Happy (and Haunted) Halloween, Mrs. B.

So, last week, I was in Long Beach and I found this guy:

And a wonderful, haunted old cruise ship:

Of course, there's nothing like coming home to my spooky little cat:

And my own haunted house:

I'm going to read some of my favorite frightener books today and just hope for fewer tricks than treats. 

Happy Halloween, Mrs. B 

(and to all of the Halloween Babies out there, Happy Birthday)!

Pride, Prejudice, and my Passion for Austen

Okay, perhaps not so surprising, but I have a deep and abiding love for the works (and derivative works) of Jane Austen. She has so many great characters, but Elizabeth Bennett is one of my favorites.

So, of course when I found out about this, I watched every episode I could:



(Beware, Mrs. B. These are ridiculously habit forming)

Adventures of Normandillo: July, Part 1

Hello Mrs. B.,

Normand reminded me I'm still very behind in telling you about his adventures this summer.

In July, Normand joined my SO and I on a trip northward to visit my family for the 4th of July. Immediately, Normand found the best seat possible.

As we found out, he isn't just an armadillo, he's a navidillo and he insisted on charting our course from the cushy seat of the Garmin's pillow. .

He seemed really excited to go that far north -- within sight of the Canadian border -- as he'd never been. Apparently, he thought there would be snow. He was disappointed, but only briefly. There were too many friends to make, things to see, and exciting things for him to do.

He spent several lovely evenings along Lake Champlain.

Point Au Fer, New York, Lake Champlain

Cumberland Head, New York, Lake Champlain

 With ducks,

Normand with Bill the Duck

New Friend!

 Having drinks,

It's a big glass for a small armadillo.

A tea party

He even saw a small seamonster:

Not Champy. Actually, I think it was a baby otter...

It being the 4th, he got to see how a small town does Independence Day. 

Parades:

Parties:

and Fireworks:

But even with all of this, Normand was still up for more, so he came with us to the Finger Lakes....

To be continued....

Not a Quitter, but....

So, I've been working on this one "old" book for a bit now, with the hopes of continuing the trend of "this was part of the box of books I don't know whether to keep or not," I think this one will be a "not."

I'm not sure why I'm not getting into it. It had a lot of things going for it. It's about mythology (one I'm not familiar with, but hey, I love a good archeological story!), it's set in DC and I love books set in places I've been, and it's a romance. Seriously, this should have been a whole lot of fun.

And yet....

I'm just not ...

Honestly, I don't remember whether or not I finished it before either.

So, on to a new book. I've already read about half of it this weekend. I'll report back next week, but I really liked the one the author wrote before this one so, already a lot of win.

More later.

Have a great night,
-OA

Transformations: What a Girl Can Do When She Goes Out of Her Comfort-Zone

Hi Mrs. B.,

I just finished reading an excellent book which actually put me in mind of another excellent book. The point of both was the idea of transformation. That how we see ourselves and how others see us can be changed without us even realizing it's happening. 

New Steps

Hi Mrs. B.,

We've talked a little about my fiction writing habit before. As long as I've been a reader, I've tried my hand at writing. I think you remember some of those early stories and journals. I brought you my trip journal from the move out East before I met you (Honestly, I wish I knew where that was now. I remember putting some hilarious things in there about Thunder Bay, ON and the sleeping giant. And then there was the hotel fire. Ahh, the adventures of my youth.) But, it was in the days I haunted your library that I really started working on fiction. My mom had an extra typewriter she'd brought home from the office that I would painstakingly henpeck out stories on: ghosts stories, strange doings on far away beaches, tales of lost memories and remembered friends, spy stories, mysteries. Fantasies.

There was the earthquake story from Freshman English with Mrs. R.. The spy short I wrote for Mr. D. in Computer class when he wanted us to write paragraphs.

The Tail of Normandillo - Part 1

Hi Mrs. B,

I'm interrupting our usual programming to introduce you to a new friend of mine.

His name is -- I think -- Normand. Normandillo.

He speaks with something of a Cajun accent despite being from Texas, so it was a little hard at first to understand who was Normand and who was Armand but after several iterations and perhaps a leeetle bit of alcohol, we seem to have come to an understanding. And perhaps a theme song.

Yes, a theme song, which I will attempt to post here at a later time. ;)

This is Genn. She told me, "You have to bring this guy home, Odd.
He looks like he could use a friend."

Normand came to find me on the trip I took in June to NYC. Friends of mine were in the area for a limited time only, having just made a swing through Texas. We got together, had a great couple of days, and spent the last few hours basking in the glory of the Met, when up truddles this wee little armadillo.

"I could take over Manhattan, but I have a feeling you might be up for an adventure...."

Imagine my surprise when he says he wants to come home with me.

"Hurray! The train! I wonder what wonders we'll see from here...?"

More on the Normandillo adventures soon.....

Time and Time and Time Again

Just so you know, I’m not always reading romance novels. In fact, the book I just finished was something I could have happily read if I’d have found it back on your shelves all those years ago. A Tale of Time City was written by Diana Wynne Jones, arguably one of my favorite childrens’/YA authors. It makes me sad to realize I’ve only just found her now that I’ve grown up, since she had been publishing most of my life.

I will admit that for the grown-up me, this started a little slowly and  the initial tone didn't sit right with me. But somewhere about 20 pages in I was hooked. Vivian is a great character with some interesting incites into a world that isn't her own, all while hoping to find her way home again. She may not be Sophie (from Howl's Moving Castle), but I certainly liked her style and I liked the independent thinker she became. 

A definite recommend, Mrs. B. for ages 10 and up.