First Lady Inaugural Ball Gowns

Continuing my review of First Lady fashion--I like to focus on the really important things in life on my blog after all. Here is a comparison of Michelle Obama's inaugural ball gown and some of the dresses other First Ladies have worn. As always we must keep in mind the fashion of the day and the age and figure of the wearers. Michelle Obama is definitely lucky to be so tall and slim because she can wear virtually anything. And since we are of an age--may I say, she's quite young compared to other First Ladies. :O) For the deets: Michelle Obama is wearing a cream-colored one-shoulder dress by Jason Wu with a fitted bodice and flared skirt.

Laura Bush's first inaugural gown is a red chantilly lace by fashion designer Michael Faircloth. It was given to the Smithsonian. Her second gown was the silver and blue tulle, Oscar de la Renta. The second gown was considered more successful than the first, but that may reflect the fact that she was slimmer in the second after going on a fitness kick.

For the 1993 Inaugural Ball, Hillary Clinton went with a violet-and-lace, crystal encrusted gown designed by Sarah Phillips. I remember the blue dress sparkled beautifully when the lights hit it as they danced. I don't particularly remember the gold lace/sequin number by Oscar de la Renta for the 1997 inaugural.

Barbara Bush wore this ugly number by Arnold Scaasi--in 1990--letting down all larger sized women by choosing an unflattering dress with no redeeming qualities. It didn't flatter her figure, the neckline was awful and the color combinations of black and royal blue only belongs on a bruise. And if you were going with black and blue, for pity's sake, go with the black on the skirt, not the top.

For the 1981 Inaugural, Nancy Reagan took a beating for "borrowing" designer fashions such as her James Galanos inaugural gown (price tag: an estimated $10,000). It was a white, one-shoulder sheath gown of lace over silk satin; fern pattern of lace accented with crystal and chalk beads and raise bugle bead stems. It was deemed too Hollywood by the hoity-toity Washington DC types. I will say, though, that hair was a huge mistake. Her second gown was much more successful, imo. She had an affection for white, I guess. The second dress was also James Galanos.

Rosalynn Carter was an original recessionista. Her blue chiffon evening gown and coat, trimmed with gold braid, by Mary Matise for Jimmae was the same dress she wore six years earlier when her husband became governor of Georgia. I gather she took some heat for recycling.

First lady Pat Nixon's mimosa yellow, double-faced silk satin gown, bejeweled with Austrian crystals, was designed by Karen Stark of the Harvey Berlin Fashion House for the 1969 Inaugural ball. I was stunned when I saw this. What a blast from my past. My mother had an outfit very like this. Yes, it's official, I am OLD.

Of course no review of First Lady fashion is complete without a nod to Jackie Kennedy.

Not a great view of this dress with the cape and all. Supposedly, this was self-designed, then, made by Bergdorf Goodman's Ethel Frankau. It's hard to know for sure with all the rumors about where her dresses really came from--Givenchy? Oleg Cassini? Who knows. She was stylish, and her clothes were really beautifully made. I know because I examined them closely when there was an exhibition of her dresses at Chicago's Field Museum back in 2005. People looked at me like I was nuts but I pressed my face to the glass to get the best look I could at the details and facings, the seams and hems, etc. I don't know how they have stored her clothes-but they are still in perfect condition--forty-eightish years later.

Senators who have become President

Back in 2006, I looked up how many Senators had become President. I discovered it is not as many as you would think, just fifteen, and the majority were out of office when they became President. I found the website here. Harding and Kennedy might be the only two who became President directly from being a Senator. Several Senators like Truman, Johnson, and Ford were VPs before they became President, and they inherited the job without an election due to exceptional circumstances. Clearly, for the student of history, the omens are not good for sitting Senators to win the Presidency. Wonder what made Kerry and Dole think things would be different for them.

**Update** I guess with the election and inauguration of Mr. Obama the stats have changed. Make that sixteen Senators who have become President. Three sitting Senators have made the move from Senator to President: Harding, Kennedy, & Obama

The Giant

Back in the '80's when I was a new teacher I used to check out Instructor magazine for ideas. One month they had a picture of N. C. Wyeth's The Giant on the cover. I was enchanted with this painting. The news about Andrew Wyeth's death (N. C.'s son) sparked a memory about it and I went looking for it on the Internet. I learned that members of Westtown School's Class of 1910 commissioned Wyeth to paint The Giant as a gift for the school in memory of their classmate, William Engle, who died in 1916. Displayed in the school's dining room since 1923, the mural depicts six children on a beach gazing at the fantastical shape of a giant in the clouds. Five of the children were modeled after Wyeth's own offspring. The sixth child, on the far left of the canvas, represents Engle. Finding out that the painting was commissioned by a group of students in honor of a classmate who had died just makes me appreciate the innocence of the painting even more.

Michelle Obama's Inaugural Outfit

I know many people have already been comparing Michelle Obama and Jacqueline Kennedy re: fashion. Here's a look at their inaugural outfit picks. First lady Michelle Obama wore a sparkling yellow-gold sheath dress with matching coat by Cuban-born American designer Isabel Toledo. She paired the outfit with olive green gloves and shoes. It has been hailed as a bold choice--I'm inclined to agree since she avoided the overdone red/white/blue look many former First Ladies have selected. I'm pleased she ditched the passe' hat.

Jackie wore a taupe wool coat/dress with sable collar and muff designed by Oleg Cassini. She traded her black pumps for fur lined short boots for the walk in the snow.

Thosands Leave Baltimore For Inauguration

WJZ's headline. Sigh.

Purity in Death

Book 15 of the In Death series by J. D. Robb, is Purity in Death. The plot presents the arguments for and against the premise that evil exists and must be stopped by whatever means possible. An terrorist organization calling themselves The Purity Seekers is executing bad guys—drug dealers, pedophiles, all-around nasties. They use a “computer” virus to explode the bad guys’ brains. The plan is to drive the bad guys crazy with pain until they off themselves. Unfortunately, some innocents get taken out in the process. Eve and her team must figure out how the computer is being used to kill people and who is sending the virus.

Eve is put in the position of having to stand for the dead in a case where most everybody thinks it’s a good thing they are dead. She and Roarke disagree about it. This rocks Eve’s world. She has trouble getting her head around the idea that she and Roarke aren’t on the same page. Robb cleverly includes among the collateral damage a young cop, a teenage runaway, and McNab. (There were two other victims but they aren’t mentioned after their assault and murder—don’t know if Robb forgot about ‘em or what.)

