Ginger_Sister’s blog

When you hire someone to read a book on CD you should make sure they are literate.  Make sure they can pronounce words properly.

So I'm reading "New Moon", book two in Stephenie Meyer's vampire series.  It's pretty good, but it could have used a better editor.  She uses the word 'familiar' WAY TOO MUCH!  (and by way too much I mean at least 6 times on a page sometimes)  How is it that I am so aware of this?  Because the stupid moron who's reading the book cannot pronounce the word 'familiar' correctly.  So every few sentences I hear 'fermillier'.  Yes. 

BAD ENGLISH! BAD BAD!

Fahmilliar...not fermillier.

Its not that hard.

(every time she says it, and it is a lot due to Ms. Meyer's negligent editor, I just want to bang my head against the steering wheel)

I got to read a lot on the trip.
This one:   

Eric

Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White

Book number two was a so called "Christian Romance"  something I generally avoid like the plague.  What caught my eye on this one was that it was two pastors kids, one black and one white, both struggling in their faith.  Well as a pastors kid myself I thought I'd give it a whirl.  I was mostly impressed.  It wasn't your typical romance, not even your typical "christ centered romance" (an oxymoron if I ever saw one).  I was pretty caught by the characters, and their journeys.  Zora was the daughter of a self appointed Apostle who pastored a large church, and lives in designer clothes, and makes a healthy salary from the prosperity gospel church her father pastors. Nicky is somewhat estranged from his father, and is trying to make amends for being the prodigal son, only to find that his fathers faith is more about appearance management then it is really serving God.  I'll be honest.  Every time the book descended into the "you don't understand what it's like for me as a white/black person" I cringed.  Not because they weren't legitimate points, but because they sounded contrived. As if the story had been created to deal with those things, not just to be a story of the characters Journeys.  However, the characters and the writing kept me engrossed enough to read it in just a few hours.
Book number three was one I've been working on for a while.  I love Laurie R King, and often her books make me work,

Touchstone

which I find lovely.  This one was no exception.  I was captivated by Harris's pursuit of the Bomber, the class situation in post war Brittan, the coal miner strikes, and the rise of Socialism, and mostly by Bennet Grey, whose war injuries made him unique indeed.  This is a good standalone example of the well thought out and intelligent prose of Ms. King.
Currently reading: Reaper by Terry Pratchett, New Moon by Stephenie Meyer.

I'm home now. 
It was good and rough.
Hard to say goodbye to someone I love, and rough watching ones I love hurt so badly.
It was really sad seeing my dad say goodbye to the last member of his family.  Worse yet, watching him realize that the good reunion that has been happening for the last few years won't go any further.  And the most awful was that it happened on my dad's 60th birthday.
I also realized that I didn't really grieve, I was more into making sure everyone else was ok.  It's really starting to hit me, and I'm really sad, plus I don't have any patience for the little things in life at the moment.

I did have some great times though.
My Aunt asked me to sing at the Memorial.  My uncle, Norm, loved Elton John, so I sang "Your song" (with some minor lyrical adjustments...namely cutting out stuff about being a potion maker at a traveling show) and it went really well.  It made my cousins cry....I almost didn't get through it myself.

I also got to hear so many stories about Norm, and realized that some of my tendencies are not weird but family traits.  Norm had a photographic memory, and had a great memory for people, names, and Useless facts.  He also rarely slept on a plane :)  -things that are also mine, so now I know part of him lives on in me, and my dad, and my siblings.

I also got to spend some time with Mary.  She is amazingly generous and open hearted.  I hope so much not to loose her now that Norm is gone.  I really love her, she gave me my uncle, and that was a gift I will always treasure.

The really fun part about all of this was getting to finally meet Susan and Duncan.  They are my other cousins that I had seen many pictures of, but never met.  Let me just say that they are classy.  I already knew Tom and Meredith, and thought they were amazing, and now got to meet the rest of the family, and I'm just as impressed.  They were gracious, caring, and watched out for their mum tremendously.  I'm proud to call them family.

Dad and I stayed with Norm and Mary's neighbors, Lenny and Cindy (and the not to be forgotten Baby, the dog).  They had a delightful Baby Grand piano, and I found that Lenny used to drum for Patsy Cline, and so we had a couple Jam sessions.  They were wonderful to us, and I am so glad Mary has such wonderful friends to care for her.

