Ireadthereforeiam: September, I Remember

Brooklyn by William Gedney, 1969

1. The Art of Travel (NF)
2. Absolution (Crime?)
3. North and South (Historical Fiction)
4. The Wall (Graphic Novel)
5. Snake and Lizard/ Up In the Tree/ Billy A Lolly Leopold Story (Childrens)
6. Complications (NF)
7. The Night Circus (Fantasy)
8. My Side of the Mountain (YA)
9. Blankets (Graphic Novel)
10. Lost in Shangri-La (Narrative Non Fiction)
11. The Siege (historical Fiction)
12. Trapped: Christchurch Earthquake Rescue Stories (NF)
13. Making Toast (Memoir)
14. On Chesil Beach (Fiction)
15. Book of A Thousand Days (YA)
16. Marcelo in the Real World (YA)
17. The Torchlight List (NF)
18. Great Expectations (historic fiction)
19. The Pearl (fiction)
20. Sophie's Legacy (NF)
21. Sea of Poppies (fiction)
22. The Quiet American (fiction)
23. The Ginseng Hunter (fiction)
24. A Monster Calls (YA)
25. The Wayward Bus (fiction)
26. Holes (YA)
27. The Turn of the Screw (classic, horror)
28. Dragon Talk (poetry)
29. Three Masquerades (essays)
30. Visitation (fiction)
31. Go Ask Alice (Diary)
32. The Bone People (fiction)
33. Black Dogs (fiction)
34. The Village and the World (autobiography)
35. An Ice Cream War (fiction)
36. The Swerve (NF)
37. Goodnight Mister Tom (YA)
38. The Pull of the Ocean (YA)
39. Habibi (GN)
40. Notes from Underground (Fiction)
41. The Checklist manifesto (NF)
42. Players (fiction)
43. Bel Canto (fiction)
44. Ten Thousand Sorrows (memoir)
45. To the Last City (fiction)
46. In Patagonia (travel)
47. Everyman (fiction)
48. Night (memoir)
49. Siddhartha (fiction)
50. Jennifer Aniston (biography)
51. Midnights Children (fiction)
52. Meg and the Treasure Nobody Saw (Childrens)
53. Border Crossing (fiction)
54. Of Mice and Men (fiction)
55. Tethered (fiction)
56. Empire of the Summer Moon (NF Narrative)
57. Voyage of the Arctic Tern (YA)
58. The Outcast (Fiction)
59. The Cobra Event (boy fiction)
60. The Word Book (short stories)
61. The Final Solution (novella, fiction)
62. The Island at the Centre of the World (NFN)
63. The Ongoing Moment (NF)
64. Cannery Row (fiction)

Here is my Get From the Library ASAP list that I found tucked away on a bookshelf unused for 6 weeks at least. Just as well I came home with 34 books this weekend :)

The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein ( I have a friend called Noemi Klein, I find it hard to type either name correctly now)
The Room by Emma Donoghue
Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston
A Bend in the River by VS Naipaul
The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson
Voices by Arnaldur Indrioason (passed up at book sale, what a fool)
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter

Good morning!! Am I first? Whoohoo! That's an upside to not being able to sleep tonight. : ) Love the picture up top. Oops. Sorry if I got in the way here...

I haven't worked on this list in the last month :( But now that I own 2 copies of A Tale of Two Cities, I have no excuse!

TBR Classics List
Sons and Lovers
Tale of Two Cities - READING NOW
Great Expectations
Crime and Punishment
Libra (lined up)
The Turn of the Screw
North and South
The Bone People
Midnights Children
One Hundred Years of Solitude (struck off)

TBR Booker Winners List, off my shelf
The Finkler Question
Vernon God Little
The Remains of the Day
The Gathering
The Line of Beauty
Moon Tiger
The White Tiger
Amsterdam
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
Possession
The True History of the Kelly Gang
The Old Devils
Oscar and Lucinda
The Sea
Ghost Road
Last Orders

>3 Berly: hello! Yippee, a first visitor :) Thank goodness for you Northern Hemisphere insomniacs. I hope a good glass of warm milk will help.

Phew! You are not mad at me. : ) And you have some mighty fine TBR Bookers to read. I have only read The Finkler Question, The Remains of the Day, and Paddy. Hmmmm. Perhaps I should read a few more of these...!

LOL! Yes , I am a Northern Hemisphere insomniac! :) In a big way! But actually since I am in Vancouver BC, it's only 12:49 am ... not too bad!

Good for you, reading the Bookers - or planning to do so! Of your off my shelf, I really enjoyed The White Tiger. The rest I have not read. So far I've read a couple from this years Booker Longlist The Lighthouse by Alison Moore, which I wrote a review for and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. I suspect that the The Lighthouse will make it to the short list - but who knows?'

So many prizes! In Canada, they announce the long list for the Giller Prize in Canada on September 4th.. More lists to read from! :) I'll be going to bed shortly - I so wanted to finish up my current book - a Scandicrime The Absent One - but sleep has won over the book!

Have a great day Megan!

Me? Mad? Never. I know its irresistible to nab the #1 spot :) lol

Here are the 14 books that I picked up at a steal in the closing hour of the book sale. That makes 4 visits in the 3 days. Yes, Im keen. And I wasnt even laughed at when I admitted this to the goof folk there, they understood. I think they had seen a few of my kind over the weekend.

Eucalyptus by Murray Ball
The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Siege by Helen Dunmore (already read, but will give as a gift along with the Betrayal, once I read it too)
The Betrayal
American Notes Dickens
Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
Jake's Thing by Kingsley Amis
An Area of Darkness by VS Naipaul
East of the Mountains by David Guterson
In the Kitchen by Monica Ali
The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman (I read his great book From Beirut to Jerusalem)
The Fall of Light by Niall Williams
Book for Dangerous Boys lovely new cloth bound large format :) :) :)
The Healer by Greg Hollingshead

Grand total books: 34
Grand total spend: $69

*Happy dance #3*

What a great haul from the book sale! I've read Mayflower and thought it was excellent.

>7 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, Im about to head to bed too, even though its only 8:03pm. That way I may be able to read for 40 minutes or so. May. I dont like my chances though, busy day and all. I took Wilby to try riding a horse! He was so brave, at nearly 4 years old, riding a proper horse! My friend has the horse, and was very careful and slow with him. It was great.
But a long day after being up early to bake a Fathers Day cake :) Cranked out a cake and dishes done before 8am, now that's dedication!

>9 susanj67: oh Hi Susan! Missed you there in the posting frenzy :)(I love new threads)
Mayflower was a gamble for me, but since i am reading The Island at the Centre of the World at present, it seemed fitting. And it looks good!

Oooh, The Island at the Centre of the World looks excellent! I have added it to my library wishlist, as my current reserves are a tiny bit out of control...

I beat you by 36 books to 34 over the weekend but it cost me a damn sight more - I don't want to say how much just in case your thread falls into the wrong hands!

Watched The Graduate in the early hours and S&G's song that graces your threads is prominently placed therein.

Congrats on the latest installment.

It sounds as if you have been having some good times. I think you balance reading and life very well!
Someone with 2 little ones should be doing the wonderful things you do with the kids, and not sitting with their nose in a book. You are a good and fun mom, and who clearly knows that books wait, kids don't they grow up and away from us all too soon. Well done, Megan! ( not that you need my approval, but you sure have it anyway.. ) You are a good mom.

eta

Love the blue rose!

Very good haul, I've read several. The rose is exquisite.

34 books! Very, very nice! And you can't beat that delectable price for that kind of quality. Enjoy!

Ah, book sales! They can be so much fun!
You did great at yours... and the price was right :-)

Sometimes I go into a book sale thinking there won't be anything really good. Then I am amazed at how many great titles there are and feel heartened that so many people are reading this stuff. Reading is NOT dead!

btw, getting up early to bake a cake is definitely a work of dedication!!!

Hi Hi Hi! I'm here finally
Love the rose picture. Too cool

What an amazing picture, Megan! Love it.

How are you finding Island at the Center of the World so far?

Once again, a great haul from the book sale. I absolutely loved Mayflower. You know, once you're done with that, you'll want to also be on the look out for In the Heart of the Sea, Away Off Shore and Sea of Glory by the same author. I've got another one of his The Last Stand :Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of Little Bighorn in my TBR Tower that I'm looking forward to reading.

Handmaid's Tale is my favorite of Margaret Atwood's that I've read so far.

I read Brick Lane and liked it ... so I'll be on the look out for your review of In the Kitchen

*de-lurk wave and book haul hurrah*

>11 susanj67:/18 Susan and Caro...Im finding The Island at the Centre of the World quite....fact heavy. It is certainly very interesting, but did the author really need to put in every single thing he discovered about that place and time? I am finding myself skimming some sections. And that is working better for me :)

>12 PaulCranswick: Paul, it has been ages since Ive seen the Graduate. I should get it out one day. Pity the film night I have with my friends is an '80s one, otherwise I could slip it in then.
Would you believe that you inspired me to buy even more books on the last day of the book sale? I had seen your post admitting to so many books, and I felt much better about heading back for one last stab at it! :)

>13 mckait: Well Kath, I am very happy to take your approval. Someone I dont care about's approval can go take a hike, but yours? Thank you. People dont compliment people on parenting these days, its not seen as appropriate I think. But I like to do that, and to receive it.

>14 sibylline: Lucy, I have made a grave mistake in shelveing them too soon, I might have to get them out and look at them a little longer.

>15 msf59: Mark, at full NZ prices that lot could have cost me upwards of $1000. Im not joking.

Cee: that is so good of you to take the positive view about all the books left for sale. I see all the Dan Brown copies (a whole boxful) and think-- what a waste that so many were printed in the first place!

Chelle: hello Mrs! Nice of you to drop by, but shouldnt you be on your honeymoon now!?? Have you missed us LTers or were you to enamored with your new MR?

Caro: The Mayflower does sound a good one. And thanks for the recs....cos I need some ideas...NOT ;) I am trying to remain calm about the amount of reading I will have to do to justify all the purchases. I think I'll cope, but patience is not my strong suit (despite it being tested on an hourly basis by my two angels).

Bekka: thanks for the book haul hurrah! I'll add it to my pile of happy dances. There can never be too many of either.

Love the photo .........

Thanks Alex :) A departure from my usual NZ landscape.

*********

My happy dances have taken a small dent today as I learned of the death of my lovely midwife. The woman who helped bring my beautiful babies in to this world, who saw me through 8 hours of labour, and the first 6 weeks of each of my babies lives. I had heard she had been very sick with cancer, and that it was only going to be months left for her. Im thankful I was able to get a note to her, and some photos of the boys she was always so interested in. A good friend of mine also had Margaret helping with the delivery of her baby, so we might attend her funeral together.

I'm so sorry.

Oh no... that is very sad. I know that a lot of families will be sending good wishes as her spirit moves on..Midwifery is a very giving and healing profession in my opinion, and very undervalued in this country.

I'm so sorry to hear about your midwife. She must have touched so many lives. What a legacy she leaves.

Sorry to hear about your midwife. How sad! Gentle Hug!

Thanks Lucy, Kath, Amy and Mark.
She sure has touched some lives. She had been a midwife for over 40 years, talk about experienced! She just loved babies. She told me that she had a photo of nearly every baby she delivered, as she'd ask for one from the family. The first time she came to visit Little Lenny at home, she practically elbowed me out of the way to get to him!