There is quite a lot of politics in the book. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of New York, Chief Tibble, and Commander Whitney all have prominent roles in the story. We learn for the first time that Eve would have received a promotion to Captain by now, but for the fact that she doesn’t play the politics and she married Roarke who has a havey-cavey reputation among the higher ups. (I’m not exactly sure who the higher ups are, in this case, I mean she was talking to Whitney and Tibble—who else would be involved in her promotion. Last I heard promotions weren’t decided by committee but by your ranking officer.)

Notable moments in the book—Trueheart deals with his first use of force which results in the death of the perp. Eve arranges for Baxter to take on the training of Trueheart. Mavis announces her pregnancy. (I didn’t’ realize that it took so many books for her to actually deliver the baby.) McNab, dealing with his injury and paralysis, tells Peabody that he loves her. Jamie Lingstrom reappears and works on the team to solve the computer problems. (I can’t wait till he actually becomes a cop.)

All in all, Purity in Death delivers on the personal and professional front. The ending rocks because I always enjoy seeing the bad guy get their just desserts in a big embarrassing way. I give this one a four and one half stars.

Candy Bars

As most of you know--I'm a worrier. I'm cautious. I'm always looking to be safe. Maybe over-safe. What can I say, it's a teeny-little problem. So for that reason, I've mentioned the peanut butter recall to Judy--oh--two or three times at least because she likes peanut butter crackers. I think she should abstain for a while till they get the salmonella thing figured out. Anyway, we're at the grocery story the other day and she buys a candy bar and throws it on the belt. I buy one too. Guess what she bought..go on...guess. Did you pick this?






The girl does not listen. Thinkin' about Reese cups did make me think of this golden-oldie:

Gateway Pundit: Dalai Lama Stuns Audience... Admits: "I Love George Bush"

Gateway Pundit: Dalai Lama Stuns Audience... Admits: "I Love George Bush"

Martin Luther King, Jr, Day

I've always loved the James Taylor song, Shed A Little Light, it came out on New Moon Shine back in 1991 and I played that album over and over again. I was commuting an hour and a half a day back then, so that was a lot of listening. Sadly, it was on cassette tape--another music format that's gone the way of the Victrola, and I don't have it on cd. I'm going to have to remedy that! Thinking about it now--which I always do around MLK Day, I found this great video on You Tube. It features, I believe, a choir from the Bellevue Community Church in Nashville, TN. Here's my first attempt to embed a video.

To be a dork or not to be a dork...

that is the question. Since last year, Judy has been a enthusiastic believer in Crocs. She bought two pairs of the Mammoth crocs for winter--one to wear with socks and one to wear without socks (more as a slipper). She also has one pair for summer. The winter ones are red. She even has the doodly things you buy to stick in the holes...jibbitz.


I just can't get my mind around how ugly they are so I have resisted following her into dork-land. But I've been jealous. I'm laaazy. When we run out to the store on the weekends I don't want to have to put on socks and shoes--there's bending and tying and it takes time. In the summer you can just slip your feet into flip-flops. I want a flip-flop for winter. How to get what I want without dorkiness? Well, I can't. So I have descended into dorkville with these ugly things from Walmart. In my defense, I only paid $7 bucks for mine (not $40 plus jibbitz). I think I can still claim the high ground here. I think.

Reunion in Death

It's been a busy week, but I am finally ready to post my review of Reunion in Death by J. D. Robb. I'm surprised this one took me the whole week to finish since it's has the feel of a quick read. I blame Judy's constant unmuting of the television. It's distracting. She blames my addiction to Zuma. Without a third party opinion we'll have to call this argument a draw. (But I'm right.)

Back to the review--this latest outing by Eve and Roarke features a serial killer who has a grudge against Eve. Back when Eve was first promoted to Detective, she put Julianna Dunne in prison. She was one of those black widow types--marry an old rich guy, kill him, inherit beaucoup bucks. She played on the sympathy of the judicial system and claimed she'd been abused so she was only given a ten year sentence. Now with good behavior she's out and she wants revenge.

Notable events of this book include a visit by Peabody's Free-Ager parents, Peabody's first solo outing solving a cold case homicide, and Eve's return to Dallas the city where she was found after she escaped from her father. I think these alternate story lines are the reason why the book feels like such a quick read. The book ends with a spectacular multi-room fist-fight, let's cause as much destruction as possible, take-down by Eve of Julianna Dunne after she makes the mistake of trying to poison Roarke. You do not want to try to hurt Roarke if you are planning to live long and prosper in Eve Dallas' world.

Nit Picks and other comments--No Mavis in the story--which is always too bad since she is a colorful character. No Nadine in the story--which is not a problem because she's pretty one dimensional---wait a minute, I'm wrong Nadine does appear in the story but clearly not in any memorable way since I forgot about it. Nice little appearance by Louise Dimatto--who has morphed into Eve's personal physician. Handy since Eve is always getting beaten up and Louise will treat her at home in return for big donations to her pet projects. I did think that Eve and Roarke should have told Louise that they were using her charity fundraiser as a vehicle to draw out a killer at the end of the book. I'm all about informed consent.

In the ranking of the Eve Dallas chronicles, I would put Reunion up there in the top five. As I said it is a quick read, it has some really funny bits, and Eve's personal story moves forward. I rank it a four and one half stars out of five. I kind of want to start the next book, Purity in Death right away, but I'm going to stick to my schedule of read a new book, re-read an Eve so I can continue to be competitive in the 2009 Book Challenge.

Phrases I Detest

I am an opinionated woman and there are some phrases I just detest. I disagree with them or think they are stupid. I started pondering these phrases as I was driving home. The fifteen minutes I spend driving each way is my thinkin' time. Hmm, guess I don't think very much.
I'll ponder that on my next drive in to work--Tuesday--yea for three day week-ends. Anyway, here's the list of phrases I detest.

1. It's all good. No it isn't. Some things are, in fact, bad.

2. It is what it is. Yes things are what they are---what's your point?

3. Everything happens for a reason. No it doesn't. Perhaps you are confusing the scripture about all things working together for good for them that love the Lord and who have been called according to his purpose. That's not the same as every single thing having a reason.

4. Have a nice day. Having a nice day is the convergence of many different factors, some of them out of my control. Certainly these factors are outside the control of the clerk at McDonald's.

