“For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”
-- William Wordsworth
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Is It Spring?
“For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”
-- William Wordsworth
Friday, March 02, 2012
Visiting the Dead
On Sunday, fellow blogger and my friend, Di, over at Blue Ridge Gal, contacted me about a grave she wanted to find. She's connected with findagrave.com and is off in hot pursuit of chisled marble in the cemeteries these days. She hunts up stones for folks at their request and takes a photo for them.
Her destination this time led her to the Firebaugh Cemetery. A light bulb went off in her lovely head, and she thought, aha! My friend Anita probably knows where this is at.
And indeed I did.
The Firebaugh Cemetery is located in someone's front yard, on a road not far from our farm.
It is rather picturesque. I love the old tree even though it has uprooted a few stones.
The front stones here belong to my husband's great-great-grandparents.
This is the family patriarch. Legend has it that Philip Firebaugh came to Botetourt County around 1818. His saddlebags were filled with gold.
A line-up of the family.
This is the original family homeplace, Stonelea. It is quite old. I don't know when it got out of family hands; decades ago, I know. At one time all of this land was farmland.
Times change.
Her destination this time led her to the Firebaugh Cemetery. A light bulb went off in her lovely head, and she thought, aha! My friend Anita probably knows where this is at.
And indeed I did.
The Firebaugh Cemetery is located in someone's front yard, on a road not far from our farm.
It is rather picturesque. I love the old tree even though it has uprooted a few stones.
The front stones here belong to my husband's great-great-grandparents.
This is the family patriarch. Legend has it that Philip Firebaugh came to Botetourt County around 1818. His saddlebags were filled with gold.
A line-up of the family.
This is the original family homeplace, Stonelea. It is quite old. I don't know when it got out of family hands; decades ago, I know. At one time all of this land was farmland.
Times change.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Thursday Thirteen
1. It is an election year, so I anticipated a long time ago that gas prices would rise in 2012. The problem is not the price of barrels, but politics. Wall Street speculators are the real reason the prices at the pumps are so high. That's the one percent getting a little more of your hard-earned dollars. You can thank the previous political administration and the party of the right for this perversion; however, the lack of challenge to the issue puts the blame back on the current administration. So blame them all when you swipe your credit card. You will not be wrong, whomever you curse.
2. My dreams lately have been rather flagrant, highly memorable, and a little scary. Last night I woke up yelling that someone was after me, along with choking and not being able to breathe. I have dreamed of fellow bloggers (whom I have never met in person, even!) and of aliens, too. The medical establishment might say I'm too tired, or it's because I'm really not breathing well (which is possible with the asthma). Others might say I'm a little touched or psychic. But I have always had times of vivid dreams, even when I was a child. I sleepwalk sometimes, too, though not as much now as I once did.
3. Speaking of dreams, I have a dream of a harmonic convergence taking place this year, not the end of the world (Mayan calendar thing). Actually this harmonic convergence thing has already supposedly happened, in 1987, and this year is the culmination of that, or something. At any rate, I am looking for good changes to happen this year, not bad, although it certainly seems like the bad is routing and trying to score many points before it all changes over to good.
4. At any rate, I don't see any harm in everyone praying, however, they pray, for good things. And by that I don't mean a lottery win, I mean for goodness for everyone in the world. I hope people actually pray for that. I do.
5. A lot of people see nothing wrong with pollution, apparently, since they opposed to the EPA and regulations, but I do. I personally like clean air. So it really doesn't matter to me if regulations are put in place because of global warming or climate change, just so long as the air is clean. I actually care about having soot in my lungs, since they are rather delicate, and so I applaud anything that will allow me to breathe. Just a point - I have noticed that my asthma symptoms have increased along the same time frame as a nearby industry went along with lowered regulations from the EPA, allowing them to put more particles of stuff in the air. Coincidence?
6. On my desk I have Blogging for Dummies, MS Office 2007 for Dummies, and Building Web Sites for Dummies. On my book shelf I have the Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing, the Idiot's Guide to Journaling, and the Idiot's Guide to Genealogy. Am I seeing a trend here?
7. Clean water is another issue that will be the talk of the town in the 21st century. Or maybe the issue will be having enough water. Either way, the wet stuff matters and is important.
8. Maybe I am smarter than the average bear. Or maybe not. Sometimes I think I am too smart for my own good. I am definitely book smart but the ways of the world tend to elude me. My mother used to say I lacked common sense. Me and a lot of other people, I would say.
9. Also on my desk: Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (2 volumes), Roget's Desk Thesaurus, The American Heritage Dictionary, and The Basic Book of Synonyms and Antonyms.
10. Last week I spent a great deal of time redoing my office. I cleaned it up and tossed out many items. I bought a second desk and a new chair. It looks a lot better and productivity is up. Sometimes I guess you need a spiff-up.
11. Cell phone use has changed the way students relate to one another at college. In 2002, when I started working on my master's degree, students didn't have smart phones and texting wasn't such a big thing. During breaks, students stood around and talked. Some of us even became friends. In 2011, during breaks students went to a private corner and checked their messages, texted, or looked at Facebook. They did not chat with one another or become friends. I find it rather sad. (I don't have a smart phone, so I mostly went to the bathroom and returned to my desk and watched everyone else in their little solitary bubble, though I did manage to make conversation with one person during the fall semester. And several are now my Facebook friends. If that counts. I guess it sort of does. It's the new reality.)
