2009 = 35 books

I've anticipated this post for a long time. I realize, though, that this post is more for me than for anyone who reads this blog - sorry.

About half-way through this year, I thought it would be fun to read 52 books during 2009 - then I would average one book per week. If I had made the goal earlier in the year, I think I could have attained it. I'm still really pleased that I was able to read 35 books this year. That number may seem high or low to you, gentle reader, but it's a pretty sizable amount of reading for me. Here's the list (in somewhat chronological order) of my 2009 reads:

1) Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susana Clarke
2) The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susana Clarke
3) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
4) Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
5) The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser
6) The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece by Edward Dolnick
7) The Murder Room by P. D. James
8) Lilith by George MacDonald
9) Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brien
10) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
11) Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling
12) When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
13) L. Frank Baum: Creator of Oz by Katharine M. Rogers
14) Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl
15) The Man Who Made Vermeers by Jonathan Lopez
16) The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
17) The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed
18) Silas Marner by George Eliot
19) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
20) Dark Water: Flood and Redemption in the City of Masterpieces by Robert Clark
21) The Changing Status of the Artist, edited by Emma Barker, Nick Webb, and Kim Woods
22) The Challenge of the Avant-Garde, edited by Paul Wood
23) A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
24) FDR's Unfinished Portrait: A Memoir by Elizabeth Shoumatoff
25) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
26) Faraway Child by Amy Maida Wadsworth
27) House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
28) The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
29) The Great Pretenders: The True Stories behind Famous Historical Mysteries by Jan Bondeson
30) The Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari
31) The Father Christmas Letters by J. R. R. Tolkein
32) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engel
33) The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein
34) The Life of Our Lord: Written Especially for His Children by Charles Dickens
35) Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

How many books did you read this year? Did you meet your reading expectations? Do you have any must-read recommendations for my 2010 reading list?

By the way, don't you love the photograph at the top of this post? J took this photo a few years ago, when we visited a used bookstore in Rio de Janeiro. This was the front-window display of the store. Pretty awesome, huh?

Happy New Year with lots of happy reading!

christmas picture 2009

Christmas 2008

This picture was taken last Christmas, just hours before my mom mentioned on the phone that she didn't feel well. She ended up going to the hospital two days later and was subsequently diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. And ever since then, life became a whirlwind of anxiety. Consequently, this picture was last "calm before the storm" moment that we experienced before my mom was diagnosed.

I'm not going to lie: the year 2009 has kicked. my. trash. There have been many deep-seated worries and problems this year - sometimes I wonder how I've pulled through. But here I am, and life is going on. And it's time for a new Christmas picture:

Perhaps we look a little haggard, but we're still here. And we're looking forward to the new year and grateful for the prospects that it has to offer.

Merry Christmas.

my mom: 1958-2009

I imagine that most people know that my mom passed away about a week ago. She passed away at home, surrounded by most of my family. My brother called me about ten minutes later, and J, Sam and I hopped on the next flight to Utah.

I don't even know how to describe all of the different emotions and feelings that I've experienced this past week. Earlier this month my friend E compared grief to an alarm clock, and now I totally can relate to her comparison. Grief, pain, sadness and deeply-rooted emotions can come to the surface on very short notice. And other times, though, I feel like I can function alright. It just depends on the minute, or the hour, or the day.

More than anything, though, I hope that my dad will be okay. His "alarm clock" goes off a lot (and understandably so). I know that he's lonely, and I'm sure he's really scared to take care of seven kids by himself (well, I guess six kids, since I'm married and out-of-the-house.). But I think we'll be alright. If God trusts our family to be alright without Mom, then I'm sure it will happen.

I don't really want to revisit the details of the funeral or the past week, but I wanted to point out two things that have really stuck out to me. Soon after mom died, I began to think about how the holiday season would forever be remembered as a sad time, the time that we lost mom. However, I'm so grateful for my sister's different perspective. She mentioned how she was grateful for the ongoing Christmas season, since we are reminded of Christ's sacrifice and gift of resurrection. Her comment (which I actually heard second-hand) has really helped change my attitude and perspective. I have never looked-for or appreciated the Christmas symbols associated with Christ (and specifically, the resurrection) to the degree that I have this year. And they have helped me feel some peace and comfort.

I also have never have fully appreciated the title "Plan of Happiness" until now. My dad spoke at the funeral, and he mentioned God's "Plan of Happiness" with a sob in his voice. Even though it was a sad sob, the sound was also laced with tones of hope and gratitude. I feel like now I can fully appreciate the happiness that God has provided for his children, mostly because I can truly comprehend the greatness of the gifts of resurrection and eternal families.

