Daybook from Canada

Outside my window... it is bright and sunny. And -20 degrees. But since I'm in Canada, those are Celsius degrees, so it's "only" negative 4 Fahrenheit. Brrrrr......

I am thinking... that I am almost rested, thanks to this wonderful vacation. Even on vacation the hot flashes still wake me up sometimes. But I haven't had to get up until I was ready since we got here. Awesome!

I am thankful for... God's provision of this time in Stratford. It's quality time with my husband, and relaxation, and an opportunity to realize again that heaven is going to be even more wonderful than I can imagine, since all the good things about this time are mere dim reflections of the greater good awaiting me.

From the kitchen... Well, I haven't been in one since last Thursday! And even on Wednesday night we had leftovers. Our room here at Bentley's * has a kitchenette, but cutting a hunk of cheese and peeling an apple aren't exactly cooking.

I am wearing... grey pants, a cream turtleneck, navy v-neck sweater and over-the-knee socks, and my new fuzzy slippers. When we went out for coffee earlier I had on my much-loved knee-high riding boots. Roger paid what seemed like a ridiculous amount of money for them one Christmas, but since that was in ( I believe) 1994, I'd say he got his money's worth!

I am creating...nothing right this minute. But I have been pondering what changes I want/need to make over my next decade (I turn 60 next month :-o) and more creative endeavors are on my list. More crocheting, relearning to knit, dusting off the guitar and the flute.... It may be an interesting 10 years.

I am going... to one of our favorite Italian places for dinner before very long. Bonus: It's literally just a few steps from the hotel door to the restaurant. A nice perk in this weather.

I am reading... A lot of random fiction, which is one of the pleasures of Stratford -- I average a book a day. But I am about to start unPlanned, by Abby Johnson. Arwen reviewed it here, and she and Bryan bought me a copy. Stay tuned.

I am hoping... that I can manage to keep my mind off the fact that in order to go home I must pack until it's actually time to pack. I have a bad habit of living in the past or the future and therefore not fully experiencing the present. I'm working on it...

I am hearing... Roger putting ice cubes into a glass. An interesting aspect of Stratford for me is that I consume a much greater proportion of each day's calories in liquid form -- decaf mochas at Balzac's, Oranginas, ginger beer, wine with dinner. At home it's tea, water, a glass of milk with dinner, and maybe orange juice if I don't have clementines or grapefruit on hand. But here there are so many good things to drink...

Around the house... we are extremely grateful that our friend Tom is house-sitting. Joe-dog and Lucas-kitty are even more grateful, since as far as I can tell he plays with them more than we ever do!

A few plans for the rest of the week: home tomorrow morning, blizzard predicted for Tuesday into Wednesday, and on Thursday -- if they can make it -- Branwen and the kiddos will be arriving to spend some time with us while Larry travels on business.

Words I'm pondering : "If I hear anymore Michigan residents crying about possible snow I will lose my mind. It's Michigan!" This on Twitter from a friend this morning. And my sympathy goes out to Brandon who is stuck in Alaska, where the forecast is rain. His current hometown has higher average winter temperatures than ours does!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...
These are "mint smoothies" from Rheo Thompson, and one of the delights of Stratford. And these I get to take home!










*Most of the pictures in the link are actually of this room, except the ones that show the two queen beds. This one has a king; we've gotten spoiled at home and now sort of "need" a bigger bed. And the room rates have actually come down as the Canadian dollar has gotten stronger, so this trip didn't cost as much as you'd think.

Word and Question 7/8

A month late and a rhyme scheme short... but here we go.

Word: capo

Question: How much is too much?

I need a new guitar.
That's what folks say, anyway.
My old one has pieces missing
And it won't stay in tune.

But then I don't play that much
Anymore. My finger calluses are gone.
The kids disassembled my capo,
Which is OK, because I never use it.

When you can transpose everything
Into D or G, mostly you do,
Even when it makes it harder to sing,
And my voice is half-shot anyway.

