2 (of my many) problems solved!!

I'm sure you'll be surprised to hear this, my blog reading friend, but I have problems.  Some big and important, some pretty small and stupid.  Some which I just need to take by the horns and fix, and some are totally out of my control.  My job on the last group is to fix my attitude to accept that I don't have any control and find happiness in spite of them.  I know I am no different than anyone else in these declarations of problems, and solutions and non-solutions.  No one gets through life without their share of things to work through or around, or whatever.  

(Stick with me while I digress for a moment)  I was reminded of the importance of feeling gratitude no matter what you are going through just recently.  My good friend lost her child in a tragic accident.  This child also happens to have been one of my seminary students!  He was a smart, handsome, good young man, who loved his life, and the people in it.  To see his life cut short was a shock and as I said before, a tragedy.  My friend spoke at his funeral, and related how the thought came to her (in the form of a recent General Conference talk by Pres. Uchtdorf) about being grateful in any circumstance.  She took note of the magically folded and put away clothes in her dresser, the balanced meals that her kitchen seemed to produce from nowhere, and the texts that came to her phone at just the perfect time. (She voiced it much more eloquently)  Of course, these things were all facilitated by her friends and family, and she was able to, in the midst of her seemingly devastating grief, to recognize the service of others to her and her family.  Is she still grieving her son?  Of course, and most likely will be doing that in some form the rest of her life.  Is she debilitated by it?  Probably at times, but for the most part, she is using her gratitude to carry her through this horribly difficult time.  What a great example to me and to those at the funeral!!  I'm grateful for her!

(Ok, back to the original subject.  Although, after that, my "problems" seem pretty ridiculous, even absurd!!  If I could think of a different term to use, I would.  Maybe as I type it will come to me.)

So, what are these great "problems"?  First of all, I love to buy journals.  I am especially tempted when I go to TJ Maxx and take a peek at their inventory.  They always have something that catches my eye, and I usually succumb.  Now, a girl can only use some many of these, and as I'm not writing very often in a paper journal these days, I can't just keep buying them on a whim or my kids will curse my name for my empty journal collection when I die.  They will have enough things to curse me about.  I don't want my love of journals to be in that category.  So, what to do with this latest one I  bought?  I love it.  A bike?  Hello!  Reminders to enjoy the ride?  Hello!  Love both of those things.   

And, look inside.  Such cute pages.  (The pages rotate between about four or five different patterns.)  I <3 journal.="" nbsp="" p="" this="">

Now to the second dilemma (that's a good substitute for problem).  I love to cook, and I love all the recipe options available on the MANY blogs in the internet!  So many recipes!!  I have my favorites - ourbestbites.com, and smittenkitchen.com, just to name a couple.  Of course, allrecipes.com is a great place to go, and the foodnetwork website and pioneerwoman.com always have something.  Now how is a girl supposed to keep track of the recipes she tries, likes and wants to use again?  I was copying them into a recipe book but that is about full, and obviously redundant.  I don't need to reinvent the wheel here.  

Enter my new journal!  I realized I could make a record of the recipes I want to use again in it.  Great idea right?  But how to keep track of them and find them again?  I numbered the pages and created an alphabetical index at the back of the journal.  Now it doesn't matter if the entries aren't in any order.  I can easily find them as long as I remember to enter the page number they are on in the index.

When I thought of this last week, I couldn't help patting myself on the back for a brilliant idea.  (Now I realize someone has probably already figured this out, and posted it on Pinterest, or something like that, but I am not a very good Pinner and haven't seen anything so am feeling very creative and dilemma solving!  And you can be un-impressed if you choose, but I choose to be excited and a bit giddy about the whole thing.  And of course, grateful...

My yoga journey so far...

For a while now, I have felt a nudge to start doing yoga.  Not yoga with a DVD at home, but actually getting myself to a yoga studio and learning how to do it correctly.  After visiting my girls in Utah, all 3 of whom do yoga, I felt the push even more.  After I did a little research, I found a studio here in town, with a beginner's class, and taught by a woman I was slightly acquainted with.

