I'm back. Kind of.

Hello friends! I do have a new computer. Yay! What a great Christmas gift from Mr. Husband! He was good to me.
I got a really cool recipe program, where I can make my own family cookbook, a new food processor and some other really nice "foodie" gifts.

I also got my dream present this year, which completely overrides any recipe program or new computer, or any present ever.
It was one I had been imagining for quite some time, but I didn't think it would come true this year. I imagined it many times in my mind. But it's so much better when it really happens.
This is how it went.....my son Mark and his wife Sadie handed us small package on Christmas Eve. They had made a poem....and adaptation of "Twas the Night Before Christmas". One line was.... "in October Sadie felt a little fatter, they ran to the doctor to see what was the matter."Yes my blogging friends... A BABY! And to what to my wandering eyes did appear, but a picture of TWINS!! Two babies!!!
I was crying and laughing and shaking all at the same time. They have been wanting this for a while and I am soooo happy for them. I got my Christmas dream.... in doubles. 2x! But the best part was that they got their Christmas wish.
(sigh) I'm happy.

And now in my hands I'm holding "The Tale of Despereaux". I want to read it before going to see the movie. I'm pretty safe in this, as we live in a small town and our movie theater... is slow, (to be kind).
I will get back to reading and bloggig about it....as soon as I fnish Despereaux.

Blog Advent Tour

I have a HUGE problem. At least it is for me. My computer is in the shop. Things are not looking good.
And today I am supposed to be participating in the "Blog Advent Tour 2008", hosted by Marg at Reading Adventures
and Kalina at The Written World

I was so excited to be a part of this. I have pictures of the snow, I have pictures of the nutcracker ballet and I have pictures of our little hometown parade. All on my computer which is in the shop.
I'm so sad. (really sad, because how in the world can I live without my home-computer for a week or so, until we decide what we really want in a new one)

But I do have a solution. I have another blog.... a food blog, where I posted some about the Christmas parade last week.
So, in keeping with the Blog Advent Tour, (and I've so enjoyed reading every one else's posts) I give you this .... a link to the post about our small town Christmas parade. It's thebest that I can do.

Check it out please.

I hope you enjoy it.
Merry Christmas everybody!

book groups and book marks

So....I did end up going to my bookclub meeting last Thursday. It's a great food club. We had a great supper and dessert. And there was much talk and laughter....about everything BUT the book.

There are a lot of nice women, but I have noticed that it's us, older ones who want a bit more discussion and not so much social time.
I do enjoy it tho and it's our own fault ....we're quiet. We don't speak up.

We'll keep going tho, because we really like the group, but it's kind of like a "Supper Club" to us. And it's fun, don't get me wrong, we just have to be in the supper club mode (and we usually are ) and then if anyone talks about the book we've all been reading, that will be a bonus.

Now on this upcoming Wednesday, I have two other book groups.
The first is a noon-time group. It's the oldest club in Winnemucca (that's the name of our town).
There are a group of us in our mid 40's to mid 50's, who are fairly new to the club. We are the youngest. One of the older members has stopped coming because (and I quote) "the younger ones are taking over".
Some of us "younger ones" are grandparents. LOL.
Anyway, it's a nice little luncheon and there is a book report.
It's a nice noon-time meeting. I'm sure in days of old, the ladies wore gloves and hats.

On Wednesday evening, it is the Totally Lit (erature) bookclub.
We ALWAYS discuss the book. And food is not a major part of our book group. We usually have a dessert or cheese and crackers.
Except for this time.... we are having a Congealed salad party.

It all began, because...well, long story, but we don't say congealed in the west. We'll say Jell-o salad. And then it got to be a joke, and well, we decided to hold a congealed salad party. I'll let you know how it goes.
And also write a longer post. I'm just trying to pass the time right now, until the snow plows get out and I can go to work.
I would much rather curl up with a book on this snowy December Monday morning. But then I don't get paid, and if I don't get paid, I won't have money to buy the book to curl up with. (sigh) it's a never ending circle.

I will leave you with my new little bookmark.... a gift from my friend Ruth.

Bookclub mayhem

I am supposed to be reading. I am supposed to be reading "The Gold Coast" by Nelson DeMille. I usually like DeMille's books. But for some reason this isn't holding my attention. Could it be because of the holidays? And the fact that I'm working hard: Christmas Parade, Retail Business window decorating Contest, election of a new board of directors, no gifts purchased yet, no cookies made yet, no cards sent yet?
Or...is it because the book isn't that great?
No. That can't be it. The book is on the best seller list. DeMille just came out with a sequel. They are making a movie based on this book.
The book must be good. It's me. Something's wrong with me!

