Did This Really Just Happen?

Over the past two months I have been honored with some very special blogging awards. It is still so shocking to me that, not only do people read the things I have to say, but they also enjoy them enough to actually give me an award for it. That is just incredible to me and it is an honor I never expected once let alone three times!

First the Versatile Blogger award. This was given to me by two other incredible bloggers. I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Martin Shone and Lynn Kelley for choosing to pass this award on to me. Be sure you check out their blogs, you will find some fantastic stuff there.

There are three rules in accepting this award.

1. Thank the person who shared the award with you by linking back to them in your post.

2. List seven things about yourself.

3. Pass this award on to 15 newly discovered blogs and let them know that you included them in your blog post.

I have already linked back to Martin and Lynn (and have just done so again ), so I will go on to number 2. This part is rather difficult for me, especially since many of the fun things I could mention I have already talked about in previous blog posts, but I will do my best.

1. Over the course of my vocal studies I sang in 7 different languages. English, Latin, Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Hebrew.

2. I was an extra in the 1994 movie Summertime Switch and you can actually see me in the scene I was in. I look ridiculous.

3. I like ice cream. A lot. I can eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in 5 minutes without purposely trying to do so. My in-laws used to buy it for me just so they could watch.

4. I played the Fairy Godmother in my 5th grade production of Cinderella.

5. I almost died at the age of two from encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

6. When I was 13 and went on a family vacation to the Smokey Mountains I was chosen to compete in one of the games in the performance ring at the Dixie Stampede.

7. When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out it was right before my birthday. I got the book at midnight and was going out with my girlfriends the next evening, so I stayed up all night and read the entire book so I could fully enjoy my friends without wondering what was going to happen to Harry.

Okay, now for the fun part. I get to pass the award on.

1. Natalie Hartford – Life Out Loud

2. Jenny Hanson – Cowbell: You Need More of It

3. M.G. Miller – A Little Southern Exposure

4. Jillian Dodd – Glitter, Bliss, and Perfect Chaos

5. Debra Kristi – Sparks in the Fire

6. Marcy Kennedy – Life at Warp 10

7. Coleen Patrick – Read. Smile. Repeat.

8. Clay Morgan – Pop Culture & the Meaning of Life

9. Liz Schulte – Bat Country

10. Ginger Calem – I am Blogger…Hear me Tweet

11. August McLaughlin – Savor the Storm

12. Emma Burcart – Occasional Epiphanies

13. Alicia McKenna Johnson – Arm Chair Adventures

14. Colin Falconer – Looking for Mr. Goodstory

15. Lena Corazon – Flights of Fancy

Now imagine my astonishment when not long after I received the two Versatile Blogger awards I received another. This time it was the Liebster Blog award from the one and only Myndi Shafer. I was rendered pretty much speechless from this. Myndi is one of my absolute favorite bloggers and for her to recognize me was one of the biggest compliments I could receive.

“Liebster” is the German word for “dearest” and this award is given to new bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. As before, there are a couple of stipulations for accepting the award.

1. Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them.

2. Pass the award on to 5 fellow bloggers and let them know.

I have already thanked and linked back to Myndi, so now to pass this award on.

1. Coty Chanley – My fellow, and hilarious, Glee Chat co-host uncensored.

2. Tim O’Brien – Static in the Airwaves

3. Karen Rought – The Midnight Novelist

4. Fabio Bueno – Diomonds & Rust

5. Samantha Warren – Stealing Starships

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If you are one of the blogs that I listed here I hope that you will be able to take the time to pass your award on, but there is absolutely no pressure. Feel free to take your time if you are just too busy right now – I certainly did. Also, make sure that you remember to save the image and attach it to the blog post that you create.

I really hope that you check out some of the blogs that I have listed. I know that there are a lot of them, especially when you combine the two lists, but I promise you they are worth it.

I Must Have Been a Good Girl This Year

Last week I talked about how I no longer get that excited anticipation for Christmas as I did in childhood, but I still always love the actual day. This year was no exception. Christmas morning I got to watch my two 3 year old nephews tear through wrapping paper as fast as their tiny hands could rip it open and squeal in delight at what they uncovered. My husband and I then got to spend the rest of the day with my family members. It was a day full of good food and lots of laughter.

