I heart Google images.

Today was a bad day...quite honestly the worst I've experienced in a while. I am tired, my head hurts, and I am oh so overwhelmed. I thought, however, that I would try to accentuate the positive rather than bitch and complain, so here we go.

For tonight's post, I thought I'd include a nice montage of the only things getting me through this week.

Let's begin......

First there's my favorite candy which is currently residing in my desk drawer at school where I am keeping it so I can eat too much of it.

Then there's my favorite t.v. show that comes on in approximately 27 minutes. (I've promised myself I'll grade while I watch. Ummmm, yeah right.)

Next we have colored pens which are the only things that make grading bearable. Green and purple are my favorites, but I like to switch off every few papers to shake it up a bit.

Did I mention I started a great new book? I can't wait to curl up with it a bit this weekend.

And finally? There's the promise that this will all be over in 7 days. I am ready to be baking cookies, listening to carols, and giving presents. (Okay, I am excited about the getting, too) It's so hard to be Christmasing when I feel so overhelmed with school, but my break begins in 6 days, and it can't come fast enough!

Get Me Out of Here

So when I spent the summer of 2001 in England, I discovered Grantchester Orchard. It's a hike from Cambridge. (Literally, you have to walk there on foot through pastures.) When you complete the journey, though, you end up here.



Full trees, quaint tables, and a little stand that sells tea and scones. What could be more pleasant? Good tea, delicious scones and cream, and a good book. If heaven doesn't feel like this, I'm not interested.


Rupert Brooke immortalized this place in his famous poem "The Old Vicarage, Grantchester."

And clever modern men have seen
A Faun a-peeping through the green,
And felt the Classics were not dead,
To glimpse a Naiad's reedy head,
Or hear the Goat-foot piping low: . . .
But these are things I do not know.
I only know that you may lie
Day long and watch the Cambridge sky,
And, flower-lulled in sleepy grass,
Hear the cool lapse of hours pass,
Until the centuries blend and blur
In Grantchester, in Grantchester. . . .


Now each time I read Rupert Brooke (even if it's another poem), I always remember the breeze through the trees and the beautiful simplicity of an afternoon at Grantchester Orchard.


Today we read "The Soldier" in my British Lit class. You know the one; "If I should die, think only this of me: / That there's some corner of a foreign field / That is for ever England." Gaining a force of its own, it can move any English major to tears...or at least give you chills and remind you, "This is why I read!"


I am reading it aloud to my class of sleepy seniors when I hear a loud slurping from my right. One culprit and his morning milkshake are to blame. The class snickered a bit and I glared. When he clulessly said, "What?" I explained that he was managing to "slowly slurp every last ounce of litereray passion from my soul."


Oh that I had a time machine! I'd be 20 years old again with no students and no papers and no bills and no responsibilities. I'd be sipping tea beaneath the orchard trees this very second.

Mental Health Day

So it's been 200 years since I've last posted (nothing like the use of a good hyperbole). I've been busy busy busy doing all sorts of things but mostly drowning in my school work. I'm afraid that I've lost any readers I previously had as a result of my lengthy break from posting, so I am making an attempt to come back.

I have a substitute today, so I am posting at home - midmorning on a weekday. A rarity. I hadn't missed a day all year, not really on purpose, it just happened. My intention was to grade all morning. (I'm behind as usual.) And then I wanted to do some Christmas shopping this afternoon. Last night, however, I arrived home at the lovely hour of 7 pm which is far too late when you get to work at 7:15 in the morning. I decided that I need the mental health time more than the grading time at the present moment, so here I am.

My new plan? Post on my blog, clean my kitchen, go to the gym, come home to shower, meet the husband for lunch, and go Christmas shopping. Notice anything about this list? Ummmm, it is normal stuff that normal people should not get excited about, but I am taking a day off to do these mundane things. I know I can't complain; I am the one who chose my profession, and I am generally satisfied, but seriously.......This is far too much information, but I've been wearing the same toenail polish since September if that gives you an idea of how much time I spend on myself in proportion to how much time I spend on my job. We won't even discuss shaving the legs.