12. This Thursday Thirteen has absolutely no rhyme or reason about it. I had no ideas for a topic today. Can you tell?
13. I finished my thesis. I received an A. A professor who reviewed it called it a "first rate and moving piece of work." I am pretty happy about that.
Thursday Thirteen is
played by lots of people; there is a list here.
I've been playing for a while and this is my 231st time to do a list of 13 on a
Thursday.
Featuring ... My Niece!
My niece is featured in this special report on beauty pageants!
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-special-assignment-from-little-girls-to-glamour-queens-20120228,0,3536350.story
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-special-assignment-from-little-girls-to-glamour-queens-20120228,0,3536350.story
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Books: On Writing
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
By Stephen King
Copyright 2000
Narrated by Stephen King
8 hours audio cassette
This book, part memoir and part how-to, details Stephen King's life. He goes into great detail about his childhood at the first part of the book, and talks about writing later on.
First, let me say that, while I have read a number of Stephen King's books (Carrie, Salem's Lot, Misery, and started Cujo but couldn't finish it), and watched several of his movies (The Shining, The Green Mile) I do not consider myself a fan. I liked horror up until my teenage years, and then I dispensed with it.
However, that doesn't mean I dislike the writing. Disliking content is entirely different matter. It just means I have a touchy tummy.
King reveals in the memoir part that he had a problem with drugs and alcohol. I was rather disappointed to learn this, though not surprised. That kind of thing seems to follow writers.
Another thing that struck me about the book was that he wrote it for men. I don't think he intended to do that; I think he thought he was writing just for writers, but ultimately, he was writing for males. Women simply can't shrug off the kid's soccer practice because they want to write.
Phyllis Whitney, in her book Guide to Fiction Writing, said all writer's need a wife. And if you're the wife, well, you have to do the laundry.
Nor did he offer any silver bullets for writing or writers. All of the advice I'd heard before.
He advocated ridding your work of adverbs, using simile and metaphor, and writing first drafts with the door closed, which means, without worrying about what anyone else on the planet thinks about the work you're putting out.
The main thing to do is write. He emphasized that. And then submit it after you find out where it fits.
This is a good book. I personally would have liked a little more on the writing and a little less on Stephen King, particularly his early years, but it is always interesting to hear how writer's work and how they came to do what they do.
I do wonder how he might update it to reflect the broader use of the internet, e-books, and other changes in the industry.
You can find a section of some quotes for the book here.
By Stephen King
Copyright 2000
Narrated by Stephen King
8 hours audio cassette
This book, part memoir and part how-to, details Stephen King's life. He goes into great detail about his childhood at the first part of the book, and talks about writing later on.
First, let me say that, while I have read a number of Stephen King's books (Carrie, Salem's Lot, Misery, and started Cujo but couldn't finish it), and watched several of his movies (The Shining, The Green Mile) I do not consider myself a fan. I liked horror up until my teenage years, and then I dispensed with it.
However, that doesn't mean I dislike the writing. Disliking content is entirely different matter. It just means I have a touchy tummy.
King reveals in the memoir part that he had a problem with drugs and alcohol. I was rather disappointed to learn this, though not surprised. That kind of thing seems to follow writers.
Another thing that struck me about the book was that he wrote it for men. I don't think he intended to do that; I think he thought he was writing just for writers, but ultimately, he was writing for males. Women simply can't shrug off the kid's soccer practice because they want to write.
Phyllis Whitney, in her book Guide to Fiction Writing, said all writer's need a wife. And if you're the wife, well, you have to do the laundry.
Nor did he offer any silver bullets for writing or writers. All of the advice I'd heard before.
He advocated ridding your work of adverbs, using simile and metaphor, and writing first drafts with the door closed, which means, without worrying about what anyone else on the planet thinks about the work you're putting out.
The main thing to do is write. He emphasized that. And then submit it after you find out where it fits.
This is a good book. I personally would have liked a little more on the writing and a little less on Stephen King, particularly his early years, but it is always interesting to hear how writer's work and how they came to do what they do.
I do wonder how he might update it to reflect the broader use of the internet, e-books, and other changes in the industry.
You can find a section of some quotes for the book here.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
It is Kindness, Not Hate, that Elevates
So last night the aliens came to me.
I knew they were there. I was with several other people, and we knew there was a problem. We began searching for signs and resolutions.
Someone was anxious, and I gave her a teddy bear.
The aliens came to me, looking not fierce and ominous, but friendly and angelic. Their bodies were faint, but there was a glow all about their faces. They had silver around their hair. I grew calm in their presence.
Because my acupuncturist used a pillow beneath my arm when she was gave me a treatment, and because I gave a girl a teddy bear, and because of thousands of other small kindnesses they had observed on this night, there was hope for mankind, the alien said.
It is kindness, not hate, that elevates.
They will be watching.
Yes, it was a dream.
But great things start with a vivid imagination.
So this morning I imagine a world of love, one where we are all kind to one another. One where we set aside our differences and embrace each other as friends.
It is kindness, not hate, that elevates.
Namaste. I bow to you, my friend.
I knew they were there. I was with several other people, and we knew there was a problem. We began searching for signs and resolutions.
Someone was anxious, and I gave her a teddy bear.
The aliens came to me, looking not fierce and ominous, but friendly and angelic. Their bodies were faint, but there was a glow all about their faces. They had silver around their hair. I grew calm in their presence.