Illinois Basketball

I don't follow Illinois basketball as closely now, as I once did. The reason is simple. Frustration. Living in Maryland I can't see the games because the games shown in this area are all ACC, all the time. Too bad I don't like the ACC teams. I am happy to note however the Illinois is doing pretty well so far, especially in conference play. They have beaten Missouri (ranked at the time), Purdue (ranked 19), and last night beat Michigan (ranked 25). They are tied for second in the Big Ten. They also were ranked in the CBS-Sportsline Top 25. Hopefully ranking in the AP and Coaches polls won't be far behind. Woohoo! Go Illini--the better you play the more chance I have of actually catching a game on tv.

McDonald's Fries

In my high school and college days, I worked at McDonald's. I think I racked up seven years behind the counter, through my senior year and to the end of my Master's degree. In spite of that, I still love to eat at McDonald's, especially their fries--hot out of the fryer, mmhmm. Nobody else has fries as good as Mickey D's. One of my funnier/weirder memories of my Dad was listening to him talk about how great McDonald's fries were in his opinion. He had a whole explanation for why they were good based on the shortening they used or something. At the time, I didn't know that he had ever been to a McDonald's, let alone spent time considered the relative differences in fry taste based on the type of shortening. It was not my parent's style at all to eat at a McDonald's. This was the couple that ate at Ponderosa every Sunday for something like...hundreds of weeks straight. They were all about either have steak or a waitress or both.

Blackberry Storm

Judy and I bought new phones for Christmas this year. Our new every two was due (heh, dig the rhyming?) so naturally that meant we just had to upgrade. We picked the Blackberry Storm, since we weren't willing to give up our Verizon service just to get the iphone. Trust me--nothing would induce me to go back to Cingular/A.T. & T. In Maryland, the best reception is provided by Verizon. At first we thought maybe we had made a mistake. It's a lotta phone--maybe more phone than we can handle--what with not being teenagers or techies. But with use, we've become more adept at handling the touch screen. So overall, I feel less like an old lady driving a Ferrari. The coolness factor is pretty darn high so that's nice because I need all the help I can get.

Happy Birthday Boss

The office staff helped my boss to celebrate his 35th birthday on Monday morning. They "decorated" the room...or trashed it depending on your point of view. It's a sweet thought, but the poor guy had to do the clean up which seems less gift-like than is desirable.

2009 Book Challenge Update

We're twelve days into the 2009 Book Challenge so I thought it was time for an update. Since January 1st, I have completed:

Part One: 3/12 complete

• The Shadowdwellers: Ecstasy by Jacqueline Frank
• Queen of Dragons by Shana Abe'
• Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood

Part Two: 0/12 complete

and
Part Three: 2078/50,000 pages complete. I am ahead of my minimum pace needed to achieve the goal by about 500 pages. Yippee! Only 48,000 pages to go.

Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood

Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood is the latest book that I have read for part 1 of the 2009 Book Challenge. This book is a stand alone, but there are secondary characters from a previous book. I suspect there will be a third book with other secondary characters. The book is in the genre of romantic suspense.

Sophie Rose is a journalist working for a small, local Chicago paper. She is somewhat notorious because her father is a notorious. He is suspected of being a Robin Hood type thief. Thus, Bobby Rose is often a person of interest to law enforcement. No one has ever been able to link him to any actual crime, however. Sophie has spent years being bullied by various law enforcement agencies that would like to use her to get evidence from her to use to arrest him. Sophie is a loyal daughter though, so she protects him fiercely--at the same time, she's a moral daughter. She has come to realize that she shouldn't profit from her father's ill-gotten gains so she no longer accepts money or gifts from him. She also gives any extra money she has to charity in a sort of penance. Since she grew up rich, this is difficult for her. (I found it difficult too---I mean a Fendi bag---c'mon, her father only steals from criminals!! What could it hurt?)

In a convoluted story line, events converge to place Sophie in danger. The police and FBI think she is being threatened because of the latest scam involving her father. Turns out it's something completely different. Jake MacAlister, an FBI agent, ends up protecting her. While laying low, Sophie and Jake fly to Alaska to investigate a story for Sophie's paper. Those scenes in Alaska were hard to take, I don't mind telling you because--the cold, oh, the cold. How do people live with it? Anyway, while running from killers and trekking to Alaska, Sophie and Jake fall in love. Together, they figure out why she's been shot, shot at, kidnapped and bashed on the head. And they all lived happily ever after.

This was a pleasant book with no emotional highs or lows. The characters are all likable. Sophie's character and motivations are well-explained while Jake remains an enigma. Early in the book it's mentioned that Jake has no intention of ever marrying and a throw-away comment at the end mentions that his mother is on her fourth or fifth honeymoon. Those two things may be related but Jake's motivations and character are never really fleshed out. The mystery was bizarre and confusing. Just when you thought the story was over, Sophie was kidnapped again. The bad guy comes out of nowhere and acts rather ruthless with no back-story to explain his behavior. The relationship between Sophie and Jake was pretty shallow and the decision to marry happens abruptly at the end. While I enjoyed the book, I would give it a three of five stars, I can't place it on list of potential best of the year. It was pleasant and forgettable--and hey, sometimes that's exactly what you are looking for in a book.

My Super Fabulous Chili Recipe

Robin’s Chili Recipe

1 lb. hamburger (90% lean) or ground chicken/turkey
1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 16 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 16 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chilis (Delmonte preferred)
1 16 oz. red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz. can of water
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 packet of chili seasoning (McCormick’s preferred)
½ tsp red pepper flakes

Sauté onions and carrots until onions are translucent. Add meat and sauté until cooked. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans and water. Add seasonings. Bring to a boil; simmer for 1 ½ hours.

Seduction in Death by J. D. Robb

My latest re-read of the Robb oeuvre is Seduction in Death. It's number thirteen, I believe. Although the murder storyline is unpleasant (to say the least) the story is one of my favorites because of a number of advancements in story lines. Really--when I think about it--my least favorite part of any J. D. Robb is the mystery. Ironic, really. Which is not to say I don't love them, just that I like the relationships best. Peabody and Dallas, Dallas and Roarke, Peabody and McNab, Dallas and the Commander...well, you get the idea.

The basic story is this--two rich and spoiled boy/men with a whole bunch of issues from their childhood begin a game of seduction using date rape drugs. They seduce women over the internet, stalk them, and eventually drug them for points in the 'game'. The very first time out one off the fellows accidentally kills his date. This leads to an escalation in the game, since for our sociopaths the accidental death leads to deliberate murder.

