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More on classic novels

I've been thinking about this since writing my post - er, I mean highlighting, bolding, etc. the post I got from Kelly. Before I express my thoughts, remember that I have a degree in English, so I've studied LOTS of literature from many genres. That said, there are many books I think should be on that list, and all of these I have read. (There is no particular order - just the order in which I think of them.)

1 Chaucer's complete works, especially The Canterbury Tales
2 Romeo and Juliet - Shakespeare
3 Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
4 Macbeth - Shakespeare
5 Beowulf
6 Beloved - Toni Morrison
7 Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay
8 Those Who Save Us - Jenna Blum
9 White Noise - Don DeLillo
10 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

I also think it shouldn't be called a list of "classic" novels, as many of those aren't what I'd call classics - at least not yet. They're too new! ;-) And that includes some of those listed above, too! ;-) I think I'd prefer to call it "must-read" works. After all, not all are novels - Shakespeare and Chaucer come to mind ... That said, I feel better now! The first one to pop into my mind the first time I looked at the long list was Frankenstein. How that one didn't make it I'll never know. But, that's all right. It's on MY list! ;-)

ETA (edited to add): I didn't mention my degree to sound like a know-it-all. Upon reading this after submitting it, I realized that it kinda comes across that way. What I meant was that my degree should reflect my love for literature, and help explain why I can't leave well-enough alone when it comes to the book list. I hope that makes sense. I am so NOT a book snob - and I so don't have a superiority complex when it comes to this particular subject! ;-)

100 Classic Novels

I got this from my friend Kelly. She says,

I found this on a friend's blog. It's supposedly a list of 100 of the greatest novels of all time. And as Erin says... "Notice I didn't say THE greatest I said 100 OF the greatest."

The purple ones are the ones that I've read. The green ones are the ones on my to-read list. Supposedly the average American has read 6 of the 100. I've got 28 - not too bad, unless I consider the fact that I have a degree in English. Although, I have read most of the actual classics on that list, just less of the more recently written stuff. There are a few on there that I'm surprised I haven't read. And, honestly, there are plenty that I can't remember for sure whether I have read them - I've read countless books! It's definitely time to update my Goodreads to-read shelf, though!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 nineteen eighty four- george orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia- CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion- Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe- CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha- Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm- George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code- Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies- William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi- Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World- Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Natalie

I'm not sure if you could tell, but the picture of Natalie that I posted on her birthday is old. It was from June. I couldn't find any others on my computer. Well, I found one tonight that is from September. So, I thought I'd share. Here's my baby!

Another Review: The Conservative's Handbook

I got another freebie from GoodReads. This one is The Conservative's Handbook:Defining the Right Positions from A to Z by Phil Valentine. And here's my review:

I received this book as a First Reads giveaway book. I thought it would be interesting to see what all it said, and I expected it to bore me to death!

I was quite pleasantly surprised that it was interesting to see what it said, AND it was actually an enjoyable read. Valentine has a conversational writing style that I found to be very engaging. And, he shows facts to back up each point. Yes, I'm conservative, and I always have been. But I think now I'm even more so, as there were issues I wa...more I received this book as a First Reads giveaway book. I thought it would be interesting to see what all it said, and I expected it to bore me to death!

I was quite pleasantly surprised that it was interesting to see what it said, AND it was actually an enjoyable read. Valentine has a conversational writing style that I found to be very engaging. And, he shows facts to back up each point. Yes, I'm conservative, and I always have been. But I think now I'm even more so, as there were issues I wasn't as informed about that this helped me understand better.

That said, I'd love for someone on the liberal side of the spectrum to write a book like this with their takes on everything so I can fully understand their point of view. I doubt it'd make me turn liberal, but I'd like to better understand where they're coming from.

Anyway, I thought this was a wonderful book. Well-written, and very informative. I was amazed to find myself enjoying the book and reading more because I was curious about what his points were on the next issue in the book.

My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

GoodReads and a Book Review: Sarah's Key

As you can guess from my sidebar widget, I am a member of GoodReads. As a lapsed avid reader, I love that site very much! It has helped me get back into the swing of reading after years of missing it. I can't believe how much I've missed reading. That said, I've won a couple of books through their First Reads program. Their blurb on what First Reads is:

Win free copies of pre-release books. Publishers can list their upcoming books, and you can apply to receive one. Winners are picked randomly at the end of the giveaway.

