Why I don't have a food blog...

There is so much talk about what kind of a blogger someone is... I've got it narrowed down to a lot of kind of bloggers I'm NOT...  Today:  Why I'm not a food blogger... part 1  (because it was getting way too long and the topsy turvy cake really deserves its own post)

I'm not "useless" in the kitchen, really... I can whip up a nutritious and delicious (don't listen to the kids) meal in no time flat...  if I feel like it.

I just rarely feel like it.

I think that the good people over at My Blog Spark must have heard the rumors... maybe ManOfTheHouse sent a strongly worded letter... either way they were kind enough to send me a little package containing some Lemon Pepper Panko breading and a Big (holy cow, did I mention it was BIG) Cookbook by famous chef-dude Michael Chiarello for inspiration.

It took me a few days to be prepared enough to actually USE the breading - because I had to actually have the chicken thawed and sliced...  what I really wanted was salmon... but that requires going to the only store in town that actually sells quality salmon - you know, that store that I find WAY too much at that I "need" and can't get out without spending less than $150...  and if I need toilet paper today and buy it, the good news is I shouldn't need it again for 6 months!  (anyone "need" some lettuce - 5 heads?  seriously?) 

Where was I again... oh yeah... cooking... I'm easily distractable...  at least when my mind wanders on my blog the smoke alarm doesn't go off.

ManOfTheHouse actually did 85% of the work...  because dipping something in egg wash - then flour - then breading has a tendency to leave a film (about an inch thick) on the fingers...  which I find a tad on the nasty side.

The man's fingers looked gross, but the chicken fingers looked yummy - and smelled delicious - so delicious that we generously coated the chicken (and some slices of potato for Teen Vegetarian - yes I did do the potatoes FIRST... wouldn't want to accidentally contaminate him or something, pshhhh....

hmmm... so I'm not a food photographer... get over it.

and it tasted delicious - as long as you're old enough to have grown taste buds.  the kids are SO picky!  Truthfully, our "generous coating" might have been a bit too generous.  Spicy isn't appreciated in the under 16 set (that'd be all of them).

So I took the leftovers...  made up a simple bechamel sauce, (that's code for opening a jar of white sauce) sliced the coated chicken paper thin, and created a pasta sauce that Michael Chiarello would be jealous of!  Seriously - I would have ordered this in a restaurant.  I liked it SO much that I didn't take pictures... you'll just have to imagine the creamy ivory sauce poured over Penne noodles in an avocado green bowl...  I may not be a world famous chef but I DO have some gorgeous serving dishes!

What's that you ask???  Did the kids eat this?  whatever... we're training our children to survive on corn chips and whatever non-poisonous insects they can trap.
Actually, I think 3 of them ate this quite well... and if you consider that one is a vegetarian and one was having an hour long cry over it not being "Taco Tuesday" (it was Saturday!) then that's actually pretty darn good!

Not enough evidence against me starting my very own cooking blog?  Since I'm so handy in the kitchen and all...

how's this?

now, normally - the layering of stuffing, turkey and mashed potatoes - covered in Yams would make me want to Yog... but... since we're hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year... it's actually starting to appeal... it'll  certainly cut down on the number of serving dishes I have to wash and worry about breaking.

The bonus?  everyone will have saved room for dessert...

Just wait until you see the Pumppleberry pie I'm making :)

*please, if you're among the family members planning on eating at my house - plan on eating lots - it will not resemble a cake in any way, I promise. Lemon Pepper Panko Turkey actually would be yummy :)


**oh, and if your child is under 12... sorry, they will get a paper plate... don't take offense... it's just that I like my dishes - and I want to keep liking my nieces and nephews :)

*** and for anyone who cares (the FCC... who isn't really a blog follower so why does it matter) I did get the book and the Panko breading as a promotional item from General Mills (through MyBlogSpark) - with the understanding that I would write about it... or not... I chose to.  I was under no obligation to actually like it or say anything nice at all.  Niceties and the fact that I found it tasty are 100% my own.


