Inside Mo's Mind

This Week's Top Five

2012-01-27T11:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's been a long time since I've posted to Suzanne's Friday Fave Five -- In fact, I used to post these over at Mo's Home, but this is a New Year, and a new start, so...a new spot!

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc

The first thing on my list this week are my ORANGES!! I am BEYOND excited that we actually got fruit this year....for years, we got tons of blooms in the spring, but not one piece of fruit manifested....until this year!!...

Now, after 20 years here at the beach, I actually feel like a Floridian, citrus trees & all!!

The mister and I have been vigilant this week, and have walked the dogs out on the island just about every night....the second thing that makes my list this week: January in Florida:

This morning, tho, it's a bit wet and drizzly outside, I'm feeling a bit under the weather personally, and while I may not have an opportunity for a nature stroll today, a big 'ol favorite way to spend a rainy day is a nice, hot cuppa joe, some chocolate chip cookies, and a good book by a favorite storyteller....I think I'll do just that.

And, what about you? What were the highlights of your week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your Friday Faves with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants. And, until next time...May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

Painted Skies

2012-01-25T11:17:00.001-05:00

Peace... is seeing a sunset, and knowing who to thank...

Twelve for '12

2012-01-16T13:15:00.020-05:00

Well, here we are, over 2 weeks into the new year (2 months, if you observe Samhain) and stats say that about one in four of us have broken those New Years Resolutions already. (Don't fret too much, tho; they also say folks who MAKE resolutions are 10x's more likely to attain their goals than the people who don't make any.) I can't say I've broken mine, because I'm one of those souls who didn't make any. But...I do have a few things I would like to achieve in 2012, and what better way to hold myself accountable (and, to remember what they were by year's end!) than to make a list?! And, because I like symmetry, I've decided that 12 goals in 2012 would be apropos, so with out further adieu...

Mo's 12 Goals for 2012

1.) I'm still on the job hunt, so one of my goals is to find that "perfect" job opportunity. Because we are still a one-car family, part of the criteria is that it be somewhere close enough that I can walk/bike to work. It's a kind of chicken-and-egg situation, because we have been looking at getting a second vehicle (specifically a Jeep Liberty), which could broaden the job search location, but a second income would make purchasing a car a bit easier on the checkbook. (so, should this count as TWO goals?!)

2.) One thing I'd really like to accomplish this year is to get at least get 12 small projects completed around this house. I could probably find 120 that I've been meaning to get around to, but one project a month seems like a reasonably achievable goal, so that's the number I'm going with (and, it's fitting for a twelve in '12, don'tcha think?!) Maybe I'll finally get around to re-doing that old bookshelf, and painting the living room ceiling!

3.) And, while I'm on the subject of this old house -- remember those curtains I was coveting? Well, we finally got them hung, and I'm liking them a lot -- BUT...

I think I'd like them a whole lot better if I had matchstick blinds underneath them. And, see these curtain rods? I really liked them when I bought them, but they aren't....substantial enough. I found some that I like even more, but I thought that telling the mister we need rods to replace the rods I just bought wouldn't be received well, so that will have to wait 'til the next time we're at Lowe's...

4.) I also want to get back to my gardening. I honestly LOVE playing in the dirt, watching the plants grow, and even eating the goodies that we've grown ourselves, but I've been very slack the last couple of seasons, and my garden is showing the neglect. Weeding to do, plants to plant...and I am looking forward to all of it!

5.) Another thing I've been slacking on is my reading. While I usually do slow down in the winter months, I have gotten into a big 'ol slump lately, and just haven't had the urge to sit down and read some...I want to correct that, and more specifically, I want to catch up on a few fictional series that I've gotten behind on. 12 books for 2012....sounds like a good topic for another post!

6.) Which is another thing -- I intend to post to my blogs on a more regular basis. I doubt I'll get back to posting every day, but maybe at least once a week. It really is a cathartic process, and I enjoy having a sort of journal of 'a year in the life' to look back on: books read, places visited, thoughts expanded upon...

7.) I've also been trying my hand at writing, and I have a great idea for a book that I've been working on, but I haven't really been working at it, ya know? I gathered some background info, wrote an outline for the tale I wish to tell, but haven't really given it any structure. So, something I'd like to achieve this year is to get that project off the back burner, and get the story down on paper.

8.) Another one of my passions is photography, and one of the goals I have set-- and am actually making good on, thanks to the 365project -- is to take more pictures!! Not only more, but better...this is something that I so enjoying doing, and I really want to improve my abilities, so the best way for me to do that, is the same way they tell me one gets to Carnegie Hall - practice, practice, practice!! I just started this project on Jan. 1; A few of my favorites, thus far:

(I believe I'm going to enjoy striving for this one!)

9.) Try out 12 new-to-me recipes. Yes, I think this one will be a fine, fun goal to accomplish too! ever since I became ~~addicted to~~ aware of Pinterest, I have found SOOO many yummy recipes that I've added to my own repertoire (like these 7-layer tostadas & these bacon-wrapped jalapeno bites) and there are TONS more I have pinned in anticipation for more taste-bud treats in my future....like, these Cajun crab cakes, and this Chicken Parmesan w/Avocado salsa, and so many more that my mouth is watering as I type!

10.) To aid in my "more pictures" goal, and as a goal to maintain my health & fitness -- as well as the health and fitness of the mister and the hounds, too -- I want to take more walks. We average a nightly stroll about twice a week, but I'd like to make that a more reliable endeavor: not just "about" twice a week, but AT LEAST twice a week...maybe more. Not only is it a good physical activity, it's good mentally as well. The hounds will love it, if we stick to this one! And, if I try out all those new recipes, I may even need a more vigorous routine than that...

11.) So, while I've been very good at staying with my little morning exercise routine, I think I'd like to take a Tai-Chi class. They offer a beginners course here at the beach, and I can't think of a more perfect setting for this stress-reducing exercise (not that I have much stress in my life, but it would also be a great way to maintain one's flexibility, and the mister would enjoy it too, so it's something we could do together...plus, did I mention it's AT THE BEACH??!)

12.) While I've touched on improving my status physically, mentally, emotionally and financially, my final goal is to improve my spiritual well-being, namely to spend more time on recognizing it. While I don't live in a mansion or net a million dollars, I feel so totally and completely blessed with my life, and I want to spend some time each and every day in recognizing that...and, rather I attain any of the previous goals or not, I intend to take a little time each day and just be thankful for all the things I already possess: people (and critters!) who I love and who love me in return, good health, a roof over my head, food in my belly, clothes on my back...life is good!

Here's to a Happy & Healthy 2012 -- Now, go out there and make it GREAT!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2011-12-21T07:57:00.009-05:00

I don't know about all of you, but aside from the Steelers dropping the ball (literally!) on Monday Night Football, I've been enjoying this wonderful week of December!....

Saturday, the 17th, marked 21 years that the mister and I have been....well, the mister and I! To celebrate, we went to Salt Life for dinner and had their most delicious 'Shrimp Bro Chette' -- shrimp wrapped in bacon(!!), skewered and alternated with big, juicy chunks of fresh pineapple, brushed with a fabulous Teriyaki glaze, grilled to perfection and served with a house rice that includes mango and sweet red peppers -- it is to DIE for!! (and, where I got to meet my favorite "local celebrity", Rebecca Barry, the meteorologist from Channel 4 News, so that was fun, too)

Not only did he take me out to dinner, but he brought me home a brand new digital camera, because even though I already have a fairly good one, I've been wanting one that will allow me to get better far-away shots (for all those waterbirds and high-flying squirrels we encounter on our little Island walks, not to mention better field shots of the Axemen games!) as well as close, close-ups for those flutter-bys, gecko guests and pretty garden flowers come spring!

Saturday, we finished Christmas shopping for the kiddos...everybody got something they asked Santa for, so I'm hoping the reception is more favorable this year, although I doubt it will be more entertaining!

While we were out, I found some perfect panel curtains for the living and dining room windows, and they actually came in PAIRS, if you believe it! I've been searching for some time, looking for a color and pattern I like while not breaking the bank, and everywhere I looked they were sold individually (and when you have to buy 8 of them, that gets to be pricey!) But, Ross was the place, and I found these beautiful sage curtains (very much like those pictured, except these have a subtle two-tone broad vertical stripe that I absolutely LOVE!) And, since we got such a great deal on the curtains, we got new decorative (wrought-iron vines) rods for them, as well! Now, I just need to get three of those wooden roller blinds and my living room window treatments will be complete!

And, of course, here in the Northern Hemisphere, tonight marks the Winter Solstice - the longest night of the year, It's Yule, Hanukkah, and with Christmas only four days away, the sun is shining on us at the beach, and the temps are reaching into the 70's. If that makes it a bit harder for us transplanted snow-birds to get into the spirit of things, some really enchanting holiday music can help with that dilemma...
Santa Claus is Pagan Too by Emerald Rose
Gods Rest Ye Merry Pagan Folk
What Night Is This? sung by Katerina El Haj

I do hope we get some lower temperatures over the coming weekend though, so that I can wear my new boots and sweater dress to celebrate the holidays in style! The mister works today, tomorrow and Friday, then he's on vacation until January 2nd, so I'm hoping to get a chance to wear some of my sweaters, jackets and cute boots...As for today, I think I'll take advantage of this perfect weather , get creative, and make myself a yule log....

Happy Holidays & Brightest Blessings in the coming year!

Who or What??

2011-12-15T10:33:00.002-05:00

What’s more important to you? Real, three-dimensional, fleshed-out fascinating characters? Or an amazing, page-turning plot?
(Yes, I know, they are both important. But if you had to pick one as being more important than the other?

Well, in a perfect world, a good book will have both interesting characters AND an amazing plot line that draws you into the story. However, if I am pressed to chose just one, I would have to go with a good story. I want to BE there, feel the tension, the emotions, be a part of what is going on. For me, the characters involved are secondary to the adventure itself.

What about you? Be sure to head on over to Booking Through Thursday to share your preferences, and to see what others have to say...Happy Reading!

Recent reads and what's on deck

2011-12-14T10:09:00.004-05:00

At this time of the year, my reading slows down to a crawl (not purposely, mind you, but that just seems to be the way it is!), but I've still got my nose in a book...just not as often as usual!

This week, in answer to Should Be Reading's:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?

The Songcather by Sharyn McCrumb

~ I just love all of McCrumb's Ballad series, and this one is proving to be just as interesting as all the others

What did you recently finish reading?

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

~ This was cute. I didn't enjoy it as much as I do the Plum books (can't wait to see 'One for the Money'), and I doubt I'll read the next one in this series, but it was worth the time it took to finish it.

What do you think you’ll read next?

~ Pirates of Savannah by by Tarrin Lupo, A new writer, and a topic I love -- PIRATES!! I'm looking forward to this one..

Back in the game

2011-12-14T09:46:00.003-05:00

Well, I haven't played along with Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday (a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.) in a very long time...but, the book I'm reading currently -- "The Songcatcher" by Sharyn McCrumb -- has offered up two words so far that I can add to the game...

orlop n. : the lowest deck of a ship, especially a war ship

"The men who had taken me off of the beach had locked me below deck on the orlop deck" (pg 31)

and,

coracle n. : a small fishing boat of hide or oilcloth on a wicker frame

"...St. Columba -- had come over from Ireland, beached his wee leather coracle, and built a great church..." (pg 39)

And that's all for me this week.

What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

2011-11-23T12:52:00.001-05:00

More Monday Mayhem with Mo

2011-11-21T12:05:00.009-05:00

Whew...well, it's Monday again...where did the weekend go?! Heck, where did the morning go?!! I got the day going on a positive note -- I was up at 6 o'clock, made a pot of coffee (by then, the pot the mister made is too strong/bitter for me, but he tries, doesn't he?) did my little exercise routine, took the dogs out to make their morning rounds of the yard, fed the felines, cleared the sink of last nights dishes...sat down to watch the morning news, check my email & FB account and drink my morning coffee The plan was that this afternoon, I would clear off the bookshelf in the living room...

I've been itching to start a refurbishing project on that thing, but could't decide if I wanted to paper the inside of the shelves, or paint them? Did I want to do this, only with poetry book pages, perhaps? Or, maybe just paint them, with paper decoupage'd on the inside (a map, or a geometrical design)? Well, this passed weekend I went and got some supplies to do just that, and am all set to get paintin', but first I gotta get to clearing them off of their current clutter.

I don't know if it's just because it's that time along the Wheel of the Year, when the nights are falling dark and early, and we are wont to fill the house with candlelight and the smell of old familiar recipes, but I've been actually been feeling quite the Suzy Homemaker, recently. I've been getting some small but pertinent things done -- you know what I mean: those "I have to get to that" projects that have been put off because they're so "simple" you can get to them any-'ol-time. But, you don't. Like, putting a new mat on the picture in the dining room, or reorganizing that junk drawer in the kitchen -- and even a few that I didn't know needed doin' 'til they was done (I made a kewl no-sew vest out of an old tee shirt, and I up-cycled a pair of hemp sandals I luv'd with some wood glue and duct tape. that's right, duct tape. And, they both turned out AWESOME, if I do say so my own damn self!!