Still, I'd like a new guitar.
I've been looking at prices.
The old one was $100 -- a fortune back then --
But worth it, when I played a lot.

But now? What can I afford?
I could come up with the money, I guess....
But I'd "need" to put in more time...
Would the investment be worth it?

She's Baaaack -- with a Daybook

Outside my window... it is dark. Earlier it was light, but all of today was in shades of gray. Even the snow looked grayish, and not because it was dirty. We've been getting fresh snow every night.

I am thinking... that while Christmas with the family was WONDERFUL, it is nice to have "normal" days again.

I am thankful for... Roger's determination that we can afford to go to Stratford again later this month! He is always a little more skittish about affording it than I am, but this year even I wasn't sure. But we can. Thank You, God! I'm relaxing a little just thinking about it.

From the kitchen...Lentil Sausage Soup leftovers. It's a struggle for me to go from cooking for the whole family back to cooking for just the two of us. This is the third night in a row we've had leftover something.

I am wearing... brown and white and greenish-gray houndstooth slacks and a brown turtleneck. And my OLD fuzzy slippers. I got new ones for Christmas, but the stitching started to rip on only the fifth day. So back to LLBean they went. I'm awaiting the replacements!

I am creating...a US Postal Service online identity so that I can print the postage to mail a package to Brandon. He needed some new uniform parts, and I volunteered to sew the name tapes on. But he had to leave before they arrived here. So there will be a package waiting for him when he arrives at his new duty station.

I am going...as few places as possible for the rest of the week. But one of those places will be the Barnes and Noble Cafe.

I am reading... In the Company of Others by Jan Karon. It's the latest Father Tim book, set in Ireland not Mitford, and although I've barely started I'm sure it will be a delight.

I am hoping... that I finish this blog post before Roger finishes the letter he is writing. Then we can go to bed at the same time.

I am hearing... the furnace blower. In this weather, I hear it a lot! Also the clicking of my keys, which I don't usually notice... Does this mean something???

Around the house... the outdoor decorations are still up, but almost everything is back to normal after a great Christmas. Today I changed 7 beds (we had 16 people here sleeping on the fullest night) and the only thing left is to tidy the basement kids' play area/ teen hangout. The indoor decorations came down on (traditional) Epiphany and the day after.

A few plans for the rest of the week: grocery shopping and laundry. And then we will have Camilla and Blaise for a couple of nights while Arwen and Bryan go to Stratford. We set a good example for our kids! ;-D

Words I'm pondering :

¹ My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1-5 (NIV)
This came up in my women's Bible study group this morning AND in my (unrelated) daily readings, so I figure that means I should probably pay attention!


Here is a picture thought I am sharing.... This is the town in Alaska where Brandon will be living as of next Monday. I already am thinking about saving for a couple of tickets so that Roger and I can visit!

Daybook Placeholder

Just so you all know I didn't quit after NaBloP.....



Outside my window... it is dark. At this time of year it's dark a lot. Especially when I have free time to blog.

I am thinking... that it would be nice to have the Christmas shopping done, but I don't. At least I'm over half way.....

I am thankful for... the fact that my choir notebook was actually in my van all the time. I had shoved my tote bag behind the seat because I was giving a couple of people a ride, and it must have fallen out and not been noticed by anybody

From the kitchen... tamales! It was "tamale day" and a sadder and lonelier one, since my friend with whom it's been a tradition now lives in Ohio. But they turned out OK, which was in question since she always seasoned the meat.

I am wearing... my blue fleece bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. Do you see a pattern here?

I am creating...lists of things that need to be done before Christmas. Tomorrow, butter cookie trees. Yes, they're dyed green.

I am going...all over town in the next two days, and then to Virginia and Pennsylvania with Brandon. I'm looking forward to this trip!

I am reading... Dangerous to Know by Tasha Alexander. It's the fifth in the And Only to Deceive series. Also Expecting Twins by Elizabeth Noble. I might be a little excited about Arwen's babies....

