I mean apart from the fact that I am a particularly anxiety-riddled person.
I'm not the one getting married in 4 days.
I'm not the one with less than a week to finalize thousands of details, small and large.
But every now and then I get the feeling of butterflies and this morning I woke up in a mild panic about things still to be done.
I guess I just feel uber-responsible for the projects that I did take on to help KT. I want everything to be perfect for their big day and I would die if something I was supposed to have done wasn't, or fell apart on the day, or caused some big furor or controversy. Oh god. I'm getting myself all in a tizz again.
KT's coming over after work to check out the headpiece I have created and I really hope she likes it...and I really hope it's enough to show up in all of that hair!
Next is to complete the bridesmaid's headpiece which is going to be very difficult as I have not had one conversation with her about it. KT and I have just kind of decided how she'll wear her hair and how we'll 'decorate' it. Apparently as KT was telling her what we planned she smiled and nodded her head repeatedly, which is probably about as much enthusiasm as we're going to get from a 16 year-old.
The Aspargus Fern still has to be cut down to decorate the pillars and Bruce has promised to do this tomorrow. Since he leaves for Anguilla on Thursday I will be royally screwed if he forgets. At the risk of throwing him into a foul temper I will call and remind him tomorrow (Bruce is insulted when reminded to do things despite being someone who constantly and consistently forgets the promises of assistance made after a few glasses of the red). If he doesn't speak to me for a month I don't care as long as we have the fern. Actually, if I'm honest it'd be a bonus!
Add a mountain of laundry that needs to be done, a wedding dinner on Thursday and drinks on Friday...there is very little time left. And yet I am wasting precious minutes moaning about it on the internet!
Arrgh!
Tuesday 20 March 2007
Pet Peeve #1
Well not #1 on the list of my All-Time Pet Peeves, but the first I'm posting and certainly what's irritating me most just now:
People who make it a habit of dropping out of a chat...whether it be on text, email or IM... without so much as a TTYL.
Yeah, J, that'd be you.
People who make it a habit of dropping out of a chat...whether it be on text, email or IM... without so much as a TTYL.
Yeah, J, that'd be you.
Monday 19 March 2007
Ouch
I have a bad sunburn.
It was a gorgeous weekend...for the first time in a long time...two beautiful, warm, sunny days. So yesterday I grabbed my book and headed out onto the terrace to enjoy it. Very quickly I felt quite warm so I popped inside to change into a pair of shorts thinking to get some colour on my legs. It wasn't long before I was too warm again, so back in to change into a tank top. At this point, realizing how lilly white I have become over this long, particularly nasty winter, I slathered some lotion on. I don't know what it was, just that it had an SPF number on the bottle. I usually don't have that sort of lotion, the SPF kind, so it was probably sitting there still from my Mum's last visit. But, not really giving it much thought I headed out, settled down with my book and didn't really move for a couple of hours except to turn the pages.
Well, suntan lotions have a shelf life and I think this one must have been well beyond its. Judging from the scarlet that has replaced the lilly white there was no SPF left in that lotion at all and I may as well have coated myself in Crisco.
Most unfortunate is that the neckline of the dress I am wearing to KT's wedding this coming Saturday is quite a bit lower than my new, very precise tan line. I may have to go digging for the fake tan lotion and even it out a little. And keep my fingers crossed that it's not a horrible peeling, patchy mess by then. Argh!
As Bruce pointed out last night, I do this every year...get a burn at the beginning of the season. Usually because I have been trapped on a boat with no cover for longer than expected. But this is March for crying out loud!
And elsewhere in the world...Danielle emailed asking me to send her a photo of the new man as I told her she had met him the summer before last. He happens to be in the Bermuda Regiment. I wrote back, "Don't have a photo yet, but even if I did it couldn't beat the picture I have in my head of him walking up the steps and through the door in full gear...it was like a movie...soldier coming home from war and sweeping the beautiful waiting girl up in his arms. Sigh. Of course that's without the war and the beautiful and the sweeping up in arms bits."
