Friday, March 27, 2009

PICTURES OF MY LATEST CROSS STITCH PROJECT!

THIS IS THE CROSS STITCH PROJECT I'M STARTING NOW.

THIS IS ME SETTING OUT THE PATTERN. IT HAS 42 PAGES, OVER 20,000 STITCHES JUST IN BLACK, 90 COLORS AND THE FINISHED SIZE WILL BE ABOUT 26 x 35.

IT WILL TAKE ME SEVERAL YEARS TO FINISH THIS. IT WILL NEED TO STAY IN ONCE PLACE BECAUSE IT IS TOO BIG TO CART AROUND. I'M GOING TO LEAVE MY BIG STAND-ALONE HOOP AT THE EDITOR'S HOUSE AND WORK ON IT THERE ONLY SINCE I'M GIVING IT TO HIM AFTER I'M FINISHED!


ISN'T FELICITY, THE EDITOR'S CAT, CUTE?



I TOLD THE EDITOR THAT HE CAN'T BREAK UP WITH ME UNTIL I'M FINISHED WITH THIS PUPPY!






I FINISHED IT!

So here's a picture of my last cross stitch project when I was about half-way through.




Here's the finished product. It took me almost a year!




MODERN LIBRARY - CRITIC'S 100 TOP BOOKS - BOOK REVIEW - #4


TITLE - LOLITA
AUTHOR - VLADIMIR NASBOKOV
ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10:
6
Well, okay........I've seen both movie adaptations.......but this book was hard for me to read. The writing style wasn't hard......but Lolita's comments made me uncomfortable and I just felt so bad for her. I wanted with all my heart for her to get away from him. Humbert Humbert...shame on you. I was so pissed off at him through the whole book and wanted to help her. I also think this book was too long....I felt like it drug on and on and on.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

100 BEST NOVELS


So the Editor and I found this list online at www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.com.
It has two different lists of 100 books each......The Board's List...........The Reader's List. I decided that I would try to start reading these books in order.....starting with The Board's List. I've read some of these books, including #2 on the list which is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I loved that book. Anyway, I tried to read #1 - Ulysses by James Joyce. I never made it through even the first chapter. Just didn't like it. The same for #3 which was also by James Joyce - a Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I got through the first 60 pages (1/4) and then applied my little reading test which is if I get that far in a book and I don't care whether the characters live or die....I stop reading it. So now, I'm starting #4 - Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I can't put it down! I've seen both movies made from the book and I think the book is gonna be even better!
Check out the first few sentences of Lolita:
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-Lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.

Monday, March 23, 2009

SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION

So the Editor and I went to a Science Fiction Convention in Memphis this weekend. Lots of fun. He actually wanted to go this year because they added several science fiction writer workshops to the convention. He and I were both hoping that I wouldn't be bored. I HAD A BLAST. I thought the workshops were really interesting. We went to several of them. Here are a few of the workshops we attended: Strong Woman Characters, Exploring and Experiencing Creativity, Roundtable with Publishers and Editors, Are Agents Necessary, Writing Great Openings, I Finished My Manuscript, Now What?

They also had a room for the Authors to set up booths so they could sell their books. That was really cool. Books, T-Shirts, Games, Jewelry, Artwork...........all with a science fiction theme.

We've already decided we wanna go back next year. We were there for two days but I'm hoping we stay three days next year.

I got to meet C.J. Cherryh which was really cool. Also, there were lots of people in costume. They had a costume contest and that was fun too. Lots of space-shippy characters there...including this dude:



BOOK REVIEW


AUTHOR - BRIAN JACQUES
TITLE - MARIEL OF REDWALL
ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =
10
I think this was the best Brian Jacques book so far. I'm reading them one by one. He's written around 15 and this was the fourth, I think, in the series.

Monday, March 16, 2009

BOOK RATING

AUTHOR - JONATHAN KELLERMAN
TITLE - WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS

ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =
8
I finished this book while sitting in line at the IRS office (a two hour wait). This was Kellerman's first book. I'm going to try and read them all in order (like I did his wife, Faye's). I think I liked his writing a little more than Faye's. He really paints a picture.

Friday, March 13, 2009

WATCH THIS VIDEO - I DARE YA TO KEEP THE SMILE OFF YOUR FACE!