This year, for the first time in ages, I was really excited about the gifts we had gotten for everyone. We had a little more money than we usually do, so we were able to get some really nice things that we knew our friends and family really wanted. Watching all of them open their gifts was just as thrilling as I had hoped. Everyone was so pleased (and surprised) with what we were able to give them. It felt amazing to be able to give back a little something to the people who give us so much throughout the year.

And then it was my turn.

I must have been a really good girl this year because, let me tell ya, Santa got me some good stuff. I know it’s not supposed to be about what you get from others, but it would be wrong of me not to brag on the things they got me. Right?

As usual my mom went overboard and got me boxes and boxes of fabulous clothes (even after all these years she does most of my clothes shopping). My sister got me some clothes and a super fun Glee bag (pictured above). From my in laws I got a Glee board game, some boots, the entire DVD set of the BBC Robin Hood series, and some other goodies. My dad got me some groovy pajamas and a Kindle (woot woot!).

One of the funnest things I got was from two of my really good friends. They got me a wand, but not just any wand. This wand can be programmed to be a remote control for the TV. With 13 different wand movements I can adjust the volume, change channels, and all kinds of other stuff. How fun is that??

Then there are the gifts from my husband. He outdid himself this year. He got us a two night stay at this really nice bed and breakfast that is on a ranch. Included in this stay are four 2-hour horseback riding sessions. I am beyond excited. I’ve only ridden a horse once and I loved it. Gah! I can’t wait!

But not even that was my favorite gift. My husband also got me a recurve bow and some arrows. I can now live out my fantasy of being Robin Hood (or the bad ass version of Maid Marian from the BBC series).

Thank you for indulging my need to gush over my fantastic Christmas gifts. I am sure that the two gifts from my husband will make for some fun blog posts in the future. Especially when you take into account my extreme klutziness.

What about you? Any especially awesome gifts you got this year? Any other holiday stories you would like to share? Let me know in the comments.

Catching Fire

A while back I posted my review of the wildly popular Suzanne Collins book, The Hunger Games. When I finished that book I was exhausted, frustrated, and hooked. I needed a break before continuing on, but I did finally recover enough to where I felt I could read the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire.

Catching Fire picks up right where The Hunger Games left off. Katniss is back home in District 12 and soon learns that there are very real consequences that have followed from her actions in the Games. With rumors of rebellions and not-so-subtle threats from the President of Panem, she prepares for the victory tour she and Peeta must embark upon as well as her role of mentor in the upcoming Games. This year will mark the 75th annual Hunger Games, which makes it one of the special Quarter Quells (done every 25 years). When the special circumstances for the Quarter Quell are made, everything changes. Only this time, Katniss isn’t just fighting for her life, but also for the lives of those she loves.

After reading The Hunger Games I had two main complaints:

1. The narration style felt clipped and robotic, sometimes to the point of distraction.

2. Katniss drove me crazy.

Neither one of those things were a problem in Catching Fire. Even though Collins still used first person present tense narration with this book, it felt much smoother. There was a flow to the writing that wasn’t there in the last book. I am not sure what the reason for this change is, but it doesn’t really matter. Additionally, Katniss was much more likeable this time around. There were still times where she was excruciatingly oblivious (like with the mockingjay pocketwatch), but for the most part she was much more together.

There were a lot of things that I really enjoyed about this book. It was great to get to see some of the other districts as Katniss and Peeta went on their victory tour. The scene where they visit District 11, the District that Rue was from, completely broke my heart. It was such a tender and touching scene that, especially when juxtaposed with its brutal end, was a perfect representation of the deeper issues in the country and the events that Katniss inadvertently set into motion.

I also loved the more in depth look we got into the Capitol and the people who live there. For the vast majority of those scenes my face was twisted in disgust at the way the Capitol residents lived and their utter self-absorption. The way that they can be either so wholly ignorant of or simply ignore the devastating circumstances in which the rest of the country lives is astounding. Those moments forced me to take a look at my own life to make sure that I have not fallen into that same easy trap (albeit on a much lesser scale).

The only small complaint I have with this installment is the occasionally slow pacing of the beginning. Much of this slow pacing was caused from the time spent developing the awkward and unnecessary love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. Now, I love a good romance, but I felt like there was enough romantic tension in the Katniss/Peeta dynamic. The addition of Gale felt a little superfluous. It seems that all YA books I read nowadays feel the need to include a love triangle even though it is not always needed. I would have much preferred for Katniss and Gale to just be best friends that knew one another better than themselves.

