DIY or Chaos...take your pick

You gotta wonder: which demon, in which circle in Hell, thought up Do-It-Yourself..?? The first rule of DIY is that whatever time frame you think is adequate, you ultimately have to times that by four. If a project is scheduled for an hour, believe me, it will take four. If you think you can do something in a day, it will take four. The second rule is that nothing goes according to plan. The perfect paint color will not be perfect once it's on the wall, the carpet will not be delivered when scheduled, and whatever can go wrong, will. The third rule is if you attempt the DIY thing with your partner, there is a distinct possibility you will end up in Divorce Court.

So, let's go back 5 weeks: washing machine floods the kitchen floor. Rip up vinyl floor and spend two days drying wood underneath. While floor is drying out, spend same two days driving all over Edinburgh to find something cool for the unexpected excitement of a new floor. Then spend what should only be a weekend project of laying new tiles---that of course extends into the next week and nearly ends in pistols at dawn for Alan and me. To say we had an argument or two is the grossest understatement of the decade. Still, the kitchen now is beautiful, and we both love the tile. Maybe not each other so much, but yeah, we love the tile.

This is part of the kitchen and new floor, though the photo doesn't show how stone-like and cream-colored the tile really is. Ozzy, of course, is glad the chaos, arguing and throwing down of tools and stomping off is over. (We won't say who did that, though I will say it wasn't me...!!)


Now, four weeks ago Alan figures, apparently since we had such a fun time doing the kitchen floor project, why not paint the den. (I'll tell you why not---you can't afford the divorce...!!). It is fairly dim in that room, mainly because that side of the house only gets the very early morning sun and the carpet and walls are darkish. I'm not too keen on this idea though as we will have to empty out the room (3 large bookcases, office desk, computer, chairs, credenza, ad nauseum), but I do agree lightening the room would help considerably. Then, before I've really worked my head around to the actual fact of painting the den, he gets this brain fart that we could also do the 3 bedrooms, and gee, painting isn't enough, we really need new carpeting throughout. Sigh.

We find the perfect carpeting, delivery in 7-10 days, and they will do the carpet laying room by room, which is a very cool thing if you think about it. So, we get the paint and supplies, move all the furniture out of the den, do the painting, remove the old carpeting, and in four days we're ready for the new carpet. We planned on painting a room per week (factoring in moving all the blasted furniture all over the house), schedule the carpet laying, move the furniture back in, carry on to the next room, and yippee, we can have everything done and dusted in about a month.

And here's where PLAN turns into a four-letter word. And also where Chaos replaces DIY. In the two photos below, in what we affectionately call "Gail's Room" because my sister stayed in this room when she visited us a few years ago, you can see the beginning phase of the madness. These pictures are just a portion of the room that I could get to to take the photos. All the contents of the 3 bookcases, some furniture, and anything else that wasn't nailed down fills this room to bursting. I had to make a small trail to my wardrobe, otherwise I would be living in my pajamas and/or painting clothes. The small trail is the only way in or out of Gail's Room.




Here's where the rest of the den furniture ended up: the Living Room. Behind the 3 bookcases is a lovely overstuffed chair, table, lamp and reading area. You can't sit on the couch (where I'm crouched trying to take this shot), let alone watch the TV. We cleared an Ozzy Route, so he can still get to the back of the loveseat for his guard duty looking out the front room window.



And lest Alan not have access to his computer and/or office stuff, we now have the 3' x 5' desk in the hallway.



Remember above where I mentioned that delivery schedule of 7-10 days for the new carpet..?? We waited 15, and not hearing from the company, called them to find out when we were getting the first round of carpeting laid. The new date we were given was September 30th. At this point that was nearly a 3 week wait. Not happy campers, plus I'm feeling my feet sliding down the slippery slope into Total Chaos.

We decide (and frankly, I'm beginning to wonder at our reasoning skills these days) to forge on with our painting schedule, so when the carpet comes, we will have two rooms ready and gee, aren't we smart..?? NOT.