So sorry to hear about your midwife, Megan. She's at peace now and she leaves behind a beautiful legacy in all the children she helped bring into the world.

Thanks Caro. There must be hundreds of babies out there (well, they wont all still be babies, but you know what I mean) that she cared for. What you wrote is lovely, and true. :)

Ah, my sympathy, too, Megan. She sounds like quite a woman.

So sorry to see your sad news. That's nice though that you were able to get some pictures to her, I'm sure she appreciated that!

I did miss my LT friend over the last few weeks. I'm happy to be able to sit down and relax with my computer again.
Nate and I are waiting until winter to take our honeymoon. We are hoping to go to Jamaica for a week (or two!) in February.

Joe: thanks, she was pretty cool. Wilbur still talks about her sometimes, but I dont think Ill tell him about her death unless he asks about her again.

Mrs Chelle: Jamaica sounds like a great plan. But what will you do between now and then now that you have no wedding planning to do? Read? LT? Recline? I hope so :)

Book 60
The Word Book by Mieko Kanai

This is a book of short stories translated from Japanese. It was written in the late 70's I think, but only published in English fairly recently.

I found the stories too flowery and verbose. They weren't exactly rooted in reality and the dreamlike quality of them disconcerted me. A lot of soul searching and painstaking notation of feelings made me want to slap the book down and tell the author to buck up their ideas and pull themselves together! Harsh I know.

I had misplaced this book, which was due today, but luckily found it in time to take it straight back and therefore avoid having to buy the darned thing. 1.5 stars

Ah, Megan, I'm sorry to hear about the death of your midwife. She clearly did touch many lives and it sounds like she lived richly (in the down-to-earth, enjoy-life-and-make-a-diference sense of the word).

Your recent books haul(s) from the sale were pretty awesome. You picked up several books that have been on my tbr list and/or wl for a while now. Matterhorn stands out simply because so many LTers have been saying "just read it."

I hope you are able to make space and time to grieve, Megan. xo

Also sorry to hear about your midwife.
Ouch for the Japanese short stories. I recently had to pay for a lost library book that I was convinced I'd returned. Found it last week under the drivers seat in my car and was able to apply for a refund. It was Geoff Dyer's book about photography, The Ongoing Moment and I was cleaning out my car to take photographer Nic Bishop and his wife across the city after the children's book festival. Thank heavens for photographers is all I can say.

Great book haul at the Bookarama, I missed this year's Variety book fair here in Auckland as the prices have been creeping up and it just didn't seem worth it. I might go to a 24hr one in November.

Ellen: hello and thanks for the kind words.
I was surprised to see that Matterhorn was about the Vietnam War. For some reason I had it pegged as more of a girly book. But given that I read Chickenhawk as a teen, I reckon I can handle it. :)

Kerry: I have yet to lose and have to pay for a library book, and I dont plan on starting any time soon. I will get to the library (hopefully today) and try The Ongoing Moment as it looks very interesting.
How much were the books at your Variety Book Fair? The Bookarama ones (a Rotary fundraiser) were $3 per fiction, and various prices for other. $3 I can handle, $4 I probably wouldnt cope too well with.

I am so, so jealous of your book haul, Megan! Kudos to you!

I have reduced Stasia to a state of sinful jealousy! To think that my little old book haul has the power to corrupt...
*gathers books around self to mutter my precious in a manner befitting a Lord of the Rings character*

#365: I think the prices were around $5 for recent fiction and $3 for general paperbacks but the selection was quite poor last year. There used to be a bargain $1 area with really old Penguins that had proved lucrative in the past but was not worth the effort of looking through. Kiwiflowa might have gone to it but I don't see her posting here anymore.

I didn't read The Ongoing Moment but would have liked to, I got it out from the library after seeing Dyer at the Auckland Writers' Festival in May. I got a copy of his jazz book, But beautiful signed, still haven't read anything by him...

I am just stopping in to say hello and keep up with you. I hope the rest of the week and happy and fun for all in your house. I can't imagine that it is easy to be sad with those two around :)

>39 avatiakh: the used book market goes up like everything else (bar wages) I guess. For $5 I'd only be buying one or three books. And they'd have to be must haves. And in excellent condition.
Have you ever bought off Trade Me? You get the odd bargain, but the postage ruins it. I only ever buy local now, which means a special mystery trip across town...although....once I bought 2 books for $1 and the seller happened to be on my street! That was cool.

>40 mckait: Hi Kath, we're all good thanks. Well, apart from Wilbur having a vomit this morning at 5.30 (he's up on the couch now watching a DVD quietly). Fingers crossed its an isolated incident. We dont want a repeat of the last round we had.
He was very good and got up to do the spew on the only 1 metre patch of floorboards nearby, instead of on the carpet. Small blessings huh? :)

Hello Megan! Yay to the new thread and extra yay for 34 books! That is one giant haul and worthy of a happy dance. :)

Sorry to hear about your midwife. She must have been a special lady to have seen you through 2 labours.

$1000 Kiwi = $800 US for 34 books...$23.50 each...yeah, sounds right.

So sad for your lost link to the boys' births. It makes one feel unmoored, doesn't it?

Valerie: yup, good haul indeed. Didnt stop me from going to the library yesterday and getting 3 more though. wtf? Am I insane?


RD: thanks RD. She was getting on in years, but still, that hardly makes it fair. And- I thought books were cheap in the US!?

Hey Megan- "wtf? Am I insane?" No, you're just another nutty LTer. I think we are all in this literary boat, bobbing on a sea of unread books.

Hi Mark, at least I am nearly finished the short Chabon one, and am over half way through The Island at the Centre of the World as well, so its looking possible (rather than probable) that I could get through them all and have them returned in time. *fingers crossed*

I have several Chabon books to get to and own 2 or 3. His new one also looks promising.

I am drawn to him even if I do feel like in The Final Solution his style tries a little too hard. I am enjoying it though, not like Yiddish Policemen's Union- I disliked that.

Books are cheap here...if you buy at Amazon, or only buy bestsellers. Jacket price on a hardcover novel is $25-27, non-fiction $30-ish; trade paperbacks start around $15, and the dinky ones are $8 and up. Amazon and the big-box stores take 30% and often more off of that price.

I figure a new book, on broadest average, costs around $20 with shipping/tax/discounts etc all factored in.

I don't acquire too many new books on my income, but the used book market still has a robustness that keeps me happy. Who knows for how much longer? It still requires new book buyers, after all, to keep the pyramid going.

I limit my library books to one shelf in my house. Plus the fact that I can renew books only 4 times and I HATE returning books that I haven't been able to read, even AFTER renewing them 4 times! So far the system has been serving me well. :)

I buy only used books too because I can afford them and because, once you have one, you have it always barring an act of God. So good for you for your wonderful library sale purchases! Unlike the library books, those on your shelves will wait. (Of course, you may become nuts like me and buy more than you'll live to read; that's a little sad but not all that awful considering....)
I'm sorry about the sickness and death of your midwife too.
Hope Wilbur is 100% O.K. now!

RD: I reckon there will always be those who just cannot wait for new books and will buy them at release (of close to). And its because of those impetuous lot that the patient spend thrifts like myself can prosper, in the end :)

Valerie: You can renew books 4 times? wow, we cant at all. I was none too happy about that upon my first discovery of it, but now I agree that it can compel people to hang on to them indefinitely. I just wish I could count on a 4 day renewal or something, so often I am just about there, and need the time without the fine!

Peggy: hello! I love the thrill of the chase when looking for used books too, I mean, anyone can just go and buy what they want, (provided they have a visa card) but it takes skill to search and find a bargain!
Wilbur is feeling better now, but is still a little off. Not that you'd know it, he stormed through the house before and tore back through in his togs and swimming goggles. The neighbours roof is being water-blasted and there was a fine misty spray coming over the fence. Just the thing on a lovely warm day, and obviously cause for swimming attire. The guy laughed at Wilbur's dancing about in the "rain". Funny!

Yup. You are allowed to have books checked out for 3 weeks and can renew them up to 4 times if there are no active holds on the books. If I can renew a book 4 times without anyone placing any holds on them, I figure no one is dying to read them in the first place. :)

Valerie: It is different here, as not as many people place holds on books they actually want, as it costs to do that too. A good money making venture, but then the books get shunted about all over the cities 14 libraries, so I forgive them (even if I very rarely pay to hold a book). There has been a few times that I have returned a book, then gone back the next day for it.

Book 61
The Final Solution by Michael Chabon

In my quest to read more than one of his books, I chose this nifty little one at the library as it looked easy to knock off, as they say. It is only 140 pages or so.

To me, the writing feels forced? cleverly and painstakingly written? dare I say it, overwritten? There are phrases that I loved and seemed to encapsulate a feeling that resonated with me, and there were sentences that felt verbose, wordy and show-offy.

But, I still enjoyed going with the flow, if only to see what fancy words would show up next. 3 stars

Hi Megan! What a haul from your book sale! Great job! So sorry to hear about the passing of your midwife. The people that deliver our babies safely into the world are never forgotten by mom's, at least not as far I can know. Hugs to you.

As far as holds on books, what they've done here is they don't charge for a hold unless you don't pick it up within a 5 days -and then they charge a dollar . I think that is reasonable. I won't get into one of the fees I had to pay when I thought I'd lost two DVD's from the library. Let's just say it was over gasp - $100.00. And my husband found them about 2 years later in a bag.......But the fee each day for an overdue DVD is something like $3.00 a day, so I wasn't going to wait to long to just pay up.

I've never read anything by Michael Chabon. Have you enjoyed any of his other books?

I loved Yiddish Policemen's. I know opinion is mixed. I also loved Amazing Kavilier.

>54 LovingLit: You might like another Chabon that I enjoyed - Gentlemen of the Road. It's a short one, too. I like Chabon a lot but his prose is easiest for me to handle in small doses.

I'm one of those people that runs out and buys new books soon after their release. I can't help it ;)
Although Chapters often has new books on sale for 30% off so if I waited then I'd actually end up spending more money .... That's my reasoning ;)

Michael Chabon's latest book, Telegraph Avenue, has received rare rave reviews in the US and UK this week:

Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/05/telegraph-avenue-michael-chabon-revi...

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/books/telegraph-avenue-by-michael-chabon.html?...

I'll definitely read this in the fall.

Rare reviews? Should they be cooked a little more?

>60 msf59: LOL! I shall change my message accordingly. Thank you, sir!

LOL! I figured that! I'm glad to hear the positive reviews, somewhere I was reading that they have been mixed.

>55 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb- I have read The Yiddish Policemens Union and didnt like/get it. But I have had a few others of his on my radar, including Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.

Your holds system sounds pretty good Deb, it is so interesting to see how its done differently everywhere. It is these kinds of things that contribute to culture shock you know!

>56 msf59: I need a place to start from (other than the first page, lol)....I mean, I had no firm ground to stand on with the Yiddish Policemens Union. I hadnt realised it was an alternative history book, so just didnt get the time or place of it.

