Season's Greetings! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Wishing you the very best whatever it is you celebrate.
We have made a crazy and spontaneous decision to hop in our car and head east about 1,368 miles....to Oklahoma! We'll be driving well into the wee hours and beyond. But we know some grandparents who will be very happy to see their California grandchildren and son and daughter-in-law (that's me!). Wish us luck!
Good Monday Morning to you all!
Yes, yes, I've been somewhat absent lately, not due to a lack of love, but to a lack of time. While I do love my children, Mr. Summy, friends, family, Christmas decorations, gift giving, and writing books, blogging, all of them together is a bit overwhelming. ;)
Anyway, it's that time of year when I get to feeling sad and nostalgic and wishing I were going home to Canada for Christmas. I can barely listen to Anne Murray without tearing up.* Being the practical person I am, I thought I'd google see what fun stuff I can get up to here in San Diego that would be a little like the fun stuff I'd get up to in Toronto. Here goes....
Skating...
Skating by the Sea at the Hotel del Coronado (thanks google images for the photo)
At the Hotel del Coronado, they flood the Windsor Lawn to make an ice rink for skating next to the Pacific Ocean Nov 23 to Jan 8. It costs $20/$25 (adults) and $15/$20 (kids) for a 2hr/3hr session, including skate rental (not many of us own skates down here!). Growing up, our neighbors flooded their backyard, and all the kids in the neighborhood skated on it for the winter. In fact, that's where I learned to skate, pushing around a wooden chair until I got my balance. This took years (joke).
Please click here for skating details, such as the times the rink is open.
San Diego Boat Parade of Lights (thanks again google images. What would I do without you?)
It's hard to fathom, but today is our final book club meeting of 2011. There are, in fact, only 24 more days left in this year. Which means it's that holiday season, where you're casting about for gifts for friends and family. Cast about no more! Think of us as your book review elves! We've put together reviews of all sorts of books, sure to please the people on your gift list and, of course, you too. Read on!
HOW THEY CROAKED--THE AWFUL ENDS OF THE AWFULLY FAMOUS by Georgia Bragg, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley.
I love this book! I already purchased it for Child #3 for Christmas. (No gift spoiler for him, as I can't imagine he reads this blog.) Sure, he's a sophomore in high school, and HOW THEY CROAKED is rated for kids aged 10+. But I can just imagine him tossing out disgusting bits of info to impress the girls at lunch. Tidbits like: "So that Tut wouldn't rot on the trip to the next life, the embalmers scooped his insides out from top to bottom. To get his brains out, a long bronze needle with a hook on the end was shoved up his nose. His brain was broken up into teeny bits and pulled out one piece at a time." (pg. 2) Yes, Child #3 will love this book too! And I think Child #4, my girly 11 year old, will also get a kick out of this book.
HOW THEY CROAKED provides gruesome details of the deaths of 19 famous people, including Henry VIII, George Washington, Albert Einstein, Elizabeth I and more. You'll also pick up interesting facts about their personalities, their lives and the times they lived in. Get a load of the opening paragraph of the chapter on "Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Brains": " It was the best of times for Charles Dickens, the richest, most famous author in the 1800s. But it was the worst of times for anyone who knew him. Dickens was incredibly talented, but he was also a moody, dirt-phobic control freak." (pg. 117)
The writing style is breezy and fun. The illustrations are great and complement the text. The subject matter is gory, gross and gripping. I have three holiday parties coming up in short order. Think of the conversations I'll start!
Please scroll down and click through for more book reviews. You won't be sorry. Neither will the people you're buying for.
Happy Holidays! Happy Reading!
PICTURE-BOOK REVIEW
Ellen Booraem of Freelance Ne'er-do-well: HOW TO BE A GOOD CAT by Gail Page
Kaye of the Road Goes Ever Ever On: THE FATHER CHRISTMAS LETTERS by JRR Tolkien, compiled by Ballie Tolkien (ages 5+, letters + pictures)
MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS
Ellen Booraem of Freelance Ne'er-do-well: CIRCUS GALACTICUS by Deva Fagan (middle grade, sci fi/fantasy)
Jody Feldman: THE EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephens (middle grade, fantasy)
Sarah Laurence: STEALING BASES by Keri Mikulski (young adult)** Keri is one of our very own intrepid reviewers!