I give some credit to Pinterest too, I gotta say, even though I have a sort of love/hate relationship with the site. Have you checked this place out?! basically, it's a virtual cork board system, you can have as many boards and as many interests as you like, you can follow and pin other members pins onto your own boards, or you can upload articles/videos/tutorials/pictorials for things/blogs/ideas you want to get back to later...so that you can, you know, make that new recipe for bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with cream cheese & jalepenos (OMGosh...soooo good!), or finally find something to do with jar that of pennies in the corner! The thing about it though, is it can get addicting, so that I'm spending more hours "pinning" everything in sight ("oh, I bet I can get the kids to pose 'like that' -- must remember to take the camera with me"...."oooh, that sounds easy AND delicious, gotta take those to the next pot-luck"..."yeah, I'll have to try that next time and see if it works") that I spend more time finding kewl ideas, when I could have spent that three hours (!!) actually implementing some of them.

...It's eaten into my reading time, too. I think I'm on book #51 for the year. Of course, I blame some of that on GoodReads closing it's bookswap section of the site. This was one of the easiest, integrated swap features out there on the web, and frankly a big motivator in my using the other features they offer. Sadly, the powers-that-be didn't care what this particular reader thought of their business plan and acumen, and therefore did not consult with ME before declaring this feature defunct. why is that always the way?!....Ironically, the last book I swapped there (and am reading currently) was Peter Walsh's "It's All Too Much: an easy plan for living a richer life with less stuff", and one of the things he proposes is to rid yourself of those piles and piles of books that accumulate all over the house. I guess it's back to printing those bookcrossing labels and setting some free in the wild!

But, I've wasted away enough of my day typing away at this box, so until next time I have something rattling around Inside Mo's Mind, I bid you adieu while I'm off doing something Inside Mo's Home. Like, up-cycling that bookshelf in the corner! ...Happy Monday!!

A sweet and sweaty start

2011-11-14T11:07:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm pretty darn proud of myself, I must say. Even though its only been two weeks, I have been diligent in my tummy exercises, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Okay, so it's not a long or terribly difficult routine to follow, but as I already said, I'm not very good at exercising simply for exercise sake, so this is a small breakthrough for me, and I'm happy to be seeing it through!

I recently found some Zumba routines that I was able to download, and I've begun adding them twice a week, as well. (Okay, to be honest, I only found the downloads last Thursday, so I've only done them once, but the PLAN is to do an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and see how it goes!) I've been wanting to join a class, but the truth is, I don't want to go by myself, and it's even harder to talk someone else into it, than it is to motivate myself. Anyway, it looks like so much fun, and I love, love, LOVE to dance, so I am beyond excited to give this a go.

I am bound and determined to get back to a routine of taking care of ME. I've always been somewhat of a clothes horse and had always prided myself in my appearance, but having been unemployed for so long, I kind of let that all of that go by the wayside. After all, I had no real reason to put on make-up, or get out of my yoga pants, as I figured there was no need to spruce myself up to do the dishes or walk the hounds!

That mindset is wrong though. I want to feel good about myself, FOR myself. If you look good, you feel good, and I intend to feel great!! So, I've gone back to painting my nails...doing my hair...putting on my makeup...wearing cute outfits (even if it IS just to go to the grocery store!)...and yes, exercising a bit to get my blood flowing!

So...that's the plan. Wish me luck!!

Healthy Halloween!

2011-10-31T10:41:00.003-04:00

Here we are at Samhain once again, and once again I find myself wanting to get a fresh start on creating a better "me". Traditionally this is the time of year for it; the Sabbat of transitions, the end of the harvest, a time for divination of what the future holds. And, my hope is that the future holds a more fit and healthy Mo, specifically, a more physically active one.

We already eat fairly healthy around here, and my weight (luckily) has never been an issue, but now that the 40's have taken hold of me, I find my mid section isn't as firm as taunt as it used to be, I don't have the physical strength and conditioning that I had in my 20's and 30's and I'm simply not content with that being the case.

I have to say, I started off on a good note. I got up this morning and began my day with what I hope will be a regular routine of exercising. I've been wanting to join a gym, as I'd really like to try a zumba class (I've been saying that for months now, tho, and it still hasn't come to fruition), but better something, than *nothing*, and so a regular routine of exercise-at-home is where I plan to begin...gotta get those abs back in shape for summer fashion at the beach!

The biggest problem for me has always been that I'm really not motivated to exercise just for exercise sake. I don't want to treadmill or bike in my spare room, but a bike ride on the beachfront could be fun; an aerobic class would bore me, but I could dance all night; I only run if someone is chasing me, but a walk in the woods with the dogs would be a great way to spend a morning. The trick for me is to find a way to keep it from FEELING like exercise, and thinking it's for fun not fitness.

And, if I could find some tricks to do the same with my housework, life would be damn-near perfect!

A Blessed Samhain to you all, and may your New Year be filled with Health and Happiness...

A letter to my blog

2011-10-27T10:37:00.004-04:00

My dear little blog,

Oh, how I've missed you! I sincerely regret that it has been so very long since I've written, and I truly hope that we can re-establish a more regular correspondence once again. Since we are entering a new-moon phase, which is traditionally a time for starting fresh, and Samhain -- the Sabbath of transitions, change and rebirth -- is just around the corner, what better time to re-connect with blogging once again??
So many times I thought to update you, but was unsure of how to jump back in, how to explain my absence, what words to say that would make up for my neglect. Again, I apologize.
So much has happened that I wanted to share -- last year, for example, I returned to my hometown after being gone for a decade (do you see?! It's *not* YOU -- it's ME!!), I attended my 25th HS reunion and reconnected with so many wonderful folks, some who I haven't seen in, well, 25 years...a story for another time, perhaps?!...
There were festivals attended, births, birthdays and holidays celebrated....book signings and concerts...weddings and road trips...all manner of festivities I missed sharing here....
Of course, no life is ALL rainbows and roses, so there have been scares, losses and all manner of difficulties to contend with as well, when I longed to have this outlet to vent my frustrations and address my woes!
Even those daily, mundane occurrences -- books read, movies seen, projects undertaken -- all might have been just *thatmuchmore* memorable, had I documented them here, Inside Mo's Mind.
I am out of practice, however, so it may take some time to get back into the swing of things, but I sincerely regret my long absence, and I vow to neglect you no more.

Sincerely,
~Mo

My Weekly Reads

2010-05-05T12:13:00.002-04:00

This week, in answer to Should Be Reading's:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?

Double Tap by Steve Martini

~ This is another Madriani novel; I always enjoy these legal thrillers, and this is proving to be just as good as the rest!

What did you recently finish reading?

Echo Park by Michael Connelly

~ A good Harry Bosch tale; not my favorite, but still worth the reading time.

What do you think you’ll read next?

~ Fearless Fourteen by by Janet Evanovich, which I just recently picked up at the Friends of the Library book sale; I just luv Stephanie Plum..

More McNally-isms

2010-04-21T17:13:00.003-04:00

For Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

Well, I'm very late to the game today, but I have a few words to share, taken from the pages of "McNally's Gamble" by Lawrence Sanders:

concupiscence n. : ardent, usually sensuous longing

uxorious adj. : doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately over submissive toward one's wife

"After a while I wondered into the house and went up to my den much bemused by what I had learned from Jamie about Helen Westmore's concupiscence. Poor Walter, I would have wagered suffered from uxoriousness." (pg 119)

cynosure n. : something that strongly attracts attention by its brilliance, interest, etc.

"And while I will not claim we were the cynosure of all, we did attract attention. (pg 224)

That's all I have to share with you this week, folks... what about YOU??

What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Book ends

2010-04-15T10:15:00.003-04:00

Which End?

In general, do you prefer the beginnings of stories? Or the ends?

That's an interesting question. I suppose my answer will have to be obstinate, when I say that I think I prefer the middle. You know, the part after you get a take on the characters involved, and the story that is unfolding around you. Once the storyline reaches its climax, however, and we are left only with the tidying up of loose ends, while I want to see the closure that is taking place, I want it to move along quickly, from that point. I think this is much of the reason I like serial characters from authors; that way, I don't have to get to know the characters at the beginning of every book, and I have an inclination into what type of situation the storyline will involve - In other words, I can get right into the meat of the story from the onset; no beginnings. And, no ends, come to think of it, because you expect these characters to show up again in the next upcoming adventure. So, yeah, I prefer the middles.

What about you? Be sure to head on over to Booking Through Thursday to share your preferences, and to see what others have to say...Happy Reading!

Catching up with old friends

2010-04-14T05:45:00.002-04:00

This week, in answer to Should Be Reading's:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?

The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

~ I'm reading another Pendergast tale (I luv that guy!), this one set on the maiden voyage of The Brittania, the world's largest luxury ocean liner, where we're hunting down a murderer who has stolen a centuries old Tibetan box which is engraved with a terrifying warning...this is the eighth book, I believe, featuring special agent Aloysius Pendergast (just the name alone!), and they just keep getting better and better!

What did you recently finish reading?

The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

~ This was the third (and final?) book in the Diogenes Pendergast...trilogy, I suppose. Aloysius is in prison, and Diogenes is set up to commit the perfect crime..very interesting twist in the end, for those of you who have followed the tale...

What do you think you’ll read next?

~ I'm still trying to catch up with all my "old friends", and so next I think I'll read Map of Bones by James Rollins, which we recently picked up at the local UBS; An older SIGMA Force tale that I had missed..

"O" is for...

2010-04-14T05:36:00.003-04:00

For Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

I have two words this week that I came upon in my reading of "The Wheel of Darkness" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child:

obsequious adj. : servility compliant or deferential

"His two companions had already seated themselves and they rose obsequiously as he arrived." (pg 178)

oenophile n. : a lover of wine, originally from Greek, love (philia) of wine (oinos) (definition via Wikipedia)

"Blakcburn suddenly paused in the middle of the oenophilic ritual, the glass arrested halfway to his mouth. (pg 183)

That's all I have to share with you this week, folks... what about YOU??

What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Stormy Seas

2010-04-13T05:27:00.002-04:00

It's Tuesday, and time again for RaiderGirl's

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

This week's reading has me along on another adventure with special agent Aloysius Pendergast, this time aboard the maiden voyage of a luxury ocean liner as we sail across the Atlantic in search of an ancient Tibetan box sealed with a terrifying message, it's contents unknown, and try to find the thief who stole it from the monastery.

"The dark hole at the center of the mandala seemed to be alive, pulsing, crawling in the most repellent way, opening itself like some foul orifice. He felt as if a corresponding hole had been opened in the center of his own forehead, that the countless billions of memories and experiences and opinions and judgments that made up his complete persona were being twisted, being altered; that his very soul was being drawn out of his body and sucked into the mandala, in which he became the mandala and the mandala became him. "

~ The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (pg. 306)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Mo Wants to Know: Go Green or Bud Bust?

2010-04-09T05:51:00.003-04:00

A California voter initiative that would legalize possession and sale of marijuana has qualified for the November ballot, and if passed, will make California the first state making it legal for anyone over 21 to possess up to an ounce and cultivate whatever they can fit in a 5 x 5 foot plot. The initiative appears to have strong and broad support, with some 56% of Californians polled being in favor of its legalization for social use. According to Gallop, 44% of all Americans also support its legalization. A 2005 Harvard study estimated that legalization could save $7.7 billion per year in spending on enforcing the drug laws, the majority of that ($5.3 billion) at the state and local level. Critics say, though, that its social implications would far outweigh the benefits it would bring, stating that the societal damage from alcohol and tobacco use would only increase with the legalization of marijuana. So, today, I want to talk about legalizing green.

Did you know that the U.S. prison population is six to ten times that of most Western European nations? Second only to Russia in its rate of incarceration, much of this is driven by our "war on drugs". In 2000, more than 734,000 people were arrested for marijuana-related offenses alone. Since 1990, nearly 5.9 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges; Just to put that in perspective, that's a greater number than the entire populations of Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming and Washington D.C. combined. New FBI statistics indicate that one marijuana smoker is arrested every 45 seconds, far exceeded the combined number of arrests for violent crimes, including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

California has a $20 billion deficit, and supporters of the bill say that taxing pot could bring the state $1.4 billion annually. By some estimates, California's marijuana crop is a $14-billion-a-year industry, exceding both vegetables ($5.7 billion) and grapes ($2.6 billion) combined. In Oregon, backers are collecting signatures for a potential initiative that would use some of the tax revenue to build new industries, such as producing hemp as a bio-fuel. Especially during this current economic climate, taxation could help many states because the market for the drug is universal.

