GingerLand

Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard (Chapter 1)

2011-07-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

I recently read a book slightly out of my character -- Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard. It was recommended years ago by a beloved blog, Brocante Home. I purchased it, but set it aside. After all, the cover was a bit outdated (think, light blues and pinks). I thought it would be a bit touchy-feely old-fashioned home advice.

But I found it to be full of practical tips. Anytime you close the last page of a book wanting to improve, live a better life, and look out for the people around you, you know it was a worthwhile read. I already have a couple dear people in my life I plan to give copies to.

So, needless to say, I was underlining up a storm in these pages. Get ready for a host of fantastic inpiration! So much, in fact, that I've decided to break it up by chapter, lest this entry become a book in and of itself.

To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labour leads... - Samuel Johnson, the Rambler, November 10, 1750

"Rituals" is my term for patterns you creat in your everyday living that uplift the way you do ordinary things, so that a simple task rises to the level of something special, ceremonial, ritualistic.

I've observed in my communications with people all over the world the tendency so many of us have to concentrate our energies on things that are for special occasions rather than things we do, or use, every day. In design terms, this translates into working to get the living room just right, instead of concentrating on the rooms we spend the most time in, day after day -- the kitchn, bedroom, bathroom.... Such events comprise at the most 5 percent of our living time, and the remaining 95 percent is often merely walked through, in wistful anticipation of some later joy.... We want to enjoy all the days of our lives, and especially the time spent in the sanctuary of the home. Life is not a dress rehearsal. [Personal commentary: A dear roommate of mine looked beautiful every day. When I commented on my admiration for her taking care to do her makeup, hair, outfits beautifully everyday she replied, "Everyone always thinks something special happens to you -- an opportunity, meeting your spouse, anything -- on a special occasion, when you're dressed in a ballgown and have had your hair professionally set. But in reality, you're much more likely to meet your mate in class, or run into a lifelong friend, connect with a potential contact on a random Tuesday. You should look your best everyday."]

[In speaking of the author's mother:] I remember the fresh flowers on the table, the food attractively arranged on the plate and planned partly with color in mind.

Stimulating the senses through the details of daily acts makes work fun.

I have a friend who has made bill paying into a ritual. She puts Brahms on her stereo, she places an arrangement of flowers on her desk, she dresses in a fresh blouse and skirt so she is actually ready to mail her bills as soon as she's finished.

Taking time to make bathing a ritual -- using Chanel No. 5 or another delicious bathing gel, a terrycloth face mitt, a special almond soap, planning on allowing yourself to soak, read, sip a glass of orange juice, can give your whole evening a fresh beginning.

The same principle should apply to your dinner plates, glasses, a charming set of colorful napkins, placemats to cheer up breakfast. These special things become details of a breakfast ritual; kept on hand for constant use, they enrich each day.

When you think of a friend and actually sit down at a place you've designed as your writing table, with paper, pens and stamps all set up to dash off a note or card, this ritual can be effortless and pleasurable when you're all ready for it.

My husband keeps in touch with people from all over the world by sending clippings from newspapers and magazines. "Brown's Clip Service" is a sustaining daily ritual for Peter. If you rad something in the newspaper that triggers you to think of a friend, clip it and put it on your desk to send on with a note. [send mail, rather than email]

Another touch I appreciate is sealing a letter with wax. I keep several sticks of wax on my desk -- red, blue, green and purple.

Joyce Carol Oats, in her book Solstice, writes about the clock, pointing out that it runs in one direction only...

And making tasks into rituals actually saves time. It takes some effort in the beginning to think about and institute rituals, and to set up your home for them. But you also have the fun of creating them, and then they tend to sustain themselves and you. Rituals help you make the most of time and help you feel you have more of it because you are enjoying yourself more deeply as you flow through the day, adding touches that stimulate enthusiasm and give energy. Daily rituals help eliminate that enervating feeling of being constantly fragmented. A ritual is a mini-performance.

Daily rituals are personal statements.

All of us work. Whether paid of volunteer, at home or in an office, we should create our own little territory that we can personalize and make our own.

You can personalize your workspace through color -- colored folders, pencils and pens, desk accessories. Even the paper clips you use, whether they be gold-colored metal or in a variety of colors, can add just a little personal touch to your work.

I always have fresh flowers at my workspace, even if it's three daisies in a little vase. And I have a handful of my favorite books near me for inspiration and reference. A dictionary is always on my desk, covered with a print of still-life by Henri Fantin-Latour, my favorite flower artist.

If your everyday life seems poor, don't blame it; blame yourself; ... because for the creator there is no poverty and no poor, indifferent place.

[On rituals:] They reinforce the significance of the simple acts we perform repeatedly. [We have to do these things anyway, brush teeth, exercise, etc. Why not do them beautifully?]

People have always lived by ceremonies; the daily rituals you create allow you to make the most of what you have, and to stretch time by savoring moments.

Emily Dickinson lived most of her life in one house in Amherst; yet she wrote, "I dwell in possibility."

You can gain more control over your life by paying close attention to little things.

Values and rituals are intertwined; through rituals we can express our values, giving our lives dignity, vitality and joy.

Mark new seasons with childhood reminiscences: In spring, fly a kite, In summer, make a sand castle, In fall, rake leaves and go hiking, In winter, go for a walk in newly fallen snow.

Be three minutes early for your next appointment and wait calmly. While you'll show respect for someone else's time and life, you will also have time to compose your thoughts.

Have a friend bring you some pinon incense from Santa Fe to burn in your fireplace. Once you do, you'll be hooked.

Fast fixing up can be almost aerobic-like when you do it to jazzy music.

Buy a brightly colored exercise roll and do Yoga or sit-ups when you feel tense.

Take a few minutes to be alone several times each day.

Daydreaming can help the brain promote essential cross-circuiting of your creativity. Give your brain a nap; it will work smarter.

Walk to appointments. Program enough time to enjoy the sights along the way. Look up at the architectural detail, notice the window displays; browse.

Buy a set of thin water-soluble and long-lasting colored pencils. Fill a mug or glass with your favorites, and display them on your writing desk.

Make a personal source guide. When you discover a store that has products you like, make a note; order by phone or mail, if possible.

Have a special basket for the mail. It looks pretty, and it's fun to bring into the living room or library, to open at leisure.

For fans of: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

All quotes from Alexandra Stoddard and used here purely for personal review purposes.

New Directions

2011-07-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

So, ladies and gentlemen (otherwise known as just myself), I haven't written on this blog in ages. Part of the reason is that I started it before blogging was really something that was all that outward. I was perfectly happy just to write notes to myself about this that and the other, including books.

So, since likely no one is disappointed when I'm silent on the subject for months or years on end, I've let it slide.

But just in case any of you out there are reading, I'm honing the use for this blog once again. It started on inspiration from a book -- Hugh Hewitt's In, But Not Of. Then it morphed into reviews of books I've read more or less.

Now, I plan on using it just to chronical beautiful bits of writing or ideas in those books I read.

I have a finely honed system of underlining, highlighting, dog-earring pages of books I read. But I so often want all those bits in one place. So now, I plan on chronicling those here once I've finished a particularly good book.

I don't promise I'll be much better. It could still be months or years between postings. That's up to the writers I read. I recently realized that if I keep up my present pace of about a book per week, throughout my life, I'll likely only read about another 2,000 books in my lifetime. While that's a big number, there are infinite numbers of excellent books out there, so it seems so limiting. I rarely reread a book, but I often want to go back through the great ideas from a book I've read and enjoyed.

So I'll be writing little bits here, or lots of bits, that I underlined in books I particularly enjoyed.

The End

Or is it the beginning?

Read-lease

2007-07-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

Some girls at my work are starting a book club. One of the girls suggested a book by Jodi Picoult called My Sister's Keeper. I ran to B & N on my lunch hour to see if they had it, and, very unlike my favorite book store, they did not. I was disappointed, but left with 3 others (2 hilarious choices by Celia Rivenbark, and a children's book I read long ago and wanted to re-visit, The Callendar Papers) and a movie (The Bridges of Madison County... one of the few movies that lives up to the book's wonderfulness).
Later that night, my husband and I went to Panera (our deal was Sunday night we eat at Burger King... yuk, and watch Harry Potter for him, Monday night we eat at Panera, watch BoMC for me). There, lying on a shelf was My Sister's Keeper. I've noticed before a few books lying around on a shelf, but figured they were for education or something, so I never picked one up. I had some time, so was reading the poster, and this is the coolest concept: It's called BookCrossing. There are specified sites, or you can get stickers to designate a certain book as a swap book. You leave them lying around, wherever, and others pick them up, if interested. Each book gets it's own "call number" and you can register for free where you left one, or where you picked one up.
It reminds me of a time before we were worried about littering up the environment, when kids were allowed to release helium balloons with a message for whomever found it to contact the class who sent it off.

Reruns!

2007-05-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

As the summer reruns season is now upon us, I've had much more time to devote to the pursuit of chronicling the Gilmore girls library. Below is the complete list of all books mentioned in Season 2 of the Gilmore Girls. They've been reading a lot this time! Get thee to a library and do the same!

New York Daily News
Robert Benchley
Dorothy Parker
Anne Sexton
Bhagavad Gita
Steven King
James Reach-David & Lisa
Charles Dickens-Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol
Emily Post
Edward Albee-Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Weddings magazine
In Style Magazine
Susanna Kaysen-Girl, Interrupted
Samuel Beckett-Waiting for Godot
Mark Twain-Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Martha Stewart
Menchen's Chrestomathy
Mojo
The New Yorker
Grimm's Snow White & Rose Red, Rapunzel
Stephen Hawking-Brief History of Time
Rebecca Wells-Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Sinclair Lewis
Lord Byron
Mussolini
Hartford Courant
New York Times
Wall Street Journal
Collette biography
Lewis Carroll-Alice in Wonderland
Henry James
W.E.B. DuBois
Mitch Albom-Tuesdays with Morrie
Dr. Spencer Johnson-Who Moved My Cheese?
Compact Oxford English Dictionary
Virginia Woolf
Washington Post
Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Dawn Powell-Selected Letters
Allen Ginsberg-Howl
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Vincent Malay
William Faulkner
Gore Vidal
Eudora Welty
Victor Hugo-The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Harper Lee-To Kill a Mockingbird
Shakespeare-Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, Richard III, Othello
Jane magazine
Homer-Iliad
Washington Irving
Amy Tan-Joy Luck Club
Nancy Drew
Margaret Mitchell-Gone with the Wind
Architechtural Digest
Bible
Gustave Flaubert
Winston Churchill
Financial Times
L. Frank Baum-The Scarecrow of Oz
Ayn Rand-The Fountainhead
Ernest Hemingway
Lillian Hellman-The Children's Hour
William Congreve
Reader's Digest
Marcel Proust
New York Times Magazine
Vanity Fair
Tokutomi Roka-Letters to a Young Poet
J.D. Salinger-Franny & Zoe
Franz Kafka
Jack Kerouac
Charles Bukowski
Jane Austen
Mary Shelley-Frankenstein
Sherman's Memoirs
Voltaire-Candide
Motley Crue-The Dirt
Teen magazine
YM magazine
Seventeen magazine
Spin magazine
Rolling Stone magazine
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings-The Yearling
Kurt Vonnegut-Slaughterhouse-Five
Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain-Please Kill Me
Katharine Butler Hathaway-The Little Locksmith
GQ magazine
Essentials of Economics
Richard N. Bolles-What Color is Your Parachute?
The Portable Nietzsche
Tom Wolfe
Emily Dickinson
New York Post
John F. Kennedy
Kate Douglas Wiggin-Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

GiGi Goodbye...