That being said, there are many bloggers out there who are just as busy as I am, and they manage to post frequently. (Andi, Carrie, and the all-powerful Dooce just to name a few.) I like blogging, and I like your comments via the blog or in "real life" for those of you who know me, so I want to keep it up. Perhaps I should move it up on my list of priorities.

On another note (since this is a somewhat bookish blog after all), I would love your suggestions on books to add to my Christmas list. Books are always the longest category on my list every year. C'mon, even you lurkers out there who read and don't leave comments whould have something to say for this one. Give me one or two really good books you've read in the last year, and I'll add them to my list. One good thing about my profession? I am about to have two solid weeks of uninterrupted "me time" which means lots of me reading time!

So, fellow bookish folk, any suggestions?

Grandmothers

My sister and I hosted a birthday party for my grandmother this weekend. On Saturday night, my house was full of relatives celebrating the woman my grandmother is and the many things she has always given.


I think most of us take her presence for granted, so it's times like these that we really stop to think about what she's done. She is the traditional matriarch of the family, and no holiday or event would be the same without her presence. For most of us, the taste of her Thanksgiving dressing or her signature banana pudding is like slipping into an old cozy sweatshirt where you feel nothing but familiar comfort and sincere belonging.


My relationship with my grandmother is complex and deeply hinged on many things that are far too long and detailed for this blog, but in a nutshell, she's my person. You all know what I mean, everyone has a person - the person you call when you've had a really bad day, the person you feel compelled to brag to when you've done something worthy of your pride, maybe the person you called when September eleventh happened, the first number you dialed when you got engaged, all of these milestones or miniscule events that make up our everydays. For me, Grandmother is that person, and I'm always anxious to hear her voice on the other end.


The concept of growing up without grandparents is foreign to me. My family lived next door to them from the time I was about 7 years old until I left home. Ann Morse explains, "A child needs a grandparent, anybody's grandparent, to grow a little more securely into an unfamiliar world." And that's precisely what my grandparents have done for me. When my father died, my mother, my sister, and I moved in with my grandparents until Mom could get back on her feet again and we felt safe to move forward. I was young (only five), and though I do not remember more than brief fleeting moments of that year, I do think the experience left an indelible mark. At that moment, the world was as "unfamilar" as it ever would be and seemed very scary, but there is one person who helped me move more securely to become the person I am.


My grandmother is one of those women whom you want to pattern yourself after, but you realize that selfless grace and true kindness is not a learned trait but one with which you have to be gifted. I can only hope that age and experience will make my half of what she is.

Proof That $9 at Target Can Provide Endless Hours of Entertainment

Tucker the Superhero at your service. Doesn't he look heroic?

I have no excuse.

It's admittedly been a long time since I've last posted, and I have been busy, but who hasn't? This is always the time of the school year when I fall behind on doing the things I want to do because I become so overwhelmed with the daily grind. I'm giving myself a slap on the wrist for getting behind on my blog writing and my blog reading.

So what's new?

Well, I am teaching Macbeth to my British Lit students, and I had forgotten how much I like that play. It's so rare that you find a text in Brit Lit that actually has strong female characters, so I am enjoying these few days if for that reason alone. We just finished Book IX of Paradise Lost, and prior to that, only one kid knew what "patriarchal" meant, but now they all do. [Insert evil laugh here....] And yes, that will be on the unit test, boys and girls.

In other news, I have begun a great new book which I bought on a whim last weekend at a used bookstore, and I highly recommend it. There's so much to talk about, I wish I knew someone else who is reading / has read it. Anyone? I am thinking of this read next. Any reviews or advice on that one?