We move all the master bedroom furniture into the empty den (crammed would be the operative word really), and proceed to rip up the carpet, do the painting, yada yada. This time it takes 8 days of work because we had to strip wallpaper and patch lots of defects once we had gouged a multitude of holes in the plaster removing the frigging wallpaper. I'm losing any perspective I marginally had and "Leaving on a Jet Plane" keeps playing through my head as I'm working.

Photo of part of the master bedroom, finished and painted and just waiting for that elusive f-word carpet. I couldn't get into the den to take a photo of that room...just imagine a king-size bed, bureau, two wardrobes, two nightstands, lamps and a vanity in a room half the size of the master bedroom, and you get the picture. CHAOS is now in capitals for a reason. Still, we have two rooms finished, albeit without the carpets, so we're feeling pretty chipper at this point.



So. Yesterday, having not heard anything from the carpet company and with the carpet delivery the next day (today, Sept 30), we pop in to schedule the first room's laying. Deep sigh. What can I say..?? No joy..?? No customer service in Scotland..?? Totally inept workers..?? Every swear word in my vocabulary (and that's pretty extensive) doesn't even come close to the frustration and anger. Turns out the carpet hasn't even been manufactured yet. When the rude and snotty reception-type person called the manufacturer--and that only because Alan was looming over her in a vampiric I-might-rip-off-your-head way--they gave no explanation for the delay, other than to say they were supposed to do the carpet last week, but didn't. Seriously. What..?? Alan asks her to ask the production person exactly when they might be doing the carpet, but she blows Alan off, thanks the man on the phone, and hangs up..!! Oh, the humanity.

Without going into all the dreadful and gory details (he said, she said, they all said), we leave the store without a clue when, if ever, we will be getting the carpet. The house is in total disruption, and we can't do any more in the other two rooms because we don't have any space left to move a stick, let alone more furniture. We get home. I want to do a diva thing and just collapse in a heap on the bed in a swoon, but there's no room.

Alan decided last night to write an email to the Managing Director of the company explaining the whole travail of these last four weeks, which he does, and we figure we'll give them until Friday to respond, then go to Plan B. Whatever that's going to be. He's quite brilliant at getting the point across, in a very...ahem... meaningful way, when it's necessary.

This morning Alan gets a phone call from the Managing Director's assistant. She assures him that all has been taken care of, the carpet is being made as we speak, will be delivered next Wednesday to the company's warehouse in Edinburgh, and we will have the den fitted on Thursday, and the master bedroom on Friday. Hell must have frozen over and that DIY demon is encased in ice and can't get to us, at least for the moment. I won't believe the very nice assistant until next week when I'm actually looking at my new carpet...on the floor...in two rooms...without any problems.

How long will this whole process have taken when all is said and done...?? About two months. So much for the PLAN, the "we can get this done easy in about 4 weeks" idea, and damned if I ever want to do any more DIY for as long as I live..!! Too bad there's still two more rooms to do...sigh.

Gracie

I got a call from my BFF in Idaho this morning to tell me her beloved dog, Gracie, died yesterday. Gracie has been with Jan through thick and thin, marriage and divorce, and everything in between for one month shy of 15 years. Since Jan and I have been best friends for more years than either of us want to count, I have known Gracie since she was the tiniest little pup. Even though in dog years she was well and truly an old lady, it has always seemed she would be around forever.

Gracie was one of the most gentle, sweet and loving dogs I've ever had the pleasure to know. And, boy, did she love her food, her toys, and her new Dad, though she loved her Mom the most. Tears were shed over the phone, and no doubt many more will fall in the days to come.

Rest in Peace, ol' girl. You will be sorely missed.