Like any substance, marijuana can be abused. The most common problem is that it induces lethargic behavior and short-term memory loss while under the influence. It does not, however, impair long-term memory. Marijuana does not cause brain damage, genetic damage, or damage the immune system. Unlike alcohol, marijuana does not kill brain cells or induce violent behavior. Marijuana does not cause serious health problems like those caused by tobacco or alcohol, such as cancer, heart problems, birth defects, emphysema, or liver damage, nor has there ever been a single recorded case of death caused by marijuana. In fact, it has been proven useful in the treatments of such illnesses as glaucoma, cancer, HIV, AIDS, chronic pain, migraines, arthritis, epilepsy, nausea, muscle spasticity, and multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, there is no hard evidence that marijuana is a "gateway drug", leading to the use of more potent substances. In fact, the American Medical Association protested the Marijuana Tax Act soon after its passing in 1937. Legalization would allow for greater regulation, and therefore force higher health standards of the product, as it does with tobacco manufacturers.

I don't believe that it is a worthwhile effort to have a law that would forbid someone from willingly exposing their own bodies to the harmful effects of this substance, any more than it would be to pass a law against over-eating. Obesity is a national epidemic, killing millions every year, but the government has no right to regulate how much we eat. It's "immorality" can only be based on one set of moral beliefs, such as the belief that intoxication by alcohol is immoral, and we now know that prohibition doesn't work, either. It is my belief that our responsibility is to respect individual free will and the right of self-determination. I think a person has the right to give up their personal freedoms, but a goverment has no right to dictate them.

There is no clear and obvious third party harm. Harm caused to children by their parents' excessive drug use, insofar as it constitutes child neglect, is already criminal. Drug-specific laws are then repetitious and, therefore, unneeded. The 'war on drugs', on the other hand, does have clear and obvious third-party harm by the loss of loved-ones being imprisoned for it's use, not to mention the public resources spent in arresting these victim-less "criminals".

And now you know what Mo thinks, so tell me, 'cause Mo Wants to Know:

Do you think marijuana should be decriminalized, and/or legalized? Or, do you believe it would open a Pandora's box to all kinds of other issues I haven't considered? What is the reasoning for your belief?

And, again, I do hope that you will take a minute to comment here and let me know your opinion, as I am very interested to hear what you think.

Two to Contemplate

2010-04-07T09:56:00.004-04:00

For Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

I have two more this week, both taken from the pages of "The Book of the Dead" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child:

barque n.. : a sailing vessel having three or more masts, square rigged on all but the aftermost mast, which is fore-and-aft rigged.

"The pharaoh was buried at sunset, and his soul accompanied the Sun God on his solar barque as he made the perilous journey through the underworld toward his glorious rebirth at dawn" (pg 62)

susurrus n. : a soft murmuring or rustling sound; whisper.

"And for the first time in months, the interminable, dry, mocking voice in his head fell to a susurrus, almost inaudible amid the sound of the bow plowing the sea. (pg 541)

that's all for me this week, folks... What about YOURS??

What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Mo Wants to Know: Is It True?

2010-04-02T08:41:00.004-04:00

According to a Psychology Today, the average person lies at least twice a day; they lie an average of three times in the first 10 minutes of meeting someone; and, more than 70% of the "liars" will tell their lie again.

While 10% of these lies are mere exagerations, a whopping 60% are outright deceptions (most of the rest were lies of omission). Most people lie in everyday conversation to appear more likable and/or competent. And, according to a study at UMass, there is a difference in the way men and women use those lies (although, there appears to be no difference in the quantity of their deceptions). Women are more likely to lie to make the other person feel good, while men lied most often to make themselves look better. While we so often proclaim that lying is "bad", and that the "truth is the best policy", studies indicate that we all do it. And, that most of us don't even realize how MUCH we mask the truth. So, my topic of discussion today is: lies and the liars who tell them.

Now, we all say we hate being lied to, and most will argue that they always try to tell the truth, but if we examine ourselves honestly, most of know this isn't the case. Personally, I try to maintain a somewhat truthful air as I go about my life, but my tendency is to lean towards the half-truths. I'm not a very "good liar", and I try not to express outright falsehoods, but I will, often times, succumb to the motto that "what they don't know won't hurt them". Being typically female, apparently, I resort there when I think the unvarnished truth might hurt someone's feelings. I won't outright SAY I think you look hideous, but I might utter "Oh, you got a new hair cut, huh?! Do you like it short?!"; "Oh my gosh! I hardly recognized you!" instead of "Oh my gosh! You got fat, didn't you?!"...like that. I have to say, I never really think of that as "lying", more like being tactful, but a rose by any other name, as they say, is still a rose. So, this week, Mo Want's to Know:

Why do YOU lie? Do you do it blatantly, or resort to those "lies of omission"? Do you think that if being told the whole truth would only serve to hurt your feelings, you would still want to hear it?

Once again, I hope you will leave a comment here and tell me your opinion on this subject....Honestly. I want the truth!

Words from my Reading

2010-03-31T09:28:00.003-04:00

For Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

This week, I have only two words to share with you, both taken from the pages of "The Venetian Betrayal" by Steve Berry:

sarissa adj. : a 4 to 7 metre (13-21 feet) long pike used in the ancient Greek and Hellenistic warfare.

""The clean-shaven, youthful warrior grasped a sarissa in his left hand topped by a leaf-shaped point,..."" (pg 47)

iconostasis n. : a partition or screen on which icons are placed, seperating the sanctuary from the main part of the church.

""She motioned toward the high altar, beyond an ornate, multicolored room screen that looked suspiciously like an iconostasis." (pg 238)

that's all for me this week, folks... What about YOURS??

What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

A Harry Tale

2010-03-30T02:35:00.001-04:00

This week, as RaiderGirl asks:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

I'm spending some time with Harry Bosch, between The City of Angels and the brothel towns of Nevada, searching for a serial killer we thought was long dead.

"There was only a nanometer of difference between power and sex and fulfillment when it came to the narrow spaces between the synapses in the gray folds of the mind. In those narrows it all comes down to the same thing. "

~ The Narrows by Micheal Connelly (pg. 52)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Mo Wants to Know: Where's the Love?

2010-03-26T09:47:00.004-04:00

Discussion of the new health care bill are all over the media outlets, aren't they? Everybody's talkin' about it; on the television, on the radio, on the web...everybody's got an opinion! Which is great, as far as I'm concerned. The more people talking about it, the better. But, that's not really what I want to talk about today. I only mention it because that was the recent topic of discussion that inadvertently got Mo's Mind wonderin' about the level of civility in our country (world?), and has me askin' where's the love?!.

A friend of mine made the observation that it seems to her, no matter the party that is currently sitting in office, no matter the particular issue at hand, it always seems the nay-sayers are the loudest voices in the crowd. (On that particular issue, I am one of these fellows, but again, that's a different topic for a different time) This got me to think that perhaps this is true in all areas of our society as a whole. I read an article somewhere that the proverbial "they" did a study and found that people are much more inclined, when in restaurants and retail establishments and the like, to report to a manager when they received perceived "bad customer care" as opposed to giving out kudos for a job well-done. A friend of mine recently lamented on the loss of certain acquaintances because, they told her, her postings and updates were too "upbeat" and "happy". I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say that they don't like Rachel Ray for that very reason. We all exclaim that we want to "look on the bright side", but any reporter will tell you that "if it bleeds it leads". How long has the Jerry Springer show been on the air?! Some body's watching it, rather they admit to it or not. Is it that much easier to keep up with the latest scandal in Washington or Hollywood -- or, in our own neighborhoods and backyards, because we're more inclined to look for it? Are we guarded, cynical towards others intentions, and therefore always expecting some underlying duplicity, some 'angle' in every word and deed? No matter how much we proclaim and protest that we want to see "good news", as a society we seem to gravitate towards the mud. We WANT the dirty laundry.

In a recent discussion, someone close to me stated that they thought themselves a better judge of character than me, insinuating (well, blatantly stating, actually) that I was a bit naive' when it came to looking at the world -- that I wasn't cynical "enough". I don't think of myself as naive'; I prefer the term "optimistic"..."hopeful", maybe. But, I DO believe that, overall, society tends to lean toward the whispered rumors; that they would much rather hear word of your hurdles, than the details of your latest win. Perhaps the being in "opposition" or looking for the underlying scandal of every occurrence makes us feel that we're not an easy mark, but could it be we're all becoming TOO cynical in our efforts to prove we're not going to be taken advantage of that we loose all sense of anything positive? Can't it be possible that some things are NOT malevolent, manipulative or menacing, and things CAN be just as good as they appear to be? Sometimes a cigar IS just a cigar. Or, is that me, being naive'? This week, Mo Wants to Know:

Do you consider yourself to be a cynical person, or do you fall on the hopeful side? When you meet someone for the first time, are you more apt to first think "He seems friendly" or more likely, "Why is he being so friendly?" Do you assume good-intentions or are you apt to look for the angle? Do you think its better to be guarded and skeptical, or open and vulnerable? And, do you think we SEE more negativity because there IS more negativity in the world today, or because we LOOK FOR it more diligently?

And, again, if you have read these words, I hope you'll take a minute and post your thoughts here in the comments....everybody has an opinion, and I'm very interested to hear yours!

This Week's Reading

2010-03-24T04:58:00.000-04:00

This week, in answer to Should Be Reading's:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?

The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry

~ I actually *did* start on what I thought I would pick up next (I couldn't resist!), which is anther Cotton Malone tale, this one following the mystery of Alexander the Great's final resting place. As usual, I'm thoroughly invested!

What did you recently finish reading?

McNally's Puzzle by Lawrence Sanders

~ Archy got a dog

What do you think you’ll read next?

~ well, I'm only about 1/2 way through my current read, but I may just read the next installment of this series by Steve Berry, The Charlemagne Persuit .

More from McNally

2010-03-24T04:00:00.001-04:00

For Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

I, once again, have four words to share, and once again, they are taken from the pages of a McNally tale; These are from the pages of "McNally's Puzzle" (by Lawrence Sanders):

psittacine adj. : of or pertaining to parrots

""It was truly a psittacine supermarket, with one glassed-in corner apparently devoted to the grooming and treatment of birds with the sniffles."" (pg 13)

intransigence n. : uncompromising; inflexible; adamant; unyeilding.

""The perplexities of the Gottschalk affair were nagging, of course, and Connie's intransigence was infuriating." (pg 129)

adytum n. : a sacred place which the public might not enter; an inner shrine

""I disrobed in my adytum (there's a lovely word; look it up!), ..."" (pg 228)

somnifacient adj. : causing or inducing sleep

""It pleased me that in a world of senseless greed and gratuitous violence boredom still exerted its peculiar attraction. A somnifacient, I suppose."

(pg 287)

that's all for me this week, folks... What about YOURS?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

A Mystery of History

2010-03-23T04:03:00.003-04:00

SO, this week, as RaiderGirl asks:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

I'm globe-trotting with Cotton Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt, from Denmark to Central Asia, and to Venice, in search of Alexander the Great's remains. Currently, I'm in Samarkand, at the Peoples Center for Higher Learning

"Once a poorly funded Russian institute, now the center was a respectable place of academic learning. She'd seen to that because the Greeks were right. An illiterate state leads to no state at all. "

~ The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry (pg. 73)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Mo Wants to Know: What business is OUR business?

2010-03-19T04:05:00.003-04:00

Last week, in our discussion about cheating, and our desire to be confronted if it were happening to us, while my dear friend Fishy humorously regaled me with examples of her devious & clandestine tactics to gather information, she inadvertently set Mo's Mind in the direction of what is to be this week's topic of conversation, to wit; What 'business' is our business, where our public figures are concerned?

Perhaps I should break that down into two separate issues, as I feel differently about our celebrity figures than I do in regards to politicians. Personally, I don't care one iota about Tiger Woods and his sexual escapades. Can he still golf? (that is what he *does*, right?!) I couldn't care LESS about Johnny Depp's girlfriend, or how she feels about his upcoming co-starring with Ms. Jolie. I will *still* (most likely) see the movie. There are smarmy people in EVERY walk of society, but if you are performing your role well, then your private affairs are none of my concern.I think this is because the only thing Charlie Sheen is deciding FOR ME is whether his role as Charlie Harper is worth another 1/2 hour of my time. Not a large impact on my life as a whole. My doctor may be cheating on his wife, but if he's a good diagnostician, then I really am not at all concerned with where he sticks his stethoscope.

Elected officials, on the other hand, are an entirely different ball of beeswax...now it becomes the business of mine, in my opinion, because you have now been charged with the task of representing *me* in whatever elected capacity you hold, that you will "represent" and "forward" views and opinions on my behalf, and so I feel it is very much my right to know if you're misbehavin', 'cause if you're spouse/those closest to you cannot trust you, why then, oh, why, could I?! Maybe I just view this as a more...intimate relationship, I don't know. But, I want to. So, tell me what you think...Mo Wants To Know:

Do our celebrities and politicians have a higher 'moral obligation' to meet because of their particular social 'status'? Does their public persona entitle us to examine other, more personal parts, of their lives? And, knowing their 'discrepancies', does that change your view of their 'craft'? Do you, like me, view 'celebrity' different from 'politician' on this regard?

I do hope if you've read these words, you will take a moment to leave a comment and let us know what your thoughts are...I really DO want to know, ya know?!

Blessed St. Pat's

2010-03-17T11:43:00.002-04:00

Beach Readin'

2010-03-17T09:51:00.003-04:00

This week, in answer to Should Be Reading's:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?

