Ginger_Sister’s blog

I'm still trying to catch up.

  Ok Musicophilia was just plain fascinating.  It's by Oliver Sachs, the author of Awakenings .  The book explored the unique relationship of the Brain and Music. As an amateur musician myself I enjoyed traversing the journey with sever tic's that calm when music is played.  Those who have lost all capacity to remember, until music is involved.  The miracle of perfect pitch and all it's connections.  I even did some tests myself.  After reading an encounter with a composer/musician who had lost perfect pitch after a stroke, he discovered he could remember the pitch of a song and then pull the perfect pitch out of it.  I tried it myself and in 90% of all songs I can do the same.  Think it, sing it, and then play the recording and be Right On!  The exceptions are songs that I've played/heard in multiple keys. I think I'm going to have to get this for my mum for Christmas.
  Julie and Julia was rude delight.  I completely understood Julies need to do something that made her stand out. And what an undertaking, trying to cook every recipe in Julia Childs' Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Julie struggles, and has issues, and loves Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  She swears, hates aspic (meat flavored cold Jello). Cooks a mean Crepe, and tries an egg for the first time.  You salivate at some of the descriptions, feel tremendously sorry for her husband on occasion, and root for her to succeed.  A great read, Highly recommend for all who struggle with mattering.
  Then I embarked on a couple of Austen fan fiction.  Austenland is the story of a Pride and Prejudice obsessed single woman who's wealthy relative bequeaths her a holiday living the story and time period.  She struggles along, trying to find her footing in reproduction Regency England.  She makes out with a 'servant', predictably hates the Darcy stand-in, and along the way learns about herself. It wasn't horrible, just fluff, and not the best fluff at that. 
  Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is the story of a Regency girl, obsessed with (you guessed it) Pride and Prejudice, and as the result of a gypsy fortune teller, and horrid horse riding accident, ends up in the body of a girl in LA who's just caught her Fiancee cheating on her.  Well mayhem ensues, and her friends don't really understand her lack of memory and weird fascination with all things technological.  Eventually she learns about herself, and manages to snag the right man.  I felt a bit at sea in this book at first, and the technological discovery became ridiculously redundant before long.  I did find, however that this is meant to be book two of two, and I imagine that would have helped.
  And here would be the naughty book of the bunch.  April told me I should read it, and I got it on CD and read it in my car.  I kept having to turn it off at the bank drive through, and  Taco Bell because it was beyond racy.  It was interesting having a different cultural view, as the three protagonists in the book were three strong African American women.  That was about the best part of the book.  I was blushing far to many times.  Yeah, this is not for the faint of heart. And Definitely NSFW!
  Catching Fire.  What can I say?  An excellent follow up to the fabulous Hunger Games. If you haven't read these books, mark them in your schedule, buy them now, but for your sanity's sake...wait until the third and final installment comes out next year to read them.
Good Lord I love these books.  I'll recommend them to anyone.  They are gripping, philosophical, post-apocalyptic, and with gritty and engaging characters.  Katniss and her family and friends face the latest challenges with the government, and life will never be the same.  This book is full of twists and turns, and meaty encounters.  You will eat this book up.  READ IT!  (Next year)
  Kate DiCamillo's The Magician's Elephant was just one more occasion for her to showcase her remarkable talent to spin a tale that enthralls and engrosses you.  The book is lyrical, beautiful, haunting, and hopeful all in one.  In this story an orphan visits a fortune teller to see if his sister is still alive.  She tells him that he should follow an elephant and that elephant will lead him to his sister. At the same time a Magician is performing and decides that today he want's to really DO magic, and summons an Elephant, much to everyone's surprise. I cried 4 times.  I'm not gonna lie.  I finished the book mourning the fact that I had no one to read it to.  I even called my dad and told him that.  It is beautiful.
  The World According to Bertie is the latest in the 44 Scotland Street novel series by Alexander McCall Smith.  This book, like all the ones before it in the series, are written serially and published in a Scottish Newspaper.  It is really fun visiting these characters again.  Seeing Matthew meet his soul mate, following Angus Laudy as he tries to get Cyrill acquitted, and hearing Bertie tell more than one person that he thinks his new brother Ulysses looks just like his psychotherapist.  A delightful addition to the series. Great character study, and almost like a visit home, via Big Lou's coffee shop.

The vast total of my August Reads can be found here. Enjoy

I have 8 people around me who are pregnant.
Two of which are related to me.

I'm happy for them, REALLY I am.

That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.

I got stuff put in my hair.  More color than is there naturally.
Here are the Highlights :) Enjoy

In my ongoing attempt to catch up.  Here's the next installment.

