track.

So those are my personal goals for the summer. It's a rather daunting list, but I'm optimistic!

It's All Over but for the Shouting

Well, not exactly shouting! The last day of school for students was yesterday, and a longer last day I've never experienced, literally AND figuratively. The literal part was that we had a FULL day of school for the first time ever. I hope we never have to do that again. I'm not sure who found it more painful, the kids or the teachers. Those of you who teach know that the last day of school is like driving a car where the brakes are failing, or trying to stop a runaway stagecoach. Now imagine trying to hold the reins in for almost 7 hours. We had a lot of fun activities planned for the kids - A dunk tank, field games, a "daylight dance", karaoke, etc. The weather didn't cooperate. It rained (poured) a lot of the day so many of the outdoor activities had to be moved inside or changed. The dunk tank was supposed to be all set to go at 8 am but it didn't arrive until then. So for almost an hour we had to find alternative activity for our kiddoes to do while we waited for the dunk tank to fill. The dance was abbreviated because the music system decided to very uncharacteristically go on the fritz! Let's just say that by the time the day was over EVERYONE was exhausted!

We teachers have 2 more days of school --- workshops on Monday and Tuesday. This is also something very new for us. In the past we've always gotten out the same day as the kids. But due to the ice storm in December and all the days we missed, we ended up "giving up" 2 workshop days to have normal school days, plus we owed the district contract time. So that's why it's all over but for the shouting.

I have to say, I'm very glad this year is done. Although I had a great group of kids, this was an extremely difficult year. Aside from the unprecedented ice storm, I was teaching a whole new subject area for me, and one that I didn't want to teach, and didn't enjoy teaching. Of course that meant way too many weekends and evenings prepping for new material (and trying to "get it" so I could figure out how to teach it.) Unfortunately I have to teach this area again next year, despite the fact that I had been promised it would be for only one year. I am not a happy camper. We also had a member of our grade level team leave mid year as well as the principal. Very weird! I also had the new experience of having a student really hate me and do everything possible to fail. Fortunately everyone realized that the student had big emotional problems, so that made it easier to deal with, though it's awful feeling that you can't reach someone.

But. . . .all of this is now history. I am looking forward to Wednesday morning.

Book Review #60

I know that I set a goal for myself of reading more serious books this year, but I just can't do it most of the time. I think it has to do with the fact that I spend my day dealing with real-life issues, whether it be figuring out the best way to teach a difficult concept, or how to reach the student whose life is in shambles. So instead I revel in books like this one!

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this "between-the-numbers" outing with Stephanie Plum. It reminded me of some of the early books, with a number of sheer belly laugh moments. Diesel is the featured male character in this novel, along with Wulf, his bad guy brother. Joe and Ranger are almost incidental although one of the funniest moments in the book occurs when Joe's brother Anthony is injured by an outraged girlfriend in a unique manner. (don't want to give it away!) Diesel is joined by Carl the Monkey as well as the troop of helmet-wearing monkeys Carl liberates. As usual, Stephanie's attempts to capture the FTA's lead her and Lula into danger and this time, Stephanie foils an evil plot to control the weather.

What can I say? I think this was one of the best installments in a while. The only thing I missed in this one was Grandma Mazur's direct involvement.


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Annoyed with Myself

For some reason, I made two goofs with my knitting projects. The first goof is with a lovely sweater I started in late winter. I was going great guns with it, and I put it away for a bit while I feverishly knit a baby blanket with a deadline. I picked up the sweater about 2 weeks ago, only to discover I've run out of yarn. I'm not sure why this has happened because I am spot on gauge! That threw me for a bit, but with help from WEBS, and Ravelry I was able to locate 3 skeins of the color and dyelot I needed. Now I just have to wait for the yarn to arrive.

So, next I started a cotton blend sweater I've wanted to make for ages. I ordered the yarn from WEBS last summer, and had to wait for it because it was backordered. The yarn eventually arrived, but I put off starting it several times. I just started it yesterday. I have discovered that I didn't order enough yarn. I need 11 skeins, but I only ordered 10. I thought I'd ordered 12 (I usually order one extra, just in case) but after going through almost all my stash I found the order slip -- I only got 10. Now I have to see if I can match the dyelot. . . . Grr!!

Reading Reviews- Books #58 and #59

The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries by Emily Brightwell

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Inspector has recently been promoted from the Records department and is now the "star" investigator at Scotland Yard. What no one knows, is that his skill isn't really his. His housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, is the the brains behind his success. This is the first installment of a very long series. It's set in Victorian England, and this first book deals with the mysterious death of blackmailing doctor. This seems to fit the cozy mystery category --- humorous, at times, and no overt blood and guts!