McNally's Puzzle by Lawrence Sanders

~ I do so love Palm Beach's favorite snoop, Archy McNally.

What did you recently finish reading?

McNally's Trial by Lawrence Sanders

~ I needed something a little less intense, and I always get a good read with Sanders, especially with his Archy McNally books

What do you think you’ll read next?

~ I stopped at the UBS yesterday and was fortunate enough to find an unread-by-me title by three of my favorites (four, if you count the Lincoln/Child book as two!), so I think It will be one of those, probably Steve Berry's The Venetian Betrayal .

McNally-isms

2010-03-17T08:44:00.002-04:00

This week, in participation with Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

I have come across four words to share, taken from the pages of "McNally's Trial" by Lawrence Sanders:

oeuvre n. : the works of a writer, painter, or the like, taken as a whole

"For as long as I can remember, he had been slowly slogging his way through Chuck's entire oeuvre." (pg 9)

perspicacity n. : keenness for mental perception; discernment; penetration.

"For the second time that day I was shocked by his perspicacity." (pg 42)

peregrinations n. : travel from one place to another, especially on foot

"At the moment I shall not detail the results of our peregrinations, but I promise you will learn of them shortly." (pg 45)

enceinte adj. : pregnant; with child

"You'll never guess what happened to me", he burbled.

"You're enceinte?" I inquired. (pg 97)

that's all for me this week, folks... What about YOURS?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

In Florida

2010-03-16T04:02:00.002-04:00

It's Tuesday again, and RaiderGirl is asking:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

I'm spending some reading time in Palm Beach FL, with my favorite layabout sleuth, Archy McNally.

"If a whole life does consist of beginning, middle, and end, I want my middle to be as pleasurable as possible. We are all hedonists, but I'm one of the few willing to admit it. "

~ McNally's Trial by Lawrence Sanders (pg. 46)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Mo Wants to Know: Who's Cheatin' Who?

2010-03-12T05:30:00.003-05:00

So, last week we talked about cheating; how we define it (one friend sarcastically raised the issue of 'emotional lesbians', which made me giggle) and what boundaries we have regarding it in our own relationships. I think most of us agree that, if it constitutes a "conscious physical and/or emotional willful desire to betray your partner", then yes, it IS cheating, regardless of the "form" it takes. This brought up some very interesting and informative conversations for me, I gotta tell ya, so this week, I'm going to stay 'on topic', but look at this from a different angle....shall we? Let's talk about Cheating, part 2

While we all basically agree with what "cheating" is, the truth is, we all have a different tolerance for it in our own lives. While some of us joked about those "emotional affairs", some people hold that just looking at porn is a classic case, while still others find a grey area in physical relationships within their own. (different strokes, and all that). Ah...but what of you, on the outside, looking in?

Let us take, for example, if you "catch" a friend cheating on their spouse/significant other, who is also a friend - do you tell your friend what you saw, and force him/her to confront the issue with you? What if it's a sibling and/or in-law? best friend? Does the relationship matter? In other words, would it depend on *your* relationship with the 'offender', as to whether you would involve yourself or not? Many of the people I've asked have told me that it did.

As I can't really speak to the "sibling" bonds in this case, I don't really know if that would make a difference, but I believe I would confront the offendER and not the offendED, because as is almost always inevitable, that if the perceived offender is guilty, they will reveal themselves as such when confronted with the possibility that someone else might. This not only allows me to let the offender know that I know (ya know?!), but it let's me gauge the offended's response so I can know how to confront it with them....

I used to have this neighbor - a 40-something single mother with a charming, smart, but out-of-control teenage daughter - whom I was friendly with, and often times we hung out and had coffee in the mornings, chatted at the mailbox, that sort of thing. One day, I see her daughter, standing with a friend right in front of her apartment, and there is smoke rising up from the hands of these two teenage girls. I smoke. I'm forty-something my-own-self, and I *know* what "smoke" looks like. But, she's not MY daughter. So, I yell over to her "Hey J---, what's up?!"...she turns, holding the cigarette down to her side, sort of nods in my direction...see, now, SHE knows that I know. My look and direct contact infer that soon, her MOTHER may very well know too, one way or the other. Actually, I think nothing more about it, and go on about my day.

Later in the afternoon, my neighbor is driving by, with her daughter and the friend in the backseat; She slows down in front of the driveway, and rolls down her window. I walk up and lean my head in.

"Hey, how you doin?" I say.

"Hi...um, look, J--- tells me that you saw her and M---- out in front of the house today"

"yes." I look directly at J--- in the back seat, who won't raise her eyes to accept the rebuke.

"Well, you know, they were out there, and J--- had a piece of chalk in her hand, and she thought maybe you believed she was smoking out there, but she and M---- both say that they weren't. They were just drawing on the sidewalk. I saw the pictures."

"Oh. Okay." is all I respond.

"Really. I don't think she was smoking. They said they were drawing out there, and they were, and I guess the dust from the new chalk and all, it must have looked like smoke, maybe, and she didn't want you to think..."

"Okay, well, it's really none of my concern, is it? "

And, it wasn't. From that point on, it became ball-in-her-court. Not my business. And, I didn't have to say A THING. But, her daughter KNEW that I KNEW, and her mother knew that I knew, but I didn't have to be the one to step into her delusion and break the news that her little angel had a tarnished halo on her pretty little head.

The point is, I think if I see someone doing something that I think is 'bad behavior", then it behooves me to confront the offender of such behavior; let them know that I acknowledge what's being done, and my subsequent disapproval of said act, but it seems to me a sort of stepping-over-the-line in telling the offendED of such acts, as this is a private matter between two other people, and I don't see it as my place to step into the middle of that. They just might be comfortable in whatever little cocoon they've spun, and they don't need the likes of ME pullin' at the threads, forcing them to air out their dirty laundry, or focusing on the stain of their carefully hand-wrought linen. But, maybe that's just me..So, this week, Mo Wants to Know:

Would you tell your friend/sibling if you had knowledge that their significant other was cheating on them? Would you confront the cheatER? Would you discontinue the friendship, or would you allow them to use you as a "cover story"? And, would you want to be confronted by a friend who believed that they had knowledge of your significant other cheating on YOU?!

I'm having so much fun with this exercise! I hope that if you've taken the time to read these words, you will also take a minute to post a response here in the comments; I'd love to hear the thoughts from your direction...c'mon and share the view from your angle!

Picture This

2010-03-11T09:46:00.002-05:00

Illustrious
“How do you feel about illustrations in your books? Graphs? Photos? Sketches?.”

Well, as I do read a lot of the 'conspiracy theorist'-type books, I appreciate a birds-eye sketch of the Holy City, or a drawing of the artifact with the Sanskrit code they are deciphering, when the story warrants, and I do love the picture boards that are dispersed throughout Stephen King's Dark Tower series of books, but for the most part, I don't really have much of an opinion, one way or the other.
I prefer, when reading biographies or the like, that the pictures be distributed throughout the book, rather than as one large section, usually in the middle. And, I would rather see a drawing, or an artist's rendition on the cover, than these movie tie-in covers with the actors picture plastered all over them. (I don't WANT my mental picture of the hero to be THAT actor, thankyouverymuch).
But...pictures or graphics IN the book?! Eh. I can go either way.

Headed Toward the Light

2010-03-10T05:59:00.003-05:00

This week, in answer to Should Be Reading's:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

Critical Mass by Steve Martini

~ another political thriller, this one centered around the possibilities of someone stealing an old, Soviet Union nuclear weapon, and what could happen if these materials got into the wrong hands. Good, thought-provoking stuff; not my favorite by Martini, but interesting enough.

What did you recently finish reading?

Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn

~ Another Mitch Rapp novel, this one centering around a terrorist cell planning to strike Washington DC, and the acceptable measures in dealing with suspected terrorists. I luv Mitch Rapp.

What do you think you’ll read next?

~ I'm just now coming to the conclusion of my current read, and I think I might be up for something a little less...intense. Maybe another McNally caper by the late Lawrence Sanders, or perhaps Jennifer Crusie's Don't Look Down .

Critical Words

2010-03-10T05:42:00.001-05:00

I have a couple words to share in participation with Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

I came across the following words in the pages of "Critical Mass" by Steve Martini:

quixotic adj. : 1.resembling or befitting Don Quixote. 2. extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical.
"Meeting the quixotic and ever-changing demands of the auditor became a full-time job for Kirsten." (pg 60)

rout n. : a defeat attended with disorderly flight; dispersal of a defeated force in complete disorder.
"What if it turned into a rout on the island and Navy SEALs were killed? (pg 204)

that's all for me this week, folks... What about YOURS?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Critical Reading

2010-03-09T06:12:00.003-05:00

This week, to participate in RaiderGirl 's:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

I'm in Friday Harbor, on an isolated island in the Puget Sound, where two old, stolen Soviet Union nuclear warheads are believed to have been shipped to a dummy corporation that was set up on the island, and which have now seemingly disappeared.

"How can a man with that kind of a political mantra tell the public that they might wake up tomorrow and find one of their cities missing, their children dying of radiation poisoning, that is, if they weren't incinerated in their beds? Oh, and by the way, your president took money from, and shook the hand of, the man who delivered the device to your dooprstep. "

~ Critical Mass by Steve Martini (pg. 152)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Picture Pretty Days

2010-03-08T09:59:00.002-05:00

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. ~Henry Van Dyke

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Mo Wants to Know: Your Cheatin' Heart

2010-03-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

Well, I had so much fun with this exercise last week, and there was enough response from my regular readers, that I thought it was worth a-go, again. Last week, we talked a bit about "love"; how we define it, it's ability to last, and what conditions we each place on its existence. We had varying responses on the subject (that WAS the point! Thank you all who took time to participate in the discussion), and we discussed the merits of it's ability to last, as well as the differing forms it takes. This week, I want to talk about its boundries, and what you will, and won't, accept in it's wake.

Anyone who hasn't had their head in the sand has obviously heard about Tiger's trysts...Mr. Spitzer's escapades, too, have gotten their fair share of media attention, lately. And so, with this subject so clearly in the forefront of our consciousness, today, my topic this week is: Cheating.

First, I think we need to delve into what we define as "cheating". Obviously, having your spouse/significant other engaged in illicit activities with another fits the bill. But, what about phone-sex? or, sexting? Do these, in your eyes, constitute? My own opinion is a bit hazy on this point; I mean, this behavior is certainly troublesome; something that could derail a trusting, healthy relationship, but is it "cheating"? Is cheating merely a physical thing, or is an emotional involvement just as damning?

And, once we've defined in our own lives what cheating IS...could you forgive and forget? Tiger's wife obviously thinks it is something that can be worked out, but once *your* partner has cheated, would you be able to get past it? Once? twice? THIRTEEN times??! I've always been of the opinion that if your going to 'cheat', why stay in the relationship, in the first place? My thought is that if you want out - which certainly happens; there is no denying that sometimes relationships run their course - then, get out! If you aren't willing or able to make a serious commitment, if you are so unhappy where you are that you start looking elsewhere, wouldn't the prudent course to be to end the relationship at hand BEFORE you seek solace elsewhere? If the behavior has begun, then isn't it a very strong possibility that it will continue on, or happen again in the future? Is the best indication of future behavior, past behavior?

And, so, here's what Mo Wants to Know, this week:

How do YOU define cheating in a relationship? Could you forgive it in your partner? And, once a cheater, are you *always* a cheater?

Once again, my hope is that if you've taken time to read these words, that you will also take a minute to post a response; I'm very interested in your take on the subject, and please feel free to respond to other responses, as well! A good discussion of the topic at hand is what I'm after...who knows? Maybe your window holds a different view...

Rules of the Game

2010-03-04T08:41:00.005-05:00

Grammar
“In honor of National Grammar Day … it IS “March Fourth” after all … do you have any grammar books? Punctuation? Writing guidelines? Style books?
More importantly, have you read them?
How do you feel about grammar in general? Important? Vital? Unnecessary? Fussy?.”

Well, I haven't played along here in quite some time, but I thought this question a good opportunity to jump back into the fray, and to recommend a really good book to all my readers who are grammar-lovers like myself.

First, I should start by answering the question, huh?

So, yes, I do own (and, peruse from time to time) several grammar and writing-style books, and, proper grammar and punctuation is important if one wishes to get their point across, don't you think? I think, tho, that I'm more laid-back about it when it comes to blogging, or posting to the web in general, because when I write HERE, I am writing like I speak, so it becomes more conversational, rather than an exercise in writing technique, and sometimes those two things aren't compatible. (So, I may throw in a "tho" or a "'cause" when I blog, even while I KNOW that "although" and "because" are actually 'proper'.) However, I CAN be somewhat of a 'grammar snob', especially when it comes to spelling and the proper use of words (to, two and too, for example, or the word IRregardless...drives. me. MAD.)

And so, on that note, if you TOO can be a bit of a grammar stickler, then I must take this opportunity to recommend Lynne Truss' "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" - a zero tolerance approach to punctuation. Not only is this book wonderfully informative, but it is also extremely entertaining, and worth the reading time, if only to get the punchline that is the title.