I am hoping... that the weather report is correct and we beat the snow to Virginia. I have driven on the PA and Ohio Turnpikes in heavy snow a couple of times, and I'd rather not repeat the experience.

I am hearing... the dryer going around.

Around the house... the outdoor decorations are up, but I'm not going to do any indoor decorating until we get back, because the cat will attempt to undo whatever I did while I'm not looking.

A few plans for the rest of the week: butter cookie trees, finish the Christmas shopping (please, God!), do laundry, buy some groceries so Roger can eat while we're gone, pack, and hit the road. Oh, yeah, and choir practice Thursday night,

Words I'm pondering : Pearl Harbor Day. The day when my dad, and my uncles, and many like them, turned from boys into men overnight.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing.... This is what I would like for Christmas, but only after everybody is safely home.

NaBloPoMo Fail

So I didn't get a post up yesterday (and Thursday's was pre-scheduled.) And I've already backdated once (I won't tell you when...) So I've decided that since I'm only doing NaBloP for me, and I refuse to "cheat" that much, that I'm going to declare this a blogging "pulled muscle" and drop out of the race.

But don't worry. I intend to keep posting. I just am not going to beat myself up about enjoying my family instead of sitting at the computer. And that is all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am cooking, eating, and enjoying family, and I hope you are doing the same!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whew! Wednesday

I am in the middle of making nine pies (three pecan, three pumpkin, and three double-crust apple). From scratch. I cooked the pumpkin last week, and peeled the apples with my handy-dandy apple peeler. I am not reading anything today but recipes!

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Tasty Tuesday -- Pennsylvania "Filling"

I always have to laugh when I see the discussions that pop up around this time of year about whether that bread mixture that goes in the turkey is called "stuffing" or "dressing"! Because if you grew up where I did, the answer is "neither!" We did, however, (and I still do) accompany our Thanksgiving turkey with this very tasty "filling."

Pennsylvania Filling

A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, go out and buy a loaf of the cheapest, most generic white bread you can find. (The proportions given here assume a one-pound loaf.) Shove it in the refrigerator to get good and stale without spoiling. (If you don't have extra refrigerator space, a cool cupboard will do.) Monday of Thanksgiving week, take the bread out of the fridge, trim the crusts, and cut into small cubes. Place the cubes in a good-sized bowl and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Leave the bowl sitting at room temperature and, a couple of times a day, gently toss the cubes so that they all dry out. (If you must cover the bowl, do so with a thin, loosely woven towel, so that the bread can continue to dry.)

The day before Thanksgiving, melt 1 to 1 1/2 sticks of butter and drizzle over the bread cubes, tossing repeatedly. Remind yourself that the filling is so delicious that it will be your loss if you taste all the bread cubes now.

Thanksgiving noontime (or about 1 1/2 hours before the turkey will be done) beat together 4 eggs and 1 1/2 cups of milk. Stir together with the bread cubes. Place in a greased casserole. I use a two quart flat casserole (about 8" square.) The next time you baste the turkey, squirt a couple of baster-fuls of broth/drippings onto the top pf the bread in the casserole. (You can, of course use a spoon! The object is for all of the filling to have a pretty brown broth tinge.) Bake at 350F for about one hour, until golden and puffy. Serve with gravy.


To be perfectly honest, I would be completely happy with just filling and gravy for Thanksgiving. Oh, and some sauerkraut. That PA Dutch side dish always appears on my Thanksgiving table, to the bewilderment of my husband and many of my children. But don't let that scare you away from the filling. It's GOOD!

Full disclosure -- Roger, who cooks the turkey, also makes his traditional seasoned crouton mixture to stuff the turkey. I like it just fine, but not for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Music

I'm already into the pre-prep for Thursday's dinner, so here are some links to Thanksgiving music.

