Songs That Feel Like Home

No, this isn't a Christmas song. But somehow, Russell managed to set my iTunes settings to Random and this song began to play. There was one point in my young life, where I would play this song almost five times a day and I am still in love with it. When I hear it I think about my family, my life as well as the places and people I have learned from. There are some things that I wish I was mature enough to have done differently but I have accepted the fact that I didn't but now I can. It's amazing what feelings this little song can conjure up and it almost always makes me teary eyed. Are there any songs that do this to you?

-J

Book Review: The Sisters Brothers

I just finished The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt and was very pleased with the overall experience of it. Set in 1851's American West, it tells the story of Eli and Charlie Sisters, two fiercely loyal and flinty brothers, whose affinity for killing has garnered them, not only a notable reputation, but a permanent position as assassins for the local bigwig. The book starts out with the brothers setting off to kill a man named "Warm" who has unluckily somehow offended their well paying employer, "the Commodore." Eli is the narrator and supposedly "softer" of the two brothers in manners and temperament and I found myself trusting in his rustic charm and sometimes poetic judgement. However, it soon becomes apparent, as the brother experience varying challenges and memorable characters along the way, that Eli, too, is not to be trifled with. The casual manner of the brothers' violence is juxtaposed with their filial love and allegiance for each other while their dark humor reflects the case hardened reality of their existence. I found myself laughing along with them one moment and being disgusted with them the next.

At first, I perceived the chapters to be a little choppy but that quality seemed to lend itself well to the journey feel of the book. Stop, go. Stop, go - as though imitating the bumpy ramble of a horse.

I was also surprised to discover that the book reads very much like a movie - and a good movie, at that - if it were to be treated correctly. It reminded me very much of the Cohen Brothers' interpretation of "True Grit" and I would not be surprised if a screen play were to emerge in the near future as it has all the elements of a Hollywood blockbuster: love, hate, violence, humor, redemption and a bit of mystery. Mix those ingredient with the blood and dust of the old West and you'll not only have a hit on your hands but maybe some manure too.

Overall, it was a great read and I would recommend it but with a warning that this book isn't for everyone - especially those with an aversion to strong language and violence.

Has anyone else read this book? What are your thoughts?

-J

Merry Craftmas

I am not a terribly crafty person but when someone sets up an craft event and provides all the supplies and direction...I'm there! I made this with a few ladies from church and think it's pretty cute.

If you're wondering how to make your own (or something like it), it would probably be pretty simple, although you may need to borrow someones Cricut or Silhouette machine to cut out the vinyl. Then you just need some transfer paper, an ordinary floor tile and voila!

Have fun crafting!

-J

The weather outside is frightful...

As we travelled down the highway at a snail's pace, barely able to see two cars lengths in front of ourselves because of the blustery snow, Ken and I had a simultaneous epiphany: let's cancel our plans and just have a cozy night in . As much as we were looking forward to those plans, a stressful night in the snow seemed a good reason to reschedule. So we made a very cautious u-turn and hightailed it home to some delicious Indian food and a warm house.

Then, since we were already snowed in, we decided to finally switch out our old chandelier in the kitchen for a much nicer, updated, yet economical replacement. My "before" and "after" photos got all mixed up and I'm too lazy to reload them so I'm going to spoil the surprise and show the "after" first.

AFTER: Lovely

BEFORE: Eighties Monstrosity!

A closer look at the blight on my kitchen.

Doesn't it remind you of a flying saucer?

I am so happy with the end result! However, now I want to switch out the table too...haha. It's a slippery slope this home improvement/decorating thing.

Now it's time to whip out the hot chocolate, gaze upon the beautiful Christmas tree and enjoy a classic family film that just so happens to be on TV tonight: Uncle Buck! Oh John Candy, you are a comedic genius!

