Sunday Salon - 03/31/13

If you are interested in other Salon posts, visit the Facebook page to get links.

Hi all,

Haven't done one of these in a while, but wanted to wish all a very Happy Easter (or a Happy Bunny Day to the agnostics...or a Happy Peeps Day to the Americans)!!

There is, of course, lots of news in the book-blogging world these days. I have avoided talking much about most of it because, well, "Whatever...".

Amazon buying Goodreads? Sounds like a major bummer for some and I do get the concerns about Indies. But I signed onto Shelfari years ago (before they sold out to Amazon) and frankly, I survived. Because I like the look of Shelfari, I just stayed (I do have a Goodreads acct, but rarely use it). And, to Amazon's credit, I've never been harassed or sent sales emails or anything. Truthfully, I never buy books anyway...I am a library user and have been my whole life. So, "Whatever..."

Google Reader closing shop? This one hit a little closer to home. I am a GR user and was initially bummed. I did some homework and read that there was this other cool reader out there... I went to their page to learn that they had stopped accepting new "free" accounts, assholes. But I kept reading blogs and articles and someone suggested Feedly. I gave it a try and so far that seems to be working fine. I was able to import my GR subscriptions and the Android app is pretty nifty. An unexpected benefit was that this forced me to go through the some 200+ feeds I had, more than one of which had not posted in over a year, and clean house. So, if you haven't posted in over a year...you likely got removed. Not that you care. I mean, it's been a year. Of course, if your site was one of those that I was supposed to have updated, I likely did this, finally. So, "Whatever..."

I have also been thinking of adding a new post to my blog, a "Slice of Life" type post...but have yet to decide. A) does anyone really care about the day to day silliness of my life? And B) I read a lot of folks who are cutting down on posting to a few times a week, as I currently do now, due to burnout. Maybe I shouldn't push it? Or maybe I'll just wait until things calm here, and make the decision later.

Oh, and I am supposed to be taking part in the A to Z Challenge this April. I better get started on that!

On a personal note, the past couple months have been non-stop! I am producing Steel Magnolias, one of my favorites, at the theater. It goes up in May so we have been crazy busy putting together a crew and then casting. It's also Membership season at the Club. So it am once again in the midst of a membership drive. Doing ok so far, but its early. I actually decided to step down in June, after my term is over. I have so much else going on, and have been doing it for so many years... Now felt like a good time.

Purely Vocals is going strong, as always. In March, one of our new Irish buddies came to visit, which was cool. We have a calmer April/May planned, but not much! And then June seems to be non-stop again with at least four or five gigs scheduled already. This conflicts a bit with my show, which goes up May 30th...but should be doable. And we are once again scheduled to sing for the Paw Sox, in Providence lat in the summer. Lots of good stuff on the horizon!

Well, I've got to get moving or else I will be late for bunny-festivities. 

Hope everyone has a great day and a terrific week ahead!

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I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats - Marciuliano

I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano is an adorable and insightful collection of poems written, in theory, by cats. A tongue-in-cheek look at how cats think and communicate with their owners, interspersed with pictures of adorable cats and kittens.

Being a cat owner/lover myself, I could not help but understand fully some of these poems and see my cat's decision making process in the words.

My favorite:

I Lick Your Nose

I lick your nose
I lick you nose again
I drag my claws down your eyelids
Oh, you're up? Feed me!


This is a great book for cat lovers and those who find humor in pet behavior. Others will likely find it silly and useless.

3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.

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What's On Your Nightstand - March 2013

It’s that time again! The 4th Tuesday of the month, when we all share what we hope to read this month (or some share what they just finished reading). Either way, we talk about the books we are reading!

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Just a sprinkling of what is sitting by my bed waiting to be read. I'm hoping I can get to all before they are due back to the library!

Currently reading...

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Tuesday Tunes - 03/26/13

A great lyric is like a great book...

Block Dog
David Wilcox, Artist & Writer


I had a long talk with the block dog
All summer he runs with the kids
He's happy as a block dog
Every day the choice is his

'Cause they all feed him when he's hungry
They all keep him from the cold
But he don't wear their collar
He makes the neighborhood his home

There'll be a fireplace in the winter
There's lots of houses down this street
Summertime he'll catch your frisbee
Beg the best of your dinner meat

I had a long talk with the block dog
All summer he runs with the kids
He's happy as a block dog
Every day the choice is his.