Of course, the slow pace did not last long. The latter half of the book was just as intense and stressful as The Hunger Games had been. And this one had the addition of a gargantuan cliffhanger ending. When I closed the book I was torn by my burning desire to go out and purchase Mockingjay immediately and my need for a mental break. In the end, I used wisdom and forced myself to take a mental break so that I will be able to fully enjoy the end to this series when I read it.

It is very common for the middle book of a trilogy to not quite live up to the books that sandwich it. Even though I have not yet read all three books in The Hunger Games trilogy, I know that this will not be the case here. Catching Fire was a tremendous sequel that, in many ways, improved upon its predecessor. It was a story that I did not want to put down. It was filled with a cast of characters, new and old, that I fell in love with. I am so grateful that I do not actually live in the world of Panem and even more grateful that I am able to visit it through the safety of the pages in a book.

Have you read Catching Fire or any of the books in The Hunger Games trilogy? What did you think of it? Did you like it more or less than the first book? Let me know in the comments.

He Who Must Not Be Named

Hey everyone! I hope that all of you had a fantastic holiday. I certainly did and can’t wait to tell you all about it later this week.

My regular blog post for today will be coming out a little later on, but first I have something really fun to share with all of you. The wonderful Debra Kristi invited me to write a guest piece for her “Immortal Monday” blog series. I was incredibly honored to be asked and jumped at the chance to accept her offer.

For my post, I was able to write about one of my most favorite topics, the Harry Potter series, this time in the form of He Who Must Not Be Named. Be sure to pop over and check out my take on The Dark Lord’s bid for immortality. In case you are not convinced yet, I will give you a little teaser:

You Know Who, He Who Must Not Be Named, The Dark Lord, Tom Riddle, Voldemort – he goes by many names, but no matter which one you use nearly everyone will know exactly who you are talking about. In her Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling created one of the most complex and unforgettable villains around. The thing that has always fascinated me the most about Voldemort is, even though he has the stereotypical “bad guy” goals (take over the world, make everyone bow to his will, etc.), those do not serve as his primary driver. The thing that propels him forward in his bid for power, rather, is an overwhelming compulsion to defeat death. He wants to be immortal.

http://debrakristi.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/immortal-monday-%E2%98%85-he-who-must-not-be-named-%E2%98%85-guest-post-by-jessica-oneal/

 

GUEST BLOG: Coleen Patrick – What’s your happy song?

This week my guest post comes from the wonderful Coleen Patrick. Coleen started writing at a young age and today writes contemporary YA fiction. She has written a fabulous post for us today in which she discusses the power of music – the way it can alter our mood and connect us to memories. This post is sure to make you smile as you join Coleen for a walk down musical memory lane.

What’s your happy song?

This weekend I took a little road trip to take my son to camp. With nothing on the radio, I dug around and came up with a cassette. It had no artist cover, just my loopy, teenage handwriting all over the paper liner.

Yes, it was a mix tape.

From 1987.

So I popped it in the player and started to sing (while my son pushed his headphones deeper into his ears). I found myself thinking about the power of music, and I don’t just mean the power that is remembering lyrics from a 25 year old song (although that is pretty amazing especially when I can’t always remember why I walked into a room), no I’m talking about the power it has to give you a boost.

I GOT A FEELING

Music improves your mood. It can make you happy, make you want to dance or inspire you. Some of the top happy, upbeat songs (they say so in the title) are:

Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t worry be happy “
U2’s “Beautiful day”
Don McLean’s “American Pie” (okay, so it doesn’t exactly say it in the title, but the song rocks and who doesn’t love pie?)
Or this oldie, but goodie:

Even that outfit makes me smile

GLORY DAYS

Music not only evokes emotion, but memory. Forget the beat or the lyrics, sometimes a song can lift you up simply because it reminds you of a happy moment.

For me a big one is the day my fourth grade teacher passed out the slightly damp, freshly copied lyrics to “We will rock you” and “We are the champions.” We all sniffed the paper (ah, remember those days?) and then sang along to Queen, slapping our palms to our desk to the beat (Mrs. Fearn rocked).

COME TOGETHER

Music brings people together. Think about the last concert you went to, wasn’t it amazing singing along with thousands of people to one song?

