Scrapbooking my life...one page at a time

Just Wondering ...

 

Lately, as I  watched Katy re-read all the Harry Potter books, I began to wonder which book(s), if any, had captured my imagination enough to compel me to pick it up again and re-read it.  I wonder ...

With shelves full of my 'wannabe's' (as in ... I wannabe the next one you read)  I don't usually go back and revisit books - movies, yes - books, not so much ...

And truth be told, I am a Blue Ribbon winner in the SSS category (Slow reader, Short attention span & Several books on the go at the same time).  I haven't decided if this is a curse, lack of Vitamin D , too much TV or a genetic malfunction but nevertheless - it's who I am and I have simply learned to 'embrace' it!

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."

- Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1948

Anyhoo, after scouring my bookshelves I finally found a book that I know I have picked up and read several times  - A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold.

First published in 1949, a year after his death, the book is a collection of  essays, sketches & observations written over a period of time about his love of nature, wildlife conservation and ecology.

I love this book. 

Wolves, Aldo Leopold

Humph - that appears to be it,  Guess  I was right - I'm not a re-reader!  But - the weird thing is that I keep all the books that I have read & loved.  Who knows, perhaps I am planning on reading them again in my next life ...

How about you - does anyone out there have a favorite book or two that they have loved so much it became a twice-read tale?  If so, please share and let us know because maybe we would like to read it too ...

- I Hope Your Tomorrow is Even Better Than Your Today -

- N -

Broken Pillars ...

Our current Bookclub selection is Ken Follett's, 'The Pillars of the Earth' - Beautiful book & captivating story!  If anyone is looking for a good summertime-by-the-pool read I would highly recommend that you take a look at this book.  

Here is what Kristin Dreyer Kramer, a reviewer has to say about the book,

"The Pillars of the Earth is a fascinating historical novel -- one that captured me right from the beginning and refused to let go until I’d turned the last page. Follett weaves believable fictional characters and the occasional bit of fact into one of the most captivating books I’ve read in a long time. If you’re the least bit intrigued by English history -- by the castles and the cathedrals and the civil wars for the monarchy -- you’ll enjoy every page of this book (even the gruesome battle scenes). And if you never gave a second thought to English history -- to the castles and cathedrals and the civil wars for the monarchy -- you definitely will after reading this book."

The only caveat I would add to her review is that this book is massive ... as in - HUGE ... it is almost 1000 pages of very fine print.   And, I only mention this because, depending on what type of reader you are, you may have to adjust either your reading style or the book itself. 

Now, I am no 'book sissy' - but if you are like me and do most of your reading in bed - watch out!  Reading this well endowed book while lying in bed  might be / could be / will be hazardous to your health!  As I said, I do about 90% of my reading in bed and so holding up this heavy book for prolonged periods of time ... hurts!  Also,  and I'm speaking from experience here, when you start getting tired & begin nodding off .... well, the book is gonna slip, bo_nk you on the head - and, Ouch!  So ...

Yeah, yeah ...  I know, I can hear all you bibliophiles & librarian's out there cursing me and yelling 'blasphemy' ... but listen - this is the best solution - the only workable solution, for me, anyways. 

And hey, I know I'm not the only book defacer out there.  I'll wager a bet that there are many 'closet' graffiti in the sidebar , spine-bending, folded corner book-marking, blue pen passage underlinering [or, even worse - yellow hiliting] book defacers out there besides me. 

I confess - I cut the book in half to make it more manageable and readable. Not very book friendly, but hey, it worked like a charm! 

This is the first time I have ever resorted to such drastic measures but I must admit I am pleased with the outcome.

I believe that a well loved book is a well worn book ...

Isn't life is funny though, have you ever noticed that whenever you devise a plan to fix a problem ... a new one is usually created as a result.  Think - Cat in Hat!  Because once you have cut the spine of the book in half - the book is more or less ... broken.  The pages will loosen and begin to fall away - hence the ribbon neatly binding Volume Two back together.

I am still reading Volume One but enjoying ever page of it and I would be happy to pass along both volumes of this slightly modified book to anyone out there would like to read it after I am done ...

Smile, Laugh & most importantly
Be Kind to all those around you
- N -

Twilight ...

My Newest Obsession ...

Twilight: the Book

Okay, so I'm the last person on the planet to hear about and read these books - which, by the way, I find surprising since I am a MAJOR Zombie, Vampire, Monster, horror movie / book fan. 

I am not sure how these books escaped my attention for so long (actually, I know exactly why) but I remember when Katy first started getting excited about the movie coming out soon.  I didn't really pay much attention ... 

