To Recap

It's been an eventful spring, summer and fall around Bloggergirl Inc. And, while I try to keep things light and upbeat around here- as we all know, sometimes life gets in my way

We shall start with the bad news, my Grandma passed away in July. I am still grieving. I have been blessed and spoiled by being 30 and (as of July) still having 3 of my grandparents. And I was keenly aware of that. Those were some of the hardest days of my life, thus far. And... that's saying something. My Grandma was human. She was flawed. But Eleanor Pentino knew how to LOVE. And she taught her family how to love. We're all still trying to grapple with her last few months of life (they sucked). Trying to focus on the greater-than 80 years prior to those months. And, trying to figure out what life without her means now.

For me- it means, back to school. Yea. Lot's of time in the kitchen as well. I am on a mission to immerse myself in my Grandma's recipe's. Cooking. It's how I cope. There's something therapeutic in chopping and stirring and tasting and standing over a hot stove. Hitting the Italian Rosseta Stone lessons harder. I am determined to go to Rome & go to Mass for my Grandma... she wanted to go but didn't get to. And I want to go to the homeland. And teaching the little dude all of these things- and more.

Some good news? (please, oh please? you say) I have been keeping company with another J as of late. How do you like that turn of phrase? For the purposes of this blog, we shall call him "E". Just because having to "J"'s is waaaaay too confusing. I suppose I could call Jacob "little J" and the other, "big J".... but that's a little silly. And there is logic to my "E"- last name. :-)

Let's see, a little about E. He likes sushi. Me. Books. He's wicked funny. Darned handsome. Will read anything... no really, I mean it (I have the saved, emailed news articles to prove it... wait is that weird?... hmmm). And I think I've got him convinced that taking your intrepid Bloggergirl to the Great State Fair of Texas to see the Bangles (yea!) is a great idea.
He'll be thrilled, he got props on my blog.

Somewhat off the wall question that will make sense in a moment- are there any scifi cool kid geeks out there? Yes? Great. Are you reading Jim Butcher's Dresden Files? No? Then get thee to the book store or to the internet book supplier of your choice and start reading. Just sayin'.

Okay people- happy Wednesday.
Oh, before I forget! I joined twitter! Join me there!
And come back tomorrow to here my rant about facebook, twitter & my newest bit of crack, pinterest!
Peace out!

The List

So, I've been up to my (not at the moment) well-manicured eyebrows in my undergrad studies here lately. As of this moment in time I have 2 papers, 1 project, & 2 tests left in my 'official' semester. My hope is to plow through those & get another class (or 2) squeezed in.

And then there's the usual, every day stuff that goes into my days & weeks- there's MOPS, church & serving the nursery once or twice a month. There's the never ending loads of laundry. The dinners that must get made- I feed myself, J, my mother & father and my grandmother. I love that. Cooking relaxes me- but it takes time and thought, to be sure. There are playdates with my best 'mommy friend' Faith & her little girl, L. And then, there are grown-up playdates with my peeps on those occasional nights or days when Jacob is with his dad.

.... and then, shepherding Jacob through his toddler & pre-school years. :-) That's my favorite job.

All this to say that there's a stack of books by my bed that are begging.... no, pleading with me to pick them up and crack open the spine. It's tragic, I tell you. (I won't even get started on the mass pile-up that's on my dvr right now. That would be a whole other, whiny post.)

So, I thought I would grace you with my abandoned reading list. Check them out & feel free to read any of them & tell me what you think... it might be a while before I get to them!

1. The Hole in the Gospel- Richard Stearns
2. Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand
3. 1776- David McCoullough
4. Arguing with Idiots- Glenn Beck
5. East to the Dawn (The Life of Amelia Earhart)- Susan Butler
6. The Lincolns- Daniel Mark Epstein
7. The Last Days of the Romanovs- Helen Rappaport
8. Mrs. Dalloway- Virginia Woolf
9. How to Eat- Nigella Lawson (this is an on-going reading project, to make my way through!)
10. Call of Duty- Lt. Lynn "Buck" Compton
11. Vanity Fair- Willliam Makepeace Thackeray
12. Augustus- Anthony Everitt
13. The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood- Sears

Yes, that's the gamut of reading tastes- fiction, history, biography, auto-bio, cooking, health.
What about you? What's on your reading list?

Tuesday's the Day for Reading

... and a book review. Thought I forgot all about those, didn't you? :-)

Your Boy

by

Vicki Courtney

An awesome primer, reminder and encourager for Christian moms with little lad's barreling through their houses and their hearts. Mrs. Courtney reminds us all that our sons face very real dangers in the world and yes, they do need their moms to help protect & defend them and to help them to learn to make good choices. We have such an unique opportunity to mold warriors, not wimps. In my humble opinion, it's a must read for any mom with a son.

Just sayin'.