I've won two so far. And LOVED it. I make sure to make the books I read a priority on my to-read list, then I write a review. Since that's really why these books are given out in the first place, I figure the least I can do is comply. After all, I'm being given a free book! ;-)

That said, I'll stop with the chit-chat and get on with my real purpose of writing today. To share my review (also posted on GoodReads) of Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay.

Wow. What a powerful book. I had no idea about the French involvement in the Holocaust prior to reading this book. I was horrified, and saddened to learn of the events of July 16, 1942. This book was amazing. Julia is a very believable character, and her experience is amazing. I hated her husband - a rude, selfish jerk. I loved her daughter, Zoe.

I felt the book started kinda slowly, but about a quarter of the way into it, I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. I read most of it in a matter o...more Wow. What a powerful book. I had no idea about the French involvement in the Holocaust prior to reading this book. I was horrified, and saddened to learn of the events of July 16, 1942. This book was amazing. Julia is a very believable character, and her experience is amazing. I hated her husband - a rude, selfish jerk. I loved her daughter, Zoe.

I felt the book started kinda slowly, but about a quarter of the way into it, I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. I read most of it in a matter of 36 hours! I'm not satisfied with the end - I have questions. What became of Julia and her daughters? What became of William? What about Julia's ex-father-in-law? What about her ex?

All that said, I would highly recommend this book. It's a very good, and thought-provoking read. Anyone who read and enjoyed "Those Who Save Us" likely will find this book worth reading, too.

My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Wow, that was fast!

At this point exactly 12 months ago I was getting to know my sweet new baby girl, Natalie. She was born at 1:20 a.m. on October 14, 2007. Most of my reflecting actually occurred last night, as October 13 of last year was quite the day. It was mid- to late afternoon when it occurred to me that I was contracting. After dinner I finally decided to time the contractions. We were at the hospital about 9 or so, and walking the halls about 10-10:30. At about 12:35 a.m. I was told I was 5 cm. At 12:50, I involuntarily began pushing. I was complete and Natalie was ready to make her entrance into this world. Half an hour later, my sweet Natalie was here.

I cannot believe it's been a year! Where has the time gone? How is my tiny, quite little baby now a smiley, squealing toddler? It's just amazing. I wanted to write her a letter like I did Abby, but I'm not having any success. Perhaps it's her age, or perhaps I'm just not in the right mindset. I don't know. But, it doesn't mean she's any less loved or less cherished than her big sister.

In every way she is a wonderful answer to prayer. And Dan and I both are enjoying her so much. She's got the most delightful personality, and she's just the cutest thing. It's so neat watching her and the other two as they develop a relationship. She and Grant are quickly becoming buddies. It's so heartwarming to watch. And she just ADORES Abby, who returns the feelings. I pray God help us to cultivate good, strong bonds between all three of our wonderful children.

So, where is Natalie now? She's napping! LOL No, seriously, I thought I'd try to write a quick rundown of what she's up to. She's walking all over the place - and climbing, too. She's been doing this for a few weeks now. The funniest thing is when she grabs something she knows she should have. She makes eye contact with me, then turns and "runs" - toddles as fast as her little legs will go! LOL It is so cute, and the whole time she's grinning ear to ear! After waiting as long as seemingly possible, Natalie has at least six teeth now. (I say "at least" because she doesn't like to let us look inside to see if she has more.) She's all about table food, and doesn't want the baby food anymore. It's a little bit of a problem, though, as she doesn't seem to like the texture of fruit and veggies. But she LOVES meat and cheese. So we've got to be extra careful to make sure she's getting enough fiber. Gotta love transitions! ;-) I'm anxious to see what she weighs - her appointment is on Monday. I'm hoping she's at least 20 lbs. so we can turn her around in her car seat, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's not. She's a tiny little thing - 25th percentile for everything. She "dances" when she hears music, and can say some words.

Natalie just amazes me. She's such a wonderful blessing - God is so good!

Happy birthday, my baby girl, Natalie!

