Wouldn't want you to fall down carelessly now, would we?
It's Time to Say Goodbye
7 years ago
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Enjoy yourself with other people!
If you haven't visited http://www.engrish.com/ you are seriously missing out!
I've found that it's the best treatment out there for a seriously bad mood. Well, aside from cuddling with Jake. But he's mine and you can't cuddle with him! 
My Most Serious Health Concern, Part 3
A Change in Plans
*****
Fast forward to 1998: I’m in my third year in the M.A. in Communication Arts program in Fort Worth, TX at Southwestern Seminary. I’m busy studying and also actively traveling at least weekly (often bi-weekly) with the touring drama team, The Company. I’m also working part time in the school district as a reading tutor and helping out at my church with the youth group & doing some drama stuff.
My plans for the summer of ’98 were as follows: I was driving up to Oregon to visit some relatives and meet up with my parents. Beth would drive back to Alaska with my parents and I’d fly back to Texas to tour full time with The Company for the summer, and then I’d go back to school.
So, Beth & I drive up and meet my parents in Oregon. All is going great until a few days before they’re going to put me on the plane to fly back… For whatever reason, I was in a back room by myself while everybody else was up in the living room. We’d all just gone on a fun shopping excursion and returned for lunch.
All of a sudden I have this horrible tearing black pain in my belly- like I’m being ripped apart. It’s so bad I can’t scream. I can’t call for help. I can’t stand up.
I’m gone so long my sister calls me to come back up front. Finally, I struggle up the hall to the living room by leaning on the wall. And I told them all something was wrong and I didn’t know what to do. They all look at me and say it's time to go to the hospital and I refuse. (I HATE hospitals, shots, blood… I’m the fainting queen. And I’ve got a LONG negative history of bad doctor experiences. Maybe I'll tell part of that story sometime...) I went back to the room I was staying in and laid down. I’m moaning in fetal position and holding on to my belly. (Beth’s told me I looked like death- gray with black eyes and actually rather scary looking.) Finally, the pain gets so bad that I let them talk me into going to the ER.
*****
Fast forward to 1998: I’m in my third year in the M.A. in Communication Arts program in Fort Worth, TX at Southwestern Seminary. I’m busy studying and also actively traveling at least weekly (often bi-weekly) with the touring drama team, The Company. I’m also working part time in the school district as a reading tutor and helping out at my church with the youth group & doing some drama stuff.
My plans for the summer of ’98 were as follows: I was driving up to Oregon to visit some relatives and meet up with my parents. Beth would drive back to Alaska with my parents and I’d fly back to Texas to tour full time with The Company for the summer, and then I’d go back to school.
So, Beth & I drive up and meet my parents in Oregon. All is going great until a few days before they’re going to put me on the plane to fly back… For whatever reason, I was in a back room by myself while everybody else was up in the living room. We’d all just gone on a fun shopping excursion and returned for lunch.
All of a sudden I have this horrible tearing black pain in my belly- like I’m being ripped apart. It’s so bad I can’t scream. I can’t call for help. I can’t stand up.
I’m gone so long my sister calls me to come back up front. Finally, I struggle up the hall to the living room by leaning on the wall. And I told them all something was wrong and I didn’t know what to do. They all look at me and say it's time to go to the hospital and I refuse. (I HATE hospitals, shots, blood… I’m the fainting queen. And I’ve got a LONG negative history of bad doctor experiences. Maybe I'll tell part of that story sometime...) I went back to the room I was staying in and laid down. I’m moaning in fetal position and holding on to my belly. (Beth’s told me I looked like death- gray with black eyes and actually rather scary looking.) Finally, the pain gets so bad that I let them talk me into going to the ER.
My Most Serious Health Concern, Part 2
Lessons in Pain
*****
The year is 1998: three years after my diagnosis. I’ve seen an OB and talked about treatment. I know lots of facts about my new friend: Endometriosis. I’ve discovered that there is no known treatment- Endo is one of those mysterious ‘female’ ailments for which very little research has been done. And most of the research has been in the area of making sure women with endo can still have children.
Very little research has been done in the area of curing it, or in living with the pain it can cause. (This is still basically true- in fact, it was only recently discovered that it’s an immune system disorder like MS or cystic fibrosis because of an accidental discovery during some AIDS research. Endometriosis wasn’t even discovered until within the last 50-75 years. When women used to have terrible stomach pains/cramps doctors would call them ‘hysterical’ and often treat them with valium.)
One of the earliest and more aggressive treatments was & is a complete hysterectomy. This used to be the preferred method of treatment, but it has been proven to be ineffective- women with complete hysterectomies still develop and grow impressive cysts. Now, most OB’s treat it with birth control pills because when you’re pregnant the cysts tend to shrink and can even go away completely- the philosophy is that birth control pills can simulate pregnancy and perhaps convince your body you’re pregnant. It doesn’t work for everybody, and in fact, very little research has been done proving it’s actually effective for anybody. I tried birth control pills for a while and it did not work for me- I spiraled into a massive depression and had more pain than I’d had before.
So, during the three years since my diagnosis I had noticed some pain, but I’d done exactly as the doctor in ’95 told me to do- I’d seen an OB every year and really not worried about it too much.
*****
The year is 1998: three years after my diagnosis. I’ve seen an OB and talked about treatment. I know lots of facts about my new friend: Endometriosis. I’ve discovered that there is no known treatment- Endo is one of those mysterious ‘female’ ailments for which very little research has been done. And most of the research has been in the area of making sure women with endo can still have children.
Very little research has been done in the area of curing it, or in living with the pain it can cause. (This is still basically true- in fact, it was only recently discovered that it’s an immune system disorder like MS or cystic fibrosis because of an accidental discovery during some AIDS research. Endometriosis wasn’t even discovered until within the last 50-75 years. When women used to have terrible stomach pains/cramps doctors would call them ‘hysterical’ and often treat them with valium.)
One of the earliest and more aggressive treatments was & is a complete hysterectomy. This used to be the preferred method of treatment, but it has been proven to be ineffective- women with complete hysterectomies still develop and grow impressive cysts. Now, most OB’s treat it with birth control pills because when you’re pregnant the cysts tend to shrink and can even go away completely- the philosophy is that birth control pills can simulate pregnancy and perhaps convince your body you’re pregnant. It doesn’t work for everybody, and in fact, very little research has been done proving it’s actually effective for anybody. I tried birth control pills for a while and it did not work for me- I spiraled into a massive depression and had more pain than I’d had before.
So, during the three years since my diagnosis I had noticed some pain, but I’d done exactly as the doctor in ’95 told me to do- I’d seen an OB every year and really not worried about it too much.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
February Books
Because I ended up reading so many this last month, I’ve decided to put them in the order of my preference (A+’s down to C’s), rather than the order in which I actually read them.
I know it’s weird to just group all the books I read in a month, but I seem to be able to keep track better that way. I generally haven’t processed the book enough if I immediately post about it, and if I try and do it weekly I get massively far behind. Monthly seems to give me enough time to process the books, and enough time to actually get it all together. Sometimes after a week I discover I enjoyed the book way more than I thought originally. A book I read and thought was merely okay might just stick with me, and I’ll keep thinking and thinking about it and what it all meant… It’s nice to give them a little more of a chance than to be tossed aside rudely. So, monthly really seems to work best for me.