Being the adventurous pair that we are, Scott and I have opted for a Friday night in, so I'm off to open a bottle of wine now. We are saving money and resting up before our big concert tomorrow night. Hope all is well in the blogosphere, and I will be reading reading reading to catch up with bloggy friends.

Happy weekend.

Yet another reason Billy Collins is my favorite contemporary poet.

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore Billy Collins. I heard him live a few years ago, and I consider it one of the more influential literary experiences I've ever had- comparable only with my summer at Cambridge. He has a way of making you laugh as you read his poems, yet there's always that twist that is poignant as well. His poetry is so accessible that you really don't have to be a literary buff or a lover of words to "get it."

This artist has taken audio of Collins reading his own work and added animation. Simply beautiful. Watch it.... it's worth it. [For some reason, I can't get it to embed on my site. You'll have to click on the link below.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrEPJh14mcU

Books, Books, Books

Brandy posted this one, and I couldn't resisit.

What are you reading right now? Spenser's Sonnets and The Canterbury Tales for school, Why Moms are Weird for fun.

Do you have any idea what you’ll read when you’re done with that? Probably Norwegian Wood or Suite Francaise although my pleasure reading goes way too slow during the school year when I am reading other stuff as well. Half the time I fall asleep grading essays and I never open "my" book until the weekend.

What magazines do you have in your bathroom right now? None in the bathroom, but Southern Living and Real Simple on my coffee table.

What’s the worst thing you were ever forced to read? Pierre was a painful graduate school memory that I am still trying to forget.

What’s the one book you always recommend to just about everyone? Fair and Tender Ladies....if you don't fall in love with that book, I don't know what planet you're from.

Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don’t they? Actually no because I usually buy. At discount rates nonetheless, but I am a buyer. There's just something about having your own copy.

Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don’t like it at all? The Virgin Blue is a hard one to sell, but it's good, I promise!

Do you read books while you do other things? No way. I'm usually sucked in to the point of annoying anyone else who happens to be near me.

When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits? My friends were generally as dorky as me, so no. My sister, however, did and still does.

What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down? Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. My best read all summer.

If you are a fellow reader, and you haven't done this one yet, then tag, you're it!

In case there is any doubt that educators have the most difficult job in America.....

too much too soon

I've witnessed two bizarre humorous slightly disturbing situations already since I've been back at school. A colleague of mine was alerted by a student that there was "something in the boys' bathroom that should not be there." When said teacher went to check it out, he finds a DVD entitled "Good Assternoon" with some fabulously trashy naked girls on the cover. He of course used extreme caution in disposing of the item without actually allowing it to make contact with his skin.

Episode #2 - Another teacher-friend of mine is handing out textbooks to her class when a girl returns hers to get another one because that one has "something in it." Being the smart teacher she is, my friend waits for all the students to leave before investigating the issue, and what did she find? A condom. Not just any condom, people - one that appeared to be used.

I laughed at these situations heartily, partly because they didn't happen to me. We all made our fair share of comments. ("eewwww," "at least they used protection," "at least they had their English book with them")

But then later I heard some freshmen discussing A Night in Paris (aka Paris Hilton's film debut) with more information than they should know at 14. My point in telling you this? I feel archaic making this comment, but kids know way too much way too early these days. Many of the students I teach are probably more knowledgeable about sex - kinky sex - now than I was at 20, 24, who knows, maybe even now. My worry is that kids are not mature enough to deal with it.

The same kids who gasp and freak out when I refer to literary characters as being sexually active are having sex themselves. A lot of it. Is there something weird about that?

Curiosity is a natural thing, and I know I teach kids who are literally a bundle of hormones, but it seems as though they are learning too much too fast, and they don't know how to handle it. A quick search for statistics will tell you:

• In the next 24 hours, 2,795 teenage girls will become pregnant.
• More teenage girls are having sex than boys. (maybe they feel more pressure to act grown up, satisfy upperclassmen who flatter them...I don't know.)
• According to the CDC, 65% of new HIV cases this year will occur in people under 24.
• Currently, 32 states do not require any type of sex education.