A Series of Series

2010-03-03T04:30:00.001-05:00

This week, in answer to Should Be Reading's:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn

~ This one is an installment of his Mitch Rapp series, my favorite macho, testosterone-filled CIA good guy! Love, love LOVE these books! My favorite series, right now.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry

~ I luv Berry's writing, and I especially love his Cotton Malone books. This one was probably my favorite of the series, so far.

What do you think you’ll read next?

~ I'm really not very good at picking out books I'm going to read, until I'm right-now-ready-to-read them! But, I think my next pick may be another Pendergast tale, maybe The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (But, don't hold me to that!)

It's a Rapp

2010-03-02T05:00:00.001-05:00

This week's participation in RaiderGirl 's:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

finds me at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan with Mitch Rapp, interrogating two major Al-Qaeda operatives who are in the know about a terrorist cell planning an attack on U.S. soil

"This was asymmetrical warfare, where one side, due to political pressure, was playing by the old set of rules, while the other side played by no rules at all. It was a down-and-dirty street fight, with knives and guns and hands and teeth and anything else that could be brought to bear. "

~ Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn (pg. 66)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Mo Wants to Know: Is It Love??

2010-02-26T16:34:00.004-05:00

It occurs to me, quite often, that I may have an odd-angled view of the world. Some of the conclusions I have drawn though life, which I feel are straight-forward common-sense deductions, are often times not so straight-forward, nor particularly common. Once those issues are openly discussed with others, I find that there are not only two sides to every issue, but often times, two-hundred. Many times, these discussions simply serve to help validate and solidify my own position, but sometimes they open my eyes to angles that I may not have noticed before. I really like it when that happens.

So, in lieu of the aforementioned, I thought it would be an interesting exercise if I opened a dialogue here on my blog to discuss some of those topics which I ponder on, wondering what other people think about them...sometimes these are big, important issues that we are all struggling to hold a position on, while others are a bit contrite and probably unimportant in the big scheme of things, but they will ALL be topics that could (and will, I hope) illicit a wide varied of responses, that perhaps I didn't consider before posing the question. My hope is that I will get enough participation to make this a regular feature, and that we might all gain some insight into how other people view the world from their own little corners. Sound like fun? Are you up for the discourse?

So...since this will be the "trial run", and since we just celebrated Valentine's Day earlier in the month, I'm going to start with a fairly benign topic: True Love.

I'm not a big believer in "soul mates" or the idea that we all have "one true love" in this world. I think love is something that takes time and effort, but once it's gained, it is rarely lost. People often espouse about "love at first sight", but I don't really believe that exists, either. Lust at first sight, sure...but, like I said, I think true love takes time, and not just a physical attraction, to develop. Don't get me wrong - that attraction certainly helps move it along and keep the ball in play, but I don't think a person can fall in love that quickly. Nor, do I think we fall OUT of love, once we've really established it. Sometimes we break-up, divorce, move on to other relationships, but if it's "love" - real, true honest-to-goodness love - then, I don't think we ever really get over it, completely. This also infers I believe that, yes, we CAN love more than one person at the same time, albeit to differing degrees.

So, here's what Mo wants to know:

How do you define "true love"? Do YOU believe in "soul mates"? How about "love at first sight"? Once you fall IN love, can you ever fall OUT?

I truly hope that if you've taken the time to read these words, that you will also take a minute to post a comment here, and tell me your opinions on the subject, read any other comments that may be posted, and develop a discussion on the topic at hand. I really AM very interested in what you think (just please, be nice...I reserve the right to delete any inappropriate responses)... Who knows, maybe you might see a different angle, too...wouldn't that be worth it?!

mystery abounds

2010-02-24T02:55:00.002-05:00

Then, to join in Should Be Reading's:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry

~ Another Cotton Malone tale, this one delving into the secrets and lore surrounding the legendary lost Library of Alexandria. Very engaging and entertaining, as are all of Mr. Berry's books. I'm enjoying this one, immensely.

What did you recently finish reading?

City of Bones by Micheal Connelly

~ This was another gripping tale by Connelly, another installment of his Harry Bosch hard-boiled police procedurals, this one centering around the bones of a 13-year old boy, murdered some 20 years ago. It kept me entertained.

What do you think you’ll read next?

~ I'm pretty engrossed in my current read right now, so I'm not really sure where I'll tread next; maybe check in with Lucas Davenport in Night Prey by John Sandford

Then, Steve said

2010-02-24T02:24:00.001-05:00

First order of the day is, Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

This week, I only have two words to share; the first is from "The List" by Steve Martini, and the second is from my current read,"The Alexandria Link" by Steve Berry :

itinerants adj. : 1.traveling from place to place, esp. on a circuit, as a minister, judge, or salesman. 2. characterized by such traveling.
"On first glance Abby thought they were just itinerants hanging in the doorways." ("The List", pg 278)

Serapeum n. : a place, as a burial site, building or group of buildings dedicated to Serapis (a Greco-Egyptian diety)
"Some 43,000 scrolls were eventually housed in the Serapeum, available to the general public, [...] ("The Alexandria Link", pg 115)

that's all for me this week, folks... What about YOURS?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Murder, Mayhem and... Books

2010-02-23T08:27:00.005-05:00

Time again for RaiderGirl 's:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

This week's reading has me currently in London, pursued by a mercenary, and led on a trail of those who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the legendary lost Library of Alexandria

"Genres varied from poetry and history to rhetoric, philosophy, religion, medicine, science, and law. Some 43,000 scrolls were eventually housed in the Serapeum, available to the general public, and another 500,000 at the museum, restricted to scholars.

What happened to it all? "

~ The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry (pg. 115)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Picture perfect

2010-02-22T13:29:00.001-05:00

Because we've been visited by some warmer temperatures this weekend, we took the opportunity for another of our jaunts through the Preserve along the marsh.
It was a great day for it too, I must say; the hounds seemed to enjoy it, and we saw all kinds of critters along the way, from dogs, to pelicans, even a huge blue heron under the footbridge through the island, enjoying the evening's low tide, and dinner, no doubt. The perfect time of day, and an absolutely gorgeous sunset over the marsh as we made our way back towards the house. Sadly - but, typically - I didn't have my camera along. Not because I forget it, really, as the mister even reminded me to grab it before we headed out the door, but because it was still full of pictures that have yet to be uploaded. See, friends, that's what my procrastination gets me: the perfect picturesque evening nature walk, with no camera along to capture for future reminiscence...but, it WAS a beautiful evening, if only for my own mind's eye.
I hope you, too, had a wonderful weekend, dear reader, and here's to a bright, sun-filled week ahead!

A Week in Books

2010-02-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

This week,in answer to Should Be Reading's:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

The List by Steve Martini

~ lawyer-turns-book-writer concocts a scheme to outwit the big players. So far, fast-paced, and...lighter, perhaps, than his Madraini books, but I'm enjoying it just as much.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Judge by Steve Martini

~ Another Paul Madriani courtroom caper; this one centering around a judge who is involved in a grand jury case against some of the city's police force when he is charged with soliciting prostitution in a vice sting. When the undercover police woman is found dead, the judge looks to be the most likely suspect.

What do you think you’ll read next?

~ I just started "The List", so I really don't know what's on board next...maybe City of Bones by Micheal Connelly (A Harry Bosch adventure - and, another favorite of mine)

Words I'm Reading

2010-02-17T06:58:00.003-05:00

It's Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

I obtained several words through my reading this week; I took most of these from Lawrence Sander's books, McNally's Risk, and McNally's Caper, although the final two were found in Steve Martini's The Judge.

fantods n. : A state of nervous irritability. Nervous movements caused by tension. An outburst of emotion; a fit. *from Answers.com

"...the young woman who was causing Chauncey Wilson Smythe-Horsforth to suffer an acute attack of the fantods." ('Risk' pg 62)

trypanosomiasis med. : a parasitic disease of people and animals, also known as 'sleeping sickness'

"Oversleeping, I realized, was becoming a habit I seemed unable to break, and it occurred to me that I might have contracted trypanosomiasis. ('Risk' pg 113)

insouciance adj. :lack of care or concern; indifference

"I was simply amazed at her insouciance. ('Risk' pg 122)

jeroboam n. : a wine bottle having a capacity of about 4/5 gal.

annelids n. : any segmented worm of the phylum Annelida, including earthworms

"The whole thing was a jeroboam of annelids." ('Risk' pg 188)

pourboire n. : a gratuity.

"...I always slipped him a pourboire for extra services rendered." ('Caper' pg 34)

anent prep. : in regard to, concerning

".., a bronze plaque inscribed with Merritt's famous limerick anent the capacity of a pelican." ( 'Caper' pg 48)

slumgullion n. : a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

"Thanks so much for dumping this slumgullion on my plate." ( 'Caper' pg 111)

subalterns adj. : lower in rank, subordinate

"At the moment he is at his own counsel table with one of his subalterns, " ( 'The Judge' pg 141)

inveigles v. : to entice, lure or ensnare by flattery or artful talk

"Kline disarms and inveigles, floating up marshmellow questions..." ( 'The Judge' pg 381)

These are all new words I'm adding to my lexicon this week... What about YOU?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Oh, the drama!

2010-02-16T08:02:00.001-05:00

This week as RaiderGirl asks:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

I'm in the courtroom with Paul Madriani again, this time being forced to represent a judge who, while presiding over a grand jury case involving the local police union, was charged with soliciting prostitution in a Vice sting when the undercover policewoman is brutally murdered.

"We have affected the state of the evidence in a capital case, causing the police to believe that the victim knew her killer, someone she would have admitted to the apartment passed a locked door. There is now a galaxy of other potential perpetrators, burglars, sex maniacs, strangers all, whom we have excluded from the mix of possibilities. We have, by our own conduct, intensified the focus on the man with a motive, our own client, Armando Acosta. "

~ The Judge by Steve Martini (pg. 117)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

A Word for Every Day

2010-02-10T06:54:00.006-05:00

Time again for Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

This week, I have several words to share, all gleaned from the pages of "Brimstone" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child:

emphraxis n. : a clogging or obstruction of the mouth of the sweat gland *from Mondofacto an online medical dictionary.
"For now, I see a large individual approaching who appears to be suffering from emphraxis." (pg 14)

gasogene n. : apparatus for impregnating a liquid with a gas, especially carbon dioxide
"The table that held his glass also bore an interesting array of items: several pieces of old silver, an antique gasogene, some lovely Roman glass, [...] (pg 106)

abattoir n. : a slaughterhouse
"In the morning. they found his bedchamber turned into an abattoir. (pg 130)

oleaginous adj. : having the nature or qualities of oil
"It glistened, oleaginous, in the dim light of her reading lamp." (pg 164)

haversack n. : a soldier's bag for carrying rations, extra clothing, etc.; any single=strapped bag worn over one shoulder and used for carrying provisions.
"Pendergast removed a haversack from his bag and slung it over one shoulder." (pg 411)

fascicles n. : a small bundle, tight cluster, or the like
"Fascicles of documents sat on the shelves, tied up in twine." (pg 531)

couloir n. : a steep gorge or gully in the side of a mountain
"They were in a couloir between two mountian ridges.." (pg 662)

And there you have mine... What about YOURS?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Recent Reading Trends

2010-02-10T06:30:00.002-05:00

Another seemingly fun exercise
I found at Should Be Reading:
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?
McNally's Luck by Lawrence Sanders

~ A favorite go-to author, and as it happens, one of my favorite quirky characters, Archy McNally, in another good 'ol fashioned whodunit. (McNally series #3)

What did you recently finish reading?
Brimstone by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
~ As usual, another thrilling adventure into murder and mayhem, with my favorite Special Agent, Aloysius Pendergast; this one begins with two murders, both seemingly burned from the inside out...perhaps the devil has come to take his due? Definitely a fun read!

What do you think you’ll read next?
~ Well, it seems I have been going back to some old favorites as of late...I had gotten myself into a reading slump, and there's nothing like familiar characters to bring you out of those, you know? So...I may stick with that same game-plan, and perhaps give a read to another Steve Berry book, The Alexandria Link. (that is, if the mister is finished with it by then!)

A Place in the City

2010-02-09T04:41:00.006-05:00

This week as RaiderGirl asks:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

I spent most of my week in New York City, with my favorite Special Agent, Aloysius Pendergast, searching for clues into two gruesome murder cases with our FBI 'special liason', Vincent D'Agosta. Here, D'Agosta is visiting the home of Pendergast, which he inherited from his crazy uncle in a previous installment.