I said Rusty, I'm gettin' married
I used to like your kind of life
But life's different now, it's like a garden
I'd like to tend it with my wife

Dig in one spot make a straight row
You're only diggin' to hide the bone
But when I lived so free alone
I had an empty harvest

I had a long talk with the block dog
All summer he runs with the kids
He's happy as a block dog
Every day the choice is his

Rusty looked up, sad at me and said
Dave, I understand
'Cause we're different now, I'm still a dog
And you're acting like a man."

I had a long talk with the block dog
All summer he runs with the kids
He's happy as a block dog
Every day the choice is his

I ain't nothin' but a hound dog
I ain't nothin' but a hound dog
But I'm tryin' all the time.

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My Extraordinary Ordinary Life - Spacek

Sissy Spacek was born in a little town in Texas. Born into a family with two older brothers, she quickly became a typical 60's tomboy growing up in an idyllic southern town.

When she reached her teen years, Sissy discovered a love for music and learned how to play the guitar. At seventeen, she was given the opportunity to visit New York to stay with some relatives. She fell in love.

With her family's consent (her parents paid for some of her living costs rather than college), she returned to New York with only a small bag and two guitars. But after several year, her music career had not panned out exactly as he had hoped. An opportunity arose for her to act in a movie. She took it and the rest is history.

Spacek's memoir reads like a novel. The reader can not help but experience her childhood themselves - envisioning themselves playing with a young Sissy in her backyard, sitting and watching Sissy learn to play her guitar, and shedding a tear as Sissy's older brother succumbs to leukemia. I could not help but reread sections, just to experience that down-home, small-town once again.

Spacek shares the stories behind meeting and falling in love with her husband Jack, and his favorite dog Five. She tells tells how their relationship blossomed as both of their careers developed from the ground up and shares her experiences developing her acting career with Carrie and Coal Miner's Daughter. She speaks of her two beautiful daughters and their development into intelligent, talented women.

If this book has one failing, it is that readers will likely want, and expect, more information about her movies and experiences filming them. But Spacek talks only sparingly of her movies beyond her career start (no mention of 'Night Mother, my absolute Spacek favorite) and focuses more on her life as it developed outside of Hollywood. But that is, perhaps, the essence of Sissy Spacek. That her fame and fortune is but an addition to the important things in life - her childhood and family, her loving husband and children, her pets and home.

This book is absolutely lovely and well worth the read, truly an "extraordinary ordinary" memoir!

4/5- Great. Push it on your friends and family.

 

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Tuesday Tunes - 03/19/13

A great lyric is like a great book...

Family Portrait

P!nk, Artist
P!nk & Scott Storch, Writers




Uh, uh, some deep ****, uh, uh

Momma please stop crying, I can't stand the sound
Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down
I hear glasses breaking as I sit up in my bed
I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you said

You fight about money, 'bout me and my brother
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain't easy growing up in World War III
Never knowing what love could be, you'll see
I don't want love to destroy me like it has done my family

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave

Daddy please stop yellin', I can't stand the sound
Make mama stop cryin', 'cause I need you around
My mama she loves you, no matter what she says, its true
I know that she hurts you, but remember I love you, too

I ran away today, ran from the noise, ran away
Don't wanna go back to that place, but don't have no choice, no way
It ain't easy growin' up in World War III
Never knowin' what love could be, well I've seen
I don't want love to destroy me like it did my family

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave

In our family portrait, we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, let's act like it comes naturally
I don't wanna have to split the holidays
I don't want two addresses
I don't want a step-brother anyways
And I don't want my mom to have to change her last name

In our family portrait we look pretty happy
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, act like it goes naturally

In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
Let's play pretend act and like it comes so naturally
(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave)

Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Turn around please
Remember that the night you left you took my shining star?
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Don't leave us here alone

Mom will be nicer
I'll be so much better, I'll tell my brother
Oh, I won't spill the milk at dinner
I'll be so much better, I'll do everything right
I'll be your little girl forever
I'll go to sleep at night

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Mondays - 03/18/13

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Busy, busy this week, but trying to get through a bunch of books I picked up at the library!

Currently Reading:
Before I Go To Sleep (S. J. Watson)

Just Finished:

The House on Mango Street (Sandra Cisneros)

On Deck:

Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness (Susannah Cahalan)

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The Hunger Games - Collins

I've said it before and will repeat myself... I am not at all a fan of series! 

I see them as obvious efforts to increase sales off of one idea (*no respect*!!). Can you imagine if Margaret Mitchell had made Gone With The Wind a five book series to pad her pockets?! This, of course, excludes series which are written for smaller children, who truly have limited abilities, where each book includes its own separate story line - such as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, etc. I avoid most recent "off the shelf" series (Twilight, not gonna happen). Sometimes I will consider reading the first book, but usually never read further.  