My point is....is there really a problem here or are people like me just reading something that's not there? If there is a problem, who is a fault? Parents, schools, the media, the kids themselves who are not taking responsibility?

Weigh in. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Need. Sleep. Already.

Quick update - I will post something a little more reflective over the weekend.

• I have 146 students. At the moment, all of the Jennies, Christies, and Maddies are looking just alike, but I'll manage to figure it out soon.
• I have 32 ninth graders in one room during the last period of the day. Enough said.
• I am already loving British Lit....and that's when we are only on Beowulf. I'm getting a good vibe from my students in that class, and I think it'll be a good year.
• I wore new shoes on the first day of school. BAD idea - lots of blisters. (But let's be honest, I looked cute.)
• I must have done something horrible in a past life because I am looking at year number 2 of being the yearbook advisor.
• I have 95 summer reading tests to grade right now, but instead I am blogging and thinking about starting a new fluff book. I have no shame in the fluffy book department right now. Reading Beowulf and grading papers leave me sorely needing some fun.
• Okay. More later. I'm off to have a glass of wine with my chick lit.

A Sad Farewell

My summer is over.

I know for you non-teacher folks out there, it's "so what, you cry baby with 9 weeks of vacation in the middle of the year." But seriously, it is a very difficult adjustment.

This week was full of little tasks I had to complete to be ready for the year ahead. A highlight was definitely spending my Georgia Teacher Gift Card. (I totally thought that was an election year ploy, but it's back and I'm grateful for that!) Every teacher in the state of GA gets to spend a $100 Visa gift card on classroom supplies. My tally: lots of fun bulletin board stuff, 5 reams of colored paper, bright and cheerful post-it notes, class sets of highlighters, fun grading pens, a wire sorter for my desk, and sticky-tack to hang posters. I really love shopping for office supplies. Weird, I know. The ridiculous thing is that I will spend more money when you include hand sanitizer, tissues, instructional supplements, etc. throughout the year. Crazy!

Anyway, this time of year is always bittersweet for me. In one way, I am predominantly really sad to see summer go and return to my 5:30 a.m. alarm clock and Sunday night panic of the school year, but at the same time I like the "fresh slate" feeling of August. I feel lucky that I am in a profession where I really get to start over every 12 months. New kids, some new material - change is always refreshing.

An fair warning, though. This blog will soon include less discussion of books read for fun and more discussion (begging for advice) on teaching and reading and writing dilemmas. Thanks to all of you for your comments this summer as I have delved into the blogosphere. It's been fun, and I am determined to keep it up as the mad rush of the semester begins!

The best part of going back? Back to school shopping, of course. I'm acquiring some hot pink ballet crocs that should be here any day. I'll definitely be posting a picture.

Currently Reading

.... will report back soon.

The miserable countdown has begun.

A distinguished (now retired) colleague of mine once explained that the portion of the school year between Spring Break and the end of the year could be described as "a freight train to Hell." I kind of feel the same way about the end of summer.


It seems as though Fourth of July marks the turning point for those of us here in Georgia. It's there to warn us that we will be back at school in one short month, and the days just seem to roll by at an uncontrollable pace from that point.


There's nothing you can do but watch in horror as your calendar gets closer and closer to THE dreaded day.


Don't get me wrong, I love my job and I can't imagine doing anything else, but there is nothing like weeks of hot sun, poolside reading, and hours of leisure time. It really is a shock to the system to go back on a schedule of any kind.


This is probably why it has been so difficult for me to start reading school books. I need to review some texts to teach British Lit and there has been a new summer reading book added for one of my courses, so I have needed to get on that as well. This past Tuesday seemed like the perfect day to do so. It was rainy outside, and I had spent my day grocery shopping and cleaning up a little around the house.