Updating the house situation

We had the furnace looked at today. No repair was needed. Somehow the repair manual got sucked into the fan! Still had to pay the service fee, so the guy went ahead and looked over the whole thing. Bad news: he says we've got about a year left out of that thing. There's a crack between the heating element (put simply: the fire) and the blower, which is the beginning of the end. So, now DH and I are trying to decide if we want to just bite the bullet and do it this year (to take advantage of rebates from our gas/electric company as well as tax rebates) or next year. We definitely want to go high-efficiency. It's not that much more $$$ than the regular ones, and it'll save on heating bills. So, that's the news regarding the house. On a good note, the heat is functional again! Oh, and praise God that this happened this year so we weren't surprised by a broken furnace, or had problems with carbon monoxide!

In a Bad Mood

I guess. Or something. A ton of things are bothering the hell outta me right now.

Firstly, and most importantly, it's freezing. It's currently 45 degrees outside - the high is supposed to be about 64. As of about 30 minutes ago, it was 61 degrees here in the house. And, no, I cannot run the heat. I WANT to, but can't. We need to have it looked at. About a week ago, we noticed the house fan (at that point we were running the a/c - gotta love the Midwest) was making a weird noise. And DH wants it kept off to be safe. OK, I understand that - and I agree. But, the SOB FORGOT to call someone until TUESDAY morning - when I reminded him. (Nevermind he was off work last Friday and could've called no problem!) So, no one can come until TOMORROW morning! Poor kids and I are freezing. Oh, and DH is gone - he had to go for an overnight trip last night. Must be nice to NOT have to deal with this. Jackass! My poor babies! :-(

Secondly, with DH being gone today I had to drop Abby off at school. That's cool. No problem. We're running a tiny bit later than usual, but she was on time no problem. What pissed me off? On one side of the school is an alley. People drop off and pick up the kids over there all the time. I decided to go over there, b/c I could park quickly and I could watch her walk to her class. Or so I thought. But, apparently when dropping off one's kids all courtesy goes out the window. DO NOT BLOCK THE ALLEY SO NO ONE CAN GET BY! Seriously. It didn't happen just once - several people did it. I finally squeezed by some assholes to pull over and get Abby out and to the playground. And guess what, no one was stuck waiting behind my van while I did that! I just wanted to shout "Get the fuck out of my way people! In case you weren't aware, your child isn't the only child attending school today!" Idiots.

OK. I feel a little better! LOL Maybe having frozen toes feeds the foul mood?

And now to sound even more pathetic

This morning I posted a prayer request for the last person on her way home. I posted about 7 a.m.-ish saying she was on her way home "now" and would everyone please pray for her safety and that she handles it OK (not a fan of flying in general). A few hours later, there's a "well, that's not exactly true - at least not at the time of Heather's post ..." Apparently the flight had been delayed. But, the wording just TICKED ME OFF. Did that line even NEED to be there? Couldn't it just have been, "well, the flight was delayed, and now they are en route" or something to that effect?

So, what did I do? I abused my power, so to speak. I deleted all posts prior to hers (a total of 3 posts, I believe) and just made hers the first part, removing the line about me being so out of it. It was either that or write some snarky, bitchy line about excusing me for my ignorance or some other smartass thing.

Why does this bug me so much? Well, this is not the first time I have felt like I'm losing out on time with my friends to this particular individual. To start with, I never invited her to FROGs. She invited herself. Yes, overall, she's an asset to FROGs. But, well, stuff like this makes me regret letting her in. This is the third friend from FROGs that I have painfully watched as she monopolized their time while I am unable to be part of it. She's housed two others at her home. It's great that she's so hospitable, but why not try to include me in as much as possible? I mean, really? If it wasn't for me, she never would have even heard of these people, let alone had the opportunity to spend so much time with them. Now, I will admit that one of the times was just the timing. Natalie was just a couple of weeks old, and I wasn't ready to be taking her out, so I didn't get much time. That's really no one's fault. But, still, I get to hear over and over again about all of these things that happened, conversations, etc. And once again, I'm not a part of any of it. I got to visit with each of my friends a little, but nothing like I'd want to.