****oh and the photo disclaimer - the first came from the MyBlogSpark website (with their permission - nay... encouragement)  - the next two are mine - and the last one came from this other non-cooking blog.


*****I need a nap!

Who needs sandpaper when you've got feet like mine?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carmex®. All opinions are 100% mine.

A few years ago I was making my bed...  and I noticed that beneath ManOfTheHouse's pillow the sheets were quite torn up... I had visions of him having werewolf dreams and scratching the sheets.  I mean... what ELSE could have caused those little tears and rips?  I mercilessly teased him for the following week (okay... maybe two weeks) until the time came to wash the sheets again.  In removing the sheets I noticed that the tag was in the wrong place...  which meant the sheets were on upside down...  you may not think this matters (and it probably doesn't) but for me this also meant that the scratches and tears...

yep - mentally turn that sheet over...  yep, they were caused by my feet!

The shame... the horror - but what could I DO???  You see, I'm not a very patient person... my calluses took YEARS to develop.  Years of living out in the country on dirt roads being a little girl who had little love for shoes.  Now as an adult (with a lot of love for shoes) I had a problem... one I wanted solved by the end of the day.

My first "solution" was to get out the orbital sander.

No, I'm not kidding.  Now I'm not suggesting this for all of you with slightly dry skin... but for those of you with world class calluses like mine...  it doesn't really hurt.  Seriously - that egg shaped cheese grater is a LOT more uncomfortable than power sanding.  Of course, the solution is not a one day thing...  and so I began to enter the world of lotions, creams, sprays, and pedicures.  I was embarrassed to get my first pedicure because I was sure they'd charge me triple!   I have tiny feet... shoe model size feet.... but unless we're looking for a before picture I'm not going to be doing any modeling any time soon!

After spraying "Crack Cream" on my feet (yes, despite the ridiculous name it IS for my feet - and was only used on my feet) for weeks and barely enduring the smell - that was doing me no good.  A friend gave me a lotion with the printed instructions "use daily until you can no longer sand furniture with your feet" which did some good but was priced so ridiculously high that I couldn't bear to purchase it again...  I broke down and bought some tube of goop that promises miraculous results... only #1... it STUNK and #2...  I ruined a second set of sheets with the grease stains that my feet were now leaving.  Not to mention the number of times I've slipped trying to answer a ringing phone while my feet are still slimy.

Apparently the good people at Carmex were tuned into my plight - because they sent me some Carmex® Healing Lotion and Carmex® Healing Cream to try.  After one week I'll tell you a few BIG things.

#1 - it FEELS good... not slimy, it doesn't sting...  and yes... I can tell a difference.  I've been using the healing cream on my feet (and they're softer) and the healing lotion on my hands and arms...  I can actually imagine that this might be our first winter in the desert that doesn't involve cracked and bleeding hands!

#2 - it SMELLS good... now remember folks - you ALL know what Carmex smells like (at least... if you were ever a teenager at my Jr. High you know what it smells like)...  and a nice smelling lotion is MUCH easier to convince ManOfTheHouse to rub into my feet at night.

#3 - it's not all nasty greasy.  It rubs in... my feet feel better... but I don't have to sit and let them dry for 20 minutes before putting on socks or letting my feet touch anything.  Trust me... it got to the point of ridiculous trying to dry my feet before bed by waving them in the air...

So...  I thank you... ManOfTheHouse thanks you...

Oh, and my sheets thank you!

I need to spend more time in front of a screen...

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TiVo. All opinions are 100% mine.

I know, I know...  any of you who KNOW me might argue that fact.  ManOfTheHouse would certainly argue that fact...  but I'm just SO out of the loop sometimes...  I mean... I don't even know who won America's Got Talent this season.  I DO know that my friend Jen thought her girlie got robbed and that my other friend was a little miffed that the guys he was betting on didn't take home the gold.  What?  the prize isn't gold?  No wonder I wasn't watching...