I made myself a pot of Earl Gray and sat down to read a bit as I could hear the rain falling. Both of my dogs were sleeping soundly at my feet and all was well. A while later, the dryer buzzed, and I walked upstairs to fold a load of laundry. When I returned maybe 5 minutes later, this is what I found:









Can somebody please explain how this.....



.....can do this?

I read so slowly when I read for school becuase I am making notes and "digesting" the material in order to teach it. Notes. On. Every. Page.

Gone.

[For the record, it was Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and I have another one on the way. Despite my frustraition with that little mishap, I'm excited to teach this one, and I love that it relates so well to the age group I am teaching.]

I guess next time I should leave my book on the counter or something. Apparently the coffee table if not safe from the wild destruction that is my dog.

a little shopping

I am teaching British Lit next year for the first time, and I really wanted a couple of posters for my classroom. I've done a little browsing on Cafepress.com, and I have actually found more t-shirts and bumper stickers than posters - not helpful for my situation, but I had to share them.

First we have this....

And then there's this.......
And last but not least.....

My family is at least as crazy as yours.

I have relatives in town from Texas, so this Fourth of July turned into a little bit of a family reunion. My niece is 3 and a half years old. Usually people entertain children with toys, books, movies. Not us.

We place a "thump bug" in an aluminum dish pan to watch it jump. And then we have a conversation about it.



Uncle: "Look, Peyton. It's a Jump bug!"

Great Aunt #1: "No. It's a Thump bug. T-H-U-M-P. Thump."

Great Aunt#2: "Are you sure that it's not a Blister bug? My daddy had to chop down a tree once because it was covered in Blister bugs. They land on your hand or somethin' and leave a blister where they were."

Great Aunt #1: "Look Peyton! It's thumping. That's because it's a Thump bug."

Uncle's Girlfriend (not from the south): "Is that the scientific name for them?"

Aunt #1: "Well, yeah. What else would they be called?"

Aunt#2: "What she needs now is a frog in a shoebox. Then it could smoke a cigarette."

Everyone: "Huh?"

Aunt#2: "Yeah. My cousins used to do that when we were little. If you get a cigarette started, and then put it the frog's mouth, it'll smoke it."



I mean what's more entertaining than this? Oh, how I love the dirty south.

Proof That English Teachers are Real People, Too

I remember one time that I was using some audio recordings of Julius Caesar to help my students understand it, and one of them raised his had to ask me if I rode around in my car listening to literary recordings all the time. The whole class thought it was far funnier than it really was, of course, but I assured him that I usually listen to real music - if one can fathom that. [Now as an aside, yes I do like books on tape occasionally, but I didn't feel like that was the time to reveal that information.]

My point is that many of my students probably think I live under my desk - which is generally they way I like it to be. Proof, however, that I am normal?.......CHICK LIT!

Let's be honest, as fun as it is to look at literature from a more critical perspective and dissect it, it is equally as fun to read a juicy story that makes you laugh out loud. This great suggestion came courtesy of a friend. (Thanks, Kristen!) It is a perfect summer, forget-about-school novel.

This book is about a young woman who begins to post journal entries on the Internet to pass the time at her mundane job. The journal entries are truly funny and interesting, so lots of people begin to read them. This situation is complicated because she sort of stretches a few details or "rearranges" things in her life to seem a bit different than they really are. She is okay with this because she really sort of sees her task as fiction writing. A mysterious man begins to write to her, though, and she finds herself suddenly wishing she had been honest so that this promise of a relationship could develop. What ensues definitely keeps the pages turning, and there are some really funny moments with a genuinely likable narrator. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it's a perfect by-the-pool summer read.



The first entry that she posts is a funny remembrance of playing with Barbies and her Donny and Marie collectibles who had holes in their hands so that they could hold stuff. I had to include some of it.