Thanks to all of the friends and family members who have extended warmth, love, and friendship to me and my family. It's really strange to feel such conflicting emotions: one one hand, we feel so much grief and pain, but on the other hand, we feel overwhelmed with love and kindness. Sometimes I have cried not because I'm sad, but because I feel so much love.

thanksgiving pictures

My mom is home from the hospital. She seems to be doing alright - much better than last week, anyway. I'm still staying on edge, though, just in case I need to take an emergency trip to Utah. This week I have been scrambling around, trying to get on top of everything. I've been prepping like mad for my upcoming class (which starts a month!), completing university orientation/training sessions, reading through my stack of library books, doing Christmas shopping, etc.

Posting some Thanksgiving pictures is also on my to-do list. We didn't take a lot of pictures during this trip (we kept busy doing other stuff), but enjoy what paucity I have:

Sam got to see all of his surviving great-grandparents on this trip. We didn't get pictures with all of them, but we did get some. These are my grandparents on Thanksgiving Day; the photo was taken in my other grandparents' home.

Visiting the Grandpaxes with N (who took this picture), SJ, and Little N

Sam loved to brush L's hair

This week has been a little like Christmas at our house. My friend gave me a huge bin full of toys that she doesn't need anymore - and these aren't just any toys, but really nice, expensive toys. Ironically, four of the toys were ones that we were going to give Sam as Christmas presents. Anyhow, Sam is in heaven. I've actually taken some of the toys and hidden them for Christmas (he won't care that they're used, right?), but he's been playing with a lot of them. He especially loves the little John Deere tractor, which is infinitely cooler than his bike because it has a steering wheel. It took him less than a day to learn the word "tractor."

Pleased as punch

mom update

I just heard from V - she said that mom is doing much better today. That's encouraging news. It sounds like she'll be in the hospital for a few days though, so that the doctors can determine exactly what is going on.

mom

Please, please, please pray for my mom. She was admitted into the hospital yesterday. The tumors are making it impossible for her liver to function correctly - her liver is shutting down.

We have spent the past week and a half with my family, and came home just two days ago. My mom wasn't too well during our visit, but she did have some moments where she felt okay. Her condition took an extreme, dramatic turn for the worse on Thursday night, just hours after we caught our return flight. I feel very lucky and blessed that my mom was at home and able to be with us while we were in town. I also am so grateful that I was able to spend so much time helping her and being with her. I feel like it was a miracle that she was well enough to be with us during our visit.

I don't know what will happen in the next few hours or days. It's scary.

the great pretenders

If you like historical mysteries, then you'll enjoy reading The Great Pretenders: The True Stories behind Famous Historical Mysteries by Jan Bondeson. I devoured this book over the past few days. Bondeson is a doctor who uses medical and DNA analysis to discuss some of the historical mysteries surrounding cases of disputed identity. For example, several people came forth in the 18/19th centuries, claiming to be the Lost Dauphin (the son of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI). Other people claimed that Alexander I of Russia faked his own death and became a hermit. There also is an interesting story about Kasper Hauser, a sixteen year old boy who claimed to have spent his childhood hidden in a subterranean dungeon. At the time, many people speculated that Hauser was the crown prince of Baden.

Each one of Bondeson's stories is interesting and compelling. Bondeson is an engaging writer and he recounts the historical mysteries in a very engaging way. Some of the claimants and their far-fetched stories are mind-boggling. It made me realize that there aren't just crazy people in the world today - there have been some pretty fantastic crazies throughout history.

concerning wolves

Last night I submitted my article for consideration to be published in this Brazilian journal! Phew! I'm so glad that I finished everything. I feel really good about what I've written, especially because I had helpful suggestions/editing from J, Ant Bee, and Renata. Thank you! If I get published, it will be because of your sound advice.

I have to admit, though - I'm a little nervous. I feel a quite exposed and vulnerable, since my work is about to be peer-reviewed by the forefront scholars in my field. What if they hate my argument? What if they let me get published, only so they can write a counterargument and debunk everything I said? Have I just sent myself to the wolves? Yikes. On the other hand, though, I realize that this vulnerability just comes with the territory, and I hope it proves to be a good learning experience.

Speaking of wolves, Sam's new favorite story is "The Three Little Pigs." J told Sam the story in an attempt to keep him quiet in the car, and now we have to tell him the story several times a day. He loves to huff and puff when we talk about the Big Bad Wolf. On Monday I decided to show him a YouTube clip from the Disney animation (so he could better visualize the story), and now he asks to watch it ALL. THE. TIME.