In Your Dreams is the next in the 'Portable Door' series.  Again following Paul as he begins to learn more of his heritage.  Poor Paul.  He tries so hard, but keeps bumbling through.  Sadly that's not very safe in his world.  His uncle has left him an unusual legacy, he's learning the methodology and paperwork of monster slaying, and tangling with Grendel's Aunt, all while coping with a girlfriend who has left him for good.  Paul has the weirdest dreams, a car that is spirited, literally, and a reputation that is accidentally quite good.  He does figure it out in the end, and all' well that end's at J.W. Wells and Co. 
Stargirl was an unexpected gem to find.  It is the story of Leo, a high school student in Arizona who's world is turned upside down by the arrival of a decidedly different girl, who calls herself Stargirl.  Stargirl marches to her own drum and (well actually Ukulele) and, surprisingly, captivates the imagination of the entire High School.  Leo is smitten, and Stargirl returns the affection, but then it goes awry.  She takes too much attention away from those who actually seek it, creating enemies, and even goes so far as to cheer for opposing teams, which tips the scales of public opinion against her.  Leo has to choose, to be the best kind of man, or bow to the pressure of popularity.  A GREAT read.  I cannot recommend this, and it's sequel (to be reviewed later).
The Perilous Journey is a sequel to the first Mysterious Benedict Society book.  I enjoyed it almost as much.  You met up with old friends, and made new ones, as the Benedict Society heads overseas to find their dear compadres, Mr. Benedict and Number 2.  LaDroptha Curtain has kidnapped them, and the MBS has to combine their strengths in order to solve the clues and save the day.  One of the most poignant moments for me was when Mr Benedict had to manipulate S.Q. Pidallion, and wound his honest heart.  It was very good to see a book show the consequences and remorse that surround such actions. I liked this book, and how it uses my mind in the process of the story.  I'm looking forward to the sequel.
When in the course of human events it has been more than a year since I have read the Harry Potter books I begin to get, well, Itchy.  Of course the anticipated arrival of another in the movie installments is always a good reason to venture forth into Rowling's world once again.  Hey, lets be real.  I don't need an excuse to go back to Hogwarts! This time around two things struck me.  One, how much fun it is to read this series as one of your close friends is reading it for the first time. Two, how much what you are going through affects the way you read them.  I was expecting to feel like I was coming home.  Enjoying old friends and remembering good times. Instead I began to read from a perspective I've never seen before.  A couple of close friends have been going through some rough times with trust issues.  I have been so intrigued to see Dumbledore from this perspective.  He really bore the brunt of Voldemort's choices, and was the carrier of that history. Then here comes Harry, he starts doing some of the same things. Keeping Secrets.  Speaking Parsletongue.  Not telling the whole story.  Thinking, sometimes, that he's above the rules.  Can you imagine the faith and trust Dumbledore must have had in order to believe that Harry was going to turn out different?  Especially as it becomes clear that the Scar and connection between He Who Must Not Be Named and Harry becomes more significant.  If you haven't read this series yet....What are you waiting for?  They are brilliant!

It's been a long time since I've posted my reading reviews, and I have quite the list.  I'll break it up in to different months so enjoy.

She joined a choir. 
(That's not the astounding part)
She has this beautiful voice.
(nope not it either)
She sang this solo.
(not yet)
It was Legen....wait for it...dary.

She's the one singing the solo
Yup, at the beginning and the end.

That's her hitting that pitch perfect high A.

Sweet eh?
3 :25 of beauty to start your day.

Recently I read an article in the paper about a calendar garden in our area.  DeFries garden is laid out like a compass and each section represents a season.  In addition all around the edge are the days of the year, each representing a view that is seasonal and growing at that time.  When I heard of a group of ladies from our church going I rearranged my schedule to be able to attend.
On the way there it was misty and beautiful and I couldn't resist pulling over on the side of the road and taking this picture out of my window.

The day was lovely.  The garden was too. Even though large portions were just finishing their peak blooming time it was still lovely.  The pond was tranquil, and the journey worth it, despite the myriad of bloodthirsty mosquito's. 
This is my favorite pic from the morning.
If you care to see more, here are the day's photo's set to music.

And I'm still in AWE!
Photo's of our day in Chicago and the awesome concert follow.

And here we are preparing for Snow Patrol:
And then the concert! 
Check out the amazing stage and expanding screen that almost had me considering buying a Blackberry:
And just so we're clear. I want a Giant Spike of lights with a Huge Disco ball on top!
Traffic jam on our way out.

Ok, to follow my previous post, because I'm too nice to make you sit through both of these at the same time, I've been reading the book of James and it has been ahem stirring me up so to speak.
James has some choice words in chapter 2 for believers who think it's OK to treat people with money preferentially over those who have none.  He really takes them to task for it, and in the process delivers this:

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

This brought to mind several conversations I've had about Sunday lunch tippers.  I've had friends over the years who have been waitresses/waiters. They've mentioned the horror of the after church Sunday lunch crowd.  Yes folks.  Straight from Church Christians are notoriously BAD tippers.  Often rude and demanding they usually leave the bare minimum, if not less.  I've even heard several stories of people not being tipped with money but instead with a biblical tract..attempting to 'save' the wait staff.

REALLY! (Come on universal sarcastic font.  How I need you!)

Apparently we've not read this verse.  If we say...hey I wish you well.  I'm going to care about your 'eternal soul' but not give a flying fig newton about how you put food on the table, or do my part to help you keep a roof over your heads then what good is it?  This isn't exactly putting faith into action is it?

Tip like you were tipping Jesus folks!

The other great thing about wealth is here:

¹Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. ²Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. ³Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. ⁴Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. ⁵You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. ⁶You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.

I feel like this is particularly timely.  Seriously.  What all do we have that comes to us at a price to others that have nothing against us?  What about the death that has been caused because of the Oil and Gas that fuels our cars and warms our homes?  What about the coffee that is grown in such a way that the workers get pennies a day for their back breaking work?  What about shopping at big conglomerate stores or restaurants that treat employees and suppliers with disdain and keep them in poverty?  What is the price on my relative luxury. 

I read an article the other day in the Washington Post about a woman who was complaining about how she was just scraping by on $300,000 a year. I was just appalled by this and had much to say about the excess of her life.  Then I read James.  Do you know that I (who often live paycheck to paycheck) am in the top 8.1% wealthiest people in the world? See where you come out. So where do I need to pare down, give up, let the cries that reach the Lord reach my ears?
Lots to think about.  Hope it stirs you too.