2 Things @ Once

Best Books Read in 2008

Every year I include a list of book recommendations with my holiday cards. It's become a tradition, going on 16 years. Here's my list for this year, with links to my reviews:

• The Way We Live Now Anthony Trollope (1875)
• The Full Cupboard of Life Alexander McCall Smith (2003)
• Little Children Tom Perrotta (2004)
• The Rape of Nanking Iris Chang (1997)
• Animal, Vegetable and Miracle Barbara Kingsolver (2007)
• The Thirty-Nine Steps John Buchan (1915)
• Mr. Standfast John Buchan (1919)
• The Book Thief Markus Zusak (2006)
• A Great Deliverance Elizabeth George (1988)
• The Writing Class Jincy Willett (2008)
• Water for Elephants Sara Gruen (2006)
• How the States Got Their Shapes Mark Stein (2008)
• A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain Robert Olen Butler (1992)

But What About My Naptime?!!

For the last two days, Wee-J has cut her regularly scheduled nap time by an hour or more, to just 90 minutes. And that's on the long side. I'm hoping it's the excitement of the holidays and the lingering effects of her cold, because otherwise, I don't like where this is going.

Review: Mama Mia! (2008)

Mama mia, was this terrible.

Yikes. I was embarrassed for everyone involved. I love Meryl Streep and she can sing, but ugh. The plot was ridiculous. The dialog and most of the acting smacked of over-the-top theater, as if they were all still playing to a packed Broadway venue and not a more intimate film, where you don't have to project every emotion to the back row.

I felt bad for Julie Walters and Stellan Skarsgard who were reduced to comic relief and I'm not a big fan of Christine Baranski. Worst of all--Pierce Brosnan singing. It's painful to the eyes and the ears. Seriously, is this ex-James Bond so much of a box office draw that they'd cast this non-singer in the daddy role with the most sung dialog? Double (07) yikes.

I give Mamma Mia! 1 out of 5 dancing queens.

Saturday 3 p.m. ~ Welcome Back to Chicago

Driving back from my Kentucky Christmas, about an hour out of Chicago we ran into rain. Rather than the ice-cold I'd expected, the temp was in the mid-50s and there was a tornado and thunderstorm watch in effect. Like I've said many times, this is the strangest winter weather I can remember in forever.

Traffic was fairly light and the weather held off until the very end of the journey. We made good time (six hours) and I have to say I actually enjoyed the drive through Indiana. Normally a boring, flat, monotonous drive through endless corn fields, the winter landscape of grays and browns of the bare fields and trees was quite lovely.

Heading Back Into the Heart of Winter

Today, I'm back on the road, leaving Kentucky springtime and pointing the car north to Chicago, the land of ice and windchill. It's been a great break and a much needed, relaxing few days spent reading, chatting with friends, and eating great food. Tomorrow, it's back to wearing three layers, laundry, and caulking the bathtub.

Buffalo Trace

Karen's birthday request was a trip out to Frankfort to tour the Buffalo Trace Distillery. This was my second distillery tour and I really enjoyed it. It's not only an interesting tour of a working factory (unfortunately, it was a holiday, so we didn't see any actual production going on) but it's a treat for the senses. The air smelled sweet from the moment we got out of the car. Every building we went into smelled amazing. And at the tour's end, we were served a tasting of vodka and two different bourbons produced at the distillery. Yum.

Before we left, Karen, Jan and I noticed the warehouse door was still open, so we stepped back inside and soaked in the scent for a few minutes more. I wish I could have bottled that scent and taken it home.

Merry Christmas All!

Wishing you all a peaceful and relaxing day surrounded by the people and food you love.

Christmas in Kentucky

I'm on the road, slogging through the snow, sleet, rain and what-all to get to Kentucky for Christmas. It was kind of a last-minute decision, but once I'd decided no amount of weather was going to hold me back.

Happy trails all!

Review: James Monroe

Gary Hart (2005)

Finding a biography of the fifth U.S. President was no easy task. James Monroe (he of the famous Doctrine) hasn’t been a popular topic for biographers. My choices came down to a 700-page tome, a bunch of books geared toward grade-schoolers, or this installment in “The American Presidents” series.

This slim biography has all the finesse of an eighth-grade history report. Poorly written and repetitive, the author (yes, he’s that Gary Hart) manages to make 150 pages of information feel padded. His tendency to jump back and forth in time is sloppy and confusing. And did I mention it’s repetitive? If you’re interested in a summary of Monroe’s life and achievements, simply read the conclusion of this book. It tells you everything you need to know—just once.

Ah, I Remember How Much "Fun" Knitting Is

After nearly three hours of knitting, an hour and a half of which I should have been in bed asleep, I've decided I don't like the way my "simple" knitting project looks and I'll have to rip most of it out and start over.

And just like that, a Christmas present turns into a birthday gift.