Very recently I have started trying my hand at quilting. I thought to myself one day, "why not give this a try." Long story short, I tried.
My Great-Grandma Russell made quilts. They ranged from queen-sized to little doll blankets for my sister and I. I remember going down to Kansas to visit her and find her sitting on her couch with a shoebox full of fabric squares, stitching them all together. My little quilt she made me is still at my parents' house - I really should bring that back up here.
When I was younger - I can't remember the exact age - my Aunt and I started a project just because we were bored one day. We started a yo-yo quilt. To begin with it was really fun cutting out all the circle pieces needed for the yo-yos. Then I started actually making the yo-yos. Not too long after we started it I got bored with it - being the young kid I was - and she finished it. It's a really fun quilt. She used to have it in her guest room on the bed for a long time.
Last summer I went to a quilt show with the ladies in my family. Seeing all those beautiful and intricate quilts made me want to make something just as beautiful. Soon after that weekend I bought some fabric, stitching needles, pins, and all the other stuff I'd need to make a quilt. I chose five different patterned fabrics. They're all a different green - it's my favorite color. I got right to work stenciling and cutting out the squares - 140 of them. I decided to use bigger squares for my first quilt; I thought they'd be easier to work with. As it turned out, it seemed almost too easy.
After cutting out all the squares I started hand-stitching ten squares together for each row. I don't remember why now but I ended up putting it away in a closet after the second row was complete. I burn out easily with projects that I start - even though I do always finish what I started eventually. In April my husband and I moved to Kearney and the shoebox of quilt squares came along with all my yarn and cross-stitching projects.
A couple of days ago my hands got bored while I was watching a movie so I pulled out my unfinished quilt. Earlier today I finished stitching all the squares into rows. I had fourteen rows total. I pulled out my sewing machine and set it up in the living room so I could watch TV while working. A few hours later the rows were all sewn together! It seemed to go too fast.
So now I have the quilt top done and it looks really good - maybe even a little better than a first quilt should. All I have left to do is head to the store one of these days and get a backing material and sew it on to the topper. I think I'm going to use a flannel so we can use it in the winter. Also, I've decided I'm not going to use batting inside the quilt just so we can use the quilt when it's not freezing.
Though I have given it plenty of thought, I still don't know how I'm going to do the actual quilting. I could just use the sewing machine, but I'm still pretty inexperienced with it. Then I considered hand-quilting it. That's going to take much more time, but it might be worth it. Also, I need to figure out a pattern for the stitching. Uhg, so many decisions! Maybe I'll ask my Aunt for suggestions since she's so much better than I.
When I get the backing sewn on I'll put up a picture or two so keeping coming back!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Writing and Thoughts.
I wish I could get back into the writing groove. There really isn't much more I can say about it. It used to be so easy for me to just sit down and write a poem, some lyrics, or at least ideas for a short story - anything! Now, it just seems like I have to force myself to even consider opening a notebook. When I think about writing all that comes to mind is me sitting with a pen in my hand and a notebook on my lap for hours not being able to think of anything to write. In turn, I get discouraged and the poor notebook stays in the drawer.
***
Last night my sister and I learned something about someone. It's not a big deal, really. But...it is. I don't know - I don't want it all over the internet so there's so many details I can't disclose. It was just a big shocker and we didn't really know how to take it. I guess I can't say much else...
***
On to something else, now. I pulled out my collection of Sharpie markers tonight and doodled for awhile. The smell of the ink is stuck in my nose and I think I can almost taste it. I hope another dose of mouthwash will help that.
The highway south of town has too much construction going on. Yesterday when I was heading out of town I had to sit and wait for the pilot vehicle for about 10 minutes - at the time it felt like an hour. Oh, but today coming home I had to wait over half an hour to get going. I really wouldn't have been too frustrated - but I noticed when the pilot car got back to our end there were only five cars following him! Five! I just couldn't believe they spent half and hour waiting for five cars. Oh well, I wasn't in a hurry so I really shouldn't complain.
Tomorrow I should clean the apartment. I think it's bedtime, kiddies.
Good night and to all: A very happy Thursday!
The highway south of town has too much construction going on. Yesterday when I was heading out of town I had to sit and wait for the pilot vehicle for about 10 minutes - at the time it felt like an hour. Oh, but today coming home I had to wait over half an hour to get going. I really wouldn't have been too frustrated - but I noticed when the pilot car got back to our end there were only five cars following him! Five! I just couldn't believe they spent half and hour waiting for five cars. Oh well, I wasn't in a hurry so I really shouldn't complain.
Tomorrow I should clean the apartment. I think it's bedtime, kiddies.
Good night and to all: A very happy Thursday!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Court Shows.
I like to torture myself. Every morning I reach for the remote and flip over to Fox and watch court shows until after noon. I hate these shows so there is no way for me to explain why I can't just turn the channel. All of these cases are so ridiculous. If I knew any of these people I could easily solve their problems with three simple words - Stop Being Stupid.
Okay, so I know small-claim courts are vital to actual real life people who are collecting from bills, or rent, or stolen items. Obviously, when you put anything on day-time tv it'll get blown way out of the water and all of a sudden a simple "He didn't pay his rent" turns into "He cheated on me and my cousin with our best friend and he's all of our baby daddy and he's on drugs and he brings girls over when I'm home...oh, yeah, and he didn't pay rent last month." (I apologize for that terrible run-on, but at least I didn't spell everything like they actually say it.)