On the Jacob news front: we went to the doctor yesterday afternoon, looks like the poor kiddo picked up a virus. :-( He's on a strick meal plan for a few days. Pedi-lite, water, and the (often, aptly named) BRATT diet. It's the Bubonic Plague, I'm telling you.

**for those who don't know, the BRATT diet is Banannas, Rice, Applesauce, Tea & Toast**

Book Review

I know!

The first one of 2010.

Julie & Julia my year of cooking Dangerously
by Julie Powell

Ok. I got this one for Christmas. Actually, I received the movie as well. (Sweet!) I toted it up to Wheeling with me over the week long trip between Christmas and January 2nd, when we came back. It's 307 pages- it should last me all week.

Yeah, not so much. In between chasing after a 17 month old, visiting family & other such things that one does on a family vacation, I started and completed Julie & Julia in a little under 2 days. You read that correctly.

For those of you who have been living under a rock since the movie with Meryl Streep & Amy Adams came out, Julie & Julia is a memoir written by the lady who blogged her year long adventure through "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Mrs. Julia Child. I never read the blog (I know.), but I like Meryl Streep. Yes, I do know that's a truly sideways journey to read a book.

Anyway.

The book. Funny, engaging.... Did I mention that I read it in 2 days?It really is that good. Cons? Possibly a few too many 'f' words thrown around & I really could have done without the twelve thousand evil Republican jabs. If you're a member of the Dark Side- oh, I mean a Democrat, you'll get a kick out of them.

If you're a member of the Republican Party, just do what I did. Roll your eyes and then say, "Well, bless your heart, honey. You must not know any better.".....

(Oh, did I just make an evil Democrat joke? Meow.)

With all that aside, I really enjoyed this read. It was light and airy & exactly what I hoped it would be. And I am greatly looking forward to watching my brand spanking new movie tonight!

...... and, might I also say, on a totally different subject......
HOOK 'EM HORNS!

So, It's Been a While Since a Book Review

Changing Your World: One Diaper at a Time- Marla Taviano

I picked up this book while I was still pregnant with my son, but I hadn't cracked the spine until here in the last month or so. Somehow it got shuffled to the bottom on the pile- bummer. I wish I had read it before Jacob was born & then again after. It's a great book for 1st time mom's... and even 2nd and more time mom's. :-) I thoroughly enjoyed it- most especially the particular part when you realize that every mom pretty much at some moment thinks she's the worst mom ever. That made me feel so much better as a mother.... does that make me a bad person? Oh well.

I giggled through several parts & was humbled through several more. And was once again reminded about the worst way to begin a sentence when speaking to a new mom/mom-to-be/mom-to-a-child-younger-than-yours/or a woman who doesn't have children.....

"You'll understand when....."

Technically it's written for mom's who's children are in the 1st year of their life..... be a rule breaker with me. Pick up the book & settle down for a good read, no matter how old your children are.

Another Bookshelf Day- A 2'fer!

Since I slacked like crazy the last couple of weeks on the book reviews (though I finished another book, yea!), I thought I would double up on the reviews this week.

Without Further Ado

Bringing Up Boys- Dr. James Dobson

As the mom of a little boy, I ate this book up- especially since I grew up around girls and girly stuff. This is an excellent book for parents/grandparents who wish to help these puckish rapscallions make the transition into mighty young men. And for moms, it's a great tool for helping get into the minds of your little lads..... especially when you are looking at them, thinking, 'What in the world possessed you to.....'

Eden's Outcasts: John Matteson

I'll be honest, the first couple of chapters were a bit of a snooze-fest. However, if I had stopped, I would have missed a genuinely good book. This is an excellent peek inside the life of Louisa May Alcott & the relationship with the person who shaped her most, her father. I very much want to look for and read more of L.M.A. than just Little Women. I have been hitting Half Priced Books for more of her works and the works of her father, Bronson Alcott.

If you read and loved Little Women or it's sequels, I would highly recommend reading this biography.

Monday BookShelf Day

Well, alrighty, let's dive right in to the first book. Well, not the actual first book I read this month, but the first book I'm going to make a pathetic attempt at 'reviewing' on my little blog. It's a fiction book, sorry Mother.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Ya know, after reading this, I'm not really sure how or what I was supposed to feel. I've had a week to ruminate on it .... I'm still conflicted. I originally read the book because I want to see the movie- it has Kate Winslet and yes, I'm a fan.

The main characters are Frank and April Wheeler. I alternately ached for April & wanted slap her silly. I wanted to like Frank, I did. I wanted to drum up some sense of compassion for him... but I could never scrounge up much of anything but pity.

The story, the characters, the writing itself- they are all excellent... but as I turned the final page, the journey left me feeling quite unsettled.

~I think I'll read this book again one day when I have the benefit of more grey being covered by hair dye... Perhaps I'll be able to place a proper label on it then.~

And yes, I still think I'll watch the movie.