Mailbox Monday for 11/30/2009

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.

This was a pretty light week for me as all my new arrivals were bought by me this week. I really need to stop doing that but I can't seem to help myself.

We are going to be reading this for the Literature by Women board on Barnes & Noble's Book Clubs site. I really haven't had a chance to read any of her work before so I'm really looking forward to this one.

This is another selection for my Barnes & Noble Book Clubs. This time it's for the SciFi/Fantasy board. I loved his first book, Pandemonium (review). I can't wait to dive into this one.



I've never read A Christmas Carol before and since I have to seasonal challenges going on right now I figured this would be a perfect time to give it a try.

I found this DVD at Target for $3.99 and with my mind on Christmas right now this was a must buy for me.

The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World by His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, MD

Synopsis:

Blending common sense and modern psychiatry, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World applies Buddhist traditions to twenty-first-century struggles in a relevant way. The result is a wise approach to dealing with human problems that is both optimistic and realistic, even in the most challenging times.

How can we expect to find happiness and meaning in our lives when the modern world seems such an unhappy place?

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has suffered enormously throughout his life, yet he always seems to be smiling and serene. how does he do it? In The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World, Dr. Howard Cutler walks readers through the Dalai Lama's philosophy on how to achieve peace of mind and come to terms with life's inherent suffering. Together, the two examine the roots of many of the problems facing the world and show us how we can approach these calamities in a way that alleviates suffering and helps us along in our personal quests to be happy. Through stories, meditations, and in-depth conversations, the Dalai Lama teaches us to identify the cultural influences and ways of thinking that lead to personal unhappiness, thereby making sense of the hardships we face personally as well as the afflictions suffered by others.

Back in my college days I would have loved this book. I would have poured over it's pages and gotten lost in the words. They would have been soaked in my brain and soul to be quoted for years to all my friends until they got sick of me saying them. Now this was when I was devouring books like The Celestine Prophecy and Mutant Message Down Under and could occasionally be found deep in thought taking myself way too seriously.

Now that I'm a little older, OK a little more than a little but not too much, I found myself fading in and out while I was reading it. I wanted to take it seriously and ingest the knowledge being offered by someone who is not only smarter than me but more at peace with themselves than I am. I just couldn't connect with it. I'm not sure if it's that I'm not in the right place in my life, if my mind was preoccupied with work (retail over Thanksgiving weekend), or if I'm just not that interested in the subject matter anymore. Whatever the reason I found myself wanting to enjoy it, but I couldn't.

I would highly encourage everyone to read this book because it may be the right fit for them. I may keep it around for a while and try it out again at a later date.

Another butterfly

I've been trying to photograph this butterfly for a while now--finally got it on Wednesday at work:


I didn't get any shots of his wings open, but they're very bright orange. The undersides are more yellow, as seen in the photos. Any ID help?

NaNo Winner 2009 - "First Jump"

50,434 words. Novel name is "First Jump" and I like it. I wrote the last words and cheered. It's been an exhilarating twenty nine days - yep, one day early. Whew!

My fingers aren't bleeding, and it seemed proper to finish it on a dark and stormy day. Now what's next?

It needs to simmer and stew a bit. I know I have some timing issues, and maybe hair colors to change. Um, a few confused names and plot lines. But the bones are there for 2010 - rewrite, then rewrite some more. Edit, critique, and re-write even more.

Aim for publishing. Guess I have a New Year's goal. Time to jump!

Sunday Funnies

And we're back

Sorry for the blackout--AB came to town for the Thanksgiving holiday, so I was pretty much away from the computer most of the time. Unfortunately, I had to work Monday through Wednesday, but I got the holiday off and took Friday off (without pay) as well. It'll hurt next week when I get a tiny paycheck (even tinier than usual!), but it was so worth it to spend time with my babe.

Meanwhile, birds are getting a bit scarce around here other than the usual winter residents. I see a lot of spastic little Ruby-crowned Kinglets, fussy Bewick's Wrens, and plump White-winged Doves. This past February, you'll recall I made a trip here in the winter cold to see my family and also saw some good birds. I figure the early migrants will begin their trek back north sometime around then.

In the meantime, I've been seeing some nice butterflies and moths. I need to go outside and stake out the garage door under the lights to get some cool moth pics like I did back in PA this past summer. There should be some pretty interesting moths down here.

I hope to update soon, and to make some time for checking out your blogs. In the meantime, take care and good birding.

Documentary Friday and Only 5000 Words to Go

Only 5000 words to go to hit my NaNo goal of 50K. I'm typing furiously, but I also take breaks. Decided it was documentary Friday, and I rented two small films. Both different and yet very much alike as they follow two men with dreams, who see their version of art as a challenge, and both achieve their goals.

Valentino: The Last Emperor is about Valentino the haute couture fashion designer who celebrated his 45th year in the industry. As a boy in Italy he watched Hollywood movies and desired to design dresses for the Ziegfield girls - Hedy Lamarr and Lana Turner. He worked hard and ultimately created his own line. Soon Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, and Princess Diana were clients.