2007-05-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

I've long shared one major characteristic with a character of one of my favorite shows of all time--Gilmore Girls. As you all know, I (and Rory) love to read. And I've often said that just by observing Rory's love for books, and reading everything she read, one could get a wonderful education, at least in the literature department. After all, she did attend Chilton and Yale.
With the series finale this week, I thought what better of a time could there be to post some of what our favorite bookworm heroine was reading all these years. I own each season on DVD, and watch them frequently. Over the past months, anytime I've popped in an episode, I simply jotted down what Rory was reading, either for school or pleasure (usually both). Following is a rather extensive list of books to start with. And this is just Season 1!

Jack Kerouac
Mark Twain--Huckleberry Finn
Steven King
Herman Melville--Moby Dick
Gustave Flaubert--Madame Bovary
Robert Burns--To a Mouse
Leo Tolstoy--War & Peace, Anna Karenina
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Charles Dickens--David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Tale of Two Cities, Little Dorit
George Sand
Honore de Balzac
William Shakespeare--Romeo & Juliet
Martin Luther
Bible
Plato
Mencken's Chrestomathy
Christopher Marlowe
Francis Bacon
Ben Jonson
John Webster
Alexander Pope--An Essay on Critism
Virginia Woolf
Jacqueline Susann--Valley of the Dolls
Oliver North
Roald Dahl--Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
fairy tales--Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty
Emily Dickinson
Jane Austen
Hunter Thompson
Charlotte Bronte
Judy Blume
Tennessee Williams--A Streetcar Named Desire
Mary McCarthy--The Group
The New Yorker
Dorothy Parker
William Gibson--The Miracle Worker
Franz Kafka--The Metamorphosis
Wall Street Journal
Barron's
Financial Times
Marcel Proust--Swann's Way
Michael Crichton
Walt Whitman
Homer
Dante
Sylvia Plath--The Bell Jar
Lewis Carroll
In Style magazine
Glamour
Cosmo
Miguel de Cervantes
Compact Oxford English Dictionary
Dr. Seuss--The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Illustrated Encyclopedia
Nancy Drew series
Edward Albee--Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Friedrich Nietzsche
James Joyce--Ulysses
Isak Dinesen--Out of Africa
Henry James--The Art of Fiction
The New York Times
John Muir
Henry David Thoreau

Did I miss any?

Spring Cleaning!

2007-04-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've been Spring Cleaning all morning, and one of my most anticipated projects was to color-coat my bookcase. I saw this a few months ago in House & Garden magazine, and adored the idea. It's so much more aesthetically pleasing than alphabetically order, and I still don't think I'll have too much trouble finding anything I want. Whatdya think?

$180

2007-04-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so those of you that know me, know two things:
1. I love books.
2. I have an addictive personality.

These two things manifested themselves at my lunch yesterday, after I finished a scrumptious book, over a chicken salad sandwich at Panera. I simply had to read more of Elizabeth Berg, after having finished The Year of Pleasures. So, I jotted over across the street to my beloved Barnes and Noble, thinking I'd reward myself with a book or two, after a long morning of disasters (woke up late, iron broke, was out of gas, forgot to send a really important email, overdue library book notice... so buying things always make me feel better).
In reading the book descriptions on the back cover, I couldn't decide between 2 of many titles they had in stock, then 3, 4, 5... I definitely left B & N with 12 of Ms. Berg's books.
If this doesn't tell you something about how immensely I enjoyed Year of Pleasures (or how much reading time I've got sans husband for a few days), I don't know what will.
You simply must run out and buy everything you can of this brilliant author. I'll keep you updated on the next of hers in my stack, Durable Goods.

See, sometimes Oprah does discover a gem!

Citations & Library Things

2007-03-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

Recommending books is tricky business. I relate to Sara Nelson in So Many Books, So Little Time when she woes that on one hand, I can never quite help myself, but to share all the wonderful morsels I've picked up through the years, on the other hand, I know if they don't like it, I'll feel responsible, or even worse, wonder what kind of bad taste does this person have that they didn't like what I considered a masterpiece.
Even trickier, asking others for recommendations. It's not necessarily that I'm that hard to please, but people just read less and less these days, and if they are reading, it's more than likely a watered-down version of the latest movie that came out, so I'm usually not interested. Most of my choices these days come from wandering around B & N, learning that you really can tell more than you think by the proverbial "book's cover."
So, with all kinds of technology these days, it's no wonder that the internet has what we'd like down to a science. I was chuckling the other day at an article on TheOnion.com where a lady was convinced that Amazon's recommendation emails knew her better than her own husband. While Amazon is a great resource for cheap books, they've never quite nailed it when it comes to figuring out what I'd like next, I have just discovered another feature on the site that is just as useful.
So many of the authors I've ever discovered a love for, I stumbled across in another author's writings (Lauren Winner via Donald Miller; Chesterton, Pascal, and McDonald via John Eldredge; Anne Lamott via Professor Malone), so it makes sense that a book you love, might cite another book you would equally relate to. Scroll down past "Better Together," Editorial Reviews, and Product Details, and you'll find "Citations." Here Amazon will list all the books that refer to the particular volume you happen to be viewing at the time and any books that the book cites as well.
Another brilliant site I've happened upon, LibraryThings.com, will catalouge your books for you, then suggest books based on your library. Like Pandora for books!
Next time you need a great book to read, check out these sites (or here!), and see what you can find. Let me know what you love/hate.

Google Books

2007-02-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

This relates to books, my favorite thing, so I think it has an interesting place here.
Google is a leader in today’s search for knowledge. When I want pizza, I type in “Papa Johns” and up comes the site. If I’m searching for a news story I heard, simply search for “shortage of tortillas in Mexico.” Well, what is the greatest source of all knowledge? Books, of course! While any old kook (including myself) can publish information, false or true, it takes at least two people to agree on putting information out into the world in book form (the writer and the publisher). So in a quest to make the universe a slightly more knowledgable place, Google is attempting to make the Internet a worldwide library, but not without some opposition.
There is an interesting article in last week's New Yorker concerning their quest. Each week, a Google truck pulls up to the Cecil H. Green Library at Stanford University and collects thousands of books. They are then taken and scanned, page-by-page, into a database collected by Google. And Google intends to scan every book ever written, and make the texts searchable, as they already have with Websites. They believe they can do this amazing feat inside of ten years.
Their only motivation for such a mission: to make “the world’s information…universally accessible and useful.” Noble, and mind-boggling at the same time. However, for such a huge company (worth billions of dollars) to be quietly consuming libraries full of volumes of knowledge creates some modicum of resistance.
Nearly all attempts at making books electronic have failed, however, these free electronic versions infringe upon publishers’ domain. Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group, and McGraw Hill have all filed a lawsuit against the company, urging Google to stop the project. The issue lies, of course, in copyright laws.
The first such law was passed in 1790, but is confusing, and constantly amended, most recently and memorably in 1998. The publisher’s complaint is that Google is essentially copying millions of volumes of books without any compensation or payment to the owners. While many books copyright protections have expired, the vast majority of books are still under copyright or out of print. Google is scanning the entire book, but only making “snippets” available on the Web. Herein lies the rub.
Copyright law has never forbidden all copying of a work; for instance, most of us have quoted material in a paper or for other such fair use. Google’s argument is that it’s the same concept as Websites. People expect their websites to be found, even though they are also copyrighted, so by scanning books, Google gives people a chance to find books as well, and for them to be more easily accessible. But publishers maintain that the act of copying is an infringement of the traditional understanding, even if only portions are available for viewing.
As Google is first and foremost a business, it will be up to the courts to ultimately allow Google to continue scanning the material, but most involved believe that a settlement is most likely. Google could pay in cash, or in kind with advertising for the publishing companies, or even specific books. Business exists in a world outside the court time; it can’t wait for lawsuits to be resolved.
In this digital age, it’s an interesting conundrum. Libraries, publishers, people must adapt. But this could change the way we read. Technology has been evolving for many years, and it will certainly continue to. My personal opinion is that anytime knowledge, and particularly BOOKS are more readily available, it’s only a good thing, never evil. What do you think?

A Reading Game

2007-02-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, so one of my very good friends, a fellow avid reader, posted this game on her Xanga site, and "tagged" me to respond, so I feel obliged. Here are the rules:

Grab the nearest book to you,
Open to page 123, look down to the 5th sentence,
Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog,
Include the title and the author's name,
Tag 3 people.

Now, I was tempted to go find a classic, well-written, intelligent, or at least obsurely bookish book to charm you all into thinking I am ever so clever and deep, but... rule #1 does say to grab the book "nearest" and lo and behold, the book on the top of my library stack, sitting next to the couch is... We're Just Like You, Only Prettier by Celia Rivenbark. It just caught my eye the other day in the Southern American section, as an interesting "study" in Southern psychology (see, Dr. Blalock, that psychology hasn't wormed its way out of my system just yet), so I picked it up, and now I must divulge to you the dark secrets of how indescriminatory I am with my library card (hey, it's free! so if you don't like it, you can just return it a week later, and be none-the-poorer... the beauties of our tax-dollars at work).
Well, this is pretty funny, but man, does Mrs. Rivenbark write in some run on sentences! Enjoy y'all!

"Shoot, that's thirteen and the bread basket hasn't even arrived yet. We followed with: Enron; Ronnie Reagan; da-doo-ron-ron; how to pronounce Ilyanla's name and wonder if she signes her check with a little exlamation point like on TV; speeding tickets; the comeback of fishnet pantyhose...
There was more of course: how pineapple salsa always give me bad dreams; is brown or gray the new black; why nobody RSVPs for a kid's birthday party and how that makes you crazy; the trend of sending invitations to big-budget parties for engaged couples and then, on the same invitation, hitting you up to help pay for it (consensus: tacky beyond words); liposuction (well it had been an hour); Russell Crowe; crow's feet; the Black Crowes (this is typical estrogen stream-of-consciousness stuff; try to hang); Chelsea's sleek new bob; Sarah Jessica Parker's sleek new bob; how we'd have kept the curls; the Winter Olympics; how somebody's brother-in-law used to live in Salt Lake City and said they do, too, drink coffee out there; how our waiter lookes exactly like Joey on Friends."

I hadn't even started reading this one yet, when I jumped on ahead to Part 3: Chapter 3. But I think I'll go start in on Part 1: The Southern Family, Chapter 1: Stop Watching Your Plasma TV and Start Selling Your Plasma!
I got a good feeling I'm gonna be laughin' so hard, milk's gonna done shoot out that thur nose o mine, ain't it? Gosh, I miss Tennessee!