Come, Ye Thankful People Come

Now Thank We all Our God -- on handbells
-- on organ
-- and sung (with an introductory riff)

And just for a bonus, a different tune, a cappella and in German.

Praise and Thanksgiving (words below)

1. Praise and thanksgiving,
Father, we offer,
For all things living
You have made good;
Harvest of sown fields,
Fruits of the orchard,
Hay from the mown fields,
blossom and wood.

2. Lord, bless the labour
We bring to serve you,
That with our neighbour
we may be fed.
Sowing or tilling,
We would work with you;
Harvesting, milling,
For daily bread.

3. Father, providing
Food for your children,
Your wisdom guiding
Teaches us share
One with another,
So that, rejoicing
With us, our brother
May know your care.

4. Then will your blessing
Reach every people;
Each one confessing
Your gracious hand.
When you are reigning
No one will hunger:
Your love sustaining
Fruitful the land.

And that's it for today; a tasty recipe tomorrow!

Gaps

Since I moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio in my twenties, and then to Michigan the fall before I turned 30, I still make a point of going "home" on a regular basis. Sometimes when I was still single I rode the bus, but since I've married and had kids it's been a driving visit. The quickest route (though not the cheapest or most scenic) is to head south on I-94/I-75 and then head east on the Ohio Turnpike. If you've never driven on the Turnpike, let me explain that on the entrance ramp you are issued a ticket stamped with the time and date, and the point of entry. When you exit this ticket is used to determine your toll, based (roughly) on the distance you have driven.

Many, even perhaps most, people get on at one city in Ohio and exit at another. But since my destination is Pennsylvania, my experience is different, since the Ohio Turnpike feeds directly into the Pennsylvania Turnpike (with similar toll policies). I don't take an exit, I merely pass through a toll plaza. (LOTR fans will appreciate that it's called Eastgate.) Then, for a distance of about 5 miles, I am in what my kids dubbed "no man's land." I've paid my Ohio toll (but I'm still in Ohio), I haven't yet hit the Pennsylvania toll plaza or even the state line, but there is literally nowhere to go but straight ahead, since there are no exits in this stretch. ("We cannot get out!") But since my destination lies a number of hours ahead in Pennsylvania, I don't want to exit. I keep going, cross the state line, stop at the Pennsylvania plaza, and eventually finish my trip.

All this is by way of introduction to the real point of this post, my feelings during this next week. Today we "pass" Christ the King Sunday, the endpoint of the liturgical year. Advent, the start of a new year,doesn't begin until next Sunday. So I often feel adrift in a calendar no-man's-land. True, there is Thanksgiving to celebrate, but it's not a liturgical holiday. (Black Friday, the secular celebration of consumption, is something I avoid if at all possible.) But there are no exits from the expressway of life in this world, so all I really need to do is "stay on the road", keep passing landmarks, and eventually I will get to my final goal!

Heirlooms

I find it ironic that I actually have more of a post today than I did yesterday. I chose "sloppy Saturday" as a category so that I wouldn't have to think so hard on the weekend, but yesterday I thought and thought and came up with nothing, and today's post just fell into my lap...

For all of you married women out there, I'd love to have my curiosity satisfied on something: Do you still have your wedding dress? I have mine, hanging in a closet. I made it myself, of cotton dotted-swiss, and it's not in bad condition if you don't count the dead elastic in the sleeve cuffs and that one spot where a small child got at it with a magic marker. I wanted to keep it for sentimental reasons, but I simply washed and ironed it and hung it in an old dry-cleaner bag.

This came up because I was talking to a somewhat younger friend tonight, and she mentioned that she opened the box in which the the cleaners "preserved" hers (satin and lace) and discovered that the plastic combs from her veil had leached color onto the sleeves. We couldn't decide if this was a tragedy, or just the nature of things..