*****
Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn A+++
I loved this one! The finale to her Thirteen Houses saga and I’m terribly sad to see it conclude. Her books are so satisfying. Like an excellent meal eaten with friends and finished with a favorite dessert.
I love these characters! They’ve become friends who I cheered for and for whom I wanted good things to happen to… I loved seeing the situations work out and the bad guys get what they deserved. I loved seeing the good guys end up with the dreams they never even knew they had…
I know it’s weird to just group all the books I read in a month, but I seem to be able to keep track better that way. I generally haven’t processed the book enough if I immediately post about it, and if I try and do it weekly I get massively far behind. Monthly seems to give me enough time to process the books, and enough time to actually get it all together. Sometimes after a week I discover I enjoyed the book way more than I thought originally. A book I read and thought was merely okay might just stick with me, and I’ll keep thinking and thinking about it and what it all meant… It’s nice to give them a little more of a chance than to be tossed aside rudely. So, monthly really seems to work best for me.
*****
Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn A+++I loved this one! The finale to her Thirteen Houses saga and I’m terribly sad to see it conclude. Her books are so satisfying. Like an excellent meal eaten with friends and finished with a favorite dessert.
I love these characters! They’ve become friends who I cheered for and for whom I wanted good things to happen to… I loved seeing the situations work out and the bad guys get what they deserved. I loved seeing the good guys end up with the dreams they never even knew they had…
Mystic & Rider, The Thirteen Houses, Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn A+
First, second & third in her Twelve Houses Saga. After reading the finale I decided to go back and read the whole series. I enjoy these so much. She is a talented storyteller. Excellent characters & details. Interesting world.
The Spiderwick Chronicles, 2-5 by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black A
These are fun! I’m looking forward to seeing the movie. Kind of an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ type adventure. Three kids discover a world of fairies, sprites, goblins and are drawn in… Charm, wonder and a good dose of kids dealing with a deadbeat dad. Fun and quick reads.
The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Care & Feeding of Sprites by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black A
Pictures and silliness. A quick and enjoyable read. After careful consideration I think I would enjoy keeping & caring for a Thicket Sprite.
First, second & third in her Twelve Houses Saga. After reading the finale I decided to go back and read the whole series. I enjoy these so much. She is a talented storyteller. Excellent characters & details. Interesting world.
The Spiderwick Chronicles, 2-5 by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black AThese are fun! I’m looking forward to seeing the movie. Kind of an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ type adventure. Three kids discover a world of fairies, sprites, goblins and are drawn in… Charm, wonder and a good dose of kids dealing with a deadbeat dad. Fun and quick reads.
The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Care & Feeding of Sprites by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black A
Pictures and silliness. A quick and enjoyable read. After careful consideration I think I would enjoy keeping & caring for a Thicket Sprite.
Monster by Frank Peretti A
Really enjoyed this. Kind of a sci-fi/mystery/thriller. Good fiction with Christian touches- Kind of Michael Chricton/ James Patterson. A little too much story in the middle, I think… But otherwise excellent. He's been thinking about evolution lately- Interesting thoughts, too.
Rattlesnake Crossing by J.A. Jance A
My favorite Joanna Brady mystery so far…
Outlaw Mountain by J.A. Jance A
A re-read. I wanted to read all the Brady mysteries in the correct order, so I went ahead and read this one again. Very good mystery.
Devil’s Claw by J.A. Jance A-
The eighth in her Joanna Brady series. Not as good as some of her others, but still quite a good mystery.
Exit Wounds by J.A. Jance A
The ninth in her Joanna Brady series. Very good. Brady’s dealing with her re-election as sheriff, family problems, protesters, a cult, and a serial killer.
Trial by Fury by J.A. Jance A
The third story in the J.P. Beaumont series. A black coach is lynched, hung and found in a dumpster. Who did it? A well-told, convoluted and interesting mystery
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer A
From the jacket: "Thousands of years ago, fairies and humans fought a great battle for the magical island of Ireland. When it became clear that they could not win, all of the fairies moved belowground- except for the 8th family, the demons. Rather than surrender, they used a magical time spell to take their colony out of time and into Limbo. There they have lived for decades, preparing to exact their violent revenge on humans"…
The fifth in the AF series. Enjoyed this very much. I like watching Artemis grow up and deal with caring about people…
The Killing Game by Iris Johansen A
The second in her Eve Duncan forensic sculptor series. I enjoyed this one much more than her first- A good forensic mystery. Interesting situation and characters.
The Search by Iris Johansen A
HaHA! I found a Johansen with a bit of charm! Amazing. This tale revolves around a woman & her dog and the man who gets them in trouble. Sarah and her dog, Monty share a special relationship (yes, one or both of them is telepathic) and they use it to help others through Search and Rescue. They’re called in to horrible situations like the Oklahoma City bombing or South American earthquakes to find & rescue victims. Logan, a wealthy ex-con/tycoon, needs her to rescue one of his medical researchers from an evil rival. Evil spies, traitors, and vengeance are mixed up with a huge helping of love (also, rather a surprise from Johansen- Lust, rather than love seems to be her primary story vehicle) to create a tale worth reading.
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison B+
Second in her Rachel Hunter bounty hunter series. Sprites, vampires, werewolves, demons, bad mo-jo. Good urban magic tale.
Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison B+
Third in her Rachel Hunter bounty hunter series. Sadly, her stories are becoming more polished and less fun…
Really enjoyed this. Kind of a sci-fi/mystery/thriller. Good fiction with Christian touches- Kind of Michael Chricton/ James Patterson. A little too much story in the middle, I think… But otherwise excellent. He's been thinking about evolution lately- Interesting thoughts, too.
Rattlesnake Crossing by J.A. Jance AMy favorite Joanna Brady mystery so far…
Outlaw Mountain by J.A. Jance A
A re-read. I wanted to read all the Brady mysteries in the correct order, so I went ahead and read this one again. Very good mystery.
Devil’s Claw by J.A. Jance A-
The eighth in her Joanna Brady series. Not as good as some of her others, but still quite a good mystery.
Exit Wounds by J.A. Jance A
The ninth in her Joanna Brady series. Very good. Brady’s dealing with her re-election as sheriff, family problems, protesters, a cult, and a serial killer.
Trial by Fury by J.A. Jance A
The third story in the J.P. Beaumont series. A black coach is lynched, hung and found in a dumpster. Who did it? A well-told, convoluted and interesting mystery
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer AFrom the jacket: "Thousands of years ago, fairies and humans fought a great battle for the magical island of Ireland. When it became clear that they could not win, all of the fairies moved belowground- except for the 8th family, the demons. Rather than surrender, they used a magical time spell to take their colony out of time and into Limbo. There they have lived for decades, preparing to exact their violent revenge on humans"…
The fifth in the AF series. Enjoyed this very much. I like watching Artemis grow up and deal with caring about people…
The Killing Game by Iris Johansen A
The second in her Eve Duncan forensic sculptor series. I enjoyed this one much more than her first- A good forensic mystery. Interesting situation and characters.
The Search by Iris Johansen AHaHA! I found a Johansen with a bit of charm! Amazing. This tale revolves around a woman & her dog and the man who gets them in trouble. Sarah and her dog, Monty share a special relationship (yes, one or both of them is telepathic) and they use it to help others through Search and Rescue. They’re called in to horrible situations like the Oklahoma City bombing or South American earthquakes to find & rescue victims. Logan, a wealthy ex-con/tycoon, needs her to rescue one of his medical researchers from an evil rival. Evil spies, traitors, and vengeance are mixed up with a huge helping of love (also, rather a surprise from Johansen- Lust, rather than love seems to be her primary story vehicle) to create a tale worth reading.
