2006: The Year in Books Meme

BerryBird over at Lake Loop has posted a list of all the books she read in 2006. Unfortunately, I stopped maintaining my list in April. So the following list is in order of having been read through the beginning of April:

Buster Midnight’s Café by Sandra Dallas
A House In Sicily by Daphne Phelps
Until the Real Thing Comes Along by Elizabeth Berg
A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena de Blasi
Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner
Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs
Ciao, America! By Beppe Severgnini
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes
Sarah’s Quilt by Nancy E Turner
The Secret Hour by Luanne Rice
The Reluctant Tuscan by Phil Doran

I may try to put together a random assortment of other books I've read in 2006 by looking around the house, but I make no promises.

Edited to include in random order:

Drop City by T.C. Boyle
For Love by Sue Miller
The Secret Hour by Luanne Rice
Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
Range of Motion by Elizabeth Berg
New Mercies by Sandra Dallas
The Breakdown Lane by Jacquelyn Mitchard
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Good Grief by Lolly Winston
The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Christmas Past

I would like to wish everyone who celebrates Christmas a very merry one! And a happy holidays in general.

I originally posted this picture back in May in honor of Mother's Day, but I think it would be appropriate again now.




My first Christmas, 1976.

Movies and Books

The Sound of Music was on last night. I know, most of you are probably sighing and rolling your eyes, but I Love! Love! Love! The Sound of Music. It is absolutely and without a doubt my favorite movie. I don't get to watch it that often because of the singing, but my fiance was out finishing up some Christmas shopping and then cooking dinner (yes, at 10:45pm), so I got to watch the last couple hours.

I find Captain Von Trapp to be incredibly alluring. He has such a presence. I wonder if his character has contributed over the years to my attraction to men in the military. That's the kind of thing that goes through my mind as I try to fall asleep at night.

On to the books portion of this post, I finally finished The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather. It was the third of her books that I've read, and for the most part, I enjoyed it even more than My Antonia and O Pioneers!. It did drag a bit near the end, but the rest of it more than made up for that.

Now I've started reading The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. It definitely falls in the "musty old British lit" category that I love so much. This one caught my interest right from the get go, and I found myself trying to read it during commercials the last couple nights. It's so nice to be able to read recreationally again (now that class is over), but I am obviously still short on time and energy since the house is sucking up both of those.

Early Christmas Present

As you can see the Beta creature has finally decided I am worthy. I haven't had a chance to play and tweak yet, what with the whole painting career. I plan on taking tonight off from the fumes, so I might play then. Or I might acknowledge that Christmas is only 3 days away and go shopping.

Today feels a bit like Christmas to me. The carpet is being installed and every time I think about it a little bit of excitement leaps up inside of me. New! Carpet! It's like a big, expensive present to myself. I can't wait to rush over there after work and see my New! Carpet!

Slighted

OK, I just have to say that I am feeling slighted by this Beta creature. I got the offer to switch one day last week or the week before, but I didn't have time to play that day or the next, so I didn't. Then the day after that, the offer was retracted and has not reappeared.

Did I anger you Beta creature? Am I not worthy?

Progress Report

If you are wondering why you are being blessed with another post from me on the same day, it is because my computer at home is being evil. Best take advantage of one's lunch hour, eh?

I finished the trim in the masterbedroom.

My sister, my fiance, and I pulled the old carpet out of the livingroom.

I finished painting the walls in the kitchen (mostly).

I did the second coat on the ceiling in the livingroom and hall but haven't tackled the mysterious sand business yet.

I painted the walls in the livingroom.

Between my stepmom and me, we've almost finished the first coat on the trim in the livingroom.

my fiance has laid the carpet pad in both of the small bedrooms.

Did I forget anything?

Plan for tonight: more trim and possibly painting the hall (that would involve buying more paint).

I have Wednesday off, and the carpet will be installed on Thursday. I'm not panicking yet, I promise.

The Wondrous New Diet

I have everyone's solution to weight loss...

Start with extreme stress and then add two ten to twelve hour days spent somewhere with no running water (and therefore no toilet). This will seriously cut down on food and beverage consumption.

When I climbed on the scale this morning (something I rarely do, not being all that interested in the results), I saw a number that I have not seen since high school. A number that is about 7 pounds lighter than when I last weighed myself and 13 pounds lighter than a number that I used to see regularly.

Interesting, yes, but we need to consider the fact that exercise has been entirely eliminated from my life for the last several months because of the house situation.

Plus, this fabulous new diet may also leave you open to illness, as I now feel great amounts of snot pressing at my sinuses. Take that into consideration before rushing out and trying it yourself.