Yes, I'm whining and complaining again. I'm sorry - especially since I know some of you know who and what I'm talking about - and if you didn't get to be here at all, you're probably resenting my feelings on this. Sorry. That's why I've been posting about this here and not on the board! ;-)

Maybe not

I'm not feeling as well as I did immediately following the ice cream last night - maybe it was ice cream-induced euphoria? LOL It probably didn't help that I had to see the local and my other friend posting last night - saying how much fun they're having, etc. Thanks. Rub it in. Once again, I'm left out - the story of my life. It feels like I was just a part of the weekend as a formality - I just happen to own/run the board and live where the get-together was held. I hope that wasn't true. And here my insecurity comes to the surface - I can't confidently say that wasn't the case. Especially not yesterday. But, whatever. I'll be sad, mope about it, etc. for a little while then move on. No biggie. Of course, I'm sure my activity at FROGs, outside techie stuff, will suffer. But, oh, well. I only seem to be missed if something's wrong on the techincal side, anyway. Wow, I'm just having one big pity party today, aren't I? Sorry to be a whiny ungrateful bitch today. I'm pathetic, aren't I?

Feeling a little better ...

I did get to take the kids out for ice cream with my friends. So I'm feeling a little better about it. But, no dinner together, as I'm not invited. Fine. No biggie. Somehow, I'm feeling a TON better just from hanging out together for a couple of hours - maybe that was all I needed. I dunno. So, if you read my pity party, thanks. I think it's time to call it quits - I think. (See how I feel tomorrow! LOL)

Feeling like the proverbial odd man (or woman) out

I gotta get something off my chest. I feel bad writing this out, but I have to. For my own sanity. I'm sure some will be pissed by what they read, but too damn bad. I'm sure people will feel like I'm just a whiny idiot. Whatever.

That, said. I will get to my point. But, first, one more thing - many of you who read this will probably know who I'm talking about. I'm not stating names, b/c I feel it's unnecessary. Not b/c people know who it is anyway, but b/c I'm not generally upset with any PEOPLE. Just the situation. Oh, and I'm not posting this on FROGs, b/c I'm trying to be sensitive to those who were unable to come. Anyway ...

This past weekend was our FROGs get-together. We had been planning it for a year or two - I can't remember when we first started discussing it. Anyway, it was held here, in my area. I didn't have to go anywhere. I was so glad, because that meant I could attend no problem. And don't get me wrong - I am EXTREMELY grateful to have been able to participate and meet these wonderful women in person. But, I'm sad. Maybe it's partially the crash after all of that excitement - kinda like after a baby's born or after Christmas. All of that anticipation and excitement and everything building up. Then it's over before you know it and you're wondering where it went. I dunno.

That said, I feel like despite being local I missed out on a lot. Natalie is still breastfeeding, which meant I was "on call" the whole weekend. Friday night DH had some football refereeing, which meant I really had to be out of most of it. The kids and I got to play at the pool in the afternoon. After that we all went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Because I had my three kids and no DH, I got stuck on the opposide end of the table from everyone else. I was basically at the kiddie table. La Flama (the restaurant) is not a quiet place, so I was effectively cut out from EVERYTHING going on. I sat between Grant and Natalie. Next to Grant was Abby and one other child. Across from me was an empty chair, next to which was another child. I was completely oblivious to anything that was talked about on Friday. ANYTHING. Then, I had to get my kids home so they could go to bed. So, while everyone lingered at the restaurant, I had to go. Then they all went back to the hotel and hung out at the pool. Not me. I had to be home with the kids. Apparently they all met up for breakfast in the morning, but no one bothered to let me know that was going on. So, I didn't get there until close to lunch time. And, of course, I had to leave early to nurse Natalie. DH wasn't as cooperative as I'd like, either. So, I ended up spending a couple of hours away from everyone, once again missing out on what all was going on - like praying with another FROG who couldn't be here.

At least Saturday night I was able to go to the dinner and concert with everyone. Dinner was nice, and I got to sit with adults - sorta. I still couldn't hear much of the conversation and had to tend to two of my three kids. And the concert, while fun, didn't really allow for much conversation - it's hard to talk over loud music! ;-) Afterward, everyone went back to the hotel to swim. Everyone but me - I had to help DH (who, again, wasn't as helpful as I'd have liked) get the kids to bed (Natalie had to nurse one last time, too). I finally get there, and got in. Everyone's in the hot tub. By the time I've changed and gone back to the pool area, no one's there - they've all gone outside. I didn't want to go outside. I wanted to enjoy the hot tub. I knew it was my ONLY chance to be there without the kids and fully enjoy the hot tub. So, I went in the hot tub and relaxed - while feeling a little rejected and like the odd man out, so to speak. Everyone eventually came over to the hot tub, which was good. But, it was just on top of already feeling out of touch with everyone.

