2006 Books

A Breath of Snow and Ashes
A Defense for the Dead
A Gift to Last
A Good Yarn/The Shop on Blossom Street
A is for Alibi
A Night of Rain & Stars
A Place of Hiding
A Traitor To Memory
Along Came A Spider
B is for Burglar
Be Mine
Between Friends
Big Bad Wolf
Black Order
Book Club, The
Book of the Dead
Camel Club, The
Cedar Cove Series: 1-6
Central Park
Counterplay
Crazy in Love
Die In Plain Sight
Disordered Minds
Dublin Four, The
Emma
Fox Evil
Gardens of Covington, The
Goodbye Summer, The
In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner
In the Presence of the Enemy
Innocent Man, The
Jane Eyre
Last Time They Met, The
Making Waves
Maximum Velocity
Mitford Series: Books 1-8
My Sister’s Keeper
Partner, The
Playing for the Ashes
Quilter's Series 1-6
Resistance
Same Sweet Girls, The
Sculptress, The
Seasons of her Life
Seven Deadly Wonders
Shape of Snakes, The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: 1-3
Sunday Wife, The
Sweetgrass
Testament, The
Three Sisters Island Trilogy
Trial By Fire
Tropic of Night
Ultimatum, The
Warning, The
We Are All Welcome Here
White Fang
Winds of Change
With No One as a Witness
Witness for the Dead

2006

This will probably be my final post of the year. Then I suspect I will not post for a while as the next week is a very busy one at work.

My Christmas went really well my hubby got me an MP3 player which I am just learning to play with. He also got me this magical device called an FM transmitter. It allows you to broadcast your MP3 player through ANY radio (car, home, work). It is amazing.

My kids got a Nintendo Game Cube for Christmas so our nights have been filled with Mario Kart. This is our first game system (having resisted until now). It is still plugged into the living room T.V. but I don't expect it to stay there.

Tomorrow, we are off to another family gathering. This one at the Father-in-law's house. Here we usually meet with my husband's brother and family. Traditionally, we meet on New Year's Day but because everyone is off on Sunday we are meeting a day early. This works out well for me because Auburn is playing in the Cotton Bowl on Monday. As a bonus, sis-in-law is also going to make it back to town for the event. She will be spending the night tonite at our house. After reading on her blog about her feelings regarding my attempts at sabotaging her diet (actually, I was just being a good hostess) I fear for what she might have up her sleeve. I am going to try and placate her with Mexican Food.

I am going to try and catch up on all my blog reading now and if I find anything else to say I'll be back.

Diet

Well, I went off the deep end during the holidays and gained weight again!! Ughh! I told you I could not stick to a diet for more than 4 or 5 weeks. I sabotaged my own self not only with sweets but with poor choices and a lot of nibbling during baking. I wonder where I would be if I had not exercised 3 days last week. No self control!! Meanwhile, my sis-in-law managed to lose and is now at a net loss of 10lbs. I tempted her with eggnogg over the holidays and she resisted. That girl is my new hero. I am going to try and be relatively good this week and then after vacation I will try to buckle down and try again.

After Christmas

Today is the day after so to speak. Usually there is a big letdown. The house is a mess. I had to come to work today. The kids had to go to daycare. No one is happy. Tomorrow I have to work at WM and that should prove to be a fun day. Today I have been too busy preparing for year end inventory to catch up on blog reading or update. I'll be back Friday hopefully with something meaningful to say.

Thursday

Yesterday I had a very productive day and I am going to share all the mundane details with those unfortunate enough to find themselves here.

The kids only had a 1/2 day of school and I had planned to attend J's party (he's 8 remember) but he asked me not to. So B and I decided to run errands (and I let her skip kindergarten today) First though, I did my bit of NordicTrac (yeah!) while she made her bed and unloaded the DW.

I started draining the hot tub and after exercising B and I got in and cleaned the nasty ring around the inside (reminds me of Cat & The Hat, too bad I don't have some vroom). We then showered and dressed and left the house.

Our first stop was the pool store in Madison to pick-up a new filter for the spa and chemicals. It took us 30 minutes to navigate down the busy road to the store (including waiting on the train) and found them out of our filter. Gosh Darn! We then went to Publix to get the needed Wine for the upcoming festivities and other last minute things. We ran into Kohl's for a few minutes to get something else for________ and I found some luggage on sale for our upcoming vacation. Back at the school at 11am for the end of J's party. He made a gingerbread house out of graham crackers. Quite impressive.

Took the kids home where they feasted on Lunch Paks. They helped me finish draining the hot tub and cleaning it. Started refilling and oh! Look at the time! I've got to get to my doctor's appt downtown.

So I arrived at the doctor appt on time and was told "gasp!" they were running on schedule. This is the annual visit. Glad it is over for another year. I saw they were having a blood drive at the hospital (desperately in need of O this time of year) and I made a bargain that if I finished with the doctor in a reasonable time I would donate. Off I went to find the blood drive, gave my precious blood, ate some cookies (because calories don't count after donating blood) and juice. I got my free T-Shirt and movie tickets. (Yes, my blood can be bought for a T-shirt.)

I stopped on the way out of town at the pool store in Huntsville and picked up my filter and chemicals, swung by the dry cleaners and arrived home at 4pm, too late for a nap. The spa was full but not turned on yet (because of absence of filter) so when I turned it on it was a chilly 57 degrees. No hot tubbing for me that night.

So the kids and I started messing up the kitchen. First we made peppermint bark then we made Peanut Brittle. Both recipes from allrecipes.com. Then we tried out my new Wilton cookie press (a gift) using the basic Spritz cookie recipe. We had a really hard time with it. So we decided to try the Pampered Chef one I've had for years but never used. It was a little easier but still a big disappointment. The cookies were also quite bland. They would probably be okay if dipped in chocolate (like most things, come to think of it.) I don't think we'll use the cookie press again.

I cooked a pasta dish for supper and after some complaining I actually to J to eat some. Wow! I'm tired now. I think I'll go sit down. Actually, I am typing this from work and I am sitting down. If I can get through today I have 3 days off. Yeah!

Christmas Cooking

Yesterday I went to the grocery store and did my bit to help along our economy. My family is big on eating and big on cooking and I love to do my part. Here is my ambitious plans for the next several days.

Saturday - family gathering #1
Baked Beans
No Bake Banana Pudding

Sunday - intimate Christmas Eve Dinner
Smoked Salmon Dip
Pork Tenderloin
Mashed Potato Gratin
Mixed Veggies
Lemon Polenta Cake with Winter Fruit Compote

Christmas Morning
Baked Apple Rolls

Christmas Day - family gathering #2
Fruit Salad
Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

Various Desserts and Candies
Peanut Brittle
Peppermint Bark
Magic Cookie Bars
Spritz Cookies
Peanut Butter Popcorn

I'll let you know how many of my plans go awry and what I actually get done.

