On Fire with Lesa in 2012! Dance Party!

 (I have a deep dark bookish secret. Can you guess what it is from the conspicuous clues? And grooving is mandatory-- no matter where you are)

Happy second week of this beautiful new year! Is your year off to a blazing good start?

Great balls of fire! Mine certainly is.

I've been in a searing frenzy of productivity around the old homestead.  Start rearranging furniture at midnight? Hot damn, I'm just heating up at midnight.

And in the blogging department? Well, lately, I've been neglecting poor Baja in favor of my everything else blog, Dusty Us Diaries. 

BUT as the embers of 2011 burn to ash, the sparks of 2012 have ignited an inferno of exciting book bloggy ideas.  So stay tuned! 

And my reading? Off to a sizzling start with Summer by Edith Wharton. It is a scorcher! (teehee)

Using all the these fiery words tickles me. Hope you are amused too and not ready to toss me onto a pyre.  Okay, moving along, just in case. 

Have you guessed my secret yet? Are you burning to know? (teehee again)

Aw, you're so flaming brilliant, I bet you already figured it out. 

Alright, I never in a million years (or at least 5 years) expected to say this but here goes.... the big reveal... 
 


I received a Kindle Fire for Christmas! 

I  am actually the bemused proud owner of an e-reader. And a super cool high tech e-reader at that. Me. The girl with no ipod. The girl with a dumb phone.  (I did just upgrade to a smarter phone with a slide out keyboard and touch screen but kept it deliberately dumb-- no texting/interneting for me!)

And now I am with Kindle Fire.

Dang, I don't know nothin' 'bout reading on e-readers!

Ha, looks like I don't know whether to smile or grimace. Just momentary cognitive dissonance though. 


My mind was a whirl of: Uh buh.. no e-reader is my trademark. OMG! A KINDLE FIRE! Uh buh.. I prefer real books. OMG! A KINDLE FIRE! Uh buh... I want to be the last holdout. OMG! A KINDLE FIRE! I CAN GET ALL THE DICKENS' NOVELS FOR FREE!  (And that is no lie. Dickens popped into my mind before all others. my bargain book hunting has been thwarted by Dickens all year)

So yeah, I'm fired up about my new book toy!

Now, if I could only try it out.  That is right, I haven't even tried it out yet (but I have watched Amazon's cool tutorials). 

Why?  There is no wi-fi at my house.  

Why?   My bone idle but charming and bookish (redeeming qualities) Hub bought a wireless router two years ago and has yet to set it up. 

Hahahahahahahahahhahahah! This kills me! It is just so typical of our sitcom-esque life. 

Is your life like a sitcom too? 

Ours is a wonderfully maddening amalgamation of The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, Andy Griffith Show, Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island and Fawlty Towers. Really. 


So I'm giving Hub until February to hook up the wi-fi so I can set up my Kindle Fire in the comfort of my own home. If there is still no wi-fi on February 1, I'll go use the library's wi-fi. 


How much you wanna bet that I will be at the library on February 1?

Until then, I will just stand next to my Kindle Fire...

Where do you stand regarding e-readers? If you have one, which one do you have? How often do you use it?

In Which An Intrepid Reader Falls Into Another Bookish Adventure

Help! I'm boxed in and can't get out!

This is the view from my desk at school. Can you guess what has me totally boxed in? 

Need a clue?

  Here is a peek through the crack right in front of my chair.

Did you guess....

Scholastic Book Fair!

In my room!

What luck!

And don't worry, I'm not really trapped. The cases have wheels so I can slip in and out of my little nook with ease.

Did I have so many bookish adventures before book blogging? I don't know... maybe I just notice them now. 

And you better believe, I appreciate and revel in all bookish delights that come my way.

But who to thank? The Universe? Book Gods? Book Fairies?

 Again, I don't know but:

 Thank you, bestowers of all bookish delights! Bestow, bestow, bestow, knock yourselves out!

******************************

There were only two adult novels on offer and one was...

I snagged it for lunchtime reading in my little hidey hole and it is AAH-MAAZING!! Have you read it? I wanted to read it before seeing the movie and the characters are so engaging that I can't wait to read the rest.  