If it's been awhile since you've watched the Disney animation, you can see it below. It's funny to watch this clip as an adult. There are some clever things that I never noticed as a kid, like the pictures of hambone and sausages that hang on the wall of the third pig's house. Both pictures have a sign labeled "Father" underneath. Ha ha!

ellen to replace paula on American Idol

What do people think about Ellen DeGeneres as the new judge on American Idol? (If you want to see the news story, click here.)

I have to admit, I was a little surprised to hear the news. I think Ellen is a great entertainer and will add a lot of funny, witty commentary to the judge panel, but I'm surprised that she was selected. After all, she's not a singer.

Do you think it matters that Ellen isn't a singer? I think it would definitely be more helpful for the contestants, but on the other hand, maybe it isn't so important. After all, Paula is a singer and she never made many substantial comments about music or vocal technique. Ellen definitely will be an improvement from Paula: even if Ellen doesn't say something substantial, at least it will be funny.

I'm especially curious to see what kind of a dynamic is created between Ellen and Simon. Will they get along?

2009 "Emma" BBC version

My friend Julie recently posted about how the new BBC version of "Emma" is on YouTube. I've been watching some episodes this afternoon. It's a pretty good show, and I like a lot of things about it. I haven't made up my mind yet, but I might like the version with Gwyneth Paltrow better. I think actress Romola Garai is a little too informal when she's in character. I can't tell what exactly bugs me. Maybe it's her posture or the way that she waves her hand. I feel like her mannerisms seem too modern and don't quite fit the formality that existed during Jane Austen's day.

My other thoughts? Perhaps Mr. Elton (Blake Ritson) is a little too handsome? I've only watched a little over an hour of the show, but at this point I almost want Emma to end up with Elton. And Mr. Frank Churchill (Rupert Evans) is not handsome enough.

You can start watching the show here:

Any thoughts on the film? What screen adaptation of "Emma" do you like best?

be prepared

One of the benefits to living in our house is that we have full access to nostalgia items:

Behold J's old scout uniforms, still in prime wearing condition and still bedecked with badges/pins/awards.

We hope you had a happy Halloween!

woe is me

The stars have aligned, and they are decidedly against me. Tonight I sat down to make the final changes on my journal article (in hopes that I could submit everything tonight) and my computer would not start. At all. I have backup files of the article edits and revisions that I made this afternoon, but I'm at a loss without my computer (I'm typing from J's laptop right now). I don't even want to think about what would happen if I didn't have my computer or its files, especially all of my art history notes and lecture presentations. Yikes.

My future is in your hands, Computer Sonics repairman.

sam speaks

Sam is starting to use lots of different words. He often has his own little variation or interpretation of a word though, so he's best understood through an interpreter. One of his cutest variants is the word for "Papa," which he pronounces as "Bop."

Sam also creates his own variations of baby signs. Sometimes it takes awhile for us to figure out what he's trying to communicate. I think he's funniest variant is the sign for "thank you." Instead of doing the traditional ASL sign, Sam rests his hand on his cheek (and often squishes his cheek against his face).

It's fun to see Sam speaking and mimicking different sounds on command. Here's a clip that showcases some of his latest developments in phonology:



Sam got a little tired of my questions by the time I made this second clip. Our interview got cut short when he decided to bust out some dance moves:

my favorite book

I fell in love with the story of Les Misérables long before I read the actual novel by Victor Hugo. When I was about seven, my Aunt Bee gave me and my sister a cassette tape of the "Les Mis" Broadway musical. We listened to that tape incessantly and always sang along to every part. I think V and I both were convinced that we sounded exactly like Frances Ruffelle, the actress who played Eponine, when we sang. As I got older, though, I grew to love the story and plot, not just the music. I began to love the passion and courage of Fantine, the revolutionaries, and Jean Valjean. Today, I have to say that I think Javert is one of the most interesting characters. "Javert's Suicide" is one of my favorite songs in the musical.

One evening when I was little, I remember I wearing my green nightgown and doing a very lively jig to"Master of the House" in our living room. My mom came in and said that it was a "not nice" song, and fast-forwarded to the next track. I guess she didn't want me to be so enthusastic and excited about the terrible Thénardiers.

I loved that musical, and it definitely piqued my early interest in singing and musical theater. But I have to say, though, that Victor Hugo's Les Misérables is infinitely better than the musical. I read the unabridged version of this book for the first time in college, while I was on a study abroad in Europe. It was so amazing to be in Paris and visit all of the places discussed in the story - I even took a tour of the Paris sewers so I could better visualize where Jean Valjean carried Marius away from the barricade.

