The strangest thing happened; Thursday evening I got a migraine and I hid out in the cool, dark quiet of our family room all day yesterday, in a drugged stupor. I woke up at 5:00 A.M. this morning with my head still thumping. I got up at 7:00 and the headache was gone. I just cannot believe it. I don’t recall ever having had a migraine that lasted less than three days. I call it bloody awesome.
I just have to tell you what I dreamed between five and seven. You will perhaps recall my writing (sometime in May) about how much I miss my father. This morning I dreamt he bought a house just down the road from us. We spent most of our time with each other just doing the things that we always enjoyed doing, fishing and camping and talking about nearly everything under the sun. We went in search of a moose we were both convinced the neighbor had in his field. And I in Dances With Wolves fashion ran with the cows. Ran with the cows? Where in the name of oregano did that come from? I do miss my father. One thing that occurred to me later in the day; I never once felt I had to prove anything to him. He loved me because I was his daughter, unconditionally. I will always love him just the same. I cannot help myself; it makes me sad to know that no one will ever love me the same way I loved him. Strange, the things we dream and the thoughts they provoke.
Sorry, I just had to say it.
With the miraculous absence of a headache, Don and I decided to go see a movie. We saw Death Sentence. It was nice to see Kevin Bacon; I have missed seeing him recently. I have followed his career since he played Tim McIntyre on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. Who knew John Goodman could play a bad guy so well? I have always thought of him as a big teddy bear. I give the movie 3 out 5 stars. The actors did a fine job but I found the storyline just a touch unbelievable. More on the movie tomorrow.
As for now, I think rather than risk getting another headache by squinting at the monitor, I am going to go downstairs and watch an episode of Sharpe on our big TV.
Ther is always hope.
Betty
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Betty In A Snit
Just for the record, I wanted to let you know I am still not happy with my Internet connection (or whatever you call the blasted thing!) or BrightChoice, my ISP. Hit and miss, mostly miss is about the best I can get. I know. I do! Sob, sniff and cry woe is me. Enough of that I just had to get it out of my system.
On second thought, I am not quit over it yet. They have managed to work me into as fine a snit as I have been in for years. Don would tell you that no one can compare to me when I am in a snit. Oddly, it is usually the people I care most about that are capable of causing this less than lady like state. My in-laws can put me in the finest snit you ever did see! Don puts me in a snit every time he signs a coaching contract. Let me tell you, none of them can compare to the snit I am in over the stupid ISP I have.
I am very sorry for exposing you to that tirade. I just had to get it out of my system.
There is always hope.
Betty
On second thought, I am not quit over it yet. They have managed to work me into as fine a snit as I have been in for years. Don would tell you that no one can compare to me when I am in a snit. Oddly, it is usually the people I care most about that are capable of causing this less than lady like state. My in-laws can put me in the finest snit you ever did see! Don puts me in a snit every time he signs a coaching contract. Let me tell you, none of them can compare to the snit I am in over the stupid ISP I have.
I am very sorry for exposing you to that tirade. I just had to get it out of my system.
There is always hope.
Betty
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Wind In The Willows And Me Too!
My favorite book as a toddler was Me Too. My grandmother kept it safe for me and bless her heart; she probably read it to me at least a thousand times. Other than bible stories that is the first book I can recall taking an interest in. Time has diminished any clear memory of the storyline but I am amazed at how often the title comes to mind.
There was not much time spent with grandma after I started school and consequently, I cannot recall ever having read a children’s book at my parents’ house until my youngest brother was born, many years after I started school. I think I must have gone straight from "Go, Jane go" to reading everything I could get my hands on. I have always loved words. I love looking at them, writing them, researching them and saying them. Regrettably, the brain and the mouth are not always coordinated. If you could only hear me say some of the words I write you would laugh yourself silly. No matter, it's the look and taste and feel that I am addicted to.
Having said all that, the point is; words as far as I can tell, are the most human of our traits. I do not feel quite as lonely when I am in some way involved with words. It doesn't really matter what I am doing; reading, writing, or listening to song lyrics or the radio, even television is word craft in motion. I truly believe the words are what set us apart.
I do rattle on and I apologize, but please, be patient. I have been thinking all day long about my heroes in the literary world and there are many. Specifically, I have been trying to figure out why I am so smitten with Lee Child (well okay he is the very definition of hunk) put that aside for the moment; and Cornelia Read. They have two distinctly different styles and they are each very gifted writers. I understand the quality of their work is the main attraction for me. That is easy to understand. What I do not get is how I could be so attracted to the genre in the first place. I will tell you truly, before I read my first Jack Reacher book, it was a rare thing for me to read anything in the thriller/suspense category. The exception there bring that I have been a Lawrence Block fan since his days at Writer's Digest. For the most part, I read history (the Celtic region of Europe) and fantasy, romance and historical romance, the classics like Dickens, Defoe, Conrad and Thoreau. Homer, even, but very seldom did I venture into the violent bloody pages of a thriller. Circuitous route there but here it comes; my favorite chapter in The Wind in the Willows is The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. When I read something written by Lee or Cornelia, I feel just like Rat and Mole on that dewy, sunlit morning when they were given the gift of the vision of the Friend and Helper. Their piping draws me near and if I should read something that would cause distress, they give me one last gift and forgetfulness diminishes my fear.
Goodness, I think I am thinking too much. That's okay. Long and drawn out it may have been; however, it came straight from the heart. Lee Child and Cornelia Read are my heroes because of all my literary heroes; they are real.
There is always hope.
Betty
There was not much time spent with grandma after I started school and consequently, I cannot recall ever having read a children’s book at my parents’ house until my youngest brother was born, many years after I started school. I think I must have gone straight from "Go, Jane go" to reading everything I could get my hands on. I have always loved words. I love looking at them, writing them, researching them and saying them. Regrettably, the brain and the mouth are not always coordinated. If you could only hear me say some of the words I write you would laugh yourself silly. No matter, it's the look and taste and feel that I am addicted to.
