There's so much space

1/6/2015 It's amazing how spacious the
living room is when the Christmas
Tree is taken down.

Only in Arizona do we go straight from Winter at Christmas and New Year's to decorating for spring without a pause in between.
















One of my favorite plants, Spanish
Lavender.  It has been repotted now. Hopefully I won't kill it this summer.

Dad and Cleo taking a snooze.

First 3 days of project 365

January 2nd - late breakfast at the kitchen table. Hot chocolate, buttered toast, yogurt, diet coke with lemon, and a book. Good stuff.

January 1st - Little Christmas display on the TV in my room. Amazingly, I have not killed the poinsettia yet. There are Jingle bells in the blue mason jar and bird seed, that I was supposed to spread outside on Christmas Day for good luck, in the green container.

December 31st - This window in my bedroom is KitKat's favorite place to hang out. I have to leave the blinds partially up or he'll climb through them.

"An Old-Fashioned Girl" and Charlie

"An Old-Fashioned Girl" by Louisa May Alcott
Country cousin Polly, the old-fashioned girl of the title, goes to visit rich Fanny and family in the big city for a couple of months. There she has many different experiences. Some she likes and some she doesn't. that's the first half of the book. The second half takes place six years after. Polly is working in the city giving music lessons, meanwhile Fanny's family suffers a reversal in fortune. Polly helps them out.

The book has a lot more going for it then that. If you like "Little Women" you will like this. It's full of descriptions of the fashions and manners of that bygone age. I find it amusing that the same things that a lot of people criticize now, such as children dressing and acting too grown-up, unwholesome entertainment and use of stimulants, alcohol, gambling, spending money they don't have, being indolent, not caring, are the same things that the author is criticizing in her novel.  There is also discussion in the book about a women's role in the world especially when she is single, being and staying happy and useful, and a women's influence.

Continuing on with introducing my boys:
Here's a picture of my Charlie, the $5000 dollar cat. If you want to know the story, it's in my first entry to this blog. Sorry, I can't seem to put a link in correctly yet.

Charlie is a sensitive soul and is often whinny. I sometimes joke that he is saying 'I'm a middle-aged eunuch and will whine if I want too". The vet told me that orange and white cats are similar to natural red heads in that there is no pain tolerance.

Charlie my boy, oh Charlie my boy!

 

 

These two cool cats are Ruby Tuesday and Hotrod, Charlie's litter mates who live with Auntie Theresa.

the lastest books read

"Eye of the Witch; Detective Marcella Witch's Series, book 2" by Dana E. Donovan
An interesting murder mystery with paranormal underpinnings. lots of references to the first book and the story took a while to get going, but overall a good read. I would like to read the rest of the series.

"Louisiana Lament" by Julie Smith (Talba Wallis Mystery #3)
This is the third book in the fun mystery series. I love that the heroine is a poet and that her poems are in the book. However, poetry does not pay the bills and so, Talba's day job is a PI.

Side note, I'm watching the season finale of "The Following" and just realized that one of the major characters is named "Debra Parker". My third sister is named "Deborah Parker"

What I'm thankful for....

With all the coverage of the destruction in Oklahoma, I felt prompted to make a gratitude list.
 

• I have an intact roof over my head
• a comfortable bed
• lots of good food in the house
• plenty of clothing to wear
• a multitude of books to read
• hot shower
• ice
• diet coke
• Houdini, Charlee, Kit Kat, and Gris Gris-my cats
• Jasmine-Matt's dog
• a beautiful and clean! bedroom
• my Mom and Dad are mostly healthy
• a beautiful garden with lots of herbs and flowers
• fresh tomatoes off the vine
• yummy smelling lotion
• Advil
• zinnias-I love their bright colors and they are amazingly long lasting cut flowers
• fried potatoes
• I finished watching my past season of "Grim"
• my Kindle
• my siblings and my nieces and nephews
• the silly hummingbirds and finches I see from my window, butterflies, fat lazy carpenter bees and busy honeybees

More Books

"The Mosquito Syndrome" by James Sperl
I tried to read this and know people who loved this book. I, however cannot get into it.

