Monthly Archives: May 2007

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Because it has to be said

I don’t know if anyone who reads this watches Dancing with the Stars, but if you have, you know that Ian Ziering and Sheryl Burke have been struggling with their performances. Sheryl, an incredible professional dancer on who (whom?) I have a total girl-crush, has won the previous 2 seasons of Dancing with the Stars, and the judges have criticized Ian each week for failing to “let go” in his dancing. What I’ve noticed, however, is that Sheryl hasn’t been 100% there each week either. As I said, I have a total girl-crush on Sheryl, I’ve been known to watch her performances multiple times, and this season it just hasn’t been as enjoyable to watch her. I don’t know if she and Ian just didn’t have chemistry, or if she was feeding off of his stress, or what, but it just hasn’t been the same.

This week confirmed it for me, when, after they finally got their first 10 of the season, everything changed. When they came out for their jive, they did 2 steps and I said, out loud, “She’s back!”. The joy, the freedom of movement, the gorgeous grace was all there, and it was fantastic. And what do you know, they got a perfect 30. Ian did look more comfortable this week, but he started out a pretty good dancer, and I don’t know that he’s improved all that much. I really think the difference was Sheryl. Her exuberance brought the whole thing together and made it magic, which means that the lack of that is at least partly to blame for what’s gone before. And as much as I absolutely love her, I have to say it, because no one else is.

But that said, I really really really hope they make it to the finals!

ETA: They didn’t make it. It’s probably as it should be, but I’m sad.

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Lovely lovely books

There’s a whole subset of children’s literature that I missed when I was little, the “girl’s novel”. I read Little Women, but that was about it. So when I read Margaret Atwood’s essay about Anne of Green Gables, I decided it was time to go back and visit a classic. And what a classic it is. Oh my goodness, as Anne would say, I’m desperately sobbing at the tragicallness of me not having read this magnificent tome when I was in my youth.

All silliness aside, I would have loved Anne when I was little. (I love her now!) I think I would have understood her, and would have felt understood knowing that she “existed”. I would have spent days and weeks imagining that she was my bosom friend, and probably would have started my own story club with my sister and so many other things. I love the imagination and optimism and joy of that sweet, smart, little redheaded orphan girl. I can’t wait to introduce her to Zoe.

But as Margaret Atwood pointed out, the book isn’t just about Anne and her misadventures, it’s really the story of Marilla, the spinster who takes Anne in and comes to love her. As the years pass she opens her heart and by the end is a changed woman, a mother. And I would have completely missed that reading it as a child. So now I’ve decided I need to go back and catch up on the books I missed- Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Pollyanna (although I know the story); I should probably read at least the first Little House on the Prairie book; are there any others anyone suggests? (I’ve read The Secret Garden, but not as a little kid- an older little kid.)
I also read My French Whore by Gene Wilder. Yes, that Gene Wilder. It surprised me too, and what surprised me even more? He writes like a saint! Like a modern day Ernest Hemingway without the angst. Every word is perfectly chosen and so precise that it seems effortless, but a huge world is contained in his tiny little book. It’s the story of an American soldier who gets caught by the Germans in WWI and on the spur of the moment, decides to impersonate a famous German spy. It works, for a while, and during that while, he meets and falls in love with the woman of the title. It’s a sweet, charming book, and Mr. Gene really is an excellent writer.

I just finished Girl, Nearly 16, Absolute Torture by Sue Limb, the followup to her hilarious Girl, 15, Charming but Insane. This book is just as good, just as adorable, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself from beginning to end. This adventure includes the multiple graves of Thomas Hardy, an urn of Grandfather’s ashes, copious text messaging, and so very much more. Fred, still, is one of my favorite characters of all time, and now that I think about it, really would be great friends with Anne of Green Gables.

In other book news, my wonderful husband bought me for Mother’s Day not one, but all three of the sewing books I really really really wanted. I literally squealed and jumped up and down when I opened them. I’ll be making skirts and pillows and comfy pants (and maybe even a shirt that fits) in no time!
Current Total: 27

Just finished: Girl, Nearly 16, Absolute Torture by Sue Limb

Next Up: Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime by Robert J. Randisi

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Why oh why oh why?

Have you ever had the experience where you watch a movie and it’s so bad that upon thinking back on it you have the impulse to watch it again, because it couldn’t possibly be as bad as you remembered? I’m having that experience with a certain series of books, and I just need to stop. It seems like everybody loves Alexander McCall Smith’s books, and while I admit that my own expectations sabotaged my reading of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, I just have issues with his Isabel Dalhousie novels. They’re frustrating on a number of levels, the dialogue reads awkwardly, the writing has the tendency to go on tangents, and the point of view switches jarringly.