>57 norabelle414: you know, I got that one out from the library a while ago, read the first page, and never went any further. I would like to read it, but at that time id didnt grab me. One day....one day :)

>58 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle, you are one of those that keeps the second hand book industry thriving! (that is, if you pass it on once you've finished!). Back when you were part of a 'dinky' (double income no kids) it would have been no problems, lets hope now that you are a sinky....or maybe soon a family....(am I the first to ask about you and Nate having kids??!!)....you can still afford brand new shiny straight from the binders books :)

>59 kidzdoc: what comprehensive reviews. It seems I have some work to do on mine before I am asked to review for the NY Times....lol.
Thanks for those Darryl, it looks an interesting book from both reviews.
I take my reviews well done, so thats lucky!

>60 msf59:-62 see last comment :)

So I took a little Pocket Penguin book called Summer by Albert Camus to read before the funeral of my lovely midwife, Margaret, today. In truth I had taken it to read during the religious segments of the Catholic Mass that was a large part of it. But ultimately it felt too disrespectful to do that, so I just read at the start, while people were coming and going. It was a good thing too, as, being me, I started crying before I even walked into the church! It was the photograph on the front of the funeral programme that did it. :'( Seeing her happy healthy smiling face was a little too much for me to take. But the book went some way in distracting me away from crying.

It was a lovely service, and people said lovely things, and there was laughter as well as the tears. There were quite a few babies there, which Im sure she would have loved.

I came home to my beautiful boys, playing in the sun, with delightful smiles on their faces, and all is good in the world again.

Will have to come back to catch up some other time Megan, but for now just wanted to wish you a VERY belated Happy New Thread! :-)

I must say that the funeral seems to have done for you exactly what funerals should do. I'm glad that all is good in the world again!

>65 Smiler69: Thanks Ilana

>66 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, I think mainly it provided space and time in an otherwise hectic life to have a cry and remember a special lady. Which is perhaps one of the intentions of a funeral!?

I forgot to mention on my review of The Final Solution, that there were 5 or 6 illustrations with quotes from the text throughout the book. I liked them, here is one:


Spring time swinging. I found this cool swing at the op shop for $4 (yes!), Little Lenny loves it, and I love being outside in the warmer weather. We havent needed the fire on in days, or the heaters in the kids rooms, as it is only going down to about 10 deg C at night. Horrah!

Nice ..... forget how different the climate is down there despite it being the same country ( despite those that may disagree!)

I like my reviews "medium well". Can't get enough pics of Lenny! Such a happy little guy, although I'm sure you see the dark side as well.
BTW -You misread my comment on Emily Blunt. She IS a BABE!

Megan, I thought I'd answer your question . The Lighthouse by Alison Moore is Long Listed for this years Man Booker Prize. I think it should at least make the short list, if not actually win the Booker - just my opinion. Carsten has interested me in The Stranger byCamus too. It's a dark read but really interesting, - The Lighthouse, that is . Have not read The Stranger.

Oh, hugs about the funeral. All in all, it sounds like you felt some healing from the funeral. Take care.

Alex: you should see my brothers place near Queenstown, they get down to -10 degC overnight a lot! Talk about cold!

Mark: I had to go straight back to your posts and see what went wrong, its turns out my reading went wrong. My eyes thought you were saying Emily Blunt wasn't a cutie and I went in to overdrive trying to prove you wrong! haha, sorry about that :)

Lenny is a happy little fella, his dark side includes running up to Wilbur (who is happily watching a DVD, or playing quietly) and whacking him and then running away. Its naughty! But funny.

Deb: thanks for clearing that up, I knew Id heard stuff about it but couldnt think what the deal was. I love the Bookers, and am collecting the winners. Not that Ive read that many, but hey, there's time enough for that!

#38: *gathers books around self to mutter my precious in a manner befitting a Lord of the Rings character*

You mean we don't all do that already?! I thought that was normal behavior for 75ers!:)

Ooh, I'd love to have 10 C temperatures at night! It's been mainly 20-22 C at night here, and the heat index this afternoon in Atlanta was 40 C.

Stasia: oh yea, that isn't crazy talk at all for around these parts! THat kind of obsession is 100% normal!

Darryl: it is very pleasant after such cold nights we've had, and Im not sold on too hot either, unless you can sleep in the buff without fear of earthquake or rushing around the house to the kids.

Spring already and to think that I was there at the beginning of Autumn and it seems an age away at times and just like yesterday at others. Lenny looks happy in his swing - I want one.

Wait a minute. You're not allowed to renew books, not even once?? That's crazy.

I'm glad the service for Margaret felt like a good one. So important, the opportunity to say good bye, to honor and remember.....

Paul: Im pretty sure the rope would struggle with even Wilbur...so, sorry, but I don't like your chances! ;) Lenny is a happy boy, and so funny. He says all sorts of gobbledegook.....guck for any truck he sees/hears/thinks he hears, duck, mama, dada, booba (wilbur), up, uh-oh...and a few more.
But the funniest "word" is for water. He puts his tongue through his teeth and makes a a bubbly noise (which is the "wa" part) and then says "ah" for the second half of the word. Of course we can translate it easy now, but it is so funny.

Ellen: I was perplexed by the religiosity of the service, but glad she could find comfort in it in her last months. To me the zombie chanting and purple dresses just look crazy! (no offence intended to anyone, but really, for the uninitiated it does come over odd)

And no, no renewals at all. There is the odd po-faced librarian who makes sure you know WHY this is the case, but in general Im ok with it. It does make you concentrate on what you have got out, and not to overload.

*posting now before my words get gobbled up on an unfamiliar computer*

Phew, it posted :)

I am out at my sisters place looking after her lot (+ my eldest) and it feels a bit like a holiday. Even though little Lenny is a dream, he still must be stopped (or at least slowed) in his quest to climb e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g in sight to its highest possible peak. A few too many times, I have arrived in the room to see him proudly atop the kitchen table, precariously placed upon the (low-ISH) bookcase in his big bros room.

So here with a 3 year old and a 5 year old, big bro has good company to go explore and have largely adult-free fun. So know they are all in bed, and I have a solo evening ahead to get into The Ongoing Moment and/or The Island at the Centre of the WOrld. Not bad if you ask me!

LOL - just saw the pic of Lenny and Cass thought it was Will - when I told her it was Lenny I thne had to go onto google maps and show her where New Zealand was to explain that she couldn't see him because he lived a very long way away :)

oh that is sweet! Wilbur has trouble with the concept of places too. I love it that you showed her though, that is great! A learning experience. Wilb turns 4 soon, he thinks every plane we see is going to Auckland as his dad went there twice in the last while. He can conceive of a plane going to Australia also, but is just as likely to think we should fly to visit someone in the same city as us?!?! He'll get there.
Thanks for showing her my place :) If you do visit NZ, maybe we will meet!?

Would be lovely - and I've always wanted to go to NZ. But I have a feeling it will be a very long while in the future if ever - we can barely afford to get over the UK at the moment :/ Ah well - you never know what the future may bring I guess!

#63 haha no you are not the first to ask when we are having kids, but thankfully we got through the wedding before anyone asked! His aunt asked me the day after though and oddly enough some of Nate's young male friends have asked.
We made a decision that we will probably wait until next summer or fall before we start trying. I don't have any income right now and my sister gets married next November and I don't want to be preggo for her wedding. (Or at least obviously preggo...)
First I must find some source of income .... wish me luck!

dropping a Happy Sunday *smooch*

Megan - love the image of the interpid Lenny ascending all obstacles in his path. Guess that is how Sir Edmund started too.
Went to sleep early yesterday as my horrendous week finally caught up with me but now at before 7 a.m. I am buzzing. Have a great remainder of your Sunday.
Bekka Jo - If you can make it to NZ do it. I always wanted to go to NZ ever since someone from the NZ tourism board visited my school when I was 11. I took the tribe there earlier this year and it more than met my expectations.

>82 BekkaJo: NZ is quite far from ....almost everywhere....:) I have grand plans to visit North America before I retire, so that means some time in the next 30 years, I think I can make that hapen if I try hard enough.

>83 ChelleBearss: source of income: cakes? Youre not going to go back to emergency dispatching? Your credentials must be pretty good, Id say not everyone could handle the pressure of that role.

>84 richardderus: thanks RD, much obliged

>85 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I was woken by a chirpy little 5 year old girl singing her approximation of my name at 550am. She needed to tell me that she got nail polish for her birthday. *sigh* (and LOL) But as I am used to 5 hours or less sleep, I am a box of caffeine fueled birds today :)

*waving* at Megan

Hi Stasia!

I am just off to see JAWS on the big screen. Yippee! Very happy to have spotted the Pop Culture special screening. I love this film.
Night night everyone- well, its getting on night time here anyway :))

Finally caught up on your thread, Megan. It's great to read of your midwife's joyous send off.
It looks like she lived a very rewarding life.
Excellent book haul so close to the end of the sale. Some books just know how to hide and wait for that one special person to pick them up.
Lastly, enjoy your spring. Lenny looks ecstatic to be out in the sunshine.

Yiddish Policman is the only Chabon we (spousal unit and I) haven't liked at all.

Hope you had a great time with Jaws! It's such a classic film, with such a winning cast! You can't beat it.

Way way behind... sorry Megan.. but I did catch the pic of Little Lenny :) adorable as always.

>89 Carmenere: hiya O-H-I-O :)
Glad you re-found me. At the heap end of the book sale there are lots that jump up at you screaming *buy me- Im so cheap!* It was all I could do to resist

>90 sibylline: Lucy, Im glad to hear that (sorry), it seems to be a favourite amongst a lot of us here. I didnt want to be the only nonplussed one ;)

>91 msf59: Oh I SO SO did Mark.
Although, I woke up in a cold sweat sometime before 4am from a sugar hangover and the dry horrors from the popcorn. Its only the second bucket I have bought at the movies this millennium, and oh boy was it salty! The lemonade washed it down well thought. Oh, and the movie was fan-TAS-tic. I loved it.

>92 mckait: HI kath, thanks for the fly by hi :)

Caught up! You are one happening place, Ms. Megan. The book sale haul sounds faboo. We have such duds at our little library in the village. Gobs of Harlequins. My grandma did midwifery in Scotland when she was young, so reading of your fondness for your midwife made my heart soften. I shall try to stay caught up but garden clean-up season looms, so I may have to stick with these swing by catch ups.

Caught up Megan. Love the picture of Lenny and stories about your little ones:)

Glad you had fun watching Jaws on the big screen, Megan. That's quite a movie. And Lenny does indeed look like a happy guy in that swing!

duh dum, duh dum, duh dum, duhdum duhdum, duhdumduhdumduhdum...

*flees Jaws talk sobbing in terror*

Tui: hello! It can be tricky to find good books in little libraries - I bet its is frustrating for you. Even in large ones there is a lot to sort through to get to the good ones.
I could never be a midwife, I am no good in a crisis and I cannot cope in emotionally charged situations, that pretty much rules me out on both counts! It takes a special person who can do it well.

Calm: thanks for visiting, the latest Lenny story involves vomiting from 8-1030pm last night. So not that great as stories go ;) But all part of babyhood. Poor little fella, although he seems pretty happy now again.

Joe: Here is a link to my friends film blog about the screening. He's a journalist for our city's paper so its not just any old hack blog ;) We went with him, even if I dont get a mention.
You seriously get to see a lot more on the big screen! Talk about in your face!