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Bleeding Hearts by Susan Wittig Albert

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Susan Wittig Albert has kept me glued to a book again. I really enjoy spending time with China Bayles and her family/friends. This installment turns a bit serious as China investigates allegations that the high school's football coach has molested female students. She also discovers a disturbing secret that changes what she knows about her family. "Smart Cookie" also reveals some information about Ruby's boyfriend that potentially threatens Ruby's happiness. This was a good one!


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A Knitting Project At Last!

 
 
 

So this is what I've been working on for the last month or so. It's "Angel Wings" from the May 2009 Creative Knitting magazine, done in Plymouth Encore, in "Canteloupe". This was a pretty easy pattern, and would have knit up quickly had I not been contending with the number of knitting interruptions I encountered.
It knit up to about 36" x 36" (my gauge was a little off, but on a baby blanket, it doesn't matter!) The Encore is washable, and the color is exactly the color of ripe canteloupe.

Book Review - What Else is New?

The Ballad of West Tenth Street: A Novel by Marjorie Kernan

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
A very different type of book. The Hollander family consists of Sadie, the widow of a rock star, and her 3 children, Gretchen, Ondine, and Hamish, and they live in a fading brownstone in NYC. Sadie depends on vodka to get her through the day, Gretchen is in a "loonybin", Ondine is a budding concert pianist, and Hamish is a gangly growing adolescent. The story has the quality of a fairy tale: a rich eccentric moves next door and plays fairy godfather to the struggling family, a homeless Vietnam vet, a non-union plumber/handyman, a Guatemalan housekeeper, and an interior decorator. At times I was tempted to abandon the book, but something about the story kept tugging, and I'm glad I stuck with it.


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Friday Five - The Big To-Do

From RevGalBlogPals

Greetings from the land of the Big To-Do!

It seems like every year I enter into the summer with a growing list of HUGE projects/events/trips that seem to have a permanent place on the 'to do' list.
This year I have a huge move pending so that takes up an entire list all on its own, but it doesn't take a big event like that for me to make plans bigger than my summer can hold!
How about you?

Is this the third summer in a row you have made a pledge involving your garage and actually getting a car into it?
Did you once again miss the registration deadline for the continuing education event of your dreams ?
Are you starting to think you couldn't even find the tents, let alone get it together to pull off a camping trip?

Here is your chance to get it out into the open and OWN your Big To-Do! Who knows? Maybe making the list will help you move the Big To-Do to the Big Ta-Da!

1) What home fix-it project is on your Big To-Do?
We've actually started: A new roof on our house is the first of several biggies that have been put off way too long. That project is actually almost done. Next up is the repointing and repair of 2 chimneys. Our house is about a year shy of a century so there's always something that needs fixing. We also have some driveway repair on tap. INSIDE projects too -- all 5 bedrooms (did I mention this is a LARGE old house?) need to be redone -- new ceilings, new wallpaper, etc. We've actually got plans to get 2 of the rooms done.

2) What event (fun or work) is on your Big To-Do?

No big events on the horizon that I'm aware of at the moment.

3) What trip is on your Big To-Do?

GREECE!! We're taking a tour of Greece this summer.

4) What do you wish was on someone ELSE's (partner, family member, celebrity, etc...) Big To-Do?

I'd love it if one of sons was getting married. I'd settle for an engagement, though!

5) Getting inspired? What may end this summer having moved from the Big To-Do to the Big Ta-da?

I know that a lot of the home improvement projects will be accomplished.

Catching Up With My Books

Book #49 (I think!)

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have to admit I didn't realize this was nonfiction til I was about half-way through the book! It's a very authentic memoir. Kelly Corrigan masterfully weaves the past and present as she describes defining moments of her childhood and connects them to her present. Although she is describing her journey through her cancer treatment, she's really sharing with us the undeniably strong bond of family and love that she has been gifted with.


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# 50

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I wanted to like this book and therefore find a new series to read. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. I don't have any real dislike: I just never really got connected to Sookie, or to the plot. Ho-hum is the best I can muster.


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#51


Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I wanted to like this one, but I found it too sappy and predictable. I thought the plot dragged too much also. Joyce has just had an accident which caused the loss of the baby she was carrying. She receives a blood transfusion. Justin is a guest lecturer in art and architectural history at a Dublin university and he is persuaded to donate blood by a potential girlfriend. Joyce is suddenly possessed by a wealth of architectural history knowledge, and has intense dreams of places and people she doesn't know. Is Joyce experiencing Justin's memories? She tries to find out who donated her transfusion blood, and she and Justin have several casual and accidental meetings. I figured out almost from the first page, boy and girl eventually live happily ever after.


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And #52

Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was really fascinating. It's now 1932 and London is being threatened with terrorist attacks using biological weapons. Maisie is called in by the government to assist. All of her previous experiences as a war nurse, a nurse in the post war wards for the shell-shocked soldiers, and her training as an investigator are called upon. In addition, Maisie uses her connections to help Billy Beale's wife Doreen get the help she needs to fight her depression, and she is called upon to help her friend Priscilla recognize what she needs. This installment ends hopefully, as Maisie recognizes that she has weathered her own depression.