The Fall Season is upon us!  Fall TV  promises to keep us on our toes... I mean...  I hear J.J. Abrams has come up with a real doozy this time.  Unfortunately the only ad I've seen for it was on YouTube and it FROZE at a crucial point.  That point being where a barely clad bum-cheek of a female skinnier than myself was the focus of the camera...  I think I might have to watch it after the kids go to bed.  WAIT - I don't have TiVo yet?  What is WRONG with me?  Vampire Diaries and The Big Bang Theory are both on at 8 p.m. - and although I've only ever seen ONE episode of each of these I really feel the need to see them this season in order to be able to communicate with the masses.  So... masses (that's you... the masses)... tell me what shows are MUST see.  I just found out that TiVo actually works with our new NetFlix AND has a new feature (similar to iMDB) that will let me search by actor...  so Cluttered Brain can watch every Matthew McCooKoohead movie ever made.  (sorry, I really don't mind the guy so much, but I'd rather make fun of his name than try to spell it)

If you (like lame little me) do not have TiVo... or even if you DO already have it and you're just feeling lucky -  Enter to Win their nifty new TiVo Slide...  trust me, it's pretty cool...  I mean... seriously - it has a QWERTY keyboard???  I might have to learn to spell McCooKoohead's name after all!  I'm not letting ManOfTheHouse call dibs on this one!

and while you're planning out all the extra screen time you'll be spending - make sure to be a TiVo Facebook Fan so that you can check them out...  besides, they're nice people over there :)

and when the Fall season comes... maybe this year I'll be able to discuss Glee and Modern Family with the rest of you couch potatoes!

Singin', Dancin', Clappin', and taggin'...

Last night M.O.T.H. and I headed off to see a play at the local community theatre - Singin' in The Rain.  I worried because we had neglected to procure tickets before the event... and my worries were rewarded with the ticket seller telling us that yes, indeedy - the show had sold out.  Hmmm... what to do.... apparently what to do is to stand around for a good many minutes debating the show times for the rest of the run as compared to your ridiculous schedules... and then stand around for a few more minutes debating whether to go home and wait for tomorrow's box office or to just buy the tickets now...  and then stand around for a minute or two more because it looks like that lady right there might be holding a few tickets...  and then she MIGHT just ask if we're looking for some... and we MIGHT say yes...

Indecision MIGHT pay off... good thing for our evening that it worked out that way this time!

The show was pretty good - now of course, nothing can compare with Donald O'Connor and his portrayal of Cosmo that (for me) stole the movie away from Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds (what hacks!) I can honestly say I enjoyed myself - even though at the heart of my being I am a theatre critic and it's hard for me not to mention some of the decided pathetic acting and iffy vocals... I'm getting past that... really.

And OF COURSE at the end - there was a standing ovation...  now I'm sorry but in my mind this "standing O" thing is a rare treat - reserved for a spectacular and amazing performance - and sometimes to be delivered on the final night of the run just because it's over...  but I swear to you - ever since moving to Utah it seems that this "rare treat" is delivered over and over again - at each and every performance... regardless of the level of performance.  Hmmm... maybe it's related to the fact that there seem to be "treats" at every other kind of public gathering around here?

Oh - and, because y'all deserve a rare treat:  I was tagged by my friend Malinda to share a photo (there was some 8th this, 8th that rule... but all my photos are crammed into one large photo library - so I flipped to 15th page and the 15th photo... and this was it)

this is W and H a few years ago - we celebrated M.O.T.H.'s birthday by going up the canyon and letting him cook us a good meal over the fire followed by his famous dutch oven cobbler.  As a bonus, though I'm ashamed of it now, he also cleaned the dutch oven upon our return home...  Hmmm... looks like I'd better start planning for the big man's birthday this year, I've got somethin' to make up for!

Finally made it up there...

Who's up for a theatre review?

I've been trying all season to get away to the Neil Simon festival...  for those of you who don't live anywhere nearby you have to know about this little gem - it's the only festival dedicated to America's most prolific playwright and hey, they plays are hilarious!  Cedar City (the home of this festival) also has a Shakespearean Festival and probably some other stuff... but I've gotta laugh sometimes, and this is the perfect opportunity.