"The drive wandered though an ancient beechwood forest, massive warped tree trunks rising on both sides, until at last it broke out into sunlight - a meadow dotted with wildflowers that had once evidently been a lawn. At the far end of the meadow rose a gaunt, stone mansion: shaded by elms, shuttered tight, its roof topped by at least twenty chimneys, a real haunted pile if ever there was one. "

~ Brimstone by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (pg. 226)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Worth the Reading Time (2009 reading review)

2010-02-04T11:04:00.004-05:00

While my habit has been to post this in January, I'm a little late to the game this year, but I wanted to post my reading review list for 2009, as doing so for the last two years has been a fun exercise for me, so;

To begin, I read only a total of 45 books this past year (14 female authors/23 male authors, with 19 by new-to-me authors), down nearly half from 2008's reading (88 total), about an average of 4 books/month; It was a good year for books tho, as 8 have made my "favorite reads" list (listed in order of books read):

1. Stephen King's On Writing - a great book, even if you're not looking to write the Great American Novel.

2. American Rust by Phillip Meyer - this was a debut book, and what a wonderful read it was! Especially endearing to me, as I hail from the Rust Belt of which he writes.

3. Murder Fantastical by Patricia Moyes - a good old-fashioned mystery, English-style.

4. The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford - a compelling mystery about small-town adolescence.

5. Blasphemy by Douglas Preston - just an all-around scary good read

6. If the River Was Whiskey by T.C.Boyle - one of the best short stories collections I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

7. Executive Power by Vince Flynn - what can I say? I'm in love with Mitch Rapp. A fast-paced good-guy-beats-bad-guy espionage thriller...typically a 'man's book', but women luv them too!

8. Lucy Crocker 2.0 by Caroline Preston - thinking women's fiction.

And, just in case you're interested:
My 2007 list & My 2008 list

Lesson learned

2010-02-03T08:33:00.004-05:00

Another Wednesday here, which means another installment of Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

This week's words come courtesy of James Rollins "The Last Oracle"; (just an interesting aside; one of my words from last week's reading [irascible] was also present in this book, AND, I started another read last night, and in the very first few pages I ran across it again! But, thanks to WWW, I now already know it's meaning!)

pneuma n. : the vital spirit; the soul
"Pythia already felt the effect of the pneuma rising from the earth below her." (pg 8)

brinkmanship n. : the technique or practice of maneuvering a dangerous situation to the limits of tolerance or safety in order to secure the greatest advantage
"Mapplethorpe on the other hand was all about brinkmanship, political ambitions, and blind self-interest. (pg 95)

limn v.t. archaic : 1. to represent in drawing or painting 2. to portray in words; describe; to embellish; light up
"Ahead, the park's giant ferris wheel - the Big Dipper - rose into the late-afternoon sky, limned against the low sun. (pg 210)

So, that's my participation for the week. What about YOU?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Facts in Fiction

2010-02-02T10:16:00.004-05:00

Another Tuesday and RaiderGirl is asking:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

And, once again, I'm globe-trotting; from Washington, D.C., to Punjab, India, to the Ural Mountains in Russia; tracing the origins of an ancient relic (possibly, to the Greek Oracle of Delphi) and trying to unravel a conspiracy that could result in the extinction of all humankind.

"At Brown University in 2006, they inserted a microchip into a paralyzed man's brain, linked by a hundred of these microelectrodes. Within four days of practicing, the man - through his thoughts alone - could move a computer cursor on a screen, open e-mail, control a television, and move a robotic arm. That's how far we've breeched the frontier."
~ The Last Oracle by James Rollins (pg. 131)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

An Ambiguous Conundrum

2010-01-27T15:49:00.005-05:00

I have always held firm to the belief that everything that happens in our lives, happens to us for a reason; There is a lesson to be learned; An insight to be gained, into our selves, or our little corner of the world. At the very least, the situation would provide useful in our navigation, so that we might be able to revisit - or avoid - a return to those crossroads again and again. Recent occurrences, though, have me thinking that, perhaps, God/dess just enjoys messing with my head....

This, of which I speak, has me doubting what I had once held certain; it has me acting in ways that counter my normal course of behaviors; it has set me off-balance in areas which I had, here-to-fore, been extremely sure-footed. It has caused me uncertainty, apprehension and perplexity.Yet, despite all of these detractors, I find myself almost desperate in my desire to attain it. It occupies my thoughts, when I should be focused elsewhere. I am obsessed with a longing to acquire it. There is no entitlement I hold to it, nor is there any certainty that I might obtain it. Simply, an offered possibility that it is, in fact, achievable.

Moreover, should I reach and procure it, it's quite possible that it would be beneficial, but it's just as likely that it could disrupt - or even destroy - an already acceptable agenda.

So, I am left to determine rather I should put forth all of my resources and efforts to achieve it, despite the disadvantages that have me questioning its validity and wondering if it's a worthwhile endeavor, or, should I cease my pursuance, in the hopes that my aspirations for it will fade? And, if I am to desist, that *still* begs the question as to why it was presented for my consideration, in the first place? What am I to take away from this obvious dilemma?

So, there's my two-cents, Universe; I'd like to buy a clue....

Word games

2010-01-27T11:03:00.004-05:00

Another thing I am anxious to return to is Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

My reading has provided me two words for my participation this week, both taken from the pages of Vince Flynn's "Protect and Defend";

irascible adj. : easily provoked to anger.
"Garett was at his core an irascible man who believed everyone acted in their own selfish interests." (pg 27)

vaunted adj. :praised boastfully or excessively
"Let them pack all of their vaunted carries into the gulf, where they will be that much easier to sink. (pg 119)

What about YOU?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Back to Books

2010-01-26T20:30:00.004-05:00

It's been quite some time since I've played along, but it IS Tuesday, and RaiderGirl is asking:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

So, I'm jumping back and forth, from Langley Virginia, at CIA headquarters to Tehran, Iran, where a secret nuclear facility has just imploded on itself. Some think it was an accident; others (like myself) think it was an inside job conducted by Israeli covert spies.

""Let me guess...law school? Ivy League, University of Michigan, something like that...someplace that taught you to be assertive and persistent."
"Dartmouth."
"Good for you. Good School. Now get lost.""
~ Protect and Defend by Vince Flynn (pg. 101)

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

This, That & The Other

2010-01-26T12:27:00.005-05:00

Well hello, dear reader, and a Happy New Year! I hope that 2010 keeps you in good health and good spirits, and brings you nothing but good fortune and much fortitude.

Yes, I said I would bring you along on Mo's next adventure, but here we are, almost an entire month into the new calendar year, and still I have yet to achieve a single one of the goals I had set forth to attain, including more frequent updates to this space.

I am still gainlessly unemployed, altho I am posting my resume' to every "job opening" and "position needed" that I can find. Obviously, I am not alone in my quest to find work, but that makes it no less frustrating, nor does it feel any less personal!

I was all set to begin schooling earlier this month; submitted my application, was awarded a PELL grant, even chose the classes I was to enroll in. Then, I was struck by the realization that, while the grant covered much of the cost, taking out a student loan, with no means to repay and no prospects of that changing in the near future, seemed to be a *tad* unresponsible and somewhat of a fool's errand. While I am aware that these loans are deferred until graduation, with the economy such as it is, I was simply unprepared to commit myself to a debt of that size, without some assurance that I could repay it. Perhaps that is circular logic to some; higher education, afterall, affords more job prospects at a higher paygrade, but those thousands-of-dollars to repay simply has me at a standstill on that front. I have not given up on this goal, mind you, I am simply still weighing all the options. (Any suggestions from you, dear reader, would be most welcome and considered.)

My driving license?...Nope, still not yet. I have acquired my 'permit', but have still not gotten around to taking the actual driving portion of the test. The main issue here, is finding a means by which to practice the skills. Being a one-car household, where the mister works 50 minutes-driving-distance away at a more-than-full-time position, leaves little time for me to access the vehicle in question. Besides that, he is less than thrilled at the prospect of assisting me with this endeavor. I realize this is more of an excuse than a reasonable explanation...but, there you have it! It's MY story, and I'm sticking to it.

Quit smoking?? No, not that, either. While I HAVE reduced my habit, it is still one I have yet to break. But, I am hard at work on this one, altho it is much, *MUCH* more difficult than I had imagined.

So...what HAVE I been doing, one might ask. well, not a whole-hell-of-a-lot, would have to be the response. Which, BTW, is the excuse I'm using for not updating this blog space at any regular interval.

My gardening & home upkeeping efforts have been little to non-existent. We have had record cold temps here in Florida throughout the last month, and this causes me to hibernate indoors under mountains of blankets, right along with the rest of the warm-blooded Floridians and transplants.

One might think that, because of this, my reading has increased, but oh! contraire, mon fraire! I have just recently cracked the cover of only my fourth read, thus far into 2010; Nor have I joined a single 'reading challenge' here in the blogshpere (or elsewhere). Let alone, that I haven't taken the time to play along with the games and memes that I so much enjoyed participating in...

The big issue here, I think, is that I recently joined the rest of the world, and became a member of FaceBook. I am completely and utterly addicted to this site! While I have managed to stay away from all the games it offers, it has allowed to me to regain contact with friends and family members whom I had terribly neglected for far too long. And so, I have taken advantage of that ability, perhaps somewhat agressively and, some might say, obsessively. I have to stress, tho, that it has given me an opportunity to open a dialogue again with people who I lost sight of for a very long time, and allows me an easy way to stay connected to all of those I love, rather they live next door, or a world away. Gotta LUV that!!

So...that's where my head has been. My plan is to move forward in the above mentioned endeavors and, in turn, keep this space current and up-to-date in a more consistent way....but, don't quote me on that!

Enjoy the rest of your day, dear reader, and I'll talk at ya soon. 'Til next time...

On a roll...

2009-09-28T13:29:00.002-04:00

OKay, so the next leg of Mo's New Adventure is to acquire her a Florida Driver's License. *Gasp* I KNOW!! How in the world did I get to be 42 years old, and still not have my drivers license, you ask?! Well, it's pretty simple, really. For the best part of my life, since I've been of driving age, I've lived here, on this barrier island, and really, have found very little neccessity in crossing the ditch. So, since everything at the beach is pretty much in walking, biking or stumbling distance - if it isn't, I'm prob'ly goin' with someone else, anyway, - I just never had to make it a priorty.

Until now. Because I *would* like to get myself back into some sort of employed capacity, and maybe need to widen my search - it takes money to make money, and all that - and because I would like to take some classes, and well...JUST BECAUSE, I've decided that it must now *become* a priorty.

Are you, my dear reader, aware that if one is a first time driver in the state of Florida, one must take a written test, refered to as D.A.T.A. (Drug, ALcohol, something, something...) BEFORE you can take the *actual* test for your driver's license?! Yes, and this priveledge is not *free*, my friend, oh, no! One must pay $30 to be allowed to participate. Of course, you can take this test over and over (and, over) again if you need to, but you MUST take and pass it (can you say "revenue" boys and girls?) before you are allowed to test for the license. Oh, yes...and this is a four-hour test. FOUR. hours. Regardless, if you can read this material in one, and answer every, single question correctly, too blasted bad for YOU. YOU *will* spend four. hours., because we will time each module and not allow you to move on to the next until our computer says you have spent the allotted time. BLAH!!! Re-DIC-u-lous!!! Is it just *me*, or should not the emphasis to this little exercise at least APPEAR as though it's about the actual information being disseminated and not the length of time that elapses in which to do it??! \

So. I took the test. I answered 38 of 40 correctly, and I *still* believe one was missed due to an error on *their* use of the english language. (Something about the length of reaction time increasing or decreasing with each drink...I said the reaction time would DECREASE with each drink, in that you would react slower. they claim it would INCREASE meaning that it would take longer *to* react...so, I'm not stupid, I just apparently have poor reading comprehension.) Umm, the other was that I thought there were seven types of neurotransmitters effected by drugs & alcohol, when there are apparently only six. So, that was good enough to pass the blessed thing, so I am now awaiting the certificate of completion in the mail, so that I may present it to the DMV, so that I might actually, legally, be allowed to drive a large piece of machinery down a paved path at 60 mph, while gawd-knows-who is manuvuering one right back at'cha!! Yeah!!! Can't hardly wait.

Let's DO This!

2009-09-22T10:10:00.006-04:00

Here we are once again at Mabon, the Autumn Equinox; a balancing of things light and dark...a time for assessment and contemplation.

Well, my inner self must be perfectly aligned with the universe right now, because I've been doing a whole LOT of assessing and contemplating as of late, and in doing so, have come to a few conclusions based on the observations I've made;

1. I believe that sometimes we can become too comfortable with our lives, and so what we may believe is 'happiness', is really just simply 'comfort' and 'familiarity'. Sometimes, it's important to step out of our comfort zones in order to expand them. Picasso had that right: "I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."

2. A good friend of mine recently gave me some very sage advice, and it really struck home with me. She said "Besides Mo, when anyone gives you ANY advice (me,anyone) just remember that that person can ONLY advise you on how to be like them because being them is the only experience they have. So when someone gives you advice, just look at their lives to see where their decisions have taken them and ask yourself, is that where I want to go?" And so, I take away that the only person who can make you happy is *you*; what others look upon as the 'perfect life' or the 'American Dream' isn't necessarily going to be *your* picture at all.

