Hello, Is it me you're looking for?

I have been away for a week, and I apologize for that. It's been a bit of a hectic week, but nothing bad, so don't despair. Headliner for the day: You all might remember that I blogged a few weeks ago that I had a job interview for an unnamed company in Columbus. Well, I went for the interview, and it went well, but I've decided to turn it down. It was just too far away from home, and I didn't feel good about it at all when I left. I think I've finally realized that I have the right to choose family, something I always overlooked before. It's been liberating. Don't worry about me. I've got an interview in Atlanta on Wednesday and a promising prospect in the Chattanooga area, so it's all good.

Guess what! I bought a new purse! Coach, of course. I rarely buy anything else. They make them just the way I like them, simple and sturdy. The new one is a peachy/nudey tote. The color is excellent because it's very close to my skin tone (I'm extremely rosy). I'd put up a pic, but it's in the other room, and I don't want to go get it  =)

This past weekend was my very favorite weekend of the year. All you Daytonians know what I'm talking about. It was the STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL!! There is nothing better than small town festivals, and Dayton does it right with this one. We're talking a whole week of unbelievable hickish events, including a rodeo, a series of pageants, a carnival (which was half broken down this year...a nice touch), and a parade, complete with tractors, horses, bikers, and about a mile of Shriners in various vehicles. It's just a magical weekend. I think all of my readers who are not from the Tennessee Valley (yes, even the ones from Singapore), need to go ahead and mark the second week in May on your calendar next year. It's well worth the trip!!

That might be all for now. I'm feeling happy these days. I haven't listened to the "Worst Day Ever" playlist in at least a week, so life is good!

Fun With FaceinHole

The person you marry will be the person you have to get your picture taken with for the rest of your life. What if you don't compliment each other?!? That is terrible, and thanks to FaceInHole, completely avoidable. Let's try some fantasy relationships on for size...

Oh yeah. I'm definitely feeling this. I could do eternity. I'm very good at entertaining myself, so it would take centuries for me to reach a state of depressing boredom. Maybe a little longer with this handsome hunk of vampiric Britishness by my side. I don't really care for RPatz as RPatz, but as Edward.....oh my, irresistible. 

Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you, that is how I know that Leonardo DiCaprio and I make a DAAAAANG fine couple. I've known it since I was in the third grade. He's the childhood romance that just won't go away ("I just can't quit chu, Leo!"). Can I just say that my inappropriate smiles in all of these photos is hilarious to me? I literally have no pics of me when I'm not smiling to camera.

Yo ho! Yo ho! A life with Johnny Depp for me! I could do this. I could be a pirate. I could live on a ship and make my living pillaging villages in the Caribbean. I could survive on a liquid diet of rum (hmm, maybe not). This is one of the few instances in life where guyliner is a good thing. Gimme gimme more!

How did this get in here?

Da duh dadum, da duh dadum....Tell me this isn't perfect. Tell me this doesn't look natural and effortless. Tell me my round face is not perfectly complimented by a tiara. That's right! You can't say it because it's all true! Some people were just born with the regal gene. I am clearly one of those people. William, I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Big mistake. Big. Huge. 

Wasn't that fun?? Let's do it again sometime.

Bookies Part III

Last installment....let's roll.

BEST "I READ IT AS A CHILD AND IT NEVER LEFT ME"

Winner - The Wheel on the School, Meindert DeJong. This is officially the only book that I have ever read in one sitting, which is weird because I'm a book freak. I picked it up randomly from the school library one day in the 4th grade, and I just couldn't put it down. My mother was worried about me, I remember. I don't know why it fascinated me so much. It's about these kids in a Dutch fishing village, and they want to bring storks back to the area to nest, so they put wheels on all the buildings. Doesn't that sound bizarre? If you are one of my readers with children, you should get this for your kids. Kids apparently love storks and Dutch fishing villages.

1st Runner-Up - Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell. I read this one for the first time in the 2nd grade, but my fondest memories are from when my 5th grade teach read it to the class. She had an excellent reading voice. Karana, an Indian girl, lives for years all by herself when she is left by her tribe on an island in the Pacific. It's just remarkable. Like Castaway for the little ones. When the dog died.....oh my gosh, I can't stand it, even now. This book is serenity in written word. The island itself is as much a main character as Karana. Epic story. Read it. 

