Slowly but surely, I have been sucked in. It started off with American Idol. One day Lou was flipping channels, heard this girl singing fabulously, called me in to watch the rest (it was Tamyra, who really should have won ... or at least come in second), and we've been hooked ever since. (Current season, I'm personally rooting for Jordin, although I have also been enjoying the performances of Melinda, Blake, Chris R., and Gina.)
Next, friends and coworkers raved about this awesome show, The Amazing Race. The show that actually requires the contestants to use their brains. So we watched the fourth season, which contained some of my favorite racers of all time—Colin and Christie (sadly missing from the All-Star Season) and Chip and Kim. See above re: hooked ever since! (Current All-Star Season—after the oh, so disappointing self-destruction of Rob and Amber, I have my hopes pinned on Oswald and Danny, although I wouldn't mind seeing the Guidos or the Beauty Queens win.)
Then, on a sleepy hot afternoon at the Cape, while I sat in the house with a napping baby and everyone else played at the pond (my choice, not complaining!), I started flipping channels and ended up on a Project Runway rerun. The drama! The fashions! The aufing! I was hooked. I watched the rest of the season (and was saddened to see Jeffrey win, as I disliked his personality and most of his designs ... although I have to admit Laura was a bit too one-note and Michael a bit too inexperienced to have been the final winners).
Once PR was over, it was time for Top Chef. Figured, why not give it a try. Caught up on the first season, and was quite impressed. (And only some of it was Harold's hotness!) So I delved into the second season. Other than terminal host issues, I really enjoyed it. Although I was not impressed with Ilan's win (or, again, his personality).
And then, to make it a Bravo sweep, I thought I'd give Top Design a try. What a disaster that has been! Contestants dismissed on the whims of the judges, contestants winning challenges for rooms that don't fit the specific parameters of the competition, judges playing such obvious favorites that they rib each other for it during the panel discussions. This one, I am not hooked on. Once the travesty has been completed, that's it.
Which should leave plenty of room in my schedule for the next season of Project Runway!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
wind
I never thought that much about wind before we moved into this house. Yes, it's irritating when you're outside on a lovely sunny day and the wind ruins it all by making you cold, rushing around you. But I never spent that much time outside, so it wasn't a big deal for me.
Then we moved here. We're just off the water, with a wind-tunnel effect going on between our house and the one next door—and we get a lot of wind. Especially once we built the new bedroom, the wind rushes loudly around the windows, and you can see the trees tossing and bending, thrown around like matchsticks. Just the sound makes you feel cold. And for some reason this year there have been a lot of windstorms. Always at night, always loud and violent, blowing into the window and sounding like someone out there wants to come in. Mostly I'm not worried about it—it isn't any kind of fear or nightmare kind of thing—but man, I really wish it would just shut up about it! I lie in bed listening, just waiting for the quiet calm after the wind's passing.
And I've come to the conclusion that I don't think I like wind very much.
Then we moved here. We're just off the water, with a wind-tunnel effect going on between our house and the one next door—and we get a lot of wind. Especially once we built the new bedroom, the wind rushes loudly around the windows, and you can see the trees tossing and bending, thrown around like matchsticks. Just the sound makes you feel cold. And for some reason this year there have been a lot of windstorms. Always at night, always loud and violent, blowing into the window and sounding like someone out there wants to come in. Mostly I'm not worried about it—it isn't any kind of fear or nightmare kind of thing—but man, I really wish it would just shut up about it! I lie in bed listening, just waiting for the quiet calm after the wind's passing.
And I've come to the conclusion that I don't think I like wind very much.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
book report XV
A few more off the stack!
Recently finished:
Life and Death in Civil War Prisons, J. Michael Martinez. A well-balanced review of prison camp life during the Civil War, focusing on a Northern prisoner held in Andersonville and a Southern prisoner held in Rock Island.
Andersonville, a novel by MacKinlay Kantor. Unbelievable. Breathtaking in its scope—Kantor's work spreads itself out over the entire U.S. and over years of history, just by delving into a few of the stories that might have been told by Andersonville prisoners, and ties it in beautifully with the experiences of local residents living near Andersonville. It's clearly the tip of the iceberg as far as the stories of the prisoners' lives, both before and during their imprisonment, and the pain felt by those (the ones with consciences) who were in charge of the prison is almost palpable on the page. A true classic.