I read four chapters and left Minny hiding in a bathroom in a panic! I was so tempted to buy the book but it cost sixteen dollars. SIXTEEN DOLLARS! For a paperback! Trade size, but really, that is enough to make a BBB girl pass out! 

So I scurried to the county library. No luck. It's on hold for someone else. Waah!

Tomorrow, after work, I will check the library in the adjacent county.   

Did you hear that, Bestowers of Bookish Delights? 

The Help. Adjacent county library. Tomorrow.

Thank you.

********************************

As a bookblogger, do you find yourself falling into more bookish adventures since you began blogging?  

Celebrating Autumn with Books!

Yeehaw tookie tookie, bloggy friends! Lesa here! I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see the back of September-- it is my one busy and hectic month at school. 

And I'm plumb giddy that autumn has finally arrived. Aren't you? Just think: cooler weather to play outside and work on outdoor projects, festivals, fairs,  fall foliage, Halloween, fewer bugs. Yep, autumn is a wonderful thing!


And don't fret bookish ones, I'm not so giddy that I've mixed up which of my blogs this post is for SO one of the loveliest things about autumn are chilly mornings to cozy up with a cuppa and a good book.  

Can I get an 'Amen, sister!'. 

 Thank you... thank you.. see my wits are intact. Hey,  I heard that snicker.

I do have wits... I do... I do! Silly wits but wits nonetheless... nonethemore either but I make do. And did I mention I was giiid-deee?

Okay, okay,  sillies are contained... back to autumn and books.  

Isn't this absolutely loverly...





Source: imsovintage.blogspot.com via Lesa on Pinterest

I've shared bookish decor vignettes before but this seasonal beauty may be my favorite.

Are you excited about autumn? What are some of your favorite autumn activities?

*********************************

Even though September is never a good bloggy month for me due to school, I've  still managed to read some good books and fall into bookish adventures which I hope to share with you soon. 

And I even photographed every single bargain book waiting in the wings for a BBB feature-- now that was a major coup right there. So am I ahead of the BBB game? No, after my photo frenzy,  I went wild at the county library book sale... tsk tsk tsk. 

Right now, I'm reading three books.  A slow savor of Wind In The Willows and The Scarlett Letter and.... the latest Pendergast thriller!! Not sure if I can savor the Pendergast thriller. It is getting good so I may have to gobble it up!

Happy autumn reading days, book besties! Enjoy and savor!  (but if you gobble, that is okay too, I understand completely)

edit: Ha-- my wits were wacky last night. I accidently posted this on one of Izzy's blank drafts. So, if you were confused earlier by the  'posted by Isabella' , that was just an error on my part. She bears no blame for this silly post.   

Tale Of The Creepy Eye! (As Told By An Intrepid Reader)

Howdy, friends! 



 In the recovery room with Little Minion Dear Son. I'm still loopy here from happy juice and let me just say:  Conscious sedation is ahh-maaazing! So much more pleasant to  'come to'  from than general anesthesia, that's for sure.



I'm back-- sort of-- I'm twelve days post-op and my vision is way wacky (one blurry eye and one clear eye) so looking at anything is weird but looking at a computer screen makes me feel especially nutty and slightly queasy. 

 Thankfully, big minion Dear Hub fixed me up with a pair of safety glasses in which he occluded the blurry eye side with black construction paper. Does the trick even though blogging with one eye is a bit tiring BUT an intrepid reader/blogger must blog on... for your amusement, of course.

See, even suffering from visual vertigo, I'm thinking of your amusement. I'm a saint, I tell you, a saint!!

So on with the tale...

Eye surgery (express shunt for glaucoma) was a breeze and rather fascinating-- kind of like starring in my own episode of a medical drama. And I was a model patient this time-- no arguing that my eye wasn't open during the procedure and no dancing legs. Actually, there was no music playing this time. Is it possible that the staff remembered my antics?

Ah, the intrepid reader! This was a staged shot for entertainment purposes only but, of course,  I became engrossed in an interesting article.. and recipes... and...

The bandage was removed one day post-op. Are you ready to see the creepy eye?  Not quite? Okay, later then. 