O.k. I think I've shared enough for now...I'll have to reserve the obnoxious Best Buy experience for another post.  Let me just wrap up with the thanks;
Kelly-you are remarkable with your generosity and support.  Thanks for being a true friend.-ps I started watching Gossip Girl on the recommendation of your blog...we'll see how I like it.-
Carmen-despite everything going on with you, you guys being willing to come and meet me so far away from your home with a keyboard.  It was above and beyond, and so gracious.
Amanda-checking up on me, making sure I was o.k., thank you, you made me feel like I hadn't been forgotten.

Everyone at work who worked extra, and covered for me not being there...thanks.

So here are two songs, the Elton John one, that I sang most of, and one by Lou Fellingham that I sang Sunday at church, in honor of my uncle.

My uncle passed away about an hour ago. 
He was surrounded by people who loved him.
I wish I could have said goodbye.
I'm leaving Friday to be with my Aunt and family for a week.
My heart hurts a very lot.

They did a scan yesterday, the cancer is too advanced, and the infection is too strong.  They're putting him in hospice care.  They're flying me in on Friday for the week.
Please remember us in your prayers.

I finished this book on the way back from Indy this weekend.  I enjoyed it

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

Stephenie Meyer

I just got an email from my cousin, who gave me an update on what is going on with my Uncle.
[Brief overview.  Uncle Norm is my dad's last surviving relative.  I never knew him til about 5 yrs ago.  His wife had some issues, and so we didn't share a life.  She died, and my uncle remarried the most amazing woman, Mary.  Since then we've made contact, and I love them both.  Mary has two kids from previous relationships, and so now I have new cousins, one of which emailed me]
So here's the scoop:
My Uncle's cancer is worse than we knew.  In fact.  I didn't know he was back for treatment, until he was hospitalized this last weekend.  His prostate cancer is back, and has spread to his bones and his lymph nodes.  In the course of Chemo he contracted a MRSA infection, and Pneumonia, and then, while in the hospital receiving treatment for that, he had a small stroke.
I don't know what to do with this.
I feel incredibly guilty that I didn't know this was going on.
I feel incredibly angry that I didn't know this was going on.
I don't know why I didn't know this was going on.
Seriously!
I sometimes don't know how to be in this relationship.  It is all new and so unlike anything I already know. 
Why?  Let me tell you
i. I mostly love people by giving them things.  It's the way I love best.  I see things and go "you know who would love that...?" but My Aunt and Uncle have more money than I ever will, and everything they need, so I'm constantly thwarted as to what to give them....so I feel I can't love them well.  They're always giving to me, but I haven't found how to give back adequately.
ii. I am always the person people share things with.  I'm just that person. I listen well, and care, (at least I think I do).  I don't really know well how to be out of the loop with people I care so much about. I can't decide if it is because I don't matter as much to them as the do to me, or if they're just more private than I am and everyone was in this boat, or if I'm just not as 'family' as my cousins are.  What matters most about this is that I am on so uneven footing that I can't discern which it is, so I spend way too much time second guessing myself.  I'm usually the one who can "see beyond" very easily in relationships, and the fact that I can't read this is very nonplussing.
iii.  I'm the fixer.  I am.  Always have been. First born child and all that.  I can't offer anything to this that will fix anything.  I'm not the daughter (I understand that) or the close friend (understand that too) so what I have to give is not needed yet, and I hate this.  This, I know, is my issue and I need to deal, but I have to tell you, it's killing me.  I want to help, and I have to sit on my hands.  It could very well be that my help wouldn't even be that, but it makes me sad.  I want to do something more than pray. 

The other thing that is really rough is that right now I'm having to be the "liaison" between my family in England and what is going on with my Uncle.  This is rough having my dad be very desperate to hear word, and it has to come through me.  He's planning a trip sometime in the next few weeks, and one of the things he will do, very gently of course, is let my Uncle know that he would like to be there for him, and finding out like we did about the cancer was not cool.  My dad has been so ecstatic about my relationship with my uncle, and the consequential reconnecting of our families, but he's also been very low key about it, trying not to push how happy he is to be in relationship again, because I think he's been afraid that they could fade out of our lives again, and I think this is one of my fears too.  I have become too attached to them to see them disappear, and I'm so anxious to not overstep, because I don't want to be the one to tip the scales and push them away.  It's like I'm afraid that I'm not going to be good enough, and something I do, when I'm not being constantly vigilant (bonus geek points if you get the reference) will make them go..'why did we ever reconnect?' and it will break my father's heart.  My dad told me, shortly after I met Norm and Mary for the first time, that he was so glad Norm met me first, because he thought that I would be the one he identified the most with, and would connect best with in the family.  Suddenly I'm feeling that pressure like never before.

