Book Cycle and My New Favorite Book

Just when I thought I wouldn't find another book I loved, I found one. This is all part of a cycle--and I know it's a cycle so you would think I could wait it out until it hit the upswing again, but...it can be a long wait at times.

This is how it goes. I find a book I love and want to read again and again. Usually, I find two or three at once (it seems that good books come in groups). This inspires me to read more books in case I've managed to miss other good books. Because I'm still under the thrill of the good book, the fact that I'm reading some not so good books doesn't get me down. I keep thinking back to that good book. Wow. It was amazing. So I skim it again and keep searching for more. Sometimes, I feel so contented by the good book, I don't want or need to read another book for a while because I feel satisfied. I love that feeling.

Time passes. I'm still reading, but I start feeling disgruntled because I haven't found a truly good book. I get annoyed. I dread going to the library because when I do go, I can't seem to see anything but books I've already read, and hated. I go to bookstores, hoping that new releases will provide some comfort. The sense of dread only increases then, because...well, have you looked at the new releases in the young adult section of the bookstore? Disgusting. But, I still go, just in case.

And that's the source of my problem. I don't give up hope. I know there are authors out there who are putting out quality literature. Or, at least, I hope it so strongly that I convince myself it's true.

The next step in this cycle is that I find a really good book. It happens. It always has so far. Sometimes it's not even a new book, it's an old one that I've missed. No matter the means, inevitably, I find another good book.

Waiting for that moment is difficult because the timeline can stretch out indefinitely. And I'm not the best of waiters.

I've been in the dearth section of the cycle for a while now. So, two weeks ago, when I was in Town, I stopped by the library and started pulling books off the shelves. Anything that looked remotely readable. I narrowed the pile down to eight books, and left the rest for next time.

And it turns out that the first one of the eight that I read is...perfect. A gem of a book.

It's...a fairy tale. I think that's the best way to describe it. But, it's not a fairy tale you've ever heard before. There's the romance of a fairy tale (don't let the cover fool you-- it's not a bodice ripper, in fact, it's quite tame), a little adventure...but mostly, I love it because of the ideas it approaches, some of the truths it touches. You can read the synopsis on the front cover and decide if you're willing to give it a go. I hope that if you decide to read it, you enjoy it as much as I did.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Latest Food Fetish

check it out at lufoodstorage.

A prize to the first person who tries it at home. --Lu

Recent Excursions

Last Monday we went hiking in the Out. (Out. Meaning, outside of a confined space. As in, The Boov who was locked in the freezer said, "Can I come into the Out now?" ---see, The True Meaning of Smekday for further context).

We found so many tadpoles one wonders if a plague of frogs is on its way in the near future. To my great dismay, none of them had sprouted little legs yet, they were all in the squirmy wormy stage. They can wiggle themselves through the water at a fairly fast pace, though, I managed to catch several of them.


And where there are tadpoles, there must be frogs, though usually they are harder to find. Not so where we were hiking:




(He looks like a sluggy bum of a frog all smooshed up in that hole in the rock.)

(I love how they sit on their hands... and his eyes are incredible. Can you see that his skin is iridescent?)


While we were standing at the side of the stream, The Rock noticed a humming bird had come unusually close to us, so we were watching it hover and then...it plopped itself down in a NEST that was Right In Front of Us!

It looks so regal. You should have seen how the branch bobbed and swayed when the wind blew. The little bird didn't seem to notice at all.


We found a snake in the pond, probably enjoying the plethora of tadpoles. And then later in the week, I was with some friends who caught just such a snake in a similar pond. This one, though has a fabulous red and black tongue:




This weekend we mountain biked in Prescott and came across a TON of these:





And one of the oddest looking things I've seen:

This guy has legs like a lizard, but moves like a snake (and seems to be in the process of sprouting a new tail...or maybe he's just dang ugly all the time).

His skin was really shiny too. Like it was slick from being wet. But he really wasn't near any water we could see.



Not all our run-ins with wildlife have been pleasant. Last night it seemed like every animal outside of Prescott had a death wish. We almost hit a chipmunk, a bird, a big dog (or coyote) that was already dead in the road, and a black cow (I was so startled at the sight of the cow...it came into view as we rounded a corner, and it was dark and the cow was black and for a moment I actually thought it was a Huge Dog. I cried out, "IS THAT A DOG?!" The Rock, who was driving and had expertly avoided the animal, said in a calm voice, "No, that's a cow." Duh.)