But it doesn’t have to be that big.

I can also think about dancing in my room to Club Nouveau’s “Lean on Me” with my sister B (small favors that the recording technology was not as accessible as it is today).

Or, there’s the synthesized beats of a-ha that will always remind me of high school, and my friend Selina. And Jimmy Buffet will always make me think of college and singing with everyone at Sully’s (including my future husband).

Here is my roommate Amy and I on a Sully’s night that we forever referred to as “Stripes Night.” I think you can crack the code on that reference.

Then there was this song that reminds me of going to parties with my friend Livia. To this day it makes me want to turn it up and scream along (even if I’m still not sure what it’s about).

Yes, whether the song is cool or cheesy, it can lead to happy connections.

DON’T STOP BELIEVING

Everybody loves a song that can lift your mood, empower you or even make you feel like a superhero, as it apparently did for Henry David Thoreau:

“When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.”

(And he lived in a cabin in the woods for 2 years!)

Who doesn’t want to listen to a song that makes you feel like that?

Whether you prefer the original or one of the many covers, here’s a rocking, positive song (so good it apparently summed up the entire six seasons of HBO’s Sopranos).

What is your happy song?

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I want to say a huge thank you to Coleen for sharing this post with us! Be sure to connect with her on twitter and her blog.

Is Christmas Really Just Meant for Children?

When I look back at the Christmas’ of my childhood I have nothing but good memories. From the weekend of Thanksgiving when we put up the decorations all the way through until Christmas morning, I was filled with excited anticipation of what was to come. When the morning of Christmas finally arrived I felt a joy like no other when I rounded the corner into the living room and saw the stocking overflowing onto the floor and the presents piled so high you couldn’t see the bottom of the tree.

My sister and I would sit together and take turns opening one present at a time in a nice orderly fashion that I, the younger sibling, usually dictated. We would all “Ooo” and “Ahh” over whatever gift had just been revealed until there were no more. It is at this point that I remember sitting surrounded by new toys and just staring at them in overwhelmed awe that all of that could really be mine.

The rest of the day would be filled with more family and some of the most delicious food imaginable cooked by my Aunt. By the time I made it to bed I was always exhausted from the full day of fun and went to sleep with a huge smile on my face. I loved Christmas.

Somewhere along the line that excited expectation was lost, forgotten.

I still love Christmas. I love the time with family, the food, and, yes, the gifts; but it is different now. Now that time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is busy and full of stress. Now  Christmas Eve and Christmas day are hectic as my husband and I try to fit time with both of our families in. The first few years of marriage it was not uncommon for us to get into a few arguments as we each wanted to hold on to our own family traditions.

Eventually my husband and I figured out a system that alleviated much of the stress – well, at least the stress about who we saw when. But even this did not make that anticipation return.

I remember when I used to listen to Christmas music practically nonstop and I wanted to watch all my favorite Christmas movies. Now, I will think about playing some of that music or popping in one of those movies and I find I am just not in the mood. For some reason, that internal “thing” that used to make it feel like Christmas is gone. Again, it’s not that I don’t enjoy Christmas, but it is nothing like what it was while growing up.

Last year, though, I had a glimpse of that old joy again.

My two nephews (on my husband’s side) had just turned two years old and boy were they excited for Christmas. Getting to see the joy and anticipation on their faces that I used to feel caused me to feel some of it myself. We all had so much fun setting everything up on Christmas Eve (see the picture above) so that it would be ready for them when they woke up in the morning. When morning finally came the expressions on their faces were more than we could have ever imagined.

Now my sister has a little boy. He is only six months old this year, but the thought of watching his Christmas joy in the years to come already makes me break into a huge smile.

Is this it? Is it that Christmas really is for children? I am sure the answer to these questions is different for everyone. I know plenty of adults who seem to have natural Christmas joy even without children around, so maybe it is just for me. I simply do not have the answers yet, but I think I am getting closer and I truly believe that I will be able to find it again. Maybe when I have children of my own. Only time will tell.

What about you? Do you get the same excited anticipation you did in childhood? Where do you find your Christmas joy or has it gone missing from your life, too? Let me know in the comments.

The Characters of Harry Potter: Harry

This is the last week in my “Characters of Harry Potter” series. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. In case you have missed any of them, so far I have covered Ron, Hermione, and Neville. Even if you didn’t know from the title of this post, it would probably not be too hard to guess who I will be discussing today.