Darryl: I loved when that music first played, it is such an iconic sound now isnt it! And scary? yeeeees

RD: Scaredy cat ;)
Funny, as I am a total scaredy cat.....but for some reason Jaws is OK. And lets face it, a cat would be no trouble for a rogue Great White....just sayin'. But RD, Im sure its still safe to go in the shower, just maybe not the bath.

*waving* at Megan

Book 62
The Island at the Centre of the World by Russell Shorto

This book is the history of the Dutch occupation and settlement of the island of Manhattan in the 1600s. It contains every fact that there is about the Dutch settlement of Manhattan. It contains every person who ever had anything ever written down about them or their involvement in the Dutch settlement of Manhattan.

All this aside, it does actually contain some really interesting little bits of information, and several large bits too. For example: here we know and use the term Dutch courage, but what is a Dutch treat, a Dutch bargain, double Dutch (skipping?) and Dutch comfort? All derogatory terms, Shorto informs us. No wonder, seeing as the British seemed to have hated them and their liberal, secular and inclusive ways.

This would have been a better read (for me) if only half the people mentioned were left out, and the people remaining were talked of in more depth. I did like the authors casual conversational style, even if it clashed with the dry political information being delivered. Perhaps it was intended to compliment it, who knows. Either way, a good but dense history. AND I learned a new insult - I cant wait to trot out "you perfidious rogue!" at my earliest convenience. 3 stars.

>100 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, you are not a perfidious rogue, so are welcome any time :)

In other news, I have finally become high-brow. I now share exactly one book with the International Space Station's legacy library. Hooray! If its good enough for the astronauts, it's good enough for me. A Tale of Two Cities is apparently floating around up there in low-earth orbit, as well as sitting on my bed side table (with spare copy in bookshelves). lol

Stopping by to say hi! You cannot re- new your books from the library! Oh that is harsh! Here I can renew my library books twice - unless someone has a hold on the book, in which case I cannot re- new the book. Also, books designated "Rapid Reads" - you can only take them out for 5 days - must be taken back and not renewed. Normally they charge you 25 cents per day, per overdue books, but if you leave a "Rapid Read" or a book with a hold placed on it ( and they tell you when try to renew ) they they charge you a $1.00 per day for those books. Interesting ways that our libraries operate.

Best of luck with A Tale of Two Cities - it is chunkster!

>103 vancouverdeb: Best of luck with A Tale of Two Cities - it is chunkster!Sounds ominous. Deb! but thank you Deb - I think? :)
Rapid reads huh, quite a categorisation. I wouldnt be eligible as could barely read a book in that time these days.

LOL at summary of book #62

>100 alcottacre: Good film blog by your pal, Megan. If it wasn't such a long flight, I'd go to that cinema on Sunday nights, too. One of the benefits of being an old guy is I did get to see most of those in the theater. But I sure wouldn't mind doing it again.

The Tale of Two Cities as a chunkster - I just recommended it to my daughter as one of Dickens shorter ones! I guess it's all relative.

I'm with Kath...LOL on the Shorto synopsis.

>105 mckait: laughing? at my high-brow review? Didnt you read post #102, I am up there with the astronauts now...:)

>106 jnwelch: Thanks Joe, Ill tell him that I am responsible for the surge in international visitors to his blog :) I might get some kick-backs, haha.
My version of A Tale of Two Cities is a mini one (with golden-edged pages and cloth-bound), so it doesn't feel very chunkstery....although the writing is teensy :| I read it while "watching" the kids in the bath each night as the bathroom has strong lighting!

>107 richardderus: hi RD, see Kaths post :)
After I read some online reviews from the NYTimes.....and realised what a book review can look like, I abandoned all hope of writing a comprehensive one, and just went for light hearted. Plus, who has time to be comprehensive these days?

This week 11 years ago I was living in Perth. I worked 54 hours between my 2 jobs (one at an outdoor clothing/equipment shop and at a rest home). I walked 20kms and biked 60 and went to the pub 3 nights out of the 7.
Sheesh, and I thought I was busy now!

Just trying to catch up with you Megan now that I have a few moments to catch my breath. Sigh, a sick family makes for a tired wife and mommy. This too shall past I keep repeating to myself all day long. :)

I skimmed some comments on sharks earlier on your thread and was reminded of some friends who went diving with whale sharks earlier this year. Some of them were the size of the a bus!! Good thing they don't actually have any teeth and only eat plankton, but I don't think I'd have the guts to jump in with them. What they swallow me whole by accident??

#102: I could be a perfidious rogue! If I tried really hard, I am sure I could! :)

I also loved your review of The Island of the Centre of the World!

I predict that Richard will be the first person to be called a perfidious rogue by Megan. Or Paul. But not me, though.

I just spent 4 hours with Wilbur in hospital, he was scheduled to get his adenoids taken out, and the third set of tubes in his ears. He was a brave boy and couldnt wait to "have the breathing mask on".....likening it to the mask that his cartoon hero, Fireman Sam, wears. :) The strawberry smelling breathing mask is what delivers the anesthetic, and I had prepped him on this so well that he was actually looking forward to it (all good!).

I had anticipated a long waiting time by myself so took A Tale of Two Cities and ended up reading....wait for it....5 pages. *sigh* lol, never mind, I had a good long time cuddling a snoozy Wilbur which was lovely. And although he cried a lot after waking up, he soon perked up and proclaimed to the others in the recovery lounge that "sometimes after you have been asleep you can feel sick".

So- he will hear much better now (he was operating at only 60-70% before) and hopefully not be as loud as he was. Plus, no more ear infections for the next while anyway.

>110 jolerie: swimming with sharks isnt my idea of a great time either...dolphins yes, but not sharks :) Lenny seems back to 100% again now, but has got into the habit of waking at night where he never used to. Could be teeth? new habits? or just the crazy ride that is life ;)

>111 alcottacre: as insults go, its quite charming really. Im not sure Id mind being accused of perfidious roguery ;)

>112 kidzdoc: glad you liked the review Darryl. It was fun to write.
I dont think you give me too much trouble around here. Paul can expect some accusations if he starts comparing the beautiful angelic Lenny to a certain angry chef again. He assures me it was said with 100% humour, but any chance to use my phrase will be taken!

Oh, I'm so glad everything went smoothly for Wilbur's procedure. Good job mom for prepping him and getting him all ready for it. I think when kid's are emotionally and mentally prepared for new things, they do so much better! I know right? You can never figure out kids. Just when you think you have your "schedule" all worked out, BAM, they change it up on you. Flexibility is a mom's greatest tool! :)

Poor you having to go through all that with him - but fingers crossed it will be better and you wont have to go back for a while. Fingers crossed Lenny settles down for you too.

Valerie: I think when kid's are emotionally and mentally prepared for new things, they do so much better
Oh yes. Yes yes yes. Even such small things as outlining the kind of behaviour I want to see on a walk around the block seems to bring great results. Its just remembering to do that. That is the hard part.

Bekka: he was fine really, but I did have a stress moment when I heard him wake up crying in recovery, and no one had come to get me yet! Dont stand between a mama and her baby! I was about to start knocking on the door with my fists. (not really, but you know what I mean).
Apparently all little kids cry when coming out of the anesthetic, and they aren't necessarily conscious at that point either. It's just a small childs first port of call in a highly unusual/uncomfortable situation.

Bless him! To be fair to him though I cried last time I came round from anesthetic too. Horrid stuff.

Hi Megan- Wilbur sounds like quite the little trooper! Such a good boy. Hope everything goes well with him.

Poor Wilbur... poor you. I was very lucky.. my kids had an occasional ear infection, but it was rare. Thank goodness, as with all four of them it would have been crazy. I don't think they did the tube thing in those days anyway? Glad it's over. Hope he feels good again, very soon.

I'm so glad that Wilbur has had his surgery and it's behind both of you. It's always so scary for mom when their little one needs surgery/ hospitalization. sometimes after you have been asleep you can feel sick"

What cute and brave observation on the part of Wilbur. What a trooper!

Poor Wilbur! I'm glad that he came through his adenoidectomy and BMT with flying colors. Were his tonsils removed?

*relieved sigh* for Wilby's goodness and probable hearing improvement!

Now you simply need to prevent further nightmarish health issues by de-Dickensing the environment. That way you won't attract evil spirits and vile energies from the Cosmos.

Bekka: I only vomited, which made me want to cry!

Mark: he was very good at the waiting part too, which could be said to be the hardest bit for a nearly 4 year old.

Kath: I am a bit ashamed actually, as I didnt know he had an ear infection for so long (this time). I only took him to the Dr on a hunch and they said it was probable he's had an infection for weeks and weeks. I felt really bad.

Deb: he does come up with some lovely truisms. All in earnest of course.

Darryl: no tonsils out, the adenoids were not a known issue, but were looked at while he was under, and taken out then.

RD: the hearing improvement is already noticeable. Lenny is being admonished for his loud cries all of a sudden :)
Dickens. Yes. OK.:)

What kind of symptoms are do you usually see with ear infections?

I always think Caleb has one, but that's probably more mommy paranoia than the real thing and it was mainly when he was first born when I was a newb, and was addicted to internet diagnosing!

Hi Valerie: the loudness and general rattiness should have been enough to remind me to have a DRs check up, as this is what has indicated an infection before. But he was so loud and ratty most of the time it had become commonplace :(
Poor little laddy.

Yay! It's the weekend!

Yay! It so is :)
Not so yay husband person still feeling washed out with a lurgie, and my tummy is rumbling in an ominous way. Can there really be this many bugs going through the family? I feel a week long yoga retreat coming on (I wish).

Sorry to hear you guys are under the weather and going into the weekend too! Bummer. Well, I hope it's fleeting! Fingers crossed.

Best of Malaysian good wishes to Little Lenny his overworked mum and dad and especially to his big brave bro with or without the tubes. X

Book 63
The Ongoing Moment by Geoff Dyer (NF)
Books mentioned: The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Lady Chatterley's Lover by DH Lawrence, White Noise by Don DeLillo

This is an intriguing book as it is hard to figure out from the cover (or the back) what it is actually about. What it is about is photography. Photography and photographers of the 20thC. Most of the photos discussed are peppered throughout the text, as well as there being a set of coloured plates tucked in the centre.

Dyer is having a lengthy and light-hearted conversation with us about photographers and their lives. He finds themes in major works and groups his discussions around these similar works. We have for example: benches, doors, fences. I have a rather low tolerance for the kinds of extrapolations that hoity toity arty types make when talking about art, and I have to say the same applied here. I just dont buy all the symbolism that is attached to an open door, or a broken fence. Sometimes it is just an open door, and sometimes it is just a broken fence.

But, I forgive him for all that as it is generally accepted that art is talked of in this way, and he also makes observations and comparisons that are interesting and new. His discussion is accessible and chatty, and funny in parts as well. One of my favourite images from the book is Brooklyn By William Gedney, 1969



Dyer drops in quotes, issues of the day, personal anecdotes and gossip as well. He mentions Faulkner, Gore Vidal, Thomas Gardy, Kerouac, Paul Theroux, Virginia Woolf, John Updike, EM Forster, Albert Camus, William Blake, Susan Sontag and James Joyce amongst others. I loved reading this book, so thanks Kerry for pointing me towards it. 4 stars.

No fear, Megan.... Tale of Two Cities is a lovely book... (raising shield to protect self and book from Richard's splutter). I think you'll enjoy it.