My Sister's Keeper

I finished reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I ordered this book after reading J's review on her blog. The book is written in alternating first person accounts of the chief characters. This is the first book I have read by this author

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Berg's books including Talk Before Sleep and We Are All Welcome Here. It has that same emotional pull that keeps you so entranced (or imbedded, if you will) in the story that you are a part of it even when not reading. I like books like that. I read, in general for my own entertainment. I want a book (and a good movie, too) to transport me somewhere else. I want to forget about my own selfish self for a while.

That all being said the book was somewhat depressing and having a chameleon like personality I tend to take the book's depression to heart and become somewhat blue. It is the second such book in a row for me and I really need to follow it up with something uplifting. I am looking forward to reading more by this author and I definitely recommed this book. Thanks J.

Christmas Cards

In the first 10 years of my marriage I was very diligent about sending out Christmas Cards. I tried write personal notes to people who I didn't talk to regurally or see. I sent pictures of my children. I sent these out the first week of December.

One year I decided to only send cards to those I would not see personally during Christmas and last year I just decided to not send any. This is very liberating, I find. I know there are those out there who otherwise do not hear from me and I am sorry about that. I still delight in receiving cards and especially those "picture greetings" of everyone's children. Maybe next year I will even get my act together and get the kids Christmas pictures made before Christmas. (Right now I am shooting for an early Easter picture.)

Accent Quiz

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The South That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it.
The Midland
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Inland North
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Quite accurate I would say.

Charlotte's Web (Not!)

I can blog about this now because it has been almost 2 weeks and the shock has warn off and it has faded to a kind of dream. "Did it really happen?"

December 5th I was trying to catch up on the laundry from the weekend. There had been a basket of my children's clothes in the laundry/utility room since Sunday which I hadn't time to fold until that evening. I took the basket into my guest room to fold on the bed (I'm not sure why, really) and was happy folding away. The guest room is sometimes called Grandmother's room because she is the primary guest. My daughter was sitting on the bed watching a Christmas cartoon and kind of helping me.

Then I looked over at the pile of clothes spilling from the overturned basket and saw "The Biggest F*ing Spider" I have ever seen in the house. (I'm getting chills right now while typing.) The THING was sitting on top of the clothes because it had apparently been immersed in the clothes before I began my folding.

Now, I grew up in the country and spiders as a general rule do not scare me but this was SCAIRY!! I told my daughter not to move and I quickly grabbed up a nearby cup and swooped it into the sink. This spider had a very fat black round belly with some kind of red splotch on it's belly. I have never seen one of these "Black Widows" that wasn't on a web somewhere. It was very terrifying to think of it in the basket of my children's clothes. I tried to drown the spider and then I set it on fire,then I sealed up it's remains in a ziplock bag and disposed of it outside in the dumpster.

I called our pest control people and they came out and sprayed for spiders.

Books

I just finished reading Resistance by Anita Shreve. A year or so ago I had listened to her novel, Light on Snow and enjoyed it very much. I had been discouraged, however, by the reviews from her other novels and not purchased one until now. Also, her novel The Pilot's Wife had been an Oprah's Book Club selection. I have been disapointed with the books I've read on Oprah's list and have found them too depressing.

Resistance is set in Belgium in 1944. It the story of a downed American pilot and the short love affair he had with the Belgium woman who helped hide him from the Germans. The story is somehwat depressing and put me in a very melancholy mood. What I liked about the novel is the powerful representations of life for the Belgium people during German occupation and the portrayal of the American pilot.

My grandfather served in WWII and talked of his experiences very little. This book opens a window to what the people living and dying in German occupied countries during the war experienced. It does a better job of eliciting empathy than any movie I have seen. It did in fact make this war which was over 60 years ago become very real to me.

I don't know if I would recommend this book or not. Maybe after some time has passed and I have gained some distance I will feel differently.

Diet

It is more difficult to diet during the holidays than I thought. I worked at WM on Wednesday and hardly had anything to eat but I made up for it on Thursday with lunch out and an evening meeting.

Now I realize the joys and trials of working in a medical clinic. Not only was lunch brought in today from Olive Garden but we received two gift baskets full of food. One is from the Atlanta Bread Company and is full of breads and pastries. The other is a gift basket full of cookies, chocolates & gormet foods.

We were talking of bringing in food for a festive lunch next week and one of the physicians said not to bother. The bounty of gifts has only just begun.

So the dieting thing has really gone awry. First from my depression over gaining 0.5lbs and now to having all this delicious food around. Tonite I think I will pick-up Guthries for dinner. If I am going to fall completely off the wagon I really should make it count. Maybe I can get back in gear before Monday but if not I might as well wait until after my vacation in January.

Emma's Tea Room

Yesterday, a friend took me to lunch to belatedly celebrate my birthday. I suggested Emma's Tea Room because I had heard so many good things about it.

This place is definitely a "Ladies who lunch" kind of place of which we have several in the Huntsville area. It is located in a renovated house in the historic 5 points area on Pratt Ave. In the spirit of the setting we both elected to try hot tea although neither of us are really (hot) tea drinkers. We both had Cranberry Orange and it was excellent. I tried the salad sampler which included seafood salad, curried chicken salad, and chicken salad over a bed of mixed greens. My friend chose the summer squash soup and a chicken salad sandwich. Both of our meals were enjoyable. The service was good (our server had an English accent!) and the setting ideal for a lunch out with a girlfriend.

I would definitely recommend this place for a ladies lunch but call ahead for reservations.

Alphabet Meme

Here is a fill in meme because I haven't had much to blog about this week:
(thanks to J at Thinking About...)

A. Available or Single? Married 12 years

B. Best Friend? My mother (check out her blog)

C. Cake or Pie? Cake, chocolate cake, pound cake, any cake.

D. Drink of Choice? Sierra Mist (cold) Suisse Mocha (hot)

E. Essential Item I use everyday? Deodorant

F. Favorite Color? Green

G. Gummy Bears or Worms? Bears

H. Hometown? Boaz, Alabama (don't tell anyone)

I. Indulgence? My hot tub.

J. January or February? I hate January. I always have that depression from holiday letdown. In February we have Valentine's Day and Crocuses (and hope for spring).

K. Kids and their Names?2 Kids - no names on the blog, please.

L. Life Is Incomplete Without? Chocolate

M. Marriage Date? November 19, 1994

N. Number of siblings - 2, a brother in Maryland and a sister (who I just found about 18 months ago. Perhaps I'll blog that story sometime.)

