You're The Animals!
You're just a soul whose intentions are good. You are praying for
some understanding, but somehow you seem to know already that it's not going to come
through. You wouldn't have thought that a mere house could ruin your life, but now
you don't even look forward to the sunrise anymore. With all this ruin, you think it
might be time to go on some sort of tour. You've got to get out of this place, if
it's the last thing you ever do.
30 April 2008
The Animal Quiz
27 April 2008
Tea - A Cup of Brown Joy
I'm sorry, I don't remember whose blog I saw this on, but I thought it was so cool I had to post it here.
22 April 2008
Books that make you go "mmmmm"
Last week, quite by accident, I read three mysteries in a row with food themes.
The first was Laura Childs' Silver Needle Murder, which I reviewed a few days ago.
The second was Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood. This is the first in the Corinna Chapman series. Corinna is a former accountant, who has opened her own bakery in Melbourne, Australia. When she finds a comatose junkie outside her back door, she also discovers that addicts' bodies have been turning up all over the city. Finding the girl on her property makes her take it personally, and she sets out to find the killer.
This book made my mouth water with its descriptions of various baked goods, and when Corinna's apprentice starts experimenting with muffin recipes, I wanted to go into the kitchen and start baking.
Julie Hyzy's State of the Onion follows our heroine Olivia (Ollie) Paras in her quest to become the top chef at the White House. The current chef is supporting her, but she is challenged by the host of a well-known television cooking show.
Ollie's aspirations are jeopardized when she becomes involved in White House breach of security on her way to work. Despite being ordered to stay out of it by the Secret Service, she find herself drawn into the mystery when the supposed terrorist contacts her.
Lots of really tasty treats in this book, and luckily several recipes at the end.
The first was Laura Childs' Silver Needle Murder, which I reviewed a few days ago.
The second was Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood. This is the first in the Corinna Chapman series. Corinna is a former accountant, who has opened her own bakery in Melbourne, Australia. When she finds a comatose junkie outside her back door, she also discovers that addicts' bodies have been turning up all over the city. Finding the girl on her property makes her take it personally, and she sets out to find the killer.
This book made my mouth water with its descriptions of various baked goods, and when Corinna's apprentice starts experimenting with muffin recipes, I wanted to go into the kitchen and start baking.
Julie Hyzy's State of the Onion follows our heroine Olivia (Ollie) Paras in her quest to become the top chef at the White House. The current chef is supporting her, but she is challenged by the host of a well-known television cooking show.
Ollie's aspirations are jeopardized when she becomes involved in White House breach of security on her way to work. Despite being ordered to stay out of it by the Secret Service, she find herself drawn into the mystery when the supposed terrorist contacts her.
Lots of really tasty treats in this book, and luckily several recipes at the end.
21 April 2008
The Colour Purple
You Are Lavender |
 You are a sweet person with a very soft personality. People become easily entranced with you. They seem to glow around you. You have a quiet energy that can keep you active late into the night. Even if you aren't the life of the party, you definitely keep the party going. |
17 April 2008
Just finished reading...
The Silver Needle Murder by Laura Childs.
I hadn't realized that Childs was up to her ninth Tea Shop Mystery, but apparently she is. It even says so on the title page (which I would provide a link to if I could find one, but I can't).
It's the first Charleston Film Festival, and the Indigo Tea Shop is busy hosting their special events. But at the opening event, a famous director is killed. When one of the judges quits as a result, Theodosia is "asked" to fill in, and investigate the murder at the same time.
She doesn't know how she will investigate, judge a film competition, attend red-carpet events, and run her tea shop, all at the same time, but vows to try. Being so busy, and with a lot of roadblocks and red herrings thrown in her way she stumbles on the killer's identity by quite by accident.
The story starts a little slowly, but becomes more engrossing as it progresses.
Childs also writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries, and has a new series set in a small-town cafe called the Cackleberry Club to be released in December.
I hadn't realized that Childs was up to her ninth Tea Shop Mystery, but apparently she is. It even says so on the title page (which I would provide a link to if I could find one, but I can't).
It's the first Charleston Film Festival, and the Indigo Tea Shop is busy hosting their special events. But at the opening event, a famous director is killed. When one of the judges quits as a result, Theodosia is "asked" to fill in, and investigate the murder at the same time.
She doesn't know how she will investigate, judge a film competition, attend red-carpet events, and run her tea shop, all at the same time, but vows to try. Being so busy, and with a lot of roadblocks and red herrings thrown in her way she stumbles on the killer's identity by quite by accident.
The story starts a little slowly, but becomes more engrossing as it progresses.
Childs also writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries, and has a new series set in a small-town cafe called the Cackleberry Club to be released in December.
14 April 2008
Just finished reading....
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
The last book I was so enamoured with that I forced myself to read it slowly, was The Thirteenth Tale, in late December 2006. People of the Book affected me in a similar manner.
There are two threads to the story:
A document known as the Sarajevo Haggadah, which disappeared in 1992 is believed to have been discovered, and a book conservator named Hanna Heath is chosen to assess its condition. She becomes almost obsessed with it, and we follow her as she journeys from her home in Australia to Sarajevo where the document is located, and to various parts of the world as she attempts to trace its origins.