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6, 55, 60, 2, 1

There are exactly SIX more weeks of school left in this very long, very difficult year. That's six weeks for the students, at any rate. We teachers have a couple more days beyond that to make up our contracted time that we lost during the December ice storm. I think this has been the strangest year I've had since I started teaching. We had interruption after interruption --- a lot of scheduled days off in the fall due to conferences, workshops, and holidays, state testing, local district testing, snow days and then all the weather-related interruptions, including the infamous ice storm. We figured out that we had had only one week of uninterrupted teaching before the ice storm hit. That made the stretch between Feb and April breaks feel endless, especially as 30 minutes were added to the school day to make up the lost time. Nowow these last six weeks seem endless also. The kids never really settled into a good learning routine this year, and now that spring fever has hit, whatever concentration was there is gone. It's pretty discouraging. We have district testing coming up the week after next too, and I am not hopeful that we will see a "year's growth" in their reading skills. We had a lot of "not normal" events this year too --- a teacher left mid year, a principal left during third quarter---- which has impacted us all. I have been teaching material way outside my areas of expertise, comfort, and even interest which has consumed a great deal of energy. I have 2 more units to go, and I feel tapped out. Trying to learn new material, figuring out to teach the content in a way that engages students, and having to do that for every single unit has been draining. I think the kids have learned a lot, and I think they've enjoyed it, but I am exhausted!

I recently celebrated what my husband calls the "Speed Limit" birthday although it's been a few years since those double digits were the maximum speed limit on the interstates, and he's celebrating the next decade birthday today. Our birthday celebrations are usually very low-key. A special dinner, either at home or a favorite restaurant, a few cards, and a small gift or 2 are usually it. This year was no exception. I had a quiet celebration, received "exactly-what-I-wanted" gifts (a small teapot, a good book, and lovely bracelet) and for the first time ever --- my husband had a birthday cake for me. Usually I have to make my own! For his day we went out to a Mexican restaurant last night with some good friends, we had breakfast out this morning in honor of his day and Mother's Day, and I have a pie baking in the oven for him. (He's a pie man!)

I have been knitting again --- no pictures available. I have TWO projects that are in the finishing stage - a gray cabled jacket and a blue jacket, and I've got ONE project on the needles, a baby gift. I can't knit as long as I'd like because my shoulder and trigger finger start to react, but at least I can knit again. I'm also getting excited about starting a few more projects . . .. .

#43 Honest and Compelling

Life's That Way: A Memoir by Jim Beaver

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very touching memoir! Jim Beaver is absolutely correct in saying that grief is so personal that no one can understand how the griever is feeling. Each of us has a unique experience and struggles with grief differently. I do know how some days bring you to your knees, and for me, even almost 4 years later, I can be felled by intense grief by the most seeming inconsequential or unconscious trigger. What comes shining through this memoir is his love for his wife and daughter, and his honesty.



And as a complete aside: My son sent me this book as birthday present because he thought I'd really appreciate it. He also works for the agency that represents Jim Beaver!


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#42

Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this gentle book. Maeve Binchy has the rare quality of portraying the everyday lives of ordinary people with an honest, but very compassionate eye. I always feel good after spending time with people she writes about, and I'm always sorry to see the book end!


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Vacation Plans

We finally reached April vacation -- after this it's straight on til summer. The kids get out of school on June 19th but we teachers are there til June 23rd. We have to make up the days in our contract from the ice storm days we lost. This was a long week in school, and the kids were not exactly on their best behaviors.

So far while quite welcome, vacation has started out less than stellar. Both my husband and I are sick. I think it's variations of the same heavy cold. He has a severe head cold, while I have a severe chest cold. I went to the doctor on Thursday because I felt so horrible and feared that it might be pneumonia. As of Thursday evening, it wasn't, though I need to check back on Monday. The doctor is suspicious that I might have asthma and that is why this chest cold seems so much more difficult. He gave me an inhaler to use and wants to run some diagnostic tests once I'm well. My chest is easier, I must admit, and in general, I feel better, except for sheer exhaustion. I hope that today is the peak of the "worst" as far as my husband goes, and that we'll be a lot better by Monday.

We are planning a short trip to Newport, RI later this week with friends, but we also have tons of yard work to do. The ice storm wreaked havoc with the trees, and now that the snow is FINALLY gone, and the ground has dried out a bit, we can tackle cutting the trees that need cutting, and we can start the ice storm cleanup. It's a mess!

My daffodils burst into bloom yesterday, and a few crocus are in full display. But some of flowering shrubs were demolished, so I have to see what can be salvaged. The worst hit was a beautiful magnolia bush/tree that was split in half. It's a sad sight. Of course the forecast is for a rainy week. We'll see how much gets done!

