Saisquoi?

I love books. The feel of them, their smell, the stories contained within. I just love them. We...well I...have quite a collection. Every bookcase in our house is packed and there is at least one book resting on every flat surface. And I have so looked forward to the opportunity to share them with my children.

C...well...C took a long time to come by. When I found out I was pregnant with her, I had basically given up hoping The Beloved and I would ever have a child of our own. But, lo and behold, I was wrong. And so now I have someone with whom to share stories old and new.

We were fortunate to receive many books from friends at a baby shower prior to C's birth. And I was so excited to begin reading them with her. When we all came home and I held her in my arms and tried to read, all I could do was cry. There she was...she was so perfect...and she was ours and we were hers! And whenever I tried to share my books--our stories--I wept. I wept because she was wonderful and because she was a miracle and because I didn't believe I would ever have the opportunity that stood before me but there she was in my arms looking up at me in all of her perfection...and probably because of all the hormones, too, but that's something else.

After a week or two, I gave up trying to read picture books because I couldn't possibly get through them. So, the first book we read together ended up being Coraline by Neil Gaiman. We then moved on to stories from The Blue Fairy Book...which I had actually started reading aloud to my belly during the latter part of my pregnancy.

Eventually, I could read picture books and board books with her. She loves her stories and will frequently bring people books to share...Sometimes she wants The Very Hungry Caterpiller, and sometimes she favors The Essential Gandhi. She's a strange one.

This morning before school, she brought me a board book I had purposefully hidden: The Velveteen Rabbit.

The pages have a fair amount of text on them, considering it's a board book, so I just talked about the pictures thinking that by avoiding the actual text of the story, I'd be OK. And...so close...but no. When I got to the picture of the rabbit in the bag of discarded toys and the Nursery Fairy, I could feel my throat close and my eyes well up and somehow I made it to the end and only cried a little. We repeated the process this afternoon.

At bedtime, she wanted it again, but this time she wanted the whole story. She wanted me to read it to her, not just point out the pictures. So I did. And I cried a little when the old rocking horse talks about being Real. And I cried some more when the boy pronounces the rabbit Real. And I sobbed when the Fairy talks about how she can make the rabbit Real because he has been loved by a child. All the while, my poor child is looking at me in utter confusion: Why do bunnies make Mama so sad?

The story has always made me teary, but it's somehow different...truer...when I tell it to my own dear girl than it was the last time I read it. I can't help but wonder if it's because C has made me Real by loving and needing me as much as I love and need her.

Before I begin, I have a confession: The first time I saw Quirk Classics' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies my response was "What the...?" I picked the book up, looked at it, looked at it again, and put it back down because I couldn't wrap my mind around the weirdness. Fortunately, I changed my mind because it so turns out that zombies go with Jane Austen like Havarti goes with pears.

Because Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ended up being such a rollicking good time, I jumped at the opportunity to acquire and review an advance reader's copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith (release date: 3/23/2010). And lo, I was not disappointed.

Unlike the original Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, this prequel is a completely original work rather than a mash-up featuring the work of Jane Austen. Never fear! Hockensmith captures the essence of Regency Literature, only better! I found this read faster while still including the descriptions of British country social life that one expects from Ms. Austen.

The book answers several questions which readers may have following a reading of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: How did England come to be overrun by foul unmentionables? Where did the Bennet Girls acquire their mad martial arts skills? Is it possible to be both a lady and a warrior? It includes excellent discussions of balls (ahem), the stresses connected with coming out during Times of Troubles, and life and love prior to the arrival of Messrs Darcy and Bingley in Hertfordshire.

Who would benefit from this book? Anyone adventurous enough to experience the daring mix of Regency literature and violent zombie mayhem, ballgowns and nunchucks, courtship and warrior maidens! The book contains a fair amount of violence, dismemberment, and the consumption of humans living and dead. So, if reading about jellied brains and rotting flesh causes you to vomit like many of the fine residents of Meryton, you may want to hold off on this one, or at least keep a basin handy. Otherwise, an exceptionally fun, tongue-in-cheek read well-suited to reluctant readers.

Is your interest piqued? Quirk Books is running a contest in preparation for the release of Dawn of the Dreadfuls! Up for grabs are prize packages which include:


Click here to enter, and let them know I sent you!

So, a few days ago I read on Maria's blog that she was joining the Grey's Anatomy KAL. And it sounded like fun. Except I don't watch Grey's Anatomy. I know--I'm probably the only woman in America who doesn't watch it, but Thursday nights are bad for me (I have a choir rehearsal), and, truth be told, I'm watching less regular programming as it airs and instead opting for more series once they hit DVD. The Beloved and I are currently making our way through Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files.