But those were all the anmials we Didn't Hit. A large jackrabbit wasn't so lucky. In fact, he was plain stupid because he stinkin' ran INTO the side of our car. Crunch. Bump. (I don't have a picture of that...)


Let's end on a happier note. These were in bloom last weekend:



and I jumped out of the car several times to get pictures. Ironically, my favorite shot was taken from the car, by The Rock.


I love springtime in the desert, don't you? --Lu

May Two Four Celebration

Earlier this week I received this invitation:

HOW'S IT GOIN', EH? You are cordially invited to celebrate the birth of Queen Victoria with the OTHER Canadians!! In Canada, the national holiday in May is called VICTORIA DAY, but as the kids call it, MAY TWO-FOUR!

In Canada , this long weekend holiday is typically when people open up their cottages (they call those cabins down here) and drink many two-fours of beer with friends and family!! What's a TWO-FOUR? Well, it's a case of 24 beer, which you never see down here in the U.S. !

We are going to attempt to gather as much Canadiana as possible... a case of some Canadian beer, I'll make some poutine... but in typical Canadian-style, we're making this a pot-luck party... so bring a dish to share!

Feel free to wear red and white, or bring any Canadian music, stories, any Canadian paraphernalia you can muster! A prize goes to the first person to sing the Canadian National Anthem all the way through... (hey man, I've known the Star Spangled Banner from beginning to end since I was a child) All hail the mighty maple leaf!!!

Here is a creepy picture of Queen Victoria , from me to you.




The creepy picture and the promise of a singing contest sealed the deal for me, and so we went to show our support and revel in all things Canadian. The poutine was tasty tasty tasty (even though there were no cheese curds because they couldn't be found...what's with that? Everyone loves curds but no one sells them except the ghetto south side Food City in Tucson and the dairy in Beaver, UT)

AND! I tied for last place on the Canadian quiz.

See if you can do any better:

The national languages of Canada: _______ and _________
The captiol of Canada: ________________
How many provinces and terrirtories are there? ( 9 and 4; 10 and 2; 11 and 2; 10 and 3 and 11 and 3)
What does RCMP stand for?
Which of these actors is not Canadian: Keanu Reeves, Pamela Anderson, Courtney Cox, Jim Carey
Is the CFL playing field longer or shorter than an NFL field? Bonus: by how many yards?
Which Canadian singer sings "I'm Gonna Getcha Good"?
What famous Canadian is mentioned in the song Sweet Home Alabama?
What is a double double and where do you get one?
What is a Canadian one dollar coin called? A two dollar coin?
What is the title of the leader of Canada? Bonus: what is his name?
When was the country founded? (1776, 1812, 1867, 1909)


Answers will be posted in a week. If you can't wait that long, email me.

What Inspires College Boys

One of our brothers is a freshman in college. A few weeks ago he was telling me about the sorry state of the internet connection in their apartment. Apparently it is unreliable at best. This causes no small frustration among the roommates, and finally, one of them started hatching a plan to solve the problem. The plan consisted of: gathering a group of other disgruntled people, marching down to the internet provider's office, listing their grievances, and demanding solutions.

Me: That's quite the plan. Sounds sort of involved.
My brother: Yeah, it is. ...He got the idea from Newsies.

Since when do college age boys even know what Newsies is...let alone let it guide their lives?!

Watch this for yourself and see if you don't ask the same question. Ah. Newsies. What a classic. --Lu

Following up on Moatmeal, the breakfast of champions

Funny The Rock should mention "tut, tut, it looks like rain," for I came across this a week beforehand.

So charming. At 3 min, 19 sec. is The Line.

My personal favorite occurs at 7 min. And then at 39 sec. And also at 1 min.
This is only part two, but if you have never seen the whole cartoon, it is worth watching all three segments. I admire Pooh's overall confidence in each scheme. A true pillar of success for us all.
Our younger brother had this scene along with the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood, on his favorite blanket as a kid. It ended up being one of those things that was more holes than blanket that mysteriously disappeared (mom threw it away) one day. He can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that was its demise.

Moo

Grandma Erickson's Bread Recipe

There's a new guest post on lufoodstorage--and a family recipe to boot (how great would it be to tell people you've just made Grandma Erickson's bread, knowing full well that you don't have a Grandma Erickson? What fun!).

And a post about water storage (it has a picture of my favorite logo...10 points (and possibly a prize) if you can guess what it is before you see it (you'll have to leave a comment if you want to argue that you deserve a prize for guessing correctly)). --Lu