Hee hee. It's true, there's just nothing sexier than a man in uniform!
I wonder if my sun burn qualifies as bad enough to enlist my country's armed forces to send a particular soldier over to slather something cool and soothing all over it....a life saving mission if you will.
Probably not.
Sigh.
I am loving the long evenings at this time of year although it has seemed strange on the cooler nights. It's nice to have enough light at the end of the work day to get out and tend to my 'garden'. I don't actually have a garden, just tons of plants in pots and containers...oh! I have a container garden!
Anyhoo...I bought a whole bunch of plants to fill up the patchy looking pots, and a new batch of herb seedlings to replenish my herb garden, and I might even finally remember to get the Lavender seeds out of the fridge and into starter pots.
Can't wait til 5 o'clock so I can get outta here and get my hands dirty!
And then slip into an icy bath to appease my poor skin.
It was a gorgeous weekend...for the first time in a long time...two beautiful, warm, sunny days. So yesterday I grabbed my book and headed out onto the terrace to enjoy it. Very quickly I felt quite warm so I popped inside to change into a pair of shorts thinking to get some colour on my legs. It wasn't long before I was too warm again, so back in to change into a tank top. At this point, realizing how lilly white I have become over this long, particularly nasty winter, I slathered some lotion on. I don't know what it was, just that it had an SPF number on the bottle. I usually don't have that sort of lotion, the SPF kind, so it was probably sitting there still from my Mum's last visit. But, not really giving it much thought I headed out, settled down with my book and didn't really move for a couple of hours except to turn the pages.
Well, suntan lotions have a shelf life and I think this one must have been well beyond its. Judging from the scarlet that has replaced the lilly white there was no SPF left in that lotion at all and I may as well have coated myself in Crisco.
Most unfortunate is that the neckline of the dress I am wearing to KT's wedding this coming Saturday is quite a bit lower than my new, very precise tan line. I may have to go digging for the fake tan lotion and even it out a little. And keep my fingers crossed that it's not a horrible peeling, patchy mess by then. Argh!
As Bruce pointed out last night, I do this every year...get a burn at the beginning of the season. Usually because I have been trapped on a boat with no cover for longer than expected. But this is March for crying out loud!
And elsewhere in the world...Danielle emailed asking me to send her a photo of the new man as I told her she had met him the summer before last. He happens to be in the Bermuda Regiment. I wrote back, "Don't have a photo yet, but even if I did it couldn't beat the picture I have in my head of him walking up the steps and through the door in full gear...it was like a movie...soldier coming home from war and sweeping the beautiful waiting girl up in his arms. Sigh. Of course that's without the war and the beautiful and the sweeping up in arms bits."
Hee hee. It's true, there's just nothing sexier than a man in uniform!
I wonder if my sun burn qualifies as bad enough to enlist my country's armed forces to send a particular soldier over to slather something cool and soothing all over it....a life saving mission if you will.
Probably not.
Sigh.
I am loving the long evenings at this time of year although it has seemed strange on the cooler nights. It's nice to have enough light at the end of the work day to get out and tend to my 'garden'. I don't actually have a garden, just tons of plants in pots and containers...oh! I have a container garden!
Anyhoo...I bought a whole bunch of plants to fill up the patchy looking pots, and a new batch of herb seedlings to replenish my herb garden, and I might even finally remember to get the Lavender seeds out of the fridge and into starter pots.
Can't wait til 5 o'clock so I can get outta here and get my hands dirty!
And then slip into an icy bath to appease my poor skin.
Thursday 15 March 2007
Food In the Time of Injury
Back in November I had a severe bout of laryngitis which left my poor throat traumatized and me unable to swallow. Once things settled down there followed a long period of desensitization in which I basically have had to retrain myself to swallow food without my gag reflex kicking in. This meant a soft / liquid diet for quite some time. Including the holiday season and all the wonderful associated foods. I love my food and a baked ham at Christmas has to be my absolute #1 favourite. I felt tortured. I'm still dealing with the emotional repercussions of not having been able to eat vast amounts of pig with a silly paper hat on my head.
