Sunday Salon-Long Story Short

Where there should be a picture of moi and Nancy Pearl, is a blank space. I cannot find my camera....I know it is somewhere.

So to catch up..Two weeks ago my family pulled off the most amazing surprise birthday party for my 60th birthday at Maggianos Italian Restaurant. Many of my friends were there as well as some of my kids friends. It was a beautiful 4 course dinner and we had a private room with our own bar and bartender. I was so surprised!!!! (and I got to wear a crown) I had no idea they were planning anything. I had asked for KFC for my dinner...thinking at least I wouldn't have to cook.

Last Monday I got to attend a cocktail hour and  reading at the Highlands Ranch Library for/with Nancy Pearl, who we all know is the author of the Book Lust books. She is so funny, charming and quick. It was a pleasure to hear her speak about books and reading. When I find my camera, I will post the pic.

Last weekend we jumped into Tink, our motor home and went to Chatfield lake for some peace and quiet. Sometimes it seems I can't even hear myself think with all the kids and people living here. SO it was a wonderful respite on a rainy, gray weekend. We were cozy and warm. And it was just the two of us. (and the dogs)

I have a physical scheduled but am not looking forward to finding out why my hair is falling out and what that pain in my throat is (tonsils?). I just hate when they put a name on it, official like. Sometimes it is better not to know. (ignorance is bliss..I must be the happiest idiot there is)

I have a special book for tomorrows review called "Anything" by Michael Baron. Just wait!

Explosions, Mountains, and a dislocated jaw

My front yard felt like this on the 4th of July. Dearest R and the boys just love making their own explosives out of legal fireworks. The blast and the heat were pretty intense but everyone had fun!

Late night on the 4th, I felt weird and I could not close my mouth or swallow. I called the ask a nurse service and she told me to go to the ER. I had somehow dislocated my jaw! And I do not know how!!?? I had a sedation and the Doc put it back in place, but said it can happen again. I am afraid to chew anything. In a way I guess it might stop me from eating and make me lose weight. (as if)

It was so hot in town so I took my pain pills (good) and my muscle relaxers (better) and we went to the mountains in Tink to visit R's sister. (the perfect one) I slept for 3 days and didn't visit at all. Shame on me!

I got some reading done and hope to get the reviews up soon.

Has anyone done the jaw thing?  It was worse than my busted shoulder. I don't want to eat pudding for the rest of my life. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sunday Salon

It has been awhile since I did a Sunday Salon, so I thought I would catch up a little. Last month was wonderful and busy, with my family reunion, my Dad and Step-mom came for a visit, the grand-kids are visiting their Dad, so the house has been rearranged.

We are going to Moab on Tuesday so I can pick up the sign that hung in front of my favorite bookstore there, The Arches Book Company! I wrote a lament here when I found out they had closed. The sign will look great in my library!

I did not get as much reading done as I had hoped, but have a few reviews coming up this week.

My son has some friends coming for the 4th, and I love it when "my boys" come home. We will be blowing stuff up and having some food. It will be a wonderful day for all of us.

My cd/dvd player on my laptop is dead, so I get to deal with the company, since the warranty expired about 36 days ago. Isn't that the way it always goes?

My Latest Disaster...and a Happy Ending

So here I was, taking a nice nap, when my cell phone rings. I fumble an end up knocking it into my half full coffee cup. Lovely! I quickly dried it off, took out the battery, put it in rice, used a hair dryer, and nothing. Nada. no lights, no sounds. All photos lost, all contacts lost. CRAP!

I beat myself up a little, then I got down to looking for a new phone. And I found a lovely little touch number. I was going to change carriers, but hell, I have been with the big V for a long time so I signed up for another 2 years and gave them my first born child, and got my new phone overnighted.

I love it! I am sure I don't have all my contacts back yet, but they never call me anyway.

Have you ever dropped a phone in liquid? Were you able to save it? Let me in on the secret for my next disaster.

I am all in a heap!