Having said all that, the point is; words as far as I can tell, are the most human of our traits. I do not feel quite as lonely when I am in some way involved with words. It doesn't really matter what I am doing; reading, writing, or listening to song lyrics or the radio, even television is word craft in motion. I truly believe the words are what set us apart.
I do rattle on and I apologize, but please, be patient. I have been thinking all day long about my heroes in the literary world and there are many. Specifically, I have been trying to figure out why I am so smitten with Lee Child (well okay he is the very definition of hunk) put that aside for the moment; and Cornelia Read. They have two distinctly different styles and they are each very gifted writers. I understand the quality of their work is the main attraction for me. That is easy to understand. What I do not get is how I could be so attracted to the genre in the first place. I will tell you truly, before I read my first Jack Reacher book, it was a rare thing for me to read anything in the thriller/suspense category. The exception there bring that I have been a Lawrence Block fan since his days at Writer's Digest. For the most part, I read history (the Celtic region of Europe) and fantasy, romance and historical romance, the classics like Dickens, Defoe, Conrad and Thoreau. Homer, even, but very seldom did I venture into the violent bloody pages of a thriller. Circuitous route there but here it comes; my favorite chapter in The Wind in the Willows is The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. When I read something written by Lee or Cornelia, I feel just like Rat and Mole on that dewy, sunlit morning when they were given the gift of the vision of the Friend and Helper. Their piping draws me near and if I should read something that would cause distress, they give me one last gift and forgetfulness diminishes my fear.
Goodness, I think I am thinking too much. That's okay. Long and drawn out it may have been; however, it came straight from the heart. Lee Child and Cornelia Read are my heroes because of all my literary heroes; they are real.
There is always hope.
Betty
Monday, August 27, 2007
A Field Of Darkness, What A Read!
About the only good thing to come out of this past weekend was that I finished reading Cornelia’s book. I think it was a fabulous first offering and I cannot wait until she publishes something else. Her style is sharp and smart, witty and driven. She cuts no corners in developing either her characters or the plot. I do admire the way she paces her storyline. Giving just enough to show the things that need to be seen and yet not shorting us on the more intimate moments as the intricacy of story development and character interaction build to a truly unexpected climax. The protagonist, Madeline Dare, is gritty and vulnerable, courageous and terrified. She never lets her self-doubt prevent her pursuit of the truth and justice.
Madeline Dare comes from old money so old in fact, there is none left. Her hunky, farmer come-inventor husband is often gone for weeks on end, leaving Madeline to her own devices and her job as the local fluff piece writer on their Syracuse, NY newspaper. Madeline feels stifled and disconnected; she wants desperately to get out of Syracuse as quickly and completely as humanely possible. Discouraged and dreading her next stint alone she is surprised when her father-in-law shows her a pair of dog tags he dug up years ago in a field. The tags were right next to the place where two young girls were murdered. Inexplicably, the name on the dog tags is the same name as her favorite cousin from Oyster Bay. Desperately determined to prove her cousin had nothing to do with the murders, Maddie sets out on a quest to prove his innocence and discover, if she can, who the guilty party is.
It does not take long for Maddie to be reminded just how vindictive and ruthless the money side of her family can be. Soon, bodies are piling up and Madeline feels she is responsible for the death of one of her dearest friends. Ever determined to see justice done for the brutal murders, even if the guilty person is her beloved cousin, Madeline soon finds herself in her own fight for life against a diabolical killer. Will our blue-blooded DAR find the strength to survive, or will she flounder in self-doubt and second-guessing?
I think you need to read the book and find out. It is definitely worth the investment of both time and money. Three cheers for Cornelia Read! I really hope she brings Maddie and Ellis (Maddie’s best friend) back for another book or two. I think they make a great pair because they do not realize just how capable they really are.
There is always hope.
Betty
Madeline Dare comes from old money so old in fact, there is none left. Her hunky, farmer come-inventor husband is often gone for weeks on end, leaving Madeline to her own devices and her job as the local fluff piece writer on their Syracuse, NY newspaper. Madeline feels stifled and disconnected; she wants desperately to get out of Syracuse as quickly and completely as humanely possible. Discouraged and dreading her next stint alone she is surprised when her father-in-law shows her a pair of dog tags he dug up years ago in a field. The tags were right next to the place where two young girls were murdered. Inexplicably, the name on the dog tags is the same name as her favorite cousin from Oyster Bay. Desperately determined to prove her cousin had nothing to do with the murders, Maddie sets out on a quest to prove his innocence and discover, if she can, who the guilty party is.
It does not take long for Maddie to be reminded just how vindictive and ruthless the money side of her family can be. Soon, bodies are piling up and Madeline feels she is responsible for the death of one of her dearest friends. Ever determined to see justice done for the brutal murders, even if the guilty person is her beloved cousin, Madeline soon finds herself in her own fight for life against a diabolical killer. Will our blue-blooded DAR find the strength to survive, or will she flounder in self-doubt and second-guessing?
I think you need to read the book and find out. It is definitely worth the investment of both time and money. Three cheers for Cornelia Read! I really hope she brings Maddie and Ellis (Maddie’s best friend) back for another book or two. I think they make a great pair because they do not realize just how capable they really are.
There is always hope.
Betty
Goodness, What a Terrible Mess!
You may have noticed I have not been posting here on a regular basis lately. That was supposed to change last week. Ha, you know, for just a little while there, I thought it would happen. Wrong, and I will tell you why.