I do know that it's not necessary to have a well-preserved dress to have a good marriage. But I wonder if it says anything about a family to know that if necessary I could produce four generations of wedding dresses -- my grandmother's (1911), my mother's (1948), mine (1981), and either Arwen's (2002) or Branwen's (2005). And I don't expect that any of these will have gone missing by the time Camilla or Lauren get married.

So does having five generations of wedding dresses make us stable? Or odd? Or quirky? Or just pack-rats? Opinions, please!

Inane Rambling

It's Friday evening. I'm tired. I don't have a post idea. I started a "Seven Quick Takes" and deleted it. (I went and played games instead.) By rights this should be a "Sloppy Saturday" post, so maybe I'm just ahead of the game. Or maybe I'm that far behind.... Anyway, I am going to go and finish my novel now.

The End

Thursday Daybook Again

Outside my window... it is chilly and damp. And dark. I can't believe I'm up this late, but then it's been dark since suppertime.

I am thinking... that I wish I knew where my choir notebook is. All the Christmas music is in there... and only 10 days until Advent.

I am thankful for... people in choir who share their music with me when I show up for rehearsal and discover my notebook is not in my bag.

From the kitchen... it was leftovers night. I am still cooking for more than two people, apparently.

I am wearing... my blue fleece bathrobe and fuzzy slippers, which was what I had on when I last did a daybook two weeks ago. But that was morning, and this is nearly bedtime. As soon as I finish this post.

I am creating...nothing right this minute. But I need to start Lauren's Christmas stocking very soon.

I am going... nowhere tomorrow. This will be the first time all week. I am excited! (Oh, wait; I just realized that two of the possible lurking places for the choir notebook require going to the church. Sigh.)

I am reading... catalogs (for Christmas ideas) and magazines (because the new issues just came) and books (10 checked out, 5 on request/hold) and blogs (because I have to keep up with all of you)..... It's a good thing I like to read. And let's not mention Twitter and Facebook.

I am hoping... that my turkey thaws before Thanksgiving. I moved it from the freezer to the refrigerator today, but if my track record is any indication I will need to hasten it along with water even so.

I am hearing... the refrigerator running, and my key-click, which I don't usually notice. Even the animals are asleep.

Around the house... the cat has knocked the miniature pumpkins off the table again. I would be more upset by this if it wasn't for the fact that when he's batting the pumpkins, he leaves the salt shakers and the toothpick holder alone.

A few plans for the rest of the week: make homemade pumpkin puree, and cook and mash the sweet potatoes for the casserole. The cooking countdown begins!

Words I'm pondering :" It is eleven PM. Why am I not in bed??"

Here is a picture thought I am sharing....
just in case you haven't clicked over there yourself....

Whatcha Readin' Wednesday -- 11/17/10

So, I am still plowing (OK, plodding) through The Little Book of String Theory. The author uses really creative example, and I ought to get it, but, well..... Maybe I will try to read it over once I finish, to see if it makes more sense the second time through. Or maybe I will assume it's like Till We Have Faces and I'm just somehow not equipped to understand.

My other current non-fiction reading is way more fun: When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads by Dr Barbara Luke and Tamara Eberlein. Several of Arwen's commenters recommended it, and since my library had it, I checked it out. Great stuff! (And the English geek in me is thrilled that the title has the "Oxford comma".) I need to confirm that Arwen hasn't bought a copy of this yet, and then I'll send it to her!

On the fiction front: more mind-candy. The Chocolate Pirate Plot by JoAnna Carl. To be immediately followed by The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree by Susan Wittig Albert, and The Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith (of Number One Ladies Detective Agency fame.) This is the latest in his Isabel Dalhousie series.

And now I'm going to stop blogging and read for the half-hour before dinner, because all of them are due back at the library two weeks from yesterday.

Tasty Tuesday -- Basic White Bread

A member of my ladies' Bibly study group was recently diagnosed with a severe egg allergy, and she has been avoiding bread, since apparently some of the commercial loaves have egg-derived ingredients. I'm going to give her a loaf of this and the recipe.