Because my acupuncturist used a pillow beneath my arm when she was gave me a treatment, and because I gave a girl a teddy bear, and because of thousands of other small kindnesses they had observed on this night, there was hope for mankind, the alien said.
It is kindness, not hate, that elevates.
They will be watching.
Yes, it was a dream.
But great things start with a vivid imagination.
So this morning I imagine a world of love, one where we are all kind to one another. One where we set aside our differences and embrace each other as friends.
It is kindness, not hate, that elevates.
Namaste. I bow to you, my friend.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Captcha Codes
I see that many bloggers still have the crazy new captcha codes on their blogs.
Here is how I eliminated it:
Go to your list of posts/dashboard for your blog.
Find the little gear thing in the top right corner.
Click on it.
Go to "Old Blogger Interface" and click on it.
Wait a minute because it takes a second to revert.
Click on Settings for your blog.
Click on Comments
Click on Show Word Verficiation for Comments and click "NO"
Save
Click on "Try the new Blogger" up at the very top.
It will take you back to your old blog look and you shouldn't lose anything in the process.
Hope this helps.
Here is how I eliminated it:
Go to your list of posts/dashboard for your blog.
Find the little gear thing in the top right corner.
Click on it.
Go to "Old Blogger Interface" and click on it.
Wait a minute because it takes a second to revert.
Click on Settings for your blog.
Click on Comments
Click on Show Word Verficiation for Comments and click "NO"
Save
Click on "Try the new Blogger" up at the very top.
It will take you back to your old blog look and you shouldn't lose anything in the process.
Hope this helps.
A Tisket, a Tasket
Sometimes you become attached to things and don't even know it.
This happened to me this past week. I realized something I'd taken for granted meant a lot to me.
No, not my husband. I already know how much he means to me.
I'm talking about a clothes basket.
The handle broke. And you know how that is. Once they've split like that, when you pick them up, they pinch your hand.
You can see where I put a little red mark where the basket handle has broken.
The thing is, this is no ordinary clothes basket.
This is the best clothes basket EVER. I bought it in 1983 - yep, the year I married. It was one of my first purchases as new wife.
My clothes basket has been with me for 29 years.
This thing was made by Rubbermaid. I have had other clothes baskets throughout the decades - of course you need more than one - but this one has held up and withstood all kinds of tossing about.
It was quite small, too. And I, being short of stature (though wide of butt) found it to be the perfect size.
Of course, you cannot find anything like it anymore.
If anyone had told me I would be upset about a clothes basket, even a week ago, I would have laughed.
How ridiculous!
But I find I can't throw this old basket out. I put it out with the trash, really I did.
And then I fetched it back in the house.
I decided I would try to glue it back together.
I really don't think it will hold. But after all these years, I thought it deserved a second chance.
Silly, right? But what's a little glue among friends.
How about you? Anything in your house that you could easily replace, but would be unhappy to part with?
This happened to me this past week. I realized something I'd taken for granted meant a lot to me.
No, not my husband. I already know how much he means to me.
I'm talking about a clothes basket.
The handle broke. And you know how that is. Once they've split like that, when you pick them up, they pinch your hand.
You can see where I put a little red mark where the basket handle has broken.
The thing is, this is no ordinary clothes basket.
This is the best clothes basket EVER. I bought it in 1983 - yep, the year I married. It was one of my first purchases as new wife.
My clothes basket has been with me for 29 years.
This thing was made by Rubbermaid. I have had other clothes baskets throughout the decades - of course you need more than one - but this one has held up and withstood all kinds of tossing about.
It was quite small, too. And I, being short of stature (though wide of butt) found it to be the perfect size.
Of course, you cannot find anything like it anymore.
 |
| The replacement basket is taller and wider. |
How ridiculous!
But I find I can't throw this old basket out. I put it out with the trash, really I did.
And then I fetched it back in the house.
I decided I would try to glue it back together.
I really don't think it will hold. But after all these years, I thought it deserved a second chance.
Silly, right? But what's a little glue among friends.
How about you? Anything in your house that you could easily replace, but would be unhappy to part with?
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Another Rainbow!
On Thursday morning, around 7:30 a.m., I spied another rainbow out the window.
These rainbows are very unusual - in the 25 years I've lived here, I've never seen this many - but I suspect they are what happens when you have the strange and untimely weather we've been experiencing.
These rainbows are very unusual - in the 25 years I've lived here, I've never seen this many - but I suspect they are what happens when you have the strange and untimely weather we've been experiencing.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Delegate Jennifer McClellan - You Go Girl!
This is 12 minutes long, but Virginia Delegate Jennifer McClellan explains in detail why government should stay out of women's health care. This is well worth watching.
I take all of this very personally. These dumbasses in Richmond and all over the nation are trying to criminalize health care that saved my life and the lives of countless other women. This is not about their pathetic little visions of women skipping off to the abortion clinic after a wild night of sex. This is about women who are married, who want children, who have miscarriages and infertility issues. This is about ectopic pregnancy, about birth defects, and a myriad other serious and heart-wrenching decisions that women have to make. Government has absolutely no damn business legislating what goes on between anyone, male or female, and their doctor.
Tell me, Republicans, how is not okay to require people to buy health insurance, which only affects the pocketbook, but it is okay to force women to DIE?
PASS THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT NOW!