Nit picks 1: Even in 2009, women who meet men from the Internet are surely not so stupid as to drink from a glass that was poured by a stranger before they arrived at the scene of the meet. Yet these woman from fifty years in the future apparently don't notice anything weird about a drink being poured for them before they get there. (And it's champagne--which goes flat, so your really don't want to pour it early. ) Isn't it SOP in bars and such to never leave your drink unattended? Nit pick 2: It just happens that Roarke owns the drug laboratory where the date rape drugs where developed twenty-three years earlier--thus allowing him to access information that would likely never have come to Eve's attention until the end of the case. Frankly, it was an unnecessary step in the solution of the murders since Eve identified the murderers through other evidentiary clues.

On to the good stuff--notable moments in this book. First, Louise Dimatto meets Charles and they begin their romance. Secondly, Peabody's fight with McNab is resolved when he goes to punch out Charles for supposedly dumping Peabody and disrespecting her. They end up agreeing to an exclusive dating relationship. Yea! Thirdly, Eve has some great opportunities to interact with the Commander. Finally, Eve voluntarily agrees to go on a two week vacation with Roarke which represents a big step forward in their relationship. She is learning to put their relationship first, slowly but surely.

As I said at the beginning of the post--Seduction is one of my favorite J. D. Robb books. I give it a four and one half out of five stars. What does it take to get five stars? I generally need to cry at some point in the story. There's definitely a five come up in one of the remaining re-reads. Trust me.

Obama-mania

With the inauguration of Mr. Obama comes entrepreneurship at its finest. Here's what I saw at the grocery store this morning :

Yep, that's a special edition of Jones soda. The tag say its, "Orange You Glad For Change" soda. I guess you're supposed to drink it while watching the inauguration. Just when watching on tv, though, because like all presidential events the security so tight you aren't allowed to have drinks or seats or strollers.

Queen of Dragons by Shana Abe'

My latest read for the book challenge is Queen of Dragons by Shana Abe'. This was my first experience with a Shana Abe' book. Apparently, I came into the middle of a book series without realizing it. The first and second book in the series are The Smoke Thief and The Dream Thief. I'll be looking for them on my next trip to the bookstore.

Anytime you read a new author there is a learning curve at the start of the book. You have to get used to the way the author writes. Andd when the author is establishing a new world with unique qualities, like say, oh--people who can turn into dragons and also smoke--there's definitely a lot to figure out about the world. Even though this was book three of a series (unbeknownst to me) the book gave me enough information to figure out the basics of how this alternate world operated--without bogging down the opening chapters with boring description and back story.

The main characters are the leaders of separate dragon tribes, Maricara and Kimber. The dragon tribes seem to be similar to a wolf pack, in that the alpha male is the head of the tribe. The alpha male also weds the alpha female automatically. Over the years that dragons have existed--their blood has been diluted through intermarriage. Therefore, dragon-blooded people who still have the ability to turn into dragons and also smoke are highly valued. For the alpha, having a wife who's innate dragon skills are still intact is essential in order to produce the next generation of dragon-powerful children.

When Kimber's tribe learned about Maricara and her tribe, they immediately determined to wed Maricara to Kimber and to acquire the other dragon tribe and bring its assets and members under their control. This was a decision made, not out of greed or lust for power, but rather because of a belief that keeping the dragons together in one unified group was necessary for their survival. Maricara feels differently. She wants to be free, along with her tribe. Thus, Kim and Maricara have conflicting goals setting up a distrustful relationship made complicated by desire.

Lest you have the impression that this book is mostly a romance, let me set you straight. It is classified as fiction. While the book does contain a central theme that involves the two main characters falling in love, there is a lot more going on in the story than just that. For starters, the dragon race is in danger from a group of 'others' who want to exterminate them. Dragon people are being killed and kidnapped. The group has a powerful jewel which allows them to control dragon people. Kimber's father, from whom he inherited the running of the tribe, has left with his wife in search of their runaway daughter. After he disappeared, Kimber was left with the responsibility of being the Alpha during dark times for the tribe. Oh yeah, and--turns out the runaway daughter's new human husband is part of the group trying to exterminate the dragons. Yikes. That's a lot of plot threads to keep from getting tangled.

The full story arc had its beginnings in the first two books--and the ending is still to be published. I get the feeling the plot is only going to get more complicated with additional books. Meanwhile, in this book, Kim and Maricara must deal with the attacks against his tribe and the loss of people they care about. They must learn to come to grips with their passion for each other. And they must learn to work together and trust each other even though it seems like their needs and goals are in opposition.

This book has been reviewed by others with high compliments about the lyrical language and graceful storytelling. I cannot disagree with those comments. For me, though, the interesting thing about the story was that I was intrigued by Maricara and Kimber. They were not one-dimensional characters. The author revealed some things about them, hinted at others and concealed still other elements. They had strengths, weaknesses and flaws. They seemed real. By the end of the book, I wanted to read more still--and isn't hat the ultimate high compliment about a book? You want more of the characters, more of the world, and more of the story. I rate the story a four and one half out of five stars.

Patriotism

I found this quote by English Poet Laureate John Masefield (1878-1967) after a great deal of internet searching. I had heard it quoted in a documentary about the British Navy. I was immediately struck by the beauty and deep truth of the quote and it made me think about how our greatest generation, those who fought World War II, probably understand it well. I wonder if Americans understand it still.

"Patriotism, in its true form is of the kind they gave, it is not a song in the street or a wreath on a column or a flag flying from a window. It is a thing very holy and very terrible like life itself. It is a burden to be borne, a thing to labor for, and to suffer for and to die for, a thing which gives no happiness, and no pleasantness, but a hard life, an unknown grave, and the respect and bared heads of those who followed."

The Ice Storm That Wasn't

We had a rain/sleet/ice event here in Maryland, which began on Tuesday and ended Wednesday. Weather forecasters kept using the term "dodged a bullet' to describe it. They really need to get some other phrase for variety's sake. After getting out of school two hours early on Tuesday (while it was just raining) I waited for the event to change over into something that would cause massive problems for travelers and more school closings. It just didn't really ever happen. Wednesday morning we had school as usual. On my drive in to work I observed some spectacular icing on trees and railings but the roads were fine--which is how I like my ice events. I was able to take some pictures of the trees around my school on my walk in--while juggling my umbrella, book bag, purse, and coffee mug. Sadly, when I left school that afternoon the trees had lost their glittering decoration and were black and shiny with rain--all the magic had washed away.