And Another One

Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hamish MacBeth, the village constable, is introduced in this novel set Scotland's Highlands. Hamish is seen by his fellow villagers as an amiable, lazy moocher who nevertheless gets the job done. A fly fishing school at the local hotel draws a mixed set of would-be anglers who all have a secret to hide. One of them, Lady Jane, sets everyone's teeth on edge with her sly barbs and insulting behavior. Someone is murdered, all are suspect, and Hamish saves the day! This was a very light, very quick, and very enjoyable read.


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Another Book for 2009

I think this is book #37 for the year.

Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This series is still keeping me engrossed. Maisy Dobbs is a fascinating protagonist and each novel deepens the dimensions of her character. These are not "happy" books, but they are quite satisfying. The author raises serious issues and invites the reader to wrestle with them along with Maisie.


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A Family Celebration

My aunt is celebrating her 90th birthday this weekend. She's my mom's sister, the only remaining sibling of 3. We've always been close; in college I lived with her and her husband during the summers and worked in their business. She's also the center of our extended family life. For most of our lives we've gathered at her house in CT for "clan events." Last weekend was no exception. In honor of her birthday her son and daughter invited the clan to a surprise birthday party held at her house! It was her grandson's birthday weekend, so she thought she was hosting his party. Imagine her surprise when each of us gathered, from different parts of the country, on her doorstep! Her 2 children, her 4 grandchildren, and her 2 great grandchildren were there. And it was the first time since my mom's funeral that all of my siblings and I were all together. I'm the oldest and my 2 sons (one from RI and one from Los Angeles) and my husband arrived on her doorstep at the same time as my middle sister from Indiana. Next to arrive were my brother and his wife from Virginia, and our cousin and her husband from Georgia. Then my sister, her husband, and 3 children from Michigan arrived. Just as my aunt exclaimed, everyone's here but .... in came my youngest sister, her husband, and their 2 children from New York.
There were 30 of us in all gathered in her small condo for the celebration.

It was especially wonderful to gather for a happy reason, to celebrate her, and to celebrate family. We took lots of pictures, laughed a lot, shed a few tears as we reminisced and missed those who aren't physically with us anymore, and enjoyed being together.

I can honestly say that not only do I love my extended family, I LIKE them too!

Comings and Goings

We've had a number of students move out this year. My teaching partner and I have had four students move out this year. Our last move-out was just a month ago. We got word today that the student will back on Monday. I guess life elsewhere wasn't any better? We're also getting a new student tomorrow, and one of the other teaching teams got a new student last Monday. I think it's a sign of the times. As families are impacted by job loss, their living situations change. There's always some moving around, but our grade level has had a higher number of move-outs than usual. And counting the return of the previous student, we will have 3 move-ins in 6 days. It's hard on the "new kid" and it's hard on established classes. By this time of the year our classroom routines are well-established, classroom chemistry and personality is set (for good and bad!), and new additions or losses affect how a classroom operates.
I'm surprised that a child is starting on a Friday. The student will be greeted by a test in science, and some other end of the week wrap-ups. I wish we had a more formal "orientation" program than we do. I think it would ease transitions. That's one of the problems of a set up where kids change classes rather than staying with one teacher, or even one set of kids.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It's been a crazy week or two. Lots of school work and prepping, especially for science. I've been introducing atomic structure to my students, not exactly an easy topic, but I've first had to understand it myself. I really hate teaching a subject I'm not qualified to teach!! So far, so good, and I've learned a lot myself as I've tried sharing it with the kids. I also had meetings every day after school last week, and so far, I've had 2 this week. I'm trying to get a little ahead since we have a super special weekend planned -- more on that AFTER the weekend.

Spring is teasing us a bit -- it hit the low 50°s today. My front yard is still full of snow -- it's that coarse, icy stuff that looks so ugly. We have several huge plow piles lining the driveway. They will be there forever. Meanwhile next to the house, my daffodils and tulips are poking the tips of their stems up about an inch, and pussy willows are just about gone.

My knitting has come to almost a full stop. I'm really trying to heal my shoulder and rest my "trigger" finger. Very annoying though not to knit! So instead I've been reading. Here's the latest book I've finished. This is a great series!

Pardonable Lies: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
When is it better to lie than to tell the truth? There are many lies in this Maisie Dobbs' installment. Maisie must make some difficult decisions about what to tell a client, and she discovers that even those she trusts are capable of telling lies. Maisie travels to France to investigate the deaths of two WWI aviators. In the process she faces up to some lies she's told herself, and undergoes some serious soul-searching. Another engrossing read!