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison B+Second in her Rachel Hunter bounty hunter series. Sprites, vampires, werewolves, demons, bad mo-jo. Good urban magic tale.
Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison B+
Third in her Rachel Hunter bounty hunter series. Sadly, her stories are becoming more polished and less fun…
Heart of Stone by C.E. Murphy B+
I didn’t think this one was as good as her Walker Papers series; however, I did enjoy it quite a bit. Urban fantasy: gargoyles, vampires, dragons, djinns and selkies in the heart of New York.
The Face of Deception by Iris Johansen B+
The first in her Eve Duncan, forensic anthropologist series. I haven’t read much Johansen, but my mom thought I might like her Eve Duncan series. I’m not sure… It started out interesting but ended up going political which I found annoying- about a murdered president and the man substituted for him. Ten years ago, Duncan lost her daughter to a serial killer… She became a forensic artist to help deal with the stress and to help other parents find their missing children. I like the Duncan character, but this book is so convoluted and involved with politics…
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult B
I’ve seen a lot of Picoult’s work and they’re always on the bestseller lists, so I thought I’d try a couple. This one’s much better than the other one I tried- Picture Perfect. Much, much better. Apparently, her thing is writing stories about headline events: date rapes, school shootings, sports guys doing drugs… Remember the old ‘after-school special’? That’s the kind of thing Picoult writes. This one was about a 14 year old who’s date-raped by her 17 year old boy-friend. Except it’s not really about the rape itself or the situation that caused it- the story’s about the aftermath and how it affects their families & friends and the small town they live in. The boy is a hockey hero and known by everyone, while she’s a faceless freshman.
The book is told primarily through the eyes of the father of the girl, which makes for an interesting tale. The father is an up and coming comic book writer/artist and there are pages from his comic book spread through the book- I liked that part. The comic idea is interesting and it reinforces what’s happening in the story.
The Big Over Easy, A Nursery Crimes Mystery by Jasper Fforde B
This was HARD to get into. Even though I enjoy the Thursday Next books, The Big Over Easy dragged. A confusing mystery with almost too many convolutions… If you don’t enjoy British/Welsh humor, BOE is just plain odd. Humor is SUCH a cultural thing- so few jokes cross over. Plus, this is literary humor, so you’ve got to be familiar with your nursery rhymes: Solomon Grundy, Jack Spratt, Tom Tom the Piper’s Son, Mary Mary quite contrary, Humpty Dumpty, Georgy Porgy… These are all MAIN characters in Fforde’s world. Before jumping into this one better brush up on your Mother Goose, and get into a European mood…
Body of Lies by Iris Johansen C
Another of the Eve Duncan forensic sculptor books. I liked her characters, but this one went all political, too. There’s this cabal with members from secret groups like the freemasons and they run the world… And the good guys are trying to get rid of them, but there’s more going on. Anyway, that’s what the book is about and it’s merely okay.
The Red Heart of Jade by Marjorie M. Liu C
This is the third book in the Dirk & Steele Detective agency series. Kind of a disappointment. Yes, she’s a young writer, but this one had some odd jumps and lapses, and was confusing in rather important parts, such as the climactic moment.
(Also, sidenote: Beth found the first one of these on a library shelf so neither of realized the only place to find them is in the romance section of Barnes & Noble- right between an illustration of a pirate ripping open the bodice of some dazed-looking blonde and another one of a muscle-bound cowboy dressed only in jeans, boots and a hat standing in an open field… I’m not sure we would have ever picked up the first one if we’d known…)
The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen C
I wish Johansen’s books had a little more charm or wonder… They seem fairly hard and cold to me. I guess that’s the way a lot of people view the world though. It seems to me that Stephen King’s books have more charm than Johansen’s…
Anyway, this is a Cinderella sort of tale. Plain Jane is in a terrible accident, gets whisked away and through the magic of plastic reconstructive surgery becomes a mind-boggling Helen of Troy. There’s evil spies, vengeance, lust and adventure galore. I’m sure it’s a good book. I’m just not sure it was my cup of tea.
Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult C
Somebody tell me why this woman has had so many bestsellers?! This book was lousy, clichéd and sad… Domestic violence, famous husband, wife too scared to leave… I’ve read this before and it was told better. I just kept thinking it would get better, but it didn’t.
The Haunting of Josie by Kay Hooper D
One of her first books- a romance with paranormal touches. Not very good. Probably shouldn’t have been republished. At least I liked the main character.
I didn’t think this one was as good as her Walker Papers series; however, I did enjoy it quite a bit. Urban fantasy: gargoyles, vampires, dragons, djinns and selkies in the heart of New York.
The Face of Deception by Iris Johansen B+
The first in her Eve Duncan, forensic anthropologist series. I haven’t read much Johansen, but my mom thought I might like her Eve Duncan series. I’m not sure… It started out interesting but ended up going political which I found annoying- about a murdered president and the man substituted for him. Ten years ago, Duncan lost her daughter to a serial killer… She became a forensic artist to help deal with the stress and to help other parents find their missing children. I like the Duncan character, but this book is so convoluted and involved with politics…
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult B
I’ve seen a lot of Picoult’s work and they’re always on the bestseller lists, so I thought I’d try a couple. This one’s much better than the other one I tried- Picture Perfect. Much, much better. Apparently, her thing is writing stories about headline events: date rapes, school shootings, sports guys doing drugs… Remember the old ‘after-school special’? That’s the kind of thing Picoult writes. This one was about a 14 year old who’s date-raped by her 17 year old boy-friend. Except it’s not really about the rape itself or the situation that caused it- the story’s about the aftermath and how it affects their families & friends and the small town they live in. The boy is a hockey hero and known by everyone, while she’s a faceless freshman.
The book is told primarily through the eyes of the father of the girl, which makes for an interesting tale. The father is an up and coming comic book writer/artist and there are pages from his comic book spread through the book- I liked that part. The comic idea is interesting and it reinforces what’s happening in the story.
The Big Over Easy, A Nursery Crimes Mystery by Jasper Fforde B
This was HARD to get into. Even though I enjoy the Thursday Next books, The Big Over Easy dragged. A confusing mystery with almost too many convolutions… If you don’t enjoy British/Welsh humor, BOE is just plain odd. Humor is SUCH a cultural thing- so few jokes cross over. Plus, this is literary humor, so you’ve got to be familiar with your nursery rhymes: Solomon Grundy, Jack Spratt, Tom Tom the Piper’s Son, Mary Mary quite contrary, Humpty Dumpty, Georgy Porgy… These are all MAIN characters in Fforde’s world. Before jumping into this one better brush up on your Mother Goose, and get into a European mood…
Body of Lies by Iris Johansen C
Another of the Eve Duncan forensic sculptor books. I liked her characters, but this one went all political, too. There’s this cabal with members from secret groups like the freemasons and they run the world… And the good guys are trying to get rid of them, but there’s more going on. Anyway, that’s what the book is about and it’s merely okay.
The Red Heart of Jade by Marjorie M. Liu C
This is the third book in the Dirk & Steele Detective agency series. Kind of a disappointment. Yes, she’s a young writer, but this one had some odd jumps and lapses, and was confusing in rather important parts, such as the climactic moment.