Now, I am not some young, flexible woman.  I am middle aged, and stiff (much stiffer it turns out than I realized until I started really learning yoga) and I'm not the skinniest person in town.   I was pretty apprehensive about starting, but also knew that if I didn't do it now, it might not ever happen.  So I summoned my courage, talked to Teresa and signed up for the class.  It was an introduction to Ashtanga Yoga.  Once a week for 4 weeks.  I could do four weeks, right?

After the first day, (or I should say, the morning after the first day), I wasn't sure I would ever walk normally again.  My hamstrings were SORE!  My arms were SORE!  My back got SORE because I was walking weirdly bc of my sore hamstrings!  It was rough.  Luckily, by the next class, my body felt a little bit back to normal, and I went again, and again, and again.  I made it through all 4 classes and lived to tell about it.

Suffice to say, I really love doing yoga.  I love how I feel when I do it, I love how it makes my body feel after I'm done - sort of a combination of soreness and a feeling I've really accomplished something.  And savasana!  Love it!  I love it even more now that I can lay there and not wonder when it will be time to get up because it is such a foreign feeling to be laying on the floor, concentrating on breathing and relaxing my body and letting all thoughts leave my mind as soon as they enter!  Aren't I supposed to be doing something during that time?  Yes, concentrating on breathing and relaxing and letting all thoughts leave my mind as soon as they enter!  Wonderful!!

Many poses are beyond my ability!  Marichyasana?  I may get that next year, if I'm really lucky.  Full lotus?  I'm getting there, but not quite yet. Even my downward dog is usually lacking.  But, a major breakthrough occured last week, and I have to share my acheivement with you!  

I can do a headstand.  

I had been trying for a few weeks, and although both Teresa and Joanna said I would just "pop right up" when I am ready, I didn't believe them.  I'm pretty sure telling your students something just to make them not feel like a loser is NOT the yogi way!  :) but I still didn't believe them.

I was determined to keep trying though, and inbetween yard work 2 Saturdays ago I kept trying.  I used the wall, and what do you know.  I got myself up, and I wasn't using the wall for balance once I got up.  Then I decided I would try without the wall, and guess what?  I "popped right up" (pop is being used pretty loosely), but I got up and could stay up!  I was so excited!!!  I made Kristin and Trevor both watch while I did one later that day! (I could tell they were both surprised and impressed!) And here's the other part, I can still do it!

So, I am pretty sure I will not post any more pictures of yoga poses by yours truly (well, maybe Marichyasana, if I ever get it), but indulge me while I share the following photo with you!  (And in case you are wondering, yes, I love my crazy yoga pants!!!)

Namaste...

Complete - The kitchen remodel (finally!)

If you ask any of our kids, they will tell you, as decision makers, John and I rank between slow and downright tortoise-like.  

Our pending kitchen remodel was no exception.  I started the process in December of last year.  Although, as far as choosing materials, and most of the other details, that stuff went pretty fast.  Getting a bid was a little slower, but that wasn't the problem either.  The problem was a difference of opinion that just couldn't be solved.  I won't go into the gruesome details, but suffice to say, someone isn't entirely happy with the way things ended up, but is choosing to not be bitter, as the rest of it is lovely, and such an improvement over the "before".  

A good representation of the "before".  I'm still wondering what possessed me to choose the green laminate all those years ago!!

"After" - I love it!  Note the new chairs as well.  I love the low profile back.

Here are the countertop and backsplash close up.  We love the skinny tiles, but take note - they are a huge pain to work with.  Especially getting the edges straight for an exposed edge. 

