Teaser Tuesdays -- Finding Magic for Crow

The rules come from MizB of Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read
  
• Open to a random page
  
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
  
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Don't you feel it?  I just know we'll find your magic today!

~p. 103, Magic in the Alley by Mary Calhoun

My daughter and I were gifted this book by a fellow participant in the 48 hour reading challenge.  Thanks, Wendy!

Twenty-two hours, 27 minutes, 19 seconds

Definitely time for another post! 

I've slept twice this challenge -- I found it harder to avoid that with a 48 hour challenge as opposed to 24.  But I'm looking forward to jumping in and going full force for the rest of the day!

Sped through Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix yesterday afternoon, as I suspected I might.  If you've not read anything of hers, you should!  I'd start with either Running Out of Time or the Shadow Children series.  One quote to share from Double Identity (I know it's not the first time someone has said something along these lines, but I still like it): 

Science and religion deal with different questions.  Science is how things happen and religion is why.  The problem comes when people forget what they are asking of whom.  (p.117)

I have two discs left and then I'll be finished with The Woman in White as well.  Need to beef up my number of books read before the challenge is over, so I have a lovely amount to give to Alpine Valley. Getting ready to start Num8ers by Rachel Ward.  When my daughter wakes up, we'll probably try for some more of The Woman in White. 


Finished: 

Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende
I Am the Messenger  by Markus Zusak
Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix



My sponsors thus far:

Lutheran Lisa $1/book
Sara Sara and Raj Sara $1/book with a $10 minimum
Amber Owen Amber $2/book
Dara who I haven't met yet Dara $2/book (and an extra $10 if I can get my hands on To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis...)
Keely tiny dogs Wiley and Halston Keely $10 for finishing the audiobook of Woman in White by Wilkie Collins  (been listening to this one with my daughter -- this'll be a good incentive to finish it up!)

Beth's Mikaela $10 to read Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix!  (She knows I'm a BIG MPH fan.)

14 hours, 35 minutes, and 48 seconds :)

I'm amusing myself with the precise time-keeping for some reason.

I just finished I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak.  I don't have anything stunning to comment on -- It may be that it (and The Book Thief) was talked up so much to me that it just couldn't help but disappoint?  Not that I didn't like it, because I did, but just that there isn't much for me to say about it for some reason. 

My plan was to listen to more of The Woman in White next, but Beth just brought over Double Identity, so I think that after I post here, I'm going to head to the bathtub for a nice soak with a non-heavy book.  I do hope, however, to return to The Woman in White after the bath. =)  My husband and daughter are at the art museum.  If Double Identity is anything like a typical MPH book, I may just finish it up before they return!

I'm still wishing I could get my hands on To Say Nothing of the Dog  to meet Dara's challenge/pledge.  But I'm not sure it will happen.  Maybe when my husband returns I'll ask him to double check that we don't own it.

Finished: 

Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende
I Am the Messenger  by Markus Zusak


My sponsors thus far:

Lutheran Lisa $1/book
Sara Sara and Raj Sara $1/book with a $10 minimum
Amber Owen Amber $2/book
Dara who I haven't met yet Dara $2/book (and an extra $10 if I can get my hands on To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis...)
Keely tiny dogs Wiley and Halston Keely $10 for finishing the audiobook of Woman in White by Wilkie Collins  (been listening to this one with my daughter -- this'll be a good incentive to finish it up!)

New!  Beth's Mikaela $10 to read Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix!  (She knows I'm a BIG MPH fan.)

Nine hours, 24 minutes, 51 seconds and counting...

I started the challenge yesterday at 1:30 p.m.  It's been going fairly well. I spent the afternoon reading Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs (more about that in a minute). In the evening did some reading of other participants' blogs, decided not to read Daughters of Gaia, and got a tiny start on I Am the Messenger.  I then stayed up past midnight listening to the audio book of The Woman in White.  I woke up about 5:30 to go to the bathroom.  I seriously considered getting up then, but decided a bit more sleep would probably be a good idea.  I woke up for the second time at 6:30 and started this post.

