Death, death, and travel

A whirlwind of road trips and family visits have kept me from reading much or posting at all. Here's what I have read and seen lately. (I'm afraid crafting has been completely nonexistant but I did get all the puppet theatres off to the recipients).

I listened to The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion on tape. Its a very moving read and I can't imagine going through everything the author did all at once. Such an honest voice! This passage particularly touched me:

"People who have recently lost someone have a certain look recognizable only to those who have seen that look on their own faces. I've noticed it on my face and I notice it now on others. The look is one of extreme vulnerability, nakedness, openness. It is the look of someone who walks from the opthamologists office into daylight with dilated eyes or the look of someone who usually wears glasses and is made to take them off. These people who have lost someone look naked because they think themselves invisible. I myself felt invisible for a period of time. Incorporeal."

I read Into the Wild by John Krakauer after my husband enjoyed it so well. Its very well-written, but I can't help having a lack of sympathy for Chris McCandless. His treatment of his family seems so cruel and childish. But I particularly enjoyed the author's brief backgrounds of other adventurers who traveled into the wild and perished. It was pretty darn interesting.

We watched the first video from Michael Palin's Pole to Pole series last night. I'm enjoying it. Even when his jokes fall flat, I find Palin pretty endearing.

We're also still watching the Monarch of the Glen series. Why can I not track down who sells the hat Lexie wears for her wedding? Its so damn cute!

Cleverness is a quality a man likes to have in his wife as long as she is some distance away from him.

I neglected to post my review of Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad that I read for the Mythopoeic Award Challenge.

More than a little clever, I really enjoyed this book. I listened to it on tape at work and sadly, due to some loudmouth obnoxious coworkers (bitter much?), there were some parts that took more than one listen to catch. I really enjoyed the unexpectedness of the storytelling and the less than reliable narrator. The singing maids were quite enjoyable. And who can resist classic stories told from alternate points of view?

I adore Margaret Atwood's books. Isn't it the best feeling to finish a book by an author you've greatly enjoyed before and know that they still have plenty more books you still haven't read?

Reviews

I'm road tripping for the next few days, but before I go I thought I'd leave you with some reviews.

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife is so so so good. Educational and irreverant with some terrifically gross parts, I'm telling lots of people to read it.

The Greatest Generation wasn't bad - just not as good and emotional as The Greatest Generation Speaks. Plus I got tired of Brokaw's yammering on over and over again about how all other generations have no values compared to this group. We get it, Brokaw! Just tell the damn stories!

Millions was pretty adorable and very original. It made me giggle a lot and smile real hard throughout.

Being nicer to Mother Earth

Recently discovered Tiny Choices - a wonderful blog that shares ideas for being nicer to the planet.

Bookworm Carnival

So I just read about the Bookworm Carnival on the marvelous book blog, A Striped Armchair, and not being one for hesitation, I couldn't resist jumping right on it.

The theme is The Geography of Make-Believe: a fantastic voyage through the magical, mythical, and mystical.

My favorite series that falls into this category is Jane Yolen's Great Alta series comprising of Sister Light, Sister Dark, White Jenna, and the One-Armed Queen. But it may take some digging because I definitely prefer the old covers as opposed to the new ones.

My god, I loved this series like it was tailor made for me. Badass women and layers upon layers of invented myth and research entwined with the actual story. So freakin' good!

And I'm so happy that the Carnival made me think of this cause now I know what I'm sending my 14 year old niece for her birthday!

From the witty Natalie Dee

nataliedee.com

Embellishments

I picked up Embellish Your Home from the library almost entirely based on the stunning cover shot. Lots of pretty pictures, but most projects seemed much too Victorian-ish for my taste. Only 2 or 3 seemed at all tempting.

The umbrella tree on the cover:



The necklace holder:


And the candelabra.



Other than those, it was a bit too fussy and prissy for my liking.