"Donny was wearing plastic tighty-whiteys. Seriously. There was an extra ridge of plastic that went around Donny's waist and legs. There was no bulge.....He also had a hole in his hand, but if you did it just right, you could stick in one of Barbie's spiked heels in the hole and have him sniff Barbie's shoe. Donny and Marie didn't have the money for rent, so they lived off their love in a Buster Brown shoe box. Only a ten-year-old can create an incestuous Mormon celebrity relationship and have it be romantic. [....] One day the Barbie without a head convinced Donny and Marie to put pink and blue Life pegs through the holes in their hands. The Barbies pretended the pegs were hits of acid and got the Osmonds to think they could fly." (Ribon 2-3)

Definitely Worth the $9 for Me

Scott and I went to the movies this weekend with some great friends of ours, and we agreed to split off guys from girls since we had some different things in mind for the night. Cathy and I saw Evening, and I had read some negative reviews, so I wasn't so sure I would come out of the theater satisfied.

I loved the film. While I can see merit in the reviews which say that it is oversentimental or choppy in transitions, I loved it anyhow. In so many ways, it was like reading a book on the screen. The storyline transitions often from past to present because the main character, Ann Grant, is on her death bed thinking back to the various experiences and perceived mistakes of her lifetime. The older Ann is played by the amazing Vanessa Redgrave, and the younger Ann is played beautifully by my favorite, Claire Danes. The older Ann is cloudy from the pain medication and in the final stages of her life where she goes in and out of consciousness. While in this state, she mutters the name "Harris" aloud, and her daughters (played by Toni Collette and Redgrave's real life daughter Natasha Richardson) have no idea who this person could be. The audience soon learns that Harris was a memorable love affair for the young Ann.

The scenes are beautifully written and perfectly filmed, and you find yourself wanting to be present at the Newport wedding where Ann met Harris so long ago. Despite these beautiful images, the many messages of the film are what stick with me the most after watching it.

I love that it highlights the intricacies of female relationships without going overboard as a number of "chick flicks" do. Ann's relationship with her freind Lyla is emphasized in their younger days and again as an older Lyla (played by Meryl Streep) comes to see the ailing Ann. Ann's daughters also have their own set of problems that are complicated by their mother's condition, but it is also this situation that seems to bring everything into focus for troubled Nina (Toni Collette). Mother-daughter relationships are never perfect nor simple, and this movie is really honest in its portayal of that.

Most importantly, I love that Ann looks back on her life and remembers her times with Harris as important and worthy even though she went on to have a career, husbands, children, and grandchildren. Reminding her daughters that "there are no mistakes," Ann recognizes that Harris was important as he taught her how to be in love or "how good it can be" as she states it.

So often movies, books, and music interpret a perfect love story to be between a beautiful woman and the man that is "the one" for her. This film, on the other hand, reminds us that all relationships have their place and are important in the development of an individual. Whether the person is the one for you or not, he teaches you something very valuable about yourself, and as Meryl Streep's character explains, "we are mysterious creatures, aren't we?"

Review - Beach Read

I'm not usually one for scary books, but I was told that this novel was a "coming of age story" that just so happened to involve a murder. I am not quite sure that is the case, but I enjoyed the book nevertheless. It was pretty unsettling, though, and I am glad that I was reading it on a bright, sunny beach and not in my room on a dark, stormy night! Any movie or book that details some scary boogyman never really scares me, but if you throw in something spiritual or supernatural, I usually lose a bit of sleep over it.

The basic premise of Promise not to Tell is that Kate, the main character, goes back home to visit her aging mother in Vermont, and she becomes involved with a murder case that mirrors that of her childhood friend, Del. To complicate matters, Del has become somewhat of an urban legend as she is rumored to haunt the rural community where her murder occured, and Kate seems to received creepy messages from Del as she examines this new copy-cat crime. I can't say much more because the novel becomes a classic whodunnit with a great surprise ending. If you like suspenseful or scary stories and you are looking for a simple summertime read, I would suggest it.

Just read it with the lights on.

A Few Narrated Vacation Pictures for You

No trip to the beach can be complete without a trip to the Red Bar - one of my favorite places on the planet.