(Also, sidenote: Beth found the first one of these on a library shelf so neither of realized the only place to find them is in the romance section of Barnes & Noble- right between an illustration of a pirate ripping open the bodice of some dazed-looking blonde and another one of a muscle-bound cowboy dressed only in jeans, boots and a hat standing in an open field… I’m not sure we would have ever picked up the first one if we’d known…)
The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen C
I wish Johansen’s books had a little more charm or wonder… They seem fairly hard and cold to me. I guess that’s the way a lot of people view the world though. It seems to me that Stephen King’s books have more charm than Johansen’s…
Anyway, this is a Cinderella sort of tale. Plain Jane is in a terrible accident, gets whisked away and through the magic of plastic reconstructive surgery becomes a mind-boggling Helen of Troy. There’s evil spies, vengeance, lust and adventure galore. I’m sure it’s a good book. I’m just not sure it was my cup of tea.
Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult C
Somebody tell me why this woman has had so many bestsellers?! This book was lousy, clichéd and sad… Domestic violence, famous husband, wife too scared to leave… I’ve read this before and it was told better. I just kept thinking it would get better, but it didn’t.
The Haunting of Josie by Kay Hooper D
One of her first books- a romance with paranormal touches. Not very good. Probably shouldn’t have been republished. At least I liked the main character.
Friday, February 29, 2008
My Most Serious Health Concern, Part 1
I have a disease called endometriosis, which makes a nasty mess of the uterus. I was originally diagnosed by accident.
One June morning in 1995 right after I graduated from college, I woke up in terrible pain. My friend Angie once told me that when you have appendicitis it hurts so bad that you know. Well, I knew. My stomach hurt so bad on my right side that I could barely move. I called my doctor’s office, and woke up my sister to come with me. She didn’t have her driver’s license and couldn’t drive me. (Sidenote: she got her driver’s permit and started taking lessons right after this so that she could drive in an emergency.) So, I ended up driving myself to my doctor’s office, and then, for some mysterious reason I had to drive myself to a doctor’s office across town to see another doctor… Beth came with me and had to listen to me groan and moan the whole way. (definite incentive for her to get her driver’s license)
My parents met us at the second doctor’s office and then drove us to the hospital. At this point it pretty much becomes a blur. I remember seeing them in the waiting room after the doctor pushed my stomach and made me scream. And I remember them putting me into the car in the parking lot.
The next thing I remember is waking up and feeling horrible. While the doctor had me open he looked around and discovered I didn’t just have appendicitis. I also had endometriosis, diagnosed by cysts on and around the uterus. In fact, at first they didn’t even think I really had appendicitis. But after tests were done on my appendix, they realized that yes, it was diseased, and yes, it would have ruptured.
I had a REALLY nasty reaction to the anesthesia and ended up staying in the hospital for several days. And I was sick for about two months. (In fact, I showed up at Southwestern seminary a couple months later still recovering from the surgery.)
The surgeon had called in an OB in the middle of my surgery (which added time and FREAKED my parents out) and together they took this silly little video of my insides. I met this OB for the first time a couple weeks after my surgery and he let us see the video. He told my mother and me that I had a very mild case of endo and that I really didn’t need to be worried about it. That I should see another OB in a year, but that this wasn’t anything I needed to be worried about.
One June morning in 1995 right after I graduated from college, I woke up in terrible pain. My friend Angie once told me that when you have appendicitis it hurts so bad that you know. Well, I knew. My stomach hurt so bad on my right side that I could barely move. I called my doctor’s office, and woke up my sister to come with me. She didn’t have her driver’s license and couldn’t drive me. (Sidenote: she got her driver’s permit and started taking lessons right after this so that she could drive in an emergency.) So, I ended up driving myself to my doctor’s office, and then, for some mysterious reason I had to drive myself to a doctor’s office across town to see another doctor… Beth came with me and had to listen to me groan and moan the whole way. (definite incentive for her to get her driver’s license)
My parents met us at the second doctor’s office and then drove us to the hospital. At this point it pretty much becomes a blur. I remember seeing them in the waiting room after the doctor pushed my stomach and made me scream. And I remember them putting me into the car in the parking lot.
The next thing I remember is waking up and feeling horrible. While the doctor had me open he looked around and discovered I didn’t just have appendicitis. I also had endometriosis, diagnosed by cysts on and around the uterus. In fact, at first they didn’t even think I really had appendicitis. But after tests were done on my appendix, they realized that yes, it was diseased, and yes, it would have ruptured.
I had a REALLY nasty reaction to the anesthesia and ended up staying in the hospital for several days. And I was sick for about two months. (In fact, I showed up at Southwestern seminary a couple months later still recovering from the surgery.)
The surgeon had called in an OB in the middle of my surgery (which added time and FREAKED my parents out) and together they took this silly little video of my insides. I met this OB for the first time a couple weeks after my surgery and he let us see the video. He told my mother and me that I had a very mild case of endo and that I really didn’t need to be worried about it. That I should see another OB in a year, but that this wasn’t anything I needed to be worried about.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Death of 'Cats'
Our copy of Webber's 'Cats' has finally passed into oblivion. As near as I can tell, the girls watched it 60 times in the last month and a half... I guess I now know the resiliency of the average video tape after being stored. My mom purchased it about ten years ago, watched it once, then Beth & I probably watched it twice. Then the video languished alone in storage for probably ten years... After being brought into the light and viewed repeatedly, it is officially dead.
Poor sad movie. Poor sad girls! They've requested the movie several times over the last week and explaining that a movie is broken doesn't work too well for a 2 year old.It's very fun to listen to Deborah singing 'Memory'. She's doing pretty good on the melody for a 4 year old, but her version of the words! I'm glad I can control my giggles after years of defending our cats' sensibilities. (If you dont know, cats HATE to be laughed at, and so do 4 year old girls.)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Third Funniest Thing Ever
This is not really a joke. It actually happened to someone. To someone like one of my college friends who is very embarrassed about all personal bodily functions. I will not say who that person is because she would be embarrassed if I said it was her. All things having to do with sex, procreation and feminine products are off limits in conversations with her. She's a very intelligent woman who just has a couple personal hang-ups. Don't we all?
Anyway, this didn't happen to her, but you should be thinking of her or someone like her when you read this story.
****
A woman goes in to a store to buy some feminine hygiene products. Because she's uncomfortable with anyone knowing exactly what she needs she picks up about five or six other things- toothpaste, tomatoes, yogurt, milk, bread- you get the idea.
She chooses the line with the female checker and discreetly places her few items on the checker's counter. When the checker runs her box of feminine hygine products over the scanner nothing rings up, so she picks up the phone and broadcasts over the store, "Price check on Tampax! Price check on Tampax!" The woman is embarrassed and a little miffed.
Imagine everyone's shock when this response is heard over the entire store, "Is that the kind you push in with your thumb or the kind you pound in with a hammer?" (Get it? thumb tacks - tampax)
Anyway, this didn't happen to her, but you should be thinking of her or someone like her when you read this story.
****
A woman goes in to a store to buy some feminine hygiene products. Because she's uncomfortable with anyone knowing exactly what she needs she picks up about five or six other things- toothpaste, tomatoes, yogurt, milk, bread- you get the idea.