Anyway. Yesterday Libby wrote about joining the Grey's KAL. And it sounded like so much fun and I was so jealous. So I went KAL Shopping. And found this one: The Romantic Hand Knits-Along. This, actually, turns out to be perfect for me. Last week, The Beloved being as wonderful as he can sometimes be, gave me this fabulous book for my birthday.

I can't tell you how beautiful it is. My only problem? I want to make one of everything. Joining the KAL will (hopefully) force me to choose something and purchase the requisite materials in time for the November 1 start date. My favorite pattern is probably "The Bishop's Wife," which is a 1930s shirtwaist-style dress. However, I'm too chicken to knit myself a dress right now for oh-so-many reasons. Instead, I'm looking at tops. And I just love oh-so-many of them. Do you have any opinions? Any thoughts? If you've seen the book or pictures of the projects, give me a shout with your thoughts. If you haven't seen the book, get thee to a bookstore or your LYS right quick so you can check it out. You'll be glad you made the trip.

It's been my cooking philosophy this week as I desperately try to use up leftover party food before it spoils, so why not reflect the same principle in my blogging style? OK--I've been too scattered lately to put together a coherent...well...anything... so here's a little sampling of everything instead.

Cooking

I did a lot of it last weekend. The good part? I haven't had to cook all week. We've been reheating leftovers like it's going out of style. It's been great, because, honestly--it's been the week from hell.

I made a lasagna on Sunday that was to die for. My Italian Mother-in-Law has granted me honorary Italian status. I'd post the recipe--which is my own--if I bothered to remember to take measurements. Whoops. I've been making my own pasta sauce for years now, and so I make it by taste. It's a handful of this and some of that and then you taste it and see what it needs. If anyone is interested, I'll take notes the next time I make one, which will likely be soon since I've got an extra tub of ricotta in my refrigerator that needs using.

On Monday, we ate Mediterranean-style stuff. I made Souvlaki, Tzatziki, and a Greek Caponata. I can give you recipes for those...

Souvlaki
You'll need:

• 1 lb. lamb shoulder meat
• 1/4 cup olive oil (preferably Greek olive oil)2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
• 1 tsp. minced garlic or garlic puree

What you'll do:

• Cut the lamb into cubes approx. 1 inch in size.
• Combine other ingredients to form a marinade.
• Put lamb and marinade into a ziploc bag and shake well.
• Put bag in refrigerator and let marinate for approximately 4 hours. You don't really want to let this marinate all day, because the lamb is already pretty tender and you don't want the marinade to overpower the flavor of the meat.
  
• Start up the grill. While grill is heating up, thread lamb onto skewers.
  
• When grill is nice and toasty, pop skewers on and grill away! Mine cooked for about 8-10 minutes/side or 16-20 minutes total. You don't want to over cook them.
• Serve hot with Tzatziki Sauce.

Tzatziki Sauce
You'll need:

• 3 cups Greek Yogurt
  
• Juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced (or 1 large European cucumber with very few seeds)
  
• About 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
• 1 T finely chopped fresh dill
  
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

What you'll do:

• Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.)
  
• Dice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water.
• Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.
• In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt.
  
• Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. (I didn't need any more salt)
  
• Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)

The Greek Caponata was something I saw Giada De Laurentiis make on the Food Network a few weeks ago and sparked idea for the Mediterranean theme. You can find the recipe for that right here, and I highly recommend it, particularly if you find yourself in possession of massive amounts of summer squash, zucchini and tomatoes. It's very easy and very tasty. It also reheats nicely if you're like me and make way too much of it.

Reading

Yeah. I've started doing this again. You know, it's kind of fun! I'm currently reading Fluke by Christopher Moore, which is funny and good reading, but is not grabbing me the way You Suck or The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove did. It still has interesting chapter titles (Heinous Fuckery Most Foul is my favorite thus far) and phrases (I don't think I've ever read another book that mentions "poop chute technology"). Perhaps I'll have to order it for work. Christopher Moore was on the cover of Writer's Digest or something like that earlier this year....

I'm also reading 1215: The Year of Magna Carta by Danny Danziger and John Gillingham. It's interesting, but very different from the Christopher Moore book.

Cats

(Warning: This is a TMI sort of post. If you don't want to read about cat urinary health, move along to the next heading. Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Polly has been sick of late. She seems to have some urinary tract unhealthiness going on. The poor baby was a little under the weather at the end of last week and into the weekend. By Monday, she was miserable. Unfortunately, it was a) Labor Day and b) The Beloved's surprise party. So, we kept an eye on her, cleaned up the puddles that appeared around the house, and hoped for the best. When everyone left, I called the vet's office thinking she had kitty diarrhea again--the puddles were watery, oily, and brown...what was I supposed to think? Anyway. They couldn't see her that night, but made an appointment for the next morning at 8:00. So, we kept an eye on her and then found some obviously bloody puddles on the floor. I called the Emergency Vet Clinic, they suggested I bring her in, and an X-Ray and $200 later, they determined she probably had a bladder infection. So they sent us home with some antibiotics and the X-Rays and told us to check in with our regular vet. Which we did the next morning at 8:00.