I really feel weighed down.
The visa stuff has been a significant burden.
The pressure of dealing with the emotional effects of possibly moving and leaving significant friends.
Work Drama.
The rash of babies and weddings takes its toll on my ability not to be cynical, but happy for people.
Mum's been ill again.
And now this.

I don't know how much more I can take.
I'm not sleeping well, and I'm worn out.

Thanks to the friends who have taken the time to care, and pray.  We really need it, and it means a lot that you would do that for us.

So I have accomplished something in these last few weeks.  I read books that ended series that I had embarked on, and another in the Terry Pratchett Discworld series.  First off I read through "Gathering Blue" and 'Messenger" both by Lois Lowry.  They are the sequels, after a fashion, to "The Giver".  I have to admit being pleasantly surprised by the fact that Jonas didn't die after all, and instead survived, and made it to a haven called, simply, Village.  It is a place for all the broken people of other societies to find refuge.  What happens in these two sequels is a) the story of another such place where a physically broken girl finds a place of honor because of the unique gift that she has.  This story is played out in "Gathering Blue". The third, and last book, in this distopian, futuristic series tells the story that completes the saga.  

Messenger

Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry

Moving Pictures

Terry Pratchett

It shares the saga of how Village begins to go off course, and stop welcoming the broken, the cast-off from other communities.  In it the physical environment begins to mimic the inhospitable hearts of Villages inhabitants.  It had a very bittersweet ending, but was lovely.
I thoroughly got into this trilogy, and have put them on my list of Books To Read To My Children (should I ever have any) and I know that we could have many long discussions based on them.




I also read "Moving Pictures" by Terry Pratchett, part of my on going attempt to read all the Discworld novels this year.  I enjoyed it thoroughly, and found it very amusing, Especially 'Cut-me-own-throat Dibbler' as he becomes a producer of Moving Pictures.  This is a delightfully sardonic story about fame, and acting, and the price we pay for allowing both the be so idolized.  The book is chock-o-block full of references to people, movies, scenes, and other various and sundry pop culture, and I chuckled my way through this with delight.  So far "Going Postal" has been my favorite of the Discworld books I've read, but this one is a close second. 







Lastly I read the final in Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series; "Extras"

Extras (Uglies)

Scott Westerfeld

This book, though involving, towards the end, the characters that we've known since the beginning, this book had a different feel.  It was set in Japan, of the future, and since Tally Youngblood, and her Cutters had made the mind control surgery public, life has been very different.  This story explores what it would be like to grow up in a tech conscious world, where you can change who you are, by what you do to your body and mind, and therefore become famous.  The more people talk about you, the more you rise in the ranks, and become important. 
What a fickle world fame creates. As if teenage years weren't hard enough.
I found the book interesting, until Westerfeld brought in the characters from the previous books, and the book became way to much of a stretch.  There were a few too many twists, and just when you think you have a answer, then Westerfeld throws you a curve.  Some authors can make this work, but in this case it felt very gimicky.  It would have been an interesting stand alone, if the end had been done differently, without the characters from the other books in the series.

Currently reading again:  "The Kite Runner" with the group of kids I mentor, and "Pride and Prejudice" for soothing purposes, and "Twilight" to see what all the fuss is about, "Eric" in the discworld series, "Touchstone", and I have on deck "Wicked Lovely" and "Reaper Man" and possible a re-read of "Sister's Keeper" with the Mentoring Group.

I have an urgent prayer request.

My Uncle Norm is in the ICU at the moment.  He's been battling a recurrence of cancer, and has been receiving treatment for it.  In the process he contracted MRSA which is a particularly nasty antibiotic resistant Staph infection.  He also has pneumonia, and has been in the hospital since Saturday, on Intravenous antibiotics. Last night he suffered a mild stroke in addition to all of this.  We are very concerned about this.  My dad has been trying to weigh if he should book a flight over from England, and I've been trying to weigh if I should go to VA to be there with them to.  This weighs a lot on my aunt, who's been staying in the ICU with him.  He is much loved, and I've only known him a few years, and am not ready to loose him yet.

Pray that God would bring healing, peace, and wisdom.