Yesterday was OK. I took the kids to the pool again, and had some help dealing with them. I did get to go into the hot tub a little again - with Abby, who loves it! LOL After that we went home so I could get the kids fed and lying down for a nap. DH didn't want me to leave until he was done with that, so thanks to him I missed saying good-bye to a lot of people. (And as the kids and I were leaving, some were arriving. I didn't really say much to them, b/c I stupidly assumed I'd be back sooner than I was.) That afternoon was nice - just a few of us together. But, the other local invited the remaining out-of-towner to her house to dinner. Not me, though. So, apparently now that the FROGs weekend is over, I'm no longer wanted around. And, this local is hosting said out-of-towner tonight. Which means I'm once again not involved in anything. I had told my kids we'd get some local ice cream with our guests for snack. I don't think that'll happen - but I will make sure to take my kids for ice cream as I'd promised. I was hoping we could do dinner one last time, as she leaves EARLY tomorrow morning. But, I'm sure that won't happen - just based on how everything has been (not) working out for me.

And this other local, she's definitely a close friend. But, she's relatively new to FROGs - been with us about a year and a half now. And I have known some of these people for 5+ years! I feel like she's come in and taken my friends. I don't know that I should feel that way, but I do. Should or shouldn't doesn't matter. I do.After all, she was there for breakfast Saturday morning, and after I left with the kids Friday night, and for pretty much every moment I couldn't be there - including a time on the phone with someone who couldn't be here. And she got my friend all to herself last night and will again today. How can I not feel that way?

I don't know what else to say, so I'm gonna just stop now. I might come back more later.

Watch out for that Baby Einstein stuff ...

I was just starting up a Baby Einstein DVD for Grant. He sat down to watch, and all of a sudden I hear ...








































"Penis! Look, Mom, a PENIS!"


















I looked at the screen, and see the part at the beginning where the caterpillar walks across the screen and BURST OUT LAUGHING! I can totally see what he's saying! He seemed a bit upset that I laughed, but I had to - there was no holding it in!

I searched all over the Internet and couldn't find a shot - so I'll try to remember to take a pic later today. But, for now, this one will have to suffice:

Stupid jerks on eBay

A few months ago, once my daughter got into the wonderful world of Webkinz, I bought her a couple I knew she'd LOVE off eBay. The reason for eBay is that they are retired. I bought her the unicorn and the pegasus. I gave her the unicorn right away, and she has been so happy with it. I saved the pegasus for later. Dumb move. I FINALLY opened it, and as I went to fish out the tag, I could tell it'd been tampered with. I knew that meant it had been used. Jackass. And, of course, I waited too long to attempt to use it, so I can't complain - and my feedback was already positive. Doh! I should've known better! Good news is that jackass is no longer on eBay - at least not under that name. ;-) (I'm not dumb enough to think he/she didn't come back with a different name/e-mail address.) I'm kicking myself - if I'd opened it right away and attempted to use it right away, I'd likely get my money back. Lesson learned. So, I contacted Webkinz (following the prompt to do so in their "Adoption Center"). Hopefully they'll give me the benefit of the doubt and give me a new code or just give me the pet! I'm not holding my breath, but since it's actually under my son's account, maybe they'll have pity on him - afterall, he's not quite three yet! ;-) Stay tuned for an update when I finally hear back! ;-)

Oh FFS

I'm feeling a pull to Facebook. As if I need one more thing to be unable to keep up with online! GAAAAAH! But, I have so many friends who are there and NOT MySpace. Or are on both but never go to MySpace anymore b/c they have Facebook. Sigh.

I know, this is a petty vent, but hey. What are you gonna do?

One more vent. I can't believe I haven't mentioned this here before - I'm sure the lack of power last week is to blame! ;-) Anyway, we have recently had an issue on FROGs, and I'm shaken to the core by it! I can't believe how much it's affecting me. If I think on it too much, I get sick to my stomach, my throat feels tight, and I can feel my heart racing. So not good.

What happened? How did I know you'd ask? Here goes.