John gets high marks for being the man in the trenches and placing each tile sheet and figuring out the best way to cut the strips.  (I tried that last part and failed miserably.  More proof that Math and I just don't like each other.)  My strong suit was piecing odd stips together, and I did a lot of the grouting.  Although, I did a terrible job of wiping off the first section, and have some SERIOUS tile scraping to do.  That grout isn't coming off without a little elbow grease!  You can imagine those little tile pieces will take forever!!!  Just a note about tiling supplies.  We tried a product called Simple Mat and loved it.  You apply the two-sided, sticky sheets to the wall, and then stick the tile to it.  It worked really well, and was much less messy than the mortar would have been.  There is enough grit left after the grouting - I can't imagine how much of a mess the thin set would have been.  We also used pre-mixed grout, called Simple Grout, which we also highly recommend.  Both products were more expensive, a convenience tax, I suppose, but we felt the extra cost was worth it.  And as for the grit, I have a feeling we'll be dealing with that for at least a week, if not longer.  You think you have it all cleaned up, but the tell-tale scratchy sound comes right back when you set an item down on the counter.  Sigh!!

My other main contribution was being the Home Depot runner, sometimes going twice in one day!  That always makes me a little crazy!  And I have at least one more trip ahead of me to return the leftover materials.  That will be made less painful when I see the credit from Home Depot on my credit card statement.

There was a happy unexpected mama moment during this project.  I put the REO Speedwagon station on Pandora and we worked to LOTS of good late 70's/early 80's music.  That is the music John and I listened to in high school (before we knew each other) and then in college (part of which was when we were dating), two good things, plus, it is such great music!!!  A huge smile come to my face when my teenagers sang along with A LOT of the songs.  They love them also!  Just a little bridge between the generations!  I love it!!!

 I love the countertops.  They are quartz, and remind me of the bottom of a little streambed.  I also do really love the tile, despite the difficulty of installing it.  (Maybe it would have been easier for someone more experienced, and some of our issues came from being tile novices.  Who knows?)  I think when my older girls see it in person, they will say, "Yep, it looks just like something Mom would like", and I do.  

The feel of the kitchen is much warmer than before.  And a little richer.  It's all so good!

And, most important of all - it is finally done!!

My trip in pictures

Last month, Allison and Ryan graduated from BYU!  Woo Hoo!!  Allison got a Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Humanities and Ryan in Advertising.  They are still waiting to hear about final offers on jobs and internships, so we are staying tuned for that.    (This is my 2nd time in Utah this month.  The visit I DID NOT trip over my suitcase and get a gnarly black eye!  Doing that once is quite enough, thank you!) This is where I got to go to 2 graduation parties; see my daughters' in-laws; help Ashley and Brandon with a little yard work, and have dinner with John's sisters, Valerie and Joni and Joni's daughter, Kami at Olive Garden.  (No pictures available for any of that fun stuff.) 

Here is a photo journal of the rest of the stuff I captured on my phone...

While I was staying at Alli and Ryan's, we packed up most of her kitchen on Friday morning. Since the kitchen was packed by lunch time, we had to make an alternate plan.  Luckily, Costa Vida isn't far away, and they take orders over the internet, so we were able to go to the front of the very long line and pick up our yummy food!   

Right after graduation, there was a huge rain storm, but we managed to snap a picture or two before the downpour.   I'm so proud of these two for working hard to achieve this goal!  (I know this picture is a little blurry, but it is really good of the 3 of us.  Just overlook the fuzziness)

Since Allison and Ryan are married, they got to walk in the same commencement in the DeJong Concert Hall.  Much smaller than the Marriot Center where Allison was originally going to walk.  The size of the room got the better of us though.  We didn't get there soon enough to get into the actual room, so we had to go to an overflow hall.  We watched graduation on a video screen.  It was all good until right before Allison's name was called.  Carter filled his pants, and needed to be taken out very badly.  While Chelsie was taking care of that, it was Alli's turn.  Just as they called her name and she started across the stage, the woman directly in front of me stood up to leave, totally blocking my view!  I couldn't believe it!!!  I darted back and forth, trying to see, and wasn't very successful.  Luckily, one of their friend's family member caught a good picture of her receiving her diploma!  What luck I seem to have!!  And poor Chelsie missed the whole thing.

On Thursday, Carter and Chelsie picked me up from the airport, and before we headed down to Provo, we hung out in Salt Lake for a few hours until Dallin got off work.  We spent a little of that time at the park around the corner from Chelsie's house.  How cool is it that they have trucks in the sandpit just waiting for little ones to come play with them.  Carter, of course, loves it.