She chooses the line with the female checker and discreetly places her few items on the checker's counter. When the checker runs her box of feminine hygine products over the scanner nothing rings up, so she picks up the phone and broadcasts over the store, "Price check on Tampax! Price check on Tampax!" The woman is embarrassed and a little miffed.
Imagine everyone's shock when this response is heard over the entire store, "Is that the kind you push in with your thumb or the kind you pound in with a hammer?" (Get it? thumb tacks - tampax)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
My new haircut
I admit I'm a little shocked... I've been thinking about this for a while and I still can't quite believe my hair is this short. Most days I like it. Sometimes I'm like, 'I just want to be lazy and put my hair in a pony tail' and I CAN'T anymore. And man, when it wants to be funky, look out! It can stick straight up! My hair has NEVER stuck straight up before.
And once again, I've freaked out a hair stylist. This time, she ended up basically asking me to come back so she could finish up... I've got so much hair, and it never looks like it 'cuz it's so flat and fine. There is just a TON of flat and fine hair on my head! Stylists frequently get halfway thru and then realize they're only halfway thru... And they panic. 'Cuz it's taken 'em 45 minutes to an hour to get there, and they've got the next client waiting and they're only halfway thru... So I went back today and she got to finish up and we're both happy! I love my new do!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
This is my 2nd Favorite Joke
I'm pretty sure that John Tillman in Company told me this joke. It's my 2nd favorite joke of all time. I can almost tell it right, but have messed it up a couple times, too. Why can't I tell a joke? If I had to save my life by telling a joke, I'd be shot dead!
****
A panda bear walks into a bar, and tells the bartender that he wants to have lunch. The bartender gives him a menu and he orders.
The panda bear eats his lunch, and when he finishes, he gets up to leave. Suddenly, the panda bear pulls an AK-47 out of his fur, and shoots the bar to pieces. He then heads for the door.
The shocked bartender jumps out from behind the destroyed bar and yells, "Hey, what do you think you're doing? You ate lunch, shot up my bar, and now you're just going to leave?"
The panda bear answers calmly, "I'm a panda bear." The bartender says, "Yeah, so?" The panda bear replies, "Look it up!" and walks out the door.
The bartender jumps back behind the ruined bar and grabs his encyclopedia. He looks up "Panda" and sure enough, there is a picture of the panda bear.
He reads the caption, which says, "Panda Bear: a cuddly, black and white creature. Eats shoots and leaves."
****
A panda bear walks into a bar, and tells the bartender that he wants to have lunch. The bartender gives him a menu and he orders.
The panda bear eats his lunch, and when he finishes, he gets up to leave. Suddenly, the panda bear pulls an AK-47 out of his fur, and shoots the bar to pieces. He then heads for the door.
The shocked bartender jumps out from behind the destroyed bar and yells, "Hey, what do you think you're doing? You ate lunch, shot up my bar, and now you're just going to leave?"
The panda bear answers calmly, "I'm a panda bear." The bartender says, "Yeah, so?" The panda bear replies, "Look it up!" and walks out the door.
The bartender jumps back behind the ruined bar and grabs his encyclopedia. He looks up "Panda" and sure enough, there is a picture of the panda bear.
He reads the caption, which says, "Panda Bear: a cuddly, black and white creature. Eats shoots and leaves."
This is My Favorite Joke Ever!
I love this joke- I heard it in high school or in college, and I can NEVER ever tell it right. I always end up forgetting part of the punch line, or enough of the joke for it not to be funny. So finally! Here it is, correct and complete:
****
A string walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender says, “Look, I can’t serve you, you’re a string.” So he walks outside, twists himself up tight, and pulls out his ends. Then he walks back into the bar. “Buddy,” the bartender says, “I already told you: I can’t serve a string.” And the string says, “I’m a frayed knot!” (Get it? “I’m afraid not?!”)
****
A string walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender says, “Look, I can’t serve you, you’re a string.” So he walks outside, twists himself up tight, and pulls out his ends. Then he walks back into the bar. “Buddy,” the bartender says, “I already told you: I can’t serve a string.” And the string says, “I’m a frayed knot!” (Get it? “I’m afraid not?!”)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Lack of Energy
I've been busy, busy, busy lately. And not feeling too hot. All last week I had trouble sleeping. Jake's been snoring- I think he's sick- which means I don't sleep well.
We finally seem to have gotten over the difficult part of Deborah's nemesis at school. She's found another group of friends to play with and is delighted to go to school again. At least she was today...
I don't seem to have any energy for anything creative right now... Which probably means I'm in my mid-Winter slump. Around February I feel like sleeping all the time and just staying home... Part and parcel of living in the dark for the last three months I suppose. I keep saying to myself, "Soon it will be Spring!" I wish I could convince myself! I'm down in the blacks.
We finally seem to have gotten over the difficult part of Deborah's nemesis at school. She's found another group of friends to play with and is delighted to go to school again. At least she was today...
I don't seem to have any energy for anything creative right now... Which probably means I'm in my mid-Winter slump. Around February I feel like sleeping all the time and just staying home... Part and parcel of living in the dark for the last three months I suppose. I keep saying to myself, "Soon it will be Spring!" I wish I could convince myself! I'm down in the blacks.
Airplane blunder
My aunt passed this one on. I thought it was fun and that I'd share with anyone who hadn't previously read this apparently true story:
A woman was flying from Seattle to San Francisco. Unexpectedly, the plane was diverted to Sacramento along the way.
The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay, and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft the plane would re-board in 50 minutes. Everybody got off the plane except one lady who was blind.
The woman had noticed her as she walked by and could tell the lady was blind because her Seeing Eye dog lay quietly underneath the seats in front of her throughout the entire flight. She could also tell the blind woman had flown this very flight before because the pilot approached her and, calling her by name, said, "Kathy, we are in Sacramento for almost an hour. Would you like to get off and stretch your legs?" The blind lady replied, "No thanks, but maybe Buddy would like to stretch his legs."
Picture this: All the people in the gate area came to a complete standstill when they looked up and saw the pilot walk off the plane with a Seeing Eye dog! The pilot was even wearing sunglasses. People scattered. They not only tried to change planes, but they were trying to change airlines!
A woman was flying from Seattle to San Francisco. Unexpectedly, the plane was diverted to Sacramento along the way.
The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay, and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft the plane would re-board in 50 minutes. Everybody got off the plane except one lady who was blind.
The woman had noticed her as she walked by and could tell the lady was blind because her Seeing Eye dog lay quietly underneath the seats in front of her throughout the entire flight. She could also tell the blind woman had flown this very flight before because the pilot approached her and, calling her by name, said, "Kathy, we are in Sacramento for almost an hour. Would you like to get off and stretch your legs?" The blind lady replied, "No thanks, but maybe Buddy would like to stretch his legs."
Picture this: All the people in the gate area came to a complete standstill when they looked up and saw the pilot walk off the plane with a Seeing Eye dog! The pilot was even wearing sunglasses. People scattered. They not only tried to change planes, but they were trying to change airlines!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Mean Girls
Deborah has a problem kid at school. I want to remind you that Deborah is 4 and in pre-school.
This other child, who shall remain nameless, will now and forever be called 'J' in my blog...
J has had a very difficult child-hood: living with a foster family, now returned to her parents... Also, her foster family had three teenage girls, so she's been around the whole "boys, makeup & hair-do's, and clique" type attitude.