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins did catch my eye though. You'll note, however, I did not run right out and buy the trilogy (as I am sure Scholastic was hoping), but I did add it to my TBR list. This past week, I was at the library collecting some CDs and discovered a paperback copy. I checked it out and read it in two days.

Just about everyone knows the story by now... Post-apocalyptic North America has become the state of Panem, which is divided into 12 districts and a Capitol (where the rich rulers reside). Every year the Capital holds a festival of sorts, which brings together two "tributes" from each district - children aged twelve to eighteen - and forces them to participate in "The Hunger Games", a vicious fight to the death, in order to maintain control and superiority over the land and its inhabitants.

Katniss Everdeen, a District 12 teen, was forced to take responsibility for her mother and younger sister when her father died in a mining accident. When Katniss's younger sister, Primrose, is chosen as tribute for the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place in order to keep her alive. Katniss must use her skills and cunning to survive The Hunger Games and return to her family.

I won't ruin the story for the one or two persons in North America who might not have read this book yet...but since there are two more books in the series, it's safe to say that Katniss lives.

Series issues aside, I really, really enjoyed this book! I'm not much for action-adventure stories, but Collins' writing asks questions of its readers that many young adult books do not. The Capitol's use of children in these "games" for entertainment, as well as their efforts to publicize and reap financial benefit from the event, make you question their humanity. But what about Katniss and the other contestants? 

I enjoyed this book enough so that...I might, maybe, possibly consider reading the next one. 

But maybe not.

5/5- Excellent. Keep it, treasure it, reread it.

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Tuesday Tunes - 03/12/13

A great lyric is like a great book...

Riding With Private Malone
David Ball, Artist
Wood Newton and Thom Shepherd, Writers





I was just out of the service thumbing through the classifieds
When an ad that said:"Old Chevy" somehow caught my eye
The lady didn't know the year,or even if it ran
But I had that thousand dollars in my hand

It was way back in the corner of this old ramshackle barn
Thirty years of dust and dirt on that green army tarp
When I pulled the cover off,it took away my breath
What she called a Chevy was a sixty six Corvette

I felt a little guilty as I counted out the bills
But what a thrill I got when I sat behind the wheel
I opened up the glove box and that's when I found the note
The date was nineteen-sixty six and this is what it wrote:

He said,"My name is Private Andrew Malone"
"If you're reading this,then I didn't make it home"
"But for every dream that shattered,another one comes true"
"This car was once a dream of mine,now it belongs to you"
"And though you may take her and make her your own"
"You'll always be riding with Private Malone"

Well it didn't take me long at all,I had her running good
I love to hear those horses thunder underneath her hood
I had her shining lika a diamond and I'd put the rag top down
All the pretty girls would stop and stare as I drove her through town

The buttons on the radio didn't seem to work quite right
But it picked up that oldie show,especially late at night
I'd get the feeling sometimes,if I turned real quick I'd see
A soldier riding shotgun in the seat right next to me

It was a young man named Private Andrew Malone
Who fought for his country and never made it home
But for every dream that's shattered,another one comes true
This car was once a dream of his,back when it was new
He told me to take her and make her my own
And I was proud to be riding with Private Malone

One night it was raining hard,I took the curve too fast
I still dont remember much about that fiery crash
Someone said they thought they saw a soldier pull me out
They didn't get his name, but I know without a doubt

It was a young man named Private Andrew Malone
Who fought for his country and never made it home
But for every dream that's shattered,another one comes true
This car was once a dream of his,back when it was new
I know I wouldn't be here if he hadn't tagged along
That night I was riding with Private Malone
Oh,thank God,I was riding with Private Malone

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Becoming Sister Wives - The Brown Family

The Browns are just like any other American family, except that they aren't.  Not quite. The Brown family has one super-daddy, lots of well-adjusted kids, and four mommies. Yes four. Oh, and don't forget their hit television show on TLC.

In Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage, Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown share their stories of how each became involved in the polygamous lifestyle, how they met, married, and developed their large, extraordinary, American family.  They also  share both the benefits and the pitfalls of their lifestyle and explain how and why the family decided it was ordained that they should go public and share their family with the television viewing world, despite their fears of prejudice and judgement.

After reading this book, I can begin to wrap my head around polygamy and why some families might choose it, which I think is the whole point of the book...just helping others to understand and accept. Not that I'm sitting the hubby down to discuss adding anyone to the household anytime soon, but I do...kind of...get it. It’s an unconventional love story, yes — but one I am glad they shared.