Paper

2007-01-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

My dear husband likes to say that I like paper. He's usually chiding me on leaving various forms of the substance around the house. My books, magazines, calendars, tiny journals are always strewn about waiting to be thumbed through, or jotted in, or just for decorative effect--like more coffee table books than my coffee table could reasonably support. I suppose he's right. Funny, there are those SSB (Secret Single Behavior) things that you never notice when living alone, until someone gets close enough to point them out.
I do love paper. I barely parted with every last church bulletin I'd saved for 6 years until my parents moved houses and Mom insisted that she would not lug the box around any more. I have hundreds of books, read, but marked in so personally that I can't bear to be a good citizen and donate the used treasures to the public library or even lend them to most friends. I still prefer a good old fashioned Franklin Covey day timer to my husbands PDA, and many a note-filled spiral from college classes sit in boxes under our bed. I've been writing three or four books on receipts, napkins, and credit card offer envelopes for years.
I say all this to say, that despite my utmost fondness for books, there are so many mediums that I enjoy reading, so for those of you that will never pick up the 1072 pages of Brothers Karamazov (you should, you really should, but...) here are some more pieces you might enjoy. If nothing else, it will make you look smarter, lugging around the Times in your briefcase.
1. Magazines- This whole thought actually came to me the other day while reading a riveting piece in the February issue of Vogue. I'll concede that probably Cosmo and Glamour aren't necessarily "intellectual" reading material, but there are some magazines out there that actually have articles worth exploring. "Prisoner of Love" in this month's Vogue was just such a piece. You'll also find such worthy articles in Harper's Bazaar, Martha Stewart Living, Health, and a few select others. I subscribe to several magazines that cater to my tastes, but if you just have a few moments at lunch, or waiting for an appointment, or on the bus or train, you could pick up a host of magazines on art, cars, or health, home and garden, travel, psychology, or fashion, news and the list goes on...
2. Blogs- There are a few that I check regularly, some just to know what goes on in friends lives, some for the photos, and a few to learn new hobbies, but others are just as well-written as any great novel I've ever invested weeks in. One of my favorite blogs is frequently updated by a singer/songwriter, Jason Mraz, popular for his song "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)"--a well written song, and an even better journal on his website. This man has a way with words that will pierce your heart at times, and make you double-back with laughter even more. Also wonderful blogs are: Gastrokid, LaurenWinner.net, Design*Sponge, Xanga, Preppy Cafe, and... any suggestions? Find one about a topic you love and get to know a new "friend." It's like reading someone else's diary.
3. Letters- Write them to friends far away, or get a pen-pal. Because... a) it's fun in a retro sort of way, b) you're handwriting needs practice, c) stamps!, and d) when is the last time you got something in your mailbox that wasn't a bill or advertisement?
4. Wikipedia- If you haven't discovered this online encyclopedia, get out from under your rock! Way more fun than those dusty volumes that grandma has on her TV credenza. Be sure and click the "Random Article" button-- fun for those 2.09 hours at work that Americans don't really produce (according to San Fransisco Chronicle). Which brings me to my next point...
5. Newspaper- the daily news. How many of us flip on "Good Morning, TownWhereYouLive" each morning during breakfast, hear 15 minutes of one human interest story that you aren't even interested in, only to dash off to work, and then be embarrassed once you get around the water cooler, to fake your way through a conversation about what's going on in the war effort? You could get 100 times more info from just reading the headlines in a newspaper during your morning coffee than in 30 minutes of witty banter between your charming local newscasters.
6. Those free newpapers/magazines in front of Panera, the library, coffee shop, CD store... you know, with names like "Folio Weekly," "VIP," or "Black & White." I'm sure your city has one-- some good local info, and if nothing else, you'll have something cool to do this weekend. That the Blockbuster man knows you by name is not a good thing.
7. Short stories- You can find these in book form, on the Internet, or in magazines such as The New Yorker. Like a segway drug, it's a start, and who knows, someday, you might even pick up Brothers Karamazov (the abridged version, at least).
On a final note, one of the most common mis-conceptions, and reasons I believe people don't read, is that they don't find 100% of writers to be people they agree with, and they think it's a waste of time to read a varying opinion. In fact, you might do yourself the greatest service of all, by consistently reading those who you have little in common with. Your horizons will be broadened, your mind sharpened, and if the argument in your head with the author becomes too heated, at least you can say you gave "ear" and a bit of time to the other side. I say this to say that not all the mediums I've listed above are always in line with my beliefs, opinions, and values. But I guess I just love any words on paper.

Luck of the Irish

2006-12-29T09:35:00.000-08:00

For those of you out there who find history boring, you've never had a teacher like Thomas Cahill. I was first introduced to this author by Hugh Hewitt, author of In, But Not Of. In his encouragement to young professionals to learn a bit of this and that, he lists books everyone should read to gain a working knowledge of history (I'll give a complete list sometime). One book he happens to suggest there is The Gifts of the Jews, which I read about a year or two ago and was instantly turned on to Mr. Cahill. This book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, happens to be the first in the "Hinges of History" series, and the best in the series, I think. The series takes an interesting look at the history of the Western world, not through the tragedies, catastrophes, and wars, but of the gifts bestowed from one civilazation to another--through the Irish, Hebrews, Christians, Greeks so far, and he is expected to publish three more volumes in the next decade.
For those of you who need some extra encouragement, I remembered to pick this one up while reading John Eldredge's new book The Way of the Wild Heart, a follow up to his bestselling Wild at Heart. Eldredge has a love for all things Celtic, and when he mentioned this volume, I just had to make a trip to B & N and pick it up, and I suggest you do too.

My Second "Politically Un-Correct" Entry in the Span of One Week

2006-10-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

So, I started a new job this week. There’s all the excitement of setting up email, and meeting new colleagues, reorganizing your desk, and bringing a few things from home to make the desk your own. Of course, among my pictures and candles, I have to bring a few books to make the desk truly “Ginger.”
Included in these books, a bargain buy I had picked up from B & N a while back, called The Girl’s Guide to Power & Success by Susan Wilson Solovic. The cover was cute, and it seemed an appropriate title to sit on a working girl’s desk. I started to read it one day when I had left my lunch book in the car and the rain was coming down too hard for me to run out and retrieve it.
For the first time in a while, I broke my “stop reading after 50 pages, if you don’t like the book” rule. I made it just three chapters in (page 24), and couldn’t take anymore. Maybe Ms. Solovic’s talent lies somewhere else, other than writing, because she is obviously a successful woman. But when it comes to inspiring a “girl to power and success,” we’ve heard all that she has to say already. I guess that’s what I get for buying off the overstock table. She whines for the first chapter about how the playing field still isn’t equal. She tells fairly limited stories, based almost exclusively off of her own experiences, about people who done her wrong. Then, she proceeds to encourage us girls with tired advice like, “Go for it!” “Be prepared for anything.” “Stay upbeat!” “Be a superstar, not a superwoman.” And, my favorite, “Use your feminine charm, but your masculine smarts.” Advice you could get at any high school career day pep rally. One of her favorite refrains really burns me, as one who considers herself a successful woman. She is constantly encouraging women to free themselves from the “good girl” mentality. Her argument is that traditional breeding has given most females the image of being “nice” and this robs us of the ability to free the aggressive nature that it takes to succeed in business. Well, what ever went wrong with being good and nice? Most women I know have a fierce side. We can go to war when we need to, but we reserve these times only for the things that are really important. No need to pick a fight, when being “good” will get you just as far, if not further, if you ask me.
It seems this book is about 10 or 15 years behind its time. Women are beginning to recognize that you can’t have it all. We evaluate our priorities, and go for the important things in life to us. And we don’t need someone telling us anymore that “anything you can do, I can do better.” We know; we just don’t need to prove it to anyone.

Discrimination is NOT a Bad Thing

2006-10-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

There is a difference between definition and connotation.
Webster's Dictionary defines "discriminate" this way:
1: to mark or perceive the distinguishing or peculiar features of
2: to distinguish by discerning or exposing differences
3: to make a distinction; to use good judgment
"Discriminate" has gotten a bad reputation. It seems to me that to be discriminatory would be a good thing. It would involve exercising judgment, noticing things and people, seeing differences and features. From kindergarten up, we are taught to "use good judgment." I mean, when I go to the grocery store, I "discriminate" between the firm, ripe apples, against the ones that have sat in the bin past their prime. And when I pick out a new car, I use my good sense and judgment to notice that this one runs smoothly, while the other appears to need some engine work. I picked a college based on qualities of one or another that were better or worse. So, before you all go haywire all me, I will plainly state that I am absolutely NOT a racist. I lived for 10 years in Memphis, the seat of the civil rights movement. And furthermore, I am married to a "minority." (My handsome husband is Spanish.) As a matter of fact, I've been thinking and reading a lot lately about the leader of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Allow me to continue. When I say that "discrimination," in and of itself, is not a bad thing, I am saying that to discriminate is not wrong. It depends on what qualities you are using to discriminate with. Color is not a proper reason to discriminate. This entry is inspired by a book I've been reading (of course) called "Soul Survivor." If you've never read anything by Phillip Yancey, you must, immediately. He is responsible for practically shaping my views on grace full living.
The book is his tribute to thirteen individuals who have shaped his life, and encouraged him, sometimes in unusual ways, to "survive the church." I'd like to focus, however, primarily on Chapter 2: Martin Luther King, Jr. (Other interesting lives include Dr. Paul Brand, Leo Tolstoy, Dr. Robert Coles, Feodor Dostoevsky, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. C. Everett Koop, and Shusaku Endo.)
Mr. Yancey grew up in an incredibly racist environment in Atlanta, Georgia. And he admits to looking down upon blacks as a child mostly just because they "gave [them] someone to look down on." While he stresses repentance and healing from those feelings now, it's rare to read a defense of MLK, Jr. from this perspective, and it started me thinking.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was by no means perfect. In fact, there is a good deal of proof that he participated in sexual dalliances, even up to the night before his death. And however powerful a writer and speaker he was, Dr. King is also accused of plagiarism on certain occasions. But this does not excuse us from looking at the good he did seek to accomplish. Yancey talks about Dr. King's upbringing, conversion, and the message he brought in a socially changing day, ripe for his movement. He even compares Martin Luther King, Jr. with the prophets of the Old Testament. Dr. King went directly against laws and social assumptions of his time, and all doing this nonviolently, forgiving his enemies in love, despite threats to his own body and defamations to his character. He heralded the message that "moral change is not accomplished through immoral means." God has always stood on the side of the oppressed throughout history, and Dr. King was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his efforts.
But it's ironic that having come from such a legalistic, oppressive, and ungrace-filled place, Phillip Yancey has become such a champion for grace. It's because of this I've vowed to read more on Dr. King, starting with a couple of autobiographies by David Garrow and Taylor Branch and "A Testament of Hope" (excerpts of famous speeches and writings from MLK, Jr. himself). While few in this day would ingore Dr. King's message to cease discrimination based on race, I think part of his message has been lost.
I stood in line today behind a man wearing a shirt, sporting the message in bold red letters: "Stop SNITCHING." So I must evaluate not only what Dr. King accomplished, but what his actual desires against "discrimination" were.
I had heard of this "Stop Snitchin'" concept before, but I was not exactly sure as to the meaning of the message this, ahem, gentleman(?) was trying to get across. The color of his skin did not rouse me. His education level, IQ, job history, place of employment, or address were complete mysteries to me. All I know of this young man is what he chose to tell me, and everyone else he came in contact with today, through the wearing of that shirt.
A simple Google search lead me to 62,500 references to the "Stop Snitchin'" campaign. Basically, it started as a tactic from criminals to frighten people with information from going to the police. The campaign gained attention in Baltimore, Maryland and spread across the country through rap, videos, and even professional athletes. Some of the shirts even sport "bullet holes" tearing through the material. While I believe in free speech, and certainly the man that stood in front of me today has the RIGHT to wear whatever shirt he pleases, this is where my right to discriminate comes in. No, I am not judging him based on the pigments in his skin, but given the choice to be friends with/do business with/live near this man with such an evidently pro-criminal attitude, I use my better "judgment" and say, "no, thank you." This is what it means to discriminate properly, and I'll disagree that it's best just to be blind to these types of displays that are so obviously against what the entire message of Dr. King stood for.
This is put best by Martin Luther King, Jr. himself. He give me permission, and encouragement to judge, based on one thing: the content of their character.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
So I will take that admonishment. I will never judge someone by the color of their skin, but I will most certainly use my right to judge you based upon the content of your character.

