Le mieux blog dans le monde!

So I broke down and saw the movie and was pleasantly surprised. It was nice to see a condensed version of the book and I eagerly await future condensed versions of the series in movie format. Edward was charming although he could have smiled more. Bella was good, but I became a fan after Speak. The "baseball scene" was awesome and my only complaint is that it was too short. And Jasper was absolutely adorable. The movie reflected how I remember life as a teenager to be--miserable--and I found myself giggling--a lot.

I went with my friend Nan, who is a mega fan of both the books and the movie. We talked and I came to the conclusion that I didn't really enjoy the books because I just don't like romance novels. Books that are of another genre with a little romance are fine; just not the formulaic romances. Plus, I'm blessed with a wonderful hubbie and don't need an aphrodisiac like I hear so many women claim Edward to be.

Latest books that I absolutely love:

* The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
* Ophelia by Lisa Klein
* Courtney Crumrin & the Coven of the Mystics by Ted Naifeh

There was a time when I hibernated, well, year round. Mostly this was in high school, particularly the Alaska chapter.

This past week I've craved the sleep and luckily had today off to do so. I got up, ate Christmas day leftovers, read, slept, awoke, told Russ to get up for work, read, said goodbye to Russ, finished my book, and slept some more. Often I'd awake feeling guilty but remembered Russ' Dove chocolate advice to have a relaxing holiday.

Now I'm watching House Hunters International and wondering how I can move to Spain. I recently read a book that took place in Spain, and watching the beautiful scenery and architecture make it seem like a likely place for me. Not to mention it has very mild, beautiful weather as opposed to the the past two winters in Utah.

I'm really looking for a weather reprieve when we visit Austin for my friend's wedding in March. Hopefully this year an ice storm isn't due in Austin. I escaped the experience both years I was there and hope it is an every 3-4 years type thing--they had one last winter.

Here are my top ten places to travel. I've already visited a couple but would love to return.

1. The beach--it doesn't matter where so long as the water is warm like the Gulf coast.
2. The Mediterranean. I imagine the most romantic spots are along the Mediterranean Sea. Greece and Morocco are high on my list and I'm jealous of my friend Maggie who gets to honeymoon in Morocco next month.
3. Miami, Florida. Everyone I know who has lived in Miami loves it. To just think I passed up this opportunity with a job offer and came to Utah instead, but I met Russ so it made Utah worth it.
4. Chicago, Illinois. This is a super fun city to visit during the summer. The bay is a beautiful sight and there are many museums and parks that are fun to visit. The downtown is very nice and you really can't surpass the mass transit system. And our new president calls this city home.
5. Egypt. I've heard mixed things about Egypt. You have to take the difference in culture with a grain of salt and be prepared to meet those differences. Simply the magnificence of the Great Pyramids and Sphinx, Luxor, and temples would be nice to see in real life. I had a friend in high school from Egypt and so it easily made the list.
6. Kenya. While in Egypt, we may as well take a safari in Kenya. I hear this is the place in Africa to see the animals. I've wanted to visit Africa for years.
7. China. I've read some history and a little of the culture. It seems so at odds with American culture and such a deeply ingrained culture, much like other Asian cultures, since it is one of the oldest in the world.
8. Boston, Massachusetts. Boston is also a fun city full of history and a true cultural center. With it's many districts, there is something for everyone! There are some really fun restaurants and bars, with some of the best food I've ever eaten. It also had a great public transit system. I've only been to Boston during the winter and would like to see what it looks like without all the white stuff.
9. New York City, New York. Russ and I want to go to a Broadway play and eat at a fancy smancy restaurant here. I'm not sure we could afford to go shopping, though.
10. San Francisco, California. My friend will be moving here after she gets married so after a year or so hopefully we can visit the Bay area. My parents used to live here and had a book about the city with great pictures. I looked through this book time and time again as a kid. My sister and her husband spent their honeymoon in San Fran and others have said great things about San Fran too--another cultural center.

I didn't put Texas on the list because I've lived there and visited and plan to continue visiting regularly. And of course, there are other places I'd like to visit, such as all the National Parks (thanks Nevada Barr) and some church history sites.

There are so many places to go and people to see; so many cultures to learn a smidgen about first hand. Earth is such a diverse place. Even within the United States itself there is a wide range of cultures. My life goal is to experience a good portion of it before I die.

I took my church class on a "ding, dong, ditch" excursion last week. We were pretending to be Santa's elves and left homemade cards, ornaments, and goodies to some members of our church. The kids talked the talked but proved they could not walk the walk. Maybe it was that we had 6 (3 boys and 3 girls) and that is too many for this kind of activity to remain hidden. One girl didn't even try to hide and was chided by her classmates the rest of the night, which caused a whole lot of ruckus. One of the highlights of the night was when the boys, who were in charge of one particular house, were scared out of their wits: the owner of the house saw them and scared them as they approached the door.

On Sunday I spoke to the wife of the house and she said they didn't really expect to get anything out of the "ding, dong, ditch" and were trying to get back at the young rowdies in the neighborhood. Apparently there are many kids in the nearby neighborhoods from one end of the school boundaries to the other who either on their way to school or their way home like to ring people's doorbells and run off. This lady said they've had their doorbell rung with no one waiting on the doorstep numerous times. She said that once she opened the door and was greeted by a bag of poo lit on fire.

Another lady told me that it's usual for the doorbell to ring at her house at 3:30 pm, which is when school is out. She's been conditioned to not answer the door, but is reminded that her children will be home any minute.

Aside from seeing the dog poo on fire trick on the movies, it never occurred to me to either leave nothing or a prank while performing this rite of passage. My mom always had us kids deliver fudge to her neighborhood friends around Christmas using this technique. In college there were "chain" doorbell ditches where if you were hit you were expected to return the favor by delivering some baked goods to another apartment.