Cleaning Out Drawers

While in the process of painting 4 rooms this month, moving furniture all over the house in order to paint in the first place, and doing cleaning and sorting while the paint dries, I came across a notebook I keep in my nightstand drawer. It is filled with quotes, and snatches of thought, that I have written down over the years, either from something read or heard. Since I am sitting here, still waiting for paint to dry, I thought I would share some of my favorites. OK...actually, I'll do anything to avoid the cleaning and sorting chores...!!!


"When two loaves alone to thee are left
Sell one, and with the dole,
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul"
---Persian saying**

**I memorized this quote years ago because I loved it. Since then I have seen it written a bit differently and often attributed to someone else (other than the Persians). All I know is, when I read it originally, it was a Persian quote.

"Democracy must be something more than two wolves
and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner"
---James Bovard

"Don't talk unless you can improve on silence"
---Proverb

"If one no longer has land but has the memory of land,
then one can make a map"
---Anne Michaels

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything"
---Unknown

"We need to take responsibility for the religions we make"
---Unknown

"Be kind instead of right"
---Unknown

"Never criticize unless you can do a better job"
---Unknown

"You're only as old as the girl you're with"
---Groucho Marx

"An eye for an eye makes us all blind"
---Gandhi

"A poor workman blames his tools"
---Unknown

"May you sit with your face to the wind,
Your eyes beholding happiness"
---Paraphrased inscription found with King Tut

"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room"
---Unknown

"There are only three sins:
Causing pain,
Causing fear,
Causing anguish.
The rest in window dressing"
---Roger Caras

"Love makes time pass,
Time makes love pass"
---Errol Flynn

"It's not our abilities that show who we are,
It's our choices"
---Albus Dumbledore

And, my most favorite of all:

"Money doesn't buy you happiness, but it buys
you a big enough yacht to sail right up to it"
---Johnny Depp

An interesting assortment, true..?? At least this exercise has been better than watching paint dry...and let's not even mention the cleaning, etc.

La Belle et la Bete

I'm going to try a segue here, that will ultimately make sense (we can hope anyway), by going from the film Beauty and the Beast to roses. Stick with me, and we'll see if it works.

One of my all-time favorite old black & white films---no, wait, my most favorite---is the French film La Belle et la Bete, by Jean Cocteau, made in 1946. I have loved this movie for years, and just recently watched it again on one of the movie channels, falling captivated and mesmerized all over again. The imagery of special effects, the wonderful story, perfect acting, and the cinematic genius of Cocteau, makes this an absolutely stunning film. If you aren't lucky enough to find a TV channel showing foreign films, you can actually order a very brilliant DVD of the original at Amazon.

Here comes the segue---

So, from La Belle...
In the rose garden, which is a large section in the front of the house, Alan and I have about 56 rose bushes. I love the gorgeous blooms, and the scent on a warm Summer's day is nearly overwhelming. The colors, fragrance, and range of variety is pretty spectacular. During the blooming period (for us it's June clear through to November), we are constantly getting compliments, from neighbors as well as total strangers, on the beauty of the rose garden.

Here is a small sample of the roses. A very small sample considering this is just a few of our dozens of plants.






I took the photo on the right just this morning. I love how the dew drops sparkled, adding to the beauty






to et la Bete...
The endless fiddling, pruning and deadheading of these horrible roses, to say nothing of the constant threat of bugs (greenfly, blackfly, whitefly, and any other frigging thing that flies), and diseases (black spot, rust, wilt, mold and mildew), makes these prima donnas the most aggravating of plants in the entire plant kingdom...!! I have been slashed, cut, and left bleeding copiously by the wretched thorns, to say nothing of the sepsis involved when a barb breaks off somewhere in your hand, finger or leg. Why anyone would have these horrid plants is just beyond me. Which begs the question: why do we have so many..??

Because they are beautiful...even when they're beastly...

How I Spent My Summer Vacation...