P.S.-On a side, personal note, I have been offered a job today, so if my full time current job of reading/bloging subsides a TAD, forgive me, please.

One Size Does NOT Fit All

2006-10-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

From time to time in a book store, they'll have that table of books sitting by the register for like 170% off. And usually the cover isn't that well designed, and there are at least 10 copies of each of them, so you figure these are just the ones that didn't sell too good, but you're compelled to stop by and look, just in case. Well, some of my greatest treasures have been found on said table, and today's selection is one of them. I'm only sorry this book has been sitting on my shelf for years now--intriging enough for me to spend my hard-earned money on, but not intriging enough, apparently, for me to read. Until this weekend. Shame on me.
Well, my dearest husband is gone (boo!), so I was purusing my collection, and remembered that this book's concept looked interesting, so I started reading. The book is called "Sacred Pathways" and it's written by Gary Thomas. The premise is, that like personalities and temperments, our path to God is also an individual one. While Mr. Thomas does not discount the value of corporate gatherings, such as church (in fact, he maintains that we all, with our different pathways, are strengthened even more when coming together), he does propose that most of us were taught that in spiritual matters, one size fits all. And that's just not so.
Now, this book does not let that all religions are equal paths to God. Mr. Thomas takes the doctrinal position of Christianity (Jesus being God, etc.) is the only way, but our worship styles can be quite different. A spiritual life can come in many different forms. Much like Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory, "Sacred Pathways" outlines nine roads, one or two of which, we will find that we have a tendancy to enjoy most.
They are:
Naturalists... loving God outdoors
Sensates... loving God with senses
Traditionalists... loving God with rituals
Ascetics... loving God in solitude
Activists... loving God through causes
Caregivers... loving God by loving others
Enthusiasts... loving God with celebration
Contemplatives... loving God through adoration
Intellectuals... loving God with your mind
While we all can gain from all of these, a practical example is this. I am, at times, envious of my sister who can go camping for a whole weekend, and come back refreshed and filled. An afternoon picnic in the park usually leaves me indifferent, at best, annoyed (ants, melty chicken salad, melty hair, dirt!), at worst. She can enjoy and rejuvenate through seeing God's creation in nature. But then again, people like my Dad can't possibly imagine what I get out of a liturgy we've recited over and over, year after year. We each express ourselves to God, and He expresses Himself to us in individual ways. If we were to get ahold of this, our souls might cease being mal-nourished, as we would be properly fed, spiritually.
Look to some of your favorite authors, friends, heros of history. See if you don't notice a pattern in your choices. Perhaps, if you look to C.S. Lewis and John Calvin, they found strength in long hours pouring over theological studies. Or maybe you admire Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr., who rallied for causes.
Pick this book up if you come across it on the sale table (just proof that you should never judge a book by its cover). Or better yet, search it out. I know that it will bring refreshment, no matter what your Sacred Pathway--especially if you diagnose as an "Intellectual."

A Specific Miscellany

2006-10-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Trivial Pursuit. Jepoardy. Common books found in bathroom reading. All these things prove our enjoyment of useless facts and figures.
A few years ago, I came across a most fascinating book: Schott's Original Miscellany. A fun "coffee-table book," it is chock full of such vital information as shoelace lenghts, a list of the seven dwarves, Miss Americas by hair color, and the motto of the US Postal Service. My husband can be entertained for hours.
But even better than this, when I came across a series of books just yesterday, by T. J. McTavish including "A Theological Miscellany" and "A Biblical Miscellany." It's no secret that I love all things pertaining to religion, and these two books have kept me reading for hours since, including which U.S. President was ordained as a minister, the five points of Arminianism, or the twelve myths of Christmas. While considerably weightier subjects than Schott's version, these books take a light and quirky look at "miscellany."
For interested Jepoardy contestants, also check out:
-Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany
-Schott's Sporting, Gaming, and Idling Miscellany
-The Shakespeare Miscellany
-Bedside Book of Birds: An Avian Miscellany
-Miscellany of Parent's Wisdom
-Cat's Miscellany.

More Narnia

2006-09-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Something about fall time (ok, fall time in Florida means the temps drop to 80, but still...), makes me want to pull out certain genres. Mysteries. Any book that takes place in cold weather places, especially in Great Britain. War stories. Tragic dramas. Grand epics. I guess with the heavy weather comes a certain spirit that encourages me not to take the world lightly.
I'm a firm believer that literature can mirror, or even stir up, real life. And, as I've declared before, you can't read better stories than from our dear friend C.S. Lewis. They contain a bit of every genre--mystery, romance, war. It's because of this I'm sure I'll never tire of his stories, and as I read them over and over, I find truths that grow up with me from the 4 year old girl that first discovered the magical world through the wardrobe.
I was in my beloved LifeWay bookstore the other day, with every intention just to run in and pick up a book that MIL (my mother-in-law) had recommended, when I found myself walking out with several other titles, including "Roar!" by Heather and David Kopp. This book caught my eye with its colorful illustrations by Martin French and guide-like formula.
With the Narnia movie last Christmas, and a renewed interest in great children's literature, it seems there has been a rush of books exploring life lessons for children, and adults alike, through classic literature. But this is one of the best I've seen on this subject.
The book contains so many great features, I was caught up for hours exploring them. The Chronicles take a reader through many adventures, but "Roar!" leads the reader deeper in to the wisdom of Narnia by sharing mythology, interactive activities (including a recipe for Turkish Delight!), indexes of the creatures and places, and even a glossary of the difficult language gap sometimes created for those of us that didn't live in World War II days. Every page is full color and packed with articles, chapter-by-chapter guides for each of the seven books, quizzes, and the history behind Mr. Lewis and his beloved "childrens'" stories.
To explore the world of Narnia further, also check out:
-A Field Guide to Narnia by Colin Duriez
-Companion to Narnia by Paul F. Ford
-Lessons from the Lion by my personal friend, Michael Pritchard
-both CDs, Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia and the score to the motion picture contain fabulous music.

The Best-Laid Schemes

2006-09-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

Today I read "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. It's only 107 pages, so a perfect size for my purse. Ever since I got back from California, I've been craving a bit of Steinbeck, so I've been carrying it around for a while, and today I showed up half an hour early for my interview, so I started this tiny gem.
I don't know how I missed this in high school. But it's a shame that I did. It's sad, and sweet, and such a great story.
In the spirit of keeping things short and sweet. That's all I'll say about the book. Other than you should read it, if you haven't. Or at least some Steinbeck. If you love it, then go on to "East of Eden." It's anything but short, but well worth the time. Ignore the "Oprah's Book Club" sticker on the front. It's good too. I promise.

Wandering Through the Kid's Section

2006-09-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

As I ran into my beloved B & N (Barnes and Nobles, if you don't know that, shame on you), the other night to pick up Lauren Winner's latest book, Real Sex (I know, risque title, not the "throw in the purse to read in a spare moment" kind of book. I accidentally didn't think about that when I was in the doctor's office the other day. It took about a dozen funny looks before I wanted to scream out, "I'm just getting my eyes checked, people!" ...anyway...), I ironically came dangerously close to the most charming section in the place, the children's section.* It's so alluringly decorated with bright Winnie-the-Pooh characters, and lovely hardwood, that I can scarcely resist going in.
It must be the holdover from the education major days in college. I'm not sure. But although I went running when I realized that I'd actually have to work with 30 of them--at the same time, I'll still argue that it just doesn't get any better than a good work of children's fiction. And in the spirit of my latest clandestine purchases from the aforementioned section (see, I am an adult... did you know the word "aforementioned" in second grade? Well, you would have if you had read a lot!), I'd like to recommend my top 5 favorite children's books of all time. In alphabetical order.**
Here goes:
1. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
I never read anything by Ms. Paterson that wasn't brilliant and touching and unforgettable. My elementary school librarian recognized a girl after her own heart, and recommended this and "Jacob, Have I Loved," also by Katherine Paterson, in 4th grade, and it has haunted me (in the good way), ever since.
2. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
Loved this author's humor and storytelling so much, that just last month, I searched out another read: Silent to the Bone. Good too, but you must read "Mixed-Up." It's like a grown-down (opposite of grown-up?) version of Da Vinci Code.
3. Homer Price by Robert McCloskey (My Daddy introduced me to Homer when I was very small and we still laugh about his foibles).
Mr. McCloskey is one of the most celebrated authors, and left us with some of the most beloved works for children ever written (most of you remember his picture book "Make Way for Duckings"). The stories of Homer Price and his small town life in Centerburg are one word: hilarious.
4. The Nancy Drew Mystery series by Carolyn Keene
Yes, I know this doesn't count as just one, as there are 56 (origianl... and who knows how many more recent spin-offs), but every young girl especially should be able to admire Nancy for her manners, wit, and clever ability to solve any puzzling situation that came her way (with the help of her Dad, and her friends Bess, George, and the handsome Ned).
I hear a rumor a major motion picture is in the works about our favorite girl dectective. I hope so. She stole my heart long before Veronica Mars was on the scene.
5.Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
It's no secret to most of you that I am fascinated by Jewish culture. But this isn't a recent love. I remember reading this book, and my heart being touched by what horrors and triumphs two girls, Annemarie and Ellen (best friends, but Ellen is a Jew), went through during World War II. Every bit as good as "Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank.

Read these to a kid you love, or even yourself for a real treat. And that, my friends, is your first annual Sepember is Back To School reading list!

*A dear thanks to my good friend, Sara, for emboldening me to admit that, at an age where my mom already had two children (scary), I don't! but still READ for children.

**Mr. John Newberry would agree with me. Three of the above are Newberry Medal winners--the highest honor in young adult fiction.

Welcome, Xanga-ers!

2006-09-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

As I was saying, I found a jewel on my very own bookcase. I once purchased "Orthodoxy" by G. K. Chesterton in college, planning on joining that Rounders group, but never got around to that, or to reading it.
I knew it would be good. I knew it would be deep. I figured it would be just as hard to read as any meaty, classic that we all should read at some point in our lives, but I had just been avoiding it. Shame on me.
It is one of the most refreshing books I have picked up in a long time. Mr. Chesterton puts his faith in terms of romance and adventure and turbulent change. It's almost autobiographical, in his journey from believing certain doctrines, to actually embracing them as his creed. The book moves along with the compelling nature of a mystery, but he explains that "the riddles of God prove more satisfying than the answers proposed without God."
Not that there is anything wrong with logic. I'm a big fan. But it seems most intellectual books put this on the highest pedestal, and focus solely on reason to define theology. But this Victorian English journalist explores God more in terms of poetry, drama, and fluid, active beliefs. He goes into the doctrines of original sin and Christ's divinity that are so applicable to our world today.
For any fans of John Eldredge, Donald Miller, or John Ortenberg, G. K. would have been a fan, and a friend.