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A Lazy Saturday Morning

I made homemade yeast-raised waffles for breakfast this morning. I was fairly virtuous in limiting myself to two; not so virtuous in the application of real butter and real maple syrup! Once in awhile, though, we treat ourselves. The recipe is straight from my Fanny Farmer cookbook and they're easy. The hardest part is remembering you have to start them the night before. I used to make them often when the kids were little, and I always had to double the recipe. Now for just the two of us, I have lots of batter left with the single batch. I make up all the waffles and freeze the ones we don't eat.

I love the light now-a-days. The sun is moving higher up in the sky and it's warmer and brighter. It is the beginning of our glorious MUD SEASON. Here in my corner of the world we have winter, MUD, spring, summer, and fall. The roads are full of frost heaves and potholes; it's easy to lose a muffler or scrape bottom on many of our roads. And the roads change on a daily basis, becoming spontaneous roller coasters as the ground unfreezes, and refreezes daily. My driveway has a seasonal sink hole that opens right in the middle. Luckily it's the diameter of the hole is smaller than the wheelbase of our vehicles so we can drive over it -- there's not enough room on either side of it to drive around it. Some of the dirt roads become impassable for short periods of time unless you have 4 wheel drive and high clearance. The sound of snowmobiles is replaced by the "Mudding" vehicles.

School this past week was long -- we started on Monday with a 2 hour delay due to ice and sleet and snow, and ended with very spring-like weather. In between I dealt with students who have decided it's okay to text each other in class despite our "no cell phone" policy in school. I just don't get how I grew up without a cell phone. One student of mine said that she likes cell phones because now it's easier to lie to her mom about where she is after school!! Mom calls to check in, and "Janie" says she's at the library when in fact she's with her boyfriend at McDonalds. And of course Mom gave her the cell phone to keep her safe! When I grew, Mom called my friend's house and I'd better be there!

Here's a book I read this week -- by a favorite YA author, Gary D. Schmidt.

Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a very compelling novel for older adolescents and young adults. Henry is the 2nd son of a prominent, very privileged New England family. His older brother Franklin is the "god" of his prep school and is critically injured in an accident. A Cambodian scholarship student, Chouy, confesses to driving the truck that injures Franklin. This novel explores some heavy issues - anti-immigration sentiment, race and class divisions, harassment,revenge, grief, and forgiveness and grace. It's not an easy read, either for the issues raised and for the way the author has narrated the story in two parts. I really liked it, but it's definitely not something geared for younger readers.


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And the book I've neglected all my Sat. morning chores to finish reading:
Loving Frank: A Novel by Nancy Horan

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I couldn't put this one down. It's a well-researched, but fictional account of the affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick, told from her perspective. The novel covers the years between 1903 when Mamah and her husband Edwin Cheney commission Wright to build their Oak park home, and 1914 when the affair between Mamah and Wright comes to its tragic conclusion. I knew very little about Frank Lloyd Wright other than as the founder of a true American architecture before reading this book. I was fascinated by their relationship, as well as by how their relationship was perceived by the rest of the world.


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Of Two Minds

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a very odd book. I did like it, but I'm also troubled by it, and I'm trying to figure out why! Neil Gaiman borrows Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book premise : an orphan wanders into an "alien" world and is raised by that world's inhabitants. I think what troubles me is the opening of the book - the villain is described as wiping his knife after murdering 3 members of a family and he is searching for the last family member, a baby. If this book is intended for kids, I'm troubled by the violent image. They are all too exposed to violence and I'm not sure it's a great idea to introduce a book with more. I guess I'd be much happier overall with this if it were marketed as a YA or adult book. Instead, it's won the Newbery for this year, and it will have a prominent place on most school library shelves. So that's what bothers me. Otherwise, as an adult, I thought it was very clever, very sly, and I did enjoy it!


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Since I'm not Knitting, I'm Reading -- Book #27

The Serpent's Daughter: A Jade Del Cameron Mystery by Suzanne Arruda

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another very enjoyable read! Suzanne Arruda has created an appealing heroine in Jade del Cameron. She is feisty, daring. clever, and pretty lucky! In this 3rd installment of the series, Jade is in Morocco, reluctantly, with her mother. They have a difficult relationship; Jade isn't the daughter Inez wishes for, and Jade feels she is never able to please her. Events move swiftly: Jade's mother is kidnapped, Jade is captured by a set of mysterious miscreants, there's a missing amulet, drug smuggling, and is Olivia Lilith Worthy back? This series reminds me a bit of Indiana Jones' films with Jade filling his role, not as an archeologist, but as the rough and tumble adventurer out to avenge all wrongs.


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Another Maisie Dobbs

Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this second novel in the Maisie Dobbs' series. It's 1930 and still WWI dominates both England's social landscape and Maisie's life. Maisie is hired to find a missing daughter. Her investigations lead her to a series of murders that are motivated by the actions of the victims during WWI. It also leads her to uncover a secret kept by her assistant Billy Beale, and ultimately to a greater understanding of her relationship with her father. It's once again a fascinating read.