Remember when you were a kid, and after Summer vacation you'd have your first class in school, and everyone had to stand up and talk about how they spent the Summer..?? Well, since I totally forgot I had a blog for about 3 months, now I will have to do an instant recap sort of post today, very much like those old school assignments. I'm pretty stunned though that I haven't written since April...where, oh where has the time gone...?????

I have read many books since my last posting, but won't bore anyone with those details. I'm actually going to remove that part of my blog anyway, so never mind what I'm reading (or what I've read since April).

Alan spent 5 weeks in America (June/July), helping my mother to move, and dealing with some INS stuff. He had way more fun then I did as I was stuck in Edinburgh due to Ozzy's usual doggy sitter, Helga, being off on her own holiday. Still, there's something to be said about your partner being away: eat what you want, when you want; read all night if the book is good enough; clean the house when you can write your name in the dust, and other singleton experiences.

One great thing about Alan being in America: I had my own personal shopper. It was wonderful to have him bring back graham crackers, cornbread mix, Nestle's chocolate chips, my favorite black jeans that I can only get in the States, and several other cool items. It was like Christmas in July...!!

It wouldn't have been half bad, having him away, if I hadn't missed him, and then there was the garden which decided to turn into some sort of tropical rain forest over that 5 weeks he was gone. It got well beyond my efforts to control by myself, so now he's back all he's done for the past two weeks is wrestle things back into order.

Here's a glimpse of the chaos:




The front walk. Lots of roses, though the nasturtiums seem to be taking over. No doubt the tropical rain forest effect.












The cauldrons look wonderful, spilling out with lobelia, as does the sweet pea planter against the back wall to the front door.










The fragrance is just heavenly from these blooms. No wonder they are called "sweet" peas. I have a vase full in the house and you can smell them everywhere.








I'd like to say we've actually had Summer this year, but alas, this is Scotland. It would annoy me no end when I would chat with Alan on the phone from America and he's going on and on about the 80 degree days whilst I'm walking Ozzy in fog, rain, wind and a week of the muggiest weather I've experienced since Florida. Truly, we had about a week of dense cloud cover, but up there somewhere it was really hot, so it made things really muggy and humid, and miserable. Very weird. But, still, no Summer to speak of. There's been maybe a week of good weather (sunny, warm, and Summer-like) since May..sigh.

That's about all I can remember of the past few months, other than how fast time flies, so I guess this is where my "assignment" ends, with me all caught up, and now I get to sit down to let the next kid stand up in front of the class to tell how they spent their Summer vacation...

Bits and Pieces

April 26, 2009
(I started to write this blog on April 9th, lost track, and am just now publishing).

Good grief. I am just hopeless at finding the time to keep up with my blog..!! This is totally why I am crap at keeping a journal. I actually have a whole shelf filled with journals, all of which start out so full of promise and good intentions (and we know where that paved road goes, don't we..??), then peter out sometime around Spring. I haven't managed to complete a whole journal year since I was a kid with my diary. Sigh. Oh well, I'm doing pretty good with this blog if you consider I'm writing a couple times per month.

I took some really cool photos this month. We had the worst start of April here in Cramond. There's this bizarre Scottish weather thing called haar (not as in hardy har har, for sure..!!). It is the most ferocious, icy fog you can possibly imagine. It's not normal fog, it's something off the Arctic, combined with a wind chill that is unbelievably cold and bitter...a misery. Just before the haar settled in (for over a week), we had a wonderful, warm sunny better-than-Summer day and I couldn't resist taking a few photos of this phenomenon. The very next day the contrast couldn't have been more stark, so I took my camera when we went walking with Ozzy on the first of the haar days...and here are the photos.

This is one of my favorite trees along the route where we walk Ozzy. It's at the top of a hill, with a wonderful view of the Forth. On a good day you can see from Bass Rock down the coast, to the Forth Bridge up the river. I love this tree. It reminds me of a childhood tree that I used to climb to read my books, above and away from everything.