The regular vet was grouchy because they couldn't get an accurate urine sample since I had started her on an antibiotic. But then they couldn't find her heartbeat because Polly decided to start purring and wouldn't stop. Not for running water. Not when the vet tech held a piece of gauze saturated in alcohol under her nose. So, they took her back and took some blood and tried for some urine. They apparently couldn't find her bladder, either. Even with an ultrasound. The vet did, however, express concern about a lump on Polly's shoulder. Now, I asked about the lump six months ago when we last came to the vet (same clinic, btw), and the vet we saw then--the director of the clinic--told us not to worry about it. Apparently, I should have been worrying. They took samples and have sent them out to be analyzed. Then, they decided to put her on a different antibiotic than the one prescribed at the EVC. So, $400 later, we went home.

I'm happy to report there were fewer bloody puddles around the house this morning and that Polly is at least trying to use her litterbox. Unfortunately, she still isn't really eliminating properly. I called the vet this morning to reschedule a follow-up appointment and asked when I should start to worry. The vet says, "Do you want to bring her in?" Uh...not really...we're already going to be eating Kraft dinner for the next month since I spent all my money on the previous bill.... So, we're keeping our fingers crossed that she's doing even better (ie: peeing) by the time I get home from work today. I'm hopeful. She was eating and drinking last night and this morning and seemed a bit perkier than yesterday morning. And, if she's not doing better I'll suck it up and take her to the vet. I wonder if The Beloved will notice if I pawn my engagement ring.

And she needed a haircut.



Poor baby.

Hair

About a month ago I decided to try the no-shampoo lifestyle. This does not mean I've stopped bathing and/or grown dreads. What happened was this: I read Wendy's post about her "poo-free" lifestyle and was intrigued. Unfortunately, the WEN products are a little too rich for my blood. I'd probably have to give up knitting in order to wash my hair with the cleansing conditioner, and that would be absolutely unacceptable. But, like I said, I was intrigued by the idea of shampoo free. So, I put my librarian skills to work and did some research to see if there was an acceptable (less expensive) alternative. And I discovered sites about people washing their hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar. After I got over the, ew, yuck, that's weird factor, I decided to give it a go. And I am pleased to report that my hair looks and feels great. I wash it every three days now (as opposed to every day with traditional shampoo) with a solution of 1 T baking soda to 8 oz. water. And I use a rinse of 2 T lemon juice mixed with 8 oz. water. My hair is shiny and soft, it has a bit of curl (who knew?!), my scalp feels great (no more dandruff or icky waxy nastiness) and I'm putting fewer chemicals on my body and into the environment. The only things I miss about traditional shampoo are the bubbles and the detangling agent--my hair is on the long side, and combing it out after a wash can be a bit trying.


If the Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar route is pressing your buttons, check out this site. It was very helpful for me starting out.

Knitting

Yes, I still knit. I even knit socks. But the Angel's Rest socks still aren't finished. Sigh. I'm working on the foot. But I got distracted. I need more dishcloths for a housewarming party later this month and I was possessed by the overwhelming desire to knit this:

This is Luigi. The Beloved has named him. I actually made him for a friend (well, for the small child of a friend), but since The Beloved has named the damned thing, I don't know that I can give it up. Well, that, and it's a really pathetic excuse for a stuffed toy. I'm not good at seaming and I'll need to practice sewing arms and legs on to make it better next time. Because I'm sure there will be a next time. I used the Knitted Cuddlies pattern that's available free if you're registered with Knitting Daily. It was really easy to do, and though I'll probably make a few modifications next time--including finding a better way to sew the limbs onto the body--the end product is cute enough that I think I'll probably be making several of these. Best of all? I don't have to worry about lead paint from China when I give these to small children or to their parents!

That about sums it up for now. This weekend will be busy--that saying about no rest for the wicked is really starting to ring true. I'm going to Belmont for Godly Play reaccreditation training. I know you're all jealous. It should be fine, and possibly even fun, but I am just so darned tired that the prospect of a day-and-a-half-long storytelling workshop really isn't working for me. Maybe if they had beer...or at least naptime to break up the storytelling...

In all honesty, I'm amazed that anything got done at all this weekend. That's because this came into my life:

Yeah. Mine and everyone else's. So, that's how I spent my Saturday. The letter carrier dropped it off at about 11 AM and I retreated for 759 pages. I was pleased with how the story wrapped up. But I won't say any more for those of you that may still be reading.