I take all of this very personally. These dumbasses in Richmond and all over the nation are trying to criminalize health care that saved my life and the lives of countless other women. This is not about their pathetic little visions of women skipping off to the abortion clinic after a wild night of sex. This is about women who are married, who want children, who have miscarriages and infertility issues. This is about ectopic pregnancy, about birth defects, and a myriad other serious and heart-wrenching decisions that women have to make. Government has absolutely no damn business legislating what goes on between anyone, male or female, and their doctor.
Tell me, Republicans, how is not okay to require people to buy health insurance, which only affects the pocketbook, but it is okay to force women to DIE?
PASS THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT NOW!
Books: Fractured Facade
Fractured Facade
By Elena DeRosa
Copyright 2011
E-book
The author of this book is a personal friend. We met through our blogs and we are a member of the same organization, the Roanoke Valley chapter of the National League of American Pen Women. Full disclosure and all of that. However, she did not ask me to read or review her book and she does not know I am putting this review on my blog.
Her blog is Ms. Elenaeous Rants & Raves. Her author page is located here.
I bought the book when Elena put it up as an e-book back in October or November, but because I was in school and working on my thesis, I was not able to read it then. I did want to support her, though, with the purchase. It is, to date, the only author-published (I believe Elena uses the term "indie" published) book I have purchased on my Nook. Actually, it's the only book I have purchased on my Nook. I'm afraid I have not yet taken to the e-readers.
Fractured Facade is billed as a novel told as memoir. I think Elena has struggled to find the proper genre for the story, and after reading it, I wonder if she has considered the True Crime genre. I don't read those, but it seems like it might work there.
The story, told in the first person, gives us a heroine, Marie, whose father has passed away. The book then details Marie's journey to New York to find out what happened to her dad. Her father, who was widowed, was seeing a very strange woman, and Marie unfortunately inherits the girlfriend.
Alas, the world is full of gold diggers who will take advantage of people. The strange girlfriend is one of them, and dealing with her takes all of the fortitude that Marie can muster.
The book goes into detail about problems with the girlfriend, the police department, the medical examiner's office, and the court system. The story is an important one, for it points out the problems older folks run into, particularly when family members are not close by or checking up on them every single day. It begs the question - at what point do the children become the caretakers? Of course, that differs in every family, and it is a very hard thing to figure out when and how to do.
It also demonstrates out how important it is to have your affairs in order. We never know when it will be our time to go. The people you leave behind may have to deal with all sorts of trouble if things are not as they should be. Marie sheds many tears because she must work through governmental systems that care little for her pain. It is hard to do these things when you are grieving the loss of a loved one.
This book has many lessons in it. It is definitely a cautionary tale. The writing is quite emotional at times, so be prepared for a bumpy ride. However, it is very true to life - I suspect more truth than fiction here - and the author does a good job of carrying the story forward.
I am very proud of Elena for moving forward with her project. It takes guts to venture out into the world with your baby (i.e., the story). She has also undertaken some interesting and different marketing techniques here locally. I have been watching her activities with curiosity and admiration, and it has been quite an adventure for her.
I congratulate her on her accomplishment.
By Elena DeRosa
Copyright 2011
E-book
The author of this book is a personal friend. We met through our blogs and we are a member of the same organization, the Roanoke Valley chapter of the National League of American Pen Women. Full disclosure and all of that. However, she did not ask me to read or review her book and she does not know I am putting this review on my blog.
Her blog is Ms. Elenaeous Rants & Raves. Her author page is located here.
I bought the book when Elena put it up as an e-book back in October or November, but because I was in school and working on my thesis, I was not able to read it then. I did want to support her, though, with the purchase. It is, to date, the only author-published (I believe Elena uses the term "indie" published) book I have purchased on my Nook. Actually, it's the only book I have purchased on my Nook. I'm afraid I have not yet taken to the e-readers.
Fractured Facade is billed as a novel told as memoir. I think Elena has struggled to find the proper genre for the story, and after reading it, I wonder if she has considered the True Crime genre. I don't read those, but it seems like it might work there.
The story, told in the first person, gives us a heroine, Marie, whose father has passed away. The book then details Marie's journey to New York to find out what happened to her dad. Her father, who was widowed, was seeing a very strange woman, and Marie unfortunately inherits the girlfriend.
Alas, the world is full of gold diggers who will take advantage of people. The strange girlfriend is one of them, and dealing with her takes all of the fortitude that Marie can muster.
The book goes into detail about problems with the girlfriend, the police department, the medical examiner's office, and the court system. The story is an important one, for it points out the problems older folks run into, particularly when family members are not close by or checking up on them every single day. It begs the question - at what point do the children become the caretakers? Of course, that differs in every family, and it is a very hard thing to figure out when and how to do.
It also demonstrates out how important it is to have your affairs in order. We never know when it will be our time to go. The people you leave behind may have to deal with all sorts of trouble if things are not as they should be. Marie sheds many tears because she must work through governmental systems that care little for her pain. It is hard to do these things when you are grieving the loss of a loved one.
This book has many lessons in it. It is definitely a cautionary tale. The writing is quite emotional at times, so be prepared for a bumpy ride. However, it is very true to life - I suspect more truth than fiction here - and the author does a good job of carrying the story forward.
I am very proud of Elena for moving forward with her project. It takes guts to venture out into the world with your baby (i.e., the story). She has also undertaken some interesting and different marketing techniques here locally. I have been watching her activities with curiosity and admiration, and it has been quite an adventure for her.