Recently finished:
Life and Death in Civil War Prisons, J. Michael Martinez. A well-balanced review of prison camp life during the Civil War, focusing on a Northern prisoner held in Andersonville and a Southern prisoner held in Rock Island.
Andersonville, a novel by MacKinlay Kantor. Unbelievable. Breathtaking in its scope—Kantor's work spreads itself out over the entire U.S. and over years of history, just by delving into a few of the stories that might have been told by Andersonville prisoners, and ties it in beautifully with the experiences of local residents living near Andersonville. It's clearly the tip of the iceberg as far as the stories of the prisoners' lives, both before and during their imprisonment, and the pain felt by those (the ones with consciences) who were in charge of the prison is almost palpable on the page. A true classic.
Monday, March 26, 2007
green things
It appears that spring is ever-so-slowly dancing toward us—two steps forward and one step back, but at least there's some progress! Even my tulips have gotten the message, poking their little green tops up. And of course, so have the weeds. I'm wondering if this year my boys might actually start to get the difference between plants that we like and plants that we don't. If the number of green things already trampled under small feet and trike wheels is any indication, probably not. But Greyson was really excited about planting seeds last year, so he may get into it again this year.
I've given up, at least for now, on trying to grow anything inside the house. My poor rosemary didn't make it past New Year's, which is a shame. It was doing so well as long as I had the Christmas tree to help me remember to water it (it being a lot easier to remember to water two things than one!). But I tend to do okay with the outdoor plants. Last year I ripped everything out except the raspberries and the strawberries (my crowning gardening achievements!), and am getting FIL out in the late spring to help me replant and figure out a better gardening scheme. What I really need, though, is a better weeding scheme! The weeds tend to be too tedious to pluck until they get big enough to be real eyesores. Regular weeding might have to be something I try to fit into my regular schedule several days a week. But with luck, I'll have my boys out there helping me—or at least keeping me entertained!
I've given up, at least for now, on trying to grow anything inside the house. My poor rosemary didn't make it past New Year's, which is a shame. It was doing so well as long as I had the Christmas tree to help me remember to water it (it being a lot easier to remember to water two things than one!). But I tend to do okay with the outdoor plants. Last year I ripped everything out except the raspberries and the strawberries (my crowning gardening achievements!), and am getting FIL out in the late spring to help me replant and figure out a better gardening scheme. What I really need, though, is a better weeding scheme! The weeds tend to be too tedious to pluck until they get big enough to be real eyesores. Regular weeding might have to be something I try to fit into my regular schedule several days a week. But with luck, I'll have my boys out there helping me—or at least keeping me entertained!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
5 things that make me happy, II
So it's not Monday yet (which always seems to be a good time to be reminded of all the things that make me happy!), but at least I'll be thinking of these things when I wake up in the morning. Ideally.
1. Titan Quest. I blame Lou for getting me hooked on computer games, but frankly, they're fun. And relaxing. And really, really time-consuming.
2. Playing with my kids. They're just so much fun. "Mommy, you have to chase me so you can tickle me!" Who can resist an invitation like that?
3. Coffee. Good coffee, bad coffee, decaf, full strength, cheapo McDonald's coffee, General Foods International Coffee, espresso, cappuccino, lattes ... you name it. Ahhhh.
4. A neat house. This one surprises me—but it was noticeable how after I picked up and vacuumed in the front room, suddenly we were all in there exercising on the floor together, and Greyson and Daddy were stretched out working on letters. A lesson to remember! (The letters, too, we hope!)
5. My pillow. I have the perfect pillow, bought from Jordan's Furniture for $65 several years ago. It has exactly the right balance between yielding and firmness, and hasn't lost a bit of its spring over time. I used to go through about a pillow a year ... but this one is holding firm. (Come on, you know I had to!) Come to think of it, I'm looking forward to going to bed—
1. Titan Quest. I blame Lou for getting me hooked on computer games, but frankly, they're fun. And relaxing. And really, really time-consuming.
2. Playing with my kids. They're just so much fun. "Mommy, you have to chase me so you can tickle me!" Who can resist an invitation like that?
3. Coffee. Good coffee, bad coffee, decaf, full strength, cheapo McDonald's coffee, General Foods International Coffee, espresso, cappuccino, lattes ... you name it. Ahhhh.