I wasn't sure what I would think about Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs: Family, Friendships, and Faith in Small-Town Alaska (by Heather Lende).  I believe I checked it out after it was recommended in a newsletter from our local bookstore.  I definitely enjoyed it and I'm glad I chose it to start the challenge.  It was good enough stuff that I want to share a few excerpts and ideas verbatim.

It is often said that there are no atheists in foxholes.  It seems to me that shelled bunkers would be full of skeptics.  In the middle of a war it must be harder, not easier, to believe in a good God. If it were up to me, I'd change that line to there are no atheists in delivery rooms or adoption agencies, but maybe that's because I have given birth to four children and have adopted one.   (p.5)

 Lende was run over by a truck while biking in April 2005.  I didn't know this about her when I picked up this book.  A year ago, I was hit by a car while crossing the street and, while my injuries were nothing compared to Lende's, there was much with which I could identify.  As I am approaching the one-year mark (June 23) it was a good time for me to be reading this book.

I . . . realized that most of us have been hit by a proverbial truck at least once and that, as broadsides go, mine may have been one of the easier to recover from because it was so literal and so public, compared to breast cancer or a messy divorce. (p.8)

 Speaking of grocery lists her mother left before her death:

Maybe it is wishful thinking, or maybe I didn't have enough for lunch and am light-headed, but what I hear her notes, and thus her, is this:  eat dessert, be sure there's coffee for the morning, write things down so you don't forget them, and don't waste paper . . . a person could do worse than to live by those words . . . (p 101-102)

 The back cover describes Lende's writing as "part Annie Dillard, part Anne Lamott".  The comparison resonates with me, at least the Anne Lamott part -- Reading what Lende has to say about faith makes me want to do an about-face and embrace Christianity once more.  She makes me proud of my (fellow?) Christians.

Maybe what humans lack in understanding we make up for with faith.  I do know deep down that there is something good about this world -- and that something is love.  You don't have to be a Christian to know that's why we keep picking each other up every time we fall down.  You just have to be human.  I hope that someday I'll really love my neighbors, especially the difficult ones . . . In the meantime, I'll keep going to my church, because I know what our vicar, Jan would say about this.  It's the same message she preached on "Love Your Neighbor Sunday," and the same one she reiterates in one form or another every Sunday.  We are called by Jesus to be good to all people, even those we don't think we like, much less love . . . This, and only this, will ever shake up the world enough to change it." (p. 160-161)

 As I've been recovering from my accident, I've been very conscious of not referring to my injured arm, shoulder, and neck as my "bad arm" etc., but rather as my injured arm, my healing neck, my tender shoulder, etc.  It was validating to hear Lende's physical therapist reiterate this idea.  "She . . . wouldn't let me call it my 'bad leg.'  She said if I started doing that, it would never heal."

All in all, just some good stuff about community, about faith, about healing, about small town life, about life in Alaska. 

Starting line post for the 48 hour reading challenge

 MotherReader's starting line

My plan is to start at 1:30 p.m. MST today, June 4th.  My 48 hour period will end at 1:30 p.m. MST Sunday June 6th.  I will not be posting again until sometime after 5:00 today, as my husband will have the computer.  That means a few concentrated hours of reading without computer tasks to distract me!

My sponsors thus far:

Lutheran Lisa $1/book
Sara Sara and Raj Sara $1/book with a $10 minimum
Amber Owen Amber $2/book
Dara who I haven't met yet Dara $2/book (and an extra $10 if I can get my hands on To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis...)
Keely tiny dogs Wiley and Halston Keely $10 for finishing the audiobook of Woman in White by Wilkie Collins  (been listening to this one with my daughter -- this'll be a good incentive to finish it up!)


All funds from sponsors will go to Alpine Valley School.

