Connections

{photo from flickr by Lin Bow}

It's scary to make connections sometimes.

Connections with a person or a job or a way of life.

That initial meeting can be so dynamic... so strong and so enticing. It almost feels too good to be true. You want it and you want it now, and forever, and to last.

But, that electric connection at some point ceases. Either there was no follow through or the connection climbs to the next level.

The preliminary connection. The learning stage. The feel it out period. It is at this time that decisions are made, consciously or unconsciously, about the future of the connection. At some point the connection may just flow to the next stage.

The contented connection. Although the electricity has worn off, and the dynamics have died down, and you are educated; there is a sense of peace and calm that the connection is a good one or a great one or the one or a bad one or a regular one. This is the meat of the connection.

What happens here is what really counts.

What happens here predicts the future of the connection.

What will happen next?

Keep the connection.

Or don't.

Homecoming

Recently finished Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt on a recommendation from and adult and a 12 year old, as it is for young adults.

The book follows the four Tillermans though experiences that no kids should ever have to encounter, but they face them all with such maturity, they hardly seem like hardships.

Dicey has had to see to it that her brothers and sister have food, shelter and security after their mom leaves them in a car in a mall parking lot.

Their journey to Aunt Cilla's house seems to be their only hope for maintaining their family unit. But as they find when they get there and great aunt Cilla has died, there is a further journey to take.

The novel reads like a diary in the life of Dicey, James, Maybeth and Sammy as their daily travels and travails unfold and unravel to an unlikely conclusion.

The conclusion, though is just the beginning as this book is a series which continues with Dicey's Song, A Solitary Blue, The Runner, Come a Stranger, Sons from Afar and Seventeen Against the Dealer.

Although I did enjoy this book, I am not planning to continue with the series.

The book was borrowed, so it's not up for grabs as I must return it, but I do have two books up for grabs if anyone wants them... just let me know and they are yours:

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (started it and didn't finish it)
and
My Sister's Keeper (was up for grabs but no one followed through on it)

Received

We may be the last be the very last in the country (or at least it feels that way) to receive our...

ECONOMIC STIMULUS PAYMENT

I wasn't sure it was ever even going to come between the move and the VERY high last two numbers of both my and Sean's social security numbers... but it did... on Saturday, and I'm pretty thrilled! I've been pretty fascinated by a couple of posting and sites dedicated to "the" check and wanted to share a few here with you for your enjoyment....

Don't Feed the Alligators has a great post on how to make the most of your Economic Stimulus check.

From there I headed over to buck64aday where BFS is busy stimulating the economy one day at a time.

And there I found How I Spent My Stimulus which is a collaboration of stories where anyone can post.

In my effort to stimulate the economy I promptly went from the bank to Target and spent $102. Hope it helps!

(And if you haven't been to Target lately and haven't seen the itso products, you must check it out!)

Ten Shows I Can't Currently Live Without

Ah, summer television... this is the life, baby! Gone are the days when there is nothing to watch... the best TV is during the summer man!

So, without further ado...

THE 10 SHOWS I CURRENTLY CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT...

#10....

Wipeout - Tuesdays 8pm - ABC - This has become a family night tradition... Addie LOVES this show!

#9...
Million Dollar Password - Sundays 8pm - CBS - I am so loving this game! And I want to play so bad!

#8...
Last Comic Standing - Thursdays - NBC - This one is just plain funny. And it's not too late to start watching because we are down to 10 and Thia is when it gets good!

#7...
Nashville Star - Mondays 9pm - NBC -Liking this more and more as the contestant pool gets smaller and smaller... I was really sad to see Pearl Heart go after last night's rocking performance... and just how gorgeous is Jeffrey Steele?

#6...
Baby Borrowers - Wednesdays 9pm - NBC - I stumbled across this one, and am now... hooked! They're done with babies, finished toddlers tonight, and next week? Pre-teens... ouch!

#5...

Hell's Kitchen - completed - FOX - I believe this is actually over, but I'm not finished watching. For me it's down to 4... 3 women, 1 man... Corey, Christina, Jen and Petrozza. Loving it!

#4...
The Mole - next episode airs Monday at 9pm - ABC - I have been dying for this show to come back! The celebrity version is so much better, but it's holding up!

#3...

Deadliest Catch - times vary - Discovery Channel - Sean got me addicted to this, and I just can't stop watching... what will happen to the captain of the Cornelia Marie?

#2...

Swingtown - Thursdays 10pm - CBS - Okay, this is like total brain candy... I love this show. I wish it was on every night!!!

And the #1 Show I Can't Currently Live Without...

Big Brother 10 - Tuesdays 9pm; Wednesdays and Sundays 8pm - CBS - Okay, so it hasn't actually even officially started, but I already know I can't live without it! It's my very favorite show!!! July 13th, friends... July 13th!

Gotta run and find the remote!

Book Review is Back

It's been forever since I've posted a book review, but I have read at least 3 books in the past month, so watch for a few more book reviews coming up...

I have finished reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

I am new to Ms. Picoult, although I have heard of her and have good things about her writing and books. So, on a recommendation from an employee at Borders, (she originally recommended Nineteen Minutes, then suggested My Sister's Keeper, so Nineteen Minutes is on my list of to-reads,) I went with My Sister's Keeper.