Known for using red, for splendid draping, and for elegance, Valentino is synonomous with quality. The movie introduces us to his team of seamstresses and we witness the skill and attention to detail. Everything is handsewn and monitored by Valentino.

The film also follows behind the scenes money issues and unfortunately we see why Valentino retires. Instead of family owned, it becomes a conglomerate and the fashion money is made on accessories, perfumes, and handbags. It's not about the dresses - the true dreams and creations of Valentino.

Another man with a dream, a high flying dream, Phillipe Petit is a high wire walker who planned and executed the most daring walk of all - between the Twin Towers. Sure enough in 1974, he and his team eluded security, hauled equipment in a freight elevator, and 104 floors above New York, Petit walked a wire. He allowed for the wind, the twist of the wire, and the sway of the buildings. Man on Wire is fascinating. Who would do such a thing? And yet, when he talks about his dreams, it makes sense. Why not balance high above the earth between two objects? To him, it was a challenge and a thing of art.

So that's the key between the two men and the two films - dreams, challenges, and art. Creation and execution of art. Truly inspiring.

Now, for me, only 5000 words to go for....dare I call it? Art?? !!

Murder Never Takes a Holiday by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain

Well I finally finished my first book for The Christmas Reading Challenge hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict and The 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge hosted by Nely at All About {n}.

My first book was Murder Never Takes a Holiday by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bains. This was really two books in one as it combined two of the Christmas Murder, She Wrote books. I chose this book because I have always been a fan of the TV show and I felt like reading a quick paced mystery. I loved these two books as separate pieces but having them together was sort of odd. There was a discrepancy between the two books that I'm sure was not intentional but still seemed rather off to me. The first one takes place before the second one but the second feels almost like the first book never took place. Other than that I would highly recommend them to anyone who is a fan of the show, likes a good Christmas murder mystery, or wants to spend a few hours enjoying a wonderful set of characters.

Manhattans & Murder Synopsis

Bestselling mystery writer Jessica Fletcher's new book tour brings her to New York for Christmas. But she learns that Manhattan can be murder when she sees notorious Cabot Cove crook Waldo Morse-now playing a sidewalk Santa. She agrees to meet him the next day, but when Jessica shows up, she instead witnesses a murder. With the police slow on their feet, and the victim's wife fast on the run, Jessica decides to do what she does best, and do whatever it takes to stop a murderer form spoiling the season.

A Little Yuletide Murder Synopsis

When Cabot Cove local Rory Brent is found shot to death on his farm, everyone assumes the culprit is Brent's longtime enemy Jack Walther, the meanest man in town. Jake is crazy as a coot, sour as green apples, and bad tempered as a cat with its tail caught in a screen door. But Jessica Fletcher soon uncovers evidence that makes her believe the sheriff has arrested the wrong person. Snooping into the small town's past for a motive, Jessica is determined to deliver the real killer before Christmas. The trouble is, the next sound she hears this silent night may be a scream-her own.

DVD Giveaway --- Christmas in Connecticut

When I was at the store the other day I happened to see one of my favorite Christmas movies on sale for $5 and since I already own it I figured why not buy it and give it away to one lucky winner on my blog.

For those of you who are not familiar with this fantastic movie I will give you the synopsis from the back of the DVD.

In her Smart Housekeeping column, Elizabeth Lane provides festive recipes and homemaking hints. But Elizabeth's got a secret: she needs a recipe to boil water. Elizabeth has no cooking skills, not Connecticut farm, no adoring hubby and no baby-makes-three as depicted in her column. She better get them. Because Elizabeth's boss has invited himself and a recently returned war hero to her home for Christmas.

Laughs, romance, holiday cheer: that's the recipe Barbara Stanwyck and a stellar company of Warner Bros. players follow in this amiable farce that was a huge hit with 1945 audiences and has become a perennial seasonal favorite. Have a very merry Christmas in Connecticut.

This has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, I love Barbara Stanwyck, and I watch it every year. Whoever the lucky winner is will fall in love with it as well.

The contest is easy. Just leave a comment with your favorite Christmas movie and your email address. That's it, no other requirements. The deadline is 12/9/09 at 11:59 pm CST. I will email and post the winner who will then have 48 hours to contact me with their shipping info or a new winner will be chosen.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of fun, laughter, and food!

Favorite Fictional Character --- Murphy Brown

If you can't tell by now I'm pretty big on the sitcoms that centered around strong women. The next up for me is Murphy Brown as played by the wonderful Candice Bergen. I couldn't find a good picture of her by herself so I used one with the whole cast, which by the way was fantastic.

Now growing up in the 80s and 90s there seemed to be a lot of strong female characters that were the center of the show. Murphy Brown was a investigative journalist who called the shots and took no names. She was independent and had her own voice and didn't feel bad running over the inept producer, Miles.

I think what I loved about her the most and what is still my strongest memory of the show was when she decided to have a baby on her own when the father decided he didn't want to change his lifestyle. Looking back on it now I don't think it would have raised an eyebrow but our then VP, Dan Quayle, decided to attack a fictional character for disrespecting the role of a father. True to form the producers of the show used it and had Murphy do a story on the diversity of the modern family. Not sure Dan Quayle ever lived that down.