Hugo's writing is compelling; he cleverly forms sentences and phrases that catch readers by surprise. He also uses descriptions that seem ancillary and decorative, but then uses these same descriptions later to impact how the viewer reacts to the plot. For example, Hugo describes Fantine as having "gold and pearls [for her dowry]; but the gold was on her head and the pearls in her mouth."¹ This emphasis on gold and pearls becomes important later, when Fantine opts to sell her hair and two front teeth to raise money. I remember audibly gasping in dismay when I read that Fantine sold her teeth, and that "the corners of her mouth were stained with blood, and there was a black hole where her two front teeth had been."² I still shudder each time I read that paragraph.

There are few books which cause me to gasp audibly. When I gasped at such an early part in this story (when reading it for the first time), I knew that this book would have a great impact on me. And it did.

Have you ever gasped while reading a book? What's your favorite book? Do you have a favorite part in Les Misérables (the musical or the novel)?

1 Victor Hugo, Les Miserables (New York: Signet Classic, 1987), 122.

2 Ibid., 186.

martin short as "jerry lewis"

The other night J commented about a SNL "Jeopardy!" skit where Martin Short plays Jerry Lewis. I'd never heard of this skit before. Since I like Jerry so much, I'm surprised that J never mentioned the skit earlier. My favorite part is around 4:04 in this clip, when "Alex Trebek" is trying to get "Jerry" to say the correct question to match the Jeopardy answer. The whole "cannon-ballin-mamin'" mumble is a pretty good JL impersonation.

fall excursions

The rainy weather has started up again, but luckily we've had a few rain-free moments during the past two weekends. Last weekend we went to visit a park that's located on the shore of Lake Washington, and the weekend before we went on a short hike between to lakes. It's been fun to see all of the fall colors in the Northwest, even though I think that Utah's fall colors are prettier. Here are some pictures of our latest excursions:

Phantom Lake
(the beginning of our hike)

Larson Lake
(the end-point of our hike - I promise, there are two different lakes in these pictures)

Several summers ago, J helped to clean up the blueberry fields outside of Larson Lake. The bushes are especially pretty right now with their red leaves.

Exploring at the park on Lake Washington. If you can manage to look beyond my brightly colored windbreaker, you can see Seattle in the background.

I wonder if we'll manage to get more rain-free weekends this year. I admit, I'm not excited for the rainy season to start, mostly because it's hard to entertain a curious, wiggly boy indoors. If anyone has some great ideas for inexpensive/free indoor activities, I'd love to hear them.

the eyre affair

After the first ten pages of reading Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair, I realized that I needed to SUSPEND. MY. DISBELIEF. Once I did that, this book was fantastic.

Although this book appears to be set in the 1980s, there are a lot of things that differ from reality. Time travel takes place, people (and characters) can travel in and out of novels, and dodo birds are household pets (they were revived from extinction through genetic cloning). It's quite fun. The protagonist of the novel is a Special Operations agent named Thursday Next. She is hunting for a master criminal and murderer named Acheron Hades.

This book is peppered with witty words and clever references to literature. The thing I enjoyed most about this book, though, is the discussion of Jane Eyre. In order to kill Hades, Next has to travel into the original manuscript of Jane Eyre, which results in Next changing the end of the story so that Rochester and Eyre can end up together (before Next made any changes, the novel finished with Eyre going to India with St. John Rivers).

If you like stories with cultural or literary references, you should pick this up. There are some really funny parts - I laughed out loud when I read about a a Neo-surrealist convention that was invaded by a mob of angry Renaissancists.

I know that Fforde has written a whole series of Thursday Next novels, but two people have told me that they other books not as fun as The Eyre Affair. Has anyone read any of this series? Would you recommend that I read any of the other books?

product of mild insomnia

I have a lot going through my brain right now, and I can't seem to fall asleep. Hopefully if I purge all of my thoughts into this post, then I'll be able to get a good night's rest (from what's left of the night, that is).

• The other weekend J and I watched The Thin Man with William Powell and Myrna Loy. I've wanted to watch this old movie for a long time, and I'm glad that we did. It really is quite funny and it's a murder mystery (bonus!). J and I had a couple of unexpected and hearty laughs during the show. I watched this YouTube compilation of clips from the series, and some of the other films look like they might be fun. Has anyone else seen any of The Thin Man films? Which film in the series should we watch next?
• I think I'll be ready to submit my article by the end of this month. I've done a lot of rewriting and the process has been slow-going, but I'm almost there. I hope that this journal approves it for publication. If not, though, I'll try and send it elsewhere. I'm just glad that I (almost) have a succinct article that is short enough to appear in a scholarly journal. And who knew that my thesis could be condensed to almost a fifth of its original size? Not me.
  