No this is not my mess...but I feel like the "stuff" is closing in on me. Do you ever feel claustrophobic in your own house? I am finding, while cleaning my closet, that I have too many clothes. But....it is so hard to get rid of anything. If it fits, I feel like it has to stay, even if is is that ugly horizontal (yikes) striped sweater that was a gift from some well meaning relative.

Growing up, we weren't exactly poor, but we used everything til it fell apart, and then we fixed it!

It feels sinful to toss clothes that still have life in them, so I have been donating them to a local charity, so they can have life in someone else's closet. Will I regret giving all of my business clothes to charity? I think not. I might regret those nearly new jeans, now too small for my big butt, that I might fit back into some day.

One of the sections of "Comfort Living" (review) was to write down what you love on one side, and what bugs you on the other. I was surprised to see my two lists. Comfort was soft, clean, quiet, cashmere, pillows, music, etc. The other side was chaos, noise, clutter, etc. It sounds like common sense, right? Well, to me it was very cathartic, and surprising somehow. It freed me to lose the stuff and keep only what I love!

It is okay to use the good stuff and to get rid of the stuff that bugs you! Imagine that!!!

So here I am .....decluttering (or debugging for our computer friends). I feel lighter already!

Aftermath

So Christmas was a quiet affair, the grandkids are in Florida with their Dad, but for the first time in 10 years, I had both of my kids home for the holidays. That was my gift! The Boy got his Dad a Wii, and the Man couldn't have been happier. With the economy being the was it is, we decided not to exchange gifts, but did get a couple of movies and some accessories for the game.

No books for me! I hit the library site and put some books on hold, so I will have some reading coming up. Doesn't it just kill you to see the numbers on the wait-list? You are 149 for this book, you are number 372 for this book....so I went with some older books, with much better success.

Had to take Jack to the Animal E R on Saturday at midnight. He decided to explore the bag that held the stuff for the kids stockings when they return. He carefully opened a tube of Hershey kisses and ate them all. The funny thing was he unwrapped each one and left a pile of foil on the bed. So off we went, racing down the road, to the vet. He got a shot that made him barf and when the vet came out, he said "There was a lot of chocolate, but the weirdest thing, there were no wrappers!" We explained that the tidy boy had unwrapped each Kiss, and the vet could not believe it. He just shook his head. So Jack, feeling better, fell asleep, and slept for 12 hours. Of course, I had to constantly watch him to make sure all was okay, and I got very little sleep. He is right as rain now so ..WHEW!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and will have a safe and happy New Year!

Christmas brick is lit

The jambalaya is cooking, the presents are wrapped and the Christmas Brick is lit!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!!

Can we cancel Christmas?

Is it possible to cancel Christmas this year? I am so tapped out with all the airfares sending the grand-girls back and forth to Florida. I am in such a bah hum-buggy mood and see no sign of it getting any better as we get closer. I could try to send them UPS, it might be cheaper, but I can't find a big enough box. With no help from Daddy and little help from Mommy, I am frustrated and poor.

I don't want to put up the tree, or decorate at all, since they won't even be here for the holiday. Does that make me a bad Gammy? Maybe so..with no income, it is getting harder and harder to make these ends meet.

The catalogs keep clogging up my mailbox and as much as I would love to buy my sister a diamond studded bra, well, it is just not in the cards. And don't even think about that flat screen TV for Grapes. It hurts my heart not to be able to get everyone the things they want. (and the kids lists are ever growing)

Does anyone else feel the pressure and angst this time of year? Any ideas? Can we cancel?

I want my Mommy

Sore throat up to my ears...even my hair and toenails hurt..coughing my butt off...but got lots of reading done..will catch up ASAP.

Sick sick sick

I am so sick....not sure if the swines have invaded, but I will try and catch up as soon as I can...ICK

Failure?

I tried to keep up with BBAW, I really did, but alas...I failed. Lately I am feeling burned out but am not sure if it is health issues, or just plain old burnout. I have all these wonderful books and am reading like crazy, but I seem to be enjoying it less. Does that ever happen to you? I know my growing health issues have a lot to do with it, but frustration is wearing me down.