4. A neat house. This one surprises me—but it was noticeable how after I picked up and vacuumed in the front room, suddenly we were all in there exercising on the floor together, and Greyson and Daddy were stretched out working on letters. A lesson to remember! (The letters, too, we hope!)
5. My pillow. I have the perfect pillow, bought from Jordan's Furniture for $65 several years ago. It has exactly the right balance between yielding and firmness, and hasn't lost a bit of its spring over time. I used to go through about a pillow a year ... but this one is holding firm. (Come on, you know I had to!) Come to think of it, I'm looking forward to going to bed—
Saturday, March 24, 2007
book report XIV
I'll just do three tonight—working on my stack!
Books finished recently include:
Anna Katharine Green, The Woman in the Alcove. Never heard of her? You're missing out. The mother of American detective fiction, Green wrote in the early 20th century. And her mysteries, while old-fashioned certainly in tone and mores, still hold up today amongst all our familiar gimmicks. The books are (unsurprisingly) hard to find, but well worth the effort.
Good old Perry Mason, The Case of the Fugitive Nurse. Had a nice twist to go along with the usual cast of characters and courtroom fireworks!
And reread Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince. This was Veronica's bedtime reading for a month or so (she can't go more than a page at a time!). A beautiful story, made especially poignant, I think, by Saint-Exupery's untimely death in a plane crash.
Books finished recently include:
Anna Katharine Green, The Woman in the Alcove. Never heard of her? You're missing out. The mother of American detective fiction, Green wrote in the early 20th century. And her mysteries, while old-fashioned certainly in tone and mores, still hold up today amongst all our familiar gimmicks. The books are (unsurprisingly) hard to find, but well worth the effort.
Good old Perry Mason, The Case of the Fugitive Nurse. Had a nice twist to go along with the usual cast of characters and courtroom fireworks!
And reread Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince. This was Veronica's bedtime reading for a month or so (she can't go more than a page at a time!). A beautiful story, made especially poignant, I think, by Saint-Exupery's untimely death in a plane crash.
Friday, March 23, 2007
one resolution
Just one! That's all I made for this year, because I knew how challenging it would be. "Be Happy." Not really up my alley, I'd say. I tend to be a pessimist; a person who lives in the future and wishes away the present; a person who is easily irritated, angered, annoyed—call it what you will. So the resolution is necessary. It's really something I want to change about myself. I want to enjoy running around with Charles on my back and tickling Veronica and listening to Greyson laugh while it's happening, instead of being consumed with thinking what it will be like to do all that in 5 years. And I want to be less cranky with my kids in general. What I didn't expect was that it would be this hard. Somehow in the three months of this year, I feel that I've been crankier than ever, and certainly not focusing on the overall goal.
Always, when overwhelmed and faced with internal obstacles (chronic crankiness, ennui, general depressive funks), I think all I need is a fresh perspective, and I can resolve all my obstacles and get them out of my way, with a clear path before me. And I do that for a little while, but slowly all the obstacles jump back in and clutter up the path again, and I'm right back to where I started. I wonder sometimes if it's a control issue—a person simply cannot control another person, even if that other person is 4. Or 3. Or 1! And my orderly mind has enough trouble wrapping itself around my own disorder. Add another four people's worth, and it's just bewildering to know where to start.
I do know that it's pretty clear that when I'm in a better mood things get done more efficiently, I have more energy, more enthusiasm—for the kids, the general life stuff, and even for my own hobbies—and altogether my life runs more smoothly. And frankly, I think a person (at least, this person) should be able to have more control over their mood. So, time to be more mindful of the year's mantra. Be happy. There is, after all, a lot to be happy about.
Always, when overwhelmed and faced with internal obstacles (chronic crankiness, ennui, general depressive funks), I think all I need is a fresh perspective, and I can resolve all my obstacles and get them out of my way, with a clear path before me. And I do that for a little while, but slowly all the obstacles jump back in and clutter up the path again, and I'm right back to where I started. I wonder sometimes if it's a control issue—a person simply cannot control another person, even if that other person is 4. Or 3. Or 1! And my orderly mind has enough trouble wrapping itself around my own disorder. Add another four people's worth, and it's just bewildering to know where to start.