After graduation, we went back to Alli's and met up with the Peay boys.  Ashley and Brandon went to a wedding dinner south of Provo, so instead of putting the boys through the torture of sitting through that, we kept them and fed them dinner and had a movie party.  We watched UP, which had the very same effect on me the 2nd time as the first time I watched it - tears.  Tears for Carl and Ellie and their sweet relationship, and tears for Russell, who just wants to find a place to belong, and someone to belong to.  It is very fun to have all 4 boys together!  They have a good time with each other.  I love Carter's expression in this picture!!  He looks a little bewildered with the whole photo process and the cheesey smiles it brings out in the other boys.  His day will come, to be sure!

It was purely coincidental, but we were the denim girls at graduation.  I'm sure one of us would have changed into something different, but we were both dressing out of our suitcases, and didn't have a lot of choices.

I played a game of basketball with T2 and then T1.  T2 doesn't dribble and wouldn't let me block him.  T1 practices a LOT and also tends to make up a rule or two as the game progresses.  Suffice to say, this grandma didn't have a chance.   I am CC in both pictures, which stands for Cleveland Caveliers.   Just to be sure I knew that, they both were quick to tell me I was not very good at this game! Don't you worry, though,  I got my revenge at Chutes and Ladders.

Between him not feeling well as my black eye on my last visit, this guy didn't have much to do with me.  This trip told a different story, and we were great buds.   But I didn't have to tell you that, you can see it in the picture!  He even called me "grandma"!

It is VERY difficult to get just a regular picture with these boys.  As you can see, they have a few tricks up their sleeves when the camera comes out.

I don't think I got one picture of Ashley last trip, so I warned her that I wanted at least one this time.  We almost didn't get it done, but risked getting in trouble at the airport curb to snap this selfie.  (John asked me if I wore anything else on the trip but my jean jacket and gold sweater.  I assured him I did, despite zero pictures to back up my claim.  I do tend to pack a little lightly most of the time.)


This was a crazy, busy trip, but I loved every minute of it!  I'm so glad I got to be at graduation, despite the malfunction at the ceremony, and love that I got to spend time with all 3 girls and their families.  There is never enough time to get it all done, but I gave it my best shot!  I am not disappointed with the way it turned out!  Can't wait for the next one!!!

Meet my siblings

Several years ago, a friend passed away very suddenly.  As I sat at his funeral and heard his sister talking about him as her brother, I was filled with an intense gratitude for the group of people I call my brother and sisters.  This post has been swirling around in my head, and although it is 2 years later, I still feel that same overwhelming feeling about these people.

So, here it is, in honor of Siblings Day.  (I don't know if I am a bad sibling, but even though it has been around for almost 20 years, I haven't ever realized, or paid much attention to it.  And, if my intent is to honor my siblings, I am a week late, which is often how our family rolled when I was young, so really, I would say its about par for the course!  ;)

So, to my 4 siblings, I say, Happy Siblings Day!  I know I wasn't much of a fan of yours when I lived at home.  I was the bossy, oldest sister after all, and didn't give you much reason to be a fan of me. Now, I think you all are the best, and I love each one of you for the wonderful people you have become and the ways you have enriched my life.

Starting at the left and going clockwise - Grandpa Sollenbarger with Jodi, Tony, Grandma Sollenbarger with Solly the dog who did not like kids, Sue-Anne, Me, Dawn

This picture is circa 1976.  That is a guess based on the fact that Jodi and Grandpa Sollenbarger are both in this picture.  Also, it looks like a possible Christmas decoration or two on the wall.  Jodi was born in 1975 and she is obviously not an infant in this picture and Grandpa died in 1978 and I'm pretty sure this picture was taken in Scottsbluff.   Come to think of it, this may be one of the few pictures of Jodi and Grandpa in existence.  Grandpa had cancer, unbeknownst to any of us until right before he died.  I really can't remember how often they were able to visit us around this time. And if you are wondering why I didn't post a picture of just the 5 of us without Grandpa and Grandma, I only have a few, and this one isn't too bad of any of us.  Admit it, you like the pirate face Dawn is making!  ;)

I am almost 4 years older than Dawn, and 13 years older than Jodi.  Dawn, Tony and Sue-Anne are much closer in age to each other.  That made for some strange family dynamics.  For me that meant that Jodi was just starting Kindergarten when I went off to college.  I didn't really get to know her very well.  Dawn and I shared a room off and on through the years, but things didn't gel between us until we both were much older.  (Okay, I'm pretty sure I was the main problem, so when I got older).  As for Tony and Sue-Anne, I was around them a lot, but basically, we weren't very close.  