O. Oranges or Apples? Apples, definitely

P. Phobias/Fears? Falling down large hills on hard snow as in skiing.

Q. Favorite Quote: "But they that wait upon the Lord...Isaiah 40:31

R. Reason to Smile? Hearing my babies say "I love you".

S. Season? I love fall.

T. Tag 3 or 4 people. Do 3 or 4 people read my blog? Ok if you read this you should consider yourself tagged.

U. Unknown Fact About Me? My life is an open book. If there is something that remains unknown it should probably stay that way.

V. Vegetable you do not like? A better question would be name a vegetable I do like.

X. X-rays I've had? Well, chest, mouth, had an MRI once

Y. Your Favorite food? Chocolate

Z. Zodiac Sign? Sagitarius

Book Update

I just finished reading and excellent book, Tropic of Night by Michael Grueber. This is the author who had been ghostwriting the Robert Tannebaum books. This subject matter of this book was not my usual cup of tea but the writing style and prevailing mystery kept me interested. The book jumps from a first person account, a second person account, and journal entries and ties it all together nicely in the end. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Tuesday, (after I ordered from Amazon using the gift certificate my wonderful sister-in-law gave me for my birthday) I noticed that Michael Chricton has a new book out. I am dissapointed that Amazon did not alert me to this new release. Isn't that their job? Anyway, if no one takes the hint and buys it for me for Christmas I will order it later.

This morning I am starting B is for Burglar. This is the series by Sue Grafton. I read Q is for Quarry a while back and I decided to start from the beginning. This is a murder/mystery series about private investigator, Kinsey Millhone. The books are quite short.

The last 3 books I read by Minnette Walters (Shape of Snakes, The Scuptress, Disordered Minds) were all about a murder that occurred some years ago (from 6 to 30) and the character's efforts to solve it after it was considered closed by police. Walter's books take place in London and the characters are different in each book. They were all quite good.

8.5lbs

Smoking, Retaraunt review

A year or so ago our city (Huntsville, Alabama) banned smoking in restaurants. I was quite happy with this. I do not care if people choose to polute their bodies with this obnoxious poison as long as it is not in my vicinity. No smoking in restaurants means that you can sit anywhere and not worry if smoke from the "smoking section" will wander over to your table. It also means at most retaraunts there is seating in the bar with no waiting. I am not all that concerned about health concerns from second hand smoke. I just don't like smoke. I don't like it my hair or on my clothes or especially in the air I am currently breathing. I know several otherwise plesant people who smoke and as long as they respect my air space I feel I am very tolerant. (I think this is as preachy as I plan to get on my blog).

Now, having said the above...
Friday night with a rare night without the kids my husband, R and I decided to try out a trendy restaraunt in the downtown area, 801 Franklin. I had been told reservations were not required and we arrived early (5:30 or so). As might have been expected during the holiday season they were booked up and asked if we would like to sit in the bar. I agreed ONLY because I knew of the smoking ban. We sat at a small table against a long bench which was shared by other tables along the wall. A loud foursome of business men were sitting next to us on one side and a quiet foursome of ladies on the other. Now, this is one of those restaurants where they do not give "the lady" the menu with prices. I did check out the prices before ordering. This was in the "special occasion" range of prices for us but certainly not beyond what we can afford. The wine was pricey and we elected for only a glass each. We ordered an appetizer that sounded good but was only adequate. I had an excellent pasta seafood dish with amazing scallops and shrimp (topped with calamari) and R had swordfish. The food was excellent, the service cordial and quick and all was going well, until...

After the business men vacated the table beside us a couple sat down and the lady began to smoke. I thought someone would come over and say something to her, but no. I thought, "I will try to tolerate this", but no. I thought this meal will be over $100 and I can't sit here. I asked our waiter (privately). He explained to us that because they did not allow patrons in the retaraunt under 19 years of age smoking was allowed in the bar. This is an exception to the smoking ban that I was aware of but believed it only to be true of bars, nightclubs, etc. He offered to move us and we moved down two tables. This worked well even though at the end another patron lit up at the bar. As we were leaving I was just thinking that we might come back if we didn't sit in the bar because afterall the food was wonderful when we walked past the EMPTY dining room. No, we will not return. For the money I would rather dine at Ol' Heidelberg or Bonefish without the smoke.

Food Meme

I found this food meme (thanks to Allybean) and thought I would put it out there.

Favorite food to crunch: Crunch n Munch
Favorite comfort food: Mashed Potatoes or Chili
Food that makes the best noise: Rice Krispies
Favorite picnic lunch: cheese, crackers, & grapes
Favorite food scene in movie: Lady & The Tramp - the spaghetti scene
Favorite food lyrics: "Settle for a french fry..."
Least favorite food lyrics:
Best food smell memory: Smells of concession food like at a football game or fair
Favorite summer snack: cantalope
Food that reminds me of the ocean: shrimp
Favorite winter snack: Suisse Mocha & chocolate
Most likely to eat for lunch: WW meal and jello
Least likely to eat for lunch: fried liver
Makes me gag: fried liver
Food tradition I don't like: black-eyed peas on New Year's
Saturday night food: Rosie's (Mexican)
Favorite wild foods: strawberries - does that count?
Favorite food for sex play: food for sex play? Is that sanitary?
Favorite medicinal food: Wine - it's medicianl for me.
Food that reflects my heritage: fried okra, cornbread, kraut n weanies, pecan pie
Food most like me: M&M's sweet, colorful, & easy to take-along
Favorite raw food smell: fresh-ground coffee

M&M's puzzle

While reading blogs I ran across this link to an interesting puzzle sponsored by M&M's (my favorite chocolate). I managed to get 39 with lots of help from the internet. See if you can help me out. I can't figure out the fish, monkeys, juggling pennies, the lady holding a barrell of water, the lady with 2 children, the M on the stairs, the two men on the stairs, the planets, the man peering out the window with a telescope, the mountain, the 'dark' doorway, plus a few others.

Christmas Meme

My friends in Sunday School have been emailing this meme around and I thought it a great way to introduce some memes to my blog.

Get To Know Ya Christmas Style

1) Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog? Actually, I like General Foods Suisse Mocha.

2) Does Santa Claus wrap the presents or just put them under the tree? Santa does not actually visit our house. Neither does the tooth fairy or Easter Bunny.

3)White lights or colored on the tree/house? Well, we like the whites the most. My tree is traditionally all white. I have some color in my yard display. The children like colored lights on their minature trees in their rooms. Of course, at the time of this blog there are no Christmas lights on at my house yet.