Just as I was making progress and enjoying a more normal diet again, fate once more took an unpredictable, somewhat devastating turn.
On my way home from work on Friday, 19th of January, on my scooter in the pouring rain, I had an accident. I rounded a corner on a narrow road and found a car smack dab in the middle of it travelling towards me. I swerved to avoid going straight into it and on the wet road my back wheel went right out from under me. I could feel the bike going down and tried to fight it but, no luck. Most unfortunate was my decision to break my fall with my face. Into the wall.
I was lucky. I had a laceration of my eyebrow, a very scary looking egg on my temple and, as it turned out, a fracture of my orbital floor...the 'cheekbone'. The resulting concussion was horrendous and lasted for a few weeks. Of course there were the usual scrapes, bruises and pulled muscles that come with this sort of accident as well and, all in all, I was laid up for a couple of weeks to recuperate. (Lucky for me, my boss is also my orthopaedic doctor, so he's the one who sent me off work...he can't complain then!)
Anyways, my point was really about the facial fracture. You see it meant I couldn't chew. You see where I'm going right? Yes. Back to a soft / liquid diet. F'n TORTURE I tell you.
It's taken a while to heal up but I'm finally back to near normal...avoid anything with too much of a crunch still, as it sends a shock through my face that practically stands my hair on end...but nearly there.
So I think about food a lot. A lot a lot a lot.
Funny though, early on in this ordeal, I kept saying that if the worst thing that came out of this was that I never eat a big juicy steak again, then that's just not that bad. After all, it's bad for you, right? But. I know that, if you are a meat-eater, you are now thinking about a big juicy steak, done just how you like it. I know you are, 'cause I am too. Every time I tried to console myself that way I'd just end up salivating and fantasizing, fantasizing and salivating.
However, I have felt so different, in my body, lighter, healthier (despite injuries) than I have in along time. And I'm sure it's the lack of beef along with all the other things I had to do to ensure I was getting proper nutrition. I may not go back to beef. We'll see how I make out with that. But I will continue with the V8 and the fruit shots by Vie 'cause they're yummy AND good for you.
During this period, finding myself obsessed with food, the closest I could get to some of my favourites was my recipe book. So I decided to sort it out and discovered some new, some long forgotten recipes that I am dying to try. Sweets, savouries, baked goodies. Can't wait.
And at least now I can eat it all.
If these past events were nature's way of getting me to lose a few pounds? I am about to really mess with that!
Just as I was making progress and enjoying a more normal diet again, fate once more took an unpredictable, somewhat devastating turn.
On my way home from work on Friday, 19th of January, on my scooter in the pouring rain, I had an accident. I rounded a corner on a narrow road and found a car smack dab in the middle of it travelling towards me. I swerved to avoid going straight into it and on the wet road my back wheel went right out from under me. I could feel the bike going down and tried to fight it but, no luck. Most unfortunate was my decision to break my fall with my face. Into the wall.
I was lucky. I had a laceration of my eyebrow, a very scary looking egg on my temple and, as it turned out, a fracture of my orbital floor...the 'cheekbone'. The resulting concussion was horrendous and lasted for a few weeks. Of course there were the usual scrapes, bruises and pulled muscles that come with this sort of accident as well and, all in all, I was laid up for a couple of weeks to recuperate. (Lucky for me, my boss is also my orthopaedic doctor, so he's the one who sent me off work...he can't complain then!)
Anyways, my point was really about the facial fracture. You see it meant I couldn't chew. You see where I'm going right? Yes. Back to a soft / liquid diet. F'n TORTURE I tell you.
It's taken a while to heal up but I'm finally back to near normal...avoid anything with too much of a crunch still, as it sends a shock through my face that practically stands my hair on end...but nearly there.
So I think about food a lot. A lot a lot a lot.