For now, I will tell you that the shunt implant surgery was a bit too successful. The eye pressure is now too low-- which exacerbates the normal post-op blurry vision. If the pressure doesn't increase to a non-blurry level, another surgery to add a suture to tighten up the shunt will be required.  WAAAH!! 

Ready for the creepy eye? 

Not yet? O-kaay... eyes closed but y'all sure are squeamish. 

Anyhoo, remember my dread of the post-op instructions? Now you will see why...

• Steroid eyedrop every two hours while awake
• Antibiotic eyedrop every four hours while awake
• Ointment in eye at bedtime
• Plastic shield taped over eye for sleeping (two weeks)
• No water in eye for two weeks
• No lifting more than eight pounds for six weeks
• No bending below waist for six weeks

Right now my whole life revolves around this dang ol' creepy eye. Bye-bye fun summer.

But, looking on the sunny side,  I'm going to have some killer legs from all the squatting!

Ready to see you know what? Eyes opening now...

Wait? What do you mean wait? I can only drag this tale out so long, you know. Plus, I'm blogging with one tired eye!  Give a girl a break!

Okay, one last reprieve but that is it-- you will just have to hide your eyes. And it isn't like some of you don't read/watch paranormal and horror. Geez!

So how about a bit of drama before the horror? After the three hour drive home following bandage removal, I lost vision in my surgery eye. Now that is scary! All I could see was white-- like looking at a film screen. I panicked!! 

We hightailed it three exhausting hours back to the doctor for an emergency after hours exam.  Apparently, the low pressure was keeping the eye too shallow to reform properly. The doctor added dilation drops to my post-op regimen and vision returned. Whew!

Okay, folks, the time is now. What time? Creepy eye time, of course.   You have been warned so click away if you are truly squeamish. Mwahahaha!

 Boo! 

Ooo, I look like a monster.

In case you are wondering, there is not one speck of white on my eyeball. And it gets worse before it gets better-- the main swelling and bruising shows up on the second post-op day. And it all lasts forever! (the droopy eyelid hangs around for six months)


I debated whether to call it zombie eye or creepy eye.

 What do you think? Both fit.

Now I'm as vain as the average girl but am I bothered by the creepy zombie eye? No.

See. I'm happy as a clam. 

Why, you ask?

Because I get to frighten little children, that's why!

Kidding! (but that is kinda fun)

Actually, I am beyond thrilled over hiding the creepy zombie eye behind these absolutely...

fabulous post-op sunglasses!

Too stylin' for words.

I should start a fashion trend...

 

(Looking forward to getting back into the swing of the blogosphere-- I've sure missed reading and commenting on all of your blogs)

(and in case you are wondering why in the world I'm going on about my ailment and sharing the grossness-- Well, my experience, even told in a non-technical silly way, may be helpful to others in the same boat.  Plus, I'm planning future glaucoma awareness posts. Vision is precious, book peeps!)

Bargain Book Bonanza (14): A Hubby Edition

 Welcome to Bargain Book Bonanza!

A book haul linky party for bargain loving bookworms!

BBB is the place to showcase all the great books (new, used, vintage, electronic, audio) that you have scored on sale.

Each Monday through Thursday, all book lovers are invited to carouse, make merry and revel with bargain book abandon!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.

Lesa is hosting this week!

Hi, friends! Apologies for being so late with this week's BBB. This is the third week of summer break and I have already lost track of days! And if you think I've been wallowing and relaxing, think again. Right now, I'm plumb tuckered out from a general frenzy of activity due to unexpected aggravating news that I will share soon. But for now, on with Bargain Book Bonanza...

Have I mentioned before that my spouse is also a bookworm?

My hub, Jim, is an eclectic reader too except in the nonfiction category. He reads it all but his favorites are anything relating to his multitude of special interests, humor  and biographies/memoirs of people in the arts. 

But my man isn't a fictional lost cause-- he read and loved The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings before we met. Good thing that... since he would've had to hit the road otherwise. Seriously. 

The guy had potential so I decided to keep him. And my badgering faith paid off!  A few years ago, he started reading a few of my science thrillers. But the piece de resistance:  Jim read all the Harry Potter books!    Now if only Jillian's boyfriend would put a little bug in his ear regarding a certain bracelet... 