• I met a really nice girl today who recently moved to Seattle. We were introduced through a mutual friend via email, and she came over to talk about job hunting in the area (she hopes to land an adjunct lecturer position and wanted some advice). It was so nice to meet someone and feel like I could connect with them on multiple levels. I haven't really made any close friends since moving up here, although I do have some local friends that I knew from high school/college. In regards to making new friends, though, that hasn't really happened. I have made plenty of casual friendships at church and in the area, but no one with whom I've connected on a very close level. J thinks that we'll never be able to recreate the close relationships that we have with college friends, and maybe he's right. But I'd like to think that I'm not so snobby/boring/standoffish/strange that I can't form a good friendship or two.
• I found out today that my mom has kidney stones. Seriously, my mom does not need to deal with that right now. I hope it ends soon.
• I really, really need to stop dreaming about SC. For the past couple of years, I have consistently dreamed about one of my friends. On average, I would say that this friend pops up in at least one dream per month. All of the dreams are really bizarre, too. It's kind of hard to explain, but I know that I keep dreaming about this friend because it bothers me so much. I think I first dreamed about SC when I was a newlywed, and I must have felt guilty that there was a boy in my dream that wasn't J (even though I'm sure that the dream was not romantic). Anyhow, I think my initial vexation has started this whole dream trend. J thinks the whole thing is a little humorous. I'm just irked with my subconscious.

war and peace

This is the book Sam wanted to read the other morning. Thank goodness. I was tired of reading The Hungry Caterpillar with him.

michelangelo commercial

This is J's latest work project for the new Michelangelo exhibition at the SAM. J worked on the graphics, created the storyboards, and engineered the sound. The commercial will be airing on TV tonight.



Once again, J is famous.

mom and cologne cathedral

I wish I could have visited Cologne Cathedral with my mom. That would have been fun. Maybe another time...

house on mango street

One of the cute MMs recommended that I read House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This MM had to read it for her high school summer reading, and I was interested to learn why it was a required reading. It seems like the English reading requirements have changed a lot since I graduated from high school.

This book is a really quick read; I think I read it in less than two hours. The book is comprised of a bunch of vignettes, written from the perspective of a teenage girl in inner-city Chicago. Cisneros is a really creative writer who uses poignant description and interesting word combinations. The flow of this book is also interesting too, since she doesn't use any quotation marks when people speak.

I really liked the 25th anniversary edition that I read, because it contains an introduction by Cisneros that was written in 2008. Cisneros reminisces about her experience writing House in the 1980s. I especially liked her discussion of how each vignette would end. She said that "the stories always insist on telling me where they want to end. They often surprise me by stopping when I had every intention of galloping along a little further. They're subborn. They know best when there's no more to be said. The last sentence must ring like the final notes at the end of a marachi song - tan tán - to tell you when the song is done." (Second Vintage Contemporaries Edition, 2009, p. xxii).

If anyone is looking for a quick and easy read, I'd suggest this book. Has anyone else read it? Were you required to read this book in high school?

the book thief

This week I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I meant to read this book a few months ago, and thanks to Alicia's recommendation in an earlier post, I was reminded of my earlier intention.

This book is about a girl in Nazi Germany who has an obsession with words and reading. She steals books wherever she can find them: book-burnings, the mayor's house, a graveyard. The story revolves around the people in her life and how they are affected by World War II.

This book is great. The thing I like the most is that Zusak is very clever in his writing - he pairs up words and phrases that aren't normally used together, but somehow they fit perfectly. I knew I was going to like this book when I read these sentences early in the story: "Eventually, Liesel Meminger walked gingerly inside. Hans Hubermann had her by one hand. Her small suitcase had her by the other" (p. 28).

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. This is a good book for anyone who loves words/books, is interested in Nazi Germany, or likes clever writing.

Has anyone else read The Book Thief? What did you think?

don knotts

This past weekend, while watching Don Knotts on the Muppet Show, I discovered that J was not familiar with Don Knotts. I was shocked. But now that I think about it, maybe I am the anomaly. Do you know who Don Knotts is? Did you ever watch any of his television shows or movies?