Funny though, early on in this ordeal, I kept saying that if the worst thing that came out of this was that I never eat a big juicy steak again, then that's just not that bad. After all, it's bad for you, right? But. I know that, if you are a meat-eater, you are now thinking about a big juicy steak, done just how you like it. I know you are, 'cause I am too. Every time I tried to console myself that way I'd just end up salivating and fantasizing, fantasizing and salivating.
However, I have felt so different, in my body, lighter, healthier (despite injuries) than I have in along time. And I'm sure it's the lack of beef along with all the other things I had to do to ensure I was getting proper nutrition. I may not go back to beef. We'll see how I make out with that. But I will continue with the V8 and the fruit shots by Vie 'cause they're yummy AND good for you.
During this period, finding myself obsessed with food, the closest I could get to some of my favourites was my recipe book. So I decided to sort it out and discovered some new, some long forgotten recipes that I am dying to try. Sweets, savouries, baked goodies. Can't wait.
And at least now I can eat it all.
If these past events were nature's way of getting me to lose a few pounds? I am about to really mess with that!
Wednesday 14 March 2007
And next to my desk today...
Looking very sad on its one month birthday.
About time I just threw it away and ate the chocolates it's tied to.
On my desk today 14.3.07
I really wish the internet had scratch'n'sniff! How wonderful it is to be able to simply step out the door of my office and pick something so beautiful and gorgeous smelling to sit on my desk. Not too many people can do that!
Tuesday 13 March 2007
The Hogfish Beacon
Yay! Finally found a decent photograph of the Hogfish Beacon on the Bermuda Shorts Design website. Taken by a guy called Glen. Thanks Glen whoever you are!
I just love this marker. Whenever we come down the North Shore (unless I'm with someone I REALLY trust to know what they're doing out there) I'm always nervous...the reef is just so unpredictable. As soon as I see this marker I know we are in safe water and can relax. Plus, hogifsh? Seriously yummy.
Monday 12 March 2007
Weekend Blues
What a strange weekend!
I didn't get to go out on Friday night as everyone was doing something or being lame.
The weather on Saturday was downright sh*tty and about the only productive thing I managed was to clean Sneaky Pete's bowl. Also, I discovered that the fish food was past its best before date of June 2006. This just might explain why he hasn't seemed very hungry recently. Who knew that fish food could go off? And just how are you supposed to tell when it smells so vile in the first place? (Yes, I know, the best before date, duh)
The only high point of Saturday was a brief visit from Jude, who is in from London with Nick, and without the kiddos. It was great to have a catch-up as I missed her Christmas visit but it was a shame not to see the wee ones. It was also pleasantly strange to see Jude so kiddo-sick. As she said, we would never have thought it when we were younger.
Anyhoo... I then wasted Saturday evening waiting for a friend, J, to call as promised and do something. He never called...still hasn't contacted me at all in fact, 1pm Monday. This is the second time he's pulled a stunt like this, so that's it. Zero tolerance. NEXT!
Sunday was better in the weather department, which is always a boost for the spirits, and I spent a pleasant few hours in the sunshine with K & T, and T's son Tjr, going around the golf course looking for foliage to use when we decorate for their wedding in two weeks. Then T took Tjr off for a snack and K and I had a cuppa and designed her head piece and hair style and discussed the flowers.
By the time they left it was time to start the Sunday evening routine of dinner and getting things ready for the week ahead...and all of a sudden you realize the weekend is over.
Just like that.
Addendum: To top off such a poor weekend, when I walked into work this morning Gail said she had seen my brother on Saturday night at the Teachers RFC Fight Night. HOW did I miss that? I am out of the loop! That's what happens when I don't go out on Friday. I don't hear about anything and miss out on all the fun! And then I sit around waiting for some jerk who never calls.
Note to self: Do not miss Friday Happy Hour again.
Ha!...just noticed, in the editing box, the suggested 'Labels for this post', scooters, vacation, fall. Perfect tags for Bermuda.