After the yummy dinner at Red Bar, we went for a walk on the beach at Seaside, another one of my favorite places. Here's Peyton and I walking on the beach. (above)

While we were at the beach, Peyton decided to recite a little Shakespeare. (Not really, but doesn't this picture look like it?) To be or not to be .... that is the question. My niece is so smart; she must take after me.

We then looked for shells on the beach. (See below with Aunt Katie and Uncle Scott.)
And then took a quick picture for Mom......

The rest of the trip was filled with lots of beach time where dorky people sit under the shade and read.....

In all honesty, even car rides and restaurant waits were fun, and it makes me grateful that I have a family I actually enjoy spending time with. Peyton even made Scott talk like Sebastian the whole time. (The fake Jamaican accent is not so charming now that we are home, by the way.) I'll leave you with a picture of all of us together (courtesy of our waitress at Fudpucker's).....

.....And the cutest butt-shot ever!

We're Back!

The beach was as great as always, and we all had a great time. I managed to finish a book while I was there, and there is a review coming soon. For now, pictures will have to do......

Melissa and me at Seaside - even with the black and white, can you tell which of us wears SPF 30?

The ocean feels so big for all of us, regardless of your size. Peyton was pretty fearless, though! This was when we were walking on the beach our last morning there, and she was saying goodbye to the ocean. So cute!

The obligatory posed shore shot - Scott and me.

Uncle Scott and Peyton - The pose is a bit ungraceful, but she was really intrigued that he was writing her name.

Melissa has a much better camera and she tooks lots, so there is more to come....oh yeah, and a book review as well.

June is almost over.....a reality that is very difficult for a teacher to embrace. Ahhhhh, the fleeting days of summer!

Summer Mondays at Aunt Katie's

I'm babysitting Peyton every Monday this summer. I think she's far more excited about the dogs and the neighborhood playground than anything else. This girl needs a dog.

Comments

FYI: I just changed the format so that anyone can comment on here - not just Blogspot registered people.

So THIS is why I read......

My Amazon.com shipment came in on Tuesday, and I have also been without a car for much of this week (courtesy of my husband who backed into a trailer at Home Depot, but that's another story, and it's all fixed now). The result of my week as a shut in? My pantry is clean and organized, my house is dusted and vacuumed, I baked a cake, and I read THE BEST novel I have read in a long time. It's 514 pages and worth every second that it takes to read it.

If you read one book this summer, read this. For all you English majors, Special Topics in Calamity Physics is structured around chapters with titles that read like a syllabus outlining the canon - from the chapter titled Moby Dick (where we witness an unfortunate situation in a swimming pool) to Wuthering Heights (where the main character details her over-romanticized love interest) to Pygmailion (where she receives a makeover of sorts). It is the story of Blue Van Meer, a lovable heroine, whose father is a respected Political Science professor who schools his daughter in all things academic and raises her to be the most intellectually curious and well-read teenager imaginable. Blue has never lived a full year in the same place because her father chooses to keep moving from university to university, but he has decided to give her the gift of her senior year in one place this time - a small town in western North Carolina. Ironically, this experience leads to a greater adventure than her many previous travels because Blue befriends some interesting peers and an intriguing teacher who seems to have trouble drawing a line of privacy and separation between herself and her students.

The story is definitely a coming-of-age tale, but it develops a bit of a murder mystery twist, and there are unexpected moments in every chapter. I couldn't put it down! In the end it solidifies why we read. (Blue is definitely guided by her cultural lexicon.) But it also reminds us that there are aspects of our lives that are so far from intellect and also far more confusing than what the brain can sort out. Aside from this, it really is one of the most innovative and creatively written novels I have read in a long time (often including academic citations in Blue's rambling thoughts). Visit the website for more info. http://www.calamityphysics.com/ I cannot say enough positive things about this book.

Now I have to decide what to fill my beach bag with.....always so hard to follow up such a great book.

