I’m not going to link to my reviews this year, because it takes a long time and I am feeling lazy. Maybe 2009 will be the year in which I am efficient about my book list and I keep a running list all year with the links to the reviews. But I wouldn’t count on [...]
Categories: Books
Mike and I usually hit the Boxing Day sales in order to pick up some things like Christmas sweaters. This year, JC Penney hooked us up with some new towels (fare thee well, old ugly inherited towels!) and I got some boots, and my favorite khaki pants were only $15! We didn’t really get any [...]
Categories: General
On the way to my grandma’s house, there is a very old, very classic firetruck from the local volunteer fire department that is for sale. It’s been there for a while, and ever since I first saw it, I have had fantasies of buying it and driving it around. (I once applied for a job [...]
Categories: General
When snow is shaken From the balsam trees And they’re cut down And brought into our houses When clustered sparks Of many-colored fire Appear at night In ordinary windows We hear and sing The customary carols They bring us ragged miracles And hay and candles And flowering weeds of poetry That are loved all the [...]
Like many people (including many of my students), I liked Eragon well enough, but Eldest gave me some problems. I was intrigued, though, to read Brisingr and to see how Christopher Paolini had grown as an author. I actually squealed when my copy came from Random House on September 20th, and I’ve been reading it [...]
Categories: Books
For the Secret Santa exchange, I received what I believe to be a regift. The box was a little bit beat up, the packaging inside had clearly been opened before, there had clearly been an attempt to peel off the stickers. Now, it was a very nice crystal bowl, and I am sure I can [...]
Categories: General
We’re doing a Secret Santa thing at work, and I drew one of our Assistant Principals. (I run with several different crowds at work, because the media specialist must be all things to all people. This is the front office crowd.) This particular Assistant Principal is a man, and I was kind of at a [...]
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Last night we went to see Andrew Peterson and friends perform the Behold the Lamb of God concert at Westover. This was our fourth time seeing the concert. Once many many years ago, long before the CD was out, we saw it in Reidsville at a tiny church. I have sometimes wondered if that was [...]
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On Sunday, Mike and I had planned to have our Sunday School kids make some Christmas cards/decorations for a church member and good friend of ours with brain cancer. I meant to mention him in Friday night’s post – between my grandma being in the hospital and our friend being in Hospice, things have indeed [...]
Categories: General
The Christmas baking did not go so well today. I think I haven’t gotten used to the new oven yet, so I kept overbaking the cookies. Not burning them, not even close. Just darker than I want. I am very picky about my chocolate chip cookies, which is something my new oven apparently does not [...]
Categories: General
Every year, I silently wish that the holidays will be “normal.” What this actually means is probably something like “sanitary” and “idealized.” I want us all to be present and happy, I want smiling faces and gentle conversations. And maybe even a little peace on earth thrown in for good measure. These days, a normal [...]
Categories: General
Last Monday, Mike and I went to Starbucks. I had the salted caramel hot chocolate (just to prove to people that I like to stretch myself – y’all never thought that I would order that, right? Sweet and salty together! It’s like you don’t even know me anymore) and Mike had some kind of ghastly [...]
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During World War II, the island of Guernsey (as well as other islands located in the English Channel) was occupied by German soldiers. Did you know that? I did not. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is set about a year after the island was liberated. Our protagonist, Juliet, has gotten to know [...]
A special gift from a friend.
Categories: General
First, this video rocked my world. I am not sure how I ever lived without it. To understand the beauty of Spaghetti Cat, watch this clip from The Soup. Hat tip to Meg Cabot. Okay, now that that’s out of the way, I need to vent about one of my classes. There was one final [...]
Categories: General
When I was in high school, I was a member of the Key Club. In fact, I served as Vice-President for two years. I have no idea how I got involved in the Key Club, but I vividly remember things like serving at the Kiwanis Valentine’s Day Pancake Breakfast, untangling some of the city’s Christmas [...]
Categories: General
It seems silly to admit this, but I have always felt a bit of a kinship with Laura Bush. She’s a librarian, you know, and maybe it’s ridiculous to think that she and I would have anything in common, but I feel like Mrs. Bush and I could drink lemonade together and talk about books. [...]
Categories: Books
Last spring, when I was hanging out with Shelby in Salisbury, we went to a bookstore that had recommendations from staff members. I was browsing in the teen section and saw a staff recommendation for this book: My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger. I wrote [...]
Categories: Books