I do know that it's pretty clear that when I'm in a better mood things get done more efficiently, I have more energy, more enthusiasm—for the kids, the general life stuff, and even for my own hobbies—and altogether my life runs more smoothly. And frankly, I think a person (at least, this person) should be able to have more control over their mood. So, time to be more mindful of the year's mantra. Be happy. There is, after all, a lot to be happy about.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
spring
Tonight felt more like October than spring—with snow on the ground, that slight bite to the air, and the smell of wet, dead leaves. But spring is definitely on her way. The small green tops of my tulips (the ones that made it through my tulip purge from last year) are poking their way out of the ground ... and the small sneakered feet of my children are mashing them flat. Or riding their trike/Big Wheel over them. Or trying to dig them up. Said children also covered the stairs from the deck to the back yard with mud, and then "dug" the mud off the stairs and threw it at each other.
So there's the real sign of impending spring—muddy tennis shoes by the back door! It was a much, much more peaceful evening, though, since the kids spent most of the late afternoon outside.
So there's the real sign of impending spring—muddy tennis shoes by the back door! It was a much, much more peaceful evening, though, since the kids spent most of the late afternoon outside.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
10 reasons I'm looking forward to Ohio
In a couple of weeks, we're heading out to Ohio for a grand driving tour that involves visiting numerous relatives and friends. We'll be gone for 10 days, and I've been looking forward to it about as much as I am to getting my cavity filled (which I really should remember to do before we leave). So now in the spirit of getting into the spirit, these are 10 parts of the trip I'm actually looking forward to:
1. The chance to show off my kids, who are genuinely adorable.
2. The landscapes and colors of Ohio, which I'll see a lot of outside my car window, and which are really quite beautiful.
3. Seeing my Aunt Sarah, a lovely lady who does not appreciate herself enough.
4. Seeing friends at Lou's game convention.
5. Reading. Usually on trips (especially when I'll be spending a fair number of my evenings in hotels with the kids) there is a lot of extra time to read, since all the tasks that must be done generally get left at home.
6. Introducing the kids to an area of the country and specific locations that I have a lot of nostalgia for. Greyson in particular is at an age and temperament level that I think will really be able to appreciate some of what he's seeing.
7. Getting a sense of the rewards of traveling with the kids. Seeing things through their eyes and seeing how they react to the places we go will hopefully be a fascinating experience, and at the very least a benchmark for how soon we can enjoyably take them farther afield in traveling.
8. Driving. I love to drive on highways, major and minor, and I'll be doing a lot of it.
9. Interstate rest stops. Seriously, I love them. Don't ask me why.
And the final reason that I'm really looking forward to this trip? Guess.
Did you guess food? You should have! The Midwest is home to at least four very lovely eating establishments—Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, Arby's, and Long John Silver's, baby! Very low-brow, totally not all-natural at all, probably even saturated in a lot of things that are very gross and not good for you ... and completely wonderful in the category of taste. Yum!
1. The chance to show off my kids, who are genuinely adorable.
2. The landscapes and colors of Ohio, which I'll see a lot of outside my car window, and which are really quite beautiful.
3. Seeing my Aunt Sarah, a lovely lady who does not appreciate herself enough.
4. Seeing friends at Lou's game convention.
5. Reading. Usually on trips (especially when I'll be spending a fair number of my evenings in hotels with the kids) there is a lot of extra time to read, since all the tasks that must be done generally get left at home.
6. Introducing the kids to an area of the country and specific locations that I have a lot of nostalgia for. Greyson in particular is at an age and temperament level that I think will really be able to appreciate some of what he's seeing.
7. Getting a sense of the rewards of traveling with the kids. Seeing things through their eyes and seeing how they react to the places we go will hopefully be a fascinating experience, and at the very least a benchmark for how soon we can enjoyably take them farther afield in traveling.
8. Driving. I love to drive on highways, major and minor, and I'll be doing a lot of it.
9. Interstate rest stops. Seriously, I love them. Don't ask me why.
And the final reason that I'm really looking forward to this trip? Guess.
Did you guess food? You should have! The Midwest is home to at least four very lovely eating establishments—Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, Arby's, and Long John Silver's, baby! Very low-brow, totally not all-natural at all, probably even saturated in a lot of things that are very gross and not good for you ... and completely wonderful in the category of taste. Yum!
Friday, March 09, 2007
book report XIII
Trying to catch up with my stack of finished books!
