Celebrating the Freedom to Read: September 22-28, 2013

Did you know it is Banned Books Week next week?

Why don't you plan to read a banned book to celebrate? By clicking on the link above, you will see a list of the 10 most frequently challenged books in 2012. I've read two of the books, Fifty Shades of Grey and The Glass Castle.

I have not read The Kite Runner, but I have a copy of it. I believe I will read it next week as my protest against book censorship.

What will you be reading?

Seating Arrangements - A Book Review

I finished Seating Arrangements today.

I did not like it.

There was not one character in this book that I liked or for which I felt any empathy. Well, maybe Biddy and Livia, but not that much. When I read the last page of the book, I thought to myself "Are you kidding me? This is it?"

My opinion shows that people are different and what one person likes, another person dislikes. Why? Because there are loads of people who love this book.

What is the last book you read that you hated?

Gone Girl - A Book Review

My book club selected Gillian Flynn's book, Gone Girl, as our next book. It is a story about a Missouri housewife who disappears on her 5th wedding anniversary. Of course, the husband becomes the prime suspect.

The book is such a page turner, I finished it in 4 days. Afterwards, all I could think of was the old phrase, "There are two sides to every story." Or, in this case, to every marriage.

White or black?
Loving or hateful?
Good or evil?
Sane or insane?

I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book.

Still Lazy

I haven't done anything really exciting this week. It's too stinking hot to do much.

I finished reading A Game of Thrones. If you do not watch the HBO series of the same name, the first season is a very accurate representation of this book. If you like medieval fantasy, I highly recommend it. I have the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings, but I have not started it yet. I'm saving it for a bit later.

I did begin reading Gone Girl for book club.

I went to the dentist. No cavities for me.

I've been to a 1/2 dozen estate sales and checked on one of my booths. I need to go check the other booth. Then I need to inventory and price my new treasures, plus determine in which location to place them for sale.

What are my plans for the rest of the week?

Laundry.

Probably ought to do some grocery shopping.

Visit Mom.

I'm sure there is more. As soon as I think of it, I'll let you know. In the meantime, everyone stay inside during these hot afternoons and read a book. That's where you will find me!

Lazing Around

I've spent the last two days immersed in a book. It's such a luxury to be able to laze around and read for hours.

I've watched both seasons of HBO's The Game of Thrones, but had never read the book. I am thoroughly enjoying it and am impressed at how well the series is following the plotline of the book.

Let's see, what else have I done the last few days?

The Husband and I went to happy hour at Juniper on Friday. As always, the staff was great, the drinks were great and the appetizer we shared was great. If you have never visited Juniper, you must plan to do so soon!

Saturday night we attended a friend's birthday party, which was loads of fun. It was a great mix of people, of which we only knew a handful. It was fun to meet new people and have a lot of laughs with them.

What did you do this weekend?

Two Types of Shorthand

I'm always on the lookout for unique, vintage books to resell in my booths. I found these Gregg Shorthand books recently at an estate sale. They sure did bring back memories of my shorthand class in high school.

Gregg shorthand uses symbols for letters and words. I can vividly remember trying to memorize all the symbols!

I wonder how quickly (if at all) this would come back to me?

At another estate sale, I found a Bowdon Shorthand manual. I have never heard of this type of shorthand, have you?

This book was published in Oklahoma City, just down the road from me in Tulsa.

Bowden shorthand uses the alphabet, instead of symbols.

I wonder if this method would be easier to learn than the Gregg method?

I googled "shorthand" and found that you can take classes on the Gregg method on line. One page states that journalists, students, administrative assistants and others still use shorthand. Do you think that is true in this technological age?

Did you take shorthand in school? If yes, did you use it in your career? Was it easy or hard for you?

Modern Arithmetic Through Discovery

© 1963

The Husband and I went to an estate sale in a small town southwest of Tulsa this afternoon. I purchased three vintage schoolbooks, one of which is Modern Arithmetic Through Discovery. I vividly remember this textbook from from my elementary school days. 