And this was the next day. Same location, same time of day, and check out that haar. Honestly, if I could send the cold through this blog, you would freeze to your chair. It was a completely bone-chilling week.





Here the Almond River flows into the Forth, and the Cramond Boat Club has just put out their boats for the season (first weekend in April). We've just walked along the river, and are starting the long trek along the promenade to the large hill where the above tree lives.




And, the haar sinks down to envelop everything in it's path. Alan and I decided it was actually colder that week than at the height of the frigid Winter. There's something about the haar that just permeates into your body like nothing else. Brrrrrrr...





Now, we're almost into May, the haar is gone and we've actually had some good days. Alan has spent a great deal of time working in the garden, and has done a brilliant job of getting everything looking just beautiful. I've taken a real leap of faith and planted all the pots around the house. I know for Scotland it's pretty early, but I just can't wait sometimes.

I got a new greenhouse this year, which is twice as big as my old ratty one, so have potted 3 tomato plants and have them happily growing in their new house. I'm trying a mini-plot of corn this year in my raised bed, and though the packet of seeds said it was a variety suitable for rainy Summers, I haven't seen them sprout yet and it's been 2 weeks already. If the rule of thumb is "knee high by the 4th of July" I could be in trouble..!!

Here's another cool thing: I have a bonsai tree...!! We went to Dobbie's last week (my favorite garden center on the planet), where they were having a really good sale on plants, and as I was meandering in their specialty area I found this wonderful selection of bonsai. I have always wanted to have one of these little trees, so we picked out the one we liked the best, and lo and behold, here it is:



Is that cool, or what..?? Isn't that twisty trunk just amazing..?? It's, of course, much more beautiful in person as you can't quite see all the tiny little leaves in this photo. I just love it and am learning all kinds of things about trimming and watering and root cutting, etc.

It turns out Derek (across the street neighbor) has several bonsai trees so I went over to see them, and ask some questions from an expert. He has one in particular that looks exactly like a Hobbit tree, with a thick gnarly trunk and everything. Scott (brother-in-law) has one that my sister bought him years ago, and I've always loved it. So, now I have joined the ranks of the bonsai fanatics, and I'm thrilled...!! This tree is a Chinese Lacebark Elm and apparently (as I'm just learning), the weirder and more "barky" the trunk, the cooler the tree.

That's about all for the moment. It's time for Ozzy's afternoon walk, then BBQ ribs for dinner. I'm really going to try to be more on top of this blog, though famous last words, I know. Ah well, twice a month is better than none...right...??

March Book Review

I seem to be in a genre reading zone right now. I do this: get interested in a certain type of story, and have to read any books I can find on the same theme. I will discover an author who writes thrillers, or crime stories, or historical tomes, and the next thing, I have to read anything I can get my hands on relating to that subject.

So, in light of that, I'm still stuck on the immortal thing. I'm starting to think my fascination is because I'm getting older and NOT immortal. Still, I have been totally absorbed into a whole branch of literature--previously unread by me--that has to do with immortality. I think this all started when I read Twilight last Fall, and so far, the addiction hasn't abated. Ah well, I'm having a good time reading stuff I'm not familiar with (though after many weeks of immortals, I'm becoming very familiar with this genre..!!).

Alexander McCall Smith

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built
Now, having said the above, I will drop anything and everything to read the latest book in The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Mma Ramotswe is again solving cases, as only she can: with wisdom, love and a belief in the goodness of the human spirit. I so love these books.

Two sidebars here:

I was working at the Cramond Kirk Jumble Sale last month having a great time, as always. There was a woman working with me who had to leave a bit early because she was on her way to the National Library in Edinburgh to meet with "Sandy" McCall for a luncheon and book reading on his new book (Tea Time...). I'm pretty sure I turned deep green with envy. Not only because she called him Sandy (Scottish derivative for Alexander, implying a very first name basis acquaintance), but because she was going to this event in the first place...!! I flat out told her I was soooo jealous and half hoped (as one of his best and devoted fans) that she would invite me along with her. Sadly, no such luck. Still, I talked to someone who knows him and that's probably as close as I'll ever get to this most brilliant author.