Actually...wait...not so funny considering my recent scooter calamity. Hm.
I didn't get to go out on Friday night as everyone was doing something or being lame.
The weather on Saturday was downright sh*tty and about the only productive thing I managed was to clean Sneaky Pete's bowl. Also, I discovered that the fish food was past its best before date of June 2006. This just might explain why he hasn't seemed very hungry recently. Who knew that fish food could go off? And just how are you supposed to tell when it smells so vile in the first place? (Yes, I know, the best before date, duh)
The only high point of Saturday was a brief visit from Jude, who is in from London with Nick, and without the kiddos. It was great to have a catch-up as I missed her Christmas visit but it was a shame not to see the wee ones. It was also pleasantly strange to see Jude so kiddo-sick. As she said, we would never have thought it when we were younger.
Anyhoo... I then wasted Saturday evening waiting for a friend, J, to call as promised and do something. He never called...still hasn't contacted me at all in fact, 1pm Monday. This is the second time he's pulled a stunt like this, so that's it. Zero tolerance. NEXT!
Sunday was better in the weather department, which is always a boost for the spirits, and I spent a pleasant few hours in the sunshine with K & T, and T's son Tjr, going around the golf course looking for foliage to use when we decorate for their wedding in two weeks. Then T took Tjr off for a snack and K and I had a cuppa and designed her head piece and hair style and discussed the flowers.
By the time they left it was time to start the Sunday evening routine of dinner and getting things ready for the week ahead...and all of a sudden you realize the weekend is over.
Just like that.
Addendum: To top off such a poor weekend, when I walked into work this morning Gail said she had seen my brother on Saturday night at the Teachers RFC Fight Night. HOW did I miss that? I am out of the loop! That's what happens when I don't go out on Friday. I don't hear about anything and miss out on all the fun! And then I sit around waiting for some jerk who never calls.
Note to self: Do not miss Friday Happy Hour again.
Ha!...just noticed, in the editing box, the suggested 'Labels for this post', scooters, vacation, fall. Perfect tags for Bermuda.
Actually...wait...not so funny considering my recent scooter calamity. Hm.
Wednesday 7 March 2007
Reading
I got this list from a blog called Jen and Tonic, she got it from another blog.
Looked interesting so I thought I'd give it a try. I do wonder how they came up with this particular list of books, was it random or is this what someone's bookshelf looks like?
I discovered that I have read a lot of classics (Dickens, Austen etc.) that I could not read now if you paid me...well, maybe if you paid me...
"Instructions: In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of. "
Since I can't figure out how to cross out I have shoved the ones I know I don't want to read over to the right, and the ones I am unsure about I have left alone.
1. +The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) Didn't enjoy as much as I'd hoped
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) Boring
3. +To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) All time fave - have read SO many times
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) Preferred the movie
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) Long time ago
9. +Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) Read the whole series - fave
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. +Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling) Have enjoyed all of them so far
12. +Angels and Demons (Dan Brown) Recommended by an ex-boyfriend, maybe won't bother!
13. +Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. +A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) Fave
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) Really want to read
16. +Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King) Yuck. Nightmares
19. +Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) Long time ago
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) Long time ago, will re-read one day
22. +The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) Enjoyed
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) Long time ago
24. *The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. + Life of Pi (Yann Martel) This is in my pile to read next
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) Blagh
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) Boring
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) Childhood fave
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. +Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. +The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. *Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. +The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) Really enjoyed
36. *The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. +The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay) Also read the sequel, Tandia
38. +I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb) Fave fave fave, I love this man's books
39. *The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. +The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) Read the whole series. HATED the movie
42. *The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. *Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella) Sounds like something I should read!
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. +Bible
46. +Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) Long read but a fave
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. +Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. +She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb) Fave
51. *The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) Read in school, don't like Dickens
53. *Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) Read in school
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. *The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. +Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. *The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) Slow going read
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. +War and Peace (Tolstoy) Took forever but I did it
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) Blagh
65. *Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. +One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) Fave
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) Read a long time ago
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. +Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) Enjoyed the book more than the movie!