I'm going to have to appear at my book club meeting on Thursday night and say.... about a book a lot of people have loved..... I will say.....

my dog chewed it up and I didn't get a chance to finish it. (and I'll say it real fast, with maybe a cookie in my mouth, so they won't really care for me to expand on any part of my explanation, like, what did I think of it before my silly old bassett hound ate it. )

And this, dear friends, is why I am not a book reviewer. I cannot fess up to the truth. I cannot hurt someone's feelings. Someone chose this book they LOVED to share with us at bookclub. I know she loved it...because she said she did.
Her parting words last month were: I hope you love this book as much as I did.
Oh my gosh... I can't disapoint her! Her face was so earnest, so open, so sincere, so....in love with the book.
So in comes Monroe, the Bassett Hound. The hungry hound dog.

90% of the time, this is the exact reason why I choose a book for bookclub that I haven't read yet. I don't want them to trash something I love. If I choose a book that no one in the club has read, but is on a "hot for bookclubs" list, then it does not matter to me who likes it or doesn't like it. We can read together and voice our opinions and it's okay with me.
I might really have loved this book that I chose, but it's a "new" love, not an old love, a treasured love, a jealous love.
Those old books we LOVE? Well, we tend to get really territorial about them.
HOW DARE YOU NOT LIKE MY BOOK?

I can see it now....book club night... I will be in the corner with a mouthful of cookies and a cup of eggnog, so that I can view, with amusement, the free-for-all that's going to take place. Because I am sure, when someone insults her book choice, DiAnn will be hitting them over the head with said book. Her beloved book. Then perhaps her daughter will feel obligated to help her mom out and another book will fly across the room. Literary insults will be tossed about and then someone will mock a previous book choice, which will cause further put-downs of other beloved books...and it could go on and on.

I have been assigned the month of March to choose a book for this club. I was hoping to get them out of their box .... they tend to read a lot of mass-market best seller, books..... and I was thinking maybe, just maybe "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood. I haven't read it yet.
But now I'm afraid.
I think I'm just going to chose something off one of your blogs. A book you guys reviewed.
And it'll be your fault if I get hit on the head with a leprechaun.

******
and ps, the above mentioned book club is NOT the book club I posted pictures of in a previous post. I belong to a few bookclubs, but this one coming up on Thursday, is turning into more of a eating club. They have served pretty serious food and done too little book talking lately.
Check out this post on "Book Club Girl's blog" about telling us your bookclub breakup story. Who knows, I could be writing about this very thing after Thursday's meeting.


And....the only photo I have of Monroe the book eating dog. He is old. He is much more photogenic than this. He will be mad at me for posting such an unflattering photo...much in the same way I am mad at my husband sometimes for taking those unflattering photos of me!
I have other pictures of him at home, but I am at work.
I'm Taking a break.
Now I have to get back to making sure that Santa fits in his suit for the Christmas parade on Saturday night.

Contests and Giveaways

The Pioneer Woman has 9,107 comments on her giveaway. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/
Seriously.

LOL ( I know this is my semi-techincally book-blog and I just gave you a link to a cooking blog, but still...you get the picture)

and I just made it 9,108. As well, as entering 3 other giveaways in the last 5 minutes.
I've never won anything. But it's okay... it's just fun.

Did anyone ever see the movie "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" by Terry Ryan?
I actually read the book first, and I really enjoyed it. (so much more than the movie, although I did like the movie too)

a blurb about it from a reviewer says:
Erma Bombeck meets Ogden Nash in the inspirational true story of an enterprising mother of ten who kept poverty at bay with wit, poetry, and perfect prose during the "contest era" of the fifties and sixties.

These give-aways remind me of that book. Every time I make a comment on someone's giveaway, I am reminded of those old contests, where you make up poems and rhymes or a jingle about a product in 25 words or less, and hope you win.
And I know they are all chosen randomly, but I still freeze....what if my jingle (comment) is not snazzy (is that still a word?) enough? What if it doesn't make someone smile? (mine rarely do)
How can I be more witty? and enchanting? WHY DON'T I EVER WIN ANYTHING?!

whew...no really, I'm okay now.

LOL