As I was scanning through the book this evening, I said to The Husband "I'm not sure I can work these problems."

His response? "Give me one of the problems!"

I found a problem and let him read it. 

"Oh, this is the beginning of new math!" Yeah? And what does that mean, dear?

It means, you have to work through each section of the book from the beginning so you know how to solve the problems!

I wonder if you taught children from vintage textbooks like these, if they could pass current competency tests in math, english, science, etc?

Would you recognize your elementary school textbooks if you saw them today?
   

Yada Yada Yada

So, what have I done since I last posted?

• Laundry. Loads of laundry.
• Dishes. Loads of dishes. 
• Slept late. One of my favorite things to do.
• Napped. Another one of my favorite things to do.
• Finished a book. 
• Started another book.
• Friday Happy Hour with The Husband.
• Lazed around on Saturday. Totally. Lazed. Around.
• Watched "The Debt" with The Husband Saturday night.
• Sunday breakfast with The Husband.
• Shopped for The Mom.
• Visited with The Mom and replaced light bulbs.
• Watched The Husband start/check The Mom's car after she complained of a weird noise.
• Expanded Cindy's Cupboard by renting a second antique mall booth at Generations Antique Mall, 11th & Yale, Tulsa.
• Pulled together merchandise from my existing stock for Booth # 2.
• Watched the newest episode of "The Walking Dead" live on Sunday night.
• Watched the last hour of The Grammy's live on Sunday night.
• Watched the newest episode of "Once Upon A Time" dvr'd on Sunday night.
• Cleaned up the kitchen.

What did you do this weekend?

Ladies of the Night

I joined a book club more than a year ago and have really enjoyed getting to visit with new people and to read and discuss books I would not normally select for myself.

Book club met at my house last night and a good time was had by all. Everyone brought a dish to share and the drink of their choice. Last night's spread of food was varied and delicious.

We had planned to host local author, P.C. Cast, for the evening, but she was unable to make it at the last minute. We hope to reschedule with her soon to discuss her wildly popular House of Night series.

One of the newer members of the club asked if we had a name. The club has been in existence for years and evidently had a name at one time, but it's use lapsed long ago. Suggestions were made and a unanimous vote resulted in the adoption of a new name, "Ladies of the Night."

We selected A Visit From The Goon Squad as our next book. Have you read it?

Are you a member of a book club?

A New Word

A friend gave me this lovely book a few months ago.

I've referred to it several times to answer specific questions, but have not reviewed the entire book. I decided to start that effort tonight and, lo and behold, I learned a new word.

Preprandial: of, relating to, or suitable for the time just before dinner

< a preprandial drink >

According to Merriam-Webster, this word is in the bottom 30% of look-ups on their site. You think?

I challenge you to use this word in casual conversation sometime in the next 7 days. If you manage to do so, would you come back here, leave a comment and tell us the details?

I'm a Dreamer

I've told you before that I am a wild dreamer. You can read some of those doozies by clicking on the word "dreams" in the "labels" category on the right side of the screen.

My dreams frequently incorporate elements of what I've recently seen on TV or in movies, what I've read and or what I've discussed with family and friends. I'm currently reading The Passage, which is one of those "post apocalyptic" books I enjoy so much.

I read several exciting chapters last night in bed. Once I turned out the light and fell into a deep sleep, I started dreaming and suddenly Babcock* was speaking to me. SCARY!

How about you? Does what you watch, read or discuss influence your dreams?

*Babcock is a main character in The Passage.

Classes & Puppies & Books

I went to the local Apple store this week for a one-to-one session with a trainer covering advanced functionality for the iPad.

There's always such a good vibe at the Apple store. The employees enjoy working there and it shows. The trainer told me he looks forward to going to work and he learns something new every day, either from other trainers or from customers. How satisfying must that work environment be?

One of the applications we found allows me to create collages on the iPad. The name of the app is Photo Wall and it cost $2.99. Here is my first collage, which brings me to the puppies portion of this post.