"Follow the grain of your own wood" ~ Howard Thurman

and,

3. I've decided that I'm ready, once again, for a Mo MakeOver. Let me tell you a little story, my dear reader; You might not know this, but when I was just a young lass of seventeen, I packed up my meager possessions, my small fiscal allotment (thank you, grandma) and my gal-pal cohort & I left our small hometown in the hills of Pennsylvania - and, everyone and everything we had ever known along with it - and headed for the beach, some seven states away. Personally, I never really looked back. That was a fun and exciting time in my life; I like the idea of new horizons, and all that. Then, about seven years later, after one marriage, one divorce, several jobs, a little heartache and LOTS of fun, I once again, packed up what little I had and headed up to Virginia Beach, where I worked a little, played alot, made new friends... then headed back to Florida immediately following my first winter there! lol...So, after a decade or so of playin' party girl, I had my next "MoMakeover" as the adult professional type...I settled down personally, and got a "grown-ups" life; climbed that corporate ladder to become the Director of Operations for a Private Investigations firm, dealing with the big wigs of both national and international firms, the whole package. That got me through 8 years or so, until I decided that the whole package was just too stressful; too back-biting and too...serious for my taste. *That* decision resulted in the MoMakeover to 'the happy housewife'. For the last seven years, not only have I been out of the workforce, but upon some serious reflection, I find that I have allowed myself to get 'comfortable' with every single aspect of my life, the whole time thinking I have been completely happy...when, really, I may have simply been conveniently complacent.

Perhaps I'm over stressing the point, huh? Or, perhaps one can't stress it quite enough, I don't know. I do know that I'm ready for Mo's Next Excellent Adventure...I am going to realize, reflect on, re-evaluate and re-invent every aspect of my life which needs an overhaul, and maybe just put some 'spit & polish' on those aspects that just need the cobwebs dusted off, ya know?! And *you*, my lucky reader, are going to traverse my new trail with me, what'ya say?! Let's maybe take some new classes, embark on a new career, find a new hobby, quit some bad habits and begin some good ones, make some new friends, get a social life, and have some FUN, shall we??! And, just to show you that I'm serious about which I talk...a new look to go with the new attitude:

Before:

After:

~ And We're OFF! ~

America Remembers

2009-09-11T05:51:00.002-04:00

How I spent my summer

2009-08-29T13:32:00.009-04:00

<-peeks in->

Wow...it seems like a rather long time since I last posted to my little blog(s). I suppose I should tell you of all the wonderful summer adventures that have kept me from my keyboard; about the *perfect* part-time job I've recently started, or the exciting road-trips we've been exploring; all about the house projects that we've undertaken and completed, or even the wonderful novels I've had my nose in...

Thing is, none of that would be true.

Not that it's been a particularly terrible few months or anything, just your typical same ol', same ol'. I didn't drop out of the blogsphere with any intention, really, I just had nothing to say. I will say now, however, that I was extremely touched by several folks who reached out to say they missed my ramblings here (And, Fishy, my friend, thank you so much for being you!). I am (obviously) alive and doing well, just a bit bored; and, as my mother always said "Bored people are boring"..or something like that....so, when I have nothing to say, I try not to say anything.

Thing is, folks, I *still* have very little to address. I guess I could chat about all the birthday's I missed...mom (Happy Birthday, Mom!), eldest nephew (Happy Birthday, C!!), long-lost cousin (Happy Birthday, Scott....call me!), my little manx (the little nub-bug just turned 5!)....

Lot's of cultural happenings too...the return of Scott Speicher; the death of Jacko; Ted Kennedy's passing...

Pre-season football is underway; that's always a topic of interest around this blog! Course, the Jags are 3-0 for the preseason, so not really much to talk about there (see, that's what happens when you trade out half your star players in the off-season!)...my beloved Steelers are headed up that Stairway to Seven, tho, and I am looking forward to THAT, for sure!

The Axemen, Jax's Rugby team, went to the National Champoinships with an no-loss record. Course, they played Saturday (in New York), and since no one in this country really knows what Rugby *is*, no one is reporting on whether we won or not...Anybody out there able to fill me in on that score?!

Finances - or, the lack thereof - have put the kabosh on any home-improvement projects getting accomplished, so nothing there for discussion fodder....

I'm happy to report that my coffee plant bloomed this year, and we even got a few beans off of it! I never did get around to putting in a veggie garden last season, but we're still harvesting green peppers off of those plants we planted a year ago; let's not talk about the puny tomato plants this year....

With the Mister's schedule still kind of wonky this month (4/10hr., then 5/9hr., then 6/10hrs, and throw in an overnighter to Milwaukee...) we haven't really had much time TO DO anything...we've watched a few movies, but nothin' to write home about(ha!)...I finally got him to read "Blasphemy" by Douglas Preston, and he apparently enjoyed it as much as I thought that he would! (Now, don't say anything, Vicki, cause I didn't recommend "The Descent" to you..HE did! - I, too, luv'd it, but figured that you...well, not so much. LoL) My reading has been fairly steady, but again, nothing there that really stands out...Well, that's not entirely true...I recently read my first Caroline Preston novel, "Lucy Crocker 2.0", which is billed as a "thinking" womans fiction...gotta say, it was extremely engaging and her characterizations are very true-to-life. Was a bit disappointed in the way certain bits were concluded, but that's also true-to-life, I suppose, is it not?

Again...we're all in good health and good spirits in our corner of the world; poor in coin, but rich in spirit. 'Til next time...

"The main problem with this great obsession for Saving Time is very simple: You can't save time, only spend it...And by trying to save every bit of it [you] end up wasting the whole thing." ~ Benjamin Hoff ('The Tao of Pooh' pg.108)

"Z" is for...

2009-07-15T10:33:00.002-04:00

~ Z is for Zzzzzz ~

To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

"Y" is for...

2009-07-08T11:08:00.009-04:00

~ Y is for Yard Art ~

To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

"X" is for...

2009-07-01T10:58:00.004-04:00

~ X is for xanthic ~
(of or pertaining to a yellow or yellowish color)

*To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

"W" is for...

2009-06-24T10:16:00.005-04:00

~ W is for wetlands ~

*To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

Summertime

2009-06-22T14:11:00.004-04:00

No price is set on the lavish summer;
June may be had by the poorest comer.
~James Russell Lowell

Click HERE to see more Monochrome Maniacs, or to play along yourself...

"V" is for...

2009-06-17T12:49:00.003-04:00

~ V is for Visitor ~

*To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

Words of 'Whiskey'

2009-06-17T11:47:00.004-04:00

It's Wednesday again, and that means its time for Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

My words this week all come from T.C.Boyles' short stories, "If the River Was Whiskey", but each from a different tale;

troglodyte n. : A cave man or cave dweller.
"He stood over the fallen buck, grinning like a troglodyte with his prey, then bent to catch the thing by its antlers..." (from The Hat, pg 96)

obloquy n. :censure, blame or abusive language aimed at a person or thing, esp. by numerous persons or by the general public
"She'd gone into a Carmelite nunnery after the obloquy of high school and the unrequited love she bore for Harvey... " (from The Little Chill pg 118)

And the following is the title of one short story:

Me Cago en la Leche Span. :a shorter way of saying "me cago en la leche de la puta que te date la luz", meaning "i shit in the milk of the whore that bore you," a very common insult in Spain (This definition was found courtesy of UrbanDictionary.com)
(pg 108-117)

And, that's all for me this week, folks; What about YOU?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

A Short Stop

2009-06-16T09:13:00.004-04:00

Here we are on Tuesday again, and this week in RaiderGirl's

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

I'm still making my way thru Boyle's short-story collection, as I haven't been reading a lot this week, so I've chosen a selection from one of my favorites read, thus far;

"Big Timber was a collection of maybe a hundred widely scattered cabins atop a broad-beamed peak in the southern Sierras. The cabins belonged to summer people from L.A. and San Diego, to cross-country skiers, gynecologists, talent agents, ad men, drunks, and nature lovers, for the most part, and to twenty-seven hard-core anti-social types who call the place home year-round. I was one of this latter group." ~ The Hat ("If the River Was Whiskey") by T.C.Boyle [pg. 93]

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Nature's Places

2009-06-15T10:00:00.004-04:00

And as the seasons come and go,
here's something you might like to know ...
there are fairies everywhere under bushes, in the air,
playing games just like you play, singing through their busy day.
So listen, touch, and look around -- in the air and on the ground.
And if you watch all nature's things, you might just see a fairy's wing.
~Author Unknown

Click HERE to see more Monochrome Maniacs, or to play along yourself...

Good Advice

2009-06-12T11:41:00.008-04:00

Well, folks, here we are at the beginning of another weekend; I've been a bit out of sorts this week and feelin' sorry for myself (no particular reason...just one of those weeks), so this email that was forwarded to me came at just the right time. Now, I didn't look this up on snopes, so I don't know if it *really* came from a 90-year old woman in Ohio, and if it didn't - well, I simply don't care!! While it may not be particularly NEW advice, they are still very good words to live by, and for me that's Only the Good!

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer Cleveland , Ohio "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written." My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree
7. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
8. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

If you have some good you'd like to share, or just to stop in and visit some other "good"-doers, head on over and say hello to Shelly at This Eclectic Life...tell 'er Mo sent ya...and, until next time,

May all your days be filled with Only the Good

"U" is for...

2009-06-10T07:17:00.005-04:00

Dolby
Murphy
~ U is for Underbellies ~
(or, belly UP)

*To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

Boy, oh, Boyle!

2009-06-09T07:56:00.002-04:00

It's Tuesday again! Time for RaiderGirl's

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

This week, I'm in the middle of a book of short stories by T.C.Boyle, entitled "If the River Was Whiskey". I'm only about 1/3 of the way through it, but the following excerpt is from one of my favored stories, thus far; It's about a very difficult case for one particular PR man.

"That's what you hired us for, right? Hey, I don't care what people think of the man, to me, I'm an agnostic personally, and this is just another guy with a negative perception that wants to go upscale." ~ Hard Sell ("If the River Was Whiskey") by T.C.Boyle [pg. 34]

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Morning Walk

2009-06-08T11:21:00.003-04:00

Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. ~Rachel Carson

Click HERE to see more Monochrome Maniacs, or to play along yourself...

A Fine Feathered Friday

2009-06-05T13:11:00.008-04:00

So, its been a little while since I've posted Only the Good on Friday, but today afforded me the perfect opportunity, when I looked out my window to see what all the ruckus was this morning, and lo and behold, what did I see??!

Not only one, but TWO Pileated Woodpeckers hangin' out, right outside my window, in the crook of a Live Oak Tree:

They were too difficult to capture well on camera through the window screen, but of course, as soon as I got close enough to take a good shot

they decided to go have breakfast in a more secluded spot! Higher up, I noticed they left one of their party behind...

Having these guys hangin' out in my own back yard certainly qualifies as Only the Good on *this* Friday!

Got some Good you'd like to share?? Wanna see all the Good that others are posting about? Head on over to This Eclectic Life and join in the efforts to "spread the good like a virus" all over the internet each and every Friday...And, until next time,

May all your days be filled with Only the Good!

Stories that Stuck

2009-06-04T05:16:00.005-04:00

Sticky
“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”

Okay, so this should be easy...in random order (ie. as I think of 'em):

1. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
4. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
5. Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
6. A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Micheal Dorris
7. The Descent by Jeff Long
8. Amazonia by James Rollins
9. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
10. Snow in August by Pete Hamill
11. Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert Heinlein
12. The Oversoul Seven Trilogy by Jane Roberts
13. Ballad of the Sad Cafe' by Carson McCullers
14. The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
15. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman

And, there ya have it; the fifteen stories that I think made a long-lasting impression. Since I'm not a big re-reader, I had fun rehashing what's stored in my head; Actually, it was a little more difficult than I had imagined. What about you? Can you think of fifteen in fifteen minutes?! ...Let me know if you play along, I'd luv to see your answers, too!

"T" is for...

2009-06-03T08:53:00.003-04:00

~ T is for Temptations ~

*To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

Worm Words for Wednesday

2009-06-03T07:49:00.004-04:00

It's Wednesday again, and that means its time for Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

My words this week come from a selection of short stories by T.C.Boyle, entitled "If the River Was Whiskey"

coulibiac n. : French adaptation of the Russian original (kulebiaka) consists of a creamy melange of fresh salmon, rice, hard-cooked eggs, mushrooms, shallots and dill enclosed in a hot pastry envelope. The pastry is usually made with brioche dough. Coulibiacs can be large or small but are classically oval in shape. They can be served as a first or main course. (This definition was found courtesy of Answers.com)
"A coulibiac made in hell." (pg 1)

onchocerciasis Med. :River blindness, a disease caused by a parasitic worm (Onchocerca volvulus) which is transmitted to persons by biting blackflies (buffalo gnats) that breed in fast-flowing rivers. The adult worms can live for up to 15 years in nodules beneath the skin and in the muscles of infected persons, where they produce millions of worm embryos that invade the skin and other tissues including the eyes. (This definition was found courtesy of MedicineNet.com)
""Onchocerciasis," I said, "You know it?" " (pg 27)

bilharziasis Med. :a parasite infection by a trematode worm acquired from infested water. Also known as schistosomiasis. Species which live in man can produce liver, bladder, and gastrointestinal problems. Species of the schistosomiasis parasite which cannot live in man cause swimmer's itch. (This definition was found courtesy of MedicineNet.com)
""I'd eaten tofu, bantered about leprosy and bilharziasis as if I were immune, and made love in a bag." " (pg 28)

And, that's all for me this week, folks; What about YOU?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Musings of May

2009-06-02T08:47:00.007-04:00

Hello out there!