4) Do you hang mistletoe? No. I probably would, though, if someone gave me some.

5) When do you put the decorations up? Usually the first weekend in December that I am off work. Big plans for this weekend, I have.

6) What is your favorite holiday dish excluding dessert? Fruit salad or chicken and dressing

7) What is your favorite holiday memory as a child? This is too hard to narrow down. My parents always made Christmas special at our house. We always had lots of food and family gatherings.

8)When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I have an older brother so we both 'figured it out' about the same time. I think I was 8.

9) Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Actually, since there is no Santa visit we open all of our Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. We save our stockings for Christmas morning.

10) How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? I collect Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments and I have a lot!!! They no longer all fit on the tree so I choose some for other areas of the house.

11) Snow. Love it or dread it? Snow? What is snow? I have a distant memory of it snowing on January 1 of 2000. But that was our last real snow here in North Alabama. We generally have to go snow skiing to see good snow and I love it.

12) Can you ice skate? Yes, a little.

13) Do you remember your favorite gift? I think it would be the year I got a big-girl bike.

14) What is the most importang thing about the holidays for you? Well of course I am going to say celebrating the miracle of Christ's birth. But outside of that it is spending time with family.

15) What is your favorite holiday dessert? fudge

16) What is your favorite holiday tradition? With the kids we try to decorate a gingerbread house together every year. For many years my family had this crazy tradition of watching the movie, E.T. on Christmas Eve.

17)What tops your tree? An angel

18)Which do you prefer - giving or receiving? What a silly question!

19) What is your favorite Christmas Song? Carol of the Bells, I'll Be Home for Christmas, Why Can't Everyday Be Like Christmas.

20)Candy canes - yuck or yum? Yum, especially Bob's Old Fashioned Sugar Canes which I haven't been able to find this year.

21) Favorite Christmas Movie? It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas... what don't I like?

22) What do you leave out for Santa? see #2

23) (I added this one myself) When do you complete your Christmas shopping? Usually, I start in August and consider it a success if finished by October 1. I like them wrapped by November 1. Of course, there are always last minute things but I hate going in the stores this time of year and try to really plan out my presents in advance.

Okay. That was fun. Let's see if anyone else reads my blog. Come on BearsInExile, AtHomeDaddy, Cherry Extract, Maya's Granny, LittleTrucker.

Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday (or the anniversary of my 27th birthday actually). It was a good birthday. I did not have to work, my husband remembered and (gasp) bought me a present. Last night at the Maccaroni Grill I was serenaded in Italian by Robert and presented with a huge piece of chocolate cake. My presents included an Auburn tag for the front of my car and a new pair of headphones. My present to myself was a new sweater I found at Dick's Sporting Goods last week.

So the Christmas season is officially upon us. I am listening to seasonal music this morning and I suspect I need to get busy and decorate before we are shunned by our neighbors.

Despite several days of eating whatever was at hand and celebrating my birthday (and those wonderful fried peach pies), I had a net loss this week. I know I started last week rededicating myself to dieting but Wednesday's events "through a wrench in my gears". I did manage to Nordic Trac 3 days and I tried hard to make good choices. I am still happy to be losing and hope it continues, however slow.

9.0 lbs

Funeral

Well, I got through several days of visiting family and the funeral. It was a very draining time emotionally. However, it is good to see so many family members. I got through my "solo" at the cemetary, also. Thank you to my cousin Nita for standing by me during the solo and for all the encouraging words.

My grandfather was buried with military honors and I am thankful for the service people who drove over 70 miles to honor him at the funeral.

I enjoyed spending time with my brother and his family. Our children do not get to see each other often and enjoyed the visit.

Over 200 people attended either visitaion or the funeral. It makes my heart swell to know that my grandfather was loved by so many people. However, his leaving leaves a empty place in my heart.

Thank you to everyone who left comments or called or remembered us in their prayers.

Loss

Early yesterday morning my grandfather passed away. He was 80 years old and had a full life including serving in WW II. He goes on to be with his wife of 60 years who passed away in July of 2005. As this was unexpected, it is still not accepted. I can not quite believe he is really gone. When my grandmother died she had been sick for many months and although her passing was not easy, there was time to say goodbye and begin to prepare. My mother is one of their 4 children, I am one of 10 grandchildren, great-grandchildren numbered over 15. Many of us gathered yesterday at the family home to begin the mourning process. He will be buried on Saturday with military honors.

Many years ago when I was in high school my Papa (as my grandfather is known to me) asked me to play the trumpet at his funeral. At the time it seemed an easy enough thing to agree to. His funeral was an unreal event in the far distant future. Now, I find myself wondering how I will keep this promise. I have not played regularly in over 10 years and although like riding a bicycle you do not forget how, I am very nervous about playing in front of anyone. But it is what he wanted, I cannot disapoint him now. The song I believe I will play is "Amazing Grace".

My mother has lost both her parents now and I know these next few days will be very stressful for her. I think that reality will not set in for me until later. The first time I plan to go for a visit and realize there isn't anyone there. My last visit was made on November 10 and I found my Papa in good spirits, working in the yard, and enjoying his new cat. We ate lunch together and he fussed over my children. I hugged him goodbye before we parted in what would be the last time.

1988

I saw this post on Thinking About... (http://jellyjules.com/) and thougth I would try it. I didn't quite follow the rules, though. The idea was to take the top 100 songs from the year you graduated high school, bold the ones you liked, strike-out the ones you hated and leave the rest blank. I graduated from high school in 1989 and when I looked at the list I could not remember over 60% of the songs. I'm not sure why unless I stopped listening to pop music that year which is probable. I decided to choose 1988 because more of those songs hold some meaning. Sorry, Jules. And then, I couldn't figure out how to 'strike-out' so I didn't do that either. The truth is a good many of these songs I don't remember but probably would if I went in search of a clip. But these were the songs that defined that time in my life that was at once both agonizing and exhilerating. Songs from the movies, Dirty Dancing and Cocktail. Songs by George Michael, Bon Jovi and Belinda Carlisle. I wouldn't live through it again for any amount of money but it's fun sometimes to remember.

Ok, Don't be shy. It's your turn.