As a kid, I would watch Don Knotts on "The Andy Griffith Show" reruns. I think my favorite show with Knotts, though, is The Incredible Mr. Limpet (see promo photograph above). I often wondered if this movie was made to compete with Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks, since both movies were musicals, incorporated cartoons with human actors, and had plots which revolved around World War II. I guess that can't be the case, since Limpet was made in 1964, and Bedknobs was made in 1971. However, I realized this morning that Limpet could have been the Warner Bros. competition for Disney's Mary Poppins, which was also released in 1964. Mary Poppins also is a musical and incorporates live action with cartoons.

On a side note, a new version of The Incredible Mr. Limpet is scheduled to come out in 2011. Johnny Depp is rumored to be working on the film, I assume as Henry Limpet's character. It sounds like it might be fun.

Anyhow, for those of you who haven't seen Don Knotts before, this is a funny clip from The Ghost and Mr. Chicken:



What's your favorite Don Knotts film?

the wanderchew

Sam eats plenty of food in his highchair, but he really loves to walk around the house and munch at the same time. If I hand him a cracker or snack, he'll immediately take off so that he can eat it while he roams around. I've started to call this his "wanderchew." Let's hope that Sam's inclination to roam means that he is a wanderlust - we want to take him on a lot of road trips!

Here are pictures of the wanderchew (which have been taken at multiple points today):

Yes, I realize that he's chewing with his mouth open. Sorry if you're grossed out. But isn't that a happy face?

More intense chewing.

sam likes transportation

Sam loves anything that involves transportation and vehicles. Here are some pictures from this week:

Sam played in his little boat at the mall for about 15 minutes.
He's making propeller noises while looking at the camera.

Sam and his buddy Jack rode in this little train today.
As soon as I put in the quarter in the machine slot, I took this shot of Sam's reaction. He was amazed that the train could actually move.

The helicopter was cool too, but not quite as cool as the train. Our train rides outnumbered the helicopter with a 3:1 ratio.

current thoughts

These are the things I've been thinking about lately:

• Couponing. My friend Joanna has just started to get into couponing, and I've taken some very meager steps to keep up with her. We definitely need to spend as little as possible, so maybe couponing is the answer. I have to admit, though, that couponing can really stress me out. It takes so much energy to figure out the good deals, find/cut the coupons, drive around to multiple stores, buy enough food within our budget, etc. I hear crazy stories about how people feed their family of 12 for only $30 a week, but I don't think I'll ever be that great at couponing. I think my real issue is that I hardly ever find coupons for things that I need. Bah! Why aren't there more coupons for essential things, like milk and bread?
  
• The customs regulations for bringing medicine/drugs into the United States from Canada. (This has to do with my mom and her treatments. By the way, my mom is flying to Germany to (hopefully) undergo a new treatment there. Pretty crazy, huh?)
• My thesis. I've been rethinking parts of my argument, mostly because of the article that I'm preparing for publication. I think I need to take different stance on an issue; I am starting to be swayed by a counterargument. Yikes. It's kind of funny that I'm changing my stance now, especially since I defended my thesis over a year ago. Anyhow, this means I'll need to tweak a few important paragraphs. I hope that my argument can still appear strong and valid.
• I need to start waking up early (as in, waking up earlier than Sam). It seems like I can't get very much stuff done during Sam's naps. I need more time for myself and my projects. And maybe if I start waking up earlier, then I'll be able to fall asleep better at night. I'm tired (literally!) of lying in bed, waiting to doze off.

sam likes forts

This is what Sam and I did today:



My favorite part in this clip is that after I say, "I don't see him," Sam replies, "Yeah."


I had to distract Sam from grabbing the camera, so there is a little more conversation in this clip. But you can see how he "smells" flowers through the window, which is fun.

4 july 1826: jefferson and adams

This week I have finished watching/reading the John Adams miniseries and The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed. The latter was a really interesting read (even though it took me months to work through all of the text!); it was fun to read more about Jefferson's personal life (instead of his political life).

The miniseries was also really informative and interesting. I didn't know much about Adams before watching these episodes, but I can see why David McCullough finds Adams to be so fascinating. I particularly was impressed with John and Abigail Adams' great relationship.

Anyhow, my favorite historical factoid that I learned from the miniseries was this: The 4 July 1826 was an important day in American history, since it was the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Furthermore, on this same day the two surviving signers of the Declaration, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both died. The two men had renewed their friendship and correspondence late in life, and then ended up dying on the same day. From what I read here, Jefferson died just a few hours before Adams.

Isn't it crazy that both men died on such a significant anniversary?

guernsey literary society

Remember how I wrote that I needed to read some fiction? This week I read the perfect book to help me relax and have fun: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. This book was charming, witty, fun, very interesting, and a easy read.