Ain't nothin' like a Southern wedding....

We spent the last weekend at my cousin Amanda's wedding, and everyone had a great time. Just as I picked up my camera to take the first picture, my battery died, but luckily Melissa had hers, so I've got plenty of pictures. Aside from marveling at food and flowers, the best thing about weddings is seeing everyone and catching up with friends and family, and since I have the best family in the world, this is even more fun!

Here's the happy couple after the wedding. Look how many kids! They had "bell ringers," "flower girls," "bible bearers," and "ring bearers."

Granchildren and Great-Grandaughter with my Grandmother and Grandaddy - My brother is very outnumbered!

Peyton loves to get down on the dance floor!

"If you happen to pass by 84, Charing Cross Road, kiss it for me. I owe it so much."

I received 84, Charing Cross Road as a Christmas gift, but I had not delved into it yet. It is a brief little epistolary novel, and I decided to take it with me last week. I read it in 2 sittings, and it gave me so much to look forward to as I was chaperoning kids and attending somewhat boring presentations for three days. It's a book you can't stop reading, and I love any epistolary work because it really feels like you are reading something you shouldn't be. (I'm not sure what that says about me. I'm nosy, I guess.)

The premise of the story is an American book lover (Helene) who adores antique books despite the fact that she has limited funds. She writes letters to Marks & Co., a London bookseller, and she forms a relationship with the store manager that spans decades. They become close friends who are very different in many ways, but they bond over their shared love of literature and a similar sense of humor. As suggested by the quote I included in my title for this post, Helene gains much more than antique books from her experiences with Marks & Co. The book has some funny moments, but it is also touching, and I finished the book wishing that the characters were close friends of mine. (Book Lovers, you know what I mean.)

It was the highlight of my week, and I'd definitely read it again. (I don't say that often.) Thanks, Cathy for the suggestion! Highly recommended.

If only we could all be this confident about our bodies.....

I just spent three days at camp with a bunch of high school girls. Seeing them makes me remember my high school days when my weight hardly reached the triple digits. This sort of thing could do a number on your own self esteem.

Then I go swimming with Peyton.

"I like my body.... and it's not because it's perfect. I accept it and wear it like a good dress." - Salma Hayek

I'm a Dancin' Fool

This weekend was full of lots of dancing. First there was Peyton's ballet recital where she was clearly the cutest one. (See above.) She is taking from my old studio which excites me and makes me a bit nostalgic for my own dancing days. As you can see from the photo on the left, I was much more excited about Peyton's recital than she was. Believe it or not, I am starting back dancing again this summer. I have not danced in about 6 years, so this is big. I am frightened at the thought of my thighs in ballet tights, but I'm going to give it an honest try.

As though one day of dancing was not enough, Scott's grandparents had their 50th anniversary party today, and it was a square dance. When I say square dance, I mean do-si-do, fluffy skirts, swing your partner, real live square dance. I was definitely a wall flower, but a good time was had by all, and it was definitely an adventure.

I am now off to Yearbook Camp with a crowd of high school girls. I am the lucky chaperone, so I will be back in a few days when I will really feel as though my summer has begun. Go Yearbook! I think I get a free t-shirt.

first fruits of summer

School is out. YAY! This means time to read. For one of the first times, I have no real desire to read something specific. (This is weird because I usually end the school year with s list a mile long.) I browsed in Target for a while last week, and this is what I discovered.

While it was a decent sort of beach read, I was not all that impressed. The story line seemed unfinished, and characters were not entirely developed. It takes place during "Freedom Summer" in Tupelo, Mississippi, and there was some mention of racial issues, but these also felt unfinished and sorely incomplete.

I am starved for good books, and I really need some inspiration before going back to school. I'd love to experience some good Southern Lit or Magical Realism specifically. Summer leaves me craving a good read, and my beach bag needs to be full when I go in a couple of weeks! Suggestions are welcome.