Shoot in Macro, Ohhhh ;O)

Thanks to Shirley for suggesting that I should try shooting closeup images in macro. What a difference! I can't believe I forgot all about those different settings on my camera. Duh moment for me!

Tyger by William Blake

The Tyger

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

William Blake

Betrayal In Death by J. D. Robb

Betrayal in Death by J. D. Robb is the twelfth book in the In Death series. It is a particularly brutal entry as the two murders are presented as they happen and are extremely graphic. My empathy level for the victims was very high. I confess, when re-reading it, I skipped those pages. I just don't need to experience the trauma of the attack from the victim's point of view. I prefer my murders after the fact, with limited detail, and a little distance. Call me a wimp, I'll own it.

The premise of this story is that a professional killer is knocking off people with a connection to Roarke in order to distract him from a huge auction of millions of dollars worth of jewelry and memorabilia being sold by a legendary screen actress. Of course, Eve et. al., don't realize that's the motive for the murders for a good while. Once again our murders have a connection to Roarke. The first murder occurs while Eve and Roarke are at the opening of the display of the goods to be auctioned. Eve is decked to the nines in an evening gown and diamonds. If Eve is dressed up, you can almost guarantee that she's going to be called to a crime scene or end up chasing a criminal. Her outfits frequently do not survive her job--good thing that Roarke's a billionaire. Weirdly, Eve travels to New Jersey in this same outfit to inform the next of kin about the murder. I'm thinking even devastated by my grief I would wonder about it, if the cop delivering the bad news was wearing a couture gown and diamonds sprinkled in her hair.

Have I mentioned lately that I write my book "reviews" in a stream of consciousness kind of way? I'm not pretending to be a professional here--this is just my reaction to the book. The next thing that struck me as hinky; the contract killer, the professional killer is...well, a sociopath. As a result, he can't just kill the victims in a business-like way. He's gotta have a whole serial killer m.o. That's what makes the murders so awful--the torture and other stuff. Now I don't claim to be an expert on killers, but it just seems to me you either kill as a job or as a hobby if you fall into one of those two types of killers. (I can't believe I'm explaining my thinking here...) It seems to me a true contract killer has to be cold and dispassionate and have a get in and get out mentality. You don't want to get caught, right? Also, since it's a business you don't want to be spending anymore time on it than necessary. A job that is done quickly is more profitable than a job that takes more time. Our contract killer does extra stuff which takes longer and increases his risk.

In this offering, McNab and Peabody's relationship hits a speed bump. McNab has reached his tipping point regarding sharing Peabody with Charles. Mavis has a minor walk-on when she helps to identify some make-up and we have the obligatory scene where Trina gives Eve a beauty treatment.

Taken altogether, Betrayal is not my favorite book in the In Death series. That said, I still recommend it as an essential read if you are a Eve and Roarke fan. I rate it a three out of five starts mainly due to the extreme violence.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Ugh

This is why I HATE my camera. Look at this fuzzy picture. I just can't take good close-ups with it. Sigh.





I also need a camera with a view finder so I can see what I'm shooting when I am sightseeing. Bright sunlight makes those big displays in the back of digital cameras useless.

The To-Be-Read Stack

The tbr pile for most dedicated readers can be quite large. After all, one's acquisition of books out-paces one's ability to read them--what with life being so busy and all. (The need to work for a living really cuts into my free time.) Some romance readers can claim tbr piles in the hundreds, maybe even the thousands. I'm not going to try to compete. I'm not proud of my compulsive purchasing of books since it is evidence of my paranoia. Basically, I'm afraid they'll stop publishing the books I like to read, therefore I need to stockpile them. Some people stockpile non-perishable food and water in case of a natural disaster. I stockpile books in case the entire publishing industry goes nuts or bust. Anyway, this is just a selection of my tbr.

The Shadowdwellers: Ecstasy by Jacquelyn Frank

Ecstasy by Jacquelyn Frank is the first book in her new series. It is connected to the Nightwalkers series (Jacob, Damien, Noah, etc.) as it occurs in the same world and with a cross over of characters. The Shadowdwellers are the newest supernatural culture to be introduced. They are notable because they are vulnerable to light and live in total darkness. I confess I found that idea to be difficult to comprehend. The heroine of the story is a human woman, Ashla, who has a horrific past involving abuse by her mother and siblings because she can heal others. The hero is a shadowdweller, Trace, who also experienced torture in his past as a prisoner of war. Ashla and Trace meet in Shadow-scape, an alternate reality or dimension where Ashla has been stranded. These two damaged individuals meet and become connected through Ashla's healing of Trace's mortal wounds. Because a healing by Ashla, involves taking on the injury, she essentially risked her own life to save Trace. (That totally made me think of an original Star Trek episode about a healing empath played by the actress who played Kim Hughes on ATWT..oops, I digress.) When Trace understood the nature of what Ashla did for him, he also realized that they are part of a "Sainted" pair--a relationship highly revered in his culture because greater love hath no man...well, you get the idea. Trace and Ashla are caught up in a powerful connection that overwhelms them. There are mysteries to be solved: how did Ashla come to be stranded in Shadowscape; who is trying to assassinate Trace; and what is the identity of the traitors trying to bring down the Shadowdweller government. This was an excellent, intensely emotional book with a satisfying conclusion. The next book in the series, Rapture, comes out in June 09 which is just too far a way in my opinion. I rate this book four and one half out of five stars.

All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Most everyone has probably heard of the book, "All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten". I haven't read it and I didn't go to kindergarten, but Judy and I are using kindergarten centers as a model for how to more consistently fit our hobbies into our lives. Tiredness and inertia after a long day of work seem to sap all desire to haul out the scrap booking supplies, or my book project, or cross-stitch projects. Zuma, that addicting computer game, can seduce us into losing hours of the evening. Zoning out in front of the tv watching junk I don't even like (Smoking Guns: World's Stupidest Criminals comes to mind.) can devour my life. So, as part of a "new year's" reorganization we are going to set up "centers" in our home. In the den we'll have the puzzle center set up. (That tea party puzzle has turned out to be a real doozy.) The dining room table is going to be the scrap booking center. The desktop computer can be the book project zone. We may switch out some centers for others as we see what works best. I'm hoping that Judy's cross-stitch Nativity may be done by next Christmas. I'm hoping my book project can be ready to submit to a publisher by summer. And maybe when we make a visit to Indiana we can show Emily and Karen some completed scrapbook pages at last. Finally, the book challenge may actually discipline my reading habits so that I can get through my substantial to-be-read stack. Fingers-crossed.