Book stack for the 48 hour reading challenge -- also a note to more regular readers

I'm starting with a stack of ten options to choose from throughout the 48 hours.  I leave open the possibility that I may pull from a different pile at some point, but these are the starter books, the books that I've specifically set aside for the challenge.

Nine library books, one that I own (and that will be a re-read).  Two juvenile novels, two YA, four non-fiction.  A good mix of goodness.  I may still get a title that is being sponsored and if so, that book will most likely become priority number one to read. 

I haven't made nearly as much concrete plans for food as I did for the 24 hour read-a-thon a few months ago.  Hopefully that will all work itself out on its own -- maybe with some extra produce if my husband and daughter go to the farmers' market on Saturday.  Finances also feel even sketchier now than they did then but I do have home-made pizza dough in the freezer, so that may happen at some point during the weekend. 

I have an appointment in the morning, so I won't be starting as early as I might have liked.  I also will not have the computer during most of the day, so won't be posting much til evening.  I expect to start sometime after noon and before 2:00 p.m. on Friday. 



I also wanted to let those of you who are more regular readers know that I've changed the requirements for posting comments-- you no longer need to have (or use) a google account to comments!  So comment away.  :)

MotherReader: Countdown to the Fifth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge

MotherReader: Countdown to the Fifth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge

Almost there! You can see my post detailing some of my ideas here.

So far I have a pledge from Lutheran Lisa (we know several Lisas so they each have to have extra information added to their names) for $1 for every book I read. Yippee for Lisa!

There have been rumors and murmurings from a few other people about choosing a specific title for me to read during the challenge ($10/title). I hope they pick books I can get my hands on before Friday!!

No matter what, it's going to be a good time and I'll have a bit of money at the end to give to Alpine Valley School!

Looking forward to the 48 hour book challenge!

MotherReader: Fifth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge

A few months ago I did a 24 hour read-a-thon -- Now is my chance to double that!  :)

Participants are asked to choose any 48 hour period from 7:00 a.m. on Friday June 4 to 7:00 a.m. on Monday June 7 -- It must be 48 consecutive hours but it is understood that not all participants will be able (or want) to read for that entire time.  I'm still pondering what 48 hour period I will choose, but I'm pretty sure I'll start at some point on Friday and end at some point on Sunday.  (As the date approaches I will have a more definite time period marked out.)  I'm hoping to read somewhere between 24 and 34 hours.  We'll see how that all works out.  :)

Books need to be at a 5th grade level or higher, graphic novels count, and participants may count one audiobook toward their time and book totals.

Some readers are asking for pledges to various causes.  This is my first experience, but I'm game! All pledges made to me will go directly to the school my daughter attends, Alpine Valley.  It has been such a lovely place for her to be (after visiting AVS for the first time she said, "Well, if I go to school that is where I'm going to go.") and I know they will find a good use for whatever money I raise.  

I'd like to offer three different ways to pledge and let each donor choose.

• pledge by minutes read (e.g. a nickel for each minute I read (see MotherReader's site for more info about what counts towards the goal))
• pledge by books read (e.g. $5 for each book completed during challenge
• pledge by pages read (e.g. a penny for each page read)

Let me know if you have any questions or comments.  Also, if there is a book you'd like to insist I read during the challenge, you can ensure it happens for the low, low rate of $10 a book.  :)  This is your chance, folks, to preach, to what may or may not be the choir, about your favorite book(s). Don't let the door of opportunity slam shut on your toes!

What to Eat, Halcyon Crane, and an overabundance of memes

I've finished my book for Tome's 500 page book challenge -- What to Eat by Marion Nestle.  It's not my favorite food-related non-fiction book I've ever read.  Nestle, a nutrition professor at NYU, certainly knows whereof she speaks, but apparently that wasn't enough to make me fall in love with this book.  I think it's a great book if you want to learn more about the politics of the food industry, labeling, product placement, etc., this is a great resource.  (As, I assume, would be Nestle's earlier book,  Food Politics.) 