2nd Runner-Up - The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System. We all remember these books and movies. I can still remember the opening credits. Magic School Bus days were always my favorite days at school, and this was my absolute favorite book. I bet I read it about 50 gagillion times. I'm a bit of an astronomy nerd, and this is where it all began. On each planet, it showed how your weight would change based on the fluctuating gravitational pull. So much mind blowing information for someone so young. You can bet that my children will have these books memorized before they hit pre-school.

MISCELLANEOUS (I couldn't get them to fit in one particular category, but I love them just the same)

Winner - Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden. I love love love love love this book! I read it over and over again. The imagery here is unparalleled. After reading it, I feel like I've actually walked the streets of pre-War Kyoto. It's the story of a poor young girl from a fishing village who becomes Japan's most celebrated geisha. The glitz and the glamour is countered by the harsh realities of life as an entertainer and, of course, the effects of WWII. And underneath it all, there is a truly touching love story that you don't even realize has been unfolding until the very end. Now, I will say that while I quite enjoyed the movie version, most people do not, so don't base your opinion of the book on the movie. The book is much better. Read it...NOW.

1st Runner-Up - The Gargoyle, Andrew Davidson. This book haunts me. I find myself thinking about it even now, over two years after reading it. It was a bit of a heavy read, so I haven't mustered up the emotional strength to read it again, but it's on the long list. It's a really crazy complicated love story that's speckled with tales from past lives and a heavy influence from Dante's The Inferno. The ending is just so sad an beautiful. Please read it, and don't give up on it after the first few chapters. You'll be glad you hung on.

I'd love to give a 2nd Runner Up, but I'm tired of typing, so that's all you're gonna get! I think I'm done with the Bookies now. Hope you enjoyed =)

Sad Songs Say So Much

I have at least one more installment of The Bookies coming soon, but before that, I have this to share...

Elton John said it best. April has straight up knocked me flat, and I've just about cried out. But, one good thing to come out of it is that I have created the perfect playlist for heartbreak and depression. I call it "Worst Day Ever".  I'm hoping that it's air time will begin to decrease after this week (job interview = possible relocation = clean slate = better times), but since we all have bad days every now and then, I'm going to share.

Possibility - Lykke Li

Someone Like You - Adele

Gone - NSYNC

How Can You Mend a Broken Heart - Al Green

Just a Dream - Carrie Underwood

Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John

This Time - Jonathan Rhys Meyers

End of the Road - Boys II Men

My Immortal - Evanescence

Nobody Knows it But Me - Tony Rich Project

Roslyn - Bon Iver and St. Vincent

My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion

If I Fell - Beatles (for the purposes of this list, I prefer the Evan Rachel Wood version from Across the Universe)

Never Think - Robert Pattinson

Nothing Compares to You - Sinead O'Connor

What Were We Thinking - Joss Stone

Make You Feel My Love - Adele version

Wish I Could - Norah Jones

Someone To Watch Over Me - Renee Olstead version

My Love - Sia

Enjoy.

Bookies Part II

Let's get right back to it.

BEST "MADE ME THINK" STORY

Winner - The Shack, William P. Young. This book is pretty well-known, especially in religious circles. I've talked to a lot of people who have read and it and the reviews are very mixed. It shows God and the Holy Trinity from an entirely new perspective and I think it was a little too much for traditionalists. For me, it was an incredibly comforting idea. No one ever thinks of God in a female form, but in his infinite power, he most certainly could. This book made me re-examine how I learn from tragedy in my own life and how my relationship with God is affected by it. Every time I read it, I pick up a little something else from it.

1st Runner-Up - Life of Pi, Yann Martel. This book blew my mind and that's all there is to it. It's the story of a young Indian boy who is in a shipwreck and he floats across the Atlantic on a life raft with a bunch of zoo animals who all die off until all he has left is a Bengal tiger for company. I realize that sounds strange, but the dynamic between the boy and this tiger is fascinating, and at the end of the book, you're left with your mouth agape, tears in your eyes, and that heavy feeling in your chest because nothing was quite what it seemed. Not enough people have read this book.