Basic White Bread (adapted from James Beard)

Sprinkle 1T active dry yeast over 1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F.) Stir in 2t. sugar or honey.

In a larger bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups warm water and 1 T salt. Slowly stir in 1 cup all-purpose flour. Once the yeast has bubbled and foamed, add the yeast mixture. Stir in an additional 2 cups flour.

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup flour on the counter top, and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. With floured hands, knead the dough by pushing down and away with the heels of your hands. Fold the back of the dough over the front, turn the whole thing 1//4 turn (90 degrees) and repeat. Knead until the dough no longer feels sticky, adding more flour if needed, up to 1/2 cup additional. (This will take about 5 minutes.)

Pour a little oil (1 to 2 T.) into the mixing bowl, form the dough into a ball, and place it in the bowl, turning it over so that all sides are coated with oil. Set in a warm place to rise. (Our oven can be set to 100 degrees F., so we usually preheat it and turn it off. The only reason to cover a bowl of rising dough is to protect it from critters or drafts, which are not an issue in the oven.)

In 1 1/2 hours or so, check if the dough is risen by poking it with two fingers. If the dents stay, it's ready! Turn the dough out onto the counter (we don't wash it in between; add a tiny bit of flour if you need it for other things in the meantime) and knead again for a few minutes.

Allow the dough to rest on the counter while you grease the pan(s). This will make one large loaf in a 9 x 5 inch pan, or two smaller loaves in 8 x 4 pans. And if you have no bread pans, it will make a nice free-form loaf baked on a cookie sheet.. Next, form the dough into (a) smooth round or oval shape(s) and place in the pan(s). Allow to rise for about 45 minutes. Don't poke the dough this time; if it's obviously risen above the edge of the pans (or spread some on the cookie sheet) it's ready.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (If your oven tends to be slow or fast, adjust the temperature accordingly.) Bake the bread in the lower third of the oven for 35 to 50 minutes, checking after 35. It's done when it sounds hollow when you knock on the top. If the bottom is not yet golden but the loaf sounds hollow, place the bread directly on the oven rack (no pan) for about 5 minutes, but watch it carefully!

Cool the finished bread on a rack until you can't wait any longer. We like to brush ours with melted butter, which gives a slightly more tender crust. If you do cut into a hot loaf, cool the uneaten part cut-side down so that the rest of the loaf doesn't dry out.


This bread freezes well. We (actually Roger, who taught me to make bread) often make 18 loaves -- 3 triple batches -- in one day. We freeze it in half loaves, and often give it away, since "Dad's bread" toast is one of the things both Arwen and Branwen can eat in early pregnancy. We also cut a slice or two on the end of each half loaf before freezing, so that it can be popped into the toaster straight from the freezer if "thaw bread" doesn't make it to the top of the priority list!

I Changed My Blog Header Again..

I finished a major project for choir today, and I thought I might write about that (since I usually do Musical Monday....)

But I'm just so gobsmacked (in an absolutely wonderful way) that I'm just going to send you over and let you read Arwen's post from today.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee! (Also Whewwwwww!)

Sometimes Sundays are a Mixed Bag

So did you guys know that "a mixed bag" is actually a British hunting term? You might "bag a brace(pair) of pheasants," or if you shot a pheasant and a quail and a grouse, that would be a "mixed bag." Get it?

I got up early this morning (well, early for a Sunday, anyway) and made a cherry pie and a chicken pot-pie for Roger's birthday dinner. His birthday is actually tomorrow, but we celebrated today because it's more fun to have more than two people at a birthday party, and Branwen and her family were here.

Larry made his famous hash-browns for breakfast as a birthday treat, because most Sundays cooking breakfast is Roger's job. They were, as usual, awesome! Then choir sang at 11:30 mass, and unfortunately we were not in best form. Our best soprano AND main tenor had laryngitis and didn't come, some of us (me included) spaced out on just how we had "arranged" the communion hymn, and I at least felt like we couldn't really hear each other. Kind of like a big blob of fog had descended on our ears. The family assures me it "wasn't that bad," but it wasn't that good, either.