Great review of Island at the Center of the World and I would agree with you that some of the characters could probably not have been mentioned and it wouldn't have damaged the enjoyment of the book at all.

So glad that brave Wilbur got through surgery and is now hearing much better.

I hope you guys aren't suffering from anything more than a light 24 hour bug. Drink lots of fluids and rest!

>128 msf59: I can happily report it was fleeting, husband person eating again and able to function as a parent again too :) And looks like my tummy rumble and....lets just say single episode...amounted to nothing much. Phew.

>129 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. 820 pm now, have updated nearly all my LT tags (haphazardly), and am feeling positive about a nights sleep. Or rest anyway.

>131 cameling: Thanks Caro, you are right of course about fluids and rest. The rest part I have given up hope of, but fluids- I can do better :)
My copy of AToTC is a teenyt tiny one, it is so cute, and the printing is not so small that I go batty, I am looking forward to heading off now to read it. And good news...I am actually understanding the content so far! I'm only 50 pages in so I wont blow my own trumpet too much yet ;)
So you are enroute at present Caro? In a departure lounge again? Maybe a hotel room? Your life seems so exotic to me right now.

I'm meltingly limpid in Singapore right now, Megan. Having just gone shopping with my mum, I'm now grabbing a little rest while I try and shore up energy to head out to meet one of my best friends for drinks and dinner. It's so hot and humid here ... I'm whimpering and desperately looking forward to the cooler Boston weather on Monday.

I'm pleased you liked the Dyer book, I've got it back on my tbr list.

OH good! Your family is healthy and ready to roar again! Have a wonderful weekend!

Glad everyone is on the mend in your household!! Enjoy your night reading and sleep well.

What's next month going to be? "October, shall I stay sober"?

Caro: Simpering Singapore! It can get uncomfortable being a sweaty mess when you've got places to be and things to do, I hope the air conditioning helps and you are seen safely to Boston on Monday

Kerry: dont lose it this time! Or if you do, find it again and keep it as it is a nice book. I wouldn't mind owning it actually.....

Kath: all set for the kids' littlest cousins christening this morning. Really had to scrounge around for some decent clothes for the kids as they are mainly rough and tumble kids :)

Kim: phew to the lucky scrape for me, I thought I was in for another round of what I got last time (not sure if I divulged my last bout of diarrhea- me crying on the floor while the kids ran riot just before calling husband person home from work....it was pretty unpleasant.)

RD: funny you should say that! Actually, October will be the first month in the last 23 that I will be able to let loose and sink a whole bottle of wine, if I so choose. Little Lenny has decided that my milk isn't good enough now, and wants cows milk instead. I'm not offended ;) But it is the end of a lovely era *sniff sniff* My little baby is growing up!

Woohoo
Best nights sleep I've had in 9 days straight.
Up at 550 am but not once in the night.
The first thing Lenny says in the morning now is MOOK/GOOK (to rhyme with book) to mean MILK :) No longer is Dada the first thing he is thinking about. Apparently the cows milk is a big hit!

MOOK/GOOK! MOOK/GOOK! Go Lenny! But I want beer not milk! Glad you had a good night sleep. Yah!

I'm told my very first words that everyone could understand were, "Mama want more peeez," when my mother gave me a small helping of french fries at the A&W drive-in.

Hi Mark: Id be a bit worried if BEER was amongst Lenny's first words! Although...Wilbur did come out with it fairly young and scare the pre school teachers a bit :)

RD: speaking in full sentences huh? And are you sure they weren't chilli cheese fries? hehe. After my 8 month bout of morning sickness, and my dark habit of driving through McDonalds drive through for a cheeseburger and chips, Wilbur could be seen talking into vending machines asking for sausages. Not my proudest parenting moment. (in my defense it was the first time I had been to McDs in 13 years, and I havent been back since)

No, I wouldn't want Lenny to utter the word "beer" quite yet. Let's let the little fella get a few years under his belt. No hurries.

Mark- Im not sure what Lennys first word was, mama, or dada I bet. He also says up, nah-nah, c(r)acker, mook (milk), boo bah (wilbur), car, guck (truck), hot, uh-oh and a LOT of baby babble. He is quite the chatster. It is going to be a loud place around here with two chatty boys.

Saw a storm coming and raced outside to take a photo of the foreboding dark sky with the nicely lit tree tops. I need a better camera. It looked so cool. Second thoughts were to collect trikes, cardboard binoculars, shoes, screwdrivers, hammers and other collected detritus that is a nearly 4 year-olds bliss. Got it all just in time and now it's pouring! I love wild weather.

Enjoying a Speights Distinction Ale this evening with the kids' tea. Not a bad drop, and nice to know that if I feel the need I can indulge in more than one now that Lenny no longer requires my milk :)

Mmmm I remember that stuff which I sneakily imbibed during my trip this year. Enjoy the rest of your evening even if you can't remember so much about it tomorrow morning.

haha, Im not about to get rolling drunk Paul! But it is nice to know that I can :) Very nice indeed.
The thought of a hangover and a 13 hour day with 2 littlies is too hard to bare. So at 5% alcohol %I'd better be careful.

>147 LovingLit: A drop or two of the ale in the kids' tea might make a 13 hour day with them a bit more tolerable, if not humorous.

The preceding message has been explicitly banned by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has rescinded the fellowship of its author.

#130: I was really hoping my local library might have that one. Too bad it does not.

I was drinking wine mixed with water from an very early age. Also sherry! My grandmother used to suggest whisky or brandy rubbed on babies gums when they were teething.

I turned out alright :P

(what do you mean I'm slightly mad and my family occasionally sits around all wearing knickers on our heads - yes it's true, but they are always clean)

Ooh, Distinction Ale sounds tasty! I like the label too. Very proper!

Mark - I can vouch for it myself mate, it is good.
Love Jenny's lubricated parenting tips (sans knickers as tiara surely?) - very wise if you ask me as are our erstwhile paediatrician's own advocacy of infant inebriation for parental peace of mind!

Congrats on being able now to indulge a bit with the beer, Megan. I know what you mean about hangovers - I'm going to a high school reunion at the end of the week which of course will feature some drinking, and I'm already thinking about how to pace myself to minimize the day after pains.

Our daughter's first word was "cat", and she even pointed to ours at the time, and her younger brother's first word was . . . her name, Becca. We figured they both were interested in living things closer to their size. Although both said "dada" earlier on, my speech pathologist wife let me know that's called "something-or-other nonspecific", meaning they were just making noises, and it didn't count. Darn it.

>148 kidzdoc: *mock shock horror*
Darryl! I should hope the AAP has banned statements like that.
Anyway, I wouldnt dream of wasting good alcohol on children :)

>149 alcottacre: that's a shame Stasia, but just so you know, it'd be a good one to own, so look out for a cheap copy at sales.

>150 lunacat: Hi Jenny, the older generations had some....interesting....ways of doing things :)
And as for all wearing knickers on our heads, well, Im sure there was a time when that was considered not just normal, but the height of fashion! Do you still partake? ;)

>151 msf59: yes, very proper Mark, just like me.

>152 PaulCranswick: I cant even read the phrase infant inebriation without feeling very uncomfortable!

>153 jnwelch: poor you having your moment of glory taken from you. Im 100% sure Dada meant you! Wilbur used to crack me up as I would try to train him to say Mama, saying it patiently to him again and again. Each time he repeated back to me very carefully "Dada"! The little stirrer ;)

Congratulations on finally being able to indulge Megan. I remember those days well. And despite Darryl's banning I'm afraid I can remember the days when mothers would rub teething babies gums with a little of the whiskey to ease the crankiness a little. Horrible I know;-)

Hi Megan! Welcome back to the world of adult beverages, in moderation of course! My Mom told me to rub brandy on the kids gums when they were teething, too. I must admit, it worked when I ran out of Ambicil (SP?) one time! I have no clue what my kids first words were. I was good enough to write them down in their scrapbooks, but too lazy to go check, LOL.

>155 brenzi: Darryls banning? Dont you mean Darryls thorough endorsement? lol I think we all know Darryl a little better than that...although if someone were to take his comment out of context and email it to his boss.....hey! There could be some money in this for us Bonnie. You do it and we'll go halvsies ;)

>156 Berly: dont worry Kim, my mum cant even remember the time or day of the week that I was born! I like to give my babies a birthday kiss at the time they were born, just so I remember and can relive the amazing moment that it was. W was 8am, L was 9am, and I cant say I have remembered to do it exactly at the right time, but its the intention that counts doesnt it?

Ale does sound tasty. When I was nursing.. wine and beer were encouraged. srsly.
I did partake a time or two.

Book 64
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

I read the first 3 short chapters of this book, then put it down for some weeks. And when I picked it up again, I couldn't stop until I was finished. Because I wasn't drawn into any plot at first I was able to meander through the words and accept that it was the journey that counted and not the destination.

We are given characters who are probably not like people we know, but we get to know them and when we do, we like and accept them and their eccentricities and oddities.

Mack and his mates live in an unused building via an "arrangement" with the local shopkeeper. The arrangement suits the squatters better than the shopkeeper, but things could go much worse for Lee Chong, so he puts up with it. The weighing up of pros and cons in his head is something we see a few times, and is pleasing to watch unfold.

The squatters enjoy life's simple pleasures, and the camaraderie that they have. They have a lot of time and respect for a local man named Doc, and decide to do something special for him to show it. Unfortunately, it all goes rather wrong. Which seems to be a theme in these mens lives. But they know right from wrong, and are not in it to hurt anyone.

"It has always seemed strange to me...The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second."

Steinbeck is the king of profound writing done simply. This book didnt grab me by the throat, but it did get a good hold of me. 4 stars.

Sadly, we do still partake in the knickers on the head. The most recent occasion was at Christmas, during a game of charades (we play differently from the normal version and it involves much planning and dressing up).

The previous time to that was in my grandma's nursing home room - we were labelling a new pack of knickers for her and each of us ended up with a pair on our heads. A very jolly time was had.

>160 lunacat: haha, that is excellent! As Buddha, or Yoda (or someone) once said: you are never too old to have fun putting knickers on your head ;)

As one who has only had knickers on his head for, errmmm, let's say transitional purposes, I confess that sporting them as one cavorts about sounds suspiciously English/Mother Countryish to me.

Check plus on Cannery Row, luvvie!

Huh? Check plus? Do you mean Cheque please? Check pulse? Cheeky puss?

Megan- I loved your thoughts on Cannery Row. I wish I would have joined along on the Group Read of that one. The only reason I declined was I had read it a couple times in the past.
Speaking of Mr. Steinbeck, I'm deep into In Dubious Battle. It's easily one of his best.

"Cheeky puss" will do nicely.

>164 msf59: I have now read half the short novels in my short novel omnibus.....Tortilla Flat, The Moon is Down and The Red Pony to go. Im excited to read them all even if I havent made it to a GR yet....

>165 richardderus: hey! Who's calling me cheeky puss? I prefer Slinky feline thanks ;)

Really? If given a choice, I think I'd go for cheeky puss :p

So glad to hear the illness were just a drive-by in your family, Megan!

Has Lenny fully transitioned to cow's milk?

I think I threw a party the day that Caleb was off formula and started regular whole milk. Saved us so much money each month, considering the kid can go through 4 litres by himself in less than a week....

Hmmm..gotta find out if I can CR on my bookshelf......