The movie was released and I never thought about it much but then came the buzz that it would soon be released on DVD and both Katy & Jessica got all a-twitter over it.  I started listening a littttle ... harder and then by the time the DVD came out I decided that I'd better rent it and see what all the fuss was about  ... BITTEN & HOOKED !!!

Twilight: the Movie

Since seeing the movie & subsequently reading the first book, Twilight, I have spent a good amount of time wondering what the attraction was for a middle aged woman.  What, about this story, would cause her to become so entranced - was it the romance, the chance to relive the sweet blush of first love?  Ahhh ... maybe it is the desire to see true love overcome all odds and prevail or maybe it's the danger and mystery.  The monsters & magic or could it be as simple as the Hoh ... as in the Hoh Rainforest on Washington's Olympic Peninsula ... it is beautiful beyond words!!!

Bella, Edward & the Cullen Clan

Seems teenagers & middle aged woman are not the only fans of 'Twilight'.  On Tuesday I was at the DMV applying for an 'Enhanced Drivers License' - which took F.O.R.E.V.E.R to have processed ... but, Anyhoo - It was crowded - very crowded - as in VERY, VERY CROWDED and so there I was sitting sandwiched neatly between an older gentleman and a much older woman minding my own business - busy reading my book when suddenly the man said to me, 'Great book isn't it.  I just finished reading the whole series.  Your gonna love them all." I turned to look at him and when I noticed how old he was ... you could have knocked me over with a feather.  'You read these books?', I asked.  'Sure', he said.  'Loved them!' and then the older lady sitting on the other side of me said, 'me too!'  Seems everyone loves Twilight!  Young/old or female/ male, doesn't seem to matter ...

James, Laurent & Victoria

I guess Twilight is to Vampires what Harry Potter was to Witches & Wizards or maybe it is the Harlequin of Monster Romance novels either way ... it's the new IT book, that much is certain.  I guess everyone is just a sucker for a good old fashioned love story ...

New Moon: the Book

I am now half through the 2nd book in the series, 'New Moon' and I must admit that I am a might bit disappointed that Edward has left the fair Bella with a broken heart ... what a BEAST ...

So, I'm off now to feed another addiction of mine ....

Have a colorful & crazy day - on me!
- N -
PS: Shessh ... it just me, my age or what but I don't think Edward is the 'most beautiful' creature I've ever seen. 
Hello! ...  hasn't Bella ever seen the Vampyre - Nosferatu???

Bunches of Lunches ...

2001 - 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk

This has been a busy week starting with my snowy walkabout on Monday and then on Tuesday I had a lunch date with my friend, Trista.  Trista & I met when we became walking partners training for the Avon 3 Day Breast Cancer walk in 2001 (Trista is doing her 3rd 3-Day Breast Cancer walk this year - OUTSTANDING) ... ... we have remained friends for the past 8 years.

Trista & Charlie at their wedding in November 2008

Trista, as you may recall from an earlier blog post, got married this past November to Charlie and Tuesday was the first time I had seen her since their wedding.  It was great to have a chance to chat & catch-up again. 

Trista gave me a wonderful gift while we were at lunch - it was book called, " A Diary ... Between Friends and it is about the planes landing in Canada on 9-11 and the in particular the story of the plane that landed Gander, Newfoundland which allowed 50 planes from all over the world to land at its small airfield.  On September 11, 2001 the small city of Gander population doubled as the passengers from those 50 planes began of disembark ...

The line-up at the border on 9-11

 

The Canadian - US Border is often described as the, "Longest undefended border in the World'

I've never heard this before - did you?:

One curiosity on the Canada–US border is the presence of three airports that actually straddle the borderline—Piney Pinecreek Border Airport in Manitoba and Minnesota, Coronach/Scobey Border Station Airport in Saskatchewan and Montana, and Avey Field State Airport in Washington and British Columbia. Each of these airports is adjacent to a border crossing. The runways at Piney Pinecreek and Avey Field run roughly north/south and cross the border; Coronach/Scobey's runway runs east/west, directly along the border itself. (Wikipedia)

It was so such an unexpected and thoughtful gift - I love it!  9-11 is still a story that makes me cry and one that I relive every year!  I can still remember EXACTLY where I was and what I was doing the morning of September 11 ...

Thanks Trista!

The next day, Wednesday, I had lunch with my friend Becky.  Becky and I met at school when we both had classes together. We became friends very quickly and have remained good friends to this day.  One of the classes I took my last semester at school was an American Literature class during which I became part of a discussion group.  We enjoyed each others company so much that we decided to continue our book meetings after graduation and so in 2004 we began our UWB (University of Washington, Bothell) Bookclub.  We have been meeting regularly ever since and although Becky was not member of the English class I invited her to join the Bookclub.