72. +Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell) Think I may have read, my parents had it
74. +The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) Loved the movie too
75. +The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Lovely book
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. +The World According To Garp (John Irving) Fave
79. *The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) Read a long time ago
81. *Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) A long time ago
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) A long time ago
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) Read a long time ago - couldn't read it now
86. +Watership Down(Richard Adams) Fave
87. *Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. *The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. *In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. *The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. *The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) Fave
97. +White Oleander (Janet Fitch) Great book
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield) Didn't enjoy as much as I'd hoped
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
Looked interesting so I thought I'd give it a try. I do wonder how they came up with this particular list of books, was it random or is this what someone's bookshelf looks like?
I discovered that I have read a lot of classics (Dickens, Austen etc.) that I could not read now if you paid me...well, maybe if you paid me...
"Instructions: In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of. "
Since I can't figure out how to cross out I have shoved the ones I know I don't want to read over to the right, and the ones I am unsure about I have left alone.
1. +The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) Didn't enjoy as much as I'd hoped
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) Boring
3. +To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) All time fave - have read SO many times
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) Preferred the movie
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) Long time ago
9. +Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) Read the whole series - fave
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. +Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling) Have enjoyed all of them so far
12. +Angels and Demons (Dan Brown) Recommended by an ex-boyfriend, maybe won't bother!
13. +Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. +A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) Fave
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) Really want to read
16. +Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King) Yuck. Nightmares
19. +Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) Long time ago
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) Long time ago, will re-read one day
22. +The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) Enjoyed
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) Long time ago
24. *The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. + Life of Pi (Yann Martel) This is in my pile to read next
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) Blagh
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) Boring
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) Childhood fave
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. +Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. +The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. *Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. +The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) Really enjoyed
36. *The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. +The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay) Also read the sequel, Tandia
38. +I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb) Fave fave fave, I love this man's books
39. *The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. +The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) Read the whole series. HATED the movie
42. *The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. *Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella) Sounds like something I should read!
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. +Bible
46. +Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) Long read but a fave
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. +Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. +She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb) Fave
51. *The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) Read in school, don't like Dickens
53. *Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) Read in school
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. *The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. +Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. *The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) Slow going read
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. +War and Peace (Tolstoy) Took forever but I did it
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) Blagh
65. *Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. +One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) Fave
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) Read a long time ago
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. +Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) Enjoyed the book more than the movie!
72. +Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell) Think I may have read, my parents had it
74. +The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) Loved the movie too
75. +The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Lovely book
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. +The World According To Garp (John Irving) Fave
79. *The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) Read a long time ago
81. *Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) A long time ago
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) A long time ago
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) Read a long time ago - couldn't read it now
86. +Watership Down(Richard Adams) Fave
87. *Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. *The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. *In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. *The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. *The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) Fave
97. +White Oleander (Janet Fitch) Great book
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield) Didn't enjoy as much as I'd hoped
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
Monday 5 March 2007
March Monday
Wow, is it ever a gorgeous day! Beautiful sunny warm weather...just enough of a breeze to keep it from being a hot day...which is never pleasant when you have jeans and a sweater on (albeit a cotton sweater). Of course, I could call my Dad in Scotland and he'd still have to try to beat me on the weather front. Keeping in mind I'm in Bermuda.
Typical conversations with my Dad - Topic: Weather
Me: It was quite a nice day here today. (70F Sunny Bermuda)
Dad: Oh, we had a lovely day today. I barely needed a jacket when I went up to the shops. (50F Cloudy Windy Edinburgh)
or...
Me: It was quite chilly here today. (65F Rainy Windy Bermuda)
Dad: Oh, I think we might have been warmer than you today (45F Rainy Windy Edinburgh)
He's a real 'glass half full' kind of guy. I know because the accurate weather conditions are supplied by my Mum, who, while I wouldn't describe her as being a 'glass half empty'-type, is just...well...accurate.