Still it was a humorous experience and the kids did beat their old teacher's house, which they failed just a few years ago. They swore it was a difficult house, but I knew they could do it if they just hid in the right spot. Maybe in a couple of years they'll learn to be quiet as they move from one house to another and to wait a few extra minutes before ringing the doorbell again just in case the resident is extra slow answering the door. Of course, by then they'll probably be past this stage, the girls more interested in spying on boys and the boys more interested in staying in and playing video games.

I have fond childhood memories of participating in the family presentation of the nativity for my father on Christmas Eve. My mom assigned each kid a part and we'd try to memorize our lines and hunt down props and pieces for our costumes (usually consisting of bath robes, towels, belts, and sheets or blankets). My Cabbage Patch doll Gus was always baby Jesus. We'd perform our lines and sing the appropriate songs. Once we visited Grandma and relatives in California for Christmas. The family tradition traveled with us and incorporated a couple of uncles who added the use of a shower cap to the costume repertoire.

These were happy experiences. The tradition has ended and the only nativity I've experienced the past 15 years are performances done at ward Christmas parties or video clips. Usually these performances are more professional than the ones we performed as kids, which means the cast took themselves very seriously and sometimes the adaptations went on and on and on and on, while overdoing the "spiritual" experience.

Well, that is until last night.

Last night I attended my ward's performance of the nativity at a real barn that an older couple in town loans out for performances such as the nativity. It is a rustic barn that has been wired with lights. Hay was piled up like bleachers on one side of the barn for people to sit on (at the risk of their precious lives). On the opposite side of the barn was the "stage" where benches were set out for the choir and a manager for baby Jesus.

Much to my delight there were real life chickens and a calf inside. Outside of horses, and sheep and goats at the petting zoo this was the closest I can remember being to farm animals, although I've lived in more rural cities (yes, this is possible in Idaho and Utah) for a total of 11 years. In these places it is not unusual to be driving through what appears to be an urban neighborhood and pass a field with houses on every side holding horses or hear a cow lowing from the distance. Following the example of a teen, I petted the calf (J would be jealous--or maybe terrified!) and was surprised at how coarse his/her fur was. I was just as tempted as the little kids to catch a chicken but refrained out of fear of being pecked. For me, a city girl, it was a cultural experience.

I arrived early while some of the cast were getting dressed for their parts. As the audience arrived via hay rides (I came straight from work and missed the hay ride), dust and hay was kicked up (and boy am I feeling it in my sinuses this morning). People came with their blankets, and luckily a happy couple shared with me since I was expecting a heated barn. The kids were excited about the animals and wanted to climb to the top of the hay.

Everyone settled and the production began. My experience with ward parties in the past and thus my stereotype of ward activities is that those in charge are pretty darn Martha Stewartesque. I expected this activity to be beyond Martha Stewart since I'm in the Mormon cultural center of the world. I was pleasantly and humorously surprised.

It was obvious no rehearsal had taken place. In fact, the nativity my family performed back in the day was more professional than this one. The narrator had to share his copy of the script with the angel Gabriel, who seemed to lose his place, and whisper Mary's lines to her from three feet away. Baby Jesus was a pile of blankets swaddled together and Joseph seemed more nurturing than Mary, who kept zoning out. The person working the lighting tried to spotlight the characters by turning the overhead lights on and off, but had to turn on and off every single light in the barn each time to find the right ones. I outright laughed in inappropriate places, as did our old bishop (phew!), and the gal I sat with kept commenting on how they should have rehearsed at least once.

It was a funny experience, animals included, but it was a worthwhile experience and I learned a lot about the talents of my ward members. There was charity present. As mentioned before, a couple shared their warm, thick blanket with me. My work schedule doesn't allow me to attend most ward activities, so outside the 11 year old kids I teach I haven't gotten to know very many people. My ward members are very friendly. There is musical talent that I didn't know about. The three kings sang "We Three Kings" in perfect harmony and the sister who sang "O Holy Night" a capella hit every note perfectly--it was amazing! The teens and children of the ward participated as characters in the play or as members of the choir and often out-shined the adults as they delved deeper into their roles. It was fun to see the support and enthusiasm (or lack thereof) of the people who volunteered to participate.

Overall it was a memorable experience and one I'll hold in my heart for many years to come. This time of year I look for opportunities to help me feel the true Christmas spirit. I hope we can all remember that outside the shopping and gift giving, parties, and merrymaking, that there once lived a man who sacrificed all he to help mankind heal from physical and spiritual ailments. A man who's birth we celebrate this season. And even if you don't believe this man ever lived or did the things attributed to him, the spirit of giving can extend outside our circle to those in need.

Happy holidays!

While the media tells us one thing, I think a good number of married women can attest that the media portrays an extremely unrealistic standard of what makes a woman beautiful.

After reading The Spy Wore Red by Aline Countess of Romanones(a memoir of a young model turned spy during WWII), I googled images of Aline (I google information about people I read about and the places they lived). In the book, Aline is wined and dined and described as being beautiful and fashionable. The image in my head of beautiful? Tall and skinny with delicate features. The images of the Countess on google? Statuesque and robust.

This doesn't mean that Aline is not beautiful. She just lived in a different time--a time long gone before I was influenced to the extent I have been by the media. That was a time when women like Janis Paige and Jayne Mansfield were sex icons. These women are no way "delicate" or "skinny". A glimpse at their bodies do not conjure thoughts of twigs snapping in two. These women have not only average sized breasts but they also have rounded hips and meat on their bones. Simply put, these woman have womanly figures.

When I complain to my husband that I gained 10 pounds last year and that I feel fat, he tries to reassure me that I look good. Until recently I didn't really believe him. He is sweet and always knows the right thing to say. It's not that he is insincere; he is merely gifted, not superficial, and he loves me.

Lately I've noticed young woman who are twigs and I think,"Ugh! How can anyone find that attractive?" It's not jealousy, because I have experienced jealousy in the past. No, this is something more. This is having my eyes opened and recognizing that beauty does not come in a size 4 or under. It does not mean that you can see my ribs or I have hardly any fat. It means that I am healthy, fit, and my metabolism has slowed down with age.

