The Run

Me and my ten year old shoes. Broke in, broke down, falling apart.

Me and Bill* walkjogrun, leaving behind ringing telephones, piles of dishes, dirty laundry, questions and demands of a busy day.

Copper beetles congregate under the lampposts at each corner. I crush them, oblivious til their little bodies crunch under my feet. Stray cats run for their lives and tremble in my wake.

She, the germaphobe, sweats to the oldies and sometimes Roald Dahl comes along for a quick constitutional. James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox: the gang's all here.

Just me and the harvest moon and constellations I can't name but I still know like long lost friends.

Breathless, wheezing, exhausted but somehow rejuvenated.

----*Bill Withers, that is, cause ain't no sunshine when I'm gone.

Fractals

Okay, back to The Shack. The character playing the Holy Spirit in this book makes a point of mentioning fractals and how much she loves them. If you're like me and have to use Wikipedia to figure out what the heck a fractal is, here's the definition: "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole." Like, I don't know, a snowflake? Have you ever looked closely at one? I doubt a human could come up with something so complex and yet billions of snowflakes fall daily and no one sees most of them except the One who created them.

What incredible structure and design for something so simple.

Or leaves. Or mushrooms. Are they made the way they are to please us or to please God? Or our own bodies. We're fractals, folks! Take a close look at your skin. Or our eyes. Did you ever stop and think about how amazing it is that we can see? If I ask him nicely, maybe my dad will share how awesome our eyes are. (He's got glaucoma and is enamored with the pictures that the eye specialist took of his eyes.) We are fearfully and wonderfully made.

I've been watching the BBC's Planet Earth and my brain is full of fractals. Now that I know what they are, I'm seeing them everywhere.

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
--Luke 12:27

Picture stolen from wikipedia. It's an eye scan, can you believe it?

To Be Read

I'm pretty active over at paperbackswap.com. I've blogged about it before, but it bears repeating. Post a book, get a book. Free. That's all there is and there ain't no more. Burma Shave.

For your viewing pleasure, here's my list of books to be read. I will not go to the library until these are completed. I will not! No matter how much Larry Brown is calling me from amongst the shelves. Or how appealing the library scent is. Or how the librarians have probably forgotten what I look like. I WON'T GO!

Have you read any of these? Maybe someone has a suggestion of what should be first...

...or any that should be added. (I'm so weak!)

Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Amistad by Alexs D. Pate
The Bachman Books by Stephen King
The Best of Mystery: 63 Short Stories Chosen by the Master of Suspense by Alfred Hitchcock
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Duchess of Windsor by Michael Bloch
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught
A Faint Cold Fear by Robert Daley
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
From Generation to Generation: Devotional Thoughts Drawn from the Past by Peter Kennedy
Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland Indiana by Haven Kimmel
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The Green Ripper by John D. Macdonald
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Just Desserts: Martha Stewart the Unauthorized Biography by Jerry Oppenheimer
Lady by Thomas Tryon
Lasher by Anne Rice
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs
A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton
Me: Stories of My Life by Katharine Hepburn
Memoirs of an Unfit Mother by Anne Robinson
Moby Dick or the White Whale by Herman Melville
Off Keck Road by Mona Simpson
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory
The Rainmaker by John Grisham
Real Women Don't Pump Gas by Joyce Jillson
River Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke
Saved by the Light by Paul Perry, Raymond A. Moody and Dannion Brinkley
Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
Shadow of Cain by Vincent Bugliosi
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Something's Alive on the Titanic by Robert Serling
The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Soup and Me Robert Newton Peck
Taltos by Anne Rice
Tell No One by Harlan Coben
The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton
'Tis: A Memoir by Frank McCourt
The Tommyknockers by Stephen King
Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay
A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons
The Visitation by Frank Peretti
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
Who Put the Butter in Butterfly? And Other Fearless Investigations into Our Illogical Language by David Feldman

(Okay, now I realize the Larry Brown comment sounds a little strange. Larry Brown was an author from Oxford, Mississippi [just a hop, skip and jump from here]. His books just suck me in and I can't stop reading them til the end. I always want more. And it's always nice when somebody writes about a place you've been. I always feel a little bit famous. Ooh, Silence of the Lambs! The first lady was kidnapped from Winchester Street in Memphis. I've been there!!! That's almost as cool as being tight with the Timberlakes.)