>167 lunacat: given that i know what either refers to, Im good with Slinky Feline right now ;)

>168 jolerie: well, Valerie, I think Im going to take this opportunity to get on my soap box and discuss the price of milk in Clean Green New Zealand. We pay world market rates here for our own milk, so taking into account the exchange rate, it is cheaper to buy NZ milk in Australia, China and even the UK than it is in NZ. We pay $1.60 a litre for the cheapest no-brand stuff. In Australia you can apparently get milk for $1 a litre. It works out a very similar price to use formula.

All the while the dairy farmers are crying poor while owning multiple homes, 4WDs and discharging pesticides and cow shit into our *formerly clean and green* waterways. (and converting totally unsuitbale land into pasture for cows, then "having to" drain the rivers to irrigate what is essentially arid landscape)

MEGAN BRAND milk was free ^..^ And now we need a whole lot of bought milk to make up for it. BUT I do get relief from constant worries that "it must have been something I ate" when Lenny was unsettled/not sleeping/grouchy. So Im ok with the situation overall (aside from the dairy farmers and their wily ways).

I'll take cheeky puss please. ; )

OK, you cheeky puss! (who knew so many women liked to be referred to as such a thing!)

I think we pay more than $1/Litre as well seeing how we pay $4.40 for a 4 litre jug and that is cheap for us considering a can of formula can be over 30 dollars and it and lasts us less than a month!

Yup, Valerie milk was the best because it was free, but boy was I happy to give that up at 8 months....

I just checked one of our supermarket comparison sites, and milk at Tesco (the largest supermarket chain) in the UK ranges from about 52p per litre (for a big 4 litre bottle) to about £1.00 a litre, and those prices are for their own brand. I typically buy a pint of milk at a time (568 ml) and pay about 50p for it, but then I don't use a lot of milk.

One of my friends came over from NZ recently and said food in the UK was considerably cheaper than in NZ which was alarming as I remember coming to the UK in the mid-90s and thinking how expensive everything was. And I don't think it's got any cheaper here.

There is a lot of controversy over milk prices in the UK at the moment, as farmers are being paid less money per litre of milk than it costs them to produce it. The big supermarkets hold the prices artificially low, and the farmers lose 5-6p on each litre of milk.

Some supermarkets have agreed to at least pay what it costs to produce (29p per litre at the moment) but not the three biggest. It's annoying, because we don't have any of the 'good' supermarkets in my town.

I'd love to buy milk straight from the farmers but it's simply not practical, and we have no farms round here that do it, as my area is nearly all arable farming rather than pasture.

I'm glad you liked Cannery Row, Megan. As you say, the journey is more important than the destination in it - I'm not sure what the destination was supposed to be, but I was totally charmed by the book. I'm going to read the companion book, Sweet Thursday, in December for the Steinbeckathon.

>172 jolerie: its a lot more freedom not having a baby to feed 3 x a day....but Im glad I put in the time now, and Im glad that I let him stop when he wanted to I dont need to give myself anything else to feel guilty about. Which is ridiculous I know, but I am always feeling guilty about some aspect of my parenting. I should have been a Catholic the amount of guilt I have.

>173 susanj67: 50p a pint seems cheap for milk. We dont get milk in pints anymore :( They did away with bottled milk a few years ago, I used to love taking my empties down to the dairy (corner shop) and swapping them for full bottles. It makes such sense.

When I lived in the UK, I remember Tescos and the other large ones having price wars, particularly on Baked beans and bread. I recall getting a loaf for 5p!!!! Talk about loss leaders.

>174 lunacat: Hi Jenny, people arent allowed to sell non pasteurised milk in shops here. Farmers can sell it from their farm to cutomers, but it isnt allowed to be on sold. There is a little bit of a black market going on as I know at least 2 families who go and collect flaggons of the stuff from others who have purchased from the farm!
Farmers making a loss on milk per litre is no good. All goes to show that economics is flawed.

>175 jnwelch: I love that Steinbeck wrote a series! hehe, not your usual Nesbo though is it!? Ill try get a hold of t too, and maybe even read it at the right time too!

Hi Megan. Cannery Row is my favorite Steinbeck so far. Mark's comments make me want to give my attention to In Dubious Battle, but I'm not sure I'll fit it in this month. I'm falling behind in my participation in the infamous Steinbeckathon! But I'll catch up in the next couple of months, I hope.

LOVE ---> ^..^

It's a cheeky puss (or a slinky feline, which I agree that I would prefer, thank you very much).

Hi Ellen, I think I liked both Wayward Bus and The Pearl better than Cannery Row, but they are all so great that I cant complain. Now Ive got 3 of his under my belt, none of the big seminal ones yet though. I look forward to chewing my way through the entire back catalogue :)

In Dubious Battle! In Dubious Battle! Find it! Read it!

Megan- I saw somewhere that the kids might be for sale? Any truth? you know I'm a big fan of the Lenmeister!

I'm 66 posts behind, so quickly, in order:
Brave, brave sir Wilbur.
It makes me throw up too.
The Rule of Lurgies is that when the kids bring them home, the adults get them 4x as strong. Kids bounce back in a day, adults take a week. Gack.
The Ongoing Moment looks really good. Love that image with the man looking into the subterranean shop window. It looks so dark and grim.
Knickers on heads: my lads and Himself used to do that when the lads were wee. Called them "team hats".
Milk is expensive in Canada too.
There, caught up.

>179 msf59: sssh, dont tell Darryl, he already has me on the watch list for child protection services. But if you give me lots of money to build 5 book nooks in my house, Ill let you babysit Lenny for a day? Sounds good? I wont tell you that Lenny has developed an angry streak....and that there is every possibility he'll eat you out of house and home.... ;)

>180 tiffin: Tui, what a wonderful round up! You've nailed it :)
I love the image too from The Ongoing Moment, so much that I made it my opening image. I confess to having photography aspirations based on reading that book!

I'm not sure I like that deal! I guess I'll make do with your wonderful photos! LOL.

hehe, I understand mark. I got one today of him with his whole face in the mixing bowl. We were making Wilburs birthday cake as he turned 4 today :). Everyone loved the cake mix, and lets just say he wasnt the only one with cake batter in his hair. *woops*

Argh.
I am making 2 cakes for Wilbur's birthday party (to join together and call a giant domino), and the first one smells suspiciously of scrambled egg. I knew I should have called Chelle in to do this, i am useless at cakes.

The worst and funniest thing is, that even if (against all odds) the cake turns out, and is a recognisable domino, it will be baffling to party goers as we are doing a big treasure hunt as the main party activity. This is usually associated with pirates, of course. But I had my heart set on a domino cake.

*going crazy*

It will be fine, and the party will be fun. You have the main ingredient.. love!

Thanks Kath

*still going crazy*

:)

Hi Megan -I'm trying to come up with a catchy nickname for you. So far, "Drama Queen", (although LT has a few of them already) or "Hot Little Hands". Maybe the latter? we could shorten it to HLH!
Love to see Lenny in the mixing bowl! LOL.

Megan, I think that, yes, The Midwife Of Hope River: A Novel is more from a woman's perspective. There are men in it, and so far I am just 105 pages in, but if you are looking for a book that features a woman's point of view, rather than a man's, it might fit the bill. Besides the midwife story arc, there is also a vet that she is getting interested in and vice versa - and what I suspect will be a labour union/ the Great Depression story arc. I'm finding it very readable.

Have you read The Birth House by Ami Mckay? That is definitely a story from a woman's point of view.

As for this a child's first word's discussion, our eldest son, now 27, ( child bride etc etc;) was slow to speak. He only had a couple of words at 18 months - a sound for squirrel and maybe dada, though you know how you can communicate with out language anyway? I'm sure he sad yes and no.

Anyway, after getting quite worried that maybe he was speech delayed ( he'd had to be resuscitated at birth ) as it was a difficult birth - at 20 months of age, my husband , me and my cousin and young Daniel were tossing a beach ball around. Daniel , then 20 months said - I'll never forget " I see a big ball." I nearly fell over in a faint. I could hardly believe that his first words were a proper sentence, with pronoun and an adjective. And then that was it - he began speaking in full sentences with no errors at all. He did not turn out to be any more brilliant than his younger brother though, who spoke earlier, but more in the usual way, with errors and a few word put together .

Congratulations on no longer having to breastfeed. I worked part time after my first was born and though I breast fed til 8 months, I was sure sick of having huge boobs ! I jogged and man it was heavy - plus until I quit breast feeding, nothing would fit.!!!! It cured me of thinking being an A was any kind of a problem! :) LOL!

Dodgy subject Mark is broaching trying to come up with nicknames for each other. In Latvian the word for mother as I understand it is mate (with an accent on the e) and Megan sure is a good mate!

Caught up, Megan, CP!, and as always, I'm exhausted from just reading about your business. Kudos to Wilbur for being such a big boy, and cheers that they are both well. Congratulations on stopping the breastfeeding; I'm not a mama, so I wonder if you had a little smidgin of regret.

Happy Birthday to Wilbur, Megan! I hope you didn't go too nuts trying to get the cake and party organized. ;) I'm sure your little guy will appreciate one day all the love, energy, and craziness you put into making his day super special!

>187 msf59: Drama Queen, lol. I like to pretend I'm a drama queen, but in reality I'm quite rational. I just like to act like its a big deal to make a point. And Hot Little Hands, well, I do have good circulation....but, no, I dont think that will do.
My dad calls me "Grub", if that helps any? He also used to call me "Peabrain", which I never took as an insult when perhaps I should have?! He still uses these names, in public too!

>188 vancouverdeb: what an amazing first talking story! My sisters kids were both late in starting talking, and I used to say to her not to worry as Einstein didnt talk til he was 3. (not 100% sure on that, but hey, it worked to help her feel better).
Thanks Deb for the recs for books from the female perspective. I am interested now in how the hell women coped in the old days with a house full of kids and no modern conveniences. They worked from dawn to lights out I suppose.

>189 PaulCranswick: Mate (with the accent on the end) is also that South American tea with the coca leaves in it that gets you a little high. That's what I think of, bu my Latvian language skills really are limited to counting to ten, and fridge. So I'll have to take your word for it Paul!
Other nicknames I used to be called are: Moose, quarter-pint and Im still called Mimi by my niece and nephew.

>190 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Things do happen fast around here I guess. The kids see to that pretty well.
You are right about the smidgen of regret. It is a sad as well as a freeing thing. For the last few months I had been relishing the time breastfeeding Lenny as I knew our time was limited. It is such a lovely thing! Half because of all the LOVE hormones it releases, and the other half just the closeness and stillness and snuggliness of the process. *sniff sniff*
But onwards and upwards to more and more fun stages!

>191 jolerie: Thanks Valerie, the cake was a success (it has been made but not revealed yet). I left my icing somewhere so had to source some more at very short notice. One of the mums from my coffee group had some spare so I jumped in the car with the kids at 6pm last night and popped round to collect- got home- bathed kids- got them in bed- commenced to decorate the cake.
It wasnt nearly as stressful as I felt!

Party time in a few hours so Id better get out of my PJs :)

Hope the party went well - you'll have to post us some pics of the cake :)

Somehow I managed to end up so many messages behind (I've had a mental week) but in a very wee re-cap of my own, glad you liked Cannery row (it's brilliant in my opinion), good going on the ale - I got to have a night off at the annual beer festival last night - yay! and ditto on the Catholic guilt - I'm not one but hubby always says I should have been. Being a Mum is the most guilt inducing thing ever.