Men are physical beings. Maybe their brain's aren't their default thought processors, but I'm learning that they are attracted to women who are average, healthy sizes. (And big boobs don't really matter, so long as the women they love have some.) And a man can lust after a woman because he likes her body, but he'll love a woman he can relate to, laugh with, and have a physical relationship with (at the right time of course!).

To think of all the energy I wasted fretting over weight and size for the past 15-18 years! It didn't make me happy or carefree; it was frustrating and confining.

My new mission in life is to teach this bit o'wisdom to the young women, teenagers, and now elementary aged girls (because, unfortunately, more and more of this age group are becoming concerned with their looks) who are caught up in false notions of beauty.

Be healthy and enjoy life!

Rekindled Old Flames


If New Kids on the Block are coming to your town, I highly recommend you attend the concert! Muse is still the best concert I've been to, but the NKOTB concert is in the top five. Twenty years later, Jordan, Jon, Joey, Donnie and Danny still have the right stuff!

Upon entering the E-Center, the ticket taker directed Sahara and I to a line to receive better tickets. Instead of being up on the 2nd floor we were on the 1st (apparently most fans, while now old enough to attend the concert, were unable to afford to the better seats). Then halfway through the concert, we moved even closer due to a row of empty seats. Natasha Bedingfield gave a good opening performance, although it was a funny combo--a current hot pop star opening for a once-idolized boy band.

NKOTB performed its biggest hits and some of their new songs--their new CD is worth checking out. Jordan, Joey and Donnie stole the show; they performed the majority of the songs while Danny and Jon performed back up or completely disappeared from stage. I gave Russ the challenge of performing Jordan Knight style: sveldt chest shown to its best as a fan blows his unbuttoned dress shirt while he expresses his undying love por moi (I can see it happening).

The guys hit all their notes, danced well, and knew how to play to the audience. It was as if they had never broken up. There were even fireworks.

Truly a night to remember.

Mad About Cows

"Deba, where did the cow go?" my 2.5 year old nephew asked multiple times both Friday and Saturday night this weekend past. I was staying in a hotel in with my family for my beloved grandma's funeral services. Luckily, the cow was a quiet presence for Jacobi during the day. However, at night, the lack of light and the apparent lack of a certain cow disturbed the little guy.

Who knew a 2.5 year old could have an imaginary friend? And we're not talking about a little human imaginary friend for him to play with when no other kids are around.

His imaginary friend is a cow.

It's a love/hate relationship; he fears it, yet maintains a strange fascination for the welfare of the ominous cow.

And why shouldn't the little tyke fear the cow? Initially, I laughed at his eccentricity, thinking,"What's there to be afraid of from an animal as simple as a cow?"

Now I know just how creepy this so-called "simple" animal can be.

While visiting the old family farm, we came upon a herd of cows--or maybe they were bulls (can a cow have both horns and an udder?)--grazing in a field across the road. One heaved out a moo/bellow (depends on what the gender of the bovine really was) that the family found pretty exciting. It was obvious the bovine was telling us to get lost. Then, an eerie quiet settled upon the field. The bovine stared at us with a blank expression. Random cows amongst the herd turned their heads and joined in the creepy stare. It was really spooky, like something from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, except the cows didn't screech or point--they just gave us empty stares. One large-bottomed cow went to the trouble to pull itself up just so it could participate in the Evil Eye.

Jacobi thought it was fun to imitate the moo/bellow in the light of day. But at night, when the lights were out and the entrance into dreamland loomed ahead, he just had to know, "Deba, where's the cow? Where did it go?"

Money Management

The grass may be greener on the other side but peer pressure can be a positive motivator to refrain from keeping up with the Jones, staying out of debt, and getting of debt. We see recently our own government's reliance on credit to fund bills--including bills meant to aid the economy. We may expect the media to try to sell us stuff we don't really need, but to hear our nation's leaders urge us to spend and then go into debt to stimulate an ecomony in poor condition because of poor credit choices is unfortunate and confusing.

Kizze introduced me to Dave Ramsey and while I haven't finished Financial Peace Revisited yet (hey, it's nonfiction!), I have found him to have sound principles that also coincide with my religion.

I'm watching The Dave Ramsey Show and am enjoying hearing the stories from your average middle classman/woman on how they became debt-free. The show offers positive support for people in financial distress. These are people who make relatively small sacrifices in their daily lives. It may be a big deal to go without certain food products or nice things. However, with an eternal perspective these things really aren't that important.

There is so much pride and joy in the voices of the people who share their stories. Some stories sound miraculous and a little impossible, but the fact that they are true offers hope to all for getting out of debt. One guy paid off $95K in a year. Another lady $87K in a year. One family sold its nice pickup truck and bought a more practical vehicle to become debt-free. Another sold off a nice chunk of investments to pay for his huge amount of debt (what does it matter if you have all this money saved or tied up in investments when you have close to $100K in debt?).

How can a viewer not share in this joy and hope? If you're feeling lost in the maze of consumerism or trying to live up to the Jonese, I recommended checking out Mr. Ramsey.

Published!

One of my photos of beautiful food from the Eastside Cafe in Austin, TX is being used in an online travel guide for Austin called Schmap. Schmap saw my photo on flickr and wanted to use it for its blurb on the Eastside Cafe. You can view my entry online at Schmap Austin Fifth Edition.

Now I feel much like those people who walk around town and are approached by a talent scout and make it big or who participates in a skit at Universal Studios and ends up with a contract (well my sib had a dream of that once but I don't know that it has ever really happened).

La Discussion Politique

These presidential debates are mind-numbing. It would be a lot more impressive if the candidates did not feel they have to debate every little detail that their rival raises, especially when the moderator tries to move the debate along. The bickering and finger pointing just send out bad vibes--and tonight they tried to justify their negative campaigning at the debate, sending out even more negativity. Readers advisory: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum.