Judgement in Death by J.D. Robb

In my continuing quest to re-read all of the In Death series by J. D. Robb, I just finished Judgement in Death, which is book number 11 of the 27 (so far) books. Like so many of the first books in the series, the murder of bad cops somehow manages to be connected to Roarke. This annoying plot "twist" has been used way too frequently for plausibility. Robb connects the murder to Roarke in two ways: first, when the first victim works as a bartender in a business he owns, and secondly, because of a connection to the evil organized crime boss who has his fingers into all the bad cops. Roarke knew him and did business with him once upon a time. A third odd connection springs up when Eve has a flashback about her father and realizes he did some errands for this same crime boss. The murderer was a bit of a surprise the first time I read the story back in...hmmm, lemme check the copyright...2000.

What makes this a nice entry into the series is the fight that Eve and Roarke have. First she lies to him--a big mistake--then she pulls a weapon on him--also not a bright move. After the first fight when she lies, Eve amusingly goes to confide in Mavis about the fight and ends up having a girl's night out and getting smashed on screamers, while hearing typically hilarious guy-advice from Mavis. After the girl's night, she has an encounter with an old "boyfriend" who makes a pass at her which is interrupted by Roarke. Not surprisingly, this is followed by a fist fight between the two males. Eve draws her weapon and actually shoots it, in order to break up the fight. Roarke naturally objects to his wife pulling a weapon on him. I laughed every time this incident was discussed because Eve couldn't' understand what the fuss was about it. She had it set on stun after all. The capper of the book is a scene in which Eve confides in Dr. Mira in a sweet interaction where Mira confides that she feels maternal towards Eve. When Dr. Mira hears the full story with gloriously private and personal details, her reaction is a hoot. The Peabody and McNab story gets little advancement in the book which is disappointing but you can't have room for everything. All in all, an excellent entry in the series and a great little comfort read. I give in four and one half stars out of five. I do love Eve & Roarke. (Oh yes, and my page count is 396 in part three of the book challenge.)

Running Hot by Jayne Ann Krentz

I just finished reading Running Hot by Jayne Ann Krentz. This is a modern day Arcane novel which continues the story of the struggle of Jones & Jones and the Arcane Society against the evil Nightshade organization. The book also has a minor connection to the Eclipse Bay series in the person of the eccentric Arizona Snow.

As a long-time reader of Jayne Ann Krentz novels, this book met my expectations very well. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Typical of Krentz' books, it is the story of two misfits and how they each find the mate who, if they don't complete them; matches them very well. The hero and heroine have been without family for most of their lives, and have not found a partner who will accept them and love them unconditionally. They form a bond that satisfies and fulfils. It is (as I expect in my books) a happily ever after type of book. I personally don't have a problem with that. You will never find me reviewing a book recommended by Oprah, after all. The story is romantic suspense with the suspense being provided by the conflict between Nightshade operatives and our hero and heroine. This book gets my recommendation--with four stars out of five possible. Sadly, since I finished the book today--I can't count it toward any part of the 2009 Book Challenge, darn it.

2009 Book Challenge

Judy and I have decided to create and compete in a book challenge this year. We invite our friends and family to participate too. The challenge is in three parts. You can participate in all three or just one. It's up to you. Part one: read 12 biographies in the coming year. Part two: reading 12 nonfiction, mystery, science fiction, suspense, or romance (not including category romance) books in the coming year. Part three: read 50,000 pages worth of books counting any and all books read. (Magazines, internet, etc do NOT count toward your page total.) We recognize this challenge will be tough for those of you who have kids (rethinking that decision yet? ;o) oops, too late) which is why we added some flexibility to the levels of participating in the challenge. The challenge begins January 1, naturally, so get reading to READ.

2008 Cookie Bake

So the great Cookie Bake of 2008 is over. In the end we had an unintended white chocolate theme but I think the mix of cookies is interesting and I hope really good. All that's left to do now is prepare the boxes. Each box will have:
White Chocolate Candy Cane Drops
Sugar Crisps
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Cherry Chocolate Kisses
Orange Sugar Cookies
Coconut Drops
Candy Bark (a cracker/toffee/chocolate candy)
White Chocolate Trash (a white chocolate/cereal candy)
Pretzel Rods coated with white chocolate and jimmies
I still have some baking to do for our Christmas Day company but the biggest amount is over.
I hope we get some good feedback from the family so we can adjust for next year.

Another Long Absence

Considering how much time Robin spends on the computer everyday I'm amazed that it's been 10 months since her last post. I, on the other hand have spent very little time on the computer this last year. It's only been since we bought the laptop that I've got into the habit. Not that I get to USE the laptop mind you, but now that Robin is on the laptop all evening it leaves the desk computer free. So Yay! I've opened a Facebook account and re-connected with lots of friends and now I want to keep the blog up to date. I'm very opinionated and if I go too long without expressing these opinions in a positive way among friends, then I start boring people at work (and the checker at the grocery..). It's not a pretty sight. Today we began the 2008 Cookie Bake. Of course since Robin and I are uber-procrastinators, first we had to clean the kitchen, rearrange the cupboards, organize the pantry and the baker's rack where we store canned goods, take out the trash, go to the grocery and....take a nap! FINALLY, I started baking. First I mixed up the dough for sugar crisps a long-time family favorite, then I moved on to Peanut Butter blossoms while the 1st dough was chilling. I have to say so far, excellent cookies. The family will be suitably grateful I'm sure.

Judy

Snow Day Musings

I'm home for a snow day. ;o) As I look out my window I see a very wet landscape. It's raining here---but west and north it is icy. I'm glad I don't have to navigate on the icy roads. I checked the weather from my previous home (Champaign-Urbana)and my old school is out for weather too. They got eight to ten inches of snow. Sometimes I'm just sooooo happy I live in Maryland. Most particularly when Illinois is getting hit with sub-zero temperatures (last week) and snow, snow. snow (today).

Meanwhile, I'm hanging out at my house not doing anything too strenous. I have cinnamon rolls rising on the back of the stove and I've been channel hopping as we call it in my house. To be specific, I've read a little, watched tv a little, napped a little. Well, you get the idea. It's a SNOW DAY!!

