I’m not much of a Halloween girl, but this made me laugh.
5000 piece puzzle of Florence
A few years ago I put together a 5000 piece puzzle and I swore I’d never do it again. Not only does it take too long, but at some point it stops being fun. But, in February I was looking on ebay (a wonderful place to get puzzles) and saw this beautiful puzzle of Florence, Italy. We were finalizing or trip to Italy, so I bought it. And started piecing it together in February. And did not put the last piece in place until last night. October 24. Obviously I took time off here and there, but still… I’m never doing another 5000 piece puzzle again. Really.
A special thanks to those of you who came by the house and took the time to put in a piece or two. It may have taken me another month to finish without you!
5000 piece puzzles are expensive and I’m willing to give this puzzle away, but I won’t pay for shipping. Once I put it back in the box I’ll weigh it so you have an idea how much it may cost to mail. If you are interested, let me know.
EDIT-I’ve mailed this on to South Africa.
Authors on politics
I saw this quote today and couldn’t help but pass it along. I’m also including a quote from the insightful Douglas Adams which I also find fitting during this election season. It is important to vote and I hope you have all voted or will be voting on November 4 – even if your vote isn’t the same as mine. It’s so easy to get discouraged by all the lies being told this late in the campaign, but I’m hoping we voters can prove that we care about the truth and we care enough to vote.
“I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention? To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it? To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.” – Author David Sedaris, on undecided voters
“Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” – Douglas Adams, author
The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch
Finished 10-22-08, rating 4/5, non-fiction, pub. 2008
“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.” -Chapter 39
Professor Randy Pausch was a man who had it all – a dream job, wonderful wife, three healthy children. What the 47 year old did not have was a lot of time. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given a short time to live. This book is a companion to the Last Lecture he gave at Carnegie Mellon University in August 2007.
I’m not sure what I expected, but it was not the upbeat and entertaining read that the book proved to be. His ability to deal with his prognosis in such a constructive and inspirational way was profoundly touching. This book was written for his children and it is full of advice and wisdom, but also filled with stories that will make you smile, like Randy and Jai’s hot air balloon ride on their wedding day.
I liked so many things about this book. His argument for handwritten notes, his take on dented cars, and his belief in being a true mentor for his students are a few things that come to mind. He also mentioned Ohio State in passing and that always gets points with me.
I would recommend this book to anyone without hesitation. It only takes a short time to read, but it will leave you feeling better about life.
The website, http://thelastlecture.com/index.htm, has access to extra information and you can watch the hour long Last Lecture from there as well. Randy died in July, but his great spirit will live on not only through his words, but also through the thousands of people he touched during his lifetime.
Over Her Dead Body, by Kate White
Finished 10-21-08, rating 3/5, mystery, pub. 2005
True crime author Bailey Weggins is back in her fourth mystery in the Big Apple. Bailey switches from one magazine job to another and is fast embroiled in a murder mystery. Her nasty boss is murdered and there is no shortage of suspects and lies. Bailey must work her way through the maze of red herrings and attempts on her life to find the truth and get the scoop for her story.
Bailey is a tough thirty-something divorcee living in Manhattan with a fun and feisty personality. She’s like a big city Nancy Drew.
I’ve listened to two of this series on cd and really liked them, but this one was missing something for me. It was still good, but Bailey felt a little tired. I had no idea who did it until the very end, which was good, but the end didn’t really wow me after the multitude of possibilities.
I would still love to hang out with Bailey and will read her other books. Author, Kate White, is the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine.
Our Anniversary Weekend
It shouldn’t come as a shock for those of you who regularly read my blog that Jason and I met in a bookstore. I was an assistant manager at the B Dalton at Ballston in Arlington, Virginia, and his buddy in the Navy worked there part-time. We met, had a few dates, and I knew I had found someone very special.
We took a trip to Italy earlier this year that we called our 10 year anniversary trip, but decided we would mark the day with a trip down memory lane. It’s been a little over 10 years since we lived in the DC area and when we left the house we didn’t even take a map. Our first stop was the bookstore where we met. I did become store manager eventually and I was disappointed to see that the place has really let itself go!
We drove by where my first apartment should have been, but it has been razed to make room for condos. We found our first place together and marvelled at how far we’d come on 10 years!
We found a sports bar to watch the Ohio State – Michigan State football game, which was a tricky thing on an anniversary weekend. You all know I’m a Buckeye. but Jason is a Spartan and we are both trash talkers during the game. So, the best thing I can say about the game is that we made it through, love intact.
I love the Metro system. I love visiting places that have good public transportation. We took the metro to the Mall and visited a few Smithsonians, the WWII memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and rode the Carousel like two kids 🙂 We basically acted like goofy tourists and had a fantastic time.
We visited a favorite place for both of us, the Arlington Cemetery and saw the Changing of the Guard, Lee’s House, and spent some time getting lost in the history and the sacrifice that have made this country great.
Ten years ago, when I left the DC area, I was following my soon-to-be-husband to where he needed to be. I might still be there if not for Jason and it was so nice to go back. Before any of our DC friends become offended that we didn’t call, let me say that we did not call anyone. It was a few days just for us. I’ll be back soon, I hope, and I’ll be calling you all to put me up for a night 🙂
I have to add this photo of the cool dog that we saw at the WWII Memorial. He was posing for pictures for anyone who wanted to take them. How cute is he?!