HARRY JAMES POTTER

One of the things that I love so much about the Harry Potter series is that J.K Rowling was able to create such a large cast of characters that I got to know and love. There are so many that I absolutely adore and have probably referred to at some point in time as my favorite. But I can only have one actual favorite character. For me, that character is Harry.

I am very aware that I am in the minority with this opinion and, to be honest, I don’t care. Harry, just like every other character that Jo created, is flawed in many ways. There are times when I want to smack him or hide my head in shame at his behavior, but I still love him. From the moment we first meet him in the small cupboard under the stairs he took my heart in his neglected little hands and never let go.

I tend to have a bit of a bleeding heart for those who face injustice and, goodness, Harry faces more than his fair share of injustice. From neglect bordering on abuse at his home to constant scrutiny and judgement by his peers to the bullying of “Professor” Snape to countless false accusations by peers as well as authority figures, Harry is plagued by unfair situations. In spite of all this, however, he somehow manages to to keep a surprisingly level head and never stops in his quest to defeat evil.

Ironically, the book that seems to turn people away from Harry the most is one that makes me love him more than ever and is my second favorite in the series: Order of the Phoenix. The Harry in this book is often referred to as ALLCAPS!HARRY in the fandom. If you have read the book, it is not hard to ascertain why. After fifteen years of being bullied, ridiculed, and forced to face more life or death situations than most adults Harry is finally fed up. He is frustrated and angry, which tends to boil over from time to time in a speech written in all caps. Yes, he frequently directs that anger towards the wrong people; yes, he is a bit more rash than usual; yes, he whines and complains about things a good deal; but you know what? I probably would have done the same thing. In fact, I would have been way worse.

After everything he had been through – living with the Dursley’s, facing Voldemort in the back of his teacher’s head, everything in the Chamber of Secrets, the fiasco with Sirius, competing in the Triwizard Tournament, watching a friend be murdered in front of him, seeing Voldemort returned to a body, being forced to battle Voldemort in the certainty that he would not survive – he is left feeling abandoned, attacked by Dementors, and threatened with getting expelled from Hogwarts.

When he is finally rescued from the Dursley’s he finds out that he is being lied about and defamed by the government and the media. He barely escapes being expelled from Hogwarts only to arrive at the school that is supposed to be his safe haven and be faced with Dolores Umbridge. Just the mention of that woman’s name makes my blood pressure rise. She is evil and I am not ashamed to say that I hate her. So much. She makes Harry’s day to day life hell. I challenge anyone to have to deal with her the way Harry did and not get a little grumpy and whiney.

I could go on listing out all the things that Harry has to face, but I won’t – I think I have made my point. Any normal person forced to deal with all the things Harry is would lose their temper on occasion, too. The fact that he does makes Harry more human, more relatable.

It is so difficult for me to read through all of his struggles, but I do and I root for him with every fiber of my being. I join him in the rollercoaster of emotions that he feels throughout the entire series. When he finally makes it to the end of Deathly Hallows and begins to triumph I am barely able to contain my joy. After seven long books of struggle after struggle after struggle he is able to show everyone that he is capable, despite all of their doubts and cruelty.

No matter how many times I have read Deathly Hallows, I still sob through the scenes where people stand up for Harry. My absolute favorite scene is when they are in the Great Hall and Voldemort has told them that if they turn Harry over no one has to die. Pansy Parkinson stands up, points to Harry, and yells for someone to grab him. One by one the students at the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff tables stand up and point their wands, not at Harry, but at Pansy. Harry is described as being “awestruck and overwhelmed” (490-491). Every time I read this scene I can’t help but cheer as tears run down my face. All the events and torment he has been through from the beginning of the series run through my mind and I feel just as awestruck and overwhelmed as he does. People finally realize they need to Support Harry Potter.

How do you feel about Harry? Do you find him whiney and annoying or do you understand where he is coming from? Let me know in the comments.

*Page numbers from the UK editions.

GUEST POST: C.G. Powell – Queen Isabella of Castile: 15th Century Honey Badger

Today’s guest post is from C.G. Powell, author of Spell Checked: Book One of The No Uncertain Logic Series.