2nd Runner-Up - White Noise, Don DeLillo. I had to read this book for an honors class the summer before I started college, and I will say that it is not for the casual reader. This is a book where you have to stop and think about what you've read, really reflect on it, to get the full essence of the author's message. A chemical explosion, a new drug for the fear of death, and a complicated relationship between a man and his wife. What I really loved about this book was the writing. You'd be reading a dialogue, and then out of nowhere,  there'd be a sentence like "The radio is on upstairs." DeLillo is very attentive to even the most mundane aspects of the environment.

BEST HIGH FANTASY

Winner - The Lord of the Rings trilogy, JRR Tolkien. Who didn't see this one coming, right? Tolkien is the last word in high fantasy for a reason. I am very happy to say that I have just recently begun reading the third book in the trilogy, so I'm almost done. (Not decided yet if I'm going to tackle The Hobbit and The Silmarillion yet.) And of course, I'm a bit of a nerd for the movies. But, anyway, here's what I love about these in particular. High fantasy involves the creation of a new world, essentially, and Tolkien was endlessly thorough. Sometimes when I'm reading these books, I come across a person or a place that they don't talk much about, and I get curious. I do a little research, and I can easily find the full history. He literally created an entirely new world, and he fully designed it and mapped out its fate from beginning to end, sparing no details. It's mesmerizing.

1st Runner-Up - Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll. Everyone knows the story of Alice from the various movie adaptations, but about two years ago, I took the time to actually read the books, and they were absolutely fabulous! I love that they are written for children but the complexity resonates so well with adults. It is completely logic-less, which is both frustrating and refreshing as an adult reader. I feel like this is one of those books that, had I read it when I was 8, I would understand it about as well as I do now.

2nd Runner-Up - The Dark Tower Series, Stephen King. Okay, so I've only read 2/7 of these books, and it is true that I struggle with King's writing, but I have every intention of finishing, (3rd book is on the Kindle now) and when I break it down to the core plotline, I really like where it's going so far. I hurt myself with this one because my dad has already finished all 7, and he told me how they end (I asked). But, I think King would say that these books are about the journey, not the destination, and it was a lifelong effort on his part, so I have a lot of respect for the writing.

**Note for this section. I am considering adding George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire to my reading list. I don't know a whole lot about it, but HBO has a new show out called "Game of Thrones" which is based on the 1st book in the series, and I've been watching it. I definitely recommend it, if this kind of stuff is your thing. I compare it to LOTR except a bit more medieval feeling, and a lot more earthbound.

More to come soon...

Bookies Part I

It's a rainy, stormy, tornado-y afternoon in the Tennessee Valley. The kind of day that's so dark, you have to turn on the end table lamps to be able to see anything, which happen to be some of my favorite days. It's times like these that I most enjoy curling up on the couch with a good book. You all know how much I love to read, as I am always talking about a book I've read or one I'm about to read. People are constantly asking me about my favorite books and for recommendations, so I've decided to create an official list of Book Superlatives! Just like in high school! It's going to be great. Here we go!

Let's do this in installments so it won't be quite so overwhelming. I've read a lot of books and there are many categories.

BEST LOVE STORY (note this is different from Best Romance)

Winner - Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen. I know this is cliche, but cliches become cliches for a reason, and the reason for this one is that P&P is simply the most perfect love story every written. Now, we all know that Jane Austen was a prude, and she used the words 'propriety' and 'decorum' far too frequently, but the heart of the matter is that the love between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet is perfect in its imperfection. Also, the dynamics of the Bennet family are absolutely hilarious, if you can fully grasp her diction enough to understand it. This book is the go-to read for the sappy romantic. Also, I must implore everyone reading this to see the movie version featuring Kiera Knightley, if you haven't already. Matthew MacFadyen's Darcy is flawless.

1st Runner Up - Outlander, Diana Gabaldon. Some would argue that this should go in the romance category, because it certainly has its fair share of steaminess, but Jamie and Clare go beyond all of that, I think. I love their conversations more than anything, and Jamie's balance of macho manliness, sensitivity, stubbornness, and vulnerability. He is the perfect man. This really is a well-rounded novel. It has elements of science fiction, as well as excellent historical fiction on the Scottish Highlands, which is an area of our world history that we don't hear about every day. 

2nd Runner Up - One Day, David Nicholls. I realize that book doesn't really fit in with the other, timeless, epic love stories. For one thing, it is very contemporary. It just came out last year. I think I loved it so much because I drew some serious real life parallels from it. It's about these two best friends who are so obviously made for each other, but, for one reason or another, they don't act on it. The ending is both beautiful and heartbreaking. I don't think I even realized how much I cared about these characters until the last few chapters when I could barely read the page through uncontrollable sobs. 