Anyway, while skipping past a lineup of uninteresting movies I found the biography channel showing a piece on Pete Rose. The baseball player. I was inspired to post my personal, non-expert opinion that he should be reinstated in baseball, and further that his name should be put back on the ballot for the Hall of Fame. Not because he didn't do anything wrong--obviously gambling on your sport is particularly stupid--but because in light of what we now know of the use of performance enhancing drugs, it seems way less offensive than what some have done. I mean, if Pete Rose had bet against his own team (as far as I know he never did) or there was evidence that he had thrown a game to receive a betting payoff (again, never did) I'd get the hysteria and attitude that he had harmed baseball. But to act like gambling makes him a person of low character and that the Hall of Fame is a testament to a life-well lived in the moral sense...that's just ridiculous. Hall of Fame honors are about the sport, and unless you plan to kick out anybody who really did cheat, imo, by using steroids or HGH or testosterone etc. Well, it's kind of hypocritical. Anyway--it got on my nerves listening to the various muckity-mucks interviewed in the piece acting like Pete Rose was the worst guy who ever lived and that his exclusion from the Hall of Fame was somehow the right, moral thing that just annoyed me. Thus, I share my annoyance with you, dear reader.

Best Quotes of LMB

My last post about The Sharing Knife books, has set my brain to whirring about the works of Lois McMaster Bujold. It is only with great discipline that I am stopping myself from pulling down my bookshelf of Miles and starting a massive re-reading of every novel. To satisfy my craving, I have pulled down Palladin of Souls so that I can share what I considered to be the finest of Bujold's writing. Hmm, how to set this up. In the story, a character has died and his soul has been prevented from traveling to the after-life as it should. This has caused grief to the god who wants to receive him.

The Father of Winter says tells Ista,
"...For my great-souled child is very late, and lost upon his road. My calling voice cannot reach him. He cannot see the light in my window, for he is sundered from me, blind and deaf and stumbling, with none to take his hand and guide him. Yet you may touch him, in his darkness. And I may touch you, in yours. Then take you this thread to draw him through the maze, where I cannot go."

Later, Ista delivers the message,

"Your Father calls you to His Court. You need not pack; you go garbed in glory as you stand. He waits eagerly by His palace doors to welcome you, and has prepared a place at His high table by His side, in the company of the great-souled, honored, and best-beloved. In this I speak true. Bend your head."

I cannot read those lines without a lump in my throat. So perfectly written, they choke me up every single time. Whew. If you haven't read Lois McMaster Bujold, you just don't know what you are missing.

Lois McMaster Bujold

I just finished reading The Sharing Knife Volumes 1 & 2 (Beguilement, Legacy) by Lois McMaster Bujold. Bujold is one of my favorite authors. I cannot say enough about the quality of her writing. Indeed, I frequently re-read what she writes because the richness of the language, full-bodied development of the characters and the complexity of her plots are simply unmatched. I rank her as the finest author I read. I have often tried to think of what my top ten favorite book list would be, or my top author list and my list quickly goes beyond ten names or books. (I read a lot!) I confess to feeling some surprise when that phrase "the finest author I read" popped off the page at me. But having said that Bujold is my number one--I confirm it. She is a fabulously talented author.


In The Sharing Knife books, which I read back to back, Bujold has created another new world. I confess to loving the other ones quite a bit, so I approach each new world with optimism and sadness. I'm confident I will like the new world, but I'm sad that she didn't write more with the last world. It 's a conundrum. ;o)


Back to The Sharing Knife review. Hmm, review...I'm probably doing a review-lite here because I'm not much for analyzing books like a real reviewer--I'm first and foremost, a reader. To me, books rise or fall on, "Did I like it?". I loved TSK.

Bujold has created a world in which society is divided into those who devote themselves to commerce and the business of creating goods and inventing and living--and those who protect everyone else for little thanks. I expect some deep thinker could see some analogy to current events today. The "Farmers" are the portion of society that goes about building, creating, growing, without fully understanding that the myths and stories about evil and bogeymen are true. The "Lakewalkers" are the nomadic tribes that deal with the evil and bogeymen at great cost personally, and as a society. These two groups are represented by the heroine--Fawn, a Farmer and the hero--Dag, a Lakewalker. They are the Romeo and Juliet of the story. The classics plots always manage to get a foot in the door, don't they? Okay--that might be pushing it as Fawn and Dag don't off themselves, but they are star-crossed, how's that?


I have read reviews that have characterized the first volume of TSK as the romance and the second volume as what came after. That's a fair portrayal. Beguilement introduces this new world and the main characters and the book culminates with their wedding. Legacy is what happens next. There is a long-held interdict on inter-marriage between Farmers and Lakewalkers and the couple seemed doomed. There is suspicion between the two groups, as well as very different customs. That's the smaller story---in the larger context, evil is afoot and somehow, needs to be stopped.


I don't suppose, I've explained the plot terrifically well, and perhaps that is for the best. After all, I recommend that you read the books for yourself. When I finished TSK: Legacy, it was 2 am on a workday. I don't stay up late reading many books anymore, so I'd say that is a good indicator of the quality of the story. Further, I immediately regretted that I did not have the next book in the series on my side table awaiting me--indicator 2.

For those who think they don't like Science Fiction or Fantasy novels--with which TSK is classified, I say, try it and see. This is firstly a story about two people who don't fit in and find acceptance and love with each other. Secondly, it is a story about how difficult it can be for cultures to accept, appreciate, and understand each other. And finally, what is the cost of protection from evil and who should pay it. The fact that the story includes a little magic does not in any way lessened the strength and complexity of the plot and the thinking you do as you read it.

New York in November

New York skyline from our bus.

Judy and I went to New York in November. It was a day trip--a co-worker arranged the whole thing. It was mainly about buying purses--but we did see some of the sights. I'm not, (I have finally accepted) a good photographer. Here are some of the better focused of my efforts. ;0)

The Apple Store

Judy and me outside Tiffany's

Times Square

View from a Window

Snow as decoration tops the lamppost.

Getting Ready for Christmas

So today is Friday December 21st and I've finally managed to get out and do some Christmas shopping. I've been spending the last week baking in most of my spare minutes as Robin and I decided this year to send boxes of cookies home to Karen and Jeri Lynn, along with the purses we bought them on Canal Street in New York last month.

Following our normal pattern of behavior we finally got everything baked and the boxes packed and lugged them up the hill to our local pack and ship. Of course we missed the ups guy so we sent them via Fedex Ground. They're supposed to be there tomorrow but I guess we'll see.

I'm still waiting for my online Christmas presents to arrive so Christmas day might be a bit of a bust but I've got the weekend to sort myself out.