"The Children of Odin The Book of Northern Myths" by Padraic Colum
Wonderful collection of Norse mythology.

"Angelfall(Penryn and the End of Days)" Susan Ee
I came by this book by chance. Basically angels have returned and turned Earth into a living hell. Penryn is a young woman trying to get her little sister back from the angels who ends up saving, then teaming up with an angel to survive. Very weird to have angels be the bad guys. I wasn't raised believing that angels are different from humans. For me they are human spirits who either haven't been born yet or more perfected humans who have already passed. It is a good story and I hope the sequel comes out soon.

"The Soulkeepers, Book One" By G.P.Ching
YA book, with angel and demons and the belief that some angels interbreed with humans and that their descendants have special gifts and roles to play in saving humanity. I enjoyed it and got the rest of the series.

"Nevermore" by Kelly Creagh
YA book, read it for book club for last October. Spooky tale about a cheerleader and a goth guy. Actually much more complicated than that. Lots of references to Edgar Allen Poe. Good story, great characters, so I got the second book in the series.

Books

I decided to keep track of the books I read and my reaction to them. So, here are the books I've read lately.

finished reading "Silver Phoenix" very good YA book. lots of action and description.

Silver Phoenix

www.amazon.com

Ai Ling can see into other people's minds and reach into their spirits. But she doesn't know why this power has awakened inside her. She only knows that it is growing. It leads her on an epic journey—one that brings her to the edge of the deepest evil. Chen Yong has a quest of his own, but ...

 

 

 

I also finished "Suspect" Heartbreaking at the beginning, good fast paced story and great ending.

Suspect

www.amazon.com

The explosive new masterpiece of suspense from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author. LAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well. Eight months ago, a shocking nighttime assault by unidentified men killed his partner Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left

 

 

I just finished reading 'The Princess and The Goblin' a sweet old fashioned children's story.

The Princess And The Goblin (illustrated)

www.amazon.com

The Princess And The Goblin by George Macdonald with illustrations by Jessie Willcox Smith in black and white. When her father's kingdom is terrorized by the Goblins who inhabit the underground, a young princess and her faithful companions hatch a plan to defeat the goblins and save the kingdom.

 

 

"The Princess and Curdie" is the follow-up to "The Princess and The Goblin" Interesting story, takes a while to get going and is rather preachy. but I believe that is par for the course with books from this time period.

The Princess and Curdie

www.amazon.com

The Princess and Curdie

 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dinner is over. It came togather pretty easily this year, no drama, which is always nice...I was in charge of apple and pecan pie and stuffing. I made everything yesterday and I am sure that contributed to the ease of today.

Since this is Thanksgiving Day. I'd though I'd list some of what and who I am thankful for:

Music

Food

The roof over my head

New, Nice FREE clothes

my very cozy bed and room

Mom, Dad, Matt, Laurel, Nicole, Deborah, Tara, Leah, Brandon, Braedon, Jordyn, Bryson, Jack, Jackie, Jo, Grace, Sam and Parker, Colby, Halli, McKinnley,Charlee, Reilly

Charlie, Houdini, KittKatt, GrisGris, Jasmine

My Aunt Margie and Uncle Richard, Kim and Rick and their families, my Aunts Jeanie and Suzanne, Uncle Frank and their families and all my Cluff cousins.

My garden and wild house finches, hummingbirds and the Desert Botanical Gardens

BOOKS, and the wonderfully talented Authors and Editors who created them

Theresa, Toni, Suzanne and Carla, Sheston, Connie, Shannon, Leslie, Mark, Vicki, Lisa

The ability to attend College and the teachers who work there

yarn and floss and the wonderfull people who create patterns

Singing in the choir

The list could go on and on...If I left someone off, it was just because I got tired. I'm thankful for you too!

Happy Thanksgiving.

#wanderlove

I read several reviews on "Wanderlove" by Kirsten Hubbard and it sounds like a really good book. There is also a giveaway going on.
http://www.yahighway.com/2012/03/wanderlove-release-day-giveaway.html?showComment=1332030562558#c8287663059229237870

and read the review on I heart monster
http://www.iheartmonster.com/2012/03/wanderlove-by-kirsten-hubbard-book.html