BEST SUSPENSE/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Winner - The Millenium Trilogy, Stieg Larsson. These books are all the rage right now, and even old news for those of us who knew how great they were from the very beginning, but there are still too many people who haven't read them, and it cannot stand! Stieg Larsson is a freaking mastermind, and Lisbeth Salander is the greatest fictional character created in this generation of novels. The imagery in these books in incredible. I know very little about Stockholm, but I feel like I've lived there after reading this trilogy. Each book is better than the last, and I haven't met a person yet who read them and wasn't amazed. Again, you need to see the movies. All three have been made into Swedish movies, and they are simply marvelous. The subtitles are not an issue, and I have all three if you would like to borrow. The American version is coming out later this year, but it won't hold a candle to the Swedish. Noomi Rapace is the perfect Lisbeth.

1st Runner-Up - The Eight, Katherine Neville. I came across this book one day while browsing idly in Joseph-Beth's, and it knocked my socks off. It sort of reminds me of The Da Vinci Code. The storyline revolves around....wait for it....the game of chess. I realize that sounds nerdy, but don't let that deter you. This is a smart, epic mystery novel with an almost entirely female cast. It bounces back and forth between the 1970's and the French Revolution, and they intertwine in a surprising way. I love it because I've read it twice now, and it is so complex that I still don't fully understand what happened. That's a good sign.

2nd Runner-Up - The Robert Langdon novels, Dan Brown. Who didn't see this one coming, right? One caveat: I would like to exclude The Lost Symbol from this. I didn't really care for it. I learned a few fun facts, but I feel like the ending was kind of wishy washy. The majority of the praise here, I think, goes to Angels and Demons, which simply had a better storyline. The ending was rock solid and believable, whereas The Da Vinci Code had that "Jesus had a daughter" thing going on as it's climax, which is fine, but I think I'm a little too strong in my Christianity to really fall for it. Anywho, both books get props for how smart they are. I learned so much about so much from reading them, and I appreciate how much research Brown put into each one. The movies kind of tarnished my view of these books. I think without the movies clouding my vision, they would have ranked higher.

This is going to take forever....Part Deux Coming soon!

22 Candles

Today is my birthday =) I would just like to start by thanking all of my wonderful family, friends, and distant acquaintances for the outpouring of well wishes. It's been a very difficult weekend, for reasons that many of my readers will already know, but for the most part I enjoyed my passing into the 22nd year of being.

I don't think I've ever talked much at my faith on here, but it's a big part of my life, and I've really been feeling it this weekend, and not just because it was Easter. I lost a new, and extremely young friend on Friday, and I've spent a lot of time questioning myself and questioning God, which I know you should never do, but it's hard not to in a situation like this one. The conclusions were all good ones. Sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and admit that you don't have and will never find all the answers. The comfort, I guess, is in knowing that God does. I realize that we Christians tend to wear out the whole "God has a plan" thing, but it really is a phenomenal source of comfort when you stop and think about it. I met and bonded with this precious little girl in the last week of her life for a reason. All of the conversations we had happened for a reason, and she was taken for a reason.

When I was a senior in high school, I wrote a paper for my English class entitled "The Tapestry." Don't laugh because it was a flawless paper. Even the ultimate critic, Mr. Austin of Rhea County High School couldn't find fault with it. Anyway, in it, I talked about how life is like a tapestry in that when you stand really close to one, it looks like a total mess. You can see each individual thread, all of a different color, and they seem so random. It's not until you back away to see the full picture that you see the perfect image that they come together to create. I think this tragedy is one of those odd threads. Right now, I can't find a place or a meaning for it, but at some point, I'll know why it's there.

Sorry for the serious tone and introspection. I'm just not in the frame of mind to be light hearted.

On a final note, I just finished watching The First Wives Club, which oddly enough has been one of my favorite movies since I was 7 years old and didn't even really know what divorce meant. I suppose I've always loved seeing a woman stand up and take charge of her life. These are the women that I most aspire to be like. Anyway, this movie always leaves me feeling happy and empowered, and it is also relevant to this blog because these women have gumption in droves, so here you go.