1. Faith, George Michael
2. Need You Tonight, INXS
3. Got My Mind Set On You, George Harrison
4. Never Gonna Give You Up, Rick Astley
5. Sweet Child O' Mine, Guns N' Roses
6. So Emotional, Whitney Houston
7. Heaven Is A Place On Earth, Belinda Carlisle
8. Could've Been, Tiffany (you are supposed to be honest)
9. Hands To Heaven, Breathe
10. Roll With It, Steve Winwood
11. One More Try, George Michael
12. Wishing Well, Terence Trent d'Arby
13. Anything For You, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
14. The Flame, Cheap Trick
15. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car, Billy Ocean
16. Seasons Change, Expose
17. Is This Love, Whitesnake
18. Wild, Wild West, Escape Club
19. Pour Some Sugar On Me, Def Leppard
20. I'll Always Love You, Taylor Dayne
21. Man In The Mirror, Michael Jackson
22. Shake Your Love, Debbie Gibson
23. Simply Irresistible, Robert Palmer
24. Hold On To The Nights, Richard Marx
25. Hungry Eyes, Eric Carnen
26. Shattered Dreams, Johnny Hates Jazz
27. Father Figure, George Michael
28. Naught Girls (Need Love Too), Samantha Fox
29. A Groovy Kind Of Love, Phil Collins
30. Love Bites, Def Leppard
31. Endless Summer Nights, Richard Marx
32. Foolish Beat, Debbie Gibson
33. Where Do Broken Hearts Go, Whitney Houston
34. Angel, Aerosmith
35. Hazy Shade Of Winter, Bangles
36. The Way You Make Me Feel, Michael Jackson
37. Don't Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin
38. Make Me Lose Control, Eric Carnen
39. Red Red Wine, UB40
40. She's Like The Wind, Patric Swayze
41. Bad Medicine, Bon Jovi
42. Kokomo, Beach Boys
43. I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That, Elton John
44. Together Forever, Rick Astley
45. Monkey, George Michael
46. Devil Inside, INXS
47. Should've Known Better, Richard Marx
48. I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love, Chicago 4
9. The Loco-Motion, Kylie Minogue
50. What Have I Done To Deserve This?, Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield
51. Make It Real, Jets
52. What's On Your Mind, Information Society
53. Tell It To My Heart, Taylor Dayne
54. Out Of The Blue, Debbie Gibson
55. Don't You Want Me, Jody Watley
56. Desire, U2
57. I Get Weak, Belinda Carlisle
58. Sign Your Name, Terence Trent d'Arby
59. I Want To Be Your Man, Roger
60. Girlfriend, Pebbles
61. Dirty Diana, Michael Jackson
62. 1-2-3, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
63. Mercedes Boy, Pebbles
64. Perfect World, Huey Lewis and the News
65. New Sensation, INXS
66. Catch Me (I'm Falling), Pretty Poison
67. If It Isn't Love, New Edition
68. Rocket 2 U, Jets
69. One Good Woman, Peter Cetera
70. Don't Be Cruel, Cheap Trick
71. Candle In The Wind, Elton John
72. Everything Your Heart Desires, Daryl Hall and John Oates
73. Say You Will , Foreigner
74. I Want Her, Keith Sweat
75. Pink Cadillac, Natalie Cole
76. Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
77. Electric Blue, Icehouse
78. The Valley Road, Bruce Hornsby and The Range
79. Don't Be Cruel, Bobby Brown
80. Always On My Mind, Pet Shop Boys
81. Piano In The Dark, Brenda Russell Featuring Joe Esposito
82. When It's Love, Van Halen
83. Don't Shed A Tear, Paul Carrack
84. We'll Be Together, Sting
85. I Hate Myself For Loving You, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
86. I Don't Want To Live Without You, Foreigner
87. Nite And Day, Al B. Sure
88. Don't You Know What The Night Can Do, Steve Winwood
89. One Moment In Time, Whitney Houston
90. Can't Stay Away From You, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
91. Kissing A Fool, George Michael
92. Cherry Bomb, John Cougar Mellancamp
93. I Still Believe, Brenda K. Starr
94. I Found Someone, Cher
95. Never Tear Us Apart, INXS
96. Valerie, Steve Windwood
97. Just Like Paradise, David Lee Roth
98. Nothin' But A Good Time, Poison
99. Wait, White Lion
100. Prove Your Love, Taylor Dayne

Thanks to Hubby for explaining the strike-out thing.

Diet

Well, I made it through the Thanksgiving holidays without gaining any weight. In fact, I lost .8lbs. I am greatful for that. I fell off the wagon, went a little crazy and started this morning with a new determination to get back on track. Christmas is 4 weeks away. I think I can make it.

8.1lbs

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at our house went well. We had 3 kinds of pie (apple, pecan & pumpkin). We had a wonderful honey-glazed turkey. We had my favorite: fruit salad. We did not overeat. What are we going to do with all these leftovers?

On Wednesday because the children were out of school and I was home we cleaned house in the morning. I gave my children the choice of an afternoon activity (as a reward for their hard work). I wanted to either go to the movies or go out to eat. My 8 year old son did not want to do either. In fact, he did not want to change out of his pajamas. He has 5 days off from school and apparently a lot of playing to fit it. No movie, no dining out, no McDonald's playland. Nada. I felt bad for my daughter (6yo) and myself and decided we would check out a movie on Saturday when Jordan can stay home with his Dad. What kind of child am I raising?

The radio station that I listen to at work and in the car (and sometimes at home) has started with the Christmas music. I guess that is to be expected and should be glad they waited until after Thanksgiving unlike the retail stores. I have long held to a tradition of not listening to the music until after my birthday (no hints to the date here). When you have a December birthday it sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. I also do not put up holiday decorations until after the first week of December and leave them up until at least New Year's Day. But, I have all of my holiday shopping completed and the presents wrapped.

If you are interested in hearing some delightful piano Christmas music please check out this link: http://theranch.org/Christmas.68.0.html

Books

Well, I have been working on my blog once again. I finally have pictures. At my sister-in-laws suggestion I listed my books with links for the curious to check out. Whew! Quite a few books listed over there.

I rarely read a book I do not enjoy. In fact, I do not mind putting down a book after 20-30 or more pages if I realize it is a dud. Of course, some books are much better than others. I just recently finished a good one, Seasons of Her Life, surprisingly by Fern Michaels. In the past, I have scoffed at Fern Michaels books as being too shallow and written on too low a level for me. This book was quite ejoyable and covered the life of a young girl starting when she graduated from high school in 1950. It reminded me very much of the book, Evergreen, by Belva Plain which I read several years ago.

I don't think I have ever read as many books as I have in the last year. I started writing down the books I read in 2001 and I still have mosts of those lists (incomplete because of a hard drive crash). I read through several entire series this year. Elizabeth George has written a series of books about two Scotland Yard officers as they solve various murders. I truly enjoyed this series as the heroine is easy to relate to. I also read through the Mitford Series by Jan Karon (how had I missed this one before) and the Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber. Looking back on the list, I don't think I could pick a favorite. I am currently trying a new author, Rick Mofina and a new shipment of books is due anyday.