The other sidebar is the new BBC television show, based on the books, which is now showing on Sunday nights. It is, without doubt, one of the best adaptations of print to film. It's filmed in Botswana (where all the books are based), with local actors, scenery and atmosphere. It's one of those serendipitous moments for a reader when a book truly comes to life. The producers/director have dramatized the stories exactly, making this an absolutely wonderful TV series. Alan and I drop everything at 9:00pm every Sunday to watch. I told Alan after last Sunday's show, that he could realistically say he's read the books, the series is so accurately portrayed.

J.R. Ward

Black Dagger Brotherhood series
These six books involve the members of a secret group, the Black Dagger Brotherhood, who (what else) are immortals fighting against all the nefarious bad guys, protecting us lowly and clueless humans. Each book covers the history and current life of a brother. There's lots of adventure, angst, the bonding of warrior brothers and some good scary stuff in these stories. I love the writing style and incredible imagination of this author.

Gena Showalter

Lords of the Underworld series
So far there are three books in this series, with more to come. The theme in Showalter's take on immortals comes from Greek mythology, with a large dollop of imagination thrown in for good measure. The basic premise here is that a band of men, working in Olympus for the gods, opens Pandora's box, releasing all the badness into the world. For punishment, these guys are banished to Earth and forced to endure their crimes for eternity, while helping out humanity whenever they can. One suffers constant pain, one gets murdered every night to be resurrected each morning, one is Death and has to ferry people to either Heaven or Hell, one can't touch anyone or anything because he is Disease, etc. It's a good series as you come to understand the torment each guy suffers, and their regret over their actions through the millenia. I particularly enjoy these stories because of the mythological background.

So. There are my books for March. It was a very interesting bunch of stories, and once again, I don't know what I would do if I didn't read. The only thing worth watching on the telly is The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, so I thank my lucky stars I have books.

March Thoughts

For my thoughts this month I'm going to meander along in no particular direction---free-form thinking, the method my brain is most comfortable with. I've taken some photos which are nothing spectacular, just interesting sidebars to the ramblings.

It's been a very blustery month, with lots of wind, though not much rain, for a change. Spring flowers are just beginning to bloom, buds on the trees, sprigs on some Spring shrubs, etc. It makes you feel that eventually things will all be green and lush again. I live in anticipation that this year we might actually have a Summer...after two years of not. Spring, by it's nature, is so filled with possibilities and hope, isn't it..??

[Before anyone tries to correct my capitalization of Spring and Summer (Alan), I totally think the seasons should be in caps and have always done so, regardless of spelling rules].

So, now on we go...into the rambling:

My dear neighbor, Morag, gave me the most stunning Amaryllis bulb for my Christmas gift this year (well, last year to be accurate). I planted it the very same day, and have watched it grow since late December. This week I took these photos...and talk about a gift that keeps on giving...!! It's truly an amazing sight, with 7 flowers on 2 stalks...the best Amaryllis I've ever had.


These are the most beautiful blooms imaginable, and as usual, the photos do NOT do them justice..!!






In my "Catch Up" blog last month, I mentioned that Lorna and Derek (across the street neighbors) had gotten a new puppy, Harvey the Boxer. I saw Derek out with him the other day and dashed over to snap this photo. I will take some better ones, maybe in their backyard, as the sidewalk looks pretty crappy, but still...is he sweet, or what..?? That sorrowful look on his face is so adorable, especially as he is so happy and playful, which is at such odds with this look. He's getting a bit gangly now, though has a long way to go before growing into his feet..!!