The other thread, which begins with a young girl trying to escape the Nazis in 1940 and moves backwards in time to its creation in the late 1400s, traces the journey of the Haggadah itself through glimpses into the lives of its various possessors.
Both threads are absolutely fascinating, and I found myself a little frustrated each time the narrative moved from one to the other, because I didn't want the particular section I was reading to end.
The last book I was so enamoured with that I forced myself to read it slowly, was The Thirteenth Tale, in late December 2006. People of the Book affected me in a similar manner.
There are two threads to the story:
A document known as the Sarajevo Haggadah, which disappeared in 1992 is believed to have been discovered, and a book conservator named Hanna Heath is chosen to assess its condition. She becomes almost obsessed with it, and we follow her as she journeys from her home in Australia to Sarajevo where the document is located, and to various parts of the world as she attempts to trace its origins.
The other thread, which begins with a young girl trying to escape the Nazis in 1940 and moves backwards in time to its creation in the late 1400s, traces the journey of the Haggadah itself through glimpses into the lives of its various possessors.
Both threads are absolutely fascinating, and I found myself a little frustrated each time the narrative moved from one to the other, because I didn't want the particular section I was reading to end.
12 April 2008
What I've been reading
It's been a couple of weeks since I posted a Just finished reading... blog, so I thought I'd catch up. I've actually read quite a lot in fourteen days!
At Wick's End by Tim Myers.
I've been meaning to start this series for some time, but couldn't seem to find it on the library's shelves when I wanted it, so I picked up a copy when we were in SF.
The story is about Harrison Black, whose only relative, his great-aunt Belle passes away and leaves him her business as well as the complex in which it's located.
Harrison moves into the apartment a few floors above the store, and sets about learning candle-making. As he learns more about the way Belle lived, he becomes more and more convinced that she did not die a natural death, and sets out to prove it.
Persuading Annie by Melissa Nathan.
I really enjoyed Nathan's version of the Pride and Prejudice story (see post from 29 December 2007), and was pleased when my SIL lend me her copy because it's out of print and hard to find.
Persuading Annie is her interpretation of Persuasion, and it's just as good. Annie Markam's godmother convinces her not to marry Jake when she's 19. Seven years later, the Markham business is in trouble and a management consultant is brought in to try to revive the company. Yes, of course, the consultant is Jake. I'm not going to describe the plot any further, as you know it if you've read Persuasion. And if you're not a Jane-ite, you probably don't care about this book.
Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz.
I loooooved this sequel to The Spellman Files. Izzy has been "subletting" an apartment from a friend. When he unexpectedly returns, he insists she stay, but unable to deal with his loud poker parties, she moves back to her parents house. She meets their new next-door neighbour John Brown (obviously a phony name) who has a landscaping business (obviously phony). She sets out to prove that he's a bad guy, and ends up in jail.
Izzy and her younger sister Rae are hilarious, and like Lucy and Ethel, all the crazy things they do somehow seem reasonable.
Justice Hall by Laurie R. King.
Slowly continuing my reading of the Russell/Holmes novels. Here, Mary and Holmes have just returned home from a long and difficult case, when one of their old friends from O Jerusalem literally stumbles onto their doorstep. He insists that their other comrade from that adventure needs their help, and persuades them to accompany him to his ancestral home, Justice Hall. In this sixth volume of the series, but the quality of the writing and storytelling is as high as ever.
Turn up the Heat by Susan Conant and Jessica Conant-Park.
The third in the Gourmet Girl series has Chloe Carter finding a waitress from her boyfriend Josh's restaurant in the back of a delivery truck with her apron strings wrapped around her neck. This affects not only Josh, because the restaurant is shut down for a few days, but one of her best friends, Owen, the owner of the truck and chief suspect. Chloe is determined to prove that neither of them is involved in the murder.
Currently reading:
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
At Wick's End by Tim Myers.
I've been meaning to start this series for some time, but couldn't seem to find it on the library's shelves when I wanted it, so I picked up a copy when we were in SF.
The story is about Harrison Black, whose only relative, his great-aunt Belle passes away and leaves him her business as well as the complex in which it's located.
Harrison moves into the apartment a few floors above the store, and sets about learning candle-making. As he learns more about the way Belle lived, he becomes more and more convinced that she did not die a natural death, and sets out to prove it.
Persuading Annie by Melissa Nathan.
I really enjoyed Nathan's version of the Pride and Prejudice story (see post from 29 December 2007), and was pleased when my SIL lend me her copy because it's out of print and hard to find.
Persuading Annie is her interpretation of Persuasion, and it's just as good. Annie Markam's godmother convinces her not to marry Jake when she's 19. Seven years later, the Markham business is in trouble and a management consultant is brought in to try to revive the company. Yes, of course, the consultant is Jake. I'm not going to describe the plot any further, as you know it if you've read Persuasion. And if you're not a Jane-ite, you probably don't care about this book.
Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz.