Diets

Things I miss while dieting:

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (minatures)
M&M's
Sonic Strawberry Cream Slushies
Bacon Cheeseburgers
Donuts
Smoked Chicken Pasta Pie
Trail Mix
M&M's
Sierra Mist
Brownies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yeast Rolls
M&M's
Bob's Sugar Canes
Cream Drops
Chocolate Milk

Sigh!!!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a few days away. My mother wrote in her blog about being thankful and I though I would do the same.

I am very thankful for my family. I have a large extended family and they are very important to me. I love my husband of 12 years. My children are the light of my life. My mother is my best friend and I am very thankful for that.

I am thankful that we live in a country with so many freedoms and there are people willing to fight to secure those freedoms for others. However, I am not thankful the war has gone on this long.

I am thankful for the sunshine this morning and the blessings that God has given me in this life as well as the promise of an eternity in heaven.

Anniversary

My hubby must have seen the not so subtle hint in my blog. He remembered our anniversary. We went out but without a baby-sitter we went with the kids. Also, still trying to diet so I chose the grilled fish and was very disapointed. For some reason he kept saying he thought it was 14 years. Living with me only feels like two years longer than it is. I guess I should be glad he didn't think it was 20. Now my birthday is coming up in a few weeks but I am giving out no subtle hints. We will just see.

War Eagle

War Eagle!!!

I refrained from blogging about the Iron Bowl because I am a bit superstitious. Those people who do not live here and especially did not grow up here have no idea what that game means. Wikipedia has an article that doesn't quite do it justice. As with previous years it is not necessary to goad those Bama fans in my vicinity. I need only to enjoy my relief of surviving for another year.

Saturday

Well, I updated my blog with the new format. I hope you like it. (Whoever you are that might be reading.) I figured out how to put a blog roll on and a list of the books I've read in 2006. I haven't completed the list but when I do I'll have to do something different. The list is currently over 60 and I can't figure out how to decrease the spacing to get it all on there. Maybe I'll put two in a line.

My mother has started blogging. Yes, it's true. Now everyone must be doing it. Her blog is called Bears in Exile. She even has pictures which is ahead of me. I also need to acknowledge her contribution to my "secrets" list. I learned some of that from her.

I've also been researching this 'meme' trend and I am very interested.

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." Romans 12:3

Secrets of a Happy Marriage

Sunday is my wedding anniversary (12 years). Maybe my husband will read my blog and realize when the date is. No big deal though. We usually do not exchange presents but try to dine out alone if possible. Twelve years is not a long time considering my parents are heading toward 40 (in February) and both my grandfathers were married over 50 (before they were widowed). I have quite a few friends who have 20 & 30 years in also. Still I am pleased that we have reached twelve years without killing one another. So I thought I would share my secrets to a happy marriage:

1) Buy 2 tubes of toothpaste - one for each of you. Why should you fight over whether to squeeze in the middle or not.
2) Don't even bother putting the toilet paper on the roll - no one cares which way it goes.
3) Before you say it out loud try to think ahead to the ultimate outcome of that conversation, Will the result be worth the little barb or criticism you made?
4) Respect each other's space. Men need their own space. Mine has an entire bonus room which I hardly ever enter (it helps that it is upstairs). He also has his own 2 car garage. The rest of the house is mine.
5) Never, never,never, never call your mother to complain about your husband. Nothing good will ever come of it. Most likely it will cause further problems. I don't mean complaining that he doesn't pick up his socks. I am talking about serious complaints and arguments.
6) Make time for yourselves. Children are wonderful but they grow up and leave. Make sure you take care of your marriage.
7) Pray

Bloggers

I have only been blogging for a few months but I have been actively reading several blogs for over a year. Since I started my current job, I make a habit of checking in on several blogs several times a week. This weekend I had the opportunity to meet the author of one of my favorite blogs, AtHomeDaddy.

AtHomeDaddy's blogs are very amusing. He was just as amusing in person however, he referred to his children and wife with unknown names (not the Princesss, the Talker, and Boss Lady that I have come to know). I found the experience a little displacing but enjoyable just the same. Now if only I could meet the author of the OdaMae Baby Blog.

Another blog I enjoy is called, Maya's Granny. Maya's Granny lives in Alaska and she is quite a storyteller. She tells stories about when she was a youngster as well as when her children were small. She also comments on things that she is passionate about. She manages at least one blog a day and sometimes more.

I am not sure I can ever blog once a day because I find I really don't have that much to say. At least, not that much to say at the risk that someone else might read it.

I am not going to blog on the ballgame this past weekend or the one coming up. Maybe I will do that next week if necessary. Also, a couple of important events coming up next week that I am sure will be worth a blog.

5.5lbs so far, yipee!!

Football at Work

I just saw on the web that the Auburn vs. Alabama football game will be played at 2:30pm. I was really hoping for a late game because I have to work that day. For the last 12 years the game has been played on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and I have had my choice of working the Saturday before and not watching the game or missing out on family gatherings after Thanksgiving. Most years I have chosen (or it has been chosen for me) to work. (See, I do have my priorities straight.) Most years I have been lucky and the game was at night. That is not to be the case this year.

Until last year I was able to listen to Saturdays games while at work on the radio. I even listen to them on the radio while watching the broadcast games on T.V. I enjoy the Auburn announcers. Starting last year there was no FM station in our area carrying the games.(I know, it is hard to believe.) For an annual fee you can listen over the internet and that is what I chose to do. However, my previous job at WM did not allow for internet use and I was not able to listen to those games while I was at work.

Well, let me remind you that I am a serious Dye-hard Auburn fan. I could not work idly by and not know what was going on during the biggest game of the season. So my grandfather loaned me his portable television. (Not a modern version, either) . Now this sounds good until you remember that there is no Cable Television at WM, either. So with some coat hangers, aluminum foil and wire I was able to rig up an antennae and actually kept up with the score (although the picture was very poor). I would have enjoyed Auburn's win more if not for those pesky customers.

(This reminds me of 1990 when I had to listen at work and listen to the Alabmama announcers and my team lost.)

So this year like several other games this year I will be listening on the internet. We do have a television in the lobby here but no cable so I'm not sure that will be any help. My husband has often suggested I Tivo the game and watch it later. This is the way we watch most of the F1 races (most are broadcast really early). However, I would not enjoy it as much if I knew the score and I cannot handle not knowing the score when it is over. I might Tivo this one anyway just to watch the highlights.