Coastliners

2006-08-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

The coast. This plays a double feature in my entry today. Number one: if you'll notice a small, if somewhat typical for me, break in the "consistancy" of the writing, it is because I have had none too few major life changes in the past months. I was married in June to a jewel of a man, Matthew, and... have become, myself, a coastliner. Yes, my friends, I now live in the beautiful state of Florida--the closest thing to paradise this side of heaven.
And while things have been rather busy of late being a newlywed (side note: if you've never been married, you really should, immediately, if not sooner. It's tres fun.), I have found myself now with an extraordinary amount of time at the library. Why is this? You see, my dearest is in the U.S. Navy, so the noble men have to ship out and protect all the coastliners. (Thank you, brave men.)
This brings me to my next referrence to Coastliners. This time, a book by the talented Joanne Harris. You might remember Chocolat, by Joanne Harris which was turned into a charming movie, starring everyone's favorite--Johnny Depp. But anything I've ever read from Ms. Harris is equally as delicious (pun intended). I especially love "Five Quarters of the Orange" and her short story, "There's No Such Place as Bedford Falls."
But Coastliners is my newest read, about a girl who moves back to her hometown, after 10 years in Paris. Her "hometown" is really an island, complete with some of the most interesting characters you'll ever meet. Full of suspicion, holding on to superstitions, stubborn, hard, and destitute, you'll love them just the same as our main character, Mado.
This book is perfect as the last sticky days of summer slip away, but rather than a bright yellow umbrella and bottles of sunscreen, you might grab a thick wool coat to brace you for this salty and chilling coast.

Don't Do This

2006-04-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

I came across a seemingly wonderful website. Beautiful books, and they boast 18 miles of them! And I even agree that books can be some of the most beautiful form of decor. But only when they are books that you have read (or at least have some interest in), bought will a great deal of thought poured over them, enjoyed their knowledge and treasure deeply. This: http://www.strandbooks.com/bbtfoot/. This is not the way to buy books. And, imagine the embarrassment when a date walks into your apartment and exclaims, "I love Langston Hughes!" and you have to say "Who?"
"You have a biography of him here."
"Oh, well, I just bought those books by the foot..."

Beach Read

2006-03-30T07:43:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not sitting in paradise somewhere, but with the 80 degree Memphis March, my best friend leaving for vacation today, and the new news that my Matthew will soon be living just steps away from the ocean, I’m feeling a tad summer-y. Not that I'm ashamed of anything that I ever read, but I don't make a habit of reading books targeted at tweenagers, but make an exception from time to time. Today is one of those such days. Upon high recommendation of yes, a colleague (who is a few years older than me at that, mind you), and the knowledge that many people will soon trade in copies of the Wall Street Journal for something they could pick up on the paperback bestsellers rack, I am reading… The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
It is light, fun, and even at times, thoughtful. Another one of those books that attracted enough attention to make a movie of (which is on my Blockbuster list for this weekend now), probably a lot more of you took your daughters to see the movie than sat down to read a 300 page book. But it really does have some redeeming read-worthy qualities to it.
First of all, before each chapter, a relevant quote from a well-known person is presented. They range from Winston Churchill to J. R. R. Tolkien to Jerry Seinfeld. This is a great way to expose yourself, or a young person in your life, to the wisdom of others.
Another redeeming quality that really does make this a good read is the resonant qualities and principles that seem to flow from these high school characters. Even if you don’t remember being that age, so many of the things they are dealing with as sophomores, I’ll stop and notice that I’ve thought something similar just last week. For example, one of the four characters is taking in a sunset and comments at her frustration in not being able to capture the beauty of it sufficiently. She questions herself, “Why did she always fell she had to do something in the face of beauty?” Pretty profound for 15.
But by far, the most wonderful thing about this book is the sense of community and fierce loyalty these girls have. I know most of us wish for, spend a good part of our lives looking for these types of “bosom buddies” (to steal a phrase from another wonderful book for young ladies, Anne of Green Gables). These girls have found friends that are different from themselves, but yet interesting, and confident, and loving, and committed to each other. If only we could all find even one such friend. Well, in the meantime, we can live vicariously through Bridget, Carmen, Lena, and Tibby.
Read it. I know you’ll love it.

A Modest Proposal

2006-03-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

Before I suggest that you go out and immediately buy/borrow/sit in Barnes and Noble's for 6 hours reading this next book, I must confess that although I've read it several times, it's not what's in my bag currently ("Prison Angel" by Jordan & Sullivan is, but I've only barely read the preface and the first chapter, so more on that later). I was just reminded of this book from reading a blog by Lauren Winner (Laurenwinner.net--really, really good author and thinker). She has written a book called "Real Sex" (which I have not yet read) and seems to be currently a leading Christian thinker these days about modern chasity.
Well, the book I'm suggesting today, "A Return to Modesty," by Wendy Shalit, is not written necessarily from a Christian perspective, but it is quite conservative. It's really excellent. I suppose it's mostly directed at women, but the main themes have nothing to do with the hemline of your skirt or the neckline of your blouse, so I think men would do well to read this too. It ranges from moments that make you think to disturbing statistics about the shape of our sexual culture today, to hilarious synopsis of the "pre-hook-up post-break-up check-up" theory. A good read, and Ms. Shalit, I read your book about 2 or 3 years ago, and am dying for more. Please, please write more.

Happy Father's Day

2006-03-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know, I've got my holiday's mixed up. It's St. Patrick's Day (pinch, pinch), but June 18th has more in common with my book selection than green beer and shamrocks (though for some of you, the dad-beer correlation is strong too).
Now before I hail the greatness of my latest book recommendation, I must start by saying that I have the best father, no Daddy, ever.
My Daddy is kind, supportive, loving, firm, stable, and strong. It's almost unfathomable to me to have lived without that support. I'm certain though, I would be a vastly different person. I have many friends though that weren't so fortunate. I have a precious friend who had an amazing daddy, until she was about 10 years old. He was heroicly killed fighting a fire. I have other friends who's dad's lived in the house, but had little interaction with their sons. What they did teach them was to run around on their woman, or to withdrawl emotionally from their families.
I've never met Don Miller, but after reading 3 books by him, I feel like he's a friend. His father left when he was young, so he does know what it's like to grow up without a dad.
"To Own A Dragon" is about his journey to find out what he missed growing up. By the time the book starts, Don has already realized the hole that this void has left him with. And Don explains the processes he went through, from teenage neighbors next door, to youth ministers, to roommates, that all played a part in the stand-in dad.
If you grew up an absolute Daddy's girl like I did, this will only make you appreciate what you never had to miss, but if you grew up like Don, perhaps his healing will show you a bit of grace.

King of Beasts, Beautiful Villian, and a Gateway into...

2006-03-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

Narnia.
Everyone's familiar with it these days, especially with an onslought of popularity of the classic writer C. S. Lewis and the recent release of the movie "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."
I'll keep this short, but to the point. If you read no other book this year, read LWW. The movie's great. It is. But the book is so much richer. Please read. And let me know your thoughts when you do.

Gee, That's Swell!

2006-03-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

If you've been to Target in the last, say year or two, you've noticed some really positive changes. I remember a time where Tar-jay (as the rednecks trying to be fancy call it) was just another Wal-mart (ew! a topic for another day, I know, but Wal-Mart is notoriously dirty, overstocked, but never in the items you want, and understaffed by people that always look like they've been up for about 3 weeks straight and could care less if you can't finds the aisle where wrapping paper is located), but now with the "Issac for Target" brand apearing in fashion magazines, and the "Design for All" campaign, Target is a place where most shop regularly, and where most females, demographed between the ages of 19 and 31 don't let a week pass without visiting.
Speaking of these females, my most recent book acquisition is a book, designed for young women called "The Swell-Dressed Party." The Swell brand is another brand carried by Target, featuring kitschy, cutesy items for the home and entertaining. Designer Cynthia Rowley is one of the contributors to the Swell designs and line of books, and her ideas are simply... charming, in the truest sense of the word.
Light and flighty, the Swell ladies take you from an over-all journey of being a Swell girl, to making your home a Swell place, to now, in the latest installment, entertaining like "your mom went to charm school, in Las Vegas."
Second only to books, is my hobby of planning parties. This book is chock full of ideas for arranging for the perfect get-together. Glittery, practical, whitty, and easy breezy fun... if you like Sex in the City and Martha Stewart, you'll love Swell-Dressed Party.

6 months worth

2006-02-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

Wow... I really can't believe how time flies... work got real busy there, then the holidays, some traveling over the past couple of months, and bam... it's been 6 months later, and I haven't written a thing about all the wonderfulness I've been reading. I'm not even sure I can remember all that I've purused over the past few months, but a few highlights that stick out in my mind are:

Choosing a Jewish Life-An interesting book, designed for "Jews-by-choice" (people converting to Judaism), but as I love learning about all things Jewish, a fun read for me to see how life is different for the non-Jew becoming a Jew.

Through Painted Deserts-Finished this road trip "memoir" by Don Miller. If you haven't read any of his stuff before, you really must get some.

Pride & Predudice-For about the quapatajilionth time. Wonderful... much better than any of the movies, though they all get a "Bravo!" from me.

The Red Tent-Again, pertaining to Jewish culture, but this time, ancient Jewish women's traditions. Very raw, but a riviting read about the bonds of womanhood.

I've also started a book club for the newly released Arthur & George. The based-on-true-story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories). Really, really good... but I haven't gotten far enough in it to give it a proper review yet.

Oh so many more, I'm sure... but it has been 6 months people. I can't remember all 2,407 (slight exaggeration).

Ok, for what's in my bag today. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James.
Sometimes, a decent book takes 4 chapters to really "get into" (the example that comes to mind is A Voice in the Wind... wonderful story, but it took a good half of the book to set the characters up to where you fall in love with them so deeply, that you are complelled to read the sequel). My policy is to give a book 50 pages to impress me. If I'm not riveted by that point, I put it down, figuring I can always pick it up again later and hey, there is way too much good stuff out there to guiltily trudge through something you aren't going to relish.
This is not one of those such cases. The first line is charming.
"Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
Now don't be fooled, male readers, by the title, or the rapid referrence to tea. This is a book full of erroding values, death, travel, interferring family, troubled romance, disapproved marriages, lies, deterioration, and choices. If you liked Madame Bovary that you were forced to read in high school, you'll love this.
I won't go any further, so as not to ruin it for you, but check it out, or at the very least, rent the 1996 version of the film, starring Nicole Kidman (that's sure to get you). It's a great story.
Many thanks to Melissa Allen for recommending this, one of my new favorites.