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Disorderly Wilderness Thoughts

I've been thinking about the "wilderness" quite a bit this week since the lectionary for this past Sunday included Jesus' time in the wilderness (Mark 1:9-13). Mark's version of the story is quite spare -- a few lines only. In fact, the whole "temptations" part of the story is summed up in verse 13 --- " He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him." I love the spareness of Mark.

I am in the wilderness now, in several ways. I've been here before, I will be here again. I don't like being here, but I don't fear it quite as much as I used to. I know that eventually (as long as keep my wits about me!) I will emerge into familiar places, or "civilized" places, and that I will emerge a stronger, clearer self. It's the meanwhile that's difficult.

What is about wilderness? We like to think we enjoy wilderness. We want to vacation in it --- camping out in the woods, roughing it in the wild, photographing wildlife, retreating from the noise and clamor of our workaday lives. Yet we fear it too --- and we worry about getting lost, losing contact, what if there's an accident?

Being in the wilderness allows adventure and trailblazing -- trying new things. Nothing is set up and working, you have to build it yourself. Some things work, others don't. You learn a lot in the experimentation. You also learn what's important, and what's not. What you really need and what you only think you need. It can be lonely, devastatingly lonely. You find yourself talking to yourself. You discover what you don't like in yourself, and what you do like. On those rare occasions you meet another wilderness traveler, you may be given new insight.

Sometimes it helps when you are with others in the wilderness. There is strength in numbers, and you can support each other in your endeavors. Sometimes though your mutual fears can debilitate you and turn you down the wrong path in your fear.

The thing is, even when I am most lonely, most desperate, I remember I am not ALONE. God is present, and I sincerely feel, is guiding me. I don't know where I'm being guided, but I just have to remember that there is a map for me, a GPS for the spirit. I just have to use it.

#25

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
One of the main "characters" in this first novel is World War I. Maisy

Dobbs served as a nurse at the front, and her first case takes her back into that experience. Jacqueline Winspear evokes this era superbly, and has created a unique protagonist in Maisy Dobbs. It's 1929 and Maisy Dobbs is getting started in her own investigative agency in London. Maisy is the daughter of a costermonger and spent much of her life as a housemaid. However, she had the unique advantage of an enlightened employer who recognized Maisy's hunger for education and made that happen for her in the form of a unique tutor and a university education. Maisy is intelligent, intuitive, observant, and has studied Jung, Freud, Kierkegaard, among others. I really enjoyed this book.


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Book #24

Death on the Lizard by Robin Paige

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting novel, but not nearly as engaging as the China Bayles' books. This book is co-written by Susan Wittig Albert and her husband under the name of Robin Paige. I learned a lot about Marconi and some of the problems with early wireless communication. I was also especially interested in the Cornwall landscape as I had the great good fortune to spend a week there last spring.


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Knitting (Not Much)

My knitting has slowed to a crawl with my shoulder/arm issues. I miss it! However, I am making very slow progress on this:

From Knitting Gallery

It's the Radiance Cabled Jacket from Melissa Morgan-Oakes. I'm using Valley Yarns Colrain and I got it all at WEBS, of course. I love the drape and silkiness of the yarn.

February Flatness

I haven't had much to say lately. I think it's the February flatness. The weather is dreary, there's way too much school year stretching out ahead, I'm not sure what it is. Perhaps it's the tease of the light too -- the sun is rising as I go to school and it's still light at 5 or so. Yet then we get socked by snow and sleet, and you realize it's still winter.

It's been a tough few weeks. Our church secretary died very suddenly and unexpectedly. She leaves a HUGE hole in hearts, and in the life of our church. We are still pastorless, and she has been the constant presence and our glue, reminding us that it's time to do the Easter letter, it's time for the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, it's time to register for Annual Meeting, etc. etc. A group of members have volunteered to staff the office during office hours, and we are blessed that there are at least a couple folks who can access the church computer and do the weekly service bulletins. A couple of us (moderator, vice moderator (me), the treasurer, and a trustee) will meet later this week to go through the church office to "inventory" things --- our secretary was the person who knew where everything is.

School has been hard too. Morale is low due to some major budget cuts, and some other internal "politics".

I am on vacation this week, but we're not doing anything special. I do love being able to leave the alarm in the off position, and have the luxury of sleeping in. I will say that sleeping in nowadays, means to maybe 7 am! I've spent the last 3 days working on my husband's billing and bookkeeping, and starting the taxes. I've also read a couple of China Bayles' books, and a little knitting. I'm still having trouble with the knitting. My hand/shoulder isn't 100% so I can't knit for long. Physical therapy has definitely been helping though. I've been trying to persuade my other half to go to the movies and see some of the movies that were up for Oscars, but he really doesn't like to go, and I don't like going alone. I'm in the mood to go shopping, but my shopping buddy is on vacation out of state, I don't need anything, and I don't want to spend the money. . . . So . . . I've been spending too much time surfing the internet and Facebook, and I've been playing too many games of Super Mah Jong!