The Shack

Church was canceled due to snow (snow! in Memphis! in March!) and I've learned something today. Or maybe I just realized something that I've known all along.

I'm at home all alone reading The Shack. My dad recommended it to me. He who doesn't read fiction as a rule told me it was a must-read. I'm only about a hundred pages in and this man has explained the Trinity in a way that makes so much sense I'm a little overwhelmed. Okay, a lot. I've been teaching Sunday School for about eight years now and I've taught the doctrine of the Trinity several times. Or tried to teach it. Try explaining to a group of second and third graders that God is one Spirit but three persons and watch their little faces as their brains try to reconcile that fact. How can I really teach something that I don't fully understand myself? Honestly, I don't think our puny, imperfect human minds can comprehend the ways of God. Maybe someday God will allow us to understand.

I've been crying, no weeping, for the last half hour as I try to come to terms with what I've just read. Jesus, though completely God and therefore completely free and all-powerful, chose to live as a human on a moment-to-moment basis. At any second he could have given up this wretched earth and returned to heaven but he chose to stay. For you and for me.

Speaking on the nature of Jesus, William Paul Young writes:

When we three spoke ourselves into human existence as the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose to embrace all the limitations that this entailed. Even though we have always been present in this created universe, we now became flesh and blood. It would be like this bird, whose nature it is to fly, choosing only to walk and remain grounded. He doesn't stop being the bird, but it does alter his experience of life significantly.

Although by nature he is fully God, Jesus is fully human and lives as such. While never losing the innate ability to fly, he chooses moment-by-moment to remain grounded. That is why his name is Immanuel, God with us...Jesus is fully human. Although he is also fully God, he has never drawn upon his nature as God to do anything.

I'm not finished with this yet, not by a long shot. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's ever puzzled over the nature of God. You may just learn something.

Things I've Learned the Hard Way (Part 2)

Part 1 is here.

8. If you give a mouse (or a hubby) a cookie, he'll need a glass of milk to go with it. And another cookie. And another one. And some more milk.

9. No matter how many dishes you wash, there will always be one more, lurking behind the soap dispenser or hiding in the bathroom (ice cream, anyone?)

10. If your boss catches you blogging at work, you will suddenly find yourself with heaps, boxes, and buckets full of extra work. Just because occasionally my job gets put on hold when inspiration strikes doesn't mean I'm not busy as a beaver. (And my work still gets done.) Take that, Boss Lady!

11. There are a lot of James Dean haters in this world. You wouldn't believe all the emails I got disagreeing with my last blogs' vampire choices. I still think he'd make a perfect vampire, though. Please don't take Rebel Without a Cause too seriously. I know he was a little whiny in it...

12. Reaching the end of a good book is almost unbearably sad to me. I'm almost afraid to pick up my old familiar Steinbecks and Vonneguts. Even though I know the ending, it's depressing to know it's over. (I finally finished Twilight, can you tell?)

13. Church ladies are unbelievably patient and too nice to tell the truth when it's hurtful. Even if the dish you made for the church potluck smells like a wet dog that rolled in garbage, they'll eat it and say how yummy it is. Then they'll wash your dishes and THEY don't miss any!

14. If someone who is known to "hear voices" asks you if you heard it too, it's best to say no. Just when you're uttering the words, "You know, maybe I DID hear something..." somebody with a straitjacket will show up and drag you off to the funny farm. Or maybe your boss will just give you a look that asks if you need to be medicated.

15. My family lurks. I know they read this; maybe they just don't want anyone else to know. Come on guys, say something! (Uncle John, I know you're out there!!!)

Okay so forget all the rest. Maybe you'll respond to this:

Ain't they cute? You know you want to tell me about it!

Twilight Overload

I finished the third book last night and sent my husband (recent survivor of phase one of a root canal, thanks for the prayers) out to purchase the fourth one at about 9:30. What, quit looking at me like that. He's perfectly fine! I don't feel the least bit guilty about him driving through freezing temperatures with a cold and wet driver's seat (from my earlier coffee dumping session) and looking at no less than five different stores for my coveted book. He didn't find it.