Now that we have each settled into our own lives, I have had a chance to get to know each one of my sibs, and as I said before, they are wonderful people.

Dawn has 2 lovely daughters, and is a stablizing influence in the lives of her two step-kids.  She and her husband, Mike live in Eastern Washington.  She is a school librarian, excellent cook, animal lover, and has turned me on to several things in my life that I love , two of which are a Prairie Home Companion and the A & E version of Pride and Prejudice .  Although she lives about 2 1/2 hours away, we don't get to see each other very often.  Life gets complicated, you know. :(  It is a real treat when we both have a minute to chat.

Tony has his own computer support business in Denver.  I'm not sure if that is what he would call it.  All I know is that when I am having computer issues, I know I can count on him to help me out.  He is always ready to get tickets to a Denver Rockies game when we are in town, and when Tony eats good food you can tell he is enjoying it.  When I tell people about Tony, I ALWAYS tell them he is one of the kindest people I know.  He is a gentle soul who is so happy to celebrate a great thing in your life, as well as sympathize and/or mourn when things don't turn out as planned.  

Sue-Anne is getting used to being a single mom of her two kids.  She recently moved back to the Denver area, is working full-time and trying to keep her head above water.  In all honesty, she and I aren't as close as I would like to be.  I know the ball is in my court to elevate our relationship to a higher level.  I do know that she and her kids love to have fun.

Jodi and her husband, Vance, live in Denver with their son.  She works in a busy insurance office, and tries to keep her two boys out of trouble ;)  I love to communicate with Jodi, whether by email, text or phone.  When she posts a picture on FB, she always looks gorgeous.  It is kind of hard to believe we are sisters.   Come to think of it, that's how it is whenever she is in a picture.  

The following pictures are from our Dad's 70th birthday party.  It was a surprise, and Dad and Mom were really surprised when Dawn and I came down the stairs after the initial cries of "Surpise" from friends and other family members.   I knew from the moment I got the invitation I wanted to be there, and I'm so glad I went.    

Back row l-r  Tony, Sue-Anne, Dad with Madi in front, Mom, Max
Front row  l-r  Jodi, Lucas, Dawn, Me

And one more, just because I love it when we all smile with our teeth showing.  

Now, we aren't close to being a perfect family.  We have had our moments in the past, and probably will have more, but I can honestly say that with these people in my life I am truly blessed.

And the lack of a FB post doesn't take away from the sincerity of my feelings one little bit!  :)

The BIG fall

I always knew it was in my future.  About every woman I know over 50 suffers a big fall.  It usually involves her head, and there is usually much bruising involved.  Once, in 2011, I joked with Dawn as I stumbled getting onto an escalator at the airport, that I was not having my big fall before I was 50.  "Does everyone have to have a big fall?" she wondered.  I assured her that, yes, every woman does.

 Well, I didn't waste much time after turning 50 to check it off my list.  

Last week, while we were on Spring Break, we went to Utah to see the girls.  We were excited!!  Kristin and Trev went on Monday with some friends, and we followed on Wed.  Grandpa, aka John, was so excited he woke up before 4 am that morning and we were out the door by a little after 4:30!  :)  Just like a kid at Christmas.  

When we got there, Kristin wasn't feeling great, so we tried to figure out what was wrong with her.  After a good nap, a lot of blankets and some gatorade, she seemed to be doing better.  Trev and John went with Brandon and Talmage to a Jazz game.  The vacation had begun!

After the game, Trev was not feeling great.  We attributed it to a very large ice cream cone at the game, and figured after he threw up that was probably the end of it.  