We have a member who recently returned to the board after being away for a while. After her return, she sent me a private message to explain her absence. At risk of pissing her off and chasing her away from FROGs for good, here's her message:

Hey Heather. I didn't want to post this on the board and make a issue of it, but I want you to know the main reason I haven't been around and the same reason I am kinda worried about coming back. One of my last posts was about how I felt like I was having a hard time connecting here and that I felt lost sometimes. Well...I recieived a email from someone and I was hurt to say the least. Basically they said that it was God's way of letting me know that FROGS wasn't to be my home and that maybe I would feel more comfortable somewhere else.At first I was just kinbda stunned and was trying to figure out what exactly that meant. But as time went on, I just got mad and decided to stay away for awhile.

I am not telling you this for any other reason than just to let you know why I disappeared. On a different note, it looks like there have been a lot of changes here in the past few months...it looks nice and you are doing a wonderful job!

I read this and INSTANTLY was angry beyond belief and grieved more than I'd have thought possible. How DARE someone on FROGs do that to a sister in Christ? HOW DARE SHE? Despite our best efforts, we could not get the individual who contacted me to reveal the offender. That ticks me off to no end. I understand that she wants it over and done with. She wants to move on. I get that. I also get that she has extended forgiveness and wants to walk in forgiveness. OK. But, why tell us if you don't want something made out of it? Seriously. This is a HUGE deal. So far as I'm concerned - so far, at least - it's the WORST offence to have occurred on FROGs!

And, in addition to being angry and disappointed that it happened, I feel betrayed - by both the offender and the sister who shared this with me. I don't think I should feel that way, but I do. I'm also afraid we'll never find out exactly what happened, and that worries me. I want to know who so I can talk with her and make sure she understands that it is NEVER to happen again. It's not about punishment or revenge or anything like that - it's trying to make sure EVERYONE on FROGs is safe! My biggest fear is that this individual will do this again.

I have so many thoughts and feelings on this, but I'm spent. I can't think clearly or find a way to write it out. So, I'm going to end this post for now. I just had to get some things off my chest.

Apparently I was wrong

Around 9:30 p.m. our power was restored! WOOHOO! PRAISE GOD! Everything is working properly, and we're back into normal life - FINALLY! :-D DH, Abby, and I all just GRINNED real big when the lights came on, and Abby was bouncing around! LOL The other two were asleep, but they will be thrilled in the morning - well, at least Grant will! ;-) Anyway, I just wanted to say YAY! Thanks, everyone, for the prayers! It's so nice to be back in the 21st century! ;-)

Day Two

Wow. We're finishing up Day 2 with no power. Well, minimal power. I will start by saying that this is the longest I've EVER been involuntarily without power. It sucks. I'm just happy that my home and my family are all OK. I can only imagine how much worse it would be otherwise. Scary thought, actually. But, I digress...

Today started with DH getting up at 4 a.m. to turn off the generator. It runs for approximately 10 hours before needing a refill. Prior to adding more gas, however, it is highly recommended that the generator is allowed to cool for 2 hours. So, DH got up at 4 to allow us to get it back up and running before WE had to be up and running. I slept rather well - and the kids seemed to, too. Natalie woke at about 6:30 to nurse, which started our day. Grant got up then, too. DH got Abby up about 7-ish, because she had a dentist appointment this morning. (And all is well with her teeth. :) )

Most of the morning we just spent time together. Had breakfast, played, etc. DH took the day off - and would've had to anyway, because the Corps still has no power, too. Apparently they had yesterday off, too - but he was out of the office so he didn't know. And, honestly, if he wasn't in Coralville, we likely wouldn't have the generator. God knew what he was doing! ;-)

Late morning, Natalie was napping. (She's napped poorly today, which I'll blame on it being too warm in her room.) DH took the other two to the park, which was much needed. He encouraged me to lie down upstairs in the a/c while I had the chance. No sooner had I begun to relax when Natalie decided her nap was over. *sigh* We all had lunch - more peanut butter. Then the kids and I napped. We miraculously had ALL THREE kids asleep simultaneously. There was no way I was going to miss this opportunity! LOL I got a good nap in, too.

DH needed to turn off the generator about 4- 4:30 p.m., so we planned to go out to eat while the generator cooled. We ended up at Carlos O'Kelley's at Abby's request - she thought the building was pretty! LOL After we swung by a park on the way home. It's cooled off nicely and is really nice outside now. The kids enjoyed getting some time to run and play.

