maura_ea’s Neighborhood

Whoo hoo! Already broke my record from last year! I've still been reading more Valdemar books but I think I might be done for the moment. I've started reading the Warriors Saga by Erin Hunter. It's about feral cats and written in the same vein as Watership Down. They're pretty good, very light and entertaining. I have a friend who loves the series so I decided to pick it up from the library. It's technically in the kids' section but so is Harry Potter! 
I'm not going to hit 50 books this year either but over 30 isn't bad...

25. Owlflight by Mercedes Lackey
26. Owlsight by Mercedes Lackey
27. Owlknight by Mercedes Lackey
28. Moving Targets And Other Tales of Valdemar edited by Mercedes Lackey
29. Crossroads And Other Tales of Valdemar edited by Mercedes Lackey
30. Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter
31. Warriors: Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter

What's the longest you've ever waited in line?

I would have to say over an hour at Dis'eyland, I guess it's the only way to get on the rides. I like the good old days when the Navy or school would rent out the park for the night and the crowds would be much less and the riding experience was easier to attain. Haven't had that opportunity for many Many years. Actually haven't been to the park for about 15 years, may hit it next year with the grandchild though.

If you could only drink one beverage for the rest of your life (not including water), which one would you choose?

I'll make a healthy choice here and say juice. Fruit juice would be healthful and something I could work around for the rest of my life. I'm already in love with the V8 fusion juices, and I can get a vegetable in that way too. It's a great way for little ones to get their daily requirement of veggies without even knowing they are doing it. They are a little strong but I mix them with a little seltzer water and it's like giving her soda. She loves her 'bubble juice'.

We recently went to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and it was wonderful. Dare I say, even better than the SoCal Faire that I fell in love with so many years ago. This is a permanent site and that makes it so much more of an event. It helps the community to really get behind the event also. We booked a hotel through their internet site and got tickets free. The only drawback was the lack of decent shows. We stopped at 2 early in the day and both were a little disappointing, so we stopped trying. There are many more things for the kids to do such as interactive plays; rides; petting area; camel, elephant and horse rides - lots to see and do. And the shopping....lots and lots of shopping. You could really spend 2 days exploring all the nooks and crannys of this fair and probably not see it all. It was a little disappointing to see so few of the guests dressed up but the midwest IS a little more conservative :D. If you ever have the opportunity to check this one out DO IT!

#14 Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams. Book two of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy saga. Not as good as the first but still pretty darn good.

And oh my god, I've been rereading Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books. It seems to be a theme this year and last year. I've just been drawn to my old favs, some of which I haven't read since high school. It's a good old fashioned fantasy. I call it my "junk food reading" - it's not literature or groundbreaking fiction, it's just a cute, entertaining story with some good battles, a few odds to overcome, and magical telepathic horses. It's actually a pretty well developed diverse world. My personal favorites are The Black Gryphon, Brightly Burning, and Vows and Honor set (the "Oath" books). I really need to find that Gryphon book or buy a new one...I think I let a friend borrow it years ago.

#15 Arrows of the Queen
#16 Arrow's Flight
#17 Arrow's Fall
#18 Winds of Fate
#19 Winds of Change
#20 Winds of Fury
#21 Storm Warning
#22 Storm Rising
#23 Storm Breaking
#24 Sword of Ice and Other Tales of Valdemar (a collection of short stories written by multiple authors)

There have been a few books I've started but haven't finished. The third Hitchhiker book, Life, the Universe, and Everything just didn't keep me interested. It wasn't as quick and random as the first two (especially the first) and I got distracted by other reading. I also tried the third Shannara book by Terry Brooks, The Wishsong of Shannara, and even though I really tried slogging through it, got about 3/4 of the way through and just couldn't bring myself to finish it. The second book had really gotten my hopes up with those Shannara books too.

I've also been slowly working my way through the Guide to Getting It On! by Paul Joannides (3rd ed.). I know I've read it all but it's neat to read it cover to cover...and if you saw how massive this thing is, you'd understand. It's simply the best "couple's" book I think you'll ever come across. It really does cover everything...especially the newer editions. Holy crap, I think the new 6th edition is a good inch thicker than the one I have. The best thing is that it covers what is "normal", health issues, romance, emotional issues, techniques, sex ed for kids, pregnancy, disability, impotence, and so on (name a topic, I think it's covered) and does it all with a great sense of humor and is written very accessibly. Even if you don't do half of what's in there and a third doesn't even apply to you, you'll still enjoy reading it. It's also kind of fun to go through with a highlighter and a pen/pencil and mark up things you'd like your partner to know about or try. *wink wink*

Sorry for the mass book postings...

What is your dream job? Do you think you’ll ever have it?
Sponsored by Monster.

My dream job involves working with animals. I working on becoming a zookeeper...I'm close but not there yet. I just have to keep applying and hoping somebody is willing to give me a chance. I'll get there eventually.

What’s the hardest part about looking for a new job?
Sponsored by Monster.

a) Finding one you actually want.

b) Finding one you are actually qualified for.

c) Finding one where they'd actually hire you over all the other qualified candidates.

What's your favorite room in your house? Why?

MY CRAFT ROOM ! or corner or where ever I can stick all the stuff. I love crafting, if I have a vice it is this.It's my haven. I can't stay out of the fabric stores, craft stores, craft fairs (stealing ideas) or classes on crafts. I have beads from the 70's when it all began to 50 year old fabric I inherited from my mother. It never goes bad, it always comes in handy when you need something to create and it's entertaining for the kids (and me). It's how I stay sane. I don't know how people get through life without something they do on the side, something only for them. I enjoy : calligraphy, painting, ceramics, crochet, knitting, macrame, beading, sewing, quilting, stained glass, tole painting, origami, scrapbooking, photography, stamping, .........you name the craft, I've probably tried it at one point or another. I highly recommend for everyone to find at least one thing to do that's crafty. You'll need something to do when you retire.

I'm having a great week so far, starting with the farmer's market I already wrote about.

The day before yesterday my friend Jesse came over and we had a "pony day". We started customizing a few My Little Ponies and had a lot of fun just hanging out. She's working on a green man/nature spirit pony with lots of sculpted bits and I started on a Spiderman pony. Hehe, the new ponies have a magnet in one of their front hooves so you can stick them to things like lamps, the refridgerator, wall studs, etc. so I thought it'd be a lot of fun to paint on up like Spiderman and stick it to things. I also have a hippogryph still in the works. We're planning on getting together again this weekendto work on them some more.

The kid keepers program that I work with at the zoo is going great too. I'm having alot of fun. Yesterday was fantastic. Some of them are really into it and are doing a great job. Some of them are just really high energy and get distracted easily but I haven't really had any problems yet.

My inlaws are coming up on Sunday for a visit too. I love Mike's parents...they are really great people so I'm looking forward to them coming to visit (and to not driving 7 hours each way to go visit them!)