more bits'n'bobs'n'books'n'stuff
I finally, FINALLY, finished the House of Niccolo series by Dorothy Dunnett. All eight volumes. Which are tied as a prequel to The Lymond Chronicles, a six-volume series. Whoosht. I think she bobbled it a bit around volume 5 and 6, and we really didn't need to go to Russia. And I was ENRAGED with Gelis and the fact that no one - NO ONE! - blamed her. Still don't see what he saw in her.
So I'm about historical-fictioned out for the moment. I would absolutely recommend The Lymond Chronicles to anyone, but I'm still working on digesting Niccolo. I decided I wanted something kind of short - and I've more than fulfilled my year's quota of books-on-my-shelves-that-I-haven't-read, but I will continue - so I grabbed Alan Garner's Elidor. This book has always upset me, because it needs to be a first book in a series, and it's not. I hate the ending; it leaves me so unsatisfied. So now I'm in the wonderfully-titled The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (just roll that around your tongue a few times!).
The weather has suddenly gotten chilly, and it's raining nice and steadily outside. Better than the wildly fluctuating and violent weather we've been having. This afternoon I finally got outside and started taming the landscape again - it keeps slipping away from me. So I pulled weeds, chopped bushes and things I didn't want up in front, and then started on the side of the house. My nephew Tyler, once he got home from school, came and helped me rip stuff out and tame the part under the kitchen deck. So, if it's nice out tomorrow, he's going to help me tackle another section of the yard we've let go too long. It's great having strong willing nephews to help their poor old tottering aunties... ;-)
Last night I was at the PSD meeting, which took, oh, about 4 times longer than usual. I came home and detonated for a while - I'm not a member of the board, so I'm not supposed to speak, but can I tell you how much I want to? Sometimes it's a problem being opinionated. I think these meetings are good for me and my ego, though. Keep me in check.
Pippa still hasn't forgiven me for having the April-cat, who is getting surprisingly territorial. Pippa's methods of announcing her disapproval are very passive-aggressive, but at least she's beginning to spend a little bit of time with me now. I miss her, but until we get this April thing resolved... I feel so for April as well. She's still skittish with just about everyone but me - except when the Niecey shows up. April is soooooo happy then.
Another musical weekend coming up - Friday I'm heading down to Ann Arbor with Brian for the Oddfellow Music Showcase, and Saturday I've got this month's house concert with Annie and Rod Capps (http://www.maynardmusic.com/). Very, very much looking forward to that. I'll probably pass out all Sunday, but you'd think the Jazz Fest had got me back in training. We'll see.
I think I've covered everything. I've been wanting to type 'Weirdstone of Brisingamen' since I picked the book up, and now I've done it twice. 'Weirdstone of Brisingamen'. Three times, and it still feels awesome. ;-)
So I'm about historical-fictioned out for the moment. I would absolutely recommend The Lymond Chronicles to anyone, but I'm still working on digesting Niccolo. I decided I wanted something kind of short - and I've more than fulfilled my year's quota of books-on-my-shelves-that-I-haven't-read, but I will continue - so I grabbed Alan Garner's Elidor. This book has always upset me, because it needs to be a first book in a series, and it's not. I hate the ending; it leaves me so unsatisfied. So now I'm in the wonderfully-titled The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (just roll that around your tongue a few times!).
The weather has suddenly gotten chilly, and it's raining nice and steadily outside. Better than the wildly fluctuating and violent weather we've been having. This afternoon I finally got outside and started taming the landscape again - it keeps slipping away from me. So I pulled weeds, chopped bushes and things I didn't want up in front, and then started on the side of the house. My nephew Tyler, once he got home from school, came and helped me rip stuff out and tame the part under the kitchen deck. So, if it's nice out tomorrow, he's going to help me tackle another section of the yard we've let go too long. It's great having strong willing nephews to help their poor old tottering aunties... ;-)
Last night I was at the PSD meeting, which took, oh, about 4 times longer than usual. I came home and detonated for a while - I'm not a member of the board, so I'm not supposed to speak, but can I tell you how much I want to? Sometimes it's a problem being opinionated. I think these meetings are good for me and my ego, though. Keep me in check.
Pippa still hasn't forgiven me for having the April-cat, who is getting surprisingly territorial. Pippa's methods of announcing her disapproval are very passive-aggressive, but at least she's beginning to spend a little bit of time with me now. I miss her, but until we get this April thing resolved... I feel so for April as well. She's still skittish with just about everyone but me - except when the Niecey shows up. April is soooooo happy then.
Another musical weekend coming up - Friday I'm heading down to Ann Arbor with Brian for the Oddfellow Music Showcase, and Saturday I've got this month's house concert with Annie and Rod Capps (http://www.maynardmusic.com/). Very, very much looking forward to that. I'll probably pass out all Sunday, but you'd think the Jazz Fest had got me back in training. We'll see.
I think I've covered everything. I've been wanting to type 'Weirdstone of Brisingamen' since I picked the book up, and now I've done it twice. 'Weirdstone of Brisingamen'. Three times, and it still feels awesome. ;-)