The story is a compilation of letters (similar to Daddy Long Legs) that are sent between a writer and a group of people who live on Guernsey (one of the Channel Islands). The Guernsey people are writing down their recollections of when Guernsey was occupied by the Nazis during WWII. These islanders formed a literary society during that time. One of my favorite things about this book is how the islanders make comparisons between their lives during the Occupation and great works of literature. That's one of the things I love about literature and art: they possess a timeless quality that can impact people over many centuries.

Any reader can tell that Mary Ann Shaffer loves books and bookstores. Her text is peppered with little opinions about books, and I agree with many of them. Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"It was amazing to me then, and still is, that so many people who wander into bookshops don't really know what they are after - they only want to look around and hope to see a book that will strike their fancy."

"Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones."

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers."

Has anyone else read this book? What did you think? I would recommend this book to everyone. It was just what I needed to pull me out of my nonfiction rut.

sam's latest obsessions

• Pigs. Specifically, pig snorts. I've always told Sam that the pig says, "Oink, oink," but it obviously picked up on snorting somewhere. Before we can completely read any book about animals, we have had to root out all the pictures of pigs first (and have a few snorts about them). He even likes us to snort while we feed him food with a spoon (I know it's more common to turn spoons into airplanes or other zooming machines, but Sam perfers to be fed with spoons that are "pigs" and "lizards").
  
• Transportation vehicles. Specifically, airplanes and trucks. Sam loves to make motor sounds by buzzing his lips together. According to Sam, all motorized vehicles make the same sound. He also loves sitting in the front seat of the car (when the motor's not on, of course) and pushing all of the buttons.
  
• The Beatles. Sam takes after his mom on this one. I guess he listened to the Fab Four (along with me) while in the womb, and that accounts for the imperious "MORE!" he commands after each track ends on a Beatles album. I need to remind myself to put more Beatles albums in the car; I'm getting tired of listening to Rubber Soul over and over.
• Tunnels. Again, the imperious "MORE!" comes from the backseat every time we emerge out of a tunnel. It's really cute when we're driving through the tunnels - he puts his hands up to his face in glee.
  
• The Muppet Show. Sam's favorite YouTube clips are Mahna Mahna, the dancing Java, and this clip (his favorite scene starts at about 5:00) from when Dom DeLuise was a guest for one episode. Sam can't quite say "Merddleh-dop!" like the pink fuzzy aliens, but we know what clip he is requesting when he says "Murrrp!" in a nasally voice.
  

subconsciously busy

I forgot to add one more thing to my "busy list" from my earlier post: I've been subconsciously busy. I have had the craziest dreams lately, and they often revolve around something really stressful. (Which is part of the reason that I've been waking up in the night and having a hard time going back to sleep - hence the reason that I'm writing his post at 3:00 am). Some of them are pretty funny, though, so I thought I'd write them down.

Dream #1: I just barely dreamed that J and I were at a rehearsal/studio recording session with J's old band, Fictionist. We were standing around in an old shack - the interior had been painted in streaks with a bigillion different colors of spray paint. Anyhow, J and I had to go home and grab something (I think they were sandwiches for lunch). As we started to drive back towards the shack, a huge volcano in front of us erupted. J had to turn down the a side street (into oncoming traffic), to try and beat the lava flow before it covered our little Prius.

We turned onto this long, straight boulevard that went directly to the shack. The lava flow kept coming. It was weird - in one way, I was driving the car, but I also was sitting in the passenger seat. I had to push the gas pedal all the way down, so that we could speed up faster than the lava - and we were only barely in front of the lava flow the whole time we drove down the street. If you could have seen an aerial view of my dream, it would have looked like our Prius was surfing in the wake of the lava (it was almost curling up and around the back of our car, threatening to fall down at any second). It was really stressful - even though I was driving the car at one point, at another point I was in the passenger seat and I kept shouting, "I love you!" to J, since I thought we were about to be smothered.

Anyhow, the lava flow petered out at the same time we reached the shack (in fact, the lava flow went about four inches underneath the shack door before stopping). We ran inside the door and announced that we had barely escaped the lava. I remember that Jacob Jones' eyes got really huge and he said, "Really?" Apparently, the band didn't hear the volcano eruption while they were rehearsing. Everyone went outside to look at the lava, but Stu stayed behind. He wasn't even phased by the lava or the eruption. Instead, I must have said the word "sandwich" while I was telling our story to the band, because Stu just wanted to talk about that. He said, "I think it's really interesting that you pronounce the word like 'SAND-wich.' In Philadelphia, a lot of people say 'SUN-wich' instead." And then Stu and I went into a detailed conversation about how to pronounce "sandwich."