I suppose a quick recap of the summer will bring us all back up to speed. You may recall, the summer began with a sublime trip to Dayton so I could see the worlds greatest author (in his genre) Lee Child, and have my copy of his latest book signed. A visit from Homer and Irene followed that exquisite experience. We ended the month of June with a trip to the beautiful state of South Dakota; if the opportunity ever presents itself to you, do visit there. The people are friendly and the scenery is gorgeous. In July, we celebrated our 30Th anniversary by taking a trip to Delaware where we soaked up sun and sea at Bethany Beach. Book seven of the Harry Potter series arrived on our doorstep as promised on day it debuted here in the U.S. By the time we were home again, I was having frequent migraines and our Internet service was gimping along at what I felt certain was about half the speed it should have. We bought a Notebook and trundled into the month of August accompanied by several trips to the E.R. in search of relief from migraine pain. That pretty well brings things up to date through 17 August.
Feeling a little better during a break in the headaches, I emailed our ISP and asked them why our connection was so lousy. Regrettably, by the time they phoned on Monday or Tuesday last, to set a time to come and check out the equipment on site, I had another migraine and could not return their call. Don and I were also having a wee debate on whether or not there actually was a problem for them to check out. He did not want to put extra strain on my shoulders while I was feeling poorly and I was in so much pain I did not have the strength to care. Therefore, my getting back to them had been delayed until Friday afternoon, the 24Th. I give you my word the following is true. I called the service technician to schedule for today (Monday) and I had not been off the phone with him more than five minuets when our internet service quietly took one last gasp and died. This next part is my fault; not wanting to sound like a harpy, I decided to wait and see if the “weather” (always their excuse) was the culprit. Come Saturday, when I still had no internet service, I called my ISP. I waited by the phone for a return call from them the rest of the day, never came. So…here I sit. It is Monday morning and I know two things; one - I still do not have internet service and two - a service technician will be here some time today. I ask you, is it any wonder that I have a headache this morning? Thankfully, it is a tension headache and not a migraine.
Now for the BREAKING NEWS! Yea, he didn’t make it until after 3:00 P.M., but the service technician from my ISP has finally repaired my satellite! Phew, hope that never goes on the blink again.
There you have my minuscule, in the greater scheme of things, problems. I feel obligated to point out the fact that I am fully aware my problems are nothing earth shattering. I promise you, I am very grateful for that. Other than the headaches that I am certain are not an indicator of anything mysteriously fatal, I do count my lucky stars.
There is always hope.
Betty
I suppose a quick recap of the summer will bring us all back up to speed. You may recall, the summer began with a sublime trip to Dayton so I could see the worlds greatest author (in his genre) Lee Child, and have my copy of his latest book signed. A visit from Homer and Irene followed that exquisite experience. We ended the month of June with a trip to the beautiful state of South Dakota; if the opportunity ever presents itself to you, do visit there. The people are friendly and the scenery is gorgeous. In July, we celebrated our 30Th anniversary by taking a trip to Delaware where we soaked up sun and sea at Bethany Beach. Book seven of the Harry Potter series arrived on our doorstep as promised on day it debuted here in the U.S. By the time we were home again, I was having frequent migraines and our Internet service was gimping along at what I felt certain was about half the speed it should have. We bought a Notebook and trundled into the month of August accompanied by several trips to the E.R. in search of relief from migraine pain. That pretty well brings things up to date through 17 August.
Feeling a little better during a break in the headaches, I emailed our ISP and asked them why our connection was so lousy. Regrettably, by the time they phoned on Monday or Tuesday last, to set a time to come and check out the equipment on site, I had another migraine and could not return their call. Don and I were also having a wee debate on whether or not there actually was a problem for them to check out. He did not want to put extra strain on my shoulders while I was feeling poorly and I was in so much pain I did not have the strength to care. Therefore, my getting back to them had been delayed until Friday afternoon, the 24Th. I give you my word the following is true. I called the service technician to schedule for today (Monday) and I had not been off the phone with him more than five minuets when our internet service quietly took one last gasp and died. This next part is my fault; not wanting to sound like a harpy, I decided to wait and see if the “weather” (always their excuse) was the culprit. Come Saturday, when I still had no internet service, I called my ISP. I waited by the phone for a return call from them the rest of the day, never came. So…here I sit. It is Monday morning and I know two things; one - I still do not have internet service and two - a service technician will be here some time today. I ask you, is it any wonder that I have a headache this morning? Thankfully, it is a tension headache and not a migraine.
Now for the BREAKING NEWS! Yea, he didn’t make it until after 3:00 P.M., but the service technician from my ISP has finally repaired my satellite! Phew, hope that never goes on the blink again.
There you have my minuscule, in the greater scheme of things, problems. I feel obligated to point out the fact that I am fully aware my problems are nothing earth shattering. I promise you, I am very grateful for that. Other than the headaches that I am certain are not an indicator of anything mysteriously fatal, I do count my lucky stars.
There is always hope.
Betty
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Taffeta, Lace And A Spring Cotillion
I find it rather curious, the paths a mind will choose when pain forbids any normal entertainment. It would appear I am coming round again, the migraine is dissipating and I have had enough drugs and sleep for four people in the last three days.
My thoughts these last few days had a tendency to try and establish some sort of common ground between myself and the protagonist in Cornelia's book, Madeline. I know that sounds laughably absurd, but there you have it. That is precisely what I have been thinking about.
Madeline, as near as I can see, is trapped in the worlds preconception that she is a debutante. She needs to be accepted as she is, for who she is, not what other people think she is or should be. Madeline comes from a family where taffeta dresses lace handkerchiefs and cotillions rule the night and tennis lessons at the country club rule the day. Why, I wonder, do I feel such an affinity with this character?
People who know my family history must just as surely try to put this round person into a square slot. Somewhere along the line I probably wore somebodies third or fourth hand taffeta dress and patent leather shoes or borrowed a pair of lacy anklets for a special occasion. We were very poor according to the ways of the world. We survived without a lot of things, though rarely out of everything all at once. Many times we were out of heating fuel and forced to live with the heat the kitchen stove gave off. Being hungry was pretty much normal for us. A family that can't even afford a box of table salt is destitute and we often were that. As for the social graces, well, lets just say I was well into my twenties before I realized that a cotillion was not something you sheltered under during a storm.