Contests

Just in case you haven't seen these contests, check them out.

Over on Knit Purl Gurl you can win an awesome bag of WEBS goodies from Kathy Elkins.

And on Mommatudes you can win a gorgeous pair of hammered silver earrings.

Two great give-aways to brighten up a midwinter.

Middle School Historical Fiction

Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues by Harriette Gillem Robinet

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is excellent. Alfa is a 6th grader in 1956 Montgomery, Alabama. Alfa lives with his 15 year old sister Zinnia and their great-grandmother "Big Mama". They live in 2 room tar paper shack and need to find another 10 dollars for their rent. Alfa and his family are accused of stealing money from a "wealthy" white doctor's home. This book depicts quite realistically life for an African-American family during the 1950's. The bus boycott is 6 months old. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr has just become pastor of the Dexter Ave church and Alfa is trying hard to "walk the walk" and "talk the talk" of nonviolence.



I'm currently reading this aloud to my 6th graders to help lay some background for their novel study of Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. They are really engaged, and we've had some good discussions about segregation and the differences in lifestyle. They are having a tough time understanding "having to work" and having to put whatever money Alfa earns toward food and rent.






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Heresy

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski

My review

rating: 1 of 5 stars
This is probably heresy, but I didn't like this book. It was compelling however, so I guess that means it's a "good" book. I wanted to quit reading about 1/2 way through but I had to see it to the end. So, why didn't I like it? I think the first reason I disliked it was because I never felt connected to the characters. The third person "objective" narration kept me an observer rather than a participant in the story -- I never felt like I understood Edgar's motivation, and I especially felt distanced from any understanding of his mother's. The other reason I disliked it was the overall feeling of depression and doom that it left me with. I really don't like books that leave me feeling hopeless. Perhaps I missed the point, but that's how it left me.


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Randomness

1. I am constantly tired and sleepy. I've been going to bed earlier than normal -- between 8 and 9 pm instead of my usual 10 pm. I've been sleeping soundly and have had a hard time waking up with my 4:45 am alarm. I was home Thursday - slept soundly until 8:30 am, got up, dressed, and then napped for another couple of hours. Then up for a while, and another nap. ... Bed early on Thursday night too. Last night I hit the hay at 8:30, slept til 7:30 am. I'm feeling sleepy now at 6 pm. I'm not sure what's going on. . . .

2. I'm making progress with my physical therapy. . . Much fewer episodes of tingling and numbness, and aside from the development of "trigger finger" my shoulder is also improving.

3. It's amazing to see it still light at 5 pm. Spring is coming.

4. 6.5 hours of school work on a Saturday is too much.

5. My house is a mess. The kitchen table is covered and the floors need vacuuming and cleaning. I don't care -- much.

6. I haven't been knitting because of the above issues with my hand and shoulder.

More China Bayles

Lavender Lies by Susan Wittig Albert

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Let's see, a murder, a recuperating groom to be, the wedding cake baker leaving town, Leatha's arrival, a tea-room opening, and a hurricane, what else could go wrong in the week before for China and McQuaid's eagerly-anticipated wedding? The complications multiply but as usual the murder is solved and the other problems resolved, in this light-hearted installment of China Bayles.


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Mistletoe Man by Susan Wittig Albert

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked this installment too. Ruby has a big secret and China is sure she's done something to hurt her. However, China finds out that all of their friends are worried about Ruby. Meanwhile, her mistletoe supplier Carl Swenson, is killed ostensibly in a "hit and run" accident. The Fletcher sisters and their Aunt Velda (who's been kidnapped and returned by the Klingons) come under suspicion as all of the law enforcement folks try to figure out exactly what happened to Carl. And then there is Mrs. Kendall, the British cook extraordinaire who has come to China's rescue in the tearoom. But what mystery is she hiding??


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A Little of This and a Little of That

It seemed like a very long week, but that's probably because we had FIVE days of school in a row! Next week things will get interesting as we add 30 minutes to the end of each school day from now til May 8th in an effort to make up time lost because of the ice storm in December. The upside is that we get 10 minutes added on to our core classes so that now I have an hour to teach reading/language arts and an hour for science. An hour is still not long enough to do everything I should be doing for reading and writing. When I started teaching I had an hour for reading and an hour for writing everyday. Then it was cut to 90 minutes daily. Then to 50 minutes. And guess what, our reading and writing scores dropped!! Does anyone but we RLA teachers see a correlation? Anyway, I'm not going there right now.