Right I'm off to read in bed.

Megan- I was kidding about the nicknames! But wow, you do have quite a variety. I'm not sure I care for Grub, Pea Brain or Moose. It doesn't seem to fit you, in our LT World.

Deb- "I was sure sick of having huge boobs!" Excuse me??

Megan - Moose and Quarter-Pint are intriguing - I can vouch that you look nothing like a moose but the second one?
Mark you tped what I thought at Deb's post. Ladies with huge boobs are obviously considered very differently from a gentleman's point of view! SWMBO will occasionally ask my opinion about why one of hers seems bigger than the other and I ften study them contentedly without coming up with a rational or acceptable response!
Have a lovely weekend Megan.

Making the cake....my sort of helper: The big reveal


Its all gone quiet...where's Lenny? Oh, he's up at the table eating choc chip biscuits dipped in sauce. lol

Bekka: Being a Mum is the most guilt inducing thing ever. silly really, isnt it. But true. *must try to stop*
I am looking forward to the companion reader to Cannery Row, Ill look out for it at the library.

Mark: I, of course completely understood Debs comment! haha, you guys are all the same, show them a pair of boobs and they go gaga. I am excited about going bra shopping for a more modest size now that I have "stabilised' in that area ;)

Paul: quarter-pint was in relation to me being the smallest in the family, I think half-pint is an accepted term, but I wasnt even big enough for that name, so 1/4 pint it was. Grub: I was a messy mucky kid, always getting scratched and scraped and dirty.

Ladies with huge boobs are obviously considered very differently from a gentleman's point of view!
I'd say! I wouldnt have dared jogging while over endowed. Apart from the risk of getting two black eyes, it would have been a sight (and a frightful sight at that!).

"show them a pair of boobs and they go gaga." Oh, will you leave Paul alone. The Poor guy!
Love the Lenny shot! He looks very pleased with himself.

Admittedly I have no dog in this fight, but can someone explain the straight male thing with boobs? They're useful for feeding the next generation, but apart from that they just sorta...hang there.

...?...

Oh dear...this isn't high brow enough to discuss in High Brow Toff Megan's thread. Best skedaddle....

>198 msf59: hehe, he's always getting into trouble around here isnt he.
Lenny even went back in for 3 or 4 more sauce dips with his choc chip biscuit! What was he thinking? haha

>199 richardderus: I hear you RD, fairly useless hanging things. Apart from their major function of feeding the next generation. This makes them 100% awesome and invaluable imo.
Me? High brow? Gosh, if you say so. (*fist pump*)

Megan, I'm thinking about more recommendation's on books from a woman's point to of view. I have quite a few in mind, but I see that you are most interested how women survived in the early days. One popular and well - respected Canadian book that comes to mind is The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields. I know Lit Chick aka Nancy shared my love of The Stone Diaries as well as The Birth House. If you want more ideas of modern women or older women's " retrospective " of their lives, I can think of quite a few, as well as books where woman did not have children but lived on their own, or came from another country to Canada, or live in another culture, I've got plenty more rec's.

A couple of books that come to mind - single woman - Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright is very interesting - single women in the early 1900's.
Or Coventry byHelen Humphreys is an excellent story about a single woman in England during the Blitz in WW11.

Bride of New France was an excellent book about women who came over from France in the late 1800's so that men in Canada could " pick out a bride.

As for the boobs, well, you and I know better than those poor old men!;) Exactly! Fairly useless hanging things that are best in size small.

Long overdue visit, and what do I find? Lovely photos, interesting book talk (I second the recommendation of The Stone Diaries), and discussion of the pros and cons of large breasts! Where else but in the 75 group?

I don't think there is anything useless about boobs - they have provided me with hours of entertainment.
Mark is a master of sidestep! I seem to recall that it was he who, ah, broached the subject in the first place!

I cannot imagine how women cope with large breats. They must get in the way so much?! I curse my tiny Bs at times when I'm riding if I'm in the wrong bra, and when I'm teaching people to ride I have to inwardly wince at times as black eyes seem imminent.

Fantastic design evolutionarily wise, not much use other than that!

"choc chip biscuits dipped in sauce" ..... sounds like a true kiwi tastebuds there ....

#204 They do have the advantage of acting as a counterbalance to a large behind and stomach! With them, personally, I feel that at least I avoid being 'bottom-heavy'...

#206

Oh dear. I just snorted tea out of my nose, and I'm blaming you. The idea of breasts as counterweight had never quite occurred to me before!

I guess at least you have the advantage of not having a figure that could be mistaken for a boys. No boobs, no waist, no hips! I'm straight up and down.

Sorry to cause tea-snorting! The only thing my figure shares with yours by the sound of it is 'no waist'!

*waving* at Megan

Love the pic of Lenny with the biscuit! My, how he has grown!

" fairly useless hanging things." I'm with Paul on that one! Nothing useless about those babies, but then again I don't have to tote them around either.

We know I'm a huge fan of books and beer but I will add another "B" to the works.

RD- You can feed with those things?

>206 gennyt: I can verify this. I have a big butt and small breasts and I fall over all the time

LOL. This boob conversation is killing me!

My one friend who is smaller in size got so excited when I told her that, "Yeah they get bigger when you are pregnant!", and then her face feel when I said, "But they don't stay that way! What you get in size, eventually goes south after all the feeding!" All that false hope really is deflating, all pun intended. ;)

Oh dear. Lets hope that if I ever get pregnant, my backside gets bigger at the same rate as my boobs otherwise I'll definitely be falling over all the time. I'm accident prone enough as it is!

As is usually the case, Megan.. I agree with everything you have said :)

When my niece was younger, she watched my sister getting out of the shower and told her " Mommy, when I get big I wanna have looong boobies like yours". We still crack up about this.

>201 vancouverdeb: thanks for more recs Deb. The Stone Diaries has been on my must read soon list for a while, I was tossing up between that ad the Pilot's Wife. So now I know which one to go for!

>202 gennyt: Hi Genny, it really is a great place where all these things can be discussed under the guise of literature isn't it! Stone Diaries it is then!

>203 PaulCranswick: I think you got the blame there Paul, there's nothing like a scapegoat :) The husband person would be in agreement with you and Mark on the issue. Did I mention that he once correctly guessed 2 of my friends' bra sizes, right in front of them (where else could he have been?), on the spot. It was hilarious. 100% right too.

>204 lunacat: XXL's would be a bit tricky I reckon. Im glad I have now subsided to a more manageable C cup. (I was in lala land when I said I was a B, wishful thinking indeed!)

I like your husband already! You have a very fine family. I'm not good at guessing size, I excel at merely looking.

>205 roundballnz: Alex, it must be an acquired taste, but he didnt acquire it from me! I think the thrill of being up at the table and having free access to the spread was part of the excitement. That and food.

>206 gennyt:/207/208 You are right! Its all about proportions. All large and in proportion looks great, as does small.

>209 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. He looks very pleased with himself doesnt he. Lenny-licious is now Lenny Huge-a-licious. What an eater he is. Luckily he balances this out with running most places.

>210 msf59: Now we know your true position on the topic, Mark. It is not an unusual one methinks :)

>211 norabelle414: Falling over all the time? lol that is brilliant. And would make a great advertisement for a breast augmentation surgeon!

>212 jolerie: Hi Valerie, imagine my surprise to see 15 comments, 14 of them about breasts! Never mind the awesome domino cake I made and the cute baby pics. lol.

>213 lunacat: A huge baby bump up front is a sure fire way to make you more accident prone! Those bumps bump into everything! There's no squeezing through behind chairs sporting a baby bump. Its funny though as you still think of yourself as the same size you were....but you are really really not!

>214 mckait: Excellent Kath, *stamp of approval*
:)

>215 VioletBramble: what an excellent story! And an excellent one to trot out again and again at any family occasion. Looong, indeed!

>217 msf59: Hi Mark, it was a funny moment. They still remember it. :)

*waving* at Megan

Happy Sunday!

Hi Stasia, thanks for stopping by. Sunday was fun so far, a family outing to Orana Wildlife Park was in order. Meer Cats, lions, tigers, otters, giraffes, rhinos, monkeys, lemurs. And a picnic with the peacocks to boot. Little Lenny was making woof woof noises at everything, not being able to categorise the animals he was seeing as anything but cats or dogs- he was having a bit of trouble :)

I'm such a squirrel. I saw cute pictures of Lenny and an awesome cake, but then I read boobs and had a total mental fart. Squirrel. Seriously. Wonderful job mom, all boobs aside! :)

As usual I'm late to the boob-fest - sorry, the picnic ;)

Love the domino cake - brilliantly done. Last time I made black icing it did not look anywhere near that swish (luckily it was a hallowean cake so it didn't matter). And Lenny is so lovely - I always have to reach for the camera when Will sticks his head into bowls as well.

LOL about the boob fest! Just an innocent conversation. Your husband sounds like quite the guy! :) Ohh the domino cake! How did I miss that earlier - brilliant!

>222 jolerie: Valerie, boobs have a habit of sidetracking people, that's for sure. lol. Thanks on the cake, I needed some validation there as it was a stressful job. Next time, I swear, Im buying one or going simple

>223 BekkaJo: why thank you :)
Just a warning on the black icing......it may make your #2's come out green. It's true! I got the fright of my life today, until I realised what the story was. Seriously, green #2's can give a person a fright. So dont eat too much of the black icing ;)

>224 vancouverdeb: He is quite the guy Deb, and poor old him got left behind tonight while I went to another retro movie night. Saw Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. What an intense ride that was, melting faces, 100x near-death experiences, Nazis, snakes, jungles, swashbuckling sword-sters.....sheesh. Between that and the green #2's, its enough to give a girl a heart attack!

#225 Just laugh spattered my lunch over the keyboard... oops!

"boobs have a habit of sidetracking people"! Amen, sister! Hope you are wrapping up a great weekend.

Oh .. the Wildlife Park sounds wonderful!

I had a bit of a comment on boobs versus other dangly bits, ( aimed at rd ) but have decided to refrain.

Glad you enjoyed the movie :)

Domino cakes (awesome BTW), boobs and green #2. Who said this was high brow? LOL Your thread has made my day! And back to the boobs, my sister was a DD and I was a BB (that stands for barely B) and we always wished we could have averaged out a little. Boys never believed that we were sisters back in high school and college.

Kim- Any photos of your sister available?

Boobs again. *yawn*

>226 BekkaJo: hehe, sorry about that.

>227 msf59: Hi Mark, great weekend weather wise as well as activity wise. Even sleep-wise I cant complain too much. Even if I can dream for just a few less middle of the night footsteps.....

>228 mckait: Restraint is a marker of strong character, Kath. Well done. Plus, you also got to say what it was that you werent going to say, so it works out perfectly!

>229 Berly: High brow is in the eye of the beholder, Kim. lol.
Im pretty sure DD is the new B. Apparently average sizes are way up on a decade ago, probably something to do with hormones in chicken or something.

>230 msf59: Mark! I'm shocked. And slightly amused.

>231 richardderus: sorry, RD, not boobs again, boobs still :)
But there was also discussion of green poo, did you miss that? Possibly a not-much-discussed LT topic in general? And its obscurity must count towards its high-browness? Uh, there is nearly a pun there
*steps back quietly.....and runs*
I dont do puns.