It's kind of nice that Christmas is on a Tuesday, my office is closed Christmas Eve so we're getting a 4 day weekend but on the other hand I feel like Christmas is rushing up on me because I won't have any time to prepare for it after the weekend if over. It's kind of screwy of me, I admit. But I never pretended to have completely normal thought patterns.

Judy

December Television

So in the long cold month of December, TV is a vast wasteland. After the November sweeps practically every show you can name goes into re-runs and the only thing that keeps me going are reality tv shows and holiday specials.

Knowing that this year the writers' strike is going to extend the vast wasteland I have been saving shows on my DVR.

Tonight, however, there was no need to move to the show 'bank' (as I like to call it) for entertainment because The Biggest Loser was on. It was a 2 hour episode and I pause here to wonder if the 1 hour episodes aren't the aberration instead of the supersized episodes (pun intended!) since they have been so frequently longer than 1 hour this season.

Tonight's episode whittles (wow, am I on a pun roll or what!) the number of contestants from 6 to 5. Nicole got the boot. It was quite annoying that Julie, also below the yellow line but sitting pretty in an alliance with 3 other black team members had the stones to pretend there was a chance in heck that she was going to get voted off. In addition to her team having the majority vote, Nicole was clearly the bigger (make that 3 on the pun scoreboard) threat. Tonight was also notable for the fact that poor Kim, trainer to the worst team ever, made her last appearance until the finale. With no one left to train there's no reason for her to show up on campus.

Tonight's other little gem was CBS' annual holiday airing of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. If we know it's coming on (sometimes we get busy and miss it in the schedule) Robin and I always tune in. It really brings back our childhood. Since it was filmed in 1964, I can't remember when it wasn't on. The funny thing is, once we start watching we also start cat-calling the TV because we're so annoyed with Santa, and Rudolph's mom and dad and all the other reindeer for being so prejudiced! I mean it's a red nose, for crying out loud! How's that going to stop you from being a great flying reindeer or get a cute girlfriend? Have you seen the great looking women some of these biggest loser guys manage to snag? And what Rudolph can't do that well? I should say he can! He's cute!

It usually takes us two or three attempts to watch the whole thing because of this. Tonight I got to where Rudolph goes to the reindeer games before switching to the Biggest Loser. But I did record it to my DVR (although I'm sure I have it on DVD too, so how weird am I?) so I can watch it in small doses. Oh yeah, the other annoying thing is that dumb elf boss. What a grating voice! Plus it's not logical, why do all elves have to make toys? Somebody needs to fill the other job categories, I don't see anyone living up there except, Santa, his wife, reindeer, elves and snowmen. Who's cooking, cleaning and doing laundry.

I'm just saying..

Judy

Long Absence

Robin and I have been super busy the last little while and to be completely fair to Robin, she's also had a heck of a time getting pictures and stuff to post when she tries to blog so she's a little like Pavlov's dog but not in a good way. Everytime her upload fails she takes a little longer to try again. Between technical difficulties and time management problems (I really need to win the lottery so this working for a living thing can go hang) we've been very quiet lately.
But due to steady nagging from our loyal but silent readers I'm picking today (of course it's midnight on Friday) to re-new my commitment to letting everyone else know what I think.

Starting small I'll just share that I'm reading a terrific book by William Bennett called "America: the Last Best Hope". It's actually two books. It's the history of the United States. The first book covered from the revolutionary war to just before WWI. The second book covers from WWI until I'm not sure when. I'm reading about President Carter right now. Boy howdy, was he an idiot. Not only incompetent but so wrong-headed that it would only be a little dramatic to say he was evil. He supported Communism and its spread all over the world but any totalitarian government that was anti-communist he worked to topple. You have to wonder what he thought was the difference between a Soviet dictator and any other.
Anyway, I've really enjoyed these books because they're very readable but also information on a detailed level. The information is sortof familiar but at the same time I don't remember learning it in school.

Next up is the new Jan Karon. Maybe by the time I start it, I can figure out how to show a picture of the cover.

And before you know it I'll be dishing on the celebrities and all my favorite reality tv shows (because yes, the addiction continues!)
Stay tuned and POST COMMENTS!

Judy

Blossoms Blossoms Everywhere

Looking up through the cherry trees near the FDR Memorial.

Not all the trees are blooming.

Cherry Blossom Festival in D. C.

My sister Jeri and her husband Ron are here. They very kindly made the 12 hour drive from Indiana to visit and bring us the Tell City table and chairs set that we bought from an estate sale. One day on her way to work, Jeri spotted them as she was passing. She was talking to me on the phone and she mentioned them...next thing she knew she was sending me pictures of the set from her phone. Ain't technology grand? The set looks just like the one my mother had and since Judy and I hate the set we have...the price was low, the condition was good...Eureka! New table and chairs for us. Of course, the set was in INDIANA and we live in Maryland, but they had good storage and a truck for future delivery. It was a match made in heaven.

Ron being a sweetheart, came with Jeri to deliver the furniture even though he felt very poorly. I was glad I had a 36" TV and lots of cable channels to reward him with at the end of the drive. Meanwhile, Jeri and Judy and I were determined to see, in person, blooming Cherry Trees in D.C. Reminder: Jeri came LAST year to see the trees but our plans were stymied by my car accident/concussion and her serious middle ear infections.

We followed our usual plan and drove to Arlington Cemetary to park. I personally planned to take the tour bus around the city and get off at Jefferson and the FDR Memorials because the cherry trees are all around there. (And a whole lot of other places!) Judy got the idea we should just walk across Memorial Bridge and down the river a little and we'd be at the Tidal Basin with great access to trees. It was a "short" walk. Huh. I'm here to tell you 4.5 miles later...it is NOT a short walk. It is, however, a worthwhile walk. We got up-close and personal with lots of trees. Appropriately. No picking of blossoms by OUR team because: 1. the blooms just die so why take them off the tree, and 2. only old wood sprouts fruit so that kills that part of the tree and is a really bad thing to do if you want to continue to see the display of blossoms every year, 3. the Park asks you not to do it. See--three compelling reasons not to bother the trees. My camera took some great pictures however, which you may now enjoy!

Wow! That's Embarrassing!

I knew it had been awhile since either Judy or I had posted....but I must confess I didn't realized that it had been so long. Apparently the last post came out while Yul was still competing in Survivor. Hope no one was depending on this blog to tell them how it all ended.

Anyway, I've been getting flack from friends and family about not posting which rather surprised me (shock shock) since I didn't think anybody reallllly read the blog, so I'm going to post again. Here's your notice. I did something yesterday, therefore, you will read about it today. Get ready.