Sadly, this was not the case.  He continued to get sick throughout the night, all night!!  

As I got up to help him during one of his bouts of vomiting, I got turned around (it was dark, I was in an unfamiliar bedroom) and tripped over the suitcase and CRASHED into the closet door which happened to be open and hit my head on the corner of said door!  I was in so much pain!!!  I crouched on the floor, simulaneously crying and laughing because it hurt so bad, but at the same time was so funny to replay in my head.  (It took most of the rest of the night to not burst out in giggles when I thought about it, even though it still REALLY hurt!  John got me some ice (in a bag with a hole in it, unbeknownst to him, more humor!) and I spent the night propped up on the couch after I decided I probably shouldn't be laying down with a head injury.  Did I have a concussion?  I did wonder about that, but didn't have any signs of confusion, nausea or any other symptoms.  (Thank you high school sports meetings for helping me learn WAY more about concussions than I care to know.)  Luckily I didn't need stitches, as I probably would have had to drive myself, as Trev continued to be sick all night, and needed one of us there to help him!  ;)

So, there you have it...the story of my BIG fall!  You can see by the picture diary the progression of my injury!  Not pretty!  My sister predicted that people who don't know me (i.e. store clerks) wouldn't make eye contact with me once they saw my eye, and she was right.  Some were pretty darn uncomfortable to have to wait on me.  My Seminary students were equally grossed out and impressed when I showed up Monday looking like I had been in a fight.  Not easy to impress 17 year olds, but I think I will not try to do that again.  

A sad byproduct of this whole affair is that Benson, who hadn't been the most social person while we were there, decided at one point to be my friend and came and we were getting along swimmingly until he saw my eye, then he was done! :(  Easy come, easy go!)  Carter was also very skeptical of me, and Talmage couldn't decide if he should be sad for me, or if I was telling the truth that my eye didn't really hurt.  Tanner seemed to be the only one who took it in stride!  :)

And if you are wondering why I have a black eye when the lump from the fall is on my forehead, one of my students said its because the skin is so close to the skull and there is nowhere for the blood to go so it pools around the eye.  There is your anatomy lesson for the day.

I suspect by the middle of next week my face will be back to normal, but for now, I will continue to track its progression and document my BIG fall.

The day after it happened

4 days later

10 days later (see, its getting better)

Book Notes

It seems I can't put two thoughts together to make a worthwhile post these days, but in an effort to at least try, I thought I would review the last few books I read.  It is a rather eclectic list.  A little non-fiction, and a little more fiction.  I don't keep a written list of the books I read anymore.  I stopped doing that when I started using Goodreads, which is a great thing, but I miss my book journal, and it seems if I don't record the book right away, it tends to slip my mind, even two days after I finish it, which happened to me with the last book I read, even though I really found it an engaging book.  Early onset Old-timers.  :)

So, starting with the most recent, here we go...

Letters in the Jade Dragon Box - Gale Sears
This book is based on the first native convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hong Kong.  That man is the Uncle in this book.  He becomes guardian to his young niece when her mom smuggles her out of China during the reign of Mao Tse-Tung.  When Wen-Shen is a teenager, they receive a box with an inlaid Jade Dragon on the lid.  It contains letters from her mom and paintings done by her grandfather, who is also the Uncle's brother.  The mom and Grandfather are trapped in China, subject to the cruelties and insane ideas of Mao.

As they read the letters, they learn of the atrocities their family members have endured.  Wen-shen learns about her father, who she has no idea about.  She figures out why she has the same recurring nightmare, she learns why her mom did what she did in letting Wen-Shen go.

I particularly enjoyed the author's notes at the end of each chapter that described terms in the chapter related to terms or instances that were from this time in Chinese history.  I knew a little about it, but learned more about what went on during Mao's reign of terror.  I actually know a woman who was sent to the country to work in the fields during this time.  She had no idea of the other awful things that happened, even though she lived through it!