Since Jim is a bookworm and has always bought the most books between us (in my pre-BBB days, that is), it really tickled me last week when he asked: What are you going to do with all your books?

I said: Read them!

Duh, what did he think I was going to do with them!
Of course, I conveniently missed the gist of the question which was book storage.

And guess who found book bargains last week? Yep, my good ol' weak-willed hub.  Only two books though so I guess the house won't burst at the seams. 

Jim found these at the library's neverending sale. He was particularly excited about the Brian Wilson memoir since the Beach Boys are his second favorite  childhood band after the Beatles.

How good was the bargain?

Two hardbacks for a dollar! Can't beat that!

For discussion:

Is it important that your present/future significant other is a reader?  Did any past relationships fizzle because your significant other didn't get your passion for books?

If you have a bargain book, please share. We love to brag on bargains! The linky will be open through Friday this week.






Please click daily to vote for Mrs. BG at the free-ranked blog directory Picket Fence Blogs!

Scholastic Book Club and Dinner Dictionary

Warning-- silly, base and scatological humour ahead. Read at your own risk.

We often read at the table after dinner.  Sometimes even during dinner.  We're so literary.  Tonight Dellylu brought her Scholastic Book Club catalogs to the table to browse.  

 

She first commented on the pony series, comprising I Want a Pony, A Pony for Keeps, A Pony in Trouble, Give Me Back My Pony, Pony to the Rescue, Too Many Ponies, Runaway Pony, Goodbye Pony, The Wild Pony, Don't Hurt Me, Pony, Keep Out Pony, and Circus Pony.  The entire set is on sale for only $45, a savings of $86.88 (a BBB post, maybe?).  She reckons the best one of the series must be Too Many Ponies, because there are definitely too many.

 

Then Izzy commented on the fine book, Dr Proctor's Fart Powder.  We laughed at the title and the blurb, which reads, 'Nilly and Lisa must help Dr Proctor keep his super-strength Fart Powder safe from the neighbourhood bullies!'   Since Hubby is the only boy in the house we found the idea of a fart book hilarious.  I tried to tell them about proctology and the pun with the Dr's name, but couldn't find the word in our dictionary. It was in Wikipedia.

So then Hubby commented on a set he found, saying, 'Here are some books about ponies who don't eat enough fibre. It's called Magic Ponies Bind Up.' 

Favorite Readin' Spots n' Stuff

So, I am sure that most of you have, like, a life, right? Yes? No? Oh...no?  Ok, ok, no, that's fine. I can still work with this.

Well, I am sure most of you do anywho. So, it may come as no shock that it is quite difficult to squeeze in a bubble bath, while reading romance novels and eating European chocolates....

...At least it is for me. Oh. Not for you? Ok, no, no, it's fine. I can still work with this.

So, anyway, during one of those..umm..unusually hectic weeks (I only have 52 hectic weeks a year), I try to create, if you will...or even if you won't, an atmosphere. Or at the very least, a non-hostile environment. This tends to occurs on the nights my hubby goes and plays soccer. I power up the Wii for the boys and turn on an "educational" DVD for the little one.You know, like Spongebob Squarepants- fascinating documentary on modern sea life, by the way.

And then I am free for the night, BAY-BEE! Woooo-hooo! Time to get my read on! AHHHH YEAH! And yes, I am totally aware of how pathetic this is.

Any. Way. I have a favorite spot. It is a fat squashy sofa, and I get an obnoxiously-colored quilt I stole from the Cabin and a cup o' coffee in my favorite mug, and settle in with a good REAL book (No offense Kindlers), from the public library, no less. Good and germy!

I like to sit next to this window for the light, of course, but also, I can watch for my brood to fight see my darling little ones have a lively discussion. This window looks out over the patio and backyard. Um, yes, this blinds are..umm..open when my kids are out.

And yes, Tracy, these are new sofas. Give me a break, will ya? Always bringing up my bizness! Seriously! As it so HAPPENS, mom got these sofas and changed her mind, OKAY?? And who gets her sloppy sofa seconds? Me, that's who! It's a burden I must carry.

Back to the story.

Isn't that a cool cup? I have only four. Two Nutella colored and two milk chocolate. See how I incorporated another favorite thing here, although it's completely unrelated to bookishness? That's called "getting off topic". I am not sure why I am bragging about it.