So I'm having some withdrawal symptoms, and I'm feeding my addiction by imagining who really should play Edward Cullen in the movie. I have no problem with Robert Pattinson, but he's Cedric Diggory, dangit! Yes, I am the world's biggest nerd. I'm okay with that. So my mom (who's also a nerd, sorry Mom) and I like to read books and then watch the movies and discover who the real perfect person for the lead role is. We're still working on The DaVinci Code. Tom Hanks. *shudder*

So here are my mind's other Edward Cullens. Tell me what you think.

1. Johnny Depp
I watched Cry-Baby last night and it was a little weird. Though I'm not sure if he could pull off 17 now, the younger Johnny Depp is a perfect match. Just look at those broody eyes...

2. Adam Brody
I don't know anything about this guy, but he does have a perfect face. Something kinda nonchalant and yet he really does care...

3. Tom Welling.
He's already a superhero, and his eyes are just about perfect.

4. Marlon Brando.
Now I'm entering the realms of Fairyland, but look at him! He's perfect! STELLA!!! It rhymes with BELLA!!!!!

Gosh, I'm really losing it.

5. James Dean. The hands down, no doubt about it, most perfect vampire of all time. He wouldn't even need makeup!

I'm really not obsessed. It just looks that way. Darn you, Patti!

Alert the Press!

I've discovered Twilight. That's right, folks, I am once again on the bandwagon. I haven't been this excited about a book since the Harry Potter series.

Sometimes I feel the need to do something just because people say I shouldn't or vice versa. Take, for example, my discovery of Harry Potter. It all happened long ago, in a faraway land called Kentucky. In a kingdom called Bible college. Where all the good boys and girls would never be caught dead reading a work of fiction. Let alone one about witches! Gasp!

I ordered the books by inter-library loan after hearing a pair of students talking about how horrible the books were. And they hadn't even read them. Of course, my interest was piqued.

"Horrible you say? Hmmmmmmm."

So when everyone and their granny is lining up to see Twilight and read the books and join the fan clubs and buy the posters, I was a little skeptical. I'd walk past the massive Twilight display and all the 12 year old girls ogling it and mutter about sheep and independence and elevated thought. Cue my dear and darling sister, Patti. While we were planning my visit to Michigan, she casually mentioned that we should go see the movie together. I thought eh, what the heck, how often do I get to see my sister? But first, she gives me the book to read. I devoured it, in one greedy gulp, staying up late into the wee hours of the morning. And folks, I am the type of gal that turns into a pumpkin at about 10 pm. This is a big deal for me. And the movie? It was great! I didn't have to cringe (from overdose of corniness) once!

If you haven't read it, (yeah right) then read it. If you haven't watched it, (even less likely) go watch it.

And Patti, we can't discuss the series yet. I'm waiting until I have enough time to give it the attention it deserves.

Til then, you may stare at this. But only til then.

I have nothing to say.

I invented a new tuna salad yesterday! Tuna + Miracle Whip + raisins + slivered almonds + mixed greens + raspberry vinaigrette dressing = FANtastic eats!!!

So I'm reading Stephen King's It. I have an unnatural fear of clowns, so I've naturally stayed away from this book for quite some time. I noticed it on the library shelf, though, and realized it's the only book he's published that I haven't read and so I felt compelled to check it out. I had to look far and wide on the 'net for a picture of the book cover that didn't feature that ghastly clown. A little aside here: remind me to tell you of the time my sister, Patti, scared the everliving bejeebers out of me with just a simple picture.

***note to readers*** Do NOT, I repeat DONOT attempt to eat delicious though squishy tuna salad while reading It. Actually, stay away from reading Stephen King period for as long as you're eating. Sooner or later, that tuna salad, no matter how delectable it may be, will start to remind you of guts or worse.

That is all. Get back to work!

An Excellent Read

While camping, I finished reading Julius Winsome by Gerard Donovan. Never mind the fact that the book is now forever ruined by a torrential downpour that flooded our tent. Never mind that it was an autographed copy, which I was brilliant enough to take camping in the wild, wild woods. This is my new favorite book of the moment.

Julius lives with his dog in a cabin in the woods. His dog is intentionally killed by a hunter and Julius goes a little mad.

The language is the best part of this book, in my not so humble opinion. Julius is a man in love with books and his love shows up in the way he talks.