Now, I watch all of these court shows. From Judge Mathis clear down to People's Court at 2:30. At one point I told myself I was watching these shows to feel better about myself, but who am I kidding? At the end of the day I just feel awful that these people are so ridiculously ignorant and I can't do anything about it!
There are two judges that I really like. First is Judge Alex Ferrer (and not just because his last name is similar to my maiden name ha.) He's actually a good judge. If the case starts getting out of hand or doesn't make sense he won't even deal with it. Secondly, I like Judge Lynn Toler from Divorce Court. With all of my heart I hate listening to the ex-couple ranting and arguing. I just think Judge Toler is very fair.
So, now you know that I'm a court show junkie. I'm so embarrassed.
Okay, so I know small-claim courts are vital to actual real life people who are collecting from bills, or rent, or stolen items. Obviously, when you put anything on day-time tv it'll get blown way out of the water and all of a sudden a simple "He didn't pay his rent" turns into "He cheated on me and my cousin with our best friend and he's all of our baby daddy and he's on drugs and he brings girls over when I'm home...oh, yeah, and he didn't pay rent last month." (I apologize for that terrible run-on, but at least I didn't spell everything like they actually say it.)
Now, I watch all of these court shows. From Judge Mathis clear down to People's Court at 2:30. At one point I told myself I was watching these shows to feel better about myself, but who am I kidding? At the end of the day I just feel awful that these people are so ridiculously ignorant and I can't do anything about it!
There are two judges that I really like. First is Judge Alex Ferrer (and not just because his last name is similar to my maiden name ha.) He's actually a good judge. If the case starts getting out of hand or doesn't make sense he won't even deal with it. Secondly, I like Judge Lynn Toler from Divorce Court. With all of my heart I hate listening to the ex-couple ranting and arguing. I just think Judge Toler is very fair.
So, now you know that I'm a court show junkie. I'm so embarrassed.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Art.
Some of you may know that I used to do a lot of art projects in my free time. The three pieces that are now on my Blog are all mine. I just thought I would share a few of my pieces while personalizing my page. They are three of my favorite pieces that I've done. I hope you enjoy them as much as I.
Taking high school art classes and doing my own painting at home I've found that I really love painting with water colors. There's so much you can do with water colors. They're easier to blend and move and it always looks abstract. Maybe one of these days I'll dig my water colors and paint brushes out again and see what I can come up with.
My latest form of "doodle" art (ha) is with Sharpies. I work a lot with lines and geometric shapes. Almost everything I do in Sharpie is accented with dashes or dots or paisley-type shapes. Most of what I do I just consider doodling. I don't expect to make a fortune off of something I drew on the back cardboard of a notebook in silver Sharpie. However, I would love to eventually frame and hang some of my favorites. When it comes to my Sharpie doodles I usually use black or silver so they really go together.
Pencil and ball point pen are both fun to draw with. They're finer so you can get more intricate with whatever you're making.
I was never really a fan of acrylic paints unless I was painting an object - like clay. Maybe if I gave it another shot I'd end up liking it. Who knows, huh?
Well, I'm off to continue A Lion Among Men. I'm trying to finish it so I can let you know how it is.
Taking high school art classes and doing my own painting at home I've found that I really love painting with water colors. There's so much you can do with water colors. They're easier to blend and move and it always looks abstract. Maybe one of these days I'll dig my water colors and paint brushes out again and see what I can come up with.
My latest form of "doodle" art (ha) is with Sharpies. I work a lot with lines and geometric shapes. Almost everything I do in Sharpie is accented with dashes or dots or paisley-type shapes. Most of what I do I just consider doodling. I don't expect to make a fortune off of something I drew on the back cardboard of a notebook in silver Sharpie. However, I would love to eventually frame and hang some of my favorites. When it comes to my Sharpie doodles I usually use black or silver so they really go together.
Pencil and ball point pen are both fun to draw with. They're finer so you can get more intricate with whatever you're making.
I was never really a fan of acrylic paints unless I was painting an object - like clay. Maybe if I gave it another shot I'd end up liking it. Who knows, huh?
Well, I'm off to continue A Lion Among Men. I'm trying to finish it so I can let you know how it is.
One Hundred Fifty Books.
Hooray! I made it to Post No. 150!!!! And as I promised here are a few books...
(Well we better just get down to work here - it's going to take me a while.)