In the last couple of months I've read:
An old teen romance of the Sunfire series. Once upon a time I owned the whole series, then got rid of them, even though I really loved a lot of the books. So now I'm trying to find selected books in the series again, which is proving to be surprisingly difficult. (I actually keep expecting to run into one of my own old copies. I think that would be cool.) Of course, it's not half as difficult as finding copies of Swept Away, another teen romance series from the '80s, which are almost impossible to find. Anyway, Kathleen was an old familiar friend and she's going back on the shelves where she belongs.
Reread the collected poems of Robert Browning. I like a lot of his shorter poems, but found the longer ones just left me behind. What I did find truly fascinating was a collection of letters between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning—from the first letters they exchanged through the ones leading up to what appears to have been their elopement! Now I'm going to have to find a biography of these two, to find out the whole story there. Sounds like one of those stranger-than-fiction situations.
Read a new teen romance called Girl in Blue, about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to enlist in the Union Army in the Civil War. It started off really well—the girl's story was down-to-earth, the settings were detailed and realistic, and the characters were well-drawn. Then it degenerated. The heroine was the best soldier, nurse, and all-around person any of the other characters had ever met, then she had to go off and be part of the Pinkerton Agency AND get stationed in the "prison" made from the home of Rebel spy Rose Greenhow. It was all just so forced and contrived. I was really disappointed.
Reread an old children's book called Fog Magic. No disappointment there! Just a sweet fantasy story about a village that appears only in the fog.
And, finally (for today), I finished a nonfiction (or maybe somewhat fictionalized?) biography of a New Orleans madam of the Storyville era. Honestly, not that interesting. I'm not sure if it was the madam's life itself or the writing style, but either way, it's not a keeper.
In the last couple of months I've read:
An old teen romance of the Sunfire series. Once upon a time I owned the whole series, then got rid of them, even though I really loved a lot of the books. So now I'm trying to find selected books in the series again, which is proving to be surprisingly difficult. (I actually keep expecting to run into one of my own old copies. I think that would be cool.) Of course, it's not half as difficult as finding copies of Swept Away, another teen romance series from the '80s, which are almost impossible to find. Anyway, Kathleen was an old familiar friend and she's going back on the shelves where she belongs.
Reread the collected poems of Robert Browning. I like a lot of his shorter poems, but found the longer ones just left me behind. What I did find truly fascinating was a collection of letters between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning—from the first letters they exchanged through the ones leading up to what appears to have been their elopement! Now I'm going to have to find a biography of these two, to find out the whole story there. Sounds like one of those stranger-than-fiction situations.
Read a new teen romance called Girl in Blue, about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to enlist in the Union Army in the Civil War. It started off really well—the girl's story was down-to-earth, the settings were detailed and realistic, and the characters were well-drawn. Then it degenerated. The heroine was the best soldier, nurse, and all-around person any of the other characters had ever met, then she had to go off and be part of the Pinkerton Agency AND get stationed in the "prison" made from the home of Rebel spy Rose Greenhow. It was all just so forced and contrived. I was really disappointed.
Reread an old children's book called Fog Magic. No disappointment there! Just a sweet fantasy story about a village that appears only in the fog.
And, finally (for today), I finished a nonfiction (or maybe somewhat fictionalized?) biography of a New Orleans madam of the Storyville era. Honestly, not that interesting. I'm not sure if it was the madam's life itself or the writing style, but either way, it's not a keeper.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
L.M. Montgomery
Over the course of the last couple of months, I've reread many of the Montgomerys on my shelf. Not the series—Anne of Green Gables or Emily of New Moon—but a lot of the stand-alone books of short stories and both the Story Girl books. Years ago, I also picked up two volumes of her collected journals at a book sale, and those are fascinating. I find her style soothing and comfortable—her heroines are a lot like I think many of us wanted to be at the ages she wrote about. Oh, who am I kidding? Some days I still want to be Anne of Green Gables. The other days, I just want to write it! The final book in the Anne series, Rilla of Ingleside, is one of my top 10 favorite books. No, really. Reading her journals made it clear why—RoI is set during World War I and contains many scenes from Montgomery's actual life. Certainly it retains a very authentic feel. You can tell she knew something about being harrowed through the events of the time period. She didn't know as much about the idealized lives she imagined for her heroines—hers was much more like the lives her heroines left for the happiness they would find with family, etc. But she had an intuitive feel for people's characters, and could find the flaw in the perfection or the gem inside the rock ... and make them live, which not every author can do. Montgomery's characters are still very idealized people who live only on the page, but at least they're rarely one-dimensional.
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