I congratulate her on her accomplishment.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
More on the War on Women
Here are a couple of pieces about current legislation and the strange and disturbing conversations taking place in the media with regard to women:
http://confessions-of-a-thinking-woman.blogspot.com/2012/02/grievances-against-gop-from-former.html?showComment=1329749882826#c514318211943895953
The above link takes you to an excellent argument as to why current activities around the nature are just morally wrong, particularly as they pertain to women.
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/02/virginia_ultrasound_law_women_who_want_an_abortion_will_be_forcibly_penetrated_for_no_medical_reason.html
This explains the issues in Virginia with regard to the requirement forcing ultrasound upon women who are seeking abortions.
http://www.newsleader.com/article/20120219/OPINION01/202190314/Virginia-abortion-bills-denigrate-all-women
An op-ed about the Virginia issues of ultrasound and personhood.
http://confessions-of-a-thinking-woman.blogspot.com/2012/02/grievances-against-gop-from-former.html?showComment=1329749882826#c514318211943895953
The above link takes you to an excellent argument as to why current activities around the nature are just morally wrong, particularly as they pertain to women.
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/02/virginia_ultrasound_law_women_who_want_an_abortion_will_be_forcibly_penetrated_for_no_medical_reason.html
This explains the issues in Virginia with regard to the requirement forcing ultrasound upon women who are seeking abortions.
http://www.newsleader.com/article/20120219/OPINION01/202190314/Virginia-abortion-bills-denigrate-all-women
An op-ed about the Virginia issues of ultrasound and personhood.
Monday, February 20, 2012
O What a Beautiful Morning!
The sun comes up and casts a faint pink hue upon the snow . . .
The mountains reflect the golden orb . . .
A day of promise and beauty . . .
New beginnings . . .
Loveliness . . .
Joy.
And then the first snow came
On a weekend when a volunteer pansy bloomed in my fence row . . .
And the daffodils were ready to bud out . . .
The snow began to fall . . .
Even the deer came out to see . .
Soon the ground was covered . . .
It snowed . . . and snowed . . .
Until everything was white.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Comments
Dear Gentle Readers,
As you may have noticed, suddenly you have to type in a captcha code to leave a comment.
Added: *I think I have fixed the issue but if not someone please tell me!*
I didn't do this. Google did. Bad Google. Bad.
I don't have security settings on my account but I can't figure out how to make the captcha code go away. I don't like and I don't want it. I hate the things myself.
I changed from embedded to pop out *and then to full page* but I don't think this fixed the issue.
If you know how to fix this, please endure the captcha code and leave a comment so I can try to get rid of these things.
Of course, if the captcha code has vanished, it'd be nice to know that, too.
Thank you!
Anita aka CountryDew
As you may have noticed, suddenly you have to type in a captcha code to leave a comment.
Added: *I think I have fixed the issue but if not someone please tell me!*
I didn't do this. Google did. Bad Google. Bad.
I don't have security settings on my account but I can't figure out how to make the captcha code go away. I don't like and I don't want it. I hate the things myself.
I changed from embedded to pop out *and then to full page* but I don't think this fixed the issue.
If you know how to fix this, please endure the captcha code and leave a comment so I can try to get rid of these things.
Of course, if the captcha code has vanished, it'd be nice to know that, too.
Thank you!
Anita aka CountryDew
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Books: Paladin of Souls
Paladin of Souls
by Lois McMaster Bujold
Copyright 2003
470 pages
This book won the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Awards for Best Novel in 2004.
It is a sequel, sort of, to The Curse of Chalion, which I have not read.
However, you do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this one.
Ista is a 40-year-old woman of royalty who has spent years in madness, courtesy of the gods. She has been released from that and, after the death of her mother, most of her other duties. Her children now rule the land.
The dowager was a minor character in The Curse of Chalion and the author does a splendid job of painting the land and offering up back story. The book really stands on its own.
Ista sets out on a pilgrimage, mostly to get away from the castle where she has spent most of her life, and her keepers who are intent on keeping her safe and watching her.
The pilgrimage quickly goes sour when she is taken captive and then rescued by a loyal fellow who owns part of the lands in the borderlands.
Once safe in his castle, she discovers that nothing is at it seems, the Bastard God has determined she will do his bidding and make things right.
I really enjoyed reading about a heroine who was an older character. Ista is a wonderful heroine, full of spunk and curiosity, yet wise because of her years. She is soft from too much castle living, but she soon overcomes that. I appreciated the details of her inner life, which were very well done.
If you like fantasy with strong characterization, this book is highly recommended.
by Lois McMaster Bujold
Copyright 2003
470 pages
This book won the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Awards for Best Novel in 2004.
It is a sequel, sort of, to The Curse of Chalion, which I have not read.
However, you do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this one.
Ista is a 40-year-old woman of royalty who has spent years in madness, courtesy of the gods. She has been released from that and, after the death of her mother, most of her other duties. Her children now rule the land.
The dowager was a minor character in The Curse of Chalion and the author does a splendid job of painting the land and offering up back story. The book really stands on its own.
Ista sets out on a pilgrimage, mostly to get away from the castle where she has spent most of her life, and her keepers who are intent on keeping her safe and watching her.
The pilgrimage quickly goes sour when she is taken captive and then rescued by a loyal fellow who owns part of the lands in the borderlands.
Once safe in his castle, she discovers that nothing is at it seems, the Bastard God has determined she will do his bidding and make things right.
I really enjoyed reading about a heroine who was an older character. Ista is a wonderful heroine, full of spunk and curiosity, yet wise because of her years. She is soft from too much castle living, but she soon overcomes that. I appreciated the details of her inner life, which were very well done.