While we were waiting for the pot-pie to bake we played some bridge, which was somewhat interrupted because baby Lauren had gas and needed to be held. And then we had dinner and pie, and Branwen's family went home. And now I'm sitting at my computer writing a post, and while I'm not sure what all I have in the "bag" that's today, I know it's certainly mixed! See you all here tomorrow......

Sloppy Saturday -- Ooooooops!

So all day Saturday I am/have been/did totally enjoying having Branwen and her family here. Making beanbags and hairbows, playing computer games with the boys and bridge with the grownups (with some gurgles and such contributed by Lauren.) Doing all of that? Yes. Writing an actual blog post? Um, not so much.

Seven Quick Links Friday

Yesterday's post was so long I had no time for links, so today instead of writing quick takes I'm going to link them.

1. My longtime friend Ernesto (at our age we don't mention "old" friends...) posted a video on his blog showing Pope Benedict with the world's largest thurible. Be sure to watch well into the video, both to see how they swing it and for the expressions on the pope's face.

2. Brandon's friend Andy has a blog which I find hilarious, and not just because I know him. Check out his take on the subject of caffeine overdose. (Yes, I know he's referencing a sad story. Think of this as a Darwin Award, if you must.)

3. I missed this yesterday, but it made me cry today.

4. And if you haven't tried this game yet, be warned that I find it addictive.

5. If you love tea as much as I do, this site is a must! (Kate, I'm looking at you...) It makes me sad that most of the American public only knows Lipton, or at best blends and flavored teas. I saw a menu from "high tea" at a fancy hotel, and while the choices were a step up from, say, Bob Evans, I drink better tea at home every day. Admittedly, without the fancy sandwiches......

6. If you're ever stumped doing word games, this one's for you. But I think probably using it while playing "Words with Friends" qualifies as tacky.

7. And if you've ever wanted to try Gregorian chant for yourself, take a look at this. Kind of like "Sing Along with Mitch" for chant geeks. (And a couple of bonus links in case you're too young to know what I'm taking about.)

Seven Quick Takes is , as usual, hosted by Jen.

A LONG Book Meme

Lindsay did this, and I liked it, so I thought I'd join in...

1. Favorite childhood book?
For preschool age, The Jolly Jumping Man (a Golden Book). Later, Eight Cousins, by Alcott. I almost swooned with joy when I found Rose in Bloom, the sequel.

2. What are you reading right now?
A Deadly Yarn. Also, I am persevering with the Little Book of String Theory. So far I'm following it.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
(Checks library site...). The Chocolate Pirate Plot, Kilt Dead -- which are in; Dangerous to Know -- for which I'm number 3 on the list; and in the statewide system, In the Company of Others, the newest Jan Karon. I'm a sucker for online requests!

4. Bad book habit?
Reading in the shower. I try to limit it to books I own, but.......

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Nine in total -- four yarn shop mysteries, two Constable Evans, String Theory, a compendium of knitting stitches, and a short story collection that will probably go back unread.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No! I have seventy-two-skillion things I'd prefer to do with my money. And if you want to buy me a present, "real" books are fine. Even used. I have a list...

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
Usually one fiction and one non-fiction, not counting any specific studying I may be doing.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
No. I may be reading less print since I started reading blogs, but that was a long time ago.......

9. Least favorite book you read this year?
The Grave Gourmet. It looked interesting enough that I actually requested it, but UGH! Took it back after less than two chapters. This is RARE.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
No clue. Nothing jumps out at me, so I'm guessing I read a lot of mind candy.....

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Aside from my "one non-fiction" mentioned above, I have a discipline of "educational reading", where I go through something I think I ought to read which would never otherwise make it to the top of the pile. Ten to twenty minutes four or five times a week. I've done some good stuff this way.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Light, unfortunately. Mysteries (with or without romance). Milder sci fi and fantasy. Older (in terms of when it was written) young adult.