Linda McLaughlin: BEWITCHING SEASON by Marissa Doyle (young adult)
Stacy Nyikos: THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern (young adult/adult crossover)
ADULT BOOK REVIEWS
Patti Abbott: MUDBOUND by Hillary Jordan
Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: THERE'S CAKE IN MY FUTURE by Kim Gruenenfelder (women's fiction)
Kathy Holmes: LITTLE BLACK DRESS by Susan McBride (women's fiction)
Scott Parker: THE HOUSE OF SILK: A SHERLOCK HOLMES NOVEL by Anthony Horowitz (mystery)
Prairie Rose of Prairie Rose's Garden: STARTED EARLY, TOOK MY DOG by Kate Atkinson (mystery)
Sarahlynn of Yeah, but Houdini didn't have these hips: GHOST STORY by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #13) (mystery/urban fantasy)
Alyssa Goodnight of the Writers' Road Less Traveled: A CRIMSON WARNING by Tasha Alexander (historical mystery)
Stacy of The Cat's Meow: A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by Deborah Harkness (paranormal)
Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: AS LONGS AS THE RIVERS FLOW by James Bartleman
MEMOIR REVIEW
Ellen Booraem of Freelance Ne'er-do-well: ALL MY DOGS: A LIFE by Bill Henderson (adult)
Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for a great year of reviews!
It's that time of year when, here in the US, we're thawing our turkeys, baking our pies and thinking about what we're thankful for.
Well, I'm thankful Jim Williams ended his hiatus of sixteen years and returned to the stage.
Here's Jim Williams as Man in Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone, currently playing at the Coronado Playhouse, 1835 Strand Way, Coronado, CA. (619) 435-4856
This past weekend, Mr. Summy, two good friends and I went to see The Drowsy Chaperone. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's one of the best plays we've seen in the last four years (which is when we started regularly going to the theater together). And we ALL loved The Drowsy Chaperone--no mean feat for people who have trouble agreeing on which sushi rolls to order.
In brief, The Drowsy Chaperone is a very funny musical comedy. From the Coronado Playhouse's website: This hilarious show-within-a-show begins when a die-hard musical comedy fan dusts off his favorite cast album, a 1928 smash hit called The Drowsy Chaperone. The album magically bursts to life and the audience is instantly immersed in the glamorous, comical tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day.
I called Jim after the play to ask him a few questions for this post (yes, I'm that kind of pushy blogger).
Me: So, what ended the sixteen-year hiatus? Did the stars align? You won the lottery? Your wife threatened to leave if you didn't get back on stage? Seriously, tell us and we'll make it happen again.
Jim: It was the play. When it first came out on Broadway, my daughter gave me the CD. Then I saw it in Orange County. And I said that if The Drowsy Chaperone ever comes to San Diego, the Man in Chair is the one part that will pull me out of this hiatus.
Me: Which begs the question...why did you take sixteen years off? Did the stars misalign? You lost the lottery? Your wife threatened to leave if you didn't spend more time at home? Seriously, tell us and we'll make sure it doesn't happen again.
Jim: It was a combination of Santee* losing its place for performing, and my wife and I deciding to do a bunch of traveling. And it was a nice break. When I did theater in the eighties and nineties, I was in rehearsal Monday through Thursday and then in performance, perhaps at different theater, on the weekend. This went on for about fifteen years.
Welcome to a My-Town-Monday post. I'm a little late getting this up. I had a dental appointment this morning. However, my dentist was a no-show, and I ended up running a few errands since I was already out and about.
It's been a while since I wrote about our male and female veiled chameleons (Mr. Cone Head and Fat Letta, respectively), and I thought I'd bring you up to date on Fat Letta.