If you like fantasy with strong characterization, this book is highly recommended.
Friday, February 17, 2012
The War on Women
Apparently, this spring the Republicans determined that, just as they did last year with unions, this would be the time to put all of us horrible females in our place.
You know, barefoot and pregnant. Answering to the menfolk. Hell, let's throw uneducated in there, while we're at it, since they're undermining the educational system, too.
Now, if you believe that is how it should be, then I suggest you turn away from this blog entry.
Because I think it fucking sucks.
Earlier this week, Democratic congresswomen objected to, and then left, an all-guy hearing on contraception. The GOP chairman of the committee refused to let women testify at a hearing to talk about women's health care.
Because we don't know what we're talking about when it comes to taking care of ourselves, obviously.
Meanwhile, one of Santorum's top goons said that women should just stick an aspirin between their knees for a contraceptive.
But none of that beats what the idiotic legislators in Virginia are doing.
They're taking us back to the dark ages with their personhood amendments and a bill that allows the state to force inanimate object rape upon women.
HB462, which has already passed the House of Delegates and is headed for Senate confirmation before being passed on to the governor, will force women who seek abortions to have an ultrasound.
Here's the summary of the bill from the legislative page:
Essentially, this is state-sponsored rape and torture. And if you think otherwise, go say it elsewhere. I don't want to hear your sorry excuses for this gross violation, because there is absolutely nothing you can say to defend this that will make sense. So keep your stupid to yourself if you agree that this procedure should be FORCED upon women, regardless of the reason for it.
I have had this ultrasound done. It was performed on me a couple of times, actually, when I was trying to have a child.
It is a gross violation of your person. If this were being done in any setting other an a medical one, it would be considered rape with an inanimate object, and the person holding the wand would go to jail. For a very long time.
This procedure traumatized me, and I wasn't having an abortion, I was doing the opposite.
This is akin to the eugenics movement of the early 20th century. For a long time the State of Virginia allowed its social services to remove the reproductive organs of mentally ill patients. They finally stopped the practice and eventually apologized for their stupidity.
This is about the same damn thing.
How is this not a gross violation of a woman's rights? How this is not rape if you force this procedure upon someone?
If you want to read more about this, check out these links:
http://www.reclusiveleftist.com/2012/02/16/war-on-women-reaching-some-kind-of-fever-pitch/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505267_162-57380002/uproar-over-santorum-backer-contraception-quote/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/virginia-ultrasound-bill-republican-abortion-lifestyle-convenience_n_1276799.html
http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=13470
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/house-senate-approve-abortion-related-bills/2012/02/14/gIQAb5rmDR_blog.html
If you would like to write to Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell you can do so at this link:
https://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm
If you're a regular reader and this entry surprises you, please take a look around at what is happening. If you are a woman, to many of the people in charge, you are nothing more than chattel. If you're happy with that, then be on your merry way.
If you think you're a person, and you matter, then please stand up for your rights.
Because if they can force this one segment of our female sisters, who knows what they will force upon the rest of us.
You know, barefoot and pregnant. Answering to the menfolk. Hell, let's throw uneducated in there, while we're at it, since they're undermining the educational system, too.
Now, if you believe that is how it should be, then I suggest you turn away from this blog entry.
Because I think it fucking sucks.
Earlier this week, Democratic congresswomen objected to, and then left, an all-guy hearing on contraception. The GOP chairman of the committee refused to let women testify at a hearing to talk about women's health care.
Because we don't know what we're talking about when it comes to taking care of ourselves, obviously.
Meanwhile, one of Santorum's top goons said that women should just stick an aspirin between their knees for a contraceptive.
But none of that beats what the idiotic legislators in Virginia are doing.
They're taking us back to the dark ages with their personhood amendments and a bill that allows the state to force inanimate object rape upon women.
HB462, which has already passed the House of Delegates and is headed for Senate confirmation before being passed on to the governor, will force women who seek abortions to have an ultrasound.
Here's the summary of the bill from the legislative page:
Requires that, as a component of informed consent to an abortion, to determine gestation age, every pregnant female shall undergo ultrasound imaging and be given an opportunity to view the ultrasound image of her fetus prior to the abortion. The medical professional performing the ultrasound must obtain written certification from the woman that the opportunity was offered and whether the woman availed herself of the opportunity to see the ultrasound image or hear the fetal heartbeat. A copy of the ultrasound and the written certification shall be maintained in the woman's medical records at the facility where the abortion is to be performed.
Essentially, this is state-sponsored rape and torture. And if you think otherwise, go say it elsewhere. I don't want to hear your sorry excuses for this gross violation, because there is absolutely nothing you can say to defend this that will make sense. So keep your stupid to yourself if you agree that this procedure should be FORCED upon women, regardless of the reason for it.
I have had this ultrasound done. It was performed on me a couple of times, actually, when I was trying to have a child.
It is a gross violation of your person. If this were being done in any setting other an a medical one, it would be considered rape with an inanimate object, and the person holding the wand would go to jail. For a very long time.
This procedure traumatized me, and I wasn't having an abortion, I was doing the opposite.
This is akin to the eugenics movement of the early 20th century. For a long time the State of Virginia allowed its social services to remove the reproductive organs of mentally ill patients. They finally stopped the practice and eventually apologized for their stupidity.
This is about the same damn thing.
How is this not a gross violation of a woman's rights? How this is not rape if you force this procedure upon someone?