Just a side note: I read somewhere that the game might be moved starting next year back to Thanksgiving weekend. I think this is super for two reasons: 1) I don't have to choose between family and the game and 2)it would leave two weeks between the Georgia and Alabama games. However, I might have to choose between watching the game with my Alabama fan in-laws or safe at home.

Weight Loss

Two weeks ago I started a new diet and I refrained from posting about it until I was sure I could make a go of it. This morning I "weighed in" and had lost a total of 4.5lbs (actually more because I rounded down on my first weigh in from pure shock!). I am really excited about this! Usually, when I try to diet I am successful to the rate of only about 1lb a week for 4-5 weeks at which time I fizzle out, cheat, fall into discouragement and begin eating like crazy again. I then ignore the scale for a few months until my clothes become too tight and the cycle begins again. This time I had ignored the scale far too long. Summer months brought me wearing a lot of loose clothing that did not suggest how far my weight had gone up. I was somewhat shocked when fall weather forced me to try on my "fat jeans" and I found them to be too tight. Ughh! So here we again but with more to lose.

I decided to try Weight Watchers online. My mother has been very successful with Weight Watchers for over a decade (becoming a lifetime member) and in the past I had fiddled with an unofficial version of it with some success. I am so far very pleased with the online effort. WW works with a point system and given my natural goal-orientated personality it is a good fit. The website allows for you to easily keep up with your daily & weekly points as well as track your progress. I am using the digital scale at work so I know it is consistent. The biggest change is that I, a professed vegetable hater, have been forced to eat more vegetables. I haven't changed my opinion about them but when one is hungry one will eat a lot of things otherwise discarded.

My husband is also dieting. He seems to experience good success with dieting. He can loose 8-10lbs with hardly any effort. He doesn't seem to be as tempted by junk food as I am (as long as I don't fix any brownies!). With a little effort he may loose 5 lbs in a week with little exercise. He has had success with the low-carb diets which I could not tolerate. He can skip meals and sustain himself with peanut butter and crackers. I don't hate him.

I have also been doing a little bit of exercise. I don't enjoy it either. In the past I have used walking as my only exercise, walking about 2.5 miles 3 days per week. It is good to have some activity but it does not promote weight loss or help with that extra "flab". This time I am trying a combination of inline skating and using the Nordic Trac.

I could do an entire post on the NordicTrac and its adventures in our lives. We've had it over.10 years and it has spent most of it's life like a piece of furniture. But like a good friend, it is always there, waiting for you to come back and spend time with it.

Rather than shoot for the weight loss ideal weight goal I am shooting for a date. We are scheduled to leave for Disney World in 8 weeks. That of course means I'll be dieting throught the holidays which is tough for most people and almost impossible for those of us who love to eat and eat and eat. For right now I am only taking one week at a time.

Haircuts

Yesterday, the kids got out of school at 11:30 so I took J to get his haircut and then we went out for lunch. Lunch was a bribe so they would let me take a nap later.

Until January of this year my mother had been kind enough to see to my children's haircuts and I was quite happy with this arrangement. It was convienent, free and they didn't seem to mind. In January it was decided I needed to make other arrangements. Ughh! First I tried the salon around the corner from our house and two different beauticians. I didn't like either of them and the price seemed high for a child's cut. In September, I decided to try another convienent shop in the large Target shopping center. This place is called Cost Cutters and it has several locations. We walked in and Shayla cut Jordan's hair. I did the best I could describing how he usually wore it and off she went. She did a fantastic job. I felt so grateful I gave her an additional tip (the haircut was inexpensive). And we went back yesterday to get it cut again and she remembered us. And she cut it again the same way! I hope she doesn't quit.

I have been having my hair cut, permed, & highlighted for the last 13 years by Emily. Emily works in Boaz about 70 miles away. It took me many years of trying different stylists to find Emily and I would not trade her for anyone. I have followed her as she has changed shops 3 times. I do not need to get my haircut very often (as I wear it long) so I do not mind the trip. I do manage to visit with my grands while in Boaz. I am really too scared to try anyone new. Plus, people in Huntsville charge too much for haircuts & perms. Emily would not stear me wrong, either. She doesn't try to talk me into anything new and she tells me the truth when I ask her.

Autumn

Tuesday I found it necessary to make a 2.5 hour drive (and back home again). Despite the fact that most of the trip was via interstate I saw some really great fall foilage. I think that may have been the peak. I saw quite a mixture of greens, reds & some amazing golds.

My husband let my son have some coke at lunch. We normally do not let our children have caffinated drinks, restricting their soda to sprite or sierra mist. The boy talked non-stop all the way home. He has a bit of a geography obsession. He spent his time studying the atlas and sharing details with me. (He let his sister sleep, luckily.) A large part of his obsession deals with Alaska. He spends time drawing maps and labeling them. He knows all the capitols and major cities. Don't challenge the child. He will only prove you are not as smart as you think you are.

Once back home J had decided not to go trick or treating (he is 8, remember) because he had enough candy. The sister and I went to a few houses while he minded the door (most of the neighbors had their lights out.) B was happy wearing her dance outfit from last year so I was not out any costume expense this year. I think the children enjoyed giving out the loot to the treaters more than anyting else. It's the same way they would rather hide the eggs than hunt them. I am sure some of his behavior is normal.

Finality

Yesterday morning a good friend of ours passed away. As is always the case when someone young dies or if the death is sudden and unexpected there is a lot of shock and disbelief. There are many questions and very few will find answers.

My husband met this friend while in college and after we were all married we became good friends. We went on several vacations together and ate out quite frequently. Of course relationships change when children come along (both ours and later, theirs) but we have remained friends for over 10 years. We attended each other's weddings and now 3 of us must attend a funeral together.

I am struck anew with the finality. The questions come quickly, "Is it so?", "How can this be." Indeed, "Lord, why?" But I know the answers I seek will not be found this way. God promises us victory over death if we accept His Son as our one and only Savior. Jesus died so that we could have eternal life. Please do not put off planning for your eternal future. Please do not fail to plan for those loved ones you leave behind.


"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:13-16

Alma Mater

While riding in the car with my mother and two children recently I was trying to teach the kids the words to our favorite college team's fight song. You may know it as the War Eagle fight song. And if you were in the Auburn band you know it also as #3. My dad graduated from Auburn also and I grew up singing the fight song. I have edited (as my parents did) the word hell to become yell for the kids to sing.

Auburn has a few other traditional songs that are sung and played at sporting events. Among these are Tiger Rag, Glory (to ole Auburn), and of course the Alma Mater. When I was in the band at Auburn we both played and sang the Alma Mater and I tried to impress them with my memory.