(I had the same incredulous feeling reading this book that I did when I read The Help.  I can't believe those horrible things were happening during my lifetime!!  I know I'm no spring chick, but this is the stuff of tyrants, and crazy men like Hitler.  I guess no one in the United States really knew what was  happening over there at the time, which is a little unbelievable in our day of instant news and constant rehashing should that news be of the sensational sort.)

The Light Between Oceans - M.L. Stedman
A fiction book set on an island about 100 miles from the Southwestern tip of Australia.  Although I thought it was set on an actual island called Janus Island, I was mistaken.
Tom and Izzy are a young married couple who live on the island where Tom is the keeper of the lighthouse.  They are happy together, despite the fact Izzy has lost several babies to miscarriage.  One day a boat washes up to shore with a dead man and a live baby.  Tom knows they should report it, but gives in to his grief-stricken wife who, of course, falls in love with the baby almost immediately.

Beyond that, I would be spoiling the plot with more information, so I will just tell you that it is a well-written, but heart-wrenching book!  I was listening to it on CD and one disc ended at a very dramatic point and I had to call a friend who I knew already read the book to make sure I wasn't going to be devestated if I kept going.  :)

I also enjoyed this book because it is set in the same part of the world that Ashley and Brandon so recently dwelt in!  The part of the world I did not get to.  :(

As You Wish - Cary Elwes
I was almost afraid to read this memoir of the making of "The Princess Bride", one of my all-time favorite movies.  I was afraid it would tell of tempramental actors, cranky directors, and all around a bad experience in filming the movie.

I'm happy to say, I couldn't have been more wrong!  It was a delightful journey of Prince Westley's (Cary Elwes) experience and the gratitude he feels for the movie that really gave him his big break.  Although it was a low-budget movie, with a poor lead-up to its premier (the advertising people had no idea what kind of movie to describe it as), it developed a cult following and is now well-beloved by many people.  We have been known to recite a line or two at the dinner table, and apparently, we aren't alone.  Many of the lines from the movie are popular and heavily quoted!

It was an easy read, but very satisfying!!

Death Comes to Pemberley - PD James
This was my first book to read for the book club I recently started attending!  (Yay, I'm in a book club again!)  It was another book I was a little wary of reading because I love Pride and Prejudice so much, I was afraid of what a spin off book might end up like.  I am still haunted by Scarlett, a sequel to Gone with the Wind which was not a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

As it is, I didn't LOVE it, but I also didn't HATE it.  I felt the author was true to Jane Austen's writing style, she stayed true to the characters, and it was an interesting twist to Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy's very regular life.

If you are wondering about reading this book, you should at least give it a try.  You might like it.

Schulz and Peanuts - David Michaelis
I am still not sure if I'm glad I read this book.  I pretty much grew up on the Peanuts comic strip, during the height of its popularity. So I was curious about the author of the strip.

He is not painted in a very good light throughout most of this book.  He's portayed as rather a loner, almost afraid to travel, and an unfaithful husband.  He seemed to have a hard time being happy, despite the success of his comic strip, and he appears to have been a pretty distant father.  His relationship with his parents is a bit confusing, and I actually felt sorry for him as a child.  It is a long book and truly toward the middle to end, I felt like I was slogging through, but had to finish.

After I was finished, I went on-line and tried to find out a little more about his children.  One of them is actually a convert to the Church, and in an interview after the book came out, expressed her and some of her siblings' disappointment in the final product.  That makes me wonder what the author did with the information that was freely shared with him.  All in all, it left me with a rather dubious taste in my mouth.

And finally, I listened to 2 Flavia DeLuce books (author Alan Bradley).  If you have ever read a book in this series, you will know what I mean when I say they are engaging and delightful.  Flavia is the perfect protagonist and although I am usually quite opposed to dead bodies, I can't seem to be turned away, even as she finds yet another corpse in the small village where she and her family, a widower dad and 2 intolerant sisters, live in her deceased mother's mansion.

I read the first several books in this series, then one day picked up the next book on CD and I will never go back.  One of these books is the perfect companion as I run around town during the day.

Whew!  That was a long post.  I think I better break up the list next time.  To leave on a high note though, I'm pretty sure I touched on every book I have read this year!  I'm happy with the length of the list so far!!