Not enough time in the day

Here is my book mark for Monday.
A little late in the day.
I still want to answer last week's, "Booking Through Thursday", as well as today's "Musing Monday" as well as post about last week's book club, before this week's book club.
Whew!
I better stop doing food posts on my other blog.

My bookmark.

My Monday Bookmark and My Monday Musing

My Monday Bookmark and my Monday Musing.....


Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about 2009 favourites…
Coming towards the end of April, we’re a third of the way through the way through the year. What’s the favourite book you’ve read so far in 2009? What about your least favourite? (question courtesy of MizB)


It was hard to think of what book was my favorite, but I think I have to go with "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" or no, no....maybe one of my old most favorite authors, Margaret Maron's "Hard Row".
It's so hard to pick when you really love a book.
I love Maron's "Deborah Knott" Series, I have never not loved one of her books...and I'm always sorry to see them end.
The Guernsey book was read for one of my bookclubs (see here) and it was loved by everyone there.

The book I liked the least this year, has been "I'm With Stupid". I just couldn't get into it (see it on my sidebar? Well, I stopped in the middle and sent it off to my daughter in law). It just wasn't the book for me.

*****

My bookmark for Monday is a "Lewis and Clark" bookmark.

My husband and I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where the Lewis and Clark trail is everywhere you turn. It's one of the biggest historical things in the area.
Sacagawea park was one of our favorites.
We grew up knowing all about Lewis and Clark.
Sadly, when I went back to Virginia, my sister and law, were flying from Richmond to Atlanta, and we struck up a conversation with a local man and we were discussing what wonderful history Virginia had.
It was a nice visit, but when we started talking about our history, and Lewis and Clark, he was kind of dumbstruck. He knew nothing.
I live in the west, but I LOVE every regional thing about all of the United States. I would love to travel and experience every state, every town, every people!
But it makes saddens me when my friends on the East Coast act like nothing ever happened in the west.
HOW CAN SOMEONE NOT KNOW WHO LEWIS AND CLARK WERE?

Here are two great websites for you to check out. (actually two aspects of the same website)

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

"Hat Rock" is a picnic place that I fondly remember from my youth.

Booking Through Thursday--Windfall

This weeks "Booking Through Thursday question" is:

Yesterday, April 15th, was Tax Day here in the U.S., which means lots of lucky people will get refunds of over-paid taxes.
Whether you’re one of them or not, what would you spend an unexpected windfall on? Say … $50? How about $500?
(And, this is a reading meme, so by rights the answer should be book-related, but hey, feel free to go wild and splurge on anything you like.)

******
Actually, I would spend the money on some bookshelves.

I've read a couple of other blogs and they both said bookshelves, but really...who doesn't need more book space for their books?
How about a whole library for my grandbabies? If I had a windfall, I could stock their bookshelf with books I want them to know, want them to love.

I will do this anyway, but as you all know, it will have to come in increments because of finances, etc (one cannot stock a whole childhood of books cheaply), so in my windfall, I could get a really good jump on that.

I have 3 grandbabies coming this year (and a few older ones), but right now I'm talking about the three this year, and especially the twins who are due July 2nd, but are silly and impatient babies and want to come early....probably to read with their grandma. (so far they are staying put, making their poor mom, tho lie on her back all the time)

My son, their father, says he doesn't remember Nursery Rhymes, so I've been stuck on a Nursery Rhyme book buying binge for the twins. So, far I've gotten them 2 books and one CD (with another two books on their way from Barnes and Noble). Probably 4 Nursery Rhyme books is enough, but the artwork is noteworthy. And I like themes and collections.
so, if I had a windfall.... I could add to their Nursery Rhyme collection and begin them on their way to a very well-stocked library.
Of course, I would stock all of my grandchildren's bookshelves with books I thought of as "treasures".
$500 doesn't go as far as it used to, does it?

Children's Classics Carnival--Bunnicula

I'm late. Late in the day for this Children's Classic Carnival. But I'm going to make it.... it is only 8:05 PDT, so I have a few more hours of Tuesday.

One of my very favorite children's classics (at least I think it's a classic) is Bunnicula by James Howe.
While technically not a book "about" a dog, it is a book about a rabbit, "written" by a dog. Harold.
Harold the dog, Chester the cat, Howie the puppy and Bunnicula the vampire bunny, live in the Monroe Household, with Mr. and Mrs. Monroe and their two sons, Peter and Toby.