And so I have to wonder, where does it come from? This affinity I feel with the fictional Madeline. Is it because she wants the same things I do? To be seen for who we have become and not as what we were born to be? Whatever the reason, I feel it is a great testimony to the skill of Cornelia's pen. For me at least, she has written a character as real as life.
There is always hope.
Betty
My thoughts these last few days had a tendency to try and establish some sort of common ground between myself and the protagonist in Cornelia's book, Madeline. I know that sounds laughably absurd, but there you have it. That is precisely what I have been thinking about.
Madeline, as near as I can see, is trapped in the worlds preconception that she is a debutante. She needs to be accepted as she is, for who she is, not what other people think she is or should be. Madeline comes from a family where taffeta dresses lace handkerchiefs and cotillions rule the night and tennis lessons at the country club rule the day. Why, I wonder, do I feel such an affinity with this character?
People who know my family history must just as surely try to put this round person into a square slot. Somewhere along the line I probably wore somebodies third or fourth hand taffeta dress and patent leather shoes or borrowed a pair of lacy anklets for a special occasion. We were very poor according to the ways of the world. We survived without a lot of things, though rarely out of everything all at once. Many times we were out of heating fuel and forced to live with the heat the kitchen stove gave off. Being hungry was pretty much normal for us. A family that can't even afford a box of table salt is destitute and we often were that. As for the social graces, well, lets just say I was well into my twenties before I realized that a cotillion was not something you sheltered under during a storm.
And so I have to wonder, where does it come from? This affinity I feel with the fictional Madeline. Is it because she wants the same things I do? To be seen for who we have become and not as what we were born to be? Whatever the reason, I feel it is a great testimony to the skill of Cornelia's pen. For me at least, she has written a character as real as life.
There is always hope.
Betty
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Very Best Of Thor - A Modern Anthology
I was snuggled deeply in the folds of sleep yesterday morning when out of nowhere, Boom! I was attacked by another migraine. That really is how quickly it happened, one minute sleeping and the next, The Very Best OF Thor - A Modern Anthology was pounding away inside my brainpan. He is still pounding away on his anvil, so this won't be a very long post.
Needless to say, at times like this it is difficult to think coherently, much less express ones thoughts effectively. However, I am willing to give it a go if you are.
Under the category of favorite music/composer/lyrics and so on, I have a new name to add to my list. Terry Oldfield, I must say with some regret, has been making wonderful music for years, I had just never been exposed to it before. I discovered him through the SEO Library Consortium. The eLirary is a wonderful place to discover new music, books, video and just about any other subject you can find in or through your local library. Some things are available for downloads to portable devices and others are viewable only on the Consortium site. So...Ah yes, as I was saying. I discovered Terry Oldfield and I think I really do have to have most everything he has recorded, starting with All The Rivers Gold. It is a beautiful album and every note on it speaks to my soul. The title song, All The Rivers Gold, has become my life anthem. I do love that song. In case you are wondering, his music comes under the New Age genre. I had no luck searching for his music on Amazon but I did find a couple of links through Epinions that lead me to reputable sources.
I think that is probably more than enough of this for today. Best get back to bed and the blessed dark.
There is always hope.
Betty
Needless to say, at times like this it is difficult to think coherently, much less express ones thoughts effectively. However, I am willing to give it a go if you are.
Under the category of favorite music/composer/lyrics and so on, I have a new name to add to my list. Terry Oldfield, I must say with some regret, has been making wonderful music for years, I had just never been exposed to it before. I discovered him through the SEO Library Consortium. The eLirary is a wonderful place to discover new music, books, video and just about any other subject you can find in or through your local library. Some things are available for downloads to portable devices and others are viewable only on the Consortium site. So...Ah yes, as I was saying. I discovered Terry Oldfield and I think I really do have to have most everything he has recorded, starting with All The Rivers Gold. It is a beautiful album and every note on it speaks to my soul. The title song, All The Rivers Gold, has become my life anthem. I do love that song. In case you are wondering, his music comes under the New Age genre. I had no luck searching for his music on Amazon but I did find a couple of links through Epinions that lead me to reputable sources.
I think that is probably more than enough of this for today. Best get back to bed and the blessed dark.
There is always hope.
Betty
Sunday, August 19, 2007
How Far We Have Come
And how far we have yet to go. I am so frustrated, nearly furious really, at ...well I think it is my computer. Possibly it could be my ISP, potentially, technically, I guess it could be me (frustrated grimace here). In a fine fit of furry so unlike me (no, really), I would love to throw something - break something. The long and the short of it is that I have spent a great deal of time recently dealing with computer issues. I am, by no stretch of the imagination, a computer expert. Gibbering jellyfish! I am not even a wanna be computer expert. I just want to turn it on and go. I am a responsible owner, I have all the newest updates scheduled to download and install automatically. What more need I do? Just turn it on and go, I say. Ha! Not bloody likely in this lifetime.
Our desktop computer is about 5 years (or so) old. We expanded the memory and have never had less than 39% free space available. Some of the problems I blame on our not having a fast and reliable connection to the Internet. Countless times the connection speed or the lack of one has interrupted windows downloads. We have a satellite connection that is very erratic. One moment it flies along smoothly and the next it is crawling more slowly than a bad dial-up connection. They blame it on the weather, please! The weather hasn't been consistently wonky in one specific area for nearly two months now. That's how long this hit and miss connection thing has been going on. And don't even let me get up a head of steam about BITS! Arrgh!