A little example:

"Hearing that, I realized that the medals and the rifle were not the only things my grandfather brought back from the war. The men he killed dragged themselves across seas and rivers, roads and hills, an inch a day, unerring as to the compass that pointed to my grandfather, and when they found him, they must have smelled his dreams, tasted them too, ate them until they were the only dream that was left in his head, the only one his sleep could produce, and so he soon stopped sleeping and spent the nights with his eyes open in the dark."

This one made me want to cry and cheer and beg for more at the end. Just a beautifully written book.

Which of us haven't wanted to take matters into our own hands when confronted with some injustice, no matter how seemingly trivial?

My First Meme!

The Page 123 meme . . .

I got tagged by Janet.

The rules (tweaked to my liking)

1. Pick up the nearest book.

2. Open to page 123

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

From The Grapes of Wrath:

"Then what'll we do?" Uncle John asked.
"We go in like the law says an' they'll come out for him. We on'y got a hundred an' fifty dollars."

Here are my favorite 3 quotes:

How can you frighten a man whose hunger is not only in his own cramped stomach but in the wretched bellies of his children? You can't scare him--he has known a fear beyond every other.

In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.

Whenever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Whenever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there...I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an'-I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready. An' when our folks eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build-why, I'll be there.

I'm tagging:

My Ice Cream Diary

Story Girl

Darla

Nature Nut

Edited to add:

Karla, consider yourself tagged!

House Next Door: Part 2

I finished The House Next Door and I'm on to The Ruins by Scott Smith. I hear this one has talking plants! Woohoo!

The House Next Door is not a traditional scary book, but there were a few more of those ohmygoodness moments. If you're worried about goriness, there's one part that made me cringe a little, but nothing on the level of Stephen King or Dean Koontz.

(A little aside here: If you're wondering what it would be like to rip someones testicles completely off their body, Stephen King offers a great description in Black House. Just in case you're interested.)

The ending was a little disappointing, but only because I like to end books with the plot neatly tied up in a little bundle with no annoying loose strings poking out.

All in all, it was very well written with believable, well-developed characters. I'm on the hunt for more books by Anne Rivers Siddons.

Disappointed...

I just finished the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman and I'm disappointed.



I always get excited about books that are controversial (ie, Harry Potter, banned books) but this was a bit of a letdown. I guess that's what I get for reading a controversial book for the sake of controversy.

Here's the controversy (this book is bad news, man): he states that God was created as an angel out of Dust (which represents Original Sin) and became the "Authority" by telling all the angels created after that he had created them. He set himself up in the Kingdom of Heaven as a fraud posing as God. Pullman states that God is a metaphor, however, he calls God by name in the books: "The Authority, God, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, the Father, the Almighty—those were all names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves—the first angel, true, the most powerful, but he was formed of Dust as we are, and Dust is only a name for what happens when matter begins to understand itself. Matter loves matter. It seeks to know more about itself, and Dust is formed. The first angels condensed out of Dust, and the Authority was the first of all. He told those who came after him that he had created them, but it was a lie. One of those who came later was wiser than he was, and she found out the truth, so he banished her. We serve her still. And the Authority still reigns in the Kingdom, and Metatron is his Regent." --The Amber Spyglass

Not that I think anyone is going to read this book and take it as the gospel truth. It's clear it's meant to be a work of fiction and nothing more. It's just a bit scary that anyone has the audacity to make such claims. I'd be a little scared of being struck with lightening or something. But, I guess if you don't believe in God, or that he's nothing but a "metaphor" you don't really have anything to worry about.

For a pretty good interview, click here.

To be honest, the book is poorly written in my not so humble opinion. It was just plain boring and I had a really hard time finishing it. The ending is anticlimactic and doesn't really wrap things up properly.

On a side note, READ, PEOPLE! I never would have found The Catcher in the Rye if it hadn't been for the ALA's Banned Books List.

The Quest for Turtles

For a while I've been driven crazy by the idea of no pets! We live in student housing and are not allowed to have dogs or cats. I've been bugging hubby to allow me to get at least a bird or a lizard, just something! I have never been without a pet.

Finally, I think I may be getting my way. I've been a princess around the house lately, since I stayed up All Stinking Night helping him complete a school project. Now's the perfect time to broach the subject of turtles, don't you think? I've even already got names for the little darlings. Howard and Holden. (after Howard Roark from Fountainhead and Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye) Cute, huh?

Wish me luck, I'm going to try and sweet talk him tonight...