On Sunday, though, I managed to be remarkably productive. OK--maybe not remarkably, but I did finish these:

It's about time. The Beloved wanted to know how much these socks would be worth if I charged an hourly labor rate. Hah. They are a belated birthday gift for my friend, ESB, and I've been knitting them for, oh, a while. This is not the fault of the pattern or the yarn or anything other than my relatively slow and inept knitting. Nevertheless, I'm happy with how they came out. As you can see, I haven't blocked them yet. I'll wash them and block them this afternoon--mind you, they will not be blocked on sock blockers or anything fancy--I'd just like them to look a little slicker when they are finally handed off later this week. Yay finished socks!

There was only one thing to do--cast on another sock. Am I finishing Conwy's mate? Not on your life. I mean--I will. Eventually. But I got new yarn in the mail last week and have been dying to use it. Yes, my Yarn Pirate booty arrived. Wanna see it? Click here. On the chance that someone reading hasn't gotten their shipment yet, I'd hate to ruin the surprise. Because it's sweet. And mine will become "Angel's Rest" from the "Peak Experience" patterns available from Fiber Trends. At least, that is the current plan.

I've also been spinning. No yarn to show right now because it's drying. I gave Navajo plying a go, and while it certainly needs work, I did produce something that one could identify as yarn. So I got ambitious and spun up one of the Spunky Eclectic batts I bought at the Maine Fiber Frolic. It's purple and yellow and blue, so I kind of took it apart into it's component parts and have attempted to spin a striped yarn. My single is striped. And, as long as I don't destroy the yarn in the plying attempt planned for later this week the final product should be striped. Let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we?

And yesterday I also did something I haven't done in years--I went fishing with my Dad. Naturally, both of us forgot cameras. (Battery was charging--the call was somewhat unexpected). Dad is teaching me to fly fish. I suck. But, by the end of the afternoon, I could sort-of cast out to nearly the middle of the pond, and I had even caught a trout--a decent sized one! But we were catching and releasing, so it got to stay at the pond. We had a celebratory cigar. I hope to be able to go out again, but will have to spend a little time practicing in the backyard. I'm terrified of hooking someone with the fly as I whip it around. Yikes!

Since I had such a wonderful day outside playing yesterday, it's only fitting that it's raining this morning and I use the opportunity to do all of the chores I neglected this weekend. So I'm off to do some laundry and play with my new sock. Not a bad way to spend a Monday if you ask me...

I wish I had lots of exciting things to report....but....not so much. That's been part of the reason for the silence on my part. Anyway. Here's what's gone on in my absence:

Reading
I actually read a book over the long weekend! Two, in fact!! This shouldn't have been such a production. I'm a librarian. I like to read. But, strangely enough, I haven't done much over the past several months. It was like once I finished work on my degree, my brain simply couldn't process anything else--not even the drivel I usually select to pass the time. I read about seven hundred novels set in Tudor England (well, maybe not that many...but a lot) since January and simply could not bring myself to write about them because, well, they tended not to be very good. This weekend, though, I managed to pull myself out of that particular rut and finish

• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. A long and quasi-intellectual search for Vlad Tepes/Dracula by (you guessed it) an Historian. Or several, as the case may be. As well as an anthropologist, a Shakespeare scholar, and enough scholars to staff a small college. I enjoyed it. The research bits were fun. The traveling-around-the-world-looking-for-Dracula parts were fun. It read fast. 700 pages in under a week. All in all, this is probably more of a geek book than a good old fashioned vampire hunt, but, well, I'm a geek. What can I say?
• The Woods by Harlan Coben. I discovered Harlan Coben by accident a year or two ago when I forgot to send the "no ship" order to the Book-of-the-Month club. That was when I started kicking myself for not finding him sooner. I love this guy. His mysteries, while perhaps not fabulous "whodunits" are fun to read, his characters are interesting and enjoyable, and his writing is immensely entertaining. The Woods is no different. Though perhaps not his strongest work, it draws you in from the very beginning (even though the premise is much like a bad horror flick gone awry), and holds you till the last page of the book. I read this on Monday. In fact, I think I only put it down to go to our family cookout, which, while enjoyable took me away from my book. Oh well. The Beloved had to log off from his game as well, so I suppose it's all fair.

I'm currently enmeshed in Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the third book in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. I'm enjoying it, as I've enjoyed other titles from this series, but I've found this is another series I actually prefer in audio format rather than in print. Go figure. Nonetheless, it's quite pleasant to set myself down on the porch in the evenings with some red bush tea and my novel. Too bad I have to work during the day....

Stay tuned: more updates to follow.