This years' offerings are: Fools, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and I Do, I Do...

Despite NOT being by Neil Simon (a festival first) I Do, I Do fit right in with the humor level - and as much I'd love to run up and see Fools today (ugh these gas prices are killing me) I think I'm just going to have to be okay with calling it good with I Do, I Do as my show for this years' run.  

We knew from the moment that the recorded message over the speakers encouraged patrons to remove their electronic devices (cell phones) from their pockets and smash them into the floor to avoid interrupting the show that we were in for a funny night.  

The show follows one couple through their transitions of life and marriage.  Act I kept us laughing - even when the tone turned serious - maybe because we could relate to everything in this act...  Act II's tone was more slanted toward the serious but still hilarious.   The "business" of the actors (all that non-scripted stuff they do...) was by far the funniest of the show - watching Jan Broberg (who played the wife) trying to get into her "old lady" dress, I think I bruised a rib laughing.  

This show is actually a musical (another festival first I believe) and luckily both Jan and Rick Bugg (who played the husband and yes, is my uncle so I'm a little biased) have good voices.  My favorite song (probably because it's the only one I'd heard before) was "My cup runneth over", though they were all a riot... especially the one that bridged Acts I and II that talked about Men improving with age while Woman... go to pot. 

With apologies to both MC and MS (who live near this theatre), I would have loved to get together for dinner and chat pre-show - but it was a last minute trip and we barely made it in time for curtain :)  Speaking of curtain, that was a fun part of the show - both actors were just chatting with the audience as they got ready for the show, greeting friends and family...  getting each other breath mints... lots of fun!

Can't Blog... Reading...

as some of you may know, I am a tiny bit... shall we say... obsessive when I read - so there will be no laundry done or food prepared on Saturday because Stephenie Meyer's new book is being released...  it is my guilty pleasure and I'm not going to hide it anymore.  For crying out loud, Mitt Romney will be reading it too!  Just in case you aren't DYING to read it, here are a few of the quotes coming in the new book:

(Oh S - you didn't want to see these...  yeah, just ignore my blog today!)

"I've seen vampire venom work miracles, but there are conditions that even venom cannot overcome"  (Carlisle)  What's with this one... who's in a "condition", and is it what we (I) expect?

"Over my pile of ashes"  (Rosalie)  That one just cracked me up... doesn't reveal much, but it was too funny to leave out.

"Ah, Edward.  I've missed you." (Tanya)  No way... I don't much like this girl (despite her nearly cool name) so I'm not looking forward to her being in the story.

"You're awfully small to be so hugely irritating."  (Edward) ...I think I've actually heard this one before... more than once in my life :)

Okay, there are lots more posted at stepheniemeyer.com if you need more reasons to join me in NOT getting any real work done Saturday!  

"saturday is a special day, it's the day we get ready for... oh, whoops...  I guess I'll be getting ready Friday instead!"

UPDATE:  Okay, bought the book at 10:30 this morning and just finished...  and for those of you who haven't finished I will keep my opinion to myself for now... I just have to say one thing...  Renesmee?  really...

FarWorld - Water Keep - The Long Awaited Review

Firstly, I would like to mention that this was a cool experience... knowing that I was among the first to read a book - there's a little bit of a rush in that experience.  Not like a bungee-jumping rush maybe, but a rush all the same - and for this non-death-defying-stay-at-home mom... that was just perfect.

Second I must mention that even though the book was delivered with an "uncorrected proof" disclaimer (meaning that there were bound to be typos) there were surprisingly few!  I actually hesitated to participate because I have some serious pet peeves regarding bad editing but there were fewer errors in this pre-edited edition than in some nicely bound hardcovers that I've paid top dollar for!  As some of you may know I really have issues and have been known to correct signs in a grocery store with my own pen (no, I'm not kidding).

