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Did you know that today was Buy a Musical Instrument Day?  Neither did I.

What would you buy?  If I had space…and the budget, it would be a piano.  But until we move past the days of needing so many toys in our house, the piano will have to wait.  So maybe I would get something simple and fun like a triangle, or bells, or kazoo!  How about you?

 

  

 

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Did you know that 10 years ago, Buffy Summers saved the world one last time?  (At least on television)  Buffy is, to this day, one more greatest guilty pleasures.  That show still lives on as one of my all time favorites.  There is nothing that has compared to it before and still nothing that does today.  When I first stated watching, my mom used to laugh at me.  I would tell her “Don’t call me on Tuesday nights between 7-8, I won’t answer”.  And she would laugh.  But it was true. I would not answer the phone (and this was way before texting/phones that got email/facebook messaging but even then I would have ignored you if you could have used any of these means too!).

It sounds funny…a blond, high school cheerleader destined to save the world from vampires, monsters, and all creatures who hide under the bed/in the shadows/in the basement.  But Joss Whedon created such amazing characters, connections between the characters, and humor in the face of darkness.  And yes….high school does sometimes seem like hell!

I also found some amazing friends who also shared my obsession and we started weekly Buffy nights.  Girl time, Buffy, and usually snacks.  What could be better?  We laughed, shared ideas, debated who was best for Buffy (Angel vs Spike vs Riley) and cried when it was all over.  For the record…I am a Buffy/Angel fan.  I liked Riley, saw the attraction in Spike, but always knew that Angel had her heart.  We debated the big bad of each season.  Really, Glory was AWESOME right?

Then it was over…and while I may have felt the end of the seventh season felt a little rushed at times, it told Buffy’s story, and that of Willow, Xander, and Giles.  It was a fitting end to an amazing show.  While it does continue in comic books form, which is fun, it is not quite the same.  But at least Buffy still lives on.

And I always have the DVD’s!  They make treadmill time go fast too.  Now that I am done reading Harry Potter, guess I know what will be my distraction for the treadmill now.

I can’t believe it has been 10 years since we first said good-bye.

 

 

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Oh boy was this a week!

I did manage to finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling.  I can’t say how much I love this series.  It was both with happiness to read this final book in the life of Harry Potter, but it was also with some sadness as I knew that once again I will have to, at least, temporarily, leave the world of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny and the rest of the wizarding world.  But this is such an amazing book,  Each time I read this book, I find that I notice new little clues, or focus on different sections/different characters and find more depth to the story.  I am still amazed at the complexity of the world she created, the attention to details not just about Harry and the other main characters, but also with the secondary characters and the wizarding world.  I know I will make a return visit to Harry and friends again soon.

I also was able to read Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark.  Yep, kind of on a Mary Higgins Clark roll again.  I like her books, they are fast paced, easy to read, fun and light mysteries.  Just what I needed this week!

So, now on to decide what to read next.  I think I will read Stephenie Meyer’s The Host on my Nook, and tackle Richard Castle’s Heat Rises.  What are you reading this weekend?

 

 

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So this week the hubby and I have found Arrested Development on Netflix streaming…yeah, there went a lot of my reading time!

But, I did finish I’ll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark.  I have not read one of her books in a while and I forgot how much I do truly enjoy them!  They are not a difficult read by any means (I read it less than 2 days!) but they are fun, engaging, and light.  Sometimes you just a little “Doritos for the mind”!  Her mysteries always grab you, I think because she creates compelling main characters, those that you connect with in some way, that you root for, that you want to overcome the odds/obstacles she has put in the way.  This one is no different.  Zan is an upcoming and coming designer, who in many ways is trying outshine her former boss, who was a real piece of work.  When the story opens, it is the 5th birthday of her young son, who was taken from the park 3 years ago.  Zan still holds hope that he will come home safely.  But as the anniversary arrives, new photos come to light showing what appears to be Zan taking her sleeping child from the park.  So the search is on to find out who actually took young Matthew, where is he, and who would go to such lengths to frame the mother.  The story moves quickly, keeping the reader in engaged.  Along the way some secondary characters appear, and while they are less well-defined, they play their role in the story and don’t overly distract from the flow of  the book.  There are a few twists and turns and by the end you can see where the conclusion will be, but it is not obvious from page one.  All in all, I really enjoyed taking a break and enjoying a new to me Mary Higgins Clark.  In fact, so much I have two more on request at the library.  There is also something satisfying to me to finishing a book in 2 days again!

