Books Books and Books

I like to keep track of what I read. I used to keep it all on my PDA - but lost it all when I moved to my new (and much loved) Mac. So, here is a list of the books I read this year 2006 (well what I can remember reading).

Diary of a Lost Boy* by Harry Kondoleon
Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff, Jesus' Lifelong Pal* by Christoper Moore
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Life of Pi* by Yann Martel
Jitterbug Perfume* by Tom Robbins
The Magician's Assistant by Ann Prachet
The Eyre Affair* by Jasper Fjorde
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

*means I highly recommend it!

Now, those are books I read for the pleasure of the read - and also as part of the book club I started with my mommy group. I also read oodles of plays for work and non-fiction for research for shows. The list would be giant if I included the books on Eugene O'Neill and Bertorlt Brecht that I have been pouring thru as well as books on theatre theory... Maybe I'll include those next year.

My goal by my birthday 2007 is to have finished WAR AND PEACE. Wish me luck!

Yule tide

From Wikipedia..

Yule is the winter solstice celebration of the Scandinavian Norse mythology and Germanic pagans. In Neopaganism, this celebration is largely reconstructed to various extents by various groups. In Wicca, a form of the holiday is observed as one of the eight solar holidays, or sabbats, where Yule is celebrated on the winter solstice: in the northern hemisphere, circa December 21, and in the southern hemisphere, circa June 21.

"Yule" and "Yuletide" (also see Yalda) are also archaic terms for Christmas, sometimes invoked in songs to provide atmosphere. Indeed, this is the only meaning of "Yule" accepted by either the full Oxford English Dictionary or the Concise Oxford Dictionary, and people unfamiliar with ancient Norse mythology's pagan traditions will not distinguish between Yule (Joul) and Christmas. This usage survives in the term "Yule log"; it may also persist in some Scottish dialects. In Denmark, Norway and Sweden the term "jul" is still the most common way to express Christmas, as well as "joulu" in Finland and "jõulud" in Estonia.

What is certain, is that Yule celebrations at the winter solstice predate Christianity, and though there are numerous references to Yule in the Icelandic sagas, there are few accounts of how Yule was actually celebrated, beyond the fact that it was a time for feasting. 'Yule-Joy', with dancing, continued through the Middle Ages in Iceland, but was frowned upon when the Reformation arrived. It is, however, known to have included the sacrifice of a pig for the god Freyr, a tradition which survives in the Scandinavian Christmas ham.

The confraternities of artisans of the 9th century, which developed into the medieval guilds, were denounced by Catholic clergy for their "conjurations" when they swore to support one another in coming adversity and in business ventures. The occasions were annual banquets on December 26,

"feast day of the pagan god Jul, when it was possible to couple with the spirits of the dead and with demons that returned to the surface of the earth... Many clerics denounced these conjurations as being not only a threat to public order but also, more serious in their eyes, satanic and immoral. Hincmar, in 858, sought in vain to Christianize them" (Rouche 1987, p. 432).

And I can't help...

...lovin' that man of mine. A friend told me that when the baby is between 15-19 months - things can get pretty intense with couples - stressful that is. So, here are ten reasons why I love my husband today, in no particular order:

1. He did the laundry.

2. He says he loves me every time we talk on the phone - no matter who is in the room with him.

3. He pretends not to know what I bought him for Christmas.

4. He introduced me to the Simpsons (the cartoon) almost 13 years ago and we laugh like hell at it.

5. He tries really hard to distract the baby so I can take a shower. He really does.

6. He brings in firewood and takes out the garbage.

7. He just looked really sexy when I watched him (from my car) buying new tires for his car...

8. He loves the baby.

9. He waits for me to get home so we can open the holiday cards together.

10. He's brilliant and doesn't flaunt it.

oral hygenie

I went to the dentist today for the first time in about 8 years. I was shocked and well, flabbergasted, that I did NOT have any cavities. I know! And I had a baby - which has caused major dental issues for all the women in my family. So, I got a bit of a polite scolding about flossing (since I never do) and a referral to have my upper wisdom teeth looked at -- yes I only had the bottom ones removed in jr, high. Anyway - I am so happy. So very very happy...

whaa?

So, I just finished reading SHOPGIRL by Steve Martin - not a bad little novella. And I'm dressed for work, feeling a bit fat since I'm wearing pre-pregnancy clothes that are a bit dated. I'm getting gas at the neighborhood station and as I sit in my car (with the door open) so I don't get went from the rain,a s the gas fills my car - a man starts talking to me. He's probably 54, he's got whitish grey hair, in a suit (nice tie) and driving a Passat. Reminds me a bit of Steve Martin and hey, I just read that book. So the guy's yacking about the news in Baghdad. Now, my vanity says - hey he's trying to pick you up. So I nonchalantly scratch my nose with my wedding ring finger - and he's still chatting. Whatever, he's pleasant. Then the humdinger of all humdingers: he asks "Do you have a bible in your house?" I look to left field. What? A Bible. I say "yes" because I do. I neglect to say I also have a variety of other different religious books like the Koran, the Gita, the I Ching, and a Book of Shadows. So, he starts in on how he was Episcopalian and he is trying to figure out how to talk to his kids about what is happening in the Middle East. By this time I am done gassing up. I start to get in to my car and he says "Have the Jehovah's Witness ever come to your door?" I looked at him cautiously and said "no". "Well," he says, "here take this - this was incredibly helpful for me." Yes dear readers - a Jehovah's Witness pamphlet. What do I do? Take it? Of course. It's raining. I'm running late for work. Do I really want to get into a religious debate with a zealot in the middle of a gas station? So I thank him and leave. As I drive the 50 minutes to work - I am annoyed with myself about being polite. Well, first I'm annoyed that I thought he was trying to pick me up - then I was annoyed that I didn't give him a piece of my mind... I thought of several witty retorts - but it was too late, the moment was past. So I put in some Sondheim and sang along on my drive.

being overwhelmed

Everything came to a bit of a head this morning. I got a bit overwhelmed with the universe. So, my husband took the baby and I took my laptop and came to a coffee shop. All, the exquisite calming qualities of a soy latte. I realize that I am having a hard time working at home. If the house is even remotely messy - I will spend the 4 hour block I have cleaning or organizing. Then, that overwhelmed feeling creeps in and I start to spin. Arg.