Current Book

2005-09-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I know this is unprecedented for me, but two in one day is what you're going to get. I just couldn't wait to tell all about this book I am reading today.
(A side note about how really ridiculously true it is how often I start a new book, a little story from a conversation I had with Matt this week:
He called on my lunch break and said, "What are you doing?" and I said, "Reading." He said, "What are you reading?" I answered "The Ginger Tree" (it's a book by Oswald Wynd, fabulous... about a woman who moves to China at the beginning of the 20th century; it's set up in a diary style, which I always enjoy). He exclaimed, surprised, "You were reading that yesterday too! Wow, must be really good.)
(And a note out about Matty and how wonderful he is to actually have listened and remembered something I said two days in a row. No offense, men, but you know that's quite a feat. Kudos, Matthew.)
Anyway, to what I am reading today. I grew up in a very Southern, meat and potatoes, suburbia, Baptist, Mom-and-Dad-are-still-married-to-each-other kind of family. Not to be stereotypical, but we often don't hear much about Judaism in these realms, but for some reason, my mom has always been fascinated with the Hebrews and their culture. I, not being Jewish, really was somewhat indifferent. Being a Christian, I knew that they are God's chosen race, so I love them, but as far as their culture and traditions, I really didn't know much.
A couple of years ago, I read a book on recommendation from my baby sister (who is no longer a baby; she's in college, but I will always refer to her as my baby sister) who read it on recommendation from her best friend who could have been a clone of my best friend, so I knew it should be good. It was called "A Return to Modesty" by Wendy Shalit. Wendy, if you're out there, reading this somehow, please, please write more, because I devoured that book. I acctually finished it (which should be a testament to how good it is), not once, but three times! Now before all you feminists scoff at the word "modesty" still being used today, in the 21st century, you should really give this book a try. It gave a voice to what I and so many other strong women have felt for so long. I won't give it all away, but it truely is superb.
Anyway, I digress often. Have you noticed? But Ms. Shalit was Jewish, and one of my first true introductions to just a taste of their culture and traditions. It's really fascinating. So much rich history.
Then I came across this book, "Girl Meets God." It's about a Christian girl, who grew up Orthodox Jew, who is trying to marry the two religions she so loves. Another recommendation, this author, I heard about through another author I love, love, love (Donald Miller), and she has definitely been no disappointment. The title and cover give it no justice. It looks kinda trite "God and my girlfriend" kinda literature, but it's deep and felt and honest. I'm really enjoying her and learning more about the Jewish culture.
So, that's my latest recommendation. If you've read it, please let me know what you think. And if you haven't, go hit up Barnes and Noble.

Books

2005-09-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe that it's been two months since I've written anything new to this blog. I'm sorry I haven't been more interesting. I could make excuses about how time flies these days (which really is true the older you get, because when you are 5, one day is a whopping 1/1,825th of your life, and when you are 25 it is a mere 1/9,125th), or how now that I'm working full time, there is always something to do when I come home (laundry, pay the bills, eat dinner, etc.), but really, it comes down to that there is nothing that I am all that excited about discussing, and if I'm not even excited enough to spend a few moments musing about it to myself, who in the world else is supposed to read it?
I was munching on this over breakfast this morning, when my dad suggested something. It's a good idea.
You see, I read. A lot. I read when I should be sleeping; I read when I should be working; I read when I should be reorganizing my closet for the fall season. I read when I should be writing something whitty and enlightening on this blog.
One thing I've always wanted to do is to document all the books I read. I've tried to start notebooks of lists "To Read," "Have Read," and "Date Started/Completed" but one of my vices is that I often start a book, only to get about halfway through it and find something else that excites me, start on it, and the old one sits on my nightstand getting promises of "I'll get to you when I'm done with this one," but chances are that This One, usually gets interrupted too, so my list of books looks like I've never really read a book all.
So, Daddy's idea is that I use this blog as sort of a "What I'm Reading" page. I won't stick dogmentally to this, of course; I'll be free to write whatever I'd like. And often, my reading intesects with what's going on in my life anyway. But I'd like to go in a different direction here, and instead of just ranting aimlessly on about the small goings-on of my routine life.
So, here's to the new direction of blogging!

P.S.-I'm always (see above), looking for new books to read, so I'm open to suggestions any time. This is a safe environment too, because since we don't actually know each other face-to-face, we won't have to worry about feeling personally rejected because you don't absolutely adore my favorite novel of all time, or I don't find your newest self-help instructional guide to be particularly life changing.

Happy Independence Day!

2005-07-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

After Christmas, the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. I hope you all have a happy day!

Jason Mraz

2005-06-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

It's no secret to all of you who know me that I love Jason Mraz. I think he might be the most talented musician that I know of today. He genuinely has a great voice, he can play guitar like a madman, he has stage presence, seems like someone you'd actually want to be friends with, and most of all, he actually writes his own songs which are always interesting and full of many levels.
Recently, while browsing the web, and trying to find the date of release for his new CD, Mr. A-Z, I came across the artist journal on his website. While most artists have a tour journal or some place where once a year they write a little thought, that usually turns out to be boring and read only by extreme groupies, Mr. Mraz's is one of the most amusing pieces I've ever read. I found myself reading every single one in one sitting. He's a great writer, and it goes beyond just songs. While I don't agree with everything he says, it's definitely thoughtful and humorous. I wish he'd write a book. I wish I could write like that. It's like you're just piering into his brain for a couple of minutes. Jason, if you read this, can we please just sit and have coffee some evening? Dinner? A road trip? Marry me?

(I was going to put a little excert of a cute antedote from the journal, but I'm not entirely sure how the copywrite laws work, so you'll just have to go there, and read some for yourself: JasonMraz.com.)

Changes

2005-06-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

Seems that at this stage in life, everything is changing. Friend relationships take on either a new depth or fade away, as everyone is scattering and making choices and changes of their own. Jobs mean new responsibility and growth as you learn about a world that, no matter what they wrote on your graduation cards, doesn't know yet that you are talented, smart, and vibrant. You make a million decisions a day, a budget that is surprisingly too small for all your expenses, meals for yourself sometimes that aren't nearly as good as mom's. Even your wardrobe changes from sweatshirts and jeans to button downs and "business-casual" slacks. Band bumber stickers come off the back of your car, and in their place goes the company parking tag. Rather than waking up 10 minutes before class and stumbling there as fast as you can, you face the morning rush hour traffic and rather than switching radio stations when the "On the Hour" Traffic Report comes on to find your favorite song, you dial through your presets until you find the lastest way to avoid the 5-car pile-up standstill. You, for the first time in your life, desire to go to bed at 10 p.m. and you wake up on Saturday morning at 6 a.m., despite your best efforts, and spend your one free day, not basking in the sun and shopping, but doing laundry and paying bills. "Office Space" is even funnier. Should you get married or focus on your career? Should you move across the state or stay where home is? Do I move up to the singles department at church or milk that last summer with the college? What in the world is a 401(k)? Why was I in such an all-fire hurry to grow up?
But for all this confusion, it's an exciting time of life. Any dream you dream is still possible. No one tells you what to do anymore (though sometimes now I wish they would). Everyone thinks your an "adult." (Yeah, right, I know better.) Small apartments decorated with mom and dad's old furniture, rationing the few vacation days, struggling with the decison to be responsible and get health insurance, rather than use that money for the IPOD you've been wanting. These are the memories that I know we will look back on in 40 years and say, those were the "good ol' days." Right now, that's just my day.

Airports

2005-05-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

I have decided that these are my least favorite places on earth. This morning I had to take my Matty to the airport so he could fly to Guam to be deported on the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk. I am very thankful for what our U.S. Navy does, please don't get me wrong, but that was possibly the hardest thing I've ever had to do. So I've decided to take the healthy approach and displace all my hatred onto airports. I've never been very fond of flying myself, but even when you aren't boarding a big hunk of metal that is supposed to remain suspended in the air, an airport is a scary place. First of all, they just let any sort of sketchy creature that lays down a certain amount of money in an enclosed space with hundreds of other people. Second, they are very stressful. There are at least 437 steps that you have to go to to get on one of these floating metal hunks. Thirdly, they are ugly. In short, I just don't like them. I will remain in my state of hatred until July 3, on which it will probably be my favorite place on the planet. In the meantime, I have a song to leave you all with. This is a beautiful tune by John Mayer. The lyrics are so appropriate for the changing seasons of life, which I'm dealing with many of right now.

People have the right to fly
And will when it gets compromised
Their hearts say 'move along'
Their minds say 'gotcha heart'
'Let's move it along'

And airports see it all the time
Where someone's last goodbye
Blends in with someone's sigh
Cause someone's coming home
In hand a single rose

And that's the way this wheel keeps working now
That's the way this wheel keeps working now
And I won't be the last
No I won't be the last
To love her

You can't build a house of leaves
And live like it's an evergreen
It's just a season thing
It's just this thing the seasons do

And that's the way this wheel keeps working now
That's the way this wheel keeps working now
And you don't be the first
No you won't be the first
To love me

You can find me
If you ever want again
I'll be around the bend
I'll be around the bend
I'll be around

And if you never stop when you wave goodbye
You just might find if you give it time you will wave hello again
You just might wave hello again

And that's the way this wheel keeps working now
That's the way this wheel keeps working now

You can't love too much one part of it
You can't love too much one part of it

I believe that my life's gonna see
That love I give returned to me

Whew!

2005-05-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's over, people... two graduations, many celebratory "let me take you to breakfast/lunch/dinners", tons of family and friends come and gone, one big bash of a party from mom and dad, and thousands of pictures, and I've done it. I walked across that stage Saturday night at approximately 7:15 p.m. and I now have a college diploma. Hurray! Thanks, everyone, for your love and support. I'm truly grateful, and I couldn't have done it without you. Now, if I can just find a job and get out of your hair...

It's a Graduation Countdown!

2005-05-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen! Only 1 more day, 4 hours, and 47 minutes until that song of great cheer, "Pomp and Circumstance," starts playing on the great lawn of Ayers Courtyard. (And thanks to the miracle of Irislink, I found out this morning that I did pass all my classes. Whew!)

The Countdown Is On!

2005-05-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

It's a graduation countdown! Hurray! Just four more days, people, and your favorite blogger will be a proud college graduate.

Toby the Bunny

2005-05-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Some of y'all may have seen this already, and I'm not really sure what to make of it, but if nothing else, it is interesting. Check out this website and let me know what you think.

www.savetoby.com

"Efficiency"

2005-04-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

Strange how much a "trivial" movie can make you think. I went and watched "Sahara" the other night with my Matty. I thought it was really good. Not on my top ten favorite list, but I'll probably buy it when it comes out. But what I most like about movies like this and Indiana Jones and Sinbad the Sailor and such is that they have the ability to transport us from our normal, neat worlds to one of great adventure and excitement. I found myself actually quite jealous of Penelope Cruz (not just because she's drop dead gorgeous), because she was living for something far bigger than herself. Without giving away the whole movie (go see it--you'll enjoy it, I promise), the main premise is that she's a doctor who is trying to find out where an epidemic is stemming from. Now, I have no stomach for those types of things, so I'm not saying I wish I'd majored in medicine or anything, but what I am saying is that my main concern is getting an A on my upcoming paper, which is (very important, but) pretty boring compared with Penelope's character dashing around to third-world countries solving mysteries and curing natives of deadly diseases. What she was doing was so... well, important. Sure, she could have been making more money or seeing more patients in a neat little hospital in Suburbia, America, but where's the excitement in that.
I think the main problem with our society today is the utmost concern, almost to the point of obsession, with efficiency. Think about it. Almost every problem you can toss at me, I think I can trace it back to the fact that we are more concerned with being efficient than anything else--love, family, God, causes, etc.
For example, why do so many marriages fail? Well, it takes work to make a marriage last. Hard work. I've seen this in the life of my parents, who have been together almost a quarter of a century. I am one of the few in my group of friends whose parents are really their "original" set. It's seemingly much more efficient to gain those deep-seated desires of love and acceptance through the feelings that come with quick flings and exciting whirlwind romances, but when the feelings wear off, it takes far more investment to make a relationship work, so people flit about to the next new thing.
Another example, a true, life-changing faith in something. The rewards are not tangible, and it usually costs something (time, money, energy, etc.) to be a really religious person, so the point of diminishing returns, in most people's minds, is fairly low.
I could keep going, but this blog is already turning into a minor thesis. Think about it though. Let me know your opinions. And most of all, invest in something important without concern for Efficiency.