I loooooved this sequel to The Spellman Files. Izzy has been "subletting" an apartment from a friend. When he unexpectedly returns, he insists she stay, but unable to deal with his loud poker parties, she moves back to her parents house. She meets their new next-door neighbour John Brown (obviously a phony name) who has a landscaping business (obviously phony). She sets out to prove that he's a bad guy, and ends up in jail.
Izzy and her younger sister Rae are hilarious, and like Lucy and Ethel, all the crazy things they do somehow seem reasonable.
Justice Hall by Laurie R. King.
Slowly continuing my reading of the Russell/Holmes novels. Here, Mary and Holmes have just returned home from a long and difficult case, when one of their old friends from O Jerusalem literally stumbles onto their doorstep. He insists that their other comrade from that adventure needs their help, and persuades them to accompany him to his ancestral home, Justice Hall. In this sixth volume of the series, but the quality of the writing and storytelling is as high as ever.
Turn up the Heat by Susan Conant and Jessica Conant-Park.
The third in the Gourmet Girl series has Chloe Carter finding a waitress from her boyfriend Josh's restaurant in the back of a delivery truck with her apron strings wrapped around her neck. This affects not only Josh, because the restaurant is shut down for a few days, but one of her best friends, Owen, the owner of the truck and chief suspect. Chloe is determined to prove that neither of them is involved in the murder.
Currently reading:
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
08 April 2008
Ten on Tuesday
I've been watching this meme site for a while, and finally found something interesting enough to participate in.
Ten Favourite Actors (Male/Female)
(in no particular order)
1. Meryl Streep
2. Audrey Hepburn
3. Daniel Day-Lewis
4. Emma Thompson
5. Hugh Laurie
6. Gabriel Byrne
7. Judi Dench
8. Helen Mirren
9. Alan Rickman
10. Peter Davison
Of course, this is not a complete list. And tomorrow, my list might be different.
Ten Favourite Actors (Male/Female)
(in no particular order)
1. Meryl Streep
2. Audrey Hepburn
3. Daniel Day-Lewis
4. Emma Thompson
5. Hugh Laurie
6. Gabriel Byrne
7. Judi Dench
8. Helen Mirren
9. Alan Rickman
10. Peter Davison
Of course, this is not a complete list. And tomorrow, my list might be different.
07 April 2008
It's spring!
The flowers in my garden are starting to bloom, and I finally had a chance last week to take some pictures.
The wisteria actually had flowers and leaves at the same time!
Perfect Moment, the USC rose (Tod's favourite).
A blossom on the lemon tree that Tod managed to resuscitate.
The last blood orange of the season.
The wisteria actually had flowers and leaves at the same time!
Perfect Moment, the USC rose (Tod's favourite).
A blossom on the lemon tree that Tod managed to resuscitate.
The last blood orange of the season.
03 April 2008
So many books, so little time!
The top two shelves are my TBR (to-be-read) books.
These do not include the books I currently have checked out
of the library, or the books on my library request list, or my Amazon wish list...
01 April 2008
April Fool's Day News
All kinds of April Fool's jokes abound on the internets today.
Last night when I was on Ravelry, goofy hats suddenly began appearing on peoples' avatars. I was very confused, especially since it was only 9 p.m. here in California. Of course, the Ravelry crew are all on the east coast.
In political and sports news, John McCain will be campaigning at Burning Man 2008, while ESPN has Election Deathmatch Coverage.
NPR reports on a problem with the maple trees in New England, while all of the featured videos on YouTube lead here.
Google has been particularly busy. Ostensibly in partnership with Virgin airlines,m they have debuted a site they call Virgle, which is a project for the first human colony on Mars. I took the questionnaire to see if I qualified to be a Virgle pioneer, and here was the assessment:
Blogger announces the new Google Weblogs.
Google Books gives us a scratch'n'sniff option, but I think Google's very best April 1st innovation is the Wake-up Kit.
Last night when I was on Ravelry, goofy hats suddenly began appearing on peoples' avatars. I was very confused, especially since it was only 9 p.m. here in California. Of course, the Ravelry crew are all on the east coast.
In political and sports news, John McCain will be campaigning at Burning Man 2008, while ESPN has Election Deathmatch Coverage.
NPR reports on a problem with the maple trees in New England, while all of the featured videos on YouTube lead here.
Google has been particularly busy. Ostensibly in partnership with Virgin airlines,m they have debuted a site they call Virgle, which is a project for the first human colony on Mars. I took the questionnaire to see if I qualified to be a Virgle pioneer, and here was the assessment:
Well, you're distressingly normal and could conceivably adjust to life as a deep space pioneer, though we recommend instead that you leave the Mars missions to the serious whack jobs who scored over 130 and instead finish year 3 of law school, tuck your toddler into bed, design Web 2.0 applications, run for Congress or do whatever other normal, healthy, middle-of-the-road thing you're currently doing with your normal, healthy, middle-of-the-road life.
Blogger announces the new Google Weblogs.
Google Books gives us a scratch'n'sniff option, but I think Google's very best April 1st innovation is the Wake-up Kit.
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