ARTIST - COLDPLAY
SONG - LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR ii

I'm not a big Coldplay fan...except for yellow. But....this is awesome!

BOOK RATING

AUTHOR - JUDY BLUME
TITLE - SUMMER SISTERS

ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =
10
This is the first Judy Blume book I've ever read. The Editor wonders how I missed her children's books when I was growing up. I e-mailed The Librarian about her. She agreed with The Editor. Apparently her young adult books are controversial and were banned in some schools.
Well, I could not put this book down. I read it front to back (all 400 pages) within 24 hours. Quite the page turner. I can't wait to read another!!!!!!

VIDEO REMAKE

Okay, so you guys know by now that I'm a HUGE Psychedelic Furs fan and if I ever meet a star....well, actually I have met Richard Butler. HOT HOT HOT! One of my favorite songs EVER is Pretty in Pink. Not the remade version that the Furs did for the movie but the original version they recorded. So imagine my surprise the other night when I saw a remake video of Pretty in Pink by a singer named Ariel Aparicio. I generally don't like remakes and I was disappointed with the first half of the song. But halfway through the song, it kicked in, hey, Mikey, I like it! So here's two videos for you......The Psychedelic Furs with a live (yeah, live, cause what could be better than Richard Butler live, baby) and then the video by Ariel Aparicio. Which one do you prefer?




ARTIST - THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
SONG - PRETTY IN PINK



ARTIST - ARIEL APARICIO
SONG - PRETTY IN PINK

Thursday, March 12, 2009

BOOK REVIEW

TITLE - THE MAGIC CUP
AUTHOR - ANDREW M. GREELEY

ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =
6
This is Mr. Greeley's first book. It wasn't bad but I've read better. It was a bit fuzzy and didn't hold my interest. I'm glad I read it but I wouldn't want to read it again. I've read some of his other books that I thought were really good and I'll read more in the future but I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

SO DID THEY COPY PETER....CAN'T JUST BE A COINCIDENCE!



ARTIST - PETER WOLF
SONG - COME AS YOU ARE



ARTIST - GOLDFRAPP
SONG - HAPPINESS


Last night, The Editor and I were watching some old 80's videos, and we came across Peter Wolf's video for Come as you Are. Peter was the singer for The J. Geils Band. I tripped out because I had forgotten all about this video. Peter jumps through the whole video and I remembered that Goldfrapp has a video very similar.

Look at these two videos. This just can't be a concidence. Goldfrapp must have seen the Peter Wolfe video, don't cha think?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

VIDEO!!!!!!



ARTIST - CHESTER FRENCH
SONG - SHE LOVES EVERYBODY

I saw this video last night and just fell in love with it. First the song just really caught my attention. And, yeah, the girl beating up the whole band....that's a plus. But even without the video.....what a great song!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

BOOK REVIEW


TITLE - STRANGER IN PARADISE
AUTHOR - EILEEN GOUDGE
ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =
10
This is a the first book of a trilogy. Ms. Goudge's writing is similar to Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher. I'm looking forward to reading the second and third book in the trilogy!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

BOOK RATING


AUTHOR - ELIZABETH GOUDGE
TITLE - THE MIDDLE WINDOW
ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =
10
Okay, this book was unusual....with ghosts, afterlife, romance, broken hearts.....but I really liked it. I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Goudge. She started writing back in the 30's. Her books are always mysterious but she never disappoints me!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

QUOTE OF THE DAY!!!!


Maybe if I had read this book years ago, and really thought about the quote below....I could have saved myself tons of heartache......................
People give the word Love to so many emotions, to affection and liking and even to lust, so that there is no word to describe that thing that comes to only the favoured among human beings, that thing that goes on and on.
AUTHOR - ELIZABETH GOUDGE
TITLE - THE MIDDLE WINDOW

GROWING OLD



So I consider where I live in the country. Some people laugh at that because it's only 18 miles out of town but for a single, country-lovin' gal like me, being 2 ½ years away from owning 3/4 acre is pretty cool. I like the city but there is a peacefulness that comes over me when I'm surrounded by a rural area. I didn't fully understand this feeling for years. I think when I was younger (ages 20-40), my life was so fast paced (raising kids, working to get the things that you need....well....in my case....at least for the last 12 years of marriage......working to get the things that me and Sadistic Mama's Boy both needed since he wouldn't work) that I never had the time to stop and smell the roses.