March Madness

2005-03-20T15:19:00.000-08:00

Just so everyone knows again, this is my favorite time of year. First of all, it's springtime, and the weather is wonderful. Second, everyone is getting all twitterpated, which is always fun. And most importantly, it's the time of year where you can seemingly watch basketball around the clock. So, open your windows and let some beautiful spring air in, and tune your television sets to CBS, and don't turn it off until my favorite song, "One Shining Moment," plays.

Yay, Martha!

2005-03-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad my hero was finally set loose! All seems right in the world now that Martha will be free to roam about and show all us simpletons how to properly make a lemon square, or repot our plants, or make an entire bedspread out of antique placemats. We all make mistakes, Martha. Just so you know, I was on your side. People, be watching for the reality tv show supposedly in the works from Martha! I'm sure it will be much more entertaining than the Amazing Race ever was.

An excerpt from Telling the Truth

2005-02-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

I began reading a book today by Mr. Frederick Buechner, on the recommendation of a couple of people I dearly respect. I can tell already that he is going to become one of my favorite authors. There was this one paragraph that I really think sums up so much of what is really meaningful to me, and I just wanted to share it with you.

"The Gospel is bad news before it is good news. It is the news that man is a sinner, to use the old word, that he is evil in the imagination of his heart, that when he looks in the mirror all in a lather what he sees is at least eight parts chicken, phony, slob. That is the tragedy. But it is also the news that he is loved anyway, cherished, forgiven, bleeding to be sure, but also bled for. That is the comedy. And yet, so what? So what if even in his sin the slob is loved and forgiven when the very mark and substance of his sin and of his slobbery is that he keeps turning down the love and forgiveness because he either doesn't believe them or doesn't want them or just doesn't give a damn? In answer, the news of the Gospel is that extraordinary things happen to him just as in fairy tales extraordinary things happen. Henry Ward Beecher cheats on his wife, he God, himself, but manages to keep on bringing the Gospel to life for people anyway, maybe even for himself. Lear goes berserk on a heath but comes out of it for a few brief hours every inch a king. Zaccheus climbs up a sycamore tree a crook and climbs down a saint. Paul sets out a hatchet man for the Pharisees and comes back a fool for Christ. It is impossible for anybody to leave behind the darkness of the world he carries on his back like a snail, but for God all things are possible. That is the fairy tale. All together they are the truth."

Happy Birthday!

2005-02-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday, dear Ginger!
Happy Birthday to me!

I'm old today.

What I am

2005-02-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

I am the shark-filled water.

Procrastinating on writing a ten page paper, due tomorrow

2005-02-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

You know how when someone is pouring their heart out to you, and you are really trying to listen, but then your sister walks in the room with a wire butterfly sticking on her head and it's really funny and you start laughing inappropriately and then you feel bad, even though you can't help it and you really do care about your friend, but it's just really funny because you definitely weren't expecting your sister to put a wire butterfly on her head, especially late at night?

Groundhog Day

2005-02-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Groundhog Day! Sorry I didn't wish you all happiness yesterday, but it was the first day of classes here, so I was a smidge busy. But even though Phil saw his shadow and cursed us with more weeks of this disgusting weather, I still love his day. And by the way, where is my card, Godfather Steve?

The State of Alabama's Law Enforcement

2005-01-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

Please forgive me, all, for not writing in so long. Life has been busy... working the last little bit of my break, trying to earn some moolah before my last semester of school gets up and swinging. As a reward for all my hard work, I allowed myself a treat--a road trip to Birmingham to visit my best friend. This was all fun and good, until one night, coming into her apartment complex quite late, there was absolutely no parking whatsoever. Assured by Ginny that they do it all the time, that the apartment management told them it was a-ok, and no one cares, I parked in, literally the only spot available, a handicapped space. Now I do realize this is wrong, and even unlawful, but what else would you have done given the circumstances? I didn't mean any insensitivity to my handicapped friends, but since there was still one extra handicapped space left, just in case a handicapped friend came in at 3 in the morning, I parked, crashed into bed, and didn't think another thought about it until the next morning, when I went to move my car... there was a lovely pink card on my windshield. Suppressing many choice words from coming out of my mouth, I resolved just to be an adult and take care of it, intending to use my favorite act, "I'm a sweet little college student visiting from out of town, so could you please cut me a break just this one teeny tiny time, if I promise I'll never, ever do it again, pretty please, kind and strong, Mr. Officer Cleveland." However, after being juggled around at least five different branches of the State of Alabama's Law Enforcement centers, now I'm just mad. First of all, I called the number that was clearly printed by Officer Cleveland’s signature and the intelligent and helpful woman who answered informed me that there was no Officer Cleveland in that department. Hmm, interesting, since someone named Cleveland obviously was, the night before, putting cute cards on my windshield at 3 a.m. because, apparently, there is no crime on the streets of Birmingham more important than issuing parking tickets to out-of-state cars parked in the midst of a fairly upscale neighborhood of apartments. Well, it's been a week since that time, and finally, after resolving to just enjoy the rest of my visit, which I did, thank you very much, and deal with the ticket when I got home I decided to call the fine State of Alabama again and get the details I need to give them $100 as a donation for the invaluable lesson that you should always park outside the apartment complex and choose to walk half a mile up a Birmingham mountain rather than parking right across from where your friend lives in a handicapped space. Well, apparently, my ticket is not yet on file. I calmly and politely explain to the woman on the phone that I am from out of state, and in my state, a ticket must be paid within 10 days of it being issued (I know this because my little sister has had numerous tickets, me... just the one, for parking in a handicapped spot at 3 in the morning), so I just want to make sure I am not delinquent in my gift to the state. She informs me that they will send a letter to my home, as soon as, but not before, the next THREE WEEKS. I, wanting again to make sure my payment won't be late and I won't end up with an outstanding warrant for my arrest, ask her to clarify that I won't be late, as long as I pay the money before March 23, my court date. She tells me not to pay it until I get a letter in the mail, if it's not on record by then. Does that seem a little slow to anyone here but me? Can Officer Cleveland not walk downstairs and turn in his tickets, say, once a week or so, is that too much to ask? I know eating jelly doughnuts is important work, sir, but honestly, the exercise might be good for you. As stated earlier, I am about to go back to school and, being the efficient gal I am, would like to take care of this whole mess before I have to worry about papers, and buying textbooks, and class and all that jazz. While I'm in no particular hurry to fork over a hundred bucks to these geniuses, the whole system just doesn't seem very efficient to me. Maybe they can use my donation to help them install a new system where it's not unheard of for information to be processed in less than 2 months. Good grief, pretty sure in the Roman times, when they had messengers run news across the known world these things went quicker. Well, I hope I didn't tick any of you hardcore Alabamians off, because I really do love the state. I have been a resident before, and have many friends in the Ham, and have considered moving there again. But really... this whole dealio is ridiculous, if you ask me. If anyone has an uncle that's a judge or something on up there in the system, and you feel like calling in a favor for me, now's the time. Anyway, I appreciate all of you listening to me vent, nonetheless.

Happy New Year!

2005-01-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Cheers! Happy 2005!

Great Movies

2004-12-26T23:15:00.000-08:00

I claim to be an old movie buff. I do love them, but it seems that my taste is quite limited. I just stumbled across the AFI's (American Film Institute) website, and they have all these lists broken down of the best movies. I went into the Top 100 American Films and I am sad to say that of the top 10, I had only seen 4 and 1/2. I say 1/2 because I couldn't make it all the way through "Schindler's List" (#9). For all of you who have some extra time while you're off for the holidays, here's a suggesttion of something to do in your relaxing time, especially if you are practically snowed, or iced in, in my case. For your convenience, I'll provide you with the top ten listings (for all 100, you're on your own to look it up... I love you, but that's a lot of typing). Surely, there's one you haven't seen, and if not, pick an old favorite and enjoy it again.

AFI's 100 Years... 100 Greatest American Movies
1. Citizen Kane
2. Casablanca
3. The Godfather
4. Gone With the Wind
5. Lawrence of Arabia
6. The Wizard of Oz
7. The Graduate
8. On the Waterfront
9. Schindler's List
10. Singin' in the Rain

Merry Christmas!

2004-12-25T17:12:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish all of you friends out there the merriest Christmas ever! Hope and pray that your holidays are as good as mine have been!

Love,
Ginger

Another Quote

2004-12-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

I don't know if all this nasty weather is just making us all loopy, but my friends and family sure have been saying funny things lately. My mom and sister and I were sitting around, having a snack and watching our beloved HGTV, and on this particular show, they had found urns buried in the homeowners backyard. My mother informed me of this very interesting "fact:"

"That's what I love about old homes. If they didn't want something anymore, they didn't throw it away, they just buried it."

We laughed so hard at her.

Quote

2004-12-21T19:21:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share this quote with you people. I guess the mystery is solved now. Once we know what's wrong, we can start to make it right. So, go to it; get out there and attend your block parties.

"The downfall of America is because neighbors are no longer attentive."
-Michael (my good friend)

My Latest Favorite Artist

2004-12-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

I found a new favorite... not to be afraid John-John (John Mayer) or M-raz (Jason Mraz), but I think another man has joined the ranks of greatness. His name is Marc Broussard. His music is amazing and the words are just as beautiful. Here's my favorite:
"Hope For Me Yet"
I could bless the water
But it wouldnt turn to wine
Paint a picture of the sunset
Hanging there in your eyes
But it'd just be some compromise
I could write a million verses
Every word youve heard before
Steal some of Dylans best
But it'd leave me wanting to say more
Cause theres so much more
Baby if you could love somone like me
Theres no end to the possibility
Hopes and dreams push away the pain and regret
But loving you just lets me know
There might be hope for me yet
Hope for me yet
Sometimes when I look back
I dont even know myself
It blows my mind to think that
I've found grace in someone else
Baby your grace is something else
Baby if you could love somone like me
There's no end to the possibility
Hopes and dreams push away the pain and regret
But loving you just lets me know
There might be hope for me yet
For a man whos done nothing
I've been blessed with so much more than I deserve
I'm smart enough to know that I've been handed something
Can't put a price on what its worth
Baby if you could love somone like me
Theres no end to the possibility
Hopes and dreams push away the pain and regret
But loving you just lets me know
There might be hope for me yet
Hope for me yet
Hope for me yet

I remember Casey telling me about him years ago (I swear those Birmingham people get good music so much earlier than we do), and I liked him, but I just found his new CD at Target (my favorite store) last night for only $8.99, and I took a chance and it is amazing!!!! Go buy it. Enjoy.