J likes to control most of the other kids around her, and does this by 'letting' them or not 'letting' them play with her. At first she and Deborah were friends, but they've gone through this whole 'I'm your friend now, but tomorrow I won't be' thing.
She has called Deborah 'fat' and 'stupid'. Words completely unacceptable in school and in our home.
We've asked Deborah to avoid playing with this other girl, but this has led to her kind of being a pariah in her class...
We've talked to her teacher, who is very concerned about the situation. She knew something was going one, but didn't know how much it's affecting Deborah. Miss Emily is working on teaching the kids about feelings, hurting each other's feelings, and kind vs. unkind words.
Right now, I'm having a battle with Deborah every morning about going to school. I HATE making her go to school. I know how bad this all feels, 'cuz I had two girls who did similar things to me- one in kindergarten and one in 2nd grade. When you're a kid in the middle of this kind of mess, it's HUGE.
Anyway, this is what's going on here...
This other child, who shall remain nameless, will now and forever be called 'J' in my blog...
J has had a very difficult child-hood: living with a foster family, now returned to her parents... Also, her foster family had three teenage girls, so she's been around the whole "boys, makeup & hair-do's, and clique" type attitude.
J likes to control most of the other kids around her, and does this by 'letting' them or not 'letting' them play with her. At first she and Deborah were friends, but they've gone through this whole 'I'm your friend now, but tomorrow I won't be' thing.
She has called Deborah 'fat' and 'stupid'. Words completely unacceptable in school and in our home.
We've asked Deborah to avoid playing with this other girl, but this has led to her kind of being a pariah in her class...
We've talked to her teacher, who is very concerned about the situation. She knew something was going one, but didn't know how much it's affecting Deborah. Miss Emily is working on teaching the kids about feelings, hurting each other's feelings, and kind vs. unkind words.
Right now, I'm having a battle with Deborah every morning about going to school. I HATE making her go to school. I know how bad this all feels, 'cuz I had two girls who did similar things to me- one in kindergarten and one in 2nd grade. When you're a kid in the middle of this kind of mess, it's HUGE.
Anyway, this is what's going on here...
Sunday, February 10, 2008
A week of weather
We've had a week of -35 to -45 here in Fairbanks... Plus nasty ice fog. Which means Deborah's been home most of the week 'cuz her bus doesn't run when it's that cold.
I'm not supposed to run when it's this cold, 'cuz then I have trouble breathing. I have mild asthma- mostly triggered my weather and activity. And of course our weather this week triggered my asthma. I hate using my inhaler 'cuz it makes me shaky and wakeful so I avoid it til I absolutely have to use it. And I've had to use it several times lately. Makes me feel like a druggie coming off a high or a diabetic running out of insulin- all quivery and jumpy. Yuck! But as my family points out, better use it at home than be carted off to the ER.
I saw the coolest thing last night- I was out and about doing errands and driving across town. We've got two overpasses in town- one on the Mitchell expressway and one on the Johansen expressway. As I was driving on the Johansen overpass I saw the ice fog blowing across the ground and then lifting up over the expressway. There was enough wind to keep it flat, slim and straight- like a finger of fog trailing something and pointing it out. Or like some evil thing directly out of Harry Potter... Just a sliver of long trailing fog... Very cool in the dark.
I'm not supposed to run when it's this cold, 'cuz then I have trouble breathing. I have mild asthma- mostly triggered my weather and activity. And of course our weather this week triggered my asthma. I hate using my inhaler 'cuz it makes me shaky and wakeful so I avoid it til I absolutely have to use it. And I've had to use it several times lately. Makes me feel like a druggie coming off a high or a diabetic running out of insulin- all quivery and jumpy. Yuck! But as my family points out, better use it at home than be carted off to the ER.
I saw the coolest thing last night- I was out and about doing errands and driving across town. We've got two overpasses in town- one on the Mitchell expressway and one on the Johansen expressway. As I was driving on the Johansen overpass I saw the ice fog blowing across the ground and then lifting up over the expressway. There was enough wind to keep it flat, slim and straight- like a finger of fog trailing something and pointing it out. Or like some evil thing directly out of Harry Potter... Just a sliver of long trailing fog... Very cool in the dark.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Cats
I enjoy the musical Cats quite a bit... I could probably watch it once a year. I enjoy the music and the dancing- I've seen it live and enjoyed it more than most of Webber's musicals. For one thing, I like cats and enjoyed watching these amazing dancers take on the strong character & motion of them. For another, I like Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats...
However, my girls have recently discovered the Cats movie. And they LOVE it. They want to watch it at least once every day, and most days they want to watch it twice... It inspires them to dance, laugh and sing. They'll watch part of a song and then start dancing, and then watch some more and then dance some more. It's as fun to watch them as it is to watch the movie action...
As much as I enjoy the music and the girls' dancing, I do NOT want to watch it or listen to it twice a day! The songs are playing over and over and over in my mind... Last night I couldn't get to sleep for hearing: 'Bustifer Jones is not skin and bones, in fact he's remarkably fat'... and 'oh, well, there never was there ever a cat so clever as magical Mister Mistofoles'...
Aaaah! Webber's music really sticks in your head!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Waltzing Rebecca
For Christmas I gave Jake a gift certificate for the two of us to take 6 weeks of beginning ballroom dancing lessons... Waltz, Foxtrot, and East Coast Swing. He was skeptical, but gracious and willing. Frankly, I just wanted to give him something that the two of us could do together and alone! Living with two kids, a sister and a mom doesn't leave much time for the two of us to just be by ourselves. I also wanted to do something fun, and something challenging.
We've now had three lessons, and we're having fun! The first time was okay, the second was exhausting, but it seems that we've finally hit our stride or something. Jake actually enjoyed himself!
One thing I can say about ballroom dancing is "Wow, the guy works hard!" He has to do almost all the thinking. As long as Jake knows what he's doing and is confident, I can pretty much just follow his lead and we look great. If he gets messed up, it's curtains. Of course, I can trip us up, but it's not the same...
I'd done some basic steps, but never worked like this with a partner. It's a lot of fun to work on something together... Since we met in church and on the praise team, we're used to working together, but we haven't been able to do music lately. He's playing with our worship band, but they don't use vocalists, and our worship leader isn't convinced of the need for a djembe... So, it's wonderful to have something creative & silly we can do together. (side note: I admit our teachers don't view it as quite the silly & fun thing we do! I'm glad we can laugh at ourselves even if they can't. They're great teachers, but they take this stuff pretty seriously...)
January Books
Reserved for the Cat by Mercedes Lackey A
I loved this one!
The fifth in her Elemental Masters series. Each of these books is loosely based on a fairy tale, and then placed in England before the turn of the century. I thoroughly enjoy these books, although I admit none of them come up to the standard of the very first one, The Serpent’s Shadow, which is very loosely based on Snow White. Putting a fresh spin on an old and well-known tale is difficult to impossible, yet Lackey pulls it off with charm, humor and simplicity.