1. Spring Came On Forever - Bess Streeter Aldrich
2. The Holy Bible
3. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
4. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
5. The Abyss - Orson Scott Card
6. Behind The Attic Wall - Sylvia Cassedy
7. I Heard That Song Before - Mary Higgins Clark
8. Loves Music, Loves To Dance - Mary Higgins Clark
9. Two Little Girls in Blue - Marry Higgins Clark
10. The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton
11. The Muse Asylum - David Czuchlewski
12. House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
13. The Body Artist - Don DeLillo
14. The Stolen Child - Keith Donohue
15. House of Sand and Fog - Andre Dubus III
16. The Memory Keepers Daughter - Kim Edwards
17. The Last Promise - Richard Paul Evans
18. Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank
19. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
20. Grimm's Fairy Tales - The Brothers Grimm
21. Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen
22. Snow Falling On Cedars - David Guterson
23. Five Quarters of the Orange - Joanne Harris
24. Gentlemen & Players - Joanne Harris
25. The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne
26. The King's Evil - Will Heinrich
27. Lost Horizon - James Hilton
28. At Risk - Alice Hoffman
29. Blue Diary - Alice Hoffman
30. Fortune's Daughter - Alice Hoffman
31. Here on Earth - Alice Hoffman
32. The Ice Queen - Alice Hoffman
33. Incantation - Alice Hoffman
34. Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman
35. The River King - Alice Hoffman
36. Skylight Confessions - Alice Hoffman
37. The Third Angel - Alice Hoffman
38. Turtle Moon - Alice Hoffman
39. Titanic - Diane Hoh
40. Remember the Titanic - Diane Hoh
41. Redwall - Brian Jacques
42. The Love Dare - Stephen & Alex Kendrick
43. Devil May Cry - Sherrilyn Kenyon
44. Bag of Bones - Stephen King
45. Cell - Stephen King
46. Everything's Eventual - Stephen King
47. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - Stephen King
48. The Two Dead Girls - Stephen King
49. The Mouse on the Mile - Stephen King
50. Hearts in Atlantis - Stephen King
51. Just After Sunset - Stephen King
52. It - Stephen King
53. Under The Dome - Stephen King
54. Winning Words - Allen Klein
55. The Book of Bright Ideas - Sandra Kring
56. Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
57. Tribulation Force - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
58. Nicolae - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
59. Soul Harvest - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
60. Apollyon - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
61. Assassins - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
62. The Indwelling - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
63. The Mark - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
64. Desecration - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
65. The Remnant - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
66. Armageddon - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
67. She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
68. The Haunted Mesa - Louis L'amour
69. Last of the Breed - Louis L'amour
70. Here in the World - Victoria Lancelotta
71. Crow Lake - Mary Lawson
72. Indian Captive - Lois Lenski
73. The Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
74. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
75. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
76. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay
77. Dexter By Design - Jeff Lindsay
78. The Giver - Lois Lowry
79. Little Farm in the Ozarks - Roger Lea MacBride
80. Son of a Witch - Gregory Maguire
81. A Lion Among Men - Gregory Maguire
82. Hilda and Pearl - Alice Hattison
83. Everything in This Country Must - Colum McCann
84. Blood Promise - Richelle Mead
85. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
86. The Hose - Stephenie Meyer
87. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
88. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
89. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
90. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
91. Paradise Lost - John Milton
92. Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
93. Anne of Avonlea - L. M. Montgomery
94. Anne of The Island - L. M. Montgomery
95. Anne of Windy Poplars - L. M. Montgomery
96. Anne's House of Dreams - L. M. Montgomery
97. Anne of Ingleside - L. M. Montgomery
98. Rainbow Valley - L. M. Montgomery
99. 1984 - George Orwell
100. Animal Farm - George Orwell
101. The Poe Reader - Edgar Allan Poe
102. Complete Tales & Poems - Edgar Allan Poe
103. Contemporary American Poetry - Ed. A. Poulin, Jr. & Michael Waters
104. The Best American Poetry - Ed. Rita Dove & David Lehman
105. Four Centuries of Great Love Poems - compiled. Debra Starr
106. Carillon: 2006 - UNK student contributors
107. Carillon: 2007 - UNK student contributors
108. Vampires - Ed. Alan Ryan
109. Franny and Zooey - J. D. Salinger
110. Nine Stories - J. D. Salinger
111. And Eye For An Eye: The Doll - John Saul
112. Twist of Fate: The Locket - John Saul
113. Ashes To Ashes: The Dragon's Flame - John Saul
114. In The Shadow of Evil: The Handkerchief - John Saul
115. Day of Reckoning: The Stereoscope - John Saul
116. Asylum - John Saul
117. The Reader - Bernhard Schlink
118. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
119. An Equal Music - Vikram Seth
120. Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
121. Othello - William Shakespeare
122. Three Romantic Tragdies - William Shakespeare
123. The Sonnets and Other Love Poems - William Shakespeare
124. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
125. The Theban Plays - Sophocles
126. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
127. The Pearl - John Steinbeck
128. Dracula - Bram Stoker
129. 2012 - Whitley Strieber
130. Warday - Whitley Strieber & James Kunetka
131. Amy and Isabelle - Elizabeth Strout
132. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
133. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
134. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien
135. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien
136. Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend - Robert James Waller
137. The Island of Dr. Moreau
138. Until They Bring The Streetcars Back - Stanley Gordon West
139. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
140. The Shack - Paul Young
141. Level 26 - Anthony E. Zuiker
142. The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
143. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
144. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
145. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish - Dr. Seuss
146. Go, Dog, Go - Dr. Seuss
147. Put Me In The Zoo - Dr. Seuss
148. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet - Dr. Seuss
149. If I Ran The Zoo - Dr. Seuss
And now...(drumroll)...my 150th and most favorite book ever...
150. Frog and Toad Together - Arnold Lobel
Oh, that took awhile! I thank you if you took the time to read this post. Are there any books in my list that you've read, want to read, or want to discuss? I love discussing books with people that have also read that book.
Note: I have not yet read every book on this list. I have this problem. See, everytime I go to a used bookstore I buy more than one book at a time. Those books end up on my bookshelf while I'm reading all the other books I haven't read yet. I know I really should not buy anymore books until I get all of these read and then maybe only buy one book at a time. Oh, I just love books so much!
I'm going to leave you with a quote, now, that describes all too well my feeling toward books.
"My books are friends that will never fail me." -Unknown.
Good day and good reading.
(Well we better just get down to work here - it's going to take me a while.)