I am so close to finishing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  Since my treadmill time recently has been next to nil…yes I know, gotta get back on the “horse”!  And we have been sucked into the above mentioned program…I have to be satisfied with sneaking in a few minutes here and there when the kiddos allow me to during the week.  But as I much as I want to finish, because man is the one of the best endings to a series yet, I also know it means I am once again leaving the world of Harry Potter and friends.  And that is just kind of sad to me.  But I know I will return again…and again…and again.

I am also excited because waiting for me now at the library are Heat Rises and Frozen Heat by Richard Castle.  These are the books that tie in to the amazing Nathan Fillion’s television series Castle.  Yeah…fluffy detective stories.  I can’t wait!!  Along with a massive to read list on Goodreads, in my library, on the stack of books by my bed…I am really not a loss for things to read, just have to decide what kind of mood I am in.

Happy Friday and may the weekend bring you some time to get lost in a good book!

   

 

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It seems I have hit a bit of a slump in my reading.  It is hard, I have so many books on my to read pile and yet I sometimes struggle to find time to read.  And it sucks, because I LOVE to read!  But life is busy.  It seems every time I think the two of them are playing nicely and I am caught up enough on things around the house that I can sneak in a few minutes to read…something happens.  A diaper needs changing, someone falls down and bonks his head, a doll needs her clothes put back on (really, can someone explain to me why all the doll/figures have to be naked?  And why can’t they make these things easier for little hands to dress on their own!!), or someone wants me to read them a book.  And I rarely say no to reading my kids a book!  With the nicer weather FINALLY making an appearance, I am itching to get outside and work in the yard, go for walks, visit the park, the zoo, find some new trails to explore.  But, I will keep trying to sneak in those times because I do love getting lost in a good book!

So, what did I read this week?  Well, I finished The Map of Time by Felix Palma.  I really did enjoy this book!  It stated off a bit slow…a little too much time with Andrew and his love life.  I know that in some ways the author was setting the stage, introducing the world into which we were stepping.  But it seemed that in the scope of this book, a little less of Andrew and his romantic dilemma would not have changed the over all story flow.  It was also hard because the author uses an interesting narrative device, in that there IS a narrator,  who has a presence, a voice of his own.  In this first part it felt like the narrator was still finding his balance as well.  I found the use of the narrator to be much less distracting and obvious as the story progressed.  By the time the second section started I was pretty hooked. I wanted to find out more, how all these stories were going to connect and if in fact they really could travel through and about time.  There are a few twists and turns along the way.  Many, while not out-of-place, were not obvious.  This was nice as there is nothing worse than a “twist” that you saw coming all the way back at page 1!  I am excited to see what comes next in the second book, which is out here in the US in June.

I also returned to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  I have not gotten as far as I would have hoped, but I have been enjoying some TV catch up with the hubby.

This week I picked up a new (to me) Mary Higgins Clark book at the library, I’ll Walk Alone.  I really enjoy her mysteries.  They are a nice, quick, light read.  A good book to pick up when you want to sit out in the sun and enjoy the weather, or can read for just a few minutes between calls of “MOMMY, I NEED YOU!”.

I keep looking at my to read list/pile and I am really itching to make may through some of these books….besides what I am currently reading, the top of my list (in no particular order) contains:

The Mortal Instruments Series and Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare (re-read)

The Host by Stephanie Meyer  (re-read)

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

The Game of Throne Series by George R.R. Martin

So, what are you reading?  What is on your “I want to read next/now”  list?  Anything I should add to mine??