I know, your heart bleeds for me :) thank you. You know how it is. My husband is quite as capable as I at fighting the beast, CIDCH (computer Internet download connection heathen). Don is just way smarter than I am. He will mutter and groan and get frustrated that it isn't working correctly and then he gets up and walks away. He comes back and tries it again a few hours later or maybe the next day, if he looks in and sees me hunched over the monitor, mumbling in some strange language a voodoo curse, hair spiked straight out, drool dripping from my chin with a bottle of Visine and a cup of stale coffee at one elbow and therapeutic magnetic strips strapped to the other. In that case, he just quietly turns around and heads for the basement. I wonder, does he do that because he wants to relax in the media room or does he do it for safety reasons, in case I accidentally blow the dag-on computer up? At any rate, he doesn't spend hours trying to help this thing gimp along, he lets me do it. Yes, the man is definitely smart.
Good gracious. I am sorry. I did not mean to whine and cry about my computer problems. I will be honest though, I feel a little better for having gotten all of that out.
There is always hope.
Betty
Friday, August 17, 2007
My Thoughts Are Scattered
What a night I am having! I have tried to go to sleep (and I did for about a hour) but I woke up and I just can't get back to sleep. My mind is roaming all over the place tonight. In the half hour or so I waited in bed for sleep to come back I thought about; the process waking up, Cornelia's book, housework that needs doing, Harry Potter, the new laptop, what to make for dinner tomorrow and Reacher, as well as a few other odd things that flitted through but didn't land long enough to register.
On the process of becoming awake. I was wondering, I have read in various books many descriptions of the waking up process, and I can not help but wonder if they are all true. I have read that people transition from being deeply submerged in the realm of sleep to gently drifting up to the conscious world as if floating on a cloud. That sounds nice. It has never happened to me but I like the sound of it well enough to give it a go if I had a choice. I have read of people who, deeply asleep, find themselves tugged roughly and quickly awake. I think that would not be the most pleasant way to awake. I have read of people who feel as if they are half awake and somewhat aware of their surroundings for a long time; during which time they awake gradually, like gentle waves rolling into shore waking a little more as each one breaks, or roughly like a harsh pounding sea battering against rocks. I am sure there are many other examples I could give you and none of them would apply to me. When I come awake, that is precisely what I do. One moment I am sound asleep and the next, my eyes are opening and I am rolling out of bed at the exact same time. LOL, those thoughts should have put me right back to sleep!
Cornelia's book. Well, sorry, you will have to wait until I have finished it. But I will say, I am half way through and I really like Madeline. I haven't had much reading time the past few days but I intend to finish the book tomorrow.
Thinking about housework that needs doing, now these are stimulating thoughts! The place is trashed because when you have a migraine it is quite impossible to bend over (who can clean without bending over?). And there was Harry Potter to read after the headaches were gone and I have been doing...well you get the picture. Life is happening and I am living it, no apologies.
Harry Potter? Yes, the books (I am beginning to come to grips with The Hallows) and the movies. We went to see The Order Of The Phoenix for the sixth time today. Really good movie, if you read the book.
The new notebook. Well, I wrote a review on that particular computer at Epinions and from the comment I received, I didn't do a very good job of it. As I mentioned yesterday, I also wrote a review about Stardust and I thought I did a little better there but... And speaking of writing. I seem to have caught the writing bug (have had it for years actually). Writing has become as compulsory to me as reading. I enjoy it quite as much as reading, and I spend more time doing it than reading at the moment. Still, I would like to make it perfectly clear that I know I am not a "writer". I like the clothing size 5 but I am not a size five. Just so with writing. I have neither the education nor the finished product that would qualify me as such. Alright. On we go.
Oh yes, dinner tomorrow (today now) well, why did that thought even occur to me? Don is running a race on Saturday so it will have to be pasta.
Goodness me, thinking about Reacher? How very like me :-) I discovered the Reacher web page for the UK today (yesterday). Oh, that is a fun site! I found it when I went on to Wikipedia to look at what they had on Lee Child.
There you have it. The thoughts that prevented my going back to sleep. And now, I am thinking maybe I'll just read a few more pages from Cornelia's book (grinning like a Cheshire cat here) .
There is always hope.
Betty
On the process of becoming awake. I was wondering, I have read in various books many descriptions of the waking up process, and I can not help but wonder if they are all true. I have read that people transition from being deeply submerged in the realm of sleep to gently drifting up to the conscious world as if floating on a cloud. That sounds nice. It has never happened to me but I like the sound of it well enough to give it a go if I had a choice. I have read of people who, deeply asleep, find themselves tugged roughly and quickly awake. I think that would not be the most pleasant way to awake. I have read of people who feel as if they are half awake and somewhat aware of their surroundings for a long time; during which time they awake gradually, like gentle waves rolling into shore waking a little more as each one breaks, or roughly like a harsh pounding sea battering against rocks. I am sure there are many other examples I could give you and none of them would apply to me. When I come awake, that is precisely what I do. One moment I am sound asleep and the next, my eyes are opening and I am rolling out of bed at the exact same time. LOL, those thoughts should have put me right back to sleep!
Cornelia's book. Well, sorry, you will have to wait until I have finished it. But I will say, I am half way through and I really like Madeline. I haven't had much reading time the past few days but I intend to finish the book tomorrow.
Thinking about housework that needs doing, now these are stimulating thoughts! The place is trashed because when you have a migraine it is quite impossible to bend over (who can clean without bending over?). And there was Harry Potter to read after the headaches were gone and I have been doing...well you get the picture. Life is happening and I am living it, no apologies.
Harry Potter? Yes, the books (I am beginning to come to grips with The Hallows) and the movies. We went to see The Order Of The Phoenix for the sixth time today. Really good movie, if you read the book.
The new notebook. Well, I wrote a review on that particular computer at Epinions and from the comment I received, I didn't do a very good job of it. As I mentioned yesterday, I also wrote a review about Stardust and I thought I did a little better there but... And speaking of writing. I seem to have caught the writing bug (have had it for years actually). Writing has become as compulsory to me as reading. I enjoy it quite as much as reading, and I spend more time doing it than reading at the moment. Still, I would like to make it perfectly clear that I know I am not a "writer". I like the clothing size 5 but I am not a size five. Just so with writing. I have neither the education nor the finished product that would qualify me as such. Alright. On we go.