13. Can you read on the bus?
No bus, no car, no nothin'. I come very close to envying my children because reading while traveling doesn't make them queasy. (I have read on planes, but that's because the discomfort of reading while moving is less than the discomfort of thinking about where I actually am...)

14. Favorite place to read?
My end of the couch. Our new couch has recliners in both ends, and the left side is mine. (Now if I could just persuade the dog to respect that.)

15. What is your policy on book lending?
Lend, but write it down! Unless we have duplicates, which is not as rare as you might think.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Only catalogs. I broke this habit 40+ years ago.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Rarely. Roger does it much more, which is sometimes interesting and sometimes distracting.

18. Not even with text books?
I cracked my last textbook in 1973. My Bible study guides have spaces where you're intended to write.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
Um, the only one I know? Although it makes me ridiculously happy if I can follow a short passage in French or Greek.

20. What makes you love a book?
When something resonates with me. It can vary from book to book.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I think it's a good "fit" for the person I'm recommending to. I rarely make blanket recommendations.

22. Favorite genre?
See number 12.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
Classic light fiction. Austen, Bronte(s), re-reading Alcott.

24. Favorite biography?
Can't think of one.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Anxiety, Phobias, and Panic by Reneau Peurifoy. This one saved my life, or at least my sanity.

26. Favorite cookbook?
The More-with-Less Cookbook. Ask my kids!

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or nonfiction)?
My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas. Kelson won an autographed copy by being the only one in his HS classroom who could immediately identify who Thomas is. Pathetic.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Not food, drink. Tea with sugar, no cream, no lemon.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
??????

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
If a critic is reading it, it's probably not my style.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I think you should always be honest, but I also think that you should always even out things. If you tell me what’s bad about a book, I fully expect to hear what’s good about it as well. (This is Lindsay's answer. I agree completely.)

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Koine Greek. I know just enough to fumble around in the New Testament. I'd love to be fluent.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Till We Have Faces. I read it through four or five times one Lent, because I grasp that it must make some point I need to understand, but I still don't "get" it. And I love everything else Lewis wrote.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
The Silmarillion. The sentences are simple too long to make this anything but work for me.

35. Favorite poet?
Kipling. Or Robert Service. I'm a poetry lowbrow.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Five to ten. As low as two, and as high as twenty, but both of those are rare.

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
As often as my reading "eyes are bigger than my stomach". But with online renewal, it's rare.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Samwise. I don't think it's any accident that I came out as him on a "which Tolkein character are you?" Facebook quiz.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Scrooge. Because he isn't, in the end.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
A stack of whatever series I'm hooked on at the time. New reads, re-reads, doesn't matter.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
However long I had the flu that one time. If I go 24 hours without reading time, I get withdrawal symptoms.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Not too many. I'll only stop if I feel the book is/could be damaging me in some way. But of course there are many I don't start for this reason.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Not much.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Emma. Because then I didn't have to read it.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Jane Eyre, the old one with George C. Scott. I love the book for the dialogue, and the movie turns three pages into two sentences as often as not. We'll see about the new version.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
A $50 gift card. I borrow rather than buy.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

Only to see if I should bother.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Distraction. Got more interested in another book I was reading simultaneously. I have one like that right now....

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I was excited that moving let me organize the books, something I'd been meaning to get around to for years..

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
Keep. I might want or need to reread them. Unless they belong to the library, of course.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
"Avoiding" is the wrong word for the Twilight books. "Reject outright."

52. Name a book that made you angry.
An Inconvenient Truth. Which I will never actually read.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Lord of the Rings. I avoided it for about 10 years, but then got it forced on me. And look what happened.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
A Wizard of Earthsea. Rave reviews from friends, but "meh."

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Harry Potter

This post took longer than I expected, so there are no links. If it's not clear which book I'm referring to, pipe up in the comments.