Happy Reading!

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Well, this was a slow week for me.  Not sure why, but it could have something to do with a teething baby who is up at least once in the middle of the night, thus causing my eyes to begin to droop at about 9pm.  Or the fact that I have been putting in some hours on my daughter’s cross stitch project.  So far this week I have put in about 6 hours on this…and almost completed a 2 inch by 2 inch square section!  It takes more time to get the string set up on this section, to stitch two stitches of a color, then tie it off and start again!

But, back to books.  It was with some sadness that I had to set aside Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling and City of Bones by Cassandra Clare in order to start our next book club book, since we are meeting just 2 weeks.  So now I am reading The Map of Time by Felix Palma.  Oh my, what an intriguing book!  You can read the description on Goodreads here.  It is an interesting book.  The author enlists a narrator as a story device, which does not always work, but here, it is fun how the narrator sometimes steps outside his role and talks to the reader, fills in the gaps, adds a little wit or satire, and in general just add a level of interaction to the story.   You don’t get drawn into the story in the same way, like you ARE the character, but more like you are watching these events as the happen through a window.  That isn’t to say that you are not invested in the story or the characters, because you do, but it is a different way to view the story.  This is especially helpful I think because you are just following one or two characters through the story, but rather a whole host of different characters.  Each character has their own story, their own history, as such this narrative device allows the story to switch characters, points of view easily, smoothly, yet still keeping the different stories connected.  I am excited to be able to stay awake long enough to read this one!  And it is the start of a proposed trilogy, with the second book having been released last fall.  So, another book to add to my to read list!

Here is to a nice weekend relaxing with a good book…that can happen with two small kids, right?

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I have never been much of a runner.  I just never got it when we had to run track in High School.  Always seemed kind of boring to me.  Maybe just because they MADE us do it.  But as I grew up, I realized that maybe it wasn’t all bad.  I always see runners out and about and they generally look like they are really enjoying themselves.  And the idea of just getting out, listening to music or a book, all the good that comes from exercising, started to appeal to me.  So I set a goal to complete a 5k last summer after the birth of our second child, as a way to make time for me and to get back into pre-baby shape.  I started the Couch to 5k Run program, and signed up for the Dirty Girl Mud Run last fall.  While we didn’t run the whole thing, we ran a good portion of it, through the mud and sand and muck and had a BLAST!  And I screwed up my knee.  So I took a little time off, let the swelling go down and then got back on the treadmill, though this time I was just walking and I will admit, I lost my momentum/motivation a little bit and my time on the treadmill was a bit haphazard.  But now I am back on track.  I am shooting for 4-5 times per week of getting my feet moving on the treadmill.  I knew I was going to have to go slow, work  my way back up to running, so I set the pace a brisk walk, added some variable inclines, set the timer, and grabbed my Nook for some reading time on the treadmill.  And I LOVE this time.  I look forward to it each day.  I feel really good when I am done.  But as I have been working on making this time a priority (hard as an active mom of two who is also homeschooling), I have come to realize that getting old sucks.  And it is doubtful I will ever be a runner…unless I want to visit the orthopedic to really look at what is going on with my knee.  It is just wonky.  Something is not right and seems to “catch” in the joint.  But I can live with it, I can still walk, climb stairs, chase after my kids, and enjoy my life.  So I may never be a “runner” but that does not mean I can’t (and won’t) still work to find that time for me to workout…it just means that my goals have to change.  Instead of running a 5k, I may have to settle for walking most, if not, all of it.  But you know what…that is okay.   It is not the goal, but the journey.  And those 45 min I get for me…and the time with a book!