And, speaking of dogs. We decided to take a drive yesterday out to Crieff, which is normally about an hour's drive from Edinburgh. I wanted to take some more photos of this place outside Crieff where we'd taken my sister when she visited. It's just a lovely, peaceful valley, with the mountains in the distance, sheep grazing, and lots of green fields and old farms. When we left Edinburgh it was a sunny Saturday afternoon. After getting stuck in the endless flaming roadworks that abound in Scotland these days, we finally got to Crieff about two hours later, and just as the storm clouds came roaring in...sigh. I took photos, though they didn't come out very well, nor look as dramatic as reality. Then we couldn't find a place to have lunch (don't ask), so it's an hour and a half drive back to town. Naturally, Ozzy being the traveller he is (NOT), by the time we pulled into the driveway, Alan and I aren't speaking, and Ozzy has thrown up all over the back of the car. Here's a picture of him before we left...and what a happy creature, huh..?? I don't have a photo of him after we returned from the ruinous drive because a) I was too busy cleaning up the car, and b) he went under the bed and didn't come out until later in the evening..!! Cripes, sometime I can't help but wonder: Why do I bother..??


This is a cool Spring thing, and something that seems very British to me: daffodils planted in the lawn..!! They just appear out of nowhere, and look so wonderful. I took these photos at the Manse, which is where the minister of the Cramond Kirk lives. When the flowers are long gone, with just the green stalks left, it's about time for the first lawn mowing, then they get cut right along with the grass. I love how they look, springing up in big clumps like this.



I took this shot last month, in the drearyness of February. This is one side garden of the Manse, and looks like every other piece of barren ground in the area at this time of year.








This is a photo, taken last week, of the same plot of ground. It that great, or what..?? Just huge bands of yellow where last month there was nothing. In the far distance, just to the left, you can see another large swath.








This is the opposite side garden of the Manse, with the Kirk in the background, and more clumps of daffodils just sprouting away in the grass. With the rest of the garden still bleak and bare, it's wonderful to see these glorious, bright yellow flowers everywhere.








My last thought for the day is about the very sad demise of Natasha Richardson. At first it seemed like such an odd, and rare, accident...I mean really, falling into the snow and within hours being brain dead..?? Then I read that in just America alone, 50,000 people (yes, 50,000) die of this same thing every year. So much for our skulls being natural helmets for our brains..!! It makes life seem so fragile, doesn't it..?? We go along, falling, tripping, stumbling, and never really think that at any given moment we could accidentally do ourselves in. Mortality, what a drag.

February Book Review

I seem to be in a "series" mode these days, and it's been brilliant..!! I've discovered several new authors (new to me), and they've all had loads of previous books so I've been able to start at the beginning and read book after book, without interruption. There's nothing worse than coming to the end of a book and having to wait a year or more to find out what happens next..!!

It would be way too convoluted, and lengthy, for me to go into much detail with all these stories, and I know most of you nod off quite early into my reviews, so I won't labor here with particulars.


Christine Feehan

The Dark Carpathians series
There are several books in this saga, most of them totally entertaining, though somewhere in the middle I started to lose the plot (or Christine did), but then she came back with a vengeance and I fell back in love with all the Carpathians.

Basically, they are a separate immortal race from us, though they live among us as human. The series starts with the Prince of the Carpathians, and each book thereafter tells a different tale of another member of their society. Lots of action with the bad guys who want to kill them off, love interest stuff, and great plotting. I lived and breathed the Carparthians for about 3 weeks and could hardly move on when I'd finished the last in the series, though thank goodness there are more books in the works.


Catriona McPherson

Dandy Gilver Murder Mysteries
So far there are 4 books in this series. These are very quaint stories, filled with Scottishness and in locales I am familiar with around Edinburgh, which is always cool. Dandy is English, though has married a Scottish guy, and lives outside Perth in the 1920s. She's sort of a grown up Nancy Drew, with lots of humor, weird friends, and her most lovable Dalmatian Bunty. She stumbles into crimes and mysteries, often without a clue...literally. The best part of these books, to me, is life in Scotland in the 1920s. Catriona McPherson has done an amazing amount of research into the era and it's delightful to read about.