Then my mother did an amazing thing. She sang her high school alma mater from memory. Now, I must say that I graduated from the same high school my mother did and I could not remember a word, I couldn't even sing along. Is it that the college song replaced the high school one in my memory or that my mother has a better memory?

This reminds me that a few years ago my father ran into an old college roomate at church who he had not seen in over 30 years. The amazing thing is that they recognized each other. I am not sure I could tell you some of my old roomates names much less recognize them with 30 years of aging. Wow! They both have amazing memories (although I am not sure my mother would agree about my dad's. Ha!)

This of course has ventured far off the subject. For your learning pleasure here is the Auburn Fight Song.

War Eagle, fly down the field
Ever to conquer, never to yield
War Eagle, fearless and true,
Fight on you orange and blue
Go! Go! Go!
On to vict'ry, strike up the band
Give 'em hell, Give 'em hell
Stand up and yell, Hey!
War Eagle, win for Auburn,
Power of Dixie Land!

Quarters

A local organization in Decatur, Alabama is having a unique event this Saturday to raise money for local charities. It is called miles of smiles (or something similiar). The concept is simple. They are inviting people to come by and drop-off (contribute) quarters and they intend to line them up to make a mile or miles. At first I was excited about how high this might extend but it turns out that it is horizontal.

So now I am curious about how much money this might be. By my estimations (not exact) a roll ($10) of quarters is less than 3 inches. So to be conservative let us say $10 in quarters equals 2.5 inches. According to my google search 1 mile = 63, 360 inches. That means that it would take at least 25,000 ROLLS of quarters to make a mile or $250,00. (Again this is a conservative estimate.) Wow, that would be quite a success for the organization but I have my doubts. A more likely scenario would be about 100 yards which would be about $14,000. I hope to hear how it turned out.

Well, if (as others pointed out) they line the quarters up flat (how boring!) they would only get about 3 quarters per 2.5 inches. This would be about $19,000 per mile.

Friday

I saw the movie Flicka yesterday. Here is my official review. If you like going to the movies to see "chick flicks" and view the experience a success if you shed tears or if you think Tim McGraw is a hottie, then GO SEE THIS MOVIE!! However, if you are a guy, or if you like good acting in your movies you might want to skip it. One exception to the above is for fathers with teenage daughters - you might cry also.

I desperately want to comment on the new $4 prescriptions at Wal-Mart but I am going to refrain. Those of you who know me know that I am still employed there (however, infrequently I work) and I do not feel good about publicly criticising them. As I said in an earlier post, they do pay me well, it is the least I can do.

Auburn is playing Ole Miss this weekend at Oxford.

We get an extra hour of sleep on Saturday night. Don't abuse it.

Saturday

Not a lot going on this week but I thought I should post anyway. No fun critizing others for not posting if you can not do it either.

Ballgames on this afternoon. I am very interested in the outcomes.

It looks like a beautiful fall day. I can tell because I have windows (still getting used to that). If you have ever worked somewhere where you did not see the light of day for 10 or more hours I think you can relate.

I looked at several websites looking for something interesting to blog about and found nothing. I am not going to blog about the escalating American death toll in Iraq, Korean nuclear tests, entertainers who don't pay income tax or the upcoming elections.

So I will leave you with the following thought:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4

Recent Books

I finished the new John Grisham novel, The Innoncent Man, on Saturday. I have read all of John Grisham's novels and have enjoyed his non-legal efforts A Painted House and Skipping Christmas as well as any of the others (especially the last few). This new novel is an account of a true story. It is not (to my understanding) fictionalized and is about the wrongful conviction of Ron Williamson for a 1982 murder in Ada, Oklahoma. It reads well in Grisham's usual style. I think it is the best thing he has written in several years. His first non-fiction attempt and like his first non-legal attempt proves he can write from other genres. I wish he would. I reread two of his novels again this summer, The Testament and The Partner. I still have most of his books in hardback (among the few books I have kept over the years) and may reread a few others.

I finished another new novel last week, Counterplay, by Robert Tannenbaum. This is the about #18 in the Butch Karp/Marlene Ciampi series and it's age is showing. I don't regret reading it but would not recommend it to anyone who hasn't read the entire series. If you like crime thrillers go back and start at the beginning. This book got poor reviews (and I understand why) but how can you resist finding out about favorite characters. I read on the internet that many of the earlier books were ghost written which explains a lot. Tannenbaum tied up a lot of lose ends with this book and probably should put the characters to rest.

I finally read Camel Club by David Balducci. I had quit reading his books in hardback. He has stepped out of his box several times and written some excellent books (Wish You Well, Christmas Train, The Winner) but his last few novels (including this one) fell flat. He has something new out even now but I will wait for paperback. Why read them at all, you may ask, but remember I read 60-70 books a year. I may be a harsh critic but it was still a decent read.

As I mentioned earlier, I also read Cassandra King's Making Waves. This was her first novel and I had previously enjoyed her The Sunday Wife and The Same Sweet Girls. Her books seem to be written in first person and I enjoy that. She reminds me a lot of Elizabeth Berg. Her books are short but enjoyable.

We also listened to Prey by Michael Crichton on our trip. I read this a few years ago and enjoyed the second reading (listening). I have read many of Chrichton's novels (of Jurassic Park fame) and have enjoyed them all. He rights in varied topics but seems to be of the thriller nature. If you enjoy Douglas Preston, Mathew Reilly, and James Rollings you would also enjoy these.

Finally, I am currently reading one of the Cedar Cove novels by Debbie Macomber. I needed something light following those last few picks.

I should start a blog just about my books.

War Eagle!!

Auburn prevailed in a wonderful game on Saturday (wonderful if you are not a gator). My mother is visiting and so I did not have to enjoy the game alone. She, like myself, is an avid fan and gets equally excited. As usual, we listened to the game on the internet while watching on T.V. Auburn played excellent defense. Coach Tuberville made some comments following the half which were unlike anything I had ever heard him say publically. Obviously, he made some unpublic remarks to the players at half-time and it payed off. The review show is broadcast on Sunday night so I will watch later (on TiVo). My son is starting to get interested although he has yet to watch an entire game ( I think I was about 9 or 10 before I watched one). I think in a few more years he will watch and get excited with me and even go to a game. Auburn moved up to #8 in the AP poll and #4 in the BCS. I am a little surprised to see Tennesse ahead of Auburn as there only loss was to Florida. They have several big games still to play and we will all have to see how it goes. Auburn's only hope for the SEC West is to win their remaining games and have Arkansas lose two SEC games which seems unlikely. Arkansas only loss so far is to USC and their ranking is much lower than Auburn. I predict Arkansas vs. Florida for the SEC championship with neither a contender for a national championship.