1. Spring Came On Forever - Bess Streeter Aldrich
2. The Holy Bible
3. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
4. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
5. The Abyss - Orson Scott Card
6. Behind The Attic Wall - Sylvia Cassedy
7. I Heard That Song Before - Mary Higgins Clark
8. Loves Music, Loves To Dance - Mary Higgins Clark
9. Two Little Girls in Blue - Marry Higgins Clark
10. The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton
11. The Muse Asylum - David Czuchlewski
12. House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
13. The Body Artist - Don DeLillo
14. The Stolen Child - Keith Donohue
15. House of Sand and Fog - Andre Dubus III
16. The Memory Keepers Daughter - Kim Edwards
17. The Last Promise - Richard Paul Evans
18. Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank
19. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
20. Grimm's Fairy Tales - The Brothers Grimm
21. Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen
22. Snow Falling On Cedars - David Guterson
23. Five Quarters of the Orange - Joanne Harris
24. Gentlemen & Players - Joanne Harris
25. The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne
26. The King's Evil - Will Heinrich
27. Lost Horizon - James Hilton
28. At Risk - Alice Hoffman
29. Blue Diary - Alice Hoffman
30. Fortune's Daughter - Alice Hoffman
31. Here on Earth - Alice Hoffman
32. The Ice Queen - Alice Hoffman
33. Incantation - Alice Hoffman
34. Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman
35. The River King - Alice Hoffman
36. Skylight Confessions - Alice Hoffman
37. The Third Angel - Alice Hoffman
38. Turtle Moon - Alice Hoffman
39. Titanic - Diane Hoh
40. Remember the Titanic - Diane Hoh
41. Redwall - Brian Jacques
42. The Love Dare - Stephen & Alex Kendrick
43. Devil May Cry - Sherrilyn Kenyon
44. Bag of Bones - Stephen King
45. Cell - Stephen King
46. Everything's Eventual - Stephen King
47. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - Stephen King
48. The Two Dead Girls - Stephen King
49. The Mouse on the Mile - Stephen King
50. Hearts in Atlantis - Stephen King
51. Just After Sunset - Stephen King
52. It - Stephen King
53. Under The Dome - Stephen King
54. Winning Words - Allen Klein
55. The Book of Bright Ideas - Sandra Kring
56. Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
57. Tribulation Force - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
58. Nicolae - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
59. Soul Harvest - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
60. Apollyon - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
61. Assassins - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
62. The Indwelling - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
63. The Mark - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
64. Desecration - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
65. The Remnant - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
66. Armageddon - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
67. She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
68. The Haunted Mesa - Louis L'amour
69. Last of the Breed - Louis L'amour
70. Here in the World - Victoria Lancelotta
71. Crow Lake - Mary Lawson
72. Indian Captive - Lois Lenski
73. The Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
74. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
75. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
76. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay
77. Dexter By Design - Jeff Lindsay
78. The Giver - Lois Lowry
79. Little Farm in the Ozarks - Roger Lea MacBride
80. Son of a Witch - Gregory Maguire
81. A Lion Among Men - Gregory Maguire
82. Hilda and Pearl - Alice Hattison
83. Everything in This Country Must - Colum McCann
84. Blood Promise - Richelle Mead
85. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
86. The Hose - Stephenie Meyer
87. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
88. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
89. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
90. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
91. Paradise Lost - John Milton
92. Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
93. Anne of Avonlea - L. M. Montgomery
94. Anne of The Island - L. M. Montgomery
95. Anne of Windy Poplars - L. M. Montgomery
96. Anne's House of Dreams - L. M. Montgomery
97. Anne of Ingleside - L. M. Montgomery
98. Rainbow Valley - L. M. Montgomery
99. 1984 - George Orwell
100. Animal Farm - George Orwell
101. The Poe Reader - Edgar Allan Poe
102. Complete Tales & Poems - Edgar Allan Poe
103. Contemporary American Poetry - Ed. A. Poulin, Jr. & Michael Waters
104. The Best American Poetry - Ed. Rita Dove & David Lehman
105. Four Centuries of Great Love Poems - compiled. Debra Starr
106. Carillon: 2006 - UNK student contributors
107. Carillon: 2007 - UNK student contributors
108. Vampires - Ed. Alan Ryan
109. Franny and Zooey - J. D. Salinger
110. Nine Stories - J. D. Salinger
111. And Eye For An Eye: The Doll - John Saul
112. Twist of Fate: The Locket - John Saul
113. Ashes To Ashes: The Dragon's Flame - John Saul
114. In The Shadow of Evil: The Handkerchief - John Saul
115. Day of Reckoning: The Stereoscope - John Saul
116. Asylum - John Saul
117. The Reader - Bernhard Schlink
118. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
119. An Equal Music - Vikram Seth
120. Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
121. Othello - William Shakespeare
122. Three Romantic Tragdies - William Shakespeare
123. The Sonnets and Other Love Poems - William Shakespeare
124. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
125. The Theban Plays - Sophocles
126. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
127. The Pearl - John Steinbeck
128. Dracula - Bram Stoker
129. 2012 - Whitley Strieber
130. Warday - Whitley Strieber & James Kunetka
131. Amy and Isabelle - Elizabeth Strout
132. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
133. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
134. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien
135. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien
136. Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend - Robert James Waller
137. The Island of Dr. Moreau
138. Until They Bring The Streetcars Back - Stanley Gordon West
139. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
140. The Shack - Paul Young
141. Level 26 - Anthony E. Zuiker
142. The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
143. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
144. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
145. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish - Dr. Seuss
146. Go, Dog, Go - Dr. Seuss
147. Put Me In The Zoo - Dr. Seuss
148. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet - Dr. Seuss
149. If I Ran The Zoo - Dr. Seuss
And now...(drumroll)...my 150th and most favorite book ever...