It appears its almost time for spring to end, and for summer's heat to be turned up full throttle. Yesterday marked the beginning of hurricane season, so if you live in these parts, make sure you have your emergency kits ready, and your Evacuation Re-entry passes somewhere handy.

The weather at the beach is Bea-U-ti-ful today, tho, with not a cloud in the sky, and temperatures expected to be in the mid-eighties along the coast. We've already seen our share of rain this passed couple of weeks, so the warm, dry temps are welcome.

The Mister has gone back to a five-day schedule, so no more three-day weekends for us. This is good, as we can use the extra money (who couldn't?!), but I was getting used to him being home more often.

Sunday was the birthday of Dolby & Murphy (3 yrs old already) and we attempted a walk through the Preserve, but the mosquitoes were soooo bad, we had to turn around, half-way.

The lawn & garden is loving all this rain, though, I gotta say; its really done wonders for my Gardenia bush - which I thought had perished in the cold snap we had back in March - and my pink Camilla seems to have recovered because of it, as well. Yeah!!

Plus, the rain is always the *perfect* excuse to cuddle on the sofa with the hounds, a hot cuppa coffee, and a really good book - I finished seven in May, and enjoyed them all.*

With the warm weather now upon us, we decided to attack the flea situation before it decided to attack US, so we mopped all the floors, washed all the bedding and blankets for the hounds and gave them both a bath on Sunday.

Today, though, it looks like clear blue skies for the remainder of the day...I can hear the birds chirping outside my open windows... I think I'll go grab another cup of coffee and finish off another book ("Lean Mean Thirteen") on my front porch swing this morning, before I start my day in earnest!

Enjoy the rest of your Spring, my friends!

*For those of you who are interested, my May reads were:
"Killer Pancake" by Diane Mott Davidson (5/14 in Goldilock's Culinary Mystery series)
"Devil's Trumpet" by Mary Freeman (cozy mystery; new-to-me author)
"Land of Men" by Edward Muesch (ARC debut novel; historical romance)
"Murder Fantastical" by Patricia Moyes (British mystery series, new-to-me author)
"The Shadow Year" by Jeffrey Ford (ARC mystery; new-to-me author)
"A Face at the Window" by Dennis McFarland (ghost story that was on my want-to-read list for over 3 years)
"Blasphemy" by Douglas Preston (fabulous thriller by a favorite author)

And, I also read some from "The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes" ('A Study in Scarlet' & 'The Hound of the Baskervilles') but, as these were short story re-reads, I didn't include those in my "read" books.

Plum Fun

2009-06-02T06:36:00.003-04:00

This week's participation in RaiderGirl's

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

finds me in Trenton, New Jersey, spending some time with everybody's favorite bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. Here, one of her FTA's - a taxidermist named Coglin - explains why he had missed his court appearance:

"I never leave for more than five minutes unless it's real late at night. Even when it looks like my car is gone and I'm not in the house, I'm watching from somewhere. I can't take a chance at missing the cable repairman." ~ Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich [pg. 220]

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Sisters

2009-06-01T08:53:00.001-04:00

If you can look at a dog and not feel vicarious excitement and affection, you must be a cat. ~Author Unknown

Click HERE to see more Monochrome Maniacs, or to play along yourself...

Perchance to Read

2009-06-01T07:24:00.005-04:00

How much time (or how many pages) do you give a book that you aren't really enjoying before you'll set it aside? If you're reading it for a book group discussion, or for review, will you give it more of a chance then, say, a book you're reading for your own interest? Why, or why not? (courtesy of MizB)

I don't really have a certain number of pages or amount of time that determines if I will finish a book or not. My practice is usually to read the first few pages (the first chapter, maybe), and if its not "grabbing" me, I re-shelf it and find something else. If, then, when I'm again in the mood for that genre, I pick it up, and try again and it STILL doesn't interest me after a chapter or two, then I'm done. I have way too many unread books that I want to read, and it seems silly to spend time reading one I'm not interested in. Since ALL my reading/reviewing is for my own personal pleasure, I feel no remorse in this practice.

"S" is for...

2009-05-27T06:36:00.003-04:00

~ S is for Sunglasses ~
*To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

Word Play

2009-05-27T05:48:00.006-04:00

Time to play Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

This week's words are taken from "A Face at the Window" by Dennis McFarland:

chiaroscuro n. : the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, esp. to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect
"So what I'd first taken for sun and shade was actually only the chiaroscuro of wet and dry pavement." (pg 129)

prurient adj. :having, inclined to have, or characterized by lascivious or lustful thoughts, desires, etc.
"In general, the flavor of the paper was more prurient than earnest, meant to entertain more than to inform. " (pg 203)

nascent adj. : beginning to exist or develop

"Suddenly, my sense of dread and regret seemed to attach to the children themselves, to some nascent disappointment I felt about my 'young' ghosts -" (pg 224)

And, that's all for me this week, folks; What about YOU?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

From the Porch

2009-05-21T06:47:00.005-04:00

This Week's challenge: "Trees" (Leaves, Branches, Bush, Forest, Pine cone, Seeds,...)

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. ~J. Lubbock

Feels Like the First Time

2009-05-21T05:38:00.004-04:00

A Second First Time?

What book would you love to be able to read again for the first time?

The first book that comes to mind, is Neil Gaiman's "American Gods"; I was so captivated by the story told in this one - how the 'old' Gods arrived in America, and how they lived/died by the belief of humans in them - and by the authors ability to absorb me into that storyline. I have come to love this author, and "American Gods" remains a favorite read of mine, nearly a decade after I read it. I'd love to be able to read it again, for the first time, and have the ideas in it pummel me again in that same way...

Also, Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon". This re-telling of the Arthurian legend from the POV of Morgaine was just amazing for me when I read it for the first time, and I would love to experience that feeling of wonder again.

"R" is for...

2009-05-20T07:36:00.003-04:00

~ R is for Relaxin' ~

*To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

Words of Mystery

2009-05-20T05:36:00.003-04:00

It's Wednesday again, and that means it's time for Bermuda Onion's Wondrous Words Wednesday; a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading throughout the previous week.

This week's words are taken from "Murder Fantastical" by Patricia Moyes:

faiblesse French : a weakness (*from the French-English Collins Dictionary)
"Violet has a faibless for rock plants, which she is apparently unable to control." (pg 28)

fichu French n. : a woman's kerchief of muslin, lace or the like, generally triangular in shape, for wearing about the neck with the ends drawn together or crossed on the breast
"Her elaborate silk dress sported a small bustle and a low neckline filled in with a lace fichu which rose to form a choker around her slender neck. " (pg 43)

perspicacity n. : keenness of mental perception; discerning.

"It required no perspicacity to realize that the Bishop was in no mood for conversation." (pg 208)

And, I've gleaned two additional words from "The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well. (Having read this book before, one would *think* I would be familiar with the vocabulary, but apparently not. Although, as you can see, they are fairly self-explanatory, but still new-to-me!)

portmanteaus n. : a case or bag to carry clothing in while traveling, esp. a leather trunk or suitcase that opens into two halves.

"That very evening I moved my things round from the hotel, and on the following morning, Sherlock Holmes followed me with several boxes and portmanteaus." (pg 8)

prognathous adj. : having protrusive jaws

"The malignant and terrible contortion, combined with the low forehead, blunt nose, and prognathous jaw, gave the dead man a singularly simious and ape-like appearance, ..." (pg 21)

These are my new vocabulary words for this week's reading; What about YOU?? What Wondrous Words have you encountered this week??

*All definitions are garnered from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, unless otherwise noted.

Ageless Intrigue (a review)

2009-05-19T08:42:00.003-04:00

I've just recently finished reading my first "Inspector Tibbett" mystery, written by Patricia Moyes, originally published in 1969. While I'm a little late to the party, I'm very glad to have taken the opportunity to read this book as it was an extremely entertaining tale.

Apparently one in a string of books that center around Inspector Henry Tibbett, Chief Superintendent of Scotland Yard, "Murder Fantastical" introduces The Manciple family, known eccentrics in the village of Cregwell who call in Tibbett to help them save their family home; It appears that the body of Raymond Mason, a social-climbing bookie with a mysterious interest in purchasing the Manciple estate, has been found dead in their driveway, from a bullet hole in his forehead. While the town sympathizes, as no one really liked Mason anyway, Tibbett must sift through George's determination to BE the chief suspect, Violet's chasing down every thought that comes to her mind, the Bishop's cryptic crossword-speak, and Aunt Dora's whistling hearing aid to find out who the real culprit is before anyone else gets hurt.

This was your typical 'British mystery', and I am a fan of this genre, but this book was even better than I had expected. Funny, charming, and cleverly written, I was completely charmed by these characters, and will certainly look for other "Inspector Tibbett mysteries" to read in my future. I grabbed *this* one from a bookcrossing bookbox, and chose to read it now as my selection for the 9 for '09 reading challenge in the 'letter' category (my entire first name can be found in the title). If you enjoy a soft-boiled mystery- if you're a fan of Dr. Watson and/or Inspector Poirot - I highly recommend you get acquianted with Henry Tibbett; I'm glad that I did!

Kid Stuff

2009-05-19T07:08:00.003-04:00

This week, as RaiderGirl asks:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

I'm an eleven-year-old boy, living in the Long Island suburbs and sharing with you, the reader, the exploits of that very strange year. Here, we've just returned from trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

"I sat at the dining room table, chewing away like a cow with its cud, on both a Mary Jane and the contents of a miniature box of Good & Plenty, feeling slightly nauseated. My mind was vacant, and I was so weary I could hardly keep my eyes open. I had an animal fear that if I closed them, my pile of booty, which formed a small, colorful mountain, might disappear." ~ The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford [pg. 106]

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)

Sitting Pretty

2009-05-18T08:08:00.004-04:00

There's no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat. ~Wesley Bates

Click HERE to see more Monochrome Maniacs, or to play along yourself...

"Q" is for...

2009-05-13T05:39:00.004-04:00

~ Q is for Quackers ~

*To see other entries, or to participate yourself, visit ABC Wednesday (Round 4)

Celebrations for Spring (a review)

2009-05-12T12:34:00.002-04:00

I realize I haven't been posting much here, lately, save the occasional picture or book meme, but that's because it is springtime in Florida, and I find myself opting for time outside, rather than behind this keyboard! Ah, yes! Springtime in Florida; nothin' better than a cuppa coffee on the front porch swing, listening to the birds singing, inhaling the sweet perfume of my jasmine bushes, and reading through a cozy or two...

Because April was National Pecan Month, I chose to read Diane Mott Davidson's "Killer Pancake" as my selection for the Every Month's a Holiday perpetual reading challenge. This was the fifth installment of her Goldilocks' culinary mysteries, and just like the others, it includes some yummy sounding recipes (like Grand Marnier Cranberry muffins and Shrimp risotto w/ portobello mushrooms), along with a fun romp through Furman County, Colorado with Goldy, Julian and the rest of the 'gang'. In this installment, Goldy finds herself creating low-fat dishes for her new clients at Mignon Cosmetics, fighting off an angry mob of 'Spare the Hare' demonstrators who object to Mignon's animal-testing policies, and witnessing a horrifying hit-and-run that proves just how ugly the cosmetic industry can be!

Then, for May's 'celebration' of Gifts from the Garden Month, I chose Mary Freeman's gardening mystery, entitled "Devil's Trumpet". In it, we are introduced to Rachel O'Connor, owner of Rain County Landscaping in the fictitious town of Blossom, Oregon. When Rachel's newest client, Henry Bassinger, is found dead at the bottom of a nearby ravine, the murder suspects multiply quickly - starting with Rachel's employee, who was the last to see Bassinger alive. This was, of course, the first installment of what is currently a four book series, and my first introduction to this author. I thought "Devil's Trumpet" was an engaging tale, a light, entertaining cozy, and I will certainly look for the next O'Connor mystery, entitled "Deadly Nightshade".

I completely enjoyed both of these tales; highly recommended for perusal on a shady porch swing near you!

Sailing through

2009-05-12T08:23:00.004-04:00

It's Tuesday, so I thought I'd play in RaiderGirl's:

"Where is reading taking you this day?"

I'm traveling aboard an antique sailing ketch called Dark Trader; Two of us set sail from Annapolis, MD to reach Nuka Hiva, Marquesas, following the original sailing course of the ship in the late 1800's.

"My daughters will never know what became of their father. Sadness overwhelmed me as I realized I would never be able to attend their weddings or hold a grandchild in my arms. As far as they would remember, I would have just sailed off one day and disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again." ~ Land of Men by Edward Muesch [pg. 125]

(To join in on "Teaser Tuesday", visit Should be Reading)