We had lunch at the Olive Garden (our usual) and chatted for several hours.  Great company, great chat, & good food - a perfect afternoon!

 

Some of my UWB Bookclub buddies: (L-R) Sharron, me, Therese, Vivian & Becky

Looks Who is Starring on my TV today:

 

Okay, Can anyone guess who the costar is?

Have a wonderful day

- N -

PS: Weather Update ... ITS SNOWING!!  Did anyone see this coming ...

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane ...

 
The Knickerbocker Hotel - Chicago

I am excited because Mike & I just finalized our plans for our trip out to Chicago!  The company that Mike is interviewing with has, of course, paid for his airfare & the hotel but I needed to pay for my own plane ride out.  I guess they feel I am just a tagalong ... humph!

 Anyways, We are leaving on February 19th and will be back on the 23rd.  A short turnaround trip but we are excited nonetheless since neither of us has been to Chicago before.  They booked Mike into a really nice hotel ... The Knickerbocker!  Very Old World & Elegant!

The hotel is right downtown and looks very close to many of Chicago's main sights & tourist attractions.  It will be a short but fun vacation for me anyway ... as always ... Mike is very nervous about interviewing - he just wants a job so bad!  Anywhere!  Nobody that he was laid off with a Philips has found full time work yet ... 

Chicago is the 3rd largest city in the US with 2.8 million people in the city proper and 9.8 million in the surrounding metropolitan area - referred to as 'Chicagoland'.

Seattle, by comparison, is the 24th largest city in the US with 595,000 people living within the city limits and 3.2 million in the surrounding area.

I am excited to visit Chicago because last year I read the book, "Devil in the White City'  by Erik Larson which as a historical nonfiction account of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.    The books describes in such detail the birth of Chicago and the amazing work of  Frederick Law Olmsted (he is the Landscape Architect who designed & built Central Park) .  In fact, out of the 200+ buildings constructed for the Fair only 2 remain and although 2 days isn't long I am hoping to see them both.

The Palace of Fine Arts which is now the Museum of Science & Industry

And the World's Congress Auxiliary Building which is now the Art Institute of Chicago

Hope everyone has a great day
- N -

BookClub Meeting & My Nine ...

 
Our bookclub met last night to discuss our latest book, Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton and we had the BEST meeting (in my opinion) of our club's almost 4 year history.  We did something much different this meeting - we all met at V's house & had a pot-luck dinner.  Everyone brought something YUMMY to eat & we watched the movie 'Age of Innocence', by Martin Scorsese while we ate dinner.  After dinner & the movie we held our regular discussion.  It was GREAT. 

Watching the movie added another dimension to the discussion.  The movie stayed very true to the book - in fact, at times the dialogue in the movie was verbatim from the book.  While I would not recommend, "Age of Innocence" to anyone it was an interesting read.

My Wednesday Nine ...

9 Things I MUST do today ...

1. Reconcile my bills & checkbook
2. Call Evergreen to reup my drugs
3. Water my baskets & pots - front & back
4. Laundry for my trip to Canada
5. Call the Sunroom people & make arrangements for delivery
6. Plant the Impatiens & grass plants that have been sitting out front for weeks
7. Empty the recycle bins in my office - they are overflowing
8. Go for a walk with Kate
9. Vacuum the rugs - they are so full of doggie fur ... Eeeww, Yuck!

8 Things I am coveting these days  ...

1. Canon Digital Rebel XTi
2. Canon CanoScan 8800F Color Film/Negative/Photo Scanner
3. My sunroom - scraproom to be finished
4. Crop-a-dile II, The Big Bite
   
5. Pazzle
6. Blueberries with vanilla yogurt
7. Central Air Conditioning
8. A Day at the Beach (under a shade tree)

7 Movies I'm Waiting to See

1. HellBoy 2: The Golden Army
2. Night Rider
3. The Day the Earth Stood Still
4. Traitor
5. Blindness
6. Kung Fu Panda
7. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

6 Random Things Foods I've craved lately

1. Raisenets
2. Twizzlers Licorice (hate Red Vines)
3. Blueberries
4. Super Tart Lemon aid
5. Tomato Sandwich with lots of mayo
6. Apple Cobbler

5 People I laughed with yesterday

1. Therese
2. Becky
3. Vivian
4. Sharron
5. Patti

4 Toys I Could Not Live Without

1. Computer / Internet
2. Espresso Machine
3. Digital Camera
4. TIVO

3 Simple Words I can never ever spell right!

1. prairie
2. amateur
3. February

2 Things I lost & never found

1. 1 oz. Gold Coin
2. $300 Money Order

1 Thing I wish for

1. That everyone has a great day!

- N -

This is Mii ... "Games, Books, Movies & Family Fun"

GAMES:

This week's "Ten on Tuesday" was all about games and on that note - last night Mike & I played a couple rounds of Golf, some  baseball & then went bowling ... on the Wii.   We've been playing Zelda on the Wii since Christmas but this was the first time that we had played any of the sports games.  I think I actually liked them better than Zelda.