150. Frog and Toad Together - Arnold Lobel
Oh, that took awhile! I thank you if you took the time to read this post. Are there any books in my list that you've read, want to read, or want to discuss? I love discussing books with people that have also read that book.
Note: I have not yet read every book on this list. I have this problem. See, everytime I go to a used bookstore I buy more than one book at a time. Those books end up on my bookshelf while I'm reading all the other books I haven't read yet. I know I really should not buy anymore books until I get all of these read and then maybe only buy one book at a time. Oh, I just love books so much!
I'm going to leave you with a quote, now, that describes all too well my feeling toward books.
"My books are friends that will never fail me." -Unknown.
Good day and good reading.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
I Have Decided.
After a long 20 minutes of distracted thinking I have finally come to a decision regarding my plans for my 150th post!
I am going to list 150 of the books in my possession and their authors right here on Sunglasses On A Desk. Some said it could never be done, many said it could obviously be done, I say, "Let's do it anyway."
So, tune in next time when I shall reveal 150 of my books to - most likely - no one. (I'm really not positive if anyone reads this anymore...) It's sure to dazzle and excite! Come one, come all! (Apparently I'm a circus now.) Be awed. Be amazed. Be a maze. Be...unable to contain yourselves as you read from 1 to 150!
And here we go...
...to bed for now.
I am going to list 150 of the books in my possession and their authors right here on Sunglasses On A Desk. Some said it could never be done, many said it could obviously be done, I say, "Let's do it anyway."
So, tune in next time when I shall reveal 150 of my books to - most likely - no one. (I'm really not positive if anyone reads this anymore...) It's sure to dazzle and excite! Come one, come all! (Apparently I'm a circus now.) Be awed. Be amazed. Be a maze. Be...unable to contain yourselves as you read from 1 to 150!
And here we go...
...to bed for now.
Buffy and Books.
Hello there all my Readers. If you are still reading.
(This is now my 148th post and I still have not decided what I'm going to do for my 150th! Any suggestions?)
This weekend was really fun. Shane and I drove up to Sutherland Friday evening to spend the weekend with his family. His Dad had to work most of the weekend so we didn't see much of him, unfortunately. We did a ridiculous amount of visiting - which is great! - and watched a couple of movies. On Saturday Shane's Mom made her wonderful cabbage pockets for lunch and Shane made some kind of bread/cinnamon/brown sugar dessert. We played Scrabble that afternoon - I didn't win, like usual. Ha. I watched Shane and his youngest brother play some video games. They were mostly zombie games so they were pretty interesting to watch. In the evening we were all in the mood for a scary movie but we couldn't really think of any. We ended up watching the new Friday the 13th. Too much sex and nudity and not enough actual scaring going on. Later on that night we watched Child's Play 2. Now, that's a good movie. Hm, yesterday we also did some karaoke-ing (verb? ha) and, you know, that's always fun.
Now we're back in Kearney. We continued our Buffy-thon after we made a supper of nachos and onion rings (Shane and I get the strangest cravings.) We're on Season 2 of Buffy now. A couple years ago we watched all 7 seasons together. I had seen most of the episodes a couple years before that. I guess you can say I like the show, huh?
Shane's in bed now - he's got to go to work tomorrow. I just put down A Lion Among Men for a few minutes to type this. The story is a little on the slow side right now. I really hope it picks up so it can, at least, match the other two books.
Oh, books. I love having books on my bookshelf. We have a large 5-shelf bookshelf and we're in desperate need of another one. All five shelves are full and we've started to lay our new books on top of the standing ones. Oh, and Shane and I have three books off the shelf - so...I'd say it's time for a new one.
At one time I was thinking about looking into getting an Amazon Kindle. Both Shane and my Mom were considering one for a present for me, too. They know me too well, though. They know I like to hear the pages being turned, smell the new - or old - smell of the books, and even alphabetize and rearrange them everytime I get a new book. Sure, a Kindle or another product like it would be great. For someone else. For me, I'm going to stick with books. However, I will say this - if I would ever have to travel somewhere and have to lug a bunch of heavy books with me I might deeply consider getting a Kindle. But when it comes to my own personal reading I'll take the paper version.
I am going to leave you with a quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"To read makes our speaking English good." - Xander (referring to why he is in the library)
Goodnight All - and happy reading.
(This is now my 148th post and I still have not decided what I'm going to do for my 150th! Any suggestions?)
This weekend was really fun. Shane and I drove up to Sutherland Friday evening to spend the weekend with his family. His Dad had to work most of the weekend so we didn't see much of him, unfortunately. We did a ridiculous amount of visiting - which is great! - and watched a couple of movies. On Saturday Shane's Mom made her wonderful cabbage pockets for lunch and Shane made some kind of bread/cinnamon/brown sugar dessert. We played Scrabble that afternoon - I didn't win, like usual. Ha. I watched Shane and his youngest brother play some video games. They were mostly zombie games so they were pretty interesting to watch. In the evening we were all in the mood for a scary movie but we couldn't really think of any. We ended up watching the new Friday the 13th. Too much sex and nudity and not enough actual scaring going on. Later on that night we watched Child's Play 2. Now, that's a good movie. Hm, yesterday we also did some karaoke-ing (verb? ha) and, you know, that's always fun.
Now we're back in Kearney. We continued our Buffy-thon after we made a supper of nachos and onion rings (Shane and I get the strangest cravings.) We're on Season 2 of Buffy now. A couple years ago we watched all 7 seasons together. I had seen most of the episodes a couple years before that. I guess you can say I like the show, huh?