Tonight, my mom brought up Ralph Nader. She heard him interviewed on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Nader who is running (yet again) for President as an Independent. Really, he is a moving speaker. While sometimes I find myself thinking,"Oh you're being dramatic," I always seem to run across research by a sociologist or psychologist that backs him up. One example is that Nader has griped about the ads aired during Saturday morning cartoons that are meant to influence children to beg their parents for various products. I just read a book on the sexualization of children--So Sexy So Soon by Diane E. Levine and Jean Kilbourne--that backs this up. The advertising industry's bread and butter is convincing consumers young and old to buy products and will do anything--even sell their souls to the devil--to get the job done.

For decades Nader has advocated and fought for the rights and protection of all Americans--not just special interest groups or the elite. He has fought for legislation and created task forces to protect the American people from corporations and politicians. He founded Public Citizen, a consumer watch group that acts as a voice for the American people in all the branches of government. It is "dedicated to protecting health, safety, and democracy."

Because he doesn't belong to either major political party, Nader will say what he believes without reservation. He doesn't avoid the question and is no smooth talker. And the two major parties don't like him; they are afraid of him. In 2004, I worked on Nader's campaign in Texas. Our goal was to get his name on the presidential ballot. There were many road blocks to prevent this goal from coming to fruition, including laws that treated independent candidates differently and in a stricter manner than third party candidates; volunteers being harassed by law enforcement while legally collecting the allotted number of names required to get his name on the ballot in public forums; and criticism by both local Democrat and Republican party organizations--a rare display of bipartisanship. I became even more disillusioned about the Country's political process.

For more information on Ralph Nader, the ignored political candidate, visit his campaign web site at http://www.votenader.org and The Nader Page.

Not Just a Comic Book

Until recently I couldn't understand the graphic novel/comic book craze. Sure, as a child my family had old Archie, Katy Keene, and, of course, Conan comic books. I read what we owned multiple times but I never sought to increase my personal comic collection, which consisted of maybe two comics, preferring the traditional block text book to panels and bubble-speak.

Since their increase in popularity, I have yet to delve into this genre. I read a manga once. The extent of my graphic novel experience, at least until the past week.

Never had I thought there could be so much substance to a graphic novel. But that's because as a librarian I've been lectured about the history of graphic novels but never told how they could be so exciting!

Nobody ever recommended WATCHMEN by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

The super cool trailer for the movie version of WATCHMEN encouraged me to seek out the graphic novel, which passed in and out of my book drop without so much as a second glance. I decided to read the graphic novel to prepare for the film (which I hope isn't R-rated) and cannot stop thinking about it.



The last book I read that really got me thinking was Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks. Days after reading this, and even now, I'll zone out and think about the themes, plot, and characters in this gripping portrayal of a medieval village hit by plague.

WATCHMEN has had the same effect and I feel that in order to really understand this book, I'll have read it at least 10 times. Ideas for college essay papers keep flowing into my brain the further into the book I get.

For instance, superheroes are not perfect! The majority of superheroes in WATCHMEN have skeletons in their closets. They are prone to vice, vigilantism, and narcissism. Often the reader is left wondering who the real villains are. Similarly, real-life superheroes--figures in history that we tend to put on pedestals and make into legends--are also flawed. Historical revisionism is highly controversial. Do we really need to know that Thomas Jefferson had an affair with one of his slaves, fathering many of her children? Should we teach our children to admire and idolize the office of the President when he(although we have moved an inch in the direction of the possibility of having a she) can make awful decisions and lead a nation to its downfall?

Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. are some figures that I idolize. However, as I learn more about their lives I have to stop and ask myself: Do their imperfections define them? Does it matter that one cheated on his wife; the other slept naked with young women to "strenghen" his devotion to brahmacharya; or that they may have performed any other morally questionable acts? Does the principle of the matter--the fact that they had the courage to stand for justice and unity and then seek to right some major injustices in their societies--compensate for imperfection?

When we teach our kids to idolize figures in history--whether past or present--are we doing a disservice to them, creating an image of unattainable perfection? Or do we make it a necessary lesson in forgiving people for their weaknesses, thanking them for their positive and life changing contributions to the world, and then allowing them to move on and progress in life?

Each member of the WATCHMEN organization has his/her own personal moral code and sense of justice(really don't we all?), which often falls outside the boundaries of the law of the land. For some, putting on a mask makes it okay to beat the crap out of the bad guy. How about killing a child murderer/rapist? Were they more effective in keeping the streets safe because they were left to their own devices to protect the people and not restrained by the Constitution? [Of course, in the story an act was passed forcing the WATCHMEN into retirement (at least the ones who would obey) because of their methods.]

Sometimes we see our real-life heroes in the police force (and other heroes) who are charged with the responsibility to protect and serve the people making mistakes. Sometimes they lose control and beat their "bad guys" senseless, let racism cloud their vision, pull the trigger a little too easily, or accused with sexual misconduct while on duty.

So much to philosophize over and just a couple of themes in the book! I recommend checking out the book and reading at least a few chapters. It can be a little graphic at times (hence the genre name graphic novel) but it's really nothing more than what we see in the world around us.

"Main Street" Update

I asked a retired History/Government professor (my sister's father-in-law) to define Main Street America and this is his reply:

"The press uses the phrase "Main Street America" inaccurately now. It used to be that on "Main Street" of most towns you had the local businesses, banks. There were no malls, Wal-Marts, etc." These were mostly people who didn't have heavy investments in stocks, (especially Wall Street which has a negative connotation for most people because of the Great Depression). This is no longer true because when you walk down "Main Street" now, you don't have just local businesses. You have national and international chains. He also thinks the media did a disservice by labeling the efforts to get out of the financial mess we're in as a "Bail Out". No wonder most people are so opposed to it. No one likes the idea of bailing out someone or some corporation. It would be impossible to determine the exact origin of both these terms, but most likely, it was someone in the media."

I think the term is being used for "non-Main Street America" to appear in touch with the average American.