Third... I've broken my own rule on this book. Some of you may have heard me mention my stipulation on reading new books by new authors (especially in the sci-fi or fantasy genre), it has something to do with unpronounceable names... my first foray into the fantasy genre (many MANY years ago) was a huge disappointment where the author had spent far more time coming up with colorful and bizarre names for their characters than they had spent fleshing out the actual story line... big bust.  Gladly - this is not the case with this book (but there are a few weird names).

The Big Question: Did I enjoy the book?  Yes!  I had a lot of fun reading this one - it was refreshing to have a truly new kind of Hero to begin with... one that made me stop and think about quick judgments that we so often make... does a Hero have to be handsome?  Does he have to be strong?  Does he have to be funny?  Does he have to be popular?  Does he have to have a love interest?  Does he have to be a HE?  I enjoy this new Hero (Marcus) and have great hopes for him in the coming novels... hoping that he'll retain some of his imperfections (not necessarily the obvious ones - but maybe his skewed sense of humor) that make him so unique.  I also enjoyed our Heroine (Kyja - see, I told you there were some weird names) because I think she fills in the gaps that exist in Marcus's personality... she "completes" him - in a totally non-romantic sense of the word.  Each has their own disabilities and strengths, and they are not defined by their disabilities nearly as much as they are defined by their strengths.

There is a lot of promise in this Farworld place - more areas to explore... more connections to our world I hope?  I'm anxious to meet some of the other elementals (for this to be explained you will just have to read this book) and see about their own limitations, as the denizens of the Water Keep seem to  have learned a great lesson from a few mere mortals.

The book does follow a little formula that you'll probably recognize - Slightly weird orphan discovers something new about themselves, it changes the course of their lives, they meet with extreme dangers and make good friends, they succeed but still have more to do (because where else would the series go?).  Whether that brought to mind Star Wars, Harry Potter, Wizard of Oz or whatever - there it is...  I don't say this as a criticism however because - hey, it's worked and it isn't all the same -- I don't know anybody who just skipped reading HP7 because "hey, I saw StarWars already.".

One of the things I enjoyed the most is that although there is a lot of back-story and exposition necessary to get the reader up to speed, it is done without the traditional boredom which makes me want to do a quick speed read and get back to the action... the back story is all about action!

Do I recommend it to you?  To the kids?  Yes, to both - I don't hesitate to have the kiddies reading it because the bad guys are bad... and the good guys are good - and there is a wonderful lesson to be learned about those people who sit back and claim to be neutral all the while furthering the cause of the bad...  there is no Switzerland in Farworld anymore than there can be in our own lives - a choice must be made.

I went ahead and let my 13 year old read it already - and in typical teenager fashion he shrugs a lot, refuses to add any wonderful questions to my author Q&A... but I did get out of him that he will be planning to read any further installments of this series.  For the record, my 11 year old wants to read it but would like to wait for the series to be finished first... He nearly got an ulcer waiting on Harry/Gregor/Percy and others...

So that's it - other reviews are out there on this blog tour with more information about the plot - I chose not to give you a detailed synopsis because hey, you're supposed to read it right?  be sure to put a nice wordy comment at the post below if you want a chance at the free Advance Copy - I'll post next week about our winner!

Author Q&A

T - Since I get to choose the location we're going to meet for breakfast smack dab in the middle of the Australian Outback - I'm having an egg white omelet stuffed with so many sauteed mushrooms you fear badly for the fungi populations' demise - served in an air-conditioned tent by fully clothed bushmen - and you?

JSS - Wow, this is great! When you invited me to the Australian outback I was totally expecting to be sweating like a wallaby, (have you ever smelled a wallaby close up? Not good.) But here we are in an air-conditioned tent.  I could have used one of these back in scouts. I think I'm going to have eggs Benedict.  I was recently in Canada so I even have some fresh Canadian bacon to go on it.  I'm also going to have a stack of pancakes with blueberry syrup.  Gotta admit those mushrooms look pretty good.  I figure I better eat while I have the chance.  This globe-trotting is a dicey business when it comes to meals.  Go ahead and ask away, and I'll try not to talk with my mouth full.