If you want to read more about this, check out these links:
http://www.reclusiveleftist.com/2012/02/16/war-on-women-reaching-some-kind-of-fever-pitch/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505267_162-57380002/uproar-over-santorum-backer-contraception-quote/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/virginia-ultrasound-bill-republican-abortion-lifestyle-convenience_n_1276799.html
http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=13470
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/house-senate-approve-abortion-related-bills/2012/02/14/gIQAb5rmDR_blog.html
If you would like to write to Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell you can do so at this link:
https://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm
If you're a regular reader and this entry surprises you, please take a look around at what is happening. If you are a woman, to many of the people in charge, you are nothing more than chattel. If you're happy with that, then be on your merry way.
If you think you're a person, and you matter, then please stand up for your rights.
Because if they can force this one segment of our female sisters, who knows what they will force upon the rest of us.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Thursday Thirteen
Today's Thursday Thirteen is brought to you by the letter "D," as in, damnation, dang it, and darn.
1. The denouement is the final resolution of a work, such as a play or a novel. It is the wrap-up of the piece. For example, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the denouement is the last few pages that wrap up the mopping up after Harry kills Vlodemort.
2. To diddle is to waste time, as in, to diddle around until the cows come home (talk about cliche!). The word also has a vulgar meaning which I shall not repeat here (and frankly did not know until I just looked up the word). Additionally, it is a nickname my brother gave himself when he first learned to talk. He was trying to say "tickle" but it came out "diddle" and stuck with him forever.
3. To be in danger means you are susceptible to harm. To live dangerously means to put yourself in harm's way, such as by parachuting from a plane. It might also mean stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something you might not normally do.
4. Being deceitful means you're being fraudulent or false. May politicians are deceitful in that they say one thing so that you will vote for them, but then do something other than what they said. Virginia is full of politicians like that.
5. Decriminalization is legislation that makes something legal that once was against the law. In the United States, you most often hear about it in terms of marijuana use, but politicians have managed to decriminalize many other things, mostly dealing with corporations and banks, giving them leeway to screw over the population with high interest rates, fees, and other methods to part you from your money.
6. Deer are those cute four-hooved animals that eat up my rose bushes and destroy the alfalfa field by eating the grass. On any given night, I can see a dozen of them.
7. To deify is to give someone or something a position of the highest order; to make them god or godlike. Americans like to deify movie stars and other celebrities, though we don't call it that. It is what we do, though. Otherwise I cannot account for this fascination with glamour and money.
8. A democracy is government where rule is by the people or their elected representatives. In a democracy, everyone has an equal say. Do you feel that is still true in the United States? Or are some people - or corporations - much more equal than others these days? Or does your financial status, gender, or race determine exactly how equal you are?
9. A diary is a personal journal or written record of your day or life. It might also be something that records the weather. A Diary of Anne Frank is a famous diary that was turned into a book.
10. I have a dilly-dally problem in that I constantly put things off. Dilly-dally means to procrastinate. Or lollygag.
11. A dissertation is a formal, elaborate argument or discourse that puts forth some discussion or research. I am writing a thesis, which is a little different, for my masters degree (and I'm almost done with it).
12. A doctorate is one of the highest degrees one can obtain from a university. It generally takes three to five more years of school to obtain. I daresay I will not obtain this degree at this late stage of my life.
13. A draught is a dose of medicine, usually liquid. It's also a serving of alcohol. It's not a common word; I usually see it in historical novels.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 229th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. The denouement is the final resolution of a work, such as a play or a novel. It is the wrap-up of the piece. For example, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the denouement is the last few pages that wrap up the mopping up after Harry kills Vlodemort.
2. To diddle is to waste time, as in, to diddle around until the cows come home (talk about cliche!). The word also has a vulgar meaning which I shall not repeat here (and frankly did not know until I just looked up the word). Additionally, it is a nickname my brother gave himself when he first learned to talk. He was trying to say "tickle" but it came out "diddle" and stuck with him forever.
3. To be in danger means you are susceptible to harm. To live dangerously means to put yourself in harm's way, such as by parachuting from a plane. It might also mean stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something you might not normally do.
4. Being deceitful means you're being fraudulent or false. May politicians are deceitful in that they say one thing so that you will vote for them, but then do something other than what they said. Virginia is full of politicians like that.
5. Decriminalization is legislation that makes something legal that once was against the law. In the United States, you most often hear about it in terms of marijuana use, but politicians have managed to decriminalize many other things, mostly dealing with corporations and banks, giving them leeway to screw over the population with high interest rates, fees, and other methods to part you from your money.
6. Deer are those cute four-hooved animals that eat up my rose bushes and destroy the alfalfa field by eating the grass. On any given night, I can see a dozen of them.
7. To deify is to give someone or something a position of the highest order; to make them god or godlike. Americans like to deify movie stars and other celebrities, though we don't call it that. It is what we do, though. Otherwise I cannot account for this fascination with glamour and money.
8. A democracy is government where rule is by the people or their elected representatives. In a democracy, everyone has an equal say. Do you feel that is still true in the United States? Or are some people - or corporations - much more equal than others these days? Or does your financial status, gender, or race determine exactly how equal you are?
9. A diary is a personal journal or written record of your day or life. It might also be something that records the weather. A Diary of Anne Frank is a famous diary that was turned into a book.