Kissing

My husband claims dementia whenever I ask him about his experiences as a kid or in high school. Tonight, I was reading a book where a 12 year old girl is tricked into a kiss by a 14 year old boy. I started thinking about first kisses and asked Russ when his first kiss was. Now, I've posed this question to him before but he becomes uncooperative, stating he doesn't understand why I'd care for all the details. I always have to explain that it's probably because I'm a female and think these stories are fun, all the while thinking,"I need to ask my mom about her first kiss. Maybe dad too."

After grilling him for details, I heard a different story tonight. Russ' first kiss was not at age 19 but was actually in the fifth grade. It was a girl named Natalie. He liked her and apparently she liked him back since she asked him to kiss her when they were alone by the fence on the playground. He said they were "together" for about a month but he never kissed her again. He did kiss girls in high school but only on the forehead--yes, I married a true gentleman.

I remember Becky C and I taking turns kissing Richard on the cheek while we sat against the wall at Santa's Secret Shop in the first grade. I was nervous but peer pressure gave me courage. My next kiss was like Russ' fifth grade one--a quickie on the lips--but at the end of tenth grade. Then the next was with a boyfriend my first year of college.

I think someone should publish a book of first kisses. First kisses of regular people. I take an unexplained delight in these stories--they're cute and sometimes a little romantic. Maybe a small book, like the ones you find in the Hallmark store that make good gifts for graduates, friends, or wives.

If a book like this has been published, can someone please let me know?

"Main Street America"

What is this phrase I just heard in the debate last night by John McCain? I'm sure it's been thrown around before this; I just haven't noticed it.

Has the phrase "the middle class" become derogatory or is it easier to consider "main street America" than the lowly "middle class" America? Is there an attempt here to seem fresh and hip by coining a new phrase?

As for the debate, in my mind Obama beat McCain. I may be biased because I've agreed with Obama on many issues as opposed to McCain. I've always like what Obama has said about the so-called war on terrorism.

I guess there are terrorists in many countries so we can just randomly select which one to invade at any given time. Was this what George W thought when he invaded Iraq on the coatstrings of 9/11? What was his agenda for invading Iraq? He obviously didn't care to find Bin Laden; that was just an excuse to appease the American people's desire for revenge for the events of 9/11. Otherwise he would have committed more to hunting down Al-Qaeda and not devoted the majority of military resources to Iraq, promoting the growth of this terrorist organization in our so-called allied country Pakistan and elsewhere.

I wonder if McCain will address some of the domestic issues as president or if he'll continue in the tradition of the current administration and pretend all is well in America.

Job Update

I knew when I didn't get the jobs I interviewed for at the end of this summer that there had to be a reason, and in the end this has proven true.

I'll be transferring to the main library the end of November to take on the teens who hang out and cause a ruckus. Apparently there are concerns with gangs hanging outside that are trying to "convert" preteens and tweens. Then there are the teens who hang out upstairs and drive the staff and other patrons nuts while they wait for their time on the Internet. I'll be assigned to an area downstairs so I'm unclear as to how I'm supposed to befriend and rein these kids in.

There will be many questions to answer and kinks to iron out but overall I'm pleased that I'll be able to work with the clientele I want to, will no longer have to balance being a manager with being a children's librarian, and will (hopefully) no longer be stressed with the multitude of children's programming throughout the system. And my current boss is moving to the same department as I am, which I was very pleased to hear. Once again my mother-in-law will have to be moved to a different division (as nepotism is a huge no-no) so hopefully she won't regret introducing me to her son since this will be the second time in a year that she has had to change divisions on account of me. (I for one have no regrets about her introducing me to her son :)

Floor Potato

Lately I've been a real couch potato. No gym for me. The last time I went was about 2 weeks ago and before that one time it had been a month. Regardless, my butt will remain flat because I watch TV sitting on the floor, where I have my cross-stitch supplies laid out in front of me--"Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat....".

These are my top 5 TV shows, in random order.

1) Battlestar Galactica (2004): Unfortunately, there is only half a season left. Also, unfortunately we're stuck wondering what happened to Earth for the next 6 months because the season will resume in Jan 2009. This show is action packed, has a huge special effects budget, and the acting is alright. A must see for sci-fi junkies (although sci-fi junkies are probably already in the know). And for people who for whatever reason feel they must be loyal to the old Galatica--this one is soooooooooooo much better!

2) Bones (2005): Loosely based on the works of forensic anthropologist and writer Kathy Reichs, this show has suspense, good acting, and a little grossology. Plus, the show is very un-Hollywood so it's a little more original than the other forensic shows on the air.


3) Burn Notice (2007): I just started watching this one and love it! Even Russ seems to enjoy it. Wit, action, suspense, and great acting. And it's nice to see Bruce Campbell in a regular role again. And I have a little bit of a crush on the main character.

4) The Closer (2005): Another cop/detective show (a guilty pleasure). Also very un-Hollywood, with good acting and suspenseful episodes.
5) Supernatural (2005): Creepy yet often humorous. I can't wait for the season premier to see if Sam can rescue Dean.

La-la-la-la...
From the dew-soaked hedge creeps a crawly caterpillar,
When the dawn begins to crack.
It's all part of my autumn almanac.
Breeze blows leaves over, mostly coloured yellow,
So I sweep them in my sack.
Yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac.
---"Autumn Almanac" The Kinks

Hubbie and I were walking around Michaels, weaving in and out of the aisles, which were laden with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and, yes, a teeny bit of Christmas decor. And then it hit me.
My favorite season is Autumn.
For the past two years I find myself depressed and refusing to be uplifted in the Spring. Summer is a zoo and way too hot. With Old Man Winter comes the cold, short days, and snow, which is really stressful to drive in, not to mention wet and cold to be out in.
And then there's Autumn.
While wandering around Michaels, I found myself full of hope (which I'd normally attribute to the symbolism of the Spring--renewal, rebirth, etc) and excitement for the Autumn holidays.
But most of all there is comfort and peace in the smells and warm tones of the season.

The scents of autumn
Nutmeg, pumpkin, cider, cinnamon
warm the body, soul.

The colors of fall
Gold, red, orange, and olive
are tranquility.