T - Those pancakes are looking really tempting...  are those fresh blueberries?  Okay, was I crazy and flashing back on a decimated farm on Tatooine, or was that somewhere in the back of your head when the Goodnuff''s farm was wiped out?  (and no, I've never been to a StarWars convention or dressed up as Princess Leia)

JSS - That's a shame. I could totally see you with the whole Cinnabon things on the side of the head going on. The scene you are talking about wasn't actually in the first draft, although it was in my head. I was afraid that it might be a little too intense for younger readers. But as I discussed it with my editors, we realized it was an important scene in that it serves the same purpose as Tatooine in Star Wars. It not only removes a fallback position for Kyja-there is no home to go home to-it also shows how bad the bad guys are and gives Kyja a reason to hate them from the beginning. I think we actually discussed the Star Wars scene when we were talking about it. I really liked how it came out, and I don't think it is too traumatic, even for younger readers. It was a good call by my editors.

T - Another weird movie flash... following a golden Toad?  Maybe we watch too much Wizard of Oz around  here... my 4 year old is really a Dorothy fanatic right now.

JSS - Yeah.  I like to throw in little nods to other books and movies I like.  As a side note, try Googling the name of the toad.

T - I'll do that as soon as I can get an internet connection - I've got no bars out here... they should try one of those "can you hear me now" commercials out here!  Since Farworld is connected to our world - each location here having a comparable location there, tell me where you would be in Farworld if you got sucked over there right now?  Hmmm... from home or from Australia... both maybe.

JSS - Well if I jumped from home, I'd be about a day's horseback ride from the Unmaker's cavern.  From here, who knows? Lots of uncharted territory.

T - I don't think I'd want to hang out that close to the Unmaker's cavern... that's probably the creepiest part of the story for me.  So... This Monk that saved and helped to raise Marcus... is he really from earth?  Is that asking too much?  (this is why I have a love/hate relationship with book series, I'm not good at waiting)

JSS - Hey did you see those Kangaroos outside? How is your omelet? Hmm, now I can't remember your last question. I will tell you that there actually is a Greek Orthodox monastery on the edge of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. But they weren't real excited about me writing a fantasy book when I called them for facts and information. So I didn't use their name.

T - Okay, I know when to back off... It seems that Marcus got hit with a triple whammy being orphaned, disabled and a tad on the weird side... Personally I loved seeing the strengths he had being of more value than those disabilities that were holding him back, but I have to wonder if you have personal experience with those physical disabilities.  It's not too often that a book character has a disability that is so seamlessly a part of the character and NOT constantly paraded out as their shortomings that they are held back by.

JSS - There were many parts of Farworld that I either discovered on the fly or added later. But the part I knew from the beginning was Marcus's disability. That was the very first glimpse I got of Farworld. In many ways it made writing the book hard, and I've heard it could even possibly have an effect on if it is made into a movie. But it had to be there for far too many reasons to list. At the same time, Marcus is not his disability any more than Kyja is her lack of magic. Neither of them let their issues keep them from reaching their goals. They may be slowed down, or have to take another path. But they will not be ruled by their weaknesses. I haven't had personal experience with those disabilites, (as far as me or my family.) But I got great feedback from a wonder person and great writer by the name of Kerry Blair, who has had personal experience. I also based a lot of Marcus's spunk on a friend of my younger brother, who was born without legs. He constantly rode a skateboard around the neighborhood, lying on his stomach. The kid was a blur. Nothing slowed him down.

T - Thanks for your time, are you going to finish those pancakes?

Obsessed Lately?

Okay - When Quinn and I saw this movie in the theatre (which is a rare treat for us) I wasn't sure it would live up to the first...  I actually enjoyed it quite a bit and was really excited at the end when the credits rolled -- you see, through the whole movie they're trying to prove that Thomas Gates wasn't an accomplice in the Lincoln Assassination - having been accused based on a partial journal entry with his name and the following: "artifix ae..." - here in the end credits they reveal the remainder of the words and I didn't have anything to write on in the theatre and had forgotten them before getting home where I could log on to the free latin translator :)  I debated going back to the theatre to see it again, bugged many friends and relatives to pay good attention at the end... all to no avail (couldn't bring myself to pony up another $7).