10. I have a dilly-dally problem in that I constantly put things off. Dilly-dally means to procrastinate. Or lollygag.
11. A dissertation is a formal, elaborate argument or discourse that puts forth some discussion or research. I am writing a thesis, which is a little different, for my masters degree (and I'm almost done with it).
12. A doctorate is one of the highest degrees one can obtain from a university. It generally takes three to five more years of school to obtain. I daresay I will not obtain this degree at this late stage of my life.
13. A draught is a dose of medicine, usually liquid. It's also a serving of alcohol. It's not a common word; I usually see it in historical novels.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 229th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Stephanie Plum Comes to Life
Sunday, for an early Valentine's Day, my husband took me to see the movie One for the Money.
He sort of wanted to see it, too. He has listened to enough of Janet Evanovich's books - I have heard almost all of them, as I listen to them in the car - to have a good feel for the characters. I think my hubby is a secret fan of the characters.
The show received terrible reviews, and while I wouldn't put the movie in the "really terrible" column, I certainly would not recommend that everyone rush out to see it. Especially at the cost of a theater ticket today. It is not the worst movie I've ever seen, but even Sex and the City 2 has this beat, and that was a pretty bad movie.
One for the Money stayed fairly true to the book, which I had to read this fall for my Detectives in Fiction class at Hollins University. So I was very familiar with the story the movie is based upon.
In this instance, the book is much better than the movie. That is often the case, though not always.
The basic story line? Stephanie Plum is an out-of-work lingerie sales girl. She goes to work for her cousin, Vinnie Plum, at his bail bond agency. She decides to bring in Joe Morelli, a former lover and a cop who has shot someone and then skipped out on his bail.
She is tutored in the fine art of bounty hunting by Ranger, a Latin man who knows how to handle a weapon.
In the film, Stephanie has this unnamed friend (or maybe she was supposed to be Stephanie's sister - she does have a sister in later books), whom we see only briefly. Stephanie calls her I think maybe three times. It is a rather odd device for the movie, and I'm not sure what it's purpose was, except for extra dialogue and explanation to the viewer. If you must resort to that to carry the script along, it is time for a rewrite.
The problem wasn't really the script, though. The problem was the total lack of chemistry of these actors between themselves and with the screen. You know how some actors just ooze personality across the air waves? There is none of that here.
Katherine Heigl looks as I might have envisioned Stephanie Plum, but that's about it. She is pretty wooden in her efforts to portray the spunky Stephanie.
The fellow playing Joe Morelli looks Irish, not Italian, and there was absolutely no chemistry between him and Heigl. None. Zip. Nada.
The guy playing Ranger did a little better in the hottie department, but still, I didn't feel the vibes between Stephanie and Ranger like I do in the books.
And Debbie Reynolds was completely miscast as Grandma Mazur.
I suspect many of Evanovich's fans will be disappointed with this rather ho-hum effort. The characters in the book are very rich in detail and personality, and there is much to be mined there. It's a shame that this first effort will prove such a disappointment.
However, I fully expect that One for the Money will become one of those that find a good home on the movie channels, where it will play endlessly and become a fan favorite simply through familiarity.
He sort of wanted to see it, too. He has listened to enough of Janet Evanovich's books - I have heard almost all of them, as I listen to them in the car - to have a good feel for the characters. I think my hubby is a secret fan of the characters.
The show received terrible reviews, and while I wouldn't put the movie in the "really terrible" column, I certainly would not recommend that everyone rush out to see it. Especially at the cost of a theater ticket today. It is not the worst movie I've ever seen, but even Sex and the City 2 has this beat, and that was a pretty bad movie.
One for the Money stayed fairly true to the book, which I had to read this fall for my Detectives in Fiction class at Hollins University. So I was very familiar with the story the movie is based upon.
In this instance, the book is much better than the movie. That is often the case, though not always.
The basic story line? Stephanie Plum is an out-of-work lingerie sales girl. She goes to work for her cousin, Vinnie Plum, at his bail bond agency. She decides to bring in Joe Morelli, a former lover and a cop who has shot someone and then skipped out on his bail.
She is tutored in the fine art of bounty hunting by Ranger, a Latin man who knows how to handle a weapon.
In the film, Stephanie has this unnamed friend (or maybe she was supposed to be Stephanie's sister - she does have a sister in later books), whom we see only briefly. Stephanie calls her I think maybe three times. It is a rather odd device for the movie, and I'm not sure what it's purpose was, except for extra dialogue and explanation to the viewer. If you must resort to that to carry the script along, it is time for a rewrite.
The problem wasn't really the script, though. The problem was the total lack of chemistry of these actors between themselves and with the screen. You know how some actors just ooze personality across the air waves? There is none of that here.
Katherine Heigl looks as I might have envisioned Stephanie Plum, but that's about it. She is pretty wooden in her efforts to portray the spunky Stephanie.
The fellow playing Joe Morelli looks Irish, not Italian, and there was absolutely no chemistry between him and Heigl. None. Zip. Nada.
The guy playing Ranger did a little better in the hottie department, but still, I didn't feel the vibes between Stephanie and Ranger like I do in the books.
And Debbie Reynolds was completely miscast as Grandma Mazur.
I suspect many of Evanovich's fans will be disappointed with this rather ho-hum effort. The characters in the book are very rich in detail and personality, and there is much to be mined there. It's a shame that this first effort will prove such a disappointment.
However, I fully expect that One for the Money will become one of those that find a good home on the movie channels, where it will play endlessly and become a fan favorite simply through familiarity.
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