Our Weekend in DC
We just returned home from a long weekend in Washington DC to find that our computer no longer works and this laptop keeps disconnecting, so I will post tomorrow when I have access to a better computer! We spent our 10 year wedding anniversary on Friday in Arlington, Virginia, where we first met, fell in love, and made 2 1/2 years of wonderful memories. More tomorrow.
Capote, 2005 movie
I’ve never read In Cold Blood, but it is in my ‘to read’ pile, so I thought I’d see this movie about Truman Capote during the 4 1/2 years it took him to reasearch and write the book. In Kansas, two young men murder a family of four and Capote asks his childhood friend, Haprer Lee, to help him research in Kansas. Once he meets the prisoners he becomes very attached to one of them. He was there when the two were hanged for their crimes. An interesting note – it was during this period that Lee had To Kill A Mockingbird published.
Okay, I thought Philip Seymour Hoffman was excellent as Capote and Catherine Keener did an outstanding job as Harper Lee, but I did not care for the movie. It was slow and a little erratic. Some parts were interesting, like that Capote never wrote another book after this one and he never took notes from interviews, but on the whole I thought it was a yawner. I do think it will make In Cold Blood more interesting when I get around to reading it.
I would only recommend this movie if you are a fan of Truman Capote or In Cold Blood.
How I Found the Perfect Dress, by Maryrose Wood
Finished 10-13-08, rating 3.5/5, young adult, pub. 2008
This is the sequel to Why I Let My Hair Grow Out.
I won this book last month over at Writerspace after being entered into a drawing with 200 books to be given away. I had no idea that Writerspace authors included young adult writers, so, when I received the book I was intrigued by the funky cover, but not sure about reading it. But, Maryrose wrote a nice note to me the front page and I felt enough guilt to give it a shot.
Morgan is also half-goddess Morganne and is still in love with Colin, the 20 year old boy she met last summer in Ireland. Morgan is just a normal 16 year old girl with fighting parents, a kid sister, and a relationship to repair with her best friend, while also being Morganne who pals around with faeries and has seen the Tooth Fairy. It’s been six months since she’s seen Colin and his emails have become almost nonexistent. Morgan is ecstatic when she learns that Colin will be coming to Connecticut for a few weeks in March, but will soon learn that being loved by a half-goddess is doing harm to Colin.
I have not read a young adult romance since I was a teen and I was surprisingly enchanted with this whimsical tale of magic and love. I would recommend this book and the rest of the series about Morgan for teen girls. I’m tempted to read the rest of them myself!
My Obsessions
I’ve been tagged by Don to confess my obsessions/addictions. Today I turn 37 and since I’m feeling contemplative I think I’ll list one for every year.
Flavored coffee, black is my favorite way to start the day. And continues until the afternoon begins.
Red wine is my relaxation in the evening. I probably like it a little too much, but it’s healthy, right?
Buying books seems like a healthy addiction, but it can override common sense. I can go to a bookstore and purchase 10 books for a $10 and not have time to read any of them before more books find their way into my shopping bag a few days later. I do have a reading and writing addiction which seem to fit in with my book problem.
My grandparents passed onto to me the puzzling gene. Working on jigsaw puzzles is a good way to work out stuff in your head. If I’ve got a problem I need to work out, doing a jigsaw is the best medicine. I am currently finishing (600 pieces or so) a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of Florence, Italy. I will include a picture when I get it done because it is a much anticipated achievement.
Chocolate and cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory are two addictions. I am currently eating a piece of Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake and it is heavenly.
Ohio State football season is my favorite season of the year! And that explains my favorite color, red.
I love my family and they are my rock. On a related note I frequently become obsessed with genealogy when I find a new branch in my family tree. Which leads me to trees – I love them and never feel more at peace with nature than when I am surrounded by them. I also feel very much at peace when I am surrounded by my wonderful friends. Cleveland has made me appreciate and look forward to snow. On the other hand, I adore saunas. This time of year always reignites my interest in politics (just ask my dad who was here this weekend). I have become more interested in my blog- and in yours- than I thought I would when I started. I check email constantly. But I love getting snail mail. I also love to send letters and cards. I love meeting new people and going to parties, which go together very nicely, thank you. My only fashion addiction is Kathy Van Zeeland bags (I’ve given away everything else!) and I won’t confess to how many I own. I love romantic movies and can watch my favorites over and over. On the TV front…I can spend too much much money at QVC, I tape The View everyday, if I’m home I watch General Hospital with only a little guilt, and when the tv is on, its default station is CNN. I love to play board games and am a bit competitive. Especially during March Madness when I become completely obssessed with beating my husband on our brackets. I go to New York City as often as I get the opportunity (which isn’t often enough!). I love getting into the hot tub on a cool night with my husband.
Which leads me to my obsession with getting my cat, Scout, to gain weight and getting my dog, Max, to lose the pounds. Of course, my best obsession is my husband, Jason. And for #37 I asked Jason what he thought my obsession was. He thought about for a few minutes and said, “You like to make other people happy.” Maybe I should just make him addictions 1-36 🙂
I’m tagging Kathy & Elena to confess their obessions/addictions.
Stacy's Books 