And no, I do not normally eat that many cookies. And if you hear different, they are LYING. This was quite simply for the sake of photography. I sacrifice so much for my art.

But that does bring up an interesting point...are there any un-favorite things that I avoid? Well, yes. I think it highly improper to eat anything like greasy chips or a drippy mustardy sandwich while reading. Or stuff that sticks to your hands, like salt crystals or melty M&M's . Really people. Show some respect for the book, please.

"So," you are wondering, "what about outside? Don't you ever read outside, especially now that it is purdy out?"

Why! I am so glad you asked! Excellent question! That's why YOU are my favorite bloggy friend!

Yes, I do read outside. And that is my second favorite reading place - right after reading inside. I go outside and read when my kiddos are in our Olympic sized lap pool!

Ok, maybe not quite Olympic size...

I usually pull up an antique porch rocker, a fancy art nouveau table, and a tall glass of iced tea....

Ok, ok, so no iced tea either...

...and read. Yes, I DO watch them. I glance up occasionally, at least.  As long as they don't splash me, we are all good.

And that, Gentle Reader, is how I get my read on. So, how about you? What are your favorite readin' spots n' stuff?

Ways of Seeing Words: Library Tree and William Blake

The redbud is Oklahoma's state tree and this one at the library is in full bloom!





Bee-yoo-ti-ful, isn't it!  

In case you couldn't tell from my recent Locus Focus post, I have a thang for the great outdoors and I really really dig trees. Yep, I'm a nature girl...

And as a nature girl who is also prone to flights of fancy, this quote by William Blake pleases me...

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and some scarce see Nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, Nature is Imagination itself."

- William Blake, 1799, The Letters

Do you ever think of nature as the imagination of God*?  I do and this quote reminds me of how, for me, nature, spirituality and God (the Creative Force of the Universe)* are magnificently intertwined.  

*(God  a.k.a. Creative Force of the Universe so as not to offend anyone since 'spiritual' talk can be a touchy subject in mixed company. Folks of all creeds are welcome at Mrs. BG:  Christians, Buddists, Hindus, Muslims, Pagans, Agnostics, Atheists, Jedis.
Except for radical fundies of any persuasion-- they are scary and tend to support book banning so must be screened first!)   

And yes, this is Lesa-- and no, I haven't been 'body snatched'-- I do occasionally stray from the silly side of the street and think serious semi-profound thoughts. 

but not for long...

Definitely the home of a bookish dryad, don't you think...  (a tree nymph, for you less fanciful folks)

Can you imagine someone not noticing this tree or worse, thinking it was in the way? Maybe even destroying it? 

I bet you can guess which bookish character that part of the quote reminds me of:

Bad Saruman-- A wizard should know better!

Isn't bark interesting...

Remember the deep dark secret I revealed in my recent Locus Focus post-- Well, here is another one:

 I am a macro maniac! 

To learn how my macro mania began (and to learn what a doofus I really am) click here.  

Macro enhances details not seen by the naked eye and makes even the most mundane things beautiful and fascinating.

Nature macros might even move some to tears of joy as William Blake stated trees are wont to do. 

Well, not my nature macros, you understand,  but someone's... hey, it's in the realm of possibility and I bet that someone owns a bonafide dSLR camera! 

  This lovely little blossom blooming right out of the bark of the main trunk didn't make me blubber but it did bring me joy.

Nature, imagination and ways of seeing words...

Please visit Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos to see amazing macros.

Keep on Truckin'...

Look what pulled up to my school last Thursday...

 The Scholastic Book Fair truck! Yippee!!  Isn't that the coolest truck ever?!

   For me, this is like the circus coming to town! I'm as jazzed as the kids on the truck.

The book fair can't fit into the library because of a new computer lab taking up library space. Guess where it will be instead?!  In the classroom right across the hall from my classroom!! Yee--freakin--haw!!

Can't wait till the book fair officially opens! Friday, while the librarian was setting up, I slipped in for a whiff of new book smell and a little reconnaissance. I spotted some interesting titles already. 