I took this book along with me to various places while I was reading it.  When someone asked me about it, my response usually started with "The author is a nutrition prof at NYU and it's a very balanced book".  As funny as it is to admit, I think that very balanced approach is part, perhaps, of what turned me off.  Nestle acknowledges that there are very few hard and fast rules when it comes to food and maybe I like to have those hard and fast rules.  :)  I think I'd like to pick up Nina Planck's Real Food and Brian Wansink's Mindless Eating again and see if that helps me clarify what wasn't a draw for me in What to Eat.  I think this book would be a great pick for someone who hasn't thought much about basic nutrition, what influences food choices, why supermarkets are arranged the way they are, etc.

1. Grab the book nearest you right now. 

2. Turn to page 56.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).  

5. Post a link with your post to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.

She looked nothing like the Jackie Kennedy mother I had imagined.  It was not quite my own face but very close to it.  Madlyn Crane had long wavy auburn hair like mine, which in this photograph was blowing in an unseen breeze.

~From The Tale of Halcyon Crane, by Wendy Webb

If I didn't have a doctor's appointment this morning, I just might have stayed up late to finish this one!

Hosted by My Little Life

This week's questions are:

1. Do you have an iPhone and, if so, how do you get apps and what are your favorites?

I don't have an iPhone.  If I did, I think I'd mostly just love the camera and being able to check my e-mail on it.  But owning one is definitely not on the top of my wishlist.

2. What is your fondest memory of K-3rd grade?

Hmmm....  I remember walking down the sloped, red-carpeted hallway to the library in Madison Elementary and singing "come-ah, come-ah, come-ah chameleon" and thinking I was pretty cool to "know" the words to that song.

3. What makes you cringe at the thought of touching?

I don't think I cringe very easily.  Probably anything that might bite me if the bite would have serious repercussions -- something poisonous, not just anything with teeth.

4. If you could have any celebrity show up on your doorstep who would it be and why?

Well, the first one that comes to mind is Pierce Brosnan.  I really don't have very many celebrity crushes at all, but I liked watching Remington Steele when I was little.  In addition to that, I really do think he's good people from everything I've read and heard.

5. What would you say is your best physical feature?

 I'm gonna go with my hair and fingernails, though I have no idea what others would say.

To Play:

Answer my question, go post your own question
on your blog, then go link up at An Island Life and visit the other
players and answer their questions.

My questions is: What are you looking forward to in June?

And my own (overly long) answer: 

 

June is going to be a great month around here. My daughter's last day of school is the 4th and my husband should be finished with all of his grading by then as well.   I'm participating in MotherReader's 48 hour book challenge the 4th-7th.  

On the 13th my daughter will have her first Theater Explorers class of the summer at the Arvada Center -- she took the same class last year and decided to use her birthday money to take it again this year.  She is looking forward to starting and my husband and I usually use the hour each Sunday afternoon to walk in the art gallery, talk together, align our schedules, and simply talk together. 

The 18th-20th we are going camping with a group from my attachment parenting discussion board.  This will be the fourth summer we've done this and it is always a good time.   It will be our first time at Rocky Mountain National Park and I'm glad we will get the chance to explore a little bit more of Colorado.

June 23rd will be one year since I was hit by a car.  I am thinking it would be nice to have a giant everyone invited party/potluck at our apartment to mark the occasion.  Then my in-laws arrive on the 26th for a week long visit and I'm definitely looking forward to that!

I'll close for now.  Snozz, if you are still reading, I'm impressed.  :)

 

Mother Reader's 48 Hour Book Challenge -- June 4- 6, 2010

Find all the details here! 

I need to talk to my husband and daughter some more and figure out exactly how we'll work it this time (and which 48 hour span I'm going to choose), but I'm looking forward to it.  I'm sure I'll be making all sorts of ridiculously overly detailed plans. 

Who's in?  :)