This particular installment (The Right Attitude to Rain) confused me because the previous books have been mysteries (of a sort) and I assumed this was as well, but as I got about 2/3 of the way through, I figured out there wasn’t a mystery at all, and well, yeah, that’s all I have to say about that. Overall I was disappointed, and I hope I have the strength to avoid his next one, because at this point they’re driving me nuts.

Current total: 24

Just finished: The Right Attitude to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith

Next Up: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

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Dedication

I didn’t have time to workout today, during Zoe’s nap (when I usually partake in the kicking of my butt by various exercise means) I made 3 batches of brownies and 6 cardstock puzzles with clues for 6 teams for a treasure hunt activity tonight. Then she was so cuddly and clingy today that I couldn’t do it any other time. Then we ate and I headed to the activity, then hit the library (where I TOTALLY SCORED! Such good books.) and the grocery store and came home at 9:30. I really considered not working out and claiming today as a “rest day”, but I know myself and I know if I skip a day (other than my previously decided on Sunday) then I’m toast. Tomorrow would be a rest day, and the next and the next and then I’d just have more DVDs I don’t use. If I don’t work for the goal I have no goal. Today makes 20 days in a row, tomorrow is 21 days, and that’s the number they say makes a habit. So, I stopped thinking about it, put on my workout stuff and proceeded to get my butt kicked. (Seriously, the workout I did is called Goddess Booty- all about the buns!)

Anyway, what good is being strong if you don’t brag about it, right?

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Books

I’ve read a whole bunch of books and meant to post about them and never got around to it. And now I don’t remember what I wanted to say about them. So here’s a quick catchup.

Mary, Martha, and Me by Camille Fronk Olson: A great look at the story of Mary and Martha in the bible, and the incorrect dichotomy that’s been created because of people misunderstanding the story. Jesus never says that studying is more important than working, He says to chose “that good part”- which is to follow Him, regardless of if you’re studying or working. There’s a lot more to it, and it’s really good.

Letters of Marjorie Pay Hinckley: Sister Hinckley is super cute and her letters were really fun to read.

Baby Signs by Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn: We’re working on sign language with Zoe, this is a great resource.

The Famous Writers School by Steven Carter: The story is told in letters between the teacher and students of a writing correspondence course- interesting construction and storytelling, I enjoyed it.

The Blue Angel by Francine Prose: Fantastic writing and a gripping story of a writing professor obsessed with a student, her writing, and his own destruction. (And yes, I meant that sentence construction, he is obsessed with his own destruction.)

Golgotha by Andrew Skinner: I read this over Easter week, it’s about Christ’s experience after the garden and on the cross, it was excellent.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: I love this book, and rereading it was a treat. I totally cried.

Sorcery and Cecelia or, the Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer: Charming charming book about cousins in a magic England. Told in letters back and forth, that’s actually the way it was written- the two authors wrote to each other as the characters without talking about plot points. Very entertaining.

Writing with Intent by Margaret Atwood: This was a birthday present, and I’m so glad I got it. Fantastic essays and reviews by Margaret Atwood, who I’m coming to adore more and more. (The fact that she loved the book Witches of Eastwick really kind of sealed it for me.)

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood: I’ve had this book for ages and only now got to it, it’s fantastic. It’s hard to explain, with a novel within a novel, but is never hard to understand. I did think the cover copy was a bit misleading, but maybe that was just me. Anyway, it was really good.

I’m trying to read Decca: The Letters of Jessica Mitford, but I’m having trouble getting into it. Jessica is one of my least favorite Mitfords, (she’s just kind of a whiny bratty brat!)

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Movie followup

Here’s the answer list for the movie game below, most of them were guessed but a couple weren’t- here they are with clues and answers.

1. One Day, Music Store, Head Shaving -Empire Records
2. Championship, plagiarism, Title spoken by character -Bring It On
3. Blackmail, Dandy, Upper Class – An Ideal Husband
4. Upstairs Downstairs, Murder, Maid – Gosford Park
5. Taxicab, Egyptology, Double Cross -Fifth Element
6. 1930′s, Actress, Revenge – Being Julia
7. Dysfunctional Family, Child Prodigy, Recurrent Stabbing in the Gut -The Royal Tenenbaums
8. Dance, Australian, Mock Documentary -Strictly Ballroom
9. Small Town, Drag, Road -To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar
10. Rock and Roll, Grandfather and Grandson Relationship, Bathtub -A Hard Day’s Night