-J

Soap Box

I just read this story and it made me want to spit with rage. It is so frustrating to know that we live in a world where women are still treated like little more than commodities and scapegoats for the gross improprieties of "religious," Patriarchal, power mongering, victim blaming men. It's absolutely disgusting and it breaks my heart. Thank goodness for initiatives like "Because I am a Girl." Gender equality furthers the cause of child survival and development for all society, which is why we should never underestimate the importance of women's rights.

Rant over. I shall now descend from my lofty soap box and get back to watching "Diego" with the boy.

-J

Now That's Love

I sometimes complain about my husband and most of the time these complaints have something to do with him being "insensitive" or "oblivious." I joke about it and often it really is funny the way he seems blissfully unaware of tone and/or body language. I know that these aren't always the best ways to communicate with him and I have made a conscious effort to retrain myself to say what I want and not just assume that he will be able to "read" me. But there are times when how I feel really cannot be put into words and that dear husband of mine IS able to read me like a book.

Last night was one of those instances. I was sick, tired and stressed out. I just wanted to have a relaxing bath and so I filled up the tub, forgetting that our hot water tank doesn't have the capacity to fill our big soaker tub. The running water turned cold and I still had 2/3 of the tub left to fill but I got in anyway, hoping to salvage the moment. And do you know what my dear husband did? He filled every pot of water in the kitchen with water and boiled it on the stove. Then he took a big bowl of water and boiled it in the microwave and carried them all up to the bathroom to fill my tub up with hot water. Then he refilled them all and did this another three times!

The tub still didn't get filled all the way but my heart sure did! So the next time I feel like sharing a funny story about my hubbie's insensitivity, I think I'll share this one instead.

-J

Book Banning

The American Library Association will soon be celebrating their annual Banned Book Week in the States which has got me thinking about this very interesting and controversial topic. This time last year, I was able to experience BBW while Ken and I were living in Houston and found it to be incredibly eye opening and fun. My local library there in Houston put out a lively display of banned books from history as well as books that were being challenged at the time. I was not surprised to see books like Slaughterhouse-Five, 1984, Naked Lunch, A Clockwork Orange, The Catcher in the Rye and other more infamously known and commonly banned books; however, I was startled to see so many contemporary children's books on the list: Harry Potter (series), Captain Underpants, How to Eat Fried Worms, James and the Giant Peach, and A Wrinkle in Time. I read all of these books as a child and have reread many as an adult and was flabbergasted as to why they would be banned from any library.

This is the slippery slope of censorship. If you don't like the book and think it is a bad influence on you then PICK A DIFFERENT BOOK. If you don't want your child reading something that you think may have a negative influence on him/her, have him/her PICK A DIFFERENT BOOK. And if your child comes across any material in a book that he/she/you deem inappropriate then TALK ABOUT IT and then, if you deem it necessary, you guessed it, PICK A DIFFERENT BOOK.

I recently came across an article over at The Exponent, a blog that I peruse every so often that sums up how I feel about book banning:

Book Burning “Friends”

Posted on September 15, 2011 by April

A few books that have been banned at some children's schools

Remember that cute story in the Friend about the eight-year-old who read some bad words in a children’s book she checked out from the school library? She went home and talked to her parents about it. They explained what the words meant and why they chose not to use such language. They also talked about why the characters in the book used such words. Maybe the characters were struggling to choose the right. On the other hand, maybe they came from a different background where such words weren’t taboo. They talked about how they could maintain their own language standards while showing tolerance and respect for people with different standards. They used the book as a tool to reinforce their family’s values while gaining new insights and appreciation for the perspectives of others.

You don’t remember the story? That is because I am telling it wrong. In the actual story, the girl got the book banned from her school...

I think we need to be very careful when it comes to supporting censorship - book banning in particular. Instead of dealing with/talking about any particular issues addressed in controversial books, many think simply banning the book will make those problems just go away. I'm not saying we shouldn't protect our children from material that is not suited to their ages and moral principles but banning the book completely is not the answer; education and tolerance is.

What do you think?

-J