Mike & I officially became Mii's - a Mii is the avatar or character you assign to your name to. They look like little "Lego" people.  Fun, fun, fun!

Golf was by far the most fun.  I have no idea how realistic the game is to actually playing but it is fun - nonetheless. Mike won - I usually hit the ball way to hard & it went sailing off the green.  Baseball was much harder than I thought it would - I only hit the ball a couple of times and got on base once.  Mike did better - he hit a homer!!  I did much better at pitching - Bowling was great fun too - as a matter of fact -  I think bowling & golf are my 2 favorites.  Unfortunately I don't think I'm going to burn too many calories doing any of these sports but they sure are fun!
Speaking of sports ... these pictures are for John & Todd.  I guess I'm eating "crow" or should I say "hawk" for dinner!!!!   Seattle got out snowed, outplayed & out fanned! Green Bay definitely had more versatile selection of fans!

I think the bulldog with the Cheesehead Hat on is priceless!

I don't think you can even bring dogs into any of our stadiums in Seattle!  Hey look John - He's wearing #4.

Not that Seattle didn' have their share of strange looking fans too!

  Crazy boys!

BOOKS:

I just finished up another great book for our Bookclub.  It is called "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good read.  The book chronicles on man's life and focuses on the incredible bond between animals & man.

The story is told by 93 year old Jacob Jankowski who is looking back on his life while waiting for his family to come and take him out to the circus for the day.  Jacob is very excited to go see the circus because he had spent a good deal of his life working as a veterinarian for the "Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.  The Benzini Brothers was a traveling circus  during the Great Depression and Jacob, though a series of unfortunate events, ends but spending a a large part of his life traveling with th circus and ultimately being defined by it.

Has anyone finished reading Ishmael yet?

MOVIES:

A couple of night's ago Mike & I went and saw, "There will be Blood" and it was incredible!  I don't know if anyone else has seen it yet so I won't say too much about the story but the acting is so good and the story / screenplay is very well written.

Daniel Day Lewis is so believable in this movie role - Just an around GREAT movie experience.  It is definitely giving "No Country for Old Men" a run for its money as my top favorite movie of the year.  I enjoyed the movie so much - I might even buy the book, "Oil" by Upton Sinclair.

Family Fun:

Well, it's time to get started with some serious planning for our Family Reunion which is tentatively planned for August 16th.  I guess the next step is to rent the Community Clubhouse out at Cultus Lake so that we can get the DATE nailed down and then we can think about all the other bits & pieces that we need to do.

Here is a  list of items I have come up with that will need to be on our TO-DO LIST - if anyone can think of anything else we will need to take care of please let me know AND if anyone wants to volunteer to help arrange or take care of please let me know.

1. Rent the hall
2. Invitations (make & mail)
3. Activities
4. Food
5. Track down possible hotels, RV camps etc for those that might need or want them
6. ???

Have a great day!

- N -

This is me ... "Pondering - Ishmael"

I am currently reading a book called "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn.  It came very highly recommended to me by Katy (she said it was one of the best books she'd ever read) and Therese (a friend who reads more books than anyone I know and the widest selection of books - she is a bookaholic).

While I have not quite finished the book I am ready to join the crowd and give it rave reviews & hardily recommend it to everyone.  Daniel Quinn writes in a style that is simple & provocative.  He has a gift for turning complicated ideas and theories into everyday - readable language.

In his book, Ishmael,  Quinn tackles the seemingly impossible task of explaining "why mankind is driving itself to extinction" and "where it all went wrong".  What is the fundamental flaw in man?
Ishmael, a half-ton gorilla, is the teacher - the voice that explains the history & mythology of mankind by linking evolution, religion & ecology together into one cohesive train of thought.  This book will inspire you to look at our world in a whole new way!