Shane's in bed now - he's got to go to work tomorrow. I just put down A Lion Among Men for a few minutes to type this. The story is a little on the slow side right now. I really hope it picks up so it can, at least, match the other two books.
Oh, books. I love having books on my bookshelf. We have a large 5-shelf bookshelf and we're in desperate need of another one. All five shelves are full and we've started to lay our new books on top of the standing ones. Oh, and Shane and I have three books off the shelf - so...I'd say it's time for a new one.
At one time I was thinking about looking into getting an Amazon Kindle. Both Shane and my Mom were considering one for a present for me, too. They know me too well, though. They know I like to hear the pages being turned, smell the new - or old - smell of the books, and even alphabetize and rearrange them everytime I get a new book. Sure, a Kindle or another product like it would be great. For someone else. For me, I'm going to stick with books. However, I will say this - if I would ever have to travel somewhere and have to lug a bunch of heavy books with me I might deeply consider getting a Kindle. But when it comes to my own personal reading I'll take the paper version.
I am going to leave you with a quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"To read makes our speaking English good." - Xander (referring to why he is in the library)
Goodnight All - and happy reading.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Post No. 147.
I just realized that I'm almost to my 150th Post! I want to do something special - something involving 150 somethings. I'll think of...erm...something.
This afternoon Shane and I are heading up to Sutherland to spend the weekend with his family. I don't think we have anything special planned. It's always fun just to hang out and play it by ear.
Today was really nothing outside of the box. I woke up, picked up the apartment, did an unusually large amount of dishes, ate lunch, and packed for the weekend.
Three short paragraphs,
This blog is getting boring.
*Exciting Haiku!*
I read all of my posts on this blog last night and realized I completely got away from Poetry! I don't read or write poetry anymore, but you can never go wrong with a haiku!
I guess I better go and get ready to leave for the weekend.
This afternoon Shane and I are heading up to Sutherland to spend the weekend with his family. I don't think we have anything special planned. It's always fun just to hang out and play it by ear.
Today was really nothing outside of the box. I woke up, picked up the apartment, did an unusually large amount of dishes, ate lunch, and packed for the weekend.
Three short paragraphs,
This blog is getting boring.
*Exciting Haiku!*
I read all of my posts on this blog last night and realized I completely got away from Poetry! I don't read or write poetry anymore, but you can never go wrong with a haiku!
I guess I better go and get ready to leave for the weekend.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Another Year...
What is with me only posting once a year? I need to get better at this.
Okay - quick summary:
In April of this year Shane and I moved back to Kearney after living in North Platte for just over two years. It's a relief to be back here. In May my baby sister graduated from high school. In a little less than a month she'll be moving into her dorm at CCC. Shane and I finally got to go on a "honeymoon" last weekend. We didn't go very far but it was a great vacation.
We drove up to Omaha/Council Bluffs for the weekend. On Friday we spent almost the full day at the Henry Dorley Zoo and then had dinner at Harrah's casino before passing out in the hotel that night. On Saturday we got to the IMAX in Council Bluffs at around 8am to wait to get into Inception. It was worth paying a little extra to see it on the IMAX screen. After the movie we drove into Omaha to hang out down at Old Market. We had lunch at Spaghetti Works (great place) and went into a couple of shops. It was so hot and we weren't really finding anything to do so we spent about an hour walking around a park that had weird artwork and fountains (it probably has a name, I just don't know it.) We were lucky to find that the Bodies exhibition was still in town and just around the corner from the park! It was very cool - freaky, but interesting. I'm glad we got to go. We spent the evening watching a movie in our hotel room. We left for home on Sunday morning. On the way we ate breakfast at a CrackerBarrel - delicious!
In two weekends I will be going up to Omaha again with my parents and sister. We're going to the zoo, as well. My sister wants to do some shopping - I'll probably just want to sit down. Ha.
I have unfortunately been jobless since we moved back down here to Kearney. I've been applying and applying and interviewing and applying to more places, but I just can't seem to bag a job. I'm hoping something comes through for me eventually. Anyone want to pay me to write this blog? Yeah, didn't think so. Worth a shot.
Currently, it's thundering and lightning outside. It sounds amazing. There's nothing better than a little stormy weather at midnight, am I right? I know I am.
I had kind of a...different...day today. A little out of the ordinary for me, at least. Usually, my day consists of making the bed, doing necessary laundry and picking up, washing dishes, and Facebooking. (It's a verb whether you like it or not.) Today, however, I had a strange urge to go rifling through a few Rubbermaid totes full of things - junk? - I haven't gone through in a while. I came across a folder I've been cramming songs and poems into since high school. On discovering a couple half-way decent songs I'd written and attempted to accompany on guitar I dug out ol' Antonio (the Ibanez) and re-blistered my fingertips trying to remember how to play that damned instrument. Needless to say, I'm not good - I never was - and I'm not fooling myself. I really just should stick to singing.
On another musical note (see what I did there?), close to a month ago my Mom bought me my very own flute! I was beside myself with excitement when she texted me and told me she found one. I'd been looking for one for years. In fifth grade when we started band in school she handed down her high school flute to me - the old Bundy. It still is the best flute I've ever played. When my sister started band and I was still using the Bundy, Mom found a second flute at a garage sale for her. When I graduated and didn't need the flute anymore the Bundy went to my sister. Since then I'd wanted to get my own, and now I have one. It's great. I've been playing a little here and there, trying to get to the level I was in high school.
Wasn't this supposed to be a quick summary?
I wish I had more interesting things to blog about. Books, tv shows, movies, music? That's easy: Read the Wicked series; Watch Lie To Me and The Good Guys; Enjoy Inception and Toy Story 3; and Listen to Muse. Done.
