James Patterson

Has anyone else noticed that many of James Patterson's new books are co-authored? What gives with that?

You Gotta Read.....!

I just finished "The Burnt House" by Faye Kellerman. I read many of her books a few years ago, then stopped reading the series. I'm going back to read them and I think you all should read them too. I'd start with the first in the series, "The Ritual Bath." Back to reading --too many books, too little time.

The Playhouse

This playhouse has been one of the happiest parts of our summer. See those two little kids inside? They don't care if the construction work is done, this place is THEIRS! It has been wonderful watching them play construction worker and house in the afternoons and evenings. Kenzie has brought her vacuum cleaner out to clean. They sit in the window and look at what's going on next door. Christian begs to sleep in it. It has given them lots of opportunities to spend time with Jim - he is infinitely patient with teaching them to hammer nails and to hold wood while he saws. I can't wait to see it finished.

I'm probably breaking all sorts of protocol here, but I got an email from Janet Dugan today which she had received from a friend whose cousin just got back from a trip to Ireland. It made me soooo homesick and I thought you all would enjoy it. So, thank you, Randy, whoever you are. And now the rest of you have to believe our leprechaun story!!

...all my planes remained in the air, coming down only when they were supposed to; the Guinness ran fair and plentiful but didn't cause me to make too much a fool of /'meself/'; I fell in love with Ireland... as well as with several Irish lasses, none of whom...sadly... asked me to remain behind; I found they do actually eat Irish Stew and Shepard's Pie and that each taste much better in Eire-land...accompanied by a pint of Guinness; and it surprised me that there was a real castle 'round nearly every corner and that there was a pub [or two] on every corner!

The countryside is even more beautiful than the glimpses one gets of it in books and movies... the word that comes to mind is 'sweet' and when combined with Ireland's turbulant history, it brings a tightness to ones chest and throat as well as tears to the eyes. There's less than 5 million people on the entire isle... fewer than reside in the greater Houston area... and in spite of their recession, failing economy, and near half million unemployed [Gee, thank you, Michael for closing down the Dell offices in Dublin], I haven't met a more up-beat and future-looking people anywhere.

My guided day-trip to [London]Derry in Northern Ireland brought well home their 'troubles' and a better historical understanding of just what it is all about... along with where the feelings lie today... there's still unrest even though progress has been made and is being made, but I'm not sure anyone sees a real end to it all, though an "end" through a joint interest in improving the economy is being realized right now. But their basic differences today remain and lie well beyond simply religion. To say it's only about religion would be the same as saying that our civil war was only about slavery.

Oh, and it does seem to be true that a flair for music must run in every Irishman's veins, for I heard music everywhere and coming from the most unlikely of people. Sure, and didn't I kiss the Blarney stone? Well, of course, I did! 100 steps to the top of Blarney castle [built in 1210 a.d.] winding my way up and through a narrow solid-stone stairway [claustrophobic tunnel actually!] to the top battlement of the main tower only to be lowered backwards down to kiss the stone... which they do not wipe clean between 'kissers'!! But I had to do it.

And, once, just outside a pub door, I think I caught a glimpse of, from the corner of me eye, a wee little cobbler-fellow dressed in a suit of green with a red vest, wide belt, and pointed shoes, but I'm not for sure for they say there really are no Leprechauns in Ireland and that it's the Guinness that may have overtaken me eyesight... well, I know what I saw, so that's my story and I'm a-stickin' to it! :)

I recommend a trip to Ireland for anyone. Well worth the time and expense and if you have antecedents from there, well, so much the better, for it will add a personal dimension to your trip that will cause the isle to really reach out and grab your heartstrings.

Three Alarm Thursday

So another peaceful day at the library. Not. We had a balloon program this morning, meaning hundreds of kids and moms (maybe a slight exaggeration). We had summer reading, meanind more kids and moms. And then we had a construction worker who cut into the wires for the fire alarm. Alarm goes off. We evacuate people. We try to figure out why the fire department isn't there (we do already know there's no fire). We try to figure out how to turn the alarm off. I talk to the alarm company, who won't tell me how to do anything because I don't have the password (which turns out to be "Clemente"). And then thankfully it turns itself off. This was all in the first hour of the morning. Got us all moving and laughing. It happened twice more, but the construction worker ran in and got it turned off before we could get there.

People are so strange, though. It just wasn't real to most of them. I don't understand the elderly couple who come in every morning and race everyone else to the newspapers so they can read them first and don't think they need to leave the building when the alarm is blaring. I don't understand people who don't want to leave their computer sessions just because the alarm is blaring. They all didn't know there wasn't a fire. Oh, well. Made the day interesting.

Nothing else really going on. James had his tonsils and adenoids removed today, also his ears drained, I think. Jennie says he's whiny, but okay. Wants real food and is cuddling with his dad. Hope you all had a good day.

Ahh, Mondays & Michael Jackson

Yesterday was Monday, and turned out to be a very peaceful day. My work schedule has changed so that I don't go in until 1:00. That gives me the morning to catch up on what's left over from Sunday - the company dishes, the trash to get ready for Tuesday, the last minute laundry. And I take an hour or two to read, knit, something quiet. This week I needed the quiet. After 10 days of company and a major holiday, I was tired. So yesterday I sat in the backyard under the gazebo, knitting and listening to my Ipod. Nearly a perfect morning.

Today has been only slightly more productive. Much to my shame, I found myself caught up in the Michael Jackson circus taking place today. It started when I was listening to KFI on the radio on my way to Target. Bill Handel is really good at poking sarcastic fun and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to his description of what was going on. By the time I got home I had to see the gold-plated coffin and the crowds that had to be coaxed in off the street for myself. I wonder if all of this was really necessary. I think it would have been more dignified if the family had just had a quiet family/friend service rather than carting that poor man's body around the city of Los Angeles. Did the fans really need this? I don't think so - they just wanted to be part of the circus, the last performance. I can't say I had a lot of regard for Michael Jackson, but the media attention hasn't done anything to improve my opinion of him. The one celebrity that did "speak to me" was Brooke Shields, talking about how the two of them exchanged stories and formed a bond over being child stars together. Was it that childhood stardom that sowed the seeds of perversity and tragic unhappiness in Michael Jackson? From the looks of it, I'd say his family is still doing it to him.

Book Review - The Walking People

An outstanding book about three young people who emigrate in Ireland, I don't remember whether it was in the 1950s or 1960s. Mike and Scott, not so sure you'll like it. Mom, maybe you will. Denny, I think you should try it. Author is Mary Beth Keane.

Happy Fourth of July

It's been so long since I've been on here - plenty of excuses, but mostly because I just haven't had the time. We had a wonderful ten days with the Seattle family; ups and downs, of course, but in the end it was good to be with them and we'll miss them terribly.

Our July 4th was great - a little time to pull the house in order, some time to unwind, and then to Great Grandma's for fireworks. The little guys have missed going up there so much. And we haven't had "street" fireworks in years. Christian loved every minute of it; Mackenzie had had enough pretty quickly. She made us cover her ears for her the whole time and I finally just took her into the house to watch tv with Great Grandpa. But it was great, and it made me miss the old days of sitting in the street for fireworks. Nothing will ever be so simple again, but then I guess it was simple for us because we only had the fun, not the work.

I'll be back to blogging soon.