Recycling is good but will not save the earth from our anthropocentric beliefs - it will take changing the human soul because as Ishmael states,

"you can't just root out a harmful complex of ideas and leave a void behind; you have to give people something that is as meaningful as what they've lost - something that makes better sense than the hold horror of Man Supreme, wiping out everything on this planet that doesn't serve his needs directly or indirectly".   "

Ishmael is the 1st part of a trilogy written by Daniel Quinn - along with, "The Story is B" and "My Ishmael".

I have several questions that I would like to ask Ishmael but alas I know no gorillas and possess no telepathic abilities so I will have to discuss them with anyone who has read the book and with that said:

I have found this book inspiring on so many different levels and encourage everyone to pick up a copy and read it and I will offer up a copy for anyone who wants to read it but doesn't want to buy it!  Just let me know and I will mail you a copy!!

- N -

 

 

 

This is me...Wandering Around

Mike & I went to see Casino Royale last night.  I should begin by saying that I dislike James Bond movies but Mike has really wanted to see it since it came out and so off we went.  In the end, we both disliked the movie! There was nothing interesting, outstanding or worth the ticket price in this movie.  I think the "Bond Girl" was totally miscast and her performance was flat.  The new James Bond was Okay. I know a lot of people LOVE James so has anyone else seen it.  Loved it? Hated it? Let me know what you thought? 

I also finished reading the our bookclub selection of, "Bold Spirit" by Linda Hunt.  It tells the true story of Helga Estby's walk across America in in 1896. 

" Desperate. Determined. Unwaveringly confident. In 1896, a Norwegian immigrant named Helga Estby dares to cross 3500 miles of the American continent to win a $10,000 wager. On Foot. BOLD SPIRIT: Helga Estby’s Forgotten Walk across Victorian America introduces readers to this fascinating journey of an audacious act of courage and love of a mother trying to save a family farm."

I think this book provides an insightful look at the cultural/social norms that drove the early Norwegian immigrant woman in America and demonstrates how woman were pressured to "save face" regardless of the personal cost. Helga Estby was a determined but naive woman who greatest accomplishment became her family's biggest shameful secret.

Unfortunately I would not recommend this book because I felt that much of the story was based on conjecture and anecdotal evidence. 

I am in LOVE with making mini-books and that seems to be what I have spent most of my time on lately. {I know it's a bad picture}

I need a lot of books to track my "comings & goings" due to my rather diminished memory.  I made the "Movie Book" because I can rarely remember the movies I have seen from one week to the next.  Sad but true!   So, I track what I have seen, when and if I like it.

I also made a book to keep my notes about the books that I read for my bookclub. Our bookclub has been meeting for about a year and half now and we have so much visiting and discussing books.   We all went to university when we took a literature class together and enjoyed our book discussions so much that we decided to continue meeting after the class ended. We have read some very good books.

I also made an "altered Binder" to keep my 2007 journal pages in.  I love it because it is very bright, cheerful and playful.  2007 - will be a great year!!

I went walking with DD on Tuesday during her lunch.  It was great - she is doing so WELL on WW and walking.  Way to go DD!!!!  She is such a great friend!

This is me...Reading a Book

Book:  MOUNTAINS BEYOND MOUNTAINS: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure The World.

Author: Tracy Kidder

An inspiring and often jarring book that centers on the life's work of Dr. Paul Farmer a medical anthropologist, infectious-disease specialist, Harvard professor and founding director of Partners In Health [PIH].  PIH, "is an international charity organization that provides direct health care services and undertakes research and advocacy activities on behalf of those who are sick and living in poverty." (www.brighamandwomens.org) . 

Mountains Beyond Mountains is more than a simple biography of Dr. Farmer and the work he has done in Haiti, Peru, Cuba, Russia and Africa where he works to treat and control the spread of infectious diseases such as, TB, Aids and Malaria. It is also a book that illustrates how Dr. Farmer has helped shape and reinvent the policies and practices regarding global health issues within organizations such as, governments, drug companies and the World Health Organization.

Kidder wrote that he believed Farmer was so successful in his mission to "cure the world" because he, "doesn't care if no one else is willing to follow [his] example.  He's still going to make these hikes [It was not unheard for Farmer to walk 5 or more miles to visit one patient]...because if you say that seven hours is too long to walk for two families of patients, you're saying that their lives matter less than some other's, and the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong with the world".  Kidder, a Pulitzer Prize winning author, has written a book that actually does justice to the awe-inspiring story of Dr. Paul Farmer.

I believe that  Mountains Beyond Mountains provides proof of anthropologist Margret Mead's assertion, "Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."  It would be hard to read this book and not walk away with a revised  or renewed concept of social justice. 

This book is well worth reading.