Oh yes, dinner tomorrow (today now) well, why did that thought even occur to me? Don is running a race on Saturday so it will have to be pasta.
Goodness me, thinking about Reacher? How very like me :-) I discovered the Reacher web page for the UK today (yesterday). Oh, that is a fun site! I found it when I went on to Wikipedia to look at what they had on Lee Child.
There you have it. The thoughts that prevented my going back to sleep. And now, I am thinking maybe I'll just read a few more pages from Cornelia's book (grinning like a Cheshire cat here) .
There is always hope.
Betty
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
A Review Of Stardust
A couple of days ago we went to see Stardust. In case you are curious about this little summer sleeper, I think it deserves more attention, I am posting my review from Epinions.
Fantastically Romantic, Stardust
I can imagine no sweeter way to open this romantic fairy tale than with the incomparable Ian McKellen narrating. It made the transition from the here and now into the sleepy little village of Wall seamless. He brings us to a sleepy little village in England known as Wall. The village shares a boundary wall with the neighboring realm of Storm. And it is the wall that plays a very important part in the film.
Crossing from one side of the wall to the other is discouraged. So much so, that a guard has been placed on the English side of the wall to prevent such things from happening. My first good chuckle came when Dunstan Thorn (Ben Barnes) tries to get past the guard, played to perfection by David Kelly. With a little luck and a bit of trickery, Dunstan soon finds himself over the wall and in the magical realm of Storm, where he meets and falls in love with a princess.
Nine months later the guard from the wall informs Dunstan (now played by Nathaniel Parker) that a package was left for him at the wall. The package contains, among other things, his newborn son, Tritan.
Forward eighteen years or so Tristan (Charlie Cox) finds himself infatuated and (he thinks) in love. He wants nothing more than his loves hand in marriage. She will only marry him if he crosses the wall and brings back a fallen star.With help from his father, Tristan soon finds himself in a the company of Yvaine (Claire Danes) and the adventure begins in earnest.
Director Matthew Vaughn has produced what will undoubtedly become a classic. I know I will be purchasing the soundtrack, Ian Eshkeri has written a beautiful and exciting musical experience. The costumes, makeup, sets special effects and the sound are all top notch.
Peter O'Toole (the King) gave a short but excellent performance. In my opinion the entire cast (and they were all wonderful) was upstaged by the performances of Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro. They dominated their scenes and both were brilliantly funny.
All said, I think this is a great movie if you are looking for a little light hearted (with a slightly dark edge) movie. I do not think I would take younger children to see it, say under 10 years old. I don't believe the story line would hold their attention and it is a slightly darker story (they talk about eating Yvaine's heart) than I think they should see. Your children, your decision but that's the way I see it.
************************************************************************
I know, quite an opinion :) What can I say? Truly, I am not so full of myself as to think it actually matters to anyone what I think. I just have this need to express myself out loud, so to speak. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read.
There is always hope.
Betty
Fantastically Romantic, Stardust
I can imagine no sweeter way to open this romantic fairy tale than with the incomparable Ian McKellen narrating. It made the transition from the here and now into the sleepy little village of Wall seamless. He brings us to a sleepy little village in England known as Wall. The village shares a boundary wall with the neighboring realm of Storm. And it is the wall that plays a very important part in the film.
Crossing from one side of the wall to the other is discouraged. So much so, that a guard has been placed on the English side of the wall to prevent such things from happening. My first good chuckle came when Dunstan Thorn (Ben Barnes) tries to get past the guard, played to perfection by David Kelly. With a little luck and a bit of trickery, Dunstan soon finds himself over the wall and in the magical realm of Storm, where he meets and falls in love with a princess.
Nine months later the guard from the wall informs Dunstan (now played by Nathaniel Parker) that a package was left for him at the wall. The package contains, among other things, his newborn son, Tritan.
Forward eighteen years or so Tristan (Charlie Cox) finds himself infatuated and (he thinks) in love. He wants nothing more than his loves hand in marriage. She will only marry him if he crosses the wall and brings back a fallen star.With help from his father, Tristan soon finds himself in a the company of Yvaine (Claire Danes) and the adventure begins in earnest.
Director Matthew Vaughn has produced what will undoubtedly become a classic. I know I will be purchasing the soundtrack, Ian Eshkeri has written a beautiful and exciting musical experience. The costumes, makeup, sets special effects and the sound are all top notch.
Peter O'Toole (the King) gave a short but excellent performance. In my opinion the entire cast (and they were all wonderful) was upstaged by the performances of Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro. They dominated their scenes and both were brilliantly funny.
All said, I think this is a great movie if you are looking for a little light hearted (with a slightly dark edge) movie. I do not think I would take younger children to see it, say under 10 years old. I don't believe the story line would hold their attention and it is a slightly darker story (they talk about eating Yvaine's heart) than I think they should see. Your children, your decision but that's the way I see it.
************************************************************************
I know, quite an opinion :) What can I say? Truly, I am not so full of myself as to think it actually matters to anyone what I think. I just have this need to express myself out loud, so to speak. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read.
There is always hope.
Betty
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Good Gracious I Never Thought I Would Finish That Book
~~~~~*****Caution: Spoiler for The Deathly Hallows*****~~~~~
With loads of help from Don, I finally finished the book. After a couple of trips to the ER for migraines, Don was beside himself with impatience. He wanted me to read the book so we could discuss it. He polished it off the weekend it arrived. After the last trip to the ER he decided there was no reason I had to wait to read the book, he was going to read it to me. What a wonderful thing that was! I can not, at this moment express just what it meant to me to listen as he read to me. It was, for me, a rare and special gift. It was thoughtful and sweet and I will cherish those moments and hold them in my heart always.