I remember when Ben was younger, he played baseball, and some of the ballfields we went to were in rural areas. I remember one time when he was playing ball, the ballfield was in the country. I could see a long way off from the bleachers.........old country houses, cows, horses, barns, dirt roads, etc. This feeling of peace came over me and I couldn't seem to shake it. I didn't want to leave and go back to Little Rock after the game was over. I never really tried to analyze that feeling but when I moved out to East End a few years ago....I felt that same feeling and the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. I didn't grow up in the country....mom and dad lived in town. But my grandma and grandpa had a farm. The house had a tin roof and they had chickens, cows, a goat, a donkey.....they even had a turkey. I remember how I loved the sound of the rain on that tin roof. Now, I have my own tin roof and I absolutely love it. It's the first time in my life I feel like I know where I belong.

I'm beginning to learn to pay attention to these feelings inside that make me feel peaceful. There's another feeling that I have and I just can't seem to shake it. You know how people talk about getting old and they just really fight it? Well......I totally embrace the thought of old age. I'm in no rush......everything in due time. But the older I get....the more I like myself and my life.
I have this overwhelming feeling that I'm gonna end up spending my golden years alone. This is no negative reflection upon The Editor. He is precious and I so totally enjoy him being in my life and I don't see an end to that. We could go on like we're going for a very long time. But I also never see myself getting married again. It's the first time in our adult lives that The Editor and I haven't been married to someone. We both truly enjoy having our own places, space...time to ourselves.

There's something about being out on my 3/4 acre by myself alone that feels.....right. I can see myself, a little old retired lady. In good weather, puttering around in that back yard, planting flowers, working in my garden, a couple little dogs (Boston Terriers, of course) romping around in the backyard with me. In bad weather, sitting inside with my books, cross stitch and dogs, listening to the rain pattering on that tin roof. I'm already getting my ducks in a row.........if everything goes as planned, I'll have everything paid off in about four years.....I'll only have utilities to pay. I've even decided when I die, I wanna be buried right back there....surrounded by woods. This may sound morbid and boring to anybody but me......but to me.......that's my definition of "Golden Years".

I'm reading a book right now by Elizabeth George entitled "The Middle Window" and there's a poem that gave me that peaceful feeling inside that I've talked about above.

Deep stillness of starlight nights and flooding of amber moonlight,
The strength of the dawn and the healing surge of the summer rain,
The sighing of winter woods and cry of the wind at midnight,
In the circle change of the seasons these shall return again.
Constant, changeless, eternal are mountain and rock and corrie,
Unmoved in their sculptured ranks amid thunder and storm and snow.
Youth and love will forsake me and I shall grow sick and sorry,
Yet these my friends are faithful and these to the end I shall know.
When the burden of living is over and my life is a sorrow forgotten,
Only one love shall detain me when the door of death is wide,
Love of the earth shall hold me, love of the fields I have trodden,
Love of emblazoned midnight and love of the sea in its pride.
Oh you, my friends and my lovers, shall I come back from the darkness,
Shall I love again the sweetness, the colour and glow of earth?
Shall I in a new-born body, fair and strengthened and spotless,
Worship again in the springtime the resurrection of birth?

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

!!!!!!!NOT A BOOK RATING!!!!!!!


So I checked out the above book from the library. The Editor was with me when I checked it out and I noticed while I was there that someone had taken a pen and underlined several sentences throughout the book. I showed this to the librarian before we left and he marked in the front of the book that it had been marked up before I checked it out. Last night, I got all curled up in bed, ready to read. I got about 50 pages into the book....was at the bottom of a page, which ended in midsentence. I went to the top of the next page....it started with a new sentence. WHAT? It took me a second or two to realize that a page had been ripped out. Upon further investigation, about 10 pages had been ripped out. So I went through the entire book and found that around 40 pages or so had been ripped out. And what makes it even worse, this was a limited edition signed by Gene Simmons. What a waste. I'm taking the book back to the library tonight. It is so disappointing to me that someone would do this to a library book!