Who can resist Yorkshire Terrier puppies? Not my sister's family! Big Sister A is holding Trixie and Sweet Baby L is holding Chelsea. Their 3 year old beagle, Princess Leia, is having a lot of fun "herding" these puppies. When I need a cute puppy fix, I now have a place to get one!

Book club met at my house this week. The meetings are bring your own drink and an appetizer or dessert to share. I made my old standby artichoke dip, which I wrote about here. I also made Palmiers, which are mighty tasty.

We had a great time catching up with each other and discussing The Neighbors Are Watching. Reading this book raises the questions, do you know your neighbors and when should you become involved in their lives?

We agreed our next book will be The Warmth of Other Suns.

What have you been up to this week?

I'm A Reacher Creature!

Do you know Jack Reacher? He is a character in a series of action/adventure books written by author Lee Child.

Jack is a loner, with no home or possessions, who walks everywhere. During his travels, he typically runs into a bit of trouble and then stays around just long enough to help innocent people resolve the problem. These books are fun, escapist entertainment enjoyed by both men and women.

I saw a story on Lee Child on the CBS Sunday Morning news recently. I really, really enjoy Jack Reacher mysteries and I knew other people did also, but I did not know some people called themselves "Reacher Creatures" until I saw this piece.

If you like a fun read, pick up the first book in the series and meet Jack. You may end up loving him!

P.S. If you live in Tulsa, Gardner's Books usually has the books in stock.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

by Stieg Larsson.

This is a great book. An exciting book. A book that a lot of people have discussed. This is not the reason I read this book. I read the book, based on a recommendation from a friend. What a GREAT recommendation!

Have you heard of this book? If yes, have you read it?

If yes, what is your opinion of this book?

Book Club

Have I told you I've recently joined a book club? 

I have long desired to join a club, but given my previous corporate career I never committed to one. I was concerned my sporadic travel schedule would mean I would miss more meetings than I could attend.

A month ago I was invited to visit a club that has been together for eight years. Members have come and gone, but there is a core of original members still in attendence. 

These women are funny, intelligent and active in our community. They have made me feel very welcome.

The club alternates meeting at member's homes. Everyone brings what they would like to drink, a tasty dish to share and suggestions for the next book.

Apricots Topped with Blue Cheese, Pistachios and Honey was my contribution to the evening repast. These were very tasty. They passed The Husband's taste test and the ladies also liked them.

The book for discussion was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it. The club's conversation about the book was good, but what was better was the conversation about whether we personally are racist and the state of race relations in our city.

The club is taking the summer off and will reconvene in September. A few books on our reading list during the break are:

Olive Kitteridge

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Have you read any of these books? If yes, would you recommend them?

I have been searching out avenues to meet new people and this book club is a perfect fit. How about you? Are you a member of a book club? How do you meet new people?

Trixie Belden

Do you know Trixie Belden? It was my favorite book series when I was a young teen.

Trixie and her best friend, Honey, solved many a mystery with the help of their brothers, other family members and friends. I thought they were the coolest teenagers in the world and I wanted to be just like them.

Remember, I was 11-14 years old at the time!

I collected all the books in the series. I read them over and over again, so much that I wore them out.

As I aged, the books were moved here and there, packed away with other books. Unfortunately, they were also stored in less than desirable environments and were mostly ruined by those conditions. My original, worn and damaged books are now at my sister's home. She is building a library for her daughters, who are 7 and 4.

Trixie Belden books are out of print now and hard to find anywhere. I scored 10 of them in paperback at an estate sale recently. I was excited to add them to the library!

What books did you read and love when you were young?

The Weekend

The weekend certainly didn't turn out like I expected.

I developed a scratchy throat on Tuesday and as the week progressed, my symptoms expanded to include headache and coughing. I medicated myself with DayQuil and NyQuil, and went to bed, hoping it would pass.

When I started wheezing, I knew I needed to see my doctor. Fortunately, they were able to work me into his schedule on Friday.

My weekend has consisted of keep track of my meds, coughing, wheezing, sneezing, sleeping and reading two books in preparation for a book club meeting I've been invited to attend this week.