Karen Chance

Cassandra Palmer series
There are 4 books in this series, with a fifth book that ties in, but stands alone as it's own story. Cassie is a clairvoyant who can also communicate with spirits. The ghosts aren't usually dangerous, but they sure like to talk..!! Lots of mythological and legendary characters abound in this series, with loads of humor and a tough, smart heroine. Fairies, vamps, dwarves, trolls, etc. It's sort of the adult version of Grimm's Fairy Tales with some laugh-out-loud scenes.


Kresley Cole

Immortals After Dark series
I totally love this series..!! There are 6 books so far, and I can't stand that I have to wait until November 2009 for the next one...aarrgghh. Each book ends in a cliffhanger about the next character's story, so it's been most enjoyable (and deadly for getting anything else done in my day) to finish one, and immediately pick up the next.

Again, it's about immortals, which seems to be my obsession lately. The stories are filled with Valkyries, vamps, werewolves (who live in the Highlands of Scotland no less), and various other creatures who go bump in the night. There are hilarious bits with Nix, the Valkyrie who can see the future but only in riddles, plus lots of action, chaos and mayhem. The plots are fab, with great suspense and characters. Yum, what a super series this is..!!

January Book Review

Now that I'm just catching up with my blog postings, it's going to be difficult to write reviews on books I read nearly a month ago, especially as I've read a multitude of great books recently. So, this will be an "edited for television" book review (which no doubt will please some of you no end..!!).

Marianne Curley

Guardians of Time: The Named, The Dark and The Key
This trilogy is about 16 year old Ethan, who discovers he has the ability to travel back in time. The plot concerns Ethan learning to use his skills to intercept the dark forces intent on unraveling history for their own purpose...of course, an evil purpose. At the same time, Ethan is a normal high school kid, with all the problems associated with being a teenager, without adding in the "save the world" bit. It was a good series: complicated, tense, exciting, with lots of action and suspense.

Alison Croggon

Books of Pellinor: The Gift, The Riddle, The Crow and The Singing
This was an amazing quartet. It was supposed to be "young adult" reading, but heck with that. The plot was very intricate, loads of passionate, inspiring characters, really thrilling, scary moments, a vividly described world of monsters, magic and Darkness. All 4 books are nice and thick, too, so I could really get absorbed into the story. Maerad is a young slave woman who gets accidentally rescued early in the first book, by a mage, Cadvan, who discovers she is magically gifted. Through fair means and foul (good guys and bad), it's determined that Maerad is the only one who can restore the balance in the Seven Kingdoms. The quest involved is to find the Treesong, the only thing able to defeat the Dark. Everyone thinks Maerad is the one to do so, though she doesn't have a clue what the Treesong is, or where to find it. The 4 books roam all over the Seven Kingdoms, and the longer the quest goes on, the more Maerad learns, not only about the Treesong, but about herself, and her abilities. This was such a wonderful, lengthy, great read. I was really sorry when I finished the last book.

Christopher Ransom

The Birthing House
I'm not sure what I think about this book. The writing was excellent, so I kept reading, though wasn't too sure where I was going. It was a surprisingly creepy story about a couple, Conrad and Jo, who move into an historic Victorian house, looking for a new start. Conrad is given an old photo album with pictures of the early Victorian inhabitants of the house when it was used as a home for unwed mothers. Things start to take a Stephen King turn for the worse at this point when Conrad seems to recognize one of the women in a group photo: his wife..!! My only complaint was the ending. I swear, either I'm losing it, or my brain functions on a different level than other people, because damn, I didn't understand the end at all. According to the book jacket: "The Birthing House grips from the first line to the terrifying final twist." That's all well and good, and yes, the end was really scary and twisted, but the deal is: I didn't get it....!!!!!