Dream #2: I dreamt last night that I had to go on a second mission, but I had the exact same missionary companions, president, etc. In my dream I was in my last transfer (I was about to go home in two days), even though I was with the missionaries from the penultimate transfer of my actual mission. We were at a missionary conference, and I could NOT speak Portuguese correctly - English phrases and sentences kept popping out. Everything I said was Portu-glish gibberish. I was getting really upset and explained to someone, "It's not my fault that I can't speak Portuguese anymore - Sister MC insists that I speak English with her all the time!" I felt like such an idiot and wished that I could go home that second. And then the mission president's wife stood up and started to say how missionaries in Brazil were now required to wear long-sleeved shirts all the time (and she stood next to me and glared at my inappropriate short-sleeved shirt). Then I was really glad that I was about to go home.

Dream #3: I was singing in a choir and needed to find a place to change into my choir outfit. We were singing in an outdoor venue, and people already had started to arrive. I kept wandering around, trying to find a bathroom to use while I changed. Everything was full, so I had to walk down this really long hill until I found another small bathroom. I went inside and was in my underwear when the choir director barged in with her daughter. She said, "I'm sorry, but this bathroom is the only entrance to the venue. Everyone needs to come in here so they can get to their seat before we sing." And with that, a stream of people started to walk through the bathroom. So I had to run up this really long hill (in my underwear) and find another bathroom to use as a changing room. I finally found a one that was occupied, but I was able to sneak in the bathtub and pull across the shower curtain for some privacy. Then I walked outside and realized I had the wrong outfit on.

Anyhow, this is just a sampling of the dreams I've had lately. They usually involve some type of stressful situation in which I have to run around, try not to die, or try not to come across as an idiot. No wonder I wake up in the morning and am still tired.

zinnias + miracle-gro = THIS

Mems how I totally play favorites when it comes to my zinnias? I'm rather obsessed with these flowers; all summer long I've taken photos to document their growth/beauty/overall awesomeness. The following is my visual testimonial as to why one should use Miracle-Gro:

slow down, you move too fast

These past few weeks have been insanely busy for me. Actually, if you count our two back-to-back vacations, the whole month of August has been busy. There have been a lot of fun activities that have filled my schedule, but I haven't just been busy in regards to time. I've been emotionally busy. Mentally busy. Intellectually busy. Spiritually busy. Busy-in-ways-I-don't-know-how busy. For some reason, I just haven't been able to slow down. It's getting a little hard to fall asleep at night, and if I wake up in the middle of the night, my mind starts to race for at least an hour.

I really think this upcoming month won't be so busy - but who knows? Sam has shifted to the one-nap-a-day schedule, which means I have very little time to read, prepare my art history publication, work on lecture notes, etc. I also think that my "emotional busy-ness" will continue for a while, which is partially due to my mom's escalating cancer cell counts. So, ugh, we'll see. I might just need to learn how to deal with being too busy (and my friends know that I like to be a busy person by nature, so my definition of "too busy" really does mean overwhelming).

I do want to get out of this rut and make some changes, though. J and I are going on a date tonight, for the first time in months. It will be nice to have the pace slow down and just be together. Our plan for the evening? Peruse through an awesome used bookstore (we probably won't be able to afford any books, but that's okay) and then go to a free admission night at a local art museum. It should be fun. And I hope that time slows down, at least for a few hours.

My other plan to help things slow down? Pick up some fiction. I've gotten myself into a non-fiction rut and I can't get out. I need to read something that isn't academic or historical.

What do you do when your life starts to get overwhelming? Is there something you do to change the pace?

B family vacation

As soon as the S family vacation ended, we had an immediate turnover to the B family vacation. It was really fun to see everyone and meet our new nephew, D. (However, I have learned my lesson about planning family vacations back-to-back. Unsurprisingly, the recovery period after two consecutive vacations is twice as long.) We had a fun time while everyone was in town. Here are some pictures from the week:

Sam and D instantly hit it off.

Sam looks like he's up to something.

Norah looks like she's up to something.
(Please note that all three babies are in this shot)

Sam and Norah having a sit.

Moms + babies + wicker chairs

Dads + babies + ferry boat

Sam doing his best impression of Renaissance-17th century art models
(see here and here for some of his sources of inspiration)

After going through these pictures, I realized that I didn't take any photos of my in-laws. S and A were always behind the camera, or busy making us happy and comfortable. Thanks for such a fun week, S and A. Next time, I'm going to make sure you stay still long enough for me to snap some photos.