 

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I wish I had more time to read this week, but I focused on some other things and tried to get to bed at reasonable hour…not that this seemed to have much, but hey, I was trying!!  And does finally getting through Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on Pottermore count as reading?  Since all I really do is go through the chapters looking for the new/additional content by JK Rowling.  I have a lot of thoughts on this site…but I will save those for another post!

I did finish Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  I must say, this really is my favorite book in the series.  It is not that it answers a ton of questions, but you really start to see all the pieces coming together.  Harry is finally old enough, mature enough, what ever enough to really understand the big picture.  That this is really more than just about what he lost, what was taken from him, and the true scope of the evil of Voldemort.  I also think he starts to see that world is not quite so black and white.  That it is full of grays, and blues, and purples, and greens.  And he begins to realize that it is now time for him to stand up, take charge of his own destiny, even if it was laid out for him by Voldemort all those many years ago.  Dumbledore really strives to make Harry realize and understand that it is not about destiny, or fate, or even prophecy, but about choices, about love, about friendship, and about trust.  All these lessons start to really come together with the death of Dumbledore, but really as we move into the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  Which is what I am reading now.

I continued to work my way through City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first book in The Mortal Instruments Series.  I do love this series, these characters.  She has created such a unique world, such vivid landscapes and characters that it makes you almost want to take a walk at night and see if you too can’t spot a Shadowhunter or a Fairy.  Though I still think I will avoid the vampires!  I may have to put this one aside for a bit as it is time to start our book club selection for this month The Map of Time by Felix Palma.  Oh, I am excited about this one!!

That in addition to getting the house through spring cleaning, working to start getting our plans in motion for our backyard upgrade this summer, and working on my daughter’s cross stitch project.  I will finish this before her 5th birthday…though I may need one of Hermione’s Time Turners…one of them surly survived the destruction in their flight away from the Death Eaters in the Dept of Mysteries, right?

 

Happy reading!

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We have too much of it.  Really.  Or at least I think we do.  I am not sure the hubby or the monkey would agree, but we do.  When we moved, we “upgraded” our house, giving us more space.  And at first I thought “what are we going to fill all that space with??”  Then we started unpacking  boxes…and buying more stuff…and having a second kid…and here we are, with a house full of “stuff”again.  Now some of this stuff is necessary, like clothes, books, furniture, dishes, etc.  But then there is just lots of extra “stuff” that does not seem to have a purpose.  Or a home.  It seems that there is always at least one pile of just things that need to be sorted/put away. Usually I can handle this, knowing that this is life and life is messy.  Then I hit times like now when I am just want to purge all this stuff out of my house.  And the poor hubby just about has a heart attack!  I know some people enjoy having things.  And I am not saying I don,, but with two young kids and all that comes with them, the idea of a lot of other little trinkets for me is just overwhelming.  I like order, I like things all to have a home, I like to look around and see everything neat and tidy.  When things get too chaotic, there are too many things out and about, too many things that I don’t think have an appropriate home…I start to get antsy.  And then I can’t focus long enough on any one project to finish it..a little OCD combined with ADD…not a great combo!!

I do really feel for the poor hubby…because he does like to collect stuff.  A lot has meaning to him, or that he simply enjoys having around.  Unfortunately, when I get in one of these super “There is too much stuff/clutter in my life” modes, I usually start to look at his stuff.  Which to be honest, is not exactly fair.  I would look to the kids, but really, they need more stuff than we do and I have already purged as much as I can right now…I do try to look more at my stuff and just general stuff around the house.

So, here I am in “must declutter!  must get rid of stuff!” mode and I am trying very hard not to just say “it all has to go!” but to find ways to make things less chaotic for me, but still allow him to have those things that he enjoys.  This is a tough balance here…being married.  (And he comes from a long like of Pack Rats…and has certain tendencies himself that I know he struggles to overcome for me.)

I do love reading all those magazines, blogs, articles on ways to make your house less clutter filled and more organized.  And there are some GREAT ideas…so let’s see what I can come up with today  How do you handle clutter? Or do you not have any?  (and if so, then I just might hate you!)