I wish more of the new show were like this, but I'm afraid that the era of this type of character is over.

Casting: Logan

Que durão do cinema poderia encarnar este disciplinado e mortífero Obliterador?

Logan

O Obliterador ideal deve ser possuir uma disciplina férrea, ser inteligente e corajoso, conseguir reagir com rapidez e eficácia perante qualquer ameaça, mas acima de tudo acreditar sem hesitações que todo o que é sobrenatural deve ser eliminado e estar disposto a morrer por esse objectivo. Logan tem todas estas características.

Na altura d’A vingança do lobo, este tenente entre os Obliteradores, ronda os quarenta anos de idade, mantendo-se em óptima forma, como é patente pela sua constituição seca.

O seu rosto é ossudo, tendo um queixo duplo pequeno e forte, um nariz com indício de ter sido partido e uma cicatriz na têmpora. A natureza militar da sua personalidade é reflectida no cabelo negro com raízes grisalhas aparado curto e voz forte.     

Clive Cussler Discussed, But Did Not Cuss

Another great author night at Bass Hall in Fort Worth. Thanks to the Star-Telegram, various Trusts, and UT-Arlington for continuing to sponsor fun free events. (Parking is free too - hooray for Fort Worth).

Internationally renowned author, Clive Cussler, was delightful as he discussed his new book The Wrecker, his many other series, his most famous character Dirk Pitt, and writing in general. He came from an advertising background and decided to try his hand at writing a book. He read avidly and basically studied genres he admired - i.e. action/thriller. He chose one word names for his character (like a James Bond) so it would be easy to type and he was off and running.

He did comment that he and Dirk were both age 36 when he began. Clive's now 78, but Dirk is only 45. Said that wasn't quite fair. I'd say Mr. Cussler is keeping up pretty well. Looking dapper, he's working on approximately four books in various stages; he's pursuing a shipwreck; and he still has over one hundred cars in his collection.

The man has a twinkle in his eye and many a tale to tell. He said he considers himself an entertainer. I'd say he's certainly succeeded.

10 Things I Need on Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I decided to list the top 10 things I need for a happy and joyful day.

Whether it's your biological family or the family you have created for yourself, Thanksgiving is a day for togetherness and being thankful for those in your life that love and care for you.

Every year I wake up early enough to put the turkey in the oven and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I am just as fascinated by it now as I was when I was my son's age. He would be mad at me if I even suggested not watching it.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a must watch classic every year. Now this one I probably enjoy more than my son does but I'm convinced he will end up loving it just as much as I do.

I'm not a big turkey person but on this one day (for a week) of the year I willing to roast a turkey and savor every bite of it. After all Thanksgiving would seem naked without turkey.

Forget the pumpkin and pecan pies, give me sweet potato pie any day and I'm quite content with the world.

Whether it's canned, store bought, or homemade, cranberry sauce is my secret addiction over the holidays. I can not get enough of this wonderfully bitter, sweet concoction.

Nap time! After all the cooking and eating you need to take a restful nap so you can enjoy the rest of the day.

I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world. I will normally only watch football if the Denver Broncos are playing but I throw that rule out the window on Thanksgiving. Football is just as important on Thanksgiving as the turkey.

What day off of work is complete without a good dose of reading thrown in? I only have three guaranteed days off a year and this is one of them, so I like nothing better to do than take a few hours (normally later on in the evening), curl up on the couch, and read a fantastic book.

Just before my son goes to bed and I'm relaxed enough to embrace the chaos of putting up a Christmas tree, I put on some Christmas music and get to work. Putting up the tree is on the must do list and watching my son's face once it's all done is my favorite moment of the day.

Mailbox Monday for 11/23/2009

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.

This was a light week as I only received 3 books for review and 1 from a blog win. Somehow I managed not to buy any, which is odd.

I received Da Cajn Critter by Pamela D. Lyles from the publicist for review. I've already skimmed through it and I can't wait to try some of the recipes out.

I received The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler from the publicist for review. I never had a chance to read the first one but I'm looking forward to this one.

I won Sex, Drugs & Gefilte Fish edited by Shana Liebman from Carol at Carol's Notebook.

I also received a spiral bound copy of Samson's Walls by Jud Nirenberg from the publicist for review.

Award Time

I am horribly late one getting one of these posted so I apologize for not passing them on earlier. So with no further ado here are two of them, two more will follow later.

I received the Splash Award from Melissa at My World. She is a fantastic blogger and I always learn something new when I head over to her blog. Please stop by and say hi to her.

The Splash Award is given to those blogs you find alluring, bewitching, impressive and inspiring.

I would like to pass this on to the following blogs:

Laurel at Creations by Laurel-Rain Snow

Stephanie at Misfit Salon

Staci at Life in the Thumb

Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books

Michelle at Red Headed Book Child

I recieved the Great Look Award from Michelle at The True Book Addict. She is a fantastic blogger and I want to stronly encourage everyone to head on over to say hi.

I would like to pass this along to the following bloggers:

Jennifer at Rundpinne

Jaime at Revenge of the Book Worms

Wendi at Wendi's Book Corner

Carol at Carol's Notebook

Bella at A Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Sunday Funnies