As a teen C.G. Powell was selected as a member of her school’s newspaper staff. After her first article the editor decided the darkroom was a more suitable place for her skills…or lack of. Since then, she has traveled everywhere—thanks to her innate curiosity about the world and the Navy. In her life time, she has learned: aviation electronics, CCNA networking, Gemology and how to get bloodstains out of the carpet (you never know when you might need that). But her latest, all-consuming, endeavor is storytelling. When asked why, her response was “I live to challenge myself; I like to be pushed outside of my comfort zone and writing is one of those things that pushes my boundaries. Besides it was the only way to share all of the crap bouncing around in my head!”

I am very excited to have C.G. Powell here today. I am a huge lover of history, but can never seem to force myself to read books on history as they are so boring. You can imagine my excitement when I found Powell’s blog where she expounded upon some of my favorite topics from history with her fun sense of humor. So, without further ado, I will hand it over.

Queen Isabella of Castile: 15^th Century Honey Badger

Isabella I did not have an easy childhood.  At the age of 13, upon the death of her father, John II of Castile, she was left in the care of her older half-brother Henry IV of Castile.  During this time she, her mother, and younger brother were moved to a castle in poor conditions where they also suffered from a shortage of money.  Despite the conditions, Isabella thrived under her mother’s watchful eyes.

Eventually karma worked its magic, and Isabella was made her brothers heir in place of his own daughter, Joanna.  After several attempts to marry Isabella off, for his own political gain, she escaped her brother’s court and married Ferdinand of Aragon, who crossed Castile in secret, disguised as a merchant.  What girl could say no to that kind of dedication?

Upon the death of her older brother, Isabella was made queen, but not without being challenged by supporters of her older brothers daughter, Joanna and her husband/half-uncle Alfonso who was 30 years her senior…ewwww!!!

Okay I know I’m getting off track here, but I just have to tell this little tidbit.  Rumor has it that Joanna’s father, Henry IV was impotent and her mother, Joan was having a relationship with a Castilian noble named Beltran de La Cueva during the time of Joanna’s birth.  From the time she was born, Joana was given the nickname the Beltraneja (a mocking reference to her assumed real father).  Soon her mother was banished to Bishop Fonseca’s castle where she fell in love with Fonseca’s nephew and became pregnant.  Henry divorced her shortly afterwards. Not that I’m a fan of infidelity, but Henry was an ass and the sex wasn’t even good, so I’m defiantly team Joan on this one.

Now back to our story.  After several years, the war between Isabella and Alfonso finally ended in favor of Isabella, which was good because she was a honey badger when it came to reform and negotiations.   During the time of her brother’s reign, he did little to enforce the laws, so murder, rape, and robbery ran ramped, without punishment.  This changed when Isabella formed the crowns first police force.  She also made it a point to restore peace to the areas that had become infested by robbers that oppressed the smaller towns and villages.

Henry had left Castile in great debt, so Isabella set about restoring the Crown’s finances, by taking over the mint and limiting coinage.  She also reacquired royal estates that had been sold during her brother’s reign well below their value, buying them back for the amount they were sold for.  Those that wished to keep their estates now had to purchase them at a fair price.  Her one stipulation was that there would be no revocation of gifts made to churches, hospitals, or the poor.

In spite of her talented ability to rule, it is her sponsorship of Christopher Columbus  and her daughter Catharine, first wife to Henry VIII of England, that she is most remembered for.  She was a fierce ruler, but a fair one for the most part…At least until you get to her religiously motivated decisions, such as the Spanish Inquisition.

So, what are your thoughts on Queen Isabella?  Does the Inquisition alone make her a bad ruler?  And why do we celebrate Columbus Day?  I mean there were people here that had already discovered the place about 20,000 years prior and all Columbus brought to the table was European diseases….Not nice, but I guess that is a story for another day.

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I would like to thank C.G. Powell so much for providing this post. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did and that you even learned a little.

Follow C.G. Powell: Facebook | Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Buy her book: Amazon | Barns & Noble | Smashwords

Myth or Reality: A Woman Who Doesn’t Like to Shop

We all know the stereotype. Women love to shop and spend all their (and their husband’s) hard earned money on clothes and shoes. Most of the women I know are much better at managing their money than the stereotype proclaims, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t love to shop and wish that they could go out and spend, spend, spend. What’s more, most of the women I know have had this fondness for shopping since childhood. So is the stereotype true? Is the woman who hates to shop a myth?