As I enjoy the TLC show, I was looking forward to reading this book. The first section of the book, the marriage section, was quite interesting learning each person's history and point of view of the religion and lifestyle. The following sections (family and celebrity), however, were a disappointment. Each cycles through the four wives points of view on the same subject.. But I really didn't need to hear each of them tell me that Janelle works outside the house, that Christine did a lot of the stay at home mom stuff, that Meri likes to keep her furniture nice and therefore won't let the kids jump on it, or they each do their own grocery shopping  and discipline one another's children. Really, once would have been fine. And that would have left room for each wives to tell us more about different areas of their lives that were not discussed. It was almost like...either they didn't think they had anything interesting to say, or they were really more interested in keeping much of their lives private.

Overall, the book sort of seemed like a companion to the television show, not a stand alone memoir. That is a shame as a few years from now it will be defunct, whereas it may have been a really interesting memoir for years to come had it been done right. Though I would guess this was an editor's error, and not the writers. The writing was reasonable and entertaining.

3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.

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Tuesday Tunes - 03/05/13

A great lyric is like a great book...

Three Wooden Crosses
Randy Travis, Artist
Kim Williams and Doug Johnson, Writers




A farmer and a teacher, a hooker and a preacher,
Ridin' on a midnight bus bound for Mexico.
One was headed for vacation, one for higher education,
An' two of them were searchin' for lost souls.
That driver never ever saw the stop sign.
An' eighteen wheelers can't stop on a dime.

There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,
Why there's not four of them, Heaven only knows.
I guess it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.

That farmer left a harvest, a home and eighty acres,
The faith an' love for growin' things in his young son's heart.
An' that teacher left her wisdom in the minds of lots of children:
Did her best to give 'em all a better start.
An' that preacher whispered: "Can't you see the Promised Land?"
As he laid his blood-stained bible in that hooker's hand.

There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,
Why there's not four of them, Heaven only knows.
I guess it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.

That's the story that our preacher told last Sunday.
As he held that blood-stained bible up,
For all of us to see.
He said: "Bless the farmer, and the teacher, an' the preacher"
"Who gave this Bible to my mamma,
"Who read it to me."

There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,
Why there's not four of them, now I guess we know.
It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.

There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway.

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Mondays - 03/4/13

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Currently Reading:
My Extraordinary Ordinary Life (Sissy Spacek)

Just Finished:

Becoming Sister Wives (The Brown Family)

On Deck:

Oh so many...

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Back From The Future Blogfest...

 
Today is also the Back From The Future Blogfest, hosted by Suze of Subliminal Coffee, M. Pax and Nicki Elson. 

We don't get to ride in the Delorean, but we do get a surprise from the future. . .

You're up before dawn on a Saturday when the doorbell rings. You haven't brewed your coffee so you wonder if you imagined the sound. Plonking the half-filled carafe in the sink, you go to the front door and cautiously swing it open. No one there. As you cast your eyes to the ground, you see a parcel addressed to you ... from you.

You scoop it up and haul it inside, sensing something legitimate despite the extreme oddness of the situation. Carefully, you pry it open. Inside is a shoebox -- sent from ten years in the future -- and it's filled with items you have sent yourself.

What's in it? 


One winning lottery number and date for each upcoming year...

And the reminder that its not about the money, but what I can accomplish with it, the lives I can change.

And a challenge to do so...

-----
What message would you send from the future to your past self?


Don't forget to say hi to the others who are taking part in the blogfest!

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February 2013 ReCap...

February 2013 Update

February was a calmer month for me, "outside the book" commitments were a bit less, but yet I didn't read as much as I expected. I'm not sure why. I've been reading all ebooks since I got my iPad, but ended up at the library this month collecting some CD's. True to form, I could not pass through without taking a book (or two) home. Next month is looking very busy with outside the book commitments though, so who knows what to expect...
This month I read: Total Read: 3
YTD: 7
Adult: 2
YA/children's: 1
Abandoned: 1

Including:
Full Body Burden - Kristen Iverson
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Becoming Sister Wives, The Story of an Unconventional Marriage - Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn Brown

Abandoned:
I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High - Tony Danza (I have EVERY intention on returning to this...I just ran out of time)
 
Favorite Book(s) of the Month:
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Challenges Update:
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge = 7 of 58
A-Z Book Challenge = 6 of 26
Library Reading Challenge = 7 of 36
E-Book Reading Challenge = 45 of 25
What's in a Name 6 Challenge = 2 of 6

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