Humbled

I had three experiences this week that reminded me that/why I love my job.

1) Yesterday I wandered out my office and spied one of my story time graduates lying on the floor of the library while his mother browsed the audio books. I commented on how bored he looked. His mom revealed that he is on strike: no more books for him! Well, no librarian could sit idly by while a kid decided he hates books. I knew what he liked--animals--and that there is more than just your standard book at the library. We went to the kid's magazines. He took a stack of Zoobooks. I asked him if he likes comic books (usually those who claim to be anti-reading love comics). Luckily, this fad has trickled down the publishing industry from adult to teens and on down to beginning readers. We found a Phonics Comics book. My little buddy was delighted with his library loot.

2) Grown women and little girls alike can relate to this one. Remember playing teacher? Well, today I learned that one of my little story time girls likes to play librarian. After her day at the library (usually entailing story time) she goes home, props up books for display and plays music, conducting her own story time. I'm a role model!

3) Down a custodial staff member at the branch, I was stocking the restrooms with paper towels and toilet paper. In the women's restroom, the little sister of one of my young kindred spirit patrons was washing her hands (and checking out her scabbed nose, scabbed upper lip, and newly repaired front tooth--she face planted off a scooter). We chatted a little. Her mom knocked on the door telling her to hurry up and I went into a stall to replace the toilet paper. When I went to throw the packaging away, my new little friend was standing next to the trash can, back against the wall, and looking like she had something to say. She had me cornered and blurted out, "Do you know any good books for third graders?" and we were off!

It is so fun to see young people grow in their love for books and reading. It can begin at such a young age and with a little encouragment, nurturing, and a positive reading experience, develops into a lifelong love affair.

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, to be a kid with the joys of summer vacation (although mine were never at a cottage on the property of a great manor), running around the neighborhood (this case a manor), getting into trouble, and playing with siblings and friends.

The characterization in this book is so well done. I feel like I know the characters personally--I laugh at their quirks, relate to them, ached with them.

Excellent book!


View all my reviews.
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jeanne Birdsall is such a great writer. I absolutely love the characters. They are real and I enjoy comparing myself as a kid (thoughts, attitudes, actions) to the girls.

This book is a great read aloud. It will probably appeal less to boys than the first one (this one has some dating and crushes involved).

Readalikes: Ida B., Anastasia Krupnik


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The Twilight Series Obsession: Why Is It Soooooooo Popular? a work in progress

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series is comparable (although doesn't touch the popularity of) to the Harry Potter rage. A great number of teenage girls (who generally already are reading)are obsessed with this series where a normal teenage girl moves to a town in Washington state and begins a romance with a sexy vampire. Not only do adolescent females obsess about this series but so do many 20-something females.

What is it about Twilight that grips these young women?

My first attempt at the first book in the series, Twilight, was failed. I read up to chapter 13 and lost interest. Because the popularity of these books continued and I listened to Meyer speak at a conference at BYU, I decided to take up where I left off, enjoyed the rest of the novel and devoured the second book in the series, New Moon. Luckily (or so I thought), Eclipse, book 3, would be released later that summer. Eclipse was a disappointment. Merely a part two of book 2 (Meyer was still building up her readership and the 700+ paged book that she can publish now may have been intimidating at the time), predictable, and highly verbose, Eclipse introduced a love triangle added complication to the story line. Regardless of the lack of good editing and a redundant plot, girls were head over heels with the sexy, "beautiful" vampire Edward Cullen and romancing him vicariously through the protangonist, "average" teenager Bella Swan. Despite their opinion of the events in Eclipse they couldn't wait for the next installment to see if (well, when) Bella is turned into a vampire. The fourth book, Breaking Dawn, has received bittersweet attention, including plot holes requiring an explanation from the author, an lame stand on a controversial issue of the day (abortion), and hot sex (but only implied--over and over and over.)

Often the success of this series is compared to the success of Harry Potter. But that is disparaging to the Harry Potter series, which contains many literary elements, lovable characters, and has still surpassed Twilight in its popularity. If the quality of writing in the series is nothing special and the stories long-winded and slow, plot holes, etc., what is it about the series that young women love? Why is the Twilight so popular when there are better quality young adult novels, romantic, suspenseful, and paranormal?

According to the Harlequin Romance Annual Report 2007 a high percentage of men and women consider themselves to be romantic. Seventy-two percent of the women interviewed wished they had more romance in their lives. (p. 3) According to the Business of Consumer Book Publishing 2007, romance was the biggest selling genre of books in 2007. The Romance Writers of America also compare the market share of romance novels when compared to other popular genres:

Romance fiction: $1.375 billion in estimated revenue for 2007
Religion/inspirational: $819 million
Science fiction/fantasy: $700 million
Mystery: $650 million
Classic literary fiction: $466 million

As you can see, Americans love reading about love.

The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer has many elements of a harlequin romance.

Here are their similarities:

-Characters: They're sexy and exotic, although the heroine is usually described as having some flaw--like Bella. The main characters in Twilight are super sexy and out of this world.

-Passionate/physical/domination-oriented relationships: Harlequin heroes usually force themselves on the weak heroine who claims her hate of the man, but then she decides she likes him and they begin a hot physical relationship. Vampire/human sex is brutal but Bella wants more, more, more!

-Physical relationship: In both Twilight and harlequins there is little development of the relationship on anything but a physical level. Bella constantly praises Edward but mostly in a physical sense. How many times do we hear how "beautiful" Edward is? How often does she compliment his strength? How often does Bella want to jump him? Edward is initially attracted to Bella because her blood smells sweet and she's hard to get (or at least her brain is hard to get into).

-Superficial character development: Because the harlequin is written primarily for the physical relationship, little is necessary for character development. We get a basic profile of the heroine. The hero is a man of mystery. Any other information is not necessary and not really wanted by the reader. Bella is an adolescent. She acts like a stereotypical adolescent and her motivations outside of that are not really necessary. She has many self-absorbed ruminations but they don't extend very deep. We have limited information on Edward. He's been around for almost a century but he doesn’t volunteer very much information about his past. Most of the discussions between Bella and Edward are about her life being in danger, how much she wants to jump him, and why he should accept her relationship with Jacob?