I am lucky that I get to talk to my parents so much more these days, what with my great long distance calling plan and all. So - things I love about conversations with my folks:
It's great to be able to pick up the phone and call on a whim and I love that they still sound so surprised to hear it's me...as if they have a ton of people that regularly ring them after 11pm (7pm Bermuda time). Hey! It's Steph! Lovely!!
I love the way whoever answers and has the first half of the conversation always bugs the other about how long they are keeping me on the phone and running up my bill. Despite how long they themselves were on for. Despite the fact that I have explained my calling plan 1000+ times now.
I love the way whoever answers first will shout through to the other "Alex/Tassie it's Steph on the phone. Did you want to come and talk to her?" Like there's a "No" option?
I love how my Mum will fill me in on the day to day goings-on of the people that populate her life even though I don't know who they are (unless she's talking about family of course...I know most of them. Not kidding...there's so many that there are cousins I don't know).
And I love how my Dad still wants to hear about what is going on in my friends' lives even though he hasn't seen them for years and gets their names all mixed up.
I love the sort of old-school way they have of saying goodbye at the end of the conversation. It has a very formal feel about it...ritualistic in a way. Certain things must be said by each party and hanging up cannot occur until this is accomplished.
Mum's 'Must Be Said Before Hanging Up' phrases are: Lovely to hear your voice; Speak to you soon; We'll call you next time; OK my lovey; and Love you. And then...'Oh, I just remembered what I wanted to tell you...."
Dad's are: OK my sweetheart; God bless; We think of you every day: Love you loads you know; and Tatty-scone.
I follow their lead and reply to each phrase appropriately but I have not yet ritualized my responses...I wing it.
But man do I cherish theirs.
Typical conversations with my Dad - Topic: Weather
Me: It was quite a nice day here today. (70F Sunny Bermuda)
Dad: Oh, we had a lovely day today. I barely needed a jacket when I went up to the shops. (50F Cloudy Windy Edinburgh)
or...
Me: It was quite chilly here today. (65F Rainy Windy Bermuda)
Dad: Oh, I think we might have been warmer than you today (45F Rainy Windy Edinburgh)
He's a real 'glass half full' kind of guy. I know because the accurate weather conditions are supplied by my Mum, who, while I wouldn't describe her as being a 'glass half empty'-type, is just...well...accurate.
I am lucky that I get to talk to my parents so much more these days, what with my great long distance calling plan and all. So - things I love about conversations with my folks:
It's great to be able to pick up the phone and call on a whim and I love that they still sound so surprised to hear it's me...as if they have a ton of people that regularly ring them after 11pm (7pm Bermuda time). Hey! It's Steph! Lovely!!
I love the way whoever answers and has the first half of the conversation always bugs the other about how long they are keeping me on the phone and running up my bill. Despite how long they themselves were on for. Despite the fact that I have explained my calling plan 1000+ times now.
I love the way whoever answers first will shout through to the other "Alex/Tassie it's Steph on the phone. Did you want to come and talk to her?" Like there's a "No" option?
I love how my Mum will fill me in on the day to day goings-on of the people that populate her life even though I don't know who they are (unless she's talking about family of course...I know most of them. Not kidding...there's so many that there are cousins I don't know).
And I love how my Dad still wants to hear about what is going on in my friends' lives even though he hasn't seen them for years and gets their names all mixed up.
I love the sort of old-school way they have of saying goodbye at the end of the conversation. It has a very formal feel about it...ritualistic in a way. Certain things must be said by each party and hanging up cannot occur until this is accomplished.
Mum's 'Must Be Said Before Hanging Up' phrases are: Lovely to hear your voice; Speak to you soon; We'll call you next time; OK my lovey; and Love you. And then...'Oh, I just remembered what I wanted to tell you...."
Dad's are: OK my sweetheart; God bless; We think of you every day: Love you loads you know; and Tatty-scone.
I follow their lead and reply to each phrase appropriately but I have not yet ritualized my responses...I wing it.
But man do I cherish theirs.
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