While this is not a "coming of age" book about a boy and his dog, it is a funny, lighthearted spoof of "scary" books.

The Monroe family finds a little bunny rabbit at a movie theater , during a showing of Dracula, so in keeping with the theme, name the bunny "bunnicula".
Harold, the dog, likes the new member of the family and feels sorry for the rabbit, especially when Chester the cat begins to see Bunnicula as a real "vampire" bunny, who sucks the life out of the veggies in the vegetable garden.
Many antics take place as the animals of the Monore household are involved in this mystery.
It's cute and a bit slap-stickish, with enough "scary" thrown in to amuse even the most hardcore young reader.
It's just cute. A fun read. And everyone needs a light, fun read once in a while.

There are 4 sequels to Bunnicula, and the whole series is good and worth a try, if you ask me.
At the beginning of each book, there is an Editor's note (part of the novel) which includes a letter from Harold the dog, to set the scene. I also love Harold's point of view of the Monroe family. It's funny to see things thru a dog's eye (just read the adult books "The Art of Racing in the Rain", or "Dog on it" for other great dog points of view).
Bunnicula is a good choice for a family read. I liked it. My boys liked it, and my grandson likes it.

Have I got cookbooks for you! Weekly Geeks.

Today is my frist time being a "Weekly Geek".
Here is the question (or assignment, as the case may be..... )

What shall we cook today? It seems that for most of us, a bit of our book obsession would carry over to the cookbook genre, so this week for Weekly Geeks, let's talk cookbooks! Here are some ideas to get you started:--Describe your cookbook collection. How many cookbooks do you own? A lot? Just a few? None at all?--Do you even buy cookbooks? Or do you gather family cookbook compilations and/or recipe files instead?--Do you like to collect certain types of cookbooks? Say, from certain chefs? From places you visit? From a particular food group or style?--When buying cookbooks, what do you look for? Does it need to have pictures? Spiral binding? A specific type of font?--What is your favorite cookbook? Tell us the story behind it.--Tell us about your most well-used cookbook. Is it different from your favorite cookbook? Or are they one and the same?--Take a picture of your collection. How and where do you organize it?--Share a recipe from one of your favorite cookbooks. Include a picture if you can.
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I'm sorry if you arrived here expecting a long blog post about my cookbooks. Only sorry, because I'm going make you go here, to my cooking blog.


Please click on the link......Please check it out. I just didn't want to explain all over again about what a cookbook addict I am. You can just hit the link, go over to my post about my cookbooks (over 200 of them) and take a peek inside my strange life.
I collect cookbooks like I collect books.... and then I can't bear to part with them. I can read a cookbook just like a book.
In fact, my standard book bag, when we go on a trip includes this:
the book I'm reading
a book for when I finish the one I'm reading
a cookbook
2 magazines

and that's just for a day trip to Reno. You don't' want to travel on a long car-trip with me. I'm one of those lucky people who can read, write, journal, organize address books, in the car. And I do it too. (what else do you do when you're in a car for 8 hours?) (well, one time I took a picture every 15 miles or so of our 500 mile trip...so I could journal about it. Hmmmm, weird? yes.)

This is my first time to Weekly Geeks, but I know I'll be back.

Let me leave you with this.... go to my cooking blog and read my cookbook post. (It's one of my better posts. LOL )

Musing Mondays and a bookmark

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about blog comments
How do you respond to the comments on your blog? Do you try to email individually or comment on post yourself answering the comments above? What do you think is the best way to respond to comments and do you respond to all of them? Do you feel slighted if you don't receive a response back from the blog owner? (question courtesy of Jenn)


...oh the guilt...THE GUILT. I don't respond as often, or how I want to.
When I read the comments people leave to me, I think, "oh wow, I know how she feels," or "how kind of her, I need to let her know, " or "that reminds me of..."

But I don't always answer as I should.

When I do, I either comment on a blog post of theirs, or I e-mail.
At first I felt e-mails were intrusive to people, but I don't think they really are.... are they?
I mean, I don't mind getting e-mails at all from bloggers when I comment. In fact, I rather enjoy it.