I'd like to hear your opinions.

Thank you.

Fantastic Fairy Tale Rewrites

The great thing about fairy tales is that we read many variations of them and regardless what little details are altered or how the endings change, they draw us in, cause us to use our imaginations, and fill us with a bit o' nostalgia (unless you lived a very sheltered life!).

We now have graphic novels and novelizations that seek to explain misunderstood characters, to give voice to characters, or seek to finish the stories (perhaps make them more complete). Not all are great but here are some my personal favories.

Jessica Day George is a new find. She did a rewrite of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" called Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, where she gives the heroine a name and a voice. (George is also a funny, entertaining gal; is a good selection for an author visit for upper elementary and high school and public libraries.)

I really like Shannon Hale's books: The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, and River Secrets. She has a graphic novelization of "Rapunzel" called Rapunzel's Revenge out.

Gail Carson Levine writes stories that have elements of our favorite fairy tales. Ella Enchanted is similar to "Sleeping Beauty." When an infant, Ella is given a gift from a fairy: the gift of obedience. She has wicked stepsisters and fairy godmothers. This title is also a Newbery Honor book.

Beauty is very popular (by Robin McKinley), however, I didn't find it compelling. I have heard a couple of variations of "Beauty and the Beast" and this retelling didn't offer any new ideas. However, it is very popular and McKinley is a good writer (think Newbery good!). She has another retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" called Rose Daughter, which I have not attempted. Reviews say that Rose Daughter has some different elements of the fairy tale and her initial retelling, so a worthwhile read, I'm sure.

Juliet Marillier writes a lot of traditional fantasy as well as Wildwood Dancing, a combination of the "The Frog Prince" and "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."

That man that hath a tongue, I say, is no man,
If with his tongue he cannot win a woman.
The Two Gentleman of Verona, 3. 1

I spent the past two days in Cedar City, UT. The main reason I went down there was to present at a workshop for an organization I belong to. For fun, last night I went to see my very first Shakespeare Festival play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona. It was excellent and I have decided--and still need to run this by Russ--that I will return every summer I'm in Utah to see a play.

The acting was wonderful, the costumes beautiful, and the atmosphere of the facility at Southern Utah University fun. I was transported to another time period. I was pleased to see the young people there--a few kids and some teens. Shakespeare has some fun plays, and luckily the content may be over the heads of the some the younger audience members until they mature a little.

Usually, attending a play is not high on my priority list. I'll admit that as a child I was turned off by musicals because I saw my mother and sister bonding over them--it was a female bonding experience--and I had not interest in that (I was a tomboy). This was the second play I saw this summer. The first was The Music Man performed by members of the Farmington, Utah community. It was really well done, although having never experienced this story before, I was disappointed at the end of the play (maybe I wouldn't have been if Marian the Librarian hadn't been seduced by the conman music vendor--shouldn't he be held accountable for his swindling? But then again Proteus was forgiven by his lover and best friend that he betrayed in a very feminine fashion--maybe I should study more about forgiveness).

The city of Cedar City was fun as well and I'd like more time to explore it. We stayed at the Best Western Town and Country, which was in a good location right next to the Park and the Library at the Park and walking distance to some shops and restaurants.

Next year's plays look fun. The 2009 venue for the Cedar City Shakespeare Festival is below.
Plays by Shakespeare
The Comedy of Errors
Henry V
As You Like It
The Adventurs of Pericles

Plays by Other Playwrights
Foxfire
Private Lives
The Secret Garden (musical)
Pump Boys and Dinettes
The Woman in Black

The TV is on, the program is Curtain Call, and I'm practicing for a second interview, checking email, surfing the net, etc. The movie is just ending and I haven't paid much attention, however, when the man proposes to the woman, I find myself teary-eyed. Where did that come from? It has to be the lack of anti-depressant.

For a while there I thought I'd become a cold heart--well, at least not very sensitive in situations I think I should be(although I did a little teary at the wedding). It was almost like I forgot to feel and had a hard time pinning down what I was feeling.

Lately, I'm surprised if I do recognize some emotion actually welling up inside--happiness, peace, sentimentality, love.

6 Months and Happy as Ever

Six months ago this day and time Russ and I were married! Its hard to believe its been this long. In fact, its hard to believe that I'm married.

After about 29 years of being single, always thinking marriage would come a few years into the future--maybe--the reality is meeting the man of my dreams and getting married "just happened." It was so easy; I guess that happens when you meet the "right" person. You click on level never reached before in any relationship, and the relationship evolves to the point where you want to make the commitment to be together forever.

Here's to happily ever after.

Gossip Girl

It's funny! The big ad campaign for the TV series Gossip Girls is under fire. I'll bet those upset about it never read one of the books that the television series is based on. The books are pretty raunchy themselves!

Depression

There is some interesting research into the cause of depression. I'm finding all over the Internet that neurogenesis, the growth of new neurons in the brain, is low in people who suffer from depression, especially chronic sufferers.

Sounds like more research needs to be done but this could be a breakthrough.

Tagged

Kizze tagged me so here it is:

How long have we been married? 5 and a half months!

How old is Russ? 31

Who eats more? Moi (and I hear I eat like a guy, which is similar to eating like a pig--snort, snort!)

Who said "I love you" first? Russ wanted to but I was afraid to hear it.

Who is taller? Russ by 9 inches!

Who sings better? Probably moi, but that doesn't say much.

Who is smarter? Russ remembers everything, and he got a much higher ACT score.

Who controls the T.V.? Both

Who's temper is worse? Mine.

Who does the laundry? Russ

Who does the dishes? Depends; the person who doesn't cook does the dishes. Usually I cook so Russ does the dishes.

Who sleeps on the right? Me, but sometimes I switch because its closer to the fan.

Who cooks? Me, although Russ cooked a mean Christmas Eve dinner last Dec.