On our way home, we knew the power wasn't on yet b/c our neighborhood is still pretty dark and full of debris. But, we saw an encouraging site - the first crew from the power company a block away from our house! WOOT! Praise God! That means we're FINALLY getting somewhere. Afterall, they gotta clean before they can fix! ;-) No worries, I'm not expecting power in the near future. I know how bad it is by us - and not too far from us. I know that we still could wait up to three more days. I am constantly praying that's not the case, but I am prepared for it. But, it is so NICE to see a crew. I don't care if they're just loitering - they're HERE! LOL (And, no, they weren't loitering - we saw them actively working to get a downed tree off someone's home. I just had to express just HOW wonderful it is to see them! LOL)

One more positive I realized: Our power bill should be noticeably lower this month! LMAO

Oh, and Sawyer just HATES the generator - I'm guessing it's just too loud for him. He is a dog, afterall, and has much more sensitive hearing than we.

I had more I wanted to say, but it's gone. Once again, fatigue sets in. If I think of it later, I'll share in a separate post. Otherwise, hopefully my next post will be praising God for the restoration of our electrical service!

What a Day

Cue Jack's Big Music Show! LMAO

Seriously. It has been one heck of a day. Wow. I feel like it's been a week! I'll start at the beginning.

Natalie woke about 6 this morning to nurse. I got up to use the restroom while DH got her diaper changed. When I came back into the room, I noticed that it looked SUPER foggy outside. You could hardly see anything. I commented to DH about it, then went about my business nursing Natalie. About five minutes pass when the wind picks up and the storm sirens go off. So, I whisk Natalie up, and DH gets the other two and we all head down to the basement. I felt bad having to wake them up like that, but we knew we had to. Just before the sirens went off, I could FEEL the wind shaking my house as I lie in bed nursing Natalie! It was no surprise when the sirens were activated! On our way down the stairs, we were able to witness the kids' easel blow across the porch from one side of the house to the other, passing the front door. It was wild. We tried to get Sawyer to come downstairs with us, but he was too freaked, so he stayed in the kitchen. We were down there 5-10 minutes when the sirens went silent, so back upstairs we went. I finished nursing Natalie, and DH got the other two settled when the sirens went off again. Another 5-10 minutes went by before silence was heard. Then, DH got ready for work and the kids and I started our day. (Well, except that DH put Natalie down for a nap before he got ready for work.) Oh, and the power went out shortly after Natalie waking up. I don't remember exactly when - but I think it was while I was nursing her. I know for sure it was before the first siren went off.

So, we (the kids and I) spent the day trying to stay occupied. We played in the morning, and read some books. I found 8 C batteries to power a portable radio we have, so I was able to keep up on the weather and news. First estimates, around 9:30, were that most people should have power back within 72 hours of when power was lost. At first I thought that wasn't so bad, but then I did the math - that's THREE DAYS! Yikes! I was hoping we'd be on the early end of that, but so far no good.

According to the news, it was a storm that involved straight line wind. Here's text of the story from KWQC, our local NBC affiliate:

Severe storms ripped through the Quad Cities on Monday morning, leaving significant damage and nearly 180,000 homes and businesses without power in the QCA.

Meteorologists from TV-6 and the National Weather Service agree that the damage was a result of straight line winds. A 94 mph wind gust was reported at the Quad city Airport in Moline.

The National Weather Service surveyed the storm damage and confirmed the wind estimate of 90-100 mph. While the damage was not a result of tornadoes, the winds woudl be equivalent to an EF-1 tornado.

Meteorologists stress this is an example of why it is so critical to take severe thunderstorm warnings seriously. "It doesn't matter if it is a 100 mph wind from a tornado or a 100 mph wind from a straight line wind." says KWQC Chief Meteorologist Ryan Burchett. "The damage is going to be the same. If anything, the damage may be more widespread from the straight line wind event. The big difference is the structure of the storm. And that doesn't matter much to the people whose homes are struck by the storms."

The National Weather Service has posted more information about their storm survey on their website.