Click here to see the books I bought at the Scholastic Book Fair last spring. Consider visiting your local school's book fair-- there are usually cookbooks and other adult books too. Plus, buying helps the school get more books.

If you are into photography, photo meme linky parties are fun. I frequently participate in photo memes over at my everything else blog, Dusty Us Diaries, but this week it is Mrs. BG's turn.

Click the buttons to see more colorful photos from around the world.

Click here  for Ruby Tuesday

click here for Rednesday

Friday Follow and More!

Welcome to Mrs. BG!  If you are visiting for the first time, this is a collaborative blog authored by five gals of the bookish persuasion.  We muse, chat and laugh about any topic remotely reading related that tickles our fancy. Come on in and sit a spell! 


This is our first time to participate in Parajunkee's Follow My BookBlog Friday.  As the moderator of Mrs. BG, it is my job to to handle this sort of bloggy business.  I was not going to link up to Friday Follow since I'd already joined two other hops BUT THEN I saw this week's Friday Follow question.

What embarrassing thing have you done on cold medicine?

Hahahahahah!  That just happened this morning!!  I woke up early and my Nyquil from last night hadn't worn off yet. I attempted to edit DeLynne's latest Dinner Dictionary post.  With a groggy head and blurry vision (from Nyquil nothing else),  I added a Bob Marley photo and somehow lost DeLynne's last paragraph! How embarrassing! I hope she isn't too miffed with me when she wakes up in Australia in a few hours. 

Cold medicine and blogging don't mix, folks!!



Mrs. BG is also joining in these delightful hops this week.

Welcome! Welcome! New bloggy friends!

If you have a thing for books and bargains, please come back on Monday and join Mrs. BG's first linky party: Bargain Book Bonanza!

In Search of Wilkie Collins

blip... blip... Enid Blyton... blip... blip... Wilkie Collins...

When classic  but  'unknown to you' authors blip on your book-dar, do you get all atwitter? Me too! 

But my excitement is also tinged with perturbation and embarrassment-- where have I been?!  I don't live under a rock, after all!  Even if I haven't read a particular classic, as a bookworm, I expect to have at least heard of the author or title.  Don't you?

When rave reviews of Wilkie's The Woman in White popped up on a few blogs last year, I thought: Who? Any relation to Jackie?  Yeah, my ignorance knows no bounds... 


Young Wilkie Collins



Of course, The Woman in White was added to my mental TBR list for someday... a day in a not too distant future. Then, Leslie, my favorite co-blogger, blogged about Wilkie Collins right  here  at Mrs. BG!  That, my friends, is a 'sign'!

And the search for Wilkie Collins began.

 Dang, that Wilkie Collins is elusive in Eastern Oklahoma!  (and based on the blank stares, I'm not the only ignoramus in my neck of the woods)

My county library didn't have any books by Wilkie Collins but could request The Woman in White from another library in their system through inter-library loan for a shipping fee of $1.50. 

Before committing, I felt compelled to check the library in the adjacent county, just in case. That library belongs to a different library system so there was a possibility-- ok, a slim chance-- alright, alright, probably no chance in hell that the The Woman in White might be on the shelf. 

And... And... No luck. *%#@ Rats! But.. But... Get this.. It was available through inter-library loan from another library in their system!! Ha! Doesn't that just beat all!

Before I expired on the spot from Wilkie madness, I filled out an application for a library card and requested the  inter-library loan. And, guess what? Inter-library loans are free in this system! A man drives the books around in his little truck. Of course, I requested two more books right away. Hey, could you resist free carpooling books!

So my convoluted search for Wilkie Collins comes to a happy and successful conclusion. I have a brand spanking new library card so no more dependence on hubby's card.   Plus, with access to sixteen more libraries and free interlibrary loans, I now have the whole eastern half of my state under bookish surveillance.  Hoo-rah!! Yeah, I'm bad...

And The Woman in White will be in my hot little hands by 3:30 this afternoon! Yippee!  (I would've had it last Friday but the little truck couldn't make it over the icy roads to get my books)

Wilkie better be worth the wait!


Old Wilkie Collins



 Have you heard of Wilkie Collins? If so, did you know of him before bookblogging?  What authors have blipped on your book-dar and knocked you for a loop because you can't believe you have never ever heard of them?!