Reserved for the Cat is loosely based on Puss in Boots. Lackey adds a bit of ballet, a touch of theatre life, spreads elemental magic throughout, and then tops it off with just a hint of romance. And once again, her recipe for excellent fantasy delights. Her characters are sympathetic, interesting and believable. The period touches add fun and weight. Bonus: Lackey’s thorough knowledge of the time period grants the reader insights into the major upheavals of the time: racism, changing gender roles, class struggle between the aristocracy and general British citizenry, the industrial revolution’s effect on people’s lives…
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince A
Re-read. Loved it! Good to read a favorite through again.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling A
I loved this… I bought it the day it came out and I’ve put off reading it forever. I just couldn’t bear to read it. I guess I thought if I hadn’t read it the series really wasn’t over, which is silly. Cuz yes, she wrote it, so yes, it’s over. I was satisfied. I’m so glad Snape wasn’t an evil villain. I didn’t want him to be! I was sad Dumbledore was really dead. There were way too many deaths, and there was a section in the middle that just d-r-a-g-g-e-d… But I loved it. And the ending wasn’t too schmaltzy for me. I was glad to have those questions answered. The best review of this book was done by Stephen King and can be found on the Entertainment Weekly site here: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20044270_20044274_20050689,00.html
I loved this one!
The fifth in her Elemental Masters series. Each of these books is loosely based on a fairy tale, and then placed in England before the turn of the century. I thoroughly enjoy these books, although I admit none of them come up to the standard of the very first one, The Serpent’s Shadow, which is very loosely based on Snow White. Putting a fresh spin on an old and well-known tale is difficult to impossible, yet Lackey pulls it off with charm, humor and simplicity.
Reserved for the Cat is loosely based on Puss in Boots. Lackey adds a bit of ballet, a touch of theatre life, spreads elemental magic throughout, and then tops it off with just a hint of romance. And once again, her recipe for excellent fantasy delights. Her characters are sympathetic, interesting and believable. The period touches add fun and weight. Bonus: Lackey’s thorough knowledge of the time period grants the reader insights into the major upheavals of the time: racism, changing gender roles, class struggle between the aristocracy and general British citizenry, the industrial revolution’s effect on people’s lives…
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince A
Re-read. Loved it! Good to read a favorite through again.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling A
I loved this… I bought it the day it came out and I’ve put off reading it forever. I just couldn’t bear to read it. I guess I thought if I hadn’t read it the series really wasn’t over, which is silly. Cuz yes, she wrote it, so yes, it’s over. I was satisfied. I’m so glad Snape wasn’t an evil villain. I didn’t want him to be! I was sad Dumbledore was really dead. There were way too many deaths, and there was a section in the middle that just d-r-a-g-g-e-d… But I loved it. And the ending wasn’t too schmaltzy for me. I was glad to have those questions answered. The best review of this book was done by Stephen King and can be found on the Entertainment Weekly site here: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20044270_20044274_20050689,00.html
I love how King compares the draggy section of The Deathly Hallows to the part of Robinson Crusoe where he’s out in the middle of the ocean and keeps going ashore to different islands in search of food…
Outlaw Mountain J.A. Jance A
A Sheriff Joanna Brady mystery. Very good.
Partner in Crime J.A. Jance A
Sheriff Brady meets Homicide Investigator J.P. Beaumont. They don’t really get along. Excellent.
Wizard’s Daughter by Catherine Coulter A-
Silly fantasy/romance. Interesting mystery that kind of peters out at the end. The buildup was really good, but the ending was a bit of a let down… .
Birds of Prey J.A. Jance A
Homicide Detective, J.P. Beaumont takes an Alaskan cruise ship directly to murder.
The Gift by Richard Paul Evans B
Kind of a ‘spiritual’ book… About a kid with the power to heal others, but that power comes with a severe price: each time he heals someone he gets sick- really, really sick, leukemia-type sick.
Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen & Bruce Coville A
Excellent YA. This book is told alternately by two teenage characters: Marina & Jed. They have each been dragged by a parent into a freaky millennialist/survivalist cult which has set itself up on the top of a mountain to wait for the end of the world. The leader of this cult preaches that the end of the world will come on a specific day, July 27 2000, and that only 144 will be saved… The story is funny, charming, disturbing and very sad.
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins both A
These move quickly and are well written. Clear believable characters, humor and tragedy, a fully developed world. This series started out as an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ adventure, but has developed into more of a young ‘Lord of the Rings’ adventure. I have thoroughly enjoyed these and would recommend them to anyone. (Donna, that means you!) Very clean. Very fun.
The Calhouns by Nora Roberts B
Enjoyed these very much. Five sisters search through the past to save their home.
Desert Heat by J.A. Jance A
The first Joanna Brady mystery. Excellent. Joanna’s husband dies and she must figure out what’s going on and why everyone’s saying he committed suicide when she knows he didn’t…
Tombstone Courage by J.A. Jance A
The second Joanna Brady mystery. Also excellent. Joanna is the new sheriff & must take on her first case…
Pandemic by Daniel Kalla A
Disturbing book about a seriously wicked flu virus and a seriously demented Jihadist… Very good.
Sorcery & Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede & Caroline Stevermer B
SLOW start, but it ended up quite well. This is a book based on the letter game (2 people writing back and forth as different characters- just playing around really). After they were done killing off the bad guys they got together and realized they’d written a book. ‘Sorcery’ takes place in an alternate England just after the Napoleonic wars where magic abounds. There’s much about manners with just enough silliness to make it fun… My impression is that it took them about half the book to figure out what they were doing, and that it got quite good after that.
The Grand Tour by Wrede & Stevermer A
Second in the ‘Sorcery & Cecilia’ series. Much better than the first- they’ve definitely gotten good at this whole letter game business. Grand Tour takes place in Europe on the cousins’ honeymoon tour and is a rollicking good magic/historic/mystery/romance tale. I enjoyed it immensely.
Tiger Eye & Shadow Touch by Margorie M. Liu B+
I enjoyed these very much… They’re paranormal romances/mysteries, and they’re fun, but a little wordy/effusive. I love seeing books with the same characters. She’s a young writer and is still using way too many words to say what she needs to say, but they’re still fun.
Spiderwick Chronicles, Volume 1- The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black A
I thought this was funny & silly… Took me 20 to 30 minutes to read and I found it enchanting. Fairies, brownies, trolls. My girls have looked over and over the illustrations… They love them!
The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years Later by Wrede & Stevermer B
This is the final one in their ‘Sorcery & Cecilia’ series and takes place back in England. Fun & silly, but not as good as their second one.
Shoot/Don’t Shoot, Dead to Rights, & Skeleton Canyon by J.A. Jance A
Three, four & five in the Joanna Brady mystery series. I like these and am finding them a little addictive. Sympathetic characters, solid & interesting plots, intriguing mysteries. My favorite was Skeleton Canyon- I don’t know why particularly- Maybe ‘cuz I really liked the ending. It’s clean and one of the main characters has a drastic change of heart. There are some interesting messages in these about forgiveness, justice, duty and God’s faithfulness…
Gregor & the Code of the Claw by Suzanne Collins A-
I’ve just devoured these. Great adventure/coming of age type books. But this one was a disappointment. It’s the finale, and just didn’t live up to its potential, in my opinion- I didn’t think it was as good as the others, plus it didn’t really wrap anything up. There’s a ‘boy, war really sucks’ kind of message slapped at you at the end, and I was left going, ‘what on earth was that??’
Edge of Evil and Web of Evil by J.A. Jance A
Books one and two in a completely different series with different characters. These revolve around a 40-ish TV reporter who’s kicked out of her anchor chair because she’s ‘over the hill’. She then discovers that her executive husband is having an affair. And to top it off, her best friend is found dead… These stories are good. Interesting to me because in both of Jance’s other series (Joanna Brady, J.P. Beaumont) the reporters are the BAD guys. And here we have a reporter as the good guy.