Laundry Day

2004-11-30T10:52:00.000-08:00

Now, I consider myself a fairly competent housekeeper. There are even many days where I'd prefer to throw on an old t-shirt and dust and vacuum and windex away. I don't usually even mind laundry. But it's the folding of the laundry that really gets to me. Until now. I just discovered this Ingenious Way to Fold. And since I'm only here to help, I thought I'd pass this along.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2004-11-24T23:15:00.000-08:00

It's crazy... as I've said many a time, only in West Tennessee... I went out earlier today to shop for Christmas decorations with my mom and thought, "this is so weird that I'm Christmas shopping in a t-shirt." Now, it's 36 degrees. Strange weather. But at least I feel normal listening to the Christmas music that I've been listening to anyway since September. Yes, I'm an early bird when it comes to the Christmas spirit, and yes, it's legal... no, you do not have to wait to put up decorations or address Christmas cards or plan Christmas parties (though the official season does not begin until Santa rides in a few hours in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, these things have all been done in our family for days). See, I promised you many answers at the commencement of this blog, and there were several, for your knowledge. Well, it's officially Thanksgiving now (it's 1:28 A.M.), so I hope you all have a wonderful "Eat All Day" Day! Be thankful!

Health magazine

2004-11-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

One thing you will probably discover about me sooner or later is that I LOVE magazines. I think this goes along with my love for reading (mags are like little books), but I think they are fascinating. One of my new favorites is Health magazine. It really is an excellent publication, but I have even more reason to love it lately, as my best friend is now a full time employee there. In the most recent (November) issue, she has her very first story. I'm like a proud momma showing this around to everyone. And I just didn't want to leave you all out. You really should check it out. I just wanted to brag on her one more time! I love you, G!

Hurray... People are reading!

2004-11-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

A big THANKS to "Yoni" who is my first friend in the land of Blogging! It's fun to know that people are out there... we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto. I have officially entered the real world, commonly known to others as the 21st century. I could use your help for all you people who are more versed at this than I am. What is a Blog Roll and how do you make one? Anyway, until I find out, you people really should check out Yoni's site: http://collegeball.blogspot.com. There ya go.
I just have one tip to pass along to everyone today. This is actually an excerpt from an email I was writing to a friend, so you know if it doesn't all make sense to you, it wasn't written to you, unless you're Michael. But when I was done, and proofreading my email (I know, I know... I'm probably the only one who does this, but Ms. Goodwin, my high school English teacher, warped me), I thought this was possibly the longest, parenthetical sentence ever written, and quite humorous, if I do say so myself, but I just couldn't bring myself to fix any of it cause it's all stuff you need to know. Anyway, a helpful thought to keep in mind about cell phones:
"Drats on Rob for telling you I lost your number, because I specifically asked him not to tell you, but alas, I found it anyway, so it doesn't matter, and now it is safe and securely saved away on my SIM card in my new phone (by the way, I'm sure you know this, but you shouldn't just save numbers to your phone book, but also to your SIM card... a little more trouble, but very worth it in case you ever, say... wake up in the middle of the night and reach over for the glass of water you have on your dresser beside your bed because even though you never wake up in the middle of the night, you are a very prepared person in case you do, and also because you are prepared, you keep your cell phone beside you (if you were so popular as me and you are always awakened at all hours by adoring friends who just have to talk to you) and end up spilling the rather large glass of water all over your phone and it ends up never working again, unexplainably because your sister has the exact same phone as you do, and she once dropped it in a pool and claims it was emersed in water for at least 30 seconds before she got to it, but hers never broke but yours did and you never saved your phone numbers and so you lost tons of important people like yourself and had to gather them all back slowly and it's really annoying to them and you and it takes forever to put them all back in and even then, you know there are people you've forgotten, so you really just should save them all onto your SIM card at the beginning)."

Daylight Saving Time

2004-11-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a couple of weeks ago now that we changed our clocks back an hour, but it just really hit me last night, as I was getting ready for church at only 5 pm, how dark it was. It's actually quite depressing, if you ask me. I heard somewhere that we used to always be on this schedule, called "Standard Time," but since everyone back in the day was pretty much a farmer, they needed an extra hour in the day in the summer time to harvest their crops, so they switched it back to let this happen. But since not so many of us farm anymore, I was wondering why we still have to switch our clocks back now. Just as it's starting to naturally get darker earlier anyway, we help it along and "fall back" to where it's even stranger. And as I'm not a night person anyway, as you've already discovered, this just makes me tired earlier, significantly less fun when I am tired, and worried that I have that Seasonal Affective Disorder (where people are depressed in the winter because they are exposed to less sunlight). Anyway, being the nerd I am, I decided to do some research on the real reasons behind all this madness. I actually found out some very interesting things. I'll share them with you now. First of all, to correct a common misconception: it is actually called "Daylight Saving Time," not "Daylight Savings Time," as I have mistakenly called it for years. Some countries don't utilize Daylight Saving Time at all. (Remind me never to move to those places... or the three U.S. states that never "spring ahead": Arizona, Hawaii, and Indiana) A pole was done by the U.S. Department of Transportation though that discovered that Americans liked DST. So why don't we just stay on it all year around? "Tradition?" you may ask, but actually, it hasn't always been done like this, and even since it has (Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea), it hasn't always even been done the same way year after year. Some years, it was just agreed upon to only change the clocks 30 minutes or even a few years bump them around 2 hours. This confuses me and this whole time thing really is so arbitrary (we humans just made it up to make people like me go crazy) that it really hurts my head. Another argument for keeping us on DST is that energy is saved. For all you environment lovers out there, power usage decreases by about 3.5% when DST starts. Other studies have shown that since there is "more light" in DST, and more crimes occur during "dark hours," DST even cuts down on crime! It makes sense to me. Well, since I guess the organized world concurs by this system, I'll just fall in line. However, it has been an enlightening topic. I hope this has helped all of you and if you want to read more, I got my information from www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving and www.timeanddate.com.

Things that used to be funny

2004-11-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

It's a beautiful, fall Sunday afternoon, and I've already done all that you do on these kinds of days: eat, watch football, take a nap... and the afternoon is still not done. It's so rare that I have complete free time like this. There's nothing even that I "should" be doing. So as I have nothing to do, I thought I'd just think of a topic that I would write on here. So, here is what I've been thinking a lot about lately. It's ironic how things that used to just amuse you to no end, just end up not being all that funny. I was trying to explain to Jeremy the other day all these inside jokes that my group of friends from high school used to have (I love you, Ashley, Bobby, and Matt), and while they still make me smile, it's just not the same. And then, another friend just reminded me of that website, Homestar Runner. Now don't get me wrong, if you haven't been there, you really should check it out. It's a classic, especially if you are young-ish. But I used to be able to spend hours cracking up over those things. Seriously, there was one time that I was finishing a paper at 4 in the morning (and granted, I am not a night person, so just being up past midnight makes me delirious and giddy), but I watched one of the Strong Bad emails called "English Paper" and I lost it laughing to the extent that I woke up my roommate. Now I just watched a few new ones, and I think I'm getting old. Maybe the new ones just really aren't that funny. I know everyone says that you're only as old as you are in your heart and all that jazz, but still... when does the point come when you are no fun anymore? No one wakes up and decides to be an old fuddy-duddy. I think maybe it's just all this graduation stuff is kinda freaking me out. I don't know anything, and I'm certainly not mature enough to be pushed out into the real world. I know what you're thinking: I need to just stop worrying and chill out, huh? Or maybe I'll just move to Never-Neverland.

Ginger of GingerLand

2004-11-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

About Me
Well, as you have taken time out of your important life to read this, I thought it might be nice if I graced you all with some information about myself. Despite my mother's crazed warnings not to divulge too much personal information, I'll give you what I can. (Sorry, I just can't let you in on my home address, social security number, etc... I mean, I wanted to, but mom just says it's not a good idea.) But then again, you aren't a psycho lunatic trying to stalk me, are you?
Some basic information (in whatever random order these things come into my head):
Sex: Female
Occupation: Student (a small, private college in Tennessee)
Physical Appearance: 5'4", 115 lbs., long brown hair, brown eyes... just your average gal
Hobbies: reading, shopping, karate (a new found love), watching college basketball
Originally From: Kentucky... the Bluegrass State!
Aspirations: graduate (in May!!!!), grad school, possibly doctorate someday in Child Psychology to be an elementary school guidance counselor or perhaps have my own family practice... but ultimately, I would love to be married and have a family and be a stay-at-home mom
Favorite City: Chicago
Nicknames: Spice, G-G, Ginger Snap, Ginger Bread (every variation of that spice there ever was, I've been called it), Dream Princess (only Daddy is allowed to call me that)... I also answer to Beautiful, Gorgeous, etc. :)
Siblings: I have one precious younger sister... she is hands-down, the funniest person I know.
Favorite car: I love my Sweet Pepper (Ford Escort ZX2), but I'd love a Jag or Mercedes someday... when I meet and marry that rich husband of mine.
Collections: I collect those squashed pennies. You know those ones that you get for $0.51 at every touristy place and then you lose them by the time you've gotten home? Well, I still have all of mine. I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE books. I have a ton of those. Oh, and quotes... I've had a quote book for many years, so feel free to submit any you think are worthwhile.
Ethnic Background: My grandmother is Irish and other grandparents are German.
Pets: No pets
Religion: Christianity
Smoke: nope... ew.
Best Friend: Ginny
Favorite Color: red
Pet Peeve: Fake people
Favorite Food: Chocolate!!!!
Favorite Disney Movie: Beauty and the Beast
Favorite Game: Monopoly
Favorite Outfit: Any one of seven (yes, I bought the exact same shirt in seven colors I loved it so much) of these stretchy, balet necked shirts from Express and my white Banana cords. And no outfit is complete without a great pair of hiiigh heels. (Of course, this changes once a week... so I'll keep you posted.)
Favorite Season: Spring
Resturant: Maccaroni Grill or McDonalds

Well, I'm sure much more will come out as the years go by. I hope this just helps get that meaningless, first date kinda info. Until next time...

Dramatic Prelude Music...

2004-11-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

Wow... This is so exciting. The dawn of a new day... the most traditional, unrevolutionary, conservative, non-risk-taking girl you'll ever meet (who hasn't even turned on her PC in months) has entered the world of Blogging. I'll never forget reading a blog for the first time my freshman year of college. I'd never heard of this apparent phenomenon before, and quite frankly, thought my friend, who shall remain nameless (D.H.), was a dork. And now, thanks to a book by Hugh Hewitt, my life has changed. And now, yours too, if you are reading this. Mr. Hewitt encourages all those, particularly young adults, wishing to have influence in the world to start and maintain a web blog. And of course, all healthy, red-blooded, young Americans want... Influence. However, this comes with a great deal of pressure and many unanswered questions. Will I too be thought of as a dork? Will I be able to be interesting and witty enough that anyone will actually read my Blogging? Will I, as refered to earlier, be able to remember to get online on a regular basis and maintain this, my very own GingerLand? Will this make me check my email at least once a week? (That's for you, Baxter.) We shall soon find out. This and many other answers (or at least more unanswered questions) to come next time in the next issue of... GingerLand!