Elaborate? Why sure!
I'm currently reading A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire. My sister got me started on the series. It starts with Wicked; the story of the Wicked Witch of the West (you know the one; from Wizard of Oz!) The second book, Son of a Witch, tells the story of Liir, the Witch's son. The third and final book of the series, A Lion Among Men, explains why the Cowardly Lion was so cowardly in the first place. I am only a third into the book, but already so much has happened and you really see the Lion in a completely different light.
Both shows, Lie To Me and The Good Guys, show on Fox. Lie To Me is in its second season and airs Mondays at 7pm/c. Leading the cast is Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, The Incredible Hulk) as Dr. Cal Lightman. The show is based on the science of reading a person's facial movements and body language to discover whether they are telling the truth or lying. Dr. Lightman is basically a living lie-detector. The episodes are funny and thrilling and superbly enhanced by actual science. The Good Guys follows Lie To Me on Mondays at 8pm/c. It's hilarious comedy and fast action all rolled into an hour per week. Starring Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) and Colin Hanks (The House Bunny, Orange County) this show really has everything. Whitford and Hanks play Dallas cops Dan Stark and Jack Bailey. Jack is the by-the-book type of cop who gets partnered with the by-the-gut type of cop, Dan. Comedy, action, drama, and even a little suspenseful developing relationship between Jack and his ex-girlfriend A.D.A. Liz Traynor (Jenny Wade.) Mondays are the best for watching Fox.
I am not going to elaborate too much on the movies to watch. I feel like it'll give too much away. Inception was amazing. I loved the entire cast with the exception of Leo DiCaprio - he's just not on my list of top male actors. However, he is a great actor and his character is believable. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, and Ellen Page -- what a cast! If I was to rate this movie - 1 to 5. It would easily be a 4.9. I can't honestly give any movie a perfect rating but this is as close as they come. Toy Story 3 was absolutely amazing. I didn't have the chance to see it in 3D, but as I've said before: 3D sometimes gets you distracted from the story - at least that happens to me. There was so much going on that it really took a lot of concentration to catch everything the movie had to offer. I went to the movie with my Aunt and my sister, Taylor. Out of the three of us I was the only one to actually cry; but if you know me you're probably not surprised. It was an emotional movie, especially to a big kid like myself. After watching Toy Story 3 I felt it was necessary to hug all the stuffed animals I still have - just so they knew I still cared about them. (Now it's up to you to decide whether I actually did that or not.)
On to Music. Muse. Great band, people; c'mon - listen to Muse! If you're familiar with the Twilight Saga soundtracks you'll know that each soundtrack has a Muse song on it. Those songs are good, but if you really want to feel the music, go out and buy one of their CDs. You won't regret it. Currently I'm absolutely hooked on their latest album The Resistance. You might have even heard their song Uprising on a popular music station while in your car. Apart from not being able to eject that CD from my stereo, I have been leaping occasionally over to their album Origin of Symmetry to listen to my newest favorite-song-ever. You may know the song Feeling Good - it was originally written for a musical in the 60s and since has been covered by many artists. By far, Muse's rendition of Feeling Good is the best. I turn it on in my car while I'm out driving, turn the volume up so loud I almost can't stand it and let Matt Bellamy serenade me until I get to where I'm going. Sound crazy? Good. It is. But try it, you'll get what I'm saying. On an interesting note - Muse singer/composer Matt Bellamy is now currently dating actress Kate Hudson. I think it's neat. When you finish reading this you should Wiki Matt Bellamy and read about him - he's done so much and he's just brilliant.
So...I got that covered. Maybe I should try and get some sleep now. My husband has been in bed since 9:30. I was there for awhile but once I realized trying to fall asleep with a storm brewing outside wasn't going to work I got up, read a couple chapters in A Lion Among Men and figured I'd ramble on to you fine people...that is, if you're still reading.
I'll call it a night now. If you think about it remind me to post again soon. Have a great night!
Okay - quick summary:
In April of this year Shane and I moved back to Kearney after living in North Platte for just over two years. It's a relief to be back here. In May my baby sister graduated from high school. In a little less than a month she'll be moving into her dorm at CCC. Shane and I finally got to go on a "honeymoon" last weekend. We didn't go very far but it was a great vacation.
We drove up to Omaha/Council Bluffs for the weekend. On Friday we spent almost the full day at the Henry Dorley Zoo and then had dinner at Harrah's casino before passing out in the hotel that night. On Saturday we got to the IMAX in Council Bluffs at around 8am to wait to get into Inception. It was worth paying a little extra to see it on the IMAX screen. After the movie we drove into Omaha to hang out down at Old Market. We had lunch at Spaghetti Works (great place) and went into a couple of shops. It was so hot and we weren't really finding anything to do so we spent about an hour walking around a park that had weird artwork and fountains (it probably has a name, I just don't know it.) We were lucky to find that the Bodies exhibition was still in town and just around the corner from the park! It was very cool - freaky, but interesting. I'm glad we got to go. We spent the evening watching a movie in our hotel room. We left for home on Sunday morning. On the way we ate breakfast at a CrackerBarrel - delicious!
In two weekends I will be going up to Omaha again with my parents and sister. We're going to the zoo, as well. My sister wants to do some shopping - I'll probably just want to sit down. Ha.
I have unfortunately been jobless since we moved back down here to Kearney. I've been applying and applying and interviewing and applying to more places, but I just can't seem to bag a job. I'm hoping something comes through for me eventually. Anyone want to pay me to write this blog? Yeah, didn't think so. Worth a shot.