Fat Letta, our female veiled chameleon, around 4 years old. Don't mind the white skin on her head. She's shedding. (photographed with my droid)
Unless you're into veiled chameleons, you probably aren't paying much attention to the fact that she's not holding herself up on her legs, but is resting on her belly. Poor Fat Letta is calcium depleted, and her bones aren't doing particularly well. I give her a sticky liquid calcium by oral syringe twice a day in the hopes of improving her condition. I also hold a bowl of crickets close to her for feeding as there's no way she could get around the cage on her shaky legs.
Fat Letta is an over-achiever in the egg deparment, and that's the cause of her bone problems. She insists on producing eggs every couple of months. About a month ago, she tunnelled down in the five-gallon Home Depot flower bucket to lay 30+ eggs. In the morning, she was still in the tunnel of cold, damp sand. Not a good sign. She used to tunnel down, lay her eggs, smooth the sand over so I had no idea where she'd deposited the eggs, then climb up to the top of cage to bask under the heat lamp.
This last time, my heart in my throat, I reached into the tunnel to lift out her cold, still body. I really thought she'd died, but then she blinked at me. Fat Letta is almost four years old. I believe veiled chameleons live 4-5 years in capitivity. The vet has suggested a hysterectomy. But, even to me, a crazy chameleon lover, this sounds a little over the top. You can imagine Mr. Summy's response!
These braided branches give Fat Letta a thicker area for grasping with her sore feet. (photographed with my droid)
I returned home today after my almost-dental appointment to find Fat Letta on the bottom of the cage. I think she lost her balance (her front legs are especially weak) and fell off her branch. I braided in extra branches (they're fake) and will figure out a way to fashion a net partway down the cage.
Sorry to not have better news. However, the fat lady hasn't sung yet. Perhaps the calcium will kick in. In addition, I've changed the UV bulb, in case that's exacerbating the bone issue.
Please check out the posts by the other My Town Monday participants by clicking here. No doubt they're a little cheerier.
It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means, it's time for The Book Review Club! Hello and welcome! The reviewers have done an awesome job, so please scoll down. You won't be sorry. See the photo of the woman on the left? That's Kelly Hayes, my critique partner. It's always a treat to read a review by Kelly, and I'm happy to report I managed to talk her into reviewing a book for us this month. Take it away, Kelly!
THE DRY GRASS OF AUGUST by Anna Jean Mayhew
It’s 1954 in Charlotte, NC, and 13-year-old Jubie Watts hasn’t yet made the transition from child to young adult. But all that is about to change. Jubie’s mother packs Jubie, her three siblings, and the family’s black maid, Mary in to the car for a road trip to visit family in Florida. For reasons only guessed at by Jubie, her father is not coming with them.
(photo credit: google images. I would never get this close to such a scary looking cat!)
Every night, after the park closes, Disneyland unleashes 200+ feral cats who prowl the Park and keep the roden population under control.
During the day, these cats lead a, well, dog's life. They live in well-maintained cat houses, dine at the five or so hidden feeding stations, have access to health care (shots, neutering, spaying, no botox though :) ). The cats are kept under wraps when the Park is open to guests, although rumor has it you might be able to spot a cute tabby face from the Jungle Cruise ride.
How did Disneyland end up employing dozens of our feline friends? In the late 1950s, the Sleeping Beauty castle underwent a major renovation. Guess who construction works found squatting inside the castle? Over a hundred Orange County alley cats. Along with a huge number of fleas! Disneyland tried to evict the cats, but to no avail. And then a bright Disneyland employee mentioned how they weren't having the problems with rodents that once plagued the Park. And, voila, the furry workers were hired! Without an interview!
What I'd like to see is human Park employees herding the cats back to their barracks at the end of the nighttime shift. :)
So, there you have it. The cat's out of the bag now on what goes in Disneyland after the last guest leaves! (Surely you knew I'd squeeze in a cat idiom or two!)
(photo credit: google images, once again. Although I would happily get close enough to a cute cat like this to get the shot.)
And I leave you with a photo I did take. It's of Child #4's winning graveyard cake. It took first at her school's Halloween Carnival this past weekend!
Please check out the posts by the other My Town Monday participants by clicking here. Happy Halloween!
sources:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/02/business/la-fi-cover-disney-20100502
http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20111017-the-secret-world-of-disneyland
http://mikecalahan.com/?p=392
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