The book to be discussed is Half Broke Horses, by Jeannette Wells.

I also read her book, The Glass Castle, to have the background for Half Broke Horses.

Have any of you read these books? If yes, what did you think?

P.S. I also watched it snow on the first day of spring in Oklahoma. I didn't have the energy (or the heart) to take a photo.

Beautiful Blogger Award From Jenn

Jenn, over at Perspective Required, gave me the Beautiful Blogger award:

The original rules of this award were to list 7 interesting things about yourself. Jenn modified the rules and listed 7 bizarre little quirks and/or weird chapters from her past. Now she wants to know the same about me! Here it goes:

1) I count things. All the time. All things. The Husband knows if we are out driving and pass a field of cows, he can ask me how many cows were there and I can tell him. (OCD, anyone?)

2) I check, re-check and re-check to make sure the doors are locked every evening. (OCD, anyone?)

3) I only allow myself to eat Funyons in the car while on a long road trip. Otherwise, I'd want them all the time.

4) I love laundry. I love the whole act of taking a pile of dirty clothes and making them clean, fresh smelling and put away in their correct places.

5) I've read Mrs. Mike at least 25 times since I was a young teenager. I just love this book!

6) The Husband has banned me from looking up any illness on the internet. If I have a common cold, after looking on the internet I will be convinced I have the most bizarre ailment. He uses "that" tone of voice and tells me, "Do NOT look on the internet, Cindy."

7) I have been a Trekkie since the original show was first aired. I've seen all the movies based on the original show. I've also seen most of the Star Trek, The Next Generation episodes. I absolutely adore the comedy "The Big Bang Theory" because the guys are such geeks and quote Star Trek a lot.

There you have it, Jenn. A little peek into what makes me, me. Hope it doesn't scare you away!

Now, all of you go visit Jenn and get to know her! Perspective Required

The American Woman's Cookbook (1942) - The Friends Who Honor Us

Another funny tidbit from the 1942 edition of the above cookbook.

How to put together a guest list for a dinner party. Page 724-725:

"The guest list must be carefully considered. When inviting persons for the purpose of introducing them to someone else, be sure that as far as can be discovered, there is no third person to inject a discordant note. One cannot take full responsibility for the emotional responses of all one's friends and acquaintances, but some caution can and should be exercised. When entertaining a group of professionals it is well to have several professions represented so that the conversation will be general and pleasant and not turn to moot professional questions that may start a sharp debate.

Many families, too, see in their social life an opportunity to train their children in the social graces and amenities. This, of course, can be overdone if not carefully thought out. Many guests are not interested in children and some are annoyed by them. But family parties are always the logical and pleasant opportunity to give the youngsters their chance. In any case, children should be prepared for what is ahead of them. Being more at ease in their own minds about what may happen and what is expected of them, they are much less likely to "show off" or behave like the "enfant terrible." Being reminded of the uses of the knife, fork, and napkin beforehand, too, and not reprimanded in the presences of others, will make for better behavior."

I guess this was the era of children being kept in the background. My goodness, I'm glad things are different now.

Our 7 year old niece frequently declares "dinner party" at The Sister's house. Mom, Dad and both girls have to dress for dinner and sit at a pretty table. She's also quite the party organizer (birthdays, etc.). She lists everything needed; plates, napkins, forks, balloons and so forth.

These are good skills for the niece to learn young!

Yesterday - A Perfect Wednesday

By 9:00am, I was showered, in clean clothes, and had make-up and jewelry on.

Not that I'm not showered and dressed early in the day. It's just that I had MAKE-UP and JEWELRY on by 9:00 am.

I was at Tulsa's Old School Bagel Cafe early for breakfast. I left there and went to an estate sale, Red Crown Credit Union, Gardner's Book Store, Sam's Club and my Mom's house.

It was a full day.

After a couple of busy hours at the house, The Husband came home from work. He and I had dinner at Sonoma, one of our favorite places.

I cannot think of anything that was wrong with today. I hope you feel the same about your life.