We had a very depressing school budget session this past week too. Our school board (all good people, all interested in providing a quality education for our kids) has faced some of the toughest decisions they've had to face in a long time. They have been forced to make significant cuts in programming that result in 4 teachers losing their jobs. At my school we are losing a guidance counselor. Aside from the fact that the person whose job is cut is the best guidance counselor we've ever had, the loss of the position will have a real impact on the support we can offer our kids. The plan is for the remaining guidance counselor to cover the 6th and 7th graders and one of the high school counselors will cover the 8th graders. It remains to be seen how effective that will be. Morale in the buildings is the lowest I've seen it since I've been teaching which makes it hard to go to school.

I'm struggling too with new curriculum --- I haven't taught science before, and I'm not a science person. I don't particular enjoy it either. I work really hard at bringing enthusiasm and energy into the classroom; the kids have no idea that I really don't have a passion for the subject. I also am working hard at figuring out how to teach the concepts that I have to teach. While I have a lot of cool projects and ideas for teaching ancient civilizations, I don't have a repertoire of science activities, so everything (including the concepts at times!) is new to me. February is a tough month even though it's short, and believe it or not, we have a vacation scheduled for the last week!

I am not doing much knitting because of my shoulder and pinched nerve issues. I started the Radiance Cabled Jacket by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. I'm using the Colrain yarn in steel gray. I love the way it has started out, and it's not a difficult pattern, but I can only manage to knit 3-4 rows a night before I have to stop. I love the way the yarn drapes and it has a nice sheen to it.

On the book front, I just finished this one.

Bones by Jonathan Kellerman

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This finally got interesting in the last few chapters. I was going to abandon it as a dull read but didn't have another book ready to replace it. I thought it was strange that although the story was told from Alex Delaware's perspective, he was mostly a "ride-along" through much of the book. I missed his personal involvement as well as the tension between Alex and Robin. I used to like this series, but I think it's time for Alex to retire.


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Book Review

Burn Out by Marcia Muller

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I haven't read Marcia Muller in a long time, so it was good to get reacquainted with Sharon McCone and Hy Ripinsky. I think I missed the book just previous to this one, so it took me a bit to get re-oriented. (It doesn't help that I've read so many series -- Kinsey Milhone, China Bayles, VI Warsharski,etc. - you have to keep complicated backstories in your memory banks). I liked this one. Sharon is recuperating from a traumatizing near-death experience, and is burned out. She's spending time at Hy's ranch in Lake Tufa. She gets drawn into investigating the disappearance of the ranch manager's niece despite herself. There were enough clues strewn about the story to have some good guesses as to "who-dunnit" but only if you wanted to work at it. I've missed this series.


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A New(ish) Adventure

I live in a very small town with TWO United Church of Christ (UCC) churches. Both are small churches (my church has about 90 "official" members, with average attendance around 40) and the other congregation is about the same. My church was actually "planted" by the original Congregational church (called what else, First Church) back around 1850. At the time, one end of town was mushrooming with mill workers. Some very mission-oriented members of First Church recognized that the distance from the "East Village" to the First Church was too great for many of the millworkers and their families to travel, so they petitioned the church to separate and plant a new church down in "East Village". And so they did. For about 125 years the two congregations, less than 2 miles apart, flourished. Both churches developed separate identities and focused on different ministries. At some point in the history of the 2 churches some "snobbishness" evolved and for some years there was little to no contact between the two churches. When I arrived in town, about 30 years ago, the 2 churches worshiped together on Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday services and also worshiped together as part of the community's Interfaith Thanksgiving service. And then as has happened with many main line churches, both congregations have fallen upon hard times --- aging congregations, diminished membership rosters, financial woes, and right now, both congregations are pastorless. Three years ago a group of lay leaders appointed from both churches started meeting together to brainstorm ways that the 2 congregations could help each other. Not by merging, but by collaborating where possible on mutual ministries, and even on more regular joint worship. This has been an extremely enriching experience (I'm one of the "ambassadors" as we're called). So for the past several years we've intentionally held regular joint worship services --- 7 or 8 a year. And now we embark on our newest adventure. For the months of February and March we will hold joint services every Sunday. Starting today my church will journey "up the road" to our parent church for all our February services. In March we will host all the services in our sanctuary "down the street." We are excited because each church is tired -- in my church we have had no pastor since September so our worship planners are exhausted from either finding guest ministers or planning and leading worship themselves. We also have no music leadership at this time -- there just aren't many organists available, or other musicians who are called to lead musically in a worship setting in our neck of the woods. So another benefit is that for two months we will have the benefit of the superb music leadership of First Church. We don't know where these experiments in mutually supporting each other will grow. While there are a few of us who are interested in the potential of merger, there are many more who fear that. Perhaps we will evolve into a yoked parish. We are all praying that we stay open to God's voice and willing to go where the Spirit leads. It's exciting!!