Nope. She exists. In fact, I am her.

Ever since I was a child I have hated to shop. Don’t get me wrong, I love to get new things, I just hate to shop for them. When I was in middle and high school – the age most girls want to start shopping for their own clothes – I used to beg my mom to go shopping without me and just let me try on the clothes she brought home. Crazy, right? Thankfully, I was blessed with a mother who has excellent taste and knows what is in fashion.

As I have gotten older and been forced to do shopping on my own it is always a gamble whether it will go well or invoke major anxiety leading to a short temper. There are certain stores I have just learned to stay away from. For example, Ross. I can not shop in that store. One time, I thought that I would give it a try since I kept hearing about all the good deals one could get there. I walked in, took one look at the chaotic order of the place, turned around and walked back out barely able to breath.

As you can imagine, Christmas is a difficult time for one who hates to shop. Especially one in whom shopping, crowds, and chaos cause extreme anxiety. The thing is, I absolutely love giving people gifts for Christmas. It is so much fun to know that you have found something that someone you care about will be excited about and then watching their joy as they open it. It is one of the best parts about Christmas. It also very nearly gives me panic attacks.

My poor husband. He is such a trooper. We went out last Saturday to get as much of our Christmas shopping done as possible. The closer we got to the stores we were going to shop in, though, the shorter my breath got…and my temper. I very quickly turned into the Grinch. I had no idea what to get anyone and every idea I had seemed lame. Eddie, being the patient man he is, never got mad at me as I snapped at him at the slightest provocation. He continued to come up with ideas and give me opinions when I needed them.

Eventually we found our first gift. It was something for my sister and it was perfect. I started to get excited. After that we found another gift, and another, and another. With each new gift I grew giddy with excitement. Of course, we didn’t have time to get it all done in that one day, but we got a good start. My Christmas shopping anxiety is gone. At least until we head back out. But at least I have a husband gifted with the patience to deal with me.

What about you? Do you enjoy shopping or do you hate it? What about during the holidays when people are crazed maniacs? Any funny shopping stories? Let me know in the comments.

Deerskin

As you know, I love to read. A lot. Most of the time I really enjoy what I read. I can’t tell you how many times I have finished a book and gushed about how much I loved it to anyone who would listen. One of the reasons I never rank books is that I would probably give 4-5 star rankings to most of them as there are very few books I truly and actively dislike. But every once in a while I read something that touches me so deeply it reminds me what a “5 star” book actually looks like. These are the books that will stay with me for the rest of my life no matter how many other books I “love”. Deerskin by Robin McKinley is one of these books.

Deerskin is loosely based upon the fairy tale “Donkeyskin” by Charles Perrault. Lissla Lissar is the only child of the “most beautiful woman in seven kingdoms” and the prince who traveled to the ends of the earth to win her hand. Everyone in the kingdom adores their perfect King and Queen. When the Queen falls ill and passes away the kingdom is devastated and the King becomes unhinged. This serves as the catalyst for a series of events that end with Lissar facing one of the most horrifying tragedies imaginable. With no one other than her dog, Ash, to give her strength she is able to escape and embark on a journey of healing.

I don’t even know where to begin my praise of this book. Everything about it is just brilliant. I have now made several attempts (and deleted them all) to explain what it is about this book that I love so much, but none of them have even come close to capturing it. When I wrote my post on the way I am drawn into and physically affected by a story, Deerskin was one of the books forefront in my mind.

Deerskin is not an easy book to read. Robin McKinley addresses many issues that are intense and uncomfortable to read about, and she does not shrink away from them. Lissar faces things that no one should have to face, but unfortunately many do. What is so great, though, is that we get to go with Lissar as she tries to find her way back; as she tries to find healing. It is a very slow, difficult road, but it is also honest and raw and heartwrenching.

I am pretty sure that this post has taken me longer to write than any of my others to date and it is also one of my shortest.  When I think of this book I am just filled with the many deep emotions it created in me and I can’t figure out a way to convey it all. There is a reason Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors. I knew I liked her after reading Sunshine, but I never imagined what she had in store for me when I picked up Deerskin. Deerskin is a book that lives and breathes inside of me. I will never forget it and it will never leave me.

Have you read Deerskin? Have you read any other books by Robin McKinley? What books have you read that left you at a loss for words? Let me know in the comments.