So today - the DVD is released, I grabbed it quickly, stuck it in my cars' DVD player and went straight to the end credits... and what it says is "artifix aenig malum" which between the movie telling me that Artifix means mastermind and Malum means unfortunate leads to a whole lot of nothing, since Aenig isn't a word I can locate...

All told, the down and dirty of this is that I wasted over an hour of my precious time because I tend to obsess over small things like that... Maybe Meg will remember the hidden code on the DaVinci Code cover that I discovered, figured out, and it turned out to be a lame plug for an upcoming novel... 

This Week's Reading Adventures...

I had decided to wait awhile before picking up this book - it was released last week (and the date was in my planner) but I knew my life was a little hectic.  I had put it out of my mind and gone about my daily business... but I ran out of milk and ran to CostCo - still hadn't thought about the book, but the aisle was crowded and I decided to duck through the book area to get to the other side (still not thinking about books somehow) then... I saw it, the stacks and stacks of this book, taunting me with its eerily reflective eyeball... so, I bought it Wednesday afternoon, and finished it Thursday morning - The review you ask? all thumbs up - it was nice to read a book for once that stood on its own, the story concluded without frustrations of "what next" and though I had kind of guessed a little of the ending, there was still the complexity of how it all worked out and who, what, why, when and where....  worth the $14 and change I paid for sure!

Next up was a little something I picked up for the kids - the 3rd in a series that Trevor and Weston have both read... and of course, being the good mom I am I had to preview it in case of gratuitous violence.  Worth reading if you've read the others, a go

od series for pre-teens/teens.  No objectionable content with little life lessons tossed in along the way - I especially like the discussion questions at the end... I think I will require their being answered before the kids get credit for reading the book!

To be fair, I just started this, it's 4th in the series, another pre-teen/teen series that is harmless... as long as you don't mind a little stabbing of mythological monsters.  There is a little jealousy beginning to show in the first part of the book and I wonder if the characters are growing faster than the readers - but unless I update this with a "ugh" warning - assume I judged it safe for consumption.  

I also got the 3osomethingth book of the Magic Treehouse Series for Porter and Haven to read - those are harmless, but I can't bring myself to preview them - there is a limit to what I will do for my children, and formulaic tripe is about it :)  (Porter is really into formulaic tripe though)

Forgot to mention - I read this one Monday - an older "apocalyptic survival" novel, well done, I think if he were to re-write it today it would end up being 3 or 4 books...  part of me is glad he wrote it a long time ago!

Dropped by the library yesterday...

and picked up this book on a whim, hadn't really heard much about it, thought the author's name was comical... figured it would occupy the time I had between meetings yesterday... it did.

The book is worth reading if solely for the purpose of envy - the description of the narrator's idyllic neighborhood in the very beginning made me want to pack and move there tomorrow (even if it would be cold!), aside from the 50 year time travel thing that is...

There's enough historical bits to keep it grounded in time and reality - and since I just came from reading Ghost Soldiers and We Refused to Die (WWII non-fiction) I enjoyed that part more than I normally would have (meaning I actually understood the references)

My favorite quote - and one I've already shared with a friend even before I finished the book - is from a scene when the church custodian isn't too sure he wants the scouts to play steal the flag on his nicely manicured lawn...  the scout leader convinces him by saying that "the grass will come back, but will the boys?"  A little reminder for the likes of me to chill out sometimes

Okay, that's all I'll say about the book... I read too much so I certainly won't post about everything I read, but this one is surprisingly touching and well thought out.  And if you ever read it you will understand why from now on I will stop trying to make the most rickety block towers out of oddly shaped blocks and use more of the regular boxy shaped blocks :)