My Last 3 Books

False Memory by Dean Koontz took me about 3 months to get through. It was my first Dean Koontz book and I found it a bit scary and unnerving at the beginning and I had to set it down for a couple of weeks and get away from it. I've never had to do that with a book before. The villain in the book hypnotized people and made them destroy themselves and their families, all for his sick pleasure. He was so evil and so lacking in humanity that it bothered me. Eventually I warmed to it and got it finished but I'm not sure I'd read any more of his books. 

Be Brave, Young & Handsome by Leif Enger was great. The main character had written a best selling book about the wild west but then gets writers block. He befriends an old cowboy with a past and they embark on an adventure that is reminiscent of the old times of frontiersmen and gunslingers. I am looking forward to reading his first novel "Peace like a River" next.

Right now I am 3/4 way through A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. On the order recommendation of Clippy Mat, I got the book from the library last week and I have delved into it every chance I get. He is hiking his way through portions of the Appalachian Trail and having a grand old time doing it. Here is his advice on avoiding grizzly attacks ... "Make for a tall tree, since grizzles aren't much for climbing. If a tree is not available, then back off slowly, avoiding direct eye contact. All the books tell you that if the grizzly comes for you, on no account should you run. This is the sort of advice you get from someone who is sitting at a keyboard when he gives it. Take it from me, if you are in an open space with no weapons and a grizzly comes for you, run. You may as well. If nothing else, it will give you something to do with the last seven seconds of your life."  I'm loving the book and hoping I can hike some of the AT myself in the future. I'll also be checking out his other books, especially the one he wrote about England.

My son Jack is also mad on books. For a kid that spends 14 hours a day on manic overdrive, he surprisingly loves to sit with books and try to read and we read several book a day together. I'm so glad about that. Looks like he will be a reader like me. 

Thanksgiving Part 2

Happy Thanksgiving part 2. 

Craig made turkey tikka masala, brown rice, poppadoms and spinach pooris. It was marvelous!

All friends are gone and it's me, Craig, Char & Jan left and I know I have to post to keep up with my pledge but I'm not going to be a bad host and keep tapping away.

I promise a better post tomorrow  - when Danny will be 10 months old!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We've had a lovely day so far. Though I have to start this post with a funny story. Craig and I watched The Wrestler last night and we were so knackered we both fell asleep in the living room. When we woke up, a porn film had come on HBO! Our neighbours can see our telly from their house - what a nightmare! Hopefully they were in bed otherwise they think we spend our weekends watching porn until 3am.

Okay, so back to today. I am so thankful for:

Chief cook, great dad and soul mate Craig. I don't know what I'd do without him.

Our lads

That Danny is healthy and happy

That we live in a wonderful place with a lovely dog, wonderful friends and we both have jobs (touch wood)

That Jack is healthy and happy and looked after, not just by us but by Linda too.

I am thankful that our families in England are all okay. 

I miss them terribly at times like this though. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! X

Cover Woman (too old to be a girl)

I am most chuffed. This month I am gracing the cover of a national magazine that services the industry I work in. I've never been on a cover before so today I am puffing my chest out and showing everyone and his auntie my picture. Craig said he'll frame it for me and I'm going to ask for extra copies for my family (just humour me please).

I do wish I hadn't worn my grey pants. I was under the illusion that dark colours made you look slimmer but they obviously aren't dark enough and make me look like Lady Thunder Thighs. Damn Toblerones to hell.

Talking about food - it is Thanksgiving here tomorrow. We were very kindly invited by friends a few hours away to have dinner but we are going to stay home and do the family thing. Craig and Jack performed all kinds of surgical maneuvers on the turkey tonight - gutting, washing out with water, injecting, marinading, and stuffing. They even boiled up the offal for Cody, Frank & Tutz as a treat. I love this holiday. Four days with my loved ones. AHHHHH.