Hi Megan! I've just sped-read this riveting thread! Brief thoughts:
* I enjoyed your Cannery Row comments - I'm a huge fan of that one!
*Oh, please don't read Jake's Thing!!!!
*Adorable children with food faces!
*Beer. Yes!

I'm coming in late, but apparently there was some book about boobies under discussion? They're lovely to see out in the wild.

Kerri: I think Im safe from attempting Jake's Thing, I remember your review wasn't too favourable! haha. Thanks for the warning.

Joe: You're right, they are best viewed in their natural habitat. (those boobies must be about a C size right?)
lol @ imaging someone catching you googling "boobies in the wild"

so 'boobs' still ..............

Nice boobies!

#234 Lol! Not much else to contribute but I'm lurking.

Okay - so if I wanted to turn my #2s blue what do I eat then?

Orange?

Pink?

Purple?

Sky blue pink with golden polka dots?

Megan, the photos are lovely!

I'm glad Wilbur made it through the surgery safely, and I hope he is on the mend.

Well not say, really... but ?

Nice pair of Blue Booted Boobies.

#230 Mark! I am sure I can find a face shot somewhere....

Great pix from Joe! So cute! I'll say no more! ;)

Wow! How in the world did this conversation get started megan? I'm wondering if Mark started it;-)

Lovely shot of your little guy and the domino cakes are very clever.

I can't re-post the images Google returned for "boobies in the wild"

I must go bleach my brain now

LOL-- turns out that Boobs (birds and other) return the highest posting rate this thread has ever seen. (S'alright RD, we'll stop soon, honest)

So yes, Alex, still sticking to the topic of the mammary gland, for now. It seems to be working to generate conversation, and isnt looking like going anywhere soon ;) (see- I just lied to RD!)
Mark, they arent a bad pair at all are they? Id be worried if mine turned blue, but hey. Its a rainbow of colour around here lately so I couldn't count it out.

Hi Heather, Im happy to have lurkers, and evenhappier when they say hi.

Jenny I reckon black icing overload and heaps of carrots....maybe. Actually, no. Blue might be more in the blue berry department, but I couldnt guarantee consistency. OK, now Im straying into inappropriateness.

Thanks Linda! He is 100% again now, and hearing very well, continuing on with his rhyming phase where every word gets paired up with a similar sounding one. Hope you are feeling lighter and lighter as the pain dissipates too?

Hi Kath, blue booted boobies. The 3Bs, good name for a band (there is a band here called the 3Ds which Im sure some of the guys would prefer....)

Kim: Indulging him huh? But not fully.....good one, got to keep them on their toes. ;)

Deb: good idea, I think there has been enough said about that anatomical part lately. That's tit, Im stopping right now, no more mammary-mongering around here!

Bonnie, it was Mark, but he's blaming Paul, Paul is a perpetrator but Mark is prolonging it, of course Joe is jostling in too....its pretty much just RD who is rejecting the whole thing. But it was actually Deb who started the whole thing, dastardly Deb and her diatribe! ;)

RD, just dab with that bleach, dont soak, there could be permanent damage otherwise! *fingers crossed* One hopes its not too late for bleach advice....

I think we were all guilty on the "boob" talk. LOL. Hey, I enjoyed it. Hope your week goes well and nothing turns "blue".

Hmph. I thought this was supposed to be a high brow thread.

Mark: the week is looking good, already had a trip to the country (it takes ten minutes to drive "to the country" so I make it sound a bigger deal than it is really) to visit and old friend. Last time we met up was before children, and now we have 5 between us! Aged 1, 3 year old twins (not mine!), and our 2 4 year olds. It was fun!

Darryl: you cant say you werent at least a little bit interested in trying to diagnose the green #2's? Medical talk= high brow. But if you want more here you go: Dostoevsky, Chekov, Aldous Huxley......off to google some more answers.....and LOL guess who comes up first when you google "High Brow Authors"? John Grisham! rotf, that is fantastic.

There is only so much high brow anyone can cope with ;)

>249 LovingLit: LOL! This thread may not always be high brow, but it rarely fails to provide me with a good laugh.

>250 lunacat: I think it was fairly obvious when I confessed to reading a Jennifer Aniston unauthorised biography, that I am not as high brow as Id like to think I am :)

>251 kidzdoc: If a laugh is as good as I can give, then Im happy too :)

LOL! Dastardly Deb and my diatribe(s). Just ask my kids! ;) Watch out Megan, because I'm looking forward to murders in Iceland - a la Black Skies. Actually my mom and my niece went to Iceland for a week this past August and loved it. It's very safe and very friendly and you can walk the sidewalks at night. My mom is planning to back with my SIL in the spring. Tis the land of my forebears. Is that the right word? My great grandparents on my mom's side is what I mean.

you can walk the sidewalks at night
A little naive me asked the silent question..."cant you do that in most places?" I guess not is that answer to that :(

Well, I mean downtown and my mom is 70 and my niece is 20. Where I live - I wouldn't want to walk in some parts of our downtown Vancouver at night. Even in my somewhat smaller part of Metro Vancouver, we get our homeless and sometimes problematic people at night. I do walk my dog in my neighbourhood after dark though. But yes , sadly as females I think often we are not so keen to be out walking a couple of miles in the dark.

Actually, Deb, I wouldnt go wandering about the streets at that time when people are spilling out from the pubs, there are a lot of raucous people out there looking for fights. Its gross. Its just Im so used to being a home body these days....

Enjoyed catching up with the highbrow debate as usual in these parts Megan!
Joe put those fellows exposed in the arctic so they were obviously Blue Tits.
One thing we can surely agree upon is that man-boobs are distinctly uncool and I have been working very hard to ensure that SWMBO doesn not feel any unwarranted competition.

Paul, Im with you 100%. Man boobs are not currently what we are seeing in Italian Vogue! I saw a fairly horrifying documentary on men who had more than your average man boobs, it was an absolute nightmare for them. Apart from this one guy who loved his. Now, Im all for people loving their bodies, but he went way past what could be considered OK. Eeeeeew.

Megan- Not sure I like where this discussion is going. Ewwwwww. Back to more pleasant things: I wish I could be in the "country" in ten minutes. Sweet. You lucky.

Really really really not wanting this discussion to go any further on man boobs, or pictures will start to appear.

Can we go back to the Blue Booted Boobies instead?!

>260 lunacat: No.

I'm with Jenny- Eyes, hopelessly diverted.

I have never learned to unsee, unhear or unsay... I am doomed.

>259 msf59: Mark, your ability to foresee the inevitable has been proven! lol
Yes, I am lucky. Christchurch is a sprawling city of 450000 people, and it can take an hour to go from one side to the other in bad traffic. But anyone who is in the burbs can escape pretty quickly. Our place is 10kms from the (demolished and empty) city centre, so that pretty much makes us right on the edge.

>260 lunacat: doh! All RD needed was a hint and he was away ;) And here I was thinking we were safely away from the topic. And firmly on tomore high brow issues of the day. Politics anyone?...anyone? ...please?

>261 richardderus: Go RD! Bringing back boob discussion to the thread in full technicolour glory. His gut (and butt?) are surely big enough to balance out those tiny man-boobs arent they?

>262 msf59: too late too late! You may need to borrow the eye patch that Paul refuses to wear? (x2)

>Kath, it is the case isnt it! That is exactly why I want to protect my littlies from the harsh realities of life (like man-boobs), there is plenty of time for them to see hear and experience all the crap that life has to offer.

Quick- a change of topic!
Yesterday I got a flat tyre in the car and it was Wilburs most exciting day E-V-E-R. He is always wanting to get the jack out and play with it. So he got his chance.
And me being the capable and car-savvy woman that I am was of course fully able to complete the change with no problems. Ahem. Kind of. I just had the teensy problem of where to place the jack. I thought it had to go on the strong axle part.....but no.

So a kind gentleman assisted me with jack placement. But then wouldn't go away! So my plan of showing Wilbur how mothers can do everything went awry. I wasn't about to have an argument with the kind gentleman about how it was my tyre and I was going to do it. So I let him be chivalrous.

And then I got to show Wilbur all about mothers changing tyres after the tyre was mended and had to be put back on. Phew. All was not lost.

My eyes, my eyes ..... first they were delighted by the domino cake and Lenny pics (choc chip cookies and sauce?!! .... what kind of sauce pray tell .. it might not be as stomach churning as I thought) and then I get the pic of moobs! Arrgghhh

But kudos to you ... WonderMum for showing Wilbur mothers are car savvy! Err... maybe you could show me one day too. When i get a flat tyre, I call AAA ... hey, I pay my annual subscription, so I should at least make them do something once in a while, right?

Hi Caro....what kind of sauce you ask. Well, in NZ there is only one kind of sauce. Watties Tomato Sauce. Any other kind of sauce is a fancy schmancy one. It is very close to becoming a NZ institution, and is already an icon. People have even been known to have a bottle of "car sauce" in case of an impromptu fish and chip meal. Always Watties Tomato Sauce. And now we know it tastes good with choc chip biscuits!

Five more days till your birthday. Happy Almost Birthday!!!!

Hey! Cool, thanks!
Note to others....there's still time to get those large and expensive gifts in the mail ;)
I accidentally (honest) came across what I can only assume is my birthday gift just now while I was looking for some AAA batteries. It was a bookshop bag.....in the shape of a book! hooray!

Hooray! You do have a well trained partner :)

Who will bake the cake? I assume it won't be black?

There'll be no cake, Kath :) But there will be dinner out as a kind friend has offered (insisted) she will sit with the kiddos while we go out. YAY.

>270 LovingLit: That is a friend to be treasured. And cultivated.

You're right RD, shes actually here on LT, (@Gobe) but, as far as I know she got as far as logging 4 books, then was never seen again!

Right, so macaroni cheese with bacon and onion already made for dinner, in 6.5 hours. Expecting my mother and nephew and niece for dinner tonight so am making a kids favourite. (btw it goes without saying that if you are having "mac'n'cheese" in NZ, it is home made, at least with everyone I know)

So now I can settle down to the next 6.5 hours of kiddie chaos. Not a chance Ill be reading A Tale of Two Cities today! *fingers crossed that my copy of The Lighthouse arrives in the mail today so I can sample the first lines!)

Good friend, I agree... to be treasured.

Yep... not homemade mac and cheese has no place in my house either :)

Hi Kath: t'was a fun evening with 4x very tired kids at the end of it. And nearly a full nights sleep for me :) (that is good)

I am loving A Tale of Two Cities btw, finding it surprisingly riveting. (never thought Id be able to say that about a Dickens novel)

*sobs inconsolably* Megan has been Dickenzombied!

Excellent taste in authors and books, Megan. Pay no attention to that man who reportedly steals canes from the elderly.

Of course, I was riveted by others of CD's, not just this one, so perhaps I'm not unbiased, either.

RD Im sorry, I cannot help my tendencies. It is but who I am. I hope you can come to terms with my leanings and we can remain friends. I know you only sob because you care ;)

Hi Joe: maybe this is just the first one that I have been able to follow. Possible more to do with me not being sleep-zombified lately!

In the spirit of jumping the gun, I am upgrading to an October thread early. Please follow me as I charge manically straight into summer.