Currently, it's thundering and lightning outside. It sounds amazing. There's nothing better than a little stormy weather at midnight, am I right? I know I am.
I had kind of a...different...day today. A little out of the ordinary for me, at least. Usually, my day consists of making the bed, doing necessary laundry and picking up, washing dishes, and Facebooking. (It's a verb whether you like it or not.) Today, however, I had a strange urge to go rifling through a few Rubbermaid totes full of things - junk? - I haven't gone through in a while. I came across a folder I've been cramming songs and poems into since high school. On discovering a couple half-way decent songs I'd written and attempted to accompany on guitar I dug out ol' Antonio (the Ibanez) and re-blistered my fingertips trying to remember how to play that damned instrument. Needless to say, I'm not good - I never was - and I'm not fooling myself. I really just should stick to singing.
On another musical note (see what I did there?), close to a month ago my Mom bought me my very own flute! I was beside myself with excitement when she texted me and told me she found one. I'd been looking for one for years. In fifth grade when we started band in school she handed down her high school flute to me - the old Bundy. It still is the best flute I've ever played. When my sister started band and I was still using the Bundy, Mom found a second flute at a garage sale for her. When I graduated and didn't need the flute anymore the Bundy went to my sister. Since then I'd wanted to get my own, and now I have one. It's great. I've been playing a little here and there, trying to get to the level I was in high school.
Wasn't this supposed to be a quick summary?
I wish I had more interesting things to blog about. Books, tv shows, movies, music? That's easy: Read the Wicked series; Watch Lie To Me and The Good Guys; Enjoy Inception and Toy Story 3; and Listen to Muse. Done.
Elaborate? Why sure!
I'm currently reading A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire. My sister got me started on the series. It starts with Wicked; the story of the Wicked Witch of the West (you know the one; from Wizard of Oz!) The second book, Son of a Witch, tells the story of Liir, the Witch's son. The third and final book of the series, A Lion Among Men, explains why the Cowardly Lion was so cowardly in the first place. I am only a third into the book, but already so much has happened and you really see the Lion in a completely different light.
Both shows, Lie To Me and The Good Guys, show on Fox. Lie To Me is in its second season and airs Mondays at 7pm/c. Leading the cast is Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, The Incredible Hulk) as Dr. Cal Lightman. The show is based on the science of reading a person's facial movements and body language to discover whether they are telling the truth or lying. Dr. Lightman is basically a living lie-detector. The episodes are funny and thrilling and superbly enhanced by actual science. The Good Guys follows Lie To Me on Mondays at 8pm/c. It's hilarious comedy and fast action all rolled into an hour per week. Starring Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) and Colin Hanks (The House Bunny, Orange County) this show really has everything. Whitford and Hanks play Dallas cops Dan Stark and Jack Bailey. Jack is the by-the-book type of cop who gets partnered with the by-the-gut type of cop, Dan. Comedy, action, drama, and even a little suspenseful developing relationship between Jack and his ex-girlfriend A.D.A. Liz Traynor (Jenny Wade.) Mondays are the best for watching Fox.
I am not going to elaborate too much on the movies to watch. I feel like it'll give too much away. Inception was amazing. I loved the entire cast with the exception of Leo DiCaprio - he's just not on my list of top male actors. However, he is a great actor and his character is believable. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, and Ellen Page -- what a cast! If I was to rate this movie - 1 to 5. It would easily be a 4.9. I can't honestly give any movie a perfect rating but this is as close as they come. Toy Story 3 was absolutely amazing. I didn't have the chance to see it in 3D, but as I've said before: 3D sometimes gets you distracted from the story - at least that happens to me. There was so much going on that it really took a lot of concentration to catch everything the movie had to offer. I went to the movie with my Aunt and my sister, Taylor. Out of the three of us I was the only one to actually cry; but if you know me you're probably not surprised. It was an emotional movie, especially to a big kid like myself. After watching Toy Story 3 I felt it was necessary to hug all the stuffed animals I still have - just so they knew I still cared about them. (Now it's up to you to decide whether I actually did that or not.)
On to Music. Muse. Great band, people; c'mon - listen to Muse! If you're familiar with the Twilight Saga soundtracks you'll know that each soundtrack has a Muse song on it. Those songs are good, but if you really want to feel the music, go out and buy one of their CDs. You won't regret it. Currently I'm absolutely hooked on their latest album The Resistance. You might have even heard their song Uprising on a popular music station while in your car. Apart from not being able to eject that CD from my stereo, I have been leaping occasionally over to their album Origin of Symmetry to listen to my newest favorite-song-ever. You may know the song Feeling Good - it was originally written for a musical in the 60s and since has been covered by many artists. By far, Muse's rendition of Feeling Good is the best. I turn it on in my car while I'm out driving, turn the volume up so loud I almost can't stand it and let Matt Bellamy serenade me until I get to where I'm going. Sound crazy? Good. It is. But try it, you'll get what I'm saying. On an interesting note - Muse singer/composer Matt Bellamy is now currently dating actress Kate Hudson. I think it's neat. When you finish reading this you should Wiki Matt Bellamy and read about him - he's done so much and he's just brilliant.
So...I got that covered. Maybe I should try and get some sleep now. My husband has been in bed since 9:30. I was there for awhile but once I realized trying to fall asleep with a storm brewing outside wasn't going to work I got up, read a couple chapters in A Lion Among Men and figured I'd ramble on to you fine people...that is, if you're still reading.
I'll call it a night now. If you think about it remind me to post again soon. Have a great night!
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