As for the book. In short, I was highly disappointed. It seemed to me there were entirely too many questions left unanswered at the end. There were deaths that seemed cruel and wrong throughout the book. They neither moved the story forward or effected the outcome, as nearly as I could tell. I will admit that at least two issues were explained to my satisfaction, Dumbledore and Snape. As it turns out, I was right about Snape. Never give up hope! I don't know why JKR wrote this book without her usual spark. It felt to me as if she had given in and was trying to write things that would look good on screen. I can hardly believe that, but the thought does occur. So...I rate book seven 3 1/2 stars. As the shock and horror of the deaths have had time to sink in I may feel a little more kindly toward The Hallows. Time will tell.
Now that I have prattled on about that, shall we move on? I have just today begun reading A Field Of Darkness by Cornelia Read. It is looking very promising. The lady has STYLE in trumps! And now, at 3;30 AM I suppose I should call it a night and get to bed.
There is always hope.
Betty
With loads of help from Don, I finally finished the book. After a couple of trips to the ER for migraines, Don was beside himself with impatience. He wanted me to read the book so we could discuss it. He polished it off the weekend it arrived. After the last trip to the ER he decided there was no reason I had to wait to read the book, he was going to read it to me. What a wonderful thing that was! I can not, at this moment express just what it meant to me to listen as he read to me. It was, for me, a rare and special gift. It was thoughtful and sweet and I will cherish those moments and hold them in my heart always.
As for the book. In short, I was highly disappointed. It seemed to me there were entirely too many questions left unanswered at the end. There were deaths that seemed cruel and wrong throughout the book. They neither moved the story forward or effected the outcome, as nearly as I could tell. I will admit that at least two issues were explained to my satisfaction, Dumbledore and Snape. As it turns out, I was right about Snape. Never give up hope! I don't know why JKR wrote this book without her usual spark. It felt to me as if she had given in and was trying to write things that would look good on screen. I can hardly believe that, but the thought does occur. So...I rate book seven 3 1/2 stars. As the shock and horror of the deaths have had time to sink in I may feel a little more kindly toward The Hallows. Time will tell.
Now that I have prattled on about that, shall we move on? I have just today begun reading A Field Of Darkness by Cornelia Read. It is looking very promising. The lady has STYLE in trumps! And now, at 3;30 AM I suppose I should call it a night and get to bed.
There is always hope.
Betty
Saturday, August 4, 2007
I Finally Started Deathly Hallows
****Caution: Deathly Hallows Spoiler****
It took long enough for me to get started reading Deathly Hallows, I tried to start it when the migraines were bad and I only finished two chapters. Today I picked it up again and I have made it part way through chapter six. I have to say I just can't believe she killed Hedwig! That poor innocent owl never hurt a soul and I am positive she was quite incapable of causing harm to anyone. To make matters worse, I strongly suspect that Hagrid has been turned into an Inferi and if that's the case I really do not want to read another word. Honestly, I don't. And to top it all off, I was sure Snape would turn out to be a bad tempered good guy but the wretch was with the other Death-eaters and Voldemort when they attacked Harry and company.
I have not read the reviews on the book, deliberately so. I have no idea of what to expect or if my suspicions are true. And Don (drat the man) won't tell me anything. Let me tell you, if my fears are correct Don will be doing his own laundry for a year if he doesn't tell me.
There you have it. today's conundrum. Do I continue reading or not? Knowing me, I suspect tomorrow will find that huge tomb back in my hands. I admit though, to thrilling at the knowledge that the choice is mine to make
There is always hope.
Betty
It took long enough for me to get started reading Deathly Hallows, I tried to start it when the migraines were bad and I only finished two chapters. Today I picked it up again and I have made it part way through chapter six. I have to say I just can't believe she killed Hedwig! That poor innocent owl never hurt a soul and I am positive she was quite incapable of causing harm to anyone. To make matters worse, I strongly suspect that Hagrid has been turned into an Inferi and if that's the case I really do not want to read another word. Honestly, I don't. And to top it all off, I was sure Snape would turn out to be a bad tempered good guy but the wretch was with the other Death-eaters and Voldemort when they attacked Harry and company.
I have not read the reviews on the book, deliberately so. I have no idea of what to expect or if my suspicions are true. And Don (drat the man) won't tell me anything. Let me tell you, if my fears are correct Don will be doing his own laundry for a year if he doesn't tell me.
There you have it. today's conundrum. Do I continue reading or not? Knowing me, I suspect tomorrow will find that huge tomb back in my hands. I admit though, to thrilling at the knowledge that the choice is mine to make
There is always hope.
Betty
Friday, August 3, 2007
Kind Of Wild Today
I should say it's been kind of wild here the past 24 hours. It all started being really exciting when I found the web page for Cornelia Read .
Not that it was hard to find, I just typed in http://www.coreneliaread.com/ and presto! There she was. Cornelia has a new book out there (new to me but it's been around long enough to be nominated for several literary awards) called A Field Of Darkness. If you are curious, please drop by and visit her site. Cornelia can tell you about it much more effectively than I can. Where was? Oh...yes, well, I signed up for her newsletter and sent her a quick email, she is a wonderful lady and she wields her pen beautifully. I moved a little deeper into cyberspace after that and got lost somewhere or other until nearly two in the morning when I finally shuffled off to bed to rest my burning eyes and thumping head.
When the darned alarm clock went off this morning I nearly suffered apoplexy. We must have the loudest, most obnoxious alarm clock ever sold. At any rate, it accomplished the goal and not long after that I was sitting at this gorgeous new Notebook (did I tell you it's a HP Pavilion dv6449us Entertainment Notebook PC?) it's not high end but it knows how to do more than we'll ever figure out. Ah, there I go again, sorry. Anyway, in came the mail and there it was, a reply to my email from Cornelia. Happy day! I could gush a little more but I do want to get on to the next exciting thing.!