Who is more stubborn? Its a tie.

Who admits they are wrong first? Usually I'm in the wrong (really), so its up to me.

Whose parents do you see more? Russ'.

Who has more siblings? Russ--he is the second of 7 and everyone in the family is married except one, but she's engaged.

Who has more friends? Moi.

Who wears the pants? We're pretty equitable.

Back to School

Russ is going back to school--HURRAY! It's been about 12 years so it seems like he's going for the first time. He'll be going to the community college to beef up his transcript and majoring in 3D Animation.

And things worked out on the job front for him, too. He will be taking a part-time position at Discover with the same hourly wage that he has now. We are so excited that everything is falling into place!

It's funny how many people I know are or have been in a similar situation as me. The bride is already educated and established. Then she marries and puts her husband through school. Even my doctor was telling me that she and her husband recently finished his BA--he's 39 years old.

Meanwhile, I keep applying for jobs closer to the city in order so we can move closer to Russ' job and school. BSU doesn't seem to ever receive my transcript requests so up to this point the job hunting is a bust.

Space...The Final Frontier

Last night we watched When We Left the Earth: The NASA Missions , a documentary on the first flights into space (The Science Channel).

There were casualties in the early stages of space exploration. The United States first sent a monkey that died on its return when its parachute didn't open. Laika, the first animal to actually be sent into orbit, was a stray dog. Laika died in orbit due to stress and overheating. How would you like those odds? The people who pick you off the streets wants you for an experiment, not as a pet.

The Russians also beat the Americans by sending the first man into orbit. While, Alan Shepherd was impatiently waiting for NASA to finish tests to see if he'd be able to survive a flight into space and awaiting other delays, the Russians sent their guy up. The funny thing is their astronaut underwent rigorous tests, too; either willing to take more risks or just more advanced in their technology than the Americans.

On the day that NASA had scheduled their trip to space, NASA's flight control kept delaying the flight until finally Shephard made the executive decision to just do it!

I'm sad to see that the American cowboy mentality is fading away. Other countries, including India and China, are interested in space exploration and making steps to do spacewalks, design new rockets, and put satellites into orbit. Now we have wars, monetary problems, and other "more important" concerns in America. Many resources are necessary to pursue space exploration; resources that we don't have and/or not willing to allot to a, let's say, "trivial" pursuit?

What would further space exploration achieve? Would it help us to fight our wars, cure cancer, or stop global warming? Maybe, maybe not. But perhaps it would help to unify the world. Healthy competition made space exploration possible in the first place. It would be nice to have a commonality with the countries of the world besides fighting terrorism, poverty, hunger, or global warming--you know, problems.

I'm being all domestic lately. Russ will tell you I'm a slob but I think I'm doing better (really, he has no idea).

And I've been cooking more. Tonight I made pork chops for the first time. They weren't the best chops ever made but they were edible. We'll be trying some other new dishes this week.

I decided to open a cookbook a friend gave me a couple of years ago and was surprised to see how simple the recipes were. Really, if all recipes were that easy (meaning there are five steps or less and I can understand all the terminology without the help of a dictionary) I would have started cooking more a long time ago.

A Thought

I've seen significantly less negative press about the government's actions taken in response to the flooding in the Midwest than what we saw in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. There are more levees breaking along the Mississippi than there were that broke in Louisiana. And the flooding appears to affects a lot more people.

What was it about New Orleans that struck people's hearts? There was more talk about race and class issues. But you'd think some of that would apply to Midwest as well. Was it that the people in Louisiana were in more desperate circumstances so their disasters was more painful than for those in the Midwest?

Will the Midwesterners receive as much money and government aid as the people in New Orleans? Oh yeah, and there was flooding in Mississippi from hurricane Katrina but we rarely heard about that. Were the Louisianians too busy with their lives that they found themselves less prepared than these other areas that have been hit by natural disaster?

Or do we just not expect the government to help us anymore as our country's resources are stretched thin with the fires in California, the never ending war in Iraq, the housing slump, and the spike in gas prices, the current national debt, and a joke of a president, Congress, and Supreme Court?

Last night I had a dream that Oprah was in one of the cheesy LDS films. Why I dreamt about Oprah in the first place, I have no idea--I'm never home to watch her show. And I can think of two reasons why I dreamt about a cheesy LDS film: 1) I live in Utah and we have billboard advertising for these cheesy movies, and 2) Russ and I watched a series of cheesy made-for-Sci Fi (Channel) horror flicks the other day.

I couldn't believe that a low budget film could afford the talk show queen.

Rambling

Henry Fonda wasn't the best actor. Very solemn; puppy dog eyes; poker face. I'm not sure if his character was actually happy to marry the demure, sweet Claudette Colbert's character in Drums Along the Mohawk. I think he played his character similarly in The Grapes of Wrath.

Jane Fonda sure looks like her father. It's funny how a woman can be beautiful when she resembles her father, despite father being handsome.

My urge to write has returned.

So Hillary is something else, huh? She had a dream and is having a difficult timing letting it go. Really, aside from the tears, some policy ideas, and Mr. Bill, Hillary could have won the Primaries. I'm interested to hear what she has to say on Saturday.

As for married life, it has its ups and downs but I love being married!!!!! The hardest thing is giving up some independence but that's just something I need to work in general. I've also been pretty antisocial but am going out of my cocoon slowly but surely.

Yesterday I had went to a killer personal training session and my butt and thighs ached. I was mistaken for an old lady this morning during story time.

The wedding went really smoothly. Other than a case of nerves the night before the actual events of the BIG DAY went very well. The weather turned out beautiful so the out-of-towners arrived safely and the actual day was beautiful as well (just cold).

Can't imagine doing all the bells and whistles that people traditionally do for a wedding. Not only did we save a lot of money, but with the stress I was feeling the preceding month, I can't imagine having more events/activities surrounding the wedding than we did (just the sealing and then a luncheon). We do have an open house in Idaho the first of the month but that should be apple pie.