I don't feel slighted if I don't get a reply when I leave a comment.... I figure that if everyone ALL THE TIME, commented on everything, it would take up their whole day.
I understand there is some unspoken courtesy in the blogging world about trying to reply to or acknowledge as many comments as we can.... and this is why I am feeling the guilt.
There has to be an easy way. What can it be?
A personal assistant?
LOL

Seriously....
blogging
twittering
facebook
myspace
and on and on......

If we are not careful, the quality of our lives will be solely limited to "techo" things. So, no, I don't feel slighted if someone doesn't answer me. I just like to be pleasantly surprised when they do.
We all have lives!!
I have two blogs....this "semi" book blog and a cooking/food blog. Both things take up a lot of time.
They are my hobbies. I love to read, I love to cook, I love to blog and read other blogs, I like to walk/hike, all these things take time. OH...and I have a full time job also, one that includes being present at "events" in the community, and husband, and children/grandchildren, I belong to book clubs, go to church.

WHAT THE HECK? I don't have time for a blog. I don't have time to comment.... I have to go clean my house, that never seems to get done.... LOL LOL

I will try to be better about replying to comments on my blogs. But I'm going to e-mail them from now on. And like I said, if I don't hear from people whom I've commented to.... it's all okay, there are worse things in the world.

I'll end with my bookmark for today....
with a quote from Tallulah Bankhead

Booking Thru Thursday

Today's booking thru Thursday question.

One of the very first questions ever at Booking Through Thursday.
Back from 2005 when Laura owned the blog but, because it was so new, it didn’t get as many responses as it does now … so, why not revisit?
Here’s the question:

Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…
Are you currently reading more than one book?
If so, how many books are you currently reading?
Is this normal for you?
Where do you keep your current reads?

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As of right now, I have two books going. Occasionally I will read more than one at time, but not that often.I always have my current read in my purse when I go out. (what if...what if, I were caught somewhere unexpected and had to wait? )
Sometimes I have a "car" book, which is a book I want to read but am having trouble getting thru. That way, if I forget my current read a home, I will have something available to me. I am one of those people (which I assume most of you are) who can read for 1 -2 -5 -10 minutes here and there all day long.

At home....well, I have books laying all around the place.
Book on one table for my "face to face" bookclubs, books on a bookshelf for my "TBR challenge"

And that is where I keep my current reads.
Have a great day!

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS is a weekly event, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, where you ‘tease’ others with a little bit from the book you’re currently reading, making them want to read it, too! Feel free to play along! You just…

Here is my teaser, from "I'm With Stupid" by Elaine Szewczyk.

"the bathroom door opens and William comes out wearing the yellow tracksuit. He's a banana. Everyone turns. He hands me my cigarette pack, "you left your cigarettes in the bathroom,' he says, "here you go." I gingerly hold the box between two fingers and glance at my mother. I quickly explain that the cigarettes are not mine. "Are you sure?" asks William, "they look like the ones you were smoking last night. "

My Monday bookmark

I finished "The Big Love" in one day.
It was a 24 hour piece of Chick-Lit fun. I'm not normally a huge Chick-lit fan, but this book was such a fast and fun read, I thought I'd try my hand at another Chick-Lit that has been city on my bookshelf for months. "I'm with Stupid"

I figured, that maybe I am just in the mood for something lighter right now.
If you don't follow my food blog, you don't know that my daughter in law is expecting twins and she has been put on total bed rest. We need her to hang in there for at least 7 more weeks. 13 more weeks would be full-term.
We are hopeful.

But...I am enjoying these books that I don't have to concentrate very much on.
I've discovered that this is a great "escapism" book (The Big Love). It made me laugh out loud and took my mind off worrying for awhile.
It's about Alison, whose boyfriend goes out to pick up some butter, and never comes back. This during a dinner party. The story is a funny telling (in first person) how she is looking for the real thing, LOVE. And she thinks she had it with Tom (the man who left her). It's about that "back and forth" of breaking up and learning to know what love really is.
But it's funny. It'll give you a good chuckle.

Here is my bookmark for Monday!
In my book-club "Totally Literature", one of our members (my friend Jolina) used to make us bookmarks to use. She cut, pasted,created personal bookmarks. She always left room for us to write down page numbers of things we wanted to remember or bring up from the books when we met to discuss it.

I miss our bookmarks. I wonder if she'll bring them back.

This one was from January 2008, when we read "Chasing Fireflys" by Charles Martin.

(a great book!! )