I am reading a terrific book right now and will review as soon as I am finished.

Avoiding

I have been stalling all weekend. Avoiding reading, writing and everything else. I had a great week with the Man coming home for our anniversary. He brought good, no great, flowers, we had a super good dinner with wine and cake, then my mood went far south. I have been struggling for a long time against depression, taking medication, but nothing is working just yet. It started snowing Friday, skies dark, which matched my mood. Saturday, I felt worse than I had in years. I fell asleep on my chair and never did make it to my bed, confusing Jack the Dog. Poor thing didn't know whether to go upstairs or not.

While I am completely enjoying "The Collectors" by David Baldacci, I cannot seem to keep the storyline straight. This is NOT the authors fault, it is completely me. This has happened a few times in the past, and is terribly frustrating. I think I will set it aside unless this cloud improves quickly. The story involves both con men and book people, two of my favorite subjects. They intertwine in an obvious way, but it is an exciting story, with characters I do care about. It is the second book of "The Camel Club" and now I have to get the first one. I hate reading out of order, but it happens sometimes, and I am interested enough to get the first one.

I am haunted by the image of an empty cemetery from "The Lost" which probably was not the wisest choice of reading material when in a major depression. I have been reading wonderful, talented blogs, and am feeling very inadequate, lately. I am hoping it is the funk.

Goodbye again

The Man is busy getting ready for a trip to Moab for Jeep Safari. He just lives for the dust, rocks, and the unparalleled beauty of the red rock walls of Moab. Imagine if you will, thousands of Jeeps,
Toyotas, a few fancy Land Rovers ( don't get those dirty), any type of four wheel drive you can imagine, all parading down the Main Street, flags flying, men grinning like little boys with the very best toys. That is Jeep Safari.

In the past, I have gone with, but I find this year I just want to stay home and work on my closet.( no it's not finished yet)Plus, I have to finish all the library books that came at the same time. So, Jack the Dog and I will be home, cleaning closets and reading books, until the mountain man returns for our anniversary.

32 years!! Woo Hoo! It doesn't seem possible knowing all the friends who have gotten divorced, that we just continue on and on. I think having separate interests, as well as being really good friends, makes a big difference. I have my reading, and he has his Jeeping. Then we get together and sing Karaoke.....

"The Lost" is heartbreaking and bleak so far. The saddest part is knowing it all really happened, and not so very long ago. The lengths this author went to, to locate information about his family, lost in the Holocaust, are just amazing. It makes me wish I had a better memory, and that I had paid more attention to family tales, growing up.

WOO HOO

The MAN is coming home tomorrow, and boy am I ready. Jack the dog has been going insane looking for him ever since he left, and since I do not speak Bichon, I can't explain it to him. Not that I did not miss him also, but at least I understand what Saturday night means. Sorry to say, I haven't gotten as much reading done as I had expected. I decided to empty my awful closet and that turned out to be a HUGE undertaking as well as a HUGE mistake. How can one person have so much crap?? I made the mistake of reading an article about organization, which said to take out everything and then only put back what you wanted to keep. What it did not say was what to do with all the stuff while you are sorting. And how can I have so many handbags?? YIKES!! The thing is I want to keep them all.....so maybe I can get rid of all the shoes??

The Good News

The good news is Dad is feeling so much better. 18 months ago they gave him 6 weeks to live and he is still with us today, feeling so much better since the chemo ended. The 120 mile round trip to Shreveport was very hard on him, but he is back to working for his"pocket money", and sounded very strong on the phone today. The bad news is they did a CAT scan today and we have to wait until Thursday for results on what is going on inside.

When I heard he was going to have major chemo, most times taking up to 8 hours, I immediately got on Amazon and started looking for books for him to read. Sad to say, I mainly looked for his favorite genre, military thrillers, but the main criteria was that they were "fat" books, so he wouldn't run out of reading material in the middle of a session. Fortunately, my choices were right on target. I found some series stories, of spies, secrets, sex and car chases, as well as some single, stand alone stories. I have to say, I was amazed at the number of multi-book series out there, that I had never even heard of, let alone read. I followed Ludlum through all of his books when I was younger, le Carre, Tom Clancy, Ian Fleming, all the "big boys". I discovered David Morrell, James Rollins, and Raymond Duncan had some wonderful books for Dad. I look forward to reading some of them when he is finished with them. He has really enjoyed the books, and he has great taste!