We are fortunate. No damage to our home or anything - just the loss of power. While an inconvenience, it's trivial as it could be so much worse. A few houses down, a tree fell on the house - can't tell if it damaged the house, but I'm sure it at least scratched it up a bit. We had a tree removed from out front last fall. Man are we glad that happened - as it was DEAD and likely would've damaged the house if it was still here! The worst news out of today was of a campsite that had trees downed, and a 4-year-old boy was killed! :-( The tree fell on the tent in which he was sleeping. Two other kids, a 9-year-old and a 9-month-old, were injured. One was sent to Peoria. Please say a prayer for the family.

There are tree limbs and power lines down EVERYWHERE here in Moline. Our mayor called a state of emergency and asked that everyone stay home as much as possible. No problems there. the garage door opener is out - I'm not going anywhere! LMAO John Deere Road, a MAIN road here in the Illinois side of the Q-C, is closed. There are several power lines down along the road, as well as the poles holding said lines. So not good. The kids and I have made do. There's not much choice - nothing nearby is open. No one has power. I did my best to avoid opening the fridge, until 1 p.m. rolled around. I decided at that point that most of what's in the fridge likely has spoiled already, so I'm having my Dr Pepper! LOL (The local Red Cross is saying 2-4 hours is the longest you should go with stuff in the fridge.) We had crappy breakfast and lunch - crackers, dry cereal, canned fruit, bananas, peanut butter, etc. But, hey, at least we have something we can eat.

So, where was DH in all of this? Coralville, Iowa, for work. He had some water sampling to do at the "lake" there. It was kinda rough not having him around, but it also ended up being a good thing. He was able to go to a Lowe's there and get a generator. (I am sure there are NONE to be found here in the Q-C!) So, now we have minimal power. We have the fridge hooked up, the chest freezer in the basement, the wireless router (of course LOL), a fan in the living room, and a window a/c unit in our bedroom. And, praise God, that flooding in Iowa last month left us with LOTS of money from the OT he put in. So, we were able to pay cash for the generator. Bad news, though, is that it's gone - all of that OT pay is gone. Oh, well. At least we can wait out the power loss somewhat more comfortably - and eat, too! LOL

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

You know, the biggest praise is that we hadn't spent that money yet! We can be a bit less frugal than we should - but by some amazing miracle, we had not spent it yet! Praise God! Of course, this all happens as we begin reading Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Figures it would work out that way, huh? At least we were able to avoid going any further into debt than we had been prior to starting the book, and likely the TMM! :-) Although, I had been hoping to use the OT for Baby Step 1 - the $1,000 emergency fund. Oh, well. God will provide. And, hey, had we not had the OT, it'd be that much harder, right?

When DH got home, he got the generator going. (I have a minor vent there, but will save it for a time when I have less-limited resources!) Then we swung by McDonald's (in Iowa, as no where anywhere near us has power yet) and got some dinner, which we brought home. The kids are now in bed, and DH is out buying more gas for the generator and another power strip to allow us to have the fan running AND the laptops charging simultaneously! :-) God is always faithful.

As for the power, the last I've heard is that MidAmerican (our power company here) is still in the assessment part of things. That means they STILL have no real idea how long it'll take to get everyone's power up and running. *sigh* They are still saying that most people should have power back within 72 hours. BUT, and this is HUGE - IMO - it could be as late as Thursday or Friday! YIKES! We live in part of the hardest-hit area, so I'm nervous that maybe that'll be us waiting ALL WEEK! Eek! So, do we stay or do we go? We could head to Winfield to stay with my parents for a few days while power is nowhere near restored. Or we could just hang out with the generator for a week. I did check, and our vet could board Sawyer until Friday. So, we can leave if we want to - after Abby's dentist appointment tomorrow morning. We shall see - DH and I will discuss when he gets back, which I hope will be SOON!

Well, I've run out of brain power right now, so I'm going to go. Plus, I probably should check in at FROGs and let them know I'm OK.

I'm at a loss for words

Someone on FROGs posted this blog, and I thought I'd share it here.

ConnorWatch

An absolutely amazing journey. That poor 18-year-old child and his poor parents. If you're not familiar with the story, an 18-year-old boy had a diving accident and ended up with a spinal injury. He has made astounding strides in recovery, but still has a long way to go. The family is Christian, and are asking for as much prayer support as anyone can spare. Even if you aren't Christian, I think it's worth following this story. I have added this blog to my blogroll for easy location in the future. My heart and prayers go out to Connor and his family and friends.