I find the situations she’s in a little unbelievable because she ends up in so much craziness- 3 gun fights in one night, for example. She’s a reporter! Not a police officer… And most police officers aren’t in multiple gun fights…. However, I’m still enjoying them… Just kind of going along and suspending my disbelief for the sake of the story.
Blood Dreams by Kay Hooper A
The first in another one of Hooper’s FBI/Bishop Special Agents trilogies. Hooper writes about FBI agents who defeat psycho sickos using paranormal gifts. The main character in this one has some precognitive vision-type powers which give her warnings about upcoming events. And the good guys are trying to catch a whacko serial killer.
Hooper is a real ‘hit or miss’ type writer- some of her books are excellently crafted with interesting plots and great characters. And then you’ll pick up another book and it reads very much like a first book by a total newbie author. It’s weird. Beth and I both read her stuff and enjoy them very much, but some of her books are so frustrating! We know she can do it. She’s done it before. She has interesting concepts. Some of them are rip-roaring… But then you’ll get one of her duds and be like ‘What happened? Did she fall asleep at the computer? Did her editor cut tons of stuff out? Why is this so bad?’ Anyway, Blood Dreams lives up to its’ potential. Yay!
Outlaw Mountain J.A. Jance A
A Sheriff Joanna Brady mystery. Very good.
Partner in Crime J.A. Jance A
Sheriff Brady meets Homicide Investigator J.P. Beaumont. They don’t really get along. Excellent.
Wizard’s Daughter by Catherine Coulter A-
Silly fantasy/romance. Interesting mystery that kind of peters out at the end. The buildup was really good, but the ending was a bit of a let down… .
Birds of Prey J.A. Jance A
Homicide Detective, J.P. Beaumont takes an Alaskan cruise ship directly to murder.
The Gift by Richard Paul Evans B
Kind of a ‘spiritual’ book… About a kid with the power to heal others, but that power comes with a severe price: each time he heals someone he gets sick- really, really sick, leukemia-type sick.
Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen & Bruce Coville A
Excellent YA. This book is told alternately by two teenage characters: Marina & Jed. They have each been dragged by a parent into a freaky millennialist/survivalist cult which has set itself up on the top of a mountain to wait for the end of the world. The leader of this cult preaches that the end of the world will come on a specific day, July 27 2000, and that only 144 will be saved… The story is funny, charming, disturbing and very sad.
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins both A
These move quickly and are well written. Clear believable characters, humor and tragedy, a fully developed world. This series started out as an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ adventure, but has developed into more of a young ‘Lord of the Rings’ adventure. I have thoroughly enjoyed these and would recommend them to anyone. (Donna, that means you!) Very clean. Very fun.
The Calhouns by Nora Roberts B
Enjoyed these very much. Five sisters search through the past to save their home.
Desert Heat by J.A. Jance A
The first Joanna Brady mystery. Excellent. Joanna’s husband dies and she must figure out what’s going on and why everyone’s saying he committed suicide when she knows he didn’t…
Tombstone Courage by J.A. Jance A
The second Joanna Brady mystery. Also excellent. Joanna is the new sheriff & must take on her first case…
Pandemic by Daniel Kalla A
Disturbing book about a seriously wicked flu virus and a seriously demented Jihadist… Very good.
Sorcery & Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede & Caroline Stevermer B
SLOW start, but it ended up quite well. This is a book based on the letter game (2 people writing back and forth as different characters- just playing around really). After they were done killing off the bad guys they got together and realized they’d written a book. ‘Sorcery’ takes place in an alternate England just after the Napoleonic wars where magic abounds. There’s much about manners with just enough silliness to make it fun… My impression is that it took them about half the book to figure out what they were doing, and that it got quite good after that.
The Grand Tour by Wrede & Stevermer A
Second in the ‘Sorcery & Cecilia’ series. Much better than the first- they’ve definitely gotten good at this whole letter game business. Grand Tour takes place in Europe on the cousins’ honeymoon tour and is a rollicking good magic/historic/mystery/romance tale. I enjoyed it immensely.
Tiger Eye & Shadow Touch by Margorie M. Liu B+
I enjoyed these very much… They’re paranormal romances/mysteries, and they’re fun, but a little wordy/effusive. I love seeing books with the same characters. She’s a young writer and is still using way too many words to say what she needs to say, but they’re still fun.
Spiderwick Chronicles, Volume 1- The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black A
I thought this was funny & silly… Took me 20 to 30 minutes to read and I found it enchanting. Fairies, brownies, trolls. My girls have looked over and over the illustrations… They love them!
The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years Later by Wrede & Stevermer B
This is the final one in their ‘Sorcery & Cecilia’ series and takes place back in England. Fun & silly, but not as good as their second one.
Shoot/Don’t Shoot, Dead to Rights, & Skeleton Canyon by J.A. Jance A
Three, four & five in the Joanna Brady mystery series. I like these and am finding them a little addictive. Sympathetic characters, solid & interesting plots, intriguing mysteries. My favorite was Skeleton Canyon- I don’t know why particularly- Maybe ‘cuz I really liked the ending. It’s clean and one of the main characters has a drastic change of heart. There are some interesting messages in these about forgiveness, justice, duty and God’s faithfulness…
Gregor & the Code of the Claw by Suzanne Collins A-
I’ve just devoured these. Great adventure/coming of age type books. But this one was a disappointment. It’s the finale, and just didn’t live up to its potential, in my opinion- I didn’t think it was as good as the others, plus it didn’t really wrap anything up. There’s a ‘boy, war really sucks’ kind of message slapped at you at the end, and I was left going, ‘what on earth was that??’
Edge of Evil and Web of Evil by J.A. Jance A
Books one and two in a completely different series with different characters. These revolve around a 40-ish TV reporter who’s kicked out of her anchor chair because she’s ‘over the hill’. She then discovers that her executive husband is having an affair. And to top it off, her best friend is found dead… These stories are good. Interesting to me because in both of Jance’s other series (Joanna Brady, J.P. Beaumont) the reporters are the BAD guys. And here we have a reporter as the good guy.
I find the situations she’s in a little unbelievable because she ends up in so much craziness- 3 gun fights in one night, for example. She’s a reporter! Not a police officer… And most police officers aren’t in multiple gun fights…. However, I’m still enjoying them… Just kind of going along and suspending my disbelief for the sake of the story.
Blood Dreams by Kay Hooper A
The first in another one of Hooper’s FBI/Bishop Special Agents trilogies. Hooper writes about FBI agents who defeat psycho sickos using paranormal gifts. The main character in this one has some precognitive vision-type powers which give her warnings about upcoming events. And the good guys are trying to catch a whacko serial killer.
Hooper is a real ‘hit or miss’ type writer- some of her books are excellently crafted with interesting plots and great characters. And then you’ll pick up another book and it reads very much like a first book by a total newbie author. It’s weird. Beth and I both read her stuff and enjoy them very much, but some of her books are so frustrating! We know she can do it. She’s done it before. She has interesting concepts. Some of them are rip-roaring… But then you’ll get one of her duds and be like ‘What happened? Did she fall asleep at the computer? Did her editor cut tons of stuff out? Why is this so bad?’ Anyway, Blood Dreams lives up to its’ potential. Yay!
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