Reading alone

With my dear one in Palm Springs at a fancy resort, I don't have to worry about cooking, so I am reading.

"A Game of Proof" is a British thriller, and at times I feel as if I could use a translation guide since I normally do not read modern British thrillers. Many of the initials and references, I sort of gloss over and usually can figure out what they mean. A female barrister's son is accused of murder. Did he or didn't he? All clues point to him, and she has to be a barrister or a mother. The ride is in the choices she makes.

"The Lost" is an amazing journey, a detective story of sorts, as a young man searches for information on his family members, lost in the Holocaust. I will be writing more on this book next time.

Escaped the snow

As the wind blew and blew, the snow went right over us. We got a light dusting, nothing major, but this did not stop me from finishing "True Evil" by Greg Iles.

What a fine story teller he is! I have read several of his books and enjoyed every one. "True Evil" captured me from the beginning and took me on a rollicking read. His characters are true, his writing is fast paced and always interesting. The plot was not too fussed up with romance, although there was a nice secondary plot going in that direction. Set in my beloved south, I got to take yet another trip from the comfort of my chair. Lately I have found non-fiction to be far more interesting than fiction, but I did like this book.

Started "The River of Doubt" by Candice Millard today. It is the story of Theodore Roosevelt's trip exploring the Amazon. So far it is fascinating and chock full of information that surprises me. I hope it continues to surprise.

Snow in my future?

After a beautiful, warm, melting week, it is supposed to snow, yet again tomorrow. I am almost finished with Greg Iles "True Evil" and hope the snow and Starbucks will help me finish tomorrow.

Jack the Dog has spent the week sunbathing and barking at the squirrel family that I regularly feed. They drive him to distraction. I suppose it was a bad idea giving him an exact replica of mama squirrel as a chew toy.

I wasn't up to sunbathing, but am looking forward to long periods of warmer weather. The cold makes everything hurt more than usual, so I crave the warmth of spring. Even reading books about cold places, makes me ache. I know, I know....could I be mental?

Instead of reading my beloved books, I have been reading other peoples blogs. It is astounding, how good most of these writers are. I am constantly amazed at how much, at least on the surface, I have in common with some of them. Being mostly housebound, seems to affect the way I look at the bloggers, as if they are my inside friends. I'd like to make martinis and invite them over just to talk.

Happy Valentines Day

A very cold and snowy day, but my heart was warmed by beautiful flowers, and a wonderful dinner. My sweet R gave me Spring in a vase. I love flowers and miss them in the cold winter months.
"I'll be Watching You" by Andrea Kane was very entertaining. A good sexy mystery was just what I needed today. Poor little Jack the Dog did not want to set a toe outside, into the snowy yard. Since his haircut, he shivers and shakes if I take his sweater off. He burrows under my lap blanket while I read, so it is like a furry white heating pad, which is not a bad thing. Not quite as good as a hot bath, but good none the less.

The Good Friend

A good friend and reading buddy recommended "The Good German" by Joseph Kanon to me at a dinner we shared a while ago. I quickly grabbed a copy from my local book store and started to read. I have a rule that if a book doesn't grab my attention in the first 110 pages, I stop reading. I started with the best intentions, since my friend has wonderful taste, but I immediately got bogged down. I usually like a good mystery, but couldn't seem to get into it. I set it aside and moved on to something else, but picked it up during one of the many storms we have been subjected to recently. I am glad I did. If only the first 300 pages were as good as the last 200 it would have been a wonderful read. The descriptions of postwar Germany, were amazing, but the characters left me cold. I found myself not caring if the murder was solved, not caring if the husband was found, and not caring if the lovers lasted. Even with George Clooney, I think I will skip the movie version.