Let me just start by saying that I'm now a Jodi Picoult fan, although I reserve the right to retract that statement, as really one read is not a fan made.

So, anyway... My Sister's Keeper is a story of a young teenage girl who "was born for a very specific purpose." Anna Fitzgerald was conceived through science to "save" her sister, Kate. Kate, you see has "acute promyelocytic leukemia" and Anna is "a perfect sibling match."

As may be assumed, this whole conglomerate of events, situations, and relationships makes for an unclear, sensitive, and heart-wrenching mess of a family.

Sara and Brian, parents of Jesse, Kate and Anna had felt after the birth of Kate that their family was complete with each having their "clone." And this is the most compelling reason for Anna's feelings about her role in the family, "I used to pretend that I was just passing through this family on my way to my real one. It isn't too much of a stretch, really - there's Kate, the spitting image of my dad; and Jesse, the spitting image of my mom; and then there's me, a collection of recessive genes that came out of left field."

Anna has donated umbilical cord blood, undergone countless procedures, surgeries, transfusions and shots for Kate, and now is being "asked/told" to donate a kidney.

And this is where life grinds to a halt for the Fitzgeralds. Anna is suing her parents for medical emancipation.

The amazing writing in this novel is gripping... from a four letter word for vessel... to a blue star that has a white dwarf companion... from the goalie that saves every time...to the one who cannot rescue and so must destroy... the most brilliant writing comes through the mouth of Brian, captain for the fire department who when responding to a fire considers if the structure may collapse or the temperature is hot enough for a flashover and remembers his training that he and his men back out, states that "The safety of the rescuer is of a higher priority than the safety of the victim.
Always."

Telling.

I just absolutely love that the entire book can really be summed up in the prologue:

"No one starts a war - or rather, no one in his sense ought to do so- without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it." ~Carl Von Clausewitz, Von Kriege

And, the book is up for grabs for anyone who wants it... just say the word and it's yours.

Petsmart... oh yes they are!!!

Inspired by both a trip to Petsmart and this post on Don't Feed the Alligators, I posted this comment and also wanted to share it here. Because... it explains my "pet thing" and hey, it may give you a much needed laugh.

(Comment slightly edited by author)

Petsmart. Petsmart? Pet SMART! Well, yes indeedy, they sure are!!!!

I went to Petsmart yesterday and had quite an enlightening experience.

You see, I don’t really like pets. (Shhh… please don’t tell because I know that not liking kids and dogs is like the barometer for making one a good person.) But, really, it’s just not my thing.

I had lots of pets growing up, mostly dogs. And I loved them. Dearly. Very much. (Here's to Jingles, Sadie, Gem and the rest.)

But, I’ve never liked them to to sit on me, lay with me, breathe on me, lick me, drool on me. I just don’t like it.

And then, as I got older, and tried out pets for myself, (growing up it was all my mom’s job to take care of them, feed them, clean up after them, pay for them, etc.) and it didn’t go well.

We got a dog within the year we married, (here's to Nikita,) a black lab, (but probably a mutt, got her at the MSPCA.) We didn’t do any research and really didn’t do it right. We had no fence, so she needed to be tied in the yard, we tried training, but didn’t follow through. And we eventually had cease being her owners.

{photo from trekguy on flickr}

Well, long story short, we went pretty much petless for a very long time, (excpet for the cat that came with our house, but that’s a story for a different day.)

We now have a 6 year old nature loving, science adoring, animal lover who would love to take in every moth, butterfly, inchworm, bird, or any other living creature.

So, alas… the cat has gone from owning our house and owning us, to us having to do much more for her than we ever did before.

And, well, shouldn’t every little animal lover at least have a fish?

Oh, and how about a hamster?

Okay… I’m done! 3 pets in the house of no pets allowed!

Anyway, long story short, I went into Petsmart today for the first time ever. I didn’t think much about it. Just going in to get a hamster harness, (don’t ask…) Oh, and a ball, our ball broke.

Well……. $65 later!! Seriously!!!! No. Seriously. Sixy-five freaking dollars on pet stuff? I must have rocks in my head!!! They make everything so cute and appealing in there! It almost made me want a dog! (Not.)

So, I succumbed to the pink fleece cat bed, that our cat never needed before… the adorable cheetah print cat pillow, every cat needs a pillow… the purple glitter hamster ball, colored glitter? Sign me up!… the hamster wheel racecar, now Blackberry can drive all over the house!… and who the hell knows what else?

I walked out of there thinking… wow! Petsmart - good name!

I had no idea…

On My Mind...

So many things on my mind... some I may elaborate on, some I may not...

Feel free to share your thoughts on any and I'll be pondering over them as well...

Some blog titles for the future:

* Posers - Aware that they are doing this and consciously doing it, or naive and immature enough to not even realize it?

* Liars And the Tangled Webs they Weave

* Devulging All - Should You or Shouldn't You? And to Whom?

* The Techniques of the English Language - If You're going to Post it, Know How to Write It

* The Art of Double Talk - How to Scramble Things Around Enough so that No One Knows What You are Really Saying or Meaning

* People Who Live In Glass Houses Should Not Throw Stones

* Doing the Best You Can - But Just What is Your Best?

* The Unexpected Friend

I'd love to hear some titles on your mind!