Don and I went to see the first showing of The Bourne Ultimatum this morning. Wow! That movie is packed with non-stop breath taking action. On a scale of 1-5 I definitely give it a 5 in the action category. I think it's the best 3rd in a series movie I have seen in a very long time (and I loved Prisoner Of Azkaban). I don't know how they managed to move the story forward so smoothly with so little dialog, but they did it brilliantly. And the FX on this film were first rate. If you like action, and lots of it combined with intrigue and suspense this is your kind of film.
Now I suppose I should close this out and consider doing some laundry. I told you you it has been a wild day :-)
There is always hope.
Betty
Not that it was hard to find, I just typed in http://www.coreneliaread.com/ and presto! There she was. Cornelia has a new book out there (new to me but it's been around long enough to be nominated for several literary awards) called A Field Of Darkness. If you are curious, please drop by and visit her site. Cornelia can tell you about it much more effectively than I can. Where was? Oh...yes, well, I signed up for her newsletter and sent her a quick email, she is a wonderful lady and she wields her pen beautifully. I moved a little deeper into cyberspace after that and got lost somewhere or other until nearly two in the morning when I finally shuffled off to bed to rest my burning eyes and thumping head.
When the darned alarm clock went off this morning I nearly suffered apoplexy. We must have the loudest, most obnoxious alarm clock ever sold. At any rate, it accomplished the goal and not long after that I was sitting at this gorgeous new Notebook (did I tell you it's a HP Pavilion dv6449us Entertainment Notebook PC?) it's not high end but it knows how to do more than we'll ever figure out. Ah, there I go again, sorry. Anyway, in came the mail and there it was, a reply to my email from Cornelia. Happy day! I could gush a little more but I do want to get on to the next exciting thing.!
Don and I went to see the first showing of The Bourne Ultimatum this morning. Wow! That movie is packed with non-stop breath taking action. On a scale of 1-5 I definitely give it a 5 in the action category. I think it's the best 3rd in a series movie I have seen in a very long time (and I loved Prisoner Of Azkaban). I don't know how they managed to move the story forward so smoothly with so little dialog, but they did it brilliantly. And the FX on this film were first rate. If you like action, and lots of it combined with intrigue and suspense this is your kind of film.
Now I suppose I should close this out and consider doing some laundry. I told you you it has been a wild day :-)
There is always hope.
Betty
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Celtic Favorites
I recently received a prettily packaged set of CDs called Celtic Favorites. Don knows I am positively (dare I say it?) yumpy over all things Celtic. I have acquired most of my collection of books, music and DVDs through him as gifts. Some of the items were, I am sure, a little pricey and that brings to mind the reason for mentioning my new CDs. This particular set is neither expensive or rare in any true sense of the word. To me however, it is priceless.
You should have seen my face when, while walking through Wal~mart (we are simple people) I found the beautiful little green metal box that said inside it was a collection of music called Celtic Favorites. I was I confess, nearly breathless with anticipation as I put it in our basket. When he saw what it was Don smiled at me and his beautiful blue eyes gleamed as he told me to consider it a gift from him. I was so happy I nearly started weeping. "Come on Betty," he said. "it's just a $10 box of CDs. You would think I was giving you the Hope diamond or something." I wiped a tear from my eye and said, "I know. Thank you."
Now here I sit, alone. Don has gone to school to do a little work with the cross country course. It is as I said yesterday, that time of year. Funny, I don't feel lonely at all right now. I am writing this post on our new HP Notebook while on our PC I am downloading Celtic Favorites to the new portable hard drive Don gave me to store my music on.
There is always hope.
Betty
You should have seen my face when, while walking through Wal~mart (we are simple people) I found the beautiful little green metal box that said inside it was a collection of music called Celtic Favorites. I was I confess, nearly breathless with anticipation as I put it in our basket. When he saw what it was Don smiled at me and his beautiful blue eyes gleamed as he told me to consider it a gift from him. I was so happy I nearly started weeping. "Come on Betty," he said. "it's just a $10 box of CDs. You would think I was giving you the Hope diamond or something." I wiped a tear from my eye and said, "I know. Thank you."
Now here I sit, alone. Don has gone to school to do a little work with the cross country course. It is as I said yesterday, that time of year. Funny, I don't feel lonely at all right now. I am writing this post on our new HP Notebook while on our PC I am downloading Celtic Favorites to the new portable hard drive Don gave me to store my music on.
There is always hope.
Betty
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
I Am Still Kicking
I am sure you thought I dropped off the face of this earth. Not the case, I'm still here trying to cope with headaches and a busy schedule. The busy schedule at least, is about to slow down. Thank goodness for that. I really don't know if I can take much more of it:) The headaches had better improve before I see the neurologist in October.
Don will begin coaching again next week. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned that here before. He is head coach for our local high school cross country team in the fall. This starts the time of year when I am most lonely. Between practices and meets (most meets away) he spends a lot of time away from home and then when he is home he needs to catch up on the business of running and charts and records and graphs for the team. Then when everything else is done he is either too tired or too distracted to deal with me. It has in the past, been a very difficult time for me. I think it will be much better this year. After all, I have The Lone Spot :-)
For now, since my head still hurts, I think I'll call it a night and go to bed early.
There is always hope.
Betty
Don will begin coaching again next week. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned that here before. He is head coach for our local high school cross country team in the fall. This starts the time of year when I am most lonely. Between practices and meets (most meets away) he spends a lot of time away from home and then when he is home he needs to catch up on the business of running and charts and records and graphs for the team. Then when everything else is done he is either too tired or too distracted to deal with me. It has in the past, been a very difficult time for me. I think it will be much better this year. After all, I have The Lone Spot :-)
For now, since my head still hurts, I think I'll call it a night and go to bed early.
There is always hope.
Betty
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